(gentle music)
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- Welcome everyone.
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We're excited to share
some country wisdom with you.
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- King Solomon had
a thing or two to say
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about the path to wisdom.
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In Proverbs 4, he wrote,
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"Let your eyes
look directly forward,
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and your gaze be
straight before you.
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Keep straight
the path of your feet
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and all your ways will be sure."
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- Join us now
for Country Wisdom.
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(gentle music)
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I just can't hardly
imagine in this time
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and age in which we live,
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that everyone who's
watching this program right now,
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isn't suffering in some
way, or has some kind of problem
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whether it's marriage or
family or finances or health,
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there's some kind of problem.
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You feel like you're
in a furnace, perhaps.
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You're almost burning up,
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you don't know
where to find relief.
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Today we have a program for you.
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It's interesting.
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"Dare to Be a Daniel,"
written by Dr. Philip Samaan.
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Philip Samaan is
a friend of mine.
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Doctor, I appreciate
you coming on with us today.
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And you've got some
great wisdom to share with us.
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I know you do.
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So thank you.
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- [Philip] Thank you.
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- Start in.
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What is this book all
about, and what's on your heart?
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- Most of the books
we have read about Daniel
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is about prophecy, history,
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but this book focused on
his character, his lifestyle.
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It's a book that shows the
relationship we had with God
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that applies to us
today living in the last days,
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to emulate his example.
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And what happened to him
is happening to us right now
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and will happen
to us in the future.
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And he certainly faced his
fiery furnaces and his trials,
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but he stood like a rock.
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We're surrounded by rocks here.
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He stood like a rock, immovable.
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Why?
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Because he was anchored
in the Rock of Ages, Jesus.
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And if we don't want to
be shaken in these last days,
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be anchored in Jesus, the Rock.
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- I've got to say
we're on the campus
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that you've taught
religion and theology
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for many years to
a lot of students.
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So we've got helicopters,
we've got lawn mowers,
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we've got all that going too,
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just so the
audience knows where we are.
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- Yes, that's what
makes it so interesting.
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- But you picked this location
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because you wanted to
talk about Christ, the Rock.
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- Yeah, Christ is
the Rock, immovable.
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- These are impressive rocks.
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- Yes.
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When you talk about the Rock,
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Jesus said to the
Pharisees and Sadducees,
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"I'm the Rock, you
got to deal with me.
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You can't ignore me."
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Either they have two choices.
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Jesus always gives you choices.
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Either you fall on me in
repentance and contrition,
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otherwise, eventually the Rock
will fall on you in judgment.
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That's interest, isn't?
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Everybody in this
world has to deal with Jesus.
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You cannot escape Jesus.
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You can escape many things
except nobody can escape Jesus
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'cause He's our
creator, our savior.
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And He says you
have two choices.
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"Please right now fall on me
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and be bruised in contrition
and repentance and restoration.
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Otherwise, if you
postpone this and wait and wait,
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eventually the Rock is
going to fall you in judgment."
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Remember what people who
haven't fallen on the Rock,
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at the end when Jesus comes,
Rock cut without human hands,
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world against this world,
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they say, "Please
hide us from this Rock."
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Instead of
saying "Welcome, Jesus,"
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they say "Hide us from Jesus."
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Now is the time
to fall on the Rock.
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- Now I've just got a
feeling, many viewers out there
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are just cut through saying
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that this is gonna help
them come out of the fire.
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How does this help
them come out of the fire?
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How does a figure
thousands of years old, Daniel,
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how does that help anybody?
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- What can we learn from
Daniel that will help us today?
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- Well, thank you
for clarifying that.
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- I have to
interpret for him sometimes.
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- Because Jesus is eternal.
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He was there, He's
here, He'll be here forever.
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He was from eternity.
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And people have common problems.
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We all have problems
one kind or the other.
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And so how does
this help us today?
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Well, we need to
be where Jesus is.
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If we are where Jesus is,
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if we have the
relationship with Him,
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if we're anchored
in the Lord Jesus,
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then He'll take care of us.
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In other words, all I say
to Jesus everyday when I pray,
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"Lord, I know you
have the best for me.
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I avail myself
totally whatever you want."
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And leave it at that.
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I mean, to make this
simple for us to understand,
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apply, if you
have loving parents,
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don't they want the
best for their children?
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And it makes total sense
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if a child who is
trusting of his parents says,
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"Mom and dad, I know
you know the best for me,
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so I just open my heart
to whatever you want to do."
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And leave it at that.
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If we do this with earthly
parents who have shortcomings,
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why not with the perfect Jesus?
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People are worried about
COVID and vaccine, all of that.
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Well, we don't forget
Jesus is the great physician.
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He knows about
COVID, doesn't He?
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He knows about all the
diseases perpetrated by Satan,
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and He says, "I
can take care of you."
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I think
especially during this COVID,
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that's a hurdle to deal with,
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to say, "Lord, help me
not to forget about you.
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I should take care of
myself, make sure I'm careful,
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but Lord, I wanted to play
a big part in this crisis."
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Why not?
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- Let me ask you this.
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I had some friends
that they came to Christ.
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We shared, and they
eventually came to Christ,
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and they became so disillusioned
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because they still
had all these problems.
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Matter of fact,
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it seemed like
their problems increased,
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and they got,
"Jim, what happened?
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This doesn't seem
like what I signed up for."
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What do you tell those people?
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- You have a way of
asking challenging questions.
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Do you know that?
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But they really go to
the depth of everything.
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This is such a good question.
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Well, the way I can
answer that question is that
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we have this
great controversy waging
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from the time of
Lucifer rebelling in heaven,
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between good and evil,
between Christ and Satan.
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So Satan is not passive.
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He's not sitting aside
and saying, "I don't care."
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Oh no, he is doing his best
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to trip
everybody not to be saved.
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He wants everybody to
join him, and he is miserable.
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He knows the lake of
fire is awaiting him,
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and he doesn't
want to be by himself.
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He wants all the
humans he can to be with him.
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- Misery loves company.
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- Misery loves company.
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So he tries his best to do what?
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When we give our
lives to the Jesus,
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when we want to
be anchored in Jesus,
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he then attacks us the most
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to get us at that
point of vulnerability.
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The same thing with the
three friends of Daniel.
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Can you imagine,
you know Nebuchadnezzar,
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Daniel was used by God to
help him to interpret dreams.
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And that's why they said,
"We don't need to answer you.
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you know more than this.
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You testified that
God is the God of universe
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and now you want to
make yourself a God?
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You want to be all gold?
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The Christ
kingdom will never end,
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but you want to
be all the statue,
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to have permanent leadership.
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And so the devil
really tried hard.
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First time, give
them a second chance.
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And all the music
played, enticing music,
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and the peer pressure,
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all they had to do is
just bow down a little bit.
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In their hearts,
"We are loyal to God,
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but just to satisfy
you King Nebuchadnezzar,
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we'll just bow
down a little bit.
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That's it."
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See how Satan
attacked them so hard?
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I know as a
pastor, I baptize people
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and I would pray
for them so hard.
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Why?
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Cuz I knew the devil was
going to discourage them.
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Well, if you give
tithe, the Lord will bless you,
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will pour out
blessing you don't know.
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And then what happens?
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You lose your job, no
money even to pay tithe from.
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That's the reality.
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So I believe people who
paint such a Rosey picture
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are not pragmatic.
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In fact, the devil
uses them sometimes
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to discourage people even more.
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We have to be real
with this, and be careful.
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The devil is a roaring lion.
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We have Jesus
with us, of course,
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but Satan is going to
tempt you and discourage you.
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Be careful.
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Now is the time to really have
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what I call the "If not" faith.
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You know the "If
not" faith in Daniel 3,
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when Nebuchadnezzar
challenged him and said,
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"Nobody can save
you from my hands."
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And what did they say?
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"He can.
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We know He can, but
even if He doesn't choose to,
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we will obey
Him without question
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even if He doesn't save us."
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That's what I call
the "If not" faith,
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and that's the kind of faith
we need in these last days.
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- So that when
something awful happens,
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I have some friends of
friends who lost a child,
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and one of them literally said,
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"If God will do that, if
God let my kid die, that's it."
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- That's understandable.
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But they need to
have the long look.
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They need to
look in a broader way.
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They need to put
themselves in God's place.
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God loves children.
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He doesn't want any to
perish, but He knows the future.
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He knows the future,
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and He knows that He might
have been protecting this child
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from going in the wrong way.
00:10:01.36\00:10:03.00
I don't know.
00:10:03.00\00:10:03.97
But the point is
we have to look to say
00:10:07.67\00:10:09.97
this child is asleep in Jesus.
00:10:09.97\00:10:12.21
To Jesus, death is nothing.
00:10:13.31\00:10:16.24
When Mary and Martha
00:10:16.24\00:10:17.38
were so worried about
Lazarus their brother,
00:10:17.38\00:10:19.01
they were all worked
up and Jesus was calm.
00:10:19.01\00:10:21.15
And He said, "Well,
our friend is sleeping.
00:10:21.15\00:10:23.75
Let's go and wake him up."
00:10:23.75\00:10:25.15
Why?
00:10:25.15\00:10:26.22
Because He is life
and the resurrection.
00:10:26.22\00:10:27.92
So such parents
need to anchor themselves
00:10:27.92\00:10:30.03
in more of who's
Jesus, what He can do,
00:10:30.03\00:10:32.53
and His plans for the future.
00:10:32.53\00:10:34.86
And that if He knew
the end from beginning,
00:10:34.86\00:10:37.07
we wouldn't have
chosen any other way.
00:10:37.07\00:10:38.63
That's a fact.
00:10:38.63\00:10:39.43
And to share with these
parents the blessed hope
00:10:45.11\00:10:47.71
to make it burn
bright in the hearts,
00:10:47.71\00:10:49.14
why?
00:10:49.14\00:10:50.11
'cause Jesus is coming soon,
00:10:50.11\00:10:51.38
and they're going to
see the son in perfection.
00:10:51.38\00:10:53.05
And maybe God allowed
Him to rest in the grave
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maybe was a big
factor in saving.
00:10:57.25\00:11:01.09
I don't know.
00:11:01.09\00:11:02.39
I mean, I have many
friends who've died of COVID,
00:11:02.39\00:11:04.59
and before they died, they
told me, "God wants me to rest
00:11:04.59\00:11:07.50
because He doesn't want me
00:11:08.36\00:11:09.43
to go through all
this time of trouble."
00:11:09.43\00:11:11.67
- I think of
another Bible character,
00:11:13.07\00:11:16.27
even before Daniel's friends.
00:11:16.27\00:11:18.14
I love that speech they
gave to Nebuchadnezzar where,
00:11:18.14\00:11:22.78
"Yeah, God can do it,
but even if He doesn't,
00:11:22.78\00:11:25.55
I won't bow down."
00:11:25.55\00:11:26.88
And I think of Job who had
more troubles than any of us.
00:11:26.88\00:11:31.65
And he could come to a
point where in all faith,
00:11:32.99\00:11:36.66
he could say, "God
gives and God takes away,
00:11:36.66\00:11:41.73
blessed be the
name of the Lord."
00:11:41.73\00:11:43.97
- In all of
that, he did not sin.
00:11:43.97\00:11:46.10
And, of course,
we cannot all be Job.
00:11:46.10\00:11:49.34
- No, I'm the first
one to be going, "Why me?"
00:11:49.34\00:11:52.11
And it's over
stupid little things.
00:11:52.11\00:11:53.58
- But it was
almost a very special case
00:11:53.58\00:11:56.28
where God was being challenged,
He need to be vindicated.
00:11:56.28\00:12:00.08
Satan challenged Him.
00:12:00.08\00:12:01.08
He said, "Nobody
serves you out of love.
00:12:01.08\00:12:02.65
They serve you because you...
00:12:02.65\00:12:03.79
Take the blessings away
00:12:03.79\00:12:04.92
and they'll
curses you to your face."
00:12:04.92\00:12:06.25
So it was a challenge
before the whole universe.
00:12:06.25\00:12:08.79
So God is to the credit of Job
that God trusted him so much,
00:12:08.79\00:12:13.63
that He was
willing to take that twist,
00:12:13.63\00:12:15.43
and Job came through with
it and nobody supported Job.
00:12:15.43\00:12:18.20
When you're in trouble,
00:12:19.17\00:12:21.24
you go to your spouse
to get some encouragement.
00:12:21.24\00:12:23.51
Your friends leave you,
00:12:23.51\00:12:25.04
and your miserable
comforters condemn you,
00:12:25.04\00:12:29.84
so you go to your wife.
00:12:29.84\00:12:31.25
- Yeah, she dropped the ball.
00:12:32.41\00:12:33.85
- And I don't blame her,
00:12:33.85\00:12:34.95
she lost her
children, she lost her house.
00:12:34.95\00:12:37.79
Women like to have a
house, she lost her resources.
00:12:37.79\00:12:41.32
She had nothing left.
00:12:41.32\00:12:42.72
And he came to her
for comfort, and she said,
00:12:44.63\00:12:47.13
"Just curse God and die."
00:12:48.13\00:12:49.73
It wasn't encouraging.
00:12:49.73\00:12:51.23
But I don't blame her,
she was very discouraged.
00:12:51.23\00:12:53.50
He said, "How can we
receive blessings from God,
00:12:53.50\00:12:57.81
but when things
go bad, we don't?
00:12:57.81\00:12:59.81
He is the same God."
00:12:59.81\00:13:01.38
And he said this
famous statement,
00:13:01.38\00:13:03.04
"Though He slay me,
yet I will trust Him."
00:13:03.04\00:13:05.95
That's the "If not" faith.
00:13:05.95\00:13:07.72
And I believe, as
I told Jim earlier,
00:13:07.72\00:13:09.75
I believe that this is
the kind of faith we need
00:13:09.75\00:13:11.82
in the last days.
00:13:11.82\00:13:13.19
There are many people who
will give up on their faith.
00:13:13.19\00:13:15.86
They'll be tested
with this and that,
00:13:15.86\00:13:18.33
and obeying God, obeying man,
00:13:18.33\00:13:20.26
and if people are not anchored
in Jesus, they will give up.
00:13:20.26\00:13:23.37
Why would they
persist in being faithful
00:13:24.43\00:13:27.14
if it's the
easier the other choice?
00:13:27.14\00:13:29.90
And the devil will
make it so much easier
00:13:29.90\00:13:32.61
for them not to
face the difficulty.
00:13:32.61\00:13:36.85
It's normal for
every human being.
00:13:36.85\00:13:38.38
I mean, that's
how we're all made,
00:13:38.38\00:13:40.12
but there are special people,
00:13:40.12\00:13:42.32
and I don't know if I'm
ever worthy to be one of them,
00:13:42.32\00:13:44.69
but we have them as an example,
00:13:44.69\00:13:46.09
special people like
Daniel and his friends, and Job,
00:13:46.09\00:13:49.99
and people like that.
00:13:51.13\00:13:54.00
Abraham also.
00:13:54.00\00:13:55.60
Abraham; "Though you
slay me, I will trust in you,
00:13:55.60\00:13:59.10
though you slay my son."
00:13:59.10\00:14:01.60
Can you imagine being
asked to slay your son?
00:14:01.60\00:14:04.61
Somebody else slays
him, but you slay your son,
00:14:04.61\00:14:07.21
the promised son, and
you already lost Ishmael.
00:14:07.21\00:14:12.28
You only have one at
home that you waited for,
00:14:13.58\00:14:16.52
and he's a teenager.
00:14:16.52\00:14:18.19
"Though you slay me, though
you ask me to slay my son,
00:14:18.19\00:14:21.32
I will still trust you anyway."
00:14:21.32\00:14:23.29
And God said enough.
00:14:23.29\00:14:24.93
Why did God do this?
00:14:25.89\00:14:28.13
To give an illustration
of the plan of salvation.
00:14:28.13\00:14:31.77
Because God the
Father, and our father Abraham,
00:14:31.77\00:14:36.84
Abraham was a type of god.
00:14:38.41\00:14:40.64
God had one son and
Abraham had one son.
00:14:42.31\00:14:45.95
And He was telling
him and the whole world,
00:14:45.95\00:14:48.88
"Someday I'm going to
allow my son to be sacrificed
00:14:48.88\00:14:53.96
to save the world.
00:14:54.62\00:14:56.06
Now, Abraham, I want
you to follow my example.
00:14:56.06\00:14:58.63
Are you willing to
sacrifice your only son?"
00:14:58.63\00:15:00.50
And the reason He
didn't allow him to sacrifice
00:15:00.50\00:15:02.96
is because the death of Isaac
wouldn't have been salvific.
00:15:02.96\00:15:07.27
It wouldn't have saved anybody.
00:15:08.44\00:15:10.07
"So no, don't do it.
00:15:10.07\00:15:11.37
But to remind you,
someday I will give my son,
00:15:11.37\00:15:13.98
I'm identifying with you."
00:15:13.98\00:15:15.61
Maybe I said too much
about that, but you know-
00:15:15.61\00:15:17.65
- No, not at all.
00:15:17.65\00:15:19.01
It seems like there's a thread
that runs through the Bible
00:15:19.01\00:15:21.85
with those who are
really seeking a friendship
00:15:21.85\00:15:24.49
and relationship with God,
00:15:24.49\00:15:26.39
have some big troubles,
but God gets them through them.
00:15:26.39\00:15:29.46
- You can think of Paul as
well, you can think of Peter.
00:15:30.79\00:15:33.06
In other words, I don't
think everybody is like that,
00:15:33.06\00:15:37.97
every Christian is like that,
00:15:37.97\00:15:39.33
but I think these are
prime examples to keep us going,
00:15:39.33\00:15:42.77
to encourage us along the
way to look at these people.
00:15:42.77\00:15:45.34
Another one; John the Baptist.
00:15:45.34\00:15:48.74
"Though you slay me,
come on, I'm related to you.
00:15:48.74\00:15:52.41
Jesus, look, I
introduced you to the world.
00:15:52.41\00:15:56.25
I was faithful to the end.
00:15:56.25\00:15:58.75
And now I want to
participate in your ministry."
00:15:58.75\00:16:01.66
Wouldn't he have
been a great assistant?
00:16:01.66\00:16:03.39
He certainly
would have been better
00:16:03.39\00:16:04.76
than some of the disciples.
00:16:04.76\00:16:06.43
- His faith did waiver
for just a moment though,
00:16:06.43\00:16:08.76
when he pressed his
nose against the bars
00:16:08.76\00:16:11.37
and asked the disciples,
00:16:11.37\00:16:12.73
"Is He the one or do we
go look for another one?"
00:16:12.73\00:16:14.74
- Which is so helpful.
00:16:15.90\00:16:18.41
So then, when our faith
waivers, we know there's hope.
00:16:18.41\00:16:22.44
Even his faith
waivers, you know why?
00:16:22.44\00:16:24.15
Because he's a middle Eastern.
00:16:24.15\00:16:26.18
Friends are very
loyal to each other.
00:16:26.18\00:16:28.65
- Explain this
because you're Middle Eastern.
00:16:28.65\00:16:29.95
What I mean, they're very people
oriented, family oriented,
00:16:29.95\00:16:33.05
they're not so
much into task oriented.
00:16:33.05\00:16:35.62
In America, it's a
task to accomplish.
00:16:35.62\00:16:37.66
We're not so much
into people, and Jesus was.
00:16:37.66\00:16:41.66
Jesus did not accomplish
the task telling the leper
00:16:41.66\00:16:45.37
"Be healed, job done, bye."
00:16:45.37\00:16:49.00
No, He was
moved with compassion,
00:16:49.00\00:16:51.67
and He stretched for
His hand and He touched him
00:16:52.81\00:16:55.14
before He healed him.
00:16:55.14\00:16:56.51
He was people oriented,
and He was task oriented,
00:16:56.51\00:16:58.88
but He was
people oriented first.
00:16:58.88\00:17:01.28
So that's the kind
of culture I come from,
00:17:01.28\00:17:03.72
and the Bible
came from that culture.
00:17:03.72\00:17:05.99
And the point I'm
trying to make is this.
00:17:05.99\00:17:08.12
"Jesus, you're my best friend.
00:17:09.02\00:17:11.56
I don't mind being in jail,
00:17:11.56\00:17:14.20
but I sure would have enjoyed
participating in ministry.
00:17:14.20\00:17:17.23
It's normal.
00:17:17.23\00:17:18.37
Why am I kept away from it?
00:17:18.37\00:17:20.20
And they might kill me now
00:17:21.50\00:17:22.80
and I haven't heard from you."
00:17:22.80\00:17:25.87
This is when God is silent.
00:17:25.87\00:17:27.74
God is testing us
and testing our faith
00:17:27.74\00:17:30.61
because He
believes we are faithful.
00:17:30.61\00:17:32.68
How do you deal with that?
00:17:32.68\00:17:34.15
"I haven't heard from you.
00:17:34.15\00:17:36.18
Have you forgotten me?"
00:17:36.18\00:17:37.45
It's a normal human reaction.
00:17:37.45\00:17:38.92
Even though John the
Baptist had faith in Jesus,
00:17:38.92\00:17:41.29
but yet he's just checking
00:17:41.29\00:17:42.82
like a friend
would check with friend.
00:17:42.82\00:17:44.89
"How come you haven't
called me for a while?
00:17:44.89\00:17:47.23
Have you forgotten about me?"
00:17:47.23\00:17:48.96
Because you care
00:17:48.96\00:17:50.07
and you still have
faith in that relationship.
00:17:50.07\00:17:52.30
And Jesus said,
"Tell him what's happening.
00:17:52.30\00:17:55.64
Tell him what's happening.
00:17:55.64\00:17:57.21
Miracles have performed,
and I'm truly the Messiah,
00:17:57.21\00:18:00.74
and the good news is here."
00:18:00.74\00:18:03.78
Now it's still a
mystery, this "If not" faith,
00:18:03.78\00:18:06.85
because if I were
Jesus I would've said,
00:18:06.85\00:18:09.45
"I need this John the Baptist,
00:18:09.45\00:18:10.75
I want him to be with me."
00:18:10.75\00:18:12.12
But this is what I read
in a book, Desire of Ages,
00:18:12.12\00:18:16.09
a wonderful book
about the life of Jesus,
00:18:16.09\00:18:18.13
and it says that Jesus
trusted in Daniel's faith,
00:18:18.13\00:18:23.16
that he would
come through for Him
00:18:24.37\00:18:26.63
like He believed Job
would come through for Him,
00:18:26.63\00:18:29.60
like He believed
Daniel would come for Him.
00:18:29.60\00:18:31.11
So that's a compliment from God.
00:18:31.11\00:18:32.54
"I trust you so much
00:18:32.54\00:18:34.64
that I'm willing to
let you take this risk.
00:18:34.64\00:18:36.44
Abraham, I trust you so much,
you'll come through from me."
00:18:36.44\00:18:39.08
That's a great compliment.
00:18:39.08\00:18:40.68
Why?
00:18:40.68\00:18:41.98
Because all the
thousands of Martyrs to follow
00:18:41.98\00:18:46.42
will look at this
example and be encouraged.
00:18:46.42\00:18:48.69
- But I look at John,
00:18:49.92\00:18:52.03
when you're talking about John
the Baptist there in prison,
00:18:52.03\00:18:57.07
it's like the Lord
said to the Bible writer,
00:18:58.13\00:18:59.23
"Don't forget to
include that part,
00:18:59.23\00:19:01.50
because there's
someone out there
00:19:01.50\00:19:02.77
who's gonna be discouraged,
00:19:02.77\00:19:04.14
and I want them to know
I haven't forgotten them."
00:19:04.14\00:19:05.57
- That's true.
00:19:05.57\00:19:06.47
But look at the faith Jesus
showed in John the Baptist,
00:19:07.88\00:19:10.11
that he would not give up,
he would not get discouraged,
00:19:10.11\00:19:12.65
he'll stay faithful
until the edge of the story.
00:19:12.65\00:19:16.18
It's amazing trust He had
00:19:16.18\00:19:17.85
and do put an
example to the universe.
00:19:17.85\00:19:20.29
Jesus trusted John under
the most severe circumstances
00:19:20.29\00:19:23.26
and John came through.
00:19:23.26\00:19:24.49
- Back to Daniel's friends.
00:19:26.19\00:19:28.73
Standing there,
00:19:29.96\00:19:31.07
they didn't know
whether God would come through
00:19:31.07\00:19:34.14
at that moment- - Did not know.
00:19:34.14\00:19:35.80
How do you get to that point
00:19:37.14\00:19:38.91
where God has chosen not
to test me quite that much,
00:19:40.24\00:19:43.81
and I am very grateful for that.
00:19:43.81\00:19:45.68
I don't know, I couldn't
predict until it happens
00:19:46.82\00:19:50.32
how I would react.
00:19:50.32\00:19:52.35
I would hope I
would be like that,
00:19:52.35\00:19:54.06
I would hope I would
think of those stories.
00:19:54.06\00:19:56.32
Where does that
kind of faith come from?
00:19:57.46\00:19:59.66
Where no matter what,
you've lost, your job,
00:19:59.66\00:20:01.96
a friend or a relative
has died or had an accident,
00:20:03.33\00:20:07.50
whatever,
00:20:07.50\00:20:08.77
what is it you're clinging to,
00:20:08.77\00:20:10.57
and how do you make sure that
you've got that to cling to?
00:20:10.57\00:20:13.27
- The only answer,
00:20:13.27\00:20:14.28
the best answer
you can have about that
00:20:15.81\00:20:18.45
is that Abraham has such a solid
00:20:18.45\00:20:22.02
unshakeable relationship
with God ahead of time.
00:20:22.02\00:20:24.49
He had that what I call
the reservoir of spirituality,
00:20:25.85\00:20:29.76
a spiritual bank where he
deposited this spirituality
00:20:31.13\00:20:35.30
that came in handy
at the time of need.
00:20:35.30\00:20:36.97
That's why
Daniel and his friends,
00:20:36.97\00:20:39.30
when they were
tempted to eat the Kings food,
00:20:39.30\00:20:41.60
he said, "We have
resolved already to obey God.
00:20:41.60\00:20:45.81
It is a done deal."
00:20:47.84\00:20:49.31
I counsel some of my students,
00:20:49.31\00:20:50.88
they say, "Oh, I got myself
in trouble on the weekend."
00:20:50.88\00:20:53.28
"Why?"
00:20:53.28\00:20:54.28
"I just wanted to party,
00:20:54.28\00:20:56.12
and some temptation
came and I fell for it."
00:20:56.12\00:20:58.32
Well, did you resolve it?
00:20:58.32\00:20:59.79
No, I never thought about that.
00:20:59.79\00:21:01.09
You see?
00:21:01.09\00:21:02.46
So Daniel is our example,
his friends are our example.
00:21:02.46\00:21:04.59
And to be very
specific to your question,
00:21:04.59\00:21:06.90
if you have such an intimate
close friendship with Jesus,
00:21:06.90\00:21:11.93
solid friendship,
00:21:12.60\00:21:13.94
you're not going to give
up on Jesus for any reason.
00:21:13.94\00:21:16.37
Though He slay me,
I will trust in Him.
00:21:16.37\00:21:19.44
He's a good God, He
loves me, I trust His plan.
00:21:19.44\00:21:22.78
And I avail myself,
00:21:22.78\00:21:24.11
whatever He has in store
for me, I know I'll be okay
00:21:24.11\00:21:26.98
through life and death.
00:21:26.98\00:21:28.08
But that takes an
anchoring in Jesus.
00:21:28.08\00:21:29.92
And that's why it
behooves us today,
00:21:29.92\00:21:32.35
as we await the
big time of trouble,
00:21:32.35\00:21:34.72
to be ready to spend
time with Jesus every day,
00:21:34.72\00:21:37.96
to go out of our way
to build that reservoir,
00:21:37.96\00:21:42.53
so that when something
comes our way, some big trouble,
00:21:42.53\00:21:47.00
we say, "I know know
in whom I have believed,
00:21:47.00\00:21:49.90
and I'm persuaded that
nothing can shake that."
00:21:49.90\00:21:52.31
Like Paul said, "Death or
life or tribulation or whatever,
00:21:52.31\00:21:57.28
it's not going
to shake my faith.
00:21:58.48\00:21:59.95
My love to Christ is solid.
00:21:59.95\00:22:02.78
That come what may."
00:22:02.78\00:22:04.69
So that's the only answer,
00:22:04.69\00:22:05.95
but that's a challenging thing
00:22:05.95\00:22:07.32
because many people don't
have time, or are busy with work
00:22:07.32\00:22:11.66
and they're stressed out.
00:22:11.66\00:22:12.76
That takes time.
00:22:12.76\00:22:14.00
It's just like when
you prepare a good meal.
00:22:14.00\00:22:16.56
You could go to a drive-in
and get a quick sandwich,
00:22:16.56\00:22:19.53
but if you want to make a good
meal, a Middle Eastern meal,
00:22:19.53\00:22:22.24
you take a whole day,
half a day to prepare it.
00:22:22.24\00:22:24.81
It's healthy and tasty.
00:22:25.61\00:22:27.18
They say that Jesus
we have to invest time.
00:22:27.18\00:22:29.88
And why is it
investment of time is the best?
00:22:29.88\00:22:33.42
Because that's all
we'll take with us.
00:22:33.42\00:22:35.78
I'm not gonna
take anything with me.
00:22:35.78\00:22:37.29
When you get old like me,
00:22:37.29\00:22:38.82
you have to leave
everything behind.
00:22:41.19\00:22:43.63
Isn't it something?
00:22:43.63\00:22:44.93
If people can think about
their houses, riches, resources,
00:22:44.93\00:22:48.23
left behind.
00:22:48.23\00:22:49.80
The only thing I'll take with
me is my salvation with Jesus.
00:22:49.80\00:22:52.77
That's all, and the
people I helped to know Jesus.
00:22:52.77\00:22:55.14
- I felt like Satan was
constantly nipping at my heels
00:22:56.84\00:23:00.21
and I just
couldn't catch my breath.
00:23:00.21\00:23:02.44
I was grieving.
00:23:02.44\00:23:03.81
I felt scared, confused,
anxious, and depressed.
00:23:03.81\00:23:08.25
My life was literally turned
upside down and falling apart.
00:23:08.25\00:23:12.52
I didn't know what to do,
but I knew who had the answers.
00:23:12.52\00:23:16.56
Can you relate?
00:23:16.56\00:23:17.96
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00:23:27.60\00:23:31.37
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00:23:31.37\00:23:34.44
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00:23:38.01\00:23:42.18
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00:23:44.02\00:23:48.06
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00:23:48.06\00:23:51.79
- Doctor, I've
got it real quickly.
00:23:54.30\00:23:55.60
We've only got a
couple minutes left,
00:23:55.60\00:23:57.30
but I wanted to,
00:23:57.30\00:23:58.57
I look forward to
Jesus in the garden,
00:23:58.57\00:24:00.67
and a young man in
his early thirties,
00:24:00.67\00:24:02.57
He didn't wanna die
either as He's a God-man.
00:24:02.57\00:24:04.91
- Excuse me, let me correct you.
00:24:04.91\00:24:06.57
Did you refer to
yourself as somebody who's 30?
00:24:06.57\00:24:09.74
- Yes.
00:24:09.74\00:24:10.55
- Did I hear you correctly?
00:24:10.55\00:24:12.51
Did you refer to yourself as 30,
00:24:12.51\00:24:14.22
or you're you
talking about Jesus?
00:24:14.22\00:24:15.12
- Jesus.
00:24:15.12\00:24:16.18
- Oh, I get it better now.
00:24:16.18\00:24:17.02
- Thank you.
00:24:17.02\00:24:17.92
But here He is at
that age, and He says,
00:24:19.19\00:24:21.66
"Lord, if it's possible,
let this cup pass from me.
00:24:21.66\00:24:24.03
I don't want to do this."
00:24:24.03\00:24:25.36
And there's no
word from the Father.
00:24:25.36\00:24:27.13
No word from God either.
00:24:27.13\00:24:28.60
- No, just sealed Himself
from His Father with darkness.
00:24:28.60\00:24:33.67
That's an excellent example.
00:24:34.47\00:24:35.87
That's the best example
of the "If not" faith really.
00:24:35.87\00:24:39.34
And that is,
00:24:39.34\00:24:40.88
He didn't know
if there was light
00:24:40.88\00:24:42.98
beyond the portals of the tomb.
00:24:42.98\00:24:46.01
And in a way Jesus said,
"Even if you don't rescue me,
00:24:46.01\00:24:50.92
I'll still love you
and trust you anyway."
00:24:50.92\00:24:54.32
That's why He said, "Not my
will, but your will be done."
00:24:54.32\00:24:57.79
The reason He was
willing to submit to His Father,
00:24:57.79\00:25:00.96
"Into your hands,
I submit my Spirit."
00:25:00.96\00:25:02.73
Why?
00:25:02.73\00:25:03.53
Because He knew God was good.
00:25:03.53\00:25:05.33
He was well acquainted with God,
00:25:05.33\00:25:06.67
and He knew that God will
have the answer to everything.
00:25:06.67\00:25:11.04
May I say one more thing?
00:25:15.48\00:25:17.15
- Yes, go ahead.
00:25:17.15\00:25:18.71
- You know,
00:25:18.71\00:25:19.81
often we're
tempted in these last days
00:25:19.81\00:25:21.85
to focus on the
storms everywhere.
00:25:22.95\00:25:26.89
I got a call
from my pastor's wife,
00:25:26.89\00:25:29.22
that "Samaan, you are
my teacher, my professor.
00:25:29.22\00:25:32.43
I'm depressed, I don't
know what to do with myself,
00:25:32.43\00:25:35.93
with this COVID and
vaccine, I'm just so depressed."
00:25:35.93\00:25:40.47
So I had to tell her,
00:25:40.47\00:25:42.27
"Look at the story of
Jesus during the storm
00:25:42.27\00:25:44.07
on the sea of Galilee."
00:25:44.07\00:25:45.24
I mean, we have a choice.
00:25:46.37\00:25:47.71
Do we focus on the storm
where there're many of them,
00:25:47.71\00:25:51.05
or do we focus on our captain?
00:25:51.05\00:25:53.68
And He can handle
the storm, can't He?
00:25:55.05\00:25:56.89
- Amen.
00:25:56.89\00:25:57.95
- And even if He
doesn't deal with the storm,
00:25:57.95\00:25:59.45
He'll be with us
facing the storm with us,
00:25:59.45\00:26:02.59
facing COVID with us.
00:26:02.59\00:26:04.13
The other thing I want say is,
00:26:04.13\00:26:05.89
we focus on the
hungry lions attacking us,
00:26:05.89\00:26:08.33
but why not focus on
Jesus, the Lion of Judah
00:26:08.33\00:26:11.60
who can subdue
even hungry lions?
00:26:11.60\00:26:13.84
That should be our focus.
00:26:13.84\00:26:15.34
We recognize
they're hungry lions,
00:26:15.34\00:26:17.87
but don't forget about
the captain of our lives.
00:26:17.87\00:26:21.98
Don't forget
about the Lion of Judah.
00:26:21.98\00:26:25.21
And the last thing
I want to say is this,
00:26:25.21\00:26:27.62
one time I heard some
preacher talk in a camp meeting,
00:26:27.62\00:26:31.29
about the time of trouble.
00:26:31.29\00:26:32.69
Every evening sermon was
about the time of trouble.
00:26:34.16\00:26:37.49
And he worked so
eloquent about this.
00:26:37.49\00:26:39.39
And people
really were so troubled.
00:26:40.53\00:26:43.43
They went home troubled
00:26:44.33\00:26:46.03
because he talked
about the time of trouble.
00:26:46.03\00:26:47.84
But you've got to
talk about the Jesus
00:26:47.84\00:26:50.44
who will take us
through the time of trouble.
00:26:50.44\00:26:52.57
So instead of focusing on
the crisis, focus on Christ,
00:26:52.57\00:26:56.44
who will take us
through the time of crisis.
00:26:56.44\00:26:58.81
- Amen, there it is.
00:26:58.81\00:26:59.61
That's the key to everything.
00:26:59.61\00:27:01.68
- Janice, what do
you think of that idea
00:27:01.68\00:27:03.62
in the right focus?
00:27:03.62\00:27:06.22
- I wish that I
were a lot younger,
00:27:06.22\00:27:09.19
and could be in your classes.
00:27:09.19\00:27:11.46
- Well, you were
in my class today.
00:27:11.46\00:27:13.63
You want me to give
you a grade at the end
00:27:13.63\00:27:15.23
like give you an A?
00:27:15.23\00:27:16.63
- I was always in the front
row when I was in class too,
00:27:16.63\00:27:19.13
I was one of the A students.
00:27:19.13\00:27:20.17
- From my
heart, I give you an A,
00:27:20.17\00:27:21.74
and Jim, I include you too.
00:27:21.74\00:27:23.34
- Thank you.
00:27:23.34\00:27:24.47
- Because really, it's
a matter of focus really.
00:27:24.47\00:27:27.58
By beholding we become changed,
00:27:27.58\00:27:29.18
you focus on
trouble you become trouble.
00:27:30.31\00:27:31.98
We have no reason.
00:27:31.98\00:27:33.25
Why should we focus on
trouble if Jesus work with us?
00:27:33.25\00:27:35.05
He knows how to
deal with trouble,
00:27:35.05\00:27:37.29
but we forget about that focus.
00:27:37.29\00:27:38.65
- Doctor, I hate to stop this,
00:27:38.65\00:27:40.82
but we've run out of time,
00:27:40.82\00:27:42.62
but maybe you'll back
for another episode sometime.
00:27:42.62\00:27:45.49
- Well, I mean,
00:27:45.49\00:27:46.76
you wait and see if my
presentation was good enough,
00:27:46.76\00:27:49.40
and you'll decide if
you can invite me or not.
00:27:49.40\00:27:51.40
(Janice laughs)
00:27:51.40\00:27:52.23
- Thank you so much.
00:27:52.23\00:27:53.13
Thank you for watching.
00:27:54.10\00:27:55.47
Join us again for
another exciting Country Wisdom.
00:27:55.47\00:27:57.91
- See you next time.
00:27:57.91\00:27:58.97