Welcome to Anchors Of Truth live
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
00:00:12.25\00:00:17.19
Winds Of War with C.A. Murray.
00:00:17.22\00:00:20.15
Welcome once again to the
second evening of our series
00:00:22.27\00:00:25.96
entitled, the Winds Of War.
00:00:25.99\00:00:28.11
And if you watched last night,
you know that Pastor C.A. Murray
00:00:28.14\00:00:31.66
threw us a curve when we
thought he was going to be
00:00:31.69\00:00:34.18
talking about war in heaven.
00:00:34.19\00:00:35.50
But he actually was
talking about the war that's
00:00:35.53\00:00:38.08
taking place in the human heart.
00:00:38.11\00:00:39.76
And so tonight, we invite
you to invite your friends and
00:00:39.79\00:00:42.61
family members to stay tuned
for this message, When War Why.
00:00:42.64\00:00:48.98
A very classy title.
00:00:49.01\00:00:50.53
One that I'm sure you
have not heard before.
00:00:50.56\00:00:52.51
But I'm sure the message
also will be new and unique
00:00:52.54\00:00:55.99
in the way that Pastor
C.A. unfolds that message.
00:00:56.02\00:00:59.28
We have also tomorrow evening,
then we have Sabbath morning,
00:00:59.31\00:01:02.58
and also Sabbath afternoon.
00:01:02.61\00:01:04.64
So don't forget we've
just begun this series.
00:01:04.67\00:01:07.44
And if you're in the driving
vicinity, we invite you to
00:01:07.47\00:01:09.87
come to Thompsonville
at the 3ABN Worship Center,
00:01:09.90\00:01:12.90
the largest city in the world.
00:01:12.93\00:01:14.81
At least we believe so.
00:01:14.84\00:01:16.24
But before we go into
the message, we invite the
00:01:16.64\00:01:18.94
Lord's presence, so
bow your heads with us
00:01:18.97\00:01:21.58
as we ask for
God's divine guidance.
00:01:21.61\00:01:24.27
Gracious Father in
heaven, we thank You.
00:01:24.67\00:01:26.96
Last night, our hearts
were warmed as we understood
00:01:26.99\00:01:29.77
that truly there
is a war taking place.
00:01:29.80\00:01:32.95
Not in the Middle
East, not around the world,
00:01:32.98\00:01:35.51
but truly in the hearts and
lives of each of your children.
00:01:35.54\00:01:39.14
And we know there are various
reasons for those wars to exist.
00:01:39.62\00:01:42.91
We have been told to examine
ourselves to understand why,
00:01:43.31\00:01:46.94
what about us causes the
wars to rage in our hearts.
00:01:47.66\00:01:51.66
So tonight, take us
again to the foot of the cross.
00:01:51.69\00:01:54.50
We also pray a blessing on your
manservant, Pastor C.A. Murray
00:01:54.53\00:01:58.09
as he breaks the bread of life.
00:01:58.12\00:02:00.95
May we not just listen
to it, but may we hear what
00:02:00.98\00:02:04.71
the Spirit is saying to
each of us individually.
00:02:04.72\00:02:07.37
And we thank You. In
Jesus' name we pray, amen.
00:02:07.40\00:02:10.97
Tonight, I welcome once
again Pastor C.A. Murray.
00:02:11.00\00:02:14.47
Thank you Pastor
John. And good evening.
00:02:22.76\00:02:25.08
Every time I see Pastor
John standing at this desk,
00:02:26.02\00:02:33.28
I have a little sense of pride.
00:02:33.31\00:02:35.45
I remember when he was a young
lad there in Brooklyn, New York.
00:02:36.00\00:02:38.82
And he's someone I
love and respect greatly.
00:02:39.49\00:02:42.24
Thank you for being
with us again tonight.
00:02:42.27\00:02:44.27
Our subject is, When War Why.
00:02:44.87\00:02:48.57
On tomorrow, Why War Who.
Sabbath morning, When War How.
00:02:48.60\00:02:55.06
And then Sabbath
afternoon, War No More.
00:02:55.09\00:02:58.83
So we thank you
for being with us.
00:02:59.37\00:03:00.91
I want to say just
a couple of things.
00:03:01.50\00:03:03.36
Somewhere in this
message, I will repeat something
00:03:05.69\00:03:08.75
that I said on last evening.
00:03:09.15\00:03:11.10
Now I need to say that to
you because, it's not because
00:03:11.46\00:03:14.15
I am lacking things to say.
00:03:14.16\00:03:16.44
In fact, I spent some time
this afternoon triaging and
00:03:16.47\00:03:19.87
cutting stuff out because
I knew it was a little long.
00:03:19.90\00:03:22.39
But there are one or two
points that we will reiterate
00:03:23.03\00:03:27.24
because I feel
they are important.
00:03:27.27\00:03:30.85
And I also feel that they are
things that we, as Christians,
00:03:31.15\00:03:34.17
sometimes neglect and
need to re-establish and
00:03:34.20\00:03:38.12
reaffirm in our lives.
00:03:38.13\00:03:39.79
And so there are some things
that we're going to repeat
00:03:39.80\00:03:42.61
almost verbatim from last night
and try to re-emphasize them,
00:03:42.62\00:03:48.53
to red flag them, because they
are things that I really believe
00:03:48.55\00:03:52.07
Christians need to
take a special look at.
00:03:52.10\00:03:54.48
In fact, when we get to
that point, I will tell you,
00:03:54.49\00:03:57.36
"here we are," so that
you don't miss that point,
00:03:57.39\00:04:00.54
and you know where we are.
00:04:00.57\00:04:02.92
We're going to go to the
book of 2 Kings chapter 13
00:04:04.14\00:04:08.15
and begin reading at verse 14.
00:04:08.18\00:04:11.40
2 Kings chapter 13 and
begin reading at verse 14.
00:04:11.43\00:04:18.49
I'll give you a
moment to find it with me.
00:04:19.41\00:04:21.05
2 Kings chapter 13
and beginning at verse 14.
00:04:21.06\00:04:29.21
Shall we pray.
00:04:29.79\00:04:30.79
Father God, we thank You
for the power in Your Word.
00:04:30.82\00:04:36.71
We thank You, Lord, that
Your Word is indeed a lamp
00:04:37.62\00:04:41.49
unto our feet and a
light that shines brightly on
00:04:41.52\00:04:46.21
the path before us.
00:04:46.24\00:04:48.31
And so Lord, tonight as we
look again at the struggles,
00:04:49.26\00:04:53.68
the wars of Your ancient
people, may we see clearly
00:04:53.71\00:04:59.82
to make
application to our own lives
00:04:59.85\00:05:03.89
and the struggles that we're
called to face and win in Jesus.
00:05:03.92\00:05:10.29
Teach us this night those things
that You would have us to know.
00:05:10.77\00:05:13.44
And then help us, embolden
us, enable us to do them.
00:05:13.47\00:05:17.93
Because surely it is
in the doing that we are
00:05:17.96\00:05:21.42
made like Christ Jesus.
00:05:21.45\00:05:23.16
And we thank You.
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:05:23.19\00:05:26.51
I'm in 2 Kings chapter 13 and
I'll begin reading at verse 14.
00:05:27.08\00:05:34.98
The Bible says:
00:05:35.51\00:05:36.99
I'm reading from
the New King James.
00:05:43.12\00:05:45.35
One of the precedence that
we established on last evening
00:07:06.78\00:07:10.28
is that Satan and
the Lord both use war,
00:07:11.09\00:07:18.62
but in two
dramatically different ways
00:07:19.46\00:07:24.01
with two very,
very different purposes
00:07:24.31\00:07:29.06
that are diametrically
opposed each to the other.
00:07:29.09\00:07:33.34
They are mutually exclusive.
00:07:33.37\00:07:36.13
God uses war one way,
Satan uses it another.
00:07:37.08\00:07:42.11
And so, their
purposes are different.
00:07:42.51\00:07:45.95
And much has to do with
our response to those wars
00:07:46.97\00:07:55.34
that's chastising of the Lord.
00:07:55.37\00:07:57.37
Our lesson today is
drawn from the closing days
00:07:58.53\00:08:01.61
of the ministry of
the prophet Elisha.
00:08:01.64\00:08:03.94
He was sick, the
illness was protracted.
00:08:04.69\00:08:08.68
We are not told either
in the Word of God nor the
00:08:08.71\00:08:11.72
spirit of prophecy
what he was suffering from.
00:08:11.75\00:08:14.59
But we are given
to understand that the
00:08:14.60\00:08:17.90
illness lasted a long time.
00:08:17.93\00:08:20.47
It was during this suffering
that this incident takes place.
00:08:22.19\00:08:28.89
And I need to say
here parenthetically,
00:08:28.92\00:08:30.69
even during this
long and severe illness,
00:08:30.72\00:08:34.82
Elisha never
lost his faith in God.
00:08:34.85\00:08:39.37
Never lost his trust in
the Lord, never lost his
00:08:39.77\00:08:43.77
confidence in God.
00:08:43.80\00:08:45.46
So even during this
illness, he is deathly sick,
00:08:46.38\00:08:49.43
he continues to
minister to a fallen Israel
00:08:49.46\00:08:53.44
and to its fallen king.
00:08:53.47\00:08:56.21
Prostrated by disease, yet still
on the battlefield for his Lord.
00:08:56.24\00:09:01.41
Israel is in spiritual shambles.
00:09:03.13\00:09:06.06
Ahab is no longer the king,
he's not on the throne anymore.
00:09:06.73\00:09:11.07
But the legacy of evil
left by Ahab and Jezebel
00:09:11.10\00:09:15.85
has done a thorough
work in turning God's people
00:09:15.88\00:09:19.66
to a pernicious,
malignant, aggressive idolatry.
00:09:19.69\00:09:24.93
This country is not the
same post Ahab and Jezebel
00:09:24.94\00:09:28.65
as it was pre Ahab and Jezebel.
00:09:28.68\00:09:31.13
This is a different
country, an idolatrous country,
00:09:31.16\00:09:34.35
a country that has turned
its heart and its mind from God.
00:09:34.38\00:09:39.54
Ellen White talks
about the condition
00:09:40.59\00:09:42.51
in Prophets and Kings, page 254.
00:09:42.54\00:09:45.12
She says:
00:09:45.13\00:09:46.60
In other words, God was now
using the Syrians and its king,
00:10:02.81\00:10:08.42
Hazael, to
chastise His own people.
00:10:08.45\00:10:13.19
God was using a heathen
king to be the whip on Israel.
00:10:13.81\00:10:19.46
And I want to say
here just parenthetically,
00:10:19.86\00:10:21.49
you know, we can
learn from anybody.
00:10:21.52\00:10:24.48
If your heart is open
and your mind is open,
00:10:25.19\00:10:28.33
you can learn from anybody.
00:10:28.36\00:10:30.12
Even those people that
we sometimes look down on.
00:10:30.15\00:10:33.05
Remember I said last
night Ellen White said that
00:10:33.08\00:10:36.00
because of the skin color
of some of the people that were
00:10:36.03\00:10:38.55
giving information to the
Northern army, it was rejected?
00:10:38.56\00:10:41.82
And it almost cost some of
those soldiers their lives,
00:10:41.83\00:10:45.21
and many it did cost
their lives or they were
00:10:45.24\00:10:47.21
thrown into prison
because they rejected the person
00:10:47.24\00:10:50.47
because they
looked down on the person.
00:10:50.50\00:10:52.40
Never look down on anybody.
00:10:52.41\00:10:53.93
Being a Christian
means having enough sense
00:10:54.26\00:10:56.84
not to have to look up
to anybody, but not looking
00:10:56.87\00:11:00.07
down on anybody either.
00:11:00.10\00:11:01.19
Amen?
00:11:01.22\00:11:02.34
So God was using a
heathen nation to chastise
00:11:02.91\00:11:06.63
His own people.
00:11:06.66\00:11:07.80
Jehu had slain
the house of Ahab.
00:11:08.67\00:11:12.41
Ahab himself had died in battle.
00:11:13.25\00:11:15.76
Jezebel was thrown out of
a window and eaten by dogs.
00:11:15.79\00:11:19.09
You remember that story.
00:11:19.12\00:11:20.40
Jehoahaz, Jehu's successor,
had let things slip and the
00:11:20.80\00:11:25.61
country had again regressed.
00:11:25.64\00:11:28.10
And the Syrians had taken many
of the towns and some of the
00:11:29.24\00:11:33.01
cities lying just
east of the capital.
00:11:33.04\00:11:35.86
You see, ladies and gentlemen,
that is how God works.
00:11:36.44\00:11:39.63
He will warn you
that disaster is coming.
00:11:40.52\00:11:44.51
He will try to encourage
you gently to come back in line,
00:11:44.91\00:11:49.76
to turn you from error.
00:11:50.55\00:11:52.45
But if He's got to
speak louder, I say again,
00:11:53.22\00:11:56.03
He will do that too.
00:11:56.06\00:11:57.35
One preacher told me, "You
know, God will allow you to
00:11:57.38\00:12:00.18
break your ankle to keep
you from breaking your neck."
00:12:00.21\00:12:03.81
Now he knew what he
was talking about because
00:12:04.67\00:12:06.63
I have broken my ankle
twice playing basketball
00:12:06.66\00:12:10.12
on the Sabbath.
00:12:10.15\00:12:11.31
mm-hmm
00:12:13.12\00:12:14.16
I had gotten a scholarship to
play at Erie Community College.
00:12:14.32\00:12:17.07
Knew I
shouldn't have been there.
00:12:17.52\00:12:19.08
But I had free education.
00:12:19.46\00:12:21.71
So I was playing
basketball on the Sabbath.
00:12:22.16\00:12:24.07
Year one, I heard my
ankle when it snapped.
00:12:24.10\00:12:26.21
Boom.
00:12:26.24\00:12:27.36
Broke.
00:12:27.95\00:12:29.30
And then one year
later, almost to the day,
00:12:29.33\00:12:32.51
I broke the exact same
ankle in the exact same spot.
00:12:32.54\00:12:36.13
And I heard the voice
of the Lord say, "See."
00:12:36.84\00:12:40.48
Exact same ankle.
00:12:44.18\00:12:45.42
And so the pastor
told me when he came
00:12:45.43\00:12:46.83
to see me in the
hospital, he said,
00:12:46.94\00:12:49.87
"God let's you break your ankle.
00:12:50.98\00:12:53.56
Next time, it may be your neck."
00:12:54.32\00:12:56.86
mm-hmm
00:12:58.79\00:12:59.92
God will let you
break your ankle to keep you
00:13:00.40\00:13:02.65
from breaking your neck.
00:13:02.68\00:13:04.19
Amen?
00:13:04.20\00:13:05.21
In fact, when the pastor told me
that, I kind of straightened up.
00:13:06.08\00:13:11.51
Now I need to spin something
here for just a moment.
00:13:11.89\00:13:13.97
I had a full
basketball scholarship
00:13:14.00\00:13:17.13
at Erie Community College.
00:13:17.52\00:13:19.11
And evidently, I was
good enough because I went
00:13:19.41\00:13:21.30
down to Alliance
College in Pennsylvania,
00:13:21.33\00:13:23.31
and they gave me a
full basketball scholarship.
00:13:23.34\00:13:25.48
But I gave up that scholarship
00:13:26.67\00:13:28.39
to go to Oakwood
College and become a minister.
00:13:29.61\00:13:31.72
Now that sounds
good, but that's spin.
00:13:32.17\00:13:34.91
And I'll tell you why.
00:13:35.34\00:13:36.50
I've got a newspaper here
that is from February 24, 1978.
00:13:37.63\00:13:45.92
I'm going to hold this up here
and maybe the guys can get it.
00:13:45.95\00:13:48.31
You're not going
to be able to read it,
00:13:49.52\00:13:50.70
but you can kind of see it.
00:13:50.73\00:13:51.77
This is a newspaper
that is 33 years old.
00:13:52.32\00:13:54.83
It is the New York Post.
00:13:54.86\00:13:57.55
It says, "Brooklyn
tackles Hunter at CUNY."
00:13:58.92\00:14:02.54
This is Brooklyn
College playing Hunter College.
00:14:02.57\00:14:05.06
And the reason this made
the newspaper is not because
00:14:06.01\00:14:08.74
Brooklyn College is
playing Hunter College
00:14:08.77\00:14:10.34
for the championship.
00:14:10.37\00:14:11.66
It's because a friend of mine...
00:14:12.23\00:14:14.70
And you know him
too, Pastor Lomacang.
00:14:14.73\00:14:16.81
Arturo Belisle.
00:14:16.84\00:14:17.87
Remember, he use to play
with us on Sunday morning.
00:14:17.90\00:14:19.32
Arturo Belisle was
the point guard on the
00:14:20.45\00:14:23.55
Brooklyn College team.
00:14:23.58\00:14:25.07
And he couldn't play in the
big game because the big game
00:14:26.13\00:14:31.22
was on Sabbath.
00:14:31.25\00:14:32.40
Now my wife always flinches
when she hears me say "big game"
00:14:33.05\00:14:35.44
because she says, "You
know, it's always a big game.
00:14:35.45\00:14:37.31
Every week there's a big game.
There's always a big game."
00:14:37.32\00:14:39.41
But this was the big game.
00:14:40.68\00:14:42.38
This was the championship game.
00:14:42.39\00:14:44.29
And Arturo played with us.
00:14:44.32\00:14:48.44
And could not play.
00:14:48.84\00:14:50.75
And he said, "'I
do what I believe in.'
00:14:50.78\00:14:52.90
Arturo, a Seventh-day Adventist,
says, 'That's what counts.
00:14:52.93\00:14:57.87
God comes first.'"
00:14:57.88\00:14:59.72
So he didn't
play in the big game.
00:15:00.97\00:15:02.44
Now, Arturo is a very
important person on the team
00:15:02.45\00:15:04.94
because he was the point guard.
00:15:04.97\00:15:06.50
The point guard is the
person that distributes the ball
00:15:06.91\00:15:10.16
to everybody else on the
team so they can get easy shots.
00:15:10.19\00:15:13.77
It's like the person
who actually sets the table
00:15:13.80\00:15:16.56
and brings the food.
00:15:16.57\00:15:17.95
And if the point guard doesn't
bring the food, nobody eats.
00:15:18.25\00:15:22.11
And this article
says that Arturo loved God
00:15:22.79\00:15:27.63
more than basketball.
00:15:27.66\00:15:29.39
And so his coach said,
"Can't you get some kind of
00:15:30.21\00:15:35.18
dispensation from your priest?"
00:15:35.19\00:15:38.15
Right here in the article.
00:15:40.24\00:15:41.53
And Arturo preached a sermon
that day in the locker room.
00:15:42.60\00:15:45.95
He said, "First of
all, we don't have priests.
00:15:46.40\00:15:48.31
And secondly, even if I
could get a dispensation
00:15:48.79\00:15:52.19
from my pastor, I can't
get a dispensation from God.
00:15:52.22\00:15:55.58
Because the Sabbath
comes from God, not my pastor."
00:15:56.61\00:16:01.25
And so Arturo didn't play.
00:16:01.65\00:16:04.10
And the team
said, "That's all right.
00:16:04.11\00:16:07.29
We'll win the game
for you without you."
00:16:07.32\00:16:09.90
Well, they lost.
00:16:10.53\00:16:11.73
They lost bad.
00:16:12.53\00:16:13.87
But he stood up for the Lord.
00:16:14.74\00:16:16.44
So why do I carry this article
from 33 years ago, Pastor?
00:16:17.09\00:16:21.48
Because it's a statement to me.
00:16:22.13\00:16:24.75
It's a humbling thing to me
who had to break his ankle twice
00:16:25.33\00:16:30.68
for playing on Sabbath
before I got it through my skull
00:16:31.76\00:16:35.25
that God comes first.
00:16:36.03\00:16:37.73
And Arturo put God first.
00:16:38.73\00:16:41.91
He didn't play in the big game.
00:16:43.41\00:16:44.94
But at the end of this
article, the coach said,
00:16:45.47\00:16:47.30
"You know what I'm
going to try to do?
00:16:47.33\00:16:48.84
I'm going to try to
arrange all our games next year
00:16:49.28\00:16:51.86
so he doesn't have
to play on the Sabbath."
00:16:52.02\00:16:53.88
You stand up for God,
God will stand up for you.
00:16:55.13\00:16:58.38
Amen?
00:16:59.06\00:17:00.06
And amen.
00:17:00.97\00:17:02.38
And so, the fact is that
when we do stand up for God,
00:17:05.89\00:17:10.39
God will stand up for us.
00:17:10.40\00:17:12.27
Now God will send or allow you
to get into a little trouble,
00:17:12.30\00:17:17.80
scrapes and skirmishes, little
battles, tests and trials,
00:17:18.39\00:17:22.81
little life flow insurrections,
dare I say ankle breaks.
00:17:22.84\00:17:28.30
He will allow you
to break your ankle
00:17:29.17\00:17:31.46
to keep you from
breaking your neck.
00:17:32.09\00:17:34.80
These are calls from God to
either, as I said last evening,
00:17:36.54\00:17:41.55
get you going,
keep you from stopping,
00:17:41.58\00:17:45.57
or keep you from
changing into a wrong course.
00:17:46.84\00:17:50.96
The Syrians, then, were God's
appointed and anointed agents
00:17:51.86\00:17:56.60
to tell His people,
"You're getting off course.
00:17:56.63\00:18:00.51
Your spiritual train
is off of the track."
00:18:00.54\00:18:03.97
You know, the Bible
says in 1 Peter 4:12,
00:18:05.30\00:18:08.17
don't be surprised at the fiery
trials which are to try you.
00:18:10.19\00:18:14.78
God is going to allow
some stuff to enter your life.
00:18:15.77\00:18:21.53
Because you need the stuff.
00:18:22.30\00:18:24.52
Amen?
00:18:25.42\00:18:26.45
God is going to allow
some tests, some trials,
00:18:26.85\00:18:29.51
to come into your life.
00:18:29.54\00:18:30.56
I talked with Arturo after
this and this sounds like he got
00:18:30.59\00:18:33.87
total support, everybody loved
him and respected how he stood
00:18:33.90\00:18:38.34
for the Lord.
00:18:38.35\00:18:39.53
But he said, when
the cameras were off
00:18:41.04\00:18:43.40
and the newspaper
reporters were gone,
00:18:44.26\00:18:46.17
and particularly
after they lost that game,
00:18:46.81\00:18:49.02
he took a lot of
heat for his faith.
00:18:49.46\00:18:52.67
Same thing that
Martha said to Jesus,
00:18:53.60\00:18:56.80
"If you would have been here..."
00:18:57.20\00:19:00.16
But he wasn't there.
00:19:02.64\00:19:03.73
He was serving the Lord.
00:19:04.36\00:19:05.66
And he took some
heat for serving the Lord.
00:19:06.81\00:19:08.95
And so, God was warning
Israel that you're off course.
00:19:11.28\00:19:17.17
And for a while, it looked
like the Syrians were going to
00:19:17.57\00:19:21.72
overrun the entire
country, the whole kingdom.
00:19:21.73\00:19:25.14
Total destruction was avoided
because of a reform movement
00:19:26.51\00:19:30.54
that was begun by Elijah
and carried forward by Elisha.
00:19:30.57\00:19:35.62
Ezekiel chapter 33 verse 11.
00:19:37.90\00:19:39.90
The Bible says:
00:19:40.56\00:19:41.56
God doesn't want
death, God doesn't like death,
00:20:04.35\00:20:07.90
God does not promote death.
00:20:07.93\00:20:10.39
But sometimes, God has
got to trouble the waters
00:20:11.05\00:20:14.43
to get our attention.
00:20:14.46\00:20:16.26
Now that statement,
or one similar to it,
00:20:16.49\00:20:18.81
appears some three times in the
books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
00:20:18.84\00:20:24.33
God is trying to say,
turn before death comes.
00:20:24.36\00:20:28.96
And therefore we avoid it.
00:20:29.66\00:20:30.88
War is not God's first option.
00:20:30.89\00:20:33.50
God does not desire
the death of His people.
00:20:33.53\00:20:37.39
And I say that because
I have heard people say
00:20:37.42\00:20:39.90
that the God of
the Old Testament is a
00:20:39.93\00:20:42.14
God of death and destruction
and legalism and war,
00:20:42.15\00:20:45.68
and the God of the New
Testament is a God of grace.
00:20:45.71\00:20:48.67
But really if you work this out,
things may be just the opposite.
00:20:48.70\00:20:53.89
Particularly when you
read the book of Hebrews.
00:20:53.92\00:20:56.17
Hebrews says that the
blood of goats, rams, and bulls
00:20:57.00\00:21:01.26
could never take away sin.
00:21:01.29\00:21:02.90
Could not.
00:21:03.39\00:21:04.44
And so, the Old Testament
had to be a God of grace.
00:21:04.71\00:21:08.49
Had to be.
00:21:08.80\00:21:09.91
Because bulls and rams and goats
couldn't take away their sins.
00:21:09.94\00:21:13.23
It was the grace of God looking
forward to the blood of Christ.
00:21:13.26\00:21:17.49
And so the God of the Old
Testament is just as much a
00:21:17.52\00:21:20.80
God of grace as
the God of the New.
00:21:20.81\00:21:23.02
Perhaps even more so
because Christ had not yet died.
00:21:23.05\00:21:27.12
So God is a God of love.
00:21:27.93\00:21:29.49
And He does not desire
the death of His people.
00:21:30.30\00:21:33.44
Jesus said, "I have come
that they might have life...
00:21:33.47\00:21:36.80
...and have it more abundantly."
00:21:38.89\00:21:40.40
And so, in the book of
Prophets And Kings, page 254,
00:21:41.16\00:21:44.53
we find this
statement by Ellen White.
00:21:44.93\00:21:47.01
Are you listening to me?
00:21:55.77\00:21:57.04
"It was because of
His love for erring Israel
00:21:57.37\00:22:01.31
that God was permitting
the Syrians to scourge them."
00:22:01.34\00:22:04.44
To spank them, if you will.
00:22:04.45\00:22:06.69
The Bible says, "As
many as I love, I chasten;
00:22:07.02\00:22:10.45
I rebuke and chasten."
00:22:10.46\00:22:11.89
Broken ankle, not broken neck.
00:22:12.57\00:22:16.95
You may wonder why there
is this constant annoying
00:22:18.24\00:22:21.56
turmoil in your life.
00:22:21.57\00:22:23.61
Not full blown war but
an insistent, incessant
00:22:23.77\00:22:29.75
unsettling of your life.
00:22:30.55\00:22:32.87
You can't seem to
quite get settled down.
00:22:32.90\00:22:36.60
It may be a heads up from
God that you're losing your way.
00:22:36.90\00:22:41.79
It may be God
trying to gently tell you,
00:22:42.17\00:22:45.33
you need to come back in line.
00:22:45.36\00:22:47.41
And here's where we'll repeat
what I said on last night.
00:22:47.44\00:22:49.83
Every war, every
challenge, every bit of turmoil
00:22:50.61\00:22:56.71
in our lives is an opportunity
for self examination.
00:22:56.74\00:23:03.63
When there is war in your
life, when there is conflict
00:23:04.07\00:23:07.83
in your life, it is an
opportunity that demands,
00:23:07.86\00:23:12.29
first, self examination.
00:23:12.30\00:23:15.69
God is saying, this is
your chance to look at your life
00:23:15.72\00:23:20.17
and make sure
you're in the right way.
00:23:20.20\00:23:23.31
Galatians chapter 6
verse 4, I say it again,
00:23:23.34\00:23:26.12
"Let a man examine
his own works," God said.
00:23:26.15\00:23:31.36
So God will bring some
disturbances in your life
00:23:32.28\00:23:34.93
trying to get you
to check yourself out.
00:23:34.96\00:23:37.45
God will put you
next to somebody at work
00:23:37.86\00:23:40.32
who doesn't particularly
like you, and who you may not
00:23:40.35\00:23:43.28
particularly like.
00:23:43.31\00:23:44.62
And so before you
ask for a transfer...
00:23:44.65\00:23:47.23
...see what God has
got in that for you...
00:23:51.14\00:23:53.37
Amen? ...for your growth.
00:23:53.75\00:23:55.46
Look at your own life first.
00:23:56.30\00:23:58.27
Is the devil in them...
00:23:58.79\00:24:00.24
Or...
00:24:01.71\00:24:02.81
mm-hmm
00:24:04.96\00:24:06.09
The devil may be a
lot closer than you think.
00:24:07.48\00:24:09.39
So God is asking us to redress
and look at our own lives.
00:24:11.25\00:24:15.95
You know, after we got
into Afghanistan and realized
00:24:15.98\00:24:19.20
they were a lot bigger, a
lot badder, and a lot tougher
00:24:19.23\00:24:21.13
than we thought, the general
sent back to the White House
00:24:21.16\00:24:24.86
and said, "Mr. Bush, we're
going to need more troops."
00:24:24.89\00:24:28.17
He looked at his situation and
realized he needed some help.
00:24:29.61\00:24:33.10
God is saying, do the
same thing in your life.
00:24:33.13\00:24:35.24
You may get into something
that's a little bigger,
00:24:35.27\00:24:36.97
a little tougher than you're
ready for, so you call back
00:24:37.00\00:24:39.81
to the Lord and say,
"Lord, I think I need
00:24:39.82\00:24:41.66
a little more faith."
00:24:41.69\00:24:43.24
And it's coming.
00:24:44.85\00:24:46.08
But you never make that call if
you don't assess the situation
00:24:46.69\00:24:50.68
and look at yourself.
00:24:50.71\00:24:52.32
And I say again, everybody
in the world may be wrong
00:24:53.36\00:24:57.40
and you right, but I doubt it.
00:24:58.16\00:25:01.78
It may be a heads up from God.
00:25:05.75\00:25:07.53
You may need a little
spiritual chiropractic
00:25:08.79\00:25:12.57
to get straightened out.
00:25:13.45\00:25:14.87
So Elisha remains faithful
in spite of the opposition,
00:25:16.58\00:25:21.45
and in spite of the prevailing
times in which he finds himself.
00:25:23.77\00:25:28.01
You know what's interesting?
00:25:29.20\00:25:30.51
God will bless a whole
nation in His effort to bless
00:25:31.04\00:25:35.52
just one faithful person.
00:25:35.55\00:25:36.89
God will bless a whole house in
His effort to answer the prayers
00:25:37.48\00:25:42.18
of one faithful Christian.
00:25:42.19\00:25:44.06
Yeah.
00:25:45.25\00:25:46.25
I had a member of my church who
was the only male in the family
00:25:46.72\00:25:54.24
that loved the Lord.
00:25:54.27\00:25:56.11
Wife didn't go to church,
kids didn't go to church.
00:25:56.39\00:25:58.44
Her sister lived with them
and she didn't go to church.
00:25:58.47\00:26:00.88
And we prayed for a car for him.
00:26:01.37\00:26:06.61
And a member of the
church gave him a car.
00:26:07.80\00:26:12.00
And not an old beat up car.
00:26:12.03\00:26:13.42
I think, a year old car.
00:26:14.30\00:26:15.67
You know, when he got
that car, everybody rode;
00:26:16.47\00:26:19.44
sinner and saint.
00:26:19.47\00:26:20.93
Amen.
00:26:21.56\00:26:22.73
Everybody got to ride.
00:26:22.76\00:26:24.03
So in God's anxiety
to bless the Christian,
00:26:24.44\00:26:28.26
the
non-Christians also got blessed.
00:26:28.66\00:26:30.74
Amen?
00:26:30.77\00:26:31.78
And so Israel was
held back from destruction
00:26:32.39\00:26:36.02
because of people like
Elisha who stood up for the Lord
00:26:36.89\00:26:40.69
in really, really rough times.
00:26:40.72\00:26:43.25
Once when he was in
Damascus, in enemy territory,
00:26:43.28\00:26:49.13
Ben-Hadad, the Syrian king,
who had also attacked Israel
00:26:49.16\00:26:53.76
and was its sworn enemy,
sent his general, Hazael,
00:26:53.77\00:26:58.70
with 40 camels of
food and presents and gifts
00:26:58.73\00:27:02.51
to ask Elisha if
he was going to die.
00:27:02.54\00:27:05.91
Ben-Hadad was sick and near
death, he was on his deathbed.
00:27:06.57\00:27:10.53
And Hazael went
to Elisha and said,
00:27:11.20\00:27:15.10
"Is the king going to die?"
00:27:15.13\00:27:18.24
And Elisha began to cry.
00:27:18.92\00:27:20.86
And Hazael said,
"What are you crying for?"
00:27:21.90\00:27:23.63
And Elisha said, "I'm crying
because I see that one day
00:27:24.99\00:27:30.74
you're going to be king.
00:27:30.77\00:27:31.86
And you're going to treat
God's people just as badly
00:27:32.98\00:27:36.12
as Ben-Hadad did.
00:27:36.15\00:27:38.10
Syria is not going
to change under you
00:27:38.93\00:27:41.12
as it was under Ben-Hadad."
00:27:41.62\00:27:43.75
He said, "By the way, tell
the king he's not going to die,
00:27:44.58\00:27:49.68
but he's going to die."
00:27:50.67\00:27:52.00
He said, "Okay."
00:27:55.08\00:27:56.18
So he went back
and he told Ben-Hadad.
00:27:56.58\00:27:58.41
The first thing
the king asked him is,
00:27:59.68\00:28:01.59
"What's the
news? What's the news?"
00:28:01.62\00:28:03.00
He said, "Elisha
told me to tell you
00:28:03.03\00:28:06.31
you're not going to
die, but you will die.
00:28:06.71\00:28:10.45
This disease is
not going to kill you,
00:28:13.19\00:28:15.64
but you're going to die."
00:28:15.94\00:28:17.39
And so the next day,
Hazael went into the king.
00:28:18.49\00:28:21.96
He was weakened from
his disease and couldn't
00:28:21.99\00:28:24.03
get up from his bed.
00:28:24.06\00:28:25.33
He took a thick cloth, the Bible
says, and dipped it in water.
00:28:26.86\00:28:29.65
And instead of placing
it on the kings head to cool
00:28:30.41\00:28:32.98
his fevered brow, he placed
it over his nose and mouth
00:28:33.01\00:28:36.67
and suffocated the king.
00:28:36.70\00:28:38.46
So he didn't die, but he died.
00:28:38.99\00:28:42.05
Not from the disease
but from an assassination
00:28:42.93\00:28:46.72
of his top general.
00:28:46.73\00:28:48.19
And then the Bible says,
Hazael became king in Syria
00:28:48.93\00:28:54.14
just as Elisha had predicted.
00:28:54.17\00:28:56.06
But Israel had not repented,
Jehovah had not relented,
00:28:57.16\00:29:01.67
and Hazael was just as bad
to Israel as was Ben-Hadad.
00:29:01.70\00:29:06.72
I say again, God can use
the unrighteous to chastise
00:29:07.57\00:29:12.50
the righteous.
00:29:12.53\00:29:13.80
And so, just because the
battle emanates from unchristian
00:29:14.76\00:29:19.92
sources does not
mean it's not used by God.
00:29:19.95\00:29:24.83
So, when war, why?
00:29:26.49\00:29:28.95
You have to ask why.
00:29:29.55\00:29:31.25
God used the
Assyrians as a whip.
00:29:31.55\00:29:34.49
God used
Nebuchadnezzar as a whip.
00:29:34.52\00:29:38.15
God used Cyrus as a whip.
00:29:38.59\00:29:42.04
Sometimes, the chastising of
God comes from unexpected places
00:29:43.09\00:29:48.73
and through unexpected people.
00:29:48.76\00:29:52.09
Hebrews chapter 12 verse 5.
00:29:54.09\00:29:55.86
The book is Hebrews,
chapter 12 and verse 5.
00:29:56.36\00:30:01.16
The Word of God says:
00:30:01.70\00:30:03.39
Don't be discouraged
when you are rebuked by Him.
00:30:21.63\00:30:26.88
"For whom the Lord
loves, He chastens."
00:30:26.91\00:30:31.36
Syrians at the gate,
Syrians in your life.
00:30:32.04\00:30:36.21
War, dare I say holy
war, an act of supreme love.
00:30:37.45\00:30:43.08
I say again, God will
allow you to break your ankle
00:30:45.76\00:30:51.34
to keep you from
breaking your neck.
00:30:52.27\00:30:55.13
God will put you in hot water to
keep you out of boiling water.
00:30:56.41\00:31:02.01
For whom the Lord
loves, He chastens.
00:31:03.07\00:31:06.82
I maintain that the hardest
of all Christian disciples
00:31:07.77\00:31:14.31
and discipleship, and all
of the Christian discipline
00:31:14.34\00:31:19.96
that His disciples
are called to endure,
00:31:19.99\00:31:23.44
is a dispassionate objective
sanctified self evaluation.
00:31:23.47\00:31:31.66
I've seen Christians, or
at least professed Christians,
00:31:32.64\00:31:35.81
or alleged Christians,
complain about everybody
00:31:35.84\00:31:39.10
or everything and never
really entertain the notion
00:31:39.13\00:31:43.47
that they may be the problem.
00:31:43.50\00:31:45.19
If you're always at war,
if you're always in strife,
00:31:45.91\00:31:49.49
you really have
got to look within.
00:31:49.52\00:31:52.24
You see I'm begging this point?
00:31:52.27\00:31:53.82
Coming back to it again
and again and again and again.
00:31:54.23\00:31:57.93
Because we're spending a little
too much time looking around
00:31:57.96\00:32:00.93
when we ought to look within.
00:32:00.96\00:32:02.44
Particularly in these last days.
00:32:02.47\00:32:04.75
We need to look at ourselves
and make sure we're in the faith
00:32:06.33\00:32:10.45
and that we're in Jesus.
00:32:10.97\00:32:12.49
And most importantly,
that Jesus is in us.
00:32:13.14\00:32:16.61
The truth is, far too many
Christians harbor unforgiving
00:32:21.74\00:32:27.89
and accusatory spirits.
00:32:27.92\00:32:30.08
Ellen White says this.
00:32:30.65\00:32:32.09
She says pride is the
number one sin in the church.
00:32:34.16\00:32:42.29
And it keeps us at
war with each other.
00:32:43.13\00:32:46.90
It is almost
impossible to detect,
00:32:47.61\00:32:52.23
and all but
impossible to cure...
00:32:52.26\00:32:56.23
...unless you've got Jesus.
00:32:57.96\00:32:59.34
Amen?
00:33:00.18\00:33:01.31
Unless you've got Jesus.
00:33:01.79\00:33:02.97
The test of your Christianity is
how you respond under pressure.
00:33:05.83\00:33:10.57
And I can't wait till Sabbath
to give you your pressure test.
00:33:10.60\00:33:13.14
Sabbath morning we're
giving you a pressure test.
00:33:15.25\00:33:17.19
Real simple test.
00:33:17.80\00:33:18.94
I found this about the
Word of God, Pastor John.
00:33:18.97\00:33:20.93
When God gives you a test,
it's never really complicated.
00:33:21.23\00:33:24.44
It's always easy and the results
are clearly black or white.
00:33:25.70\00:33:29.05
No gray.
00:33:29.08\00:33:30.11
When God gives you a test,
it's either obey or disobey,
00:33:30.22\00:33:33.57
live or die, not
trying to play any games,
00:33:33.60\00:33:35.70
not trying to trick you.
00:33:35.71\00:33:36.71
It's going to be
real real simple,
00:33:36.73\00:33:38.45
real real direct, the results
will be real real important,
00:33:38.48\00:33:42.26
and real real clear.
00:33:42.29\00:33:44.10
And that's what we're
going to do Sabbath morning.
00:33:44.36\00:33:45.86
I'm going to give you a test.
00:33:45.87\00:33:46.87
You can evaluate
yourself, pressure test,
00:33:47.35\00:33:50.49
to see how you
do under pressure.
00:33:51.25\00:33:52.44
Amen?
00:33:52.45\00:33:53.46
It's coming.
00:33:53.49\00:33:55.37
Anybody can smile
during peace time.
00:33:59.50\00:34:03.64
mm-hmm
00:34:05.86\00:34:07.14
But what do you do
when the winds of war blow?
00:34:07.42\00:34:10.27
You know, I've got a story
I've got to tell, a cute story.
00:34:10.70\00:34:12.89
I heard this in the seminary.
00:34:12.92\00:34:14.16
It's about a little fellow.
00:34:14.17\00:34:15.49
I think I've told it once
before for children's story.
00:34:15.50\00:34:17.30
About a little fellow going
to church on Sabbath morning.
00:34:17.33\00:34:19.55
A little fellow.
00:34:20.78\00:34:21.95
He's got a big part to say
in the Sabbath School program.
00:34:21.98\00:34:24.53
Just one line, but
he's so nervous he's afraid
00:34:24.83\00:34:27.51
he's going to forget it.
00:34:27.52\00:34:28.96
Just one line, "Trust in God."
00:34:29.49\00:34:31.41
"Trust in God."
00:34:32.09\00:34:33.19
You know, for those
people who have stood up front,
00:34:34.03\00:34:36.68
nervousness will make
you forget almost anything.
00:34:36.98\00:34:40.69
I've sung songs and right
in the middle of the song...
00:34:41.15\00:34:44.39
It happens.
00:34:47.10\00:34:48.25
You just forget.
00:34:48.50\00:34:50.19
And this little boy
didn't want to forget.
00:34:51.78\00:34:53.59
So he's in the back seat of
the car with those three words
00:34:54.26\00:34:56.21
on his little piece of paper.
00:34:56.24\00:34:57.34
"Trust in God. Trust
in God. Trust in God."
00:34:57.37\00:35:02.30
And it was a warm summer day.
00:35:02.77\00:35:04.08
And so the dad just
opened the front window.
00:35:04.11\00:35:06.77
You know, he pushed the button.
00:35:06.78\00:35:07.78
And he opened the back
window to let a little air
00:35:07.79\00:35:09.30
come into the car.
00:35:09.33\00:35:10.42
And the wind blew into
the car and snatched that
00:35:10.45\00:35:13.86
little piece of paper
and blew it out the window.
00:35:13.89\00:35:15.93
And the little boy screamed,
"Daddy, Daddy, stop the car.
00:35:16.40\00:35:20.13
My 'trust in God'
just flew out the window."
00:35:20.16\00:35:23.02
And when I heard that story, I
thought about us as Christians.
00:35:26.39\00:35:31.03
How many of us, when the
winds of war begin to blow
00:35:31.72\00:35:35.75
in our lives, our trust
in God flies out the window?
00:35:35.78\00:35:40.89
Anybody can smile
during the good times.
00:35:42.52\00:35:46.41
Anybody can smile
during the happy times.
00:35:46.61\00:35:50.04
How do you behave,
how do you equip yourself,
00:35:50.56\00:35:54.91
when the winds of war begin
to blow during the rough times?
00:35:54.94\00:35:59.82
Has God moved? Has God changed?
00:35:59.83\00:36:02.38
Is God far away?
00:36:02.39\00:36:04.02
He's right there
where you left Him.
00:36:04.05\00:36:05.72
So you've got to
trust Him in the dark
00:36:06.60\00:36:08.49
just like you trust
Him in the sunshine.
00:36:08.52\00:36:10.93
You've got to trust Him
during the darkest storm.
00:36:10.96\00:36:13.26
What's that
song, Pastor, you sing?
00:36:13.29\00:36:14.72
Trust His Heart, or
It Only Takes a Storm?
00:36:15.98\00:36:18.19
It Always Takes a Storm?
00:36:18.20\00:36:19.20
Even in the storm,
you've got to trust Him.
00:36:19.21\00:36:21.02
And let me say
this parenthetically.
00:36:21.42\00:36:23.17
The time to find God is
during the sun shiny days.
00:36:23.20\00:36:26.96
Not during the storm.
00:36:27.37\00:36:28.77
You don't go looking
for God in the storm.
00:36:29.18\00:36:31.49
Find the path in the sunshine
so that when the storm comes,
00:36:32.12\00:36:36.20
you already know where to walk.
00:36:36.23\00:36:38.53
You know where to step.
00:36:38.56\00:36:39.79
You know where
the land mines are.
00:36:39.82\00:36:41.48
Because you've walked that
path everyday in the sunshine.
00:36:41.51\00:36:44.44
So you can find
them in the storm.
00:36:44.71\00:36:46.26
Because the storm is coming.
00:36:46.75\00:36:49.35
And the sad truth is that when
the winds of war begin to blow,
00:36:50.18\00:36:55.86
so many Christians have
their faith fly out the window.
00:36:55.89\00:37:02.34
Luke 21:19
00:37:04.07\00:37:05.47
Interesting little text.
00:37:05.87\00:37:07.31
"In your faith
possess ye your souls."
00:37:09.03\00:37:10.98
I like the NIV reading here.
00:37:11.64\00:37:13.72
It says, "By standing
firm, you will gain life."
00:37:13.75\00:37:18.99
Amen?
00:37:19.02\00:37:20.15
"By standing firm,
you will gain life."
00:37:20.18\00:37:24.83
In other words, when the
battle wages hot, stay cool.
00:37:24.86\00:37:30.98
Amen?
00:37:32.04\00:37:33.21
When the battles
wages hot, just stay cool.
00:37:33.78\00:37:37.12
Someone told me years
ago when I was going through
00:37:37.91\00:37:40.27
some things in my
life, and this is so true,
00:37:40.30\00:37:43.25
five words,
"Every body gets a turn."
00:37:44.58\00:37:49.81
Amen?
00:37:50.75\00:37:51.91
If yours hasn't come yet,
keep living, it's on the way.
00:37:52.40\00:37:59.36
Amen?
00:37:59.80\00:38:00.99
Everybody gets a turn.
00:38:01.02\00:38:02.16
Nobody is going to skate
into heaven on beds of ease.
00:38:02.19\00:38:05.55
Everybody gets a turn.
00:38:05.58\00:38:06.94
My turn this year,
your turn next year.
00:38:06.97\00:38:10.23
We're all going
to suffer for Jesus.
00:38:10.26\00:38:11.99
Everybody gets a turn.
00:38:12.02\00:38:13.72
And everybody can have Jesus.
00:38:15.21\00:38:16.86
And everybody can have success,
00:38:17.46\00:38:19.21
and everybody can have victory
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
00:38:19.24\00:38:23.89
The old axiom says, "The
curse causeless does not come."
00:38:24.29\00:38:28.29
So when you're in a war,
you've got to ask "what,"
00:38:29.00\00:38:33.56
and you've got to ask "why."
00:38:33.59\00:38:36.76
I must admit that when I
first read 2 Kings chapter 13
00:38:38.81\00:38:44.69
verses 14 through
18, I got a little upset
00:38:44.72\00:38:50.68
when I read it.
00:38:52.25\00:38:53.26
I got a little mad at God.
00:38:53.90\00:38:55.56
I read my Bible, try to
read it through once every year.
00:38:56.92\00:38:59.77
Don't always succeed.
00:38:59.80\00:39:00.98
Some years catch
me and it's not done.
00:39:01.01\00:39:02.90
But I've read this
text several times.
00:39:02.93\00:39:04.95
And I must admit,
every time I hit it, Pastor,
00:39:04.98\00:39:07.72
I got a little ticked off.
00:39:07.75\00:39:10.00
Just irritated me, it kind
of rubbed me the wrong way.
00:39:11.31\00:39:14.03
My thinking was this.
00:39:14.69\00:39:16.30
My reasoning was, if
you're going to test somebody,
00:39:17.37\00:39:22.08
and this was a test,
00:39:22.68\00:39:24.13
let them know
the test is coming.
00:39:27.38\00:39:31.15
You know, if
you're going to test me,
00:39:34.11\00:39:36.63
tell me a test is coming.
00:39:36.66\00:39:39.43
I'll study for the
test and then I'll pass.
00:39:39.46\00:39:43.44
Doesn't that make sense?
00:39:43.74\00:39:44.84
Don't sneak a test in
on me and expect me to pass
00:39:45.39\00:39:51.20
when I'm not prepared.
00:39:51.23\00:39:52.65
Now let's go to 2 Kings again.
00:39:54.24\00:39:56.64
2 Kings chapter 13.
00:39:56.67\00:39:59.19
And I'll tell you
why I thought like this.
00:39:59.89\00:40:02.64
We're in 2 Kings.
00:40:02.67\00:40:03.78
2 Kings 13.
00:40:06.80\00:40:08.36
Alright, let's
pick it up at verse 18.
00:40:15.05\00:40:16.82
The Bible says, "Then
he said, 'Take the arrows.'
00:40:17.18\00:40:20.05
And so he took them.
00:40:20.08\00:40:21.45
And he said to the
king, 'Strike the ground.'
00:40:21.48\00:40:24.37
So he struck three
times, and stopped.
00:40:24.40\00:40:26.84
And the man of God was
angry with him and said,
00:40:26.87\00:40:30.25
'You should have
struck five or six times;
00:40:30.28\00:40:32.62
then you would have struck
Syria till you had destroyed it.
00:40:32.65\00:40:36.49
But now you will strike
Syria only three times.'"
00:40:36.52\00:40:41.38
So he was being
tested, and he failed the test.
00:40:41.68\00:40:44.85
But he didn't know
that he was being tested.
00:40:44.88\00:40:48.39
And when I read that, I
said, "Why didn't Elisha
00:40:48.84\00:40:52.74
tell him that this is a
test so he could pass the test?"
00:40:52.77\00:40:58.47
You know, you don't
sneak stuff in on people.
00:40:58.67\00:41:00.81
When I was pastoring,
I was a visiting pastor.
00:41:00.82\00:41:04.76
And I told my churches the
first Sabbath, "I am coming
00:41:05.06\00:41:09.73
to your house, so prepare.
00:41:09.76\00:41:12.33
You don't have to
clean up anything,
00:41:12.73\00:41:14.27
you don't have
to prepare any food.
00:41:14.30\00:41:16.09
Because I'm not coming
to assess your cleanliness,
00:41:16.20\00:41:18.96
I'm not coming to eat your food.
00:41:18.99\00:41:20.82
I'm coming to pay a
pastoral visit to pray with you.
00:41:20.85\00:41:24.64
But I am coming."
00:41:24.67\00:41:26.09
And I said, "If you've
got any problem with that,
00:41:26.12\00:41:28.11
too bad; I'm a visiting
pastor, I'm on the way."
00:41:28.14\00:41:32.04
And one member said,
"Don't come to my house."
00:41:32.07\00:41:34.44
And I said, "Why?"
00:41:36.79\00:41:38.17
And she said, "Because I've
never had a pastor visit me,
00:41:38.20\00:41:41.35
and I wouldn't know how to act."
00:41:41.38\00:41:42.97
"Well," I said, "you're
going to learn this time,
00:41:43.00\00:41:45.04
because I'm coming."
00:41:45.07\00:41:46.05
And I visited every member
in every one of my churches
00:41:47.07\00:41:50.14
within the first year.
00:41:50.17\00:41:52.02
Except for Ephesus
because I had 2000 members
00:41:52.05\00:41:54.38
and I had a sick
list of 65 people.
00:41:54.41\00:41:56.57
Just couldn't get to everybody.
00:41:56.60\00:41:58.00
But all of my churches;
Springfield Gardens, Bethel,
00:41:58.62\00:42:01.14
Amityville, Ebenezer Freeport,
all of them the first year,
00:42:01.17\00:42:05.67
every members house.
00:42:05.70\00:42:07.01
But I told them I was coming.
00:42:07.90\00:42:10.43
Amen.
00:42:10.61\00:42:11.63
I didn't sneak in.
00:42:11.66\00:42:12.82
Well, I didn't
announce my coming.
00:42:12.83\00:42:14.09
I told them I was coming,
I just knocked on the door,
00:42:14.12\00:42:15.78
"I'm here."
00:42:15.81\00:42:17.17
So I said, why would they
give this poor king a test,
00:42:18.84\00:42:23.75
not let him know
the test was coming,
00:42:23.76\00:42:26.02
and then get mad at
him for failing the test.
00:42:26.05\00:42:28.81
That was my reason.
00:42:28.84\00:42:29.90
Elisha tested him, Joash failed.
00:42:31.16\00:42:33.06
But you know, when you read the
Word of God with an open heart
00:42:33.51\00:42:36.01
and an open mind, God
will explain things to you
00:42:36.04\00:42:38.79
and make it very very clear.
00:42:39.19\00:42:40.83
And you will realize that
everything God does is fair.
00:42:40.86\00:42:44.15
God is never unfair.
00:42:44.84\00:42:46.18
And so the Lord
spoke to my heart.
00:42:47.23\00:42:48.93
And I realized first of all,
life doesn't always warn you
00:42:51.58\00:42:57.45
when a test is coming.
00:42:57.48\00:42:58.89
You don't always get a
heads up when a test is coming.
00:42:59.26\00:43:01.38
That's why Christ said, "Abide
in Me, stay in Me, stay with Me,
00:43:01.39\00:43:05.07
so that whenever the
test comes you will be ready
00:43:05.10\00:43:07.44
for the test."
00:43:07.47\00:43:08.53
Life doesn't
always give you a sign,
00:43:09.10\00:43:10.87
"Test on the way."
00:43:10.90\00:43:12.21
That's why Christ
says, "Be ye also ready.
00:43:12.80\00:43:14.58
Stay in Me, bear
this in mind, abide in Me,
00:43:14.61\00:43:17.29
and you will bear much fruit."
00:43:17.32\00:43:18.83
Abiding in Christ, by
the way ladies and gentlemen,
00:43:18.86\00:43:21.18
is a peace keeper.
00:43:21.21\00:43:22.72
Amen?
00:43:23.26\00:43:24.29
It keeps you in peace
with the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:43:24.32\00:43:26.22
Okay, so the reason Israel was
in this horrible spiritual fix
00:43:26.25\00:43:32.34
was because they had
strayed from the hand of God.
00:43:32.37\00:43:35.72
Not just strayed, they
had turned their backs on God.
00:43:36.55\00:43:40.34
Ellen White says that
Satan was doing all in his power
00:43:41.10\00:43:44.74
to complete the ruin
that he had wrought during the
00:43:44.77\00:43:47.68
reign of Ahab and Jezebel.
00:43:47.71\00:43:50.08
Israel was in the
wrong spiritual place.
00:43:50.09\00:43:52.91
Active apostasy had
given way to open rebellion.
00:43:52.94\00:43:57.44
And it had to be
addressed and redressed by God.
00:43:57.88\00:44:02.87
Ellen Whit says in
Prophets And Kings that years of
00:44:02.90\00:44:05.98
backsliding and
idolatry had done its work.
00:44:05.99\00:44:10.10
The face of God had almost
been erased from His people.
00:44:10.13\00:44:14.71
And the Syrians
were now at the gate.
00:44:14.72\00:44:17.60
Joash, this king, Ellen
White says was a young upstart
00:44:17.63\00:44:23.19
idolater with little
respect for God or man.
00:44:23.22\00:44:27.11
He was a young godless
youth called to be king.
00:44:27.14\00:44:30.67
He didn't respect God, he
didn't respect his people.
00:44:30.70\00:44:33.45
But he had enough sense to
know when he was in trouble
00:44:33.48\00:44:36.63
and over his head.
00:44:36.66\00:44:37.79
And so he goes running
now to the sick bed of Elisha;
00:44:38.77\00:44:42.07
Elisha, in the last
years and months of life.
00:44:42.76\00:44:46.16
And there are so many
lessons to be learned.
00:44:47.04\00:44:48.73
One, I say again,
when you come to God,
00:44:48.76\00:44:52.09
I'm so very very glad that
God never says, "I told you so."
00:44:52.12\00:44:57.13
And He never
turns His back on you.
00:44:57.54\00:44:59.36
You come to God after giving
the devil all of your youth,
00:44:59.89\00:45:04.31
all of your strength, all
of your life, and your service,
00:45:04.34\00:45:08.11
and you come to God in
a broken-down weary state
00:45:08.14\00:45:12.86
in your old age, and the
Bible says angels rejoice.
00:45:12.89\00:45:19.36
And God rejoices.
00:45:20.70\00:45:21.95
Such is His love for us.
00:45:22.32\00:45:24.76
John chapter 6 verse 37.
00:45:27.60\00:45:29.61
"He that cometh unto Me,
I will in no wise cast out."
00:45:30.26\00:45:36.00
That's a comforting text.
00:45:36.01\00:45:38.00
They say that there are
no atheists in the fox hole.
00:45:40.21\00:45:42.96
They say when the
bullets begin to fly,
00:45:44.08\00:45:45.75
everybody finds
God from somewhere.
00:45:45.78\00:45:48.25
So when this
godless king looked around,
00:45:48.97\00:45:51.55
he looked out his window and saw
Syrians on the eastern front,
00:45:51.58\00:45:55.78
Syrians on the flank,
Syrians occupying Jewish land,
00:45:55.81\00:46:01.54
he found God.
00:46:02.13\00:46:04.21
He found the God
that he had spurned.
00:46:05.65\00:46:07.65
And praise God, He
didn't turn His back on this
00:46:08.18\00:46:11.46
young upstart king.
00:46:11.49\00:46:13.45
The greatest truth, I think,
in the Bible may be the fact
00:46:14.13\00:46:19.88
that if you've got
enough sense to call on Him,
00:46:20.62\00:46:24.18
He's got enough love to answer.
00:46:24.76\00:46:26.50
You got enough sense to call,
He's got enough love to answer.
00:46:28.25\00:46:32.21
So Elisha is
dying, in 2 Kings 13:14.
00:46:33.09\00:46:36.45
And when the king comes crying,
he stops dying long enough to
00:46:36.79\00:46:41.49
minister to him.
00:46:41.52\00:46:42.77
And you know the story.
00:46:43.07\00:46:44.46
Elisha had the king
go get a bow and arrow.
00:46:44.96\00:46:50.62
And the prophet put his
hand on the hand of the king.
00:46:51.78\00:46:57.82
That, itself, was
a great statement.
00:46:58.60\00:47:01.93
I don't have time to go into
all the ramifications and the
00:47:01.96\00:47:04.32
historicity of
that particular act.
00:47:04.35\00:47:06.67
But his putting of
his hand, Elisha's hand,
00:47:06.70\00:47:10.25
on top of the hand of a
king signaled to that king
00:47:10.28\00:47:13.86
that God, not only
supports what's going to happen,
00:47:13.89\00:47:17.18
it has got His
hearty endorsement.
00:47:17.21\00:47:19.58
He's telling the
king, "God is with you.
00:47:19.98\00:47:23.01
He's standing by you.
00:47:23.68\00:47:24.96
What you're going to
go through, you are not
00:47:25.30\00:47:28.25
going to go through alone."
00:47:28.28\00:47:30.74
And that promise, ladies
and gentlemen, ought to just
00:47:31.36\00:47:34.65
make our hearts melt with love.
00:47:34.68\00:47:36.57
Whatever you're going through.
00:47:37.25\00:47:38.55
And it doesn't matter.
00:47:38.58\00:47:39.64
First of all, there's nothing
you've done that surprises God.
00:47:39.67\00:47:43.39
There's nothing you've
done that takes God unaware.
00:47:43.72\00:47:46.48
There's nothing
you've done or going to do
00:47:46.51\00:47:49.95
that God is not prepared for.
00:47:49.98\00:47:51.90
And so when He says,
"I will never leave you
00:47:51.93\00:47:54.30
nor forsake you," He
knows everything that you're
00:47:54.70\00:47:58.28
going to go through
and has already determined,
00:47:58.29\00:48:00.51
"I can handle it."
00:48:00.54\00:48:02.49
So he put his hand on
the hand of the prophet
00:48:03.80\00:48:06.56
to let him know,
"We're in this together."
00:48:06.59\00:48:09.12
Ellen White says, all
God's bidding are enabling.
00:48:11.41\00:48:15.39
And so he tells now, the
prophet, "Draw and shoot."
00:48:15.42\00:48:21.17
And the prophet
helps the king to shoot.
00:48:22.02\00:48:25.39
And as the arrow is flying,
the prophet says to the king,
00:48:25.70\00:48:30.94
"The arrow of God's deliverance
and deliverance from Syria."
00:48:31.28\00:48:39.52
So God is predicting something.
00:48:40.15\00:48:42.18
You remember I told you
yesterday that when God is
00:48:42.19\00:48:45.43
in the fight, when the
chastisement or the war
00:48:45.46\00:48:48.19
comes from God, He's going to
tell you when it's going to end
00:48:48.22\00:48:51.99
and how it's going to end.
00:48:52.02\00:48:53.87
Here's a prediction right here.
00:48:54.91\00:48:56.26
He said, "That arrow is symbolic
of your deliverance from Syria.
00:48:56.93\00:49:02.42
This thing is going to end."
00:49:02.45\00:49:04.26
And He promised him, he
would not be fighting alone.
00:49:09.10\00:49:11.15
Jeremiah chapter
15:20. I truly love this text.
00:49:13.38\00:49:17.37
A part of God's promise.
00:49:18.97\00:49:20.35
"'I will make you a
wall to this people,
00:49:21.82\00:49:24.12
a fortified wall of bronze;
that they will fight against you
00:49:24.13\00:49:28.83
but they will not overcome you.
00:49:30.02\00:49:31.62
For I am with you to
rescue you and save you,'
00:49:31.65\00:49:35.19
declares the Lord."
00:49:35.20\00:49:36.36
That's the NIV.
00:49:36.39\00:49:37.48
When you're in a battle, you've
got the promise that you're
00:49:37.79\00:49:40.93
not fighting alone.
00:49:40.96\00:49:42.66
You will not be overcome.
00:49:42.69\00:49:44.25
Romans chapter 8:37 says,
"We are more than conquerors
00:49:44.28\00:49:48.89
through Him."
00:49:48.90\00:49:50.60
So he was told to
open the window and shoot.
00:49:51.82\00:49:54.69
And as the arrow was flying,
he says, "This is the arrow
00:49:54.72\00:49:58.62
of God's deliverance."
00:49:58.65\00:50:00.82
He shot it to the east.
00:50:00.85\00:50:02.59
Then he said, "Take some
arrows and strike the ground."
00:50:03.99\00:50:10.11
And this is where he failed.
00:50:10.64\00:50:12.10
He struck it
three times and stopped.
00:50:12.92\00:50:16.61
The prophet was upset.
00:50:18.28\00:50:19.57
And he said, "You
should have struck it more.
00:50:20.19\00:50:22.20
Now you're not
going to have the delivery
00:50:22.23\00:50:24.57
that you should have had."
00:50:24.60\00:50:26.00
Why shouldn't he have known?
00:50:27.01\00:50:31.71
Or, why should he have known?
00:50:31.72\00:50:33.31
Number one, he knew the
times in which he was living.
00:50:36.47\00:50:41.34
He knew that the country
was in spiritual hot water.
00:50:42.61\00:50:45.93
Number two, he knew that
he was far away from God.
00:50:46.73\00:50:51.35
Number three, he knew that
the prophet was promising him
00:50:52.62\00:50:57.43
that God was
going to be with him.
00:50:57.46\00:50:59.99
And so he should have struck.
00:51:00.59\00:51:03.43
And if he didn't know the time,
he should have known the time
00:51:03.46\00:51:07.89
because he knew the
spiritual shape of his country.
00:51:07.90\00:51:11.64
He should have known.
00:51:11.67\00:51:14.17
Now our time is getting away
from me, so I want to jump over
00:51:14.63\00:51:17.12
and do a couple
of things real quick.
00:51:17.13\00:51:18.61
In Jeremiah chapter 15 verse 1,
the Lord says a couple of things
00:51:22.49\00:51:28.19
that I want to highlight.
00:51:29.09\00:51:30.39
And we'll close with this.
00:51:31.27\00:51:32.60
"The Lord answered me,
'Even if Moses and Samuel
00:51:33.32\00:51:37.75
were standing here pleading
with Me, I would not have
00:51:37.78\00:51:41.29
mercy on these people.
00:51:41.32\00:51:42.67
Tell them to leave My presence
and go elsewhere for help.'"
00:51:42.70\00:51:48.47
Those are the statements of
an angry and disappointed God.
00:51:50.46\00:51:55.00
He's saying,
"Captivity is coming.
00:51:55.91\00:51:58.58
And even if Moses and
Samuel were pleading your case,
00:51:59.32\00:52:03.11
I'm not going to change My mind.
00:52:03.42\00:52:04.93
You have sinned
too much and too often.
00:52:05.60\00:52:08.14
Go away, look
for help elsewhere."
00:52:08.17\00:52:11.37
And if you continue to
read that passage, you will find
00:52:11.40\00:52:14.48
God saying, "If they
ask you where we should go,
00:52:14.51\00:52:19.03
and what's going to
happen, tell them this for Me:
00:52:19.52\00:52:23.01
'Some are going
to die by the sword,
00:52:23.71\00:52:26.22
some are going
to die by disease,
00:52:26.62\00:52:29.45
some are going to die by famine,
00:52:29.66\00:52:32.05
some are going to
go into captivity."
00:52:32.38\00:52:35.21
Now that's the
benediction, the malediction,
00:52:35.46\00:52:38.44
of an angry God.
00:52:38.47\00:52:40.26
He tells Jeremiah in
chapter 16, "Listen Jeremiah,
00:52:41.29\00:52:44.86
don't get married and
don't have any children.
00:52:44.89\00:52:47.53
Because what is
coming on this country
00:52:47.83\00:52:50.28
is not going to be pretty.
00:52:50.31\00:52:51.45
So stay single so you don't
have a wife to worry about,
00:52:51.67\00:52:54.84
and you don't have any
children to worry about.
00:52:54.85\00:52:56.83
Because I'm going to
destroy this nation."
00:52:56.84\00:53:00.24
That's a God who's
upset and disgusted
00:53:00.27\00:53:04.25
at a people who have
turned their backs on Him.
00:53:04.28\00:53:08.90
But in the very same chapter,
in the same chapter where
00:53:10.13\00:53:14.08
Jeremiah says, where
God says through Jeremiah;
00:53:14.09\00:53:17.48
captivity, death, famine,
sword, verse 14 He says this,
00:53:18.31\00:53:25.37
Jeremiah 16:14.
00:53:25.38\00:53:27.41
"...but they will say,
'As surely as the Lord lives,
00:53:40.21\00:53:43.72
who brought Israelites up out
of the land of the North...'"
00:53:44.02\00:53:47.90
Now depending on
what translation you have,
00:53:47.93\00:53:50.36
it may say, "out of Babylon."
00:53:50.39\00:53:52.93
"'...where He
had banished them.'
00:53:54.84\00:53:56.51
For I will restore them to the
land I gave their forefathers."
00:53:56.91\00:54:02.36
Seven chapters later, He says
it again almost word for word.
00:54:02.86\00:54:07.99
And then in chapter
24, He compares His people
00:54:08.51\00:54:11.84
to two baskets of
figs; one bad, one good.
00:54:11.87\00:54:15.04
He says, "I know you're bad, but
I choose to see you as good."
00:54:15.07\00:54:19.80
If you want a window
on the God that we serve,
00:54:20.51\00:54:28.01
ladies and
gentlemen, it's right here.
00:54:28.54\00:54:30.48
In chapter 15, He
says, "Get out of my sight.
00:54:31.73\00:54:35.31
Find some other god.
00:54:35.34\00:54:36.96
I'm tired of you, go away.
00:54:37.97\00:54:39.90
Find some other god to pray to.
00:54:39.93\00:54:41.77
You're going to die; famine,
sword, captivity, disease."
00:54:41.80\00:54:50.42
And before the chapter is
over, the same wounded God
00:54:51.10\00:54:56.98
is saying to
Jeremiah, "By the way,
00:54:56.99\00:54:59.51
tell them that they're Mine."
00:54:59.91\00:55:03.39
Can you imagine
that kind of love?
00:55:05.12\00:55:06.81
"Tell them I love them.
00:55:08.09\00:55:10.70
Tell them that they're Mine."
00:55:11.96\00:55:13.61
When I read that the other night
at two o'clock in the morning...
00:55:14.09\00:55:16.48
You know, you're
up in the middle of
00:55:16.49\00:55:17.49
the night writing stuff.
00:55:17.50\00:55:18.82
And I'm sitting there crying,
feeling like a big dummy.
00:55:18.85\00:55:22.58
Tears running down.
00:55:24.89\00:55:26.17
This is a God who's offended.
00:55:26.85\00:55:28.65
This is a God who's had
people turn their backs on Him.
00:55:28.68\00:55:31.76
This is a God who is
so agitated that He says,
00:55:31.79\00:55:34.26
"Jeremiah, tell them
to get out of My sight."
00:55:34.29\00:55:36.83
And before the chapter is over,
00:55:38.81\00:55:41.11
He's saying,
"Tell them they're Mine.
00:55:42.25\00:55:46.20
Tell them, one day
they're not going to just say,
00:55:47.32\00:55:49.34
'The God who
brought them out of Egypt.'
00:55:49.37\00:55:51.02
Tell them they're going to say,
'The God who brought them back
00:55:52.17\00:55:54.83
from Babylon too.'"
00:55:54.86\00:55:56.85
Can you see the
kind of God we serve?
00:55:57.95\00:56:00.67
Can you see the
love of the God we serve?
00:56:01.33\00:56:03.90
No matter who you
are or what you've done,
00:56:04.23\00:56:07.88
God may be angry, God may
give you a slap on the wrist,
00:56:08.72\00:56:13.80
but in the next verse He's
saying, "He that cometh unto Me,
00:56:14.64\00:56:20.11
I will in no wise case out."
00:56:21.47\00:56:24.62
One of my favorite
texts in the entire Bible,
00:56:25.50\00:56:27.91
Paul's letter to the
Romans; in this God commended
00:56:28.50\00:56:33.02
His love to us.
00:56:33.05\00:56:35.25
"In that while
we were yet sinners,
00:56:35.28\00:56:41.76
Christ died for us."
00:56:42.94\00:56:44.60
He's going to allow a
little war in your life,
00:56:45.78\00:56:48.33
a little turmoil in your life.
00:56:48.36\00:56:50.21
But in that
war, in that turmoil,
00:56:50.24\00:56:52.53
He's right there with you.
00:56:52.56\00:56:55.57
Amen?
00:56:55.60\00:56:56.98
Never leave
you, nor forsake you.
00:56:57.01\00:56:59.80
And so the Bible says, be
content with all you have.
00:57:00.28\00:57:03.06
Be content where you are.
00:57:04.14\00:57:05.95
Hebrews 13:5-6.
00:57:05.98\00:57:08.05
Be content where
God has placed you.
00:57:08.08\00:57:09.85
Be bold to say,
"God is my helper."
00:57:11.27\00:57:13.62
Because He has said,
"I will never leave you,
00:57:14.30\00:57:18.11
nor forsake you."
00:57:18.81\00:57:20.29
What can man do to me?
00:57:20.59\00:57:25.09
It's really a
rhetorical question.
00:57:25.87\00:57:27.74
Because man can't do anything
when you're in the hands of God.
00:57:28.41\00:57:32.75