Apologia Radio | Confessions of a Former Word of Faith Pastor, John Samson

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Hello, I'm John Sampson pastor of Kings Church in the Phoenix, Arizona area delight to be here with apologia

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Understanding all that they're doing and the great ministry that is affecting so many people locally nationally

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Around the world. I'm always delighted to work with Jeff and Luke and to be on this program today

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It's a real joy. I want to talk about something. I believe is significant Confessions of a former

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Word of Faith pastor I'm speaking as one who was formerly a pastor in The Word of Faith movement and what is sad in my experience is that many people

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I've talked to Relate the fact that so few come out of that system.

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It is a system of bondage It is a falsehood and I want to bring the light of God's Word to that and in that Evidence for Scripture and for bringing forth the truth.

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I just want to pray that God would be lifted up Rightly the Lord Jesus be lifted up rightly as we go to his word.

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So allow me to pray Lord, I thank you for the fact that you are God we are not and that you reveal truth

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We look to you We just ask that you would help us by the Holy Spirit to go to your word and understand your truth afresh

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We ask it in Jesus name Amen Some of my background may be helpful as we launch into this

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We're going to go to God's Word and see what it says but I was converted at the age of 14 in a church in Chester in England and Immediately was thrust into what we now would explain as the word of faith movement let me try to give a definition of that and that is the idea of the promise of health and wealth is

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Included in the covenant that God has made with man, especially in the

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New Testament But also in the old and therefore the idea is that anyone who will work certain laws in the kingdom will have health and Wealth this side of glory and if we don't we can change that Because God has given us laws in his word that will show us how to do that exactly

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That was my upbringing in the Christian faith. I had an Orthodox view of the

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Trinity haven't changed in any way on that Orthodox view of who

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Jesus is and even the way of salvation and Unlike so many in that movement.

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I did understand repentance. I was sorry for sin and I turned from it I was very keen on preaching the gospel as I understood it, but I have what

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I now describe as I had an over -realized eschatology

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Eschatology is a word that means the last things and over -realized eschatology is the idea that everything that is for us and will be ours in heaven is available to us now and we're going to get into that and I hope that you'll come along on the journey with me.

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The stakes are high in this. We're talking about Two different gods the real

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God who truly is and the God of the word of faith movement The stakes are very high

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Andrew Womack who is very much a proponent of the word of faith Was a friend of mine and stayed in my home many times as I say,

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I was a pastor in the movement in England after Bible College training

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I entered the ministry with a man called Harry Greenwood who was at that time referred to as the

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Kenneth Hagan of England Kenneth Hagan being the chief proponent of the word of faith at that time here in the

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United States of America Although he'd really taken over the mantle from people like EW Kenyon Oral Roberts was a big figure in that movement as well had a slightly different emphasis but Kenneth Hagan and Kenneth Copeland These were the names were notorious with the word of faith

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Frederick Casey price Casey treat Creflo dollar Jesse Duplantis.

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These were names heralded in that movement I met a number of them number of times as I say

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Andrew Womack was someone who I had come at My church as a speaker a number of times stayed at my home as I say

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He's made the statement often that the doctrine of God's sovereignty is the greatest attack on truth in our time on the other side of it

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There's people like myself who's saying it's the greatest thing going in the body of Christ right now

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People are getting hold of the fact that God is sovereign. So we're talking about a big issue here.

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Who's God? Is he sovereign is? he when we look at the scripture, we're going to see it's

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Filled with the concept of God's sovereignty It's not just one verse here or another verse there in him

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We live and move and have our being acts chapter 17 says we can't even move

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Except God is supplying the ability to move in him We move as well as live and have our being and the

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Lord is in the heavens He does all he pleases. That's the God of the

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Bible. He gets his will done That's an anathema in the

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Word of Faith movement the idea that God is sovereign that we would pray prayers that End with if it be thy will that is an unbelief prayer prayer that is not based on God's Word They think we're gonna look at some of these issues perhaps not in every detail

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There's a limit on time, but I want to get into the big picture and here's where I'm coming from Rather than do what many are doing and have done very very well in our day

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Exposing the darkness by talking about the darkness talking about the falsehoods.

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I want to just bring light I want to bring the light of God's Word and specifically in the area of sovereignty

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Because here's what I found if we get that if light comes into the house

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We can then go into each room of the house and see where sovereignty applies

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We can go into the room of the house and see why? sovereignty affects our understanding of divine healing about Riches and wealth and poverty and all of these things so we're going to go to God's Word But I want to give you that background.

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I was a pastor then after Bible College became an associate minister of Harry Greenwood Traveled the world with him for a number of months and then suddenly in 1988 he died of a heart attack

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I thought my life was over. This was my father in the Lord. I Respected him so much.

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I then teamed up with another young man. I was young at the time in the late 80s early 90s and became an associate pastor in Fleet in Hampshire, England and was there for a number of years and then came out to the

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United States and Started a church from scratch in the Phoenix area from nothing and eventually became a church of two three hundred people and As I say

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Andrew Womack was one of many speakers who came who I knew very very well very interesting times

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What happened was God intervened and he did so in a very unusual way

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In fact just recently going through some of my papers in my study

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I came across the flyer That caught my attention back in the year 2000

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I was pastoring at the time Seen a lot of things take place which were good a lot of things

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I look back on and just wince at as to what I was teaching. I was able to bring a lot of help to folk in the air of healing

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I thought but looking back I brought nothing in the way of preparation for death

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Really did not I'll talk about that in a moment. What happened was at various different times in the ministry.

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I had these big gun preachers come in and they would teach for a while and then pray over the sick and the pastor who's left behind is to deal with the ones left behind whereas the visiting speaker flies off to the next meeting and What I saw was a number of healings but also

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I had to conduct a number of funerals people that were prayed for that had spent a lot of time under the ministry of these teachers prayed for by these teachers declared to be healed and then

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Some weeks later some months later They died the preparation was not for death, but for healing and there was just this

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Lack of understanding of the sovereignty of God, which is what I want to get into So you got our

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Andrew Womack on one side saying the greatest Danger the greatest offense against the church in our time is the idea of the sovereignty of God Let me quote

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CH Spurgeon who's on the other side of the aisle on the subject of sovereignty

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He says this or he did There is no attribute of God more comforting to his children than the doctrine of divine sovereignty under the most adverse

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Circumstances in the most severe troubles they believe that sovereignty hath ordained their afflictions

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That sovereignty overrules them and that sovereignty will sanctify them all there is nothing

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For which the children of God ought more earnestly to contend than the dominion of their master over all creation

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The kingship of God over all the works of his own hands the throne of God and his right to sit upon That throne on the other hand, there is no doctrine more hated by worldlings

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Worldlings there. He's referring to not only people of the world who are non -believers, but worldly saints who have not been taught by God There is no doctrine more hated by worldlings no truth of which they have made such a football something they kick around as the great

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Stupendous, but yet most certain doctrine of the sovereignty of the infinite Jehovah men will allow

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God to be everywhere Except on his throne. They'll allow him to be in his workshop to fashion worlds and to make stars they'll allow him to be in his almonery to dispense his arms and Bestow his bounties

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They'll allow him to sustain the earth and bear up the pillars thereof or light the lamps of heaven or rule the waves of the ever -moving ocean but when

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God ascends his throne his creatures then gnash their teeth and when we proclaim an enthroned

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God and his Right to do as he wills with his own to dispose of his creatures as he thinks well without consulting them in the matter, then it is that we are hissed and Execrated and then it is that men turn a deaf ear to us

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For God is on his throne for God on his throne is not the God they love They love him anywhere better than they do when he sits with his scepter in his hand and his crown upon his head

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But it is God upon the throne that we love to preach. It is God upon his throne whom we trust here's what

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I'm saying with all that an analogy would be this

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I've got a button shirt on and if I get the wrong button in the top hole

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Doesn't matter what else I do. It's gonna be wrong all the way down and that's the truth with God's sovereignty get it, right?

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And our doctrines will be right all the way down or at least they'll have the tendency For it to be right doctrine all the way down but get it wrong here we're wrong all the way down and every false teaching elevates man and Denigrates God That's true in the cults.

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They cannot handle the true God the true God of Scripture. They Devalued the

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Lord Jesus Christ They don't honor him as the Son in the same way that they honor the

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Father as John chapter 5 Makes clear Jesus says you must we are to honor the

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Son even as we honor the Father John chapter 5 verse 22 Man's religions will never be able to do that and the word of faith movement is man's

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Religion, we need to get it right at the top on God's sovereignty What I want to do is put the light on when darkness is in a room.

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We don't need a vacuum cleaner To get rid of darkness Just turn the light on and while I'm very grateful for all the ministries that expose the darkness of The word of faith,

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I think there's a great place for all of it not in any way Undervaluing that what

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I want to do in this time together is just turn the light on Let's see what Scripture says and I want to ask you.

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Are you hungry for truth? what is the passion of my heart is to know

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God as he really is and the gospel as it really is and There's not one without the other we must get

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God right from the Bible and the gospel right from the Bible light

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Dispels darkness. I wrote a book called at the five solas After darkness light is the first are the first words the entrance of thy words

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Giveth light it giveth understanding unto the simple Psalm 119 verse 130 that's from the

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King James Version. Here's what I wrote in the first paragraph light Dispels darkness when the light of God's Word shines into places of spiritual and cultural darkness.

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It transforms people families and Nations, it does not matter how long the darkness has persisted when light appears

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Darkness like a hostile Renegade usurper to the throne must submit bow its head and walk away in shame again light dispels darkness the entrance of God's Word brings light and Darkness is the shared experience of a people without light and such was the case before the

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Protestant Reformation the Bible wasn't known in its place Religious superstition

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Tradition and falsehood reigned the Reformation brought God's Word and the gospel back into the hands of the masses

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That same principle applies in this case as well in our day

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People have been impacted greatly by the Kenneth Hagen and the

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Kenneth Copeland although Kenneth Hagen died, I believe it's 2003 Kenneth Copeland is now in his 80s and Outside of the fact that now he's in league with the

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Pope and Embraces him as a brother It's the false teaching of Copeland himself that has caused many to be in bondage

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But it has a certain appeal his message has a certain appeal because if people have been

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Bounced around in the game of life so to speak the Word of Faith says you can change that you can put laws into Operation if you learn them and apply them whereby your a future will be very different from your past Learn the laws get hold of them

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Speak them out of your mouth. You'll have what you say in our day a new generation have risen in terms of the teachers out there the

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NAR the New Apostolic Reformation led by men like Bill Johnson of Bethel Church in Reading, California Jesus culture is a big music proponent of that same teaching and That's something that is addressed and I'll give you some resources at the end of our time together

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That I think you'll be interested in if you want to discover more, but I want to go to God's Word And talk about it.

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My own experience was as a pastor. I was Deeply involved not only teaching it myself but attending

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Crusades and Teaching and preaching Crusades myself around the world

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India other places I was on stage as one of the pastors with Benny Hinn who is again a proponent of the

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Word of Faith Shook his hand and was thrilled to see what

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I saw looking back again. I wince because the claims that were made

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Very different from what actually takes place in those services Music is a massive factor for at least an hour and a half perhaps even two hours people are singing as the

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Atmosphere in the meeting is progressively becoming more and more intense and two hours before brother big shot brother

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Benny comes on stage and Does what he does and here's what I understand now looking back the really sick people

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I mean the really sick people and never seen let that sink in the quadriplegics the people that are

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Unable to move in their beds, but they've come because a family member has

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Is believing that God will give them a miracle? They're in some other room.

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They're in a backstage place because the organizers of the event know if people see the really sick people it will dampen people's faith and Let me tell you this if even one of them over the years and over the decades was healed

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It'll be national news But it's not happening, but the claims are made

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Over and over again about God wants you well God wants you free from sickness and The bondage of that When for some their healing is not going to be seen this side of glory the bondage is massive

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Here's what I know I believe Jesus did go to the cross for sin for sickness for the curse for every malady of man for everything we could ever experience on the earth that is crushing that which is of the curse and I believe in heaven there will be no trace of sickness none at all and Jesus purchased that for his people he

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Bore our sins in his body on the tree and he bore sickness and disease and the curse he became the curse for us

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So I'm not denying the very scriptures that I used to stand on decades ago

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I believe all of what the Bible says But I do believe that God is sovereign over when those healings take place

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And I continue to see divine healing because God is very merciful. I see just as much healing now as I did then

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God was merciful to me then as he is now and He is merciful to people then as he is now but he's

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Lord over healing and he for his own reasons can say I Have gone to the cross the

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Lord Jesus has gone to the cross But for healing for deliverance for freedom for all of the things that we will experience in heaven

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But he's Lord over when that takes place and for some they're not getting out of the wheelchair this side of glory and God gives grace for that just as he gives

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Miraculous healing in terms of I've seen many many times great

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Horrendous sicknesses healed by the power of the Lord, but not in every case two things happened within the space of a week in the 90s and began to make me think and one was a little boy of three who was playing in an apartment complex here in the

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Phoenix area and the railings on the third floor of this apartment were not tight enough, you know what

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I mean by that he could actually fit through the railings and fell through and fell down three flights

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Three stories to the ground below solid concrete The the father who was trying to grab hold of the son

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Let me let me get all the details right if I can in fact, I think was an uncle who's looking after him

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Anyway, every all the all the adults ran down and found the the little boy

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Not breathing Didn't look good paramedics were called and I was called and the church got praying and we rushed to the hospital found out which hospital it was rushed to the hospital and The father there was just pacing up and down the the uncle was beside himself felt very responsible for what happened and after about three hours a surgeon came out of the operating room and said where's the father and was

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Was able to meet the father. He says I've got amazing news for you. Not only is your little boy alive

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We can find nothing wrong with him. I Would put that down to great

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Miraculous power from the Lord. I used the word miracle with a little hesitation, but certainly a dramatic

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Dramatic answer to prayer we were rejoicing Absolutely rejoicing this little boy is alive and well today.

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That's last time I heard I think the family moved out of the area of lost touch, but so thrilled to hear

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Great news and no further ramifications the father was told we're going to keep the the boy in overnight, but That's all they did.

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There was no other issue and The boys doing just tremendously well but within a week there was another incident of a young girl engaged 12 her name was

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Faith and she was in a horse riding accident and Fell off the horse, but her feet one of her feet were caught in the reins of the horse and her head was dragged on the floor as the the horse just bolted and Very very sadly she died at the scene and Didn't recover and we prayed as a church just as earnestly just as passionately just with the same amount of faith as previously before in fact our faith was

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Encouraged by what had just happened with the little boys within a week of this but this this girl

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Faith didn't recover and my first funeral as a pastor in the

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United States was the funeral of this young girl and It was a sad time because especially in the light of what had just happened in that movement everyone looked at the family as to what they did to let the devil in and What they didn't do to get the laws of faith to work

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Imagine the bondage of that Imagine the bondage of that It's legalistic

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Bondage and that's where the rubber meets the road because in the magazines You know what?

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They'll do they'll talk about the little boy. They won't talk about faith the girl whose name is

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Faith and I look back and think I wasn't able to help that family.

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I remember going to the pulpit at that funeral. It was the hardest time

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Trying to bring comfort and I quoted Deuteronomy 29 29

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The secret things belong to the Lord our God But the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, and I still believe that verse

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But my interpretation of the verse at that time was this God has his secrets and he doesn't always reveal to us why?

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Something didn't happen. Obviously, we didn't Understand something and we didn't do what we should have done and we didn't work the laws and all of that But we'll find out in heaven what went wrong

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It's a secret now Then it won't be a secret and we trust him in the meantime

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And let's go back and preach God's Word the uncompromised Word and that's exactly what

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I did Looking back. I wasn't able to help that family at all and I have much regret

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The Lord is so good and he's forgiving and he has brought me out of that mess

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Theological mess as it is What happened? Well the flyer came of a visit of dr.

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RC Sproul to Scottsdale, I actually have the flyer as I say November 3rd and 4th of The year 2000 and I'd heard dr.

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Sproul on the subject of the holiness of God, but I hadn't really heard him You know what? I mean by that you're here

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But it hadn't really heard I hadn't heard everything The way I needed to and so I had a respect for him because even at the

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Bible College I went to in England many of the teachers were reformed in their understanding.

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They were Terrific Bible teachers and they never really walked me through why they were reformed or what it meant

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But I had a healthy respect enough to know that they were definitely in the kingdom. They're just misguided

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Don't walk in faith as I understood it. Just Submitted to God's sovereignty and all things which

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I now understand is the walk of faith But I had a respect and enough to want to hear dr.

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Sproul But my heart sank when I saw what the flyer was revealing what he's going to talk about in the year 2000

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Chosen by God that was the theme and he's going to talk about the subject of predestination now

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I wanted to hear dr. Sproul. I had a healthy respect for him But I didn't want to hear him on that subject.

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Anything else would have been better as far as I was concerned. I Wanted to hear about something other than that Chosen by God.

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I thought that's an idea that we got over as the people of God, right it Jonathan Edwards was into that and This is a new millennium

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Why would someone of that caliber in my respected fly from Florida to Scottsdale, Arizona?

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To talk about an idea that's past its sell -by date We got over this I Wanted to hear him, but I didn't want to hear him on that And so I was in two minds whether I'd go is a

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Friday night meeting and a Saturday morning meeting And I thought I'll go no, I won't

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I'll go No, I don't want to go. I'll go. Well, I decided to go But I sat on the back row because I thought the moment this man whom

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I do respect Starts quoting all these theologians Some of the greats of church history,

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I'm out of here. I I'm not really interested That's my thought now if I sit on the back row,

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I'm not going to disrupt the event Well, I went to the event and if you've ever experienced a

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Ligonier ministries meeting It's full of God's Word. It's full of God's people.

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I was surprised that 70 % of the people attending were men that took me by surprise.

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I'm not sure I Fully grasped all of the reasons why that was the case, but that got my attention and dr

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RC Sproul came out and all he did was go to God's Word and teach from the

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Bible and I could listen to him without exasperation and I was challenged by what he said, but I thought but I've got other verses that would dismiss his arguments and It's gonna fall apart when

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I could ever ask him a question Well, then he announced the fact and I saw it in the program

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They were gonna there was going to be a question and answer time a question answer time I thought well, that's when this idea of his is gonna fall apart

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It's gonna be exposed when we ask just simple questions. Like what about John 3 16? What about 2nd

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Peter 3 9? Well, the funny part was that's what got me to come back in the morning because that's when the question -answer session was and I thought

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I've got a few questions, but I'm sure others have too and What happened was dr RC Sproul came out sat in a chair and a moderator had a microphone and just looked at some of the questions and before we

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Got to the first question Dr. Sproul said now let me anticipate what the first question is. It's either

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What about John 3 16 or what about 2nd Peter 3 9 and I thought yeah.

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Well, yeah, that's that's good That is that those are the the questions. God is not willing that any should perish

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Right, but all come to repentance. Well, what happened was he handled those two texts in the space of about three or four minutes and if you could have seen me if The camera was on me.

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You'd have noticed my face went deathly white Because I realized

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I was in trouble in two minutes just expounding John 3 16 a verse

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I could quote in my sleep I think he showed me how shallow my understanding was my assumptions that I brought to the text what the text actually said and Rather than being happy about this.

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I realized I was in trouble my traditions not his were being exposed

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He'd brought forth scriptures that plainly taught the sovereignty of God in salvation, but I thought

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I had verses that would negate it and Negate all that he was saying But he dealt with the biggest and the best questions out there happily

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Relaxed and going to the text and saying let's see what it actually says I ended up writing a book about that experience because I did have a number of objections

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And I wrote a book called 12 whatabouts answering the common objections to divine sovereignty and I really

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Recounted my journey into the scriptures to see what they actually taught But it started and in fact that the whole weekend was an amazement to me

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But I realized I owed it to myself to study this. I didn't want to preach it yet I wasn't embracing it yet But I knew

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I needed to study this and here's what I found most people are not open to study Most people that are so caught up in a system of man -made

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Thinking think that there's no reason for them to study. Why would I study a verse

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I can quote? John 3 16 I know it well, there's a reason to study because we often bring our own traditions to the text and let's see what it actually says and So it started a period of about six to nine months where I ordered everything

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I could have dr. Sproul on the subject of Predestination and sovereignty and Was amazed what

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I found I then began to run across other authors as well. James Montgomery Boyce was one

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Dr. James White was another very soon after this Dr. James White came out with the book the

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Potter's freedom which was tremendous exegetically to get into the scriptures to see what they were saying and with the thinking of Sproul and The exegetical insights of dr.

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White I came out of that what I call a theological cocoon as someone who embraced the doctrines of grace if you know what that means the the tulip of the reformed faith t -u -l -i -p and It was as if dr.

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Sproul had thrown a large rock called God's sovereignty into my theological pond

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Unknowingly, he just came and taught But he set in motion a series of events whereby that rock

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Embracing it understanding that God is sovereign Had huge ramifications and I continue to see those ramifications as the ripple effects of that rock coming into the water

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Makes its way to the shore And that's what happened in my life. I realized God is sovereign in the air of salvation and then

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I realized he's sovereign over this aspect of the church and that aspect of our understanding on this theological issue or I began to see that the the roof

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Of God's sovereignty was over all of the house So to speak that God is sovereign over all things

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Well, I'm we going to go to the scripture. Yeah, I'm just setting us up. We're going to go to the scripture.

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I became a TBN host before all this I was a

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I said to people it doesn't get lower now as to say I Was someone who asked people to call the number on the screen live television shows here in Arizona that Span two hours oftentimes

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The last guest didn't show up and I'd be on the spot asked to preach for 30 minutes and just ran with it

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It's an amazing experience. I was so into this believing I was helping people.

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I Look back and wince because God by the Holy Spirit sent dr.

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Sproul through the means of Him coming and a fly that told me of the event and it started a process that has brought me

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To where I am today and my understanding of God the true God who reigns who rules who lives

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He really is active in his sovereignty in all things So important we grasp this

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Here's what I understood We read 2nd Timothy chapter 3 it tells us about the last days and I thought

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I want to go there 2nd Timothy chapter 3 It tells us about God and about deception and it says that in the last days there will be deception and deceivers and Having the experience of meeting some of these very well -known figures

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Had a meal with Jesse Duplantis. He's another well -known Proponent of the

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Word of Faith knew these guys a little bit. Do they really believe what they're saying?

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I think they do But here's what I came to understand deceived people deceive people

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There are some that are absolute sharks. They're in it for all the wrong reasons But 2nd

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Timothy 3 and 4 tell us that it's not just the preachers who are wrongly motivated

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They're hearers are as well 2nd Peter chapter 3

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Verse 13 tells us but evil men and imposters will proceed from bad to worse deceiving and being deceived

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Do you hear that? They're deceived themselves and they deceive others with their teaching, but they really believe the deception you however

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Continuing the things you've learned and become convinced of knowing from whom you've learned them and that from childhood.

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You've known the sacred writings That's the scriptures which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus all scripture is inspired by God and Profitable for teaching for a proof for correction for training in righteousness

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So that the man of God may be adequate equipped for every good work.

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I solemnly charge you This is chapter 4 in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead and by his appearing and his kingdom preach the word

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Be ready in season and out of season reprove rebuke

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Exhort with great patience and instruction now hear this For the time will come

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Well when they will not endure they'll not put up with sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled

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They will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires

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I'm gonna turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths, but you

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Be sober in all things endure hardship do the work of an evangelist fulfill your ministry

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Did you hear what was written here? Do you hear what was said? Not only are they're going to be teachers who are deceived who deceive others

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But they're going to be people who will want to hear the deception they will want to have their ears tickled

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They will accumulate for themselves their own favorite teachers. I'm putting in the word favorite

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But it's really in it an implication. They'll accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desire

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I want someone who's going to show me how to get ahead financially I Want someone who's going to teach me the laws that will get myself healed

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I'm gonna be free from this sickness. I want that I I want that with all my heart

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Jesus said he came to give me life and life more abundantly there it is

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Yeah, he did. He didn't say he came to give you lifestyle he came to give you life and It's both the preacher and the people that here that say

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I want the hundred dollar Excuse me the hundred fold return if I give a thousand dollars

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I can just be looking for the hundred thousand Dollars that's going to come because I give

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I need brother big shot and brother big shot needs me And if you have you ever noticed these guys?

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They never get on the TV and say this works, and I'm going to do the same thing So my million dollars into This particular charity work or this work in Mexico no, it's other it's brother big shot giving to brother big shot over the road in the same town or across the state and They never tell you to give to someone else and get the hundred fold return.

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It's to them self -serving it really is deceived people deceived people

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Here's what we're talking about in the charismatic sector of the church There is this thing called the word of faith not everyone who's a charismatic embraces word of faith doctrine but that's the seedbed where this thing

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Springs and The word of faith is the idea as I say that you can have everything that is promised in the

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Bible now But the Bible itself tells us about God's sovereignty and it does not teach that we'll have every

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Blessing of the kingdom this side of glory that will always live to be 120 years old that will live free from sickness and disease.

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We're in a fallen world and many have been born with terrible issues

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Physically and for some Their healing is going to be when they see Jesus face to face.

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There won't be sickness in heaven and Jesus has paid for that healing If I could summarize the word of faith doctrine

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Hear this and you'll understand we're talking about a God that's different from the God of the Bible. I wrote this a

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Long time ago in a garden far far away The God of the word of faith made man in his image and gave him two special gifts

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The first of these was something called dominion This newly created being formed out of the dust of the ground was made the

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God of this world supreme Lord over all he surveyed This gift of dominion meant that man ruled over his circumstances everything in his environment

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Including the weather was now subject to him The second gift

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God gave him was seed for sowing this came in two forms The first type of seed given to him would be sown into the ground

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Producing crops of every imaginable kind man could determine the type and quantity of the crop

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He would have he could have as much or as little as he wished This second type of seed took the form of faith -filled words

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Faith -filled words dominate reality Like his creator before a man could speak and everything he said would come to pass

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He could have whatever he said. In fact, he not only could have he would have all that came out of his mouth

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Everything on planet Earth was subject to man Nothing was beyond his control and he exerted that control through the use of his words

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Death and life being in the power of the tongue no lack or sickness or poverty could continue to exist once man had spoken in faith if There ever was lack man could speak abundance and everything would conform all created things all created a all creation itself

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Awaited man's faith -filled words to see what would be said the seed of his words would come to fruition

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God was hoping that man would decide to speak words of life rather than death.

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Oh How he hoped for that in this way all would be well all would be good

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But something happened that meant disaster for God and his plan man listened to the serpent and Liked what he heard he decided to get in league with the crafty snake and instead of choosing words that would bring life health

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Prosperity and blessing he chose the way of death the curse of death now reigned sickness and poverty would gain the upper hand if We could imagine a father giving a new car to a son as a gift

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So God having given man the keys to his car planet Earth He could only watch in horror as man drove the car at full speed into the ditch

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The first man Adam failed to use his dominion wisely in obeying the serpent

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Adam and his race Had handed over the planets keys to the devil the devil not

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God was now in charge the ruling God of this world There was now nothing

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God could do his hands were tied. All he could do was hope Hopefully yes, just hopefully another man would arise who would make good decisions and restore dominion back to mankind

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That was God's hope anyway in something called the plan of redemption

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Ladies and gentlemen, that's not the God of the Bible That's heretical it's based on some truth, which all heresy is truth taken to an extreme

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See no one among us would believe Something that had no basis in reality

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But if the one dispensing heresy can put some truth in there like a good and wholesome sandwich

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Just a little bit of poison He can include healthy meat with just enough poison.

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It becomes a lethal meal for anyone who partakes of it What I've just read to you is heresy of a most pernicious and damnable kind 2nd

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Peter 2 Tells us that there are damnable heresies to Dismiss the sovereignty of God as an attack on truth.

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That's heretical that that's big league stuff We're dealing with it's error of the worst kind That's what's taught in the word of faith movement

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Behind the words of the preacher There's a hissing serpent spewing out damnable lies about God about man and the nature of reality these lies a

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Damnable for the simple reason that if they believe they damn the human soul forever

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Yet the serpent dispenses his lies with just enough truth to deceive his prey

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One of the lies is the fact that you can become a

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God little G Because Jesus taught that right? Well, I Need to understand that and before I lay the groundwork for that.

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Let me do what I promised What kept me in when I began to?

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Understand these things and be hesitant about some of the things that I was hearing

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Some of the strange things that came from these men's mouths particularly Kenneth Copeland I remember coming to the

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States and asked a Pastor in the movement. What do you think of Copeland's view on what happened between the cross and the resurrection?

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He's got some blasphemous things that he teaches Well, the pastor actually said this and it surprised me.

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In fact, it shocked me. He said oh he's just a jerk in that area and what

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I thought was amazing was here was someone in the movement who didn't hold to everything

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Copeland said and Here's where people on the outside need to grasp hold of something not everyone in the movement believes everything that brother big shot or sister satellite says and That allowed me to stay

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Because I thought I don't agree with him there I don't agree with that state he said this back in 1982 okay.

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Well, I don't agree with that, but I still maintained the basic premise of the movement

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That if we look work the laws that God has given we could have what we say Great lies are built on some truth

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There's a wooden understanding of scriptures that say Death and life is in the power of the tongue and they take that to the point where We can speak words that bring death to our bodies if you say

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I'm catching a cold You've just let the devil in he has now the ability to bring the cold

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And so that's what's going on when someone dies What have we said in the way of death that has brought death?

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It couldn't have had the fruit of death unless there was the seed of death by the things that we've said

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Now here's a right understanding of that verse I believe death and life are in the power of the tongue death in our relationships.

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There are many Relationships that are dead because of words that have been spoken Death is is is spoken up but not in a literal sense again

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Why am I getting that from that scripture because I'm seeing God's sovereignty in all things for For me to say

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I'm catching a cold that allows the devil to give me a cold Or I'm dying to see you

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That allows cancer to come because I've just said I'm dying and it's as if the spiritual realm is awakened.

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Oh Now we can bring death to this man because he's said I'm dying Do you see the bondage of that you see the appeal of that is

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I can stop saying those words and start speaking life I'm catching a healing.

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How you doing? I'm blessed I'm catching a healing all these

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Words that we used to say in the word of faith movement. Thank God I'm delivered from that bondage and God is not saying.

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Oh, I wish I could bless John But he said the word death and dying to see you Mildred. Oh, wow

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Now I have to just watch as the devil goes and attacks him Nothing I can do my hands are tied.

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He's death and life's in the power of the tongue. Do you see how silly that is? I Hope you do if your life is bad, you can change it.

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Well, that's bondage. It's horrendous When there's a funeral in the word of faith people are wondering

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Okay, what was said behind the scenes that allowed this there's laws that govern faith just like gravity and electricity

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So, how could I stay in the middle of all that learning some of the things I was learning? again

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Again because I didn't buy into everything I heard not everything

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I saw What kept me in was the fact that there was no centralized headquarters no denomination that said this is the authorized understanding of everything

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There's no Vatican. There's no official Apostle or prophet as in The Vatican the the

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Roman Catholic Church or the LDS the Mormon Church No, he's just a jerk in that area

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I'm so glad I don't believe that but I still bought into the world view

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Evil men will get worse and worse Scripture says it.

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Let me ask you this. How much do you want truth? Scripture says buy the truth and sell it not

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Proverbs 23 23 Sometimes it costs to believe truth.

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I've seen that firsthand. You don't always know the price tag on Truth, I want to go wherever truth leads me.

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It's led me to the doctrines of grace It's led me to embrace reform theology when people say

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I'm becoming more and more Reformed in my thinking I'm thinking in my world. That means

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I'm becoming more and more biblical I want to believe what the Bible says and I want to believe it in context

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Here's what I found in the Word of Faith now looking back. Let me give you an illustration If I'm writing an email to someone

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Maybe someone here in Arizona But I've I'm writing it from New York I'm making a trip to New York and it's

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January time cold and At seven o 'clock in the evening in New York something dramatic happens the electrical grid goes down and Electricity isn't working for a number of hours and in the great temperature

54:42

Challenges of Winter in New York It means the coldness on the outside of the building is now beginning to affect everyone inside all buildings in New York, and so I write a little note in an email to someone in Arizona and say

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Everyone in New York is cold tonight do you know there's a context

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I've given you and that context is cold in terms of temperature

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It's not cold in terms of heart Condition for instance, it does not mean that everyone in New York is

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Cold towards outsiders. They hate anyone visiting from another state. Everyone in New York is cold, but you can take that phrase everyone in New York is cold and Make that your belief system

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Why John has told us everyone in New York is cold have no reason to doubt him.

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He's there He's experiencing firsthand the people of New York and his impression is that everyone in New York are just cold -hearted people

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No, that's not what I was saying. You've quoted my words, but out of context they mean something other than what

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I Intended them to say and ladies and gentlemen that happens all the time in the

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Word of Faith Verses are taken out of their context and although words are quoted

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They're not quoted with an understanding of the context and Here's what

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I believe truth would allow us to do if someone has the truth They should be open to looking at that verse in its context and say that you've quoted

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Paul I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me Let I can run the marathon tomorrow, even though I've never trained right because I can do all things

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Through Christ who strengthened me and you know, I'm 400 pounds overweight, but I can run the marathon

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I can do it all through Christ who strengthens me know that that's a verse that has a Context and the context is

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Paul has been beaten up in life and he's had some Blessings in life and he can do both of those and all things through Christ who strengthens him

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That's the context of the verse you read it in Philippians chapter 4 the verses verse 13

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But look at verse 12 look at verse 14 look at before and after you'll see there's a context

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And so it is there's a context For what we read in the promises of God There's a context and the big overall arching context is

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God and his sovereignty Do you cry out for wisdom do you cry out for understanding?

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I hope you do proverb says you and I should that's the way to wisdom Do you think?

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Well, no, I'm a Christian. No, you should think 2nd Timothy 2 verse 7

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Paul wrote to Timothy think over what I say For the Lord will give you understanding in everything when

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God gives understanding It's because God is gracious and he gave understanding but you know what the means is the means of us getting understanding

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Thinking I remember being part of a group that thought thinking was

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Substandard it's less than God's best what God wanted to give you was Supernatural revelation either an angel coming to you or a dream or some special insight

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But you look at the Bible and 2nd Timothy 2 and it says Timothy you need to think think over think through think through what

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I'm saying and You'll have understanding by the truth

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Don't sell it whatever its cost here these opening words of Proverbs to my son if you receive my words and Treasure up my commandments with you making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding

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Yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding does that sound like a passive?

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Pursuit no, it doesn't if you seek it. That's wisdom and knowledge

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Like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures. That's a lot of effort receive and treasure verse 1 make your ear attentive and Inclining your heart bend your heart down be submissive to God's Word Call out for insight.

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Oh God. I need your truth Raise your voice for understanding I've got to know the truth

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God if you seek it like silver if you search for it as for hidden treasures then we have the word then then you'll understand the fear of the

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Lord and Find the knowledge of God for the Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding

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Are you and I prepared for that the promises of Proverbs 2 5 & 6 are conditional upon are heeding the requirements set forth in verses 1 through 4

01:00:05

Do you want to know God as he really is? All right, let's go to some of the scriptures Isaiah 46 verse 8

01:00:13

God speaking Remember this and stand firm Recall it to mind you

01:00:19

Transgressors remember the former things of old for I'm God and there is no other I am

01:00:24

God. There is none like me declaring the end from the beginning and From ancient times things not yet done saying my counsel shall stand and I will accomplish all my purpose

01:00:39

Calling a bird of prey from the east the man of my counsel from a far country I have spoken and I will bring it to pass.

01:00:47

I have purposed And I will do it again, ladies and gentlemen That's the

01:00:54

God of the Bible. He gets his will done. The God of the

01:01:01

Bible makes plans and accomplishes every one of them All the events of time are ordained by God and that means they have a purpose

01:01:13

There are no accidents that take God by surprise And Some people have a very hard time accepting that But that's what scripture says.

01:01:28

It's what it teaches very clearly the opposite of this would be that all the events of time and many of them are senseless and purposeless and nothing could be further from the truth

01:01:43

God has a purpose in all things and For those who love God he works all things

01:01:50

For their good History is his story R .C.

01:01:56

Sproul once said there's not one maverick molecule in the universe see the big picture of our

01:02:03

Bible is that God makes plans and achieves them all of them and God in his glory is the purpose of everything at The end of time

01:02:17

God and his attributes will be put on display all of them and fully glorified

01:02:23

His sovereignty his mercy his love his justice his holiness his omniscience his omnipotence everything we could name about God all his attributes put on display and that's where everything's headed so that God is fully glorified in all that he is and that's the purpose of everything and Not living for the glory of God is one of the definitions of sin

01:02:53

Romans 3 23 sin is transgression of the law and it is also falling short of the glory of God and God is not a buffet line of Options, you know what?

01:03:08

I mean by that When you might go to a buffet meal There's no

01:03:13

Buffet, please standing by making sure you've put chicken on your plate as well as meat or Cabbage as well as celery.

01:03:22

Oh You need to put some beans on there No, it's a buffet.

01:03:28

I actually don't want beans. There's no, please at the buffet saying You need to get everything of this the of the buffet on your plate a little portion of everything a

01:03:41

There's no, please But some people have the idea that we can pick and choose in terms of the attributes of God I'll take the love of God.

01:03:53

I'll take the power of God if it's for my benefit. I don't like that thing called sovereignty

01:03:58

I'll give that a pass. I'll give that a miss You don't have that option God as he really is is all that is available to us and Anything else is an idol and therefore idolatry

01:04:14

We have no right to form God with Stone with wood with metal or with thoughts in our minds

01:04:21

We're to love God with our heart soul mind and strength and find out what God has revealed about himself

01:04:28

That ladies and gentlemen is where this issue of sovereignty occurs

01:04:34

The heavens Declare the glory of God. Why are why is the universe so vast?

01:04:39

I don't need that star to be out there. So many many many light years away

01:04:48

Doesn't affect tides here doesn't affect my life didn't even know it was there till I saw a program that revealed it on TV Doesn't affect me at all.

01:05:00

Why would it even be out there if it? Isn't for me because it's there for God is to reveal the vastness of his majesty his

01:05:09

Creatorship and God says I'm gonna make it so vast that no man will plummet the depths of the universe because That's the kind of God I am the heavens declare.

01:05:21

They shout the glory of God The skies above his handiwork

01:05:26

Why did God create the cosmos not for little Johnny here? but for God and If there's something out there, that is not for little

01:05:36

Johnny here, but it's for God. It means all things are for God and in God's kindness

01:05:44

God allows us to live when we don't have the right to live.

01:05:50

He's merciful He gives rain to the just and the unjust we call it common grace

01:05:58

CH Spurgeon said this I Believe that every particle of dust that dances in the

01:06:06

Sun beam does not move an atom more or less than God wishes That every particle of spray that dashes against the steamboat has its orbit as well as the

01:06:15

Sun in the heavens That the chaff from the hand of the winnower is steered as the stars in their courses the creeping of an aphid over the rosebud is as much fixed as the

01:06:30

March of the devastating pestilence the fall of leaves

01:06:37

From a popular poplar is as fully ordained as the tumbling of an avalanche

01:06:45

Okay, that's Spurgeon. That's his opinion But the scripture actually teach this or is

01:06:54

Andrew Rock Andrew Womack, right? You know, it does teach it absolutely here's just a small sampling

01:07:03

That shows that God is sovereign over everything You know, he's sovereign over sin

01:07:10

The greatest sin that ever took place on planet earth was the crucifixion of the

01:07:17

Son of God. There's nothing more hideous than that You read Acts chapter 4 It tells us that all of that was

01:07:25

Undertaken by the pre -ordained plan of God man is entirely responsible and God is entirely sovereign

01:07:36

Still, I don't know how those two things Fit together, but if I meant to believe what the

01:07:42

Bible teaches I must embrace both both concepts Because both appear in the

01:07:48

Bible man's responsible and God is sovereign hear this of Seemingly random things is he sovereign the lot is cast into the lap but two -tenths of The decisions are from the

01:08:07

Lord. No, no, it's every decision here This the lot is cast into the lap, but it's every decision is from the

01:08:15

Lord Proverbs 16 33 someone wins in Vegas and Someone loses in Vegas Because of God There's no such thing as chance

01:08:31

Chance is not a thing It doesn't have power It's an expression we use to describe

01:08:41

Mathematical probabilities. There's a one in 50 chance of this. There's a one in a hundred chance of this

01:08:47

But let me ask you what power does chance have? If I've got a coin quarter

01:08:54

One side is heads. The other is tails. How much power does chance have to make it heads?

01:09:03

None Okay over to you chance make it heads chance.

01:09:09

Can't do it. It can tell you there's a 50 50 Chance of it being heads or tails

01:09:15

But it can't make it heads and it can't make it tails

01:09:22

Chance is not a thing Chances no thing

01:09:28

Chances nothing. What about human will?

01:09:36

Yeah, God is sovereign Here this scripture. I know you've heard it Proverbs 21 1 the

01:09:43

King's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the

01:09:49

Lord and He turns it wherever he will who's the he?

01:09:55

God the heart of the most powerful person in the land the king the heart of the king is in the hand of the

01:10:06

Lord and Does your Bible say and God will never violate free will and he has to just listen and watch as man?

01:10:14

Chooses and he's his hands are tied No He God turns it the heart of the king wherever he will

01:10:24

Ladies and gentlemen, that's your Bible Proverbs 20 24 a man's steps are from the

01:10:33

Lord. How then can man understand his way? Proverbs 19 21 many of the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the

01:10:44

Lord that will stand That's Old Testament.

01:10:49

Well sure it is. It's the revelation of God. Do you want new James chapter 4? 13 through 15

01:10:55

Come now you who say today or tomorrow will go into such in such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a

01:11:02

Profit yet. You do not know what tomorrow will bring instead. You ought to say if The Lord wills we will live and do this or that Ladies and gentlemen, that is

01:11:17

God's sovereignty. How about life and death?

01:11:25

Deuteronomy 32 39 See now that I even I am he and there is no

01:11:31

God beside me I kill and I make alive I wound and I heal and There is none that can deliver out of my hand in the word of faith movement

01:11:47

Couldn't have accepted that God doesn't kill. It's the devil who kills the devil who kills

01:11:53

God says I take responsibility for killings Martin Luther said about the devil and it's true.

01:12:00

The devil does kill But even the devil is God's devil even the devil

01:12:07

Cannot go beyond the scope of God's sovereignty and even the devil can only operate according to God's ultimate plan

01:12:17

And that's what we learn in the book of Job God says you can do this, but not that you can go this far, but no further.

01:12:24

You can't take his life Talked about the death of Jesus acts 2 says this

01:12:33

Jesus Acts 2 23 was delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God You crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men lawless men responsible

01:12:47

But it's all according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God Acts 4 27 28 the prayer of the early church were they miss but were they mistaken?

01:12:58

Did they misspeak when they prayed this? For truly in this city, they were gathered together against your holy servant

01:13:06

Jesus. All right He's going to list those who were against Jesus whom you anointed both

01:13:12

Herod and Pontius Pilate along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel Gentiles the

01:13:19

Romans people of Israel Jewish leaders many of the people of Israel All right,

01:13:26

Herod he's responsible Pontius Pilate he's responsible the Gentiles they're responsible the people of Israel They're responsible

01:13:36

To do whatever your hand that's God's hand and your plan had predestined to take place

01:13:44

What took place at the cross was sinful and Predestined I still can't wrap my head around that but if I'm a

01:13:59

Bible believer, I have to believe it that verse versus 27 and 28 tell me that they were against Jesus and they did it because that was

01:14:15

God's plan That he predestined to take place Not some general idea

01:14:25

I'll there be a cross and I guess somebody's going to be involved not sure who no, it's all predestined and Yet, they're all responsible

01:14:35

It's the theological expression concurrence where man's responsibility and God's sovereignty

01:14:42

Concur happens at the same time in the same event It's what happened in the life of Joseph in Genesis chapter 50 verse 22

01:14:51

Do you remember what he said to the brothers the brothers who had sinned against him grievously? sold him into slavery and all the events of time that happened in Joseph's life and then restoration occurred and Joseph was able to say this you the brothers meant it all the events

01:15:13

It being all the events you meant it for evil But God meant it the same events

01:15:20

The same sinful occurrences for good That's your

01:15:26

Bible. It's Old Testament. It's New Testament. You meant it for evil You're still responsible and God is sovereign

01:15:33

God meant those same events for good To save you and this people alive to provide for the people of God Isaiah 53 10 hear this yet.

01:15:47

It was the will of the Lord the will of Yahweh to crush him He has put him to grief

01:15:55

That's the cross of Jesus. Is he Lord over evil things?

01:16:03

Is he Lord when disaster comes to a region to a city Amos 3 6 is a trumpet blown in a city and the people are not afraid

01:16:15

The disaster come to a city unless the Lord has done it Has done it

01:16:22

Question mark and he will say well, no He hasn't done it. It's just the devil behind behind the scenes

01:16:31

God has his plan. He might use the devil or he might just bring destruction without the devil

01:16:36

God didn't bring plagues on Eve on Egypt by enlisting the help of the devil

01:16:44

Think about that. That's the God of the Bible. He didn't say well, I've got to get the devil to do bad stuff hmm

01:16:53

I'll hire him to to bring death to the Firstborn to bring the locusts and yeah,

01:17:01

I'll just hire him. No God did it. It was the hand of God hand of God Isaiah 45 7

01:17:11

Do you see the light coming on? dispelling darkness I Form light

01:17:18

God says and create darkness. I make well -being and create calamity

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I am the Lord who does all these things Isaiah 45 7

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Job 1 21 22 chapter 2 verse 10 the Lord gave and The Lord has taken away.

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Oh, I hated those verses as a word of faith The Lord gave and the

01:17:49

Lord has taken away Blessed be the name of the Lord and then the commentary of God is in all this

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Job did not sin or Charge God with wrong hear that He wasn't getting it wrong.

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His theology wasn't wrong Shall we receive good from God and shall we not receive evil and in all this?

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Job did not sin with his lips when he said that shall we not only receive good but evil things too

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Calamitous things too. And even then that the scriptures very clear

01:18:31

Job didn't sin with his lips According to word of faith theology he did he accused

01:18:38

God of bringing stuff Well, doesn't the Bible say that it's the devil that did it yeah and and God was

01:18:46

Lord over the devil Only as far as God said

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This far no further Is he

01:18:58

Lord over everything over all events all things? Ephesians 1 11

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God works all things according to the counsel of his will Psalm 115 3 our

01:19:14

God is in the heavens. He does all that he pleases That's Bible. You know, we don't find in the

01:19:20

Bible man is on the earth. He does all that he pleases No, never find that verse or that concept

01:19:29

Because you're only going to live because God allows it. You're only going to go to that city because it's the will of the

01:19:35

Lord Do you remember God stopped Abraham from sinning

01:19:43

God stopped a king From sinning against Abraham with Sarah Job 42 2

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I know that you can do all things and That no purpose of yours can be thwarted

01:20:02

Is that your God? It's not the God of the Word of Faith. There was a king in the

01:20:12

Old Testament Nebuchadnezzar by name and he got the

01:20:17

Lord's Prayer slightly wrong just one word of it Basically, although the

01:20:25

Lord's Prayer wasn't yet penned available He basically prayed like this

01:20:31

Mine is the glory Mine is the power mine

01:20:39

Mine and God says we'll see about this How'd you like your free will violated?

01:20:47

Oh, no, I couldn't do that. Oh, no No, I gotta get your agreement before I can do anything Would you sign the documents because I'd like to make you insane for a while In fact, you're going to be in the palace gardens looking like a cow functioning like a cow

01:21:05

Like like cattle Look insane because you are going to be as insane, but I've got to get your permission.

01:21:11

He didn't need his permission but God Intervened after that declaration of Nebuchadnezzar and insanity came to the king and If you read

01:21:26

Daniel chapter 4, I encourage you to read it You see when you have a Bible and you know, you've got the truth

01:21:33

You're not scared of people looking at the Bible, especially in this context and God restored graciously

01:21:42

Sanity to the king and Nebuchadnezzar wanted everyone to know

01:21:51

With basically the first tract in human history everyone under his rule

01:21:57

About the God of Israel that he really does reign Do you think he does or was

01:22:03

Nebuchadnezzar wrong about that? No, I think he'd had the experience to realize he's the true king he's the true sovereign it's not me on the throne

01:22:12

It's God the God of Israel This is what he said. This is what he wrote

01:22:19

Daniel 435 all the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing and he

01:22:25

God does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and None can stay his hand or say to him.

01:22:34

What have you done? Why does

01:22:41

God save sinners? Oh because he loves sinners But the ultimate purpose is for his glory

01:22:50

When God redeemed Israel God is very clear as to the reason why Isaiah 48 verse 9 it's true regarding Israel.

01:22:59

It's true regarding anyone God saves For my name's sake I defer my anger for the sake of my praise

01:23:07

I restrain it for you that I may not cut you off behold. I've refined you but not as silver

01:23:13

I've tried you in the furnace of affliction for my own sake for my own sake

01:23:18

I do it for how shall my name be profaned my glory. I will not give to another

01:23:27

These are the most God -centered Verses in our

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Bibles, I think it's not because of you It's not because of your name that I'm doing this.

01:23:38

It's to get myself glory and Because the glory of God is the most glorious thing in the universe

01:23:47

God lives for his glory and calls us to live for his glory and He saves us for his glory

01:23:55

And Ephesians 1 spells this out to the praise of the glory of his grace.

01:24:01

Why did he redeem? same as Isaiah has Related to us for his glory the praise of the glory of his grace.

01:24:17

I love this God and I hope that God gives each one that listens to this and watches this a love for his truth

01:24:26

This is historic Christianity, this is not anything new and if you've got an idea that's new

01:24:34

Run from it Because truth is old The Holy Spirit has been with the people of God all through the ages

01:24:44

Keeping them in the truth the Holy Spirit leading the people of God into all truth. That was the promise of Jesus The opposite of that is to say

01:24:54

God was waiting for me to come before he revealed real truth I'm not interested in coming up with a new idea new concept of the

01:25:03

Trinity Could be that God was waiting for me to reveal the ultimate.

01:25:10

I Doubt it completely because God has been with his people through the ages

01:25:17

There's a theological snobbery to the word of faith Looks down there.

01:25:24

No, they look down their nose that people in church history because God is really revealing something new and fresh and Wonderful to us these poor people in church history don't know what we know.

01:25:35

It's pride and every deception is pride Again to quote

01:25:41

Spurgeon. It seems odd that certain men who talk so much of what the Holy Spirit reveals to themselves

01:25:47

Should think so little of what he's revealed to others God has given gifts to the church of Apostles prophets evangelists pastors teachers

01:25:57

Ephesians 4 11 and 12 These are the people that God has anointed and given great insight in church history regarding the truth

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And these are not just simply people in our own day, but people throughout the ages of the church

01:26:17

There's no humility It's God revealed this to me really I hope you're getting hold of this

01:26:29

God is God. We're not as we end this I Do want to deal with the issue of?

01:26:37

The you are God's statement. I said I would I want to make good on that promise

01:26:44

Are we gods and we can control what happens to us by our words? People build a skyscraper doctrine on a dime of real estate

01:26:55

The Mormons do this they say that we are on The in the process of becoming gods.

01:27:04

That's really what salvation is They quote John 1034 It's a heresy based on a

01:27:13

Misinterpretation of John 1034. It's a lot like thinking all the New York people are cold

01:27:21

It suggests that men can become gods. And as I say, it's espoused by the

01:27:27

LDS People and other cult groups Let me quote from dr.

01:27:34

James White from his book is the Mormon my brother. I want to show the context and The true meaning of John 1034 now, this is a bit bit lengthy

01:27:45

But that's okay. A lot of people just want soundbite answers Sometimes it takes a bit of digging.

01:27:53

Sometimes it takes a lot of a lot of digging Sometimes it takes a lot of thinking 2nd

01:27:59

Timothy 2 verse 7 think Think through it Timothy. The Lord will give you understanding.

01:28:06

I hope you're open to this Here's what dr. White writes in is the

01:28:11

Mormon my brother you sitting comfortably I'll begin John chapter 10 is one of the most beautiful in all of Scripture for it speaks of the

01:28:22

Lord Jesus Relationship to his people in the terms of the shepherd and his sheep in the midst of talking about the glorious salvation

01:28:29

That belongs to those who know and trust Christ Jesus asserts that he and the father are one in the bringing about in Bring in their bringing about the final and full salvation of all those who are given by the father to the son

01:28:44

This is a that's verses 28 to 30 When the Lord says I and the father are one he offends the

01:28:51

Jews who realize that such a claim implies deity No mere creature can be fully one with the father in bringing about redemption itself

01:29:02

This prompts the dialogue that concerns us here. I And the father are one the

01:29:09

Jews picked up stones again to stone him Jesus answered them. I showed you many good works from the father for which of them are you stoning me?

01:29:19

The Jews answered him for a good work We do not stone you but for blasphemy and because you being a man make yourself out to be

01:29:26

God Jesus answered them has it not been written in your law. I said you are gods

01:29:32

If he called them gods to whom the Word of God came and the scripture cannot be broken

01:29:39

Do you say of him whom the father sanctified and sent into the world you are blaspheming?

01:29:46

Because I said I am the son of God. That's John chapter 10 verse 30 through 33

01:29:54

The use of this passage in LDS. That's Latter -day Saint Mormon literature is widespread.

01:30:00

I said you are gods that phrase is used to substantiate the idea of a plurality of gods and men becoming gods

01:30:09

Yet even a brief review of the passage demonstrates that such a such as hardly a worldly worthy

01:30:16

Interpretation and some of the leading LDS Apologists today avoid trying to press the passage that far and for good reason the unbelieving

01:30:26

Jews seen in this passage With murder in their hearts are hardly good candidates for an exaltation to godhood

01:30:36

What is more the Lord Jesus uses the present tense when he says you are gods

01:30:41

So obviously he's not identifying his attackers as divine beings worthy of worship by their eventual

01:30:49

Celestial offspring what then is going on here when we allow the text to speak for itself the meaning comes across clearly as usual the context is

01:31:01

Determinative the Jewish leaders were acting as Jesus judges They were accusing him of blasphemy of breaking

01:31:09

God's law their role as judges in this instance is

01:31:15

Determinative for the Lord is going to cite a passage about judges from the Old Testament the

01:31:21

Jews make it plain that they understand Jesus words to contain an implicit claim of equality with God look at verse 33

01:31:30

It is at this point that the Lord quotes from Psalm 82 verse 6 which contains the important words.

01:31:39

I said you are God's but when we go back to the passage from which this is taken as Surely the

01:31:48

Jewish leaders would have known the context themselves. We find an important truth God takes his stand in his own congregation

01:31:57

He judges in the midst of the rulers how long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked

01:32:07

Vindicate the weak and fatherless Do justice to the afflicted and destitute

01:32:14

Rescue the weak and needy deliver them out of the hand of the wicked They do not know nor do they understand they walk about in darkness or the foundations of the earth are shaken

01:32:26

I said you are God's and all of you are sons of the Most High That's Psalm 82 1 through 6

01:32:35

Here we have the key to the passage for this is a psalm of judgment against the rulers of Israel God takes his stand in his own congregation that being his own people

01:32:49

Israel He judges in the midst of the rulers the Hebrew term here is

01:32:54

Elohim Which could be translated gods the NASB however recognizes that the context

01:33:03

Indicates who is being discussed for the next verse reads?

01:33:08

How long will you judge? unjustly and show partiality to the wicked who judges unjustly and shows partiality question mark human judges, of course

01:33:24

Human rulers among the people hence the

01:33:29

NASB rendering of Elohim as rulers It is important to recognize the use of the term

01:33:37

Elohim in verse 1 for the very same term Appears in verse 6 and is what lies behind Jesus citation in John 10 34

01:33:47

Before moving on in the text it should be noted that even at this point Recognizing that this passage is talking about unjust human rulers removes this passage from the realm of possible passages to cite in support of a plurality of gods and certainly

01:34:07

Jesus was not by citing this passage calling his accusers true divine beings

01:34:16

When we get to verse 6 we find that God has placed the judges of Israel in a position of being gods among the people they were entrusted with the application of God's law

01:34:29

God calls them to vindicate the weak and fatherless and to do justice to the afflicted and destitute verse 3

01:34:36

This is their task their duty, but they are failing that duty. They are not acting as proper godly judges verse 6 then begins the pronouncement of judgment

01:34:48

Jesus only cites the beginning of the judgment which was enough to make his point But since many today do not immediately know the context the way the

01:34:59

Jews did We need to point it out The rest of the phrase Jesus quotes is this

01:35:06

Nevertheless, you will die like men and fall like any one of the princes

01:35:15

Such is hardly the terminology one would use of divine and exalted beings and This explains the use of the present tense verb.

01:35:24

You are gods in John 10 34 Jesus is saying his accusers are right then the judges condemned in Psalm 82 and What kind of judges were they?

01:35:41

Unrighteous judges who were judging unjustly Jesus was calling his accusers false judges and they well knew it

01:35:53

That this is the meaning of Jesus use of the passage is seen by going back to John chapter 10

01:35:59

Jesus refers to these rulers as those to whom the Word of God came Surely this is an apt description of the rulers who are set to judge in God's place once he has made his application and identified his

01:36:17

Accusers as false judges. He then asks do you say of him whom the father?

01:36:23

Sanctified and sent into the world you are blaspheming because I said I am the Son of God Here he points to their judgment of blasphemy and Contrast their errant decision with the father's sanctification and sending of the divine

01:36:41

Son the folly of their false judgment is manifest to all this is the meaning of the passage and Pressing it to support the idea that men can after eons and eons of evolution become gods

01:36:55

Only shows how far removed the LDS position is from biblical

01:37:01

Christianity What applies to the LDS Church there? Applies to word of faith doctrine as well regarding the you are

01:37:11

God's concept There it is. That's the context That's the context as if by analogy when we speak of all

01:37:21

New Yorkers being cold We're talking about temperature not warmth in the heart or lack of it

01:37:30

Before I end our time together. I want to relate a couple maybe two or three resources that could be of help if you want to look more into these issues and Really see it spelled out.

01:37:43

There's a book called a different Gospel by Dr. McConnell Goes into much more detail about the errors of the movement

01:37:52

I've sought to brispring the light of God's Word regarding sovereignty, but you want to look at some of the details

01:37:58

It's a great book on the subject. I encourage you to read it a series on DVD Believe it's also available on YouTube is by Justin Peters clouds without water

01:38:11

Here Justin Peters who is a tremendous Bible teacher Relates clips of the word of faith proponents speaking their heresies and challenges them with Context I encourage you to get hold of that if you're in any way interested

01:38:31

Justin Peters is tremendous Bible teacher met him personally when able to share the good news of my

01:38:41

Journey out of that deception and it encouraged him greatly. You can find his ministry at Justin Peters Justin Pet e r s org encourage you to do that a book that came out earlier in 2018 is by Kosti.

01:38:59

Him you recognize the name him he's relative Nephew of Benny Hinn and has come out of that deception though He was raised in it like I was and to have the name

01:39:13

Hinn and understand now reform theology It's quite the journey Kosti and I have become good friends and he wrote a book along with his pastor

01:39:23

Anthony wood It's called defining deception. This will bring you up to date not merely on the word of faith

01:39:31

Historically at the roots of the word of faith, but in our contemporary Existence to what's happening with the

01:39:39

NAR the new apostolic reformation? Bill Johnson and Such I encourage you to get hold of that.

01:39:47

Let's pray as we end our time together Father thank you for your word.

01:39:53

We thank you for the true gospel We thank you for the Lord Jesus and that one true gospel is the fact that God is holy and sovereign and just And that's not good news for us because we are unjust we are sinners

01:40:09

Who've committed high treason against this Holy God? by our words by our thoughts by our actions

01:40:18

And we thank you that it was God's Eternal plan to send his son the

01:40:25

Lord Jesus Christ into the world born of a virgin who lived a sinless life and Died an atoning

01:40:35

Sacrifice Died an atoning death on the cross in our place so that All the sins of all those who would ever believe were laid on him there at the cross he bore our sins in his body on the tree and this one rose from the dead and is now seated at the place of All authority in this universe all authority in heaven and on earth is given to this one the

01:41:08

Lord Jesus and he calls all to repent and believe in him and Receive eternal life as a free gift

01:41:18

Lord, I pray for those who are watching and listening that you bring many out of deception

01:41:25

We would say as the book of Revelation says come out of her my people and do not partake of her sins

01:41:33

Lord draw many out of darkness into your light We pray this sincerely in The name of our triune