Good evening everyone.
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It's so good to see you
out this Friday evening,
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and we know that if
you're here, the Lord is here.
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Oh can you can
say "Amen" to that.
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Because He said in His word,
"Where 2 or 3 are gathered,
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there I am in
the midst of them."
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I want you to pray
tonight because something
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divine has to take
place here tonight,
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and I know that my
human vessel is not sufficient
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to do what God wants to
be accomplished here tonight.
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So as I pray, I would
invite you to pray with me
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before we go to the Word of God.
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Let's bow our heads together.
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Heavenly Father,
Thank You that opportunities
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like these remind
us that God is great.
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And so Lord, tonight,
send Your Spirit to do what
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none of us is
qualified to accomplish.
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Send Your Holy
Spirit into this place Lord,
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and speak to our hearts,
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we pray in Your
precious and holy name... Amen
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Now tonight, they tell me
that my topic is supposed to be
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entitled: THE PROPHECTIC
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LATTER RAIN
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I've summarized all that with
3 words... "PREACH THE WORD"
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Tonight, if you
have your Bibles,
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open with me to
the book of Acts 4:31
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Now as you read this, I
want you to keep in mind
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that the early church
experienced a glorious
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outpouring of God's
Spirit without measure.
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And God's desire
is to do that again...
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to pour out His
Spirit without measure,
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on His last day church.
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But as you read the
text, what I want you to also
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acknowledge and understand
is - before the disciples
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could receive the
outpouring of the Spirit of God
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to preach the Word, they
had to walk with the Word.
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They walked with the Living Word
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before they can
preach the written word.
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So tonight, when
you read this verse,
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understand that
what is described here
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wasn't something that
happened instantaneously,
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they lived a daily
life, a connection with the
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Living Word before they were
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qualified to
preach the written word.
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The Bible describes the success
of the New Testament church.
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The Bible says in Acts
4:31- "And when they prayed,
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the place where they were
assembled together was shaken,
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and they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit,
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and they spoke the
Word of God with boldness."
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Now there's a
quotation that I'm going to ask
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for them to put on
the screen behind me
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because I want you to
follow along this quotation
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as I read it,
it's very significant.
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And let me just qualify
the purpose that I chose
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this particular quotation.
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You know, we talk
about the latter rain,
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and we say that in order
for the latter rain to come,
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we must pray
for the latter rain.
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But there is
something more that we must do
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than just pray
for the latter rain.
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And the reason why the sermon
is entitled - "PREACH THE WORD"
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is because the Word of
God is indelibly connected
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to the outpouring
of the latter rain.
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Without the Word
of God in your life,
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before the latter
rain, you are not qualified
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to receive the latter rain.
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Listen to what Ellen White says:
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And the quotation appears
on the screen. She says...
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Can you say "Amen" to that?
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What she's saying is -
When we study God's Word,
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and when we pray for the
infilling of God's Spirit,
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if we do what we must do by
the direction of God's Spirit,
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only then will He
open the windows of heaven
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and pour upon
us the latter rain.
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That's why today, with all
these electronic devices...
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As-a-matter-of-fact,
just recently at my church
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in Thompsonville, we
began a new youth group called
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"I.D. FOR CHRIST"
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And as we put this
group together, we said,
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"We know that your Bible
is on your iPad, your iPhone,
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and your android,
but what the church needs
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is we need to
carry a physical Bible.
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The devil is not
afraid of a sword
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if you only
have a picture of it.
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Come on - say "Amen" to that!
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And what we
ought to understand is
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it's good to be in electronic
form, but what's missing
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in our day is we are being
desensitized and neutralized
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by the digital media
because if there is a power
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outage, the Word
of God disappears!
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But if there's a
power outage and you have a
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physical Bible in your hand,
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the Word of God
continues. "Amen" somebody.
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So whether you know it or
not, there is still a need
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for the written Word
of God, and by the way,
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it is the only piece of
the armor of the Christian
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that is offensive...
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Which means the devil
does not care how nice
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your uniform looks;
how strong your helmet is;
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how all the other components
of the Christian armor look,
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if you don't have a sword,
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you are not
prepared for the battle!
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So tonight, let's talk
about the most important,
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and the most
powerful weapon on earth...
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the Bible - is that all right?
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Listen carefully, the
Bible can outlast any onslaught
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and transform any life.
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It can humble the
exalted and educate the simple.
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It is a light to
those in darkness,
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and a pathway for the lost.
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It can encourage the
weak, and comfort the weary.
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If you are
hungry, it will feed you.
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If you are
thirsty, it will soothe you.
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I speak of nothing
other than the Holy Bible.
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This Book reveals the
mind of God; the state of man;
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the way of
salvation; the doom of sinners,
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and the happiness of believers.
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Its precepts are
binding; its history is true;
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its decisions are immutable.
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Read it to be wise;
believe it to be saved;
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practice it to be holy.
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It contains light to direct you;
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food to nourish you,
and comfort to cheer you.
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It is the traveler's map
and the Christian charter.
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It can't lie, but
it can detect one.
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It has no pulse
and yet it lives.
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Come on, say "Amen" somebody!
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In it, paradise is
restored, heaven opened
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and the gates of hell closed.
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Christ is its grand subject.
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Our good, its
design, and the glory of God
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is its end; read it slowly,
frequently and prayerfully.
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It is a mind of
wealth, a paradise of glory,
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and a river of pleasure.
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It will reward
the greatest labor,
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and condemn all who
trifle with its sacred contents.
00:07:50.57\00:07:53.69
Paul turned the
world upside-down with it.
00:07:53.72\00:07:56.92
Elijah called
down fire through it.
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And God created the world by it.
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It can't be stopped,
prevented, denied or destroyed.
00:08:01.89\00:08:05.05
It will outlast any
novel, and outlive any show.
00:08:05.08\00:08:09.49
It is divine, dynamic,
didactic, and delightful.
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It is a conundrum to the proud,
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and a solution to the humble.
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It can open and close
eyes at the very same time.
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It can confound the scoffer
and enlighten the seeker.
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THE BOOK! The Book of
Books; the Book of Life;
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the Book of God; the
Bible; the Revelation of God
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to man, but it
comes with a warning.
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This Book will keep you from sin
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or sin will keep
you from this Book.
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Reading and confessing
this Book will do the following:
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terrify the devil,
stupefy the rebellious,
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mystify the
world, pacify the critic,
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ratify the
covenant, edify the church,
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magnify the
Word, glorify the Lord,
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and guess what?
It is still the best
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selling book of all
time. Can you say "Amen?"
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THE BIBLE! The
only Book that will
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outlast any novel ever
written, any electronic device
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ever created... The Bible!
00:09:00.29\00:09:01.80
And Ellen White says in the
book, "Darkness Before Dawn,"
00:09:01.83\00:09:05.07
she says, "None but those
who have fortified the mind
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with the truths of the Bible
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will stand through
the last great conflict."
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That's why you should
never come to church without
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the most important and
potent weapon of all time,
00:09:17.83\00:09:21.17
the only book that the devil is
00:09:21.20\00:09:23.29
nervous about - The Word of God.
00:09:23.32\00:09:25.79
You know, when Jesus outlined
the conditions of the last days,
00:09:25.82\00:09:29.47
in the book of Matthew
24... He described a condition
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that will soon
become a worldwide pandemic.
00:09:33.39\00:09:37.11
Open your Bibles to
Matthew 24:7-8 with me,
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and read what Jesus described.
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This pandemic is on its way!
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Matthew 24- The condition
of the last days according
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to the One who knows
best, hear the Word of the Lord.
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Matthew 24 beginning with
verse 7 and the Bible says:
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"For nation will rise
against nation and kingdom
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against kingdom and there
will be famines, pestilences,
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and earthquakes
in various places.
00:10:10.55\00:10:13.58
All these are the
beginning of sorrows."
00:10:13.61\00:10:17.47
Now when you read that
list, most of the last day signs
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describe a catastrophe,
epidemic and depravation.
00:10:21.03\00:10:25.69
But there is one of those
signs that God tucked in that
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description that has
a spiritual application,
00:10:29.35\00:10:34.20
and that word is "famine."
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There is a famine coming.
00:10:36.13\00:10:37.92
Now notice how the
Bible describes famine,
00:10:37.95\00:10:41.13
but let's begin
with a description from
00:10:41.16\00:10:43.11
Webster's Dictionary - A famine
is described as a widespread
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scarcity of food caused by crop
failure and population unbalance
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In other words, when
there is too many people,
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and not enough food,
it leads to a famine,
00:10:59.30\00:11:01.98
but follow closely.
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It is then
followed by malnutrition
00:11:03.68\00:11:06.98
and increased causalities.
00:11:07.01\00:11:09.84
Now my wife and I have,
to date, traveled to more
00:11:09.87\00:11:12.53
than 50 countries
and I've got to tell you,
00:11:12.56\00:11:15.28
that there is a
famine happening in many
00:11:15.31\00:11:19.80
Seventh-day Adventist
Churches around our world.
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I hate to say that and I say
that as a Seventh-day Adventist
00:11:21.99\00:11:25.85
pastor in good and
regular standing...
00:11:25.88\00:11:28.24
Come on, say " Amen" somebody!
00:11:28.27\00:11:29.91
Because, you know, a lot
of times, we can hear that
00:11:29.94\00:11:31.69
from people that are
not connected to the church
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and we can say, "Well they're
throwing darts at the church,
00:11:34.52\00:11:36.63
or they don't like the church,"
I love this church! Amen?
00:11:36.66\00:11:40.44
This is God's church!
00:11:40.47\00:11:41.83
As-a-matter-of fact,
let me even go further...
00:11:41.86\00:11:43.73
When Ford fails and Apple
no longer produces computers;
00:11:43.76\00:11:47.56
when there's no longer an
Android phone or an iPhone;
00:11:47.59\00:11:50.97
God's church is
still going to be standing,
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come on - what do you say?
00:11:53.25\00:11:54.42
This is the only organization
that you can work with
00:11:54.46\00:11:57.69
that's going to last through
the great, final conflict.
00:11:57.72\00:12:01.14
God's church! And He said...
00:12:01.17\00:12:03.32
Here's the guarantee that
was printed on the side of God's
00:12:03.35\00:12:06.57
church when He built it...
00:12:06.60\00:12:07.81
He said, "The gates
of hell shall not prevail
00:12:07.84\00:12:10.51
against My
church." What do you say?
00:12:10.54\00:12:12.18
So if you're a part of the
church, it's going through!
00:12:12.21\00:12:14.96
It may look like
it's going to fall,
00:12:14.99\00:12:17.29
but sinners will be sifted out
and the righteous will remain.
00:12:17.32\00:12:20.98
So when people criticize the
church, you can criticize it,
00:12:21.01\00:12:24.60
but let me just say this...
00:12:24.63\00:12:25.86
Just like the Ark,
sometimes the church may stink,
00:12:25.89\00:12:29.75
but I'd rather be inside of this
kind of ark, what do you say?
00:12:29.78\00:12:33.14
Sometimes it's like
animals, but I rather be in a
00:12:33.17\00:12:37.12
floating church,
than in a sinking world.
00:12:37.15\00:12:41.67
So I don't criticize
the church because I want to
00:12:41.70\00:12:44.11
throw darts at it, but
we travel around the world,
00:12:44.14\00:12:46.49
and we hear complaints
about famine in the church.
00:12:46.52\00:12:48.78
The most common thing
we hear is people say,
00:12:48.81\00:12:51.61
church members say,
"Pastor, we don't hear sermons
00:12:51.64\00:12:53.57
about the second
coming, about prophecy,
00:12:53.60\00:12:56.21
about Sabbath
truth..." just to name a few.
00:12:56.24\00:13:00.03
But the faithful
prophet, Amos, describes exactly
00:13:00.06\00:13:03.71
why that occurs even in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:13:03.74\00:13:07.28
Go to Amos 8:11- Notice
what the Bible describes...
00:13:07.31\00:13:12.15
What's always amazing to
me is we have more books,
00:13:12.18\00:13:14.64
I believe, than any other
denomination on the earth.
00:13:14.67\00:13:17.38
Isn't that right?
00:13:17.41\00:13:18.69
The problem is we
don't need more books.
00:13:18.72\00:13:21.77
We need the Holy Spirit.
00:13:21.80\00:13:24.91
It is not what we don't
know that's the problem.
00:13:24.94\00:13:27.21
It is what we
know is the problem.
00:13:27.24\00:13:29.58
Most of the time, people
are not in darkness because of
00:13:29.61\00:13:33.46
ignorance, they are
in darkness because they
00:13:33.49\00:13:35.96
refuse to do what they know.
00:13:35.99\00:13:39.51
So another book is not
going to change the condition.
00:13:39.54\00:13:41.74
Notice how Amos describes it.
00:13:41.77\00:13:43.59
He says, The
famine that's coming...
00:13:43.62\00:13:46.53
"Behold, the Bible
says, the days are coming,
00:13:46.56\00:13:51.05
says the Lord, that I
will send a what church?
00:13:51.08\00:13:54.78
"a famine on the land."
00:13:54.81\00:13:57.26
Not a famine of bread,
nor a thirst for water,
00:13:57.29\00:14:01.85
but of the hearing
of the Word of the Lord.
00:14:01.88\00:14:06.54
I have a soapbox, my
church members know that.
00:14:06.57\00:14:10.51
I don't know if you
know what a soapbox is.
00:14:10.54\00:14:12.65
It's an
old-fashioned term that means...
00:14:12.68\00:14:16.24
"There he goes
talking about that again."
00:14:16.27\00:14:19.34
I never hesitate to
tell my church members...
00:14:19.37\00:14:22.25
"You need to be in
church on Wednesday night."
00:14:22.28\00:14:25.09
"You need to be present when
the sermon is being preached."
00:14:25.12\00:14:27.62
Whenever there is a spiritual
activity at the church,
00:14:27.65\00:14:30.25
you need to make
sure to be there."
00:14:30.28\00:14:31.71
You know why?
Because the privilege
00:14:31.74\00:14:33.65
we have to be in this church
without the doors being shut
00:14:33.68\00:14:38.04
by the law of the
land, is a privilege
00:14:38.07\00:14:40.55
that's not going
to last very long.
00:14:40.58\00:14:44.25
And I'm amazed that people
will stand in the cold weather
00:14:44.28\00:14:49.47
at a football game;
they'll run to the front
00:14:49.50\00:14:54.44
in a concert;
they'll spend the night
00:14:54.47\00:14:59.25
in cold weather to
buy the first ticket to a
00:14:59.28\00:15:03.95
championship game, but
when they come to church,
00:15:03.98\00:15:07.78
you have to bribe
them to come to the front.
00:15:07.81\00:15:11.59
I say, in church,
that the best seats
00:15:11.62\00:15:15.09
are still free... Amen somebody?
00:15:15.12\00:15:17.01
I read a quotation one
day, as-a-matter-of fact,
00:15:17.04\00:15:19.02
I was doing an evangelistic
series as a young man,
00:15:19.05\00:15:22.05
and, that's when I still
had black hair - don't worry
00:15:22.08\00:15:27.89
about it, I'm not getting
older, I'm getting wiser,
00:15:27.92\00:15:32.29
and an old Adventist man
came up to me and he had a
00:15:32.32\00:15:34.97
quotation on a card...
00:15:35.00\00:15:36.65
Charissa, this is
an amazing quotation,
00:15:36.68\00:15:38.46
you can use it
whenever you want to.
00:15:38.49\00:15:40.03
But, he showed
me the quotation and
00:15:40.06\00:15:43.10
he said, "Now this is a
part of the Ellen White Estates.
00:15:43.13\00:15:47.20
I worked for them many years
ago and I wrote this down as
00:15:47.23\00:15:50.15
I was going
through the archives.
00:15:50.18\00:15:52.07
Whether or not it made
the published writings,
00:15:52.10\00:15:54.92
I don't know, but here it is:"
00:15:54.95\00:15:56.29
"Read it to the
congregation tomorrow night."
00:15:56.32\00:15:58.67
And Ellen White says this:
"Whenever the message of God
00:15:58.70\00:16:02.55
is being preached, and there
are empty chairs between the
00:16:02.58\00:16:06.04
preacher and the congregation,
those chairs are occupied
00:16:06.07\00:16:09.74
by evil angels to
prevent the hearer
00:16:09.77\00:16:13.44
from receiving the Word of God."
00:16:13.47\00:16:15.34
I mentioned
that the night after;
00:16:15.37\00:16:17.66
I mentioned that the next
night and everybody in the back
00:16:17.69\00:16:19.71
moved to the front.
00:16:19.74\00:16:22.72
I was hoping that this
side would just get excited
00:16:22.75\00:16:25.22
and just get up, but that's
okay, you're all right tonight.
00:16:25.25\00:16:28.22
They'll be in the
front row tomorrow.
00:16:28.25\00:16:31.16
But the fact of the matter
is, we should be so excited
00:16:31.19\00:16:34.38
that God has seen fit
to preserve the Word of God
00:16:34.41\00:16:39.07
against every attempt to
extinguish the Word of God.
00:16:39.10\00:16:42.14
I call the Word of
God, the anvil that has
00:16:42.17\00:16:45.38
worn out the
hammers of persecution
00:16:45.41\00:16:47.88
through the Dark Ages,
God's Word still survives!
00:16:47.91\00:16:52.41
A number of years ago,
John Carter can tell you that
00:16:52.44\00:16:55.04
when he held an
evangelistic series in Russia...
00:16:55.07\00:16:57.70
And those of us who are
part of 3ABN know the story...
00:16:57.73\00:17:00.42
When the Kremlin was opened
and people that had been in
00:17:00.45\00:17:03.28
darkness for more than 40
years heard that God's Word
00:17:03.31\00:17:06.76
was being preached,
and the hall could not
00:17:06.79\00:17:09.14
contain anymore, there
were people breaking the windows
00:17:09.17\00:17:12.67
in the ground floor of
the building just to get in.
00:17:12.70\00:17:16.55
They had to close the doors!
00:17:16.58\00:17:18.30
People were begging - "We
have been waiting more than
00:17:18.33\00:17:20.93
70 years to hear God's
Word, PLEASE don't keep us out!"
00:17:20.96\00:17:27.69
They said - old people
were climbing through windows
00:17:27.72\00:17:29.48
that you could hardly
slip through under the base
00:17:29.51\00:17:32.54
of the building,
climbing up the back way steps.
00:17:32.57\00:17:37.14
And the stage was filled
with people that had been
00:17:37.17\00:17:40.89
waiting for decades
just to hear the Word of God.
00:17:40.92\00:17:44.18
When they mentioned that
they were giving out Bibles,
00:17:44.21\00:17:46.75
even the police officers
said, "Please give us a Bible."
00:17:46.78\00:17:52.99
I was so excited, I think I
may have shared this yesterday,
00:17:53.02\00:17:55.03
but I repeat it again.
00:17:55.06\00:17:56.53
And you know what's
good about God's Word?
00:17:56.56\00:17:58.58
God's Word never
returns to us void.
00:17:58.61\00:18:02.64
If you want to plant
something that will grow,
00:18:02.67\00:18:04.83
plant God's Word.
00:18:04.86\00:18:06.37
It may not grow in your time,
00:18:06.40\00:18:07.88
but it's going
to produce harvest.
00:18:07.91\00:18:09.28
God's Word is living
and powerful and quick.
00:18:09.31\00:18:12.13
If you want to see
results, plant God's Word,
00:18:12.16\00:18:14.54
and leave the results to God.
00:18:14.57\00:18:16.59
In our church school there
in Thompsonville, Illinois,
00:18:16.62\00:18:19.28
right there
where 3ABN is located,
00:18:19.31\00:18:20.84
there is a young man that
had been in our church school
00:18:20.87\00:18:23.56
ever since he was
in the first grade,
00:18:23.59\00:18:25.61
and he was a part
of a different family.
00:18:25.64\00:18:28.99
He was not an
Adventist, and for many years,
00:18:29.02\00:18:31.06
because his family
members worked with 3ABN,
00:18:31.09\00:18:34.81
they provided education
for him at a very reduced rate,
00:18:34.84\00:18:38.66
and he went one year after
the other, after the other.
00:18:38.69\00:18:41.96
And now he is one of
the graduating students.
00:18:41.99\00:18:44.86
He graduated actually last year
and he's now in the 9th grade.
00:18:44.89\00:18:48.72
And he is back in our school
taking correspondence courses.
00:18:48.75\00:18:53.83
But it took him all of 8
years to write what he wrote
00:18:53.86\00:18:58.54
on Facebook yesterday.
00:18:58.57\00:19:01.46
This young
man... I'm so excited,
00:19:01.49\00:19:02.98
I cannot wait to get
back, I cannot wait to get back
00:19:03.01\00:19:05.47
to
Thompsonville just to hug him.
00:19:05.50\00:19:07.54
He said, and I wish my
wife could bring that up...
00:19:07.57\00:19:09.76
Do you still have that page,
if you could find it, please,
00:19:09.79\00:19:12.15
I don't know, but it's powerful!
00:19:12.18\00:19:13.68
I'll just try to
paraphrase it.. 15 years old
00:19:13.71\00:19:17.09
He said, "I can no
longer deny my conscience."
00:19:17.12\00:19:24.59
He said, "I've been Baptist
all my life and I did not
00:19:24.62\00:19:27.49
even know why,
but I know now, God is
00:19:27.52\00:19:30.34
calling me to be a
Seventh-day Adventist,
00:19:30.37\00:19:32.15
come on, say "Amen" somebody!
00:19:32.18\00:19:33.80
He said, "Because I've
studied God's Word and now I
00:19:33.83\00:19:36.49
know what God's
Word has taught and I can
00:19:36.52\00:19:39.95
no longer deny my conscience."
00:19:39.98\00:19:42.44
He said, "I know
that many of my family
00:19:42.47\00:19:44.68
members and friends are
going to be angry with me,
00:19:44.71\00:19:46.76
but I've made my
decision, I'm following God,
00:19:46.79\00:19:49.69
and following the
truth of His Word."
00:19:49.72\00:19:51.62
Amen church?
00:19:51.65\00:19:52.73
Young folk, you've got an
advantage to know that God
00:19:52.76\00:19:57.33
has preserved the
Word to get down to you.
00:19:57.36\00:19:59.65
That's why, whenever I preach,
I don't preach philosophy,
00:19:59.68\00:20:02.44
I don't preach
opinions, I preach God's Word.
00:20:02.47\00:20:05.85
It's the only
guarantee that I have
00:20:05.88\00:20:08.32
that somebody's
life is going to be
00:20:08.35\00:20:10.10
changed to preach the Word.
00:20:10.13\00:20:11.90
When you think about
the famine here that Amos
00:20:11.93\00:20:13.81
talks about, it almost
suggests that God is the one
00:20:13.84\00:20:17.13
sending the famine
because the Bible says,
00:20:17.16\00:20:19.07
The Lord said, "I will
send a famine in the land."
00:20:19.10\00:20:22.92
It almost seems as if
God is responsible for
00:20:22.95\00:20:26.25
the famine, but
follow me carefully.
00:20:26.28\00:20:28.06
He's not
responsible for the famine,
00:20:28.09\00:20:29.91
but if God is giving you
something that is contrary
00:20:29.94\00:20:34.49
to your appetite
and you don't eat it,
00:20:34.52\00:20:36.39
the natural result is famine.
00:20:36.42\00:20:38.42
You see, the children
of Israel had an appetite
00:20:38.45\00:20:41.00
for what God was not giving.
00:20:41.03\00:20:42.48
They desired what God
was not going to produce,
00:20:42.51\00:20:44.98
and they looked for things that
God was not going to give them.
00:20:45.01\00:20:48.48
The point of the matter
is... If your appetite is not
00:20:48.51\00:20:51.53
for the Word of God
and the Word of God is
00:20:51.56\00:20:53.31
the only thing that
God is going to give you,
00:20:53.34\00:20:55.36
and you refuse to eat it,
00:20:55.39\00:20:57.07
the only result is
going to be famine.
00:20:57.10\00:20:59.77
So when the Bible says
that God is sending a famine,
00:20:59.80\00:21:01.79
He is not sending a
famine, He's sending His Word!
00:21:01.82\00:21:06.46
And if you don't eat it,
you're going to die of hunger.
00:21:06.49\00:21:08.72
Brothers and sisters,
God's Word tastes too good
00:21:08.75\00:21:12.07
to die of
hunger... Come on, somebody.
00:21:12.10\00:21:14.52
You got to taste
it, "Taste and see
00:21:14.55\00:21:16.70
that the Lord is good!"
00:21:16.73\00:21:17.98
I remember when I
came back to the Lord,
00:21:18.01\00:21:20.57
I had a Bible that only
had Genesis to Revelation.
00:21:20.60\00:21:25.16
But I had even more
than that, I had a desire to
00:21:25.19\00:21:28.43
find out about something
that I had not been exposed to,
00:21:28.46\00:21:30.84
God's Word, and sometimes
the Word of God can be difficult
00:21:30.87\00:21:34.67
to read, so I told
somebody just recently,
00:21:34.70\00:21:36.56
I said, "Whenever
you read God's Word,
00:21:36.59\00:21:38.82
if you're not accustomed
to reading God's Word,
00:21:38.85\00:21:41.52
begin like you would approach
your assignments in college.
00:21:41.55\00:21:45.47
Read it because you have
to, not because you want to."
00:21:45.50\00:21:48.52
But what you don't understand is
00:21:48.55\00:21:50.32
the brain has a physiological
and maybe some of the
00:21:50.35\00:21:52.91
physicians here
can confirm this...
00:21:52.94\00:21:55.37
The brain has a
physiological operation that God
00:21:55.40\00:21:58.23
built into it - that
when you begin something new
00:21:58.26\00:22:01.32
that you've never done before,
00:22:01.35\00:22:02.97
the first time, the brain
says, "What are you doing?
00:22:03.00\00:22:05.84
You've never done that before."
00:22:05.87\00:22:08.66
But you do it
tomorrow and the brain says,
00:22:08.69\00:22:10.47
"You did it again."
00:22:10.50\00:22:11.95
And the next day, the
brain says, "I get it."
00:22:11.98\00:22:15.82
And the fourth day, the
brain says, "I'll cooperate."
00:22:15.85\00:22:19.29
And it begins to build
groves in your brain that says,
00:22:19.32\00:22:24.02
"I'll work with you
on this new project."
00:22:24.05\00:22:27.51
You see, one of the
reasons why some of you are
00:22:27.54\00:22:29.13
good at what you do is
because you do it over and over,
00:22:29.16\00:22:31.30
and over and over again.
00:22:31.33\00:22:33.32
If you read the
Bible because you have to
00:22:33.35\00:22:36.09
you'll develop an appetite
00:22:36.12\00:22:37.53
to read the Bible
because you want to.
00:22:37.56\00:22:39.99
You cannot become an
avid lover of God's Word
00:22:40.02\00:22:43.98
if you don't read
it because you have to.
00:22:44.01\00:22:46.44
Let me tell you something...
00:22:46.47\00:22:47.73
When I carry my Bible
and I give Bible studies,
00:22:47.76\00:22:51.25
when I get home, my wife says,
00:22:51.28\00:22:52.73
"You haven't eaten for hours,"
00:22:52.76\00:22:55.26
and you know what, the best
diet is reading the Word of God.
00:22:55.29\00:23:01.68
You don't need diet
plans and shots and vitamins,
00:23:01.71\00:23:04.75
just give a Bible study.
00:23:04.78\00:23:05.96
Let me tell you from experience,
when I give Bible studies,
00:23:05.99\00:23:08.14
I lose all
desire for physical...
00:23:08.17\00:23:11.49
I can talk about
the Bible for hours!
00:23:11.52\00:23:15.06
Based on my shape,
you can tell I've done
00:23:15.09\00:23:16.63
that quite a bit. Amen?
00:23:16.66\00:23:19.59
If you want to get me
going, as-a-matter-of-fact,
00:23:19.62\00:23:22.43
some nights, my wife, we
would sit down after a long day,
00:23:22.46\00:23:25.43
and I'm laboring at
church, and prayer meeting,
00:23:25.46\00:23:27.15
and counseling and
Bible studies and dealing with
00:23:27.18\00:23:29.93
conflicts and I come
home, I'm just completely
00:23:29.96\00:23:32.32
tired and drained and
praise God for a godly wife.
00:23:32.35\00:23:36.18
She says, "Let's read
something before you go to bed."
00:23:36.21\00:23:39.63
And, she'd pick a
devotional or maybe a couple of
00:23:39.66\00:23:42.47
chapters in the Bible to read,
and, Andre, all of a sudden,
00:23:42.50\00:23:50.47
God will shine a
light on a particular word
00:23:50.50\00:23:53.82
in what we just read and she'd
start a fire that would last
00:23:53.85\00:23:57.30
in me for the next 3 hours.
00:23:57.33\00:23:59.40
And I said, "Honey,
I... She said, "Come to bed."
00:23:59.43\00:24:01.01
I said, "Wait a
minute, wait a minute."
00:24:01.93\00:24:03.18
You know, I don't know
if you know what it's like,
00:24:03.21\00:24:05.09
but sometimes...
when God reveals something
00:24:05.12\00:24:08.45
to you - you can't wait
to write it down tomorrow,
00:24:08.48\00:24:11.05
you know what I'm talking about?
00:24:11.08\00:24:12.25
You gotta write
it down right now,
00:24:12.29\00:24:13.46
you gotta dig even deeper.
00:24:13.49\00:24:15.27
It's like getting a glimpse
of your favorite sandwich,
00:24:15.30\00:24:18.93
you can't wait until tomorrow
because it will be stale!
00:24:18.96\00:24:21.42
You gotta get a
bite of it right away...
00:24:21.45\00:24:22.82
Come on - say "Amen" somebody!
00:24:22.85\00:24:24.22
Sometimes God's Word
is like a good sandwich,
00:24:24.25\00:24:27.42
you just get a whiff
of it and you know it's
00:24:27.45\00:24:29.10
in the kitchen cooking,
and you can't wait until
00:24:29.13\00:24:30.80
tomorrow, you got
to get up and say...
00:24:30.83\00:24:31.91
"It's like a
good cinnamon twist!"
00:24:31.94\00:24:34.07
Oh, you're not American,
you don't know what that is.
00:24:34.10\00:24:37.82
But cinnamon CALLS you! You
know what I'm talking about?
00:24:37.85\00:24:40.67
Cinnamon CALLS you!
00:24:40.70\00:24:42.83
Certain foods that
you like, it CALLS you!
00:24:42.86\00:24:45.95
When you study God's Word,
and you develop an appetite
00:24:45.98\00:24:48.62
for it, you say, "I smell it."
00:24:48.65\00:24:51.06
As-a-matter-of fact, we had a
friend at the "Heritage Singers"
00:24:51.09\00:24:54.33
When we were in
California... you'd like this,
00:24:54.36\00:24:56.41
she came into our
room, I never forgot her,
00:24:56.44\00:24:59.13
and she said to my wife and I,
00:24:59.16\00:25:00.59
"You room smells
like Bible studies."
00:25:00.62\00:25:05.19
That's a good smell... right?
00:25:05.22\00:25:07.92
It didn't smell like
cigarettes or alcohol.
00:25:07.95\00:25:09.64
She said, "Your room
smells like Bible study."
00:25:09.67\00:25:12.46
Friends, I tell you,
"You can never go wrong,
00:25:12.49\00:25:16.12
when you study God's Word."
00:25:16.15\00:25:18.14
A famine is when you are looking
for what God is not giving;
00:25:18.17\00:25:21.53
waiting for what
God is not sending;
00:25:21.56\00:25:23.47
praying for what
God is not answering.
00:25:23.50\00:25:26.24
God does not
answer every prayer!
00:25:26.27\00:25:29.61
God always answers when we
pray in harmony with His will.
00:25:29.64\00:25:33.33
Never pray for God to take
away your appetite for His Word,
00:25:33.36\00:25:36.30
He will not
answer that prayer...
00:25:36.33\00:25:38.01
Because the church's
greatest need is an increased
00:25:38.04\00:25:41.21
appetite for the
study of God's Word.
00:25:41.24\00:25:44.05
I have a hobbyhorse
and I firmly believe
00:25:44.08\00:25:47.66
that those that are waiting
for the coming of the Lord
00:25:47.69\00:25:49.89
will take advantage
of every opportunity
00:25:49.92\00:25:54.38
when the Word of
God is being proclaimed,
00:25:54.41\00:25:56.42
when the Word of
God is being given.
00:25:56.45\00:25:58.81
Like I said last night -
it fits again because there
00:25:58.84\00:26:00.86
are more people...
"Never ask the question
00:26:00.89\00:26:03.17
"Who is preaching?"
that's a bad question.
00:26:03.20\00:26:07.91
You don't go to the restaurant
and ask, "Who is cooking."
00:26:07.94\00:26:12.39
You don't go to
the mall and ask,
00:26:12.42\00:26:15.08
"Who is working in
the clothing store?"
00:26:15.11\00:26:17.22
You don't ask, "Who
is delivering your mail?"
00:26:17.25\00:26:19.54
It's an insult to
ask, "Who is preaching?"
00:26:19.57\00:26:22.00
You gotta ask,
"WHAT are they preaching?"
00:26:22.03\00:26:24.32
If they are preaching the
Word, you ought to be there.
00:26:24.35\00:26:27.00
Amen - somebody!
00:26:27.03\00:26:29.04
Because the opportunity
is to feast on this Book,
00:26:29.07\00:26:31.62
The Word of God,
the Bread of Life,
00:26:31.65\00:26:34.30
the Book that
continues to nourish,
00:26:34.33\00:26:36.56
is an opportunity that this
generation is being robbed of.
00:26:36.59\00:26:41.09
We read today, just all
these new electronic gadgets
00:26:41.12\00:26:44.47
that are being developed and
created and I'm a gadgetarian.
00:26:44.50\00:26:49.04
you don't know what that is...
00:26:49.07\00:26:50.12
You know what a vegetarian
is, but I'm a gadgetarian.
00:26:50.15\00:26:53.60
You'll figure that out,
it's not in the dictionary.
00:26:53.63\00:26:57.38
A gadgetarian is a
person that likes gadgets!
00:26:57.41\00:27:03.52
Our world is
presently locked into a pursuit
00:27:03.55\00:27:07.52
to make us slaves to gadgets.
00:27:07.55\00:27:10.84
I read an article today, my
wife brought to my attention
00:27:10.87\00:27:13.72
that the CEO of Google said,
"That not too long from now,
00:27:13.75\00:27:19.27
the internet will no
longer exist. Google executive"
00:27:19.30\00:27:24.13
We read that article today.
00:27:24.16\00:27:25.99
He said, "Not too far
from now, the internet
00:27:26.29\00:27:30.10
will no longer exist.
It will cease to exist."
00:27:30.13\00:27:32.06
But he went on to
follow the article...
00:27:32.09\00:27:33.96
He says, "As Michio Kaku,
a futurologist," that many
00:27:33.99\00:27:39.31
scientists consult about
what's happening in the future,
00:27:39.34\00:27:41.46
he said, "the
internet will be nowhere,
00:27:41.49\00:27:45.37
but it will be everywhere.
00:27:45.40\00:27:47.18
Computers will cease to
exist as a handheld device.
00:27:47.21\00:27:49.88
They will be nowhere but
they will be everywhere...
00:27:49.91\00:27:53.86
Because they are
building around us a virtual
00:27:53.89\00:27:56.54
world that will exist,
not only in our presence,
00:27:56.57\00:28:00.65
but also in our imagination."
00:28:00.68\00:28:02.71
Now let me tell you
where that's headed...
00:28:02.74\00:28:04.75
Satan is trying to get
our world like the world
00:28:04.78\00:28:07.09
like the world just
before the flood came,
00:28:07.12\00:28:10.09
where we are so bombarded
by media, that our thoughts
00:28:10.12\00:28:13.66
and intentions of our hearts
will only be evil continually.
00:28:13.69\00:28:18.08
You gotta be careful...
the devil is trying to
00:28:18.11\00:28:20.49
find ways to completely bombard
our minds with man-made media
00:28:20.52\00:28:25.18
so that God's Word
is no longer desired.
00:28:25.21\00:28:27.47
Let me tell you
how he's doing that...
00:28:27.50\00:28:29.02
If you can type on the
internet and get information
00:28:29.05\00:28:33.11
within a matter of
seconds, and that's the kind of
00:28:33.14\00:28:37.71
life you live - on
your phone you're texting,
00:28:37.74\00:28:40.01
and somebody in
Russia or in Europe,
00:28:40.04\00:28:42.55
you get an answer back
in a matter of seconds,
00:28:42.58\00:28:44.85
as we all are familiar with
that, then you're accustomed
00:28:44.88\00:28:48.79
to getting answers immediately.
00:28:48.82\00:28:50.31
But then you go home and
you pick up the Word of God
00:28:50.34\00:28:52.98
... this antiquated
Book, and you turn pages,
00:28:53.01\00:28:55.84
and answers are not coming
within a matter of milliseconds,
00:28:55.87\00:28:59.18
and the devil says,
"Isn't that boring?"
00:28:59.21\00:29:04.10
But I want to tell you,
don't handle the Bible like
00:29:04.13\00:29:08.44
the internet, handle the Bible
00:29:08.47\00:29:10.43
like you're digging
for hidden treasure.
00:29:10.46\00:29:13.63
You may call a guy
that's a gold miner - a fool,
00:29:13.66\00:29:17.56
but when he strikes the vein,
and he's on the front page,
00:29:17.59\00:29:21.69
and now he's a multibillionaire,
00:29:21.72\00:29:23.34
you say, "Man, he
wasn't a fool after all!"
00:29:23.37\00:29:27.69
DIG in God's Word - there's
good and there's treasure here
00:29:27.72\00:29:31.27
that you cannot find
and it cannot be replaced
00:29:31.30\00:29:34.08
with any instantaneous
access to modern technology.
00:29:34.11\00:29:38.93
Read the Word of God,
spend time like Martin Luther
00:29:38.96\00:29:42.32
and Zwingli, Huss,
Jerome and Wycliffe...
00:29:42.35\00:29:44.25
Men that were willing to give
00:29:44.28\00:29:45.92
their lives to
sustain the Word of God.
00:29:45.95\00:29:47.98
I praise God today for those
pioneers during the Dark Ages
00:29:48.01\00:29:52.78
that stood up
against the Church of Rome
00:29:52.81\00:29:55.11
when they tried to
block out the Word of God.
00:29:55.14\00:30:01.93
Those men whose names are
00:30:01.96\00:30:03.07
still etched on the
wall of the faithful.
00:30:03.10\00:30:05.52
Those men who I believe will be
00:30:05.55\00:30:07.06
coming forth in
the first resurrection.
00:30:07.09\00:30:08.91
They stood firm for
what they understood
00:30:08.94\00:30:10.43
and what they believe.
00:30:10.46\00:30:11.78
Well how much more
responsible are we?
00:30:11.81\00:30:14.57
We have much more information
00:30:14.60\00:30:16.21
than they will
ever have access to.
00:30:16.24\00:30:18.66
But how do we handle that?
00:30:18.69\00:30:20.11
Are we willing to
give our lives for it?
00:30:20.14\00:30:22.00
If we lost our
Bible, how would we feel?
00:30:22.03\00:30:24.60
I was in the Heritage Singers,
once again I remember this
00:30:24.63\00:30:26.73
very well...
and after a concert,
00:30:26.76\00:30:28.66
we were driving away in the
bus, and I went to my locker
00:30:28.69\00:30:32.19
thinking my Bible was
there, and I ran to the front
00:30:32.22\00:30:35.49
of the bus and I
said to the bus driver,
00:30:35.52\00:30:36.85
"Wait, wait, wait, my
Bible is in the church!"
00:30:36.88\00:30:39.41
And I ran back to the
church, ran to every door,
00:30:39.44\00:30:43.28
banging to see if
somebody was in the building,
00:30:43.31\00:30:45.96
calling and we
could not get anyone,
00:30:45.99\00:30:48.67
and they said, "Well
the church is locked up,
00:30:48.70\00:30:50.40
they're not going to
open again until Monday,"
00:30:50.43\00:30:52.59
and this was a first day church.
00:30:52.62\00:30:54.39
Wherever we did concerts,
I always carried my Bible.
00:30:54.42\00:30:59.06
And they said, "John,
we're not going to be able
00:30:59.09\00:31:01.42
to get your Bible...
What are you going to do?"
00:31:01.45\00:31:03.00
You know what? I'll
be very honest with you,
00:31:03.03\00:31:05.25
nobody could talk
to me for two days.
00:31:05.28\00:31:08.48
You know why? I
was mourning over the
00:31:08.51\00:31:11.83
loss of my Bible.
00:31:11.86\00:31:13.84
But I'm amazed, as a pastor,
people come to our church
00:31:13.87\00:31:16.54
and in our Lost and
Found, we've got two shelves
00:31:16.57\00:31:20.40
of Bibles and peoples
names in it, and I could almost
00:31:20.43\00:31:24.76
guarantee pastor may
have had the same experience.
00:31:24.79\00:31:26.93
People come to church
and leave their Bible,
00:31:26.96\00:31:28.59
and there is no
phone call saying,
00:31:28.62\00:31:30.52
"Did you find my Bible?"
00:31:30.55\00:31:35.15
And then you go to
some peoples' homes
00:31:35.18\00:31:36.40
and they say, "Well I
have many translations."
00:31:36.43\00:31:38.27
I'm not concerned about
the translations you have,
00:31:38.30\00:31:40.87
but HAS the Word
of God translated you?
00:31:40.90\00:31:46.76
The devil is not
afraid of Bibles that are new.
00:31:46.79\00:31:49.38
He's only afraid
of lives that are new.
00:31:49.41\00:31:51.98
He doesn't care if
it's on the coffee table,
00:31:52.01\00:31:54.15
but he's concerned
if it's in your heart.
00:31:54.18\00:31:56.54
This is the
generation that needs to restore
00:31:56.57\00:31:58.71
the meaning of the Word of God.
00:31:58.74\00:32:00.23
You need to have
a physical Bible.
00:32:00.26\00:32:02.10
Don't settle... you know why?
00:32:02.13\00:32:03.65
Somebody said in the
youth group that we're
00:32:03.68\00:32:05.44
developing now...
Somebody said to me,
00:32:05.47\00:32:07.84
"You know, Pastor, we
already have a Bible...
00:32:07.87\00:32:11.14
it's on our iPad,
it's on my iPhone."
00:32:11.17\00:32:13.66
I said, "If you're out
on a field trip or on a
00:32:13.69\00:32:16.07
camporee somewhere,
and your iPhone dies,
00:32:16.10\00:32:18.86
so does your Bible study."
00:32:18.89\00:32:20.23
He said, "You
have a good point."
00:32:20.26\00:32:22.33
So now, they're
getting their own Bibles
00:32:22.36\00:32:25.31
pulling it together so
that wherever they are,
00:32:25.34\00:32:28.88
the Word of God never
dies. Can you say "Amen" church?
00:32:28.91\00:32:31.53
And the reason why
it's so vitally important is
00:32:31.56\00:32:33.55
when we look at
how we got into sin,
00:32:33.58\00:32:35.40
we got into sin and the
tactic that Satan used to
00:32:35.43\00:32:39.13
get us into sin, is the
same tactic he is using today.
00:32:39.16\00:32:43.09
Why invent anything new
when the old stuff still works?
00:32:43.12\00:32:47.40
What do I mean by that?
00:32:47.43\00:32:48.73
He questioned Eve on
whether or not she understood
00:32:48.76\00:32:52.55
God's Word.
00:32:52.58\00:32:53.61
He said, "Has God really said?"
00:32:53.64\00:32:55.90
And here's the
point, the application,
00:32:55.93\00:32:57.75
if you don't know
what God has said,
00:32:57.78\00:32:59.83
you may be
caught in a predicament
00:32:59.86\00:33:03.46
as you stand to make
a decision between the
00:33:03.49\00:33:06.78
knowledge of good and
the knowledge of evil.
00:33:06.81\00:33:09.50
If Eve had been
faithful to God's Word,
00:33:09.53\00:33:12.52
she would not have been
in a predicament where she
00:33:12.55\00:33:14.88
made a decision for the
for the knowledge of evil.
00:33:14.91\00:33:18.64
If she had only
been true to God's Word.
00:33:18.67\00:33:21.09
The very same issue is today.
00:33:21.12\00:33:23.73
We go to colleges and
schools and university
00:33:23.76\00:33:26.31
and if your mind is not
encapsulated by God's Word,
00:33:26.34\00:33:30.52
you may take home, rather
than truth, you might be filled
00:33:30.55\00:33:34.81
with a knowledge of evil.
00:33:34.84\00:33:37.10
That's why the
Lord said, in Hosea 4:6,
00:33:37.13\00:33:39.77
"My people are destroyed
for a lack of knowledge."
00:33:39.80\00:33:44.42
Not because knowledge
does not exist, but he says,
00:33:44.45\00:33:47.05
"Because you have
rejected knowledge."
00:33:47.08\00:33:49.56
In other words, when there
is an unquenchable desire for
00:33:49.59\00:33:53.79
something other than the
Word, it becomes increasingly
00:33:53.82\00:33:57.25
difficult to ingest the Word.
00:33:57.28\00:34:00.98
My wife is a good
cook, and as we travel,
00:34:01.01\00:34:03.79
one of the
challenges we have is appetite.
00:34:03.82\00:34:06.56
You know, we visit with
people, we stay in hotels,
00:34:06.59\00:34:08.11
we stay in homes.
00:34:08.14\00:34:09.86
We are staying with a
wonderful couple, Pastor Artu
00:34:09.95\00:34:17.03
and his lovely wife, Leslie,
and they've introduced us
00:34:17.06\00:34:19.71
to some Italian
food... if we come back again,
00:34:19.74\00:34:24.55
we'll stay there
again! "Amen" somebody.
00:34:24.58\00:34:28.65
Last night he got together
and whipped up something
00:34:28.68\00:34:30.78
I never had before and I
thought, "Man, if he could do
00:34:30.81\00:34:33.59
that and really
titillate my appetite,
00:34:33.62\00:34:38.00
what can God put together to
nourish our spiritual appetite.
00:34:38.03\00:34:42.64
The recipes in
God's Word are there
00:34:42.67\00:34:45.32
if we would simply
stick to God's Word...
00:34:45.35\00:34:47.28
And let me also add
another thing to that...
00:34:47.31\00:34:48.88
You know, the other challenge
of the modern day church,
00:34:48.91\00:34:51.14
the last day
church, the Adventist Church
00:34:51.17\00:34:52.76
is that we have to
follow the pattern of Jesus.
00:34:52.79\00:34:56.04
When Jesus was in the
wilderness and He was faced
00:34:56.07\00:34:59.44
with temptation, He
said something that gives us
00:34:59.47\00:35:02.93
an indication that the
only place we find our strength
00:35:02.96\00:35:06.20
and our security and our safety
is in doing what Jesus did.
00:35:06.23\00:35:10.11
Never try to win an
argument by vain philosophy
00:35:10.14\00:35:14.44
or human intelligence.
00:35:14.47\00:35:15.74
You can only win
yourself in a moment of darkness
00:35:15.77\00:35:18.54
by simply
saying, "It is written."
00:35:18.57\00:35:21.68
Now if "It is
written," was needed for Jesus
00:35:21.71\00:35:24.90
in His hour of temptation,
how much more do we need
00:35:24.93\00:35:28.92
God's Word in our hour of
increasing temptation. Amen?
00:35:28.95\00:35:32.94
If it worked for
Jesus... If He needed to quote
00:35:32.97\00:35:35.78
the Word of God in
His moment of temptation,
00:35:35.81\00:35:38.50
how much more do we
need the Word of God
00:35:38.53\00:35:41.08
in our day of temptation?
00:35:41.11\00:35:42.83
Keep this in mind, there
are a lot of good messages,
00:35:42.86\00:35:45.71
but when you think
about all the messages
00:35:45.74\00:35:47.43
in the world today; all the
churches; all the movements;
00:35:47.46\00:35:49.37
and all the denominations,
and those of you that are
00:35:49.40\00:35:51.72
in the shadow of
"Hillsong," I'll be back...
00:35:51.75\00:36:00.39
Don't adopt their commission
00:36:00.42\00:36:05.18
because they will
not adopt our commission.
00:36:05.21\00:36:09.12
Our commission is the
"Three Angels Message."
00:36:09.15\00:36:11.27
Our commission is
the "Sabbath Truth,"
00:36:11.30\00:36:12.79
"The Second Advent,"
"Righteousness by Faith."
00:36:12.82\00:36:16.58
Don't try to do what they do,
00:36:16.61\00:36:18.48
they need to try
to do what we do.
00:36:18.51\00:36:21.55
You cannot
sustain revival by music,
00:36:21.58\00:36:24.11
and I'm saying that as a
musician... I love music.
00:36:24.14\00:36:28.24
But Paul didn't
say, "Sing the song,"
00:36:28.27\00:36:30.27
he said, "Preach the Word."
00:36:30.30\00:36:32.26
He didn't say, "If you
throw your CD on the water,
00:36:32.29\00:36:34.95
it will come
back after many days."
00:36:34.98\00:36:36.62
He said, "If you throw
your bread on the water,
00:36:36.65\00:36:38.54
it will come
back." What do you say?
00:36:38.57\00:36:40.77
The seed of God's
Word; Jesus did not go forth
00:36:40.80\00:36:45.06
planting iPods!
00:36:45.09\00:36:48.05
He went planting SEED!
00:36:48.08\00:36:50.57
There's nothing wrong
with the seed of God's Word.
00:36:50.60\00:36:53.49
Get back to our commission.
00:36:53.52\00:36:54.99
The only thing that will sustain
00:36:55.02\00:36:56.72
growth is the
planting of God's Word.
00:36:56.75\00:36:59.26
You see, if we
keep planting the Word,
00:36:59.29\00:37:01.88
there will be no crop failure.
00:37:01.91\00:37:04.27
If there's no crop failure,
they'll be no malnutrition.
00:37:04.30\00:37:07.05
If there's no malnutrition,
there will be no causalities.
00:37:07.08\00:37:10.80
We gotta preach the Word.
00:37:10.83\00:37:12.13
What did I say?
We gotta do what?
00:37:12.16\00:37:13.73
Preach the Word...
and when you preach it,
00:37:13.76\00:37:17.84
don't put ice in it, and
don't water it down. Amen!
00:37:17.87\00:37:25.73
Don't try to make it
soft, let the Spirit of God
00:37:25.76\00:37:30.16
take the Word of God,
and accomplish what only
00:37:30.19\00:37:33.08
God intends for the Word to
accomplish - preach the Word!
00:37:33.11\00:37:36.64
I'm the kind of
person that I don't
00:37:36.68\00:37:38.27
apologize for telling the truth.
00:37:38.31\00:37:39.95
Sometimes I'm put off by
pastors that... I heard a story,
00:37:39.99\00:37:44.17
as-a-matter-of-fact,
a sermon that I preached
00:37:44.20\00:37:45.66
just before I came here was
entitled, "A Train is Coming,"
00:37:45.69\00:37:49.08
and I was thinking about
my sermon, studying my sermon,
00:37:49.11\00:37:53.26
and I got a call from
one of our very animated
00:37:53.29\00:37:55.62
church members in Fairfield,
California that I was pastoring
00:37:55.65\00:37:58.33
a number of years before,
and she called me and said,
00:37:58.36\00:38:01.29
"Oh, I'm so glad I have
the right phone number."
00:38:01.32\00:38:05.80
I said, "Is this -
and I named her name."
00:38:05.83\00:38:09.66
She said, "Pastor, I am
so glad to hear your voice."
00:38:09.69\00:38:13.10
She said, "I put
your name in the hat."
00:38:13.13\00:38:14.66
I said, "What
hat?" "To be our pastor."
00:38:14.69\00:38:18.08
She said, "But I know
you're not going to accept it.
00:38:18.11\00:38:19.57
I just did it,
because I know you're at 3ABN.
00:38:19.60\00:38:22.87
I know you're not going to come
but I just did it to let them
00:38:22.90\00:38:24.66
know I know you."
00:38:24.69\00:38:27.65
She said, "But I'm so
glad I'm talking to you now."
00:38:27.68\00:38:29.98
She said, "We just
got rid of our pastor."
00:38:30.01\00:38:32.11
I said, "What do you mean,
you got rid of your pastor?"
00:38:32.14\00:38:34.15
She said, "You know,
we had had enough of it."
00:38:34.18\00:38:35.84
And I said, "What
do you mean by that?
00:38:35.87\00:38:38.45
She said, "Because he would
preach anything but the Word.
00:38:38.49\00:38:42.65
I said, "What do you mean?"
She said, "Well he, now he'd
00:38:42.68\00:38:43.95
preach, but it would be
00:38:43.98\00:38:45.65
a message you
could hear anyplace else.
00:38:45.69\00:38:47.60
It was not an advent message."
00:38:47.63\00:38:49.44
And she walked up to
him one day and she said,
00:38:49.47\00:38:51.78
"Pastor, do you know
that a train is coming?"
00:38:51.81\00:38:56.91
He said, "I know a train
is coming, but the church
00:38:56.94\00:38:58.83
is not ready to hear that yet."
00:38:58.86\00:39:00.77
And she said,
"Pastor, so you mean to tell me
00:39:00.80\00:39:03.68
that you know the train
is coming and you are content
00:39:03.71\00:39:07.28
to have your church members
just sit on the platform,
00:39:07.31\00:39:10.71
drinking their
coffee and their sodas,
00:39:10.74\00:39:14.11
and fiddling with
their phones and their iPods,
00:39:14.14\00:39:17.12
and you know that
the train is coming,
00:39:17.15\00:39:18.70
and you're not going to
blow the horn and tell them
00:39:18.73\00:39:20.16
that destruction is coming...
00:39:20.19\00:39:21.69
You know the train is coming,
but you're not going to say it?"
00:39:21.73\00:39:24.23
She said, "When he said,
"No, they're not ready for it,"
00:39:24.26\00:39:26.32
she said, "Well that did
it. I got together with the
00:39:26.35\00:39:28.26
church board and we
prayed about it, and we didn't
00:39:28.29\00:39:31.02
say for him to
leave, but God moved him."
00:39:31.05\00:39:36.27
And I don't want to
sound like I'm the only one.
00:39:36.30\00:39:39.09
I want to be an Elijah.
00:39:39.12\00:39:40.43
There are so many more... you
got a good preacher right here.
00:39:40.46\00:39:43.60
Sister Charissa
Fong, Amen somebody.
00:39:43.63\00:39:46.45
Gifted and anointed by
God, and so many others that
00:39:46.48\00:39:49.17
are a part of this
Witness Conference.
00:39:49.20\00:39:50.85
I'm not the only
one, but I praise God
00:39:50.88\00:39:53.57
for those who are willing to not
00:39:53.60\00:39:55.32
put their candle under a bushel,
00:39:55.35\00:39:58.55
but they want to be a
city that's set on a hill,
00:39:58.58\00:40:00.93
and allow the light of
God's Word to continue shining.
00:40:00.96\00:40:03.25
This is not the generation that
00:40:03.28\00:40:05.02
needs to be
turning the light off.
00:40:05.05\00:40:06.72
As-a-matter-of-fact, in
America, there's a hotel
00:40:06.75\00:40:09.08
or a motel chain
called, "Motel 6"
00:40:09.11\00:40:11.53
and I was so upset
when I heard their slogan...
00:40:11.56\00:40:13.55
because their slogan
should be our slogan!
00:40:13.58\00:40:16.54
And the slogan was, "We'll
keep the light on for you."
00:40:16.57\00:40:21.01
Brothers and sisters, we ought
00:40:21.04\00:40:22.26
to keep the light on for
the world... What do ya say?
00:40:22.29\00:40:24.32
Because Ellen White
says, "That this church,
00:40:24.35\00:40:26.88
the Seventh-day Adventist
Church has been established
00:40:26.91\00:40:29.83
by God as a
sentinel in the world."
00:40:29.86\00:40:32.72
Do you know what a sentinel is?
00:40:32.75\00:40:33.84
A keeper of the gate to
make sure that nothing passes
00:40:33.87\00:40:38.30
that can bring
destruction and she also says,
00:40:38.33\00:40:41.04
"If the devil can shut
us down, I'm paraphrasing...
00:40:41.07\00:40:44.30
"If he can shut us
down, he has captured
00:40:44.33\00:40:48.30
the entire Christian world."
00:40:48.33\00:40:50.69
So I still preach
about the mark of the beast.
00:40:50.72\00:40:53.22
Even though it's not popular.
00:40:53.25\00:40:55.21
I still warn people about
the movements in the Vatican.
00:40:55.24\00:40:58.22
and the coalition of apostate
Protestantism and Catholicism...
00:40:58.25\00:41:02.07
I still preach that, it's out
of date you know, but you know
00:41:02.10\00:41:05.43
what I did, I went to the
archives... You didn't get that!
00:41:05.46\00:41:08.78
I went to the library and
I went to a section called,
00:41:08.82\00:41:13.76
"Out-of-Date Sermons"
and I took those sermons
00:41:13.79\00:41:16.24
and revived them again.
00:41:16.27\00:41:17.74
This church still
needs to hear what Revelation
00:41:17.77\00:41:21.52
has made relevant for us!
00:41:21.55\00:41:23.72
Don't be
apologetic... you know why?
00:41:23.75\00:41:26.71
Because if God's
people are still in Babylon,
00:41:26.74\00:41:29.71
how are they going
to come out of Babylon
00:41:29.74\00:41:31.53
if we don't make
the trumpet clear?
00:41:31.56\00:41:34.44
Give the trumpet a certain
sound and don't apologize.
00:41:34.47\00:41:37.05
Do you know why?
Because you don't have to say
00:41:37.08\00:41:38.88
you're sorry to somebody if you
00:41:38.91\00:41:40.48
say to them - You're house
is on fire - come on out of it.
00:41:40.51\00:41:43.44
Babylon is going down.
00:41:43.47\00:41:44.78
We're simply saying, "You better
get out before it comes down."
00:41:44.81\00:41:48.00
So every time somebody
comes and joins our church
00:41:48.03\00:41:50.45
in
Thompsonville, I praise God...
00:41:50.48\00:41:53.06
Whether they're old or young...
00:41:53.09\00:41:54.63
One Wednesday night, we
had a young man, 79 years old.
00:41:54.66\00:41:59.16
come to our church and
his wife and he stood up,
00:41:59.19\00:42:01.60
and I said, "Are you -
after prayer meeting...
00:42:01.63\00:42:06.02
"Are you visiting 3ABN?" "No"
00:42:06.05\00:42:11.00
Southern Illinois accent... "No"
00:42:11.03\00:42:13.99
I said, "Are you an
elder?" Cause he looked like
00:42:14.02\00:42:16.61
he could be an elder. "No"
00:42:16.64\00:42:18.67
"Are you a deacon?" "No"
00:42:18.70\00:42:21.26
"Well, what are you doing here?"
00:42:21.29\00:42:22.71
He said, "Well, a
couple of months ago,
00:42:22.74\00:42:25.89
when you were doing a
Bible program on 3ABN,
00:42:25.92\00:42:28.12
you challenged me... You
said, "I'm going to give you
00:42:28.15\00:42:30.14
5 words - take these 5 words,
00:42:30.17\00:42:32.62
SABBATH SUNDAY, 7TH
DAY, FIRST DAY AND SABBATH
00:42:32.65\00:42:36.25
and look them up, and whatever
you find, take it to your pastor
00:42:36.28\00:42:39.64
and ask him to
explain it to you."
00:42:39.67\00:42:41.69
He said, "I did that
- that's why I'm here."
00:42:41.72\00:42:44.26
I said, "Tell me the story."
00:42:44.29\00:42:46.43
He said, "Well, I want
to tell you, I've been a
00:42:46.46\00:42:47.88
Presbyterian for 40+
years, my wife for 39 years.
00:42:47.91\00:42:53.19
I've been an elder in
the Presbyterian Church
00:42:53.22\00:42:54.80
all my life, all my
life, and she's been
00:42:54.83\00:42:58.91
the treasurer 37 years.
00:42:58.94\00:43:00.51
When I found what
you told me to look for,
00:43:00.54\00:43:03.03
I took it to my pastor
and I said, "Pastor, could you
00:43:03.06\00:43:06.14
please tell me why we're
not keeping the Sabbath?"
00:43:06.17\00:43:09.74
And he proceeded to hear
the Pastor say, "Now look,
00:43:09.77\00:43:12.80
I'm the pastor, you're the
member, I preach you listen."
00:43:12.83\00:43:17.28
"He said, "Pastor,
that's not good enough for me."
00:43:17.31\00:43:20.26
So he said, the pastor proceeded
to take him out of office.
00:43:20.29\00:43:24.55
He removed him from
being a Sunday school teacher
00:43:24.58\00:43:27.69
because he began now -
to teach what God revealed
00:43:27.72\00:43:30.66
to him in his research.
00:43:30.69\00:43:34.17
So he got so upset, he
went away for 2 months,
00:43:34.20\00:43:37.44
and... sorry for 2
weeks, and he and his wife
00:43:37.47\00:43:41.50
they said, they just
prayed for 2 weeks and kept
00:43:41.53\00:43:44.04
studying God's Word to
make sure that they were right.
00:43:44.07\00:43:46.70
And they came
back to his pastor...
00:43:46.73\00:43:48.35
"Pastor please,
tell us why is it that
00:43:48.38\00:43:51.79
we don't keep the Sabbath?"
00:43:51.82\00:43:53.92
And he looked over at
his pastor's Bible and he saw
00:43:53.95\00:43:56.41
highlights all
throughout his pastor's Bible
00:43:56.44\00:43:58.58
and, for a brief
moment, he said, "Pastor, I am
00:43:58.61\00:44:01.05
so glad that you're a
man that studies the Word."
00:44:01.08\00:44:04.06
He said, "What do you mean?"
00:44:04.09\00:44:05.14
He said, "All those highlights."
00:44:05.17\00:44:06.29
And he said his pastor
said, "Oh no, those places that
00:44:06.32\00:44:09.47
are highlighted... See
when we were in Bible College,
00:44:09.50\00:44:12.63
... This blew my mind...
He said, "When we were in
00:44:12.66\00:44:14.44
Bible College, all
those highlights in my Bible
00:44:14.47\00:44:18.46
are things that we were taught
in seminary NOT to preach about"
00:44:18.49\00:44:24.71
So wherever the highlights
were, whatever was highlighted,
00:44:24.74\00:44:28.45
he said, "We don't
preach about that."
00:44:28.48\00:44:31.70
And then he said,
"Pastor, please tell us once."
00:44:31.73\00:44:34.05
And his pastor, he said,
"He got louder and arrogant."
00:44:34.08\00:44:36.11
He said, "Look, you got
the problem, you fix it."
00:44:36.14\00:44:38.81
He said, "We're
fixing it, we're gone."
00:44:38.84\00:44:41.06
We're going to join
the Adventist Church."
00:44:41.09\00:44:42.39
They're still members
today, what do ya say?
00:44:42.42\00:44:44.69
When I finished that
conversation that Wednesday
00:44:44.72\00:44:46.71
night, he said to me, "How
old is too old to be baptized."
00:44:46.74\00:44:49.74
I said, "Are you breathing."
00:44:49.77\00:44:53.37
And we baptized he and his wife.
00:44:53.40\00:44:55.02
We had another Baptist
couple come to our church,
00:44:55.05\00:44:58.80
and when I met them
on a Sabbath afternoon,
00:44:58.83\00:45:01.43
they said, "We
only have one regret."
00:45:01.46\00:45:02.87
I said, "What's that."
"That we didn't do this sooner"
00:45:02.90\00:45:06.58
They studied our
message for 4 years.
00:45:06.61\00:45:08.51
They went to the internet.
00:45:08.54\00:45:10.56
I said, "Do you ever
get tempted to go back?"
00:45:10.59\00:45:12.61
They said, "No we
never get tempted."
00:45:12.64\00:45:14.22
I said, "Why?"
They said, "Because we
00:45:14.25\00:45:15.68
searched the
internet, we know about all
00:45:15.71\00:45:17.89
those things that
people say about Ellen White.
00:45:17.92\00:45:19.87
We've heard all the
arguments; how she's not a true
00:45:19.90\00:45:22.61
messenger of God; how
she's a false prophet;
00:45:22.64\00:45:24.90
we read all about plagiarism,
00:45:24.93\00:45:26.90
but we are convinced
that God has called her!"
00:45:26.93\00:45:29.19
Baptists saying that!
00:45:29.22\00:45:32.90
And Adventists walking away
talking about - she's irrelevant
00:45:32.93\00:45:36.45
You're irrelevant! Amen?
00:45:36.48\00:45:40.48
You want to know what's
going to happen tomorrow?
00:45:40.51\00:45:41.98
Read the "Great
Controversy" She's relevant!
00:45:42.01\00:45:46.09
If a woman could read
like that and write like that
00:45:46.12\00:45:48.87
with only a 3rd
grade education...
00:45:48.90\00:45:50.45
Somebody once said,
"Ellen White can't be true,
00:45:50.48\00:45:52.39
she does not understand Greek."
00:45:52.42\00:45:54.45
And somebody replied, "Why
would she need to understand
00:45:54.48\00:45:56.89
Greek, when the God who
inspired her understands Greek?
00:45:56.92\00:46:00.45
Amen? So they said, "Pastor,
00:46:00.48\00:46:06.19
our minds cannot allow us
to go back... back to what?"
00:46:06.22\00:46:14.59
And there they are,
actively involved in our church,
00:46:14.62\00:46:17.30
and this young man that just
came out of the Baptist Church,
00:46:17.33\00:46:21.37
and I want to
caveat that by saying,
00:46:21.40\00:46:23.16
there are many lovely Christians
in every denomination.
00:46:23.19\00:46:25.62
What do you say?
00:46:25.65\00:46:26.74
But that's not it,
you see, we often say
00:46:26.77\00:46:30.40
that God loves you
where He finds you...
00:46:30.43\00:46:34.95
But I never stop that, God never
leaves you where He finds you.
00:46:34.98\00:46:39.36
He said, "Howbeit when He
the Spirit of Truth is come,
00:46:39.39\00:46:42.82
He will lead you
and He will guide you
00:46:42.85\00:46:44.60
into how much truth?" Come on!
00:46:44.63\00:46:45.79
All truth! So
don't settle for some,
00:46:45.82\00:46:49.95
if you can have it all.
00:46:49.98\00:46:51.23
Why settle for less when
God wants to give you more?
00:46:51.26\00:46:55.98
And so, today, Church,
if the preaching of the Word
00:46:56.01\00:46:59.49
was needed at the
inauguration of the church,
00:46:59.52\00:47:01.80
how much more is it
needed as we get ready
00:47:01.83\00:47:05.35
for the
coronation of the church?
00:47:05.38\00:47:07.09
If the Word was
needed by Christ,
00:47:07.12\00:47:09.59
how much more
is it needed by us?
00:47:09.62\00:47:12.99
If the world was
created by the Word,
00:47:13.02\00:47:15.14
lives are
transformed through the Word,
00:47:15.17\00:47:17.54
and the world will be prepared
for the coming of Christ
00:47:17.57\00:47:20.28
by the
proclamation of the Word...
00:47:20.31\00:47:22.05
We ought to do what the
New Testament Church did...
00:47:22.08\00:47:24.59
They were all filled with
the Holy Spirit and they spoke
00:47:24.62\00:47:28.24
the Word of God with boldness.
00:47:28.28\00:47:31.04
So now, when I travel, I have
at least two things with me,
00:47:31.07\00:47:34.80
and I apologize of
using the word "thing,"
00:47:34.83\00:47:37.73
but I cannot preface it
by saying it a different way.
00:47:37.76\00:47:42.28
I make sure that I'm equipped
with two very special items...
00:47:42.31\00:47:45.74
my wife and my Bible.
00:47:45.77\00:47:49.78
You know why,
because I'm getting ready
00:47:49.81\00:47:52.36
for the latter rain.
00:47:52.39\00:47:53.64
So my brothers and
sisters, my message is simple.
00:47:53.67\00:47:56.99
Get back to the Word.
00:47:57.02\00:48:00.95
We are told that the
church was prepared for the
00:48:00.98\00:48:03.57
outpouring of the Spirit
because they were walking
00:48:03.60\00:48:06.01
with the Living Word.
00:48:06.04\00:48:07.16
You cannot be
prepared for the spoken Word.
00:48:07.19\00:48:10.29
until you start
walking with the Living Word.
00:48:10.32\00:48:13.39
If you're walking
with the Living Word,
00:48:13.42\00:48:14.70
you have to be
connected to the spoken Word.
00:48:14.74\00:48:17.24
So, if you're looking forward
to seeing the Living Word,
00:48:17.27\00:48:19.61
you got to get together
with the spoken Word. Amen?
00:48:19.64\00:48:22.30
So I end with these
words, remember this...
00:48:22.33\00:48:24.19
We've traveled
together my Bible and I,
00:48:24.22\00:48:27.10
through all kinds of
weather with smile or with sigh,
00:48:27.13\00:48:30.97
In sorrow or
sunshine, in tempest or calm,
00:48:31.00\00:48:34.03
thy friendship
unchanging my lamp and my Psalm.
00:48:34.06\00:48:37.99
We've traveled
together my Bible and I,
00:48:38.02\00:48:40.22
when life has grown
weary, and death has drawn nigh.
00:48:40.25\00:48:44.25
But all through the
darkness of mist or of wrong,
00:48:44.28\00:48:47.51
I found here a
solace, a prayer and a song.
00:48:47.54\00:48:51.02
So now, who shall
part us, my Bible and I,
00:48:51.05\00:48:53.91
Shall isms or schisms
or new light, just try.
00:48:53.94\00:48:57.78
Shall shadows for substance
or stone for good bread,
00:48:57.81\00:49:00.97
supplant thy sound
wisdom and give folly instead?
00:49:01.00\00:49:04.88
Oh yes, my dead
Bible exponent of light,
00:49:04.91\00:49:08.04
the sword of the Spirit
will put error to flight.
00:49:08.07\00:49:11.23
And still through life's
journey until my last sigh,
00:49:11.26\00:49:15.39
we'll travel together, my
Bible and I. What do you say!
00:49:15.42\00:49:18.73
Preach the Word!
Don't apologize for it.
00:49:18.76\00:49:22.16
Don't hide it and be
equipped by a solder.
00:49:22.19\00:49:26.09
As a soldier should be equipped.
00:49:26.12\00:49:27.75
The only thing that
makes the devil tremble
00:49:27.78\00:49:30.28
is a praying
Christian and a Christian
00:49:30.31\00:49:32.71
filled by God's
Spirit and God's Word.
00:49:32.74\00:49:35.37
Tonight, my appeal is simple...
00:49:35.40\00:49:37.26
Do you want to
get back to the Bible?
00:49:37.34\00:49:39.99
I'll be right
back... Let's try that again.
00:49:40.02\00:49:42.08
You want to get
back to the Bible? "Yes"
00:49:42.11\00:49:44.41
If that's your desire tonight,
stand with me as we pray.
00:49:44.44\00:49:47.08
Getting back to God's
Word... The famine is coming.
00:49:47.11\00:49:50.63
If you're filled,
you won't be starving
00:49:50.66\00:49:53.30
when the famine arrives.
00:49:53.33\00:49:54.73
Heavenly Father,
This is Your church,
00:49:54.76\00:49:58.41
we are Your people.
00:49:58.44\00:50:00.18
We hunger and we thirst, Lord,
sometimes for the wrong things.
00:50:00.21\00:50:04.85
Lord, tonight as we continue
in this Witness Conference,
00:50:04.88\00:50:08.68
how can we be witnesses
except we are filled and
00:50:08.71\00:50:12.46
fortified by Your Living Word.
00:50:12.49\00:50:15.00
Heavenly Father, may
the subjects of the Bible
00:50:15.03\00:50:18.56
not be a fleeting
thought, but a burning thought,
00:50:18.59\00:50:22.50
an ignited flame, a
passion that cannot be quenched.
00:50:22.53\00:50:26.44
And Father, as we love
Your Word, we are one day
00:50:26.47\00:50:30.76
preparing to
see the Living Word.
00:50:30.79\00:50:33.44
Oh Lord Jesus, I'm
looking forward to the day
00:50:33.47\00:50:35.66
when the heavens part as
a scroll and I see the Rider
00:50:35.69\00:50:40.21
on the white horse,
upon which His thigh will
00:50:40.24\00:50:44.30
reflect the
Words, The Word of God.
00:50:44.33\00:50:47.27
So cause us to be
faithful. Cause us to be urgent,
00:50:47.30\00:50:52.21
and may this church
militant one day stand strong
00:50:52.24\00:50:55.72
as the church
triumphant because of what
00:50:55.75\00:50:58.74
You have done in our lives.
00:50:58.77\00:51:00.00
This we pray and thank
You, in Jesus precious name,
00:51:00.03\00:51:03.50
and God's people said... Amen
00:51:03.53\00:51:06.02