Hello, and welcome to another
exciting segment of Engage.
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In this series, in this program,
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we are attempting to
address relevant issues
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facing young
Christians all around the world.
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My name is Jay Rosario.
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I'm your host
and joining me today
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is my good
friend Daniel McGrath.
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Dan, how is it going?
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Pretty good, Jay,
how are you doing?
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Doing well.
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Dan, what are we
talking about today?
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Well, today
we're actually looking
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at part two of our series
on the relevancy of the Bible.
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Lot of people
think that the Bible
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can't change somebody's life.
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Today, we wanna look at
how the Bible can convict
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and convert an individual
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and we have
your--our good friend Michael
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coming back to join us
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and we're glad that
he can be here as well.
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Michael, come on out here.
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Welcome again. Thank you.
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Hello, how is it going, Michael?
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Good, good.
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For those of you who don't know
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Michael Johnson,
those that are viewing.
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Michael Johnson is
the one responsible
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for heavily--heavily
responsible he and his family
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for bringing the good
news of salvation to myself,
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my brothers, and to
my brother's roommates.
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And surprisingly we're all in
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fulltime
ministry because of that.
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And I cannot tell
you how thankful I am
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that the Lord has brought me
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to meet you and your
wife and your children.
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And I think
eternally alone I'll be able
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to finally express
the gratitude that I have.
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So, Michael, we
talked a little bit about
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kind of how it
was that the Lord used
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your family to reach my family
and some good friends of ours,
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but we wanna get
a little practical,
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you know many of the viewers
probably heard the testimony
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and just like they
hear with many testimonies,
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they're like, "wow, that's so
amazing, that's so wonderful."
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How does it work?
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How come--I don't have
the testimony like that?
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How come, what do I need,
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is there
something that I'm missing?
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So we wanna-- we wanna jump in
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and really try to
address some relevant
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practical ways that number one,
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we can boost up our devotional
experience in the word
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and also may be how it is
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that we can effectively
share the word of God?
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Because one of the issues
that young people are facing,
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is this notion that
the Bible is boring.
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Whenever you
mention Bible study,
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whenever you
mention some of these,
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you know, concepts, it's
almost like young people get,
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uh, great, not this again.
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So how can we
destroy that notion
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and show that the Bible is
actually something exciting.
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Let's talk a
little bit maybe about
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your personal
experience we've got.
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I--I don't know
how you do it, Michael.
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You know, you
have family of five,
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you're a father,
you're a husband,
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you have a business,
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and somehow
every time I ask you,
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"Michael, what are
you reading in the Bible?"
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You, you--if I
don't have two hours,
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I will not be able to fully hear
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what it is you're
reading, so what's your secret?
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How do you get into the
word, like what's going on?
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Well, you know, I'm
just-- there are certain things
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I'm just real logical about
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and of course some people just
like to give it a hard time,
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but for me like Matthew 6:33,
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this was one of the first verses
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that I took the heart and fact.
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It was--it was
one of those verses
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that I don't know I
had heard it before,
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but for some reason it hit me
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and I decided I
would take it at its word,
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so Matthew 6:33,
it says that, it says,
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"But seek ye first
the kingdom of God,
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and his righteousness,
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and all these things
shall be added unto."
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That seems so
simple and so logical.
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Put God first,
seek his righteousness,
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and all these things
will be added unto you.
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And I had five kids,
you know, and I'm going,
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I don't know, I
know what I think I need,
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but I know that
He will take care
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of what my true needs are
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and so what I
decided to do was--
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and I've been raised up,
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I--my dad and my uncle were
very influential in my life.
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And I watched them as they
studied their Bible everyday
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and they had
amazing things to say.
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And I could never figure out
where they got all that from,
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because I had read the
Bible and I just am going,
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how do they get that?
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And it really intrigued
me but this hit me later
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and so I decided
to put it at the test.
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And He tells us test me and
see if what I'm saying is true.
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And so what I started to do
is just I took it each morning,
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I'd get up, I'd pray,
and I'd read my Bible.
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And there is something that
Doug Batchelor said years ago.
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And he says when
he talks about his--
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how he started reading the Bible
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when he's in
the cave or wherever
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and about how there is--
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there's a lot of
breathing going on in the Bible,
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but he just didn't
understand it was brethren.
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Oh, that's right.
Yeah, remember that?
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And so he--and
what he said right along
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with this at the same
time and that is he says,
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"yeah, there's lot of things
you're not gonna understand.
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They're not gonna make any sense
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and it's almost
gonna overwhelm you,
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but just keep
reading, keep taking that time,
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keep reading and
it'll start making sense."
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And so for me I looked
at my struggle as a puzzle,
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a massive million
dollar, a million piece puzzle.
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That as I continue to
stay in the word of God,
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I begin to put
the boundaries on it.
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And little by little the pieces
start getting put together
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and I begin to understand.
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That's what I've
seen happen in my life.
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Now as a new person reading
the Bible for the first time,
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sometimes, you know, all thee's
and thou's and brethren's--
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The brethren's.
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They get kind of overwhelming
and I remember when I first,
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you know, started
reading the Bible,
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I got a King James Version
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and I love the
King James Version,
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but when I first
started reading it,
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I didn't understand much of it.
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You know, let
alone being able to,
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you know, pull out and take,
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you know,
applications to my own life,
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how do you-- how do you do that?
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How do you read the Bible
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and pull out things that
actually apply to you today?
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Well, I remember when--
I believe that there are
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so many different Bibles
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and certain ones
speak to different people.
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I have probably the
majority of the versions
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and my conversion came with NIV,
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but there was a point in my life
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and I just felt
like I prayed about
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which one the Lord
wanted me to work with
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and so He answered in the
way that I'll never forget,
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but that's my personal thing.
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There's a lot of
people don't like that,
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but for me and the
way my brain works,
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there are things in
here that I cannot use
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as a comparative
in other versions
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and for my mind and
the things in the way
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the Lord designed
me this speaks to me.
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And so when there are
things that I don't understand
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and if I've prayed and asked for
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the Holy Spirit to
guide me into all truth,
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what happens is I notice
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there are questions that come up
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and I begin to study those,
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I believe those are
spirit driven questions
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because what I'm
trying to find out is
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what I need for
my life that day.
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I'm not asking for
what somebody else needs.
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I expect that what I learn
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and the people I
come in contact with
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are the people that hopefully
I can lift them up--I mean,
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you were talking about
when you came over the house
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and you saw whatever you did.
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I believe that's a testament
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that this is true
and what it says. Amen.
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I saw at first the kingdom
of God and his righteousness.
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And all these
things were added little
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did I realize it was adding
other numbers to the family.
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And of course, I have
to resonate with then,
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you know, when I first
began reading the Bible,
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I would say the vast
majority went over my head,
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but your passion and your
conviction was so compelling.
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I thought, well, if
he's passionate about it,
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well then may be I
just need to follow along.
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And I think the beauty
of it that I was patiently
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kind of trying to figure out
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exactly why were you so excited
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and then I figured out why
you were excited in the process.
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So I think
essentially what we're saying is
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two things,
number one, the Bible is
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there's lot of
different translations
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and may be you need to explore
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and find a translation
that you're comfortable with
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and use that one but
don't settle with just one,
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continue to explore
some of the other ones
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because there's good in
every single one of them.
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And number two,
be patient. Yeah.
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Keep reading, and I
think that's what we did is
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I--a lot of
things went over my head.
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I was just so excited
just listening to you.
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I was like, "Man, he's so
excited and so passionate,"
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so I'm just gonna
just sit here and listen
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untill I finally get it
and then I finally got it
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and I think that's the beauty
of it is just being patient.
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Okay, now we kind of
have just jumped right into
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like the Bible can be
boring for certain people.
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But we need to kind of know
why people consider it boring?
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I think it's important
that we understanding you know,
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why do people think
the Bible is boring?
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Because if we know
that may be we can help,
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you know, alleviate
some of those things.
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And so I want to ask
you, just for your ideas,
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I didn't tell you
I was gonna do this--
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But--Why do you think
the Bible can be boring
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for somebody
who's never read it?
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Well, I think for me personally,
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I think the reason
why sometimes the Bible
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can be boring--could
appear to be boring is
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because number one,
we're not of kind of reading.
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We don't really
read in our generation
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as much as we did in
the previous generation,
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so we like to sit
and just kind of watch,
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and kind of let, you know,
others do the thinking for us.
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So sometimes critical thinking
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is not really part
of our everyday life.
00:08:56.17\00:08:58.11
So when you read the
Bible you have to read it
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and you have to ask questions
and sometimes we're just not,
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we don't have the mental
stamina to do that, number one,
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and I think number
two is because we're not--
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spiritual things
are spiritually discern.
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That's one of the things
that Mike always taught us
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as we were studying,
that you can only understand
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spiritual things
through the spirit.
00:09:15.68\00:09:17.98
And the reason why sometimes
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people find the
Bible to be boring is
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because they're
reading it with secular eyes.
00:09:20.97\00:09:23.61
They're not reading
it with enlightened eyes.
00:09:23.62\00:09:25.65
And I think the story of Paul
is such a powerful one where,
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you know, he falls
from the horse and,
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you know-- and
the whole experience
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where the others
didn't see anything,
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but he was able to see Lord.
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And I think
that's the key is just
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it's kind of like
putting on 3D glasses,
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you know, you go watch a film,
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that's a 3D film or
whatever and it's okay,
00:09:40.25\00:09:42.59
but when you put the 3D
glasses you're like, "Wow."
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And I think spiritually speaking
00:09:44.59\00:09:45.93
when we allow the spirit to
be a part of our Bible study,
00:09:45.94\00:09:48.56
how do we do that?
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Well, obviously
prayer, obviously discipline
00:09:49.57\00:09:52.74
and obviously being intentional
as to what we're reading.
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I think when we do that
we're kind of spiritually
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putting on 3D
glasses and I remember
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having Bible studies with
Mike, we would go to a text--
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This is before 3D came out?
00:10:01.89\00:10:03.04
This is before 3D came
out and we would read a text
00:10:03.05\00:10:05.56
and he was all excited.
00:10:05.57\00:10:06.75
And we were
all-- six of us like,
00:10:06.76\00:10:08.05
why is he excited all about?
00:10:08.06\00:10:09.54
Why, because he
had a certain depth
00:10:09.55\00:10:12.16
in his experience with God
00:10:12.17\00:10:13.32
that we yet had--
we didn't have yet.
00:10:13.33\00:10:16.04
And I think it
wasn't until slowly
00:10:16.05\00:10:18.13
we began to discipline our minds
00:10:18.14\00:10:20.65
and our eyes and our
spiritual perceptions
00:10:20.66\00:10:22.34
that we finally realized,
"wow, that does make sense
00:10:22.35\00:10:24.66
and we do need to
get excited about it."
00:10:24.67\00:10:26.34
Yeah, see--and I can't
fathom when somebody says,
00:10:26.35\00:10:29.10
that the Bible is not exciting,
00:10:29.11\00:10:30.30
I can't even-- I
can't even go there.
00:10:30.31\00:10:32.32
I don't even
understand how that's possible.
00:10:32.33\00:10:34.91
And so-- I mean where else
00:10:34.92\00:10:37.55
can you read a
story of a dead man
00:10:37.56\00:10:39.71
who raises someone to life,
00:10:39.72\00:10:41.40
you know, where do
you hear stories like that
00:10:41.41\00:10:44.09
or a guy on the roof
he went to worship God,
00:10:44.10\00:10:46.02
but ends up having
someone else's wife
00:10:46.03\00:10:49.23
and kills his husband for me?
00:10:49.24\00:10:50.45
A lot of this stuff,
if you put it into video,
00:10:50.46\00:10:52.68
it would be X-rated
and so when someone says
00:10:52.69\00:10:55.26
they'd rather go to
a movie or do some like
00:10:55.27\00:10:57.04
that I'm going--
there is something here
00:10:57.05\00:11:00.59
and yet it's all
testified character of God
00:11:00.60\00:11:03.10
and so those things excite me
00:11:03.11\00:11:05.42
because I had the same
experience that you had,
00:11:05.43\00:11:08.24
which is I saw
someone get excited
00:11:08.25\00:11:11.12
about something and I'm
going, "what am I missing?"
00:11:11.13\00:11:14.17
And so that's
where prayer came in,
00:11:14.18\00:11:17.09
is because I asked God to give
me the desire to see something
00:11:17.10\00:11:20.62
because of a
statement somebody made.
00:11:20.63\00:11:23.19
Somebody made a
statement that said,
00:11:23.20\00:11:24.80
the reason I do not go
to Sabbath school anymore
00:11:24.81\00:11:26.80
because I know all the stories.
00:11:26.81\00:11:29.25
That blew me away and
because when you get excited
00:11:29.26\00:11:31.86
and you see things
00:11:31.87\00:11:32.86
it just continues to
pile on new exciting things,
00:11:32.87\00:11:35.38
but if there you're not
reading it, it cannot happen.
00:11:35.39\00:11:38.29
It's that daily
getting up and doing that.
00:11:38.30\00:11:42.72
I like what you said, because
the Bible is exciting for you
00:11:42.73\00:11:47.06
and you've been able to make
it exciting for other people
00:11:47.07\00:11:49.21
who didn't understand
it and your enthusiasm
00:11:49.22\00:11:51.86
for the word of
God was what actually
00:11:51.87\00:11:54.70
was instrumental in them coming
back to your house everyday.
00:11:54.71\00:11:57.42
And, Jay, I liked what you said,
00:11:57.43\00:11:59.14
you quoted First
Corinthians 2:14,
00:11:59.15\00:12:02.00
which says, "The
natural man does not receive
00:12:02.01\00:12:04.49
the things of the Spirit of God,
00:12:04.50\00:12:05.49
for they are
foolishness unto him,
00:12:05.50\00:12:06.92
neither can he know them,
00:12:06.93\00:12:07.92
because they are
spiritually discerned."
00:12:07.93\00:12:09.16
So we need the Holy Spirit.
00:12:09.17\00:12:10.65
We have to realize
and recognize that,
00:12:10.66\00:12:12.80
you and I cannot make the Bible
exciting for an individual.
00:12:12.81\00:12:15.33
Right. And I think also as,
00:12:15.34\00:12:17.24
you know, we tend
to come to the Bible
00:12:17.25\00:12:18.50
like we do to
like Sports Illustrated
00:12:18.51\00:12:19.98
or Newsweek or Time Magazine,
00:12:19.99\00:12:21.57
you know, it's the Holy Bible.
00:12:21.58\00:12:24.58
And we're not
naturally holy people
00:12:24.59\00:12:26.85
hence we need a spiritual
umbrella to accompany us
00:12:26.86\00:12:30.33
when we study the word,
00:12:30.34\00:12:31.33
but also I think there
is a few practical things
00:12:31.34\00:12:33.06
why young people find
the Bible to be boring.
00:12:33.07\00:12:35.32
I think sometimes they
don't know where to start.
00:12:35.33\00:12:38.09
I think sometimes
they really don't know--
00:12:38.10\00:12:39.96
they just see a
bunch of word, it's like,
00:12:39.97\00:12:41.34
"uh, where do I
go, where do I begin?"
00:12:41.35\00:12:43.80
And number two,
I think sometimes
00:12:43.81\00:12:44.90
when young people do
start reading the Bible,
00:12:44.91\00:12:46.65
they feel like they have to
read 20 chapters at one sitting
00:12:46.66\00:12:51.04
and they have to
read very, very fast.
00:12:51.05\00:12:53.32
The problem is number one,
00:12:53.33\00:12:55.64
your attention level
is very low, number one.
00:12:55.65\00:12:58.23
And number two, when
you read very, very fast
00:12:58.24\00:13:00.48
you're gonna miss a lot of
very, very important details.
00:13:00.49\00:13:04.23
So I think if a young
person is watching this program
00:13:04.24\00:13:06.69
and trying-- and is wondering
00:13:06.70\00:13:08.40
how can I have an
exciting experience
00:13:08.41\00:13:10.84
with God through the word?
00:13:10.85\00:13:12.10
I think, number one, I think
it's very important for you
00:13:12.11\00:13:15.44
to try to read small
portions of scripture.
00:13:15.45\00:13:19.81
Don't try to read 20
chapters at one sitting,
00:13:19.82\00:13:21.98
read one chapter.
00:13:21.99\00:13:23.13
Number one is
the quantity of text.
00:13:23.14\00:13:25.87
And number two,
may be the velocity.
00:13:25.88\00:13:28.76
Don't read so
fast. Try to read slow.
00:13:28.77\00:13:30.90
You'll be surprised how
much you'll get out of one text
00:13:30.91\00:13:33.77
by reading it very, very slow.
00:13:33.78\00:13:35.07
So I think those are two very
practical things we could do.
00:13:35.08\00:13:37.52
Okay, well let's move
off of the boring part of it
00:13:37.53\00:13:40.40
and go and address the
issue of the relevance of it.
00:13:40.41\00:13:43.50
Because, you know, you're
gonna find a book exciting
00:13:43.51\00:13:45.75
like you find a movie
exciting, but it doesn't--
00:13:45.76\00:13:47.78
It's not relevant--It
doesn't mean anything to you,
00:13:47.79\00:13:49.14
because you are not there,
you are not experiencing it.
00:13:49.15\00:13:50.89
So how do you make the
Bible relevant to your life?
00:13:50.90\00:13:53.36
Well, I've read
something that really hit me,
00:13:53.37\00:13:58.36
you cannot give a way something
you do not possess, right?
00:13:58.37\00:14:02.10
If you have a gift it
is a gift for a reason
00:14:02.11\00:14:04.71
because you're
gonna give it to somebody.
00:14:04.72\00:14:06.23
And so I found
something in Acts,
00:14:06.24\00:14:09.14
I was looking at this
and it really intrigued me,
00:14:09.15\00:14:12.57
because there was something
that they said at first--
00:14:12.58\00:14:15.62
the very first one was
Acts Chapter 1, verse 8,
00:14:15.63\00:14:19.10
and it says, "But
you shall receive power,
00:14:19.11\00:14:22.14
after that the Holy
Ghost is come upon you,
00:14:22.15\00:14:24.67
and you shall be witnesses
unto me both in Jerusalem,
00:14:24.68\00:14:26.82
and in all
Judaea, and in Samaria,
00:14:26.83\00:14:28.08
and unto the
uttermost part of the earth."
00:14:28.09\00:14:29.47
So here it is--is you
were gonna be given something.
00:14:29.48\00:14:32.21
Some power that when you
receive the Holy Spirit, right?
00:14:32.22\00:14:35.42
Then when we ended up
getting, I got to what is it,
00:14:35.43\00:14:39.44
it's Acts
Chapter-- oh, here it is,
00:14:39.45\00:14:43.11
remember when Peter and John--
00:14:43.12\00:14:45.36
Which chapter are
you in? I'm in Chapter 3.
00:14:45.37\00:14:47.31
Chapter 3. In verse 6, it says,
00:14:47.32\00:14:49.38
and this is the
part I'm talking about,
00:14:49.39\00:14:51.62
then Peter said
"Silver and gold have I none,
00:14:51.63\00:14:55.02
but such as I
have I give to thee."
00:14:55.03\00:14:58.26
He had nothing.
00:14:58.27\00:15:00.33
He didn't have a
gift to give him,
00:15:00.34\00:15:02.64
he had no silver or gold,
00:15:02.65\00:15:03.64
but he gave him
what he possessed.
00:15:03.65\00:15:05.20
He had it, so I go
back to that, okay,
00:15:05.21\00:15:07.51
well, then that
would only make sense
00:15:07.52\00:15:09.02
that if I could understand
how to receive the spirit,
00:15:09.03\00:15:11.83
then I could
give something, okay?
00:15:11.84\00:15:14.41
Because then, we go to
Ephesians Chapter 2 verse 8.
00:15:14.42\00:15:20.45
Ephesians Chapter
2 verse 8. Uh-huh.
00:15:20.46\00:15:23.92
I think I'm picking up a
little bit on the enthusiasm
00:15:23.93\00:15:25.99
that you have
with the Bible study.
00:15:26.00\00:15:27.14
Oh, you haven't
seen anything yet.
00:15:27.15\00:15:28.31
He's just getting warmed up.
00:15:28.32\00:15:29.92
But, what I'm doing here
is this, is for youth, okay?
00:15:29.93\00:15:34.21
And I'm talking
about this as an experience
00:15:34.22\00:15:36.05
that I've had and what
I've seen other people have
00:15:36.06\00:15:37.89
because I experienced
other people's excitement.
00:15:37.90\00:15:40.47
I can see people reading the
same Bible that aren't exciting.
00:15:40.48\00:15:43.41
And then people that
are--that are exciting,
00:15:43.42\00:15:45.61
and I'm going, what is it?
00:15:45.62\00:15:46.79
I asked the same question.
00:15:46.80\00:15:48.75
And here's what
I find interesting,
00:15:48.76\00:15:50.59
this says here in verse
8 chapter 2 in Ephesians.
00:15:50.60\00:15:53.18
It says "For by grace
are you saved through faith,
00:15:53.19\00:15:55.33
that not of
yourself it's a gift of God,"
00:15:55.34\00:15:57.94
so all these things are
gifts, it's a gift of God
00:15:57.95\00:16:00.53
and he wants you to
give it to someone else.
00:16:00.54\00:16:04.23
And so what my
natural question was,
00:16:04.24\00:16:07.19
how do I receive the spirit?
00:16:07.20\00:16:10.33
You see, because it was promised
00:16:10.34\00:16:11.89
and he says repent
00:16:11.90\00:16:12.89
and be baptized for
the remittance of sin.
00:16:12.90\00:16:15.16
And this is what
you're going to get.
00:16:15.17\00:16:17.79
You know, it makes
sense because the Holy Spirit
00:16:17.80\00:16:19.47
was the one that
inspired the Bible,
00:16:19.48\00:16:21.34
so the way that we experience
00:16:21.35\00:16:22.87
the Holy Spirit is
going to the Bible.
00:16:22.88\00:16:24.75
I think sometimes we try to--
we try to have an experience
00:16:24.76\00:16:29.05
with the spirit
outside of the Bible.
00:16:29.06\00:16:31.56
And I think the keys
is that when you are in,
00:16:31.57\00:16:33.71
when you're in
front of the word of God
00:16:33.72\00:16:35.23
you're literally in front
of the works of the spirit,
00:16:35.24\00:16:37.21
because it was the
Holy Spirit that actually
00:16:37.22\00:16:38.69
was actively involved
in inspiring every let,
00:16:38.70\00:16:41.43
you know, every
thought and every--
00:16:41.44\00:16:42.94
The Holy Spirit,
you know, its work was,
00:16:42.95\00:16:45.01
you know, to reveal the Bible
to the writers to, you know,
00:16:45.02\00:16:48.48
revelations, inspiration
and then illumination.
00:16:48.49\00:16:50.74
Exactly. And to make
the text come out and alive.
00:16:50.75\00:16:53.41
Well, now we also believe that
Christ was our example, right?
00:16:53.42\00:16:57.06
We wanna live by his example.
00:16:57.07\00:16:59.20
If the Holy
Spirit is this important,
00:16:59.21\00:17:01.92
how was Mary
impregnated to the Holy Spirit?
00:17:01.93\00:17:06.43
Okay, and then where else
was he given the Holy Spirit?
00:17:06.44\00:17:10.17
At baptism, then what
did the Holy Spirit do?
00:17:10.18\00:17:13.23
It led him into the
desert to be tempted.
00:17:13.24\00:17:16.38
It then says in scripture that
he was justified by the spirit.
00:17:16.39\00:17:19.95
It says in
Matthew, Chapter 12:28,
00:17:19.96\00:17:22.38
that it was the Holy
Spirit that did those miracles.
00:17:22.39\00:17:26.30
And then we are told, I
think it's First Timothy 3,
00:17:26.31\00:17:29.20
that it says there
that the Holy Spirit
00:17:29.21\00:17:30.84
raised Him from the dead.
00:17:30.85\00:17:32.60
Now if scripture
is true, then it means
00:17:32.61\00:17:35.56
that I can possess
the same thing, so--
00:17:35.57\00:17:38.77
That's why Jesus
said greater works--
00:17:38.78\00:17:40.44
Yes. That's exactly
right and so for me,
00:17:40.45\00:17:43.77
receiving the Holy
Spirit by spirit in truth
00:17:43.78\00:17:46.54
it has redeemed the word of God,
00:17:46.55\00:17:49.31
that the Holy
Spirit enlightens you
00:17:49.32\00:17:51.25
and as you began to be
filled with the Holy Spirit
00:17:51.26\00:17:54.02
then you now have something
to give to someone else
00:17:54.03\00:17:57.01
that you that
they do not possess.
00:17:57.02\00:17:58.99
And unless you
give that gift away,
00:17:59.00\00:18:01.56
they cannot be blessed from it,
00:18:01.57\00:18:03.97
so the--so the
logic question for me was
00:18:03.98\00:18:07.13
how do I get
that goodness in me?
00:18:07.14\00:18:08.70
Exactly. That's how--how
do I get that goodness in me?
00:18:08.71\00:18:11.48
That is what I'm looking for.
00:18:11.49\00:18:13.28
And as I read the word of God,
00:18:13.29\00:18:15.27
I'm hoping that
if scripture's true
00:18:15.28\00:18:17.64
and it says,
"Faith comes from hearing,
00:18:17.65\00:18:19.92
and hearing by the word of God."
00:18:19.93\00:18:22.18
The lack of faith is the lack
of that, that's logical, right?
00:18:22.19\00:18:26.14
So as I read the word of God,
00:18:26.15\00:18:27.46
especially they go
through the Old Testament,
00:18:27.47\00:18:29.92
those stories,
man have you ever been
00:18:29.93\00:18:31.59
through a trial on your
life, a story comes to mind.
00:18:31.60\00:18:34.64
Oh, you think, oh, well, I
just happen to think about it.
00:18:34.65\00:18:36.28
No, spirit driven because why?
00:18:36.29\00:18:38.33
It is what created faith in you.
00:18:38.34\00:18:40.54
And so for my kids,
as they were growing up,
00:18:40.55\00:18:43.73
it was all about having worship
00:18:43.74\00:18:45.16
and going
through the old stories,
00:18:45.17\00:18:46.16
because I believe
that's what gives us faith.
00:18:46.17\00:18:47.92
That so crazy
because we think that,
00:18:47.93\00:18:49.80
you know, to make
the Bible relevant
00:18:49.81\00:18:51.31
I have to pour over
the text and I have to,
00:18:51.32\00:18:52.98
you know, find
this little detail
00:18:52.99\00:18:54.14
that matches this experience
00:18:54.15\00:18:55.71
and all you're saying is that,
00:18:55.72\00:18:56.71
it's the Holy Spirit
that's working through us--
00:18:56.72\00:18:59.04
To bring the connections.
00:18:59.05\00:19:00.04
That will bring
those connections.
00:19:00.05\00:19:01.04
That's right, that's right.
00:19:01.05\00:19:02.07
You know, that's a
very powerful connection.
00:19:02.08\00:19:06.36
Now, Mike, you're
busy-- you're a busy person.
00:19:06.37\00:19:08.15
I don't think there is any--
00:19:08.16\00:19:09.15
you're one of the most
busy individuals that I know.
00:19:09.16\00:19:11.91
You're just a busy guy.
00:19:11.92\00:19:12.95
You're a father, and
you're a hard worker,
00:19:12.96\00:19:14.88
you're a
husband, so how do you fit
00:19:14.89\00:19:18.29
into your crazy busy schedule?
00:19:18.30\00:19:20.12
Because I know there are
some viewers that are like,
00:19:20.13\00:19:21.74
uh, I'm in university,
or may be some of them
00:19:21.75\00:19:24.40
had just gotten
married, they're like,
00:19:24.41\00:19:26.07
"How do I do this
Bible study thing?"
00:19:26.08\00:19:27.89
What you will do in
your own personal life?
00:19:27.90\00:19:29.89
How do you
factor in Bible study?
00:19:29.90\00:19:31.72
What time you wake up?
00:19:31.73\00:19:32.72
How does that
working own experience?
00:19:32.73\00:19:34.20
Well, you know, it
started out waking up at 5:00
00:19:34.21\00:19:38.44
and then it started at 4:00
and then it started at 3:00--
00:19:38.45\00:19:43.13
Wow! Because--
00:19:43.14\00:19:44.19
When do you sleep?
00:19:44.20\00:19:45.38
You know, well, I ask
my wife the same question.
00:19:45.39\00:19:47.89
It's one of those
things until the beatitude,
00:19:47.90\00:19:52.40
the very first beatitude.
00:19:52.41\00:19:54.27
Blessed are
those-- Blessed are those
00:19:54.28\00:19:57.03
who are pouring spirit, right?
00:19:57.04\00:19:59.17
And the second one is
blessed are those who mourn.
00:19:59.18\00:20:02.08
It's because you're
mourning over the fact
00:20:02.09\00:20:03.58
that you haven't got something.
00:20:03.59\00:20:05.47
You lack the
spirit that you need
00:20:05.48\00:20:07.65
to get you through the day.
00:20:07.66\00:20:09.41
And so by morning
then the next one is
00:20:09.42\00:20:11.53
how you receive that
your relationship with God,
00:20:11.54\00:20:13.76
the first four,
the second four is
00:20:13.77\00:20:15.47
your relationship
with the people, right?
00:20:15.48\00:20:17.59
So when I look at, when
I get up in the morning,
00:20:17.60\00:20:20.10
I cannot make it without it.
00:20:20.11\00:20:22.12
I got five kids and
like I said when someone's
00:20:22.13\00:20:25.38
not asking for something,
if I'm able to ask for them--
00:20:25.39\00:20:29.84
my kids go to their school,
they're doing their homework,
00:20:29.85\00:20:33.43
there are up for late hours,
trying to get all that done
00:20:33.44\00:20:35.78
and all these other activities.
00:20:35.79\00:20:37.63
I believe that as
the priest of my home,
00:20:37.64\00:20:40.80
I have a responsibility
and that is to show my children
00:20:40.81\00:20:44.28
if nothing else,
they know you ask them,
00:20:44.29\00:20:46.93
they know I go
there every morning
00:20:46.94\00:20:49.24
to pray on their behalf.
00:20:49.25\00:20:50.96
And I could tell you
miracle after miracle the stuff
00:20:50.97\00:20:52.87
that's happened
because God was merciful,
00:20:52.88\00:20:55.83
because He answered that prayer
00:20:55.84\00:20:58.30
and He honors
those who honor Him.
00:20:58.31\00:21:01.38
I want to honor God.
00:21:01.39\00:21:02.65
I go there every
morning, sometimes it's at 3:00,
00:21:02.66\00:21:05.51
sometimes it's 6:00,
but I have a schedule
00:21:05.52\00:21:08.99
and it was really hard to
start out with 30 minutes,
00:21:09.00\00:21:11.06
then it was really
hard to do an hour.
00:21:11.07\00:21:12.62
Pretty soon I'm
trying to figure out
00:21:12.63\00:21:14.68
how I can get
more than two hours in,
00:21:14.69\00:21:16.53
but that's me, so I have
to start getting up earlier.
00:21:16.54\00:21:19.36
Why is that?
00:21:19.37\00:21:20.36
It's because I find
this stuff--stuff in here
00:21:20.37\00:21:22.95
that changes people's lives.
00:21:22.96\00:21:25.22
I serve a God who changes lives,
00:21:25.23\00:21:27.72
He doesn't accept you where
you're at and leave you there.
00:21:27.73\00:21:30.12
He changes you and
makes you in to a person
00:21:30.13\00:21:32.86
that is just is unbelievable.
00:21:32.87\00:21:35.92
You have the
characteristic of Christ in you,
00:21:35.93\00:21:38.49
He promises that.
00:21:38.50\00:21:39.90
That's what I desire,
I desire further people,
00:21:39.91\00:21:42.28
am I best at it?
00:21:42.29\00:21:44.10
You know, I feel
like other people do,
00:21:44.11\00:21:45.67
but I'll tell you something,
00:21:45.68\00:21:46.76
I know where to go every morning
00:21:46.77\00:21:48.51
when I need to get
right with the Lord again.
00:21:48.52\00:21:50.48
And start all over,
and that's the word of God.
00:21:50.49\00:21:53.09
So, you intentionally make time.
00:21:53.10\00:21:55.49
Oh, I have to--.
For--in other words
00:21:55.50\00:21:57.12
you're at the point
of your Christian walk
00:21:57.13\00:21:58.48
where if you don't
spend time with God,
00:21:58.49\00:22:00.30
you're just, you're just a mess.
00:22:00.31\00:22:01.71
Yes, you're right,
because, I see it this way,
00:22:01.72\00:22:03.72
my kids and my
wife are at risk. Wow!
00:22:03.73\00:22:06.68
Because--and other people too,
00:22:06.69\00:22:10.35
you know, I pray for
you guys, I know you guys.
00:22:10.36\00:22:12.57
I know what you guys do
and I know your dedication.
00:22:12.58\00:22:16.61
Got a chance just to meet you,
00:22:16.62\00:22:18.01
but you know the people
that you're associated with
00:22:18.02\00:22:21.35
they're like extended family.
00:22:21.36\00:22:23.00
If they're a friend of
yours they're friend of mine.
00:22:23.01\00:22:24.57
There are people that I believe
it is now my responsibility,
00:22:24.58\00:22:29.20
I mean if Christ prays for us,
00:22:29.21\00:22:31.45
I would assume He have
that same responsibility.
00:22:31.46\00:22:34.28
I think He took it on
as a personal challenge,
00:22:34.29\00:22:36.39
that's why He came
and died on the cross.
00:22:36.40\00:22:37.74
So I feel like that's where
I'm supposed to be heading,
00:22:37.75\00:22:41.12
because if I'm
to be like Christ,
00:22:41.13\00:22:43.22
it would only seem
natural that's the direction
00:22:43.23\00:22:45.38
He is going to lead
me, but I can't be lead
00:22:45.39\00:22:47.94
if I ignore what is leading me.
00:22:47.95\00:22:49.96
Yeah, that make sense, Mike,
00:22:49.97\00:22:50.96
because I mean here we were
six young people drilling you,
00:22:50.97\00:22:54.11
question after
question after question
00:22:54.12\00:22:55.61
and that it is because
you took a devotional life
00:22:55.62\00:22:58.32
as a priority that
God allowed us to meet,
00:22:58.33\00:23:01.91
because if you
were void of the spirit,
00:23:01.92\00:23:03.97
if you didn't have an
experience with the Bible
00:23:03.98\00:23:05.77
then you wouldn't
have been able to help us.
00:23:05.78\00:23:08.08
I agree. So is it
possible that maybe
00:23:08.09\00:23:10.35
we have miracles that are
pending and they're pending
00:23:10.36\00:23:13.59
for very, very long
periods of time simply because,
00:23:13.60\00:23:16.02
we're not
developing our spiritual lives
00:23:16.03\00:23:18.60
so the point
where we could receive
00:23:18.61\00:23:19.73
or be a active
part of this miracle.
00:23:19.74\00:23:21.60
Yeah, here's an example.
00:23:21.61\00:23:23.68
You go to First
King's, it was Elijah, right?
00:23:23.69\00:23:25.74
How many
miracles did he do? Seven.
00:23:25.75\00:23:28.60
You get Elijah now
who wants to mantle,
00:23:28.61\00:23:31.49
what did he ask for?
00:23:31.50\00:23:33.10
Double portion of the spirit.
00:23:33.11\00:23:34.33
Yeah, guess how
many miracles he did?
00:23:34.34\00:23:35.74
Fourteen. Wow!
00:23:35.75\00:23:38.05
He asked for double portion.
00:23:38.06\00:23:39.64
And the 14th one he
did when he was dead.
00:23:39.65\00:23:43.81
It's a prime example of Christ.
00:23:43.82\00:23:46.34
It's a prime example
of Christ what he did.
00:23:46.35\00:23:48.16
The most incredible miracle
happened after his death, why?
00:23:48.17\00:23:51.26
Because it was the Holy
Spirit that was promised.
00:23:51.27\00:23:53.50
He knew he needed,
He said in Matthew 16.
00:23:53.51\00:23:55.98
It is expedient that I
go, because if I do not go,
00:23:55.99\00:23:59.17
the Holy Spirit will not come.
00:23:59.18\00:24:00.53
That's because He
knew what we needed,
00:24:00.54\00:24:03.09
and it says the kingdom of God
does not come by observation,
00:24:03.10\00:24:06.75
the kingdom of
God is within you.
00:24:06.76\00:24:09.09
That is where the difference
comes in person's life.
00:24:09.10\00:24:11.73
And it did--it is all
anchored after this right here
00:24:11.74\00:24:14.65
without this--this is
the most incredible book
00:24:14.66\00:24:16.94
that the words itself
can change it your life.
00:24:16.95\00:24:19.30
No other book can do that.
00:24:19.31\00:24:20.91
Because it's
driven by the Holy Spirit
00:24:20.92\00:24:23.79
and it does that
in a person's life.
00:24:23.80\00:24:25.92
So, Mike, in 30
seconds to a minute,
00:24:25.93\00:24:28.56
what message would
you give to somebody who--
00:24:28.57\00:24:30.71
Thirty seconds?
Thirty seconds or a minute,
00:24:30.72\00:24:32.46
what message would
you give to somebody
00:24:32.47\00:24:33.99
watching the
program that is thinking,
00:24:34.00\00:24:35.95
okay, I want to be an
effective teacher of the word,
00:24:35.96\00:24:40.12
what do I do, where do I start?
00:24:40.13\00:24:41.32
Thirty--may be they're
Sabbath school teacher,
00:24:41.33\00:24:42.95
may be they teach
the young and adults,
00:24:42.96\00:24:44.57
may be they teach that
youth, whatever may be.
00:24:44.58\00:24:47.18
The way I see it is
this, is when you guys
00:24:47.19\00:24:49.45
were brought to my home
that's where I was at my life.
00:24:49.46\00:24:54.49
It was--there are people
that knew less than I did,
00:24:54.50\00:24:58.52
but see what happens is
I get the opportunity now
00:24:58.53\00:25:01.59
and by putting forth an effort
00:25:01.60\00:25:04.51
that I was asking for
the God gave it to me.
00:25:04.52\00:25:07.51
I began to learn more.
00:25:07.52\00:25:09.46
Now there are some
people I will not be able to
00:25:09.47\00:25:12.70
because I won't
reach them for some reason,
00:25:12.71\00:25:14.54
that's why there
is different people
00:25:14.55\00:25:16.14
because people aren't
gonna--just for the fact
00:25:16.15\00:25:18.04
that I read King James
itself, some people won't have
00:25:18.05\00:25:19.97
anything to do with me.
00:25:19.98\00:25:20.97
That's fine
there is other people.
00:25:20.98\00:25:22.74
One guy gave the
illustration like this, he says,
00:25:22.75\00:25:24.48
"If you were in
Seattle and you were going down
00:25:24.49\00:25:26.19
the Southern California and
had no car you'd hitchhike."
00:25:26.20\00:25:29.22
There are some people that
are gonna take you to Portland,
00:25:29.23\00:25:31.32
some people would take
you to Northern California,
00:25:31.33\00:25:33.56
but not everybody is
gonna take you the whole way.
00:25:33.57\00:25:35.73
There are people in
their life that you're gonna
00:25:35.74\00:25:38.03
only move people just so far
00:25:38.04\00:25:40.09
and then it will be
handed off to the next person.
00:25:40.10\00:25:42.81
And so and to me
the lack--thinking
00:25:42.82\00:25:46.47
that I have to know everything
then we'd never do it.
00:25:46.48\00:25:49.52
Right. But that's not learning.
00:25:49.53\00:25:50.90
To be a professor he
went through school together.
00:25:50.91\00:25:53.96
So I believe to be a
professor of the word of God,
00:25:53.97\00:25:56.21
it is a learning
process, but while I'm learning,
00:25:56.22\00:25:58.65
I'm told that the more I share
00:25:58.66\00:26:00.66
the more God gives
me to share more, so--
00:26:00.67\00:26:02.69
It is an endless cycle.
00:26:02.70\00:26:03.72
I can't help but want
to share more and more
00:26:03.73\00:26:05.58
because that means God is
gonna give me more to share
00:26:05.59\00:26:08.35
and I don't want to be stagnant.
00:26:08.36\00:26:10.33
It's interesting,
because here we are talking
00:26:10.34\00:26:11.84
about the Bible and I'm excited.
00:26:11.85\00:26:13.55
This has not
been a boring exercise
00:26:13.56\00:26:15.93
and of course Mike
kind of has that ability
00:26:15.94\00:26:17.84
to make things
exciting, but, Mike,
00:26:17.85\00:26:19.38
we really wish we could
be here for a longer time,
00:26:19.39\00:26:21.74
but we do thank you for
the time that you've come
00:26:21.75\00:26:24.62
has been really a spiritual
desert for me in particularly
00:26:24.63\00:26:27.17
because you're
a vital instrument
00:26:27.18\00:26:29.85
in my personal story.
00:26:29.86\00:26:31.82
And we hope that we can
00:26:31.83\00:26:33.84
have this pleasure
in the future as well.
00:26:33.85\00:26:36.27
Well, I would love
to, that sounds great.
00:26:36.28\00:26:39.38
Maybe you're a young person
00:26:39.39\00:26:40.59
who has been watching
this program and thought,
00:26:40.60\00:26:42.25
wow, so I can have a powerful
00:26:42.26\00:26:45.71
and exciting experience
with God through His word.
00:26:45.72\00:26:47.92
I want to encourage
you not to underestimate
00:26:47.93\00:26:50.16
what the word of
God is capable of doing
00:26:50.17\00:26:52.86
in your own personal life.
00:26:52.87\00:26:54.01
Don't sell yourself
short of anything less
00:26:54.02\00:26:57.44
than a powerful Holy Spirit
driven experience with God.
00:26:57.45\00:27:00.44
I'm a young person
and I stand as evidence
00:27:00.45\00:27:03.06
that the word of God is capable
00:27:03.07\00:27:05.83
of changing and
it's still changing me.
00:27:05.84\00:27:07.35
The Lord is not
finished with me,
00:27:07.36\00:27:08.78
but many of us are missing out
00:27:08.79\00:27:10.31
on a powerful
experience with God,
00:27:10.32\00:27:12.20
we're kind of experiencing low
calorie experience with Christ
00:27:12.21\00:27:15.95
when we could have high
calorie experience with Christ
00:27:15.96\00:27:17.96
through the word,
through the spirit,
00:27:17.97\00:27:19.53
and through fellowship.
00:27:19.54\00:27:20.53
If you're a young person,
00:27:20.54\00:27:21.54
struggling in
your devotional life,
00:27:21.55\00:27:23.02
I want to encourage you
to take the time necessary.
00:27:23.03\00:27:25.56
Start with 10 minutes and
it will slowly grow and grow
00:27:25.57\00:27:28.85
from 10 to 15 to 45, et cetera.
00:27:28.86\00:27:31.49
So please take the time to spend
00:27:31.50\00:27:34.34
that quality time with Christ
00:27:34.35\00:27:35.54
and you're gonna find that
the time you spend with Christ
00:27:35.55\00:27:38.16
is only going to
increase your involvement
00:27:38.17\00:27:42.01
in the plan of
salvation to somebody else.
00:27:42.02\00:27:44.18
The more and
more you get filled,
00:27:44.19\00:27:45.60
the more and
more you fill yourself
00:27:45.61\00:27:46.83
with the promises of God,
00:27:46.84\00:27:48.15
the more opportunities
God is gonna give you
00:27:48.16\00:27:50.29
to reach out to others.
00:27:50.30\00:27:52.05
Thank you so much for
tuning in, in our program.
00:27:52.06\00:27:54.02
This program
continues, do not go away.
00:27:54.03\00:27:56.70
God bless you
and till next time.
00:27:56.71\00:27:59.13