In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of following the Word of God rather than relying on old traditions or wrong teachings. The speaker encourages listeners to listen to the series of tapes in numerical order to receive and understand the whole teaching. The sermon highlights the need to compare oneself to the yardstick of God's Word rather than comparing oneself to others. The speaker also discusses the concept of spiritual darkness and the importance of being prepared and acting upon the Word of God.

When anyone receives revelation in the Word of God, it sometimes conflicts with what he has previously been taught. This causes you to have to deal with old traditions or wrong teaching. These tapes may contain some new light from God's Word, and it may be opposed to some traditions you have previously learned. Therefore, follow these messages in your Bible, in sequence, in order that you may be able to make a choice for the Word of God rather than the traditions of men. This is tape number 10 in a series. We urge you to listen to all the tapes in the series, in numerical order, so that the whole teaching can be received and understood. Listening to a part of this series or to the tapes out of sequence can lead to a misunderstanding of the nature, the intent, and the importance of this series. Verse 8. How can you say we are what? Isaiah 29 says, when you bear near with your mouth and not your heart, your wisdom is taken away from you. And how can you say we are wise, and the Word of the Lord is with us? Now, is this how you think the Word of the Lord is with you? Behold, the lying pen of the writers, literature, books, they make it into a lie, twist the Word of God, and make it into something it's not. They explained away the powers of darkness. I read something in some literature the other day that where the evil spirit was set on Saul and that was called ego problem and said you'd have to understand Now you've got to understand the deep dark complicated language of that day to understand. As a matter of fact, I'm going to say it just like it's in here. All right. Saul would not obey the Word of God. God moved the hedge and said, sickle man, if you look over there, and second, Simon, you'll find that every time he thinks and every time he says something, he's thinking in murder. He's thinking, I'm telling you everything, fear, jealousy, anger, murder, and everything come on him and the powers of darkness was loosed on him, the evil spirit. And this is called the scripture describes the subsequent state of Paul as one in which he became possessed by an evil spirit from the Lord. This description needs to be understood. For it is couched in the thought, what's couched mean? For it's couched in the thought forms of that time. The symptoms would appear to be mental seizures. The symptoms would appear to be mental seizures in which the king was unable to perform his royal function effectively. Today though, it's different. We might describe Paul's state in the thought forms of contemporary psychology. Please, what does that mean? Is that Hebrew? Who's going to get me? We might say that he manifested behavior consistent with some kind of neurosis. Well, you know something, you know people, that's gospel to people. Ever learning, never able to come to the knowledge of truth. It's wrong headquartered! Bless God for everyone to know the difference. The lying pen of the scribes has twisted the word into a lie to make people think the word of the Lord are with them and they are wise. He'll use words about that long, that makes you real religious. Paul didn't, although he's able to. He kind of knows the difference, didn't he? Now, Nine, the wise men are put to shame, they're dismayed and caught. Do you see that? They're dismayed and they get caught. Behold, they rejected the word of the Lord and what kind of wisdom they have. You want to put in there James 3, 14 and 15, you'll find it's the world, the wisdom of the world, the flesh, and that's all demonic. It's the wrong wisdom. Therefore, I'm going to give their wives to others and invade an army going to get them. Oh, I'll tell you what, when you find out who come and get these wives. And then their fields to new owners, they're going to lose their garden. What field do you think they're going to lose? Folks, tomorrow. Now this, look at me. I'm starting right down here. Can I tell you what field they're fixing to get? This field right here. Now, that's new and you say, oh, that couldn't be. Honey, just wait till tomorrow. It'll get good tomorrow. Day three is better than day two. Day two is better than day one. Now, I give their wives to others, their fields to new owners. And if you want to see what these owners are right here, you'll see in your faith that that is the possessing ones. Look at your margin right there. Possessing ones, because from the least even to the greatest, everyone is greedy for what? Their gain for their, live for their cartons. From the prophet even to the priest, everyone practiced deceit and they healed the brokenness of my daughter and my people superficially. They get healed superficially by saying, peace, peace. They're healed superficially when there is no peace. Twelve. Weren't they ashamed because of the abomination they'd done? They certainly were not ashamed. They don't even know how to blush. Therefore, they shall fall among those who, what? Well, what about that? They fall. At the time of their punishment, they're going to be brought up. It's the wrong direction. That's babbling. You're looking at babbling. I hope I can have a little time to start him babbling some today. Now, who declared this? The Lord. I got to where I lost my place here. Praise the Lord. You meditate on that. Now, if I'm not mistaken, right here in one verse, one chapter again, we have seen continual apostasy again, haven't we? Can you hear me? Continual apostasy. And these people refuse to repent. Is that return? Is that right? And everyone turns to whose course? Their own course. And these people are not a people of the Word of God. And the lying pens of writers of books and literatures have perverted the Word of God. Amen? And whatever you hear from some other headquarters or something like that becomes a gospel instead of this right here. And it's developing theology of unbelief. What kind of wisdom do they have? Well, we know if you, that I told you right there, it's selfish ambition and jealousy. It's world, and so it's controlled by the world, flesh and demons. People share one and end it on the glory of God. Everybody is greedy for gain. They heal people superficially while they're saying peace. But they're ill enough. They're not even ashamed. They don't even know how to blush. So they're going to fall and it's not into heaven. Now, I just want to remind you of something that we've already looked at. I just want to quote it, and I don't want you to turn to it, but you know in 1 John 2 where it says that we know him, the one who says he knows him and does not keep his commandments is a liar. We are to walk in the same manner as the Lord Jesus Christ walked. It says, do not be deceived. The one who practices righteousness is righteous. Is that what we read? And we also saw in 1 Peter 1, that obedient children are not conformed to the former lusts which were yours and your ignorance. We also saw in 1 Peter 4, that Jesus suffered in the flesh. When you walk as you walk, you're going to suffer in the flesh. And you suffer in the flesh, and you cease from sin. You're going to walk the same way. And you die, and the sons of God do die to the lust of flesh, and no longer live for the lust of men, but you live for the will of God. And where I didn't look, but some of you know, it is Mark 4, Mark 3, 35, it says that Jesus said in this verse, who are my brothers and sisters and mother? The one who does the will of God is my brother, sister, and mother. So if you're a brother of the Lord, you're doing the will of God. Now, I want you to turn with me to Matthew 7, please. Matthew 7. Matthew 7, verse 13. Enter by the narrow gate. Is this talking about heaven? It's a narrow gate, for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who are going to enter by it. And for the gate is what? We mark that small. And the way is what? Narrow that leads to life, and few, few, few, few, few are going to find it. Now, let me ask you something. Did you just see there that the gate is small and the way is narrow? Do you think we might have made that door a little wider than what it's supposed to be, where wolves and devils and tyrants and everything else can get in it? Now, verse 15. Beware of false prophets. Boy, they had a time back then. "...who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they're ravenous wolves." What's inside of them? They've got wolves in there. "...and they come with you in sheep's clothing." That means, that's where angel-like comes, servants of Satan, who disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. They come. They come with credentials. They come crying. They come quoting, crawling, intellectual. What kind of, what kind of, what do you like to hear? Whatever your flesh likes, that's... They come and said, beware of them. Well, what does it say in the next verse? You're going to know them by their what? You're going to know who by their fruits. The false prophets. "...Grapes are not gathered from thornbushes, nor figs from thistles are." And now we run into the thornbushes. We see the worries of the world, deceitfulness of riches, and the pleasures of other things. What about them? Even so, if it's a good tree, every good tree bears what? Good fruit. But the bad tree bears what kind of fruit? Bad tree. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor a bad tree produce good fruit. And every tree that does not bear good fruit is what? It's cut down, and it's thrown into the fire. One who cuts it down when you bear bad fruit? What is bad fruit? Lust of flesh. And when you bear the lust of flesh, you're in agreement with Satan, the hedge is down, and they come in, and they begin cutting down. Okay. Verse 20. So then you're going to know them by what? Okay. You're going to start looking for a different way to know the prophets and the people that represent God. Is that correct? Because people who are fleshy will lead you what? Fleshy. They'll lead you by the desires of the flesh. Now, 21. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven. Does that sound like some people are going to be disappointed? They're going to think they know the Lord, and they don't know Him. Not everybody says, Lord, Lord, live in the kingdom of heaven. But he who what? Does the will of my Father. We start finding out doing the will of God. There are ones who say, Lord, Lord, but the one who walks in His Word, it does the will of God who is in heaven. Now, let me ask you something. Do you think you could find a better scripture in the Bible that tells who goes to heaven? If I can read right there, it says the ones that does the will of God is the one that goes to heaven. Is that what your Bible says? Can you improve on that? Now, then 22. Many are going to say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in the name of Jesus? In your name, in the name of Jesus, cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles? I don't know about the people who won't even believe in miracles or demons either. We did all these wonderful works, and it seemed like the Lord's Word is working. Let's see what happens. And then I'll declare to them, I never knew you. The saddest verse in the Bible. I never knew you. I never knew you from the beginning. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. What is lawlessness? Sin is lawlessness. Does that kind of look familiar with over in Galatians 5, that those who practice these things shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven? That's all sin, isn't it? Is that what your Bible says? But he's just doing these wonderful works here, wasn't he? I don't know you. He lived right to flesh. He didn't live right to me. I don't know you. I don't know you. Well, therefore, now folks, you're fixing to look at two different men right here. In the next Scripture, you're going to look at what God calls a wise man. Do you remember in the Scripture it asks you over and over when it gives some revelation? It's saying, now, who is wise that can understand this? Let me go ahead and tell you who is wise, who God calls a wise man. A wise man is someone who hears the Word of God and he walks in it. Now, you don't have to worry about he's going to win. That's part of it because he becomes a tree of life. Whoever hears this Word of God and acts on it becomes a tree of life because the fruit of walking right in God's eyes, the fruit of that becomes, righteousness becomes a tree of life. Now, the opposite of that is a foolish man. A foolish man, we'll see what a foolish man looks like. You've got the wise and prudent and now you've got to be, and you're going to see these two men right here in this next Scripture. Let's look and see what the Word of God says about them. Verse 24, therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and number two, he acts upon them is compared to what? He is a wise man. You might write prudent there. Prudent or wise, either one. I think probably the King James called this prudent. Who built his house upon the rock that's upon the Word and the rain descended. Now, here comes the water, here comes the words, here comes the powers of darkness and the rain descended, the floods came and the winds blew. There they are. They're coming against his house. But this man walks in the Word of God and it bursts against that house, yet it doth not fall for it had been founded upon the Word of God. Is that what it says? Now, let's look at verse 26. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act upon them. He's just a good analyzer, speculator. Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a what? Now, you've got the foolish man and a wise and a prudent man. Now, do you remember the man, the prophet over in 13 that preached from his own imagination and not seen anything? You know, he was a foolish prophet, wasn't he? Huh? All right, do you remember over in Romans 1 where their foolish heart is darkened? Huh? This is what a foolish, here comes your foolish man right here. He does not act upon the Word of God. He is a foolish man who builds his house upon the sand. Now, I want you to know that the powers of darkness come against a foundation. That's what you saw over in Zechariah 13. And if you're not on this foundation, you've had it. There's not but one foundation that man can build on, is it? Isn't that right? I think it's over in 1 Corinthians 3 about 11 that you cannot build on any other foundation but Jesus. All right? He's like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. He might have built his foundation upon traditions. He built his foundation upon false teaching. He built his foundation upon another Jesus. He built his foundation upon another gospel. And it gets tested, and a rain descended, and the floods came. Here they come. And the winds blew, and it burst against that house, and it fell, and great was its fall. A foolish man has a very foolish foundation. And he cannot stand against the powers of darkness. They'll make him believe it bittersweet, and he will substitute darkness for light. Folks, it'll get a little interesting now. We have just looked at a foolish man, and we've looked at a prudent man, haven't we? Now, I want you to listen very carefully. The prudent man acts upon the Word of God, and the foolish man does not act upon the Word of God, and one who doesn't act upon the Word of God does not have a foundation. Is that right? He's foolish, and the powers of darkness bring him down. He can't stand. Now, I believe that in the last days, there were ten virgins. Five of them were prudent, and five of them were foolish. Does that have a familiar ring to it? Let's turn to Matthew 25. Do you know you're to expose the deeds of darkness? Is that what your Bible says? Does your Bible say to expose the deeds of darkness, doesn't it? Expose them. And I tell you what, if you don't expose the deeds of darkness, you'll hurt somebody's carton. In Matthew 25, verse 1, Oh, I just want to praise the Lord. I'm so thankful. Raise your name, Lord. In Matthew 25, verse 1, Then the kingdom of heaven will be compared to ten virgins. Here it is. Who took their lamps. What is a lamp? The Word. The Word. The Word is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path. Look at me just a second. Please look at me just a second. The lamp is a light unto your feet. A lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path, so you'll know how the Word walk. If you do not have the lamp, you do not know the way. Your lamps need to be lit. Okay. So these ten birds, he took their lamps and they went out to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were what? Oh, foolish. We just read about some foolish folks, didn't we? And five of them were what? Wiser, prudent. Now let's see what happens to them. Can you very easily say that probably this prudent one acted on the Word of God? And you probably could say the foolish didn't. Because that's what foolish prophets and foolish people who have depraved minds do not act upon the Word of God. For when the what? They're the foolish. Mark it. Now mark these as we go. Verse three. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil. It doesn't look like they had the Spirit, does it? They took no Spirit, no oil with them. But the prudent had the oil, didn't they? They took the oil. The prudent had the Spirit. And flask alone with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom was at laying, they all with drowsy began to sleep. And at midnight. Now let me tell you something about midnight. Jesus is going to come in a time of tremendous darkness. And let me just go ahead and tell you. He's not only going to come like a thief. He's coming as a thief. He's first coming for destruction. How'd you fear God get? Is it kind of picking up a little bit? Think a little better to fear God and fear the devil? At night is the most dark part of the night. Is that correct? At midnight, it's a time of spiritual darkness. And that is what this is talking about. Right here in verse 6. But at midnight, there was a shout. Behold the bridegroom! Come out to meet him! Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. Now watch what happened then. And the foolish, who does not act on the Word of God, said to the prudent, the wise who do act upon the Word, Give us some of your oil. We want the Spirit. For our lamps are going out. We don't see what you see. Now, I don't want to run that place. I want to give you a second look in there and see if the Spirit of God shows you the same thing. But the prudent, the wise, answered, saying, No, there will not be enough for us and you two. Go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves. And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came. And those who were what? They're ready. They went in with him to the what? The wedding feast. And what was shut? There it was. The door was shut. Look at me. In the days of Noah, the Lord came for destruction because all their thoughts were evil. And what he did? He moved the righteous into the ark, which is a type of Jesus. Are you hearing me? And who shut the door? God shut the door. And many came to knock on the door, but the door did not open for them, did it? And they were all destroyed. What name? In the flood. Is that correct? In that interesting. The righteous, the wicked were destroyed, and the righteous who were in the ark, which is a type of Jesus, were saved from the flood. Is that correct? Okay. So they went in, the bridegroom came, and those that went ready, they went into the wedding feast, and the door was shut. And later, the other virgins, that's a foolish, also came saying, Lord, Lord, open up for us. They were trying to get in the door, close the door. But he answered and said to them, Truly, I say to you, I do not know you. Is that what you just kind of read back over in Matthew 7? Huh? Many will say, Lord, Lord, we don't walk in covenant of the Lord. Don't even bear any proof of the Lord. They don't have the foundation of the word. They're walking somewhere else. They got another gospel, another Jesus, traditions. Their hearts are not going to Calvary, folks. And I'm going to die. Well, I want you to hold your hand right there just a minute. Now, is that pretty plain about foolish and prudent? You know, isn't it real interesting that we're right there so close? You know, I'm going to do something right here. Just back up in verse, chapter 24, just a little bit. And let's look in verse 37. We're pretty close here. For the coming of the son of man, who is he? Jesus, I'm glad you're talking to me. This really helps me. I know you're here. For the coming of man, son of man is going to be, what's those two words right here? Just like the what? Oh, the days of Noah is going to be just like the days of Noah. For in those days, which were before the flood, it's going to be the same way when Jesus comes. Today, they were just eating and drinking. They were marrying and giving him marriage until the day what? Noah in the ark. What's the type of us entering into the ark? In Jesus Christ. And then, now get ready with your big pencil, verse 39. And they, what is that three words there? They didn't understand. It seemed like some folks was in darkness. Some folks in darkness. They might have been never learned and never able to come to knowledge of truth. They did not have understanding. And Romans 1 says, it is such a brave mind, it doesn't understand. And they did not understand until the what? Oh, it's going to be another flood in the last days. I wonder what that flood is. Oh, they didn't understand until the what came? Flood came and what? Took them all away. The flood's going to come and take them all away. Which direction are they being snatched? Up or down? You know who the flood is, don't you? The ones who didn't understand. The flood had already come. The door is shut. And they are, took them all away. So shall the coming of the Son of Man be. We're just going to look at a little less. I hope we can get back. Well, we're just going to try tomorrow, just come back and really pursue this. Now, verse 40. Then there will be two men in a field, one to be what? Oh, taken. What did we read is going to take Him? Jesus? The flood is going to take Him. Now, I'm getting some of those looks at me. Read your Bible so we can go on. There'll be two men in a field, one to be what? Taken and one to be left. Two women to be grinding at the mill. They might be making their own bread. What's women to type up? Church. You see them making their own bread and alms and last days and all that. They'll be grinding at the mill, one to be what? Taken and one to be left. Now, you are told and warned right here, therefore be on the what? Alert people are not asleep, is that right? The opposite from being asleep is being alert. Have you circled alert? Therefore, be on alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, if the head of the house hath known at what time of the what? Now, night is a time of darkness, that the who was coming? Thief. And later on, I'm going to tie this together for you and you'll see how Jesus comes and becomes a thief and you see how He comes as an enemy. Because everything, no power of darkness, including slavery, Satan does anything out of the will of God. Now, if you don't know, if your head doesn't understand all that, it's not supposed to. You're just going to have to wait till we get it out of here. OK. They didn't know what time of the night. This is a time of darkness that the thief come. Now, what does the thief come to do? Kill, steal and destroy. The thief is one that brings the blood, is that correct? OK. He didn't know at what time of night the thief was coming. He would have been on the what? Alert, that's what you warned over in 1 Peter 5a. You would have been alert, you'd been awake and you would not have allowed his what? Look here. Wouldn't allow this house to be broken into. Now, I'm not going to pursue any more of that, just about all we can handle right now. Folks, look at me just a second. I just honestly tell you something. Have really perverted a lot of things. And I'm going to tell you something. Don't resist the fear of God. If there's any fear you've ever had of anything else, I direct you to God Almighty. Who is a God of judgment. And see, we've seen this sugar daddy Jesus. We're going to be looking at a whole lot of this judgment and everything. And I want to tell you something. You'll be taking a lot better notes. You'll be a lot more interested in what God says. Then folks. Of course, you're going to learn that when your heart is turned toward the Lord Jesus Christ. He will lead you in all truth. Now. That's all I'll go in that. Now let's just turn over to. Turn over to Luke 13, please. Luke 13. Luke 13. Begin reading with me in verse 23. And someone said to him, Lord. Are there just a few who are being saved? The Amplified calls that rescued. And he said to them, strive to enter by the what door? Honey, you better get in that narrow door. We just read about it, Matthew 7. Strive to enter by the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter this narrow door. And they'll not be able. 25. Once the head of the house. Gets up. And he shuts the door. Did he shut the door? Back in the days of Noah. And you begin to stand where? You're outside. You're outside, just like they were outside the ark. And then you. How do you knock on the door? You knock on the door when you pray. Who is the door? You're praying, Jesus, let me in. Let me in. See, you remember the scripture, Matthew? You have to keep knocking and knocking, knocking. But these are going to be knocking. Let me in. Jesus, the door. Let me in. See, he is the ark. You know, there was another ark that's called. Hold on. Now, I want you to listen to them. We read that next chapter in a minute. Because you miss it. There was an ark that's supposed to be called. Hold carried on sanctified shoulders. Is that correct? And they made. What's that ark a type of? What is in the ark? The tablet, the word, the rod, which is authority. It's the man. All of this is Jesus. A type of Jesus. And they made a cart for it. That's a beautiful new cart. Joshua 3. And they got the cart going. The man sat there to touch it and he killed him. And what he said in Joshua 3. The ark is coming your way. Don't touch it. This ark you'll not put on a cart. You'll not put Jesus in the gospel on a bunch of carts. A lot of carts carrying Jesus today. A lot of carts. No, you'll put it on sanctified shoulders. How beautiful are the feet of those who carry the gospel of Christ. And you notice that when they put that ark on these sanctified shoulders, as soon as a priest, which is a type of us, sold through their feet, got into the water. What's the water? Powers and darkness. It floods over and it's seasoned, isn't it? That's them. And when they stood in the waters, the waters parted. Who are the waters? That's them. That's the flood. And these are priests. And all Israel passed through. That's the people of God. So you begin knocking on the door. Jesus, pray and let me in, Lord. You're standing outside saying, Lord, open to us. We're in 25. Then he'll answer and say to you, I do not know where you're from. You're not of my house. I don't know you. I know my sheep. And then you'll begin to say, now, Lord, you know, we've been listening to your word. And we've been doing all these things. And you just, we ate and we drank your word right here. You've been in our presence. You've talked in our streets for 40 years. And he'll say there, 27, he'll say, I tell you, I do not know where you're from. Depart from me, all you evildoers, the wrong fruit. Romans 13, please. Let me ask you something. You think any sleeping people today? You think any people not sober, serious and on the alert? That's what you're warned to be. You have to be alert to take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus. God didn't say that you to take every thought captive if you couldn't do it, did he? Did he come put in this bottle for you to grade it and analyze it and vote on it? Are you going to condemn God or get in on it? Romans 13, verse 11. And this do, knowing the time, it's already the hour for you to watch. Wake up, you sleepers. And that's what we read earlier. Awaken from sleep. Then I'm going to read to you Matthew 13. Look here. Their eyes are closed. They can't hear. They can't see. And then when we read Matthew 13, it was a parable of the Word of God. They can't hear, they can't see. You saw it over in 2 Timothy 3. They have a point of godliness that doesn't avoid such men as these. They're ever learning, never able to come to knowledge of truth. They oppose the truth. Awaken from sleep. Now salvation is nearer to us than when we believe. The night, the time of darkness, is almost gone. And the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay up the darkness. Do you understand what the deeds of darkness are? The deeds of darkness is the lust of the flesh. Lay them aside. And what's those two words? Put on. What did we read earlier? We put on the what? Look at me, folks. Now I want you to, I want you and your Bible to mark that armor of light. That armor right there are the weapons of Jesus. When you exchange your girdle and you exchange your weapon of Jesus, how are you going to stand against the enemy that's many a mind more powerful and stronger than you are if you don't have the weapons of your covenant partner? You don't get his weapons if you're not in covenant. You've just got a foolish foundation. But does it say, awaken from sleep and get on that armor of light? Oh, that armor of light's getting a lot more important than it used to be since we found out there's a devil on it. Huh? And he's just killing you and destroying you, causing you to drift and drift and drift and drift further away and away from the Word. And then pretty soon, things are called church on church. Things that's called Christians aren't Christians. Things that's called the gospel is not the gospel. Things that's called Jesus is not Jesus. Things that's called, and just leave out holiness, keep out repentance, raise out a form of living in godliness, righteousness. Leave out overcoming the world and the flesh and the devil. Leave it out. Leave out discernment. There's nothing left to discern. Sleep. Sleep away, sleeper. There it is, the armor of light. And you make no provision for the flesh in regards to its lust. Now, that's what God says. You want some more literature? You want some smart words? Hmm? He said, make no provision for the flesh in regards to its lust. Now, let's look at putting on that armor of light, which all of a sudden kind of seems kind of important and turn a piece in six. Boy, I sure am against the local church. Where did that come from? Against the pastor. My goodness. Praise God for the church. Praise God for the church. Praise God for shepherds. Shepherd's heart. Verse 11, verse 11, put on the what? The full armor of God that you may be able to stand firm against the what? Now, all of a sudden, do you think it's very important to be able to stand firm against the schemes of the Satan so that you will not be what? Deceived? See, you can be deceived and believe a lie and spend an eternity in hell, separated from all hope, separated from all love, because you chose in your heart to believe in a wrong gospel and follow after another Jesus. Is that plain? What do you think the schemes of Satan does? You say, put on the full armor. He didn't say pick and choose to it, did he? When you put this on, you put on Jesus. That's the way you put him on. Now, verse 12, now, here's who you're warring against. And can you imagine a warring against this kind of an enemy that's killing, stealing, destroying, and putting you in a permanent, eternal hell? That's what's asleep that you can ignore this kind of a scripture that we're reading right here in the next thing. Ignore the devil and let yourself be intimidated or made fearful. But for our struggle is not against flesh and blood. I want you to remember that your struggle is not against the folks down the street, but it's against the rulers. It's against the powers. It's against the world forces of darkness. It's an unseen world against you folks. It's against the spiritual forces in the wicked, in the heavenly play of wickedness in the heavenly places. How in the name of God can you stand without the weapons and armor of God? Where did that come from? I tell you, my friend, greater is he that's in you than he that'll end the world. If he's in you, he'll be in you unless you put him on. And you're not going to put him on unless you come his way. Verse 13, Therefore, since you've got this kind of war against you, it says, take up the full armor of God. Take it all. Is that what your Bible says? That you may be able to ignore that you may be able to resist an evil day and having done everything to stand firm. Now, are you told right here to take up the armor of God and resist the schemes of the devil? Now, folks, if you wasn't willing to sit there and hear about demons, see, I wouldn't be able to relate and talk about that part of gospel, could I? And then if you were offended and one of these things, you know, they rise up and they kick in there and things like that, you know, that's them. And they got there through your traditions and lies and religious spirits and let your heart go to other things besides the gospel of the besides the word and Jesus. That's how they get there. They're inside of you right now. Many, many, many, many, many of you. See, but that's not the big deal to be fearful about that. Of course, he's been there all the time. You just now found out about it. I hear you fear. It's God. It's abomination of God to fear the power of the darkness. Of course, if you choose to fear them, you'll never be free from them. You'll never, never, never, never, ever be free from fearing them, fearing them. Perfect love cast out all fear. God didn't give you a spirit of fear, a spirit of fear from the devil. When you fear things, he's giving you power, love and a sound mind. Now, you got to agree with the word. Don't agree with the devil. OK, so you take up the full arm of God. You may be able to resist in that evil day and having done everything to stand firm. Verse 14, stand firm. Here comes your weapons, having gird your loins with a white. Now, first comes truth and where's the truth come from? The Lord, it comes from the Lord. It comes from the word of God. Now, he said, I'll lead you in all truth. Is that right? So if your heart is fixed on Jesus, now, if your heart is fixed on some middleman, you've got some idols in your heart. Get rid of the middleman. That's not meaning that you're not subject to spiritual authority. But I'm telling you what, I'm not subject to angels of light. And I'll not be subject to anyone who disguised themselves as servants of righteousness. Now, you can know the difference because God will show you the difference. Now, first, you put on truth. That's how you put on the first thing you do to put on Jesus. The next thing you put on the breastplate of what? You put on righteous, so your heart is set on what? Walking right in God's eyes. Amen. You're walking right before God. You're before God. That's what Abraham walked inside of God. This is what you do. This is your walk. That is righteous. Your heart is set. But the next weapon that you put on, do it to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 15, and having shod your feet with a preparation of the what? First, you have the gospel. Amen. Now, there you've had truth, righteousness, and the gospel. Can't tell me any other way to have Jesus without having those. I mean, put them on. I mean, you've got them. This is how you put on Jesus. In verse 16, in addition to all taking up the what? The shield of what? I mean, you're... Look at me, folks. Look here. Now, I'm not going to stand on that Bible. I want you to take this example. I'm standing near the Bible, and I'm saying, this is where I'm standing on the Word of God. Now, I want you to know there's a lot of other foundations. Let's just say numbers. If I'm more interested in numbers, then I'll do the things the enemy does and tell me so I can have numbers. I'll promote schemes, and then it'll make me look good. Make my church look good. But while I'm built, my heart's set on number foundation. What about this foundation of righteousness over here? Because I'm letting the things of righteousness go, so I won't split my church. Because I've been deceived in the thinking of numbers. Hey, we're going to see where all this foundation of numbers comes from Satan. Tomorrow. Why not? When you've been ignoring them. What do you think of powers of darkness? When smart folks ignore them. When you're wise in your own eyes. I'm wise in my own eyes. I was wise in my own eyes at one time. What do you think? I was a fool. Wisdom only comes from one place, Jesus. He becomes our wisdom. Don't you remember? All mankind is stupid, and Lord knows. That set you free, didn't it? Okay. Now, let's continue. We have got truth. We've got righteousness. We have put on the gospel, and now we have this faith. Why do we have this shield of faith? That means we're standing and believing the word of God, and let God be true, and everything else be a lie. Because we're going to be able, with this faith in the word, to extinguish all these flaming missiles of the evil one. And there is a scheme that the devil continually tries to take, to talk to you, those flaming missiles that come to you. And you say, God didn't say that. I refuse that. I refuse that. I'll not listen to that. My covenant with Him, I'll not walk that way, Satan. I'm not coming out. I'm sure not coming out. I'm in, and I'm coming out. I won't receive it in Jesus' name. Now, by the way, the evil one is those demons. That's them, not ego. Now, verse 17, And take the helmet of salvation, there is the salvation. Now, are you seeing that's a simple thing? All these things are Jesus. You take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, you have the word of God, which it is a sword. And that is your weapon. Amen? Okay. All those missiles that we read in James, if you care to write it out there, the faith to extinguish these flaming missiles, we read about that in James 1, James 1, 14. We saw that you are tempted and enticed. Who are you? How are you tempted? It's not the God in heaven who attempts you, you know, in 13. Then the next verse, No, it's not. It's the one who comes to tempt you and entice you after the lust of flesh. Now, that is the flaming missiles that come. Amen? That is a temptation. That's what it comes from. You'll be a evil doer if you listen to the devil. Is that right? Okay. You remember when we received these missiles? Well, then, lust is conceived. Is that right? The lust of the flesh is conceived when you listen to the schemes of the Satan without resisting them. And when you resist them, he has to flee. And we also say that we make our bodies. Now, here it comes. We make our bodies a living sacrifice. And we know in Romans 12. And we also know in Romans 10 that our weapons are not of the flesh anymore. We don't want the flesh anymore. We're in the spiritual realm. These are our new weapons right here. And they're divinely powerful to turn down these fortresses and this deceit and lies and everything else that's been put in our computer. We're washed. And then we take every thought captive, every argument that comes from any man, from any thought, from any doctrine, or anything as we take every thought captive to the obedience of the Word of God, Jesus, because that is our foundation. Is that correct? We're also told... Now, I don't think we're going to have to turn back there. Can you remember all right in 1 Peter 5, 8 and 9, this is so important, that the brethren are told to be sober and alert. Is that what we read? Now, we're fixing to get into something. I want you to listen very carefully to what I'm saying. They're told to be sober and alert because brethren put up the shield of faith to resist these lines. The devil who's looking for somebody to desire and we resist him, firm in our faith, and we suffer. And that's being accomplished by all the brethren that's in the world. The brethren in the world suffer. Is that right? Because they're doing that when you resist the faith, in faith, the shield of faith against all these darts that want to stir up the liver and the flesh. Is that right? Did we read that? Okay. Now, you got your big pencil ready? Turn to 1 Thessalonians, please. 1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5. All the T's are together. Timothy, Titus, and Thessalonians. If you get any of them, you're close. Okay. 1 Thessalonians 5. Oh, my praise you, Lord Jesus. Verse 1. Now, as to the times and epochs, who are we talking to there? Brethren. Will you please circle brethren? It's very important. You make you a good circle around brethren. We're talking to brethren. Brethren, you don't have any need for anything to be written to you. You know what? Because brethren already know a lot of things. Brethren's already told a lot of things. Because we're going to see there in the next verse. For you, please circle you. Draw your line from brethren to you. Because you brethren's who we talk. Are we talking to the brethren? Let me ask you over here. Are we talking to the brethren? And you, brethren, yourselves know. Now, I want you to circle no. Does the brethren know? It says the brethren know. Either you know or you don't know. Brethren know. Is that what your Bible said? All right. You know full well that the day of the Lord is going to come just like a what? A thief. And it's going to be if the thief is coming in a time of darkness. You see that? Now, mark the thief in the night. Now, brethren know what evictions say. Now, here we go. Verse 3. Now, I don't want you to get ahead of me. You're going to miss a bunch if you want to read that next chapter. Now, verse 3. While they are saying what? Oh, we've been reading a bunch of folks all the time saying, Peace, peace, safety. See, it only resists the devil. When you don't resist the devil, you're not resisting the flesh. You understand that? And while they're saying peace and safety. Now, let's circle they and peace and safety. So we're going to talk about they in this verse that say peace and safety. The ones that say peace and safety. Then what comes? Destruction is going to come upon who? Them. Circle them. Draw a line to the them who say peace and safety. Is that right? The day of the Lord is going to come just like a thief of night and destruction is going to come upon them who say peace, safety. Amen. And it's going to come upon them suddenly like what? Birth pangs upon a woman with child. Everybody look here just a minute. Now, there is groans and growth of childbirth as you're dying to the flesh. Amen. But I want you to know, and I don't know how much I'm going to get to pursue that tomorrow, but there is a birth pangs of destruction that's going to come upon this world as Jesus comes as a thief in the blood. And the people are going to look at one another in astonishment because of the pain and torment and the judgment of God that is upon them. Now, that's the birth pangs this is talking about. Don't make it say something that's not saying. Now, I could jump to that and I could get into scripture to show you just exactly what I'm saying, but I'm going to have to build up. All right, let's go ahead and say the ones that peace and safety, destruction is going to come upon. You hear me? You know what was in this man? It was sitting down here yesterday when I saw him outdoor. I don't demons of pain. He doesn't have any pain anymore. Now, verse four. But the brethren know this. The brethren is going to know all these things. Is that correct? And the brethren are going to have labels like Jim Jones. The brethren have these labels because the stage is already set because they're going to be so far. It's going to be so off the wall to the flesh. But you brethren are not in one. Now, the brethren are not in darkness, which means the ones who say in peace and safety are in one. They are in darkness and destructions on them. You're not in darkness that today should what? It's not going to overtake you like a thief. You're not going to be surprised and you're not going to be astonished for you are all what? Brethren are sons of light and sons of day and we're not of what? Night or of darkness. There's a difference. So then in verse six. So then let us not sleep as others do. The ones saying peace and safety are asleep. But let us be what? Awake and serious like the Word of God warns us. You're alert and you have on the armor of God. You have the weapons of Jesus. You put on the armor of life. It says it over and over and over and over and over. This is the gospel. You will go to the cross. You will not go no other way except the cross. Verse seven. Don't sleep as others do but be alert and sober. And then verse seven. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night. They're in darkness. They sleep in darkness. People in darkness are asleep. They don't know it. Their eyes are closed. They can't hear. They can't see. Ever learning. Never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. But those who sleep do their sleeping at night. And here's the next part. Those who get what? Get drunk. Get drunk and what? Look at me. Let me show you. A drunk person receives another Jesus. He receives another gospel. And he stumbles. He stumbles. He staggers in drunkness because he cannot find the way. Because he has received the wrong gospel. And he's following the wrong Jesus. But, verse eight. Since we are the what? They. Let us be serious, sober. Having put on. There we go back to Ephesians 6 again. I tell you, you're going to say it a little more times. Ephesians 6, aren't you? Having put on the breastplate of faith, love, and the helmet of hope and salvation. You better put on Jesus. It better be that this Jesus right here. For God has not destined us to what? What did I say? That the wrath of God followed the wrath of God or the anger of God? Destruction is what you're reading. The wrath comes on the ones in darkness. It won't come out of the light. For God has not destined us to wrath. What's the opposite of wrath? But for the what? There you see. The opposite of wrath is always salvation. And we know the wrath of God is those who practice what? Well, just go back to Ephesians 5 and some of the other been reading. Look who you know. You see, this is what you're going to do. You and the Holy Ghost are going to get together and go back over all these scriptures. This week, you got your list. If you don't leave the Bible, you're not got any of my opinions or anything on there. If you don't read your Bible, you're not going to like it. You don't get anything else to take with you. Holy Ghost is a good teacher. You go with him. You go back through this, you should see the same thing. Now, it would be real helpful because all the scriptures you mark, when I make emphasis on something, you should mark it with your pen because when you go back through there, you won't slow down. You'll read over it. Of course, I make emphasis all the time because I know where I'm headed. I point out certain things in the scriptures. I didn't get it. I got it. I got it. It took longer than three days to get there. For God is not destined us around for attaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord. Hey, folks, let me ask you something. Let me ask you over here. How do you fear of God? It's good. You have to learn the fear of God. You cannot learn the fear of God if you do not know the judgment of God. And you can't know the judgment of God if you're in darkness. Therefore, you don't even learn the fear of God. You fear devils and folks and denominations and everything else that rises up. I'll tell you what. The Lord said, when you get in that persecution, and we said, Milton, you remember Elijah? Open your eyes. This would be a good time for John 3.16. Turn back. John 3.16, please. I want you to love you. I'm so excited about the Lord. I'm telling you what the truth is. Verse 16, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him, in him shall not perish, but they're going to have eternal life if you believe in him, not about him. Now, there's another verse in that chapter. Let's look at 36. He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the Son, he who does not obey the Son, but he does not obey the Son, shall not see the life, because the wrath of God still remains on him. And you don't even know the difference. I think it's in Acts 5.32 that the disciples talk about, We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to all who obey him. In Hebrews, Jesus learned obedience through suffering, and he became the source of all who obey him, and he got eternal life. Now, I want you to look with me, please, in Luke 21. Luke 21. Luke 21. Turn and look with me, and this is not on your notes, so you want to add this to your notes. I just decided to use this last night. It's not on your notes. Now, verse 34. Be on guard, God says, that your what? Your hearts may not be weighed down with what? Well, there it is. Dissipation and what else? Look here. Don't let your hearts be weighed down with drunkenness. See, we always thought there was a pool room, didn't we? And the worries of this life. Who is it that brings the worries of this life and drunkenness and dissipation to you? That's what the powers of darkness bring to you to take the word from you. Amen? See, because when it's there, that's where your heart is. Don't let these things... You've got... It said, be on guard against these things. That's the same thing when it said, be sober and be alert and take every thought captive to be this of Jesus. But don't be weighed down with these things, that the day should come on you what? Suddenly like a what? A trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the earth. And does it kind of promise you it's going to come on these kind of folks right there? But keep on the alert. And others say, awake and watch. That's what the Amplified said. But keep on the alert at all times, praying in order that you may have the what? You may have the strength to escape all these things that are about to take place and stand before the Son of Man. Does it kind of sound like you might go through something? It would be a lot easier if our kind of people just got snatched on out. Those folks down the street wouldn't make it, wouldn't they, right? Did Jesus come the way it's expected him to? There's a church, he's just walking in the midst of them. They thought he was coming one way. He's kind of coming another. That's the way he is, isn't he? He don't always show up the way folks think he's going to show up, does he? But the brethren know how he's going to show up, don't they? Because brethren walk in light, and they're not in darkness. They're not in darkness at all. Well, why don't you turn back to Luke 9. Well, let's just begin reading right here some things that the Lord is saying about himself. The Son of Man must what? Suffer many things. Now, let me ask you something. Did the Son of Man say that the things he was going to suffer, you would suffer too? If they hate the world, hate you, it's going to hate me. Everything that comes against Jesus is going to come against you. Is that right? All right, here it comes. The Son of Man is going to suffer many things, and he's going to be rejected by what? There is church leaders, and there is chief preachers, and there's the writers. Those are the ones that rejected Jesus. And he's going to be killed and be raised up on the third day. And he goes on to say these kind of things after he sent them in 23. He was saying to them all, if anyone wishes to come after me, this is Jesus, says, if you wish to come after him, will you? Now, get your scissors ready, because you may not like this. But if you wish to come after me, let him deny himself, and he's going to take up his cross every day, daily, and then follow me. For whoever wished to save his carton is going to lose it, his life. But whoever loses his life for my sake, and we know in the other scripture there it says the gospel, he is the one who's going to save it. For what is a man profit if he gains this whole world and then loses or forfeits himself? In other words, one soul is worth more than the whole world. For whoever's ashamed of me and my words, do you understand that you're ashamed of words? When you let, you are, look at me, you are ashamed of the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. When you water them down, you compromise them, or you let yourself be fearful and intimidated about something that God says in his word. You are ashamed of it, because when you're intimidated and fearful, you're wanting the approval of someone else more than you're wanting the approval of God. And he'll have no part in what you're doing. You'll just hope for the fulfillment of your word. Folks, I want you to understand that what we're saying here, we're saying to everyone here, not just pastors, you know, let's don't get this thing where we're hearing this thing and we're just looking at pastors or something. This is the body of Christ, everybody. Now, for whoever's ashamed of me and my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father of the Holy Angels. And you know, you know over in John that it says whoever rejects my word, me and my word, has one who judges him. The words as I speak are the ones that's going to judge you in the last days. This Bible's one to judge, not your appearance to others or how you've helped God out. This word is going to judge all your motives. It's going to judge you. This word of God is a judge. Amen. Well, we know, and I want to look at it in 2 Thessalonians 1. It talks about the Lord who'll be coming and he's going to be dealing out retribution to all who do not obey the gospel. That's how he's going to come. And I want to ask you something. Is it possible any of the church could be deceived like the Pharisees? Is it just possible? Is it possible when you ignore an enemy that all over this Bible right here, it says not to ignore and not be deceived and to deal with him God's way, with his weapons and his way. And then we rise up and we're so deceived. Now I'm talking about some things that got handed down to everyone. I'm telling you this stuff has been handed down to all of us who walk today. And so it's traditional that I'm telling you that our ancestors have not, the other generation too, they've been some in the past, but as the most part, they have not dealt with the powers of darkness. So we just had a bunch of things handed down and it's just kind of a lot of things that these unspoken traditions and things which have turned against one another, separated us from one another, kept us bound up. There's not been any freedom and not to have any liberty and to have death minister to us instead of life. See, the Pharisees already had all the life, didn't they? Didn't they? They already, they already rich and increased with good. You remember, I'll tell you again, over in Revelation 3, what the Lord says, you're rich, you already arrived. You're already there, lukewarm. See, you take a cold person, you can get him hot. You can get a hot person, you can get him hotter, but a lukewarm person, he's already got it all. And the Lord said, I'll spew you out of my mouth. The Greek word for that is puke. Remember, the whole operation of the powers of darkness is to keep you from knowing the truth and believing the lie. Now, if you don't deal with them, what do you think they do? They've deceived all of us. So now we find out about it, we got a little light. This is just, folks, I'm going to tell you what we're looking at right here is so little. I know there's so much more besides. This is so, this is just so, just a little touchy bit. So we're not going to gather around it and start another denomination, are we? Now, remember, I'll show you later on in Hosea, a proud person is satisfied. A satisfied person does not need God. He doesn't need God. And that's what happens when pride is in your life. God resists proud folks, but he gives his grace to who? The humble. All right, now, a church full of pride, it's that he's making a name for themself instead of the Lord Jesus Christ. A church full of pride is more concerned about what people think than what God thinks. A church full of pride holds up their image and respectability in the community instead of the Lord Jesus Christ. They're making a name for themselves. They boast in their own works. And they don't walk in God's Word, they analyze it while they're busy making a name for themselves. A church full of pride doesn't see their own faults, but they're always looking at the faults of others. A church full of pride, and this can apply to any person who doesn't humble himself and confess their need, they have a program to meet their needs. You don't have to trust God for something when you go to the world for everything. A church full of pride today wants to be an expression of themselves. They want to make a name for themselves. I want to ask you something. What can God do through a church that's wiser than he is? See, we don't know anything about commitment and walking in God because we've been deceived. We make our commitment to church and denomination, not Jesus. I want to share something with you. I moved to Fort Worth, I now live in Dallas, but it didn't make a lot of sense with a little buffing machine and left everything and went to, left Cleveland and came here to Fort Worth almost three years ago. In Cleveland, Tennessee, where I moved from, is the world headquarters of the Church of God. One day, there was a reaction to part of a teaching of this Bible right there. And there was a split in that church. And then there became two world headquarters of the Church of God in Cleveland, Tennessee. Sometime later, there was another reaction to part of the teaching of this Word of God. There was another split. And there became three world headquarters of the Church of God in Cleveland, Tennessee. A little later on, there was another reaction to part of the teaching of this Word. There was a reaction, whether it's right or wrong, doesn't make a difference about what I'm fixing to tell you. There was a reaction, there was another split. Today, in Cleveland, Tennessee, there's four world headquarters of the Church of God in Cleveland, Tennessee. Brother, don't you get away from here and let me out me getting to know you. I could bite a chunk out of him. There are four world headquarters of the Church of God in Cleveland, Tennessee, which became four denominations. All of them are going to the same place. They're separated. They speak a different language, but they're all going to the same place. They all were started because of a reaction. Now, I want to tell you something, that whatever denomination you belong to was started because of a reaction. Is that what you want to gather your heart around? Is that where you want headquarters to be for your heart? They've all been a reaction since the Catholic Church began. And then, your heart is gathered around it. What happens when you get more light? Well, if the light don't fit in this, if you hear something that's not already in the structure when it's formed, reject it, resist it. We've already got all the light. Doesn't sound like a Pharisee? Like a Pharisee. So, you gather your hearts around part of the word and you reject and resist anything that comes to you. Although, you can say, hey, I've got some new light. Kill him! It don't fit in the box. Although, let me tell you something. May I present to you the structure? Now, I want to tell you about the traditions that have been handed down from the Catholic Church just to today. In the Catholic religion, the priests always have the word. And if you want to go, if you want to know something, you've got to go to the priest. And today, as it's handed down, the responsibility and the burden that the shepherd has to know everything, he has to do it all. And if you're going to know anything, if it doesn't come through that shepherd, it just might not be a God. Now, you want to be very careful how I'm saying that right now, because I'm going to tell you what, this is not a lesson to what I'm saying here. It's amazing how you have to turn around and explain something so simple because of demons and flesh. I'm not putting down shepherds, sir. I'm putting down hirelings. Now, there's a scripture in 2 Corinthians 10, verse 12, as part of it. No, it says, when you compare yourself, now, let me just ask you something. Do you think today, here's a structure, and on and on and on, they all speak a different language, they all go in the same place, and they compare themselves among themselves and measure themselves by themselves. And 2 Corinthians 10 says, you don't have any understanding of the word when you compare yourself among yourself and measure yourself by yourself. Well, hey, that's not the yard. They are not the yardstick. Right here is a yardstick.