Christ or the Bible
TeleConference Session
August 25, 2007
scott STANLEY
(For purposes of clarity, brackets [ ] indicate either the author's paraphrase of scripture or editing for transcription.)
Okay, I’ve muted everybody so I can start this conference, and go through a Bible study with you. I want to spend some time in Zechariah 3 today. Before I go there, I want to just say a couple of things because I know we’re still not all on the same level, and I just feel like, from this point forward, we need to understand the fact that we are dead to sin; that the Lord has shown us how to be in that place. What it amounts to is understanding Romans 5, that God exhibits His love – Romans 5:8:
Romans 5:8
8…God [exhibits] his love toward us, in that, while we were …sinners, Christ died for us.
We have already been through the understanding of the Father and the Son and exactly what that means, and recognizing that God is exhibiting His love toward us in allowing Christ, His Son, to die for us. In Romans 5:6, we see that He died for the ungodly, which all of us are, or all of us have been:
Romans 5:6
6For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
And John 3:16 :
16For God so loved the world [and key on the word “world” – God so loved the world…], that he gave his only begotten Son…
So, the fact that God loves you just the way you are – He loves you so much that He allowed His only begotten Son to die. Who did He die for? The ungodly. Who did He die for? The world. Then, in verse 10, Romans 5:10:
Romans 5:10
10…when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God…
Now that flip-flops what I have been taught all of my life, that God was my enemy, that because I was a sinner, God could not accept me and, hence, He had to have a human sacrifice in order to accept me. Now, I recognize the fact that I was the enemy, and this is what he says in Colossians 1:20-21, that we were enemies to God in our minds, and by the death of His Son, we’re reconciled, meaning that we see God really loves us…there’s no reason to be His enemy.
So, summing this up, in Romans 5, Christ died for the ungodly; God exhibits His love in allowing Christ to die and, in verse 10, when you were an enemy, you were reconciled back to God by the death of His Son. Well, now that you’ve been reconciled, you’re going to be saved in His life [Romans 5:10 ]. So, if God so loved me, just the way I am, in my worst possible condition…if He loves me just the way I am, then it’s silly to think that He wants me, now, to keep the law, after He has already given me all of heaven…now He wants me to keep the law in order to please Him. Well, God loves me just the way I am, and Paul brings this out in Galatians and in Romans – and in Galatians, he makes the statement that God blessed Abraham by means of righteousness by faith…the law came 400 years later. Abraham is the father of our faith. If we want to walk in the blessings of Abraham, we learn to listen to our hearts.
Now, this gets me into the study today, because all of my Christian life I was told that life is in the book, the Bible – and I realize that today, in Christianity, there are two ways to understand “salvation.” One is: Life is in the book, and I read the book and get an understanding of God, and I try to do what I read. The other one is: I learn to listen to my conscience as the voice of God speaks to me, and I learn to have a relationship with Christ, even as Abraham had a relationship. Abraham lived before the Bible was written; Abraham lived 430 years before the law was given, and he received righteousness by faith. This argument is throughout the New Testament, and Paul constantly points you to Abraham to see the truth of how Abraham was blessed by hearing God.
What is “salvation”? 1 Peter 1:9:
1 Peter 1:9
9Receiving the end of your faith, …the salvation of your souls.
That word “end” is completion – you receive the completion of your faith, that’s the salvation of your soul. Now, the question is: How do we define “faith”? Well, Paul defines “faith” for us in Romans 10, verse 17:
Romans 10:17
17…Faith [comes] by hearing, …hearing by the word of God.
But how do we define the word “word”? Does that mean that when somebody reads the Bible to me, or preaches the Bible to me, if I believe what they say, I have faith? The answer is no, because that word, w-o-r-d, in Romans 10:17 …Faith comes by hearing; hearing by the spoken word of God. And before Paul even gets into that, if you just back up in chapter 10 – I want to read this, starting at verse 6:
Romans 10:6-13
6…Righteousness which is of faith [is like this, or speaks on this wise], Say not in [your] heart, [Who’s going to] ascend into heaven? (… to bring Christ down…:)
7[…Who’s going to] descend into the deep? (…to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8…What [does righteousness by faith say?] [It says the rhema,] the word [the spoken word] is nigh [you], [Where is it?] [It’s in your] mouth, [it’s in your] heart: that is, the word of faith, [that] we preach;
9…If [you shall profess – King James put “confess.” What’s the difference? To “profess” means to speak the same as another, so let me just simply say that: If you shall speak the same as Christ, and believe that God raised him out of the dead], [you will] be saved.
10…With [your] heart [you believe] unto [God’s understanding, righteousness]; …with the mouth [you profess] unto salvation.
11…The scripture [says], Whosoever [believes] …[will] not be ashamed [or, will not make haste].
12…There is no difference between…[Jews and Greeks]: [it’s] the same Lord over all, [He’s] rich unto all that call upon him.
13…Whosoever [will] call upon the name of the Lord [will] be saved.
Now, one more thing before I go on – let’s back up to Romans 2…I just want to make this point. Romans 2, verse 14:
Romans 2:14-15
14…When the Gentiles, which have not the law [they don’t have the book], [they] do by nature [what’s contained in the book, in the teachings], these, having not the [teachings], are a [teaching, or are a law] unto themselves:
15[They are showing] the work of the law [or the teachings] written in their hearts, their conscience [is] bearing witness, and their thoughts …[accuse or excuse…];
The point is, God is speaking to the heart. It is by faith that we receive righteousness, and Galatians 2:16 tells us that it happens by means of the faith of Christ and what Christ is speaking to the heart:
Galatians 2:16
16Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Yes, He can use the Bible…Yes, He most certainly does use the Bible to speak to you, but when you are studying the scripture or when someone is preaching the word of God, and the Lord impresses your heart that this is true, that impression of the heart as you are hearing what is spoken is confirming to you that this is the truth – Abraham heard God and believed. We are to have a place with God; we are to be with God even as Abraham. One other verse, in 1 John, chapter 3, I’m going to start reading at verse 19:
1 John 3:19-21
19…Hereby we know that we are of the truth [Here’s how you know that you’re of the truth], and [you can] assure [your heart] before [God].
20[Here’s how you do that:] If our heart [is condemning] us, [we know] God is greater than our heart, [He knows] all things [and the Lord is moving on your heart, saying no. He is helping you understand not to do it. Verse 21:].
21…If our heart [is not condemning us], then have we confidence toward God.
Now it’s interesting, when you read this, He didn’t say one word about the Bible… This is how you know you’re of the truth, because you read a verse and you do it – that’s never spoken here. You learn to listen to your heart and, in Ezekiel 36, the Lord says: I’m giving you a new heart. I know Jeremiah says the heart is desperately wicked and who can believe it, but in Ezekiel 36, when you give your heart to the Lord, He says: I’m giving you a new heart, a new spirit, and you learn to listen to your heart and let the Lord write on your heart His covenant. And like Paul stated in Romans 2:14-16, it is through the conscience that you hear the “yea” and the “nay,” and in 1 John 3, if your heart is not condemning you, then you can have confidence toward God…it’s okay. Those things needed to be explained, because that is the difference between trusting the book or trusting the Man who wrote the book – it is two different things.
If I am going to hear my heart, if I am going to listen and know the direction God is giving me, I have to be dwelling in a mindset described in the Beatitudes – I want to just simply read this real quick. In the Beatitudes, starting at Matthew 5:
Matthew 5:3-9
3… [If I am] poor in spirit: …
4… [Mourning for where I’m at, meaning I’m not satisfied with where I’m at – I want to walk closer to the Lord…]…
5… [In meekness…]…
6… [Hungering and thirsting for God’s understanding…]…
7… [Being merciful and loving mercy…]…
8… [Being] pure in heart: …
9 [Then He says] Blessed are the peacemakers [That is not “peacemaker,” it is a bringer forth of peace. It doesn’t mean you run over to everybody arguing and you try to stop the argument…It means that you have peace emanating from your heart, it’s someone who brings forth peace.]: …
These seven points describe where you need to be, in order to hear the voice of God and do what He is asking you to do. Let me say it again:
Poor in spirit: I don’t know everything, I admit, I don’t know everything…Father, help me understand.
Mourning: I want to be closer to You…I’m mourning for the position I’m in, I want holiness, I want love to emanate from me.
Matthew 5:5: Meek: Meekness – being more willing to receive an injury than to give one.
Hungering and thirsting for God’s understanding.
Loving mercy and being merciful.
Pure in heart: My motives are pure, and
Someone who brings forth peace.
Now the reason I have covered this twice is because, if you are in that place where peace is now emanating from your heart and you have peace, you are in “the habitation of peace” – that is the definition for the word “Jerusalem.” All of us who are serving the Lord are either going to dwell in “New Jerusalem” or “Old Jerusalem.” If I go back and I look at Old Jerusalem, Paul points out in Galatians that Old Jerusalem is in bondage with her children. The people who dwelt in Old Jerusalem of Christ’s day followed the book – they would read the law and try to do it. If you’re in New Jerusalem, the city of peace, you are meek and humble before God… knowing you don’t know the right way, you trust Him that He knows and that He is going to instruct you, and you let Him move upon your heart to guide you through your life. Yes, He can use the book to speak to you, but it is the impression of the heart that you learn to trust because, when this is all said and done and you stand before God, all you’re going to have is your conscience – you’re not going to have the Bible and explain to Him why you did what you did – you’re going to have your conscience; you’re going to be standing there with an open heart, and He can understand why you did what you did.
The two differences, the two things: Follow Christ, trusting your interpretation of the Bible, or follow Christ, trusting your heart.
With that – and by the way – in Exodus 19:5-6, when you learn to listen, you become a priest. When all of us learn to listen, we become a kingdom of priests. If I am a priest, I’m now able to enter into the sanctuary…Only a priest could go into the sanctuary. When I go into the sanctuary, now that I’m listening and I enter into the sanctuary to receive deeper, higher revelations of Christ – when I enter into the sanctuary, there are two compartments. Only a high priest could go into the second one…the two compartments, I enter into the first, and I am in the Holy Place . How did I get in there? I started listening; I quit trusting my own interpretation of the Bible, and I decided to let the Lord lead me through my life, and I enter into a “ Holy Place .”
What is “holy”? I am separated – that is all the word means. I am now separate; I’m in a different place than where I was the day before. Now that I’m listening, my mind is separated from the world. Why? Because the “world” isn’t listening, the world is doing their own thing. Just because you say, “I believe in God,” and you pick up the book and you start reading it, and you try to do it… Maybe you’ve been converted, but you’re still not trusting Him to lead you through your heart – you’re trusting yourself to read the book, two different things. Once I start listening, I’m in the Holy Place . How do I get beyond the “veil”? The veil that prevents you from seeing the Ark of the Covenant is the confusion we have about God, but now that I’m listening, He’s going to bring me beyond the veil. That sets up Zechariah, chapter 3 – because I want you to see that this is a parable, this is a vision that Zechariah had…that he sees “Joshua,” or Yahshua, the high priest. This man has gotten beyond the veil in this parable, standing before the Messenger of Yahweh. This word “standing” [5975] is the Hebrew equivalent to the Greek word “abide” – he is abiding. Now let me read it this way. Yahshua…I’m in Zechariah 3:1:
Zechariah 3:1-2
1…[Yahshua] the high priest [is abiding before the face of, in the presence of] the [Messenger of Yahweh…Who is that? Well if I were to go back to the burning bush and I see Moses talking to a bush, and a voice is coming out of the bush and he asks the bush: “Who are you, what’s your name?” And he says: “I am that I am”…Yahweh, and if you simply back up a few verses, you’ll discover that this is the Messenger of the Lord – King James put the word “angel”; the word “angel” is simply the word “messenger.” So you see Joshua, the high priest, someone who has gone beyond the veil. He is abiding before the Messenger of Yahweh, and you see the…] …[adversary – King James has put the word “Satan”…Why? Because that is the Hebrew word they transliterated and put in that place. Had they translated it, they would have put “adversary,” but they put the Hebrew word Satan…they didn’t translate it, they transliterated it. I see Yahshua, the high priest, abiding in the presence of the Lord, the Messenger of Yahweh, and here is his adversity abiding on his strongest side…] to resist him.
2And [Yahweh speaks unto the adversity, and He says:] …[Yahweh] rebuke thee, O [adversity]; …[Yahweh has…] chosen [who? The city of] Jerusalem …: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
What does that tell you about Joshua? Joshua is standing there, poor in spirit, mourning for where he is, in meekness, hungering and thirsting for the understanding of God, pure in heart, loving mercy…What am I looking at here? Let me tell you: If he is beyond the veil, if he is standing before the Messenger of the Lord, you’re seeing another picture of the Day of Atonement. So far, the Lord has shown us that Leviticus 16, Isaiah 6 and Revelation 10 are all pictures of the Day of Atonement – here is another one.
Notice who rebuked the “adversary,” the adversity in Joshua’s heart – it was the Messenger of the Lord. Now verse 3 – I’m not going to read this entire parable; there’s a few verses though that I want to key on to make my point, verse 3:
Zechariah 3:3-4
3…Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and [was abiding before the face, before the presence of] the [Messenger].
4And he answered and [spoke] unto those that stood [by. Who did? The Messenger of God. Who’s He talking to? Those who stood by…He answered and spoke unto those who are abiding before Him – that’s the same word, [5975]. He answered and spoke to those people who were abiding in His presence. This is what He said]: [You] take away the filthy garments from [Joshua]. And unto [Joshua] he said, … I have caused [your] iniquity to pass from [you], and [I’m going to] clothe [you] with [a] change of raiment.
What do I get out of that? It is Yahweh who rebukes the adversity, but it is those people hearing, those people abiding in the presence of God that He uses to give you a change of raiment. What is the “change of raiment”? He does away with your iniquity. What is “iniquity”? It’s crooked, twisted thinking – the lies we carry in our heart. Who is it that rebukes the adversary? The Lord. Who is it that gives you a change of raiment? Those who are listening to the Lord – those who are listening are able to help you straighten out your crooked thinking. But who is it that does the rebuking? It’s the Lord as He rebukes you in your heart. Well, who is it that does the teaching? It’s those who are abiding in Christ…I thought that was huge, and it’s something we all need to key on, and we all need to understand.
One point I want you to see in this is that “filthy garments” equate to “iniquity.” What does that mean? Well, if “iniquity” is thought, what are “garments”? Thought – I can either have “filthy” garments, or be dressed in “white” garments…pure understanding. The iniquity we carry equates to filthy garments.
Let’s turn over now, go further down in this parable to verse 8:
Zechariah 3:8-9
8Hear now, O Joshua [Yahshua] the high priest, [you], and [your] fellows that sit [in my presence]: …they are men wondered at [If you follow out this word, they are men of symbol. King James put, “they are men wondered at.” They are men of symbol, they understand the spiritual side of the words of this book]: …behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH [which we know is Christ, verse 9:].
9…Behold the stone [Now remember, when you listen to Christ, your foundation is on the Rock. Remember Isaiah 28:16: I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone. The stone He is talking about is the Branch, it’s Christ. Behold the stone…] that I have laid [in the presence of Yahshua]; upon [this] one [concept, this one] stone [this one truth of the Son of God – Upon this one stone is a fullness of understanding… “seven eyes” – “seven” is fullness; “eyes” mean the eyes of your understanding. Upon this one stone is a fullness of understanding]: …I will engrave the graving [of it], saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
Before I get into that, I want to talk about this “stone,” and I want you guys to make a chain of verses – let’s chain these verses together in your Bibles. From Zechariah 3:9, Behold the stone, it’s going to have a fullness of understanding, turn to Revelation, chapter 1, and it’s key that we lay this out, that we’re able to see this – I just want you to see the symbols. Why would the Lord use so many symbols? Because only a person who is going to take the time to dig it out, is going to see it – a surface reader will never understand these things. In Proverbs, the Lord tells us it is His character to hide a word; it’s the character of a king to dig it out, to search it out. In Revelation 1:4:
Revelation 1:4-5
4John to the seven churches …in Asia : Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, …which was, …which is to come [That’s the Father]; …from the seven Spirits [that serve] before [the] throne;
5And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, …
The seven Spirits before the throne – it is a fullness of Spirit, or a fullness of understanding. Where do I get that? Before the throne…Where is Joshua in Zechariah 3? He’s standing in the presence of the Angel of the Lord – He must be before the throne. From this, look at chapter 3 of Revelation, verse 1:
Revelation 3:1
1…Unto the [messenger] of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that [has] the [fullness of Spirit] of God [the fullness of understanding of God],…
Christ is the one who possesses that. Chapter 4, verse 5… as we go through these, he just keeps building on this truth:
Revelation 4:5
5…Out of the throne proceeded lightnings …thunderings and voices: …there [are] seven lamps of fire… [these] are the seven Spirits of God. [Why?]
A fullness of understanding he now equates to “seven lamps”…why? Because a lamp brings light – Remember in Psalms 1:19 , Thy word is a lamp unto my feet? Well, how do we define “word,” see, is it spoken or written? I know it’s both, but the written will not give you understanding unless you’re listening to the spoken. So, in this case, I have a fullness of understanding, it equates to seven lamps. Now look at chapter 5, verse 6:
Revelation 5:6
6…I beheld, and, …in the midst of the throne and of the four [living creatures], …in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes [a fullness of understanding], [these] are the seven Spirits [a fullness of understanding] of God…
See, all of this goes right back to what we were reading in Zechariah, that what we’re seeing in the Branch, the Branch is the stone, in the stone is a fullness of understanding – and this is what has been given to Joshua. When? On the Day of Atonement. Why? Let’s keep reading, let’s look at Zechariah again, verse 9:
Zechariah 3:9
9…I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
He removes the iniquity of that land in one day…
Now, listen to me: We’re back to what it means to be “dead to sin.” I know, for Scott Stanley , it has taken years for the Lord to bring me to the place where I see Father, Son…I understand Holy Spirit; I look at Calvary, I began to understand how much God loves me – and all of those things rolled together – they’re all rolled up and mashed, and tweaked and twisted until, finally, I get it, and the day comes that I sit down and, in prayer, the Lord tells me: I love you just the way you are. There’s no reason for you to think you have to keep the law to please me, you can be dead to the law – and 1 Corinthians 15:56 pops into my mind, and it says: The strength of sin is the law…and if the Lord has taken that out of my life, what does that do to sin? Suddenly, I am dead to the law, and I am dead to sin.
Now think about it: What did He do? He removed the iniquity of my land in one day. It took many days of preparation to get me there – Let me give you another example…by the way, the “one day” He’s talking about in Zechariah is the sixth creation day…He makes you in His image. But, if you consider this with me, if you think of planting seed, planting a wheat field: You plant the seed; you pray for water – as the seed grows, eventually you come to harvest, so you’ve got to go out there and harvest the wheat, and then you bring it in, you separate the wheat from the tares; then you take the wheat and you start grinding it, and I’m able to take that, and now I’ve got some flour and I can add oil and whatever else I’m going to put in there, knead it, bake it – I finally have a loaf! You could say, in one day I’ve made a loaf…No, it took many days to get that loaf of bread on my table. But now, I want to invite you over to my home to eat this bread with me. You can sit and eat this bread with me, and you don’t have to go work in the field, you don’t have to harvest it, you don’t have to do any of those things. And, in “one day,” as I am someone standing by, I am one of these people that’s standing by as he described in Zechariah 3, I can give you the bread Christ has given me, and deliver you from your iniquity the same way.
Now, if you want to keep eating it, you’re going to have to plant, you’re going to have to harvest, you’re going to have to learn to do all of those things yourself, because you want to have to give to another person – but you can sit at my table and we can eat the bread that God has given me, and we’re able to go from A to Z in one fell swoop…I can give you the bread of Christ, and you can be dead to sin yourself, and you can be dead to the law yourself, with the understanding He has given me. And that is what is pictured, I believe, in Zechariah 3:4: You take away the filthy garments… Who does that? Those who stand by; those who are abiding in Christ can help you do that. He will take away these filthy garments from you in one day.
Now, I want to turn to Isaiah, and I want to look at Isaiah 61, understanding now that the “garments” He is talking about are the thoughts we possess – filthy garments equal iniquity; pure garments, I would have a robe of righteousness, wouldn’t I? Isaiah 61:10:
Isaiah 61:10
10I will greatly rejoice in [Yahweh], my soul shall be joyful in my God; [Why?] …[he’s] clothed me with the garments of salvation, [he’s] covered me with the robe of righteousness, [Now get this: He has covered me, just like…] a bridegroom [will deck] himself with ornaments, [he’s covered me just like…] a bride [would adorn] herself with …jewels.
In this one verse, you are “bride” and “bridegroom.” How can that be? Because, in Galatians 4:26 , you are to marry Jerusalem … Jerusalem is your mother, and if I take that to Isaiah, I discover that Jerusalem marries her children, hence, the mother marries the child! What does it mean to “marry”? I want to read this to you – this is so beautiful, this is in Ruth, and I want to read to you what it means to be married…and I would hope this would bring tears to your eyes. Listen to this – here’s “marriage,” this is what it means to cleave to your spouse…Now listen to this, this is in Ruth 1:16 , 17, and 18 – this is so sweet:
Ruth 1:16-17
16…Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave [you], or to return from following after [you]: [Where you go], I will go; …where [you lodge], I will lodge: [your] people [will] be my people, …[your] God [will be] my God:
17Where [you die], [I will] die, …there will I be buried: [and Yahweh] do so to me, and more also, if [anything] but death [parts you and I].
Now think about it: That’s what it means to cleave to, and the man and woman “cleave” to one another. Well, in Isaiah 61:10, you are the “bridegroom” cleaving to the “holy city,” the habitation of peace. You are the “bride,” as Romans 7:4 says you’re to be married to the risen Savior, so you cleave to Him. You see, it is exactly the same thing – it’s David sitting on the throne. He was to be in submission to God, like a wife to her husband, but he was the king of the land, hence, the land was in submission to him, as a wife to a husband. You are both “husband” and “wife” – both of those things are to be portrayed in your life. As you listen to God, you submit, but you govern your land…You are to be governing your land; your “land,” your mind, is to be in submission to you, and you are to be living in the “city of peace,” the habitation of peace, Jerusalem …New Jerusalem. You have to be in New Jerusalem in order to hear the voice of God – You are bride and bridegroom, the Lord has adorned me with both of those truths; both of those things are in my heart now. I know I must listen, and I know I must take what He says and portray that in my life; govern my land. Isaiah 61:11:
Isaiah 61:11
11…as the earth [brings] forth her bud, [just like a] garden [causes] the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so …Lord [Yahweh] will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
Isaiah 62:1
1For Zion ’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem ’s sake [New Jerusalem] I will not rest, until the righteousness [of New Jerusalem goes] forth as brightness, and …salvation [Now, here you go…] as a lamp [that’s burning].
What is “salvation”? We already talked about that, didn’t we? 1 Peter 1:9 – Salvation is the completion of your faith. What is “faith”? What God is telling me. What is salvation? Well, it’s like a lamp that is burning – “salvation” is mind reform, and it’s lighting my understanding; it’s giving me light. What was the “seven Spirits,” the fullness of understanding? The seven lamps before God. Who possesses that? Christ.
Are you listening to Christ? Can you have that fullness of understanding which was given to Joshua? On the one stone, that one concept, that one truth, that one person of Jesus Christ is a fullness of understanding. Listen to me: That Man’s face, if we were to symbolize it, that Man’s face shines like the sun, and I have learned that when I look into the face of the stone, the Branch, the fullness of eyes – I get an understanding of my heavenly Father. As I look at Jesus Christ, I see that God loves me…Why? Because He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, and by accepting that truth, I can be dead to the law, and I can be dead to sin, and I can live in joy and happiness and peace – and live in and accept and portray the glory of God, because that’s what we’re talking about. He loves you just the way you are.
Now I want to show you the other side of the equation, because we were talking about the two ways of understanding. Turn to Revelation, chapter 8, and let me show you something… I finally realized something about these “trumpets.” In Revelation 8, as you trumpet the truth, I want you to look at verse 10:
Revelation 8:10
10…The third [messenger] sounded, and there fell a great star [out of] heaven, [it burned] as …a lamp…
What was a “burning lamp”? Salvation – What do you think the “star” is that falls out of heaven? I want you to look at where it goes…It falls on the “rivers.” What’s a “river”? It’s a stream of thought – it falls on the way I think; it falls upon the fountains of water, the source of the water. Let me tell you what this “star” is: It’s the book; it’s the way people perceive the Bible itself. That star is called “Wormwood,” it’s bitterness. The third part of the waters become wormwood; men die because the water, the thoughts, are made bitter. That is exactly what reading the Bible without the understanding of God will do to you. It’s no wonder they put a black cover on the thing, because it’s a book of death if you’re not listening to God. If the Lord is not impressing you with what is right and what is wrong, and you pick up that book, you’re in absolute, mass confusion.
Look at the pope, for God’s sake – He picks up a stick, puts on a fish hat, and claims to be the substitute of Christ, and he uses the book to do it…and billions of people have followed that. I could go on and on – when I look at the apostasies in this world, everybody has a different opinion about the Bible, and when they use the Bible, it gives them the power of an army against you. They will kill you because of it; they will oppress you because of it – your life is hell because of their interpretation of the book. But if you have a relationship with Christ, like Abraham had, it’s a different story. You begin, as you enter the sanctuary, to receive a different understanding, until you enter the Holy of Holies and He gives you the stone with seven eyes – and now you have a fullness of understanding of God. And what does He do? He removes the iniquity of your land in one day!
What do you want? Look, I’ve had both – I’ve lived according to the book and condemned people for eating ice cream, and I’ve lived according to the spoken word, and have reached a point where I’m dead to sin.
I want you to look at one more of these trumpets, chapter 9, verse 1:
Revelation 9:1
1…The fifth [messenger] sounded, and I saw a star [having fallen] from heaven unto the earth [your own understanding]: [It had the power to open the pit of the abyss…]…
…And as they read this book, and tried to live what it said, the pit opened, and what comes out but “locusts” – and I can show you, according to Amos, that “locusts” are those things that make you think you’re separated unto God. Why do they have “hair like women”? Because you’re in subjection to men. Why do they have “teeth like lions”? Because it’s your pride. These things that make you think you’re separated unto God come from that book. That book is what has the power to open your mind and release untold misery on you, on your family, on those around you. For God’s sake, I’ll tell you, by God’s grace, we’re going to reach a point where we quit telling people how to live their lives…We quit telling them: This is what holiness is; we start letting the Lord be God to us. We put ourselves in submission to the Lord; we govern our own land, and we quit trying to take control of everyone else. Can you be someone to give a loaf of bread, sit down and give a loaf of bread, and remove the iniquity of that land in one day, and show them how to make it, show them how to be in Christ?
It’s funny, isn’t it, with all of these symbols that the Lord has put in these scriptures, only a certain group of people will be able to read that and glean out of it what the Lord wants. You don’t have to show everyone these symbols – what you need to do is show them Jesus Christ, show them the love of Jesus Christ. Be one who stands in the presence of God, who possesses the fullness of understanding; who lives in hope of the glory of God.