Participants:
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021557A
|
00:00 (MUSIC)
00:10 >>TODAY'S SMART PHONES ARE A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE OF INFORMATION 00:13 THAT FITS IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND. 00:15 IT'S A GOOD THING WE HAVE OPPOSABLE THUMBS! 00:17 WITH IT YOU CAN BUY YOUR GROCERIES, TAKE CARE OF YOUR 00:21 EXERCISE REGIME, WATCH A VIDEO, LISTEN TO MUSIC, YOU CAN SURF 00:25 THE INTERNATIONAL WORLD-WIDE WEB, WHICH MAY NOT ALWAYS BE A 00:28 GOOD THING. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE IS MORE 00:31 COMPUTER PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY 00:33 AND POWER IN A LITTLE SMART PHONE TODAY THAN WAS USED BY 00:36 NASA TO PUT A MAN ON THE MOON. 00:39 AND I ALMOST FORGOT, YOU CAN ALSO USE THESE TO MAKE A PHONE 00:41 CALL, BUT WHO DOES THAT ANYMORE? 00:44 TODAY COMMUNICATION ISS NOT IN COMPLETE SENTENCES. 00:46 IT'S ALL ABOUT SHORT MESSAGE SERVICING OR SMS TEXTING. 00:51 THAT'S RIGHT, THERE ARE ABOUT 2.5 BILLION PEOPLE IN THE WORLD 00:55 TODAY THAT ARE COMMUNICATING WITH THEIR FELLOW HUMANS IN 00:58 SHORT BYTES CALLED TEXTING. THAT'S MORE DATA THAT IS BEING 01:02 USED THAN THOSE WHO ARE SURFING THE WEB OR EVEN 01:05 PLAYING VIDEO GAMES. AND, FRIENDS, NOWHERE IS THIS 01:07 MORE TRUE THAN RIGHT HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES. 01:10 EVEN THOUGH THE PHILIPPINES HAS ABOUT 100 MILLION PEOPLE, THEY 01:13 ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LARGEST NUMBER OF TEXT MESSAGES OF 01:16 ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. THEY'RE THE TWELFTH-LARGEST 01:19 COUNTRY, BUT THEY SEND 400 MILLION TEXT MESSAGES EVERY DAY. 01:24 WOW, THAT'S A LOT OF FINGER FATIGUE. 01:28 EVEN THOUGH THE GREATEST NUMBER OF TEXTERS IS HERE IN THE 01:30 PHILIPPINES, THE RECORD FOR THE FASTEST TEXTER IN THE WORLD IS 01:33 FROM BRAZIL. A YOUNG MAN BY THE NAME OF 01:35 MARCEL FERNANDES FILHO - HE WAS ABLE TO TEXT 25 VERY COMPLICATED 01:39 WORDS IN A LITTLE MORE THAN 18 SECONDS. 01:42 WOW, IT TAKES ME LONGER THAN THAT TO JUST SAY 'I LOVE YOU' TO 01:46 MY WIFE AND PRESS SEND. ALL THUMBS. 01:50 ONE OF THE NEAT THINGS ABOUT TEXTING IS YOU CAN TEXT JUST 01:52 ABOUT ANYWHERE. IF YOU'RE SURROUNDED WITH 01:54 PEOPLE AND YOU WANT TO SEND A PERSONAL MESSAGE, YOU TEXT. 01:57 YOU'RE IN A CROWDED SUBWAY OR AN AIRPORT, YOU CAN TEXT. 01:59 IF YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY NOISE OR NOSEY PEOPLE, YOU CAN TEXT - 02:04 JUST DON'T TEXT WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING. 02:06 THAT'S WHAT'S SO WONDERFUL, FRIENDS, YOU CAN ALWAYS TEXT GOD 02:09 A MESSAGE OF PRAYER FROM YOUR HEART. 02:11 WHEN YOU'RE WONDERING 'WHAT SCHOOL DO I GO TO?' 02:13 'WHAT JOB DO I TAKE?' 'WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO DATE THAT 02:16 MAY BE A FUTURE LIFE PARTNER?' YOUR PRAYERS DON'T HAVE TO BE 02:19 LONG. THE SHORTEST PRAYER IN THE BIBLE 02:21 IS THREE WORDS - WHEN PETER PRAYED, 'LORD SAVE ME.' AND JESUS 02:25 ANSWERED HIS PRAYER. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW FAST YOU 02:28 CAN TEXT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO GOD, HE'LL KNOW WHAT YOU'RE 02:30 ASKING FOR AND HEAR YOUR PRAYER BEFORE YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO 02:33 SAY 'AMEN' AND PRESS THE SEND BUTTON. 02:35 IN FACT, FRIENDS, YOU'LL BRING JOY TO GOD WHEN YOU SEND HIM 02:38 REGULAR MESSAGES FROM YOUR HEART TO HIS. 02:41 SO WHY DON'T YOU TALK TO HIM RIGHT NOW? (MUSIC) 03:09 >>THIS IS OUR HEROES OF FAITH PROGRAM - STORIES OF 03:12 SALVATION - WHERE WE'RE TAKING SOME OF THE UNIQUE, 03:15 HIGHLIGHT BIBLE STORIES THAT HELP ILLUSTRATE THE 03:18 PRINCIPLES OF SALVATION. AND TONIGHT'S STORY, 03:22 WASHED IN THE JORDAN , IS DEALING WITH AN OLD 03:25 TESTAMENT STORY AND A CHARACTER THERE BY 03:28 THE NAME OF NAAMAN. NOW NAAMAN, WE THINK, 03:31 IS VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTANDING SOME OF 03:34 THESE BIBLE TRUTHS BECAUSE JESUS REFERENCES NAAMAN. 03:38 AND HE SAYS - AND THIS IS LUKE 4, VERSES 24 03:41 THROUGH 27 - HE SAYS, "ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, 03:44 NO PROPHET IS ACCEPTED IN HIS OWN COUNTRY. 03:46 BUT I TELL YOU TRULY...MANY LEPERS WERE 03:49 IN ISRAEL IN THE DAYS OF ELISHA THE PROPHET, AND 03:53 NONE OF THEM WAS CLEANSED EXCEPT NAAMAN THE SYRIAN." 03:58 NOW THIS IS A STORY OF A SYRIAN THAT WENT DOWN TO 04:03 ISRAEL FOR HEALING, WHICH IS VERY UNUSUAL BECAUSE 04:07 THE SYRIANS, WITH THEIR CAPITAL THERE IN DAMASCUS, 04:13 AND THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, HAVE BEEN AT WAR FOR 04:16 THOUSANDS OF YEARS - AS IT WAS THEN, IT STILL IS TODAY. 04:21 JESUS REFERENCES THIS NON-JEW, WHO IS CLEANSED 04:26 FROM LEPROSY AND HE TELLS US IT'S A SIGN OF SOMETHING. 04:30 AND SO WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THAT STORY OF NAAMAN. 04:33 AND IF YOU TURN IN YOUR BIBLES TO THE 2 BOOK OF 04:35 KINGS - YOU'LL FIND - YOU'VE GOT 1 AND 2 SAMUEL, 04:39 1 AND 2 KINGS - 2 KINGS CHAPTER 5 AND WE'LL BE 04:44 STARTING WITH THE FIRST VERSE. 04:47 "NOW NAAMAN, COMMANDER OF THE ARMY OF THE KING OF 04:50 SYRIA, WAS A GREAT AND HONORABLE MAN IN THE EYES 04:54 OF HIS MASTER, BECAUSE BY HIM THE LORD HAD GIVEN 04:58 VICTORY TO SYRIA. HE WAS ALSO A MIGHTY MAN 05:01 OF VALOR," - I'M GOING TO STOP RIGHT THERE AND LEAVE 05:04 OUT THE LAST FEW WORDS IN THAT VERSE. 05:09 NOW, AT FIRST, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ACCOUNT - A 05:13 LITTLE NARRATIVE ABOUT WHO NAAMAN IS, IT TELLS US 05:15 THAT HE'S A VERY IMPORTANT MAN. 05:17 HE IS THE GENERAL FOR THE SYRIAN ARMY. 05:20 SYRIA IS NORTH OF ISRAEL THERE. 05:22 AND IT TELLS US THAT HE WAS AN HONORABLE MAN - HE 05:26 WAS A MAN OF HONOR - HE WAS A MAN THAT HAD 05:28 INTEGRITY. HE IS A COURAGEOUS MAN, 05:32 OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE HE'S THE GENERAL AND HE'S 05:34 HONORABLE AND HE'S COURAGEOUS. 05:35 IT TELLS US HE'S A MAN THROUGH WHOM THE LORD 05:37 COULD GIVE VICTORY - THE LORD, NOT ONLY USES PEOPLE 05:40 IN HIS OWN COUNTRY, THE LORD WORKS WITH PEOPLE ALL 05:44 OVER THE PLACE. AND HERE, EVEN IN THE WARS 05:47 THAT SYRIA WAS FIGHTING WITH THE ASSYRIANS - 05:51 DURING THIS TIME THE KINGDOM OF ASSYRIA, BASED 05:54 IN NINEVEH, WAS EXPANDING INTO THE COUNTRY OF SYRIA, 05:58 WHERE ITS CAPITAL - DAMASCUS - AND THE LORD 06:01 HAD USED NAAMAN THE GENERAL TO FIGHT BACK THAT 06:05 INVASION AND THEY GAINED THEIR INDEPENDENCE AGAIN. 06:07 AND IF YOU READ SOME OF THE CHAPTERS JUST BEFORE 06:10 THIS, YOU'LL FIND OUT THAT KING AHAB HAD BEEN 06:13 FIGHTING WITH SYRIA AND SYRIA WITH ISRAEL AND THEY 06:15 WERE JUST CONSTANTLY IN ONGOING WAR WITH EACH 06:18 OTHER, THOUGH THEY DID STILL TRADE TOGETHER. 06:22 IT'S KIND OF AN INTERESTING RELATIONSHIP. 06:24 THEY WERE AT WAR BUT BETWEEN WARS THEY DID A 06:28 LOT OF BUSINESS TOGETHER. AND SO, IT SEEMS LIKES 06:32 HE'S GOT IT MADE. HE'S RICH, HE'S FAMOUS, 06:37 HE'S GOT A GOOD REPUTATION, PROBABLY HAS 06:40 SERVANTS - OH WE KNOW HE DOES, IT TELLS US SO. 06:44 DO YOU THINK HE'S HAPPY? THE LAST FEW WORDS CHANGE 06:47 THE WHOLE PICTURE, "BUT (HE WAS) A LEPER." 06:53 WHAT PROFIT IS IT IF YOU GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD AND 06:56 YOU'RE UNDER A DEATH PENALTY? SO NAAMAN WAS 07:00 NOT VERY HAPPY BECAUSE HE HAD A TERMINAL DISEASE. 07:05 AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE LOOK AROUND AND YOU CAN 07:07 SEE THE TABLOIDS WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN - YOU 07:10 KNOW, THE WEALTHY CLASS AND THE BEST DRESSED AND 07:14 THE FAMOUS PEOPLE AND WE'RE THINKING, 'AW, IF I 07:17 COULD ONLY BE A LITTLE BETTER LOOKING; IF I COULD 07:20 HAVE A NICER HOME; IF I COULD HAVE BETTER CLOTHES; 07:23 IF I COULD HAVE MORE POPULAR STATUS' - HERE 07:26 HE'S HOBNOBBING WITH THE KING OF THE COUNTRY. 07:30 HE KNOWS ANYBODY THAT IS IMPORTANT IN SYRIA, BUT 07:35 WHAT GOOD IS IT WHEN IT SAYS, 'BUT HE'S A LEPER'? 07:38 BECAUSE HE'S DYING. YOU KNOW, SO MANY PEOPLE 07:42 IN THE WORLD THINK HAPPINESS COMES FROM FAME 07:46 AND FROM FORTUNE AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT DOESN'T. 07:51 I DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO INTO THE DETAILS OF MY 07:54 TESTIMONY, BUT I'LL JUST SAY THIS QUICKLY, THAT I 07:57 HAVE UNUSUAL PARENTS. MY FATHER WAS A 07:59 MULTIMILLIONAIRE. AT ONE TIME HE OWNED TWO 08:02 AIRLINES - HAD MONEY, JET PLANES, ROLLS ROYCE, LIVED 08:09 ON AN ISLAND, SERVANTS - I MEAN - AND DRANK HIMSELF 08:13 TO SLEEP EVERY NIGHT. MY BROTHER WAS BORN 08:16 WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS. MY FATHER LOST HIS FIRST 08:20 WIFE AND HIS FIRST BABY IN A PLANE CRASH. 08:23 AND SO, THE MONEY AND THE TOYS - IT JUST HID A LOT 08:29 OF SORROW. MY MOTHER, ON THE OTHER 08:31 HAND, SHE WAS IN SHOW BUSINESS. 08:33 SHE USED TO WRITE SONGS FOR ELVIS PRESLEY AND SHE 08:35 WAS A FILM CRITIC IN BEVERLY HILLS, AND SHE 08:37 KNEW A LOT OF THE FAMOUS ACTORS AND I'VE GOT 08:40 PICTURES OF MOM WITH A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, SYLVESTER 08:43 STALLONE AND CLINT EASTWOOD AND PAUL 08:45 MCCARTNEY AND GEORGE BURNS AND BOB HOPE - AND SHE 08:47 KNEW ALL THOSE PEOPLE. AND WE KNEW SOME OF 08:51 THOSE PEOPLE GROWING UP. SOME OF THEM WERE RICH AND 08:54 FAMOUS AND THEY KILLED THEMSELVES BECAUSE 08:58 THEY WEREN'T HAPPY. YOU SEE, LEPROSY WAS A 09:03 DISEASE THAT IS A SYMBOL FOR SIN, SEVERAL 09:07 TIMES IN THE BIBLE. LEPROSY IS HANSON'S 09:10 DISEASE, IS WHAT IT'S CALLED TODAY. 09:13 IT AFFECTS THE NERVES AND IT CAN CREATE LESIONS AND 09:15 A PERSON CAN FORGET TO BLINK AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY 09:18 LOSE YOUR EYESIGHT AND YOU - I'VE BEEN TO AFRICA AND 09:21 INDIA WHERE I'VE SEEN PEOPLE THAT STILL ARE AFFLICTED 09:23 WITH LEPROSY AND THEY'LL BE OUT BEGGING ON THE 09:25 STREETS AND THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE FINGERS TO HOLD 09:27 THE MONEY. YOU HAVE TO PRESS IT KIND 09:29 OF IN THEIR PALM AND THEY TOOK THE TWO CLUBS OF 09:30 HANDS THAT THEY'VE GOT LEFT AND THEY TRY TO 09:33 PUT IT IN THEIR BAG. IT'S VERY SAD. 09:37 AND IT'S CONTAGIOUS. SO WHEN YOU HAD LEPROSY, 09:40 YOU WERE ISOLATED FROM EVERYBODY. 09:42 IN FACT, YOU CAN READ IN THE LAW OF MOSES, IT WAS A 09:45 PRETTY BAD STIGMA THAT WENT WITH IT - LEVITICUS 09:49 13:45, "NOW THE LEPER ON WHOM THE SORE IS, HIS 09:53 CLOTHES SHALL BE TORN AND HIS HEAD BARE; AND HE 09:56 SHALL COVER HIS MUSTACHE, AND CRY, 'UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!'" 10:01 HOW'D YOU LIKE TO WALK AROUND HAVING TO ANNOUNCE 10:05 YOUR APPROACH WHENEVER YOU CAME AROUND HEALTHY PEOPLE 10:07 AND SAY, 'BETTER STAY BACK! UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!'? 10:11 NOW THEY DIDN'T HAVE THOSE SAME LAWS UP THERE IN 10:14 DAMASCUS, WHERE NAAMAN WAS, BUT THEY DID 10:17 UNDERSTAND IT WAS A CONTAGIOUS DISEASE. 10:20 HE CAN'T EMBRACE HIS WIFE AND HIS CHILDREN ANYMORE, 10:23 HE'S GOT TO LIVE IN AN ISOLATED ROOM. 10:25 YOU KNOW, ISRAEL ACTUALLY HAD A KING - KING UZZIAH - 10:28 HE WAS STRICKEN WITH LEPROSY. 10:29 LEPROSY COULD GET THE POOREST PERSON TO THE 10:31 RICHEST PERSON. NO ONE IS IMMUNE FROM SIN. 10:35 SIN, LIKE LEPROSY, IT MAKES YOU LOSE YOUR 10:39 SENSITIVITY - WHERE YOU LOSE YOUR FEELING. 10:42 YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THEY HAVE A 10:45 CONSCIENCE WHEN THEY'RE YOUNG AND THEY'RE SENSITIVE 10:48 AND THEY'RE INNOCENT AND THEY KNOW SOME THINGS 10:50 ARE WRONG. BUT THROUGH HYPER-EXPOSURE, PRETTY 10:53 SOON, THINGS THAT YOU KNOW WERE WRONG, THROUGH BEING 10:56 OVER-EXPOSED, THEY DON'T BOTHER YOU ANYMORE. 10:59 I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A KID AND I WAS AT HOME WITH 11:05 MOM AND A COMMERCIAL CAME ON TELEVISION AND IT WAS 11:10 FOR THE PLAYTEX CROSS YOUR HEART BRA AND IT WASN'T 11:15 EVEN A WOMAN, IT WAS A MANNEQUIN WEARING A BRA 11:18 AND THEY DEMONSTRATED THE CROSS-YOUR-HEART EFFECT OF 11:21 THE BRA AND I WAS SO EMBARRASSED - I WAS LIKE 11:24 EIGHT OR SEVEN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT - 11:27 YEARS OLD - AND I SAW THIS AND I LOOKED AT MOM LIKE, 11:28 'I KNOW I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE SEEING THIS.' CAN 11:32 YOU LOOK AT THE COMMERCIALS TODAY - BUT, 11:36 YOU KNOW, WE GET TO WHERE, THROUGH 11:38 OVER-EXPOSURE, PRETTY SOON YOU LOSE YOUR SENSITIVITY. 11:42 AND THAT'S WHAT SIN DOES TO YOU, IS IT STARTS TO 11:46 DESTROY YOUR CONSCIENCE. SO PEOPLE CAN START DOING 11:49 THINGS THAT JUST AREN'T RIGHT AND YOU GET WHERE 11:52 IT DOESN'T BOTHER YOU ANYMORE. YOU CAN START 11:54 GRIEVING AWAY THE HOLY SPIRIT - AND ONE OF THE 11:56 THINGS THE SPIRIT DOES IS CONVICTION. AND IT'S REALLY 11:59 DANGEROUS IF YOU GET TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU CAN SIN 12:02 AND YOU HAVE NO CONVICTION ANYMORE. 12:04 THAT'S WHAT LEPROSY DOES, IT STARTS TO DESTROY YOUR 12:07 CONSCIENCE, LITTLE BY LITTLE, THROUGH EXPOSURE. 12:10 YOU KNOW, ONE TIME A MAN CAME TO JESUS - HE WAS 12:13 FULL OF LEPROSY - THE GOSPEL OF LUKE TELLS US - 12:16 AND EVERYBODY RAN AWAY EXCEPT JESUS. 12:19 AND THE MAN FELL DOWN BEFORE JESUS AND HE SAID, 12:21 'LORD, IF YOU WANT TO, YOU CAN MAKE ME CLEAN.' AND 12:25 THE BIBLE SAYS JESUS REACHED OUT AND TOUCHED 12:27 HIM - WHICH YOU WERE NEVER SUPPOSED TO DO. 12:29 WHEN JESUS TOUCHED THE LEPER, EITHER CHRIST WOULD 12:32 BE CONTAMINATED AND THE SIN WAS GOING TO FLOW FROM 12:35 THE LEPER TO JESUS, OR HEALING WAS GOING TO FLOW 12:37 FROM JESUS TO THE MAN, BUT SOMEONE WOULD BE AFFECTED 12:41 BY THAT CONTACT. BUT WHEN JESUS TOUCHED THE 12:44 MAN HE SAID, 'I WILL, BE THOU CLEAN.' AND HIS 12:48 LEPROSY WENT AWAY. >>AMEN. 12:51 >>SEE, CHRIST CAME TO CLEANSE LEPERS. 12:55 HE DID IT MANY TIMES. 12:57 AND ALL OF US ARE INFECTED WITH THIS DEADLY DISEASE. 13:01 CAN YOU ENJOY LIFE IF YOU KNOW YOU'RE TERMINAL? 13:04 IF YOU COULD - IF YOU COULD WRITE A CHECK FOR A 13:10 BILLION DOLLARS, AND SOMEONE CAME TO YOU AND 13:14 SAID, 'LOOK, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A BILLION DOLLARS. 13:16 MATTER OF FACT, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN ALL- 13:18 EXPENSIVE - ALL-EXPENSES-PAID VACATION. 13:21 YOU CAN GO TO LAS VEGAS. I'LL PAY FOR EVERYTHING. 13:25 YOU'VE GOT A BILLION-DOLLAR ACCOUNT. 13:27 FOR SIX MONTHS YOU CAN STAY IN THE BEST HOTEL - 13:31 PRESIDENTIAL SUITE - BEST ENTERTAINMENT, BEST FOOD, 13:35 PROBABLY BUY SOME FRIENDS FOR THAT KIND OF MONEY. 13:39 BUT AT THE END OF SIX MONTHS, YOU'VE GOT TO GO 13:42 TO THE LAKE OF FIRE. WOULD YOU ENJOY IT? 13:48 HOW COULD - YOU KNOW, DAY 1 GOES BY AND YOU THINK, 13:50 'OH SURE, I'M GOING TO LIVE IT UP.' BUT OH MAN, 13:52 YOU JUST KEEP THINKING - JUST DOWN THE ROAD IS THAT 13:54 PUNISHMENT. IT'S ALL GOING TO GO AWAY. IT'S TEMPORARY. 13:59 HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ENJOY IT? 14:00 WELL, THAT'S REALLY HOW IT IS. 14:02 WHAT PROFIT IS IT IF YOU GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD - AND 14:05 ALL THE SINS IN THE WORLD - IF YOU'RE TERMINAL? 14:08 AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, YOU ARE 14:10 TERMINAL. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR POSITION IS. 14:13 IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW FAMOUS YOU ARE. 14:14 IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW GOOD LOOKING YOU ARE - 14:17 I LOOKED AT KAREN WHEN I SAID THAT. 14:18 (LAUGHTER) IT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH KIND OF 14:21 CLOTHES YOU WEAR, WHAT KIND OF HOUSE YOU LIVE IN 14:24 - YOU KNOW, WITH GOD THE ONLY THING THAT REALLY 14:27 MATTERS IS ARE YOU HEALED AND DO YOU HAVE 14:30 EVERLASTING LIFE? MY GRANDFATHER USED TO 14:33 SAY, 'IF YOU'VE GOT HEALTH YOU'RE A RICH MAN.' AND 14:36 THE OLDER I GET, THE MORE I KNOW THAT'S TRUE. 14:40 'BUT HE WAS A LEPER' AND HE WAS MISERABLE. 14:44 YOU THINK ALL THAT STUFF MADE HIM HAPPY? 14:46 THE ONLY THING HE COULD THINK ABOUT WAS HE WAS 14:48 DYING. AND THEN THE STORY TAKES 14:51 AN INTERESTING TURN. IT TELLS US - NOW THE 14:55 SYRIANS HAD GONE OUT ON RAIDS. 14:57 THEY WERE CONSTANTLY RAIDING THE BORDERS OF 14:59 ISRAEL AND VICE-VERSA. AND THEY BROUGHT BACK 15:02 CAPTIVE A YOUNG GIRL FROM THE LAND OF ISRAEL. 15:06 SHE WAS, EVIDENTLY, SOLD AS A SLAVE. 15:08 AND "SHE WAITED ON NAAMAN'S WIFE. 15:12 THEN SHE SAID TO HER MISTRESS, 'IF ONLY MY 15:15 MASTER WERE WITH THE PROPHET WHO IS IN 15:17 SAMARIA!' " - THAT BEING ELISHA - "'FOR HE WOULD HEAL 15:21 HIM OF HIS LEPROSY.'" NOW I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WAS 15:23 VERY NICE OF HER BECAUSE, IF I WAS THAT LITTLE GIRL, 15:26 AND SOME RAMPAGING SYRIANS CAME THROUGH MY FAMILY 15:30 FARM AND BEAT UP MY PARENTS AND RANSACKED THE 15:32 HOUSE AND CARRIED ME OFF AND THEN SOLD ME AS A 15:34 SLAVE, IF MY MASTER CAME DOWN WITH LEPROSY I'D SAY, 15:38 'GOOD RIDDANCE!' RIGHT? 'SERVES HIM RIGHT.' 15:43 I WOULD HAVE BEEN PRAYING THEY ALL GOT LEPROSY. 15:47 IT'D BE EASY TO BE VINDICTIVE. 15:49 BUT MAYBE SHE REMEMBERED THE STORY OF JOSEPH AND 15:53 SHE THOUGHT, 'LORD, I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS IS 15:54 HAPPENING TO ME, BUT MAYBE YOU'VE GOT A PLAN.' 15:57 AND SHE SEEKS GOOD. IN FACT, THERE'S A VERSE 16:03 IN THE BIBLE WHERE JEREMIAH FORETOLD THEY 16:05 MIGHT BE CARRIED OFF CAPTIVE TO A FOREIGN LAND. 16:08 IT SAYS, IN JEREMIAH 29:7, "...SEEK THE PEACE OF THE 16:11 CITY WHERE I HAVE CAUSED YOU TO BE CARRIED AWAY 16:13 CAPTIVE, AND PRAY TO THE LORD FOR IT; FOR IN ITS 16:16 PEACE YOU WILL HAVE PEACE." NO, THE BIBLE SAYS 16:20 LOVE YOUR ENEMIES. DO YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT 16:22 JUST A NEW TESTAMENT CONCEPT. 16:24 EVEN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, THE PROPHET ELISHA ONCE 16:27 CAPTURED AN ENTIRE ARMY AND THE KING OF ISRAEL 16:30 SAID, 'MAN OF GOD, SHALL I KILL THEM ALL?' 16:33 HE SAID, 'NO, DON'T KILL THEM. 16:35 FEED THEM, GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO DRINK, AND 16:36 SEND THEM HOME.' YOU KNOW WHERE PAUL SAYS, 16:39 'GIVE FOOD TO YOUR ENEMY. GIVE HIM SOMETHING 16:42 TO DRINK. AND IN DOING THIS YOU'LL 16:43 HEAP COALS OF FIRE ON HIS HEAD' - MEANING 16:45 CONVICTION. YOU DON'T OVERCOME 16:47 EVIL WITH EVIL. AND SO SHE - SHE THINKS, 16:50 'WHAT CAN BE DONE FOR MY MASTER?' 16:52 HER HEART GOES OUT TO HIM AS A PERSON. 16:54 NAAMAN MIGHT HAVE BEEN A GOOD MASTER, TOO. 16:56 AND SHE SAYS, 'YOU KNOW, THE PROPHET ELISHA - IF HE 17:01 COULD GO TO THE PROPHET ELISHA, HE WOULD HEAL HIM 17:03 OF HIS LEPROSY.' I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW 17:06 THAT THERE'S NO EXAMPLE IN THE BIBLE OF ANYBODY GOING 17:10 TO ELISHA WITH A PROBLEM THAT ISN'T HELPED. 17:14 EVERYBODY - AND THERE'S A LOT OF STORIES - EVERYBODY 17:16 THAT COMES TO ELISHA WITH A PROBLEM IS HELPED. 17:19 NOW I TOLD YOU THE NAME JESUS IS YASHUA - THAT'S 17:23 'JEHOVAH IS SAVIOR' - ELISHA'S NAME IS 'ELOHIM - 17:29 SHUA' - THAT'S THE LONG DERIVATIVE OF IT - 17:32 IT'S SHORTENED TO ELISHA. 17:34 IT MEANS THE SAME THING: 'GOD IS SAVIOR'. 17:37 SO HERE THIS LITTLE GIRL IS SAYING, 'IF MY MASTER 17:40 WAS WITH THE PROPHET IN ISRAEL, HE COULD HEAL HIS 17:43 LEPROSY.' WELL, YOU KNOW, NORMALLY THE FAMILY WOULD 17:48 THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT - LITTLE KIDS - THEY DREAM. 17:53 THEY'VE GOT IMAGINATIONS. THEY GET CARRIED AWAY. 17:55 I MEAN, HOW MUCH COULD THAT REALLY HELP? 17:57 WHO WOULD TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY? 17:59 THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY PHYSICIANS IN SYRIA THAT 18:01 COULD HELP WITH LEPROSY, WHY WOULD THEY GO TO AN 18:03 ENEMY PROPHET? BUT WHEN YOU'RE DYING, 18:08 PEOPLE ARE DESPERATE. THERE ARE A LOT OF 18:12 MEDICINES AND CURES THAT ARE SOLD OVER THE INTERNET 18:16 TO PEOPLE WHO ARE DESPERATE. 18:18 IT'S A MULTI-BILLION-DOLLAR BUSINESS. 18:21 SHE HAD THIS SIMPLE CHILD-LIKE FAITH AND 18:24 BECAUSE SHE WAS SO CONFIDENT - SHE DIDN'T SAY 18:27 'HE MIGHT' - SHE SAID, 'IF NAAMAN, MY MASTER, COULD 18:30 GO BE WITH ELISHA THE PROPHET, HE WOULD RECOVER 18:34 HIM OF HIS LEPROSY.' SHE HAD ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE HE 18:37 COULD DO THAT. MAYBE SHE WAS THINKING 18:38 OF THE STORY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT WHERE MIRIAM, 18:41 THE SISTER OF MOSES - SHE WAS STRUCK WITH LEPROSY - 18:45 AND MOSES PRAYED FOR HER AND AARON PRAYED FOR 18:47 HER AND SHE WAS HEALED. SHE KNEW GOD COULD DO IT. 18:51 SOMETIMES WE NEED TO HAVE CHILD-LIKE FAITH. 18:55 JESUS SAID UNLESS YOU'RE CONVERTED AND YOU BECOME 18:56 AS A LITTLE CHILD YOU CANNOT ENTER THE KINGDOM 18:59 OF HEAVEN. YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO 19:01 BELIEVE THAT GOD CAN DO MIRACLES - EVEN HEALING 19:04 YOU FROM SOMETHING THAT THE WORLD WOULD PRONOUNCE 19:07 TO BE INCURABLE. A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE 19:10 WORLD SAY, 'SIN IS INCURABLE. NOTHING YOU CAN DO. 19:12 YOU'RE BORN THAT WAY. YOU'RE STUCK WITH IT. 19:13 IT'S JUST - YOU'RE A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCES.' 19:16 AND THE WORLD IS ALWAYS TELLING YOU THERE'S 19:19 NOTHING YOU CAN DO. BUT GOD SAYS THAT ALL 19:21 THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM THAT BELIEVES. 19:24 YOU CAN CHANGE. 'OH, BUT MY MOTHER 19:26 AND FATHER SMOKED. I DON'T THINK I COULD EVER 19:28 QUIT.' I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST. 19:31 'MY PARENTS - THEY DRANK AND THEY BEAT ME SO I'M 19:33 DOOMED TO THE SAME KIND OF LIFE.' YOU DON'T HAVE TO 19:36 BE A VICTIM IF YOU DON'T WANT TO. 19:37 >>AMEN. >>YOU CAN HAVE A NEW LIFE. 19:39 JESUS SAID, 'ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM THAT 19:42 BELIEVES.' SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR EXCUSES TO 19:45 CONTINUE BEING A LEPROUS SLAVE, THEN GOD - I'M 19:49 SORRY, THE DEVIL WILL GIVE YOU EXCUSES. 19:51 BUT IF YOU WANT TO BE HEALED, GOD CAN HEAL YOU. 19:54 >>AMEN. >>SO HE'S - STARTS TO 19:56 LISTEN TO WHAT SHE SAYS. AND SO HE GETS EXCITED. 20:02 AND MAYBE HIS WIFE - IT WAS HIS WIFE'S LITTLE 20:05 SERVANT - MAYBE SHE SAID, 'NAAMAN, MAYBE WE SHOULD 20:08 TRY IT. WE'VE TRIED EVERYTHING ELSE. 20:10 THERE'LL BE HOPE. IF YOU COULD BE HEALED, 20:12 WOULDN'T IT BE WORTH IT?' AND YOU KNOW WHAT? 20:14 THE LITTLE GIRL'S RUMOR MAKES ITS WAY ALL THE WAY 20:17 TO THE KING. 20:18 SO NAAMAN - VERSE 4 - HE GOES IN AND HE TELLS HIS 20:20 MASTER - THE ONLY MASTER ABOVE NAAMAN WAS THE KING 20:23 OF SYRIA - AND HE SAID, "THUS AND THUS SAID THE 20:26 GIRL WHO IS FROM THE LAND OF ISRAEL." 20:28 NOW YOU KNOW WHY THE KING OF SYRIA IS TAKING THE 20:32 LITTLE GIRL'S MESSAGE SERIOUSLY? BECAUSE ELISHA 20:37 THE PROPHET HAD CAPTURED HIS ENTIRE ARMY. 20:40 BECAUSE THEY HAD HEARD THAT ELISHA THE PROPHET 20:43 KNEW WHAT HE SAID IN HIS WAR ROOM. 20:45 YOU READ THE EARLIER CHAPTERS, YOU'RE GOING TO 20:47 FIND OUT THAT ELISHA THE PROPHET HAD THE RESPECT OF 20:50 THE KING OF SYRIA. IT WAS EVEN ELIJAH THE 20:55 PROPHET WHO FORETOLD WHO THE NEXT KING OF SYRIA WAS 20:58 GOING TO BE, WHICH THEY USUALLY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING 21:01 OTHER THAN TALK ABOUT THEIR OWN KINGS. 21:03 AND SO, IF SHE SAYS THAT HE CAN DO IT - AND SO HE 21:08 SAID, 'TELL YOU WHAT, LET'S NOT GO EMPTY 21:10 HANDED.' VERSE 5 - "THEN THE KING OF SYRIA SAID, 21:13 'GO NOW,'" - MAKE PREPARATIONS TO GO - "'AND 21:15 I WILL SEND A LETTER TO THE KING OF ISRAEL.'" - 'I 21:17 KNOW WE'RE AT WAR BUT THIS IS A DIFFERENT AMBASSADOR 21:19 MISSION.' - "SO HE DEPARTED AND TOOK WITH HIM 21:23 TEN TALENTS OF SILVER, SIX THOUSAND SHEKELS OF GOLD," 21:28 - SOUNDS LIKE THE MEDICAL BILLS BACK THEN WERE ABOUT 21:31 LIKE THEY ARE TODAY, RIGHT? 21:32 (LAUGHTER) - "AND TEN CHANGES OF CLOTHING. 21:37 THEN HE BROUGHT THE LETTER TO THE KING OF ISRAEL, 21:39 WHICH SAID, 'NOW BE ADVISED, WHEN THIS LETTER 21:42 COMES TO YOU, THAT I HAVE SENT NAAMAN MY SERVANT'" - 21:44 YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL THAT'S BEEN FIGHTING YOU - 21:47 "'I HAVE SENT NAAMAN MY SERVANT TO YOU, THAT YOU 21:50 MAY HEAL HIM OF HIS LEPROSY.'" NOW DID THE 21:53 LITTLE GIRL'S MESSAGE SAY 'GO TO THE KING'? 21:56 >>NO. >>SOMETIMES WE GET MIXED 21:58 UP BETWEEN GOD AND THE GOVERNMENT. 22:00 WE THINK THE GOVERNMENT'S GOT AN ANSWER FOR 22:02 EVERYTHING. AND SOMETIMES EVEN THE 22:04 CHURCH GETS MIXED UP - WE START LOOKING FOR THE 22:07 POLICEMAN INSTEAD OF THE PASTOR. WE START LOOKING FOR 22:10 POLITICIANS INSTEAD OF THE PASTOR. 22:12 AND A LOT OF THINGS WE TRY TO TAKE TO THE GOVERNMENT 22:14 TO SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS AND REALLY, WE OUGHT TO TAKE 22:18 THESE PROBLEMS TO THE LORD. 22:20 THE LITTLE GIRL DIDN'T SAY, 'GO SEE THE KING.' 22:23 SHE HAD NO CONFIDENCE IN THE KING. 22:24 BY THE WAY, THIS KING, AT THE TIME, IS THE SON OF 22:26 AHAB, WHO WAS A VERY WICKED KING, AND HE WASN'T 22:29 ANY BETTER. SHE SAID GO TO THE PROPHET. 22:32 "AND IT HAPPENED, WHEN THE KING OF ISRAEL READ THE 22:35 LETTER," - AND HERE'S, YOU KNOW - NAAMAN'S RIDDEN 22:37 DOWN - IT'S A PRETTY GOOD JOURNEY TO COME DOWN FROM 22:40 DAMASCUS. 22:41 HE'S GOT A GUARD WITH HIM BECAUSE HE'S CARRYING ALL 22:43 THIS MONEY, SO HE'S GOT SOLDIERS WITH HIM AND AN 22:45 ENTOURAGE AND HE THINKS, 'OH, HE'S LOOKING FOR AN 22:48 INCIDENT TO CAUSE ANOTHER EXCUSE TO GO TO WAR WITH 22:52 US.' AND WHEN HE - THE KING OF ISRAEL - READ THE 22:57 LETTER, "...HE TORE HIS CLOTHES" - A SIGN OF 22:59 MOURNING - "AND SAID, 'AM I GOD, TO KILL AND MAKE 23:02 ALIVE, THAT THIS MAN SENDS A MAN TO ME" - HIS OWN 23:05 GENERAL WHO'S BEEN FIGHTING US - "TO HEAL HIM 23:08 OF HIS LEPROSY? THEREFORE PLEASE CONSIDER, 23:10 AND SEE HOW HE SEEKS A QUARREL WITH ME.'" 23:12 HE'S LOOKING TO CAUSE AN INCIDENT. 23:15 THERE WAS QUITE A RUCKUS IN THE PALACE AND I DON'T 23:19 KNOW IF IT WAS DIVINELY REVEALED TO ELISHA OR IF 23:22 SOMEHOW WORD REACHED HIM, BUT IT SAYS IN VERSE 8, 23:26 "...WHEN ELISHA THE MAN OF GOD HEARD THAT THE KING OF 23:28 ISRAEL HAD TORN HIS CLOTHES," - AND CARRIED ON 23:31 - "THAT HE SENT TO THE KING, SAYING, 23:33 'WHY HAVE YOU TORN YOUR CLOTHES? 23:35 PLEASE LET HIM COME TO ME, AND HE SHALL KNOW THAT 23:37 THERE IS A PROPHET IN ISRAEL.'" GOD STILL HAS A 23:40 PROPHET. GOD STILL SPEAKS. THERE'S STILL POWER. 23:45 'SEND HIM TO ME.' JESUS SAID, 'COME UNTO ME.' 23:50 THAT'S THE GREAT INVITATION - 'ALL YOU WHO 23:52 ARE WEARY AND HEAVY LADEN.' ELISHA'S NAME, 23:56 VERY MUCH LIKE THE NAME OF JESUS - 'COME TO ME.' 24:00 "THEN NAAMAN WENT WITH HIS HORSES AND CHARIOT, AND HE 24:05 STOOD AT THE DOOR OF ELISHA'S HOUSE." 24:07 NOW ELISHA'S HOUSE WAS NOT THE PALACE. 24:09 SEE NAAMAN, WHEN HE CAME FROM THE KING OF SYRIA, 24:12 HE'S A GENERAL, HE'S USED TO DEALING WITH THE, YOU 24:15 KNOW, INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND HE THOUGHT, 24:17 'WELL, I'LL GO SEE THE KING.' AND HE WAS - YOU 24:20 KNOW - HAD THE ROYAL TREATMENT. 24:22 BUT NOW HE'S NOT AT THE PALACE. 24:24 NOW HE'S AT A POOR HOUSE OF A HUMBLE PROPHET AND 24:28 THAT'S A LITTLE DEMEANING. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S 24:31 OUTSIDE THE CITY ON A COUNTRY ROAD AND HE'S 24:35 STANDING THERE AND HIS SOLDIERS COME AND KNOCK AT 24:37 THE DOORS, 'NAAMAN, THE GENERAL OF SYRIA HAS COME 24:39 AND HE HAS A SPECIAL MESSAGE!' 24:41 AND IT SAYS ELISHA DOES NOT EVEN COME OUT TO HIM. 24:46 ELISHA - VERSE 10 - HE "...SENDS A MESSENGER TO 24:50 HIM, SAYING, 'GO AND WASH IN THE JORDAN SEVEN TIMES, 24:55 AND YOUR FLESH SHALL BE RESTORED TO YOU, AND YOU 24:58 SHALL BE CLEAN.'" WELL WHEN NAAMAN HEARS THAT, 25:03 HE'S NOT JUST A LITTLE BIT UPSET. 25:05 HE THOUGHT THAT HE WAS GOING TO COME OUT AND AT 25:09 LEAST SEE HIM FACE TO FACE. 25:11 WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN YOU COME AND YOU SAY, 'I'M 25:13 SICK.' AND THEY SAY YOU'RE TOO SICK FOR THE DOCTOR TO 25:15 EVEN SEE YOU. AND SO, THEY'RE INSULTED BY THIS. 25:20 AND FURTHERMORE, HE SAYS 'I WANT YOU TO GO WASH IN 25:23 THE JORDAN RIVER.' THE JORDAN RIVER IS NOT A VERY 25:26 CLEAN RIVER. HOW MANY TIMES? 25:29 >>SEVEN. 25:30 >>'SEVEN TIMES AND YOUR FLESH WILL BE RESTORED TO 25:33 YOU.' YOU KNOW, THE WAY THAT'S WORDED - YOUR FLESH 25:35 RESTORED - SOMETIMES WITH LEPROSY YOU ACTUALLY LOSE 25:37 YOUR DIGITS OR YOUR NOSE OR SOMETHING. 25:39 THIS LEPROSY WAS ADVANCING. 25:43 NOW WHAT DOES IT USUALLY IMPLY IF SOMEONE SENDS YOU 25:48 A MESSAGE AND SAYS YOU NEED TO TAKE A BATH? 25:50 (LAUGHTER) NOW WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF THEY TELL YOU 25:57 YOU NEED TO TAKE SEVEN BATHS? 26:00 WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN THEY TELL YOU YOU NEED TO 26:04 TAKE SEVEN BATHS IN A BROWN MUDDY RIVER? 26:09 ANY OF YOU HAVE SIBLINGS GROWING UP? 26:12 AND YOUR PARENTS, WANTING TO CONSERVE WATER, WOULD 26:14 JUST ROTATE YOU ALL THROUGH ONE BATH? 26:17 I WON'T ASK YOU TO SHOW YOUR HANDS. 26:20 DID ANY OF YOU ENJOY BEING THE LAST IN THE TRAIN? 26:23 YOU WERE THE CABOOSE AND YOU WERE THE LAST ONE IN 26:25 THAT WATER AND IT ALREADY HAD A LINING AROUND THE - 26:27 A RING AROUND THE EDGE OF THE TUB AND, FOR SOME 26:29 REASON, THEY ALWAYS PUT ME LAST. 26:32 I DON'T KNOW WHY. MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I WAS 26:33 THE DIRTIEST AND THEY FIGURED NO ONE WANTED TO 26:35 GET INTO THE BATH AFTER ME. SO IF YOU CAN STILL BE 26:40 CLEANSED BY DIRTY WATER, YOU MUST REALLY BE DIRTY. 26:44 SEE WHERE I'M GOING? CAN YOU UNDERSTAND WHY 26:46 NAAMAN IS A LITTLE UPSET BY ALL OF THIS? 26:49 WHEN - FIRST OF ALL, HE'S UPSET ELISHA DOESN'T SEE 26:52 HIM FACE TO FACE. WHY? HE'S GOT LEPROSY. 26:56 THIS'LL COME UP AGAIN LATER. 27:01 HE'S SAYING, 'YOU NEED TO GO WASH IN THE JORDAN 27:03 RIVER.' WHY THE JORDAN RIVER? 27:06 IT'S THE LOWEST RIVER IN THE WORLD. 27:08 WHERE THE JORDAN RIVER RUNS INTO THE DEAD SEA, 27:11 IT'S 1300 FEET BELOW SEA LEVEL. 27:13 THE JORDAN RIVER - THE WORD 'JORDAN' MEANS 27:15 'DESCENDING' BECAUSE IT GOES FROM WAY UP ABOVE THE 27:20 - IN THE MOUNTAINS OF LEBANON AND IT RUNS DOWN 27:22 INTO THE - IT ACTUALLY RUNS DOWN THROUGH - THE 27:24 JORDAN RUNS THROUGH TWO SEAS - THE SEA OF GALILEE 27:27 BEING THE BIGGEST ONE - THEN IT RUNS OUT OF THE 27:30 BOTTOM OF GALILEE INTO THE DEAD SEA. 27:33 SOMETIMES YOU'VE GOT ONE OCEAN THAT TAKES SEVERAL 27:36 RIVERS - THE JORDAN RIVER IS A RIVER THAT SUPPLIES 27:39 THREE LAKES - BIG LAKES - THEY CALL THEM SEAS, BUT 27:44 I'M IN MICHIGAN SO YOU GUYS AREN'T IMPRESSED BY 27:46 THE SEA OF GALILEE. (LAUGHTER) YOU'VE GOT SOME 27:47 BIG LAKES AROUND YOU TOO. >>AMEN. 27:50 >>WHO ELSE WENT DOWN AND WAS 27:52 WASHED IN THE JORDAN? DID JOHN THE BAPTIST 27:54 BAPTIZE PEOPLE IN THE JORDAN RIVER? 27:56 DID JESUS GO DOWN IN THE JORDAN RIVER? 28:00 HE DID. JORDAN REPRESENTS DEATH, 28:04 BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION. IT'S A SYMBOL FOR BAPTISM. 28:09 YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT RAHAB AND ABOUT HOW THAT 28:12 STORY HELPS US UNDERSTAND THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS 28:14 AND THE CHURCH, RIGHT? THE STORY OF NAAMAN HELPS 28:17 US UNDERSTAND WATER BAPTISM. 28:20 NOW JESUS SAID THERE'S TWO KINDS OF BAPTISM: THERE'S 28:23 BAPTISM IN THE WATER AND BAPTISM IN THE SPIRIT. 28:26 AND HE SAYS IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN CHAPTER 3, 28:29 "...UNLESS ONE IS BORN OF THE WATER AND THE SPIRIT, 28:34 HE CANNOT ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN." 28:36 TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT 28:38 WATER BAPTISM AND WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT. 28:41 BAPTISM, IN THE BIBLE, IS AS IMPORTANT TO A 28:44 CHRISTIAN AS A WEDDING IS TO A MARRIAGE. 28:48 BAPTISM REPRESENTS THE MOMENT THAT YOU ACCEPT THE 28:52 CLEANSING THAT JESUS HAS PROVIDED BY HIS LIFE. 28:55 IT'S A SYMBOL FOR - YOU'RE LOWERED IN THE WATER - IT'S 28:59 LIKE A DEATH - A BURIAL, A CLEANSING, AND A 29:02 RESURRECTION. 29:03 WHEN A BABY'S BORN IT COMES OUT OF AN ENVELOPE 29:05 OF WATER AND IT TAKES ITS FIRST BREATH. 29:08 AND WHEN A PERSON BRIEFLY HOLDS THEIR BREATH WHEN 29:10 THEY'RE BAPTIZED BY IMMERSION AND THEY COME UP 29:13 AND THEY BREATHE AGAIN, IT'S LIKE A NEW LIFE - 29:15 IT'S LIKE A CLEANSING - ALL OF THAT BEAUTIFUL 29:18 IMAGERY IS WOVEN INTO BAPTISM. 29:21 GOD GIVES US, IN THIS CEREMONY, A STARTING POINT 29:26 FOR OUR CHRISTIANITY. NOW THE H2O DOES NOT WASH 29:29 AWAY OUR SIN - IT'S THE BLOOD OF JESUS THAT 29:32 WASHES AWAY OUR SIN. >>AMEN. 29:34 >>IT'S THE SAME KIND OF WATER THAT COMES OUT OF A 29:36 TAP, WHEN YOU'RE BAPTIZED. AND SOME PEOPLE IN THE 29:38 BIBLE WERE BAPTIZED IN THE SEA, SOME IN A LAKE, SOME 29:41 ON A RIVER - THEY WERE BAPTIZED BY IMMERSION. 29:45 THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT JESUS WENT DOWN INTO THE 29:47 WATER AND HE CAME UP OUT OF THE WATER AND JOHN THE 29:50 BAPTIST BAPTIZED AT SALEM BECAUSE THERE WAS MUCH 29:53 WATER THERE. IF THEY BAPTIZED BY 29:55 POURING OR SPRINKLING, YOU COULD DO IT WITH A WELL, A 29:57 SPRING A CANTEEN - BUT THEY WERE IMMERSED BECAUSE 30:00 IT MEANS TO BE ENVELOPED - TO BE COMPLETELY CLEANSED. 30:05 AND THE JORDAN - THE JORDAN RIVER, LIKE I SAID, 30:09 IT REPRESENTS DEATH BECAUSE WHEN YOU FOLLOW 30:12 JESUS, IT SAYS YOU TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND YOU FOLLOW 30:15 HIM. YOU'RE DEAD TO LIVING YOUR 30:17 OWN LIFE AND YOU'RE GOING TO START LIVING A NEW LIFE. 30:21 AND THIS WAS A STRUGGLE THAT NAAMAN WAS HAVING. 30:23 HE THOUGHT HIS PROBLEM WAS LEPROSY. 30:25 HIS PROBLEM WAS HE DIDN'T WANT TO SURRENDER TO GOD. 30:28 HE WAS STILL PREOCCUPIED WITH THE THINGS OF THIS LIFE. 30:31 BAPTISM IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GOD. 30:33 AND SOME PEOPLE SAY, 'OH, IT'S JUST A RELIGIOUS 30:34 CEREMONY.' I WOULD THINK THAT IF JESUS MAKES 30:39 SOMETHING A PRIORITY, IT SHOULD BE A PRIORITY FOR 30:41 US. DO YOU KNOW THE GOSPEL 30:43 STORIES BEGIN WITH JOHN THE BAPTIST BAPTIZING? 30:47 THE GOSPEL STORIES END WITH JESUS SAYING, 'GO YE 30:50 THEREFORE, TEACH ALL NATIONS BAPTIZING THEM.' 30:54 AND SO IF YOU'RE SAYING, 'PASTOR DOUG, WHY ARE YOU 30:55 TALKING ABOUT THIS DURING THE HEROES OF FAITH 30:57 PROGRAM?' BECAUSE JESUS TOLD ME TO. 31:00 JESUS SAID, 'GO, TEACH, AND BAPTIZE.' PEOPLE NEED 31:04 TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS BAPTISM? 31:06 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO MAKE THAT COMMITMENT, TO BE 31:08 MARRIED TO THE LORD, TO HAVE ALL YOUR SINS WASHED 31:11 AWAY, AND TO HAVE A NEW BEGINNING - A NEW LIFE? 31:15 AND IT IS A PRIORITY WITH THE LORD. 31:18 WELL, LET'S GET BACK TO THE STORY OF NAAMAN. 31:20 I'LL SHARE A FEW MORE THOUGHTS ABOUT BAPTISM 31:22 BEFORE WE'RE DONE WITH OUR PRESENTATION. 31:25 WHEN ELISHA SAID, 'YOU MUST GO WASH IN THE 31:27 JORDAN.' HE THOUGHT THERE MUST BE ANOTHER WAY TO DO 31:30 THIS. 'THAT'S RIDICULOUS! I DON'T NEED TO FOLLOW 31:31 THIS ADVICE, SPECIFICALLY. WHY CAN'T I GO BACK TO 31:36 DAMASCUS AND I'LL WASH IN THE RIVERS THERE? 31:39 "ARE NOT THE ABANAH AND THE PHARPAR, THE RIVERS OF 31:41 DAMASCUS, BETTER THAN ALL THE WATERS OF ISRAEL?" 31:43 AND HE WAS RIGHT. HE BEGAN TO RATIONALIZE. 31:46 HE SAID, 'I THOUGHT, SURELY THE PROPHET WOULD 31:48 COME OUT TO ME AND STRIKE HIS HAND OVER THE PLACE 31:50 AND CLEANSE THE LEPER.' HE DOESN'T EVEN SAY 'CLEANSE 31:52 ME,' HE SAYS, 'CLEANSE THE LEPER' LIKE HE'S SOMEWHERE 31:54 ELSE, YOU KNOW? IT'S HARD TO ADMIT 31:57 THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM. HE NEEDED TO SAY 'CLEANSE 32:01 ME.' IT'S EASY FOR US TO SAY JESUS DIED FOR THE 32:04 SINS OF THE WORLD, BUT IT'S A LITTLE MORE 32:05 PERSONAL WHEN YOU SAY 'HE DIED FOR MY SINS. 32:08 HE SUFFERED ON THE CROSS FOR MY PARTICULAR SINS. 32:11 EVERYTHING THAT I'VE DONE IS WHAT HE WAS 32:13 EXPERIENCING.' AND SO NAAMAN, HE GOT UPSET AND 32:19 IT SAYS HE TURNED AND HE WENT AWAY IN A RAGE. 32:22 WHAT'S A RAGE MEAN? ANGRY. HE WAS FURIOUS. 32:28 AND, YOU KNOW, YOU USUALLY DON'T THINK VERY CLEARLY 32:30 WHEN YOU'RE ANGRY. WHY WAS HE ANGRY? 32:34 BECAUSE HIS PRIDE WAS OFFENDED. 32:37 YOU SEE, NAAMAN THOUGHT HIS PROBLEM WAS LEPROSY. 32:41 HIS PROBLEM WAS PRIDE. HE WAS A RICH MAN. 32:44 HE WAS A POWERFUL MAN. HE WAS A VICTORIOUS MAN - 32:48 AND ALL THAT SUCCESS CAN GO TO YOUR HEAD. 32:50 HE WAS A GOOD MAN AND GOD WANTED TO SAVE HIM, BUT 32:53 BEFORE HE COULD SAVE HIM, HE HAD TO KNOW WHAT HIS 32:56 REAL PROBLEM WAS. YOU KNOW WHAT LED 32:58 TO THE DEVIL'S FALL? PRIDE. 33:02 PRIDE IS ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS TO REACH. 33:04 SPIRITUAL PRIDE IS ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT. 33:07 JESUS TALKED ABOUT EVEN RELIGIOUS PEOPLE WHO PRAY 33:10 TO BE SEEN OF MEN. THEY GIVE TO BE SEEN OF MEN. 33:13 THEY FAST TO BE SEEN OF MEN. 33:15 EVERYTHING THEY DO IS BECAUSE THEY'RE THINKING 33:16 OTHERS ARE WATCHING THEM AND IT'S NOT OUT OF LOVE 33:19 FOR GOD, IT'S OUT OF TRYING TO GET ATTENTION. 33:22 IT'S ALL ABOUT PRIDE - SPIRITUAL PRIDE. 33:27 SO HE WENT STORMING OFF AND HE GOES GALLOPING HOME 33:31 - HE STARTS OUT GALLOPING BUT IT'S A LONG WAY TO GET 33:35 BACK TO DAMASCUS, AND EVENTUALLY HIS ENTOURAGE 33:39 CATCHES UP WITH HIM. NOW GOD IS GOOD. 33:42 YOU KNOW, IN ORDER FOR HIM TO GO BACK TO DAMASCUS, HE 33:46 HAD TO GO BY THE JORDAN RIVER. 33:47 HE HAD TO SPEND ALL THAT TIME LOOKING AT THE JORDAN 33:50 RIVER, HEARING ELISHA'S SERVANT GEHAZI SAY, 'WASH 33:53 SEVEN TIMES AND YOU WILL BE CLEAN AND YOUR FLESH 33:57 WILL COME TO YOU AGAIN.' AND HE KEPT LOOKING AT IT. 34:00 SEE, GOD IS GOOD. HE TRIES TO STAND IN OUR 34:04 WAY AS AN OBSTACLE TO OUR DESTRUCTION. 34:07 WE'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT, DURING THESE MEETINGS, 34:11 ABOUT THE FLOODING THAT WAS GOING ON IN SOUTH 34:14 CAROLINA - THEY CALLED IT A 500-YEAR FLOOD AND 34:17 SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE DIED AND A LOT OF BRIDGES ARE 34:20 STILL OUT RIGHT NOW AND ROADS ARE CLOSED. 34:24 I HEARD, YEARS AGO, A STORY ABOUT A TERRIBLE 34:26 FLOOD IN ANOTHER STATE AND THIS MAN - THIS PASTOR WAS 34:31 ACTUALLY DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND IT WAS DARK - YOU 34:37 EVER HAVE YOUR WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON SO FAST IT JUST 34:39 - THEY'RE SLAPPING BACK AND FORTH BUT THEY STILL 34:41 CAN'T CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD BECAUSE IT'S POURING - 34:43 JUST DRIVING RAIN? AND HE WAS GOING FAIRLY SLOW. 34:48 HE HAD HIS LIGHTS ON HIGH BEAM AND HE THOUGHT, AT 34:50 FIRST, HE SAW A DEER OUT IN THE ROAD, THEN HE 34:52 REALIZED IT WAS A MAN AND THE MAN LOOKED LIKE HE WAS 34:55 DRUNK. AND HE SAID, 'OH NO, MAN, 34:58 HERE I AM OUT HERE IN THIS COUNTRY ROAD AND THERE'S 35:00 A DRUNK GUY OUT THERE AND I'M NOT GOING TO PICK HIM 35:03 UP BECAUSE HE LOOKS LIKE HE'S STAGGERING AROUND.' 35:05 AND HE SAW HIM WAVING HIS ARMS AND HE THOUGHT, 'OH, 35:08 HOW CAN I GET AROUND HIM?' AND HE KIND OF SHIFTED OFF 35:10 INTO THE LEFT LANE AND THEN THE DRUNK MAN WENT 35:12 OFF INTO THE LEFT LANE AND HE'S WAVING HIS ARMS 35:15 AND HE FALLS DOWN. AND HE SAYS, 'OH, MAYBE IF 35:18 I GET OVER IN THE RIGHT LANE.' HE SAID, 'I DON'T 35:20 KNOW WHAT - THIS GUY'S ON DRUGS OR SOMETHING.' HE 35:21 GOES OFF IN THE RIGHT LANE, THE GUY GETS BACK UP 35:23 AND HE GOES OFF INTO THE RIGHT LANE. 35:26 AND HE THOUGHT, 'MAYBE I'LL GUN MY CAR NOW' - AS 35:28 HE GOT REALLY CLOSE HE SAID, 'I'M GOING TO SWING 35:30 AROUND HIM.' AND THE MAN CHANGED LANES AGAIN AND 35:33 THE - HE TRIED TO GUN HIS CAR AND WHAT HE THOUGHT 35:38 WAS A DRUNK MAN JUMPED IN FRONT OF HIS CAR AND HE 35:40 SLAMMED ON HIS BRAKES AND STOPPED JUST BEFORE HE RAN 35:42 THIS MAN OVER. AND NOW HE'S BOTH 35:45 ANGRY AND HE'S SCARED. HE JUMPS OUT OF HIS CAR IN 35:48 THE RAIN AND SAYS, 'ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? 35:49 I COULD HAVE KILLED YOU.' AND THE MAN WAS SOBBING 35:52 AND SAID, 'THE BRIDGE IS OUT! THE BRIDGE IS OUT!' 35:56 HE SAID, 'I STOOD THERE AND I'VE WATCHED SEVERAL 35:58 CARS DRIVE OFF INTO THE RIVER. 36:00 I COULDN'T WATCH ANOTHER ONE PERISH.' AND, YOU 36:05 KNOW, JESUS, HE STANDS IN OUR WAY WITH THE CROSS AS 36:08 AN OBSTACLE TO OUR DESTRUCTION. 36:10 HE'S TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING HE CAN TO SAVE US. 36:12 AND YOU WOULD THINK THAT WHEN NAAMAN SAID, 'WELL,' 36:14 - HE GOT MAD AND HE RODE AWAY IN A FURY, GOD WOULD 36:19 HAVE SAID, 'ALRIGHT, I GAVE YOU YOUR CHANCE.' HE 36:21 GAVE HIM A MESSAGE THROUGH THE LITTLE GIRL AND GAVE 36:24 HIM A MESSAGE OF SALVATION THROUGH ELISHA'S SERVANT, 36:27 AND NOW, AS HE'S RIDING BY THE JORDAN, HE'S TRYING 36:31 NOT TO LOOK, BUT EVERY NOW AND AGAIN HE HAD TO GO 36:34 OVER AND LOOK AT IT. HE'S IN HIS CHARIOT. 36:37 EVENTUALLY HIS SOLDIERS START CATCHING UP TO HIM. 36:39 THE BIBLE SAYS, 'HIS SERVANTS DREW NEAR.' THEY 36:42 HAD BEEN KEEPING THEIR DISTANCE BECAUSE HE'S GOT 36:44 LEPROSY. BUT NOW THEY TAKE A RISK. 36:47 THERE'S NO ONE AROUND AND THEY GET UP AND THEY RIDE 36:48 ALONG SIDE OF HIM AND THEY ASK HIM A QUESTION - VERSE 36:52 13 - I'M IN 2 KINGS 5, VERSE 13, "AND HIS 36:55 SERVANTS CAME NEAR AND SPOKE TO HIM, AND SAID, 36:58 'MY FATHER,'" - THAT'S A TERM OF RESPECT - ''IF THE 37:01 PROPHET HAD TOLD YOU TO DO SOMETHING GREAT, WOULD YOU 37:04 NOT HAVE DONE IT?' " - NOW THAT'S TRUE! 37:09 IF ELISHA HAD SAID TO HIM, 'LOOK, I WANT YOU TO - I 37:13 WANT YOU TO GO AND CONQUER 3,000 ASSYRIANS.' 37:16 HE WOULD HAVE DONE THAT. 37:18 OR IF HE HAD SAID, 'I WANT YOU TO GO CLIMB A 37:19 MOUNTAIN.' YOU KNOW, ONE TIME KING SAUL SAID, 'YOU 37:21 WANT TO MARRY MY DAUGHTER, YOU NEED TO GO KILL A 37:24 HUNDRED PHILISTINES.' AND HE SAID, 'OH, I'LL KILL 37:28 200.' MEN LIKE THOSE THINGS, YOU KNOW? 37:30 WE LIKE TO - GIVE US A CHALLENGE. 37:33 MAKE US FEEL LIKE WE'VE EARNED IT. 37:36 BUT HE DIDN'T LIKE THE IDEA THAT - WASH AND BE 37:40 CLEAN? THAT'S TOO EASY. 37:41 SALVATION - IT'S GOT TO BE DIFFICULT. 37:43 WE'VE GOT TO EARN IT. WE'VE GOT TO WORK OUR WAY. 37:45 WHAT CAN I DO? HE SAYS, 'WASH AND BE 37:48 CLEAN.' IT SEEMS TOO SIMPLE. 37:50 SO THEY RIDE UP AND THEY SAY, 'WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO 37:53 LOSE? HUMBLE YOURSELF.' NOW YOU 37:55 NOTICE WHAT THE LORD IS DOING? 37:56 THIS IS THE THIRD TIME NOW NAAMAN IS GETTING A 37:58 MESSAGE. IT PROBABLY WAS GOING 38:00 TO BE THE LAST MESSAGE BECAUSE ONCE HE WENT HOME 38:03 - ONCE HE LEFT THE JORDAN VALLEY HE WOULD HAVE 38:06 GONE UP TO DAMASCUS - HE COULDN'T EMBRACE HIS 38:10 CHILDREN OR HIS WIFE. HE'D STILL BE UNCLEAN. 38:14 HE WAS JUST GOING HOME TO DIE. 38:17 FINALLY HE REALIZED, BEFORE HE GOT TO THE LAST 38:19 FORK IN THE ROAD WHERE HE WOULD BE LEAVING THE 38:21 JORDAN RIVER, 'WHAT HAVE I GOT TO LOSE?' 38:24 HIS SERVANTS ARE PLEADING WITH HIM, 'TRY IT. 38:26 HUMBLE YOURSELF. TRY IT. 38:29 WHAT'S THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN? 38:31 YOU GET WET AND YOU'RE GOING TO GO HOME AND DIE 38:32 ANYWAY. WHY NOT DO WHAT HE SAYS?' 38:36 THE BIBLE SAYS, 'TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS 38:38 GOOD.' SO MANY PEOPLE TURN THEIR BACK ON THE LORD AND 38:40 THEY DON'T TRY IT. YOU KNOW, WHEN I CAME TO 38:42 JESUS, I WAS VERY HONEST. I SAID, LORD, I DON'T EVEN 38:45 KNOW HOW TO PRAY, BUT I'VE TRIED EVERYTHING ELSE AND 38:48 IF YOU'RE REALLY THERE, WILL YOU PLEASE SHOW ME?' 38:51 I WAS OPEN, BUT I WAS TESTING AND GOD KNEW IT. 38:55 I SAID, 'I'M GOING TO SEE IF YOU'RE REALLY THERE. 38:56 YOU'VE GOT TO LET ME KNOW.' AND GOD DID. 38:59 ALL YOU'VE GOT TO DO IS OPEN THE DOOR AND GIVE HIM 39:01 A CHANCE. HE IS DESPERATE TO SAVE YOU. 39:04 SO NAAMAN HAD TO GET OFF HIS HIGH HORSE AND HE GOT 39:08 DOWN ON THE BANK AND HE LOOKED AT THE SWAMPY 39:11 WATERS OF THE JORDAN RIVER AND HE HAD TO PEEL OFF HIS 39:16 GLITTERING ARMOR AND HE PROBABLY HAD SOME ROBE 39:20 UNDERNEATH THAT BECAUSE YOUR ARMOR WILL CHAFE IF 39:22 YOU DON'T WEAR CLOTH UNDERNEATH IT. 39:25 AND HE TAKES OFF HIS CLOTH AND, YOU KNOW, HE'S - THE 39:28 LESIONS AND THE EVIDENCE OF HIS LEPROSY IS 39:31 EVERYWHERE. AND HE'S - HE'S THINKING THAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT 39:35 BEING CLEANSED FROM LEPROSY, BUT REALLY, 39:38 EVERYTHING HE'S GOING THROUGH IS DEALING WITH 39:39 HUMBLING HIMSELF AND, AS HE HUMBLES HIMSELF, HE'S 39:43 PREPARING HIMSELF TO BE CLEANSED FROM SIN. 39:47 YOU KNOW, TO BE SAVED FROM YOUR SIN YOU MUST HUMBLE 39:50 YOURSELF. IF WE WOULD HUMBLE 39:53 OURSELVES BEFORE THE LORD. YOU GO THROUGH THE BIBLE 39:56 AND YOU CAN SEE TIME AND TIME AGAIN JUDGMENT WAS 39:59 COMING, BUT IF THE PEOPLE HUMBLED THEMSELVES BEFORE 40:02 THE LORD - IF YOU'RE GOING TO COME TO THE LORD YOU 40:05 NEED TO REPENT OF YOUR SIN. THE BIBLE SAYS, 'REPENT 40:08 AND BE BAPTIZED.' REPENTANCE MEANS 40:12 EXPRESSING THAT YOU ARE GUILTY. 40:14 NOT ONLY IS REPENTANCE BEING SORRY IN YOUR HEART, 40:17 BUT IT'S ALSO REPRESENTING A CONFESSION OF SIN. 40:21 REPENTANCE AND CONFESSION IS, SORT OF, THE VERBAL 40:23 PART. CONFESS TO THE LORD - 40:25 'LORD, I KNOW I'VE DONE A LOT OF THINGS WRONG.' YOU 40:28 MIGHT SAY, 'DOUG, I CAN'T REMEMBER EVERYTHING I'VE 40:30 EVER DONE WRONG.' DON'T WORRY, NOBODY CAN. 40:33 YOU MIGHT START WITH THE CATEGORY OF THE TEN 40:35 COMMANDMENTS. HAVE YOU STOLEN? 40:40 HAVE YOU ROBBED GOD OF HIS TIME? 40:41 HAVE YOU LIED? HAVE YOU THOUGHT 40:44 IMPURE THOUGHTS? HAVE YOU GOSSIPED? 40:49 BEARING FALSE WITNESS - IT COULD ALL BE - FIT IN 40:53 THERE SOMEHOW. CONFESS THOSE SINS AND 40:56 THEN HUMBLE YOURSELF AND SAY, 'LORD, YOU'VE 40:58 PROMISED IN YOUR WORD THAT IF I CONFESS MY SINS YOU 41:01 ARE FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE MY SINS AND TO 41:05 CLEANSE ME FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. 41:08 AND THE PROMISE IS THAT IF YOU DO THAT, HE CLEANSES 41:11 YOU FROM HOW MUCH? FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. 41:15 AND IF YOU'VE BEEN CLEANSED FROM ALL 41:17 UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, WHAT DOES THAT MAKE YOU BEFORE GOD? 41:20 >>YOU'RE PURE IN THE EYES OF GOD. 41:25 THAT MEANS THAT WHEN GOD LOOKS ON YOU, YOU ARE 41:27 SINLESS NOW. 'REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED 41:31 AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.' 41:33 - THIS IS ACTS CHAPTER 2 - 'FOR THE PROMISE IS UNTO 41:35 YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN AND AS MANY AS THE LORD GOD 41:39 WILL CALL.' HE MAKES THAT PROMISE TO YOU. 41:43 AND SO HE GOT DOWN IN THE WATER AND IT MUST HAVE 41:47 BEEN A LITTLE BIT HUMBLING FOR HIM - ALL THE 41:50 MOSQUITOS WENT SWARMING AWAY - THE LITTLE WATER 41:53 BUGS - AND HE HAD TO SPREAD ASIDE THE MOSS 41:59 GROWING ON TOP OF THE WATER AND HE FOUND - HE 42:01 HAD TO WALK OUT WHERE IT WAS DEEP ENOUGH TO PLUNGE 42:03 HIMSELF. AND HE GOT OUT THERE AND 42:05 HE SAID, 'ALRIGHT' - PLUNGES HIMSELF ONCE 42:09 AND HE COMES UP. STILL HAS HIS LEPROSY. 42:14 AND HE SAYS, 'LOOK GUYS, THIS IS ABSURD. 42:16 HOW EMBARRASSING. WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I DOING? 42:18 THIS IS THE CRAZIEST THING. 42:19 NO ONE'S EVER BEEN CLEANSED LIKE THIS BEFORE. 42:21 THERE'S NO RECORD OF ANYONE GOING DOWN IN THE 42:22 JORDAN AND BEING CLEANSED BEFORE.' AND THEY SAID, 42:25 'MASTER, DON'T QUIT YET. HE SAID SEVEN TIMES. 42:28 YOU'VE GONE ONCE.' HE GOES DOWN IN A SECOND TIME. 42:33 SAME EFFECT. MATTER OF FACT, HIS SORES ARE STINGING AT 42:36 THIS POINT. THIRD TIME. FOURTH TIME. 42:42 EVERY TIME HE GOES DOWN, SOMETHING'S HAPPENING IN 42:44 HIS HEART AND THAT'S WHAT GOD IS AFTER. 42:47 GOD WANTS US TO OBEY, SPECIFICALLY, WHAT HE SAYS. 42:51 FIFTH TIME. SIXTH TIME. 42:54 THE BIBLE SAYS, WHEN HE HAD GONE DOWN AND HE 42:57 DIPPED HIMSELF "ACCORDING TO THE SAYING OF THE MAN 43:00 OF GOD;" - AFTER SEVEN TIMES - "AND HIS FLESH WAS 43:04 RESTORED" - DO YOU THINK HE FELT ANYTHING? 43:08 HE CAME UP OUT OF THE WATER THAT SEVENTH TIME - 43:11 HE MIGHT HAVE FELT TOES AND FINGERS - DIGITS - 43:14 POPPING BACK INTO PLACE - WHO KNOWS? 43:16 HE MUST HAVE FELT SOME ELECTRICITY. 43:19 PEOPLE SAY, 'YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T FEEL ANYTHING WHEN 43:20 I GOT BAPTIZED.' WELL, IF YOU'VE GOT FAITH, 43:22 YOU'LL HAVE FEELING. 43:23 WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS IF YOU BELIEVE YOUR SINS ARE 43:25 FORGIVEN, YOU OUGHT TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT. 43:28 BUT FIRST MUST COME THE FAITH. 43:30 AND NAAMAN FINALLY HAD THE FAITH TO DO WHAT GOD SAID. 43:33 AND HE WENT DOWN THE SEVENTH TIME AND HE CAME 43:35 BACK UP AGAIN AND SOMETHING CAME OVER HIS 43:37 BODY - SOME RUSH - HE MUST HAVE FELT SOMETHING. 43:40 THEY SAY YOUR SKIN IS THE BIGGEST ORGAN IN THE BODY. 43:43 HE MUST HAVE FELT SOMETHING. 43:44 YOU'VE GOT MORE NERVES ON YOUR - I'VE GOT - YOUR 43:47 LITTLE NERVE ENDINGS ATTACHED TO EVERY LITTLE 43:49 HAIR IN YOUR BODY AND ALL THAT HEALING THAT TOOK 43:54 PLACE - HE HAD TO FEEL SOMETHING. 43:55 HE CAME UP AND, NOT ONLY WAS HIS LEPROSY GONE, IT 43:58 SAYS HIS FLESH WAS RESTORED. 44:00 BUT NOT JUST LIKE ANY KIND OF FLESH, BUT LIKE THAT OF 44:03 WHAT? A LITTLE CHILD. 44:06 YOU KNOW THE STORY. A LITTLE CHILD. YOU KNOW WHAT IT 44:09 MEANS WHEN YOU'RE BAPTIZED AND YOU COME TO JESUS AND 44:11 YOU'RE WASHED FROM YOUR SIN? 44:12 CHRIST SAID, 'UNLESS YOU ARE BORN AGAIN, YOU CANNOT 44:16 ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 44:18 IT'S A SYMBOL OF A NEW BIRTH - A NEW BEGINNING. 44:23 HOW MANY OF YOU WISH THAT YOU COULD GO BACK AND BE A 44:27 CHILD AGAIN EXCEPT KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW NOW? 44:30 (LAUGHTER) IF I HAD TO GO BACK AND JUST MAKE ALL THE 44:34 DUMB MISTAKES I'VE MADE AND I WAS JUST AS IGNORANT 44:36 AGAIN AS I WAS BACK THEN, IT WOULDN'T DO YOU ANY GOOD. 44:39 WHO KNOWS, I'D JUST MAKE NEW MISTAKES. 44:41 MY FATHER USED TO SAY, 'YOUTH IS WASTED ON THE 44:45 YOUNG.' BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE YOUNG AND HEALTHY 44:48 AND YOU'VE GOT ALL THAT ENERGY, YOU HAVE NO IDEA 44:50 WHAT'S GOING ON. AND FINALLY WHEN YOU GET 44:52 OLD ENOUGH TO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE, YOU START GETTING 44:56 ALL THE ACHES AND PAINS. I THINK JAMES DOBSON SAYS, 44:58 'ONCE YOUR FACE CLEARS UP YOUR BODY STARTS TO FAIL.' 45:04 I THINK HE WORDED IT DIFFERENT, BUT THAT'S THE 45:06 - THAT'S THE IDEA OF IT ALL. 45:08 OH NO, HE SAID, 'ONCE YOUR FACE CLEARS UP YOUR MIND 45:10 GETS FUZZY.' (LAUGHTER) THAT'S WHAT IT IS. 45:14 BUT WHEN YOU'RE WASHED FROM YOUR SIN - BAPTISM 45:18 REPRESENTS A CLEANSING WHERE YOU GET A WHOLE NEW 45:21 BEGINNING AND YOU BECOME LIKE A LITTLE CHILD. 45:23 I ALWAYS HAVE THIS PICTURE OF NAAMAN - HE COMES UP ON 45:26 THE SHORE AND HE'S SO EXCITED, HE IS JUMPING UP 45:29 AND DOWN AND THE BIRDS ARE FLYING AWAY FROM THE RIVER 45:32 AND HE IS SHOUTING AND HE IS SINGING AND THE 45:34 SOLDIERS - ARE THEY HAPPY? THEY'RE JUMPING UP AND 45:37 DOWN AND THEY'RE REJOICING BECAUSE HE WAS DEAD 45:39 AND NOW HE'S ALIVE. HE WAS LOST 45:42 AND HE'S FOUND. HE WAS SICK AND HE'S WELL. 45:44 HE'S EXPERIENCED COMP - HAVE YOU EVER KNOWN 45:46 SOMEBODY THAT WAS FACING WHAT COULD BE A TERMINAL 45:49 ILLNESS AND THEY MAYBE BATTLED IT FOR YEARS AND 45:53 THEN THEY COME TO CHURCH TO A PRAYER MEETING OR 45:55 THEY E-MAIL YOU AND THEY SAY, 'I HAD THE LAST TEST 46:00 AND I'M CLEAR FROM ALL CANCER.' ARE THEY HAPPY? 46:05 AFTER HAVING SOMETHING LIKE THAT LOOMING OVER 46:07 THEM - THEN TO BE DECLARED 'YOU'RE HEALED.' BUT, YOU 46:11 KNOW, EVEN A PERSON WHO'S STRUGGLING WITH A TERMINAL 46:13 DISEASE, WHEN THEY'RE HEALED, ARE ONLY HEALED 46:16 TEMPORARILY. MY FATHER - MY BROTHER, 46:20 I TOLD YOU, WAS - HE WAS BORN WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS 46:24 AND SO IT'S - IT, ULTIMATELY, IS TERMINAL. AND HE LIVED TO 35 46:28 AND HE WAS MY OLDER BROTHER. WE STRUGGLED 46:32 WATCHING HIM SUFFER, FOR YEARS, TO BREATHE. 46:36 AND I REMEMBER I WAS OUT WALKING WITH HIM ONE DAY 46:38 AND HE'D WALK A LITTLE BIT AND TRY AND RUN AND CLEAR 46:40 OUT HIS LUNGS AND THEN HE'D COUGH AND HE'D SAY, 46:42 'DOUG, YOU'RE LUCKY. HE SAID, 'I'D GIVE 46:46 EVERYTHING I HAVE IF I COULD HAVE YOUR LUNGS.' 46:50 MY BROTHER WAS GOOD. HE STAYED AT HOME AND HE 46:52 TRIED TO HELP WORK FOR DAD AND I WAS THE BLACK SHEEP 46:55 THAT WENT OFF AND GOT INTO ALL KINDS OF TROUBLE. 46:57 AND HE SAID - HE SAID, 'DOUG, LIFE ISN'T FAIR. 47:01 HE SAID, 'I'M SMART. I'M GOOD LOOKING. 47:07 AND I'M SICK.' HE SAID, 'AND YOU'RE HEALTHY BUT 47:10 YOU'RE STUPID.' (LAUGHTER) HE SAID, 'LIFE JUST ISN'T 47:14 FAIR.' (LAUGHTER) BUT HE SAID, 'I'D GIVE EVERYTHING 47:18 THAT I HAVE IF I COULD HAVE YOUR LUNGS AND LIVE A 47:21 LITTLE MORE OF THIS LIFE.' JUST A LITTLE MORE. 47:24 BECAUSE EVEN - ANYBODY WHO IS HEALED FROM ANY DISEASE 47:28 IN THIS LIFE - DO YOU REALIZE YOUR HEALING IS 47:29 TEMPORARY? THAT WE'RE ALL TERMINAL? 47:34 AND SO NAAMAN'S REALLY HAPPY SO HE COULD GO HOME 47:36 AND ENJOY HIS LIFE FOR A LITTLE WHILE LONGER, 47:39 BUT HOW LONG WOULD IT LAST? BUT WHEN YOU'RE WASHED IN 47:43 THE JORDAN LIKE JESUS WAS, THAT WATER WASHES 47:47 AWAY YOUR SIN. IT IS A HEALING AND A 47:50 CLEANSING THAT GOD IS PROVIDING FOR YOU THAT 47:52 WILL LAST FOREVER. >>WHO WOULDN'T WANT THAT? 47:56 GOD IS OFFERING THAT TO EACH ONE OF US. 47:59 AND THAT'S WHAT BAPTISM IS A SYMBOL OF. 48:02 IT'S A CLEANSING FROM SIN. NOW WHY WAS JESUS 48:05 BAPTIZED? TO WASH AWAY HIS SIN? 48:11 OR WAS IT AN EXAMPLE FOR YOU AND ME? 48:13 >>AN EXAMPLE. 48:14 >>YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT JESUS EXPERIENCED AT 48:16 HIS BAPTISM IS WHAT GOD IS OFFERING US IF WE FOLLOW HIM. 48:21 THE BIBLE SAYS CHRIST CAME UP OUT OF THE WATER. 48:23 MATTHEW CHAPTER 3:16 AND 17 - LET ME READ IT TO YOU 48:26 REAL QUICK. "WHEN HE HAD BEEN 48:28 BAPTIZED, JESUS CAME UP IMMEDIATELY FROM THE 48:30 WATER; AND BEHOLD, THE HEAVENS WERE OPENED TO 48:32 HIM, AND HE SAW THE SPIRIT OF GOD DESCENDING LIKE A 48:35 DOVE AND ALIGHTING UPON HIM. 48:37 AND SUDDENLY A VOICE CAME FROM HEAVEN, SAYING, "THIS 48:39 IS MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED." 48:42 JESUS WAS BAPTIZED SO WE COULD KNOW WHAT WE MIGHT 48:45 EXPERIENCE IF WE ARE BORN AGAIN. 48:49 THE HEAVENS WERE OPENED. 48:51 THE HEAVENS WILL BE OPENED FOR YOU. 48:54 WHEN YOU'RE BAPTIZED YOU'VE COMMITTED YOUR LIFE 48:55 TO GOD AND YOU HAVE NEW PRIVILEGES. 48:59 IT'S LIKE MARRIAGE - THERE'S NEW RELATIONSHIP - 49:01 NEW PRIVILEGES IN THAT RELATIONSHIP. 49:03 THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES DOWN. 49:05 GOD PROMISES HIS SPIRIT. IT COMES LIKE A DOVE. 49:09 WHAT DOES A DOVE REPRESENT? 49:10 >>HOLY SPIRIT. >>PEACE COMES INTO YOUR 49:11 LIFE BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN. 49:14 YOU HEAR A VOICE - YOU NOT ONLY SEE THE DOVE COMING, 49:17 YOU HEAR A VOICE FROM HEAVEN AND IT SAYS, 'YOU 49:19 ARE NOW MY BELOVED SON.' THERE'S ADOPTION THAT 49:22 TAKES PLACE. YOU'RE MY SON. 49:23 YOU'RE MY DAUGHTER.' HE SAYS, 'AND I'M WELL 49:25 PLEASED WITH YOU.' WHAT GOD SAID TO JESUS, HE SAYS 49:28 TO US. 'I AM PLEASED WITH YOU. 49:31 I AM LOOKING AT YOU NOW LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SINNED. 49:33 YOU NOW HAVE THE GIFT OF EVERLASTING LIFE.' CHRIST 49:37 ALSO BEGAN A LIFE OF MINISTRY AT BAPTISM. 49:39 JESUS SAID, 'UNLESS YOU'RE BORN OF THE WATER AND THE 49:43 SPIRIT, YOU CANNOT' - HE DIDN'T SAY IT'LL BE 49:45 DIFFICULT - 'UNLESS YOU'RE BORN OF THE WATER AND THE 49:47 SPIRIT, YOU CANNOT ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.' 49:50 GOSPEL OF MARK, HE SAYS, 'GO THEREFORE AND TEACH 49:54 ALL NATIONS BAPTIZING THEM.' 'WHOEVER BELIEVES 49:56 AND IS BAPTIZED' - MARK CHAPTER 16 - 'WILL BE SAVED. 50:01 WHOEVER BELIEVES NOT WILL BE LOST.' THIS IS A VERY 50:05 IMPORTANT SUBJECT. YOU CAN BE WASHED. 50:09 SOME OF YOU MAYBE HAVEN'T MADE THAT DECISION. 50:11 SOME MAYBE MADE THAT DECISION AND HAVE 50:13 WANDERED FROM THE LORD AND THEY MIGHT WANT TO 50:15 PRAY ABOUT, 'SHOULD I BE REBAPTIZED?' 50:18 YOU KNOW, THE STORY OF NAAMAN IS A BEAUTIFUL STORY. 50:20 HERE YOU'VE GOT THIS MAN WHO HAD EVERYTHING BUT HE 50:23 WAS DYING. HE WAS READY TO LOSE 50:26 EVERYTHING IF HE COULD JUST HAVE LIFE. 50:28 HE WAS READY TO GIVE AWAY A KING'S RANSOM IF HE 50:30 COULD JUST BE HEALED. AND, YOU KNOW, GOD GAVE 50:33 HIS SON SO THAT YOU COULD BE CLEANSED. 50:36 I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS SUCH AN INTERESTING PICTURE. 50:38 (SOFT PIANO MUSIC) NAAMAN IS HERE - HE'S THIS 50:40 SOLDIER BUT IT SAYS HIS FLESH WAS RESTORED LIKE A 50:44 LITTLE CHILD. I CAN JUST PICTURE THE 50:46 OTHER SOLDIERS COMING UP TO HIM AND SAYING, 50:48 'MASTER, CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE BEEN HEALED. 50:50 CAN I PINCH YOUR CHEEK?' 50:51 (LAUGHTER) A SOLDIER WITH BABY SKIN. 50:56 ISN'T THAT KIND OF WHAT A CHRISTIAN IS? 50:59 THE LORD WASHES AWAY OUR SIN, BUT WE'RE IN GOD'S 51:01 ARMY, BUT WE'RE LIKE LITTLE CHILDREN. 51:04 WE'VE GOT THAT CHILD-LIKE FAITH. IT STARTS OUT WITH A 51:07 LITTLE CHILD GIVING HIM A MESSAGE. 51:09 THEN THE MESSAGE COMES FROM ELISHA'S SERVANT. 51:11 AND THEN THE MESSAGE COMES FROM HIS OWN SERVANTS. 51:14 YOU KNOW, NAAMAN WAS SO HAPPY, HE COULD HAVE GONE 51:16 BACK TO DAMASCUS BUT YOU KNOW WHAT HE DID? 51:18 HE WENT BACK TO ELISHA TO THANK HIM. 51:22 AND NOW ELISHA COMES OUT TO SEE HIM FACE TO FACE. 51:26 JESUS CAN'T SEE US FACE TO FACE - GOD IN HIS GLORY - 51:29 BECAUSE WE'VE GOT SIN. 51:31 BUT HE WANTS TO WASH US FROM OUR SIN BECAUSE HE IS 51:32 COMING SOON AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO BEHOLD HIM FACE 51:36 TO FACE. AMEN? >>AMEN. 51:37 >>YOU KNOW THE WHOLE BIBLE IS ABOUT OUR BEING 51:40 SEPARATED FROM GOD BECAUSE OF SIN AND THEN WE'RE 51:44 RESTORED TO GOD. AND REVELATION SAYS, 'AND 51:46 WE WILL SEE HIS FACE.' ELISHA CAME OUT TO HIM. 51:51 HE TRIED TO PAY FOR HIS CLEANSING. 51:53 HE SAID, 'OH TAKE SOMETHING.' HE SAID, 'I'M 51:55 NOT GOING TO TAKE ANYTHING.' HE URGED HIM. 51:57 HE SAID, 'I'M NOT TAKING ANYTHING.' WHY? 51:59 BECAUSE THAT CLEANSING FROM LEPROSY IS A SYMBOL 52:03 FOR YOU AND ME TODAY OF CLEANSING FROM SIN AND YOU 52:05 CANNOT BUY IT. YOU CAN'T BUY IT WITH 52:07 SILVER AND YOU CAN'T BUY IT WITH GOLD. 52:09 IT IS A GIFT OF GOD. IT'S A GIFT THAT'S BEEN 52:12 PURCHASED AT A PRICE THAT YOU COULD NEVER AFFORD. 52:15 GOD'S SON PAID THAT YOU MIGHT BE CLEANSED FROM 52:18 YOUR LEPROSY. WE'VE ALL SINNED. 52:22 WE'RE ALL UNDER THAT DEATH SENTENCE. 52:25 AND JESUS IS OFFERING US A CHANCE TO HAVE NEW LIFE 52:27 AND TO BE CLEANSED. HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD 52:29 LIKE TO SAY, 'I WANT THAT CLEANSING. 52:31 I WANT THAT NEW LIFE. I WANT THAT HEALING THAT 52:33 WILL LAST FOREVER.'? LET'S ASK HIM. 52:37 DEAR FATHER, WE'RE SO THANKFUL FOR THE GOOD NEWS 52:40 OF JESUS' CLEANSING AND I PRAY MANY WHO ARE 52:43 LISTENING WILL TAKE THAT STEP AND CHOOSE TO FOLLOW 52:45 AND PREPARE FOR BAPTISM AND GO ALL THE WAY. 52:48 FILL THEM WITH YOUR SPIRIT. 52:50 WE THANK YOU FOR THE PROMISE AND ASK THIS ALL 52:52 IN JESUS' NAME. AMEN. 52:55 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? 52:58 YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE TRUTH-FILLED 53:01 PROGRAMMING, VISIT THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY AT 'AFTV.ORG'. 53:08 AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY VIDEO AND AUDIO PRESENTATIONS AS WELL 53:13 AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A 53:18 WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 53:29 >>AMAZING FACTS CHANGED LIVES. 53:38 >>I'D HAVE TO SAY THAT I HAD A WONDERFUL CHILDHOOD. 53:40 GROWING UP, I WENT TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL UP UNTIL THE SEVENTH 53:44 GRADE - UNTIL JUNIOR HIGH. I BELIEVE IT WAS AT THAT POINT, 53:47 IN JUNIOR HIGH, THAT MY LIFE BEGAN TO CHANGE. 53:52 GOING FROM A CHRISTIAN EDUCATION TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL WAS A BIG 53:55 DIFFERENCE. THERE WAS A LOT OF SECULAR 53:58 INFLUENCE - PEER PRESSURE - AND, FOR ME, IT WAS THE MUSIC. 54:05 I STARTED LISTENING TO HEAVY METAL MUSIC. 54:07 EVERY CONCERT THAT WOULD COME TO TOWN I WAS THERE. 54:09 IT HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON ME. I STARTED USING MARIJUANA, 54:14 PROBABLY AT THE AGE OF 14. I STARTED DRINKING - USING A 54:19 LOT OF COCAINE AND THAT LED TO METHAMPHETAMINE AND THAT 54:22 COMPLETELY CHANGED MY LIFE. I DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL MY 54:27 SOPHOMORE YEAR AND WENT TO WORK. 54:30 I WOULD GET OFF OF WORK AND WE'D GO INTO THE BAR UNTIL 2:00 IN THE 54:34 MORNING AND I'D GET BACK UP AT 5:00 AND I'D GO BACK AT IT AGAIN - 54:37 SIX, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. AT THE AGE OF 20, I LOST 54:44 MY DAD TO A HEART ATTACK. I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THE 54:48 LOSS SO I TRIED TO MASK MY PAIN WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUGS. 54:54 I GOT THREE DUIS IN ONE YEAR. I WAS ARRESTED. 54:57 THEY GAVE ME ONE YEAR IN THE COUNTY JAIL AND THE MOMENT I GOT 55:02 OUT I WENT BACK TO DOING THE SAME THING, HANGING WITH THE 55:05 SAME PEOPLE - THE SAME CROWD. I WAS INVOLVED IN A HIT-AND-RUN 55:08 MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT AND I WAS CHARGED WITH A FELONY DUI. 55:12 EVEN THOUGH AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT I WAS NOT UNDER THE 55:15 INFLUENCE, I STILL HAD METHAMPHETAMINE IN MY SYSTEM. 55:18 AT MY SENTENCING DATE I LEFT THE COURTROOM AND I DIDN'T COME 55:22 BACK. AND THAT LEFT ME WITH A FELONY WARRANT. 55:27 AND I HAD FALLEN ASLEEP AT A PARK AND I WOKE UP TO A PARK 55:31 RANGER KNOCKING ON MY WINDOW. I KNEW THAT I WAS WANTED AND I 55:35 KNEW THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO JUST TURN MYSELF IN. I TURNED TO HIM 55:40 AND I MADE THE COMMENT, 'NOT TODAY.' AND I TOOK OFF. 55:44 I LED FIVE DIFFERENT AGENCIES ON ABOUT A 35-MINUTE CHASE AND I 55:49 REALIZED AT ONE POINT THAT I WASN'T GOING TO GET AWAY AND 55:51 THIS WAS GOING TO END UP EITHER ME KILLING SOMEBODY OR MYSELF. 55:56 AND SO I MADE A DECISION TO PULL OVER. 55:59 AT THAT POINT, EVERYTHING THAT I HAD, I LOST. 56:03 I WAS SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN STATE PRISON AND IT WAS THERE 56:08 THAT GOD GOT AHOLD OF ME. AND IT WAS THROUGH 56:13 AMAZING FACTS MINISTRIES. I REMEMBER LISTENING ON MY 56:16 RADIO TO PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR. I WANTED TO GET 56:20 TO KNOW THE BIBLE. I WANTED TO KNOW GOD. 56:23 AND SO MY AUNT MARILYN SENT ME THE AMAZING FACTS STUDY GUIDES 56:28 AND IT WAS THERE THAT MY RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST BEGAN. 56:36 I HAD CALLED HOME AND I KNEW MY MOTHER WASN'T DOING WELL, BUT I 56:41 DIDN'T REALIZE THAT SHE HAD CANCER. SHE HAD ABOUT A 56:48 30-PERCENT CHANCE OF MAKING IT THROUGH HER SURGERY. 56:51 SHE HAD TOLD THE DOCTORS THAT SHE WAS NOT GOING TO HAVE CHEMO 56:54 AND SHE WAS NOT GOING TO HAVE RADIATION. 56:55 THAT, IF HER GOD WAS GOING TO SAVE HER, THEN HE WOULD 56:57 SAVE HER. I REMEMBER HANGING UP THE PHONE 57:02 TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY LAST CONVERSATION WITH MY MOM. 57:07 I TURNED AROUND, I GOT DOWN ON MY KNEES, AND I PRAYED TO GOD. 57:12 I SAID, 'GOD, IF YOU'RE THERE, PLEASE SAVE MY MOTHER. 57:16 WHEREVER YOU LEAD ME IN LIFE, WHATEVER YOU WANT ME TO DO, I AM 57:20 YOURS.' AND I HAD A FEELING OF SUCH PEACE, THAT I KNEW THAT MY 57:26 MOTHER WAS GOING TO BE OKAY AND THAT MY LIFE WAS GOING TO 57:30 CHANGE. THERE ARE NO WORDS THAT I CAN 57:34 ADEQUATELY EXPRESS TO AMAZING FACTS AND PASTOR DOUG - TO SAY, 57:37 'THANK YOU' TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THE MINISTRY. 57:40 I AM A PRODUCT OF YOUR SUPPORT. MY LIFE IS CHANGED BECAUSE OF 57:45 THIS THIS MINISTRY AND I THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. 57:53 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2016-06-07