Welcome to Anchors Of Truth,
00:00:15.01\00:00:17.25
live from the
3ABN Worship Center.
00:00:17.28\00:00:19.71
Well we've enjoyed the
first in our series last night.
00:00:23.55\00:00:27.82
We were really blessed
as we heard a real message
00:00:27.92\00:00:35.46
about people who
were crying by a river
00:00:35.70\00:00:39.83
thinking about
Jerusalem in Psalm 137.
00:00:40.14\00:00:44.74
Quite a message; I
was very much blessed
00:00:45.21\00:00:48.41
and encouraged by
the message last night.
00:00:48.74\00:00:51.11
And tonight, Abana and
Pharpar, two more rivers,
00:00:51.15\00:00:55.02
that we will be
hearing about in this series
00:00:55.22\00:00:59.29
by our speaker C.A.
Murray, who has entitled this,
00:00:59.65\00:01:04.79
A River Runs Through.
00:01:04.83\00:01:06.73
And Elder Murray is the
3ABN Proclaim General Manager.
00:01:07.13\00:01:13.47
He is also our director
of live events for 3ABN.
00:01:13.70\00:01:19.61
And he is a man that God has
blessed as a master preacher.
00:01:20.08\00:01:25.25
He has preached in
many parts of the world,
00:01:25.68\00:01:28.15
pastored some
very large churches,
00:01:28.42\00:01:30.19
particularly in New York City.
00:01:30.22\00:01:32.59
And he and his wife, Irma,
are two people that we love,
00:01:33.12\00:01:39.09
we know, and we know that
they know the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:01:39.13\00:01:43.70
Tonight before he comes,
we're going to have music
00:01:44.07\00:01:49.07
by the Barry's; Celestine
Barry, and her husband Michael
00:01:49.10\00:01:54.74
will be at the piano I believe.
00:01:54.78\00:01:58.21
And we're going to hear a
song, Still, My Soul Be Still.
00:01:58.25\00:02:05.99
And then we will hear
Pastor Murray as he brings us
00:02:06.35\00:02:12.03
tonight's message.
00:02:12.06\00:02:13.63
Still, my soul be
still, and do not fear,
00:02:33.48\00:02:42.49
though winds of
change may rage tomorrow.
00:02:43.39\00:02:48.10
God is at your side;
00:02:48.13\00:02:53.47
no longer dread the
fires of unexpected sorrow.
00:02:54.04\00:03:02.58
God, You are my God,
00:03:02.68\00:03:08.48
and I will trust in
You and not be shaken.
00:03:08.52\00:03:16.46
Lord of peace, renew a
steadfast spirit within me
00:03:16.96\00:03:26.94
to rest in You alone.
00:03:27.54\00:03:32.64
Still, my soul be
still, do not be moved
00:03:41.72\00:03:50.83
by lesser lights
and fleeting shadows.
00:03:51.63\00:03:55.66
Hold onto His ways
with shield of faith
00:03:55.76\00:04:04.77
against
temptations flaming arrows.
00:04:05.07\00:04:09.78
God, You are my God,
00:04:09.81\00:04:15.65
and I will trust in
You and not be shaken.
00:04:15.68\00:04:23.26
Lord of peace, renew a
steadfast spirit within me
00:04:23.96\00:04:33.70
to rest in You alone.
00:04:34.10\00:04:39.27
Still, my soul be
still, do not forsake
00:05:16.78\00:05:26.25
the truth you
learned in the beginning.
00:05:27.09\00:05:31.39
Wait upon the Lord
00:05:31.49\00:05:36.87
and hope will rise as stars
appear when day is dimming.
00:05:36.90\00:05:45.17
God, You are my God,
00:05:45.21\00:05:51.05
and I will trust in
You and not be shaken.
00:05:51.08\00:05:58.79
Lord of peace, renew a
steadfast spirit within me
00:05:59.05\00:06:09.03
to rest in You alone.
00:06:09.06\00:06:14.04
I rest in You alone.
00:06:15.80\00:06:21.94
In You alone.
00:06:25.61\00:06:29.18
Amen and amen. Thank
you Celestine and Michael.
00:06:36.73\00:06:39.26
Very, very well
done. A beautiful song.
00:06:39.29\00:06:41.30
Yesterday we had their
daughter, and today we get
00:06:42.30\00:06:45.43
father and mother.
00:06:46.13\00:06:47.47
And we praise the Lord.
00:06:48.20\00:06:49.54
I trust you had
a good day today.
00:06:49.57\00:06:51.87
It was sunshiny,
started off a bit cold,
00:06:51.91\00:06:54.98
but warmed up nicely.
00:06:55.01\00:06:56.78
And the sunshine always
makes us feel so much better.
00:06:57.15\00:07:01.52
Our subject
tonight, Abana and Pharpar.
00:07:02.38\00:07:06.35
Turn with me, if you
will, to 2 Kings chapter 5.
00:07:06.79\00:07:11.23
I'm going to jump around just a
little bit as opposed to reading
00:07:11.79\00:07:16.06
the entire Scripture
passage that appertains
00:07:16.60\00:07:22.30
to our message tonight.
00:07:22.34\00:07:23.91
But we want to take a look
at some of the numerous lessons
00:07:25.24\00:07:30.55
that are found in this book.
00:07:30.58\00:07:34.22
I really like the
books of 1 and 2 Kings.
00:07:34.25\00:07:38.25
They are strong books
with strong narratives.
00:07:38.29\00:07:42.12
And back in 2000, I
think it was 2009, I preached
00:07:42.52\00:07:46.19
exclusively from 1 and 2
Kings for that entire year.
00:07:46.49\00:07:51.10
There is much to be
had in the Old Testament.
00:07:51.13\00:07:54.24
And in these particular
books; 1 and 2 Chronicles,
00:07:54.40\00:07:57.27
1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Samuel.
00:07:57.31\00:07:59.64
Very powerful narratives.
00:08:00.54\00:08:02.28
The line between good and
evil, right and wrong, is drawn
00:08:02.31\00:08:05.75
very, very starkly,
and we can learn much from
00:08:05.78\00:08:09.15
these particular books.
00:08:09.18\00:08:10.62
Father God, we thank You
now and we praise You now.
00:08:12.45\00:08:17.93
For You are a good and
great and everlasting God.
00:08:18.69\00:08:24.83
May we ask from You
Your presence and power.
00:08:26.30\00:08:30.94
May we ask You to teach us
those things that You would
00:08:31.97\00:08:34.44
have us to know.
00:08:34.48\00:08:35.84
And then enable us do them.
00:08:36.41\00:08:39.51
For the hour is late
and the time grows short,
00:08:40.58\00:08:46.42
and we must be about
our Father's business.
00:08:47.79\00:08:50.53
And we must be prepared
for the second coming of Jesus.
00:08:51.43\00:08:57.13
Let nothing keep us
from that appointed day,
00:08:58.23\00:09:01.60
and may we this
night take one more step
00:09:02.34\00:09:06.64
along the road
that leads to glory.
00:09:07.28\00:09:10.68
And we thank You
in Jesus' name, amen.
00:09:11.35\00:09:14.72
I should like to
begin with 2 Kings 5:1.
00:09:16.69\00:09:21.49
Then I think we'll
jump down to verse 11,
00:09:22.02\00:09:24.83
and continue on to verse 13,
and then we'll fill in the rest
00:09:25.86\00:09:30.17
in the body of the sermon.
00:09:30.37\00:09:31.93
The Bible says, "Now
Naaman, commander of the army
00:09:31.97\00:09:36.97
of the king of Syria,
was a great and honorable man
00:09:37.01\00:09:42.28
in the eyes of his master..."
00:09:42.31\00:09:44.05
I'm reading from
the New King James.
00:09:44.08\00:09:45.88
"...because by him the Lord
had given victory to Syria."
00:09:46.45\00:09:51.95
You note that the
Lord had a hand in this.
00:09:52.42\00:09:56.16
Let us skip down to verse 11.
00:09:57.49\00:10:00.10
The Bible says, "But
Naaman became furious,
00:10:01.73\00:10:05.07
and went away and said,
'Indeed, I said to myself,
00:10:05.63\00:10:10.67
"He will surely
come out to me, and stand
00:10:11.34\00:10:16.44
and call on the
name of the Lord his God,
00:10:16.91\00:10:20.35
and wave his hand over the
place, and heal the leprosy."
00:10:20.78\00:10:27.42
Are not the Abana and the
Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus,
00:10:29.02\00:10:33.73
better than all
the waters of Israel?
00:10:33.76\00:10:37.23
Could I not wash
in them and be clean?'
00:10:38.07\00:10:42.47
So he turned and
went away in a rage."
00:10:43.44\00:10:48.91
Let me go back to just one
additional line now in verse 1.
00:10:52.58\00:11:00.76
The Bible says he was
great in the eyes of his master,
00:11:02.16\00:11:05.93
because by him the Lord
had given victory to Syria.
00:11:07.20\00:11:11.13
Then there is
one additional line.
00:11:12.07\00:11:14.67
"He was also a
mighty man of valor,
00:11:16.34\00:11:18.64
but a leper."
00:11:19.47\00:11:21.94
The number of lessons that
can be drawn from 2 Kings 5
00:11:25.01\00:11:32.25
is almost endless.
00:11:32.49\00:11:34.49
There are, to my count,
no less than two dozen plots
00:11:36.39\00:11:42.33
and subplots with strong
protagonists and powerful
00:11:42.70\00:11:49.24
moral and faith lessons.
00:11:49.27\00:11:52.17
Some pointed,
directive, the consequences of
00:11:53.91\00:12:00.12
pride and lack of
faith, and greed, and hubris,
00:12:00.78\00:12:08.26
are all painted in bold relief
in this particular chapter.
00:12:08.89\00:12:14.10
There are many,
many, many sermons that can
00:12:14.13\00:12:17.77
be drawn from 2 Kings chapter 5.
00:12:17.80\00:12:21.60
Right is very
right, wrong is very wrong,
00:12:22.60\00:12:25.17
and you can see good
and bad in bold relief.
00:12:25.44\00:12:30.61
Here, then, is what I
find intriguing at the outset.
00:12:32.51\00:12:35.58
For the Bible says, and the
spirit of prophecy states this
00:12:36.99\00:12:41.09
and alludes to it
also, that God used Syria,
00:12:41.59\00:12:47.33
its king, and its captains,
to chastise His people.
00:12:48.03\00:12:55.37
Now this is not the
first, or even the most notable,
00:12:56.64\00:13:00.34
and certainly not
the last of the occasions
00:13:00.78\00:13:04.88
when God will use a heathen
king and a heathen nation
00:13:05.18\00:13:10.19
to spank Israel.
00:13:10.49\00:13:12.99
It happens over and over again.
00:13:13.66\00:13:17.19
These, brothers and sisters, are
the days of Ahab and Jezebel.
00:13:18.49\00:13:24.43
Ahab had died in an epic
battle, the battle of Qarqar,
00:13:25.93\00:13:31.34
trying to reclaim Ramoth-Gilead.
00:13:31.57\00:13:34.38
He had joined forces with the
two and a half southern tribes.
00:13:34.41\00:13:38.98
They fought against
the armies of Ben-Hadad.
00:13:39.01\00:13:42.08
Israel and Judah together
were defeated by Ben-Hadad,
00:13:42.12\00:13:46.49
and Ahab was
slain by an errant arrow
00:13:46.52\00:13:52.16
shot by no one in particular
at no place in particular.
00:13:52.46\00:13:58.03
It killed King Ahab, after
a tumultuous 22 year reign.
00:13:58.77\00:14:05.97
But from that time on,
even though Syria was in the
00:14:07.98\00:14:11.31
ascendency, there was
this, shall we say, cold war
00:14:11.35\00:14:15.92
between Syria and Israel.
00:14:15.95\00:14:19.69
There was an uneasy truce there.
00:14:20.82\00:14:23.32
There was a
constant border warfare.
00:14:23.96\00:14:28.13
And this story begins
when a Syrian raiding party
00:14:29.26\00:14:35.04
seizes and carries off a young
maiden, and she is assigned
00:14:35.57\00:14:43.14
as the handmaid/servant slave
of the wife of the commander
00:14:43.35\00:14:50.85
and chief of the Syrian army.
00:14:50.89\00:14:53.09
His name is Naaman.
00:14:54.29\00:14:55.86
Ellen White says, in discussing
this matter and this chapter,
00:14:56.62\00:15:00.66
that he was indeed a
great and honorable man,
00:15:00.70\00:15:04.83
a man much beloved
and respected by his king
00:15:05.43\00:15:09.40
and his fellow
soldiers, a man of valor.
00:15:09.44\00:15:13.54
And I need to say
here parenthetically,
00:15:14.18\00:15:16.14
there are people in this
world who are not Christian,
00:15:16.18\00:15:20.65
who are not members
of the Adventist church,
00:15:20.78\00:15:22.88
but they are good
and decent people.
00:15:22.92\00:15:26.42
And that is one of the
reasons why God's people
00:15:27.42\00:15:30.23
have a command by God to
get the gospel to those people,
00:15:30.26\00:15:36.03
because they're
looking for a Savior too.
00:15:36.06\00:15:38.57
And sometimes they don't
even know that it is Jesus
00:15:38.60\00:15:41.24
that they need to
complete the circuit.
00:15:41.27\00:15:43.94
Naaman was such a man.
00:15:44.84\00:15:46.47
Good, honorable, upstanding,
very much dedicated to his duty,
00:15:46.51\00:15:54.68
to his king, and to his country.
00:15:55.02\00:15:58.05
In all points, a
pretty decent guy.
00:15:58.65\00:16:02.89
But then there are three
words that change everything.
00:16:04.06\00:16:09.20
The Bible says,
"...but a leper."
00:16:10.40\00:16:14.27
Now I don't know
precisely how leprosy was viewed
00:16:16.37\00:16:19.51
in the Syrian economy.
00:16:19.54\00:16:21.64
Or even what form
of leprosy Naaman had.
00:16:22.61\00:16:26.85
It probably was not the
most contagious, because
00:16:26.88\00:16:29.92
the most contagious form
of leprosy was responded to
00:16:30.19\00:16:33.52
by quarantine.
00:16:33.56\00:16:34.99
And Naaman still
held court with the king,
00:16:35.22\00:16:37.99
he still commanded the army.
00:16:38.33\00:16:40.46
So probably it wasn't the
most contagious form of leprosy.
00:16:40.73\00:16:46.47
We know that in Israel leprosy
had a medical consequence,
00:16:47.67\00:16:53.31
but it also had a
religious consequence.
00:16:53.91\00:16:56.64
There was this
religious component.
00:16:56.68\00:16:58.81
It was viewed
with scorn and distain,
00:16:59.05\00:17:01.55
and as the
finger or stroke of God.
00:17:01.58\00:17:05.75
Treatment of
lepers was codified,
00:17:07.19\00:17:09.06
it was written down in
the Mishnah, the Gemara,
00:17:09.09\00:17:12.19
which form the Talmud.
00:17:12.23\00:17:13.76
The way you treat a
leper was written down.
00:17:13.80\00:17:15.86
You didn't have much choice.
00:17:15.90\00:17:17.47
They couldn't own property,
they couldn't stay in the city,
00:17:17.50\00:17:20.64
they had to go to a leper colony
and be quarantined with others.
00:17:20.67\00:17:24.24
They weren't
allowed to go to church.
00:17:24.27\00:17:25.91
Church people were not
allowed to associate with them.
00:17:26.21\00:17:28.54
Priests were not allowed to
pray for them or visit them.
00:17:28.94\00:17:31.81
They were as one walking dead.
00:17:31.85\00:17:35.68
So we don't think Naaman had
this extreme form of leprosy.
00:17:37.39\00:17:42.29
But yet the Bibles
says he was indeed leprous.
00:17:42.89\00:17:46.83
And I suspect leprosy was feared
and hated as much in Syria
00:17:48.10\00:17:52.57
as it was in Israel.
00:17:52.83\00:17:55.40
So now this chairman of
the joint chiefs of staff,
00:17:56.54\00:18:00.54
this military genius,
this mighty man of valor,
00:18:00.58\00:18:05.15
has leprosy.
00:18:05.71\00:18:07.52
And now the
Bible changes scenes.
00:18:08.75\00:18:11.12
For this little girl
is a casualty of war.
00:18:12.55\00:18:17.53
A cold war probably,
but a war nonetheless.
00:18:18.39\00:18:21.36
It occurs to me, brothers
and sisters, than when trauma
00:18:22.90\00:18:26.13
or drama enters our
lives, there are two ways
00:18:26.77\00:18:31.41
in which we generally
deal with trauma and drama.
00:18:31.44\00:18:36.28
One is, "Lord, why me?"
00:18:37.45\00:18:41.82
The other is,
"Lord, why not me?"
00:18:43.28\00:18:47.79
That's pretty much the way
we deal with drama in our lives.
00:18:48.86\00:18:53.70
And the option that
we choose as individuals
00:18:54.13\00:18:57.27
is usually predetermined
by the depth of our
00:18:57.30\00:19:00.84
relationship with God.
00:19:00.87\00:19:02.70
"Lord, why me?"
00:19:03.91\00:19:06.07
"Lord, why not me?"
00:19:06.78\00:19:08.94
In fact, that may be the best
barometer of what you've got
00:19:10.08\00:19:13.52
inside; is how you
deal with disappointment,
00:19:13.55\00:19:17.05
how you deal with
trauma, how you deal with drama,
00:19:17.59\00:19:21.36
in your life.
00:19:21.52\00:19:22.86
Maybe that's the best way
to determine what kind of Jesus
00:19:22.89\00:19:26.59
you serve and what's
Jesus doing in your life.
00:19:26.63\00:19:30.57
Because the truth is,
everybody gets a turn.
00:19:30.60\00:19:34.00
Can you say amen?
00:19:34.04\00:19:35.37
Nobody will go to heaven
drama-free or trauma-free.
00:19:35.84\00:19:43.14
The truth is,
everybody gets a turn.
00:19:43.75\00:19:48.15
And how you respond to
that trauma and/or that drama
00:19:49.02\00:19:55.26
proves many times
whether that experience
00:19:55.92\00:19:58.99
can be a blessing or a curse.
00:19:59.03\00:20:02.53
Ellen White says, trials
bravely born can be a blessing
00:20:02.86\00:20:08.27
in the life of the
son or daughter of God.
00:20:08.30\00:20:11.31
Everybody gets a turn.
00:20:11.74\00:20:13.24
And if you
haven't gotten your turn,
00:20:13.78\00:20:16.18
as someone said to me
years ago, just keep on living.
00:20:16.88\00:20:19.45
Your turn is coming.
00:20:19.48\00:20:21.32
So now this
great man has leprosy.
00:20:23.85\00:20:28.56
Let me add something
here that I want to refer
00:20:29.96\00:20:31.83
back to over and over again.
00:20:31.86\00:20:33.19
It may not make sense now,
but hopefully it will later.
00:20:33.23\00:20:36.36
God has no comfort zone.
00:20:37.80\00:20:41.20
Now before you
react to that viscerally,
00:20:42.24\00:20:44.67
chew on that just a little bit.
00:20:45.21\00:20:46.74
Because we're going
to come back to it again.
00:20:47.31\00:20:48.94
God has no comfort zone.
00:20:50.08\00:20:52.88
One of the unavoidable side
effects of walking with Jesus
00:20:54.95\00:20:59.55
is the realization
that in every circumstance
00:21:00.22\00:21:04.96
God is with you.
00:21:05.43\00:21:06.76
Can you say amen?
00:21:06.80\00:21:08.13
In every
circumstance, He is able.
00:21:09.83\00:21:11.97
In every
circumstance, He is faithful.
00:21:12.50\00:21:15.60
In every
circumstance, He is trustworthy.
00:21:16.24\00:21:20.01
God has no comfort zone.
00:21:21.74\00:21:23.71
The power and
presence of God didn't stop
00:21:24.61\00:21:29.25
at the Israeli border.
00:21:29.58\00:21:31.75
As we said last night,
God can find you in Babylon
00:21:32.95\00:21:37.29
just like He can
find you in Jerusalem.
00:21:37.33\00:21:39.73
And I'm convicted that
God can find you in Damascus
00:21:41.36\00:21:44.73
just like He can
find you in Jerusalem.
00:21:44.83\00:21:47.04
So the presence and
power of God doesn't stop
00:21:47.90\00:21:51.01
at the Israeli border.
00:21:51.04\00:21:53.34
Turn with me, if you
will, to Hebrews 13:5-6.
00:21:54.11\00:21:58.28
One of my favorite texts.
00:21:59.48\00:22:01.85
Hebrews 13:5-9
00:22:02.88\00:22:05.89
The Bible says,
"Let your conduct be
00:22:08.02\00:22:10.63
without covetousness..."
00:22:10.66\00:22:12.83
Don't envy anybody anything.
00:22:13.19\00:22:15.36
"...be content with
such things as you have."
00:22:16.03\00:22:18.90
Why?
00:22:19.53\00:22:20.87
"For He Himself
has said..." What?
00:22:20.90\00:22:22.97
"'I will never leave
you nor forsake you.'
00:22:23.41\00:22:27.94
So we may boldly say,
'The Lord is my helper;
00:22:28.54\00:22:34.32
I will not fear.
00:22:34.92\00:22:36.89
What can man do to me?'"
00:22:37.59\00:22:40.56
And if you read the Clear
Word, it says, "What can man do
00:22:41.56\00:22:48.66
to my soul."
00:22:48.96\00:22:50.57
It hearkens back to Christ's
words, "Don't worry about
00:22:51.43\00:22:53.40
him who can destroy the body.
00:22:53.44\00:22:55.04
Be concerned about him who
can destroy the soul in hell."
00:22:55.74\00:23:00.04
So since man can't hurt
you, this is among the greatest
00:23:02.18\00:23:09.08
of the texts in the
Bible, but it only gets real
00:23:09.58\00:23:14.69
when you go through stuff.
00:23:15.22\00:23:16.99
Amen?
00:23:17.53\00:23:18.86
These are nice words, but they
take on an additional meaning
00:23:18.99\00:23:23.83
when you've been
through some things,
00:23:24.23\00:23:26.74
when somebody has tried
to do something against you.
00:23:26.97\00:23:29.84
That's when you
really understand
00:23:29.87\00:23:32.21
that God is your helper.
00:23:32.44\00:23:34.08
And man cannot really
hurt you because they cannot
00:23:34.81\00:23:38.15
destroy your soul.
00:23:38.18\00:23:40.25
So this little girl is
ripped from her parents home.
00:23:42.78\00:23:47.82
But her God is with
her, and she knows it.
00:23:49.02\00:23:52.76
She's a young maiden.
00:23:53.90\00:23:55.23
We don't have an age,
but over and over again
00:23:55.26\00:23:57.53
it is referred to
that she's pretty young.
00:23:57.57\00:24:00.34
She's a maiden, she's unmarried,
she's living with her parents.
00:24:00.37\00:24:03.51
And she is taken
forcefully from her home
00:24:04.51\00:24:07.88
by the Syrian army.
00:24:08.24\00:24:09.84
She is a maid to
the wife of the general.
00:24:10.38\00:24:14.38
Could be worse.
00:24:15.28\00:24:16.62
Not in the field, she's
not given to the soldiers,
00:24:17.75\00:24:21.69
she is not beaten and
forced to work in the mines.
00:24:22.06\00:24:25.76
She is the maid to
the wife of the chairman
00:24:25.79\00:24:29.00
of the joint chiefs of staff.
00:24:29.03\00:24:31.27
So I say, God can
find you in Damascus
00:24:32.93\00:24:36.04
just like His can in Jerusalem.
00:24:36.47\00:24:38.04
And He can take
care of you in Damascus
00:24:38.81\00:24:40.71
just like He does in Jerusalem.
00:24:41.24\00:24:42.74
Prophets and Kings, page 244.
00:24:44.68\00:24:47.15
"A slave far from her
home," Ellen White writes,
00:24:48.48\00:24:52.45
"this little maid was
nevertheless one of God's
00:24:52.72\00:24:56.59
witnesses, unconsciously
fulfilling the purpose for which
00:24:56.62\00:25:00.63
God had chosen
Israel as His people."
00:25:00.66\00:25:02.63
Remember we said last
night, God wanted Israel to
00:25:02.66\00:25:05.60
spread the gospel
to the whole world.
00:25:05.63\00:25:07.54
And since they
wouldn't do it voluntarily,
00:25:08.30\00:25:10.71
He had to force them out.
00:25:10.74\00:25:12.71
So this little girl, this
little maid, now is one of
00:25:13.07\00:25:16.95
those witnesses of God.
00:25:16.98\00:25:20.68
She wasn't whining, "How
can I sing the Lord's song
00:25:21.58\00:25:25.32
in a strange land?"
00:25:25.35\00:25:26.79
Um-hmm.
00:25:27.39\00:25:28.72
You didn't hear her crying.
00:25:29.02\00:25:30.43
She wasn't hanging
her harps upon the willow.
00:25:30.76\00:25:33.29
She took her God with her.
00:25:34.40\00:25:38.93
Prophets and Kings,
page 245. I love this.
00:25:39.93\00:25:42.30
"The conduct of this
captive maid, the way that she
00:25:42.34\00:25:46.98
bore herself in that heathen
home, is a strong witness
00:25:47.01\00:25:52.35
to the power of
early home training."
00:25:52.38\00:25:55.68
See, God
followed her to Damascus.
00:25:57.82\00:25:59.82
Amen?
00:25:59.85\00:26:01.19
He didn't stop at
the borders of Israel.
00:26:01.22\00:26:03.93
The same God that
was with her in Jerusalem
00:26:04.46\00:26:06.39
was with her in Damascus.
00:26:06.83\00:26:08.33
"There is no higher
trust than that committed
00:26:08.63\00:26:12.10
to fathers and mothers
in the care and training
00:26:12.13\00:26:14.90
of their children."
00:26:14.94\00:26:16.27
Amen.
00:26:16.30\00:26:17.64
"Parents have to do
with the very foundations
00:26:17.67\00:26:20.58
of habit and character.
00:26:20.61\00:26:23.18
By their
example and teaching..."
00:26:23.28\00:26:25.81
See, your words
have to match your deeds.
00:26:26.28\00:26:27.92
If you say one
thing and do another,
00:26:27.95\00:26:30.09
I'm tending to go with what
you do and not what you say.
00:26:30.35\00:26:33.89
Um-hmm.
00:26:35.29\00:26:36.62
"By their example and
teaching, the future of their
00:26:37.56\00:26:40.33
children is largely decided."
00:26:40.36\00:26:42.50
I'm almost
tempted to tell a story.
00:26:43.47\00:26:45.33
But I'm looking at my time.
00:26:45.73\00:26:47.07
I better hold
my story for later.
00:26:47.10\00:26:48.77
Rather than being
bitter, Ellen White says this
00:26:50.37\00:26:54.08
about this maiden taken
from her home as a young girl,
00:26:54.11\00:26:57.01
probably early teens.
00:26:57.05\00:26:58.65
"Her sympathies were aroused
in behalf of her master."
00:26:59.28\00:27:05.15
She's taken from her home,
00:27:06.12\00:27:07.62
she's a slave in
the home of Naaman,
00:27:07.66\00:27:10.23
but her sympathies are
aroused in behalf of her master.
00:27:10.26\00:27:14.53
Now compare that with what
we read last night in Psalm 137.
00:27:14.56\00:27:17.87
She felt bad for Naaman.
00:27:20.70\00:27:24.14
Her sympathies were
aroused when she found out
00:27:25.01\00:27:27.68
that her master had leprosy.
00:27:27.88\00:27:31.28
She didn't say, "Good for you.
00:27:32.08\00:27:35.65
You come in and
tear up our kingdom,
00:27:36.99\00:27:39.02
you take me out of my
home; I hope you get cancer."
00:27:39.19\00:27:41.69
No, Ellen White says,
"Her sympathies were aroused
00:27:44.06\00:27:47.13
in behalf of her master."
00:27:47.96\00:27:49.30
Ladies and
gentlemen, that's Jesus.
00:27:49.33\00:27:51.37
Amen?
00:27:51.83\00:27:53.17
Now I'm not saying that
it's an easy thing to do.
00:27:53.80\00:27:57.24
It's not easy to treat
someone good who deliberately
00:27:58.41\00:28:03.61
treats you bad.
00:28:03.65\00:28:04.98
Amen?
00:28:05.01\00:28:06.35
So I'm not saying it's easy.
00:28:07.88\00:28:09.72
I'm saying it's possible.
00:28:10.59\00:28:12.15
I'm saying, Christ can
put that in your heart.
00:28:12.95\00:28:16.29
Christ can change your life so
you don't repay evil with evil.
00:28:16.76\00:28:21.76
Amen?
00:28:22.23\00:28:23.57
So this little lady had learned
something from her parents,
00:28:23.67\00:28:26.47
and she took it with her.
00:28:26.50\00:28:27.94
She took it all
the way to Damascus.
00:28:29.37\00:28:32.11
And she talked to her mistress.
00:28:34.14\00:28:35.78
She said, "You know, it's too
bad that we're not in Samaria,
00:28:37.35\00:28:45.22
and that your
husband is not there, because
00:28:46.12\00:28:48.39
we have a prophet of
God who could cure him."
00:28:48.92\00:28:54.13
Now that takes a lot to
say that when you're a slave
00:28:55.66\00:28:59.90
in somebody's house.
00:28:59.93\00:29:01.27
Your life is in their hand.
00:29:01.74\00:29:03.51
And if they took her
life, no one would say a word.
00:29:04.21\00:29:06.68
But she's got Jesus inside.
00:29:07.54\00:29:09.28
So she tells her mistress, "You
know, if your husband was in
00:29:10.05\00:29:15.12
Samaria, he could
get cured of that.
00:29:15.15\00:29:18.75
We've got a prophet of God and
we've got a God above all gods
00:29:19.75\00:29:23.32
who can fix that."
00:29:23.36\00:29:25.19
And evidently the
wife believed it, because
00:29:27.26\00:29:29.40
the wife told her husband.
00:29:29.43\00:29:30.80
Here is some collateral
that comes from serving God
00:29:32.13\00:29:35.60
faithfully,
ladies and gentlemen.
00:29:35.64\00:29:37.31
People know and believe you
when you're telling the truth.
00:29:38.04\00:29:43.04
And when you're telling
the truth in Jesus' name,
00:29:43.78\00:29:46.51
there is an air of
believability that comes
00:29:46.55\00:29:50.95
with speaking for the Lord.
00:29:50.99\00:29:52.35
And again, I'm not
saying these things are easy.
00:29:53.82\00:29:55.82
But I am saying these things
are possible through Jesus.
00:29:55.99\00:29:58.36
All things are
possible through Jesus.
00:29:58.39\00:30:02.06
Prophets and Kings, page
246. This is a great story.
00:30:03.93\00:30:06.70
"The parents of that Hebrew
maid, as they taught her of God,
00:30:06.74\00:30:11.31
did not know the
destiny that would be hers."
00:30:11.34\00:30:15.51
They didn't know she
was going to be taken away
00:30:15.54\00:30:17.15
to the house of the chairman
of the joint chiefs of staff
00:30:17.18\00:30:19.91
of the army of Syria.
00:30:19.95\00:30:21.28
"But they were
faithful to their trust;
00:30:21.65\00:30:24.62
and in the home of the
captain of the Syrian host,
00:30:25.22\00:30:34.13
their child bore witness to the
God whom she learned to honor."
00:30:34.16\00:30:39.30
Page 245, the
same, Prophets and Kings.
00:30:40.44\00:30:42.47
"Happy are the parents whose
lives are a true reflection
00:30:42.50\00:30:46.51
of the divine, so that the
promises and commands of God
00:30:46.54\00:30:51.28
awaken in the child
gratitude and reverence."
00:30:51.31\00:30:56.02
She spoke a word for the Lord.
00:30:58.69\00:31:00.52
Naaman heard that word.
00:31:01.36\00:31:03.32
And evidently Ben-Hadad, the
king, also believed that word.
00:31:04.43\00:31:10.13
Because the Bible says,
and Ellen White backs this up,
00:31:10.37\00:31:12.70
that the king had to sign
off on this trip that Naaman was
00:31:12.73\00:31:16.84
going to take
there back to Samaria.
00:31:16.87\00:31:20.21
And of course,
there's another subplot
00:31:21.14\00:31:24.08
and another sermon.
00:31:24.11\00:31:25.61
For the king sends a letter of
presentation to Israel's king.
00:31:26.75\00:31:31.65
And here's where
things get kind of good.
00:31:32.05\00:31:33.92
"Be advised that
this is Naaman my servant.
00:31:35.09\00:31:39.19
He is a good man.
00:31:39.66\00:31:41.00
And when you get
this letter, cure him."
00:31:41.56\00:31:45.83
Now we have many reasons to
believe that Ban-Hadad himself
00:31:48.20\00:31:51.17
was a pretty decent fellow.
00:31:51.27\00:31:53.21
And we come to
this a little bit later.
00:31:54.04\00:31:55.74
And also that he too believed
the words of this young lady.
00:31:56.85\00:32:01.22
So this faithful little
maiden got into the ear and head
00:32:01.25\00:32:05.95
of the king of the country.
00:32:05.99\00:32:07.52
He believed the
report of Israel's prophet
00:32:11.83\00:32:15.56
and Israel's God.
00:32:16.03\00:32:17.37
Now let me ask you a question.
00:32:17.40\00:32:18.73
Let me ask you a question.
00:32:18.77\00:32:20.10
If any of us, you or I,
Jim Gilley, president of 3ABN,
00:32:21.20\00:32:24.87
were to write a
letter to President Obama,
00:32:25.64\00:32:29.91
who do you suppose
would answer your letter
00:32:32.01\00:32:34.48
if it ever got to him?
00:32:34.52\00:32:35.95
If you ever got a
letter back, who do you suppose
00:32:39.09\00:32:43.49
would write that letter?
00:32:44.69\00:32:46.06
More than likely,
it would be an aide.
00:32:48.20\00:32:52.27
Odds are your letter,
my letter, Jim's letter,
00:32:53.30\00:32:57.24
is not going to get to
the desk of President Obama.
00:32:57.27\00:33:00.14
Here is why.
00:33:00.18\00:33:01.51
We live in a country
of 318 million people.
00:33:02.61\00:33:06.98
The president's office
gets 65,000 letters per week.
00:33:08.95\00:33:14.06
He gets 100,000 emails
per day, 1000 faxes per day,
00:33:15.39\00:33:23.93
and anywhere between 2500
and 3500 phone calls per day.
00:33:24.77\00:33:30.97
When President
Obama went into office,
00:33:32.44\00:33:34.74
he asked that a random
selection of ten letters per day
00:33:35.04\00:33:39.65
get to him personally.
00:33:39.68\00:33:41.52
So the odds that your
letter would break through that
00:33:42.45\00:33:45.62
65,000 are very slim.
00:33:45.72\00:33:48.26
And if your letter did
get in, it would be answered
00:33:49.42\00:33:54.86
probably by a fellow by
the name of Mike Kelleher,
00:33:54.96\00:33:59.40
or through his office.
00:33:59.70\00:34:01.34
Mike Kelleher heads the office
of Presidential Correspondence.
00:34:02.17\00:34:06.88
It's his job to sift through
the letters, determine which one
00:34:07.58\00:34:13.28
gets to the president,
and then pass off the rest
00:34:13.31\00:34:17.49
to an aide, or an aide's
aide, or an aide's aide's aid,
00:34:17.72\00:34:22.89
who responds to your letter.
00:34:22.92\00:34:25.13
So you wouldn't expect
to get an answer from the
00:34:27.03\00:34:31.13
president himself unless
you wrote something threatening.
00:34:31.17\00:34:35.60
And then you wouldn't get
a letter, you'd get a visit.
00:34:36.07\00:34:38.24
So your letter will
probably go to the office
00:34:40.68\00:34:42.98
of Presidential Correspondence.
00:34:43.01\00:34:44.95
Now suppose Vladimir
Putin wrote a letter,
00:34:46.65\00:34:50.22
or Angela Merkel wrote a letter,
00:34:51.42\00:34:53.39
or Recep Tayyip
Erdogan wrote a letter,
00:34:53.42\00:34:55.89
or Ban Ki-moon, or
Bashar al-Assad if he so chose,
00:34:55.92\00:35:00.23
or even Sir David Cameron.
00:35:00.26\00:35:01.90
Suppose they wrote a letter.
00:35:01.93\00:35:03.53
Who do you suppose
would respond to that letter?
00:35:03.57\00:35:06.37
I dare say, that letter would
get to the president's desk.
00:35:07.74\00:35:11.17
Heads of state
communicate with heads of state.
00:35:12.61\00:35:17.48
So Ben-Hadad sent
a letter with Naaman
00:35:18.95\00:35:22.08
to be given to
the king of Israel,
00:35:22.12\00:35:24.19
because kings talk to kings.
00:35:24.22\00:35:27.96
Doesn't that make sense?
00:35:28.22\00:35:29.56
Kings don't talk
to common people.
00:35:29.86\00:35:31.73
He doesn't know
anything about prophets.
00:35:31.76\00:35:33.09
He doesn't go to talk
to anybody on the street.
00:35:33.13\00:35:34.80
If he's sending his chief
general, he's going to send
00:35:35.00\00:35:38.50
his chief general to the king.
00:35:38.53\00:35:40.74
Because kings talk to kings.
00:35:40.77\00:35:43.20
But when the Israeli
king gets this letter,
00:35:44.97\00:35:47.08
to use modern day
language, he freaks out.
00:35:48.14\00:35:53.88
He tears his clothes.
00:35:55.18\00:35:56.89
And that, of course, is a sign
of great distress and anguish.
00:35:57.22\00:36:00.56
Tearing your clothes or tearing
your clothes and throwing
00:36:00.59\00:36:03.22
dirt on your head,
that means you've lost it.
00:36:03.26\00:36:05.19
You have no control.
00:36:05.23\00:36:06.56
You have no answers.
00:36:06.59\00:36:08.20
You're just gone.
00:36:08.56\00:36:10.17
Israel's king sees trickery.
00:36:12.37\00:36:14.44
He smells a rat.
00:36:15.00\00:36:17.31
He's thinking, "We just finished
a war with this country.
00:36:18.31\00:36:22.91
And they defeated us.
00:36:24.05\00:36:25.71
Obviously, this king
is trying to find a reason
00:36:26.75\00:36:31.92
to pick a fight with me so
he can take me off my throne
00:36:32.22\00:36:36.42
and own my kingdom."
00:36:36.83\00:36:39.03
He smells a
rat, and he's afraid.
00:36:40.96\00:36:43.97
But Ben-Hadad was just
following political protocol.
00:36:47.44\00:36:50.77
Kings talk to kings.
00:36:51.24\00:36:52.97
Israel's king, who, by the way,
his name was Joram or Jehoram,
00:36:53.78\00:36:57.18
depending on which
translation you use,
00:36:57.21\00:37:00.18
is just really showing
you how estranged he is
00:37:01.75\00:37:04.12
from his own God.
00:37:04.15\00:37:05.55
See, when you don't
have God in your life,
00:37:07.06\00:37:09.42
you don't always
see things straight.
00:37:10.39\00:37:12.69
You know?
00:37:13.06\00:37:14.40
Sometimes you think that
something that is, is not,
00:37:15.46\00:37:19.83
or something that is not, is.
00:37:20.30\00:37:22.50
Years later,
Hezekiah got a letter.
00:37:23.74\00:37:26.01
You remember that story?
00:37:26.68\00:37:28.01
And this letter was much worse.
00:37:28.21\00:37:30.11
It came from
Sennacherib of Assyria.
00:37:31.01\00:37:33.42
The letter basically
said, "We are coming.
00:37:34.35\00:37:38.39
We are coming to
take your kingdom.
00:37:39.42\00:37:41.32
We're coming to
destroy your world.
00:37:41.99\00:37:44.16
Now these are the facts:
00:37:45.19\00:37:46.93
Every country we want, we get.
00:37:48.43\00:37:52.27
Every place we
want to go, we go there.
00:37:53.20\00:37:56.71
And every country
that we have destroyed,
00:37:57.41\00:38:00.08
they had a god too.
00:38:01.04\00:38:02.38
Their gods were
not able to help them;
00:38:03.28\00:38:06.68
and your God will not save you.
00:38:07.32\00:38:10.52
So get ready,
because we're coming."
00:38:12.05\00:38:15.22
Now to me, that's the
time to tear your clothes.
00:38:16.52\00:38:20.86
When you get a letter like that,
that's the time to get worried.
00:38:21.70\00:38:25.80
If you're talking about losing
your cool and freaking out,
00:38:25.83\00:38:29.34
that's the time to
get a little upset.
00:38:29.37\00:38:33.58
Because the Assyrians
were ancient terrorists.
00:38:34.54\00:38:38.01
They were merciless killers
and blood thirsty warriors.
00:38:38.85\00:38:43.82
The Assyrians would
rape, and kill, and burn,
00:38:44.05\00:38:47.79
and cleave skulls
and put them on poles
00:38:47.82\00:38:51.63
just outside the city
for no other reason than
00:38:51.66\00:38:54.00
they wanted to incite terror.
00:38:54.03\00:38:55.50
There are many
countries that when they heard
00:38:56.50\00:38:58.73
the Assyrian empire was coming,
they simply turned the city over
00:38:58.77\00:39:02.27
and ran for terror.
00:39:02.30\00:39:04.64
But Hezekiah's
response is remarkably different
00:39:06.74\00:39:10.21
to that of Joram.
00:39:10.58\00:39:12.55
The Bible says Hezekiah took the
letter and laid it before God,
00:39:13.75\00:39:17.59
and prayed, and asked God to
save his name and his kingdom.
00:39:19.89\00:39:26.76
And God said to Hezekiah,
"This king is raising his
00:39:27.60\00:39:32.53
voice against Me."
00:39:32.57\00:39:34.57
And then one night one
angel slew 185,000 Assyrians.
00:39:36.91\00:39:45.71
Sennacherid, who wasn't at
the battle but down in Egypt
00:39:46.58\00:39:49.58
trying to keep the Pharaoh
from doing a flanking movement
00:39:49.62\00:39:52.45
behind him, was not even
there, got the news by courier,
00:39:52.49\00:39:56.52
ran back to
Assyria, and his own family
00:39:56.83\00:40:00.36
slew him in his own house.
00:40:00.40\00:40:02.76
Is anybody listening
to me when I tell you
00:40:04.77\00:40:07.70
God takes care of His own?
00:40:07.74\00:40:10.34
You need not
fret, you need not fear.
00:40:11.91\00:40:13.98
God takes care of His own.
00:40:14.64\00:40:17.15
All we have to do is put
our trust, put our faith,
00:40:19.61\00:40:24.39
in Him, for He is able.
00:40:24.59\00:40:29.66
So Elisha goes to the king.
00:40:31.09\00:40:32.86
The king should have
been going to Elisha.
00:40:32.89\00:40:34.43
Elisha goes to the
king and asks, "Why are you
00:40:34.46\00:40:37.33
tearing your clothes?
00:40:37.37\00:40:38.83
Send Naaman to
me and let God work,
00:40:38.87\00:40:45.17
and let God have a chance."
00:40:45.21\00:40:46.54
So Naaman comes
with his entourage,
00:40:46.57\00:40:48.41
his horses and his chariots.
00:40:48.44\00:40:49.81
Sort of like a
presidential motorcade.
00:40:49.84\00:40:51.48
I've got to tell
this story real quick.
00:40:51.51\00:40:53.01
A couple of years ago, Jim
Gilley and Erma and Camille
00:40:53.42\00:40:56.45
and I were in New York City.
00:40:56.48\00:40:57.82
And Jim had rented a car, and
they didn't have the right car.
00:40:58.29\00:41:02.26
So they gave us one of those
big black presidential SUV's
00:41:02.29\00:41:06.59
with the
windows all blacked out.
00:41:06.63\00:41:08.10
And we had such fun in that car.
00:41:08.66\00:41:10.63
You remember that?
00:41:10.90\00:41:12.23
We drove all over the
city and people were looking
00:41:12.27\00:41:13.60
to see, "Who's in there?"
00:41:13.64\00:41:14.97
Because you have those
cars all over New York City.
00:41:15.00\00:41:16.34
The United Nations is
there, they drive those cars.
00:41:16.37\00:41:18.71
When the president comes in.
00:41:18.74\00:41:20.08
We had this big black
limousine, and I would park...
00:41:20.11\00:41:22.74
In New York City if you park
too close to a fire hydrant,
00:41:22.78\00:41:25.05
that's a $250 fine.
00:41:25.08\00:41:26.65
And we couldn't
find any place to park,
00:41:26.68\00:41:28.02
so I parked too
close to the fire hydrant.
00:41:28.05\00:41:29.38
We went into the
church and had a meeting
00:41:29.48\00:41:31.02
with Elder Wilson
and some other people.
00:41:31.12\00:41:34.02
And we came out; no ticket.
00:41:34.06\00:41:35.82
We drove down and around
the city and people would look,
00:41:37.33\00:41:39.86
you know, look
to see who's there.
00:41:39.89\00:41:41.60
And it was kind of
cool, I was driving.
00:41:41.63\00:41:42.96
Since I know New York
City, Jim let me drive.
00:41:43.00\00:41:44.93
We go to Dallas, he
drive. He knows Dallas.
00:41:44.97\00:41:46.90
We'd pull up to the light
and people would look to see.
00:41:47.44\00:41:49.90
And I'd roll the window down,
you know, roll the window down,
00:41:49.94\00:41:52.14
and just look at them.
00:41:52.17\00:41:53.51
Then roll the window back up.
00:41:53.54\00:41:55.18
You know, and
everybody is looking at
00:41:55.78\00:41:57.11
this big black limousine.
00:41:57.15\00:41:58.48
And then Erma decided that she
wanted to get a slice of pizza.
00:41:58.51\00:42:00.65
Do you remember that?
00:42:00.68\00:42:02.02
And so we pulled up in
front of the pizza place.
00:42:02.05\00:42:05.02
No parking zone.
00:42:05.19\00:42:06.52
Jim and Erma ran
in and got the pizza.
00:42:06.55\00:42:08.06
And I stayed in there and
let the engine keep running.
00:42:08.09\00:42:10.06
Nobody said anything.
00:42:10.09\00:42:11.43
Cops went by; nobody
touched us, nobody talked to us.
00:42:11.46\00:42:13.46
You know, it's good to have one
of those big black limousines.
00:42:13.50\00:42:15.56
We ever go back to New York, I
want to get one of those again.
00:42:15.60\00:42:17.93
It's really great.
00:42:18.40\00:42:19.73
So Naaman pulls
up in his chariot.
00:42:19.80\00:42:22.47
And Ellen White says, the
Bible Commentary says rather,
00:42:22.50\00:42:25.64
everybody's on horses, he's
in a chariot, nobody's walking.
00:42:25.67\00:42:28.81
He pulls up in front of
this humble little house,
00:42:28.84\00:42:31.15
this is Elisha's house.
00:42:31.18\00:42:32.51
Humble man.
00:42:32.55\00:42:33.88
He expects to be
treated like a dignitary.
00:42:34.15\00:42:36.65
He is indeed a dignitary.
00:42:36.69\00:42:38.72
He expects to be
courted, and schmoozed,
00:42:38.75\00:42:41.22
and fussed over.
00:42:41.26\00:42:42.59
He expects someone to
come out, fall on the ground,
00:42:42.62\00:42:45.63
call on the Lord,
touch his sore, heal him.
00:42:45.66\00:42:48.96
But Elisha doesn't even bother
to come outside the house.
00:42:49.73\00:42:54.00
He sends a servant and
tells him, "Dip seven times
00:42:54.40\00:42:58.07
in the Jordan, you'll be fine."
00:42:58.11\00:42:59.44
And the Bible says
Naaman is ticked off.
00:43:02.38\00:43:05.98
Ladies and
gentlemen, boys and girls,
00:43:08.12\00:43:10.19
as the Lord liveth
and as thy soul liveth,
00:43:12.52\00:43:15.26
Naaman is upset.
00:43:15.92\00:43:17.33
He's a good man, a gallant
man, but he's not a perfect man.
00:43:18.43\00:43:23.37
And Ellen White says he's
got a heaping helping of pride
00:43:23.47\00:43:27.40
that needs to be dealt with.
00:43:27.44\00:43:28.90
2 Kings 5:9, he's got
it set up in his mind.
00:43:30.37\00:43:35.14
He's expecting it to go
the way he wants it to go.
00:43:35.68\00:43:39.95
But Elisha
doesn't even come outside.
00:43:41.88\00:43:46.42
Naaman is upset.
00:43:49.92\00:43:51.26
"Does he know who I am?
00:43:55.76\00:43:57.17
Does he know who's out here?
00:43:59.63\00:44:01.04
Does he know my rank?
00:44:02.24\00:44:03.81
Does he know who's
name is on my door?
00:44:04.61\00:44:06.68
Does he know what I've done?
00:44:08.18\00:44:10.61
Does he know he's
part of a defeated country?
00:44:10.91\00:44:13.42
Does he know who I am?
00:44:16.32\00:44:17.95
I thought he would
come out, bow down,
00:44:20.46\00:44:23.59
call on the name of
his God, fuss over me,
00:44:23.63\00:44:27.10
and then cure me.
00:44:28.00\00:44:29.33
And he sends his water boy out
to tell me, 'Dip seven times.'"
00:44:31.07\00:44:38.27
The Bible says he
went away in a rage.
00:44:40.74\00:44:46.41
"We've got rivers
way better than that,
00:44:49.08\00:44:50.82
than Jordan, in my country.
00:44:52.32\00:44:54.89
Are not Abana and
Pharpar, rivers of Damascus,
00:44:56.59\00:45:00.20
ten times better
than the Jordan?"
00:45:00.40\00:45:02.26
And you know what? He
was telling the truth.
00:45:02.30\00:45:04.07
I did a little study.
00:45:05.43\00:45:06.77
Abana starts up
in the mountains.
00:45:07.14\00:45:09.87
It is a mountain stream.
00:45:09.90\00:45:11.74
And Pharpar also
starts up in the mountains.
00:45:11.77\00:45:15.34
The same Mount Hermon
system where the Jordan begins.
00:45:15.54\00:45:20.05
Mountain streams, gorgeous.
00:45:20.22\00:45:22.05
And the Bible dictionary
says that these were big,
00:45:22.08\00:45:25.22
beautiful, flowing rivers.
00:45:25.25\00:45:26.79
The Jordan is a nice river.
00:45:26.82\00:45:29.09
We'll talk about that a
little bit more tomorrow.
00:45:29.12\00:45:30.89
There are times when it floods
over and it's fairly impressive.
00:45:31.96\00:45:34.86
Having been there, the
Jordan, I guess, where we do our
00:45:35.66\00:45:39.47
baptisms, Jim, is what?
00:45:39.50\00:45:40.84
From about this wall
to maybe that wall wide.
00:45:40.87\00:45:43.54
But there are times
when the Jordan gets
00:45:43.57\00:45:44.91
down almost like this.
00:45:44.94\00:45:46.27
Then it opens up again.
00:45:46.44\00:45:47.78
It comes down from the
mountain, fed by tributaries,
00:45:47.81\00:45:50.15
into the Sea of Galilee,
out of the Sea of Galilee
00:45:50.35\00:45:52.81
the south end,
ends in the Dead Sea.
00:45:52.85\00:45:54.75
It's an impressive little river.
00:45:54.78\00:45:56.45
But it's not Abana
and it's not Pharpar.
00:45:56.48\00:45:58.42
And he's saying, "Listen,
if I'm going to be healed,
00:45:58.45\00:46:01.46
I want to be healed on my terms.
00:46:01.49\00:46:03.59
And I want my
rivers, not yours."
00:46:03.63\00:46:06.43
I can relate to him.
00:46:08.40\00:46:10.40
A couple of years ago
when we were in Panama,
00:46:11.33\00:46:12.67
Erma took us to a river
that comes from the mountains.
00:46:12.70\00:46:16.74
And these mountain
streams are fabulous.
00:46:16.77\00:46:18.87
And we went to a
river, we went to a river
00:46:18.91\00:46:21.91
that in the middle of
the river it's ice cold.
00:46:22.11\00:46:24.88
But on the edge of the
river it's hot like bath water.
00:46:25.55\00:46:28.55
Because it flows through one
of those geyser kind of things.
00:46:28.75\00:46:34.09
So when you step in
the water, it's pretty hot.
00:46:34.12\00:46:37.16
You take two
steps, it's kind of hot.
00:46:37.19\00:46:39.43
You take four steps,
it's a little cooler.
00:46:39.46\00:46:41.73
And then in the
middle, it's ice cold.
00:46:41.76\00:46:43.40
So you can have your
river any temperature you want.
00:46:43.43\00:46:46.63
Mountain stream.
Really, really great.
00:46:47.97\00:46:50.24
So if you ever
come down to Panama,
00:46:50.27\00:46:51.61
let us take you to
that mountain stream.
00:46:51.87\00:46:53.44
Because you can have a
cold shower and a hot bath
00:46:53.48\00:46:56.31
in the same water.
00:46:56.34\00:46:57.68
Really impressive.
00:46:58.01\00:46:59.35
So when he says, "Abana and
Pharpar are better than Jordan,"
00:46:59.75\00:47:02.85
he's telling the truth.
00:47:02.88\00:47:04.35
But the problem is, Abana and
Pharpar are not God's choice.
00:47:04.39\00:47:09.62
They are his.
00:47:09.66\00:47:10.99
Naaman wanted
healing on his own terms.
00:47:11.03\00:47:14.06
What he needed was humility.
00:47:14.56\00:47:16.90
God was testing him.
00:47:17.80\00:47:19.57
And you know what?
00:47:20.04\00:47:21.37
God is testing us today.
00:47:21.40\00:47:22.97
You know, I need to say this.
00:47:23.00\00:47:24.34
There is nothing in this
world that commends us to God
00:47:24.37\00:47:27.81
like humility
and a humble spirit.
00:47:27.84\00:47:30.51
You can't make demands of
God except that Christ says
00:47:30.55\00:47:33.21
you can make demands of God.
00:47:33.25\00:47:34.88
There's nothing
in your own right.
00:47:35.08\00:47:36.42
The only thing
that commends us to God
00:47:36.45\00:47:38.29
is our inability to
do anything without Him.
00:47:38.32\00:47:41.36
And this is a sin
that is particularly
00:47:42.86\00:47:44.83
amenable to church people.
00:47:44.86\00:47:46.56
"Lord, I want to be
saved, but I want to be saved
00:47:46.80\00:47:49.63
on my own terms.
00:47:49.66\00:47:51.33
I want to stay
within my comfort zone,
00:47:51.37\00:47:54.80
and I want you to save
me in my comfort zone."
00:47:54.84\00:47:57.57
But I said this before,
God has no comfort zone.
00:47:57.61\00:48:02.61
He is proud and worldly, and
God know he's got to be humbled
00:48:04.55\00:48:11.72
before he is cured.
00:48:11.79\00:48:13.42
Then another side note
is that Abana and Pharpar
00:48:14.99\00:48:18.66
were the rivers at which the
Syrians worshiped their gods.
00:48:18.79\00:48:23.63
God didn't want any
confusion as to where Naaman's
00:48:23.83\00:48:26.30
healing was coming from.
00:48:26.33\00:48:27.67
"You have to do it on My terms,
in My river, in My country,
00:48:27.70\00:48:31.07
and following My directives."
00:48:31.67\00:48:33.64
That is a lesson, brothers and
sisters, ladies and gentlemen,
00:48:33.68\00:48:35.91
that we need to
learn even today.
00:48:35.94\00:48:38.05
God has been doing this
God thing an awful long time.
00:48:39.38\00:48:42.08
And you know what?
00:48:42.22\00:48:43.55
He's pretty good at it.
00:48:43.59\00:48:45.25
Amen?
00:48:45.29\00:48:46.62
And if you work
with Him, and follow Him,
00:48:46.65\00:48:49.16
and serve Him, He will save you.
00:48:49.19\00:48:54.10
Naaman had to understand that.
00:48:54.83\00:48:56.97
Naaman had to understand
that it was God's way or no way.
00:48:57.23\00:49:01.34
But the Bible says
he went away in a rage.
00:49:01.37\00:49:04.84
And I like with the
SDA Bible Commentary says.
00:49:04.87\00:49:06.74
It says, sometimes those
who we don't think can teach
00:49:06.78\00:49:09.64
us a lesson can teach us a lot.
00:49:09.68\00:49:11.41
It was his servants
that said, "Master, listen,
00:49:11.45\00:49:14.22
if he had asked
for a million dollars
00:49:16.05\00:49:18.55
in single
non-sequential unused bills,
00:49:18.89\00:49:22.02
you would have found it.
00:49:22.06\00:49:23.63
He told you go
take a bath seven times.
00:49:24.59\00:49:26.93
What's wrong with that?"
00:49:27.93\00:49:29.26
There's a commercial out
for, I can't remember what
00:49:30.37\00:49:33.40
sneaker it is, it
says, "Just do it."
00:49:33.44\00:49:35.57
I think it's Nike
that says, "Just do it."
00:49:36.14\00:49:38.01
That's what they told him.
00:49:38.47\00:49:39.81
"Just do it.
00:49:39.91\00:49:41.24
The only thing that's
going to be hurt is your pride.
00:49:41.94\00:49:44.11
But your body is
going to be healed."
00:49:45.15\00:49:46.75
And when he turned
that chariot around
00:49:47.98\00:49:50.82
and headed for the
banks of the Jordan,
00:49:51.25\00:49:53.66
he was right where
God wanted him to be.
00:49:54.26\00:49:58.56
When you're walking
God's way, even though it is an
00:49:59.96\00:50:02.23
unfamiliar way to you,
even though it is outside of
00:50:02.26\00:50:05.93
your comfort zone,
God has no comfort zone.
00:50:05.97\00:50:11.57
See, comfort
zones bespeak limits,
00:50:12.54\00:50:14.74
and God has no limits.
00:50:15.18\00:50:16.64
Now let us quickly,
before our time gets away,
00:50:17.38\00:50:19.21
examine what
Pharpar and Abana represent.
00:50:19.25\00:50:23.99
Abana and Pharpar represent our
desire to have things our way.
00:50:25.65\00:50:30.43
And that is
dangerous for Christians.
00:50:30.99\00:50:33.06
When you come to Christ,
you must sell out to Jesus.
00:50:33.36\00:50:37.57
You must go where
He wants you to go,
00:50:37.80\00:50:39.97
you must do what
He wants you to do,
00:50:40.24\00:50:42.64
you must say what
He wants you to say,
00:50:42.67\00:50:45.01
you must live how
He wants you to live,
00:50:45.04\00:50:48.44
and then let God be
responsible for the outcome.
00:50:48.84\00:50:52.01
And that, brothers and
sisters, is tough sledding
00:50:52.11\00:50:55.05
for some of us.
00:50:55.08\00:50:56.42
You've got to sell out.
00:50:56.65\00:50:57.99
You can't give Him half, you
can't give Him three quarters.
00:50:58.22\00:51:01.16
You've got to give Him
all, particularly when you don't
00:51:01.19\00:51:04.96
know where it's going,
you don't know how it's going,
00:51:04.99\00:51:08.23
and you don't know
how it's going to end.
00:51:08.46\00:51:10.57
But God knows.
00:51:10.60\00:51:11.93
Let me say this to
you, remember this always.
00:51:11.97\00:51:13.74
Just because we don't
have a clue doesn't mean
00:51:13.77\00:51:17.51
that God is clueless.
00:51:17.54\00:51:18.94
Amen?
00:51:19.64\00:51:20.98
All you can see is today.
00:51:21.28\00:51:23.68
God can see
tomorrow and forever.
00:51:24.15\00:51:27.35
So as Jim has often
said, Danny has often said,
00:51:28.58\00:51:31.22
your faith doesn't
begin until your sight ends.
00:51:32.22\00:51:36.79
If you had all the
answers, you wouldn't need God.
00:51:37.63\00:51:41.83
Amen?
00:51:42.86\00:51:44.20
So you've got
to sell out to Him.
00:51:44.93\00:51:46.37
Half way will not do.
00:51:47.10\00:51:50.61
Number two, we
cannot have, will not have,
00:51:52.04\00:51:56.54
a trial-free Christianity.
00:51:56.58\00:51:59.98
Amen.
00:52:00.35\00:52:01.68
Ellen White encourages us
that trials are God's workmen.
00:52:01.88\00:52:07.56
Nobody... Well let
me ask it this way.
00:52:08.32\00:52:10.59
Is there anybody
here that likes trials?
00:52:10.63\00:52:12.63
Like it when stuff goes tough?
00:52:12.66\00:52:14.36
Like it when you
get up in the morning
00:52:15.06\00:52:16.40
and you can't
find your car keys?
00:52:16.43\00:52:17.97
Like it when you have trials?
00:52:19.23\00:52:20.57
Like it when you come
to the end of your money
00:52:20.60\00:52:22.37
and you've still
got bills to pay?
00:52:22.40\00:52:23.77
Anybody like that?
00:52:23.81\00:52:25.14
Anybody love that?
00:52:25.74\00:52:27.08
Like it when you and
your wife get into arguments?
00:52:27.11\00:52:29.21
Anybody?
00:52:29.54\00:52:30.88
Not me.
00:52:31.18\00:52:32.51
Like it when you don't get along
with the people you work with?
00:52:32.55\00:52:34.58
Anybody?
00:52:36.69\00:52:38.02
Not me.
00:52:38.49\00:52:39.82
But you know what?
00:52:40.12\00:52:41.46
They're necessary.
00:52:42.89\00:52:44.23
Amen.
00:52:45.36\00:52:46.70
Now not the wife stuff.
00:52:46.73\00:52:48.06
That's not necessary.
00:52:48.10\00:52:49.43
Amen.
00:52:50.77\00:52:52.10
But the other stuff is.
00:52:53.10\00:52:54.74
Trials are God's workmen.
00:52:55.74\00:52:58.97
They increase
strength, and increase faith.
00:52:59.67\00:53:04.81
They are necessary
for our Christian growth.
00:53:05.41\00:53:09.98
God allows
trials, God sends trials,
00:53:10.55\00:53:16.16
because you need trials.
00:53:16.19\00:53:19.79
You can't always
have it your way.
00:53:20.53\00:53:22.93
If I was picking the trials,
I'd like to have the trial of,
00:53:22.96\00:53:26.37
"Lord, give me
all the money I want,
00:53:26.40\00:53:29.60
and let's see if I
can be faithful with it."
00:53:30.07\00:53:32.21
I'd like that trial.
00:53:33.17\00:53:34.51
I know Jim
would like that trial.
00:53:34.78\00:53:36.24
When I see him
shaking his head saying,
00:53:36.41\00:53:37.75
"Oh, we need
some money at 3ABN,"
00:53:37.78\00:53:39.48
I know he'd love that trial.
00:53:39.51\00:53:40.98
But he doesn't have it.
00:53:41.02\00:53:42.35
He's got the other trial...
00:53:42.38\00:53:43.72
be faithful
with what you've got.
00:53:44.69\00:53:46.62
I'd like to have that trial.
00:53:49.02\00:53:50.36
You know, there's a story,
and this is not in my notes,
00:53:50.39\00:53:51.73
but there's a story.
00:53:51.76\00:53:53.09
There's a woman that, I
don't remember her name,
00:53:53.13\00:53:54.86
but she prayed for years
for God to make her wealthy.
00:53:54.96\00:53:57.87
And she said what she
would do for the church.
00:53:58.37\00:53:59.83
And Ellen White writes
this, I think it's, Testimonies,
00:53:59.87\00:54:01.80
volume six.
00:54:01.84\00:54:03.64
And so the Lord allowed
her to get a lot of wealth.
00:54:03.97\00:54:07.24
From the day she got the cash,
she stopped going to church.
00:54:07.48\00:54:11.88
And within one
year, back to poverty.
00:54:13.18\00:54:16.45
And Ellen White says
that sometimes God withholds
00:54:17.35\00:54:21.59
blessings because He realizes
that we can't handle it.
00:54:21.62\00:54:25.99
So He metes out His blessings,
He keeps us on our knees,
00:54:26.19\00:54:31.00
because He knows
that's the best way for you
00:54:31.20\00:54:34.84
to land in the kingdom of God.
00:54:34.87\00:54:36.50
So Brother Gilley, we may
not have all the money we want.
00:54:37.04\00:54:39.47
But we're
heading to the kingdom.
00:54:40.48\00:54:41.81
Amen?
00:54:42.11\00:54:43.45
So God gives us trials
because trials are God's workmen
00:54:44.71\00:54:50.32
to keep us in the right way.
00:54:50.35\00:54:53.39
I found out
something interesting.
00:54:53.72\00:54:55.32
Ellen White says that
Abraham's trial of his son
00:54:55.52\00:54:58.69
was more severe than Adam's.
00:54:58.73\00:55:01.03
And I had never
seen that before.
00:55:01.80\00:55:03.13
And she says, what
is a trial to one person
00:55:03.33\00:55:06.67
may not be a
trial to someone else.
00:55:06.77\00:55:09.34
But everybody is
going to get some trials,
00:55:09.74\00:55:13.24
because everybody needs trials.
00:55:13.48\00:55:16.28
Now I may look at your trial
and say, "That's light stuff."
00:55:16.64\00:55:19.55
You may look at mine
and say the same thing.
00:55:20.52\00:55:22.38
But everybody is
going to get trials, because
00:55:23.08\00:55:25.15
trials are God's workmen.
00:55:25.19\00:55:27.06
"Bitter and hard trials are a
blessing when endured in faith."
00:55:27.26\00:55:34.53
Thoughts From the
Mount of Blessings, page 10.
00:55:34.73\00:55:36.46
"Trials born well bring us into
close fellowship with Jesus."
00:55:36.90\00:55:41.60
Amen?
00:55:41.64\00:55:42.97
"Self-righteousness is
squeezed out by trials.
00:55:43.91\00:55:46.61
The church," she says,
"will be tested by trial."
00:55:46.64\00:55:49.48
And I believe we're going to
see that in just a little bit.
00:55:49.51\00:55:52.31
But God is with His church.
00:55:53.25\00:55:54.62
And God is with His people.
00:55:55.45\00:55:56.95
And so, ladies and gentlemen,
Naaman learned the lesson
00:55:57.75\00:56:01.86
that each and every Christian
is going to have to learn.
00:56:02.46\00:56:06.66
Every child of God is going
to have to learn the lesson
00:56:07.30\00:56:10.80
that it is God's way or no way.
00:56:11.50\00:56:16.10
Not only is God's
way the better way,
00:56:16.67\00:56:20.11
God's way is the only way.
00:56:21.01\00:56:24.55
There's only one way.
00:56:25.21\00:56:26.55
And that's God's way.
00:56:27.05\00:56:28.38
And God's people
need to follow Him,
00:56:28.65\00:56:30.72
come what may, whether
you understand it or not,
00:56:30.75\00:56:36.32
whether you accept it or not.
00:56:36.66\00:56:38.76
Ellen White makes this
statement in summary of this
00:56:39.89\00:56:42.43
whole series of acts.
00:56:42.46\00:56:44.63
When we get to heaven
and look back over the way
00:56:45.40\00:56:49.00
that God has brought us, we
will see not only that it was
00:56:49.04\00:56:54.34
the right way, but
that it could have happened
00:56:54.38\00:56:57.51
no other way.
00:56:57.61\00:56:59.88
And that God's way
was indeed the best way.
00:57:00.38\00:57:06.02
Father God, we praise You
now, and we ask, dear Father,
00:57:06.79\00:57:12.06
for the strength to
walk in the pure and natural
00:57:12.33\00:57:18.03
and holy way of God.
00:57:18.07\00:57:20.00
Help us not to turn to
the right nor to the left,
00:57:20.44\00:57:23.77
but to follow
steadfastly after the Savior.
00:57:24.07\00:57:29.28
Keep our feet in the right path.
00:57:30.05\00:57:32.11
And we thank You, dear Father,
for blessings great and small.
00:57:32.65\00:57:37.55
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:57:38.15\00:57:40.99