Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
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Decoding Apocalyptic
Prophecy with James Rafferty.
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Hello friends and welcome to
another Anchors Of Truth series
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here in Thompsonville
at the 3ABN Worship Center.
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We thank you for tuning
in for the fifth and final
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of five
presentations by James Rafferty,
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who is the
co-Director and Speaker of
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Light Bearers Ministry.
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He and Ty have been teaching
and traveling the world.
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Not only themselves, but the
literatures that they produce
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by the millions, by
the multiple millions,
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have been sowing seeds around
the world getting a harvest
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for the kingdom ready
for the coming of our Lord.
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And so for the next hour or
so, we would encourage you to
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sit down and get your Bibles.
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We are in the
book of Revelation.
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And we have learned quite a
bit over the last four meetings.
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Can you say amen to that?
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And so join us as we
walk through the pages that
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God intends for us to
understand in these last days.
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We'd like to thank
you also for your prayers
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and all of your
support that you give to 3ABN.
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Whether you have
come to volunteer or not,
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whatever you do for
the cause of Christ,
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we surely do appreciate it.
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But now we'd like to
invite you to pray with us
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as we go before the Lord
and ask for the power from earth
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to heaven to connect together.
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Our Father in heaven, we thank
You, Lord, for this afternoon,
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for the opportunity
once again to be fed from
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the living Word of God.
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We know that when we
sit at the table of Christ,
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we never partake of food
that is devoid of nourishment.
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And so, Lord, help us today
to hunger and to thirst after
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righteousness
that we may be filled.
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We pray a blessing on your
manservant, James Rafferty,
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as he has broken for
us the words of life.
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And this book, the book of
Revelation, continues to reveal
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over and over that the
central person of its message
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is none other than Jesus Christ.
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And so Lord, through
the message this afternoon
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entitled, Marks And Seals,
help us to see You more clearly.
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May the challenge to our lives
be received and lived up to
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by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
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And we pray this in
Jesus' precious name, amen.
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I've been given the opportunity
to sing another song at the
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final meeting here.
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And I thought to do something
a little different before
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I just chose a song.
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I said, well what
song could I sing?
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And I chose to do a song
entitled, I Surrender All.
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And the Lord tapped me on
my back to kind of find out,
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well what is the
story behind this song?
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And I discovered
something very interesting.
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A young man by the name
of Judson W. Van DeVenter,
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born in 1855, he was
raised in a Christian home.
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And at age 17, he
gave his life to the Lord.
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Now he gave his
life to the Lord,
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accepted Jesus as
his personal Savior.
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As he went on through life,
he got a degree in a university
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and he became very successful
in business as well as in music.
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He was a Methodist
choir director in the
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Methodist Episcopal Church.
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But as he was tossed between
whether he was going to be a
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businessman or whether
he was going to concentrate
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his life on music, he
continued in that journey.
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And for 5 years, he struggled
as to what he was going to do.
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And finally in the year
1896, he surrendered his desires
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completely to the Lord.
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Now there's a difference
between surrendering your life
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and surrendering your desires.
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And in that year 1896,
after he surrendered his desires
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to the Lord, he wrote
down the lyrics to this song,
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I Surrender All.
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He never made it a song.
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He just wrote down the lyrics.
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And a man by the
name of Winfield S. Weeden
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later on found those
lyrics and put music to it.
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And Weeden loved that
song so much that when he died,
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on his tombstone were the
three words, "I surrender all."
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And so there are those
who may have given their lives
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to Christ but have not
yet surrendered their desires.
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I pray that as I share
this song, we can go from just
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surrendering our lives to
also surrendering our desires
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to the Lord.
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All to Jesus I surrender,
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all to Him I freely give.
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I will ever love and trust Him,
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in His presence daily live.
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I surrender all,
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I surrender all.
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All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
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I surrender all.
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All to Jesus I surrender,
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humbly at His feet I bow.
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Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
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take me, Jesus, take me now.
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I surrender all,
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oh I surrender my all.
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All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
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I surrender all.
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I surrender my all,
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oh I surrender all.
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To You, my Lord,
and to You, my Savior,
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I surrender all.
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All to Jesus I now surrender,
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for I feel that sacred flame.
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Oh, the joy of full salvation;
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glory, glory, to Your name.
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I surrender my all,
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Lord I surrender all.
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All to You, my blessed Savior,
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I surrender all.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Powerful. I surrender all.
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That's what it
takes when we are...
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Oh, I don't know.
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I don't want to
say "confronted."
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...faced with, when
we come in contact with
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Jesus and truth.
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It takes a full
surrender sometimes.
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I know that's what it took for
me when I first started studying
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the topics that we're
going to be talking about
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in this last meeting together.
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Seals and marks.
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That's the center
most focus of this chapter
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in Revelation 14.
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Just checking to make sure that
both my pockets are out here.
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Revelation 14, three angel's
messages, talks about this,
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in the third angel's
message, this mark of the beast.
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The mark of the beast
is something that we are
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warned not to receive.
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You'll notice it here
in Revelation chapter 14
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beginning with verse 9,
"The third angel followed them
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saying with a loud voice..."
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That is, clear.
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The message is clear.
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"If any man worships
the beast and his image,
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and receive his mark in
his forehead or in his hand,
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the same shall drink of
the wine of the wrath of God."
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Now this is a warning that is
found, not just in chapter 14,
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but it is
connected to chapter 13.
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And the thing that connects
it, the word that connects it
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all the way through
here, is the word "worship."
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Worship, worship,
worship, worship, worship.
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That is the key
issue here in Revelation's
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three angel's messages.
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And what's interesting is, that
is also a key word or key phrase
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that is found in the first part
of the three angel's messages.
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The first message or the
first angel that brings the
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everlasting gospel
calls the world to worship God
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who created heaven, earth, the
seas and fountains of waters.
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So what we have here is a
conflict that's taking place
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between worshiping the
beast and worshiping God.
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It's that simple.
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And the beast, of
course, isn't some computer
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or some computer chip.
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The beast
represents a power or kingdom,
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an earthy power or kingdom.
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And so we see here a conflict
that is going to develop
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in the end of time between
worshiping earthly powers and
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kingdoms, religious powers
and kingdoms, of this world
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and worshiping God.
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Which means that
there's a difference between
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the way we worship God and
the way most people worship.
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There's a conflict taking place.
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Because God here, in His
prophetic word, is writing this
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looking ahead to
our time 2000 years ago.
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And He's foreseeing
this conflict that's going to
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take place in the end of time.
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Now in Revelation chapter
7, a seal is being placed
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on God's people.
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This is where we find
the seal being identified.
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Revelation chapter 7
beginning with verse 1.
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And the context of this is...
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Well, John has just revealed
the second coming of Jesus.
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The fifth seal has been
opened, and then the sixth seal.
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And the kings of the earth and
the mighty men, the rich men,
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they're all running for
the rocks and the mountains.
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And they're saying, "Fall on us.
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The day of His judgment
has come, the Lamb has come.
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Who's going to be able
to stand in His presence?"
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And so John is basically
answering this question,
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"Who will be able to
stand in the presence of God
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and the Lamb when He returns?"
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And the answer is,
those who are sealed.
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They're
symbolized as the 144,000.
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They're identified as
a great multitude that
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no man can number.
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But the one thing that is vital
for those who are going to stand
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before the throne and before
the Lamb is that they have
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the seal of God
in their foreheads.
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Now I want you
to notice something.
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We'll touch on this later.
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You can only be
sealed with the seal of God
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in your forehead.
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You can receive the mark of
that earthly kingdom or power
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in your forehead or where else?
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In your hand.
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Don't forget that.
That's a very vital truth.
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So they're sealed with
God in their foreheads.
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They receive the seal of God.
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What is this seal of God?
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What is it that this
group receive that causes them
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to be able to stand before
the throne and before the Lamb?
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Now we know one thing for sure.
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It has to do with the
righteousness of Christ.
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It has to do with salvation.
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How do we know this?
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Well in Revelation
chapter 7 verse 9, it says,
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"I saw after this, a
great multitude which no man
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could number, of all
nations and kindreds and people
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and tongues," notice this, "and
they stood before the throne
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and before the Lamb."
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Now remember the
question that was asked by John
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in Revelation
chapter 6 and verse 17.
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Well let's get the
context, Revelation 6:16.
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And these men say to
the mountains and the rocks,
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"Fall on us, and hide us
from the face of him that sits
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on the throne and
from the wrath of the Lamb.
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For the great day
of his wrath is come;
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and who will be able to stand?"
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That is, before Him that sits on
the throne and before the Lamb.
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The answer is, "I saw a
great multitude," John says,
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"and they stood before the
throne and before the Lamb."
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You see that?
00:14:03.49\00:14:04.86
So that's a direct
answer to the question.
00:14:04.98\00:14:06.68
Now what is it about this
multitude that causes them
00:14:07.08\00:14:09.51
to be able to stand before
the throne and before the lamb?
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Read verse 10.
00:14:11.52\00:14:12.89
"And they cried
with a loud voice saying,
00:14:12.92\00:14:14.97
'Salvation to our God
which sits upon the throne,
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and unto the Lamb.'"
00:14:22.02\00:14:23.39
In other words,
what caused them to stand
00:14:23.42\00:14:25.52
was that they were...
00:14:25.55\00:14:26.92
And I'm going to use
another word for seal.
00:14:27.10\00:14:29.08
They were settled into the
fact, they couldn't be moved
00:14:29.18\00:14:32.65
from the fact, the truth,
that salvation belongs to God
00:14:32.68\00:14:36.78
and to the Lamb.
00:14:36.81\00:14:38.18
It is not we who save us.
00:14:38.21\00:14:40.61
It's God who saves us.
00:14:40.64\00:14:42.02
They were settled in
that, they couldn't be moved.
00:14:42.05\00:14:43.84
Now this is described
elsewhere in the Bible.
00:14:44.37\00:14:46.34
If you'll back to the book of
Ephesians, there are two places
00:14:46.37\00:14:48.98
there that describe the seal
that we are to be sealed with.
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Ephesians chapter 4 is the
first place I want you to look.
00:14:53.41\00:14:56.78
And by the way, this is
such an important topic.
00:14:57.79\00:14:59.75
I want to encourage our
viewers that are watching
00:15:00.15\00:15:02.60
this last of the five part
series, get your Bibles out.
00:15:02.63\00:15:06.11
Get a pen, get a
paper. Take notes.
00:15:06.14\00:15:08.22
Write down Bible verses.
00:15:08.25\00:15:09.62
I'm going to be sharing a
lot of Bible verses with you.
00:15:09.65\00:15:11.36
We can't make a
mistake on this topic.
00:15:11.39\00:15:13.97
This is life and death.
00:15:14.27\00:15:15.86
And you can tell in
the words of Revelation's
00:15:15.89\00:15:19.08
three angel's
messages how important this is.
00:15:19.11\00:15:21.52
Ephesians
chapter 4 and verse 30.
00:15:21.73\00:15:24.12
Paul says here, "Grieve
not the holy Spirit of God,
00:15:24.49\00:15:28.67
whereby you are sealed
unto the day of redemption."
00:15:28.70\00:15:33.52
So this verse indicates that we
are sealed by the Spirit of God.
00:15:33.55\00:15:37.87
Now the Spirit of God is
the third person of the Godhead.
00:15:38.13\00:15:40.46
It is God Himself in
the form of His Spirit.
00:15:40.81\00:15:43.43
And He's sealing
us with His character.
00:15:43.59\00:15:45.61
The character of God is
what we're being sealed with.
00:15:45.72\00:15:48.72
We're being sealed
by the Holy Spirit.
00:15:48.75\00:15:50.12
Notice this again, but
it's in an even better context
00:15:50.15\00:15:53.06
in Ephesians chapter 1.
00:15:53.09\00:15:54.90
Ephesians 1 brings
this out so powerfully
00:15:54.93\00:15:57.70
that you can't miss it.
00:15:57.73\00:15:59.10
Once you see this, you can't
miss what the seal of God is.
00:15:59.13\00:16:01.97
Ephesians chapter 1, and I'm
just going to read one verse,
00:16:03.08\00:16:05.96
though context is
really powerful too.
00:16:05.99\00:16:08.23
Verse 13.
00:16:08.94\00:16:10.34
Actually, I'm going
to read verse 12 just to
00:16:11.97\00:16:13.34
try and get more context.
00:16:13.37\00:16:14.80
"That we should be to
the praise of his glory,
00:16:14.83\00:16:17.45
who first trusted in Christ.
00:16:17.48\00:16:19.07
In whom," verse 13, "you also
trusted, after you heard the
00:16:19.73\00:16:24.82
word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation:
00:16:24.85\00:16:31.42
in whom after
that you believed..."
00:16:32.20\00:16:34.97
That is, after you
believed in the gospel.
00:16:35.00\00:16:36.97
"...you were..." What?
00:16:37.00\00:16:38.37
"...sealed with the
holy Spirit of promise."
00:16:38.40\00:16:40.96
Okay.
00:16:41.06\00:16:42.43
You want to notice in this
verse that there are three words
00:16:43.38\00:16:46.35
connected together.
00:16:46.38\00:16:47.75
The gospel, the
truth, and the seal.
00:16:47.80\00:16:51.44
You can't separate them.
00:16:51.47\00:16:52.89
Gospel, truth, and
seal. Gospel, truth, and seal.
00:16:52.92\00:16:55.13
Believing the
gospel, believing the truth,
00:16:55.83\00:16:59.96
is synonymous with being
sealed with the Holy Spirit.
00:16:59.99\00:17:02.97
You can't be sealed
with the Holy Spirit
00:17:03.17\00:17:04.54
and not believe the truth.
00:17:04.57\00:17:05.94
You can't be sealed
with the Holy Spirit
00:17:05.97\00:17:07.34
and not believe the gospel.
00:17:07.37\00:17:08.74
Because the seal of God is, in
essence, the character of God.
00:17:08.77\00:17:12.64
It is the truth of God.
00:17:12.98\00:17:14.42
And we're to be sealed with that
truth so we cannot be moved.
00:17:14.84\00:17:18.51
Now the only way we
can be sealed with the
00:17:18.54\00:17:21.09
character of God,
with the seal of God,
00:17:21.12\00:17:23.53
is described to us in
2 Corinthians chapter 3
00:17:23.56\00:17:28.55
and verse 18.
00:17:28.58\00:17:30.25
This is very practical.
00:17:30.28\00:17:31.68
This is practical truth.
00:17:31.71\00:17:33.09
And by the way, Satan
understands this truth.
00:17:33.12\00:17:36.99
And when you leave here today,
when you turn off your TV's,
00:17:37.02\00:17:41.49
when you go about your
business through the week,
00:17:41.52\00:17:43.71
I want you to think about this
verse that we're going to read
00:17:43.74\00:17:46.51
right here and how it impacts
you, how this law impacts you
00:17:46.54\00:17:52.93
on a daily basis, on a weekly
basis, on a monthly basis,
00:17:52.96\00:17:55.58
year by year.
00:17:55.61\00:17:56.98
2 Corinthians
chapter 3 and verse 18.
00:17:57.07\00:17:59.04
"But we all, with open
face beholding as in a glass
00:17:59.24\00:18:04.94
the glory of the Lord, are
changed into the same image
00:18:04.97\00:18:10.07
from glory to glory, even
as by the Spirit of the Lord."
00:18:10.47\00:18:14.93
There's the Spirit again.
00:18:14.96\00:18:16.33
The Spirit is working
to seal us into the glory,
00:18:16.36\00:18:19.26
or the character, of God.
00:18:19.29\00:18:20.92
And He does this
as we behold Him.
00:18:20.95\00:18:22.85
We behold Him and we're
changed into that same glory.
00:18:22.88\00:18:26.68
This is a law of our spiritual
and intellectual nature;
00:18:26.71\00:18:30.17
that by beholding,
you become changed.
00:18:30.20\00:18:31.72
Think about that
when you go to work.
00:18:31.75\00:18:33.55
Think about that when you are
surrounded with the atmosphere
00:18:33.58\00:18:36.94
and the influence of the world.
00:18:36.97\00:18:38.34
Because the world is trying
to use this law to change you
00:18:38.37\00:18:41.08
into another person.
00:18:41.11\00:18:42.63
Satan wants to perfect his
own character in his own people.
00:18:43.14\00:18:46.83
And God is seeking to
develop His character in us
00:18:47.67\00:18:51.41
and settle us into
that character of love
00:18:51.44\00:18:53.68
so we can't be moved.
00:18:53.71\00:18:55.17
He does this through the Spirit.
00:18:55.20\00:18:56.57
Now what is so powerful
about this is to recognize
00:18:56.60\00:19:01.61
that it is by beholding
that we become changed.
00:19:01.64\00:19:04.69
Do you know what that means?
00:19:04.72\00:19:06.09
That means spending
time in the Word of God.
00:19:06.76\00:19:08.58
How many of you are busy?
00:19:09.48\00:19:12.68
Oh man.
00:19:13.87\00:19:15.24
We've got so many inventions
in this world to give us so much
00:19:15.65\00:19:18.71
extra time so we can have
extra time to do so many things,
00:19:18.74\00:19:21.53
and we're still busy.
00:19:21.56\00:19:22.93
We're busier now than
we were a century ago.
00:19:22.96\00:19:25.56
And everything is
easier, yet we're more busy.
00:19:25.97\00:19:28.12
People tell me all the time,
they retire and they're more
00:19:28.62\00:19:30.32
busy in retirement than they
were when they were working.
00:19:30.35\00:19:32.30
Busy, busy, busy, busy, busy.
00:19:32.73\00:19:34.10
You know who's that, don't you.
00:19:34.13\00:19:35.50
If it wasn't for a
certain day of the week
00:19:37.29\00:19:40.87
that God has set aside,
mandated as part of His law
00:19:40.90\00:19:47.38
for me to rest, I don't
think that I would spend
00:19:48.30\00:19:53.40
very much time beholding Him.
00:19:53.93\00:19:57.00
Let me put it in
very simple words.
00:19:58.87\00:20:00.89
The Sabbath is the key to being
sealed with the seal of God.
00:20:00.92\00:20:06.37
Why?
00:20:06.55\00:20:07.92
Because the Sabbath is the
day that God has instituted
00:20:07.95\00:20:11.18
for every person on planet
earth to put the brakes on,
00:20:11.21\00:20:15.29
to lay aside the secular.
00:20:15.32\00:20:16.83
And the dishes, ladies.
00:20:16.86\00:20:18.67
To lay aside every
unnecessary work in this world
00:20:18.70\00:20:23.81
so that we can behold Him.
00:20:24.30\00:20:26.03
So that His Spirit can move upon
our hearts and transform us,
00:20:26.06\00:20:29.45
so that by behold Him we can
be transformed into His image.
00:20:29.48\00:20:32.54
Then I say, well if
the Sabbath is so true,
00:20:32.95\00:20:36.62
so important, so vital,
where is it in the context
00:20:36.65\00:20:40.06
of the three angel's messages?
00:20:40.09\00:20:41.46
Well let's go back to Revelation
chapter 14 and see if it's here.
00:20:41.49\00:20:44.04
Let's go back to the context
of the three angel's messages.
00:20:44.07\00:20:48.02
Let's begin at
the very beginning.
00:20:48.05\00:20:49.57
Revelation chapter 14 verse
6, "And I saw another angel
00:20:49.60\00:20:52.46
fly in the midst of heaven,
having the everlasting gospel."
00:20:52.49\00:20:55.86
Remember, the gospel is
what we need to be sealed into,
00:20:55.89\00:20:57.93
according to
Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13.
00:20:57.96\00:21:00.15
"...having the everlasting
gospel to preach unto them
00:21:00.18\00:21:02.82
that dwell on the earth,
and to every nation, kindred,
00:21:02.85\00:21:04.46
tongue, and people, saying
with a loud voice, 'Fear God
00:21:04.49\00:21:08.19
and give glory to him; for the
hour of his judgment is come.
00:21:08.22\00:21:11.83
and worship him who made
heaven, and earth, and the seas,
00:21:11.86\00:21:17.37
and the fountains of waters.'"
00:21:17.40\00:21:19.18
Hmmm.
00:21:19.48\00:21:20.85
Do you know where John is
quoting from in this verse?
00:21:20.91\00:21:25.08
"Worship Him that made
heaven, and earth, and the seas,
00:21:25.11\00:21:27.48
and the fountains of waters."
00:21:27.51\00:21:28.88
Just flip back.
00:21:28.91\00:21:30.28
I know you know it. Don't you.
00:21:30.31\00:21:31.68
You give me the answer, right?
00:21:31.71\00:21:33.08
Where is he quoting from?
00:21:33.11\00:21:34.48
Exodus chapter 20.
00:21:34.51\00:21:36.05
Just keep your
hand in Revelation 14.
00:21:36.08\00:21:38.33
Keep your hand in Revelation 14.
00:21:38.36\00:21:40.00
And just flip back
to Exodus chapter 20.
00:21:40.03\00:21:42.51
And look at
this, this is amazing.
00:21:43.36\00:21:45.10
Okay, Exodus chapter 20.
00:21:45.13\00:21:46.87
The Sabbath
commandment, by the way, begins
00:21:46.90\00:21:49.54
with the word "remember."
00:21:49.57\00:21:50.94
And that word "remember"
actually means, "mark."
00:21:50.97\00:21:52.89
"Mark."
00:21:53.52\00:21:54.89
It's the mark of God.
00:21:56.00\00:21:57.37
We call it, the seal of God.
00:21:57.40\00:21:58.77
But it's also the mark of God.
00:21:58.80\00:22:00.17
You have the mark of the beast,
you have the mark of God. Why?
00:22:00.20\00:22:01.57
Because Satan
always counterfeits
00:22:01.60\00:22:02.97
everything that God does.
00:22:03.00\00:22:04.37
And if we had time,
we'd go through that.
00:22:05.85\00:22:07.22
We don't have time because
we've got to move through this.
00:22:07.25\00:22:08.62
And this is a
very important subject.
00:22:08.65\00:22:10.02
So, "Remember the
Sabbath day to keep it holy.
00:22:10.05\00:22:12.06
Six days shalt thou
labour, and do all thy work.
00:22:12.09\00:22:14.79
But the seventh
day," Exodus 20:10,
00:22:14.99\00:22:17.32
"is the Sabbath
of the Lord thy God."
00:22:17.35\00:22:19.34
I guess that means that the
seventh day is the Lord's day.
00:22:19.37\00:22:21.73
According to the Bible.
00:22:25.65\00:22:27.02
John says, "I was in the
spirit on the Lord's day."
00:22:27.18\00:22:28.92
I've read some
Bibles versions that say,
00:22:28.95\00:22:30.41
"I was in the spirit on Sunday."
00:22:30.44\00:22:31.81
That's what some
translations say.
00:22:31.84\00:22:33.21
I don't like those translations.
00:22:33.24\00:22:34.91
Because the Bible says
that the Lord's day is the
00:22:35.85\00:22:37.74
seventh day, not Sunday.
00:22:37.77\00:22:39.14
Sunday is the
first day of the week.
00:22:39.17\00:22:40.54
Okay but, "The seventh day is
the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.
00:22:40.57\00:22:42.67
In it thou shalt not do
any work, thou, nor thy son,
00:22:42.70\00:22:46.01
nor thy daughter,
nor thy manservant,
00:22:46.04\00:22:49.22
nor thy maidservant..."
00:22:49.25\00:22:50.62
Remember that when
you're in a hotel on Sabbath.
00:22:51.06\00:22:53.95
"...nor thy
cattle, nor thy stranger
00:22:54.99\00:22:57.03
that is within thy gates.
00:22:57.06\00:22:59.12
For," here it goes, "in six days
the Lord made heaven and earth,
00:22:59.15\00:23:03.62
the sea, and all that in them
is, and rested the seventh day.
00:23:03.65\00:23:07.82
Wherefore the Lord blessed the
Sabbath day, and hallowed it."
00:23:07.85\00:23:11.32
Okay that last verse, verse
11, "In six days the Lord made
00:23:11.62\00:23:15.00
heaven and earth, and the sea."
00:23:15.03\00:23:16.44
Worship God on the Sabbath,
because on the seventh day
00:23:16.47\00:23:19.75
the Lord rested from all His
work of creation, of creating.
00:23:19.78\00:23:24.04
He's the Lord of the Sabbath.
00:23:24.07\00:23:25.46
In six days He made
heaven and earth, and the seas,
00:23:25.49\00:23:27.64
and the fountains of waters.
00:23:27.67\00:23:29.04
Revelation 14 says, "Worship
him that made heaven, and earth,
00:23:29.07\00:23:31.86
and the seas, and
the fountains of waters."
00:23:31.89\00:23:33.42
That's a direct quote.
00:23:34.21\00:23:35.62
The last message to the
world quotes directly from the
00:23:35.92\00:23:40.12
fourth commandment.
00:23:40.15\00:23:41.52
Now God could have
quoted from any commandment,
00:23:41.97\00:23:44.28
or all of the commandments, in
His everlasting gospel message.
00:23:44.31\00:23:47.92
But He quoted from this
one specifically because
00:23:47.95\00:23:50.56
He knew that this was
the one commandment that
00:23:50.59\00:23:52.75
the world would have
forgotten in the end of time.
00:23:52.78\00:23:55.87
So He directs us
back to this commandment
00:23:56.38\00:23:58.63
which starts, "remember,"
knowing we would forget.
00:23:58.66\00:24:00.92
Why would we forget?
00:24:02.11\00:24:03.63
Well not just because
of a certain prophecy in
00:24:04.03\00:24:06.23
Daniel chapter 7 and verse
25, but also because we are
00:24:06.26\00:24:11.48
human beings that
naturally tend to work.
00:24:11.51\00:24:15.78
The world inundates us with
this idea that if you want it,
00:24:16.07\00:24:19.87
you've got to earn it.
00:24:19.90\00:24:21.45
If you want to
graduate from high school,
00:24:21.48\00:24:23.56
you've need to get your credits.
00:24:23.59\00:24:25.53
If you want to get a
degree, you need to get,
00:24:25.56\00:24:28.52
excuse me,
graduate from college,
00:24:28.55\00:24:29.92
you need to get your degree.
00:24:29.95\00:24:31.32
You need to put in your time.
00:24:31.35\00:24:32.72
If you want to get paid,
you need to put in your hours.
00:24:32.75\00:24:34.59
If you want retirement,
you need to put in your years.
00:24:34.62\00:24:37.17
Nothing is free.
You've got to earn it.
00:24:37.59\00:24:39.72
And then contrary to
that, the gospel comes along.
00:24:40.85\00:24:42.62
And the gospel
says, "You can't earn it.
00:24:42.65\00:24:44.37
Absolutely impossible."
00:24:44.40\00:24:45.77
Wait a minute, I've been
earning everything in life.
00:24:45.80\00:24:47.17
Everything I've ever gotten
in life, I've had to earn.
00:24:47.20\00:24:50.25
The gospel says,
"Well, this is different."
00:24:50.45\00:24:51.99
We have a hard time with that.
00:24:52.02\00:24:53.39
We profess to
accept that as a gift.
00:24:54.24\00:24:57.14
"Well thank you for the gift."
00:24:57.17\00:24:58.54
But in the back of
our minds, we're thinking,
00:24:58.57\00:24:59.94
"Now what can I
do to earn this?"
00:24:59.97\00:25:02.85
If you don't think we
have a problem with it,
00:25:03.49\00:25:04.88
read Matthew 18.
00:25:04.91\00:25:06.76
There's a certain
servant who owes his master
00:25:07.57\00:25:11.02
a sum of money that is so
great he can never repay it.
00:25:11.05\00:25:13.77
And his master calls him to give
an account and tells him that
00:25:14.21\00:25:18.07
he and his wife and
children are all going to go
00:25:18.10\00:25:20.23
to debtors prison.
00:25:20.26\00:25:21.63
And the man says to
this master, "Give me time
00:25:21.82\00:25:26.87
and I will pay you back."
00:25:26.90\00:25:28.47
Absolutely impossible.
00:25:28.50\00:25:29.87
We're talking
about salvation now.
00:25:29.90\00:25:31.27
And the master
has compassion on him
00:25:32.28\00:25:34.22
and forgives him the whole debt.
00:25:34.59\00:25:35.99
That's the gospel, by the way.
00:25:36.02\00:25:37.64
In two ways.
00:25:38.30\00:25:39.67
Number one, He let us amass
the debt in the first place.
00:25:39.70\00:25:43.03
And then number two, He forgives
us even though we don't ask.
00:25:43.91\00:25:49.17
Because he didn't
ask for forgiveness.
00:25:49.37\00:25:50.74
What did he ask for?
00:25:50.77\00:25:52.14
Time, he wanted more time.
00:25:52.17\00:25:53.79
The only way we can ever grasp
the gospel is if we recognize
00:25:54.35\00:25:58.31
it comes from a heart of
unconditional forgiveness.
00:25:58.34\00:26:00.63
That's what Matthew 18 tells us.
00:26:00.66\00:26:02.61
Did he grasp it?
00:26:03.10\00:26:04.47
Did this man who was
forgiven this great debt
00:26:04.59\00:26:06.84
grasp the gospel?
00:26:06.87\00:26:08.98
No.
00:26:09.01\00:26:10.38
He went in on his terms,
he went out on his terms.
00:26:10.41\00:26:12.01
How do we know that?
00:26:12.04\00:26:13.41
Well, he saw his fellow servant
that owed him a small pittance.
00:26:13.44\00:26:15.49
He went over and grabbed
him by the throat and he said,
00:26:15.52\00:26:17.44
"Pay me everything you owe.
00:26:17.47\00:26:18.84
Because I've only got so much
time, I've got to pay this back.
00:26:18.87\00:26:20.87
Pay me everything you owe."
00:26:20.90\00:26:22.27
That's how we are many times.
00:26:22.30\00:26:23.94
We come to God and
we hear what He says,
00:26:23.97\00:26:26.10
but it doesn't
sink into the heart.
00:26:26.13\00:26:27.50
We don't take hold of it.
00:26:27.53\00:26:28.90
So we think we've got
a certain amount of time
00:26:29.04\00:26:31.29
to perfect a certain character
or to do a certain amount of
00:26:31.32\00:26:33.97
things in order to
make ourselves worthy to be
00:26:34.00\00:26:36.60
what God calls us to
be, or to pay back the debt.
00:26:36.63\00:26:39.55
But friends, when you
grasp the gospel of God's love,
00:26:40.65\00:26:43.89
when that impacts your heart,
it will change the way you
00:26:44.44\00:26:46.76
deal with others who owe you.
00:26:46.79\00:26:48.73
When you know that
God has forgiven you,
00:26:49.31\00:26:51.40
it's going to impact you in
a very powerful practical way.
00:26:51.43\00:26:54.27
That is sanctification,
or the fruits of the gospel.
00:26:54.30\00:26:57.84
It causes you to be forgiving
as God is forgiving to you.
00:26:58.45\00:27:00.97
So in this context, we
have a very interesting idea.
00:27:01.62\00:27:08.37
I'll call it an idea for now.
00:27:08.70\00:27:10.16
The seal of God, which comes
to us through the Holy Spirit
00:27:11.32\00:27:14.73
and the work of the
Holy Spirit on your hearts,
00:27:14.76\00:27:16.68
changing us into God's image
so that we reveal His character
00:27:16.71\00:27:19.85
is directly
connected with the Sabbath.
00:27:19.88\00:27:22.25
Because the Sabbath is
the time when God says,
00:27:22.80\00:27:25.32
"Spend time beholding Me.
00:27:25.35\00:27:27.05
Spend time taking in who I am
so that you can become changed
00:27:27.08\00:27:30.95
into My image."
00:27:30.98\00:27:32.35
So the Sabbath now is
dead center right in the middle
00:27:32.38\00:27:35.73
of the everlasting gospel
and the three angel's messages.
00:27:36.01\00:27:38.43
When we read about the Sabbath,
it directs us to Exodus 20.
00:27:38.80\00:27:41.97
But when we read Exodus
20, it directs us to Genesis 2.
00:27:42.76\00:27:47.27
What does Genesis 2 have to
do with the everlasting gospel
00:27:48.40\00:27:52.47
and the Sabbath?
00:27:53.04\00:27:54.41
I want you to look
here in Genesis chapter 2.
00:27:54.44\00:27:55.94
This is really, to me, quite
profound and quite interesting,
00:27:55.97\00:27:59.34
and the most important
thing that we can talk about
00:27:59.37\00:28:02.80
in relation to the seal.
00:28:02.83\00:28:04.20
Especially when we
contrast that with the mark.
00:28:04.23\00:28:06.98
Because Revelation 14
tells us, those that have the
00:28:07.18\00:28:10.16
mark of the beast have
no rest, day nor night.
00:28:10.19\00:28:12.51
God is interested
in giving us rest.
00:28:13.20\00:28:14.95
Not just literal
rest, but spiritual rest.
00:28:14.98\00:28:17.66
Not just temporal
rest, but eternal rest.
00:28:17.69\00:28:20.40
Which comes to
us through Christ.
00:28:20.43\00:28:22.45
Okay, Genesis.
00:28:22.48\00:28:25.62
God is creating the world.
00:28:26.17\00:28:27.98
First day,
second day, third day.
00:28:28.62\00:28:30.24
He's creating the sky
and separating the waters,
00:28:30.27\00:28:32.70
and creating the land
and putting the animals,
00:28:32.73\00:28:35.20
and the fish in the sea
and the birds in the sky.
00:28:35.23\00:28:37.60
Fifth day, sixth day.
00:28:37.63\00:28:39.00
On the sixth day, the finality
of His work comes together
00:28:39.03\00:28:42.87
and He creates us; you and me.
00:28:42.90\00:28:44.67
He waits to the
last day to create us.
00:28:45.06\00:28:46.81
So there He is
putting us together.
00:28:47.70\00:28:49.52
Breathes in us
the breath of life.
00:28:50.29\00:28:51.90
We become a living soul;
breath plus body equals soul.
00:28:51.93\00:28:55.30
And we stand before God.
00:28:55.86\00:28:58.05
And of course, God
creates Eve from Adam's side.
00:28:58.08\00:29:02.12
We stand before
God and He says to us,
00:29:02.15\00:29:05.39
"First thing I
want you to do is rest."
00:29:05.92\00:29:09.74
"First thing I
want you to do is rest."
00:29:11.83\00:29:14.02
Why did God do that?
00:29:15.44\00:29:16.81
Well, I think there's a
few reasons, but I'm going to
00:29:16.84\00:29:19.08
state the one that I think
is most important at this point
00:29:19.11\00:29:21.25
in our juncture
of salvation history.
00:29:21.28\00:29:24.01
God created this
world without us,
00:29:25.42\00:29:28.07
but He made it for us.
00:29:28.86\00:29:30.70
There was nothing we
could point to and say,
00:29:31.36\00:29:33.48
"Hey, you see
that tree over there?
00:29:33.51\00:29:35.27
Me and God did that together.
00:29:35.30\00:29:36.84
I did the trunk,
He did the branches.
00:29:37.07\00:29:39.43
I did the leaves,
He put the fruit on."
00:29:39.46\00:29:41.15
Nothing.
00:29:41.18\00:29:42.55
Everything God
did, He did without us
00:29:42.58\00:29:44.90
in creating this world.
00:29:45.00\00:29:46.37
But then He gave
it to us as a gift.
00:29:47.03\00:29:48.60
And the first thing He
asked us to do was rest
00:29:48.83\00:29:51.03
in everything He
did without us for us.
00:29:51.06\00:29:53.67
Are you following Me?
00:29:54.02\00:29:55.39
Okay, this is powerful.
00:29:55.42\00:29:57.32
Because in
Revelation chapter 14, God is
00:29:57.35\00:30:00.24
calling us all the way back
to Genesis to remember something
00:30:00.27\00:30:03.07
quite valuable about
how He created the world.
00:30:03.10\00:30:05.53
Because when we
sinned, God began the job of
00:30:05.56\00:30:11.61
recreating the
world in Jesus Christ.
00:30:11.64\00:30:15.03
Jesus Christ
became the second Adam,
00:30:15.67\00:30:17.51
the second head of human race.
00:30:17.54\00:30:19.21
He's called the second Adam
in 1 Corinthians chapter 15.
00:30:19.24\00:30:21.74
Why?
00:30:21.93\00:30:23.30
Because someone has
to take responsibility
00:30:23.33\00:30:25.58
for what the first Adam did.
00:30:25.61\00:30:27.24
The second Adam is going
to do that so God can be just.
00:30:27.27\00:30:30.24
So He creates the second Adam.
00:30:30.27\00:30:32.02
Jesus comes to this
world in the form of a man.
00:30:32.05\00:30:34.94
Adam means man.
00:30:34.97\00:30:36.34
And He lives a perfect life.
00:30:37.08\00:30:39.76
None of us
helped Him to do that.
00:30:40.03\00:30:41.77
He recreated the
human race in Himself;
00:30:41.97\00:30:44.48
perfect righteousness in Jesus.
00:30:44.73\00:30:47.39
Then He goes to the
cross and He dies our death.
00:30:47.42\00:30:53.22
The Bible says, He
tread the winepress alone;
00:30:54.48\00:30:56.63
speaking of His
life and of His death.
00:30:56.66\00:30:58.53
And of the people,
there was how many with Him?
00:30:58.56\00:31:00.44
None, no one was with Him.
00:31:00.64\00:31:02.11
Okay, now when God
finished creating the world,
00:31:02.14\00:31:06.24
on the sixth day He
said, "It is finished."
00:31:06.27\00:31:11.65
What day was that?
What day was the sixth day?
00:31:11.68\00:31:13.37
Friday, the day before Sabbath.
00:31:13.60\00:31:15.43
Then He rested on the Sabbath.
00:31:15.70\00:31:17.17
When Jesus finished
recreating the world;
00:31:17.20\00:31:20.61
perfect life, died our death,
00:31:21.51\00:31:24.05
He's hanging on the
cross, what day is it?
00:31:24.08\00:31:26.33
Friday.
00:31:26.50\00:31:27.87
What does He say when He's done?
00:31:27.90\00:31:29.27
"It is finished."
00:31:29.30\00:31:31.95
So the Sabbath is a reminder,
not only of God's first
00:31:32.82\00:31:37.41
creation, but of His second.
00:31:37.44\00:31:39.86
It's a reminder
that He recreates us.
00:31:39.89\00:31:43.52
We are new
creatures in Jesus Christ.
00:31:43.55\00:31:45.62
That everything that God has
worked out was done without us,
00:31:45.82\00:31:49.48
but it was done for us.
00:31:49.51\00:31:50.88
Just like creation.
00:31:50.91\00:31:52.28
The everlasting gospel
calls us to remember the Sabbath
00:31:52.31\00:31:56.19
and remember what God
did for us without us,
00:31:56.22\00:31:58.77
and to rest in what God
has done for us without us.
00:31:58.80\00:32:02.15
Are you with me?
00:32:02.18\00:32:03.55
That's why the
everlasting gospel is connected
00:32:04.27\00:32:07.48
directly to the Sabbath, and the
Sabbath is connected directly
00:32:07.51\00:32:11.94
to being sealed by the seal
of God, or by the Holy Spirit.
00:32:11.97\00:32:16.21
There's no difference.
00:32:17.00\00:32:18.37
Because the
Sabbath reminds us to rest.
00:32:18.40\00:32:20.27
Now I have a
difficult time, at times,
00:32:20.30\00:32:23.30
entering into Sabbath rest.
00:32:23.33\00:32:24.96
Okay, I've been keeping
the Sabbath for 30 years
00:32:24.99\00:32:26.68
and I'm willing to admit that.
00:32:26.71\00:32:28.17
I've just got
things on my plate.
00:32:28.40\00:32:29.77
I've just got things I
want to get done, you know.
00:32:29.80\00:32:32.82
And yet, God
has given a command.
00:32:32.85\00:32:35.94
And sometimes, that's
what it has taken for me;
00:32:35.97\00:32:37.83
a command.
00:32:37.86\00:32:39.23
That's why I believe Sabbath
is so, well it's so powerful.
00:32:39.26\00:32:43.96
Because it's a command of God.
00:32:43.99\00:32:45.47
God's power is in the command.
00:32:45.67\00:32:47.59
God's power is not in any other
day, it's only in that day.
00:32:47.82\00:32:50.39
That's the day that God
created to be the Sabbath
00:32:50.42\00:32:53.71
for us to rest.
00:32:53.74\00:32:55.11
And it's because He's commanded
it, because it's part of His
00:32:55.14\00:32:56.92
commands, that I
cease and desist.
00:32:56.95\00:32:59.17
Because I'm affected, my life
is affected by the power of God.
00:32:59.49\00:33:02.75
God calls me to rest.
00:33:03.53\00:33:05.88
And at times, I do it by faith.
00:33:05.91\00:33:07.28
Because, "If I could just
get this one phone call in,
00:33:07.31\00:33:09.72
if I could just get
this last task accomplished,
00:33:09.75\00:33:11.88
I think I'd be
further ahead in life.
00:33:11.91\00:33:13.35
I think I could, you
know, be more comfortable
00:33:13.38\00:33:16.21
about my future.
00:33:16.24\00:33:17.72
If I could just
do one more thing.
00:33:17.75\00:33:19.43
The sun is going
down in an hour at home."
00:33:19.46\00:33:21.98
But God says,
"No, no, no, no, no.
00:33:22.65\00:33:24.13
You need to
remember the Sabbath.
00:33:25.33\00:33:27.92
You need to remember
that everything you need,
00:33:27.95\00:33:30.43
everything that you really want,
has been accomplished by Me.
00:33:30.46\00:33:35.09
It's in Jesus Christ.
00:33:35.12\00:33:36.49
And you need to rest in that."
00:33:36.52\00:33:37.94
All the secular stuff is
going to fall by the wayside.
00:33:38.49\00:33:41.78
But one this is sure
and one thing is eternal.
00:33:42.00\00:33:44.72
And that is salvation.
00:33:44.75\00:33:46.18
And what would it profit any
man if he gains the whole world
00:33:46.21\00:33:51.01
and loses his soul?
00:33:51.11\00:33:53.44
So the Sabbath stands
in contrast, in Revelation
00:33:53.70\00:33:58.04
chapter 14, to
the mark of the beast.
00:33:58.07\00:34:01.09
But what about the mark?
00:34:02.34\00:34:03.71
I was doing a series
of meetings in Zimbabwe.
00:34:04.84\00:34:10.85
This was just a few years ago.
00:34:12.45\00:34:14.31
I'd never traveled to Africa.
00:34:14.34\00:34:15.71
It was my first
time traveling to Africa.
00:34:15.74\00:34:17.48
And as I traveled
to this university,
00:34:17.51\00:34:21.09
I was really excited.
00:34:21.39\00:34:23.17
One of the reasons I
was so excited is because
00:34:23.86\00:34:26.31
the university was, well
it was an Adventist university
00:34:26.34\00:34:31.01
with a lot of Christians.
00:34:31.04\00:34:34.25
Christian young people.
00:34:35.18\00:34:36.55
Two-thousand of them.
00:34:37.05\00:34:40.08
And my specific week
of prayer was mandatory
00:34:40.30\00:34:44.70
for these two-thousand.
00:34:45.12\00:34:46.49
In other words,
unlike the week here at 3ABN,
00:34:46.52\00:34:51.57
every student on that
campus had to come and sit
00:34:53.27\00:34:57.58
physically in my meeting.
00:34:57.61\00:34:59.47
Are you with me?
00:35:01.13\00:35:02.50
There were three weeks of
prayers every year at Solusi.
00:35:05.00\00:35:07.74
The other two weren't mandatory.
00:35:07.77\00:35:09.58
You could come if you wanted
to, you didn't have to come.
00:35:09.61\00:35:11.38
But I had the one
that was mandatory.
00:35:11.41\00:35:12.95
That means I had a full
audience of 2000 young people
00:35:12.98\00:35:16.65
every single meeting
whether they liked it or not.
00:35:16.68\00:35:18.78
And I was pretty
happy about that.
00:35:18.81\00:35:22.54
I didn't realize that a
lot of them didn't like it.
00:35:24.69\00:35:27.30
But I found out.
00:35:27.50\00:35:28.87
I was moving through
the three angel's messages.
00:35:28.90\00:35:30.78
I was really excited
because I knew that all of them
00:35:30.81\00:35:33.44
were Adventists.
00:35:33.47\00:35:35.48
And I was so
interested in sharing with them
00:35:36.35\00:35:40.40
the everlasting
gospel in the context
00:35:40.43\00:35:42.21
of the three angel's messages.
00:35:42.24\00:35:43.61
You know, something I thought
was so powerful and so new
00:35:43.64\00:35:46.11
and so, "Oh you've just got
to hear this in the context of
00:35:46.14\00:35:48.55
the three angel's messages,
the everlasting gospel."
00:35:48.58\00:35:50.13
So we moved through
it and there were amens
00:35:50.16\00:35:52.96
and there was positiveness,
and people were attending.
00:35:52.99\00:35:54.91
It was good.
00:35:54.94\00:35:56.31
Then we got to the
middle of the meeting
00:35:56.34\00:35:57.81
about half way
through, about here.
00:35:57.84\00:35:59.60
We started talking about Babylon
and about the wine of Babylon,
00:35:59.63\00:36:02.20
about marks and seals.
00:36:02.23\00:36:03.68
And as we started
indentifying these things,
00:36:04.44\00:36:06.62
a change came over the audience.
00:36:06.65\00:36:09.22
The pastors came to me after
the meeting and they prayed
00:36:09.36\00:36:11.26
with me, they
always did, and they said,
00:36:11.29\00:36:12.66
"Did you notice
there were a few murmurings
00:36:12.69\00:36:14.86
in the audience today?"
00:36:14.89\00:36:16.26
And I said,
"Yeah, I noticed that.
00:36:16.29\00:36:17.66
They were really
impressed with some of the
00:36:17.69\00:36:19.48
information, weren't they."
00:36:19.51\00:36:20.88
"Well no, not exactly.
00:36:20.91\00:36:22.28
You see, we aren't sure that we
told you this before you came,
00:36:22.31\00:36:26.83
but not all of these students
are Adventist students."
00:36:26.86\00:36:31.27
I said, "Really?"
00:36:32.35\00:36:33.72
They said, "Yeah, since
we've become a university,
00:36:33.75\00:36:36.80
umm, we have, well we have a
lot more students coming here
00:36:37.20\00:36:40.13
because of our status.
00:36:40.16\00:36:41.53
I said, "How many more?"
00:36:41.57\00:36:42.94
And they said, "Well, we
use to have four hundred.
00:36:42.97\00:36:44.62
Now we have two-thousand."
00:36:44.82\00:36:46.32
I said, "So how
does that relate to
00:36:46.95\00:36:49.53
Adventist verse non-Adventist?"
00:36:49.56\00:36:51.10
That's about how it relates.
00:36:51.13\00:36:53.11
Four hundred
verses two-thousand.
00:36:53.14\00:36:55.24
I said, "So you're saying about
1600 of these students are not
00:36:55.27\00:36:58.52
Seventh-day Adventists?"
00:36:58.72\00:37:00.09
"Yes." I said,
"Well what are they?"
00:37:00.12\00:37:02.34
"Uh, the major religion
here in Zimbabwe is Catholic."
00:37:02.65\00:37:09.05
"Thanks for telling me."
00:37:12.15\00:37:13.52
So I though, you know I would
have stepped a little gentler,
00:37:13.88\00:37:16.06
but oh well, I guess
it's out of the pot now.
00:37:16.37\00:37:21.05
Went to the local
library that afternoon.
00:37:21.35\00:37:23.36
I always met with the
students in the early afternoon,
00:37:23.39\00:37:26.06
mid-morning, that had questions.
00:37:26.09\00:37:28.32
There were four girls
waiting to talk with me.
00:37:28.35\00:37:30.41
They wanted to come in together.
00:37:30.44\00:37:32.17
I usually met with
one for about 15 minutes,
00:37:32.20\00:37:33.77
one student at a time.
00:37:33.80\00:37:35.17
But there were four there,
they wanted to meet together.
00:37:35.20\00:37:36.57
They sat down in
front of me in their chairs
00:37:36.60\00:37:38.03
and they were upset.
00:37:38.06\00:37:39.43
There was one that
was a spokesperson.
00:37:39.46\00:37:40.83
She had a Bible and she said,
"We want to tell you something."
00:37:40.86\00:37:43.23
I said, "What is that?" And
she said, "We are Catholics.
00:37:43.26\00:37:44.98
We don't like what you're saying
and we want you to stop now."
00:37:45.01\00:37:47.47
I smiled and I said,
"Well, I was raised a Catholic."
00:37:48.59\00:37:50.44
That didn't help.
00:37:50.80\00:37:52.17
She was really upset.
00:37:52.25\00:37:53.62
Here was her problem.
00:37:55.29\00:37:58.30
She said, "You told us this
morning that the seventh day
00:37:58.58\00:38:02.37
is the Sabbath, not Sunday."
00:38:02.89\00:38:05.97
I said, "Well, yeah."
00:38:06.23\00:38:07.60
She said, "Show us
that from the Bible."
00:38:07.63\00:38:09.16
I said, "Well okay,
let's go to Genesis chapter 1."
00:38:11.19\00:38:15.92
So I said, "You have a
Bible. You start reading."
00:38:17.81\00:38:19.97
So she started reading,
she said, "And the evening
00:38:20.00\00:38:22.27
and the morning
were the first day."
00:38:22.30\00:38:24.44
She took a pencil and
she wrote in there, "Monday."
00:38:24.47\00:38:27.47
Then she looked
at me and she said,
00:38:31.00\00:38:32.37
"Who's to say it wasn't Monday?
00:38:32.40\00:38:33.77
How do you know
it wasn't Monday?
00:38:33.80\00:38:35.17
I say it was Monday.
What do you girls say?"
00:38:35.20\00:38:36.57
"Monday."
"Monday." "Monday." "Monday."
00:38:36.60\00:38:38.31
You know where
she's going, right?
00:38:38.34\00:38:39.78
Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday, Sabbath.
00:38:40.78\00:38:42.98
Sunday, seventh-day.
00:38:43.01\00:38:44.78
I said, "Okay."
00:38:44.81\00:38:46.18
I'm praying, I'm
praying, I'm praying.
00:38:46.21\00:38:47.58
I'm saying, "Lord,
where do I go from here?"
00:38:47.61\00:38:48.98
These girls are
honest. They're Catholics.
00:38:49.01\00:38:51.15
I was raised Catholic, I
know where they're coming from.
00:38:51.18\00:38:52.95
I remember when my
sister first came into my house.
00:38:52.98\00:38:55.53
I was a brand new Christian,
I was in love with Jesus.
00:38:55.56\00:38:57.77
He had just
forgiven me for my sins.
00:38:57.80\00:38:59.19
I was going to church every
Sunday and every Wednesday.
00:38:59.22\00:39:01.22
I was going to Calvary Chapel.
00:39:01.25\00:39:02.62
I was going to a
Pentecostal church.
00:39:02.65\00:39:04.02
My sister was
studying with Adventists.
00:39:04.05\00:39:05.42
And my sister says to me,
"The seventh-day is the Sabbath.
00:39:05.45\00:39:08.95
And that's
Saturday, not Sunday."
00:39:08.98\00:39:10.69
And I thought, she's
gone bonkers, literally.
00:39:10.72\00:39:12.38
I thought, "What in the
world are you talking about?
00:39:12.41\00:39:14.07
The Bible doesn't teach that."
00:39:14.93\00:39:16.45
I was so concerned about
her that I started studying with
00:39:17.31\00:39:19.40
Adventists to get my
sister out of the church.
00:39:19.43\00:39:21.43
I was like, "I'll find
out what they're teaching.
00:39:21.46\00:39:23.41
These guys are crazy."
00:39:24.00\00:39:25.37
I studied my way right in.
00:39:25.99\00:39:27.36
So I thought, hey,
these girls are honest.
00:39:30.52\00:39:31.96
They're honestly
asking me what day is the day.
00:39:31.99\00:39:34.03
But then when she
started writing, I thought,
00:39:34.06\00:39:36.42
I've never had any... Have
you ever had anyone do that?
00:39:36.64\00:39:38.18
I've never had
anyone do that before.
00:39:38.21\00:39:39.67
I said, "Lord,
where do I go from here?"
00:39:40.43\00:39:42.12
And God took me
to Luke chapter 23.
00:39:42.15\00:39:44.81
And I said to them, I
said, "I want you to open
00:39:45.24\00:39:46.83
now to Luke chapter 23."
00:39:46.86\00:39:48.23
Because she said to
me, "Now what, Pastor?
00:39:48.26\00:39:50.51
Now what are you going to do?"
00:39:50.54\00:39:52.91
She had an
attitude. She was upset.
00:39:53.98\00:39:55.58
She told me
after we were done...
00:39:55.61\00:39:57.44
By the way, I was in
there for an hour and a half
00:39:57.47\00:39:59.05
with these four girls.
00:39:59.08\00:40:00.45
People where opening the door,
"It's our turn, it's our turn."
00:40:00.61\00:40:02.37
I said, "No, no. Wait a minute.
00:40:02.40\00:40:03.77
This is important."
00:40:03.80\00:40:05.17
She said, "When we
came in there, we thought
00:40:05.54\00:40:06.91
we were going to pick up our
chairs and throw them at you.
00:40:06.94\00:40:08.51
We were so angry at you."
00:40:08.54\00:40:10.07
I kept smiling,
because I could understand.
00:40:11.10\00:40:13.40
And so I took
them to Luke chapter...
00:40:14.00\00:40:16.46
God impressed
me, Luke chapter 23.
00:40:16.49\00:40:18.64
And as we were
going there I said,
00:40:18.67\00:40:20.04
"Now you're raised Catholics.
I was raised a Catholic.
00:40:20.07\00:40:22.11
What day was Jesus
crucified?" "Good Friday."
00:40:22.14\00:40:25.70
"What day was He
resurrected?" "Easter Sunday."
00:40:25.73\00:40:27.46
I said, "Now I want
you to read these verses."
00:40:27.49\00:40:28.86
And I said, "Read starting
with verse 52 of Luke 23."
00:40:28.89\00:40:31.98
"And this man went unto Pilate
and begged the body of Jesus.
00:40:32.01\00:40:35.51
And he took it
down," verse 53 of Luke 23,
00:40:35.54\00:40:38.23
"and wrapped it in linen
and laid it in a sepulcher
00:40:38.26\00:40:40.45
that was hewn in stone, wherein
never a man before was laid.
00:40:40.48\00:40:43.24
And that day was
the preparation day."
00:40:43.27\00:40:44.83
I said, "What day was
that?" And she said, "Friday."
00:40:44.86\00:40:46.65
She kept reading,
"And the Sabbath drew on."
00:40:46.68\00:40:48.56
I said, "The Sabbath drew on?"
00:40:48.59\00:40:50.01
She didn't respond. Head down.
00:40:51.16\00:40:53.22
I said, "Keep reading."
00:40:53.85\00:40:55.22
"And the women also, which
came with him from Galilee,
00:40:55.25\00:40:57.31
followed after and
beheld the sepulcher,
00:40:57.34\00:40:59.52
and how his body was laid.
00:40:59.55\00:41:00.97
And they returned and
prepared spices and ointments;
00:41:01.37\00:41:04.96
and rested the Sabbath day
according to the commandment."
00:41:04.99\00:41:08.18
Her voice got a little lower.
00:41:08.74\00:41:10.11
"Now upon the
first day of the week..."
00:41:11.09\00:41:12.58
I said, "Read
chapter 24 verse 1."
00:41:12.61\00:41:14.90
"Now upon the
first day of the week..."
00:41:14.93\00:41:16.30
I said, "What day is that?"
00:41:16.33\00:41:17.70
"The day after Sabbath."
00:41:17.81\00:41:19.18
"...very early in the morning,
they came unto the sepulcher,
00:41:19.93\00:41:22.04
bringing the spices..."
00:41:22.07\00:41:23.44
That was the day He resurrected.
00:41:23.94\00:41:25.37
She didn't look up for a while.
00:41:26.26\00:41:28.21
I think she read
the verses again.
00:41:28.24\00:41:30.27
And again and again.
00:41:30.41\00:41:31.78
After she got done reading,
she looked up and she said,
00:41:31.81\00:41:34.34
"Okay, you've
taught us something.
00:41:34.37\00:41:35.85
And then she went on
this tyrant about Adventists
00:41:37.12\00:41:39.18
and what hypocrites they are,
and this, that, and the other.
00:41:39.21\00:41:40.86
And I said, "Listen, I'm
not here to defend any person,
00:41:40.89\00:41:43.87
except for the truth.
00:41:44.13\00:41:46.38
Just the Word of God,
please. Just the Word of God."
00:41:46.41\00:41:49.42
And she said,
"Couldn't you please just
00:41:50.58\00:41:53.76
preach a social gospel?
00:41:53.79\00:41:55.16
Do you have to go
into all of these details?
00:41:55.19\00:41:57.44
Do you have to talk
about all this stuff?"
00:41:57.47\00:41:58.84
I said, "This is vital stuff."
00:41:58.87\00:42:00.63
I said, "This is
part of the three...
00:42:01.18\00:42:04.43
This is God's last message.
00:42:04.46\00:42:05.83
This is the everlasting gospel.
00:42:05.86\00:42:07.23
This is vital for us.
00:42:07.26\00:42:09.48
Even people who keep Sunday
have lost track of the Sabbath.
00:42:10.04\00:42:14.25
They don't understand
the connection between
00:42:14.28\00:42:16.39
2 Corinthians 3:18 that the
Holy Spirit is transforming us
00:42:16.42\00:42:20.80
from glory to glory.
00:42:20.83\00:42:22.20
Sealing us,
settling us into the truth.
00:42:22.23\00:42:24.19
The character of God
being manifested in us through
00:42:24.22\00:42:26.61
spending that time with Jesus,
through connecting with Him.
00:42:26.64\00:42:28.90
And letting
secular things alone.
00:42:28.93\00:42:31.02
We don't understand it,
we've lost sight of it."
00:42:31.05\00:42:32.74
I said, "So I've got to preach
this, I've got to teach this.
00:42:33.86\00:42:35.69
This is vital for me."
00:42:35.72\00:42:37.09
The Sabbath is how we
enter into the salvation rest
00:42:37.12\00:42:40.64
through Jesus.
00:42:40.67\00:42:42.04
It reminds us to connect
with Jesus, to abide in Jesus,
00:42:42.07\00:42:45.71
to trust in Jesus, to
put our hope in Jesus.
00:42:45.74\00:42:48.00
That we can't save ourselves.
00:42:48.03\00:42:49.88
That we didn't create this
world and we can't recreate it.
00:42:49.91\00:42:52.77
We didn't create this world
and we can't recreate ourselves.
00:42:52.80\00:42:56.10
But Jesus can.
00:42:56.69\00:42:58.06
The Sabbath reminds us
of that every single week.
00:42:58.17\00:43:00.96
And we need that reminder
every single week, don't we,
00:43:00.99\00:43:03.74
when Friday is coming,
pushing its task upon us.
00:43:04.57\00:43:07.88
And besides, I've got all
these questions, I told them.
00:43:08.45\00:43:10.73
I've got all
these questions now.
00:43:10.76\00:43:12.13
I had pile of them, I
mean, I had a pile of questions.
00:43:12.16\00:43:13.96
So I sat down, this is
right before the meeting
00:43:13.99\00:43:16.68
on the mark of the beast.
00:43:16.71\00:43:18.08
And I sat down in my room and
sorted through the questions.
00:43:19.96\00:43:24.41
I made three piles.
00:43:24.44\00:43:25.81
The pile of questions, the
longest one that I just didn't
00:43:25.84\00:43:28.27
have time to answer.
00:43:28.30\00:43:29.67
The pile of questions
that I would try to answer.
00:43:29.70\00:43:31.65
And then the
other pile of questions
00:43:31.68\00:43:33.52
that weren't really questions.
00:43:33.55\00:43:34.92
They were
statements like, "We hate you."
00:43:34.95\00:43:37.70
"We wish you would
go back to America."
00:43:39.61\00:43:41.32
"We can't stand the fact
that you've come here to tell us
00:43:41.75\00:43:43.98
that we're going to
church on the wrong day."
00:43:44.21\00:43:45.96
Things like that.
00:43:45.99\00:43:47.36
So I put those statements aside.
00:43:48.04\00:43:51.49
Because to be a
follower of Christ,
00:43:52.98\00:43:54.36
you're going to be hated.
00:43:54.39\00:43:55.76
"The world hated Me,
it's going to hate you."
00:43:55.79\00:43:57.42
But sometimes, they
don't know what they hate.
00:43:58.86\00:44:01.23
And then I put the other
questions aside to answer later.
00:44:02.42\00:44:04.70
And I started dealing
with these specific questions.
00:44:04.73\00:44:06.78
Which the question I kept
getting over and over again
00:44:06.81\00:44:09.27
was the same
question these four girls had.
00:44:09.30\00:44:10.70
It was, "Show us from the
Bible which day is the Sabbath."
00:44:10.73\00:44:14.18
"Show us from the Bible
which day is the Sabbath."
00:44:14.21\00:44:16.09
I didn't realize this, but this
college of 2000 young people,
00:44:16.12\00:44:20.72
very few of them had Bibles.
00:44:20.75\00:44:22.69
By the way, Light Bearers
Ministry, we print literature
00:44:22.72\00:44:24.69
like the leaves of autumn.
00:44:24.72\00:44:26.09
We ship literature
and Bibles overseas
00:44:26.12\00:44:27.88
to third world countries.
00:44:27.91\00:44:29.28
After I left there, we shipped
a container of literature to
00:44:29.31\00:44:31.77
Bulawayo for the university.
00:44:31.80\00:44:34.17
2000 Bibles were
in that container;
00:44:34.20\00:44:35.98
one for every student.
00:44:36.01\00:44:37.38
168 young people
were baptized in follow up
00:44:37.55\00:44:40.77
meetings after this meeting.
00:44:40.80\00:44:42.17
Because I told him, I
told the pastor, I said,
00:44:42.20\00:44:43.57
"Don't baptize these people.
They don't even have Bibles.
00:44:43.60\00:44:45.34
Don't put any
pressure on these young people
00:44:45.98\00:44:47.45
to be baptized for my sake.
00:44:47.48\00:44:49.01
I want them grounded in the
truth so they can't be moved;
00:44:49.64\00:44:53.10
sealed with the seal of God."
00:44:53.13\00:44:54.65
And these young girls
were part of that, by the way.
00:44:54.95\00:44:57.83
So I'm sitting in the meeting.
00:44:58.49\00:45:01.60
And I have a five minute,
ten minute, question/answer time
00:45:01.63\00:45:05.41
before I give the
mark of the beast meeting.
00:45:05.44\00:45:06.81
So I get up and
I ask the question.
00:45:06.84\00:45:08.21
Same question, I
ask it three times.
00:45:08.24\00:45:09.94
Proof from the
Bible which day is it.
00:45:10.12\00:45:11.49
Proof from the
Bible which day is it.
00:45:11.52\00:45:12.89
By the time I asked it the
third time, everyone in there
00:45:12.92\00:45:14.29
is smiling and they're relaxed.
00:45:14.32\00:45:15.69
It was really intense in there.
00:45:15.72\00:45:17.09
It was just a, you can cut
it with a knife atmosphere.
00:45:17.12\00:45:18.49
So I'm sitting down and
I'm thinking, "How, how, how
00:45:18.93\00:45:22.61
can I share this truth?
00:45:22.64\00:45:24.20
How can I share this truth
without people feeling like
00:45:24.94\00:45:28.72
I'm attacking them?"
00:45:28.75\00:45:30.51
I was raised
Catholic, I understand.
00:45:31.68\00:45:33.11
So I'm sitting on the bench
and a verse comes to my mind.
00:45:33.14\00:45:35.96
And this verse was so powerful.
00:45:35.99\00:45:38.78
God will do this
sometimes. It's in Proverbs.
00:45:38.81\00:45:41.23
Now I didn't know where
it was, so I'm in my Bible.
00:45:41.26\00:45:43.23
I've had this Bible,
by the way, since 1984.
00:45:43.26\00:45:45.17
This is the only
Bible I've ever had.
00:45:45.20\00:45:46.66
And it's
getting hard, sometimes.
00:45:46.69\00:45:48.06
The papers kind of don't
stick exactly, but I know where
00:45:48.09\00:45:51.37
stuff is in this Bible.
00:45:51.40\00:45:52.77
So I keep it.
00:45:52.93\00:45:54.30
And I don't know
where it is in Proverbs.
00:45:54.33\00:45:55.70
I'm looking, looking,
looking, through Proverbs.
00:45:55.73\00:45:57.11
I'm turning the pages.
00:45:57.14\00:45:58.51
All I know is this verse is on
the left hand side top corner.
00:45:58.54\00:46:00.88
That's all I know.
00:46:00.91\00:46:02.28
So I'm going through
Proverbs looking for this verse.
00:46:02.31\00:46:03.68
And I finally find
it as I'm sitting there.
00:46:03.71\00:46:05.08
It's Proverbs
chapter 27 verse 6.
00:46:05.11\00:46:06.92
And I read this
verse, and immediately
00:46:07.44\00:46:09.81
peace comes to my heart.
00:46:09.84\00:46:11.35
And I read it to myself
again and again and again.
00:46:11.38\00:46:13.32
Because I'm feeling nervous.
00:46:13.70\00:46:15.07
By the way, I think a little
bit of nervousness qualifies you
00:46:15.10\00:46:18.63
to preach, to teach, to do
whatever God wants you to do.
00:46:19.20\00:46:21.47
If you're not nervous, you don't
feel your dependence on God.
00:46:21.50\00:46:25.33
You don't feel a
need to depend on God.
00:46:25.69\00:46:27.82
So I've been preaching
for 30 years, I get nervous.
00:46:27.85\00:46:29.84
That's alright.
00:46:29.87\00:46:31.24
It helps me to turn to
God, turn to God, turn to God.
00:46:31.27\00:46:33.18
So I read this verse.
00:46:33.21\00:46:34.94
So I get up to
preach the mark of the beast
00:46:34.97\00:46:39.43
and I read this verse.
00:46:39.46\00:46:40.92
"Faithful are the
wounds of a friend;
00:46:41.47\00:46:44.46
but the kisses of an
enemy are deceitful."
00:46:44.49\00:46:48.26
And it gives me so much
courage and such a feeling of,
00:46:49.15\00:46:53.57
well, goose bumps
that I read it again.
00:46:53.60\00:46:56.44
"Faithful are the
wounds of a friend;
00:46:57.01\00:46:58.42
but the kisses of an
enemy are deceitful."
00:46:58.46\00:46:59.87
And I said, "I could just
give you the social gospel
00:46:59.90\00:47:03.31
and just share with
you what you want to hear."
00:47:03.34\00:47:06.01
But I said, "I wouldn't
be being faithful to you
00:47:07.19\00:47:09.79
or to God.
00:47:09.82\00:47:11.19
And I want to be faithful
even though it may wound you."
00:47:11.22\00:47:13.20
And then I told
them a true story
00:47:13.23\00:47:14.60
that I'm going to tell you.
00:47:15.38\00:47:16.75
God impressed me to
share this with them.
00:47:17.09\00:47:18.46
I said, "This is a true story."
00:47:18.49\00:47:19.86
I said, some years ago
I was in a room by myself
00:47:19.89\00:47:23.71
and I was out, I mean I was out.
00:47:23.92\00:47:26.40
So out of it that as I
was laying on the bed there,
00:47:26.68\00:47:30.58
I didn't even know that
these men came into the room.
00:47:31.22\00:47:33.81
They walked in;
didn't know they were there.
00:47:34.46\00:47:36.35
One of them had a knife.
00:47:36.68\00:47:38.05
Took the knife, true story,
went over to where I was laying,
00:47:38.24\00:47:41.55
and put the knife to my
throat and began to cut.
00:47:41.95\00:47:46.32
I was so out of it
that I didn't even feel it.
00:47:49.04\00:47:52.20
Seriously.
00:47:53.52\00:47:54.89
Now fortunately, I was
in a hospital operating room
00:47:55.84\00:48:00.14
and those men were doctors.
00:48:01.01\00:48:02.53
And they were removing from
my throat a cancerous tumor.
00:48:06.18\00:48:09.47
I had thyroid cancer.
00:48:09.89\00:48:11.26
And as painful as the whole
thing was; the operation, etc,
00:48:12.42\00:48:16.04
and the recovery, I was so
glad that they cut my throat
00:48:16.07\00:48:19.09
and took out the tumor.
00:48:19.12\00:48:20.49
"Faithful are the
wounds of a friend,
00:48:21.22\00:48:24.29
but the kisses of an
enemy are deceitful."
00:48:24.65\00:48:27.38
And I began to share
with them the whole picture
00:48:27.78\00:48:31.25
of this worship
in the end of time.
00:48:31.85\00:48:34.11
I did the same thing
when I was in Pakistan.
00:48:34.43\00:48:36.29
And I think it's vital
for us to understand how
00:48:37.03\00:48:39.76
Jesus paves the way,
the everlasting gospel
00:48:39.79\00:48:42.62
paves the way.
00:48:42.65\00:48:44.02
Because when I went
to Pakistan, I went there
00:48:44.05\00:48:45.42
in 1997, 1998, and 1999.
00:48:45.45\00:48:47.07
I was going there
to preach to primarily
00:48:47.10\00:48:51.48
Christians from
different denominations.
00:48:51.51\00:48:53.61
I went to a compound in Peshawar
right on the Afghanistan border
00:48:53.64\00:48:56.87
where there were 50 Adventist
members in this church.
00:48:56.90\00:49:00.34
We preached the first
night, there were 800 people.
00:49:00.37\00:49:03.00
The second night,
there were 1200 people.
00:49:03.03\00:49:04.40
The third night,
there were 1600 people.
00:49:04.43\00:49:05.86
By the time we got
done with our series,
00:49:05.89\00:49:07.26
there were 4000 people there.
00:49:07.29\00:49:09.40
From every
different denomination.
00:49:09.43\00:49:11.17
And the Lord
impressed me, He said,
00:49:11.42\00:49:12.79
"The verse that you are to
preach, James, is John 12:32.
00:49:12.82\00:49:16.55
'And I, if I be lifted up,
will draw all men unto me.'
00:49:16.65\00:49:19.11
That's your
blueprint for evangelism.
00:49:19.14\00:49:20.71
That's what I want you
to do in every meeting."
00:49:20.74\00:49:22.30
So I started just
lifting up Christ.
00:49:22.33\00:49:23.76
And in the afternoon, I was
doing a series on Revelation
00:49:23.79\00:49:26.95
for the pastors.
00:49:26.98\00:49:28.35
And there was a certain pastor
there who asked me if I would
00:49:28.38\00:49:31.08
come back to Pakistan
and preach this same series
00:49:31.11\00:49:34.34
for his pastors.
00:49:34.37\00:49:35.74
He had 120 of them,
they were Pentecostal.
00:49:35.77\00:49:37.14
And I said,
"Sure. By God's grace."
00:49:37.17\00:49:39.26
So in that series of meetings,
we began with the gospel
00:49:40.07\00:49:42.57
and we were lifting up Jesus
and we were focusing on Christ.
00:49:42.61\00:49:44.63
And he said to me, "Now
that we've cleared that up,
00:49:44.66\00:49:47.19
I want you to tell us
about the mark of the beast
00:49:47.22\00:49:48.87
and the antichrist."
00:49:48.90\00:49:50.27
See, I believe that
Jesus opens the door.
00:49:52.53\00:49:55.26
You know, when you
look at Christ, He said some
00:49:55.29\00:49:58.12
pretty intense things at times.
00:49:58.15\00:50:00.68
Didn't He?
00:50:00.71\00:50:02.08
I mean, He told
Peter, "You've got a devil."
00:50:02.11\00:50:05.42
He told the
Pharisees a few things too.
00:50:06.58\00:50:08.47
But He did it with love.
00:50:09.40\00:50:11.59
Tears were in His eyes
and He had choked utterances.
00:50:12.09\00:50:15.43
It's not so much what you say.
00:50:15.46\00:50:17.41
It's how you say it.
00:50:18.13\00:50:19.50
My wife reminds me
of that very often.
00:50:19.53\00:50:21.48
Because the intensity
that I have when I preach
00:50:22.19\00:50:23.98
doesn't always get turned
off when I think I'm right
00:50:24.01\00:50:26.76
about something at home.
00:50:26.79\00:50:28.16
We had two labs, Jake and
Willie; a gold and a black.
00:50:29.90\00:50:32.64
And they remind us of
this because these dogs were
00:50:32.67\00:50:35.16
very sensitive to voice tone.
00:50:35.19\00:50:38.12
We rarely ever had to
touch them to discipline them.
00:50:38.15\00:50:40.98
All you had to do was say
something in a certain tone.
00:50:41.66\00:50:44.97
I could say to those dogs, Jake
and Willie, I could say to them,
00:50:45.00\00:50:48.24
"Jake and Willie, I love you.
00:50:48.54\00:50:56.15
I love you, I
love you, I love you."
00:50:56.75\00:50:58.25
And you know what they would do?
00:50:59.03\00:51:00.40
They would stick their
tail between their legs
00:51:00.68\00:51:02.33
and they cower off somewhere.
00:51:02.36\00:51:04.27
Because they couldn't understand
the words that I was saying,
00:51:05.22\00:51:07.08
but they understood
how I was saying it.
00:51:07.11\00:51:08.67
And I could say to those
same dogs, "Jake, Willie,
00:51:08.91\00:51:11.80
I hate you guys.
00:51:11.83\00:51:13.20
I hate you, hate, you, hate you.
00:51:13.23\00:51:14.60
Oh, I hate you so
much. I just hate you.
00:51:14.63\00:51:17.36
I just can't
stand you stinky dogs.
00:51:17.39\00:51:19.48
Stinky."
00:51:20.64\00:51:22.01
And they'd just
be all over me, man.
00:51:22.04\00:51:23.41
They'd be licking me
and they'd just be...
00:51:23.44\00:51:24.81
Because it wasn't
the words I was saying.
00:51:24.85\00:51:26.85
It was the way I was saying it.
00:51:26.88\00:51:28.66
That's the way it is with Jesus.
00:51:28.69\00:51:30.81
Sometimes we get so caught
up in the symbolism of the beast
00:51:31.70\00:51:36.25
and the mark of the beast that
we just start hammering people.
00:51:36.28\00:51:38.84
"You're the beast,
you've got the mark."
00:51:38.87\00:51:40.24
It's a very simple issue.
00:51:42.17\00:51:43.54
It's about worship.
00:51:43.57\00:51:44.94
Those two days.
00:51:45.29\00:51:46.66
For all Christians, the
seventh day Sabbath or Sunday.
00:51:46.93\00:51:50.60
This is what differentiates us.
00:51:51.43\00:51:54.23
And one of them is kept
by millions of Christians
00:51:54.26\00:51:57.69
because they see it
directly connected to the
00:51:57.72\00:52:00.10
everlasting gospel
and the seal of God.
00:52:00.13\00:52:02.26
They see it as a biblical truth.
00:52:02.69\00:52:04.55
They've experienced what
it means to rest in Jesus
00:52:04.58\00:52:07.85
through keeping the Sabbath.
00:52:07.88\00:52:09.28
Now that can
become very legalistic.
00:52:09.75\00:52:11.33
It did with the Jews.
00:52:11.36\00:52:12.79
And we need to be very aware of
why people see us as legalistic.
00:52:12.82\00:52:16.74
Because of that
history and because sometimes
00:52:17.18\00:52:18.81
we come across that way.
00:52:18.84\00:52:20.21
There's another group
of people who keep Sunday.
00:52:20.49\00:52:22.71
Some of them do it because,
well, their fathers kept Sunday;
00:52:23.22\00:52:27.07
because the apostles
broke bread on Sunday;
00:52:27.10\00:52:29.30
because Jesus resurrected
from the grave on Sunday.
00:52:29.33\00:52:31.91
They all have to
admit that there's not a
00:52:31.94\00:52:33.31
biblical command for it.
00:52:33.34\00:52:34.71
Except for, well there are about
a billion people, Catholics,
00:52:34.74\00:52:38.84
in the world today who keep
Sunday for a different reason.
00:52:38.87\00:52:41.34
They do it because they believe
their church has the authority
00:52:41.83\00:52:44.53
to change the day
from Saturday to Sunday.
00:52:44.56\00:52:46.52
And that's where
the conflict begins.
00:52:47.31\00:52:50.30
Do we follow man
or do we follow God?
00:52:50.65\00:52:53.18
It's not a
question of judging others.
00:52:53.55\00:52:55.15
God has millions of
people in all different churches
00:52:55.18\00:52:58.25
who don't understand or haven't
seen or aren't fully convicted
00:52:58.35\00:53:01.97
for one reason or another.
00:53:02.00\00:53:03.37
Maybe primarily
because we haven't been the
00:53:03.40\00:53:04.82
Christians we're suppose to be.
00:53:04.85\00:53:06.22
Because we come across
as legalists, who knows.
00:53:07.43\00:53:09.39
We can leave that with God.
00:53:09.42\00:53:10.79
Romans 14 says we
don't need to judge.
00:53:10.82\00:53:12.64
But at the same
time, we need to share.
00:53:12.84\00:53:14.84
Why? Because this is
becoming a big issue.
00:53:14.87\00:53:17.00
When I was in
Pakistan, it was huge.
00:53:17.56\00:53:19.06
I mean, here I am
in a Muslim country.
00:53:19.09\00:53:20.77
I'm doing this
seminar for pastors.
00:53:20.80\00:53:22.66
And I started talking about
the change, in Daniel chapter 7.
00:53:22.69\00:53:25.41
And some of the pastors were
uncomfortable and they said,
00:53:25.44\00:53:27.05
"We don't want you
talking about Sunday/Sabbath.
00:53:27.08\00:53:28.45
Don't mention that anymore."
00:53:28.48\00:53:29.85
I said, "Okay, but I've got to
touch on the mark of the beast."
00:53:29.88\00:53:31.25
How am I going to do this?
00:53:31.28\00:53:32.65
And so what God impressed
me with was the fact that
00:53:32.68\00:53:35.33
in the country of
Pakistan at that time...
00:53:35.36\00:53:37.78
I'm trying to think how much
time I have to share this story.
00:53:41.73\00:53:43.78
Don't hesitate,
James. Just do it.
00:53:44.78\00:53:46.15
Okay, in the country of
Pakistan at that time...
00:53:46.18\00:53:48.52
Pakistan is a Muslim nation.
00:53:49.98\00:53:51.45
It's an Islamic nation.
Islamic law is enforced.
00:53:51.97\00:53:54.73
When I woke up
on Friday morning,
00:53:54.76\00:53:56.92
it was business as usual.
00:53:56.95\00:53:58.60
When I woke up
on Sunday morning,
00:53:58.63\00:54:00.35
all the businesses were closed.
00:54:00.38\00:54:02.72
Nobody was doing anything.
00:54:03.41\00:54:05.30
I said, "How is that in a
Muslim country that businesses
00:54:05.99\00:54:09.95
close on Sunday and open on
Friday when Friday is the day,
00:54:09.98\00:54:12.66
you know, you're
suppose to go to the mosque?"
00:54:12.69\00:54:14.06
They said,
"That's a recent ruling.
00:54:14.09\00:54:15.47
Just recently, the day
was changed because of the
00:54:15.78\00:54:18.71
economic pressure
from the rest of the world.
00:54:18.74\00:54:20.48
They were open for business
on Friday and we were closed,
00:54:20.51\00:54:22.58
and closed for business
on Sunday when we were open."
00:54:22.61\00:54:24.24
Revelation 13,
can't buy or sell.
00:54:25.06\00:54:27.10
Think about it.
00:54:27.13\00:54:28.50
So I'm in this meeting with
these pastors and I ask them,
00:54:29.07\00:54:31.71
this is a summary, I ask them,
"Revelation says the world will
00:54:31.91\00:54:36.44
receive the mark
in the right hand;
00:54:36.47\00:54:39.18
means they go along with
it, they don't believe it.
00:54:39.21\00:54:40.64
Or in the forehead;
means they believe it."
00:54:40.67\00:54:42.27
I said...
00:54:44.12\00:54:45.49
And they would worship, they'd
follow one religious leader.
00:54:45.52\00:54:47.73
I said, "What day,"
I asked them, I said,
00:54:47.76\00:54:50.44
"What day has the
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
00:54:50.47\00:54:54.78
chose to close for business...
00:54:54.81\00:54:56.79
A country in which
it's against the law for
00:54:56.98\00:54:58.59
a Muslim to become a Christian.
00:54:58.62\00:54:59.99
What day have you
closed for business?
00:55:00.02\00:55:01.39
And why?"
00:55:01.83\00:55:03.20
And these pastors looked at
each other, they looked at me,
00:55:03.92\00:55:05.72
and they all said
in chorus, "Sunday."
00:55:05.75\00:55:08.40
I said, "Why?"
"Because of economic pressure."
00:55:09.37\00:55:11.33
And you see this happening
even in the Muslim world today.
00:55:12.27\00:55:14.83
You see a
transition taking place.
00:55:14.86\00:55:16.64
Hasn't happened in Saudi
Arabia yet, but in many Muslim
00:55:16.67\00:55:18.72
countries a
transition is taking place
00:55:18.75\00:55:20.85
from Friday to Sunday.
00:55:20.88\00:55:23.62
Closed for business
on Friday, now closed
00:55:23.65\00:55:25.16
for business on Sunday.
00:55:25.19\00:55:26.56
And they're not
even Christian nations.
00:55:26.59\00:55:27.96
God knew what He was
talking about when He identified
00:55:27.99\00:55:31.21
this crisis in the end of time.
00:55:31.24\00:55:33.49
He understood what
was going to take place
00:55:33.52\00:55:35.35
between the mark and the seal.
00:55:35.38\00:55:36.75
He recognized that our only hope
was in the everlasting gospel
00:55:36.78\00:55:39.70
and understanding that we
rest in Jesus for salvation.
00:55:39.73\00:55:43.53
And He knew, and oh
does He know, that we needed
00:55:44.20\00:55:47.93
that message first and foremost,
and that we need to share
00:55:47.96\00:55:50.43
that message with others
in other countries secondly.
00:55:50.46\00:55:55.11
That's why we keep the Sabbath.
00:55:56.10\00:55:58.36
We keep the Sabbath
because it reminds us that
00:55:59.36\00:56:01.13
Jesus is our Savior, not us.
00:56:01.16\00:56:03.19
We rest from work
because we recognize that
00:56:03.47\00:56:05.78
Jesus is the Savior of all men.
00:56:05.81\00:56:08.13
We don't go out to eat
in restaurants on Sabbath.
00:56:08.45\00:56:11.35
Why not?
00:56:11.39\00:56:12.76
Because we recognize
that Jesus is your Savior
00:56:12.79\00:56:15.26
as well as my Savior.
00:56:15.29\00:56:16.66
And we're not going to
make you work on that day
00:56:16.69\00:56:18.26
any more than we
would work on that day.
00:56:18.29\00:56:19.91
We want you to rest
from doing those dishes, and
00:56:20.61\00:56:22.62
you to rest from packing those
bags and cleaning those rooms.
00:56:22.65\00:56:25.40
We want you to rest
because you have a Savior.
00:56:25.43\00:56:27.68
And every time we rest on
the Sabbath from our works
00:56:27.71\00:56:31.60
and don't allow others
to work for us on Sabbath,
00:56:31.63\00:56:34.61
we're proclaiming to
them, at least in actions,
00:56:34.64\00:56:36.81
that they have a Savior too.
00:56:36.84\00:56:38.33
When we go out to eat
on Sabbath, we're telling
00:56:39.00\00:56:40.37
other people, "Oh we
can't work, but you can.
00:56:40.40\00:56:42.45
We're saved, but you're not."
00:56:42.88\00:56:44.32
It's a testimony.
00:56:45.81\00:56:47.18
We believe that Jesus,
in His everlasting gospel,
00:56:48.38\00:56:52.54
has given His life
for the whole world.
00:56:52.57\00:56:54.28
And we need to give this
testimony to the whole world,
00:56:54.31\00:56:56.66
whether they
receive it or reject it,
00:56:56.69\00:56:58.20
and we need to do it
in the spirit of Christ.
00:56:58.23\00:57:00.17
The only way we can do
that in the spirit of Christ
00:57:00.20\00:57:03.19
is to ask for the spirit of
Christ to come into our hearts.
00:57:03.63\00:57:06.24
To spend that time
beholding Him and being
00:57:06.27\00:57:08.73
transformed in His image.
00:57:08.76\00:57:10.35
How many of you
today would like to say,
00:57:10.55\00:57:11.93
"Yes, I want to ask the
spirit of God in once again?"
00:57:11.96\00:57:14.71
Let's pray together.
00:57:14.74\00:57:16.11
Father, You've seen every
hand, You read every heart.
00:57:16.42\00:57:18.98
You know our needs and
the needs of the world.
00:57:19.40\00:57:22.14
You recognize how
vitally important this
00:57:22.17\00:57:24.19
everlasting gospel is and You've
given it to us in clear language
00:57:24.22\00:57:27.42
that it can be
proclaimed with a loud voice.
00:57:27.45\00:57:29.77
Father, for
those that are hearing,
00:57:30.07\00:57:31.50
for those who have listened, and
for those of us who are here,
00:57:32.07\00:57:35.34
we're asking for
Your grace, Your strength,
00:57:35.82\00:57:37.74
to be faithful
not only to the truth,
00:57:38.24\00:57:40.65
but to the spirit of the truth.
00:57:40.96\00:57:42.33