Welcome to Anchors of Truth
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
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The Great
Controversy with John Bradshaw.
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On last evening, my wife
and I were driving home from
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this auditorium,
from these meetings,
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driving down Thompsonville Road.
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A long road with
some twists and turns.
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And there ran out of the
bushes on the side of the road
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a small white animal.
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We didn't know what it was.
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But it darted out so fast
there was no time to stop,
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no time to hit the brakes.
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And of course, we hit it.
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And you know, you feel that
little bump under your tires
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as you're driving along.
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And Erma said,
"Well, what was it?"
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And I said, "I'm not sure."
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Because it happened so quickly.
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On the way back to work
this morning, we discovered that
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it was a fairly large possum.
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And my wife has a particular
sensitivity to hitting animals.
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It just makes you feel bad
when you feel that little bump
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under your tire and you
know you've taken a life.
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The Bible says that the heavens
declare the glory of God,
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the earth shows handiwork.
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But also in looking
at the natural world,
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we are given to understand
that there is a controversy,
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there is this pull
between life and death,
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good and evil,
darkness and light.
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I was jogging along our road,
Paulton Road, the other day.
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And someone had hit
a fairly large deer.
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And I had to jump
over it to keep from
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tripping over it myself.
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You know, you see a beautiful
animal like that lying on the
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side of the road damaged by
a car, it says something about
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life and death.
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I don't know what's
going to happen in heaven.
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I know there
will be no more death.
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I guess we
won't be driving cars.
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And when we're flying around,
I guess we won't bump into
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each other or bump into animals.
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There certainly
won't be any killing.
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I don't know quite how
that's going to work out, but I
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look forward to a time when
there will be no more death.
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And I think one of the
most traumatic things about
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living on planet earth is
the fact that the young get old,
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the old get
older, and the older die.
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And even that reality
is cut short sometimes
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by accidental death.
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Even the death of a
small squirrel or an animal.
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They are creations of God, so
they must mean something to Him.
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We know that Christ
didn't die to redeem animals.
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But if He cares
about the sparrow,
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He certainly cares about us.
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And He cares about the
death of those creatures
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that He has made.
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So we see a glimpse
of the great controversy.
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And that's what we're
talking about this very week.
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Our speaker is John Bradshaw.
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He is the speaker and
director for It Is Written.
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He does a very, very fine job.
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Just a nice guy.
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When you meet him, he's someone
that you like immediately.
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He is a student of the
Word, but he's also a student
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of human nature.
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And he lends
himself to individuals,
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and they are drawn to him.
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So we are very, very
pleased to have John Bradshaw
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with us this week.
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Tonight's particular
topic is going to focus on the
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controversial cross.
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We will be dealing with
the great controversy and
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its aspects and ramifications
throughout the course
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of these meetings.
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But tonight we will look
at the controversial cross.
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And I am quite sure
that we will be blessed
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as he comes and speaks to us.
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And he shall do so shortly.
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But we want to introduce
to you now a couple that has
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moved to our church in,
oh, the past year or so.
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We didn't know that they
were as talented as they are.
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He, Mike Berry, is a pianist.
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His wife, Celestine, or if you
would prefer, Celestine Berry,
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is a singer.
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He will play, she will
sing, and we will be blessed
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as she sings
this song, You Alone.
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We will have prayer,
we will hear the ministry
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of the Berry's, and then the
next voice that you will hear
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will be that of our speaker, our
friend, Pastor John Bradshaw.
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Shall we pray.
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Father God, we just
praise You and thank You
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for this, another opportunity,
to lift up the name of Jesus.
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We are thankful, Lord,
for the fact that Christ came,
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Christ lived, Christ
died, Christ rose again,
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Christ now ministers for us.
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And that one day soon, and
very soon, the great controversy
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will be over.
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Father, may we be
found ready and working,
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and as it were, waiting,
for the coming of the Lord.
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Speak now to our
hearts this night.
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Bless the speaker,
bless those who hear.
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May Christ be glorified.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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I'm C.A. Murray.
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It is my pleasure to introduce
now Michael and Celestine Berry.
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I lift my eyes
when I am troubled.
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I lift my
hands, I lift my heart.
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And there I stand
knowing nothing can defeat me,
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just as long as I
know where You are.
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In You alone is
where I find my comfort.
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In You alone,
You're my only hope.
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In You alone my heart
has found a resting place.
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In You alone, in You alone.
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So I won't fear
though darkness hides me.
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No, I won't let my courage sway.
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For You are near, and at
the brightness of Your glory
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the shadows of
the night melt away.
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In You alone is
promise I can cling to.
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In You alone,
You're my security.
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In You alone my soul
has found a dwelling place.
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Only in You alone.
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What could
separate me from Your love?
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Neither life nor
death, nor anything at all.
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Anything at all.
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In You alone is
where I find my comfort.
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In You alone,
You're my only hope.
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In You alone my heart
has found a resting place.
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Only in You alone.
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Only in You alone.
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Only in You alone.
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Well, all I can say is
thank the Lord and thank you.
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Good evening, everyone.
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A blessing to see
you tonight, a blessing.
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A blessing.
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It's always a blessing
when we can gather together
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to share the
Word of God together.
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Isn't that right?
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Every single solitary time.
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I have a feeling that tonight
we're going to be blessed.
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We're looking at a
subject very dear to my heart.
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It's the great controversy.
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Dr. Herb Douglas calls
the great controversy theme,
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the grand theme of the Bible.
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I'm inclined to agree with him.
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I think he got that right.
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The grand theme of the Bible.
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This great theme works
its way through the Bible
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like a golden thread.
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And it helps us pull together
the various subjects and
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thoughts of the
Bible and compiles them,
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if I can use that word, in a
way that helps us make sense.
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Sense of, if I can
say this, the Word of God.
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Sense of this crazed world.
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We can make sense of the
questions that trouble us,
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and stir us, and cause
us to lie awake at night.
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There is a big picture.
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We sort of introduced ourselves
to that thought last night.
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We'll go back to last
night and retrace our steps
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ever so slightly.
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And then press forward and
entertain some new thoughts
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this evening.
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I just want to say
how very thankful I am
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to be able to be
here and share with you.
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And I just can't resist the
opportunity to encourage you
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to get our It Is
Written "Daily Devotional."
00:10:16.81\00:10:21.38
It's 60 seconds long.
00:10:21.75\00:10:22.99
Now there are sometimes
that we go nuts and really
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blow it out big.
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We go from one
minute to two minutes.
00:10:28.37\00:10:30.57
And we figure that's
not going to be too hard
00:10:31.36\00:10:34.42
for people to take.
00:10:34.45\00:10:35.58
Every day there's a
brand new daily devotional.
00:10:35.80\00:10:38.20
It's either on our website
or we can email that to you,
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email the link to you.
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You just click the
link and then it pops up.
00:10:42.39\00:10:44.13
"Every Word" is the
name of the devotional.
00:10:44.75\00:10:46.50
Perhaps you've heard of it.
00:10:46.53\00:10:47.58
If you have, then good.
00:10:47.59\00:10:48.73
If you haven't, now you have.
00:10:48.74\00:10:50.17
And you can get that
every single day by going to
00:10:50.63\00:10:52.80
our website, itiswritten.com
and subscribing to it.
00:10:52.83\00:10:56.62
I'll tell you why this can
be a helpful thing for you,
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not just a
blessing in your own life.
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A friend of mine told
me about a person he met
00:11:02.90\00:11:05.83
through a business
dealing who said to him,
00:11:05.86\00:11:09.27
"I wish you would
tell me how it is that you
00:11:09.30\00:11:12.13
can be so positive every day.
00:11:12.16\00:11:15.19
What is it that
makes you so positive?"
00:11:15.51\00:11:18.06
And my friends said, "Well,
I have found that if I start
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my day with a spiritual thought,
then that will really be a
00:11:21.71\00:11:25.48
good thing that
will really help.
00:11:25.51\00:11:26.79
So here's what I do."
00:11:27.23\00:11:28.47
And he pulled out a little
card and he gave it to him.
00:11:28.50\00:11:30.10
It was one of
the Every Word cards.
00:11:30.13\00:11:31.48
He said, "I watch this
spiritual thought every day."
00:11:31.51\00:11:34.71
Now you know, this
was just his opening
00:11:35.37\00:11:38.21
discussion with this man.
00:11:38.41\00:11:39.59
He couldn't open up the Bible
to the book of Revelation and
00:11:39.62\00:11:41.71
take him to some heavy prophecy.
00:11:41.72\00:11:43.55
He had to start
somewhere, so he started here.
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"This is what I
look at every day.
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I find it a real blessing."
00:11:47.19\00:11:48.19
Two weeks later, the
man came to him and said,
00:11:48.22\00:11:49.93
"You won't believe
how blessed I have been
00:11:49.96\00:11:53.26
by getting that
devotional every day.
00:11:53.29\00:11:55.44
I get it, 60 seconds long.
00:11:55.46\00:11:57.10
I watch it and I just feel
so much better about myself,
00:11:57.13\00:11:59.66
about life, and
I'm closer to God."
00:11:59.69\00:12:00.99
And so on.
00:12:01.10\00:12:02.10
So it's something you
can share with others too.
00:12:02.11\00:12:03.68
Not just for
you, but for others.
00:12:03.71\00:12:05.07
Now I believe that
it's going to be a real help
00:12:05.37\00:12:08.46
in your life and in the lives
of others, as it is in mine.
00:12:08.49\00:12:10.70
I make sure I
watch it every day.
00:12:10.73\00:12:12.26
And there are
times that I am blessed.
00:12:12.55\00:12:13.81
So I hope you can be too.
00:12:14.01\00:12:16.40
If you want it again,
I'm just going to repeat it;
00:12:16.60\00:12:18.11
itiswritten.com,
that's where you go.
00:12:18.14\00:12:19.95
It's our little website.
00:12:19.96\00:12:21.18
And you'll find it right...
00:12:21.52\00:12:22.84
Now it use to be
big in front and center.
00:12:22.87\00:12:25.70
Now you have to look for it
a little bit because we've done
00:12:25.73\00:12:27.44
the Paris theme for our meetings
in Paris, France coming up.
00:12:27.47\00:12:30.59
But you find it
there and subscribe to it,
00:12:30.88\00:12:32.96
and that will
come to you regularly.
00:12:33.47\00:12:35.37
Every Word, a one
minute daily devotional.
00:12:35.40\00:12:37.60
And you'll be
blessed. Good share as well.
00:12:37.63\00:12:40.56
Well, let us pray now.
00:12:41.50\00:12:43.14
And not just ask God to bless
us, but expect God to bless us
00:12:43.79\00:12:48.26
as we study the Bible tonight.
00:12:48.56\00:12:50.05
Let's pray.
00:12:50.06\00:12:51.04
Our Father in heaven, we thank
You that we can come to You
00:12:53.57\00:12:56.09
tonight in the name of Jesus.
00:12:56.12\00:12:59.16
I am thankful to know that there
is a God on heaven's throne
00:13:01.44\00:13:05.44
who's heart is full
of love towards this
00:13:07.13\00:13:09.26
erring sinful world.
00:13:09.27\00:13:11.30
I thank You that Your Spirit is
with us tonight, and I pray that
00:13:12.63\00:13:15.71
You will be merciful towards
me, a faulty human vessel.
00:13:15.74\00:13:21.51
I pray that in spite of the
limitations of fallen humanity,
00:13:22.81\00:13:25.56
Your Spirit will still
work and touch our hearts.
00:13:25.59\00:13:27.93
So please Lord, would
You guide us and bless us.
00:13:29.43\00:13:31.45
And see to it that whatever
Your will for these next few
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minutes is, that it is done.
00:13:36.34\00:13:39.14
We thank You and we love You,
and we want to love You more.
00:13:40.08\00:13:44.48
And we ask that
You would work now.
00:13:45.45\00:13:47.47
I pray that over these next
few minutes, our focus will be
00:13:48.64\00:13:50.97
sharp, distractions will
be minimized or not at all,
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according to Your will.
00:13:55.53\00:13:56.79
Thank You for
gracing us with Your presence
00:13:58.40\00:14:00.02
and this opportunity to
gather around Your Word.
00:14:00.05\00:14:02.55
We thank You for it
and we pray in Jesus' name.
00:14:02.99\00:14:07.21
Let us say amen.
00:14:07.51\00:14:10.17
My wife, Melissa, is
fond of taking photographs.
00:14:13.60\00:14:18.22
And she had never really had a
decent photograph taking camera
00:14:19.71\00:14:25.53
until a couple of Christmas'
ago when an especially nice man
00:14:26.20\00:14:30.77
bought her a
camera for Christmas.
00:14:31.65\00:14:33.91
I won't tell you who that was.
00:14:36.14\00:14:37.32
And standard on the camera
is a 28 to 55 millimeter lens.
00:14:40.17\00:14:47.64
Now if you have
an SLR camera or a...
00:14:48.42\00:14:50.89
I don't know enough
about them to tell you
00:14:51.26\00:14:52.87
too many other kinds of cameras.
00:14:52.88\00:14:53.91
But a half decent camera.
00:14:53.94\00:14:55.67
It likely comes with something
like a 50 millimeter lens.
00:14:55.70\00:14:59.05
A 50 millimeter is standard.
00:14:59.08\00:15:00.89
If you have a 50 millimeter
lens and you look through a
00:15:00.92\00:15:03.74
50 millimeter lens,
then what you see is normal.
00:15:03.77\00:15:06.27
It's not zoomed in,
it's not pushed out.
00:15:06.30\00:15:09.30
50 millimeters is about normal.
00:15:09.90\00:15:12.03
Now my wife has a
lens, a standard lens,
00:15:13.05\00:15:15.32
that goes up to
55 and back to 28.
00:15:15.35\00:15:18.00
That's very helpful.
00:15:18.69\00:15:20.05
Because there are times
you are wanting to photograph
00:15:20.56\00:15:23.15
a group of people, and a
standard 55 millimeter lens
00:15:23.18\00:15:27.94
might just be too close.
00:15:27.97\00:15:30.54
Maybe a large group
of people and you don't
00:15:30.57\00:15:32.46
have room to get back.
00:15:32.47\00:15:33.48
Or you might be looking at
a view, some sort of vista,
00:15:33.51\00:15:37.94
maybe a cathedral or
a tree, or I don't know.
00:15:37.97\00:15:41.73
Whatever you want.
It could be anything.
00:15:41.76\00:15:43.41
And there are times that you
might want a lens a little wider
00:15:44.38\00:15:48.43
than 50 millimeters.
00:15:49.40\00:15:50.47
So this 28
millimeter thing, we find a...
00:15:50.50\00:15:53.48
Now it's not a fisheye lens.
00:15:53.49\00:15:55.99
If you've got an 8 millimeter
lens or a 10 millimeter lens,
00:15:56.02\00:15:59.40
now it brings you back
so wide you can see the
00:15:59.43\00:16:02.25
curvature of the earth.
00:16:02.28\00:16:03.33
You know, that's a fisheye lens.
00:16:03.36\00:16:04.87
You don't always want that.
00:16:04.90\00:16:06.38
You take a photo of someone like
this, and with a fisheye lens
00:16:06.68\00:16:09.23
the person is shown
leaning over like that.
00:16:09.26\00:16:11.36
That's okay if that's what
you want, but you don't always
00:16:12.46\00:16:14.46
want the subjects in
your photograph leaning over
00:16:14.49\00:16:16.53
like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
00:16:16.56\00:16:18.33
A 28 millimeter lens will
just allow you to pull back
00:16:19.08\00:16:21.39
a little bit and now
you can get the whole tree.
00:16:21.42\00:16:23.57
Now you can get the
whole group, everybody's head.
00:16:23.96\00:16:26.34
The whole cathedral, perhaps.
00:16:26.78\00:16:28.46
Or whatever it is
that you're looking at.
00:16:28.47\00:16:29.98
It's helpful.
00:16:29.99\00:16:31.21
Instead of just
seeing part of the building,
00:16:31.49\00:16:33.84
you get the whole building.
00:16:33.85\00:16:35.30
Instead of seeing
part of whatever it is
00:16:35.33\00:16:39.16
you're looking at, you
now can see the big picture.
00:16:39.19\00:16:45.58
And when we come to
the Bible, we want to see
00:16:46.61\00:16:49.96
not just the part,
but the big picture.
00:16:50.21\00:16:53.82
Again and again and
again it is demonstrated,
00:16:54.08\00:16:56.38
and I tell
people this frequently,
00:16:56.41\00:16:57.87
that if you are wrestling
with a verse in the Bible,
00:16:57.90\00:17:01.59
one verse, what you
want to do is step back from
00:17:01.62\00:17:04.84
that verse a little bit.
00:17:04.85\00:17:06.21
Broaden your field of view.
00:17:06.38\00:17:08.45
Instead of reading
that one verse and saying,
00:17:08.48\00:17:11.07
"What does this mean,"
00:17:11.10\00:17:12.91
you might want to read the
verse ahead and the verse after.
00:17:13.35\00:17:16.86
Three verses.
00:17:16.89\00:17:18.24
Or you might want to
read the entire chapter.
00:17:18.50\00:17:21.05
And then if you
want to get the chapter
00:17:21.08\00:17:23.66
in some sort of meaningful
context, you might even
00:17:23.69\00:17:26.41
need to read the whole book.
00:17:26.44\00:17:28.06
That works when you're
reading Ephesians or Galatians.
00:17:28.09\00:17:30.55
If it's Exodus, I
mean that's a big book.
00:17:30.56\00:17:32.22
But you know what I'm saying.
00:17:32.25\00:17:33.28
You want to see the
big picture when you come
00:17:34.38\00:17:36.94
to the subjects of the Bible.
00:17:36.97\00:17:39.22
These things are
of eternal importance.
00:17:39.25\00:17:41.11
We're dealing
with life and death.
00:17:41.14\00:17:43.62
And I mean eternal
life and eternal death.
00:17:43.65\00:17:45.84
Very, very important things.
00:17:45.87\00:17:47.82
And if you want to
back off a little bit
00:17:48.94\00:17:52.45
from some Bible verses and
you want to see the big picture,
00:17:52.48\00:17:56.18
then you might do
well to consider what we
00:17:57.21\00:17:59.07
started considering
last night when we were here.
00:17:59.10\00:18:02.34
We found out, and I don't expect
this is news to too many people,
00:18:03.32\00:18:06.15
but we found out that
we here on planet earth
00:18:06.18\00:18:08.27
are caught in the
middle of something.
00:18:08.30\00:18:09.83
A battle, a battle.
00:18:09.86\00:18:11.69
It's a controversy that rages
throughout the entire universe.
00:18:11.88\00:18:16.87
And we looked at some
passages last time we were here,
00:18:17.37\00:18:19.94
some Scripture references
to help us to understand
00:18:19.97\00:18:23.41
that long ago, in fact
you could say very long ago,
00:18:23.42\00:18:27.82
there was something that marred
the perfect peace of heaven.
00:18:27.85\00:18:34.03
It scarred heaven, I
could say, literally.
00:18:34.33\00:18:37.53
Literally it scarred heaven.
00:18:37.56\00:18:39.49
Inextricably, a rebellion
began deep in the heart of
00:18:40.40\00:18:45.53
one of the most
privileged angels ever created.
00:18:45.56\00:18:48.83
Lucifer, for some
reason, decided that he wanted
00:18:50.48\00:18:54.35
to be like the Most High.
00:18:54.38\00:18:58.14
He wanted to
stand in God's place.
00:18:58.57\00:19:01.06
He would be glad to receive
the leadership God exercised.
00:19:01.09\00:19:07.23
He wanted to receive
the honor due only to God.
00:19:07.26\00:19:10.54
And receive to himself worship
of which only God was worthy.
00:19:11.87\00:19:17.92
He was evicted from heaven.
00:19:18.97\00:19:20.84
Here to the earth he came.
00:19:20.87\00:19:23.26
And because sin cannot
help itself, and because Lucifer
00:19:24.59\00:19:28.30
was filled with a malignity that
burned white hot within him,
00:19:28.33\00:19:34.35
a bitter hatred for the God
of heaven and for everything
00:19:34.38\00:19:38.43
that God loved, because
Lucifer was that sort of being,
00:19:38.46\00:19:42.21
he immediately sough
to win the affections
00:19:42.24\00:19:44.93
of our first grandparents.
00:19:44.96\00:19:47.33
He sought to win their loyalty.
00:19:47.36\00:19:49.70
Adam and Eve were the
targets of his bitterness.
00:19:50.89\00:19:53.78
And in getting their allegiance,
Lucifer did here on earth
00:19:53.81\00:19:59.45
what he had done in heaven.
00:19:59.86\00:20:01.42
He lied.
00:20:01.45\00:20:03.02
We looked last night at some of
the lies in Genesis chapter 3,
00:20:03.47\00:20:06.95
"Has God really said..."
00:20:06.98\00:20:09.16
"God is only keeping that
fruit from you because He knows
00:20:09.17\00:20:12.12
if you eat it you'll be
like Him, you'll be as gods.
00:20:12.15\00:20:14.27
Your eyes will be open."
00:20:14.30\00:20:15.44
He lied.
00:20:15.70\00:20:16.69
Of course there was some truth.
00:20:16.72\00:20:18.74
They would know good
and evil, that's true.
00:20:18.77\00:20:21.29
But Lucifer is a master
at adding untruth to truth,
00:20:22.81\00:20:28.16
at adding error to what is
right and what is appropriate.
00:20:29.41\00:20:33.32
He lied. He lied about God.
00:20:33.35\00:20:36.88
And he misrepresented
even the character of God.
00:20:36.91\00:20:40.99
You know, there
are some remarkable
00:20:41.39\00:20:44.20
statistics in this world.
00:20:44.23\00:20:46.31
You will read statistics
in sports, and in finance,
00:20:46.62\00:20:52.04
and in history, and in science.
00:20:52.05\00:20:54.13
You read them in economics.
00:20:54.14\00:20:56.09
You read some
remarkable statistics.
00:20:56.12\00:20:58.10
But one of the most phenomenal
statistics that I have ever
00:20:59.07\00:21:02.24
come across is found
in Revelation chapter 12.
00:21:02.27\00:21:05.75
Why don't we just turn in our
Bibles to Revelation chapter 12.
00:21:05.78\00:21:09.15
In Revelation chapter 12,
you read a stunning statistic.
00:21:10.94\00:21:15.02
Revelation
chapter 12 and verse 4.
00:21:16.00\00:21:18.30
The Bible says, speaking of
Satan, that "his tail drew the
00:21:18.31\00:21:21.25
third part of the
stars of heaven and did
00:21:21.28\00:21:23.92
cast them to the earth."
00:21:23.95\00:21:25.02
We take this to mean
that when Lucifer fell,
00:21:25.05\00:21:27.38
one third of all of the
angels in heaven fell with him.
00:21:27.41\00:21:30.23
That's a phenomenal statistic.
00:21:30.26\00:21:32.94
Thirty-three and a third percent
of all the angels in heaven
00:21:32.97\00:21:36.83
sided with Lucifer,
arrayed themselves against God
00:21:36.86\00:21:42.29
in this thing.
00:21:42.30\00:21:43.31
That is just stunning.
00:21:43.34\00:21:45.42
There had never been any sin.
00:21:45.45\00:21:47.02
God had never lied.
00:21:47.05\00:21:48.49
God had never given a
single angel any reason
00:21:48.52\00:21:51.32
to turn against Him,
to even think against Him.
00:21:51.35\00:21:55.00
But by the time Lucifer
was done, one out of three
00:21:55.03\00:21:59.93
had rejected God and were
evicted from heaven with him.
00:22:00.80\00:22:04.21
Now that's a stunning statistic.
00:22:04.24\00:22:05.54
You know, in
old English history,
00:22:06.07\00:22:08.62
in old English
history there was something
00:22:10.48\00:22:11.88
terrible
called, the black death.
00:22:11.91\00:22:12.98
The black death
came in the 1300's.
00:22:13.01\00:22:14.55
Maybe late 12's, early
13's. Up through the 1300's.
00:22:14.58\00:22:17.69
The black death. Not
just England, but in Europe.
00:22:17.78\00:22:19.91
The black death was bad.
00:22:20.02\00:22:21.44
You know, I read that in
Oxford University when the
00:22:21.69\00:22:23.75
black death hit,
there were 30,000 students.
00:22:23.78\00:22:25.87
By the time it was done,
there were 10,000 students.
00:22:25.90\00:22:28.17
And we're not talking about
people who went home to be safe.
00:22:28.20\00:22:30.54
We're talking
about people who died.
00:22:30.57\00:22:32.36
In other parts, they say
50% of people died because
00:22:32.39\00:22:35.47
of the black death; 50%.
00:22:35.50\00:22:37.37
But think about that.
00:22:37.85\00:22:38.89
One in three; that
was a common statistic.
00:22:38.92\00:22:40.97
One in three people died.
00:22:40.98\00:22:42.40
And you say, "That's shocking."
00:22:42.43\00:22:45.26
I remember being in a
great African city and walking
00:22:45.29\00:22:47.45
down a street with my friend.
00:22:47.48\00:22:48.59
And we both had heard
that in this great city,
00:22:48.62\00:22:51.02
one in three
people were HIV positive.
00:22:51.05\00:22:53.52
And I must tell you, in the
interest of full disclosure,
00:22:54.23\00:22:56.43
that I revisited that statistic.
00:22:56.46\00:22:58.26
And the truth is,
it's now one in six; 17%.
00:22:58.29\00:23:01.84
That's a lot
better than one in three.
00:23:01.87\00:23:03.52
But that's a
tremendous statistic,
00:23:03.55\00:23:05.00
a staggering statistic.
00:23:05.03\00:23:06.08
Even one in six, man.
00:23:06.11\00:23:07.64
One in three people
died from a terrible disease.
00:23:08.28\00:23:11.91
One in six people are
facing a lifetime of difficulty,
00:23:11.94\00:23:14.52
and their family and their
friends are implicated in this,
00:23:14.55\00:23:16.81
because they have the
human immunodeficiency virus.
00:23:16.84\00:23:19.89
And it makes life
tremendously difficult.
00:23:19.92\00:23:21.45
And we thank God for advancement
in science and medicine.
00:23:21.46\00:23:24.49
We do.
00:23:24.52\00:23:25.57
But one in three!
That's a stunning statistic.
00:23:26.43\00:23:29.99
One in three of the
angels of heaven were
00:23:30.44\00:23:32.46
caught up in Lucifer's mess.
00:23:32.49\00:23:34.00
Stocking.
00:23:34.03\00:23:35.08
They were inflicted
with the black death of sin.
00:23:35.11\00:23:39.26
Unbelievably horrifying.
00:23:39.29\00:23:42.09
And from that time, Satan
has done everything he can to
00:23:42.12\00:23:44.75
draw people away from
God's great heart of love.
00:23:44.78\00:23:46.82
He has done everything he
can to obscure the beauty of
00:23:46.92\00:23:49.25
God's great gift of salvation.
00:23:49.28\00:23:50.92
Adam and Eve were
created in the enemy...
00:23:51.22\00:23:53.36
I'm thinking ahead.
00:23:54.18\00:23:55.28
Adam and Eve were
created in the image,
00:23:55.46\00:23:57.63
in the image of God.
00:23:57.96\00:23:59.57
And the enemy of souls
seeks to destroy anything that
00:23:59.94\00:24:02.66
he can find that has
even the last trace of the
00:24:02.69\00:24:06.38
image of God upon it.
00:24:06.41\00:24:07.71
At the end of time,
we see that God's image
00:24:08.34\00:24:10.83
is restored in human beings.
00:24:10.84\00:24:13.16
We'll get to that
before we're done tonight.
00:24:13.19\00:24:14.81
God's image is back where it
belongs; in those who are saved.
00:24:14.84\00:24:18.84
We see then that the plan
of salvation is far more than
00:24:18.87\00:24:22.85
human beings simply
being sorry for their sins.
00:24:22.88\00:24:25.10
We have sinners, Jesus
died, the saved go to heaven.
00:24:25.13\00:24:28.21
That's true, that's
part of it. But there's more.
00:24:28.82\00:24:31.00
This great controversy that
we are in, indeed, involves the
00:24:32.04\00:24:35.58
entire plan of salvation.
00:24:35.61\00:24:36.97
Salvation contemplates
our complete recovery from the
00:24:37.23\00:24:41.33
power of sin and our recreation
into the image of God through
00:24:41.36\00:24:45.63
faith in Jesus Christ and the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
00:24:45.64\00:24:49.34
We looked briefly last
night at a passage that
00:24:50.35\00:24:52.82
I want to revisit tonight.
00:24:52.85\00:24:54.37
Please, if you would,
turn with me to 2 Kings 6.
00:24:54.38\00:24:57.58
2 Kings chapter 6.
00:24:57.81\00:24:59.78
For even though we are
the targets of Satan's venom
00:24:59.79\00:25:02.73
and wrath, we can be assured
tonight and encouraged tonight.
00:25:02.76\00:25:09.53
For the sake of a
recap, for the sake of clarity,
00:25:10.41\00:25:15.08
I want to just revisit a couple
of points and expand upon them.
00:25:15.11\00:25:19.48
You understand that as we talk
about the great controversy,
00:25:19.51\00:25:21.92
we're into a series
that's going to take us
00:25:21.95\00:25:24.40
five parts to get done.
00:25:24.43\00:25:25.75
You could say the
best part of five hours.
00:25:25.78\00:25:28.00
So I would hate for you
to think that if you caught a
00:25:28.37\00:25:30.61
little bit, that
was the sum total of our
00:25:30.64\00:25:32.21
treatment upon this thing.
00:25:32.22\00:25:33.42
2 Kings chapter 6.
00:25:34.59\00:25:35.83
And what you find is that
Benhadad, the king of Syria,
00:25:35.86\00:25:38.20
is perplexed.
00:25:38.23\00:25:39.40
He was intent
on crushing Israel.
00:25:39.43\00:25:41.56
Think about this.
00:25:41.59\00:25:42.60
The enemy of God was
intent on crushing God's people.
00:25:42.63\00:25:45.65
This calls to mind, I'm
sure, the great controversy
00:25:46.09\00:25:48.45
in which we find ourselves.
00:25:48.48\00:25:49.89
As the people of God, we are the
subjects, we are the objects,
00:25:49.92\00:25:53.60
we are the targets,
00:25:53.61\00:25:54.97
of a hatred of
the enemy of souls.
00:25:56.75\00:25:59.58
We are up
against a foe, an enemy.
00:25:59.61\00:26:01.99
One who wants to
trouble us, and perplex us,
00:26:02.00\00:26:04.36
and weigh us down, and burden
us, and separate us from God.
00:26:04.39\00:26:07.83
Not only so that we'll be
lost, but think if you would,
00:26:07.86\00:26:11.77
Satan doesn't want
that we just be lost.
00:26:11.80\00:26:14.27
Satan wants that God's
character is disrespected,
00:26:14.30\00:26:17.91
misunderstood,
and misrepresented.
00:26:17.94\00:26:20.51
That's what makes
the enemy of souls happy.
00:26:20.54\00:26:23.65
For if God is misrepresented,
Satan's lies are validated.
00:26:23.68\00:26:27.29
There is a controversy here.
00:26:27.52\00:26:29.48
The created being is
up against the Creator,
00:26:29.51\00:26:32.06
putting on the Creator
his own hateful attributes.
00:26:32.27\00:26:35.65
"God is unfair, God
is unjust, God is a liar.
00:26:35.68\00:26:38.26
God is keeping
something back from you."
00:26:38.29\00:26:40.16
That's what Satan is.
He is all of those things.
00:26:40.50\00:26:42.78
Benhadad announces
his plans to his servants,
00:26:43.47\00:26:45.94
"We will camp here."
00:26:45.97\00:26:47.17
And then somehow, miraculously,
that plan is relayed to
00:26:47.87\00:26:51.43
King Joram through
the prophet of God.
00:26:51.44\00:26:55.03
"Don't go there," Elisha
says. "The Syrians are there."
00:26:55.22\00:26:57.58
This happened several
times so that the king of Syria
00:26:57.61\00:27:01.04
was beside himself.
00:27:01.07\00:27:02.21
"Who's ratting me out?
00:27:02.52\00:27:04.59
We've got a
traitor in our midst."
00:27:04.99\00:27:06.50
And one of the
servants said, "No, King.
00:27:06.53\00:27:07.84
No traitor, no traitor at all.
00:27:07.87\00:27:09.30
But the prophet Elisha,
he knows what's going on.
00:27:09.33\00:27:12.07
God has got a man down there
who's receiving communications."
00:27:13.35\00:27:17.41
The enemies plans
were foiled by one who
00:27:17.75\00:27:21.36
had the gift of prophecy.
00:27:21.39\00:27:23.27
I wonder if we can say here
that in this great controversy
00:27:25.03\00:27:29.93
it is good to know that God has
given us a prophetic message.
00:27:30.65\00:27:36.71
The Israelites were
embroiled in a controversy.
00:27:38.17\00:27:41.86
They were up against a
brutal and a vicious pagan king.
00:27:42.65\00:27:47.99
We are up
against the same thing.
00:27:48.02\00:27:49.96
And they would have
perished wholesale had not God
00:27:50.87\00:27:56.18
blessed that people group
with the gift of prophecy.
00:27:56.21\00:27:59.76
I don't believe this is
too early in our series on
00:28:00.91\00:28:03.00
the great controversy for me
to suggest that God has likewise
00:28:03.03\00:28:08.08
blessed His people
living down in the last days
00:28:08.11\00:28:10.63
that we be safe from
the attacks of a pagan king
00:28:10.66\00:28:14.20
by listening very carefully
to the gift of prophecy.
00:28:14.91\00:28:17.66
Can you say amen?
00:28:17.69\00:28:18.77
God has given us that gift
to keep us from falling prey to
00:28:19.22\00:28:22.83
Satan's strategies and schemes.
00:28:22.86\00:28:24.93
It is obvious God's people
would not have survived the
00:28:25.32\00:28:29.64
Syrian incursion
without the gift of prophecy.
00:28:29.67\00:28:33.52
If the prophet had been ignored,
the people would have perished.
00:28:33.75\00:28:39.10
There's that verse
in Scripture that says,
00:28:39.13\00:28:41.35
"Where there is no
vision, the people perish."
00:28:41.38\00:28:44.30
And I hope you'll
allow me to use that verse
00:28:44.33\00:28:46.04
homiletically here.
00:28:46.05\00:28:47.69
God knew that His people
were in the midst of something
00:28:48.42\00:28:51.28
much bigger than themselves.
00:28:51.31\00:28:53.01
God knew that His
people were not up to the task.
00:28:53.93\00:28:57.85
God blessed them.
00:28:57.88\00:29:00.09
He had told those
people, "You will be okay
00:29:00.12\00:29:04.31
if you'll learn to rely on Me.
00:29:04.34\00:29:06.74
I will never let you down.
00:29:06.77\00:29:08.18
I will never sell you upstream.
00:29:08.21\00:29:09.88
I will bless you with
every spiritual provision
00:29:09.89\00:29:12.82
that you need.
00:29:12.85\00:29:14.27
I'm giving you
the gift of prophecy.
00:29:14.57\00:29:17.27
Listen, trust, take heed.
00:29:17.30\00:29:20.07
Act on that special gift."
00:29:20.10\00:29:22.45
You know, God didn't
choose Israel because they were
00:29:22.48\00:29:24.40
the biggest and the baddest.
00:29:24.41\00:29:25.65
He didn't choose them
because they had all the weapons
00:29:25.85\00:29:27.77
and all the smarts
and all the skills.
00:29:27.78\00:29:29.32
In fact, we
know they were small.
00:29:29.35\00:29:32.19
They weren't the fiercest
people group in the Middle East.
00:29:32.22\00:29:34.31
They weren't the best trained.
00:29:34.34\00:29:35.76
They weren't a
warrior type of people.
00:29:35.79\00:29:38.46
But they were
willing to follow Him.
00:29:39.39\00:29:40.86
God said, "I will
bring you up out of Egypt and
00:29:40.89\00:29:43.15
you won't have to fire a shot.
00:29:43.16\00:29:45.05
I will drive your
enemies out of the Promised Land
00:29:45.78\00:29:47.90
before you get there even."
00:29:47.93\00:29:49.25
Well, not all of them.
00:29:49.28\00:29:50.33
"I'll send hornets
before you and run them off.
00:29:50.90\00:29:53.74
The Lord shall fight for you
and you shall hold your peace.
00:29:54.26\00:29:57.57
I will allow you to walk
across a river in flood stage.
00:29:57.60\00:30:01.05
I'll just stop the
thing from flowing.
00:30:01.08\00:30:03.37
I'll dam it up here and
let the water run down there.
00:30:04.42\00:30:06.90
You all just walk across."
00:30:06.93\00:30:08.41
I grew up on a river.
00:30:08.44\00:30:09.86
And I mean that
almost literally.
00:30:09.89\00:30:11.51
I can't say a stone's throw,
but if I had a cricket ball...
00:30:11.54\00:30:15.30
Now in civilized countries,
we don't have the baseball.
00:30:15.31\00:30:17.60
We have a cricket ball.
00:30:17.63\00:30:18.83
And if I had a cricket ball
and threw it about four times,
00:30:19.03\00:30:22.72
the fourth one would have
seen it roll down the river bank
00:30:23.11\00:30:25.90
and plop into the water.
00:30:25.91\00:30:26.95
I grew up near a river.
00:30:26.98\00:30:28.25
It was summer time
when the sandbank...
00:30:28.28\00:30:30.99
We called it the sandbank.
00:30:31.01\00:30:32.03
Out there in the
middle of the river almost.
00:30:32.04\00:30:33.50
The sandbank would come up.
00:30:33.51\00:30:34.85
Now nothing really came up, but
the river level would come down.
00:30:35.14\00:30:37.48
Lack of rain, and there
were hydroelectric power schemes
00:30:38.19\00:30:40.95
along that river, and so
the river level would drop down
00:30:40.98\00:30:44.27
and the sandbank would rise up.
00:30:44.30\00:30:46.05
And we could walk out.
00:30:46.06\00:30:47.98
Man, before you had to...
00:30:48.40\00:30:49.39
In fact, you wouldn't even
swim out because the sandbank
00:30:49.42\00:30:51.20
was under water and you wouldn't
swim out to stand on the water.
00:30:51.40\00:30:53.72
I mean, you couldn't
do anything out there.
00:30:53.75\00:30:56.82
But in the summer
time, the river was down.
00:30:57.73\00:31:00.57
But you could only go half way.
00:31:00.60\00:31:02.50
You got to the other side
of what we called the sandbank
00:31:02.53\00:31:04.68
and you saw that it dropped off.
00:31:04.71\00:31:06.05
Man, it was like
the Mariana Trench.
00:31:06.06\00:31:07.81
Nobody messed with
that part of the river.
00:31:09.10\00:31:11.08
But here's what God did.
00:31:11.72\00:31:12.91
He just stopped
the thing from flowing.
00:31:12.94\00:31:15.17
"If you just rely on Me."
00:31:15.84\00:31:18.92
I've said this before
and I will say it again,
00:31:18.95\00:31:20.89
all God really wants from
His people is that His people
00:31:21.21\00:31:24.58
let God be God.
00:31:24.61\00:31:27.45
If you just let God do His
job, He'll do it successfully
00:31:28.16\00:31:33.69
and you won't have a
thing to worry about.
00:31:33.72\00:31:36.23
God said, "I will do it
for you if you listen to Me."
00:31:36.50\00:31:40.62
And part of listening to God, a
major part of listening to God,
00:31:40.65\00:31:44.03
is listening to the
voice of the prophets.
00:31:44.04\00:31:45.74
Friends, if we will do
that, if we'll take our lead
00:31:45.77\00:31:50.08
from the testimony of Jesus,
which is the gift of prophecy.
00:31:50.11\00:31:54.88
If we can say, "The prophets
said it, I'm going to follow it.
00:31:55.31\00:31:58.59
I know it might not be
popular in all quarters,
00:31:58.79\00:32:00.86
but it sure is popular with God,
and so it's popular with me."
00:32:00.89\00:32:04.13
If we'll have the good sense
to say, "God has sent light
00:32:04.16\00:32:07.96
not just for us to
look at, but to walk in,"
00:32:07.99\00:32:11.13
if we walk in that
light, we can hardly go wrong.
00:32:11.16\00:32:15.05
If we'll have the tenacity
to say, "I'm hanging onto the
00:32:15.06\00:32:18.49
Word of God, and I'm hanging
onto the testimony of Jesus
00:32:18.52\00:32:21.45
because this is
light given us by God."
00:32:21.48\00:32:23.69
If like Joram you
have the good sense to say,
00:32:23.72\00:32:26.61
"This is God's message to me
and I will listen and trust,"
00:32:26.64\00:32:29.43
God can do something for you.
00:32:30.12\00:32:31.73
If they had rejected the
gift of prophecy back then,
00:32:31.76\00:32:34.95
they would have been wiped out.
00:32:34.98\00:32:36.97
If God's people were to reject
the gift of prophecy down here
00:32:36.98\00:32:40.06
at the end of time, there's
no way we would be able to stand
00:32:40.07\00:32:42.93
safely over on the other shore.
00:32:42.96\00:32:44.60
Remember in the great
controversy, God has sent you
00:32:46.01\00:32:48.69
heavenly guidance.
00:32:49.07\00:32:50.40
Heavenly.
00:32:50.41\00:32:51.41
I remember reading a
story about a fellow who,
00:32:51.43\00:32:53.75
during the cold
war, he was a pilot.
00:32:53.78\00:32:55.32
And I don't know just
what this guy did wrong,
00:32:55.35\00:32:57.47
but he found
himself, he got off course.
00:32:57.50\00:33:00.09
And by the time he
figured out what was going on,
00:33:00.12\00:33:01.91
he was way deep
into enemy territory.
00:33:01.94\00:33:04.09
Now for some reason,
he couldn't rely on his
00:33:04.26\00:33:06.37
navigational instruments.
00:33:06.40\00:33:07.56
And I don't know why.
00:33:07.59\00:33:08.59
But there was
something he could rely on.
00:33:09.19\00:33:10.57
He looked outside and he
could navigate by the stars.
00:33:10.60\00:33:13.50
And as he navigated by the stars
and as he followed the stars,
00:33:14.20\00:33:17.98
the guidance system worked.
00:33:18.31\00:33:20.81
It was an old
fashioned guidance system.
00:33:20.84\00:33:24.30
But it worked.
00:33:25.32\00:33:26.63
Friends, God has given us an
old fashioned guidance system;
00:33:26.64\00:33:30.67
the Word of God, the
testimony of Jesus Christ.
00:33:30.97\00:33:34.37
It might be old
fashioned, but it works.
00:33:34.40\00:33:37.67
It will help us in the battle,
it will help us against the foe.
00:33:37.70\00:33:41.30
It will see us victorious.
00:33:41.31\00:33:43.15
It might be old, but it
is tried and it is true.
00:33:43.18\00:33:47.92
And when everything
new might fail away,
00:33:47.95\00:33:50.64
there is something that's
going to stand like the heavens;
00:33:50.67\00:33:53.39
the Word of God and the
testimony of Jesus Christ.
00:33:53.42\00:33:57.39
You think Satan knows that?
00:33:58.10\00:33:59.50
I think he does.
00:34:01.39\00:34:02.59
That's why he plots,
and that's why he plans,
00:34:02.87\00:34:04.85
and that's sows doubt.
00:34:04.88\00:34:07.22
And that's why he gets people
to come off with you about,
00:34:08.69\00:34:11.12
"Well, you
can't trust anything."
00:34:11.15\00:34:12.41
"He said..."
Anything. "She said..."
00:34:12.44\00:34:13.63
"You can't trust that."
00:34:13.64\00:34:14.64
I'm telling you
that you can trust it.
00:34:14.65\00:34:16.14
You know what Satan does?
00:34:16.41\00:34:17.53
He studies and he watches.
00:34:17.56\00:34:19.12
It's part of the
great controversy.
00:34:19.57\00:34:21.18
I recently had an
interesting conversation with a
00:34:22.14\00:34:24.19
fellow named Will Baron.
00:34:24.22\00:34:25.69
Will is a tremendously
nice man. He's an English man.
00:34:26.35\00:34:28.77
That probably helps.
00:34:29.41\00:34:31.04
He wrote a book
about 20 years ago called,
00:34:31.80\00:34:33.39
Deceived By The New Age.
00:34:33.42\00:34:35.08
If you haven't read that
book and you do, you'll find it
00:34:35.65\00:34:37.63
very, very interesting.
00:34:37.66\00:34:38.99
But we sat down and had a
conversation for an upcoming
00:34:39.22\00:34:41.30
It Is Written
television program.
00:34:41.33\00:34:42.81
We're going to look at, in
this program, on the affects
00:34:43.40\00:34:46.22
of the New Age in the
world and in the church today.
00:34:46.23\00:34:49.30
And you can think about the
New Age in very broad terms.
00:34:49.87\00:34:52.22
You know, it's not just
the Harry Potter movement,
00:34:52.25\00:34:53.75
but it's yoga and
it's any number of things.
00:34:53.78\00:34:57.49
And Will said that when he
was in the New Age movement,
00:34:58.53\00:35:01.79
he was a New Age priest.
00:35:01.82\00:35:03.46
He was a high flyer
in the New Age movement.
00:35:03.86\00:35:06.28
He said that the spirit
guides came to him and others
00:35:07.47\00:35:10.12
at their New Age group.
00:35:10.15\00:35:11.20
And when I say "spirit guides,"
what am I really meaning?
00:35:11.23\00:35:13.27
Demons, exactly.
00:35:13.84\00:35:15.08
And they came and they
said, "We want you now,
00:35:15.11\00:35:17.53
not just to be a New
Age group, but to flip over
00:35:17.56\00:35:19.59
and now be a Christian church.
00:35:19.62\00:35:22.18
To show yourself to
be a Christian church."
00:35:23.60\00:35:26.65
Now the demons weren't
saying, "Go be Christians."
00:35:27.48\00:35:30.12
The demons said, "We want you
to model as a Christian church
00:35:31.03\00:35:34.60
so as to be able to
better deceive Christians."
00:35:34.63\00:35:39.19
This is what's interesting.
00:35:40.30\00:35:41.45
The spirit guides...
00:35:41.86\00:35:42.99
And what were the
spirit guides? They were what?
00:35:43.02\00:35:44.74
Demons. That's right.
00:35:45.46\00:35:46.48
They came and they said,
"Here's what we want you to do.
00:35:46.52\00:35:48.97
I want you to go into
Christian churches and meet with
00:35:48.98\00:35:51.73
Christians and teach them
New Age meditation techniques."
00:35:51.76\00:35:55.73
Are you hearing me?
00:35:57.30\00:35:58.50
Isn't that something?
00:35:59.52\00:36:00.70
And we say, is it just
circumstance or happenstance
00:36:01.47\00:36:05.41
that various things pop up
in churches around the world?
00:36:05.44\00:36:08.36
No.
00:36:09.15\00:36:10.18
Ladies and
gentlemen, Satan is smart.
00:36:10.37\00:36:12.95
I have said before that I
aspire to be as good at my job
00:36:13.71\00:36:17.08
as he is at his.
00:36:17.11\00:36:18.59
He's smart.
00:36:19.44\00:36:20.81
And he's not just letting things
go and letting things happen.
00:36:21.76\00:36:24.47
He is calculating and he is
working and he is manipulating
00:36:24.73\00:36:28.89
and he is pulling strings.
00:36:28.90\00:36:30.35
Remarkable.
00:36:30.36\00:36:31.36
You'll want to see that
program when it comes up.
00:36:31.37\00:36:32.77
And you'll be able
to watch it right here.
00:36:32.80\00:36:34.24
The point is,
Satan is in earnest.
00:36:35.66\00:36:38.31
And what's going
on in this world today
00:36:39.07\00:36:41.17
as a controversy rages
between right and wrong,
00:36:41.44\00:36:44.08
light and dark,
between Christ and Satan,
00:36:44.11\00:36:46.27
it's not just an accident.
00:36:47.69\00:36:50.50
But there is
something intentionally
00:36:50.65\00:36:52.71
that is taking place.
00:36:52.74\00:36:54.29
Satan is the master conspirator.
00:36:55.39\00:36:58.82
And there is a conspiracy afoot.
00:36:59.37\00:37:01.60
Now I run the risk of digressing
just a little bit here,
00:37:02.75\00:37:05.04
but I cannot help myself.
00:37:05.07\00:37:06.64
So I'm going to have to.
00:37:07.43\00:37:08.75
Mentioning conspiracies
brings something to mind.
00:37:09.28\00:37:12.35
You know, there are always
people you're going to find
00:37:12.38\00:37:14.59
who are obsessed with
conspiracies, and conspirators,
00:37:14.62\00:37:18.54
and conspiracy theories.
00:37:18.57\00:37:19.86
Have you noticed that?
00:37:20.31\00:37:21.45
I'm about to lose
at least one friend.
00:37:22.03\00:37:23.86
But it's
probably worth the price.
00:37:25.45\00:37:27.62
I would like to encourage
those who spend their time
00:37:29.11\00:37:33.87
studying the fine points
of the trilateral commission,
00:37:33.90\00:37:37.80
and the Bilderbergers,
and the Illuminati,
00:37:37.83\00:37:41.42
to find a pursuit more
worthy of your energies.
00:37:42.09\00:37:46.27
I'm not suggesting that
one should be ignorant entirely
00:37:47.83\00:37:51.65
about such things.
00:37:51.68\00:37:53.16
But I encounter people who
read about this stuff online
00:37:55.50\00:37:58.00
and they study about this stuff.
00:37:58.03\00:37:59.31
And it becomes their stuff.
00:37:59.34\00:38:00.84
I met a kid...
00:38:00.85\00:38:01.86
That's
disrespectful to call him a kid.
00:38:01.87\00:38:03.37
I met a young man recently
and he said that when he
00:38:03.38\00:38:05.30
came to the church, someone
got a hold of him and started
00:38:05.31\00:38:07.92
sharing with him
some of this stuff.
00:38:07.93\00:38:09.23
He said, "I woke up one day and
found that all I was studying
00:38:09.26\00:38:11.61
was about conspiracy theories
and I wasn't studying my Bible.
00:38:11.64\00:38:14.48
I knew the conspiracy theories,
00:38:14.88\00:38:16.85
but I didn't know Jesus."
00:38:17.34\00:38:18.84
We make a great mistake.
00:38:19.45\00:38:21.16
I've read the book
of Revelation and I find
00:38:21.69\00:38:23.40
no mention of the Illuminati.
00:38:23.43\00:38:25.55
None.
00:38:25.85\00:38:26.85
I have read other good
books that comment on the Bible
00:38:27.81\00:38:30.94
and none of the reliable ones
mention the conspiracy theories.
00:38:31.61\00:38:34.62
I'm not suggesting
that they're not out there.
00:38:34.65\00:38:36.66
But there are people
who want to rush up to me
00:38:36.88\00:38:38.71
and talk to me
about Bohemian Grove.
00:38:38.74\00:38:40.36
They've never been there.
00:38:40.39\00:38:41.62
They don't know
anyone who's been there.
00:38:42.22\00:38:43.47
They read about
it on the internet.
00:38:43.50\00:38:44.61
And of course everything
you read on the internet
00:38:44.64\00:38:46.20
has to be what?
00:38:46.23\00:38:47.43
Has to be true.
00:38:47.44\00:38:49.27
Especially when
it's about something that
00:38:49.75\00:38:51.96
you can't validate.
00:38:51.98\00:38:53.85
You know, there's a
reason I don't know anything
00:38:54.91\00:38:56.50
about secret societies.
00:38:56.51\00:38:57.62
You know what that reason is?
00:38:57.65\00:38:58.75
They're secret.
00:38:59.75\00:39:01.01
And if they're so secretive,
how do we have so many
00:39:02.32\00:39:04.54
experts in our midst
who can tell you all of the
00:39:04.55\00:39:06.28
last details about them?
00:39:06.29\00:39:07.39
Ladies and gentlemen, if
you want to study anything,
00:39:07.54\00:39:11.00
study the Bible.
00:39:11.03\00:39:12.43
If you want to be up on
something, be up on Jesus.
00:39:12.46\00:39:15.27
If you really want to
know who the enemy is,
00:39:15.30\00:39:17.21
the enemy is Satan.
00:39:17.24\00:39:18.43
If you want to know
who he's working through,
00:39:18.46\00:39:19.95
he's working through the beast.
00:39:19.98\00:39:21.25
Study that.
00:39:21.28\00:39:22.58
And I'm not going to
say that everyone else
00:39:23.09\00:39:25.22
is absolved of guilt.
00:39:25.25\00:39:26.98
I'm not here to
pretend that there's not other
00:39:27.01\00:39:29.29
interesting things you
might be able to learn.
00:39:29.32\00:39:30.92
I'm not trying to say
that people associated with
00:39:30.93\00:39:33.19
this group or that
group or some other group
00:39:33.22\00:39:34.77
are all choir boys.
00:39:34.78\00:39:35.85
I don't mean that.
00:39:35.88\00:39:37.11
But part of Satan's
great conspiracy is to get
00:39:37.79\00:39:41.10
people so worked up
over the conspiracies
00:39:41.13\00:39:43.89
that they go cold on
Jesus and wonder away from the
00:39:43.92\00:39:47.07
truths that are central
to the great controversy.
00:39:47.10\00:39:49.68
It's important that we let the
main things be the main things.
00:39:51.42\00:39:54.22
You know, I was talking
to a group the other night
00:39:55.17\00:39:57.31
and I said to a lady...
00:39:58.30\00:39:59.98
She was sitting right
by the piano, so I took her
00:39:59.99\00:40:01.50
for a piano player.
00:40:01.52\00:40:02.57
And I said, "Would you
sit at the piano, please."
00:40:02.64\00:40:04.22
I put her right on the
spot and I took a bit of a risk.
00:40:04.25\00:40:06.02
I said, "Would you
play a major cord, please?"
00:40:06.05\00:40:09.18
And she played a major chord.
00:40:09.21\00:40:10.53
Beautiful.
00:40:12.08\00:40:13.08
Now I asked the congregation,
"Do we need these major chords?"
00:40:13.44\00:40:16.30
"Oh, yes we do."
00:40:16.33\00:40:17.55
I asked her, "Would you
please play a minor chord?"
00:40:17.58\00:40:19.78
And the minor chords wasn't...
00:40:20.64\00:40:21.80
It was like...
00:40:22.66\00:40:23.66
I don't do a minor chord any
better than I do a major chord.
00:40:25.83\00:40:28.12
But I tried.
00:40:28.15\00:40:29.94
Now the minor chords,
they don't sound very nice.
00:40:30.88\00:40:33.18
They sound all
sort of suspenseful.
00:40:33.51\00:40:36.05
I don't like it.
00:40:37.54\00:40:38.62
But I asked the congregation,
"Do we need the minor chords?"
00:40:39.40\00:40:41.42
"Yes, we need the minor chords."
00:40:41.43\00:40:43.25
The major chord needs to be
complimented by the minor chord.
00:40:43.28\00:40:45.94
But you know, when the
minor chords overtake the thing
00:40:45.96\00:40:48.20
and all you're
getting are minor chords,
00:40:48.42\00:40:49.79
I end up feeling a
little bit uncomfortable.
00:40:49.82\00:40:51.45
Now somebody who's a
composer or an expert in music
00:40:51.48\00:40:53.79
will help me to understand there
is an exception to that rule.
00:40:53.82\00:40:55.84
I know that.
00:40:55.87\00:40:57.07
But thumb your way
through the hymnal and you will
00:40:57.52\00:41:00.01
find that the
minor chords are minor.
00:41:00.04\00:41:02.76
And the major chords are major.
00:41:03.14\00:41:05.08
Friend, if you're going to
hum a tune, a biblical tune,
00:41:05.39\00:41:08.27
let it be filled with
major chords and let the
00:41:08.30\00:41:11.47
minor chords be the
exception rather than the rule.
00:41:11.48\00:41:14.38
I hope I've said
enough about that.
00:41:14.74\00:41:16.48
The worst thing about
this stuff is sometimes it
00:41:17.02\00:41:19.01
just sucks up your time.
00:41:19.04\00:41:20.59
And you're not an
expert in Jesus anymore,
00:41:20.62\00:41:22.47
you're an expert
in the conspiracies.
00:41:22.50\00:41:24.23
God has given us a message.
00:41:24.81\00:41:26.33
It's the three angels messages.
00:41:26.72\00:41:29.42
Now back in Elisha's time...
00:41:29.45\00:41:31.06
We don't want to
lose our thread here.
00:41:31.09\00:41:32.44
In Elisha's time, they
were confronted by a pagan king,
00:41:33.00\00:41:35.54
just like Satan, planning
the demise of God's people.
00:41:35.57\00:41:39.00
Here's what I want you to see.
00:41:39.03\00:41:40.52
I want you to see
that there was something
00:41:40.55\00:41:42.95
going on behind the scenes.
00:41:42.98\00:41:44.41
The people were
embroiled in a controversy,
00:41:44.44\00:41:46.84
but there was something
going on behind the scenes.
00:41:46.85\00:41:49.91
They said, "That's it,
let's go wipe these guys out."
00:41:50.21\00:41:52.33
They went down to Dothan, they
found that Elisha was there.
00:41:52.36\00:41:54.77
They got
themselves down to Dothan.
00:41:54.80\00:41:56.64
And the servant of the man of
God saw all these cats and said,
00:41:57.48\00:42:00.36
"Man, this isn't good.
What are we going to do?
00:42:00.39\00:42:02.68
There are so many of them."
00:42:02.71\00:42:03.92
And the word came
back, "Now hang on, fear not.
00:42:03.95\00:42:07.11
They that be with us are more
than they that be with them."
00:42:07.12\00:42:10.12
Elisha prayed,
"Open up his eyes, Lord."
00:42:10.15\00:42:12.12
The man's eyes were
opened and he saw horses and
00:42:12.15\00:42:15.24
chariots of fire round about.
00:42:15.27\00:42:16.84
See, listen.
00:42:16.85\00:42:17.89
Behind the scenes in
the great controversy,
00:42:17.92\00:42:19.74
there are things you cannot see.
00:42:19.77\00:42:21.27
God is at work.
00:42:21.30\00:42:22.63
And you can rely on that
and you can count on that.
00:42:22.64\00:42:25.23
You can know that in
this battle, the numbers
00:42:25.26\00:42:28.51
are on the side
of the child of God.
00:42:28.54\00:42:30.38
If Christ is with you, just you,
then you are in the majority.
00:42:30.62\00:42:34.46
You and Jesus
equals a huge majority.
00:42:34.49\00:42:38.24
It doesn't mean your life will
always be peaches and cream.
00:42:38.27\00:42:40.81
It doesn't mean it will always
be weather like San Diego.
00:42:40.84\00:42:44.16
Sometimes there's
going to be a frost
00:42:44.19\00:42:46.02
on the ground of your life.
00:42:46.04\00:42:47.47
Sometimes the winds
will blow, maybe mighty hard.
00:42:47.52\00:42:49.79
There may be
things that will topple.
00:42:49.82\00:42:51.48
But if Christ is with you,
then you can be confident of
00:42:52.30\00:42:55.77
deliverance and
ultimate victory.
00:42:55.97\00:42:58.95
We are involved in
something out here.
00:42:58.98\00:43:01.00
An angel, and
angry angel, rebelled.
00:43:01.03\00:43:04.44
Sin entered the universe.
00:43:04.47\00:43:06.31
God could have
ended it just like that
00:43:06.32\00:43:09.74
by destroying Satan.
00:43:10.15\00:43:11.55
But if He had, He
wouldn't have ended it.
00:43:12.77\00:43:14.53
He would have just begun it.
00:43:14.56\00:43:15.96
If God has wiped out Satan,
He would have been opening up a
00:43:16.61\00:43:18.99
Pandora's box.
00:43:19.00\00:43:20.34
And there was no way of
telling all that would have
00:43:20.35\00:43:24.36
climbed out of that thing
and destabilized the universe.
00:43:24.37\00:43:29.09
God could have put
it down, but He said,
00:43:29.51\00:43:31.07
"In this great
controversy, let's do something.
00:43:31.10\00:43:33.01
Let sin run its course."
00:43:33.04\00:43:34.85
Why? Satan has
raised accusations.
00:43:34.88\00:43:37.10
"I could deny them, but
that wouldn't prove anything.
00:43:37.13\00:43:39.33
Let's let sin run its course."
00:43:40.03\00:43:41.69
Satan has made
certain claims about himself.
00:43:41.72\00:43:44.47
"I could destroy him,
but what would that do?"
00:43:44.73\00:43:47.01
It would just
cause doubt to rise.
00:43:47.04\00:43:48.78
Fear would enter the universe.
00:43:48.81\00:43:50.43
People would be scared stiff.
00:43:50.46\00:43:52.19
And they'd all say,
"Maybe Satan was right."
00:43:52.20\00:43:55.98
Let's let this run its course.
00:43:56.51\00:43:59.55
And everybody is going
to have the opportunity to
00:44:01.01\00:44:02.95
allow this wretched
thing called sin play out.
00:44:02.98\00:44:06.30
The cost would be high.
00:44:06.33\00:44:08.10
It meant that people would
get sick and people would die.
00:44:08.13\00:44:10.84
And there would be tragedy, and
there would be premature death.
00:44:10.87\00:44:13.50
And there would be babies
born ill and there would be
00:44:13.53\00:44:15.70
marriages that fell apart.
00:44:15.73\00:44:17.06
The cost would be high.
00:44:17.09\00:44:18.13
But our grandparents,
Adam and Eve, were told
00:44:18.14\00:44:20.02
the cost would be high;
sin would lead to death.
00:44:20.03\00:44:22.92
You reap what you sow.
00:44:23.63\00:44:24.81
They sinned; death
came into this universe.
00:44:24.84\00:44:27.04
The cost would be high.
00:44:27.14\00:44:28.30
How high?
00:44:28.33\00:44:29.51
The cost would
encompass something as valuable
00:44:29.54\00:44:33.67
as the life of Jesus Christ.
00:44:33.70\00:44:36.76
Sin entered this world.
00:44:36.79\00:44:39.88
And when it did, the death
warrant of Jesus was signed.
00:44:40.97\00:44:44.15
Because it was
agreed ahead of time.
00:44:44.18\00:44:45.72
In fact, let me read
you something I read here.
00:44:45.75\00:44:47.72
"God made the
world to enlarge heaven."
00:44:48.00\00:44:49.92
I like that.
00:44:49.93\00:44:50.93
"God made the
world to enlarge heaven."
00:44:50.95\00:44:52.64
He desired a larger family.
00:44:52.67\00:44:54.99
How cool is that?
00:44:55.35\00:44:56.85
Why did God bring
you into this world?
00:44:57.18\00:44:58.80
So that you can live forever.
00:44:58.83\00:45:00.31
So that God could have
you as part of His family.
00:45:00.59\00:45:03.22
So that Jesus could
have you as a sister
00:45:03.25\00:45:05.68
or as a brother, forever.
00:45:05.69\00:45:07.49
God brought this thing into
existence so that we would be
00:45:07.79\00:45:10.55
blessed beyond our
capacity to imagine.
00:45:10.58\00:45:13.09
Back to the quote.
00:45:13.10\00:45:14.11
"And before man was created,
God and Christ entered into a
00:45:14.81\00:45:17.54
covenant that if he," that's
man, "fell from his allegiance,
00:45:17.55\00:45:20.86
Christ would bear the
penalty for transgression.
00:45:20.89\00:45:24.00
Man fell, but he was not left
to the power of the destroyer.
00:45:25.45\00:45:28.25
'God so loved the world, that
He gave His only begotten Son,
00:45:28.28\00:45:30.92
that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish,
00:45:30.95\00:45:33.92
but have...'" What?
00:45:33.93\00:45:34.93
Yes, everlasting life.
00:45:35.05\00:45:36.70
"To the Redeemer was
given all power to impart to
00:45:36.73\00:45:40.20
fallen human beings for
their benefit and blessing."
00:45:40.21\00:45:44.90
Look, sin came.
Jesus didn't leave us.
00:45:44.93\00:45:47.56
He said, "I'll
take care of that.
00:45:47.59\00:45:48.90
And I will give you everything
you need; every benefit,
00:45:48.93\00:45:52.12
every blessing, every advantage.
00:45:52.15\00:45:54.06
I will give it to you so
that you're not going to be
00:45:54.09\00:45:55.95
rudderless out
here in this world."
00:45:55.98\00:45:57.74
Satan says, "I will
be like the Most High."
00:45:57.77\00:46:00.83
We can't know all that he said.
00:46:01.32\00:46:02.60
That's not in
the biblical record.
00:46:02.63\00:46:04.01
You know that he lied and
he schemed and he connived
00:46:04.04\00:46:06.33
and he was cunning.
00:46:06.36\00:46:07.35
And he misrepresented God.
00:46:07.38\00:46:08.96
The rebellion had to have huge
affect on the entire universe.
00:46:09.33\00:46:12.57
People, angels, wondering what
is the truth of all of this.
00:46:12.60\00:46:16.50
What's God really all about?
00:46:17.60\00:46:19.38
What's really going on?
00:46:19.41\00:46:21.03
Where did Lucifer
come up with these ideas?
00:46:21.06\00:46:23.17
Is God just?
00:46:23.20\00:46:25.16
Is His law just?
00:46:25.60\00:46:28.26
Questions that demanded answers.
00:46:28.29\00:46:30.59
Could God's law be
kept by human beings?
00:46:30.79\00:46:33.42
Because after all, Adam
and Eve were put on the earth
00:46:33.45\00:46:35.36
and they fell.
00:46:35.39\00:46:36.51
God has got this perfect law,
maybe that whole law is unjust.
00:46:37.49\00:46:41.73
And Lucifer might have said,
"If they can't keep the law,
00:46:42.23\00:46:46.28
and I didn't keep the law,
we're all on the same level.
00:46:47.18\00:46:51.09
If You're going to save them,
You ought to save me as well."
00:46:51.26\00:46:55.33
As a race of people, we
find ourselves, because of sin,
00:46:56.88\00:47:00.33
hopeless and helpless.
00:47:00.34\00:47:01.95
How could we get
out of this mess.
00:47:02.53\00:47:03.76
I have good news for you.
00:47:03.79\00:47:04.86
We're going to cram all the good
news into just a few minutes.
00:47:04.89\00:47:07.25
When Jesus came to this earth,
He came not just to succeed
00:47:07.89\00:47:10.78
where we failed, but to
demonstrate to the universe
00:47:10.80\00:47:12.86
what God was really like.
00:47:12.87\00:47:14.23
And frankly, if you
stop and think about it,
00:47:14.44\00:47:16.15
the larger purpose was
demonstrating to the universe
00:47:16.18\00:47:18.63
what God's character was like.
00:47:18.66\00:47:20.10
Whether we're saved or
lost has to only be secondary.
00:47:20.13\00:47:22.55
The glory of
God must be supreme.
00:47:22.58\00:47:25.18
Remember when David went
into battle with Goliath?
00:47:25.58\00:47:27.65
What was motivating David wasn't
the drive to kill a giant.
00:47:29.63\00:47:33.86
Wasn't the drive to
marry the king's daughter.
00:47:34.33\00:47:36.27
He said, "Who is this person,
this uncircumcised heathen,
00:47:36.30\00:47:39.91
who's dishonoring God?"
00:47:39.94\00:47:41.68
He was going to see to
it that God was honored.
00:47:42.11\00:47:44.20
That's got to be our motivation
out here; the honor of God.
00:47:44.21\00:47:47.52
"What's wrong with this
sin that I'm committing?"
00:47:47.55\00:47:49.63
Hang on, you're
asking the wrong question.
00:47:49.66\00:47:51.24
The question is, "Where's
the honor of God in this?"
00:47:51.27\00:47:53.84
"Do I really need to do
this thing to get to heaven?"
00:47:54.43\00:47:56.60
Stop, stop. Number
1, you don't do nothing.
00:47:56.63\00:47:58.73
You yield and Jesus
does the doing in your life,
00:47:58.80\00:48:01.40
with your cooperation.
00:48:01.43\00:48:02.43
Christ in you,
the hope of glory.
00:48:02.44\00:48:03.84
But secondly, you don't want to
be asking ticky tacky questions.
00:48:03.87\00:48:07.07
You want to ask
the big question,
00:48:07.10\00:48:08.47
"Where is the honor
of God in all of this?
00:48:08.48\00:48:11.78
How is God
glorified in all of this?"
00:48:11.81\00:48:15.17
That's the question.
00:48:15.45\00:48:16.69
Jesus came to this earth to
restore in us the image of God.
00:48:16.89\00:48:21.27
That's one of the keys
of the gospel; restoration.
00:48:21.28\00:48:24.38
Restoration in us God's image.
00:48:24.69\00:48:26.64
To restore in us
the image of our Maker.
00:48:26.67\00:48:28.61
"If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to..." What?
00:48:28.64\00:48:32.21
"...forgive
us..." Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:48:32.42\00:48:33.73
And to do what?
00:48:33.76\00:48:35.23
"...cleanse us from
all unrighteousness."
00:48:35.47\00:48:37.79
Get out of us the black death
of sin and into us the new life
00:48:37.82\00:48:41.75
that comes when the
image of God is restored in us.
00:48:41.78\00:48:45.74
Jesus would come,
He would pay our debt.
00:48:45.77\00:48:47.67
Fallen into sin,
prisoners in a world now that
00:48:47.87\00:48:51.74
is being claimed by Satan.
00:48:51.77\00:48:53.11
Jesus came to pay the debt
and give us the opportunity
00:48:53.12\00:48:56.11
to choose life and not death.
00:48:56.14\00:48:57.80
Now we still have that choice.
00:48:58.05\00:48:59.37
You can choose
death if you want.
00:48:59.40\00:49:00.46
It's a foolish
choice, but you can do it.
00:49:00.49\00:49:02.08
When John Wesley was
coming to the place that he was
00:49:03.01\00:49:05.89
founding Methodism, he had an
argument with George Whitefield,
00:49:05.92\00:49:08.45
or Whitfield...
00:49:08.46\00:49:09.52
It's spelled Whitefield,
but some of these English people
00:49:09.53\00:49:11.51
like to say Whitfield.
00:49:11.54\00:49:12.62
So whatever you
want to say, say.
00:49:13.84\00:49:15.64
But Whitfield was a Calvinist.
00:49:16.67\00:49:17.76
He believed that
there was no free choice.
00:49:17.80\00:49:20.67
He believed you're
either born to be saved or lost,
00:49:21.64\00:49:23.51
and there was nothing
you could do about either.
00:49:23.54\00:49:25.05
You're either damned to be
damned or damned to be saved.
00:49:25.63\00:49:28.04
What could you do?
00:49:28.07\00:49:29.23
John Wesley said
that this idea "made God
00:49:30.08\00:49:32.69
to be worse than the devil."
00:49:32.72\00:49:34.00
That's an exact quote.
00:49:34.03\00:49:35.03
God gave us choice, "Choose ye
this day whom you will serve."
00:49:35.52\00:49:39.36
"Whoever comes to Me, I
will by no means cast out."
00:49:39.37\00:49:42.40
There at Lincoln
College in Oxford, they had some
00:49:42.41\00:49:44.19
discussions, you understand.
00:49:44.22\00:49:45.65
Christ would die on the
cross to give us a choice.
00:49:46.45\00:49:49.07
God told the serpent,
"You will bruise His heel,
00:49:49.10\00:49:52.08
but He is going
to bruise your head."
00:49:52.36\00:49:54.79
I have to tell you, I don't have
a soft spot for serpents at all.
00:49:54.82\00:49:57.91
I know people, they
keep snakes as pets.
00:49:57.94\00:50:00.15
I don't know why?
00:50:00.18\00:50:01.23
I think it's evidence
of a form of insanity.
00:50:02.33\00:50:05.37
Can I say that? A form.
00:50:05.40\00:50:06.73
Maybe a pretty gentle
form, but a form of insanity.
00:50:07.44\00:50:10.10
What do you
want one of them for?
00:50:10.47\00:50:11.86
No disrespect.
00:50:14.12\00:50:15.36
Well, okay, truthfully a little
bit of disrespect intended.
00:50:15.39\00:50:18.00
I think you could say.
00:50:18.03\00:50:19.05
Jesus would
bruise the snakes head.
00:50:21.73\00:50:24.20
He would bruise his head.
00:50:25.84\00:50:27.30
How would He do that?
00:50:27.33\00:50:28.81
He would do it at the cross.
00:50:28.84\00:50:30.44
That cross which would
end up being the focal point
00:50:31.94\00:50:34.41
of this great controversy.
00:50:34.44\00:50:35.86
Everything before,
in the minds of some,
00:50:36.33\00:50:40.80
raised questions about God and
His goodness and His kingdom,
00:50:41.97\00:50:46.05
and His kindness and His love.
00:50:46.08\00:50:48.30
Everything after, all you've got
to do is look back at the cross
00:50:48.88\00:50:53.36
and say, "That settles it."
00:50:53.39\00:50:54.86
God is good, look at the cross.
00:50:55.57\00:50:58.24
You think the great
controversy costs you something.
00:50:58.27\00:51:00.57
Stop and think
about what it cost God.
00:51:00.88\00:51:04.36
He gave His only begotten Son.
00:51:05.01\00:51:06.77
Now listen, I tread on
thin ice when I say this.
00:51:06.80\00:51:09.83
If I gave my only begotten son,
in as much as he's my only son,
00:51:10.09\00:51:13.92
I can't even imagine how
I would breathe after that.
00:51:15.51\00:51:17.62
My boy is 11
years old, coming up 12.
00:51:17.93\00:51:20.15
He's at the place now that
he's reminding me; almost 12.
00:51:20.57\00:51:23.82
How old was Jesus
when He died on the cross?
00:51:27.89\00:51:30.22
Now you might say
33, and you'd be right.
00:51:30.23\00:51:32.46
But come on now,
how old was Jesus?
00:51:32.49\00:51:34.31
Can you imagine how attached
God and Jesus had to have been?
00:51:34.77\00:51:37.62
They had been
together for how long?
00:51:38.33\00:51:39.41
Tell me.
00:51:39.44\00:51:40.47
Forever. How long is forever?
00:51:40.83\00:51:42.17
A long time.
00:51:42.89\00:51:43.90
And God...
00:51:44.48\00:51:45.89
I haven't had to send
my kids off to college.
00:51:46.29\00:51:49.16
I have friends, they weep
when their kids go to college.
00:51:49.19\00:51:51.52
We have other
friends who celebrate
00:51:51.88\00:51:53.16
when their kids go to college.
00:51:53.17\00:51:54.17
That's another matter.
00:51:54.18\00:51:55.18
They weep.
00:51:55.19\00:51:56.28
Imagine when God fare
welled Jesus and sent Him
00:51:56.70\00:51:58.85
down to this earth.
00:51:58.86\00:52:00.04
What a battle, what a struggle.
00:52:00.45\00:52:01.74
What a struggle, but Jesus
came because the serpent's head
00:52:01.77\00:52:05.76
had to be bruised.
00:52:05.79\00:52:06.86
That meant the price
for our sins had to be paid.
00:52:06.89\00:52:10.26
And also it would
be demonstrated before
00:52:10.27\00:52:12.62
this universe once and
for all that God was love.
00:52:12.65\00:52:17.00
He would demonstrate on
the cross the character of God.
00:52:17.03\00:52:20.55
Love; Jesus
hanging on the cross.
00:52:20.58\00:52:23.09
"God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son."
00:52:23.12\00:52:27.73
When Jesus is on the cross...
00:52:27.76\00:52:29.48
What does that verse say?
00:52:29.51\00:52:31.20
"While we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us."
00:52:31.23\00:52:34.82
He died for His enemies.
00:52:34.85\00:52:37.20
He didn't just give
His enemies money for food,
00:52:37.70\00:52:41.84
He died for His enemies.
00:52:41.87\00:52:44.16
Died knowing that most of
them would spit on His grave.
00:52:44.19\00:52:48.07
Yet He died for them anyway.
00:52:48.10\00:52:49.99
That's love.
00:52:50.24\00:52:51.29
Enemies nailed Him to a cross.
00:52:51.30\00:52:53.24
And as He was being nailed to
a cross, He breathed a prayer,
00:52:53.58\00:52:57.08
"Father, forgive them
because they don't even know
00:52:57.09\00:53:00.44
what they're doing."
00:53:00.45\00:53:01.47
Who else would have done that?
00:53:01.50\00:53:03.21
Nails being stuck in their
hands and feet, "Forgive them."
00:53:03.24\00:53:06.70
Most of us would have
called down the curse of heaven.
00:53:08.11\00:53:11.77
Heavenly intelligences had
the right then to think about
00:53:13.09\00:53:17.17
Satan's charges.
00:53:17.20\00:53:18.73
I don't know what was
in the minds of the angels.
00:53:20.01\00:53:21.68
I don't know, so I'm
not going to try to pretend.
00:53:21.71\00:53:23.66
But any angel who had
ever wondered now saw Jesus
00:53:24.18\00:53:27.75
lay down and stretch
out His arms on that cross.
00:53:27.78\00:53:30.31
They didn't wonder
anymore. They knew.
00:53:30.34\00:53:31.99
And I just wonder
now, I'm just wondering.
00:53:32.02\00:53:33.81
And it's dangerous
to wonder too much.
00:53:33.84\00:53:36.27
But I'm wondering,
what do you think the
00:53:36.28\00:53:38.23
fallen angels were thinking?
00:53:38.26\00:53:39.82
When they saw Jesus carry
His cross, carry that thing,
00:53:40.80\00:53:44.09
thorns on His
brow, back whipped open.
00:53:45.44\00:53:47.84
He carried His own cross.
00:53:47.85\00:53:49.19
He got up to the top of
Calvary, He didn't protest.
00:53:49.22\00:53:51.84
He laid down on the cross
and stretched out His arms.
00:53:51.87\00:53:53.93
What did the demons think?
00:53:53.96\00:53:55.37
Don't you think one of the
demons had to have thought,
00:53:55.38\00:53:57.47
"Wait a minute, this
isn't what we were told.
00:53:57.50\00:53:59.33
We were told He was lousy.
We were told God was unfair.
00:54:00.13\00:54:02.78
But I'm not seeing any
lousiness and unfairness
00:54:02.81\00:54:05.70
being demonstrated here."
00:54:05.73\00:54:06.97
I don't pretend to think
that they were about to repent.
00:54:07.82\00:54:09.78
I have no idea.
00:54:09.81\00:54:11.07
Too late by then anyway.
00:54:12.12\00:54:13.75
But I just imagine if
something thrilled the
00:54:13.95\00:54:16.70
heart of a fallen angel.
00:54:16.73\00:54:17.76
Maybe they were just so
cold it didn't matter anymore.
00:54:17.79\00:54:19.97
The cross answered the charges,
the arguments, the claims,
00:54:21.10\00:54:27.06
the lies of Satan.
00:54:27.09\00:54:29.51
The cross would uplift and
refine and ennoble human kind.
00:54:30.49\00:54:35.00
The door was open wide now.
00:54:35.35\00:54:37.83
Salvation was before us.
00:54:38.32\00:54:40.40
Heaven was not locked.
00:54:40.43\00:54:42.14
God's goodness and
God's grace had been dispensed
00:54:43.22\00:54:46.88
since time began.
00:54:46.91\00:54:48.38
Don't make the
mistake of thinking grace
00:54:48.41\00:54:50.56
only happened after the cross.
00:54:50.59\00:54:52.22
Noah and Lot, in fact everybody
who was saved back then,
00:54:52.25\00:54:55.83
saved by grace
through faith in the Messiah.
00:54:55.86\00:54:58.26
Just the Messiah who
was to come rather than the
00:54:58.29\00:55:00.41
Messiah who has come.
00:55:00.42\00:55:01.52
But through this gift
of the cross, human beings
00:55:02.69\00:55:06.01
would be lifted up,
human beings would be refined,
00:55:06.04\00:55:09.04
our price would be paid.
00:55:09.07\00:55:11.20
That sins price would be paid.
00:55:11.23\00:55:13.35
Debt would be lifted,
burdens would be lifted.
00:55:13.38\00:55:16.27
Debts would be cancelled.
00:55:17.52\00:55:19.37
Cross would see
to it Jesus died.
00:55:19.86\00:55:21.86
He said, "It is finished."
00:55:21.89\00:55:24.38
And it was finished.
00:55:25.14\00:55:26.46
It was accomplished
when Jesus died on the cross.
00:55:26.49\00:55:29.32
When Jesus died on the
cross, now the image of God
00:55:30.07\00:55:33.75
could be restored
in fallen humanity.
00:55:33.78\00:55:35.99
Oh thank God for what
the cross accomplished.
00:55:36.64\00:55:40.13
Oh thank God for
what Jesus did on Calvary.
00:55:40.16\00:55:43.45
Carried that cross up the hill.
00:55:43.48\00:55:45.68
Laid down on the cross.
00:55:45.71\00:55:47.50
Nails put in His hands and feet.
00:55:47.53\00:55:49.89
Lifted up and dropped
that cross, dropped down in the
00:55:49.90\00:55:52.52
hole with a thud.
00:55:52.55\00:55:54.12
Christ was in agony.
00:55:54.42\00:55:56.19
But the cross demonstrated
to the world, Satan is a liar.
00:55:56.49\00:55:59.95
The cross demonstrated to the
world, God is able to restore
00:55:59.98\00:56:03.91
in you His own image.
00:56:03.94\00:56:05.58
The cross told us we are
not under a sentence that
00:56:05.61\00:56:08.87
damns us forever,
but now we are free.
00:56:08.88\00:56:11.73
Chains are gone.
00:56:11.76\00:56:13.39
Sin does not have to
drag you down to hell.
00:56:13.40\00:56:15.88
The old mind
doesn't have to stay old.
00:56:15.89\00:56:18.29
This has been done,
price has been paid,
00:56:18.32\00:56:21.27
burdens are disappeared.
00:56:21.30\00:56:22.81
Jesus has died on the cross.
00:56:22.82\00:56:24.73
Opened to us heaven's storehouse
of grace and blessings forever.
00:56:24.74\00:56:29.64
Because Jesus died,
answering Satan's charges.
00:56:30.05\00:56:33.56
Friend, we have a great
God and a mighty Savior.
00:56:33.59\00:56:36.24
And as the time ticks
away, in our time this evening
00:56:38.71\00:56:40.70
we're going to pray briefly
00:56:40.73\00:56:42.06
and ask that Jesus would
make real forever what He
00:56:43.02\00:56:45.63
accomplished when
He died at Calvary.
00:56:45.66\00:56:47.00
Would you pray with me.
00:56:47.03\00:56:48.07
Our Father, we are thankful
that as undeserving as we are
00:56:48.09\00:56:55.62
You, in Your goodness, allowed
Your Son, Jesus, to die for us.
00:56:56.63\00:57:00.14
You showed us what
You are really like
00:57:01.25\00:57:03.38
and settled forever
Satan's charges against You.
00:57:03.41\00:57:06.17
As we study on, open our
eyes and hearts and minds.
00:57:06.20\00:57:08.97
Thank You for
blessing us tonight.
00:57:08.98\00:57:10.32
And we pray in
Jesus' name, amen.
00:57:10.35\00:57:14.25
I'm thankful that
you've been here tonight.
00:57:14.85\00:57:16.28
And I'm thankful that
you have been here tonight.
00:57:16.29\00:57:18.03
God bless you.
00:57:18.36\00:57:19.42
Be sure to join us next
time as we study our next part,
00:57:19.52\00:57:23.38
part 3 in our study here
on The Great Controversy.
00:57:23.41\00:57:27.04
God bless you and good night.
00:57:27.06\00:57:29.71