Welcome to "Battles of Faith".
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We're your hosts
Ivor and Atonte Myers.
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Today, our topic is entitled
"The Science of the Scriptures".
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Now, we're very
excited, as I say probably
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at the beginning
of every program,
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but we are
excited about this program
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because we are
going to be talking about
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how to study the Bible.
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And I know that that
is something that everyone
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out there wants to
know how to do better,
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or want to learn
how to do, period.
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We have to know
how to study the Bible
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if we're going to be
able to interpret and
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take the things
that God's Word says
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and understand it for ourselves,
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So, we're excited to be
able to share the truths
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that God has
shared with us today.
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- That's right. The Bible
is called "the two witnesses"
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in Revelation 11 and
we've seen in previous programs
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that the enemy
of God doesn't like
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these two witnesses, the
Old and the New Testament.
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Through all the ploys
that he is using today
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it is simply to get
people to view the Word of God
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as boring, as
uninteresting, as insignificant
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and we just want to
take these programs,
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today's program that shares
how powerful the Word of God is,
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how we can make it
applicable to our own lives,
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how we can learn
to study the Bible
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and, thus, realize how
interesting and how eye-opening
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of a book this really is.
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- Especially for young people,
Satan does not want you to
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get into the Word, he
does not want you to learn
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how to study so you can
understand it for yourself.
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He wants you to continue
to just kind of ignore it,
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because it doesn't make
sense or not take the time
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to really get into it.
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And so, this program is for you.
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Take your time, get your
Bible, go through it with us
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and see the exciting things
that God has in here for you.
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- That's right. One of the
things that we often talk about
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is how the entertainment
industry is dulling the minds
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of so many people, so that,
when it comes to the Word of God
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you open up the Bible and
all of a sudden you get sleepy.
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It just doesn't seem
as interesting to you
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with all the exciting things
that Hollywood has going on.
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I believe that, that is
organized by the enemy of souls.
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So, we want to
take this program and
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begin to look at
how we can see the Bible
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as a very creative, interesting,
not just interesting,
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but eye-opening book.
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- We can watch hours
and hours of television,
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or play hours of video games,
or watch our latest music videos
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or whatever is, but as
soon as we get to the Word,
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we just don't have interest,
we're tired, we don't have time
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and again, you're
right, he has made it a point
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to get us not to
desire to study the Word.
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- That's right.
Isaiah 26:3 tells us:
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'Thou will keep
him in perfect peace
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whose mind is stayed on Thee.'
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And the word for 'mind' in
the margin, it actually reads
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'imagination'. It's
interesting because,
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what the devil is
doing today is that
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he's trying, through
the entertainment industry,
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to secure the
imagination for himself,
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so when it comes to
reading the Word of God
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we put no imagination to it.
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I'm not talking
about our own imagination,
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I'm talking about
godly imagination,
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godly focus, godly concentration
upon the Word of God
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and that's why Christ says:
'I will keep him in perfect
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peace whose
imagination is stayed upon Me,
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stayed upon my Word.'
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When we bring our imagination,
our thoughts, our feelings
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to the Word of God and
submit them to the Word,
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the Bible becomes an
incredible book to us.
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I remember one incident I had
when I wasn't even a Christian.
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I was in a mall. This
happened maybe 10 years ago.
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So, I was walking
through this mall.
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As I'm walking through I
see a whole group of people
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and they're standing
around looking at this picture,
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or these pictures. And they're
like: 'Wow! Look at that!'
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And so, I stopped
to look at this picture
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and all I saw was a bunch
of zigzag lines and squares.
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There were pretty big pictures
and I began to say to myself:
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'These people must be crazy.
Why are they acting so excited
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about these pictures
that look like mazes?'
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And someone said to
me: 'There's something
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that you have to
do with your eyes
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in order to see what's
really in the picture'.
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So, I'm there and going:
'Okay, what do I have to do
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with my eyes?' And he
said: 'You've got to focus them,
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shift them, do
something', and so, I'm there,
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looking and
looking, and all of a sudden,
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I don't know what I
even did, all of a sudden,
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the picture that first
appeared as zigzag lines,
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just jumped out and
it was a 3D picture.
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These were 3D
pictures of boats, and cars,
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and when you moved,
the picture would move,
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and it was just
awesome, incredible,
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and there I go:
'Oh, look at this!'.
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I could just imagine
the next person walking
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and going: 'What's the
matter with these people?'
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The Word of God... I
think it's comparable to that.
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We can look at these
things and they may seem
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foolishness unto us,
they may seem foolishness,
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they may seem as a
whole bunch of confusion...
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I don't understand it...
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But the Bible says that the
Spirit of God reveals the deep
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things unto His children,
and we must go to the Spirit.
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That's probably
the first principle,
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we must go to the Spirit of
God and ask the Spirit of God
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to reveal to us those
things that do not appear
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on the surface.
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In other words, when
we get into Bible study,
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we've got to go
beneath the surface
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and it's there that we're
going to find the treasures
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that God has for His people.
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- That's right. You
know, a lot of people say that
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Bible is so boring, 'I
read it and it's just a story'.
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That's because we're
just reading the surface,
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we're just surface readers.
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It reminds me
when we went to Hawaii
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and we went diving
for the first time.
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You look out there
and the ocean is pretty,
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but as soon as you
put on the goggles and
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the breathing apparatus
and go underneath to see
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the beautiful tropical
fish, then you can actually see
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how beautiful this see really
is, and that's like the Bible.
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You can't just read the page
and read it as a surface reader.
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You have to actually go
deeper to see what God is trying
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to tell us and individually
speak to your heart.
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- That's right.
Matthew 7:7,8. It says here:
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[text on the screen]
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Christ is inviting us
here to ask, to seek, to knock,
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and when we come
to the Word of God
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we've got to do those things.
We've got to really be searching
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and we've got to
have an intent of finding.
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God says: 'If you ask,
if you seek, if you knock
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you're going to find'.
And what you find, He says,
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is going to be exciting,
is going to be eye-opening,
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is going to be life changing.
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We want to get into a little
acronym that is popularly used,
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many people know it.
It's called NEW START.
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It was created by
Weimar. - Weimar Institute,
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which is a health institute
in Northern California.
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- Right. And what they do is
they go through 8 principles,
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they call it 'the 8
principles of health':
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nutrition, exercise, water,
sunshine, temperance, air,
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rest and trust in God.
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We have found that
this acronym of NEW START
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may also apply to a
new start when it comes to
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Bible study.
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It may also apply to
the spiritual health of
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those who are seeking to
open the Word of God, and
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to begin to understand it, to
understand these two witnesses
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as it were, and to
hear what they have to say.
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So, we're going to go ahead
and we're going to go through
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this acronym and we're going
to begin with the letter N.
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'N' stands for 'Nutrition'.
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Now, we say 'How does nutrition
tie in with the Bible study?'
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Well, let's go ahead
and look at Matthew 4:4
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[text on the screen]
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Very interesting. Matthew
4:4 tells us that we are to live
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by every word that proceeds
out of the mouth of God.
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When we come to study, nutrition
is a very important principle
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in Bible studying.
We must, the Bible says,
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eat the Word of God. In
fact, Jesus said in John 6:
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"Except you eat my
flesh and drink my blood
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you have no life in you".
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So, it is not just a
matter of convenience
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when we come to
study the Word of God.
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We've got to
understand that it is our life.
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- It is like Oxygen to the
body. You can't live without it.
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- So, we're told that we
must eat the Word of God.
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Another verse I
think of is in Luke 6:21
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and it says: "Blessed
are you who are hungry for
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you will be filled".
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One of the principles of
Bible studying is, I believe,
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that we must be
hungry for the Word of God.
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We can't come to the
Word of God filled up with
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the things of the world.
The best way to get hungry
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is to fast.
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- Right. And I believe
that the entertainment industry,
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the things of the
world are like junk food.
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It just fills us up
for a very short time
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and we have to
just keep going back.
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It's just to fill us up
so we don't hunger after
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the Word of God.
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- That's right.
So, if we were to fast:
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'Okay, I'm going to step
aside and set back the things
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of this world. I'm not longer
going to eat the devil's diet,
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I'm not going to study
his magazines any longer,
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I'm no longer going to
listen or watch the things,
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or read the things
that he wants me to read.
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I'm going to fast from those
things and I'm going to begin
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to eat the Word of God.'
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This is where our
hunger comes from,
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when we restrain from
those things of the world
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and the Spirit of God
puts a hunger within us.
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And when we hunger
for the Word of God
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the Bible tells us
that we will be filled.
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And when we're hungry...
Think about when you're hungry,
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when you really want to eat food
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there's nothing that is
going to stop you from going
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into your kitchen or going to
a restaurant and getting food.
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And that is what God compares
it to. It should be that intense
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desire. You should
really hunger, really desire it.
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Don't let anything stop you.
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- That's right. When I
just came into being a Christian
00:11:09.48\00:11:12.80
there was a hunger that
God put in me for His Word
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and that hunger has never
subsided, it's still there.
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It is a process of
constantly being hungry
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and constantly being filled.
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It's just an amazing
thing: the more you study,
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the more you learn, the
more you think you know,
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the more you don't
know. It's a process of
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continual growth.
00:11:37.61\00:11:39.99
God tells us that
we've got to be hungry.
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Also, another principle is
that we've got to eat for sight.
00:11:42.88\00:11:49.34
Psalms 34:8 tells us to "taste
and see that the Lord is good".
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..."taste and see
that the Lord is good".
00:11:58.25\00:12:00.59
Why does the
Bible say 'taste and see
00:12:00.62\00:12:01.86
that the Lord is good'?
00:12:01.89\00:12:03.33
When we begin to study
the Bible our eyes are opened
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and we begin to see
just how good the Lord is.
00:12:07.80\00:12:12.01
And we need our eyes
opened, and we've been told that
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the Bible is that
thing that God has given us
00:12:16.18\00:12:19.22
to open our eyes so, as
we eat, our eyes are opened.
00:12:19.25\00:12:23.96
Now, that sounds very familiar
to some because you're thinking:
00:12:23.99\00:12:26.66
hey, in Genesis Eve
ate and the devil promised
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that her eyes would be opened.
00:12:32.01\00:12:34.64
You see, and
basically what he meant was not
00:12:34.67\00:12:37.54
her literal eyes, but her
mind was going to be opened.
00:12:37.57\00:12:40.50
And the Bible says that
Satan has blinded the minds
00:12:40.53\00:12:44.10
of them that
believed not the Gospel.
00:12:44.13\00:12:46.01
So, when we eat the Word
of God we're actually eating
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that our minds may
become open to spiritual things
00:12:49.60\00:12:53.48
and we can begin to see
with our minds things that
00:12:53.51\00:12:56.47
we did not see before.
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- Right. You know, earlier
you talked about when you became
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a Christian you
hungered and that hunger
00:13:01.13\00:13:02.92
has never subsided,
you kept going and going,
00:13:02.95\00:13:05.15
and I think I kind of represent
the other side of people
00:13:05.18\00:13:08.14
who may be out there; I
was raised as a Christian.
00:13:08.17\00:13:10.01
So, I didn't always eat. I
just always figured there was
00:13:10.04\00:13:13.42
food in the kitchen, you know,
00:13:13.45\00:13:14.63
it'll always be
there kind of thing
00:13:14.66\00:13:16.46
and I took it for granted.
But something that we try
00:13:16.49\00:13:20.36
to tell our children, who
are being raised as Christians,
00:13:20.39\00:13:22.79
is 'don't take this Trusth
or this Word for granted'.
00:13:22.82\00:13:24.95
There're many people out
there who would love to have it
00:13:24.98\00:13:27.35
and it's free and accessible
to you and we should eat it
00:13:27.38\00:13:31.80
and hunger after it and use it
to see the truth of God's Word.
00:13:31.83\00:13:35.61
- Another principle when
we're dealing with nutrition
00:13:35.64\00:13:39.08
is a principle that I like
to call "no work, no food".
00:13:39.11\00:13:46.96
When Adam was put out of
the garden he was told that
00:13:47.00\00:13:50.12
he would have to till
the ground to get his food.
00:13:50.15\00:13:53.39
And I think that principle
applies the same today.
00:13:53.42\00:13:58.23
We're even told in the Bible
that "For man does not work,
00:13:58.27\00:14:02.51
neither should he eat".
00:14:02.54\00:14:05.33
When we come to Bible
study we've got to realize that
00:14:05.36\00:14:09.34
if we're not willing to work,
if we're not willing to dig,
00:14:09.37\00:14:11.83
if we just sit back
and wait to be spoon-fed,
00:14:11.86\00:14:16.24
we're really not
going to be able to survive
00:14:16.28\00:14:18.51
off of that. In order to
eat, we must be willing to work.
00:14:18.54\00:14:23.36
And a lot of people are not
willing to dig deep and to work.
00:14:23.39\00:14:25.83
And, to just dig through those
Scriptures, to till the ground,
00:14:25.86\00:14:29.35
to find that food that is
down there, we've got to work
00:14:29.38\00:14:34.52
in order to really
eat and be satisfied.
00:14:34.55\00:14:38.34
I tell you, when you work...
We're told that one of the
00:14:38.37\00:14:42.92
best things for
laboring men is to eat from
00:14:42.95\00:14:45.02
the food of his hands.
00:14:45.05\00:14:46.57
When we dig in the Word of God
and find those beautiful gems,
00:14:46.60\00:14:50.40
it is a rewarding experience.
00:14:50.43\00:14:52.41
- That's right. So,
we're looking at NEW START.
00:14:52.44\00:14:54.72
We have Nutrition and
that there's 'E' - Exercise.
00:14:54.75\00:14:57.84
- Exercise. What does Exercise
have to do with Bible study?
00:14:57.87\00:15:03.43
1 Timothy 4:7 tells us:
00:15:03.47\00:15:07.01
[text on the screen]
00:15:07.04\00:15:16.25
We're told here that we
ought to exercise ourselves
00:15:16.28\00:15:20.42
onto godliness. Not only should
we study to get things up here,
00:15:20.45\00:15:25.82
but God tells us when
we study, if you want more,
00:15:25.85\00:15:28.76
you've got to burn it
off, you've got to exercise.
00:15:28.79\00:15:32.14
Which means you've got to
put into practice those things
00:15:32.17\00:15:35.75
that you learned
from studying the Bible.
00:15:35.78\00:15:38.13
- That's right. It's
very important to do that.
00:15:38.16\00:15:40.71
If we don't do that, then
we're not going to be able
00:15:40.74\00:15:44.48
to go further into study.
00:15:44.51\00:15:46.53
- Yes. We become slothful,
we become spiritually heavy.
00:15:46.56\00:15:52.18
We walk around
with a lot of knowledge,
00:15:52.22\00:15:54.75
but we are living
lives that are not according
00:15:54.78\00:15:58.35
with what we know. We
become spiritually overweight,
00:15:58.38\00:16:01.48
so to speak because we're
not exercising onto godliness,
00:16:01.51\00:16:06.04
we're not exercising
those things which we learn.
00:16:06.07\00:16:08.05
So, the second
principle in Bible study,
00:16:08.08\00:16:10.36
or rather in this
acronym, "Exercise" simply means
00:16:10.39\00:16:14.15
that we ought to do the things
that God has called us to do.
00:16:14.18\00:16:18.71
It's like that story,
the parable where Jesus tells
00:16:18.74\00:16:21.28
of the two young men.
Their father asked them to do
00:16:21.31\00:16:24.28
something. One said 'I
will do it' and didn't.
00:16:24.31\00:16:26.78
The other said 'I'm not
going to do that', but did it.
00:16:26.81\00:16:29.14
We are called to do that
which the Lord reveals to us,
00:16:29.17\00:16:32.73
to walk in the light.
And walking in the light
00:16:32.76\00:16:36.22
is to exercise what
God has shown to us.
00:16:36.25\00:16:39.80
- Then we have
"Water", which is the "W".
00:16:39.83\00:16:43.22
- And water is a very
powerful tool when it comes to
00:16:43.25\00:16:48.81
this process of Bible study,
because Ephesians 5:25 says:
00:16:48.85\00:16:55.67
[text on the screen]
00:16:55.71\00:16:59.27
We're told here that,
as we study the Scripture,
00:17:20.31\00:17:24.67
the purpose of Bible
study is actually to wash us,
00:17:24.70\00:17:29.32
to make us pure, without
spot and without wrinkle.
00:17:29.35\00:17:33.26
And, as we do these things,
they increase and strengthen
00:17:33.29\00:17:38.51
our Bible study. Because
God sees that this man walks
00:17:38.54\00:17:42.74
in what he knows, he
exercises (what I have revealed)
00:17:42.77\00:17:48.99
and allows the Word of
God, he allows what he studies,
00:17:49.03\00:17:52.34
she allows what she
studies to reform her,
00:17:52.37\00:17:55.81
to wash her and to cleanse her.
00:17:55.84\00:17:57.82
This is what God is looking for.
00:17:57.85\00:17:59.64
The more He sees
this, the more He reveals
00:17:59.67\00:18:03.24
those beautiful and precious
gems, because He doesn't
00:18:03.27\00:18:06.09
just want to cast
those gems out there,
00:18:06.12\00:18:07.98
just for
anybody to trample over.
00:18:08.01\00:18:11.86
They're precious gems,
and He reveals these things
00:18:11.90\00:18:15.24
onto His children.
00:18:15.27\00:18:16.50
- That's right. I know that
many of us want to be washed
00:18:16.53\00:18:20.30
and cleansed by God,
and, by studying His Word
00:18:20.33\00:18:23.61
it helps to do that.
00:18:23.64\00:18:25.24
I was talking to a
gentleman once and he said
00:18:25.27\00:18:27.66
when he heard the Word of God
and when he read the Word of God
00:18:27.69\00:18:31.37
it was like the words on
the page were jumping off
00:18:31.40\00:18:34.86
and right into his heart.
00:18:34.89\00:18:36.16
I believe there's a supernatural
thing like that happens.
00:18:36.19\00:18:39.17
When we're studying God's
Word, His Holy Spirit is writing
00:18:39.20\00:18:42.34
those things in our hearts,
and that's literally changing
00:18:42.37\00:18:44.88
who we are; that begins to
take the desires away from us,
00:18:44.91\00:18:47.91
of the things that
we do that are wrong,
00:18:47.94\00:18:49.93
and it actually gives us power
to overcome those temptations.
00:18:49.96\00:18:53.19
- That's right. The
'washing' of the Word
00:18:53.22\00:18:56.09
is that thing that
helps us to begin to discern
00:18:56.12\00:19:00.82
between what is
right and what is wrong,
00:19:00.86\00:19:03.56
what we actually
need to be cleansed from.
00:19:03.59\00:19:07.26
And this is why it's important.
As we study we keep in mind
00:19:07.29\00:19:10.52
that the purpose of study
is also to cleanse us from
00:19:10.55\00:19:14.17
all
unrighteousness. The next one
00:19:14.20\00:19:16.21
we go to is
'Sunshine'. 2 Peter 1:19.
00:19:16.24\00:19:21.25
[text on the screen]
00:19:21.29\00:19:33.98
The thing that really true
me was the study of prophecy.
00:19:34.02\00:19:42.36
It was sunshine to my soul.
00:19:42.40\00:19:44.93
When we study the
Bible, one of the most powerful
00:19:44.96\00:19:49.16
elements, even to
convince a non-believer,
00:19:49.19\00:19:51.99
is the element of prophecy.
00:19:52.02\00:19:53.65
Prophecy reveals that
which no other can reveal.
00:19:53.68\00:19:57.89
In fact, God challenges. He says
"all the other gods, let them
00:19:57.92\00:20:01.00
tell you the future.
And if they can do it,
00:20:01.03\00:20:02.54
then let them be
God." But they cannot.
00:20:02.57\00:20:05.03
So, as we study prophecy, that,
I believe, creates a hunger.
00:20:05.06\00:20:10.82
Even Satan had to
study prophecy to know
00:20:10.85\00:20:14.88
his future. He
didn't know, he had to study
00:20:14.91\00:20:16.89
the first prophecy that
God gave in Genesis 3:15,
00:20:16.92\00:20:20.52
he had to study it to know
'hey, that's talking about me,
00:20:20.55\00:20:23.00
this is what
it's going to happen',
00:20:23.03\00:20:24.14
so, he doesn't have the power
to know this; only God does.
00:20:24.17\00:20:27.04
- That's right. As we see
the future revealed before us
00:20:27.07\00:20:30.36
I believe that it creates a
hunger in our hearts to study
00:20:30.39\00:20:33.62
the Word more and more.
That's why God says that
00:20:33.65\00:20:36.73
sunshine ought to
be a part of our life.
00:20:36.76\00:20:40.20
We ought to study
the words of prophecy,
00:20:40.23\00:20:42.81
because sunshine reveals
that which we could not see
00:20:42.84\00:20:45.60
in darkness. It
reveals the future, it reveals
00:20:45.63\00:20:48.25
what is ahead of us.
00:20:48.28\00:20:49.90
Next, we go to
what? - Temperance.
00:20:49.93\00:20:52.66
2 Timothy 2:15 says:
00:20:52.69\00:20:56.73
[text on the screen]
00:20:56.77\00:21:04.05
This is a key,
this is very important.
00:21:04.09\00:21:05.80
- That's right. Because,
as we study the Word of God,
00:21:05.83\00:21:07.90
we've got to
study it in temperance,
00:21:07.93\00:21:10.26
we've got to study
it... it's got to be balanced.
00:21:10.29\00:21:13.41
- Everything has to
match up, line upon line,
00:21:13.44\00:21:16.04
precept upon
precept. - And many people,
00:21:16.07\00:21:18.02
when they study the
Bible, it's not done rightly
00:21:18.05\00:21:21.30
dividing the word of
truth. The word of truth must be
00:21:21.33\00:21:24.60
rightly divided. And as we begin
to understand these principles
00:21:24.63\00:21:28.58
of Bible study, we
need to ask the Lord:
00:21:28.61\00:21:30.71
"Lord, help me
to rightly divide,
00:21:30.74\00:21:32.17
help me not to go by
what tradition says, or
00:21:32.20\00:21:34.57
what a custom says,
or what even I feel.
00:21:34.60\00:21:38.72
Help me to rightly
divide this word of truth."
00:21:38.76\00:21:42.52
And now, we're
going to go to the "A",
00:21:42.55\00:21:45.69
stands for "Air".
This is beautiful because,
00:21:45.72\00:21:50.82
again, we've seen that,
in the Bible air is symbolic,
00:21:50.85\00:21:55.08
or wind is symbolic
of the Spirit of God.
00:21:55.11\00:21:57.99
In John 16:13
Jesus says of the Spirit:
00:21:58.02\00:22:01.73
[text on the screen]
00:22:01.77\00:22:15.35
It is vitally important
that, when we study the Bible
00:22:15.39\00:22:18.83
we study it under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit.
00:22:18.86\00:22:22.41
- If not, that's how
things that are not correct
00:22:22.44\00:22:26.30
and things that are
not in the Bible come up
00:22:26.33\00:22:28.14
and people start teaching
them and preaching them as truth
00:22:28.17\00:22:31.10
because they
studied it on their own,
00:22:31.13\00:22:33.43
without the
guidance of the Holy Spirit.
00:22:33.46\00:22:34.95
- That's right. There
are other spirits that
00:22:34.98\00:22:36.90
are trying to lead
us as we open the Bible.
00:22:36.93\00:22:39.02
We've got to be
careful of those spirits.
00:22:39.05\00:22:41.98
And as we see here, it
is vitally important that,
00:22:42.01\00:22:45.57
when we study the Bible, we
study it under the inspiration
00:22:45.60\00:22:48.15
of the Holy
Spirit, which means what?
00:22:48.18\00:22:49.64
It doesn't mean that I'm
living a random lifestyle,
00:22:49.67\00:22:54.27
and then, when it comes
the time to open the Bible,
00:22:54.30\00:22:57.46
then I pray.
"Lord, please be with me
00:22:57.49\00:23:01.12
as I study. Hover
over me, Holy Spirit."
00:23:01.15\00:23:03.44
No! It means that we
must be living our lives
00:23:03.47\00:23:06.30
under the guidance of the
Holy Spirit continually...
00:23:06.33\00:23:09.44
- ...so, by the
time we get to the Word,
00:23:09.47\00:23:10.96
it's a continual
abiding in the Spirit.
00:23:10.99\00:23:13.89
- Exactly. There're days
when I'm walking somewhere
00:23:13.92\00:23:16.91
and, without having my Bible
without me, the Spirit of God
00:23:16.94\00:23:22.05
will bring a verse to
my mind and all of a sudden
00:23:22.08\00:23:24.19
it's the missing link
that I've been looking for
00:23:24.22\00:23:26.58
in some study that I was
doing and all of a sudden
00:23:26.61\00:23:29.00
everything falls in the place.
00:23:29.03\00:23:30.47
In other words, the Spirit
of God will be studying with you
00:23:30.50\00:23:36.09
even as you're just walking
around, just going about your
00:23:36.13\00:23:39.19
daily chores or whatever
it may be, under the influence
00:23:39.22\00:23:42.42
of the Spirit of God. The
Spirit is continually speaking,
00:23:42.45\00:23:44.94
continually pulling verses
together and thoughts together
00:23:44.97\00:23:48.54
in our minds, so that...
I mean, I study all the time
00:23:48.57\00:23:52.37
but I don't have a Bible
in front of me all the time.
00:23:52.40\00:23:55.53
I'm laying in bed and,
just meditating upon the Lord
00:23:55.56\00:23:58.58
and upon His
Word, and just thinking,
00:23:58.61\00:24:00.85
and all of a
sudden the Spirit will
00:24:00.88\00:24:02.09
reveal some
thought and I'm going:
00:24:02.12\00:24:04.73
"Oh, this is good!"
And so, we've got to study.
00:24:04.76\00:24:09.35
Bible study becomes an
exciting thing when you do it
00:24:09.38\00:24:13.79
under the guidance
of the Holy Spirit.
00:24:13.82\00:24:15.66
- And he's not joking.
He does study quite a bit.
00:24:15.69\00:24:17.59
When I met him, he
was studying the Bible.
00:24:17.62\00:24:19.79
Well, we want to
move on to "Rest".
00:24:19.82\00:24:21.91
- In Matthew 11:28 it says:
00:24:21.94\00:24:25.70
[text on the screen]
00:24:25.73\00:24:29.68
..."I will give you rest"
00:24:29.72\00:24:31.06
When we come to the Word of God,
00:24:31.09\00:24:33.80
the purpose, and we've
said this in a program before,
00:24:33.83\00:24:36.12
the purpose of Bible study is
to allow us to rest in Christ,
00:24:36.15\00:24:41.72
it is to give us peace.
00:24:41.75\00:24:46.61
When we study the Word of
God and we see its beauty,
00:24:46.64\00:24:50.84
we see its
consistency and we are convinced
00:24:50.87\00:24:54.70
of its consistency, we
have this peace that passes
00:24:54.73\00:24:58.37
all understanding.
We have this rest.
00:24:58.40\00:25:01.34
I remember being out in the
world and just being uncertain
00:25:01.37\00:25:03.88
of so many things. What
is this world all about?
00:25:03.91\00:25:06.51
What's going to
happen to me when I die?
00:25:06.54\00:25:09.72
What is the future
about? What's going to happen
00:25:09.75\00:25:12.82
to this world?
And I had no peace.
00:25:12.85\00:25:15.35
None at all.
00:25:15.38\00:25:16.95
Well, the study of the
Bible brings us a peace that
00:25:16.98\00:25:20.69
passes all understanding.
What it does is it reveals
00:25:20.72\00:25:24.15
to us, as we've said
before, the truth of the future,
00:25:24.18\00:25:27.25
it answers those questions
that human beings have:
00:25:27.28\00:25:31.96
...what about
this? ...what about that?
00:25:32.00\00:25:33.44
...what about our future?
00:25:33.47\00:25:35.16
And, when it answers
those questions it, inevitably
00:25:35.19\00:25:38.30
brings us this peace
that passes understanding.
00:25:38.33\00:25:40.81
I can rest now. Why?
Because I know the truth.
00:25:40.84\00:25:44.57
How did I know the truth?
Through the study of God's Word.
00:25:44.60\00:25:48.79
- And after we find peace
we must then finally trust,
00:25:48.82\00:25:52.79
trust in God fully.
00:25:52.82\00:25:55.31
- Right. After He has
revealed to us all there is,
00:25:55.34\00:25:57.87
not only we learn to trust Him,
I think we inevitably trust Him.
00:25:57.90\00:26:03.46
Why? Because all we have
seen, the beauty of His Word,
00:26:03.49\00:26:06.94
the things coming to
pass as they were written...
00:26:06.97\00:26:09.95
...how can I not trust
Him? He knows the future,
00:26:09.98\00:26:13.64
He's put this
beautiful Book together,
00:26:13.67\00:26:15.59
He has the world in His hands
00:26:15.62\00:26:17.64
and you get this trust,
and ultimately that is where
00:26:17.67\00:26:21.23
the devil does
not want us to get.
00:26:21.26\00:26:23.96
- He always wants us to
have anxiety, not trust God,
00:26:23.99\00:26:27.20
worry about this, be
uncertain about that,
00:26:27.23\00:26:29.58
but God wants us to trust.
00:26:29.61\00:26:30.96
I wish we could even to a
program with all the miracles
00:26:30.99\00:26:33.14
He has done in our
lives and things for us,
00:26:33.17\00:26:36.62
because He is a
wonderful God who we can trust.
00:26:36.65\00:26:40.39
- Right, and let me
reiterate this again, Atonte,
00:26:40.42\00:26:43.25
is that the things that
our youth are facing today,
00:26:43.28\00:26:48.55
the music, the video games,
the entertainment industry,
00:26:48.59\00:26:53.89
it is all designed
to keep us from having
00:26:53.93\00:26:57.60
a New Start, becoming
a new creation in Christ.
00:26:57.63\00:27:03.06
Because as long as
those things can keep us from
00:27:03.09\00:27:06.30
the two witnesses, as long
as we are under the influence
00:27:06.33\00:27:09.82
of that beast from Revelation 11
00:27:09.85\00:27:12.24
which is against
the two witnesses,
00:27:12.27\00:27:14.84
the Word of God, the
Old and the New Testament,
00:27:14.87\00:27:17.08
as long as he
keeps us away from that,
00:27:17.11\00:27:19.34
we cannot have
trust, we cannot have rest,
00:27:19.37\00:27:21.84
we will not be under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit.
00:27:21.87\00:27:24.39
We will not even desire
to study the Word of God.
00:27:24.42\00:27:28.03
We'll starve! We won't
exercise, we'll become slothful.
00:27:28.06\00:27:31.99
All these things
and all to keep us away
00:27:32.02\00:27:35.13
from having
that trust in Christ.
00:27:35.16\00:27:36.85
- And that's Satan's whole ploy:
to keep you away from that.
00:27:36.88\00:27:40.53
He has created the
entertainment industry Hollywood
00:27:40.56\00:27:43.91
jus to keep you from that.
We cannot overemphasize that
00:27:43.94\00:27:46.94
enough. I think we
take it way to lightly.
00:27:46.97\00:27:49.44
God is wanting us to
wake up and to take it
00:27:49.47\00:27:52.10
very seriously.
00:27:52.13\00:27:53.81
- Well, we're all out of
time. We'd like to invite you
00:27:54.43\00:27:56.80
to our next program where
we're going to be discussing
00:27:56.83\00:27:59.34
more of how to study the Bible.
00:27:59.37\00:28:00.71
Until then, God bless you.
00:28:00.74\00:28:03.67