Spirit of Truth, Spirit of Error — Philip Powell

Revelation 13 and the Beast Rising from the Sea

Attention please to Revelation chapter 13, although I'm not going to preach from it. I just felt quickened about it just as I came to the platform and in relation no doubt to what has been going on this past week.

Revelation chapter 13 said, and I stood upon the sand of the sea and I saw a beast. This is not obviously a literal beast although it takes on animal dimensions, but it is a religious organisation and the term beast is used because of its character and because of its nature.

Criticism of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy

The late Pope John Paul II has been eulogised by the whole world, sadly very few know what has gone on in the background and whereas it's not my purpose to denigrate men, nevertheless I think it is important that we understand the system of which he ruled and also the nature of the man in respect of a number of things.

I don't know if any of you have ever read the book by Father Chinakway called Fifty Years in the Church of Rome, but he tells of incredible disclosures of utter hypocrisy, but not only utter hypocrisy, but acts bordering on murder that have gone on in the Vatican.

Whereas there is the open position with respect to abortion that the church takes, yet if you read that book you will read of fetuses that were aborted and cast into cesspools from the very Vatican itself.

Numerous, huge numbers. Whereas there is a high moral stance apparently in respect of divorce, marriage and divorce, yet nevertheless recently during the reign of this Pope's pontificate, the man who led his funeral issued a statement which demanded that priests who had engaged in paedophilia and acts of homosexuality and other abominable acts that they would be protected and the victims would never be treated with the mercy and the justice that they demand.

These are facts that are verifiable. That thing that happened this week relates to a beast. I stood upon the sand of the sea and saw a beast rise out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns and upon his horns ten crowns and upon his heads the name of blasphemy, Vicarious Christos, in the place of Christ.

Name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, stealth, cunning, speed of action and his feet were as the feet of a bear, dominating, controlling, subduing and his mouth as the mouth of a lion.

And the dragon, that old serpent, he's called the old serpent, he's also called the dragon, Satan himself, gave him his power and his seat and great authority. And I saw, and it was this verse that just struck me so strongly, and I saw one of his heads, as it were, wounded to death and his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondered after the beast.

Last Friday, and I did watch the funeral because I wanted particularly to observe what was going on, I was sickened by it, but the whole world wondered after the beast. The head that was wounded, I don't know what the significance of that is, but certainly many times the Roman Catholic head has been wounded and then suddenly something happens.

I mean, it's quite incredible that the heir to the throne of Britain, who is his mother, particularly as queen, is there to be defender of the faith and by that it was understood to be the defender of Protestantism opposed to Roman Catholicism.

That was the big struggle that took place in history in Britain. The potential king, whatever you make of the marriage, that he would actually kowtow to the Roman pontiff, to the imperial extent of changing the date of his wedding to accommodate the funeral.

Rome always dominates. Was it that that head was wounded way back in Henry VIII's day? For whatever reason we may conjecture and we may pontificate our views. Certainly marriage and a divorce was at the heart of the thing then.

Marriage and divorce is now at the heart of the thing again. Where is it going to end? Will Charles ever become king? It was ominous that the Prince of Wales was at the funeral and the same funeral was attended by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

So you have the civil head and you have the religious head of the Anglican Church which took a stand against Roman Catholicism present at the funeral last Friday. The head that was wounded, or does it refer to the Pope himself?

I mean he was almost mortally wounded and the bullets that got very close to his heart and rushed off and all the world wondered, pursued after, amazed. Incredible thing and I've just at this particular time been writing a foreword to a book that we're going to produce called Mary Mary Quite Contrary and it's, you know, I've been just dealing with this as this whole thing emerged and it's most interesting as we're standing on the verge of an amalgamation of churches going after this thing and whereas the Pope, did you notice, has embraced everything and everyone has embraced the Muslims, has embraced Hinduism, has embraced Buddhism, has embraced now the new thing is Mormonism, Mormonism very much on the rise and conversations going on between Mormons and Evangelicals but also very close liaison between Mormons and Catholics and Mormons making so much ground in the South Americas and come out publicly and saying well they don't mind if the new Pope is a European but they'd have some problems if it's going to be somebody from South America and this whole thing and the whole thing coming together where is it all going to end?

We're very, very close brothers and sisters and yet the Evangelical Church also going down that track. Last Sunday Brian Houston, now people don't like people making names, well I don't know how to identify them without naming them, so Brian Houston, the head of the Assemblies of God denomination of which I was a part, I was the General Secretary of that movement in here in Australia until I could take it no longer and I moved out and he, Brian Houston, last Sunday and I'll give you the quote, the exact quote later on, said the Pope has gone to heaven because he believed in Jesus, the Pope who has accommodated all of the religious organisations with the exception of Bible believing Christians, who he calls, listen, he called us, he called you, listen, this is you, he called you a rapacious wolf, he says he cannot stand Bible believing Christians, yet he will stand there and let a Hindu priestess anoint him, he will associate with all and sundry, with Muslims, incorporate them all and then Evangelicals will make such statements as that made by Brian Houston who then went on to say I believe in a universal church or word to that effect and he said I trust that you're all praying that the new Pope will believe in Jesus, believe in Jesus, the Bible says the devil believes and trembles.

So, and things are happening quickly, somebody just handed this to me, you know, the certain churches have stood strong but here's one, an article by Presbyterians in America, Hail Mary and here's the picture of the minister, now I know this isn't true of all Presbyterians, please don't, my son is, our son is studying to be a Presbyterian minister and that they belong to a good Evangelical branch of Presbyterianism but here, this man has found his Presbyterian congregation in Ohio open to a greater emphasis on Mary's place in Scripture.

What place did Mary have in Scripture? She's mentioned a few times, she's mentioned as the vehicle that God chose for the coming of the Son of God, she was a good gracious lady, she's mentioned as being at the cross, she's mentioned as being in the upper room on the day of Pentecost where she was filled with the Holy Spirit as well, she's mentioned as speaking to God as being her saviour, so she needed a saviour.

Alright, we recognise all of that but let us have nothing to do with this Mariology, worship of Mary or prominence of Mary outside of Scripture. John chapter 16 is what I want to speak on. John chapter 16, turn with me to it, will you?

The Spirit of Truth in John 16

John chapter 16 verses 13 to 15. I want to speak on the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. John chapter 16 verses 13 to 15, how be it when he, the spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself, that is, he will not speak from his own authority base nor will he talk about himself.

So all of this that has come into charismatic Pentecostal circles where they talk about good morning Holy Spirit and where they talk about Holy Spirit come, it's all totally contrary to Scripture. The Holy Spirit doesn't do that, that's not his position.

The Holy Spirit is there to lead us into all truth. He won't speak about himself, he won't speak from his own authority base but whatever he hears that shall he speak and he will show you things to come.

And then verse 14, he shall glorify me for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine, therefore said I that he shall take of mine and shall show it unto you.

In this section of John's Gospel we have the most comprehensive teaching by Christ about the person, ministry and work of the Holy Spirit. We may divide it into four parts. First of all we have the great purpose for which our Lord gives this teaching.

The Purpose of Christ's Teaching: Perseverance Under Persecution

Verses 1 to 6, let me read it to you. These things have I spoken unto you that you should not be offended. So he gives the first purpose in verse 1. Then he says, they shall put you out of synagogues, yea the time comes that whosoever kills you will think that he does God's service.

And these things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor me. Any Christian that is persecuted by anyone will be persecuted because that person does not know the Father nor Christ.

But these things that I told you that when the time shall come you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning because I was with you but now I go my way to him that sent me and none of you asks me where are you going but because I have said these things unto you sorrow has filled your heart.

The great purpose for which our Lord gives this teaching. And then we have secondly the grand plan for the Lord's people and for the world. Verses 7 -15. Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient, beneficial for you that I go away for if I go not away the comforter or counsellor will not come unto you.

The Holy Spirit Convicts the World

But if I depart I will send him unto you. And when he has come he will reprove or expose or convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgement. Of sin because they believe not on me. Of righteousness because I go to my Father and you see me no more.

Of judgement because the Prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot bear them now. How be it when he the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he shall show you things to come.

He shall glorify me for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine therefore said I that he shall take of mine and shall show it unto you. And then the third thing that we see in this chapter is the growing perplexities of spiritual life and service.

It applies to them then, it applies to us now. Verses 16 to 30. A little while and you shall see me again and again a little while and you shall not see me because I go to the Father. Then said some of his disciples, and here is the perplexity among themselves.

What is this that he says unto us? A little while and you shall see me and again a little while and you shall not see me and again I go to the Father. They said therefore, what is this that he says? A little while.

We cannot tell what he says. Now Jesus knew that they would desire us to ask him and said unto them, do you inquire among yourselves of that I said a little while and you shall see me and again a little while you shall not see me?

Sorry, the other way around. You shall not see me? Let me read it again. Do you inquire among yourselves of that I said? A little while and you shall not see me and again a little while and you shall see me.

Verily I say unto you that you shall weep and lament but the world shall rejoice and you shall be sorrowful but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail has sorrow because her hour is come.

But as soon as she is delivered of the child she remembers no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world. And you now therefore have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice and your joy no man takes from you.

Asking in Jesus' Name and the Promise of Joy

And in that day you shall ask me nothing. Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you. Hitherto have you asked nothing in my name ask and you shall receive that your joy may be full.

These things have I spoken unto you in Proverbs but the time comes when I shall no longer speak to you in Proverbs but I shall show you plainly of the Father. At that day you shall ask in my name and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God.

I came forth from the Father and am come into the world again I leave the world and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him lo now you are speaking plainly and you are not speaking a proverb. Now are we sure that you know all things and need not that any man should ask you by this we believe that you came forth from God.

Christ's Peace and Victory Over the World

And then fourthly and finally we have the glorious person of our supreme Lord Jesus Christ presented to us. Verses 31 to chapter 17 verse 3 Jesus answered them do you now believe behold the hour comes yea is now come you shall be scattered every man to his own and you shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone because the Father is with me.

These things I have spoken unto you that in me you shall have peace in the world you shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world. These words begged Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said Father the hour has come glorify me in the name of the your son that your son also may glorify you.

As you have given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him and this is life eternal that they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

I have glorified you on the earth the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 2 Thessalonians 2 7 talks about the mystery of iniquity and it says it is already working only he who now lets holds it back will hold it back until he be taken out of the way.

The reference there probably is to the taking away of the Holy Spirit which will happen when the church is raptured because the Holy Spirit at the moment operates within the church of Jesus Christ. When the church is raptured the Holy Spirit in that activity of helping us to be salt and light and various things in our witness and in our work will be taken away and then iniquity will rampage through the earth.

The Mystery of Godliness and the Incarnation

Bible talks about another mystery 1 Timothy 3 16 and without controversy great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. Norman Catholic Church will try and tell us that God is constantly manifest in the flesh by this the bread becomes the literal body and the wine becomes the literal blood of Christ.

No God was manifest in the flesh. He was justified in the spirit. He was seen of angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into glory. The whole concept of the mystery of godliness is wrapped up in that great truth.

I communicate regularly with a man who was a Jesuit priest. His name is Richard Bennett. We talked about bringing him out here to Australia. I think that is not going to happen now but he has an incredible story to tell in respect of his work and his stand against the evil of the Norman Catholic Church.

I received this email from him this morning. I sent him something I wanted him to check out because I find that he is a good authority to check out anything relating to the Roman Catholic. He wrote back and he said that was good work on the article.

Thank you for being willing to carry our new article in your next CETF. It is at times like these the doctrine of the absolute sovereignty of God is the answer against human pride and the glory of the papacy.

The spirit of our age is essentially that of boasting and glorying in the flesh. The achievements of the Pope are the shrine at which the world worships. With the passing of John Paul II we are seeing an unprecedented manifestation of the double abominations of both creature worship and praying for the dead.

You notice in the funeral there was all these saints that were invoked. There are certainly more saints than I ever heard named. But thank God there are more saints than they have ever named because you are a saint as well.

And I don't think they named you there. They certainly didn't name me. They named my wife Katerina. Saint Katerina. But I didn't hear Saint Filippo. But we have many many saints thank God and we don't have to wait to some beatification by some person who sets him up as an authority.

We are seeing an unprecedented manifestation of the double abomination of creature worship and praying for the dead. It is reported that up to four million mourners including more than one hundred heads of state, actually about two hundred heads of state attended the funeral.

Once there is general discussion about the election of a new Pope then I will send out a new article that I have written. In an opening paragraph of an old article he says, John Paul II ruled a religious hierarchy based in the Vatican for twenty six years.

His teachings have been non-negotiable. He stated his style in his decree of 1998 to defend the faith in which he wrote, we order that everything decreed by us in this apostolic letter given be established and ratified.

He has been insistent on his own authority being supreme and infallible and upholding such dogmas such as Mary being the all holy one. Paradoxically the intransigent Pope is also the champion of the faith for many evangelicals.

The irony of the situation seems to pass unnoticed and more and more seem captivated by the one who called himself the holy father. The Bible says call no man father. It is necessary therefore to analyse the accomplishments of John Paul II in the light of the word of God, the scriptures.

This I have done in the article attached and below. I ask that you take it before your church and that as a church you make a decision to contend for the faith and separate from the one who has perverted the gospel of Christ.

Contending for the Faith and the Glory of Christ

Thank God for the men who stood firm. There are not many standing firm today. Some people as I say get annoyed with me and others, I suppose there are a few others around who make us stand against all of this ecumenical stuff.

But here is something I want to read to you. It came from the pen of Spurgeon. He says, give no glory to this rubbish. Alas, it makes a Christian's blood boil to see glory given to a pack of scamps who call themselves priests.

Does it not make a man feel when you see pictures of his holiness and the cardinals and so on scattering their benedictions at the Vatican or at St. Peter's while admiring crowds fall down and worship them that it were infinitely better to bow to the devil himself?

We give glory unto God but not a particular of glory to anything in the shape of a man or an angel either. Have I not stood and seen the crowds by hundreds fall down and worship images and dressed up dolls?

I have seen them worship bones and old teeth. I have seen them worship a skeleton dressed out in modern costume said to be the skeleton of a saint. I have marveled to see people so infatuated as to think that such idolatry was pleasing to the most high God.

We brethren, the people of God who know Christ can give no glory to this rubbish but turn away from it with horror. Our glory must be given to Christ and to Christ alone. Christ and Christ only must be the grand object of the Christian.

The promotion of his glory must be that for which he is willing to live and for which if needs be he would be prepared to die. Oh, down, down, down with everything else but up, up, up with the cross of Christ.

Down with your baptism and your masses and your sacraments. Down with your priest craft and your rituals and your liturgies. Down with your fine music and your pomp and your robes and your garments and all your ceremonials but up, up, up with the doctrine of the naked cross and the expiring Saviour.

Give no glory to this rubbish. Now some people I suppose might be a little horrified to think that on this day so close to the funeral that one would sort of try to pass a bit of faith in and a bit of humour with respect to what is happening but I'm sure you'll accept it in good heart here.

You see when the Pope or the Roman Catholic Church accommodates they have to do certain things in their structure. They have to be accommodating themselves. They have to compromise and they do. I'm sure some of you will remember perhaps you heard the story.

Humor and Critique of Ecumenical Accommodation

It happened, it was told a few years ago but I thought it was a bit appropriate that about the time of the funeral there was a big golf match going on in America. I think they called it the Masters or something.

Well the funeral's over but the golf's still going on and here's something that I was reminded of and I dug it out. It says the Pope met with the Cardinals to discuss a proposal from Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of Israel.

Your Holiness, said one of the Cardinals, Mr Netanyahu wants to challenge you to a game of golf to show the friendship and ecumenical spirit shared by the Jewish and Catholic faith. The Pope thought it was a good idea but he had never held a golf club in his hand.

Have we not, he said, a Cardinal who can represent me against the leader of Israel? None that plays golf very well, a Cardinal said, but he added there is a man named Jack Nicklaus, an American golfer who is a devout Catholic.

We can offer to make him a Cardinal and then ask him to play the Prime Minister of Israel as your personal representative. In addition to showing our spirit of cooperation, we'll also win the match. Everyone agreed it was a good idea.

The call was made, of course, Nicklaus was honoured and agreed to play. The day after the match, Nicklaus reported to the Vatican. Cardinal Nicklaus, said the Pope. Well, your Holiness, I don't like to brag but even though I've played some pretty terrific rounds of golf in my life, this was the best I've ever played by far.

I must have been inspired from above. My drives were long and true, my irons were accurate and purposeful, and my putting was perfect. With all due respect, my playing was truly miraculous. There's bad news, the Pope asked.

Nicklaus sighed. I lost to Rabbi Tiger Woods by three strokes. Yeah, the Jews are more than a match, really, for the Roman Catholic. Dare I try another one just very quickly? You'll forgive me today. About a century ago, the Pope challenged the Jewish community of Rome to a debate.

The Jews looked around for a champion who could defend their faith, but no one wanted to volunteer, it was too risky. So they finally picked on an old man named Moshe, who spent his life sweeping up after people to represent them.

Being old and poor, he had less to lose, so he agreed. He asked only for one addition to the rules of debate. Not being used to saying very much, he asked that neither side be allowed to talk. The Pope agreed.

The day of the great debate came. Moshe and the Pope sat opposite each other for a full minute before the Pope raised his hand and showed three fingers. Moshe looked back at him and raised one finger.

The Pope waved his fingers in a circle around his head. Moshe pointed to the ground where he sat. The Pope pulled out a wafer and a glass of wine. Moshe pulled out an apple. The Pope stood up and said, I give up.

This man is too good. The Jews win. An hour later, the Cardinals were all around the Pope asking him what happened. The Pope said, first I held up three fingers to represent the Trinity. He responded by holding up one finger to remind me that there was still only one God common to both our religions.

Then I waved my finger around me to show him that God was all around us. He responded by pointing to the ground, showing that God was also right here with us. I pulled out the wine and wafer to show that God absolves us from our sin.

He pulled out an apple to remind me of original sin. He had an answer for everything. What could I do? Meanwhile, the Jewish community had crowded around Moshe, amazed that this old, almost feeble-minded man had done what their scholars had insisted was impossible.

What happened, they asked. Well, said Moshe, first he said to me that the Jews had three days to get out of here. I told him that not one of us was leaving. Then he told me that this whole city would be cleared of Jews.

I let him know that we were going to stay right here. And then asked a woman, I don't know, said Moshe, he took out his lunch and I took out mine. Now, I suppose it's alright to have a little bit of humour, but it is a very, very serious situation.

The Holy Spirit, Human Freedom, and Papal Error

And the Roman Catholic monolith is moving, but she always shoots herself in the foot. Actually, my dear friend, Irene Morgan drew my attention to an interview that George Negus had with the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell.

Quite an interesting interview. You can get it. Those of you who do computers, if you want to do a Google search, look for Dateline SBS, put that in the search. And then when you get to the Dateline, look for April 6th, it's the second in the list.

And there you have the interview. Toward the end of the interview, George Negus asked George Pell, he said, Cardinal, I don't mean this in a facetious or sacrilegious way, but how does the Holy Spirit guide people like yourself in the contrary when there has to be politics involved, there has to be ideology involved, there has to be numbers involved.

Is the Holy Spirit a good political numbers man? Cardinal George Pell replied, no. Sometimes he does get it right and sometimes he gets it wrong. But the Holy Spirit always works through free individuals.

We try to listen to one another, we try to think, we try to discern what the Church needs and to come to some consensus. The Holy Spirit only works through humans and through natural means generally. I've received no special inspiration.

George Negus responded, it's interesting though, you said sometimes the Holy Spirit can get it wrong. Cardinal George Pell, yes. Well, there have been bad Popes in history. The Holy Spirit gets it wrong.

See how they go down that track? And friends, Evangelicals are just falling in behind them. Blasphemy. Iron Morgan wrote in and his letter is there as well, you can read it. He said, I listened with great interest to George Negus interviewing of the Cardinal George Pell and Decline.

Tonight, in the responses to the questions posed to him, I was both astounded and offended as a Bible-believing Christian to hear him say and repeat that in the choice of a Pope, sometimes he, the Holy Spirit, gets it right and sometimes he gets it wrong.

The clear testimony of Scripture is that since the Holy Spirit is none less or other than God, the third person of the Holy Trinity, he possesses the attribute of omniscience, which is perfect knowledge.

It is impossible for him to err. Wounded and she'll be wounded again, but she will rise. Wounded in the head, she will rise. I don't know what you make of that Revelation verse, whether it's going to be literal.

Could be. Could be that ultimately a person representing Antichrist will be wounded and there will be a resurrection. I don't know. Possibly not. Probably symbolic. Symbolic of what happens throughout history and maybe increasingly so as we approach that time.

But Jesus said, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will lead you, that is, those who are true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, into alters. Now let me run down through this chapter very, very quickly.

The Holy Spirit Protects Believers from Stumbling

God's great purpose in Christ and the Scripture. These things that Jesus have spoken unto you, that you should not be offended. The word offended there has various connotations, but it carries the idea of a stumbling block, basically, that you will not stumble.

These are the things that I'm telling you, that you will not in any way stumble. It's translated 28 times, offend, in the New Testament, the King James Version, total of 30 times. And it means to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way upon which another may trip and fall.

It means metaphorically to offend. It means to entice to sin, to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey. Jesus says, these things I'm telling you, that that won't happen to you.

That you won't offend, that you won't fall, that you won't give up your trust, that you won't be caused to begin to distrust and desert the one who you ought to trust and obey, to cause to fall away. So the great purpose of this passage, relative to the Holy Spirit, is that we might avoid offence, that we will not trip, because the Holy Spirit is there to protect us.

And then also that we might realise that the work of the Holy Spirit is to point to Christ, and that we might remember when these things happen, that in actual fact Christ spoke them, and so we know who He is, that He is a true prophet, that He is more than a prophet, that He is who He claims to be, that He is the Son of God.

That's verses 1 to 6, which we have read. Then we see God's great plan, God's grand plan for the church and the world. He says, it's beneficial for me, for you, not for me, it's beneficial for you that I go away.

I suppose throughout history we have conjectured on the idea, wouldn't it have been great if Christ had stayed here? Wouldn't it be great if we could talk to Him in the flesh? No, says Jesus, that would not be a good thing.

It's beneficial to you that I'm going away, because in going away I am sending someone who is marvellously described here as the comforter, or as one rendering puts it, the counsellor. A Christian has an in-built counsellor counselling agency, and whereas we as Christians can help each other, I believe increasingly in these days in which we live, we have to get away from the idea that when problems come our way, we have to hive off to consult with some specialist or some expert, particularly if it is an expert or a specialist in the world.

The Word of God as Counselor

Now, I don't say that with regard to normal physical ailments. I believe in medical science. I believe that doctors are very helpful. I've had an operation, a couple of operations myself, and I'm not against that.

But when you get into the area of psychology and the mind, you have to be very, very careful where you go to for your advice. The Bible says, blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly.

That psychiatrist out there who may have been instructed in some ideas of psychiatry, and most of them have a flimsy and a very questionable basis. Freud and his counterpart, and I can't think of his young others, when you delve into their background you'll find that in many instances they had spiritistic connections.

Their counsellors were demons. And they have come up with ideas which the world has clambered after. The psalmist says, blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.