Participants:
Series Code: SCM
Program Code: SCM200005S
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00:01 A great controversy rages between good and evil
00:03 and humanity is caught in the crossfire. 00:05 Satan has crafted his most cunning end-time deceptions 00:08 but his plans are doomed to fail. 00:11 Get ready to anchor your minds in truth 00:13 as the Bible exposes his lies 00:16 and prepares us for our soon-coming Savior. 00:18 And now live from the Campus Hill Church of SDA's 00:22 in Loma Linda, California, 00:24 we bring you this presentation of: 00:31 Hello and welcome to 3ABN's Winter Camp Meeting 00:34 here in sunny Loma Linda, California. 00:37 My name is Jill Morikone, and we're so glad each one of you 00:40 are here, and we're so glad you have joined us 00:43 at home. Our message this afternoon 00:47 will be brought by my pastor: Pastor John Lomacang. 00:50 He's the pastor of the Thompsonville SDA church. 00:53 He's a man of God... a man of the Word. 00:57 And I know the Lord has an incredible message for us 01:00 this afternoon through him. 01:02 Before he comes to present the Word of God 01:05 we're going to hear from some dear friends of the ministry: 01:08 Reggie and Ladye Love Smith. I love it when they sing. 01:12 There's an anointing on them. 01:13 And the song they will be ministering 01:15 is Great Is Thy Faithfulness. 01:18 After they shall have sung 01:20 the next voice you will hear is that of our pastor and friend 01:23 John Lomacang. 01:30 Great is Thy faithfulness 01:35 O God, my Father! 01:41 There is no shadow of turning with Thee. 01:49 Thou changest not, 01:53 Thy compassions... they fail not. 02:00 As Thou hast been 02:02 Thou forever will be. 02:10 So great is Thy faithfulness! 02:15 Great is Thy faithfulness! 02:22 Morning by morning 02:26 new mercies I see. 02:34 And all I have needed 02:39 Thy hand hath 02:43 provided. 02:48 So great is Thy 02:52 faithfulness 02:59 Lord unto 03:04 me. 03:17 Summer and winter 03:22 and springtime and harvest 03:29 and sun, moon, and stars 03:34 in their courses above 03:39 join with all nature 03:44 in manifold witness 03:50 to Thy great faithfulness, 03:56 mercy, and love. 04:01 Great is Thy faithfulness! 04:06 Great is Thy faithfulness! 04:11 Morning by morning 04:16 new mercies I see! 04:22 All I have needed 04:26 Thy hand hath provided. 04:32 Great is Thy faithfulness 04:38 Lord, unto me. 04:42 Great is Thy faithfulness! 04:47 Great is Thy faithfulness! 04:52 Morning by morning 04:57 new mercies I see! 05:02 And I all have needed 05:07 Thy hand hath provided. 05:13 Great is Thy faithfulness... 05:18 great is Thy faithfulness... 05:23 great is Thy 05:26 faithfulness 05:35 Lord, 05:37 unto 05:40 me! 06:04 Can we say amen again? Amen! 06:07 Thank you so much Reggie and Ladye. 06:10 We are here because God's faithfulness is always great. 06:15 This afternoon I would like to invite you 06:17 to calibrate your thinking. 06:20 They have given me the message entitled Following Stars and 06:24 Spirits, and I would like to subtitle it: Pandora's Box. 06:30 But before we go any further let's ask for the Spirit of God 06:33 to guide and speak to my heart. 06:36 Father in heaven, 06:37 this is Your opportunity. I am Your servant. 06:43 Speak so that Your name may be honored and glorified. 06:48 In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. 06:53 In Revelation 9 the apostle John 06:58 introduces us to an unimaginable scene. 07:02 I read Revelation chapter 9 verses 1 and 2: 07:39 The apostle John makes it clear 07:41 in Revelation chapter 12 who this fallen star really is. 07:47 Follow God's Word. 07:49 Revelation 12 beginning with verse 7: 08:35 John makes it clear that the star that he had seen 08:39 falling from heaven was none other than the dragon, 08:43 the serpent of old, the Devil and Satan. 08:46 Isaiah the prophet chimes in 08:49 and gives credibility to what John finds. 08:51 Isaiah 14 verse 12 we read: 09:08 And then finally if Isaiah's not enough 09:13 and John is not enough 09:15 I pray that Jesus is enough. 09:18 Luke 10 and verse 18 the words of Jesus. 09:22 He says: 09:31 Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you 09:34 to palpable darkness... thick darkness. 09:38 This darkness is no ordinary darkness 09:42 nor is it an incidental darkness. 09:46 This darkness is not the resid- ual aftereffect of falling rain. 09:52 It's far deeper than that. 09:54 Nor is it the production of colliding air masses. 09:59 Isaiah 60 and verse 2 the prophet says: 10:03 "For behold the darkness shall cover the earth 10:07 and deep darkness the people. " 10:10 You see, God predicted that darkness was the pandemic 10:15 that would accompany the introduction of evil. 10:18 And if you pause and look at our world today 10:21 God's Word was correct. 10:23 Our world is a world of intense darkness. 10:27 If we can only see the world from God's point of view, 10:31 we can conclude what kind of world this is. 10:34 I was raised in the city of New York. 10:36 I go back to the streets of Brooklyn, 10:38 the streets of Manhattan, and back in the 70's and 80's 10:42 it was dark. But I have news for you today: 10:44 darkness is not localized to the city of New York. 10:49 Come on, somebody. 10:50 Darkness is not localized to the city of Los Angeles. 10:54 You can even find darkness in Loma Linda. 10:57 God predicted that darkness was the pandemic 11:01 that would accompany the introduction of evil. 11:03 For you see, the eviction of Satan 11:06 was the introduction of something that I call 11:09 the proverbial Pandora's box. 11:13 Now what is Pandora's box? 11:15 In Greek mythology 11:17 Pandora's box is an artifact 11:20 or a golden box with a lid 11:23 connected to the myth of Pandora. According to the myth 11:27 when Pandora opened her golden box 11:30 the evils contained in it were released. 11:35 Evils that did not exist and were not known 11:40 prior to the box being opened. 11:43 As long as the box remained closed 11:47 the evils were contained. 11:49 When you go back in the begin- ning of the great controversy 11:52 although there was war in heaven 11:56 evils were not yet released in the world. 11:58 Even though Satan is the inventor of every evil device 12:03 evil could not enter the world until the box was opened. 12:06 The Bible tells us how that box was opened. 12:09 Romans chapter 5 and verse 12 12:12 we read these following words: 12:15 "Therefore just as through one man... " How many men? 12:21 "one man sin entered the world 12:23 and death through sin 12:25 and thus death spread to all men 12:29 because... " How many of us? 12:31 "all have sinned. " When Adam sinned, he had no concept 12:38 of the seemingly eternal and lethal pandemic of evil 12:43 that would be unleashed on our world. 12:47 And today all you've got to do is turn the news on. 12:51 All you've got to do is remember the community 12:53 you were raised in. All you've got to do is 12:56 look at the movies that are being shown today. 12:58 All you've got to do is put your ear to the radio, 13:02 put your ear to the Internet, and you'll find that what Adam 13:05 did not see is prevailing in every corner of the world today. 13:10 When Adam opened Pandora's box - listen carefully - 13:14 every sinfully wicked and morally-depraved act was born. 13:19 If he had only known, I think his decision 13:22 would have been different. 13:23 When Adam sinned, malicious... can I be clear today? 13:27 malicious, corrupt, debased 13:30 vile, nefarious, pernicious and destructive inventions 13:35 were initiated. 13:37 Inventions that would parlay the human imagination 13:42 were released on the world when Adam sinned. 13:45 Every demonic act of cruelty was conceived. 13:49 Every reprehensible, des- picable, and wretched attitude 13:54 entered the world, and that's just the tip of the iceberg! 13:59 Speaking about evil William Shakespeare said: 14:02 "Hell is empty... all the demons are right here. " 14:10 When Adam sinned, Satan pounded his chest in victory 14:16 and disguised himself further. 14:19 Today darkness is embraced as light 14:21 and light is rejected as darkness. 14:25 Following the entrance of sin Satan set out to accomplish 14:29 every claim that he made, and his highest ambition 14:32 Isaiah 14 verse 14 says the following words. Satan said: 14:47 In his quest to be like the Most High 14:50 Satan began with a checklist. 14:53 And what a checklist it was! 14:55 You see, one of the things that we have to keep in mind 14:59 is that this is not the world that God intended. Can somebody 15:02 say Amen? Amen! 15:04 This is a world that's far dif- ferent than the Garden of Eden. 15:07 If Adam only had known what would happen in our world today, 15:10 just think about it: every disease. Right now we are in 15:13 the midst of a disease that can become a pandemic. 15:16 Every disease, every war, 15:20 every act of hatred, 15:22 every violent act, every act of rebellion... 15:26 And by the way, let me make it clear. 15:28 I'm not going to polish it today. 15:30 In order for us to understand how much we need a Savior 15:33 we've got to understand how bad it really is. 15:36 Every act of violence, 15:38 every act of rebellion was released 15:42 when Satan began to go down his checklist. 15:47 Look at the first thing he decided. 15:49 Isaiah 14 and verse 13 15:52 the Lord said to Lucifer: 16:04 The stars of God are the angels of heaven. 16:07 And Revelation 12 verse 4 tells us that when Satan sinned 16:11 he was successful. His tail drew 1/3 of the stars 16:15 of heaven and threw them to the earth. 16:17 So Satan was no longer alone in his campaign against heaven. 16:20 He succeeded... Think about this: 16:22 perfect angels, perfect intellect, never knowing sin 16:27 before. If Satan was successful in deceiving them, 16:31 how much danger are we in? 16:35 Perfect beings never knowing evil, 16:39 never knowing darkness. 16:41 Satan methodically went from one angel to the next. 16:44 The Bible says: "By the multitude of his trading 16:47 he traded truth for error, 16:50 light for darkness, 16:52 loyalty for rebellion. " 16:54 By the multitude of his trading he succeeded 16:57 in deceiving 1/3 of the angels of heaven. 17:00 And the Bible says they were "thrown to the earth. " 17:03 Satan was no longer alone in his campaign against heaven. 17:06 He succeeded, and today our world is wrapped 17:10 in demonic activity. Can I be plain today? 17:13 Listen carefully: just in the UK alone - 17:16 this statistic blew me away - 17:19 just in the United Kingdom alone 17:21 pagan, Wicca, druids, 17:26 pantheists, heathen, 17:29 witchcraft, shamanism, 17:32 animism, the idea that plants have souls - 17:35 the occult world and the Thelemic world 17:38 in England alone there are as we sit here today - 17:43 and by the way, this will startle you - 17:45 as of 2011, what year did I say? 17:48 as of 2011 there were 80,00 registered witches 17:53 in England alone. 18:02 But it gets darker than that. 18:05 According to a website called bookru.com 18:08 they published recently 18:11 a list... just released about a week ago 18:13 a list of the top 55 books recommended 18:17 to teach children about witchcraft. 18:21 That's just the top 55. 18:24 That's not the 238 that they left out. 18:27 Just the top 55. 18:29 Let me say something. Parents: when we fail to train 18:32 our children somebody else will. 18:39 I went even further in my research. 18:42 A major nationwide superstore - 18:47 I won't name what it is - 18:50 now carries more than 1,000 children's books 18:55 on the subject of the paranormal, 18:58 the occult, and the supernatural. 19:01 You can go to these superstores in any community, 19:04 in any state, in any neighborhood 19:05 and sometimes on different parts of the globe 19:07 and you can pick from any 1,000 books! 19:12 And children today are buying them. 19:14 My wife and I were at a store once 19:16 buying something for our nieces a number of years ago. 19:18 And we went to the checkout counter, 19:20 and right at the checkout counter we found 19:23 there were seven books on how to cast spells 19:26 for teenage girls. 19:28 If you saw somebody had a boyfriend you want, 19:30 here's the spell to cast to get that girl's boyfriend. 19:33 If you didn't like what your parents said, 19:35 here's a spell to cast to get your parents 19:38 to allow you to be rebellious. 19:40 Now that's just the tip of the iceberg. 19:43 If we could see the world that God sees, 19:46 what a generation would we see? 19:48 We are living in a generation called Generation Z. 19:54 From 1995 to 2012 19:56 in China... this is where it began... 19:58 in China. Today where this pandemic is now beginning to 20:02 grasp the world... where it's beginning to grip the world. 20:04 In China they began to notice that among the young folk 20:07 of that nation... even the Communist leaders 20:10 began to lose the grip on the young people. 20:12 As soon as they got access to their iPhones 20:14 they began to ignore the beliefs of the Communist society. 20:19 They began to rebel against everything they were taught 20:22 as young people. They began to turn their minds away. 20:25 They chose not to listen. 20:27 They had their cellphones. 20:28 Cellphones today, my brethren. We've gotta be smarter 20:32 than our cellphones. 20:35 Devices. The generation that forgot God. 20:39 According to one recent research 20:41 Generation Z, the generation born between 1995 and 2012, 20:47 they stated that that is the least godly generation 20:50 in the last 100 years. 20:53 So you wonder why it's hard to find young people that want 20:57 to live like Christians? 20:59 This is the generation that they said is most likely 21:02 as the statistics point out 21:04 one-third of that generation does not claim to be Christian 21:08 at all, and the other 2/3 of Generation Z - 21:11 Are you listening? The other 2/3 of Generation Z 21:14 they build their Christianity based on the occult world, 21:18 on the dreamcatchers, 21:20 on spiritists. And they said they even set up Harry Potter 21:24 as their religious icon. 21:26 That's the generation we live in. 21:29 That's why the Bible said: "As it was in the days of Noah. " 21:31 What happened in Noah's day? 21:33 The thoughts and intents of their hearts were only evil 21:35 how long? Continually. 21:38 That's why it's difficult to get young folk nowadays 21:41 to think about godly things. 21:43 The Bible says in Judges chapter 2 and verse 10... 21:45 And by the way, you'll notice in the Bible 21:47 there is a particular cadence. One of the signs that tells me 21:51 that Jesus is soon to come 21:53 is the very description that I'm about to read to you 21:55 in Judges chapter 2 and verse 10. 21:57 If you follow the cadence, the first time the world was 22:01 destroyed was in the pre-flood generation known as 22:05 the antediluvians 22:06 and the knowledge of God was at its lowest point. 22:09 When God called Abraham 22:11 the knowledge of God was almost completely obliterated 22:15 from the world. 22:16 Then you go fast forward. 22:18 When God raised up the Jewish nation 22:20 He gave them the gospel to give to the rest of the world. 22:22 But when Jesus came the servant of the Lord 22:25 Ellen White says that "Jesus came at the darkest point 22:28 in human history. " You'll notice the cadence. 22:31 Light increases then darkness comes in. 22:35 Light increases again then darkness comes in. 22:40 Jesus, the Light of the World, comes and He finds 22:43 a generation in darkness... a generation - 22:45 hear me carefully - that kept the Sabbath, 22:49 had a good diet... 22:52 You can breathe! 22:58 They had all the doctrines correct 23:00 but they became the victims 23:02 of the darkness of their generation. 23:05 When Jesus came, even some of the stories told in Scripture 23:08 show the darkness that began to seep in the generation 23:12 of Christ's day. One of the examples you find 23:14 is when Jesus stayed away for 4 days before He raised Lazarus. 23:17 The reason why He stayed away for four days 23:19 is because the belief of the immortality of the soul 23:23 had already permeated the Jewish society. 23:26 They believed that the soul was immortal 23:29 and that when a person died 23:30 for three days the soul tried to get back into the body. 23:33 If it succeeded, the person would come back to life 23:36 after three days... so that's why Jesus stayed away 23:39 four days. 23:41 He wanted to make it clear that there is no life 23:45 unless we are connected with the Resurrection and the Life. 23:49 That's why He stayed away for four days. 23:52 They knew that Jesus... They said: "Lazarus is sleeping. " 23:56 And His disciples said: "He's not feeling well. 23:58 If he's sleeping, he needs the rest. " 24:00 And Jesus then said plainly: "Lazarus is dead. " 24:03 And when He got there and met Martha she said: 24:05 "If You had been here, my brother would not have died. " 24:08 I praise the Lord everybody sleeping in Jesus 24:12 will come forth from the grave one day. 24:14 But there is no such thing as the immortality of the soul. 24:17 And so the question is: "Why does this generation 24:21 believe that? " Listen to Judges chapter 2 and verse 10. 24:24 The Bible says: "When all that generation... " 24:26 That means when all the godly leaders had been gathered 24:30 to their fathers. When Joshua died 24:33 and the elders died and the leaders of Israel that 24:35 held a high standard died... 24:37 The Bible says: "Another generation 24:43 arose after them that did not know the Lord 24:47 nor the work which He had done for Israel. " 24:50 This is the generation that does not know God. 24:56 You may be shielded here in Loma Linda 24:59 but even in little Thompsonville, Illinois, 25:02 where we have 550 people 25:05 we know that even there 25:07 there's a generation that does not know God. 25:10 The Bible continues... 25:11 You see, the fact of the matter is the devil is doing 25:14 what many parents fail to do. 25:16 And this is a powerful Scripture, but understand 25:18 the two sides of it. 25:19 Here's what the Bible says... 25:20 Proverbs 22 verse 6 the Bible says: 25:22 "Train up a child in the way he should go 25:27 and when he is old he will not depart from it. " 25:30 Now watch this: the devil knows that text 25:33 so what he does: he aims at the children. 25:36 So if he can train up a child from young 25:40 in the way that he should go... If he trains a child 25:43 in evil, you don't outgrow evil. 25:46 You don't outgrow righteousness. 25:49 You have to be trained in the way that you should go. 25:52 That's why parents, if we fail to do what God has called us 25:56 to do, the devil will do it for us. 25:59 Train up a child in the way that they should go: 26:01 the same principle applies to good and evil. 26:04 When we train children... When I was being raised 26:06 I remember very well I was raised by a lady that 26:09 made me go to church whether I wanted to go or not. 26:12 Anybody else can say "Amen" to that? 26:15 I didn't get a choice on Sabbath morning 26:17 whether or not I was going to stay home. 26:18 If I was breathing, I was going to church. 26:24 She would say to me when the Sabbath was coming in: 26:27 "Get your suit ready; iron your clothes; 26:29 get your shirt together. " And if I didn't iron my suit 26:32 I'd be going to church with a crinkled suit 26:34 but I was going anyway. 26:36 Can I get a witness somewhere? 26:37 But nowadays parents say to kids "Do you want to go to church? " 26:43 "I don't know. " I said years ago: "If you want to learn... " 26:46 "If you don't know how to raise kids, 26:48 take them to the West Indies 26:51 or maybe to Puerto Rico. " 26:54 You'll get that on Tuesday. 26:58 We've gotta train our children so that they can be raised 27:01 in the fear and admonition of the Word of God, 27:05 what do you say? Amen. 27:09 When we consider what's taking place in our society today - 27:12 witches and warlocks and demons and mediums - 27:14 the Bible forbids all such practices. 27:17 Look at Deuteronomy chapter 18 verses 10 to 11. 27:20 Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse 10 to verse 11. 27:24 Notice the Word of God: 27:25 And I thank God... let me say it again... I thank God that 27:29 we don't have to guess about God's position concerning evil. 27:33 What do you say? Amen! Here's what He says: 27:37 Deuteronomy 18 verse 10: 27:39 "There shall not be found among you anyone 27:44 who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire 27:48 or one who practices witchcraft 27:50 or a soothsayer or one who interprets omens 27:54 or a sorcerer 27:57 or one who conjures spells 27:59 or a medium or a spiritist 28:03 or one who calls up the dead. " 28:07 But what we don't understand the birth of all these dark 28:10 demonic practices found their inception in the Garden of Eden. 28:14 When Eve had a conversation with a fallen angel 28:19 described now as the serpent 28:21 he made a statement then that has been living for the last 28:25 6,000+ years as though it's based on God's Word. 28:29 Here's what he says to Eve: 28:31 God had told her: "The day you eat thereof you will surely die" 28:34 but Genesis chapter 3 and verse 4 all these omens 28:38 and sorcerers and spells and mediums and spiritists 28:41 are all existing because of this lie. 28:45 Here's what he said and I think you know it: 28:53 Do you know that the safest place in Loma Linda 28:55 is the cemetery? 28:59 How many of you would like to spend the weekend 29:01 in the cemetery? 29:03 Come on, raise your hand with me. I will. 29:06 I'd put my wallet on the gravesite. 29:08 I wake up in the morning my wallet will be where I put it 29:11 the night before. Come on, somebody. 29:12 Some of you all don't believe that. 29:14 Some of you all Christians still think... 29:17 You know, I went to one of my member's house once. 29:19 I was... I had a head elder that was from Panama 29:22 and he said: "Pastor, when you come visit me 29:25 knock 3 times on my door. " 29:28 I said: "Why three times? " 29:29 He said: "Because spirits knock twice. " 29:33 So I went to visit him, my wife and I. I knocked twice. 29:41 And I heard him behind the door but he wasn't lettin' on 29:44 that he was in there. So I knocked hard twice again 29:50 and he said: "Who is it? " 29:52 I said: "Brother, open the door; it's the pastor. " 29:56 He said: "Why didn't you knock three times? " 29:57 I said: "Because a Spirit is here... 30:01 God's Spirit. " Come on somebody, say amen. 30:06 The belief in the immortal soul 30:09 has given impetus to every genre of evil. 30:13 Think about it: 30:14 how ironic it is that the distorted believe about the soul 30:18 is supported for 6,000 years. 30:23 In every society in every generation 30:25 there's some belief that the body has this soul 30:29 that departs at the time of death 30:31 and either goes to heaven or goes to hell 30:35 or roams the earth. This belief has been based on the ideology 30:38 as Satan said: "You will not surely die. " 30:41 And today even among Christians 30:43 I put this to the test. I was in Jamaica not too long ago. 30:47 If you know anything about the West Indies, they've got 30:50 all kinds of spirits in the West Indies... 30:52 at least they believe they do. 30:54 And I said to this Jamaican audience: 30:56 "How many of you would be willing to spend the night 30:58 in the cemetery? " Nobody raised their hand. 31:01 I said: "Even among those of you that claim to be Adventist 31:04 you ought to understand that we can trust God's Word. " 31:06 What do you say? Amen! 31:08 If God said they're dead: THEY ARE DEAD. 31:12 My mother died. She never came back to visit me. 31:15 Both of my fathers died. 31:17 Both of my mother's died. 31:18 When I took them to the cemetery they never followed me home. 31:22 I never got an e-mail. 31:24 I didn't see no strange things around my house. 31:26 Here's the point: what you believe creates your anomaly. 31:32 The condition of your mind... There's some people 31:34 that will come visit us in Thompsonville... 31:36 I remember some people came from New York once to visit 31:38 my wife and I. They were from Brooklyn, NY. 31:40 And from our house to their car was about 18 feet. 31:44 They said: "Walk us to our car. " 31:46 I said: "It's right there. " They said: "But it's dark. " 31:49 I said: "We're in the country. The worst thing could happen 31:51 to you, you might run into a deer. " 31:54 They said: "Naw... could you walk us to our car? " 31:56 I said: "You're from Brooklyn and you're afraid of the country? " 32:00 They made us walk them to their car! 32:03 You see, the problem is not what's happening around us... 32:06 the problem is what's happening where? In us. 32:08 When you allow God's Word to come in 32:11 it banishes all darkness. 32:14 The entrance of God's Word gives light. 32:17 How ironic that that lie is still existing today. 32:22 Let me give you a few examples. 32:24 Today people believe that their dead relatives can still 32:27 contact them. 32:29 Others believe that their dead relatives 32:31 are now their guardian angels. 32:33 I have relatives that believe 32:34 this. I have relatives that are still sending happy birthdays 32:38 to my grandmother in heaven! 32:40 That' what they say: "Grandma, we know you're up there... 32:42 Happy Birthday! " And I can't hesitate 32:44 to tell them that grandma ain't in heaven. 32:46 She's in the graveyard in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. 32:50 Not too long ago my uncle passed away. 32:53 They said: "I can see uncle now in heaven playing baseball 32:55 with the Yankees. " I said: "The Yankees are in NY 32:57 not in heaven. " 33:00 And as funny as it sounds 33:02 this is what's creating room for Satan to work. 33:06 Some people ask the dead for advice. 33:09 Praise God they don't get any responses. 33:11 Others talk openly to their dead waiting for answers from 33:14 the other side. 33:16 Some go to the cemetery and talk to the grave as though they 33:18 are listening. And I know for some people 33:21 that's a point of comfort. But my brethren, 33:24 you could do better if you just talk to the Lord. Amen! 33:27 Some say that they died and floated above their bodies 33:30 before returning. And there are all kinds of books 33:33 being written. And it's amazing how the devil uses children. 33:38 Have you ever noticed that? 33:39 He uses an innocent child. 33:41 I discovered not too long ago there was a book written by 33:44 a little boy that claimed to have died and gone to heaven. 33:47 Well many many years later he began to sue 33:51 the network that had aired his story. 33:55 And it was amazing what he wrote. He said to the network: 33:58 "My father and I made that story up just to get publicity. " 34:02 And then he said: "If you would only read your Bible, 34:06 you'll understand the truth of God's Word 34:08 and this lie could never have lived. " 34:11 And I'm paraphrasing that by the way. But you look it up 34:13 and you'll see it yourself. 34:14 He said: "I went to heaven and he brought back messages. " 34:17 There are those that said: "I went to hell 34:18 and God told me every- thing's going to be all right 34:20 because so and so is not there. " 34:22 I was watching a story once on television. 34:26 One of those court shows. 34:29 And the sad reality in the courtroom 34:32 the lady that was on trial had killed the wife 34:36 of the man who was in the courtroom watching the judge 34:40 read the verdict. And they were sentencing this woman 34:43 and they gave the family a chance to say something 34:46 to this person that was convicted. 34:47 So the husband came up to the podium 34:52 because the woman that had kills his wife was sentenced 34:54 to death. And he said to the woman in the court: 34:58 "I cannot wait till you die. 35:00 My wife is waiting in heaven to settle the score. " 35:08 Some say they died and went to heaven and returned with 35:10 a message from God. Others claim to have the ability 35:13 to conjure up spirits of the dead 35:15 and some say that they have embraced their children 35:18 when they have reappeared. I had a phone call from a young 35:21 boy who was 9 years old. He said: "Pastor... " 35:24 Young boy from Florida... 35:27 beautiful little southern accent. 35:29 He said: "My momma keeps visiting me. " 35:31 I said: "Why are you afraid? " 35:32 He said: "Because my momma died two years ago. " 35:35 I said: "Next time you see a spirit that looks like 35:38 your momma here's what you need to do... " 35:39 He said: "Yes, sir? " 35:41 And he did it, and he called me back a few months later 35:43 and said it never happened again. 35:46 Because what people don't know, and here's the thing that 35:48 the devil does: he makes us think - 35:52 Lord, have mercy - 35:54 he makes us think that there is privileged information 35:57 between you and your relative 35:59 that he has no access to. 36:02 So he says, the medium: "I see somebody now. 36:07 They have on a red shirt. 36:10 Their favorite number is 23 36:13 and they like baseball and they want me to tell you 36:18 that Jerry is going to be OK. " 36:22 And they say: "I'm watching; I'm watching. It's the Long Island 36:25 medium. " The devil has metamorphosed! 36:29 There was a time that Dracula looked like Dracula. 36:31 Come on, somebody: help me out. 36:33 You know, Bela Lugosi. Remember that? 36:36 Collar way up like this. 36:41 Nowadays demonic worshipers look like I do. 36:46 That's why don't take a person's credibility 36:49 based on what they look like. Check it out by God's Word. 36:55 What was my story all about? I forgot. 37:00 The point is... the point is when I told that young boy 37:04 not to believe that that was his mom's spirit 37:07 it never happened again. 37:10 Today lies are conveyed with such conviction 37:13 even among Christians that one would think 37:15 that the idea that the soul is immortal is part of Scripture. 37:19 Can I share some Bible with you? 37:21 Can I share with you what the Word of God says? 37:23 Now the question is: How... how can Christians 37:30 and Satanists believe the same thing? 37:35 Something is wrong 37:38 when a Christian pastor and a Satanist 37:42 is teaching the same thing. 37:45 Something is wrong when the pulpits of America 37:49 and the pulpits around the world 37:51 are in harmony with demons and witches 37:56 and warlocks in their beliefs about what happens 37:59 when a person dies. For the Bible describes 38:02 how Satan seeks to give credibility to false teachings. 38:05 Look at Paul the apostle's words in II Timothy 11:13. 38:09 Here's what he says: 38:11 "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, 38:17 transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. " 38:20 And no wonder: "For Satan himself transforms 38:24 himself into an angel of light. 38:26 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also 38:30 transform themselves into ministers of righteousness 38:35 whose end will be according to their works. " 38:39 Brethren, you want safety? Check everything out 38:42 by God's Word. Amen! 38:44 That's why today you don't hear a lot of Bible in churches 38:46 any more. It's all about feel- ing and emotions and excitement. 38:50 They no longer say: "Are you believing God's Word? " 38:54 They say: "How was your experience? " 38:58 It's not about truth any more; it's about experience. 39:01 "How did you feel when you came to church today? " 39:04 I've often asked myself the question: 39:05 "How did Jesus feel when He went to the cross? " 39:08 It's not about feeling... it's about truth. 39:11 Truth that never changes. 39:13 In the book Great Controversy look at this quotation... 39:15 and this is an amazing quotation. 39:17 Servant of the Lord says: 39:43 So today you've got to check out everything you hear 39:48 by God's Word. 39:52 No matter how long the person has preached, 39:55 no matter the size of their following, 39:57 if it doesn't measure up with God's Word 40:00 don't swallow it 40:02 for the main reason why deception is so successful 40:05 is that truth is often rejected. 40:08 Notice the words of the apostle Paul. 40:09 He makes it clear in II Thessalonians 2:9-12 40:13 and he tells you who's behind it. 40:15 We are living in an age where truth is rejected 40:17 and here's what happens. He says: 40:46 The lie told in the Garden of Eden: THE LIE. 40:57 It's amazing how many pastors I've talked to. 40:59 I've had opportunity. I was a part of a ministerial 41:02 association once when I lived in northern California. 41:04 I lived in the mountains of the Trinity Alps 41:07 up there in Weaverville. Anybody know where that is? 41:10 Beautiful! Fifty miles from Redding. 41:13 God's country! 2,500 ft. above sea level. 41:16 And I was a part of a ministerial association there. 41:19 Sixteen churches in that small town. 41:22 Two bars... sixteen churches. 41:25 Every month we got together and talked about different 41:28 topics. And one meeting I just couldn't take it any longer 41:32 'cause I knew we all had beliefs that we didn't all believe in. 41:36 I knew each one of us had different beliefs. 41:38 And I stood up and said: "My fellow pastors... " 41:41 I know - as I'm looking at the different denominations 41:44 represented... "I know that we all 41:45 differ on certain beliefs. 41:47 Why don't we begin starting next month 41:50 each one of us present a unique teaching 41:54 that we embrace that may not be embraced 41:57 by somebody else sitting at this table? 41:59 And then what we do is we go to the Bible 42:02 and see if the Bible supports that. 42:03 Is that all right? " That was in April. 42:06 They never had another meeting until the next year. 42:14 Because they loved not the truth but had pleasure 42:19 in unrighteousness. There are many people that would 42:21 rather embrace money and reject truth. 42:25 Embrace popularity and reject God's Word. 42:28 So when you try to touch things that may take somebody's money 42:31 out of their pocket they choose fame and fortune 42:33 and finances above the Word of God... sadly enough. 42:36 But let me make it clear about what the Bible teaches 42:38 about what happens when you die. 42:40 One way to cancel the lie is to tell the truth. 42:42 Ecclesiastes 9:5-6... look quickly with me. 42:46 The Bible says: 42:59 That means they don't know anything. 43:17 When somebody is evil it dies with them. 43:19 If somebody is loving, it dies with them. 43:22 If you owe somebody a debt and they die, 43:25 you are free. 43:30 Amen. 43:33 My dad... Got to tell you a quick story... 43:35 My dad when I was going to school 43:38 I called home to try to get some money from my dad 43:40 when I was in college, and he refused to lend me any money. 43:43 So I asked his wife, and she gave me $1,000. 43:47 And so sadly enough a tragic accident. 43:50 She lost her life and my dad came to me 43:53 and he said: "Now so what about the thousand dollars? " 43:56 I said... I said: 44:02 "You didn't give it to me and the debt collector is dead. " 44:06 I said it respectfully and he smiled. 44:09 He couldn't help but just smile and said: 44:10 "Was it yours? " He said: "Well the one who gave it to me 44:12 is gone. " 44:14 My brethren, the Bible makes it clear. 44:15 Look at Ecclesiastes 9:10. 44:17 The Bible is clear. When we embrace God's Word 44:20 deception cannot find root. 44:22 The Bible says: "Whatever your hands find to do 44:25 do it with your might 44:27 for there is no work or device or knowledge 44:30 or wisdom in the grave where you are going. " 44:36 Is that clear? 44:37 Some people say: "Oh, they're in heaven singing now. 44:40 There's a great choir in heaven. " 44:41 Listen to the Bible once again: 44:43 Psalm 115:17 the Bible says: 44:51 Not up into praise! 44:54 Down into silence. 44:55 One day we will all go up into praise together - 45:00 Amen - when Jesus gets here. 45:03 He said: "If I go to prepare a place for you, 45:06 and if I go to prepare a place for you I will come again 45:10 to receive you. " Why is it that the resurrection 45:13 has been deleted from Christianity? 45:15 The resurrection has been deleted. 45:17 Death is now being presented as an alternate route to heaven 45:20 or hell, but I've never been to a funeral 45:23 where the pastor said: "He's in hell now. " 45:27 I've never heard it once. 45:29 People have lived the wickedest lives. 45:32 More lies are told at a funeral than any other time. 45:38 That's why it's sad when we adopt phrases that have 45:41 no Scriptural support. Another lie told is that 45:43 we are having a "homegoing service. " 45:45 Homegoing? Whose house you goin' to? 45:49 Here's what the Bible talks... The Bible makes it clear 45:51 what house you're going to. Job 17:13. Let the Bible speak. 45:55 Job says: 46:02 When we die, the grave is where you're going to be living. 46:05 That's your address until the Lord's return. 46:10 Montgomery Ward called my house once. 46:13 My mother had a Montgomery Ward catalog. 46:16 And they called me and said: 46:17 "Can I speak to Maria Lomacang? " My mom. 46:21 I said: "She's not here. " 46:23 They said: "When will she be back? " 46:24 I said: "Never. " 46:25 They said: "Where is she? " I said: "She passed away. 46:28 She's buried in the Virgin Islands. " 46:29 They said: "Do you have a number that we can reach her? " 46:36 I said: "Do you think I'm trying to avoid a bill 46:40 by lying to you telling you my mother died? 46:43 If you want to collect that debt, go to St. Thomas 46:46 in the Virgin Islands. Here's the cemetery. Good luck... 46:49 but don't call me back. " 46:52 Job makes it clear in Job 14 verses 11-12. 46:55 I'm moving right along. 46:57 "As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes 47:00 parched and dries up 47:02 so man lies down... " the Bible says... 47:04 "and does not rise. " How long is he going to be there? 47:07 Let the Bible speak: "till the heavens are no more 47:10 they will not awake nor be roused from their sleep. " 47:14 Amen somebody? 47:16 Today preachers have adopted the lie 47:20 "You will not surely die. " 47:22 There was a time when fortune tellers and psychics 47:24 and mediums looked the part. Today they have become 47:27 more stealthier in their appearance. 47:30 On the website women.com 47:33 in 2018- ladies, I pray for you - 47:39 but on women.com they listed the 27 best TV shows 47:44 about witches that are on TV right now. 47:48 Listen to this. They said... here's the quote: 47:50 women.com "Witches and television 47:54 pretty much go hand in hand. 47:56 Viewers love watching shows about witches and magic 48:00 and everything occult. 48:01 To celebrate this awesome trend throughout TV history 48:05 we have gathered a list of the best TV shows about witches. " 48:10 women.com 48:12 The next thing is horoscopes. 48:15 Horoscopes. H- O-R-O-S-C-O-P-E. 48:20 It should be horror... scope. 48:26 A summary on horoscopes: many believe that 48:29 the validity of horoscopes is based on the positions of 48:32 stars, planets, and the sun. 48:34 But Dr. Christopher S. Barrett, 48:36 Assoc. Prof. of Physics at West Texas A&M University, 48:40 he was asked the question: "Can horoscopes make people 48:43 feel better? " Listen to what he said. 48:45 He said: "Of course it can... 48:47 but it has nothing to do with the horoscope being right. 48:50 Horoscopes make people feel better because 48:53 of a psychological effect known as the placebo effect. 48:58 The placebo effect is when the belief 49:02 in a useless method 49:04 actually makes a person feel better. 49:06 It is the belief itself - not the method - 49:09 that causes the perception. " 49:14 You know the placebo effect? 49:16 When they give you a pill and you say: 49:17 "I feel a lot better now" and there was nothing in it. 49:21 The placebo effect. I know what that is. 49:23 I was sitting in the car once 49:24 surrounded by a lot of young men that were smoking marijuana 49:29 in South Carolina. 49:30 Remember very well... the placebo effect. 49:33 Very well known. And they tried to get me to smoke marijuana. 49:36 I said: "I refuse. I'm not going to do it. " 49:39 The windows were rolled up. 49:41 I was in the car. 49:42 It was full of smoke. 49:44 I said: "I refuse to smoke; I will not do it. " 49:48 "I refuse to smoke! " 49:52 "I will not do it... I will not smoke marijuana. " 50:01 Somebody once said to me: "You don't need marijuana. " 50:05 My brothers and sisters, as we are smiling this afternoon 50:08 let me make it very clear: 50:09 we've gotta begin to trust God's Word. Can somebody say Amen? 50:13 Amen! This generation... 50:15 the darkness that exists in this generation 50:18 is no surprise to God 50:20 but it need not be a surprise to us either. 50:22 We have been given the responsibility to proclaim 50:25 an undiluted three angels' messages, 50:28 one that will counteract the counterfeit. 50:30 That's why the Lord impressed me to write this book: 50:32 The Three Angels' Messages In Summary. 50:35 It exposes Babylon... its lies, its falsehoods, 50:38 its teachings that have embraced Christianity 50:41 and has darkened the world. 50:43 But God is calling us to a time 50:45 that we must now bring the truth back to the forefront. 50:47 We must not even adopt teachings and ideologies 50:51 that are not found in God's Word. Can somebody say Amen? 50:54 Amen. And the positions of the stars 50:56 and the position... the position of the stars may be constant 50:59 but the planets continually move. 51:02 Don't base your tomorrow on something that you read 51:05 in a newspaper. Don't base it on somebody else's ideology. 51:08 And the whole thing that's behind it is all about 51:12 the almighty dollar 51:15 that people pay for success. 51:18 Rather than paying for success 51:20 if you pray for success God will give it to you 51:23 if He knows that's what you need. 51:25 The Bible says when the Lord made the planets... 51:27 when the Lord made the planets He made them for an intentional 51:31 purpose. Here's what the Bible says in Genesis 1 and verse 14. 51:34 Not for the horoscope; not for astrology... 51:38 The Bible says: 51:52 And that hasn't changed. 51:54 But don't base your tomorrow 51:56 on the deceptive practices of a generation 52:00 that is coated in a Satanic presence. 52:03 It's everywhere. You just drive down the freeway. 52:06 Get off at the exits. Look around you. 52:07 Begin to be familiar with your surroundings. 52:09 But even more than that, parents: let me challenge you 52:12 know what your children are watching. 52:15 I did a series not too long ago. 52:17 If you haven't seen it, you should. 52:18 It's called Unclean Spirits: 52:22 the Occult and the Entertainment Industry. 52:26 Disney World wrapped in occult belief. 52:31 If you want to find cartoons nowadays, 52:33 more of the cartoons today 52:36 are teaching your children about darkness. Witches and 52:38 warlocks and demons. So while you're cleaning the house 52:41 and you put them in front of Disney 52:43 they're watching Disney and they'll get up dizzy. 52:49 You'll get that on Wednesday. 52:50 Their minds are being polluted. 52:53 And you wonder why they have no attention for godly things? 52:56 Children come to church and when you start singing hymns 52:59 they can't even identify 53:01 because all week long their minds are being pounded 53:04 by words... occult words, words that are demonic. 53:08 Words that are sensual; words that are dark. 53:11 Words that are polluted; words that are corrupting 53:13 the minds of our young. 53:15 And we buy them cellphones as though it's some kind of act 53:18 of liberty. Over in Europe they're getting wise now. 53:22 I think in some of the Scandinavian countries 53:24 it's against the law for children 18 years old and under 53:27 to own a cellphone. 53:29 The young man that was part of the development of Facebook 53:32 I watched the video several times. 53:35 He said: "I am pained to see 53:40 what my participation has done to American and world society. " 53:45 He refused to give his children cellphones. 53:48 And Steve Jobs when he was alive... he wouldn't give his 53:50 children cellphones. And Bill Gates, the founder 53:54 of Microsoft, wouldn't give his children cellphones! 53:58 We give our kids cellphones as though it's some act 54:00 of liberty. But if we don't curb it, my brothers and sisters, 54:03 you open them to a portal that you have no idea. 54:06 Like Adam standing in the Garden of Eden 54:09 you have no idea that you're about to open Pandora's box. 54:16 I say to you as I close: the only good thing about 54:19 Satan's deceptions is they are about to come to an eternal end! 54:25 AMEN! 54:26 Psalm 37 verse 10 the Bible says: 54:39 And by the way, I've gotta add it right here 54:41 since I've got about an extra minute: 54:43 there is no such thing as an eternally-burning hell. 54:48 Read your Bible. Amen! 54:49 Let me ask you a simple question: 54:51 is the devil going to be around forever? Yes or no? 54:54 NO! Well if the devil's not going to be around forever 54:57 why would the people he deceived be in hell 54:59 burning forever? 55:00 He himself will be consumed in the fires of hell! 55:04 But that's another lie he's told. I wish I had 2 more hours! 55:07 That's another lie he's told. 55:09 Eternally burning hell... the immortal soul. 55:11 You die and go to heaven. 55:12 People in hell now withering. 55:14 That's a misrepresentation of the character of God. 55:16 One day all these lies will be brought down. 55:20 Satan once said: "I will be like the Most High. " 55:24 Let me give you an update... 55:25 can I give you an update? 55:26 The very one that once said "I will be like the Most High" 55:29 here's the update: Revelation 12:12. 55:40 What do you say? Amen! 55:42 "I will be like the Most High. " The Lord said: "No you not! 55:44 Your time is running out. " 55:47 Soon every lie will be brought down and every truth that was 55:51 suppressed will rise eternally. 55:53 The box that contained sin will forever be eradicated. 55:58 And I will share this again but I think it fits right here: 56:00 one day sin will be eradicated. 56:04 One day death will be exterminated. 56:07 One day pain will be eliminated 56:09 and sorrow will be terminated. Come on somebody, say Amen. 56:12 Amen! One day war will be assassinated; 56:15 hate will be obliterated; 56:17 sinners will be extricated; 56:19 life will be celebrated; 56:21 Satan will be annihilated; 56:23 and Jesus will be vindicated! Amen! 56:27 So hold on! 56:31 And all these lies that have caused us pain and heartache 56:34 and deception and have twisted Christianity into 56:37 nothing more than a lifeless pretzel 56:39 will one day not even be a thought 56:42 for the former things will not be remembered 56:45 nor come into mind. 56:46 You want to be a star? Follow Jesus. 56:49 When He comes back we will shine like stars 56:52 forever and ever. Why? 56:53 Because we have made the Lord our trust, 56:55 His Word our foundation, 56:57 and the truth our shield and our defense. 56:59 Keep trusting God's Word for one day darkness will end 57:03 and the truth of God's Word will reign forever. 57:07 God bless you. |
Revised 2020-04-15