Deceit Broad and Deep

How much evil will God put up with before He acts in severe correction?

Fred R. Coulter—December 5, 2020

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Greetings, everyone! Welcome to Sabbath services!

Looking at the election, if you can call it an election, it's something that you think: How on earth could they do something so blatant, so big, so powerful and expect not to get caught. That's the way that Satan works! If he doesn't get his way, he's going to force it through lies. We know that Satan the devil is deceiving the whole world. Look at what is happening with it.

Have you heard of the 'reset'? 'Reset is going to be wonderful.' Remember that the super-rich never lose money! Whatever they lend out, they always get back. So, part of the plan with the 'reset' is that they will forgive debts—personal and public—but then you own no property; you have nothing of your own! The whole world becomes serfs to the elite!

Satan always infiltrates and gets as high as he can get! Remember that Jesus selected Judas to betray Him.

John 8—here's quite a confrontation that's going on. This is between Jesus and those at the temple, and also the priests and the Pharisees. So, the way that you really convincingly win with these kinds of evil tactics is that you get high into the organization.

What was at Jerusalem? The Temple of God, where God placed His name! The most important place on earth. So, what happened to the Jews? You would think that with the temple, the priesthood and the Word of God right there in Jerusalem, that they would all have their noses in the Scroll, so to speak:

• to know what the Word of God is
• to live by the Word of God

But they didn't!

Rather they relied on their own traditions! Their own traditions cut them off from God! Then you apply 'a little leaven leavens the whole lump.'

So, you have this confrontation with Jesus, Who was God manifested in the flesh, Who was the Lord God of the Old Testament, Lord God of the temple that they occupied and offered the sacrifices. At this occasion Jesus was visiting and teaching. They wanted to know Who He was. He told them many times.

John 8:27: "But they did not know that He was speaking to them of the Father…. [concerning God] …Then Jesus said to them, 'When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you yourselves shall know that I AM… [that had a lot of meaning in the emphasis] …and that I do nothing of Myself. But as the Father taught Me, these things I speak. And He Who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone because I always do the things that please Him'" (vs 27-29).

There's quite a key right here! Do you want to know that God is always with you? Then you do the things that please Him!

Verse 30: "As He spoke these things, many believed in Him. Therefore, Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, 'If you continue in My Word, you are truly My disciples'" (vs 30-31).

Continue in the words of Christ! IF you don't continue in it, you're not His disciples! Look at the difference with Sunday-keeping. They claim all the time that they belong to God. But they don't do what God says! They don't do the things that please God the Father or Christ!

If you keep My Word, v 32: "And you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free."

That's what we need to know concerning the Word of God. That's the battle going on right now with the election! And it's a fierce battle! All the false media say that 'this is all nonsense.'

They have thousands of first-person testimonies and affidavits and depositions. They have experts in digital sabotage. Those who used to be in the U.S. forces and sabotaging other people's digital equipment know how to figure out how they [the Democrats] cheated. Quite a thing!

The thing that separates the true people of God from the world is:

Verse 32: "And you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free":

• from Satan the devil
• from sin
• from your own deceitful self as you're converted

Then they went on to say that they 'were Abraham's seed and so forth.

Verse 39: "They answered and said to Him, 'Our father is Abraham.' Jesus said to them, 'If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has spoken the Truth to you, which I have heard from God; Abraham did not do this. You are doing the works of your father.' Then they said to Him, 'We have not been born of fornication…. [they understood partly where Jesus came from] …We have one Father, and that is God.' Therefore, Jesus said to them, 'If God were your Father, you would love Me, because I proceeded forth and came from God. For I have not come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why don't you understand My speech?…. [this a really very profound principle here]: …Because you cannot bear to hear My words" (vs 39-42).

How many watch the fake new? No hands go up, you're spared! Those who watch fake news don't believe the truth of what is happening. When you get so convinced, you're resolutely locked into a certain position and you don't want to give it up.

Here, right at the Temple of God, is what happened. So, we see a parallel with all of those involved in the election process. They wanted to get their man in, and the word must have gone out to everybody that Joe Biden is going to win, guaranteed! They understood that to mean it's all fixed! And they didn't think that they would get caught! We'll have to see how far it goes. But here's the principle: When you go that far in with Satan, he owns you!

That's what happened with these priests, the Pharisees, the same thing:

Verse 43: "Why don't you understand My speech? Because you cannot bear to hear My words. You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you desire to practice. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has not stood in the Truth because there is no Truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he is speaking from his own self; for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I speak the Truth, you do not believe Me" (vs 43-45).

That's the same battle that we see going on with the election because of all of the lies and deceit going on.

Let's see some things concerning wickedness and lies. Had they followed even the Proverbs, they wouldn't be in this trouble. We'll see some things in the Proverbs for good and some things for evil.

Proverbs 29:2: "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people mourn."

That tells you the battle that's going on right today. If Biden gets in, it's going to be a disaster such as we have never seen! If Trump gets in, he's going to have to fight and smash against all of these things if there's going to be anymore time before more of the disastrous things at the end come into play.

Verse 4: "The king establishes the land by justice, but he who takes bribes tears it down."

They've got evidence of wire-transfer money coming from China to certain politicians, and even certain Republicans. What does it do? It tears it down! That's what's happening.

Verse 12: "If a ruler hearkens to lies, all his servants are wicked." That means they:

• are corrupt
• take money

are bought off! That's what will happen if Biden gets in!

Proverbs is one of the best books in the Bible; it's designed for young men and women so they can get their mind programmed with the Truth! It's

• right/wrong
• good/evil
• God vs sin
• blessings from God/curses from sin

They're all right there!

We have a program for teenagers, and I'll tell you how we came about that. We have two elders—Eduardo Elizondo and Guilebaldo Elizondo—who grew up in the Church. Their father had them read every day a chapter of Proverbs before they went to school. When they got done with it, they went back and started again. They did this over and over. Both of these men are elders with CBCG and are very fine stalwart, really good elders!

So, we have that program that we send out to teenagers with that instruction. It's important when you're young to get your mind programmed in the right way.

Proverbs 12:5: "The thoughts of the righteous are right; the counsels of the wicked are deceit."

That's what we're seeing with this election, deceit everywhere!See how clear that this is and easy to understand.

Verse 17: "He who speaks truth shows forth righteousness, but a false witness deceit."

To give you an example of how this works. On the news of the presentation on the news of:

• 130,000 illegal votes
• 15,000 illegal votes that came from out of state
• dead people that voted (if forget the number)

And the margin in Nevada is only just 10-12,000 votes at the most. So, they had all of this and went up to the judge and he didn't even look at it, and dismissed it, because he was a Democrat first. Judges are supposed to be for the truth and the law first!

The attorneys for Trump are doing it right. They're going up the line and revealing all the evidence as they go. Then they're also have Rudy Giuliani go to all the legislatures to show all of the fraud! That's important because it's the legislators who choose the ones who go to the Electoral College.

Verse 19: "The lips of truth shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Deceit is in the heart of those who imagine evil, but to counselors of peace there is joy" (vs 19-20).

So, we hope the election comes out that way so that it will be good!

Let's see a prophecy, quite an interesting prophecy concerning Ephraim, but it applies:

Hosea 11:12: "Ephraim circles around Me with lying…" Think about that!

• Have you ever wondered what happened to Ephraim?
• What was the biggest mistake that they did that started the loss of the Empire?

They had an empire where the sun never set on the British Empire.

• What was the one thing they did that started the decline of the British Empire, which today is virtually nothing?

When they began to sell opium to the Chinese to bring them under their yoke if they could. The Chinese have never forgotten that!

If God gives you a blessing such as they had with the empire, how were they to run it? With the laws of God to bring the Truth to those countries!

Verse 12: "Ephraim circles around Me with lying and the house of Israel with deceit. And Judah is still wayward toward God, and toward the Holy One, Who is faithful."

That's what we're up against with all of this. Think about it! Now let's think about some other things that are taking place. In what state did one of the fatal elections take place that is going to be followed by other states? Especially when you consider all of those states that want to defund the police. This happened in one of the most notorious states of 'defunding the police,' and it was approved by the voters. I wonder if the voting machines were rigged!

• Do you know what that was? To legalize small amounts of hard drugs!
• Do you want to know what that's like? Look at the Netherlands; they have legalized it!!

And four other states legalized marijuana, because they get so much tax money from it. They don't think about the people's lives that they are ruining! All they want is the tax money and control.

Here's how God looks at it. Think about what God sees when He looks down here:

• all the drugs
• all the homeless
• all the adultery
• all the fornication
• all the homosexuality
• all of the illegal business practices
• all of the horrible political practices

That's how God sees it!

• there are some who want to do right
• there are some who want to be honest
• there are some who want the government to be true

Look at the battle that they're going through to try and get that. Here's how God looks at the whole thing:

Isaiah 1:2: "Hear, O heavens… [calling the heavens to witnesses against us] …and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken, 'I have reared and brought up children, but they have rebelled against Me.'" Then He says that you're not any better than the stupid ox; but he's smarter than you!

Verse 3: "The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master's crib; but Israel does not know Me; My people do not understand. Ah, sinful nation, a people burdened with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD; they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger; they have gone away backward" (vs 3-4).

Have you watched Drugs, Inc on NatGeo? Watch it! It's an eye-opener! The people who are addicted to drugs, and those who sell them know it's evil! They know they may be killed, and it harms the ones whom they bring it to. But for greed and covetousness it's there, and it's in every country of the world!

Verse 5: "Why should you be stricken any more?…."

After a while, if you're beating yourself in the head with a club you would think that you would stop one time and say, 'That's not too smart!' There are some who come out of the drugs and they do quite well, but there are still difficulties in their lives physically, health wise.

"…You will revolt more and more; the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint" (v 5).

It's so sick in Washington, D.C., that many politicians say, 'Why don't you just concede and accept the election?' And so faint of heart that they don't want to look at the real evidence. So controlled that they don't dare do anything lest they get no more donations for re-election.

Verse 6: "From the sole of the foot even to the top of the head there is no soundness in it; only wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed, nor bound up, nor soothed with ointment. Your country is a desolation, your cities are burned with fire…." (vs 6-7).

Didn't we see that this summer? Look at all the fires in California! Look at the destruction that they've had in different cities.

"…Strangers devour your land right in your very presence, and it is wasted, as overthrown by strangers. And the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, like a hut in a garden of cucumbers, like a besieged city" (vs 7-8).

That means that everything just wild grows over it. There's no tending to it, taking care of it, or anything.

Verse 9—here's where there is always some hope. God always offers repentance if people will repent. But this is for those who are in the Churches, and for those who were in the days of Elijah when there were 7,000 that didn't bow the knee to Baal.

Verse 9: "Except the LORD of hosts had left us a very small remnant, we would have been as Sodom; we would have become like Gomorrah."

We'll look at Sodom and Gomorrah in a little bit, but let's see how God views it from His perspective looking down on the earth.

Verse 10: "Hear the Word of the LORD, rulers of Sodom; give ear to the Law of our God, people of Gomorrah. 'To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?' says the LORD. 'I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of he-goats. When you come to appear before Me, who has required this at your hand, to trample My courts?" (vs 10-12).

The other night I got a little bored with the news, so I thought I would check out what's on TBN—Trinity Broadcasting System! I saw this minister going back and forth, big heavyset guy, shouting, yelling, screaming and sweating, and when I saw him I thought this right here: Who has asked you to come and "…trample My courts…" of God? All in the name of God!

Think about someone not knowing anything about God, but wanting to find God and turns on that program. Probably would be turned off, which would be very sad!! Then God says, all of your religious practices, 'away with them!'

Verse 15: "And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood."

Remember that here is what God always does: He condemns the sin and offers repentance!

Verse 16: "'Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes; cease to do evil… [repentance and what they have to do] …learn to do good; seek judgment, reprove the oppressor. Judge the orphan; plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together,' says the LORD…." (vs 16-18).

If you do those things, and come to God and forsake those things… I mean, even without trying to have them converted, this is just the society out there.

"…'Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient…" (vs 18-19).

Not that you just desire to get out of the mess you're in; you've got to get out of the mess and come to God His way, obedient! You can never go wrong by obeying God! Never! His blessings will be as automatic as the law of gravity. They may not come right away, but eventually they'll be there. That's what God loves.

Verse 19: "If you are willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse…" 

• How many will refuse?
• Do you think Antifa will be willing?
• Do you think Black Lives Matter will be willing?
• Do you think the Communists will be willing?

NO! But maybe the Protestants and some of the Catholics.

• Will there be enough to hold back the tide?
• Will there be enough so that the truth concerning the election will come out?

or

• Are we going to be plunged into a radical change in America because of the sins of the people.

"…and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword'; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it" (vs 19-20).

Remember that if you read all of the prophecies of Deut. 28, it's hard, hard, hard to read. The first 14 verses are easy to read, all the blessings of God for begin obedient. Then the rest of it is what happens when you are not obedient! You read all the sicknesses, all the diseases, all of the things that take place.

Now, here's another adjunct to it right here; Isaiah 3:8: "For Jerusalem is staggering…" You can say that of America today with all of this mess going on! Which way will it go?

"…and Judah has fallen because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of His glory. The look of their faces witnesses against them; and they declare their sin like Sodom. They do not hide it! Woe to their soul! For they have rewarded evil to themselves" (vs 8-9).

That's quite an interesting statement. Think about that in relationship to all that has happened because of all of the 'alphabet genders' that they want to have, confusing the mind. Little girls can go to their school and say they want to be a boy. They will give testosterone treatment to them without their parents knowing about it. That's how evil it has become! Now, here's a little encouragement in it right here.

• Is it worth it to obey God when everything is going so wrong?
• Is it worth it to really stand for the Truth when everybody is lying and believing lies?

YES!

Verse 10: "Say to the righteous that it shall be well with him…"

It doesn't mean that you're going to be rich, powerful, but when tough times come—if you have enough to eat and a place to live—it is well with you.

"…for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe to the wicked! For the evil doing of his hand will be given to him…." (vs 10-11).

We see this happening right now and tie in Deut. 28 where the stranger within you will get very high above you:

"…As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. Oh, My people, those who lead you cause you to err and destroy the way of your paths" (vs 11-12).

How much evil will God put up with before He acts in severe correction?

Here's the account of Abraham talking to God about what God was telling him what He was going to do to Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham's relative Lot was living in Sodom. Then there were three other cities associated with the destruction.

Genesis 18:20: "And the LORD said, 'Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which has come to Me. And if not, I will know'" (vs 20-21).

Doesn't that tell you a lot about how God knows what's going on. Think about it! Think about the cries that come up out of the big cities from all the sin, drugs, crime and homelessness.

Verse 22: "And the men turned their faces away from there, and went toward Sodom. But Abraham still stood before the LORD. And Abraham drew near and said, 'Will You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?'" (vs 22-23).

When I read this, I think of San Francisco, because one day you and I know that something is going to happen horribly to San Francisco.

So, Abraham asked the Lord, v 24: "Perhaps there are fifty righteous within the city. Will You also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it?"

Then God said, 'No, for 50 I won't do it!' Abraham thought, 'How about 45?' God said, 'No, I won't do it!' Abraham said, 'How about 40?' God said, 'No, I won't do it!' Abraham said, 'Please let me speak again, how about 20?' God said, 'No, I won't do it.' Abraham said, 'One last time, please, how about 10?' God said He would spare it for 10!

I want you to think about how important it is for all the people of God, everywhere they are, that they stay right with God so that He will hold back His judgment for the sake of those who are righteous.

You know what happened. They went into Lot's house. All the homosexuals were out on the street at night. Does that sound a little like San Francisco? The angels looked like men that have never known anything that they do, and they wanted them. So, Lot knowing that they wouldn't accept his daughters, offered his daughters.

Then in the morning the angels said, 'Get out of here and go!' It was Lot, his wife and two daughters; even his sons wouldn't listen to him. Then sudden destruction of fire and brimstone came down from God and destroyed them.

• How many, even not in the Church, will be counted 'righteous' in this society as 'good and decent people?
• Are there enough to turn this election around?

We don't know! We'll find out!

(break)

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• Washing of the Water by the Word
• How to Overcome the Sin Within

For those of us who have the Spirit of God, obviously we're not out here doing overt sins. Where the biggest battle is, is right up here in the mind! That then becomes what must be converted by having God with His Spirit write His laws and commandments in our mind and inscribe them in our heart.

Both of these go through all the Scriptures for what is necessary for you to overcome. That's the biggest battle!

*****

Now we're going to see the first ones who are responsible for sin in the society. If more people were taught about the laws and commandments of God… I'm going to have to bring a message on this pretty quickly; you would be amazed that 40% of evangelicals believe that Jesus sinned! Think on that for a minute!

It all starts with the clergy; those who say that they're ministers of God. This is why you have these things in very strong language in the Old Testament.

Jeremiah 23:10: "For the land is full of adulterers…."

Remember that Jeremiah was witnessing for 40 years, and prophesying against the Jews in Judea before they went into captivity into Babylon. Sin always precedes the collapse of any person, family, village, city, state, nation or empire! It always precedes it, and the sin gets worse and worse!

Verse 10: "For the land is full of adulterers Because of swearing the land mourns; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up… [in California they're burned up] …and their course is evil, and they wield power unjustly."

• Does that sound like the lock-downs we're in right now? Yes, indeed!
• Does it sound like the religious leaders? Yes!

Verse 11: "'For both prophet and priest are ungodly…" You will see that if you watch TBN!

The other night I was watching Daystar, because Dr. Charles Stanley is on Daystar television. He's one of the best Protestant preachers. Jesus said of those who were casting out demons in His name but not with the disciples, 'Those who are not against us, are on our part.'

Charles Stanley does very well until he comes to the Sabbath and Holy Days. The following him was his son Andrew. I was shocked. It was all New Age, I couldn't believe it! Charles Stanley always talks about the Bible and Christ, and how to obey Christ. His son didn't even bring up one Scripture in five minutes. That shows what happens over a period of time, because they really don't stick with the Bible.

Charles Stanley doesn't realize that his going against the Sabbath and Holy Days contributed to how his son came out. So, we wish him well.

Verse 11: "'For both prophet and priest are ungodly yea, in My house I have found their evil,' says the LORD. 'So, their way shall be to them as slippery ways in the darkness; they shall be driven on, and fall in their way; for I will bring evil on them, even the year of their judgment,' says the LORD" (vs 11-12).

Remember that we saw that God would give mercy if there were enough righteous people. Let's hope that we're going to have some of that here in the near future.

Verse 13: "And I have seen repulsive things in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied by Baal and caused My people Israel to go astray."

What do we read in Matt. 24:10? Many shall be led into sin! By whom? By the religious leaders!

Verse 14: "I have also seen in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing; they commit adultery and walk in lies. They also strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that none returns from his evil; they are all of them like Sodom to Me…"

They actually have homosexual churches where they use the Bible, parts of it, to justify their way. There's even a Church of Marijuana right up in Northern California. Do you know what they use for their excuse? You can eat and use the things that have seed in them! Marijuana has seed in it. 'So, we have sacraments! We smoke pot!'

Can you imagine the twisted reasoning that has to come about with it? He has a little congregation and they sit around there and every day they tell themselves they're right while they're puffing on their pot. Amazing!

"'…and her inhabitants like Gomorrah.' Therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets, 'Behold, I will feed them wormwood, and make them drink poisonous water; for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone forth into all the land'" (vs 14-15). That's what we have today! Same thing!

• human beings are the same
• God is the same
• Satan is the same
• evil is the same

When evil becomes legalized—like we explained earlier—then it gets even worse.

Verse 16: "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you vain; they speak a vision from their own heart, not out of the mouth of the LORD. They still say to those who despise Me.' The LORD has said, 'You shall have peace!'…. [that's exactly what they do in homosexual churches and in the marijuana church] …And they say to everyone who walks after the imagination of his own heart, 'No evil shall come upon you!'" (vs 16-17). That's exactly where we are in this nation!

Verse 18: "For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD to see and hear His Word?…."—that's us, brethren!

What happens if the Churches of God don't do what they should be doing? Think about that for a minute! Look at what happens to the churches. Many of us have been through different churches here and there and everywhere trying to find out who is preaching the Word of God. Sometimes you don't find it. God looks at that, that's in the equation, too, when we look at what's going on.

"…Who has attended to His Word and heard it? Behold, the tempest of the LORD has gone forth in fury, a whirling tempest…." (vs 18-19)—tornado, hurricane!  How many did we have this year? Record number!

"…It shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked. The anger of the LORD shall not return, until He has executed and until He has performed the purposes of His heart; in the latter days you shall understand it perfectly" (vs 19-20).

Why is that so? Because we have the Word of God! Those of us who have all of it, live by it and are in the Churches of God, we've got to stand tall, stand true and always live by every word of God as Jesus said.

Here's what God says of those prophets and different ministers:

Verse 21: "I have not sent these prophets, yet, they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet, they prophesied."

The next verse tells you how powerful the Word of God is, and how God will back up His Word.

Verse 22: "But if they had stood in My counsel and had caused My people to hear My words, then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings."

That's why those things that are in the Bible should be preached to people in the world in the letter of the Law, the Ten Commandments. Think how much better off the whole society would be if the Ten Commandments were taught. So, much better, but they don't do it!

Verse 23: "Am I a God Who is near,' says the LORD, 'and not a God afar off?" God is not way off in some distant galaxy way out there! He's right here! Read the Psalms and it says that the eyes of the Lord look upon men.

In John 4 it says that God is seeking those who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth! So, if there are people out there looking for Him, they will find Him. We have to be part of that mechanism so that they can find Him.

Verse 24: "Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I shall not see him?' says the LORD. 'Do I not fill the heavens and earth?' says the LORD." That's with everything that He has created!

Verse 25: "I have heard what the prophets said, who prophesy lies in My name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed.' How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies and who are prophets of the deceit of their own heart? They scheme to cause My people to forget My name by their dreams, which they tell, each one to his neighbor, as their fathers have forgotten My name for Baal" (vs 25-27).

Notice that right in the middle of all of this, here's a prophecy of what needs to be with the Churches of God:

Verse 28: "'The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream. And he who has My Word…" We have the Word of God, and all of us as elders and ministers are to:

• learn the Word of God
• know the Word of God
• understand the Word of God
• live by the Word of God
• preach the Word of God

"'…let him speak My Word faithfully…. [that's what God wants] …What is the chaff to the wheat?' says the LORD. 'Is not My Word like a fire?' says the LORD, 'and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets who steal My words each one from his neighbor. Behold, I am against the prophets who use their tongues and say, "He says," when I did not say'" (vs 28-31). He's against them because they teach deceit!

The same thing applies to the civil leaders. If they do not serve the people, but serve themselves, it's exactly the same thing that's going to fall upon them. We see that, as well.

I don't know how I could do it, and I won't even try, but is it true that when students go through law school they take a practice case and they're the prosecutor one time against a defendant, and then they're the defense for the accused. That makes the thinking in the mind very disjointed. You have nothing real solid and firm that you hold onto. That makes truth not relevant. When that happens, everybody is in trouble!

Psalm 50:16: "But to the wicked God says, 'What right have you to declare My statutes, and to take up My covenant in your mouth? Yea, you hate to be taught, and you cast My words behind you'" (vs 16-17).

• Don't they do that with the Sabbath?
• Don't they do that with the Holy Days?
• Who comes and fills in? Satan, with Sunday and the holidays!

Verse 18: "When you saw a thief, then you were pleased to be with him… [sounds like a politician] …and you have taken part with adulterers. You give your mouth to evil…" (vs 18-19).

Think about that! Apply that to the fake news and to politicians and look at what you have! That's why things are in such a mess. If Trump gets in, he better call the Insurrection Act real quickly, because there's going to be a lot of burning, looting and all of this sort of thing. That's how evil it has become!

"…and your tongue frames deceit. You sit; you speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. These things you have done, and I have kept silence…" (vs 19-21).

Why? Because God wants to know!

Do you think you will come to yourself? You would think that a person would come to a point and say, 'I've had enough.' That happens occasionally. Those who overcome drugs, that's what they have to do. Those who overcome adultery, thievery and any other crime, they have to come to that point that, yes, they will stop it.

"…you thought that I was like yourself, but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes. Now, consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and he who sets his conduct aright, I will show him the salvation of God" (vs 21-23).

Why do these condemnations come around? To give people a chance to think about what they're doing! God gives them a chance to recover from it. That's what's so good about the whole situation there.

Psalm 55:1: "Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not Yourself from my supplication. Attend to me, and answer me; I am distraught in my trouble and moan in my complaint" (vs 1-2).

This person is in a very bad situation. We all come to difficulties in our live when the only thing we can do is turn to God. Other people might want to help, but they really can't help you, because you've got issues that's between you and God; all of us do.

Why do we have those things? To see if we're going to turn to God or not! Let's see what happens in the general society.

Verse 3: "Because of the voice of the enemy; because of the oppression of the wicked—for they cast mischief upon me, and in anger they hate me." This is also a prophecy of Christ!

Think about what He went through. No one could have stood up against all the things that Christ did and had thrown at Him, except Him! If you think you've had it bad, think about what Christ went through. He's there to

• help you
• comfort you
• guide you
• lead you

Even if there's trouble all around us, which it is many times, that's the way we survive!

Verse 16: "As for me, I will call upon God, and the LORD will save me. Evening and morning, and at noon, I will cry aloud in my distress; and He shall hear my voice. He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, for there were many against me" (vs 16-18).

This is what we're looking at, because what's going to happen—and it will happen sooner or later, hopefully later—if you say anything from the Bible, you're hateful. It's happened before and will happen again. So, we have to stay close to God!

Verse 19: "God shall hear and afflict them, even He who is enthroned of old. Selah. Those who never change their ways and have no fear of God."

Think about that in relationship to what's happening in the world. Think about what happens to those who go through trials and get angry against God. It doesn't work well!

Verse 20: "He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him; he has broken his covenant. The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet, they were drawn swords. Cast your burden upon the LORD…" (vs 20-22).

That's what needs to be done with us in these times, and I hope that a lot of people out there in the world will stand up for the Truth and stand against the evil that is coming, and to turn the election around.

"…and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be moved. But You, O God, will bring them down into the pit of destruction; bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days but I will trust in You" (vs 22-23).

This is how we need to confront the problems that come against us with all of this. Watch the news and there's no way you can come away from that without being upset with some of the people, especially those who know better.But you can't get all locked into it!

Whatever the difficulty, whatever the problems, you have to take it to God!

Psalm 52:1: "Why do you boast yourself in evil, O mighty man? The mercy of God endures forever. Your tongue devises destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. You love evil more than good, and lying more than to speak righteousness. Selah" (vs 1-3).

That's what we see! All of these political people and religious people! But we can count on God to come against all of that and to make it right and to bring it about the way it should be.

The book of Jude is very interesting. It was written while there was the upheaval in Jerusalem beginning in 66A.D. When the Pharisees took over the temple, they were fighting against the Romans, the starting of the revolution in 66A.D. There were a lot of Christians there in Jerusalem that were begin deceived into fighting. Because there was a lot of deceit going on even in the Church, changing things, so here is the whole book of Jude, a recap of major evil events and how God dealt with them.

Jude was the half-brother of the Lord; Jude 3: "Beloved, when personally exerting all my diligence to write to you concerning the common salvation, I was compelled to write to you, exhorting you to ferventlyfight for the faith, which once for all time has been delivered to the saints."

Think about that! We have to fight for the Truth! Almost every day I get something that comes in an e-mail against the Word of God. We have to know the Word of God!

Verse 4: "For certain men have stealthily crept in, those who long ago have been written about, condemning them to thisjudgment. They are ungodly men who are perverting the grace of our God, turning it into licentiousness, and are personally denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ."

That's what we see happening in Protestantism. That's what we see happening in some of the Churches of God in a low degree right now, but may be in a higher degree later on. Each one of us individually have to be personally responsible for the Word of God.

Verse 5: "But I myself want to remind you, though you once understood this, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, the second time destroyed those who did not believe." Major event! What happened?

• they talked against God
• they talked against Moses
• they talked against each other

They didn't believe God when He said to go into the land. It's evident when you look at the chronology that God intended the children of Israel to go into the land that He promised to give them of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites and so forth.

Right before the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, they sent in 12 scouts. Ten came back moaning, groaning and complaining. Two—Caleb and Joshua—gave a good report. God said, 'All right, you're not going in.' For every day of the 40 days that they were searching out the land, they were going to wander to complete 40 years! God didn't intend for them to be 40 years out there.

Then they said, 'We'll go!' But God said, 'No, you're not going to go!' They were turned back.

The next major event that Jude touches is, v 6: "And the angels who did not keep their own original domain, but deserted their habitation, He is holding in eternal bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the Great Day." Major event!

The next one is Sodom and Gomorrah, and we've already covered that!

Verse 8: "In the same way also, these dreamers of filthy dreams are defiling the flesh, and are declaring as invalid the Lordship of God, and are blaspheming the Divine powers."

That's what they end up doing. Look at what they did when Christ was on the earth. Look at what we read in John 8.

Verse 9: "But Michael the archangel, when he was personally taking issue with the devil, disputing about the body of Moses, did not presume to pronounce a reviling judgment against him, but said, 'The Lord Himself rebuke you!'"

These become very serious times when you understand what happened to Jerusalem in 66-70A.D. Those were terrible days, indeed: famine, starvation and cannibalism of people, even infants.

The Romans deceived them, because Jerusalem had enough grain and food to feed the city for about five or six years at that time! They had over two million people come to the Feast, then the Romans encircled them! Then they ran out of food; nothing to eat. It was a terrible, terrible time!

Then we find, as Jude is explaining about these things, what's going to happen because there are demonic powers behind it.

Verse 11: "Woe to them! For they have walked in the way of Cain; and for gain, they have wholly given themselves up to Balaam's delusion, and haveperished in the rebellion of Korah. These are subversive stains in your love feasts… [affecting the Church directly] …feasting in person together with you; fearlessly they are feeding themselves. They are clouds without water, being driven by the winds; trees of late autumn, without any fruit, uprooted, twice dead" (vs 11-12). Showing that they are going into the Lake of Fire!

Verse 14: "…'Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His Holy saints to execute judgment against all, and to convict all who are ungodly of all their works of evil ungodliness that they have impiously committed, andof all the hard things that ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.'" (vs 14-15).

Verse 16: "These are complainers and critics, who are walking after their own personal lusts, while their mouths are speaking great swelling words, flattering persons for the sake of advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words that were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ… [we have them right here in the Bible] …because they said to you that in the last time there would be mockers, who would be selfishly walking according to their own ungodly lusts. These are the ones who cause division; they are psychic, not having the Spirit of God. But you, beloved, be building up yourselves on your most Holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, so that you keep yourselves in the love of God…" (vs 16-21).

That's what we are to do when these times come upon us!

"…while you are personally awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (v 21).

Then it says how to deal with some who are doubting, help them along, help them with the Word of God.

So, as we look out and see all of this big political and spiritual battle going on right now, we can keep praying to God that it will all work out the way that He wants it to! That we're not going to get caught up in these things and let them take us away from God!

I guess you can say that that's where the balance hangs today.

Scriptural References:

• John 8:27-32, 39-45
• Proverbs 29:2, 4, 12
• Proverbs 12:5, 17, 19-20
• Hosea 11:12
• Isaiah 1:2-12, 15-20
• Isaiah 3:8-12
• Genesis 18:20-24
• Jeremiah 23:10-31
• Psalm 50:16-23
• Psalm 55:1-3, 16-23
• Psalm 52:1-3
• Jude 3-6, 8-9, 11-21

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Deuteronomy 28
• Matthew 24:10
• John 4
• Jude 7

Also referenced: Transcript Books with CDs:

• Washing of the Water by the Word
• How to Overcome the Sin Within

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 12/9/20

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