Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
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The Great
Controversy with John Bradshaw.
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And we do welcome you and we're
so happy that you could join us.
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The Anchors Of Truth series
has become a very popular series
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here at 3ABN.
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And we look forward
to it month after month
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as we bring to you
these speakers that come from
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all around the world.
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John Bradshaw is coming to
us from 1000 Oaks, California
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where he is the speaker
and director of It Is Written.
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And John has been traveling a
lot since he took that position.
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He has been holding
evangelistic meetings.
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He just finished a large
meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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We carried that on 3ABN.
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The Lord blessed with
a lot of baptisms there.
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The last Sabbath, they
baptized over a hundred.
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They had over 250
decisions for baptism
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in that particular meeting.
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And they continue to
develop interest from it.
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So it was not
only a reaping meeting,
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it was a meeting that is
developing a lot of people
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who are studying the
message and continuing
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to attend church and
attend follow up meetings.
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And we just know that
this is going to bear fruit
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for a long time.
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Many of the people there
came as a result of watching on
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channel 43, which is our
television channel in Las Vegas.
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And in fact, on the
last Sabbath a couple came
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and they asked them "Have you
been attending the meetings?"
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They said, "We have not
missed a single meeting.
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We've been watching it on 3ABN.
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And we want to be baptized."
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And so we just
praise God for that.
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We're excited about
that ministry and the
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ministry of John Bradshaw.
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And we're excited
about this particular series
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on the great controversy.
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Because I believe that this is
a message that is so important
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for these last days.
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The subject for John
Bradshaw tonight is going to be,
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Seeing The Big Picture.
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And we're going to be taking
a good look at the big picture.
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And I know that he's going
to be presenting some things
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that will be extremely
interesting to each one of us.
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But you know, before
John comes, I want to have a
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little word of prayer with you.
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And then we're going to
invite another John to come.
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This is John night.
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We're going to
have John Lomacang come
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and sing for us,
This Is My Father's World.
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But before John
comes, let's bow our heads.
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Father in heaven, we
thank You for all the blessings
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that You've given to us.
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We thank You for truth.
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Because You have said,
"You shall know the truth,
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and the truth
shall set you free."
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And Father, we
just thank You for that.
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We know that Jesus is the
way, the truth, and the life.
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And we just thank You
that knowing Jesus is truth.
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And tonight, Lord,
this is Your world.
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It is Your world.
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It was Your world
because You created it.
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It's Your world because Your
Son Jesus, even after it was
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taken away by an
enemy, by Satan, that He
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came to this earth,
He went to the cross,
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and He died on that
cross to win this world back.
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So Father, we thank You
that this is Your world.
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And we thank You for
Jesus and His wonderful name.
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Amen.
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John, thank you for
singing for us tonight.
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This is my Father's world.
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And to my listening ears
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all nature sings,
and round me rings
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the music of the spheres.
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This is my Father's world.
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I rest me in the thought
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of rocks and
trees, of skies and seas.
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His hands the wonders wrought.
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This is my Father's world.
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The birds their carols sing,
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the morning
light, the lily white,
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declare their Maker's praise.
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This is my Father's world,
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He shines in all that's fair.
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In the rustling
grass I hear Him pass;
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He speaks to me everywhere.
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This is my Father's world.
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O let me never forget
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that though the
wrong seems oft so strong,
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God is the ruler yet.
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This is my Father's world,
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the battle is not done.
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Jesus who died
shall be satisfied,
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and earth and heaven be one.
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For this is my Father's world,
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the battle is not done.
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Jesus who died
will be glorified,
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and earth and heaven be one.
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Well, thank you
so very much, John.
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Beautiful.
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Good evening, everyone.
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What a blessing to see you,
what a privilege to be here.
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I am thankful to be
part of Anchors Of Truth
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this month of this year.
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What a great time we're going
to have as we spend some time
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studying the subject
of the great controversy.
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Now that's a familiar subject
to a lot of people, I know.
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A familiar name.
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But we're going to have a look,
not just at a title of a book.
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We're going to look at a
grand theme that winds its way
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through the Bible
like a golden thread.
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We're going to
look at the big picture.
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As a matter of fact,
tonight out subject is,
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Seeing The Big Picture.
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Seeing the Big Picture.
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As Elder Gilley said
just a few moments ago,
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we've been busy
at It Is Written.
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In recent times we just came
back from Las Vegas, Nevada.
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We must have finished
there about that long ago.
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And what a blessing it was.
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You know...
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...several things
really impressed themselves
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on my mind while
we were in Las Vegas.
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One...
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And I'm not going to tell
you anything you haven't heard
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or that you're
surprised to hear.
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But as we were making an altar
call the second last day of
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the meeting in the morning...
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We had two meetings a day in
Las Vegas; morning and evening.
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As we were making an altar
call and people came forward,
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en masse, I just had this
very, very strong impression;
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you know, there's something
about public evangelism that's
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still effective
and still powerful.
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It still works.
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Because there are still people
who are willing to respond,
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waiting to
respond, wanting to respond,
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to the voice of the
Holy Spirit of almighty God.
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And that's just encouraging.
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I can't see it enough.
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Somebody, the
lights go on in their mind.
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You know, when
people come to you and say,
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"Thank you for being here. I
now have a reason for living."
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You go away and say, "I'm glad
that I'm doing what I'm doing."
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And please don't misunderstand.
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We preachers are just
there as spokespersons.
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This is God's work. It's
the work that God is doing.
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But we're happy to
be working with God
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seeing men and
women responding to Jesus
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and accepting His message
and His gift of salvation.
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People have said to me,
"I've been studying the Bible
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all my life, and
now it makes sense.
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Now I'm seeing
things I never saw before.
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Now the Word of
God means more to me
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than it has ever meant before."
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And so I just can't tell you
how thrilled I am about that.
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So Las Vegas was a blessing.
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And thank you 3ABN for
the continued great work
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you're doing there with,
I think you said channel 43.
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Jim, didn't you? Channel 43?
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And so, you know what?
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I don't want to do
this, it's kind of corny.
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But we've got people
watching in Las Vegas right now
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and I just want to
say, "Hi, Las Vegas."
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We had a
wonderful time in Las Vegas.
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You know how you can
have a good time in Las Vegas?
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There's two things; share Jesus
and keep out of the casinos.
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You go there and you're
not going to have a good time.
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Stay away and you
can have a happy time.
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And coming up, from the
It Is Written point of view,
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we've got our foot
down on the accelerator
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when it come to evangelism.
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We've got a series coming
up in Loma Linda, California
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very soon in a few weeks.
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And right after that,
we go to Paris in France.
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You know that's
going to be something.
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Europe is very, very secular.
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I was just there. Very secular.
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Not religious.
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France of all places.
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I was reading about
a French mega church.
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Now I can only
tell you what I read.
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I was reading about
a French mega church.
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Now how big is a mega
church in the United States.
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How many people would be going
to an American mega church?
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What would you say?
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15 or 20 thousand?
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That's not unreasonable, is it?
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That's right.
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15 or 20
thousand, and maybe more.
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They said the
mega church in France,
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and I believe it was
Paris, had 200 people attending.
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Isn't that remarkable?
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Yeah, 200 people.
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And that just goes to show
that some parts of the world
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are kind of tough and
jaded and resistant to the
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message of the gospel.
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But you know, we go to
Paris not because we're
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expecting trouble, but
because we're expecting people
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to say "yes" to Jesus
and "no" to the devil.
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We're expecting
people to say, "This is what
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I've been looking for."
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We're expecting someone to say,
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"You know, I
read the Bible once,"
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or "I've been reading the
Bible and I've been having these
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thoughts and the Spirit
of God has been leading me.
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And now it makes sense."
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I'm expecting that.
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Somebody once said that
anywhere you go, there are
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people looking
wistly towards heaven.
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And they would go if
only somebody was there
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to show them the way.
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So Paris is going to
be a great challenge.
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You know what I've discovered?
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I've discovered that when I tell
people we're going to Paris,
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no one looks at
me with sympathy.
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No one.
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And I have a hard time
convincing people I'm not
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going there for a vacation.
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I'm not going
there for a vacation.
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Whether you're convinced
or not, it's the truth.
00:13:15.31\00:13:17.03
I'm sure there are worse
places to go, but we're going to
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go there and see
Jesus do a great work.
00:13:20.69\00:13:22.30
And then later this year,
man am I excited about this,
00:13:22.33\00:13:24.50
Dayton, Ohio.
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Dayton, Ohio.
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God is...
00:13:27.66\00:13:28.66
I wish I had time
to tell you about what
00:13:28.67\00:13:29.96
God is doing there now.
00:13:29.99\00:13:31.02
You know, if you've
shared Jesus, if you've done any
00:13:31.35\00:13:34.64
evangelistic endeavor
of any kind, you're excited
00:13:34.67\00:13:38.01
when you find out you're
going to a place where there's
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people on the ground
working hard and sharing Jesus.
00:13:40.60\00:13:42.86
And the people are excited and
they're getting the place ready.
00:13:42.89\00:13:45.33
And they're doing great things.
00:13:45.36\00:13:46.74
That's what's
going on in Dayton, Ohio.
00:13:46.77\00:13:48.64
Oh, we've got some
wonderful people there.
00:13:48.94\00:13:50.29
Wonderful churches,
wonderful church members,
00:13:50.32\00:13:52.21
who are getting busy.
00:13:52.24\00:13:53.58
We've had evangelism training.
00:13:53.61\00:13:55.63
I think it was 220 people have
trained to be Bible workers.
00:13:56.00\00:13:59.26
That's not bad.
00:14:00.01\00:14:01.24
In fact, you all
should have said amen.
00:14:01.27\00:14:03.18
That's wonderful.
00:14:03.21\00:14:04.31
So anyway, a
crowded calendar this year.
00:14:04.32\00:14:06.09
And I wouldn't want
to have it any other way.
00:14:06.12\00:14:07.61
I believe that
Jesus is coming back soon.
00:14:08.47\00:14:11.28
Can you say amen to that?
00:14:11.31\00:14:12.40
I believe that.
00:14:12.60\00:14:13.73
You know something?
00:14:13.76\00:14:14.85
If I'm wrong, that's
not such a bad thing.
00:14:15.22\00:14:18.60
But I don't think I am.
00:14:19.32\00:14:20.68
I think I'm dead right.
00:14:20.71\00:14:21.76
I think Jesus is
coming back soon.
00:14:21.79\00:14:23.86
And I believe it's the privilege
of us, most of us, many of us.
00:14:23.89\00:14:27.16
It will be our privilege
to be able to stand on the
00:14:27.57\00:14:29.77
circle of the earth and look
up when Jesus comes and say,
00:14:29.80\00:14:32.81
"Lo, this is our God,
we have waited for Him.
00:14:32.84\00:14:35.77
And He will save us."
00:14:35.78\00:14:37.14
He is coming back soon.
00:14:37.54\00:14:39.60
Well, let's consider
the great controversy.
00:14:40.14\00:14:43.91
Tonight, seeing the big picture.
00:14:43.94\00:14:45.95
I would be honored if you
would bow your head with me
00:14:45.98\00:14:47.68
and we will pray
together and ask God's blessing.
00:14:47.71\00:14:51.39
Father in heaven, we thank You
that we can come to You tonight
00:14:51.42\00:14:57.41
in the name of Jesus.
00:14:57.44\00:14:59.98
All around the world
we pause to pray humbly
00:15:00.85\00:15:08.11
to ask that You, the God
who upholds all things by the
00:15:08.77\00:15:14.49
Word of His power,
would be gracious enough
00:15:14.52\00:15:18.23
to bless us with a powerful
moving of Your Holy Spirit.
00:15:18.26\00:15:21.72
I know better than to ask
that You would send Your Spirit.
00:15:22.83\00:15:25.31
We're in Your
house, Your Spirit is here.
00:15:25.34\00:15:27.25
I'm praying that Your
Spirit will work with power
00:15:28.45\00:15:30.75
and that all who
speak, those who hear,
00:15:31.52\00:15:35.18
would have hearts that are open
to the moving of Your Spirit,
00:15:36.44\00:15:39.36
ears that are open
to hearing Your message,
00:15:39.82\00:15:42.46
feet that are open to
going where You want us to go,
00:15:43.20\00:15:45.90
and hands that are
open to doing Your bidding.
00:15:45.91\00:15:48.12
So bless us,
please Lord, we pray.
00:15:49.71\00:15:51.83
These are
exciting times to be alive.
00:15:51.86\00:15:54.91
And we sense we are
living on the edge of eternity.
00:15:54.92\00:15:57.85
So be with us to
that end, please.
00:15:59.02\00:16:00.45
We pray that we might
know you more and be blessed.
00:16:00.48\00:16:03.78
And we ask this of
You in Jesus' name.
00:16:04.59\00:16:06.64
Please say amen.
00:16:06.67\00:16:09.72
You might not be
surprised to hear me say this.
00:16:13.47\00:16:16.09
You may have even
heard me say this before.
00:16:16.61\00:16:18.86
But I am convinced
that I have two of the most
00:16:19.94\00:16:24.00
wonderful children alive.
00:16:24.03\00:16:25.82
If fact, they may even be the
most wonderful children alive.
00:16:28.51\00:16:32.44
Maybe with the
exception of your children.
00:16:32.96\00:16:34.87
Or grandchildren.
00:16:36.47\00:16:37.75
But that's what I think.
00:16:38.20\00:16:39.20
I think they're wonderful.
00:16:39.21\00:16:40.24
And whenever I say
what I'm about to say next,
00:16:40.89\00:16:42.76
people say, "Oh,
you're just being humble."
00:16:42.79\00:16:44.58
I'm not.
00:16:46.32\00:16:47.53
One of the main reasons that my
children are wonderful children
00:16:48.33\00:16:51.96
is that they have
a wonderful mother.
00:16:51.99\00:16:53.94
There's no doubt about it.
00:16:53.97\00:16:55.56
I just say, "I'll keep out
of the way and let you take,
00:16:55.59\00:16:59.43
just do your thing."
00:17:00.12\00:17:01.39
And things are
working pretty well.
00:17:01.69\00:17:03.46
I have great kids
who have a great mother,
00:17:06.04\00:17:09.14
who also happens to be
a wonderful human being
00:17:09.68\00:17:11.49
and my best friend.
00:17:11.52\00:17:12.82
Now you might think that
by me starting by saying this
00:17:13.20\00:17:15.64
that I'm in trouble at home.
00:17:15.67\00:17:16.82
I'm not in trouble at home.
00:17:17.29\00:17:18.72
Everything is good.
00:17:18.75\00:17:19.89
As a matter of fact, I
was in a super market once
00:17:20.51\00:17:23.30
and I was standing in
line at the checkout with a
00:17:23.53\00:17:25.33
big bouquet of
flowers in my hand.
00:17:25.36\00:17:27.87
And the lady in...
00:17:28.26\00:17:29.26
She was in front of me or behind
me, I'm not sure which one.
00:17:29.29\00:17:31.76
She said, "Uh-ho."
00:17:32.06\00:17:34.16
And I turned and she said,
"So what did you do wrong?"
00:17:35.00\00:17:40.82
And I looked at her
and I smiled, and I said,
00:17:41.77\00:17:43.97
"Lady, if you buy enough of
these, you can do no wrong."
00:17:43.98\00:17:49.12
Anyway, things are alright.
00:17:51.60\00:17:53.83
I'm not in trouble.
00:17:54.35\00:17:56.71
I just happen to have wonderful
kids and a wonderful wife.
00:17:56.74\00:17:58.99
That's all.
00:17:59.00\00:18:00.00
And you know
how it is with kids.
00:18:00.46\00:18:02.31
Things are sort
of seasonal at home.
00:18:03.45\00:18:06.20
I mean, one weekend or
one week or one fortnight,
00:18:06.85\00:18:11.53
one two week period, all they
want to do is play Monopoly.
00:18:11.56\00:18:14.57
That's all they
want to do, is Monopoly.
00:18:14.60\00:18:16.65
And then they might
ride their bikes a lot.
00:18:16.66\00:18:19.53
But I don't know what it is.
00:18:19.54\00:18:20.54
For two weeks or three
weeks, or a week or a day,
00:18:20.55\00:18:22.74
all they want to do
is ride their bicycles.
00:18:22.77\00:18:24.60
That's it, it's like
that's the only thing left
00:18:24.64\00:18:26.44
in the world to do.
00:18:26.47\00:18:27.76
Things seem to be seasonal.
00:18:27.78\00:18:29.60
They may want to bounce
the ball and play Four Square
00:18:30.55\00:18:33.66
on the back patio.
00:18:33.69\00:18:34.74
And then they forget about it
and move on to something else.
00:18:35.67\00:18:37.46
The might want to play Uno.
00:18:37.49\00:18:39.69
It's kind of fun when you
get to the age where you can
00:18:40.42\00:18:42.46
play Uno your
hardest and still not win.
00:18:42.47\00:18:46.80
And maybe it's not
fun, maybe that's not fun.
00:18:46.83\00:18:48.95
Maybe it was better
when they were two years old.
00:18:48.98\00:18:50.98
But it's seasonal, you know.
00:18:52.09\00:18:53.84
One day it's one thing,
one week it's another thing.
00:18:54.26\00:18:56.88
It's one pursuit, it's
one game, it's one pastime.
00:18:56.90\00:19:00.56
I mean, we were
geocaching like...
00:19:00.76\00:19:02.64
You know what
geocaching is, right?
00:19:02.67\00:19:04.02
If you don't
you'll have to Google it.
00:19:04.62\00:19:06.56
We were geocaching...
00:19:06.59\00:19:08.81
If you don't know
what geocaching is,
00:19:08.84\00:19:10.14
it's like a treasure hunt.
00:19:10.17\00:19:11.32
You go online and
people leave these...
00:19:11.35\00:19:12.96
It's nothing stuff.
00:19:12.99\00:19:14.43
They leave a little
thing somewhere and they'll
00:19:14.44\00:19:17.99
give you the coordinates.
00:19:18.02\00:19:19.04
And so you go out with your GPS.
00:19:19.05\00:19:20.74
And you take your GPS around the
place and you find the stuff.
00:19:20.77\00:19:25.04
And then you write your
name on the log and you say,
00:19:25.39\00:19:27.65
"I was here," you know.
00:19:27.68\00:19:28.96
And then you go on the
little website and you say,
00:19:29.32\00:19:31.17
"I was there."
00:19:31.18\00:19:32.28
It's kind of
pointless really, but it's fun.
00:19:33.20\00:19:35.01
It's pointlessness with fun.
00:19:35.04\00:19:36.84
You go find stuff and you
see things and you discover...
00:19:36.87\00:19:40.42
And it's great if you're a dad
because you're with your kids.
00:19:40.45\00:19:43.38
You know, I don't mind watching
paint dry if I'm with my kids.
00:19:43.41\00:19:46.38
That's good.
00:19:46.71\00:19:47.72
So we've done that
until we've geocached
00:19:48.02\00:19:50.63
ourselves into oblivion.
00:19:50.66\00:19:51.95
Recently we went through
another jigsaw puzzle thing.
00:19:54.30\00:19:57.71
Every now and then,
someone in the family will just
00:19:58.67\00:20:00.50
get it in their minds
that what they need to do,
00:20:00.53\00:20:02.15
what we need to do as a
family is a jigsaw puzzle.
00:20:02.18\00:20:04.32
And we've done some nice ones.
00:20:05.03\00:20:06.35
In fact, we did a
beautiful one recently with
00:20:06.38\00:20:07.86
dogs on a little pier.
00:20:07.89\00:20:09.22
And my son decided
he needed to keep that.
00:20:09.25\00:20:10.99
And so we bought
the jigsaw puzzle glue.
00:20:11.02\00:20:12.81
And that one is
going to be a keeper.
00:20:12.84\00:20:15.01
You know what I'm
really thankful for when
00:20:16.29\00:20:18.56
we put jigsaw puzzles
together; a couple of things.
00:20:18.59\00:20:20.33
I'm thankful that my
children are very good at it.
00:20:20.42\00:20:23.07
In fact, my daughter
and I are very grateful to
00:20:23.27\00:20:26.58
my son and my wife because
when we do jigsaw puzzles,
00:20:26.61\00:20:30.35
it's like Melissa
and Jacob have ten eyes.
00:20:30.38\00:20:33.15
And they can
see just everything.
00:20:33.55\00:20:36.24
I'm looking around
for a piece and they're
00:20:36.62\00:20:38.72
grabbing things here and there.
00:20:38.75\00:20:40.14
And they know where they go.
00:20:40.17\00:20:41.35
It's almost intuitive.
00:20:41.38\00:20:43.37
So I'm glad for that.
00:20:43.40\00:20:44.54
But I'm also glad
for the second thing.
00:20:44.57\00:20:46.27
I'm glad that when
we do jigsaw puzzles,
00:20:46.61\00:20:48.45
there's a picture of
what we're trying to do
00:20:48.48\00:20:50.46
on the front of the box.
00:20:50.49\00:20:52.07
You can relate to that?
00:20:53.12\00:20:54.65
I am glad that I can
pick up a little piece,
00:20:55.36\00:20:59.49
and I have no
idea where it goes,
00:20:59.52\00:21:03.33
but I can look
on the box and see;
00:21:03.66\00:21:07.35
ah-ha, that's part
of the paw of the dog.
00:21:07.37\00:21:12.38
That's part of the tiger's tail.
00:21:12.81\00:21:15.36
That's a bit of a tree,
but not that tree over there.
00:21:15.39\00:21:18.92
That's a piece of the tree
up in the top left hand corner.
00:21:18.95\00:21:21.91
All that water looks the
same, but there's a little
00:21:21.94\00:21:24.51
ripple in this piece.
00:21:24.54\00:21:25.66
And so I know it goes here.
00:21:25.69\00:21:27.38
When we do jigsaw
puzzles, I am appreciative of
00:21:27.41\00:21:31.69
the big picture.
00:21:31.72\00:21:33.73
Because without the big
picture, I might be lost.
00:21:35.01\00:21:39.44
I would take a year to
put a jigsaw puzzle together
00:21:39.47\00:21:43.12
that might only
take us a couple of days.
00:21:43.15\00:21:45.27
You understand.
00:21:45.30\00:21:46.33
And we did this one, in fact,
it was the puppies on the pier.
00:21:46.36\00:21:49.54
And they did one better than
just the picture on the box.
00:21:49.60\00:21:51.95
Because if there's four of you
in a family, like in my family,
00:21:51.98\00:21:54.59
and there's only one box, it's
like, "Let me have the box."
00:21:54.62\00:21:56.90
"I need to see the box."
00:21:56.93\00:21:57.93
"Would you give the box back?"
00:21:57.94\00:21:59.07
But we have the
box and a little poster
00:21:59.13\00:22:02.39
of the dogs on the pier.
00:22:03.17\00:22:04.87
Two copies of the big picture.
00:22:05.21\00:22:07.53
When you're looking at a
puzzle, the big picture can be
00:22:08.49\00:22:13.48
tremendously helpful.
00:22:13.58\00:22:15.93
You get an idea where
that little piece fits in.
00:22:16.38\00:22:20.70
You can start making sense
of what you've got in your hand
00:22:21.44\00:22:26.59
because you have the
context that comes from
00:22:26.60\00:22:29.77
seeing the big picture.
00:22:29.80\00:22:32.26
Now I'd been kicking around
Christianity for a little while
00:22:33.92\00:22:36.77
before I actually gave my heart
to Jesus and became a Christian.
00:22:36.80\00:22:40.63
I was searching, I was
looking, I was seeking.
00:22:41.35\00:22:44.65
I was dabbling a little bit.
00:22:44.66\00:22:48.48
But it wasn't until
I saw the big picture
00:22:49.96\00:22:53.71
that Jesus was really
able to get a hold of my heart.
00:22:54.39\00:22:57.44
When I gave my life to Christ,
I was thankful that I could
00:22:57.91\00:23:02.44
see the big picture.
00:23:02.47\00:23:04.97
Because now the Bible
made much more sense to me.
00:23:05.00\00:23:09.58
Now I was able to understand
certain subjects that,
00:23:09.78\00:23:12.61
isolated and on their
own, I might not have been able
00:23:12.64\00:23:14.80
to get my head around.
00:23:14.83\00:23:16.13
I got the view from a distance.
00:23:16.84\00:23:19.51
I mean, if you go to the
zoo and you take a telescope,
00:23:19.54\00:23:22.35
you might look at something and
say, "I don't know what that is.
00:23:22.38\00:23:24.53
I'm seeing a patch of gray."
00:23:24.56\00:23:27.04
But if you back off and
look through your eye glasses,
00:23:27.58\00:23:30.48
you see that's an
elephant in front of you.
00:23:30.51\00:23:32.67
When you get a picture of
the whole, a view of the whole
00:23:33.80\00:23:38.27
when you back up, you
don't want to get in too close.
00:23:38.30\00:23:40.75
If you've got one
piece of the jigsaw puzzle
00:23:41.66\00:23:43.99
and you look at it very close,
00:23:44.02\00:23:45.72
it's of no use
to you whatsoever.
00:23:45.75\00:23:48.30
But when you back
up just a few steps
00:23:48.33\00:23:50.68
and look through a lens that
takes in a full field of view,
00:23:51.40\00:23:56.58
now you're able to make
sense of what you're looking at.
00:23:56.61\00:24:00.21
What do you do with the
subjects in the Holy Bible?
00:24:00.24\00:24:04.36
How do you find a
harmony in the various teachings
00:24:04.86\00:24:07.90
of the Word of God?
00:24:07.93\00:24:09.03
How do you help Genesis to
go together with Revelation?
00:24:09.06\00:24:11.74
How does Isaiah and
Jeremiah work with John
00:24:11.77\00:24:16.04
and the book of Acts?
00:24:16.07\00:24:17.57
How do we wrestle with,
successfully wrestle with,
00:24:17.87\00:24:21.31
the big questions,
the pressing questions,
00:24:21.34\00:24:24.53
the difficult questions, life's
most challenging questions?
00:24:24.56\00:24:28.75
We see in society today
many people have turned their
00:24:29.49\00:24:33.31
back on God and don't
want to know anything about God
00:24:33.34\00:24:36.04
because they see a
small piece, a tiny sliver
00:24:36.07\00:24:41.57
of the big picture.
00:24:41.60\00:24:42.94
Someone sees suffering
in the world and they say,
00:24:42.97\00:24:46.00
"Why does God permit that?
00:24:46.03\00:24:48.01
If God lets that go on, He is
unjust and He's unfair in that."
00:24:48.04\00:24:51.77
You know, Steve Jobs, the Apple
computer man who died recently,
00:24:51.80\00:24:55.76
Steve Jobs was
raised as a Christian.
00:24:55.79\00:24:57.54
I don't know if you knew that.
00:24:57.55\00:24:58.55
He was well known
as being a some kind of
00:24:58.92\00:25:00.90
Buddhist sort of a man.
00:25:00.93\00:25:02.11
But he was raised by people who
took him to a Christian church.
00:25:02.14\00:25:05.34
And one day he took a cover,
I believe it was TIME Magazine
00:25:06.25\00:25:08.97
or LIFE Magazine, some magazine,
he took it with him to church.
00:25:09.00\00:25:11.86
And one that front cover of the
magazine, there was a picture of
00:25:11.89\00:25:15.74
starving children in Biafra.
00:25:15.77\00:25:17.70
And some of you remember
Biafra, and some of you don't.
00:25:18.35\00:25:20.51
Biafra was a part of Nigeria.
00:25:20.54\00:25:23.70
It's just part of Nigeria today.
00:25:23.73\00:25:25.91
And there were
tremendous challenges in Biafra,
00:25:26.27\00:25:28.45
lots of starving
people in Biafra.
00:25:28.48\00:25:30.70
And Steve Jobs took the
magazine to church and he asked
00:25:31.29\00:25:33.57
his pastor, "What about this?
00:25:33.60\00:25:35.23
Does God know what's going on?"
00:25:35.26\00:25:37.35
And the pastor said to him,
"Steve, I can assure you that
00:25:37.98\00:25:40.34
God knows what's going on."
00:25:40.37\00:25:41.50
And he pressed him
a little bit further.
00:25:41.53\00:25:43.03
And he asked him, "If
God knows what's going on
00:25:43.06\00:25:45.21
then why doesn't He
do something about it?"
00:25:45.24\00:25:46.46
And I wish I could remember
the pastor's exact words.
00:25:46.49\00:25:48.87
It's in the biography on
Jobs written by Walter Isaacson.
00:25:48.90\00:25:53.81
And Isaacson reported about this
and he wrote it in his book.
00:25:54.91\00:25:57.31
And when the pastor gave Steve
Jobs the answer to the question,
00:25:57.98\00:26:01.20
Jobs was not satisfied.
00:26:01.23\00:26:02.96
Jobs or Jobs?
00:26:03.48\00:26:04.74
Jobs?
00:26:05.85\00:26:06.86
Okay.
00:26:06.89\00:26:07.89
Jobs.
00:26:08.01\00:26:09.20
I see J-o-b and it's a man's
name, I want to call him Job.
00:26:09.23\00:26:11.97
The Bible, you know.
00:26:12.58\00:26:13.55
Okay, Steve Jobs.
00:26:13.56\00:26:14.56
Someone is tearing
their hair out right now.
00:26:14.57\00:26:16.60
Steve Jobs.
00:26:17.11\00:26:18.55
Jobs asked the man about
this difficulty in Biafra.
00:26:19.43\00:26:25.03
And when the pastor
was done, Steve Jobs said,
00:26:25.81\00:26:29.11
"If that's what God is
like, then I don't want to have
00:26:29.14\00:26:35.20
anything to do with Him."
00:26:35.23\00:26:36.70
And he left church
and never went back.
00:26:37.50\00:26:41.60
I mean, somebody that talented
seems to me to be a tremendous
00:26:43.16\00:26:47.13
waste to the cause of Christ.
00:26:47.14\00:26:49.21
To have someone working at
odds with Jesus rather than
00:26:49.70\00:26:52.31
working with Jesus.
00:26:52.34\00:26:53.83
Anyone's soul who has
decided not to walk with Jesus
00:26:54.13\00:26:56.80
is a great waste.
00:26:56.83\00:26:58.41
You see, Jobs
didn't see the big picture.
00:26:59.39\00:27:03.06
I remember hearing that Oprah
Winfrey was in church one day.
00:27:03.54\00:27:06.31
This is what I read.
00:27:06.32\00:27:07.32
I know you can't
believe everything you read,
00:27:07.33\00:27:08.89
but this seemed
to be legitimate.
00:27:08.90\00:27:10.53
And she heard one day
the pastor saying that
00:27:11.26\00:27:13.27
God was a jealous God.
00:27:13.30\00:27:15.18
And she didn't like that.
00:27:15.56\00:27:16.87
Didn't seem to
make much sense to her.
00:27:17.17\00:27:18.74
And so she kind of
severed her ties with
00:27:18.77\00:27:20.90
Christianity right about there.
00:27:20.92\00:27:22.15
That is, as a
practicing, fully paid up,
00:27:22.18\00:27:24.50
go to church on
Sunday, Christian.
00:27:24.51\00:27:26.41
She was done with it
right then. She was done.
00:27:26.42\00:27:28.73
I spoke with a lady one day.
00:27:29.74\00:27:31.15
And as I stood at the door
of her apartment in the South,
00:27:31.18\00:27:33.92
I was at her
apartment at the door,
00:27:33.95\00:27:35.56
I noticed that there
was something a little bit
00:27:36.86\00:27:38.66
different about her.
00:27:38.69\00:27:39.94
There were several
things different about her.
00:27:40.45\00:27:42.02
Her clothing was different,
her jewelry was different,
00:27:42.05\00:27:45.11
her make-up was different,
her hair was different.
00:27:45.14\00:27:47.06
Just different.
00:27:47.07\00:27:48.07
I mean she wasn't a
freak, she wasn't way out.
00:27:48.08\00:27:50.93
You wouldn't be scared of her.
00:27:51.76\00:27:53.30
But she was a
little bit different,
00:27:53.33\00:27:54.86
if I can just say that.
00:27:54.87\00:27:56.16
And as I got to talking to
her, we got onto a discussion
00:27:56.51\00:28:00.60
of a spiritual nature, she said,
"Well, I use to go to church.
00:28:00.63\00:28:03.21
And now I don't,
but I do sort of."
00:28:03.24\00:28:05.48
And I asked her about that.
00:28:07.21\00:28:08.21
I don't know what
that means, you know.
00:28:08.24\00:28:09.61
So I said, "What do you mean
that you use to go to church
00:28:09.64\00:28:11.37
and now you don't,
but you do sort of?"
00:28:11.40\00:28:12.93
And she talked around
it and talked this way
00:28:13.36\00:28:15.22
and over it and under it.
00:28:15.25\00:28:16.31
Anyway, when she said it
again, I said, "Mary Ellen..."
00:28:16.32\00:28:19.25
Her name was Mary
Ellen. I remember her name.
00:28:19.28\00:28:21.40
"Mary Ellen, you've got
to tell me what you mean.
00:28:21.43\00:28:24.88
You don't go to
church, but you do sort of."
00:28:25.71\00:28:29.20
She said, "Well John, I
was raised in a hell fire and
00:28:29.78\00:28:34.40
brimstone spitting..."
00:28:34.43\00:28:36.07
And then she
named the denomination
00:28:36.10\00:28:37.85
"...church."
00:28:37.88\00:28:38.86
"A hellfire and
brimstone spitting...church."
00:28:38.89\00:28:42.32
"And I would go to church every
Sunday and the pastor would
00:28:42.71\00:28:44.75
talk about a God who would
take the sinners and burn them
00:28:44.78\00:28:46.97
and roast them and
toast them and fry them
00:28:47.00\00:28:48.48
and frazzle them forever.
00:28:48.51\00:28:50.26
Old people, little
babies. It didn't matter.
00:28:50.71\00:28:52.73
The lost were
going to burn forever.
00:28:52.74\00:28:56.96
I decided that if
that is what God is like,
00:28:58.07\00:28:59.96
I'd be better off without Him.
00:28:59.99\00:29:01.38
So I am done
with going to church.
00:29:01.41\00:29:03.91
Except I still go, sort of."
00:29:03.94\00:29:05.85
She said, "John, I don't want
to frighten you or anything.
00:29:09.54\00:29:12.70
But these days, I'm a witch."
00:29:13.57\00:29:15.98
And you know, when people
say that kind of thing to you,
00:29:18.13\00:29:20.26
you try to act cool.
00:29:20.29\00:29:21.96
Like everyone
you meet is a witch.
00:29:22.33\00:29:24.13
"Oh yeah. I'm fine with that."
00:29:24.16\00:29:26.42
And she said...
00:29:29.67\00:29:30.78
Well actually, I'll
tell you what I did.
00:29:30.81\00:29:32.27
You'll think this is
funny, but I really did this.
00:29:32.30\00:29:34.96
When she said, "I'm
a witch," I said, "Oh."
00:29:34.99\00:29:36.91
I looked around
for a broomstick.
00:29:39.13\00:29:40.68
I honestly did. I looked around.
00:29:40.71\00:29:43.35
All there was, was
a little red car out
00:29:43.38\00:29:44.83
in front of her apartment.
00:29:44.84\00:29:45.84
No broomstick.
00:29:45.85\00:29:46.89
This dear lady, and
she was a sweetheart...
00:29:47.62\00:29:51.13
And then I understood the hair
and the make-up and the jewelry
00:29:51.77\00:29:54.56
and the clothing, all
just a little bit different.
00:29:54.59\00:29:55.81
She was a witch.
00:29:55.83\00:29:56.83
Told me about her witch
stuff and the witch church
00:29:56.85\00:29:59.68
that she went to, and so forth.
00:29:59.69\00:30:00.69
And she was driven away,
she was driven away from Jesus
00:30:01.88\00:30:06.25
because someone had presented
to her with just a small piece.
00:30:06.28\00:30:09.41
And worse than that,
a misrepresentation of
00:30:09.44\00:30:15.28
what God was like.
00:30:15.31\00:30:16.40
See, what she had
was a small piece.
00:30:17.32\00:30:21.11
There's a truth about
hell and there is a real hell.
00:30:21.14\00:30:24.55
But you've got to step back
from that and see if you can
00:30:24.58\00:30:27.57
make that piece of the puzzle
fit with the rest of the puzzle.
00:30:27.58\00:30:30.86
And when you have the big
picture, you understand now
00:30:30.89\00:30:35.64
starving children in Biafra,
you understand God being a
00:30:35.67\00:30:38.88
jealous God, and you understand
hell fire in its proper context.
00:30:38.91\00:30:43.62
When you see the big picture.
00:30:43.65\00:30:47.32
How can we line up the
various teachings of the Bible
00:30:47.35\00:30:50.72
in some sort of a harmony?
00:30:50.75\00:30:52.66
How can we make sense
of the world in which we
00:30:52.96\00:30:55.05
find ourselves today?
00:30:55.08\00:30:56.30
How can we make sense of
this war that we seem to be in?
00:30:56.33\00:31:00.41
In life it seems as
though we take one step forward
00:31:01.25\00:31:03.16
and two steps
backward sometimes.
00:31:03.19\00:31:04.81
There is injustice.
00:31:05.11\00:31:06.97
It's still white hot
across the fruited plain and
00:31:06.98\00:31:10.60
around the world.
00:31:10.61\00:31:11.85
There is oppression
and there is depression.
00:31:11.88\00:31:14.42
There are people struggling
and there are people battling.
00:31:14.45\00:31:17.12
And then there are unemployed
people who are well qualified.
00:31:17.43\00:31:20.16
And there are people who
bought homes in good faith
00:31:20.17\00:31:22.52
and they now owe way more on
the home than the home is worth.
00:31:22.55\00:31:26.99
I've sat in the homes of people
who've told me the numbers,
00:31:27.02\00:31:30.04
and it boggles your mind.
00:31:30.07\00:31:32.14
We have all of that in the world
and we say, "How does that work
00:31:33.73\00:31:36.89
with the idea that God is love?"
00:31:37.75\00:31:40.31
Well I'm going to encourage
you to take your Bible tonight.
00:31:40.51\00:31:42.32
We'll look at some
passages in Scripture
00:31:42.35\00:31:43.84
that may indeed be familiar.
00:31:43.87\00:31:45.57
If they're familiar, then
you can say, "Praise the Lord."
00:31:45.87\00:31:47.86
And if they're not, well
you can say, "Praise the Lord."
00:31:47.87\00:31:50.89
We'll start in the
book of Isaiah chapter 14.
00:31:50.92\00:31:53.03
Isaiah, Isaiah 14.
00:31:53.06\00:31:55.11
Oh, it was so liberating.
I was recently in England.
00:31:55.14\00:31:57.52
It was so liberating.
00:31:57.55\00:31:58.62
I was able to say, "Isaiah."
00:31:58.63\00:32:00.74
When I came to the
United States from New Zealand
00:32:03.68\00:32:05.42
and I was preaching,
I would say to people,
00:32:05.45\00:32:08.02
"Now would you turn
with me in your Bibles
00:32:08.05\00:32:09.41
to the book of Isaiah."
00:32:09.44\00:32:10.89
And I would turn to
Isaiah and start reading.
00:32:10.92\00:32:12.66
And people would be
looking like this and
00:32:12.67\00:32:14.75
shrugging their shoulders.
00:32:14.78\00:32:15.80
And the husband would
nudge the wife and he'd ask her,
00:32:15.83\00:32:17.81
and she wouldn't know.
00:32:17.82\00:32:18.82
And they'd turn to the front
of the Bible and start looking
00:32:18.83\00:32:21.32
for the book of Isaiah.
00:32:21.35\00:32:22.57
So to make it work; when
in Rome do as the Romans.
00:32:25.47\00:32:29.28
Isaiah chapter 14 verse 12.
00:32:29.31\00:32:31.58
Here's what the Bible says.
00:32:32.11\00:32:33.35
Isaiah 14:12, "How art thou
fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,
00:32:34.06\00:32:37.29
son of the morning!
00:32:37.32\00:32:38.34
How art thou cut
down to the ground,
00:32:38.37\00:32:40.27
which didst weaken the nations!"
00:32:40.30\00:32:41.63
Now let's stop
right there for a moment.
00:32:42.37\00:32:43.71
I think we can understand that
when God created the universe,
00:32:44.48\00:32:46.77
He created it in perfection.
00:32:46.79\00:32:48.24
We can understand that, right?
00:32:48.27\00:32:49.49
Everything was good
when He created the world.
00:32:49.73\00:32:52.14
And it's pretty evident
that the world was here kind of
00:32:52.66\00:32:56.54
after some of the
rest of the universe.
00:32:56.57\00:32:58.57
When He created
the world, God said,
00:32:58.98\00:33:00.97
"It is good." "It is good."
"It is good." "It is good."
00:33:01.00\00:33:03.80
Then He even
said, "It is very good."
00:33:03.83\00:33:05.73
He created a perfect universe.
00:33:06.25\00:33:07.75
There was no sin,
there was no sadness.
00:33:07.78\00:33:09.39
There was no
corruption, there was no decay.
00:33:09.69\00:33:11.50
No none of that.
00:33:11.53\00:33:12.54
So in Isaiah chapter 14,
we see something remarkable.
00:33:13.36\00:33:16.10
"How are you fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning.
00:33:16.13\00:33:18.94
How are you cut
down to the ground,
00:33:18.97\00:33:20.62
which didst weaken the nations.
00:33:20.65\00:33:21.94
For you have said in your heart,
'I will ascend into heaven.
00:33:21.95\00:33:25.35
I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God.
00:33:25.38\00:33:28.25
I will sit also upon the
mount of the congregation
00:33:28.28\00:33:31.41
on the sides of the north.
00:33:31.42\00:33:32.60
I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds.
00:33:32.63\00:33:35.57
I will be like the Most High.'"
00:33:35.60\00:33:38.84
Lucifer said that.
00:33:38.85\00:33:41.11
Now "Lucifer," the
word means, light bearer.
00:33:41.59\00:33:44.31
This brother dwelled
in the presence of God.
00:33:44.34\00:33:46.87
You read a somehow parallel
passage in Ezekiel chapter 28.
00:33:46.90\00:33:51.04
You discover this
being was a covering cherub.
00:33:51.07\00:33:54.56
He was
beautiful, he was favored.
00:33:54.67\00:33:57.81
Highly favored.
00:33:57.84\00:33:59.51
And then he went off the
rails, and craziness happened.
00:33:59.54\00:34:03.64
As matter of fact, I'm
going to go with you to the book
00:34:03.67\00:34:07.05
of Genesis and see what happened
when Lucifer came down here.
00:34:07.08\00:34:10.37
The Bible says in
Revelation chapter 12,
00:34:10.40\00:34:12.69
Lucifer came down to the earth.
00:34:12.72\00:34:14.38
And look what
happened when he did.
00:34:14.41\00:34:16.21
Genesis chapter 3 and verse 1.
00:34:16.66\00:34:18.45
"Now the serpent was more subtle
than any beast of the field
00:34:18.48\00:34:21.65
which the Lord God had made.
00:34:21.68\00:34:23.10
And he said to the
woman, 'Yea, hath God said,
00:34:24.09\00:34:26.69
"You shall not eat of
every tree of the garden?"'"
00:34:26.72\00:34:29.02
Notice what he did.
00:34:29.05\00:34:30.07
"Has God really said that?"
00:34:30.08\00:34:32.05
Had God said it, yes or no?
00:34:32.15\00:34:33.84
Yes He had.
00:34:33.87\00:34:35.09
And He meant what He said.
00:34:35.12\00:34:36.56
You know
something? It's interesting.
00:34:36.59\00:34:38.82
Lucifer will often come along
and take the plainest statements
00:34:38.85\00:34:41.67
of the Word of
God and twist them,
00:34:41.70\00:34:43.82
and question them,
and second guess them,
00:34:43.85\00:34:47.88
and cast doubt over them.
00:34:47.91\00:34:49.95
Plain statements.
00:34:49.98\00:34:51.55
He did it right here.
00:34:51.61\00:34:52.61
"The woman said to the serpent,
'We may eat of the fruit of
00:34:52.72\00:34:54.93
the trees of the garden, but of
the fruit of the tree which is
00:34:54.96\00:34:57.57
in the midst of the
garden, God has said,
00:34:57.60\00:34:59.20
"You shall not eat of it,
neither shall you touch it,
00:34:59.23\00:35:01.18
lest ye die."'
00:35:01.21\00:35:03.77
And the serpent said,
'You shall not surely die.
00:35:03.80\00:35:08.67
Because God knows that in
the day you eat that fruit,
00:35:10.08\00:35:12.60
your eyes will be
opened and you will be as gods
00:35:12.61\00:35:17.05
knowing good and evil.'
00:35:17.08\00:35:19.67
When the woman saw that
the tree was good for food
00:35:21.27\00:35:23.94
and that it was
pleasant to the eyes..."
00:35:23.97\00:35:25.97
You know, we make too
many decisions based on
00:35:26.00\00:35:28.76
what's pleasant to the eyes.
00:35:28.77\00:35:30.86
"...and a tree
desired to make one wise,
00:35:34.34\00:35:37.86
she took of the
fruit thereof, and did eat.
00:35:38.65\00:35:41.19
And gave also unto her husband
with her; and he did eat.
00:35:41.91\00:35:45.42
The eyes of them both
were opened, and they knew that
00:35:46.70\00:35:49.02
they were naked; and they
sewed fig leaves together and
00:35:49.05\00:35:52.12
made themselves aprons."
00:35:52.14\00:35:54.14
There's a lot in that passage.
00:35:54.17\00:35:55.88
But look what happened.
00:35:55.91\00:35:57.37
Lucifer decided that
he would lift himself up
00:35:58.26\00:36:01.23
and wanted to
sit in God's place.
00:36:01.26\00:36:03.26
Clearly, that just
didn't fly with God.
00:36:03.79\00:36:05.96
There was war in heaven.
00:36:05.99\00:36:07.35
"Michael and His angels
fought against the dragon.
00:36:09.20\00:36:11.37
The dragon fought, and
his angels, and prevailed not.
00:36:11.38\00:36:14.56
Neither was there place
found anymore in heaven."
00:36:14.59\00:36:16.41
So we see the big picture.
00:36:16.44\00:36:17.82
Long ago there
was war in heaven.
00:36:17.85\00:36:19.35
No, you didn't have
anything to do with that war.
00:36:19.38\00:36:20.75
No, you're not to
blame. You're not implicated.
00:36:20.78\00:36:23.13
It wasn't your
fault, that's true.
00:36:23.14\00:36:24.85
I've had people say to
me, "I didn't ask to be
00:36:24.88\00:36:26.36
put here in this world."
00:36:26.39\00:36:27.63
Well you didn't ask
to be ransomed either.
00:36:28.29\00:36:29.86
And Jesus died on a
cross to ransom you.
00:36:29.89\00:36:31.69
So you ought to
be glad about that.
00:36:31.72\00:36:33.12
Long ago there
was war in heaven.
00:36:33.60\00:36:35.93
Lucifer, for some
inexplicable reason, decided to
00:36:36.50\00:36:39.09
rebel against God.
00:36:39.12\00:36:40.30
He was cast out of
heaven. He came to the earth.
00:36:40.33\00:36:44.00
And full of hate
and full of malignity.
00:36:44.01\00:36:46.98
Malignity.
That's right, isn't it?
00:36:47.01\00:36:51.92
Sometimes words
don't seem right.
00:36:52.35\00:36:53.69
Full of hate and malignity.
00:36:53.72\00:36:55.19
Full of a miserable hatred for
God and everything God loves.
00:36:56.39\00:37:02.25
Lucifer came here to this
earth determined to deface,
00:37:02.28\00:37:09.09
or even eradicate from
this earth, the image of God.
00:37:09.12\00:37:14.67
Very important.
00:37:15.81\00:37:16.96
God said, "Let us
make man in Our..." What?
00:37:16.99\00:37:20.75
"...in Our image."
00:37:21.22\00:37:22.32
So as long as there were
people walking on this earth,
00:37:23.03\00:37:25.30
Lucifer was
reminded of God's goodness.
00:37:25.33\00:37:27.85
And God's love and God's
kindness and God's fairness.
00:37:28.96\00:37:31.80
And it was a rebuke to him;
the hateful one, the proud one,
00:37:31.83\00:37:35.48
the deceitful one, the
lying one, the father of lies.
00:37:35.51\00:37:38.56
It was a rebuke to
him, you understand.
00:37:38.59\00:37:40.61
And here he came, guns blazing.
00:37:41.53\00:37:43.97
Gunning at the thing that
God loved more than anything.
00:37:44.00\00:37:48.23
The jewel of
creation; Adam and Eve.
00:37:49.04\00:37:51.69
Our original grandparents.
00:37:51.72\00:37:53.21
Lucifer came for
them, Satan came for them.
00:37:53.24\00:37:55.90
And they fell, and
they fell into sin.
00:37:55.93\00:37:59.07
And from then till now,
that same devil has been doing
00:37:59.10\00:38:03.38
everything he can to
win entirely this planet.
00:38:03.41\00:38:07.44
Now thank God
we're going to get to the
00:38:07.83\00:38:09.14
good news in just a moment.
00:38:09.17\00:38:10.20
Revelation chapter 13,
let's see where it goes.
00:38:10.23\00:38:12.81
Revelation chapter 13.
00:38:12.84\00:38:14.71
Where is the big
picture leading us?
00:38:15.11\00:38:17.53
Revelation chapter 13.
00:38:17.56\00:38:19.07
We're going to start
in chapter 13 verse 1.
00:38:19.10\00:38:23.19
Revelation chapter 13 verse 1.
00:38:24.26\00:38:26.18
This is where John writes, "I
stood upon the sand of the sea,
00:38:26.21\00:38:28.65
and I saw a beast rise up out of
the sea, having seven heads and
00:38:28.68\00:38:32.58
ten horns, and upon his horns
ten crowns, and upon his heads
00:38:32.61\00:38:36.08
the name of blasphemy.
00:38:36.11\00:38:37.55
The beast which I saw
was like unto a leopard..."
00:38:37.56\00:38:39.67
And so on. Let's
get to verse three.
00:38:39.70\00:38:41.61
"I saw one of his heads
as it were wounded to death;
00:38:41.64\00:38:44.38
and his deadly
wound was healed."
00:38:44.41\00:38:46.30
And who? Can you tell me please?
00:38:46.33\00:38:48.35
All the world did what?
00:38:48.75\00:38:50.06
Wondered after who?
00:38:50.52\00:38:51.96
The whole world was swept
up in delusion and deception.
00:38:52.25\00:38:57.04
We drop down to verse 11.
00:38:57.07\00:38:58.66
"I beheld another beast
coming up out of the earth.
00:38:58.69\00:39:00.94
He had two horns
like a lamb, and he spoke
00:39:00.97\00:39:03.19
just like a dragon speaks.
00:39:03.22\00:39:04.88
And he exercises all the power
of the first beast before him,
00:39:04.91\00:39:08.06
and causes the earth and them
which dwell therein to worship
00:39:08.09\00:39:12.02
the first beast, whose
deadly wound was healed.
00:39:12.03\00:39:14.38
And he does great
wonders, so that he makes fire
00:39:16.58\00:39:19.14
come down from heaven on
the earth in the sight of men."
00:39:19.17\00:39:21.18
Let's drop down to verse 16.
00:39:21.21\00:39:24.62
"And he causeth all, both
small and great, rich and poor,
00:39:25.12\00:39:29.03
free and bond, to receive
a mark in their right hand
00:39:29.06\00:39:32.78
or in their foreheads.
00:39:32.81\00:39:33.82
And that no man might buy or
sell, save he that had the mark,
00:39:33.85\00:39:37.05
or the name of the beast,
or the number of his name."
00:39:37.08\00:39:41.51
There is a battle raging now.
00:39:41.54\00:39:46.34
Long ago an angry devil decided,
or a jealous devil decided
00:39:46.89\00:39:52.56
that he wanted to sit in God's
place and receive the worship
00:39:52.59\00:39:55.71
that only God was due.
00:39:55.74\00:39:57.23
I imagine, the Bible doesn't
give us the details, but I've
00:39:58.33\00:40:02.23
got to imagine that God went
the extra mile with Lucifer.
00:40:02.25\00:40:05.01
You don't think that
Lucifer just had a thought
00:40:06.12\00:40:08.30
and God took him by the
hand like a principle getting
00:40:08.31\00:40:10.42
a rowdy school boy.
00:40:10.43\00:40:11.71
Now I don't know anything
about that, but grabbing a rowdy
00:40:12.10\00:40:15.10
school boy by the
upper arm and saying,
00:40:15.13\00:40:16.90
"You need to come with me now."
00:40:16.93\00:40:18.18
Lucifer had an errant thought
one day and God just booted him.
00:40:19.02\00:40:22.79
Wouldn't have been like that.
00:40:23.33\00:40:24.69
I imagine God pled with him.
00:40:25.02\00:40:26.77
I imagine God reasoned with him.
00:40:26.80\00:40:28.53
And I'm being honest and
telling you that I imagine this.
00:40:28.56\00:40:31.29
I imagine God did
everything He could.
00:40:32.06\00:40:35.25
But Lucifer hardened his
heart in sin, and rebellion
00:40:36.07\00:40:38.36
grew up, and there
was no turning back.
00:40:38.39\00:40:40.08
And he was cast out of
heaven, He came to this earth.
00:40:40.11\00:40:42.24
And misery loves company.
00:40:42.25\00:40:43.99
He spotted Adam and
Eve who were not miserable.
00:40:44.02\00:40:46.10
And he said, "I would
feel so much better if they
00:40:46.13\00:40:47.78
were miserable like me."
00:40:47.81\00:40:49.07
And he deceived them.
00:40:49.08\00:40:50.08
The Bible says Eve was beguiled.
00:40:50.10\00:40:52.36
Now they were on the
opposite side of the ledger;
00:40:52.39\00:40:54.51
opposed to God, separated
from God, enemies of God.
00:40:54.54\00:40:57.38
At enmity with God
because sin had now
00:40:57.41\00:41:01.03
entered into their being.
00:41:01.06\00:41:02.27
And they were now, rather
than walking in union with God,
00:41:02.30\00:41:05.00
God turns up and they ran.
00:41:05.03\00:41:06.74
We didn't read
that verse in Genesis 3.
00:41:06.77\00:41:08.41
It was the next verse. They ran.
00:41:08.43\00:41:10.16
They hear God coming and
they go, and they take off.
00:41:10.19\00:41:12.21
Can't be around God because
sin has done its dirty work.
00:41:12.24\00:41:15.65
And as we
consider this big picture,
00:41:17.48\00:41:19.41
we consider, we
see, we understand
00:41:21.21\00:41:23.08
what is going on in this world.
00:41:23.11\00:41:24.23
There's an angry
devil, a jealous devil.
00:41:24.26\00:41:26.45
He's after worship.
00:41:26.48\00:41:27.81
We read in Revelation
chapter 13, he's after worship.
00:41:27.83\00:41:30.35
You can blame God when a tornado
tears through town if you want.
00:41:30.36\00:41:33.11
Or you can say, "That's the
devil doing his dirty work."
00:41:33.32\00:41:35.88
You can wonder when you
see strange things going on
00:41:37.30\00:41:39.81
in the world today, or you
can say, "Yes, there is a master
00:41:39.84\00:41:42.56
conspirator at work."
00:41:42.59\00:41:44.36
And he's seeking to line this
world up like so many dominos.
00:41:44.78\00:41:49.27
And at the right time, he's
going to flip that first one
00:41:49.30\00:41:51.83
and everything is going to fall.
00:41:51.84\00:41:53.30
Maybe like a house
of cards might have been
00:41:53.33\00:41:54.81
a better illustration.
00:41:54.82\00:41:56.10
There is a battle
raging, a warfare.
00:41:57.14\00:42:00.00
We look at this big
picture, this great controversy.
00:42:00.03\00:42:03.09
Imagine, if you would,
a violin playing a note.
00:42:03.10\00:42:06.00
A violin.
00:42:07.04\00:42:08.19
You're in a house,
maybe, with many rooms.
00:42:09.00\00:42:11.35
And you enter in a room,
and a violin is playing a note.
00:42:11.38\00:42:14.78
I like the violin.
00:42:15.44\00:42:16.44
I like the violin to
play more than a note though.
00:42:16.47\00:42:18.35
I go into the next
room and there's a cello.
00:42:18.38\00:42:20.08
There's my friend, Tim,
who's taking cello lessons.
00:42:20.11\00:42:22.75
And he's beautifully
playing one note on a cello.
00:42:23.05\00:42:26.89
I would prefer if
he played other notes,
00:42:26.92\00:42:28.51
but he's playing one note.
00:42:28.54\00:42:29.63
I go to another room,
and perhaps there's a flute
00:42:29.64\00:42:34.39
playing a note.
00:42:34.69\00:42:35.72
And the next room, a
trumpet or a French horn
00:42:35.75\00:42:38.95
or a clarinet or an oboe.
00:42:38.96\00:42:40.56
Maybe a timpani is beating
in one place and a glockenspiel
00:42:40.59\00:42:44.91
doing its thing in another.
00:42:44.94\00:42:46.61
And apart, they
don't make much beauty.
00:42:46.64\00:42:52.36
I'm not saying a violin
cannot make much beauty.
00:42:52.89\00:42:54.90
But remember, I
qualified this by saying they're
00:42:54.93\00:42:56.55
playing just
one note, maybe two.
00:42:56.58\00:42:58.34
Not much.
00:42:58.37\00:42:59.40
Bring them together
now, bring them together
00:42:59.41\00:43:05.23
and now you've got something
beautiful taking place.
00:43:05.64\00:43:09.52
When we look at the
Bible, a thought here,
00:43:09.55\00:43:12.35
a thought there, a doctrine
there, a teaching there,
00:43:12.38\00:43:15.82
a question in some other place,
00:43:15.85\00:43:17.71
this can make about
as much beautiful music
00:43:18.44\00:43:21.44
as instruments hidden away in
various rooms playing one note.
00:43:21.47\00:43:25.47
But bring them
together, the big picture,
00:43:25.50\00:43:28.05
maybe the orchestra under
the leadership of a conductor,
00:43:28.06\00:43:31.44
now you've got some harmony,
now you've got something
00:43:31.82\00:43:34.42
beautiful taking place.
00:43:34.45\00:43:35.65
When you begin to understand
the big picture in the Bible,
00:43:35.68\00:43:38.63
you can start to
make sense of questions.
00:43:38.66\00:43:40.98
You can start to
answer questions.
00:43:41.01\00:43:43.42
You can take ideas and
say, "I see how they fit.
00:43:43.45\00:43:46.18
I see where they go."
00:43:46.21\00:43:47.35
We go to Ephesians chapter 6
and God shines a little extra
00:43:47.38\00:43:51.10
light on what we see
taking place in the world today.
00:43:51.13\00:43:53.91
Ephesians
chapter 6 and verse 12.
00:43:54.90\00:43:57.01
It says, "We wrestle
not against flesh and blood,
00:43:57.02\00:43:59.18
but against
principalities, against powers,
00:43:59.91\00:44:02.04
against the rulers of
the darkness of this world,
00:44:02.05\00:44:04.08
against spiritual
wickedness in high places."
00:44:04.09\00:44:06.65
There is a war
taking place. A war.
00:44:06.85\00:44:09.91
You know what, I'm going to
read you a little quote that I
00:44:09.94\00:44:11.49
came across yesterday.
00:44:11.52\00:44:13.51
My wife shared this with me.
00:44:13.52\00:44:14.71
Was it my wife? I think so.
00:44:14.74\00:44:16.43
"We are on the
earth as combatants.
00:44:16.92\00:44:19.09
This is no time or
place for us to be negligent,
00:44:19.70\00:44:21.85
indifferent, or careless.
00:44:21.88\00:44:22.92
We have a heaven to
win and a hell to shun.
00:44:22.95\00:44:25.16
We are in an enemies country."
00:44:25.19\00:44:28.80
This is a hostile place.
00:44:29.91\00:44:31.85
You understand why
you have these lousy days.
00:44:32.36\00:44:34.82
You understand why
the devil seems to be
00:44:34.85\00:44:37.03
prodding you and poking you.
00:44:37.06\00:44:38.31
We're in a hostile
place. We're in enemy territory.
00:44:38.34\00:44:41.26
Let me read this.
00:44:41.51\00:44:42.62
"Every Christian should
understand that there is a
00:44:42.89\00:44:45.07
decided warfare going on
between the chosen people
00:44:45.08\00:44:47.88
of God and the
powers of darkness.
00:44:47.91\00:44:50.07
When men are content to
live merely for this world,
00:44:50.42\00:44:52.80
the inclination of the heart
unites with the suggestions of
00:44:53.39\00:44:56.33
the enemy, and
his bidding is done.
00:44:56.36\00:44:59.20
But when they seek to
leave the black banner of the
00:45:00.62\00:45:02.61
power of darkness, and
range themselves under the
00:45:02.64\00:45:05.87
bloodstained banner of Prince
Emmanuel, the struggle begins,
00:45:05.88\00:45:08.41
and the warfare is
carried on in the sight of
00:45:08.44\00:45:10.11
the universe of heaven.
00:45:10.12\00:45:11.12
Everyone who fights
on the side of right
00:45:11.51\00:45:13.64
must fight hand to
hand with the enemy."
00:45:13.67\00:45:15.67
There is an enemy.
00:45:15.70\00:45:17.74
And understanding the great
controversy; it's not really the
00:45:18.83\00:45:21.69
great controversy
between the enemy and us.
00:45:21.72\00:45:23.98
It's the great controversy
between Christ and Satan.
00:45:24.77\00:45:27.70
Because, you know, as
soon as there was sin,
00:45:28.50\00:45:30.15
there was a Savior.
00:45:30.18\00:45:31.36
And you go way back
to the beginning and
00:45:31.68\00:45:33.29
what did the devil do?
00:45:33.32\00:45:34.36
The devil said,
"Yea, hath God said..."
00:45:34.37\00:45:37.35
"Hath God, is that
really what God meant?
00:45:37.38\00:45:41.29
You know what God is doing?
00:45:41.32\00:45:42.54
He's keeping
good things from you.
00:45:42.57\00:45:44.33
He knows if you get
your hands on that fruit,
00:45:44.76\00:45:46.34
man, you'd know some stuff.
00:45:46.37\00:45:47.63
Your eyes would be opened.
00:45:47.66\00:45:48.82
You would be like Him.
00:45:48.85\00:45:51.36
And God doesn't want that."
00:45:51.39\00:45:53.24
Isn't it interesting
that Satan is saying,
00:45:53.27\00:45:56.05
"God doesn't want you
wanting to be like Him."
00:45:56.56\00:45:59.45
He knew that from experience.
00:46:00.39\00:46:02.62
"So eat the fruit.
00:46:03.49\00:46:04.70
Everything will be
so much better because
00:46:04.73\00:46:06.54
God is holding out on you."
00:46:06.57\00:46:08.40
And you know, I cannot
understand why Eve fell.
00:46:08.42\00:46:12.33
I just don't get it.
00:46:12.36\00:46:13.97
Mind you, if people like you
and me don't get why Eve fell,
00:46:14.75\00:46:17.70
maybe we should
start asking the question,
00:46:17.73\00:46:19.24
"Why is it that we fall?"
00:46:19.27\00:46:20.46
If we think there
was no excuse for her,
00:46:21.79\00:46:23.21
there is
certainly no excuse for us.
00:46:23.24\00:46:24.94
She fell because
there's a battle going on.
00:46:25.76\00:46:29.45
Satan seeks to misrepresent God.
00:46:29.48\00:46:32.85
Jesus steps in.
00:46:32.88\00:46:34.38
What did Jesus come
to this world to do?
00:46:34.41\00:46:36.33
I know the classic
answer, the textbook answer,
00:46:36.36\00:46:38.34
it's a good answer.
00:46:38.37\00:46:39.35
He came to this world
to save us from our sins.
00:46:39.38\00:46:41.26
But you know something?
00:46:41.27\00:46:42.27
There is a more important reason
why Jesus came to this earth.
00:46:42.30\00:46:44.67
More important. I have
that on good authority.
00:46:45.56\00:46:47.70
More important than dying
for our sins, Jesus came to this
00:46:48.15\00:46:51.77
earth to show the universe
what His Father is really like.
00:46:51.80\00:46:55.03
More important.
00:46:55.86\00:46:56.91
So before we think that
salvation is all about us,
00:46:56.94\00:47:00.58
and really it
isn't; it's all about God.
00:47:01.30\00:47:04.86
In coming to this earth, Jesus
demonstrated what God was like,
00:47:05.57\00:47:10.23
what the Father was truly like.
00:47:10.29\00:47:12.07
Answering finally and
forever the accusations made
00:47:12.10\00:47:15.73
by the devil, and anybody else
who wants to line up behind him,
00:47:15.76\00:47:18.98
accusing God of being
unfair, unjust, deceitful,
00:47:19.01\00:47:22.67
deceptive, untrue.
00:47:22.70\00:47:24.86
Jesus would come to this earth
and demonstrate to the universe
00:47:25.68\00:47:29.69
what God is really like
and what God can really do
00:47:29.72\00:47:33.76
in the lives of people who have
given themselves over to Him.
00:47:33.79\00:47:36.73
There is a
controversy raging, burning.
00:47:37.67\00:47:41.94
It's a controversy
between Christ and Satan.
00:47:41.97\00:47:44.60
Satan says, "God
isn't good. Follow me."
00:47:44.63\00:47:48.05
And you know what he does?
00:47:48.06\00:47:49.06
He uses truth, some truth,
he uses lies, he uses threats,
00:47:49.07\00:47:53.80
he uses flattery.
00:47:53.83\00:47:55.49
He uses just everything he can.
00:47:55.52\00:47:57.99
Jesus, on the other
hand, uses truth and love.
00:47:58.02\00:48:01.04
Truth and love.
00:48:01.05\00:48:02.57
Jesus says, "If you
will just follow Me,
00:48:02.60\00:48:05.77
if you'll just open up
your heart, if you'll just
00:48:05.78\00:48:10.25
consider the truth of My word,
then you'll know that there's
00:48:10.28\00:48:13.69
one place to stand in
this great controversy."
00:48:13.72\00:48:16.00
And that's right
where Jesus stands.
00:48:16.03\00:48:19.13
There is a battle raging.
00:48:19.16\00:48:20.90
I'll share a little story with
you in the time we have left
00:48:20.93\00:48:23.29
in 2 Kings chapter 6
that helps us understand
00:48:23.32\00:48:26.25
that there is a
story behind the story.
00:48:26.28\00:48:29.34
Behind the tragedies in
the world there is a story,
00:48:31.09\00:48:36.04
there is a great
controversy playing out.
00:48:36.07\00:48:38.10
Behind the false doctrines
that are being spread around
00:48:39.74\00:48:44.00
Christianity there
is a story, there is a
00:48:44.03\00:48:46.85
great controversy playing out.
00:48:46.88\00:48:48.25
You know, there's a
reason the devil told Mary Ellen
00:48:48.28\00:48:51.39
that God's going to burn
the babies forever and ever
00:48:51.42\00:48:53.85
and ever and ever.
00:48:53.86\00:48:54.86
There's a reason.
00:48:54.88\00:48:56.05
Because he knew that this
woman with a thinking mind
00:48:56.08\00:48:59.75
would come to the
place where she would say,
00:48:59.76\00:49:01.25
"I don't want to have
anything to do with that God."
00:49:01.28\00:49:02.85
See, misrepresenting
the character of God led
00:49:04.50\00:49:06.72
that dear lady out.
00:49:06.75\00:49:08.32
And not just out, but all the
way into the arms of the devil
00:49:08.35\00:49:11.84
who was just waiting for
her like this, "Come to daddy."
00:49:11.87\00:49:14.36
And she ran into his arms
and embraced him and said,
00:49:15.62\00:49:17.93
"I think this is
better than that."
00:49:17.94\00:49:19.64
Frankly, she was right.
00:49:21.34\00:49:23.61
Frankly, she was right.
00:49:24.50\00:49:25.54
The idea that God is a
monster; terrible idea.
00:49:25.57\00:49:28.94
It has made more atheists
than any other false teaching
00:49:28.95\00:49:31.29
you'll ever find.
00:49:31.32\00:49:32.36
2 Kings chapter 6,
pick it up in verse..
00:49:32.56\00:49:34.77
Where are we? Verse 8.
00:49:34.80\00:49:36.02
"The king of Syria
warred against Israel,
00:49:36.40\00:49:39.09
and took counsel
with his servants, saying,
00:49:39.12\00:49:41.12
'In such and such a
place shall be my camp.'"
00:49:41.15\00:49:43.60
Alright.
00:49:45.01\00:49:46.01
"The man of God sent to
the king of Israel, saying,
00:49:46.10\00:49:48.05
'Beware that you do
not pass such a place;
00:49:48.08\00:49:50.35
for there the
Syrians are come down.'"
00:49:50.76\00:49:53.44
Now you got that right?
00:49:53.47\00:49:54.48
The king of Syria said,
"Let's put our camp here."
00:49:54.83\00:49:57.20
And the prophet told the
king of Israel, "Don't go there
00:49:57.93\00:50:01.60
because the Syrians
have their camp there."
00:50:01.63\00:50:04.25
"And the king of Israel..."
00:50:05.08\00:50:06.31
Oh, I think we read that.
00:50:06.34\00:50:07.47
No we didn't.
00:50:07.83\00:50:08.95
"The king of Israel sent to
the place which the man of God
00:50:08.96\00:50:11.93
told him and warned him
of, and saved himself there,
00:50:11.96\00:50:15.37
not once nor twice."
00:50:15.40\00:50:17.45
You can imagine this
must have been frustrating
00:50:17.48\00:50:19.20
for the king of Syria.
00:50:19.23\00:50:20.34
Every time he had a plan,
it seemed like the Israelites
00:50:20.55\00:50:22.92
were a step ahead.
00:50:22.95\00:50:23.99
And how could that be?
00:50:24.02\00:50:25.55
"Therefore the heart of the
king of Syria was sore troubled,
00:50:26.63\00:50:29.48
sore troubled for this thing."
00:50:29.49\00:50:31.71
Now if you were to find a
colloquialism for that phrase,
00:50:32.40\00:50:36.35
"sore troubled," you could
probably find a colorful one.
00:50:36.38\00:50:38.76
He was sore troubled.
00:50:39.05\00:50:41.12
Where are we?
00:50:42.73\00:50:43.73
"And he called his
servants and said to them,
00:50:44.34\00:50:46.58
'Will you not show me which of
us is for the king of Israel?'"
00:50:46.61\00:50:50.19
"I've got a traitor
here. I am ticked off.
00:50:50.22\00:50:53.00
Somebody within my
ranks is telling them
00:50:53.01\00:50:56.01
what our plans are."
00:50:56.04\00:50:57.49
"And one of his servants
said, 'None, my lord, O king.
00:50:58.44\00:51:00.85
But Elisha, the prophet
that is in Israel, tells the
00:51:00.88\00:51:04.02
king of Israel the
words that thou speakest
00:51:04.03\00:51:06.61
in thy bedchamber.'"
00:51:06.64\00:51:09.45
That's fascinating.
00:51:11.03\00:51:12.18
You see, ladies and gentlemen,
there is something that's
00:51:12.97\00:51:14.66
going on behind the scenes.
00:51:14.69\00:51:17.12
We see this.
00:51:17.90\00:51:19.36
We don't see behind the
dimension that separates us
00:51:19.39\00:51:21.96
from that
unseen spiritual world.
00:51:21.99\00:51:24.06
And while that man
thought that he was sharing his
00:51:24.87\00:51:28.62
secrets in private, he
didn't realize that there was a
00:51:28.65\00:51:31.79
Watcher and a Holy One
hearing and taking note of
00:51:31.82\00:51:34.63
everything that was being
said and repeating that into the
00:51:34.64\00:51:37.14
heart of Elisha the prophet.
00:51:37.17\00:51:38.55
You see, there's
a battle going on.
00:51:38.58\00:51:40.65
We're not just
here and that's that.
00:51:41.43\00:51:44.84
We are the participants in
a titanic spiritual struggle
00:51:44.86\00:51:47.68
that involves
the entire universe.
00:51:47.71\00:51:49.46
"He said, 'Go and spy
where he is that I may
00:51:51.63\00:51:53.75
send and fetch him.'"
00:51:53.76\00:51:55.83
You know, I love
the power in the old
00:51:56.29\00:52:00.95
renderings of the Scripture.
00:52:00.98\00:52:02.24
But I had to look that word up.
00:52:02.25\00:52:03.38
Surely he didn't mean fetch.
00:52:03.41\00:52:05.00
I watched my
brother... My brother.
00:52:05.53\00:52:07.70
I was about to call him my dog.
00:52:07.73\00:52:08.96
I was watching my son
the other day play fetch
00:52:08.99\00:52:11.54
with a dog.
00:52:11.71\00:52:12.73
It was cool.
00:52:12.74\00:52:13.74
We were walking
along a path in a park.
00:52:13.75\00:52:16.14
And a dog just ran
up to him and plopped a
00:52:16.91\00:52:20.28
tennis ball at his feet.
00:52:20.31\00:52:21.79
A dog we had never met before.
00:52:21.80\00:52:23.72
And looked up at him as if
to say, "You know what to do."
00:52:23.75\00:52:26.73
And so he would throw that ball,
the dog would run after it.
00:52:27.83\00:52:31.17
It was a Border Collie.
00:52:31.20\00:52:32.47
Grab that ball
and bring it back.
00:52:32.50\00:52:34.04
That's fetch.
00:52:34.05\00:52:35.05
No, that's not the fetch
that he was talking about here.
00:52:35.08\00:52:37.79
He meant apprehend him,
arrest him, take him, grab him.
00:52:37.80\00:52:40.37
Get him.
00:52:41.01\00:52:42.01
Fetch him, will you.
00:52:42.63\00:52:44.61
"It was told him, saying,
'Behold, he is in Dothan.'
00:52:46.22\00:52:48.93
Therefore he sent to
Dothan horses, and chariots,
00:52:49.94\00:52:53.26
and a great host.
00:52:53.29\00:52:54.42
And they came by night,
and compassed the city about.
00:52:54.45\00:52:57.23
And when the servant of
the man of God was risen early
00:52:58.02\00:53:00.35
and gone forth, behold,
an host compassed the city
00:53:00.38\00:53:03.03
both with horses and chariots.
00:53:03.06\00:53:04.57
And his servant said
to him, 'Alas, my master!
00:53:04.60\00:53:08.23
How shall we do?'"
00:53:08.26\00:53:10.50
The servant was scared stiff.
00:53:12.46\00:53:14.93
He saw the enemy army come
and he realized when he did a
00:53:14.96\00:53:19.31
head count,
"They be more than we.
00:53:19.32\00:53:22.30
They are
mightier, they are stronger.
00:53:22.33\00:53:24.73
Our goose is cooked."
00:53:24.76\00:53:28.30
But he forgot there's a
great controversy raging.
00:53:29.23\00:53:32.53
There is something
going on behind the scenes.
00:53:32.56\00:53:36.02
You see, Satan is
jealous for his own glory.
00:53:36.05\00:53:40.94
He wants to misrepresent
God and manipulate the truth.
00:53:41.41\00:53:44.74
And maneuver in such a way as
your heart will be snatched off,
00:53:44.75\00:53:49.82
and left to wonder in
such a way that you're easy
00:53:51.15\00:53:54.04
pickings for the enemy of souls.
00:53:54.07\00:53:55.59
Easy.
00:53:55.62\00:53:56.62
The big picture tells
us that long ago there was
00:53:56.82\00:53:59.02
war in heaven; Satan rebelled.
00:53:59.05\00:54:00.65
He has come down,
here he is making war.
00:54:00.68\00:54:02.93
He will use any means he
can to get you away from Jesus.
00:54:02.96\00:54:08.04
He will lie and
he will misrepresent.
00:54:08.92\00:54:11.78
And he'll do it all.
00:54:11.81\00:54:13.50
On the other hand Jesus
says, "Oh no, wait a minute.
00:54:13.53\00:54:15.95
The Word of God is truth."
00:54:15.98\00:54:17.32
And He fights with that.
00:54:17.35\00:54:18.49
The Spirit of God
works in your heart.
00:54:18.52\00:54:21.16
Jesus came to this earth
and lived a perfectly good life
00:54:21.19\00:54:23.76
to show you what
God is really like.
00:54:23.79\00:54:26.17
Jesus said, "If you have
seen Me, you have..." What?
00:54:26.58\00:54:29.43
"...seen the Father."
00:54:29.44\00:54:30.72
There are people who
want to talk about God
00:54:30.73\00:54:32.76
as though He's
unjust and unfair.
00:54:32.79\00:54:34.64
Look at Jesus.
00:54:34.67\00:54:35.81
If you can just figure
out what Jesus is like,
00:54:35.84\00:54:38.54
you know what our
heavenly Father is like.
00:54:38.84\00:54:41.07
And He's here on this earth,
He was here on this earth,
00:54:41.81\00:54:44.43
representing God accurately.
00:54:44.98\00:54:47.37
Lifting up those who are fallen,
00:54:47.57\00:54:49.25
straightening out
those who are crooked,
00:54:50.20\00:54:52.09
forgiving those who are erring,
00:54:52.12\00:54:53.75
healing the sick
and raising the dead,
00:54:53.78\00:54:56.14
demonstrating to us
that God is a good God.
00:54:56.17\00:54:58.97
There's a battle raging.
00:54:59.00\00:55:00.94
We don't always see what's
going on behind the scenes.
00:55:00.97\00:55:03.23
"Alas, alas, master.
There's more of them than us.
00:55:04.17\00:55:07.03
We're in trouble out here."
00:55:07.04\00:55:08.54
"And he said, 'Fear not.
00:55:09.40\00:55:10.92
For they that be
with us are more than
00:55:10.95\00:55:13.38
they that be with them.'"
00:55:13.41\00:55:14.87
"How's that? Do the math, man.
00:55:15.31\00:55:16.88
There's more out
there than here."
00:55:18.56\00:55:20.12
"And Elisha prayed and
said, 'Lord, I pray thee,
00:55:20.15\00:55:22.23
open his eyes,
that he may see.'"
00:55:22.26\00:55:24.33
What a prayer.
00:55:24.94\00:55:26.07
"The Lord opened the eyes
of the young man; and he saw.
00:55:26.34\00:55:28.72
And behold, the
mountain was full of horses
00:55:28.75\00:55:30.80
and chariots of
fire round about Elisha."
00:55:30.81\00:55:33.01
When he saw that,
that's all he needed to see.
00:55:33.84\00:55:35.72
There's a prayer,
"Lord, open his eyes."
00:55:36.02\00:55:41.00
He appealed to God,
"Let this young man see
00:55:41.03\00:55:46.05
what's really
going on out there."
00:55:46.08\00:55:48.31
In this great controversy,
friends, maybe that's all
00:55:48.95\00:55:51.32
we need to pray.
00:55:51.33\00:55:52.43
Maybe that's all we need...
00:55:52.83\00:55:53.90
I shouldn't say that's all we
need to pray, but maybe that's
00:55:53.93\00:55:55.99
the most important
prayer that we can pray,
00:55:56.02\00:55:58.55
"Lord, open my eyes."
00:55:58.58\00:56:00.69
If my eyes are open,
then I'm going to see
00:56:01.16\00:56:02.80
whatever is going on.
00:56:02.81\00:56:03.85
God is not asleep at the
wheel, but He's in control.
00:56:03.86\00:56:06.74
I can pray when my
finances are a challenge,
00:56:07.91\00:56:11.18
"Lord, open my eyes," and then
I'll see that God is in control
00:56:11.21\00:56:14.03
even though I may feel as though
I'm in trouble financially.
00:56:14.06\00:56:17.73
Peter slept in the prison cell.
00:56:18.18\00:56:19.99
Appearances said,
"I'm going to die.
00:56:20.02\00:56:22.69
James just died, I'm in prison.
00:56:22.72\00:56:24.22
I'm next."
00:56:24.25\00:56:25.67
But his eyes were opened
and he could see that God
00:56:25.70\00:56:28.19
had a plan and
God was in control.
00:56:28.20\00:56:30.47
Daniel went to the lion's den.
00:56:30.50\00:56:31.78
He was going to be
lunch for a hungry cat.
00:56:31.79\00:56:33.60
Appearances said he was doomed.
00:56:34.22\00:56:36.42
But his eyes were
opened and he could see.
00:56:36.45\00:56:38.26
Lord, open my eyes.
Open our eyes, Lord.
00:56:38.29\00:56:40.68
Let us see that when
relationships are falling apart,
00:56:40.92\00:56:44.49
God is still in control.
00:56:44.52\00:56:46.74
I spoke to a man the other day.
00:56:46.77\00:56:48.68
They told him he
had pancreatic cancer.
00:56:49.53\00:56:51.39
Now we both know, pancreatic
cancer; that's a tough one.
00:56:52.19\00:56:54.55
Few people get
through that in one piece.
00:56:54.58\00:56:56.32
I said to him, "When
you were battling with that
00:56:56.74\00:56:59.83
terrible diagnosis, did
your faith in God help you?"
00:56:59.86\00:57:03.40
He said, "My faith
in God got me through."
00:57:03.43\00:57:06.00
You see, the
diagnosis said, "You might die."
00:57:06.01\00:57:08.65
Faith in God
said, "My eyes are open,
00:57:08.68\00:57:10.73
and I can see that whether I
live or die, God is in control."
00:57:10.76\00:57:15.19
Thank God the man
is alive and well.
00:57:16.20\00:57:18.15
And best of all,
his eyes are open.
00:57:18.99\00:57:21.54
Let our eyes be opened
in this great controversy.
00:57:21.57\00:57:23.72
That no matter what we
see, behind what we see
00:57:24.23\00:57:26.71
God is in control.
00:57:27.01\00:57:28.83