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Amen. 
Let's turn in God's Word 

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tonight. 
We're going to turn to 2nd 

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Kings. 
We're in chapter 4. 

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We're going to break into the 
chapter and we're going to read 

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from verse 38. 
Second Kings chapter 4, verse 

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38. 
I'd love to give you a page 

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number, but your Bible may be 
numbered differently from mine. 

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But Second Kings chapter 4 for 
those online, the words will 

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come up on screen and we're 
going to read from verse 38. 

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Let's hear the word of God. 
And Elisha came again to Gilgo, 

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and there was a dearth in the 
land, and the sons of the 

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prophets were sitting before 
him. 

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And he said unto his servant set
on the great pot, and seethed 

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pottage for the sons of the 
prophets. 

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And one went out into the field 
to gather herbs, and find a wild

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vain, and gathered thereof, 
while gourds his lapful, and 

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came and shred them into the pot
of pottage, for they knew them 

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not. 
So they poured out for the men 

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to eat, And it came to pass, as 
they were eating of the pottage,

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that they cried out and said, O 
thy man of God, there is death 

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in the pot, and they could not 
eat thereof. 

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But he said, Then bring meal, 
and they cast it into the pot. 

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And he said, Pour out for the 
people, that they may eat, and 

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there was no harm in the pot. 
Amen. 

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The Lord will add His blessing 
to this own public reading of 

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this precious Word, and we 
rejoice in the infallibility and

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the inerrancy of the Word of 
God. 

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Now my text tonight is taken 
from Second Kings chapter 4, and

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we're reading from verse 38 
through to verse 41. 

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I've read it once and not read 
it again, but I've simply 

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entitled tonight's message There
is Death in the pot. 

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Listen to one verse, the verse 
39, verse 40 rather. 

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So they poured out for the men 
to eat, and it came to pass as 

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they were eating of the pottage,
that they cried out and said, O 

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thy man of God, that there's 
death in the pot and they could 

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not eat thereof. 
So our theme tonight, based on 

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this text, Second Kings chapter 
438 to 41, is there's death in 

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the pot, or we could put it a 
different way, the poisonous hot

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pot. 
The prophet Elisha had returned 

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again to Gilgal. 
Here we discover there's a 

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school of the prophets. 
They're sitting before him. 

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He is teaching them the word of 
God. 

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You think of a principal and a 
group of Bible students in a 

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Bible college. 
And we also read in the verse 

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38. 
And there was a dearth in the 

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land. 
Now that word dearth in the 

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Hebrew means a famine. 
And as the sons of the prophets 

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sat before him, and Elisha 
taught them the word of God, 

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Elisha said to his servant set 
on the great part, and seethed 

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pottage for the sons of the 
prophets. 

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The pottage was a kind of Stew. 
Young people, it's not porridge,

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it's pottage, a kind of Stew. 
And according to verse 39, that 

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one went out into the field to 
gather herbs, found a wild vine,

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gathered their off wild gerds A 
lapful, which means he he 

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probably held up his garment and
filled it full and carried it 

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back to the place where they 
were cooking the pottage. 

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He then shred them into tiny 
little bits, added them to the 

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pottage. 
Now all this was done 

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innocently. 
All this was done accidentally. 

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It certainly was not on purpose.
We read there in verse 39, for 

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they knew them not. 
And then in verse 40, as the 

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pottage was being served out, 
the men began to eat. 

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And then as they began to eat, 
they cried out and said, 

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according to verse 40, O man of 
God, there's death in the pot, 

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and they could not eat thereof. 
It was a poisonous pot, a 

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poisonous hot pot. 
And if the men had to continue 

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to eat, they could have died. 
Then Alicia did something 

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wonderful. 
There's a a wonderful miracle 

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here, a wonderful miracle that 
I'll not take time to explain. 

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But what he did was he ordered 
meal to be brought. 

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They cast the meal into the pot 
and then he said, pour out for 

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the people that they may eat. 
And according to verse 41 that 

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the last line of the verse, it 
says and there was no harm in 

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the pot. 
Now how, how do we interpret 

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this mighty miracle? 
What lessons can we learn from 

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this literal historical incident
in the life of Elisha? 

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And the life of Elisha had many 
miracles to do with food. 

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And since we all love food, 
here's one of those miracles 

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tonight. 
I want you to think of four 

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things. 
I want you to think of the 

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condition that Elisha found. 
You see these events take place 

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at Gilgol. 
We read there in verse 38 and 

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Elisha came again to Gilgol that
that's important underline the 

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word Gilgol. 
And here's the reality of the 

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condition. 
And there was a dearth in the 

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land. 
Now I've already told you in the

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introduction the word dearth 
means a famine, so we can 

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literally read it. 
And there was a famine in the 

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land. 
Now Jericho or Gilgol was east 

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of Jericho. 
It was a place of lust 

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vegetation, a place of plenty, a
place of fruitfulness. 

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Can you imagine the scene now in
Gilgal? 

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There's no fruit in the vine, 
there's Baroness in the fig 

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trees, the the olive oil has 
field. 

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There's no crops in the field. 
There's no lambs or calves being

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born. 
There's no herds in the stall. 

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You see, it's hard for us to 
imagine in the Western world 

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because we live in a land of 
plenty. 

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We look in our fridge, in our 
cupboard, and if there's nothing

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there, then we go down to the 
supermarket. 

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You could go to Lidl, you could 
go to the Euro spa and you can 

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buy all that you need. 
We live in a land of material 

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plentifulness. 
But think of life in ancient 

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Israel. 
You see, life was such that 

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times were hard, times were such
that starvation was just around 

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the corner. 
Starvation and hunger was never 

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really far away and here it is, 
we read and there was a dearth 

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in the land and it impacted upon
Gilgol. 

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And this is 1 of 13 famines that
we read about in the Bible. 

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Here's one of the best places in
the land for plenty and 

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vegetation and yet there was a 
famine here. 

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Gilgol represents place of 
redemption, the place of 

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renewal, the place of 
refreshment, and yet it was a 

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not very place and there was a 
famine in the land. 

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The famine actually lasted 7 
years according to Second Kings 

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chapter 8 verse one. 
Now that's the reality of this 

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condition and if I spiritualise 
that we are living in days not 

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of a literal famine but of a 
spiritual famine. 

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And in the book of Amos, in Amos
chapter 8 and in the verse 11, 

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we read a tremendous statement 
there in relation to the subject

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of famine. 
It says in Amos 8 verse 11, 

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Behold, the days come, saith the
Lord God, that I will send a 

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famine in the land, not a famine
of bread, nor a thirst for 

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water, but of hearing the words 
of the Lord. 

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And is this not true today? 
See someone has rightly said the

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Church of Jesus Christ must 
learn from its past, but can't 

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live in it. 
And the Church of Jesus Christ 

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in Ulster has an illustrious 
past. 

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Three times God visited this 
land. 

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With revival we we think of the 
multitude of churches that were 

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open to different denominations,
all to the glory of God. 

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God's praise was sung, prayer 
was offered to the Almighty, the

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preaching was clear and pay and 
men were called to repentance 

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and faith in Jesus Christ. 
The the preacher and the 

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eldership were energised by the 
power of the Spirit. 

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But the reality is today the 
Church of Jesus Christ in Ulster

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as a mere shadow of its former 
self. 

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For many who name the name of 
Christ, they have a name to live

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and are dead. 
How many churches have been 

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closed? 
How many churches have been 

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turned into restaurants? 
We pass one the other night 

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going through Dungalon to go 
into Cookstown. 

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Some have been turned into 
carpet warehouses, furniture 

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shops go down the Lisburn Rd. 
There's one there. 

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How is this possible? 
You see, sometimes we focus on 

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how's the church doing 
financially and I'm the one that

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worries about the finances and 
leave it before the Lord. 

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And the Lord has supplied our 
need from our inception almost 

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50 years ago right up to the 
present time. 

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I'm the one that worries in a 
sense about numbers coming, and 

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I pray about that and pray over 
these seats and leave that 

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before the Lord. 
I'm concerned about the church 

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socially and I rejoice in how 
affectionate you are one towards

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another and how much you reach 
out to one another, little cards

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in the telephone and how you 
speak to one another in the 

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House of God. 
That's all important. 

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But how does the Lord see us? 
Is the Lord really interested in

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the finances and the social 
ability of the church or, or, or

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or its numbers? 
While they're important, they're

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not the be all and end all. 
I believe the most important 

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thing is how do we stand 
spiritually before the Lord? 

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What does the Lord say? 
What does the Lord say? 

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See, I want you to think not 
only the reality of this 

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condition, but I want you to 
think of the reason for this 

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condition. 
I believe the reason for this 

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condition when it says that 
there was a famine in the land 

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had to do with sin. 
The people by and large in this 

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day had forgotten God had 
forsaken him. 

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The Baroness physically in the 
land was a saying. 

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It was a pointer to the Baroness
spiritually in the land. 

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Yes, thank God there was a 
prophet of God here, and Elisha 

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came again to Gilgod. 
Elisha was God's prophet. 

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Yes, thankfully, in Gilgal there
was a school of the prophets, a 

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faithful remnant, a group of 
young men going on with God, a 

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group of young men who were 
standing for truth and 

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righteousness, a group of young 
men that wanted to learn the 

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word of God, wanted the lesson. 
But remember, Elisha, the 

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prophet and the sons of the 
prophet lived in the midst of a 

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land that was almost destroyed 
by an ongoing spirit of the 

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apostasy. 
There was a great departure from

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God. 
Because remember what we read in

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the book of Jeremiah, in 
Jeremiah chapter 2 and in the 

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verse 13. 
Jeremiah 213 says this. 

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For my people have committed 2 
evils. 

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They've forsaken me, the 
fountain of living waters, and 

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hewed them out. 
Cisterns, broken cisterns that 

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can hold no water. 
The people had turned their back

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on God. 
This was a serious spiritual 

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departure from God. 
The people preferred to copy the

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lifestyle of the heathen nations
all around them. 

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People willfully had chosen a a 
path of sinfulness and a path of

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recklessness. 
Beal worship, sadly, was the 

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order of the day. 
Beal worship was an evil wicked 

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system of man made religion and 
remember what the Bible tells 

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us. 
Proverbs 1434. 

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Sin is a reproach to any people.
Righteousness exalteth the 

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nation and I want to tell you 
tonight, sin is not a good 

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choice. 
Sin pays wages for the wages of 

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sin is death. 
The gift of God is eternal life.

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The soul that sinneth that shall
die. 

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Ezekiel 18 and four, and no 
nation can turn its back in God 

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and expect to prosper. 
Sin brings the displeasure of 

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God. 
Because of sin, God withdraws. 

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Remember what the prophet Isaiah
said. 

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Behold, the Lord's hand is not 
shortened that it cannot see, 

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neither does this ear heavy that
it cannot hear. 

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But your iniquities have 
separated between you and your 

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God, and your sins have hid his 
face from you that he will not 

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hear. 
Is I have 59 one and two through

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the prophet again he said, is I 
have 58 and one, listen to these

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words. 
Is I have 58 and one, cry aloud.

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Spare not, lift up thy voice 
like a trumpet, and show my 

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people their transgression and 
the House of Jacob their sins. 

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God withdraws His presence and 
His power because of sin. 

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And all of this happened in the 
days of Elisha, in the days when

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he sat in Gilgal teaching a tiny
remnant of the sons of the 

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prophets. 
The famine came about by divine 

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appointment, not by accident. 
God had warned him. 

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Forsake me, forget me, and 
here's a sign of my displeasure.

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Your land will suffer. 
And the land of Israel at this 

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time was suffering under a load 
of sin, and our United Kingdom 

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is suffering tonight because of 
the wickedness and sinfulness of

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the people in our nation. 
Remember what the Lord Jesus 

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said in the Gospel of Mark. 
He said this about the human 

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heart, for from within, out of 
the heart of men, proceed evil 

226
00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:42,840
thoughts, adulteries, 
fornication, murders, theft, 

227
00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:45,960
covetousness, wickedness, 
deceit, lusciviousness and evil 

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00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:48,720
eye, blasphemy, pride, 
foolishness, all these evil 

229
00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:52,240
things come from within and defy
the man. 

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00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:55,960
And over in the Book of 
Revelation, Revelation 21 and 

231
00:16:55,960 --> 00:17:01,120
verse 8, we read this. 
But the fearful, the man or 

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00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:06,480
woman who's afraid to get saved 
and unbelieving, and the 

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00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:09,480
abominable and murderers and 
whoremongers and sorcerers and 

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00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:11,800
idolaters and old liars that 
have their part in the lake, 

235
00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:16,720
which burn of the fire and 
brimstone, which is the second 

236
00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:20,359
death. 
We could flag up other 

237
00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:24,040
references. 
Romans chapter 1, verses 18 to 

238
00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,280
32. 
Too long a passage to read, but 

239
00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:29,360
there's a whole catalogue of 
sins there. 

240
00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:33,240
And people think because of 
these sins that I have read, 

241
00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:36,880
God's judgement is coming upon 
the United Kingdom. 

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00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:40,640
And it is. 
But let me tell you, it goes 

243
00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:44,960
much deeper than that. 
The sin in the land is a sign of

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00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:49,800
God's great displeasure already.
And we need to understand this. 

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00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:55,920
The great sin is not merely what
men do to themselves or men do 

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00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:59,760
to men, or men do to women or 
women do to men. 

247
00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:03,760
No, the great sin is this, that 
although men and women in 

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00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:10,040
society knew that there was a 
God, a God that would bring them

249
00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:15,120
into judgement, the true and the
living God, Creator, Maker, 

250
00:18:15,120 --> 00:18:18,800
Sustainer and provider, the 
great sin is this that didn't 

251
00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:25,400
want them in their life. 
So let me ask you this, do you 

252
00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:29,640
know God tonight? 
Do you know God's Son, Jesus 

253
00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:32,240
Christ? 
Is he your Lord and Saviour? 

254
00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:36,600
Are you in a right relationship 
with him individually? 

255
00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:38,960
Have you received him? 
Do you rest alone in him for 

256
00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:41,360
salvation? 
Do you love him tonight? 

257
00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:46,200
Are you living for Him? 
See, we want to call the United 

258
00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:50,440
Kingdom tonight to repentance. 
We need to say to the King on 

259
00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:54,960
the throne, King Charles, We 
need to say to the Prime 

260
00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:59,120
Minister and all the Westminster
parliamentarians and those in 

261
00:18:59,120 --> 00:19:04,520
the House of Lords, we want to 
warn them that sin pays wages, 

262
00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:10,320
sin brings consequences. 
One of the most important things

263
00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:14,880
that they need to bear in mind 
is this what you will you do 

264
00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:21,400
with Jesus, which is called the 
Christ because God has done all 

265
00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:25,400
that God has done, creation, 
Providence and redemption. 

266
00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:30,400
God has done all this for the 
sake of and on behalf of His Son

267
00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:38,280
Jesus Christ, and in all of 
life's during time as it 

268
00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:42,520
progresses, right until the end 
of day. 

269
00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:48,680
All that God has done, He's done
because of on behalf of His Son.

270
00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:52,080
And yet how many have refused 
him? 

271
00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:57,560
How many have rejected him? 
The sin of Christ's rejection 

272
00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:02,320
and all the other sins of our 
day and generation has robbed 

273
00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:08,680
our land and robbed the Church 
of great spiritual blessing. 

274
00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:13,440
It's wonderful tonight to know 
that Elijah didn't give up. 

275
00:20:14,120 --> 00:20:16,880
We thought this morning, stand 
fast in the Lord. 

276
00:20:17,360 --> 00:20:19,560
Well, Elijah stood fast in the 
Lord. 

277
00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:21,960
He didn't quit. 
He kept on doing what God had 

278
00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:25,680
called him to do. 
Here's Elisha in the midst of a 

279
00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:29,320
teaching session. 
He's sitting before the sons of 

280
00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:31,440
the prophets. 
Here's a Bible school. 

281
00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:35,480
Here's the lead principal 
teaching the pupils. 

282
00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:37,920
Or we could say it's a teaching 
conference. 

283
00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:41,400
Or we could say it's a church 
service, like a pastor. 

284
00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:46,360
People relationship. 
The sons of the prophet are 

285
00:20:46,360 --> 00:20:50,280
sitting at delicious feet and 
he's teaching the word of God to

286
00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:53,200
them, teaching the word of God 
that he's teaching hungry 

287
00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:57,480
students. 
Here's a big deal. 

288
00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:03,800
The food is scarce, people in 
the land and the brink of 

289
00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:06,800
starvation. 
You would think that that would 

290
00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:09,960
cause a crisis, that would cause
a panic that would draw your 

291
00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:12,280
mind out. 
Where's tomorrow's food going to

292
00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:14,240
come from? 
But what are the sons of the 

293
00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:16,560
prophets doing? 
What is Elicia doing? 

294
00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:19,360
Recognising there's a greater 
famine in the land? 

295
00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:22,200
For they gathered a feast in the
word of God. 

296
00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:25,280
I told you this morning, I 
repeat, man shall not live by 

297
00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:28,680
bread alone, but be every word 
that proceedeth out of the mouth

298
00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:32,440
of God. 
Thank the Lord, in a licious day

299
00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:35,040
there were 7000 that had not 
bowed to need a Beal. 

300
00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:40,840
I know, hardly a massive 
movement, but a godly remnant. 

301
00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:49,920
And here at Gilgal, even in the 
place of famine, God is about to

302
00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:56,200
work a miracle. 
The word applies to the Sinner. 

303
00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:03,400
The word can apply to the Saint.
You see we have here in this 

304
00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:07,640
story one man's action and death
is passed on. 

305
00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:11,400
Does that not remind us of Adam 
and his disobedience and Eden? 

306
00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:15,480
Romans 5 and 12 where for us by 
one man's disobedience sin 

307
00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:17,680
entered into the world, and 
death by sin and death passed 

308
00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:19,640
upon all men, for that all have 
sinned. 

309
00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:22,600
When did we all sin? 
We sinned, and Adam as an Adam 

310
00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:25,560
all die. 
See, sin is universal, death is 

311
00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:35,200
universal. 
What impact sin has not one you 

312
00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:42,520
that this man's action would 
bring about the passing on of 

313
00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:45,840
death. 
There was not one aware, not one

314
00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:49,480
awake. 
Here's the fact there was death 

315
00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:53,360
in the pot, and they were so 
insensitive to that because they

316
00:22:53,360 --> 00:22:58,320
were insensitive to sin. 
Not aware, not awake, couldn't 

317
00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:01,160
see the danger, couldn't see 
death. 

318
00:23:03,120 --> 00:23:04,480
Is that a picture of you 
tonight? 

319
00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:09,760
It applies to the Saint. 
As I told you, Alicia didn't 

320
00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:11,200
give up. 
He kept going. 

321
00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:13,720
He was not swayed from his 
divine purpose. 

322
00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:15,200
And there's a lesson here for 
us. 

323
00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:19,720
We can take heart those that 
tell us there's no point to a 

324
00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:22,080
gospel preaching service on a 
Sunday night. 

325
00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:24,400
There's no point of doing 
outreach. 

326
00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:27,000
The people isn't interested. 
There's no point in having 

327
00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:29,400
children's ministry because the 
children won't come. 

328
00:23:30,120 --> 00:23:33,880
Remember, this is a day of 
apathy, a day of apostasy, a day

329
00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:35,720
of religious decline and 
declension. 

330
00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:39,360
And yet, what was Elisha doing 
with the sons of the prophets? 

331
00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:42,880
He was teaching those who wanted
to hear the word of God. 

332
00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:47,880
And that's what we need to do 
the same tonight. 

333
00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:54,760
Let's just think of the 
condition that Elisha found very

334
00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:58,480
quickly, the contamination that 
Elisha faced. 

335
00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:04,960
See, think of this hot pot of 
food, this pottage of Stew. 

336
00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:09,760
One of the men went out and 
brought a lap full of gourds. 

337
00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:14,480
He cut them all up into wee 
bits, put them into the pot. 

338
00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:21,720
But this action, accidentally as
it was, meant the entire pot was

339
00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:26,720
contaminated. 
It meant there was poison in the

340
00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:31,480
pot, and it was all rooted in a 
lack of discernment. 

341
00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:35,400
Look at these words, for they 
knew them not, neither the young

342
00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:38,280
man that brought them or those 
that watched them, cutting them 

343
00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:42,880
up and putting them into the 
pot, for they knew them not. 

344
00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:45,440
Think of the poisonous pot 
tonight. 

345
00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:47,760
Is that not a picture of our 
United Kingdom? 

346
00:24:48,360 --> 00:24:50,960
You think of the sinful things 
that have been added into the 

347
00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:53,880
life of the nation because there
was a lack of discernment, 

348
00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:56,520
whether at the high essence or 
launch of society. 

349
00:24:56,640 --> 00:24:59,960
The King, members of Parliament,
the members of the House of 

350
00:24:59,960 --> 00:25:04,800
Lords because of this back cloth
of forgetting God and forsaking 

351
00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:07,960
him. 
We could list the things they're

352
00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:12,520
trying now to bring in ID cards 
forerunner to the mark of the 

353
00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:21,000
beast abortion and demand 
transgenderism assisted suicide 

354
00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:26,640
in euthanasia Sunday training to
add into the gambling laws and 

355
00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:30,760
the drinking laws and and and 
wanting to push for legalisation

356
00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:32,240
of drugs. 
It's all there. 

357
00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:34,800
It's all part of a poisonous 
pot. 

358
00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:37,160
It's impacting on the life of 
the nation. 

359
00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:40,400
Think of this poisonous pot 
tonight as a picture of the 

360
00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:42,080
professing church United 
Kingdom. 

361
00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:46,360
Many churches have contaminated,
contaminated because of the 

362
00:25:46,360 --> 00:25:50,720
leaven of apostasy. 
This apostasy came in unnoticed.

363
00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:52,880
Sadly it was brought in by the 
clergy. 

364
00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:57,400
I say that to shame the clergy. 
But remember we read there in 

365
00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:03,640
the book of Jude, in Jude verse 
4 it says this. 

366
00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:08,800
For there are certain men crept 
in unawares who were before of 

367
00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:12,360
old ordained in this 
condemnation ungodly man, 

368
00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:17,520
turning the grace of our God 
into lusciviousness. 

369
00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:22,920
In other words, a licence to sin
and denying the only Lord God. 

370
00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:27,200
Imagine clergymen sin. 
There is no God, God doesn't 

371
00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:33,760
exist and our Lord Jesus Christ 
denying him in his person and 

372
00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:36,120
work. 
I've already told you his 

373
00:26:36,120 --> 00:26:39,360
churches in Belfast have been 
turned into eating houses, 

374
00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:45,680
social clubs, warehouses, 
studios, centres for sin and 

375
00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:48,640
vice. 
And part of the rot that came in

376
00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:52,800
I, I, I, I say this deliberately
was because of the church's 

377
00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:56,160
decision to throw out the 
faithful translation of the King

378
00:26:56,200 --> 00:27:00,120
James Bible and bring in modern 
versions under the guise that 

379
00:27:00,120 --> 00:27:03,520
they're easier to read and 
easier to understand. 

380
00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:09,760
They've added to and they've 
taken away from the word of God.

381
00:27:11,120 --> 00:27:13,520
You think of the mix of the 
ecumenical movement, the 

382
00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:17,080
charismatic movement, the 
liberals, the modernisation of 

383
00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:20,120
the day, the higher criticism, 
resurgent Romanism, the 

384
00:27:20,120 --> 00:27:23,840
influence of Islam. 
All of this is part of this 

385
00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:27,000
poisonous part. 
Let me say this very quickly. 

386
00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:36,200
You know, we live in a day when 
you've got the stupidity of the 

387
00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:40,720
specialist that that was a 
sermon titled by Joseph Parker 

388
00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:45,320
from First Peter chapter 2. 
The builders refused the 

389
00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:49,960
cornerstone of the building. 
The so-called building experts 

390
00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:54,320
said no to the cornerstone and 
he entitled a sermon on that. 

391
00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:59,440
The stupidity of the specialist 
societies crumbling all around 

392
00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:01,600
us. 
There's a breakdown or break up 

393
00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,640
of family units. 
There's a rejection of the old 

394
00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:08,000
foundations based on the word of
God. the United Kingdom, 

395
00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:11,200
remember, was built on a 
tradition of 1500 years of judo,

396
00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:14,600
Christian values, and it's been 
rejected and set aside. 

397
00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:16,880
For what? 
For rationalism. 

398
00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:20,880
What is rationalism? 
It's man's reason. 

399
00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:23,160
It's sufficient to solve the 
problems of life. 

400
00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:27,520
I want to tell you man's reason 
is darkened, Man's reason is 

401
00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:30,680
depraved, man's reasoning is 
deceased. 

402
00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:35,640
Man's reasoning was to set aside
the Bible and to set aside the 

403
00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:38,680
God of the Bible. 
And once you set aside the Bible

404
00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:42,080
and set aside the God of the 
Bible, it's like eating from a 

405
00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:46,560
poisonous pot. 
Does Bible colleges today, not 

406
00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:49,400
all over the land, have a new 
brand of Christianity? 

407
00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:53,280
Many have thrown out the 10 
commandments and say it belongs 

408
00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:56,200
to the Puritan age. 
Rejected that it's the universal

409
00:28:56,360 --> 00:28:59,680
moral law of God, Rejected the 
fact that it's a guide to show 

410
00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:02,760
us how sinful we are. 
It's a guide to show us God's 

411
00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:07,440
high and holy standard that we 
can't attain to ourselves that 

412
00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:10,760
points us to Christ. 
We live in a day when even Bible

413
00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:14,880
colleges, professors and 
lecturers have redefined sin. 

414
00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:20,040
Oh, it's not a transgression of 
the law of God. 

415
00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:23,280
They they call it now a 
sickness. 

416
00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:27,120
Does any wonder the church is 
rife with coldness, 

417
00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:30,480
prayerlessness, worldliness, 
carelessness, and a selfishness.

418
00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:35,280
And the main set of the majority
of professing Christians is to 

419
00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:39,560
get all you can can all you can 
get and depart with everybody 

420
00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:42,800
else. 
We're in the midst of a 

421
00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:45,720
spiritual famine, folks. 
Why? 

422
00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:49,760
Because there's poison in the 
pot. 

423
00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:53,440
There's a picture of our land 
and his Natal Kingdom. 

424
00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:57,600
It's a picture of the church. 
Very quickly, think of the 

425
00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:02,800
challenge that Elijah felt. 
There was a cry in verse 40. 

426
00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:06,240
Oh, thy man of God, there's 
death in the pot. 

427
00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:10,480
They could not eat thereof. 
Here's the challenge that he 

428
00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:13,000
felt. 
There was a great awakening. 

429
00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:19,480
There was a discovery the food 
is poisoned and thank the Lord 

430
00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:24,560
for those that are discovering 
and have awakened and at least 

431
00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:30,520
acknowledge that the food in our
land, spiritually speaking is 

432
00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:32,600
poisonous to the landless 
people. 

433
00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:38,280
And it's the same with the 
church death in the pot. 

434
00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:43,720
They became conscious of it. 
And we need such an awakening in

435
00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:45,800
our United Kingdom. 
And I believe there is a 

436
00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:48,560
stirring and even among the 
young people there is an A 

437
00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:51,520
stirring because this great 
awakening leads to a great 

438
00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:54,280
alarm. 
There's a cry death in the pot. 

439
00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:58,400
I know we could rediscover why 
our land is in the state that 

440
00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:02,000
it's in and see what sin has 
done, because sin's a reproach 

441
00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,880
to any people. 
And there's a great abandonment 

442
00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:07,040
here. 
It says in the text. 

443
00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:09,560
And they could not eat thereof. 
In other words, they stopped 

444
00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:12,160
eating. 
And that's what we need. 

445
00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:17,640
We need the Sinner to discover 
his own sinfulness before God. 

446
00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:22,560
We need the Saint to discover 
there's nothing to be gained by 

447
00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:25,920
sin and abandoning the old past 
and the old truth. 

448
00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:30,400
There's all to lose and all we 
could learn from our past. 

449
00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:35,320
We'd love our past, not live in 
it. 

450
00:31:36,200 --> 00:31:40,720
This sin needs to be repudiated.
Churches need to repent. 

451
00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:44,480
Great discovery of a great 
danger. 

452
00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:50,520
There's death in the pot. 
Can I finish tonight? 

453
00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:55,520
Think of the cure that Elisha 
focused. 

454
00:31:57,040 --> 00:32:03,400
What did he say Then? 
Bring meal and he cast it into 

455
00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:09,720
the pot and said poor right for 
the people that they may eat and

456
00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:14,320
there was no harm in the pot. 
Elisha the prophet had a cure. 

457
00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:22,280
What's the antidote meal? 
The meal speaks of Christ. 

458
00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:26,800
See, Christ is the antidote. 
Christ is the answer. 

459
00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:31,360
Remember what we read in John 
chapter 12 and in the verse at 

460
00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:35,600
24 and we read of something 
wonderful when we think about 

461
00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:37,880
the harvest time. 
Except the corn of wheat fall 

462
00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:40,280
into the ground and die. 
It abide it alone, but if it 

463
00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:43,520
die, it bringeth forth much 
fruit. 

464
00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:51,280
The meal speaks of Christ. 
Christ is the answer to the 

465
00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:58,600
poisonous part. 
You see Christ tonight as our 

466
00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:02,400
great high Priest. 
Christ tonight is our holy 

467
00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:06,120
prophet to teach and tell us the
way of salvation. 

468
00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:09,680
Christ tonight is our heavenly 
Prince. 

469
00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:16,600
He feels your burden. 
He says he that believeth on me 

470
00:33:16,600 --> 00:33:21,480
hath everlasting life. 
And he's calling the Sinner. 

471
00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:26,560
He's calling the Saint to 
discover the antidote and the 

472
00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:30,800
answer to the Church and to 
life's problems. 

473
00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:35,440
I trust and pray that as we 
thought about this miracle 

474
00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:38,640
wasn't a magic trick. 
This is a real historical, 

475
00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:41,720
literal account, a real literal 
miracle from God. 

476
00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:46,440
And it was put into the Bible 
for our education and for our 

477
00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:48,720
encouragement and for our 
learning. 

478
00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:54,440
Let's remember the condition 
that Ilijah found, the reality 

479
00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:59,040
and reason for the famine. 
Let's think of the contamination

480
00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:05,280
that he faced, a poisonous pot. 
Let's remember the challenge 

481
00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:08,760
that he felt. 
Oh man of God, they were crying 

482
00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:10,280
out. 
There's death that they told 

483
00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:15,320
them they were looking to him 
for help and he was the cure 

484
00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:18,040
that he focused on. 
Bring the meal. 

485
00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:23,800
The meal is a picture of Christ.
Will you have Christ tonight? 

486
00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:31,199
May the Lord help us to 
rediscover and rejoice and 

487
00:34:31,199 --> 00:34:32,960
receive Christ. 
Christ alone. 

488
00:34:34,159 --> 00:34:36,040
The Lord bless you. 
Thanks for coming. 

489
00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:41,800
I pray that what I have tried to
speak on, hurriedly prepared, 

490
00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:45,360
will be a blessing and a help in
these days.