The Saints Overcome with Pastor Joshua
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The Saints Overcome with Pastor Joshua
The Truth about Election. (Nicodemus)
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This episode is about the doctrine of election. Jesus explains to Nicodemus that he needs to be born again.
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Live from the Saints Headquarters in Tolleson, arizona, spreading the Gospel, equipping the Saints, standing for the word of truth, proclaiming God's grace. Now, on a podcast near you, welcome your host, pastor Joshua, on the Saints Will Overcome Ministries.
Speaker 2:Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We are back. This is Pastor Joshua. I just wanted to say God bless you. We have a lot going on, we're busy. We're firing in all cylinders. We have a lot going on, we're busy, we're firing in all cylinders. We're fighting the enemy on his own territory. We got the throttle fully engaged. We got the pedal to the theological metal.
Speaker 2:This show is where the spirit meets the sinners, ladies and gentlemen, and I want to talk and open up about Betty White's most recent death and how TV extolled her. And I was thinking to myself as a pastor, a minister, as a person that preaches the Word of God, and I got to preface this statement by saying this by no means am I better, by no means by my own actions or will, that I've done anything in my life to save myself. God has done 100% of the work. And I want to bring Betty White up, because people were talking about it all day long, how she was so good, how she was 99 years old, even, that she had a strong belief, since she didn't participate in racism. And I understand all that. And you know what? To the human eye, to the human element, to the human ego, which one could spell the acronym out etching God out of one's own life. I was thinking what a tragedy, what a tragedy that we've developed a culture and a systematic theology as far as relativism, as far as humanism, and we've incorporated that and marred the Word of God, christ's beliefs. Because I was asked well, was she a Christian? She seemed like it, and we have to understand what is a Christian? What is the elect, what is predestination, ladies and gentlemen? And we're going to jump into John 3.16. We're going to talk about the general call, the effectual call and the efficacious nature of that call.
Speaker 2:Ladies and gentlemen, when it comes to that electoral call, and I was reading about her beliefs, betty White, referring to with all respect to her, and she was part of the Unitary Church belief, unity Church, and I just want to read over some elements of what they believe and what they believe. I'm going to start here and we're just going to knock this out. We're going to read through a few of their beliefs and then we're going to jump into the meat and potatoes of the show, ladies and gentlemen. So atonement, and I'm reading here from an article here on the atonement of the Unity Church beliefs. And I'm going to start with atonement and this article. You can actually pull this article up, ladies and gentlemen. This is Abrahamic Middle Eastern Christianity and feel free to look it up. It's by Jack Zavada and it was updated on March 17, 2019. I'd like to give credit to whoever article I'm reading here online, and this is what it says about atonement.
Speaker 2:This article in the Church, as far as the Unity Church Unity does not refer to Jesus Christ's atonement or sacrificial death on the cross for humanity's sin is a statement of beliefs. So what it's saying here is the atonement of Jesus Christ is not really what it seems to be in this unity church beliefs. It does not even refer to Jesus Christ's atonement or sacrificial death for humanity's sin. Ladies and gentlemen, that's the crux of the entire Bible. That's the crux of everything that we are the redemption story, redeeming us to make us His bought with saving us from hell, baptism. Baptism is a symbolic act, a mental and spiritual process in which the person aligns with the Spirit of God. Now, that sounds all good if you don't dive into it and systematically take this apart. Baptism is a mental process. One of their statements says Baptism is not a mental process, ladies and gentlemen. It is a recognition of being regenerated by God and he did 100% of the work, not us, and we'll go through that. When we talk about that in Ezekiel, the Bible, think about this statement.
Speaker 2:Unity founders, charles and Myrtle Fillmore considered the Bible to be history and allegory. Their interpretation of Scripture was that it's a metaphysical representation of humankind's evolutionary journey towards spiritual awakening. While Unity calls the Bible its basic textbook, it also says it honors the universal truth in all religions and respects each individual's right to choose a spiritual path. So not only is the Bible degraded as a basic textbook, it's actually allegory and allegory, ladies and gentlemen. You can make whatever you want out of it. You could take any text and spiritualize it to whatever you want it to be. And it actually says in this statement that all universal truths are pretty much the same and it's up to every individual to choose their spiritual path. Who's wrong, who's right? Where's the moral absolute? This is philosophical subjectivism, ladies and gentlemen. To make it clear, this is another trick and this is another lie by Satan, by the enemy, a direct attack on Jesus Christ, his self, calling it a metaphysical representation of humankind's evolutionary journey, meaning it's like the Spirit, it's like New Age thought you can do it all yourself, without the power and without the grace of God.
Speaker 2:Communion, spiritual communion takes place through prayer and meditation in the silence. The word of truth is symbolized by the bread and body of Jesus Christ. The conscious realization of God life is symbolized by the wine and the blood of Jesus Christ. Conscience realization and the blood of Jesus Christ, conscience realization. It's not different from New Age thought. It's not different than a lot of Buddhism or Hinduism teaching. It's not different than Gnosticism. Ladies and gentlemen, and we're going to blaze through this. Knock it out because this is very important, because, as I'm watching the news, they're idolizing her. Knock it out because this is very important, because, as I'm watching the news, they're idolizing her and I'm thinking to myself it's a tragedy. She didn't know who Jesus Christ actually was.
Speaker 2:God. God is one power, all good, everywhere present, all wisdom. Unity speaks of God as light, life, love, substance, principle, law and universal mind. Heaven and hell in unity. Heaven and hell are states of minds, not places. We make our own heaven or hell here and now, by our thoughts, words and deeds.
Speaker 2:The Unitarians say, ladies and gentlemen, there's no such thing as hell or heaven, that we can speak our own reality and think our own reality. Heaven and hell is what we make it, putting ourselves on par with the Creator. There's no such thing. What good is it to have a healthy fear of the Lord? What good is it to have a healthy fear of the Lord, ladies and gentlemen, and fear failing Him in our humanness and extolling Him in truth? We don't live in fear of God that he's going to condemn us, because the Bible says he's redeemed us, but there's a healthy fear of letting our Father down. Hell and heaven is a real place. All we have to do is read Luke 16, 22.
Speaker 2:Think about what they say about the Holy Spirit. The only mention of the Holy Spirit in Unity's statement of beliefs refers to spiritual baptism, signifying the inflow of the Holy Spirit. In Unity Statement of Beliefs refers to spiritual baptism signifying the inflow of the Holy Spirit. Unity says the Spirit of God lives with each person and I'm sure there's a whole methodology and teaching behind that and we can get in that a little bit later and it's probably not how it sounds. I guarantee it's not. We're moving along because we've got a jam-packed show, so I'm just going through the codification of what they believe.
Speaker 2:Jesus Christ. Jesus is a master teacher of universal truths and the wayshower in unity teachings. Unity teachers teaches that the Spirit of God lived in Jesus, just as he lives in every person. Jesus expressed His divine potential and showed others how to express their divinity, which unity calls Christ. Unity does not refer to Jesus Christ as God, son of God, savior or Messiah. So we are our own gods, we are all gods. We have our potential to bring our outward divinity out by bringing our consciousness under control, our ego, etching God out of our lives completely. This is how Satan works to divert us off the power, the sovereignty, the omniscience, the omnipresence, the beautiful nature of God, his self. These teachings are wicked and they're systematically Satan's theology in their systematically Satan's theology to strip the deity away from Christ and to call mankind, the one and only that can do it for his self, original sin.
Speaker 2:Unity believes that humans are inherently good. It believes that the fall occurred not in the Garden of Eden by Adam and Eve's disobedience to God, but in consciousness. Whenever a person reports, resorts to negative thinking. So there's no such thing as original sin, it's just our negative thinking. So the Adam and Eve story never really exists in a sense. Even if it did, salvation is now, according to unity, not something that happens after death. Unity teaches that each individual produces salvation when they turn from negative thoughts to positive thoughts. So everything's in control of the mind. This is madness. This is insanity In unity teaching. Sin is a separation from God by harboring thoughts of fear, anxiety, worry and doubt. It can be corrected by returning to thoughts of love, harmony, joy and peace. Trinity Unity does not mention the word Trinity in its statement of beliefs. It does not address God as God the Father. It does not address Jesus as the Son of God.
Speaker 2:Ladies and gentlemen, we're going to stop right there, but I really want to look at it in the context of biblical interpretation and I really want us to understand what's happening, because everybody was running around saying Betty White was such a great person, she was going to live to 100. She was 99. And I'm sitting here and I was thinking to myself. I want to research what she believes and, ladies and gentlemen, this theology, the unity theology, drags people straight to hell. Well, how can that be, pastor Joshua? How can a person be drugged to hell, thinking that they're saved by this theology that they have learned? It's not their fault, pastor Joshua, is it? Yes, it is, and even though I can't sit here and say Betty White went to hell and heaven, because I don't know if she had a deathbed conversion I don't know, I'm not there, I'm not in her life but the information tells me there was dire consequences when she passed away and opened her eyes and stood in front of the Creator and was totally, 100% alienated from Him.
Speaker 2:Ladies and gentlemen, we're going to start reading with John 3.16. And I want you to remember by no means I'm better. It's a tragedy. This is why we're on this show. This is where the spirit meets the sinners. Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, are you ready? Okay, ladies and gentlemen, the crowd is fired up. And who can blame them? Ladies and gentlemen, do you remember?
Speaker 2:In the chapter of John Now preceding John, 3.16 is where Jesus teaches Nicodemus. 16 is where Jesus teaches Nicodemus. And I'm reading here from the NIV version. Ladies and gentlemen, it's more of a dynamic equivalent explaining it. So we don't got to look back to the King James and the ESV. In a sense, for a lot of people that aren't really deep into the word, it explains it in a more contemporary language, our vernacular. Now, here we go. We're going to start at chapter 3, and I want you to pay a lot of attention. We're going to have an extended show. It might go on for 45 minutes or an hour, but we're here together. The audience is excited. We have thousands. We're going to be approaching millions of listeners one day, why not? God is reaching people, regenerating them, making them alive through this show. All I'm doing is planting and watering. That's all I'm doing with the seed, ladies and gentlemen. So here we go, chapter 3.
Speaker 2:Now there was a Pharisees, a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council, the bigwigs, the big gunners of the day, the Sanhedrin. They had a lot of power, even within the Roman subjugation. They had a lot of power, and Rome used them to control the people. Now here we go. He came to Jesus that night and said Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him. Think about that statement, rabbi. We know Well who's the we, who's the general we. It has to be the people, thousands of people, even the people in the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the Essenes. A lot of them knew he was the son of God, but they hated him, they despised him and they were not regenerate. Even the demons believe in God and tremble shiver.
Speaker 2:The Bible says Just because a person says I believe in Jesus, I'm a Christian, I'm saved, doesn't mean they are. Ladies and gentlemen, you've heard this from Pastor Joshua before Church a lot of people sitting in church are not saved. Hell is going to be full of people that sit in the pews every Sunday and thought they were saved Because they knew about God but they didn't know who he was in their personal life. That is the point of the show trying to bridge that gap, being used by God. He came to Jesus at night and Jesus said he was a teacher of all Israel a and Jesus says you should know these things.
Speaker 2:Nicodemus says for no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him. Jesus replied verily, verily. I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they were born again. And that double verily, that truly, truly. That was an expression of importance in the Jewish literature, in the Torah, in the Pentateuch. That means pay attention, you got to be born again. Nicodemus says how can someone be born when they are old Nicodemus asks Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born when they are old? Nicodemus asked Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born? He's confused the teacher of.
Speaker 2:Israel, one of the most famous individuals. How could you not know this? Jesus answered him Verily. Verily, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. And we're going to have a big talk about that water and the Spirit, ladies and gentlemen, and what that means and the debate amongst theologians. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but Spirit gives birth to to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying you must be born again.
Speaker 2:The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear it sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. Ladies and gentlemen, christ is telling him the wind blows wherever it pleases. Christ is saying the Holy Spirit and the way it moves and the way it regenerates cannot be understood. God wills what he wills through his Spirit, ladies and gentlemen, and he says you must be born again. Preceding that statement, you must be born again. Well, how the wind blows wherever it pleases, you hear it sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So is it with everyone born of the Spirit. Secondarily, god will take you where he wants to take you when you are His Primary, to that. Before that God regenerates. How he will regenerate.
Speaker 2:Don't try to understand this. Accept this. It's trying to understand and predict where the wind goes. Look, we can talk about meteorology all day long. We could talk about currents, dew points, rain from the sky. We could talk about warm weather mixing with cold weather. We can talk about all of this, ladies and gentlemen, but we cannot predict which way the wind is moving. It's impossible. We get a general idea, but Christ is saying so is it with the Spirit? And we're going to jump into a soundbite After this. And remember, we're going to jump to Ezekiel After the soundbite.
Speaker 2:So Nicodemus, dumbfounded, confused, not knowing what to do, sitting there with Christ, the creator of the universe, the one that spoke, and the universe leapt into existence. The I am the tetragrammatron, the one that was present in the burning bush that revealed his self to Moses before the exodus, asked this question you are Israel's teacher, said Jesus. And do you not understand these things? Verily, verily, I say to you we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe. How then will you believe if I speak of?
Speaker 3:heavenly things.
Speaker 2:No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven, the Son of man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of man must be lifted that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. Remember the serpent in the wilderness? They're all getting bit by vipers, them snakes. And Moses held that bronze serpent up. Well, jesus Christ was going to be held up. That was a foreshadowing, because he became a curse on the tree of life and they had to look at that bronze servant and have faith.
Speaker 2:So is it so with Jesus Christ, ladies and gentlemen? And that confused a lot of people, and that was verse 15. We're going to jump into 16 on the most famous verse in the Bible, but first, ladies and gentlemen, we are going to play a soundbite and people are going to have different views on this. And I've been watching a show called the Chosen. I recommend it. It's a beautiful show. It shows the beauty of Jesus Christ and even though it's narrated and fictionalized, it has not done it in a heretical view, to a heretical degree. It just tries to add an element of drama to the life and character of Jesus Christ. And it's beautiful. And if it ever deviated from that, I'd be the first one on this show, the Saints Overcome, and I'd go on the full attack against this show. But I can't, because so far, so good, and I want to play this soundbite and I want you to listen to it.
Speaker 2:We don't know if Nicodemus was saved, but we believe he was. He was there at the very end and it seems like he had a true conversion. We don't know, but I hope I see Nicodemus up there. I really do, so I can say, brother, you made it. So, ladies and gentlemen, are you ready?
Speaker 3:But in this way that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Hey, it's Dallas. I'm the creator of the Chosen, and the scene you are about to see is the scene, the most impactful and famous chapter in the Bible John, chapter 3, the conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus. Now, what you're about to see will not only be the gospel captured accurately, but you'll also see the historical context, the cultural context and the personal, human context that we added, that was set up by the previous six episodes. So enjoy the scene as it is, but if you want to get the full impact as to why this scene was so powerful, be sure to watch the entire season one of the Chosen. Check this out.
Speaker 4:I don't know where to start. I have so many questions. Shall we sit first? Oh, yes, of course, the eastern slums. Many wandering preachers have succeeded in gathering crowds with their rhetoric and fiery tone. I've heard a few of them over the years myself, so you know the type. But I have never heard anyone tell the paralytic to get up and walk much less. It actually happened. So what is your conclusion? A paralytic to get up and walk? Much less it actually happened. So what is your conclusion?
Speaker 4:I believe you are not acting alone. No one can do these signs. You do without having God in him, only someone who has come from God. And how is that belief going over? In the synagogue, which is why we are here at this hour? What else, what have you come here? To show us?
Speaker 4:A kingdom? That is what our rulers are worried about? No, not that kind. Then what A sort of kingdom that a person cannot see unless he is born again. Born again, yes, you mean, like a new creature, a conversion from gentile to Jewish? No, no, that's not what I'm talking about. Then what is born again? I hope you don't mean return to the womb, because that would be a problem for me. My mother, may she rest in peace is dead.
Speaker 4:Truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit, his spirit, that part of you, that is what must be reborn to new life. How can these things be A teacher of Israel? And yet you do not understand these things. I'm trying, rabbi, I know, I know, I know. Do you hear this? What? Listen, what? Do you hear? The wind? How do you know it's the wind? Because I can feel it and I hear its sound. Do you know it's the wind Because I can feel it? I hear it sound. Do you know where it comes from? No, do you know where it's going? No, that's what it is to be born again of the spirit. The spirit may work in a way that is a mystery to you, and while you cannot see the spirit, you can recognize his effect.
Speaker 4:Mind is consumed with thoughts of what a stir these words would cause among the teachers of the law. Yes, and I do not expect otherwise, I speak of what I know and have seen, and it has not been received by the religious leaders, it is hard to receive. So if I have told you of earthly things and you do not believe, how can I tell you heavenly things? I believe your words. I just fear you may not have a chance to speak many more of them before you are silenced. I have come to do more than speak words, nicodemus, more miracles, yes, but even more than that.
Speaker 4:Do you remember when the children of Israel complained against God and against Moses in the wilderness of Paran? Yes, they wanted to return to Egypt and they cursed the manna that God sent them. And then they were bitten by serpents and they were dying. But. But God made a way for them to be healed. Moses lifted the bronze serpent in the desert and people only needed to look at it. So will the son of man be lifted up so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life? Our people are not dying from snake bites. They're dying from taxation and oppression.
Speaker 4:I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I did not come to deliver the people from Rome. Then from what? From sin, from spiritual death, from sin from spiritual death. God loves the world in this way that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. So this has nothing to do with Rome. It's all about sin. God did not send his son into the world to condemn it, nicodemus. He sent him to save it through him. It's as simple as Moses' serpent on the pole Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already. Have you ever heard anything like this before? When I met lily mary that day, I told my wife and my students she was beyond human aid. Only God could have healed her. And then I saw her healed. And here you are the healer.
Speaker 4:I owe her life, the healer, my whole life. I wondered if I would see this day. Follow me and you'll see more. Follow you, join me and my students. In two days' time we leave Capernaum. Come see the kingdom I am bringing into this world. But I, you have a position in the Sanhedrin. You have family, you are getting advanced in years, I understand, but the invitation is still open. The invitation to what exactly? To lead a nomadic life, to give up who I am? It's true there is a lot you would give up, but what you would gain is far greater and more lasting. Is this another one of your born-again mysteries? Maybe? I know, mysteries aren't easy for a scholar. Think about it. Take your time. On the morning of the fifth day we leave and we'll meet by the well in the southern quarter at dawn. Mysteries, mysteries. Is this? Is the kingdom of God really coming? What does your heart tell you? My heart is swollen with fear and wonder. My heart is swollen with fear and wonder.
Speaker 3:It can tell me nothing except that I am standing on holy ground.
Speaker 4:Holy roof. I do hope you come with us, Nicodemus.
Speaker 2:I don't have to do that. Tell you the way.
Speaker 4:Kiss the sun. Lest you be angry and you perish in the way.
Speaker 2:Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Ladies and gentlemen, that was a beautiful, beautiful representation of hopefully, god willing, the conversion of Nicodemus, of hopefully, god willing, the conversion of Nicodemus. So as we start on chapter 3 of John and jump down to 16, let's continue on what Christ said. For God so loved the world, he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict. Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
Speaker 2:Ladies and gentlemen, what a profound, profound statement, and I want to say something. Remember what Jesus said in that clip. You will lose a lot, nicodemus, but you will gain so much more. Lose what, ladies and gentlemen. Sin feels good for a season embracing. It feels good to all of us in the sense of the flesh, but when a person follows Christ, you gain much more truth, knowledge, salvation, love, hope, desire for Him, not in this condemned state, looking up at the celestial heavens and asking what is the point? Who am I? I'm lost. There's no point in going on, nothing matters anymore. I am as a grain of sand on the seashore amongst trillions, with no purpose at all. But laying our life down at the feet of Christ, we lose all of that and looking up towards the cross, we gain all of him. Ladies and gentlemen, and that is what he's telling Nicodemus water and the Spirit. Well, pastor Joshua, can you explain that?
Speaker 2:Well, there's two different views. Some theologians and commentators believe that the water is a representation of physical birth and that the Spirit is regeneration, the new birth, the second birth, the birth of salvation, god's anointing, choosing, the elect. And I'm not here to bash anybody that believes that, because I've said that many times and I've studied a lot and I continue to study, and I believe that for a while, and I've studied a lot and I continue to study, and I believe that for a while. But I believe that God has revealed to me, just in the sense of studying and being a Berean, the ultimate truth of that. And what a blessing, ladies and gentlemen. And I want to read this from Ezekiel, chapter 36, where they were taken away under the Babylonian exile and they were put by the place known as Kibar and God started giving him revelation and what he will do and how he would take them out of that captivity and release them. And he will work out salvation, the ultimate plan of it, when the persians came and they released them to go back to their homeland, to start rebuilding. And we'll go through that a little bit later. We don't want to get sidetracked because we are just not going to be able to finish this show, ladies and gentlemen. So let's go back to Ezekiel, shall we? Chapter 36. This is kind of a long chapter and then we're going to close out, ladies and gentlemen, but before I say that, I want to kind of give you a little bit of a background of myself.
Speaker 2:I was lost, destitute, destined to go to hell, ex-gangbanger, drug addict, just no hope at all. And God brought me to a place where he ignited a passion and hunger in me. You know, I was talking to my father recently and he made a statement and says well, thank God, you accepted Christ and my father's Jehovah's Witness. He's not saved, and with very, very different views, and I'm going to do a documentary on Jehovah's Witnesses and a couple of shows on that later on in the future to show the error and what has been perpetrated against scripture. And I reach out to people, but it's very difficult when the enemy has a grip on people.
Speaker 2:But I would like to say this he made a statement and said something miraculous has happened and we know that. Right, you know his wife made a statement. He says she said you were just a punk years ago. Well, I was a kid, had no guidance, so one could say I was. But it's kind of what happens. Fathers, do not entice your children to anger, right, that's what Paul says, kind of paraphrasing it. And I told him. I said I haven't done anything. I know one thing Like the prodigal son, I was lost, but now I'm found. If it was left solely to me, I would have stayed on the same path Drugs, alcoholism, women, destruction. Why would I have changed any of that, josh would have only done what Josh continued to do destroy himself. I didn't just say okay, I have faith, god, I choose you. In the midst of my anguish, the Lord came to me and regenerated me. That's my confession to all of you on the air.
Speaker 2:And this is what God is telling Ezekiel to prophesy, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. This is what the sovereign Lord says. The enemy said of you ah, the ancient heights have become our possession. Therefore, prophesy and say this is what the sovereign Lord says, because they've ravaged and crushed you from every side so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations and the object of people's malicious talk and slander. Therefore, mountains of Israel, hear the word of the sovereign Lord. This is what the sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills. This is what the sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills. And God's just declaring his decree to everything, to nature. It is a pronouncement of judgment. It is a pronouncement of God's power and his exoneration to his people, to the ravines and valleys, to the desolate ruins and deserted towns that have been plundered and ridiculed by the rest of the nations around you. This is what the Sovereign Lord says.
Speaker 2:In my burning zeal, I have spoken against the rest of the nations and against Edom. For the glee, and with malice in their hearts, they made my land their own possession so that they might plunder its pasture land. Therefore, prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys this is what the Sovereign Lord says. I speak in my jealous wrath because you have suffered the scorns of the nations. Therefore, this is what the Sovere, sovereign Lord says. I swear with uplifted hand that the nations around you will also suffer scorn.
Speaker 2:Remember, israel got taken away in the captivity because they were committing great and evil acts, and God let Babylon take them over. And God let Babylon take them over. And God in their captivity is prophesying that all you nations that conduct the same evil, just because I punished my child, israel, do not think I'm not going to punish you for your wicked deeds, but you mountains of Israel will produce branches and fruit for my people, israel. They will soon come home. I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor. You will be plowed and sown and I will cause many people to live on you. Yes, all of Israel. The towns will be inhabited and ruins rebuilt. I will increase the number of people and animals living on you and they will be fruitful and become rebuilt. I will increase the number of people and animals living on you and they will be fruitful and become numerous. I will settle people on you as in the past and make you prosper more than before. Then you will know that I am the Lord. I will cause people, my people, israel, to live on you. They will possess you and you will be their inheritance. You will never again deprive them of their children. This is what the sovereign lord says, because some say to you you devour people and deprive your nations of its children. Therefore, you will no longer devour people or make your nation childless, declares the sovereign lord. No longer will I make you hear the taunts of the nations and no longer will you suffer the scorn of other peoples or cause the nations to fall, declares the Sovereign Lord. Now we're going to get into the heart and about four to five minutes of what Christ tells Nicodemus, but I have to give you the backdrop in the historical context, in the historical context, and he takes what Ezekiel said, and he reiterates it to Nicodemus Again, the word of the Lord came to me, son of man, when the people of Israel were living in their own land.
Speaker 2:They defiled it by their conduct and their actions. Their conduct was like a woman's monthly uncleanness in my sight. So I poured out my wrath on them because they had shed blood in the land Verse 19. Dispersed them among the nations and they were scattered through the countries. I judged them according to their conduct and their actions, and whenever they went among the nations, they profaned my holy name. For, it was said to them, they are the Lord's people, and yet they had to leave this land, to leave his land. I had a concern for my holy name, which the people of Israel profaned against the nations where they have gone. Therefore, say to the Israelites this is what the sovereign Lord says. It is not for your sake. Think about this, ladies and gentlemen. Therefore, the Lord, say to the Israelites this is what the sovereign Lord says it is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned against the nations where you have gone. Let's stop right there. Verse 22. Salvation, redemption.
Speaker 4:Why.
Speaker 2:For God's sake. For God's sake, for God's glory, for God's deserving and entitled worship of His creatures. For His sake, salvation is not for our sake, it's for His sake. Not for our sake, it's for His sake. I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned amongst the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes. Are you ready, for I will take you out of the nations. Talking about the diaspora, I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. This is 25,.
Speaker 2:Ladies and gentlemen, remember Nicodemus, remember the conversation. I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. Think about it. I, I, I, I, not you, you, you, you. This is all God's work. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ladies and gentlemen, born again. God is saying in Ezekiel. He's prophesying way before Christ, way before Christ, a thousand years or so, maybe longer, and he is saying I will put a new heart in you.
Speaker 2:You got a heart of stone and I give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I give your ancestors, you will be my people and I will be your God. Think about that, ladies and gentlemen. He is going to give us a new heart of flesh. He will sprinkle clean water on us. Purge us from our impurities. Purge us from our impurities. So when Christ is saying you have to be born of the water, right, you got to be born again, not of the flesh, but of the water and the spirit. This is what he's saying.
Speaker 2:When you read Jewish literature, the spirit is always being poured out, symbolic of water being poured out, overflown, being poured upon you. The spirit is so overcoming, it's being poured upon us. So in Ezekiel it's saying one and the same thing. Christ is saying one and the same thing to Nicodemus the water and the Spirit is one and the same thing. You're going to be baptized into the family of God by God pouring out the spirit like water, regenerating you, experiencing a new birth. No more having a stone heart, no more having a wicked heart. But God told Ezekiel to prophesy and say this is my plan and my doing.
Speaker 2:The doctrine of election, the doctrine of predestination, for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. The general call, the preaching of the gospel Even though we hear that that is a general revelation To be able to hear the gospel. What a privilege, even if you're not saved. But the belief the belief which is the effectual, which is the efficacious nature of salvation is instituted by God, is an act of the Lord, like he says in Ezekiel for my name's sake, I will do all these things.
Speaker 2:God is just, ladies and gentlemen. He can will who he wants. God hates sending the wicked to hell, ratifying their own decisions. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. And a person doesn't come to the light because Christ says they'd rather stay in darkness. I want you to go back and listen to my podcast before this, because we don't even have the ability to come to the light unless God drags us with his super powerful loving irresistible grace and align that with this message in Ezekiel.
Speaker 2:I'm happy that God doesn't use me in my salvation, that God predestined me to be part of the elect. I don't know who's in the elect I have no idea but I know I'm part of it and pray, pray for people. I know I'm part of it and pray, pray for people. Ladies and gentlemen, I kind of want to give you a background of me real quick. Not that I'm anything and I give all glory to God, but I am going for a master's and I am going for my doctoral degree, so I'm continuing my education. I put my hand to the plow and I bring this up because I want you to have confidence in what I'm telling you. I want you to know that I am a responsible biblical teacher that loves you and I take this very seriously, teaching on a daily basis. Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for being here on the Saints Will Overcome Ministries with Pastor Joshua. Until we meet next time, I love you and Godspeed.