Participants:
Series Code: TDYFW
Program Code: TDYFW210009S
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00:02 I want to spend my life
00:08 Mending broken people 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:19 Removing pain 00:24 Lord, let my words 00:30 Heal a heart that hurts 00:35 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:46 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:09 Hello, and just a great big welcome. 01:10 We're glad you joined us here for 3ABN Family Worship, 01:14 exciting time for us. 01:15 We're going to be on primitive godliness. 01:17 And now this is part four of six 01:19 that we're going to be doing. 01:21 So praise God, we found it very exciting, 01:24 you know, to study the Word of God, 01:25 because it just says so much about the hour 01:28 that we're living in. 01:29 So we want you to stay right with us, 01:31 get a pencil and paper, and so on, 01:32 and your Bible and check us out to see 01:34 whether these things be so or not. 01:37 We're living in an awesome time of earth's history. 01:39 We need to spend more time in the Word 01:41 and spend time praying and studying 01:43 like we're doing around the table now with you. 01:45 Thank you again for joining us. 01:47 Again, I'm glad, Sister Chris, I'm glad you're with us. 01:49 Nice to be here as always. 01:51 I'm glad that you are. 01:53 You're a great help to me 01:55 and always pointing me in the right direction. 01:57 And so I thank God for that. 01:59 So thank you for being here. 02:00 To your right we have Brother Terry Shelton, 02:02 my nephew. 02:04 Yes. Thank you for having me. 02:05 Yeah, it's good to be here. 02:06 We have to work things around sometime 02:08 to, you know, get people to come 02:09 because everybody's so busy, 02:11 but it's awesome to have you, so we're excited about it. 02:13 Thank you. 02:15 You know, I look at everybody around here 02:16 as really is part of the family 02:17 and not you take its blood it's just, that, 02:19 but it's nice to have that. 02:21 It is blood for you and I, right? 02:23 Yes, it is. 02:24 It is and not only that but it was Terry's idea. 02:29 It's true. 02:30 That we do a study on primitive godliness. 02:33 I've always loved that little phrase, 02:35 primitive godliness. 02:37 It speaks volumes. Amen. 02:39 And to your right here, Brother Don Owens, 02:41 always a pleasure to you. 02:42 Yes, likewise. 02:44 I guess I'm the younger one in the bunch, 02:45 but I'm just been so blessed that you guys asked me 02:48 to come on here and how God works 02:50 and moves 02:51 and how this is a very important topic 02:53 in the time we're living in. 02:54 There's a lot of things 02:55 that youths are transpiring quickly. 02:57 So to stay over this primitive godliness, 02:59 and how do we get back to that, what it look so? 03:01 I like that how to get back to it. 03:03 So that's really the purpose of this study. 03:05 Isn't it so? Thank you for that. 03:06 And to your right, Pastor John Dinzey, 03:08 always a treat, always a joy to have you. 03:11 God gives you wisdom and spiritual discernment 03:14 and we drink it in. 03:15 We thank God for that. 03:17 We're giving Him praise and giving Him credit. 03:19 But thank you because I know you're very busy 03:22 in what you do. 03:23 Most people have no idea of how busy. 03:26 I just have a small concept of it, 03:28 but I know with our own life and ministries 03:30 and things going on, it's busy, busy. 03:31 So we're glad we made this time 03:33 to be able to spend around the table 03:35 and with you at home. 03:36 Thank you again for joining us. 03:38 After we've had the introduction, 03:39 I think it's wonderful. 03:41 We gonna have prayer. 03:42 We can't study the Word of God. 03:43 We can't understand the Word of God without prayer. 03:46 We know that. 03:47 And so we're gonna ask Brother Terry, 03:49 would you have prayer for us please? 03:50 Of course, let's bow our heads together. 03:52 Heavenly Father, we come to You in Jesus' name 03:55 and we come to You in Jesus' name 03:57 because there is no other name 03:58 given among men whereby we must be saved. 04:01 And Father as it has been stated we are, 04:03 in our humanness we are incapable 04:05 of understanding Your Word. 04:07 So we're inviting the presence of your Holy Spirit 04:10 to come here, to open our minds, 04:12 to open our hearts and to receive 04:14 what You would have to teach us today. 04:17 Be with those who view 04:18 and may this program be a blessing 04:20 and encouragement to them. 04:22 Father, as we study this subject 04:23 of primitive godliness, 04:25 may our hearts and our minds 04:27 be in tune with Your Word and Your Spirit now. 04:29 And we thank You in Jesus' name. 04:31 Amen. Amen. 04:33 Praise the Lord. Thank you for that. 04:34 Again, we're gonna be talking about primitive godliness. 04:37 Again, if you're keeping notes down, 04:38 this is a fourth part of six parts. 04:41 So to keep it down, because again, 04:43 we're going to be covering some very heavy duty stuff 04:45 by the grace of God. 04:46 And we're praying again, 04:48 as the prayer was for the power of the Holy Spirit 04:50 to come into our hearts, into our minds 04:51 because there's just a little introduction 04:53 before we go to question number four. 04:55 I'm gonna have Sister Chris do that. 04:56 She'll give you a little background, 04:58 maybe even a little thought on question three, 05:00 because that was so powerful and we'll let her go with that. 05:03 But first of all, I want every wind 05:05 and I think we're in agreement with this, 05:06 every wind of doctrine is blowing in the world today. 05:09 Every kind of teaching you 05:10 can think it's out in the world, 05:12 people have become so... 05:14 At least in my mind confused of what is truth. 05:18 Primitive godliness, 05:19 what is it gonna take to get back? 05:21 How is it that we've, how it has changed? 05:23 What really has taken place? 05:25 Is there one, this is a question. 05:28 Is there one standard of righteousness 05:30 that we need to go by or does this, 05:32 everybody just kind of make up their own rules as they go? 05:35 It kind of seems that way 05:38 in churches today with Christianity. 05:40 It's my opinion, 05:42 but I don't find that in anything else, 05:44 I'll give you a quick example. 05:45 I don't find that in football, 05:48 I don't find that in basketball, 05:49 you know, you can go on naming, 05:51 but I don't find that in any of the sport, 05:52 they've got their set rules and everybody goes by that. 05:55 And then everybody knows what to expect, 05:57 but in Christianity or believing, 06:00 you have a standard. 06:02 Seemed like we don't have one, 06:03 but I think that's gonna be brought up here in this lesson. 06:04 We've got a moral absolute. 06:06 Praise, God for that. 06:07 And we need to institute that something that we can, 06:10 our lesson brings out that we can bank our lives on. 06:14 We can bank our lives on, I'm banking my life on this. 06:17 I know each one here is doing that too. 06:18 So we need to be sure of it 06:20 because there are some real questions out there. 06:23 And then there's some real answers 06:24 and we wanna find out from the Word of God, 06:26 you know where they're at. 06:27 So it will help because people are asking 06:29 questions right now. 06:30 God's calling us to get back 06:32 to that real primitive godliness. 06:36 And again, that's gonna be answered as we go, 06:38 going back to scripture. 06:39 And we found out in the first few questions 06:41 of going back to the beginning, 06:44 going back to the New Testament, what? 06:46 New Testament Church, 06:47 we can see how God has set it up, right? 06:49 And then we can look at that and we can learn. 06:51 But somehow my opinion, again, we've drifted 06:54 just a little bit from that, or maybe a whole lot. 06:57 And we need to get back to that. 06:59 And if there's changes that need to be made, 07:02 I just said if, let's be willing to make 07:04 those changes as God brings them to light. 07:06 So now, you know, how can we tell 07:08 the counterfeit from the real? 07:11 So I'm just posting a bunch of things here. 07:12 I know it's going to be answered in study 07:13 and have been in the prior lessons here. 07:17 You know, for instance, does God have a true church? 07:20 Everybody seemed to have different opinion on it? 07:21 You know, is people burning in hell fire right now? 07:24 Are they ever gonna burn in hell fire? 07:25 You know, is heaven really a real place in it 07:28 and you know, how do we get there? 07:29 How about the second coming of Jesus 07:31 and, you know, baptism and the seventh day Sabbath 07:34 and, you know, list could just go on and on. 07:36 Everybody seems to come up with their own little ideas. 07:39 So somehow we have to be able to go 07:40 and get on the same page. 07:42 Jesus prayed for unity. You remember, prayed for unity? 07:45 And the things kind of baffled me 07:47 and we maybe can talk about somebody help me understand. 07:49 Jesus said before He comes, there's gonna be some unity. 07:51 And it seems like, 07:53 it's almost everything, but unity. 07:54 It seems like in the Christian world today. 07:57 So anyway, this is getting back 07:59 to what God would have us to do. 08:01 So we did a lot of time on question number three, 08:03 but you might relate if you want to 08:05 a little bit of three and then question read four, 08:07 and then we're just gonna open it up 08:09 and begin to discuss it because this question four 08:11 is just powerful. 08:13 Just always do it. 08:14 Let me just look at a couple of quotes. 08:16 One of my favorite books 08:17 is called the Great Controversy. 08:19 If you don't have that book, I encourage you call 3ABN, 08:23 and I'm sure they can help you 08:24 to get that book or look online. 08:27 I mean, it's so easy to find books online anymore, right? 08:30 Even Amazon make it, I don't know. 08:32 But anyway, let me read this. 08:34 It's found on page 464 of the Great Controversy. 08:38 It reads, "The enemy of souls desires to hinder this work. 08:42 And before the time of such a movement 08:44 shall come, 08:46 he will endeavor to prevent it 08:48 by introducing a counterfeit in those churches, 08:53 which he can bring under his deceptive power." 08:56 What did Jesus say so often in Scripture? 08:58 "Be not deceived." 09:00 Right here we're finding out, 09:02 you know, when the enemy could not kill out 09:04 the church 09:06 later on he began to join the church. 09:08 And right here, it says there are churches 09:10 that he's able to bring under his deceptive power. 09:14 He will make it appear 09:15 that God's special blessing is poured out. 09:18 There will be manifest 09:20 what is thought to be great religious interest. 09:24 Multitudes will exalt that God is working 09:26 marvelously for them 09:28 when the work is that of another spirit. 09:33 Under a religious guise, 09:35 Satan will seek to extend his influence 09:37 over the Christian world. 09:39 And we find in scripture 09:40 that we're to worship God in what? 09:43 Both spirit and in truth. 09:46 You know, I heard it said long ago, 09:47 that one man that used to work here. 09:50 He said before he became an Adventist, 09:52 he said, we've got the spirit, but Adventists have the truth. 09:56 So there's something wrong with that 09:58 'cause God said we're to worship Him 09:59 in spirit and in truth. 10:01 So if the spirit that you're experiencing 10:04 is not going along with the Word of God, 10:07 then there's a problem. 10:08 So I gave a hint 10:10 as to what that moral absolute is today. 10:11 Well, good. All right. Let's see. 10:15 Let me read another one here. 10:16 As a crowning act, 10:18 this one comes 10:19 from Great Controversy as well, 624. 10:22 Listen to this 10:24 because we're coming into a time 10:25 that we realize 10:26 that there's gonna be great deceptions. 10:28 There's gonna be miracles. 10:30 We talk about the latter rain experience, 10:31 go back and look at the early rain, 10:34 the marvelous things that the apostles were doing. 10:37 Sometimes they, it kind of made people, 10:39 I read somewhere that it brought fear, 10:42 'cause they didn't understand it. 10:43 You know, they were speaking in other languages. 10:45 There were tongues of fire. 10:47 There was a wind that came upon them 10:49 and there was a mighty work that was being done. 10:52 And we're told that in the last days 10:53 that these things will repeat 10:55 and maybe even in greater magnitude. 10:57 So listen to this quote found on page 624 11:01 of the Great Controversy. 11:02 "As the crowning act 11:04 in the great drama of deception." 11:07 I mean the enemy has this so planned out. 11:11 "Satan himself will personate Christ. 11:15 The church has long professed to look 11:17 to the Savior's advent 11:19 as the consummation of her hopes. 11:21 Now the great deceiver will make it appear 11:24 that Christ has come. 11:26 In different parts of the earth, 11:27 Satan will manifest himself among men 11:30 as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, 11:33 resembling the description of the Son of God 11:36 by John in Revelation." 11:38 Can you not picture that? 11:43 When we're teaching the Word of God 11:45 and here he appears as a dazzling, bright 11:48 being impersonating Christ. 11:51 You know, the Bible warns us. 11:52 If you hear that He is in the desert go not, 11:54 if you hear He's there, don't look. 11:56 I always say, if he sees on Channel 3, 11:58 don't turn it on. 11:59 You know, we gotta be careful 12:02 and that's not picking on Channel 3, 12:03 whatever channels you got. 12:05 Okay. 12:06 Let me read on, 12:08 "The glory that surrounds him 12:09 is unsurpassed by anything 12:11 that mortal eyes have yet beheld. 12:13 The shout of triumph rings out upon the air: 12:16 'Christ has come! 12:18 Christ has come!'" 12:19 Don't you imagine in your minds, 12:21 the whole world is thinking He's here. 12:23 This is it. 12:24 "The people prostrate themselves 12:26 in adoration before him, 12:28 while he lifts up his hands 12:29 and pronounces a blessing upon them, 12:31 as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. 12:37 His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. 12:41 In gentle, compassionate tones 12:44 he represents some of the same gracious, 12:47 heavenly truths which the Savior uttered, 12:50 he heals the diseases of the people. 12:53 This is a strong, almost overmastering. 12:59 Overmastering. 13:00 Keep that thought in your mind, overmastering delusion. 13:04 We want to hear Christ. 13:06 We want to experience 13:07 all of these things from Christ. 13:10 This leads us into question number four. 13:14 During these momentous works of supernatural miracles, 13:19 how popular and accepted 13:22 will be our faith upon the Word of God? 13:27 Hmm. Wow. 13:28 Brother Terry, let's go around, everybody has a thought. 13:31 Well, as you were talking about this grand delusion 13:35 that is coming upon us soon, 13:38 I began, my mind began to think, 13:40 do we, you and I, us, 13:43 do we have the experience 13:45 or are we gaining the experience 13:48 to be able to stand firm and say, this is not Him. 13:52 You think about it. 13:54 We're going to be in a minority. 13:56 If you're talking vast part of the world, 14:00 you know this great thing is happening. 14:03 And everybody's saying, "This is of God." 14:05 And we're saying, "No, it's not." 14:07 Right. No, it's not. 14:09 As I was studying this, everybody, 14:13 we're familiar with the story of Elijah, right? 14:17 When he was on the run. 14:18 Remember he ran, running from Jezebel 14:20 and he wound up in this cave 14:22 and you know, and he's just hiding 14:24 and he didn't know what to do with himself. 14:26 And you know, God comes in and says, 14:28 what are you doing here, Elijah, you know? 14:30 And I remembered this story, it comes from 1 Kings 19:9-12. 14:36 And it says, "And there he went into a cave, 14:39 and spent the night in that place, 14:40 and behold, the word of the Lord 14:41 came to him, and He said to him, 14:43 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' 14:45 So he said, 'I have been very zealous 14:47 for the Lord God of hosts, 14:48 for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, 14:50 torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets 14:52 with the sword. 14:53 I alone am left, and they seek to take my life. 14:56 So, then He said, 'Go out, 14:58 and stand on the mountain before the Lord.' 15:00 And behold, the Lord passed by," 15:02 here's a kick of the crux, 15:04 "The Lord passed by 15:05 and a great and strong wind tore 15:07 into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces 15:09 before the Lord, 15:10 but the Lord was not in the wind, 15:13 and after the wind an earthquake, 15:15 but the Lord was not in the earthquake, 15:16 and after the earthquake a fire, 15:18 but the Lord was not in the fire, 15:19 and after the fire," what? 15:22 "A still small voice." 15:24 Yeah. Right? 15:26 So even now, we may be seeing miraculous things seem to, 15:30 seem to have supernatural power 15:33 and let's face it, they do have. 15:35 Some of the things that there is 15:37 supernatural powers being displayed, 15:39 but it is not from God, right? 15:42 Donald. 15:43 You know, when we're saying it just made me think 15:44 of this picture, 15:46 that Satan is actually afflicting 15:47 these souls a little, get sick. 15:49 And then he comes by and says, you know what? 15:52 I'll just remove that sickness. 15:53 So it looks like that he did. 15:54 He's the ones bringing sickness on them. 15:56 That's powerful, 15:58 when you think about that and we were studying 15:59 about this Great Controversy quote, 16:02 you know, about how we're gonna be standing 16:03 on the Word of God. 16:04 And I thought about Noah came to my mind 16:08 back in the Old Testament, of course. 16:09 And I thought about how he was preaching 16:11 righteousness for all those years, 120 years. 16:13 And all these people were mocking him 16:15 and laughing at him and saying, 16:16 "Oh, you foolish fanatical crazy old man." 16:20 And how nobody wanted to listen to that. 16:22 And we're kind of getting to this point 16:23 where you know this idea of the close of probation 16:26 and here's Noah preaching this 16:27 and nobody listened, only eight people. 16:30 And they couldn't tell the difference 16:31 between what was real and what was false. 16:34 They're all deceived. 16:35 I mean, that's, I mean, you're talking, 16:37 I don't even know how many millions of people 16:38 were deceived 16:39 because they would not hear this preacher of righteousness. 16:42 I mean, do people think that way today? 16:44 Oh, yes. 16:45 I mean, most, lot of most people 16:47 you ask the Christian, 16:48 they don't feel like they're deceived at all. 16:49 Yeah. They're in the right place. 16:51 What they've studied, 16:52 they believe is truth and is right. 16:53 And I think all of us, it's a legitimate question 16:55 what you're talking about. 16:57 I gotta tell this 'cause this just happened to me 16:59 just this morning. 17:00 Someone shared a video with me 17:02 and there was this preacher from, 17:04 I don't know where from what church or anything, 17:06 but this guy was advertised 17:08 as he's gonna be preaching on Daniel and Revelation today. 17:11 So I began to listen to a little bit and he said, 17:14 "Let's go to the Book of Daniel Chapter 9." 17:16 And he began to expound upon the 70 weeks of Daniel. 17:20 And I'm gonna say, he butchered that story. 17:23 He butchered what is written there 17:26 in Daniel 9, 17:27 based upon what the actual truth is. 17:30 And he was reading. 17:32 And I said, "I don't even recognize 17:33 what he's reading." 17:34 Even though he's got a Bible in front of him, 17:36 I don't know what translation or whatever. 17:38 And I know that there are people 17:40 listening to that and accepting that as truth. 17:44 You know, bring up the subject of the rapture 17:47 and all that in Daniel Chapter 9. 17:49 And people received that as the supposed truth. 17:53 And I said, "God, please send Your people 17:56 to teach the actual truth." 17:58 And that's what 3ABN is all about. 18:00 Amen. Praise God. Yes. 18:01 Pastor John, I mean, this is heavy stuff, isn't it? 18:04 It's truth. Things like that are going on. 18:06 You said something that it's in the Bible as well, 18:09 but it's happening today. 18:10 It says that every wind of doctrine 18:12 will be blowing, 18:13 and that's one factor, 18:15 one factor of false teachings, 18:18 like you're saying that are out there, 18:20 misinterpretation of scripture. 18:22 And then you have, you go to YouTube. 18:26 I mean, I was looking a few months ago, 18:29 things for, some things were going on 18:31 and I said, "I wonder 18:32 what the people are commenting about." 18:34 So as I went through there, 18:37 I saw several videos 18:39 where people were claiming to be prophets. 18:42 They said, "Jesus showed me this last night. 18:45 And the Lord showed me this." 18:47 So I said, "What? 18:49 The Lord showed him?" Let me hear this. 18:51 So I hear this. 18:52 And I say, well, you know, this is something 18:57 that you can find out in a short time, 18:59 because these people are saying 19:01 something is gonna happen. 19:03 And sure enough, the time came, these things did not happen. 19:07 And I remember one individual saying 19:09 we have interviewed prophet after prophet 19:11 and they all say the same thing. 19:12 This particular thing is going to happen. 19:15 And this particular thing did not happen. 19:18 So you say, well, you know, 19:19 if the Lord showed you that, like they claim, 19:22 and it did not come true, 19:24 then you have to give up that title of prophet 19:26 because it did not come true. 19:29 And so, every wind of doctrine will be blowing. 19:32 But in Matthew Chapter 24, 19:34 it says that things will be happening 19:36 to such a degree that it says 19:38 that if possible will deceive the very elect. 19:43 So what do we have to do? 19:45 What do we have to do to keep from being deceived? 19:48 We have to study God's Word, really get into God's Word. 19:52 I remember one individual I met in the airport 19:54 long time ago. 19:56 And he was telling me something about some beliefs 19:58 that he had. 20:00 And he said, well, I said, 20:03 "Have you read the Bible, about these things?" 20:07 And he says, "Well, I did read it, 20:09 but I didn't study it." 20:11 And that really caught my attention. 20:14 Is there a difference? 20:15 Because there are many people, hundreds, thousands of people 20:18 reading the Bible, but they are not studying it. 20:21 And the Bible says, "Study to show yourself 20:24 approved unto God, 20:26 rightly dividing the word of truth." 20:30 And so this is what we need today. 20:32 So just like the Bereans in Acts, 20:34 in the Book of Acts. 20:35 It says that, like you said in the beginning, 20:38 get your Bible, check us out. 20:40 Make sure that what we're saying is true 20:43 and that's all we all need to do 20:44 because every wind of doctrine will be blowing. 20:47 And if we do not want to be deceived 20:49 because the time will come, 20:50 like you've been saying, 20:52 that it's not only that we will be hearing things. 20:55 We will be seeing things that look like miracles. 21:00 And you have to wonder, 21:02 well, who is really doing these miracles? 21:05 Is it of God? Or is of the devil? 21:08 So we have to be ready. 21:10 So the key you're talking about, 21:11 I think you just mentioned, I was in John 5:39. 21:15 But you said search the scriptures, 21:17 for in them you think you have eternal life and what are they? 21:20 They are they which testify of me. 21:23 Jesus said, you search the scriptures. 21:25 Now, if you search the scriptures 21:26 and those who are watching now and searching the scriptures, 21:29 will they be able to find truth? 21:31 Or they still going to be to deceived? 21:32 They're searching, they're looking, 21:33 they're honest in heart. 21:35 Is it possible they could still be deceived 21:36 or if they're honest in heart, 21:38 will God makes sure that they receive the light? 21:40 Doesn't mean they'll accept it, but will light come? 21:43 What do you think? 21:45 What did God say in Jeremiah, you shall seek Me and find Me. 21:47 You search for Me with what? 21:49 With all your heart. 21:50 God wants to be found, His truth. 21:52 He wants us to find His truth, so that we are not deceived. 21:55 Amen. 21:56 I think an important point to make here. 21:59 We're talking about the Bible. 22:01 We're talking about it being our moral absolute, 22:03 and we're talking about it being our sword 22:05 that cuts and separates, divides error from truth. 22:09 And that's, we've got to come to the point 22:11 that we have such faith in the Word of God 22:15 and in what Christ says in it, 22:16 that we no longer believe what we see. 22:19 We no longer believe what we hear. 22:21 Maybe smell, maybe witness have there not been. 22:25 And I don't remember, I may butcher this word, 22:27 apparitions, is that right? 22:29 Pictures of like Mother Mary 22:31 in different parts of the world, 22:33 had there not been statues or pictures 22:35 that have cried or weeped or bled? 22:38 You know, there have been a lot of things already, 22:40 even in our lifetime, 22:42 but we realize it is going to become more. 22:46 Yes. It will increase even more. 22:49 You're touching on something that's really put in my mind 22:51 this idea of strong delusion. 22:53 And I'm seeing the world we're in right now. 22:55 And I'm just seeing how we're very... 22:57 I'll just call it PTSD. 22:59 We're like, we're on edge 23:01 where there's so much emotion and feeling. 23:03 I can see where it would be easy to be. 23:05 'Cause I think it says that your higher power 23:07 should be or your lower passion 23:09 should be in subjecting your higher powers. 23:12 So your higher powers are not in control, 23:13 it's gonna be very easy 23:15 because you know, if we're touchy and flinching 23:17 and just real edgy, you're gonna be... 23:20 And I think that's one reason 23:21 this is so, so important this topic, 23:23 because Jesus says, 23:24 "Be not afraid, be not dismayed, 23:27 for I'm with you. 23:29 I'm going to help you. 23:30 I'm going to strengthen you. 23:32 I'm going to uphold you 23:33 with the right hand of My righteousness." 23:34 So that's why this is so important. 23:37 Knowledge is power, 23:39 understanding, studying the different topics 23:41 of the Bible is power 23:43 because we're coming into it, 23:44 like we just said a few moments ago 23:46 and we're seeing it already, 23:48 you know, do you consider yourself 23:50 a conservative Christian? 23:53 That word conservative in the public eye 23:56 is really, you've heard me often say 24:00 that truth is becoming error. 24:02 I'm quoting that from somebody. 24:04 But you know, what we can say is truth has become error 24:09 and error has become truth. 24:12 And so the question that we're looking at 24:15 is how popular will we be accepted 24:17 for our faith upon the Word of God? 24:20 And as we see the country as a whole, 24:23 as we see churches 24:25 going further and further and further away 24:28 from a thus saith the Lord, 24:30 or as Christ said, it is written, 24:34 we're becoming less and less accepted, 24:38 less and less popular with the people 24:41 and our faith will be tested more and more 24:44 as that continues to happen. 24:46 There's something that you're touching 24:47 on Amos 8:11-12. 24:50 It says, "Behold, the days are coming, 24:51 says the Lord, God, 24:53 that I will send a famine on the land, 24:55 not a famine of bread, nor thirst for water, 24:57 but a hearing for the words of the Lord. 25:00 They shall wander from sea to sea and from north to east. 25:02 And they shall run to and fro seeking the word of the Lord, 25:05 but shall not find it." 25:07 It's being pulled away. 25:09 I once was reading this, 25:11 I think it was out of Christ's Object Lessons. 25:12 It said, "The world is perishing 25:14 for want of the gospel. 25:15 There's a famine for the Word of God. 25:17 There are few who preach the word 25:18 unmixed with human tradition. 25:20 Though men have the Bible in their hands, 25:22 they do not receive the blessing 25:23 that God has placed it in it for them, 25:25 the Lord calls upon His service 25:27 to carry His message to the people. 25:29 The word of everlasting life must be given 25:31 to those who are perishing in their sins." 25:33 And so it goes on, but I just think about, 25:34 says in the last paragraph, 25:35 "We are not to wait for souls to come to us. 25:37 We must seek them where they are. 25:39 When the word 25:40 has been preached in the pulpit, 25:41 the work has just begun. 25:43 There are multitudes who will never be reached 25:44 by the gospel unless it's carried to them. 25:46 I thought that's good. 25:47 You know, I love what you just said, 25:48 because I just feel very impressed 25:50 that we need to say, 'cause as Bible students, 25:53 we realize we're in the time of judgment, 25:56 but that door's gonna close 25:58 and it doesn't mean we'll be gone. 26:00 But the Bible says to seek the truth 26:02 while it may be found. 26:04 And there may be people at home 26:07 that you've been putting off till tomorrow, 26:09 but the Bible says don't put off to tomorrow 26:11 what you need to do today. 26:13 Make a commitment, earnest, heartfelt commitment 26:17 with Jesus Christ that you wanna put him first. 26:21 Each and every day you want to put Him last. 26:23 You want to put Him in the middle. 26:25 You want to be in constant prayer 26:27 because one of these days, 26:29 we're not gonna have all this electronic equipment 26:31 to look things up. 26:33 We need to be understanding. 26:34 We need to be gathering the knowledge 26:37 while we can and using our Bible... 26:39 Hide the Word of God, isn't that right, 26:40 in our hearts. 26:42 In our hearts and our minds. That I may not sin against Him. 26:43 Notice that question 26:44 in the Great Controversy 593 below it, 26:47 I mean, I read that and I just had to stop. 26:50 And I started looking at every word 26:53 because it boils down to those. 26:55 The enemy is against those who by God's grace, 26:58 keep the commandments of God. 27:00 The devil says Revelation 12:17, is it? 27:03 He wars against what? 27:05 Those who keep the commandments of God, right? 27:07 Dragon was wroth with a woman, 27:08 went to make war with the remnant of her seed. 27:10 I'm wondering 27:12 at least in my own heart and my own mind. 27:14 As we talk to people, 27:15 I look in the mirror at myself 27:16 and my own study habits and different things. 27:18 And they're just, 27:21 what's going to happen right here. 27:23 God's people who stand for truth 27:24 in these last days, 27:26 but they can't be bought and they can't be sold. 27:28 You can't, you've gotta be straight. 27:30 You can't worry about what the world says. 27:33 You can't worry about 27:35 what your wife or your sister or your brother 27:37 or someone else says. 27:38 We are accountable to God for the word 27:41 that He has given to us. 27:43 And as we look at it here, what's talking about there. 27:46 Can I really stand to be, 27:48 it says, derided in the Great Controversy there 27:50 we're going to be opposed. 27:53 How many of us really like to be opposed? 27:54 Anything we want, we think are need to be done? 27:57 How do we handle it? 28:00 I handle it real well. 28:02 Well, sometime I don't handle it really well. 28:05 I mean really. And then it says derided? 28:06 And I said, now, 28:08 what does that really mean derided? 28:10 It means to be laughed at. 28:12 You kind of talk about, 28:13 it's going to come down to the point 28:15 that where you're going to be laughed at 28:16 for what you believe is truth. 28:18 And you try to proclaim it. 28:20 And other people are going to stand up and say, 28:21 even among our own will say, let's not say it like that. 28:25 Let's not do it like that. 28:27 Let's be careful about that. 28:29 I've never read in the Word of God, 28:30 be careful about presenting the truth. 28:32 I understand there's wisdom in how, 28:34 if anyone was more... 28:36 Oh, boy, get me off my horse. 28:37 If there was box, whatever, 28:40 if there was anyone more careful, more loving, 28:43 more kind, more gracious than Jesus. 28:46 When He presented the gospel, I wanna know who it is, 28:50 but yet what? 28:51 People got up in arms, because he told the truth. 28:54 They're going to get up in arms at you 28:56 each one who stands for what is truth. 28:58 Because He lives within us. 28:59 Yeah. Huh? 29:00 Because He lives within us. Yeah. And what did they do? 29:02 They want to get rid of Him because they find, 29:04 and you can, everybody can expound 29:06 on those words. 29:07 They find that they don't have the Bible 29:09 to back up what they believe. 29:11 And if they don't have the Bible to back up 29:12 what they believe 29:14 they want to get rid of the messenger. 29:16 Does that make sense? Okay. 29:18 So I've got one of these little blue boxes 29:19 in my Bible, okay? 29:21 And it's in reference to Isaiah 8:20. 29:23 We all know it, the law and to the testimony. 29:25 They speak not 29:27 according to His word because what? 29:28 There is no light in them. All right. 29:30 So this is a kind of a duplication 29:32 of our little notes here that we have, 29:34 but it says, 29:35 this is from Great Controversy, 593, 594. 29:37 "The people of God 29:39 are directed to the scriptures 29:41 as their safeguard 29:42 against the influence of false teachers 29:45 and the delusive power of spirits of darkness. 29:48 Satan employs every possible device 29:51 to prevent men from obtaining a knowledge of the Bible 29:55 for its plain utterances reveal its deceptions. 29:59 None, but those who have fortified the mind 30:02 with the truths of the Bible 30:03 will stand through the last great conflict. 30:07 To every soul will come the searching test, 30:09 shall I obey God rather than men? 30:12 The decisive hour is even now at hand, 30:16 are our feet planted 30:17 on the rock of God's immutable word? 30:20 Are we prepared to stand firm 30:22 in defense of the commandments of God 30:25 and the faith of Jesus?" 30:26 That's a question. 30:28 Pastor, John, to me, that's just, again, 30:30 as she mentioned here everybody. 30:31 It's just a question. 30:33 And most of us in the time of, 30:35 it's easy, nothing's going to happen, 30:38 you know oh, sure, we will. 30:40 Absolutely we will. 30:41 Really, when your life is at stake, 30:43 when they take your family away from you, 30:45 maybe take your property away from you. 30:47 They start coming in and saying you know, 30:48 your freedom of speech is gone. 30:51 Freedom of conscience it's gone. 30:53 You have to be careful what you say, 30:54 everything becomes a hate crime. 30:56 I'm not trying to build something up. 30:57 This is happening in the world today. 30:58 Our language is changing as it were, 31:00 meanings are changing. 31:02 And I don't hardly recognize it from when I grew up. 31:05 But I see where it's pointed. 31:07 And not to warn people right now to me 31:09 is just as wrong as wrong can be. 31:11 Because when you look at scripture in 2 Timothy 3:15, 31:14 the Bible says from a child, thou has known, right? 31:18 From a child thou has known the Holy Scripture, 31:21 which is able to make the wise unto salvation. 31:24 So we all can. 31:25 We have these things out before us, 31:27 we need to be studying, don't you think? 31:28 Absolutely. 31:29 You know, I mentioned before, 31:31 how are we going to prevent from being deceived? 31:34 Well, you know, we talked about the Holy Scriptures, 31:37 but Jesus said that the Holy Spirit 31:41 will guide us into all truth. 31:43 So it's us without reservation 31:47 giving our hearts to the Lord saying, Lord, 31:50 take all of me, teach me, use me. 31:52 Surrendering ourselves to the Lord. 31:54 Because like we've been saying, 31:58 times are going to get so difficult, 32:00 so deceptive that we have to be able 32:02 to stand on the Word of God. 32:04 And the wonderful thing 32:05 is that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth. 32:08 If a deception comes, 32:10 the Holy Spirit is not gonna stand by, 32:12 okay, let me see 32:13 how he's going to handle this now. 32:15 No, the Holy Spirit will speak to our hearts to, 32:18 and bring scriptures to our mind 32:20 that we have put there by studying God's Word, 32:23 so that we understand, hey, this is not true. 32:26 So let me read to you a scripture, 32:27 because this is something that somebody, 32:30 either us here 32:32 or somebody that's listening may be facing. 32:34 Notice what Jesus says in Matthew 10:37. 32:37 Then I'm gonna go to Matthew 24. 32:39 Jesus says "He that loves 32:41 or loveth father or mother more than Me 32:44 is not worthy of Me. 32:46 And he that love his son or daughter more than Me 32:49 is not worthy of Me." 32:50 Now, this sounds for us, for most people says, 32:53 "Wow, you mean, 32:55 I can't love my mother more than you, Jesus." 32:57 That's what Jesus said, 32:59 "You mean, I can't love my son more than you, Jesus." 33:01 That's what Jesus said. 33:02 Consider this possibility here 33:05 that you're facing this situation 33:08 that I'm gonna read about in Matthew 24, here it is. 33:11 Matthew 24. 33:13 This is Jesus saying, let's begin in verse 23. 33:15 "Then if anyone says to you, 33:18 look here is the Christ or there, 33:21 do not believe it." 33:22 What if your mother says that to you? 33:23 "Look, son, Christ is over here." 33:26 What did Jesus say? Don't believe it. 33:30 "And for false Christ," verse 24 33:32 "and false prophets will rise and show great signs 33:35 and wonders to deceive if possible, 33:37 even the elect." 33:39 And so this is what Jesus says. 33:42 "See, I have told you beforehand, Jesus says, 33:43 therefore, if they say to you, 33:45 look, He's in the desert do not go out 33:48 or look, He is in the inner rooms. 33:50 Do not believe it." 33:51 So what if you're hearing this from your wife, 33:53 your mother, your father, your son, 33:56 and they're saying to you, 33:57 and you know, it's not that 33:58 because you've read the scriptures, you know. 34:00 And you say, and you urge son, please, please. 34:02 No, no, come, come, come. 34:04 They may even be pulling you. 34:06 What are you going to do? 34:07 You have to stand 34:08 by a thus saith the Lord and say, 34:10 "You know, son, I love you, but I love the Lord more." 34:13 And the Bible says this 34:15 and I understand what the Bible says 34:17 and I know that's not true. 34:18 So we have to be able to do that. 34:20 It's important to know the call 34:22 that the Lord's going to come the second time. 34:25 So that's how we're gonna know that it's not Him. 34:28 Not just because somebody saying, 34:29 we know every eye shall see Him. 34:32 I wanted... It continues here... 34:35 Yeah, go ahead, please. 34:37 'Cause you're just saying exactly that. 34:38 This is what it says, verse 27, 34:41 "For as the lightening comes 34:43 from the east and flashes to the west, 34:46 so also will the coming of the Son of man be." 34:49 So it's not that Jesus is going to be 34:51 in the inner room. 34:53 Every eye will see Him in the clouds. 34:57 So if Jesus is supposed to be in the clouds 34:58 and we're supposed to go up to receive Him 35:00 because He says, well, what is it? 35:01 1 Thessalonians 4? Yes. 35:03 It says, "The dead in Christ will rise first. 35:06 Then we, which are alive and remain 35:07 will be caught up together with them 35:09 to meet the Lord in the air." 35:10 Not in the little room. 35:13 Not in the church at the corner, 35:15 but we're going to meet the Lord in the air. 35:17 So it's in the scriptures. 35:19 We know that we should not be deceived if somebody says, 35:22 "Look, Christ is over here." 35:24 Amen. Revelation 1:7, didn't it say? 35:27 Every eye shall, go and talk, 35:29 I just want that put that every eye shall see Him. 35:31 So how do we deal with those things? 35:33 You know what you've been mentioning. 35:36 Well, He's gonna be in the clouds. 35:38 Every eye will see Him. 35:39 And to the degree that the wicked, 35:43 when they see Him 35:44 "Hide us from the face of Him." 35:47 While they are saying that, 35:48 the righteous are saying, "Oh, this is our Lord. 35:51 We have waited for Him. 35:53 And He will save us." 35:54 While the righteous are no, no, you see, 35:56 but these false christs and false prophets, 35:59 they're gonna be in the little rooms. 36:00 They're gonna be in the auditoriums. 36:01 They're gonna be on Channel 3 like you said. 36:04 Watching satellite TV. 36:05 And so, we need to read the scripture 36:08 so that we are not deceived. 36:10 And by the way, 36:11 we're not gonna wake up one morning 36:13 and half the population is gone, 36:16 which is a very popular teaching 36:17 these days. 36:18 Yes, it is. That's true. 36:20 That's right. 36:21 Yeah, there's a gentleman that over in Russia, 36:22 he was an ex copy, 36:24 I guess whatever happened, but now he claims he's Jesus. 36:26 And he comes down from his temple. 36:28 He walks down and I'm talking 36:29 thousands and thousands of people 36:31 from around the world. 36:32 "Oh, he's here." 36:33 And he comes down and greets them briefly. 36:35 And he goes back to his temple 36:36 and he gives them a little word of whatever. 36:38 This is, I mean, these are 36:39 thousands and thousands of people like, 36:41 "This is Jesus. 36:42 It's Him. He's here." 36:43 Why do people believe that though? 36:45 Why? 36:46 I mean we're not using the standard of righteous. 36:47 And I mean, we're not using the Bible. 36:49 We can't possibly, again, not try to judge him. 36:51 That's not the issue. 36:53 The issue is thousands or maybe millions believe this, 36:56 but it's not anchored in scripture. 36:59 And to us, it like, it causes anxiety inside 37:01 because you don't want people to be fooled. 37:04 You don't want them to be, 37:05 I think been brought here misled. 37:07 You don't want them to be deceived at all in any fashion. 37:10 And so therefore you search the Bible line upon line, 37:13 precept upon precept, 37:15 here a little and there a little 37:16 to find out the truth. 37:17 But most people are not reading. 37:19 That's why they believe what they believe. 37:21 They're infatuated 37:23 sometime by the character display of individuals, 37:28 the salesmanship. 37:30 Is it okay to say that? 37:31 Salesmanship of some people, some people are good salesmen. 37:34 They don't even believe themselves 37:36 what they're telling you, but they can sell you on it. 37:38 Don't let them do it. 37:40 You guys have brought that, praise God for that, 37:42 that we go back and we searched the scriptures 37:44 and we make sure because truth, 37:46 Brother Terry, I found, 37:47 truth makes a difference, right? 37:51 Error will not save you, 37:53 believing a lie and moreover how you think 37:57 I'm in ignorance, I don't know. 37:59 No, if you wanna know what truth is, 38:00 God will send the Holy Spirit, 38:01 which will lead us into all truth. 38:03 And we're talking about John 16. 38:04 If you want to know, 38:06 anyone wants to know what truth is, 38:07 you will have that. 38:09 God will not withhold that from you 38:10 if you really wanna know. 38:11 You wanna continue and then maybe the doldrum 38:13 that sometime that we get into stuck in a rut, 38:16 you gonna stay in that rut, but it's going to be too late. 38:19 We don't want that. 38:20 And so that's why we're willing to get on 38:22 and why we're willing to talk about these things 38:24 about the coming of Christ and the truth, 38:27 because truth inside transforms. 38:31 I've never been transformed by error. 38:33 Well, you can be, but in the wrong way. 38:35 Right? You'll go the enemy's way. 38:37 But truth transforms you 38:40 and it should transform you into the image of God. 38:44 Ain't that's right? 38:45 You're touching on something, 38:46 John 16:2, there's going to be an opposite. 38:48 And these people are thinking they're doing something right. 38:51 John 16:2 says, 38:52 "They shall put you out of the synagogues. 38:54 Yes, the time comes that whosoever killeth you, 38:57 they think that they're doing God service." 38:59 That's right. That's a creepy thing to think. 39:03 "Oh, I'm, you know, 39:04 I'm doing God a great thing by killing you." 39:06 Did not Paul, thank you. 39:08 Yeah, Paul. Go ahead. 39:12 Read a book called the Great Controversy. 39:13 It talks about a period we call The Dark Ages. 39:15 You gotta save that 39:17 what you just described people would say, 39:18 "Oh, that can't happen." 39:19 Sure. 39:21 It did happen for a thousand years. 39:22 Was it 50 million? 39:24 What did high priest, 39:25 when the high priest had talked about Jesus? 39:26 He says, basically it's better for one person to perish 39:29 than the whole nation. 39:30 It's gonna come to that again. 39:32 People say, it's not that way now. 39:33 So it's going to come right down to that 39:36 because the Bible is clear, 39:38 the Spirit of Prophecy is clear. 39:39 We need to say 39:40 that it's going to come down to that. 39:42 It may be you. 39:43 It may be me. It may be someone else. 39:45 Yes. Go ahead. 39:46 No, this is, you know, 39:47 it's correct what you're saying, 39:49 what you're all saying, because you know, 39:50 this is why this question is so important. 39:53 During these momentous works of supernatural miracles, 39:56 how popular and accepted 39:58 will be our faith upon the Word of God. 40:01 You know Jesus faced a certain situation. 40:04 He was telling His disciples, 40:06 you know, what's gonna happen to me. 40:07 I'm gonna go to Jerusalem. 40:08 I'm gonna be crucified. And Peter grabbed Him. 40:13 Question: was Peter concerned? 40:16 There was an emotional aspect of it. 40:18 But he was being used by the devil. 40:21 And so you're, we're talking about times when people, 40:25 maybe with tears in their eyes are gonna say, 40:28 "Won't you come, Jesus is over here." 40:30 Tears in their eyes, 40:32 like they think they're doing God service. 40:34 They think you're gonna perish if you don't do this. 40:37 You're gonna face 40:38 emotional challenges in this way, 40:41 you know, because the devil works in different ways. 40:45 You're gonna have the people that are gonna be upset. 40:47 If you don't do this, 40:48 we are going to have to put you to jail. 40:50 We're gonna have to kill you. 40:52 We're gonna have to... 40:53 There are people they think they do God service. 40:55 Like Paul was doing, he was persecuting Christians. 40:57 And he was thinking, he's doing God service. 41:00 Some people are doing things today 41:01 that we've seen on the news and things going on. 41:04 They're getting rid and destroying things 41:05 because they think 41:06 they're actually doing the service. 41:08 But in actuality, they're doing the work of what? 41:11 Of the enemy. 41:13 We need to be careful 41:14 not doing the work of the enemy. 41:15 These things are coming. 41:17 Honey, you had something you wanna share. 41:18 I don't want to get ahead. This is such a... 41:20 We duly apologize to you. 41:21 Oh, no. No apology. 41:23 Well, I could go 41:24 so many different directions right now. 41:26 But what he was talking about is I had, 41:29 you guys were talking about signs of the times 41:31 and I had a quote here, 41:32 and this quote is found in Testimonies for the Church, 41:36 volume 9, pages, 9 and 10. 41:38 It states here that our ministers 41:40 are not doing their whole duty. 41:43 You know, and I hope and pray that as we're meeting together, 41:46 that we are fulfilling that duty, 41:49 you know, as much as possible. 41:51 The attention of the people should be called 41:53 to the momentous advent, 41:55 which is so near at hand, 41:57 which that's what we've been talking about. 41:59 The signs of the times 42:00 should be kept fresh before the minds, 42:03 the signs of the time. 42:05 We need to understand the signs of the time. 42:07 We need to listen to some news, 42:10 we need to be watching. 42:11 We need to be aware of what's happening. 42:13 The prophetic visions of Daniel and John foretell 42:16 a period of moral darkness and declension. 42:22 We think that the Dark Ages was bad. 42:24 Oh, look out now. 42:26 A time of troubles coming upon this world 42:28 that the Bible said is worse than any other time. 42:32 And that's very difficult for me 42:34 to wrap my mind around. 42:35 But is it truth? Yes. 42:37 It's the truth. Yeah. 42:38 And you're telling truth right now. 42:39 Don't mean to interrupt. 42:41 You're telling the truth right now, 42:42 but people don't wanna hear. 42:44 See, and they wanna silence it, 42:46 but we need to say a time of trouble 42:48 is coming on this world. 42:49 The time of Jacob's trouble 42:51 that the world has never seen before. 42:53 And unless we're ready to meet it 42:55 and put the robe of righteousness on, right? 42:57 Fireproof, when Jesus come 42:58 that you had mentioned right here, 43:00 gonna be destroyed 43:01 by the brightness of His coming. 43:02 Yeah. 43:04 Paul said that there will come a time 43:05 when they would not endure sound doctrine. 43:07 That's right. 43:08 But are we there? Go ahead, I'm sorry. 43:10 No, that's what we're talking about. 43:11 I'll go ahead and finish this, 43:13 but that's exactly what we're talking about 43:15 in this whole question 43:16 that they're not enduring sound doctrine. 43:18 So how are we gonna look 43:19 when we're trying to lift up the Word of God, 43:21 when we're trying to endure sound doctrine 43:24 when the whole world isn't. 43:26 And they said we're old-fashioned... 43:29 Deluded, radical. That's right. 43:31 The reading on here, it says, "But at the time of the end, 43:34 the time in which we are now living brothers and sisters, 43:38 the vision was to speak and not lie. 43:40 Thank God. 43:42 All will not be rocked to sleep in the cradle 43:44 of carnal security." 43:46 I know, you mentioned being stressed earlier. 43:51 You mentioned being afraid. 43:53 And I thank God for the promises in His Bible. 43:55 We can go back where He reminds us 43:57 not to be afraid, 43:58 but there are times during 2019, 44:01 during 2020, you know, we were stressed. 44:04 We were stressed 44:06 and sometimes it feels like it's overwhelming. 44:08 Are we ready? 44:09 You know what happens 44:11 if everything's jerked out from under us, 44:12 where are we gonna get our water? 44:13 Where are we gonna have food? We got water boil. 44:16 The other day we got panicked. 44:19 Boiling water? 44:21 But you understand what I'm saying. 44:22 Don't turn the water on the tap. 44:23 Oh, what are we gonna do? 44:25 And that's outside of being ready spiritually. 44:26 It changes things that we've just been used to 44:28 over and over is what we're saying here. 44:30 And it won't take near as much as we think 44:32 to really stress us out, 44:33 unless we're really anchored in the rock. 44:34 That's right. 44:36 So there's gonna be people that aren't going to be rocked 44:37 to sleep by that carnal security. 44:39 There will be faithful ones 44:42 who will discern the signs of the time. 44:46 We need spiritual eye salve. 44:49 While a large number professing present truth will, 44:53 now listen, this is, this is sad. 44:56 While a large number professing present truth 44:59 will deny their faith by their works. 45:04 There will be some, praise God, who will endure to the end. 45:08 And that needs to be our prayer. 45:10 We need to ask God on a daily basis, 45:13 you know, whether or not we're part 45:14 of that 144,000 Revelation teaches us about, 45:18 we need to be liked them. 45:19 Why is it that we want to hear, Honey? 45:21 You're provoking some good thing. 45:22 I mean my mind go like, 45:23 why is it that we want to hear half of what she said. 45:27 There's gonna be some that'll endure. 45:29 But the other part, you know, we need to make some changes. 45:32 There's things that going to be... 45:34 That's the thing, people don't wanna change. 45:36 When you open this... 45:38 Yeah, when you open this Word 45:40 and you find what God truly has you say, 45:42 "Oh man, I stepped on my toes." 45:44 And that calls, it calls for a change. 45:47 And we don't want to, you know. 45:49 We like to be comfortable. 45:51 There's another quote. 45:52 I don't know if I'll get to it here, 45:54 but we like things that are comfortable. 45:56 We want to be at peace. 45:57 We wanna feel like we fit in, you know. 46:02 But the question is, are we at peace? 46:04 You just said, we feel like we're at peace, 46:05 but are we really at peace? 46:06 You know, I get people 46:08 calling praying line all the time. 46:09 And just hearing they're just broken, 46:11 they're shattered. 46:12 Their worlds are falling apart 46:13 and they don't know what to hold on to. 46:15 You know, people wanting to even talk about 46:16 committing suicide. 46:17 People are really stressed right now, 46:19 very stressed. 46:20 And it's over even little things. 46:21 Because we're dealing with sin. 46:23 We're dealing with sin in our lives. 46:24 And a lot of times they're stressed 46:26 because they're holding on to something that they love. 46:28 I know I've been there many times 46:30 and it's things that we don't wanna let go. 46:31 We are concerned. Aren't you concerned? 46:33 Oh, absolutely. 46:34 If we're concerned and not made to. 46:35 The Bible said perfect peace have they, 46:37 which love thy law 46:38 and nothing shall offend, 46:40 so that, there's a lot of principle 46:41 in that. 46:42 But when I see things happening, 46:44 I get concerned. 46:45 I get concerned for family. 46:46 I get concerned for grandchildren. 46:48 I get concerned for my wife. 46:49 You see, I'm getting concerned for family and friends 46:51 and how will this continue on like it does concern. 46:53 And yet Lord always say, would direct it to the rock. 46:56 Right? Jesus. 46:57 He's got everything in His hand. 46:59 That's our only hope. 47:00 But we have to realize 47:01 that maybe we'll have time to talk. 47:03 I wanna read a paragraph here before we close. 47:04 That's very, very powerful because I've wondered for year. 47:06 How is it as it were that Seventh-day Adventist. 47:08 Remember if you're a Seventh-day Adventist today, 47:10 you are a minority in the world. 47:13 People now will be looking at me and say, 47:14 well, you're white or you're this, 47:15 or you're that, you're not a minority. 47:17 I'm a minority in my religion. 47:19 Is that true? 47:20 Of the 7 billion 47:22 or whatever on the planet of the earth, 47:23 there's 20, 30 million Adventists, 47:25 is that right 30? 47:26 Yeah, 20 I think so. 47:27 That's a minority, is it not? Yes, it is. 47:29 And you're gonna be looking on 47:30 as just a little small group 47:31 who really don't know anything, 47:34 and the tables are going to turn back, 47:36 you see? 47:37 And then are we really ready to receive 47:39 that which the world is going to dish out? 47:43 And I mean, it's going to dish it out. 47:45 It's going to dish it out in such a way 47:46 that if we don't have that experience, 47:49 I think you mentioned about experience with Christ. 47:50 Well, Jesus said, there'll be a time of trouble 47:52 such as never has been. 47:54 And you go back and you think about 47:56 even in the Roman cathedral, 47:59 that where they would tie... 48:00 Yeah, they would tie animal skins 48:02 around the children. 48:04 What faith it took for those parents 48:07 to not denounce their faith in Christ. 48:10 What faith to know that this first death 48:13 is not the one that we're to fear. 48:15 We're to fear the second death. 48:17 But which one do you like? Do you like what you just said? 48:20 Or I'm going to save when the time, 48:21 this is not true. 48:23 When the time comes for those kinds of things, 48:24 I'm gone. 48:26 I'm raptured away. 48:27 I'm not gonna have to go through it. 48:28 Now, remember, I don't believe that at all. 48:30 Not for one minute, 48:31 but I'm saying of the two what she just said, 48:34 what everybody has been saying here. 48:35 And then I come along and give you something 48:36 a whole lot better. 48:38 If you don't know the Word of God, 48:39 who, what are you going to choose? 48:40 Brother John, who are you going to choose? 48:42 Which one would you choose? 48:43 Which side would you wanna hear what she said? 48:45 Or you want to hear what I'm talking about? 48:47 What we have is people like comfort. 48:50 People like to avoid suffering. 48:53 And when you are facing a situation 48:56 where your faith is being tried, 48:59 you have to choose to be faithful to the Lord. 49:02 Even though it may be uncomfortable, 49:05 it may cause you suffering. 49:07 And even if you suffer persecution 49:10 even from those you love, 49:12 and please understand 49:14 that what we're saying is gonna happen. 49:16 Jesus went through. 49:18 Jesus went through that. 49:20 I mean, even the people that He trusted betrayed Him. 49:23 And so we're gonna face similar situations 49:26 and how are we gonna face that? 49:28 By the grace of the Lord. 49:29 Amen. Power of the Holy Spirit. 49:32 May I read this here because it seems to fit. 49:35 All right. Were you done? 49:36 Oh, somebody was saying something? 49:38 Go ahead. Somebody was saying something? 49:40 This is from Testimonies to the Church, page 136. 49:45 "Now is the time for God's people 49:49 to show themselves true to principle. 49:52 When the religion of Christ is most held in contempt, 49:55 when his law is most despised, 49:59 then should our zeal be the warmest 50:02 and our courage and firmness the most unflinching. 50:06 To stand in defense of truth and righteousness 50:09 when the majority forsake us, 50:12 to fight the battles of the Lord 50:14 when champions are few, 50:16 this will be our test. 50:18 At this time we must gather warmth 50:21 from the coldness of others, 50:23 courage from their cowardice, 50:25 and loyalty from their treason. 50:27 The nation will be on the side of the great rebel leader." 50:32 So this is something that is coming. 50:34 And I read things like this and I say, 50:37 wow, we must be a 100% committed to the Lord. 50:41 When you're, even says, when the majority forsake us. 50:44 You know, you mentioned a number, 50:48 the majority leaving, there are gonna be few 50:52 that are gonna choose to be faithful. 50:53 Let me ask you a question here. Just a rhetorical question. 50:55 Something that you said and something that you said, 50:57 both of you guys read the phrase, 50:59 "Now is the time." 51:01 When were these things written? 51:03 Somebody tell me, 51:04 over a hundred years ago, right? 51:06 If now was the time then, what is it now? 51:10 Everyday. Is it more, is it more now? 51:12 As someone said in reference 51:15 to the Daniel Chapter 2 statue 51:17 that somebody said, I think it was Pastor Lomacang. 51:20 He said, we're in the toenail clippings. 51:22 You know, that's how far down we are, you know. 51:24 To close of time. That's right. 51:26 I was thinking of a beautiful scripture 51:27 in Romans 8, going on where you were saying. 51:29 Romans 8:35 says, 51:31 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ, 51:33 shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine 51:35 or nakedness or peril or sword?" 51:37 And verse 36 says, 51:38 "As it is written for thy sake, we are killed all the day long. 51:41 We are counted as sheep for the slaughter," 51:43 but like verse 37 "Nay in all these things, 51:44 we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." 51:48 We can have that conquering through Christ. 51:49 Very positive. 51:51 I wanna throw something in with what he was saying too. 51:53 The Apostle Paul speaking of a class 51:55 who received not the love of the truth. 51:59 You can know that 52:00 we're admonished to have a love for the truth, 52:03 that they might be saved declares, 52:06 for this cause God shall send them 52:08 strong delusion that they should believe a lie. 52:11 Why? Because they chose it. 52:13 He's gonna give us what we choose. 52:15 It's not that he wants to do that, 52:16 but if we're gonna choose it, 52:18 he's gonna allow it, 52:19 that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, 52:24 but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 52:27 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12. 52:30 With such a warning, it behooves us to be on guard. 52:34 The doctrines, the teachings that we receive 52:38 and how do we be on guard? 52:40 How do we know what's truth. 52:41 It has to line up with it is written. 52:44 You know, we don't want people to say, 52:45 I mean, exactly the truth here, 52:47 we have about five minutes left. 52:48 So, you know, you think about in Matthew 19, 52:51 it talks about the rich young ruler. 52:53 Remember he came to Jesus, you know? 52:54 Yeah. 52:55 The bottom line was, 52:57 he wanted to know about the salvation 52:58 and being saved. 52:59 And Jesus said simply a simple thing. 53:01 Keep the commandments. 53:02 We think because we get on here 53:04 and we talk about by the grace of God, 53:05 we need to keep the whole law. 53:06 We don't wanna offend in one point. 53:08 And so, but the first thing Jesus did 53:09 when someone came to him, 53:11 that's written, and he said what? 53:13 Keep the commandments. 53:17 And so that has to continue to go out. 53:19 And part of our message, 53:21 this last day message going to the world 53:22 and warning in the first, 53:24 the second and the third angel's message. 53:26 We need to know the mark of the beast. 53:27 We need to know the image to the beast. 53:29 Or we'll be fooled. Yeah, we're going to be fooled. 53:30 We need to know about 53:32 that little lamb with two horns. 53:33 We need to know that it come up and it started as a lamb, 53:36 but it began to speak as a dragon. 53:38 And so when you see those things happening 53:39 and you begin to expose those things, 53:41 a lot of people not gonna be happy about it. 53:43 But you know what? 53:44 That's not what we, God said to give it. 53:46 He'll bless it. His word would not return void. 53:48 We have a duty. 53:50 I feel like I've failed enough in life 53:53 and as the Holy Spirit impresses us 53:55 to move forward 53:56 and do what we're supposed to do. 53:57 He's going to bless 53:59 and He's gonna make sure people's going to hear it. 54:01 And that Holy Spirit will work on their heart and life 54:03 where they accept what is truth 54:05 during these last hours of earth's history? 54:09 Now I think about we've got three minutes or so. 54:11 So we want to kind of go around the table 54:12 and give maybe a minute or so, 54:15 something that maybe you wanna share, 54:17 or how about priming for our next part? 54:20 We leave here on with question. 54:22 'Cause we're not gonna get past four, 54:23 as you will see, 54:24 God's sure like to dissect more of that. 54:26 But maybe we won't have time today. 54:27 But Brother John, let's start with you 54:29 and just work right on around here. 54:30 And we ran out of time with Chris and I, that's fine. 54:32 It's all right. 54:34 In Matthew 24:11-12, it says, 54:39 "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 54:43 And because lawlessness will abound, 54:45 the love of many will grow cold." 54:48 Verse 13, 54:49 "But he who endures to the end, the same shall be saved." 54:52 These scriptures tell me 54:55 that a difficult time is coming 54:57 and we must know what this Holy Scripture say. 55:01 Satan knows that if you read the scriptures, 55:05 you're gonna get closer to the Lord. 55:07 Not only read them, let me add that word 55:08 we said earlier study 55:10 to show yourself approved unto God. 55:12 Study, get close to the Lord. 55:15 When deceptions come, when challenges come 55:17 and we're talking 55:19 as if something is coming in the near future. 55:22 But every day we face challenges 55:24 but if we are in God's Word, 55:26 we will be better off than if we are not. 55:29 And we're not promised tomorrow. 55:30 Today is the day of salvation. 55:32 Thank you. Yes. Well, Don. 55:33 I was just thinking what came to my mind 55:35 is which kingdom do you choose? 55:38 Do you want a kingdom 55:39 that's corrupting and falling apart? 55:41 Or do you want a kingdom 55:42 that's gonna have eternal benefits? 55:44 And what came in mind is the rest of that scripture 55:46 in Romans 8:38-39, 55:48 "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, 55:50 nor angels nor principalities nor powers, 55:53 nor things present nor things to come, 55:55 nor height nor depth, nor any other creature, 55:57 shall be able to separate us from the love of God 56:00 which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 56:01 So nothing can separate us. Amen. That's comforting. 56:05 Matthew 5:11-12, 56:08 "Blessed are you 56:09 when they revile and persecute you, 56:11 and say all kinds of evil against you falsely 56:14 for My sake. 56:15 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, 56:18 for great is your reward in heaven, 56:21 for so they persecuted the prophets 56:23 who were before you." 56:24 When we go through these things, 56:27 we're not alone. 56:29 Others have been through it 56:30 and Jesus has gone through it. 56:31 He has marked away for us. 56:34 If we follow in His footsteps, our reward is great He said. 56:38 That's a beautiful promise 56:40 'cause we cannot face any of this 56:42 without the power of the Holy Spirit. 56:44 I just wanna quote James 1:22, 56:47 "But be ye doers of the word 56:49 and not hearers only." 56:51 Amen. 56:53 I think Brother Terry mentioned there 56:54 in 2 Timothy 4:3, 56:56 he said "The time will come 56:57 when they will not endure sound doctrine." 56:59 The Great Controversy page 595 says, 57:01 "That time has fully come." 57:05 That time has what? Fully come. 57:06 You mentioned back then, 57:08 and today you better believe it. 57:10 The cup is running over. 57:11 Babylon's teaching is in the world, 57:13 ain't that right? 57:15 People's drunk with the wine, 57:16 false doctrine and teaching and God has sent His people. 57:19 Can I say it this way to sober up the world, 57:22 sober up to the coming of Jesus, 57:23 sober up to these truths 57:25 that God has given that will what? 57:26 Put the robe of righteousness 57:28 that we need to be enclosed with. 57:29 Thank you for joining us. It's been a pleasant study. 57:31 God bless you. 57:32 And we look forward to seeing you next time. |
Revised 2021-04-19