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male announcer: This
presentation is brought to you
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by the friends of the
Amazing Facts ministry.
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announcer: Coming to you
from New York City, at the
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historic Manhattan Center
with your host, Doug Batchelor.
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Join this exciting journey of
discovery as we learn the truth
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about Bible Prophecy, explore
the timeless wisdom of God's
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Word and see how it
relates to our lives today.
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Stay tuned.
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Your Amazing Facts
adventure begins now.
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Doug Batchelor: Well, the Bible
tells us that the greatest of
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the prophets was Elijah.
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And last prophecy
in the Old Testament.
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It says, "Behold, I send you
Elijah the Prophet before the
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great and
terrible day of the Lord.
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And he will turn the hearts of
the fathers to the children and
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the hearts of the children
to the fathers, lest I come and
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smite the earth with a curse."
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And then you turn into the
New Testament, it starts talking
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about John the Baptist.
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Now, it's interesting: both
Elijah and John the Baptist had
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miracles at the Jordan River.
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Jordan River is interesting
because I remember reading in
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the Bible about the Jordan River
before I ever went to Israel,
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and in my mind, you know,
I've seen the Missouri and the
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Mississippi, and you read
about the Nile, that river, this
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massive river, and then you
go the Amazon, you know, miles
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across, and then you go look at
the Jordan and you can throw a
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rock across it.
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But it's an unusual
river for a number of reasons.
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It's not very
long, it's not very wide.
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I think, it's 156 miles long.
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But it's a river, one of the few
rivers that actually supplies
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the water for two seas.
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Usually it takes many
rivers to supply a sea.
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The Jordan River
supplies two seas.
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And it is the
lowest river in the world.
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It's considered a sacred river
to three major world religions,
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not only Judaism,
Christianity, Islam.
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Because of the events that
take place there, and there are
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several miracles that have
transpired in and around the
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Jordan River, one of them
being regarding Elijah, who the
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river--he struck the river with
his robe, and it parted, and
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he crossed.
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Of course, the river parted when
the children of Israel crossed
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and entered the Promised Land.
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By the way, everybody
must cross the Jordan.
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If you ever sing from a hymnal,
you'll notice how many times
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this hymn writers talk
about the Jordan River.
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And then John the Baptist
comes in the spirit and power of
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Elijah, according to the angel.
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And he's the one who announces
Jesus, and Jesus says that John
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the Baptist is the
greatest of the prophets.
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He doesn't bring fire
down from heaven like Elijah.
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He doesn't pray
and it stops raining.
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Why is he the
greatest of the prophets?
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Well, we're gonna talk about
that, but it's connected with
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the subject of his ministry.
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He's called John the what?
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The Baptist.
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Now we're going to go to
the man on the street, you'll be
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surprised to see the connection
between baptism and these
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prophetic studies, as we
continue, but we thought it'd be
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fun to go out and find, well,
what do people on the street
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think about the
subject of baptism.
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male: What do I
think baptism is?
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Well, it's a practice that was
started in Christianity terms by
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John the Baptist.
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Jesus was baptized by him.
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We're encouraged to do so by
Christ, so if we're devotees of
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Christ, we should
probably get baptized.
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It's thought of as a
repropriation for sin.
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male: I think,
baptism is more like a
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spiritual commitment.
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female: The original
word meant "immersion,"
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and it's been not Americanized
but somehow they changed the
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word they made a word out of it.
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But it
originally meant "immersed."
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male: The part of the
plan of salvation is that we
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said repent and be
baptized and you'll be saved.
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female: I was raised
Catholic, so it's like as
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I got older, I was like.
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Well, your baby, like,
what did you do to sin?
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Why do you have to
get baptized as a baby?
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So like there's been questions
and, you know, and then you have
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to find your, you have to find
your faith and you have to find
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what works for you.
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male: It's just a
religious ceremony.
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female: Coming from a
Catholic school teacher,
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I should know this, right?
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No, being
brought into our faith.
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female: Being
baptized in God's love, really.
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male: It's
something that you want to
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become a Christian or something,
and then they put water on your
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head or whatever, you know,
and then you're a Christian,
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I suppose, yeah.
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male: You know, it's
the symbolic mythological
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symbol of, you know, there's the
question of the full immersion
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or the drops, but so that's
what it is, according to the
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definition, as
far as I can tell.
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I don't care about it.
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male: Do I need to
believe in Jesus to be saved?
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I got one better for you.
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I got it right here.
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See the app?
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Bible is right there.
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100% to answer your question.
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Yes.
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male: 100,000%.
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And not enough of us
do out here right now.
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It's getting crazy.
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It's getting crazy out here,
y'all, but that's, yes, 100%.
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I believe in that for sure.
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male: If you're religious.
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male: Well, I hope
so. We all have hopes.
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Doug: People are all over the
map, trying to figure this out.
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You can tell there's a lot
of confusion about something.
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Do you know why?
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I think this is important.
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It is because, as I mentioned,
the last prophecy in the Old
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Testament says, "I'm
sending you Elijah the prophet."
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Then you turn the page into
the New Testament, and it tells
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about this miraculous birth;
this old couple has a boy named
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John who is filled with the
Spirit from his mother's womb,
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and the angel says he will
go forth in the Spirit and the
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power of Elijah, and there's
many similars between John the
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Baptist and Elijah.
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They're both bold, they lived
holy lives, neither of them
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were married.
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They brought great revival.
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They even dressed the same,
even though they're separated by
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about 700 years, says they
wore a camel's garment with a
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leather belt.
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They did a lot of
work in the wilderness.
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They were very bold
in preaching to kings.
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Elijah told Ahab, "I'm telling
you to go gather all Israel
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together, and it's your sins
that have caused this famine."
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And John the Baptist told Herod,
"You should not be marrying your
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brother's wife."
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And he lost his head over that.
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They were fearless, and the
Bible says that the work of John
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the Baptist in some ways
was greater than any work.
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John the Baptist didn't give
a lot of prophecies, but one
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prophecy he gave, he
said, "The work I'm doing is not
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so important.
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The one who's coming,
I baptize you with water.
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He will baptize you with the
Holy Spirit and with fire, and I
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am not worthy to
bear His sandals.
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He will increase.
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I must decrease."
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That's about the
extent of his prophecy.
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The rest of it was
teaching about repentance.
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He said, "Repent and be
baptized, for the Kingdom of
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Heaven is at hand."
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And the first words that Jesus
began to speak, when He started
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preaching was, "Repent and
be baptized, for the Kingdom of
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Heaven is at hand."
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The New Testament begins
and ends with the subject
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of baptism.
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"Now, Pastor Doug, I
came to a prophecy seminar."
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That's right, and
this is a prophecy subject.
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And the reason that we inject it
where we do is we right now are
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on the threshold of
some very heavy subjects.
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And we will be making an appeal
tonight to those of you here and
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those of you who are watching
that you make a decision to
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commit your life to
Jesus, because if you have not
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committed your life to Jesus, if
you are not opening your heart
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to His Word, Christ said
the words that I speak to you,
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spiritual things are spiritually
discerned, and the wise will
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understand and the
Holy Spirit will teach you.
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If you're still rebelling in
in your heart against God, then
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you're not gonna understand.
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But if you submit to the Lord,
these things are gonna unfold to
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you and it's gonna set
your life on fire in a good way.
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So let's get into our lesson.
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You'll understand more as we
progress with these questions.
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Number one: what New Testament
prophet came in the spirit and
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the power of Elijah?
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By the way, the word "Elijah"
means "My God is Jehovah."
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"For all of the prophets and
the law prophesied until John.
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And if you're willing to receive
it--'' this is Jesus speaking,
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"--it is he," he is
Elijah "who wants to come."
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And you read in Luke chapter 1
verse 17: "He will go before Him
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in the Spirit--" and the angel
is telling Zacharias this, he,
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your son, this miracle
baby, "will go before Him in the
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spirit and the power of
Elijah to turn the hearts
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of the fathers to the children
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and the disobedient to
the wisdom of the just--"
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it's worded a little different
than you find in Malachi,
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"To make ready and
people prepared for the Lord."
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Now how many here
believe the Lord's coming?
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What was the work of
Elijah and John the Baptist?
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To make ready a
people prepared for the Lord.
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Now, just so you'll understand,
when the religious leaders came
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to John and he was baptizing,
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they said, "Are you Elijah?"
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And he said, "No."
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But when they asked Jesus,
Jesus said, "Yes, he is in the
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spirit and power of Elijah."
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Why did John say no,
John the Baptist said no,
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and Jesus said yes?
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Because they're
asking different questions.
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The religious leaders
are wondering, "Are you the
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resurrection or
reincarnation of Elijah?"
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And he said, "No."
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And Jesus said he is the
one who's coming in the spirit.
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Now, who is the first one
who came in the spirit and power
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of Elijah?
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See if you know your Bibles.
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Elisha.
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Elisha, the servant of Elijah,
follows Elijah across the Jordan
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River, and Elijah says to
Elisha, "What can I do for you
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before I am
taken away to heaven?"
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He says, "Give me a
double portion of your spirit."
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He said, "If you see me when I
am going up, it will be so unto
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you, but if not, you
will not receive it."
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He said, "Well, I'm going
not take my eyes off of you."
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And it says that chariots of
fire came down and they scooped
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up Elijah, and he went to heaven
in a fiery chariot, and Elisha
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saw it, and the spirit
of Elijah came upon Elisha.
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Now Elisha is not a resurrection
of Elijah, he's getting the
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spirit of Elijah.
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So John the Baptist was
not a resurrection of Elijah.
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He had the same baptism of the
spirit, and in the same way that
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Elijah went and he taught all
of the sons of the prophets, and
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then he ascends to heaven
miraculously and the Holy Spirit
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falls upon Elisha, Jesus after
the resurrection, He appears to
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the apostles, He teaches them,
He ascends to heaven, He sends
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the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
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Amen.
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And God is going to do it again
because--listen to what Jesus
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said, when they were
asking about John the Baptist.
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Jesus said, they're saying,
did Elijah come in the spirit
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and power?
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Jesus said, "Elijah will come."
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Now this is after John
the Baptist has been beheaded.
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He said, "Elijah will
come and Elijah has come."
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So the coming of Elijah before
the great and terrible Day of
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the Lord is still future.
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And there is going to be an
outpouring of God's Spirit upon
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God's people again
before the Second Coming.
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In the same way
that John the Baptist
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prepared people for the first
coming of Jesus, God is gonna
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fill people with the spirit and
power of Elijah to prepare the
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world for the
Second Coming of Jesus.
00:12:27.94\00:12:30.78
Can you see why this
is a prophecy subject?
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Can you see why we need to
be baptized in the Holy Spirit?
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And we need to understand
what the work of Elijah is.
00:12:37.29\00:12:40.69
Question number two:
00:12:40.72\00:12:42.52
What unique ministry
was John, meaning John
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the Baptist, chosen for?
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What you read in Matthew chapter
3, verse 15 and 6, "In those
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days John the--" say it
with me, "--the Baptist,
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came preaching in
the wilderness of Judea.
00:12:57.67\00:13:00.61
Then Jerusalem, and all
Judea, and all the region
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round about the
Jordan went out to him
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and were baptized
by him in the Jordan."
00:13:06.28\00:13:11.12
Why the Jordan?
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Jordan is the
lowest river in the world.
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It's not the cleanest river.
00:13:13.86\00:13:15.76
Naaman, the Syrian general,
he was filled with a leprosy.
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A little Jewish girl who had
been captured by the Syrians,
00:13:21.63\00:13:26.43
she heard the story of Elisha.
00:13:26.47\00:13:29.10
She heard how Miriam
had been healed of leprosy.
00:13:29.14\00:13:32.77
She said to her mistress, "If my
master, the general Naaman, was
00:13:32.81\00:13:37.98
with Elisha the prophet, Elisha
could heal him of his leprosy."
00:13:38.01\00:13:42.02
Naaman goes down.
00:13:42.05\00:13:44.12
He's desperate to be healed
because leprosy there's no cure.
00:13:44.15\00:13:47.89
It's death sentence.
00:13:47.92\00:13:49.52
He goes down to Israel and
eventually he encounters Elisha
00:13:49.56\00:13:53.19
the prophet, and Elisha says,
"Go wash in the Jordan River
00:13:53.23\00:13:57.13
seven times, and you will
be healed of your leprosy."
00:13:57.17\00:14:01.07
First he's angry, he
doesn't want to do it.
00:14:01.10\00:14:03.57
He says that the rivers of
Damascus are cleaner than all
00:14:03.61\00:14:06.37
the waters of
Israel, which is true.
00:14:06.41\00:14:09.74
But God said, "I want
you to go to the Jordan."
00:14:09.78\00:14:12.38
It's the river where
Jesus would be baptized.
00:14:12.41\00:14:15.52
It's the river God parted
for the children of Israel.
00:14:15.55\00:14:18.55
It's a river that parted
for Elijah, it parted again
00:14:18.59\00:14:21.39
for Elisha.
00:14:21.42\00:14:22.76
It's a river of miracles.
00:14:22.79\00:14:25.99
And so Naaman's servants finally
say, "Don't be stubborn, master.
00:14:26.03\00:14:29.73
If he had asked you to kill
100 soldiers, you would have
00:14:29.76\00:14:32.03
done it.
00:14:32.07\00:14:33.37
But he says,
'Wash and be clean.'"
00:14:33.40\00:14:35.84
So he takes off his
armor, and Naaman the leper,
00:14:35.87\00:14:38.24
he's got his leprosy.
00:14:38.27\00:14:39.61
He goes down in
the muddy Jordan.
00:14:39.64\00:14:41.98
He humbles himself.
00:14:42.01\00:14:44.21
Repentance must
come before cleansing.
00:14:44.25\00:14:48.38
He humbles himself.
00:14:48.42\00:14:49.72
All the soldiers,
they see his leprosy.
00:14:49.75\00:14:51.45
He dips himself one time, two
times, and every time he noticed
00:14:51.49\00:14:56.12
nothing's happened, but
every time he went down, he was
00:14:56.16\00:14:59.39
humbling himself, lowest river.
00:14:59.43\00:15:01.86
"He who humbles
himself will be exalted."
00:15:01.90\00:15:05.43
He went down the seventh
time, and something happened.
00:15:05.47\00:15:10.84
All of a sudden his missing
fingers and toes and flesh that
00:15:10.87\00:15:14.38
had been destroyed and
ravaged by leprosy was restored.
00:15:14.41\00:15:18.48
Not only was it restored, the
Bible says his flesh came to him
00:15:18.51\00:15:21.92
again like the
flesh of a little child.
00:15:21.95\00:15:24.15
Read about it in
the 2 Kings chapter 5.
00:15:24.19\00:15:27.19
He gets baby skin.
00:15:27.22\00:15:30.26
You get born again.
00:15:30.29\00:15:32.46
He came out of the water jumping
and screaming and splashing and
00:15:32.49\00:15:35.60
praising God.
00:15:35.63\00:15:36.93
It happened in the Jordan River.
00:15:36.97\00:15:38.63
The Jordan, John the Baptist is
sent down to the Jordan 'cause
00:15:38.67\00:15:41.47
it's a symbol of cleansing
from the leprosy of sin.
00:15:41.50\00:15:46.07
So he, this prophet, begins
his ministry, people humbling
00:15:46.11\00:15:51.25
themselves,
repenting to accept Jesus.
00:15:51.28\00:15:53.38
Number four.
00:15:54.35\00:15:55.95
We want to go--according to the
Bible, how many different kinds
00:15:55.98\00:15:59.59
of baptism are acceptable?
00:15:59.62\00:16:02.82
The Bible says there is
one Lord, one faith, how
00:16:02.86\00:16:08.80
many baptisms?
00:16:08.83\00:16:10.50
One baptism.
00:16:10.53\00:16:11.87
Now there is one truth, there's
one truth we're baptized into.
00:16:11.90\00:16:15.57
There's one true Spirit of God.
00:16:15.60\00:16:17.87
God the Father,
Son, and Spirit, are one.
00:16:17.91\00:16:20.14
Hear, O Israel, the
Lord our God is one.
00:16:20.18\00:16:23.75
God is perfectly united.
00:16:23.78\00:16:25.78
There aren't
many different truths.
00:16:25.81\00:16:27.85
By the way, I know there are
many different denominations in
00:16:27.88\00:16:30.49
the world today.
00:16:30.52\00:16:31.82
Do you know
that's not God's will?
00:16:31.85\00:16:33.92
Jesus said, "All people will
know that you are My disciples
00:16:33.96\00:16:36.76
by your love for one another."
00:16:36.79\00:16:39.13
How many groups are there
gonna be when Jesus comes back?
00:16:39.16\00:16:43.13
Mark of the beast, seal of God.
00:16:43.16\00:16:47.04
Lost, saved; goats, sheep.
00:16:47.07\00:16:53.21
Narrow road, wide road,
with Jesus, against Jesus.
00:16:53.24\00:16:59.65
You know what's gonna happen?
00:16:59.68\00:17:01.28
God's got good people in
many churches, do you agree?
00:17:01.32\00:17:04.99
There's gonna be a
shaking in the world.
00:17:05.02\00:17:07.32
Great time of trouble.
00:17:07.36\00:17:08.66
People are going to
go back to their Bibles.
00:17:08.69\00:17:10.76
They're going to
hear messages like this.
00:17:10.79\00:17:12.86
Jesus said, "Many sheep I
have that are not of this fold."
00:17:12.89\00:17:17.03
Then also I must call John
chapter 10, and there will be
00:17:17.07\00:17:21.57
one fold and one shepherd, and
we will base our teachings on
00:17:21.60\00:17:27.21
one Bible and one truth.
00:17:27.24\00:17:30.68
Now there are many divisions
right now, and this is not
00:17:30.71\00:17:33.95
God's will.
00:17:33.98\00:17:35.32
The devil comes to divide.
00:17:35.35\00:17:36.72
Jesus wants us to be united, but
just not for the sake of unity,
00:17:36.75\00:17:39.52
united on the Word.
00:17:39.55\00:17:41.82
You know how many different
things that are called baptism?
00:17:41.86\00:17:43.69
They're not baptism.
00:17:43.73\00:17:46.93
You know, there's some people,
they say, well, you can do
00:17:46.96\00:17:50.07
1-800, we'll
baptize you over the phone.
00:17:50.10\00:17:53.87
That's called the
dry cleaning method.
00:17:53.90\00:17:57.17
And some churches, they sprinkle
rose petals and some say, it's
00:17:57.21\00:18:00.51
just a few
words that are spoken.
00:18:00.54\00:18:02.41
Some baptized face forward three
times, one's for the Father,
00:18:02.44\00:18:05.08
one's for the Son,
one's for the Holy Spirit.
00:18:05.11\00:18:07.32
Some people say all that's
necessary is baptism of the
00:18:07.35\00:18:10.82
Holy Spirit.
00:18:10.85\00:18:12.15
You don't need water baptism.
00:18:12.19\00:18:13.42
There's all of these different
ideas of what baptism is, but
00:18:13.46\00:18:17.86
the Bible says there's what?
00:18:17.89\00:18:19.49
What does it matter if
we do things God's way?
00:18:19.53\00:18:24.67
Yes, it does.
00:18:24.70\00:18:26.67
In fact, doing it the
wrong way can be sacrilegious.
00:18:26.70\00:18:30.21
I heard about a pastor that he
told his church, "Well, baptism
00:18:30.24\00:18:33.11
is a symbol," and
it's true: it is a symbol.
00:18:33.14\00:18:35.61
The water in the
baptistery, it's H2O.
00:18:35.64\00:18:39.68
And you know, it's a ceremony
but it's a very important
00:18:39.71\00:18:44.45
ceremony with meaning, and I
heard of a pastor he told his
00:18:44.49\00:18:49.46
congregation, "Well, it's just a
symbol so this we're gonna have
00:18:49.49\00:18:52.03
a baptism or you know," he
said, "since Communion is just a
00:18:52.06\00:18:55.66
symbol," he said, "this week for
Communion instead of having the
00:18:55.70\00:18:59.73
unleavened bread and the
unfermented grape trees we're
00:18:59.77\00:19:02.07
gonna have Big Macs and Coke."
00:19:02.10\00:19:06.47
Now how many would agree that
there's something really wrong
00:19:06.51\00:19:08.98
with that.
00:19:09.01\00:19:11.18
But you know, there's folks
who'll say it doesn't matter as
00:19:11.21\00:19:13.11
long as you're sincere.
00:19:13.15\00:19:15.32
No, it does matter, and
how you're baptized matters.
00:19:15.35\00:19:19.55
You wanna follow
Jesus's example, amen.
00:19:19.59\00:19:22.79
All right, question number five.
00:19:22.82\00:19:24.79
Jesus is our example.
00:19:24.83\00:19:27.00
How was he baptized?
00:19:27.03\00:19:28.30
A Christian is a
follower of Christ.
00:19:28.33\00:19:30.40
What did Jesus do?
00:19:30.43\00:19:32.07
It says, "Jesus came and he was
baptized by John in the Jordan."
00:19:32.10\00:19:37.54
For one thing, we noticed he
needs a river, so there's a lot
00:19:37.57\00:19:39.74
of water there.
00:19:39.77\00:19:41.54
"And immediately
coming up--" what?
00:19:41.58\00:19:44.71
--"From the water."
00:19:44.75\00:19:46.05
In order to come up
out of the water you need
00:19:46.08\00:19:48.22
to do for--what first?
00:19:48.25\00:19:49.82
Go down in the water.
00:19:49.85\00:19:51.52
The word "baptism," one of
the ladies in the interview got
00:19:51.55\00:19:54.59
that right.
00:19:54.62\00:19:55.96
The word "baptism,"
baptizo, it's a Greek word,
00:19:55.99\00:19:57.33
it means immerse,
submerged, covered, buried.
00:19:57.36\00:20:02.63
It means the old life is washed
away every bit of it, you come
00:20:02.66\00:20:06.27
up new.
00:20:06.30\00:20:07.74
You're completely
immersed, completely washed,
00:20:07.77\00:20:10.01
completely buried.
00:20:10.04\00:20:11.74
You come up new.
00:20:11.77\00:20:13.07
Jesus did this as an
example for you and me.
00:20:13.11\00:20:15.61
Did Jesus get
baptized to wash away his sin?
00:20:15.64\00:20:18.95
No, he says, "I'm giving you an
example that you should do as I
00:20:18.98\00:20:22.72
have done."
00:20:22.75\00:20:24.09
And he came up from the water.
00:20:24.12\00:20:26.79
John baptized in the Jordan.
00:20:26.82\00:20:28.62
If all he needed was a few drops
of water, he could have baptized
00:20:28.66\00:20:31.79
at--with a canteen anywhere.
00:20:31.83\00:20:34.10
Could have baptized, you
know, in Jerusalem by a spring,
00:20:34.13\00:20:38.00
but the Bible says
that he needed a river.
00:20:38.03\00:20:42.04
Number six:
00:20:42.07\00:20:43.67
How did Philip baptize
the treasurer of Ethiopia?
00:20:43.71\00:20:48.08
Some of you remember the
story that Philip, one of the
00:20:48.11\00:20:50.55
evangelists, he started out as a
deacon, he became an evangelist.
00:20:50.58\00:20:54.12
The Holy Spirit sent him down to
the deserts, and there was this
00:20:54.15\00:20:58.39
very powerful successful
Ethiopian treasurer for Candace,
00:20:58.42\00:21:02.69
the queen of Ethiopia, but
he was a believer in Jehovah.
00:21:02.72\00:21:07.03
He had the Jewish Scriptures.
00:21:07.03\00:21:08.50
He had gone up to
the feast to worship God.
00:21:08.53\00:21:10.97
He was coming
back from the feast.
00:21:11.00\00:21:12.83
Maybe it was Pentecost.
00:21:12.87\00:21:14.44
He was coming back and he's
riding along in his chariot and
00:21:14.47\00:21:17.34
he's reading from the Prophet
Isaiah about the Messiah.
00:21:17.37\00:21:20.18
He's actually reading
the prophecies about the
00:21:20.21\00:21:23.58
Messiah's suffering.
00:21:23.61\00:21:25.81
And God told Philip,
"Go down to the desert."
00:21:25.85\00:21:30.79
He goes down to the desert
and this guy's riding by on
00:21:30.82\00:21:33.32
the highway.
00:21:33.36\00:21:34.69
He's reading from the scroll,
and Philip said, "Do you know
00:21:34.72\00:21:36.96
what you're reading?"
00:21:36.99\00:21:38.49
And the man said, "It would
really help if someone could
00:21:38.53\00:21:40.90
help me understand it."
00:21:40.93\00:21:42.80
He said, "Well, I can,
just so happens I know what that
00:21:42.83\00:21:46.30
verse means."
00:21:46.33\00:21:48.14
And he began to talk, and
he's the first hitchhiker in
00:21:48.17\00:21:50.21
the Bible.
00:21:50.24\00:21:51.57
He invited him
up in the chariot.
00:21:51.61\00:21:52.84
And they rode along together and
he began to preach from the Old
00:21:52.87\00:21:55.74
Testament prophecies about
Jesus, including the prophecy in
00:21:55.78\00:22:00.15
Isaiah, and the man's heart
began to burn within him, and he
00:22:00.18\00:22:03.25
said, "This is the truth.
00:22:03.28\00:22:04.95
Jesus was the Messiah.
00:22:04.99\00:22:06.29
I heard about him.
00:22:06.32\00:22:07.66
This is what--" And he
said, "I wanna be baptized."
00:22:07.69\00:22:11.53
They understood the
teaching of baptism.
00:22:11.56\00:22:13.83
And they're passing by water;
now, they could have meant
00:22:13.86\00:22:16.20
they're passing by--there's a
couple of creeks that run down
00:22:16.23\00:22:19.10
into the Mediterranean.
00:22:19.13\00:22:20.44
It could have been
they're not far from the ocean.
00:22:20.47\00:22:22.90
Do you know the Bible says you
can be baptized in the ocean,
00:22:22.94\00:22:25.37
you can be baptized in a river,
you can be baptized in a lake,
00:22:25.41\00:22:28.18
you can be baptized in a
baptistry, but you need to
00:22:28.21\00:22:30.21
be immersed.
00:22:30.25\00:22:32.45
And he says, "Here is water.
00:22:32.48\00:22:33.98
What does hinder me?"
00:22:34.02\00:22:35.78
Philip said, "If you
believe with all of your heart,
00:22:35.82\00:22:39.62
you may," believe in the Bible.
00:22:39.65\00:22:40.89
And notice what it says here in
Acts chapter 8, verse 38 and 39.
00:22:40.92\00:22:44.19
I hope you read the whole thing.
00:22:44.23\00:22:45.56
It's a great story.
00:22:45.59\00:22:46.90
"Both Philip and the eunuch
went down into the water, and he
00:22:46.93\00:22:51.93
baptized him.
00:22:51.97\00:22:53.30
Now when they came up out
of--" it is pretty clear they're
00:22:53.34\00:22:56.81
being immersed.
00:22:56.84\00:22:58.37
He went down into the water,
he came up out of the water.
00:22:58.41\00:23:01.78
"The Spirit of the
Lord caught Philip away."
00:23:01.81\00:23:05.45
This is the first biblical
example of someone being beamed
00:23:05.48\00:23:08.55
from one location to another.
00:23:08.58\00:23:11.22
Now, think about how important
baptism must be that God tells
00:23:11.25\00:23:17.39
Philip to go down to the desert
so he could preach to this man
00:23:17.43\00:23:20.43
and baptize him.
00:23:20.46\00:23:22.46
The Gospel of Mark
begins with baptism.
00:23:22.50\00:23:25.67
The Gospel of John begins
with John the Baptist, baptism.
00:23:25.70\00:23:29.34
The Gospel of
Matthew ends with baptism.
00:23:29.37\00:23:32.17
"Go ye therefore, teach
all nations, baptizing them."
00:23:32.21\00:23:35.31
If the Gospels begin and end
with the subject, then do you
00:23:35.34\00:23:38.55
think it's important?
00:23:38.58\00:23:40.55
God wants us to
make a commitment to Him.
00:23:40.58\00:23:43.08
Baptism is as important to a
Christian as a wedding is to a
00:23:43.12\00:23:47.59
marriage, and we're
gonna bring that out.
00:23:47.62\00:23:50.23
It's the covenant that you
make where you find--people say,
00:23:50.26\00:23:52.86
"Yeah, one of these days I think
I'd like to be a Christian.
00:23:52.89\00:23:54.93
Yeah, one of these days, yeah, I
kind of believe it in my heart."
00:23:54.96\00:23:57.53
"Are you a Christian?"
00:23:57.57\00:23:58.87
"Yeah, maybe."
00:23:58.90\00:24:00.30
People don't know.
00:24:00.34\00:24:01.64
I mean, if people
say, "Are you married?"
00:24:01.67\00:24:03.37
"I'm not, I may, could
be. I'm getting there."
00:24:03.41\00:24:06.94
No, I mean
you've had the ceremony,
00:24:06.98\00:24:08.84
you're married or
you're not, right?
00:24:08.88\00:24:10.91
You make the decision.
00:24:10.95\00:24:13.65
And there's certain rights
and privileges that come after
00:24:13.68\00:24:16.52
marriage, at least
it used to be that way.
00:24:16.55\00:24:18.22
Can you say amen?
00:24:18.25\00:24:20.29
That you don't have before.
00:24:20.32\00:24:22.76
And God is
offering certain power.
00:24:22.79\00:24:26.93
Do you know the Bible says,
"Repent and be baptized, and you
00:24:26.96\00:24:29.50
shall receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit--" Acts chapter 2
00:24:29.53\00:24:32.93
"--for the promises unto you and
your children and as many as the
00:24:32.97\00:24:35.97
Lord God shall call."
00:24:36.00\00:24:38.21
Jesus came up out of the water,
the Holy Spirit came down like
00:24:38.24\00:24:40.94
a dove.
00:24:40.98\00:24:42.28
If you're gonna be able to live
the Christian life, get ready
00:24:42.31\00:24:44.31
for the Second
Coming, understand the things
00:24:44.35\00:24:46.41
we're teaching, you
need the Holy Spirit.
00:24:46.45\00:24:49.08
'Cause spiritual things, Jesus
said, are spiritually discerned.
00:24:49.12\00:24:52.82
Christ said, "The words that
I speak to you, they are spirit
00:24:52.85\00:24:55.66
and they are life."
00:24:55.69\00:24:57.13
It's not just black ink on white
paper, friends, there's a living
00:24:57.16\00:25:00.93
power in God's Word.
00:25:00.96\00:25:02.96
And if you make a commitment,
say, "Lord, I wanna follow you,"
00:25:03.00\00:25:05.30
He says, "Then
you will understand.
00:25:05.33\00:25:08.40
If you're willing."
00:25:08.44\00:25:09.74
Number seven:
00:25:09.77\00:25:11.54
What other truths are conveyed
and symbolized by baptism?
00:25:11.57\00:25:16.95
Answer: "Therefore, we are
buried with Him--" so it's a
00:25:16.98\00:25:21.52
symbol of death.
00:25:21.55\00:25:22.98
"We're buried with Him through
baptism into death, that just as
00:25:23.02\00:25:27.49
Christ was--" what, "--RAISED."
00:25:27.52\00:25:29.99
It represents a
resurrection from the dead
00:25:30.03\00:25:32.86
"--by the glory of the Father,
00:25:32.89\00:25:34.86
even so we should
walk in a newness of life."
00:25:34.93\00:25:37.83
So when--how many of you
have seen a biblical baptism
00:25:37.87\00:25:41.70
by immersion?
00:25:41.74\00:25:43.07
Of course, it is what Baptists
practice in many churches,
00:25:43.10\00:25:45.37
practice biblical baptism where
the minister, in some cases, the
00:25:45.41\00:25:50.05
elder, will officiate, and they
lower the person down briefly.
00:25:50.08\00:25:55.35
They're immersed,
they bring them back up.
00:25:55.38\00:25:57.92
It's a symbol of cleansing.
00:25:57.95\00:25:59.25
It's a symbol of new birth.
00:25:59.29\00:26:00.72
Doug: Friends, I hope you've
been blessed by today's message.
00:26:01.22\00:26:03.86
But really the reason we do
this is so that people might
00:26:03.89\00:26:06.76
know Christ.
00:26:06.80\00:26:08.10
You know, information
is not going to save us.
00:26:08.13\00:26:10.20
It's a relationship with Jesus,
the one who died on the cross
00:26:10.23\00:26:13.23
for your sins.
00:26:13.27\00:26:14.57
You must personally accept Him,
and that's the most important
00:26:14.60\00:26:17.51
thing and why we
do these programs.
00:26:17.54\00:26:19.67
If you've not asked Him
into your heart before, then I'd
00:26:19.71\00:26:22.34
encourage you
to do it right now.
00:26:22.38\00:26:24.01
His arms are open wide.
00:26:24.05\00:26:25.85
Just come to Him as
you are and ask Him.
00:26:25.88\00:26:28.05
Doug: Hi friends, I trust
you are being blessed by what
00:26:29.15\00:26:31.22
you're watching.
00:26:31.25\00:26:32.59
If you want to be doubly
blessed, then you're going to
00:26:32.62\00:26:34.42
want to get the Prophecy Odyssey
study guides that go along with
00:26:34.46\00:26:37.89
these presentations.
00:26:37.93\00:26:39.23
There's 15 study guides.
00:26:39.26\00:26:40.90
They're beautifully illustrated,
and they will greatly enhance
00:26:40.93\00:26:44.07
your Bible comprehension.
00:26:44.10\00:26:45.80
So if you'd like to get them,
simply follow the instructions
00:26:45.83\00:26:48.27
that you see on the screen.
00:26:48.30\00:26:49.67
You will be glad you did.
00:26:49.70\00:26:51.04
¤¤¤
00:26:51.41\00:26:57.75
Doug: After our study today,
you might have some questions
00:26:58.85\00:27:01.75
about baptism.
00:27:01.78\00:27:03.18
If so, you're going to want
a copy of our lesson called,
00:27:03.22\00:27:05.69
"Purity and Power."
00:27:05.72\00:27:07.89
This Amazing Facts study guide
answers many important questions
00:27:07.92\00:27:12.26
about the Bible ordinance of
baptism that was practiced by
00:27:12.29\00:27:15.46
Jesus Himself.
00:27:15.50\00:27:16.87
To get your free copy,
simply follow the instructions
00:27:16.90\00:27:20.17
on the screen, and
we'll send it to you.
00:27:20.20\00:27:21.60
¤¤¤
00:27:22.20\00:27:32.21
¤¤¤
00:27:32.25\00:27:34.25
male announcer: You can become
a Bible expert with the Amazing
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00:27:44.13\00:27:47.36
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afterlife, and so much more.
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Even better, it's absolutely
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00:28:00.34\00:28:03.61
Doug: What you've seen
just now is only part one in
00:28:05.15\00:28:08.12
this presentation.
00:28:08.15\00:28:09.75
Make sure and join us for part
two in our next broadcast for
00:28:09.78\00:28:13.46
some of the most important
points on this topic and to
00:28:13.49\00:28:16.76
complete the
corresponding study guides.
00:28:16.79\00:28:19.16
Until then, God bless.
00:28:19.19\00:28:20.96
male announcer: This
presentation was brought to you
00:28:23.67\00:28:25.13
by the friends of the
Amazing Facts ministry.
00:28:25.17\00:28:27.84