Participants: Ron Halvorsen
Series Code: 13RVT
Program Code: 13RVT000007
|
00:05 In today's troubled world people are wondering
00:10 where we are headed? 00:13 Revelation Today presents the answers. 00:17 Bible prophecy reveals what the future holds in store. 00:23 Revelation Today. 00:38 Good evening, everyone. 00:39 I'm sure you're enjoying this Revelation Today seminar. 00:41 Tonight we have another exciting presentation. 00:45 You know memorials can be wonderful things. 00:47 Every year, we celebrate independence 00:50 on the fourth of July. 00:51 We like independence so much, here that we've memorialized it 00:54 by naming that road out there Independence Boulevard, 00:57 the Statue of Liberty, the Taj Mahal, 01:00 the monuments that you see at the mall on Washington D.C., 01:03 they are memorials and they stand for something, 01:06 well, they stand for someone. 01:08 God has memorials, too. 01:10 When Israel crossed into the Promised Land, 01:12 a pillar of stone was erected. 01:14 After a victory over the philistine, 01:16 Samuel had the people raise something he named Ebenezer. 01:20 The Book of Revelation talks about a memorial, a sign. 01:25 Be blessed tonight as you find out 01:27 what that is and why it's so important. 01:31 And now please welcome the presenter 01:33 of Revelation Today, Ron Halvorsen. 01:40 Good to see you here tonight. 01:42 God is good all the time, all the time. 01:46 Tonight's subject that we want to talk about 01:48 "Revelation's Eternal Sign." 01:51 But let's bow our heads in a word of prayer 01:52 before we begin. 01:54 Gracious Father, we now turn to Your word. 01:59 We pray God that we might understand this 02:02 very hard subject that we might come to grips with it, 02:04 open our hearts to it, open our minds. 02:07 For some, it'll be a new journey, 02:09 they're taking a journey further than 02:10 they've ever been before as they become pilgrims of faith. 02:15 Bless those Father, that as they open the word 02:18 that they'll see that the word is a light into our path 02:20 to guide us and direct us and was ever said 02:23 and done might give unearned glory to you Jesus Christ. 02:26 Amen and amen. 02:29 A blind boy stood on a busy street corner 02:32 waiting for his father. 02:34 And a man noticing the blind boy and the busy traffic, 02:37 he went over to offer the young man 02:40 a way across the busy traffic 02:42 and the young man said, no sir, I'm waiting for my father. 02:46 And so the man said, 02:47 well, can you trust your father to come and get you? 02:52 He says, yes, my father loves me 02:55 and you see my father can see and I'm blind. 02:59 I thank God we've a father like that, amen. Amen. 03:02 And you may be blinded, we may be blinded by our traditions 03:07 that we've learned from little children, 03:09 we may be blinded because of our theology 03:12 and may be that's messed up. 03:14 And we're blind to some truths that perhaps 03:17 because of this tradition or this theology 03:20 or so as blinded by the ritual 03:22 or overcome by our preconceived ideas and by our culture. 03:28 But I hope we're like that blind boy, 03:30 we say, we're gonna wait for our father 03:31 to take our hand and get us across. 03:34 And by the way, He will come to you 03:36 and He'll take your hand and He will get you, 03:38 He will get you, He will get you across. 03:42 Now, the curtain opens on Revelation and opens to John. 03:48 Remember John is almost 100 years old, 03:49 he is imprisoned for his faith. 03:52 He is on the Isle of Patmos, 28 miles off the mainland, 03:56 out in the agency. 03:59 And John is still faithful to God. 04:03 In the worst kind of circumstances, 04:05 he is still faithful to God. 04:07 And he's praying and seeking God's faith 04:10 and God opens the curtain to him 04:12 and shows him many marvelous and exciting things. 04:16 And John there on the Isle of Patmos, he says these words, 04:21 "And I was on the Spirit or in the Spirit on the Lord's day." 04:26 He looks and he hears 04:29 and he sees the struggle of truth against heirs. 04:33 The rise of false religion and false worship, 04:37 he sees John, he sees spiritual Israel, the people of God 04:42 and He says, "Come out of Babylon, my people." 04:45 God is calling them out from heirs, out from tradition 04:49 and to the Word of God so they'll be faithful 04:51 as they walk as pilgrims to the kingdom of heaven. 04:55 And that's why in Revelation 18:4, he says, 04:58 "Come out of Babylon, my people," 05:01 and those who are true Israel 05:03 or those who are true spiritual Israel. 05:06 Those who are true to the Word of God, 05:08 those who are true to Jesus Christ, 05:10 they follow with their hand in the hand of God. 05:14 Heirs according to Abraham but more than that 05:17 heirs according to the pure faith, the line of faith, 05:20 the Lord Jesus Christ adopted into the family of Christ. 05:24 What made the people in the Old Testament, 05:26 the Israel of God different. 05:28 It first of all was their calling, 05:31 they were called out ones. 05:33 "Come out of Babylon, my people, 05:35 that ye be not partakers of her sins, 05:37 that you receive not of her plagues." 05:40 They were to make a difference in the pagan world. 05:43 They were to make a difference honoring God in all things, 05:46 living out the Word of God in all things, 05:49 loving God's holy law in all ways. 05:52 What made them different in those people of God 05:55 were not so much concerned about space, about possessions 06:00 and their things and their owning 06:02 but rather about God's time. 06:05 Today, we are concerned about things, 06:07 we're concerned about possessions, 06:09 we're concerned about owning and possessing 06:12 but in that day they were concerned more about time. 06:16 You see serving Jehovah was a way of life, 06:19 it was a lifestyle, it was not just one week for an hour, 06:23 it was their whole life, every moment of every day. 06:26 They lived in the context of serving this living God. 06:31 And they honored him each week. 06:32 You see, there was a rhythm to life, 06:34 there was a rhythm to serving God 06:36 and they were fulfilling His purpose. 06:40 The people of God in the past learned in the very beginning 06:45 to embrace the time God allotted them. 06:48 For work, six days, shall they labor to do all thy work. 06:54 For play at the end of work and I know they had fun, 06:59 they played, I don't know if they played golf, 07:01 there's not too much fun to that if you play like me. 07:06 But time was all important to the people. 07:09 God's people were not concerned with their possessions, 07:12 with their things, with their owning. 07:15 They were rather concerned about God's promises to them 07:19 and how they would serve God. 07:22 Modern man runs against time. 07:25 They have a new pace, there's a new rhythm. 07:29 I mean, it's fast moving, this kind of time of modern man 07:32 and while God's time was eternity to eternity, 07:35 they're fast moving, their time rhythm, 07:37 they're exhausting rhythm. 07:39 I mean, it exhausts time, even leisure time, it exhausts. 07:46 We work hard all week to work hard all weekend. 07:52 It exhausts time even at leisure, from week to weekend, 07:57 weekend to weekday, a vicious cycle. 08:00 Man is so obsessed with earning something to fill his space, 08:04 he succumbs to physical and emotional breakdowns. 08:09 And that's why God when He created the world, 08:13 put within that creation a time of rest. 08:18 Well, modern man speaks about his space, 08:20 my possessions, not God's promises. 08:23 God is saying, I have something for you, 08:25 it's a promise if you'll follow Me 08:27 and if you will be obedient to Me, you too will rest. 08:31 Modern man exhausted, fast move. 08:34 I catch up to myself sometime. 08:37 When I heard that I was gonna be here for this, 08:39 15 hours every day to get ready for this. 08:44 I was running into myself and another day 08:46 before I knew that the day was over. 08:49 Have you ever felt like that? 08:52 Have you ever felt, how can I go on this way, 08:55 I mean tied up. 08:58 It's because you've not managed the time 09:01 and God wants you to manage time 09:03 and so He put within the cycle of creation, 09:05 He put the management of time. 09:08 And so we need to understand that, 09:10 there should be a time to relax, 09:11 the time for family, family time, a time to be with God. 09:17 Both Christians and Jews must recover 09:19 what we've lost at the fall. 09:21 To recover something we lost, 09:22 we must go back in a direction we lost it. 09:24 If I lost a hat, I turn around 09:26 and go back in the direction where I've been. 09:28 If we're going to rescue and if we're gonna reclaim 09:31 that which we've lost, we've got to go back to the beginning 09:34 to find out where we lost it and why we lost it. 09:39 And that's what we want to do-- we want to go back. 09:42 We want to go back to Genesis, of all creation 09:45 and discover the rhythm of life and destiny. 09:49 We want to understand Adam and Eve 09:50 and go back to Moses and Abraham 09:52 and back to Isaiah and Elijah 09:54 and the countless others who found faith in time. 09:57 And last, the other night we spoke about creation 10:01 and last night in the creation account it is defended 10:04 by inspiration everywhere from Genesis to Revelation. 10:07 The timeline, the time frame, it runs throughout the Bible. 10:12 Man says we don't have to follow the timeline 10:14 and that's why we are in a predicament today. 10:16 Man says, well that, God really didn't mean that. 10:19 Hey, listen to me, if God said it, He means it. 10:21 Amen. Come on, if God said it, He means it. 10:26 And so we need to find out what God said in Genesis 10:29 and then follow through. 10:30 And then we take it Revelation because John said 10:32 I was in the spirit on Lord's day while the rest stay. 10:37 Every thing God does is in order. 10:40 The seventh day was the final part of the rhythm of God. 10:43 He creates, in the beginning, every day is equal 10:47 and God blesses that day but then He comes last 10:51 and it is not only good, it's very good 10:53 because man needs rest, six days of labor, 10:58 the seventh day of rest. 11:00 Six days of preparation making the world fit 11:03 so that man might be able to serve his God. 11:06 That was the plan of God in the very beginning. 11:11 And because God does everything in order, 11:13 He doesn't create a fish and then create water, 11:16 He creates water and then the fish. Amen. 11:19 God does everything in order. 11:22 He doesn't create a bird 11:24 and then create a sky for the bird to fly in. 11:27 He creates the sky and then puts the bird in the sky. 11:30 God does everything in order. 11:32 You see everything is done in order. 11:35 There's light, there's dark, 11:37 there's firmament, there's stars, 11:39 there's water, there's fish, 11:41 there's man, there's worship. 11:44 You cannot create a worship day 11:46 before you create the worshipper. Amen. 11:50 Fish don't worship, they give God glory when they swim. 11:56 Birds give glory to God when they fly. 12:00 Animals give glory to God when they rush through the forest. 12:03 But man is the only one that can glorify God 12:06 and also worship God. 12:08 And so he saves the best for last 12:10 and He calls at the seventh day. 12:12 Amen. Creation. 12:14 Now Revelation continues the theme. 12:17 This is eternity to eternity. 12:20 "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, 12:24 having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them, 12:27 that dwell on the earth, to every nation, 12:29 to every kindred, to every tongue, to every people." 12:31 It's for all people. 12:33 It's not just for the Jews or the Old Testament 12:36 but it's for all people. 12:37 "Saying with a loud voice, Fear God," 12:39 that's awesome respect for God. 12:41 We don't respect God like we should. 12:45 This world has little respect for God. 12:49 But he says these three angel's message 12:51 brings about a respect for God, they respect God, 12:54 "they give glory to God for the hour of judgment has come, 12:59 and worship him," what? "That made heaven, and earth, 13:04 and the sea, and the fountains of water." 13:10 And to understand that we've got to go back to Eden 13:12 and then back to Revelations. 13:14 Genesis is the book of beginnings. 13:16 Revelation is the book of endings and beginnings. 13:19 The ending of the old and the creation of the new. 13:23 The old body takes on the new. 13:26 The corruptible takes on the incorruption. 13:29 The mortal takes on the immortality. 13:31 You see, here it is, God is doing His thing in His rhythm, 13:36 in His time limit. 13:38 And so God creates, that's His creation. 13:41 And then God gives recreation. 13:44 You see, Satan came to a garden 13:46 and he turned it into a wilderness. 13:48 Christ came to a wilderness 13:50 and turned it to back into a garden. Amen. 13:53 And what the Bible says is war began in heaven 13:55 but there will be peace finally in heaven. 13:59 And the Bible says that you and I are gonna go 14:00 to that kingdom because He has promised us. 14:03 In the Book of John, He said, I go to prepare a place for you 14:06 even if I go I will come again receive you unto myself, 14:09 that's a direct promise of God, that's called recreation, 14:13 He's gonna make it over again 14:16 and I look forward to that time, don't you. 14:21 Notice the Phrases in Red Genesis, God blessed, 14:26 God made, God created, God rested and God sanctified. 14:32 And by the way God is not tired, 14:34 it's not that kind of rest. 14:36 God never gets tired. 14:39 I get tired but God doesn't get tired. 14:41 Sometimes God probably gets tired of me-- 14:43 but no, He has enough patience 14:44 to get me through but God never gets tired. 14:48 You see the tired, the rest of His 14:50 is like the rest note in a symphony. 14:52 It's like the carpenter would build a house 14:55 and puts down the hammer, admires the house, 14:58 it's like the artist who puts paint on a canvas 15:00 and then steps back and notices how beautiful the canvas is. 15:04 And what it is like. 15:05 And since I paint, you know, 15:07 I step back after I finish my painting 15:10 and I step far back but I look at it and I feel good about it. 15:15 That's what God feels good, that's why the-- 15:18 the seventh day was something for God to feel good about. 15:21 The seventh day should be something you feel good about 15:24 because you see, if you are loyal to God, 15:26 loyal to His cross, loyal to His coming, 15:29 you must be loyal to His creation 15:31 and obey the command of God throughout history. 15:36 Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount 15:38 with true wisdom Jesus said this, 15:41 "Not every one that saith unto me, 15:43 Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, 15:46 but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." 15:51 The Bible says my Father which is in heaven, 15:55 "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, 15:57 and doeth them, I liken unto a wise man, 16:00 which built his house upon a rock." 16:02 And that rock is Jesus Christ. 16:03 You are to build your faith on a rock, 16:06 you are to build your house upon a rock, 16:08 you are to build your experience with God 16:10 on the rock and that's your Christ Jesus. 16:13 He tells us there, serious to obey God 16:17 but He's very serious to disobey God 16:20 and the rhythm of God for your life. 16:24 In the book we find one consistent message 16:27 again and again. 16:28 Revelation 22:19, "And if any man shall take away 16:31 the words of the book of this prophecy," 16:33 what? Revelation. 16:34 "God shall take away his part out of the book of life, 16:37 and out of the holy city, 16:39 and from the things which are written in this book." 16:41 Listen to me, friend, it's not how high you jump 16:44 but it's how straight you walk. amen. 16:47 It's how straight you walk. 16:49 So Revelation tells us it's very serious 16:51 to take away from the Word of God. 16:54 God's cycle of rest, that eternal rhythm, 16:56 I mean there's a sign of loyalty to the Creator. 16:59 And when we recognize it 17:01 and we come into that kind of restfulness 17:03 then you're going to experience 17:04 something even greater in your spiritual life. 17:07 Something greater in your journey, something-- 17:10 it's beyond that place where you are, 17:13 it takes you beyond that to a higher plane. 17:16 That's what God is speaking about here. 17:18 Now, dictionary defines a sign as this. 17:21 To affix a signature as a token of agreement. 17:25 All right, what's the sign? 17:27 It's to affix a signature as a token of agreement. 17:30 To sign one's name. 17:33 Now how did God sign His name on creation? 17:36 What agreement did He make forever with His children? 17:42 What is the sign of His authority? 17:43 By the way, when I first stumbled onto this message 17:46 and stumbled into this. 17:48 I had been born again Christian, 17:50 I was reading the Word of God, 17:51 I was searching, I didn't want to find it. 17:54 You know, there's some things 17:55 you don't want to find out about, come on. 17:58 And I was trying to shield myself. 18:00 But, listen to me, you can't pick and choose 18:03 once you've been born again. 18:05 You can't pick and choose once you have been saved. 18:08 You can't pick and choose 18:09 once you have given your life over to God. 18:11 You have to listen to what God says 18:14 and so when I stumbled on this I said, whoa. 18:19 Whoa. 18:20 Then I began to study and I discovered something. 18:26 To sign one's name. 18:28 How did God sign His name on creation? 18:30 What agreement did He make forever with His children? 18:32 Listen to me, what is the sign of authority and of ownership. 18:35 It would be easier for me not to say anything 18:37 about this and just slip over it 18:39 and preach on the rest of Revelation. 18:40 But I can't do that. 18:42 Because the Bible says later on the antichrist 18:44 which I'm gonna show you will make a big issue of this. 18:48 And so therefore you must be prepared for the workings 18:50 and deception of antichrist, then you have to look at this. 18:54 Now there's a cosmic forgery, 18:56 and that cosmic forgery is what is the sign? 19:00 He says the sign is the seventh day of the cycle. 19:04 The rhythm, He says, the seventh day is a sign. 19:09 Now let's look at that and find it in the Bible, 19:11 don't take my for it, what does the Bible say. 19:14 "Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, 19:17 to be a sign between me and them, that they might know 19:21 that I am the Lord that sanctified them." 19:25 Now the question is, 19:27 the question that confronts us is, 19:29 three things about our text, first of all, who is speaking? 19:32 It's the Lord. Who is the Lord? 19:33 The Lord is none other than Lord Jesus Christ. 19:36 Because remember it, preexistent Bethlehem, 19:39 you see that was not the beginning of Jesus, 19:40 that was just the incarnation of Jesus. 19:43 So he was in the beginning of all things. 19:44 I'm gonna show you in a few minutes that He is the creator, 19:47 therefore He is the creator of the seven literal days 19:50 of creation and He is the creator of the seventh day. 19:55 Man didn't make it, God made it. 19:59 And so He's speaking, who is speaking? 20:00 Secondly, what is He giving us? 20:03 Well, He's giving us the Sabbath, 20:05 that's what the Bible says in that text. 20:07 For what purpose does He give it to us? To be a sign. 20:12 A sign between me and God, a sign between you and God. 20:16 A sign between the people of God in the Old Testament, 20:19 the people and the apostles of the New Testament, 20:22 and we're gonna see that and then the people of God 20:24 in the last Book of Revelation, the last day. 20:27 We're going to see that. 20:28 And by the way tomorrow night 20:29 I'm gonna show you where the change came in history. 20:33 But this is what He is saying, was creation-- 20:35 someone says, well, Ron that was just for the Jews, 20:38 just for the Jews. 20:39 Let me ask you a question, was creation just for the Jews? 20:44 Come on. Fish only for the Jews? 20:50 Beautiful sky above our head just for the Jews to enjoy? 20:54 No. Not at all. 20:57 I mean, it's good for Norwegians too, 20:58 let me tell you that. 21:01 When I'm fly fishing in some stream in North-- 21:03 in Montana, let me tell you some thing friend, 21:07 I'm as close to nature as you can get. 21:10 And I enjoy it. 21:12 God did not create a world just for the Jews. 21:14 In fact, he created world 2,000 before there was ever a Jew. 21:17 That's right. 21:19 Two thousand years before Abraham, 21:20 there was the creation of the world. 21:21 I mean, God already created long before Abraham. 21:25 And so we see this, 21:26 that it wasn't just for a certain people, 21:29 it was for all those who've come into the rhythm of God, 21:32 all those who come into the presence of God, 21:34 all those who come into the experience with God, 21:38 they come into this rhythm, this time rhythm, 21:43 they come into that and serve Jesus Christ for time. 21:46 Jesus Christ was the creator. 21:48 Let me tell you, Jesus was the creator. 21:51 What makes Him different? 21:53 Buddha did not create the heaven's earth, 21:55 never claimed to have. 21:57 And by the way, Confucius never created 21:59 the heaven's earth, never claimed to that. 22:01 Muhammad did not make the heaven and earth, 22:04 he never claimed to. 22:06 But not so with Christian faith, 22:07 Jesus Christ claimed it again and again. 22:10 He said this, "In the beginning was the Word, 22:12 and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." 22:14 Who is that? That's Jesus, isn't it? 22:16 If you read verse 14, it says, 22:18 redemption comes through His blood, 22:19 that's Jesus, the Word, the living word. 22:22 "The same was in the beginning with God. 22:24 All things were made by Him, 22:25 without Him was not anything made that was made." 22:28 All things were made by the Word, 22:30 the Word is Jesus Christ. 22:32 But Ephesians tells us, "To make all men see 22:35 what is the fellowship of the mystery, 22:36 which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, 22:39 who created all things by" who? 22:42 Jesus Christ. 22:43 Come on, by who? Jesus Christ. 22:46 Come on, by who? Jesus Christ. 22:48 Thank you very much. 22:49 What's wrong with you people here in Charlotte? 22:53 You're not afraid to read that, 22:55 I mean it was created by Jesus Christ. 22:57 He's not only your savior, He's your creator. Amen. 23:01 He is the Creator. Bible tells us more than that. 23:03 The Bible says in Colossians 1:14, 23:06 "To whom we have redemption through his blood" there it is. 23:09 Who's that? Jesus Christ. 23:11 Whatever faith you are, whatever church you go to, 23:13 if you're at Christian church, 23:14 they believe in the blood of Christ. 23:16 He says, "We have redemption through his blood, 23:18 even the forgiveness of sins." 23:19 That's Jesus Christ. 23:20 "Who is the image of the invisible God, 23:22 the firstborn of every creature. 23:25 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor 23:28 and power, for thou hast created all things" 23:30 that's Revelation, that's John, 23:32 that's the last book for the last people. 23:35 "And for thy pleasure they are and were created." 23:40 Now if you created the heavens and the earth, follow me. 23:42 He gave it to us, He created the Sabbath as well 23:46 because He created the seventh day. 23:50 Jesus created the seventh day. Jesus wrote it into creation. 23:55 Jesus wrote it in the beginning of the law. 23:58 Who was it? Jesus. Our Jesus. 24:00 In fact, He calls them My commandments 24:03 and if you look at those commandments, 24:05 it's very unusual, isn't it. 24:06 There's only one commandment that God said remember. 24:10 Have you ever thought about that? 24:11 I mean, when I read that I closed my Bible and I ran. 24:16 I didn't want to hear that. 24:19 And then a few days later, 24:20 I opened up and I felt it that again. 24:21 So I went to my pastor, I said, pastor, look at this, remember. 24:24 Ah, forget it, it doesn't matter, Ron. 24:26 God says, remember. 24:28 My preacher says, it doesn't matter. 24:30 I'm gonna listen to God first of all. Amen. 24:34 Those ain't no preacher, there's no preacher 24:37 or priest on earth that can give you 24:39 the kingdom of Christ except Jesus Christ, amen. 24:42 You agree on that and give God agreement here tonight. 24:46 And so we see, He calls them My commandments. 24:49 According to Genesis, 24:50 He created them in seven literal days. 24:52 God does everything in order. 24:54 Now, notice the order which God creates. 24:57 The first day, God created, in the first day 25:00 God created light and darkness. 25:02 The second day, He created firmament, 25:05 the third day He, this is an astronomical process, 25:09 the third day of the first week 25:11 of the first month of the first year, 25:13 then He created the fourth day, 25:16 on the fourth day, He created sun and moon and stars. 25:19 Then came the fifth day, this is an astronomical figure. 25:23 First day of the first week 25:25 of the first month of the first year. 25:28 Then the sixth day. 25:30 You'll notice in all six days God is making something 25:33 and He calls and He speaks it into existence. 25:37 But the sixth day, He steps down and creates man. 25:42 And that's because He wants to touch man. 25:45 I mean, as He steps down, 25:46 He stepped down to this earth to touch you 25:48 with His grace and His love. 25:51 Notice this, you see it's an astronomical process, 25:53 and seventh day, 25:54 the day of worship for the worshipper, 25:56 Adam and Eve are the worshippers. 25:58 So, what's after He creates the worshippers, 26:00 He creates worship. 26:01 You can't have a worship day before you have the worshipper. 26:05 God does everything in order. 26:07 Man has no right to change the order of God, 26:10 God has the right to do that, amen. 26:13 God alone has the right to do that. 26:17 It's an astronomical figure. 26:19 You follow me carefully, 26:21 listen, it's astronomical, let's look it in. 26:24 A year is 365 and a quarter days to a year, 26:28 that's an astronomical figure. 26:29 By the way that doesn't change with time, 26:31 doesn't change with calendars, 26:33 doesn't change with ethics, 26:35 doesn't change with cataclysms, 26:37 doesn't change with books, 26:39 doesn't change with theology, 26:40 doesn't change with ministers, 26:42 it is a year, is a year. 26:45 Come on, now. 26:47 I know I've been through 75, almost 76 of them. 26:52 The only thing, 365 and a quarter days 26:55 goes faster than it did when I was 16. 26:59 You get the drift, sure you do. 27:01 That's an astronomical figure. 27:03 Listen, a month is 28 to 31 days, that's a month. 27:06 It's approximately the moon 27:07 to make one complete orbit around the earth, 27:10 that's the science of the heavens. 27:13 A day is 24 hours on which 27:17 it makes complete revolution on its axis. 27:20 That's the Lord of nature, that's the Lord of creation. 27:23 That's the Lord of God. It never changes. 27:25 That is the rhythm of God, you can't change it. 27:29 If those laws are an integral part of life and creation, 27:33 it's important to mine, 27:34 the seventh day must be an eternal principle 27:36 of the law of the Sabbath. 27:38 The Sabbath was not instituted by man, 27:40 the Sabbath was not instituted by the laws of man. 27:43 The Sabbath was not instituted by a calendar, 27:46 it cannot be changed. 27:49 Listen to the Word of God. 27:51 "And on the seventh day God ended His work 27:53 which He made, and rested on the seventh day 27:55 from all His work which He had made." 27:59 It was a memorial, a birthday of the creational of the world. 28:03 Let me have illustrate, is Brother Mendenhall here, 28:08 Brother Mendenhall, will you please come. 28:10 Oh, he is nervous because I didn't tell him 28:12 what I was gonna do here and I told him 28:14 I wouldn't ask very hard questions. 28:20 I'll try to keep the Greek and Hebrew out of this 28:24 and so I asked Brother Mendenhall 28:25 would you please come here 28:26 and I have a few questions to ask you. 28:28 People say, well, how do we know which day is the day? 28:30 Come on. 28:32 Well, Brother Mendenhall, what year were you born? 28:40 1945. 28:42 Whoa, the mind is going right now 28:43 trying to figure out how old the man is. 28:46 All right, 1945. Yes, 68. 28:49 What date, what month were you born? 28:52 Eighth month, August. 28:53 August, the eighth month. 28:55 The eighth month, 1945, 28:58 and that was the end of the war, wasn't it? 29:02 Was that the end of the war, 1945. 29:03 When I was born, it was the beginning of war, 29:05 you know my mother said that, too. 29:07 My mother said, she had no peace 29:08 until-- anyway and so here we have, 29:13 we have brother Mendenhall here, 29:15 he tells he was born in 1945, 29:16 he was born in the month of, the eighth month. 29:20 What day? Twenty second. 29:22 Twenty second day of the eighth month, 1945. 29:29 Yes. 29:30 Well, you were kind of small? Eight pounds. 29:35 What did you know about-- yeah. Eight pounds. 29:38 Eight pounds? Yes. 29:39 This guy even knows his pounds, I mean, what is this about? 29:42 I didn't even ask him his pounds, 29:44 you see what happens when you ask your preacher a question. 29:46 And he wants to takeover. And with the pounds. 29:50 Oh, well, yeah stay with the ounces. 29:51 All right, let's get back 29:53 to this beautiful illustration here 29:56 and 1945, eighth month and what day? 30:00 Twenty second. Twenty second day, all right. 30:02 Now you were tiny and little, how did you know that? 30:06 My mother told me. Oh, mother. 30:09 Daddy could've been somewhere else 30:10 but mother had to be there, right, come on. 30:15 Now if anybody knew his date, it was his mother. 30:19 Who else? My father eventually. 30:22 Your father, he was around somewhere. 30:24 Somewhere. Yeah. 30:27 Mamma, father, what other thing that tells you 30:31 that you were born twenty second? 30:33 Well, I had a great grandmother to tell. 30:35 Oh, great grandmother, that's good. 30:37 Don't go to the great-great-grandpa 30:38 but what else? 30:40 My sibling celebrated. 30:41 Yeah, what else? 30:42 I have a birth certificate. 30:48 He has a birth certificate. 30:50 Who's gonna argue with the birth certificate? 30:53 I mean we have a birth certificate, 30:55 don't you see it? 30:56 Yeah. 30:57 Thank you very much. That was great. 31:00 I have a birth certificate. 31:02 Well, I don't know what day it is. 31:04 You do know, you may not want to know 31:06 but you do know. 31:09 You wouldn't argue with the Father, 31:12 with the Son, with the Holy Spirit 31:16 because John said I was in the spirit. 31:20 That's the Holy Spirit. I want to be in the spirit. 31:24 That's the Holy Spirit and he says 31:26 I was in the spirit on the Lord's day. 31:30 The Sabbath cannot be a Sabbath on any other day. 31:34 You can call it something else but you can't call it that. 31:36 Not at all. 31:37 Let's look at some biblical evidence, all right. 31:39 Remember what I told you, 31:40 if the Bible says it, that settles it, right. 31:44 The Bible says it, that settles it. 31:46 Well, let's look at it together. 31:47 From my study subject, 31:49 I want you to notice three things, 31:50 what He did on that day, 31:51 what He didn't do on any other day, 31:53 is that He rested. 31:55 The Bible says, He did something else, 31:56 He blessed it. 31:58 Now it's spiritual. 31:59 What God blesses, He blesses forever. 32:02 Amen. 32:03 What God sanctifies, He sanctifies forever. 32:06 I want you to get this, and God sanctified. 32:10 He made it holy, it was made for man. 32:12 Mark 2:27, 32:13 listen what the Bible says, it was made for man. 32:16 "He said unto them, the Sabbath was made for man, 32:18 not man for the Sabbath." 32:19 You can't choose, pick and choose, 32:21 he made it for you. 32:23 And he is the Son of man, 32:25 He has the right to make it for man. 32:27 Because He is the Creator God 32:31 and He is the son of man, Bible says, 32:33 "I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, 32:35 and heard behind me a great voice, as a trumpet." 32:37 Someone says, we keep the Lord's day. 32:39 Well, if you keep the Lord's day, 32:40 it would have to be the seventh day 32:42 because the Bible says, 32:43 Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath day. 32:45 He doesn't say, he's the Lord of the first, 32:47 Lord of the second, Lord of the third. 32:48 If He said it was the third, 32:49 If it was Tuesday, I'd be keeping it. 32:51 Amen. Amen, come on, now. 32:54 If it was Tuesday, God didn't say that. 32:58 He said on the seventh day. Look at this, the Word of God. 33:01 "And the Son of man is Lord even of" what? 33:04 "Sabbath Day." 33:05 Who is the Son of man? Jesus. 33:07 Jesus Christ and He is Lord of that day, 33:11 only that day, nowhere else in the scripture, 33:13 in fact tomorrow night if you are able to come, 33:17 you're gonna hear the history of it. 33:19 You're gonna discover some things 33:20 perhaps you didn't know. 33:21 You're gonna see where this first began. 33:23 And we're gonna look at that from the Bible, 33:25 there are only eight verses in all the New Testament 33:27 concerning the first day of the week, 33:28 we're gonna look at that 33:30 and we're gonna look at the history, 33:31 the change, who changed it, why they changed it 33:33 and we're gonna try to find the change. 33:36 But I want you to notice what the Bible says, 33:37 I mean scripture. 33:39 Remember anything out of context is a pretext. 33:42 "And he said unto them, 33:43 the Son of man is Lord also of the," what? 33:45 "Sabbath." 33:46 All right, Matthew, Mark, Luke. 33:49 By the way we're gonna keep it in heaven. 33:50 I told the man that once you get angry, 33:52 I don't know why did he get angry 33:53 when I preach on this, why? 33:56 I mean, you don't have to accept it, 33:57 I'm not telling you do what you have to do, 33:59 that's up to you. 34:00 But I'm telling you 34:01 what I found in the Word of God. 34:02 If we're gonna faithful to Revelation, 34:04 let's be faithful to the word and the Revelation says, 34:06 I'm the spirit on Lord's day. 34:07 Well, I want to know what the Lord's day 34:08 doesn't say right there. 34:10 So I got to look in scripture till I find 34:12 what he says is the Lord's day. 34:13 Isn't that scriptural, isn't that the way 34:15 we should study the Bible, come on, all right? 34:18 But he tells us we're gonna-- and I told them we can say 34:20 well, it doesn't matter, brother, 34:22 I said when we all get to heaven, 34:25 we're gonna keep it in heaven. 34:27 And listen to me, you don't believe that, 34:28 look at the word of God with me, 34:30 look at the Bible. 34:32 "And it shall come to pass, 34:34 that from one new moon to another, 34:35 from one Sabbath to another, 34:37 shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord." 34:40 How can you avoid that text? 34:42 You can't run from it. You can't hide from it. 34:47 We're gonna keep whatever we are. 34:49 Whatever denomination, whatever faith, whatever, 34:51 we're gonna move you to heaven. 34:52 I just want to get a head start, 34:54 amen, come on, that's all. 34:55 That's all, just a head start, enjoy it, and be blessed by it. 34:59 Well, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." 35:01 Why do you remember? 35:02 Do you know in prophecy, 35:03 I'm gonna show you in prophecy that God prophesized 35:07 that man will think to change to the fourth commandment, 35:09 that he would think to change the Sabbath 35:11 from Saturday to Sunday, it's right in your Bible, 35:13 it's right in prophecy 35:14 and He tells you that man would change the day. 35:17 I'm gonna show you that tomorrow night. 35:19 And so if you want to really get the scoop, 35:23 you'll be sure to be here tomorrow night, 35:25 don't let anything keep you 35:26 if you want to really hear the evidence. 35:29 If you don't want to hear the evidence, fine, 35:31 but then you're gonna have to, you have to look at that. 35:35 But anyway, He is the same yesterday, today 35:40 and forever, forever. 35:43 The Sabbath has mentioned again and again in the Bible. 35:46 I think it's a 137 times, all right, let's look at this. 35:51 "In it thou shalt not do any work, 35:52 thou, nor thy son, nor the daughter, 35:54 thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, 35:55 nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger 35:56 that is within thy gates for in the six days 35:58 the Lord made heaven and earth, 36:00 the sea, and all that in them is, 36:01 and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed it 36:04 and the Sabbath day, and he hallowed it." 36:06 He made it holy. 36:08 I don't know why except to say that He wanted Adam and Eve 36:11 to come into the spiritual relationship with Him. 36:14 And they worshipped in the garden. 36:16 They worshipped in perfection, they bowed before the Lord 36:20 and then after that when they came 36:21 through the fall they worshipped God. 36:23 Listen to me, you can trace the Sabbath, 36:27 you can trace the Sabbath. 36:28 In fact, in Exodus 16, someone said, 36:30 well that's in the Lord but before that 36:32 but you can trace the Sabbath. 36:34 Do you realize in Exodus 16, the Bible teaches us, 36:38 that they receive manner, they were fed by God. 36:41 Remember the story how they fed them? 36:44 And remember on the sixth day God gave them a double portion. 36:47 Why? 36:48 Because the seventh day we weren't supposed to gather 36:50 and so here they are on Friday, 36:52 every Friday throughout the year, 36:55 throughout the years, they were fed by God 36:57 and it was a miracle on Friday they got a double portion 37:00 so that on Sabbath, they won't have to chew 37:02 or pick the food and eat the food. 37:05 It was there for them. 37:07 You can trace the Sabbath from to Eden to Abraham 37:10 they kept the Sabbath. 37:11 Abraham and Moses they kept the Sabbath. 37:13 No one denies that, no church denies that. 37:16 Listen to me, they go on, 37:18 there was Moses he kept the Sabbath. 37:20 Follow, "He said unto them 37:21 this is that what's the Lord hath said, 37:23 tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath 37:25 unto the Lord, bake that 37:26 which ye will bake to day," there it is. 37:29 That's before the 20th Chapter, before the law. 37:32 And by the way, the law was not given at Sinai-- 37:34 the law was a need. 37:36 He said, what do you mean? 37:37 Because the Bible says 37:38 there can be no sin without the law. 37:39 Sin did not begin at Sinai, sin began where? 37:42 In the Garden of Eden. 37:46 I've not known sin but by the law, 37:48 why is that under hiding behind the tree 37:55 naked? 37:57 Because the Lord told him, 38:01 the Lord told him, you trace it. 38:05 "And seethe that ye seethe that which remaineth over lay 38:08 up for you to be kept until the morning. 38:10 So the people rested on the seventh day." 38:12 All of Israel in history. 38:14 Nowhere do you find the Jews never keeping the Sabbath. 38:17 In fact, if you want to check up on me, 38:19 call an orthodox Jew today and ask him what day he keeps. 38:24 And let me tell you his writing, 38:26 his understanding goes back to Abraham. 38:30 They had been meticulous 38:32 about keeping that day holy. 38:40 He kept it, the Bible tells us that he kept it, trace it. 38:45 Moses, Isaiah, Isaiah to Matthew. 38:48 Listen, Jesus kept it. 38:50 Why do you keep it? Jesus kept. 38:53 That's the only important reason, isn't it, Jesus. 38:56 And He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up," 38:58 this is Jesus, your Savior. 39:00 "And, as his custom was, 39:01 he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, 39:03 and stood up for to read." 39:04 He went to the synagogue every Sabbath, 39:06 as a child He grew up there. 39:09 And by the way, 39:10 He had to keep the Sabbath, you say, why? 39:12 Because as you see, the Bible says 39:13 if you break one commandment, you're guilty of them all. 39:16 Amen. 39:17 If Jesus broke that commandment, 39:18 He would be guilty of them all. 39:19 He would be a sinful Savior. 39:22 But He is a sinless Savior 39:24 because He kept the fourth commandment 39:25 as He did the other commandments. 39:28 That's our Lord, that's our blessed Christ. 39:30 That's my Savior, the One who brought me to rebirth 39:32 and brought me into the kingdom of God. 39:35 You say well how do we know what day? 39:36 Well, let's look at this, 39:37 "And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, 39:39 and laid it in a sepulcher that was hewn in stone, 39:41 wherein never be man before was laid. 39:43 And that day was the preparation." 39:45 Jesus died on the Friday, 39:46 listen, you, there is no mistake. 39:47 How can they go back to all the way to Easter Sunday 39:50 and tell me we can understand when first day is 39:52 but we can't understand what the seventh day is. 39:54 Amen. Amen. 39:56 If Jesus died on the Friday, He rose on the Sunday, 39:58 the day between Friday and Sunday is the Sabbath 40:01 and the Creator rests on the Sabbath 40:04 and then the re-creator rests on the Sabbath 40:06 to tell us for all time in eternity 40:09 that He is the Lord of the Sabbath day. 40:10 Amen, amen. 40:12 There it is right there in black and white. 40:16 No question, no question. 40:19 What day is the Sabbath, people ask me all the time. 40:22 Well, Jesus kept it even in His death. 40:26 Remember they came according to the commandment, 40:28 what commandment, the fourth commandment. 40:30 Mary the mother of Jesus kept it. 40:33 Good enough for that woman, wonderful woman Mary. 40:35 Listen to me, if you pre-existed your mother 40:38 what kind of mother would you choose? 40:41 That was Mary, she kept it. 40:44 Mary Magdalene kept it. 40:46 Peter, James, John kept it. 40:52 So it's not too hard when Jesus says, 40:53 Ron, keep it, it's nothing. 40:55 No problem, no problem. 40:58 Listen to the Word of God, please, this is evidence. 41:00 Friday preparation day, Saturday Sabbath, 41:04 then come Sunday first day the resurrection. 41:06 We'll look at text tomorrow and we'll look at the history. 41:09 There Jesus died, 41:10 hung on the cross for your sins and mine. 41:12 Listen to me, that scripture 41:14 that's what the Bible says, that's what the Bible teaches. 41:17 There are 87 Sabbaths, listen, write it down, check up on me. 41:21 There are 87 Sabbaths kept in the Book of Acts alone 41:25 by the apostles of Jesus Christ. 41:28 Well, my preacher says, 41:29 brother, yeah, but my apostles say. 41:32 Amen. 41:35 My Jesus says, it won't easy for me to accept I-- 41:39 I grew up in a traditional church, 41:41 I had my catechism I mean-- I had all that. 41:47 I was-- well anyway. 41:50 I wasn't saved and momma made me go to church, 41:55 she never went herself until she got saved. 42:00 eighty seven, seven day 42:01 Sabbaths were kept in the Book of Acts. 42:04 By the way, Acts 13:14, that's Acts 14:42, 42:08 that's Acts 16:13, that's Acts 17:2, 42:11 check up on me, look it up in the Book of Acts. 42:15 That's the rhythm, you see, 42:17 that's the rhythm of a believer even in the first century. 42:21 And then we come to Hebrews and God tells us this, 42:23 "For we which have believed," who are they? 42:25 That's the Christians. 42:26 "We which believed enter into rest, 42:29 as he said, as I have sworn in my wrath, 42:30 if they shall enter into my rest." 42:33 Whose rest, Christ's rest, he says, 42:36 "If they enter into my rest, 42:37 although the works were finished 42:38 from the foundation of the earth.," 42:40 What rest is that? 42:41 That's the seventh day Sabbath rest. 42:43 He says, here the apostle are, this is 40 years 42:46 after the death of Jesus on the cross. 42:49 This is 40 years after the curtain 42:51 was ripped in the temple. 42:52 By the way, God never did away with the law at Calvary. 42:55 God did away with the ceremonial laws at Calvary 42:58 because the curtain was ripped-- 42:59 we don't have to bring the lamb anymore. 43:01 Jesus is the Lamb of God's slain 43:03 from the foundation of the earth. 43:10 But which believe do into rest and then He goes on to say, 43:13 "If they shall enter into my rest, 43:15 although the works were finish 43:16 from the foundation of the world." 43:17 Listen to what he says, 43:19 "For he spake in a certain place 43:20 of the seventh day on this wise, 43:22 and God did rest the seventh day 43:24 from all His works. 43:25 And in this place again, 43:26 if they shall enter into my rest". 43:28 Again He says, "Seeing therefore 43:30 it remaineth that some must enter therein, 43:32 and they to whom it was first preached 43:34 entered not because of their unbelief." 43:36 You see, when the apostles came to preach to the gentile world, 43:39 they've already keeping Sun day in honor of the Sun god 43:44 and when they came to preach the gospel 43:46 and talk about Jesus they rebelled against it. 43:50 They wouldn't accept it until they've accepted 43:54 the Lord Jesus Christ and then they accepted it. 43:58 "To day, after so long a time, as it is said, 44:00 To day if ye will hear his voice 44:03 harden not your hearts. 44:06 For if Jesus had given them rest," 44:08 or another rest, 44:10 "then would he not afterward have spoken of such a day." 44:14 And we're gonna look at that from the Bible. 44:17 It doesn't matter what I believe or what I say. 44:19 It doesn't matter at all 44:21 but let me illustrate, all right. 44:23 Tuesday what's the difference you know first day so-- 44:25 one man told me I keep every day. 44:29 That was during the Johnson administration. 44:31 So what are you on Johnson's Poverty Program? 44:32 I mean, everyday, you got to work sometime. 44:37 Anyway, people say to me 44:38 all the time what's the difference? 44:40 First child come please, 44:42 would you just come out here, honey? 44:43 Look at this, there you come right out here. 44:46 Oh, isn't she beautiful? 44:47 You come, come here to Pastor Ron, 44:49 he'll take good care of you. 44:51 Look at this, isn't she beautiful? 44:53 This is the first day, of the first week, 44:58 of the first month, of the first year. 45:01 Second child, would you please come? 45:03 Notice, here comes the second child. 45:04 Come here, honey. 45:05 Just come, there's a little bash for you, 45:07 come on right out here. 45:09 Oh, I love your shoes, 45:10 look at those little orange shoes. 45:12 You come right here, baby. 45:13 Look at this and that is the second day. 45:17 And God made the first day, God made the second day. 45:19 I couldn't get them 24 hours. 45:21 You know, one is little shorter than the other. 45:23 But we're trying, we're doing our best. 45:25 Would the third child please come? 45:27 People say to me all the time, what's the difference, 45:28 first day, seventh day, doesn't really matter. 45:30 But here's the third child, got a beautiful smile 45:33 and she is 38 hours, no, she is 24 hours. 45:38 The third day, first day, second day, third day 45:40 what's the difference, fourth day, 45:41 would the fourth day please come? 45:43 And she is coming, come on, honey. 45:45 Oh, isn't she beautiful? 45:47 You have some of the most beautiful children 45:50 in Charlotte, North Carolina that I've ever seen. 45:53 All right, the fifth child and God-- by the way 45:55 God made the first day, God made the second day, 45:57 God made the third day, the fourth day. 45:59 It was all in the plan of God, God came-- 46:01 oh, look at this, honey, isn't she sweet? 46:04 And that's the fifth day. 46:05 Beautiful children and the sixth day-- 46:08 And by the way, he names only two days, 46:10 did you notice that? 46:11 He calls the sixth day preparation day. 46:13 Preparation for what? For the Sabbath. 46:17 And there she is, she is preparation day, 46:18 isn't she beautiful? 46:20 God bless you, oh, I love that little pigtail. 46:22 If I was in school 46:24 you would have a lot of problem with that, 46:27 and the seventh day. 46:29 And God said He blessed the seventh day. 46:31 People say to me all the time 46:32 what's the difference, Ron Halverson? 46:33 Well, it's the seventh day parent here? 46:36 Is the seventh day parent here? 46:39 Is she here anywhere? 46:41 Come on, stand up, don't be bashful. 46:43 Would you please come down? 46:44 Okay, come down here miss, would you come down here, sir? 46:48 So nice to have you. 46:50 And she is listening on the translation. 46:52 We've have translation for Spanish people. 46:54 You just-- would you please come-- 46:55 I know, you are not gonna like me after this but-- 47:01 but you come on up here. 47:03 This is wonderful. 47:04 Is this your mommy? Oh, wow. 47:08 You can tell she is her mommy. 47:11 Look at that, can't you? Come on. 47:17 Mommy, you got some one translating for me. 47:20 They're translating, okay. 47:23 Mommy, this is your-- that's your child. 47:27 Oh, what if I-- took this child, 47:34 brought home to mommy with this child 47:38 and gave you this child and took this child? 47:41 What would you say? 47:43 Why, why? She is mine. 47:48 Don't you get the drift, he said, it's mine. 47:51 It belongs to Jesus Christ, 47:54 come on, give God glory, thank you, children. 47:56 Thank you, mother, 47:57 thank you so much for coming, God bless you. 48:00 You're a blessing to us. 48:01 All right, you can go now, you can go. 48:04 I'm gonna miss you. 48:05 All right, there we go, there we go, 48:07 you can go right out of here. 48:09 Right, aren't they beautiful? 48:14 Wow. 48:16 That makes a difference, doesn't it? 48:17 Come on, seventh day, well, that makes a difference. 48:22 What's the difference? 48:24 You see, God took an ordinary day 48:28 and he hammered into His life and His love. 48:31 And He gave it to us. 48:33 He didn't try to force it on us but in the rhythm of life, 48:37 He said, come into that experience spiritually. 48:41 Find out that rest in God. God made it for us. 48:48 Many years ago, I grew up in the ghetto, 48:49 I grew up in New York City. 48:52 I mean, my parents were poor and but even kids in the ghetto 48:57 look forward to Christmas, right? 48:59 Come on, now. 49:00 We never got much, I mean I didn't get fancy toy-- 49:02 you know today, you know, yeah-- 49:04 you have to be a banker-- 49:06 you know, buy toys for kids nowadays you know 49:10 but we didn't have much but every Christmas 49:12 we'd get something. 49:14 You know, maybe a comic book or little toy car 49:17 we could play with but it wasn't much. 49:20 I lived in the-- I lived in an apartment 49:22 that had cold water in the winter 49:24 and hot water in the summer. 49:27 I mean, our attendant was so bad 49:29 they put it behind all the other tenements 49:30 because even the ghetto was embarrassed by it. 49:35 My momma had five boys 49:36 and then later she had a little girl. 49:39 My dad wanted the girl first 49:40 but we went through five boys to get to it. 49:43 We were sure glad when that girl finally came, 49:45 let me tell you. 49:47 But even boys growing up in the Christmas look forward-- 49:49 in the ghetto looked forward to Christmas. 49:51 But that Christmas my dad was at work. 49:52 He was one of the hardest working person I ever met. 49:55 And he would go out in the day looking for a job 49:57 come back home, one night he came back, 49:58 it was getting close to Christmas, he says, 50:00 I guess we can't have Christmas for the boys. 50:03 We were heartbroken. 50:06 Two nights later, he came back 50:08 and he says, honey, I'm gonna make Christmas. 50:10 Now my father was a pipe-fitter, 50:11 with his pipes he can make anything, wood, forget it, 50:14 but anyway he's gonna make Christmas for the boys, 50:17 that's love, mind that. 50:18 In fact, we had a big room in the winter, 50:20 you know the room, you shut off in the winter 50:22 you put racks around the door 50:23 so you know-- you know, you don't live there 50:25 you just kind of live in a few-- warm rooms in. 50:28 And my dad, he came home and he would go in there, 50:31 he had a great sense of humor, 50:32 he wrote a little sign, Santa's workshop. 50:37 Santa's workshop, you know what he did, 50:40 he would work sawing and hammering, 50:42 we would look through the key hole. 50:44 And then Christmas Eve, why is it, 50:46 364 days a year you can't get the kids to bed-- 50:49 Christmas Eve, they go to bed early. 50:52 And my bed was Billy's bed, it was Warren's bed, 50:55 it was one of these day beds you know 50:56 kind of separate in the middle of the night 50:59 and one if the middle falls to the ground you know 51:01 and then you fight over space, come on. 51:04 You draw the invisible line, 51:05 don't you come over here, this is my bed. 51:08 And then my father in the morning, 51:10 he called us out, we ran out. 51:12 There it was by the old barrack stove 51:14 and there is a scrawny. 51:16 Hey, listen, this was a scrawny tree 51:18 if you ever see, a scrawny tree in your life. 51:22 We didn't have that fancy ornaments 51:23 and fancy, you know, it was just a naked tree. 51:27 But you know, I never saw 51:28 a more beautiful tree in my life. 51:30 In fact even now, I love Christmas, 51:32 I love the tree. 51:33 But I haven't found one like it. 51:36 My dad found it in the-lots near the home. 51:38 But we ran and there were five gifts for the five boys, 51:40 girl hadn't come along yet. 51:42 Five gifts, my brother opened his, 51:44 it was a bow and a homemade arrow. 51:49 He'd shoot it on third street, 51:50 turn the corner on Neptune Abbey, 51:51 hit someone on six. 51:54 But when I opened my gift, when I opened my gift, 51:59 there it was, a little Red Wagon, 52:00 homemade, different size wheels. 52:05 Orange clay through the red paint. 52:10 I was-- I got more fights over that little red wagon. 52:13 Hey, boys had better wagons. 52:16 I mean right off the assembly line. 52:20 But I loved that because my father 52:21 hammered into every crooked nail his love. 52:25 He put into every drop of paint his love 52:28 and he gave it to me. 52:30 And he said, merry Christmas, son. 52:34 Don't you understand? 52:37 God after He fashioned a beautiful world, 52:41 God after He created all these great things. 52:44 God gave it to us. 52:46 And He said, Adam, I made this just for you. 52:53 And Eve, I made this just for you. 53:01 And they took that day and it became a day of joy, 53:07 a day of worshipping, a day of serving God. 53:13 I think that's a spiritual blessing, don't you? 53:16 Amen. 53:18 Don't you think that's a spiritual blessing? 53:57 Now the Bible question that we're gonna 53:59 take a look at right now, and this is it. 54:02 "What's the truth about dinosaurs, 54:03 did they ever really exist?" 54:06 Yes, they did. They really existed. 54:09 The fossils that you see today 54:15 give evidence that there were dinosaurs. 54:17 Now, is everything that is said 54:19 about dinosaurs necessarily true? 54:23 No, it's not. 54:24 Do we know everything about dinosaurs? 54:26 I don't, I'm not a dinosaurologist 54:27 and I don't know if you are but we know they lived. 54:30 We know some of them were very, very big 54:32 and some of them were not. 54:35 You know, when I was told by a gentleman, 54:37 you know, some stuff about this, 54:39 I was told that the average dinosaur was small. 54:45 He may have told me, no bigger than a chicken. 54:47 The average dinosaur, if you would average it out, 54:50 many of them were very small 54:51 and I suppose when you take into account lizards 54:53 and that sort of thing and number of them were small, 54:55 some of them were big 54:56 and even today you'll find farmers 54:58 in the Midwest digging in the ground, 54:59 they dig up dinosaur bones. 55:03 I've met people who have said 55:04 that when they dig up dinosaur bones, 55:05 they put them back in the ground 55:06 and tell nobody because it's gonna create 55:08 such a hullabaloo on their farm, 55:09 they just don't want to put up with it. 55:11 So there are dinosaur bones around, 55:13 you can see them, some of the fossils 55:15 and the recreations of dinosaurs 55:17 and some of them it seems are pretty accurate. 55:19 So what's the truth about them? 55:20 The truth is I don't know. 55:22 Were they all destroyed at the flood? 55:24 May be. 55:25 Did they live through the flood 55:26 and then were they destroyed during the ice age 55:29 when planet earth got very, very cold? 55:32 May be. Did they just die out? 55:35 You know, some animals become extinct even today, 55:37 the woolly man, I don't think we call that a dinosaur 55:39 but that was a great big thing. 55:41 That just became extinct. 55:43 Why do you suppose that became extinct? 55:45 I don't know. 55:46 The dodo became extinct, you know, 55:48 all kinds of creatures that lived disappeared. 55:51 So it could've been the flood, it could've been the ice age, 55:53 it could've been that some of these things 55:55 just petered out and ceased to be. 55:59 I'm going to admit to you that I do not know definitively. 56:03 Science doesn't give us, I believe, a conclusive answer, 56:06 science gives us scientists 56:09 who give us a variety of conclusive answers. 56:11 I think in this subject, 56:12 it's not for me to tell you definitively, 56:14 you can find that as you read, study, research, Google. 56:18 The fact is though they did live 56:20 and there aren't many of them today. 56:22 I had a teacher once in grade school 56:25 who we thought was evidence that dinosaurs still existed. 56:28 But that's a story for another time. 56:39 In Matthew 4:4 the Word of God says 56:42 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 56:45 but by every word 56:46 that proceeds from the mouth of God.' 56:48 " Every Word is a one minute Bible based daily devotional 56:52 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw 56:54 and designed especially for busy people like you. 56:57 Look for Every Word on selected networks 57:00 or watch it online every day on our website itiswritten.com. 57:04 Receive a daily spiritual boost, 57:06 watch Every Word, you will be glad you did. |
Revised 2014-12-18