A victorious life begins with real faith in Jesus. If you’ve been living in defeat, it’s possible the anecdote is a deeper walk with God. In part two of his message, Ministry Outreach Director Patrick Hudson not only helps define victorious faith, but he also helps us understand how to live it out.

A struggle with sin is more than a matter of behavior, it’s a matter of faith.

The Christian caught in sexual addiction has allowed sin to master him. At first, sin disguises itself as innocent. But beneath that disguise is an enemy whose only desire is you—to master you, to control you, and to destroy you. For the believer, vigilance is essential.

So what if you haven’t been vigilant in pursuing godliness? What if your walk with Christ has been neglected? Perhaps you began your journey with Jesus with great joy and contentment, but now you hardly recognize yourself.

If that’s you, don’t miss this episode! You’ll find that restoration is still possible.

Have Any Questions for Us? 📧Email: podcast@purelifeministries.org

Do you realize how much we’re led by our feelings? And not simply our emotions—but also our thoughts and desires. Letting feelings like fear, anger, sadness, and lust drive us leads to sinful behaviors which result in corruption and bondage.

In today’s sermon, Ministry Outreach Director Patrick Hudson explains some of these feelings, having experienced their consequences, and having now taken the alternative path: following the truth of God’s word into right thinking and living, which always results in peace and freedom.

A simple definition of deception is to make someone believe something that isn’t true. Every Christian in ongoing sexual sin has mastered the art of deception. And while we often think of deception as something we do to other people, the most dangerous form may be the deception we do to ourselves.

Steve Martin, Biblical counselor at Pure Life Ministries, joins the podcast to talk about how to recognize self-deception, its dangers, and what you must do about it.

Resources We Mentioned

• At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry (Book) By Steve Gallagher

Have Any Questions for Us? 📧Email: podcast@purelifeministries.org

The last chapters of Revelation give us a glimpse of a new heaven and a new earth. God will purify this earth to usher in His Kingdom, free from crime, fear, and pain. Soberly, how you live now proves if you belong there. If we love and obey God here, we will in eternity; if we love sin now, we will not magically desire His Kingdom later.

Host: Steve, we have been talking through the Book of Revelation, and we have come to the end of this glorious book. Talk to us about how it ends.

Steve: Well, chapter 19 describes the coming of Jesus Christ to take over this world as its rightful ruler. Chapter 20 is judgment. And then in chapter 21 and on into chapter 22, we are shown the New Jerusalem that comes down out of Heaven. And then the rest of chapter 22 is basically the epilogue of the book. But really the conclusion of this book is a description of where believers can expect to spend eternity with the Lord.

Host: Man, I reread that this morning and you just can't help but want to be a believer when you read that. It's like, man, I don't want to miss that. Lord, whatever is in me that might get in the way, just crucify it, get it out of me. I want to be there.

Steve: Absolutely.

Host: Well, the first verse of Revelation 21 says that the first earth has passed away. I've always heard that means that this old earth is just going to blow up or be burned up. But you found that that's not necessarily agreed upon by everybody.

Steve: Yeah, actually, when I studied the Book of Revelation, I used nineteen different commentaries. Of those nineteen, only five of them believe in complete annihilation of the universe and of earth. But most of them believe that, really, what is being described in the Bible is more of a renovation. Let me use an illustration I used in my book, The Time of Your Life in Light of Eternity. As I was talking about what Heaven is going to be like in this book, I was reminded about something that happened back in the 1660s in London.
      London at that time was overrun with people from all over Europe. The tenements on the west end especially were crowded with people and they were living in squalor. Rats were infested everywhere. And what happened was the rats, unbeknownst to the people, were carrying bacteria that became the plague. And that plague broke out in Europe and tens of thousands of people were dying in London.
      Well, the next year when the summer came around, the plague broke out again and then at the worst possible time, a fire broke out and the fire ravaged those old rickety buildings and just swept across the city, burning it out. At the time, it seemed like a catastrophe of all catastrophes. But actually, what happened is it eradicated the plague. And yes, they had to rebuild, but they rebuilt on purified ground. That is what's going to happen. It's not that the actual physical world, the universe and so on has to be destroyed and completely done away with. When Peter is talking about the world being destroyed by fire, he is describing a purification process that's coming upon this earth. I believe the same earth is going to be here, but it's going to be in a purified form.

Host: Even as you're talking about that, my mind is going back to the Old Testament and the burnt offering, where the offering was completely consumed and it was a picture of that sin being completely cleansed and burnt up. That's an interesting analogy that you draw there. It helps us to understand that better. And when we look at these two chapters, 21 and 22, we see several times the words “no longer” coming up. What's the significance of that phrase?

Steve: When John is describing what this glorious land is like, how could he put into human language something that none of us have experienced? So, he's doing it in a negative way. There's no longer going to be any sea, which is what it says here in the first verse, meaning that whole pool of corrupted mankind. That's what that's representing. And there's no longer going to be any death. There's no longer going to be any mourning or crying or pain. There's no longer going to be any curse. There's not going to be any night. He's describing a world that has been ridded of all the negative elements that we consider part of normal life. What would it be like for there to be no crime, no selfishness and no pain? What would that be like? That alone is enough to really make you want to be there.

Host: Yeah, it really is. Even as you're describing that, I'm thinking, man, what must it have been like for John to be seeing these things? It’s incredible what the Lord is laying out before him here.

Steve: Yeah, and he was in his 90’s. So, you know that he realizes it's only a short time before he is going to be there himself. What an amazing thing.

Host: There is an intriguing statement in chapter 22. It says in verse 11, “Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.” (Revelation 22:11, NASB 1995) What does that mean?

Steve: You know, one thing that I have to continually remind myself as I'm going through the Book of Revelation is that it is written for someone to read. It's not just to tell a story, but it's trying to accomplish a purpose. This is another one of those statements of warning. Whatever spirit you are in, that is what you're going to be in throughout eternity. So, make sure you're in the right spirit.
      The punishment of sin is more sin. And the reward of holiness is more holiness. So those who have given themselves over to sin throughout their time on earth, their eternal punishment is really just giving them what they have shown they wanted. It's not so much an arbitrary law put in place by God because He wants to hurt people. They are only reaping the fruit that they have sown. And the same with the godly people. We are only going to reap the fruit that we have sown during our time on earth.

Host: Yeah, I think back to one of our earlier discussions when we were talking about that point in time where men, women and children must choose whether they're going to take the mark of the beast or not. And I know the response from most people is, “Oh, if it comes to that, then I'm not going to take the mark of the beast.” But the truth is that however you're living your life now, will define what you will do then.

Steve: Yeah, absolutely. And every day you stay in that mindset and in that lifestyle, you're making it more certain that you will want to do that in the following days. So, you can't just think that you're going to have a sudden change of heart at the last minute. It's not going to happen that way.

Host: Right. One of those warning phrases that we hear Jesus Himself saying many times is, “Those who have an ear, let them hear.” You can hear it in His words. He's pleading with us. Listen to what the Spirit is saying. He loves us and He doesn't want to see us go to destruction.

Steve: Yeah, when it comes right down to it, I think the Book of Revelation is given to people as a gift to show us where things are headed. But it's always with what Jesus is saying in mind. “Anyone who has an ear to hear, let him hear.” Never mind the way the culture is screaming at you to believe something differently. This is the truth and this is where it's going. And now is the day of salvation. We need to respond to the Lord as we hear these things now and make the necessary changes in our lives that will keep us going down the right path so that we end up on the right side when it's all said and done.

Host: Amen. Steve, thank you so much for taking the time over these many discussions to give us some insight into this wonderful Book of Revelation.

Steve: It's been a real blessing. I'm glad I was able to do it.

Life in this world is a tremendous struggle for anyone who expresses the desire to follow God. The Lord understands the battle and greatly appreciates any who are willing to fight it. He is going to richly reward those who live their lives on the Narrow Way. In this message, Pastor Steve shares in great detail what heaven will be like for such people.

Resources We Mentioned

• Heaven (Book) by Randy Alcorn (Amazon)
• My Dream of Heaven (Book) by Rebecca Ruter Springer (Free PDF)
• The Time of Your Life in Light of Eternity (Book) by Steve Gallagher (Pure Life Bookstore)

Unfortunately, the American church is full of people who wear the mask of hypocrisy. And it’s not just sexual sin. Many “deeds of the flesh” are indulged in, like anger, envy, gossip, and greed. But you would never know it because many who sit in churches every Sunday have learned to play the Christian part so well, it’s hard to know what’s true or what’s just an act.

Vinny Pappas joins the podcast to share how the Lord exposed the hypocrisy in his life, and how that was crucial in leading him out of sexual sin.

Resources We Mentioned

• Check Out Our Residential Program
• Check Out Our Overcomers At-Home Program
• 20 Truths that Help in the Battle with Porn Addiction (Video Series) By Steve Gallagher

Have Any Questions for Us? 📧Email: podcast@purelifeministries.org

This week’s episode features a sermon Pastor Steve Gallagher preached in May 2023 titled “Light, Darkness, and the Great Decision.” Teaching from John 8, Steve shows how Jesus exposes religious pride and false assurance, declaring, “If you knew Me, you would know My Father also.” This message calls us to truly know the Lord and walk free from the kingdom of darkness.

Have Any Questions for Us? 📧Email: podcast@purelifeministries.org

Revelation 18 exposes how mankind is affected by the spirit of this world and how it helps set one's mind and heart in opposition to God's authority. Join us as Steve Gallagher discusses how we can either be filled with the Lord and His Spirit or the enemy and the spirit of this world. Also, Steve breaks down the joy and hope we have in the coming of the Lord's Kingdom and the destruction of the spirit of this world, (the spirit of Babylon) in these last days.

Host: Steve Gallagher has joined us in the studio. Steve is the founder of Pure Life Ministries. Steve, thanks for coming in. It's good to see you again as always.

Steve: Yes, this will be a blessing today, I hope.

Host: I hope so, too. Well, all of our discussions in the Book of Revelation have been a blessing. They've been a challenge. As we've said a number of times, it's certainly a warning to us to prepare our hearts, to know where our hearts stand with God. We're going to be looking at chapter 18 today, Steve, and just to start off, tell us what the main focus of this chapter is.

Steve: Just like chapter 17, the main focus here is Babylon, the spirit of the world that's set against the authority of God in this world. And in this chapter, the commercial aspect of Babylon is what's being emphasized.

Host: So, there are different aspects of Babylon?

Steve: The Book of Revelation really shows different aspects of Babylon. But let me put it to you this way. Babylon is the spirit of the world, and it is affecting different aspects of earth life. You could think of it as a human being who has this sinful fallen nature, and that sin nature affects different functions of his inner world. So, in other words, he has an imagination, but his imagination has been corrupted by sin and can take him into fantasizing about all kinds of evil things. He has the power of perception, but it's been distorted by sin. So, it changes and alters and corrupts the way he sees things.

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      Think of the world in the same way. The world in and of itself is neutral, and then the spirit of the world comes in and affects mankind. It affects the functions and the capacities and so on. What the Book of Revelation is bringing out are these different aspects of this thing called Babylon, or the spirit of the world. So, like in chapter 13, it's affecting the government or the way that mankind reacts to God's law. In chapter 17, it's affecting the religious system, or in other words, the relationship between man and God. And then in this chapter, we're seeing the commercial aspect of mankind being affected by the spirit of Babylon.

Host: Well, in verse 2, it says that Babylon has become a “dwelling place of demons.” What does that mean?

Steve: You know, what's really interesting about the Greek term for “dwelling place” is that it’s only used one other time in the New Testament, and that's in Ephesians 2:22 where it's used to describe the believer who is a “dwelling place for God.” So, the picture here is that a believer is an entity that has the capacity for God to indwell him. And in the same respect, or along those same lines, mankind has the capacity to be inhabited by spiritual beings – God or the enemy. And that's what we're seeing here, is that the enemy is entrenched in mankind and mankind has become the dwelling place of the enemy.

      So, if we keep with that line of thought and take it down to the level of the individual, by the time we get to this point, people will have taken the mark of the beast and will be demon-possessed. That is an amazing thing to consider. Every single human being who isn't following Jesus Christ will become demon possessed. I mean, think about it. Think about the demon-possessed man on the other side of the Sea of Galilee who had a legion of demons. He was cutting himself and he was crazy. People couldn't go around him because he was so unpredictable and violent. Can you imagine 7 billion people being controlled in that way by the enemy? What kind of hell is going to be unleashed on this earth? But at the same time, I do believe that by that point, God's people will have come into the spirit of the living God in a way that we have never seen before. So, we are not going to be required to go through this hell in our current spiritual condition. We are going to be full of the Holy Ghost and fire and that is going to be an amazing thing.

Host: Wow, yeah. Amen. Well, Steve, in the second half of this chapter, John is shown three different groups of people. What can you tell us about these people?

Steve: Well, he labels them the “kings of the earth,” the “merchants of the earth,” and the “sea captains.” And I think for his limited understanding in his world at that time, he was just using people groups that made sense to him. He couldn't comprehend the world in which we live today. It is so complex and enormous. But when you look at these groups, they represent those people who are profiting the most from the commercial aspect of this world system. So, you have the field of politics, which he's calling the “kings of the earth.” You have the entire manufacturing world, which he's calling the “merchants of the earth.” And you have the entire transportation system, which he's calling the “sea captains.”

      So, what's really interesting about these different groups as you go through this chapter is that there are certain common denominators amongst all of them. Each one stands at a distance, for instance. Each one weeps and laments at the fall of the Babylonian system. And none of these groups mourns over its sin against God. Their mourning is because they are losing that which they've given their hearts to, which is this Babylonian system.

Host: And maybe that is the most significant point of who these people are.

Steve: That really shows where their hearts are. And so-called Christians who go to church on Sunday, who read all the right books and all that stuff, but whose hearts are given over to this world, they better take these as warnings to wake up and begin to disentangle themselves from the things of this world.

Host: So, Steve, we have kind of a dark picture here. They're mourning over the loss of all that has been near and dear to them, all that their hearts have been given over to, and then in verse 20, there seems to be a sudden change in tone. It reads, “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.” (Revelation 18:20, NASB 1995) What's the significance of this verse and why this change of tone?

Steve: Let me put it to you this way. When I read the headlines in the news, my heart grieves. Every time I look at CNN or Fox News, the stories of what people are into and what they're doing are grievous to me. It hurts me. And to think that this Babylonian, devil-infested system is going to come crashing down is just so marvelous. And these people here on earth are going to be witnessing it. The saints, the apostles, and the prophets who are alive, and those who are in heaven, along with the angels, are going to be shouting with joy and rejoicing when Babylon comes down. It is going to shake the universe, because for 6,000 years, the spirit of Babylon has usurped God on this planet and has caused untold misery and pain and suffering. And now we're seeing it come to an end. What a blessing.

When Brian was growing up, he wholeheartedly pursued sex, drugs, a musical career; ANYTHING that would bring him fulfillment. But then, God began to draw Brian—through a drumming gig at a church, through a girlfriend who was fed up with his porn addiction, and then through his time in the Residential Program at Pure Life Ministries. Little by little, God was calling Brian to become a dedicated follower of Jesus.

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Resources We Mentioned

• Check Out Our Residential Program
• Stories of Hope (Podcast Series) By Pure Life Ministries

Have Any Questions for Us? 📧Email: podcast@purelifeministries.org

In Revelation 17, the Apostle John warned of the mystery of Babylon, the great mother of harlots. Join us as Steve Gallagher unpacks this profound chapter and warns us of how if we do not separate ourselves from the lawlessness of this world that has even crept into church culture, we will be seduced into the spirit of Babylon.

Host: Steve, we are going to continue our discussions in the Book of Revelation and we are looking at chapter 17 today. Why don't we start off with you giving us sort of a summary of how this chapter fits in with the rest of the book.

Steve: Well, the Book of Revelation is really a storyline and it goes along pretty much chronologically. Then suddenly, chapter 17, chapter 18, and the first few verses of chapter 19 are almost like a parentheses. It's an interlude where we are taken out of the storyline as it's flowing along and given a deeper more profound look into what's happening in the spiritual realm as the judgments from God begin all the way through to the end. We also get a look into what the spirit of Babylon is and what happens to Babylon and the world forces set against God as well as what happens as this godless civilization on earth begins to unravel.

Host: Steve, in the first verse of this chapter, it reads, “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,” (Revelation 17:1, NASB 1995) What's the significance of what's happening there?

Steve: In my mind, this is one of the most important statements in Revelation. There is a definite contrast throughout the entire book of Revelation between the bride of Christ and this harlot that is being spoken of here. And it's like a mystery there hidden in this book that one of the big things that is going to really come out in the last period of mankind is this harlot church and the true church of the living God.

Host: Steve, you mentioned Babylon, and for those who have not read your excellent book, Intoxicated with Babylon, I would encourage people to read it. But talk to us a little bit about what Babylon represents.

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Steve: You have to go back to the early days of mankind's history in Genesis, where Nimrod began a civilization gathered in a place called Babel. They built a tower and it was all in rebellion to God's authority and out of that tower is where all the world religions began. So, when John calls Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots, what he's saying is that this world system is what spawned all these false religions throughout the history of mankind. But primarily when it comes to the Book of Revelation, the great harlot being talked about here is really, as we already said, this false Christianity that becomes a faithless bride to Jesus Christ.

Host: You mentioned in verse 5 where she is called “Babylon, the great mother of harlots,” that this name is called a mystery. But why is it a mystery?

Steve: It's interesting. The word mysterion in the Greek is used a number of times in the New Testament. But the only other occurrence that it's used regarding the end times is in 2 Thessalonians, where Paul said, “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8a, NASB 1995) Now, what we're seeing here is a picture of the harlot on the back of the Antichrist beast. What is being expressed here is that these two have something in common.
      This false church has something in common with this pagan devil worshiper. What they have in common is they are not willing to submit to God's authority. And that is the mystery here, that John cannot reconcile in his mind. How can Christians who are ostensibly following and obeying God be in the same spirit of lawlessness that the Antichrist is in? He can't comprehend that. So, it's a mystery to him. And mystery in the way it's used in the New Testament means that it's something that's buried that has not yet been revealed for what it is. And that's what we're going to see. And actually, if you look around in the church today, you see it right now, the lawlessness that is in the middle of God's church.

Host: Yeah. Man, how we need the Holy Spirit in our hearts today. Because really, the spirit of this world comes naturally to us. It's rooted in our sinful nature, which is what we don't understand. We need God to protect and keep us from that. Steve, verse 6 says that she is drunk with the blood of saints. How does this fit in with the scenario of The Great Tribulation?

Steve: You know, when I was thinking about this, it reminds me a lot of Germany in the late 30s, where Hitler and his henchmen created an environment in that nation where it was acceptable to turn against one particular group of people. And that is what we're going to see in the end times. The Antichrist is going to create a culture that will make it acceptable to hate Christians. And all these worldly-minded Christians who have not really surrendered themselves to Jesus Christ and who have given their hearts to the spirit of the world are going to fit right in with that cultural mindset. And they are going to be the ones to turn against the people who are really sold out for the Lord and who look out of place with our culture.

Host: You know, we talk about this as if it's something that's going to happen in the future. But if we look at our culture in America today, it's already there. We are the fanatics and we're the last group on earth that people are allowed to hate.

Steve: Yeah, the seeds are definitely there. It's germinating. It's happening right now in the church and in the culture. But by the time we get to this point, it's going to break out into open hostility and violent persecution.

Host: Well, just another warning of so many, Steve, that we've got to have our hearts right. We've got to know where we stand with the Lord.

Steve: Yeah, because you don't want to be on the wrong side of this war, that's for sure.

God is able to do great things for us—including delivering us from sexual sin. But we also have our part to play in our deliverance as well—responding to Him in repentance and faith. Failure to overcome is not the result of God’s indifference, but our failure to respond to His involvement in our lives rightly.

At the end of our “Wholly Devoted” Conference, Zion Faith Homes minister, Dave Leopold, used the book of Ephesians to explain why we need to respond, and how we should respond.