[e-mail]

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cressj_at_gc.adventist.org

• Youll receive all power points

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Three Friends who are Gay

• Not by their choice
• Biological reality
• Nothing they can do to change
• Two tried - One has not attempted any change
• Concluded must accept themselves as they are
• Parents, friends, congregation all accept
• Guarantee Jesus also accepts their reality

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Name / Not Sexual Orientation

• Family name Gay
• Two changed their name to Gray
• One left his original family name Gay

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Believe It or Not, Adventists Love a Hoax

• James A. Cress

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April Fool

• One day a year . . .
• Fun to play hoax on your friends
• Devise something clever and trick someone into
  believing something different than reality
• Because you quickly remind them that its an
  April Fool joke
• Then youre on about life and on about reality

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Sad Reality

• Some hoaxes are not limited to April 1
• Some hoaxes are dangerous
• Some hoaxes ensnare Christians
• Some hoaxes utilized by Satan to deceive
• Spiritual hoaxes are tragic
• Spiritual hoaxes are soul destroying

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Bigger the Hoax / Bigger the Lie

• First great hoax about Christianity attempted to
  foist a deception into peoples minds about the
  resurrection of Jesus
• Shared characteristics of all spiritual hoaxes
• We can apply these lessons today when charlatans
  attempt spiritual hoaxes.
•  

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Matthew 2811

• Now while they were going, behold some of the
  guard came into the city and reported to the
  chief priest all the things that had happened.

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Reported the Facts

• They reported the resurrection of Jesus.
• Proclaimed everything that had happened
• They told . . . of mighty angel . . . stone moved
  . . . Jesus coming back to life . . . empty tomb
• They had facts straight . . . but they changed

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Matthew 2812

• When they had assembled with the elders . . .
• Religious conspiracy Spiritual wickedness
• Priests plus Elders false religious leaders
• Hoaxes motivated by intent to attack that which
  is genuine, even by people who hold spiritual
  position of your own selves shall men arise
  speaking perverse things

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Matthew 2812b

• When they had assembled with the elders and taken
  counsel . . .
• Intentional deceit planned, plotted
• Todays vernacular They put their heads
  together, What scheme can we cook up?
• What can we accomplish if we just think about
  this long enough? So, they plotted hoax!

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Matthew 2812c

• When they assembled and counseled . . . they gave
  a large sum of money to the soldiers
• Most spiritual hoaxes involve money
• Diverting funds and trying to persuade people to
  send money to this or that venture
• This hoax involved paying off the soldiers.

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Matthew 2813

• Tell them his disciples came at night and stole
  him away while we slept . . .
• Hoax still had some basis in reality . . . there
  was no body in the tomb. Truth! Jesus was not in
  the tomb! 

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Integrity Compromised

• Military guard take pride in ethical work
• Garrison at tomb about seventy soldiers.
• Embarrassing situation for these professionals
• We let that little group of eleven disciples
  come and steal the body
• We fell asleep and they sneaked in while we
  dozed Sleeping on guard duty death!

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Matthew 2814

• . . . and if this comes to the governors ears we
  will appease him and make you secure
• We will buy him off too
• We will cover and protect you
• Low friends in high places!
• Result Soldiers took the hoax to the streets

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Matthew 2815

• So they took the money and did as they were
  instructed . . .
• Some people will say anything for money
• Hoaxes depend on cover-up.
• If you get in trouble, well pay off governor,
  give you a secure job, take care of you.
• You lie . . . we will cover-up!

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Matthew 2816

• They did as they were instructed and this saying
  is commonly reported among the Jews until this
  day.
• Matthew written about 65 AD
• 35 years later, some still repeating falsehood
• Some deliberately tell lies to deceive
• Others repeat the lie theyve been told

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Fascination with Falsehood

• Bad enough to deliberately tell a lie for money
• Some people are so mindless they just babble for
  the fun of gossip
• If you want to spread a hoax, use the words Did
  you hear?
• We always want to respond, Tell me more!
• If tempted to gossip pray for miracle!

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Mindless Repetition

• Deliberately promulgated lie . . .
• Picked up by other people who failed to check the
  facts and continued to repeat the hoax
• So much so that Peter later declared
• We have not followed cunningly devised fables .
  . . We were eyewitnesses to the glory and majesty
  of Jesus Christ

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Satanic Strategy

• At its very inception, Church had to answer the
  grand hoax that resurrection was faked
• Unfortunately, hoaxes foisted off onto these
  religious people didnt stop there . . . repeated
• Reason? Satan is behind the lie. The ultimate
  liar wants the hoaxes to be believed

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2 Timothy 43

• For the time will come when they will not endure
  sound doctrine. But according to their own
  desires, because they have itching ears, they
  will heap up for themselves teachers. They will
  turn their ears away from the truth and be turned
  aside to fables

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Loving a Lie

• Desire something to tickle their fancy or scratch
  their ear . . . pursue even a fable, a hoax . . .
  something imaginary . . . anything other than the
  real truth
• They will heap up for themselves teachers . . .
• I associate this phrase with trash heap
• Heap up this trash and feed on it instead of
  feeding on truth.

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Gnosticism

• Secret, special wisdom available only to the
  spiritually elite . . . privileged communication
  only few people comprehend
• inside knowledge
• secret code
• back channel information
• wisdom no one else can understand
• closeted revelations

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Gnosticism Elevates Self

• Thus . . . I become more important than any-one
  else and I am elevated beyond others!
• This terrible heresy fosters spiritual pride.
• Builds exclusivity.
• Develops presumptive sin
• Exalts self above all others even God!

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Sola Scriptura

• Adventists affirm that Scripture contains all we
  need to understand for salvation
• Heaven does not have some secret information
  some cosmic DaVinci Code that only a few
  disenfranchised folk off in a corner somewhere
  can comprehend
• Help understanding the great light of the Bible
  from the lesser light, Conflict of Ages series

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Sincerely Gullible

• Lets circulate petition combating atheistic
  attempts to forbid religious broadcasting!
• So, whats issue even if Madeline Murray OHare
  never file a petition with the FCC?
• What would it hurt if I signed petition and at
  least stood up on the side of right.
• After all, first-class letter only costs a stamp
  and few cents for envelope/paper.

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Whats the real cost?

• 30 million pieces of mail at 50 cents 15
  million Christians spent on hoax
• Satan delighted. Gods people squandered funds
  which could have relieved suffering or
  evangelized the lost
• Instead they sent it off for a hoax
• Plus, imagine extra taxes for employee costs

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Neuro-Linquistic Programming

• Right wing extremists He is hypnotizing his
  church members.
• PROOF Study the churchs financial report
• If I was hypnotizing you, then you would be
  giving a lot more money!
• Foolishness disappeared with the laughter!

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P. T. Barnum was correct

• Computer in Belgium
• Retired Pastors SS check
• Hitch-hiker dates the Second Coming
• It is often supposed that when people stop
  believing in God they believe in nothing. Alas,
  it is far worst than that. When they stop
  believing in God, they believe in everything.
  - G. K. Chesterton

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Todays Hoax?

• Date setting
• Financial collapse produces national apostasy and
  Sunday laws now
• National ruin follows national apostasy! EGW
• Your money worthless. . . Sell your land . . .
  Mortgage your property . . . Do it now!
• Send all your money to me!

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Why we want to believe hoax?

• We have such longing for the coming of Jesus that
  we want some secret, inside information to give
  us a leg up on everybody else.
• We have such fear about the coming of Jesus that
  we want some secret, inside information to give
  us a last chance for reform.
• And Jesus said, Watch, you dont know when the
  hour will come.

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Why Watch?

• Christians living in the last days are not to
  possess some secret knowledge.
• Believers are to live prepared every day.
• Believers live in full assurance that when He
  comes, Jesus will find His faithful anticipating
  His return, not panicked by it!
• This is the message for the last days.

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Whats Your Info Source?

• National Enquirer sells more than NY Times,
  Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal
  combined.
• Tabloid fodder unimpeachable barometer of
  nations appetites and passions.
• These are not inquiring minds. These are minds
  of the lost! Plus, rumors not relegated only to
  non-believers who do not know truth.

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The Popes Medal

•  Mimeographed material proving the church in
  apostasy. GC President commissions medal to
  presents medal to the Pope in Rome.
• Report pictured the medal in juxtaposition with
  photo of Neal C. Wilson and criticized church for
  spending all this money and energy.
• I must be just about as important as the Pope
  because I have had my medal since 1974.

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Truth

• Medallion was a collectors item produced by
  company in Vandalia, Ohio series featuring
  various denominations.
• Nicely depicted 10 Commandments with the Sabbath
  highlighted and return of Jesus.
• The manufacturer produced a nice product and a
  friend gave me a very nice gift. Keep in my sock
  drawer. Dont know where popes is!

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Fiction Stranger than Truth

• When Pastor Folkenberg became President, the
  story changed that he was the one who presented
  the medal.
• Then, when Jan Paulsen became President, the
  story changed again!
• Never have so many medals been commissioned by so
  many GC Presidents!

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Fascination with Falsehood

• Gordon Bietz A recent article in Pilgrims Rest
  reported that Elder Folkenberg visited with the
  Pope. Its amazing what people will print
  with-out even checking with the mans office to
  see if its true. It isnt true, and anyone who
  be-lieves what they read in that newsletter might
  also believe the stories about men from Mars and
  babies hatching from eggs as they are found in
  the grocery store tabloids.

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Sunday Sacredness Plot

• Eleven years ago, GC Ministerial reprinted a book
  by a Baptist pastor authors denomination
  identified clearly devotional on 10
  Commandments.
• Baptist pastor mentioned Sunday as the day he
  goes to church and this becomes fodder for the
  hoax that our team is attempting to change the
  Sabbath to Sunday.

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The Bible says

• Beloved, believe not every spirit, because there
  are false prophets that are gone out into the
  world. 1 John 4
• We are commanded in 2 Thessalonians 28 to test
  the spirits.

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Scriptures Test

• And then the lawless one will be revealed . . .
• We have always, appropriately, labeled this as an
  identification of anti-Christ.
• No more lawlessness to change, or to attempt to
  change, the Lords day Sabbath to Sunday, than to
  bear false witness or to repeat the lie.
• Both are lawlessness

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Diabolical plot to hate truth

• Then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord
  shall consume with the breath of His mouth and
  shall destroy with the brightness of His coming
  . . . him whose coming is accord-ing to the
  working of Satan with all power, and signs, and
  lying wonders with all unrighteous deception
  among those who perish . . .

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Falsehood Fastens upon Minds

• . . . Because they received not the love of the
  truth that they might be saved. And for this
  cause God shall send them a strong delusion, that
  they should believe a lie That they all might be
  damned who believed not the truth, but had
  pleasure in unrighteousness.
• NOTICE God allows the falsehood to fasten upon
  their minds.

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How does it happen?

• They love the lie so much.
• They articulate the lie so well.
• They repeat the lie so often.
• They no longer distinguish between genuine and
  counterfeit.
• They no longer discern truth from error.
• They reject the truth to embrace the falsehood.

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Impact on Evangelism

• Unscrupulous individuals who come up with these
  hoaxes, prey upon weak and gullible.
• They target new believers particularly.
• They discourage potential converts.
• They exchange the good news for bad news and,
  while pretending holiness, they serve as agents
  of darkness.

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How shall we respond?

• Embrace the truth. Reject Satanic hoaxes.
• Pray for discernment. Repent of foolishness.
• Focus on essentials rather than peripherals.
• Proclaim the blood-brought grace of Jesus.
• Preach the soon return of our Saviour.
• Emphasize the blessed hope.
• Prepare people ready to meet the Lord.

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Concluion

• You and I can minister more effectively as we
  follow the One who is The Way, The Truth, and The
  Life!
• Pray with me!

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