Simple Faith

Bill Henry: If you can read the King James and you get it, praise God, go for it. But don't let that be the reason that you say, "I can't understand this." Then go get yourself a New King James, go get an ESV, or go get yourself an NIV.

Chuck Missler used to say this: the best version of the Bible is one you can read, understand, and obey. The best version of the Bible is one you can read, understand, and obey.

Guest (Male): Simple Faith Calvary Chapel welcomes you to Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry and our series in the book of Revelation. Now remember as Pastor Bill has said many times, this is a revelation of a single person, Jesus Christ.

As we continue our look at chapter 12 today, Pastor Bill will put all the facts together and show us why this battle between God and Satan will take place and what the results will eventually lead to. If you have a Bible handy, join us in Revelation 12. Here is Pastor Bill.

Bill Henry: I watched a video by another fellow the other day and he did this whole study for two years on crime with police. Were Black people targeted more by police shootings than white people or other races? The study came out and said no, they are not.

The guy doing it was a Black liberal fellow. Yet when he published the paper back in 2017 or 2018, he got a call within one minute of posting the thing saying he was wrong. I told the guy, "Wow, you read over 100 pages in one minute? You're a speed reader, bro."

Deception is everywhere. Nobody wants to know the truth. I think we do, and Christians should, but to be fair, so many lies have even crept their way into the church today. There is so much deception that is happening even from the pulpits today.

This isn't new; it goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden where Eve was deceived in the garden by the snake. Remember too, the Bible clearly tells us that Eve was deceived, but Adam chose to sin. Gnarly, isn't it?

There has been deception all the way back, but this all comes from Satan. He is deceiving the whole world, as we see in our text this morning. To add on to this, Paul said that this would even get worse in the last days. Turn with me please to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2.

Jesus said the same thing in Matthew chapter 24 and the other gospels that deceivers would be coming. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verses 9 through 12 says the coming of the lawless one is in according to the working of Satan. Notice again, Satan is behind it, with all power, signs, and lying wonders.

It comes with all unrighteous deception among those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. Notice the reason: there are many people today who don't even care what the truth is because they don't love the truth.

For this reason, God will send them strong delusion that they should believe the lie and that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. We could unpack so much there, but I just want to say I don't believe this is going to happen until after the rapture of the church.

I think this strong delusion is already here in waves of birth pains, as Jesus and Paul described it. How do we know what is true? How do we know what is good and pure and right? You go to TikTok. Dude, I'm telling you, everything they tell you there is true. They're not going to lie, 100% straight up, bro.

It is interesting because even as Paul warns about these days in 2 Thessalonians, he goes on in verse 15. He says, "Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught whether by word or our epistle." How do we endure? How do we know what is right and good and pure? We go to the Word of God.

Beloved in Christ, this is where we go. We become more and more men and women of the Word of God. We are those who are studying it and living it. This is where we find out what is right and what is wrong. We don't go to Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, or even to Pastor Bill Henry unless I am teaching from the Word of God.

We don't go to ourselves, either. Too many of us, even as Christians and in Christian leadership, think, "This sounds good to me and people being people, it's no big deal." What does the Bible say about it? What does God's Word say about it? The Bible says it is a big deal to flee those things.

I like what Pilate asked Jesus in John 18:38. Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" This was in response to Jesus who had just said in verse 37, "Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice." This is the voice he's talking about. It's not just some voice in your head.

Have you ever seen that cartoon where there is a fellow saying, "Lord, speak to me please, speak to me, Lord, speak"? A big hand from heaven comes down and hands him a Bible. This is how God speaks to us in these last days. Read Hebrews chapter 1.

Does God still speak to us in other ways? Of course, but it will always line up with the Scripture if it's from God. We always put those things under the Word of God, not even equal to the Word of God, because sometimes you just had some bad pizza or you're in a grumpy mood.

Jesus said everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. When Jesus was praying his high priestly prayer in John chapter 17, he said, "Sanctify them by your truth, your Word is truth." This takes the pressure off. You don't have to say, "I think this is right and I think this is wrong."

We just go, "Let's see what God has to say. Oh, here's what he says. He said that's okay. Oh, he says nope, that's a sin." That's what we're to do as disciples of Christ. We come to God and ask what his truth says. Sanctify them by your truth; your Word is truth.

Psalm 119:105 says, "Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." How do we know what is right today? I might not be able to discern if a story is really true. You do all your homework and go to 15 different news sources, but you still can't figure it out.

But I know about what really matters most. Psalm 43:3-5 says, "Oh, send out your light and your truth. Let them lead me. Let them bring me to your holy hill and to your tabernacle. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy, and on the harp I will praise you, O God, my God."

"Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him, the help of my countenance and my God." All the other things that aren't true lead us away from God and away from hope in God. Is anybody's soul cast down today?

Why are you giving me such a hard time? Why are you stressing out? Hope thou in God. Notice it doesn't say, "Straighten it up. Get your walk with Jesus right." No, hope in God. Don't hope in Pastor Bill. Don't hope in Pastor Jay. Don't even hope in yourself. Hope thou in God.

2 Peter 1:19 says, "And we have the prophetic Word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." We need to be men and women of the Word of God and heed that as the light shines in the dark place.

It can be so easy to put off our reading of the Word of God. It can be so easy to come up with excuse after excuse why we shouldn't be reading our Bibles every day to learn and to grow. If you don't understand the Bible, maybe use a different translation.

I've talked to people like that and asked what translation they use. They say, "I got this when I was in third grade, it's an old King James Bible." Do you have a problem understanding the English? We don't see thee and thou anymore. I love the old King James Bible, but remember this: the old King James was the NIV of its day.

The average American only has a sixth-grade reading level. The old King James is at the college grade reading level. If you can read the King James and you get it, praise God, go for it. But don't let that be the reason that you say, "I can't understand this."

Then go get yourself a New King James, go get an ESV, or go get an NIV. Don't get the TNIV or the New Century Version. Those are bad versions. There are some versions today that you have to stay away from. But NASB, ESV, and New King James are fine.

Chuck Missler used to say this: the best version of the Bible is one you can read, understand, and obey. We need to be those who understand the Word of God today and be reading our Bibles every day so we don't live in deception. We see this great falling away all around us.

Michael and his angels will one day have this huge war in heaven with Satan and his angels, but remember that there are wars waging in our lives too. When you were born again of the Spirit of God, you were born into spiritual warfare. Do you remember that you're in a war?

Who won that battle between Satan and Michael? Michael! And we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us. We are conquerors in Christ Jesus. But that means we have to be aware that we are in a battle. Many Christians go about their day as if nothing is happening.

They say your friends are your enemy, your brothers and sisters in Christ are your enemy, your spouse is your enemy, your parents are your enemy, and your kids are your enemy. No. Our enemy is Satan and his fallen angels and our own flesh.

We need to understand that there are so many deceptions out there. We need to come back in the midst of our spiritual battles to the Word of God and find strength, truth, and clarity for these days that we are living in. 2 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 3 says, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh."

So many of us get mad at our politicians, our boss, or our teacher. We do not war according to the flesh. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

We must bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ and be ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. This is talking about us taking our thoughts captive before Jesus. "I can't take my thoughts captive. I keep thinking about drugs or pornography or lying or stealing."

Are you going to believe yourself? If you do, you're deceived. Or are you going to believe the Word of God? If God tells us that we can take our thoughts captive by the power of the Spirit of God, we can do it. Do you believe it or do you believe yourself? Believe what God says.

Don't believe what the world tells us. What does God tell us? We must realize that even though we're in a spiritual battle, we have been equipped to do war. Ephesians chapter 6 verse 10 says, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might."

You can be a 10-pound weakling in the faith. This doesn't say be strong in your own strength. It doesn't say, "Hey, are you having a great day in your walk with Jesus?" It just says be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. When we are doing spiritual warfare, it's all about Jesus.

Remember whose you are. Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. Verse 11 says to put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age.

We wrestle against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, having done all to stand. Verse 14 says, "Stand therefore." Too many Christians think it's okay to run away from battles.

When someone puts something horrific or biblically wrong online, we say nothing because we don't want to get involved. On the streets, we don't witness because we're afraid someone might get mad or even kill us. Well, praise God! Welcome to the martyrs of the Bible.

The armor we have been given is to stand, not to run. I call it wimpy Christianity. I am not saying let's have John Wayne as our role model, although I love John Wayne. Let's have Jesus, Paul, Peter, and Mary as our role models. They stood. Most of them were killed for their faith.

Notice that none of the armor protects your back. To turn around and run away is not an option for the Christian. Verse 14 says, "Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace."

Above all, take the shield of faith with which you are able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.

The Bible is the sword of the Spirit of God. It's able to cut through all the garbage and cut right to the truth. Is this thing a sin, even though we can't talk about it because it's political? Yes, we can talk about it. We come to the Word of God. Each one of us has the sword of the Spirit.

I believe every Christian should have their own paper Bible. This is your sword. I love electronics and I use my iPad and phone, but in China, most Bible study programs and phone Bibles were banned. All it takes is a switch from Apple and they take out all your stuff.

Have a physical sword and mark it up. I've met people who say they can't write in it because it's the Holy Word of God. It's the words inside that are important. We need to get these words inside of our hearts and our minds. This is our sword of the Spirit.

Even if we don't know some things, we can know what is true, good, right, and holy. We can also know what is sin and dark. That is not by going to yourselves. Too many of us have grown up in churches where we say things are sin and they are not.

Smoking is not a sin in the Bible. Someone will say you can't have a tattoo, but that's not a sin unless you get it for a deity. It's not a sin to drink, but it's a sin to be drunk. Dancing is not in the Bible. It's not one of the Proverbs.

Be careful because we live in the days of Isaiah 5:20: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and shrewd in their own sight."

Instead, let's be the people of Psalm 1:1: "Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked or stand around with sinners or sit with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night."

They are like trees planted along the riverbank bearing fruit in each season. Their leaves never wither and they prosper in all that they do. May we be those men and women who are not deceived because we are people of the Word of God.

Guest (Male): I hope you were blessed by today's message from Pastor Bill Henry. This has been Simple Faith from Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington. Today we brought you a message from Pastor Bill's new series in the book of Revelation.

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