Ask a Pastor: October 2024

Kongsvinger Lutheran Church

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We are going to get into our study and we begin with prayer. Let's pray Lord Jesus again as we open up your word

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We ask the your Holy Spirit to help us to rightly understand what you have revealed there We come to you empty -handed and apart from you.

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We cannot rightly understand your word. It's a closed book So we ask through your spirit that you open it to us so that we may believe correctly

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But also do accordingly we ask in Jesus name. Amen Alright, we're doing our ask a pastor

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Sunday Which is something we've added into our our Sunday school mix and we're gonna get right to it

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If you want to have questions answered during the ask a pastor Sunday then email them to secretary at kungsmingerchurch .org

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and know this then that the The questions go in order from the time we receive them and anything that's not answered today will be held over until next

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Next month. So this is kind of an ongoing thing. So Cliff Warren he asked he says Can you please explain why

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Jesus switches from physical needs to the Holy Spirit in Luke 11 9 through 13? It seems like he's saying to ask for your physical needs

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But then ends with give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. So here's the text in question

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Luke chapter 11 and we'll start at verse 9 hang on a second here

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In fact, let me let me just add some context So what we'll start verse 5 which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him friend

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Lend me three loaves if you're my friend and you do this, you're not my no longer my friend I just want to let you guys know that you do not get to do this at midnight.

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That is annoying. Okay For a friend for a man of mine has arrived on a journey and I have nothing to set before him and he will answer from within Do not bother me.

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The door is now shut. My children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything I tell you though He will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend yet because of his impudence

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He will arise and give him whatever he needs so you'll note that you find yourself in this situation just be annoying and And your annoyance will win.

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Okay, that's not the biblical principle at stake here, but Christ is pointing something out and the point that he's making is is that God is not like That impudent friend and you don't have to think of God as Somebody who's not going to give you what you need.

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So he's not like any of us That's kind of the point God stands out is very different So he said he says

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I tell you then ask and it will be given to you ask

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Ask it doesn't say decree and declare It says ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you

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For everyone who asks receives the one who seeks finds and the one who knocks it will be opened What father among you if his son asked for a fish will instead give instead of a fish give him a serpent or If he asked for an egg will give him a scorpion if you then who are evil know how to get good good gifts to your

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Children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?

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So you'll note Cliff has pointed out correctly. It seems like Here we are heading down the track of bodily needs and then all of a sudden

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Jesus slips this one in there and give you The Holy Spirit. Why did he switch? Because everything we need

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Spiritually physically comes from God. And so we are to ask God for our physical needs we are to ask

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God for our spiritual needs and you'll note that God is not going to not give you the Holy Spirit and I would note here do not think that the

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Holy Spirit is the is like that crazy uncle weird Person that the the charismatics believe in okay

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That's not the Holy Spirit Okay, the Holy Spirit who makes you quack like a duck bark like a dog and speak in gibberish that ain't the

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Holy Spirit That is an unhinged demonic spirit. It is not the Holy Spirit at all

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So you'll note that the Holy Spirit Christ tells us in the Gospel of John the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and unbelief the

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Holy Spirit is Is one that groans inwardly, you know on our behalf it praying for us when we don't even know what to pray for the

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Holy Spirit is the one who gives us the strength to mortify our sinful flesh and But the

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Holy Spirit is not going to make you quack like a duck and bark like a dog or anything like that So the reason why Jesus talks about both physical and spiritual is because we need

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God for everything Apart from God you can do Nothing nothing.

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So that's the point. Okay, Jacob asked question Does the does the Chattanooga, Tennessee portals seen in 2019 apply?

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Something or connected to Bible prophecy concerning the last days now if you're not familiar with the Chattanooga, Tennessee portals

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The answer is no it does has nothing to do with the last days and I'll show you why The reason why it has nothing to do with the last days

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In fact, let me let me do this if you want to know what they are So there was a series of photos and they're not from actually they're very recent

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Supposedly of these portals that appeared above one of the forests in Chattanooga, Tennessee Here's the issue.

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Are you guys ready? Fake images of fire halos over Chattanooga go viral on social media.

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They're fake AI strikes again Okay Okay Yeah, yeah,

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I think I you know what it's not a biblical point, but I think it's a valid one

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Is Is that you know, if God's gonna give signs and wonders

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Chattanooga, Tennessee ain't the place that's gonna happen Okay, just you know Chattanooga has zero

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Eschatological significance this let's just go there so the issue is is that the the images themselves are fake and when you see stuff like that and people trying to make connections to Eschatology you generally are dealing with people who do not have a correct eschatology

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Okay. Now it's true that there are signs and wonders that are going to take place But if we take a look at what

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Jesus says in this regard, we know Exactly. What kind of signs and wonders we're looking for now

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There are signs and wonders in the heavens also but that's the Sun the moon and the stars no longer giving their light and the stars falling from the sky and I would know

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Nobody's gonna sit there and go. I wonder if this has anything to do with the end of the world. Okay When the stars all disappear and the

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Sun is dark and in the moon no longer gives It's like you can be assured. Oh Jesus will be here in five minutes.

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Got it. Okay Right, right, you don't have to wait till the next ask a pastor and nobody will be able to blame it on AI.

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Okay Yeah, right

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So so note that Jesus does talk about things that will

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Simon the wrong chapter that the things that will happen At the end of the world and we can look at the cross references, too

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So note that when Jesus is asked regarding what will be the sign of his coming in the end of the age in Matthew 24

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He says see that no one leads you astray first thing to look for. Are you ready? deceivers okay deceivers and I I am

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I've been doing more in -depth research on the history of the Pentecostal movement All right, so Charles Fox Parham you guys familiar with this fellow

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Charles Fox Parham he's he's really considered like the father of the Pentecostal movement and unbeknownst to a lot of people the guy was a full -on racist like legitimate racist and and his critique of the

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Azusa Street revival was that it was a mongrel revival because there were there were

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Africans and and whites all Worshipping together and stuff but there's another thing that a lot of people do not know about Charles Fox Parham and I Read a book that did some really good deal due diligence and uncovered all of this from from newspaper articles and from court records

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Charles Fox Parham admitted in court When he was charged with sodomizing young boys that he had done it

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He confessed that he did that but his defense was this he did it while he was asleep

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And so it's like sleepwalking. So he can't be responsible for anything that he does while he's asleep and that defense won

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But note this in court he confessed to doing it

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So I would note a good tree does not bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit

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Okay, when you look at the history of the charismatic and Pentecostal movements It is one big long parade of charlatans grifters

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Hucksters sexually immoral predators and things like this and the parade continues on to this day

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There's a reason why that movement is not bearing any good fruit. I'm just saying because it's a different Holy Spirit altogether and The the theology that they're believing in is legitimately.

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This isn't Christian theology. It's fantasy I mean, it's just really bad fantasy you you believe you have control over the weather

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Okay. Okay. You do you believe that you can decree and declare and command? And command cancer to do stuff right cancer doesn't even have any ears.

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Okay, you know, this is nonsense Yeah, right.

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So note here first thing see that no one leads you astray many will come in my name

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Saying and here's kind of the important a go a me ha Christos. Let me give you a slightly different translation

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I am an anointed one Okay, or I am the anointed one so the idea here is is that You can say that the person is saying that I am the

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Christ, but you can also translate this as I am an anointed one All right now so a

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Christos is an anointed one and what do all these charismatic Pentecostals say that they are? Oh They have the anointing and all this kind of stuff and they do grave soaking in order to soak up the anointing from dead prophets

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And things like this Yeah, and they're apostles and all Yeah, touch not

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God's Anointed. Yeah, a

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Holy Ghost machine gun to gun down all of his critics Mm -hmm.

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I can feel the love of Jesus just dripping through that comment. Anyway So he says you'll see wars you'll hear of wars and rumors of war see that you are not alarmed this must take place

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But the end is not yet nation will rise against nation kingdom against kingdom There will be famines earthquakes at various places.

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All these are about the beginning of birth pains Then they will deliver you over to tribulation put you to death

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Why do a lot of people skip this part? Okay, you will be hated by how many nations all

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Okay, so note that what's coming is a zero -tolerance policy globally for Christians, okay

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And then many will fall away betray one another hate one another many false prophets will arise how many many?

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okay, and I would note that the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry is a Institution set up to graduate and it you know year after year after year thousands of false prophets

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That's what they exist to do and because lawlessness will be increased the love of many will grow cold the one who endures to the end will be saved and this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a

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Testimony to all nations and then the end will come So note then here we have a few things to watch out for when you see the abomination of desolation

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Spoken by the Prophet Daniel hint hint. That's a it's an homage to the Antichrist Standing in the holy place.

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Let the reader understand let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains Let one who was on the housetop not go down to take what that what is in his house

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Let the one who is in the field not turn back take his cloak alas for women who are pregnant now You know, this is a proleptic prophecy here that has implications regarding 70

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AD with the arrival of the armies of Rome to destroy Jerusalem and but also has a

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Further fulfillment at the end of the world So by the way, what is the standard operating procedure given by Jesus that when the man of lawlessness appears?

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What are you supposed to do? run Run away. Okay, if you if you want to survive, that's your only hope those of you who stick around you will die

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Okay, and so just note and I might get to the point where I just say I don't care I'm just gonna stick around and go ahead and kill me

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It's like, you know do your worst because it ain't gonna do it ain't gonna be bad so right, so then there will be great tribulation such as not been from the beginning of the world until now and never will be and if Those days had not been cut short.

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No human being would be saved But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short So then if anyone says to you look here is the

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Christ or here's an anointed one, right? Don't or there he is do not believe it for false

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Christ false anointed ones and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders

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So it's this idea of like AI generated portals

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You know that that's not those types of weather phenomena are not the things we're supposed to be looking for And by the way, when you read the book of Revelation we get a hint at to what these these great signs and wonders these false prophets and false anointed ones will be able to perform and One of the ones that is noted in the scripture is the ability to call down fire from heaven

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Okay, so note as we get closer to the return of Christ Satan completely being unbound

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Satan will be the power behind those false signs and wonders and watch what their purpose is

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False Christ and false prophets will have will arise and perform great signs and wonders So as to lead astray if possible

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Even the elect the whole purpose of the false signs and wonders are the great signs and wonders are actual signs and wonders is to Mislead you

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Okay, so, you know, I am NOT a prophet nor am I the son of a prophet but I can see the trend

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I can see the direction that this is all heading. Okay, when these people arise

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They will be able to perform Undeniable Legitimate true signs and wonders, but they will not preach the gospel of Jesus Christ You can always tell whether somebody's true or false based upon the message they bring

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Not whether or not they perform signs and wonders so that being the case You always got it.

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You always got to check the message check what's being preached and it will not check out But here's what's gonna happen.

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Michael Brown will sit there and go see you cessationists, you know Yeah, you that God is performing great signs and wonders through these people and you sit there and go

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They're not preaching Christ and they're immoral and they're false teachers and false prophets and he'll say I know them personally.

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How dare you judge them? How many books have you written right? Yeah, right. Yeah, this is how this is gonna go.

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Okay. Yes Yeah, right

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Exactly. So the idea here is is that what these people are saying is not going to jive with the

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Word of God And so anybody claiming to be Christ claiming to be God in human flesh

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That's kind of the ultimate deception the Antichrist a man of lawlessness will claim and exalt himself above every

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God claiming him making himself to be God within the temple of God, which is not a Reference to the temple in Jerusalem, but the church.

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Okay. He's a churchman Claiming himself to be God says a bunch of people are gonna sit there and go that's

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Jesus He's here and you're gonna look in there go. Well, there's still stars in the sky and I can still see the

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Sun No, not even Jesus and Jesus warns ahead of time don't Believe it right so portals over Chattanooga.

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I mean, no, that's like that That's like the Virgin Mary appearing in Guadalupe. It's it's not real.

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Okay. Yeah So in the end times, there are two witnesses.

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The question is are those two literal human beings or the two witnesses Actual symbolic of something and I would note that the

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I think the more plausible Understanding of the two witnesses is that that's that's the that's the

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Apostles and the prophets mentioned in the scripture You know and and then being killed is that there is the world basically saying we don't have to listen to this anymore

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We're gonna outlaw Christianity altogether. I think that's a more feasible Deaf Interpretation.

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Yeah. Well see watch what it says.

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So as to lead astray if possible even the elect So you got to remember that within the visible church the

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Satan has sown Tears we weeds among the wheat and so the the idea here is is that the elect are not going to fall away

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They're just not they're not gonna follow fall for this deception. God's gonna continue the same sustain them

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But here's the thing. How does God sustain the elect through his word? okay, if you do not know

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God's Word and You are listening to false teachers and false prophets and stuff like this you are perfectly set up To be swept up in the crazy mania of the end days

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Believing the wrong things and putting your trust in the wrong characters the bad characters rather than in Christ So we are sustained then through the

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Word of God through the sacraments So we are instructed by God in his word. We are not to listen to false prophets

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We are not to listen to false teachers. We are not to listen to false Apostles We are to mark and avoid them and not participate in their sin

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This is what we're told but people sit there and go well, you know, who are you to judge? And you know God look at all the mighty things that God is doing through this person

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They even have a million subscribers on YouTube. So who are you to say that they're wrong? That's not the sign as to whether or not somebody's a true person or not

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You know, it doesn't matter if they have a bazillion followers on YouTube The question is what are they what's the message they bring and can it square with Scripture?

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That's the point Yep. All right next question then Jen Bennett says if one does not show or exhibit contrition or sorrowfulness for their sin, but states

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I am saved and They say they are forgiven. Do you need both parts of repentance to have genuine faith?

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I know faith is given by God and I'm thinking a person like this would not would need a lot of law

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Because the law accuses you brings you to the knowledge of sin sin Sinning against a holy

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God, which would which wouldn't that lead to sorrowfulness contrition then also if they have no contrition

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But tout I am saved aren't they turning the gospel into a license to sin? Yeah, they are. So so for instance if now

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I'm glad that Trump is finally telling the truth but if you remember in Trump's first administration

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He claimed to be a Christian and his pastor is Paula White and yet Trump said that he can't remember a single time in His life where he needed to repent of any sin

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Should I believe that Donald Trump is a Christian No Okay, not at all

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Okay, do I pray for his salvation? You bet I do Okay, but you're gonna note that even after he's nearly been gunned down twice

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He even recently made it clear that he's not a Christian Faith does not come by bullets grazing your ear faith comes by hearing and hearing the

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Word of Christ Do you think that that Donald Trump ever heard the real gospel from his from Pastrix Paula White?

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No, not at all and so I will not believe that Donald Trump is a

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Christian until he says you know what I Was wrong when I said that I've never

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I That I didn't need to repent of any sin. I was ignorant and saying such a thing

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Repentance always is going to have two parts true contrition and sorrow for sin as well as Confidence that God forgives you for the sake of Christ the two come together and without both you don't have repentance

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So you'll note Saul King Saul he had no contrition.

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No sorrow constantly blamed other people and and and yet He wanted the pretense that he was forgiven and in a good standing with God I would note the person who shows no contrition or sorrow for sin at all, but claims that they're forgiven.

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I My immediate question is for what? What what are you forgiven of exactly and let's talk about the magnitude of what it is that you're supposedly forgiven of And Jen you're right that person needs law

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Okay, and so the idea here is is that the proper distinction of law and gospel is played out in our conversations with neighbor

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It kind of goes goes this way is that you cannot preach the gospel to anybody who doesn't recognize that they're a sinner the only thing you can preach to them is the law and Only when they cry uncle do you stop with the law?

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And then you assure them that Christ has bled and died for their sins and you preach the gospel to them And so when you were dealing with somebody who had like exhibited exhibits like zero contrition

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Yeah, yeah, you know the Christ has forgiven me forgive me for what you know, cuz I've you know, I You know, there's a few things.

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I've made a couple mistakes in life a Couple mistakes. Oh, that's impressive

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Right, so yeah, no Jen you're on to also also a topic I'd like to explore is on servanthood versus doormat

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Like where do we draw the line between serving others and not being a doormat? What does one do when people co -workers family really anyone knows you're a

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Christian and they abuse? Use or exploit you because they know you're going to do the things for them or extra work, etc

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Because you are a Christian. I would note that that line is a little more blurry than I would like Okay, so for instance

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Jesus says that when somebody demands that you walk with them a mile

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Which way they were coerced to do So the Jews in Judea when a

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Roman soldier said hey you Carry my kit You were the

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Roman law required you to carry it for one Mile, okay

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Which is annoying because there you got 15 minutes carrying this this soldier's kit, you know of walking that mile

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Then you got to come back. So it takes a whole half hour out of your life Well, geez, what does Jesus say to do when somebody does that?

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You don't go one mile you go to So here's the idea is that when you consider others better than yourselves you'll note that sometimes people have the intention of exploiting you taking advantage of you and Basically saying

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I know that they're not going to say no, so I'm going to do this So here's kind of your choices in that situation

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You knowing that you're being taken advantage of you absolutely have the freedom to be taken advantage of But here's the thing you can communicate it.

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You can sit there and go I know that you're exploiting me because I'm a Christian, but here's the deal I'm gonna help you anyway, because I'm a

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Christian because I am called to consider others as better than myself So I'm going to help you despite the fact that your intention is just to exploit me and to do evil to me

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So I'm gonna let you but you need to know and I that I know exactly what you're doing and I'm gonna do it anyway and so I'm gonna

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Do my good works in order to heap guilt on you right

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Those are the burning coals we overcome evil by doing good However, that doesn't mean that we as Christians don't have the freedom to lay down some boundaries when people are habitually

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Constantly taking advantage of us because here's the thing when they're doing that When we do when we help them

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We're actually enabling bad behavior and so love for neighbors sometimes requires us to go

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No, I would be hurting you if I did that Because you are a selfish greedy self -centered

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Manipulative control freak and I'm not gonna give in to your nonsense because you need to repent of this

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Okay Now you may not want to say it that strongly But the point is is that you the situation may require you to in love sit there and go

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Nope, not gonna help you and here's the reason why because by not helping you I'm doing the best thing

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I can do for you Sometimes the best thing you can do for a person is not Give in to them and put a boundary up and say you're not you don't get to do this anymore

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Okay, and sometimes the best thing to do is say yep. I know you're exploiting me and guess what? I don't care I'm gonna let you exploit me.

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I'm gonna love you anyway and do it. Okay, but here's the thing When do you do which one? I don't know it depends

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But here's the thing our good works are always done with our neighbors best in mind not our own

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Their best in mind, so you're going to have to evaluate. What is the best thing I can do for my neighbor right now?

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Help them or say no, you're gonna you're gonna stop you This is sinful and wicked of you and you need to repent of this.

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Okay. Yeah Yep. Yep Exactly.

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And so so the idea here is is that that requires you to make an assessment How is my neighbor best helped in this situation?

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and when they come to you with an entitled mentality and they're spoiled little brats and they think the whole world revolves around them and They're taking advantage of because you're a

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Christian The best thing you can do to them is look them in their little demonic eyes and say no I love you, and I'm not going to do this right and you need to repent of your demonic

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Self -centeredness, right, you know So again, that's not gonna make you popular in the family, by the way

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Or among your co -workers because I guess it goes horse that was unloving that was unkind No, it was the most loving thing

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I could possibly do. So yes, Marilyn Yeah Yeah So that is the other thing is is that sometimes this there is there there may be in the fourth or fifth kind of scenarios

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But third scenario would be yeah, you know, everyone's watching they know the person who's asking you was asking with like like evil intent

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They're just taking advantage of you But you just go along and you whistle while you work and you you you go ahead and do it

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Knowing that with your good works then are shining in a really dark light and everyone's looking at you going why aren't you being

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Upset about this. Why are you giving in to this? Huh? Yeah, right, you know, this is fine.

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So This is fine. But yeah, so again you have to take into consideration

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What is the best thing for your neighbor or neighbors in that situation? And sometimes the best thing to do is

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Suck it up and just do your good works and have everyone sit there and go why is this person so different? All right.

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Yeah, because that will give you an opportunity to share the gospel Lastly, but Jen asked can true faith exists without good works.

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No The scriptures clear on this just as the body that is not breathing is dead faith without works is dead, you know

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The person claiming to be a Christian and there are zero good works Yeah, there's a term for that your corpse

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Okay, okay just as the body that is not breathing is dead every every funeral we've had here where we've had an open casket

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I can tell you every one of the people in the casket. They never breathed a single breath

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While during the funeral service, okay Scripture describes our good works as the breath that demonstrates that our faith is alive

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So just as the body that is not breathing is dead faith without works is dead If there are no good works and the only person that person is living for is themselves

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That that person is not a Christian. Yeah, that that's a person who needs to repent. So, all right

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Let's see here next question. And this one comes from Stephanie Sangster.

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How what does it mean to put on the full armor of God? And how do confessional

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Lutherans teach spiritual warfare glad you asked and this is always a hot topic Ephesians chapter 6 is our text.

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And so Here's what Paul says kind of as a parting shot at the end of the epistle.

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Finally be strong in what in the Lord and in the strength of His might so first and foremost spiritual warfare is not conducted with your strength or your might

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Okay rule number one that requires you to ask

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Christ to give you strength That requires you to battle with his might not yours.

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And so you're gonna note here There's there's a big thing that's missing and when it comes to the spiritual warfare being described here

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Are you ready what the big thing missing is? taking territory Okay, you'll note that there's nothing mentioned here about going and battling the heavenly forces tearing down strongholds learning the names of the demons over your particular region and then

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Decreeing and declaring their powerlessness and nonsense like this. That's all fantasy Okay, so rule number one, you don't get to do this in your own strength anybody who does it in their own strength?

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We have a term for them. They're called casualties Okay I'm not wrong.

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Okay. So here we go put on the whole armor of God And by the way, if you're wondering what that is, thankfully, we have a list of all of the items

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So that you may be able to what? Stand So here's the idea spiritual warfare is done like this

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God has raised you to new life in Christ He's gifted you with the Holy Spirit washed away your sins sustains you in the faith through his word and sacrament and then he sends

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You out into your different vocations and your job is to stand

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Now if you think that sounds easy Work with me for a second here. Satan looks at him and goes or looks at you and goes.

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Hmm sitting duck I know what I'm going to do I'm gonna light some arrows on fire and fire them at you while you're standing

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Okay, so there are minding your own business and all of a sudden Income the flaming arrows of Satan.

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What are you supposed to do? No retreating. Your job is to stand

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Okay. So what does that look like confessing Christ? Telling people the truth

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Doing a good job in your vocation. Are you a student do your homework and do it? Well, all right, right.

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Are you a teacher be a good one? Don't be one who sloughs off and thinks, you know, I'm getting paid from the state.

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Why should I even have to work hard? I've got tenure. I can just kind of kick it and relax, right? Are you an employee do a good job even when your boss isn't looking?

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Okay, anybody can work really hard while their boss is sitting over their shoulder looking over them and going. Well, are you working?

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Oh, yeah, I'm working. Okay when your boss leaves the room, do you then pull up your phone and start scrolling social media?

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Stop it. Okay. So no, this is what we're talking about here For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood we against against the rulers and against the authorities and against the cosmic powers

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Over the present darkness against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places This is helpful because here's here

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This will tell us who the good team is in the bad team And if you're sitting there going the bad team sounds really scary it is

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Okay, that's kind of the point and your job is to stand against it

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That yeah, holy smokes, this is terrible, right? I know this is why you need

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Christ's power in the strength. You can't do this you in your own So therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to what?

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withstand in the evil day Are you saying there's evil days coming? Of course, if you are a

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Christian expect them if you haven't had one in a couple of days, they'll be here tomorrow No worry.

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Okay. Okay, so that you may be able to stand in the evil day having done all to what? Stand are you getting the point here?

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Did you note the repetition? Okay, your stand standing stand stand and withstanding stand standing

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Okay, don't run off the battlefield. I know it's scary It's awful and you don't have the ability to do any of these things, but you're supposed to do it in his mind

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So here we go again there stand there we go again stand therefore having felt fastened on the belt of what?

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truth Huh? Hmm So do lies factor into the kit of the armor of God?

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We've got the belt of truth. We have the bat grappler of lies No, there are lies do not serve the truth.

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So anything that you're believing that's a lie is Going to be extra weight and is going to encumber you and probably hurt you

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Okay, so the belt of truth having put on the blessed breastplate of righteousness

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Whose righteousness is this think back to the sermon? This is Christ's righteousness. Okay, and what do breastplates protect?

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The heart the guts the innards. Okay, you get a gut shot. You're dead. And so Christ's Righteousness protects you from the satanic gut shot

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That's gonna kill you and as for shoes for your feet having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace ah so I should be ready to run to help anybody with the good news of the forgiveness of sins and in all

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Circumstances take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish the flaming darts of the evil one and I would know a little

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Bit of a side note here historically Romans Roman legions when they would get ready to go into battle

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Okay, their shields always had there These were made of steel, but they always had a leather outside to them

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And here's what the Roman soldiers would do getting ready to go into battle They would stop by the the closest river or stream of water and they would take their shields and they would soak them

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Right, why because they know Flaming arrows are going to be coming in and so wet shields are really effective against flaming arrows wet shields

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Where does one wet their shield? Oh, I know waters of baptism Right, so, you know the shield of faith and the waters of baptism go together with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one take the helmet of salvation

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Which protects your head you are saved in Christ and the sword of the Spirit you have one offensive weapon

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And it's what the Word of God Okay, pray and then here we go. Here's what spiritual warfare looks like.

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Okay, I'm standing with all this stuff on Okay in comes the flaming arrows of the evil one and with Christ's strength

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Extinguish them This is a terrible situation Oh, and by the way, the all the evil forces are described it in the most terrifying and scary terms okay, and What do we do in the middle of the battle, okay, by the way, you ever seen how battles work nowadays

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Okay, you send in a battalion and in the battalion you have all these different troops and they all have different jobs

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There's one guy and his job is to carry the radio, right? And so they're in the middle of a firefight

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Shoot you. Oh, we're locked. We're pinned down and they call in the coordinates and they ask for an airstrike, right?

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Communication so you're in the middle of a battle You should then be doing what? prayer and Supplication supplications are emergency prayers help

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We got incoming fire. We don't do and then you hear back from God stand

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I'm standing but there's arrows coming in stand. Okay, pray now, but we need help

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God You got to take out these enemies for us do something get rid of them, right? So, what are you doing?

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You're constantly communicating blue prayers and emergency prayers known as supplications, right?

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To that end keep alert at with all perseverance. Oh, and by the way, how long do you get to do that a really long time

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Okay, but I'm tired. I need some I need some R &R.

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Nope. You don't get it free You don't get it. You do not get a pass. No. No, you got to stay you got to persevere How am I supposed to do that with God's strength making all supplications?

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And here's the thing you're not only praying for yourself because we're all in this battle together. We're praying for each other and Then Paul says it also pray for me that the words may be given me to Opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel for which

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I'm ambassador in chains That I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak and we ought to pray that God would give us the ability to preach

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The gospel with boldness, right? So you'll note here. We've now despotified all the spiritual warfare thingy

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And this is how it works You take up these gifts that God has given you and you stand and you pray like there's no tomorrow, you know

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And you do all of this with his strength and if you're thinking how are we supposed to do this

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That's kind of the point. You can't unless you do this with his strength. Okay, and when one volley is done.

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Don't worry The Satan's regrouping. He's getting ready for the next one And the next one's gonna be worse than the one that kid just came in it says so that's the idea you're a

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Christian You're a target Okay, you're not taking territory You're standing

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So, there you go. I hope that answers the question Okay, next question. Okay pastor seeking understanding about the following the rapture the pre -trib post -trib is a

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Rapture a real event that will happen unexpectedly if we are left on the earth and not taken

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Will there be seven years of tribulation? Are there two events ie the rapture seven years white throne judgment? The answer is no.

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Okay, so I always like to point this out Lutherans believe in the rapture okay, but you have to define it correctly, okay and Thankfully in the scriptures when we talk about the eschaton there is a way of syncing up the events

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Okay, let me explain and I'm gonna have to do this quickly because I've got to get down the road here

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So this will be our last question. So if I were to go to let's see you go back to Matthew 24

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Okay, when we get to the end of Matthew 24, we get to the famous passage that is twisted by the rapture rights

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Is that a term? Okay Okay, so here's what Christ says so immediately after the tribulation of those days the

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Sun will be darkened The moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from heaven.

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The powers of the heavens will be shaken Okay, what's missing at this point? All the stars are gone

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The Sun is darkened moon doesn't give its light Okay, is anybody on planet

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Earth? calm at this point No, nobody's calm

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Okay, then we'll appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man I would know my guess would be is that in the space where the stars used to be a big old cross is gonna appear

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Okay and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with Power and great glory and he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet and here's here's the way you sync all this up With a loud trumpet call and they will gather his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other

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From the fig tree learn its lesson as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves You know that summer is near so also when you see all of these things, you know

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Like the Sun the moon and the stars disappearing, you know that he is near at the very gates truly I say to you this generation the generation that sees those things

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Will not pass away until all these things have taken place heaven and earth will pass away But my words will not pass away so concerning that day or hour

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No one knows not even the angels of heaven nor the Sun but the Father only For as were the days of Noah's so will be the coming in the

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Son of Man for as in those days before the flood They were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage Until the day when

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Noah entered the ark and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away So will be the coming of the

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Son of Man Then two men will be in the field one will be taken one will be left Two women will be grinding at the mill one will be taken one will be left

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What has already occurred before this the stars have disappeared? The Sun isn't is dark and the moon isn't giving its light and the sign of Christ is in the heavens and Then Jesus appears and then you have people one will be taken one will be left does this sound like a secret rapture to you and This is all proceeded with a big old blast of a trumpet

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Okay, this is the opposite of a secret Okay, and so if you want to talk about rapture, we'll talk about that Okay, we will be gathered and join

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Jesus in the clouds and things like this, right? That's that's what this is. So when people talk about a pre tribulation rapture

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They don't understand how to work the symbols of the numbers in the book of Revelation the seven -year tribulation

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We're already in it. We've been in it since Christ ascended the seven -year tribulation is a symbolic

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Number basically pointing to the time of Christ's ascension until his return in glory

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It is not a literal seven years. And so the idea here is is that when Jesus shows up, it's not secret there's a trumpet

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Sun and Moon and stars already gone and He comes up and this is now a mop -up operation and you get the idea

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Okay, this is a mop and this is gonna bring this whole universe to a cataclysmic end.

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And let me see if I can find the The the cross -reference to this I'm gonna do this from memory, which means

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I'm probably not gonna I'm gonna say is it five? Here we go now concerning the times and seasons brothers you have this is for Thessalonians 5

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You have no need to have anyone anything written to you for you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come

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Like a thief in the night the what will the day of the Lord? Okay This isn't talking about a secret rapture

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While people are saying there is peace and security then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman

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And they will not escape but you are not in the darkness brothers for that day to surprise you like a thief For you are all children of light children of the day.

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We're not of the night nor of the darkness So then let us not sleep as others do but let us keep awake For those who sleep sleep at night those who get drunk are drunk at night

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But since we belong to the day, let us be sober Having put on the breastplate of faith.

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So, you know here that what's going on here? So this isn't gonna catch us off guard because we know fully what to expect and what's being described is the actual day of the

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Lord the one and only return of Christ. So anyway, that's as far as we're gonna go today and Lord willing