HopeLives365

Mark Finley: Now we should not be surprised at what Satan is going to do because he has done this down through history. I'm going to look first at the New Testament.

Guest (Male): This is HopeLives365 with Pastor Mark Finley. Today's message: An End Time Life Worth Living, part two. Enjoy, and remember you can always catch up with past messages and stay up to date with HopeLives365 and Pastor Mark by going to HopeLives365.com. And now, Pastor Mark Finley.

Mark Finley: In the New Testament, did church and state unite? They did. You had the Roman church, the Roman state; there was a union. In the New Testament, was the Apostle Paul imprisoned at times? I want to look at some lessons from the New Testament.

We're going to first turn to 2nd Timothy, chapter 2, verses 14 to 19. I want to show you four different things the devil is going to try to do in the last days of Earth's history to get people out of God's true church.

Let's look first, just to get the setting, at 1st Timothy, chapter 4, verse 1. "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons." What period of time is this? The latter times.

Now the Spirit says—what Spirit is that? The Holy Spirit. He's explaining to us that in latter times, some are going to depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits. If they depart from the faith, what do you know about them? They used to be in the faith. That's right.

So the devil creates a shaking where some who are in the faith leave. One of the reasons they leave is some fall for the false revivals, and some fall to heresies. Now I want to look at four agencies that produce this shaking. The first is 2nd Timothy, chapter 2.

We're going to start with verse 15. "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God"—I want to do that, don't you? How are you approved to God? "A worker that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." In other words, know the word of the living God.

A shaking will come to Adventism. Why is God going to allow that shaking? He's going to allow that shaking because He is about ready to pour out His latter rain. There will be natural disasters that will increase. Worldwide instability will increase. That'll prepare the way for the proclamation of the gospel and God's final move.

But the devil, seeing this, will shake the Adventist Church. We're looking at four aspects of that shaking. Now notice verse 16. "But shun profane and vain babblings." What is a vain babbling? A vain babbling is openly proclaiming something that God has not said, taking what God has not said and making it a divine test of truth, and thinking that everybody else who doesn't follow that is an apostate.

That's what vain babbling is all about. Now we go down and this becomes even more interesting. "They will increase to more ungodliness." In other words, vain babbling is taking what God has not said, defining that as truth, bringing that as a test into the church, and dividing the church. It only creates ungodliness. Genuine revival leads us to prayer.

You are not the Holy Spirit's brother, neither are you the Holy Spirit's assistant. You are Jesus' assistant. Some people think that they are the Holy Spirit and that they are to convict the church and everybody in it of what they have done wrong.

I remember I was getting up to preach once. I was sitting in the front row and a guy handed me a note. This is what the note said: "Cry aloud, spare not, tell Israel their sins." He sends me that note. I write on the back of the note: "Isaiah also says, 'Comfort ye, comfort ye, comfort my people,'" and I send the note back to him.

All right, we're going now to verse 16. "Shun vain and profane babblings; they'll increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort." What is the apostasy of Hymenaeus and Philetus, and how is that impacting the Adventist Church today?

Notice what it says. It says the message of Hymenaeus and Philetus is like a cancer. How many of you want cancer? You're not praying every day, "Oh Lord, give me..." no. But what is this message of Hymenaeus and Philetus? It's like cancer. Wouldn't it be interesting to know what that message is?

I'm going to contend to you today that the Seventh-day Adventist Church, in a various number of ways, has those both on the liberal left and the conservative right that are introducing that heresy. Now let's look at it. What is that heresy?

It says they've strayed concerning the truth. So were Hymenaeus and Philetus in the church? Yes. And what did they stray concerning? The truth. Now what was the truth? They were saying that the resurrection is already past, and they overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands sure.

Now what did they say about the resurrection? They said the resurrection was past. Were they right in declaring that there was a resurrection? They were. They were talking about the resurrection of the dead, incidentally. Were they right in declaring that there would be a resurrection of the dead? Were they correct?

But what was their problem? The timing. Their problem was the timing. So what is the error? What is the error of Hymenaeus and Philetus? It is misunderstanding the timing of an event. Are any of those people today—do we have any Hymenaeus and Philetus that say when you look at the Book of Genesis, for example, these are long ages?

Maybe God didn't mean that the days of Genesis were 24-hour periods. Oh, we believe in creation, but this was just thousands of years, and this was just the way that Moses expressed it. Is there anybody today that says, "You know, I'm not sure about the timing of the 2,300 days, why that could be reinterpreted in different ways"?

Oh, we believe, sure. But do you have any of the 2,520 people coming along in the area of timing? Any of those kind of people? What is the cancer of Hymenaeus and Philetus? It is taking things that God has said were sure and making those a test of truth, introducing them into the Adventist Church, and dividing the church to accomplish Satan's goal so that the proclamation of the gospel does not occur.

We're looking only at point one. How will the shaking take place? There'll be false doctrine introduced into the church. *Testimonies to Ministers*, page 112: "When the shaking comes by the introduction of false theories, these surface readers, anchored nowhere, are like shifting sand."

So what do you find? These are surface readers. They read the Bible superficially. They don't have any solid anchor, no biblical foundation. There are pastors like that, unfortunately, among us. There are administrators, unfortunately, like that among us. There are church elders like that, unfortunately, among us. There are laypeople, unfortunately, among us.

And what is going to happen? False doctrine will enter into Adventism—false theories. And as it does, they will embrace it as reality and truth. Why? Because they are surface readers. They have not saturated their minds. Remember what *The Great Controversy* says: "Only those that have filled their mind with the Scriptures will stand through the last great conflict."

Notice this statement, volume 5, page 80: "The days are fast approaching when there'll be great complexity and confusion. Satan, clothed in angel robes, will deceive if possible the very elect. There will be gods many and lords many; every wind of doctrine will be blowing. The only solution is to have your mind filled with the Word of God."

The devil's going to shake His church, and there will be heresies that come in. There'll be false revival that will come in. Now the first thing we've noticed in this great area of the shaking is this idea of false revival. The next thing that we want to notice—and we've also noticed that there will be false teachings that come into the church.

The next thing I want you to notice is that the Bible talks about miracles in the last days of Earth's history. Take your Bible, please, and turn—we'll just look at one text because of time. I want you to look at Revelation, chapter 16, verse 14.

It talks about the Battle of Armageddon. Revelation 16, starting with about verse 14—the reason I say "about" is that much of my Revelation is ripped out of the Bible, and I have to do it by memory. As the result of that, I don't see what this—see, this page is ripped.

So I'm kind of looking—somebody says, "Why don't you get rid of your old Bible?" I've been married to my wife 50 years; I'm not getting rid of her, right? This Bible and I have traveled around. It's a little rumpled and wrinkled; I won't say anything more. But yeah, Revelation chapter 16.

Is it verse 13? Somebody help me here. "They are the spirits of demons." Okay, I saw three unclean spirits like frogs. Yeah, they go to the kings of the earth and they gather them. What else do they do? They're working miracles, right? Working miracles. So what is it that eventually leads the kings of the earth, the merchants of the earth, and the false teachers of the earth together? It's false miracles.

Guest (Male): We'll be right back with Pastor Mark Finley. We thank you for listening and hope you're enjoying today's message. Our mission is to attractively present the Christ-centered biblical truths of Scripture in a practical, relevant way to people around the world so that they may experience the abundant life that Christ offers and effectively share with confidence His life-changing truths with others. You can support this ministry and help us reach even more by going to HopeLives365.com/donate. And now, back to Pastor Mark Finley.

Mark Finley: It's false miracles. Now this is one that requires a lot of study, maybe not a lot of comment. *Second Selected Messages*, page 380: "Satan will work his miracles to deceive." Can Satan work miracles? Does Revelation 13 teach us that? He calls fire to come down from heaven, does great signs and wonders.

Does Jesus say that in Matthew 24? Signs, wonders, false prophets. Does Revelation 16 say that miracles are going to bring us to Armageddon? Yes. What about Revelation chapter 19, verses 18 to 21? It talks about the miracles being those that lead them to accept the mark of the beast.

So Satan will work his miracles to deceive. He'll set up his power supreme. He will make people sick, then suddenly remove from them his satanic power, and they'll be regarded as healed. Isn't that just like the devil? Isn't that what the devil does? He makes people sick, then he removes his satanic power.

Now listen to this sentence: "These works of apparent healing will bring Seventh-day Adventists to the test." These works of apparent healing. What should we expect in many Adventist churches before Jesus comes? We should expect an emotional form of religion that ramps young people up based on music and emotionalism.

It is very light fare when it comes to the prophetic proclamation of God's Word. It actually dumbs down the intellect of youth and believes that all they can handle is an 11-minute homily that's a nice story rather than deep biblical preaching. I will say to you unequivocally that that dumbs down young people, and you're far more intelligent than that.

The heart of youth today is longing for deep biblical teaching. We should expect natural disasters to increase. We should expect worldwide instability. We should expect the greatest opportunity for youth to proclaim the gospel in the world that's ever seen.

But the devil becomes so angry that he'll introduce false theories. He will introduce false counterfeit revivals that are based on emotionalism, that are based on feeling good rather than being good, that are based solely on the gifts of the Spirit rather than manifesting the fruits of the Spirit.

We seek the fruits to reveal the character of Christ, and God gives us the gifts. Will God perform miracles? He will. But He'll perform miracles for young people who are on their knees pleading with God, seeking repentance of sin, saturating their minds with the Bible.

We can expect that there will be false revivals that the devil brings. So how does this shaking come? First, by erroneous theories. Secondly, by false miracles. Thirdly—and did all this happen in the days of the Apostle Paul? In the Apostle Paul's time, Hymenaeus and Philetus, false heresies. In the days of the Apostle Paul, were there again miracles that were worked and false miracle-workers? Sure. Paul contended with this.

And there's a third area of the shaking. It's this. In the light of Laodiceanism, those who are not deceived by false doctrine, those who are not caught up in false emotionalism—there are many who will go out because they love the world. And that's what Paul says as well.

I'm showing you what shook the New Testament church, and parallel is going to take place. Look at 2nd Timothy, chapter 4. See, when you look at the New Testament, the things that shook the New Testament church are going to once again shake God's movement today. The same issues the church is going to face.

And you're going to look here at 2nd Timothy 4, verse 7. Paul is making a strong appeal. He's in prison. He says, "I've fought a good fight." Verse 5: "But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

Look in verse 9. "Be diligent to come to me quickly; for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world." Was Demas with Paul? Yes. Was he a trusted compatriot of Paul? Yes. But his heart was not there.

Are there those people within the church today who are here, but they're not here? They are social Adventists. They don't understand the urgency and the heartbeat of our mission. Turn to 1st John. 1st John. What took place in the first century will indeed take place again. 1st John, chapter 2, verse 19.

Now we're going to look at verses 18 and 19. John says, "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now there are many antichrists that have come." What does it mean—the Antichrist, capital, and many antichrists?

The Antichrist represents, of course, in its purest form, Satan. He is the one who is against Christ, or *anti*, another Christ. As you look at Revelation 13, the Antichrist principle is one when any human being exalts their authority above the authority of God.

So the papacy that exalts its authority above the authority of God is a visible manifestation of the Antichrist principle in thinking it can change God's law from Saturday, the seventh day, to the Sunday, the first day. What does it mean that there are many antichrists? Anytime an individual exalts himself above God, that's the Antichrist principle.

But notice the next verse. It says, "They went out from us." If they went out from us, where were they before they went out from us? With us. "But they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest that none of them were of us."

Isn't that an amazing passage? Are there those with us today in body, but they are really not Adventists truly in their hearts? They don't have that heartbeat passion and understanding of the prophetic nature of Adventism. They are with us, but they are not what? Of us.

So here are four classes. We need to move because our class is going on. All right, there are four classes. Class number one: they'll be shaken out by false theories. Class number two: they will be shaken out by false miracles. Class number three: they will be shaken out because they love the world. Class number four: they are the conservative Laodiceans. They will be shaken out through Laodiceanism. You can read that, of course, in Revelation chapter 3.

So what do we expect? Natural disasters, famines, insecurity, worldwide instability, economic disasters, threat of nuclear war, great opportunity to proclaim the gospel. Satan sees that. He begins a mighty shaking. Some are leaving by false doctrines. Some are leaving because they love the world. Some are leaving because they are emotionally caught up in miracles. Some are leaving just because they're Laodicean and they can't stand the test.

All this is taking place. The proclamation of the gospel, false revivals—ultimately the test comes over the mark of the beast or the seal of God. As men and women make their decision either to receive God's seal—now what is the seal of God? I want you to take a look at Ephesians.

Ephesians 4, verse 30. "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ's sake has forgiven you."

Now notice what it says: don't grieve the Holy Spirit by which you are sealed. When a person is converted, the Holy Spirit begins to work in their life in a process of sealing. So sealing is not an act; it's a process.

Like a potter shaping clay, God is shaping us and molding us. But there'll come a point when you shape clay that it is shaped, and you have to put it into the oven to be fired. When you put it into the oven to be fired, the clay is hardened, and you cannot change that ceramic after that without breaking it.

So from the time you were converted, the Holy Spirit's working in your life to shape you and mold you. As we go through the test and make the decision for Christ, the Holy Spirit seals us. So "he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; he that is holy, let him be holy still; he that is unholy, let him be unholy still."

So at the test, men and women either receive the seal of God or the mark of the beast. But never think that the sealing is a final act that takes place here; the sealing is rather a process that culminates there at that test.

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Mark Finley: The Sabbath becomes the visible manifestation of the seal at the time of the test. The Sabbath is the sign that we are settled into the truth and that we cannot be moved at the time of that test. Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads—it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both spiritually and intellectually, so they cannot be moved.

Just as soon as God's people are sealed and prepared for the shaking, it will come. The Holy Spirit swells into this great culmination, and it's not that we wait for some great super-manifestation, but God gives us more and more of His Spirit to proclaim the gospel from the time of the test to the close of probation.

You may get a lot of speculation about how long that's going to be. The truth of the matter is the secret things belong unto the Lord our God. The truth of the matter is we don't know. I'd rather spend time emphasizing what we do know than speculate about what we don't know.

What we do know is that God longs for a people to reflect His image. He longs for a people to repent of their sin. He longs for a people to be open to receive His Spirit of the latter rain. He longs for a people to be committed to proclaim the gospel. When every human being has made their decision, probation will close and the plagues will be poured out.