Either It's God or It's People — Robert B. Thompson

Let's glorify your holy name. We just glorify your holy name. You are the one Lord and we praise your name. We give thanks to God. Hallelujah, Lord. You have brought us through many dangers toils and fears.

You are faithful Lord. You are faithful. Praise your name. Lord as we're here I pray for all of our needs Lord that all have Problems of one kind or another in order. We just ask for your help in Jesus name that God may be glorified.

That our joy may be full. You always have answered our prayers Lord, always. We pray Lord as we continue that the Holy Spirit will minister Where the need is tonight Lord where the need is and add Jesus to each one of us Lord.

We can do nothing of ourselves. We look to you alone Jesus. We pray in your name. Amen. All right, we're ready for Eddie's masterpiece. Okay. Week 15. May 19th 1998. Take four one one four reaching your rank.

The Three Ways Every Child of God Is Tested

Recommended reading the gift of an opportunity. Short answer. Every son or daughter of God is tested in three ways. Identify these three areas not a good question. It's something that appears at different times in different ways.

Good question, and I'm here. So I say I'm particularly anxious that they Understand these things because he's now In training for the ministry and field training this summer home for the church where there are other people never heard of them.

I don't think you ever heard of a boy Loma. You have to bring him back there. All right, every son or daughter of God is tested in three ways. Identify these three areas. Okay. You have any idea Andrew?

What was all the answers? What are they man? All Right, those are the three things that we stress those are the three forms of sin and Yes, they apply they apply there's many ways in which these three appear.

Usually we think of them in terms of the three tests of the Son of God. You know, what three ways was he tested? Red the bread question which in our three Forms of sin would equate to which one in that is our desire to find our security and survival in the world.

It's a big country. You see some people hit real hard with That one and not with the others to some people that the idea of becoming a Christian and coming out of the world and not Being part of it not finding your comfort there your survival.

There is a major step to other people. It's just no problem that it's not where they live. Okay, any questions about that security and survival in the world. Getting your thing from the world. Strength of the world because being a person of the world.

How did Jesus answer the answer is very significant because it reveals to you the the the core of the problem. And remember Sunday night we identified where he was quoting from. Remember Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy.

That's less close Deuteronomy the 8th chapter and number God said that what did God do to teach us that? Do you see these these things maybe we need the blackboard these three keep coming to my mind. See, I wrote a book on this and it's about the size of a telephone book.

It's in three volumes. It's called three deaths and three resurrections and in that book. I take about 15 of the Illustrations in the Bible of the three Levels of redemption and you can't get too nice with them.

That is they're not nothing in the Bible it's that clean-cut they always overlap because you're looking at a a Multidimensional matrix. It's not a linear matrix. It's a multidimensional matrix in which you ever see these pictures of three-dimensional chess where you just don't move in a linear way.

But you move up and down you have three levels of the board. Have you ever seen that? It's pretty complicated chess. Well, God's things are like that. They're multidimensional and of course our desire to make a chart and lay it out literally where you can't do that because They interact in so many with probably more than three dimensions of the truth be known so.

There's three things in the Ark of the Covenant that are very handy to show these three. The Ark was only a box and what three things were in it. Jar of manna, Aaron's blood is God. The manna one was the jar of memorial manna that never read words it was eternal manna and.

That the three things have to be in the heart of every overcomer. Yeah, you have to overcome in these three areas and the first one is the manna. It's not first in order. It's the first we're talking about tonight the.

The words keep coming out from the mouth of God for every individual are always going out you live by them. We're not we don't we think you know if I don't have groceries on the shelf I'm going to die.

But what he's saying is man does not live only by breath. But by the words that are coming from God's mouth well every word that's coming up from God's mouth does man live and so God wants us to Look to him to break the yoke of the world.

You know if we could people economists are telling us one of these days. We're going to the bubble is going to burst. Well for people whose sole trust for survival and security is in money. They're going to panic.

Americans are going to panic if something happened, and they couldn't get money. It's gonna panic. But God wants us to know that man doesn't live that way. Alone that's not it. That's why Jesus. That's in the charismatic move.

They would have said boy if you can turn if you can take your spiritual power and make bread out of stone. That would really be tremendous and Jesus. That's what he was saying if you're the if she's always the challenges on the son of God whether you're a son of God yet.

You're a son of God. Command these stones to made bread now that was toward the end of this 40-day fast. They say by that time your hunger really isn't an issue like it is on the third day nonetheless it was a time when he was bereft of all creature comforts in an inhospitable desert without food and.

So Satan said you're the son of God or if you are the son of God works a magic force. See and the charismatic will that's fostered that use your faith in the material realm and Jesus said no I will not do that.

I will not use the gift of God To material ends. That's a big temptation in the ministry. That's why I say never mix Religion and your business like buy Starbucks coffee, and you'll be an overcomer people do these kinds of things.

Oh, yeah. Oh, you ought to yourself to be healthy if you want to be a strong Christian and buy my vitamins people do this. They mix it up with life insurance. They have all kinds of ways of getting Jesus involved and of course Christian bookstores are full of Items that you can get that have Christ on them whether they're a magnifying glass or a tumbler or a picture or whatever they are.

And there's maybe a place for that. I don't say there isn't but you've got to be careful when you mix God when you try to use your talents the spiritual talents and that's what Satan was saying in the larger arena of thought.

Use your God-given abilities. To feed yourself and that's a temptation that every son of God Faces and you know if in the last days God gives people to multiply bread just as Jesus did God is of course that would solve the problem of the hunger in the world and If God gave someone and I expect he will because Jesus said and I think he was talking about the last days the works that I Do shall you do also the work John 14 12?

Okay, so we can look for that, but I'll tell you something if that ever happens There will be pressure on that person that will be unbearable because whoever the person is man or woman. They're only human.

And at first they may say oh, no. I'll only do this as God directs me their determination will be beaten down and Then they'll begin to doubt. And they begin to doubt you know you know maybe it's like they say I am just proud and wanting to show off.

Maybe I have no heart for the hungry yet. They'll bring you pictures of little African children with their stomachs swollen from protein deficiency. And if they you're a Christian you're going to stand here and tell me you have a solution to this you're going to let these Babies die and you're going to waiver.

Then the question arises would God ever give you a gift and tell you not to use it. Yes, it is and I look in the end time I Look for the charismatic People by and large the fervent evangelicals to split into two camps a small one and a large one.

The small one will comprise a militant people who refuse To march to the drumbeat of the world there will be people who accept. See the key to this whole thing is that 54 chapter of Isaiah we talked about Sunday the baroness will accept the idea.

Okay, God you've intervened. I don't have my normal stuff going here, but I trust you whenever God's going to do a real significant work He moves in dramatic ways by withholding What would normally be the lot of the person like Sarah or Hannah or Elizabeth when he's going to do something?

He wants when that thing comes forth to be significant and dramatic. So our attention is called to it. And so the poor person that's on the edge of this the dirty end of this thing is going through life thinking God doesn't love me and everything.

Well, you're a loser if there ever was one. There's always a reproach with the cross. See as long as everything is bright and shining and populous and happy and going. You're okay, I Was into I've been reading a book today Eddie.

I'll give it to you. I'm sure that it just came in today. Okay, got it. We ordered it. It's the three hours by Dave Hunt. He's this newspaper reporter that is so mad because his father was a preacher and they persecuted him because he didn't believe in the Rapture.

So his dad's dead now, so Dave Hunt's out for blood. So he's researching this thing I mean researching it and he's this is his third book the first one with the Great Rapture hoax, and then I think that's how this third one is the three hours, which is revisionism robbery and something else and he weaves after is These actors Hal Lindsey's and he's shown the plagiarism that one on there, which he isn't the only one.

It's even been in the paper how in this book the late great planet Earth. He plagiarized from several sources including his own professor at Dallas Theological Just by how much it's not not plagiarism and it's an appeal to this to the Zodiac and astrology and everything else.

But this book. Fantastic moneymaker. It was something like the New York Times called it. I think was the bestseller of the decade the New York Times. This has brought in millions millions and then Carter read it and taught it in a Sunday school President Reagan read it.

Why I'm pointing out to you is this. As long as you keep things away from the cross away from suffering see Satan's bottom line and it appears in just about every heresy whether it's the super love or the rapture or or Grace or whatever.

It's a bottom line always is thou shalt not surely die. See an eternal security and all of these things. The bottom line is thou shalt not surely die. In other words, there's no suffering but when they say the Judgment Day to Christ, nobody else up in there.

Thou shalt not surely die. It keeps coming out and coming out. Well, yes. Yes, what's accented mark is yes, of course, that's true. What's accented is the penalty the idea of suffering that involves humanism and humanistic thinking and the rights of people this whole?

Thing man must not be accountable. He must not suffer no matter what you see it in the court. Criminal justice it's infiltrated American society was sought in the criminal, you know this kind of thing.

Well, this is what I see that a state minority of the charismatic move. Well, we'll go back to cross-carrying obedience. That suffering is a large part of the Christian redemption. Then God works through barrenness and what he produced in Isaiah 54 was the New Jerusalem.

Meaning that the only benefit we're going to be for mankind to finally be the tabernacle of God among men where they can have justice. And peace is if we're willing to be made barren because that's it comes through Sarah.

It comes through Hannah. It comes through the mother of Samson. It comes to Elizabeth. You know that the thing that moves comes through people who suffered and of course the greatest example of all is the Lord Jesus Christ.

The world wasn't changed by his teaching. It was changed by his death and So with the Apostle Paul if it hadn't been for that It hadn't been for Paul's suffering the life of Jesus would not have come out on their pistols.

If it hadn't been for Christ's suffering there would have been no atonement. And so all of his teaching would have been Without without the necessary power to make it work. But he had to go to the cross and Paul had to be denied all of his rights.

Joseph had to be put in prison. I mean this is the way God works and The charismatic teaching is against that the rapture is against that and since the god business of the government. The business of government in the United States is to promote an image that prevents the citizens from seeing what's happening.

So all the time you get this bridge to the future. We've got a generation of young people give them all computers. They're going to solve every problem. The world is the super bright. Actually, the result is Springfield, Oregon.

See what that image the politicians that are in power the ones that outer power don't want they want the other image and this you can Take this back and show you that the revolution the American Revolution was thrown by the English Despite a party that was out of power.

They were embarrassing the party in power. I mean just this thing of the politicians in power saying everything's okay. Look, isn't that wonderful from C to shining C and everything and you'll see this in the spin doctors constantly.

Look how their jobs and everything but they don't look around and see the moral Chaos that's going on. So people are used to the image. Yes I think this is a different hurt. I'm not sure you're talking about the one that teamed up on the great seduction on the seduction.

Yeah, I know. This is a different part. No from the beginning his first book was the great rapture hoax. See a play on the late great planet Earth. I'm surprised you haven't written one called The late great plan the late great rapture.

I suppose that'll be nice. But anyway. Because that dispensationalism is going out of vogue. See not in America, but in other places. It's being seen for what it is itself. It's phony. It caused the brethren to go into immorality.

The dispensation because that's where it came from the brethren it can have been and brethren teachers like for jealous. You know, you've heard it for jealous. He's a brethren teacher great scholar and they began to see this thing.

That's right. It's producing immorality this state of grace thing. So my point is this. The minority that accepts the suffering accepts the reproach of the cross. Will be the ones where God is working the majority.

Will become the false prophet and if you'll read in Revelation 13, I guess give us chapter 2 13 it is 13 you'll see that the power behind the Antichrist is the false prophet. He's the one that makes an image image image image image and and as I see it the Antichrist is libertarian democracy, it's it's the Beast that comes out of a sea of mankind.

But it has no life in it. It will it will take a Miracle working church to give it life enough to control the world that will satisfy both the political and the religious needs of people. That's how I see the scenario is shaping up and key to this thing.

It's the bread question because Antichrist and the church will get together to supply the needs of mankind and if God were to give someone the power Whatever God gives them that will benefit mankind like healing multiplying food the power to change weather patterns Ocean currents that could make heretofore barren lands.

This kind of power is coming to the church and you remember in the two witnesses. They see they have power to change water to blood to do things destructive. Well here you'll have the majority of the church working with the government to do what the church is crying out to do.

Let's get out there at this poor dying bleeding world. We need to get out there and do something about it. See, that's not the cry of the Bible. The cry of the Bible is God worship God. In fact, I got an email today from the ladies.

She said do you know what you're saying? That's the same thing. That watchman knees said in a book and I've never read it, but it's called ministry to the house or ministry to the Lord. Isn't that a beautiful way to put it?

Are you going to minister to the house or are you going to minister to the Lord? And so he saw that thing. So it's all say the world when I see if Carter And Reagan would read that book at Carter that the president would teach it on a Sunday school class in Georgia then this is something that that a Christian politician could get a hold of and Then anybody who was not talking about improving a lot of men.

But was talking about some weird thing like worshiping God and pageantry. Which is it? I mean we can watch with banners all day. It isn't going to help one hungry person in Poway and it's gonna help some mother out here.

Supporting her child isn't going to help the poor didn't want to do anything. We're marching around with banners and they'll look at that and they'll say you people are losers. You're you're you are crackpots.

You are out of the mainline and that's where the persecution will come from. I mean, it's writ large. You don't have to look hard to see it. You can already see it today. In fact, I remember reading about the last Christian that ran for president Pat Roberts was down in like Venezuela or one of either South American or Central American Country a guest of the president teaching them about capitalism.

Because Pat Roberts is very much into capitalism and making money very much. He's all the time advising people about stocks and bonds and how to get rich. You can already see where the Alliance would come between an upbeat forward-looking dynamic world-interested outgoing community-oriented Church that is going somewhere and teaching the people about computers and teaching them about marketing techniques.

And then you've got this little group of losers. They're doing their peeping and they're muttering in the church. I don't seem to care about anybody. That's how it was seen to them to us. The fact that we'll be building a church page I believe I think we can get a church page on the internet free through something that's happening.

We see we've already got an education page out our books now. That will just be for the church and I'm very tempted to put down the statement of our church to put down that we believe that the church should be people.

The Church as a Worshiping People, Not a Social Institution

Standing on a sea of glass meaning glass mixed with fire. See when you see that in Revelation on that thing the song of Moses and the Lamb. When you see that sea of glass in Revelation chapter 4, it's pure.

But when you see it up toward the end, it's mixed with fire. You have people standing with their hearts praising God seeing the son of Moses and the Lamb see that brings together both covenants. It's the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb recognizing their heritage of Israel on Having been made transparent to the being baptized with fire and that's what a church should be saying great marvelous.

I work so Lord opposed see that's what a church should be. It should be a worship of God by people who have been made to cut the sin out of them by the fire. And they're before the throne of God worshiping him.

When you see a politician can't make anything out of that that doesn't seem like it's doing anyone any good. See we know it, but we can't explain it to the outside. A church is not a social institution.

It's a prophet of God among men. It's a lampstand and in America these two things have been confused partly because our Country was settled in a large part by Christian people which gave it the name of being a Christian country, but at the same time.

There came another group at the same time like Tom Payne and others and Thomas Jefferson and others who were deus or agnostics. And so they gave us another America. America based on the pursuit of happiness.

See which was not the original Pilgrim intention they left England to worship God. They didn't come over here for happiness. Half of them died in the first year of influenza. So we got two Americas going at the same time.

Well. This has not been obvious. It was called a melting pot see the idea was people who come from everything they were coming this wonderful thing that somehow was Christian. But now as it spins out and as it just spills out.

If we see that Democracy and the kingdom of God are totally antithetical. They're totally antithetical. One is the rule of man and the other one is the rule of God. One comes from the bottom up one comes in the top down so these things are not spelled out yet by sociologists and philosophers.

They're not identifiable as such, but if you're a Christian I mean, it's written large you can see the two Americas in the fabric running well it hasn't Been to a parent up till maybe World War one well after World War one.

We got in the roaring 20s, then the the phobolity and everything getting away from the farm. You know how you're going to keep down on the farm after they seen parry like came out of World War one. That's what they started.

That's when camel cigarettes started World War one the boys went off the farm went off saw Perry and came back smoking camels and America changed and so we had the roaring 20s and then came the Nickelodeon and then the silent movies and then Hollywood and now television and the Internet and Now little by little the Christian element in America has been put into a very small minority.

But it's but that's why it hasn't been apparent because the two of them mixed together and God we trust on our point. So the Christians give ground an inch at a time and every time the other group Advances you hear all this yelling, but he goes nowhere because it's inherited what is happening so God in the middle of all of this Is entrusting in America not in other countries, but in America the kingdom message.

Hey, he's putting the hair and the gifts of the spirit are in America. They're not another country away behind us in these things so it's so ironic the way that God works and as he can get people in America who in the midst of luxury and Warmth and food and everything else can come out of the world and say no, we're not going to make bread.

No, we're not going to take our God-given just to help the world do anything. We're here to worship Almighty God. We love God first and you see that runs against the humanist. You know, if you love God you show it you love to your brother.

That's not Bible not Bible. We have to understand we were made to worship God and the world is against God and their suffering is coming from the fact that They are violating his law and our job is not to try to ameliorate that penalty.

Our job is to bear a witness of God's person and his ways and his will and his eternal purposes in Christ if It means death to us and it will someday when this thing spins out and the majority of the fervent church.

That's the church with two horns like a lamb. You know, it's not religious. He has the power of Christ the power of the lamb. But the mouth is the dragon and what the dragon is saying always is two things one He accuses the brothers and thou shalt not surely die and that's in the charismatic move right now big time big time.

Like when we said it's large and in charge. Yes. The welfare. I Believe in that and if I were president, I didn't list every trip. The problem is in the churches in the local community and I want to get into that.

But I want you to perceive what I'm saying as being against. Titus says be zealous always of good works. It has to do with the way you go about it. If you go about it to ameliorate to remove the penalty of sin, then you're fighting against God.

But if you if you see every church has some kind of a mission with our church. Our mission is to communicate but God will give churches. The heart to work with the poor because God is always interested in the poor always interest in the orphans.

Visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction. This is pure religion and undefiled. Bezeles always have good works, but it must come out of A heart that is moving on to God and not trying to save the world.

And it's true it is absolutely true that it should be done by the churches. But the churches that do it should be banner-waving churches who are standing on a sea of glass. Worshiping God and coming out from this Malou.

What happens is the church doesn't come up. The churches don't come up from that. They come up from they still got their head on and they're coming up from a rational thing and people become more important than God.

Instead of instead of the gospel becoming a way of meeting God's needs it becomes a way of meeting man's needs. The first commandment is to love God with all your heart soul of mind and strength. When we do that, then the other works will follow if we put the love your neighbor first.

Then you have antichrist and the false prophet. Now to be careful this because the greatest persecution God's true remnant will come from humanistic Christians. Yeah. It will because they'll say oh you're hard and unloving.

You're hard and unloving. No, we're not hard and unloving. We're on God's side. We're on God's side. We don't fool around if God directs us to help someone and he does the police me. Well, I gave up my whole career to do God's will and I think I've helped a few people.

I haven't. I was on my way to district administration and I've got I've got a life general administration. Credential in the state of California life that never has to be renewed that goes through grade 14.

That's I could be president of a junior college. I've got the credential to be president of a junior college and I was coming up. God said no. But I didn't do it to save the church. I did it of obedience.

Obedience, you see it get a feel for that because you may be tested on it in the future. People people tell you you have no heart. Why aren't you all saving people because the Bible doesn't teach us that it teaches us that the gifts and ministries of the church are for what.

Healing the body because when the body is built then the needs of the world will be met. So people don't see that because it's not apparent. But believe me what God wants in the church of people standing on a sea of glass nor speaking figuratively.

Transparent. Mixed with fire there. They've had judgment go through their nature. They've got the heart the song of God that is in them. They are standing before God's throne because that's where the sea of glass is located.

They are singing the song of both the old covenant in the new they haven't gone off into this Dispensationalism that's cut off the old it's all one package and they're saying great and marvelous true and righteous for thy judgments.

Oh God everything and this is when the vials of wrath are being poured out on people. And so the church that has people first. Will end up working with a government already. Let's see about a year ago that Mr. Clinton invited something like 20 outstanding church leaders to meet in a room set aside in the State Department to help him make policy.

That's just the way it'll be in the church. Oh, this is great. This is tremendous our government. Well, what is it gonna want? Great on the grave security and everything will be turned the stones into bread.

How many know that they came and tried by force to make Jesus a king what he could have done with his power. Platinum feed the hungry. Clothed the naked. They could have done it all. That's why I fear for any Christian that runs for president.

Because he will be forced to build a power base out of people who have no heart for God. It's all Christian talk do good do good do good. That's what I have to build this power base because there aren't enough.

Fostering women to make a power base to elect a president United States of America. So he's going to have to bring in every one that even please Christian. The result will be Antichrist and the false prophet.

That's why I see it shaping up. No, if you can get back the money you put in the collection tonight, I don't go that way. But I I started on that track 20 years ago, and I can just see it going the rapture is just part of the thing.

Yes. And we Decided to manage this great event and we say well, I can't argue with you there. Is there do you have a sense of that? When the day comes when God will make that kind of power available or made that situation an issue for the church that they'll be also the kind of guidance that would Give a person to Congress to say well, you know, I haven't heard I say don't go for a sake.

But until I do here, I'm not going. I mean I can just see the the dynamic has been so Intense. I Told you the story about William Branham a William Branham had one of the greatest gifts of power in this century.

I don't I heard him preach twice. And in his book footprints in the sand of time He tells how he was traveling with a party. Which included Gordon Lindsay? Minor Argon Brighton other some rich people some famous people they come for Composed a party and they went with William Branham around on all his tours.

William Branham was a very humble man. He had been a gamekeeper in Tennessee or something like that an eight-foot angel appeared to him and gave him up Tremendous gift of healing. I mean it was spectacular.

Just like you think a gift of healing should be. I mean he would people would come up on the platform and he would tell him like that. They'd come from all over tell him what the street look like in the street number and everything their faith would be built up.

And then he lay hands on his handle to swell and he'd be healed. I mean it was dramatic and it was powerful just like the New Testament much more dramatic than Captain Coolman. Captain Coolman had the real stuff but William Branham was like you always kind of dream about you know, just going up and laying your hand on somebody and having your Hands well up for a sign and whoa, the blind eyes are open and everything else.

Well He was slated to speak to a hundred thousand people in Nigeria as I remember. It's in the book footprints in the sand of time and The spirit spoke to him and said don't go and they had already made the arrangements and So all of the people that were with him the movers Said you have to go we have already slated.

It's a huge meal go. That's the issue bill right there. Branham was so humble. He was so gentle. You can imagine the pressure on it because you begin to think well, who am I? You know, I don't have a walkie-talkie.

Maybe I'm not hearing from God, which is what you're talking about. And so they prevailed on him. And he went he went in disobedience to God. Because it seemed like the quote right thing to do all these people.

He went and ministered and but he got sick mission for about six months. That was a small thing compared with a somebody received a gift to multiply food now during the revival in Indonesia. On a couple of occasions I understand.

They filled up jugs with water and it was turned to wine for the communion. You know, that's not too far. I've never heard of anyone being able to create food, but turning water into wine and that's pretty well documented.

It's not that far away. So you can see God wants to give power to the church because Jesus said in John 14 12 The work that I do shall you do and greater works than these shall you do because I go to my father.

The work that I do the same work raising the dead multiplying food walking on the water the works that I do. And by the way people have walked on the water. The work that I do shall you do also? I'm greater than me the key there is the word greater the Greek word Megizona.

Because people play with this and they say I saw a Presbyterian magazine in which they had built a huge new hospital and underneath they had written greater works and. Then others interpret it as greater in number.

It's because now there's all the Christians. So it's greater in number, but the Greek will not admit to that. It merely means greater works greater works just as you would think it would mean in English.

That's what the Greek means. So it was a prophecy of Christ. It's never happened to my knowledge and so I see it reserved for the end time because the end time is the time of the double portion the Elisha portion is do.

We see that in the things of the two witnesses. We see the 42 which matched the 40 children that were killed by the two she bears in the Elisha ministry. We see them overcome and then raised just to see like a guide and then a man was raised from his bones.

We see Elisha as the strongest type of the two witnesses. But Elisha was Elijah multiplied by two and Elijah was John the Baptist so we can look for Elijah to come again but this time it will be Elijah multiplied by two as demonstrated by the symbolism surrounding the ministry of Elisha and So I expect the John 14 12 and the greater works will come forth in our day.