Faith and truth in today's world

We are really in a flood of satanic deception!

Fred R. Coulter—July 29, 2023

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Faith and truth in today's world; now that's something that's very important because it's being attacked on every side. So, let's look at today's world and see:

• where it's going
• what is happening
• how things are coming about

Now here's an interesting picture. {showing on the video}This is one which depicts everyone as a technological saint. Having all the technology and making themselves gods.

Here's another article. People are still interested in religion, so the Catholics are going to have for young people a great, great gathering in Portugal. Let's see what happens to that. But in the meantime, more people are not believing in God. When, with all the difficulties we have, they really should be seeking God.

Here's another article: Percentage of Americans that believe in God have fallen to an all-time low.

They don't make the connection between leaving God and all the troubles that we have. But that's the problem. In addition to that, there are a lot of people going to the Temple of Satan.

That's all on the side of what is religion. And of course, we know that there's going to be a one-world religion come about.

Many people have not thought on this very much, but when you look at it and you understand it, it tells us an awful lot. The book of Revelation tells us that Satan is deceiving the whole world, and they are worshipping him!

So this is what we see in the world today. This is the source of what is called 'wokeism.' That is following Satan's way! Satan's got something else that is going to affect every single person in the world.

Here's what's coming down the pike. Here is what they are working on. Hasn't quite yet come, but we are closer than any time in the history of mankind of this coming to pass.

Rev. 13 is a combination of the secular world and the satanic religion that's going to take over the whole world. So, it's going to combine both worship of Satan and a complete financial hold on every single individual.

Just like the first picture showed, you will be a technocrat completely geared to the way of Satan. Here's what's going to come to pass.

Revelation 13:16: "And he…"

That is the Beast Power that is coming in the world, and the Beast Power is the world government! Along that line, keep your eyes on the United Nations. They are on the sideline working up all kinds of laws and regulations that they want to apply to the world. They are hoping for another pandemic where they can bring them in.

Will it be another pandemic like we have with COVID that was actually devised in the Wuhan lab in China? Speaking of that, we've got a 30-page copy of a speech given by a high, high level Chinese official in 2003. That's 20 years ago! I want you to read every page of that report! We have it online at: truthofGod.org

Thoughts on General Chi Haotian
Secret Speech By Chinese General Chi Haotain
{https://www.cbcg.org/judgment/thoughts-on-general-chi-haotian.html}

One of the main things it says, 'we don't want to conquer with battleships and guns; we want to conquer with biological weapons.' So, they've been working on this a long time.

Remember, Genghis Khan was the first one to use biological death by taking corpses of those who died of plagues and using a sling to throw them over the wall of a city and have the corpse explode when it hits the ground, and all the germs spread out and people come down with the plague. So you read that report!

Now, back to the financial end of it, because there is:

• the financial end
• the medical end
• the religious end

All three of those come together!

You will also see that they want total control of people. That's why in China, they're getting more and more cities where everyone is watched all the time.

Now then, here's the perfect thing that will have total control of everyone who signs up for it, and if you don't sign up for it, you're going to be out of luck and you're going to be martyred. So we're looking at choices down the road, which are quite severe.

Verse 16: "And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, to receive a mark in their right hands, or in their foreheads."

That means when you're looking at what is happening, what are they trying to develop right now? They're trying to develop chips to insert into the brain! And they will soon come up with a chip to be inserted in your right hand or in your forehead.

Once you have that this system set up; "…so that no one may have the ability to buy and sell…" (v 16).

The Seventh Day Adventists believe that the mark of the beast, which is what this is, is Sunday keeping. That's not true! This says that unless anyone has this mark of the beast he/she can't buy or sell!

Verse 17: "So that no one may have the ability to buy and sell unless he has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."

How close are we to that right now? Well, a whole lot closer than people have imagined!

So here's another article: They're coming at it from different ways. Amazon is going to have in all of their stores and Whole Foods purchased by palm reading. Now, they'll probably have two lines in the stores to begin with:

• those who want to pay with cash or credit card or debit card
• those who will pay with their palm

Think of that! That's not the mark of the beast! The mark of the beast has to be something put on/in your right hand or forehead. The palm reading can't be the mark of the beast. But what is it? It's a step toward getting the mark!

Now, here else is what is happening: The federal government right now is working on a digital currency, which is this: They already have it perfected. Remember that Biden wanted to put on 87,000 more IRS workers. They want them to enforce the digital currency, called CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency). They have already perfected it.

The Federal Reserve Bank already has it setup, and there are 32 major banks signing up for this digital currency. If you have a smart phone, you can have the digital currency, and you can go through and just pay. That is the last step before the mark of the beast! That's also called FedNow.

You will be able to transfer money directly from you to the other person, and just think how convenient that will be. Now, years ago, we talked about this and we said they're going to develop it and everybody be used to digital buying. Then they will say, 'We need to make sure that you are who you are, and the only way we can make sure that who you are is if you have the mark in your right hand or in your forehead!'

One other thing I need to add to it, which is taking place in Europe right now. They are working out a system of buying and selling by taking a digital reading of your eyeball so that all you have to do is look into this camera, and if your eyeball is digitized and already on record, it will recognize you and you can pay your bill without having to do anything, just look in the camera. Hello!

Let me tell you what's happening with that digital reading of the eye. Thousands right now in Europe are lining up to get their eyeball digitized so they can buy and sell.

Sweden has had digital payment for a long time. Estonia is the most digitized country in the world. It's a very small country, but it just shows you what's going to happen.

Have you ever gone someplace and you wanted to pay in cash? And they said, 'We don't take cash." Well, it's illegal tender! 'We don't take cash. Do you have a credit card? Do you have a debit card?' No, but I have checks. 'We don't take checks either.'

So you see now what are you going to do? Here you are standing in line at the grocery store and you have all the food you're going to have for a week or two and you're going to pay for it. You want to pay in cash. And they say, 'We don't take cash anymore.' I got credit cards. 'No, we don't take credit cards anymore.'

This is digital currency. Do you have a cell phone? 'No, I don't have a cell phone.' Well, you can't buy. You can't sell. You can't get anything because you are not in the system.

Now, once you are in the system, they can cut you off at any time for anything! And if all your money and everything is in digital form in a bank account, flick of the switch and you don't exist financially. You are a non-person. Now, you may have some food stored at home, but that's going to run out sooner or later, right?

So what are we down to? Do you have faith and truth and are you willing to stand for it?

We will look at that. Let's see what Jesus said in Luke 18. He was looking at the time when he is going to return and then he asked a question.

• let's look at that
• let's look at the world
• let's look at ourselves
• let's see what we need to do

Because we need faith and we need truth!

In the world we're confronted with an avalanche of lies. The only hope that springs up is what they're doing to expose the Biden Mafia group running the world.

So, the question is, can they bring them to toe? or will the Bidens win in the long run like they tried to do with Hunter to making him and his father exempt for any financial transactions in foreign countries? Why do you suppose they had that in the settlement clause? Because they knew that they have up to 50 million in bribe money that they have saved up over the years in offshore bank accounts!

Now you take all of those lies, all of the financial things, and then you look at:

• How many people believe in God?
• How many people believe in God the way that they should?
• How many people really want the Truth?

So Jesus asked this question:

Luke 18:8: "I tell you that He will execute vengeance for them speedily…. [for the saints] …Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, shall He find the true faith on the earth?"

Now, that's quite a statement! Think about that on the earth. Now, the Greek is literally, 'will He find thefaith, which then means the true faith on earth.

That's where we are today with all of this. We will examine that; we'll look into it. Let's see what we need to do, and how we need to do it so that we can have faith and truth! We need to stick by that.
 
Let's see what Jesus said in Luke 12, and it all has to do with:

• what we believe
• how we believe
• how we live
• how we think

and everything like that!

Luke 12:37—Jesus said: "Blessed are those servants whom the lord, when he comes… [talking about His second coming] …shall find watching…."

That's what we need to do. That's why I bring out these articles. We need to watch the news, and watch what's happening. And also, we need to watch our lives. The thing is this concerning us:

• we need the Love of God
• we need the Truth of God
• we need His commandments

so that we live God's way

• we need His Spirit to motivate us to do that

He asks the question when He comes: Will you be watching?

"…Truly I say to you, he will gird himself, and will make them sit down, and will come and serve them. And if he comes in the second watch, or comes in the third watch, and finds them watching, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. Now you, therefore, be ready…" (vs 37-40).

We don't know anything about what's going to happen at any one time.  That's why every day:

• we need prayer
• we need study
• we need thinking on God's Word

Verse 40: "Now you, therefore, be ready for the Son of man is coming in an hour that you do not think."

• How many times have we gone through that?
• How many times has this happened down through the centuries?

Another way of looking at it is this: Even if you're not alive at the time that Jesus returns, how does He come upon you? He comes upon you because you die! When you die, you're going to have to be declared a faithful servant! Faithful to the end!

Verse 41[transcriber's correction]: "Then Peter said to Him, 'Lord, are You speaking this parable to us only, or also to all?' And the Lord said, 'Who then is the wise and faithful steward…" (vs 41-42).

• What is a steward? A steward is someone that administers his master's wealth for the benefit of the master!
• What is the spiritual wealth that God has given us, which is worth more than physical wealth? Everything in the Bible and all the good things for us!

"…whom the lord shall put in charge of his household, to give to each one the portion of food in season? Blessed is that servant whom the lord, when he comes, shall find so doing. Of a truth… [faith and truth right here] …I tell you, he will set him over all his possessions" (vs 42-44).

• What is that?
• What is God going to give us?

You look out there and you see all the rich and famous, and you see all of those with all of the wealth  and the power that they have and what they do and all of this sort of thing. Here we are, poor little people here—as the world would look at us—but we have the greatest and most precious promises! What possession is Jesus going to give to the saints?

Verse 31[transcriber's correction]: "But seek the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you…. [everything of what God has promised to give you] …Do not be afraid, little flock…" (vs 31-32).

So this shows we're not a big flock. We're not a big church. We're not part of the world. We're to come out of the world and not be part of the world.

"…for your Father delights…" (v 32).

God is going to be so happy when the resurrection takes place, when Christ returns and we all meet on the Sea of Glass and we find out what our new name is, what our assignments are, because we're going to take over the world! We are going to run it according to the way that God wants it run.

So that's why what we do now has got to be learning all of that and having faith and truth so we can endure to the end!

Before we go on, we need to understand something else:

• How active is Satan?
• How many places is he working?

If he's deceiving the whole world, that means he's working everywhere, he and the demons, and all of those who will work with him.

Last week we covered that PETA is going to rewrite the Bible. Remember how they describe clothing Adam and Eve. It says in the Bible  that he killed a goat and covered them with his skins.

PETA: Oh, we can't do that to animals; hemp and bamboo.

• What do you think the rest of the Bible is going to be?
• How are they going to handle when it comes to all the animal sacrifices?
• How's that going to be?
• What are they going to do with the command concerning clean and unclean meats? God says these meats you shall eat, and the other meats you shall not eat!

What are the Chinese going to do with the Bible? The Communist Chinese are going to rewrite the Bible! They're also going to have Catholic advisors to help them. Remember some time ago that the pope visited China? They like the Chinese system because they enforce everything. They make people bow to the state.

So what are they going to do when they do the Bible? They've already started! Here's an excerpt from John 8. This is where the woman was supposedly caught in adultery. Jesus was writing on the ground and He was probably writing: Where's the man?  Where's the man?

How can you catch a woman in adultery in the very act if there's no man? Then they all left and no one was there to accuse her.

Jesus said, 'Does no man accuse you?' And she said, 'No, Lord.' A lot of people think that this is mercy and forgiveness. It's not! It's a mistrial. No accusers because the Bible says you have to have two or three witnesses. They all left. Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.'

What is the Chinese version of it? Rewritten John excerpt ends not with mercy, but with Jesus Himself stoning the adulterous woman to death!

That shows you the ruthlessness of the Chinese in their tactics toward other people. When I told you, you need to read that whole 30 page report that we have online, I mean you need to read it and you will see that everything that they said 20 years ago is coming to pass. They are doing it, and that's another reason why we need faith and truth today!

How is it for us that we need to have the faith and the truth?

Let's see one of the qualifying things for anyone who is to be an elder in Titus 1. This also applies to us because when we're resurrected and in the Kingdom of God. We're going to be kings and priests. Verse 9 applies to us as well, especially with the Word of God:

Titus 1:9: "Holding steadfastly to the faithful Word…"

That's why the canonization of the Bible by the apostles and The Faithful Version like we have today is necessary.

"…according to the teachings of Jesus Christ, so that He may be able both to encourage with sound doctrine and to convict those who are gainsayers" (v 9).

Notice why: They had the troubles back there. Look at what we have today.

Verse 10: "For there are many rebellious and vain talkers and deceivers, especially those from the circumcision party."

Well, they came along and they wanted to change the Gospel. They came along and said, you need to keep all of the Jewish traditions, as well as what you find in the book of Moses.

What did Jesus say? No! We're sanctified by Truth. That Truth is the Word of God! Now let's look at what Paul wrote concerning those who would change the Gospel.

Think about this. Think about what the Chinese are going to do. They're going to point everything to the leader of the Communist Party in China, because that will be their visible God. Any other religion, anybody who believes anything else, you're gone. You can't believe in the Truth.

People can become very gullible and very believing. We need to believe God, we need to b believe the Word of God, but we have to prove everything that someone else says. We prove it by comparing it with the Word of God.

We'll take the Chinese translation there and compare it to the Word of God and find out that it's a complete, absolute lie and fabrication. So if they finish their project within 10 years, then there will be a Bible which will destroy the Gospel. Let's read what Paul wrote concerning that.

Galatians 1:6: "I am astonished that you are so quickly being turned away from Him Who called you into the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which in reality is not another Gospel; but there are some who are troubling you and are desiring to pervert the Gospel of Christ" (vs 6-7).

That's what a lot of the Christianity does today. They pervert it. Notice what Paul gave as a warning for those who do that.

Verse 8: "But if we… [any of us apostles] …or even an angel from heaven… [that's a lot higher] …should preach a gospel to you that is contrary to what we have preached, LET HIM BE ACCURSED! As we have said before, I also now say again. If anyone is preaching a gospel contrary to what you have received, LET HIM BE ACCURSED!" (vs 8-9).

Why would they want to do that? Think about it! Because they want to please people more than God!

Verse 10: "Now then, am I striving to please men, or God?.…"

Notice how categorically that this moves anyone who would do these things away from God completely. They like to all do it on the cover of love. 'Oh, we've got to love one another. God loves everyone. God's love is unconditional. If you believe in Jesus then you're saved and everything is fine. No, that's not true! Notice what he says here:

 "…Or am I motivated to please men? For if I am yet pleasing men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (v 10).

Even if they come in the name of Christ and they bring their lies and they bring their false doctrines, we must have faith in God and the Truth of God to refute it.

Now, let's look and see how that comes about. Jer. 23 because it talks about in the last days that we will understand this. We're going to be seeing a flood of:

• false doctrines
• false gospels
• false ministers

Probably more than we ever thought would happen. Who would have thought that PETA, the Chinese, or whoever else is going to rewrite the Word of God to their own pleasure, seeking to please men?

This gives us a good understanding of how God views it:

Jeremiah 23:20: "The anger of the LORD shall not return, until He has executed and until He has performed the purposes of His heart; in the latter days… [that's us today] …you shall understand it perfectly."

Down through time, they could understand it, but not perfectly as we can today!

Verse 28: "'The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream.…"

A lot of people have dreams! Do they come from God? Well, if it is, here's the Truth of God:

• keep God's way
• keep His commandments
• keep His Sabbath
• keep His Holy Days

Yes, that is a dream from God! But they come along with licentiousness and say, I've dreamed a dream.

"…And he who has My Word… [that's us, we all have the Word of God] …let him speak My Word faithfully.… [that's the obligation of all elders, ministers, to us who are reading the Word of God] …What is the chaff to the wheat?' says the LORD. 'Is not My Word like a fire?' says the LORD, 'and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets who steal My words each one from his neighbor'" (vs 28-30).

That's what we find. Isn't it interesting, the way the world is set up today? That all of the Christian messages, with the exception of a few on Sunday morning, are all contained on two or three video networks.

• What does that do?

If people don't want to watch it

• Will they hear it anyplace else?
• Will they hear it from someone? No!
• How are they going to hear it?

We have the Internet today. hat gives us a good way to reach out to people, that is true.

• How many other of the false Christian religions are on there, as well?
• How many of the satanist things are on there?
• How many of the transgender things are on there?

So we are really in a flood of satanic deception!

Now let's see how we can trust in the Word of God and what we need to do. First thing we need to understand is this:

The whole Psa. 119 is a good one to study through, because that will show you how God views:

• all of His Laws
• all of His commandments
• all of His statutes
• all of His judgments

But we will just be focusing on the Word of God!

Now, if you come across a Protestant, and he believes in Sunday, ask him why he doesn't believe this:

Psalm 119:86: "All Your commandments are faithful…"

That means they work all the time. So, if you are being led by the Spirit of God, what is it going to do? It's going to lead you in keeping His commandments, and they are faithful!

Verse 90: "Your faithfulness…" That is God's!

• Where does our faith come from?
• What is that? That's the fruit of the Holy Spirit:
• faith
• joy
• love

Comes from God!

• What kind of faith? Have the faith of Jesus!
• How does that come? By having God's Spirit, by knowing His commandments!

Verse 90: "Your faithfulness is to all generations…"

If we're trusting in the Word of God, when God answers, what does He do?

Verse 38: "Fulfill Your Word to Your servant, so that You may be feared.

Verse 30: "I have chosen the way of Truth…  [what is set before us all the time, we have to choose] …I laid up your judgments before me."

Let's come to Proverbs, which tell us an awful lot about faithfulness and truth; we'll look at some of the other things that God has for us. This is why we need to study the book of Proverbs as well as study the New Testament.

Proverbs 19:3: "The foolishness of man perverts his way, and his heart frets against the LORD."

If you don't have the Truth, you're going to fret against the Lord."

Verse 5: "A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he who pours out lies shall not escape."

That shows that faithfulness of God and judgment in everything that he's doing. That's the way we counteract everything in the world. That's why we have to have the Word of God written in our heart and mind, so that we can keep our balance and keep our way of the Lord in truth and in honesty.

Proverbs 15:1: "A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly… [truthfully] …but the mouth of fools pours out foolishness. The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good" (vs 1-3).

That's quite something! How does God do that? We have a clue with that; there are seven spirits of God that go throughout the whole earth all the time, seeking out those who are seeking Him.

Verse 4: "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it crushes the spirit."

• What is one of the big problems that people have today? Depression!
• Why do they have depression? Because they have nothing outside of themselves!

Especially if they get mistreated and they don't know anything about God and they know nothing about the Truth. They've never had faith, it makes it difficult for them to get along. Those kinds of words really upset them and take them down.

The Psalms are full of good things for us. Psa. 25 tells us why we need faith and truth in the world today.
 
When you have the Truth in your mind and you understand the Word of God, when you see or hear or read anything that's contrary to the Word of God, you're going to recognize that what is being said or what is being written is not true!

How else would you know unless you knew the Truth of God? All the commandments of God are true! But the Protestants and Catholics say, 'except the fourth one,' and many others then follow after that.

Psa. 25—Let's see how we're taught right here in this Psalm. What we need to do and how it protects us. Now we're told in the book of Proverbs that we are to guard the door of our mind!

We have to be careful what comes into our mind. Now one way I protect myself from all of those things is that when I'm watching television, I have a little red button which says mute. I don't have to hear what they are saying or hear some of the silly music that they have and then have to spend a day or two trying to get it out of my mind, because I heard the music. I didn't want to hear it, but if I leave it on, then I will hear it.

Psa. 25:1 is a good way to start every day. That's why prayer every day and study every day, because if we're to grow in grace and knowledge, we've got to do that all the time.

Psalm 25:1: "To You, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You…" (vs 1-2).

Now, why does a person trust in God? Because:

• they have faith in God
• they believe God
• they understand what He has taught

"…do not let me be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none who wait on You be ashamed…" (vs 2-3).

In other words, this is praying for all the saints. We need to pray for them, especially today. There are so many things that come along that assault us mentally and spiritually, coming right into our homes.

I like to remember it this way: Whenever you turn on the television, the world comes into your home!

Now, same thing with all of these movies. Same thing with a lot of the printed word that we see.

"…let them be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause. Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths…. [this is a daily operation, everyday] …Lead me in Your Truth…" (vs 3-5).

Now, Jesus said, 'Your Word is the Truth.' What else did He also say that's important for us to understand? He said, 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.' Notice Truth is right between Way and Life. So, the way to Life is Truth. Then he also said, 'No one comes to the Father except through Me.'

"…and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You do I wait all the day long. Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your loving kindness, for they have been of old" (vs 5-6).

Then v 7 is a good one to remember. What does the daily prayer tell us to do? First thing, 'our Father Who is in heaven.' Now, for all sacred namers, that's the name of the Father. There's no Hebrew name in the New Testament that describes the Father in any other name but Father.

We have direct relationship with Him, with the Holy Spirit of God, whenever we get on our knees and pray, or even when we pray, if we're doing something during the day and we need God's help, we need God's guidance, we cry out to Him to help us and lead us.

So, the next thing that we do, we say in that prayer, 'Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.' Now, on earth means everything God has said prophetically, and also on earth, that means into my life, living on the earth.

 Then what is the next thing? Forgive us our sins! Add a little clause after that, 'as we also forgive those who sin against us.' Remember, that's the key to overcoming. You can't have the love of God if you're holding grudges.

Verse 7: "Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to Your loving kindness remember me for Your goodness sake, O LORD. Good and upright is the LORD; therefore, He will teach sinners in the way. The meek He will guide in judgment; and the meek He will teach His way" (vs 7-9).

So, all of this we need in today's world; the faith and truth!

Psalm 26:3: "For Your loving kindness is before my eyes; and I have walked in Your Truth."

That means the way that we live. We live by the truth of God in everything that we do.

Let's look here in the Old Testament, and let's see what God said in Exo. 34. Now, this is after the sin of Aaron in making the golden calf. God said to Moses, now, think about this. We're all here also because of Moses. Because God was so angry that right in the face of God, right at Mount Sinai that they would dare make a golden calf and bow down and worship it.

So, God told Moses, 'I'm going to destroy them all and I'll raise up a great nation from you.' Now, what if Moses would have said, 'Lord, that's a good idea'? Moses said, 'Oh no, Lord, please, please, let Your presence go with us!'

What did God say? 'All right. My presence will go with you.' Then what actually happened was the Tent of Meeting where he was to meet God was taken out from the center of the camp to outside the camp. But God said that He would continue to deal with the people.

Then Moses wanted to know, 'God, how am I going to know you're going to do this? Show me Your glory.'

God said to him, 'No man can look upon My face and live. But there's a rock up here that has a big cleft in it, and you get in it and I will pass by and you will see My back parts. God passed by him and Moses said 'Lord God, Gracious and Merciful, Loving Kindness and full of Truth.' The Truth of God is always there all the time in every way.

Now let's come to the New Testament and see what Jesus said. John 8 tells us how we get Truth IF we have faith, because the two go hand in hand.

John 8:25: "Then they said to Him, 'Who are You?' And Jesus said to them, 'The One that I said to you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge concerning you; but He Who sent Me is true, and what I have heard from Him, these things I speak to the world.'…. [everything that Jesus said was true] …But they did not know that he was speaking to them of the Father. Then Jesus said to them, 'When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you yourselves shall know that I AM, and that I do nothing of Myself…. [as God manifested in the flesh] …But as the Father taught Me, these things I speak. And He Who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, because I always do the things that please Him'" (vs 25-29).

Now that tells us what we need to do also. Remember, this was at the temple. Those He was talking to were those who were supposed to be those who believed Him and were following Him. But how were they following Him? Not in Truth, because we'll see it:

Verse 31: "Therefore, Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, 'If you continue in My Word… [Truth] …you are truly My disciples. And you shall know the Truth… [the key to knowing the Truth is having faith in Jesus Christ and believing Him] …and the Truth shall set you free'" (vs 31-32).

They didn't believe it! They thought because they were the descendants of Abraham that they were entitled. No one is entitled! You have to answer the call of God and repent.

John 17 tells us the whole story, and this is quite a very interesting thing, because Jesus knew that He was just about ready to be arrested and carted off to the high priest. So, Jesus explains a lot of things here, and this is going to be the end result of truth and faith, or faith and truth in this world today. Let's see what Jesus said in this prayer.

John 17:6: "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, and You have given them to Me, and they have kept Your Word. Now, they have known that all things that You have given Me are from You. For I have given them the words that You gave to Me; and they have received them and truly have known that I came from You; and they have believed that You did send Me." (vs 6-8).

Believe is another word for faith! Faith and trust. Notice what He said. Notice the world's way of religion and the world's way of the coming one-world religion is we're going to save all mankind. Well, no, you're not. Only God can do that.

Verse 9: "I am praying for them; I am not praying for the world…" That comes later!.

So, think about it this way. Every day, as you come before God through Jesus Christ, He is working on your behalf, talking to God about us:

• to help us
• to strengthen us
• to give us the faith and the trust.

"…but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. All Mine are Yours, and all Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them" (vs 9-10).

Now here is what God is going to do. The Father Himself. Notice this is a prayer of Jesus to the Father for the disciples then, and as we'll see a little later, for all of us down to our time right now!

Verse 11: "And I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, those whom You have given Me, so that they may be one, even as We are one."

That's what God wants. That's why it's important in this age, in the world today, when we have so many things coming against us from every side all around, that we:

• are trusting in God
• have faith in God
• are living the Truth
• are walking in it

Verse 12: "When I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name…. [to protect] …I protected those whom You have given Me, and not one of them has perished except the son of perdition, in order that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to You…" (vs 12-13).

Jesus knew that He was going to be resurrected; He knew what was coming because all the prophecies in the Old Testament described everything that was going to happen to him when he was arrested and taken off to be crucified.

"…and these things I am speaking while yet in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in them. have given them Your words…" (vs 13-14).

Notice again how many times it talks about the words of God; everything that Jesus taught came from the Father! That's why a red-letter Bible, trying to analyze what Jesus said, you miss an awful lot because it all comes from the Father.

"…and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You would take them out of the world, but that You would keep them from the evil one" (vs 14-15).

That's one of the parts of the prayer every day. 'Lead us not into temptation, but keep us from the evil one.' Who is Satan after? He's got the world already! Yes, so he'd be after us!

Verse 16: "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world…. [here is the key concerning truth, faith and truth] …Sanctify them…" (vs 16-17).

That means make them Holy. Now that Holiness starts first in our minds with:

• the Holy Spirit
• the Word of God, which is Holy
• the Word of God is faithful
• the Word of God is Truth

Verse 17: "Sanctify them in Your Truth; Your Word is the Truth." This is how we can:

• live in the world
• overcome the world
• live our life the way that God wants

We need truth and faith every day. They're interchangeable:

• IF you have faith, you will have truth
• IF you have truth, you will have faith

So all the things we're facing and the avalanche of lies that are enveloping this world at almost every level, this will help us:

• to have peace of mind
• to have stability
• to understand how to conduct our lives
• to understand what we need to do to grow in grace and knowledge

Always remember, faith and truth, that's what we need in the world today!

Scriptural References:

• Revelation 13:16-17
• Luke 18:8
• Luke 12:37-44, 31-32
• Titus 1:9-10
• Galatians 1:6-10
• Jeremiah 23:20, 28-30
• Psalm 119:86, 90, 38, 30
• Proverbs 19:3, 5
• Proverbs 15:1-4
• Psalm 25:1-9
• Psalm 26:3
• John 8:25-29, 31
• John 17:6-17

Scripture referenced, not quoted:

• John 8
• Exodus 34

Also referenced:

Thoughts on General Chi Haotian
Secret Speech By Chinese General Chi Haotain
{https://www.cbcg.org/judgment/thoughts-on-general-chi-haotian.html}

FRC:bo/po
Transcribed: 8/9/23

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