Welcome to Anchors Of Truth live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:00:12.24\00:00:17.17 Winds Of War with C.A. Murray. 00:00:17.18\00:00:20.20 Hello friends and welcome to the 3ABN Worship Center 00:00:21.31\00:00:24.62 for another very exciting series of meetings, 00:00:24.65\00:00:27.95 another one in our Anchors Of Truth series. 00:00:27.96\00:00:30.80 Now I'm particularly excited about this series because 00:00:30.83\00:00:33.41 my pastor as I was being raised, and now my colleague in 00:00:33.44\00:00:37.38 ministry, pastor C.A. Murray, will be our presenter 00:00:37.41\00:00:40.59 for the next five meetings. 00:00:40.62\00:00:42.94 And the overriding theme is the Winds Of War. 00:00:42.95\00:00:46.38 You know, Jesus did say in Matthew chapter 24, 00:00:46.41\00:00:49.39 "You shall hear of wars and rumors of wars." 00:00:49.40\00:00:52.41 If you think about it, wars have outlined the path of 00:00:52.44\00:00:55.13 human history ever since the entrance of sin. 00:00:55.14\00:00:58.50 And war will continue in the final battle that is yet 00:00:58.53\00:01:01.88 ahead of us, the battle of Armageddon. 00:01:01.91\00:01:03.80 Pastor C.A. Murray is going to be talking about wars in 00:01:03.83\00:01:06.46 various aspects from night to night. 00:01:06.49\00:01:08.55 Prepare your hearts and your minds because I know that 00:01:08.58\00:01:11.68 when he steps to this desk, one thing you would not do is, 00:01:12.12\00:01:14.96 you will not fall asleep. 00:01:14.99\00:01:16.35 Invite your friends and your family members to join you. 00:01:16.65\00:01:19.17 And tonight is 7 o'clock, but tomorrow evening 00:01:19.20\00:01:21.93 the meetings will begin at 8 pm. 00:01:21.96\00:01:24.31 And tonight's topic is going to be, What War When. 00:01:24.34\00:01:28.89 Very unique topics talking about the wars that have begun, 00:01:28.92\00:01:33.12 the wars that continue, and the wars that will end all wars. 00:01:33.15\00:01:37.40 And so tonight, before we go to our speaker, we invite you 00:01:37.43\00:01:42.05 to bow your heads with us as we seek the Lord in prayer. 00:01:42.08\00:01:46.28 Our Father in heaven, we thank You so much 00:01:47.80\00:01:49.80 for the opportunity that has been granted and for the 00:01:49.81\00:01:53.48 servant that has been chosen. 00:01:53.51\00:01:55.14 Lord, we know that every time our ears are open, we also 00:01:55.55\00:01:59.28 pray that our hearts are opened. 00:01:59.31\00:02:01.15 And so tonight, Lord, anoint Your manservant. 00:02:01.18\00:02:04.29 Give him strength, give him wisdom, and give him divine 00:02:04.69\00:02:08.96 insight to carry forth this task. 00:02:08.99\00:02:12.25 So Lord, cause us also to be keen listeners to that which 00:02:12.28\00:02:17.23 You will have each of us to receive. 00:02:17.26\00:02:19.11 And Father, in the end, we give You the praise 00:02:19.14\00:02:22.07 and the honor and the glory. 00:02:22.10\00:02:23.60 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 00:02:23.61\00:02:26.82 Now let's make welcome with a warm hearty amen, 00:02:26.85\00:02:29.37 Pastor C.A. Murray. 00:02:29.40\00:02:30.97 Good evening. 00:02:39.18\00:02:40.21 We are so very very pleased and happy to be with you 00:02:41.90\00:02:45.94 and to have you here tonight. 00:02:45.97\00:02:49.00 I want to say a very special "hello" and "good evening" to 00:02:49.03\00:02:53.22 two friends that have traveled all the way from Australia. 00:02:53.25\00:02:56.11 You know, when people come from Australia to hear you preach, 00:02:56.14\00:02:58.02 you're doing pretty good. 00:02:58.05\00:02:59.24 But they didn't come to hear me. 00:02:59.98\00:03:01.78 They came to spend some time in the United States. 00:03:01.81\00:03:04.69 Mr. Ernst and Marsha William. 00:03:04.72\00:03:07.40 Good to have you, Pastor Ernst and Dr. Marsha, 00:03:07.43\00:03:09.74 sitting right down in front, so it's good to have you here. 00:03:09.77\00:03:11.66 We have a journey to take these next several nights. 00:03:12.68\00:03:15.94 Chuck, good to see you. 00:03:15.97\00:03:16.98 Talking about war and the things of war. 00:03:18.98\00:03:21.12 When I was studying and trying to determine what to 00:03:21.15\00:03:26.57 do my doctoral work in, I didn't want to go and get a 00:03:28.54\00:03:31.96 doctor in ministry. 00:03:31.99\00:03:33.31 I went into Mass Communications. 00:03:34.18\00:03:35.73 And it was during those days that I happened to fall into 00:03:35.76\00:03:41.11 a group of young men who were academy students at West Point, 00:03:41.14\00:03:44.79 the US Military Academy at West Point. 00:03:44.80\00:03:46.69 We began to talk about some things and some of the 00:03:46.72\00:03:50.62 ethical considerations of war. 00:03:50.63\00:03:52.59 And my conscience and mind were tweaked. 00:03:52.60\00:03:56.34 And then when I was in New York, we adopted several 00:03:56.37\00:03:59.84 police precincts and I had a chance to discuss with several 00:03:59.87\00:04:04.53 police officers the ethic of carrying a gun. 00:04:04.54\00:04:09.40 And we discussed what it's like to shoot a person 00:04:09.95\00:04:13.98 and how does a Christian justify that. 00:04:14.01\00:04:17.89 And looking at some historical things. 00:04:17.92\00:04:20.21 So I began to look in the Word of God. 00:04:20.24\00:04:21.80 And from those times of looking in the Word of God 00:04:21.83\00:04:24.74 came this particular series, the Winds of War. 00:04:24.77\00:04:28.44 Tonight is, What War When. Tomorrow, When War Why. 00:04:29.26\00:04:34.04 The next night, Why War Who. Then, When War How. 00:04:34.07\00:04:39.74 And then, War No More. 00:04:39.77\00:04:42.49 So we want you to stay by because we've got a lot of 00:04:43.63\00:04:45.65 things to talk to you about. 00:04:45.66\00:04:46.73 Now, I want to throw a very technical term at you 00:04:46.76\00:04:51.63 at the very outset. 00:04:51.66\00:04:53.08 The term is, icky. 00:04:53.38\00:04:55.14 Do you know that term, icky? 00:04:56.15\00:04:57.75 Some of the things we're going to talk about tonight will 00:04:58.05\00:05:00.01 fall into the category of icky. 00:05:00.04\00:05:02.26 Because we want to set a firm foundation 00:05:02.56\00:05:05.03 for what we want to talk about the next several nights, 00:05:05.06\00:05:08.11 particularly When War How. 00:05:08.14\00:05:11.05 So some of the things are going to be icky. 00:05:11.35\00:05:13.87 But I want you to sort of stay with me because we've got a 00:05:14.17\00:05:16.28 lot to say, and the Word of God has a lot to say. 00:05:16.31\00:05:19.59 Our subject again, What War When. 00:05:20.04\00:05:24.27 Shall we pray. 00:05:24.86\00:05:25.87 Father God, we come to You now because we need You. 00:05:25.88\00:05:32.22 Whenever we open Your Word, we stand in need 00:05:32.74\00:05:35.60 of spiritual eyesight. 00:05:35.63\00:05:38.39 So as we look at this subject, dear Lord, a tough subject, 00:05:39.42\00:05:44.32 but there are lessons to be learned from the conflicts 00:05:44.35\00:05:47.71 of life, and we ask dear Father, that You would 00:05:47.72\00:05:52.57 be with us and help us to understand. 00:05:52.60\00:05:58.27 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:05:58.94\00:06:01.41 I want you to turn with me, if you will, to James chapter 4. 00:06:01.44\00:06:04.51 Just turn there, we're not going to read it just yet. 00:06:04.54\00:06:06.45 But prepare yourself turning to James chapter 4. 00:06:06.48\00:06:09.68 The book is James and the chapter is 4. 00:06:09.71\00:06:13.71 James, in the New Testament, chapter 4. 00:06:14.60\00:06:17.01 I have with me tonight the New King James. 00:06:17.04\00:06:19.33 But we will be referring to the NIV, and the New Kings James, 00:06:19.36\00:06:23.37 and the King James, and the Clear Word. 00:06:23.40\00:06:26.01 But we're in James just now, and chapter 4. 00:06:26.04\00:06:29.89 When I was 11 or 12, I remember being beat up 00:06:30.92\00:06:37.92 by Francine Craig. 00:06:39.27\00:06:41.73 I got beat up by a girl. 00:06:43.68\00:06:45.18 I don't remember what caused the altercation or the fight. 00:06:46.74\00:06:51.73 I just remember that it had been brewing for a long while. 00:06:52.51\00:06:56.78 I remember not wanting to fight Francine. 00:06:58.45\00:07:00.86 Now, not necessarily because I disliked her or as a girl. 00:07:01.79\00:07:07.63 I didn't like fighting girls. 00:07:07.93\00:07:09.42 My father always told me you don't hit girls. 00:07:09.45\00:07:11.74 But I really didn't think of Francine as a girl. 00:07:12.52\00:07:14.74 She was a tomboy. 00:07:16.84\00:07:18.31 In fact, she was bigger than I was. 00:07:19.29\00:07:21.54 Outweighed me by several pounds. 00:07:22.18\00:07:24.66 Taller than I was. 00:07:25.70\00:07:27.45 And frankly, she hit harder than me. 00:07:28.15\00:07:31.09 Francine Craig could punch. 00:07:32.88\00:07:34.45 I remember thinking, as my blows glanced off of her 00:07:35.55\00:07:38.74 like cotton on concrete and her blows were landing on me 00:07:38.77\00:07:44.53 like concrete on cotton, I recall thinking as she was 00:07:44.54\00:07:49.62 pummeling me, I had this one logical very lucid, 00:07:49.65\00:07:54.70 very clear thought as I was being beaten to a pulp, 00:07:54.73\00:07:57.78 "Why does she hate me so?" 00:07:58.68\00:08:01.45 What is it about my life, my existence, that she is 00:08:02.69\00:08:07.37 getting such pleasure beating me up? 00:08:07.40\00:08:11.99 Did I provoke this? Did I do something wrong? 00:08:14.29\00:08:18.31 Or was she just evil? 00:08:19.57\00:08:21.32 You see, this was my first experience in public school. 00:08:23.09\00:08:25.20 I had gone to blind school for the first five years of school. 00:08:25.23\00:08:29.82 And in blind school, we always helped each other. 00:08:30.12\00:08:32.77 Blind people help blind people. 00:08:32.80\00:08:34.60 There was no animosity or antagonism. 00:08:34.90\00:08:38.21 And so my sight miraculously returned and so for the 00:08:38.41\00:08:41.70 first time I'm in public school and I'm getting 00:08:41.73\00:08:44.41 beaten to a pulp. 00:08:44.44\00:08:45.84 Later that year, I remember getting a first sense of joy 00:08:48.55\00:08:54.31 when she slugged Donald Mullins. 00:08:55.03\00:08:57.29 And I realized it wasn't just me. 00:08:58.97\00:09:01.82 She just hates guys. 00:09:02.51\00:09:04.16 James gives us the quintessential definition 00:09:06.87\00:09:11.70 for what war is. 00:09:11.73\00:09:13.89 War, to James, is the external manifestation 00:09:14.89\00:09:21.31 of an internal torment. 00:09:21.34\00:09:23.46 James takes the psychology of conflict, be it personal or 00:09:24.14\00:09:28.56 communal or societal or national or global, 00:09:28.59\00:09:31.94 and he strips off the chaff down to the kernel 00:09:31.97\00:09:35.29 and deduces the pathology of sin, under the guidance of 00:09:35.32\00:09:39.29 the Holy Spirit, to this simple yet profound statement; 00:09:39.32\00:09:43.73 people fight because of conflict within. 00:09:43.76\00:09:48.31 Where do wars come from? 00:09:49.26\00:09:51.55 And I like the Clear Word translation. 00:09:51.58\00:09:54.34 It's going to be up on the screen for you. 00:09:54.35\00:09:55.95 Sinfulness results in selfishness, 00:10:24.28\00:10:28.48 which creates conflict. 00:10:28.49\00:10:30.90 Now here's a fact. 00:10:32.05\00:10:33.27 When you're at peace within, you will have peace without 00:10:34.37\00:10:43.08 regardless of the circumstances you find yourself in. 00:10:43.48\00:10:47.53 Peace within results in peace without. 00:10:48.24\00:10:51.08 When your soul is calm, your world is calm. 00:10:51.11\00:10:55.15 Isaiah 26:3, you know the text. 00:10:57.64\00:11:00.38 Two key words; one, "perfect." 00:11:10.04\00:11:12.22 The word, "shalem." 00:11:12.25\00:11:14.32 God is saying, "You'll have full peace, 00:11:20.42\00:11:23.45 you'll have complete peace, you'll have whole peace, 00:11:23.48\00:11:27.52 when your mind is stayed..." 00:11:27.55\00:11:30.93 The word "stayed" is, "sawmack" or "camak." 00:11:30.94\00:11:34.11 So God is saying, "You're going to have peace, regardless 00:11:44.88\00:11:48.52 of what life throws at you, when your post is 00:11:48.55\00:11:52.50 anchored in Christ, when you lean on Jesus." 00:11:52.53\00:11:55.99 Because Christ is not going to move. 00:11:56.02\00:11:57.75 So perfect peace is promised to those who stay in Jesus. 00:11:57.76\00:12:03.49 It's God's promise. 00:12:05.24\00:12:06.56 God promises peace to those whose minds are fixed on Him, 00:12:07.60\00:12:13.15 set in Him, dug in, as it were, in Jesus. 00:12:13.18\00:12:18.59 Now that's important in light of my thesis for the evening. 00:12:18.62\00:12:22.04 Because my thesis is that war is a weapon used by the enemy, 00:12:23.06\00:12:32.02 used and employed by Satan. 00:12:32.72\00:12:36.16 That is clearly indicated in the Bible 00:12:36.87\00:12:40.19 and the spirit of prophecy. 00:12:40.20\00:12:42.35 But my second thesis is; God also uses war. 00:12:43.63\00:12:50.31 Not only do God and Satan use war, but I contend 00:12:51.20\00:12:57.10 they will use the same war at the same time, 00:12:57.13\00:13:02.18 but for different ends. 00:13:02.21\00:13:04.30 So when there's a conflict in your life, one of the things 00:13:06.30\00:13:10.03 you need to know immediately; is it initiated by God 00:13:10.06\00:13:13.43 or is it something that Satan is bringing to you. 00:13:14.14\00:13:17.13 Because God uses war and Satan uses war. 00:13:17.16\00:13:22.70 And when you're in war, one of the first things you've 00:13:23.16\00:13:26.39 got to know is, where is this coming from. 00:13:26.42\00:13:28.97 Amen? 00:13:29.49\00:13:30.59 What war when? 00:13:30.62\00:13:32.83 The Great Controversy, page 589, Ellen White says: 00:13:34.84\00:13:40.47 Satan likes war because of its ability to turn men 00:13:59.89\00:14:08.31 into animals. 00:14:08.34\00:14:10.28 He delights in death. 00:14:11.73\00:14:13.48 And because people do things in war... 00:14:14.65\00:14:17.68 Listen to me now. 00:14:17.71\00:14:18.77 ...an excitement, an agitation that war brings, that they 00:14:19.44\00:14:23.78 wouldn't do or dream of doing in ordinary life. 00:14:23.81\00:14:27.25 Satan loves war because of its ability to turn men and women 00:14:28.69\00:14:33.91 into animals, and because of the kinds of things we do 00:14:33.94\00:14:38.69 in the excitement of war. 00:14:38.72\00:14:39.97 Genocide, ethnic cleansing. 00:14:39.98\00:14:42.33 This satanic idea that our life would be better 00:14:42.36\00:14:46.67 without them, whoever they are. 00:14:46.70\00:14:51.75 And so the Nazi's killed six million Jews, and deny it. 00:14:51.78\00:14:57.83 And the Armenian genocide sweeps away 1.5 million human beings, 00:14:58.96\00:15:04.58 and that's denied. 00:15:04.61\00:15:06.48 And the Rwandan genocide kills 800,000 people in 100 days, 00:15:06.51\00:15:12.60 and that's denied. 00:15:12.63\00:15:14.02 And Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge slaughter 1.7 million Cambodians 00:15:14.50\00:15:20.75 and that's denied. 00:15:20.78\00:15:22.38 It is said that in the last 100 years, this has been 00:15:23.00\00:15:26.51 the most deadly 100 years in the history of the world. 00:15:26.54\00:15:30.65 And nobody has ever killed anybody, 00:15:31.23\00:15:34.17 and yet people still die. 00:15:34.20\00:15:36.63 In China in the 50's and 60's; 7.8 million deaths. 00:15:39.40\00:15:45.17 In Russia in the 1930's; 23 million deaths. 00:15:46.01\00:15:50.84 In Germany in the 30's and 40's; 12 million deaths. 00:15:51.51\00:15:55.83 In Japan, World War II; 5 million deaths. 00:15:56.32\00:16:01.42 Biafra in the 60's and 70's; 1 million deaths. 00:16:01.45\00:16:06.56 In Iraq in the 80's and 90's; 600,000 deaths. 00:16:06.59\00:16:11.29 In eastern Europe from the 40's to the 80's; 570,000 deaths. 00:16:11.32\00:16:17.62 Indonesia; 500,000 deaths. 00:16:17.65\00:16:21.68 Idi Amin's Uganda; 250,000 deaths. 00:16:21.71\00:16:26.43 Staggering numbers, incredible loss of life. 00:16:26.46\00:16:30.23 Many accompanied by rape, torture, robbery, beatings, 00:16:30.26\00:16:34.32 sexual abuse, psychological abuse, 00:16:34.35\00:16:36.65 abuse and starvation. 00:16:36.68\00:16:38.53 In what historians call, the Nanking massacre... 00:16:39.70\00:16:42.38 I just stumbled across this. 00:16:42.41\00:16:43.85 ...1937, a Japanese newspaper actually kept and published 00:16:43.88\00:16:50.42 each day a running account of two Japanese soldiers 00:16:50.45\00:16:55.62 who participated in a decapitation contest. 00:16:55.65\00:16:59.91 They tried to see how many Chinese civilians they could 00:17:01.14\00:17:05.99 decapitate each day. 00:17:06.02\00:17:07.85 And those numbers were recorded nightly in the newspaper. 00:17:07.88\00:17:11.25 They took a city, Nanking, of 1.95 million. 00:17:14.09\00:17:20.27 And when the massacre was over, there were just 00:17:20.80\00:17:23.36 300,000 people left. 00:17:23.37\00:17:26.65 Ellen White says Satan loves war. 00:17:27.83\00:17:32.47 And in John chapter 8 verse 44, the Bibles says, 00:17:34.14\00:17:38.92 "Ye are of your father the devil, and the desires of 00:17:38.95\00:17:42.94 your father you want do. 00:17:42.97\00:17:45.88 He was a murderer from the beginning." 00:17:46.54\00:17:49.37 And so he was not contented with just the death of the creatures, 00:17:50.30\00:17:55.64 he couldn't wait to get his hands on Jesus. 00:17:55.67\00:17:58.64 And even that was not enough. 00:17:59.50\00:18:01.14 Let me show you something. 00:18:02.32\00:18:03.60 The Desire Of Ages, page 733. 00:18:03.63\00:18:06.35 The Desire Of Ages, page 733. 00:18:08.14\00:18:11.20 And you know, it's interesting how demonic activity 00:18:31.25\00:18:34.39 tends to surface in times of war and stress. 00:18:34.40\00:18:37.68 And we'll see that again and again. 00:18:37.71\00:18:39.50 From the mouths of people and demons. 00:18:50.54\00:18:54.67 Over the next four centuries, an estimated 12 million Christians 00:18:55.97\00:19:02.01 were killed until Constantine decriminalized Sabbath keeping 00:19:02.04\00:19:08.12 and Christianity in the 4th century. 00:19:08.15\00:19:11.02 Add to that the staggering figure of somewhere between 00:19:11.88\00:19:15.63 20 and 40 million lives taken by the church in the Middle Ages, 00:19:15.64\00:19:21.81 coupled with the extermination of the Albigenses, the near 00:19:24.16\00:19:29.15 extermination of the Waldenses, Huguenots, Cathari, and others, 00:19:29.18\00:19:33.36 and we see the outline of a malevolent, malignant 00:19:33.39\00:19:39.56 power that delights in human destruction. 00:19:39.59\00:19:44.93 Ladies and gentlemen, as much as the prince of the power 00:19:46.78\00:19:50.26 of the air delights and foments natural disasters, 00:19:50.29\00:19:54.41 and we see that nowadays; hurricanes, floods, 00:19:54.44\00:19:57.77 earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis, 00:19:57.80\00:20:00.44 as much as Satan likes that, 00:20:00.47\00:20:03.47 he takes particular delight in getting human beings 00:20:05.49\00:20:10.35 to destroy other human beings. 00:20:10.38\00:20:14.34 World War I; 19 million. 00:20:16.35\00:20:20.07 World War II; 59 million. 00:20:20.47\00:20:24.58 The Korean War; 474,000. 00:20:24.98\00:20:29.14 Now these are just numbers. 00:20:29.17\00:20:30.96 But each one of those numbers represents a soul 00:20:30.99\00:20:36.01 for whom Christ has died. 00:20:36.04\00:20:38.46 I've given you the death of nearly a billion people 00:20:39.75\00:20:43.43 just in the last few moments. 00:20:43.46\00:20:44.86 And Jesus shed His blood for every one of them. 00:20:44.89\00:20:47.50 How many of those went to their graves without Jesus? 00:20:47.53\00:20:52.88 God only knows. 00:20:54.11\00:20:55.53 Patriarchs and Prophets, page 737, Ellen White says: 00:20:56.88\00:21:02.38 It turns your heart. 00:21:10.40\00:21:11.40 I've talked with New York City cops who shot individuals. 00:21:11.43\00:21:16.08 Putting a bullet into somebody does something to you. 00:21:16.11\00:21:19.20 I've talked with West Point cadets who have gone on. 00:21:20.18\00:21:24.35 I've talked with soldiers who have come back from Vietnam. 00:21:24.38\00:21:27.20 Shooting people changes you. 00:21:27.41\00:21:30.86 You want to see the life of a hard soldier, 00:21:31.65\00:21:33.60 read the life of Joab. 00:21:33.63\00:21:35.15 You talk about a hard cold brutal mean evil man, 00:21:37.38\00:21:41.79 read in the Bible what he did to Abner. 00:21:42.10\00:21:44.39 Read in the Bible what he did to Absalom. 00:21:45.34\00:21:48.42 David said, "Deal kindly with the young man." 00:21:50.38\00:21:53.65 Joab came back and said, "Hey, I put three darts in his chest. 00:21:54.95\00:21:58.88 Yea, I killed him and you better not cry." 00:21:58.91\00:22:01.91 He told his father that. 00:22:03.00\00:22:04.22 Joab told David, "I better not see a tear." 00:22:04.87\00:22:07.52 "Yea, I killed him." 00:22:08.85\00:22:09.87 Ellen White says, war hardens and demoralizes individuals. 00:22:11.83\00:22:19.46 Just last month, it was month or September, 00:22:20.36\00:22:22.93 a man walked into a beauty parlor in California. 00:22:24.46\00:22:26.86 He took nine lives. 00:22:27.79\00:22:29.13 They say he was an ex-marine. 00:22:30.72\00:22:32.25 War hardens you. 00:22:33.95\00:22:35.35 Make no mistake about it, Satan is the author and originator 00:22:37.18\00:22:41.22 of war and conflict. 00:22:41.25\00:22:43.66 Revelation chapter 12 verse 7, I'll be reading from the NIV. 00:22:44.62\00:22:47.55 Revelation 12 verse 7, the Bible says: 00:22:47.58\00:22:50.29 Revelation chapter 12, just ten verses later, verse 17. 00:23:08.53\00:23:11.83 Again from the NIV. 00:23:11.84\00:23:12.89 The woman is us. That's you and me. 00:23:17.71\00:23:19.81 Ladies and gentlemen, let me announce to you 00:23:19.84\00:23:22.06 in case you don't know it, we're in a war. 00:23:22.09\00:23:26.13 Satan incites war. 00:23:37.77\00:23:41.61 He gets people in the world to destroy each other with 00:23:43.11\00:23:46.37 guns, bullets, bombs, and airplanes. 00:23:46.40\00:23:50.04 But he's got an entirely separate set of weapons 00:23:50.07\00:23:54.65 for the church. 00:23:54.68\00:23:55.88 He's got a much more eclectic and sophisticated arsenal 00:23:57.01\00:24:01.18 for you and me. 00:24:01.21\00:24:02.42 2 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 4 from the Clear Word. 00:24:03.79\00:24:06.63 Don't you like that? 00:24:23.14\00:24:24.37 Our weapons come from God and they are irresistible. 00:24:24.40\00:24:28.23 War is a weapon of the enemy. 00:24:28.26\00:24:30.91 It is a weapon that Satan uses. 00:24:30.92\00:24:33.54 But I say, God also uses war, but for an 00:24:33.57\00:24:39.23 entirely different purpose. 00:24:39.26\00:24:40.99 So if you're in a battle, how can you know? 00:24:41.02\00:24:44.26 How can you know if it's Satan working for your destruction 00:24:44.29\00:24:48.98 or God working for your good? 00:24:49.01\00:24:51.66 Well, you've got to ask yourself some hard questions. 00:24:52.51\00:24:54.49 You may want to take out a pen because you've got to 00:24:55.91\00:24:57.30 ask yourself some hard hard question. 00:24:57.31\00:24:59.38 And don't get all visceral and upset. 00:24:59.41\00:25:02.14 Ask yourself some hard questions in the 00:25:02.17\00:25:04.37 cool reasoning of the day. 00:25:04.40\00:25:06.29 Number one: 00:25:06.32\00:25:07.39 You're in a battle. 00:25:10.52\00:25:11.59 Before you begin to fight or ball up your fist, 00:25:11.60\00:25:13.80 ask yourself this question. 00:25:13.83\00:25:14.83 The question I asked when Francise Craig was 00:25:15.55\00:25:17.27 beating my brains out, "Why am I in this?" 00:25:17.30\00:25:19.26 "What's going on?" Ask yourself that question. 00:25:21.40\00:25:24.57 Then ask: 00:25:25.68\00:25:27.13 Is this a pointless fight or does it have a point? 00:25:31.77\00:25:35.77 In other words, when I get through with this, 00:25:35.78\00:25:38.16 how is my life going to change? 00:25:39.22\00:25:40.65 How is it going to be on the other side? 00:25:42.08\00:25:44.27 You've got to ask yourself that question. 00:25:44.30\00:25:46.65 Number three, you've got to ask yourself: 00:25:47.39\00:25:50.93 Because if God has allowed you to be in a battle, 00:25:53.05\00:25:56.59 or has caused you to be in a battle, and we'll get to that 00:25:56.99\00:25:59.51 in just a moment, there's going to be a redemptive aspect to it. 00:25:59.52\00:26:03.10 God will not excuse you from pain all the time. 00:26:03.45\00:26:07.67 But He will make sure that your pain is redemptive. 00:26:08.00\00:26:11.75 God doesn't make you suffer just because 00:26:12.12\00:26:13.89 He wants to see you suffer. 00:26:13.90\00:26:15.33 If you're suffering, God's got a point to it. 00:26:15.36\00:26:19.07 And it's going to end. Amen? 00:26:19.08\00:26:21.84 Last year, just about a month from now, I had to put 00:26:22.59\00:26:25.96 my wife on a plane because her dad was dying. 00:26:25.99\00:26:29.63 We knew, at 91 years of age. 00:26:29.66\00:26:31.23 He had lived a strong life. 00:26:31.24\00:26:32.34 Never really been sick, never really been in the hospital. 00:26:32.38\00:26:34.99 And it was a painful time. 00:26:35.87\00:26:37.21 We didn't have the money for two tickets. 00:26:37.24\00:26:38.40 I put her on the plane, she flew down to Panama. 00:26:38.41\00:26:41.07 We were worried because her dad had never really professed 00:26:41.10\00:26:45.66 Jesus, didn't want to hear about Jesus. 00:26:45.69\00:26:47.96 And my wife, Irma, when it comes to salvation stuff, 00:26:47.97\00:26:50.96 is a bit of a tiger. 00:26:50.99\00:26:52.39 She's got claws. 00:26:52.42\00:26:53.63 And she would attack him, you know. 00:26:53.66\00:26:55.61 She would talk about the love of Christ. 00:26:55.62\00:26:57.20 She would tell him he was going to burn in hell. 00:26:57.21\00:26:58.34 And she just did everything that she could and he wasn't budging. 00:26:58.37\00:27:00.99 He began to crack just a little so she wanted to get home 00:27:01.02\00:27:04.01 to make her last pitch, you know, before he 00:27:04.04\00:27:07.56 closed his eyes in death. 00:27:07.57\00:27:08.96 Painful time. 00:27:08.99\00:27:10.25 Multiple organ failure, he began to go. 00:27:11.30\00:27:15.45 But about two weeks before, the pastor came in. 00:27:16.21\00:27:20.76 He gave his heart to the Lord. 00:27:21.35\00:27:22.85 And then one Sunday morning, my wife was trying to move him. 00:27:24.41\00:27:27.74 And she said, "Just put your arms around my neck 00:27:27.77\00:27:30.55 and I'll move your from the wheelchair onto the bed." 00:27:30.58\00:27:33.79 He got onto the bed and as he laid down, his arms dropped 00:27:33.82\00:27:37.52 and he was gone. 00:27:37.55\00:27:38.75 And she called me. 00:27:39.77\00:27:40.99 And we were sad. 00:27:41.80\00:27:43.38 But we saw the redemption of Jesus. 00:27:44.69\00:27:47.07 One, after 90 years, he got in. 00:27:47.50\00:27:52.52 Amen? 00:27:52.73\00:27:53.87 And the Bible says whether you get in at morning, 00:27:54.41\00:27:57.17 or noon, or three, or just before the store closes, 00:27:57.20\00:28:02.51 you get the same heaven. 00:28:02.54\00:28:04.31 Amen? 00:28:04.51\00:28:05.57 And that death became a seed. 00:28:06.49\00:28:08.74 Because we've got a brother-in-law 00:28:09.81\00:28:15.48 who ridiculed the Lord. 00:28:15.51\00:28:17.85 His mom, if I'm getting this right, was so mean 00:28:18.79\00:28:23.10 that her husband, who joined the church, had to lock himself 00:28:23.13\00:28:26.46 in the room when he came home from church on Sabbath 00:28:26.49\00:28:28.94 to keep her from assaulting him because he served the Lord. 00:28:29.71\00:28:34.28 She gave her heart to the Lord. 00:28:36.49\00:28:38.02 And then one day, we called and we heard a voice 00:28:39.43\00:28:45.23 praying in the background. 00:28:45.26\00:28:47.21 And my wife said, "Who's that praying?" 00:28:47.97\00:28:51.00 And her sister said, that's... 00:28:52.67\00:28:54.29 I better not mention his name. 00:28:54.32\00:28:56.27 She said, that's... I'll say John. 00:28:57.33\00:29:00.88 My wife almost dropped the phone. 00:29:01.77\00:29:03.40 John never cared about the Lord. 00:29:04.31\00:29:07.28 Ridiculed the Lord. 00:29:07.31\00:29:08.94 He's now in... Is he baptized? 00:29:08.97\00:29:11.72 Baptized in the church. 00:29:12.25\00:29:13.59 So, her dad's death became a seed. 00:29:14.15\00:29:18.69 And that death had an affect that is still far reaching. 00:29:19.46\00:29:22.86 And now we've got a sister-in-law, who didn't care 00:29:22.89\00:29:26.17 anything about the Lord, taking Bible studies. 00:29:26.20\00:29:28.31 Brother-in-law in the church, sister in the church, 00:29:28.34\00:29:30.98 mother in the church, mother-in-law in the church, 00:29:31.01\00:29:33.23 everybody in the church. 00:29:33.26\00:29:34.54 So if God allows trouble in your life, my point is, 00:29:35.47\00:29:39.54 there's going to be some redemption, there's going to 00:29:39.57\00:29:41.67 be a plan, and there's going to be an end to it. 00:29:41.68\00:29:44.59 God doesn't let trouble come just for trouble's sake. 00:29:44.62\00:29:48.15 If you're in a war and God allows it, there's point. 00:29:48.18\00:29:51.44 And there's going to be an end. 00:29:51.47\00:29:52.99 Next question: 00:29:57.10\00:29:58.13 Fighting the good fight of faith always makes you better. 00:30:02.48\00:30:04.81 Always makes you better. 00:30:04.84\00:30:06.23 Then you need to ask yourself this; is it: 00:30:07.14\00:30:09.77 And you will see an end. 00:30:21.04\00:30:23.65 You see, when God gets you through what you're 00:30:23.68\00:30:27.05 going through, He ends it. 00:30:27.08\00:30:29.80 Amen? 00:30:30.69\00:30:31.87 Yeah, when He gets you through what you're going through, 00:30:32.21\00:30:35.62 it's over. 00:30:35.63\00:30:36.97 God will let it end. 00:30:37.54\00:30:39.12 Because He's got you where He wants you. 00:30:39.15\00:30:42.24 Satan loves war, God does not. 00:30:42.73\00:30:47.02 And so He uses war surgically and redemptively 00:30:47.05\00:30:52.34 for your good and for your growing. 00:30:52.37\00:30:55.92 Now God will allow just enough turmoil in your life 00:30:56.55\00:31:00.51 to either get you started... 00:31:01.81\00:31:04.24 If you're standing still, He wants to get you moving. 00:31:04.27\00:31:06.60 He'll allow some turmoil in your life to get you moving. 00:31:07.19\00:31:09.61 ...keep you going... 00:31:10.50\00:31:11.97 If you've gotten started and are beginning to slow down 00:31:12.63\00:31:15.31 or stop, He'll allow some turmoil to keep you going. 00:31:15.34\00:31:20.01 ...or to clear some impediment from your life. 00:31:20.31\00:31:24.79 Did you hear me? 00:31:24.80\00:31:25.80 Those are the three reasons any trouble in your life, 00:31:25.81\00:31:29.28 anytime you're in a war, it will fall under one of 00:31:29.31\00:31:31.83 those three categories. 00:31:31.86\00:31:32.99 If you're standing still and God wants you to move, 00:31:33.02\00:31:35.70 He'll trouble the waters. 00:31:35.71\00:31:36.71 So one, He's going to allow turmoil to get you started. 00:31:36.72\00:31:39.54 Two, to keep you going. 00:31:39.94\00:31:42.12 Three, to clear some impediment from your progress. 00:31:42.15\00:31:45.92 All God ordained trials will fall under 00:31:46.62\00:31:51.05 one of those three categories. 00:31:51.08\00:31:52.59 And the severity of the conflict has much to do 00:31:52.62\00:31:57.47 with your ability to hear what God is saying. 00:31:57.50\00:32:01.18 If you're hard of hearing, God has got to speak real loud... 00:32:01.76\00:32:07.71 Amen? 00:32:08.34\00:32:09.44 ...until He gets your attention. 00:32:09.47\00:32:11.56 So the severity of the conflict deals with your ability to hear. 00:32:15.03\00:32:18.35 And all God ordained conflict, I say again, is not eternal. 00:32:18.38\00:32:24.71 As soon as God gets you on point, 00:32:24.74\00:32:28.41 as we say in Brooklyn, He'll cut you some slack. 00:32:30.03\00:32:32.22 James chapter 4 verse 7, it starts out by saying, 00:32:35.07\00:32:38.23 "Submit yourselves then unto God. 00:32:38.26\00:32:41.34 Resist the devil and he will flee." 00:32:41.37\00:32:42.92 But the point I want is, James 4:7. 00:32:42.95\00:32:45.58 Amen? 00:32:51.89\00:32:52.92 Don't make God yell. 00:32:55.13\00:32:56.56 My mother use to say that, "Don't make me come after you. 00:32:57.45\00:33:00.02 Don't make me come get you. 00:33:00.67\00:33:02.04 And don't make me yell." 00:33:02.77\00:33:04.07 Draw close to God and He will draw close to you. 00:33:08.68\00:33:11.68 So if you're in a war, your first job is to ask, "What?" 00:33:12.38\00:33:18.33 Is it God or is it Satan. 00:33:19.52\00:33:21.88 What's the lesson that I can learn? 00:33:21.91\00:33:24.99 What does God want me to know? 00:33:25.60\00:33:27.79 What does God want me to do? 00:33:27.80\00:33:30.06 What does God want me to say? 00:33:30.09\00:33:32.44 What lesson does God want me to learn? 00:33:32.47\00:33:36.17 When war what? 00:33:37.80\00:33:38.85 What war when? 00:33:39.39\00:33:40.68 1 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 28, the Bible says: 00:33:40.71\00:33:44.81 So when you're in conflict, the first thing you do 00:33:50.09\00:33:52.47 is look at you. 00:33:52.50\00:33:54.07 You know how easy it is, oft times, as soon as we have a 00:33:54.10\00:33:56.99 disagreement with somebody, the first thing we begin to do, 00:33:57.02\00:33:59.57 "Okay, it's your fault. Yours and yours and yours." 00:33:59.60\00:34:03.48 It may be. 00:34:04.23\00:34:05.57 But it also may be mine. 00:34:06.45\00:34:08.01 So when you're in conflict, your first job... 00:34:08.65\00:34:12.29 ...examine yourself. 00:34:13.94\00:34:15.40 Amen? 00:34:15.80\00:34:16.95 The Bible says, let a man examine himself. 00:34:16.98\00:34:19.12 And I like this text, Galatians 6:4, 00:34:19.13\00:34:21.07 "Let each one examine his own work." 00:34:21.74\00:34:24.83 Don't examine mine. 00:34:25.91\00:34:27.27 Examine yours. 00:34:27.88\00:34:29.15 Everybody in the world may be wrong 00:34:32.20\00:34:35.88 and you alone right. 00:34:36.78\00:34:38.33 It may be that way. 00:34:38.74\00:34:40.40 I doubt it. 00:34:40.93\00:34:42.41 So examine, Galatians 6:4 says, examine your own work. 00:34:45.55\00:34:50.99 And we're going to talk about this again on Sabbath. 00:34:51.02\00:34:53.21 I'm going to give you a little test 00:34:53.24\00:34:54.90 to see how your quotion is doing on Sabbath morning. 00:34:54.93\00:34:58.20 Any conflict, in fact, every conflict is an opportunity 00:34:59.04\00:35:03.78 for self examination. 00:35:03.81\00:35:05.92 In fact, it is a mandate, a demand for self examination. 00:35:06.32\00:35:10.22 When you disagree with someone, God is saying, 00:35:10.25\00:35:13.65 that's the time to examine yourself. 00:35:13.68\00:35:16.19 And why do you do it in conflict? 00:35:16.22\00:35:18.15 It's because we never think to do it in peace time. 00:35:18.16\00:35:20.53 So you must do it in conflict. 00:35:23.25\00:35:25.40 You have to do it in conflict. 00:35:25.43\00:35:27.46 You see, the quicker you assess it, address it, 00:35:27.49\00:35:31.51 diagnose it, and redress it, the quicker you get through it. 00:35:31.54\00:35:36.95 You're not going to get through it blaming 00:35:37.59\00:35:39.41 everybody else but you. 00:35:39.44\00:35:41.09 Amen. Amen. 00:35:42.54\00:35:45.22 Blaming folk never solved anything. 00:35:45.71\00:35:48.31 I know people, "Everybody is wrong. 00:35:48.34\00:35:50.80 I'm the only one right." 00:35:50.83\00:35:52.43 You may be. 00:35:54.19\00:35:55.48 I doubt it. 00:35:57.78\00:35:59.16 But you may be. 00:36:00.95\00:36:02.33 But you'll never know unless you examine yourself. 00:36:03.07\00:36:05.99 So every time you're in conflict with anybody, 00:36:06.02\00:36:08.92 that's a call from God for self examination. 00:36:08.95\00:36:13.25 And if you spend all your time blaming folk, 00:36:13.28\00:36:16.05 you miss a God appointed opportunity. 00:36:16.08\00:36:19.35 Are you listening to me? 00:36:19.38\00:36:20.72 This is very important. 00:36:20.74\00:36:21.74 Because it is so natural for us to just blame, blame, blame, 00:36:21.75\00:36:25.25 blame, blame, blame, blame, blame, blame. 00:36:25.28\00:36:27.36 What about you? 00:36:27.39\00:36:28.86 And if you never have anything good to say about 00:36:29.80\00:36:31.87 anybody else, what does that say about you? 00:36:31.90\00:36:34.89 You got a problem with a neighbor, you're at odds? 00:36:37.75\00:36:40.53 Look at yourself first. 00:36:40.56\00:36:42.02 You got a co-worker who gets on your last nerve? 00:36:42.05\00:36:44.94 Before you point fingers, examine yourself. 00:36:49.02\00:36:51.97 And make sure that it's not you. 00:36:53.53\00:36:56.31 That person may be full of the devil. 00:36:56.34\00:36:59.54 Or... 00:37:01.19\00:37:02.24 mm-hmm. 00:37:04.24\00:37:05.26 Or the Lord may be trying to keep the devil 00:37:07.70\00:37:09.61 out of the situation. 00:37:09.64\00:37:11.52 Or the Lord may have put you in that situation to 00:37:11.93\00:37:14.48 sand off your rough edges. 00:37:14.51\00:37:17.48 Because the Lord and Satan both use war. 00:37:20.86\00:37:24.24 And we'll see this over and over again the next few nights. 00:37:25.78\00:37:28.88 But I want to give you an example from our recent history. 00:37:28.91\00:37:31.43 Time is slipping away so we've got to move kind of fast. 00:37:31.46\00:37:33.60 I want to look at the American Civil War. 00:37:34.16\00:37:36.83 I talked about this with some cadets from West Point 00:37:37.46\00:37:39.52 and that's what got me started. 00:37:39.55\00:37:40.70 Almost 700,000 deaths in the American Civil War. 00:37:40.73\00:37:44.60 Didn't have smart bombs, didn't have assault rifles. 00:37:45.23\00:37:48.69 These are single shot rifles or six shooters. 00:37:48.72\00:37:51.86 Small arms, canons. 00:37:51.89\00:37:54.28 700,000 deaths in 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, and ends 1865. 00:37:54.31\00:38:03.31 That's an awful lot of killing in 5 years. 00:38:03.34\00:38:06.58 And that's what got me started. 00:38:06.88\00:38:08.56 The war, most historians tell us, and this is what I was 00:38:10.27\00:38:13.66 taught in school, was fought to hold the Union together. 00:38:13.69\00:38:18.36 But the reason heaven got involved was moral, not civil. 00:38:19.84\00:38:25.61 Heaven's issue was slavery. 00:38:26.48\00:38:29.35 And when you read and understand Revelation chapter 13 00:38:29.66\00:38:32.01 beginning at verse 11, United States in prophecy, 00:38:32.02\00:38:34.31 you realize this country was never going to be divided. 00:38:34.34\00:38:37.16 Heaven didn't get involved in the Civil War to 00:38:37.87\00:38:40.09 keep the country together. 00:38:40.12\00:38:41.40 Heaven's issue was slavery. 00:38:41.43\00:38:43.61 By the time the Civil War, the American Civil War, 00:38:43.64\00:38:46.50 commenced, American slavery was approaching 200 years. 00:38:46.53\00:38:51.17 And heaven was not pleased. 00:38:51.70\00:38:53.91 I want you to stick with me. 00:38:54.31\00:38:55.65 What I want you to see is the confluence 00:38:58.55\00:39:02.73 of satanic interposition and divine initiative. 00:39:02.76\00:39:07.49 I want you to see how Satan and God used the same war 00:39:07.52\00:39:13.58 at the same time for two radically different purposes. 00:39:13.59\00:39:18.69 Now let me establish my thesis. 00:39:18.72\00:39:20.06 My first is, first volume of Testimonies, page 264. 00:39:20.09\00:39:24.74 I've got to move kind of fast. 00:39:24.77\00:39:25.82 First volume of Testimonies, page 264. 00:39:25.85\00:39:28.47 Here's what Ellen White said. 00:39:28.50\00:39:30.17 So God was punishing North and South. 00:39:57.09\00:40:00.72 Now get this. 00:40:01.34\00:40:02.63 August 3, 1861 in Roosevelt New York, Ellen White 00:40:02.66\00:40:06.91 goes into vision. 00:40:06.94\00:40:08.56 The words of her vision are found in the first volume 00:40:08.59\00:40:11.16 of Testimonies, page 264. 00:40:11.19\00:40:13.30 She says: 00:40:13.31\00:40:14.31 So she was shown by God that they wanted to hold onto it, 00:40:35.07\00:40:39.82 and hold onto it at all cost. 00:40:39.85\00:40:42.92 Now going on, the same book, page 266. 00:40:43.12\00:40:47.71 So we know from these quotes that God was intimately 00:41:22.56\00:41:27.12 concerned with and involved in the Civil War. 00:41:27.15\00:41:31.38 Amen. You're following me? 00:41:31.41\00:41:32.66 Are we together on that? 00:41:32.69\00:41:34.01 So God was involved. 00:41:34.66\00:41:36.38 Now get this. 00:41:36.41\00:41:38.30 Same war, same time. 00:41:38.33\00:41:41.43 I'm reading. 00:41:43.53\00:41:44.84 Who is the author of that? 00:42:16.71\00:42:17.99 That's Satan. 00:42:18.54\00:42:19.65 Same war, same time. 00:42:19.68\00:42:21.74 Let me go on. 00:42:23.03\00:42:24.36 This is the Civil War. 00:42:52.09\00:42:53.75 Can you understand what's going on? 00:43:17.80\00:43:19.37 God is using the Civil War to punish slavery. 00:43:19.40\00:43:25.38 Satan is using the Civil War because he likes to see 00:43:25.41\00:43:30.57 men kill men. 00:43:30.60\00:43:33.30 At the same time in the same place. 00:43:33.33\00:43:36.45 Testimonies volume 1, I'm on page 364. 00:43:36.48\00:43:39.78 Now what's the majority? 00:43:56.62\00:43:57.60 That's most of them, isn't it? 00:43:57.61\00:43:59.39 I'm in first Testimonies, page 366. 00:44:08.72\00:44:11.98 Can you imagine, there is a being so full of hatred 00:44:44.25\00:44:49.04 for the human family that he gets his kicks 00:44:49.07\00:44:54.46 watching humans slaughter other humans. 00:44:55.53\00:44:59.31 And so Satan and the Lord, in the same war at the same time, 00:45:00.11\00:45:06.90 with two entirely different purposes. 00:45:06.91\00:45:10.61 The rebels are the South. 00:45:25.68\00:45:26.82 See, he's prolonging the war. 00:45:41.03\00:45:42.15 He's increasing death because he delights in death. 00:45:42.16\00:45:44.96 "Correct information..." 00:45:46.74\00:45:48.38 Get this, "Correct information has been given 00:45:49.26\00:45:53.03 to Northern officers in regard to the movements 00:45:53.06\00:45:56.67 and approach of the rebel, which has been disregarded 00:45:56.70\00:46:01.57 and despised because the informer was black." 00:46:01.60\00:46:06.25 This is coming from Ellen White. 00:46:06.28\00:46:07.59 See, Satan will play the race card or the sex card 00:46:07.62\00:46:10.78 or the rich/poor card. 00:46:10.81\00:46:12.14 Anything to divide people. 00:46:12.17\00:46:14.13 The result, "The Union forces have been nearly cut to pieces." 00:46:15.86\00:46:22.44 And who is laughing? 00:46:22.84\00:46:24.41 Satan. 00:46:26.47\00:46:27.52 "Or what is as bad, taken to prison to suffer 00:46:28.27\00:46:32.37 worse than death." 00:46:32.40\00:46:34.50 The Civil War did not begin as a war to end slavery, 00:46:36.86\00:46:40.96 but to hold the Union together. 00:46:41.69\00:46:43.90 But God had other plans. 00:46:44.50\00:46:46.74 It could have ended with just one battle. 00:46:47.33\00:46:50.72 But look how the Lord does things. 00:46:51.14\00:46:53.78 The very first battle was called the 00:46:55.05\00:46:56.99 Battle of Manassas Junction. 00:46:57.02\00:46:59.17 Also called, Bull Run. 00:46:59.20\00:47:00.95 It took place just south of the Washington DC line 00:47:01.65\00:47:04.90 in northern Virginia. 00:47:04.93\00:47:06.16 The North was actually winning the battle 00:47:06.59\00:47:09.08 and the war could have ended that day with that battle. 00:47:09.11\00:47:13.87 The Union would have been preserved, 00:47:14.84\00:47:17.02 but slavery would have continued. 00:47:17.05\00:47:19.53 So look at what Ellen White says. 00:47:20.81\00:47:22.37 First volume of Testimonies, page 267. 00:47:22.40\00:47:24.83 North is winning, South is being pushed back. 00:47:24.86\00:47:28.87 American began to have national days of fasting and prayer 00:48:13.01\00:48:18.60 for the Civil War. 00:48:18.63\00:48:19.94 And on January 4, 1862 Ellen White went into vision 00:48:20.43\00:48:25.21 and she wrote this: 00:48:25.24\00:48:26.54 She quoted from Isaiah 58:6 that says, 00:48:40.62\00:48:43.80 the fast that God wants is to let the oppressed go free. 00:48:43.83\00:48:46.85 That's what God wants. 00:48:47.26\00:48:48.62 J.N. Loughborough, Adventist pioneer, in his book, 00:48:49.14\00:48:52.90 The Great Second Advent Movement, talks about this war. 00:48:52.93\00:48:57.23 He says, and I quote: 00:48:57.66\00:48:59.77 In other words, once the slaves were free, 00:49:59.90\00:50:05.13 America was where God wanted it to be. 00:50:05.16\00:50:09.37 And He moved to close the war. 00:50:09.87\00:50:13.32 So I did a little research. 00:50:13.35\00:50:14.88 I took the top 20 major battles in the Civil War. 00:50:14.91\00:50:19.94 Those were battles where the death rate was 19,000 or more. 00:50:19.97\00:50:25.58 After the passage of the Emancipation Proclamation, 00:50:26.13\00:50:29.77 the North never lost another battle. 00:50:29.80\00:50:33.22 Do you think that was coincidence? 00:50:33.86\00:50:35.48 No. 00:50:35.97\00:50:37.02 It was because we had moved onto God's side. 00:50:37.32\00:50:41.21 God had gotten our attention. 00:50:41.24\00:50:43.87 He had to speak loudly, but somebody finally listened. 00:50:43.90\00:50:48.99 Then He ended the war. 00:50:49.67\00:50:51.07 Sometime later, in June 1891, Loughborough was in the audience 00:50:52.39\00:50:59.99 and heard a speech given by John P. St John, 00:51:00.02\00:51:05.00 former governor of Kansas, which was a swing state. 00:51:05.01\00:51:08.50 This is what he said. 00:51:08.53\00:51:09.81 "I was never so disappointed as I was when the Confederates 00:51:09.84\00:51:14.66 whipped us at Bull run." 00:51:14.69\00:51:16.30 That's the one where the angel waved his hand, 00:51:16.33\00:51:18.27 the first battle of the war. 00:51:18.30\00:51:19.37 "'But it was all part of God's plan. 00:51:19.40\00:51:22.86 Had we whipped the Confederates, the politicians would have 00:51:23.50\00:51:27.51 hatched up a peace and the Union would have continued 00:51:27.54\00:51:31.09 with slavery, and we would have had it until today. 00:51:31.12\00:51:35.35 For two years, the Confederates had the advantage. 00:51:36.22\00:51:39.96 But after Lincoln issued the famous 00:51:39.99\00:51:42.49 Emancipation Proclamation, we swung around 00:51:42.52\00:51:45.26 to God's side and we could not lose. 00:51:45.29\00:51:48.92 We were doing what God wanted us to do.' 00:51:48.95\00:51:52.43 Now though President Abraham Lincoln 00:51:53.08\00:51:54.70 was really preoccupied with saving the Union, 00:51:54.73\00:51:56.91 his ideas about the war came remarkably in line with 00:51:56.94\00:52:01.24 those of Ellen White. 00:52:01.27\00:52:02.57 But saw the North and South as sharing the guilt of slavery. 00:52:02.93\00:52:07.70 Both saw the war as ramifications 00:52:07.73\00:52:09.92 and visitations from God. 00:52:09.95\00:52:12.74 Lincoln and White both plainly saw that the hand of God 00:52:12.77\00:52:18.91 moved after January 1, 1863. 00:52:18.94\00:52:22.60 And that God was now pleased with what we were doing 00:52:25.20\00:52:29.79 and moved to end the war." 00:52:30.38\00:52:32.15 Here's a text that we will come to over and over again 00:52:32.67\00:52:35.10 in these meetings. 00:52:35.13\00:52:37.00 Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12. I think you know it well. 00:52:37.03\00:52:39.40 The Bible says, we wrestle not against flesh and blood. 00:52:39.43\00:52:44.98 We're wrestling against Satan himself. 00:52:45.87\00:52:48.79 Let me close in the last few minutes with just a few 00:52:49.99\00:52:52.97 quotes from Ellen White. 00:52:53.00\00:52:54.13 Every time Satan comes at you with something, 00:53:19.65\00:53:21.53 every time you say "no" and turn your back 00:53:21.56\00:53:23.81 and fight the good fight of faith, you make advancement 00:53:23.84\00:53:26.99 in the kingdom of God. 00:53:27.02\00:53:28.76 God gives us something special when you're fighting for Him. 00:53:58.22\00:54:00.57 You're not fighting alone. 00:54:00.60\00:54:02.08 Like it or not, you're in a war. 00:54:16.68\00:54:19.24 Amen? 00:54:37.66\00:54:38.69 Very quickly, the sixth volume of Testimonies, page 41. 00:54:38.70\00:54:42.04 And you are the objects, ladies and gentlemen, of that envy. 00:54:56.65\00:55:00.15 Amen? 00:55:20.69\00:55:21.70 You can shake Satan to his knees. 00:55:35.92\00:55:40.25 Not in your own strength, not in your own power, 00:55:40.28\00:55:44.30 but in the power of Jesus. 00:55:44.60\00:55:46.80 Christ is ready, willing, and able to fight with you, 00:55:47.21\00:55:53.77 through you, by you, but not for you. 00:55:54.81\00:56:00.37 mm-hmm. 00:56:01.72\00:56:02.77 You've got to fight with Him. 00:56:03.22\00:56:04.39 He's not going to do battle for you, 00:56:05.12\00:56:06.56 you've got to fight. 00:56:06.59\00:56:07.83 One of the toughest battles you will ever fight 00:56:08.44\00:56:10.16 is the battle against self. 00:56:10.17\00:56:11.17 We're going to talk about that in a couple of nights when 00:56:11.20\00:56:12.76 we talk about When War Who. 00:56:12.79\00:56:15.85 Who? You. That's who. 00:56:15.88\00:56:18.58 Amen? 00:56:18.97\00:56:20.04 And if not you, who? 00:56:20.07\00:56:22.27 One of the toughest battles you'll ever fight 00:56:23.42\00:56:25.08 is the battle against self. 00:56:26.90\00:56:28.25 But victory has already been guaranteed. 00:56:29.67\00:56:33.14 Isn't that nice to know? 00:56:35.01\00:56:36.24 The battle has been won. 00:56:37.07\00:56:39.64 All you've got to do is make sure you're wearing 00:56:41.22\00:56:44.08 the right uniform. 00:56:44.11\00:56:45.81 Amen? 00:56:46.20\00:56:47.26 Make sure you're on the right side. 00:56:47.90\00:56:50.10 And examine yourself in the Lord. 00:56:50.63\00:56:54.96 What war when? 00:56:55.88\00:56:58.45 When war comes, what do you do? 00:56:59.12\00:57:02.19 Examine yourself, make sure you're under the right banner, 00:57:03.11\00:57:06.72 carrying the right flag, and on the right side. 00:57:07.32\00:57:10.51 Amen? 00:57:10.53\00:57:11.53 Shall we pray? 00:57:11.61\00:57:12.68 Father God, we thank You now for the power 00:57:12.71\00:57:19.04 that You've given us to win. 00:57:19.07\00:57:21.45 We thank You, Lord, that even in the battles of life 00:57:22.26\00:57:26.42 we can be victorious in Jesus Christ. 00:57:26.45\00:57:28.75 A battle is waging for our souls. 00:57:28.78\00:57:31.30