Conspiracy Theories and the Illuminati? - Ask Pastor Tim

Okay, next one.

This is just in order

and I didn't throw this one out.

This is from Brandon.

"Hey, Pastor Tim. Love you guys.

Thank God for I'll Be Honest's ministry.

My question is

should Christians be concerned

with all the talk of the Illuminati?

It seems wherever there
are Christians these days,

there is conversation
about a New World Order

that is coming soon

that will persecute Christians.

I know we are to think of
noble things and godly things,

but are we supposed to discern the things

going on in our world

to guard each other?

How should we view these topics?"

Do you guys hear about
Illuminati in Mexico?

(from the room): Not yet.

Tim: Not yet. Yeah, these circles

where he hears all this talk,

he says, "Wherever there
are Christians these days,

there are conversations
about new world order."

I don't know.

I mean, I gather together
with Christians quite often

and I don't hear about the Illuminati

or the New World Order.

Do you guys?

James: He's talking about YouTube.

Tim: YouTube? There's
a lot of talk about it?

Okay, well, let's just talk
about it for a second.

Because you know what?

We should be able to examine everything

through the lens of Scripture.

We have the mind of Christ.

We have the Word of God.

And we can size things up

in a spiritual way.

What is the Illuminati?

What does that word sound like?

Illumination.

Illumination.

Basically, the Illuminati -

well, there really was a group.

You can go back into the 1700's,

and there really was a group.

The Illuminati.

What happened is it seemed like

they merged together with the Free Masons.

Sometimes you hear Masons
and Illuminati put together.

Basically, today when people talk about it

it's not likely that most of them

even care about the roots

and tracing it back into the 1700's.

Today when people talk
about the Illuminati,

it's basically some secret group

that supposedly runs the world.

They control everything.

They're behind why prices
are the way they are

and who becomes famous.

It's all this huge conspiracy.

You've got these people plotting

and like this guy says,

they're trying to make
this New World Order

and there's this conspiracy.

Should we be concerned
about those kind of things?

And you'll hear all sorts of things.

This person is part of the Illuminati.

And these people (are) and it's Satanic

and supposedly on our dollar bill

you can find the Illuminati there.

It's like you've got people

that believe there's conspiracies

and there's all these
plots all over the place.

(from the room):

Hey brother, I think I heard John

saying someone made a YouTube video

saying you were in the Illuminati.

Because you made your hand like this,

and they paused it

and circled your hand

and put a red background behind it.

Tim: Well, that's funny.

Brethren, let's think about this

with regards to our Christianity.

Let me ask you something.

What's a conspiracy?

Conspiracy can be a crime.

Do you know what that crime is?

(from the room)

Speaking something that's
not true about somebody?

Tim: Conspiracy is when

two or more people plot.

So if you're involved in a crime

and it's found out that you
were plotting that crime

ahead of time,

you can be charged with
not only that crime -

whether it's murder or
bank robbery or whatever -

you can be charged
with conspiracy as well.

So it's basically this idea

that you're plotting.

It's like this collusion
in some sort of plan.

And I would just ask you guys this:

Is there a conspiracy against us?

Is there anybody out there

who more than two or three

are plotting together against us?

Brethren, the Scripture speaks

about a kingdom of darkness.

You know what this world around us?

Are there secret groups out there?

Are there people out there

who are controlled

by the lusts of the flesh?

Controlled by Satan?

Are there people out there

who are controlled by sin?

People out there who know not the Lord?

People out there who are in conspiracy

to get rich? To get power?

To take advantage of people?

Absolutely.

And beyond that,

the very demons - the devil himself -

are in collusion to damn men.

Is there a conspiracy? Yeah.

Are there people plotting against God?

Against His anointed?

Scripture says so.

Of course there is.

Brethren, you know how Paul says

in 2 Corinthians 5,

he says we don't view people

according to the flesh anymore.

You know what? When we're lost,

we can get all hung up
on these secret groups.

Oooh, there's a conspiracy out there.

The Illuminati.

Brethren, we don't view things

through the flesh anymore.

You know how we view them?
We view them spiritually.

People are lost or saved.

They're under the control of God,

or they're under the control of the devil.

(incomplete thought)

Brethren, the Scripture says

that this world is in his control.

He's the god of this world.

He's in control.

He's the prince of the power of the air.

People are his pawns. They're deceived.

He deceives the nations.

He deceives the nations and he,

in their deception, moves them against God

and against God's people.

Is there a conspiracy?

Yeah, there's a big conspiracy.

Do I need to sit and wring my hands

and get worried?

Oh, He that is with us is greater
than he that's in the world.

And you know what?

Our Father knows about every conspiracy

and every plan - demonic and human

and otherwise -

that is being planned
against God's people.

We go on with what we're called to do.

Do we believe that there are going to be

sinister plots against us? Yes.

Are there going to be schemes against us?

Yes, but like Scripture
says, like Paul says,

we know the schemes of the devil.

Are there schemes against us?

Certainly.

Are there plots to our downfall? Yes.

Is Satan strategizing right now

on how to destroy us as individuals?

And in our churches corporately?

Of course.

We're not ignorant of his designs.

Isn't that what Scripture says?

We're not ignorant.

We know what his designs are.

Is he in collusion?
Are the demons planning?

Are wicked people moving in this world

in opposition against God

and against those who fear God?

Against those who keep His commandments?

Those who have faith in Christ?

Yes, brethren. Yes.

We view things through the biblical lens.

And we see a great kingdom of darkness

and a greater kingdom of light -

the kingdom of His dear Son.

Are they at odds? Are they at war? Yes.

In war time, do the different sides

plot and scheme against the other?

Yes.

And I'll tell you this,

as Christians, we plot and scheme too -

how to rescue men;

how to pluck them from the fire;

how to go take from Satan

what he thinks belongs to him,

to be the active members
of Christ's kingdom

that Christ might work through us

and bind that strongman

so that they might be
plucked out of that kingdom.

We don't view things according
to the flesh anymore.

So do we have to worry?

Is there an Illuminati out there?

Illuminati means like this secret group

that has the illumination.

Brethren, we are the people

with the illumination.

Not them.

Whatever they may think

that they're illuminated about

is darkness.

We're the illuminated
ones and it's not secret.

We're no secret group.

We want to make it public.

We're not like the Mormons
or the Jehovah's Witnesses

that want to play footloose and fancy

with the Word of God

and come with all our cloaked

meanings and expressions

and not say to people right
off what we really believe.

We want to be open.

You're dead in sin, world.

You're in trouble and there's hell coming,

but we've got a remedy

and it's Jesus Christ.

And there's one way. There's one remedy.

There's one way to God.

And if you come to God,

if you come, He'll save
you to the uttermost -

if you come to God by way of Jesus Christ.

We're not playing around.

We've got the illumination,

but we don't want it secret.

We want it to be well known.

We want it to be broadcast

and our Lord Himself said you go.

Go and take the message.

You be witnesses to Me.

Don't hide it.

You don't hide it under a bushel, right?

None of that.

You don't light a candle
and put it under a bushel.

We shine it.

We're the lights of the world.

That's what we're supposed
to be - salt and light.

Anyway, one more here...