The escalation of global
terrorism, crime, immorality
00:00:09.24\00:00:12.72
and natural disasters,
seems to indicate our world
00:00:12.75\00:00:15.50
is spiraling towards its
ultimate hour with destiny.
00:00:15.53\00:00:18.46
Who, if anyone, will
survive Earth's final events?
00:00:18.49\00:00:21.50
Discover what Bible prophecy
reveals about the rapture,
00:00:21.53\00:00:24.46
the mark of the
beast, and Armageddon.
00:00:24.49\00:00:26.74
Though shrouded in
mystery for centuries,
00:00:26.77\00:00:28.70
the book of Revelation
can be understood today.
00:00:28.73\00:00:32.55
Peer into the future,
and see what wonderful things
00:00:32.58\00:00:35.30
God has planned for His people.
00:00:35.33\00:00:38.29
And now, Pastor Brian
McMahon presents the powerful
00:00:38.32\00:00:41.33
Bible seminar
"Revelation Speaks Hope".
00:00:41.36\00:00:46.47
Our subject for this evening
is entitled: [text on screen]
00:00:48.23\00:00:51.29
Today more and more
people are becoming interesting
00:00:53.68\00:00:56.48
in prophecy, and as they
become interested in prophecy,
00:00:56.51\00:00:59.38
the question is being asked:
would God raise up the true gift
00:00:59.41\00:01:03.18
of prophecy again? In
other words, not only would
00:01:03.21\00:01:07.05
we see counterfeit prophets,
or false prophets, as the Bible
00:01:07.08\00:01:10.54
says, but would we actually
see the true gift manifested
00:01:10.57\00:01:14.51
once again? Well, to
show you that there's
00:01:14.54\00:01:17.02
such an interest in it, all you
have to do is look at the covers
00:01:17.05\00:01:19.68
of many of these magazines
that are popping up all over
00:01:19.71\00:01:22.32
the place, and prophecy is
taking a focus on the front
00:01:22.35\00:01:25.16
page of many of the
most important magazines of
00:01:25.19\00:01:27.82
the country, and not just
the main news ones, but even
00:01:27.85\00:01:30.54
the tabloids, every time they
want to sell something they put
00:01:30.57\00:01:33.27
"Prophecy" right there at the
front and center because they
00:01:33.30\00:01:36.19
know there's a great interest,
and even though it's trash
00:01:36.22\00:01:39.00
what they talk
about, still people buy it.
00:01:39.03\00:01:41.68
But more than just tabloids
and more than just magazines,
00:01:41.71\00:01:44.54
people are buying books
on prophecy, and books on
00:01:44.57\00:01:47.14
the occult, trying to get a look
into the future, trying to get
00:01:47.17\00:01:50.78
some kind of an idea as to
what is coming on the earth.
00:01:50.81\00:01:54.32
So it is books in the past, such
as Edgar Cayce have sold over
00:01:54.35\00:01:57.40
a million copies, books such
as this one "A gift of prophecy"
00:01:57.43\00:02:00.62
by the now deceased Jeane
Dixon, sold over a million
00:02:00.65\00:02:03.58
copies, so people do
have a genuine interest in it.
00:02:03.61\00:02:07.27
Jesus warned us about these
kinds of things, false prophets
00:02:07.30\00:02:10.80
aren't always easy to spot,
they don't hang a placard around
00:02:10.83\00:02:14.08
their neck saying "I'm a
false prophet, don't follow me"
00:02:14.11\00:02:16.69
"or I'll deceive you", but Jesus
definitely tells us there's
00:02:16.72\00:02:19.18
going to be
deception in this area.
00:02:19.21\00:02:21.92
In Matthew 24:5 here's
what we read: [text on screen]
00:02:21.95\00:02:28.53
So He warns us right away that
there is going to be deception,
00:02:32.88\00:02:36.46
and then in verse 11 of
that same chapter, here's what
00:02:36.49\00:02:39.30
we read, it
says: [text on screen]
00:02:39.33\00:02:42.25
Now many means "multitudes"
here, and in verse 24 it says:
00:02:46.12\00:02:49.36
[text on screen]
00:02:49.39\00:02:51.65
So as we put these various
verses of the Bible together,
00:03:01.08\00:03:04.38
notice how many times Scripture
warns us against being deceived.
00:03:04.41\00:03:08.59
In Matthew 24 we're told that
there's going to be great signs
00:03:08.62\00:03:10.99
and wonders, and
there's going to be deception.
00:03:11.02\00:03:13.76
In 2 Thessalonians 2:9,10
we're told that Satan works with
00:03:13.79\00:03:16.38
powers signs and lying wonders,
and then Revelation 13:13,
00:03:16.41\00:03:20.30
which we looked at our last
Sabbath morning, also showed
00:03:20.33\00:03:23.43
us this second beast, or
as it's often referred to as
00:03:23.46\00:03:26.06
the false prophet, which showed
great wonders with which he
00:03:26.09\00:03:28.78
deceived. Are
miracles the definite
00:03:28.81\00:03:31.75
evidence of a true prophet?
Friends, when you see something
00:03:31.78\00:03:34.96
supernatural going on,
don't always think it's of God.
00:03:34.99\00:03:38.58
In Revelation 16:14 we read
this, it says: [text on screen]
00:03:38.61\00:03:42.40
So yes, there is definitely
going to be supernatural
00:03:48.96\00:03:52.34
miracles worked
even by the evil one.
00:03:52.37\00:03:55.94
Matthew 7:21 here's
what we read, Jesus says:
00:03:55.97\00:04:02.06
"Not everyone that sayeth unto
Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter"
00:04:02.09\00:04:04.97
"into the kingdom of heaven,
but he that doeth the will"
00:04:05.01\00:04:07.62
"of My Father, which
is in heaven." Verse 22:
00:04:07.65\00:04:10.64
"Many shall say to Me in that
day, Lord, Lord, have we not"
00:04:10.67\00:04:14.44
"prophesied in Thy name,
and in Thy name have cast out"
00:04:14.47\00:04:18.21
"devils, and in Thy name
have done many wonderful works?"
00:04:18.24\00:04:21.89
Who's name were they
doing all these things in?
00:04:21.92\00:04:24.97
Jesus' name. Who's
name were they casting
00:04:25.00\00:04:27.63
out devils in? Jesus' name.
00:04:27.66\00:04:30.20
Who's name were they
doing many wonderful works in?
00:04:30.23\00:04:33.10
Jesus' name, so because they
were doing it in Jesus' name,
00:04:33.13\00:04:35.90
does that automatically
mean it's alright? No.
00:04:35.93\00:04:38.70
What does Jesus say in verse
23, it says: "And then I will"
00:04:38.73\00:04:41.59
"profess unto them, I
never knew you, depart from Me"
00:04:41.62\00:04:45.37
"ye that work iniquity."
That word "iniquity" there
00:04:45.40\00:04:48.97
literally means "lawlessness",
so Jesus' saying "you who are"
00:04:49.00\00:04:53.31
"practicing
lawlessness, depart from Me",
00:04:53.34\00:04:55.90
that's why we spent some time
in the seminar talking about
00:04:55.93\00:04:58.83
God's law. Think
about it with me,
00:04:58.86\00:05:01.46
wouldn't it be just like
Satan to raise up a false gift
00:05:01.49\00:05:04.34
and deceive people by; he's
called "The Great Deceiver",
00:05:04.37\00:05:07.04
so we shouldn't be surprised
by that, but think about this
00:05:07.07\00:05:10.20
also: why would Satan try so
hard to raise up a false thing,
00:05:10.23\00:05:15.70
or a counterfeit thing
unless there was a genuine?
00:05:15.73\00:05:18.99
Some time ago my sister
trained to be a bank teller
00:05:19.02\00:05:23.24
and as she trained to be
a bank teller they actually
00:05:23.27\00:05:25.75
took her, and others with her,
to a certain place where they
00:05:25.78\00:05:28.14
would study about how to
identify counterfeit money.
00:05:28.17\00:05:32.08
She told me about the instance,
and I don't know exactly how
00:05:32.11\00:05:34.43
many days they spent on
this, but as they were studying
00:05:34.46\00:05:36.79
about counterfeit money, how
many counterfeits do you think
00:05:36.82\00:05:39.79
they placed in front of
them and made them study?
00:05:39.82\00:05:42.79
Friends, it wasn't 100, and
it wasn't 20, they didn't put
00:05:42.82\00:05:45.83
any in front of them.
What they did was they put
00:05:45.86\00:05:48.28
the genuine bills in front
of these people training to
00:05:48.31\00:05:51.90
identify counterfeits, and
they made them study the genuine
00:05:51.93\00:05:54.51
so well over and over, looking
at every tiny detail and aspect
00:05:54.54\00:05:58.88
of it that if anything
other than a genuine came along
00:05:58.91\00:06:01.86
their path, they would
instantly recognize it.
00:06:01.89\00:06:04.59
Friends, that's what God wants
us to do, God wants us to look
00:06:04.62\00:06:07.40
at the genuine in His word,
and by looking at the genuine,
00:06:07.43\00:06:11.00
if anything other than
what we read here comes along,
00:06:11.03\00:06:13.18
we'll know that
it's a falsehood.
00:06:13.21\00:06:15.49
Jesus never said "Beware of
all prophets in the last days",
00:06:15.52\00:06:20.48
if He wanted us to be aware
of everything, well, He would
00:06:20.51\00:06:23.49
have said so, but Jesus never
said "Beware of all prophets",
00:06:23.52\00:06:26.49
He said "Beware
of false prophets".
00:06:26.52\00:06:28.95
In the book of Amos 3:7
here's what we read in Scripture
00:06:28.98\00:06:34.27
[text on screen]
00:06:34.30\00:06:36.30
So the Lord is telling
us before He does anything
00:06:40.22\00:06:43.35
of great significance in
the earth, He's first going
00:06:43.38\00:06:45.81
to reveal it ahead of time
through the prophetic gift,
00:06:45.84\00:06:48.95
that's good news, I'm glad
God tells us about things before
00:06:48.98\00:06:51.60
it happens, aren't
you? [Audience] Amen.
00:06:51.63\00:06:54.03
Of course, we have to pay
attention in His word in order
00:06:54.06\00:06:56.83
to get the benefit of
that, but here's our question:
00:06:56.86\00:07:00.43
what about
modern prophets anyway?
00:07:00.46\00:07:03.10
Is there really such a
thing as modern prophets?
00:07:03.13\00:07:06.09
Turn with me to the book
of Ephesians, and we're going
00:07:06.12\00:07:08.93
to go and get some insight
into this, Ephesians 4:8.
00:07:08.96\00:07:12.46
The Bible says: [text on screen]
00:07:12.49\00:07:15.12
"up on high", that's referring
to Jesus ascending back
00:07:15.66\00:07:18.24
to heaven, it
says: [text on screen]
00:07:18.28\00:07:22.24
Let's stop here for a moment,
do we still need teachers
00:07:33.26\00:07:36.28
in God's church who can
faithfully teach the Word of God
00:07:36.31\00:07:38.88
and instruct people
in the right way? Amen.
00:07:38.91\00:07:41.86
Do we still need pastors
who faithfully watch over
00:07:41.89\00:07:44.81
God's flock? Amen. Do we
still need evangelists...
00:07:44.84\00:07:48.41
say amen! [Audience] Amen.
00:07:48.44\00:07:50.45
Okay! [Audience laughs]
00:07:50.48\00:07:52.51
Just checking on that
one. Now let's think about it,
00:07:52.54\00:07:56.41
we willingly recognize
and very readily recognize
00:07:56.44\00:08:00.73
that yes, pastors are necessary,
and teachers are necessary,
00:08:00.76\00:08:06.25
and evangelists have
their purpose, but what about
00:08:06.28\00:08:09.04
prophets? It
means prophets right
00:08:09.07\00:08:11.25
along with the rest of
them. Sometimes people think
00:08:11.28\00:08:13.89
"Well, we've got all these other
gifts, but prophets is just"
00:08:13.92\00:08:16.59
"for the Old Testament,
that's Old Testament stuff."
00:08:16.62\00:08:19.49
Well, if that's Old Testament
stuff, then all these other
00:08:19.52\00:08:22.13
things are Old
Testament stuff too, right?
00:08:22.16\00:08:24.82
Let's continue our study
by going to 1 Corinthians 1.
00:08:24.85\00:08:28.62
[text on screen]
00:08:28.65\00:08:31.63
"You" - being the church,
is what He's talking about,
00:08:35.96\00:08:39.21
[text on screen]
00:08:39.24\00:08:41.24
So here in 1 Corinthians
1:6,7 we're told that the church
00:08:45.45\00:08:49.90
that's waiting for the coming
of the Lord, Jesus Christ, is to
00:08:49.93\00:08:53.40
come behind in no
gifts. That means they have
00:08:53.43\00:08:57.16
all the gifts, they're not
to lack in any of the gifts.
00:08:57.19\00:09:00.46
If we want to find God's
last day church as we studied
00:09:00.49\00:09:03.16
our last night
together, then we want to find
00:09:03.19\00:09:05.63
a church that has the gift
of prophecy as well, because
00:09:05.66\00:09:08.78
the Bible tells us that
that last day church is to come
00:09:08.81\00:09:12.21
behind in no gift, which
means it has all of the gifts,
00:09:12.24\00:09:15.17
including the gift of prophecy.
Revelation shows us God's last
00:09:15.21\00:09:18.70
day church, and it shows
us the woman fleeing into
00:09:18.73\00:09:23.16
the wilderness, that's God's
church going into obscurity,
00:09:23.19\00:09:26.27
or hiding during the time of
the Dark Ages, and then after
00:09:26.30\00:09:29.14
the Dark Ages there's going
to be an open manifestation of
00:09:29.17\00:09:31.90
the church once again before
Jesus comes back, because they
00:09:31.93\00:09:34.42
are raised up to
give a particular message.
00:09:34.45\00:09:37.25
Speaking of that raising up
of the church, here we find in
00:09:37.28\00:09:39.94
Revelation 12:17, it
says: [text on screen]
00:09:39.97\00:09:44.86
Well, what is, exactly,
the testimony of Jesus Christ?
00:10:02.47\00:10:05.30
Let's let the Bible define it
for us a little more carefully,
00:10:05.33\00:10:08.27
let's go to Revelation 19.
00:10:08.30\00:10:13.55
Just like 2 coordinates
will pinpoint a certain area
00:10:13.58\00:10:17.38
on a grid, a certain specific
location on a grid, so God
00:10:17.41\00:10:22.09
gives 2 specific coordinates for
His remnant church, His last day
00:10:22.12\00:10:26.41
people: they lovingly keep God's
commandments out of faithfulness
00:10:26.44\00:10:29.74
to Jesus, and they have
the testimony of Jesus Christ.
00:10:29.77\00:10:34.24
As far as what the testimony
of Jesus Christ is, we're going
00:10:34.27\00:10:36.79
to let the Bible define
it for us, Revelation 19:10,
00:10:36.82\00:10:41.77
it says: [text on screen]
00:10:41.80\00:10:44.91
So the testimony of Jesus
is the spirit of prophecy,
00:10:59.13\00:11:01.60
and who is it that has
the testimony of Jesus?
00:11:01.63\00:11:04.23
If you go back to that verse it
says "...thy brethren that have"
00:11:04.26\00:11:07.82
"the testimony of Jesus", so
it's the brethren that have it.
00:11:07.85\00:11:10.81
Well, who are the brethren?
Well, the Bible actually answers
00:11:10.84\00:11:13.54
that for us as well,
just turn ahead a little bit
00:11:13.57\00:11:16.06
to Revelation 22:8,9.
00:11:16.09\00:11:25.01
Here it says: [text on screen]
00:11:25.04\00:11:27.62
So here the Bible tells us
who the brethren are, it says
00:11:36.93\00:11:39.68
"thy brethren are the
prophets", so what we're finding
00:11:39.71\00:11:43.22
is that the remnant church
has the testimony of Jesus,
00:11:43.25\00:11:46.05
which is the spirit of prophecy,
which is found in the prophets.
00:11:46.08\00:11:50.78
People will often say: "Well,
we've seen these other gifts"
00:11:50.81\00:11:54.40
"in various churches, pastors,
and teachers, and evangelists,"
00:11:54.43\00:11:57.60
"and so on, why don't we
see the gift of prophecy"
00:11:57.63\00:12:01.29
"manifested very much, why
is it that that gift seems"
00:12:01.32\00:12:03.93
"to be lacking"?
I'm going to take you
00:12:03.96\00:12:06.55
the book of Jeremiah 26:4,5,
it says here in God's word:
00:12:06.58\00:12:12.27
[text on screen]
00:12:12.30\00:12:14.69
"but you have not
hearkened", that means
00:12:28.40\00:12:31.02
"you have not obeyed".
00:12:31.05\00:12:33.46
Notice folks that here God puts
2 very important things together
00:12:33.49\00:12:36.21
in this passage, He speaks
about the fact that they did not
00:12:36.24\00:12:39.04
obey His law, and they
did not obey the prophets.
00:12:39.07\00:12:42.50
The 2 things, the law
and the prophets, go together
00:12:42.53\00:12:45.56
in Scripture. In
fact, sometimes the Old
00:12:45.59\00:12:48.19
Testament is just
condensed into say it's the law
00:12:48.22\00:12:50.63
and the prophets.
Let's look ahead a little bit
00:12:50.66\00:12:52.98
more, go to the book of
Ezekiel this time if you would.
00:12:53.01\00:12:55.88
Ezekiel 20:2: [text on screen]
00:12:55.91\00:12:58.88
Let me pause there, how
did the people come to enquire
00:13:06.54\00:13:10.40
of God? Well, they came through
00:13:10.43\00:13:12.97
the prophets, if they
wanted a word from God,
00:13:13.00\00:13:15.81
they'd go to the prophet,
male or female, and they'd say
00:13:15.84\00:13:18.34
"Is there any word from
the Lord?", and the prophet,
00:13:18.37\00:13:20.75
if there was a word, would
receive it from God and pass it
00:13:20.78\00:13:23.33
on to the people. So
then let's keep reading,
00:13:23.36\00:13:25.97
it says: [text on screen]
00:13:26.00\00:13:28.44
Let me pause there again,
what the Lord is saying here
00:13:30.98\00:13:33.69
is He's saying "I'm
not speaking to you."
00:13:33.72\00:13:36.58
"I'm not going to
speak to you", why not?
00:13:36.61\00:13:39.27
Obviously there's a problem,
let's keep reading, He says:
00:13:39.30\00:13:42.16
[text on screen]
00:13:42.19\00:13:44.44
So obviously they
weren't being obedient, He says:
00:13:47.67\00:13:50.38
[text on screen]
00:13:50.41\00:13:52.49
Notice what it goes on
to say: [text on screen]
00:14:17.87\00:14:20.63
"...them My Sabbaths to be
a sign between Me and them,"
00:14:27.74\00:14:32.03
"that they might know that I
am the Lord that sanctify them".
00:14:32.07\00:14:35.94
Let's go to another one, go
to the book of Lamentations.
00:14:35.97\00:14:41.14
The book of Lamentations
2:9, it says "Her gates are"
00:14:41.17\00:14:46.14
"sunk into the ground" - gates
were used to keep the enemy out,
00:14:46.17\00:14:50.04
[text on screen]
00:14:50.07\00:14:52.14
Was Israel keeping the
law at this time, yes or no?
00:15:00.83\00:15:03.30
No. Were the prophets finding
00:15:03.33\00:15:05.87
vision from the
Lord at this time? No.
00:15:05.90\00:15:08.57
You see, when Israel
was especially rebellious
00:15:08.60\00:15:11.28
and defiant, they would not get
the kind of communication from
00:15:11.31\00:15:14.10
God as God desired for them.
Even King Saul, when King Saul
00:15:14.13\00:15:17.91
was being disobedient towards
God, the Bible specifically says
00:15:17.94\00:15:23.44
that God would not speak
to him through the prophets.
00:15:23.47\00:15:27.40
So there's something
about disobedience to God's law
00:15:27.43\00:15:30.30
that is so severe that God
says "No, I'm not going to use"
00:15:30.33\00:15:34.78
"this gift as I normally did",
because for God to speak to us,
00:15:34.81\00:15:38.31
for the Almighty Creator
to condescend to speak to us
00:15:38.34\00:15:40.96
who are of dust, that is a
privilege that we have, that God
00:15:40.99\00:15:44.07
would speak to us; and in
the Old Testament the prophet
00:15:44.10\00:15:47.90
was called "The Seer", in
other words the prophet was like
00:15:47.93\00:15:50.74
the eyes of the church,
and as the prophet was given
00:15:50.77\00:15:54.66
instruction from God and could
then pass it on the church,
00:15:54.69\00:15:58.58
the church received guidance
they had insight, they had eye
00:15:58.61\00:16:01.53
sight to be able to go where
they needed to go, that's why
00:16:01.56\00:16:04.60
the Bible tells us "Where there
is no vision, the people perish"
00:16:04.63\00:16:07.67
it's like having a blind
church. Here's the answer to our
00:16:07.70\00:16:10.76
original question friends:
why is it that so many churches
00:16:10.79\00:16:14.20
today lack the gift of prophecy,
it's because they have thrown
00:16:14.23\00:16:18.24
out God's law, and because
they have thrown out God's law,
00:16:18.27\00:16:22.61
God will not speak to
them through that gift anymore,
00:16:22.64\00:16:25.90
and specifically, they have
cast aside God's Sabbath day,
00:16:25.93\00:16:31.44
God's special sign of allegiance
to Him, which we've looked
00:16:31.47\00:16:34.16
at on more than 1 night, as
God saying "That was My sign"
00:16:34.19\00:16:37.18
"between Myself and My people
that they might know that I'm"
00:16:37.21\00:16:40.01
"the Lord their God".
Friends, when you cast away
00:16:40.04\00:16:42.53
the Sabbath, you cast
away God's special sign.
00:16:42.56\00:16:45.47
You see, some people will
say "But I don't know if I want"
00:16:45.50\00:16:48.08
"that gift, we have the Bible,
we have the Bible writers,"
00:16:48.11\00:16:50.98
"why should we have
an additional gift?"
00:16:51.01\00:16:53.17
Friends, in the book of
Acts we're told, and it's really
00:16:53.20\00:16:56.14
quoting from the book of
Joel, that God will pour out His
00:16:56.17\00:16:59.10
Spirit on the church in
the last days and that His sons
00:16:59.13\00:17:01.68
and daughters will prophesy.
It is predicted that the church
00:17:01.71\00:17:04.19
would have that gift.
But in 1 Thessalonians 5:21
00:17:04.23\00:17:07.16
Paul says: [text on screen]
00:17:07.20\00:17:10.25
So Paul is saying "Don't despise
the gift, but test the gift."
00:17:14.05\00:17:18.53
"If the gift is truly Biblical,
if it's along the lines"
00:17:18.57\00:17:21.17
"of what God said His gift
would be, then don't despise"
00:17:21.21\00:17:23.87
"it, hold fast
because that is a good thing."
00:17:23.91\00:17:27.99
It is a good thing!
Well, how in the world
00:17:28.02\00:17:29.93
are we to tell the
true from the false?
00:17:29.96\00:17:32.56
There's a lot of people that
say that they have that gift,
00:17:32.60\00:17:35.33
just because you say it it
doesn't necessarily make it so
00:17:35.37\00:17:38.14
at all, it's got to be along
the lines of the Biblical gift,
00:17:38.17\00:17:40.85
it has got to pass the test of
a true prophet, male or female.
00:17:40.88\00:17:44.69
Well, the Bible gives specific
tests that we can know the true
00:17:44.73\00:17:47.68
from the false, and aren't
you glad that God gives us those
00:17:47.72\00:17:50.37
things, so we can understand,
so we don't just have to take
00:17:50.40\00:17:53.09
anything what
someone might call the gift.
00:17:53.12\00:17:55.52
Turn with me to the first text
that we're going to look at,
00:17:55.55\00:17:58.16
it's found in Jeremiah 28.
00:17:58.20\00:18:03.33
When someone says "Well, I
don't need any additional gift"
00:18:04.51\00:18:07.92
"because I accept the
Bible and the Bible only",
00:18:07.95\00:18:10.63
listen carefully friends, if we
accept the Bible and the Bible
00:18:10.66\00:18:13.41
only as our final rule of faith,
then that means that we will
00:18:13.45\00:18:16.36
accept what the Bible says
about the gift of prophecy,
00:18:16.40\00:18:19.39
does that make sense to you?
00:18:19.42\00:18:21.57
If the Bible is our authority,
and it's the Bible that says
00:18:21.60\00:18:24.56
God will have that gift in
the church, then we accept what
00:18:24.59\00:18:27.93
the Bible says about that gift.
In Jeremiah 28:9 here's what
00:18:27.96\00:18:32.50
we read, it
says: [text on screen]
00:18:32.54\00:18:35.23
How many times is it that people
have published these tabloids.
00:18:42.80\00:18:46.96
and as they published tabloids
they say "this is going"
00:18:47.00\00:18:49.61
"to happen in 1998, and this
is going to happen in 1999",
00:18:49.64\00:18:52.65
and it just never happens.
Friends, it's false prophecy.
00:18:52.69\00:18:57.74
You see these kinds of things
appearing in tabloid covers,
00:18:57.78\00:19:02.36
this one says the second coming
is going to happen in 1998,
00:19:02.40\00:19:06.11
another one talking about
how Christmas 1999 is going
00:19:06.14\00:19:09.34
to change the world,
well it never happened.
00:19:09.37\00:19:11.99
Let's go on in our testing
of prophets if you would,
00:19:12.03\00:19:15.01
go to Deuteronomy 13.
As you're turning there
00:19:15.04\00:19:20.20
let me share something with
you that a lot of people wonder
00:19:20.23\00:19:22.98
about, they'll ask me
and they'll say "Hang on"
00:19:23.02\00:19:25.53
"pastor Brian", they'll
say, "didn't Jonah predict that"
00:19:25.56\00:19:28.52
"Nineveh was going to be
overthrown in 40 days and it"
00:19:28.56\00:19:31.01
"wasn't overthrown in 40
days, so does that make Jonah"
00:19:31.04\00:19:33.81
"a false prophet?" Well
no, it doesn't make Jonah
00:19:33.85\00:19:36.71
a false prophet because there's
what we call "conditional"
00:19:36.75\00:19:39.43
"prophecy", it was implied,
although not explicitly stated,
00:19:39.47\00:19:42.53
that if Nineveh would repent
they would not be overthrown,
00:19:42.56\00:19:45.57
otherwise why bother
even preaching to them.
00:19:45.60\00:19:47.94
But if they did not repent,
they would be overthrown, and of
00:19:47.98\00:19:52.38
course Nineveh repented, at
least for a time, and the city
00:19:52.42\00:19:55.06
was spared, and there is what
we call "conditional prophecy"
00:19:55.10\00:19:58.69
that is conditional upon
the response of the people.
00:19:58.73\00:20:01.35
So no, Jonah wasn't
a false prophet at all.
00:20:01.38\00:20:04.10
And secondarily we
go to Deuteronomy 13:1.
00:20:04.13\00:20:14.82
It says: [text on screen]
00:20:14.85\00:20:17.60
"proveth you", which means
"tests you", [continues to read]
00:20:40.55\00:20:43.78
So what the Bible is telling us
here is that a prophet can make
00:20:47.28\00:20:51.41
a prediction, and that
prediction just might come true,
00:20:51.45\00:20:55.18
but if that prediction leads
people away from the Bible,
00:20:55.21\00:20:58.29
we are not to go after that
prophet, we are not to follow
00:20:58.32\00:21:01.30
what that prophet says because
all true prophecy leads us
00:21:01.33\00:21:05.44
back to Scripture,
never away from Scripture.
00:21:05.48\00:21:09.45
Sometimes God raises up
prophets, either male or female,
00:21:09.48\00:21:14.30
to lead His church through a
specific period of time, often
00:21:14.33\00:21:18.23
a crisis period of time,
and it's very important that we
00:21:18.26\00:21:21.85
listen to the
messenger that God sends.
00:21:21.89\00:21:25.12
For example, in the book
of Luke 7:28-30, Jesus said:
00:21:25.16\00:21:30.05
[text on screen]
00:21:30.08\00:21:32.24
What we're learning here is
that it says the words of John
00:21:52.00\00:21:55.56
the Baptist were the counsel
of God, that sounds like a very
00:21:55.59\00:22:00.14
serious thing, doesn't
it? It was when they rejected
00:22:00.17\00:22:02.71
what John had to say, it
says they rejected the counsel
00:22:02.75\00:22:06.11
of God, so is it a
serious thing to listen to God's
00:22:06.14\00:22:08.89
prophets? Amen, we
don't want to reject
00:22:08.93\00:22:11.64
any of the counsel of God,
we want all the counsel that God
00:22:11.67\00:22:15.10
sends us. The
first test then is:
00:22:15.14\00:22:20.27
[text on screen]
00:22:20.31\00:22:22.32
1 John 4:1,2 is where
we want to read, John says:
00:22:31.39\00:22:36.92
[text on screen]
00:22:36.96\00:22:38.98
But what are the true
prophets going to talk about?
00:22:47.45\00:22:50.31
Here in 1 John 4:2
it says [text on screen]
00:22:50.34\00:22:53.19
So the true gift is going
to exalt the ministry of Jesus,
00:23:00.40\00:23:04.42
exalt the life of Jesus,
talk about the death of Jesus,
00:23:04.45\00:23:08.09
the teachings of Jesus, the
High Priestly ministry of Jesus,
00:23:08.12\00:23:11.35
it's going to talk about
every aspect of Jesus, why?
00:23:11.39\00:23:14.13
Because we want all that God
has to give us through His Son.
00:23:14.17\00:23:18.43
Have you noticed what some
of these world famous psychics
00:23:18.46\00:23:21.57
even talk about,
here's one, Star Magazine.
00:23:21.60\00:23:24.36
It says "Jeane Dixon,
Summer Predictions By World's"
00:23:24.40\00:23:27.17
"Top Psychic", so what is the
world's top psychic supposedly
00:23:27.21\00:23:32.09
talking about?
Well, here's some of her
00:23:32.12\00:23:34.91
predictions: there's
going to be a new baby for Demi,
00:23:34.95\00:23:37.50
that's a Hollywood personality,
a new love for Dolly,
00:23:37.53\00:23:40.99
fed up Oprah's going to dump
her fiance, Goldie's going to be
00:23:41.03\00:23:43.46
in a love triangle, Liz's
lucky summer and Queen Di fights
00:23:43.49\00:23:45.91
for her kids. Not
very spiritual in terms
00:23:45.95\00:23:49.45
of its content, amen?
There's another one I want
00:23:49.48\00:23:52.16
to share with you,
another test of the true gift.
00:23:52.19\00:23:54.60
Go with me to
the book of Isaiah 8.
00:23:54.63\00:23:56.80
The Bible says the true gift
is high, and holy, and noble,
00:23:56.83\00:24:05.61
it is accurate, it leads people
back to the Bible, it leads
00:24:05.64\00:24:09.19
them to Jesus, it recognizes
Him as the Son of God,
00:24:09.22\00:24:13.29
these Hollywood personalities,
and these Hollywood psychics,
00:24:13.33\00:24:16.17
many of them don't even claim
to be Christians, let alone
00:24:16.20\00:24:18.73
lifting up Jesus.
Okay, Isaiah 8:20,
00:24:18.77\00:24:25.47
the Bible says: [text on screen]
00:24:25.51\00:24:27.89
It doesn't matter how rich
that church may be, how big
00:24:34.08\00:24:36.67
that church may be, how
popular that church may be,
00:24:36.70\00:24:39.36
the Bible says "to the law and
the testimony", if they don't
00:24:39.39\00:24:42.12
speak according to that there
is no light, and we need light
00:24:42.15\00:24:46.36
in a spiritually
dark world, don't we?
00:24:46.40\00:24:49.30
In the book of Numbers
we're told in chapter 24:4 that
00:24:49.33\00:24:54.52
[text on screen]
00:24:54.56\00:24:56.62
These are the kinds of
things that only a Bible student
00:25:01.55\00:25:04.31
recognizes, but you don't
often hear when you talk about
00:25:04.34\00:25:07.41
people, or you listen to
people who say that they get
00:25:07.45\00:25:09.90
dreams and visions.
The dreams and visions
00:25:09.94\00:25:12.17
that God gives His servants
come only in a specific way.
00:25:12.20\00:25:16.18
Now, there is another one in the
book of Daniel 10, and it tells
00:25:16.22\00:25:19.10
us that in prophetic
vision the prophets lose
00:25:19.13\00:25:22.47
their own physical
strength and God supernaturally
00:25:22.51\00:25:25.33
strengthens them. Just
in case that wasn't enough,
00:25:25.36\00:25:28.80
also in Daniel 10, the prophets
do not breathe in vision,
00:25:28.83\00:25:34.10
it's not just for Daniel 10,
it's talking about in general.
00:25:34.14\00:25:36.93
When people are given a
specific vision of the Lord,
00:25:36.96\00:25:41.82
as true prophets,
they do not breathe.
00:25:41.85\00:25:44.72
That means something
supernatural has taken place,
00:25:44.75\00:25:47.52
God is supernaturally sustaining
them for the period of time
00:25:47.55\00:25:50.78
in which they're
given this vision.
00:25:50.81\00:25:53.40
So there's physical tests then
that are involved in God's true
00:25:53.43\00:25:57.10
prophets, but there's another
one that we're going to look at,
00:25:57.13\00:25:59.94
turn to Matthew 7 where
we were earlier tonight.
00:25:59.98\00:26:02.77
Matthew 7:15, this test is
that a genuine prophet is going
00:26:02.81\00:26:07.76
to have spiritual
fruitage. What do we mean we say
00:26:07.80\00:26:10.50
"spiritual fruitage", that
means that the prophet's main
00:26:10.54\00:26:13.23
concern, the prophet's counsels,
the prophets focus in life
00:26:13.27\00:26:18.26
is going to be
about spiritual matters.
00:26:18.30\00:26:20.94
Now, the prophet's not going to
write book after book after book
00:26:20.98\00:26:24.38
to try to make millions
of dollars and get rich,
00:26:24.42\00:26:27.10
the prophet is going to write
in such a way that people are
00:26:27.13\00:26:30.23
saved into God's
kingdom, that just makes sense.
00:26:30.26\00:26:33.85
So Matthew 7:15, and here
the Bible says: [text on screen]
00:26:33.88\00:26:40.27
How are we going to know
who truly is the true from
00:26:47.72\00:26:50.34
the false, look what Jesus
has to say here in verse 16,
00:26:50.37\00:26:53.69
Jesus says: [text on screen]
00:26:53.73\00:26:56.63
And then in verse 20 Jesus
reiterates that and He says
00:27:01.16\00:27:04.11
in verse 20: [text on screen]
00:27:04.14\00:27:06.88
So that is to say: "what is
the spiritual fruitage of this"
00:27:07.92\00:27:11.42
"person's life?
Were they Godly people?"
00:27:11.46\00:27:14.59
"Did they live in such a way and
conduct them self in such a way"
00:27:14.63\00:27:17.90
"as a true prophet of God
would, or were they immoral?"
00:27:17.94\00:27:22.08
"Were they evil", and that's
one way of knowing it wasn't
00:27:22.11\00:27:25.34
a true prophet of God.
So it's very important that
00:27:25.38\00:27:28.15
true prophets show that they are
by their fruits, by that which
00:27:28.18\00:27:32.76
their life reveals.
There's another insight that
00:27:32.79\00:27:36.15
goes along with that
in 1 Corinthians 12:28,
00:27:36.19\00:27:39.22
here in the Lord's word it
says this: [text on screen]
00:27:39.25\00:27:42.27
So where does God
put the true gift?
00:27:55.88\00:27:58.89
God puts the true gifts in
His church, that His church may
00:27:58.93\00:28:02.45
receive the benefit, that
His church may receive edifying,
00:28:02.48\00:28:05.46
that His church may be ready
for the soon coming of Jesus.
00:28:05.49\00:28:08.61
The true gift is
found in God's church.
00:28:08.64\00:28:12.98
So we find that it's very
important that the gift is:
00:28:13.02\00:28:17.32
[text on screen]
00:28:17.35\00:28:19.50
The work of a prophet is
often thought by people just for
00:28:31.07\00:28:34.05
telling the future, but
that is really only 1 part,
00:28:34.08\00:28:36.94
and sometimes a small
part of a prophet's mission.
00:28:36.98\00:28:40.06
For example, the true
gift of the prophet involves:
00:28:40.09\00:28:43.13
[text on screen]
00:28:43.17\00:28:45.26
So all of this is involved
in the true work of a prophet.
00:28:59.24\00:29:04.90
Let's go back to our
text in Revelation 12.
00:29:04.94\00:29:09.70
Remember that in God's last day
remnant church, God was going
00:29:09.73\00:29:14.51
to place this
gift. In our last study,
00:29:14.55\00:29:18.68
just in the previous
night, we found a very detailed
00:29:18.72\00:29:23.36
description of God's last
day church in Revelation 14,
00:29:23.40\00:29:27.98
and in that description we
found that many characteristics
00:29:28.01\00:29:32.97
putting together, only
identify 1 specific church,
00:29:33.00\00:29:37.68
that God's last day church would
rise up after 1978, they would
00:29:37.71\00:29:41.19
preach the everlasting gospel,
they would preach loyalty
00:29:41.23\00:29:43.85
to all of God's commandments,
they would be keeping God's
00:29:43.88\00:29:46.91
7th day Sabbath, because that's
one of His 10 commandments,
00:29:46.94\00:29:49.78
they would preach the hour
of God's message has come...
00:29:49.81\00:29:52.47
all of this has come from
Revelation 12, and especially
00:29:52.50\00:29:55.35
Revelation 14...they
would give glory to God through
00:29:55.38\00:29:58.16
a health message, they would
speak of the mark of the beast
00:29:58.19\00:30:00.67
and the image of the beast,
which is Revelation 14:9-11,
00:30:00.70\00:30:03.25
they would have the gift of
prophecy, which is what we're
00:30:03.29\00:30:06.13
looking at tonight, they would
teach about death being a sleep
00:30:06.16\00:30:09.05
to the resurrection day,
they would teach the truth about
00:30:09.09\00:30:11.60
the second coming of
Jesus, that's Revelation 14:14,
00:30:11.64\00:30:14.56
and they would call people
out of Babylon, Revelation 14:8,
00:30:14.60\00:30:17.30
and they would be a worldwide
church with a worldwide message.
00:30:17.34\00:30:20.14
All of that described
God's last day remnant church,
00:30:20.17\00:30:23.52
all of that came right from the
Bible itself, and then we can be
00:30:23.56\00:30:26.86
objective about it and
say "what is the only church"
00:30:26.89\00:30:30.60
"that fulfills
all of that criteria?"
00:30:30.64\00:30:33.47
Friends, I shared with you last
time that there is only 1 church
00:30:33.51\00:30:36.36
and may I say it ever so
humbly, without pretense,
00:30:36.39\00:30:39.10
that is the Seventh Day
Adventist church, the church
00:30:39.13\00:30:42.05
that is bringing you this
very seminar on Bible prophecy.
00:30:42.09\00:30:44.54
Friends, having said that,
you could very well be asked:
00:30:44.57\00:30:48.09
has God placed this gift inside
that church to show that it's
00:30:48.12\00:30:53.06
His last day church?
Sometimes people will say
00:30:53.09\00:30:55.90
"Oh, I hear you have
that gift in your church,"
00:30:55.93\00:30:58.71
"why is that?"
Friends, if the Bible says
00:30:58.74\00:31:01.49
the gift is going to be
in God's last day church,
00:31:01.53\00:31:04.39
then the better question would
be, if a person doesn't have
00:31:04.42\00:31:07.22
that gift in their
church, you might well ask:
00:31:07.26\00:31:10.18
why don't you have
that gift in the church?
00:31:10.22\00:31:12.82
It shouldn't be surprising
to us that God has the gift
00:31:12.86\00:31:15.40
if the Bible says
the gift will be there.
00:31:15.43\00:31:17.96
So again, we would ask the
question: why is it that so many
00:31:18.00\00:31:20.73
churches don't have it?
But that's not what I want
00:31:20.77\00:31:23.32
to be concerned with right
now. How is it that God restored
00:31:23.35\00:31:25.98
that gift to His remnant church?
I want to tell you the thrilling
00:31:26.02\00:31:29.00
story of that right now.
After that long period that we
00:31:29.04\00:31:32.43
call the Dark Ages, God
again was going to have an open
00:31:32.46\00:31:35.97
manifestation of His last
day message, of His people,
00:31:36.01\00:31:39.46
they were in obscurity during
the time of the Dark Ages,
00:31:39.49\00:31:42.22
but after the Dark Ages,
God wanted a visible church
00:31:42.25\00:31:45.69
preaching a special message.
So at the end of the Dark Ages
00:31:45.72\00:31:51.05
Bible societies started to
spring up everywhere, millions
00:31:51.08\00:31:53.52
of Bibles were published, and
there was a tremendous spiritual
00:31:53.55\00:31:57.09
revival, called "The
Great Awakening" in America.
00:31:57.13\00:32:00.31
People were focused on
the second coming of Jesus,
00:32:00.35\00:32:03.15
they thought that Jesus was
going to come very, very soon,
00:32:03.19\00:32:05.60
even in the 1840s.
Now, what was happening was
00:32:05.63\00:32:08.95
people were being rejected
by their churches for wanting
00:32:08.99\00:32:12.14
to step out and preach
that Jesus was coming soon, they
00:32:12.34\00:32:15.33
were students of the
Word, and there were Baptists,
00:32:15.37\00:32:18.77
and Methodists, and
Presbyterians and Christians
00:32:18.80\00:32:21.18
from other churches, and they
were coming out and they were
00:32:21.22\00:32:24.13
giving all their heart to
the fact that they believed that
00:32:24.17\00:32:26.78
they should get their
lives ready for the coming
00:32:26.82\00:32:29.39
of the Lord. Of
course, Jesus didn't come and
00:32:29.42\00:32:32.09
they were bitterly disappointed,
but what was God going to do
00:32:32.12\00:32:36.29
with this group of people
who were saying to them self
00:32:36.32\00:32:39.84
"We want nothing in our
Christianity, but that which"
00:32:39.88\00:32:42.80
"the Bible says", now
that's a worthy goal, amen?
00:32:42.83\00:32:45.99
"We want nothing except a
'Thus sayeth the Lord...' "
00:32:46.02\00:32:49.04
"for our faith"; they were tired
of the traditions of the church
00:32:49.07\00:32:52.84
they were tired of the words of
man and the philosophies of man,
00:32:52.87\00:32:56.31
they wanted only what the
Bible said, in other words,
00:32:56.34\00:32:59.01
they wanted the
truth as it is in Jesus.
00:32:59.05\00:33:01.87
What was God going to do
to put His stamp of approval
00:33:01.90\00:33:05.39
on a group of people that
would be a movement of destiny
00:33:05.42\00:33:08.84
and take His last
day message to the world?
00:33:08.88\00:33:12.00
Well, again, I want to
go back to an earlier text,
00:33:12.04\00:33:14.46
in Amos 3:7 it
says: [text on screen]
00:33:14.50\00:33:17.13
God would use the
gift of prophecy once again
00:33:23.27\00:33:26.62
to show that He had an end time
people with an end time message.
00:33:26.65\00:33:30.96
So yes, faithful to His
word, God is going to raise up
00:33:30.99\00:33:33.34
that gift of prophecy to guide
His people, and unify them,
00:33:33.38\00:33:37.38
not just here in
America, but all over the world.
00:33:37.41\00:33:40.85
So God laid His Spirit
upon a certain individual.
00:33:40.88\00:33:46.07
You might very well ask me
the question up here and say
00:33:46.10\00:33:50.23
"Have you ever seen a case
where all the prophetic tests"
00:33:50.26\00:33:54.67
"that we've gone over
fit the ministry of any"
00:33:54.70\00:33:57.89
"particular individual?"
I'm going to share with you now,
00:33:57.93\00:34:00.88
a few moments, about 1
particular person that I
00:34:00.92\00:34:03.59
believe had that true gift
of prophecy in their life and in
00:34:03.63\00:34:06.78
their ministry. I
don't ask you, dear friends,
00:34:06.82\00:34:09.32
to believe it simply because
I'm telling you, we learned
00:34:09.35\00:34:12.22
opening night in this seminar
that we are to prove all things
00:34:12.25\00:34:15.03
and hold fast that which is
good, and that you don't have
00:34:15.06\00:34:17.94
to believe anything that I say
because I'm saying it, but we
00:34:17.98\00:34:20.91
should all take the time to
prove it, and now that we've
00:34:20.95\00:34:25.03
shared with you the tests
of a prophet, now you can take
00:34:25.07\00:34:30.09
those tests and you could apply
them to any particular person,
00:34:30.12\00:34:33.59
including the one that
I'm about to tell you about.
00:34:33.62\00:34:36.02
If God is going to put His
Spirit upon someone, how does
00:34:36.06\00:34:38.99
He do that?
Would you look with me
00:34:39.03\00:34:41.49
to the book of Numbers 12.
I don't think we've been there
00:34:41.52\00:34:46.30
in the entire prophecy
seminar, but that's the 4th book
00:34:46.34\00:34:49.09
of the Bible, Numbers 12:6.
00:34:49.13\00:35:00.16
It says: [text on screen]
00:35:03.99\00:35:06.39
So God says "If there's going
to be a prophet, I am going"
00:35:20.66\00:35:23.40
"to speak to that person in
visions and dreams", and that's
00:35:23.44\00:35:26.68
exactly how God
does speak to them.
00:35:26.72\00:35:29.85
God doesn't speak through
crystal balls, and Ouija boards,
00:35:29.88\00:35:34.20
and seances, and tea
leaf reading, and any one
00:35:34.23\00:35:37.51
of a hundred things that
the false prophets use, God has
00:35:37.55\00:35:40.73
a specific way, He says I
will give visions in the day
00:35:40.77\00:35:43.57
and dreams at night.
Friends, God laid His
00:35:43.61\00:35:46.66
Holy Spirit upon a young
17 year old girl, her name at
00:35:46.70\00:35:51.22
the time was Ellen Harmon,
she later married a minister
00:35:51.25\00:35:54.48
named James White, so her
married name was Ellen White.
00:35:54.51\00:35:57.93
She was only 17 years
of age when this happened.
00:35:57.96\00:36:01.12
She first became a spokes
person for Him in the year 1844,
00:36:01.15\00:36:04.77
I hope that year rings familiar
in your ears, she was born
00:36:04.81\00:36:09.62
in 1827, she died in the state
of California in the year 1915.
00:36:09.66\00:36:14.17
She had a ministry of some...oh
my, it was over 60 years I guess
00:36:14.20\00:36:21.42
it was. Friends,
this lady, 17 years
00:36:21.46\00:36:26.75
of age at the time, was inspired
by God to write out what
00:36:26.79\00:36:31.49
she had seen in her
visions and in her dreams.
00:36:31.52\00:36:34.54
During her lifetime it is
estimated that she wrote out
00:36:34.58\00:36:38.39
more than 100,000 manuscript
pages, because the had over
00:36:38.43\00:36:43.27
2,000 visions and dreams,
it is said that she wrote out
00:36:43.31\00:36:46.71
some 25 million words,
and she's been quoted by some
00:36:46.74\00:36:51.76
as being so translated, so
widely translated that she was
00:36:51.80\00:36:57.47
the most translated American
author in all of human history,
00:36:57.51\00:37:03.33
the most translated American
author of either male or female,
00:37:03.37\00:37:08.14
the 4th most translated author
in all of history, most in
00:37:08.17\00:37:14.47
American history, but 4th most
in all of history, and the most
00:37:14.50\00:37:18.08
female translated
author in all of history.
00:37:18.12\00:37:21.02
I'm going to have pastor Mike
bring out just a couple things
00:37:21.05\00:37:23.64
that I'm going to refer to
as I go through this next part.
00:37:23.68\00:37:26.65
Thank you pastor,
I appreciate that.
00:37:26.68\00:37:29.05
God called her to be a
spokes person for Him, she wrote
00:37:29.09\00:37:32.44
on many, many subjects that
she had never before studied,
00:37:32.47\00:37:35.68
she wrote on health, she
wrote on science, she wrote on
00:37:35.72\00:37:38.70
theology, she wrote on marriage,
she wrote on the family,
00:37:38.73\00:37:41.95
she wrote on history, she
wrote on, especially, the great
00:37:41.98\00:37:45.41
controversy between good
and evil, that was her favorite
00:37:45.44\00:37:48.57
topic, she wrote about
how to have victory in Jesus,
00:37:48.61\00:37:51.10
she wrote about how to be
a Christian, she wrote about
00:37:51.13\00:37:53.16
all kinds of subjects, and
yet she had very little formal
00:37:53.19\00:37:56.51
education. There
is a depth and there
00:37:56.55\00:38:00.14
is a power to her writings
that can't simply be explained
00:38:00.17\00:38:03.86
through human influence.
The Bible says it would be
00:38:03.89\00:38:06.97
the testimony of Jesus.
The gift is not the person,
00:38:07.00\00:38:12.56
but the gift is the prophetic
influence that works through
00:38:12.59\00:38:15.87
the person to bless the church;
Jesus says there's a gift
00:38:15.90\00:38:18.69
of evangelism, a gift of
teaching, a gift of pastoring,
00:38:18.73\00:38:23.37
so there is a gift of prophecy
that God uses in order to bless
00:38:23.40\00:38:26.74
His people. In
spite of the fact that she
00:38:26.78\00:38:30.29
was initially quite shy,
God strengthened her to be able
00:38:30.32\00:38:33.17
to speak before large crowds
without the use of a microphone,
00:38:33.21\00:38:35.79
she spoke before 20,000 people
without the aid of a microphone.
00:38:35.83\00:38:39.52
I have a hard time speaking to
you with a microphone, and yet
00:38:39.56\00:38:43.25
she had no problem because she
was supernaturally strengthened.
00:38:43.29\00:38:47.31
Now let me share with
you just a few things about
00:38:47.34\00:38:50.97
Ellen White. This
was one of the smallest
00:38:51.00\00:38:53.45
books she ever wrote, called
"Steps to Christ", a fantastic
00:38:53.48\00:38:57.39
book about how to become
a Christian, this book was
00:38:57.43\00:38:59.84
published by so many millions
of copies that they lost count
00:38:59.88\00:39:03.58
of it, it's inestimable how many
millions of copies have been
00:39:03.61\00:39:07.02
printed of the
book, "Steps to Christ";
00:39:07.05\00:39:09.54
translated in over 120 languages
of the world, we're going
00:39:09.58\00:39:12.04
to give you this copy, not
this copy, but a soft cover,
00:39:12.08\00:39:17.00
when you go out tonight, just
so you can get a little glimpse
00:39:17.03\00:39:19.24
into how
beautiful her writing is.
00:39:19.27\00:39:21.87
This book about how to become
a Christian is such a beautiful,
00:39:21.90\00:39:25.40
profound book, it
doesn't matter if you've been
00:39:25.43\00:39:28.06
a Christian for 1 week or 50
years, you can come back to this
00:39:28.10\00:39:31.30
book and be blessed by
it, some of you already know
00:39:31.34\00:39:34.66
what I'm talking about.
Let me just turn this table
00:39:34.69\00:39:38.02
if I could. There we go.
00:39:38.06\00:39:42.30
1 particular book she
wrote, oh, I love this book,
00:39:43.21\00:39:45.61
this is called "Christ
Object Lessons", this book,
00:39:45.64\00:39:48.61
"Christ Object Lessons" is
all on the parables of Jesus.
00:39:48.65\00:39:51.79
Have you ever read the parables
of Jesus and some of them are
00:39:51.82\00:39:54.56
quite short and you wonder "Am
I getting all the information"
00:39:54.59\00:39:57.82
"that this parable
really has for me?"
00:39:57.86\00:40:00.09
"Am I getting everything that
God intended for me to have"
00:40:00.13\00:40:02.64
"through this parable",
well, you read this book,
00:40:02.67\00:40:05.15
"Christ Object Lessons" all
on the parables of Jesus and
00:40:05.18\00:40:07.93
there'll be 1 parable and
there'll be page, after page,
00:40:07.97\00:40:10.68
after page, not
leading away from the Bible,
00:40:10.72\00:40:14.33
but it's like a magnifying glass
on the Bible that just shows
00:40:14.36\00:40:18.74
the beauty of it.
Absolutely astounding truth
00:40:18.77\00:40:23.19
coming out of the words of Jesus
through the gift of prophecy.
00:40:23.23\00:40:27.86
Another book that she
wrote called "Education",
00:40:27.90\00:40:33.43
this book, "Education",
is an absolute masterpiece on
00:40:33.46\00:40:37.83
Christian education, and this
book has become the blueprint
00:40:37.86\00:40:41.45
for a Christian educational
system that has gone around
00:40:41.48\00:40:44.18
the world, so much so that
people have tried to plagiarize
00:40:44.21\00:40:46.76
it and make it their own, simply
because they knew that nothing
00:40:46.79\00:40:49.64
better could be found.
This book is all about how
00:40:49.67\00:40:53.25
to raise children in
Godly schools, and what the true
00:40:53.28\00:40:57.41
purpose of Christian
education is all about,
00:40:57.44\00:41:00.33
making us more
into the image of Jesus.
00:41:00.37\00:41:03.59
Fantastic material
there, such as I've never seen
00:41:03.63\00:41:06.86
anywhere else.
There is another book that
00:41:06.89\00:41:10.28
Ellen White wrote and it's
called the "The Desire of Ages",
00:41:10.31\00:41:14.32
let me just share with you
a little bit about this book,
00:41:14.36\00:41:16.92
"The Desire of Ages".
Ellen White, as she wrote about
00:41:16.96\00:41:20.45
the life of Jesus, again, I'm
telling you: [text on screen]
00:41:20.48\00:41:24.76
She was widely travelled, spoke
in many different ways and means
00:41:34.83\00:41:42.99
and churches, and so on,
but it's very important that
00:41:43.02\00:41:45.85
Ellen White, along with anyone
else, fits the prophetic tests
00:41:45.89\00:41:49.34
of a true prophet if
that's indeed what she was.
00:41:49.37\00:41:53.39
She was prophetically accurate.
In other words, all of her
00:41:53.42\00:41:58.65
writings, the things
she said, have come true.
00:41:58.69\00:42:01.18
One of the things that
she wrote about was about
00:42:01.21\00:42:03.87
the fact that tobacco was an
insidious poison in the body.
00:42:03.91\00:42:08.59
Let me just put this up here,
in the book of "The Ministry"
00:42:08.62\00:42:11.38
"of Healing", which I'm
going to talk to you about
00:42:11.42\00:42:13.97
in just a moment,
she said [text on screen]
00:42:14.00\00:42:16.63
Now she wrote that at a
time when doctors were actually
00:42:17.30\00:42:21.70
prescribing tobacco for
lung ailments, in other words,
00:42:21.74\00:42:24.72
she went directly against
the medical advice of her time,
00:42:24.75\00:42:28.71
she wasn't one to fall in
line with anyone, she wrote what
00:42:28.74\00:42:31.35
God showed her to write,
and she didn't write what God
00:42:31.38\00:42:33.79
didn't show her to
write. In other words, she was
00:42:33.82\00:42:36.87
absolutely accurate, and
of course, modern day science
00:42:36.91\00:42:39.77
has revealed that that
was true. She wrote about how
00:42:39.81\00:42:44.06
the influence of the mother,
even the mental condition
00:42:44.09\00:42:49.29
of the mother can affect
the unborn child in the womb,
00:42:49.32\00:42:52.04
that's just coming out in
recent years, she wrote about
00:42:52.08\00:42:54.36
how the diet of the mother
can affect the unborn child.
00:42:54.40\00:42:58.22
In other words, modern
day science, one after another
00:42:58.25\00:43:02.15
after another is confirming what
she wrote over 100 years ago.
00:43:02.18\00:43:06.56
Now, what about a Biblical
faithfulness, that was another
00:43:06.60\00:43:09.32
test that we wanted
to talk to you about.
00:43:09.35\00:43:11.75
I'm going to give you a
couple quotes from her books,
00:43:11.79\00:43:14.59
this one from the book
"Great Controversy", what was
00:43:14.63\00:43:17.46
her relationship to the Bible?
She said this: [text on screen]
00:43:17.49\00:43:20.82
Then she went on and
she says [text on screen]
00:43:34.43\00:43:37.33
She did not say "listen
to me because of my wisdom,"
00:43:44.60\00:43:47.90
or "listen to me because
I'm something special", she said
00:43:47.94\00:43:50.44
"No, the Bible is the
authoritative standard in"
00:43:50.48\00:43:54.17
"the Christian life", this
is very different from what some
00:43:54.20\00:43:56.86
other churches have
for their spokes people.
00:43:56.89\00:44:00.35
For example, the Mormon faith,
they claim that Joseph Smith
00:44:00.39\00:44:03.48
was a prophet. Now,
Joseph Smith claimed that
00:44:03.51\00:44:06.14
his information was superior
to the Bible, Joseph Smith said
00:44:06.17\00:44:08.83
"if there's a conflict
between what I say and what"
00:44:08.86\00:44:11.42
"the Bible says, take what I
say because I'm more recent",
00:44:11.45\00:44:14.23
and he would have his own
reasons, friends we would have
00:44:14.27\00:44:17.05
to reject that because the Bible
says the spirit of the prophets
00:44:17.08\00:44:19.82
is subject to the prophets,
that means that any prophet
00:44:19.85\00:44:22.60
that comes after the time
of the closing of the canon
00:44:22.64\00:44:25.30
of Scripture, is always going
to agree with what the former
00:44:25.34\00:44:28.35
prophet said, they're
going to come into harmony with
00:44:28.39\00:44:31.25
the Bible. No
person that calls them self
00:44:31.29\00:44:34.53
a prophet is every going...or
no true prophet, I should say,
00:44:34.56\00:44:39.91
is ever going to speak against
what has already been confirmed
00:44:39.95\00:44:43.64
as spiritually inspired of
God. Now there's another quote
00:44:43.68\00:44:49.51
from the book "Great
Controversy", one of my
00:44:49.54\00:44:52.35
absolute favorites, here
she said: [text on screen]
00:44:52.38\00:44:55.39
So you can see, all through her
life she was constantly lifting
00:45:07.35\00:45:10.32
up the Bible and saying
"Friends, follow the Bible".
00:45:10.35\00:45:14.25
This reminds me also that
no person is a self appointed
00:45:14.28\00:45:20.41
prophet. In other
words, if a person
00:45:20.44\00:45:23.07
comes along, and they, all
of a sudden get up in front
00:45:23.10\00:45:25.73
of you, or any kind of
congregation, and they start
00:45:25.77\00:45:28.65
saying "I'm now going to have
that gift", you're going to know
00:45:28.69\00:45:31.32
right away that that's not a
true prophet because God always
00:45:31.36\00:45:34.31
calls the prophet. Do
you realize that the church
00:45:34.34\00:45:37.12
has been given authority to
ordain a teacher, the church
00:45:37.15\00:45:44.72
has been given
authority to ordain the pastor,
00:45:44.76\00:45:47.57
and the church has been
given authority to ordain
00:45:47.60\00:45:50.08
the evangelist, but
only God ordains the prophet.
00:45:50.11\00:45:53.61
The church can't call the
prophet, and no one can self
00:45:53.64\00:45:56.24
appoint them self as a prophet,
so we realize that God has
00:45:56.28\00:46:00.05
to call that
person in a specific way.
00:46:00.08\00:46:03.27
So yes, she was
Biblically faithful.
00:46:03.30\00:46:06.48
What about exalting Jesus?
Here's what she had to say,
00:46:06.51\00:46:09.36
this is just 1 of
thousands we could quote.
00:46:09.40\00:46:11.86
In the book "Gospel Workers"
she said: [text on screen]
00:46:11.89\00:46:14.82
Friends, that was her life work
in order to try to show people
00:46:25.76\00:46:29.78
truly the ministry of Jesus,
beautiful, beautiful work that
00:46:29.81\00:46:34.80
it is. I'm going
to share with you
00:46:34.83\00:46:38.54
from one of her books,
let's see if we have it here,
00:46:38.58\00:46:42.18
I hope we do.
00:46:42.21\00:46:46.34
No, we don't, I don't have
that book up here, it's okay.
00:46:58.10\00:47:03.55
I am going to share with
you about one of her books
00:47:03.58\00:47:06.48
called "The Desire of Ages".
In the book "The Desire of Ages"
00:47:06.51\00:47:10.76
there have been literally
thousands of books written
00:47:10.80\00:47:14.74
on the life of Jesus throughout
time, and one particular
00:47:14.77\00:47:21.20
Library of Congress librarian
was asked this question:
00:47:21.24\00:47:25.44
"Of all the books on the
life of Jesus, what one book"
00:47:25.48\00:47:29.86
"would you pick? If
you could pick 1 book,"
00:47:29.90\00:47:31.91
"which one would it be?"
And this is what this librarian
00:47:31.95\00:47:34.92
had to say, he
said: [text on screen]
00:47:34.95\00:47:38.67
When she wrote the book
"The Desire of Ages", you feel
00:47:56.83\00:47:59.52
you were right there with
Jesus as He was preaching,
00:47:59.55\00:48:02.30
you feel you were right there
with the disciples by the sea
00:48:02.33\00:48:05.16
of Galilee, you feel you
were right there at the Mount
00:48:05.19\00:48:08.42
of Beatitudes when Jesus gave
the blessings there, it is just
00:48:08.45\00:48:11.63
amazing how you are
transported into that very time,
00:48:11.67\00:48:15.31
and a blessing, as you listen
to the words that are written.
00:48:15.35\00:48:17.94
Again, we don't exalt any human
being, we want to only exalt
00:48:17.97\00:48:22.72
Jesus, but the gift is meant
to exalt Jesus, absolutely.
00:48:22.76\00:48:28.26
Now, what about
commandment keeping?
00:48:28.30\00:48:31.53
She, throughout her life,
always directed people to God's
00:48:31.57\00:48:34.17
commandments, that was
her desire to lead people back
00:48:34.21\00:48:38.06
to commandment keeping, just as
all of the prophets of old did,
00:48:38.09\00:48:41.42
and what about physical tests?
It's important that I share
00:48:41.45\00:48:43.89
this little bit with you too.
The Bible says that the true
00:48:43.93\00:48:47.02
prophet will be supernaturally
sustained, was she?
00:48:47.06\00:48:49.69
Absolutely friends.
In fact, not only was she
00:48:49.73\00:48:53.59
supernaturally strengthened
during the time of her visions,
00:48:53.63\00:48:56.60
but she did not breath
during the time of her visions,
00:48:56.63\00:48:59.07
she had over 2,000 visions
and dreams and people who were
00:48:59.10\00:49:02.27
critics would often be
invited in to actually be able
00:49:02.31\00:49:05.01
to observe this taking place,
so that they also could see
00:49:05.04\00:49:08.36
that God was moving in
her life and in her ministry.
00:49:08.40\00:49:11.65
So that was also
confirmed in her, and what about
00:49:11.68\00:49:14.85
spiritual fruitage, what
was the result of her long life
00:49:14.88\00:49:19.88
called of God? Well,
there were schools that
00:49:19.91\00:49:22.58
were raised up around the world,
there were hospitals raised up
00:49:22.62\00:49:26.31
around the world because
we're not just spiritual beings,
00:49:26.35\00:49:30.12
we're mental, and we're
physical beings, and God wants
00:49:30.16\00:49:32.89
to minister in all of
those areas, and of course,
00:49:32.92\00:49:35.75
missionaries were sent out
in those days to brings the Word
00:49:35.79\00:49:39.38
all over the world. We
have, today, ADRA, which is
00:49:39.41\00:49:44.44
basically the same as The
Red Cross, and that's giving
00:49:44.48\00:49:49.22
ministry and aid to
people all around the world.
00:49:49.25\00:49:53.02
So because of her work, because
of her writings, the church has
00:49:53.05\00:49:57.22
been raised up to do all of
these wonderful things which God
00:49:57.25\00:50:00.10
desired for us to do.
00:50:00.14\00:50:03.12
Remember, when someone
says "Oh, I hear you have"
00:50:03.16\00:50:07.05
"an additional gift of prophecy,
do you have another Bible then?"
00:50:07.08\00:50:09.69
Friends, I've only had 1
book up here all these nights,
00:50:09.72\00:50:12.30
and that is the Word of God.
When you have the Word of God
00:50:12.33\00:50:15.96
that is all you need to be
able to preach the Christian
00:50:15.99\00:50:18.69
faith from, but the true
gift is going to lead us back
00:50:18.73\00:50:21.55
to the Word of God, and
exalt the Word of God, in fact,
00:50:21.59\00:50:24.29
Ellen White herself said if
everyone would study the Word
00:50:24.32\00:50:26.72
as we should, there'd be
no need for an additional gift
00:50:26.76\00:50:29.48
of prophecy, but the
true gift always leads us back
00:50:29.51\00:50:32.74
to Scripture. You
might say "Well, you're"
00:50:32.77\00:50:36.32
"going to say nice things
about her because the was part"
00:50:36.35\00:50:39.02
"of your church", well let
me share with you what some
00:50:39.05\00:50:41.80
people said that were not
of our church, just to give
00:50:41.83\00:50:44.53
this to you. When she
died in 1915 in California,
00:50:44.56\00:50:47.93
the St. Helen's California
Star Magazine said this:
00:50:47.96\00:50:51.23
[text on screen]
00:50:51.26\00:50:53.28
In other words, here was a
secular paper that recognized
00:51:02.78\00:51:05.14
in her life and
ministry, spiritual fruitage.
00:51:05.17\00:51:08.20
Now, another one, The New
York City Independent newspaper
00:51:08.23\00:51:10.71
said this: [text on screen]
00:51:10.74\00:51:13.80
"filthy lucre" - means she did
not write to get herself rich,
00:51:19.41\00:51:23.26
in fact, just the opposite, this
newspaper said: [text on screen]
00:51:23.29\00:51:27.11
Isn't it amazing that a secular
newspaper would look at her life
00:51:31.06\00:51:34.30
and say "This was
truly the work of a prophet."
00:51:34.34\00:51:38.01
Now, you've heard
of Paul Harvey perhaps,
00:51:38.05\00:51:40.63
Paul Harvey News, well
Paul Harvey had this to say
00:51:40.66\00:51:43.15
not too many years
ago: [text on screen]
00:51:43.19\00:51:46.49
Isn't interesting the way he
ends that? He's saying there's
00:52:28.31\00:52:31.35
something to be a
great blessing here.
00:52:31.38\00:52:34.01
Now you've heard of Dr. James
Dobson of Focus on the Family,
00:52:34.04\00:52:38.17
he was quoted as
saying this: [text on screen]
00:52:38.21\00:52:42.00
I find that very
interesting as well.
00:52:50.10\00:52:52.67
I haven't shared with
you all that I have up here,
00:52:52.70\00:52:56.36
but God inspired her to
write on a number of subjects
00:52:56.40\00:53:02.92
as I've said, and in a time
of crisis God desires us to have
00:53:02.96\00:53:10.63
special insight to
take us through that crisis.
00:53:10.66\00:53:13.92
Are we in a crisis
with the family today?
00:53:13.95\00:53:17.11
Isn't it true that the Devil
is especially trying to attack
00:53:17.14\00:53:20.46
the very foundation of society,
which is the Christian family,
00:53:20.50\00:53:24.46
and tear it apart. Well,
she wrote a book all about
00:53:24.49\00:53:27.85
how to have Godly, Christian
families, beautiful, beautiful
00:53:27.88\00:53:32.59
book called "The Christian
Home", she also wrote about how
00:53:32.63\00:53:38.76
to raise Godly children, are our
children under special attack?
00:53:38.79\00:53:43.17
Are children especially
being separated out by the Devil
00:53:43.21\00:53:46.21
to try to get them to walk away
from the foundation of the home
00:53:46.24\00:53:50.31
and rebel against the
parents, and rebel against here
00:53:50.35\00:53:53.33
and there?
Friends, she wrote all about
00:53:53.37\00:53:55.82
how to raise Godly, Christian
children. I share that with you
00:53:55.85\00:54:01.09
because God wants to
prepare people for heaven,
00:54:01.13\00:54:08.85
and the Devil wants to get
us to miss the blessing that we
00:54:08.89\00:54:14.23
could have through
that gift of prophecy.
00:54:14.27\00:54:17.18
Tonight I know many of you
are looking for God's church,
00:54:17.21\00:54:21.84
and as you're
looking for God's church
00:54:21.88\00:54:25.04
you're saying
"Lord, where do I go?"
00:54:27.81\00:54:32.43
As you're looking for
God's church you're saying
00:54:32.46\00:54:35.36
"Lord, where is Your truth,
and where is Your message?"
00:54:35.39\00:54:39.72
And the Bible answers it back
and says "The Dragon was wroth"
00:54:39.76\00:54:44.38
"with the woman and went to make
war with the remnant of her"
00:54:44.41\00:54:47.41
"seed, which keep the
commandments of God and have"
00:54:47.44\00:54:50.22
"the testimony of Jesus
Christ." And the Bible says
00:54:50.25\00:54:52.91
the testimony of Jesus Christ
is the spirit of prophecy.
00:54:52.94\00:54:57.34
God is going to have a remnant
people preaching a special
00:54:57.37\00:55:02.25
end time message, and as our
last verse tonight, I want you
00:55:02.29\00:55:06.87
to turn with me
to 2 Chronicles 20.
00:55:06.91\00:55:10.39
2 Chronicles 20:20.
00:55:12.79\00:55:26.40
And here the Bible
says: [text on screen]
00:55:32.08\00:55:35.72
The Devil doesn't want men
and women to sense that God
00:55:53.36\00:55:55.51
has a special movement on the
earth, the Devil doesn't want
00:55:55.55\00:55:59.53
Christian homes, the Devil
doesn't want families together,
00:55:59.56\00:56:03.80
the Devil doesn't want Godly
children, the Devil doesn't
00:56:03.84\00:56:07.10
want you to have insight
into the Scriptures, the Devil
00:56:07.14\00:56:10.56
doesn't want us to have any
of these, Jesus is always first,
00:56:10.60\00:56:15.43
the Bible is always first,
but if God has a true gift then
00:56:15.46\00:56:20.06
that's what the gift of
prophecy is, it's a gift.
00:56:20.10\00:56:24.64
If God has a true gift,
the least we can do is open up
00:56:24.67\00:56:28.02
that gift and take a look at
it. We look to no human leader,
00:56:28.06\00:56:33.29
we only look to Jesus, but
I want what God has to give
00:56:33.32\00:56:36.63
me through that gift, and
my prayer for all of us tonight
00:56:36.67\00:56:39.82
as we finish this subject
is that the Lord, God, will
00:56:39.85\00:56:42.61
continue to lead us, to
guide us in His word, and have
00:56:42.64\00:56:46.67
all the blessings of the
gifts of the Spirit in our life.
00:56:46.70\00:56:49.62
I pray that for myself,
and I pray that for you.
00:56:49.66\00:56:51.83
Would you stand with me as
we close tonight in prayer.
00:56:51.86\00:56:58.55
Father in heaven, we stand here
to our feet, and we thank You
00:56:58.58\00:57:01.29
that You have not left Your
church to be blind in this last
00:57:01.33\00:57:05.25
day, but You have given a
tremendous amount of information
00:57:05.28\00:57:10.79
inspired of heaven, that
no matter where the Devil has
00:57:10.83\00:57:14.40
sought to attack, we
can counterattack, Lord,
00:57:14.44\00:57:19.06
with inspired counsel.
Lord, I thank You that You
00:57:19.09\00:57:23.26
are putting a hedge
about Your last day people.
00:57:23.30\00:57:26.83
Again, Lord, You have counseled
us to prove all things,
00:57:26.86\00:57:29.17
hold fast that which is
good, and if You have given us
00:57:29.21\00:57:32.15
a wonderful gift in the gift
of prophecy, help us to receive
00:57:32.19\00:57:36.32
that gift and to be
blessed by that gift.
00:57:36.35\00:57:39.28
Dismiss us now, we pray, from
this place, but not from Your
00:57:39.31\00:57:42.65
presence, for we ask it all
in the lovely name of Jesus,
00:57:42.69\00:57:46.19
amen.
00:57:46.23\00:57:48.36