Hello and welcome back
to 3ABN Fall Camp Meeting
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or we sometimes also
refer to it as 3ABN Homecoming.
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Thank you for joining us
as you do each and every day.
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Hopefully you've been
enjoying all of Camp Meeting.
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We have here, haven't we? Amen!
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Amen. I know that
Jill and I have too.
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I tell you, those of
us that work here at 3ABN
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on a daily basis it's
a blessing to be here.
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But this is so exciting
to have each one of you here.
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It's a tremendous blessing.
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Hopefully you're encouraged,
but I want to say that
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we're encouraged
having you all here.
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It's neat to meet each
one of you face to face.
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And I don't want to say
"shame on you, " cause I know
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there's many reasons
why you couldn't come here
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to 3ABN, but we hope
someday if you've never been
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that you can come here and visit
with us - especially for the
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Fall and Spring Camp Meetings.
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You're welcome any time of
the year, of course, to come
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visit and tour the studios.
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It's always a blessing to be
able to meet each one of you.
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I look forward to
heaven, don't you? Amen!
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Where someday we'll all be
able to be there as one big
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family. What a
glorious day that will be!
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Hopefully you just enjoyed NAPS.
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It's kind of interesting, isn't
it? NAPS right after lunch.
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I was thinking about that: NAPS.
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But what a great
organization, right?
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What they're doing, I
think about, is what Jesus did.
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Right? Going around and - I
don't know - feet on the ground.
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Boy! Praise the Lord for that.
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So we appreciate what NAPS
has done and the relationship
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3ABN has had with
them through the years.
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I know you all have been
enjoying Elder John Bradshaw,
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haven't you? and his messages.
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The Lord, boy, He's
given him a gift, hasn't He?
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Wow! Of breaking
down the Word of God
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being able to explain it. I
tell you, we just appreciate
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him and the work that he
has done through the years
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but also for being here at 3ABN
and joining us for Camp Meeting.
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I tell you: at
this time we have a song
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before Pr. Bradshaw
joins us by Bro. Tim Parton.
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We appreciate him. Don't
you appreciate his music?
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Yes! Amen! It's inspiring!
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I tell you: when I hear him
play it makes me want to take
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piano lessons.
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Then I realize:
"Oh... just forget it.
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Maybe heaven someday. "
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Brother Tim, we appreciate you
- Jill and I - and the ministry
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that God has
given you. You know, Tim
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is the same as you see him
here: always has a smile on his
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face. Behind the
scenes he is the same.
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But the song that
he's going to play
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and sing for us is
entitled: "In The Meantime. "
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After that will be
Pastor John Bradshaw. Amen!
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You know the Bible
has a lot of examples
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of things that we go through.
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And there's one
character in the Old Testament
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that experienced some pain.
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This is a song about Job.
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I am broken...
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in a room alone where
the only light is You.
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And I am beaten...
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by the days of
tribulation I've walked through.
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My life has been laid bare
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right before Your eyes;
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today my heart despairs
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and tomorrow I may die
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but in the meantime
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You're the lifter of my head.
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And in the lean times
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You're the giver of my bread.
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Lord, Your goodness
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is too wonderful for me!
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I believe my Redeemer is alive
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even in the meantime.
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I have nothing...
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You have given and
You've taken it away.
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Oh, but Lord I thank you
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for all I really need is You
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and You have stayed.
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You formed me from the dust;
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Your Spirit gave me breath.
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I am Yours in life
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and I am Yours in death.
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But in the meantime
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You're the lifter of my head.
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And in the lean times
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You're the giver of my bread.
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Lord, Your goodness
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is too wonderful for me!
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I believe
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my Redeemer is alive
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even in the meantime.
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Lord, Your goodness
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is too wonderful for me...
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I believe
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my Redeemer is alive
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even in the meantime.
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Amen!
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Thank you, Tim... thank you.
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Good afternoon everyone.
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Good afternoon! That's an
outrageous talent, isn't it?
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That's just outrageous.
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Seemed like...
seemed like God took talent
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from like 20 of us
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and poured it into one person.
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That's all right with me
'cause it's all being used
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for God's glory and
that's how it ought to be.
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Well I hope you've
been blessed so far.
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You know, we've got a little
ground to cover before you can
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with a clear conscience
turn around and head home.
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I know I've said this to
you already but I'm going to
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remind you again
because what's coming up on 3ABN
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at the end of October is
special. Starting on the 23rd
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23rd, nine nights in a
row a series called "500. "
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500 because this year
marks the 500th anniversary
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of the Protestant
Reformation's genesis.
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Our It Is Written team traveled
to a number of Reformation sites
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and perhaps sites that weren't
strictly Reformation sites
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but were connected
to the Reformation.
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You know over the years now
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we've filmed
programs on location.
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I was just doing a
quick count the other day
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and got to about 17
different countries.
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And that surprised me.
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It might be more. Maybe
it's less but I don't think so.
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A lot of those programs have
dealt with Reformation themes.
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We looked at Wycliffe and Wesley
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and Knox and Calvin
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and Farel and
Luther then others.
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And when you start to
talk about the Reformation
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you need to talk very directly
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about the cause
of the Reformation,
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what was being reformed and
what were the reasons for that.
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And so this year
being the 500th anniversary
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we have a series that
will show 9 nights straight.
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Not only will they
include a 30-minute program
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but also discussions
with experts and academics.
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People like Dr.
Gerard Damsteegt,
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Dr. Leslie
Pollard, Dr. Dedrick Blue,
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Dr. David Trim and
many others besides.
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Dr. Michael Hasel, Dr. Jud Lake,
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Pastor Lincoln Steed.
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And look at me...
I probably forgot one
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but that's OK. And this
gives us the opportunity
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to go deeper and explore
some really very important
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aspects of certain
Reformation subjects.
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We have an
overview of the Reformation.
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This is going to be on 3ABN
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the last nine nights of October
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which happens to begin
tomorrow. Can you believe that?
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And so we have an
overview of the Reformation.
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Then one of the programs will
deal with - in fact, program 2-
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Patrick who was a reformer
before the Reformation you know.
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Patrick who was
not a Roman Catholic;
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Patrick who was not Irish;
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Patrick who was
a Sabbath-keeper.
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We talk about Patrick
and then William Tyndale,
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the English Bible
translator who was just a genius
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and made a bigger contribution
to your life than you realize.
00:10:04.63\00:10:08.17
If you've ever read a King
James version of the Bible,
00:10:08.37\00:10:10.37
one of the Testaments is
really just about about 75%
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of his work and the
other Testament 83%, 85%.
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He was a giant. Executed
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for obeying
God's call on his life.
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We have a program dealing
with the Roman Catholic church
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which was the
object of the Reformation.
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A program dealing with Luther.
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And so we go to Rome and to
the Vatican and to Wittenberg,
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Germany. Eisleben
where Luther was born
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and where he died. The
sixth program deals with
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the counter
Reformation. We talk about
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a man named Iņigo...
better known to you as
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Ignatius of Loyola
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who founded the Society
of Jesus... the Jesuit Order.
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And so we go to that place
in Spain where he was born.
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We talk about the
work of the Jesuits.
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I discuss with Dr. Damsteegt
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the Jesuit scholars who
re-interpreted the prophecies
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of the Bible
for the sole purpose
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of turning
attention away from Rome
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and onto anybody...
didn't really matter.
00:11:16.34\00:11:20.08
It's a really
interesting program.
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Seventh one we
cross the Atlantic.
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Roger Williams and
the Pilgrim fathers.
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Eighth program we go
to the William Miller farm
00:11:27.78\00:11:30.05
in New York state.
00:11:30.25\00:11:31.69
Ninth program we go to
Washington, New Hampshire.
00:11:31.89\00:11:34.56
My guest on that
program is Pastor Ted Wilson
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who is as you know the
General Conference president
00:11:38.23\00:11:41.83
of the world church of
Seventh-day Adventists.
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So I think this is one of
the most important TV events
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that you could really ever
see, certainly of this year.
00:11:48.77\00:11:51.27
And my prayer is
that you'll know about it
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and watch it... kept
others know about it.
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3ABN will be broadcasting
500 brought to you by
00:11:56.31\00:11:59.28
It Is Written the last
nine nights of October.
00:11:59.48\00:12:03.89
Well let's pray, shall
we? Let's pray and expect
00:12:04.79\00:12:07.26
God to bless us
as we open the Bible.
00:12:07.46\00:12:08.99
Let's pray now.
Our Father in heaven,
00:12:09.19\00:12:12.26
we come in the name of Jesus.
00:12:12.46\00:12:14.83
We are grateful as
we come to You today.
00:12:15.70\00:12:18.07
You didn't have
to... but You did.
00:12:20.10\00:12:21.84
You created this
world out of love
00:12:22.24\00:12:24.91
and when our original
grandparents ran amuck
00:12:25.11\00:12:29.21
instead of simply eliminating
them and starting again
00:12:30.15\00:12:35.72
You set in motion this
great plan of salvation
00:12:36.22\00:12:40.22
where Jesus, the Lamb slain
since the foundation of the
00:12:40.82\00:12:43.99
world, would
come and live and die
00:12:44.19\00:12:45.89
and offer us everlasting life.
00:12:46.96\00:12:48.80
Well Lord, today we
are telling You we want it.
00:12:49.00\00:12:50.93
Today we are saying
"yes" and "thank you. "
00:12:51.33\00:12:53.47
We pray that if there's any-
thing the least bit shaky about
00:12:54.64\00:12:57.07
our experience that we would
take hold of You for strength
00:12:57.27\00:13:00.98
today and make peace with You.
00:13:01.18\00:13:02.91
Bless us during the sharing
of the Word, during the study
00:13:03.98\00:13:06.95
of the Word as we open our
Bibles and look into scripture
00:13:07.15\00:13:09.48
that the Living
Word would live in us.
00:13:10.29\00:13:12.45
Guide us we pray.
With thanks in Jesus' name,
00:13:13.56\00:13:17.23
please say - amen - Amen!
00:13:17.43\00:13:20.13
There are a lot of
things that we don't understand.
00:13:22.66\00:13:25.30
A lot of things.
00:13:26.47\00:13:28.00
We look at nature.
00:13:28.67\00:13:30.51
Nature again and
again baffles us.
00:13:30.71\00:13:34.34
I'll go for a
couple of obvious examples.
00:13:34.88\00:13:39.11
Have you ever seen salmon
running, maybe in the Pacific
00:13:40.98\00:13:44.89
Northwest? Have you
ever seen the salmon?
00:13:45.09\00:13:46.59
The salmon, when they're
going up those little streams
00:13:47.36\00:13:50.39
to spawn, they're
like traffic on a freeway.
00:13:50.59\00:13:54.46
They're
stopped... it's gridlock.
00:13:55.23\00:13:58.47
They barely move.
00:13:58.87\00:14:00.47
There's hardly any
room in the stream.
00:14:00.67\00:14:02.87
You know that those
salmon originated way up
00:14:04.34\00:14:09.01
where they're heading.
00:14:09.21\00:14:10.75
And they hatched and they
swam out down to the ocean
00:14:11.11\00:14:15.62
and off they went. To me
it's a wonder that a fish can
00:14:15.82\00:14:18.75
be fresh water AND
salt water. That's a wonder.
00:14:18.95\00:14:22.29
They swam out in the ocean; some
of them traveled 2,500 miles.
00:14:23.02\00:14:26.90
And when it's time for them
to lay eggs or fertilize eggs
00:14:27.10\00:14:30.73
that have been laid they
turn around and head back
00:14:30.93\00:14:32.77
to the very stream where they
were hatched in the first place.
00:14:32.97\00:14:37.27
Explain that to me.
00:14:38.61\00:14:40.64
You cannot.
Well... well, you could say
00:14:41.88\00:14:44.95
"Evolution is a
marvelous thing. "
00:14:45.85\00:14:48.95
You know, if that's evolution
then evolution's faulty.
00:14:50.49\00:14:54.12
Evolution should have
figured out a much easier way
00:14:54.29\00:14:56.79
for that salmon to do
it's thing than having to swim
00:14:56.99\00:14:59.03
all the way back
and leap up waterfalls
00:14:59.23\00:15:02.10
and dodge grizzly
bears and all of that.
00:15:02.30\00:15:04.70
It's just a marvel!
00:15:05.67\00:15:08.47
I don't know that you can
really figure out the giraffe.
00:15:09.24\00:15:12.14
If I understand this right,
00:15:12.34\00:15:13.68
an animal like that the
heart would have trouble
00:15:13.98\00:15:16.61
pumping the blood
all around the body.
00:15:16.85\00:15:18.78
And then when it
bends down like that
00:15:18.98\00:15:20.42
the rush of blood down to
the head puts immense pressure
00:15:20.62\00:15:22.72
or would on the brain.
00:15:22.92\00:15:24.99
But somehow that
animal survives OK.
00:15:25.82\00:15:28.96
Can you... can you
explain to me a woodpecker?
00:15:29.92\00:15:33.26
YOU try that!
00:15:35.66\00:15:37.23
Honestly, I don't even know
why God would make a woodpecker.
00:15:40.70\00:15:45.41
Why would He do that
00:15:45.81\00:15:47.68
other than He did it for the
same reason that He made roses
00:15:48.08\00:15:51.15
AND tulips. I would have been
happy with one or the other.
00:15:51.35\00:15:54.65
Frankly, tulips for me. My
dad grew them when I was a kid.
00:15:54.85\00:15:57.05
I just love them more
than any other flower.
00:15:57.25\00:15:59.15
I would have been happy
with tulips, but again, there's
00:16:00.12\00:16:01.92
tulips and roses and
daffodils and pansies
00:16:02.12\00:16:04.06
and... and... carnations!
00:16:04.26\00:16:08.36
And... Is there a lady here?
00:16:08.76\00:16:11.83
Sorry, but my knowledge
of flower species or types
00:16:13.94\00:16:17.97
is not... is not great.
00:16:18.17\00:16:20.28
I do know this:
Men... you ought to buy them.
00:16:20.68\00:16:24.38
Oh, yeah... you
ought to buy them.
00:16:26.41\00:16:28.65
And if you just buy
them on Valentine's Day
00:16:29.05\00:16:31.25
I don't think
that means anything.
00:16:31.45\00:16:32.79
If you buy them on
birthdays, that's good.
00:16:33.19\00:16:34.69
You should just by them
any time. Just pick a day.
00:16:34.89\00:16:36.93
November the 3rd. I
don't know what that is...
00:16:38.76\00:16:40.90
just go buy some
flowers. "This is for you. "
00:16:41.06\00:16:42.60
I was in a
supermarket line one day
00:16:43.00\00:16:44.90
standing there
holding some flowers.
00:16:45.40\00:16:47.20
And the lady in front of me, she
noticed and she turned around
00:16:48.24\00:16:51.37
and she said: "Oh...
what have you done wrong? "
00:16:51.57\00:16:55.51
Oh, yeah.
00:16:56.34\00:16:57.85
I said: "Lady I have discovered
that if I buy enough of these
00:16:58.35\00:17:01.78
I can do no wrong. "
00:17:01.98\00:17:03.52
I can't figure out
these marvels of nature.
00:17:08.16\00:17:10.66
Let me share one with you
that you don't know about.
00:17:10.86\00:17:12.59
It's the longfin
eel of New Zealand.
00:17:12.79\00:17:15.66
These eels get
pretty big, you know.
00:17:16.60\00:17:18.57
At least they can.
00:17:18.97\00:17:20.47
It breeds once at
the end of its life
00:17:20.97\00:17:25.04
and then... Sorry... before that
00:17:25.24\00:17:27.68
when it's about to breed
it swims from New Zealand
00:17:27.88\00:17:30.25
to Tonga, an island
nation out in the Pacific.
00:17:30.45\00:17:34.45
Now depending on which part
of New Zealand you're traveling
00:17:34.65\00:17:36.52
from that could be
1,200, 1,400, 1,600 miles.
00:17:36.72\00:17:40.39
So this eel swims
1,200, 1,400, 1,600 miles
00:17:40.79\00:17:45.76
to Tonga, to the warm waters
around the islands of Tonga.
00:17:45.96\00:17:49.03
The eggs are laid; the
eggs are fertilized - get this -
00:17:49.86\00:17:52.87
then the eggs drift.
They drift in the ocean
00:17:53.07\00:17:56.50
most of the way
back to New Zealand.
00:17:56.71\00:17:58.71
They hatch, and then
when those longfin eels
00:18:00.41\00:18:05.31
get to the place that
they're going to procreate
00:18:05.51\00:18:08.12
they swim back to a
place they've never even been!
00:18:08.32\00:18:13.12
Not like the salmon that were
actually hatched in that stream.
00:18:13.52\00:18:18.59
They weren't...
just the eggs were laid
00:18:18.79\00:18:21.60
and then the ocean carried
them away hundreds of miles.
00:18:22.00\00:18:25.23
How does that happen?
00:18:25.60\00:18:28.10
It can only happen
because God is marvelous. Amen!
00:18:29.10\00:18:33.01
That's the only reason.
00:18:33.21\00:18:34.54
Now I have a confession to make.
00:18:35.01\00:18:37.35
I have no idea how this works.
00:18:38.38\00:18:40.42
I have no idea. To
me it's just a marvel.
00:18:41.12\00:18:43.89
I can press some
buttons on here...
00:18:44.29\00:18:46.02
they're not even buttons.
You just press the screen.
00:18:46.22\00:18:47.92
Oh my goodness. And before long
I could be talking to my mother
00:18:48.12\00:18:50.96
in New Zealand or my wife
back in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
00:18:51.16\00:18:55.86
To me it's just a marvel.
00:18:56.46\00:18:57.80
Now if you are
electronically inclined
00:18:57.97\00:19:00.17
or you're a
"techie" of some sort
00:19:00.37\00:19:02.44
then you're going to
be able to explain that...
00:19:02.64\00:19:04.91
well, I wouldn't
even know where to begin.
00:19:05.31\00:19:07.51
You're going to be able
to explain that this happens
00:19:07.71\00:19:09.64
and that happens and so forth.
00:19:09.84\00:19:11.18
I don't even
understand how grass grows!
00:19:11.91\00:19:14.38
I mean... I know that it does.
00:19:16.22\00:19:17.65
But could YOU make it grow?
00:19:18.25\00:19:20.92
There's something to do
with the earth and water
00:19:21.89\00:19:25.13
and nutrients and
the warmth of the sun
00:19:25.33\00:19:27.03
and help from water
00:19:27.23\00:19:29.70
but ultimately you've got
to put this down to that fact
00:19:30.10\00:19:32.90
it is a miracle of nature
00:19:33.10\00:19:35.50
and it speaks
to an Almighty God.
00:19:35.70\00:19:39.31
There are some things
we just don't understand.
00:19:39.51\00:19:42.94
And then you know some-
times our lack of understanding
00:19:43.85\00:19:45.75
can cause us challenges.
Our lack of understanding,
00:19:45.95\00:19:48.72
our inability to see
things from God's perspective,
00:19:49.12\00:19:53.22
sometimes trips us up.
00:19:53.76\00:19:55.42
Our inability. Not what God does
00:19:55.62\00:19:57.86
but our inability or some-
times even our unwillingness
00:19:58.06\00:20:00.96
to see things the
way God sees things.
00:20:01.13\00:20:04.67
So I wonder if you would
turn with me in your Bible
00:20:05.27\00:20:07.50
to Luke chapter 24.
00:20:07.70\00:20:10.51
The theme for Camp Meeting
this year is: Sacrifice...
00:20:10.71\00:20:13.34
His and Ours. And so I want to
00:20:13.54\00:20:16.18
gather around the
crucifixion story.
00:20:16.38\00:20:19.55
There were some men
walking along a Judean road
00:20:19.75\00:20:22.52
2,000 years ago.
00:20:22.72\00:20:25.09
It is Sunday. Jesus
had died on the Friday.
00:20:25.29\00:20:31.19
And the Word of God
says in Luke chapter 24
00:20:31.96\00:20:34.36
beginning in verse 13:
"Behold, two of them went
00:20:34.56\00:20:37.10
that same day to a
village called Emmaus
00:20:37.30\00:20:40.67
which was from Jerusalem
about threescore furlongs. "
00:20:40.87\00:20:45.47
A furlong is roughly 200 yards.
00:20:45.67\00:20:47.34
We're talking about 1,200 yards.
00:20:47.54\00:20:48.94
Call it 12 kilometers.
00:20:49.14\00:20:50.81
In American
that's about 7-1/2 miles.
00:20:51.01\00:20:54.28
That were walking
from Jerusalem back home
00:20:55.15\00:20:58.15
seven or eight miles.
00:20:58.55\00:21:00.46
"And they talked together
of all these things which had
00:21:01.62\00:21:05.69
happened.
00:21:05.89\00:21:07.23
And it came to pass that
while they communed together
00:21:07.60\00:21:10.97
and reasoned... " The
Bible says that Jesus Himself
00:21:11.17\00:21:14.90
drew near. You notice this.
00:21:15.10\00:21:16.97
"Jesus Himself drew
near and went with them
00:21:17.17\00:21:20.88
but their eyes were holden
that they should not know Him. "
00:21:21.08\00:21:25.41
Now I don't want to forbid
here. It says their eyes were
00:21:26.18\00:21:28.78
"holden. " You might
extrapolate from that
00:21:28.98\00:21:32.42
that God intervened
and caused them to be
00:21:32.62\00:21:35.56
unable to recognize
that Jesus was with them.
00:21:35.76\00:21:38.63
You might think that.
00:21:38.83\00:21:40.16
Whatever the reason
they did not perceive that
00:21:40.80\00:21:45.03
this was Jesus with them.
00:21:45.23\00:21:47.40
Now this ought to
make us stop and think.
00:21:48.24\00:21:50.67
How is it that Jesus
can be walking along side ya
00:21:50.87\00:21:56.28
to the ext... You've
walked with folk on a trail.
00:21:56.68\00:21:59.31
He maybe even
bumped against them.
00:21:59.71\00:22:02.25
His clothing would
have swished against theirs
00:22:02.45\00:22:05.32
and they didn't know that
it was Jesus who was with them.
00:22:05.72\00:22:11.36
Come on now, are the times
that Jesus is in your midst
00:22:12.19\00:22:14.60
and you are
uncertain, you are unaware
00:22:14.83\00:22:17.53
that Jesus is with you?
00:22:17.70\00:22:20.00
Jesus is working out
His purposes in your life
00:22:20.20\00:22:23.87
and yet you are
discouraged by what you see.
00:22:24.27\00:22:27.88
God is actively working
and there are times that
00:22:28.08\00:22:32.21
you will say: "Why
doesn't God even love me? "
00:22:32.41\00:22:36.95
You wonder why you are in
a mess when it's not a mess.
00:22:37.15\00:22:41.89
It's God's purposes
being worked out in your life.
00:22:42.29\00:22:45.03
Does the potter tell the
clay how it should be molded?
00:22:45.89\00:22:49.10
Think of that pottery process.
00:22:49.50\00:22:52.63
End up in a
kiln... incredible heat.
00:22:53.03\00:22:56.50
Now it's only clay, it's inane-
mate. It's not feeling anything
00:22:56.74\00:23:00.21
but what a process. And
at the end of that process
00:23:00.41\00:23:02.74
an unshapely lump of mud
has been turned into something
00:23:02.94\00:23:06.51
beautiful and useful
and maybe very valuable.
00:23:06.72\00:23:11.89
Think of Joseph...
Joseph who was in prison.
00:23:12.29\00:23:15.26
Was God with Joseph? Yes or no?
00:23:15.46\00:23:17.33
Was God with Joseph when his
brothers sold him into slavery?
00:23:17.83\00:23:20.90
Yeah. Was God with Joseph when
Joseph was heading down there
00:23:21.06\00:23:23.87
to Egypt? Sure He was!
00:23:24.07\00:23:25.73
Was He with Joseph when he
got the job at Potiphar's house?
00:23:25.93\00:23:28.57
Yes! Was He with
Joseph when that wicked woman
00:23:28.77\00:23:31.57
tried it on? Yes He was!
00:23:31.77\00:23:33.88
Was He with Joseph
when he resisted temptation?
00:23:34.44\00:23:37.21
Sure He was! Was He with Joseph
when he got sent to prison?
00:23:37.61\00:23:40.02
Oh absolutely!
00:23:40.22\00:23:41.55
Was He with Joseph as
Joseph was getting older?
00:23:41.65\00:23:44.05
Sure He was. Was He with Joseph
00:23:44.25\00:23:46.05
when he
interpreted the dreams? Yes!
00:23:46.25\00:23:48.46
They - the men's whose
dreams he interpreted -
00:23:48.66\00:23:50.39
forgot all about him.
00:23:50.89\00:23:52.36
At least the one of
them. The one of them
00:23:52.56\00:23:53.90
wasn't thinking about much
of anything after a given point
00:23:53.96\00:23:56.00
in time. Yes! God was
with Joseph in all of that.
00:23:56.20\00:23:59.80
But if that was you
00:24:01.40\00:24:03.24
how might you have
been tempted to feel?
00:24:03.64\00:24:05.84
"What in the world? My
family is against me. "
00:24:07.48\00:24:09.51
What was taking place?
00:24:09.91\00:24:11.71
God's purposes
were being worked out.
00:24:12.11\00:24:14.32
"My family is against me. "
00:24:15.15\00:24:16.89
"How can my
brothers do this to me? "
00:24:17.29\00:24:19.29
"I'll never see
my father again! "
00:24:19.69\00:24:21.42
"What in the world?
What have I done wrong? "
00:24:21.62\00:24:23.53
"How have I
offended You so badly
00:24:24.33\00:24:26.80
that You are allowing
this to happen to me? "
00:24:27.00\00:24:28.86
Can you imagine that
ride - that long ride from...
00:24:29.26\00:24:32.47
from there in Canaan
all the way down to Egypt?
00:24:32.67\00:24:34.60
Can you imagine how he felt?
00:24:34.80\00:24:36.14
"Oh God... why are You
letting this happen to me? "
00:24:36.40\00:24:38.71
Can you imagine how he felt?
00:24:38.91\00:24:40.24
He gets down there; he's working
hard; his boss loves him.
00:24:40.84\00:24:43.51
And then the boss's wife does
something she should not have
00:24:43.71\00:24:46.45
done. There's no way
Joseph was going to acquiesce
00:24:46.68\00:24:50.75
to her demands...
her REPEATED demands.
00:24:50.95\00:24:53.86
"How can I do this great wicked-
ness and sin against God? "
00:24:54.66\00:24:56.93
Oh no! Hear what he's saying:
"I am doing the right thing
00:24:57.13\00:25:00.53
in the sight of God" and
then he winds up in prison.
00:25:00.73\00:25:02.83
How would you
feel? How would you feel
00:25:03.03\00:25:06.50
to be wrongly accused? To
be in prison for something
00:25:06.74\00:25:09.94
you hadn't done
because you did what was right
00:25:10.14\00:25:14.08
in the sight of
God. How would you feel?
00:25:14.28\00:25:16.98
"Oh here's an opportunity;
I'll do some guys a favor.
00:25:17.38\00:25:19.58
God has given me a gift.
" And then you're forgotten.
00:25:19.78\00:25:22.85
If God had said to Joseph:
00:25:24.55\00:25:26.96
"Listen, I want to use
you in an incredible way.
00:25:27.36\00:25:31.89
In a truly remarkable way.
00:25:32.29\00:25:34.00
Maybe like I've
never used anybody before.
00:25:34.93\00:25:37.13
BUT you're going to go
through some real hardship.
00:25:37.33\00:25:40.24
You're going to go through re-
jection. Your family's going to
00:25:40.44\00:25:42.54
reject you. You're
going to wind up in prison.
00:25:42.74\00:25:46.11
You're going to be forgotten.
You're going to feel like
00:25:46.51\00:25:48.21
you're forgotten. But
I'm with you... I'm with you
00:25:48.41\00:25:50.01
the whole way and
ultimately amazing things
00:25:50.21\00:25:52.91
are going to happen. "
Joseph would have said:
00:25:53.11\00:25:54.88
"Whoof! OK... happy to
do it; happy to do it. "
00:25:55.08\00:25:58.72
And the whole time
he's in prison he'd be like:
00:25:59.12\00:26:01.29
"God is with me. I know
God explained this to me. "
00:26:01.49\00:26:03.69
On the way down to
Egypt - now as a slave:
00:26:03.89\00:26:07.23
"It's OK because God's
going to do something great. "
00:26:07.60\00:26:09.56
But God hadn't
given him that assurance.
00:26:09.76\00:26:11.50
So how about you?
If God had said to you:
00:26:13.17\00:26:15.17
"I've got
something GREAT for you to do
00:26:15.57\00:26:18.44
but in the meantime you're going
to go through some hardship. "
00:26:19.57\00:26:22.14
You would say: "That's
all right; bring it on! "
00:26:22.34\00:26:26.41
"Your family will reject
you. " "But if it means I can do
00:26:26.61\00:26:28.42
something great for You,
Lord, that's OK with me. "
00:26:28.62\00:26:30.72
"You may end up in prison. "
00:26:31.59\00:26:32.92
"That's OK if it means I can
do something great for You! "
00:26:32.99\00:26:36.59
"You're going to save a nation.
00:26:36.83\00:26:38.93
The family's going
to come back together. "
00:26:39.33\00:26:41.03
"You'll do something so dramatic
00:26:41.43\00:26:43.20
that thousands of years later
00:26:43.43\00:26:45.77
they'll be talking
about it at Camp Meeting! "
00:26:45.97\00:26:48.34
You would say: "Sign me up! "
00:26:48.54\00:26:50.47
So how is it that we can
know we are children of God
00:26:53.11\00:26:57.41
and then have
experiences in our lives
00:26:57.81\00:27:00.48
we just forget that
and we become disconsolate
00:27:00.88\00:27:03.52
and discouraged and depressed?
00:27:03.72\00:27:05.05
As a matter of fact
God has already told you
00:27:05.45\00:27:08.66
that His plan is to do something
great in you and through you.
00:27:09.19\00:27:13.06
He's told you that.
00:27:13.46\00:27:14.76
He has assured you of that.
00:27:14.93\00:27:16.26
You've read
Revelation chapter 18 verse 1.
00:27:16.30\00:27:18.93
Says the whole world is
"lit up with the manifestation
00:27:19.13\00:27:22.77
of the character of God. "
00:27:22.97\00:27:25.07
God has said: "I want to use YOU
00:27:25.47\00:27:28.28
to show the
world what I'm like. "
00:27:28.48\00:27:30.15
"I want to use you to
take the gospel to the world. "
00:27:30.35\00:27:32.68
"I want you to be Exhibit
A before the universe of what
00:27:32.88\00:27:35.82
the grace of God can do in
the life of a broken person. "
00:27:36.02\00:27:38.55
God has given us that assurance.
00:27:38.95\00:27:40.96
We are on a
journey towards heaven.
00:27:41.99\00:27:43.96
We are in the
palm of God's hand.
00:27:44.16\00:27:45.66
We ought never
ever let appearances
00:27:45.86\00:27:50.07
suggest to us or convince
us that God is not working.
00:27:51.17\00:27:56.77
God is working.
00:27:57.17\00:27:58.51
We read Romans 8:28 that
says: "All things work together
00:27:58.54\00:28:02.24
for good for those who love God.
00:28:02.44\00:28:03.78
For those who are the called
according to His purpose. "
00:28:03.98\00:28:06.11
Do we believe it? Yes or no?
00:28:06.31\00:28:07.65
All right... we've got
to act like we believe it.
00:28:07.68\00:28:09.32
How many things
work together for good?
00:28:09.52\00:28:11.49
All! ALL things
work together for good.
00:28:11.69\00:28:13.89
And you get the bad news you
are sick; you have some illness.
00:28:14.72\00:28:17.19
You wonder whether
you're going to make it.
00:28:17.39\00:28:18.73
Will that work
together for good? Yes or no?
00:28:18.79\00:28:20.53
Yes it will. Doesn't mean you
need to enjoy the experience,
00:28:20.73\00:28:23.87
but you don't need to believe
for a moment that God is not
00:28:24.07\00:28:27.64
with you. Amen! You
might suffer some kind of loss.
00:28:27.80\00:28:30.91
Is God with you?
YES God is with you!
00:28:31.11\00:28:33.78
And you don't know
how God is working it out.
00:28:33.98\00:28:37.05
You know, I met a
lady one day. A tornado had
00:28:37.25\00:28:39.35
ripped through her
home. I saw the home.
00:28:39.55\00:28:41.05
It was... it was a MESS!
00:28:41.25\00:28:43.79
Walk in the kitchen and
it's like walking outside.
00:28:44.49\00:28:47.39
There's... a roof is
missing and a wall is missing.
00:28:47.59\00:28:50.13
The house is destroyed...
she lost everything.
00:28:50.33\00:28:52.53
Worse... not that long
before her husband had died.
00:28:52.93\00:28:57.53
Can you imagine?
00:28:57.90\00:28:59.23
Her husband had died
00:28:59.43\00:29:01.14
and now a tornado destroys the
home and she and her children
00:29:01.34\00:29:04.04
wonder what's
going to happen next.
00:29:04.24\00:29:05.57
Well you know,
when a tornado comes
00:29:05.87\00:29:07.54
folks can be helpful. And
somebody drove up and said:
00:29:07.74\00:29:09.84
"Is there anything
I can do for you? "
00:29:10.08\00:29:11.41
A man drove up and said:
"Is there anything I can do
00:29:11.78\00:29:14.15
for you? " Now
if you're thinking,
00:29:14.35\00:29:16.82
you ought to see
where this story is going.
00:29:17.02\00:29:18.42
Now a tornado has got to
be about the worst thing that
00:29:19.69\00:29:21.72
can possibly
happen in your life.
00:29:21.92\00:29:24.73
You know, it's bad
news... house is destroyed.
00:29:24.93\00:29:27.60
The man said: "Can I help? "
00:29:28.13\00:29:29.83
And she said:
"Yeah, you can help. "
00:29:30.07\00:29:32.60
And so he helped. And
he came back, he said:
00:29:32.80\00:29:34.94
"Can I help you again? "
00:29:35.14\00:29:36.47
And she said: "Yeah,
you can help again. "
00:29:36.91\00:29:38.37
And then he came up one day
and said: "Will you marry me? "
00:29:38.77\00:29:41.54
and she said: "Absolutely! "
00:29:41.74\00:29:43.08
I missed out some
of the details here.
00:29:45.91\00:29:47.95
But was God
working in that tornado?
00:29:49.05\00:29:51.15
Oh yeah! I don't
think she wants to go back
00:29:51.35\00:29:53.46
pre-tornado!
00:29:53.66\00:29:55.36
You see, God has
purposes. He's working them out.
00:29:56.09\00:29:58.76
It may not always feel that way
00:29:58.96\00:30:00.43
but He is working them out.
00:30:01.00\00:30:02.33
You know, when we ever get
to the place we can look back
00:30:02.53\00:30:05.30
over our lives from
an eternal perspective
00:30:05.50\00:30:07.60
we would not choose
to change anything. Amen!
00:30:08.00\00:30:11.91
We would say: "God got it
right. He got it all right. "
00:30:12.11\00:30:14.88
And so we believe that
God is getting it all right.
00:30:15.68\00:30:19.21
That's what we believe.
00:30:19.41\00:30:21.05
They were talking about these
things which have happened.
00:30:22.25\00:30:24.72
"Their eyes were holden
that they did not know Jesus
00:30:26.05\00:30:28.82
was in their midst. "
And so He said to them
00:30:29.02\00:30:31.33
in verse 17 of Luke chapter 24:
00:30:31.53\00:30:33.36
"What manner of communications
are these that ye have
00:30:34.30\00:30:37.33
one to another as
ye walk and are sad? "
00:30:37.53\00:30:41.40
"What are you talking about? "
00:30:43.94\00:30:45.64
Deep in discussion
here. Stranger sidles up
00:30:46.04\00:30:49.48
alongside of them,
walks on that rocky road.
00:30:49.68\00:30:51.61
"So what are
you talking about? "
00:30:51.81\00:30:53.75
"And one of them
whose name was Cleopas
00:30:54.32\00:30:56.42
answering said to Him...
" These are some of the most
00:30:56.62\00:30:59.59
remarkable words
in the whole Bible!
00:30:59.79\00:31:01.29
They absolutely are.
00:31:01.49\00:31:02.82
"Are You only a
stranger in Jerusalem?
00:31:02.86\00:31:05.86
Don't You know the
things that have happened here
00:31:06.80\00:31:08.83
these last few days? "
00:31:09.03\00:31:10.53
He was asking the
"star of the show. "
00:31:11.50\00:31:14.74
"Don't You know what's
happened here recently? "
00:31:16.00\00:31:20.14
And I just wonder...
Jesus had a sense of humor
00:31:20.94\00:31:23.91
and a sense of the moment. I
just wonder if He looked down
00:31:24.11\00:31:26.88
at the scars in His
hands and thought to Himself
00:31:27.08\00:31:29.55
"You know, I do
have a fair idea. "
00:31:29.75\00:31:31.59
"Don't You even know
what's happened out here, man? "
00:31:34.86\00:31:37.49
"Don't You know? " And
so Jesus answered and said:
00:31:37.69\00:31:41.90
"What things? "
00:31:42.60\00:31:44.43
"What's happened? "
00:31:44.63\00:31:46.23
"Explain...
tell on, wise ones. "
00:31:46.43\00:31:50.04
"And they said to Him: 'Con-
cerning Jesus of Nazareth. ' "
00:31:50.24\00:31:52.97
Now you've got to
notice their words here.
00:31:53.17\00:31:54.84
"Concerning Jesus of
Nazareth which was a prophet...
00:31:55.88\00:32:00.72
mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people. "
00:32:02.08\00:32:06.96
Ooh, those words
must have stung Jesus!
00:32:07.69\00:32:12.69
"And now the chief priests
and our rulers delivered Him
00:32:13.53\00:32:15.80
to be condemned to
death and have crucified Him.
00:32:16.00\00:32:18.23
But we trusted that it
had been He which should have
00:32:18.63\00:32:24.01
redeemed
Israel. And besides this
00:32:24.21\00:32:27.94
today is the third day since
all of these things were done. "
00:32:28.14\00:32:30.51
They even go on to say:
"Yea, and certain women also
00:32:30.91\00:32:33.88
of our company made us
astonished which were early
00:32:34.08\00:32:36.48
at the sepulcher. When
they found not His body
00:32:36.69\00:32:38.69
they came saying that
they had also seen a vision
00:32:38.89\00:32:40.66
of angels which
said that He was alive.
00:32:40.86\00:32:42.82
And certain of them which were
with us went to the sepulcher
00:32:43.22\00:32:45.53
and found it even so
as the women had said
00:32:45.73\00:32:48.53
but Him they saw not. "
00:32:48.73\00:32:50.10
They weren't even listening
to themselves, were they?
00:32:50.50\00:32:52.40
They're walking with Jesus and
they are completely crestfallen.
00:32:53.87\00:32:57.44
And they're sad.
Jesus said: "You are sad!
00:32:57.84\00:33:02.08
What's going on? " They
said: "You don't know? "
00:33:02.28\00:33:03.88
He said: "Ah...
don't know what? "
00:33:04.08\00:33:06.41
"There was this Man
Jesus... He was a prophet. "
00:33:07.88\00:33:11.32
"Whoo, a prophet?
Are you kidding? "
00:33:11.52\00:33:14.19
"He was a Prophet but
He was more than that.
00:33:14.39\00:33:16.19
He was the Messiah. "
00:33:16.39\00:33:18.99
They said: "We thought He
was the One who would have
00:33:20.70\00:33:25.27
redeemed Israel. "
00:33:25.47\00:33:26.90
These were dark moments
for Cleopas and his friend.
00:33:27.10\00:33:32.74
Dark moments, but they
need not have been dark moments.
00:33:33.14\00:33:36.61
They're talking through this
thing: "This is the third day
00:33:37.01\00:33:40.52
since it
happened... the third day. "
00:33:40.72\00:33:43.39
You know what, the
third day in the Bible
00:33:44.05\00:33:49.66
in Matthew chapter 27
00:33:50.09\00:33:52.33
I'll read to you
from verse 62... it says:
00:33:52.53\00:33:54.60
"Now the next day that followed
the day of the preparation
00:33:54.83\00:33:57.50
the chief priests and Pharisees
came together to Pilate
00:33:57.70\00:34:00.44
and they said: 'Sir, we
remember that the deceiver said
00:34:00.64\00:34:03.27
while He was yet
alive "After three days
00:34:03.51\00:34:06.81
I will rise again. '
00:34:07.01\00:34:08.61
We need a watch of soldiers
to go down there and secure
00:34:09.01\00:34:11.08
the tomb so that
somebody doesn't come and steal
00:34:11.28\00:34:12.81
the body. " The heathens said:
00:34:13.01\00:34:16.69
"After three days He had
promised He would rise. "
00:34:17.59\00:34:22.16
Jesus' best friends
didn't remember that at all!
00:34:22.36\00:34:26.23
They should have been saying:
"Hallelujah! This is the day!
00:34:26.63\00:34:29.30
This is the third day.
They went down to the tomb;
00:34:29.50\00:34:31.77
He was not there. He
promised us that He would rise.
00:34:31.97\00:34:34.60
We don't know where He is but
He's around here somewhere. "
00:34:34.80\00:34:36.97
"We're looking...
we're going to see Jesus. "
00:34:37.17\00:34:39.64
This should have been the
happiest walk of their lives.
00:34:39.84\00:34:42.38
They should have walked
with a spring in their step!
00:34:42.58\00:34:45.05
"Oh, man... we're
going to see Him again
00:34:45.25\00:34:47.58
because this is day
three! Can you believe it? "
00:34:47.75\00:34:50.15
And they even said:
"They went down to the tomb
00:34:50.35\00:34:53.82
and angels said
that He was risen. "
00:34:54.02\00:34:56.52
And somehow they just blocked
that out of their intelligence.
00:34:58.59\00:35:03.97
They were so filled with their
own discouragement that they
00:35:04.40\00:35:09.30
could no longer hear the
plainest statements of Jesus.
00:35:09.50\00:35:12.34
Remarkable this... remarkable!
00:35:12.74\00:35:14.68
How wrong were they?
00:35:15.84\00:35:18.05
Now I understand there are some
things that you find difficult
00:35:18.25\00:35:20.72
to understand. That's... sure.
00:35:20.92\00:35:23.08
And let me speak to
that just for a moment.
00:35:23.49\00:35:24.82
I don't want to get off
on too many tangents here
00:35:25.02\00:35:26.99
but I'll say this: there
are some things in the Bible
00:35:27.19\00:35:29.26
that are difficult to under-
stand. No question about it.
00:35:29.46\00:35:31.59
Where did God come from?
00:35:31.99\00:35:33.33
OK... you can't
explain that one, can you?
00:35:34.83\00:35:36.93
And it's just as
well that you can't
00:35:37.33\00:35:38.67
because if you could
explain God He would suddenly be
00:35:38.83\00:35:40.80
explainable. He would be
small; He wouldn't be vast.
00:35:41.00\00:35:43.67
He wouldn't be supreme. We just
know that God has always been.
00:35:43.87\00:35:48.48
If you start to try and explain
things that you don't have the
00:35:49.48\00:35:54.78
ability to explain you end
up getting in over your head.
00:35:54.98\00:35:59.25
Doesn't mean we shouldn't
think about these things.
00:35:59.85\00:36:02.02
We don't know much about
heaven other than what we read
00:36:02.42\00:36:04.36
in the Bible. We don't know
how it can be; exactly where...
00:36:04.53\00:36:06.63
We don't know all of
that but we accept it.
00:36:06.83\00:36:08.96
The plan of
salvation: how could Jesus
00:36:09.70\00:36:11.80
enter somehow into
the womb of a woman
00:36:12.00\00:36:15.90
and grow as a
baby - as a fetus -
00:36:16.91\00:36:21.68
and then be born? How in
the world could that happen?
00:36:22.38\00:36:24.51
We don't know but we accept it.
00:36:24.71\00:36:26.05
We know it happened.
00:36:26.55\00:36:27.88
How it happened? Let God
know. He'll explain it to us
00:36:28.02\00:36:30.29
one day if we need to know.
00:36:30.49\00:36:32.12
Here's one where
people get really upside down
00:36:32.52\00:36:34.89
and that's on the subject
of the Godhead or the Trinity.
00:36:35.49\00:36:39.13
This is
unexplainable other than to say:
00:36:40.53\00:36:44.50
the Godhead is a unity
of three co-eternal persons.
00:36:45.03\00:36:49.57
The Father has existed forever;
00:36:50.47\00:36:52.41
the Son has existed forever;
00:36:52.81\00:36:54.48
the Holy Spirit
has existed forever.
00:36:54.88\00:36:57.21
They are three individual beings
yet they comprise one God.
00:36:57.41\00:37:01.82
If you leave it at
that, you can understand that.
00:37:02.02\00:37:03.75
But once you say:
"Mmm... but how? "
00:37:03.95\00:37:06.32
"Mmm... but who? "
"Mmm... but really. "
00:37:06.52\00:37:09.42
And you know what happens?
Once you step off the platform
00:37:09.62\00:37:13.23
of the Word of God
you're standing on very thin ice
00:37:13.43\00:37:16.36
and it's not long before
you're going to break through
00:37:16.56\00:37:17.97
unless you get to solid ground.
00:37:18.37\00:37:19.83
If there's
something in the Word of God
00:37:20.87\00:37:23.04
that you find
difficult to understand,
00:37:23.24\00:37:25.51
take a run at it. Pray about it.
00:37:25.71\00:37:28.08
Study it... but don't
let it cause you to doubt
00:37:28.28\00:37:32.15
anything in the world. Amen!
It's as sure as night follows
00:37:32.35\00:37:36.22
day that Jesus existed;
00:37:36.42\00:37:37.85
that God is in heaven;
that Jesus is coming again;
00:37:38.25\00:37:40.96
that the Word
of God is reliable.
00:37:41.16\00:37:42.89
I'm not encouraging
anybody to embrace ignorance
00:37:43.29\00:37:46.59
and remain in the
dark. I don't mean that.
00:37:46.80\00:37:48.76
But when there's something that
you find difficult to understand
00:37:49.26\00:37:51.87
you ought to say: "Hallelujah!
God is higher above me than
00:37:52.07\00:37:56.20
the heavens are above me. "
00:37:56.40\00:37:58.21
We shouldn't be able to
understand every last thing
00:37:58.61\00:38:01.31
about God. And when
we start to make a muddle
00:38:01.61\00:38:06.11
out of Biblical mysteries
we are wresting the scriptures
00:38:06.31\00:38:10.32
to our own destruction.
00:38:10.52\00:38:12.15
And so there are some
questions that we'll have
00:38:13.32\00:38:14.92
that we find hard to understand.
00:38:15.12\00:38:16.46
I don't mean mysteries now.
00:38:16.56\00:38:18.16
Did you expect that you
would have lived this long
00:38:20.83\00:38:22.73
and Jesus still
hadn't returned? No.
00:38:22.93\00:38:25.50
We all thought that Jesus would
have been back before this.
00:38:26.57\00:38:29.14
And yet He hasn't come back.
00:38:30.01\00:38:31.34
Does that mean He's
not going to return?
00:38:31.47\00:38:33.14
No! He's still going to return.
00:38:33.38\00:38:34.98
When's Jesus going to come back?
00:38:35.18\00:38:36.75
Soon! Soon...
that's the right answer.
00:38:37.15\00:38:39.11
How soon is soon?
00:38:39.51\00:38:40.85
Soon enough! Soon enough!
00:38:41.45\00:38:44.49
The timing of the
second coming of Jesus
00:38:44.89\00:38:46.89
is not our concern.
It doesn't matter...
00:38:47.09\00:38:49.59
now hear me carefully...
00:38:49.79\00:38:51.43
it doesn't matter if
Jesus doesn't come back
00:38:51.63\00:38:52.96
for a thousand years.
I think that's impossible
00:38:52.99\00:38:55.63
but if He chose
to wait 1,000 years
00:38:55.83\00:38:58.17
we would simply say:
"Amen and Hallelujah! "
00:38:58.37\00:39:00.50
Why? Because Jesus
Himself told us what to do
00:39:01.00\00:39:05.17
about the
second coming of Jesus.
00:39:05.37\00:39:07.24
He tells a story... It
says He tells the story
00:39:08.58\00:39:12.35
to a group of
people - this is Luke 19-
00:39:12.55\00:39:14.78
who believed that
the kingdom of God
00:39:15.28\00:39:17.32
should immediately appear.
00:39:17.52\00:39:18.89
That would make them by
definition "Adventists. "
00:39:19.09\00:39:22.59
Right? So He tells a
group of Adventists a story.
00:39:22.99\00:39:26.73
They're expecting
the kingdom any day now
00:39:26.96\00:39:29.20
and He speaks of a nobleman
who went into a far country.
00:39:29.40\00:39:31.83
And before he left he
gathered his servants together
00:39:32.23\00:39:34.24
and he gave them 10
pounds and he said to them:
00:39:34.37\00:39:37.51
"Occupy till I come. "
00:39:37.91\00:39:39.41
He didn't say when
he was coming back.
00:39:40.38\00:39:42.11
He just said:
"Whenever it is... you occupy. "
00:39:42.31\00:39:44.81
Now that word occupy is
the Greek word pragmateuomai
00:39:45.58\00:39:48.68
and it means be about
your father's business
00:39:48.88\00:39:51.42
or trade with
these or be in business
00:39:51.62\00:39:56.93
until Jesus comes or
the nobleman comes back.
00:39:57.13\00:40:00.60
Speaking about His own return
Jesus didn't give us the time.
00:40:01.46\00:40:05.57
He said: "You'll see signs
so that you can know it's near
00:40:05.77\00:40:07.97
even at the doors. "
00:40:08.17\00:40:09.50
But the issue isn't
the question of timing.
00:40:10.37\00:40:12.47
The issue is what do
you do while you wait.
00:40:12.67\00:40:15.98
And Jesus said: "Occupy. "
00:40:16.95\00:40:19.81
If Jesus comes back next
week and you are occupying,
00:40:20.02\00:40:23.35
you are about your
Father's business, Amen.
00:40:23.55\00:40:25.82
If it's 5 years and you are liv-
ing for Jesus for those 5 years
00:40:26.22\00:40:29.22
or 10 or 20 or whatever it is,
00:40:29.42\00:40:31.03
it's immaterial. Let
God decide on the timing.
00:40:31.23\00:40:34.63
We decide that we will be
about our Father's business
00:40:35.13\00:40:38.67
until Jesus comes
back whenever that is.
00:40:38.97\00:40:41.70
Can you say Amen? Amen!
No need to get discouraged.
00:40:41.90\00:40:44.47
You don't need to lose heart.
00:40:44.87\00:40:46.34
You don't need to lose hope.
"I've been waiting for decades.
00:40:46.54\00:40:48.81
The preacher said that He would
have come back 50 years ago. "
00:40:49.01\00:40:51.48
Well thank the Lord He
didn't because in those 50 years
00:40:51.68\00:40:54.65
a whole lot more
people got saved. Amen!
00:40:54.85\00:40:56.72
Thank the Lord He didn't
00:40:56.92\00:40:58.25
because this means that you
can still pray for your children
00:40:58.29\00:41:00.56
or your grandchildren
who aren't in the faith.
00:41:00.76\00:41:02.39
You can still
work for your neighbor.
00:41:02.59\00:41:04.23
You can still be an
active part of the church
00:41:04.39\00:41:06.19
sharing light and
truth with your community.
00:41:06.39\00:41:08.40
Amen! We want Jesus to come back
00:41:08.60\00:41:11.07
right away, but if
He doesn't, if He waits
00:41:11.27\00:41:14.10
it just gives us time
to be about His business.
00:41:14.27\00:41:17.27
What do you say?
Amen! No question about it.
00:41:17.47\00:41:19.54
He says: "Occupy. " We
don't want to get distracted.
00:41:19.74\00:41:22.68
"We have not followed
cunningly-devised fables. "
00:41:22.88\00:41:25.75
The Word of God is true.
These guys lost their hope.
00:41:25.95\00:41:29.85
They're walking to
Emmaus, that seven-mile journey.
00:41:31.22\00:41:34.16
This was a dark moment for them.
00:41:34.36\00:41:37.19
Should have been
a time of rejoicing.
00:41:37.59\00:41:39.33
It was a dark moment.
00:41:40.06\00:41:41.60
The Bible says that Jesus
had to get their attention.
00:41:41.90\00:41:44.67
He said to them in
verse 25 of Luke 24:
00:41:45.07\00:41:47.50
"O fools and slow of
heart to believe all that the
00:41:47.90\00:41:52.51
prophets have spoken.
00:41:52.71\00:41:54.31
Ought not Christ
have suffered these things
00:41:54.71\00:41:59.01
and to enter into His glory? "
00:41:59.21\00:42:01.98
"What? Messiah was
supposed to go through
00:42:02.18\00:42:05.59
the things that you've witnessed
over the last couple of days. "
00:42:05.79\00:42:08.06
"Really? " I mean, how
were they to know, right?
00:42:08.46\00:42:11.36
All they had was
the Old Testament.
00:42:11.56\00:42:12.96
But the Old Testament speaks
about Jesus just as clearly
00:42:16.06\00:42:19.87
as the New Testament does. Amen!
00:42:20.10\00:42:21.77
And He showed them that.
00:42:22.17\00:42:23.67
The Word of God says:
"Beginning at Moses and all the
00:42:23.87\00:42:25.97
Prophets He expounded
unto them in all the scriptures
00:42:26.17\00:42:29.24
the things concerning Himself. "
00:42:29.44\00:42:31.15
Where did He start?
He started at Moses.
00:42:31.35\00:42:34.12
Moses wrote Genesis, Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy,
00:42:34.32\00:42:37.25
and Job. Not only Moses but who?
00:42:37.45\00:42:40.26
ALL the Prophets.
00:42:40.66\00:42:41.99
Who would that be?
00:42:42.12\00:42:43.53
It'd be Daniel;
that'd be Isaiah.
00:42:43.73\00:42:47.46
That would be Jeremiah.
00:42:48.06\00:42:51.67
That would be
Malachi, right? Malachi!
00:42:52.07\00:42:55.17
And so He went through the
first books of the Old Testament
00:42:55.37\00:42:59.07
all the way through to the end.
00:42:59.27\00:43:01.11
"Starting at Moses
and ALL the Prophets
00:43:01.31\00:43:03.98
He showed Himself to
them from the scriptures. "
00:43:05.58\00:43:09.85
He started at Genesis.
00:43:10.29\00:43:11.95
Where do you see
Jesus in Genesis?
00:43:12.15\00:43:14.32
"In the beginning
God... " Did what?
00:43:14.52\00:43:17.89
"created. "
Jesus is the Creator.
00:43:18.09\00:43:19.73
He's also the promised Redeemer
of Genesis 3 and verse 15.
00:43:19.93\00:43:23.33
Jesus is in the book of Genesis.
00:43:23.73\00:43:26.37
You turn to Exodus. Where
do you see Jesus in Exodus?
00:43:26.80\00:43:29.97
Jesus was the Passover
Lamb in the book of Exodus.
00:43:30.37\00:43:33.78
"Jesus, " it says, "was the
Rock. " Even Paul writing to the
00:43:34.38\00:43:37.51
Corinthians said: "The
Rock that followed them
00:43:37.68\00:43:40.08
was Christ. "
Jesus was the Lamb.
00:43:40.28\00:43:42.72
Jesus was the Rock.
Jesus is in the book of Exodus.
00:43:42.92\00:43:46.49
And so Cleopas and his brother,
they're listening and...
00:43:46.92\00:43:49.66
"Ah, how about that! Sure. "
00:43:49.86\00:43:51.49
And then they get to
the book of Leviticus.
00:43:51.69\00:43:53.23
Jesus is the High Priest
in the book of Leviticus.
00:43:53.66\00:43:56.16
There are 39 books
in the Old Testament.
00:43:56.36\00:43:58.17
I'm not going to
touch on every one of them
00:43:58.37\00:43:59.70
but I'll touch on a
few of them for you.
00:43:59.73\00:44:01.14
They get to Joshua.
Where was Jesus in Joshua?
00:44:01.17\00:44:04.71
He was the Captain
of the Lord's Host.
00:44:05.11\00:44:06.98
In Judges He is the Deliverer.
00:44:07.18\00:44:08.78
In Ruth He is
the Kinsmen Redeemer.
00:44:09.18\00:44:11.91
In Nehemiah He is building
up what had been broken down.
00:44:12.11\00:44:16.15
He's the Restorer of His people.
00:44:16.35\00:44:18.09
In Esther He's the Protector.
00:44:18.29\00:44:20.66
In Job Jesus is the Redeemer.
00:44:21.02\00:44:24.43
In Psalms He is
comfort; He is hope;
00:44:24.63\00:44:28.86
and He is the Messiah...
00:44:29.06\00:44:31.17
the crucified
Messiah of Psalm 22.
00:44:31.37\00:44:35.24
In Proverbs He is wisdom.
00:44:35.64\00:44:37.17
In Ecclesiastes He is
what is truly important.
00:44:37.37\00:44:41.64
In the Song of Solomon He
is the One who loves us dearly.
00:44:41.84\00:44:46.18
In the book of
Isaiah He is the Messiah.
00:44:46.78\00:44:48.75
He's also a Man of sorrows
and acquainted with grief.
00:44:48.95\00:44:51.85
They're listening now. "He was
despised and rejected of men. "
00:44:52.45\00:44:55.49
They're listening now.
00:44:55.69\00:44:57.03
"It pleased the
Lord to bruise Him. "
00:44:57.09\00:44:58.79
The lights are coming on.
00:44:58.99\00:45:00.63
"You mean that's Messiah? "
00:45:00.83\00:45:02.26
Surely He's right there for
you to see in the Old Testament
00:45:02.46\00:45:05.83
scriptures. In
Jeremiah and Lamentations
00:45:06.03\00:45:08.37
He is the weeping Prophet.
00:45:08.57\00:45:09.90
In Ezekiel He is the
heart surgeon who says
00:45:10.01\00:45:13.04
"a new heart also
will I give you. "
00:45:13.24\00:45:15.21
He promises life
in the place of death
00:45:15.61\00:45:18.18
and a heart of flesh in
the place of a heart of stone.
00:45:18.38\00:45:21.95
In the book of
Daniel where's the Messiah?
00:45:22.65\00:45:24.55
He is the Judge.
00:45:24.75\00:45:26.15
And where do you see Jesus
out there on the plain of Dura?
00:45:27.89\00:45:32.09
They will not bow down. They
are cast into a fiery furnace.
00:45:32.29\00:45:35.10
And where is Christ?
He's right there in the fire
00:45:35.30\00:45:38.47
with His people.
Jesus identifies with you.
00:45:38.67\00:45:40.94
And when you are going
through a hard time look around.
00:45:41.14\00:45:43.47
When you are having a
dark moment Jesus is there.
00:45:43.87\00:45:46.27
He hasn't abandoned you.
00:45:46.47\00:45:47.91
His providence has
led you to that place
00:45:48.11\00:45:50.31
and His deliverance will ulti-
mately lead you from that place.
00:45:50.51\00:45:53.15
Jesus is there all the way
through the book of Daniel.
00:45:53.58\00:45:56.65
Where else is Jesus?
00:45:56.85\00:45:58.19
In the book of Hosea
He is faithful to us...
00:45:58.22\00:46:02.72
even when we are unfaithful.
00:46:03.12\00:46:06.03
In Joel He pours out
His Spirit on His people.
00:46:06.23\00:46:09.43
In Amos He is the
God of all nations.
00:46:09.63\00:46:13.77
In Micah He's the One
who was born in Bethlehem.
00:46:13.97\00:46:16.94
In Haggai He is the
Desire of all nations.
00:46:17.24\00:46:20.41
In Zechariah He is the
Fountain for cleansing.
00:46:20.61\00:46:23.75
In Malachi He is the
Sun of Righteousness.
00:46:23.95\00:46:27.52
Can you imagine what's
going through their hearts now?
00:46:27.92\00:46:30.82
"Man! How did we miss it? "
00:46:31.42\00:46:33.56
"We memorized that. We
taught it to our children;
00:46:33.76\00:46:37.13
we shared it with our friends.
00:46:37.33\00:46:39.03
Surely this was
Messiah all the time! "
00:46:39.43\00:46:43.00
They had looked on the death
of Jesus as the destruction
00:46:44.17\00:46:47.04
of all of their
hopes not realizing that
00:46:47.24\00:46:48.84
the death of Jesus was the ful-
fillment of all of their hopes.
00:46:49.04\00:46:54.28
Jesus showed them from
the writings of the prophets
00:46:55.81\00:46:58.88
that what had gone on
over the last couple of days
00:46:59.08\00:47:01.38
was the greatest evidence
that they could ever hope for
00:47:01.98\00:47:04.42
that He indeed was the Messiah.
00:47:04.62\00:47:07.82
Jesus valued the
Old Testament so much
00:47:08.52\00:47:10.36
that He said: "If they
hear not Moses and the prophets
00:47:10.56\00:47:12.59
neither will they be persuaded
those One rose from the dead. "
00:47:13.09\00:47:16.23
He said: "There's enough in the
Old Testament to convince them
00:47:16.97\00:47:19.23
that I am the Messiah. "
00:47:19.43\00:47:20.84
And here in their dark moments
Cleopas and his friend were
00:47:22.34\00:47:24.81
walking the road to Emmaus.
00:47:25.01\00:47:26.34
The bottom had
fallen out of their world.
00:47:26.54\00:47:28.34
Listen to their language.
00:47:28.54\00:47:29.88
"We thought that He was the One
who was going to deliver... "
00:47:29.94\00:47:33.92
Right there in their words
00:47:34.12\00:47:37.19
was the unspoken
thought - you could even call it
00:47:37.75\00:47:40.46
the spoken thought -
"How wrong were we? "
00:47:40.66\00:47:43.53
"Our hopes had
been in this Jesus,
00:47:44.49\00:47:47.86
But because it didn't turn
out the way we thought it should
00:47:49.10\00:47:51.97
clearly we were wrong. "
00:47:54.80\00:47:56.14
Imagine... Imagine all
those great saints and pioneers
00:47:57.11\00:48:01.01
who died having spent
their whole life proclaiming
00:48:01.21\00:48:03.88
the return of Jesus.
"Well, He hasn't come back. "
00:48:04.08\00:48:07.15
Was there something
wrong with their understanding?
00:48:07.55\00:48:10.22
No, no, no...
they understood right:
00:48:10.42\00:48:11.75
Jesus was coming back soon.
00:48:11.79\00:48:13.12
Was there something wrong
with their interpretation of the
00:48:13.89\00:48:15.82
Bible? No, no, no!
00:48:16.02\00:48:17.36
Certainly Jesus was going
to come back to this earth.
00:48:17.39\00:48:19.59
There was nothing wrong
other than they didn't have the
00:48:20.53\00:48:22.90
ability to see from
God's perspective, that's all.
00:48:23.10\00:48:26.33
When you can't see
from God's perspective
00:48:27.17\00:48:29.07
that doesn't mean that you
ought to abandon your hope.
00:48:29.27\00:48:31.57
Hang on to your hope.
00:48:32.31\00:48:33.88
The Word of God doesn't sudden-
ly turn from a truth-teller
00:48:34.08\00:48:36.48
to a liar. I remember
heading home from 3ABN -
00:48:36.68\00:48:41.25
this was when It Is
Written was still in California
00:48:41.45\00:48:43.39
and I was flying. We can
drive here from Chattanooga.
00:48:43.59\00:48:46.96
I like that. Had to fly
all the way to Los Angeles
00:48:47.16\00:48:50.03
you know. As I was heading
back - it was a Sunday morning
00:48:50.23\00:48:53.90
I guess - and I don't
know for whatever reason I was
00:48:54.10\00:48:56.26
running short on time
00:48:56.46\00:48:57.80
and I had a
rental car to return.
00:48:58.20\00:48:59.93
And I did not know where
to find the rental car place.
00:49:00.97\00:49:05.77
I didn't have a clue.
00:49:05.97\00:49:07.44
You know, often you can
just drive and say: "I think
00:49:07.94\00:49:09.91
I know where that
is. " Not this time.
00:49:10.11\00:49:12.58
And I had to drop off the
rental car, deal with the rental
00:49:12.78\00:49:15.35
car agency. Get on the bus,
take the bus over to St. Louis.
00:49:15.55\00:49:18.45
St. Louis has like...
The security lines are...
00:49:18.65\00:49:22.42
you wouldn't even believe them.
00:49:22.62\00:49:23.96
I don't understand how some
airports can be so efficient
00:49:24.19\00:49:26.63
and others can
be so inefficient.
00:49:26.83\00:49:28.56
St. Louis... often
those lines are long
00:49:29.43\00:49:32.30
as long can be.
00:49:32.50\00:49:34.04
So I thought to myself: "I
cannot afford to waste time.
00:49:34.24\00:49:37.01
I cannot be late; I
cannot miss this thing. "
00:49:37.21\00:49:39.64
And so I called my wife.
00:49:40.08\00:49:41.44
I said: "Melissa, I'm
heading towards St. Louis.
00:49:42.21\00:49:45.38
I'd like to get the car
back to the rental car place.
00:49:45.58\00:49:47.35
I don't know where it is...
could you please tell me. "
00:49:47.55\00:49:49.02
So she opened up the computer,
00:49:49.42\00:49:50.89
opened up the maps,
00:49:51.05\00:49:52.39
typed in where I was,
00:49:52.49\00:49:53.96
typed in St. Louis,
00:49:54.16\00:49:55.49
found the rental car agency.
00:49:55.56\00:49:57.33
And she said: "OK, you're
going to get down to this road.
00:49:57.93\00:50:00.30
I forget what number.
00:50:00.50\00:50:01.80
When you get it, go south. "
00:50:01.83\00:50:03.26
I said: "No, no,
no... come on now.
00:50:08.44\00:50:10.17
No. The rental car agency is on
the north side of the freeway. "
00:50:10.37\00:50:13.74
If you know the lay
of St. Louis you know.
00:50:13.94\00:50:17.11
What's that freeway
that runs through? Is it 80?
00:50:17.31\00:50:19.15
70? 80? It's 70?
Are you sure it's 70?
00:50:19.35\00:50:23.08
All right, whatever it
is... let's call it 70.
00:50:23.59\00:50:25.22
If I'm wrong it's their fault.
00:50:25.42\00:50:27.62
She said: "Get on 70
and go towards the airport
00:50:30.49\00:50:32.86
and the airport is
on the north side of 70.
00:50:33.06\00:50:35.20
My wife is
telling me "Go south. "
00:50:35.40\00:50:38.73
I said: "No, honey,
I can't be going south.
00:50:39.23\00:50:41.84
It's north. " "No, no,
I'm looking at it right here.
00:50:42.04\00:50:44.57
Go south. " My
wife - how to put this
00:50:44.77\00:50:50.78
delicately? She's
not great with maps.
00:50:50.95\00:50:54.68
If I could just put it
that way. Not great with maps.
00:50:54.88\00:50:57.32
If she was a salmon...
00:50:59.42\00:51:02.22
she would never
find that stream.
00:51:06.13\00:51:08.00
Not happening.
00:51:08.30\00:51:09.96
And so I'm a little skeptical.
00:51:11.20\00:51:13.70
She said: "You've gotta
go south. " I said: "Melissa,
00:51:13.90\00:51:15.60
it's north so can you find
me a road that goes north? "
00:51:15.80\00:51:18.97
She said: "No the road
definitely goes south. "
00:51:19.17\00:51:21.08
I'm looking at a map
right here. I said: "Yeah, but
00:51:21.28\00:51:23.31
maybe your holding the
computer upside down. "
00:51:23.51\00:51:25.95
She said: "No, go south. "
00:51:28.35\00:51:29.68
I looked at the sign. This
road that she's talking about
00:51:29.72\00:51:31.62
is one mile away
00:51:31.82\00:51:33.42
and the speed I was
driving it's about 20 seconds.
00:51:33.62\00:51:36.12
I said: "Sweetie, I don't
have time to be wrong here.
00:51:38.13\00:51:40.66
You'd better be right. "
And she said: "Get on that road.
00:51:40.86\00:51:43.06
You go south. " She
said: "There's one thing you're
00:51:43.30\00:51:44.73
forgetting, " she said,
"I can see the big picture. "
00:51:44.93\00:51:48.30
"OK. "
00:51:51.44\00:51:53.11
I got up there; I took a
left. I went south and you know
00:51:53.51\00:51:56.61
an amazing thing happened.
00:51:56.81\00:51:58.15
She said: "Now you
see what's up ahead? "
00:51:58.25\00:51:59.58
I didn't say anything.
00:51:59.95\00:52:01.35
She said: "You
see it, don't you? "
00:52:01.38\00:52:02.72
I didn't say anything.
00:52:02.75\00:52:04.09
She said: "You go
ahead; you take that road. "
00:52:04.12\00:52:05.45
So I went south; I
got off the off ramp;
00:52:05.85\00:52:08.09
and turned
around and went north!
00:52:08.39\00:52:12.39
How about that?
00:52:12.79\00:52:14.10
She could see the big picture.
00:52:16.10\00:52:17.97
God sees the big picture.
00:52:18.83\00:52:21.70
These brothers
were walking to Emmaus.
00:52:22.20\00:52:23.91
They said: "We thought this
was the One who was going to
00:52:24.11\00:52:25.44
redeem Israel. Oh man,
how wrong could we be? "
00:52:25.61\00:52:27.64
They had the prophecies.
00:52:28.04\00:52:29.78
They had the angels.
00:52:30.41\00:52:32.48
They had the women.
00:52:32.88\00:52:34.65
They said: "Some of our brothers
went on down to the tomb
00:52:34.85\00:52:37.25
and He wasn't there! "
00:52:37.45\00:52:38.79
They should have been
able to put 2 and 2 together
00:52:39.42\00:52:42.52
and celebrate, but instead
00:52:42.92\00:52:45.93
they were discouraged
because of what they saw.
00:52:46.13\00:52:51.07
They couldn't understand
00:52:51.47\00:52:53.47
how a salmon can
find its way back
00:52:53.67\00:52:57.34
so they said:
"Must be evolution. "
00:52:57.54\00:52:59.71
Instead of trusting
that what God says is right
00:53:00.98\00:53:05.05
and that what God
predicts will be carried out
00:53:05.25\00:53:07.42
they abandoned their hope.
00:53:07.62\00:53:09.72
Ran off with a
fable... ran off with a lie.
00:53:09.92\00:53:12.82
A lie of the devil!
00:53:13.02\00:53:15.16
It's the devil who
wanted them to believe
00:53:15.56\00:53:17.53
that Jesus was not with them
00:53:17.69\00:53:19.56
when He was right
there beside them.
00:53:19.76\00:53:21.86
Verse 28: "They drew
nigh unto the village
00:53:22.26\00:53:24.60
whither they went, and He made
as though He would have gone
00:53:24.80\00:53:27.50
further but they constrained
Him saying: "Abide with us. "
00:53:27.70\00:53:30.17
They constrained Him.
00:53:30.37\00:53:32.07
They compelled Him.
00:53:32.27\00:53:33.68
They urged Him.
00:53:33.98\00:53:35.51
Some of us, we
don't urge Jesus to stay.
00:53:35.91\00:53:38.78
We don't go to the Bible
and we don't say like Jacob
00:53:39.18\00:53:41.18
"I will not let You
go unless You bless me. "
00:53:41.38\00:53:43.25
We miss so many blessings.
00:53:43.45\00:53:45.19
And so He came in.. abide.
00:53:45.59\00:53:47.22
"It's toward
evening... the day is far spent.
00:53:47.42\00:53:49.29
He went in to tarry with them.
00:53:49.49\00:53:50.83
It came to pass as He
sat at meat with them" -
00:53:50.89\00:53:52.76
sat to eat with them -
00:53:52.96\00:53:54.30
"He took bread and blessed
00:53:54.30\00:53:55.63
and broke and gave it to them. "
00:53:55.66\00:53:57.00
They said: "Oh my
goodness! That's like what Jesus
00:53:57.03\00:53:58.53
used to do. " He
handed them bread.
00:53:58.73\00:54:00.84
What did they see? Nail prints.
00:54:01.04\00:54:03.10
"Ho... can you believe
it? Can you believe it? "
00:54:03.30\00:54:06.34
Their eyes were
opened; they knew it was Him.
00:54:06.78\00:54:08.84
I imagine they
rushed to fall at His feet.
00:54:09.04\00:54:11.75
The Bible says He
"vanished out of their sight. "
00:54:12.15\00:54:15.22
Now it all
started to make sense.
00:54:16.18\00:54:17.62
They said to each other: "Did
our heart not burn within us?
00:54:17.82\00:54:20.26
Didn't our hearts burn within
us while He talked with us
00:54:20.46\00:54:23.66
by the way and while He opened
up to us the scriptures? "
00:54:23.86\00:54:27.00
"Man, now we understand.
That was Jesus the whole time. "
00:54:27.40\00:54:30.03
"Of course it was.
His voice; His mannerisms;
00:54:30.23\00:54:32.07
His form... how
could we miss Him? "
00:54:32.27\00:54:35.00
You miss a lot when you allow
yourself to get dragged down
00:54:35.40\00:54:37.71
into discouragement. You
miss a lot when you allow
00:54:37.91\00:54:40.04
dark moments to
overtake your lives.
00:54:40.24\00:54:42.18
This is not to say
that we shouldn't mourn.
00:54:42.58\00:54:44.25
Of course we should
mourn when it's time to mourn.
00:54:44.45\00:54:46.05
Weeping... that
endures for a night.
00:54:46.45\00:54:48.12
Joy comes in the morning.
00:54:48.32\00:54:49.65
God is good. You
struggle with diagnoses;
00:54:49.72\00:54:52.49
you struggle with
financial situations;
00:54:52.69\00:54:54.66
you struggle with rejection.
00:54:54.86\00:54:56.19
These are dark moments.
00:54:56.22\00:54:57.59
But up above the darkness
of the sky there sits God
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in all His brilliant splendor.
00:55:00.93\00:55:02.63
There sits God, above
the circle of the earth.
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He is still God irrespective
of where we find ourselves.
00:55:05.90\00:55:09.34
Dark moments! They were simply
looking at it all the wrong way.
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Dark moments.
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What did they do? "They
rose up the same hour. "
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They got up and they
went back to Jerusalem.
00:55:17.68\00:55:20.32
They had just walked 7 miles
00:55:20.85\00:55:22.65
and they turned around
and walked 7 miles again.
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I think maybe
this time they ran.
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And you know they had already
said: "Stay, it's getting dark
00:55:28.22\00:55:30.63
now. Stay. "
00:55:30.83\00:55:32.16
In the dark! They
didn't have flashlights.
00:55:32.19\00:55:34.93
They couldn't take
out their cell phone and
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put on their
little spotlight thing.
00:55:37.53\00:55:39.10
I don't know how they navigated
that path in the dark...
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but they did!
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"And they found
the Eleven together
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and them that were
with them and they said:
00:55:47.34\00:55:49.58
"The Lord is risen indeed!
00:55:50.01\00:55:53.62
He's appeared to Simon '
00:55:54.02\00:55:56.12
and they told what
things were done in the way
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and how He was known of
them in breaking of bread. "
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I wonder if you'd open your eyes
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and look around...
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around your
circumstances, around your life
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and see where Jesus is.
00:56:16.04\00:56:18.31
Is He with you? Yes or no?
00:56:18.71\00:56:20.48
And when they
discovered it was really Jesus
00:56:20.98\00:56:22.84
what did they do?
00:56:23.04\00:56:24.38
They got up; they ran.
00:56:24.55\00:56:25.95
At some
difficulty it must be added.
00:56:26.35\00:56:28.45
And they told
others: "He's alive!
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He is risen;
He's really with us. "
00:56:31.62\00:56:33.66
Come on, now: whatever
life has done with you,
00:56:34.06\00:56:36.02
whatever dark
moments you have had,
00:56:36.42\00:56:37.76
you've come to this place
where you know that He is alive
00:56:37.93\00:56:39.76
and He is with you. And if
we were be true to this passage
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of scripture
what's incumbent upon us
00:56:43.33\00:56:48.20
is to get up and go tell
somebody that He's alive.
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Let's tell
somebody that He's alive.
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Jesus is coming back soon.
00:56:53.64\00:56:55.24
When? We don't know.
00:56:55.44\00:56:56.81
But between now and
then we know He's alive.
00:56:56.85\00:56:58.85
He's with us. Our hearts
have burned... He's with us.
00:56:59.05\00:57:00.95
Let's follow the
example of these brothers:
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go tell somebody He's
alive. Come on, let's pray.
00:57:03.42\00:57:05.25
We're out of time; let's pray.
00:57:05.45\00:57:06.79
Our Father, we thank you
today that in our dark moments
00:57:06.82\00:57:10.56
You are with us.
00:57:10.76\00:57:12.09
In our challenges You are there.
00:57:12.13\00:57:13.46
Even when we can't
see You we can know You.
00:57:13.73\00:57:16.03
We're encouraged by
this story: "He's alive! "
00:57:16.90\00:57:19.23
Drive us to tell somebody
He's alive, and let us live
00:57:19.43\00:57:22.20
by that hope. We pray with
thanks and love in our hearts
00:57:22.40\00:57:25.31
towards you. In
Jesus' name, let's say:
00:57:25.51\00:57:27.41
Amen, amen, and amen.
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