When a prophet says he gets it right most of the time, I went on Fox website and I posted this verse in the comment section. Read it with me, if you're there. When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing followed not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him. And that's another way of saying it, ignore him. Just ignore him. This is even the part where I'm pretty sure there's another part where it says, come on. Yeah. Well, yeah. And the reason why I'm not going there is because in this dispensation, we don't kill these people in a literal sense. But what we do is we kill their ministry as far as we're concerned. It's dead. Yes. I'm sorry, Johnny. I'm just disappointed. Personally, I always tell everybody I'm very glad I live under grace, not law. But the law did have some perks. Coincidence that the last days will be marked by both false teachers and a falling away, apostasy. That has to go hand in hand because if it weren't for apostasy, people would know their Bibles. And they wouldn't fall for the apostate teachers and the false teachers and false prophets. It's a cure. A cure for false teachers and false prophets is knowing your Bible. A saved, Spirit-filled Christian who knows their Bible won't fall for this stuff. We're told in 2 Thessalonians 3, just the beginning of the verse says, let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first. People will not follow false prophets, false teachers the way they are today unless there's also a falling away taking place. That tells you what's going on right now. and that's telling you what's going to happen right before the last days commence and the seven years of the 70th week of Daniel take place. Now, again, you can get a little angry about this sometimes when you think about it, but I'm telling you, you should just get excited. I mean, we're not excited about the people who are being deceived, but you know what? We're going to see in a minute, they asked for it. So when you see this stuff biblically, you can say, you know what, I'm sad for these people, I'm sad for all this going on, but at the same time I'm so happy because I know I'm about to see Jesus. So falling away from what? There's an interesting prophecy in Amos 8.11. Behold, the days come. saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord." That is taking place now. a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. I'd say it all the time. You know, Jenny and I, before we prayerfully started BBF in the family room at Stafford Avenue 14 years ago, we visited churches in the area. Most of them didn't even crack a Bible open. And when they did, they didn't teach what the actual text was saying. And they would take a verse and just basically play soccer with it. Just fling it around, kick it around, throw it around. We were sitting there saying, how is he getting that from that? And we realized there is a famine of the hearing of the words of the Lord in these churches. Then you realize most of the professing Christians you know have a corrupt Bible. They're not only not hearing it in the sense of even reading the real Word of God, and then they go to churches that are preaching. We watched the Tabernacle video, and I recommend it because of the visuals. But I always tell everybody, when you watch that thing, get your King James Bible out and read, because they're using an NIV and a New American Standard when they quote the biblical text. And folks, I hope you do that. Anytime you get any kind of material or you hear somebody teaching something or making claims and they quote the scripture, get your King James Bible out and check them out and read it. Read what the real book says. Because Romans, not Ronmans, Romans 1017 says, so then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by what? The word of God. I just want to real quick list off some of these. I just mentioned some end time heresies. Fallible Bibles. All new versions, NIV, ESV, New American Standard, all of them, they come from a corrupt Hebrew text called the Leningrad Codex, most of them come from that. And then a lot of them, if they're truthful and honest, they'll tell you it comes from a Greek Old Testament found in the Codex Vaticanus, which is also where they get their New Testament text. Codex Vaticanus. These false Bibles come from the Vatican. And they are, it is heretical. to teach people to abandon the Bible that Christians have used for 2,000 years, represented by our English King James Bible, and to adopt those fallible Bibles. It's leading to more and more people, even among those who claim to be King James, in a lot of cases, are rejecting the Trinity. They're teaching things on the Trinity that are heretical. Some have gone so far as to reject the deity of Jesus Christ. Others say things like Jesus is the Father. And they say that the Trinity is pagan. And there are numerous, it's not just the apostolic Pentecostals who teach this stuff. And it's going on even in churches who were formerly of sound doctrine. They lack common sense. Folks, listen. Just think about it. If Christians have been teaching for 2,000 years the Trinity, the first use of the word was in 125 by Tertullian, and he referred to the Trinitas, the three in one. 1 John 5, 7 spells it out clearly in your mind. You're to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. Not three gods, but one God and three persons. It's clear to anybody with spiritual discernment If your church or your preacher is abandoning that, he or she, in many cases, they are abandoning 2,000-year-old historic Christian doctrine. The Bible says that happens at the end and it's called apostasy, not vice versa. And they'll run around telling everybody they're restoring the truth, they're getting back to the truth. The Bible doesn't say that's how it works. Nobody would have became a Mormon if they'd known their Bible. Joseph Smith claimed to be restoring the gospel. And the Bible says, no, wait a minute, it's at the end when this great apostasy takes place, and it wasn't the end 150 years ago. That's just another example of this. How many of you have heard of the inclusive gospel? And that basically is saying that this is the main way it's being taught. That Jesus shed his blood and paid for the sins of the world, therefore, we're all saved. And the good news is that we're supposed to go around preaching and telling everybody, hey, you didn't know it, but you're already saved. Isn't that great news? You know what most of the heathen out there tell you? Buzz off. I know where I'm at with God. I know that I'm not saved. They'll tell you. They got more sense than a lot of these people call themselves Christian universalists. That's what they'll call it. By the way, I've mentioned, what's his name? Aaron Rogers, quarterback for Green Bay Packers who has made a lot of noise and made some people upset, some people by saying, I don't know how you could believe in a God who could send someone to hell. Well, I had no idea. Jenny did a little research. She found, you remember me telling you about Rob Bell? Wrote the book Love Wins on Oprah Winfrey. Made a big deal about it for two or three years. It was the big controversy. Rob Bell is the one who has led Aaron Rodgers down that road to apostasy. It's so bad he hangs out with Rob Bell, and a couple of years ago during the Super Bowl, think about this, you're Aaron Rodgers, and you're not in the Super Bowl, so you'd think he probably in that big house he lives in, probably had a nice big Super Bowl party. No. He watched the Super Bowl with Rob Bell and a philosopher from Ireland who didn't even know anything about football, and Rob Bell's daughter. He hung out with this philosopher and Rob Bell like he had his gurus with him or something. Aaron Rodgers is deceived. The reason Aaron Rodgers is deceived is because he lacks knowledge of the word of God. It can happen to anybody, If you stop reading your Bible today and you just start living that carnal lifestyle that so many Christians are living, you're game. You become game. You're ripe and ready. They're also rejecting substitutionary atonement. They're saying that they're a Christian but they don't believe that Jesus' death on the cross was to pay for our sins. And they come up with these other theories of the cross. And they'll say it was just to be an example of love and that sort of thing. And I just never thought I would run across anybody like that, but I have. I mean in churches. There's also a big movement to say that you don't need to repent. Paul, a lot of these guys even claim to be Pauline, Paul tells us in Acts 20-21, we've got it on the banner back there, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And yet these guys were around saying that if you preach repentance, you're adding works, and the Bible says that God gives repentance. It can't be a work when it's something God gives. But it also is what you call antinomian. It's that you can be saved and not have to worry about your sin. You just keep doing what you're doing. God's fine with it. He just wanted you to admit you're a sinner who needs to be saved. No repentance, just admit it. And of course, a lot of people are willing to do that. And then we're seeing a growing anti-Semitism and anti-Israel in churches that were once pro-Israel and showed love to the Jews and preached the gospel to them. We're seeing that. And also I'll mention this, the feminist rebellion. is a growing number of women who have decided that God's stupid and they are smarter than him and they should just be able to be rebellious and domineering and usurp the authority in the local church. We've had several leave over the years from here for that reason. They didn't like the fact that I was a pastor and I wouldn't let them run me. And there are husbands who are dealing with that, Christian husbands, who are dealing with professing Christian wives, who will not allow them to be the head of the home and lead their families, and so forth and so on. So that's just an example of this is a lot of the false teaching that is spreading because people don't have any discernment. And the reason they don't have discernment is because discernment requires a skillful use of the Word of God. Hebrews 5, turn there real quick if you will. Close it up here in just a minute. I want to show you this because it's important we end on this note. Hebrews 5, 12 to 14. It is amazing to me how many people I've tried to pastor and tried to influence and emphasize their need to be in the Word of God and to grow in their knowledge of the Word of God. And they just think that, you know, they're the exception. They don't have to grow in the knowledge of God's Word. Everything will be alright. And then they end up falling for any number of false teachings, or just becoming so carnal they quit serving the Lord, stop going to church, and put their profession in question. But look at verse 12. It says, for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. Now, Lori's got that beautiful little baby there, and she is as cute as can be and doesn't even look real. Is she still just on milk or she started solid foods? That's cute and it's adorable and you don't think anything of it. No one's looking at that little baby and say, ''It's about time you grow up.'' But how sad is it to think of someone my age still needing milk from my mommy? That's really what this is talking about. It's not just living off milk by going to Kroger's and buying the gallon of milk. No, it's talking about you being such a spiritual infant that it's like you still trying to breastfeed with your mother. At my age, it's pathetic. But look at what verse 13 then says. For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. See? Christians who do not mature and are not skillful in the use of the word of righteousness are like little babies, spiritually, but it's sad because it's like a grown adult still breastfeeding. It's actually repulsive, the thought of it. And read verse 14 with me. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Now, I can tell you when you can't get physical exercise, it affects your health. My lung condition has kept me from getting the exercise I used to get. And she didn't know what she was in for. When she married me almost 15 years ago, I was working out. I was running. I was in really good shape. And then that year that we got married, I had an asthma attack and a real bad bronchitis flare up. And one thing led to another. The steroids, they make you kind of balloon and gain 20 pounds. And this and that happened. And I just couldn't get active and get that weight back off. and it really affects you in such a way that then it's like a catch-22, and then just doing things around the house a lot of times became difficult. Well, that's the same thing that happens to Christians spiritually. When they're not in the Word of God, they lose their ability to then discern. And they become less and less discerning the more time they spend out of the will and Word of God. That's the message. But please grasp this final point when it comes to false teachers and false prophets. It's because the people lack discernment. Because the people are not in the Word of God, they are the problem. You name your false prophet, he could not do anything if he didn't have a bunch of suckers paying his bills. When Creflo Dollar and Kenneth Copeland and Joyce Myers and all these fakes and liars who call themselves preachers get up there and say, I have to have my own private jet. I can't fly with these peasants on these airplanes. Even if I'm in first class, it's just not right. So send me $10 million so I can buy an airplane." And you know what? They do. The people are the problem. Look, we'll close it here in 2 Timothy chapter 4. This is the last place we'll turn. 2 Timothy 4, verses 3 and 4. And verse 2, I'll read that while you turn there, it says, preach the word, be instant, in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. That's the place of the pastor in the local church. Why? Why do you do that? Verse 3, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. You see that? Who's the they? The people. and they will not endure it. They can't stand it. But after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers. See that? Having itching ears. Who? The people. The teachers aren't really the problem. You could have, I don't know how many, it doesn't matter how many false teachers around, if people knew their Bible and could endure sound doctrine, then the teachers would be dead broke. But the people, it says, have itching ears. Look at, read verse 4 with me. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables. And so there you go. That's why most churches that really believe the Bible are not mega churches. There's not a lot of people clamoring for churches where they'll hear the truth. And I've had people get a hold of me, and they may hear one sermon on the radio or something, or someone mentions the church, and they'll call me or contact me. And they start asking questions about our church. And I'll stop them. They start asking these questions because I want them to know. I said, listen, I just want you to know that our emphasis is on the Word of God. Our emphasis is on teaching the Word of God. If you're looking for a place to learn the Word of God, then we'd invite you to come here. But if you're looking for a place where there's a lot of entertainment and stuff like that, you're not going to like it. And then every once in a while they'll still come like they don't believe me. and they'll come in and hang out for a couple of services and then be gone. And that's what we're facing in our own lives, our own families, our own friends, our neighbors, our co-workers. And don't be discouraged by it. It can be discouraging if you let it, but again, by knowing the Word of God, you can discern the times you live in. We're living in those days. And so we'll close with this thought. Are you able to discern? This is just between you and the Lord, but are you able to discern when someone comes to you with some crazy new teaching or just something that undermines the scriptural teaching, the biblical doctrine? Are you able to discern? Are you growing in your knowledge of God's Word in order to better discern? Because you're living in a time when it's getting worse and worse, and it's like no other time. There's never been a time like this that we're living in right now. And if you don't know Christian history, you may not realize it. But if you read Christian history, you're going to find out we're living in a time like no other. And yes, it is getting ugly, but you know what? It just means He's coming soon. Just remember, we are assured that you have the victory, as you say. But not everybody lives in the victory. Think of that as you say. I've heard an old, old story How a Savior came from glory How He gave His life on Calvary To save a wretch like me I've heard that He's coming God's precious blood's atoning Then I repented of my sin and won the victory. Oh, victory in Jesus, my Savior forever! He sought me and He bought me with His redeeming blood. He loved me ever, I knew Him, and all my love is given. What's the use of victory beneath the cleansing flood? I've heard about His healing, of His blessing power revealing How it made the lame to walk again, and caused the blind to see And then I cried, dear Jesus, coming in my broken spirit Oh Jesus Oh I Just days ago, beyond the crystal sea About the angels singing, and your redemption story And some sweet day I'll sing up there the song of victory Oh, victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever To stop me and embody with His redeeming blood He blowed the air I knew Him and all my love He's given He rushed me to victory with interventing blood Where can I go? Where could I go? Where could I go? Seeking a refuge for my soul. Where could I go but to know? He was a kind man, I loved him every one. He'd get along in sweet accord. Where could I go? Where could I go? ♪ Where could I go but to the Lord? ♪ ♪ I'm here His friend, with friends I love so dear. ♪ ♪ From what I get, from God so fair. ♪ ♪ And when I say, don't you depend on me. ♪ Where could I go? Oh, where could I go? Save me a refuge for my soul. Leading a friend to save me in the end. I don't know what to do.