Participants: Doug Batchelor
Series Code: AFP
Program Code: AFP000128
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00:01 >>THIS PRESENTATION IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FRIENDS OF THE
00:03 AMAZING FACTS MINISTRY. 00:12 >>WHAT IS THE TRUTH? DO YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE TRUTH IS? 00:17 JESUS SAID, 'I HAVE COMMUNICATED TO HUMANITY THROUGH A BOOK. 00:21 MY WORDS HAVE BEEN PRESERVED.' AND HIS WORD - 00:25 THE SCRIPTURES - ARE THE TRUTH OF GOD. 00:31 >>FOR OVER 40 YEARS AMAZING FACTS HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO 00:34 SHARING GOD'S WORD THROUGH MEDIA. 00:37 THIS PROGRAM FEATURES HIGHLIGHTS FROM SOME OF OUR BEST 00:39 TELEVISION BROADCASTS. WE INVITE YOU TO SIT BACK AND 00:42 ENJOY THIS EDITION OF AMAZING FACTS PRESENTS. 00:51 >>NOW, AS WE EXPLORE OUR SUBJECT TONIGHT, WHICH IS REALLY 00:55 DEALING WITH 'WHAT IS TRUTH?' THIS IS, I THINK, ONE OF THE 00:59 MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE COULD DISCUSS AND SO I HOPE 01:03 YOU'LL BE PRAYING WITH AND FOR ME AND ALSO, 01:06 THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE AT HOME. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A VERY SIMPLE 01:12 STATEMENT HERE: WE KNOW THAT WE'RE HERE AND WE KNOW WE WON'T 01:17 ALWAYS BE HERE. THIS LIFE THAT YOU'RE LIVING 01:21 RIGHT NOW IN YOUR BODY - EVEN IF YOU'RE ALIVE WHEN JESUS COMES, 01:25 THIS IS NOT GOING TO LAST FOREVER - IT'S TEMPORARY. 01:29 WHAT REALLY MATTERS IS THE LIFE THAT LASTS FOR ETERNITY. 01:34 YOUR ETERNAL DESTINY IS WHAT REALLY MATTERS. 01:37 NOW, IF THAT'S TRUE, AS I BELIEVE IT IS, 01:42 THEN THE GREATEST TREASURE IS TRUTH. 01:46 WE HAVE A LIMITED PERIOD OF TIME TO DISCOVER WHAT IS THE TRUTH. 01:51 AND THE GREATEST TRAGEDY WOULD BE A WASTED LIFE. 01:56 AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THIS IS SO IMPORTANT AND I'D JUST LIKE 01:59 TO SPEAK TO YOUR HEARTS. NOW, I DON'T WANT TO ASSUME THAT 02:03 EVERYONE HERE KNOWS ME OR KNOWS MY BACKGROUND OR WHERE I CAME 02:06 FROM BUT, VERY QUICKLY, LET ME SUMMARIZE THAT THE FIRST 02:11 16, 17 YEARS OF MY LIFE WAS A REAL MESS. 02:15 I WON'T GO INTO ALL THE DETAIL BUT BORN IN CALIFORNIA, GREW UP 02:21 IN NEW YORK CITY, BOSTON, MIAMI, PART OF THE TIME IN EUROPE. 02:26 FATHER WAS RAISED A BAPTIST BUT DURING WORLD WAR II 02:30 HE BECAME AN ATHEIST. 02:33 MY MOTHER WAS JEWISH BUT SHE ALSO WAS PRETTY MUCH AGNOSTIC. 02:37 WENT TO 14 DIFFERENT SCHOOLS - AND YOU GET A PRETTY BROAD 02:41 PERSPECTIVE OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHEN YOU GO TO TWO DIFFERENT 02:44 CATHOLIC SCHOOLS, TWO DIFFERENT JEWISH SCHOOLS, MULTIPLE PUBLIC 02:48 SCHOOLS, MILITARY SCHOOL AND A FREE SCHOOL WITH NO RULES - AND 02:53 A SCHOOL ON A SAILBOAT THAT GOES AROUND THE MEDITERRANEAN - AND 02:56 THAT WAS BEFORE I WENT TO COLLEGE. 02:59 AND SO, ALL OF MY LIFE, BEING RAISED PRETTY MUCH AN ATHEIST, I 03:04 DIDN'T THINK LIFE HAD ANY PURPOSE. 03:06 I WAS TAUGHT YOU'RE BORN, YOU LIVE A LITTLE WHILE, YOU DIE, 03:10 AND YOU BASICALLY JUST MIGRATE BACK INTO FERTILIZER AND THAT 03:13 WAS YOUR LIFE. AND SO IT JUST SEEMED SO MEANINGLESS TO ME. 03:19 AND I THOUGHT, 'THERE'S GOT TO BE MORE THAN THIS.' 03:21 AND I JUST REALLY BEGAN TO SEARCH. 03:24 NOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WILL TELL YOU THAT 03:26 HAPPINESS COMES FROM SUCCESS, MONEY, THE POWER THAT COMES WITH 03:30 THAT AND THEY THINK THE KEY IS IF YOU COULD JUST HAVE A LOT OF 03:34 MONEY. MOST OF US WOULD NOT ARGUE IF 03:36 SOMEONE WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LOT OF MONEY, RIGHT? 03:39 YOU THINK THAT'D BE A GOOD THING. 03:41 AND MONEY OF ITSELF IS NOT EVIL. THE BIBLE SAYS IT'S THE LOVE 03:44 OF MONEY. WELL, MY FATHER HAD MILLIONS AND 03:48 MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND WHEN HE PASSED AWAY HE STARTED A 03:53 FOUNDATION THAT'S GOT OVER 300 MILLION DOLLARS IN IT. 03:57 BUT ALL OF MY LIFE I REMEMBER MY DAD BEING VERY UNHAPPY AND HE 04:02 DRANK HIMSELF TO SLEEP EVERY NIGHT. 04:04 ON THE OTHER SIDE, MY MOTHER, SHE WAS IN SHOW BUSINESS - JUST 04:09 ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF SHOW BUSINESS. 04:12 SHE WAS A SONGWRITER - SHE USED TO WRITE FOR ELVIS PRESLEY. 04:15 I SAW - SOME OF YOU - I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE IN COLLEGE 04:18 WOULD REMEMBER ANDY WILLIAMS, BUT ANDY WILLIAMS DIED A COUPLE 04:22 OF WEEKS AGO AND I LOOKED ON THE INTERNET NEWS AND THERE WAS A 04:25 PICTURE OF MY MOM ON STAGE WITH ANDY WILLIAMS. I PUT IT ON 04:28 MY FACEBOOK IF ANY OF YOU ARE MY FRIENDS ON FACEBOOK. 04:30 AND HE WAS SINGING A SONG THAT SHE WROTE AND HE LET HER DANCE 04:34 ON THE ROUTINE DURING HIS SHOW. BUT SHE WAS - DURING THAT TIME - 04:38 SHE WAS WRITING SONGS AND MUSICALS AND SHE WAS AN ACTRESS, 04:41 BUT MOST OF ALL SHE WAS A FILM CRITIC IN HOLLYWOOD. SHE WAS THE 04:44 PRESIDENT OF THE L.A. FILM CRITICS. GOOD MORNING AMERICA 04:48 FILM CRITIC - AND SHE KNEW A LOT OF PEOPLE IN HOLLYWOOD AND WE 04:52 KNEW SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE. MY BROTHER AND I WEREN'T AS 04:55 INVOLVED AS MY MOM WAS, BUT SHE WAS VERY UNHAPPY AND A LOT OF 05:02 THE PEOPLE THAT WE KNEW IN THAT LIFE WERE VERY UNHAPPY. 05:05 AND SOME WHO WERE SUCCESSFUL AND WEALTHY AND GOOD LOOKING AND 05:08 HEALTHY AND TALENTED - JUST OOZING WITH TALENT AND GOOD 05:12 LOOKS - KILLED THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY WERE SO UNHAPPY. 05:16 AND SO I THOUGHT, 'HAPPINESS DOESN'T COME FROM MONEY. 05:19 HAPPINESS DOESN'T COME FROM FAME. 05:23 WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE?' AND I JUST BEGAN TO SEARCH. 05:27 I WAS JUST REALLY HUNGRY BECAUSE I THOUGHT, 'WELL, I CAN KILL 05:29 MYSELF' - I USED TO THINK ABOUT SUICIDE ALL THE TIME, BUT I 05:32 THOUGHT SUICIDE IS SO - ONCE YOU DO IT - YOU CAN ONLY DO IT ONCE. 05:36 IF YOU DO IT RIGHT YOU CAN ONLY DO IT ONCE. 05:39 AND I FIGURED IF I'M GOING TO DO IT, I'M GOING TO DO IT RIGHT. 05:42 AND - BUT I THOUGHT, 'YOU KNOW, I CAN POSTPONE THAT AND DO MY 05:48 BEST TO FIND OUT IF THERE'S ANY PURPOSE BECAUSE I'D SURE HATE TO 05:50 GET IT WRONG. AND SO I JUST BEGAN TO SEARCH 05:54 AND I JUST TRIED EVERYTHING. I WON'T GO INTO ALL THE DETAILS 05:58 BUT, I MEAN, I'VE TRIED THE DRUGS AND THE WILD LIVING AND 06:02 CRIME AND ULTIMATELY I WAS LIVING ON THE BOAT IN THE 06:08 MEDITERRANEAN AND JUST SEARCHING, TRYING - I BEGAN TO 06:11 GET INTO THE EASTERN RELIGIONS. I WAS WILLING TO TRY ANYTHING - 06:13 HALLUCINOGENICS - MUSHROOMS, LSD, ANYTHING - JUST - I WAS 06:19 HUNGRY TO FIND OUT 'WHERE IS MEANING? 06:21 WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF LIFE?' AND THEN I DECIDED IT WAS IN 06:25 NATURE BECAUSE NATURE, AT LEAST, SEEMED REAL TO ME. 06:28 I WAS SO FED UP WITH NEW YORK CITY AND THE HOLLYWOOD SCENE I 06:33 MOVED INTO THE MOUNTAINS OUTSIDE OF PALM SPRINGS INTO A CAVE TO 06:38 BE AT ONE WITH NATURE AND I WENT ALL OUT. 06:43 WHEN I DO SOMETHING I GO ALL OUT. 06:45 AND, I MEAN, I DIDN'T WEAR ANY CLOTHES AND I JUST - I TRIED TO 06:52 LIVE OFF THE LAND FOR A LITTLE WHILE BUT I NEARLY STARVED TO 06:54 DEATH. I'LL JUST TELL YOU THERE'S NOT 06:56 MUCH MEAT ON A RATTLESNAKE AND A SQUIRREL. YOU JUST TAKE MY WORD 06:59 FOR IT. SO I WOULD PANHANDLE IN TOWN, I'D GET MY GROCERIES AND - 07:04 THE SHORT VERSION OF THE STORY IS SOMEONE HAD LEFT A BIBLE IN 07:08 THE CAVE BEFORE I EVER GOT THERE. IT WAS A GOOD CAMPING 07:10 SPOT BY A CREEK UP IN THE MOUNTAINS - WAY BACK. 07:14 AND I STARTED READING THE BIBLE NEVER INTENDING TO BELIEVE IT 07:17 AND SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY I ENCOUNTERED THE TEACHINGS OF 07:23 JESUS AND I COULDN'T SHAKE IT. I JUST KNEW THAT THIS WAS TRUE. 07:31 I SAID, 'THAT CAN'T BE TRUE.' MY MOTHER BEING JEWISH SAID, 07:34 'YOU KNOW, CHRISTIANS ARE THE PROBLEM WITH THE WORLD AND 07:37 THEY'VE ALWAYS PERSECUTED JEWS.' AND SO I WAS VERY BIASED BUT 07:41 WHEN I READ THE ACTUAL THINGS THAT JESUS SAID, I'D NEVER HEARD 07:45 ANYONE TALK LIKE THAT BEFORE. YOU KNOW, HIS ENEMIES SENT SOME 07:48 GUARDS ONCE TO ARREST HIM AND THEY CAME BACK WITHOUT JESUS AND 07:52 THEY SAID, 'WHERE IS HE? WHY DIDN'T YOU ARREST HIM?' 07:55 AND THEY WERE DUMBFOUNDED AND THEY SAID TO THE LEADERS, 'NEVER 07:58 MAN SPAKE LIKE THIS MAN.' NOW, I'D LIKE TO DIRECT YOUR 08:03 ATTENTION TO A STORY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 08:08 GO TO THE BOOK OF JOHN AND IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, CHAPTER 18, 08:14 JESUS IS BEING TRIED BY PONTIUS PILATE AND IN THE EXCHANGE - YOU 08:21 KNOW, THE MOB IS CALLING FOR HIS CRUCIFIXION, PILATE IS INTRIGUED 08:25 BECAUSE HE'S RECEIVED A LETTER FROM HIS WIFE AND SHE SAYS, 08:29 'I'VE SUFFERED MANY THINGS IN A DREAM BECAUSE OF THIS MAN.' 08:31 AND 'DON'T DO ANYTHING WITH THAT JUST MAN.' 08:35 SO HIS WIFE'S TOLD HIM THAT AND THAT'S SHAKEN HIM UP AND HE'S 08:37 HEARD ABOUT JESUS AND THIS GREAT TEACHER AND HE'S A WORKER OF 08:40 MIRACLES AND YET HE'S BEING TOLD THAT HE'S A REBEL AND HE'S 08:42 CAUSING AN INSURRECTION AGAINST ROME AND PILATE'S NOT QUITE SURE 08:46 WHAT TO THINK. AND HE CAN LOOK AT JESUS AND 08:49 SEE, 'I'VE SEEN MANY CRIMINALS AND THIS MAN IS NOT A CRIMINAL.' 08:53 SO HE DOES SOMETHING VERY UNUSUAL. 08:54 HE WANTS A PRIVATE INTERVIEW WITH CHRIST AND TAKES HIM ASIDE 08:58 AND HE'S TALKING TO JESUS. 09:02 HE TOOK HIM INTO THE PRAETORIUM - ACTUALLY, I'M IN VERSE 33, 09:06 "...CALLED JESUS, AND SAID TO HIM, 'ARE YOU THE KING OF THE 09:08 JEWS?' JESUS ANSWERED HIM, 'ARE YOU SPEAKING FOR YOURSELF ABOUT 09:12 THIS, OR DID OTHERS TELL YOU THIS CONCERNING ME?' PILATE 09:16 ANSWERED, 'AM I A JEW? YOUR OWN NATION AND THE CHIEF PRIESTS 09:19 HAVE DELIVERED YOU TO ME. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?' 09:22 JESUS ANSWERED, 'MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD. 09:26 IF MY KINGDOM WERE OF THIS WORLD, MY SERVANTS WOULD FIGHT, 09:28 SO THAT I SHOULD NOT BE DELIVERED TO THE JEWS; BUT NOW 09:31 MY KINGDOM IS NOT FROM HERE.' PILATE THEREFORE SAID TO HIM, 09:35 'ARE YOU A KING THEN?' JESUS ANSWERED, 09:38 'YOU SAY RIGHTLY THAT I AM A KING. 09:41 FOR THIS CAUSE I WAS BORN, AND FOR THIS CAUSE I HAVE COME INTO 09:44 THE WORLD, THAT I SHOULD BEAR WITNESS TO THE TRUTH.'" 09:48 JESUS SAID THAT HE CAME TO BEAR WITNESS TO THE TRUTH. 09:53 HE CAME TO SHOW US WHAT THE TRUTH IS. 09:56 "'EVERYONE WHO IS OF THE TRUTH HEARS MY VOICE.' 10:01 PILATE SAID TO HIM, 'WHAT IS TRUTH?'" 10:07 IN CASE YOU THINK I MADE UP THE SERMON TITLE FOR THIS 10:09 EVENING, I DIDN'T. PONTIUS PILATE DID. 10:12 'WHAT IS THE TRUTH?' NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN TRUTH. 10:17 THERE IS NO GREATER TREASURE THAN TRUTH. 10:19 THERE IS NO GREATER TRAGEDY THAN A WASTED LIFE. 10:22 YOU KNOW WHAT'S SAD? PILATE DIDN'T WAIT FOR THE ANSWER. 10:27 MAYBE THE CROWD WAS SCREAMING OUTSIDE. 10:29 MAYBE THERE WAS SOME CYNICISM IN THE WAY THAT HE ANSWERED THIS. 10:32 'WHAT IS TRUTH?' CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING THE 10:34 GOVERNOR IN JUDEA AT THAT TIME, WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT 10:37 RELIGIOUS FACTIONS THAT ARE FIGHTING AND EVEN WITHIN THE 10:39 ROMAN EMPIRE THEY HAD SO MANY DIFFERENT RELIGIONS - THEY HAD 10:43 THE GREEK RELIGION - ALL THE DIFFERENT ROMAN GODS, AND ALL 10:45 THE DIFFERENT RELIGIONS OF ASIA AND HE SAYS, 'WHAT IS TRUTH?' 10:49 EVERYONE SAYS THEY'VE GOT THE TRUTH. 10:50 HOW CAN ANYONE KNOW WHAT THE TRUTH IS? 10:53 AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK, RIGHT NOW, YOUNG PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IN 11:01 THE COLLEGE YEARS, ARE BOMBARDED WITH A KALEIDOSCOPE OF 11:06 IDEAS AND THERE'S SO MANY NEW CREATIVE BIZARRE IDEAS OUT THERE 11:14 THAT YOU CAN BECOME OVERWHELMED AND IT ALL GETS FUZZY AND YOU 11:17 START TO THINK, 'WHAT IS TRUTH?' AND HOW SAD TO BE STANDING NEXT 11:24 TO JESUS, WHO IS THE EMBODIMENT OF TRUTH - GOD, THE TRUTH OF GOD 11:30 WAS INCARNATE IN THE PERSON OF JESUS - TO BE STANDING SO CLOSE 11:35 - WHAT AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION THAT MUST HAVE BEEN 11:37 FOR ONE OF THE LEADERS IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE TO SAY TO GOD 11:40 INCARNATE, 'WHAT IS TRUTH?' AND NOT WAIT FOR THE ANSWER BUT 11:45 TO TURN AND WALK AWAY. HOW SAD TO BE SO CLOSE TO THE 11:52 TRUTH AND NOT LISTEN TO WHAT JESUS HAD TO SAY. 11:57 NOW SOMEONE MIGHT SAY, 'WELL, YOU KNOW, WE ALL COME FROM 11:59 DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND SO WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES 12:02 AND IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT YOUR PERSPECTIVE IS.' 12:05 AND MAYBE YOU'VE HEARD THE ILLUSTRATION USED BEFORE ABOUT 12:08 THIS KING - THIS KING WANTED TO FIND OUT HOW BLIND MEN WOULD 12:12 REACT WHEN THEY SAW AN ELEPHANT - THEY DIDN'T SEE AN ELEPHANT 12:15 BUT WHEN THEY WERE EXPOSED TO AN ELEPHANT. 12:18 AND SO HE GOT SIX BLIND MEN AND HE LED THEM UP TO THE ELEPHANT. 12:22 BUT HE LED THEM TO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE ELEPHANT AND ONE OF 12:26 THE BLIND MEN - YOU'VE HEARD THIS BEFORE - ONE OF THE BLIND 12:27 MEN, HE GETS UP TO THE ELEPHANT'S TRUNK AND HE SAYS, 'I 12:30 UNDERSTAND THE ELEPHANT.' HE CALLS OUT TO HIS FRIENDS, 12:33 'AN ELEPHANT IS VERY MUCH LIKE A SNAKE.' 12:35 AND THE OTHER ONE, HE GOT LED UP TO A LEG AND HE SAID, 'OH, 12:39 YOU'RE ALL WRONG. IT'S NOT AT ALL LIKE A SNAKE, AN 12:40 ELEPHANT IS A TREE - VERY MUCH LIKE A TREE.' 12:43 ANOTHER ONE GETS AHOLD OF A TUSK AND HE SAYS, 'NO, NO, NO. 12:46 AN ELEPHANT IS LIKE A STICK. I UNDERSTAND THE ELEPHANT. 12:49 IT IS LIKE A STICK.' SOMEONE ELSE IS LED TO THE BODY 12:52 AND HE SAYS, 'YOU'RE ALL WRONG.' HE SAYS, 12:53 'I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN EVEN SEE IT THAT WAY. 12:55 AN ELEPHANT IS A MOUNTAIN.' ANOTHER ONE, HE'S LED AROUND BY 12:59 THE TAIL AND HE SAYS, 'OH, AN ELEPHANT'S LIKE A ROPE.' 13:02 ONE GETS AHOLD OF THE EAR AND HE SAID, 'IT'S LIKE A GREAT BIRD.' 13:06 THEY ALL HAD DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE ELEPHANT - AND PEOPLE LOVE 13:08 TO USE THAT ILLUSTRATION AND SAY, 'EVERYBODY COMES AT TRUTH 13:12 WITH DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT 13:15 PART OF THE TRUTH YOU GOT AHOLD OF. 13:18 AND THEY'RE REALLY - NOBODY KNOWS FOR SURE. 13:21 YOU'RE SO SURE BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT THE TRUNK AND YOU'RE SO SURE 13:23 BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT THE EAR AND NO ONE CAN REALLY KNOW WHAT THE 13:26 TRUTH IS.' WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT ELEPHANT GOT UPSET BECAUSE ALL 13:28 THESE PEOPLE WERE GROPING IT AND IT TRAMPLED THE BLIND MEN. 13:33 BUT THE KING, WHO COULD SEE, SURVIVED. 13:37 THAT'S THE REST OF THE STORY. THAT ELEPHANT DID NOT STOP BEING 13:41 AN ELEPHANT JUST BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE HAD THE WRONG PART OF THE 13:45 ELEPHANT. THERE IS A TRUTH. 13:49 YOU KNOW, NOT TOO LONG AGO WE WERE ALL JUST HORRIFIED BY THE 13:55 NEWS IMAGES THAT CAME THROUGH OF SOMEBODY THAT SPENT WAY TOO MUCH 14:00 TIME WATCHING VIDEOS AND THEY DYED THEIR HAIR RED AND THEY 14:05 WENT INTO A MOVIE THEATER WITH AUTOMATIC WEAPONS AND JUST BEGAN 14:12 TO BLAZE AWAY AT PEOPLE WHO HAD COME TO WATCH 'THE DARK KNIGHT'. 14:16 NOW WHO KNOWS WHAT IN THE WORLD - I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE KNOWS 14:20 YET - WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS GOING THROUGH THAT GUY'S HEAD, 14:22 BUT HE WAS LIVING IN AN ALTER-REALITY. 14:25 WOULD WE ALL AGREE WITH THAT? DOES IT MATTER IF HE SAYS, 14:30 'BUT I WAS SINCERE'? THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY WRONG. 14:35 THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE RIGHT AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS 14:37 THAT ARE WRONG. WHERE DO WE GO TO FIND OUT WHAT THE TRUTH IS? 14:41 ARE WE FOREVER TO BE JUST KIND OF GUESSING? 14:45 I'LL SUBMIT TO YOU - AND YOU KNEW WHERE I WAS GOING WITH THIS 14:49 - THE BIBLE IS TRUTH. GOD'S WORD IS THE TRUTH. 14:55 THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT ITSELF. JOHN 17:17 - 14:58 JESUS SAID, "SANCTIFY THEM BY YOUR TRUTH. YOUR WORD IS TRUTH." 15:06 YOU KNOW, IT USED TO BE WHEN YOU WENT INTO A COURTHOUSE AND YOU 15:10 WERE GOING TO TESTIFY SOMEHOW THAT YOU'D SAY, 'DO YOU PROMISE 15:14 TO TELL THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE 15:16 TRUTH?' WELL, YOU THINK YOU'D NEED TO 15:19 KNOW WHAT THAT WAS AND THE JUDGE NEEDS TO DISCRIMINATE. 15:21 HERE PILATE'S GETTING READY TO JUDGE JESUS AND HE SAYS, 'I 15:23 DON'T KNOW WHAT TRUTH IS.' WOULD YOU WANT A JUDGE WHO SAYS, 15:26 'I DON'T KNOW WHAT TRUTH IS. WHO KNOWS WHAT THE TRUTH IS?' 15:28 AND HE'S GETTING READY TO DECIDE WHETHER YOU LIVE OR DIE? 15:34 IF GOD'S GOING TO DETERMINE YOUR ETERNITY DO YOU WANT HIM TO KNOW 15:38 WHAT THE TRUTH IS? DO YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE TRUTH IS? 15:43 JESUS SAID, 'I HAVE COMMUNICATED TO HUMANITY THROUGH A BOOK. 15:47 THROUGH A SACRED SUPERNATURAL MESSAGE, MY WORDS HAVE BEEN 15:52 PRESERVED.' AND HIS WORD - THE SCRIPTURES - 15:56 ARE THE TRUTH OF GOD. NOW I TAKE IT AS IT'S WHOLE AND 16:00 I'VE BEEN READING THE BIBLE FOR YEARS AND I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE 16:04 SOME DIFFICULT PASSAGES AND I DON'T CLAIM TO HAVE ALL THE 16:06 ANSWERS, BUT I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST TO YOU THAT YOU'RE BETTER OFF 16:11 BELIEVING TOO MUCH OF THE BIBLE THAN NOT ENOUGH OF IT. 16:14 YOU'RE BETTER OFF BELIEVING THAT IT'S ALL TRUE THAN THINKING, 16:17 'WELL, YOU KNOW, I MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE BIT OUT HERE AND EDIT A 16:20 LITTLE BIT HERE.' IF YOU TAKE THE WHOLE THING AS 16:23 THE WORD OF GOD, YOUR LIFE WILL BE A LOT HAPPIER. 16:26 OH, AND THAT'S THE NEXT THING SOMEONE'S GOING TO SAY. 16:29 'PASTOR DOUG, YOU SAY THE BIBLE'S TRUE. 16:32 WHOSE VERSION OF THE BIBLE?' BEFORE I JOINED MY CHURCH I 16:37 STUDIED WITH CHRISTIANS FROM ALL DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND I WAS 16:39 SO FRUSTRATED BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAD A DIFFERENT IDEA. 16:43 AND I JUST HAD TO PRAY AND SAY, 'LORD, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE 16:45 TRUTH IS.' I BELIEVE JESUS IS TRUE. 16:47 I BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS TRUE. BUT NOW THERE'S ALL THIS 16:50 DISAGREEMENT AMONG CHRISTIANS. SO SHOULD I SHRUG MY SHOULDERS 16:53 LIKE PILATE AND SAY, 'WHAT IS TRUTH?' 16:56 OR DO YOU NEED TO SEARCH? SO HOW DO YOU FIND, WHEN YOU'RE 17:00 READING THE BIBLE, WHAT IS THE TRUTH? 17:04 WELL, THERE'S A FEW THINGS, IN PARTICULAR, YOU DO: 17:06 1) YOU COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE. 17:10 LET THE BIBLE INTERPRET ITSELF. 17:14 PRAY FOR THE SPIRIT AS YOU READ THE BIBLE. 17:17 GOD'S SPIRIT WILL LEAD YOU INTO TRUTH. 17:19 AND THEN, CONSIDER CHRISTIAN COUNSEL. 17:21 THERE'S A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS YOU CAN DO, BUT YOU CAN ACTUALLY 17:24 PINPOINT, WITH SOME PRECISION, WHAT THE TRUTH IS. 17:27 NOW, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO PICK SOMETHING THAT'S POPULAR, IT MAY 17:30 NOT BE THE TRUTH BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS, 'STRAIGHT IS THE 17:32 GATE AND NARROW IS THE WAY THAT LEADS TO LIFE AND FEW THERE BE 17:35 THAT FIND IT.' WHY ARE THERE FEW THAT FIND THE 17:38 TRUTH? BECAUSE TRUTH CAN HURT. TRUTH IS THE MOST VALUABLE THING 17:45 AND IT'S A TREASURE. IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN IT'S 17:47 GOING TO BE THE MOST POPULAR THING. 17:49 YOU'VE GOT TO SEARCH FOR IT WITH ALL YOUR HEART. 17:51 JESUS SAID, - IT'S ACTUALLY JEREMIAH CHAPTER 29, AND VERSE 17:54 13, "AND YOU WILL SEEK ME AND FIND ME, WHEN YOU SEARCH FOR ME" 17:59 - YOU KNOW THE REST OF THAT? - "WITH ALL YOUR HEART." 18:03 YOU KNOW, THE LORD PROMISES, 'SEEK AND YOU'LL FIND.' 18:07 WHAT WOULD BE MORE PRECIOUS THAN FINDING THE TRUTH? 18:11 BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE SOUGHT AFTER. 18:14 SO YOU SEARCH AND YOU SEARCH WITH ALL YOUR HEART 18:18 FOR THE TRUTH. FOR ONE THING, GOD'S SPIRIT IS TRUTH. 18:24 JOHN 16, VERSE 13, "HOWEVER, WHEN HE, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, 18:28 HAS COME, HE WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH;" - SO AS YOU'RE 18:32 READING THE WORD AND YOU'RE COMPARING SCRIPTURE WITH 18:34 SCRIPTURE, YOU PRAY FOR GOD'S SPIRIT. YOU KNOW, 18:37 WHEN I OPEN THE BIBLE AND I BEGIN TO STUDY, I ALWAYS PRAY. 18:40 FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, BEFORE I OPEN THE WORD, I PRAY 18:42 AND SAY, 'LORD, GUIDE ME INTO THE TRUTH.' 18:45 AND, YOU KNOW, OUR LIVES DEPEND ON THAT. 18:47 ANOTHER VERSE: JOHN 4:24, "GOD IS SPIRIT, AND THOSE WHO WORSHIP 18:53 HIM MUST WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH." 18:56 NOW LET ME TELL YOU WHY I THINK THIS IS SO IMPORTANT. 18:58 IS THE DAY COMING WHEN EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD, ACCORDING TO THE 19:03 BIBLE, IS GOING TO EITHER RECEIVE THE MARK OF THE BEAST OR 19:07 HAVE THE SEAL OF GOD? AND THAT'S GOING TO BE BOILING 19:10 DOWN TO WHETHER YOU WORSHIP THE BEAST AND HIS IMAGE OR YOU 19:14 WORSHIP GOD. JESUS SAID, 'THE HOUR IS COMING 19:18 WHEN THOSE WHO KILL YOU WILL THINK THEY'RE SERVING GOD. 19:21 THERE'S GOING TO BE A MAJOR DECEPTION IN THE LAST DAYS THAT 19:24 JESUS SAID WILL BE SO POWERFUL THAT EVEN THE VERY ELECT COULD 19:27 BE DECEIVED. AND SO, HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR 19:32 US TO REALLY KNOW WHAT THE TRUTH IS? 19:34 BECAUSE IN ORDER FOR US TO WORSHIP GOD THE RIGHT WAY - IT 19:38 SAYS 'THOSE WHO WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND 19:40 TRUTH.' THERE IS A TRUTH. 19:44 YOU CAN'T WORSHIP GOD THE WAY THAT GOD IS TO BE WORSHIPED 19:47 UNLESS YOU'RE HAVING SOME IDEA OF WHAT THE TRUTH IS. 19:50 THAT'S WHY THE LORD CONDEMNS IDOLATRY - BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE 19:53 AROUND THE WORLD, BLESS THEIR HEARTS, THEY KNEEL DOWN IN FRONT 19:56 OF THESE FOUR-FOOTED CRITTERS AND CALL IT 'GOD', 19:59 THEY MIGHT BE SINCERE AND THE LORD LOOKS ON THEIR HEARTS, BUT 20:03 THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT GOD IS A COW. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? 20:09 IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT GOD IS A BUG OR THE WIND OR THE TREES OR 20:13 ANY OF THE MANY THINGS THAT PEOPLE MAY WORSHIP. NOT MEANING 20:16 TO BE DISRESPECTFUL TO WHAT PEOPLE BELIEVE - GOD 20:19 SAYS THAT'S IDOLATRY. HE SAID IT'S WRONG. HE SAYS IT'S A SIN. 20:24 AND SO IF GOD FEELS THAT STRONGLY ABOUT OUR WORSHIPING 20:27 HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH, WE'VE GOT TO KNOW WHO IT IS 20:30 WE'RE WORSHIPING. WOULD YOU LIKE THE LORD TO SHOW 20:34 YOU THE TRUTH? WOULD YOU? WOULD YOU LIKE TO REALLY KNOW 20:39 THE TRUTH? ARE YOU SURE? 20:40 HAVE YOU EVER HAD SOMEONE ASK YOU THAT QUESTION, 'WOULD YOU 20:41 LIKE TO KNOW THE TRUTH?' AND YOU THINK, 'I'M NOT SURE, 20:44 WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO SAY?' BECAUSE THE TRUTH CAN HURT. 20:49 WHEN GOD SAYS, 'DO YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH?' HE'S GOING TO 20:53 SAY, 'DO YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH?' DO YOU KNOW WHY? 20:56 BECAUSE WHEN YOU KNOW THE TRUTH THEN YOU'RE ACCOUNTABLE - 21:00 YOU'RE MORE ACCOUNTABLE - TO FOLLOW THE TRUTH. PILATE SAID, 21:04 'WHAT IS TRUTH?' BUT DID HE REALLY WANT TO KNOW? HE SAID, 21:07 'WHAT IS TRUTH?' AND THEN HE WALKED AWAY FROM JESUS. 21:12 IF JESUS WERE TO ASK YOU TONIGHT, 'DO YOU WANT TO KNOW 21:15 THE TRUTH?' DO YOU WANT TO KNOW? 21:18 WHAT IF GOD WERE TO SAY, 'I LOVE YOU AND I WANT TO SAVE YOU FROM 21:21 YOUR SIN. YOU COME TO ME JUST LIKE YOU ARE. 21:25 I'LL FORGIVE YOUR SIN. I'LL GIVE YOU A NEW HEART AND I WANT YOU 21:28 TO LIVE A NEW LIFE. I WANT YOU TO MAKE SOME 21:30 CHANGES.' 'OH, WAIT A SECOND LORD. 21:32 I MEAN, I WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH. 21:34 I'M CURIOUS BUT, UH, I'M GOING TO - I'LL PONDER THESE THINGS. 21:39 THAT'S INTERESTING.' BUT AS SOON AS THE LORD SAYS THE 21:43 TRUTH IS GOING TO ASK FOR YOUR HEART AND YOUR LIFE, DO YOU 21:46 REALLY WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH? 'LORD, I'VE GOT PLANS AND WHEN 21:49 YOU SHOW ME THE TRUTH IT MAY GET IN THE WAY OF MY PLANS.' 21:52 AND YOU KNOW WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS? WE JUST READ THAT. 21:55 IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE A LOVE OF THE TRUTH GOD WILL SEND THEM 21:58 STRONG DELUSION THAT THEY SHOULD BELIEVE A LIE. 22:03 A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE HAVE A CURIOSITY ABOUT THE TRUTH AND 22:07 WHEN GOD SHOWS THEM AN ELEMENT OF THE TRUTH, THEY DON'T WANT TO 22:10 WALK IN IT. WHEN GOD SHOWS YOU SOME TRUTH, 22:14 HE WANTS YOU TO WALK IN THAT TRUTH AND HE WILL GIVE YOU MORE. 22:18 IT'S LIKE A LIGHT THAT GROWS BRIGHTER AND BRIGHTER UNTIL THAT 22:20 DAY DAWNS IN YOUR HEART. IF YOU WALK IN THE LIGHT AS HE 22:24 IS IN THE LIGHT, THE LIGHT GETS BRIGHTER. 22:27 BUT IF GOD SHOWS YOU LIGHT AND HE SHINES THE LIGHT INTO YOUR 22:32 HEART AND YOU SAY, 'UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S INTERESTING LORD. 22:36 THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SHARING.' 22:38 BUT IT CONFLICTS, MAYBE, WITH SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE, AND YOU 22:42 TURN AWAY. THAT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. 22:46 NOW DON'T MISUNDERSTAND. GOD IS LOVING. GOD IS PATIENT. 22:48 BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO GAMBLE WITH ETERNITY, DO YOU? 22:51 SO IF GOD REVEALS SOME DUTY TO YOU. 22:53 IF GOD REVEALS SOME TRUTH TO YOU, IT'S NOT JUST TO ENTERTAIN 22:56 YOU, HE GIVES YOU THE TRUTH SO THAT YOU CAN WALK IN THE TRUTH 23:00 AND THEN HE'LL GIVE YOU MORE. 23:02 1 PETER 1:22, "SINCE YOU HAVE PURIFIED YOUR SOULS IN OBEYING 23:07 THE TRUTH THROUGH THE SPIRIT IN SINCERE LOVE OF THE BRETHREN," - 23:11 PURIFIED YOUR SOULS - IT'S NOT JUST KNOWING TRUTH. 23:14 THE DEVIL KNOWS SOME TRUTH, DOESN'T HE? 23:17 IT'S OBEYING THE TRUTH. JOHN 17:9, "AND FOR THEIR SAKES 23:23 I SANCTIFY MYSELF, THAT THEY ALSO MAY BE SANCTIFIED BY THE 23:28 TRUTH." THESE ARE THE WORDS OF JESUS. 23:30 THE TRUTH WILL PURIFY YOU. YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE TELLS US 23:34 'BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART FOR THEY WILL SEE GOD.' 23:37 DON'T YOU WANT TO SEE HIM IN PEACE SOMEDAY? 23:40 IT'S THE TRUTH THAT PURIFIES YOU. 23:43 IT'S WHAT CALIBRATES THE COMPASS OF YOUR SOUL. 23:47 AGAIN, 1 JOHN 3:3, "AND EVERY MAN THAT HATH THIS HOPE IN HIM 23:52 PURIFIETH HIMSELF EVEN AS HE IS PURE." 23:55 YOU KNOW, YOU SHINE THE LIGHT ON THE SWAMP AND IT STERILIZES - 23:59 YOU'RE GOING TO FIND ALL KINDS OF DISEASE BREEDING IN THE 24:02 SWAMP, BUT IN THE DESERT THINGS ARE PURIFIED. AND THEN, FINALLY, 24:08 LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, JESUS IS THE TRUTH. 24:14 JOHN 1, VERSE 14, "AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US, 24:20 AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY, THE GLORY AS OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN OF 24:25 THE FATHER, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH." 24:29 JESUS SAID - JOHN 14:6 - "I AM THE WAY. 24:34 I AM THE TRUTH. I AM THE LIFE." 24:38 THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS IN CHRIST. 24:41 THERE'S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN HIM. 24:43 IF YOU WANT LIFE THEN YOU MUST ACCEPT TRUTH. 24:47 AND THE EMBODIMENT OF THE TRUTH OF GOD IS JESUS. 24:51 NOW JESUS - WE MAY NOT SEE HIS BODY HERE ON THE PLANET BUT, YOU 24:55 KNOW, THE CLOSEST THING WE'RE GOING TO GET TO HIM BEING HERE 24:58 IS HIS WORD. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HE LOOKED 25:01 LIKE BUT WE KNOW WHAT HE SAID AND WHAT HE SAID HAS CHANGED THE 25:03 WORLD. HIS WORD IS TRUTH. 25:06 THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US. 25:09 YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO KNOW THE TRUTH, IN HIS WORD. 25:11 CHRIST IS THE WORD. 25:14 YOU MIGHT HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE YOU CAME FROM AND WHAT 25:17 YOU'RE DOING HERE AND WHERE YOU'RE GOING, BUT IT ALL BEGINS 25:19 WITH 'WHERE DO YOU GET THE ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS?' 25:22 JESUS IS THE TRUTH. HE IS THE WAY. 25:25 HE IS THE LIFE. AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE. 25:29 >>STAY TUNED. PASTOR DOUG WILL BE RIGHT BACK 25:31 WITH THIS WEEK'S SPECIAL FREE OFFER. 25:39 >>PAUL AND JESUS BOTH PREDICT THAT THE CHURCH OF GOD BECOMES 25:43 A FORCE AGAINST GOD. >>THE RADICAL FAITH THAT JESUS 25:48 TAUGHT HAD BECOME THE OFFICIAL RELIGION OF THE EMPIRE THAT 25:51 MURDERED HIM. >>THE SPEED WITH WHICH THE EARLY 25:57 CHURCH TOBOGGANED INTO APOSTASY WILL TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY. 26:03 (MUSIC) >>AMAZING FACTS OFFERS SOME OF 26:38 THE BEST CHRISTIAN RESOURCES FOR ALL AGES. WE HOPE OUR PRODUCTS 26:42 WILL ENRICH YOUR LIFE AND YOUR WALK WITH THE LORD. 26:45 LIFE REQUIRES DAILY WISDOM AND NOW YOU CAN EXPAND YOUR 26:49 UNDERSTANDING IN 'WISDOM FOR LIFE', PASTOR DOUG'S NEW 31-DAY 26:53 DEVOTIONAL BASED ON THE 31 CHAPTERS FROM THE BOOK OF 26:56 PROVERBS WRITTEN BY KING SOLOMON. 26:58 >>GET YOURS TODAY BY CALLING 800-538-7275 OR VISIT 27:04 'AFBOOKSTORE.COM'. 27:10 >>IN REVELATION CHAPTER 13 WE READ ABOUT THIS BEAST POWER THAT 27:14 COMPELS EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD TO WORSHIP A CERTAIN WAY AND 27:18 THEY NEED TO RECEIVE A MARK OR THEY CANNOT BUY OR SELL AND, 27:22 ULTIMATELY, THEY'LL BE UNDER A DEATH DECREE. 27:25 WHAT IS THE MARK OF THE BEAST? IS IT A TATTOO? 27:29 IS IT A CHIP UNDER THE SKIN OR A BAR CODE ON THE FOREHEAD? 27:33 WOULD YOU LIKE TO UNDERSTAND, FRIENDS? 27:35 THEN WE HAVE A FREE OFFER I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO APPRECIATE. 27:38 IT'S CALLED, 'WHAT IS THE MARK OF THE BEAST?' 27:40 AND WE'LL SEND IT TO YOU JUST FOR ASKING. 27:43 GO TO 'AMAZINGFACTS.ORG' OR CALL THE NUMBER ON YOUR SCREEN AND 27:48 ASK FOR OFFER #127. AND WHEN YOU GET THIS FREE 27:51 RESOURCE, MAKE SURE AND READ IT AND THEN SHARE IT WITH SOMEONE 27:55 ELSE BECAUSE GOD'S MESSAGE IS OUR MISSION. 27:59 >>THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS WEEK'S 28:02 SPECIAL FREE OFFER. THERE IS NO COST OR OBLIGATION. 28:06 JUST CALL THE TOLL-FREE NUMBER ON YOUR SCREEN AND BE SURE TO 28:09 NOTE THE OFFER NUMBER WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR REQUEST. 28:12 (MUSIC) >>THIS PRESENTATION WAS 28:26 BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FRIENDS OF THE AMAZING FACTS MINISTRY. |
Revised 2015-07-16