Participants: Pr. Mark Finley
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000093
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00:12 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth from the 3ABN Worship Center.
00:18 When The Spirit Falls with Mark Finley. 00:23 Hello friends and welcome to the 3ABN Worship Center 00:26 here in Thompsonville, West Frankfort, Illinois 00:29 as we convene for the third evening under the 00:32 preaching of Pastor Mark Finley as the series on the Holy Spirit 00:37 has blessed our hearts from night to night. 00:40 And we thank you for tuning in. 00:41 We want to encourage you to get your family and friends together 00:45 for this next hour. 00:46 If the Holy Spirit's power is something you desire to have 00:49 in your life tonight, we know that God is going to 00:52 share with you from His Word and through His messenger 00:55 the difference between true and false revival 00:58 under the message, Pentecost Repeated. 01:02 You know, the day of Pentecost was a powerful thing, but the 01:04 Lord says that the former rain will not be more 01:07 glorious than the latter. 01:09 And so what God has done in the past, 01:11 He's going to double and extend to the remainder 01:15 of the world for the future. 01:16 So tonight, open your hearts and invite the Lord 01:19 to speak to you in a very wonderful way. 01:21 It's a privilege for me to introduce Pastor Mark Finley 01:24 tonight because 18 years ago, we became aware of each other. 01:27 I should say, I became aware of him as Net 95 began. 01:31 Some of you remember Net 95. 01:33 When the Net series began and we spent about $6000 01:36 for our 600 lumen projector. 01:39 And if you know anything about lumens, 01:40 they have changed drastically. 01:42 They've gone up in brightness and way down in price. 01:46 But in 1996, I had the privilege of singing for Pastor Finley 01:51 in Orlando, Florida for Net 96. 01:54 And then we worked together as he preached wherever he 01:58 went for It Is Written. 02:00 And I was invited to accompany him even in Canada and also for 02:04 some of the It Is Written partnership weekends. 02:07 And what a blessing it has been. 02:08 We have made an agreement, Mark Finley and I have. 02:11 And I call him Mark in an affectionate way 02:12 because we are friends. 02:14 The arrangement has always been, Mark preaches and I sing. 02:18 And for the last 18 years, we have not changed that. 02:20 So tonight once again, Pastor Finley is going to 02:23 preach after I sing. 02:25 But before we do anything, we want to invite the presence 02:27 of God to continue with us tonight. 02:29 Let's bow our heads. 02:30 Our gracious Father in heaven, what a blessing it is when we 02:33 get together and we open our hearts and invite 02:37 Your Spirit to come in. 02:38 Lord, we've been so bathed by the preaching of the Word, 02:43 by the rightly dividing Word of truth 02:47 as You have so effectively done through Your 02:49 manservant, Pastor Finley. 02:51 And so tonight as he preaches and shares with us about 02:54 the Holy Spirit, send that same Spirit to empower his words, 02:59 to give life to his tongue, and to strengthen our hearts 03:02 to receive what's in store for us. 03:04 And all this we thank You for in advance. 03:07 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 03:10 Now being invited to sing, I thought about 03:12 what song I would sing. 03:14 And last night as I was sitting in the audience, 03:15 I went through various song titles. 03:18 But I think the Lord led me to decide on this one. 03:20 Because something else that the Holy Spirit does 03:23 besides anoint us and fill us, He touches our lives. 03:27 And when He does, He empowers His people. 03:29 So tonight after the song, Touch Your People Once Again, 03:32 the next voice that you'll hear is that of Pastor Mark Finley. 03:52 We need wisdom, we need power, and true love for each other; 03:58 we have had so many big but empty words. 04:05 So we come before Your face asking for Your grace; 04:12 bring Your people to a state of kingdom life. 04:18 Restore Your church again. 04:22 Touch Your people once again 04:29 with Your precious holy hand, we pray. 04:36 Let Your kingdom shine upon this earth 04:43 through a living and glorious church. 04:50 Not for temporary deeds, 04:57 but to restore authority and power. 05:04 Let a mighty rushing wind blow in, 05:14 and touch Your people once again. 05:23 Lord You see Your tired servants 05:27 and Your broken wounded soldiers; 05:31 oh how much we need Your precious healing hand. 05:37 We need the power of the cross as the only source for us 05:44 when we stand up facing final battle cries. 05:50 Restore Your church again. 05:54 Touch Your people once again 06:01 with Your precious holy hand, we pray. 06:08 Let Your kingdom shine upon this earth 06:15 through a living and glorious church. 06:22 Not for temporary deeds, 06:29 but to restore authority and power. 06:36 Let a mighty rushing wind blow in, 06:45 as You touch Your people once again. 06:54 Let that mighty rushing wind blow in, 07:03 and touch Your people once again. 07:25 Good even and welcome to our series, When The Spirit Falls. 07:29 The words of the song are, "like a mighty rushing wind. 07:32 Touch Your people, Lord, and touch them again." 07:36 The illusion, "the mighty rushing wind," comes from 07:39 Acts the second chapter when the Holy Spirit was poured out 07:42 in mighty power. 07:44 And that's the great longing of our hearts, isn't it? 07:46 That the mighty rushing wind would come, 07:48 the wind God's Spirit, that our hearts would be touched 07:51 and our lives would be changed by the power of His grace. 07:54 Let's pray. 07:56 Father in heaven, we thank You tonight 07:58 that the mighty rushing wind is going to blow, 08:01 that the fire of Your Spirit will come down. 08:04 We thank You for the promises that You have 08:06 given to Your last day people, that one day there will 08:10 be a mighty spiritual revival. 08:12 And we long for that day. 08:14 We know that before that day comes, 08:16 there will be a counterfeit revival. 08:19 And Lord, teach us to discern the counterfeit, 08:23 but not be so nervous about a counterfeit 08:26 that we miss the genuine. 08:28 Lord, help us not be so focused on what the devil is going to do 08:32 that we miss what Jesus longs to do and is doing. 08:38 Grant us eyes to see, and ears to hear, 08:42 and hearts to experience, and minds to comprehend 08:46 the working of the Spirit. 08:47 I pray Thee in Jesus' name, amen. 08:50 Our topic this evening is true and false revival. 08:54 How can you tell the difference between 08:57 a true and false revival? 08:59 It was a violent land in a violent time, 09:05 and they were violent men. 09:08 It was a pleasure seeking land in a pleasure seeking time, 09:11 and they were pleasure seeking men. 09:13 It was an immoral land in an immoral time, 09:15 and they were immoral men. 09:22 The rich oppressed the poor, and the poor trampled on one another 09:27 in an attempt to eke out a meager existence. 09:34 In the first century, they came because something was missing 09:39 in their lives. 09:41 They were violent and immoral. 09:43 They had a form of religion. 09:46 They attempted to reach out to find some meaning and purpose 09:51 in their lives. 09:53 In fact, deep down inside where it really counted, 09:58 deep down inside where it really mattered, 10:01 they were empty. 10:04 They were restless and needed peace. 10:22 Then he appeared. 10:24 A bearded, long haired, no-nonsense prophet. 10:30 His name was John, John the Baptist. 10:35 He had no pedigree, he had no theological education. 10:39 He was not a well respected rabbi. 10:43 He was not educated in any of the theological 10:47 rabbinical schools. 10:49 But this thing he had; power. 10:55 They came out to the Jordan by the thousands. 10:59 Their hearts were touched by the words of John. 11:02 Their lives were changed by the preaching of John. 11:06 They fell on their knees and sought mercy and grace 11:11 and forgiveness. 11:13 Transformations took place as John the Baptist 11:18 spoke on the banks of the Jordan. 11:21 And as he thundered out words of repentance and 11:27 led them to confession and led them to a genuine experience 11:30 with God, John put it this way in Matthew chapter 3 11:36 and verse 11. 11:54 Now notice the Bible does not say, "He will baptize you 11:58 with the Holy Spirit or with fire." 12:01 Notice what it says. 12:03 "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit..." 12:04 And what, everybody? "...and fire." 12:08 In other words, the baptism of the Holy Spirit 12:11 is the baptism of fire. 12:13 Why does God use the symbolism of fire? 12:19 Why doesn't He say, "I'll baptize you with the Holy Spirit 12:20 and baptize you with water." 12:22 Why doesn't He say, "I'll baptize you with the Holy Spirit 12:24 and baptize you with oil." 12:26 Last night, we studied oil as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. 12:30 Tonight, we're going to study fire as a symbol 12:33 of the Holy Spirit. 12:34 Now if you want to know any symbol in the Bible, 12:36 what do you do? 12:38 Do you ask every person in the audience? 12:41 "Give us your interpretation of what fire means. 12:44 Everybody write it out on a piece of paper 12:45 and I'll pass around a hat. 12:47 We'll close our eyes, we'll pull it out of the hat, 12:49 we'll read it. 12:50 And that must be the right interpretation," right? 12:52 The Bible says, "No prophecy is of..." what? 12:55 "...private interpretation." 12:57 So how do you discover what any symbol in the Bible means? 13:01 You trace that symbol all the way through the Bible. 13:04 And as you trace it through Scripture, 13:06 the apparent meaning jumps forward. 13:09 When is the first time that fire is mentioned in the Bible? 13:13 Can you tell me? When is the first time... 13:15 You at home, when is the first time fire is 13:16 mentioned in the Bible? 13:21 Well, it's before the sacrifice. 13:24 When Adam and Eve sinned and they were sent out of the garden 13:31 was there an angel stationed at the gate of the garden? 13:35 And the angel held up a... What? 13:37 A flaming sword. 13:39 Fire in the Bible... 13:48 The angel standing there with the flaming sword 13:51 at the gate of the garden represented God's power, 13:55 God's glory, God's presence, so they could not 13:58 go back into the garden. 13:59 All through the Old Testament, fire represents the 14:02 glory of God, the presence of God, the power of God. 14:07 You go to Exodus and once again there's the symbol of fire. 14:12 In the book of Exodus, the bush is burning 14:16 but it's not consumed. 14:17 The glory of God, the presence of God, manifest in the bush 14:22 represents again, fire; the presence of God. 14:26 You come to the tabernacle, the Most Holy Place, 14:30 the Shekinah glory. 14:32 The fire represents what? 14:34 The presence, glory, power of God. 14:38 Exodus 24 verse 17 defines fire that way. 14:43 Let's read it together from the screen. 14:50 So the glory of God, the presence of God, 14:53 represented in fire is a description of His power. 15:00 So fire is always; presence, power, glory of God. 15:05 Israel is guided, you remember, by a pillar of fire by night. 15:10 What does that represent? 15:11 The power, glory, presence of God. 15:14 The very presence of God guided them in the evening. 15:16 Do you remember when the Bible talks about 15:19 Elijah on Mount Carmel? 15:21 And Elijah prays and the fire comes down. 15:24 What is that? 15:26 Presence, glory, power of God. 15:29 Remember, Isaiah prays and a coal comes from the altar 15:33 and touches his lips. 15:34 What is that? 15:36 The presence, power, and glory of God. 15:39 So fire all through the Old Testament represents 15:41 the presence of God. 15:43 In the New Testament, do we have a symbol of fire 15:48 very early portrayed in the New Testament? 15:52 Do we have it there? 15:54 Sure do. 16:02 Where do you see fire in the New Testament representing 16:07 the glorious presence of God through the Holy Spirit? 16:10 In acts chapter 2, they pray and what happens? 16:14 Tongues of fire; the presence of God represented 16:18 through the Holy Spirit. 16:20 So in Acts 2, fire and the Spirit are linked together 16:25 on the day of Pentecost. 16:27 So when Matthew says in Matthew chapter 3 verse 11, 16:30 when he records the words of John the Baptist, 16:33 "He that is coming after me," that is Jesus... 16:42 If fire represents the presence, glory, and power of God, 16:47 then what is baptism? 16:49 Baptism means immersion. 16:51 So the baptism by fire is immersion 16:54 in the presence of God. 16:56 It's immersion in the power of God. 16:59 It is being immersed with the glory of God. 17:02 So God will have a people that are immersed in His presence. 17:06 They long to spend time in the presence of Jesus. 17:09 They long to spend time with the glory of God 17:12 filling their life. 17:13 They long to spend time with the fire of God's presence 17:17 and power in their lives through the Holy Spirit 17:20 transforming them by His grace and by His glory. 17:24 Since fire is a symbol of the glorious presence of God... 17:31 I want to be baptized by fire. Don't you? 17:34 I want to be immersed in the presence of God, 17:37 allowing the fire of the Spirit to fill my life 17:41 and to bring me the cleansing of God's grace and power. 17:45 This is a call to genuine Christianity. 17:48 This is a call to New Testament Christianity. 17:52 This is a call, not for something superficial, 17:55 not for a formal religion. 17:58 This is a call into the deep presence of God 18:02 when the power of the Spirit enters our lives 18:06 and transforms us by His grace and changes us 18:10 by His power. 18:11 I love that statement written by Ellen White. 18:26 The glory of God is the presence of God, the power of God. 18:46 Here's the point. 18:48 God desires to consume in me known rebellion now 18:56 so when He comes again I'll rejoice in His glorious presence 19:01 because I've been rejoicing in His presence every day. 19:04 Either the fire of the Spirit will consume sin in my life 19:11 today or I'll be consumed with the fire of His presence 19:15 when He comes. 19:17 If you take a candle and put it in the sun, 19:21 what happens to the candle? 19:23 It melts. 19:24 But you take clay and put it in the sun 19:27 after a potter had made a beautiful pot, 19:30 and what happens to the clay? 19:32 It hardens, it's preserved. 19:35 What's the difference in the sun? 19:37 Any difference in the sun? 19:39 No difference in the sun. 19:40 The difference is in what? 19:41 The material. 19:43 When Jesus comes again, the fire of the presence 19:47 of the Holy Spirit that has entered our lives and 19:51 filled us with the glory of God draws us to Jesus. 19:56 Known sin has been consumed through the Spirit in our lives. 20:04 But those who cling to sin are consumed by the fire 20:10 of the glory of God's presence then. 20:13 So here's the issue. 20:14 Either I kneel before God every day and let Him consume sin 20:20 in my life through the righteous glory and power of His Spirit 20:25 or I cling to rebellion. 20:28 And that rebellion, that sin, is consumed when Jesus comes 20:33 and I'm consumed with that sin. 20:36 Malachi chapter 3 verses 2 and 3 describes fire; 20:40 the presence of God, the Holy Spirit. 20:42 Look at the screen. 20:43 "He," Jesus, the Spirit. 20:48 Refiner's fire cleanses sin from within. 20:51 Launderer's soap cleanses sin from without. 21:05 Jesus says, "I want to enter your life by My Holy Spirit. 21:08 I want to consume lust in your mind. 21:10 I want to consume bitterness in your heart. 21:13 I want to consume selfishness from your life. 21:15 I want to consume an inordinate attitude." 21:18 The Spirit says, "I want to come in and work the 21:21 miracle of My grace in you. 21:23 I want to do in you what you can't imagine. 21:25 I want to do in you what is beyond human thought. 21:29 I want to work a miracle of divine grace and transform you. 21:33 I want to refine you." 21:35 He says, "I will refine." 21:37 The refiners fire will purify the son's of Levi. 21:40 Who are the sons of Levi? The priests. 21:42 1 Peter chapter 2 says, "You are a royal priesthood." 21:46 You and I are priests and kings to God. 21:48 What is a priest? 21:50 One that represents Jesus. 21:52 We are to be priests of God, witnesses for the kingdom. 21:56 We are a kingdom of priests. 21:57 And Jesus says, "I want to purify My priesthood on earth 22:01 through the might and power of the Holy Spirit." 22:03 So you and I can do what? 22:05 Offer an offering of righteousness to God. 22:09 Our lives become that offering of righteousness day by day. 22:15 Jesus says, "Come, let Me do a miraculous work in your life. 22:20 Let Me do something special in your heart. 22:23 Let Me cleanse you by My grace. 22:26 My Spirit wants to do more in you than you can 22:30 possibly imagine." 22:32 As we come and say, "Jesus, work that work in me. 22:37 Do something to me so You can do something through me. 22:41 Do something for me so You can do something with me. 22:45 May I reflect the fruits of the Spirit so You can manifest 22:50 the gifts of the Spirit in my life." 22:54 God is not going to turn on heaven's power 23:00 if the electrical power line is frayed. 23:05 Follow me closely. 23:07 If you indulge lust in your heart, if you indulge 23:11 greed in your heart, if you indulge bitterness 23:15 in your soul, God is not going to pour out the power 23:19 of the Holy Spirit which would only confirm you 23:23 in those known sins. 23:25 Now don't misunderstand. 23:27 All of us are weak. 23:29 All of us are frail. 23:30 All of us slip and fall. 23:32 That's not what I'm talking about. 23:34 I'm talking about known cherished sin in the heart. 23:39 I'm talking about rebellion in the soul. 23:43 Why would God pour out the Holy Spirit 23:47 in all of its abundance on a people that were cherishing 23:52 known sin in their life? 23:56 It would simply confirm that rebellion in the life. 24:01 Look... 24:12 If you long to have the gift of healing but your soul 24:18 is not healed of anger, resentment, bitterness, 24:22 but you want to have the gift of healing, 24:24 you're praying for the wrong healing. 24:26 You need healing in your heart before God is going to 24:29 give you the gift of healing to see miracles. 24:31 If you're praying for a miracle in the life of somebody else 24:34 and you have not experienced the miracle, the transformation, 24:38 of Christ's grace in your own life, 24:40 you're praying for the wrong miracle. 24:43 The Spirit of God is poured out upon those 24:46 who have experienced the grace of God 24:49 in their own life. 24:51 I love that old song... 25:10 Would you like to read that prayerfully with me? 25:12 Let's read it together prayerfully. 25:40 Notice as we continue. Read it with me. 25:55 I long that God will set a fire in me. 25:59 Did you read that cartoon? 26:01 Sometimes in my quieter moments, I do like to read a cartoon 26:06 now and then. 26:09 I was particularly drawn to this cartoon. 26:11 There was a church that was on fire. 26:15 The cartoonist drew that church and it was just burning up, 26:19 sorry to say. 26:20 And the pastor called for help. 26:22 And the deacons came and the elders came. 26:23 And they had this big bucket brigade 26:25 and they were pouring water on the church, 26:27 and water on the church, and water on the church. 26:29 And pretty soon an old backslider came and 26:31 stood in the line. 26:33 And the cartoonist drew this picture. 26:35 The backslider was throwing water and the 26:38 pastor turns around. 26:40 And etched in the bottom of the cartoon, 26:41 you know how the cartoonists do it, 26:43 the pastor says, "Well John, haven't seen you 26:46 in church in a while." 26:48 Next cartoon the church is still on fire. 26:50 The old backslider looks at the preacher and says, 26:52 "Well pastor, the church hasn't been on fire for a while." 26:59 When God burns in me, when the fire of His Spirit 27:04 burns in me, when that flame shines through me, 27:07 when it shines through you, when it shines through God's church, 27:10 men and women will come because the church 27:14 will not be as cold as the First Church of the Frigidaire. 27:18 It won't be as cold as the First Church of the Refrigerator. 27:23 When the church is on fire and the Spirit of God is 27:27 touching people's hearts, and people are coming to the altar, 27:30 and God is changing their life, when men and women are being 27:34 transformed by God's grace because the fire of God 27:38 is in their soul, people come to a church 27:42 when the Holy Spirit is at work in that church. 27:47 We pray that God will do something in us 27:50 before He does something through us to the world. 27:54 You know, in Old Dalmatia, there were houses that were 27:56 built out of bitumen. 28:00 Now when you build a house out of bitumen, 28:04 bitumen is like a coal. 28:07 It's bituminous limestone. 28:09 One thing about it is that it stinks. 28:12 I mean, bituminous limestone reeks. 28:16 It's terrible. 28:17 You could not live in a house built by bituminous limestone. 28:22 So in Old Dalmatia, this is what they did. 28:25 They cut blocks out of this bituminous limestone. 28:28 It's soft, it makes beautiful blocks for a home. 28:31 They carried it... sniff, sniff. 28:33 I mean, that stuff stunk terribly. 28:35 So they'd build the house. 28:37 Now there's one other thing I need to tell you 28:39 about bituminous limestone. 28:41 It is flammable. 28:43 It catches on fire like coal quickly, but it's not consumed. 28:47 So in Old Dalmatia, they take this bituminous limestone 28:50 and they cut it in squares. 28:51 They build the house and set in on fire. 28:54 Here's a house after it was set on fire. 28:57 Beautiful white bituminous limestone. 29:00 Almost like marble. 29:02 And it smells beautifully. 29:04 When it is set on fire, it's purified. 29:10 It smells beautifully. 29:13 You and I are a little stinky at times. 29:19 And if you don't think you are, ask your wife. 29:21 Ask your husband. 29:23 Sometimes our attitudes are just plain stinky. 29:28 Sometimes our habits are just plain, what? 29:33 Stinky. 29:34 And God sets us on fire. 29:38 We too are, by nature and through our wrong choices, 29:43 combustible, saturated with sin. 29:47 We say, "Oh God, burn in me. 29:49 Oh Jesus, by Your Holy Spirit, do something in me." 29:53 And the Spirit of God comes into our life and changes us 29:58 within, sets us aflame with His power, sets us 30:02 aflame with His presence, sets us aflame with His glory. 30:07 The Spirit of God wants to do that in you. 30:10 Like David, we pray. Psalm 51:10-12. 30:13 Read it with me, please. 30:24 With David we pray, create in me a clean heart, oh God. 30:27 Renew within me a right spirit, oh God. 30:30 Set aflame Your grace in my heart. 30:33 The Holy Spirit comes to us... 30:47 Galatians 5 verses 22 and 23 says... 30:56 Here's the issue. 30:59 The Bible never tells us to pray for the gifts of the Spirit. 31:05 Why not? 31:07 A gift is something that God gives. 31:11 A gift is something that God gives. 31:15 The Bible tells us to pray for the fruits of the Spirit. 31:19 So when my concentration is on the gifts of the Spirit 31:23 rather than the fruits of the Spirit, 31:26 I am likely to be deceived. 31:29 Human beings seek the gifts. 31:32 God invites us to seek the fruits. 31:36 When we seek the fruits of the Spirit, 31:39 God gives us the gifts of the Spirit 31:42 that are most appropriate to us for ministry and service. 31:47 So God invites us to seek His fruits. 31:50 He invites us to be on our knees saying, "Lord, give me the 31:53 gift of love in my heart for others that are unlovable. 31:57 Give me the gift in my heart to love those around me. 32:01 My family; help me to love my children, to love my wife 32:04 and love my husband, love my neighbor, love my enemy. 32:07 God, help me to manifest joy in my life." 32:11 Remember the little boy. 32:13 He looked across the field one day when his 32:14 mom took him out for a ride. 32:16 And he said, "Mama, those cows must be Christians." 32:23 "Those cows must be Christians? Why, son?" 32:25 "Because look at their long faces." 32:33 An author, Christian author, tells about his daughter. 32:38 She was just 9 years old. 32:41 And she was playing with one of her friends in the backyard 32:43 and they got in a big argument. 32:44 And the guy came out, famous Christian author, 32:47 came out and he said to them, "Stop." 32:50 And she said, "Oh daddy, we're just playing church." 32:54 Arguing in the backyard? 32:57 Just playing church? 33:00 Oh, you long for the gifts of the Spirit. 33:04 Pray for the fruits. 33:06 The fruit of love, the fruit of joy, the fruit of peace. 33:10 Oh God, help me to be a peacemaker. 33:12 Some people walk into a room and conflict is 33:14 walking in that room. 33:16 Oh God, help me to be a peacemaker. 33:18 Help me be long suffering, and kind, and good, 33:21 and faithful, and gentle. 33:23 And God, give me self-control. 33:26 Is God going to pour out the Holy Spirit and give you gifts 33:28 in abundant measure if you don't have self-control? 33:31 If you can't control your temper, you can't control 33:33 your tongue, you can't control your appetite? 33:37 When we seek God for the fruits of the Spirit, 33:42 He will pour out the gifts of the Spirit in abundant measure 33:47 on His church. 33:48 God pours out His... 33:59 Prayer is the breath of revival. 34:01 But Bible study is the very heart of revival. 34:05 In genuine revival, we seek God through prayer. 34:08 We seek Him in Bible study. 34:10 That prayer and Bible study leads us to an experience 34:14 with God, an intimate experience. 34:16 Experience is part of Christian life, but it is not 34:20 the goal of Christian life. 34:22 The goal of Christian life is prayer and Bible study. 34:25 And through that... 34:27 Let me state it this way to make it even clearer. 34:31 An experience with God is the essence of Christianity. 34:37 The means of that experience is prayer and Bible study. 34:42 Prayer and Bible study lead to a result. 34:46 We do not seek the result without the means 34:50 that lead to the result. 34:52 Prayer and Bible study lead us to the result, 34:56 which is an intimate experience with God. 34:57 If we seek experience and experience becomes our aim, 35:01 if experience becomes our goal, if experience becomes the thing 35:05 by which we test everything else, we are liable 35:09 to be deceived by Satan who will give us a false experience. 35:13 So experience is not the goal that we seek. 35:18 Knowing God is the goal that we seek. 35:21 And that is achieved through prayer, through Bible study. 35:24 The true genuine spirit of revival... 35:36 Now in the Old and New Testament, there is 35:38 true and false revival. 35:39 Let's look at them both and see if we can tell the difference. 35:42 First, let's look at a false fire. 35:44 We're studying fire. 35:45 Fire represents the presence of God. 35:47 Fire represents the glory of God. 35:49 Fire represents the presence of the Holy Spirit. 35:53 Let's look at a false revival. 35:55 Nadab and Abihu, Old Testament. 35:57 You remember the story well, Leviticus 10 verse 1. 36:04 Now notice, immediately something's wrong here. 36:07 God does not light their censor with fire. 36:10 They put fire in it. 36:11 All human attempts for revival are attempts to put 36:16 some fire in my soul. 36:18 In true revival, God puts the fire in. 36:32 So here's false fire. 36:33 So in the Bible, Old Testament, you have false fire and 36:36 you have true fire. 36:37 The false fire comes from the evil one. 36:39 The true fire comes from God. 36:42 You know, any counterfeit bill that looks too counterfeit, 36:45 nobody would accept. 36:47 Have you ever seen a counterfeit twenty-three dollar bill? 36:49 What about a counterfeit seventeen dollar bill? 36:52 What about a counterfeit eleven? 36:53 Why is there no counterfeit 11 or 17 or 23? 36:55 Why not? 36:57 Because there's no real. 36:59 So a counterfeiter wants to make the counterfeit 37:02 look as close to the genuine as they possibly can. 37:07 So what the devil wants to do is palm off a counterfeit revival. 37:22 That is coming. That is coming. 37:25 Not only is it coming, that is here. 37:29 The devil is attempting to palm off a counterfeit. 37:33 Satan pours out his counterfeit spirit of signs, and wonders, 37:37 and miracles to deceive with a false religious excitement. 37:42 You say, "Pastor, show that to me from the Bible." 37:45 I will, Matthew 24 verse 24. 37:47 Let's read it together. 38:01 So will the devil have great signs and wonders? 38:04 Will he? 38:05 Will there be undeniable signs? 38:07 Undeniable wonders? 38:09 Who's he going to try to deceive the most, 38:11 according to the Bible? 38:12 The very what? The very elect. 38:14 Who are the very elect? 38:15 The people of God. 38:16 So will the devil use, among the people of God, 38:20 the church of God, false signs, false wonders, false miracles? 38:23 Will that happen? 38:25 Will they come in among us? 38:26 Will some be deceived by them? 38:28 Look, Revelation 13 verses 13 and 14. 38:31 "He," the antichrist. 38:41 Now notice this. 38:43 "He makes fire come down from heaven." 38:44 I've heard so many strange interpretations of that. 38:47 "Oh, that's nuclear war coming down." 38:48 That's this and that. 38:50 What is the symbol of fire in the Bible? 38:52 It is the what? 38:53 Presence of God, the power of God, the glory of God. 38:57 So is this antichrist working with the devil 39:01 bring down the true fire? 39:03 Is this true fire or false fire? 39:05 So this is false fire. 39:06 So what would this false fire represent? 39:09 If in the book of Acts the true fire represents the presence 39:14 of God manifest in the gift of tongues, real languages, 39:19 to proclaim the gospel, this false fire must be a false 39:23 Holy Ghost movement based on external experience, 39:26 not the life changing power of God that changes the 39:30 heart and the life. 39:31 So here is a false fire, a false tongues movement, 39:35 false miracles movement, false gifts of the Spirit movement, 39:38 that would deceive many that dwell on the earth 39:40 by the signs that he's given in the sight of the beast. 39:43 So the agency that the devil uses to deceive many people in 39:48 earth's last hours is miracles; a false Holy Ghost movement. 39:53 Look, Revelation 16 verse 14. 40:09 So in the last days of earth's history, something amazing 40:14 is going to happen. 40:15 A false revival will take place. 40:18 In the book, Great Controversy, Ellen White takes these passages 40:23 in Revelation about false revival and expands them. 40:27 Now this reference is one of the most significant 40:30 in all of the writings of Ellen White. 40:32 Let's study it. 40:33 Not simply read it, but study it. 40:39 Now what's that, "the final visitation of God's 40:41 judgment upon the earth?" 40:43 What's that? 40:44 The seven last plagues. 40:59 What's that, "the spirit and power of God?" 41:00 That's the latter rain and the loud cry. 41:03 So before the seven last plagues, there will be the 41:06 latter rain and the loud cry. 41:09 Who is the enemy of souls? The devil. 41:12 What does the devil fear? 41:14 That the Holy Spirit is going to come upon God's people 41:17 and there will be a revival, and the latter rain will be 41:20 poured out and the power of God will be given, 41:22 and the loud cry to finish the work. 41:23 The devil wants to hinder that. 41:28 Before the true revival. 41:33 So when does the counterfeit come? 41:36 Before or after the true revival, when? 41:39 Before, now let's go back to the screen. 42:09 Now notice these points. 42:12 Number one... 42:32 Imagine this scene. 42:34 Turmoil comes on earth. 42:36 Imagine this scene. 42:38 The stock market, which seems to be doing okay now, 42:41 hit 15,000 today, will descend quickly and plummet. 42:45 People lose fortunes overnight. 42:47 Terrorism will take place. 42:49 Natural disasters will take place. 42:51 And as the economy goes bust, based on James 5 and 42:56 Revelation 18, as there is a sudden economic crash, 43:01 Revelation 18 says, "In one hour their riches come to naught." 43:06 As famine, fire, and flood take place on planet earth, 43:10 as natural disasters occur, Satan will stir up the churches 43:15 in a false religious revival. 43:18 As that false religious revival takes place, 43:20 miracles will be wrought. 43:22 The Bibles says, "These are the spirits of demons that 43:25 go out to the kings of the earth." 43:26 The kings of the earth will yield to the insistent 43:30 persistent claims of those who are manifesting 43:34 this false revival. 43:35 They see their miracles. 43:37 What if the stadiums were packed? 43:38 What if there were prayer sessions? 43:40 What if miracles were worked? 43:41 What if these false miracles even swept into 43:45 the people of God in Adventist churches? 43:50 So are on their knees praying. 43:52 Some are seeking God for transformation 43:55 of their character. 43:57 Others want signs. 43:59 Others want wonders. 44:01 Others want miracles. 44:05 Others want an external experience, 44:10 where some are on their knees seeking God. 44:13 They're signing and crying for the sins in their life 44:17 and for the sins in the church. 44:19 They're longing for a revival personally. 44:22 They're longing for their local church to be revived. 44:25 They're immersing their minds in God's Word. 44:30 And they're asking God to transform their lives. 44:34 They are seeking Him. 44:36 They long to know Him better. 44:39 Ellen White says that at this same time, Great Controversy, 44:41 page 588... 44:50 Can God work miracles? Can He? 44:53 Will God work miracles? 44:56 In the last days, can we expect God to work miracles? 44:59 Praise God, we can. 45:01 But wait a minute. 45:03 If God's going to work genuine miracles, 45:05 and Satan's going to work counterfeit miracles, 45:07 how are you going to tell the difference between the two? 45:10 Well, Matthew 7 verses 21 to 23 helps us. 45:14 "Not everyone who says, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter 45:16 the kingdom of heaven..." 45:19 So it's not what I say. 45:24 It's what I live. 45:26 "Not everyone that says," what? 45:29 "'Lord, Lord,' but he that does the will of the Father." 45:33 It's not profession, it's a life that desires to do one thing. 45:41 Please God at any cost. 45:44 "Not everyone that says, 'Lord, Lord...'" 45:58 Did they prophesy? Did they do that? 46:01 In whose name did they prophesy? 46:03 Jesus' name. 46:04 They cast out... Look at the screen. 46:09 Did they cast out demons? 46:11 Whose name did they do it in? 46:12 Jesus' name. 46:14 And they did wonderful works. 46:16 In whose name did they do it in? 46:18 Jesus' name. 46:20 Can you prophesy in Jesus' name? 46:22 Can you cast out demons in Jesus' name? 46:25 Can you actually do wonder's in Jesus' name? 46:29 But what does He say? 46:30 Back to the screen. 46:34 He never knew them? 46:36 Even when they were casting out demons in His name? 46:40 He never knew them? 46:42 Why not? Why not? 46:51 Any apparent miracle that is not accompanied by a converted 46:57 committed heart and a life transformed by God's grace 47:03 cannot possibly be a genuine miracle. 47:06 When miracles become more important than knowing truth, 47:12 beware, my friend. 47:14 Beware. 47:16 When there is an emphasis on miracles more than truth, 47:22 when there is an emphasis on experience more than 47:26 character transformation, when there is an emphasis 47:29 more on the gifts of the Spirit than the fruits of the Spirit, 47:33 when there is an emphasis on the external rather than 47:36 the internal, when there is an emphasis on what God 47:40 wants to do through me rather than, "Oh God, I'm Yours. 47:48 Change me, transform me. 47:52 Make me over again. 47:55 God, I'm just going to give You my life. 47:57 And whatever You want to do through me, 48:00 You do it. 48:01 Whatever You want to do in me, You do it." 48:05 Remember what the New Testament says about Jesus? 48:09 John 8 verse 29, Jesus said, regarding His experience 48:13 with the Father, "I do those things that please Him." 48:18 Hebrews 10 verse 7, "Lo, I come, in the volume of the book 48:22 it is written of Me, to do Thy will, O God." 48:25 What is the essence of Christianity? 48:27 Is it wonders, and signs, and miracles? 48:31 Not at all. 48:32 The essence of Christianity is knowing Christ. 48:36 The essence of Christianity is having a heart 48:40 that is so broken over my sin because I don't want to do 48:44 anything in my life that displeases Jesus. 48:47 The essence of Christianity is this passion to do His will 48:51 and say, "Lord, take out of mind anything not in 48:54 harmony with Your will. 48:56 Take out of my heart anything not in harmony with Your will." 48:59 When my passion is to do His will, when I say, 49:03 "Lord, I don't want any cherished sin in my life. 49:06 I don't want any rebellion in my soul." 49:09 When that is the desire of my life, God will anoint me 49:14 with the Holy Spirit. 49:16 God will fill me with His Spirit. 49:18 God wants to do more through you than you can imagine. 49:21 We are going to see miracles in the last days 49:24 that we can't even believe are going to take place. 49:27 But the conversion of the soul, the commitment of the heart, 49:31 the longing of the mind to please Him, 49:35 must come first. 49:37 You see, to these who are involved in the false 49:42 religious revival, emotionalism was more important 49:47 than obedience to God. 49:50 That was more important. 49:51 Beware of any so-called religious revival 49:55 that is more interested in feeling good than in being good. 50:03 Beware of any religious revival that is more interested in 50:09 an emotional experience with God rather than a transformed life. 50:19 On our knees, we pray, "Oh God, do something in me. 50:23 Oh God, do something through me. 50:25 Oh God, do something for me. 50:28 So You can do something with me." 50:32 A number of years ago, before the discovery 50:40 of blood plasma, which could be storied, a young boy 50:45 not even 20, was crossing one of the streets in America. 50:50 As he crossed that street, he was hit by a car and 50:53 knocked to the side of the road losing blood. 50:57 As he was losing blood, he was taken and rushed 51:00 to the hospital. 51:02 He needed a very complex operation. 51:05 Some of his organs were damaged by the accident. 51:09 And as this complex operation took place, 51:13 the young lad lost a great deal of blood. 51:19 So the doctor sent... 51:21 In those years, they would send for a blood donor. 51:25 And the blood donor would come and they would do direct 51:29 blood transfusions because they had no blood plasma stored. 51:33 And they looked for a blood donor, couldn't find one at all. 51:36 Couldn't find one at all. 51:39 Finally, they tested the boys father. 51:43 And the dad had the exact same blood type as his son. 51:49 And so the father came and rolled up his 51:55 sleeve on his shirt. 51:58 And the nurse came, took the swab of cotton, 52:02 puffed up the vein. 52:05 If you've ever given blood or had blood drawn, 52:07 you know how that happens. 52:09 Right up in here, puffed up that vein. 52:11 Took the needle, stuck it in the vein. 52:14 The blood began to travel directly through a plastic tube 52:19 from the father's arm directly into the son's body. 52:25 And the father stood there and watched, and watched. 52:31 As he looked at the doctor, the father said, 52:36 as he looked at the lifeless form of his son just lying there 52:41 breathing faintly, as the father saw the blood passing from 52:46 his body into his son's body, the father said, 52:50 "Doctor, if you need to, take it all." 52:55 "Doctor, if you need to, take it all." 53:00 When Jesus hung on the cross that Friday afternoon, 53:05 a crown of thorns jammed upon His head and blood 53:07 running down His face, nails driven through His hands 53:11 and blood running down His wrists dropping at the 53:14 foot of the cross, as Jesus hung there, 53:18 it was dark, dark Friday, the disciples forsook Him, 53:24 Peter denied Him, Judas betrayed Him, 53:31 the Romans crucified Him, Jesus hung on that cross 53:38 and gave every drop of blood for you. 53:41 Jesus said, "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit. 53:50 Into Thy hands I give My life." 53:54 On that cross that day, Jesus gave all for you. 54:03 He couldn't bear the thought of leaving one thing 54:10 undone for you. 54:13 Jesus loves you so much that every drop of blood 54:17 was given for you. 54:20 He hung on that cross and said, "Father, take it all." 54:25 And He invites you this night, here at the 3ABN studio, 54:30 to say, "Oh God, all I want in my life is to do 54:34 what pleases you. 54:35 I'm not seeking for signs. 54:37 I'm not seeking for wonders. 54:39 I'm not seeking for the gifts of the Spirit. 54:42 All I want to do, Lord, is please you. 54:45 And You give me the gifts You want me to have. 54:48 You use me in any way You want me to be used." 54:52 There's somebody watching this program on 54:53 Three Angels Broadcasting tonight that God is 54:57 speaking to you. 54:58 There is something in your life that you have been holding back. 55:02 There's something in your life that you have not 55:05 fully surrendered. 55:07 This is decision night for you. 55:10 Right there in that living room, God is call you to kneel down. 55:14 You may have never made a commitment to Christ before. 55:17 Christ is inviting you to do it tonight; 55:18 to get down on your knees, get out of that chair, 55:20 get off that sofa. 55:22 Christ is inviting you right now to kneel down and say, 55:24 "Jesus, my life is Yours." 55:25 You may be a Christian. 55:27 You may be an Adventist. 55:29 But you know that there's something hidden 55:31 in your heart, there's something that you have not surrendered. 55:35 You see, in the final analysis, every single one of us 55:42 will either be fully sold out for Christ, 55:45 fully possessed with the Holy Spirit, 55:49 fully empowered by that Spirit to be used of God, 55:55 or we will be guided and led by the evil one down the 56:01 path of destruction. 56:04 There's a war between good and evil. 56:06 There is a war between Christ and Satan. 56:10 And Jesus invites you right now to say, "Lord, 56:15 all I want in my life is to please You." 56:19 All to Jesus, I surrender. 56:22 All to Him, I freely give. 56:26 Would you like to make that decision right now? 56:28 Wherever you are, slip to your knees. 56:30 Here in this audience, would you like to say, "Jesus, 56:32 I'm giving it all to You." 56:33 Would you like to slip to your knees with me just now? 56:36 Wherever you are at home, would you like to get on your 56:38 knees right now and say, "Jesus, all to Jesus, I surrender." 56:45 Oh my Father, You see us on our knees now. 56:50 Lord, we long for the Spirit to come upon our lives. 56:54 We long for the fire to fall. 56:57 We long to be cleansed by Your grace. 57:00 We long to be transformed by Your Spirit. 57:05 Father, sometimes there are things deep down in our hearts 57:09 that are hidden. 57:10 Lord, reveal them to us. 57:12 Cleanse us. 57:14 Create in me, as David said, a clean heart, oh God. 57:17 Renew within me a right spirit. 57:20 Lord, may our desire be to do nothing that's 57:23 displeasing to You. 57:24 And we thank You, Lord, that You have 57:27 plans for us we can't imagine. 57:28 We thank You, Lord. |
Revised 2014-12-17