What does the future hold? 00:00:01.36\00:00:02.70 Where can we find certainty in a world of uncertainty? 00:00:02.73\00:00:05.40 The Book of Revelation provides hopeful answers for today, 00:00:05.43\00:00:09.20 tomorrow and forever. 00:00:09.24\00:00:10.97 Join Mark Finley, 00:00:11.01\00:00:12.61 author and world renowned speaker 00:00:12.64\00:00:14.61 on a journey into the future 00:00:14.64\00:00:16.41 with Revelation's Ancient Discoveries. 00:00:16.44\00:00:19.51 Welcome back. 00:00:23.18\00:00:24.52 We've been journeying 00:00:24.55\00:00:25.89 through the Book of Revelation together, 00:00:25.92\00:00:27.42 discovering God's end time truths. 00:00:27.46\00:00:30.53 Have you discovered some new insights in this series? 00:00:30.56\00:00:34.06 Remember, in our first presentation 00:00:34.10\00:00:36.40 in Revelation 1:1, 00:00:36.43\00:00:38.20 it says, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ." 00:00:38.23\00:00:40.84 In verse 3, it says, 00:00:40.87\00:00:42.20 "Blessed are they who read, who hear, 00:00:42.24\00:00:46.31 and do the things therein." 00:00:46.34\00:00:48.78 As we've been reading 00:00:48.81\00:00:50.15 the prophecies of Revelation together, 00:00:50.18\00:00:51.51 as you've been hearing it and seeing it 00:00:51.55\00:00:53.28 through the imagery and graphics of the telecast, 00:00:53.31\00:00:55.95 God has led you, I'm sure, to make decisions for Him. 00:00:55.98\00:01:00.92 In our program today, we're going to look at 00:01:00.96\00:01:03.09 one of the most misunderstood topics, 00:01:03.12\00:01:05.33 one of the most misunderstood subjects 00:01:05.36\00:01:07.40 in all the Bible, 00:01:07.43\00:01:08.80 the subject of the true gift of prophecy 00:01:08.83\00:01:11.27 as compared to the false gift of prophecy. 00:01:11.30\00:01:12.97 So let's pray, 00:01:13.00\00:01:14.34 God will give us insight as we open His Word. 00:01:14.37\00:01:17.21 Father, in heaven, 00:01:17.24\00:01:18.57 thank You so much that You give us clear light 00:01:18.61\00:01:23.45 in Your Word as we come to Your Word 00:01:23.48\00:01:26.41 to study the gift of prophecy, 00:01:26.45\00:01:29.38 give us a sense of Your guidance and leading. 00:01:29.42\00:01:33.22 We pray in Christ's name. Amen. 00:01:33.25\00:01:37.26 My topic during this presentation is 00:01:37.29\00:01:39.93 "Revelation's Prophetic Movement at End-Time." 00:01:39.96\00:01:45.60 All around the world, people are seeking, 00:01:45.63\00:01:48.27 they are looking for varying kinds of spirituality. 00:01:48.30\00:01:52.41 Even unbelievers worship at the shrine of atheism, 00:01:52.44\00:01:57.68 worship at the shrine of materialism, 00:01:57.71\00:02:00.55 worship at the shrine of technology, 00:02:00.58\00:02:03.05 worship at the shrine of pleasure, 00:02:03.08\00:02:05.09 so all of us worship something. 00:02:05.12\00:02:07.66 Even unbelievers worship themselves. 00:02:07.69\00:02:10.76 Yet in this world, 00:02:10.79\00:02:12.63 because of the lack of genuine biblical faith, 00:02:12.66\00:02:16.87 because of the lack of heartfelt Christianity, 00:02:16.90\00:02:20.37 because of the lack of Jesus 00:02:20.40\00:02:22.80 being the dynamic power in the life, 00:02:22.84\00:02:25.67 many are turning to spiritualistic resources 00:02:25.71\00:02:30.58 for guidance in their spiritual lives. 00:02:30.61\00:02:34.22 There's really an explosion of interest 00:02:34.25\00:02:36.82 in psychic phenomena today. 00:02:36.85\00:02:40.26 Some have turned back to a prophet in America, 00:02:40.29\00:02:43.56 so-called prophet, Jeane Dixon. 00:02:43.59\00:02:45.46 It's interesting if you'll look at 00:02:45.49\00:02:46.86 Jeane Dixon's prophecies and over 90% of them 00:02:46.90\00:02:51.40 by objective analysis never came true. 00:02:51.43\00:02:54.07 You wonder was God wrong during that period of time? 00:02:54.10\00:02:56.54 Certainly not. 00:02:56.57\00:02:57.91 Some look to the sleeping prophet 00:02:57.94\00:02:59.71 Edgar Cayce, 00:02:59.74\00:03:01.24 but yet, do you look at some of his predictions, 00:03:01.28\00:03:04.08 maybe some faintly have come true, 00:03:04.11\00:03:05.65 but you look at most of them, of course, were utter failures. 00:03:05.68\00:03:09.68 And people looked at varying prophets. 00:03:09.72\00:03:13.49 Some time ago in the United States, 00:03:13.52\00:03:16.89 a eastern mystic Maharaja Ji rose up 00:03:16.93\00:03:21.36 and really fostered a lot of interest 00:03:21.40\00:03:25.60 in the whole idea of messiahship and prophecy, 00:03:25.63\00:03:30.51 but yet those who went to the stadiums 00:03:30.54\00:03:33.24 and heard Maharaja Ji ended up 00:03:33.27\00:03:36.24 really empty barren a few years past 00:03:36.28\00:03:39.55 and they recognized they were following a false messiah. 00:03:39.58\00:03:44.52 Jesus warns us very much against the counterfeit. 00:03:44.55\00:03:49.52 He fact in His sermon 00:03:49.56\00:03:51.39 on end events, Jesus said, 00:03:51.43\00:03:57.50 "False christs and false prophets 00:03:57.53\00:03:59.33 will rise show great signs and wonders to deceive." 00:03:59.37\00:04:03.41 Christ had been talking about famines and earthquakes, 00:04:03.44\00:04:07.28 wars and pestilences, rising crime and violence. 00:04:07.31\00:04:12.35 And in the context of his sermon on end events, 00:04:12.38\00:04:15.42 He says, "False christs and false prophets will arise." 00:04:15.45\00:04:21.56 And then he says in Matthew 7:15, 00:04:21.59\00:04:25.86 "Beware of false prophets, 00:04:25.89\00:04:28.26 who come to you in sheep's clothing, 00:04:28.30\00:04:30.20 but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." 00:04:30.23\00:04:33.23 So just before the coming of Christ, 00:04:33.27\00:04:35.80 there would be a rise of those movements 00:04:35.84\00:04:38.84 claiming to be guided by the gift of prophecy. 00:04:38.87\00:04:42.11 And as the result of that, many would turn from the Bible, 00:04:42.14\00:04:46.45 they would give their allegiance 00:04:46.48\00:04:48.22 to these false prophets and be ultimately, 00:04:48.25\00:04:51.55 totally deceived. 00:04:51.59\00:04:53.39 We see this happening all around us today. 00:04:53.42\00:04:57.23 In the United States, 00:04:57.26\00:04:58.59 there are about 3,000 00:04:58.63\00:05:00.40 different astrology columns that people refer to. 00:05:00.43\00:05:03.97 Almost in every city, 00:05:04.00\00:05:06.33 you'll see signs in front of homes saying, 00:05:06.37\00:05:09.57 "psychic reader here" or "tarot cards readings here" 00:05:09.60\00:05:14.34 or "your future here revealed." 00:05:14.38\00:05:17.25 In fact, many of these psychics are using modern technology, 00:05:17.28\00:05:22.28 and they are coming on to the internet, 00:05:22.32\00:05:25.05 and there are interviews on the internet, 00:05:25.09\00:05:27.72 and you can have psychic channeling 00:05:27.76\00:05:30.49 through the internet by paying a certain fee 00:05:30.53\00:05:33.66 on your credit card. 00:05:33.70\00:05:35.26 Interest in psychic phenomena is just exploding. 00:05:35.30\00:05:39.63 Over seven million in America are following 00:05:39.67\00:05:43.64 some kind of a cult leader and in addition to that 00:05:43.67\00:05:47.34 millions more are tuning in to psychic phenomena, 00:05:47.38\00:05:51.81 they are checking out of genuine Christianity. 00:05:51.85\00:05:56.02 Now what does the Bible teach 00:05:56.05\00:05:57.49 about the genuine gift of prophecy? 00:05:57.52\00:06:00.46 Will the gift of prophecy be manifest 00:06:00.49\00:06:04.29 in the last days of earth's history? 00:06:04.33\00:06:06.23 Is the gift of prophecy 00:06:06.26\00:06:07.60 one of the identifying marks of God's last day church? 00:06:07.63\00:06:11.80 In Ephesians 4:8, we read, 00:06:11.83\00:06:14.27 "Therefore He says: this is Jesus, 00:06:14.30\00:06:17.51 'When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive.'" 00:06:17.54\00:06:21.81 Jesus led death captive and as evidence of that, 00:06:21.84\00:06:25.91 you remember, 00:06:25.95\00:06:27.28 the Bible says that some graves were opened 00:06:27.32\00:06:29.78 and some of those 00:06:29.82\00:06:31.15 who had died came out of their graves 00:06:31.19\00:06:33.36 and they are sent to heaven with Christ. 00:06:33.39\00:06:35.86 Another translation here is He led captivity 00:06:35.89\00:06:38.03 or a host of captives. 00:06:38.06\00:06:39.86 He leads them back into heaven as trophies, 00:06:39.89\00:06:42.76 as honor guard of His resurrection power, 00:06:42.80\00:06:47.90 but He gives gifts to men. 00:06:47.94\00:06:50.41 What are those gifts? Jesus ascends to heaven. 00:06:50.44\00:06:54.04 He's no longer with His earthly church, 00:06:54.08\00:06:56.41 no longer here to guide it and give it direction. 00:06:56.44\00:06:59.51 The Father embraces Christ as He welcomes Him home. 00:06:59.55\00:07:03.99 And Jesus as the result of being inaugurated 00:07:04.02\00:07:08.99 as savior and inaugurated as high priest in heaven, 00:07:09.02\00:07:13.83 He begins to give earthly gifts to His church. 00:07:13.86\00:07:18.83 What are these gifts of the spirit 00:07:18.87\00:07:21.50 that come from Christ, the resurrected Christ, 00:07:21.54\00:07:25.44 the Christ who is our high priest, 00:07:25.47\00:07:28.01 the Christ that stands in our behalf in heaven? 00:07:28.04\00:07:30.38 What are these gifts? 00:07:30.41\00:07:31.75 The Bible tells us, Ephesians 4:11, 12, 00:07:31.78\00:07:34.85 "He gave himself some to be apostles, 00:07:34.88\00:07:38.55 some prophets, some evangelists, 00:07:38.59\00:07:41.19 some pastors and teachers." 00:07:41.22\00:07:43.49 Here are the gifts. 00:07:43.53\00:07:45.29 He gives apostles, what are they? 00:07:45.33\00:07:47.33 Divine administrators who guide God's church 00:07:47.36\00:07:50.50 with heavenly authority. 00:07:50.53\00:07:52.13 Prophets, those who see visions 00:07:52.17\00:07:55.20 and guide the church through its visions. 00:07:55.24\00:07:58.21 Evangelists, those who have the ability 00:07:58.24\00:08:01.11 to proclaim the Word of God to large audiences 00:08:01.14\00:08:03.88 and lead them to Christ and truth. 00:08:03.91\00:08:05.98 Pastors, those that shepherd God's flock. 00:08:06.01\00:08:09.62 Teachers, those that have unique ability 00:08:09.65\00:08:11.95 to teach God's Word. 00:08:11.99\00:08:13.72 Let me ask you this question. 00:08:13.76\00:08:16.29 Do we still need divine administrators 00:08:16.32\00:08:18.49 in the church today, do we? 00:08:18.53\00:08:20.93 Do we need evangelists in the church 00:08:20.96\00:08:22.83 who can preach God's Word powerfully 00:08:22.86\00:08:25.73 to large groups and lead them to Christ? 00:08:25.77\00:08:28.40 Do we need pastors in the church 00:08:28.44\00:08:30.27 to shepherd local congregations? 00:08:30.31\00:08:32.67 I thank God for faithful pastors 00:08:32.71\00:08:35.28 who shepherd congregations. 00:08:35.31\00:08:37.48 Do we need teachers in the church today 00:08:37.51\00:08:40.28 that are instructing? 00:08:40.32\00:08:42.58 They have the unusual ability to instruct 00:08:42.62\00:08:44.82 in the Word of God certainly. 00:08:44.85\00:08:47.06 Do we need the divine gift of prophecy? 00:08:47.09\00:08:48.72 Somebody who is pastor, 00:08:48.76\00:08:50.09 "I am kind of afraid at the gift of prophecy!" 00:08:50.13\00:08:52.56 If Jesus gives us a gift, I want that gift, don't you? 00:08:52.59\00:08:56.60 I don't want to say, "Jesus, I'm not going 00:08:56.63\00:08:58.10 to open Your gift. 00:08:58.13\00:08:59.47 Jesus, I'm too afraid of Your gift." 00:08:59.50\00:09:01.44 Why is the gift of prophecy given to the church? 00:09:01.47\00:09:04.17 Why are all these gifts given? 00:09:04.21\00:09:05.64 "For the equipping of the saints." 00:09:05.67\00:09:07.94 That is to equip the believers for the work of ministry, 00:09:07.98\00:09:13.11 so the function of all the gifts of the spirit 00:09:13.15\00:09:16.22 is to prepare God's people to do ministry 00:09:16.25\00:09:18.75 in the community and service in the world 00:09:18.79\00:09:21.62 and to proclaim the gospel. 00:09:21.66\00:09:23.09 "For the edifying of the body of Christ." 00:09:23.12\00:09:25.66 So the reason He gives apostles, 00:09:25.69\00:09:28.03 and pastors, and evangelists, and teachers, and prophets 00:09:28.06\00:09:31.20 is to build up His church, that's the function. 00:09:31.23\00:09:34.77 If God has given a gift to build up His church, 00:09:34.80\00:09:37.24 I don't want to turn away from that gift. Do you? 00:09:37.27\00:09:39.37 Jesus gave these gifts to the church to strengthen it, 00:09:39.41\00:09:43.48 to accomplish its mission in proclaiming 00:09:43.51\00:09:45.31 the gospel to the world. 00:09:45.35\00:09:46.82 Now here is a single truth that will help you avoid 00:09:46.85\00:09:52.89 a million errors about prophecy. 00:09:52.92\00:09:55.82 The Bible says that God gives the gifts 00:09:55.86\00:09:59.06 to the church. 00:09:59.09\00:10:00.43 1 Corinthians 12:28, 00:10:00.46\00:10:02.50 God says through the Apostle Paul 00:10:02.53\00:10:05.17 that He has put the gifts in the church, 00:10:05.20\00:10:08.57 like a diamond set within a diamond ring. 00:10:08.60\00:10:11.87 If you want to find the true gift of prophecy, 00:10:11.91\00:10:13.98 where do you look? 00:10:14.01\00:10:15.34 You don't look at some so-called prophet, 00:10:15.38\00:10:17.85 some so-called psychic that pops up here anywhere. 00:10:17.88\00:10:22.02 You have to find God's true church 00:10:22.05\00:10:24.39 to find the true gift of prophecy. 00:10:24.42\00:10:26.39 So the true gift of prophecy is placed 00:10:26.42\00:10:29.12 within the church to nurture it, 00:10:29.16\00:10:31.66 to guide it, to build it up. 00:10:31.69\00:10:33.83 Never to take the place of the Bible, 00:10:33.86\00:10:36.50 but it's given to minister to God's people, 00:10:36.53\00:10:40.67 to equip God's people for service. 00:10:40.70\00:10:43.97 Now how long would these gifts 00:10:44.01\00:10:45.84 remain in the church? 00:10:45.87\00:10:47.78 Would the gift of pastoring 00:10:47.81\00:10:49.14 be taken out of the church after the death of Christ 00:10:49.18\00:10:51.35 and the disciples when the New Testament 00:10:51.38\00:10:53.08 canon of scripture ended? 00:10:53.11\00:10:54.82 Would the gift of teachers or evangelists or apostles, 00:10:54.85\00:11:00.16 would that be removed from the church? 00:11:00.19\00:11:01.52 Not at all. 00:11:01.56\00:11:02.89 The church would need these gifts how long? 00:11:02.92\00:11:06.13 "Till we all come in the unity of the faith." 00:11:06.16\00:11:08.36 Has that happened yet? Not at all. 00:11:08.40\00:11:10.17 "And of the knowledge of the Son of God, 00:11:10.20\00:11:13.17 to a perfect man, 00:11:13.20\00:11:14.57 to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 00:11:14.60\00:11:18.64 that we should be no longer children tossed 00:11:18.67\00:11:21.44 to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine." 00:11:21.48\00:11:24.31 So all of the gifts of the spirit 00:11:24.35\00:11:26.55 were given by God to protect His church, 00:11:26.58\00:11:30.05 to build up His church, 00:11:30.09\00:11:31.69 to enable His church to have its function 00:11:31.72\00:11:35.86 of mission in the world and prepare world 00:11:35.89\00:11:39.66 for the soon coming of Jesus. 00:11:39.69\00:11:41.56 When Christ ascends to heaven, 00:11:41.60\00:11:43.53 He does warn about the false gift of prophecy, 00:11:43.57\00:11:47.07 but He does say that the genuine gift of prophecy 00:11:47.10\00:11:50.44 would be one of His gifts that He gave to His people. 00:11:50.47\00:11:54.08 Why did He give the gift of prophecy? 00:11:54.11\00:11:56.28 1 Corinthians 1:7, 00:11:56.31\00:11:58.35 "So that you come short in no gift, 00:11:58.38\00:12:01.58 eagerly waiting for the revelation 00:12:01.62\00:12:03.69 or the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 00:12:03.72\00:12:06.19 So the church, 00:12:06.22\00:12:08.06 waiting for the coming of Christ, 00:12:08.09\00:12:10.26 would have the fullness of the gifts 00:12:10.29\00:12:12.43 of the spirit operating within it. 00:12:12.46\00:12:15.73 The church anticipating the second coming 00:12:15.76\00:12:18.97 would be a Bible based church. 00:12:19.00\00:12:21.00 It would be a church based on the Word of God alone. 00:12:21.04\00:12:24.47 It would be a grace filled church, 00:12:24.51\00:12:27.08 a church that believed that salvation came owe to, 00:12:27.11\00:12:31.78 only, and totally by grace. 00:12:31.81\00:12:33.95 It would be a Christ centered church. 00:12:33.98\00:12:36.18 It would be a church that would love Jesus so much 00:12:36.22\00:12:39.79 that it would be a law abiding church, 00:12:39.82\00:12:41.76 it would keep His commandments including the Bible Sabbath. 00:12:41.79\00:12:44.76 It would be a Sabbath keeping church 00:12:44.79\00:12:46.86 and it would be a church. 00:12:46.90\00:12:48.36 Once you find a church that's an Adventist church, 00:12:48.40\00:12:51.13 once you find a Bible based, grace filled church, 00:12:51.17\00:12:54.24 once you find a church that upholds God's law 00:12:54.27\00:12:56.57 in a time of lawlessness, 00:12:56.60\00:12:58.07 once you find a Sabbath keeping church, 00:12:58.11\00:13:00.08 you should expect within that church 00:13:00.11\00:13:02.78 to find the genuine authentic gift of prophecy. 00:13:02.81\00:13:07.52 Jesus promised that the gift of prophecy 00:13:07.55\00:13:10.12 would be revived in the last days 00:13:10.15\00:13:13.39 of earth's history. 00:13:13.42\00:13:14.82 Now there are two great dangers. 00:13:14.86\00:13:16.32 Here's what they are. 00:13:16.36\00:13:18.16 One danger that the devil desires 00:13:18.19\00:13:21.26 to deceive people were this to get them 00:13:21.30\00:13:23.26 to accept the counterfeit. 00:13:23.30\00:13:25.20 So if the devil can get people to accept 00:13:25.23\00:13:27.10 a counterfeit gift of prophecy, 00:13:27.14\00:13:29.00 he can lock their minds in deception. 00:13:29.04\00:13:31.34 If he can get them to accept a counterfeit gift of prophecy, 00:13:31.37\00:13:35.51 he can lead them from the Bible and lead them to Christ. 00:13:35.54\00:13:38.48 But there's another deception 00:13:38.51\00:13:40.22 and that is to reject the genuine. 00:13:40.25\00:13:42.85 It is, if he can't get them to accept the counterfeit, 00:13:42.88\00:13:45.75 if he can get them 00:13:45.79\00:13:47.12 to reject the genuine gift of prophecy, 00:13:47.16\00:13:49.22 he will deny them the privilege and the joy 00:13:49.26\00:13:52.13 of having prophetic insight 00:13:52.16\00:13:54.30 to guide them and nurture their spiritual lives 00:13:54.33\00:13:56.87 in the last days of earth's history. 00:13:56.90\00:13:59.17 Now there are often those people 00:13:59.20\00:14:00.54 that says as I lecture on the gift of prophecy, 00:14:00.57\00:14:02.30 "Well, pastor, I've read this on the internet 00:14:02.34\00:14:04.21 about this prophet or this on the internet, 00:14:04.24\00:14:06.57 I've checked this out and..." 00:14:06.61\00:14:09.41 Do you let the internet be your guide? 00:14:09.44\00:14:12.58 Merely because you read something on the internet, 00:14:12.61\00:14:15.98 does that mean that the something you read 00:14:16.02\00:14:18.32 on the internet is genuine, authentic? 00:14:18.35\00:14:21.66 As a Christian, 00:14:21.69\00:14:23.29 I don't want to let the internet 00:14:23.32\00:14:24.66 be my guide, friend. 00:14:24.69\00:14:26.03 I would let the Bible be my guide, 00:14:26.06\00:14:27.40 what do you say? 00:14:27.43\00:14:28.76 Now how can we tell the difference 00:14:28.80\00:14:30.13 between the true and the false gift of prophecy? 00:14:30.17\00:14:31.83 If the devil wants us to accept the counterfeit, 00:14:31.87\00:14:34.70 I want to run a million miles from that, 00:14:34.74\00:14:36.24 don't you? 00:14:36.27\00:14:37.61 But if the devil wants us to reject the truth, 00:14:37.64\00:14:39.24 I want to run a million miles from that 00:14:39.27\00:14:40.98 because if Jesus is a gift for His last day church, 00:14:41.01\00:14:44.35 I want to accept that gift, don't you? 00:14:44.38\00:14:47.52 So let's go to the Bible 00:14:47.55\00:14:49.42 and try to discover the hallmarks, 00:14:49.45\00:14:51.49 try to discover the clear keys 00:14:51.52\00:14:55.02 to understanding the true gift of prophecy. 00:14:55.06\00:14:57.19 First Numbers 12:6, the Bible says this, 00:14:57.23\00:15:01.63 "If there is a prophet among you, 00:15:01.66\00:15:03.83 I, the Lord, 00:15:03.87\00:15:05.20 make Myself known to him in a vision." 00:15:05.23\00:15:06.67 Now notice clearly the phrase, 00:15:06.70\00:15:08.30 "If there is a prophet among you," 00:15:08.34\00:15:10.04 that's in ancient Israel, 00:15:10.07\00:15:11.97 that would be in the New Testament church, 00:15:12.01\00:15:14.88 so the prophet has to be among God's people. 00:15:14.91\00:15:18.78 The gift of prophecy is a gift given to the church. 00:15:18.81\00:15:21.62 Any but so-called prophet that springs up saying 00:15:21.65\00:15:25.59 I have this prophecy 00:15:25.62\00:15:26.96 or that prophecy about the world, 00:15:26.99\00:15:28.32 that's not the function of the gift of prophecy. 00:15:28.36\00:15:30.93 The function is to build up, 00:15:30.96\00:15:33.23 nurture and prepare God's church for mission. 00:15:33.26\00:15:36.23 "If there is a prophet among you, 00:15:36.26\00:15:37.63 I, the Lord, will make myself known to him in a vision, 00:15:37.67\00:15:40.90 or speak to him in a dream." 00:15:40.94\00:15:42.44 Now prophets receive messages from God in two basic ways. 00:15:42.47\00:15:49.21 First, an angel will bring them a vision or a dream. 00:15:49.24\00:15:53.21 You see this in the prophecies of Daniel. 00:15:53.25\00:15:56.12 You see this in the prophecies of John in Revelation. 00:15:56.15\00:16:00.19 The prophet receives a vision or dream from God. 00:16:00.22\00:16:05.19 Secondly, there are times that the Holy Spirit 00:16:05.23\00:16:08.36 impresses the prophet's mind 00:16:08.40\00:16:10.73 and the prophet is not necessarily in vision or dream 00:16:10.77\00:16:13.34 but in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit 00:16:13.37\00:16:15.27 the prophet impresses their mind 00:16:15.30\00:16:17.14 and they write down in the context 00:16:17.17\00:16:19.11 of their own language with their own background, 00:16:19.14\00:16:22.14 the very truth of God that 00:16:22.18\00:16:24.78 God through His Spirit has impressed upon their mind. 00:16:24.81\00:16:28.18 2 Timothy 3:16 says, 00:16:28.22\00:16:30.79 "All scripture is given by" what? 00:16:30.82\00:16:32.29 "Inspiration of God." 00:16:32.32\00:16:34.16 So the Bible given to us 00:16:34.19\00:16:36.42 by the true gift of prophecy 00:16:36.46\00:16:38.59 is written by the inspiration of God. 00:16:38.63\00:16:40.80 God inspires the prophet's mind. 00:16:40.83\00:16:44.30 2 Peter 1:21 says, 00:16:44.33\00:16:47.27 "For prophecy never came by the will of man, 00:16:47.30\00:16:51.14 but holy men of God spoke 00:16:51.17\00:16:52.94 as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." 00:16:52.97\00:16:55.58 So the gift of prophecy is given to us 00:16:55.61\00:16:58.45 by the Holy Spirit, 00:16:58.48\00:17:00.22 it is given to the church to guide, 00:17:00.25\00:17:03.08 direct, strengthen, and nurture the church. 00:17:03.12\00:17:06.12 Now not all of the Bible writers... 00:17:06.15\00:17:10.26 Not all of God's prophets are Bible writers. 00:17:10.29\00:17:13.60 I want to make sure that point is clear to you. 00:17:13.63\00:17:16.43 Throughout Scripture, there are genuine prophets 00:17:16.46\00:17:20.14 that never had written one book in the Bible. 00:17:20.17\00:17:24.74 Now what's the difference between Bible writers 00:17:24.77\00:17:27.21 and other true prophets? 00:17:27.24\00:17:29.14 The Bible writers' message is universal 00:17:29.18\00:17:32.91 in its application, that is, 00:17:32.95\00:17:34.28 it applies to everyone, everywhere 00:17:34.32\00:17:36.38 and it is eternal in time, 00:17:36.42\00:17:38.99 that means it still applies in every generation. 00:17:39.02\00:17:41.32 But there are prophets that God raised up 00:17:41.36\00:17:42.96 in the Bible whose prophecies 00:17:42.99\00:17:44.99 were not universal in application. 00:17:45.03\00:17:46.83 They applied to a particular place 00:17:46.86\00:17:48.83 at a particular time. 00:17:48.86\00:17:51.00 They might apply to a famine 00:17:51.03\00:17:52.77 that was going to take place right then 00:17:52.80\00:17:54.14 to warn God's people. 00:17:54.17\00:17:55.60 So their messages were not eternal in time, 00:17:55.64\00:17:58.67 they were local but they were genuine prophets 00:17:58.71\00:18:00.81 and they weren't universal in application, 00:18:00.84\00:18:02.84 they applied to a particular location. 00:18:02.88\00:18:05.55 You say, can you give me some examples of that? 00:18:05.58\00:18:07.82 Certainly. 00:18:07.85\00:18:09.62 There were many women prophets in the Bible. 00:18:09.65\00:18:11.75 Deborah was a judge 00:18:11.79\00:18:13.25 but also a prophetess in the Bible. 00:18:13.29\00:18:16.16 She has no books in the Bible that she has written, 00:18:16.19\00:18:18.99 but her prophecies particular 00:18:19.03\00:18:21.90 were for a given period of time. 00:18:21.93\00:18:24.63 Hulda is another good example or the daughters of Philip. 00:18:24.67\00:18:28.14 These are all the Bible says 00:18:28.17\00:18:29.50 genuine prophets or prophetesses 00:18:29.54\00:18:32.37 but yet, they prophesy 00:18:32.41\00:18:35.24 for a particular period of time. 00:18:35.28\00:18:37.21 So two kinds of prophets: 00:18:37.25\00:18:38.91 Biblical prophets, 00:18:38.95\00:18:40.32 their prophecies are eternal and universal. 00:18:40.35\00:18:43.42 Local prophets that are given to God's people 00:18:43.45\00:18:45.75 for a specific period of time. 00:18:45.79\00:18:48.16 What are the true tests of the gift of prophecy? 00:18:48.19\00:18:50.93 How can you know 00:18:50.96\00:18:52.29 whether the gift of prophecy is genuine or not? 00:18:52.33\00:18:55.16 The Bible gives us six tests of the gift of prophecy. 00:18:55.20\00:18:59.13 First, prophetic accuracy. 00:18:59.17\00:19:01.87 A genuine prophet is accurate 100% of the time. 00:19:01.90\00:19:06.11 Jeremiah 28:9 says, 00:19:06.14\00:19:07.98 "As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, 00:19:08.01\00:19:10.38 when the word of the prophet comes to pass, 00:19:10.41\00:19:13.62 the prophet will be known as 00:19:13.65\00:19:15.58 one whom the Lord has truly sent." 00:19:15.62\00:19:18.19 So when you read the prophecies 00:19:18.22\00:19:20.02 of some of these so-called prophets 00:19:20.06\00:19:21.69 in our world today that pop up here or there, 00:19:21.72\00:19:24.66 one, you know they are not true because they are not planted 00:19:24.69\00:19:27.86 within the church of the Christian community, 00:19:27.90\00:19:30.60 the people of God, 00:19:30.63\00:19:31.97 God's grace filled Bible believing 00:19:32.00\00:19:34.67 Sabbath keeping movement. 00:19:34.70\00:19:36.04 That's where God puts 00:19:36.07\00:19:37.41 the true gift of prophecy. 00:19:37.44\00:19:38.77 Today according to Scripture, He puts it in His church. 00:19:38.81\00:19:41.54 But many of these prophets, 00:19:41.58\00:19:43.81 so-called prophets, false prophets, 00:19:43.85\00:19:46.05 make prophecies that don't come to pass. 00:19:46.08\00:19:48.15 The Bible says, prophetic accuracy. 00:19:48.18\00:19:50.62 You know that the prophet is sent to the Lord 00:19:50.65\00:19:52.85 if their prophets truly come to pass. 00:19:52.89\00:19:55.49 Now you say, what about Jonah's prophecy 00:19:55.52\00:19:57.96 or other's prophecy? 00:19:57.99\00:19:59.36 In the Bible, there are conditional prophecies 00:19:59.39\00:20:02.36 and those conditional prophecies 00:20:02.40\00:20:03.87 depend on a response for the people, 00:20:03.90\00:20:06.13 so it'd be more accurate to say, 00:20:06.17\00:20:07.87 where prophecies are not conditional, 00:20:07.90\00:20:10.01 where they don't depend on a response 00:20:10.04\00:20:12.11 from the people, the prophet is 100% accurate. 00:20:12.14\00:20:15.81 God's true prophets are accurate 00:20:15.84\00:20:18.25 because God doesn't confuse the message. 00:20:18.28\00:20:21.02 So if you have all these prophets, 00:20:21.05\00:20:22.88 that so-called make predictions 00:20:22.92\00:20:24.65 and these predictions are erroneous, 00:20:24.69\00:20:26.39 does God confuse His message? 00:20:26.42\00:20:27.89 Did He get it wrong? Certainly not. 00:20:27.92\00:20:29.92 So that's the first characteristic 00:20:29.96\00:20:31.63 of a true prophet. 00:20:31.66\00:20:32.99 Second characteristic of a true prophet 00:20:33.03\00:20:34.80 is biblical faithfulness. 00:20:34.83\00:20:36.83 A genuine prophet of God, an authentic prophet of God 00:20:36.87\00:20:43.04 always is faithful to the Bible. 00:20:43.07\00:20:46.51 The genuine gift of prophecy leads us 00:20:46.54\00:20:48.51 back to the Bible, 00:20:48.54\00:20:50.05 it doesn't lead us away from the Bible. 00:20:50.08\00:20:52.61 Deuteronomy 13:1-4, 00:20:52.65\00:20:55.65 you see, there may be a prophecy 00:20:55.68\00:20:57.62 that comes to pass by a prophet, 00:20:57.65\00:20:59.85 but if the prophet leads you away from the Bible, 00:20:59.89\00:21:01.59 that's a false prophet. 00:21:01.62\00:21:03.12 You have to have all six of these characteristics. 00:21:03.16\00:21:05.86 "If there arises among you a prophet 00:21:05.89\00:21:08.20 or a dreamer of dreams, 00:21:08.23\00:21:10.10 and he gives you a sign or a wonder," 00:21:10.13\00:21:12.43 now watch this carefully, 00:21:12.47\00:21:14.07 "and the sign or the wonder comes to pass," 00:21:14.10\00:21:16.81 must be true, right? 00:21:16.84\00:21:18.17 He gave a prophecy and it came to pass. 00:21:18.21\00:21:20.01 Not so, "of which he spoke to you, 00:21:20.04\00:21:22.18 saying, 'Let us go after other gods 00:21:22.21\00:21:25.08 which you have not known and let us serve them,' 00:21:25.11\00:21:29.55 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet 00:21:29.58\00:21:32.15 or that dreamer of dreams." 00:21:32.19\00:21:34.22 So here is a prophet that rises 00:21:34.26\00:21:37.03 and a prophet who rises makes a prediction 00:21:37.06\00:21:41.26 that is true, 00:21:41.30\00:21:42.73 but that prediction leads you from biblical truth, 00:21:42.76\00:21:46.30 that prediction leads you from the Word of God, 00:21:46.33\00:21:50.64 that prediction leads you 00:21:50.67\00:21:52.97 from the teachings of the Bible. 00:21:53.01\00:21:56.01 What do you know? 00:21:56.04\00:21:57.98 You know that, that prophet is a false prophet. 00:21:58.01\00:22:02.48 So you have to have at least these first two 00:22:02.52\00:22:04.55 in all of the six. 00:22:04.59\00:22:06.39 "You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, 00:22:06.42\00:22:09.56 and keep His commandments and obey His voice." 00:22:09.59\00:22:13.96 So in other words, 00:22:14.00\00:22:15.33 merely because the prophecy comes true, 00:22:15.36\00:22:16.87 if it leads you away from the things of God, 00:22:16.90\00:22:19.10 the Scripture says, 00:22:19.13\00:22:20.47 "Walk after the Lord your God, fear His commandments, 00:22:20.50\00:22:23.34 obey His voice, you shall serve Him," 00:22:23.37\00:22:25.71 and I love this word, "hold fast to Him." 00:22:25.74\00:22:29.34 In other words, don't go eeping after, 00:22:29.38\00:22:31.41 wandering after, gazing after, following some false prophets. 00:22:31.45\00:22:35.88 If the so-called prophet is not leading a person 00:22:35.92\00:22:38.69 to the Word of God, to be faithful to Scripture, 00:22:38.72\00:22:41.52 they are blatantly false. 00:22:41.56\00:22:44.56 The genuine gift of prophecy leads back to Scripture. 00:22:44.59\00:22:48.56 Thirdly, the true gift of prophecy exalts Jesus. 00:22:48.60\00:22:54.57 You know, I love that old poem, 00:22:54.60\00:22:55.94 "Lord, make me a nail upon the wall, 00:22:55.97\00:22:58.71 a thing so humble and so small, 00:22:58.74\00:23:01.24 but can hold a picture of your lovely face." 00:23:01.28\00:23:04.51 That's what the true gift of prophecy is, 00:23:04.55\00:23:06.38 they exalt Jesus. 00:23:06.41\00:23:07.75 Remember John the Baptist, the true prophet, 00:23:07.78\00:23:09.85 that Jesus says who wasn't such a great prophet 00:23:09.88\00:23:11.69 though he was born of woman, and you remember he said, 00:23:11.72\00:23:15.62 "Behold! The Lamb of God." 00:23:15.66\00:23:17.09 He pointed men and women to Christ. 00:23:17.13\00:23:19.86 The Bible is plain, 1 John 4:1, 2, 00:23:19.89\00:23:23.67 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, 00:23:23.70\00:23:25.80 but test the spirits, whether they are of God." 00:23:25.83\00:23:28.70 Do what everybody? 00:23:28.74\00:23:30.07 Test the spirits whether they are of God. 00:23:30.11\00:23:33.41 "By this you know the Spirit of God: 00:23:33.44\00:23:37.05 Every spirit that confesses that 00:23:37.08\00:23:38.41 Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God." 00:23:38.45\00:23:41.18 In other words, 00:23:41.22\00:23:42.55 when you have some so-called prophet say, 00:23:42.58\00:23:46.12 "Oh, Jesus is a good man but He's not divine." 00:23:46.15\00:23:48.72 If they don't believe that Christ, 00:23:48.76\00:23:50.49 the divine Son of God came in the flesh 00:23:50.53\00:23:53.43 and paid salvation's price for you and for me. 00:23:53.46\00:23:56.83 If they do not believe that 00:23:56.87\00:23:59.40 Christ is the Son of God incarnate in human flesh, 00:23:59.43\00:24:04.01 know immediately that individual is a false prophet. 00:24:04.04\00:24:06.88 What is their relationship to Jesus? 00:24:06.91\00:24:09.51 Do they believe in the divinity of Christ? 00:24:09.54\00:24:12.85 Do they believe in the supernatural miracle 00:24:12.88\00:24:15.38 working power of Christ? 00:24:15.42\00:24:17.09 Do they believe in the life, death, 00:24:17.12\00:24:19.55 and resurrection of Christ? 00:24:19.59\00:24:21.66 Do they believe that Jesus Christ is coming again? 00:24:21.69\00:24:24.96 If they do not believe in the essence of Christ, 00:24:24.99\00:24:30.27 in who Christ was, that He lived, 00:24:30.30\00:24:33.10 He died, He ascended to heaven, 00:24:33.13\00:24:34.74 He is our priest, He is coming again, 00:24:34.77\00:24:36.94 know that they are false prophets. 00:24:36.97\00:24:39.37 You see, Revelation 19:10 makes it very plain. 00:24:39.41\00:24:42.54 It says, "For the testimony of Jesus 00:24:42.58\00:24:44.51 is the Spirit of prophecy." 00:24:44.55\00:24:46.01 So the genuine gift of prophecy, 00:24:46.05\00:24:48.38 down through the ages, testifies of Jesus. 00:24:48.42\00:24:52.45 Moses testified of the Messiah that was to come. 00:24:52.49\00:24:56.49 Isaiah and Jeremiah testify of Jesus. 00:24:56.52\00:25:00.33 The Old Testament prophets testify of Jesus. 00:25:00.36\00:25:03.70 The New Testament disciples testify of Jesus. 00:25:03.73\00:25:06.90 So what is the gift of prophecy? 00:25:06.94\00:25:08.74 What is the testimony of Jesus? 00:25:08.77\00:25:10.67 The testimony of Jesus is Jesus witness through His prophet 00:25:10.71\00:25:15.84 in every generation to guide, direct, and strengthen, 00:25:15.88\00:25:19.85 and encourage His church. 00:25:19.88\00:25:22.18 The genuine manifestation of the gift of prophecy 00:25:22.22\00:25:24.45 always exalts, always uplifts Jesus Christ. 00:25:24.49\00:25:28.86 The fourth thing about the gift of prophecy 00:25:28.89\00:25:30.59 that we notice, 00:25:30.63\00:25:32.53 the true gift of prophecy has prophetic accuracy, 00:25:32.56\00:25:36.63 true gift of prophecy, biblical faithfulness, 00:25:36.67\00:25:39.70 true gift of prophecy exalts Jesus, 00:25:39.73\00:25:42.17 true gift of prophecy leads men and women 00:25:42.20\00:25:44.34 back to commandment keeping. 00:25:44.37\00:25:46.91 Isaiah 8:20, 00:25:46.94\00:25:49.01 "To the law and to the testimony! 00:25:49.04\00:25:51.71 If they..." 00:25:51.75\00:25:53.08 That is prophets. 00:25:53.11\00:25:55.05 That is, those proclaiming to be genuine, 00:25:55.08\00:25:58.49 authentic and true. 00:25:58.52\00:25:59.85 "If they do not speak according to this word..." 00:25:59.89\00:26:02.02 That's the teachings of Scripture, 00:26:02.06\00:26:03.43 the testimonial Scripture 00:26:03.46\00:26:04.93 and that is the Ten Commandment law. 00:26:04.96\00:26:07.30 "It is because there is no light in them." 00:26:07.33\00:26:09.56 Now notice it says, 00:26:09.60\00:26:10.93 to the law and to the testimony, 00:26:10.97\00:26:12.73 if they don't speak according to this word, 00:26:12.77\00:26:14.24 no light. 00:26:14.27\00:26:15.60 Doesn't say no truth, doesn't say no power, 00:26:15.64\00:26:18.61 it says no light. 00:26:18.64\00:26:20.41 Satan mingles truth and error. 00:26:20.44\00:26:23.45 Satan mingles right and wrong, good and evil but here, 00:26:23.48\00:26:29.15 notice it says, 00:26:29.18\00:26:30.52 "There is no light in them." 00:26:30.55\00:26:32.52 What is light? Light is what you follow. 00:26:32.55\00:26:36.32 See and what God is saying, 00:26:36.36\00:26:38.59 if they are not upholding My law, 00:26:38.63\00:26:40.53 not leading you back to obedience to My law, 00:26:40.56\00:26:43.50 and one of those commandments says, 00:26:43.53\00:26:44.90 "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 00:26:44.93\00:26:47.54 Six days shalt thou labor, 00:26:47.57\00:26:49.07 and do all thy work but the seventh day 00:26:49.10\00:26:51.01 is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." 00:26:51.04\00:26:53.17 If you have a so-called prophet that's not leading you back 00:26:53.21\00:26:56.78 through the grace of Christ, 00:26:56.81\00:26:58.55 exalting Jesus and exalting the one on the Sabbath, 00:26:58.58\00:27:01.68 you know that is not a genuine gift of prophecy. 00:27:01.72\00:27:06.12 There are also physical tests of a true prophet. 00:27:06.15\00:27:10.66 "When they were in vision, 00:27:12.59\00:27:14.13 they always went into vision with their eyes open" 00:27:14.16\00:27:16.26 according to Numbers 24:4 00:27:16.30\00:27:18.47 and "their eyes remain open through the vision." 00:27:18.50\00:27:21.80 "In that vision, 00:27:21.84\00:27:23.17 the prophets would have no physical strength." 00:27:23.20\00:27:26.14 You read that in Daniel 10:8, so those two characteristics, 00:27:26.17\00:27:32.08 physical characteristics 00:27:32.11\00:27:33.45 of the genuine gift of prophecy. 00:27:33.48\00:27:35.28 Genuine gift of prophecy, 00:27:35.32\00:27:37.19 they are in vision with their eyes open 00:27:37.22\00:27:40.62 and when they have these visions 00:27:40.66\00:27:42.02 they have no human strength. 00:27:42.06\00:27:44.86 Also these prophets in vision, according to Daniel 10:17, 00:27:44.89\00:27:49.13 "don't breathe." 00:27:49.16\00:27:50.50 Now you say that's kind of strange, 00:27:50.53\00:27:52.30 they don't breathe. 00:27:52.33\00:27:53.67 The Bible says, "All Scripture is inspired by God." 00:27:53.70\00:27:57.11 The Word inspired 00:27:57.14\00:27:58.47 in the original Greek language means 00:27:58.51\00:28:00.08 God-breathed so they have no breath. 00:28:00.11\00:28:03.68 These physical phenomena accompany prophets in vision. 00:28:03.71\00:28:08.28 Lastly, the prophets in vision have spiritual fruitage. 00:28:08.32\00:28:12.05 Now let me pause here for a moment. 00:28:12.09\00:28:15.69 Each one of these tests, if the prophet fails anyone, 00:28:15.72\00:28:20.10 you know it's a false prophet. 00:28:20.13\00:28:21.46 If the prophet isn't prophetically accurate, 00:28:21.50\00:28:23.26 when the prophecies aren't conditional. 00:28:23.30\00:28:25.77 If the prophet isn't faithful to the Bible, 00:28:25.80\00:28:28.27 if the prophet does not exalt Jesus 00:28:28.30\00:28:30.54 but they exalt themselves. 00:28:30.57\00:28:32.21 If the prophet does not lead men and women 00:28:32.24\00:28:34.44 back to commandment keeping, 00:28:34.48\00:28:36.21 but endorses disobedience to the commandments. 00:28:36.24\00:28:39.81 If the prophet doesn't manifest those physical tests 00:28:39.85\00:28:42.98 and all the genuine gift of prophecy 00:28:43.02\00:28:45.05 has spiritual fruitage. 00:28:45.09\00:28:46.82 Matthew 7:20 says, 00:28:46.86\00:28:49.36 "Therefore by their fruits you will know them." 00:28:49.39\00:28:54.76 So, you look at the life of the prophet. 00:28:54.80\00:28:57.20 What is the lifestyle of the prophet like? 00:28:57.23\00:28:59.47 Do they live in godly simplicity 00:28:59.50\00:29:02.34 and lead people to Christ? 00:29:02.37\00:29:03.87 Are they passionate about mission 00:29:03.91\00:29:06.31 and sharing God's message with this world? 00:29:06.34\00:29:09.78 What is the spiritual fruitage of the gift of prophecy? 00:29:09.81\00:29:13.31 The gift of prophecy 00:29:13.35\00:29:14.68 doesn't take the place of the Bible, 00:29:14.72\00:29:16.45 of course, it exalts it, 00:29:16.48\00:29:18.55 so the true gift of prophecy 00:29:18.59\00:29:20.06 always leading back to the Word. 00:29:20.09\00:29:22.02 Some people say, 00:29:22.06\00:29:23.66 "I don't want to have anything to do 00:29:23.69\00:29:25.03 with the gift of prophecy in modern days, 00:29:25.06\00:29:26.59 all I want is the Bible." 00:29:26.63\00:29:28.50 If all you want is the Bible, 00:29:28.53\00:29:29.86 you'd accept the gift of prophecy 00:29:29.90\00:29:31.23 because you'd accept the portion of the Bible 00:29:31.27\00:29:32.73 that speaks about the gift of prophecy 00:29:32.77\00:29:34.44 in the last days. 00:29:34.47\00:29:36.04 Would one want to reject a gift that Jesus gave? 00:29:36.07\00:29:39.27 Or would one want to rip out that portion of the Bible 00:29:39.31\00:29:42.64 that talks about the gift of prophecy? 00:29:42.68\00:29:45.08 Certainly, if we are Bible believing Christians, 00:29:45.11\00:29:47.88 we want to follow all of the scripture. 00:29:47.92\00:29:51.02 What does the Bible say about the gift of prophecy 00:29:51.05\00:29:52.89 in the last days? 00:29:52.92\00:29:54.29 Revelation 12:17, "The dragon" who's the dragon? 00:29:54.32\00:29:58.46 Satan, "was enraged or angry with the woman," 00:29:58.49\00:30:01.06 who's at the church, 00:30:01.10\00:30:02.46 "and he we went to make war 00:30:02.50\00:30:03.83 with the rest of her offspring," 00:30:03.87\00:30:05.30 that's his last church, 00:30:05.33\00:30:06.84 "who keep the commandments of God 00:30:06.87\00:30:08.57 and have the testimony of Jesus." 00:30:08.60\00:30:10.84 One of the characteristics of God's last day church 00:30:10.87\00:30:14.71 in addition to keeping the commandments of God is 00:30:14.74\00:30:19.61 that it has the gift of prophecy. 00:30:19.65\00:30:22.62 Shortly after the Middle Ages, from 538 to 1798, 00:30:22.65\00:30:27.49 that Dark Ages period, 00:30:27.52\00:30:29.39 God would raise up an end time movement. 00:30:29.42\00:30:32.99 And it would be identified by keeping His commandments 00:30:33.03\00:30:36.30 and having the testimony of Jesus, 00:30:36.33\00:30:38.33 which is the gift of prophecy. 00:30:38.37\00:30:40.87 Did you notice what Scripture says 00:30:40.90\00:30:43.00 in Revelation about the gift of prophecy? 00:30:43.04\00:30:44.57 What is that? 00:30:44.61\00:30:45.94 What is this testimony of Jesus? 00:30:45.97\00:30:47.78 Revelation 12:17 says that the dragon, 00:30:47.81\00:30:50.88 Satan, angry with the church, 00:30:50.91\00:30:53.21 went to make war with the remnant, 00:30:53.25\00:30:55.18 the last part of her seed, 00:30:55.22\00:30:56.58 that keep the commandments of God. 00:30:56.62\00:30:58.35 The devil is angry with God's church. 00:30:58.39\00:31:00.66 And what is one of the identifying characteristics? 00:31:00.69\00:31:02.82 It has the testimony of Jesus. And what is that? 00:31:02.86\00:31:05.33 Revelation 19:10, the testimony of Jesus, 00:31:05.36\00:31:08.20 the witness of Christ is the Spirit of Prophecy. 00:31:08.23\00:31:10.73 The same witness of Jesus 00:31:10.77\00:31:13.07 that beat in the breast of every prophet 00:31:13.10\00:31:15.20 down through the centuries, the same witness of Jesus, 00:31:15.24\00:31:19.07 the same testimony of Jesus would be manifest 00:31:19.11\00:31:22.11 in God's last day church as the gift of prophecy. 00:31:22.14\00:31:26.01 Now remember what the Scripture said, 00:31:26.05\00:31:28.38 "The dragon is angry with the woman," 00:31:28.42\00:31:30.62 the church. 00:31:30.65\00:31:31.99 What do you think the devil would do 00:31:32.02\00:31:33.82 with this last day church, 00:31:33.86\00:31:35.42 this Bible believing, Christ centered, 00:31:35.46\00:31:38.23 this Sabbath keeping church? 00:31:38.26\00:31:40.20 What do you think the devil would do? 00:31:40.23\00:31:41.70 He would try to discredit the gift of prophecy. 00:31:41.73\00:31:44.53 He would do everything he could, 00:31:44.57\00:31:47.74 on the internet and every other place 00:31:47.77\00:31:51.27 to discredit the Spirit of Prophecy. 00:31:51.31\00:31:53.88 He would do everything he could to cast away 00:31:53.91\00:31:56.58 the confidence in the gift that Christ has given 00:31:56.61\00:32:00.35 in the last days of earth's history. 00:32:00.38\00:32:02.58 Notice what the Bible says, 1 Corinthians 12:28. 00:32:02.62\00:32:06.12 "For God has appointed these in the church." 00:32:06.15\00:32:08.62 Where would God appoint the genuine gift of prophecy? 00:32:08.66\00:32:12.16 In His church in the last days. 00:32:12.19\00:32:13.93 First, apostles, secondarily, prophets. 00:32:13.96\00:32:17.03 If we believe we found God's church, 00:32:17.07\00:32:19.63 we must find the true gift of prophecy 00:32:19.67\00:32:23.34 within God's last day church today. 00:32:23.37\00:32:27.64 But that leads us to a question. 00:32:27.68\00:32:30.05 Does God's last day, 00:32:30.08\00:32:32.45 Sabbath keeping Adventist worldwide international body, 00:32:32.48\00:32:38.35 does it have the gift of prophecy? 00:32:38.39\00:32:41.66 Did God raise up the gift of prophecy 00:32:41.69\00:32:44.63 in the early days of the Advent movement, 00:32:44.66\00:32:47.60 not to take the place of Scripture, 00:32:47.63\00:32:51.47 not in any way to be higher, 00:32:51.50\00:32:54.37 a higher authority than the Bible, 00:32:54.40\00:32:56.44 but to guide this movement, 00:32:56.47\00:32:58.77 to guide this newly formed church 00:32:58.81\00:33:01.78 just like in the Book of Acts, 00:33:01.81\00:33:04.25 "When the Christian church was raised up, 00:33:04.28\00:33:06.72 God raised up again the gift of prophecy to guide 00:33:06.75\00:33:09.92 and direct the New Testament Christian church." 00:33:09.95\00:33:12.55 Would God do that again? 00:33:12.59\00:33:14.79 Has God blessed 00:33:14.82\00:33:16.16 the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 00:33:16.19\00:33:17.79 a Bible believing, Christ centered, 00:33:17.83\00:33:20.50 Sabbath keeping, end time movement, 00:33:20.53\00:33:23.23 has He blessed it with the gift of prophecy? 00:33:23.26\00:33:25.47 If you do not find the gift of prophecy 00:33:25.50\00:33:27.87 in the Adventist church, 00:33:27.90\00:33:29.27 then Revelation's prophecies have not been fulfilled. 00:33:29.30\00:33:33.54 The prophecy in Revelation 12:17, 00:33:33.58\00:33:36.18 talking about a commandment keeping body 00:33:36.21\00:33:39.05 with the gift of prophecy or the testimony of Jesus. 00:33:39.08\00:33:42.82 If you look back at the history of the early 00:33:42.85\00:33:45.35 Advent Movement in the 1800s, 00:33:45.39\00:33:48.06 did God raise up the gift of prophecy there? 00:33:48.09\00:33:52.19 Looking back we find that 00:33:52.23\00:33:54.00 God blessed the mind of a young woman, 00:33:54.03\00:33:57.27 a young woman in her teens with visions and dreams. 00:33:57.30\00:34:01.17 Her name was Ellen Harmon at the time, 00:34:01.20\00:34:02.74 later to become Ellen White. 00:34:02.77\00:34:05.41 During her prophetic ministry, 00:34:05.44\00:34:07.68 she received more than 00:34:07.71\00:34:09.04 2,000 prophetic visions and dreams. 00:34:09.08\00:34:12.61 She wrote over 50 original books 00:34:12.65\00:34:15.52 and many books in compilation. 00:34:15.55\00:34:18.12 She declared that Jesus Christ 00:34:18.15\00:34:23.69 was her only savior. 00:34:23.73\00:34:25.99 She declared that the Bible was her only guide. 00:34:26.03\00:34:29.76 And she opened her heart 00:34:29.80\00:34:31.40 to receive the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 00:34:31.43\00:34:35.94 and was guided by the gift of prophecy. 00:34:35.97\00:34:38.27 But before we dismiss Ellen White too quickly, 00:34:38.31\00:34:42.04 we need to raise some questions. 00:34:42.08\00:34:43.98 Before we go typing on the internet 00:34:44.01\00:34:45.88 and finding on the internet all this negative stuff, 00:34:45.91\00:34:48.38 we need to raise some questions. 00:34:48.42\00:34:49.75 One, did God actually promised to restore the gift of prophecy 00:34:49.78\00:34:54.89 in the last days? 00:34:54.92\00:34:56.32 We've seen from the Bible 00:34:56.36\00:34:57.69 in Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 12, He did. 00:34:57.73\00:35:00.50 Two, did God promised to put the gift of prophecy 00:35:00.53\00:35:04.07 in His end time church in the last days? 00:35:04.10\00:35:06.94 We've seen from Revelation 12:17, He did. 00:35:06.97\00:35:10.51 Did God promised that He would have a church 00:35:10.54\00:35:12.31 in the last days, 00:35:12.34\00:35:13.68 and should we look for the gift of prophecy in it? 00:35:13.71\00:35:16.64 Certainly. So then what must we ask? 00:35:16.68\00:35:20.28 Here's the only question we need to ask then. 00:35:20.32\00:35:22.38 Does Ellen White manifest in her life 00:35:22.42\00:35:26.65 and teachings the characteristics 00:35:26.69\00:35:29.12 of a true prophet? 00:35:29.16\00:35:30.93 Let's leave aside everything else 00:35:30.96\00:35:33.40 and just look at the six tests of the true gift of prophecy 00:35:33.43\00:35:37.10 that we saw in Scripture and ask yourself, 00:35:37.13\00:35:39.63 does Ellen White meet 00:35:39.67\00:35:41.27 the test of a genuine gift of prophecy? 00:35:41.30\00:35:44.37 She lectured to thousands on three continents. 00:35:44.41\00:35:48.14 And James George Wharton James, 00:35:48.18\00:35:51.51 at her death said this, 00:35:51.55\00:35:53.68 "This remarkable woman," 00:35:53.72\00:35:56.05 and he wrote this in the book "California the Beautiful," 00:35:56.08\00:35:59.35 it's a book on California. 00:35:59.39\00:36:01.09 And she lived in California for a number of her life, 00:36:01.12\00:36:06.49 certainly lived in Michigan, lived in California, 00:36:06.53\00:36:08.70 traveled throughout America, 00:36:08.73\00:36:10.07 but here's what James Wharton... 00:36:10.10\00:36:11.43 George Wharton James said. 00:36:11.47\00:36:12.80 "This remarkable woman, 00:36:12.83\00:36:14.64 though almost entirely self-educated, 00:36:14.67\00:36:17.61 has written and published more books 00:36:17.64\00:36:20.38 in more languages which circulate 00:36:20.41\00:36:22.84 to the greater extent 00:36:22.88\00:36:24.21 than any other woman in history." 00:36:24.25\00:36:26.28 Wouldn't you say if Ellen White has written more books 00:36:26.31\00:36:31.49 than any single woman in history, 00:36:31.52\00:36:34.09 and if indeed, 00:36:34.12\00:36:36.16 she claims to be guided by the gift of prophecy, 00:36:36.19\00:36:38.83 and if indeed, she has nurtured 00:36:38.86\00:36:41.23 and blessed God's people, God's church, 00:36:41.26\00:36:44.40 wouldn't you say it's worth at least, 00:36:44.43\00:36:46.67 at least to take the time, not to dismiss her lightly, 00:36:46.70\00:36:51.24 and go and look at the tests of the true gift of prophecy. 00:36:51.27\00:36:55.31 Seventh-day Adventist believe in the Bible, 00:36:55.34\00:36:58.38 in the Bible only as the source of every Bible doctrine. 00:36:58.41\00:37:03.25 Every teaching at the Adventist church 00:37:03.28\00:37:05.32 comes directly out of the Bible. 00:37:05.35\00:37:07.16 It does not come out of the writings of Ellen White. 00:37:07.19\00:37:10.76 But Adventist cannot honestly 00:37:10.79\00:37:13.66 deny the manifestation of the Holy Spirit 00:37:13.70\00:37:18.40 in the life and writings of Ellen White. 00:37:18.43\00:37:21.47 Now let's look at the biblical tests 00:37:21.50\00:37:23.24 of a true prophet. 00:37:23.27\00:37:24.61 Let's apply them to Ellen White. 00:37:24.64\00:37:26.91 First, prophetic accuracy. 00:37:26.94\00:37:28.88 Remember scripture says in Jeremiah 28, 00:37:28.91\00:37:31.25 "If what they predict comes to pass." 00:37:31.28\00:37:33.82 What are some of the predictions 00:37:33.85\00:37:35.18 that Ellen White made in her day 00:37:35.22\00:37:37.29 that seemed preposterous? 00:37:37.32\00:37:39.79 Well, she wrote a lot about health, 00:37:39.82\00:37:42.09 and she talked about a very high fat diet, 00:37:42.12\00:37:45.16 she talked about the danger of pork eating, 00:37:45.19\00:37:47.80 and she talked about the result of that diet 00:37:47.83\00:37:51.80 leading to premature disease and death. 00:37:51.83\00:37:55.00 She encouraged men and women 00:37:55.04\00:37:57.51 to get back to a more plant-based diet, 00:37:57.54\00:38:00.14 the diet of Genesis. 00:38:00.18\00:38:02.44 Today science is just catching up 00:38:02.48\00:38:05.58 with the writings of Ellen White 00:38:05.61\00:38:07.62 in the field of health. 00:38:07.65\00:38:09.68 Science is talking about a low cholesterol diet. 00:38:09.72\00:38:12.99 Science is talking about moving to a more plant-based diet. 00:38:13.02\00:38:16.96 Science is talking about eating more fruits, 00:38:16.99\00:38:19.73 grains, nuts, vegetables in your diet, 00:38:19.76\00:38:23.40 more seeds in your diet. 00:38:23.43\00:38:25.37 One nutritionist said, 00:38:25.40\00:38:26.77 "We need to eat beans, and seeds, 00:38:26.80\00:38:28.60 and greens in our diet." 00:38:28.64\00:38:30.57 Yes, her predictions, her discussions about diet, 00:38:30.61\00:38:35.84 why would God bring this to His church 00:38:35.88\00:38:38.15 and His people? 00:38:38.18\00:38:39.51 Because He does not want them to die prematurely. 00:38:39.55\00:38:42.45 He wants His people to have a life 00:38:42.48\00:38:44.35 and have energy. 00:38:44.39\00:38:45.85 Do Seventh-day Adventists believe 00:38:45.89\00:38:47.52 that vegetarianism is a tenet of their faith 00:38:47.56\00:38:50.49 in the sense that it is a matter of salvation? 00:38:50.53\00:38:54.63 Not at all. 00:38:54.66\00:38:56.00 But Adventists do believe 00:38:56.03\00:38:57.77 that a plant-based diet is part of the diet 00:38:57.80\00:39:02.00 that God gave in Genesis, 00:39:02.04\00:39:04.31 certainly God gave permission to eat meat 00:39:04.34\00:39:06.17 at the time of the flood, but based on the Bible, 00:39:06.21\00:39:09.94 we believe that the most ideal diet, 00:39:09.98\00:39:12.51 according to Scripture and science 00:39:12.55\00:39:15.28 is a plant-based diet. 00:39:15.32\00:39:17.19 Ellen White wrote about that far 00:39:17.22\00:39:19.15 before science ever mentioned it. 00:39:19.19\00:39:21.62 You know, in Ellen White's day, 00:39:21.66\00:39:23.36 she wrote in a book called Ministry of Healing, page 327. 00:39:23.39\00:39:27.00 "Tobacco is a slow, insidious, but most malignant poison." 00:39:27.03\00:39:32.97 Notice the word "malignant". 00:39:33.00\00:39:34.50 You know if you have a malignancy, what's that? 00:39:34.54\00:39:36.30 It's a cancer. 00:39:36.34\00:39:37.67 So she wrote back over a century ago, 00:39:37.71\00:39:41.44 well over a century ago 00:39:41.48\00:39:43.04 that there were cancer producing agencies 00:39:43.08\00:39:47.28 in tobacco smoke. 00:39:47.32\00:39:48.85 At that time many, many of the physicians 00:39:48.88\00:39:53.89 were predicting that tobacco was stating rather 00:39:53.92\00:39:57.63 that that tobacco smoke was good for you. 00:39:57.66\00:39:59.96 In fact, they said, 00:40:00.00\00:40:01.33 "If you have any lung condition," 00:40:01.36\00:40:02.70 you can read it 00:40:02.73\00:40:04.07 in the medical literature of the day." 00:40:04.10\00:40:05.43 They said, "If you have lung condition, 00:40:05.47\00:40:07.67 puff away out of cigar. 00:40:07.70\00:40:10.11 Take in the deep breath 00:40:10.14\00:40:11.57 and the smoke will cleanse your lungs today." 00:40:11.61\00:40:15.68 Sergeant General's report 1964, United States, it said, 00:40:15.71\00:40:20.38 "Tobacco smoking is related to lung cancer." 00:40:20.42\00:40:24.45 How did Ellen White know that ahead of time? 00:40:24.49\00:40:26.72 She wrote about prenatal influence 00:40:26.76\00:40:29.92 far ahead of time. 00:40:29.96\00:40:31.29 The attitude of the mother affects 00:40:31.33\00:40:32.73 the unborn child. 00:40:32.76\00:40:34.10 You look at the statements in health. 00:40:34.13\00:40:35.96 She wrote about spiritualism that would come. 00:40:36.00\00:40:40.37 She talked about the phenomena of spiritualism 00:40:40.40\00:40:43.74 at a time in the 1800s 00:40:43.77\00:40:46.37 where many were Bible believing Christians, 00:40:46.41\00:40:49.08 then you had the Hyde Sisters in the New York State 00:40:49.11\00:40:53.48 with the strange wrappings. 00:40:53.52\00:40:55.45 And Ellen White said, 00:40:55.48\00:40:56.82 "Spiritualism will grow and increase." 00:40:56.85\00:40:59.05 You read her prophetic accuracy 00:40:59.09\00:41:01.59 and you say she passes that test. 00:41:01.62\00:41:04.19 You go to biblical faithfulness, 00:41:04.23\00:41:06.33 what did she say about the Bible 00:41:06.36\00:41:08.33 and the Bible only. 00:41:08.36\00:41:09.70 Don't go to the internet and say, 00:41:09.73\00:41:11.43 "Oh, the internet says that Ellen..." 00:41:11.47\00:41:13.13 This is about Ellen White, what did she say to be fair, 00:41:13.17\00:41:16.30 to be honest, look at her own writings. 00:41:16.34\00:41:18.44 Here's what she says. 00:41:18.47\00:41:19.81 Great Controversy, page 204-205, she says, 00:41:19.84\00:41:23.41 "In our time there is a wide departure 00:41:23.45\00:41:27.02 from their doctrines and percepts," 00:41:27.05\00:41:28.95 that's the doctrines of the Bible, 00:41:28.98\00:41:30.69 "there is a need of a return 00:41:30.72\00:41:33.72 to the great Protestant principle, 00:41:33.76\00:41:36.42 the Bible, and the Bible only, as the rule of faith and duty." 00:41:36.46\00:41:39.89 She said, "My works are a lesser light 00:41:39.93\00:41:43.06 to point you to the greater light." 00:41:43.10\00:41:45.13 So Ellen White herself points men and woman 00:41:45.17\00:41:48.67 back to the Word of God, back to the Bible 00:41:48.70\00:41:51.81 as the only rule of faith and practice. 00:41:51.84\00:41:54.84 The true gift of prophecy exalts Jesus Christ. 00:41:54.88\00:41:59.15 It uplifts Jesus Christ. 00:41:59.18\00:42:01.78 What does Ellen White say about Jesus? 00:42:01.82\00:42:04.12 Gospel Workers, she is writing to pastors, 00:42:04.15\00:42:06.45 page 160, Ellen White says, 00:42:06.49\00:42:08.49 "Lift up Jesus, you that teach the people, 00:42:08.52\00:42:11.36 lift Him up in sermon, in song, and in prayer. 00:42:11.39\00:42:15.03 Let all your powers be directed to pointing souls, 00:42:15.06\00:42:18.70 confused, bewildered, lost to the 'the Lamb of God.'" 00:42:18.73\00:42:22.30 She uplifts Jesus Christ. 00:42:22.34\00:42:24.77 You read some of her books, Steps to Christ, 00:42:24.81\00:42:27.94 The Desire of Ages, 00:42:27.98\00:42:30.28 which is one of the most outstanding books 00:42:30.31\00:42:32.98 for spiritual depth, 00:42:33.01\00:42:34.88 spiritual insight on the life of Christ. 00:42:34.92\00:42:38.59 You read Desire of Ages, I challenge you, 00:42:38.62\00:42:41.79 if you have questions about the gift of prophecy. 00:42:41.82\00:42:44.56 Look at a book like Desire of Ages 00:42:44.59\00:42:46.56 and say to yourself, 00:42:46.59\00:42:47.93 "Does this lead me to Jesus Christ?" 00:42:47.96\00:42:50.17 Just simply, go to a library, 00:42:50.20\00:42:52.47 simply go on the internet and order Desire of Ages, 00:42:52.50\00:42:55.77 and say, "Does my heart warm when I read this book? 00:42:55.80\00:42:59.94 When I read the story of the cross, 00:42:59.97\00:43:02.28 the story of Christ's redemptive grace, 00:43:02.31\00:43:04.81 the story of His love, does this move me?" 00:43:04.85\00:43:09.42 Fourth test, commandment keeping. 00:43:09.45\00:43:11.65 What did Ellen White say about the Bible Sabbath? 00:43:11.69\00:43:15.06 The modern gift of prophecy 00:43:15.09\00:43:17.53 meets the test of accuracy and biblical faithfulness. 00:43:17.56\00:43:22.56 Ellen White said that the Sabbath, 00:43:22.60\00:43:25.03 just like it says in Genesis, just like it says in Exodus, 00:43:25.07\00:43:27.84 just like it says in Isaiah and Jeremiah, 00:43:27.87\00:43:30.34 just like it says in the New Testament, 00:43:30.37\00:43:33.07 just like Jesus kept the Sabbath, 00:43:33.11\00:43:34.81 the disciples did. 00:43:34.84\00:43:36.18 Ellen White says, 00:43:36.21\00:43:37.58 "There's going to be a drift from worshipping the Creator. 00:43:37.61\00:43:42.02 Men and women will be caught 00:43:42.05\00:43:43.52 in the grip of secularism, and atheism, 00:43:43.55\00:43:45.95 and turn to worship the creature 00:43:45.99\00:43:48.79 rather than the Creator. 00:43:48.82\00:43:50.39 And as they do, 00:43:50.43\00:43:52.23 the true Sabbath will be disregarded. 00:43:52.26\00:43:55.46 She calls us back to worship, 00:43:55.50\00:43:58.43 true worship in the controversy between good and evil. 00:43:58.47\00:44:01.30 She echoes Isaiah 8:20 00:44:01.34\00:44:03.67 to the law and to the testimony, 00:44:03.71\00:44:06.11 "If they speak not according to His word, 00:44:06.14\00:44:08.24 it's because there is no light in them." 00:44:08.28\00:44:10.38 She calls us back to commandment 00:44:10.41\00:44:11.95 keeping and the law. 00:44:11.98\00:44:13.31 What about these physical tests? 00:44:13.35\00:44:15.18 Did anybody test her while she was in vision? 00:44:15.22\00:44:18.92 There was a doctor called Dr. Drummond. 00:44:18.95\00:44:21.32 Dr. Drummond was a skeptic. 00:44:21.36\00:44:23.26 He said, "I could test her in vision. 00:44:23.29\00:44:25.29 I can see she does breathe." 00:44:25.33\00:44:27.76 Ellen White went into vision in his presence, 00:44:27.80\00:44:31.17 eyes open. 00:44:31.20\00:44:32.53 He came with a mirror, you can read the account, 00:44:32.57\00:44:34.50 Dr. Drummond's account, he came with a mirror, 00:44:34.54\00:44:37.14 tested her right before her face. 00:44:37.17\00:44:38.54 Said, I can test whether it's breathe, 00:44:38.57\00:44:41.04 I will see it on this mirror, 00:44:41.08\00:44:42.64 tried to test this prophetic vision. 00:44:42.68\00:44:46.58 And as he did, the skeptic said, 00:44:46.61\00:44:49.22 "She does not breathe." 00:44:49.25\00:44:51.49 Yeah, she looked at the physical eyes open, 00:44:51.52\00:44:53.69 no strength in vision, no breathing in vision. 00:44:53.72\00:44:56.83 Exactly like the biblical prophets. 00:44:56.86\00:44:59.53 What about spiritual fruitage? 00:44:59.56\00:45:01.53 Yeah, she passes the test to prophetic accuracy. 00:45:01.56\00:45:04.60 No, she does not lead people away from the Bible. 00:45:04.63\00:45:09.00 Yes, she leads people back to the Bible. 00:45:09.04\00:45:12.07 She exalts Jesus Christ. 00:45:12.11\00:45:14.14 She leads people back to the commandments of God. 00:45:14.18\00:45:17.45 She passes the physical test. What about spiritual fruitage? 00:45:17.48\00:45:21.75 The Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:45:21.78\00:45:23.69 was raised up by God as a fledgling movement 00:45:23.72\00:45:27.56 in the early and mid-1800s. 00:45:27.59\00:45:30.66 The Advent Movement came in the 1820s, 1830s, 00:45:30.69\00:45:34.90 and then after the great disappointment in 1844 00:45:34.93\00:45:38.63 when Jesus Christ did not come, and many Adventists, 00:45:38.67\00:45:42.94 and Baptists, Pentecostals, many of the Church of England, 00:45:42.97\00:45:47.28 many Congregationalists 00:45:47.31\00:45:48.71 particularly in Methodists thought Jesus was coming. 00:45:48.74\00:45:51.61 He did not come. They were disappointed. 00:45:51.65\00:45:54.45 Out of that bitter disappointment, 00:45:54.48\00:45:56.22 God raised up a Bible believing, 00:45:56.25\00:45:58.95 Christ centered, Sabbath keeping movement, 00:45:58.99\00:46:01.56 and He raised up the gift of prophecy 00:46:01.59\00:46:03.53 to guide that movement. 00:46:03.56\00:46:05.29 What is the spiritual fruitage? 00:46:05.33\00:46:07.50 Spiritual fruitage are schools around the world 00:46:07.53\00:46:11.63 educating young people to know Jesus Christ. 00:46:11.67\00:46:15.30 Seventh-day Adventist have the largest 00:46:15.34\00:46:17.31 protestant educational system in the world. 00:46:17.34\00:46:20.84 What is spiritual fruitage? 00:46:20.88\00:46:22.64 Over 13 million outpatients visit 00:46:22.68\00:46:25.91 785 Adventist hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, 00:46:25.95\00:46:29.62 dispensaries, children's facilities, 00:46:29.65\00:46:32.05 airplane and medical launches 00:46:32.09\00:46:33.79 operated by the church around the world. 00:46:33.82\00:46:35.82 Every year they are visited 00:46:35.86\00:46:37.76 by these millions of outpatients, 00:46:37.79\00:46:40.93 and millions of people are served 00:46:40.96\00:46:42.93 within the hospital system. 00:46:42.96\00:46:45.17 Where did all this come from? Ellen White's vision. 00:46:45.20\00:46:48.04 She had a vision that Adventists 00:46:48.07\00:46:49.70 should establish schools where young people 00:46:49.74\00:46:52.14 could be educated in the Bible 00:46:52.17\00:46:53.98 and not the theories of the worldly evolution, 00:46:54.01\00:46:56.95 and not the theories of atheism. 00:46:56.98\00:46:59.05 She had visions where Adventists should serve, 00:46:59.08\00:47:01.38 should bless their communities, 00:47:01.42\00:47:03.35 should establish hospitals around the world. 00:47:03.39\00:47:05.82 What is the fruitage? 00:47:05.85\00:47:07.19 The fruitage schools, fruitage hospitals, 00:47:07.22\00:47:09.52 fruitage, a health message to bless the communities 00:47:09.56\00:47:14.76 that where Adventist Church is served. 00:47:14.80\00:47:16.97 What is the fruitage? 00:47:17.00\00:47:18.33 Adventist churches who are committed to being 00:47:18.37\00:47:21.74 that open door for their communities 00:47:21.77\00:47:24.94 to reach out in their communities 00:47:24.97\00:47:26.71 to make a significant difference 00:47:26.74\00:47:28.44 in their communities. 00:47:28.48\00:47:30.31 What is the fruitage? 00:47:30.35\00:47:32.11 Books that lead men and women to Jesus Christ, 00:47:32.15\00:47:34.85 books like Steps to Christ on how to know Jesus, 00:47:34.88\00:47:38.09 books like Christ Object Lessons 00:47:38.12\00:47:39.92 on the parables, 00:47:39.95\00:47:41.29 books like the Desire of Ages on the life of Christ, 00:47:41.32\00:47:43.96 books on the Great Controversy 00:47:43.99\00:47:45.89 based on this great controversy between good and evil, 00:47:45.93\00:47:48.96 books like Prophets and Kings and Patriarchs and Prophets 00:47:49.00\00:47:52.03 that take you with deep insight through the Old Testament. 00:47:52.07\00:47:57.27 You say, "Does God still lead people today? 00:47:57.31\00:48:01.24 Does God still guide people today? 00:48:01.28\00:48:03.88 Is God still leading men and women, 00:48:03.91\00:48:06.45 and boys and girls to His final last day movement? 00:48:06.48\00:48:09.98 There are so many miracles taking place 00:48:10.02\00:48:11.39 that are so amazing. 00:48:11.42\00:48:12.75 Let me take you to Africa, 00:48:12.79\00:48:14.16 number of years ago in the country of Botswana, 00:48:14.19\00:48:16.62 there was a bushman. 00:48:16.66\00:48:18.09 Bushman named Sakuba. One night he went to sleep. 00:48:18.13\00:48:21.76 And in his sleep, he saw an angel like being. 00:48:21.80\00:48:26.30 In this being of dazzling brightness, 00:48:26.33\00:48:28.60 and this angel like being said, 00:48:28.64\00:48:30.01 "Sakuba, I want you to follow me. 00:48:30.04\00:48:32.44 I want you to be guided by me. I'm going to guide you. 00:48:32.47\00:48:36.51 And I'm going to guide you to the people of the book. 00:48:36.54\00:48:39.55 And the people of the book will instruct you. 00:48:39.58\00:48:43.12 The people of the book will teach you. 00:48:43.15\00:48:45.22 The people of the book will prepare you 00:48:45.25\00:48:47.59 to come back to your own people 00:48:47.62\00:48:48.96 and teach them about the book." 00:48:48.99\00:48:51.43 Sakuba didn't understand. 00:48:51.46\00:48:53.23 The being of dazzling brightness, 00:48:53.26\00:48:54.60 the angel, came to him the next night. 00:48:54.63\00:48:56.26 He said, "I want you to follow me 00:48:56.30\00:48:58.80 and I'm going to lead you to the people of the book." 00:48:58.83\00:49:01.14 Sakuba followed. 00:49:01.17\00:49:03.10 Every day he would walk 00:49:03.14\00:49:05.27 and then at night he would get instructions. 00:49:05.31\00:49:07.64 And as he got instructions, 00:49:07.68\00:49:09.08 he would follow these instructions of the being 00:49:09.11\00:49:12.05 of dazzling brightness. 00:49:12.08\00:49:13.42 He came to a little mission station 00:49:13.45\00:49:14.78 at the end of the jungle. 00:49:14.82\00:49:16.15 He said, "You are the people of the book." 00:49:16.18\00:49:17.52 They said, "We are." 00:49:17.55\00:49:18.89 He said, "Is there a Pastor Moi here. 00:49:18.92\00:49:20.36 The angel told me to find Pastor Moi." 00:49:20.39\00:49:21.72 No Pastor Moi here. 00:49:21.76\00:49:23.09 "Do you have the five books that are really nine?" 00:49:23.12\00:49:25.56 We don't know what that is. 00:49:25.59\00:49:27.10 "You must not be the people of the book 00:49:27.13\00:49:28.63 that I'm looking for." 00:49:28.66\00:49:30.00 He continued to follow the instructions 00:49:30.03\00:49:32.37 of the angel. 00:49:32.40\00:49:33.74 He came to the edge of the jungle. 00:49:33.77\00:49:36.10 He found a mission station, and he said, 00:49:36.14\00:49:38.74 "Are you the people of the book. 00:49:38.77\00:49:40.84 Is there a Pastor Moi here?" 00:49:40.88\00:49:42.21 Yes, yes, there is a Pastor Moi here. 00:49:42.24\00:49:44.21 Pastor Moi brought out his old worn Bible. 00:49:44.25\00:49:47.52 And he said, "That's the book I saw. 00:49:47.55\00:49:49.28 I must find people that base every teaching on the Bible. 00:49:49.32\00:49:52.49 I must find a people that know Jesus Christ." 00:49:52.52\00:49:55.52 But wait a minute, 00:49:55.56\00:49:57.59 do you have the five books that are really nine? 00:49:57.63\00:50:00.46 Ellen White wrote nine volumes of Testimonies 00:50:00.50\00:50:03.63 to guide God's church, to direct God's church, 00:50:03.67\00:50:06.57 but they were originally published in five volumes. 00:50:06.60\00:50:09.30 Pastor Moi went, he got those five volumes. 00:50:09.34\00:50:12.41 "Yes, yes, that's what the angel told me." 00:50:12.44\00:50:15.68 He stayed with Pastor Moi. 00:50:15.71\00:50:17.05 He was instructed, 00:50:17.08\00:50:18.41 went back to his tribe and shared the Christ 00:50:18.45\00:50:20.95 centered message 00:50:20.98\00:50:22.48 for the last days of earth's history. 00:50:22.52\00:50:24.82 And there, 00:50:24.85\00:50:26.19 his whole village became Bible believing, 00:50:26.22\00:50:29.89 Christ committed, 00:50:29.92\00:50:31.79 Sabbath keeping Adventist Christians. 00:50:31.83\00:50:34.03 God led Sakuba, 00:50:34.06\00:50:36.60 and God is leading you, my friend. 00:50:36.63\00:50:38.93 God is leading you through His grace, 00:50:38.97\00:50:43.47 God's leading you by His grace, 00:50:43.51\00:50:46.54 God's leading you because of His grace, 00:50:46.57\00:50:49.84 God is leading you to make that step to follow Him 00:50:49.88\00:50:54.98 and listen as Celestine sings. 00:50:55.02\00:50:57.52 If you could see what I once was 00:51:09.76\00:51:16.37 If you could go with me 00:51:16.40\00:51:22.41 Back to where I started from 00:51:22.44\00:51:28.88 Then I know you would see 00:51:29.65\00:51:34.69 A miracle of love that took me 00:51:36.66\00:51:43.73 In its sweet embrace 00:51:43.77\00:51:48.70 And made me 00:51:48.74\00:51:51.07 What I am today 00:51:51.11\00:51:56.95 An old sinner 00:51:56.98\00:51:58.98 Saved by grace 00:51:59.01\00:52:05.95 I'm just a sinner 00:52:07.49\00:52:13.96 Saved by grace 00:52:14.00\00:52:20.64 When I stood condemned to death 00:52:20.67\00:52:27.44 He took my place 00:52:27.48\00:52:31.78 Now I live 00:52:34.05\00:52:37.12 And breathe in freedom 00:52:37.15\00:52:41.56 With each breath of life I take 00:52:41.59\00:52:47.53 Loved and forgiven 00:52:47.56\00:52:54.20 Backed with the living 00:52:54.24\00:53:00.91 I'm just a sinner 00:53:00.94\00:53:05.71 Saved by grace 00:53:05.75\00:53:12.45 How could I boast of anything 00:53:15.32\00:53:22.30 I've ever seen or done? 00:53:22.33\00:53:28.60 How could I dare 00:53:28.64\00:53:32.87 To claim as mine 00:53:32.91\00:53:36.41 The victories God has won? 00:53:36.44\00:53:42.78 Where would I be 00:53:42.82\00:53:45.29 Had God not brought me 00:53:45.32\00:53:49.99 Safely to this place? 00:53:50.03\00:53:55.40 I'm here to say I'm nothing 00:53:55.43\00:54:01.00 But a sinner 00:54:01.04\00:54:05.67 Saved by grace 00:54:05.71\00:54:12.58 I'm just a sinner 00:54:14.12\00:54:20.79 Saved by grace 00:54:20.82\00:54:27.76 When I stood condemned to death 00:54:27.80\00:54:34.30 He took my place 00:54:34.34\00:54:40.98 Now I live 00:54:41.01\00:54:43.95 And breathe in freedom 00:54:43.98\00:54:48.32 With each breath of life I take 00:54:48.35\00:54:54.36 Loved and forgiven 00:54:54.39\00:55:01.03 Back with the living 00:55:01.06\00:55:07.70 I'm just a sinner 00:55:07.74\00:55:12.54 Saved by grace 00:55:12.57\00:55:19.48 Now I live 00:55:20.18\00:55:24.45 And breathe in freedom 00:55:24.49\00:55:29.02 With each breath of life I take 00:55:29.06\00:55:34.93 Loved and forgiven 00:55:34.96\00:55:41.60 Back with the living 00:55:41.64\00:55:48.31 I'm just a sinner 00:55:48.34\00:55:53.21 Saved 00:55:53.25\00:55:56.55 By 00:55:56.58\00:56:00.06 Grace 00:56:00.09\00:56:05.19 Saved by the grace! 00:56:05.23\00:56:12.20 Because God has saved you 00:56:17.47\00:56:22.38 by His grace, 00:56:22.41\00:56:24.81 because your heart has been opened to Christ, 00:56:24.85\00:56:28.38 because you have been a seeker, 00:56:28.42\00:56:30.69 because you have desired to follow His Word 00:56:30.72\00:56:34.69 and not the teachings of man and the deceptions of Satan. 00:56:34.72\00:56:38.63 He has brought you to this network, 00:56:38.66\00:56:40.93 to this station, to this program, 00:56:40.96\00:56:44.17 to take a step in your life to follow Him. 00:56:44.20\00:56:48.10 Jesus is reaching out to you right now. 00:56:48.14\00:56:52.17 Will you take His hand? 00:56:52.21\00:56:54.28 Will you say, "Jesus, 00:56:54.31\00:56:56.14 You've guided me and directed me, 00:56:56.18\00:56:59.31 I will follow You." 00:56:59.35\00:57:01.32 Let's pray, Father in heaven. 00:57:01.35\00:57:04.22 Often we go through a struggle in our lives, 00:57:04.25\00:57:06.62 but then you break through by Your Spirit. 00:57:06.65\00:57:09.36 This is decision night for somebody right now. 00:57:09.39\00:57:13.90 And I pray by the power of the living God 00:57:13.93\00:57:17.70 that you would touch them, and change them, 00:57:17.73\00:57:20.24 and lead them to You for that eternal decision 00:57:20.27\00:57:23.04 in Christ's name, amen. 00:57:23.07\00:57:25.61 Thank you for joining us 00:57:25.64\00:57:27.31 for Revelation's Ancient Discoveries. 00:57:27.34\00:57:31.05