Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: AFP
Program Code: AFP000159A
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01:00 >>THISRESENTATION IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FRIENDS OF THE
01:03 AMAZING FACTS MINISTRY. 01:11 >>JESUS IS THERE ON THE SHORE - GOD FILLING A MAN - THE DEMONIAC 01:16 IS THERE ON THE SHORE - THE DEVIL FILLING A MAN. 01:19 MATTER OF FACT, YOU DON'T FIND TWO MORE POLAR OPPOSITE PICTURES 01:23 IN THE BIBLE OF SOMEONE WHO IS PERFECTLY SAVED AND SOMEONE WHO 01:27 IS PERFECTLY LOST. 01:31 >>FOR OVER 40 YEARS AMAZING FACTS HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO 01:34 SHARING GOD'S WORD THROUGH MEDIA. 01:37 THIS PROGRAM FEATURES HIGHLIGHTS FROM SOME OF OUR BEST TELEVISION 01:40 BROADCASTS. WE INVITE YOU TO SIT BACK AND 01:43 ENJOY THIS EDITION OF AMAZING FACTS PRESENTS . 01:52 >>THE BIBLE IS ALL ABOUT SIN AND SALVATION AND IT'S A BOOK OF 01:56 STORIES. AND IN THIS COLLECTION OF 01:58 STORIES IN THE BIBLE, IT HELPS US UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PURPOSE 02:02 OF LIFE IS AND WHAT GOD'S PLAN IS FOR OUR LIFE. 02:05 YOU KNOW, TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION IS DEALING WITH - IT'S ACTUALLY 02:09 FOUND IN THE GOSPELS OF MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE, AND IT'S CALLED 02:14 BROKEN CHAINS. IF YOU HAVE YOUR BIBLES, WE 02:17 INVITE YOU TO LOOK ALONG. AND I'M GOING TO START BY 02:19 READING THE ACCOUNT THAT YOU'LL FIND - THIS IS SOMETIMES 02:22 CALLED THE DEMONIAC OF GADARA. YOU FIND IT IN MARK CHAPTER 5 - 02:28 IT STARTS WITH THE FIRST VERSE - AND IT SAYS, "THEN THEY CAME TO 02:31 THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SEA, TO THE COUNTRY OF THE GADARENES. 02:36 AND WHEN HE HAD COME OUT OF THE BOAT, IMMEDIATELY THERE MET HIM 02:38 OUT OF THE TOMBS A MAN WITH AN UNCLEAN SPIRIT, WHO HAD HIS 02:42 DWELLING AMONG THE TOMBS; AND NO ONE COULD BIND HIM, NOT EVEN 02:46 WITH CHAINS, BECAUSE HE HAD OFTEN BEEN BOUND WITH SHACKLES 02:50 AND CHAINS. 02:51 AND THE CHAINS HAD BEEN PULLED APART BY HIM, AND THE SHACKLES 02:54 BROKEN IN PIECES; NEITHER COULD ANYONE TAME HIM. 02:59 AND ALWAYS, NIGHT AND DAY, HE WAS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND IN THE 03:02 TOMBS, CRYING OUT AND CUTTING HIMSELF WITH STONES. 03:07 WHEN HE SAW JESUS FROM AFAR, HE RAN AND WORSHIPED HIM." 03:11 THIS IS SOMEBODY WHO IS, OSTENSIBLY, HE'S FILLED WITH THE 03:15 WRONG SPIRIT - YOU THINK HE'D RUN THE OTHER DIRECTION. 03:18 BUT IT SAYS HE RAN TO JESUS AND WORSHIPED HIM. 03:20 NOW YOU GO TO THE ACCOUNT THAT YOU FIND IN LUKE CHAPTER 8, 03:23 VERSE 26, "THEN THEY SAILED TO THE COUNTRY OF THE GADARENES, 03:28 WHICH IS OPPOSITE GALILEE." - THIS IS THE SOUTHEASTERN SHORE 03:33 OF THE SEA OF GALILEE - AND WHEN HE HAD STEPPED OUT ON LAND, 03:38 THERE MET HIM A CERTAIN MAN FROM THE CITY WHO HAD 03:42 DEMONS FOR A LONG TIME. AND HE WORE NO CLOTHES, NOR DID 03:46 HE LIVE IN A HOUSE BUT IN THE TOMBS. 03:49 WHEN HE SAW JESUS, HE CRIED OUT, FELL DOWN BEFORE HIM, AND WITH A 03:53 LOUD VOICE SAID, 'WHAT HAVE I TO DO WITH YOU, JESUS, SON OF THE 03:56 MOST HIGH GOD? I BEG YOU, DO NOT TORMENT ME! 04:00 FOR HE HAD COMNDED THE UNCLEAN SPIRIT TO COME OUT OF THE MAN. 04:04 FOR IT HAD OFTEN SEIZED HIM, AND HE WAS KEPT UNDER GUARD, BOUND 04:08 WITH CHAINS AND SHACKLES; AND HE BROKE THE BONDS AND WAS 04:12 DRIVEN BY THE DEMON INTO THE WILDERNESS. JESUS ASKED HIM, 04:17 SAYING, 'WHAT IS YOUR NAME?' AND HE SAID, 'LEGION,' BECAUSE 04:23 MANY DEMONS HAD ENTERED HIM." AND THEN YOU'LL ALSO FIND AN 04:28 ACCOUNT OF THIS, AS WELL, IN THE BOOK OF MATTHEW. 04:31 SO HERE YOU HAVE THE PICTURE OF AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS AS PROBABLY 04:35 FAR GONE AS ANYBODY AS YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE IN THE BIBLE. 04:39 THIS MAN IS FILLED WITH DEVILS AND IT SAYS HE CALLS HIMSELF 04:44 'LEGION.' THIS IS ONE OF THE ONLY OR FEW TIMES THAT JESUS 04:47 ACTUALLY DIALOGUED WITH THE DEVIL, YOU MIGHT SAY. 04:50 NOW A ROMAN LEGION COULD HAVE 6,000 SOLDIERS IN IT - IN A 04:55 LEGION - SO CAN YOU IMAGINE A MAN HAVING THOUSANDS OF DEVILS? 05:01 HOW DOES A PERSON GET THAT WAY? YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING WE FIND 05:05 ABOUT THIS STORY DESCRIBES THE CONDITION OF THE LOST. 05:09 IT ALSO IS A GREAT STORY TO STUDY BECAUSE IT ILLUSTRATES THE 05:14 EXTREME OPPOSITES - JESUS IS THERE ON THE SHORE - GOD FILLING 05:19 A MAN - THE DEMONIAC IS THERE ON THE SHORE - THE DEVIL FILLING A 05:23 MAN. MATTER OF FACT, YOU DON'T FIND TWO MORE POLAR OPPOSITE 05:27 PICTURES, IN THE BIBLE, OF SOMEONE WHO IS PERFECTLY SAVED 05:31 AND SOMEONE WHO IS PERFECTLY LOST. 05:34 NOW HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU'RE POSSESSED BY A DEVIL? 05:38 NOW EVERYBODY HERE IS PROBABLY DEMON HARASSED. 05:41 WE'RE ALL TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL. JESUS WAS TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL. 05:46 IT'S NOT A SIN TO BE TEMPTED BY THE DEVIL, IT'S A SIN TO GIVE IN 05:50 TO THOSE TEMPTATIONS. 05:52 SO ALL OF US ARE HARASSED, BUT BEING POSSESSED IS DIFFERENT. 05:55 LITTLE BY LITTLE, WHEN YOU TOY WITH THE DEVIL OVER A PERIOD OF 05:59 TIME, YOU START REVEALING YOURSELF. 06:03 YOU START GIVING IN AND HE BEGINS TO MOVE INTO YOUR LIFE 06:07 AND, AS WE GET BETTER AND BETTER AT SAYING 'YES' TO TEMPTATION, 06:11 YOU CAN GET TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU CANNOT SAY 'NO'. 06:14 IT'S SORT OF LIKE WHAT HAPPENED WITH SAMSON WHEN DELILAH KEPT 06:18 BADGERING HIM FOR THE SECRET OF HIS STRENGTH AND LITTLE BY 06:22 LITTLE HE TOYED WITH HER INSTEAD OF RUNNING AND GETTING AWAY, 06:24 KNOWING SHE WOULD BE TREACHEROUS, HE TOYED WITH HER 06:27 UNTIL PRETTY SOON SHE DISCOVERED THE SECRET AND SHE CUT OFF HIS 06:31 HAIR AND HE LOST HIS STRENGTH AND HE BECAME A CAPTIVE. 06:35 AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS. 06:36 PEOPLE TOY WITH THE ENEMY UNTIL, PRETTY SOON, IT'S LIKE PLAYING 06:39 WITH A SNAKE THAT GETS SO BIG IT CAN CHOKE YOU. 06:42 AND LITTLE BY LITTLE, THROUGH THIS MAN'S LIFE - IT DOESN'T 06:45 GIVE US THE PARTICULARS - HE CONTINUED TO TOY WITH THE DEVIL 06:48 UNTIL THE DEVIL MOVED IN AND COMPLETELY TOOK OVER. 06:50 THAT'S WHY GOD CAME TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS. 06:54 WELL, IF YOU LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE 06:56 MENTIONED IN THIS STORY, IT REALLY OUTLINES WHAT THE LOST 07:01 CONDION IS LIKE. LET ME JUST START WITH SOMETHING OBVIOUS - 07:05 AND YOU CAN HELP ME - WHERE DID THE MAN LIVE? 07:09 CEMETERY. WHO TYPICALLY LIVES 07:11 IN THE CEMETERY? DEAD PEOPLE. NOW THAT'S A TRICK QUESTION. 07:14 DO DEAD PEOPLE LIVE IN A CEMETERY? 07:16 (LAUGHTER) THEY DON'T, HOPEFULLY, DO A LOT OF LIVING 07:19 THERE. YOU KNOW, IT SAYS IN THE BIBLE IN ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER 9, 07:24 VERSE 5, "FOR THE LIVING KNOW THAT THEY WILL DIE; 07:27 BUT THE DEAD KNOW NOTHING." THE BIBLE'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT 07:30 THOSE THAT DIE ARE SLEEPING A PEACEFUL, DREAMLESS SLEEP. 07:33 AS JESUS SAID ABOUT LAZARUS, 'OUR FRIEND SLEEPS.' WHEN THE 07:37 RESURRECTION HAPPENS AND THE JUDGMENT HAPPENS, THEN PEOPLE 07:39 ARE GOING TO BE VERY AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON. BUT THIS MAN 07:42 LIVED IN A CEMETERY. THAT'S A SIGN OF DEATH. 07:46 BECAUSE, WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE JESUS - AND THIS MAN REPRESENTS 07:50 - IT'S A TRUE STORY BUT IT HAS MEANING. 07:52 HE REPRESENTS THE LOST CONDITION. 07:55 THE BIBLE SAYS 'HE THAT HAS THE SON HAS LIFE; HE THAT HAS NOT 07:59 THE SON HAS NOT LIFE.' IF YOU DON'T HAVE LIFE, WHAT DO YOU 08:01 HAVE? THE BIBLE IS INTERESTING. YOU KNOW, THE BOOK OF GENESIS - 08:04 HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THE FIRST FEW WORDS IN GENESIS? 08:07 'IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED.' HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THE LAST 08:11 FIVE WORDS OF GENESIS? 08:15 'IN A COFFIN IN EGYPT.' IT STARTS IN A GARDEN WITH PARADISE 08:19 - EVERLASTING LIFE - TREE OF LIFE - ENDS IN A COFFIN. 08:24 THIS WORLD HAS BECOME A CEMETERY. THERE'S SO MUCH DEATH. 08:29 THERE'S SO MUCH DYING. THERE'S SO MUCH DISEASE. 08:31 AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE MAN DOUBTED THE WORD OF GOD. 08:35 THE DEVIL SAID, 'HAS GOD SAID?' AND WHEN MAN BEGAN TO QUESTION 08:38 THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD, IT WENT DOWNHILL FROM THERE. 08:41 BUT GOD WANTED TO REDEEM US AND SO GOD SENT HIS SON INTO THE 08:44 WORLD FOR THREE PRINCIPLE REASONS: TO SHOW US WHAT GOD IS 08:48 LIKE - JESUS SAID, 'IF YOU'VE SEEN ME, YOU'VE SEEN THE 08:51 FATHER.' TO SHOW US HOW WE OUGHT TO TREAT EACH OTHER. 08:55 THE BIBLE SAYS HE'S GIVEN US AN EXAMPLE THAT WE SHOULD WALK AS 08:58 HE WALKED AND HE ALSO CAME IN AS OUR SACRIFICE TO TAKE WHAT WE 09:02 DESERVE THAT WE MIGHT HAVE WHAT HE DESERVED. 09:05 BUT WE NEED TO ASK HIM IN. SO THIS MAN IS LIVING 09:08 SURROUNDED BY DEATH. IT REPRESENTS THE DEAD. 09:10 WHAT ELSE DO WE LEARN ABOUT THIS MAN? 09:12 WHAT'S HE WEARING? NOT MUCH. HE'S GOT THE CHAINS ON. 09:16 WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MOMENT. 09:18 WHAT DOES CLOTHING REPRESENT, BIBLICALLY? 09:23 I HEARD SOMEONE SAY 'RIGHTEOUSNESS'. 09:24 CLOTHING REALLY REPRESENTS YOUR CHARACTER. 09:26 ALL OF OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS LIKE WHAT? FILTHY RAGS. 09:30 WHAT HAPPENED TO ADAM AND EVE WHEN, YOU KNOW, THEY USED TO 09:33 HAVE THESE GARMENTS OF LIGHT. THEY HAD NO ARTIFICIAL CLOTHING, 09:35 IN THE GARDEN BUT AFTER THEY SINNED, THE LIGHT WENT OUT. 09:38 YOU KNOW, MOSES TALKED TO GOD AND HE GLOWED. 09:41 ADAM AND EVE USED TO TALK TO GOD AND THEY HAD THESE ROBES OF 09:43 LIGHT, LIKE IT SAYS IN REVELATION. 09:45 BUT WHEN THEY SINNED, THE LIGHT WENT OUT AND THEY WERE WHAT? 09:48 >>NAKED. >>WHEN THAT MAN IN THE PARABLE 09:50 OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN FELL AMONG THIEVES, THE THIEVES ROBBED 09:55 HIM AND THEY BEAT HIM AND THEY STRIPPED HIM. 09:59 IN THE STORY I SHARED A MOMENT AGO FROM ACTS 19, WHEN THAT 10:02 DEMON BEAT UP THOSE YOUNG MEN, IT SAYS THEY FLED NAKED. 10:07 AND THE DEVIL WANTS TO STRIP AND HUMILIATE THE WORLD - TO ROB US 10:10 OF ANY RIGHTEOUSNESS OR CHARACTER. 10:13 SO THIS MAN HAS NO CLOTHES. THE PROBLEM IS, HE'S NAKED 10:16 AND HE DOESN'T SEEM TO CARE. MOST OF US, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, 10:18 IF YOU SHOULD SUDDENLY DISCOVER THAT YOU ARE NAKED, YOU'D 10:20 PROBABLY - I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT YOU'D STAY 'TIL THE END OF 10:23 THE SERMON, BUT I GUESS NOT. YOU'D EXCUSE YOURSELF. 10:27 EVEN IF THE TEMPERATURE WAS COMFORTABLE, YOU PROBABLY WOULD 10:30 LEAVE BECAUSE YOU'D FEEL THIS COMPELLING DESIRE TO COVER 10:34 YOURSELF. THIS MAN, HE DOESN'T CARE. 10:38 HE REPRESENTS THE LOST - NO DESIRE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 10:43 YOU KNOW WHAT THE LORD SAYS ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE 10:45 CHURCH IN THE LAST DAYS? IT SAYS YOU'RE POOR AND WRETCHED 10:51 AND MISERABLE AND BLIND AND NAKED. 10:56 AND THEY DON'T KNOW AND THEY DON'T SEEM TO CARE. 10:58 AND THEN HE SAID, 'I COUNSEL YOU TO BUY OF ME THAT ROBE OF 11:02 RIGHTEOUSNESS - THAT CLOTHING THAT JESUS IS OFFERING. 11:05 THAT HE PURCHASED WITH HIS OWN BLOOD. 11:07 YOU KNOW, THE ONLY THING JESUS LEFT BEHIND AT THE CROSS WAS A 11:10 ROBE - A BLOOD-STAINED ROBE. AND THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GOING TO 11:14 GET TO HEAVEN IS TO HAVE THAT WEDDING GARMENT ON, ACCORDING 11:18 TO THE PARABLES OF JESUS. WE NEED TO ACCEPT THE 11:20 RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT CHRIST HAS PROVIDED. 11:23 WELL, WHAT ELSE DO WE LEARN ABOUT THIS MAN? 11:25 IT SAID THAT WHENEVER THEY TRIED TO RESTRAIN HIM, HE WOULD NOT 11:28 ACCEPT ANY RESTRAINT - NO SELF CONTROL - HE'D BREAK THE CHAINS 11:33 AND - TOTALLY INDEPENDENT - UNSOCIAL. 11:38 YOU KNOW, WE NEED ORDER IN OUR LIVES AND WE NEED LAW IN OUR 11:41 LIVES TO BE HAPPY. I WENT TO TWO OF THE MOST 11:46 OPPOSITE SCHOOLS IN NORTH AMERICA. 11:50 ONE OF THEM WAS NEW YORK MILITARY ACADEMY. 11:54 IN FACT, I WENT THERE - I WAS ENTERING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHEN 11:59 DONALD TRUMP WAS GRADUATING. IT'S CALLED NYMA - NEW 12:02 YORK MILITARY ACADEMY. IT IS THE STRICTEST 12:05 SCHOOL IN NORTH AMERICA. WE HAD RULES ABOUT EVERYTHING. 12:10 IT WAS - IT'S LIKE A MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT FOR KIDS. 12:13 I MEAN, THEY INSPECT YOUR ROOM EVERY DAY AND YOU HAD TO STAND 12:16 AT ATTENTION AND GO THROUGH ALL THESE DRILLS AND MARCH 12:18 EVERYWHERE. AND THEY MEASURED HOW YOU 12:20 FOLDED YOUR UNDERWEAR. THEY WOULD BOUNCE A 12:22 QUARTER OFF YOUR BED. YOUR CLOTHES HAD TO BE IN YOUR 12:24 CLOSET IN A CERTAIN STACKED ORDER. I MEAN, IT WAS - WHITE 12:28 GLOVE INSPECTIONS - GOVERNMENT INSPECTIONS. 12:31 NOT EVERY DAY, BUT WE WERE INSPECTED EVERY DAY - STRICT. 12:35 AND THEN, AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS THERE, MY MOTHER, WHO WAS 12:40 VERY DIFFERENT FROM MY FATHER WHO - THEY HAD DIVORCED 12:44 YEARS EARLIER, BUT HE WAS MORE MILITARY AND SHE WAS MORE DOUG 12:47 NEEDS TO EXPRESS HIMSELF. AND SHE TOLD MY FATHER, 'DOUG 12:53 REALLY, YOU KNOW, HE'S GOING THROUGH THE TEENAGE YEARS. 12:55 HE NEEDS TO FIND HIMSELF. I FOUND A GREAT SCHOOL FOR HIM.' 12:58 IT WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL SCHOOL CALLED 'PINEHENGE'. 13:01 I JUST LOOKED IT UP AGAIN TODAY ON THE INTERNET. 13:03 AND NO RULES - WELL, THEY HAD THREE RULES: NO DRUGS, NO SEX, 13:11 NO FIGHTING - NOBODY PAID ATTENTION TO THE RULES THEY HAD. 13:14 CO-ED - ALL AGES - CO-ED DORMS. 13:18 YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO MEALS IF YOU DIDN'T FEEL LIKE IT. 13:20 YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO CLASS IF YOU DIDN'T FEEL LIKE IT. 13:23 THEY FIGURED, 'KIDS ARE GOING TO LEARN WHAT THEY WANT TO LEARN.' 13:25 AND IT WAS JUST - THE WHOLE YEAR WAS JUST A WILD BEDLAM. 13:30 NOW HERE'S THE QUESTION: WHERE DO YOU THINK I WAS HAPPIER, THE 13:35 MILITARY SCHOOL WITH THE ORDER AND THE CONTROL AND THE 13:38 RESTRICTIONS AND THE RULES, OR THE FREE SCHOOL WITH NO ORDER? 13:44 GOD DOESN'T GIVE US RULES TO RESTRICT OUR HAPPINESS, HE GIVES 13:48 US RULES TO PRESERVE OUR HAPPINESS. 13:51 >>AMEN. >>BECAUSE WE NEED ORDER. 13:52 WE NEED LAW. 13:53 OTHERWISE, YOU'VE GOT A LAWLESS WORLD AND A LAWLESS LIFE. 13:56 AND THE DEVIL, HE WANTS US TO CAST OFF ALL RESTRAINT. 14:00 WHAT ELSE DO WE LEARN ABOUT THIS MAN? 14:03 IT SAYS HE WENT AROUND ALWAYS IN THE MOUNTAINS CRYING OUT 14:06 AND CUTTING HIMSELF WITH STONES. DOES HE SOUND HAPPY? 14:10 ALWAYS - HE WAS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND, BOY, IT MUST HAVE JUST 14:12 REALLY HAUNTED THE AREA OF DECAPOLIS WHEN AT NIGHT THEY'D 14:15 HEAR THIS MAN MOANING, DRAGGING HIS CHAINS, AND THEN THEY'D HEAR 14:18 HIM SHRIEK. HE WOULD PICK UP KNIVES AND HE WOULD CUT HIMSELF. 14:23 IT DOESN'T MEAN HE FELL DOWN, IT MEANS HE WAS MUTILATING HIMSELF. 14:27 THIS IS WHAT THE DEVIL WANTS US TO DO. 14:30 HE LEADS US INTO LIVES THAT ARE SELF-DESTRUCTIVE. 14:34 SATAN ENTERED JUDAS AND HE WENT OUT AND HUNG HIMSELF. 14:40 THE LORD WITHDREW FROM SAUL AND HE FELL ON HIS OWN SWORD. 14:46 SIN WILL MAKE YOU SELF-DESTRUCT. JESUS SAID IF YOU LIVE FOR 14:51 YOURSELF YOU'LL LOSE YOUR LIFE. IF YOU LET GO OF YOUR LIFE NOW 14:55 FOR GOD, YOU WILL FIND YOUR LIFE. 14:58 I KNOW IT SOUNDS COUNTER-INTUITIVE, BUT IN LIFE, 15:01 THE SECRET TO HAPPINESS IS BY GIVING EVERYTHING YOU ARE AND 15:05 EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO GOD AND THEN HE GIVES IT BACK TO YOU AND 15:08 HE GIVES YOU PEACE AND HE GIVES YOU DIRECTION AND PURPOSE. 15:11 THIS MAN TRIED TO LIVE LIFE LIKE IT WAS ONE BIG PARTY AND HE 15:14 BECAME THE ULTIMATE SLAVE OF THE DEVIL. 15:17 NOW, ALL OF THIS IS TELLING US ABOUT WHAT THE DEVIL'S PLAN IS 15:22 FOR US. THINK ABOUT IT FOR A MOMENT. 15:26 THERE ON THE BEACH THAT DAY, THE DISCIPLES - YOU KNOW, THEY 15:28 PROBABLY PADDLED THEIR BOAT OUT A COUPLE OF HUNDRED YARDS AND 15:31 THEY LOOKED BACK TO THE SHORE AND THEY SAW JESUS WAS STILL 15:35 THERE. JESUS DID NOT RUN FROM THIS DEVIL. 15:41 HE STOOD THERE BECAUSE CHRIST WAS NOT AFRAID. 15:43 AND I THINK THAT JESUS KNEW, WHATEVER WAS LEFT IN THAT MAN OF 15:46 HIS OWN FREE WILL, HAD COME TO CHRIST LOOKING FOR HELP. 15:52 THERE ON THE BEACH THAT DAY YOU'VE GOT THE GREAT 15:54 CONTROVERSY. YOU KNOW WHAT GOD'S 15:57 PLAN IS FOR YOUR LIFE? THE LORD'S PLAN FOR EACH 16:01 OF YOU IS TO BE LIKE JESUS. WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN? 16:04 A CHRISTIAN IS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST AND THE MORE THAT WE LOOK 16:09 AT CHRIST, THE MORE HE IS IMPRESSED ON OUR SOULS AND WE 16:12 BECOME LIKE WHAT WE WORSHIP. AND SO, A CHRISTIAN, AS HE 16:16 KEEPS HIS EYES ON CHRIST, HE IS TRANSFORMED LITTLE BY LITTLE 16:19 AND HE BECOMES LIKE JESUS. THE PURPOSE OF THE PLAN OF 16:23 SALVATION - IN THE BEGINNING GOD MADE MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE. 16:27 THE DEVIL'S BEEN TRYING TO ERASE THE IMAGE OF GOD FROM MAN. 16:30 JESUS CAME TO RESTORE THE IMAGE OF GOD TO MAN. 16:33 NOW, THIS OTHER CHARACTER - YOU KNOW, THE DEVIL HAS A PLAN FOR 16:37 YOUR LIFE TOO. THE DEVIL'S PLAN IS TO REMOVE 16:43 ANY TRACE OF THE IMAGE OF GOD FROM YOU. 16:48 CAN YOU THINK, IN THE BIBLE, OF ANYBODY THAT IS FURTHER FROM GOD 16:52 THAN THIS MAN? JUST LOOK AT THE PICTURE. HE IS NAKED. 16:59 HE'S COVERED WITH SCARS - CUTTING HIMSELF. 17:03 SOME OF YOU REMEMBER, IN YOUR BIBLES, A STORY OF ELIJAH ON 17:06 MOUNT CARMEL, THAT WHEN THE PROPHETS OF BAAL, THESE 17:10 DEMON-WORSHIPING PROPHETS, WHEN THEY WANTED TO IMPRESS THEIR GOD 17:13 THEY TOOK OUT KNIVES AND THEY PIERCED AND CUT THEMSELVES. 17:17 THE DEVIL WANTS US TO DESTROY OUR BODIES AND JESUS SAID, 'YOUR 17:20 BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.' 17:23 THIS MAN IS - HE'S WILD, HE'S NAKED, HE'S LIVING 17:27 WITH - THERE'S PIGS UP ON THE HILL. 17:30 BUT WHATEVER WAS LEFT OF THAT MAN INSIDE, CAME TO JESUS. 17:34 YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING, 'DOUG, WHO'S THE HERO IN THIS STORY? 17:37 OBVIOUSLY JESUS IS THE HERO IN EVERY STORY, BUT THIS MAN I'M 17:44 HOLDING FORTH TO YOU AS A HERO OF FAITH, WHY? 17:48 NOT BECAUSE HE ENDED UP DEMON POSSESSED, BUT BECAUSE HE MADE A 17:52 DECISION - WHATEVER WAS LEFT OF THAT MAN INSIDE, WITH ALL THOSE 17:55 DEMONS HOWLING IN HIS HEAD, WHEN THEY SAID, 'OH HERE'S JESUS, 18:00 IT'S THE SON OF GOD. WHAT WILL WE DO? 18:02 LET'S GET OUT OF HERE.' WHATEVER WAS LEFT OF HIS WILL, 18:05 HE WENT TO JESUS JUST LIKE HE WAS. 18:10 HAVE YOU EVER KNOWN PEOPLE THAT FELT, 'I'M TOO FAR FROM GOD. 18:13 I CAN'T COME. I'VE GOT SO MANY PROBLEMS. 18:15 I'VE GOT SO MANY DEVILS.' YOU EVER FELT LIKE THAT MAN WHERE 18:18 YOU JUST HEAR SO MANY - THE CACOPHONY OF DIABOLICAL VOICES 18:21 INSIDE AND YOU JUST WONDER, 'CAN YOU GET THROUGH TO GOD?' 18:26 IF THAT MAN COULD RECOGNIZE THE FACE OF JESUS AND SAY, 'I DON'T 18:31 KNOW HOW I CAN BE SAVED. I DON'T KNOW HOW I CAN BE CHANGED - 18:35 WITH MY CHAINS, WITH MY NAKEDNESS, SURROUNDED BY DEATH, 18:38 WITH MY WOUNDS' - HE CAME TO JESUS JUST LIKE HE WAS. 18:43 AND, YOU KNOW, THAT IS THE STEP TO ETERNAL LIFE. 18:47 BECAUSE HE DID THAT, EVERYTHING CHANGED. 18:51 IT WASN'T BECAUSE HE WORKED HIS WAY BACK TO HOLINESS, IT'S HE 18:55 CAME IN HIS HELPLESS CONDITION. I CHALLENGE YOU. FIND AN EXAMPLE 19:00 OF O PERSON IN THE BIBLE THAT IS MORE PATHETICALLY 19:05 POSSESSED THAN THAT PERSON. A LEGION - THOUSANDS OF 19:11 DEVILS CONTROLLED HIS LIFE. HOW COULD A HUMAN EVER BREAK 19:14 FREE? YOU KNOW, THIS IS ACTUALLY 19:17 A VERY ENCOURAGING STORY. IF THE LORD CAN SAVE THAT MAN, 19:19 IS THERE HOPE FOR YOU AND ME? >>AMEN. 19:21 >>THIS MAN IS A PICTURE OF NOT JUST YOU AND ME WHEN - IN A LOST 19:26 CONDITION; IT'S A PICTURE OF A LOST WORLD. 19:31 JESUS CROSSED THAT STORMY SEA. HE SAVES THIS ONE MAN. 19:37 AND THEN HE GETS IN HIS BOAT AND HE LEAVES. 19:41 CHRIST CROSSED THE UNIVERSE. 19:44 AFTER CALMING A RAGING SEA, HE THEN CALMS A RAGING SOUL. 19:49 AND WHAT HE DOES FOR THAT MAN HE WANTS TO DO FOR EACH ONE OF US. 19:52 HE WANTS TO TRANSFORM OUR LIVES. THIS IS A WHOLE - THE WHOLE 19:58 GOSPEL IS ENCAPSULATED IN THIS INCREDIBLE STORY. 20:02 AND, AS THE LORD BROKE HIS CHAINS AND SET HIM FREE, AND 20:05 CLEANSED HIM AND COVERED HIM AND COMMISSIONED HIM, THAT'S WHAT HE 20:08 WANTS TO DO FOR EACH ONE OF US. >>AMEN. 20:11 >>NOW, YOU MAY NOT KNOW IT, BUT THIS - THIS WAS A TRUE STORY 20:15 2,000 YEARS AGO AND IT'S STILL TRUE TODAY. 20:20 AND THIS STORY IS ESPECIALLY PRECIOUS TO ME BECAUSE I WAS 20:24 THAT MAN. I LIVED UP IN THE MOUNTAINS, NAKED, USING DRUGS. 20:33 I WAS ONE OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT GOT MIXED UP WITH THE WRONG 20:37 PEOPLE AND - PARENTS - MULTIPLE DIVORCES AND HAD A BROTHER THAT 20:41 WAS GRAVELY ILL AND JUST WENT DOWN THE DRUG SCENE AND REBELLED 20:46 AND TRIED TO FIND SOME PURPOSE AND PETTY CRIME, 'TIL I FOUND 20:51 MYSELF UP IN THE MOUNTAINS A BIG ZERO - LIVING LIKE A MADMAN. 20:55 AND I FOUND A BIBLE IN A CAVE. I WANTED TO READ THE BIBLE SO 21:00 I COULD ARGUE WITH CHRISTIANS. AND I STARD READING THE BIBLE 21:03 AND, AS I READ THE STORIES IN THE BIBLE, I REALIZED 21:08 THERE'S A POWER HERE. AND I WAS AN ATHEIST. 21:12 I HAD NO INTENTION OF BELIEVING IT, BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING 21:14 SUPERNATURAL ABOUT THIS BOOK AND I SAW THAT IT WAS CHANGING ME. 21:19 AND I WENT FROM BEING, YOU KNOW, DRUGS AND ALCOHOL AND CIGARETTES 21:24 AND HAD ALL THESE ADDICTIONS AND PROBLEMS. 21:26 I HAD CHAINS AND, LITTLE BY LITTLE, AS I KEPT COMING TO 21:29 JESUS - IN SPITE OF MY WEAKNESS, I KEPT COMING - HE BROKE THE 21:33 CHAINS. HE CLEANSED ME. I'M NOT - HE'S STILL WORKING 21:37 ON ME; DON'T MISUNDERSTAND. BUT HE CLEANSED ME, HE ACCEPTED 21:40 ME, AND THEN HE GAVE ME A WORK TO DO. 21:43 DO YOU KNOW WHAT HE TOLD THIS MAN TO DO? 21:44 HE SAID, 'GO TELL WHAT GREAT THINGS GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU.' DO 21:47 YOU THINK THAT MAN, WHEN HE SHOWED UP ON THE STREETS OF 21:50 DECAPOLIS ALL CLEANED UP, AND THEY SAID, 'IS THIS THAT CRAZED 21:57 DEMONIAC THAT HAS BEEN HAUNTING OUR TERRITORY ALL THESE YEARS?' 22:02 AND HE SAID, 'I WANT TO TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. 22:04 I CAME TO JESUS. 22:06 THIS IS THE SON OF GOD.' HE KNEW HE WAS THE SON OF GOD BECAUSE HE 22:09 HEARD THE DEVILS THAT KNEW HIM ON A FIRSTHAND BASIS. 22:13 AND HE SAID, 'I CAME TO HIM JUST LIKE I WAS. 22:15 I HAD FAITH IN HIM THAT HE COULD HELP ME AND HE DID. 22:19 AND WHAT HE DID FOR ME, HE CAN DO FOR YOU. 22:22 HE CAN CLEAN YOU UP. HE CAN SET YOU FREE. HE CAN GIVE YOU JOY. 22:24 HE CAN GIVE YOU EVERLASTING LIFE. 22:26 AND THE CHANGE IN THIS MAN'S LIFE WAS SO DRAMATIC AND SO 22:30 RADICAL, THE BIBLE SAYS, IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE, THAT WHEN JESUS 22:34 RETURNED - SOUNDING LIKE HE CAME BACK TO THIS REGION, THEY WERE 22:39 ALL WAITING FOR HIM. BECAUSE THIS ONE MAN, WHO WOULD 22:43 HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST REJECT IN THE COMMUNITY, GOD WAS ABLE TO 22:46 USE THE LOWEST PERSON - THE MOST HOPELESS PERSON, TO ABSOLUTELY 22:51 TRANSFORM THE WHOLE TERRITORY. JESUS WENT INTO THE AREA 22:55 AND HE REACHED ONE PERSON. AND THROUGH REACHING THAT ONE 22:59 PERSON, HE WAS ABLE TO TRANSFORM SO MANY OTHERS. 23:03 WELL, FRIENDS, NOT ONLY IS THIS STORY TRUE; BECAUSE OF WHAT HE'S 23:07 DONE IN MY LIFE, YOU KNOW, TO ME, IT'S ALWAYS AMAZING WHEN I 23:10 SEE HOW GOD HAS TAKEN ME OVER THE LAST FORTY YEARS - FORTY 23:13 YEARS AGO I GAVE MY HEART TO JESUS, UP IN THE HILLS LIVING - 23:15 RUNNING AROUND NAKED, LIKE A KOOK. 23:18 AND I CAME TO JESUS AND HE HAS CHANGED ME. 23:21 AND THEN HE SENT ME OUT TELLING OTHERS WHAT THE LORD DID FOR ME. 23:24 I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE THEY PAY ME TO DO IT, BECAUSE I WAS DOING 23:27 IT FOR FREE UNTIL I FOUND OUT YOU COULD GET PAID TO DO IT AS 23:29 WELL. (LAUGHTER) AND THAT'S WHAT EVERY 23:32 BELIEVER OUGHT TO BE DOING. >>AMEN. 23:35 >>WE ALL HAVE, REALLY, TWO CHOICES: WE'VE GOT CHRIST AND 23:41 SATAN. YOU'VE GOT GOD AND THE DEVIL. 23:46 YOU'VE GOT LIGHT AND YOU'VE GOT DARKNESS. 23:49 HE GOES BY MANY NAMES - JESUS CALLS HIM THE PRINCE OF THIS 23:53 WORLD - SATAN, LUCIFER, APOLLYON, BEELZEBUB, MASTER OF 24:01 DARKNESS, THE DECEIVER. THERE IS AN EVIL POWER IN THIS WORLD. 24:07 DO YOU KNOW THAT? IT'S VERY REAL. 24:10 AND YOUR ONLY SAFETY AGAINST HIS DEVICES IS BY HAVING CHRIST 24:15 IN YOUR HEART. YOU CANNOT FIGHT HIM ON YOUR OWN. 24:19 JESUS SAID, 'HE THAT IS NOT WITH ME IS AGAINST ME.' THE DEVIL IS 24:23 OUT THERE TO ROB AND TO KILL AND TO DESTROY AS MANY AS HE CAN. 24:27 AND HE WILL SEEK TO ENSLAVE AND HE WANTS US TO SELF DESTRUCT. 24:30 YOU SEE, THE REASON THE DEVIL'S DOING THAT IS BECAUSE THE DEVIL, 24:33 BEFORE HE FELL, HE KNEW GOD. HE KNEW WHAT IT WAS 24:36 LIKE TO LOVE GOD. HE KNOWS THAT GOD IS LOVE. 24:38 AND, WHILE THE DEVIL DOESN'T FEEL LOVE ANYMORE, HE KNOWS 24:41 THAT GOD LOVES US AND THE DEVIL WANTS TO HURT GOD BY HURTING US. 24:46 WHAT WOULD HURT A PERSON MORE - IF THEY'RE A PARENT - TO HURT 24:49 THEM OR TO HURT THEIR CHILD? THE DEVIL KNOWS THAT 24:54 GOD LOVES THE WORLD. GOD SO LOVES YOU - HE SO LOVES 24:58 ME, HE SENT HIS SON THAT WE WON'T PERISH. 25:03 BUT HE WANTS US TO HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE - BUT WE NEED 25:06 TO COME. 'WELL, PASTOR DOUG, I'VE 25:09 - I'VE GOT THESE PROBLEMS. I'M WEAK. 25:11 I'VE GOT THESE ADDICTIONS. I'VE GOT THESE CHAINS. 25:13 I'VE GOT THESE OBSTACLES. I'VE GOT THESE HABITS. 25:15 HOW CAN I COME TO JESUS?' REALLY? 25:17 DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE AN EXCUSE NOT TO COME TO CHRIST? 25:19 IF THAT MAN COULD HAVE ENOUGH FAITH TO COME TO JESUS, THEN CAN 25:23 ANYBODY COME? IF JESUS WOULD RECEIVE THAT 25:26 MAN, WILL HE RECEIVE YOU? >>AMEN. 25:30 >>AND THAT'S WHAT THESE MEETINGS ARE ALL ABOUT. 25:32 WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU - SHOW YOU THROUGH THESE STORIES OF THE 25:35 BIBLE - THESE PORTRAITS OF FAITH IN THE BIBLE - THAT YOUR LIFE 25:39 CAN BE TRANSFORMED BY THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD. 25:42 NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. 25:46 THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE WATCHING, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE COME TO THE 25:49 LORD BEFORE, BUT YOU'VE DRIFTED OVER THE YEARS. 25:53 YOU'VE BEEN BACKSLIDING OR THE DEVIL'S GOT HIS CHAINS ON YOU 25:55 AGAIN AND YOU FEEL THOSE HAUNTING VOICES IN YOUR HEAD. 25:59 YOU CAN COME JUST LIKE YOU ARE. 26:02 AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT. 26:05 CHRIST WAS ONLY ON THAT SHORE FOR A MATTER OF HOURS AND THEN 26:09 HE LEFT, BUT IN THAT TIME, THAT MAN CAME WHEN HE SAW THE 26:11 OPPORTUNITY - WHEN HE SAW JESUS HE CAME LIKE HE WAS. 26:15 AND EACH OF YOU CAN MAKE A DECISION RIGHT NOW THAT YOU WANT 26:18 TO COME TO JESUS JUST LIKE YOU ARE. 26:21 IF YOU RECEIVED HIM, HE'LL RECEIVE YOU. 26:24 >>STAY TUNED. PASTOR DOUG WILL BE RIGHT BACK 26:26 WITH THIS WEEK'S SPECIAL FREE OFFER. 26:31 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? 26:33 YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE 26:36 TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING, VISIT THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY 26:40 AT 'AFTV.ORG'. AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY 26:46 VIDEO AND AUDIO PRESENTATIONS AS WELL AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL 26:50 FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR 26:54 COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 27:01 >>DID YOU KNOW THIS BOAT COULD SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH 20,000 27:04 PEOPLE? OR A CAR LIKE THIS ONE COULD 27:07 REACH 10,000 SOULS SEEKING HOPE IN JESUS. 27:10 IF YOU HAVE A VEHICLE YOU'RE NOT USING AND WOULD LIKE TO REACH 27:13 HEARTS FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD, PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER DONATING 27:17 YOUR VEHICLE TO AMAZING FACTS TODAY. 27:20 IT'S EASY TO TURN YOUR UNNEEDED CAR, BOAT, RV, MOTORCYCLE - EVEN 27:25 ATVS AND JET SKIS - INTO A SOUL-WINNING VEHICLE FOR CHRIST 27:29 AND GET A TAX DEDUCTION. 27:31 AMAZING FACTS WILL ARRANGE TO PICK UP YOUR VEHICLE AND PROVIDE 27:34 YOU WITH A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE RECEIPT. 27:37 THE PROCEEDS FROM THE RESALE WILL BE USED TO SHARE GOD'S 27:39 TRUTH WITH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD. 27:43 DON'T LEAVE YOUR VEHICLE IN THE GARAGE COLLECTING DUST. 27:46 USE IT TO TRANSFORM LIVES THROUGH AMAZING FACTS. 27:50 CONTACT US TODAY AND LET US HELP TURN YOUR CAR, BOAT, RV, OR 27:54 MOTORCYCLE INTO LIVES SAVED FOR CHRIST. 28:01 >>TOGETHER WE HAVE SPREAD THE GOSPEL MUCH FARTHER THAN EVER 28:06 BEFORE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. 28:14 (MUSIC) >>FRIENDS, IF YOU'VE ENJOYED TODAY'S PROGRAM, WE HAVE 28:20 A SPECIAL OFFER CALLED THE SAVIOR AND THE SERPENT THAT 28:23 WOULD BE A REAL BLESSING TO YOU. 28:24 ALL THE WAY FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT 28:28 AN EPIC BATTLE BETWEEN THE SAVIOR AND THE SERPENT - CHRIST 28:32 AND THE DRAGON - JESUS AND THE DEVIL. IT'S REALLY A STORY OF 28:35 SALVATION. IF YOU'D LIKE TO GET THIS FREE 28:38 RESOURCE, VISIT AMAZINGFACTS.ORG OR CALL THE PHONE NUMBER ON YOUR 28:42 SCREEN AND ASK FOR OFFER #798. AND ONCE YOU GET YOUR FREE 28:47 OFFER, MAKE SURE AND READ IT AND THEN SHARE IT WITH SOMEONE ELSE 28:50 BECAUSE GOD'S MESSAGE IS OUR MISSION. 29:02 >>THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS WEEK'S 29:05 SPECIAL FREE OFFER. THERE IS NO COST OR OBLIGATION. 29:08 JUST CALL THE TOLL-FREE NUMBER ON YOUR SCREEN AND BE SURE TO 29:11 NOTE THE OFFER NUMBER WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR REQUEST. 29:22 >>THIS PRESENTATION WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE FRIENDS OF THE 29:24 AMAZING FACTS MINISTRY. |
Revised 2016-02-01