Hello, friends,
welcome to 3ABN Worship Hour.
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I'm John Lomacang,
the speaker for the hour.
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Thank you so much for taking
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the time to join us to
pray for God's guidance,
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to ask for God's
Holy Spirit, to be a part
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of what God intends
for your life today.
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Before we go into the message
entitled "Stained Glass,"
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I want to ask
for the Lord to lead
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and guide in the communication
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and the application of His Word.
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Let's bow our heads together.
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Loving Father in
heaven, we thank You for
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the opportunity and privilege.
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We know that there's
someone watching today,
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expecting and
listening for a word from You.
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And we pray that
you will take Your word
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and find that fertile soil,
that fertile ground that may
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receive the seed
of God's Word planted,
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nurtured by the Holy Spirit,
to bring forth in the life
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of the one listening, and
those that may be listening
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and those that may be
watching abundant experiences,
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to know not only
Your word, but to know you
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as their personal Savior.
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This I ask, in Your
precious and Holy Name.
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Amen.
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As I mentioned the message
is entitled Stained Glass.
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You might be wondering...
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But let's begin
at the beginning.
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Let's go to the
first scripture reading,
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2 Peter 1:19
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as I lay the foundation
for the message today.
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We read in the Word
of God in 2 Peter 1:19,
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"And so we have the
prophetic word confirmed,
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which you do well to take heed
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as a light that
shines in a dark place,
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until the day dawns
and the morning star
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rises in your heart."
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Peter had it correct.
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The intention of God is
to have the morning star
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rise in our heart.
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And He has given us prophecy
that shines in a dark place,
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in a dark world to accomplish
His purpose in your life
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and in my life.
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You know, we're
living in the closing scenes
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of the great controversy,
and Satan is unveiling
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the strategies
that he has compiled
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for the last 6000 years.
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From the dust of
his defeat in heaven,
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Satan has been taking notes.
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And his aim is to
study God's movements,
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determined to reverse
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everything that God has created.
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For every
light, he has darkness.
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For every truth, he has error.
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For every right, he has wrong.
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And Satan has
studied God intently,
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determined to reverse
everything that God has done.
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So let's begin
by going to the Book
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of Genesis
Chapter 1 and let's unfold
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what God has done
so that we can see
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what the enemy is
trying to reverse.
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We read together in
Genesis 1:2 the following words,
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"The earth was
without form and void,
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and darkness was on
the face of the deep.
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And the Spirit of God
was hovering over the face
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of the waters."
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You see when you
read that scripture,
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what it's saying to us
is to eradicate darkness.
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God did what only He can do.
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Look at verse
3. What did God do?
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The Bible says in
Genesis 1:3, "Then God said,
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'Let there be light,
and there was light.'"
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Now I want you to
notice what I just said.
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"God said, 'Let there be
light and there was light.'"
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One of the very
first changes that God
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affected was in the
creation of the world.
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The very thing
He did was replace
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darkness with light.
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The very first thing that Satan
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wants to do is
replace light with darkness
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and here's the reason why.
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Look at verse 4, Genesis 1:4,
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"And God saw the
light, that it was good,
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and God divided the
light from the darkness."
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I don't want you to miss that.
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God divided the
light from the darkness.
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God made it clear that this
is light and this is darkness.
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He did not merge
the two together.
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God did not turn darkness
into light because you cannot
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make good out of evil.
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He eradicated darkness
by expelling it with light.
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God eliminated darkness
by introducing the light.
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He separated the
light from the darkness.
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And when I studied that
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and I began to absorb that,
I could appreciate more deeply
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the words of Jesus when
He said in Matthew 5:16,
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"Let your light
so shine before men."
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You see, when you
allow your light to shine,
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darkness is eradicated,
and the light of God is shown.
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When you allow
your light to shine,
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truth is seen and
error is banished.
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When you allow the
light of God's Word
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and the work of the
Spirit of God to shine
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through your life,
error is put to flight
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and truth is
brought front and center.
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God never merged
light with darkness.
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He never put the two together.
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He said, "Let there be light,
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and there was light."
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But I want you to
notice something that's amazing
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about light and darkness.
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Every night when I go to
bed, I turn off the light.
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And I've come to the
place where I don't even like
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the light from my phone,
or the light from my charger,
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or the light from my
headsets, when it's charging.
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I want all the room to be dark.
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But I've noticed something,
when I turn off the light,
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it becomes instantly dark.
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It doesn't
become dark gradually.
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And the very same
thing is true spiritually.
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When you reject God's light,
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you are in darkness immediately.
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Light is replaced by darkness.
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When light is rejected,
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darkness takes
his place immediately.
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That is why when God brings
light to you from His Word,
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it is important to embrace it.
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Embrace it so that
you will not experience
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the darkness
that comes upon you.
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But let me develop
the thought even further.
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You know, to a large degree
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as we look at the world
today, as we look at religion,
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the diversities of religion.
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We're not talking
about the people per se
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but the movements themselves.
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There are so
many varying degrees
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of movements in the world.
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And the reason why
Satan is able to deceive
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is he mixes light with
darkness or darkness with light.
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He has a little bit of
truth and a little bit of error.
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But like arsenic,
you cannot put one drop
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of arsenic in a
glass of clean water
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and say that it's not poisonous.
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Even a single drop begins
to poison that which is pure.
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But now to understand
how Satan has obscured
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the light of God's Word,
let me take you to the story
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behind the title Stained Glass.
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In the 12th century,
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the churches in the
medieval times begin to embrace
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something called Stained Glass.
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It was the age of
Gothic architecture.
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In the 12th century, it was
the golden age of diversity.
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And there was a man by the name
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of Abbot Suger of Saint-Denis.
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He was called the
father of stained glass.
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He was the first
one to conceptualize
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the use of stained glass
windows to create as he said,
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heavenly light, which
was seen as he quotes,
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"The presence of
God in the churches."
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Follow me carefully.
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As Abbot Church of Saint-Denis,
which was located near Paris,
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it was described as having
the most radiant windows to,
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as I read,
illuminates men's minds
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so that they may travel through
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the stained glass
to an apprehension
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of God's light.
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You see, the
idea for colored glass
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was born in Abbot Suger's mind.
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But he found in the
Word of God scriptures,
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making reference to the
many colors that represent God
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and the rainbow.
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And instead of leaving it there,
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he decided to use the
rainbow colors to dilute
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and to dumb down the
purity of the sunlight.
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Medieval
churches became prominent.
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Stained glass windows
began to be reproduced for two
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prominent reasons and
these reasons are very,
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very important.
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One, they said for
its spiritual quality
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and then the second reason,
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they said for
its sensual appeal.
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Now this is a powerful point.
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To get people inside
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of the churches in the
cathedrals, they adorned
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the windows with colored
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glass because the
churches were naturally dark.
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They had candlelight
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and they were
mostly wooden structures
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and concrete structures
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and because there
was no electricity,
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the buildings were dark.
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And people didn't want to come
inside of darkened buildings
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made of wood and
stone and so they decided
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if they could
make colored glass,
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it will attract
the people's eyes.
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The stained glass will
increase their curiosity
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and then the people
would come into the buildings
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to appreciate the light.
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They would look
at the stained glass
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and while their
eyes are being twinkled
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and their mind being
impressed by all this beautiful
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stained glass, it
gave the preachers,
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the bishops, the
popes, the leaders
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time to mold their intellect.
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You see, the darker the inside,
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the more dazzling and attractive
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the stained glass appeared.
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Candles were kept to a minimum.
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The stained glass not
only became visibly appealing,
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but the glass was
also designed to instruct
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the people how to think.
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And the amazing thing
that happened was the Medieval
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Churches became popular.
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Follow me, not by
reading and studying the Bible,
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but by abandoning the
Bible in favor of stained glass.
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Now you see, the stained
glass became the entertainment
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of their day, the
light show of their day.
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They didn't have
lights like we have today.
00:11:08.60\00:11:10.50
They did not have electricity.
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They used the
light to attract the mind
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and the truths of the
Bible became just as distorted
00:11:15.17\00:11:18.67
as the stained glass.
00:11:18.71\00:11:20.48
The truth of
God's Word just like
00:11:20.51\00:11:22.64
the light from outside was
filtered through stained glass.
00:11:22.68\00:11:27.12
Stained glass
became the main attraction
00:11:27.15\00:11:30.19
of the Medieval Churches.
00:11:30.22\00:11:31.82
And now you know why it
was called the Dark Ages.
00:11:31.85\00:11:37.73
You know, there is a
particular quality about
00:11:37.76\00:11:40.70
stained glass that makes
it deceptively attractive.
00:11:40.73\00:11:44.37
And I want you to
hear me carefully.
00:11:44.40\00:11:46.37
Although, the source of
light remains unchanged,
00:11:46.40\00:11:49.40
it is vastly altered.
00:11:49.44\00:11:52.11
The result is, it
makes the altered light
00:11:52.14\00:11:56.18
look more
attractive than the pure light.
00:11:56.21\00:11:59.78
That's what's
happening today in many churches
00:11:59.81\00:12:01.38
around the world.
00:12:01.42\00:12:02.75
The altered light is packaged
so it begins to look more
00:12:02.78\00:12:06.86
valuable and more
appreciated than the pure light
00:12:06.89\00:12:10.69
of God's Word.
00:12:10.73\00:12:12.19
The result is,
altered light looks
00:12:12.23\00:12:14.50
more appealing to the eyes,
but it gives no life-giving
00:12:14.53\00:12:17.97
properties to the mind.
00:12:18.00\00:12:19.63
Altered light makes things
look attractive externally,
00:12:19.67\00:12:25.11
but it does not affect
any changes internally.
00:12:25.14\00:12:28.54
The reason is clear.
00:12:28.58\00:12:29.94
The light of the
sun has been diluted.
00:12:29.98\00:12:31.88
The nourishment of the
Vitamin D has been filtered out.
00:12:31.91\00:12:35.88
It is no longer
containing nourishment.
00:12:35.92\00:12:38.25
And today, when you
filter the Word of God,
00:12:38.29\00:12:41.22
you may be
attracted by what you see,
00:12:41.26\00:12:44.43
but there'll be no spiritual
nourishment because the light
00:12:44.46\00:12:47.26
of God's Word has been diluted.
00:12:47.30\00:12:49.36
It has been
stained by the things
00:12:49.40\00:12:51.47
that are filtered through it.
00:12:51.50\00:12:52.90
Friends, today, the truth
00:12:52.93\00:12:55.80
of God's Word are being filtered
00:12:55.84\00:12:58.47
through stained glass religion,
00:12:58.51\00:13:02.74
which brings me
to my first point.
00:13:02.78\00:13:05.05
It has been
more than 6000 years,
00:13:05.08\00:13:07.52
but this is the generation
of stained glass religion.
00:13:07.55\00:13:13.46
You see, friends,
darkness has become more
00:13:13.49\00:13:16.19
appealing than light.
00:13:16.22\00:13:18.49
Notice the words
of Jesus in John 3:19
00:13:18.53\00:13:22.66
when He said these words.
00:13:22.70\00:13:24.17
He said, "And this
is the condemnation,
00:13:24.20\00:13:27.94
that light has
come into the world,
00:13:27.97\00:13:31.54
and men love
darkness rather than light,
00:13:31.57\00:13:35.41
because their deeds were evil."
00:13:35.44\00:13:38.38
Notice Jesus didn't
say that there's no light.
00:13:38.41\00:13:40.68
He says, "Light has come."
00:13:40.72\00:13:42.32
But because men are molded
by stained glass religion,
00:13:42.35\00:13:45.75
by stained glass
Christian entertainment,
00:13:45.79\00:13:48.49
men love darkness
rather than light,
00:13:48.52\00:13:50.96
because it seems
to be more appealing,
00:13:50.99\00:13:52.89
yet it is missing
the nourishing qualities
00:13:52.93\00:13:56.36
of the pure Word of God.
00:13:56.40\00:13:58.33
There was a quotation
found in the book Testimonies,
00:13:58.37\00:14:00.64
volume 4, page
233 in paragraph 3.
00:14:00.67\00:14:04.77
Listen as I read it.
00:14:04.81\00:14:06.14
It's very
pertinent to the topic.
00:14:06.17\00:14:08.38
"In this age of
darkness and error,
00:14:08.41\00:14:11.68
men who profess to be followers
00:14:11.71\00:14:13.75
of Christ seem to think that
they are at liberty to receive
00:14:13.78\00:14:17.09
or to reject the servants
of the Lord at pleasure,
00:14:17.12\00:14:20.69
and that they will not
be called to an account
00:14:20.72\00:14:23.86
for so doing.
00:14:23.89\00:14:25.59
Unbelief and
darkness led them to do this.
00:14:25.63\00:14:29.83
Their sensibilities are
blunted by their unbelief.
00:14:29.86\00:14:33.47
They violate their consciences
and become untrue to their own
00:14:33.50\00:14:37.67
convictions and weaken
themselves in moral power.
00:14:37.71\00:14:41.84
And they view others in the
same light with themselves."
00:14:41.88\00:14:46.72
This is a very powerful point.
00:14:46.75\00:14:48.18
You see, Satan has made
religion look appealing,
00:14:48.22\00:14:51.05
but possessing no
life-giving power at all.
00:14:51.09\00:14:54.79
There are preachers
today proclaiming pieces
00:14:54.82\00:14:58.69
of God's Word,
but they don't embrace
00:14:58.73\00:15:01.40
the totality of God's Word.
00:15:01.43\00:15:04.00
They stain what they teach
with ideologies of tradition
00:15:04.03\00:15:08.87
and preference
and entertainment,
00:15:08.90\00:15:11.37
and what I believe is relevant,
00:15:11.41\00:15:13.11
or what I believe is irrelevant.
00:15:13.14\00:15:14.74
And they become proponents
of darkness rather than
00:15:14.78\00:15:17.81
the pure Word of God.
00:15:17.85\00:15:19.31
But this is no surprise to God.
00:15:19.35\00:15:21.65
He knew that eventually
that we will get to the age
00:15:21.68\00:15:25.02
where truth will not be embraced
00:15:25.05\00:15:26.72
as he intended
it to be embraced,
00:15:26.76\00:15:28.66
and light would not be
appreciated as it comes
00:15:28.69\00:15:31.89
clearly from God's Word.
00:15:31.93\00:15:33.73
Jesus knew, He knew that
the Age of Darkness would come.
00:15:33.76\00:15:38.60
Listen to the words
00:15:38.63\00:15:39.97
of the Apostle
Paul in I Timothy 4:1-2
00:15:40.00\00:15:44.17
as he describes this descending
00:15:44.21\00:15:47.01
darkened age in which the church
00:15:47.04\00:15:49.44
is existing today.
00:15:49.48\00:15:50.91
He said these words.
00:15:50.95\00:15:52.61
"Now the spirit expressly
says that in latter times
00:15:52.65\00:15:57.75
some will depart from the faith,
00:15:57.79\00:16:00.82
giving heed to deceiving spirits
00:16:00.86\00:16:03.56
and doctrines of demons,
speaking lies in hypocrisy,
00:16:03.59\00:16:08.23
having their own consciences
seared with a hot iron."
00:16:08.26\00:16:13.60
When I read that
I thought to myself,
00:16:13.64\00:16:15.00
"Seared with a hot
iron, what does that mean?"
00:16:15.04\00:16:17.64
What happens when a conscience
is seared with a hot iron?
00:16:17.67\00:16:20.74
You see, friends, when
truth is repeatedly rejected,
00:16:20.78\00:16:24.01
there's a danger that comes.
00:16:24.05\00:16:25.61
Darkness becomes more appealing.
00:16:25.65\00:16:28.22
A seared conscience
is a dead conscience
00:16:28.25\00:16:32.59
like the
fingertips of a guitar player
00:16:32.62\00:16:34.62
over the course of time.
00:16:34.66\00:16:36.29
It is callous and
hardened so that truth cannot
00:16:36.32\00:16:39.89
penetrate that
surface any longer.
00:16:39.93\00:16:42.43
It's dangerous to
reject the Word of God.
00:16:42.46\00:16:45.30
When the conscience is seared,
the life becomes hypocritical
00:16:45.33\00:16:50.81
and then you
become your own standard,
00:16:50.84\00:16:53.04
and God's standard and
God's Word is rejected.
00:16:53.07\00:16:56.75
And I want to tell you,
as I've grown as a pastor,
00:16:56.78\00:16:58.85
as I've been able to
share the truth of God's Word
00:16:58.88\00:17:00.72
with people of varying walks
of life, it always amazes me
00:17:00.75\00:17:04.02
when you get to a
specific teaching in God's Word
00:17:04.05\00:17:07.06
and the hardened mind
from continual rejection
00:17:07.09\00:17:10.96
of light becomes
so hard to penetrate.
00:17:10.99\00:17:14.30
They can hear
what God's Word says,
00:17:14.33\00:17:15.86
but it bounces off
like a hardened skull,
00:17:15.90\00:17:19.40
like a skull that
has turned to stone.
00:17:19.43\00:17:21.60
There's no longer
the ability to allow
00:17:21.64\00:17:24.51
God's Holy Spirit to
penetrate that dark place.
00:17:24.54\00:17:28.04
And the Bible
described that this kind
00:17:28.08\00:17:31.11
of atmosphere would exist.
00:17:31.15\00:17:33.82
As a matter of
fact, Isaiah the Prophet
00:17:33.85\00:17:36.08
describes this
to be the behavior
00:17:36.12\00:17:38.69
of those who embrace darkness.
00:17:38.72\00:17:40.96
But all of a sudden,
their minds are so calloused
00:17:40.99\00:17:43.43
that they twist what they see,
and they call darkness light.
00:17:43.46\00:17:46.39
Notice the words of Isaiah
the Prophet in Isaiah 5:20.
00:17:46.43\00:17:50.40
Listen to what he says.
00:17:50.43\00:17:52.33
"Woe to those
who call evil good,
00:17:52.37\00:17:54.50
and good evil, who
put darkness for light
00:17:54.54\00:17:57.44
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet,
00:17:57.47\00:18:02.08
and sweet for bitter!"
00:18:02.11\00:18:05.08
Notice that, why
would you do that?
00:18:05.11\00:18:07.52
Why would you
exchange sweet for bitter?
00:18:07.55\00:18:10.22
Why would you put
darkness for light?
00:18:10.25\00:18:12.62
Why would you
put error for truth?
00:18:12.65\00:18:15.72
The reason is so simple
because you've chosen to turn
00:18:15.76\00:18:19.39
away from light so
darkness looks bright to you.
00:18:19.43\00:18:22.46
And many ministers
today will look at God's Word
00:18:22.50\00:18:25.90
and look at Bible truth,
and they will call it a lie.
00:18:25.93\00:18:29.70
I've seen that experience.
I've had that experience.
00:18:29.74\00:18:32.91
I've actually had
contending controversies
00:18:32.94\00:18:36.18
with preachers on talk shows.
00:18:36.21\00:18:38.08
I remember a
number of years ago,
00:18:38.11\00:18:39.81
when I lived in the
state of California,
00:18:39.85\00:18:41.58
I was invited to be on a program
00:18:41.62\00:18:42.98
called coast-to-coast.
00:18:43.02\00:18:45.42
It was a roundtable
discussion on doctrines
00:18:45.45\00:18:48.32
that were in
opposition to one another.
00:18:48.36\00:18:50.76
It's not that the Bible
teaches opposition doctrines.
00:18:50.79\00:18:53.50
It's not that the Bible
teaches and supports both sides.
00:18:53.53\00:18:56.50
But when you decide to
darken what God's Word says,
00:18:56.53\00:19:00.40
you become up with
views that are not in harmony
00:19:00.44\00:19:02.37
with God's Word.
00:19:02.40\00:19:03.74
And I remember preacher sitting
there when I talked about
00:19:03.77\00:19:05.54
the commandments of God,
written by the finger of God.
00:19:05.57\00:19:08.64
I never forget the hypocritical
behavior of a minister
00:19:08.68\00:19:12.31
of more than 30 years.
00:19:12.35\00:19:13.68
And he said to me,
00:19:13.72\00:19:15.05
"Which finger did God write
with it, with the first finger,
00:19:15.08\00:19:16.42
the index finger?"
00:19:16.45\00:19:17.79
And I thought to myself,
"How sacrilegious to look
00:19:17.82\00:19:20.09
at God's commandments
and make it so trivial
00:19:20.12\00:19:23.09
and so minimize by saying,
00:19:23.12\00:19:25.43
which finger did
God write it with,
00:19:25.46\00:19:27.76
by having no
intention of even following
00:19:27.80\00:19:31.13
the Word of God?"
00:19:31.17\00:19:34.04
But Isaiah the Prophet 700 years
00:19:34.07\00:19:36.64
before these
words are written down,
00:19:36.67\00:19:38.91
said that this
was going to happen.
00:19:38.94\00:19:41.08
The Apostle Paul also
00:19:41.11\00:19:42.98
chimes in as he
also by the inspiration
00:19:43.01\00:19:46.11
of God's Spirit
predicts the molding environment
00:19:46.15\00:19:49.72
of the last days.
00:19:49.75\00:19:51.09
Notice what he
says in 2 Timothy 3:13.
00:19:51.12\00:19:55.32
He says, "But
evil men and imposters
00:19:55.36\00:20:00.63
will grow worse and worse,
deceiving and being deceived."
00:20:00.66\00:20:05.67
Now pause for a
moment and think about it.
00:20:05.70\00:20:08.24
When the Apostle Paul wrote
that he was given a preview
00:20:08.27\00:20:13.44
of a developing environment
because the church was fairly
00:20:13.48\00:20:16.11
new in his day.
00:20:16.14\00:20:17.55
But Paul was being led
by the Spirit of God to see
00:20:17.58\00:20:20.52
what the world was
going to become like.
00:20:20.55\00:20:22.22
And it really
boggles my mind when he said,
00:20:22.25\00:20:24.95
"Evil men and
imposters or seducers
00:20:24.99\00:20:27.89
will grow worse and worse,
deceiving and being deceived."
00:20:27.92\00:20:31.39
So he's in essence saying
that is the generation of today.
00:20:31.43\00:20:35.40
Why are they
deceiving and being deceived?
00:20:35.43\00:20:37.27
Why are they using
God's Word, twisting it,
00:20:37.30\00:20:41.54
diluting it to deceive?
00:20:41.57\00:20:45.27
It's because they are evil men.
00:20:45.31\00:20:47.28
They are imposters.
00:20:47.31\00:20:49.28
What is an imposter?
00:20:49.31\00:20:51.01
Somebody who looks
apart that he really is not.
00:20:51.05\00:20:55.38
That's why Paul the
Apostle warned, he says,
00:20:55.42\00:20:58.09
"That they will be ministers,
who appear as ministers
00:20:58.12\00:21:01.26
of righteousness but
it's not of marvelous
00:21:01.29\00:21:05.13
thing because Satan
himself also appears
00:21:05.16\00:21:07.73
as a minister of righteousness."
00:21:07.76\00:21:10.60
So he's in essence
saying, whatever you do,
00:21:10.63\00:21:12.93
don't think it's
credible by what you see.
00:21:12.97\00:21:15.17
Check it out by God's Word.
00:21:15.20\00:21:17.37
Listen to another quotation.
00:21:17.41\00:21:19.17
In Testimonies, volume
4, page 234 in paragraph 2,
00:21:19.21\00:21:23.68
powerful quotation,
"Men's hearts are no softer
00:21:23.71\00:21:27.95
today than when
Christ was upon the earth.
00:21:27.98\00:21:31.19
They will do all
in their power to aid
00:21:31.22\00:21:34.29
the great adversary
in making it as hard
00:21:34.32\00:21:37.69
as possible for
the servants of Christ
00:21:37.73\00:21:40.76
just as the
people did with Christ
00:21:40.80\00:21:43.23
when He was upon the earth.
00:21:43.26\00:21:44.73
They will
scourge with the tongue
00:21:44.77\00:21:46.30
of slander and falsehood.
00:21:46.33\00:21:49.30
They will criticize and
turn against the servant of God,
00:21:49.34\00:21:53.84
the very efforts he
is leading them to make."
00:21:53.88\00:21:58.11
What does that mean?
00:21:58.15\00:21:59.71
That means when God's servant
is saying, "Walk in the light."
00:21:59.75\00:22:02.92
They will scourge him
and malign His character,
00:22:02.95\00:22:05.95
and say, "Don't listen to
Him for the following reasons."
00:22:05.99\00:22:08.72
They'll do whatever
they can to aid the adversary
00:22:08.76\00:22:11.99
and turning people away
from the truth of God's Word.
00:22:12.03\00:22:15.23
And it's done most effectively.
00:22:15.26\00:22:17.47
Hear me carefully.
00:22:17.50\00:22:18.83
It's done most effectively
through those who look
00:22:18.87\00:22:21.84
the part of religious leader.
00:22:21.87\00:22:24.97
Now, a drug addict couldn't
argue with a minister and say,
00:22:25.01\00:22:28.94
"Take drugs
instead of God's Word."
00:22:28.98\00:22:30.41
You'll say, "Well,
that's ridiculous,"
00:22:30.45\00:22:31.78
because he's obviously leading
you down a path of destruction.
00:22:31.81\00:22:34.62
But when
somebody that looks apart,
00:22:34.65\00:22:37.62
when somebody
that has the external
00:22:37.65\00:22:39.49
appearances of a minister
00:22:39.52\00:22:41.19
begins to guide you
in the wrong direction,
00:22:41.22\00:22:43.79
and says it's a safe direction.
00:22:43.83\00:22:45.83
Jesus says, "When
the blind leads a blind,
00:22:45.86\00:22:48.33
they both fall into the pit,"
00:22:48.36\00:22:50.30
which takes me
to my second point.
00:22:50.33\00:22:52.93
Today, we have a
religion that how you feel
00:22:52.97\00:22:56.24
is more important
than what you believe.
00:22:56.27\00:23:00.11
I mean, if you take the time,
00:23:00.14\00:23:02.18
today religion
appeals to the senses,
00:23:02.21\00:23:05.41
but it starves the intellect.
00:23:05.45\00:23:08.15
Look at some of
the Christian concerts.
00:23:08.18\00:23:09.82
Now, I'm not saying
all Christian concerts
00:23:09.85\00:23:11.69
but I've seen some
Christian concerts.
00:23:11.72\00:23:13.25
As a matter of fact, I've
gone to some Christian concerts
00:23:13.29\00:23:15.12
that I couldn't stay at because
I realized that this concept
00:23:15.16\00:23:18.79
was not about molding my
influence to believe God's Word
00:23:18.83\00:23:22.93
but it was about superstition.
00:23:22.96\00:23:25.03
It was about trying to seduce
me to believe a certain way.
00:23:25.07\00:23:28.14
And I got...
00:23:28.17\00:23:29.50
And I begin to feel
like somehow I was being
00:23:29.54\00:23:31.64
put into a trance.
00:23:31.67\00:23:33.01
As one writer said, "When
you begin to be in a place
00:23:33.04\00:23:36.41
where you are repeating
the same thing over and over,
00:23:36.44\00:23:38.85
and over and over, it
suspends the intellect."
00:23:38.88\00:23:42.65
And as one writer put,
"Lofty words, bias repetition,
00:23:42.68\00:23:47.96
praises great and grand,
00:23:47.99\00:23:50.86
but not what God demands."
00:23:50.89\00:23:54.40
And I thought about
that. That's so true.
00:23:54.43\00:23:56.67
A good friend of
mine calls it 7/11 songs,
00:23:56.70\00:23:59.90
7 words, repeated 11 times.
00:23:59.93\00:24:02.87
And psychologists say
that when you begin to repeat
00:24:02.90\00:24:05.31
something more than six times,
your mind is open to allow
00:24:05.34\00:24:09.14
anything and
everything to come in without
00:24:09.18\00:24:12.45
any intellectual protest.
00:24:12.48\00:24:15.12
That's what the devil does.
00:24:15.15\00:24:16.55
He gets you so
wrapped up in vain repetition
00:24:16.58\00:24:19.62
as the heathens.
00:24:19.65\00:24:20.99
Jesus warned, "Don't use vain
repetition like the heathens."
00:24:21.02\00:24:24.63
He warned the people of His day.
00:24:24.66\00:24:27.13
But then I also found an article
00:24:27.16\00:24:28.50
called Restoring
Kingdom Builders,
00:24:28.53\00:24:31.47
and it marveled me as
to what the writer said.
00:24:31.50\00:24:34.57
I'll read it to you verbatim.
Listen to what he said.
00:24:34.60\00:24:37.77
And the article was subtitled,
"Do Christians sometimes go
00:24:37.81\00:24:40.94
mindless during worship?"
00:24:40.98\00:24:43.14
Let me read it as you
listen. He says, "I walked...
00:24:43.18\00:24:46.21
I wanted to walk out of
church last Sunday morning
00:24:46.25\00:24:49.48
all because of a song.
00:24:49.52\00:24:51.79
During last Sunday's praise
00:24:51.82\00:24:53.15
and worship time at the
church that I've been attending,
00:24:53.19\00:24:56.52
I became very uncomfortable
because we kept repeating
00:24:56.56\00:25:00.50
the same phrase while
singing a popular worship song
00:25:00.53\00:25:03.80
called King of my Heart.
00:25:03.83\00:25:06.50
Two weeks ago, or two Sundays
ago, the worship team led
00:25:06.53\00:25:09.17
the congregation
in singing this song.
00:25:09.20\00:25:11.64
And I noticed that one
phrase was repeated 22 times.
00:25:11.67\00:25:17.38
You are good,
You are good, oh God,
00:25:17.41\00:25:21.02
which means we sing
the words good 44 times."
00:25:21.05\00:25:25.99
And he said, and
I end the article,
00:25:26.02\00:25:27.89
"I wanted to run out of
the service, get in my car
00:25:27.92\00:25:31.59
and drive anywhere."
00:25:31.63\00:25:33.73
Well, that's not just
true in Sunday Churches.
00:25:33.76\00:25:35.70
That's true in
some Sabbath Churches.
00:25:35.73\00:25:37.70
That's true in
many denominations.
00:25:37.73\00:25:39.43
It doesn't matter
what the denomination is.
00:25:39.47\00:25:41.10
But when you get to the place
00:25:41.14\00:25:42.47
where vain
repetition takes over,
00:25:42.50\00:25:44.67
the mind is no longer making
00:25:44.71\00:25:46.34
calculated
decisions about truth,
00:25:46.37\00:25:48.44
it's now open to being seduced.
00:25:48.48\00:25:50.35
And that is why
Jesus said in Matthew 6:7
00:25:50.38\00:25:53.21
the following words.
00:25:53.25\00:25:54.85
Listen to these
very pertinent words,
00:25:54.88\00:25:57.72
words of caution
for our generation,
00:25:57.75\00:26:00.02
for the Christian Church today.
00:26:00.06\00:26:02.19
He says in Matthew
6:7, "And when you pray,"
00:26:02.22\00:26:05.86
He says, "do not
use vain repetitions
00:26:05.89\00:26:09.26
as the heathens do.
00:26:09.30\00:26:11.33
For they think
that they will be heard
00:26:11.37\00:26:14.24
for their many words."
00:26:14.27\00:26:17.97
He's in essence saying,
they're using repetition,
00:26:18.01\00:26:20.91
repetition,
repetition, repetition.
00:26:20.94\00:26:23.24
What would you do if
somebody came to you and said,
00:26:23.28\00:26:24.78
"Give me the
car. Give me the car.
00:26:24.81\00:26:26.15
Give me the
car. Give me the car.
00:26:26.18\00:26:27.52
Give me the car.
Give me the keys.
00:26:27.55\00:26:28.88
Give me the keys. Give me
the keys. Give me the keys"?
00:26:28.92\00:26:30.25
You'll say, "Would
you cut it out already?
00:26:30.29\00:26:31.65
I heard you the first time."
00:26:31.69\00:26:33.56
You see, friends, God
doesn't need us to be banging
00:26:33.59\00:26:35.82
on his door repetitiously,
thinking that by saying it
00:26:35.86\00:26:39.63
over and over and over and
over and over and over again,
00:26:39.66\00:26:43.03
that somehow is going to
bend God's arm to be more
00:26:43.06\00:26:46.63
pliable to your suggestions
or to your questions.
00:26:46.67\00:26:50.07
We don't need that.
00:26:50.11\00:26:52.27
But God is saying
that's the age in which we live
00:26:52.31\00:26:54.84
and that's a
stained glass maneuver.
00:26:54.88\00:26:59.01
Taking the truth of
God's Word, darkening it down,
00:26:59.05\00:27:02.48
making a repetition,
thinking that's somehow
00:27:02.52\00:27:05.25
I can repeat it over and over
00:27:05.29\00:27:07.02
and somehow it's
going to change your heart.
00:27:07.06\00:27:09.56
No, friends,
that's not how God works.
00:27:09.59\00:27:11.49
We've got to look at God's Word.
00:27:11.53\00:27:14.46
"Here a little, here a little,
there a little, there a little,
00:27:14.50\00:27:19.07
line upon line, line upon line,
00:27:19.10\00:27:22.90
precept upon precept,
precept upon precept."
00:27:22.94\00:27:26.78
That's one of the
only times in God's Word
00:27:26.81\00:27:28.98
that repetition is used.
00:27:29.01\00:27:30.41
And in that case,
repetition is the best teacher.
00:27:30.45\00:27:35.22
Look at the third
reason why I believe
00:27:35.25\00:27:36.79
we're living in a
stained glass generation.
00:27:36.82\00:27:39.45
Error will be
exalted above truth.
00:27:39.49\00:27:42.62
That's what happened
during the dark ages.
00:27:45.99\00:27:47.63
It took a long time but
the Church of the Dark Ages,
00:27:47.66\00:27:50.43
the Church, the
powerful monolith of Rome,
00:27:50.47\00:27:53.10
chained the Bible to the altars.
00:27:53.13\00:27:54.90
And the people had
no access to God's Word,
00:27:54.94\00:27:57.34
and they were dumbed down.
00:27:57.37\00:27:58.71
They were taught
things that were not
00:27:58.74\00:28:00.08
supported by God's Word
like eternally burning hell,
00:28:00.11\00:28:03.55
the immortality of
the soul, purgatory,
00:28:03.58\00:28:06.72
limbo, these strange
beliefs that could not
00:28:06.75\00:28:09.48
connect to a just
and fearing loving God.
00:28:09.52\00:28:12.82
But that's not a
surprise because the same thing
00:28:12.85\00:28:15.99
happened to ancient Israel
00:28:16.02\00:28:18.33
when they turned
away from God's Word.
00:28:18.36\00:28:20.66
Look at Ezekiel 22:26.
00:28:20.70\00:28:24.90
Listen to what the
Prophet Ezekiel says
00:28:24.93\00:28:27.44
about those who turn away
from the truth of God's Word.
00:28:27.47\00:28:31.44
He says, "Her
priests have violated My law
00:28:31.47\00:28:35.54
and profaned My holy things,
they have not distinguished
00:28:35.58\00:28:40.35
between the holy and
unholy, nor have they made known
00:28:40.38\00:28:44.72
the difference between
the unclean and the clean.
00:28:44.75\00:28:49.86
They have hidden
their eyes from My Sabbaths,
00:28:49.89\00:28:55.03
so that I am
profaned among them."
00:28:55.06\00:28:58.13
That happened to Israel of all.
00:28:58.17\00:29:00.30
Now watch this, if the
devil can do that among
00:29:00.34\00:29:03.20
God's chosen nation,
00:29:03.24\00:29:05.07
if the devil can lead those
who had truth to abandon truth,
00:29:05.11\00:29:09.21
and get to the
place where they can't see
00:29:09.24\00:29:11.08
the difference between
the holy and the unholy,
00:29:11.11\00:29:14.35
the clean, and the unclean then
their worship becomes profaned.
00:29:14.38\00:29:19.69
And the Lord says,
"I'm profaned among them."
00:29:19.72\00:29:22.19
Well, friends, the
same is true about today,
00:29:22.22\00:29:24.19
whenever we are not embracing
the truth of God's Word
00:29:24.23\00:29:26.23
as it is written in God's Word,
00:29:26.26\00:29:28.30
when we make no
difference between the holy
00:29:28.33\00:29:30.70
and the unholy, and
this is the generation
00:29:30.73\00:29:33.44
where as was
pointed out in the text.
00:29:33.47\00:29:36.04
There are those who have hidden
their eyes from God's Sabbath.
00:29:36.07\00:29:38.97
They're saying,
"This is what I prefer.
00:29:39.01\00:29:41.04
Take it or leave it."
00:29:41.08\00:29:42.41
Whoa, friends, the
reality of it is God leaves it.
00:29:42.44\00:29:44.58
God doesn't take
what we give Him.
00:29:44.61\00:29:46.98
He only takes what He requires.
00:29:47.02\00:29:49.32
Going back to the
story of Cain and Abel.
00:29:49.35\00:29:51.65
Cain gave God a
basket of fruits.
00:29:51.69\00:29:54.89
Abel gave God the
sacrifice He required.
00:29:54.92\00:29:58.96
And the question I asked
you today, are you giving God
00:29:58.99\00:30:01.73
what He requires?
00:30:01.76\00:30:03.10
Or are you one of
those that says to God,
00:30:03.13\00:30:05.43
"Here's what I'm
going to give you.
00:30:05.47\00:30:06.80
Take it or leave it.
00:30:06.84\00:30:08.17
As long as I remember
God, that's all that matters"?
00:30:08.20\00:30:10.41
No, that's not the case.
00:30:10.44\00:30:11.91
It's not our standard
by which we worship God.
00:30:11.94\00:30:15.21
It is His standard.
00:30:15.24\00:30:16.81
It is His standard by which
He calls us to worship Him.
00:30:16.85\00:30:20.98
And I remember the
text in John 4:23-24.
00:30:21.02\00:30:24.29
The Bible says, "God is Spirit,
00:30:24.32\00:30:25.95
and those who worship Him
00:30:25.99\00:30:27.66
must worship Him in
Spirit and in Truth."
00:30:27.69\00:30:30.63
Why? "For God is
seeking such to worship Him."
00:30:30.66\00:30:34.80
Are you worshiping
God according to His Word
00:30:34.83\00:30:37.30
or are you worshiping God
according to your denomination,
00:30:37.33\00:30:40.54
according to your church?
00:30:40.57\00:30:41.94
Are you comfortable
being one of the 33,000
00:30:41.97\00:30:45.24
or are you tracing what
you believe to the unerring
00:30:45.27\00:30:48.74
Word of God?
00:30:48.78\00:30:50.11
I recommend that
you do that or else
00:30:50.15\00:30:51.75
you can become easily
a victim of stained glass
00:30:51.78\00:30:56.12
religion because today,
God's truths have been filtered
00:30:56.15\00:31:00.12
through the lenses of
stained glass doctrines.
00:31:00.16\00:31:03.29
The Christian
world has embraced two
00:31:03.32\00:31:06.39
of the most
stained glass doctrines
00:31:06.43\00:31:09.20
I believe that has permeated
the Christian Church today,
00:31:09.23\00:31:13.97
the immortality of the soul,
and the sacredness of Sunday.
00:31:14.00\00:31:18.04
I'll say that one more time.
00:31:18.07\00:31:19.61
The Christian world
today has been polarized by two
00:31:19.64\00:31:23.51
of the most stained glass
doctrines of the Christian era,
00:31:23.55\00:31:27.52
the immortal soul, believing
that you continue to live after
00:31:27.55\00:31:30.99
you die, and the
sacredness of Sunday,
00:31:31.02\00:31:33.99
somehow removing the sanctity
00:31:34.02\00:31:35.82
of God's Sabbath to a
different day, and saying,
00:31:35.86\00:31:38.66
"Now this new day is holy."
00:31:38.69\00:31:41.76
There's nothing in
Scripture that supports either
00:31:41.80\00:31:44.33
one of those.
00:31:44.37\00:31:45.70
Only God has immortality.
00:31:45.73\00:31:48.34
We will put on
immortality when Jesus comes,
00:31:48.37\00:31:51.44
but no one possesses
immortality right now.
00:31:51.47\00:31:54.61
We have the
promise of immortality.
00:31:54.64\00:31:57.98
When that last trumpet blows,
00:31:58.01\00:31:59.98
this mortal will
put on immortality.
00:32:00.02\00:32:03.28
1 Corinthians
15:51-55, we will put it on,
00:32:03.32\00:32:07.59
but right now
it's just a promise.
00:32:07.62\00:32:09.52
My loved ones don't
die and go to heaven,
00:32:09.56\00:32:11.49
they die and they're placed
in the grave or if they are...
00:32:11.53\00:32:14.70
If they become cremated,
they're placed in an urn.
00:32:14.73\00:32:18.07
Everybody is waiting
for the resurrection,
00:32:18.10\00:32:21.74
so that they can meet the Lord.
00:32:21.77\00:32:24.01
And, friends, what a beautiful
00:32:24.04\00:32:25.47
and glorious day that's going
to be when the resurrection
00:32:25.51\00:32:28.11
takes place and the
graveyard becomes the location
00:32:28.14\00:32:31.78
of the last great miracle
that the world will experience.
00:32:31.81\00:32:36.32
But notice these
two great errors,
00:32:36.35\00:32:38.75
the immortal
soul, and the sacredness
00:32:38.79\00:32:41.16
of Sunday is embraced today.
00:32:41.19\00:32:43.26
And I'm going to say to
you, as I'm proclaiming this,
00:32:43.29\00:32:45.93
there are those that believe
that and because the glass
00:32:45.96\00:32:48.70
is so stained,
they don't want to turn
00:32:48.73\00:32:51.00
away from it
knowing that God's Word says
00:32:51.03\00:32:56.10
something else.
00:32:56.14\00:32:57.47
Preference,
tradition, bias, and darkness
00:32:57.51\00:33:01.74
have combined itself together
00:33:01.78\00:33:04.58
and their minds are
dangerously becoming
00:33:04.61\00:33:07.02
callous because this
is not what they prefer.
00:33:07.05\00:33:10.52
Listen to this
quotation in the book
00:33:10.55\00:33:12.82
Darkness Before Dawn,
page 32 in paragraph 2.
00:33:12.85\00:33:17.59
Listen to this,
"Through the two great errors,
00:33:17.63\00:33:22.10
the immortality of the
soul and Sunday sacredness,
00:33:22.13\00:33:26.67
Satan will bring the
people under his deceptions.
00:33:26.70\00:33:30.54
While the former lays the
foundation of spiritualism,
00:33:30.57\00:33:35.18
the latter creates a
bond of sympathy with Rome."
00:33:35.21\00:33:40.98
Notice that.
00:33:41.02\00:33:42.35
Spiritualism comes
through the belief that people
00:33:42.38\00:33:44.69
continue to live after they die.
00:33:44.72\00:33:48.06
That's why people
believe in ghosts.
00:33:48.09\00:33:49.72
That's why people say,
"My mother visited me."
00:33:49.76\00:33:52.26
That's why people say,
00:33:52.29\00:33:53.63
"I smelled my dad's
cologne two years after he died.
00:33:53.66\00:33:56.13
He must be in the house
trying to send me a signal."
00:33:56.16\00:33:58.73
All this ridiculous spiritualism
00:33:58.77\00:34:01.40
is coming into
Christian Churches today.
00:34:01.44\00:34:03.47
It's being taught
from pulpits in America
00:34:03.51\00:34:05.24
and around the world
that they're in heaven
00:34:05.27\00:34:06.88
looking down now and
the Bible doesn't support
00:34:06.91\00:34:09.84
anything along those lines.
00:34:09.88\00:34:11.98
But that's what's
happening in our world today,
00:34:12.01\00:34:13.68
stained glass
religion, the immortal soul,
00:34:13.72\00:34:17.19
and Sunday sacredness.
00:34:17.22\00:34:19.15
But there's
something on the horizon
00:34:19.19\00:34:21.22
that I want to bring
to your attention today.
00:34:21.26\00:34:23.53
Something is happening
that is causing the latter part
00:34:23.56\00:34:26.66
of that quotation to come
to fruition because for decades
00:34:26.70\00:34:30.43
and for millennia,
Sunday has been pushed
00:34:30.47\00:34:33.13
as a day to be
honored above God Sabbath.
00:34:33.17\00:34:36.67
And this year,
combined with the movements
00:34:36.71\00:34:40.44
of the last 25 years, Sunday
is coming to the forefront
00:34:40.48\00:34:44.31
strangely enough on
the heels of the impact
00:34:44.35\00:34:48.32
of the COVID environment,
and the lessening down
00:34:48.35\00:34:52.29
of world travel,
ecologists and environmentalists
00:34:52.32\00:34:56.83
and religious and political
leaders are beginning to look
00:34:56.86\00:34:59.33
at this environment
and say, "Wait a minute,
00:34:59.36\00:35:01.56
we can take advantage
00:35:01.60\00:35:02.93
of this crisis by bringing
in the things that we've always
00:35:02.96\00:35:06.74
sought to introduce to society.
00:35:06.77\00:35:08.80
This gives us the perfect
opportunity to use our stained
00:35:08.84\00:35:13.41
glass maneuvers on the society
of America and the world."
00:35:13.44\00:35:18.21
Back in June 2015,
00:35:18.25\00:35:20.35
I saw this article I want
to share with you right now.
00:35:20.38\00:35:22.22
It was called,
Global Evangelicals.
00:35:22.25\00:35:25.22
Look at the article,
Global Evangelical side
00:35:25.25\00:35:28.32
with Pope's
concern for climate change.
00:35:28.36\00:35:30.96
That was back in June 16, 2015.
00:35:30.99\00:35:34.26
And then in the article,
what is being pointed out
00:35:34.30\00:35:36.97
is that the evangelical leaders
are uniting with the papacy,
00:35:37.00\00:35:42.44
who through the centuries
of movement has brought
00:35:42.47\00:35:46.14
Sunday to the
forefront as a day to be honored
00:35:46.17\00:35:48.98
above the Sabbath.
00:35:49.01\00:35:50.45
All of a sudden, as he shifts
from tradition to climate,
00:35:50.48\00:35:55.68
Evangelical leaders are saying,
"That's a perfect environment.
00:35:55.72\00:35:58.72
This is the day
that we should do it.
00:35:58.75\00:36:00.36
This is the environment
that we should unite with
00:36:00.39\00:36:02.79
the pope to push
a climate agenda."
00:36:02.82\00:36:06.80
But pope didn't stop there.
00:36:06.83\00:36:08.16
He didn't stop with
Evangelical leaders.
00:36:08.20\00:36:10.63
I was in Washington, DC
when he spoke to Congress.
00:36:10.67\00:36:14.24
Look at this next article.
What did he say to Congress?"
00:36:14.27\00:36:16.97
Pope to Congress, he
said, "Pope to Congress:
00:36:17.01\00:36:20.01
Time to act on
climate change and poverty."
00:36:20.04\00:36:24.28
I was amazed when I was
there in Washington in 2015,
00:36:24.31\00:36:28.35
listening to this article,
listening to this address
00:36:28.38\00:36:31.42
about climate change, about
what we should do as a nation,
00:36:31.45\00:36:34.56
and as politicians
should embrace movements.
00:36:34.59\00:36:37.33
Now, should we
have a cleaner climate?
00:36:37.36\00:36:39.19
Of course, but climate
change has nothing to do with
00:36:39.23\00:36:42.90
a specific day of the week.
00:36:42.93\00:36:44.67
It has to do with the
everyday rounds of life.
00:36:44.70\00:36:47.80
Cars aren't just
driven on Sunday alone,
00:36:47.84\00:36:51.27
is driven every day.
00:36:51.31\00:36:52.74
But the suggestion is made
that if we put aside one day
00:36:52.77\00:36:56.11
of the week, where
we rest our vehicles,
00:36:56.14\00:36:58.45
close our
businesses, close our factories,
00:36:58.48\00:37:01.85
shut down all
manufacturing plants that emit
00:37:01.88\00:37:05.89
carbons into the atmosphere.
00:37:05.92\00:37:07.29
That somehow we can heal
the planet and get the planet
00:37:07.32\00:37:10.59
ready for the coming of Jesus.
00:37:10.63\00:37:12.36
Well, the irony
behind that is Jesus
00:37:12.39\00:37:14.20
is not coming
back for this planet.
00:37:14.23\00:37:16.63
Jesus is not
coming back to this world.
00:37:16.67\00:37:19.47
He's coming back to
take us to His world,
00:37:19.50\00:37:22.30
so there's no need to
fix up the world to get
00:37:22.34\00:37:24.91
ready for Jesus
coming down here.
00:37:24.94\00:37:26.44
He's not coming down
here. He already came down here.
00:37:26.47\00:37:28.98
He already walked the earth
00:37:29.01\00:37:30.35
and accomplished
the plan of salvation.
00:37:30.38\00:37:32.61
The next time He's coming back,
00:37:32.65\00:37:34.05
He's taking us to the
place that He's preparing for us
00:37:34.08\00:37:36.48
today as I
communicate the message.
00:37:36.52\00:37:38.72
He's preparing for
us an eternal kingdom.
00:37:38.75\00:37:42.16
But do we have a
responsibility to society?
00:37:42.19\00:37:44.36
Of course, but not by merging,
00:37:44.39\00:37:47.16
not by merging
together to overshadow
00:37:47.20\00:37:51.33
what God's Word
calls us to observe,
00:37:51.37\00:37:54.20
"Remember the
Sabbath to keep it holy."
00:37:54.24\00:37:56.94
But these
climatologists are saying,
00:37:56.97\00:37:58.77
these climatologists
and environmentalists
00:37:58.81\00:38:00.58
and religious
leaders are saying,
00:38:00.61\00:38:02.48
"If we can unite
together and pick one day,
00:38:02.51\00:38:05.21
and we all unite to
shut down things that emit
00:38:05.25\00:38:08.78
carbons into the atmosphere
then we could fix the world."
00:38:08.82\00:38:11.99
Well, something is
coming up later this year.
00:38:12.02\00:38:15.59
It is called the
Conference of Parties,
00:38:15.62\00:38:17.36
notice the next slide.
00:38:17.39\00:38:19.03
It's going to take place in
October and November of 2021.
00:38:19.06\00:38:24.00
It's called COP26.
00:38:24.03\00:38:26.03
Look at the slide.
00:38:26.07\00:38:27.57
This is where
they're gathering together.
00:38:27.60\00:38:30.07
And this is the summit
where religious leaders,
00:38:30.11\00:38:33.44
political
leaders, environmentalist,
00:38:33.48\00:38:35.94
ecologists are gathering
together to try to put together
00:38:35.98\00:38:40.65
a plan for climate
Sunday, and the reversal
00:38:40.68\00:38:45.55
of the pollution of our planet.
00:38:45.59\00:38:47.79
And the next article
shows what their intent is.
00:38:47.82\00:38:50.53
I was amazed when I saw
this. Here's what it says.
00:38:50.56\00:38:53.40
"It says, uniting the
world to tackle climate change."
00:38:53.43\00:38:58.80
When I read that bells
00:38:58.83\00:39:00.70
and whistles
went off in my mind,
00:39:00.74\00:39:02.67
"Uniting the world to
tackle climate change."
00:39:02.70\00:39:06.64
That's the back door.
00:39:06.68\00:39:09.84
That is the entering argument,
but that's not the real issue.
00:39:09.88\00:39:14.12
If I could simply use climate
change to bring in something
00:39:14.15\00:39:17.29
that I've always wanted
to bring to the forefront
00:39:17.32\00:39:19.89
of Americans and
churches around the world,
00:39:19.92\00:39:22.52
I could do it that way.
00:39:22.56\00:39:23.89
I could bring in the
preference of worship through
00:39:23.93\00:39:28.30
the auspices and the
window of climate change.
00:39:28.33\00:39:32.83
Through the stained
glass window of climate change,
00:39:32.87\00:39:36.17
I can dumb down the light.
00:39:36.20\00:39:38.04
But notice
something else happening
00:39:38.07\00:39:39.71
in preparation for this
uniting of climate change
00:39:39.74\00:39:44.05
symposium coming
up later this year.
00:39:44.08\00:39:46.55
There's a movement
underway, even now.
00:39:46.58\00:39:48.82
It began
September 5, 2021 and notice
00:39:48.85\00:39:52.15
what's behind the movement.
00:39:52.19\00:39:53.52
Look at the next slide.
00:39:53.56\00:39:54.89
It's called
National Climate Sunday.
00:39:54.92\00:39:58.99
It's a national
movement throughout Europe,
00:39:59.03\00:40:02.16
for people to
gather together to have
00:40:02.20\00:40:04.37
a climate Sunday accord.
00:40:04.40\00:40:06.43
And the sponsors of climate
Sunday are saying they want
00:40:06.47\00:40:09.90
at least 10,000 church
leaders to get together,
00:40:09.94\00:40:14.14
to push climate Sunday
in preparation for the COP
00:40:14.18\00:40:18.51
symposium taking place in
October and November, 2021.
00:40:18.55\00:40:22.85
Now, I don't know
if you've got this.
00:40:22.88\00:40:24.42
Let me pause and
distill some of these before
00:40:24.45\00:40:26.22
I go to the next slide.
00:40:26.25\00:40:27.72
Uniting the world,
pushing Sunday, climate Sunday,
00:40:27.76\00:40:32.39
global change,
ecologists, environmentalists,
00:40:32.43\00:40:36.26
evangelicals, pope,
fix the planet, COVID,
00:40:36.30\00:40:40.57
mask, no mask, a new day,
00:40:40.60\00:40:43.17
we can all get
together on this one day
00:40:43.20\00:40:45.61
and fix the planet.
00:40:45.64\00:40:48.04
What day do you think it was?
00:40:48.08\00:40:49.41
The last slide
we just showed you
00:40:49.44\00:40:51.25
is the day that
they're focusing on getting
00:40:51.28\00:40:53.28
all the world together
to worship on that day,
00:40:53.31\00:40:57.22
to have church
services on that day,
00:40:57.25\00:40:59.89
in honor of the
climate but not an honor
00:40:59.92\00:41:03.86
of the God of creation.
00:41:03.89\00:41:05.79
But some of you don't know that
for the last 25 years or more.
00:41:05.83\00:41:08.93
There has been
a push in America,
00:41:08.96\00:41:11.00
and notice this next slide.
00:41:11.03\00:41:12.77
It's called National
Back to Church Sunday.
00:41:12.80\00:41:16.67
Every year...
00:41:16.71\00:41:18.04
It's slated for
September 19th, 2021.
00:41:18.07\00:41:21.64
Every year for
the last 25 years,
00:41:21.68\00:41:24.61
a National Back to
Church Sunday movement
00:41:24.65\00:41:27.48
has taken place in America.
00:41:27.52\00:41:29.52
And some of your
churches may have
00:41:29.55\00:41:30.89
signed up to
push this initiative,
00:41:30.92\00:41:32.65
go back to church on Sunday.
00:41:32.69\00:41:34.16
When I first heard about
this a number of years ago,
00:41:34.19\00:41:35.99
I thought to myself, "Well,
there has to be some problem.
00:41:36.02\00:41:39.43
There has to be some glitch.
00:41:39.46\00:41:41.33
There has to be something
that is not making sense."
00:41:41.36\00:41:43.73
So I decided, let me go ahead
00:41:43.77\00:41:45.17
and call those
that are sponsoring
00:41:45.20\00:41:47.10
the National
Back to Church Sunday.
00:41:47.14\00:41:49.20
I said, "Well, maybe they just
want us to go back to church
00:41:49.24\00:41:52.01
but not necessarily Sunday."
00:41:52.04\00:41:53.84
When I called
them I asked, I said,
00:41:53.88\00:41:55.41
"I'm a
Seventh-day Adventist pastor.
00:41:55.44\00:41:57.75
I go to church on
Saturday, the Bible Sabbath.
00:41:57.78\00:42:01.15
Are you sponsoring going
back to church on the weekends
00:42:01.18\00:42:04.45
or going back to
church generally?"
00:42:04.49\00:42:06.86
They said, "No,
this is a push to go
00:42:06.89\00:42:09.42
back to church on Sunday."
00:42:09.46\00:42:11.73
And prior to that phone call
00:42:11.76\00:42:13.60
I went to the
website to register,
00:42:13.63\00:42:15.56
and all the churches
were listed alphabetically.
00:42:15.60\00:42:18.17
And I noticed the very first
one, the letter A, Adventist.
00:42:18.20\00:42:21.50
And I thought,
"Wow, that's amazing.
00:42:21.54\00:42:22.87
We keep the Sabbath,
but this is a push to go
00:42:22.90\00:42:24.71
back to church on Sunday."
00:42:24.74\00:42:26.14
And I scrolled all the
way down to S and I saw
00:42:26.17\00:42:28.04
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:42:28.08\00:42:29.41
And I thought,
"Well, that's even stranger.
00:42:29.44\00:42:31.05
They have Adventist at the top,
00:42:31.08\00:42:32.65
Seventh-day Adventist
in the middle somewhere."
00:42:32.68\00:42:35.08
But they don't recognize
that we are not a Sunday
00:42:35.12\00:42:37.72
keeping church,
but a Sabbath keeping
00:42:37.75\00:42:39.42
according to Bible, according
to God's Bible Sabbath.
00:42:39.45\00:42:43.36
When I made that phone
call, the very next year
00:42:43.39\00:42:45.49
I went back to that
website to see if any changes
00:42:45.53\00:42:48.03
have been affected.
00:42:48.06\00:42:49.40
And yes, Adventist
and Seventh-day Adventist
00:42:49.43\00:42:52.47
were no longer on
the list to choose
00:42:52.50\00:42:55.14
as a church that can register
for the National Back to Church
00:42:55.17\00:43:00.14
Sunday movement.
00:43:00.18\00:43:02.38
Stained glass religion,
00:43:02.41\00:43:05.58
stained glass maneuvers,
00:43:05.61\00:43:08.72
hiding the real issues,
00:43:08.75\00:43:11.22
covering it in the
cloak of climate change
00:43:11.25\00:43:14.72
and the COVID environment,
covering it in the cloak
00:43:14.76\00:43:18.16
of preference and tradition,
00:43:18.19\00:43:20.30
that's what's
happening in our world today.
00:43:20.33\00:43:22.36
And men are succumbing
to it because they cannot
00:43:22.40\00:43:25.07
see that behind
the stained glass,
00:43:25.10\00:43:28.54
the purity of God's
Word is still there.
00:43:28.57\00:43:31.47
There's a quotation in
the book, Last Day Events,
00:43:31.51\00:43:33.94
page 125 that shows us
how this is being developed.
00:43:33.98\00:43:39.35
Look at this quotation.
00:43:39.38\00:43:41.48
It says, "The Sunday movement
00:43:41.52\00:43:44.32
is now making
its way in darkness.
00:43:44.35\00:43:47.32
The leaders are
concealing the true issue,
00:43:47.36\00:43:51.13
and many who unite
in the movement do not
00:43:51.16\00:43:55.50
themselves see whither
the undercurrent is tending."
00:43:55.53\00:44:01.00
What is being said?
00:44:01.04\00:44:02.37
If they don't see
what's under the surface,
00:44:02.40\00:44:05.01
many of those
uniting in climate Sunday
00:44:05.04\00:44:07.91
and cleaning up the
climate and let's get together
00:44:07.94\00:44:11.15
and support these
initiatives to fix the world,
00:44:11.18\00:44:13.48
and let's all pick one
day together to worship.
00:44:13.52\00:44:16.05
They have good intentions.
00:44:16.08\00:44:17.85
Some of them I cannot
say that they have ill
00:44:17.89\00:44:19.85
or evil
intentions on the surface,
00:44:19.89\00:44:22.26
but many of them
don't see the undercurrent.
00:44:22.29\00:44:25.56
And there's a powerful
undercurrent behind this.
00:44:25.59\00:44:28.60
There's a powerful undercurrent
00:44:28.63\00:44:30.67
when you decide
that your initiatives,
00:44:30.70\00:44:33.67
your regulations, your
traditions, your beliefs,
00:44:33.70\00:44:38.01
your push, your agenda,
your global item of discussion
00:44:38.04\00:44:43.11
is more important
than the simple phrase,
00:44:43.14\00:44:46.28
"Remember the
Sabbath day to keep it holy."
00:44:46.31\00:44:48.98
And that's the command of God.
00:44:49.02\00:44:50.65
But men have through
the ages with impunity,
00:44:50.69\00:44:53.99
rejected God's Word.
00:44:54.02\00:44:55.92
And in these last
days, in this seducing era
00:44:55.96\00:44:59.03
of doctrines of demons
that Paul had prognosticated
00:44:59.06\00:45:02.56
would occur, men are
becoming more artistic.
00:45:02.60\00:45:05.73
And behind all
those artistic movements,
00:45:05.77\00:45:08.00
you can be sure Satan
is pulling the strings,
00:45:08.04\00:45:11.77
but Jesus warned about
stained glass religion.
00:45:11.81\00:45:14.54
Jesus warned about
concealing the truth.
00:45:14.58\00:45:17.45
He talked about this
as something that can
00:45:17.48\00:45:19.95
lead us to a place
that we don't want to be.
00:45:19.98\00:45:22.65
Notice the words of
Jesus in Matthew 12:35,
00:45:22.68\00:45:27.16
Jesus said to
them in Matthew 12...
00:45:27.19\00:45:30.16
Sorry in John 12:35,
Jesus said the following words.
00:45:30.19\00:45:35.63
He says, "A little while longer
00:45:35.66\00:45:39.60
the light is with you.
00:45:39.63\00:45:41.74
Walk while you have the light,
lest darkness overtake you,
00:45:41.77\00:45:47.11
he who walks in
darkness does not know
00:45:47.14\00:45:50.68
where he is going."
00:45:50.71\00:45:53.78
Notice how he said that.
00:45:53.82\00:45:55.52
Those who walk in darkness
don't know where they're going.
00:45:55.55\00:45:58.92
You see stained glass
religion gets rid of the phrase,
00:45:58.95\00:46:02.59
"untainted truth" and uses
the phrase, "alternate truth".
00:46:02.62\00:46:06.73
I was shocked when
I heard that phrase
00:46:06.76\00:46:08.73
used in the
political environment,
00:46:08.76\00:46:10.47
not too long
ago, alternate truth.
00:46:10.50\00:46:12.97
Really, alternate truth?
00:46:13.00\00:46:14.94
Are there two truths?
00:46:14.97\00:46:17.07
Two and two is four,
but it could mean also
00:46:17.11\00:46:19.04
something else.
00:46:19.07\00:46:20.41
There's no such
thing as alternate truth.
00:46:20.44\00:46:22.74
It's either two and
two is four or two and two
00:46:22.78\00:46:24.78
is something else.
00:46:24.81\00:46:26.15
It will never be the same.
00:46:26.18\00:46:27.85
Two and two is always four.
00:46:27.88\00:46:29.42
There is no
alternative answer to that.
00:46:29.45\00:46:32.29
But today, Satan
has found a clever way
00:46:32.32\00:46:35.19
of saying there are alternate
ways of worshiping God.
00:46:35.22\00:46:39.09
There are other things
that God doesn't really
00:46:39.13\00:46:42.13
say in His Word
but this is okay,
00:46:42.16\00:46:44.17
God is all right, I mean,
as long as we remember God.
00:46:44.20\00:46:47.10
No, friends,
that's not how God works.
00:46:47.14\00:46:49.24
And we're living in an
age where men are being clever
00:46:49.27\00:46:51.54
about concealing the issues,
at a time when there are more
00:46:51.57\00:46:55.24
methods than
ever before, at a time
00:46:55.28\00:46:58.08
when accessing God's
Word through digital means,
00:46:58.11\00:47:01.78
through various translations.
00:47:01.82\00:47:03.79
We can have the Bible
on our iPad or our iPhones
00:47:03.82\00:47:07.26
or our Android devices.
00:47:07.29\00:47:09.29
We can have them
on tablets and iPads.
00:47:09.32\00:47:11.59
There's so many ways
of accessing God's Word,
00:47:11.63\00:47:15.03
but men don't want God's
Word in its undiluted form.
00:47:15.06\00:47:20.10
Men are becoming more
accepting of the stained
00:47:20.14\00:47:23.57
glass version of God's Word.
00:47:23.61\00:47:26.34
Well, the Apostle Paul says,
00:47:26.37\00:47:27.98
"It's not that the
truth of God can't be found,
00:47:28.01\00:47:30.78
but something has happened
to make darkness seem more
00:47:30.81\00:47:34.52
appealing than light."
00:47:34.55\00:47:36.75
Notice what he says
in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4,
00:47:36.79\00:47:41.99
here's what Paul says,
"But even if our gospel
00:47:42.02\00:47:45.06
is veiled or hidden,
00:47:45.09\00:47:47.03
it is veiled to
those who are perishing,
00:47:47.06\00:47:50.17
whose minds the god
of this age has blinded,
00:47:50.20\00:47:54.54
who do not believe, lest
00:47:54.57\00:47:57.94
the light of the
gospel of the glory of Christ,
00:47:57.97\00:48:00.78
who is the image of
God, should shine on them."
00:48:00.81\00:48:05.81
What is Paul saying?
00:48:05.85\00:48:07.18
He is saying the
gospel is not hidden.
00:48:07.22\00:48:09.48
Their minds are darkened.
00:48:09.52\00:48:11.25
It's like a bright
light in front of somebody,
00:48:11.29\00:48:13.15
but they have
blinders over their eyes.
00:48:13.19\00:48:15.16
The light can be ever so bright,
00:48:15.19\00:48:17.06
but their eyes are covered.
00:48:17.09\00:48:18.59
Their eyes are covered.
00:48:18.63\00:48:20.10
Their eyes are
stained, concealed.
00:48:20.13\00:48:22.13
The light hasn't dimmed.
00:48:22.16\00:48:23.87
It's just they can't see
it because there's something
00:48:23.90\00:48:25.83
between them and the
Bible describes that as the god
00:48:25.87\00:48:29.54
of this age has blinded.
00:48:29.57\00:48:32.67
Their eyes are veiled.
00:48:32.71\00:48:34.18
You know what the veil is?
00:48:34.21\00:48:35.54
A curtain that's been
lowered that you can't see
00:48:35.58\00:48:37.61
what's in front of you.
00:48:37.65\00:48:38.98
And the light could be right
there, but because tradition
00:48:39.01\00:48:42.12
and preference
and modified worship
00:48:42.15\00:48:46.05
and how I feel
rather than what God says,
00:48:46.09\00:48:48.86
because of all these
veiled preferences have come
00:48:48.89\00:48:52.13
before God's Word, their minds
are veiled, they can't see.
00:48:52.16\00:48:56.03
And I'm saying this in a
way that I'm hoping that God's
00:48:56.06\00:48:58.83
Holy Spirit can break away some
of the callus in your heart.
00:48:58.87\00:49:02.60
Some of those of you
that are hearing these
00:49:02.64\00:49:04.11
and saying, "Well, it isn't...
00:49:04.14\00:49:05.47
It doesn't really
matter." It does matter.
00:49:05.51\00:49:07.01
It's an eternal issue.
00:49:07.04\00:49:08.38
It's not something
that has to do with,
00:49:08.41\00:49:10.01
"Well, I'll make it anyhow."
00:49:10.05\00:49:11.48
There are no 15,000 ways to God.
00:49:11.51\00:49:14.08
There's only one way.
00:49:14.12\00:49:15.45
He is the way, He is the
truth, and He is the life.
00:49:15.48\00:49:18.09
There are not many ways,
00:49:18.12\00:49:19.49
no matter how you look at
it, but people's minds are being
00:49:19.52\00:49:23.89
developed by darkness.
00:49:23.93\00:49:25.63
Today, people
are more comfortable
00:49:25.66\00:49:27.60
with diluted
light than pure light,
00:49:27.63\00:49:31.00
which brings me
to my final point.
00:49:31.03\00:49:34.57
Light will
prevail above darkness.
00:49:34.60\00:49:38.24
I'm going to say
that one more time.
00:49:38.27\00:49:39.77
You see the first three
points for on a negative slant,
00:49:39.81\00:49:43.45
but the last one
is a positive slant.
00:49:43.48\00:49:45.81
Light will prevail
above darkness. Why?
00:49:45.85\00:49:50.09
Because God always
makes the final move.
00:49:50.12\00:49:53.39
Look at Isaiah 9:2.
00:49:53.42\00:49:55.96
At a time of preferred darkness,
00:49:55.99\00:49:57.63
God is still on the move.
00:49:57.66\00:49:59.79
Here's what
Isaiah the Prophet says.
00:49:59.83\00:50:01.36
He says, Isaiah 9:2,
00:50:01.40\00:50:04.17
"The people who
walked in darkness have seen
00:50:04.20\00:50:07.64
a great light, those
who dwelt in the land
00:50:07.67\00:50:11.21
of the shadow of death,
upon them a light has shined."
00:50:11.24\00:50:16.98
You know when I
asked my congregation
00:50:17.01\00:50:19.31
one Sabbath
morning, "How many of you
00:50:19.35\00:50:22.28
were once in a
different movement,
00:50:22.32\00:50:24.15
were once in a
different denomination,
00:50:24.19\00:50:26.25
and you found the
undiluted, unaltered, untainted,
00:50:26.29\00:50:29.42
unstained Word of God
00:50:29.46\00:50:32.03
and has led you here to
the truth of God's Word,
00:50:32.06\00:50:34.33
how many of you?"
00:50:34.36\00:50:35.70
And I was amazed so
many in my congregation
00:50:35.73\00:50:37.30
raised their hands.
00:50:37.33\00:50:38.67
Not that we are claiming
to be the only one saved,
00:50:38.70\00:50:41.57
but here's the powerful point.
00:50:41.60\00:50:43.44
When God's light
is turned on like
00:50:43.47\00:50:45.57
a halogen lamp on the
front of a truck in a blizzard,
00:50:45.61\00:50:49.24
you'll be able to find your way.
00:50:49.28\00:50:51.15
But if you try to make
your way through a darkened
00:50:51.18\00:50:53.05
world without the
light of God's Word shining,
00:50:53.08\00:50:55.25
you may get somewhere,
00:50:55.28\00:50:57.39
but it could be very disastrous.
00:50:57.42\00:50:59.32
You see, God is saying to us...
00:50:59.35\00:51:01.19
The light of His Word is
still shining in this dark age.
00:51:01.22\00:51:04.03
God is saying to
you today that you
00:51:04.06\00:51:06.66
don't have to
settle for tradition.
00:51:06.70\00:51:08.43
You are not
hopelessly locked in some,
00:51:08.46\00:51:10.47
kind of, chained relationship.
00:51:10.50\00:51:12.30
You are not bound
by what you've heard
00:51:12.33\00:51:14.34
all your life.
00:51:14.37\00:51:15.70
You still have the
opportunity to break
00:51:15.74\00:51:18.01
away from what you
have had to what God
00:51:18.04\00:51:20.41
is trying to reveal to you.
00:51:20.44\00:51:21.91
You can still make a choice
that you can see God's truth.
00:51:21.94\00:51:25.95
You can say, "Lord,
open my eyes that I may
00:51:25.98\00:51:28.78
behold wonderful
things out of your law."
00:51:28.82\00:51:31.15
Like David prayed, you
can pray that prayer too.
00:51:31.19\00:51:35.02
You can ask God to give
you wisdom and open your eyes.
00:51:35.06\00:51:38.43
I found a
quotation that I believe
00:51:38.46\00:51:39.93
will be
encouraging for you today.
00:51:39.96\00:51:42.33
In the book Christian
Service, page 38 in paragraph 4.
00:51:42.36\00:51:46.80
Listen to this quotation.
00:51:46.84\00:51:48.67
We are told,
00:51:48.70\00:51:50.04
"It is a wonderful privilege
to be able to understand
00:51:50.07\00:51:53.81
the will of God as revealed
in the sure word of prophecy.
00:51:53.84\00:51:59.31
This places on us a
heavy responsibility.
00:51:59.35\00:52:04.72
God expects us to
impart to others the knowledge
00:52:04.75\00:52:08.19
He has given us.
00:52:08.22\00:52:09.92
It is His purpose that divine
and human instrumentalities
00:52:09.96\00:52:15.30
shall unite in the proclamation
of the warning message."
00:52:15.33\00:52:21.00
What is God saying to us today?
00:52:21.04\00:52:23.20
The light of God's
Word is still here.
00:52:23.24\00:52:24.84
God's Word is still here,
00:52:24.87\00:52:26.94
it's still
available today, praise God.
00:52:26.98\00:52:29.64
Bibles are the most
popular books still sold today.
00:52:29.68\00:52:32.65
Praise God, which
asks the question,
00:52:32.68\00:52:35.18
"Why are people
still in darkness?"
00:52:35.22\00:52:36.89
It's not because of the Bible,
00:52:36.92\00:52:38.35
it's because of the
way they look at it,
00:52:38.39\00:52:40.19
through stained
eyes, eyes of tradition.
00:52:40.22\00:52:44.59
I was raised this way.
This is what my church says.
00:52:44.63\00:52:47.60
This is what my pastor says.
00:52:47.63\00:52:49.20
You know, it's amazing to
me that when God's Word says
00:52:49.23\00:52:51.37
one thing, we go to a man
to see if he agrees with it.
00:52:51.40\00:52:54.27
It should be the
other way around.
00:52:54.30\00:52:55.77
If a man says
something, we should go to God's
00:52:55.80\00:52:57.71
Word to see if he
agrees with God's Word.
00:52:57.74\00:53:00.24
But today, we take
the authority of a man,
00:53:00.28\00:53:03.01
the authority of a priest
or prelate or pastor above
00:53:03.04\00:53:06.28
the authority of God's Word.
00:53:06.31\00:53:07.72
How dangerous is that?
00:53:07.75\00:53:09.42
When the GPS is
saying, make a left,
00:53:09.45\00:53:11.62
and somebody
says, no, make a right.
00:53:11.65\00:53:12.99
Now, I want to say this,
00:53:13.02\00:53:14.89
I don't necessarily say that GPS
00:53:14.92\00:53:16.93
is as exact as God's Word.
00:53:16.96\00:53:18.99
That's not my point, but
the illustration is this.
00:53:19.03\00:53:21.90
Sometimes we're making
turns that could be disastrous.
00:53:21.93\00:53:24.97
God's Word is saying
to us today, "Follow it.
00:53:25.00\00:53:28.30
It's reliable. It will
lead you where I want you to go.
00:53:28.34\00:53:31.74
It is a light
shining in a dark world.
00:53:31.77\00:53:34.18
It is truth
shining in an age of error.
00:53:34.21\00:53:36.81
It is undiluted in
a diluted generation,
00:53:36.85\00:53:41.08
because there's
something coming."
00:53:41.12\00:53:42.68
You see, at a time
of preferred darkness,
00:53:42.72\00:53:46.42
God is going to intensify
the light of God's Word.
00:53:46.45\00:53:50.83
All over the
globe, the Word of God
00:53:50.86\00:53:53.33
is going to be
proclaimed undiluted, heated up,
00:53:53.36\00:53:57.10
lighted up by the halogen
lights of God's Holy Spirit.
00:53:57.13\00:54:01.27
Praise God for that.
00:54:01.30\00:54:02.64
Look at Revelation 18:1,
00:54:02.67\00:54:04.61
the Bible says that
He is going to exalt
00:54:04.64\00:54:06.61
His Word throughout the earth,
00:54:06.64\00:54:08.14
and only those who are praying
for God to lead them will
00:54:08.18\00:54:12.01
come to the light of God's Word.
00:54:12.05\00:54:14.18
Here's what John the
Revelator says to us.
00:54:14.22\00:54:16.99
He says, "After these
things," Revelation 18:1,
00:54:17.02\00:54:19.89
"I saw another angel
coming down from heaven,
00:54:19.92\00:54:22.96
having great authority
and the earth was illuminated
00:54:22.99\00:54:26.43
with his glory."
00:54:26.46\00:54:28.10
The earth was
illuminated with His glory.
00:54:28.13\00:54:32.20
Friends, the question is,
00:54:32.23\00:54:33.90
are you asking for God's
Word to illuminate your mind?
00:54:33.94\00:54:37.14
Are you praying for God's
00:54:37.17\00:54:38.64
Word to be the
foundation on which you stand?
00:54:38.67\00:54:42.34
When the Bible talks
about angels coming down,
00:54:42.38\00:54:44.85
it's talking
about messengers of God.
00:54:44.88\00:54:46.82
It's not talking about
angels flying over your house.
00:54:46.85\00:54:49.35
It's talking about
preachers that are filled
00:54:49.38\00:54:51.89
with the unction
of the Spirit of God,
00:54:51.92\00:54:53.42
the power of God's Word.
00:54:53.46\00:54:55.16
That's why the
Apostle Peter talks
00:54:55.19\00:54:56.66
about those who are removing
00:54:56.69\00:54:59.93
the stained glass by
adhering to the commission
00:54:59.96\00:55:03.67
placed on their lives.
00:55:03.70\00:55:05.03
God has a chosen people
00:55:05.07\00:55:06.67
and He's calling
them to accomplish
00:55:06.70\00:55:09.04
a specific purpose.
00:55:09.07\00:55:10.47
Look at 1 Peter 20:9,
the Bible says of them,
00:55:10.51\00:55:13.68
"But you are a
chosen generation,
00:55:13.71\00:55:15.74
a royal
priesthood, a holy nation,
00:55:15.78\00:55:18.31
His own special
people that you may proclaim
00:55:18.35\00:55:21.58
the praises of
Him who called you out
00:55:21.62\00:55:24.42
of darkness into
His marvelous light."
00:55:24.45\00:55:28.26
I've had Bible studies
where people have said,
00:55:28.29\00:55:29.96
"Pastor, I get it.
00:55:29.99\00:55:31.63
It clicks. I now understand it."
00:55:31.66\00:55:34.76
And when I hear that, I
say, "To God be the glory.
00:55:34.80\00:55:37.77
God shines a light
amid the darkness."
00:55:37.80\00:55:40.60
And you say, "Well,
will they ever get it?"
00:55:40.64\00:55:42.97
Keep on
teaching, keep on shining,
00:55:43.00\00:55:45.07
keep on praying,
00:55:45.11\00:55:46.44
keep on working with
them because God's light
00:55:46.47\00:55:49.04
will shine amid that darkness.
00:55:49.08\00:55:51.48
In the book Spiritual Gifts,
00:55:51.51\00:55:53.05
I'm encouraged by this volume 1,
00:55:53.08\00:55:55.48
page 195 in paragraph 1.
00:55:55.52\00:55:57.52
Listen to this quotation.
00:55:57.55\00:55:59.39
"Service of God,
endowed with power from on high,
00:55:59.42\00:56:02.66
with their faces lighted
up, and shining with holy
00:56:02.69\00:56:05.96
consecration went
forth fulfilling their work,
00:56:05.99\00:56:09.73
and proclaiming the
message from heaven.
00:56:09.76\00:56:12.10
Souls that were
scattered all through
00:56:12.13\00:56:15.57
the religious
bodies answered the call,
00:56:15.60\00:56:19.47
and the precious were hurried
out of the doomed churches,
00:56:19.51\00:56:23.58
as Lot was hurried out of Sodom
00:56:23.61\00:56:25.65
before her destruction."
00:56:25.68\00:56:28.38
And so Peter said it best.
00:56:28.42\00:56:30.25
The Scripture I
began with, I end with.
00:56:30.29\00:56:33.36
In this
generation of stained glass,
00:56:33.39\00:56:35.66
God's Word is not broken.
00:56:35.69\00:56:37.59
2 Peter 1:19, you see, friends,
00:56:37.63\00:56:41.13
and we also have a
prophetic word confirmed.
00:56:41.16\00:56:45.13
"Which you do well to take heed
00:56:45.17\00:56:46.90
as a light that
shines in a dark place
00:56:46.94\00:56:50.04
until the day dawns
and the morning star
00:56:50.07\00:56:52.77
arises in your
heart," 2 Peter 1:19.
00:56:52.81\00:56:56.31
Today, my question,
00:56:56.34\00:56:59.01
which one of you are
willing to stand on God's
00:56:59.05\00:57:01.25
undiluted truth?
00:57:01.28\00:57:03.15
God is calling you
back to undiluted truth.
00:57:03.18\00:57:05.79
God is calling you back to
the pure doctrines of His Word.
00:57:05.82\00:57:09.89
God is calling you back to the
undistorted teachings of Jesus.
00:57:09.92\00:57:14.06
Which one of you
are ready to abandon
00:57:14.10\00:57:16.06
stained glass in preference
to the truth of God's Word?
00:57:16.10\00:57:20.50
May it be you. God bless you.
00:57:20.54\00:57:22.50