Participants: Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021314A
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00:01 >>(CRICKETS) (SPRINKLERS) (OMINOUS MUSIC) (DOG BARKING)
00:34 (FIRE ALARM) >>MOMMY, DADDY, HELP ME. 00:49 >>NO, I DON'T THINK SO. YOU DIDN'T DO VERY WELL ON YOUR 00:52 REPORT CARD THIS LAST QUARTER SO, NO. 00:55 >>YOU HAVEN'T BEEN PULLING YOUR WEIGHT AROUND HERE LATELY. 00:58 YOU WANT HELP? WELL, I WANTED HELP WITH THE DISHES LAST NIGHT. 01:02 HELP YOURSELF. >>HUH? 01:04 >>HONEY, DID YOU BRING THE MARSHMALLOWS? (SIRENS) (MUSIC) 01:42 >>EVERY NOW AND THEN, IN THE PANORAMA OF 01:43 HISTORY, WE HEAR ABOUT INDIVIDUALS THAT GO FROM THE 01:46 LOWEST DEPTHS TO THE HIGHEST PINNACLES. THEY EMERGE 01:49 FROM THE SHACKLES OF PRISON TO LEAD AND INSPIRE A NATION. 01:54 TAKE JOSEPH, FOR INSTANCE: HE'S SOLD BY HIS BROTHERS AS A SLAVE, 01:58 THEN FALSELY ACCUSED AND THRUST INTO PRISON. 02:01 YET, THROUGH A SERIES OF DIVINE CIRCUMSTANCES, HE MIRACULOUSLY 02:04 GOES FROM THE PRISON TO THE PALACE, RULING THE ONES WHO ONCE 02:07 IMPRISONED HIM. SOUND FAR-FETCHED? 02:10 IT'S HAPPENED IN HISTORY MORE THAN YOU THINK. 02:12 SOUTH AFRICA IS THE HOME OF JUST SUCH A LEADER. 02:16 NELSON MANDELA WORKED TIRELESSLY TO ESTABLISH PEACE AND FREEDOM 02:20 IN HIS COUNTRY AND HIS INFLUENCE WAS FELT AROUND THE WORLD. 02:24 BEFORE FREEDOM, THERE MUST BE FORGIVENESS. 02:27 LIKE JOSEPH, WHO WAS UNJUSTLY ACCUSED OF A CRIME HE DID NOT 02:30 COMMIT, NELSON MANDELA WAS ACCUSED OF TERRORISM AND 02:33 SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON ON ROBIN ISLAND. 02:36 HE WAS OFTEN EXPOSED TO CRUEL PUNISHMENT AND ABUSE. 02:39 BUT EVEN IN THE MIDST OF APPARENT FAILURE AND 02:41 DISCOURAGEMENT, HE NEVER LOST HEART AND HE NEVER GAVE UP. 02:44 AFTER YEARS IN PRISON, A GROWING NUMBER OF SUPPORTERS RALLIED FOR 02:48 HIS RELEASE AND EVENTUALLY IT TOOK PLACE. 02:51 AND GOD USED HIM SO THAT HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING TO 02:54 ABOLISH RACIAL SEGREGATION IN THE COUNTRY OF SOUTH AFRICA. 02:58 INCREDIBLY, HE NOW WAS, VIRTUALLY, THE ABSOLUTE LEADER 03:01 IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAD IMPRISONED HIM. 03:03 HE HAD ALL THE TOOLS AND THE POWER AT HIS DISPOSAL TO GET 03:06 EVEN WITH THE PRISON GUARDS AND OTHERS THAT HAD MISTREATED HIM. 03:10 INSTEAD, MANDELA CHOSE FORGIVENESS. 03:13 IT REMINDS ME OF THAT VERSE IN THE BIBLE IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 03:15 4, VERSE 31, "LET ALL BITTERNESS, WRATH, ANGER, 03:19 CLAMOR, AND EVIL SPEAKING BE PUT AWAY FROM YOU, WITH ALL MALICE. 03:23 AND BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER, TENDERHEARTED, FORGIVING ONE 03:27 ANOTHER, EVEN AS GOD IN CHRIST FORGAVE YOU." 03:32 I'M SO THANKFUL THAT NELSON MANDELA, LIKE JOSEPH, CHOSE TO 03:35 FORGIVE THOSE WHO WERE ONCE HIS ENEMIES, AND TO SERVE HIS NATION 03:38 WITH LOVE AND COURAGE. YOU CAN FIND A NUMBER OF 03:41 EXAMPLES OF THIS HAPPENING IN THE BIBLE. 03:43 YOU HAVE DANIEL, WHO WAS A CAPTIVE FROM THE LAND OF JUDAH, 03:46 AND YET GOD ARRANGED THINGS WHERE HE BECOMES THE PRIME 03:48 MINISTER IN THE KINGDOM OF BABYLON. YOU HAVE ESTHER, WHO 03:51 WAS A POOR ORPHAN GIRL IN PERSIA, AND YET GOD WORKED 03:54 THINGS OUT WHERE SHE BECOMES THE QUEEN OF THAT COUNTRY. 03:57 THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH ENDS WITH AN INCREDIBLE STORY OF A YOUNG 04:01 KING NAMED JEHOIACHIN, WHO WAS IN A BABYLONIAN DUNGEON FOR 37 04:04 YEARS AND THEN KING EVIL-MERODACH HAS MERCY ON HIM 04:08 AND HE HAD A NEW STATUS, GOING FROM THE PRISON TO THE PALACE. 04:11 THIS IS WHAT THE LORD WANTS TO DO FOR YOU AND ME, FRIENDS. 04:14 HE GIVES YOU THE BREAD OF LIFE. 04:15 HE GIVES YOU THE ROBE OF JESUS' RIGHTEOUSNESS. 04:17 HE GIVES YOU A SEAT AT HIS TABLE. 04:19 IF YOU ACCEPT HIS FORGIVENESS AND YOU'RE WILLING TO PASS IT 04:22 ON, YOU AND I CAN LIVE AND REIGN WITH CHRIST. 04:25 WOULDN'T YOU LIKE THAT EXPERIENCE? (MUSIC) 04:47 >>THIS MORNING WE'RE CONTINUING WITH THE SERIES THAT 04:50 WE BEGAN A FEW WEEKS AGO, TALKING ABOUT THE LAW OF GOD. 04:54 AND THIS WOULD REALLY BE THE THIRD PRESENTATION, BUT TODAY 04:58 WE'RE DEALING WITH THE SECOND COMMANDMENT. 05:00 WE HAD ONE SABBATH WE DEDICATED TO AN INTRODUCTION, AND THEN WE 05:04 TALKED ABOUT THE FIRST COMMANDMENT. 05:06 TODAY WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE SECOND COMMANDMENT AND 05:09 IT DEALS WITH THE SUBJECT OF THE IMAGE OF GOD - THAT'S THE TITLE 05:13 THAT I'VE GIVEN TO TODAY'S MESSAGE. 05:16 NOW, I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE'S A REAL 05:20 DANGER - MORE THAN I THOUGHT - WITH TEXTING AND DRIVING. 05:29 23-PERCENT - I HAD NO IDEA IT WAS SO HIGH - 23-PERCENT OF AUTO 05:33 COLLISIONS INVOLVE CELL PHONES NOW. 05:37 JUST THINK ABOUT THAT - TEXTING WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING MAKES YOUR 05:42 CRASH - SAME NUMBER - 23-PERCENT MORE LIKELY. 05:47 13-PERCENT OF TEENS ADMITTED TO TEXTING OR TALKING IMMEDIATELY 05:52 BEFORE A WRECK - 13-PERCENT - YET 77-PERCENT OF YOUNG ADULTS 05:59 THINK THEY CAN TEXT SAFELY WHILE DRIVING. 06:04 WE ALL ARE SURE THAT WE'RE - WE CAN DO IT SAFELY. 06:08 YOU KNOW WHAT THE REAL DANGER IS? 06:12 WHEN YOU ARE TEXTING WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING OR WHEN YOU'RE GIVING 06:17 YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SCREEN OF YOUR PHONE, EVEN IF IT'S JUST 06:20 FOR A SECOND, IF YOU'RE DRIVING 55 MILES AN HOUR, YOU WILL COVER 06:26 THE DISTANCE OF A FOOTBALL FIELD IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO READ AND 06:30 SEND A TEXT. A LOT OF THINGS CAN HAPPEN 06:33 DURING THAT TIME, WHERE SOMEONE CHANGES LANES OR YOU CAN SWERVE 06:36 OUT OF YOUR LANE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. 06:39 I READ THE TESTIMONY, LAST NIGHT, OF A NEWS REPORTER IN 06:42 TEXAS WHO SAID, 'I WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO CONSTANTLY HAD 06:46 MY PHONE.' EVEN WHEN HER KIDS WERE IN THE CAR SHE'D BE TEXTING 06:50 AND TALKING AND SENDING MESSAGES AND RECEIVING THEM, KIND OF 06:54 DRIVING ON THE SIDE WHILE COMMUNICATING WITH HER DEVICE - 07:00 WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION, SWERVED, HIT A GUARDRAIL, 07:04 FLIPPED, ROLLED UP AGAINST A TREE, CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND 07:08 SHE WAS TWENTY MINUTES IN THE CAR WHILE IT WAS ON FIRE. 07:11 THEY FINALLY EXTINGUISHED IT - SHE HAD SEVERE BURNS - SHE 07:17 SURVIVED AND SHE'S GOING TO BE OKAY, BUT NOW SHE DEDICATES THE 07:20 REMAINDER OF HER LIFE TO - OR SHE'S DEDICATING HER TIME TO 07:24 EDUCATING PEOPLE ABOUT THE DANGERS - SHE HAD NO IDEA - AND 07:27 SHE SAID SHE WAS THANKFUL HER KIDS WERE NOT IN THE CAR THAT 07:29 DAY. SHE'S THANKFUL THAT SHE DIDN'T HIT SOMEBODY ELSE. 07:32 SHE DIDN'T REALIZE THAT SHE WAS PLAYING RUSSIAN ROULETTE. 07:35 THE DANGER IS, THAT IF YOU'RE TEXTING WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING, 07:40 YOU LOSE YOUR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF THE PANORAMA OF 07:45 WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND YOU. TO BE A GOOD DRIVER YOU NEED TO 07:48 HAVE YOUR HEAD UP AND YOU NEED TO BE DRIVING FIVE CARS: 07:51 >>AMEN. >>YOU NEED TO BE DRIVING THE CAR 07:54 IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU NEED TO BE DRIVING THE CAR ON YOUR RIGHT 07:57 AND ON YOUR LEFT, YOU NEED TO BE LOOKING IN YOUR REAR-VIEW 07:59 MIRROR AND DRIVING THE CAR BEHIND YOU, AND YOU NEED TO 08:02 DRIVE THE ONE YOU'RE SITTING IN. >>AMEN. 08:04 >>AND WHEN YOU, FOR A MOMENT, PUT YOUR HEAD DOWN AND YOU LOOK 08:07 AT THE PHONE, WELL, IT'S A FORM OF IDOLATRY, BECAUSE YOU'VE LOST 08:14 THE BIG PICTURE AND YOU'RE FOCUSING ON SOMETHING VERY SMALL 08:18 AND YOU LOSE THE BIG PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND YOU. 08:21 >>AMEN. >>YOU MIGHT THINK THAT'S A 08:23 STRANGE ILLUSTRATION TO INTRODUCE THE MESSAGE OF 08:25 IDOLATRY, BUT I THINK IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THE RADICAL 08:30 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING FOCUSED ON GOD, WHO IS A SPIRIT, AND 08:35 BRINGING HIM DOWN TO A LITTLE WOODEN OBJECT - OR PORCELAIN, OR 08:41 PLASTIC JESUS ON YOUR DASHBOARD - YOU KIND OF LOSE THE BIG 08:45 PICTURE WHEN YOU GET INVOLVED IN IDOLATRY. 08:49 AND THAT'S WHAT IT TALKS ABOUT THERE IN THAT COMMANDMENT. 08:52 SO, IF YOU HAVE YOUR BIBLES - APPROPRIATE TO GO TO EXODUS 08:56 CHAPTER 20 AND WE'LL READ THAT COMMANDMENT TOGETHER. 09:00 NOW THE SECOND COMMANDMENT IS NOT THAT FAR AWAY FROM THE 09:04 FIRST, OBVIOUSLY, BUT WHAT I MEANT BY IT IS IN ITS THEME. 09:09 FIRST COMMANDMENT HE TELLS US, IN VERSE 2 OF EXODUS 20 "I AM 09:14 THE LORD YOUR GOD, WHO BROUGHT YOU OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, 09:16 OUT OF THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE. 09:17 YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME." 09:20 NOW THAT'S A SEPARATE DISTINCT COMMANDMENT. 09:22 THE SECOND COMMANDMENT THEN SAYS, IN VERSE 4, "YOU SHALL NOT 09:26 MAKE FOR YOURSELF A CARVED IMAGE - ANY LIKENESS OF ANYTHING THAT 09:31 IS IN HEAVEN ABOVE, OR THAT IS IN THE EARTH BENEATH, OR THAT IS 09:34 IN THE WATER UNDER THE EARTH; YOU SHALL NOT BOW DOWN TO THEM 09:38 NOR SERVE THEM. FOR I, THE LORD YOUR GOD, AM 09:41 A JEALOUS GOD, VISITING THE INIQUITY OF THE FATHERS UPON THE 09:44 CHILDREN TO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATIONS OF THOSE WHO HATE 09:47 ME, BUT SHOWING MERCY TO THOUSANDS, TO THOSE WHO LOVE 09:51 ME AND KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS." ONE THING UNIQUE ABOUT THIS 09:56 COMMANDMENT IS THAT IT USES THE WORD 'LOVE.' 10:00 >>AMEN. >>IN THIS SECOND COMMANDMENT YOU 10:03 FIND WHERE GOD SAYS, 'LOVE ME AND KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS' SO IN 10:07 THIS COMMANDMENT IS THE KEY TO THE WHOLE LAW, IN A SENSE. 10:10 YOU CAN'T KEEP GOD'S LAW UNLESS YOU LOVE HIM. 10:14 AND IDOLATRY, BASICALLY, REDUCES THE PICTURE OF WHO GOD IS. 10:19 NOW, FOR EVERY NEGATIVE IN THE BIBLE, IT'S FOLLOWED OR 10:24 CONNECTED WITH A POSITIVE. THE NEGATIVE IMPLIES 10:28 THE POSITIVE. THE COMMAND TO ABSTAIN FROM 10:30 FALSE WORSHIP IS REALLY ALSO A COMMAND TO PARTICIPATE 10:35 IN TRUE WORSHIP. >>AMEN. 10:37 >>SO WHEN GOD IS SAYING, 'DO NOT WORSHIP IDOLS', IT'S IMPLIED 'SO 10:41 THAT YOU CAN WORSHIP ME IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH.' 10:45 GOD IS A LIVING GOD. NOW, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY KNOW, 10:49 RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS SUBJECT ON THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 10:52 AND ON IDOLATRY, IN PARTICULAR, THAT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE TEN 10:56 COMMANDMENTS, ALL CHURCHES AGREE THAT THERE ARE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 10:59 NOT ALL CHURCHES AGREE ON HOW TO DIVIDE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 11:04 I'VE GOT A PICTURE HERE, FOR INSTANCE, OUT IN FRONT OF A 11:06 CATHOLIC CHURCH, OF HOW THE CATHOLICS OFFICIALLY DIVIDE THE 11:09 TEN COMMANDMENTS - I WANT YOU TO NOTICE SOMETHING: IN THE TEN 11:12 COMMANDMENTS THEY'VE GOT THE FIRST ONE, 'I AM THE LORD YOUR 11:15 GOD'. THE SECOND COMMANDMENT SAYS, YOU'LL NOT TAKE THE NAME 11:18 OF THE LORD YOUR GOD IN VAIN, FOR THE LORD WILL NOT HOLD HIM 11:22 GUILTLESS - AND YOU'RE GOING, 'WAIT A SECOND. 11:24 WHERE'S THE COMMANDMENT ON IDOLATRY?' 11:27 WELL, IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCHES, THEY BELIEVE THAT THE FIRST 11:30 COMMANDMENT THAT SAYS 'DON'T HAVE OTHER GODS BEFORE ME' - 11:33 THAT SORT OF ENCOMPASSES EVERYTHING ELSE AND THEN THEY 11:35 JUMP TO THE THIRD COMMANDMENT AND THEY CALL IT THE SECOND. 11:39 BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH IDOLATRY AND THERE ARE SO MANY 11:43 IMAGES AND IDOLS AND PRAYING TO STATUES IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, 11:46 IT'S A LITTLE BIT EMBARRASSING AND SO THEY SAY, 'WELL, THAT, 11:49 SORT OF, IS COVERED IN A SWEEPING WAY IN THE FIRST 11:51 COMMANDMENT.' AND THEY'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES. THERE ARE SOME 11:54 OTHER CHURCHES - DENOMINATIONS - THAT DIVIDE THE TEN THIS WAY AND 11:57 YOU SAY, 'WELL, HOW DO THEY COME UP WITH TEN COMMANDMENTS THEN?' 12:00 WELL, WHAT THEY DO IS THEY BASICALLY ELIMINATE THE SECOND 12:03 COMMANDMENT AND THEY SPLIT THE TENTH IN TWO - WHERE IT SAYS 12:06 YOU'RE NOT TO COVET - THEY SAY, 'WELL, HALF OF IT'S 'DON'T COVET 12:10 YOUR NEIGHBOR'S WIFE AND YOUR NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE AND THE OTHER 12:13 HALF IS DON'T COVET HIS DONKEY AND HIS OTHER THINGS. 12:16 AND SO THEY SPLIT THAT IN TWO AND THEY MAKE IT TWO DIFFERENT 12:18 COMMANDMENTS, BUT I THINK THAT DEFIES LOGIC. 12:21 I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT GOD SAYS, 12:23 'FIRST, I AM THE LORD' - IT TALKS ABOUT WHO. 12:26 THE SECOND COMMANDMENT TELLS ABOUT HOW - IT TELLS ABOUT HIS 12:30 NAME, WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT THE THIRD COMMANDMENT, AND IT TELLS 12:32 ABOUT WHEN, WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT THE SABBATH FOR WORSHIP. 12:35 SO EVERYTHING IS COVERED ABOUT WORSHIPING GOD IN THOSE FIRST 12:38 FOUR COMMANDMENTS. AND I HAVE MORE TO SAY ABOUT THE 12:42 DIVISION OF THE LAW AT ANOTHER TIME, BUT JUST SO YOU'LL KNOW, 12:46 YOU MIGHT WONDER, 'WELL, I THOUGHT I SAW THE TEN 12:48 COMMANDMENTS POSTED SOMEWHERE AND THIS PART ABOUT THE IDOLATRY 12:51 DIDN'T APPEAR.' CHECK YOUR BIBLE - IT'S IN THE BIBLE. 12:55 IT'S NOT OUT IN FRONT OF SOME CHURCHES AND THAT'S BECAUSE 13:00 THERE'S SOME COMPROMISE HAPPENING THERE AND IT'S 13:02 EMBARRASSING SO THEY TRY TO AVOID IT. NOW AGAIN, THESE ARE 13:06 NOT THE TEN SUGGESTIONS, THEY'RE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 13:09 GOD COMMANDS US NOT TO MAKE IDOLS AND BOW BEFORE THEM. 13:13 REVELATION 22, VERSE 15, SPEAKING OF THOSE WHO ARE SAVED 13:17 AND THOSE WHO ARE LOST, IT SAYS, 'OUTSIDE - OUTSIDE THE NEW 13:20 JERUSALEM ARE DOGS AND SORCERERS, SEXUALLY IMMORAL, 13:25 MURDERERS, AND IDOLATERS, AND WHOEVER LOVES AND PRACTICES A 13:29 LIE. SO IDOLATRY IS SANDWICHED RIGHT 13:32 BETWEEN LYING AND MURDER. IT OBVIOUSLY IS SOMETHING THAT 13:36 GOD IS DISCOURAGING, SO WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THAT IS. 13:42 WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IDOLATRY THERE'S TWO EXTREMES I OFTEN 13:44 FIND THAT PEOPLE GO TO. ONE IS THEY READ THE COMMANDMENT 13:47 PARTIALLY AND THEY THINK THIS IS A MANDATE AGAINST MAKING A 13:52 PHOTOGRAPH OR ANY KIND OF A REPRESENTATION OF ANYTHING - ANY 13:55 KIND OF A LIKENESS OF ANYTHING. SO THEY TAKE IT TO THAT EXTREME. 13:59 THEN OTHERS READ IT AND THEY SAY, 'WELL, AS LONG AS YOU KNOW 14:02 IT'S NOT REALLY MARY, I CAN PRAY IN FRONT OF A STATUE OF MARY - I 14:06 KNOW IT'S NOT REALLY MARY, IT JUST HELPS ME THINK OF MARY.' 14:11 AND THAT'S THE OTHER ERROR. THERE'S NOT A BUDDHIST IN THE 14:15 WORLD WHEN THEY BOW BEFORE A STATUE OF BUDDHA, THAT REALLY 14:19 THINKS THAT THAT GOLDEN OR PORCELAIN OBJECT IS THE ACTUAL 14:23 BUDDHA. THEY ALL KNOW THAT IT'S JUST A REPRESENTATION. 14:26 AND THAT'S THE VERY THING GOD FORBIDS US FROM DOING. 14:30 IT DOESN'T MEAN IF YOU THINK IT'S REALLY THAT BEING, BECAUSE 14:34 EVEN AMONG THE PAGANS, WHEN THEY HAD ALL THESE STATUES OF APOLLO 14:37 ALL OVER THE KINGDOM, THEY KNEW WHEN THEY WERE BOWING DOWN TO 14:41 THOSE STATUES, THAT WASN'T ACTUALLY THE SUN GOD BECAUSE 14:45 THEIR NEIGHBOR HAD ONE IN HIS LIVING ROOM. 14:47 AND SO, THEY KNEW IT WAS A REPRESENTATION. 14:49 SO YOU HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO WILL ARGUE, 'WELL, I KNOW IT'S NOT 14:51 ACTUALLY ST. PETER' OR 'I KNOW IT'S NOT ACTUALLY MARY' - OR 14:55 ST. JOSEPH OR ONE OF THE OTHER SAINTS - BUT IF YOU'RE MAKING 14:59 SOMETHING AND BOWING DOWN BEFORE IT AND PRAYING IN FRONT OF IT, 15:02 THAT'S WHERE IT TURNS INTO IDOLATRY. 15:04 AND SO THOSE ARE THE TWO EXTREMES. 15:07 NOW, I WANT TO TAKE YOU TO A STORY IN THE BIBLE THAT HELPS 15:10 SET THIS UP. TURN WITH ME TO REVELATION - I'M 15:13 SORRY, ACTS - ACTS CHAPTER 17, VERSE 22 - ACTS 17:22 - THERE'S 15:18 A STORY HERE THAT - IDOLATRY IS A BIG PROBLEM. 15:23 IF YOU READ THROUGH THE OLD TESTAMENT, YOU'LL SEE THAT 15:25 THAT'S WHERE ISRAEL KEPT FALLING AND JUDAH. 15:30 FOR JEWS, IT WAS EASIER FOR PEOPLE IN THE GRECO-ROMAN EMPIRE 15:36 TO ACCEPT A LOT OF THE TEACHINGS OF JEWS. 15:39 THEY COULD GIVE UP THE UNKOSHER FOODS, THEY WOULD SUBMIT TO 15:43 CIRCUMCISION - ALL KINDS OF THINGS THEY REALLY APPRECIATED 15:46 ABOUT JUDAISM. THE THING THAT WAS ONE OF THE 15:48 HARDEST THINGS TO EMBRACE WAS TO GIVE UP THEIR IDOLS BECAUSE THEY 15:53 THOUGHT, HOW CAN YOU WORSHIP A GOD THAT YOU CAN'T SEE 15:57 - AN INVISIBLE GOD?' SO PAUL DEALT WITH THIS 16:01 EVERYWHERE HE WENT. ONE OF THE PRINCIPLE BATTLES 16:03 THEY STRUGGLED WITH, WITH THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION, WAS HELPING 16:06 PEOPLE GET THE VICTORY OVER THEIR IDOLS. 16:08 IF YOU LOOK IN ACTS CHAPTER 17:22 IT SAYS, "THEN PAUL STOOD 16:12 IN THE MIDST OF THE AREOPAGUS AND SAID," - HERE HE IS IN 16:15 ATHENS, GREECE. HE SEES AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK 16:18 IN THE THEATER THERE AND HE SEIZES THIS 16:21 OPPORTUNITY TO PREACH. THEY FIGURE, 'HERE'S 16:23 A JEWISH PHILOSOPHER. WHAT'S HE GOT TO SAY?' 16:26 HE SAID, "MEN OF ATHENS, I PERCEIVE THAT IN ALL THINGS YOU 16:29 ARE VERY RELIGIOUS;" - OR SUPERSTITIOUS - "FOR AS I WAS 16:32 PASSING THROUGH AND CONSIDERING THE OBJECTS OF YOUR WORSHIP," - 16:35 LINING THE ROADS - THE ROMAN ROADS IN ATHENS. 16:40 EVEN THOUGH ATHENS WAS GREEK, THE ROMANS HAD BUILT THE ROADS 16:42 THERE. THEY HAD THESE PEDESTALS AND 16:45 THEY HAD GODS DEDICATED ON ALL THE PEDESTALS - THERE WERE MORE 16:48 GODS IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE THAN THERE WERE TREES IN THE FOREST. 16:52 THEY HAD GODS TO EVERYTHING AND THEY HAD MULTIPLE COPIES OF THE 16:55 SAME GOD. AND AS PAUL WAS PASSING DOWN HE SAID, 'I NOTICED 16:59 ONE THAT WAS DEDICATED TO - AN INSCRIPTION: THE UNKNOWN GOD. 17:05 NOW I'VE ACTUALLY GOT A PICTURE ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW. 17:07 YOU CAN SEE A PICTURE - AN ARTIST'S DEPICTION OF PAUL 17:10 PREACHING THERE, IN ATHENS, AND THEN THERE'S A PEDESTAL. NOW 17:13 THAT PEDESTAL YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS A PHOTOGRAPH OF A VERY REAL 17:17 ALTAR THAT CAN BE FOUND ON THE PALENTINE HILL IN ROME. IT WAS 17:23 AN AREA ONCE DEDICATED TO THE CAESARS AND THE INSCRIPTION ON 17:26 THAT PEDESTAL SAYS, 'TO THE UNKNOWN GOD'. NOW THIS ONE'S IN 17:30 ROME. THE ONE THAT PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT WAS IN ATHENS, SO 17:33 I DOUBT IT'S THE SAME ONE, BUT JUST TO SHOW YOU, THEY ACTUALLY 17:36 SAID, 'WE'RE TRYING TO WORSHIP ALL THE GODS, BE WE DON'T WANT 17:39 TO OFFEND ANY.' YOU EVER HAD SOMEONE STAND UP THEY'RE GETTING 17:42 READY TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR WINNING AN AWARD AND THEY SAY, 17:45 'I'D LIKE TO THANK THIS PERSON. I WANT TO THANK THAT PERSON. 17:47 I WANT TO THANK...AND IF I'VE FORGOTTEN ANYONE ELSE, I WANT TO 17:51 THANK THEM TOO.' SO TO COVER ALL THE BASES, THEY THOUGHT THERE 17:55 MIGHT BE A GOD OUT THERE SOMEWHERE THAT WE'RE NEGLECTING 17:58 AND WE DON'T WANT TO INCUR THE WRATH OF THAT GOD. 18:01 WE DON'T WANT TO OFFEND THAT GOD THAT WE'RE NOT KNOWING ABOUT OR 18:04 WE'RE FORGETTING ABOUT. AND SO THEY DEDICATED AN 18:06 ALTAR TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. SO THERE WAS A PEDESTAL 18:10 WITH NO STATUE ON IT. AND PAUL SAID, 'YOU'RE 18:13 WORSHIPING A GOD YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT. 18:15 LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THAT GOD.' PAUL WAS VERY, VERY CLEVER. 18:19 PAUL SAID, 'I'M GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT JEHOVAH. 18:21 SINCE YOU'RE WORSHIPING A GOD YOU DON'T KNOW, LET ME DECLARE 18:23 HIM TO YOU.' AND SO, I LOST MY PLACE HERE - GO BACK TO ACTS 18:28 CHAPTER 17 - HE SAYS IN VERSE 23, "FOR AS I WAS PASSING 18:34 THROUGH AND CONSIDERING THE OBJECTS OF YOUR WORSHIP, I EVEN 18:37 FOUND AN ALTAR WITH THIS INSCRIPTION: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. 18:40 THEREFORE, THE ONE WHOM YOU WORSHIP WITHOUT KNOWING, HIM I 18:43 PROCLAIM TO YOU: 'GOD, WHO MADE THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING IN IT," 18:48 - LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THIS GOD YOU DON'T KNOW. 18:50 HE MADE THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING IN IT. 18:52 AND "SINCE HE IS LORD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, DOES NOT DWELL IN 18:55 TEMPLES MADE WITH HANDS." - NOTICE, 'MADE WITH HANDS' - 18:58 "NOR IS HE WORSHIPED WITH MEN'S HANDS, AS THOUGH HE NEEDED 19:02 ANYTHING, SINCE HE GIVES TO ALL LIFE, BREATH, AND ALL THINGS. 19:06 AND HE HAS MADE FROM ONE BLOOD EVERY NATION OF MEN TO DWELL ON 19:10 ALL THE FACE OF THE EARTH, AND HAS DETERMINED THEIR 19:12 PRE-APPOINTED TIME AND THE BOUNDARIES OF THEIR DWELLINGS, 19:15 SO THAT THEY SHOULD SEEK THE LORD, IN THE HOPE THAT THEY 19:17 MIGHT GROPE FOR HIM AND FIND HIM, THOUGH HE IS NOT FAR FROM 19:21 EACH ONE OF US; FOR IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR 19:24 BEING, AS ALSO SOME OF YOUR OWN POETS HAVE SAID, 'FOR WE ARE 19:27 ALSO HIS OFFSPRING.' THEREFORE, SINCE WE ARE THE OFFSPRING OF 19:31 GOD, WE OUGHT NOT TO THINK THAT THE DIVINE NATURE IS LIKE GOLD 19:34 OR SILVER OR STONE, SOMETHING SHAPED BY ART AND MAN'S 19:38 DEVISING." HE EMPHASIZES THREE TIMES, 19:40 'MADE BY MAN'S HANDS - BY MAN'S DEVISING - BY MAN'S HANDS' - HE 19:44 SAID, 'YOU CAN'T MAKE A GOD.' AND THAT'S WHAT IDOLATRY IS - 19:51 MAN-MADE RELIGION - AND THAT'S WHY GOD FORBIDS IT. 19:54 IT REALLY TURNS THINGS AROUND SO THAT WE START CREATING OUR GOD 19:57 INSTEAD OF GOD CREATING US. SEE, RIGHT IN THE TEN 20:00 COMMANDMENTS IT SAYS, 'IN SIX DAYS THE LORD MADE THE HEAVEN 20:04 AND THE EARTH AND WE WORSHIP HIM BECAUSE HE CREATED US. 20:08 AS SOON AS WE START MAKING IDOLS AND BRINGING FOOD AND FRUIT AND 20:11 BURNING CANDLES IN FRONT OF THE IDOL, IT'S LIKE GOD'S SUDDENLY, 20:15 SOMEHOW DEPENDENT ON US AND WE FORGET THAT WE ARE DEPENDENT ON 20:19 HIM FOR EVERYTHING AND WE CAN'T MAKE ANYTHING TO SUSTAIN HIM, 20:26 HE'S THE ONE THAT SUSTAINS ALL OF HIS CREATURES. 20:30 SO THERE YOU HAVE PAUL DECLARING WHO THAT REAL GOD IS. 20:35 HE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE ALTAR AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHO THE 20:38 UNKNOWN GOD WAS. THE FIRST COMMANDMENT DEALS WITH 20:41 THE QUESTION 'WHO IS THE TRUE GOD?' THE SECOND COMMANDMENT 20:44 DEALS WITH HOW HE'S TO BE WORSHIPED. THE FIRST PROHIBITS 20:48 FALSE GODS, THE SECOND FALSE FORMS OF WORSHIP. 20:52 IDOLATRY WILL ALWAYS TAKE THE WORSHIPER AWAY FROM GOD. 20:56 ANOTHER CASE, WHERE YOU SEE PAUL DEALING WITH THIS, WE JUMP FROM 20:59 ACTS CHAPTER 17 TO ACTS CHAPTER 19, YOU KNOW, WHERE PAUL AND HIS 21:06 FRIENDS WERE THROWN IN PRISON - AND THAT WAS BECAUSE OF 21:10 IDOLATRY, AT ONE POINT - THAT WAS ACTS 16 - AND THEN IN ACTS 21:14 19 THEY GOT UPSET BECAUSE PAUL'S PREACHING WAS HURTING THE IDOL 21:19 BUSINESS. THEY HAD STORES WHERE THEY SOLD THEIR IDOLS, BUT 21:23 BECAUSE PAUL WAS PREACHING 'WE DON'T NEED THESE THINGS AND 21:25 THESE ARE NOT REAL GODS AND THEY'RE JUST WOODEN OR STONE 21:27 GODS' - IT CREATED A RIOT IN THE TOWN. AND THERE THEY WERE, ALL 21:33 GATHERED IN THE STADIUM, CHANTING, 'GREAT IS DIANA! GREAT 21:36 IS DIANA! GREAT IS DIANA OF THE EPHESIANS! GREAT IS DIANA!' 21:39 AND IT WENT ON FOR TWO HOURS. AND FINALLY THE LOCAL CONSTABLE 21:43 HAD TO GET EVERYONE TO SIMMER DOWN AND HE SAID, 'WHAT'S THE 21:46 CAUSE FOR THIS CONCOURSE? LOOK, IF YOU'VE GOT A PROBLEM WITH 21:49 THESE JEWS WHO ARE PREACHING, THE COURTS ARE OPEN, FILE A 21:51 CLAIM AND WE'LL DEAL WITH IT THAT WAY. 21:53 BUT WE DON'T NEED A MOB RIOT.' BUT THE PEOPLE GOT SO WORKED UP 21:56 AND HERE'S WHAT THE CONSTABLE ALSO SAID - ACTS 19, VERSE 35, 22:00 "...'MEN OF EPHESUS, WHAT MAN IS THERE WHO DOES NOT KNOW THAT THE 22:04 CITY OF THE EPHESIANS IS TEMPLE GUARDIAN OF THE GREAT GODDESS 22:08 DIANA, AND OF THE IMAGE WHICH FELL DOWN FROM ZEUS?'" 22:12 - AN IMAGE FROM HEAVEN - NOW THERE YOU SEE - THIS IS A 22:16 PAINTING BY JOHN STEELE AND IN THE BACKGROUND, HE GOT IT RIGHT. 22:19 YOU SEE, THERE'S A STATUE IN THE BACKGROUND, OF THE GODDESS 22:22 DIANA. IT WAS THE WORSHIP OF ARTEMUS 22:24 AND - YOU GO TO THE NEXT PICTURE - YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE CLOSER 22:27 - VERY MUCH WHAT THESE IDOLS LOOKED LIKE. THEY CLAIMED THAT 22:30 THEY FELL FROM HEAVEN. I KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE - IT LOOKS 22:35 LIKE A WOMAN COVERED WITH A CLUSTER OF GRAPES, BUT 22:37 THOSE AREN'T REALLY GRAPES. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THE 22:40 ALL-NOURISHING MOTHER OF THE PEOPLE - THAT SHE'S 22:44 ALL-SUPPLYING - IT WAS A FERTILITY GODDESS AND THE 22:47 WORSHIP OF ARTEMIS - OR DIANA, THE GODDESS OF THE EPHESIANS - 22:50 WAS VERY POPULAR THERE IN ASIA MINOR. 22:52 AND THEY HAD ALL OF THESE STATUES THAT THEY SAY WERE 22:56 MODELED AFTER THE ORIGINAL THAT FELL FROM HEAVEN. 23:01 SOMEBODY MADE UP THIS STORY THAT THEY'D FOUND A GOD AND THEY 23:04 SAID, 'THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE.' AND THEY SAID, 'OH!' 23:05 AND GOT ALL EXCITED AND CREATED AN ICON AND A WHOLE CULT OUT OF 23:10 IT AND ALL THESE ARTISTS HAD A BUSINESS - THEY SAID, 'IF OUR 23:13 IDOLS ARE GOING TO BE WORSHIPED - FOR THEM TO HAVE THE POWER - 23:17 WE NEED TO BE ARTISTS THAT ARE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE ORIGINAL AND 23:20 THESE ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE MADE AFTER THE ORIGINAL.' AND SO 23:23 THEY SORT OF HAD A MONOPOLY ON THE IDOL BUSINESS. 23:26 BUT AFTER PAUL AND THE CHRISTIANS CAME THROUGH TOWN, 23:28 THEIR BUSINESS DROPPED OFF THE CLIFF BECAUSE THEY SAID, 'THESE 23:31 ARE WORTH NOTHING. YOU CAN'T BE SAVED BY THESE.' 23:35 AND SO THEY HAD A RIOT. THEY WERE MAKING THEM OUT OF SILVER 23:38 TOO - THESE ARE JUST OF MARBLE. BUT THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT IT'S 23:43 NOT IDOLS THAT FALL FROM HEAVEN WE'RE TO WORSHIP, THE IMAGE THAT 23:47 CAME FROM HEAVEN WE'RE TO WORSHIP WAS A LIVING IMAGE. 23:51 GOD CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN IN THE FORM OF A MAN. 23:55 HIS NAME IS JESUS. HE'S THE ONE WE'RE TO WORSHIP. 23:58 IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN CHAPTER 3, VERSE 13, "NO ONE HAS ASCENDED 24:04 TO HEAVEN BUT HE WHO CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN, THAT IS, THE SON OF 24:08 MAN WHO IS IN HEAVEN." YOU SEE, FOR US TO WORSHIP GOD - 24:12 THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN REALLY SEE GOD - BECAUSE GOD IS A SPIRIT 24:15 AND GOD IS INVISIBLE - YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T SEE LIGHT? 24:19 IF YOU'RE OUT IN SPACE AND YOU SHINE A FLASHLIGHT YOU CAN'T SEE 24:22 ANYTHING. IF YOU'RE IN THE HIGH DESERT AND 24:24 YOU SHINE ONE OF THESE POWERFUL BEAMS, YOU CAN'T SEE ANYTHING. 24:27 SOME OF YOU MAYBE HAVE BEEN TO LAS VEGAS - I WON'T ASK YOU WHAT 24:30 YOU WERE DOING THERE, BUT MAYBE YOU'VE BEEN TO LAS VEGAS - THEY 24:32 DO HAVE LEGITIMATE CONVENTIONS THERE - AND THERE AT THE TOP OF 24:36 THE LUXOR HOTEL, THEY'VE GOT THE BRIGHTEST MAN-MADE LIGHT IN THE 24:40 WORLD AND IT SHOOTS DIRECTLY STRAIGHT UP IN THE SKY. 24:44 THEY'VE GOT LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, TWENTY-FIVE OF THESE XENON 24:47 LIGHTS - EACH ONE AS BIG AS A WASHING MACHINE AND BOY THEIR 24:50 ELECTRIC METER JUST SPINS AROUND AND IT SHOOTS THIS BEAM OF LIGHT 24:55 STRAIGHT UP IN THE SKY. BUT SOMETIMES AFTER A RAIN IN 24:57 THE HIGH DESERT THERE, THE AIR IS SO CLEAR YOU CAN'T 25:01 SEE THE BEAM OF LIGHT. THE ONLY TIME YOU SEE THE BEAM 25:04 OF LIGHT IS WHEN THE LIGHT HITS DUST PARTICLES - 25:07 OTHERWISE IT'S INVISIBLE. AND THE WAY WE REALLY SEE GOD IS 25:10 AS GOD RICOCHETS AND REFLECTS OFF OF PEOPLE. 25:15 AND IT WAS ESPECIALLY THROUGH CHRIST - THAT'S WHY JESUS SAID, 25:18 'IF YOU'VE SEEN ME, YOU'VE SEEN THE FATHER. 25:21 IF WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT GOD IS LIKE, HE IS REFLECTED IN THE 25:24 LIFE OF CHRIST. AND IF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO FIND 25:26 OUT WHAT CHRIST IS LIKE - HIS LIGHT - HE SAYS, 'YOU ARE THE 25:30 LIGHT OF THE WORLD.' HIS LIGHT IS TO REFLECT OFF OF US, RIGHT? 25:34 AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH IDOLATRY IS YOU TAKE YOUR EYES 25:37 OFF THE LIVING GOD THAT HE SHOULD BE SEEN IN JESUS AND WE 25:40 WHO LOOK AT JESUS AND IT SAYS WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THIS 25:44 STATUE - PIECE OF PLASTIC. I ALWAYS SAY THAT BECAUSE, I 25:48 MEAN, IF GODS HAVE DIFFERENT VALUE, CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW 25:51 CHEAP A PLASTIC GOD IS? BUT HAVEN'T WE ALL SEEN PEOPLE 25:55 THAT'VE GOT LITTLE PLASTIC FIGURINES OF JESUS OR MARY OR 25:58 SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT THEY PRAY TO? 26:00 AND WHAT DOES THAT DO TO YOUR CONCEPT OF THE EVER-LIVING GOD? 26:05 ALL IT CAN DO IS BRING IT DOWN AND LOWER IT. 26:08 MAKES ME THINK ABOUT THE STORY IN THE BIBLE WHERE MOSES, AFTER 26:11 COMMUNING WITH GOD ON MANY OCCASIONS, MOSES TALKED TO HIM 26:14 AT THE BURNING BUSH. MOSES TALKED TO HIM AS HE WAS 26:16 LEADING THE PEOPLE OUT OF EGYPT. FINALLY, AFTER THE EXODUS HAS 26:20 BEGUN, THE LORD IS COMMUNING WITH MOSES AND MOSES SAYS THIS 26:24 - GO WITH ME IN YOUR BIBLES TO EXODUS 33 - EXODUS 33:18. 26:31 HERE'S WHERE MOSES ASKS TO SEE GOD'S GLORY. 26:34 "THEN HE SAID" - MOSES IS SPEAKING TO GOD - "'PLEASE, SHOW 26:39 ME YOUR GLORY.' THEN HE SAID, 'I WILL MAKE ALL MY GOODNESS PASS 26:44 BEFORE YOU, AND I WILL PROCLAIM THE NAME OF THE LORD BEFORE 26:48 YOU.' BUT HE SAID" - IN VERSE 20 - "'FOR NO MAN SHALL SEE ME, AND 26:55 LIVE.'" THE BIBLE SAYS NO MAN HAS SEEN GOD'S FACE - NO MAN HAS 27:00 SEEN GOD IN HIS UNDIMINISHED GLORY - AND THAT WOULD BE, 27:03 PRINCIPALLY, GOD THE FATHER. "'YOU CANNOT SEE MY FACE; FOR NO 27:06 MAN SHALL SEE ME AND LIVE.' AND THE LORD SAID, 'HERE IS A PLACE 27:10 BY ME, AND YOU SHALL STAND ON THE ROCK. 27:14 SO IT SHALL BE, WHILE MY GLORY PASSES BY, THAT I WILL PUT YOU 27:16 IN THE CLEFT OF THE ROCK,'" - YOU KNOW THAT SONG WE SING? 27:19 HE HIDETH MY SOUL IN THE CLEFT OF THE ROCK? 27:22 BASED ON THIS VERSE - "'I WILL PUT YOU IN THE CLEFT OF THE 27:25 ROCK, AND WILL COVER YOU WITH MY HAND'" - HOW BIG IS GOD IF HE 27:28 CAN COVER A MAN WITH HIS HAND? BIGGER THAN YOU. 27:32 (LAUGHTER) >>AMEN. 27:35 >>"I WILL PUT YOU [HERE]" - AND IT SAYS, "AND WILL COVER YOU 27:38 WITH MY HAND WHILE I PASS BY. THEN I WILL TAKE AWAY MY HAND, 27:41 AND YOU SHALL SEE MY BACK; BUT MY FACE SHALL NOT BE SEEN." 27:45 THEN YOU GO TO EXODUS 34 TO SEE WHERE THIS STORY IS FULFILLED. 27:48 GO TO EXODUS 34:6 - EXODUS 34:6 IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING. 27:54 AND IT SAYS, "AND THE LORD PASSED BEFORE HIM AND 27:57 PROCLAIMED, 'THE LORD, THE LORD GOD, MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS, 28:03 LONGSUFFERING, AND ABOUNDING IN GOODNESS AND TRUTH, KEEPING 28:07 MERCY FOR THOUSANDS, FORGIVING INIQUITY AND TRANSGRESSION AND 28:11 SIN, BY NO MEANS CLEARING THE GUILTY, VISITING THE INIQUITY OF 28:15 THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN AND THE CHILDREN'S CHILDREN TO 28:17 THE THIRD AND THE FOURTH GENERATION." 28:19 - OF THOSE THAT HATE HIM - BUT REMEMBER, HE SAYS 'AND SHOWING 28:21 MERCY UNTO THOUSANDS THAT LOVE ME AND KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS. 28:24 SO WHEN MOSES SAID, 'LORD, I WANT TO SEE YOUR GLORY.' DID GOD 28:31 SAY, 'OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN UNVEILING, MOSES. 28:34 AND I'LL UNVEIL IT AND YOU WILL SEE THIS SHINING BURNISHED GOLD 28:39 PICTURE OF WHO I AM.' OR 'YOU'RE GOING TO SEE - I'M SILVER' OR 28:45 'I'M BRONZE OR WOOD OR MARBLE OR VARIEGATED HUMMINGBIRD' - I 28:50 MEAN, WHAT COULD YOU SEE WITH YOUR EYES THAT WOULD MAKE GOD 28:53 THE GREATEST? DO YOU REALIZE IT'S NOTHING THAT YOU SEE THAT 28:56 MAKES GOD GREAT? IT'S WHO HE IS. >>AMEN. 29:00 >>I THINK IT'S DELIBERATE THAT THE BIBLE SAYS VIRTUALLY NOTHING 29:03 ABOUT WHAT JESUS LOOKED LIKE. IT DOESN'T TELL US HOW TALL HE WAS. 29:08 WE DON'T KNOW WHAT COLOR HIS HAIR WAS. I, FRANKLY, THINK HE 29:11 WAS BALD. (LAUGHTER) BUT I DON'T KNOW. NO, PROBABLY NOT. 29:17 HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN. I CHALLENGE YOU 29:21 TO PROVE ME WRONG. (LAUGHTER) IT SAYS THEY 29:24 PULLED OUT HIS BEARD. I COULD GROW A BEARD. 29:29 BUT IT DOESN'T TELL US WHAT COLOR HIS SKIN WAS. 29:32 HE WAS PROBABLY MEDITERRANEAN LOOKING - IT SAYS HE WAS JEWISH. 29:34 WE DON'T KNOW WHAT COLOR HIS EYES WERE - THERE ARE JEWS WITH 29:37 BROWN AND BLUE AND GREEN EYES. WE DON'T KNOW HOW TALL HE WAS. 29:41 WE DON'T KNOW HOW WIDE HE WAS OR HOW THIN HE WAS - PROBABLY 29:43 STRONG - HE WAS A CARPENTER - BUT EVERYTHING IS SPECULATION. 29:46 IT SAYS, 'THERE'S NO OUTWARD FORM THAT WE SHOULD DESIRE HIM' 29:50 - IN ISAIAH 53. SO PEOPLE WERE NOT ATTRACTED 29:52 TO JESUS BECAUSE OF HIS MOVIE STAR-LIKE APPEARANCE. 29:55 IN FACT, HE FREQUENTLY HAD THE ABILITY TO DISAPPEAR IN A CROWD 29:59 AND LOOK LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. WHEN THEY CAME TO ARREST JESUS, 30:03 THEY HAD TO GET JUDAS TO SAY WHICH ONE OF THEM IS HE BECAUSE 30:06 HE LOOKED LIKE ONE OF THE OTHER GALILEAN SHEPHERDS, TAX 30:08 COLLECTORS OR FISHERMEN. WE DON'T - HE DIDN'T WEAR 30:11 A WHITE UNIFORM LIKE SOME CHARISMATIC PREACHER. 30:15 I KNOW WE ALWAYS PORTRAY HIM THAT WAY IN SOME PRIESTLY 30:19 GARMENT. IT DOESN'T SAY THAT. HE MAY HAVE BEEN VERY AVERAGE 30:24 OUTWARDLY - WHICH GIVES YOU AND I HOPE OF GETTING 30:28 TO HEAVEN, RIGHT? >>AMEN. 30:30 >>YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK LIKE A MOVIE STAR TO GET THERE. 30:32 >>AMEN. >>WHAT CHANGED THE WORLD ABOUT 30:34 JESUS WAS NOT THE VISUAL, IT WAS WHAT HE SAID. 30:38 >>AMEN. >>IT WAS THE MESSAGE. 30:40 MORE THAN THAT, IT WAS THE CHARACTER. 30:43 >>AMEN. >>IDOLATRY TAKES OUR ATTENTION 30:46 OFF THE CHARACTER OF GOD AND THE NAME OF WHO HE IS. 30:51 THE NAME - WE'LL GET TO THAT IN OUR NEXT STUDY - IS REALLY 30:53 TALKING ABOUT THE REPUTATION - AND IT FIXATES US ON SOMETHING 30:58 PHYSICAL AND TANGIBLE THAT IS REALLY OF NO VALUE. 31:02 AND PEOPLE WORSHIP THOSE THINGS. HE SAID, 'SHOW ME YOUR GLORY.' 31:05 JOHN 4:24, JESUS SAID, "GOD IS SPIRIT, AND THOSE WHO WORSHIP 31:10 HIM MUST WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH." 31:13 GOD REVEALS HIMSELF THROUGH CHRIST - IT'S THROUGH HIS 31:17 CHARACTER. HE'S MEEK AND HE'S LOWLY AND 31:20 HE'S KIND AND HE'S STRONG AND HE'S GOOD AND HE'S PATIENT AND 31:25 HE'S FAIR AND HE'S JUST AND HE'S PATIENT, AMEN? IT'S THE 31:29 CHARACTER OF GOD. AND THEN WE ARE FORBIDDEN FROM WORSHIPING 31:34 FOREIGN GODS. THAT LOWERS OUR CONCEPT. JUST THINK ABOUT A GOD 31:38 YOU CAN PICK UP AND HOLD IN YOUR HANDS. GENESIS CHAPTER 35 IN 31:43 YOUR BIBLES IT SAYS, "AND JACOB SAID TO HIS HOUSEHOLD AND TO ALL 31:49 WHO WERE WITH HIM, 'PUT AWAY THE FOREIGN GODS THAT ARE AMONG YOU, 31:54 PURIFY YOURSELVES, AND CHANGE YOUR GARMENTS. 31:57 THEN LET US RISE AND GO UP TO BETHEL; AND I WILL MAKE AN ALTAR 32:00 THERE TO GOD, WHO ANSWERED ME IN THE DAY OF MY DISTRESS AND HAS 32:04 BEEN WITH ME IN THE WAY WHICH I HAVE GONE.' SO THEY GAVE JACOB 32:07 ALL THE FOREIGN GODS WHICH WERE IN THEIR HANDS, AND THE EARRINGS 32:10 WHICH WERE IN THEIR EARS; AND JACOB HID THEM UNDER THE 32:13 TEREBINTH TREE" - AND THE WORD 'HID' THERE MEANS YOU COVERED 32:15 THEM OVER OR BURIED THEM - "...UNDER THE TEREBINTH TREE 32:18 WHICH WAS BY SHECHEM." AS THEY WERE DWELLING, 32:22 SURROUNDED BY ALL THE PAGANS AROUND THEM - YOU REMEMBER, THEY 32:24 CONQUERED THE PEOPLE OF SHECHEM - THEY TOOK A NUMBER OF THE 32:27 PEOPLE OF SHECHEM INTO THEIR HOUSEHOLD. 32:29 IT TELLS US THAT THE SONS OF JACOB SLAUGHTERED THE MEN OF 32:31 SHECHEM BECAUSE ONE OF THEM HAD SLEPT WITH THEIR SISTER DINAH. 32:36 THE PROBLEM WAS, WHEN THEY TOOK ALL THESE OTHER PEOPLE INTO 32:37 THEIR HOUSEHOLD, THEY BROUGHT THEIR GODS. 32:40 NOW, NOTICE SOMETHING ABOUT THEIR GODS. 32:42 THEIR GODS ARE SOMETHING - IT SAYS, 'THE GODS THAT WERE IN 32:44 THEIR HANDS.' DO YOU WANT A GOD WHO YOU CAN HOLD IN YOUR HANDS, 32:48 OR DO YOU WANT A GOD THAT'LL HOLD YOU IN HIS HANDS? 32:50 >>HIS HANDS. >>AND SO THESE ARE IDOLS. 32:54 THESE ARE IDOLS THAT CAN BE BURIED. THEY'RE HANDY GODS - 32:58 PORTABLE GODS. IF YOU CAN PUT YOUR GOD IN A 33:04 SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX OR BURY IT SOMEWHERE, THEN YOU'VE 33:08 GOT THE WRONG GOD. >>AMEN. 33:10 >>YOUR GOD IS MUCH BIG - AND YOU KNOW WHAT? THE BIBLE TELLS 33:14 US, ONE TIME, LABAN, RACHEL'S FATHER, GOT UPSET BECAUSE HE 33:17 SAID, 'SOMEONE STOLE MY GODS.' DO YOU REMEMBER THAT? IT'D BE 33:22 TERRIBLE TO HAVE A GOD SOMEONE COULD STEAL. (LAUGHTER) SOME OF 33:26 YOU PROBABLY SAW THIS ON THE NEWS YESTERDAY: SOME POOR 33:30 INDIVIDUAL - I DIDN'T GET THE TOWN, BUT IN THE GREATER 33:32 SACRAMENTO AREA - HE'S HAD PROBLEMS WITH BURGLARS. I GUESS 33:35 HE HAD A COIN SHOP OR SOMETHING AND THEY KEPT BREAKING IN AND 33:38 STEALING AND FINALLY THEY BROKE IN - HE THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE 33:41 BECAUSE HE KEPT IT ALL IN THE SAFE - THEY STOLE HIS WHOLE 33:43 SAFE. AND HE - THE POOR FELLOW WAS JUST TOTALLY DEJECTED - AND 33:48 I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY - BECAUSE HE SAID, 'EVERYTHING THAT I'VE 33:50 SPENT YEARS SAVING IS GONE.' STORE NOT FOR YOURSELVES 33:55 TREASURES ON EARTH WHERE MEN CAN BREAK THROUGH AND STEAL. 33:58 IF YOUR GODS - AND LET'S FACE IT, SOME OF US HAVE IDOLS THAT 34:01 ARE HERE ON EARTH. SOME OF US HAVE IDOLS THAT ARE IN THE BANK. 34:05 SOME OF US HAVE IDOLS THAT ARE IN THE GARAGE. 34:08 SOME OF THEM, THEY'RE HANGING IN THE CLOSET ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT 34:11 HANGERS. (LAUGHTER) SOME OF THEM, IT'S IN THE KITCHEN - 34:15 MIGHT BE IN THE REFRIGERATOR. (LAUGHTER) WE - A LOT OF US HAVE 34:19 OUR GODS IN STORAGE. SAY 'AMEN'. >>AMEN. 34:22 >>THEY'RE IDOLS. WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT THEM. 34:25 WE'RE AFRAID SOMEONE'S GOING TO STEAL THEM, WE'D BE - EVERYTHING 34:27 WE'D FEEL LIKE 'I'M RUINED. THEY'VE STOLEN MY GODS.' JESUS 34:33 SAID, 'BUT PUT YOUR TREASURE IN HEAVEN WHERE RUST AND MOTH 34:38 DOESN'T CORRUPT AND THIEVES DO NOT BREAK THROUGH AND STEAL. 34:40 I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT IF YOUR GOD IS THE LIVING GOD, THEN NO 34:44 ONE CAN STEAL HIM FROM YOU. >>AMEN! 34:47 >>YOUR GOD IS SAFE. YOU DON'T CARRY HIM IN YOUR 34:50 POCKET OR IN YOUR HANDS, HE CARRIES YOU IN HIS HANDS. 34:53 AND HE'S BIGGER THAN ANY THIEF; YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT 34:56 IT. A.W. TOZIER SAID, 'DON'T TRY TO IMAGINE GOD OR YOU'LL HAVE AN 35:00 IMAGINARY GOD.' GOD IS BIGGER THAN WE CAN IMAGINE, THE BIBLE 35:04 TELLS US. NOW I TOLD YOU THERE'S TWO EXTREMES. 35:07 ONE EXTREME IS MAKING EXCUSES AND SAYING, 'WELL, I KNOW I 35:10 PRAY BEFORE THIS PICTURE OR THIS IDOL, AND I KNOW IT'S NOT REALLY 35:14 GOD OR JESUS OR MARY, IT JUST HELPS ME VISUALIZE THEM.' AND 35:19 THAT'S ONE EXTREME - GOD SAYS, 'DON'T MAKE THEM.' THE OTHER 35:22 EXTREME IS THE BIBLE DOES NOT SAY IT IS WRONG TO MAKE A 35:26 FACSIMILE OF SOMETHING. NOT EVERY STATUE IS AN IDOL. 35:31 NOT EVERY PHOTOGRAPH OR PAINTING IS AN IDOL. 35:34 YOU CAN MAKE AN IDOL OF ABOUT EVERYTHING. 35:37 NOT EVERY CAR YOU DRIVE IS AN IDOL, BUT LET'S FACE IT, SOME 35:41 PEOPLE IDOLIZE THEIR CARS, RIGHT? 35:43 SO IT'S NOT THAT GOD WAS FORBIDDING MAKING A REPLICA OF 35:48 SOMETHING, BECAUSE GOD TOLD THEM TO DO IT. 35:51 MOSES WAS COMMANDED TO MAKE ENGRAVED AND EMBROIDERED FIGURES 35:55 OF ANGELS, OXEN, LIONS, TREES, FRUIT, AND FLOWERS IN THE 35:58 TEMPLE. AND FURTHERMORE, SOLOMON, WHEN HE DEDICATED THE 36:04 TEMPLE LATER - HIS VERSION OF THE TEMPLE - UNDER THE 36:06 INSTRUCTION OF GOD, HE CARVED OUT FIGURES OF ANGELS, 36:10 LIONS, OXEN, PALM TREES, OPEN FLOWERS WITHIN AND WITHOUT. 36:13 AND, BY THE WAY, THAT'S 1 KINGS 7:29. 36:16 FURTHERMORE, GOD TOLD MOSES TO MAKE A BRONZE SERPENT AND HAVE 36:21 EVERYBODY LOOK TO THE SERPENT. 36:22 WAS THAT BECAUSE HE WANTED THEM TO WORSHIP THE 36:24 SERPENT, OR WAS THAT BECAUSE THEY HAD A SPECIFIC PROBLEM WITH 36:27 SERPENTS THAT DAY AND THAT WAS A PICTURE - THAT WAS A GOLDEN 36:31 IMAGE OF A DEAD SERPENT ON A POLE THAT WAS SHOWING THAT GOD 36:35 COULD DEFEAT - YOU KNOW, WHEN A SHEPHERD LIFTED UP A SERPENT - 36:38 WHEN HE KILLED A SNAKE - HE WHACKED IT AND HE CARRIED IT 36:39 AROUND, THE IDEA OF A SERPENT LIFTED UP DIDN'T MEAN TO WORSHIP 36:43 THE SERVANT. SHEPHERDS LIFTED UP SERPENTS ONCE THEY KILLED THEM 36:46 AND CARRIED THEM OFF FOR BURIAL. SO IT'S JUST SAYING, 'THIS IS 36:48 A DEAD OR DEFEATED SERPENT. GOD CAN DEFEAT THE VENOM OF THE 36:52 SERPENT IN YOUR LIVES IF YOU LOOK IN FAITH. 36:54 JESUS REFERS TO THAT BEFORE YOU READ JOHN 3:16, "AND AS MOSES 36:58 LIFTED UP THE SERPENT IN THE WILDERNESS, EVEN SO MUST THE 37:01 SON OF MAN BE LIFTED UP, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD 37:04 NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. 37:06 FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD" - PEOPLE ALWAYS KNOW JOHN 3:16 - 37:09 THEY FORGET JOHN 3:15 - SO JESUS EVEN REFERS TO AS MOSES LIFTED 37:14 UP THIS BRONZE REPLICA - IDOL, YOU MIGHT CALL IT - OF A 37:20 SERPENT, BUT THEY WEREN'T TO WORSHIP IT. 37:23 MATTER OF FACT, IF YOU READ IN YOUR BIBLE IN 2 KINGS 18:4, 37:27 SPEAKING OF HEZEKIAH AND THE REVIVAL THAT HE EFFECTED. 37:31 "HE REMOVED THE HIGH PLACES AND BROKE THE SACRED PILLARS, CUT 37:36 DOWN THE WOODEN IMAGE" - THE PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED IN IDOLATRY 37:40 SEVERAL TIMES IN THE HISTORY OF GOD'S PEOPLE THEY WOULD 37:43 AUTOMATICALLY DRIFT TO IDOLATRY - "AND BROKE IN PIECES THE 37:48 BRONZE SERPENT THAT MOSES HAD MADE;" - NOW WAS THERE A 37:51 DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN WHAT HEZEKIAH DID AND WHAT MOSES DID? 37:54 >>NO. >>NO, MOSES WOULD HAVE 37:55 SUPPORTED WHAT HEZEKIAH DID. WHEN MOSES MADE THE SERPENT HE 37:59 NEVER INTENDED - NOR DID GOD INTEND - FOR PEOPLE TO WORSHIP 38:02 IT. THEY - IT WAS FOR THAT 38:05 PURPOSE THAT DAY TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND, VISUALLY, THAT GOD 38:07 WOULD DESTROY THE POWER OF THE SERPENT. AND AFTER THEY 38:09 DID THAT THEY TOOK IT OFF THE POLE AND THEY THREW IT 38:11 IN A CHAMBER SOMEWHERE. IT WAS LAID THERE, IN A CHAMBER, IN 38:14 THE TEMPLE - SOMEONE DUG IT OUT AND THEY MADE A GOD, A RELIC OUT 38:17 OF IT AND THEY WERE PRAYING TO IT. AND IT TELLS US THAT 38:20 HEZEKIAH BROKE IT INTO PIECES AND CALLED IT NEHUSHTAN, WHICH 38:24 MEANS, 'THING OF BRONZE' - IT'S JUST A PIECE OF BRONZE - THAT'S 38:27 WHAT HE WAS SAYING. IT'S JUST NEHUSHTAN AND 38:30 YOU'RE PRAYING TO IT. WHY WOULD YOU TAKE YOUR 38:32 EYES OFF THE ROAD AND TEXT? THAT'S WHAT HE'S SAYING. 38:36 YOU'RE MISSING THE PICTURE OF THE LIVING GOD AND YOU'RE 38:38 LOOKING AT A PIECE OF BRASS. SOME PEOPLE GET INSPIRED. 38:43 THEY LOOK AT - I MEAN, I ADMIT, I'VE SEEN SOME INCREDIBLE WORKS 38:49 OF ART, BOTH PAINTINGS AND ARTWORK AND, YOU KNOW, IF I SEE 38:52 THE SCULPTURES OF DAVID BY MICHELANGELO AND THINGS LIKE 38:58 THAT, YOU HAVE TO SAY, 'WOW, THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE SKILL OF 39:01 THE ARTIST.' BUT IT'S SOMETHING ELSE WHEN YOU START BOWING DOWN 39:05 BEFORE THEM. ISN'T THAT WHAT THE COMMANDMENT SAYS? 39:07 LET'S LOOK AT THAT ONE MORE TIME, JUST TO MAKE SURE - 39:09 'YOU'LL NOT MAKE FOR YOURSELF AN IMAGE THE LIKENESS OF ANYTHING 39:12 IN THE HEAVEN ABOVE, OR THE EARTH BENEATH, OR THE WATER 39:15 UNDER THE EARTH' - BUT THE COMMANDMENT DOESN'T STOP THERE. 39:18 DON'T MAKE THOSE THINGS - 'YOU SHALL NOT BOW DOWN YOURSELF TO 39:22 THEM AND SERVE THEM' - THAT'S THE BIG ISSUE. IT DOESN'T MEAN 39:26 THAT IF YOUR KID IS AT HOME WITH PLAY DOUGH AND HE MAKES A 39:31 SNOWMAN, THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN HE'S AN IDOLATER. 39:34 DOES EVERYONE UNDERSTAND? OR IF YOU GO AND YOU EAT IN A 39:38 RESTAURANT - CHINESE FOOD - AND THERE'S A LITTLE BUDDHA AT THE 39:42 ENTRANCE, THAT BY EATING THAT CHOP SUEY, YOU SUDDENLY HAVE 39:46 PARTICIPATED IN IDOLATRY. NOW THE REASON I SAY THAT IS 39:50 THAT WAS A PROBLEM FOR THE JEWS IN THE TIME OF PAUL - 39:54 AND FOR THE CHRISTIANS. ALL OVER THE ROMAN EMPIRE THEY 39:57 DID NOT BUTCHER AN ANIMAL, CLEAN OR UNCLEAN, WITHOUT DOING IT 40:00 - THE SLAUGHTERHOUSES ALL HAD IDOLS AND THEY WOULD DEDICATE 40:03 EVERYONE - THEY THOUGHT, 'WE'LL GET ALL THE CREDIT WE CAN OUT OF 40:05 THESE SLAUGHTERS, WE'LL DEDICATE IT TO DIFFERENT GODS.' AND SOME 40:08 OF THE VERY STRICT JEWS SAID, 'YOU CAN'T EAT ANYTHING THAT'S 40:11 SOLD IN THE REGULAR MARKET PLACES. 40:12 IT ONLY MUST BE BOUGHT IN THE KOSHER - KOSHER SALESMEN - 40:16 MEANING IT HASN'T BEEN OFFERED TO AN IDOL BECAUSE OTHERWISE 40:20 YOU'RE PARTICIPATING IN IDOLATRY. 40:22 YOU RUN INTO THIS A LOT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. 40:24 THAT'S WHY PAUL SAID, IN ROMANS 14, 'HE THAT'S WEAK EATS ONLY 40:26 VEGETABLES.' IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FOOD, IT MEANS HE WHO IS 40:30 WEAK IN FAITH WILL NOT EAT ANYTHING THAT - BECAUSE HE'S 40:34 AFRAID IT'S BEEN OFFERED TO A GOD. 40:36 AND SO PAUL SAID, 'WHAT YOU BUY IN THE MARKETPLACE, EAT ASKING 40:41 NO QUESTIONS FOR CONSCIENCE SAKE.' HE'S NOT TALKING ABOUT 40:43 CLEAN OR UNCLEAN FOOD - NEVER MENTIONS ANY KIND OF FOOD. 40:46 IT MEANS IF YOU'RE BUYING SHEEP OR GOAT OR CHICKEN DON'T SAY, 40:50 'WAS THIS OFFERED TO A GOD?' DON'T ASK. 40:52 IF YOU DON'T KNOW - PFFFT. IF YOU WALK PAST THAT LITTLE 40:55 BUDDHA IN THE CHINESE RESTAURANT, DON'T GET NERVOUS. 40:58 IF IT BOTHERS YOUR CONSCIENCE, THEN DON'T EAT THERE. 41:00 THAT'S WHAT PAUL SAID. IF IT'S GOING TO MAKE YOUR 41:02 BROTHER STUMBLE, GO SOMEWHERE WITHOUT THE PORCELAIN BUDDHA. 41:06 ONE OF THE PRINCIPLE MESSAGES THAT GOD HAS IN THE BIBLE IS ALL 41:12 IDOLS AND IDOLATERS WILL BE DESTROYED. 41:15 YOU FIND THE IDOLS ALL GET DESTROYED. 41:17 YOU REMEMBER IN DANIEL CHAPTER 2, NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DREAM - WHAT 41:21 IS THE DREAM OF? >>IDOL. 41:23 >>IT'S A DREAM - IT'S A BIG IDOL - IT'S A GIGANTIC IDOL. 41:26 AND YEAH, ITS FEET ARE IRON AND CLAY - IT'S GOT LEGS OF IRON AND 41:31 THIGHS OF BRASS AND CHEST OF SILVER AND HEAD OF GOLD AND - 41:35 AND WHAT'S IT DESTROYED BY? IT SAYS, 'YOU WATCHED IN THE 41:39 VISION UNTIL YOU SAW A STONE THAT WAS CUT FROM THE MOUNTAIN 41:43 WITHOUT MAN'S HANDS.' NOW WHY DID IT SAY THAT - WITHOUT MAN'S 41:48 - A STONE THAT WAS CUT WITHOUT HANDS STRIKES THIS IMAGE ON 41:51 ITS FEET AND IT BLASTS IT TO SMITHEREENS AND IT BLOWS AWAY 41:54 AND NO TRACE OF IT IS FOUND ANYMORE. IT'S GROUND TO POWDER 41:57 AND IT BLOWS AWAY. WHAT DID MOSES DO WITH THE 42:00 GOLDEN CALF? DIDN'T HE GRIND IT UP SO - YOU 42:03 KNOW, IF THERE WAS ONLY A LITTLE PIECE OF IT LEFT 42:05 THEY'D WORSHIP THAT. >>RIGHT. 42:08 >>HAVEN'T YOU SEEN A LOT OF BROKEN STATUES IN MUSEUMS? 42:12 SOMETIMES THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A HEAD. PEOPLE STOP AND SAY, 'AH, 42:15 LOOK AT THE ART.' (LAUGHTER) YOU SEE IT'S GOT HALF ITS ARMS - NO 42:18 HEAD. 'WHAT EXQUISITE ART.' YEAH, SO HE THOUGHT, 'THERE'S 42:23 NOT GOING TO BE ANYTHING LEFT.' THEY COMPLETELY GROUND IT. 42:25 BUT THIS STONE THAT GRINDS THEM WAS CUT WITHOUT MAN'S HANDS. 42:28 LET ME TELL YOU WHY THAT IS. IF YOU LOOK IN EXODUS 20, VERSE 42:31 25, NOTICE THIS IS RIGHT AFTER THE TEN COMMANDMENTS - EXODUS 20 42:36 IS THE TEN COMMANDMENTS - LOOK AT VERSE 25, "AND IF YOU MAKE ME 42:41 AN ALTAR OF STONE, YOU SHALL NOT BUILD IT OF HEWN STONE;" - DON'T 42:46 USE CARVED STONE - "FOR IF YOU USE YOUR TOOL ON IT, YOU HAVE 42:51 PROFANED IT." DO NOT LIFT UP MAN'S HANDS ON AN ALTAR THAT YOU 42:55 MAKE. YOU NOTICE THAT WHEN ELIJAH BUILT THE ALTAR OF THE 42:58 LORD HE TOOK STONES - HE PILED THEM UP - 43:00 TWELVE OF THEM - JUST STONES RIGHT OUT OF THE FIELD. 43:03 THEY WERE ALL KIND OF HAPHAZARD, BUMPY, IRREGULAR STONES - AND 43:08 THE BIBLE SAYS THAT YOU AND I ARE LIVING STONES. 43:11 WE'RE ALL KIND OF BUMPY AND IRREGULAR TOO. 43:13 AND THIS IS HOW YOU MAKE UP THE CHURCH OF GOD. 43:16 AS SOON AS YOU START TO PUT MAN'S WORKS INTO IT, YOU POLLUTE 43:20 IT. YOU'LL START WORSHIPING WHAT YOU DID - 'LOOK AT MY EXQUISITE 43:24 ARTMANSHIP' INSTEAD OF WHO I AM. THE ONLY TIME THEY WERE REALLY 43:27 GIVEN PERMISSION TO DO THIS - IN THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON. 43:30 IT WAS A UNIQUE SITUATION. IT WAS TO REPRESENT THE GOD OF 43:34 HEAVEN AND IT WAS - IT WAS A DIFFERENT CATEGORY. 43:36 ALL THE OTHER ALTARS THAT JACOB AND ABRAHAM AND THE OTHERS 43:38 BUILT, THEY JUST TOOK ROUGH STONES. WHEN JACOB SAW THAT 43:42 LADDER REACHING TO HEAVEN, HE TIPPED A STONE UP, POURED OIL ON 43:45 IT, MADE A VOW AND SAID, 'THIS IS AN ALTAR TO GOD.' BUT HE 43:49 DIDN'T LIFT UP A CHISEL AND A HAMMER ON IT. 43:52 AND SO THAT'S ONE REASON - THAT STONE CUT WITHOUT MAN'S HANDS 43:55 THAT DESTROYS EVERYTHING, IT REPRESENTS CHRIST AND THE PEOPLE 43:59 OF CHRIST - THE COMING OF CHRIST. ALRIGHT, GO ON HERE, 44:02 IT'S NOT ONLY NEBUCHADNEZZAR'S DREAMS, IT SAYS ALL THE IDOLS 44:07 ULTIMATELY GET DESTROYED. TOWER OF BABEL, WHAT HAPPENED? 44:12 IT GOT DESTROYED. THE GOLDEN CALVES THAT WERE UP 44:17 IN BETHEL AND DAN IN THE KINGDOM OF THE NORTH - YOU 44:19 REMEMBER KING JOSIAH? CHILDREN'S STORY - TALKED ABOUT 44:22 KING JOSIAH - HE DESTROYED THEM. THEY WERE ALL GROUND DOWN. 44:27 HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER THE STORY OF THE ALTAR OF DAGON? 44:30 AND YOU FIND THIS IN 1 SAMUEL 5:2 - IT TELLS US THAT THEY 44:38 CAPTURED - THE PHILISTINES CAPTURED THE ARK OF GOD AND THEY 44:43 BROUGHT IT AND THEY PUT IT IN THE TEMPLE OF DAGON, BASICALLY 44:45 TO SAY 'OUR GOD IS BIGGER THAN JEHOVAH BECAUSE OUR GOD 44:48 CONQUERED THEIR GOD.' WELL, WHEN THE PRIEST GOT UP IN THE MORNING 44:51 TO GO CHECK ON HIS IDOL, THIS GREAT BIG STATUE OF DAGON HAD 44:57 TOPPLED OVER - MATTER OF FACT, I THINK I'VE GOT A PICTURE OF THAT 45:00 - YEAH, THERE IT IS. THERE'S THE TEMPLE - ANCIENT TEMPLE OF DAGON 45:02 AND THERE'S KIND OF WHAT THE GOD DAGON LOOKED LIKE. 45:05 IT TOPPLED OVER AND THAT WAS A BAD OMEN. 45:09 THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND THE ONLY THING THEY COULD DO IS 45:10 THEY GOT ALL THE PRIESTS TOGETHER AND THEY WORKED AND 45:12 HOISTED - IT WAS PROBABLY AS BIG AS ONE OF THESE EASTER ISLAND 45:15 STATUES - IT WAS BIG. THEY HOISTED IT BACK UP INTO 45:18 PLACE AGAIN AND THEY THOUGHT, 'WELL, THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME 45:20 SEISMIC ACTIVITY DURING THE NIGHT. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED 45:22 THAT BUT WE'LL JUST PRETEND IT WAS A FLUKE. 45:26 THE NEXT DAY THEY CAME BACK AND THE IDOL OF DAGON WAS FALLEN OFF 45:31 HIS PEDESTAL AGAIN AND THIS TIME HIS HEAD AND HIS HANDS HAD 45:35 BROKEN OFF ON THE THRESHOLD AND IT HAD FALLEN DOWN BEFORE THE 45:38 ALTAR OF GOD, AS IF TO SAY, 'ALL THESE GODS ARE MADE OUT OF STUFF 45:44 MADE BY THE GOD THAT'S IN THAT BOX THERE' - THE GOD JEHOVAH - 45:48 OR AT LEAST WHO IT REPRESENTS. AND I THOUGHT IT WAS 45:52 INTERESTING, HIS HEAD AND HIS HANDS BROKE OFF. 45:54 WHERE'S THE MARK OF THE BEAST? >>HEAD AND HANDS. 45:56 >>IS THAT GOING TO BE AN ISSUE? IS IDOLATRY AN ISSUE 45:59 IN THE LAST DAYS? >>YES. 46:01 AMEN! >>DON'T WE READ IN THE BIBLE 46:05 THAT IT'S SOMETHING CONNECTED WITH THE FINAL TEST? 46:08 YOU REMEMBER WHEN KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR TOLD THEM, IN 46:10 DANIEL 3:6, "AND WHOEVER DOES NOT FALL DOWN AND WORSHIP SHALL 46:14 BE CAST IMMEDIATELY INTO THE MIDST OF A BURNING FIERY 46:17 FURNACE." WORSHIP WHAT? 46:18 WORSHIP THE BIG IDOL THAT NEBUCHADNEZZAR HAD SET UP. 46:21 THEN YOU JUMP - WITH THAT IN MIND, YOU JUMP TO REVELATION 13 46:25 - AND IT SAYS "HE" - THE BEAST POWER - "DECEIVES THOSE WHO 46:29 DWELL ON THE EARTH BY THOSE SIGNS WHICH HE WAS GRANTED TO DO 46:32 IN THE SIGHT OF THE BEAST," - THIS IS TALKING ABOUT THE SECOND 46:34 BEAST IN REVELATION 13 - "TELLING THOSE WHO DWELL ON THE 46:37 EARTH TO MAKE AN IMAGE TO THE BEAST" - THAT'S THE FIRST BEAST 46:40 - "WHO WAS WOUNDED BY THE SWORD AND LIVED. 46:43 HE WAS GRANTED POWER TO GIVE BREATH TO THE IMAGE OF THE 46:44 BEAST, THAT THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST SHOULD BOTH SPEAK AND 46:47 CAUSE AS MANY AS WOULD NOT WORSHIP THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST 46:49 TO BE KILLED." NOW THAT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF IDOL. 46:53 YOU KNOW WHEN THEY - IF YOU GO TO POMPEII - I'VE BEEN THERE - 46:57 THEY'VE GOT THIS STATUE TO A GOD AND BEHIND THE STATUE TO THE GOD 47:00 THEY'VE GOT SOME PIPES COMING OUT OF THE GOD'S MOUTH THAT LEAD 47:03 BACK BEHIND THE WALL. PEOPLE WOULD COME TO THIS GOD AND 47:06 THEY'D PRAY AND PAY MONEY TO THE PRIESTS AND ASK FOR A MESSAGE 47:08 AND THERE WOULD BE A PRIEST THAT WAS TALKING THROUGH A PIPE AND 47:11 THEY HEARD THIS NOISE COMING OUT THE STATUE'S MOUTH AND SO THEY 47:14 WOULD MAKE IT SOUND LIKE IT COULD SPEAK. 47:16 AND THEY'VE ALL - THERE WERE ALL KINDS OF ANTICS AND CRAZY THINGS 47:18 THAT THEY DID THROUGHOUT THE ROMAN AND THE EGYPTIANS AND THE 47:23 BABYLONIANS - WE KNOW NOW, FROM ANTIQUITY, THAT THE PRIESTS - 47:27 THERE WAS ONE GOD THAT WAS FULL OF RATS AND THEY ALWAYS HEARD 47:31 ALL THIS MOTION - THESE SOUNDS COMING FROM INSIDE THE GOD AND 47:35 IT WAS ACTUALLY JUST THE RATS THAT WERE RUNNING AROUND IN 47:37 THERE. BUT THEY MADE THE MOST OF IT. 47:39 THEY HAD GODS THAT WOULD CRY AND THEY WOULD SQUEEZE SOMETHING AND 47:42 THE WATER WOULD COME OUT - THERE WERE THESE ARTIFICIAL TEAR DUCTS 47:45 - THEY DID EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO MAKE THEIR GODS LOOK LIKE 47:47 THEY'RE ALIVE. BUT THE BIBLE TELLS US THE 47:50 DEVIL'S GOING TO HAVE A REAL DECEPTION IN THE LAST DAYS 47:53 BECAUSE HE'LL HAVE POWER TO CAUSE THE IMAGE TO SPEAK. 47:57 >>AMEN. >>AND WE'VE GOT A WHOLE SET OF 48:00 BIBLE STUDIES ON WHAT THAT IS. IT MAY NOT BE EXACTLY WHAT YOU 48:02 THINK, BUT DOES IDOLATRY PLAY INTO THE LAST SCENARIO? 48:08 WE NEED TO KNOW THAT WE DON'T HAVE THESE IDOLS IN OUR LIFE. 48:11 IT'S PRETTY SERIOUS. REVELATION 14, VERSE 11, IT 48:15 SAYS, " AND THE SMOKE OF THEIR TORMENT ASCENDS FOREVER AND 48:18 EVER; AND THEY HAVE NO REST DAY OR NIGHT, WHO WORSHIP THE BEAST 48:22 AND HIS IMAGE, AND WHOEVER RECEIVES THE MARK OF HIS NAME." 48:26 YOU KNOW, I'M OUT OF TIME. I'M NOT OUT OF SERMON. 48:29 THERE'S SO MUCH MORE I COULD SAY ABOUT IDOLATRY, BUT I THINK YOU 48:32 GET THE IDEA THAT OUR GOD IS A SPIRIT. 48:34 HE WANTS US TO WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH. 48:37 LET ME TELL YOU, PRINCIPALLY, WHY I THINK IT'S A DANGER TO 48:41 DRIFT - AND, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS NEED TO 48:43 BE REMINDED ABOUT IDOLATRY AND GOD'S PEOPLE IN THE OLD 48:46 TESTAMENT AND NEW TESTAMENT. ONE OF THE LAST THINGS THAT JOHN 48:48 SAYS, 'MY LITTLE CHILDREN, KEEP YOURSELVES FROM IDOLS.' 48:52 OVER AND OVER THEY HAD TO REMIND THE PEOPLE OF GOD ABOUT THIS. 48:55 GOD IS ALL KNOWING, GOD IS ALL FEELING, HE'S ALL POWERFUL, HE'S 49:01 UNIVERSAL, AND HE'S ETERNAL. >>AMEN. 49:04 >>AN IDOL KNOWS NOTHING, FEELS NOTHING, IT'S POWERLESS, 49:07 TEMPORARY, STATIONARY. AN IDOL IS THE ANTITHESIS OF 49:12 WHAT GOD IS. IT IS THE ULTIMATE OPPOSITE OF WHAT GOD IS. 49:16 AND SO WHENEVER WE TRY TO LOOK AT SOMETHING IN ORDER TO THINK 49:20 OF GOD - IT'S ONE THING TO LOOK AT HIS CREATION, BUT SOMETHING 49:23 MAN-MADE - WE'RE STARTING TO REALLY PUT OUR TRUST IN MAN. 49:27 IT THEN STARTS TO BE RIGHTEOUSNESS BY WORKS AND 49:30 TRUSTING IN THE CREATION OF THE ARTIST. 49:32 AND INSTEAD OF GIVING GLORY TO THE LIVING GOD WHO IS UNSEEN, WE 49:35 GIVE IT TO THAT WHICH IS SEEN. AND SO THIS IS MUCH DEEPER AND 49:39 WIDER THAN IT APPEARS ON THE SURFACE. IDOLATRY REALLY CAN BE 49:46 ANYTHING THAT YOU PUT IN THE PLACE OF GOD THAT YOU WORSHIP - 49:49 THAT TAKES YOUR TIME. WE'RE PRAYING THAT YOU'RE NOT 49:52 DISTRACTED WITH THE MATERIAL - MATERIALISM IS A GOD, ISN'T IT? 49:57 WE ARE LIVING, RIGHT NOW - DO WE ALL KNOW THAT WE'RE LIVING IN 49:59 THE MOST MATERIALISTIC AGE? THERE ARE MORE THINGS THAT YOU 50:03 CAN BUY THAN AT ANY OTHER TIME IN HISTORY. 50:05 THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT WE DON'T GET DISTRACTED WITH THE 50:08 THINGS - THE TANGIBLE - AND NEGLECT THE SPIRITUAL. 50:13 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? 50:16 YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE 50:18 TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING, VISIT THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY 50:22 AT 'AFTV.ORG'. AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY 50:28 VIDEO AND AUDIO PRESENTATIONS AS WELL AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL 50:32 FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR 50:36 COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 50:46 >>AMAZING FACTS. CHANGED LIVES. 50:54 >>YOU KNOW, WE GREW UP IN A NEIGHBORHOOD UP IN THE MIDWEST 50:57 THAT WAS A PRETTY BAD NEIGHBORHOOD AND WHEN I BECAME A 51:00 TEENAGER I STARTED USING DRUGS. I WAS ON - I STARTED USING METH 51:05 WHEN I WAS LIKE, I THINK, 16 - 15 - SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 51:09 I WAS HAVING SOME PROBLEMS IN MY LIFE I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO 51:12 DEAL WITH. THE ONLY THING I REALLY KNEW WAS 51:16 VIOLENCE SO THIS NIGHT HERE I WAS GOING TO INFLICT 51:20 VIOLENCE ON MYSELF. I WAS REALLY HIGH AND REALLY 51:23 DEPRESSED SO I TOOK, YOU KNOW, I HAD THIS .40 CALIBER. 51:26 SO I REMEMBER I PUT ONE IN THE CHAMBER AND I STUCK IT TO THE 51:29 SIDE OF MY HEAD LIKE THIS AND THAT GUN HAD A HAIR TRIGGER, YOU 51:35 KNOW? I REMEMBER I WAS TAPPING IT 51:39 'CAUSE A PART OF ME SAID 'NO, I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS.' 51:43 BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING VERY EVIL PRESENT THERE SAYING 'DO 51:46 IT.' I JUST SAID TO MYSELF, I SAID, 'GOD, IF YOU'RE REAL SHOW 51:53 YOURSELF TO ME.' MY MOTHER TOOK ME TO CHURCH WHEN I WAS A LITTLE 51:57 KID AND WE USED TO SING 'JESUS LOVES ME' AND I REMEMBERED THAT 52:02 SONG. IT STARTED PLAYING IN MY MIND. 52:06 I ALMOST HAD, LIKE, A VISION OF ME AS A LITTLE KID, YOU KNOW? 52:13 IN SABBATH SCHOOL WE USED TO BANG THOSE STICKS TOGETHER AND 52:20 SING 'JESUS LOVES ME' AND I HEARD THAT IN MY MIND. 52:27 SO I SAID, 'WOW.' SO I JUST, KIND OF LIKE, PUT THE GUN DOWN 52:34 AND I KIND OF FELL ON MY BEDSIDE THERE AND I SAID, 'LORD,' - I 52:38 JUST BASICALLY JUST PRAYED THIS CRAZY PRAYER. 52:41 I SAYS - I TOLD HIM EVERYTHING THAT WAS WRONG WITH ME. 52:44 AND I REMEMBER, ONE DAY, I WAS DRIVING AROUND AND I KIND OF 52:46 FELT LOST, AND I DROVE BY THIS CHURCH AND I SEEN TOM OUT THERE. 52:50 TOM WAS JUST OUT THERE WATERING THE FLOWERS, YOU KNOW? 52:54 >>SO I CAUGHT A VISION OUT OF THE SIDE OF MY EYE OF THIS BIG 52:58 HUSKY GUY WITH TATTOOS WALKING UP AND SAYING HELLO. 53:05 AND I - SO I ASKED HIM IF I COULD HELP HIM AND HE TOLD ME 53:10 THAT HE DRIVES BY THE CHURCH ON OCCASION AND EVERY TIME HE GOES 53:15 BY HE'S THINKING THAT HE SHOULD STOP IN. 53:18 >>AFTER HE SHOWED ME AROUND THE CHURCH, YOU KNOW, I WAS LIKE, 53:23 'OKAY, MAN, IT'S NICE MEETING YOU.' AND THIS AND THAT - SO I 53:27 JUMPED IN MY CAR AND I STARTED HEADING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AND 53:31 THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW IN, LIKE, MY PERIPHERAL VISION, I 53:35 SEE HIM COMING AROUND THE CORNER LIKE JERRY RICE RUNNING A 53:39 FOOTBALL - NO, NOT THAT FAST, BUT, YOU KNOW, HE WAS TAKING OFF 53:44 AFTER ME AND HE SAYS, 'HEY, HEY, HEY! HOLD ON, HOLD ON.' 53:47 >>I ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME BIBLE STUDIES AND 53:50 HE SAID, 'YEAH.' >>HE WOULD COME BY THE HOUSE. 53:53 WE'D ALL START - WE'D START HIDING THE BEER CANS AND TRYING 53:57 TO AIR OUT THE WEED SMELL. THERE WAS A PRESENCE THAT CAME 54:00 WITH TOM THAT WAS COMFORTING, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? 54:05 EVEN THOUGH I WASN'T TAKING THE BIBLE STUDIES AS SERIOUS AS I 54:08 SHOULD HAVE, LOOKING BACK, THERE WAS JUST A PRESENCE ABOUT HIM 54:13 BEING THERE IN THE HOUSE THAT WAS COMFORTING. 54:17 I TOLD TOM, I SAID, 'TOM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T WIN EVERYBODY.' 54:20 >>I LOOKED AT HIM AND I KNEW - I SAID TO HIM, 'RUEBEN, I NEVER 54:25 GET ANYBODY.' I SAYS, 'THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL DO THAT.' AND I, 54:31 KIND OF, IN MY HEART, KNEW THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS GOING TO 54:34 WORK ON RUEBEN. >>SO THEN TOM KIND OF LEFT THE 54:37 PICTURE FOR AWHILE AND I THINK ONE DAY, AT MY MOTHER'S HOUSE, 54:41 THEY WERE WATCHING THE FINAL EVENTS OF BIBLE PROPHECY . 54:44 SO I WATCHED THAT AND I REMEMBER THE SCENE WHERE THEY HAD THE 54:51 HELLFIRE AND STUFF, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OUTSIDE THE CITY AND IT 54:56 SHOWED THE HELLFIRE COMING DOWN AND BURNING PEOPLE AND STUFF. 55:02 I REMEMBER SAYING TO MYSELF, 'THAT'S WHERE I WOULD BE RIGHT 55:06 THERE.' AFTER THE HELLFIRE SCENE I SAW THE SAINTS IN THE CITY - 55:13 IN THE NEW JERUSALEM - AND JESUS RECREATING THE EARTH AND I SAID, 55:21 'I WANT THAT TO BE MY - ME AND MY FAMILY.' THERE WAS SOMETHING 55:26 ABOUT THE WAY DOUG PREACHED AND THINGS THAT I FELT THAT TOUCHED 55:29 ME BECAUSE HE'S KIND OF LIKE MYSELF, YOU KNOW, HE'S - HE 55:35 DIDN'T GROW UP LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW? 55:38 HE - HE DONE DRUGS AND THINGS SO I KIND OF FOUND THESE COMMON 55:42 GROUNDS THAT I HAD WITH HIM AND I LIKED HOW HE JUST, KIND OF, 55:46 LIKE, KEPT IT REAL WITH HIS PREACHING. 55:47 AND THEN PASTOR RODLEY CAME TO THE CHURCH AND I GOT TO KNOW HIM 55:53 VERY WELL AND WE STARTED DOING SOME FINISHING STUDIES. 55:57 HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT I WAS DOING AND 56:01 THINGS. HE BAPTIZED ME, MY WIFE, MY BROTHER. 56:05 NO MATTER WHAT YOU'VE DONE, WHERE YOU COME FROM, WHERE 56:11 YOU'VE BEEN, NO MATTER HOW BAD OF A SINNER YOU THINK YOU ARE, 56:16 THE LORD JESUS LOVES YOU NO MATTER WHAT YOU'VE DONE. 56:20 >>FRIENDS, IT'S BECAUSE OF GOD'S BLESSING AND YOUR SUPPORT 56:23 THOUSANDS OF OTHERS, JUST LIKE RUEBEN, HAVE FOUND JESUS AND 56:27 ETERNAL LIFE. (MUSIC) 56:44 >>AMAZING FACTS BEGAN IN 1965 WITH A 56:47 GOD-INSPIRED CONCEPT. >>HELLO, THIS IS JOE CREWS AND 56:51 THE AMAZING FACTS BROADCAST FACTS WHICH AFFECT YOU. 56:55 >>EACH RADIO BROADCAST WOULD BEGIN WITH AN AMAZING FACT FROM 56:58 SCIENCE, NATURE, OR HISTORY, FOLLOWED BY A BIBLE MESSAGE THAT 57:02 TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF LISTENERS FROM EVERY WALK OF LIFE. 57:06 THE PROGRAM WAS AN INSTANT SUCCESS AND THE MINISTRY SOON 57:10 BEGAN EXPANDING TO INCLUDE BIBLE LESSONS. 57:13 IN 1986 AMAZING FACTS ADDED THE MEDIUM OF TELEVISION TO ITS 57:18 GROWING OUTREACH EFFORTS, OFFERING SOUL-WINNING 57:21 EVANGELISTIC MESSAGES FOR VIEWERS AROUND THE WORLD. 57:25 IN 1994, PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR ASSUMED LEADERSHIP OF THE 57:29 MINISTRY, ADDING THE BIBLE ANSWERS LIVE CALL-IN RADIO 57:32 PROGRAM AND NEW MINISTRY TV PROGRAMS BEGAN AIRING ON 57:36 MULTIPLE NETWORKS AROUND THE WORLD. 57:39 FOR 50 YEARS, THE DRIVING VISION OF AMAZING FACTS HAS BEEN THE 57:44 BOLD PROCLAMATION OF THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL AND, WITH A 57:48 TEAM OF EVANGELISTS CIRCLING THE GLOBE, AND THOUSANDS OF MEN AND 57:51 WOMEN BEING TRAINED THROUGH THE AMAZING FACTS CENTER OF 57:54 EVANGELISM PROGRAM - AFCOE - THE MINISTRY IS HELPING GOD'S 57:58 CHURCH SEE A RICH HARVEST OF SOULS. 58:02 AMAZING FACTS: GOD'S MESSAGE, OUR MISSION. 58:09 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES VISIT AFBOOKSTORE.COM . 58:15 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2016-08-23