20240217 | Faulty Armor | Pastor John Lomacang

I've been a lot of prayer about this sermon so I'm going to kneel ask God to take it where he wants it to go let's let's pray bow with me Heavenly Father we thank you Lord that you've given a message to me and I believe Lord as I've reviewed it and gone through it I believe that your Holy Spirit has borned these words shaped this message and I pray now that as your people listen they would hear what the spirit has to say that those who are here would say Spirit of the Living God fall AR fresh on me and open my mind that I may be prepared for what is coming and so I Surrender my lips my heart my mind and my life to you use me for your glory in Jesus Jesus name I pray amen I have such a library of sermons a few years ago I went into our shed outside of our house and I found a huge box I mean a huge box of sermons and I trace them back all the way to when I started preaching in my own first church back in 1988 and I took them out one at a time and began to look through them and what I learned is I looked at some of the things I preached and said I said that and I recognized that God has been growing me strengthening me guiding my mind developing it to find good food not just passing messages and sometimes we have to go back and look at our recipes to find out what's been missing and present that food better than it was presented before and this is one of those sermons back in 2013 I preached a sermon with a similar similar title like this down in Florida and I titled it false armor and I went back and looked at that and I realized wait a minute not false armor but faulty armor because the devil is clever enough to think that if he can give us some truth rather than all era that we believe we are safe but what he does Deception is the mixture of light and darkness truth and error and when those combinations come together your armor is not false it's faulty and so I sat down yesterday and earlier this week I began to look through my library and say Lord what should I talk about he said you need to go back and look at that one I gave you 11 years ago cuz it was something that you missed so I'm praying today that the Lord can take the title that I gave it many years ago and he retitled it faulty armor what's the title faulty armor we begin in the book of Ephesians chapter 6 and what I'm going to do today I'm going to read this scripture three times you'll see it at three points in the sermon in the beginning toward the middle and once again at the very end because when we go to it at the very end I'm going to add something to it that you will not find in the first two mentions of Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 11 following along we read these words put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the Ws of the devil if we think that we have seen Satan's best we haven't seen anything yet the controversy in which the church exists today the Lord has has convinced me we need the best defense it demands the best defense the times in which we live calls for the best security the war in which we are daily engaged requires the best armor I'll say that again the best defense the best security and the best armor because if I were going into battle I would want nothing more more than the best defense the best security and the best armor and I read a documentary listing it was not a visual documentary but a written one a written commentary about the reason why so many soldiers died in the war that took place in Iraq I'm going to share this with you here is the article the New York Times it was January 7th 2006 and it was subtitled Pentagon study links Pentagon study links fatalities to body armor listen to the content it's so relevant to us as Christians a Secret Pentagon study has found that as many as 80% of the Marines who had been killed in Iraq from wounds to the upper body could have survived if they had had extra body armor such armor has been available since 2003 but until recently the Pentagon has largely noticed this next word declined to supply it to troops despite calls from the field for additional protection according to mil military officials the vulnerability of the military's body armor has been known notice this since the start of the war and is part of a series of problems that have surrounded the protection of American troops did you grab that 80% of the fatalities that occurred in Iraq could have been avoided if the troops had been covered by the best armor summarizing again the armor this is what got my attent the armor was available but repeated request for better protection was denied not only that the vulnerability of the armor was known since the War Began now with the mind that I have the pastor's mind a Bible reading mind I saw so much spiritual application in that I know Ian coming from the military could understand where I'm headed with this think about it how many Christians have suffered from the lack of good armor in their own lives how many fatalities have Christians experienced because they refuse to clothe themselves in God's best armor but let's go farther how many church members are requesting from their leaders you got to give me better sermons than that better Bible studies than that you got to teach more sound doctrines than that because it says the armor was available but requests for better armor was denied requests we receive the letters people are saying I'm not hearing my pastor preach the way that he should he's not lining his sermons up to the urgency of the time and I don't want to stand out to say that I'm the only one because I know that there are many and I pray that I'm doing what God has called me to do but I know that I've seen the impact the effect of pastors who are not giving what God's word provides as the best armor and so many of our church members are being wounded in their walk with Christ because ever since the war against sin began the vulnerability of the armor has been ignored in so many instances and Satan's aim since the War Began is to have Christians wrap themselves in faulty armor and go into the battlefield believing that somehow they will still survive his satanic onslaughts Brethren these are the days that the Christians that follow God the people of God should not settle for anything less than the best armor what do you say because the most intense conflict that face humanity is in its final planning stages we have not yet seen on a broad scale what a coming consider what happened in Palestine consider what happened in the Palestinian Scourge against the the Israelites I I remember the story it just really dawned on me how how Savage it was and and the statement I'm about to make is not to settle any political differences between the two Powers but just think of what those young people would have done differently on the day that they were out in this outdoor concert had they known that plans were in place for months and according to intelligences they said the plans were in place for years to look for a vulnerable event to claim as many lives as they possibly can in retaliation to the things that they were upset about and I'm using basic words so so what happened the loss of life the massive Carnage that we saw on the news it wasn't something that took place just that morning it was in planning stages for a long time had the people that lost their lives known what was coming do you think that they would have had on better armor as a matter of fact I go so far to say they wouldn't have been there and so many people are in circumstances not knowing that Satan is studying the vulnerability in our character the vulnerabilities in our Study Life the vulnerabilities in our dedication to see where he can find entrance and cause us to believe that somehow we are covered with the best armor the battle that is coming that I've read about in the Bible and I read about in the great controversy the battle that Satan and his host are planning will erase the memory of every previous war ever fought in this world and the final showdown between heaven and hell is going to be a fierce and intense Battle For Life or for death John the Revelator describes what he sees being developed on the horizon he says in Revelation 16:3 and 14 and I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet for they are the spirits of demons while we're sitting here demons are busy for they are the spirits of demons performing signs which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the Battle of that great day of God Almighty while we're sitting here while we're at work while we're at home while we're making decisions about what we're going to watch what we're going to listen to how we're going to conduct Our Lives spiritual forces of Darkness are gathering together trying to figure out the most successful plan to overthrow our faith and get us standing in that final battle with faulty armor on a sobering scripture to gather us to to the Battle of that great day of God Almighty and I would say today safety in battle has everything to do with having on the best armor amen somebody alen wife says in the book our father cares one of our favorite devotionals she points out on page 246 in paragraph 2 these words she says a terrible conflict is before us we are nearing the battle of the great day of God almighty that which has been held in control is to be let loose the Earth is to be the battlefield the scene of the final contest and the final Victory but I love the way it ends here where for so long Satan has led men against God Rebellion is to be forever suppressed praise God he's been fighting all this time down here but the Lord is saying the very field that Satan has claimed as his own is the very field on which he's going to be defeated come on say Amen again so you see friends safety in battle has everything to do with the best armor my second reference to the scripture let's read this one together Ephesians 6:1 are we ready here it is put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the Ws of the devil now when I read that scripture I went over it over and over and over again because sometimes we read the Bible and we miss something that's standing out right before us and the phrase the Wilds of the devil doesn't mean that we are against a wild devil it doesn't mean that there's this indiscriminate Force just swinging his weapon right and left hoping to make some kind of contact the Ws of the devil can be best described through the Greek definition which means Satan is using trickery he's using a con a scam deception sub auge and lies and believe me my brethren the Wilds of the devil simply means he's studying us from every angle like a sculptor that's looking at the that he is sculpting he looks from every angle and he notices is that sufficient is that my entrance point is that the point of Frailty how can I find a way into his or her life so that I could keep them unaware of my trickery my con my scam my deception my sub auge in my lies and today so many lies and so many plans of deception are being put in place that that that people approaching the last days and I speak specifically to Seventh Day Adventist Christians and the Christian world at at large that every one of us is needed in the final battle how many of us every one of us God's called us how many of us now I want you to I want you to wake up some of you have turned the seats into St mat St mattress Cathedral if you if you see somebody sleeping just say wake up because right after the sermon is done everybody's going to be awake I see it every Sabbath so let's stand and pray together let's do that because I I I I know my enemy I know my enemy children's story offering prayer opening song everybody's awake the moment the message begins I may be the most boring preacher you ever met but I don't think that when I preach I'm passing out sleeping pills father keep your people awake that they may hear and understand the enemy the vulnerabilities the sub auge the way that they are being studied to miss the message of preparation in Jesus name I pray amen you may be seated I I I I've done this before I've I see the cloud come I see the the the angels as Ellen White describes as she says when the sermon begins she says evil angels wafted their wings things over their subjects that they choose to make them comfortable that they would miss the very message that God intends for them to receive so let's stay alert when you think about excuses that are being designed today the Wilds of the devil the sub diffusion lies you find that this is not brand new I know people that have left the Adventist Church and when I ask some of them that have left the reasons they come up with I ask have you measured what you were taught against the word of God and I have been amazed to see that people that were raised in the church some of them educated in our schools some of them educated in our colleges graduated adven education all their lives can somehow end up on the outside becoming proponents of doctrines that have no basis in scripture at all wasn't too long ago I had a conversation with a person that had gone through everything I just described only now to leave the church and say I no longer believe that the Sabbath is necessary I I now believe that people die and go straight to heaven I believe in eternally burning hell this is an Adventist all educ all all every level served in church and then believe that the Lord is going to Reign for a thousand years on Earth and when we tried to engage that individual to start with something as simple as the Sabbath I understood why that Darkness was so deep because the response was I don't want to hear I don't I don't want I don't want to hear it I don't want to hear it I've heard it all my I don't want to hear it and I thought to myself it even got darker than that that person is a minister teaching others to walk in darkness raised in a church from Little all the way up through the schools graduated from our schools took himself out and took his wife out both Adventist former Adventist now rejoicing in darkness thinking that they have on the best armor that's why when somebody comes along to try to get you out you better Anchor through your faith in Christ and in his word look at what the Apostle Paul did let's go to acts 27 verse 30-32 When Paul the Apostle was journeying to Rome as a prisoner and the storm began to intensify there were Sailors on that ship that that fabricated lies so that they could abandon ship during the midst of the storm and notice what the Apostle Paul did to prevent them from getting off the ship acts 27 beginning with verse 30 and as the sailors were seeking to do what es to escape from the ship there a lot of folk looking for reasons to escape from the ship when they had let down the skiff into the sea that's the lifeboats they did it under what under pretense the Greek word there is deception under pretense of putting out anchors from the prow before I go to verse 31 they were saying oh no we're just trying to stabilize the ship when in fact they were letting the lifeboats out so they could get off the ship what did Paul say look at the next verse Paul said to the Centurion and the soldiers unless these men stay in the ship you cannot be saved then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the skiff and let it fall off he said you're not getting off this ship can you imagine if the pilot abandons the plane in bad weather or the captain of a ship jump overboard in a bad storm there are those that are looking for reasons when when when the Bible says under pretense that means some of the soldiers were fabricating lies to justify abandoning the ship and as a pastor you you've got to really be I need to say this you you've got to really be spiritual to make it to the end of this Bell you've got to be SP spiritual to be on a church board you got to be spiritual to be in a position in the church because if your faith is not strong enough to handle the attempts of the enemy against your walk with Christ you'll hear something that will cause you to want to want to under pretense abandon the ship I've heard things I've seen things I've been in meetings from the top on down and I've said to my wife and we know this after so many many years we've said good thing we are not in this church for other people's reasons we're in here for Jesus ourselves because if you are basing your success and your your your your your safety on the faith of somebody else you're in here for the wrong reason looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith because there's so many people leaving the church under pretense designing religion offshoots independent movements all throwing stones at the church as though the church is faulty and we got to get off board if the ship which is larger than a tiny little boat if the ship is being tossed in the storm what's going to happen to your little tiny boat it's not going to make it and the reason why Satan influences people to fight against the organized church is he knows that A house divided against itself finish it cannot stand make no mistake about it when Paul said the Wilds of the devil he was not talking about a disorganized devil and so many people say well I don't want to be a part of an organized church can you imagine applying that to anything else in your life I don't want my work to be organized see how long you keep your job I don't want my my table to be organized I don't want my life to be organized who wants to work for a company that is unorganized I don't want my banker to be organized I just want my money to go wherever they want it to go that kind of reasoning doesn't match anything else but the devil has fooled some people a con a scam a trickery into believing that this organiz disorganization is better than organization today make no mistake about it Satan is anything but disorganized in the book Christian experience and teachings another wonderful Des uh devotional book look at what Ellen White says she says satanic agencies are in every city how many cities they're here in Thompsonville right across the line in West Frankfurt she doesn't say big cities she said every city but notice what she says what are they doing busily what's the next word organizing into parties those opposed to the law of God professed Saints and devowed unbelievers take their stand with these parties and look at how she ends the quote this is no time for the people of God to be weaklings you're not getting strong you're going to get weak and you are not ready she says we cannot afford to be off our guard for one moment you know we we love the quietness of Thompsonville but they out here too in every city their lies against the church that are being circulated to justify abandoning God's Church there are accusations from the GC to the NAD to the Lake Union to the Illinois conference to the local church people are lying at all levels not the leaders but those that are aligning themselves with the forces of Darkness reinterpreting the role of the Holy Spirit questioning the Divinity of Jesus this is not outside this is in here so that they can get us to abandon the ship under pretense lies and the only result of that is faulty armor so we have to be careful today brethren we haven't seen Satan's best yet but let me make this point I don't want to instill fear in you I want to instill in you trust that the Lord can bring us to it and he can bring us through it God is not in heaven trying to figure out what do I do next he's simply saying to us put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the Ws of the devil and I believe that when God puts his armor on us nothing can penetrate Divine armor so watch out when people want to say come over here and come over there and move in this direction and move in that direction and they do it by making it appear as though I've had people I had somebody call me the other day and said to me now do you know that since 18 whatever God no longer speaks through the Adventist Church and I said what did you get that idea from where did you get that idea from some crazy stuff and I said show me the quotation and I'm thinking to myself how did you get that out of that subt fuge lies scams and so they saidwell as David Kesh fooled a lot of Adventist to follow him to Waco you saw how that ended and Jim Jones did it you saw how that ended and there are people that are moving in all different directions you find them on YouTube throwing stones to get your financial support so that you can make it appear as though there's something wrong with the ship no there's nothing wrong with the ship the problem is with those who are on the ship that's us and the Lord is working on us amen for that he's going to work on us and make sure the work he began in us he is going to complete it I always rejoice when Jesus comes I am going to be just like Jesus in every capacity so when a flash of me comes out pray for me because God has not done with me yet but don't jump off the ship just because somebody lost their temper don't jump off the ship because you disagree with some decision made at the general conference level we're all on the ship and everybody needs to stay on board what do you say the evidence of that selected messages now I'm going to use a lot of quotes today because I believe that inspiration is not just perspiration God has given us understanding to know how we as a people should move selected messages book two page 63 servant of the Lord says I know that the lord loves his church it is not to be disorganized or broken up into independent Adams what kind of army is broken up into independent Adams and expect to win the battle she says there is not the least consistency in this there is not the least evidence that such a thing will be and so right now we have as the church is going through the storm that is intensifying as we get closer to the end we got a whole another movement called the reformed 7th Day Adventist Church they got more right PE more righteous people over there than we have over here as one guy that was in the shepherd's Rod many years ago tried to pull me out of the Adventist Church when I was a young man just come I was just coming back just came out of my dis joy and partying life I remember that very well I'm in New York City going to the church I was raised in and a friend of mine who was my class when we graduated approached me about joining the shepherd's rod and they sounded really really good very convincing solid I mean I thought to myself how am I how come I'm not hearing this stuff in church and for a moment they had my attention and they they started using a lot of the quotes from Ellen White's book but it was like it was like taking a hot dog recipe mixing with a pizza recipe and a recipe to make fruit punch but I was too young to understand that this was a dissecting of the writings of Ellen White not a unified presentation of it so I went back and began to do my own homework and I came to find out so people in my church for a brief moment folk in my church thought I was becoming a shepherd's Rod because I would come to church with all these testimony see it was long before the digital version anybody remember that when used to actually carry the book so I come to church with like three volumes of the testimony under my arm and I'm there at lunch searching through it and people say is he okay is he following that group no I was searching let me say something brother you've got to search you got to know don't take anybody's word for anything you got to know it for yourself so I have three I have three full sets of the testimonies because one is so marked up that I can't see stuff in it anymore so I have another set and now I have the digital version but I began searching and searching and searching and searching until I found the The Kinks in the message they were presenting and I went to one of their meetings and I had all my questions lined up and when I began to introduce those questions one after the other after the other after the other the faultiness in their armor was visible and I said thank you but no thanks and one of my friends is still in that to this very day we say hello to each other every now and then but his wife and my wife says whatever you guys do don't talk about stuff you don't agree on God has taken me father because I believe that when God has a plan for your life he will open the doors to allow your light to shine Not For Your Glory but for his today deception is at its height and the sad reality as many are not going to realize until the battle of Armageddon that they have been living a life covered by faulty armor that is the plan of the enemy he wants us to make no preparation now so that when the final battle comes and we go to the battlefield and he unleashes on us what we have not been prepared for we will only realize at that moment how faulty our study life has been how faulty our prayer life has been how much we don't know what we believe how often do we sit down and say well I have 28 fundamentals that I have dedicated my life to living out but how many of them do I know if somebody tested me how well will I do under those tests and under those scrutinies and I've seen people in our church that fall to the Wayside when somebody else from another denomination that studies their Bible for the errors challenges somebody who believes and claims to know the truth we are to be able to defend that which we say we believe we ought to know it backwards and forward because if we don't we are living in faulty armor but I say today it is impossible to abandon the truth and still believe that you have on better armor it is impossible to walk away from keeping God's Commandments it is impossible to reject the truth of the Sabbath and the teachings of the word of God and think that you have found something better when you stand with the Lord you have nothing to fear when you allow the Lord to cover you with his best armor the psalmist David puts it this way Psalm 91 verse4 he shall cover you with his feathers and under his wings you shall take refuge what what's going to be your defense his truth shall be your shield and buckler other translations say your shield and your defense so today now that I lay the foundation I have four things I'm going to share with you how many points did I say four major points that unveils whether or not we are being victimized by false armor let's look at one of the first evidences of false armor evidence number one let's say this together rejection of doctrines I'm so glad Ricky I don't know how you synchronize I that but should we teach Jesus or doctrines we teach Jesus Through doctrines you can't separate the two Jesus says I am the way the truth and the life you can't take out truth it's amazing how Jesus put truth in the middle I am the way some people want to go the way some people want the life but they don't want the truth and there are so many churches nowadays I've even had people say well let me ask a question I want to do you teach doctrines of course we do well you I'm looking for a church that doesn't teach doctrines I think are you looking for a restaurant that doesn't serve food also it's ridiculous but that's what's happening today and you find one of the reasons why that is is because we are accepting we are accepting what somebody else has termed good armor but when we put it on ourselves only then will we discover that the armor is faulty and it's never God's intention for us to walk in the armor of anybody else look at 1st Samuel 17 there's a MOS Saar behind the departure from truth and the Bible describes it 1st Samuel 17 verses 38 and 39 the background is simple you know the Lord did not choose Saul the people chose Saul Saul to become king and the Lord said okay that's who you want that's that's all I'm going to give you Saul did not have the walk with God that he should have had so when the battle against Goliath was in the making and the army of Israel was terrified in their boots and David stepped up to the the Forefront to tackle a giant let me make a point right here you can fight any giant if Jesus is with you there's nothing too big that you cannot stand up against even even Goliath says you are nothing but a strippling of a youth a little what are you going to do with me I I've been around longer than you have been when you stand with Christ there's nothing too great for you to handle and so Saul decides well David if you're going to fight against Goliath you going to need more than you have on what did David have on David had on nothing but a shepherd's garment and what did Goliath have on just the tip of Goliath's spear was 20 pounds just the tip of the spear he had on a coat of maale made out of some sort of metal not alloy but steel it's it was a it was braided armor that nothing could penetrate it not even an arrow not only that he had his armor bearers going before him so he had shields in front of him Shields surrounding him and then he had on a coat of mail a metal helmet and he's going to fight against little David with just a shepherd's garment I I need to say this young folk don't let anybody mock you because you're young if you know Jesus that's all you need to know if you follow his truth while you're young don't let anybody Paul says let no man despise your Youth and I think he was thinking about David when he said that because I remember growing up in New York City people looked at me as I was in my basketball clothing or in my regular garments I was not thinking about being a pastor but I knew my Bible and many Jehovah's Witnesses found out that I knew my Bible because I didn't look like I knew knew it but I've been reading it and studying it so that when those battles came God brought me through it by a thus sayith the Lord so what was the modus operandi you'll find that behind every departure from truth is the fact that somebody decides to put on something that was not tested look at this 1 Samuel 17: 38 and 39 so Saul clothed David with his arm that is with Saul's armor and he put a bronze helmet on his head he also clothed him with a coat of maale he tried to get David to match the garments that Goliath would be wearing David fastened his sword to his armor that is Saul's sword and what did he do and he tried to walk for he had not tested them before I go to the next verse I want to say something David Avid was a little guy Saul was a king of great stature he was a well-built man can you imagine putting Timothy's garment on little Brighton I have to make that comparison come on Timothy stand up real quick Timothy is my religious bodyguard can you imagine putting Timothy's garment on little Brighton that was a similar comparison so Saul massively built King has on has armor made for a king and he's putting it on David and I can see David cloning trying to walk trying to walk he had never wanted before he had not tested them so what did David do look at the next verse and David said to Saul I cannot walk with these for I have not tested them so what did David do so David took them off when somebody brings to you something that has not been tested by a plane thus sayeth the Lord what should we do say it together take it off don't even try to walk in error don't try to walk in theory don't try to walk in suggestions don't try to walk in ideologies only walk in Truth David I'm not wearing this there are so many people today that reject the truth of God's word and they clothe themselves with theories and doctrines that have not stood the test of time nor the test of scrutiny let me say something as an unashamed Seventh Day Adventist Pastor do you think that our church came to the conclusion to teach what it does by just picking scriptures here and there and trying to put it pull it together no prayer and deep study and deep tests these things that we teach as a church have gone through committee after committee after committee they've looked for the holes in each of these doctrines they've examined them by from theologians of other denominations and I'll tell you one of the reasons why the devil don't like folk studying with Adventist is because they know we have on the best armor that should been a better better amen than that notice what I didn't say I didn't say we're the best Christians I said we have the best armor but some of us don't benefit from the best armor because our Christianity sometimes conflicts with our armor the modus sarandi God never intends for us to walk in anything that has not been tested that's why the Apostle Paul told the people in thessalonica he said in verse 21 of chapter 5 and 1 Thessalonians he said test all things test how many things and whole fast what is good even if a good friend came to you and said hey hey Bob how long have I known you Bob said all my life you know what I just found out from Deep study that you don't have to keep the Sabbath anymore come on now I'm your friend would I lie to you yes if God's word didn't say it don't even take the word of a good friend that's why the Apostle Paul says even if an angel even if an angel preach something other than this let them be a cursed don't trust exterior trust only God's word because many of us fail to realize that as the truth is in Jesus if we anchor our faith in the truth as it is in Jesus we stand on a solid foundation so when the Winds of doctrines begin to blow it will not blow us away and we've survived a lot of Winds of doctrines yeah there were days we had to really take that and some people have said so what do you think and they've come up with these doctrines that sometimes you know we undermine we we we we underestimate Satan's cleverness we underestimate his intellect I've had former Adventist pastors write books against the church as to and they put these thick books together as to why the Sabbath is no longer valid and I had a conversation with one on the phone one day at the time he lived in Arizona he used to be a Adventist teacher and he decided that he no longer had to keep the Sabbath so he put a book together and he has all these former Adventists following him now declaring their freedom so I had a conversation with him and and within five minutes I understood why he wrote what he wrote because he didn't want to hear the truth he he didn't want to reinvestigate that which he had taken for granted all he was interested in Terry was his position as to why he doesn't think that remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy is any is relevant any longer he said what's the purpose of it if you remember a day that's all that matters but we fail to realize that truth is given to us for a reason because when the winds come if you are not anchored on Christ if you're not Anchored In Christ if you're not anchored in his word you will be blown AB by you'll be blown back and forth by every wind of doctrine that comes your way and so truth is intended to cause us to mature that's why the Apostle Paul said this to the Ephesians in Ephesians 4 and verse 14 notice his words of caution he said that we should no longer be children should no longer be what CH somewhere along the way you got to become an adult and it only happens by studying God's word tossed to and fro and and carried about with every wind of Doctrine we are living in that time and he uses the word again by the trickery of men that's that word Wilds cunning con by the trickery of men in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting they get together in their little lying committees and try to figure out how could we break down the sanctuary Doctrine how can we find scriptural evidence to make it look like Jesus was created how can we make it look like the holy spirit is no longer necessary you will be blown away if you read that material you you'll see the they'll take the same scriptures we see and completely turn it inside out and to them it makes sense but that's what happens when you are inebriated by Darkness truth looks like error and error looks like truth the wise man Solomon made a statement that I want to say to those of you watching today and those of you that are here and make no mistake about it if you follow the wise man's counsel you will never end up in darkness Proverbs 23:23 notice what he says he says buy the truth let's say that together buy the truth and do not sell it also wisdom and instruction and understanding now what does it mean bu the truth you can't buy the truth what he means by this is be willing to give all you have to gain access to the truth because people sometimes say well what do I have to give up you know the story when the field of with the pearl of great price was found how much did the person that purchased the field how much did he sell everything he had he sold to get that field where the pearl of great price was was found and was buried buy the truth and do not sell it it took me a long time to get to where I am today I don't have any plans to go any place else I'm not talking about location I'm talking about my spiritual walk with Christ we've got to make our decision if God has led us thus far we should be able to stand up against the scrutiny of false doctrines and the only way that we'll be clothed in the proper armor to stand against the Ws of the devil is if we take the time to look at the ingredients in God's word for ourselves because make no mistake about it when one is fearful of having what he believes examined it's faulty armor when the Bible does not validate something that a person teaches that's against the Scriptures it is faulty armor and the servant of the Lord says don't ever fall asleep because the devil is thinking of myriads of ways of trying to get us to believe and accept something which is not supported by the scriptures am I making it clear today look at this what she says in testimonies for the church volume Five page 291 to 293 she said there are a thousand Temptations in what's the next word in Disguise prepared for those who have the light of Truth can you imagine that a thousand that's a conservative estimate she says and all and the only safety for any of us is in receiving what is a phas no new doctrines no new interpretations of the scripture without first submitting it to Brethren of experience lay it before them in a humble teachable spirit with Earnest prayer and if they see no light in it what should we do yield to their judgment for in the multitude of counselors there is what there is safety whole lot of whole lot of stuff coming out today calling itself new light but it does not bear the examination of people of experience so when I hear people talking about new light I've had on several occasions to deal with people bringing what they call New Light into this church yeah there's a church I had out in California the church was thriving packed I talk about that and when we left a pastor came in after that tore the church apart not only did that but he began to embrace teachings from somebody who was not a part of the church claiming to be an Adventist reinterpreting Revelation 1260 day prophecy saying that the 1260 day prophecy began in 2015 and is going to end in 2019 they eradicated the year 538 to 1798 the Dark Ages and they said well it began in 2015 it's going to end in 2019 with the close of probation for the church I called that brother I said you you are where did you get that from I won't I won't mention the person's name but this person has a habit of always coming up with doctrines that I have no support in scripture and the conference pulled him aside sat him down at the conference office and said my brother this is not scriptural this is not prophetically sound this is not found in the Bible there is no support in scripture nor in the writings of Ellen White for such a belief he was so convinced that he was right that he put his job on the line and he lost his job doctorate degree married to someone with a doctorate degree there's nothing more ridiculous than two doctors that need a doctor when you don't have the word of God in your life your degree does not replace the sanctity and the clarity of God's word so they so what he did instead travel around the world teaching this false Doctrine because he's free now well they're so free now that they they rejected the Sabbath rejected the writings of Ellen White rejected the sanctuary that's what happens when you think you're free you get off into a skiff somewhere and you cannot you cannot survive the attacks of of the enemy when you close your eyes to light the only result is darkness and how deep the Bible says Jesus says how deep is that Darkness faulty armor the first one is rejection of doctrines the second one is even deeper than that here it is merging Christianity and spiritualism you know friends Satan is not only the father of Lies he's the author of confusion and Paul the Apostle looking at the landscape of prophecy through the eyes inspired by the Holy Spirit warned his young prot named Timothy to stay on Guard Paul says my departure is at hand I'm going to soon pass away but young man I want you to understand what you're going to be facing and he said these words to Timothy that applies to us today here's what he says in 1 Timothy 4 and verse1 he said now the spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons well how does that happen let me give you some evidences of this I studied something that's coming into the Christian church let me rephrase that that has poured into many Christian denominations it's called neopaganism say that with me neop paganism neopaganism is invading Christianity what is neopaganism it is the claim to be spiritual without being scriptural it's those movements that could sing for four hours but you want to give them a Bible study I don't want that it's those movements that the lights could be down low for six hours and I'm I Love You Lord but I ain't keeping your Commandments Lord and I don't want to make light of that but I'm going to say that's a spirit that when you could feel so good about Jesus and refuse to hear Jesus there's something wrong neopagan neopaganism teaches that you can have conflicting views both of us can disagree scripturally and both of us can be saved anyhow neopaganism you find phrases like this in neopaganism we serve the same God all that matters is we love Jesus neopaganism neopaganism Embraces the animistic belief or notion that inanimate objects like trees and plants and animals and natural phenomena they said that all these inanimate objects inanimate objects have living Souls within them they are those that they they call them Tree Huggers in Northern California neopaganism is getting even deeper than that because neopaganism worships what they call a masculine and a feminine Divinity merged together okay okay now you see where the lgbtq community came from because when you begin to say I'm spiritual but the god serve is a merging of masculinity and femininity and you hear them pray prayers like their father and mother God neopaganism they emphasize the concept of the goddess or the divine feminine one and that's how they pray their dear father and mother God they no mother God nothing against women at all but but don't twist the Bible to make it appear as though somehow God leaves women out God does not leave out male nor female amen somebody but don't twist God's word neopaganism rejects what they call organized religion in favor what they call the specific culture and this is what gives birth to what they call Wiccan the wiccan practice Wiccan is not the bad witch Wiccan is the good witch in other words there are witches that are good they say but there is no such thing as a good witch and finally Neo neopaganism is an occult practice that reveal sacred and Supernatural interactions they say that we can talk to birds and birds can talk to us and trees can talk to us and we can talk to trees and we can communicate with the spirits that exist in all of these objects neopaganism that might be a shock to you but it's not a shock shocked to to the word of God because the Bible said this was coming Revelation 18:2 and he cried mildly with a loud voice saying Babylon the greatest Fallen is Fallen not going to be is fallen and has become the dwelling place of demons a spirit of every foul a a prison of every foul spirit and a cage of every unclean and what kind of bird hated bird today there's a merging of Christianity and spiritualism and it has the veneer of godliness but it's lacking the power the Holy Spirit moving which brings me to my third Point let's say this together the third evidence of false or faulty armor is what blurred distinctions now before I break this one down I need to say something we do a lot of Zoom meetings my wife and I and anybody else have anybody not been on a video chat raise your hand okay most of us have had some kind of interaction through video nothing frustrates me more than talking to somebody whose camera is cloudy okay can I just say that I'm I said could you just so so just to make sure it's not mine I go like this I'm saying I said could you just wipe your camera anybody felt that come on am I the only one can you just wipe your camera and then when they do that say okay now that's so much better I I could I couldn't even see you cuz what's clean to God ain't clean to some folk so before I go online I always got this wipe those cameras because nothing bothers me more than a blurred camera and secondly nothing bothers me more than a blurred picture now watch this you can't unblur a picture now artificial intelligence claims to be able to do that so I'm not talking about weird stuff but in the normal world when you take a blurry picture it's going to be blurry well today the church is faced with blurred distinctions I read an article called emerging emerging watch written WR by a man by the name of Mark Jeff and this article opened my eyes in amazing ways it was written January 4 2018 listen to what he says it was amazing it could have come from us he said the message and the priorities of the church are becoming indistinguishable from the world books by M Scott peek and he is an American psychiatrist very well known our found in both Christian bookstores and New Age occult bookstores these books teach that humans are evolving to godhood that we must become Mystics and use Eastern meditation and they Advocate a One World Government you wonder where it came from this is one of the forces that support that they also the emerging church that's where that came from spiritual formation and contemplative spirituality movements are all behind that are promoting mystical techniques and attempting to fuse evangelicalism with Catholicism so you wonder how evangelicals and Catholics have so much in common it's what they're reading it's what they're reading when you're not reading God's word you can make statements like oh we have so much more in common I remember remember when we did the series many years ago I think it was 2005 I did the series the first series here called unclean spirits the five part one and I told you about the letter I got from a wizard out in Carbondale and he invited me to have lunch with him and he said if we sit down and have a discussion you'll be surprised how much we have in common my wife and I read that email and deleted it because I don't have anything in common with somebody that worships the devil come on say Amen amen but today you might be wondering how does that happen how does a person that supposed to fit the role of a leader of God ever get to the place where they are now dabbling in mysticism that's Leading the People of God Into Darkness well the Bible gives an example of that you might remember Saul we talked about him when it referred to David but Saul was a man who didn't walk the way that God called him to walk and notice how spiritualism and mysticism merging together is not something new the devil remember how it worked on King Saul and he simply reintroduced it in our last days look at 1st Samuel chapter 28 verses 7 to 10 look at this this to me is an amazing story it brings out how how when you depart from light the depth you will go the Bible says and the context is so had been so rebellious God refused to speak to him any longer then Saul said to his servants find me a woman who is a medium now I want you to get that this is the king of Israel find me a woman who is a medium and he knew that mediums were to be put to death now he's find me a woman who's a medium that I may go to her and inquire of her and his servant said said to him in fact there is a woman who is a medium at Endor look at the look at the evidences of a decline from truth so Saul did what disguised himself and put on other clothes now I'm going to put a pin right there and say something that's why I do not believe that we should ever get rid of the name Seventh Day Adventist I ain't no Community Fellowship I'm a Seventh Adventist that fellowships in the community did you get what I just said it is too late to disguise ourselves and put on other clothes right he put on other clothes disguised himself and he went when you lower when you lose your identity you're preparing to depart from truth and two men with him and they came to to the woman when by night and he said I want you to notice What's Happening Here a spiritual man departed from God and now dabbling in mysticism he said to her please conduct a seance for me and bring up for me the one I shall name to you then the woman said to himl you know what Saul has done how he has cut off the mediums and the spiritist from the land why then do you lay a snare for my life to cause me to die even the witch was more righteous than he was when you read this in Patriarchs and Prophets eleny says that when Saul presented himself the witch Knew by his by his stature that he was more than just a regular Soldier she sensed this is not an ordinary man because Paul Saul was a tall man of kingly stature but he disguised himself you can't dis you can't disguise uh uh uh The Rock Dwayne Johnson he could put on a sheet and you'll still know that's him so Paul had on Saul had on a disguise but she sensed Al said she sensed that this was not an ordinary man that's why she mentioned what he did and Saul swore to her by the Lord as the Lord lives no punishment shall come upon you for this thing does that does that cause you to shake as I do what Paul what did what did he do notice what he did what he did was inexcusable because he sought Divine he sought aid from a witch he sought demonic Aid hit his identity and and then guaranteed God's protection for demonic activity but it got even worse than that look what happened next so Paul's about Saul's about to leave and the which which suggests well you know aren't you aren't you hungry aren't you tired don't you want something to eat and Saul initially refuses but she appeals to his sensibilities and then Paul acques Saul acquiesces Saul acquiesces not only did he seek a woman that was connected to the devil he decided to eat from her table look at this so she brought it before Saul and his servants and they ate then they arose and went away don't miss those words that night what did he do Saul sought demonic Aid his hid his identity guaranteed protection for Dem demonic activity and then began to eat from the menu of the devil where else do you get these false teachings of what happens when you die what else do you get the idea that the Commandments of God no longer exist and no longer matter what else can you get remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy but you don't have to remember it any longer it's a menu that God has not authorized amen somebody and today when the bre of life is rejected your F your food will come from a demonic menu why am I preaching this straight today I no longer teach that pastors don't know the majority of them know the majority of pastors I've spoken to know in all my years of ministry I only met one Pastor that did not know and he invited me on his on his television program so that we can teach him what wanted to know but you go into the Christian world today these famous preachers and leaders they know but spiritual leaders that reject the truth they begin to develop a taste for demonic food and they reject Jesus the bread of life and favor of demonic doctrines and they preach things that are not from above but that are born from beneath and who are they the Apostle Paul makes it clear exactly who they are 2 Corinthians 11: 13-15 he said for such are what false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ and no wonder no Marvel King James version says for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of Light therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into Ministers of righteousness but what does he say whose end will be according to their Works does God see it of course he does and that's why preachers that are not scriptural today they abandon the Everlasting gospel in favor of the Social Gospel but what they fail to realize is the only hope for the Social Gospel is the Everlasting gospel you cannot solve the ills of society by rejecting truth you cannot turn turn away from light and try to solve Darkness only God's word gives us the wisdom and understanding to be able to confront and face and resolve issues that will cause our demise and my last one here it is unequal yoking unequal yoking now I'm not talking about people that marry somebody that doesn't believe the same thing you do which is a challenge the scripture says don't do that this is even deeper than that the same gentleman by the name of Mark Jeff his article was fascinating you could look it up I put the reference there it's called emerging watch and this one he talked about unequal yoking notice what he says he says Christian leaders and Christian organizations are more and more yoking themselves with unbiblical Pagan groups and movements which set the followers up for notice this synthesis syncretism and compromise of doctrines and priorities but he goes on to say the Bible condemns any merger with those that reject light and God's people said what yes this is what gets me I don't I don't understand I I never did it I'd never do it how do you invite people in your Pulpit that don't believe the truth to preach from a place where only truth should be preached Elder Wilson talked about against that he said never invite into your Pulpit somebody who doesn't preach and practice the truth to preach from a place where only truth shall be preached don't do that but what happens when you get a doctor's degree and they get a doctor's degree and you go to the same University and you have lunch together and they say I'm a prophet also all of a sudden you ignore what they believe and there's a syncretism that happens you synthesize together and you are unequally yolked in the sight of God with those that reject the truth of God's word the warning is very clear 2 Corinthians 6 and ver14 do not be unequally yolked together with unbelievers if you want to do like Jesus did around unbelievers he mingle with them to show them the light and the truth of the word not to become like them do not be unequally yolked together with unbelievers for what Fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness and what communion has light with darkness is there any communion there is no communion so don't abandon scriptural correctness for political expediency some people say it doesn't matter we don't we don't have to believe the same thing but we can go ahead and support the same agenda you cannot do that don't abandon Christ centered gospel for a social centered gospel don't abandon Godly Living For Good Feeling because today too many Christians are trading the glory that belongs to Jesus for the glory that belongs to the people they admire and they're giving their gifts for admiration rather than for sanctification that's why I must say this again thank you Sasha for saying today God gives us a gift but always use it for God's glory today religious leaders politicians Christians secular artists and celebrities are all trying to demagnetize our attraction to Jesus and give our allegiance to them and and if that happens we are clothed in faulty armor which brings me to my last quotation great controversy 593 paragraph 1 Satan employs every possible device every possible device to prevent men from obtaining a knowledge of the B for its plain utterances reveal his what his deceptions in other words don't read your Bible spend more time on your phone spend more time in the watching that show don't read your Bible don't don't pick your Bible up don't study your Bible for its plain utterances reveal his deceptions the last great delusion is soon to open before us an to Christ is to perform His Marvelous Works in our sight so closely will the count of it resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the holy scriptures and then she ends by saying none but those who have fortified the mind with truths with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict I'm going to say that one more time none but those who have fortified the mind with the truth of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict meaning B boo what does that mean Bible in Bible out amen I'm I'm going to say it like we do in New York if it ain't end it it ain't coming out don't try to make a withdrawal when you made no deposits if you're not spending time studying God's word don't try to find it when the crisis comes if you don't know how to use the sword of the spirit you're not going to use it when the battle starts to rage and I go back to the same statement that I began with and I think about our church and our people and the complacency that sometimes grips us as a people because keep this in mind we talked about the impact on the war 80% of the fatalities in Iraq could have been avoided if the troops were not given faulty armor 80% of the casualties could have been avoided if they had not had on faulty armor I must ask the question today how's your armor how's your armor are there kinks in it it's time to abandon faulty armor in favor of the best armor amen somebody what is the best armor notice that what is the best armor it's not a what it's a who Romans 13:14 but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts what am I saying today don't settle for publication without inspiration don't settle for sensation without sanctification don't just sing it live it don't just talk it walk it don't just wait for the coming of the Lord work for the coming of the Lord don't just be a Seventh Day Adventist be an Adventist every day don't settle for sitting in the congregation take your stand with Jesus because it's not possible to prepare for the final battle if our armor is faulty now I told you in the beginning I was going to mention this scripture three times I've done it twice already I'm going to add something additional to this armor and I'll give you the opportunity to study that when you go home you see in Ephesians 6 and: 11 let's look at that one more time let's look at that one more time Ephesians 6:1 put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the Ws of the devil I decided to take that into consideration and count Iris how many pieces are in that AR armor now before I even mention how many pieces how many pieces would you say are in the armor seven Ron that means the armor is perfect it's not just good armor it's perfect armor what are the pieces here's what needs to be in your life in order for you to have on the best armor truth righteousness peace faith salvation the word of God and prayer one more time armor number one truth armor number two righteousness armor peace number three peace and Faith salvation the word of God and after you did all that you got to pray because only those that are covered by the best armor will stand in the final battle between light and darkness let me ask you today today how many of you want to get rid of the faulty armor for the best armor is there somebody here today now I'm going to make an appeal to you today i' I've made appeals differently but I want to ask a question today and I want this question to be one that you answer not publicly but privately is there something in your armor that is not as strong as it needs to be truth righteousness Faith all the aspects that need to be there peace salvation the study of God's word and prayer is there anything in your armor that is lacking if there's anything in your armor that's lacking the battle is coming and this is the hour to get ready so is there somebody here today that say I want to be clothed in the best armor I want to be able to stand on the battlefield I want to be able to open open my mouth and when I when I allow what God has put in to come out I'll be sounding the battlecry in favor of Christ is there somebody here today that wants to stand with me and say I want to put on the best armor I want that armor to be developed day by day in my study life in my prayer life in my walk of Salvation in my faith in God's word in my life of Peace being peaceful in your community being righteous in your life and standing for nothing but the truth of God's word because the battle is coming and only those that are clothed in perfect armor will be able to sound the battlecry today Terry let's sound the battlecry let's sound the [Music] battlecry sound the B cry see the forest night raise the standard high for the Lord your armor on stand firm everyone rest your CL upon his holy word solders rally around the banner Ready Steady pass the word onward forward shout loud Christ is captain of the mighty Throne strong to meet the F marching on we go while our we know must what else sh and baning in the light for the right let's sing that chers rally around thean Ready Steady pass the word along onward forward shout aloud hosan Christ is kep of the mighty [Music] Throne oh God of all us when we call us one and all by th gra when the battle's done and the Victory won may we that [Music] today R the bner Ready Steady pass the word along [Music] onward shout aloud Christ is captain of the mighty Throne is that wonderful God wants you to shout aloud hosana meaning that's the Adoration of the God you have waited for the battle is coming and God has called us to sound the Battle Cry to be clothed in the armor of the righteousness the faith the truth the Salvation the word of God in prayer today I'm praying that that's your desire we're praying for that to be the reality here in Thompsonville and we're praying for the god that we serve to bless your life and may that be your desire to be ready prepared and armored before the battle come let us pray gracious Father in heaven we can feel the Rumblings of the approaching Army of Darkness we can see the strategizing sometimes in our own lives in the business of our day sometimes we forget to put on that armor when we wake up we rush into our day hoping for Success only to be halted by failure and then we trace it back I went out into this battlefield without the armor of God I pray for the armor of God to be in our homes in our marriages in the hearts of our children that we are training in the place of our labor and we pray for those that we meet while we want people to see Jesus in us may it be our determination not to compromise that which you have revealed to us may we be honest and sincere and faithful to stand firm firm and finally Lord when you come May the kingdom be furnished with precious Souls because through our lives others have found this armor the glory of Christ his righteousness so send us forth awake aware urgent knowing that no preparation will find us unprepared help us to be a people of our word and prayer and to desire and pray to live righteous lives and to strengthen our faith when we don't understand and to know that peace be at peace with our brethren for without that peace we will not see God and finally when all is done may we stand firm for the cause of Christ until we meet you face to blessed face this is our desire and this is our prayer in Jesus name we pray and all of God's people said amen

Channel: Thompsonville Seventh-day Adventist Church

Views: 11,623

Keywords:

Id: 7PNN-2HW4vc

Length: 89min 35sec (5375 seconds)

Published: Fri Feb 23 2024