Real Life Radio

Jack Hibbs: He said listen, I will not share my temple with the spiritual darkness or with demons. When God the Holy Spirit dwells in your life, you cannot be possessed. Impossible. Why? He doesn't share his temple with anything or anybody.

David J: Welcome to Real Life Radio with Pastor Jack Hibbs. I'm David J. Thank you for joining us today as we listen, learn, and are challenged by God's Word, the Bible.

Fear does not have to control your life. Not when Christ is at the center of it. This month, we're featuring a powerful and deeply personal book, *Living Fearless in Christ* by Hedieh Mirahmadi. Once a devout follower of Islam and a high-level attorney in Washington, Hedieh had everything except peace until she encountered the living Jesus.

Choosing to follow him cost her everything. Her career, her status, and her place in the world she once knew. But what she gained was far greater. Freedom, identity, and a fearless faith that cannot be shaken. Her story will challenge you, encourage you, and remind you of the power of the gospel to transform lives.

*Living Fearless in Christ* is more than a testimony. It's a call to bold surrender. Available for the month of February for a gift of any amount at jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com, where real stories point you to real truth and real life in Christ.

On today's edition of Real Life Radio, Pastor Jack continues his series called First Samuel and a message titled "Worlds in Collision." Now, Samuel of the Old Testament was the last judge of Israel and the first of her prophets. So here in chapters 26 through 28, we'll consider how the material world and the spiritual world are in constant collision.

You see, the encounters between David and King Saul were like two worlds colliding. God's values versus human power, fear, and revenge. David had the power to kill King Saul, but he chose God's way of dealing with King Saul. This reminds us that having the opportunity to strike doesn't mean we have God's permission to do just that.

Today, Pastor Jack teaches that as Christ's followers, we are essentially living between two worlds. We belong to God, but we live in a fallen world. This is why we've really got to respond God's way, not through human power, but through obedience, integrity, and trust. Now with his message called "Worlds in Collision," here is pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs.

Jack Hibbs: It's not easy to obey the Lord, but when we, like Paul the Apostle said, we buffet ourselves. Do you know what that means? Now, I have to be careful. It means that you beat yourself into subjection to the will of God. That doesn't mean you sit around and you slap yourself.

It means that you tell that flesh to sit down. The flesh goes, "Come on, I want to do something right now." Man, you get right back at it and you tell it, "You know what? We're not going to do that." "But I'm hungry." "We're going to pray first." Have you ever done that, or is it just me?

You do. You just maybe not recognize it. When you're driving along and you get this thought in your head and you let it go for a little bit, and the Lord's going, "Hey, hey, hey. Don't think that." "You're right, Lord. Please forgive me." That's that flesh talking, and you've got to tell it to sit down. You've got to tell it to take the back seat.

The spirit that God has quickened in you, you're born again. I've told you before, I love this old story. I need it in my life over and over again. Dr. Harry Ironside was going across the United States. He was coming actually from Chicago to start pastoring in Glendale, California, in the early 1900s. Dr. Ironside was coming, and he stopped and he was preaching somewhere in South Dakota.

He was preaching and they passed a plate, not for Ironside, but for a local church. The great Dr. Ironside was preaching. As they passed the plate, one of the Indian attendees, one of the big Indians—he was a very large man, Ironside wrote in his book—as the plate went by, the Indian said, "Lower the plate." He didn't have a penny to give. He said, "Lower the plate" to the usher.

The usher lowers the plate and he goes, "Lower it more." He lowers it more. He says, "Put it on the ground. Put it on the ground." So the Indian stepped into the plate. He said, "I don't have anything to give God but myself." Dr. Ironside saw that. Afterwards, he said, "I loved what you did. That was a great message all in itself."

As that Indian man began to talk about his relationship with Jesus Christ, Ironside said, "You are so confident in your relationship with God. It's a beautiful thing to see." As they were talking and conversing one with another back and forth, Ironside asked him, "How do you know that your name is written down in heaven? How do you know that you're a child of God? You're so sure."

He says, "Well, that's simple. The first time I ever heard the gospel, when I received Christ, my life changed." "Well, how did your life change?" "Well, there always used to be a black dog living inside of me. That black dog did and experienced and pursued whatever the black dog wanted to do. When I gave my heart to Christ, the white dog showed up."

So all my life since I accepted Christ, the white dog fights against the black dog inside of me, and the black dog fights against the white dog back and forth, and away they go. So I know that I'm a child of God because of the war going on in the inside all the time now. Ironside says, "That's very amazing. That's a great way of putting it. Who wins? Who wins in the big dogfight?"

He says, "Well, that's easy. Whichever dog I feed the most wins." Wise old Indian man. You sow to the flesh, of the flesh you're going to reap corruption. That's the black dog. You sow to the spirit, you're going to reap life everlasting. That's the white dog. All of us are feeding puppies. It depends. That puppy is going to get big. That puppy is going to grow up.

I was talking to Scott tonight, who's a police officer. He got bit by a pit bull today. Have you ever seen a little pit bull? A little pit bull's so cute. You hold it up. They're so cute. You know, that thing is like an alligator with fur. It'll grow up. Then you've seen people slap those dogs and treat them mean and hit them and inflict pain upon them to make them killers. It didn't start out that way. It was made that way. It wasn't created that way. They trained it to be that way.

Same is true with us. Are we sowing into the spirit? Are we sowing into the flesh? Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord. In other words, you've been sowing to the flesh, Saul, all these years. God's done with you. It's over. I just want to make a plea to this precious church body tonight. There are two powers at play tonight in our lives, and both of those powers concern you and I.

There's the power of God, and it's for love. There's the power of evil, and it's for hate. There are two powers. The fact is, there are consequences to our disobedience to God, and we're playing into either one of those two camps. God loves you and I. He wants us to obey him because he is good. Evil wants us to pursue the flesh because evil knows that the end is death.

Both those powers tonight are playing on us. In fact, both those powers have been playing on you and I since the moment of our conception. The battle has been going on in the womb. When you were brought forth into this world, the battle continued. You think Satan matters to him at all how cute you are as a baby? How cuddly you are? You think he cares about puppies and little ducklings and little chickies?

He's a murderer, Jesus says. Jesus says Satan is a murderer. He's real, the Bible says. Saul is calling up through a medium, requesting a séance to bring up the dead. In this case, God allows Samuel to appear and to condemn him because of his actions. What about all the stuff that's been taking place throughout time in this area of channeling and witchcraft and sorcery and all those kinds of things? It's real, people. It's real. There are consequences to this stuff.

More on this in a moment. Let's finish this portion and just get practical in a moment. It says in verse 19, "Moreover, the Lord will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me." Because of that, people say, "Well, see, he's okay. He's saved."

But remember, he's down in hell or Sheol. Samuel is in Abraham's bosom. Where is Saul going? I'm not sure. But if it's on the other side of the Grand Canyon, that gulf, they will be able to converse back and forth. Again, read Luke chapters 15 and 16 on that. Can you imagine that? About this time tomorrow, you'll be with me. I tell you, that's got to put hair on your head or take it off, one or the other.

David J: You're listening to Real Life with Pastor Jack Hibbs. To learn more about this ministry or to catch up on some previous episodes, go to jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com. Now, let's get back to today's message. Once again, here's Pastor Jack.

Jack Hibbs: The Lord will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines. In other words, a lot of people are going to die because you failed to obey the voice of God. Verse 20, "Then immediately Saul fell full length on the ground and was dreadfully afraid because of the words of Samuel, and there was no strength in him for he had eaten no food all day or all night."

The woman came to Saul and saw that he was severely troubled and said to him, "Look, your maidservant has obeyed your voice, and I have put my life in my hands and heeded the words which you spoke to me." Verse 22, "Now therefore, please heed also the voice of your maidservant and let me set a piece of bread before you and eat that you may have strength when you go on your way."

But he refused and said, "I will not eat." So his servants, together with the woman, urged him. He heeded their voice. Then he arose from the ground and sat on the bed. Now the woman had a fatted calf in the house, and she hastened to kill it, and she took flour and kneaded it and baked unleavened bread from it. So she brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they arose and went away that night.

I have that in my Bible marked: they went away that night. Just in a mystical way, "that night" to me tells me that Saul never walked in the light again. It was going to be night for him until he was removed from the earth the next day. He walked away that night.

As we look at this, keep a few things in mind. This stuff that we're hearing in chapter 28 is real. We get this strange thing as Christians. We love and lust to see the power of God in a good way. We want to see God's power. But know this: when you ask for God to open up the windows of heaven, Satan's going to try to open the pitfalls of hell.

What are you thinking? What do we think? "Oh, God, bless me." What do you think Satan says? "Let's prevent that from happening." "Oh, God, use me." Satan says, "No way." You say, "I want to go to Stuttgart, or I want to go to Germany, or I want to go to Mexico, or I want to go to Canada. I want to be used by you, God. Use me."

Satan says, "You know what? I'm going to work hard to stop that." It's a war. Now, know this, everyone, please. Satan is not God's archenemy. We get this thing in our minds that it's God and Satan and they're duking it out and, boy, I hope God wins in the end. Do you understand God has no challengers?

If you want to put it, Holyfield to Tyson kind of a thing, it's Lucifer, Satan, and Michael the Archangel. They're equals. When those guys go at it, it is an even fight when Michael and Lucifer go at it. They're both archangels. They're bad. They're not like those fruity-looking fat angels on a bathroom wall with the arrow.

"Oh, look at the little cherubim." A cherub would rip your head off just standing still. The Bible tells us that when a cherub comes into the presence of somebody, they get sick to their stomach. They fall on their face. Daniel said when he saw one, he was sick for days when he saw an angel. They're real. Angels are real.

Is Jesus Christ real? Yes. The Bible says Jesus Christ created the angelic realm. Did you know that? You can't deny the existence of angels. "Well, I would never dare deny the existence of angels." Then you cannot deny the existence of fallen angels because those are angels that acted just like Saul. They refused to follow God and obey him.

The Bible says they were cast out of heaven. One of them, and he was the chief one who led, according to the scripture, one-third of the angelic host in rebellion against God. We don't know how many that is. One-third? We don't know how many angels there are. They're innumerable, too many to count. But however many there are, Satan, Lucifer, led one-third.

Can you imagine? Can you imagine if you were an angel? According to—jot it down if you want to go study it—Isaiah chapter 14 and Ezekiel chapter 28. Isaiah 14, Ezekiel chapter 28, it tells you how this came about. How Lucifer, because of the pride within his own heart, sinned and then was able to deceive a third of the angelic host, and those angels believed him.

Then having been booted out of heaven, can you imagine if you were one of those angels what you must think and feel? They're real beings. They can get angry. They have independent thought. They certainly have emotions. They have the will to choose. Do you want to know how we know that? Because they were the original worshippers of God in heaven. That means they have free will.

They can choose to worship or they can choose to disobey. You can't worship unless you have free will, and they worshipped. But people, if angels are real, and they are, and if fallen angels are real, and they are, and if demons are real, and they are, then they're real even now today. Many Christians don't want to talk about that.

Deuteronomy chapter 18, verses 9 through 14. Deuteronomy 18:9, God says through Moses, "When you come into the land which the Lord God is giving to you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those pagan nations." Let's find out what a pagan nation is all about. "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire."

That's what pagan nations do. Because pagan nations worship foreign gods, they would take their firstborn son or daughter and commit them or dedicate them to these foreign gods and sacrifice, consume them, burn them alive as an offering to these gods. By the way, many of those offerings were to appease for their sins.

"I've sinned." That's what Micah chapter 6 talks about. "I have sinned and I shall give the fruit of my womb for my transgression." Does that not happen today? "I've sinned. I've gotten pregnant. I'm not married, I've gotten pregnant. What should I do? Oh, my gosh, what should I do?"

This poor woman makes a mistake, sins, and then she follows through with another even greater mistake. Micah chapter 6 talks about it: "Shall I offer the fruit of my womb because of the transgression of my soul? Shall I kill my child because I've disobeyed God?" Two wrongs will never make a right.

"Will you be like those other nations?" God is saying to Israel. "And cause your child to be burned and consumed in the fire of these foreign gods of pleasure, or one who practices witchcraft?" By the way, both in Greek and Hebrew, sorcery—sorcery? You mean the guy with the pointy hat? Not really. The word actually, the derivative, the foundation of the word is *pharmakeia*, where we get the word pharmaceuticals or drugs.

It is a fact, and some of you already know this too painfully: when you dabble in mind-altering drugs, isn't it interesting that you see the demonic realm when you're on these drugs? That's exactly what Moses wrote about thousands and thousands of years ago. Soothsayers, people who are consulting the dead, and one who interprets omens.

Man, there's a lot of that going on, especially in Europe right now. They're finding entrails, guts of animals laid out in all kinds of pentagrams. They found in Chino Hills in one of the many greenbelts—the eucalyptus groves—a cat crucified and its guts laid out in front of it in certain patterns that were not done by just kids goofing off and being twisted, but it had satanic logic to it according to a book. Or sorcerers, enticers of drugs, or one who conjures up spells or a medium.

You can turn on TV now—you better not—but you can turn on TV and catch some of these lunatics. Do you know why they're dangerous? Because they'll be right sometimes. Satanic.

David J: Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs here on Real Life Radio and his message called "Worlds in Collision." Thanks for spending some time with us today. You know, this message is part of Pastor Jack's series called First Samuel. A series highlighting the Prophet Samuel, who was called by God during one of Israel's darkest times to bring the people back to a heart of true worship. We'll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio.

Jack Hibbs: It's probably often said, I would imagine in every generation, somebody like myself, a pastor, a preacher, will stand up and say, "There's never been a time like this before. It's never been this dark. It's never been this difficult or challenging." Well, I think it's true for every generation. The main thing is for each generation to not lose heart.

So more than ever, you and I need to realize that it is time to take a bold stand. I know the feeling. You might be thinking right now, "I don't have the ability to do that. I don't think I'm bold. I don't think I can stand." Well, listen, in and of ourselves, friend, we cannot. God's calling upon our life is an impossible calling. It cannot be done with human effort.

True biblical Christianity has been designed by God that way. It cannot happen unless God is the one doing the doing. So when God calls us to take a stand in a dark and evil culture like ours today, he has called us and he's brought us to this moment, to this time in history, because he's got a job for us to do. It's not impossible. It's not insurmountable. We don't have to fail.

With him, we can be more than a conqueror. He takes you and I, and he allows us and he equips us to do the impossible. Taking a bold stand right now means we know what we're standing on. We're standing on the Word of God. Not the opinions of ourselves or friends, not what's trending or what the latest thing is that's trending on TikTok or Facebook or Instagram. No.

It's that forever truth that has always been. The Word of God is where we stand. That is our foundation. Because God cannot lie, because God cannot tell us something that is off or not true, whatever he speaks is truth. So we will stand on the foundation he has given us. We will speak up. We will be without apology to speak truth to the culture that we live in because God is on his throne, his truth is eternal, and you and I are his servants in this day and age today.

So let's pray right now for that power and for that conviction. Father God, we come before you and we know that you do not make mistakes. That our lives being lived out right now have been very, very timely situated by your perfect plan. The very hour of which the clock is ticking in our lives has been ordained by you. That should cause us to be bold.

And the fact that your Word is literally undefeated and will always be undefeated, that should cause us to take a stand with boldness. So, Lord, we pray now that you'd fill us afresh with the power of your Holy Spirit and that we would go forth, not in our own strength, for your Word tells us it's not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord. So, Lord, may we live today boldly, courageously, because you are our God. We pray in Jesus' name, and all God's people said, amen.

David J: Hey, thank you again so much for listening. And if you'd like to hear or see more of what we do here, you can always go to jackhibbs.com for all the latest on what's going on with this ministry. If you'd like to partner with us and help support spreading the gospel around the world, you can do that there too. It has been so good to be with you today, and I pray you find yourself in the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. See you on the next episode.

This program is made possible by the generous contributions of you, our listeners. Visit us at jackhibbs.com, that's jackhibbs.com. Until next time, Pastor Jack Hibbs and all of us here at Real Life Radio wish for you solid and steady growth in Christ and in his Word. We'll see you next time here on Real Life Radio.