Participants: Jim Gilley (Host), Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: 14HC
Program Code: 14HC000002
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00:50 Wow! I tell you, that first hour...
00:53 Man, just hearing you sing 00:59 and the power of the gospel in music... 01:05 I really was blessed and I hope you were too. 01:08 Amen! We're looking forward to the rest of this Camp Meeting. 01:12 And by the way, if you're at home and you can make it here 01:17 come on. We'll have a seat for you. 01:20 But if you are not able to be here with us, 01:25 then be sure to tune in 01:27 because I believe God's really going to bless. 01:29 We've got another message here now. We have a message 01:33 and then in the third hour tonight you've heard 01:38 Doug Batchelor do his question and answer on 01:42 television, on radio. And he's going to be doing one live 01:46 here. So if you do have questions, 01:49 you can get them... put them on a piece of paper 01:51 and get them to somebody. We'll try to get them up here 01:55 and have them for you in the third hour of tonight's meeting. 02:01 We have already some people that have heard that we were 02:05 going to do this, and they've already lined up 02:07 a few questions. So we have some to start with 02:10 and that is extremely good. 02:12 Welcome. We are so glad that you are here. 02:16 And we're going to be blessed by some music 02:22 by Tammy Chance. 02:25 I love to hear Tammy sing - Amen! - 02:27 and she's going to sing for us In His Arms. 02:55 When the sky is full of clouds, 03:00 when my heart is full of doubt, 03:05 when I'm torn within/without 03:10 by the reckless grip of fear. 03:16 When I've taken all I can, 03:21 when I lack the strength to stand, 03:26 when it seems my closest friend 03:31 is the pain of lonely tears. 03:39 Into His arms of love 03:43 I just come runnin' 03:50 knowing that I'll be safe 03:54 from others' harm. 04:01 He lifts me up and swings me around, 04:06 holds me and says that I'm safe and sound. 04:11 I don't ever want to leave. 04:16 There'll always be room for me 04:21 in His arms. 04:32 Arms of love and protection, 04:37 arms of strength and direction, 04:42 arms of comfort, peace, and hope 04:48 when the winds of sorrows blow. 04:54 Into His arms of love... 04:59 Into His arms of love 05:03 I just come runnin' 05:10 knowing that I'll be safe 05:14 from others' harm. 05:18 Ooh-ooh-ooh. 05:21 He lifts me up and swings me around, 05:26 holds me and says that I'm safe and sound. 05:31 I don't ever want to leave. 05:36 There'll always be room for me. 05:41 He picks me up and swings me around, 05:47 holds me and says that I'm safe and sound. 05:52 I don't ever want to leave. 05:59 I know there'll always be room for me 06:07 in His arms... 06:18 in His arms. 06:24 Amen. 06:28 Thank you, Tammy. 06:33 It was a long time ago, 06:36 and at that particular time I had a ministry 06:41 where I was holding evangelistic meetings 06:44 and I funded that with a business. 06:48 It was supposed to be a profitable business. 06:51 It was not non-profit... 06:53 although it often ended up that way. 06:58 A young man came and told me that he was 07:01 needing a sound system and projectors and all this... 07:07 that he was going into evangelism. 07:10 And I had met him before. 07:13 He was a student at Southwestern Adventist University. 07:17 Was college at the time. 07:19 And I said: "But you've only been there six months. " 07:24 He said: "I've learned all they can teach me. " 07:29 Which was probably true... 07:32 And I had no idea. I thought... I said: "Doug, 07:37 don't you want to go ahead and finish college? " 07:41 He said: "No, the Lord is coming soon. I want to start 07:44 preaching. " Amen! Cyril Miller was the president 07:48 of the conference. Cyril Miller was a man 07:50 who was very unusual. 07:54 When Doug came and said "I want to begin to preach" 08:00 Cyril said: "I'll give you a place to preach. " 08:02 Amen. And he did. 08:05 And as they say the rest is history. 08:08 God has blessed his ministry, 08:11 and no one that I know knows the Word of God 08:17 better than Doug. He studies it 08:20 and he lives it 08:24 and he preaches it. Amen. 08:28 Doug and his wife Karen live in California. 08:32 He for 20 years was pastor of the Sacramento Central church 08:37 as well as being the Speaker/Director of 08:39 Amazing Facts. Recently he started a new church 08:45 called Granite Bay. It was a spin-off from Sac. Central. 08:49 They all worked together. It was not a break-off 08:51 or anything like that. But they planted a new church. 08:55 And now Doug is the pastor at Granite Bay 08:58 as well as continuing to be the Speaker/Director 09:02 for Amazing Facts. 09:07 He is beginning again the Sabbath School program 09:12 that he's had for years. He had it at Sac. Central. 09:15 He's now beginning it at Granite Bay. 09:18 And you are the first to hear that we will be carrying 09:23 that Sabbath School program on 3ABN. Amen! 09:28 So Doug Batchelor will continue teaching 09:31 Sabbath School here on our channel every week. 09:37 This is the first time he's heard that, too... 09:40 so you're hear... this is an announcement. 09:44 I'm getting looks from people here that we didn't take that 09:47 through committee. Well you know they made me the president; 09:51 every once in a while I have to act like it. 09:57 We love Doug... we really do love him. 10:01 And he's going to come and preach now. 10:04 He's going to lead us in a word of prayer 10:06 as he begins his message. 10:11 Thank you, Elder Gilley. 10:14 Hello, friends. Hello! It's so good to see each of you here 10:19 and it's really good to be back at 3ABN. 10:22 I just met in the back with Mitch, and we had prayer 10:25 together. And I remember it's been over 20 years ago 10:28 when 3ABN was all in one building 10:30 and I would stay in an apartment right next to the up-link 10:33 broadcaster. Mitch was there then, 10:35 and I'd always come in in the middle of the night 10:37 because I was coming from California. So it was so good to 10:40 see so many old friends and the history of it all. 10:43 And a delight to be here with you. A delight to 10:45 be with our friends that might be viewing right now. 10:48 And I've got some really exciting things to tell you. 10:51 As a matter of fact, I'm not going to tell you now... 10:54 just give you a little more encouragement to come back. 10:57 I've got some pictures I'll show you that... about 3ABN... 11:00 a little secret you might not know 11:03 that I'm going to save. I just thought of it, and I 11:05 don't have the picture with me. But I'll give it to the studio. 11:07 We'll show it maybe tomorrow night. 11:09 Some pretty exciting things that are happening. 11:11 I just came back from Australia 11:14 and so you know there's a big time change between 11:18 Illinois and Australia. 11:21 So I'll make you a deal: I won't talk in your sleep 11:26 and I won't talk in my sleep either. 11:31 But just very glad we can get together and... 11:34 and see so many of our friends. Thank you for coming. 11:37 We're going to be talking this weekend 11:41 about the subject of storms. 11:44 And I think that's very appropriate now. 11:46 When 3ABN first called me a while back and said: 11:49 "Do you know what your theme will be? " 11:50 I said: "Well I think we're facing a very serious storm 11:54 in the world and even in the church. Amen! 11:58 And I think we need to be preparing ourselves 12:01 and praying about how we can survive the coming storms. 12:06 And so in our meetings together during this Camp Meeting 12:10 we'll be looking at a variety of storms 12:11 that you find in the Bible. 12:13 Some that are in the past and some in the future. 12:18 Tonight we're going to be talk- ing about a storm in the past. 12:21 But before we do that I'd like to pray with you 12:24 and just ask for God's presence to be here. 12:28 Father in heaven, we're just so thankful 12:30 for the opportunity we have to come together. 12:33 You have promised, Lord, that if we draw near to You 12:36 You will draw near to us. 12:38 And occasions like this for Camp Meeting, both those 12:41 who are here physically, those who have joined us 12:44 through the satellite and the TV audience 12:46 we are tuning in and we're drawing near because we're 12:50 seeking Your face. And Lord, I pray that You will now 12:53 honor that promise and draw near to us. 12:55 Be with me as I share. I pray that it is ultimately 12:59 Your face that we see and Your voice that we hear. 13:02 Bless now, and may Christ be exalted. 13:05 We pray in His name, Amen. Amen. 13:09 Now as we're talking about storms 13:11 I thought it'd be very appropriate to talk first 13:14 about the first big storm: the flood of Noah. 13:18 And so that's going to be our subject for tonight. 13:19 There's a lot we can learn about that. 13:21 And just as I came in to the complex today 13:26 I was met by one of my friends from Remnant Publications. 13:30 And they reminded me. They said: "You know, Doug, 13:31 we've got this new book on Noah. And I said: "Well that's perfect 13:34 for tonight because we're talk- ing about the storm of Noah. " 13:37 They've put together a wonderful book 13:39 that is a combination of some inspired statements 13:43 and parts of Patriarchs and Prophets 13:46 that is very relevant for things happening in the church today. 13:49 And I know that they prepared this so that people can also 13:52 share them. You want to see the Remnant book on Noah. 13:56 If you turn in your Bibles, 13:58 I'm not going to start with Genesis... I'm going to start 14:00 with Jesus. Matthew chapter 7 verse 24. 14:06 This will come up several times during our weekend together. 14:11 Jesus said, after His great Sermon on the Mount, 14:16 He summarizes everything by making a very simple proverb. 14:22 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine 14:25 and does them I will liken him to a wise man 14:29 who builds his house on the rock. 14:31 And the rain descends and the floods came 14:35 and the winds blew and beat on the house 14:39 and it did not fall because it was founded on the rock. " 14:43 Now you know the rest of it. There's the wise man 14:46 and then there's a foolish man. 14:48 Now you know the wise man and the foolish man have several 14:50 things in common. The wise man builds a house; 14:53 foolish man builds a house. 14:56 The wise man hears the words of Jesus; 14:58 the foolish man hears the words of Jesus. 15:01 A storm comes to the wise man and a storm comes to the foolish 15:04 man. There's only one thing that separates the wise man 15:08 from the foolish man: the wise man hears the words 15:13 and does them and he prepares for the storm. 15:19 This is going to separate a great host of people who are 15:22 saying "Lord, Lord" from those who really hear and do 15:26 the word of the Lord in the last days. 15:28 And Noah stands out as some- body who is not only a hearer 15:33 but a doer. Now Jesus tells us 15:38 that this is a relevant theme because He also said 15:41 in Matthew 24. This is the chapter where Jesus discusses 15:44 all of the signs that portend the second coming. 15:48 Matthew 24. You'll also find this in Mark 13, 15:52 Luke 17, Luke 21. 15:55 Jesus said: "But as the days of Noah were 15:58 so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 16:02 For as in the days before the flood 16:05 they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage 16:09 until the day that they entered the ark, and they did not know 16:13 until the flood came and took them all away. 16:16 So also will the coming of the Son of Man be. " 16:20 Now these are some words that really ought to get our 16:22 attention. Jesus has told us 16:24 if you want to understand something about the nature 16:26 of the world and the church before the second coming 16:29 look at the story of Noah 16:31 because conditions will be similar. 16:35 As a matter of fact, in Luke He also says it will be like 16:39 the days of Lot. And He says: "They bought, they sold, 16:42 they planted and they builded. " 16:44 So notice some of the things. 16:46 First Jesus said: "Marrying and giving in marriage. " 16:49 Why did He say that? 16:51 Anything wrong with marrying? 16:53 Has there been a time in the history of man where there was 16:55 no marriage? How can that be a sign? 16:58 If you look in Genesis 6 17:01 God describes what was going on in the world 17:04 just before He called Noah. Genesis chapter 6 17:07 and I'll go to verse 1. 17:14 "Now it came to pass when men began to multiply 17:17 on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them 17:20 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men 17:24 that they were beautiful. And they took wives for themselves 17:27 of all whom they chose. And then the Lord said: 17:31 'My spirit will not strive with man forever 17:34 for he is indeed flesh, yet his days will be 120 years. ' 17:39 And there were giants in the earth in those days. 17:42 Also afterward when the sons of God came into the daughters 17:45 of men and they bore children to them. " 17:48 So it's telling us that just before this declaration 17:52 that the thoughts of men's hearts were only evil continually 17:55 and God calls Noah, something was happening with marriage. 18:00 "The sons of God... " You know, you can actually find some 18:03 translations that really slaughter this verse 18:07 and they say things like aliens 18:11 or fallen angels had intimate relations with humans 18:14 and had these - you know - amalgamated children. 18:17 And that's not at all what it's talking about. 18:19 It's talking about up until this point 18:22 those who were faithful to God - the descendants of Seth 18:25 and his offspring that were faithful to worship Jehovah, 18:29 that were still offering like Abel did to God - 18:32 they were staying distant from the daughters and the children 18:36 of Cain. They would not intermarry. 18:38 Just like God told the children of Israel: "Be careful 18:39 when you come to the Promised Land that you don't 18:41 enter into marriages with the unbelievers, with the pagans, 18:45 because you'll forget about Me. " 18:47 Just like Solomon. What got him in trouble? 18:50 And when the sons of Seth - called the sons of God... 18:54 The Bible says: "Behold what manner of love... " 18:57 I John chapter 3... "the Father has bestowed on us 18:59 that we should be called sons of God. " 19:01 It's talking about the church. 19:03 When the believers began to intermarry with the daughters 19:05 of Cain... and they were beautiful! 19:08 Like Samson: "Get her for me; she pleases me well. " 19:12 You know, that didn't end very well, did it? 19:14 And he wanted a Philistine bride. 19:18 And when they began to inter- marry, the children of God 19:21 lost their unique, peculiar distinction 19:25 and the holiness was diluted. And then they began... You know, 19:29 if you get a believer and an unbeliever and they somehow 19:34 think that they're going to work it out 19:37 it seems like there's a siphon effect. 19:40 I've got two tanks up in the country in the hills. 19:45 Spring runs into one tank and the two tanks are connected. 19:49 And you never have a problem with one tank being more full 19:53 than the other tank. Because they're connected at the bottom 19:55 they automatically even out. 19:57 They go down together. I only have to check one tank. 20:00 So if you get a believer and they marry an unbeliever 20:02 the believer... his faith is going to go down. 20:06 We're all influenced... as much as we think that we can 20:08 stand firm. And hopefully the other one comes up. 20:12 And I've seen God bless where sometimes the unbeliever 20:15 will be converted and God is good in spite of 20:18 our stubbornness. Sometimes He works those things out. 20:21 But the Bible says we should not be unequally yoked together. 20:25 Amen! And it's not just the marriages. 20:29 You know, I thought there was something interesting. 20:32 I confirmed it today. I went online and I read that 20:34 one of the things that brought about the flood according to the 20:37 rabbis who read the Babylonian Talmud... 20:40 Now the Babylonian Talmud are the scriptures and some 20:43 Jewish writings that pre-date the time of Christ 20:46 by several hundred years... 20:48 is that not just the time of Lot 20:51 but before the time of the flood they say men were entering 20:55 into marriage contracts with men. 20:58 And so that was one of the signs that pre-dated the flood. 21:02 "As it was in the days of Noah... " 21:04 "As it was in the days of Lot... " 21:07 "so will it be in the days when the Son of Man returns. " 21:11 Now I grew up in the world - 21:14 you know, my first 17, 18 years - 21:17 and if you had told me growing up that in my lifetime 21:21 it would become incorrect to say 21:26 there is something wrong with men marrying men and women 21:28 marrying women I would have scoffed. 21:32 Things are changing fast. 21:34 And, you know, even as I say this now on TV there are 21:37 some countries you're not allowed to even say that. 21:40 It's called "hate speech" if you read the Bible. 21:43 But this is one of the things that God said would describe 21:46 the conditions in the world. 21:47 Said they'd be marrying and giving in marriage. 21:49 They'd be marrying and divorcing. 21:51 And by the way, you know, we don't say much about it now 21:55 because it seems like the same-sex marriage 21:59 advocates have taken so much of the spotlight 22:03 people aren't saying very much about the multiple marriages 22:06 that are happening... meaning polygamy. 22:08 I understand they've got a TV program that just grandstands 22:11 one guy married to several sisters. 22:15 And really, how can you argue against that? 22:17 Because if you're arguing for same-sex marriage 22:20 as long as you're loving, consenting adults you can do 22:23 whatever you want, then what about 2 women marrying 2 men? 22:28 I mean, really... how can you argue against it? 22:34 And this is what's happening to our culture. 22:36 The thoughts of men's hearts were only evil continually. 22:40 Verse 5: "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man 22:45 was great in the earth and every intent of the thought 22:48 of his heart was only evil. " And that simply means selfish. 22:52 Was only selfish continually. 22:55 And this is one of the tragic verses in the Bible: 22:59 "The Lord was sorry that He made man. " 23:04 He wanted life to be a blessing for man. 23:06 He wanted man to be a glory to the universe. 23:09 And when He saw how they were just self-destroying 23:13 "the Lord was sorry that He made man. " 23:16 Well you know, conditions are getting very much like they were 23:20 back then. I started going down the road 23:22 of talking about some of the different things... 23:24 not only marrying and giving in marriage. It says: 23:29 "planting. " Well, that means they're going to be farming 23:33 right up until Jesus comes. 23:35 But it's not just doing things, 23:37 it's doing it in unusual ways like never before. 23:42 Now when I was born a family could handle about 23:45 160 acres. Actually, even before that. 23:52 And now because of mechanized farming 23:57 I think it was 2 years ago - may have been this year - 24:00 that for the first time in history the majority of the 24:04 planet's population now lives in the cities. 24:08 Used to take a lot of people living in the country 24:10 farming in order to supply for the people living in the cities. 24:13 And now because of mechanized planting and farming 24:16 and bioengineering of seeds 24:21 that people are planting like they've never planted before. 24:27 And "building. " Well you say "They've always been building. " 24:30 They've never had buildings as big as they are now. 24:33 I was in Dubai a couple of years ago 24:36 and you know, the biggest building in the world, at least 24:38 for right now, is there. And I told my son: 24:41 "I've got to at least go there. " 24:44 And you know, I thought it was very interesting: 24:45 not that far from where the Tower of Babel was built 24:48 man has now built a building. 24:51 The Burj Dubai - Burj Khalifa - they changed the name 24:55 a couple times. I just... It's staggering 25:00 how high it is. And I grew up in New York City 25:03 and the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center. 25:07 I've been on all these buildings, many tall buildings 25:09 around the world, but this thing is epic. 25:12 Now the Chinese don't want to be outdone. 25:16 They have engineered a building the they're going to build 25:19 that is over a mile high 25:21 if you can imagine. I'm serious. 25:23 And I've been to China. I was in China earlier this year. 25:27 And I'll maybe tell you about that later. 25:29 I have no doubts that they have the engineers that can do it. 25:33 It is just phenomenal! Planting and building and 25:36 marrying and eating and drinking... 25:39 both in Jesus' statement to the people in Noah's day 25:43 and the people prior to the destruction of 25:45 Sodom and Gomorrah. Christ specifically says eating 25:47 and drinking. Now anyone here that enjoys eating and drinking? 25:50 Doesn't say drinking what. I mean... you know... 25:53 I took a drink just before I walked out here 25:56 of water. 26:00 But the scale. You know, we are living in the 26:04 first time in history... I actually read this about 26:07 three years ago in National Geographic... 26:10 where the problem in the world is not mal-nutrition 26:14 but over-nutrition. 26:17 First time in the world where the problem... the biggest 26:20 health problem in the world... is people not under eating 26:24 but over eating. 26:26 Eating and drinking, planting and building, 26:30 marrying and giving in marriage. 26:32 These things are all happening on steroids right now. 26:36 Christ said that's how it will be just before the end. 26:40 And in the backdrop of all the wickedness... 26:43 Oh yeah, and then God also says violence filled the earth. 26:51 Do we see that? Amen. 26:54 Now it's a horrific thing to even consider. 26:59 You don't even want the mental picture. 27:01 But it seems like every week now we're hearing about 27:05 some terrorist that's taking some innocent person 27:08 and on videotape they're beheading them. 27:14 And sadly, some people won't even be moved by that. 27:17 I refuse to even watch that because who wants those images 27:20 in your mind? And you don't want to give it credibility. 27:23 But just knowing that. 27:26 The problem is: the average American young person 27:30 wouldn't have any problem with watching television programs 27:34 or movies where there's all kinds of beheading going on 27:36 and violence and shooting... and doing it for entertainment. 27:39 "Ah, " they said, "special effects. " 27:42 So that our consciences become callous. 27:46 Violence. People can be violent vicariously. 27:51 Folks, you say: "I would never murder; 27:53 I'd never kill; I'd never shoot or stab... 27:55 but I enjoy watching others do it on television. " 28:00 Paul talks about not only those that do them but those 28:03 that have pleasure in those that do them. 28:06 A lot of folks are entertained by violence. 28:10 It's what's happening in the heart. 28:13 And those conditions are going to be the conditions 28:15 in the world before Jesus comes back. 28:17 But in spite of all this... You know, I love the way it 28:20 first introduces Noah. Genesis 6 verse 8 28:25 talks about Noah being perfect in his generations. 28:29 And it says: "But Noah found grace 28:34 in the eyes of the Lord. " 28:38 Starts... When Noah is intro- duced Noah is saved by grace. 28:43 But notice what else. It expands on Noah and his 28:47 relationship with God. "This is the genealogy of Noah: 28:51 Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations, 28:55 and Noah walked with God. " 28:58 God gave Noah grace to walk with Him. 29:02 God gives us all that grace. 29:05 That grace is available for everybody. 29:08 Now Noah actually had an ancestor by the name of Enoch 29:12 who set a good example of walking with God. 29:14 "And Enoch was not for God took him 29:17 for he had this testimony: that he pleased God. " 29:19 He walked with God. What does it mean to walk with God? 29:23 Does it mean that you're going down the road from Jerusalem 29:26 to Emmaus with Jesus? 29:27 They were walking with God... they didn't even know it. 29:32 What does it mean: "your walk? " 29:34 Christ has given us an example that we should walk even as 29:37 He walked. It's talking about your daily relationship 29:41 with the Lord. When you know what the path is 29:44 that God wants you to walk and you walk in that path. 29:48 And a walk is not a jump; it's not a run; it's not a hop. 29:52 It's plodding... it's just going on. 29:56 You can talk to a person and walk. 29:59 You ever jog next to someone, try and carry on a conversation? 30:02 It's kind of hard unless you're in really good shape. 30:06 But walking's a little more conversational. 30:09 The Lord wants us to have a relationship where we walk 30:12 with Him. You know, whenever I think about this 30:15 I'm reminded of a gentleman named David Kunst 30:19 from Waseca, MN, who walked around the world. 30:23 He was a surveyor, and one day he was talking 30:27 to a friend and he said: "You know, it seems like 30:30 they've broken every record but I don't think anyone has 30:32 walked around the world yet. " 30:34 And he was 22 years old and he thought: 30:36 "That sounds like something I'd like to try. " 30:39 And he did... with very little fanfare 'cause nobody thought 30:44 that he was going to do it. He took off from his hometown 30:47 there in Minnesota. Walked to New York City. 30:51 Went with his brother. Put his feet in the water there 30:56 of the Atlantic. Flew to Portugal. 30:57 Of course you can't walk across the ocean. 31:00 Walked... Got a donkey and a cart. 31:03 The donkey's name was Willie Makeit? 31:09 And he and his brother, they walked across Portugal, 31:12 Spain, France, Germany, 31:15 Turkey. When they got to Afghanistan - 31:18 and they were trying to raise money for UNICEF along the way, 31:21 they ended up picking up some sponsorship that way - 31:23 they were robbed in Afghanistan and shot by the bandits. 31:26 His brother was killed. 31:29 But he had gone so far that after David recovered 31:33 from his wounds his other brother joined him. 31:35 They picked up at the very spot where they were robbed in 31:37 Afghanistan and kept walking. 31:40 You know, when you're walking with God He doesn't say 31:43 it's always going to be easy. 31:46 But you want it to be consistent. 31:48 They walked across Afghanistan through northern India 31:51 to southern India. He went through a couple of mules. 31:57 Put his feet in the Indian Ocean. Flew over to 32:02 Australia. Walked from Perth all the way across to Sydney. 32:06 Now I just flew from Sydney to Perth 32:09 and let me tell you: I had no idea how big Australia was 32:12 or how dry it was. 32:15 But it takes longer to go from Perth to Sydney 32:19 than it does to go from California to New York. 32:21 It's... that place is huge! 32:25 And then he walked across part of Asia and Hawaii 32:29 and came back to the U.S. and went back to his hometown. 32:31 He ended up walking around the world. 14,000 miles he walked. 32:35 I forget how many pair of shoes he went through. 32:37 Made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. 32:40 Went through three donkeys. 32:42 But he decided: "If I'm going to do this walk 32:46 I'm just going to keep going. " 32:48 You don't want to start some- thing like that and then quit. 32:51 How many times do you think he fell or tripped 32:54 or maybe even twisted his ankle along the way? 32:56 He would wrap it up and just keep on going. 32:58 Wear out one pair of shoes? Get another pair of shoes. 33:01 Got blisters? Put on Band-Aids. 33:04 Just kept walking. If you're going to be a Christian 33:07 and you're going to walk with Jesus, you're going to encounter 33:10 difficulties. Noah, trying to live a godly life, 33:14 surrounded with a culture of violence and immorality, 33:18 do you think that was easy? 33:20 You notice that in the story of Noah he's in the minority. 33:25 It's not easy to live a godly life in a wicked world. 33:30 And the devil is especially aggravated, and he will try 33:34 to distract and discourage you. 33:36 And you've just got to take it one step at a time, 33:39 one day at a time... sometimes moment by moment 33:42 asking God for grace. 33:44 Because if you're human and if you're trying to follow Jesus 33:46 you're going to be tempted. 33:48 That's why in the Lord's Prayer it says: "Give us this day 33:50 our daily bread. Lead me not into temptation. " 33:53 That simply means lead me away from my natural bent 33:56 to temptation. 33:58 And, you know, it tells us that Noah walked with God 34:01 but you read in verse 22 of chapter 6 34:04 when God told Noah what He wanted to do to prepare for the 34:07 end: "Thus Noah did according to all that God 34:13 commanded him... so he did. " 34:16 Wow! Is there a connection between Noah finding grace, 34:20 Noah walking with God, and Noah doing all that God 34:22 commanded? Is God wanting a people in the last days 34:26 that will do all that God commands? Amen! 34:28 Where would be a good place to start finding out what it is 34:31 that God commands? Ten Commandments! 34:35 Wouldn't you think? Are they multiple choice? No! 34:40 They're not just the ten recommendations? No! 34:44 Noah did all that God commanded. 34:46 You know, the Lord says in Deuteronomy chapter 5 34:50 "Oh that My people would fear Me and keep all of My 34:54 commandments always that it might be well with them 34:58 and their children. " God starts out by saying: 35:00 "Oh, that they would just believe in Me, trust Me, 35:04 fear Me, and keep all of My commandments 35:06 that it might be well with them. " 35:08 Not only does it say that Noah found grace 35:11 it says he obeyed. 35:13 Today we hear about the finding grace part 35:15 but we don't hear much about obeying all the commandments. 35:18 But if you and I are being told the same thing Noah was told, 35:23 God told Noah "the end's coming. " 35:25 He said: "There's going to be a flood. " 35:27 He said: "The world's going to be destroyed. " 35:29 And He said: "You're going to be in the minority 35:31 and everyone's going to think you're crazy. " 35:35 And he was ridiculed like nobody was ever ridiculed. 35:40 It had never rained before. 35:43 You know, I used to think the story of Noah and the flood 35:46 was a total myth and I scoffed at anybody 35:51 that took it literally. 35:53 I thought: "How unscientific. " 35:55 Then before I even got to the cave and read the Bible 35:58 I did some traveling 36:00 and it really surprised me. I remember specifically 36:04 going to Nageezi, New Mexico. 36:07 I lived there with my uncle on the Navajo reservation 36:11 for about six months. And he took me and he showed me 36:14 this place out there where there were seashells. 36:17 And New Mexico, you know, is not close to any beach. 36:20 And it's one of the whole things of being... No ocean, 36:23 just sand. 36:26 But the seashells were 8,000 feet high. 36:30 You know, on Mt. Everest climbers have come back 36:33 and they've got oyster fossils this big 36:36 at the base camps on Everest. 36:39 And I started seeing this evidence everywhere I looked 36:41 of... I said: "Boy, from all I know about just physics 36:45 and geology it looks to me like there was a whole lot of 36:49 water covering this spot at one time. " 36:51 Fly over Arizona and Utah - 36:55 which I've done several times - and you can just see. 36:57 It's just so clear that there was some kind of 37:00 massive amounts of water. 37:04 You know, it's interesting 'cause when I went to school 37:09 and they talked about evolution, that's what I always believed, 37:13 they talk about how all the dinosaurs died out. 37:16 And they said: "You know, they all got a virus. " 37:19 This used to be the theory: they all got sick 37:21 or some other species came along and they... 37:24 They had all these theories. And then 37:26 they finally came up and they said: "You know, 37:28 it really does look like from the fossil evidence 37:32 that there was some kind of a water catastrophe. " 37:39 But they said: "An asteroid that they haven't located yet 37:43 hit the world and caused a tsunami around the world. 37:48 And that's why you see all these copious amounts 37:51 of dinosaur bones all pushed up into one spot. " 37:54 Well, doesn't the Bible say there was a massive flood? 37:58 By the way, I don't have time to read them all to you 38:00 but I've got a collection here of the legends from around 38:02 the world. Just about every continent in their culture 38:05 including the Aborigines I was with a couple of weeks ago 38:08 all have stories of how there was a massive flood. 38:12 And some of the things that are interesting in the story... 38:14 The Inuit up in Alaska, they say they tied all their 38:20 kayaks together. And the Hawaiians actually say 38:24 that this good man and his family and all the animals 38:27 got in the big canoe. By the way, his name was Nu'u 38:30 in Hawaii. Isn't that interesting? 38:33 And in Chinese the word for boat 38:36 is a little picture of a boat with 8 people on it. 38:40 Have you heard that before? 38:41 Yeah. And you've heard of the Gilgamesh Epic? 38:46 It's a famous Babylonian epic. They found most of it intact 38:49 and it talks about this man named Gilgamesh. 38:52 And he was told to build this giant ziggurat 38:54 like a step pyramid. And all the animals came into this 38:57 box that he built and there was a great flood 38:59 and the whole world was covered with water. 39:01 It's just everywhere in all these cultures 39:03 they all know from their ancient history 39:05 there was a great flood and all the world was wiped out. 39:09 The story of Atlantis that Plato tells. 39:13 As far as they know it's rooted back in the story of the Bible. 39:17 There were these people and they were good people. 39:18 Noble and had great power and stronger and great minds. 39:21 That's what we believe about the antediluvians. 39:24 But they turned to wickedness 39:26 and the gods swallowed up Atlantis with a flood 39:30 because of their wickedness. 39:32 And everyone's looking for this island. 39:33 It was the whole planet. 39:35 You know, before the flood some have speculated 39:38 maybe the continents weren't divided like they are now 39:40 and it could have been one super continent. 39:42 And that's what they called Atlantis. 39:44 And then the shifting of the tectonic plates 39:47 and the whole world greatly convulsed from the flood. 39:50 So I believe that it really happened! 39:54 Now I know some people think: "Do you really believe Jesus 39:57 is coming again and He's going to flood the world with fire? " 40:00 God promised it will never be water again. 40:03 II Peter tells us in the last days scoffers will 40:07 arise walking after their own lusts. " 40:08 You know why they're scoffing? 'Cause they're walking after 40:11 their own lusts and they can't afford to believe it. 40:13 Saying: "Where is the promise of His coming? 40:16 For ever since the fathers fell asleep all things continue 40:19 as they were from the beginning of the creation. " 40:21 But this they're willingly ignorant of. 40:23 They're willingly ignorant... choosing not to believe. 40:28 And then Peter goes on and talks about how God 40:31 destroyed the world with a flood in the days of Noah. 40:34 But in these last days it's reserved for fire. 40:38 "For the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night 40:41 in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise 40:44 and the elements will met with fervent heat. 40:46 And the earth and the things that are in it 40:47 will be burned up. " There's going to be another flood. 40:51 You know, I always thought it was interesting: Jesus says 40:53 in John chapter 3: "Unless you're born of the water 40:57 and the Spirit you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. " 41:01 Children of Israel when they came out of Egypt 41:03 before they went into the Promised Land 41:04 they had to go through the water. Red Sea, right? 41:07 And they were baptized in that pillar of fire. 41:10 They had the water baptism, the fire baptism, 41:12 and then they got into the Promised Land. 41:14 You know, our planet is going to be baptized in water 41:17 and baptized in fire and then God will make a new 41:19 heaven and a New Earth. Right? 41:22 Needed both baptisms. 41:23 But people today look at you as crazy as they looked at Noah 41:27 when you say: "Yeah, it's all going to burn. 41:30 The end is going to come. " They say: "Ah... 41:35 you can't explain that. It's not scientific. " 41:37 They mocked Noah, and you know what? Noah had to do it by faith 41:42 because there wasn't any evidence. 41:44 So God told Noah: "Start building. " 41:48 Wise man builds on a rock; Noah built. 41:50 We have to build. Paul says we're all building. 41:53 Will your structure that you're building survive 41:57 or will it get burned? 41:58 We all have a foundation. Christ Jesus is the Rock. 42:02 We're living stones that are built on that Rock. 42:05 So all of us are building something. 42:08 But will it stand? Noah started building 42:11 and he set an example for his family. 42:14 He said: "God has told me that the end is coming 42:17 and that everybody that gets in this vessel we're preparing 42:20 will survive. So Noah's sons worked with him, 42:24 and they worked with him for 120 years. 42:27 He was 600 years old when the flood finally came. 42:31 And so with his mouth and with his hammer Noah preached, 42:34 and I'm sure there were people that saw the wickedness 42:38 and the violence in the world. 42:39 Not everybody was fully given over to it. 42:42 God's Spirit had not been withdrawn. 42:44 Indeed it says there in Genesis 6 He says: 42:47 "My Spirit is striving with man but it won't always happen. 42:51 I'll give them 120 years. " 42:53 God in other words after that 120 years 42:55 was going to withdraw His Spirit from that wicked world. 42:58 Is God going to withdraw His Spirit from our world 43:01 before the end? Amen! So we're supposed to be 43:05 doing everything that Noah did and working and building 43:08 to provide a way for others to be saved. 43:11 So Noah preached. Some people said: "Yep, Noah, 43:16 I think you're probably right. It's a terrible world, and 43:18 as soon as we see that water coming 43:21 we're gettin' on board. " 43:23 Noah said: "No, you've got to make your commitment before 43:26 you see the water coming. " 43:29 Like a sign in front of the Baptist church that said: 43:31 "Repent now and avoid the rush. " 43:35 Because when Jesus comes there'll be a lot of repenting 43:38 but at that point God's Spirit is withdrawn 43:41 and it's too late. So now is the time. 43:45 Judgment will begin at the house of God. 43:49 So Noah pounded with his hammer and he preached with his voice 43:52 and people looked on and most laughed. 43:57 Not only that, Noah stored food. 44:01 Genesis 6:21: "And you shall take for yourself 44:06 of all food that is eaten. " 44:08 He didn't say all food people eat. 44:09 All food that is eaten. 44:11 "And you will gather it to yourself, and it shall be food 44:14 for you and for them. " For the creatures. 44:17 Boy, talk about a big barn. 44:20 Having to fill it with all kinds of food 44:24 for all of these creatures. 44:28 If Noah was going to make it through the storm, he had to 44:30 store food. That's a very simple truth, friends. 44:34 There's a storm coming, and you and I need to store food. 44:38 "Thy Word I have hidden in my heart 44:41 that I might not sin against You. " Man doesn't 44:42 live by bread alone but by every word 44:45 that proceeds from the mouth of God. 44:47 We now need to be storing away the promises of God. 44:50 God has given us exceeding precious promises 44:52 that through these we might become partakers of the divine 44:55 nature... and now is the time to do it. 44:58 If I only knew... I was just thinking this today... 45:03 When I was a teenager, compared to how well my memory 45:07 works now, I almost had a photographic memory. 45:12 And if I had only known. Doug, if you read 45:16 more of the Bible now, it will stay with you through your life. 45:19 But there'll be a time in your life when it's going to be 45:21 harder. You know, have you ever noticed? 45:23 You see these kids immigrate from another country 45:26 and the parents are there 15 years and they're still 45:29 hardly speaking English and the kids... they pick it up 45:32 in a year. Don't even have an accent. 45:35 There's just something about it when you're young like that. 45:38 Now I'm not trying to discourage any of you 45:40 that were on that. I'm just saying we've got to 45:42 work at it a little harder. 45:43 But you can still remember scripture. 45:47 But for the young people who are watching: do it now. 45:50 They're filling their minds. The devil's got the young people 45:52 in this generation filling their minds with so many things. 45:55 This little texting nonsense and Facebook and all this 45:59 trivial tweeting that happens and it isn't worth anything. 46:03 The Word of God: now we've got to store it now. 46:07 Amen! And why do you store something? 46:09 So you can draw upon it later. Amen! 46:12 And the day may come when we don't have our Bibles with us 46:14 and temptation's going to come. 46:16 What did Jesus do when temptation came? 46:19 He had... He didn't say: "Hang on, Satan. Let Me 46:21 go through my computer program here. I know there's 46:23 a verse on that. " Or, "I'm going to do a search 46:26 in My concordance. " Christ had it in His mind. 46:30 He had it in His heart. Did He remember the verses 46:32 because He was the Son of God and had a supernatural, 46:34 photographic memory? No! No, Jesus said: 46:38 "I only know what the Father reveals to Me. " 46:40 But because Jesus had read those things growing up... 46:43 He was daily... every Sabbath He was in the temple 46:46 reading the scriptures it says. 46:47 He stood up to read the scriptures as His custom was. 46:50 Jesus read His Bible. He prayed; He went to church. 46:53 And He filled His mind with these things so when He had to 46:56 draw upon it in times of temptation 46:58 He knew what to say. 47:00 You know, as we near the end and we're going to be ridiculed 47:02 for our faith, there's a storm coming. 47:05 And we're going to be really pressed by the world. 47:08 Our church is going to really look like a fanatical group 47:11 to the world soon. And we are going to be brought before 47:14 the kings and rulers of the world to given an answer 47:17 for what we believe. And that's why we've got to be studying 47:20 now. The Holy Spirit will tell us what to say in that hour 47:24 but it's understood the Holy Spirit will bring to your 47:27 remembrance what we have studied before. 47:29 And so if we're going to know how to stand up 47:32 and speak for Christ and defend our faith, 47:34 now we need to be filling our minds. Amen! 47:37 That's what it means to walk with God. Are you... 47:39 you reading your Bibles every day? 47:42 Do you have a regular? You should be religious 47:46 about your personal devotions. Amen! 47:48 I'm surprised how many people I meet and they almost say it 47:51 like they're bragging: "Pastor Doug, 47:53 I'm not very religious. 47:55 Who wants organized religion? 47:58 But I'm spiritual. " 48:02 I don't buy that. 48:04 I think if you're really spiritual, there's no such thing 48:07 as disorganized religion. 48:08 God is not the author of confusion. 48:10 There's nothing wrong with being a little bit Methodist... 48:13 all of us and having some Methodism in your faith. 48:18 Having regular times for prayer. 48:21 Did Daniel? Yes! Morning, evening, and at noon. 48:24 His little sundial would go off and it would say: 48:26 "Time to pray. " Right? 48:30 And he had regular... This is what David did. 48:34 Psalm what is? 55 verse 17: 48:37 "Morning, evening, and at noon I will praise You... 48:39 I will pray. " And so having regular times... 48:42 Even when Elijah offered that sacrifice it says 48:44 "at the time of the evening sacrifice. " There was a time 48:47 for worship. For everything there is a purpose and a time 48:50 under heaven. Do you have regular times for devotion 48:53 with God? And you know what? That's important 'cause 48:56 sometimes I don't feel like it. 48:57 Sometimes I don't feel like praying. 49:00 I'm not embarrassed to tell you that. 49:02 "What, pastor? You don't feel like praying? " 49:03 Sometimes I don't feel like praying. 49:05 Sometimes I don't feel like praying that God will help me 49:09 to forgive someone I'm much more enjoying being angry at. 49:15 But I know He wants me to so I do it. 49:17 I don't always feel like reading the Bible. 49:19 I'm reading through my Bible all the time, 49:21 every day. I'm reading through Jeremiah right now. 49:22 When I get done, I'll just go on to the next book. 49:25 Some of it, you know, is the begats and things. 49:29 Some of it's more interesting. 49:32 And I make myself do it - Amen - because I know it changes me. 49:36 Even the times when I wonder if it is. 49:39 He stored food for the storm. 49:42 And then something amazing happened. 49:45 There were supernatural signs. 49:48 Just a few days before the end 49:51 all of a sudden the sky grew dark with birds 49:55 of every type you could imagine. 49:58 And there was a roar, and all the people in the town... 50:01 Now you realize there could have been a lot of people in the 50:03 world back then. Just put that thought about the birds on hold. 50:05 Think about the population. 50:08 God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply, right? 50:13 How long did Adam and Eve live? Well Adam. Doesn't say about 50:16 Eve, but Adam 930 years. 50:19 Some of them didn't get married till they were 100 back then 50:22 if you just read the genealogies. 50:25 But they were probably healthy and productive 50:29 if you do the same ratio well... 300, 400 years. 50:35 How many children would you have if you were all fertile 50:38 for 300 or 400 years? 50:40 And if you had a command fresh from the lips of God 50:43 that said "Be fruitful and multiply. " 50:45 And nobody had to go see any kind of doctor to help 50:50 with fertility back then 'cause everybody was just like rabbits. 50:52 Everyone was very healthy; all the plumbing was working. 50:55 I mean, it's what happened with the children of Israel. 50:57 It says: "They grew exceedingly" - right? - 51:00 when they were in Egypt. And so, you know, 51:03 there could have been millions of people in the world 51:06 when this all happened. 51:08 And so back to the birds. Sky grows dark. 51:10 All these birds start coming, and they're all coming from 51:13 every corner of the compass. 51:14 No two of them alike. 51:16 Well, there were two of them alike I mean, but not much more 51:19 than that. And I guess the clean ones there were 7 of them alike. 51:22 But all different varieties. 51:24 And they all start heading toward the ark 51:26 that had recently been completed. 51:29 This idea that Noah went on some kind of a rodeo round-up 51:31 and had to go get two of everything... 51:33 You know, I've heard people preach it that way. 51:35 I heard that last week, a preacher. 51:37 And I said: "You're not reading your Bible, pastor. " 51:38 Doesn't say that. God brought the animals. Amen! 51:43 And the people watched this and they were thunderstruck. 51:47 They're going: "What in the world? Wow! 51:50 Maybe Noah was right. " And then they looked and 51:52 out of the forest and from the mountains all of these creatures 51:55 came walking and thumping and slithering from every direction 51:58 all toward the ark. 52:00 It was mass migration. 52:03 Now can God do that? Amen! How many of you remember 52:07 when the ark of the covenant was stolen or captured by the 52:11 Philistines, and finally after all these plagues hit 52:13 they put the ark on a cart and they said: "If God is Jehovah, 52:16 these cows will know how to get back to Israel. " 52:20 Even though they were cows from the Philistines. 52:22 And God led those cows all the way back to Israel. 52:25 You remember that story? Amen! So He led the animals 52:29 in twos all to the ark 52:32 and the people were terrified. 52:35 Then the Lord brought Noah and his family... 52:38 put them in the ark and He shut the door. 52:42 It was a massive door. There was a time when the door 52:45 was shut. And everybody outside the ark 52:50 they began to cool off as a couple days went by. 52:53 They said: "Oh... We thought that he was crazy. 52:55 He's cooped up in there with all those wild animals. 52:57 I wonder how it smells right now? 52:59 This guy was absurd. He must have enchanted or bewitched 53:02 them somehow. How did he get all those animals to come? " 53:06 And they mocked him, but they didn't know as soon as that door 53:11 was shut Noah and his family were sealed on the inside 53:15 and they were sealed on the out- side and probation was closed. 53:20 There is a time coming in the near future - nobody knows 53:23 when that time is - when God will declare: 53:26 "He that is just let him be just still, 53:27 and he that is righteous let him be righteous still, 53:29 and he that is filthy let him be filthy still. " 53:32 And the saved will be saved and the lost will be lost. 53:34 That's why NOW is the time. 53:37 Jesus has made it very clear: right up until the time of the 53:40 end there is going to be eating and drinking and planting 53:44 and building, and people will be celebrating 53:46 marriages even after the probation has closed. 53:50 I think we forget. We're so used to thinking 53:53 about the plagues are going to be our warning. 53:55 But when they come, it's too late. 53:57 At this point I can't improve on the words from the 54:00 book Patriarchs and Prophets, so I'm just going to read you 54:02 a passage here. This is from page 99. 54:06 "But upon the 8th day, dark clouds overspread the heavens. 54:12 There followed the muttering of thunder and the flash of 54:15 lightning. Soon large drops of rain began to fall. 54:19 The world had never witnessed anything like this 54:22 and the hearts of men were struck with fear. 54:25 All were secretly inquiring: "Can it be that Noah was right 54:29 and that the world is doomed to destruction? " 54:32 Darker and darker grew the heavens, and faster came 54:35 the falling rain. The beasts were roaming about 54:38 in the wildest terror and their discordant cries 54:41 seemed to moan out their own destiny and the fate of man. 54:44 The fountains of the great deep were broken up 54:47 and the windows of heaven were opened. 54:49 Water appeared to come from the clouds in mighty cataracts. " 54:52 Like fire hydrants. "Rivers broke away from their boundaries 54:56 and overflowed the valleys. Jets of water burst from the 54:59 earth with indescribable force throwing massive rocks 55:03 hundreds of feet into the air 55:04 and these falling buried themselves deep in the ground. 55:07 The people first beheld the destruction of the works 55:10 of their own hands. Their splendid buildings, 55:12 their beautiful gardens and groves 55:14 where they placed their idols. 55:16 They were destroyed by lightning from heaven 55:18 and the ruins were scattered far and wide. 55:21 The altars on which human sacrifices had been offered 55:24 were torn down, and the worshipers were made to tremble 55:27 at the power of the Living God and to know that it was their 55:30 corruption and idolatry that had called down this destruction. 55:34 As the violence of the storm increased, 55:37 trees, buildings, rocks, and earth were hurled in every 55:40 direction. The terror of man and beast was beyond description. 55:45 Above the roar of the tempest 55:46 was heard the wailing of a people 55:48 that had despised the authority of God. 55:50 Satan himself, who was compelled to remain the midst of the 55:54 warring elements, feared for his own existence. 55:57 He had delighted to control so powerful a race 56:00 and desired them to live to practice their abominations 56:03 and continue their rebellion against the Ruler of heaven. 56:06 He now uttered implications against God, charging Him 56:09 with the injustice and cruelty. 56:11 Many of the people - like Satan - blasphemed God 56:14 and had been able, they would have torn Him from His throne 56:17 of power. Others were frantic with fear, stretching their 56:20 hands towards the ark and pleading for admittance... 56:23 but their entreaties were in vain. 56:26 Conscience was at last aroused to know that there is a God 56:29 who rules in the heavens. They called upon Him earnestly 56:33 but His ear was not open to their crying. 56:35 In that terrible hour they saw that the transgression 56:38 of God's law had caused their ruin. 56:41 Yet while through fear of punishment they acknowledged 56:43 their sin, they felt no true contrition, no abhorrence of 56:46 evil. They would have returned to their defiance of heaven 56:50 had the judgment been removed. 56:52 So God's judgments will fall upon the earth 56:55 before it is deluged by fire. 56:57 The impotent will know just where and what their sin is - 57:01 the despising of His holy law - yet they will have no more 57:05 true repentance than did the old world of sinners. 57:08 No, I don't have time to read it all. 57:11 I recommend you read that section starting with 57:14 about page 99 Patriarchs and Prophets. 57:16 The good news is: Noah, by faith, 57:20 was moved by the command of God. 57:22 And the Bible says that he built a house. 57:25 That's Hebrews 11 verse 7. 57:27 "Being divinely warned of things not seen, 57:30 he moved with godly fear and prepared an ark 57:33 for the saving of his household. " |
Revised 2015-05-05