NOTHING, NOTHING GRINDS MORE ON A BACKSLIDDEN THEOLOGIAN THAN SOMEBODY PREACHIN’ ON HELL! –David Wilkerson, 45:04
This is the most HARDCORE REPENTANCE PREACHING audio sermon that I’ve heard to date. Several of the early Assemblies of God preachers, like Smith Wigglesworth and others used to preach like this: tough, confrontational, aimed at breaking up fallow ground, and cracking people’s stony hearts, to make them soft and contrite at the altar to make room for the sweet Holy Spirit to be felt in their lives. –J.B.
20 Centuries of Great Preaching was a resource Wilkerson relied on a lot during his Times Square Church phase. At 38:40 in this sermon, he refers to “The Expulsive Power of a New Affection” by Thomas Chalmers, which is in volume 3.
One week struggling on the real world is So you can see Feel your soul and shape your mind to warfare It’s all for real Live your life and not the way they taught you Do what you feel Survive this jungle, give me blood, give me pain These scars won’t heal
What were you thinking? What a wonderful world? You’re full of it Leave it behind, they don’t care if you cry All you’re left is pain
Can you take it? Can you take it? Can you take it? Can you take it?
The only way to get away Kill your pride Attitude
I won’t take it I won’t take it I won’t take it I won’t take it
So in the end, I wanna see some respect I said, you better show some respect I said, attitude and respect
–Sepultura, “Attitude”–
John the Baptist in Jesus of Nazareth (1977).
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23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. 24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. –2 Timothy 2:23-26 (KJV)–
Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. –Psalm 51:13 (KJV)–
He cautions him against contention, and, to prevent this (2 Timothy 2:23), cautions him against foolish and unlearned questions, that tend to no benefit, strifes of words. Those who advanced them, and doted upon them, thought themselves wise and learned; but Paul calls them foolish and unlearned. The mischief of these is that they gender strifes, that they breed debates and quarrels among Christians and ministers. It is very remarkable how often, and with what seriousness, the apostle cautions Timothy against disputes in religion, which surely was not without some such design as this, to show that religion consists more in believing and practising what God requires than in subtle disputes.–The servant of the Lord must not strive, 2 Timothy 2:24. Nothing worse becomes the servant of the Lord Jesus, who himself did not strive nor cry (Matthew 12:19), but was a pattern of meekness, and mildness, and gentleness to all, than strife and contention. The servant of the Lord must be gentle to all men, and thereby show that he is himself subject to the commanding power of that holy religion which he is employed in preaching and propagating.–Apt to teach. Those are unapt to teach who are apt to strive, and are fierce and froward. Ministers must be patient, bearing with evil, and in meekness instructing (2 Timothy 2:25) not only those who subject themselves, but those who oppose themselves.
—MATTHEW HENRY’S COMMENTARY ON 2 TIMOTHY 2:23-25–
CRY ALOUD, SPARE NOT, LIFT UP THY VOICE LIKE A TRUMPET, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their SINS! –Isaiah 58:1 (KJV)–
O GENERATION OF VIPERS, who hath WARNED YOU to FLEE FROM THE WRATH TO COME!? –Matthew 3:7 (KJV)–
WOE UNTO YOU, scribes and Pharisees, HYPOCRITES! –Matthew 23:13 (KJV)–
THOU CHILD OF THE DEVIL, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to PERVERT THE RIGHT WAYS OF THE LORD!? –Acts 13:10 (KJV)–
He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. –Mark 3:5 (KJV)–
I am full of the fury of the Lord; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together. –Jeremiah 6:11 (KJV)–
My heart is broken within me; all my bones tremble. I am like a drunken man, like a strong man overcome by wine, because of the Lord and his holy words. 10 The land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land lies parched and the pastures in the wilderness are withered. The prophets follow an evil course and use their power unjustly.
11 “Both prophet and priest are godless; even in my temple I find their wickedness,” declares the Lord. 12 “Therefore their path will become slippery; they will be banished to darkness and there they will fall. I will bring disaster on them in the year they are punished,” declares the Lord.
13 “Among the prophets of Samaria I saw this repulsive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray. 14 And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that not one of them turns from their wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”
15 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says concerning the prophets:
“I will make them eat bitter food and drink poisoned water, because from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.”
16 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. 17 They keep saying to those who despise me, ‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’ And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, ‘No harm will come to you.’ 18 But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word? 19 See, the storm of the Lord will burst out in wrath, a whirlwind swirling down on the heads of the wicked. 20 The anger of the Lord will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart. In days to come you will understand it clearly. 21 I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. 22 But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.
23 “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away? 24 Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord.
25 “I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ 26 How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? 27 They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship. 28 Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord. 29 “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?
30 “Therefore,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me. 31 Yes,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The Lord declares.’ 32 Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,” declares the Lord.
False Prophecy
33 “When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, ‘What is the message from the Lord?’ say to them, ‘What message? I will forsake you, declares the Lord.’ 34 If a prophet or a priest or anyone else claims, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ I will punish them and their household. 35 This is what each of you keeps saying to your friends and other Israelites: ‘What is the Lord’s answer?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 36 But you must not mention ‘a message from the Lord’ again, because each one’s word becomes their own message. So you distort the words of the living God, the Lord Almighty, our God. 37 This is what you keep saying to a prophet: ‘What is the Lord’s answer to you?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 38 Although you claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ this is what the Lord says: You used the words, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ even though I told you that you must not claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord.’ 39 Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your ancestors. 40 I will bring on you everlasting disgrace—everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.”
–JEREMIAH 23:9-40 (NIV)–
Herbert Lockyer, All the Messianic Prophecies of the Bible, pp. 103-104.
The messages of Baal prophets will mainly be about 1. PROSPERITY (money, millions, riches) and 2. FORNICATION (sexuality, eros, romantic love). This is from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. True prophets, in the Bible and church history, were usually known by preaching against materialism and sexual immorality–for example, most of the Catholic saints like Francis, the Puritans, John Wesley, Charles Finney, A. W. Tozer, Leonard Ravenhill, and David Wilkerson.
22 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. –Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)–
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. –1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)–
1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging, and comfort. –1 Corinthians 14:1-3 (NIV)–
25 If an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are CONVICTED OF SIN and are brought under judgment by all, 25 as THE SECRETS OF THEIR HEARTS are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!” –1 Corinthians 14:24-25 (NIV)–
7 I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, THE COMFORTER will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of SIN, and of RIGHTEOUSNESS, and of JUDGMENT. –Jesus in John 16:7-8 (KJV)–
10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hell gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hell were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. –Revelation 20:10-15 (NIV)–
The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. –Revelation 21:8 (NIV)–
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Dr. Wayne Grudem, The Gift of Prophecy (Crossway, 2000).
Dr. Jack Deere, Why I Am Still Surprised by the Voice of God (Zondervan, 2022).
Dr. Thomas C. Oden, John Wesley’s Scriptural Christianity (Zondervan, 1994), p. 213.
A. W. Pink, The Attributes of God (Baker Books, 2006).
This trippy medieval picture is a depiction of Revelation 16:13. Its called Liber Floridus page scan B (1460).
Francesco Guarino’s St. Anthony Abbot and the Centaur (1642).
A centuries old oil painting at Luther House in Wittenberg.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn’t exist. The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn’t exist. The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn’t exist. The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he doesn’t exist.
Origin of consciousness Fat acid rhetoric Promulgate me mentally Twisted to make no deity
Something more Something more
Interpret reality Sell to me no absolutes Moral relativity This world is false
Something more Something more
I have a soul Of not flesh and bone It has a spirit That cries out to know God
Your speculation seems so vague It does not reveal What’s real
Don’t pacify spiritual Teach me to be me in Christ Origin of consciousness Spiritual
I am not what meets the eye I am not what meets the eye I am not what meets the eye I am not what meets the eye
–Living Sacrifice, “Something More”–
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Satan himself may put on the appearance of an angel of light. –2 Corinthians 11:14 (Mace’s NT)–
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. –Matthew 28:3 (NIV)–
He makes his angels winds and his ministers a flame of fire. –Hebrews 1:7 (ESV)–
To another discerning of spirits. –1 Corinthians 12:10 (KJV)–
I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. –Jesus in Luke 10:18 (NIV)–
I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. –Revelation 16:13 (NIV)–
These signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues. –Mark 16:17 (NIV)–
6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” 8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” 9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” 12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. –Job 1:6-12 (NIV)–
17 Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’” 18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?” 19 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. 20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’ “One suggested this, and another that. 21 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’ 22 “‘By what means?’ the Lord asked. “‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said. “‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’ 23 “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.” –1 Kings 22:17-23 (NIV)–
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. –Matthew 4:1-11 (NIV)–
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Athanasius, The Life of Antony (Paulist Press, 1979).
Gabriele Amorth, An Exorcist Tells His Story (Ignatius Press, 1999).
—. An Exorcist: More Stories (Ignatius Press, 2002).
Francis MacNutt, Deliverance from Evil Spirits (Chosen Books, 2009).
Herbert Thurston, Ghosts and Poltergeists (Burns Oates, 1953), “The Exorcism of Haunted Houses.”
John Wimber, Power Healing (HarperCollins, 1987), ch. 6: “Healing the Demonized.”
Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. –Luke 23:34 (NIV)–
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. –Matthew 6:12 (NIV)–
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? –2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV)–
Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. –James 4:4 (NIV)–
Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ –Matthew 10:34-36 (NIV)–
You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! –Acts 7:51 (NIV)–
I see that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me…‘I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.’ –Genesis 31:5, 13 (NIV)–
You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’ –Matthew 15:7-8 (NIV)–