Participants: Artura Masci (Host), André C. Waller, Charisa Fong, John Lomacang, Joseph Khabbaz, Marcha William, Taj Pacleb, Tapiwa Mutseriwa, Zeny Vidacak
Series Code: 15WAC
Program Code: 15WAC000011A
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00:16 Welcome to Part 2 of this enthralling session
00:21 where we have this panel here before us, 00:23 and we've heard some great questions, 00:25 and we've heard some great answers so far... yes? 00:27 And I would like to think that we've been challenged by this, 00:31 and the people will take something away 00:32 that they will apply to their lives 00:35 as we move forward in life as bold Christians. 00:38 Here's a question... 00:40 What do you do when you're losing faith in life? 00:46 What do you do when you feel like giving up? 00:49 Many people feel like giving up, 00:51 and that's one of the ploys of Satan that Satan uses. 00:55 So what do you do when you feel like giving up... 00:57 when you pray and Jesus is nowhere to be found. 01:01 What do you do when you're losing faith in life? 01:03 All right, so that's actually happened to me 01:07 where I felt like giving up... after I've known a lot of truth 01:12 like I know my Bible, at least I thought I did. 01:15 So one of things that you'll want to do is acknowledge, 01:19 you'll want to acknowledge your true condition. 01:20 You want to just be real with God. 01:22 You don't need to hide that, you just need to be 01:24 real with God... Father, I don't feel like 01:26 reading the Bible; I don't feel You near me. 01:29 You acknowledge that reality... okay? 01:32 And you talk to God like He is your friend. 01:35 Like He hears you... you tell Him what's going on. 01:39 And what I've seen from - what I've seen with my Father 01:43 in heaven - He's my Father... 01:45 What I've seen from Him is that when I'm honest with Him, 01:48 and when I let Him know my true feelings, 01:50 and what I'm going through, He, Himself, begins to 01:52 orchestrate either people or brings Bible texts to my mind, 01:58 or arranges circumstances so that I can be encouraged. 02:03 But one of the texts in the Bible says, 02:04 "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the... what? 02:08 Word of God." So if your faith is failing in life, 02:12 you have your faith in the wrong place. 02:14 You shouldn't have your faith in men and what life is giving you 02:17 You need to have your faith based on the Word of God. 02:19 So if you see yourself losing faith, pick up your Bible, 02:22 begin to read it - knowing that God is seeking to speak to you. 02:26 I'll let someone else help me answer this question. 02:31 The Bible tells us in Hebrews 12:2, 02:35 "Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, 02:40 who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, 02:44 despising the shame, and has sat down 02:46 at the right hand of the throne of God." 02:48 Verse 1 tells us they were in a race. 02:51 Verse 2 tells us how the race can be finished in our lives. 02:54 And the bottom line... "Looking unto Jesus," 02:57 but specifically, looking at Him, 02:59 the One that endured the cross, and then overcame it. 03:02 And so, we all experience those dark points in our life 03:06 where we feel like giving up 03:08 It's a Garden of Gethsemane experience. 03:11 And as we just look upon Jesus in that garden, 03:13 He felt like giving up, He said, 03:15 "Father, if it is possible, let the cup pass from Me." 03:17 He felt like tapping out, and He could have easily done it. 03:20 He could have easily aborted the mission 03:22 to leave us to perish in our own sins. 03:24 His humanity did not feel like drinking the cup. 03:27 but He didn't live by feelings, but by faith, 03:29 and He concluded the prayer by saying, 03:31 "Nevertheless, not as I will, but Thy will be done," 03:34 and He went forward even though He did not feel like it. 03:36 And so, when we don't feel it, we keep our eyes on Jesus, 03:40 and realize, "Wow, the great King of the universe, 03:43 the Creator of all things, He did not let me go. 03:47 He did not turn His back from me. 03:50 He went all the way to the cross, and He said, 03:53 "It is finished at the cross." 03:55 He did that for me." 03:57 If He did it for me, that love, as I mentioned before, 04:01 awakens a love response from our hearts. 04:03 And it says in 2 Corinthians 5:14, 04:06 "The love of Christ compels us." 04:09 That word "compel" means to motivate or to constrain, 04:12 or to push us forward, even though our feelings are 04:15 going totally against it, we gotta keep moving forward, 04:18 and that's what God's people will have in the last days. 04:21 In Revelation 14:12, it says that "they have the faith 04:24 of Jesus" - a faith that keeps us moving forward. 04:26 So practically, what does that mean? 04:28 Go back and visit Gethsemane. Go back and visit Calvary. 04:32 Read those chapters in the "Desire of Ages." 04:35 Let the Holy Spirit minister to your heart to realize that 04:39 while we were sleeping on Jesus in Gethsemane, 04:42 while the disciples were sleeping, 04:43 He was praying and He was praying for us. 04:45 And that will motivate us to push forward 04:47 when we feel like letting go. 04:49 Thank you... Today, we turn on the radio, 04:51 and we hear "love, love, songs about love, baby I love you, 04:54 baby I love you and love, love, love," 04:56 and there's so much love, it makes you wonder, 04:58 you know - what's going on in the world because 04:59 there is so much violence as well. 05:01 And the question is... If God is love, 05:03 how can you explain the wars, and killings of the Israelites 05:09 against unbelievers in the Old Testament? 05:12 How does this violence contrast with the God of love? 05:19 Appreciate that question, I think that's probably 05:22 one of the most pertinent questions that Christians 05:25 get asked and it's probably the 05:26 one that's most difficult to answer. 05:29 For a period of my life, I grew up in a war-torn 05:32 country of Lebanon - when I was young and have, yes, 05:37 seen the atrocities of war, seen the hurt that it brings, 05:41 and leads you to ask the question, 05:43 "Why is this happening?" 05:45 And we know from Bible prophecy that wars are going to be 05:49 taking place in the last days. 05:52 More and more, we're going to see nations 05:54 rise against each other. 05:55 When we look at the Old Testament, 05:59 the question being asked is, how could God allow 06:03 the Israelites to go to war, and the question then implies 06:09 that it's only the Israelites that God used when going to war. 06:15 There's actually many examples of God using other nations 06:19 to bring Israel back to Him. 06:23 He instructed other nations such as Babylon to come and take 06:30 siege of Israel and take them back to Babylon 06:32 because they were worshipping idols; 06:34 they had totally broken the covenant agreement... 06:38 So it's not only the Israelites that were used, 06:41 but other nations have been used 06:44 by God when it comes to war. 06:48 The other thing is - a primary example that is 06:51 used is the Canaanites and the war that happened 06:55 with the Canaanites. 06:56 As we look at that, we know that in 1 Samuel 11:1-3, 07:01 you can write that down as a reference. 07:05 Unlike the practices of other nations... 07:08 Other nations if they wanted to have a war with you, 07:10 they would just come and destroy you. 07:13 Jesus actually told them or Yahweh, himself, actually 07:18 said that if you are having war with another nation, 07:23 you need to give them the opportunity to surrender. 07:25 No other nation practiced that. 07:27 It was only the Israelites that practiced that because of 07:30 the command given in 1 Samuel 11:1-3. 07:34 The reason that God sanctioned destruction is found in 07:41 Deuteronomy 20:16-18 07:44 This is what He says: "Otherwise, they will teach 07:47 you to follow all the detestable things they do 07:51 in worshipping their gods, and you will sin 07:54 against the Lord your God." 07:56 What detestable things were other nations doing? 08:00 Well, when we study that they were worshipping gods like 08:03 Amalek who believed in child sacrifice... 08:11 The Bible talks many times of children passing 08:15 through the fire because of these pagan gods. 08:18 The things that other nations were doing was 08:21 not human - it was inhumane. 08:23 And for God to just allow that and watch that to happen, 08:28 would say something about the God we worship... 08:31 would say something about His character. 08:34 God cannot see innocent people dying and watch that, 08:39 and, therefore, do nothing about it. 08:42 Secondly, it is important because God chose Israel 08:47 to be a revelation of God's character. 08:50 The task of Israel was to make God known to other nations. 08:55 And the way they made Him known was to let them know 08:59 what His will was, and in that, they had to practice and 09:05 believe and teach what God said. 09:07 As a result, sometimes war did take place... 09:11 Was it God's ideal? No 09:13 God is not a God of destruction, He's a God of creation. 09:17 And many times, God did things that were not necessarily 09:21 what His ideal will was, but He allowed that to take place. 09:27 Another thing, these wars happened under a theocracy 09:31 not a democracy. 09:33 A theocracy is God was in charge. 09:36 God knows when the cup of iniquity for a nation is filled. 09:40 We cannot make that decision, we cannot, in 2015, 09:44 just invade another country and say, 09:46 "Your cup of iniquity is filled, 09:48 we're going to make war with you." 09:49 It was on the theocratic system that these wars took place. 09:54 May I just quickly add... Very quickly - yes 09:57 As he was saying about the cup of iniquity... 09:59 And that is when human beings turns into a beast, 10:03 and when humanity is totally gone, 10:06 and only God knows when that happens... 10:08 And in His foreknowledge, to the children of Israel, 10:12 actually in the time of Abraham, 10:13 He said I know this is going to happen in that much time, 10:17 and that's exactly when it happened, 10:21 3-1/2 centuries later on. 10:23 They came to that stage that they no longer were even humans, 10:27 and God says, the cup of iniquity has been filled, 10:31 and they are no longer humans even. 10:33 So we look around the world today and we see 10:36 the natural compassion of mankind - 10:38 Where is it? It's lost. 10:40 In the past, we, as a church used to teach all the 10:44 fundamental beliefs before people were baptized, 10:48 but it seems that this is being relaxed in many churches here. 10:54 Why? 10:56 I can't say why other people do things... 11:00 Perhaps it's because it seems to indicate in the Bible 11:05 that during the time of the early church, 11:08 people were baptized right away. 11:10 For example, on the Day of Pentecost, 11:12 they heard a sermon, they were baptized. 11:14 The Ethiopian eunuch baptized almost immediately. 11:17 And so I think we look at these stories surfacely, 11:20 and we make them an example or a precedent for 11:25 just baptizing people right away 11:27 without clearing them thoroughly. 11:29 But when you look at those examples, 11:31 the people on the Day of Pentecost, 11:32 they had background, they were there worshipping 11:35 the true God; they were there at the temple for the feast, 11:38 as well as the Ethiopian eunuch. 11:40 He was coming from the feast; he was coming from 11:43 Jerusalem, the place of worship; he was reading the scrolls, 11:45 and when you look up at the baptism that they had, 11:49 they were baptized under the Present Truth of that day 11:54 there during the Day of Pentecost. 11:55 But today, there's a different Present Truth, 11:58 and so the Biblical models that individuals ought to be 12:02 baptized into Christ under the specific truths that are 12:07 relevant and present for that day and age. 12:10 The Present Truth for their day is that the Messiah 12:13 was crucified, and that was a radical truth during that time, 12:17 to believe in the cross, that the Greeks said it's 12:19 foolishness; the Jews looked upon it as a stumbling block, 12:22 and so being baptized under the Present Truth 12:25 of the sacrifice of Christ was really a testing truth. 12:28 And so those who were baptized, you can see the level of 12:32 commitment based upon the testing truth of that day. 12:37 Today, the cross is not so much a testing truth. 12:40 It is something that we all understand, and so the Bible 12:45 makes it clear in the book of Matthew 28- Jesus said, 12:48 "Go ye therefore teach all nations, baptizing them 12:52 in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, 12:54 and then teaching them to observe all things." 12:56 And so, we must be taught first, then be baptized, 13:00 and then we'll be taught some more, 13:01 which shows that we don't have to wait until people 13:04 have a perfect understanding before they're baptized, 13:06 but they ought to have an intellectual understanding 13:10 before they're baptized because what is baptism? 13:13 It's an outward expression of an inward experience. 13:15 The water doesn't change a person. 13:17 We don't put Clorox or bleach in the water to clean people up. 13:20 It's just a symbol of what the Holy Spirit is 13:22 already doing in their lives, and so we need to make sure 13:24 that as people are baptized, they're not just baptized 13:28 into the Christ, but also into the body of Christ. 13:32 And the body of Christ has received a specific message 13:37 for this day, and so whenever we do evangelist meetings, 13:41 we should make sure that we are thoroughly helping 13:45 people understand it... because when you think about it, 13:47 when a baby is born prematurely, they are at greater risk of 13:51 infant mortality. 13:53 And when we baptize people prematurely, 13:56 they are at greater risk of falling away afterwards. 13:58 And so the more preparation beforehand, 14:00 the more successful they will be afterwards. 14:03 I see a lot of mikes coming here to get ready to answer... 14:05 Yes, we've only got 31 minutes 14:07 left for about 20 questions. Yes, Tapi... 14:09 I'm not answering the question, I just wanted to correct it. 14:12 Because it says "here," and the Americans answered it. 14:17 I was hoping one of the Aussie boys would answer this time. 14:19 I just wanted to say... before you answer pastor, 14:22 I just wanted to say that sometimes we make a 14:26 blanket judgment because the question says "here." 14:29 So it gives the impression that in Australia people get 14:33 baptized without - then we are fixing that. 14:38 I think this person might have observed, in one place, 14:43 this happening. Correct 14:45 It does not mean that there are 7,000 Adventists 14:49 that have not bowed down their knee to Baal. 14:52 So when we are answering, I just wanted to correct that... 14:55 we are encouraging those who don't do it, 14:57 to be like my friend, Pastor Zen, 15:00 who gives Bible studies before he baptizes. 15:09 Pastor Zen is not the only one... 15:12 You missed #11, by the way, I don't know if you knew that. 15:15 Moving on... Ellen White talks about the 15:23 Omega of Apostasy in the last days. 15:26 In your opinion, what is the Omega of Apostasy? 15:36 Anyone want a shot? Take the mike off him please. 15:39 The Omega of Apostasy is referred to, and to understand 15:45 the omega, you've got to understand the alpha 15:47 where it was first used, and Ellen White uses that 15:51 when referring to John Harvey Kellogg's book 15:56 that he wrote, talking about the Alpha of Apostasy, 16:00 and he wrote a book called, "Living Temple." 16:03 That's when she kind of uses that statement the most, 16:06 and in that book, "Living Temple," 16:08 Kellogg has certain teachings in there that imply 16:14 almost like a pantheistic view of God. 16:19 And, as you look at that, it was as she saw the seed of 16:24 that being planted, this alpha of this pantheistic view 16:28 of God that God is everywhere and is in us and in a sense, 16:32 we are God, she saw that this could lead to an omega 16:36 which is the fact that if God is a pantheistic God, 16:41 then all our thoughts, all our intentions, 16:43 all our behaviors would, therefore, be holy, 16:46 and that all our actions would, therefore, be holy; 16:49 therefore eliminated sin. 16:52 And so, she also says that this "Omega of Apostasy" 16:56 will arise just before Jesus comes again, 16:59 so this idea of our thoughts, our intentions being totally 17:05 holy and not subject, therefore, to the Word of God to 17:10 see whether what we believe is true or not, she describes 17:14 as the "Omega of Apostasy." 17:17 I just want to add a little bit to that 17:20 To me, this is a very serious question... 17:22 I believe that if it's not here already, we are like real close, 17:29 which means everybody should be 17:30 grabbing real tight to Jesus right now... 17:33 I'm just going to read a quotation to you 17:35 that I find to be very interesting which I think 17:37 is a result of the Omega... 17:39 You know the Omega doesn't just arrive, it grows, you understand 17:43 But it says, "The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the 17:46 supposition that a great reformation 17:48 was to take place among 17:49 Seventh-day Adventists, and that this reformation 17:52 would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand 17:56 as the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process 17:59 of reorganization; were this reformation to take place, 18:03 what would result? 18:05 The principles of truth that God in His wisdom has given 18:10 to the remnant church, would be discarded. 18:12 Our religion would be changed. 18:15 The fundamental principles to have sustained the work 18:17 for the last 50 years, now is more than that 18:21 will be accounted as error, 18:22 a new organization will be established. 18:25 Books of a new order would be written. 18:28 A system... pay attention, a system of intellectual 18:32 philosophy would be introduced. 18:34 The founders of this system would go into the cities 18:37 and do a wonderful work... 18:38 and I don't think that's far from now... 18:40 The Sabbath, of course, will be likely regarded as 18:43 also the God who created it. 18:44 Nothing would be allowed to 18:46 stand in the way of this new movement. 18:48 The leaders would teach that virtue is better than vice, 18:52 but God, being removed, they would place their dependence 18:55 on human power which, without God, is worthless. 18:59 Their foundation will be built on sand, and storm 19:02 and tempest would sweep away the structure." 19:05 Brothers and sisters, this is a serious thing, 19:07 not a light thing, and I believe, like I said, 19:10 we're very close, if we're not already there, in the time 19:13 of the shaking, this Omega raises its ugly head 19:16 and I think it's so smart, it adapts... it adapts to Australia 19:20 it adapts in America, it adapts to wherever 19:23 the Advent people are. 19:24 The devil does not want this message to get to the world, 19:28 not only in proclamation, but in demonstration. 19:31 Brothers and sisters, we need to pray... Amen 19:32 So leading on from that question is this... 19:37 Why is it so important that we not only believe 19:41 in a triune godhead, but we understand it? 19:44 What's so serious about it? 19:46 I had my suspicions that the questions of the 19:52 Omega of Apostasy is attached to the issue of the godhead. 19:58 I'm sort of, these days, for the sake of those that are not 20:03 comfortable, I'm no more using the word "trinity." 20:05 I have no problem with it, but for the sake of others, 20:08 I'll just use the word, "godhead." 20:10 It's sort of a question that cannot be answered, 20:15 so what I'm going to do is, on the website, 20:17 I'm going to post a comprehensible answer 20:20 on the divinity of Christ, the confusion about His Sonship 20:26 that is based on the covenant between God and David 20:31 that gives language to when David becomes king, 20:36 God says, "I've adopted you today, I've begotten 20:38 you as My son," and that then transfers to Jesus 20:41 in the New Testament, as Jesus resurrects, 20:44 I'll give you text... as Jesus resurrects, 20:46 and He becomes the King in heaven, 20:48 God says, "Today I've begotten you," and the texts are: 20:55 Acts 13:33, Romans 1:3-4, Hebrews 1:3-6, that's in short. 21:00 Then coming to the Holy Spirit, is the Holy Spirit a person? 21:06 That's part of this. Well, starting from the Bible, 21:10 the word, the Spirit "hovered," 21:13 that word "hover," whichever way you pronounce it, 21:18 when you compare the way 21:21 it is used in the Old Testament, it's never used to refer to an 21:27 inanimate thing. 21:28 It is actually a living thing that can do that... 21:31 like an eagle, like a human being. 21:34 If you go to the book of Ezekiel, the Spirit picks 21:38 Ezekiel by the locks of his head and moves with him. 21:43 When you get into the New Testament, 21:44 the Holy Spirit guides, teaches, has emotions, 21:49 but lastly, I want to quote Ellen White... 21:53 would you allow me to do that? 21:55 This quote is very important because there are many 21:58 quotes I could quote, but I just want to quote one 22:00 because it's written especially from Avondale. 22:03 It's found in "Manuscripts." 22:06 It's talking about what was happening at a camp meeting. 22:10 I will start where - here. 22:11 "This is the reason we have established a school here. 22:16 The Lord instructed us that this was the place 22:19 in which we should locate. 22:21 We have had every reason to think that 22:24 we are in the right place. 22:26 We have been brought together as a school, 22:29 and we need to realize that the Holy Spirit, 22:33 who is as much a person as God is a person, 22:37 is walking through these grounds, 22:39 and seen by human beings." 22:42 I don't think she could get any clearer than that. 22:45 Amen indeed. 22:47 What sort of strategies do you have when it comes to 22:51 forgiving those who have hurt you the most? 22:57 Well this is a tough question, and it touches all of us, 23:03 and it's a painful process, and it's very personal 23:10 because pain is the only thing that is so personal 23:13 that we cannot share with others. 23:15 We can share thinking with others, 23:17 but we cannot share our pain 23:19 because it is uniquely personal. 23:21 We can share it only with God because God felt our pain. 23:24 He is the only one who knows the color and dept of pain, etc. 23:28 So, how do we forgive? 23:32 #1- We constantly focus on the Bible as you can see. 23:36 One text that comes to my mind is in the book of Genesis 41 23:42 when Joseph comes finally to the point and as he gets 23:48 his first son and then he gets his second son, 23:52 and when he gets his first son, he calls him by a certain name 23:56 and he said, "God caused me to forget." 24:00 And that is very powerful because think about it 24:04 just for a second... 24:06 Forget what? Forget the pain and he goes on, 24:09 forget the pain of the house of my father. 24:12 What was the pain? There was so much pain 24:15 inflicted on him as a young boy by his brothers, 24:18 and you could count so many painful moments. 24:23 So he says, "God caused me to forget." 24:27 See what happens... when somebody hurts you, 24:31 when somebody hurts you, there is a pain that is there, 24:37 and you have both mental picture and emotional 24:40 support behind that picture. 24:42 So when you remember the picture, immediately, 24:45 the feeling associated with it comes. 24:48 So how do you distinguish, how do you separate between 24:53 the mental picture of that painful moment, 24:56 and as well as that emotion, that immediately kicks in. 25:01 It's just almost impossible without the power of God 25:04 in your life, and it only can happen 25:07 through the process of where you say, "I forgive." 25:10 But see, when that forgiveness happens with Joseph, 25:14 it happens in the absence of his brothers. 25:18 So that's the very first forgiveness. 25:20 So these are the steps: 25:21 You forgive in the absence of a person that has hurt you. 25:27 That in itself is painful, but it will bring a 25:32 forgetting eventually. 25:33 Even though the process is long, it took him so long to forget... 25:38 But then what God does, and that's the beauty of it, 25:42 God arranges in His providence a moment when it is not only 25:47 done in the absence, but it is done in their presence, 25:52 and then eventually come, and that's when he forgives 25:59 even in their presence, but these steps are hard, 26:04 and this last one will be the hardest. 26:06 What you often do when somebody hurts you, 26:08 you make a caricature of that person. 26:12 And in that process, that caricature has to change, 26:15 and that person just is as fallen as you are. 26:18 So I just try to share some of the steps, 26:21 and Marcha, I probably have not done all. 26:23 You can help me on this one too. 26:25 Oh well I just wanted to add to that that it's very 26:30 difficult to forgive if we don't understand 26:32 how Christ has forgiven us. 26:34 And so when we see the cross and see the enormity of 26:37 what He had done for the sin of every single person, 26:40 whether they are the offender or the offended, 26:44 and He gives you a glimpse of that, 26:47 then what happens is, He gives you the divine gift 26:50 which is found in Acts 5:31 which is a divine gift... 26:57 "forgiveness." 26:59 And that divine gift, this miracle that allows you 27:02 to wear His eyes and feel with His heart towards the offender, 27:08 and it is only then that you can forgive them. 27:11 Now this doesn't happen quickly. 27:13 Because when you go through a wound that someone 27:16 has offended you, there's a time of shock, 27:19 and there's a time of grief, and a time of anger, 27:22 and you've got to let that happen... it's called "crisis." 27:26 But once you come to a place of quietness where you can 27:29 hear the voice of God, then He is able to speak to you 27:33 about that situation and relay to you that He was in that 27:36 very place that that wound was made. 27:39 If you think about Mary, how, you know, both Judas 27:42 and Simon were really, really criticizing her in the very room 27:46 that Jesus was... the very thing that allowed her to 27:49 cope with that situation was because Jesus was in that room. 27:53 And so very often, with wounds, we need to come to a place 27:58 where we see that Jesus totally understands what we have 28:01 gone through - He was there. 28:03 Not only that, that He actually bore the sin offense in Him, 28:09 2 Corinthians 5:21- that He became sin. 28:13 So on the cross, He had all that sin image and emotion, 28:18 and all the pain of that bearing upon His heart 28:22 for both the person that was wounded and the offender. 28:25 When He reveals that to you in your specific wounding, 28:30 then you can see with His heart, and then you can have 28:34 compassion towards the offender, and then be able 28:37 to forgive - that is a miracle! 28:43 You're going to add something 28:44 very briefly, aren't you Taj? Yes 28:46 Only when we see Jesus on the cross, looking into our face 28:50 as we were murdering Him, and then saying, 28:53 "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." 28:57 Only as we see that picture, can we then look 29:00 into the face of those who might be murdering us, 29:02 and say the same thing. 29:04 "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." 29:07 So I just want to ask you there, then - forgiving... 29:09 Have we really, really forgiven people if we 29:11 just keep bringing it back up and up? 29:15 And, you know, I do the wrong thing with my neighbor 29:17 who did upset me, and then I got my pocketknife out, 29:20 and I scratched on his bonnet of his BMW, 29:22 "I forgive you," that was not correct, was it? 29:28 Let me add a portion of... in being in pastoral ministry, 29:31 there are many times my wife and I could recall this... 29:33 There were critical times in our ministry where the hurt 29:35 came from people working with us in ministry, in conference, 29:39 other pastors - where we said, 29:41 "We're done, we're leaving the ministry." 29:43 But you know what we did? 29:44 When we forgave, at that very critical moment, 29:48 we decided to follow the pattern of Jesus. 29:51 Now I know, the pastor mentioned it takes a long period of time, 29:55 well, there's also a freedom that comes instantaneously. 29:59 Let me tell you why... 30:00 If forgiveness took a long period of time, 30:02 Jesus really didn't forgive because not long after He said, 30:06 "Father forgive them," then He died. 30:09 There is an instantaneous forgiveness which frees 30:11 you immediately. 30:14 Some others are not yet... those who offend you, they may 30:19 not be for decades willing to even talk to you again, 30:23 let alone hear you say, "I forgive you." 30:26 So we ought not begin a journey by saying, 30:29 "Okay, I forgave you 20 years ago, but you never 30:32 gave me the chance to let you know that; 30:35 therefore, we are not yet at unity." 30:37 When Jesus said, "Father forgive them for they know not 30:39 what they do," it is now left to them to come to the 30:43 realization of what they have done... 30:45 which some of the Jews never did. 30:46 That's why they are still going to 30:48 meet Him in the special resurrection. 30:50 Those that pierced Him, they never came to the realization. 30:53 So you have to sometimes say, "I forgive them, 30:56 and I'll leave the rest of it to God." 30:59 So I'm not looking for that lengthy process. 31:01 That instantaneous "forgive me," forgives me, I mean frees me. 31:04 That's the most important thing. 31:06 That is the most important thing - it frees you, yes. 31:08 Here's a question, now I'm just hoping that nobody from 31:12 Beau Desert Church wrote this question... 31:16 I'll be checking handwritings. 31:18 "If my minister is not preaching the Present Truth, 31:23 what should I do about it? 31:27 That's not from Beau Desert Church, is it? No? 31:30 You need to preach it. 31:37 No, I... In 25 words or less. 31:40 Yes, no problem... You are not coming to church 31:47 to receive a blessing. 31:50 When I go to church, and I'm not a pastor, you understand, 31:54 I don't have a congregation... You understand what I'm saying? 31:58 When I come to church, I come to church to bring a blessing, 32:03 so I bring Present Truth where I go. 32:07 I have Bible studies where I go. 32:10 I, by God's grace, demonstrate what Present Truth is, 32:15 and I've gained the ear of ministers who have not 32:18 taught Present Truth, who now preach Present Truth. 32:21 Not because I came in kicking and screaming and talking about 32:23 you're not preaching Present Truth, I demonstrated 32:26 what Present Truth was which is a gracious, loving, 32:29 firm truth in Christ Jesus, so you bring Present Truth, Amen 32:36 Taj, it's like a gun in your hand, 32:37 it's like a trigger, you're ready to pull it... 32:39 You wanted to add something to that? No? 32:42 Well, you know, when you look at Christ, He went to the 32:46 synagogue on the Sabbath, even though the Pharisees were 32:51 preaching things that, you know, it wasn't relevant. 32:54 They had a misunderstanding of things, but He didn't let 32:56 anything disrupt His worship, His relationship with His 32:59 Father, and so, you know, we come to church not so much 33:04 to be fed - if we just ate once a week, we'd die spiritually, 33:07 and so we come, as Brother Andre mentioned so eloquently, that we 33:11 come to be a blessing, not so much to receive a blessing 33:14 and as we are a blessing, we are blessed in that process. 33:16 It's more blessed to give than to receive. 33:18 My answer is very short... 33:20 The phrase "Present Truth," has taken on different meanings 33:24 depending on who uses it. 33:26 That phrase has been used to assault individuals, 33:31 and to offend individuals by somebody picking up a 33:34 hobbyhorse and saying, "This is Present Truth." 33:36 So we have to understand not to use that word and apply it 33:40 that now I have "Present Truth" or that ministry is preaching 33:43 Present Truth or they're not preaching Present Truth. 33:47 We are called to preach the "Three Angels Messages," 33:50 and you cannot get a truth more present than what 33:52 Ellen White says, "The last message to be given 33:55 to the world is a revelation of the character of God's love 33:59 as revealed in His people." 34:01 That's the most present message because God's character 34:04 has been distorted by all the other doctrines that don't 34:07 reveal His love... eternal burning, 34:09 and all the other things that go along with that. 34:11 So I consider Present Truth to be my responsibility 34:14 to preach the "Three Angels Messages," and in all that 34:17 reveal the character of God's love, not just in what I say, 34:21 but in how I live. 34:22 And the people said... AMEN, indeed. 34:26 Where do... I'm going to use that word... women fit 34:31 in the ministry of God and His work? 34:34 It was going to come some way... 34:38 Okay, when I come to this question, I would go to 34:42 Joel 2:28-29 and the Bible says, "And it shall come to pass 34:49 afterward that I will pour out my Spirit on men." 34:53 It says, "all flesh." "Your sons and your daughters 34:58 shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, 35:01 your young men shall see visions; And also on my 35:04 men servants and on my maid servants, I will pour out 35:07 My Spirit in those days." 35:09 I believe, very strongly, that God has a special work 35:13 for everybody to do including women - we're all included 35:16 in the great commission, and as soon Jesus rose 35:19 from the grave, we find He told Mary to go and tell the others. 35:23 He gave her an evangelistic work. 35:25 And so, I think that's something very important. 35:28 Now I am sure, that the question is hinting towards 35:32 the great elephant in the room, "women's ordination." 35:36 Can you see an elephant? Yes, I can see it! 35:38 Women's ordination. 35:41 I'm happy to have help here from all of you. 35:44 My personal conviction is that I think, and it was said 35:49 in the message this morning, I completely agreed... 35:51 I think we waste a lot of time majoring in minors. 35:56 This is what I call a "red herring," 35:58 that's what we call it in English. 35:59 A red herring is taking our focus off the main things 36:04 which we should be worrying about, 36:05 and that is getting the gospel out to the world. 36:07 Imagine, if at the next General Conference session 36:10 this coming year, if all the time we're going to spend 36:13 on this issue, we spend on developing an evangelistic 36:16 strategy to reach the world. 36:18 That's what we should be worrying about right now. 36:21 So that's my personal view. Preach it sister, preach it! 36:25 I am... and people ask me because I preach, 36:29 and I've been called "pastor" 36:31 where I go places, I am not a pastor. 36:33 I'm just a young person who I feel very convicted that 36:36 I made a promise to God that I would speak for Him 36:38 wherever He opens the doors. 36:40 That's why I'm here, I feel compelled to go 36:43 because of that promise that I made to Him. 36:46 And a Baptist, I think before I get there... 36:48 I think the home is a reflection of the church. 36:52 We see, you know, in the home we have husband, wife, 36:55 father, mother, children, everything, 36:57 but in the home, the father is the head of the house... 37:00 that's what God made him, the head of the house. 37:03 He's the husband, he's the protector. 37:04 He is to look after his family. 37:07 He is to be the priest of the home. 37:08 And let's face it ladies, we like a man to take the lead, 37:12 to be the spiritual leader in our relationships, 37:15 and in our homes. Amen! Okay 37:19 Let me add something to that, can I say something? 37:23 You're the... okay. I'll also add, but you'll finish this. 37:25 You can and I'll come back... Well just men 37:27 because I'm talking to men. 37:29 Men to be real men because back in the days of Amos 37:33 and Isaiah and these people, the women had no issues about 37:36 men taking control, and if you read the record, 37:39 and all the letters that used to go in about women 37:41 and ordination and all this, it's sounds like a women's 37:44 weekly because men's weekly. 37:46 Now don't take offense men, but men, we need to step 37:49 up to the plate and start to be what God has 37:52 ordained us to be. 37:53 Anyway, that's all, I can keep going for 45 minutes but... 37:57 I just wanted to add another comment here on that context. 38:01 Within the home situation, there's a Baptist preacher 38:04 who I really enjoy listening to. 38:06 He comes up with good one-liners, 38:07 he has since passed away. 38:08 But he said this and I wrote it down so I don't get it wrong. 38:11 "Anything with no head is dead, 38:13 and anything with 2 heads is a freak." 38:16 So we need somebody to take the lead, 38:18 and God called the man to take the lead in the family situation 38:22 and we want a man to take the lead. 38:24 And that's why Spirit of Prophecy says, 38:26 "The greatest need in the world today is the want of men." 38:31 So, as a woman, I implore the men to be men! 38:35 Step up and be the godly leaders that God is calling you to be. 38:39 That doesn't mean that women cannot serve God. 38:42 We can serve God! I've spent the last 38:44 I don't know how many years I've been speaking for Him now, 38:47 but at least 7... the last 7 years preaching, 38:50 and I've not been ordained, but that's not the issue 38:53 for me... if God calls me, and He has, 38:55 then that's all that matters! Amen! AMEN! 38:58 Thirty years ago, it was only ladies used to wear bikinis, 39:00 but look what's happening in the world today, 39:02 now there's so much confusion, isn't there? 39:04 So much confusion! 39:06 Sister, I'm sure glad that, you know, we have ladies like you 39:08 in the ministry! It's a blessing! 39:10 I think she has sealed it. 39:11 I don't even think you need any further commentary. 39:14 Let's move on... oh no? You want to add something. 39:16 You're on a roll. Yeah, I've got on a roll... 39:19 And the other thing that I wanted to say here... 39:23 We are equal... just because the husband is 39:26 the head of the house, doesn't mean he is 39:28 more superior or anything, we're all human beings here, 39:31 but equal but different; we have different functions, 39:34 different roles and I think, for me, when I came 39:37 to this issue, because you have to come to this issue 39:39 it's the hot potato... and the big elephant, 39:41 whatever you want to call it... 39:43 When I came to this issue, I think of the Godhead, 39:46 Father, Son, Holy Spirit, all God, equally God; 39:50 different functions. 39:51 Neither one of them is jealous of the other, 39:53 but they are in submission to one another, 39:56 and that to me, when I thought about that, 39:57 I thought that is a powerful argument. Settles it. 40:00 Amen! Amen! 40:01 I think you have finished this. Yeah - thank you. 40:05 That's finished - you are finished now, aren't you? 40:09 Lovely. All right. 40:11 Other Pentecostal Churches or religions that don't 40:15 keep the Sabbath - will there be people 40:19 that go to heaven from those churches when Jesus comes? 40:21 Yes... next question. 40:29 You know, let me say something... 40:31 We are not the only saved... the time disappeared Rosemary... 40:35 We're not the only saved people, understand that. 40:39 What is an Adventist? 40:40 And people have asked, What is an Adventist? 40:42 Simply a Christian that has taken the further step 40:46 in accepting the truth of God's Word. 40:48 For us to say other Christians don't know Jesus, 40:50 is to say what He hasn't even said. 40:52 He said, "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold, 40:55 but them also I must bring." 40:57 So the answer, I think, to that is yes. 40:59 Just want to give 3 verses on that. 41:02 Acts 17:30-31- "In the times of his ignorance, 41:06 God winked at, he overlooked, but now commands 41:09 all men everywhere to repent." 41:10 So how does God judge? 41:11 Based upon the knowledge, the understanding, 41:13 the light we have. 41:14 Many people die keeping Sunday all their life. 41:17 They did it in sincerity, they loved God. 41:19 God sees their hearts - they are going to be in 41:20 God's kingdom for sure. 41:22 Another one, James 4:17- "To him who knows to do good 41:25 but does not do it, to him that is sin." 41:27 And then in John 3:19- "This is the condemnation 41:32 that light has come into the world, 41:33 but men love darkness rather than light 41:35 because their deeds were evil." 41:36 So there's no condemnation for being in darkness 41:38 or being in ignorance or not being aware of 41:41 all the truth. 41:42 The condemnation comes when light is presented, but we say 41:45 "no thank you" to it and we choose darkness over light. 41:48 Very good, thank you, we have 3 minutes left. 41:53 Here's the question... if anyone would like to answer. 41:56 As a teen who loves music and performing, 42:00 is it okay for me to go on shows like "Australian Idol," 42:04 or "American Idol." 42:07 My question is, if you sing that good, 42:08 come down to Beau Desert Church. Amen... Okay? 42:11 I'll take you on. 42:13 "Unclean Spirits" will be available after Sabbath, 42:18 the series on music and entertainment. 42:22 Just want to make that clear. 42:24 We're not giving out unclean spirits, 42:26 but a series called "Unclean Spirits." 42:28 Here's the point... "Love not the world, 42:31 nor the things that are in the world. 42:33 If any man loves the world, 42:34 the love of the Father is not in him." 42:36 I don't want to sing for the world... 42:38 One day I was watching the Grammy Awards, 42:42 and there were many that could not sing on there 42:45 as well as I did, and I said, 42:47 "I could make a lot of money being on that." 42:49 And the Lord rebuked me, 42:50 He said, "I don't want you to be on that." 42:52 I'd rather be unknown in this world, 42:54 and be known in the Kingdom of God. Amen! 42:58 Very quickly... No problem! 43:00 The titles of the shows, "American Idol," 43:08 "Australian Idol," enough said. 43:15 I'll just add a little point. 43:18 Two years ago, we had a big camp and we had 43:21 Anna Weatherup come and sing, a beautiful Christian singer, 43:25 buy her album, she sings great, but prior to that, 43:29 she had actually been on "Australian Idol," 43:31 and she gave her testimony at camp, 43:34 and she said that if she knew what it meant to sign up 43:38 to it, she never knew what she was getting into. 43:41 If you read the contract and what you have to do... 43:45 if you win "Australian Idol," and what takes place afterwards, 43:49 she said she was so glad and she believed there was 43:52 providential that she never won "Australian Idol" 43:54 and now she is a really wonderful gospel singer. 43:58 Yes, let us pray... 44:00 Lord Heavenly Father, Lord, we just thank You, 44:02 dear God, thank You for men and women. 44:04 Men and women of God, dear Lord, 44:06 who are not afraid to speak and to preach; 44:09 not afraid to step up, Lord. 44:11 And Lord, You have put a burden on each and every one 44:13 of their heart, dear God, and I just pray, dear Lord, 44:15 that each and every one of us, every person in this place, 44:18 dear Lord, that we do move boldly forward, dear Lord, 44:21 with confidence, great confidence, dear Lord, 44:23 that Jesus is coming back, coming back soon 44:26 to take us home, but until then, dear Lord, 44:28 until then, we live in this world, 44:30 a world that is marred by sin, confusion. 44:33 Satan has got his way, but Lord, may we cling 44:36 to what is good - which is You. 44:38 We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen |
Revised 2015-07-08