It's good that
you're here with us today
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for another Edition of
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Bible Alive.
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Today we have another
story, a story that to
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me is very solemn and serious
and I think that, Pastor Mark
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that most people don't see many
of these stories for what they
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really are and this one
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Yeah
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Fig Tree.
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Fig Tree
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That's right.
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and there's a reason for it
and we'll find out what that is.
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Absolutely.
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So I'm glad that you can be with
us today. Get your Bibles if you
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haven't got them and we are
going to- there's- there's two
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stories, same story but it's in
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Matthew or in Mark but
we're going to go to Mark,
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read Mark before we go to
Matthew. Get your Bibles, turn
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to Mark Chapter 11 and once
we get there, Pastor, I want to
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have you, if you'd start
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OK
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with a Word of Prayer but Mark
Chapter 11. If you don't have
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your Bibles, you can just
wait for a second and we'll
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have prayer. We always want the
Lord to- to open our hearts up
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reading His Word. We don't want
to put our own words into this.
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It needs to be God's Words
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and Dwight, for our Viewers
who have the Remnant Study Bible
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that's on Page 1194.
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OK, 1194.
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Mark Chapter 11 and verse 12.
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and- and it says,
"The fig tree withered. "
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Yeah.
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Right there at the bottom of
verse- starting with verse 12.
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So what? Would you
have a prayer for us?
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Yeah, let's pray.
Heavenly Father, we just
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thank you for Your Word, the
sure and faithful guide for our-
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for our lives as Christians. We
ask that you would direct us by
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The Holy Spirit that inspire the
Word. Help us to understand the
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meaning that you have in this
for us, Lord, that we may be
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more faithful in following
You. We ask in Jesus Name. Amen.
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Amen. You know, I just want to
start off by saying that if you
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were a disciple, OK, following
the Lord. I mean, I imagine
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that there wasn't
ever a dull moment.
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The Apostle John that says that
"The World doesn't enough room
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to contain all the books
if we told you everything. "
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Yeah, if we told you, I mean,
because there's so much meaning
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in- I mean, here they're walking
and it- it says right here - and
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It says
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So he didn't see the fruit
along ways off but he saw the
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leaves and he said
because he saw the leaves
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which will get into,
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and then Jesus says in- in
verse 14 in response, Jesus said
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Uhh hmm
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and I- I imagine- now I want
to go if we just real quick,
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Matthew Chapter,
if- if you just keep
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21
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your fingers here and go to
Matthew 21, it's in verse 20.
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It's amazing because
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in verse 18 it says- now
Chapter 21 verse 18 in Matthew
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says, "Now in the morning"
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Page 1159
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Yup, Page 1159 in the
Remnant Study Bible. It says
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You know, that's what's in Mark
but we have a little bit more.
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That's why it is neat about the
Gospel because if you read them
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all, sometimes you
can get a fuller story.
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Yeah.
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In other words, I've taken, you
know, I've logged and I- and I
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always seem to live in the
woods and I cut trees down.
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Yeah
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I can cut
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those trees
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Yeah
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down with leaves on them
and it will take a few days
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for those leaves
to start withering
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Yeah.
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because there's still
water there but obviously,
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this withered right away.
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In other words, it was evident
to the disciples that it wasn't
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just something that happened
over because the forces of- well
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I won't say the
forces of nature. I mean,
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Right
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it was
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yeah.
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It was Christ
himself. It was his curse
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that affected that tree
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That's right.
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and that's what they realized
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and it happened very quickly
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Mmn-hmm.
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but why in the World? Christ
loves, I mean he goes to this
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fig tree and there-
there's no fruit on it.
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Yeah.
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So big deal. So there's no fruit
on it. So what, you know, upset
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Him to a point you know, that He
would say, "No fruit will ever
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grow on you again. "
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Well, that's good.
That's a good question because
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people, I think people can read
this in and- and on the surface.
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It just seems like Jesus
has a temper tantrum because
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Yeah.
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He didn't get what He wants
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but- but the Lord was- He saw
in that fig tree an opportunity
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to convey a lesson.
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Yes.
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Now for our Readers, you know
it says the time- it wasn't yet
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the season for figs and then
people may look and say, "Well,
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if it wasn't yet the season for
figs, why was he- why was Jesus
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expecting? Did he just
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Right.
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not know- fig trees? Now what
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If I- if he's
hungry, he's a sharp guy,
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Yeah
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why in the World would he
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even look at a fig tree in
the first place? He knew that it
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wasn't time for the figs.
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That's right.
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So look for some other fruit
and then he- he- he gets what
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he should expect, no fruit
for that season isn't right.
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Right.
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and then he gets upset and he
makes it- he- he kills the tree.
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Yeah. Yeah. So here you
have figs, it's not the season
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for the right figs
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OK.
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but- but what we know about the
fig tree, is that the fig tree
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unlike a lot of the other
trees, begins- the fruit begins
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growing first, then the leaves
begin to grow. So that even
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though it wasn't the season for
figs in general, when you see a
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fig tree full of big leaves,
since the fruit begins to grow
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first - if there's big well
developed leaves, there must be
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fruit. That's just
the way that they grow
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There must be
well developed fruits
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and so even though it wasn't
the season, that made it all the
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more enticing where Jesus, "Oh
wow. " You know, "I'm hungry,"
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and there's all these leaves.
Certainly, there's going to be
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fruit
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Yeah.
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in this tree. It matured
prematurely because it's got the
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big leaves on it
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but he went over and he searches
through it and although it had
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all those leaves
that were advertising
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Yeah.
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fruit. There was no fruit.
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Yeah. In- in a way it was a
billboard saying,"Hey, look at
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at me.
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Yeah
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Look at me. " You know,
"Look at all my leaves. I've
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got fruit. "
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That's right.
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"Come on and eat my fruit," and
he gets there and it's like the
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tree says, "Nah - nah-
nah, nah - nah. I fooled
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Yeah
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you. " I mean, really what- what
a sad thing. So that in other
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words,
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it would've been better for the
leaves not to have been there
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at all
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Absolutely
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He still would've
fruit but he wouldn't have
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gotten this hoax up.
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That's right. OK.
So that in itself,
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we've got a quite a discussion.
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Yeah.
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Why did he curse the fig tree?
It was nothing but a tree. What
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lesson, in other words, was
Jesus trying to come across?
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There was a lesson in it
and not so much about trees
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but about people
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OK.
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And- and one thing that the
Lord, we find in the Bible in
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many places that he denounced
more strongly than anything
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is hypocrisy.
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OK. Which- what's that mean?
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Here's- hypocrisy, you know,
in- in fact, in the Bible when
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you read the word hypocrisy or
hypocrite- comes from the Greek
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word hupokrites which means
an actor or a stage player.
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OK.
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Somebody's who's a pretender.
And so when we talk about
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hypocrisy, it's a
person, like Jesus said in the
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book of Matthew of
the Pharisees, they say,
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but they don't do.
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OK.
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It's a person who
says but he doesn't live
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the way he says he's
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The great- the great pretender.
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He doesn't
practice what he preaches.
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Yeah, practice what he preaches
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and so here you have a tree
that's advertising that it's-
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it's got plenty of fruit.
Now, what would that be in the
00:07:45.69\00:07:47.99
Christian life?
00:07:48.02\00:07:48.99
Well, I mean, to me if I
have fruit, in other words, as a
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Christian I should be
Christ-like which means my
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speech should- should let people
know who I am. I mean, look at-
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look at Peter when
he denied his Savior.
00:08:03.79\00:08:04.95
Yeah
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It- it said, "Your-
your speech betrayed
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you. " Then he had to curse and
swear to try to prove that he
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wasn't Christ. So speech,
our dress and we shouldn't be
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dressing like the World today.
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No
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I mean, the World, the way some
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of the World dresses and when
I say this, I'm talking in a
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general sense, there are many
people that probably never go
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to Church, they dress fine.
00:08:21.01\00:08:21.98
Yeah
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I'm talking about
when I'm sharing- I'm sure
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when you're sharing, we're
talking about the general sense
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of the World. I mean, sometimes
it's hard to tell between a guy
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and a girl today.
00:08:30.52\00:08:31.49
Uhh hmm
00:08:31.50\00:08:32.47
You know, you can go
down there, you know,
00:08:32.48\00:08:33.47
when you're driving and you see
people holding road signs and
00:08:33.50\00:08:35.74
sometimes the women have such
short haircuts that- that "Are
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they a guy or are they a girl?"
And the clothes that they're
00:08:40.25\00:08:42.03
wearing - I mean, our clothing
would tell us whether we should-
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tell us, is that
revealing? Or is that modest?
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Yes
00:08:47.47\00:08:48.44
What do we eat?
00:08:48.45\00:08:49.42
I mean, diet is
important. We talked about wine
00:08:49.43\00:08:51.57
and fermented and
non-fermented wine.
00:08:51.60\00:08:53.24
Yeah. And all of these things
whatever, are we really doing
00:08:53.27\00:08:54.79
this to please God? Do we
00:08:54.82\00:08:55.94
Yeah
00:08:55.97\00:08:56.94
do this to please God? Do we-
do we eat to please God or- or
00:08:56.95\00:09:00.91
are we trying to please
ourselves or trying to please
00:09:00.94\00:09:03.52
the people around us and-
and comply to what they expect?
00:09:03.55\00:09:06.18
And- and it seems to me, like
Pastor that so often even in the
00:09:06.21\00:09:10.78
Christian realm today, they were
always trying to either please
00:09:10.81\00:09:14.80
the World or please our
superiors. To please them so
00:09:14.83\00:09:19.97
that they'll be happy with us.
In other words, we can truly be
00:09:20.00\00:09:22.63
hypocrites
00:09:22.66\00:09:23.63
Uhh hmm
00:09:23.64\00:09:24.61
or pretenders
00:09:24.62\00:09:25.59
Hmm
00:09:25.60\00:09:26.57
and I want to
get right back into
00:09:26.58\00:09:28.07
this. We're going to have to
take a break but we're going to
00:09:28.10\00:09:30.25
go right back into this
and- and- and dissect this- this
00:09:30.28\00:09:34.36
vitally important story about
the fig tree and why it is so
00:09:34.39\00:09:39.69
important for you and I
00:09:39.72\00:09:40.69
not to be pretenders or
hypocrites and- and share some
00:09:40.70\00:09:43.75
examples in the
Scriptures. So don't go away
00:09:43.78\00:09:45.96
because we'll be right back.
00:09:46.03\00:09:48.44
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00:11:41.35\00:11:44.61
that expands the entire passage
to be read. After you read and
00:11:44.64\00:11:48.42
discuss the verse, a reference
to the next text in the chain
00:11:48.45\00:11:51.43
is found at the end of the
passage. These subjects are made
00:11:51.46\00:11:54.50
crystal clear as the Bible
interprets itself. Remnant has
00:11:54.53\00:11:58.12
teamed with Thomas Nelson
Publishers, working together
00:11:58.15\00:12:00.98
for over a year making this the
best Study Bible ever offered
00:12:01.01\00:12:04.81
at any price.
00:12:04.84\00:12:05.81
After the Team of over
30 spirit-led Contributors
00:12:05.82\00:12:09.41
prayerfully and
carefully selected the comments
00:12:09.44\00:12:12.21
of E.G. White. We compiled
the notes, images, tools and
00:12:12.25\00:12:16.21
resources and these were
all edited by the World-Class
00:12:16.24\00:12:19.53
Editing Team at Thomas Nelson.
We have gone to great lengths to
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make this Bible one that you
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00:12:24.03\00:12:27.31
study and share. The
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00:12:27.34\00:12:31.70
to all generations to be part
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00:12:31.73\00:12:35.75
We have done our very best
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more information
or to order now, call
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Russian officials accepted
the Vatican credentials of
00:12:57.68\00:13:00.34
Archbishop Antonio
Mennini as the first ever
00:13:00.37\00:13:03.45
Papal Nuncio to Russia. The
event ushers in a new era of
00:13:03.48\00:13:07.93
full diplomatic relations
between the Holy See and the
00:13:07.96\00:13:11.68
Russian Federation.
Pope Benedict The 16th and
00:13:11.71\00:13:14.96
President Dmitry Medvedev
had agreed to establish full
00:13:14.99\00:13:18.92
diplomatic relations in
December of 2009 after they met
00:13:18.95\00:13:23.07
at the Vatican. "The purpose of
this diplomatic cooperation is
00:13:23.10\00:13:27.31
for the moral growth of the
people of Russia," said Mennini,
00:13:27.34\00:13:30.90
"That would certainly include
enforcement of Sunday worship
00:13:30.93\00:13:34.94
eventually. " In Revelation 13:3
the Bible says that "All the
00:13:34.97\00:13:39.97
world wandered after the beast.
All the Nations will support
00:13:40.00\00:13:43.56
and worship the Papal Religious
Power that will dominate the
00:13:43.59\00:13:47.28
World in the last days. "
I'm Hal Mayer reminding you,
00:13:47.31\00:13:50.76
to keep the faith.
00:13:50.79\00:13:52.88
Have you ever noticed how some
people have a way of making cool
00:13:56.27\00:13:59.21
stuff look easy as if they were
born doing it? But ask any one
00:13:59.24\00:14:03.27
of them and they'll tell you
that it took a lot of hard work
00:14:03.30\00:14:05.74
and dedication. Sometimes they
even fall but the winner gets
00:14:05.77\00:14:09.12
right back up and keeps going.
Well, did you know that our walk
00:14:09.15\00:14:12.39
with God is just like that?
00:14:12.42\00:14:13.90
We have to practice
and be dedicated if we
00:14:13.93\00:14:16.32
want a close walk with God and
one day we won't just be walking
00:14:16.35\00:14:20.04
with God, we'll
be soaring with him.
00:14:20.13\00:14:23.44
Oh, Wow! I don't know how we're
going to get all this done but
00:14:58.16\00:15:00.88
there is one thing, Pastor Mark,
that I- that we were talking
00:15:00.91\00:15:03.97
about off camera that I believe
is so vitally important and that
00:15:04.00\00:15:06.80
is, we've been going through
the- the Books, Old Testament
00:15:06.83\00:15:10.77
New Testament but in
the New Testament there is a
00:15:10.80\00:15:13.21
tremendous Book that I have read
over and over and over and I-
00:15:13.24\00:15:16.62
I- I'm sure that many of you
already have this book but if
00:15:16.65\00:15:19.53
you don't you need to get it.
You can get it from Adventist
00:15:19.56\00:15:25.15
Christian ABCs and other
Christians stores because I
00:15:25.18\00:15:27.95
know we- we- Remnant has
00:15:27.98\00:15:28.95
sold to these other Christian
Bookstores. It's called
00:15:28.96\00:15:31.23
"The Desire of Ages. " It is
a tremendous, tremendous Book on
00:15:31.26\00:15:34.47
the life and
teachings of Jesus Christ.
00:15:34.50\00:15:36.18
Absolutely
00:15:36.21\00:15:37.36
It is probably one
00:15:37.39\00:15:38.36
of the best Books I've ever
read. There's other good books
00:15:38.37\00:15:39.67
but probably one of the best
I've ever read in the life of
00:15:39.70\00:15:41.45
Christ. You need to get it
and in the Remnant Study Bible,
00:15:41.48\00:15:45.02
there is a statement taken
out of that Book that I want to
00:15:45.05\00:15:50.00
read. It's called "A
Warning for All Time. " It's
00:15:50.03\00:15:53.98
on Page 1159 of the
Remnant Study Bible but it's-
00:15:54.01\00:15:56.94
its under the Chapter of- of
Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree
00:15:56.97\00:16:00.99
which is Chapter
21 in Matthew also.
00:16:01.02\00:16:03.05
Yeah.
00:16:03.08\00:16:04.05
But I just want to read this
real quick and then we'll set
00:16:04.06\00:16:06.32
the stage and we'll- we'll need
to flush this out a little bit
00:16:06.52\00:16:09.95
more but it says
00:16:09.98\00:16:10.95
Not just small fruit but
00:16:28.08\00:16:29.19
Well developed.
00:16:29.22\00:16:30.47
Yeah, the trees are- the leaves
are so big, it's like hey,
00:16:30.50\00:16:34.29
"It's- it's- there's going
to be a fruit there. It says
00:16:34.32\00:16:35.74
which- which gets to
you and I, which gets
00:16:57.92\00:16:59.51
Yeah
00:16:59.54\00:17:00.51
to- to the ones that are
00:17:00.52\00:17:01.49
watching, many of you, it's
not the- you know, we sometimes
00:17:01.50\00:17:04.46
while the World this, the World
bad and look at the World and
00:17:04.49\00:17:06.89
we're in the Church but I'm
telling you many of the Church-
00:17:06.92\00:17:09.04
That's right.
00:17:09.07\00:17:10.18
Many of the people in the World
do not want to go to Church and
00:17:10.21\00:17:12.35
I don't blame them. I don't
blame them because they think
00:17:12.38\00:17:14.76
I don't steal or cheat on my
taxes. I don't do these things.
00:17:14.79\00:17:17.09
My friend, my so-called friend
that goes to the Church, he- he
00:17:17.12\00:17:21.12
gets away with what he can and
he calls himself a Christian?
00:17:21.15\00:17:24.14
And so why should I pay a tithe
and an offering to something I'm
00:17:24.17\00:17:26.93
never going to get any return
of when I feel that I'm doing
00:17:26.96\00:17:29.60
better than that one that's
going to the Church? In other
00:17:29.63\00:17:31.34
words, it's- but you're going
to talk about the den of thieves
00:17:31.37\00:17:33.23
Yeah.
00:17:33.26\00:17:34.24
Which is good but
it goes on here it says
00:17:34.27\00:17:35.78
which you mentioned Pastor Mark
00:18:31.57\00:18:32.94
What
00:18:40.32\00:18:41.29
Sure
00:18:41.30\00:18:42.27
a statement
00:18:42.28\00:18:43.25
and that out of the "Desire
of Ages" and so it's- it's got
00:18:43.26\00:18:44.23
a whole chapter on that but I
believe that we need to hone it
00:18:44.24\00:18:47.85
in on Christians. We cannot
pretend to be Christians because
00:18:47.88\00:18:51.55
we will be cursed. I mean, we're
teaching everything in Churches
00:18:51.58\00:18:55.08
today. You can pretty much-
whatever feels good, do it. As
00:18:55.11\00:18:57.64
Yeah
00:18:57.92\00:18:58.89
as you go to Church, it's OK.
00:18:58.90\00:18:59.87
Yeah, that's true and it's-
it's- it's interesting that the
00:18:59.88\00:19:03.16
Bible sees this to be the
standard. You know, the Bible
00:19:03.19\00:19:04.91
says in Luke Chapter 12 and
verse 1, "Beware of the leaven
00:19:04.94\00:19:07.61
of the Pharisees"
00:19:07.64\00:19:08.61
OK.
00:19:08.63\00:19:09.60
which is hypocrisy. You know,
hypocrisy is leavening, in other
00:19:09.61\00:19:12.16
words it's like, it spreads.
It's very easy, you know, it's-
00:19:12.19\00:19:16.49
the Bible calls for us to
submit ourselves to Christ.
00:19:16.52\00:19:19.63
Amen.
00:19:19.66\00:19:20.88
To deny self. Well, you know
that sometimes that's just not
00:19:20.91\00:19:22.90
what we want to do and when
we can look at other people who
00:19:22.93\00:19:25.23
claim to be Christians
and they're kind of, you know,
00:19:25.26\00:19:28.68
they're really not- their hearts
are not into it. I can always
00:19:28.71\00:19:30.83
say, "Well, I'm doing as good as
00:19:30.86\00:19:32.85
Yes
00:19:32.88\00:19:33.85
this person.
I'm doing as good as
00:19:33.86\00:19:34.83
these people over here," and
so it begins to- hypocrisy can
00:19:34.84\00:19:38.83
spread. When a- when one person
is a hypocrite, I can say,
00:19:38.86\00:19:41.54
"Well, why knock myself out?"
00:19:41.57\00:19:42.77
Right.
00:19:42.80\00:19:43.85
trying to be faithful to
God but these people aren't
00:19:43.88\00:19:45.68
doing it and these people aren't
doing it and we allow other
00:19:45.71\00:19:48.39
people to become our standard
instead of the Word of God our
00:19:48.42\00:19:50.83
standard and it becomes,
you know, what happens to the
00:19:50.86\00:19:53.42
church- in fact, right
in- sandwiched in between the-
00:19:53.45\00:19:58.25
where in the Gospel of Mark
where Jesus curses the fig tree
00:19:58.28\00:20:01.11
and then they come back by and
see the withered fig tree, he
00:20:01.14\00:20:03.78
goes and he cleanses the Temple.
00:20:03.81\00:20:05.14
Yeah. Which is
00:20:05.17\00:20:06.14
There is a word
00:20:06.15\00:20:07.12
pretty significant
00:20:07.13\00:20:08.10
for this, judgment
00:20:08.11\00:20:09.08
Yeah
00:20:09.09\00:20:10.06
It's very significant. You know,
this is the only parable or
00:20:10.07\00:20:11.04
rather the only
miracle that Jesus did that was
00:20:11.05\00:20:12.78
destructive in nature.
00:20:12.81\00:20:13.91
That- you know, that's right
00:20:13.94\00:20:15.19
and it points to
the final judgment.
00:20:15.22\00:20:17.49
Yes.
00:20:17.52\00:20:18.53
and- and so you have this
picture of cleansing and of
00:20:18.56\00:20:20.40
judgment in- in the cleansing
of the Temple and it's in the
00:20:20.43\00:20:23.28
middle of that where Jesus
tells the people the reason for
00:20:23.31\00:20:25.84
you know his dissatisfaction
and it ties right into what was
00:20:25.87\00:20:30.10
happening with the fig tree.
In Mark Chapter 11 verse 17,
00:20:30.13\00:20:33.29
it says,
00:20:33.32\00:20:34.29
Now he's quoting from
Jeremiah there but the idea of
00:20:43.98\00:20:46.69
a den of thieves.
00:20:46.72\00:20:47.69
Yeah, a den of thieves, I mean
00:20:47.72\00:20:48.87
A den of thieves is
like a thieves' hideout.
00:20:48.90\00:20:50.49
OK, yeah.
00:20:50.52\00:20:51.50
In other words, the thief has
gone, he's stolen and the- and
00:20:51.53\00:20:54.82
the den is where
he can go and be safe.
00:20:54.85\00:20:56.26
A den is like a
cave or a safe haven.
00:20:56.29\00:20:58.16
That's right.
00:20:58.19\00:20:59.16
OK
00:20:59.17\00:21:00.14
He can be safe from
getting caught and Jesus
00:21:00.15\00:21:01.18
says you've made the Church
that. You're going out and
00:21:01.21\00:21:03.93
you're basically committing sin,
you're disobeying me and you're
00:21:03.96\00:21:07.24
using the Church as a hideout
to be safe from judgment and in
00:21:07.27\00:21:11.48
essence he's- he's saying
you're not going to be safe from
00:21:11.51\00:21:14.22
judgment here. Hypocrisy is
going to be punished but- but
00:21:14.25\00:21:17.49
that's what happens when we
allow hypocrisy to leaven us,
00:21:17.52\00:21:20.69
the Church instead of
00:21:20.72\00:21:22.37
being a place where everybody
is striving to be obedient and
00:21:22.40\00:21:24.89
faithful to God. It can become
a place where- where there's
00:21:24.92\00:21:28.59
a lot of pretentiousness,
there's a lot of form,
00:21:28.62\00:21:30.27
Yes. Form of ceremony. Yes
00:21:30.30\00:21:32.40
of Godliness but no power.
00:21:32.43\00:21:33.40
You know, and I was just
thinking as you were saying that
00:21:33.41\00:21:35.58
too, that at the very beginning
with Adam and Eve when they
00:21:35.61\00:21:40.61
sinned, they made themselves,
you know what they made?
00:21:40.64\00:21:43.98
They made themselves what?
00:21:44.01\00:21:44.98
Fig leaves.
00:21:44.99\00:21:45.96
Fig leaves
00:21:45.97\00:21:46.94
Yeah, aprons of fig leaves.
00:21:46.95\00:21:48.36
Aprons of fig leaves
which they had the leaves
00:21:48.39\00:21:50.64
which in a way they
00:21:50.67\00:21:51.94
Just cover their nakedness.
00:21:51.97\00:21:53.21
To cover their nakedness and
Christ took those fig leaves off
00:21:53.24\00:21:56.58
Yeah
00:21:56.61\00:21:57.58
and- and slay two lambs
00:21:57.59\00:21:59.56
That's right.
00:21:59.59\00:22:00.62
and made garments of
00:22:00.65\00:22:02.26
Skin.
00:22:02.29\00:22:03.26
Of skin.
00:22:03.27\00:22:04.24
Which was symbolic because
it came from the lamb of the
00:22:04.25\00:22:06.16
righteousness of Christ.
00:22:06.19\00:22:07.16
Yes. Which- which- which to me
again, it's- it's another story
00:22:07.17\00:22:10.88
but to- to go back in here about
the den of thieves. Listen,
00:22:10.91\00:22:13.77
they were pretending, that
were still Christians, they put
00:22:13.80\00:22:17.18
the fig leaves on
00:22:17.21\00:22:18.18
which that- with their fruit
was not- they did not have good
00:22:18.19\00:22:21.09
fruit because they had
sinned and they were naked. They
00:22:21.12\00:22:24.19
realized they were naked which
means they didn't have Christ's
00:22:24.22\00:22:26.17
righteousness anymore
00:22:26.20\00:22:27.17
Yeah
00:22:27.18\00:22:28.15
at that time and
I think that that's-
00:22:28.16\00:22:30.94
in- in Christ, it
does makes a difference.
00:22:30.97\00:22:32.51
Yeah.
00:22:32.54\00:22:33.95
I don't want those fig leaves
00:22:33.98\00:22:35.12
That's right.
00:22:35.15\00:22:36.12
and I know that he had known
from that time what he was going
00:22:36.13\00:22:37.92
to do to that fig tree
00:22:37.95\00:22:38.92
That's right
00:22:38.94\00:22:39.91
way up in the
future. We- I mean, it does
00:22:39.92\00:22:42.03
make a difference with what we
do and makes a difference with
00:22:42.06\00:22:44.61
what we believe. We
can't go around saying, "We're
00:22:44.64\00:22:46.85
a Christian and it's good
enough," and that's why the
00:22:46.88\00:22:48.89
World I think many times they
don't want to be Christians.
00:22:48.92\00:22:51.70
Oh yeah.
00:22:51.73\00:22:52.97
Or it's great we can be a
Christian as you can get away
00:22:53.00\00:22:55.31
with any- as long as you are in
the Church, you're hiding as a
00:22:55.34\00:22:57.66
thief.
00:22:57.69\00:22:58.66
Sure
00:22:58.67\00:22:59.64
You can get away with
murder, go to the Church and you
00:22:59.65\00:23:00.62
can do whatever you
want and that's not correct.
00:23:00.63\00:23:02.12
One of the Books that you
have that you sell at Remnant,
00:23:02.15\00:23:04.34
"The Great Controversy," has
a statement that says that, "The
00:23:04.37\00:23:07.05
sin of the World's inpenitence,
lies at the door of the
00:23:07.08\00:23:10.07
Church. "
00:23:10.10\00:23:11.07
Aah.
00:23:11.08\00:23:12.05
In other words, the reason the
World won't repent is because
00:23:12.06\00:23:13.76
they look at the Church
and the Church is such a
00:23:13.79\00:23:16.05
misrepresentation too many times
00:23:16.08\00:23:18.07
Yeah.
00:23:18.10\00:23:19.07
of what real Christianity
is. This is why, you know, all
00:23:19.08\00:23:21.76
things that Jesus denounced,
he wasn't out denouncing the-
00:23:21.79\00:23:25.41
the prostitutes and the-
and the cheating tax collectors
00:23:25.44\00:23:29.40
like he was hypocrisy.
00:23:29.43\00:23:31.09
Right. In the church.
00:23:31.12\00:23:32.09
The prostitute- is evident
that she's given her life to- to
00:23:32.11\00:23:34.93
something that is contrary to
God's will or the tax collector.
00:23:34.96\00:23:37.88
There's no pretention there.
00:23:37.91\00:23:39.17
But here you've got
somebody who- who is
00:23:39.20\00:23:41.56
pretending in- in the figure
of the fig tree, pretending to
00:23:41.59\00:23:45.91
worship God but really on the
outside but really their lives
00:23:45.94\00:23:49.40
are full of wickedness.
00:23:49.43\00:23:50.71
Well, you know, I- I just have
to share a little story. When I
00:23:50.74\00:23:54.08
came I asked the Lord, I
said I would not play Church
00:23:54.11\00:23:55.99
Yeah.
00:23:56.02\00:23:57.21
and I've- I've kept that promise
but I have slid back- there's
00:23:57.24\00:24:00.51
times that you get caught up
in things and my- and my getting
00:24:00.54\00:24:04.78
caught up was you know, my
temper which I've- I've shared
00:24:04.81\00:24:08.26
that- bared my soul before
but you know, I'll- I'll never
00:24:08.29\00:24:11.05
forget when my Wife and I-
and I think I've shared this on-
00:24:11.08\00:24:13.08
on TV before but you
know, I can remember my
00:24:13.11\00:24:16.00
Wife when I was in the bedroom
one night and I- I had undressed
00:24:16.03\00:24:19.52
I just- I had my pajamas on
and she- she- she just said,
00:24:19.55\00:24:23.10
"Dwight, if people could see
you now," only she didn't say it
00:24:23.13\00:24:25.63
very nicely, she's just pointed
at me and she said, "You know,
00:24:25.66\00:24:28.62
Dwight, if people
could just see you now,"
00:24:28.65\00:24:30.45
Yeah
00:24:30.48\00:24:31.45
and because- because I had
00:24:31.46\00:24:32.52
this, you know, you have a suit
on, you carry your Bible around
00:24:32.55\00:24:35.36
with you. I go out and speak in
many Churches, do Seminars and I
00:24:35.39\00:24:39.30
love Jesus. I have to tell
you that I love Jesus very much
00:24:39.33\00:24:42.37
Uhh hmm
00:24:42.40\00:24:43.37
but losing my temper or saying
negative things to my Wife
00:24:43.38\00:24:46.18
was not a real
Christian. You see, I had
00:24:46.21\00:24:48.73
Right.
00:24:48.76\00:24:49.88
fig leaves on and not the
robe of Christ righteousness. I
00:24:49.91\00:24:52.87
wanted his robe of righteousness
but I was a pretender and I
00:24:52.90\00:24:56.24
didn't even realize it and when
she pointed a finger at me at
00:24:56.27\00:24:59.20
that night, it's been years
and years ago, I'll never forget
00:24:59.23\00:25:02.08
her look on me because it- it-
it went right through me because
00:25:02.11\00:25:06.01
she was saying,
"You're a pretender. "
00:25:06.04\00:25:07.65
Yeah.
00:25:07.68\00:25:08.65
You wear the suit, you wear
the tie, you've got Scriptures
00:25:08.68\00:25:11.66
memorized. But in the Home where
it really counts and by the
00:25:11.69\00:25:17.37
way, Adam and Eve sinned
in the midst of The Garden,
00:25:17.40\00:25:20.01
Yes
00:25:20.04\00:25:21.01
they didn't
00:25:21.02\00:25:21.99
sinned, you know, The
Garden wasn't the whole Earth.
00:25:22.00\00:25:23.38
That's right.
00:25:23.41\00:25:24.96
The Garden was just a portion of
the Earth and in the midst which
00:25:24.99\00:25:28.46
means in the middle of The
Garden was that tree and that's
00:25:28.49\00:25:31.22
where they sinned. We sinned
sometimes in our Home, you know,
00:25:31.25\00:25:35.86
put it this way, if- if you were
going to give a sermon and you
00:25:35.89\00:25:39.22
were with all the people and you
say, "You know what, the sermon
00:25:39.25\00:25:40.64
I'm going have today is I
have- I had secret cameras in
00:25:40.67\00:25:43.37
every one of your Homes.
00:25:43.40\00:25:44.49
Mmm hmm.
00:25:44.52\00:25:45.62
and I'm going to share some
of the highlights of each one of
00:25:45.65\00:25:49.10
your lives this week. "
00:25:49.13\00:25:50.26
Well, you know, Dwight we will
be terrified at that but there
00:25:50.29\00:25:52.91
are heavenly beings that
00:25:52.94\00:25:54.60
that do it
00:25:54.63\00:25:55.60
God himself who
knows and sees every act
00:25:55.61\00:25:57.35
That's right.
00:25:57.38\00:25:58.35
and you know, that's- that's
what we have to ask ourselves.
00:25:58.36\00:26:00.06
Am I really fooling God? Even
if I did fool everybody else, is
00:26:00.09\00:26:03.09
that the kind of experience
I want or do I want a real,
00:26:03.12\00:26:05.73
honest to God experience?
00:26:05.76\00:26:07.20
And people don't look at
you. They look through you
00:26:07.24\00:26:09.04
Yeah
00:26:09.07\00:26:10.04
and that's
00:26:10.05\00:26:11.02
the thing. I mean, in your life
are you being a pretender? And-
00:26:11.03\00:26:14.34
and if you are, praise
God that you'll admit it.
00:26:14.37\00:26:16.83
Uhh hmm
00:26:16.86\00:26:17.83
You know, when
00:26:17.84\00:26:18.81
Deb pointed a finger at me and
she said, "You know, you look so
00:26:18.82\00:26:21.85
good with your suit on and your
Bible but you know what, if they
00:26:21.88\00:26:25.57
could only see you
now. " In other words,
00:26:25.60\00:26:26.57
if they could
00:26:26.58\00:26:27.55
Yeah
00:26:27.56\00:26:28.53
see you stripped of your Bible
and what- what you look like on
00:26:28.54\00:26:32.04
the outside
00:26:32.39\00:26:33.36
Right.
00:26:33.37\00:26:34.34
you're not bearing the fruit
that you're telling the other
00:26:34.35\00:26:35.67
people to have and I think
that's- that's the whole message
00:26:35.70\00:26:41.07
for all of you this time for
this program. Do you have the
00:26:41.10\00:26:44.98
fruit? If not, don't justify
yourself. Church ought to be
00:26:45.01\00:26:48.72
a safe haven,
not a den of thieves.
00:26:48.75\00:26:51.31
That's right. That's right.
And you know, one of the things
00:26:51.34\00:26:53.20
you've read in the statement
is that nobody can live the
00:26:53.23\00:26:55.33
law of God. We're not just
to have an outward keeping it
00:26:55.36\00:26:58.49
Right.
00:26:58.52\00:26:59.49
but to live the Law of God
and be selfish and not minister
00:26:59.50\00:27:01.91
to others. You know, in
other words, we- when you go
00:27:01.94\00:27:04.40
Christian, put self aside
00:27:04.43\00:27:05.81
That's right.
00:27:05.84\00:27:07.39
and live for God.
00:27:07.42\00:27:08.39
Never for self. Well, I guess
we'll leave it at that today.
00:27:08.40\00:27:11.81
Get in those Scriptures and- and
get that "Desire of Ages" and it
00:27:11.84\00:27:16.90
will help you understand it's
all about picking up your cross
00:27:16.93\00:27:20.05
and following Jesus. "If you
love me," Jesus said, "You'll
00:27:20.08\00:27:23.19
keep my Commandments," and
the Commandments will not be
00:27:23.22\00:27:25.22
grievous and the Commandments
will set you free. Free indeed
00:27:25.25\00:27:28.82
Uhh hmm
00:27:28.85\00:27:29.82
when self is
here in Jesus Christ.
00:27:29.83\00:27:30.80
Uhh hmm
00:27:30.81\00:27:31.78
You too can have this
00:27:31.79\00:27:33.05
You can have that
better way of life but
00:27:33.08\00:27:35.47
please don't put it off.
00:27:35.50\00:27:39.56
By working together 1.7 Million
copies of the "Passion of Love"
00:27:39.59\00:27:43.78
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00:27:43.81\00:27:45.50
resulting in an unprecedented
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00:27:45.53\00:27:48.76
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00:27:48.79\00:27:51.68
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00:27:51.71\00:27:55.78
Ten Commandments Twice Removed"
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00:27:55.81\00:27:58.86
resulting in more than
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00:27:58.89\00:28:01.88
The Bible Sabbath.
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00:28:01.91\00:28:04.77
we have shipped almost a
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00:28:04.80\00:28:08.11
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00:28:08.14\00:28:09.81
Touching the lives of 20
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00:28:09.84\00:28:12.93
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00:28:12.96\00:28:17.60
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00:28:17.63\00:28:20.35
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00:28:20.38\00:28:22.13
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00:28:22.16\00:28:24.54
Will you help us
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00:28:24.57\00:28:27.60
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00:28:27.63\00:28:29.99