The Berean Call Podcast

Our topic for today is “Apostasy.” We’re going to define it and discuss what the Bible has to say about it. Our guest is G. Richard Fisher. He’s a retired pastor, author of the The Confusing World of Benny Hinn, and contributing writer to the Personal Freedom Outreach Quarterly Journal, an excellent—I mean, excellent!—newsletter, which addresses false doctrines and false teachers that have contributed to the spread of apostasy in our time.

Our topic for today is “Apostasy.” We’re going to define it and discuss what the Bible has to say about it. Our guest is G. Richard Fisher. He’s a retired pastor, author of the The Confusing World of Benny Hinn, and contributing writer to the Personal Freedom Outreach Quarterly Journal, an excellent—I mean, excellent!—newsletter, which addresses false doctrines and false teachers that have contributed to the spread of apostasy in our time.

GALATIANS 5:16-18 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

GALATIANS 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

EPHESIANS 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation [conduct] the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

COLOSSIANS 3:3-5 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, [depraved and vile passions] evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

1 THESSALONIANS 4:3-7 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, [unlawful sexual pleasure] even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud [seduce] his brother in any [such sexual] matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

1 TIMOTHY 1:9-10 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, or fornicators, for sodomites [homosexuals], for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; 

1 TIMOTHY 5:1-2 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.

1 TIMOTHY 6:9-10 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

1 CORINTHIANS 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, [homosexuals nor sodomites]

1 CORINTHIANS 6:12  All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 

1 CORINTHIANS 6:13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. 

1 CORINTHIANS 6:18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 

1 CORINTHIANS 7:1-2 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman  [carnal intercourse with a women or cohabitation]. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.

1 CORINTHIANS 7:3-4 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence [affection]: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

1 CORINTHIANS 7:5 Defraud [deprive] ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency [lack of self-control].

1 CORINTHIANS 7:6-9 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain [exercise self-control], let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

1 CORINTHIANS 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

Our topic for today is a book that is atop the New York Times bestseller list titled The Harbinger, authored by Jonathan Cahn. Our guest is Dave James, the author of The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction?, which in fact takes issue with Jonathan Cahn’s best seller, a book that is obviously growing in its influence among Christians and non-Christians alike.

You are listening to Search the Scriptures Daily, a program in which we encourage everyone who desires to know God’s truth to look to God’s Word for all that is essential for salvation and living one’s life in a way that is pleasing to him. Today our topic is prayer and there’s a lot to talk about regarding prayer because it’s one of the most important parts of a person’s walk with the Lord. Prayer is first and foremost communion with the Lord, although many of us perhaps have employed it more as a needs or wish list that we bring before the Lord. Now Dave, before we get to our first question taken from you book In Defense of the Faith, I’d like to talk about prayer with regard to our personal relationship with the Lord. You said on one of our past programs on this subject that you talk to God. Now how does that work?

When confronted with uncomfortable questions from atheists and agnostics, cultists and pagans, or skeptics and mystics, do your once-firm convictions begin to crumble and compromise? Do you tend to take flight—or instead, are you able to stand firm and “earnestly contend for the faith”? (Jude 3)

MATTHEW 5:27-28 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

MARK 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

ROMANS 1:24-28 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly [shameful], and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.  And  even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate [disqualified] mind, to do those things which are not convenient [not fitting]

ROMANS 7:7-8 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence [lustful desires]. For without the law sin was dead.

ROMANS 13:13-14 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

1 CORINTHIANS 5:1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.

FIND BIBLICAL RESPONSES TO SUCH QUESTIONS AS:

Is There a Difference Between Faith and Belief? • Is It Wrong to Want Evidence of God? • How Do We Deal with Doubts? • If We Can Prove God Exists, Why Faith? • Why Do Christians Accept Only One God? • Who Is the True God? • Can We Know God? • Are God and Nature the Same? • Is It Wrong to Ask God to Reveal Himself? • Is Jesus Half-God & Half-Man? • Is the Bible Reliable? • Is the Bible the Only Book of God? • Were Biblical Prophecies Written After the Events? • Shouldn’t We Examine All Religions? • Can the Bible Be Verified? • How Do We Know Our Copies of the Bible Are Accurate? • Can You Make the Bible Say Anything You Want? • Is the Bible Infallible? • When Was Jesus Born? • Do the Gospels Disagree?

“Flocking to Fables” has to do with great numbers of people being overwhelmingly drawn to things that have no basis in reality. They have been bewitched by myths...or what the Bible calls "fables." Hopefully, that will be made clear as we proceed.

As we wonder what we may be facing in the year 2023, there are indications from Scripture that give us some good ideas. Actually, one is really good, and the others are not so good. The really good one is that our Lord and Savior may return to this earth to catch up His bride, His church, taking believers with Him to Heaven in the Rapture (1 Corinthians 1:5-7; 15:51-54)! That might happen soon, and nothing could be better.

1 PETER 5:12 By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

2 PETER 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

REVELATION 2:13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, 

REVELATION 2:24-25 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

REVELATION 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

REVELATION 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

REVELATION 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

REVELATION 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.