male announcer: This
presentation is brought to you
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by the friends of the
Amazing Facts Ministry.
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Doug Batchelor : Your
life depends on your hunger.
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Hunger is a good thing.
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But oftentimes we are hungering
for things that give us some
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temporary satisfaction, but it
doesn't last because we're not
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dealing with the deeper issue.
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Doug: We're going through a
series, if you are here for the
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first time, just to give you
some background, we're talking
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about the beatitudes that you
find there in the Sermon on the
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Mount, and it's in the Gospel of
Matthew chapter 5, the first 12
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verses, and right now we're in
part two in that series on the
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beatitudes talking about "Eight
Keys to Joy and to Peace."
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You know, they say in flying,
in aviation, your attitude
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determines your altitude.
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Have you heard
that expression before?
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And what that means is the
attitude of the plane, the plane
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is fixed, the attitude of the
plane going through the air, if
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it's attitude is like that,
it hits the earth and goes down.
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If its attitude is
like this, it goes up.
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If its attitude is like
that, it's going to turn.
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And so, the attitude determines
altitude, and they say that's
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true of you, depending on
what your attitude is in life.
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But I'd like to say
your beatitudes determine
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your altitude.
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The Bible beatitudes, that word
there means blessing, but it
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really is a beatitude,
because it's dealing with the
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inner life.
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All of the beatitudes are
dealing with the inner life.
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Now, we did an introduction and
we covered about three of them
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last, I'd like to
review that quickly.
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It doesn't take long.
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If you turn to your Bibles
to Matthew chapter 5 and we'll
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start with verse 3. Jesus
is speaking to a multitude of
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disciples, He's up on a
hillside, He sits when He
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teaches, and He opens His mouth,
and He says, "Blessed are the
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poor in spirit, for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven."
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Doesn't say someday it will
be, but He said now, it is, the
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kingdom of heaven is at hand.
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And the poor in spirit
are those who recognize their
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spiritual poverty.
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Then He says, "Blessed are those
who mourn," when they realize
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that they're poor, and wretched,
and sinful, and our struggles,
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they mourn for that, He
promises they will be comforted.
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This also is those who
maybe mourning a personal loss.
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The Bible tells us that when
Martha and Mary came to Jesus
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after the death of Lazarus,
He saw everybody weeping and He
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wept with them, but
then He comforted them with
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a resurrection.
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They were comforted.
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And then He says, "Blessed are
the meek, for they will inherit
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the earth," talking about
humility, which is the opposite
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attitude of the devil
who is proud and selfish.
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The meek after we realize
our poverty of spirit, and we
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realize how weak we
are, we mourn those things.
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That will develop within
you an attitude of meekness.
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Have you heard of
someone who's been through a
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humiliating experience?
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They're more likely to behave
meekly than those who are proud
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and arrogant.
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Now, that brings us
to our subject for today.
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Are you hungry, anyone hungry?
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I just ate a little breakfast
this morning, hoping that it
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would help me be
more into the message.
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A few grapes and nuts, because
I'm going to talk about hunger.
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We may get on to some other
beatitudes, but Jesus said,
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"Blessed," happy,
"Are those who hunger."
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That sounds like
another paradox right there.
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You think it would be happy
are those who are filled, but He
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said no, you're
blessed if you are hungry.
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Are you hungry for what?
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If you're hungering and
thirsting for righteousness,
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those are the ones
who will be filled.
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This is one of the most
important beatitudes, and you
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see a change is taking place.
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First it's talking about, you
know, your poverty of spirit and
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your morning and humility, and
now it's saying you're not going
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to just look at the problem
anymore, now you're going to
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hunger after the answer.
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I don't want to always be
mourning that I am poor of
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spirit, at some
point I want righteousness.
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Righteousness is a
definition of Christ.
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So when you say you're
hungering and thirsting after
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righteousness, that means you
are hungering and thirsting to
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be like Jesus, to
have his attitudes.
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In fact, as you go through the
beatitudes, they're all talking
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about being Christlike.
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He became poor
that we might be rich.
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So, as you go through them one
by one, and we'll do this before
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we're done, I'll show you
that really the essence, the
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quintessence of all the
beatitudes is to be like Christ.
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Now, how do you
get that righteousness?
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You hunger for it.
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You know, hunger is
a desire we all have.
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It's part of life and
it's something that is ongoing.
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The hunger and thirst for
righteousness are also something
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that it's an ongoing hunger, and
there's an ongoing filling that
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happens when you
have that ongoing hunger
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for righteousness.
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You know, I'm sorry.
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I'm sorry in a sense that
there's probably very few of you
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here that have really been
hungry, and I'm not sorry that I
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want you to suffer, I'm sorry
that you won't ever know what
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I'm preaching about today.
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Because unless you've gone days
without eating, and you've had
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to, you know, be satisfied
with things like the grass, and
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weeds, and just handfuls of this
and that, your stomach hurt so
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much, you tighten your belt,
hoping it'll take away the pain.
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Not too many of us pray that
prayer, "Lord, give me this day
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my daily bread," and you really
are praying there'll be bread
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for one more day.
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So, when I talk about hunger,
people in the Bible, they knew
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what hunger was.
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There were famines
where they wouldn't eat.
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And Jesus said I
want you to hunger.
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I want you to crave.
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I want you to yearn.
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People are driven by hunger.
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You know, my appetite, and I'm
not a starving person, but just
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my regular, everyday
appetite like you have dictates
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my schedule.
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How many of you build
your day around your hunger?
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I admit it.
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I plan on eating something
in the morning, I plan on
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eating lunch.
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A matter of fact, we often have
our staff meeting, and I meet
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with the different pastors, it's
kind of nice now, we're meeting
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the new Amazing Facts offices,
and they know that Doug is going
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to start squirming in his chair
if we've been going an hour and
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a half and it's
getting around lunchtime.
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I say, "This
meeting has to be over."
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"But we got this
important item to talk about."
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I say, "It doesn't matter, I've
got something more important.
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I have an
appointment with my stomach."
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You know what I mean?
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At some point you say, "I've got
priorities here, I'm hungry."
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And the hungrier you get,
the less important everything
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else seems.
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Isn't that right?
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Blessed are you when you hunger
and thirst for righteousness.
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Now, how do you know
if you're hungry for God?
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What are the signs?
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Are you seeking after the
things of God and righteousness?
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Do you have a yearning in
your heart and a desire for
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his holiness?
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If you see in yourself something
that is wrong, are you satisfied
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with that, or are you disgusted
because you are hungering
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for righteousness?
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Do you long for His word?
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Do you have an
appetite for the bread of life?
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The Bible tells us that
this would be a sign of a
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good hunger.
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Job chapter 23 verse 12, "I have
esteemed the words of His mouth
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more than my necessary food."
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Where did he put
it as a priority?
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He said more.
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Jeremiah 15:16, "Your words were
found, and I ate them, and your
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word was to me the joy
and rejoicing of my heart."
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Do you hunger
for the Word of God?
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First Chronicles 22,
what are you seeking?
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Are you seeking God?
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"Now set your heart and your
soul to seek the Lord your God,"
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is what David said to Solomon.
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Seek after God.
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Seek after righteousness.
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Jeremiah 29:13, "And you will
seek for Me, and you'll find Me
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when you seek for Me
with all of your heart."
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Alright, so much about that.
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I could do a whole message on
hungering and thirsting, but I
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got a couple more beatitudes.
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Next one, "Blessed are
the merciful, for they shall
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obtain mercy."
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Now, remember that the
beatitudes are going in
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sequence, you can't mix them up.
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There's an order, there's a
progression, they are steps.
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It's an advance
that's happening here.
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What you see is the first step
in entering the kingdom is being
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poor in spirit, recognizing
your spiritual poverty.
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Then you mourn over
that spiritual poverty.
00:09:31.80\00:09:34.27
The third one is you then meekly
submit to the Word of God.
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The fourth one is you will
hunger for righteousness that
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you don't possess, which will
produce in you, when you have
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that righteousness, an attitude
of mercy towards others.
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When I say, "Blessed are those
who hunger and thirst after
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righteousness," I did it myself,
and you probably did it with me,
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I automatically thought about
my hunger, and my thirst, and
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my righteousness.
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But you know, really, hunger and
thirst for righteousness, you
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need to care about
other people's righteousness.
00:10:04.20\00:10:07.27
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important, to
share it with others.
00:10:39.23\00:10:41.24
Doug: How many of you remember
that big parable of the great
00:10:43.34\00:10:45.94
judgment day?
00:10:45.97\00:10:47.31
Matthew 25 where Jesus said it
will be a day when God separates
00:10:47.34\00:10:50.01
the sheep from the goats, and he
says to the sheep, "Well done,
00:10:50.05\00:10:54.08
blessed are you my servants.
00:10:54.42\00:10:55.75
Enter into the joy of
the Lord, good and faithful.
00:10:55.78\00:10:58.15
I was hungry and
you gave me food.
00:10:58.59\00:11:01.52
I was thirsty,
you gave me drink.
00:11:01.99\00:11:04.36
I was naked,
you gave me clothes.
00:11:04.56\00:11:06.80
I was alone, and you visited me.
00:11:06.83\00:11:08.63
I was sick or in
prison, and you came to me.
00:11:08.66\00:11:10.97
I was a
stranger, you took me in."
00:11:11.00\00:11:12.40
I doubled up,
there's six of them.
00:11:12.83\00:11:14.17
And they'll say, "Lord,
when did we see you in any of
00:11:15.40\00:11:18.14
those conditions?
00:11:18.17\00:11:19.47
We don't
remember that occasion."
00:11:19.51\00:11:20.84
He said, "In as much as you did
it to the least of these, you
00:11:20.88\00:11:23.78
did it to me."
00:11:23.81\00:11:25.15
Now, that to me is a really
powerful proverb, because you
00:11:25.18\00:11:28.22
realize Jesus does not say
to the righteous you kept the
00:11:28.25\00:11:31.85
Sabbath, and you didn't lie, and
you didn't covet, and you didn't
00:11:31.89\00:11:34.86
steal, you didn't commit
adultery, into the kingdom
00:11:34.89\00:11:37.26
you go.
00:11:37.29\00:11:38.66
He doesn't judge them based
on sins of commission, He judges
00:11:39.26\00:11:43.13
them based on sins of omission.
00:11:43.16\00:11:45.30
He says to the goats,
"Depart from Me, ye cursed into
00:11:46.57\00:11:49.74
everlasting fire prepared
for the devil and his angels.
00:11:49.77\00:11:52.24
For I was hungry,
you didn't feed me.
00:11:52.47\00:11:54.18
I was thirsty, you
didn't give me drink.
00:11:54.21\00:11:55.71
I was naked, a stranger, alone
in prison, you didn't help me."
00:11:55.74\00:12:00.65
And they say, "Lord, we
would never neglect you."
00:12:02.08\00:12:04.29
He said, "In as much as you
didn't do it to the least of
00:12:04.32\00:12:07.39
these, you neglected me."
00:12:07.42\00:12:08.79
So wow, let's say you did
not have mercy on anybody.
00:12:09.22\00:12:13.96
You are surrounded in the world
by needs, people are suffering,
00:12:14.30\00:12:18.87
don't you have mercy on them?
00:12:19.57\00:12:21.14
The good Samaritan had mercy
on a total stranger, and he
00:12:21.34\00:12:25.57
stopped, he wrapped up his
wounds, he poured in the oil and
00:12:25.61\00:12:29.11
the wine, he put him on
his animal, he said, "You ride,
00:12:29.14\00:12:31.68
I'll walk."
00:12:31.71\00:12:33.01
He takes him to the inn and he
says, "I'll take care of you for
00:12:33.05\00:12:35.02
a while, but I've got to go, so
I'm going to give money to the
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innkeeper, and he
can take care of you."
00:12:37.09\00:12:39.19
Wow, that's going the
second mile for an enemy.
00:12:40.02\00:12:42.36
That's what it means.
00:12:43.99\00:12:45.33
"Blessed are the merciful,
they will obtain mercy."
00:12:45.86\00:12:48.23
Do you care, are you touched,
do you just have pity, or do you
00:12:49.20\00:12:52.53
have pity that acts?
00:12:52.57\00:12:53.94
I mean, you know, I've often
seen people suffering, and you
00:12:54.57\00:12:57.07
go, "Tisk, tisk, tisk, tisk,"
and you say a little prayer for
00:12:57.11\00:12:59.64
them, and you go on your way.
00:12:59.67\00:13:01.04
And that's pretty
cheap, everyone does that.
00:13:01.08\00:13:03.04
Biblical mercy is proactive.
00:13:03.71\00:13:07.25
It does something for
those that are in need.
00:13:07.78\00:13:09.68
Jesus says
those will be blessed.
00:13:10.29\00:13:12.65
You know, there is a blessing
in ministering to the needs
00:13:12.69\00:13:15.86
of others.
00:13:15.89\00:13:17.23
Doesn't Jesus
say it is more what?
00:13:17.26\00:13:18.59
"It is more blessed
to give than receive."
00:13:19.26\00:13:21.96
You're blessed when you give.
00:13:22.50\00:13:24.80
And so, He's calling us
to have that kind of mercy.
00:13:25.97\00:13:28.74
Now, when it says have mercy,
we are showing mercy on others
00:13:29.37\00:13:33.78
because we've received
mercy from God, is that right?
00:13:33.81\00:13:36.04
We receive such abundant mercy.
00:13:39.78\00:13:41.98
That takes us to the parable
in Matthew 18 where there's this
00:13:42.02\00:13:44.55
man, he squandered the king's
substance, he's 10,000 talents
00:13:44.59\00:13:48.79
in debt, the king
said, "You know the law.
00:13:48.82\00:13:51.23
That's a terrible waste.
00:13:51.99\00:13:53.73
You stole all my money, you've
wasted all my money, you're
00:13:54.03\00:13:56.33
going to jail, I'm selling your
family, I'm selling your goods,"
00:13:56.36\00:13:59.23
and the servant falls down and
says, "Master, have mercy on me,
00:13:59.70\00:14:02.47
have pity."
00:14:02.50\00:14:03.84
And he cries, and he sobs, and
he sees the family crying, and
00:14:04.57\00:14:07.28
the king is
moved with compassion.
00:14:07.31\00:14:08.68
Now, if I had a servant like
that, I'd say you get what you
00:14:08.71\00:14:10.55
deserve, 10,000 talents,
you realize how much that is?
00:14:10.58\00:14:13.52
That's the entire budget
for Palestine for a whole year.
00:14:13.55\00:14:16.12
That was a
fantastic amount of money.
00:14:17.12\00:14:19.12
It's like our national debt
today, trillions of dollars.
00:14:19.65\00:14:24.26
And the king said
alright, I forgive you.
00:14:24.29\00:14:26.83
You know what that means?
00:14:26.86\00:14:28.16
The king says I'll pay.
00:14:28.20\00:14:29.90
I'm going to suffer the loss.
00:14:29.93\00:14:31.33
Now, if I was that man, and I'm
going around, and I'm carrying a
00:14:32.13\00:14:35.50
burden, "Oh, man, I owe 10,000
talents to the king," I'd be
00:14:35.54\00:14:38.44
thinking about it everyday.
00:14:38.47\00:14:39.81
I couldn't enjoy anything if
I had that kind of debt on my
00:14:39.84\00:14:42.04
shoulders, could you?
00:14:42.08\00:14:43.45
Ten-thousand talents, I
don't like owing the credit card
00:14:43.48\00:14:47.45
company one month.
00:14:47.48\00:14:48.82
Ten-thousand talents, the king
says, "Forgiven, I'm going to
00:14:49.92\00:14:53.25
strike it from the record."
00:14:53.29\00:14:54.59
He goes and he finds a fellow
servant that owes him a paltry,
00:14:54.62\00:14:57.96
measly some, takes him by the
throat, puts him in prison to be
00:14:57.99\00:15:02.83
tortured for $42, or
whatever it was, it was nothing.
00:15:02.86\00:15:06.10
And when the king
heard about it, he said, "You
00:15:07.30\00:15:08.84
wicked servant.
00:15:08.87\00:15:10.21
I forgave you that massive
debt because you asked me.
00:15:10.24\00:15:13.68
Couldn't you have had compassion
on your fellow servant as I had
00:15:14.51\00:15:18.01
pity on you?"
00:15:18.05\00:15:19.28
So when the Bible says, "Blessed
are the merciful," it's not just
00:15:19.31\00:15:21.48
saying that we care about the
suffering of others, it means
00:15:21.68\00:15:24.02
we're willing to forgive others.
00:15:24.05\00:15:26.96
What's the one statement Jesus
makes His commentary on the
00:15:27.62\00:15:31.13
Lord's Prayer?
00:15:31.16\00:15:32.53
"If you forgive not men their
trespasses, neither will your
00:15:33.13\00:15:35.96
Father in heaven
forgive your trespasses."
00:15:36.00\00:15:37.83
There are some people who do not
like to pray the Lord's Prayer
00:15:38.07\00:15:40.74
because they know that part that
says forgive us as we forgive
00:15:40.77\00:15:44.31
others, that depends on if
you're in Luke or if you're in
00:15:44.34\00:15:47.11
Matthew, trespasses or debts,
but it's the same principle.
00:15:47.14\00:15:52.25
And some say, "I don't want God
to forgive me the way I forgive
00:15:53.05\00:15:55.25
others," because we have a
hard time forgiving others.
00:15:55.28\00:15:57.22
"Blessed are the merciful,
they will obtain mercy."
00:15:59.32\00:16:01.79
You know, at the end of Matthew
18, He said that wicked servant
00:16:02.96\00:16:06.26
who would not
forgive, now don't forget this.
00:16:06.29\00:16:08.00
God is not saying tell you what,
you forgive everybody, and I'll
00:16:08.03\00:16:10.13
have mercy on you.
00:16:10.17\00:16:11.47
He says I have mercy on you
first, but then you must share
00:16:11.50\00:16:14.17
it, or you don't get to keep it.
00:16:14.20\00:16:15.57
God takes the initiative first.
00:16:16.60\00:16:18.27
He shows us mercy in the gospel.
00:16:18.31\00:16:20.51
God is the one who
initiates the gospel.
00:16:20.54\00:16:22.51
He first forgives and then He
says now after I've forgiven you
00:16:23.41\00:16:25.71
so much, it's supposed to
transform your heart, so you
00:16:25.75\00:16:28.62
then are willing
to forgive others.
00:16:28.65\00:16:30.42
And if you don't, he said to
that wicked servant, delivered
00:16:30.95\00:16:36.32
him to the tormentors until
he should pay everything that
00:16:36.36\00:16:39.06
was owed.
00:16:39.09\00:16:40.40
And Jesus said, "So my heavenly
Father shall do to each of you
00:16:40.43\00:16:45.10
if you from your heart does not
forgive every man his brother
00:16:45.13\00:16:49.14
their trespasses."
00:16:49.17\00:16:50.54
Wow, in other words, forgiveness
from God is a free gift, but
00:16:51.47\00:16:58.65
there are criteria.
00:16:58.68\00:17:00.65
To keep it, you
need to share it.
00:17:01.18\00:17:03.52
You don't get to keep the gospel
if you don't share the gospel.
00:17:04.45\00:17:07.06
It's all about sharing.
00:17:08.29\00:17:09.62
"Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy."
00:17:10.23\00:17:14.50
Colossians 3:12, "Therefore,
as the elect of God, holy and
00:17:15.13\00:17:19.33
beloved, put on tender
mercies, kindness, humility,
00:17:19.37\00:17:23.34
meekness, longsuffering."
00:17:23.37\00:17:25.04
It's basically
summarizing beatitudes here.
00:17:25.31\00:17:27.34
"Bearing with one
another, forgiving one another.
00:17:27.64\00:17:30.45
If anyone has a complaint
against another, even as Christ
00:17:30.48\00:17:34.05
forgave you, so
also you must do."
00:17:34.08\00:17:38.15
It's not optional.
00:17:38.65\00:17:40.02
You say, "Oh, Lord, I can't.
00:17:40.86\00:17:42.19
You don't know what they said
about me, or what they did to
00:17:42.22\00:17:44.03
me, or how they're treating me
and talking to others about me.
00:17:44.06\00:17:46.53
How can I forgive them?
00:17:46.56\00:17:47.86
Not until they repent."
00:17:47.93\00:17:49.20
You've got to forgive
them for your own sake, because
00:17:49.23\00:17:51.93
unforgiveness is a poison
that will corrode its container.
00:17:51.97\00:17:56.34
If you have unforgiveness in
your heart, it's like an acid
00:17:58.21\00:18:01.28
that eats out the
container you put it in.
00:18:01.31\00:18:03.35
And so, even for your own
benefit, it doesn't mean that
00:18:04.55\00:18:07.28
you can change them, and
they may not forgive you.
00:18:07.32\00:18:09.72
You don't have control over
that, but you can choose and
00:18:10.65\00:18:13.05
say, "Lord, I'm going to choose,
by your power, to let it go."
00:18:13.09\00:18:16.76
And you may think about it, but
then you say, "Lord, I forgive
00:18:17.23\00:18:20.40
them, and take that away
from my mind," and he will.
00:18:20.43\00:18:24.00
Jesus said, "All men will know
you are My disciples," by what?
00:18:25.20\00:18:28.07
Love for one another.
00:18:29.17\00:18:30.51
The world has yet to see what
the modern church looks like
00:18:30.54\00:18:33.27
when we really love
and forgive each other.
00:18:33.31\00:18:36.18
I've always said I would really
have no problem being a pastor
00:18:37.81\00:18:40.12
if it wasn't for people.
00:18:40.15\00:18:41.52
Finally for today, "Blessed are
the pure in heart, for they will
00:18:44.85\00:18:50.36
see God."
00:18:50.39\00:18:51.76
Now, you know all through the
beatitudes, Jesus is reminding
00:18:52.79\00:18:55.43
us and He's reminding those
who are listening that He's
00:18:55.46\00:18:58.57
interested on the inside.
00:18:58.60\00:19:00.04
He said if you're going to clean
a cup, clean the inside of the
00:19:01.40\00:19:03.67
cup first.
00:19:03.71\00:19:05.07
He wants us to be
pure in our hearts.
00:19:06.64\00:19:09.11
The Bible tells us without
holiness, nobody will see God.
00:19:09.14\00:19:12.58
The whole gospel is
designed to forgive us.
00:19:14.15\00:19:16.48
There is a righteousness
that Christ offers to us.
00:19:17.15\00:19:19.95
We hunger and thirst for
righteousness, He gives us that
00:19:19.99\00:19:22.36
righteousness first as a
gift through his sacrifice.
00:19:22.39\00:19:25.79
It comes immediately by faith.
00:19:25.83\00:19:28.26
You receive the righteousness
of God that you hunger
00:19:28.30\00:19:31.10
for immediately.
00:19:31.13\00:19:32.57
You can be satisfied by trusting
in His promise, that's called
00:19:32.60\00:19:36.14
imputed righteousness.
00:19:36.17\00:19:37.51
Then as you follow on to know
the Lord, then He gives you an
00:19:37.74\00:19:41.41
imparted sanctification
righteousness, and that's when
00:19:41.44\00:19:44.51
you've got this purity of heart,
and you are filled because
00:19:44.55\00:19:47.38
you've been
changed on the inside.
00:19:47.42\00:19:48.75
Now, did you get what I said?
00:19:48.78\00:19:50.09
It's really important.
00:19:50.12\00:19:51.45
"Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness."
00:19:51.49\00:19:53.02
You can be filled through
justification, immediately, like
00:19:53.05\00:19:57.06
the thief on the cross.
00:19:57.09\00:19:58.43
Is that right?
00:19:58.46\00:19:59.76
But you don't stop there.
00:19:59.79\00:20:01.10
The beatitudes go on.
00:20:01.13\00:20:02.43
You're longing now
for purity on the inside.
00:20:02.46\00:20:04.47
It's not just that you're
being covered, but you ought to
00:20:04.50\00:20:08.07
be transformed.
00:20:08.10\00:20:09.97
You want a purity of what?
00:20:10.01\00:20:11.87
The heart, and you know
in the Bible wants his heart.
00:20:11.91\00:20:14.51
I want a purity in my mind.
00:20:14.54\00:20:16.98
"As a man thinks in
his heart, so is he."
00:20:17.01\00:20:19.65
And we want to have new
thinking, and God gives us
00:20:19.68\00:20:23.15
purity of heart.
00:20:23.18\00:20:25.19
Psalm 15 verse 2, "Lord, who
may abide in Your tabernacle?
00:20:25.22\00:20:30.83
Who might dwell
in Your holy hill?
00:20:31.29\00:20:33.16
He who walks uprightly, and
works righteousness, and speaks
00:20:33.93\00:20:38.07
the truth in his heart."
00:20:38.10\00:20:40.50
God wants us to be
honest in our hearts.
00:20:41.47\00:20:45.57
He wants us to be
pure in our hearts.
00:20:46.01\00:20:48.04
He doesn't want, you know,
covetousness, the last of the
00:20:48.08\00:20:50.38
Ten Commandments.
00:20:50.41\00:20:51.71
It's really a heart problem.
00:20:51.75\00:20:53.25
It's something
going on in the heart.
00:20:53.28\00:20:54.68
John 1:47, Jesus saw Nathaniel
coming towards him, and he said,
00:20:56.22\00:21:00.52
"Behold, an Israelite
in whom there is no deceit.
00:21:00.56\00:21:03.26
Most assuredly, I say to you,
hereafter you will see heaven
00:21:03.89\00:21:06.83
open, and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the
00:21:06.86\00:21:10.17
Son of Man."
00:21:10.20\00:21:11.50
He said here's
an honest Israelite.
00:21:11.53\00:21:12.87
An Israelite, he
was pure in heart.
00:21:12.90\00:21:14.24
First Timothy verse 5,
Paul says, "Keep thy self pure."
00:21:14.57\00:21:19.61
Enoch walked with God for
300 years, he was seeking purity
00:21:22.24\00:21:25.41
of heart.
00:21:25.45\00:21:26.92
Hebrews 12 verse 4,
"Follow peace with all men and
00:21:26.95\00:21:30.89
holiness," now catch this,
"Without which no one will see
00:21:30.92\00:21:34.86
the Lord."
00:21:34.89\00:21:36.22
Zacchaeus climbed a tree, why?
00:21:36.52\00:21:38.09
Because he was short.
00:21:39.59\00:21:40.93
He was short and he climbed
a tree so he could see God.
00:21:40.96\00:21:43.53
Zacchaeus wanted to see God.
00:21:43.57\00:21:44.97
You know what the
word Zacchaeus means?
00:21:45.80\00:21:47.17
Pure, the pure will see God.
00:21:48.17\00:21:52.67
Did he see Jesus?
00:21:53.11\00:21:54.44
He hungered for
that view and he got it.
00:21:55.14\00:21:57.21
First Peter 2:1, "As newborn
babes, desire the pure milk of
00:21:57.78\00:22:02.38
the word, that you
might grow thereby."
00:22:02.42\00:22:04.45
So, how do we
grow in this purity?
00:22:04.49\00:22:06.05
How do we grow in this holiness?
00:22:06.49\00:22:07.99
It's through the Word of God.
00:22:08.46\00:22:09.96
First John 3:3, "Everyone who
has this hope in him purifies
00:22:10.26\00:22:14.46
himself, just as he is pure."
00:22:14.50\00:22:16.33
What level of purity
are we talking about?
00:22:16.90\00:22:18.70
A Christian is like Christ.
00:22:19.67\00:22:21.37
God is calling upon
us to be Christlike.
00:22:22.14\00:22:24.54
The purpose of the gospel is to
restore in us the image of God.
00:22:24.81\00:22:29.18
I know that seems--it's
interesting, there's two
00:22:30.38\00:22:32.95
different extremes.
00:22:32.98\00:22:34.28
One person, you say God is
going to give you a gift of
00:22:34.32\00:22:37.69
righteousness, all
you do is ask for it.
00:22:37.72\00:22:39.39
Believe and he will forgive
all the sins of your past.
00:22:39.42\00:22:41.82
You know what they say?
00:22:41.86\00:22:43.16
That's too easy.
00:22:43.19\00:22:44.53
That doesn't make sense.
00:22:44.56\00:22:45.89
And then you tell those people,
well, don't worry, then he wants
00:22:46.33\00:22:48.96
you to be sanctified
and you will be like Christ.
00:22:49.00\00:22:50.83
They say that's too hard.
00:22:50.87\00:22:52.20
So, there's some people, no
matter how you put it to them
00:22:53.27\00:22:55.50
they say it's too
easy, it's too hard.
00:22:55.54\00:22:57.01
It is easy to come
to Christ by faith.
00:22:58.17\00:23:00.68
Well, I guess for some people
it's not, but it's a simple
00:23:00.71\00:23:04.88
thing to receive that
righteousness, to receive
00:23:04.91\00:23:08.55
that purity.
00:23:08.58\00:23:09.92
He gives you a new heart
and then you long for it to be
00:23:10.15\00:23:12.69
your character.
00:23:12.72\00:23:14.06
Now, you may--it's like
Paul says there in Romans, "Oh,
00:23:14.69\00:23:20.06
wretched man that I am.
00:23:20.10\00:23:21.40
Who will deliver me
from this body of death?"
00:23:21.43\00:23:23.93
You know, we see the sinfulness
in ourselves, and we hunger for
00:23:24.57\00:23:27.40
righteousness, we hunger
for purity, we hunger for the
00:23:27.44\00:23:30.57
characteristics of Christ, then
he promises in "Romans, I thank
00:23:30.61\00:23:34.41
God that I no longer have to
walk after the flesh, but I can
00:23:34.44\00:23:39.51
walk after the Spirit."
00:23:39.55\00:23:40.85
We can be Spirit-filled.
00:23:40.88\00:23:42.25
So, what's the promise?
00:23:43.55\00:23:44.85
"Blessed are the
pure in heart," for what?
00:23:44.89\00:23:46.25
"They will see God."
00:23:47.42\00:23:48.72
Did anybody get to see God?
00:23:48.76\00:23:50.13
Genesis 32:30, "And Jacob called
the name of the place Peniel,
00:23:51.73\00:23:56.30
for he said, 'I have seen
God face to face, and my life
00:23:56.70\00:24:01.47
is preserved.'"
00:24:01.50\00:24:02.84
He had what they
call a christophany.
00:24:02.87\00:24:04.17
He saw Jesus prior
to His incarnation.
00:24:04.21\00:24:08.68
Deuteronomy 5:4, "The Lord
talked with you face to face on
00:24:08.71\00:24:13.08
the mountain from
the midst of the fire."
00:24:13.11\00:24:14.85
God told the whole nation.
00:24:14.88\00:24:16.25
Deuteronomy 34:10, "But since
then there has not arisen in
00:24:16.82\00:24:20.86
Israel a prophet like
Moses, whom the Lord knew face
00:24:20.89\00:24:24.66
to face."
00:24:24.69\00:24:26.93
Judges 6 verse 22, "Now Gideon
perceived it was an angel of the
00:24:26.96\00:24:31.40
Lord, So Gideon said, 'Alas,
O Lord God, for I have seen the
00:24:31.43\00:24:34.74
angel of the
Lord face to face.'"
00:24:34.77\00:24:36.40
This was again Christ.
00:24:36.44\00:24:37.81
"The Lord said, Peace be to you.
00:24:38.31\00:24:39.61
Do not fear, you will not die.'"
00:24:39.64\00:24:41.44
They were so afraid if they saw
God face to face, they'd die.
00:24:41.78\00:24:45.15
Now, the whole problem with sin
in Genesis, man ran from God.
00:24:46.21\00:24:51.69
He was separated
from God because of sin.
00:24:51.72\00:24:53.72
We've been separated, our sins
have separated us, but through
00:24:54.62\00:24:58.13
the sacrifice of Jesus and the
washing of the blood, we can be
00:24:58.16\00:25:02.10
restored to the presence of God.
00:25:02.13\00:25:04.07
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can generate a lot of questions.
00:25:52.21\00:25:53.92
To get biblical, straightforward
answers, call into "Bible
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Answers Live," a live,
nationwide call-in radio program
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where you can talk to Pastor
Doug Bachelor, and ask him your
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most difficult Bible questions.
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For times and stations in your
area, or to listen to answers
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online, visit
BAL.AmazingFacts.org.
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male announcer: You can become
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mark of the beast.
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You'll also get the truth about
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male announcer: "Amazing Facts,"
through your faithful support,
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has had a major impact on some
of the largest non-Christian
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locations in the world.
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AFCOE Global opened up Center of
Evangelism schools in India, the
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Ukraine, the United Kingdom,
and even in the Philippines.
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Adam Ramdin: It's people on the
ground, in the church, on the
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door, in the home, doing Bible
studies, witnessing to people,
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winning them to Jesus, leading
them to baptism in England, in
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India, in Africa, or
anywhere around the world.
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But you're seeing change on
a personal level take place.
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Doug: You know, every week we
hear the most incredible stories
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from all over the globe of
lives that are being changed and
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hearts that are being
transformed by the power of the
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word, and none of it could
happen without the blessing of
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God and our partnership, your
teamwork with this ministry.
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God Bless you.
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male announcer: Don't forget
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It's sure to be a blessing.
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And thank you for your continued
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We hope you'll join us next week
as we delve deep into the Word
00:28:13.79\00:28:17.23
of God to explore
more amazing facts.
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This presentation was brought
to you by the friends of the
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Amazing Facts Ministry.
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