BREATH OF LIFE
MINISTRIES PRESENTS:
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B529 God's Love
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[THEME music]
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PB:  The Scripture
is one verse: John 3:16.
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"For God so loved
the"--what, everybody?
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Aud.:  World.   PB:  "That
he gave his only begotten"--
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Aud.:  Son.     PB:  "That
whosoever believes in him should
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not"-- Aud.:  Perish. 
PB:  "But have everlasting"--
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Aud.:  Life.   
PB:  Father, bless us.
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Thank You for Your
love. Sometimes we don't
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even understand
Your love, but thank You
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for Your love. Speak
through me as I speak
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to Your people.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
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John 3:16 is
arguably the greatest verse in
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all the Bible. And if
it's not the greatest,
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it has to be the most
known or the most loved verse.
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There are only 25 words
in this verse, but no other
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single verse in all the
Bible has blessed so many
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people like John 3:16.
Martin Luther called it
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the miniature gospel.
Some have called it the
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gospel in a nutshell.
Others have called it a
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love letter from
God, written in blood and
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addressed to all. And
while John 3:16 is a most
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beloved verse among
millions everywhere,
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if there were ever a
verse that Satan would
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like to get out of
the Bible, it would be
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John 3:16. Because if
there were ever a verse
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that makes hell
shutter, it's John 3:16.
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If there were ever a
verse that makes demons
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tremble, it's John
3:16. But if there were
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ever a verse that has
lightened the path to heaven,
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it's also John 3:16.
For God so loved the world
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that He gave His
only begotten Son, that
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whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish
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but have everlasting
life. Now this text has
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been preached many
different ways. Some have
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divided the verse into
parts like God's grace:
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for God so loved
the world. God's gift:
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that He gave his only
begotten Son. God's gospel:
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that whosoever
believeth in Him. God's glory:
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shall have everlasting
life. Some have preached
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this text by saying it
shows the greatest. For God,
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the greatest One. So
loved, the greatest degree.
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The world, the greatest
amount of people. That He gave,
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which is the greatest
generosity. His only begotten
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Son, the greatest uniqueness.
That whosoever, the greatest
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invitation. Believeth in Him,
the greatest simplicity. Should
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not, which is the greatest
certainty. Perish, the greatest
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possible loss. But, the
greatest difference. Have,
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the greatest possession.
Eternal, the greatest length.
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Life, God's greatest gift.
For God so loved the world.
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But today, let's expand
our minds a bit. What if God
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had not loved the world?
There would then be no hope
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for the world. There
would be nothing to live for and
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no purpose for existence;
it would be a world where
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our prayers would be but
useless cries to the skies.
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Every death would be
the end of personal hope and
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every grave a place of
despair. But today, I'm so glad
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that God loved the world.
I'm so glad that Jesus loves me.
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I'm so glad that death is
not a period but only a comma
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in the story of life.
But then, what if God had not
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sent His Son? What if instead
of God giving us His Son, Jesus,
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He gave us what we
deserved--death. What if instead
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of sending His Son to die
for our sins and giving us the
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opportunity for eternal
life forever, what if He just
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destined all of us to
hell. But not only that,
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what if God's offer of salvation
was not for the whosoevers.
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What if God had only
offered salvation to the rich.
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I don't know about you,
but I know I wouldn't make it.
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What if God had offered
salvation only to the healthy.
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What if God had only offered
salvation to the educated.
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What if salvation was
only offered to the good,
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the righteous and
pious people. If He did that,
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then none of us would have
any hope of ever seeing Jesus,
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because the Bible says that
before God there is none good,
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no not one. But I'm
glad today for Romans 5:8,
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that God commended His
love toward us that while we
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were yet sinners Christ
died for us. Which means,
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friends of mine, God
doesn't save us after we get
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rid of our sin. God
saves us in our sin.
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God doesn't save us
once we clean up our lives
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to be good enough for
Him. God doesn't save us
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after we have made
ourselves holy or religious.
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It's the opposite.
God--thank You, Jesus--saves
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us in our sin, just as
we are, and then He saves
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us from our sins and
makes us what we ought to be.
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So then, I may not
be all that I should be,
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but praise God I'm
not what I used to be.
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I'm so glad that
God's love is for whosoever.
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God loves Christians,
but God also loves Jews,
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Buddhists and
Hindus. God loves believers,
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but God also loves
agnostics and atheists.
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God loves Americans,
but God also loves Africans
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and Asians and Australians.
God loves black people,
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but God also loves
white people, red people
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and yellow people.
God loves city folk,
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but God loves
country folk, too. God loves
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the civilized, but
God loves the heathen.
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God loves
preachers--yes, He does--but God
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also loves prostitutes.
God loves doctors and
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lawyers and
accountants and teachers but
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He also loves
murderers and cheaters and
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gamblers and drug
abusers. God loves us all.
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God didn't just love
a world of saints--no,
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God loved a
world of sinners, too.
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But don't get it
twisted today. God loves the
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sinner not the sin.
The criminal not the crime.
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The rebel not the
rebellion; the liar not the lie;
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the idolater and not
the idol. God loves us all.
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Because see, the
reality is a sinner may go
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to heal unsaved, but
a sinner cannot go to
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hell unloved. God
loves us all. All colors,
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all shapes, all
sizes. And because God
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loves us all,
God died for us all.
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And because God's
love is for whosoever,
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God's salvation
is for whosoever.
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That means anybody.
That means young and old,
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smart and average,
educated, uneducated;
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lower class to the
upper class; adventurer
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and the adulterer. The
deacon and the dope dealer;
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church singer but
the blues singer as well.
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Wicked sinners and
wretched and wannabe saints,
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God's salvation is for
whosoever. So don't walk
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around Oakwood like
you've got the big head.
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That you're better
than somebody else.
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Pointing your finger at
somebody else and you've
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got three fingers
pointing back at you.
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Talking about
somebody else but you've got
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skeletons in your
own closet. Nobody lives
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in a glass house.
Don't judge somebody
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just because they got
caught and you didn't.
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[Aud. reaction]   
PB:  And on the flipside:
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don't judge someone
else just because they
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sin differently than
you do. [Aud. reaction]
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PB:  Sin is sin. All
have sinned and come short
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of the glory of God. We
are all sinners saved by grace.
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God loves us all, God
died for us all, for God so
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loved the world.
Which means, God loves you.
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If you were the only
person on planet earth,
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God would have sent
Jesus to die just for you.
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That's how much Jesus
loves you. God sent His
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Son to die for our
sins. You know that His blood
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that He shed on the
cross is the only thing that
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can save us from our
sins. Let me be clear today:
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not this church, not the
preacher, not your ushering,
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not your singing in the
choir, not your teaching
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Sabbath school, not your
tithe, not your offering,
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not your amens,
not your hallelujahs.
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There's only name
under heaven whereby we
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can be saved. What
can wash away my sins?
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Nothing but the blood
of Jesus. What can make
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me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
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Jesus was our substitute
who paid the penalty for
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the sins that we
deserved to pay. Jesus gives
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us everlasting life, and He
gives it to us free of charge.
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Jesus gives us the
opportunity for life with Him.
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All we've got to do is
ask, believe and receive.
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But it was back in 1830.
The illustrated story says
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that George Wilson was
convicted of robbing U.S. mail,
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the U.S. Postal Department.
He was sentenced to be hanged.
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President Andrew Jackson,
president of the United States
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at the time, issued a
pardon for Wilson. But Wilson
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refused to accept it. It
was Chief Justice Marshall,
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who was Supreme Court
Chief Justice at the time,
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who concluded that Wilson
would have to be executed.
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He said a pardon is a slip
of paper the value of which
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is determined by the acceptance
of the person to be pardoned.
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He said, if it is
refused, it is no pardon.
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George Wilson must be
hanged. Two thousand years ago,
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God the Son, Jesus the
Christ, issued a pardon.
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But just like in the
case of George Wilson,
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the value of the
pardon is determined by the
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acceptance of the
person to be pardoned.
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If it is refused, it is
no pardon. We don't have to
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accept Christ's sacrifice
and love for us. We can refuse.
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But if we confess our
sins, He is faithful and just
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to forgive us of our
sins and cleanse us from
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all unrighteousness. I don't
know if you understand like me,
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but we're living in
some perilous times.
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We say that all
the time. Every week,
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I stand up here and
I say that. But maybe
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with all that is
going on in the world,
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maybe just maybe
we'll start believing it.
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Two weeks ago, was
the worst mass shooting in
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U.S. history. One
week ago, wildfires began
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to erupt in
Southern California and chase
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people from their homes
as an intense heat wave,
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stretching from the
West Coast to New Mexico,
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is blistering the
southwestern portion of the
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United States. And
just this week, I don't
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know if you realize
what's going on, we have
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seen the United Kingdom vote
to leave the European Union.
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In the wake and aftermath
of this, David Cameron,
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prime minister, he's
resigned. The Dow Jones
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has plunged 600 points.
The S&P has fallen 3.6 percent.
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The Nasdaq competent index
has dropped to 4.12 percent.
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The value of the pound,
United Kingdom currency,
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has plummeted close
to one dollar 33 cents.
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It's the lowest level
in more than 30 years.
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The Euro has fallen
heavily. Investors are
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concerned about
cash drying up in global
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financial markets.
Jean-Claude Trichet,
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former president of
the European Central Bank,
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called a vote to
leave the European Union
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in an earthquake. So
you're sitting here and
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talking about what
does this have to do with
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the love of God.
Pastor, what's the big deal?
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Friends, we're in
a financial crisis.
00:12:48.23\00:12:50.27
Somebody says,
well, what's the big deal?
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We've seen this before;
we'll weather the storm.
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Oh, but good ol'
Christians, people of the Word:
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Do you really see
what's going on? Do you see
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that prophecy is being
fulfilled before our very eyes.
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Don't you remember
studying back in the day,
00:13:07.22\00:13:09.68
Daniel chapter 2, when
King Nebuchadnezzar had
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a dream, and in that
dream he sees a huge statue.
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And on this statue
there are different metals,
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which were used to
identify different kingdoms.
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It starts off with
the head of gold, which
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represents Babylon.
It continues with breasts
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and arms of silver,
representing Medo-Persia.
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The belly and thighs
of brass represent Greece.
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The legs of iron
represent Rome, and at the
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bottom of the statue
are feet and toes mixed
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of iron and clay.
Each metal represents a
00:13:37.38\00:13:41.02
different European
country in Earth's history,
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which each country
being inferior to its
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predecessor. Now,
when the Bible talks about
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the fact that the
feet and the clay will not
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stick together, this
is symbolic of countries
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that will not stick
together. They will not
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cleave together. Why?
Because some are strong
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and some are weak,
and that seems to be the
00:14:05.01\00:14:08.68
story of Europe.
Some countries are strong,
00:14:08.71\00:14:12.05
and some countries
are weak. But Scripture
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already told us that
there will not be another
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unified kingdom.
That there will not be
00:14:18.29\00:14:20.49
a unified Europe.
Europe will not cleave and
00:14:20.52\00:14:23.46
stick together, but
it will break apart.
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And we're seeing
that prophecy come to
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pass right now.
Church, wake up! With the
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United Kingdom
breaking away from the
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European Union,
God's Word told us it
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would happen. I
don't know why we as
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Adventists walk
around here surprised.
00:14:37.24\00:14:39.84
We're living in
the time of the end.
00:14:39.87\00:14:44.51
Babylon has
already ruled. Medo-Persia
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has already ruled.
Greece has already ruled.
00:14:48.55\00:14:52.82
Rome has already
ruled. And now the
00:14:52.85\00:14:56.02
countries
representing the feet are
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breaking up, and
when they break up there's
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nothing left to the
statue.  Oh, but here's
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the good news. Daniel--you
know I love preaching this.
00:15:05.67\00:15:10.24
[Aud. reaction]  
PB:  Daniel, chapter 2,
00:15:10.27\00:15:11.84
does not end just
with the story of mixed
00:15:11.87\00:15:15.14
iron and mixed
clay breaking away.
00:15:15.18\00:15:18.18
The Bible says there
is a rock. [Aud. reaction]
00:15:18.21\00:15:21.48
PB:  This rock is
small at first, but soon
00:15:21.52\00:15:24.82
this rock gets
big. And it smashes the
00:15:24.85\00:15:28.26
entire statue.
That little rock becomes
00:15:28.29\00:15:31.16
a big rock, because
that big rock is Jesus.
00:15:31.19\00:15:34.76
ON Christ the solid
rock I stand, all other
00:15:34.83\00:15:39.27
ground is sinking
sand. Jesus tears down
00:15:39.30\00:15:43.91
the old kingdom,
because Jesus is coming back,
00:15:43.94\00:15:46.81
friends, to set up a
new kingdom. Jesus is
00:15:46.84\00:15:49.28
going to smash
down earthly kingdoms,
00:15:49.31\00:15:51.95
because Jesus is going
to set up God's kingdom.
00:15:51.98\00:15:54.72
Because Jesus is
King of kings, and He's
00:15:54.75\00:15:58.39
Lord of lords. And
God wants you to be
00:15:58.42\00:16:01.19
a part of this new
kingdom. [Aud. reaction]
00:16:01.22\00:16:03.69
PB:  God's kingdom. He
loves you. He's not willing
00:16:03.73\00:16:07.13
that any should
perish but all should come
00:16:07.13\00:16:10.03
to repentance. God
pardoned you. He pardoned me.
00:16:10.07\00:16:13.60
But we've got to
accept His pardon. God's
00:16:13.64\00:16:18.41
kind of love is
unselfish, which results
00:16:18.44\00:16:20.84
in doing the best
for another even at the
00:16:20.88\00:16:22.91
highest personal
cost without requiring or
00:16:22.94\00:16:25.71
expecting payback.
For by grace are we saved,
00:16:25.75\00:16:30.92
through faith and not
of ourselves. It's a gift
00:16:30.95\00:16:34.92
from God. For God
so loved the world that
00:16:34.96\00:16:40.20
He gave His only
begotten Son that whosoever-
00:16:40.23\00:16:44.67
-that's everybody--believes
in Him should not
00:16:44.70\00:16:47.50
perish but have
everlasting life. God loves you
00:16:47.54\00:16:51.57
no matter what. God
loves you despite what you
00:16:51.61\00:16:55.28
did last night, last
week, last month and last year.
00:16:55.31\00:16:57.65
God died for you, and
God wants you to be a part
00:16:57.68\00:17:01.02
of His kingdom.
There's nothing we can do to
00:17:01.05\00:17:03.55
make God love us
more. But there's nothing
00:17:03.59\00:17:06.69
we can do to
make God love us less.
00:17:06.72\00:17:10.16
Adultery. God
doesn't love you any less.
00:17:10.19\00:17:14.93
Divorce. God doesn't
love you any less. Deceit.
00:17:14.96\00:17:22.44
God doesn't love
you any less. Drugs.
00:17:22.47\00:17:28.54
God doesn't love
you any less. Lying.
00:17:28.58\00:17:33.62
God doesn't love
you any less. Because He
00:17:33.65\00:17:37.85
loves you when you
are unlovable. He loved
00:17:37.89\00:17:41.09
you when you didn't
love Him. He loves you
00:17:41.12\00:17:44.86
when you are strung
out somewhere. He loved
00:17:44.89\00:17:47.96
you when you didn't
want to come to church.
00:17:48.00\00:17:50.43
He loved you when
you didn't want to pray.
00:17:50.47\00:17:52.80
He loved you when
you didn't love yourself.
00:17:52.83\00:17:54.50
God didn't wait till
you got right to love you.
00:17:54.54\00:17:58.87
[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
But God loved you, when
00:17:58.91\00:18:01.44
you didn't do right. He
loves you when you weren't
00:18:01.48\00:18:04.38
acting right. He loved you
when you weren't living right.
00:18:04.41\00:18:08.05
Greater love hath no
man than this, who would
00:18:08.08\00:18:10.95
lay down his life for
a friend. Let me close
00:18:10.99\00:18:15.92
this way. This story
brings tears to my eyes.
00:18:15.96\00:18:21.40
The story is told of
a grandfather who found
00:18:21.43\00:18:28.07
his grandson. The
grandson was jumping up
00:18:28.10\00:18:32.77
and down, playing in
his playpen. The grandson,
00:18:32.81\00:18:36.98
the little boy was
crying at the top of his lungs.
00:18:37.01\00:18:42.15
When this little boy--let's
call him little Johnny-
00:18:42.18\00:18:44.92
-saw his grandfather,
little Johnny reached up
00:18:44.95\00:18:49.06
with his chubby little
hands and chubby cheeks
00:18:49.09\00:18:52.09
and said, "Out,
Grampa, out." It was only
00:18:52.13\00:18:56.50
natural for the
grandfather to reach down,
00:18:56.53\00:18:59.30
to lift the little
boy, little Johnny,
00:18:59.33\00:19:03.61
out of his predicament.
But just as granddaddy
00:19:03.64\00:19:07.08
reached down to
lift up little Johnny,
00:19:07.11\00:19:09.04
little Johnny's
mother walked in, and she
00:19:09.08\00:19:12.18
said no, Johnny.
You're being punished,
00:19:12.21\00:19:16.22
so you must stay
in. The grandfather was
00:19:16.25\00:19:22.02
at a loss as to
what to do. The child's
00:19:22.06\00:19:25.63
tears and his
chubby hands reached deep
00:19:25.66\00:19:29.06
into his grandfather's
heart, but the mother's
00:19:29.10\00:19:31.97
firmness in correcting
her son for misbehaving
00:19:32.00\00:19:35.20
couldn't be taken
lightly. Here was the problem-
00:19:35.24\00:19:40.04
-of love versus law.
Justice versus mercy.
00:19:40.08\00:19:53.39
But love found a
way. The grandfather could
00:19:53.42\00:20:01.56
not take his
grandson out of the playpen,
00:20:01.60\00:20:04.83
so what did he do?
He crawled in with him.
00:20:04.87\00:20:13.61
[Aud. reaction]   PB:
 God didn't spare Paul
00:20:13.64\00:20:15.91
and Silas the
suffering imprisonment in that
00:20:15.94\00:20:19.75
Philippian jail.
But He came down in the
00:20:19.78\00:20:25.15
jail with them. God
did not keep the three
00:20:25.19\00:20:29.26
Hebrew boys out
of the fiery furnace,
00:20:29.29\00:20:32.29
but God went down
in the fiery furnace.
00:20:32.33\00:20:37.20
God didn't
release us from the pain,
00:20:37.23\00:20:42.84
the perplexities and
the problems of life,
00:20:42.87\00:20:49.28
but God came down in
this life. He came in
00:20:49.31\00:20:55.35
this world because
He loved us, and He died
00:20:55.38\00:21:00.89
to save us. In the
beginning was the word,
00:21:00.92\00:21:07.40
and the word was God
and the word was with God,
00:21:07.46\00:21:14.24
and the word became
flesh and dwelt among us.
00:21:14.27\00:21:22.04
For God so loved the
world that He gave His
00:21:22.08\00:21:33.25
only begotten Son,
that whosoever--that means
00:21:33.29\00:21:40.93
those that have been
in this church 50 years
00:21:40.96\00:21:43.80
and those that have
been in this church 5 days-
00:21:43.83\00:21:47.54
-that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish
00:21:47.57\00:21:53.74
but have everlasting
life. I'm so glad that I
00:21:53.78\00:22:03.12
serve a God who didn't
stay out of the playpen.
00:22:03.15\00:22:09.76
He got in it; He got in
it with me. He got dirty
00:22:09.79\00:22:20.07
with me. He got
bloody with me. He was talked
00:22:20.10\00:22:30.38
about but He still got
in it with me. And if you
00:22:30.41\00:22:38.05
don't praise Him and
you don't celebrate Him,
00:22:38.09\00:22:40.22
that's okay. God
got in it with me.
00:22:40.26\00:22:50.17
(song) Jesus went to Calvary
00:22:50.20\00:23:01.38
[sounds of typing]
 >:  Hello, Pastor.
00:23:01.41\00:23:20.33
My name is Tamar. I
grew up in church but
00:23:20.36\00:23:41.62
after I went away
to college, I stopped
00:23:41.65\00:23:51.16
attending. Well,
that's to say the least.
00:23:51.19\00:23:55.26
I can't remember
the last time I prayed.
00:23:55.30\00:23:58.10
All of my life I placed
everything ahead of God.
00:23:58.13\00:24:01.14
I turned my back on
Him. That's the ultimate
00:24:01.17\00:24:04.07
act of betrayal. So,
I guess my question is:
00:24:04.11\00:24:09.04
how do I come back to
Him? After I've denied
00:24:09.08\00:24:11.88
Him and
desecrated all His commands,
00:24:11.91\00:24:14.45
will God surely forgive me?
00:24:14.48\00:24:17.39
PB:  Hello, Tamar. I
read your email thoroughly.
00:24:17.42\00:24:32.23
I understand that this
is a tough time for you
00:24:32.27\00:24:36.27
right now, but I
would like to tell you that
00:24:36.30\00:24:40.64
God never stopped
loving you. His love for you,
00:24:40.68\00:24:44.38
as well as His love for
all of us, is unconditional.
00:24:44.41\00:24:47.95
In Luke chapter 15,
verse number 11, Jesus teaches
00:24:47.98\00:24:51.45
about God's
unconditional love through the
00:24:51.49\00:24:54.66
parable of the prodigal
son. As told in the parable,
00:24:54.69\00:24:58.56
the younger son
squandered his wealth and only
00:24:58.59\00:25:01.63
came to his senses
after he was in great need.
00:25:01.66\00:25:05.03
He was broke; he
was starving and living
00:25:05.07\00:25:07.94
among animals. But
after realizing the errors
00:25:07.97\00:25:11.31
of his ways he
decided to return home to his
00:25:11.34\00:25:15.11
father's house. The
Bible puts it this way:
00:25:15.14\00:25:18.35
While he was still a
long way off his father
00:25:18.38\00:25:21.75
saw him and was filled
with compassion for him,
00:25:21.78\00:25:25.62
and he ran to his
son, threw his arms around
00:25:25.65\00:25:28.19
him and kissed him. The
father said to his servants,
00:25:28.22\00:25:31.56
quick! Bring forth the
best robe and put it on him.
00:25:31.59\00:25:35.83
Put a ring on his
finger and sandals on his feet.
00:25:35.86\00:25:38.27
Bring the fattened calf
and kill it. Let's have a
00:25:38.30\00:25:41.30
feast and celebrate, for
this son of mine was dead
00:25:41.34\00:25:44.84
but is alive again.
Was lost and is now found.
00:25:44.87\00:25:49.44
Tamar, what God is trying
to tell you is simply this:
00:25:49.48\00:25:53.01
He loves us in spite of us. He
loves us in spite of everything.
00:25:53.05\00:25:59.89
And if we're willing to return
to Him, He's compassionate.
00:25:59.92\00:26:04.39
And He's just to cleanse us
from all of our unrighteousness.
00:26:04.43\00:26:08.56
Tamar, I would love to pray with
you. Here's my office number.
00:26:08.60\00:26:12.73
Please feel free to
call.  (256) 837-1255.
00:26:12.77\00:26:29.55
[music]    
[sound of phone ringing]
00:26:29.58\00:26:39.89
PB:  Hello, Tamar.
Thank you for calling.
00:26:39.93\00:26:43.16
You've made the first
step. Let's pray together.
00:26:43.20\00:26:46.87
Our kind, loving
heavenly Father, thank You very
00:26:46.90\00:26:50.74
much for impressing
Tamar to call. Father,
00:26:50.77\00:26:55.21
You love us in spite
of us, and we just want
00:26:55.24\00:26:57.55
You to know we love
You because You're a
00:26:57.58\00:26:59.75
loving and
You're a gracious God.
00:26:59.78\00:27:04.29
[music]   >: 
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