Hello, and welcome to
Behold the Lamb Presents.
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I'm Chris Shelton, your host.
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I want to thank you
for joining us today.
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Today we are blessed to
bring you a guest speaker,
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our nephew, Terry Jean Shelton.
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Terry has long
had a love for Jesus
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and a desire to serve Him
wherever and whenever possible.
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The title of Terry's message
for today is A Jealous God.
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I'm sure that when
many of you Bible students
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read this
statement in Joshua 24:19,
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it may have
startled you a bit, wondering
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why Joshua would refer
to God as a jealous God.
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No doubt that
Terry will be addressing
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the meaning of this statement
as well as its implications
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upon each and every
one of us living today.
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So stay tuned.
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I'm certain that this
message will be a blessing
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as with every message that
is inspired by the Holy Spirit.
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But first, we also
have here with us today,
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Celestin Dickens and
her daughter, Farrah Barry,
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who will be sharing the song
entitled The Savior is Waiting
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The Savior is waiting
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To enter your heart
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Why don't you let Him
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Come in
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There's nothing in this world
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To keep you apart
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What is your answer
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To Him
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Time after time
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He has waited before
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And now He is waiting
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Again
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To see if you're willing
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To open the door
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Oh how He wants to
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Come in
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If you'll take one
step toward the Savior,
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My friend
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You'll find His arms
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Open wide
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Receive Him,
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and all of your darkness
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Will end
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Within your heart He'll
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Abide
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Time after time
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He has waited before
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And now
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He is waiting again
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To see if you're willing
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To open the door
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Oh how He wants
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To come in
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To see if you're willing
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To open the door
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Oh how He wants to
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Come in
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We want to welcome you to
Behold the Lamb Ministries
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today on this
beautiful Sabbath day.
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And I'm thankful to be here
and to be the guest speaking,
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thankful for those of
you who have come today
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and thankful for
those who will, excuse me,
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be viewing whether
it's some online portal
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or some recording
made it afterward,
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but I always
appreciate the privilege
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and the opportunity to
share God's Word with you.
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Let's just begin
with a moment of prayer.
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Heavenly Father, we come to
You in Jesus' name this morning,
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and we ask, Father,
that Your Spirit would attend
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our Bible study that
we're going to engage
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upon this morning that
our hearts and our minds
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will be open to what
Your Spirit has to say
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to the church today.
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And I pray that You
will be with me, Lord,
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and allow me the privilege
of speaking on behalf of you
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and to say just what You
want me to say this morning.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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Amen.
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I want to begin
with a fictional story
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of my own creation.
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And I have to give a disclaimer.
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It's not based on
any person that I know
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or any group of
people that I know.
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It's just
something that occurred to me
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a number of years ago.
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But I want to tell
you a fictional tale
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about a man named George.
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Now George is 47
years old and he's married
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and he has three children.
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All of whom are teenagers.
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George is a very
mild-mannered individual
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and he gets along
with his family very well,
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except for that
third child who really
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just pushes George's buttons.
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George has
worship with his family
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sometimes,
occasionally every now and then
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when they get around to it.
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George enjoys sports and sports,
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he says helps him to unwind.
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And he can sit
for hours at a time
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in front of that
television watching sports.
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Yet he yells at that teenager
for spending hours at a time
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staring at the
video game console.
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George is a member
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of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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And he's very
active in his church.
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Last year, he
gave a book to a guy
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that he saw in a
convenience store, right?
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Yeah, George, good job.
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He also supports all
the various functions
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of the church.
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The year before that he gave $5
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to a local charity.
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Now George makes his living
at a small software company
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where he brings home $2,150
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every two weeks.
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And just like
clockwork, on Friday,
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he writes out his tithes check
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for $215.
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He's very prompt
in giving his tithe.
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Exactly 10%.
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George attends church on Sabbath
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two or sometimes
three times a month.
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He reads his Bible
three or four times a week.
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And he has an
active prayer life.
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He prays three times a day,
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at breakfast and at
lunch and at dinner.
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Do you know anyone like George?
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Do you see any of
George in your life?
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With the life
of George and mine,
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I want us to go to God's Word.
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I invite you to open your Bibles
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to the Book of
revelation Chapter 3.
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Revelation Chapter 3,
and we're going to read
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about the lukewarm church.
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Revelation Chapter 3,
beginning with verse 14.
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Now, if you have a
Bible like I do, you will,
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some of you will see that
the words are written in red.
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So we understand that
Jesus Christ is speaking to John
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as He is giving this message.
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And it reads as thus,
"And to the angel of the church
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of the Laodiceans write,
'These things says the Amen,
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the Faithful and True Witness,
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the Beginning of
the creation of God:'
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I know your works,
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that you are
neither cold nor hot.
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I could wish that
you were cold or hot.
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So then,
because you are lukewarm
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and neither cold nor hot,
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I will vomit you
out of My mouth.'"
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That's what my Bible
says in New King James.
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"Because you say.
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'I am rich and increased
and have become wealthy
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and have need of nothing'
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and do you not know
that you are wretched,
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miserable, poor,
blind, and naked.
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I counsel you to buy from
Me gold refined in the fire,
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that you may be
rich, and white garments,
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that you may be clothed,
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that the shame of your
nakedness may not be revealed,
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and anoint your
eyes with eyesalve
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that you may see.'"
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Reading on,
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"As many as I love,
I rebuke and chasten.
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Therefore be zealous and repent.
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Behold I stand at
the door and knock.
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If anyone hears My
voice and opens the door,
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I will come in to him and
dine with him and he with Me.
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To him who overcomes I
will grant to sit with Me
00:11:48.20\00:11:51.61
on My throne, as I
also overcame and sat down
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with My Father on His throne."
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And he concludes
with the message.
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"He who has an ear,
00:12:01.38\00:12:02.98
let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches."
00:12:03.02\00:12:07.92
May God add a blessing
to the reading of His Word?
00:12:07.96\00:12:11.86
Now Laodicea,
00:12:11.89\00:12:14.40
the word itself means judging
00:12:14.43\00:12:18.37
or justice of the people.
00:12:18.40\00:12:21.34
And with all the seven
churches mentioned there
00:12:21.37\00:12:24.04
in Revelation Chapter 2 and
3, they were literal places.
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History indicates
that the city of Laodicea
00:12:29.58\00:12:32.11
was founded
somewhere around 250 BC.
00:12:32.15\00:12:37.59
And in its time, Laodicea
was one of the most important
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and flourishing
cities in all of Asia Minor.
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History rerecords
that Laodicea once suffered
00:12:47.66\00:12:50.93
a great earthquake in the
year, round the year AD 60.
00:12:50.97\00:12:55.90
But the citizens refused
the help of neighboring cities
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stating that they had
everything they needed
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to rebuild on their own
00:13:04.65\00:13:07.82
due to their massive resources.
00:13:07.85\00:13:11.19
Now by the time that
John had wrote the Revelation,
00:13:11.22\00:13:13.69
it was known as a
very wealthy city,
00:13:13.72\00:13:17.59
a city which housed
a great medical school
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and was a major center
for science and literature.
00:13:21.06\00:13:26.00
And because of their wealth,
00:13:26.03\00:13:28.77
the citizens were
very proud and arrogant,
00:13:28.80\00:13:33.31
you might say
and self-satisfied,
00:13:33.34\00:13:38.58
but a spiritual message
is applicable to both them
00:13:38.61\00:13:43.05
and to a time
in the last moments
00:13:43.08\00:13:46.59
of earth's history.
00:13:46.62\00:13:50.43
Now one may ask,
why would God say
00:13:50.46\00:13:55.83
He would, rather
we be cold or hot.
00:13:55.86\00:13:59.90
I mean, in a
spiritual condition,
00:13:59.93\00:14:02.60
cold is not good, right?
00:14:02.64\00:14:05.34
Hot is good.
00:14:05.37\00:14:06.71
We all want to be
hot for Jesus, right?
00:14:06.74\00:14:10.08
But to be lukewarm
is not a good condition?
00:14:10.11\00:14:15.52
Why would God rather that we
be cold rather than lukewarm?
00:14:15.55\00:14:20.09
I'll tell you why?
00:14:20.12\00:14:21.52
Because God can do more
with a drunkard on the street,
00:14:21.56\00:14:25.86
the prostitute in the brothel,
00:14:25.89\00:14:27.90
the drug dealer
in the crack house
00:14:27.93\00:14:30.03
than he can do with
a lukewarm Christian.
00:14:30.07\00:14:33.54
Because a
lukewarm Christian says,
00:14:33.57\00:14:34.90
oh, I'm doing pretty good.
00:14:34.94\00:14:37.11
I read my Bible
every now and then,
00:14:37.14\00:14:39.17
and I don't have any bad habits.
00:14:39.21\00:14:41.18
And I quit swearing
a couple of months ago.
00:14:41.21\00:14:43.75
Boy, I'm just doing just fine.
00:14:43.78\00:14:47.68
How many of us have
been in a church service
00:14:47.72\00:14:52.39
and the pastor
preached something
00:14:52.42\00:14:54.62
that really was
designed to step on our toes.
00:14:54.66\00:14:57.59
And you might say, that didn't,
00:14:57.63\00:14:59.36
that was a pretty good
sermon I guess, you know.
00:14:59.39\00:15:01.83
Hopefully the
pastors are giving sermons
00:15:01.86\00:15:03.93
that step on our toes and
show us our true condition.
00:15:03.97\00:15:07.67
God can do more
with someone who's cold
00:15:07.70\00:15:11.24
than with someone who is hot.
00:15:11.27\00:15:13.41
Why?
00:15:13.44\00:15:14.78
Because the person
who is spiritually cold,
00:15:14.81\00:15:16.71
at least at some point in their
mind comes to a realization
00:15:16.75\00:15:20.05
that I am
pitiful and I need help,
00:15:20.08\00:15:22.82
but the lukewarm
Christian thinks they're doing
00:15:22.85\00:15:24.92
just fine on their own.
00:15:24.95\00:15:28.19
So let's look at those
descriptive words that have big
00:15:28.22\00:15:33.06
become a part of the
Laodicea and condition wretched.
00:15:33.09\00:15:38.87
What do you think of
when you think of wretched?
00:15:38.90\00:15:43.64
I went through the
dictionary and by the way,
00:15:43.67\00:15:45.47
I don't use any
newfangled dictionary
00:15:45.51\00:15:47.28
because they change the
words on you these days.
00:15:47.31\00:15:49.31
I like an old
dictionary, dating back to 1956
00:15:49.34\00:15:52.38
Webster's dictionary,
which says that wretched say
00:15:52.41\00:15:55.08
is no focus, deep,
00:15:55.12\00:15:58.72
sunk deep in misery and in woe.
00:15:58.75\00:16:02.19
You mean God is
saying to the church,
00:16:02.22\00:16:04.53
His church down
at the end of time
00:16:04.56\00:16:07.03
that they are sunk
in deep misery and woe,
00:16:07.06\00:16:10.43
how can that be?
00:16:10.47\00:16:13.03
And miserable.
00:16:13.07\00:16:14.44
You ever been miserable?
00:16:14.47\00:16:16.07
Yeah.
00:16:16.10\00:16:17.44
We've all been miserable
at some point another, right?
00:16:17.47\00:16:19.77
Maybe whether it be
physically or mentally
00:16:19.81\00:16:21.81
or whether it be
some spiritual condition,
00:16:21.84\00:16:23.91
we've been miserable before.
00:16:23.95\00:16:26.31
It means to be very
unhappy or worthless,
00:16:26.35\00:16:32.29
but should God's people
00:16:32.32\00:16:36.76
be miserable or unhappy.
00:16:36.79\00:16:42.06
Messages to Young
People, page 38 says,
00:16:42.10\00:16:45.00
"Those who in everything make
God first and last and best,
00:16:45.03\00:16:50.27
are the happiest
people in the world."
00:16:50.31\00:16:54.41
Are you counted
among the happiest people
00:16:54.44\00:16:57.75
in the world?
00:16:57.78\00:16:59.11
Do people notice the happiness
00:16:59.15\00:17:01.08
that Jesus has
given you in your life?
00:17:01.12\00:17:04.15
Or do you look
like this all the time?
00:17:04.19\00:17:07.82
And then say,
God is so good to me.
00:17:07.86\00:17:11.03
He's so good to me.
00:17:11.06\00:17:12.46
He's done, oh, friends,
what somebody once said,
00:17:12.49\00:17:16.20
if you're happy,
let your face know it.
00:17:16.23\00:17:17.87
Right?
00:17:17.90\00:17:19.60
I think I heard that on
a 3ABN radio commercial.
00:17:19.63\00:17:21.87
If you're happy,
let your face know it.
00:17:21.90\00:17:24.34
And then other
people will know it as well.
00:17:24.37\00:17:27.38
Smiles and
sunshine are not banished
00:17:27.41\00:17:31.28
from their countenance.
00:17:31.31\00:17:34.22
Nobody likes to be
around somebody who's miserable.
00:17:34.25\00:17:36.99
If God hasn't done
something good for you,
00:17:37.02\00:17:39.25
that you can be happy
about it and tell people,
00:17:39.29\00:17:41.86
then you need to go
back to God and say,
00:17:41.89\00:17:43.36
Lord, please wake me
up, change me or something.
00:17:43.39\00:17:47.70
What's another word
that is described there?
00:17:47.73\00:17:50.50
Poor.
00:17:50.53\00:17:52.47
We all know what it
means to be poor, don't we?
00:17:52.50\00:17:55.57
I'm looking
around and I don't see
00:17:55.60\00:17:57.14
any millionaires
out here with us today.
00:17:57.17\00:17:59.47
So I think we all
know at some point
00:17:59.51\00:18:01.84
what it is to be
physically poor, right?
00:18:01.88\00:18:06.05
But what do the Laodicean
say versus what God said.
00:18:06.08\00:18:10.55
The Laodicean say,
00:18:10.59\00:18:11.95
I am rich and
increased with goods
00:18:11.99\00:18:16.09
and I have need of nothing.
00:18:16.12\00:18:19.29
See the world's
ideas of rich and poor
00:18:19.33\00:18:22.76
are different than God's ideas
00:18:22.80\00:18:25.60
of rich and poor.
00:18:25.63\00:18:28.97
Jesus once said,
blessed are the poor in spirit,
00:18:29.00\00:18:32.54
for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
00:18:32.57\00:18:36.08
Poor.
00:18:36.11\00:18:37.45
So what I like about
the rest of the words,
00:18:37.48\00:18:41.42
when John was saying
that, that you're miserable
00:18:41.45\00:18:44.55
and wretched and
vine and all these things
00:18:44.59\00:18:47.89
as we continue to
read on an we did already,
00:18:47.92\00:18:50.83
God not only
presents the problem,
00:18:50.86\00:18:52.96
but He presents
the solution as well.
00:18:52.99\00:18:55.06
So what is the
solution to being poor?
00:18:55.10\00:18:59.43
Gold.
00:18:59.47\00:19:03.71
Now gold is something
that I don't personally own,
00:19:03.74\00:19:07.08
unless I think there's probably
a little bit of gold plated
00:19:07.11\00:19:09.88
parts inside my computer.
00:19:09.91\00:19:11.25
But beyond that, I
don't have any gold,
00:19:11.28\00:19:14.35
but God is talking
about something different
00:19:14.38\00:19:17.29
than actual gold.
00:19:17.32\00:19:19.85
He said, let me
go back and read it.
00:19:19.89\00:19:22.19
I counsel you to buy from
Me gold refined in the fire.
00:19:22.22\00:19:27.30
What does that mean,
gold refined in the fire?
00:19:27.33\00:19:30.93
It's purified.
00:19:30.97\00:19:32.57
Desire of Ages, page 280 says,
00:19:32.60\00:19:34.77
"Faith and love
00:19:34.80\00:19:36.14
are the gold tried in the fire."
00:19:36.17\00:19:38.77
Councils on Health, page 402,
00:19:38.81\00:19:40.64
"The gold tried in the
fire represents love and faith."
00:19:40.68\00:19:46.18
And Faith and
Works, page 23 says,
00:19:46.21\00:19:48.15
"The divine love of God,
00:19:48.18\00:19:50.22
which is
represented by the gold tried
00:19:50.25\00:19:53.19
in the fire."
00:19:53.22\00:19:57.13
Why tried in the fire?
00:19:57.16\00:19:58.96
Fire burns away impurities
00:19:58.99\00:20:02.40
and defects.
00:20:02.43\00:20:05.70
Do you remember
the story of Shadrach,
00:20:05.73\00:20:09.10
Meshach and Abednego?
00:20:09.14\00:20:11.77
And we know that
they were tied up
00:20:11.81\00:20:14.01
and they were
thrown into that furnace,
00:20:14.04\00:20:16.81
but what does this Bible
say that the king observed
00:20:16.85\00:20:20.85
as he saw them
inside the furnace?
00:20:20.88\00:20:25.09
First of all, I don't
know how a furnace is so big
00:20:25.12\00:20:26.96
that you walk around in them.
00:20:26.99\00:20:28.32
That's pretty good size.
00:20:28.36\00:20:29.69
I've never seen
anything like that myself.
00:20:29.72\00:20:31.86
But were they tied
inside the furnace?
00:20:31.89\00:20:34.60
No, no.
00:20:34.63\00:20:35.96
They were loosed and what?
00:20:36.00\00:20:37.57
Walking around.
00:20:37.60\00:20:40.44
Yet, the scripture,
the story goes on to say
00:20:40.47\00:20:42.50
that when they came
out that their clothes
00:20:42.54\00:20:45.21
and their hair didn't
even smell like smoke,
00:20:45.24\00:20:47.54
but something was burned up.
00:20:47.58\00:20:48.91
What was it?
00:20:48.94\00:20:50.55
That which tied
and held them down.
00:20:50.58\00:20:53.85
They were purified in the fire
00:20:53.88\00:20:57.12
and that which was holding them
down and keeping them bound.
00:20:57.15\00:21:02.66
They had been set free.
00:21:02.69\00:21:04.59
Praise the Lord.
00:21:04.63\00:21:05.96
Fire burns away
impurities and defects.
00:21:05.99\00:21:10.00
Our love must be
pure, as it said,
00:21:10.03\00:21:13.44
not selfish and self-serving.
00:21:13.47\00:21:16.44
Our love must be
tested in the fire
00:21:16.47\00:21:19.24
to see whether we are
truly in love with Jesus
00:21:19.27\00:21:22.74
or in love with ourselves.
00:21:22.78\00:21:25.21
Our faith must
become pure and holy,
00:21:25.25\00:21:28.62
not flawed and weak.
00:21:28.65\00:21:32.99
And the next
condition that is described,
00:21:33.02\00:21:35.66
I'm going to skip
the one that's printed.
00:21:35.69\00:21:37.29
I'm going to go to
the last one, naked.
00:21:37.33\00:21:41.13
Naked, God's people.
00:21:41.16\00:21:42.93
God, you mean
God was pronouncing
00:21:42.96\00:21:44.60
that His people were naked.
00:21:44.63\00:21:47.90
Now there's literal nakedness
00:21:47.94\00:21:50.61
and there is
spiritual nakedness.
00:21:50.64\00:21:54.28
We understand that when
God created Adam and Eve,
00:21:54.31\00:21:57.51
we read in Genesis 2:24-25,
00:21:57.55\00:22:00.08
"Therefore shall a
man leave his father
00:22:00.12\00:22:01.62
and his mother and
cleave unto his wife,
00:22:01.65\00:22:03.15
and they shall be one flesh.
00:22:03.18\00:22:04.62
And they were both
naked, the man and his wife,
00:22:04.65\00:22:07.39
and they were not ashamed."
00:22:07.42\00:22:09.26
Why is that?
00:22:09.29\00:22:10.63
We understand we've been
told, but they had a robe,
00:22:10.66\00:22:13.40
a robe of light
of the righteousness
00:22:13.43\00:22:16.06
that surrounded
them and covered them.
00:22:16.10\00:22:18.50
But in the next
chapter, we find them
00:22:18.53\00:22:23.71
hiding from God
because they were naked.
00:22:23.74\00:22:28.44
And God had to
ask them the question,
00:22:28.48\00:22:30.01
who told you
that you were naked?
00:22:30.05\00:22:31.68
Have you eaten of the fruit?
00:22:31.71\00:22:33.21
Yes, they had.
00:22:33.25\00:22:36.38
And then, of course, we
had the scandalous story
00:22:36.42\00:22:40.02
in the scriptures of people.
00:22:40.06\00:22:41.96
Thousands of years later,
00:22:41.99\00:22:43.32
God's people
dancing around a golden calf
00:22:43.36\00:22:46.03
at the bottom of Mount Sinai.
00:22:46.06\00:22:47.43
And the scripture says
that they were unrestrained
00:22:47.46\00:22:50.23
or they were naked.
00:22:50.27\00:22:52.03
God's Laodicean Church
00:22:52.07\00:22:55.44
has been stripped
spiritually naked.
00:22:55.47\00:23:00.34
What is the answer?
00:23:00.38\00:23:01.71
He gives it to us right there.
00:23:01.74\00:23:04.11
"And I counsel you
to buy white garment,
00:23:04.15\00:23:07.95
that you may be clothed,
00:23:07.98\00:23:09.55
that the shame of your nakedness
00:23:09.58\00:23:10.95
may not be revealed."
00:23:10.99\00:23:12.85
What is that white raiment?
00:23:12.89\00:23:14.39
It is the
righteousness of Christ.
00:23:14.42\00:23:18.59
Remember that story
that parable that Jesus told.
00:23:18.63\00:23:23.60
There was a man who
had come to a wedding feast
00:23:23.63\00:23:27.20
and he had come and
all the people were there,
00:23:27.24\00:23:29.60
but he didn't have
on the correct garment.
00:23:29.64\00:23:33.01
He didn't have on the
official wedding garment.
00:23:33.04\00:23:35.94
And so the host
came to him and said,
00:23:35.98\00:23:38.01
"How did you get in here
without the right garment?"
00:23:38.05\00:23:43.45
And if we read between
the lines of the passage,
00:23:43.49\00:23:48.32
we will see that he
wore his own garment,
00:23:48.36\00:23:52.26
thinking that it would be
okay, I'll be accepted anyway,
00:23:52.29\00:23:55.80
because I have my garment on.
00:23:55.83\00:23:57.93
No, no.
00:23:57.97\00:23:59.30
In the parable he was put out.
00:23:59.33\00:24:02.70
Or how about the time
00:24:06.04\00:24:09.08
on the Mount of Transfiguration,
00:24:09.11\00:24:11.91
where it says, and Jesus,
His raiment became shining,
00:24:11.95\00:24:15.98
exceeding white as snow.
00:24:16.02\00:24:17.82
Snow is no fuller
than earth can white them.
00:24:17.85\00:24:20.86
Jesus appeared to James and John
00:24:20.89\00:24:23.83
or his close
disciples with Elijah and Moses.
00:24:23.86\00:24:27.16
And there was a
bright shining light.
00:24:27.20\00:24:29.03
It's like God was giving
him a little bit of that glory
00:24:29.06\00:24:32.43
that he had when
he was in heaven,
00:24:32.47\00:24:33.90
just so that the
disciples could see it,
00:24:33.94\00:24:36.27
how beautiful it must have been.
00:24:36.30\00:24:40.51
And in Revelation 3:5,
it says, "He that overcometh
00:24:40.54\00:24:44.35
the same shall be
clothed in white raiment.
00:24:44.38\00:24:49.98
And I will not blot out his
name out of the Book of Life,
00:24:50.02\00:24:52.42
but I will confess his name
00:24:52.45\00:24:54.49
before My Father
and before His angels."
00:24:54.52\00:24:58.39
Faith and Works,
page 23 says that
00:24:58.43\00:25:00.46
"The white raiment is
Christ's pure character."
00:25:00.50\00:25:04.60
That is what we must have
00:25:04.63\00:25:06.70
covering our
spiritual nakedness.
00:25:06.74\00:25:08.77
And then we have
one more condition,
00:25:08.80\00:25:12.44
blindness.
00:25:12.47\00:25:16.04
Now we all know what it is.
00:25:16.08\00:25:18.98
Maybe having not
experienced it firsthand,
00:25:19.01\00:25:22.15
but we understand
what blindness is.
00:25:22.18\00:25:25.62
It means you can't see.
00:25:25.65\00:25:28.66
But what is the
spiritual application here?
00:25:28.69\00:25:33.93
Go with me to
the Book of Deuter...
00:25:33.96\00:25:35.40
I'm sorry, of Jeremiah.
00:25:35.43\00:25:37.87
Jeremiah 5:20,
00:25:37.90\00:25:42.17
"Declare this in
the house of Jacob
00:25:42.20\00:25:44.94
and proclaim it
in Judah, saying,
00:25:44.97\00:25:48.21
'Hear this now,
O foolish people,
00:25:48.24\00:25:51.01
without understanding,
00:25:51.05\00:25:53.11
who have eyes,"
00:25:53.15\00:25:54.98
but what?
00:25:55.02\00:25:58.15
"They do not see or see not
and who have ears," but what?
00:25:58.19\00:26:02.52
"Do not hear."
00:26:02.56\00:26:05.96
God would repeat this
again to the Prophet Ezekiel,
00:26:05.99\00:26:09.26
where he would say, "Son of man,
00:26:09.30\00:26:11.07
now dwells in the
midst of a rebellious house,
00:26:11.10\00:26:13.40
which have eyes
to see and see not,
00:26:13.44\00:26:15.67
they have ears to
hear and hear not,
00:26:15.70\00:26:18.21
for they are a
rebellious house."
00:26:18.24\00:26:21.31
That's Ezekiel 12:2.
00:26:21.34\00:26:24.81
So what is the solution?
00:26:24.85\00:26:28.95
What is the solution
to this blindness that we,
00:26:28.98\00:26:33.15
the Laodicean Church have?
00:26:33.19\00:26:35.72
He tells us right
there, "And anoint your eyes
00:26:35.76\00:26:39.86
with eyesalve that you may see."
00:26:39.89\00:26:45.50
Now let's talk
about that for a moment.
00:26:45.53\00:26:48.80
Eyesalve something
that will clear the vision.
00:26:48.84\00:26:54.68
If you're like me,
and if first of all,
00:26:54.71\00:26:57.38
if you're a glasses wearer,
00:26:57.41\00:26:59.81
I can't stand to
have spots on my glasses,
00:26:59.85\00:27:03.22
any kind of
fingerprint or anything,
00:27:03.25\00:27:04.99
it drives me crazy.
00:27:05.02\00:27:06.55
I have to clean them things
00:27:06.59\00:27:07.92
and sometimes you
even make it worse
00:27:07.96\00:27:09.29
when you try to clean them.
00:27:09.32\00:27:11.53
But clear eyesight is
important just to walk around
00:27:11.56\00:27:16.16
and function in society.
00:27:16.20\00:27:17.90
But even more
spiritually, eyesight,
00:27:17.93\00:27:23.07
the vision that
God wants us to have.
00:27:23.10\00:27:28.08
Review and
Herald 10-26-1905 says,
00:27:28.11\00:27:31.61
"We need, O so greatly!
00:27:31.65\00:27:34.25
keen discernment,
clear spiritual eyesight,
00:27:34.28\00:27:39.02
our eyes need to be anointed
with the heavenly eyesalve
00:27:39.05\00:27:43.06
that may see
all things clearly."
00:27:43.09\00:27:46.36
The power of clear discernment.
00:27:46.39\00:27:48.76
That's what God wants us to have
00:27:48.80\00:27:51.00
discernment
between good and evil.
00:27:51.03\00:27:53.67
Now, what helps God's people
00:27:53.70\00:27:58.67
have clear eyesight?
00:27:58.71\00:28:01.88
Go with me to the
Book of 1 Samuel Chapter 9,
00:28:01.91\00:28:06.31
and let's read
one passage, verse 9,
00:28:06.35\00:28:11.15
"Formerly in Israel, when
a man went to inquire of God,
00:28:11.19\00:28:15.62
he spoke thus:
'Come, let us go to the..."
00:28:15.66\00:28:19.09
What's the next word?
00:28:19.13\00:28:20.73
"The seer, for he who
is now called a prophet
00:28:20.76\00:28:25.67
was formerly called a seer."
00:28:25.70\00:28:29.50
Now, who were the prophets
00:28:29.54\00:28:33.78
sent to in times past?
00:28:33.81\00:28:37.68
Were they sent to the
heathen nations of the world?
00:28:37.71\00:28:41.22
No. Who were they sent to?
00:28:41.25\00:28:43.69
God's people, those
who claim to be a part
00:28:43.72\00:28:47.16
of God's chosen people,
00:28:47.19\00:28:49.99
God sent prophets to them.
00:28:50.03\00:28:52.39
And then those people
were to take the message of God
00:28:52.43\00:28:55.03
to the rest of the world.
00:28:55.06\00:28:57.90
And what gifts do prophets have?
00:28:57.93\00:29:02.50
Sometimes we have this
thinking that prophecy means
00:29:02.54\00:29:06.98
telling of the future
and it's way more than that.
00:29:07.01\00:29:09.61
There is a little bit
of that, but in times past
00:29:09.64\00:29:12.71
what we have seen is that
00:29:12.75\00:29:14.75
God's prophets
were speakers for God.
00:29:14.78\00:29:18.32
Mouthpiece, thank you very much.
00:29:18.35\00:29:20.22
A messenger for God, right?
00:29:20.26\00:29:22.09
To bring a message.
00:29:22.12\00:29:25.19
And in times past God's people
00:29:25.23\00:29:27.40
had the help of a
prophet to guide them.
00:29:27.43\00:29:31.60
Samuel, Isaiah,
Jeremiah, Ezekiel,
00:29:31.63\00:29:37.14
John the Baptist.
00:29:37.17\00:29:38.64
These were all prophets.
00:29:38.67\00:29:40.91
Now, what are we
told about prophets?
00:29:40.94\00:29:42.84
I'm going to, I'm not going
to ask you to read them again
00:29:42.88\00:29:45.35
'cause we've got several here.
00:29:45.38\00:29:46.72
I'm just going to
read through them.
00:29:46.75\00:29:48.08
I'll give the quotations.
00:29:48.12\00:29:49.45
If anybody wants to write down
or look them up or whatever.
00:29:49.48\00:29:51.52
But in Amos 3:7, it says,
00:29:51.55\00:29:54.59
"Surely the Lord
God will do nothing,
00:29:54.62\00:29:58.19
but He revealeth His
secret unto His servants
00:29:58.23\00:30:01.80
the prophets."
00:30:01.83\00:30:03.43
So what do they do?
00:30:03.47\00:30:04.80
They are to reveal, to disclose,
00:30:04.83\00:30:06.94
to make known the will of God.
00:30:06.97\00:30:10.01
In 1 Samuel 3:1, it says,
00:30:10.04\00:30:12.64
"And this child
Samuel ministered
00:30:12.67\00:30:14.38
unto the Lord before Eli.
00:30:14.41\00:30:16.31
And the word of the Lord
was precious in those days."
00:30:16.34\00:30:19.58
And it says,
00:30:19.61\00:30:20.95
"There was no open vision."
00:30:20.98\00:30:24.85
So God wasn't really speaking
as much as He wanted to,
00:30:24.89\00:30:27.76
to the people
during the time of Samuel.
00:30:27.79\00:30:31.46
In 1 Samuel 28:6, it says,
00:30:31.49\00:30:33.83
"When Saul inquired of the Lord
00:30:33.86\00:30:37.33
and the Lord answered him not,
00:30:37.37\00:30:39.63
neither by dreams, nor
by Urim nor by the prophets.
00:30:39.67\00:30:44.07
And in Proverbs 29:18, it says,
00:30:44.11\00:30:46.81
"Where there is no vision,
00:30:46.84\00:30:48.91
the people perish,
00:30:48.94\00:30:51.65
but he that keeps
the law happy is he."
00:30:51.68\00:30:55.15
And then what began to happen
over time was the prophets,
00:30:55.18\00:30:58.95
people began to
take the name of prophet
00:30:58.99\00:31:00.76
and they
weren't really prophets.
00:31:00.79\00:31:02.39
Jeremiah 14:14 says,
00:31:02.42\00:31:04.26
"Then the Lord said unto me,
00:31:04.29\00:31:05.99
the prophets
prophesy lies in My name.
00:31:06.03\00:31:08.83
I sent them not,
neither have I commanded them,
00:31:08.86\00:31:11.33
neither speak unto them.
00:31:11.37\00:31:13.03
They prophesy unto you a
false vision and divination
00:31:13.07\00:31:17.67
and a thing of not, and
the deceit of their heart."
00:31:17.71\00:31:22.24
And he went on to in
Jeremiah 23:16, he says,
00:31:22.28\00:31:25.55
"Thus saith the Lord of hosts,
00:31:25.58\00:31:27.28
harken not unto the
words of the prophets
00:31:27.32\00:31:29.12
that prophesy unto you.
00:31:29.15\00:31:30.85
They make you vain, they speak
a vision of their own heart
00:31:30.89\00:31:34.66
and not out of the
heart and mouth of the Lord.
00:31:34.69\00:31:37.33
Are we getting the fact
that not everybody who says
00:31:37.36\00:31:39.69
they have a
message from the Lord
00:31:39.73\00:31:41.33
indeed has a
message from the Lord?
00:31:41.36\00:31:44.57
Isaiah 8:20 says, "To
the law and to the testimony!
00:31:44.60\00:31:48.24
If they speak not
according to this word,
00:31:48.27\00:31:49.77
it's because there
is no light in them."
00:31:49.80\00:31:51.54
We've got all kinds
of ministers and pastors
00:31:51.57\00:31:53.44
and so-called
teachers, Bible teachers,
00:31:53.48\00:31:55.34
and prophets out there,
hopefully not in our church,
00:31:55.38\00:31:58.31
but in other churches out there
who claim to have a message
00:31:58.35\00:32:00.88
from the God and I'm
telling you that message
00:32:00.92\00:32:02.58
is not from God,
because what they prophesy
00:32:02.62\00:32:05.99
and what they say goes contrary
00:32:06.02\00:32:07.62
to what God has
already said in His Word.
00:32:07.66\00:32:11.99
So what are some general
statements about prophets?
00:32:12.03\00:32:14.16
God uses prophets to
reveal things to His people.
00:32:14.20\00:32:18.30
And there have been
times of prophetic starvation.
00:32:18.33\00:32:23.10
Prophetic
starvation leads to death.
00:32:23.14\00:32:27.61
Isaiah saw things
00:32:27.64\00:32:28.98
that he was to
reveal to God's people.
00:32:29.01\00:32:30.71
And there are false prophets
00:32:30.75\00:32:34.22
that speak from their own heart
00:32:34.25\00:32:37.09
instead of the mouth of God.
00:32:37.12\00:32:41.42
So let's get back to Laodicea.
00:32:41.46\00:32:43.76
They have this
condition of blindness.
00:32:43.79\00:32:46.76
Apparently they have
eyes, but they don't see,
00:32:46.80\00:32:50.00
they have ears,
but they don't hear.
00:32:50.03\00:32:53.30
How does this apply to
the Laodicean condition?
00:32:53.34\00:32:57.61
Why are they blind?
00:32:57.64\00:33:00.34
Is it because
there is no vision?
00:33:00.38\00:33:04.51
Stay with me.
00:33:04.55\00:33:05.88
Is there no vision?
00:33:09.02\00:33:11.42
There is lots of it.
00:33:11.45\00:33:15.22
Something we call
the little red books.
00:33:15.26\00:33:19.33
God has given His people,
00:33:19.36\00:33:22.20
His remnant people, the vision.
00:33:22.23\00:33:26.87
But do we like our glasses?
00:33:26.90\00:33:30.07
Do we lay them down
00:33:30.11\00:33:32.67
or do we pick it up?
00:33:32.71\00:33:37.55
Have we
purposely closed our eyes
00:33:37.58\00:33:41.38
so that we don't see
the true gift of prophecy?
00:33:41.42\00:33:47.02
Let me read you something
from the author of these books.
00:33:47.06\00:33:51.49
Here's what she says,
Testimonies for the Church,
00:33:51.53\00:33:53.96
number 31, page 45.
00:33:54.00\00:33:57.53
"You have
neglected the Scriptures.
00:33:57.57\00:34:01.17
You despise and
reject the testimonies
00:34:01.20\00:34:04.41
because they
reprove your darling sins,
00:34:04.44\00:34:08.34
and disturb your
self-complacency.
00:34:08.38\00:34:12.05
When Christ is
cherished in the heart,
00:34:12.08\00:34:16.15
his likeness will be
revealed in the life.
00:34:16.18\00:34:20.69
Humility will reign
00:34:20.72\00:34:23.73
where pride was
once predominant."
00:34:23.76\00:34:29.36
And furthermore,
what did the author
00:34:29.40\00:34:31.53
of these little books
say about her own readings?
00:34:31.57\00:34:33.84
Here's what she said.
00:34:33.87\00:34:35.20
Little heat is
given to the Bible.
00:34:35.24\00:34:37.31
And the Lord has
given a lesser light
00:34:37.34\00:34:41.28
to lead men and
women to the greater light.
00:34:41.31\00:34:46.82
What can we deduce?
00:34:46.85\00:34:48.18
We can deduce that
God would never have
00:34:48.22\00:34:50.32
had to give
these little red books
00:34:50.35\00:34:52.05
if God's people were
truly digesting and eating
00:34:52.09\00:34:56.29
and studying
this book right here.
00:34:56.32\00:35:00.53
But I'm glad he did
because I find things
00:35:00.56\00:35:05.60
in some of these little books
that really minister to me.
00:35:05.63\00:35:08.60
I'll give you a challenge,
this not in the sermon.
00:35:11.61\00:35:13.58
I'll give you a
challenge though.
00:35:13.61\00:35:16.14
Who knows what the
shortest verse in the Bible is?
00:35:16.18\00:35:20.02
Jesus wept.
00:35:20.05\00:35:21.68
Now, does that verse
bring a lot of meaning and heart
00:35:21.72\00:35:24.95
and does that
really minister to you?
00:35:24.99\00:35:27.69
I guess it can, but I would
invite you to go to the book,
00:35:27.72\00:35:31.13
Desire of Ages.
00:35:31.16\00:35:32.89
And go find the chapter
that talks about Jesus weeping
00:35:32.93\00:35:36.03
and read why He wept,
00:35:36.06\00:35:37.83
that will
minister to you in my view.
00:35:37.87\00:35:42.20
It is, thank you
very much, sister.
00:35:42.24\00:35:44.34
It is incredible.
00:35:44.37\00:35:46.84
Now I want to shift gears
before we run out of time.
00:35:46.88\00:35:51.11
Go with me to the
Book of 1 Kings Chapter 19.
00:35:51.15\00:35:57.09
1 Kings
00:35:57.12\00:35:58.52
Chapter 19:19,
00:35:58.55\00:36:04.03
"So he, being
Elijah, departed from there
00:36:04.06\00:36:06.93
and found Elisha
the son of Shaphat,
00:36:06.96\00:36:09.36
who was plowing with
twelve yoke of oxen before him,
00:36:09.40\00:36:12.93
and he was with the twelfth.
00:36:12.97\00:36:14.87
Then Elijah passed by him
and threw his mantle on him.
00:36:14.90\00:36:18.07
And he left the oxen and
ran after Elijah and said,
00:36:18.11\00:36:21.34
'Please let me kiss
my father and my mother,
00:36:21.38\00:36:23.71
then I will follow you.'
00:36:23.75\00:36:25.91
So he being Elijah
said to him, 'Go back again,
00:36:25.95\00:36:29.08
for what have I done to you?'
00:36:29.12\00:36:31.55
So Elijah turned back from him
00:36:31.59\00:36:33.56
and took a yoke of
oxen and slaughtered them
00:36:33.59\00:36:35.22
and boiled their flesh and
using the oxen's equipment,
00:36:35.26\00:36:37.63
gave it to the
people and they ate.
00:36:37.66\00:36:39.39
Then he arose and followed
Elijah and became his servant."
00:36:39.43\00:36:42.53
Now, let's go to Luke Chapter 9
00:36:42.56\00:36:46.23
and beginning with verse 57.
00:36:46.27\00:36:49.37
Now let me point out
that in the previous verse
00:36:49.40\00:36:51.17
that we just
read that that mantle
00:36:51.21\00:36:54.71
was like a cloak
or a loose garment
00:36:54.74\00:36:57.81
today, we might call it a
cape, a loose fitting shawl.
00:36:57.85\00:37:01.95
And the act of
laying his mantle on Elisha
00:37:01.98\00:37:05.32
was a symbolic act.
00:37:05.35\00:37:07.26
It was Elijah's recognition
00:37:07.29\00:37:09.19
that Elisha had
been called by God
00:37:09.22\00:37:12.09
to continue the
ministry that Elijah started
00:37:12.13\00:37:15.46
to the office
of prophet or seer.
00:37:15.50\00:37:21.20
Now perhaps Elisha didn't
really understand at first
00:37:21.24\00:37:26.34
and describing that's
maybe why he was reluctant.
00:37:26.37\00:37:29.14
Well, let me go
back and you know,
00:37:29.18\00:37:31.11
and kiss my father
and my mother first,
00:37:31.15\00:37:32.85
but let's see
what Jesus has to say.
00:37:32.88\00:37:34.68
Luke 9:57, "Now it happened
as they journeyed on the road,
00:37:34.72\00:37:38.22
that someone said to
him, 'Lord, I will follow You
00:37:38.25\00:37:40.56
wherever You go.
00:37:40.59\00:37:42.49
And Jesus said to him,
00:37:42.52\00:37:46.09
'Foxes have holes and
birds of the air have nests,
00:37:46.13\00:37:48.96
but the Son of Man has
nowhere to lay His head.'
00:37:49.00\00:37:51.70
Then he said to
another, 'Follow Me.'
00:37:51.73\00:37:54.80
But he said, 'Lord, let me
first go and bury my father.'
00:37:54.84\00:37:58.84
And Jesus said to him, 'Let
the dead bury their own dead,
00:37:58.87\00:38:02.04
but you go and
preach the kingdom of God.'
00:38:02.08\00:38:05.21
And another also said,
'Lord, I will follow You,
00:38:05.25\00:38:07.62
but let me first go
and bid them farewell
00:38:07.65\00:38:09.85
who are at my house.'
00:38:09.88\00:38:12.09
But Jesus said to him, 'No one,
00:38:12.12\00:38:15.82
having his hand to the
plow and looking back is fit
00:38:15.86\00:38:19.29
for the kingdom of God.'"
00:38:19.33\00:38:22.56
Now it is believed
that Jesus had the story
00:38:22.60\00:38:24.30
of Elijah and Elisha in mind,
00:38:24.33\00:38:26.74
when he spoke these
things to these different ones
00:38:26.77\00:38:28.94
He had called to
follow, called to follow Him.
00:38:28.97\00:38:32.17
When we turn our
faces toward God,
00:38:32.21\00:38:35.24
our backs will automatically
turn away from the world
00:38:35.28\00:38:39.65
and its attractions,
00:38:39.68\00:38:42.62
but too many Christians are
trying to do this all the time,
00:38:42.65\00:38:47.16
back and forth, back and forth,
00:38:47.19\00:38:50.23
looking behind when we
claim to be going forward
00:38:50.26\00:38:54.86
only partially
turning toward God,
00:38:54.90\00:38:59.27
constantly looking back,
even if, just for a moment.
00:38:59.30\00:39:02.74
If you take one step
forward and one step back,
00:39:02.77\00:39:06.04
how far are you going to get?
00:39:06.07\00:39:08.04
You not going to
get anywhere, right?
00:39:08.08\00:39:11.95
Pastor Doug Batchelor once
referred to the Christian life
00:39:11.98\00:39:16.18
as being on an escalator.
00:39:16.22\00:39:17.75
You ever as a kid,
see these escalators,
00:39:17.79\00:39:20.42
and the escalators going
down in the mall or something.
00:39:20.46\00:39:22.52
And you say, I'm going
to go against the grain.
00:39:22.56\00:39:24.13
I'm going to go, I'm going
to run up and get to the top
00:39:24.16\00:39:26.19
going the wrong way.
00:39:26.23\00:39:27.56
And you can do it, right?
00:39:27.60\00:39:28.93
If you put energy
and effort into it,
00:39:28.96\00:39:30.63
you can get to the top.
00:39:30.67\00:39:32.50
But what happens
if you stand still,
00:39:32.53\00:39:36.81
you automatically go
back down to the bottom.
00:39:36.84\00:39:38.81
That's the world, in
the world if you stand still
00:39:38.84\00:39:41.54
the world is going to
drag you to the bottom.
00:39:41.58\00:39:43.78
And you've got to
put forth your own effort
00:39:43.81\00:39:46.31
by the power of the Holy
Spirit in order to overcome
00:39:46.35\00:39:49.55
and make it to the top.
00:39:49.58\00:39:52.29
So why preach this sermon today?
00:39:52.32\00:39:55.92
Because God's
last day remnant church
00:39:55.96\00:39:58.43
is full of
occasional Christians.
00:39:58.46\00:40:03.43
We're followers of
God when it suits us,
00:40:03.47\00:40:07.07
when it's convenient
or when we can fit Him
00:40:07.10\00:40:09.37
into our busy schedule.
00:40:09.40\00:40:12.51
We're trying to
make God, share us
00:40:12.54\00:40:16.11
with our worldly
pursuits and our interests.
00:40:16.14\00:40:18.48
But I got news for you.
00:40:18.51\00:40:19.85
God is a jealous God.
00:40:19.88\00:40:21.72
Go with me to
Deuteronomy Chapter 4.
00:40:24.79\00:40:27.66
Deuteronomy 4:23.
00:40:27.69\00:40:32.63
Deuteronomy 4:23,
"Take heed to yourselves,
00:40:32.66\00:40:35.83
lest you forget the
covenant of the Lord your God,
00:40:35.86\00:40:38.47
which He made with you,
00:40:38.50\00:40:39.83
and make for
yourselves a carved image
00:40:39.87\00:40:41.84
in the form of anything
00:40:41.87\00:40:43.20
which the Lord your
God has forbidden you.
00:40:43.24\00:40:45.37
For the Lord
Your God is a," what?
00:40:45.41\00:40:48.81
"A consuming fire,
00:40:48.84\00:40:51.05
a jealous God."
00:40:51.08\00:40:54.92
And one more, Exodus 24.
00:40:54.95\00:40:57.49
You got to read this one.
00:40:57.52\00:40:58.85
"Take heed to yourselves,
lest you make a covenant
00:40:58.89\00:41:01.09
with the inhabitants of the land
00:41:01.12\00:41:02.86
where you are going,
lest it be snare in your mist.
00:41:02.89\00:41:05.79
But you shall
destroy their altars,
00:41:05.83\00:41:07.36
break their sacred pillars,
00:41:07.40\00:41:08.73
and cut down
their wooden images,
00:41:08.76\00:41:10.27
for you shall
worship no other god,
00:41:10.30\00:41:14.40
for the Lord
whose name is Jealous,
00:41:14.44\00:41:19.77
is a jealous God."
00:41:19.81\00:41:23.35
Now what is jealous?
00:41:23.38\00:41:26.01
To be jealous is to
be suspiciously vigilant,
00:41:26.05\00:41:30.25
or to be anxiously, careful
00:41:30.29\00:41:34.02
and concerned for.
00:41:34.06\00:41:37.49
God is a jealous God.
00:41:37.53\00:41:38.86
You know why it says
that God is a jealous God?
00:41:38.89\00:41:43.00
I have it in me to be jealous.
00:41:43.03\00:41:46.13
I have my precious
wife sitting down here.
00:41:46.17\00:41:48.90
And if I see
another man come moving
00:41:48.94\00:41:50.87
and wanting to sit
close to her or talk to her,
00:41:50.91\00:41:53.88
I'm going to move in there too.
00:41:53.91\00:41:55.98
And I'm going to get
between the two of them
00:41:56.01\00:41:57.48
because I'm jealous not of her,
00:41:57.51\00:41:59.45
I'm jealous for her.
00:41:59.48\00:42:03.82
God does not want to
00:42:03.85\00:42:06.96
and ultimately will
not share you with anyone.
00:42:06.99\00:42:10.89
That's why God is jealous.
00:42:10.93\00:42:14.70
You might say, well, wait,
00:42:14.73\00:42:16.06
I thought God was a God of love.
00:42:16.10\00:42:17.47
He is, but He
can't change who He is.
00:42:17.50\00:42:20.34
And if sin is in the way,
00:42:20.37\00:42:22.67
sin cannot stand in
the presence of God.
00:42:22.70\00:42:24.67
We saw, we read it
that He is a consuming fire.
00:42:24.71\00:42:30.35
Remember what he
told the Laodicean Church.
00:42:30.38\00:42:32.51
I wish that you
were cold and hot,
00:42:32.55\00:42:34.92
but because you're lukewarm,
00:42:34.95\00:42:36.28
I'll spit you out,
vomit you out of my mouth.
00:42:36.32\00:42:40.39
On a really
nice, on a good hot day
00:42:40.42\00:42:42.89
and you're working outside
a nice cold drink is nice.
00:42:42.92\00:42:46.33
And when it's
really cold outside,
00:42:46.36\00:42:48.20
a nice warm cup of
decaffeinated tea is nice,
00:42:48.23\00:42:51.30
but who likes lukewarm drinks?
00:42:51.33\00:42:53.54
Most people don't.
00:42:53.57\00:42:56.64
So we can relate.
00:42:56.67\00:42:59.61
God will not share you with sin.
00:42:59.64\00:43:05.51
Thank you.
00:43:05.55\00:43:09.48
Testimonies for the
Church, number 22, page 189,
00:43:09.52\00:43:15.02
Testimonies for
the Church, volume 22,
00:43:15.06\00:43:16.73
"In these days of
iniquity and peril,
00:43:16.76\00:43:19.63
the character and
works of professed Christians
00:43:19.66\00:43:22.50
will not
generally bear the test,
00:43:22.53\00:43:25.10
nor endure the exposure
when examined by the light
00:43:25.13\00:43:28.14
that now shines upon them.
00:43:28.17\00:43:30.47
There is no concord
between Christ and Belial.
00:43:30.51\00:43:33.14
There is no communion
between light and darkness.
00:43:33.17\00:43:35.41
How then can
the spirit of Christ
00:43:35.44\00:43:37.11
and the spirit of
the world be in harmony?
00:43:37.15\00:43:40.22
The Lord, our
God is a jealous God.
00:43:40.25\00:43:42.42
He requires the
sincere affection
00:43:42.45\00:43:45.05
and unreserved confidence
00:43:45.09\00:43:47.26
of those who
profess to love Him."
00:43:47.29\00:43:51.86
One might ask the question,
00:43:51.89\00:43:55.03
why is God so jealous for me?
00:43:55.06\00:43:59.30
Why won't He permit me to
mingle a little of the world
00:43:59.33\00:44:04.67
with my relationship with Him?
00:44:04.71\00:44:09.88
I turn my question to
those married folk here today.
00:44:09.91\00:44:13.45
Do you want to share
your wife or your husband
00:44:13.48\00:44:16.38
with a little bit of somebody
else, just even a little bit?
00:44:16.42\00:44:18.72
No, of course not.
00:44:18.75\00:44:21.82
And God, because of His
love that He loved you so much,
00:44:21.86\00:44:25.59
He will not share
you with any other thing
00:44:25.63\00:44:29.06
that pulls you away.
00:44:29.10\00:44:31.43
So God's jealousy
is for our benefit.
00:44:31.47\00:44:36.24
Jesus said it, no man
can serve two masters.
00:44:36.27\00:44:39.51
Either he will hate
the one and love the other.
00:44:39.54\00:44:41.74
Or he will be loyal to
one and despise the other.
00:44:41.78\00:44:46.18
You cannot serve God and mammon.
00:44:46.21\00:44:50.65
You remember the story of Elijah
00:44:50.69\00:44:52.02
standing on Mount Carmel?
00:44:52.05\00:44:54.99
Prophet Elijah had
prepared sacrifices
00:44:55.02\00:45:00.60
and he stands up strong
and he announces to the people.
00:45:00.63\00:45:04.50
How long will you
falter between two opinions?
00:45:04.53\00:45:07.50
If the Lord is God,
follow Him, if Baal, follow him.
00:45:07.54\00:45:13.14
In other words,
stop your vacillating.
00:45:13.17\00:45:15.64
Make up your mind,
serve God or serve man,
00:45:15.68\00:45:19.91
because Jesus said it's
not possible to do both.
00:45:19.95\00:45:24.32
If you want to make God
your Lord and master and savior,
00:45:24.35\00:45:28.29
put your hand to the plow
and walk in that direction.
00:45:28.32\00:45:33.70
Stop looking backward.
00:45:33.73\00:45:35.33
Someone once said, don't look,
00:45:35.36\00:45:36.80
quit looking behind
you're not going that way.
00:45:36.83\00:45:41.70
Too many Christians today
00:45:41.74\00:45:44.17
are trying to mix
heavenly things and godly things
00:45:44.21\00:45:48.24
with things of this world.
00:45:48.28\00:45:50.85
And you come up
with a sour combination,
00:45:50.88\00:45:54.62
and Satan is the one
who tries to make you think
00:45:54.65\00:45:58.19
I'm doing a good
job of riding the fence.
00:45:58.22\00:46:00.76
I'm walking the fine line.
00:46:00.79\00:46:02.69
I'm maintaining a balance.
00:46:02.72\00:46:04.23
No, you're not.
00:46:04.26\00:46:06.26
It's not how it works.
00:46:06.29\00:46:08.53
One final quote here,
00:46:08.56\00:46:09.90
Review and Herald 8-8-1889.
00:46:09.93\00:46:14.67
So that'd be August
8th, 1899, Review and Herald.
00:46:14.70\00:46:18.77
"There are some who are seeking,
00:46:21.81\00:46:23.45
always seeking
for the goodly pearl.
00:46:23.48\00:46:27.78
But they do not
make an entire surrender
00:46:27.82\00:46:31.32
of their wrong habits.
00:46:31.35\00:46:33.46
They do not die to self
that Christ may live in them.
00:46:33.49\00:46:37.86
Therefore they do not
find the precious pearl.
00:46:37.89\00:46:41.63
They have not
overcome unholy ambition
00:46:41.66\00:46:44.57
and their love for
worldly attractions.
00:46:44.60\00:46:48.17
They do not lift the
cross and follow Christ
00:46:48.20\00:46:52.94
in the path of
self-denial and self-sacrifice.
00:46:52.97\00:46:58.01
They never know what
it means to have peace
00:46:58.05\00:47:03.55
and harmony in the soul,
00:47:03.59\00:47:07.12
for without entire surrender
there is no rest, no joy.
00:47:07.16\00:47:12.33
Almost Christians,
yet not fully Christians,
00:47:12.36\00:47:18.20
they seem near
the kingdom of heaven,
00:47:18.23\00:47:21.50
but they do not enter therein.
00:47:21.54\00:47:24.31
Almost but not
completely saved means
00:47:24.34\00:47:29.61
to be not almost
but completely lost."
00:47:29.64\00:47:32.18
Amen.
00:47:32.21\00:47:33.55
That's right.
00:47:33.58\00:47:34.92
It's one or the other.
00:47:34.95\00:47:37.85
And there is no middle ground.
00:47:37.89\00:47:40.26
Friends, Joshua said it best.
00:47:40.29\00:47:43.53
Joshua 24:14-15.
00:47:43.56\00:47:46.16
We have a habit of quoting
in our home on a daily basis,
00:47:46.19\00:47:49.46
not the whole thing, but,
"Now therefore fear the Lord,
00:47:49.50\00:47:54.54
serve Him in
sincerity and in truth,
00:47:54.57\00:47:58.17
and put away the gods
which your fathers served
00:47:58.21\00:48:01.28
on the other side
of the River in Egypt.
00:48:01.31\00:48:04.48
Serve the Lord!
00:48:04.51\00:48:06.78
And if it seems evil
to you to serve the Lord,
00:48:06.82\00:48:10.19
choose for yourselves
this day, whom you will serve,
00:48:10.22\00:48:13.25
whether the gods
which your fathers served
00:48:13.29\00:48:16.32
that were on the
other side of the River
00:48:16.36\00:48:17.89
or the gods of the Amorites
in whose land you dwell.
00:48:17.93\00:48:20.36
But as for me and my house,
00:48:20.40\00:48:24.83
we will serve the Lord."
00:48:24.87\00:48:26.84
Praise God.
00:48:26.87\00:48:28.20
Amen.
00:48:28.24\00:48:29.57
Yes.
00:48:29.60\00:48:30.94
And you know the
wonderful thing about it.
00:48:30.97\00:48:33.98
I'm reminded of a passage.
00:48:34.01\00:48:35.34
It's not in my notes,
but I'm reminded of a passage
00:48:35.38\00:48:37.48
that says, if God before us,
00:48:37.51\00:48:41.95
who can be against us.
00:48:41.98\00:48:44.35
I love that passage.
00:48:44.39\00:48:46.35
If God before you,
00:48:46.39\00:48:50.39
who can be against you.
00:48:50.43\00:48:54.53
In our final moments
that we have together,
00:48:54.56\00:48:56.43
I'm kind of
looking at this clock here.
00:48:56.46\00:48:59.00
I want to share
something personal
00:48:59.03\00:49:00.67
that the Lord has impressed me
00:49:00.70\00:49:03.67
with over the
last couple of weeks
00:49:03.71\00:49:05.34
that I've been trying to
practice it whenever I can.
00:49:05.37\00:49:08.08
And I recommend, I want
to give you a recommendation
00:49:08.11\00:49:10.35
that you try and
do the same thing.
00:49:10.38\00:49:13.35
Get yourself when
you're studying your Bible,
00:49:13.38\00:49:17.45
get yourself a little journal
or a notebook of some sort
00:49:17.49\00:49:23.19
that you can write in.
00:49:23.22\00:49:25.03
And our dear sister,
Miss Shelley Quinn shared this
00:49:25.06\00:49:28.03
with us a few weeks ago.
00:49:28.06\00:49:30.20
And it really ministered to me.
00:49:30.23\00:49:33.13
I'm trying to talk and
open to a verse at the same time
00:49:33.17\00:49:35.24
and I can't seem to do both.
00:49:35.27\00:49:38.57
But when you are
reading the scriptures,
00:49:38.61\00:49:41.78
like for you to try this.
00:49:41.81\00:49:45.48
When you are
reading the scriptures,
00:49:45.51\00:49:48.65
find a passage and
apply it to your life
00:49:48.68\00:49:54.36
directly, to your life.
00:49:54.39\00:50:00.33
I'll give you an example.
00:50:00.36\00:50:03.00
In Isaiah 41:8-10, it says this,
00:50:03.03\00:50:07.14
"But you,
Israel, Are my servant,
00:50:07.17\00:50:09.40
Jacob whom I have chosen,
00:50:09.44\00:50:11.17
the descendants
of Abraham My friend.
00:50:11.21\00:50:13.78
You whom I have taken
from the ends of the earth
00:50:13.81\00:50:15.74
and called from his farthest
regions and said to you,
00:50:15.78\00:50:18.91
'You are my servant,
00:50:18.95\00:50:21.18
I have chosen you and
have not cast you away.
00:50:21.22\00:50:24.25
Fear not, for I am with you,
00:50:24.29\00:50:27.19
be not dismayed,
for I am your God.
00:50:27.22\00:50:30.56
I will strengthen you.
00:50:30.59\00:50:32.29
I will help you.
00:50:32.33\00:50:34.16
I will uphold you with
My righteous right hand."
00:50:34.20\00:50:38.27
And then you take your
little journal or your notebook,
00:50:38.30\00:50:41.67
and you write
something to the effect
00:50:41.70\00:50:43.61
of God is with me.
00:50:43.64\00:50:47.24
He's with me.
00:50:47.28\00:50:49.11
He says, I shouldn't be dismayed
00:50:49.14\00:50:52.51
because He will strengthen
and every time I write me,
00:50:52.55\00:50:55.32
I always write
capital letters, Me.
00:50:55.35\00:50:57.75
He will strengthen
me, He will help me.
00:50:57.79\00:51:00.59
He will serve as my stronghold.
00:51:00.62\00:51:06.03
And then He said,
and I will uphold you.
00:51:06.06\00:51:09.50
I say, He will
help me by holding me up
00:51:09.53\00:51:14.80
With his righteous right hand.
00:51:14.84\00:51:16.91
The scripture
is full of promises
00:51:16.94\00:51:19.21
that you can take and
apply to your own lives
00:51:19.24\00:51:23.01
as to make the scriptures
become alive and real for you.
00:51:23.04\00:51:28.62
It's not just some words.
00:51:28.65\00:51:29.98
Yeah, there's a lot
of history in there.
00:51:30.02\00:51:31.55
There's a lot of
philosophy, other things,
00:51:31.59\00:51:33.46
but there are
precious golden promises
00:51:33.49\00:51:37.59
that you can make
00:51:37.63\00:51:40.50
a part of your life.
00:51:40.53\00:51:44.90
Fear not,
Virginia, for I am with you.
00:51:44.93\00:51:46.63
Fear not, Mark, I'm with you.
00:51:49.64\00:51:54.01
Fear not, Ben, I am with you.
00:51:54.04\00:51:57.15
Fear not, Bryan,
I'm with you, God says.
00:51:57.18\00:52:01.68
If God before us,
who can be against us.
00:52:01.72\00:52:06.79
Let's pray.
00:52:06.82\00:52:09.09
Our Father in heaven,
00:52:09.12\00:52:13.16
Lord, we hear the
message of the Laodiceans.
00:52:13.19\00:52:16.46
And we know that
it applies to us.
00:52:16.50\00:52:19.43
We are living in the
final moments of earth's history
00:52:19.47\00:52:23.20
and the message to
the Laodicean people
00:52:23.24\00:52:25.84
is a message to us.
00:52:25.87\00:52:27.38
But we thank you
for giving it to us.
00:52:27.41\00:52:30.85
Otherwise, how would
we know our condition?
00:52:30.88\00:52:32.81
But You've told
us our condition.
00:52:32.85\00:52:34.45
And not only do you
tell us our condition,
00:52:34.48\00:52:36.12
but you show us a way out.
00:52:36.15\00:52:38.42
You give us the remedies
00:52:38.45\00:52:42.29
for what affects our
poor spiritual condition.
00:52:42.32\00:52:47.60
So, Father, I pray
that this message today
00:52:47.63\00:52:50.00
will reside in our
hearts throughout this week
00:52:50.03\00:52:53.54
that it will show
us the path to take.
00:52:53.57\00:52:58.54
It will show us that we need
00:52:58.57\00:52:59.97
to constantly
dependent upon You.
00:53:00.01\00:53:03.35
And we must
submit everything to You
00:53:03.38\00:53:06.35
if we are going to be
saved in Your kingdom.
00:53:06.38\00:53:10.12
Father, You don't ask
us to give up anything
00:53:10.15\00:53:11.92
that's not for our good,
and I thank You for that.
00:53:11.95\00:53:16.39
So I pray, Father, that
as we go into the next week,
00:53:16.42\00:53:20.66
that our hearts and
our minds will be uplifted,
00:53:20.70\00:53:22.50
help us to feast
upon Your Word daily.
00:53:22.53\00:53:25.20
And I thank You in Jesus' name.
00:53:25.23\00:53:27.24
Amen.
00:53:27.27\00:53:28.60
Amen.
00:53:28.64\00:53:30.17
Hello and welcome back.
00:53:30.21\00:53:31.67
Joshua was right about
God being a jealous God
00:53:31.71\00:53:35.51
for all the right
reasons, namely your salvation.
00:53:35.54\00:53:40.62
God does not want any
of us to be swept away
00:53:40.65\00:53:44.45
from His loving care, by
the deceptions of the enemy,
00:53:44.49\00:53:47.56
nor is there even another
God to serve in existence.
00:53:47.59\00:53:51.89
Satan wants to be like God,
00:53:51.93\00:53:53.93
you may read about this
in the Book of Isaiah 14:14,
00:53:53.96\00:53:58.43
and people may
choose to serve him,
00:53:58.47\00:54:01.27
but he will never,
ever truly be a God
00:54:01.30\00:54:04.97
or even come close to
being like our heavenly Father.
00:54:05.01\00:54:09.01
His days of
existence are numbered.
00:54:09.04\00:54:11.75
He knows that he has,
but a short time of life left
00:54:11.78\00:54:14.88
before his ultimate destruction.
00:54:14.92\00:54:17.39
Friends, if this message a
jealous God by Terry Shelton
00:54:17.42\00:54:21.89
has blessed your heart today.
00:54:21.92\00:54:23.79
And you would like
to add this message
00:54:23.83\00:54:25.39
to your personal
Bible study library.
00:54:25.43\00:54:28.13
We want to make
this happen just for you.
00:54:28.16\00:54:31.10
We will gladly
mail this program to you
00:54:31.13\00:54:33.50
for a love gift
of just $8 or more.
00:54:33.54\00:54:36.47
Don't forget that little more.
00:54:36.50\00:54:37.84
We need your blessings.
00:54:37.87\00:54:39.21
We also are
offering a free book today
00:54:39.24\00:54:42.11
that we will gladly
send you for just the asking
00:54:42.14\00:54:45.35
and it is entitled,
The Great Controversy.
00:54:45.38\00:54:48.32
Simply contact us
here in the United States
00:54:48.35\00:54:51.19
at (618) 942-5044,
00:54:51.22\00:54:54.72
that's Central Time
and ask for the DVD,
00:54:54.76\00:54:57.96
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00:54:57.99\00:54:59.33
again for a love
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00:54:59.36\00:55:02.43
or request your
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00:55:02.46\00:55:05.33
The Great Controversy.
00:55:05.37\00:55:07.07
You may also write your request
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00:55:07.10\00:55:10.77
PO Box 2030, Herrin, Illinois
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00:55:10.81\00:55:16.44
at Contact
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00:55:16.48\00:55:19.98
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00:55:20.02\00:55:24.62
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00:55:24.65\00:55:26.96
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00:55:26.99\00:55:30.16
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00:55:38.67\00:55:41.44
continue to richly
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00:55:41.47\00:55:44.94