Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021562A
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00:01 (MUSIC)
00:05 >>AMAZING FACTS BEGAN IN 1965 WITH A GOD-INSPIRED CONCEPT. 00:11 >>HELLO, THIS IS JOE CREWS AND THE AMAZING FACTS BROADCAST 00:14 FACTS WHICH AFFECT YOU. 00:16 EACH RADIO BROADCAST WOULD BEGIN WITH AN AMAZING FACT FROM 00:20 SCIENCE, NATURE, OR HISTORY, FOLLOWED BY A BIBLE MESSAGE THAT 00:24 TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF LISTENERS FROM EVERY WALK OF LIFE. 00:28 THE PROGRAM WAS AN INSTANT SUCCESS AND THE MINISTRY SOON 00:31 BEGAN EXPANDING TO INCLUDE BIBLE LESSONS. 00:34 IN 1986 AMAZING FACTS ADDED THE MEDIUM OF TELEVISION TO ITS 00:39 GROWING OUTREACH EFFORTS, OFFERING SOUL-WINNING 00:42 EVANGELISTIC MESSAGES FOR VIEWERS AROUND THE WORLD. 00:46 IN 1994, PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR ASSUMED LEADERSHIP OF THE 00:50 MINISTRY, ADDING THE BIBLE ANSWERS LIVE CALL-IN RADIO 00:54 PROGRAM AND NEW MINISTRY TV PROGRAMS BEGAN AIRING ON 00:57 MULTIPLE NETWORKS AROUND THE WORLD. 01:01 FOR 50 YEARS, THE DRIVING VISION OF AMAZING FACTS HAS BEEN THE 01:05 BOLD PROCLAMATION OF THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL AND, WITH A 01:09 TEAM OF EVANGELISTS CIRCLING THE GLOBE, AND THOUSANDS OF MEN AND 01:13 WOMEN BEING TRAINED THROUGH THE AMAZING FACTS CENTER OF 01:15 EVANGELISM PROGRAM - AFCOE - THE MINISTRY IS HELPING GOD'S CHURCH 01:20 SEE A RICH HARVEST OF SOULS. 01:24 AMAZING FACTS: GOD'S MESSAGE, OUR MISSION. 01:32 (MUSIC) 01:46 IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE TENTH AND 01:49 FINAL PRESENTATION IN THIS SERIES AND WE HOPE THAT 01:52 THE WORD OF GOD HAS TOUCHED YOUR LIVES AND YOU 01:55 WILL CONTINUE THIS STUDY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE 01:58 POWER IS. AND SO WE, IN OUR HEROES 02:01 OF FAITH PRESENTATION, TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO BE 02:04 TALKING ABOUT THE SIGN OF JONAH - THE SIGN OF JONAH. 02:08 NOW, THE TITLE FOR THIS MESSAGE COMES FROM A 02:11 STATEMENT THAT JESUS MAKES - HE ACTUALLY MAKES IT IN 02:14 THE BOOK OF MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE - AND YOU CAN 02:17 READ IT IN CHAPTER 12, VERSE - OH - 39, "BUT HE 02:21 ANSWERED AND SAID TO THEM, 'AN EVIL AND ADULTEROUS 02:24 GENERATION SEEKS AFTER A SIGN, AND NO SIGN WILL BE 02:28 GIVEN TO IT EXCEPT THE SIGN OF THE PROPHET JONAH. 02:33 FOR AS JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN 02:35 THE BELLY OF THE GREAT FISH, SO WILL THE SON OF 02:38 MAN BE THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE HEART 02:41 OF THE EARTH." - AND IT GOES ON AND SAYS, 02:44 "THE MEN OF NINEVEH WILL RISE UP IN THE JUDGMENT 02:47 WITH THIS GENERATION AND CONDEMN IT, BECAUSE THEY 02:49 REPENTED AT THE PREACHING OF JONAH; AND INDEED A 02:52 GREATER THAN JONAH IS HERE." THE SIGN OF JONAH 02:57 - WHAT IS THAT? WHAT DOES HE MEAN? 03:00 HE SAYS, 'NO SIGN WILL BE GIVEN BUT THE SIGN OF 03:02 JONAH.' NOW, I KNOW, THERE ARE PROBABLY SOME SKEPTICS 03:05 OUT THERE THAT ARE SAYING, 'PASTOR DOUG, YOU CAN'T REALLY 03:09 TAKE THE BOOK OF JONAH SERIOUSLY.' WELL, I DO 03:12 BECAUSE JESUS DID. JESUS STATED IT VERY 03:16 EMPHATICALLY THAT HE BELIEVED THE BOOK OF JONAH 03:18 WAS REAL AND HE SAID THERE'S THINGS THAT WE CAN 03:19 LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE AND THE STORY OF JONAH 03:22 THAT CAN HELP US IN OUR LIVES TODAY. 03:25 I REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT A LADY WAS RIDING A BUS - 03:30 SHE RODE EVERY DAY AND SHE'D OFTEN READ HER BIBLE 03:32 WHILE SHE WAS RIDING ON THIS PUBLIC BUS. 03:35 AND A MAN, WHO WAS AN ATHEIST, HE SOMETIMES 03:37 WOULD EVEN GET UP AND GIVE HER HIS SEAT - SHE WAS AN 03:40 OLDER WOMAN - AND HE'D STAND THERE HOLDING ONTO 03:43 THE BAR IN THE BUS OVERHEAD AND SEES SHE'S 03:47 READING HER BIBLE AND HE USED TO THINK, 'OH, I 03:48 CAN'T BELIEVE PEOPLE ACTUALLY READ AND BELIEVE 03:50 THE BIBLE. AND ONE DAY, AFTER THEY'D 03:52 SEEN EACH OTHER SEVERAL TIMES HE SAID, 'GRANDMA, 03:54 I NOTICED THAT I SEE YOU READING YOUR BIBLE QUITE A 03:57 BIT.' SHE SAID, 'YES SIR. IT'S THE WORD OF GOD.' HE 04:01 SAID, 'NOW, WHEN YOU READ IT, DO YOU TAKE IT LITERALLY? 04:04 DO YOU THINK THAT THE THINGS IN THERE ARE ALL TRUE?' 04:06 SHE SAID, 'ABSOLUTELY, SON, I BELIEVE THAT EVERY 04:09 WORD IS TRUE.' HE SAID, 'EVEN THE STORY OF, LIKE, 04:13 ADAM AND EVE AND THE SNAKE AND THE APPLE? 04:16 YOU BELIEVE THAT'S ALL TRUE.' SHE SAID, 'I 04:18 BELIEVE IT. GOD'S WORD SAYS IT.' AND 04:21 HE SAID, 'AND YOU BELIEVE NOAH AND THE ARK AND 04:24 TAKING TWO AND THE WHOLE WORLD WAS FLOODED?' 04:27 SHE SAID, 'GOD'S WORD SAID IT, I BELIEVE IT.' HE 04:30 SAID, 'NOW YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY BELIEVE THE STORY 04:33 OF JONAH, THAT HE WAS IN THE BELLY OF A GREAT FISH 04:37 FOR THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS AND CAME OUT 04:38 ALIVE.' SHE SAID, 'WELL GOD SAYS IT, I BELIEVE 04:41 IT.' HE SAID, 'HOW CAN A MAN SURVIVE INSIDE A FISH 04:45 FOR THREE DAYS?' SHE SAID, 'WELL, I DON'T KNOW. 04:47 I SUPPOSE WHEN I GET TO HEAVEN I'LL ASK JONAH.' 04:52 AND HE SAID, 'WELL, WHAT IF JONAH'S NOT IN HEAVEN?' 04:55 SHE SAID, 'WELL THEN, YOU CAN ASK HIM.' (LAUGHTER) 05:00 NOW WHEN YOU LOOK OTHER PLACES IN THE BIBLE, IT 05:05 ACTUALLY - NOT ONLY DOES JESUS REFERENCE JONAH, BUT 05:07 JONAH IS MENTIONED AS THE SON OF AMITTAI IN 2 KINGS 05:11 CHAPTER 14, VERSE 25 HE IS CALLED THE PROPHET OF 05:15 GATH HEPHER. HE IS A REAL INDIVIDUAL 05:17 THAT LIVED AND HIS EXPERIENCE, THOUGH 05:19 ADMITTEDLY INCREDIBLE, REALLY HAPPENED. 05:23 I DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE AWARE, BUT 05:25 THERE WAS A MAN NAMED JAMES BARTLEY THAT IN 1891 05:29 HE WAS ON A WHALING SHIP CALLED THE STAR OF THE 05:31 EAST OFF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS AND IT'S RECORDED 05:35 THAT WHEN THIS 80-FOOT SPERM WHALE THAT THEY HAD 05:38 SPEARED, BREACHED THE SURFACE AND STRUCK ONE OF 05:41 THE WHALING BOATS, THAT IT SWALLOWED JAMES BARTLEY. 05:47 THAT WHALE ALSO DIED FROM ITS WOUNDS AND SO WHEN 05:49 THEY WERE DISSECTING THE WHALE - THEY DIDN'T 05:51 REALIZE THAT HE'D BEEN SWALLOWED - WHEN THEY WERE 05:53 DISSECTING THE WHALE 24 HOURS LATER, THEY GOT DOWN 05:57 TO THE STOMACH AND THEY SAW SOMETHING MOVE - THEY 06:00 THOUGHT THEY IT WAS A GIANT SQUID BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT 06:02 SPERM WHALES EAT - AND THEY OPENED UP THE STOMACH AND 06:06 OUT SLID JAMES BARTLEY - UNCONSCIOUS, BUT STILL VERY 06:10 MUCH ALIVE. AND THEY PUT HIM IN THE 06:13 CAPTAIN'S QUARTERS AFTER CLEANING HIM OFF A LITTLE BIT 06:16 AND HE FINALLY REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS AND HE VAGUELY 06:19 REMEMBERED BEING ENVELOPED AND SWALLOWED AND PUSHED 06:22 DOWN THIS SLIPPERY TUBE AND HE WAS INSIDE THIS DARK 06:25 INTERIOR AND HE FELT LIKE THE SURFACE SHRANK AT HIS 06:28 TOUCH AND THEN HE BLACKED OUT FROM THE HEAT. 06:31 BUT THAT'S - AND HE GOT BACK TO ENGLAND AND LEFT 06:35 THE SEA AND NEVER RETURNED. (LAUGHTER) AND IF YOU GO 06:39 LOOK AT HIS GRAVE IT SAYS RIGHT ON HIS GRAVE, 'JAMES 06:42 BARTLEY, A MODERN JONAH'. SO SOME OF YOU MAYBE HAVE 06:46 - REMEMBER THE THROUGH THE BIBLE RADIO SERIES WITH J. 06:50 VERNON MCGEE - BEEN ON FOR MANY YEARS AND HE ACTUALLY 06:53 SHARED THREE ACCOUNTS IN MODERN HISTORY OF PEOPLE 06:56 THAT WERE SWALLOWED BY VARIOUS SEA CREATURES AND 06:58 CAME OUT ALIVE. SOME, ADMITTEDLY, NOT FOR 07:01 VERY LONG, BUT THE BIBLE SAYS GOD PREPARED A FISH. 07:06 BUT NOW WE'RE GETTING AHEAD OF OURSELVES. 07:07 WE SHOULD PROBABLY START BY GOING TO THE STORY OF 07:10 JONAH - IF YOU'VE GOT YOUR BIBLES. 07:12 YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, 'HOW IS HE A HERO OF 07:14 FAITH?' STAY WITH ME. 07:16 GO TO THE BOOK OF JONAH CHAPTER 1, "NOW THE WORD 07:20 OF THE LORD CAME TO JONAH" - THE WORD 'JONAH' BY THE 07:23 WAY, MEANS 'DOVE' - "THE SON OF AMITTAI, SAYING, 07:28 'ARISE, GO TO NINEVEH, THAT GREAT CITY, AND CRY 07:32 OUT AGAINST IT; FOR THEIR WICKEDNESS HAS COME UP 07:34 BEFORE ME.' BUT JONAH AROSE TO FLEE TO TARSHISH 07:39 FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD." 07:41 NOW GOD SAID, 'JONAH, YOU'RE A PROPHET. 07:43 I'VE GOT A WORK FOR YOU TO DO. I WANT YOU TO GO PROPHESY. 07:47 I WANT YOU TO GO EAST TO NINEVEH AND TALK TO THE 07:51 WICKED PEOPLE IN THAT GREAT CITY. 07:53 TELL THEM THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE JUDGED FOR 07:56 THEIR SINS.' BUT YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE OF 07:59 NINEVEH DIDN'T GET ALONG VERY WELL WITH THE PEOPLE 08:03 OF ISRAEL ANY MORE THAN THEY DO TODAY. 08:07 AND CAN YOU IMAGINE AN ORTHODOX JEW DRESSED AS AN 08:11 ORTHODOX JEW WALKING THROUGH DOWNTOWN SAUDI 08:15 ARABIA TELLING THEM ALL THEY'RE WICKED AND GOD IS 08:17 GOING TO DESTROY THEM? THEY MIGHT NOT 08:20 LAST VERY LONG. SO JONAH, YOU COULD 08:24 UNDERSTAND HIS RELUCTANCE. NOT ONLY THAT, THEY HAD 08:26 BEEN PERSECUTED - IT WAS ASSYRIA THAT CARRIED 08:28 AWAY TEN OF THE TRIBES. THEY HAD BEEN PERSECUTED 08:31 BY THE ASSYRIANS AND THE LAST THING JONAH WANTED 08:33 TO DO WAS GO WARN THEM SO THEY COULD REPENT. 08:36 HE KIND OF THOUGHT, 'WELL, IF GOD'S GOING TO JUDGE 08:37 THEM, I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE. 08:38 LET HIM JUDGE THEM.' THEY WERE THE AVOWED ENEMIES OF 08:41 ISRAEL. AND SO IT SAYS HE AROSE 08:44 TO GO TO TARSHISH. NOW EVER HEARD THAT 08:49 EXPRESSION 'I'VE BEEN ASSIGNED TO TIMBUKTU'? 08:51 THAT'S BECAUSE THE FURTHEST OUTPOST THE 08:53 MARINES HAD YEARS AGO WAS TIMBUKTU. 08:56 THEY CALLED IT THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. 08:58 AS FAR AS THEY KNEW, BACK IN BIBLE TIMES, THE 09:01 FARTHEST YOU COULD GO WAS THE OUTER COAST OF SPAIN 09:04 WHERE IT WENT OFF INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, THROUGH 09:07 THE GATES OF HERCULES, THEY HAD A CITY THERE 09:09 CALLED TARSHISH AND WHEN YOU SAID, 'I'M GOING TO 09:12 TARSHISH', IT WAS LIKE SAYING, 'I'M GOING TO THE 09:15 ENDS OF THE EARTH' BECAUSE THAT'S AS FAR AS THE 09:16 PHOENICIAN SAILORS WENT OUT INTO THE ATLANTIC. 09:20 AND SO, GOD TOLD HIM TO GO EAST. 09:22 INSTEAD, HE WENT WEST. MAYBE JONAH WAS THINKING, 09:26 'WELL, YOU KNOW, THE LORD - IT WAS A SUGGESTION.' 09:30 NO, IT WASN'T A SUGGESTION. GOD'S WILL TOLD HIM WHAT 09:32 TO DO, BUT HE DIDN'T WANT TO DO WHAT THE WORD OF 09:34 THE LORD TOLD HIM TO DO. THE WORD OF THE LORD, 09:36 FURTHERMORE, SAID 'ARISE.' GOD'S WORD ELEVATES. 09:40 BUT JONAH DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT AND IT SAYS HE WENT 09:42 DOWN. HE AROSE TO FLEE FROM 09:44 TARSHISH FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD. 09:47 CAN YOU FLEE FROM GOD'S PRESENCE? 09:49 ISN'T THAT SILLY? YOU WOULD THINK THAT AT 09:52 LEAST A THEOLOGIAN, LIKE A PROPHET, WOULD KNOW THAT. 09:54 JONAH COULD READ WHAT DAVID WROTE IN PSALM 139, 09:59 "WHERE CAN I GO FROM YOUR SPIRIT? 10:02 OR WHERE CAN I FLEE FROM YOUR PRESENCE? 10:04 IF I ASCEND INTO HEAVEN, YOU ARE THERE; IF I MAKE 10:07 MY BED IN HELL, BEHOLD, YOU ARE THERE. 10:09 IF I TAKE THE WINGS OF THE MORNING, AND DWELL IN THE 10:11 UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE SEA, EVEN THERE YOUR HAND 10:15 SHALL LEAD ME, AND YOUR RIGHT HAND SHALL HOLD ME." 10:18 YOU CAN'T RUN FROM GOD. HE SEES YOU ALL THE TIME. 10:20 AND JESUS SAID, 'THOSE THINGS DONE IN SECRET WILL 10:23 BE PROCLAIMED FROM THE HOUSETOPS. 10:25 ALL THINGS ARE NAKED AND OPEN TO THE EYES OF WHOM 10:27 WE HAVE TO DO. AGAIN, YOU CAN READ IN 10:30 JEREMIAH 23, "'CAN ANYONE HIDE HIMSELF IN SECRET 10:34 PLACES, SO I SHALL NOT SEE HIM?' 10:36 SAYS THE LORD; 'DO I NOT FILL HEAVEN AND EARTH?' 10:39 " SO THE IDEA HE COULD RUN FROM THE PRESENCE OF GOD - 10:41 BUT WHO KNOWS? MAYBE JONAH WAS THINKING 10:43 TO HIMSELF, 'WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT. 10:45 I'M GOING TO GO DOWN TO JOPPA' - THAT'S WHERE THE 10:50 SEA PORT WAS - 'AND IF IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE ARE 10:53 ANY SHIPS GOING TO TARSHISH, I'LL TAKE THAT 10:57 AS A SIGN FROM THE LORD THAT IT'S OKAY THAT I GO.' 11:02 SO HE GETS TO JOPPA AND, SURE ENOUGH, THERE ARE 11:05 SHIPS IN THE HARBOR GETTING READY TO DEPART 11:07 THE NEXT DAY. HE SAYS, 'LORD, I'M GOING 11:09 TO THROW OUT ANOTHER FLEECE. IF IT TURNS OUT THEY'VE 11:12 GOT ROOM FOR ONE MORE PASSENGER, THEN I'LL TAKE 11:14 IT AS A SIGN IT'S OKAY FOR ME NOT TO DO WHAT 11:17 YOU ARE SAYING. SURE ENOUGH, HE ASKED AND 11:20 THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD ROOM. AND HIS CONSCIENCE IS 11:22 STILL BOTHERING HIM SO JONAH SAID, 'LORD, ONE 11:24 MORE THING: IF IT TURNS OUT THAT I'VE GOT ENOUGH 11:25 MONEY FOR THE FARE, THEN THAT'LL BE A SIGN YOU'RE 11:29 GOING TO LET ME OFF THE HOOK AND I DON'T HAVE TO 11:30 TALK TO THE ASSYRIANS. SURE ENOUGH, THEY TOLD 11:34 HIM HOW MUCH IT WAS. IT WAS JUST ENOUGH. 11:36 BY THE WAY, IT COSTS YOU TO RUN FROM GOD. 11:39 SO HE PAID THE FARE AND IT WAS EVEN NICE SAILING WEATHER. 11:47 SO HE FIGURED, 'YOU KNOW, 11:48 EVEN THOUGH THE WORD OF THE LORD TOLD ME, I DON'T 11:50 REALLY WANT TO DO IT, AND GOD'S JUST GOING TO - 11:52 WE'RE GOING TO IGNORE IT AND IT'LL GO AWAY.' HAS GOD 11:55 EVER TOLD YOU SOMETHING HE WANTED YOU TO DO OR DIDN'T 11:57 WANT YOU TO DO AND YOU THINK, BECAUSE THE SUN 12:00 KEEPS SHINING AND THE BIRDS KEEP SINGING THAT 12:02 IT MUST BE OKAY THAT YOU CONTINUE TO LIVE 12:04 IN DISOBEDIENCE? I HAVE MET PEOPLE BEFORE 12:07 - I REMEMBER COUNSELLING WITH A MAN AND A WOMAN 12:10 - THEY JUST LEFT THEIR SPOUSES AND GOT TOGETHER. 12:16 THEY WERE LIVING IN AN ADULTEROUS RELATIONSHIP 12:18 AND THEY SAID, 'BUT YOU KNOW, PASTOR DOUG, WE JUST 12:21 - THOSE OTHER MARRIAGES WERE A MISTAKE.' - THEY'RE 12:23 STILL MARRIED TO THESE OTHER PEOPLE - 'AND WE 12:25 JUST SEE HOW GOD IS BLESSING AND IT SEEMS LIKE 12:27 EVERYTHING IS GOING BETTER NOW. 12:29 WE HAVE PEACE AND IT MUST BE GOD'S WILL.' I SAID, 12:32 'WHAT ABOUT THE WORD OF THE LORD THAT SAYS, 'THOU 12:35 SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'? AND THEY WANTED TO SKIP 12:38 OVER THAT PART BECAUSE THEY HAD ALL THIS 12:39 CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE IT WAS OKAY. 12:43 WELL, JONAH THOUGHT - THAT'S JUST - BY THE WAY, 12:47 FRIENDS, IF YOU DIDN'T CATCH IT, WE CAN CONVINCE 12:48 OURSELVES TO BELIEVE WHATEVER WE WANT TO 12:51 BELIEVE AND THE DEVIL WILL GIVE YOU A THOUSAND 12:54 RATIONALIZATIONS TO DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO THAT 12:57 MAY NOT BE THE WORD OF THE LORD. 12:59 THE WORD OF THE LORD SAID, 'JONAH, GO EAST. 13:02 PREACH. YOU'RE A PREACHER, THAT'S 13:04 WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO.' HE DIDN'T WANT TO. 13:06 WHATEVER HIS REASONS WERE, HE DIDN'T WANT TO. 13:08 SO HE'S GOING THE OTHER DIRECTION. 13:10 HE'S RUNNING FROM THE MISSION. 13:12 AND YOU CAN KIND OF UNDERSTAND. 13:13 THE JEWS DIDN'T DO A LOT OF PREACHING TO THE 13:16 GENTILES BACK THEN. YOU KNOW WHERE JONAH 13:20 LEAVES ISRAEL? A TOWN CALLED JOPPA - 13:23 BECAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT TO TALK TO THE GENTILES - 800 13:26 YEARS LATER GOD SPEAKS TO AN APOSTLE NAMED PETER IN 13:30 JOPPA, HE SAYS, I WANT YOU TO GO TALK TO THE GENTILES 13:33 - CORNELIUS AND HIS FAMILY.' AND PETER GOES. 13:38 IT WAS THE VERY SAME TOWN OF JOPPA WHERE GOD GAVE 13:41 THE MESSAGE TO PETER TO GO TO THE GENTILES, WHERE 13:44 JONAH WAS RUNNING FROM THE MISSION TO GO TO THE 13:47 GENTILES. AND SO, HE PAYS THE FARE, 13:51 FINDS THE SHIP, GOES WITH THEM TO TARSHISH - BY THE 13:57 WAY, I HAVE A HARD TIME, WHENEVER I READ THIS - 13:59 THAT WAS MY MOTHER'S MAIDEN NAME - RUTH TARSHIS 14:03 - IT'S A JEWISH WORD AND OUR GRANDFATHER SAYS THAT 14:06 WE'RE RELATED TO JONAH, BUT HE SAID A LOT OF 14:08 THINGS THAT WEREN'T TRUE, SO WE'RE NOT SURE. 14:10 (LAUGHTER) "BUT THE LORD SENT OUT A GREAT WIND" - 14:15 YOU KNOW HOW EVERYTHING CHANGES? 14:18 HE'S FLEEING FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD, "BUT 14:22 THE LORD SENT OUT A GREAT WIND" - NOW THIS WAS THE 14:25 SAILING SEASON. IT WAS SUPPOSED 14:27 TO BE GOOD. EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE - 14:29 "...AND THERE WAS A MIGHTY TEMPEST ON THE SEA, SO 14:32 THAT THE SHIP WAS ABOUT TO BE BROKEN UP. 14:35 THEN THE MARINERS WERE AFRAID; AND EVERY MAN 14:39 CRIED OUT TO HIS GOD, AND THREW THE CARGO THAT WAS 14:41 IN THE SHIP INTO THE SEA, TO LIGHTEN THE LOAD." 14:44 - NOW, I MENTIONED EARLIER I LIVED ON A SAILBOAT IN 14:48 THE MEDITERRANEAN FOR A WHILE AND WE ACTUALLY GOT 14:51 IN ONE SIGNIFICANT STORM GOING FROM NORTHERN AFRICA 14:54 OVER TO SPAIN AND IT WAS PRETTY FRIGHTENING. 14:59 IT WAS IN DECEMBER AND THE BOAT THAT WE WERE ON WAS 15:02 150 FEET LONG AND THE WAVES WERE SO BIG THAT THE 15:05 NOSE OF THE BOAT WOULD GO DOWN IN THE TROUGH OF A 15:07 WAVE AND PART OF THE WAVE WOULD ROLL OVER THE BOAT 15:10 FROM BOW TO STERN, WASHING THINGS OVERBOARD AND WE 15:13 WERE ALL CLINGING AND EVERYBODY WAS SEASICK AND 15:16 THIS WAS A MODERN VESSEL AND YOU'RE OUT THERE AND 15:19 YOU FEEL VERY VULNERABLE WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE. 15:20 THE MEDITERRANEAN, ON A MAP, IS ONLY THAT BIG. 15:23 BUT YOU GET OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT AND YOU CAN'T 15:25 SEE SHORE ANYWHERE. IT'S A BIG SEA AND IT'S 15:29 DARK AND THE WATER WAS COLD AND PEOPLE WERE SCARED. 15:34 AND SO WHENEVER I READ THIS I THINK THIS WAS AN 15:36 EVEN BIGGER STORM IN A MORE PRIMITIVE SHIP AND 15:38 THESE WERE EXPERIENCED SAILORS AND THEY WERE 15:41 PRAYING AND THEY REALIZED THEIR LIVES WERE AT RISK. 15:44 THEY'RE MAKING THIS JOURNEY FOR PROFIT AND 15:46 GAIN, BUT THEY WERE SO AFRAID THEY'RE THROWING 15:49 ALL THE VALUABLES OVERBOARD. 15:52 'WHAT PROFIT IT IS IT TO YOU IF YOU GAIN THE WHOLE 15:54 WORLD AND LOSE YOUR SOUL?' WHAT GOOD IS THE BUSINESS 15:58 DEAL IF YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE EVERYTHING? 16:00 SO THEY WERE WILLING TO UNLOAD AND THEY BEGAN TO 16:02 THROW ALL THE CARGO INTO THE SEA EVEN THOUGH IT WAS 16:05 A GREAT LOSS, BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT, 'WHAT'S MORE THAN 16:08 LIFE? WHAT IS WORTH MORE THAN LIFE?' 16:12 AND THEY'RE PRAYING - AND THEN IT SAYS 'BUT' AGAIN. 16:16 THE SAILORS ARE PRAYING - THE SAILORS ARE 16:18 SACRIFICING - THESE ARE THE PAGANS - BUT THE JEW, 16:21 WHO'S SUPPOSED TO KNOW GOD AND KNOW THE TRUTH, HE'S 16:23 DOWN IN THE LOWEST PART OF THE SHIP AND HE'S FAST ASLEEP. 16:28 EVERYBODY AROUND HIM IS PRAYING. 16:30 EVERYBODY AROUND HIM IS MAKING A SACRIFICE. 16:33 THEY'RE CALLING OUT TO GOD AND THE PROPHET OF GOD IS 16:36 SLEEPING. NOW YOU KNOW THE - MANY 16:39 OF THE JEWISH SCHOLARS BELIEVE THAT JONAH IS A 16:42 TYPE OF THE JEWISH NATION - IT'S A TRUE STORY, BUT 16:45 THERE'S A LOT OF SYMBOLISM IN THESE TRUE STORIES 16:48 BECAUSE GOD CALLED THE JEWISH NATION TO BE A 16:51 WITNESS TO THE NATIONS AROUND THEM, BUT THEY SORT 16:54 OF BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH THEIR OWN COMFORT AND 16:56 THEIR OWN PRESTIGE. AND WHILE THE OTHER 16:58 NATIONS WERE LOOKING FOR GOD, THEY WERE OFTEN 17:01 SLEEPING AND IGNORING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. 17:04 BY THE WAY, THAT WOULD ALSO BE AN ANALOGY OF THE 17:06 CHURCH IN THE MODERN TIMES. 17:08 THE WORLD AROUND US IS LOST AND WE GET TOGETHER 17:11 FOR OUR SOCIAL GATHERING ONCE A WEEK. 17:13 THEY'RE PRAYING, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IN THE 17:15 WORLD IS GOING ON AND WE'RE SNORING. 17:18 WHAT DOES JESUS SAY? THE TEN VIRGINS WERE 17:20 SLEEPING BEFORE THE BRIDEGROOM CAME. 17:23 AND SO, JONAH'S FAST ASLEEP. 17:26 HE'S NOT JUST ASLEEP, HE'S FAST ASLEEP. 17:28 NOW JESUS SAID, 'NO SIGN WILL BE GIVEN BUT THE SIGN OF THE 17:31 PROPHET JONAH.' YOU HAVE TO PAUSE RIGHT THERE CONSIDERING 17:34 OUR MESSAGE THIS MORNING ABOUT JESUS ON THE SEA. 17:37 JESUS ASLEEP IN A BOAT DURING A STORM WHEN THEY 17:40 WERE AFRAID THEY WERE GOING TO PERISH. 17:43 JONAH ASLEEP IN A BOAT DURING A STORM WHEN THEY 17:45 WERE AFRAID THEY WERE GOING TO PERISH. 17:47 VERY SIMPLE CONNECTION THERE THAT WE SHOULDN'T 17:49 MISS. SO THE CAPTAIN COMES BELOW DECK. 17:52 HE'S LOOKING AROUND FOR ANYTHING ELSE THEY CAN THROW 17:54 OVERBOARD AND HE FINDS A SNORING HYPOCRITE. 17:58 HE COMES TO HIM AND HE SAYS - VERSE 6 - 18:01 "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, SLEEPER? 18:04 ARISE, CALL ON YOUR GOD; PERHAPS YOUR GOD WILL 18:08 CONSIDER US, SO THAT WE MAY NOT PERISH." 18:11 THE VERY SAME WORDS THAT WERE SPOKEN TO JESUS: 18:14 'MASTER, CAREST THOU NOT THAT WE ARE PERISHING?' 18:18 NO SIGN'LL BE GIVEN BUT THE SIGN OF JONAH - BUT 18:21 THERE'S MORE - IF YOU ORDER NOW - GET YOUR 18:23 CREDIT CARD OUT - NO. (LAUGHTER) SO THEY SAID TO 18:28 ONE ANOTHER - HE COMES UP DECK AND HE'S RUBBING HIS 18:30 EYES AND GOING, 'OH NO, I WAS AFRAID OF THIS.' HE 18:33 KNOWS RIGHT AWAY WHEN HE SEES THIS HOWLING STORM. 18:35 IT'S A SUPERNATURAL STORM THAT CAME OUT OF NOWHERE. 18:39 JONAH KNOWS IN HIS HEART THAT SMOOTH SAILING WAS 18:42 JUST - GOD WAS GIVING HIM TIME TO REPENT - HE WAITED. 18:45 "AND THEY SAID TO ONE ANOTHER, 'COME, LET US CAST 18:48 LOTS, THAT WE MAY KNOW FOR WHOSE CAUSE THIS TROUBLE HAS 18:51 COME UPON US.'" YOU SEE, THEY DID EVERYTHING PHYSICALLY 18:54 THEY COULD DO TO SAVE THEMSELVES. 18:56 THEY THREW EVERYTHING OVERBOARD, THEY BATTENED 18:58 DOWN THE HATCHES, THEY'RE DOING ALL THEY CAN AND NOW 19:00 THEY'RE JUST AT THE MERCY OF THIS RELENTLESS, HOWLING 19:02 STORM AND HE SAID, 'THIS IS A SUPERNATURAL STORM. 19:05 THE GODS ARE ANGRY WITH SOMEONE ON THIS BOAT, 19:10 TRYING TO DESTROY THIS BOAT.' YOU KNOW WHY THAT 19:13 STORM CAME TO JESUS ON THE SEA? 19:16 I BELIEVE IT WAS A SUPERNATURAL STORM. 19:17 I THINK THE DEVIL WANTED TO SEND JESUS DOWN TO THE 19:20 BOTTOM BUT HE COULDN'T DO IT BECAUSE GOD WAS 19:24 WATCHING OVER HIM. AND THE SAME TIME, THEY 19:27 KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING SUPERNATURAL. 19:30 'LET'S CAST LOTS.' THEY CAST LOTS AND THE LOT FELL ON JONAH. 19:35 NOW VERY QUICKLY, WHAT THAT WAS - IN BIBLE TIMES 19:37 THEY HAD A WAY OF LIKE DRAWING STRAWS. 19:40 THEY WOULD HAVE LIKE A JAR THAT HAD A NARROW OPENING 19:43 AND THEY WOULD PUT ALL OF THESE BLACK STONES IN THERE 19:45 AND ONE WHITE STONE, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY 19:47 PEOPLE THEY WERE CASTING LOTS WITH. 19:48 THEY'D SHAKE IT - KIND OF A LIKE A LOTTERY - THEY'D PUT 19:51 THEIR THUMB OVER IT AND THEY'D DROP OUT ONE STONE 19:54 AND WHOEVER GOT THE WHITE STONE, YOU WERE THE ONE 19:56 THAT WAS BUSTED. YOU WERE THE ONE THAT PICKED 19:59 - AND ONE BY ONE THEY'RE GOING AROUND AND PROBABLY 20:03 JONAH WAS THE LAST ONE AND OUT COMES THE WHITE STONE 20:06 AND THEY ALL LOOK AT HIM AND HE LOOKS UP AND HE KNOWS. 20:11 HE'S BEEN RUNNING FROM THE WORD OF GOD. 20:14 MATTER OF FACT, HE 'FESSES UP. 20:16 THEY SAID TO HIM, 'PLEASE, TELL US' - THEY'RE ALL 20:20 FIRING QUESTIONS AT HIM - "...FOR WHOSE CAUSE IS 20:23 THIS TROUBLE UPON US? WHAT IS YOUR OCCUPATION?" 20:26 USUALLY WHEN THE WEATHER'S NOT - WHEN THE WEATHER'S 20:27 BAD YOU DON'T TURN TO THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU AND SAY, 20:29 'WHAT DID YOU DO?' (LAUGHTER) RIGHT? BUT THIS IS NO SMALL 20:33 STORM. THIS IS LIKE A SUPERNATURAL STORM AND THE 20:37 BOAT IS CREAKING AND GROANING WITH EVERY NEW 20:38 WAVE AND THEY FIGURED AT ANY MOMENT IT'S GOING TO 20:40 BUST TO SMITHEREENS. "WHAT - WHAT IS YOUR OCCUPATION? 20:46 WHERE DO YOU COME FROM? WHAT IS YOUR COUNTRY? 20:49 WHAT ARE YOUR PEOPLE?" THEY'RE JUST FIRING 20:51 QUESTIONS OUT AND FINALLY HE SAYS, "I AM A HEBREW; 20:55 AND I FEAR THE LORD, THE GOD OF HEAVEN, WHO MADE 20:58 THE SEA AND THE DRY LAND." RIGHT? 21:02 WHEN HE SAYS HE'S THE GOD THAT MADE THE SEA. 21:03 YOU SEE, THEY HAD ALL THESE DIFFERENT GODS AND 21:05 HE WANTED TO BE CLEAR 'I WORSHIP THAT GOD WHO MADE 21:07 EVERYTHING ALL YOUR GODS ARE MADE OUT OF. 21:10 I WORSHIP THE GOD OF GODS.' "THEN THE MEN WERE 21:12 EXCEEDINGLY AFRAID," - YOU KNOW, AFTER THEY WOKE UP 21:16 JESUS AND HE CALMED THE SEA, IT SAYS THEY WERE 21:18 EXCEEDINGLY AFRAID - "THEN THE MEN WERE EXCEEDINGLY 21:21 AFRAID AND SAID, 'WHY HAVE YOU DONE THIS?' 21:23 " - THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION: WHY WOULD YOU 21:25 RUN FROM GOD? THE BIBLE SAYS EVERY GOOD 21:27 AND PERFECT GIFT IS FROM GOD. WOULD GOD EVER ASK YOU 21:30 TO DO SOMETHING THAT IS ULTIMATELY BAD? 21:34 THINK ABOUT THAT. WHY WOULD YOU NOT DO HIS 21:35 WILL THEN - IF GOD'LL NEVER ASK YOU TO 21:37 DO SOMETHING BAD? BECAUSE WE DON'T TRUST HIM? 21:41 OR WE WORSHIP OUR IDEAS MORE THAN GOD? 21:44 WHY DID HE DO THIS? HE NEVER GIVES AN ANSWER - 21:48 "FOR THE MEN KNEW THAT HE FLED FROM THE PRESENCE OF 21:51 THE LORD, BECAUSE HE HAD TOLD THEM. 21:53 THEN THEY SAID TO HIM, 'WHAT SHALL WE DO TO YOU 21:57 THAT THE SEA MAY BE CALM FOR US?' 21:59 - FOR THE SEA WAS GROWING MORE TEMPESTUOUS." 22:02 THE LONGER THEY WAITED IT LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE 22:04 RUNNING OUT OF TIME. EVERY TIME THE BOAT WENT 22:07 DOWN IN THE TROUGH OF A WAVE, MORE WATER CAME IN 22:09 AND THEY WERE PROBABLY BAILING WITH ALL THEIR 22:11 MIGHT AND STILL THE BOAT WAS GETTING LOWER AND 22:13 LOWER IN THE WATER AND IT LOOKED LIKE THE NEXT WAVE 22:16 WAS GOING TO BE THE LAST ONE. AND JONAH SAID SOMETHING 22:18 PECULIAR, "PICK ME UP" - VERSE 12 - "AND THROW ME 22:23 INTO THE SEA; THEN THE SEA WILL BE CALM FOR YOU. 22:27 FOR I KNOW THAT THIS GREAT TEMPEST IS BECAUSE OF ME." 22:31 THIS GREAT TEMPEST IS BECAUSE OF ME. 22:34 YOU KNOW WHY WE HAVE ALL THIS TROUBLE IN THE WORLD? 22:37 BECAUSE THE DEVIL HATES JESUS. 22:39 THE DEVIL WANTED JESUS' PLACE. 22:41 THERE'S A GREAT BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. 22:43 YOU AND I ARE THE PAWNS. I KNOW WE DON'T LIKE TO 22:45 THINK OF IT THAT WAY BUT THE DEVIL KNOWS THAT JESUS 22:48 LOVES US SO HE WANTS TO HURT JESUS BY HURTING US. 22:51 THIS GREAT BATTLE IS BECAUSE OF ME - THROW ME - 22:55 "NEVERTHELESS, THE MEN ROWED HARD TO 22:57 LAND, BUT THEY COULD NOT, FOR THE SEA CONTINUED TO 23:00 GROW MORE" - YOU WONDER HOW MUCH MORE TEMPESTUOUS 23:03 CAN THE SEA GET. IT KEEPS SAYING 'MORE' 23:05 'GREATER' 'MORE' 'GREATER' - IT GREW "...MORE 23:08 TEMPESTUOUS AGAINST THEM." YOU KNOW, IN THE TWO 23:10 STORIES OF JESUS ON THE SEA, ONE THEY WAKE HIM 23:13 UP, THE OTHER THEY ROW. HERE THE MEN WAKE UP JONAH 23:16 AND THEN THEY ROW - TRYING TO SAVE THEMSELVES. 23:20 THEY'RE MORE CIVILIZED THAN THE AVERAGE PAGAN 23:24 BECAUSE YOU'D THINK, 'WELL, WHY DON'T THEY JUST 23:26 THROW HIM OVERBOARD?' BUT THEY SAY, 'WE DON'T 23:28 WANT TO DO THIS, THAT'S INHUMANE.' SO THEY'RE 23:31 DOING ALL THEY CAN TO TRY TO SAVE THEMSELVES. 23:35 THEY ROWED HARD TO RETURN TO LAND, BUT THEY COULD 23:39 NOT. THEY'RE BEING WASHED 23:40 FURTHER AND FURTHER OUT TO SEA. 23:43 "THEREFORE THEY CRIED OUT TO THE LORD" - THEY KNEW 23:45 THE NEXT WAVE WAS GOING TO BE THEIR LAST AND THEY 23:46 THOUGHT, 'WELL, WHAT HAVE WE GOT TO LOSE?' 23:49 - "...THEY CRIED OUT TO THE LORD AND SAID, 'WE 23:50 PRAY, O LORD, PLEASE DO NOT LET US PERISH FOR THIS 23:55 MAN'S LIFE," - GOD SO LOVED US THAT HE GAVE HIS 24:00 SON THAT WE MIGHT NOT PERISH BECAUSE JESUS GAVE 24:03 HIS LIFE - "AND DO NOT CHARGE US WITH INNOCENT 24:06 BLOOD;" - YOU KNOW WHAT PILATE SAID AT THE TRIAL 24:10 OF CHRIST? 'I DON'T WANT TO BE GUILTY 24:12 OF THIS MAN'S INNOCENT BLOOD.' WERE THEY CASTING 24:15 LOTS AT THE CROSS? WERE THEY CASTING 24:19 LOTS FOR JONAH? JESUS SAID, 'NO SIGN'LL 24:23 BE GIVEN BUT THE SIGN OF JONAH - "FOR YOU, O LORD, 24:27 HAVE DONE AS IT PLEASED YOU." 24:29 YOU READ THE PROPHECY ABOUT JESUS IN ISAIAH 53 24:32 AND IT SAYS 'IT PLEASED THE LORD TO BRUISE HIM FOR 24:35 OUR SAKE.' 'LORD, YOU'VE DONE AS IT PLEASED YOU.' 24:39 SO WAS JONAH A WILLING SACRIFICE? 24:44 HE SAID, 'YOU MUST THROW ME OVERBOARD.' AND THEY 24:47 GOT SIX MEN OR SO AND THEY EACH GRABBED THE HANDS AND 24:49 THE FEET OF JONAH AND THEY SAID, 'ONE' AND THEY SWUNG 24:53 HIM OUT AND BACK. 'TWO' THEY SWUNG HIM A LITTLE 24:56 FURTHER. 'THREE' HURLED HIM OVER THE SIDE. 25:01 AND WHEN HE HIT THE WATER, INSTANTLY THE WAVES BEGAN 25:04 TO FLATTEN OUT AND THE WIND STOPPED LIKE IT HAD 25:07 PUT ON BRAKES AND THERE WAS A GREAT CALM. 25:11 THE SEA CEASED FROM ITS RAGING. 25:14 DID JESUS CALM THE SEA? DOES JONAH CALM THE SEA? 25:19 NO SIGN'LL BE GIVEN BUT THE SIGN OF JONAH. 25:22 THEN THE MEN FEARED THE LORD EXCEEDINGLY. 25:25 DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN JESUS CALMED THE SEA? 25:27 I ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT HERE IT SAYS IT AGAIN: 25:29 "THEN THE MEN FEARED THE LORD EXCEEDINGLY, AND 25:32 OFFERED SACRIFICE TO THE LORD AND TOOK VOWS." 25:34 WHEN JESUS CALMED THE SEA THEY SAID, 'WHAT MANNER OF 25:36 MAN IS THIS THAT EVEN THE WINDS AND THE WAVES OBEY 25:38 HIM?' THEN IT GOES ON TO SAY, "NOW THE LORD HAD PREPARED 25:44 A GREAT FISH TO SWALLOW JONAH." 25:50 I CAN SEE IT, JUST AS THOSE MEN ARE PRAYING - 25:52 THEY'RE WONDERING WHAT HAPPENS TO JONAH AND THEY 25:54 SEE THIS BIG LOOMING SHADOW COME UP FROM THE 25:56 ABYSS AND IT SWALLOWS THE PROPHET. 26:00 THEY SEE THE FLIP OF A TAIL AND IT GOES DOWN. 26:06 GOD HAD PREPARED A FISH AND JONAH WAS THREE DAYS 26:09 AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE FISH. 26:13 HAVE ANY OF YOU HEARD ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO 26:16 HARRISON OKENE IN MAY 24, 2013? A NIGERIAN COOK 26:27 20 MILES OFF THE COAST OF LAGOS, NIGERIA, WAS ON A 26:32 TUGBOAT - 12 MEN IN THE CREW - THEY WERE DOING SOME 26:36 TUGBOAT WORK FOR A BIG CHEVRON TANKER AND SOME 26:42 ROGUE WAVE, I GUESS THEY CALL IT, IT CAME ALONG IN 26:44 THE NIGHT - IT WAS ALREADY ROUGH - CAPSIZED THE BOAT 26:48 AND SANK IT IN 100 FEET OF WATER - TRUE STORY - AND 26:55 MOST OF THE MEN DIED IMMEDIATELY. 26:58 HARRISON WAS ACTUALLY ASLEEP - IT WAS ABOUT 2:00 27:00 IN THE MORNING WHEN IT HAPPENED. 27:02 HE JUST WOKE UP AND FOUND HIMSELF GETTING PITCHED 27:03 AROUND INSIDE HIS CABIN, WHICH WAS DOWN IN THE LOW 27:05 PART OF THE SHIP AND HE REALIZED THE BOAT WAS 27:08 UPSIDE DOWN AND GOING DOWN AND THE PRESSURE WAS 27:10 RISING AND THINGS WERE BUBBLING UP AND HE JUST - 27:12 THERE'S NO WAY TO SWIM DOWN AND GET OUT, SO HE 27:15 RETREATED FURTHER UP 'TILL HE CAME TO THE LAST LITTLE 27:19 POCKET OF AIR IN THIS CAPSIZED VESSEL THAT 27:21 SETTLED DOWN ON THE BOTTOM. 27:24 OF COURSE THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AND HE WAS IN THE DARK 27:26 AND HE WAS THERE FOR THREE DAYS IN AN 27:33 EVER-DIMINISHING POCKET OF OXYGEN. 27:36 JUST BEFORE THIS ALL HAPPENED - THAT DAY - HIS 27:40 WIFE, A CHRISTIAN, HAD TEXTED HIM A SCRIPTURE FOR 27:44 HIM TO CLAIM A PROMISE. SHE SAID, 'CLAIM THIS 27:46 PROMISE TODAY - PSALM 54, "REMEMBER ME O 27:50 GOD, DELIVER ME." AND HE KEPT SAYING THAT 27:53 OVER AND OVER AGAIN. 27:56 MEANWHILE, THEY SENT A SCANDINAVIAN - IT WASN'T A 27:59 RESCUE CREW, IT WAS A SALVAGE CREW TO RECOVER 28:02 THE BODIES AND THEY - GOING DOWN IN A HUNDRED 28:05 FEET OF WATER THEY HAD SPECIAL GEAR THAT WAS 28:07 TETHERED TO THE TOP AND THEY HAD CAMERAS ON SO 28:10 THEY'RE NAVIGATING THEIR WAY THROUGH AND THEY'RE 28:11 TRYING TO FIND THE BODIES AND THEY MAKE THEIR WAY UP 28:13 - THEY'LL START AT THE BOTTOM AND THEY'LL WORK THEIR WAY 28:15 OUT. THEY - HARRISON IS JUST FIGURING IT'S ALL OVER NOW 28:19 AND HE DESCRIBES IT - ALL HE HAD WAS A LITER OF COKE 28:23 THAT BOBBED UP TO THE SURFACE. 28:25 THAT'S ALL HE HAD TO DRINK FOR THREE DAYS AND THE 28:28 SALT WATER WAS BEGINNING TO BURN HIS SKIN AND HIS 28:31 TONGUE AND IN THE DARKNESS HE COULD HEAR THE FISH 28:34 BEGINNING TO WORK ON HIS SHIPMATES THAT HAD DIED. 28:37 IT WAS A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. 28:40 AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN HE'S PRAYING AND SAYS, 28:42 'LORD, TAKE CARE OF MY FAMILY.' HE FIGURED 28:44 NOTHING WAS GOING TO HAPPEN - THREE DAYS - 72 28:45 HOURS - AND THE WATER BEGAN TO TURN GREEN AND 28:49 THEN LIGHT AND HE DIDN'T KNOW IF HE WAS 28:51 HALLUCINATING AND HE SAW BUBBLES AND THEN HE SAW 28:53 SOMETHING COMING UP AND HE DIDN'T KNOW IF ONE OF THE 28:54 SCAVENGERS WAS COMING UP FOR HIM. 28:58 MEANWHILE, THE RECOVERY CREW, THEY'RE GOING 29:02 THROUGH THE REMAINS OF THE SHIP LOOKING FOR BODIES, 29:05 WHICH HAS GOT TO BE A PRETTY SPOOKY THING TO DO. 29:09 AND THEY'RE GOING AROUND AND YOU CAN HEAR THEM 29:10 BREATHING, YOU CAN HEAR THE BUBBLES AND ALL OF A 29:13 SUDDEN A HAND COMES DOWN AND GRABS ONE OF THE 29:16 DIVERS (LAUGHTER) AND YOU CAN HEAR HIM YELP 29:20 (LAUGHTER) AND THEN HE REALIZES THIS PERSON IS 29:23 STILL ALIVE IN THIS POCKET OF AIR. 29:24 HE SAYS, 'WE HAVE A SURVIVOR!' 29:27 AND IT WAS QUITE A MANEUVER TO GET OXYGEN - 29:30 FIRST THEY PUMPED OXYGEN IN SO HE'D STAY ALIVE AND 29:32 THEN THEY HAD TO DECOMPRESS HIM AND BRING 29:33 HIM UP, BUT HE SURVIVED AND HE HASN'T BEEN TO SEA 29:36 SINCE. (LAUGHTER) BUT CAN YOU 29:41 IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE FOR JONAH THREE 29:44 DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS? BY THE WAY, YOU KNOW, I 29:47 NEED TO EXPLAIN THAT. PEOPLE OFTEN WONDER ABOUT 29:49 THE THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS. 29:50 THEY SAY, 'WAIT A SECOND, WHAT DAY OF THE WEEK DID 29:52 JESUS DIE?' WHO KNOWS? WHAT DAY DID HE DIE? 29:53 >>FRIDAY. >>FRIDAY, CORRECT. 29:55 THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT GOOD FRIDAY. 29:57 AND HE ROSE WHEN? >>SUNDAY. 30:00 >>EARLY IN THE MORNING SUNDAY. 30:02 SO YOU'VE GOT FRIDAY NIGHT, SATURDAY NIGHT, AND 30:06 THIS IS SUNDAY MORNING - JESUS SAID, 'AS 30:08 JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS' - 30:11 IT'S VERY CLEAR - VERY EXPLICIT. HOW DO YOU GET THREE 30:13 NIGHTS OUT OF THAT? AND I'VE SEEN PEOPLE TRY 30:16 TO MOVE THE DAY OF THE CRUCIFIXION AND THEY - 30:18 THEY DO ALL THESE THINGS TO TRY TO ACCOMMODATE - 30:20 BY THE WAY, THIS IS ONLY FOUND - THE THREE DAYS AND 30:22 THREE NIGHTS PART - IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 12. 30:25 THEY MAKE A COMMON MISTAKE OF ASSUMING, WHEN IT SAYS 30:28 'THE HEART OF THE EARTH' THAT MEANS THE TOMB. 30:31 JESUS SAYS, 'AS JONAH WAS IN THE BELLY OF THE GREAT 30:34 FISH THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS, THE SON OF MAN 30:36 WILL BE IN THE HEART OF THE EARTH.' WHEN YOU SAY 30:38 THE LORD'S PRAYER - THY WILL BE DONE 'IN EARTH' 30:41 DOES THAT MEAN THE TOMB? SEE, JESUS HAD ALWAYS BEEN 30:45 PROTECTED BY GOD FROM THE ASSAULTS OF THE DEVIL. 30:49 WHENEVER THEY TRIED TO STONE JESUS OR THROW HIM 30:50 OFF A CLIFF, ANGELS PROTECTED HIM. 30:53 HE JUST PASSED THROUGH THEIR MIDST. 30:55 BUT AFTER THE LAST SUPPER WHEN CHRIST SAID, 'NOW IS 30:58 THE HOUR OF DARKNESS' AND HE PRAYED 'NOT MY WILL, 31:02 THY WILL BE DONE.' THAT NIGHT THE FATHER WITHDREW 31:06 HIS PROTECTION FROM JESUS AND THE MOB CAME AND THEY 31:09 BEAT HIM AND THEY TIED HIM UP AND HE BEGAN TO SUFFER. 31:11 FOR THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS JESUS WAS PAYING 31:14 THE PENALTY FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD. 31:17 SEE THE PENALTY FOR SIN IS NOT JUST DEATH, IT'S 31:19 SUFFERING AND DEATH. AND JESUS TOOK THE SUFFERING 31:23 DURING HIS TRIAL AND DURING THE BEATINGS. 31:25 THAT WAS BEFORE HE EVER GOT TO THE CROSS. 31:27 IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TOMB. 31:29 THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS JESUS WOULD BE - 31:31 THE WORD IS 'CARDIA' - 'IN THE HEART' - IT'S WHERE 31:34 YOU GET CARDIAC - OF THE EARTH. 31:35 HE WAS IN THE CLUTCHES OF THIS WORLD AND THE DEVIL 31:38 IS CALLED THE PRINCE OF THE WORLD. 31:40 THURSDAY NIGHT, FRIDAY NIGHT, SATURDAY NIGHT - 31:43 THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS HE WAS PAYING THE 31:45 PENALTY FOR OUR SIN - THE SUFFERING AND DEATH. 31:47 YOU UNDERSTAND THAT NOW? SO YOU DON'T NEED TO MOVE 31:49 THE CRUCIFIXION DAY, IT STILL WORKS WITH THE 31:52 BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING. SO THERE FROM THE BELLY 31:57 OF THE FISH JONAH PRAYS - LIKE HARRISON OKENE. 32:01 NOW THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS JONAH IS SOMETHING 32:05 OF A HERO FOR ME. AT WHAT POINT DO YOU GIVE 32:09 UP AND THINK THERE'S NO MORE HOPE? 32:12 I MEAN, IF I WAS IN THE STORM AND I KNOW THIS 32:16 STORM IS HAPPENING - THESE GUYS THROW ME OVERBOARD - 32:18 I WOULD THINK, 'OH WELL, I'M GETTING WHAT I DESERVE. 32:21 IF SOMEONE'S GOT TO GO, IT'S GOT TO BE ME. 32:22 ALL THIS TROUBLE HAPPENED TO THEM BECAUSE I'M 32:24 RUNNING FROM GOD.' JONAH REALIZED THAT HE NEARLY 32:26 KILLED EVERYONE ON THAT SHIP BECAUSE HE WAS 32:28 RUNNING FROM GOD. HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED 32:31 YOUR DECISION TO SERVE GOD OR RUN FROM GOD NOT ONLY 32:34 AFFECTS YOU, BUT IT WILL AFFECT PEOPLE AROUND YOU. 32:37 >>AMEN. >>CHRIST HAS MADE IT VERY 32:39 CLEAR THAT YOUR DECISION TO RUN FROM HIM OR TO 32:43 FOLLOW HIM WILL REACT AND REACT AGAIN IN SAVING OR 32:49 DESTROYING LIVES AROUND YOU. NO MAN IS AN ISLAND AND IF 32:54 YOU MAKE IT TO THE KINGDOM YOU WILL SEE ON THE 32:56 STREETS OF GOLD, PEOPLE THAT WERE NO DOUBT 32:58 INFLUENCED BY YOUR POSITIVE DECISION. 33:01 AND IF YOU'RE IN THE LAKE OF FIRE AND IT CREEPS UP 33:03 AROUND YOUR ANKLES, YOU WILL SEE PEOPLE THAT WERE 33:05 INFLUENCED BY YOUR DECISION. WHAT KIND OF DECISION - 33:08 WHAT KIND OF INFLUENCE ARE YOU HAVING? 33:10 JONAH REALIZED 'THEY'RE BEING LOST - THEY'RE 33:12 PERISHING - BECAUSE I'M RUNNING FROM GOD.' I WOULD 33:16 HAVE GIVEN UP AT THAT POINT, BUT JONAH NOW, HE'S 33:19 GOING ON THIS UNSCHEDULED TOUR INSIDE THIS SEA 33:24 MONSTER - YOU WANT TO KNOW WHO THE FIRST SUBMARINER 33:27 WAS IN THE WORLD, THAT WOULD BE JONAH - BUT THEY 33:31 DIDN'T GIVE HIM A PORTHOLE. 33:33 AND SO - YOU KNOW, I'VE OFTEN THOUGHT, IF JONAH 33:37 WAS ALIVE INSIDE THE FISH, WHAT IF THE FISH HAD SOME 33:41 HORS D'OEUVRES BEFORE JONAH? 33:45 YOU KNOW, HAVE A FEW JELLY FISH - YOU EVER BEEN STUNG 33:47 BY A JELLY FISH? I HAVE. IT HURTS. 33:51 HAVE A FEW SEA URCHINS AND SOME OCTOPUS TO, YOU KNOW, 33:54 GET THE LITTLE STICKERS ON YOU IN THE DARK THERE, 33:56 INSIDE THE FISH'S DIGESTIVE SYSTEM, 33:58 SURROUNDED BY ALL THAT SUSHI (LAUGHTER) IN THE 34:01 DARK - LITTLE BIOLUMINESCENT THINGS 34:03 FLASHING - 'WHAT'S THAT?' - YOU KNOW, SEA URCHINS 34:06 JABBING YOU AND - IT MUST HAVE BEEN MISERABLE. 34:10 I KNOW WE'RE JOKING ABOUT IT, BUT CAN YOU IMAGINE 34:12 HOW MISERABLE THAT WAS? IT'S DESCRIBING THE 34:14 SUFFERINGS OF JESUS. THREE DAYS AND THREE 34:17 NIGHTS BUT JONAH, EVEN IN THAT, HE PRAYED FROM THE 34:22 BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAINS. NOW IF THERE'S A PLACE YOU 34:24 CAN RUN WHERE GOD CAN'T HEAR YOUR PRAYERS, IT 34:26 WOULD NOT BE JOPPA OR TARSHISH OR TIMBUKTU. 34:30 BUT I THINK, IF YOU'RE INSIDE A WHALE, IN THE 34:32 DARK, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAINS, THAT WOULD BE 34:33 ABOUT AS FAR AWAY FROM GOD AS YOU COULD GET. 34:36 CAN YOU PICTURE, GEOGRAPHICALLY, ANY WAY TO 34:39 HIDE BETTER FROM GOD THAN TO TRY AND SNEAK OFF IN 34:43 THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM OF A FISH AT THE BOTTOM OF THE 34:45 MOUNTAINS AND SEE, 'MAYBE HE'LL FORGET ABOUT ME.'? 34:48 IF, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WONDERFUL BECAUSE IF GOD 34:50 COULD HEAR JONAH'S PRAYER FROM THERE, IS THERE HOPE 34:55 FOR YOU? >>AMEN. 34:58 >>AND YET, FROM THAT PREDICAMENT, JONAH PRAYED. 35:02 AND HE HAD TO PRAY PATIENTLY. 35:03 SOMETIMES YOUR PRAYERS AREN'T ANSWERED RIGHT 35:05 AWAY. IF I WAS IN THAT I'D SAY, 35:06 'LORD, HELP ME NOW!' (LAUGHTER) AN HOUR LATER 35:09 I'D SAY, 'HOW LONG O LORD?' AND A DAY LATER I'D SAY, 35:12 'I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN LAST MUCH LONGER.' HE 35:14 PROBABLY DIDN'T SLEEP VERY WELL. 35:18 GOD MADE HIM PAY FOR WHAT HE DID, BUT HE PRAYED AND 35:24 HE KEPT PRAYING AND HE SENT HIS PRAYER TO GOD IN 35:27 HIS TEMPLE. "I WENT DOWN" - VERSE 6, CHAPTER 2 - "TO THE 35:30 MOORINGS OF THE MOUNTAINS;" - THE PLACE 35:32 WHERE THE MOUNTAINS ARE TIED OFF - "THE EARTH WITH 35:33 ITS BARS CLOSED BEHIND ME FOREVER; YET YOU HAVE 35:37 BROUGHT UP MY LIFE FROM THE PIT, O LORD, MY GOD. 35:41 WHEN MY SOUL FAINTED WITHIN ME, I REMEMBERED 35:43 THE LORD; AND MY PRAYER WENT UP TO YOU, IN TO YOUR 35:47 HOLY TEMPLE." THROUGH CHRIST, YOU ARE 35:51 ALWAYS A PRAYER AWAY FROM THE TEMPLE OF GOD. 35:55 YOU AND I CAN COME BOLDLY BEFORE THE THRONE. 35:58 WAS JONAH IN TROUBLE BECAUSE OF WHAT SOMEONE 36:00 ELSE DID OR WHAT HE DID TO HIMSELF? 36:04 DON'T WE OFTEN GET INTO TROUBLE BY MAKING BAD 36:05 DECISIONS? >>YES. 36:08 >>AND YET, IN SPITE OF THE FACT HE CAUSED HIS OWN 36:10 MISERY - GOD COULD HAVE SAID, 'LOOK, YOU MADE YOUR 36:13 BED, SLEEP IN IT.' BUT HE PRAYED AND GOD FORGAVE 36:17 HIM. AND THE BIBLE SAYS, "SO 36:21 THE LORD SPOKE TO THE FISH, AND IT VOMITED 36:25 JONAH ONTO DRY LAND." GOD IS SO GOOD - HE COULD 36:28 HAVE BURPED HIM OUT AND MADE HIM SWIM TO SHORE. 36:31 (LAUGHTER) BUT ONCE HE FORGAVE HIM, HE BROUGHT 36:34 HIM UP SPECIAL DELIVERY. HE GAVE A GOD-INSPIRED 36:37 HEAVE AND OUT CAME JONAH. AND I HEARD ONE PASTOR SAY 36:41 THAT JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU A HYPOCRITE WILL EVEN 36:43 MAKE A SEA MONSTER SICK. (LAUGHTER) NOW JONAH'S 36:50 THINKING, 'WOW, THAT WAS SOMETHING I WILL 36:53 NEVER FORGET. THAT MADE A MEMORY. 36:55 NOW I'M GOING TO GO BACK HOME. 36:57 I NEED A LITTLE R&R AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE.' BUT 37:01 BEFORE JONAH EVEN DRIED OFF, THE WORD OF THE LORD 37:05 CAME TO JONAH THE SECOND TIME. 37:07 NOW DOES GOD MODIFY HIS MESSAGE OR IS IT IDENTICAL 37:10 TO THE WORD THE FIRST TIME? AND HE SAID, "ARISE" - YOU 37:15 KNOW, WHEN JONAH RUNS, HE GOES DOWN. 37:17 WHEN GOD'S WORD COMES IT SAYS, "ARISE, GO TO 37:19 NINEVEH, THAT GREAT CITY, AND PREACH TO IT THE 37:22 MESSAGE THAT I TELL YOU." SO DOES JONAH ARGUE NOW? 37:27 HE FIGURES, 'LOOK, I'D RATHER DIE IN NINEVEH THAN 37:29 GO BACK TO SEA.' (LAUGHTER) "SO JONAH AROSE AND WENT 37:32 TO NINEVEH, ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF THE LORD. 37:35 NOW NINEVEH WAS AN EXCEEDINGLY GREAT CITY, A 37:38 THREE-DAY JOURNEY IN EXTENT. AND JONAH BEGAN TO ENTER 37:41 THE CITY ON THE FIRST DAY'S WALK." 37:43 NOW THIS PASSAGE HERE IS A LITTLE BIT MYSTERIOUS TO 37:46 SOME OF THE WRITERS AND YOU'LL NOTICE SOME 37:48 VERSIONS SAY 'THREE-DAY'S JOURNEY IN EXTENT' OTHERS 37:51 ARE WONDERING 'THREE-DAY'S JOURNEY FROM WHERE THE 37:53 LORD CAME TO HIM AGAIN.' I, FRANKLY, BELIEVE THE LATTER. 37:57 I THINK WHEREVER JONAH WAS WHEN THE WORD OF THE LORD 37:59 CAME TO HIM, HE HAD NINEVEH THREE DAYS AWAY. 38:02 BECAUSE EVEN YOU AND I WALKING FIVE MILES AN HOUR 38:05 - THERE'S NO CITY IN THE WORLD WHERE YOU WALK THREE 38:07 DAYS AND IT'S LIKE 150 MILES ACROSS. 38:11 AND ANCIENT NINEVEH WAS BIG, BUT IT WASN'T THAT BIG. 38:14 IT WAS THREE-DAY'S JOURNEY FROM WHERE HE GOT 38:17 THE MESSAGE AND THEN HE ENTERED THE CITY A DAY'S 38:20 JOURNEY - LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY - NO SIGN'LL BE 38:22 GIVEN BUT THE SIGN OF JONAH - THREE DAY'S 38:25 JOURNEY - HE ENTERS THE CITY A DAY'S JOURNEY - 38:29 THERE WERE 24 HOURS IN A DAY, 12 HOURS A DAY, 12 38:32 HOURS A NIGHT - SO THAT'S THREE AND A HALF - YOU 38:35 STILL WITH ME? AND HE PREACHES IN 40 38:38 DAYS THE CITY WOULD BE DESTROYED. 38:41 THREE AND A HALF AND 40. HOW LONG DID JESUS MINISTER? 38:45 >>THREE AND A HALF YEARS. >>THREE AND A HALF YEARS. 38:49 DID JESUS SAY, WHEN HE WEPT OVER JERUSALEM, HE 38:53 SAID, 'THIS GENERATION WILL NOT PASS AWAY TILL 38:55 ALL' - WHAT'S A GENERATION IN THE BIBLE? 40 YEARS. 38:58 THE LORD TOLD MOSES THAT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL 39:01 WOULD WANDER 40 YEARS UNTIL THAT GENERATION WAS 39:04 CONSUMED BECAUSE THEY DID NOT BELIEVE. 39:07 JESUS PREACHED TO HIS OWN PEOPLE FOR THREE AND A 39:11 HALF YEARS - A DAY IN PROPHECY IS WHAT? 39:15 SOME OF YOU KNOW THAT - A DAY IS A YEAR - THAT THAT 39:18 GENERATION WOULD NOT PASS AWAY AND JUDGMENT WOULD 39:20 COME. WHEN WAS JERUSALEM 39:22 DESTROYED? 40 YEARS LATER IN 70 AD. 39:25 JESUS SAID THE PEOPLE OF NINEVEH WILL RISE UP 39:28 AGAINST THIS GENERATION BECAUSE THEY REPENTED AT 39:31 THE PREACHING OF JONAH AND A GREATER THAN JONAH IS 39:34 HERE AND I'M GOING TO PREACH, NOT THREE AND A 39:37 HALF DAYS, BUT THREE AND A HALF YEARS. AND IF YOU DON'T 39:39 REPENT IN 40 YEARS, JUDGMENT IS GOING TO COME. 39:43 HE SAID IT'S A SIGN TO THIS GENERATION. 39:45 YOU WANT A SIGN. HERE'S YOUR SIGN. READ THE BOOK OF JONAH. 39:47 THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO GOD'S PEOPLE IF 39:49 THEY DON'T REPENT. IT TELLS US ABOUT THE 39:52 PATIENCE OF GOD, BUT DO YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? 39:55 NOW JONAH, I GUESS HE MUST HAVE BEEN PRETTY SCARY, 40:00 BECAUSE HE WENT TO NINEVEH AND HE STARTED PREACHING. 40:02 HE WALKED UP AND DOWN THE STREETS, '40 DAYS AND 40:06 NINEVEH WILL BE DESTROYED.' AND INSTEAD OF 40:09 THEM KILLING THEM - HE PROBABLY HAD THAT WILD 40:12 LOOK IN HIS EYES AS THE GUY THAT HAD JUST BEEN 40:14 THROUGH A FISH (LAUGHTER) PROBABLY HAD A LITTLE 40:18 OCTOPUS TENTACLE STICKING OUT OF HIS COAT AND, YOU 40:21 KNOW, LOOKS LIKE HE'S BEEN BLEACHED AND - YOU'VE BEEN 40:26 THROUGH AN EXPERIENCE LIKE THAT AND YOU LOOK 40:27 DIFFERENT. (LAUGHTER) AND, YOU KNOW, 40:32 GOD'S PROPHETS ALREADY, YOU KNOW, THEY WORE CAMEL 40:33 SKIN AND LEATHER BELTS AND WERE A LITTLE WILD AND 40:35 HERE JONAH NOW HAS JUST GONE THROUGH THAT. 40:37 HE SAYS, '40 DAYS.' AND HE GOES UP AND HE CAMPS ON 40:40 THE HILL. NEXT DAY, '39 DAYS.' '38 DAYS.' 40:46 THE PEOPLE IN NINEVEH ARE BEGINNING TO 40:48 GET CONVICTED, 'YOU KNOW, WE ARE PRETTY WICKED. 40:50 IF I WAS GOD, I'D DESTROY ME TOO.' AND PRETTY SOON 40:53 IT REACHES THE KING THAT THERE'S THIS JEWISH 40:55 PROPHET PRONOUNCING JUDGMENT. 40:58 '25 DAYS.' '24' - AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE 41:01 UNNERVING AS HE DID HIS COUNTDOWN EVERY DAY GOING 41:03 UP AND DOWN THE STREETS SAYING, 'JUDGMENT IS 41:05 COMING BECAUSE OF YOUR SINS.' 41:07 THE KING PRONOUNCES A PROCLAMATION AND 41:11 MAN AND BEAST REPENT. THEY PUT SACKCLOTH 41:14 ON MAN AND BEAST. THEY DON'T EAT. 41:16 THEY DON'T DRINK AND THERE IS THE GREATEST REVIVAL 41:20 AND TURNING TO GOD THAT IS SEEN ANYWHERE IN THE BIBLE 41:23 - FROM THE MOST RELUCTANT EVANGELIST IN THE BIBLE. 41:27 AND YOU WONDER IF GOD CAN USE YOU. 41:30 JONAH DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO PREACH. 41:33 IT'S THE SHORTEST SERMON - '40 DAYS AND NINEVEH WILL 41:36 BE DESTROYED.' PRETTY SHORT SERMON. 41:40 BUT WHEN YOU'VE GOT THE SPIRIT OF GOD AND IF THE 41:42 LORD TELLS YOU TO GO, HE WILL PREPARE THE HEARTS 41:44 AHEAD OF TIME. THE WHOLE CITY TURNS 41:47 FROM THEIR SIN. THE WHOLE CITY REPENTS. 41:49 AND THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THE 41:51 CITY. AND THEN JONAH GOES UP ON 41:54 THE HILL - I'M SUMMARIZING THE STORY FOR YOU - HE 41:57 GOES UP ON THE HILL AND WHEN HE GETS COUNTING DOWN 42:01 AFTER HIS LAST MESSAGE - HE'S MADE A LITTLE BOOTH 42:04 UP ON THE HILL AND HE'S WATCHING. 42:06 HE WANTS TO SEE FIRE COME DOWN ON NINEVEH LIKE 42:08 IT DID ON SODOM AND GOMORRAH. 42:10 HE SAID, 'ALRIGHT LORD, I'VE WARNED THEM. 42:13 I WENT THROUGH A LOT. NOW HERE COMES JUDGMENT. 42:18 AND AFTER THE 40TH DAY, NOTHING HAPPENS. 42:22 HE WAITS ANOTHER DAY. NOTHING HAPPENS. 42:25 NOW JONAH'S FEELING LIKE, 'NOW I REALLY LOOK LIKE A 42:27 HYPOCRITE.' INSTEAD OF REJOICING THAT GOD HAS 42:31 SHOWN THEM MERCY BECAUSE THEY REPENTED - DOESN'T 42:33 THAT TELL US THAT GOD IS MORE WILLING TO SAVE? 42:36 GOD'S NOT JUST WANTING TO JUDGE PEOPLE, HE'S WANTING 42:38 TO SAVE PEOPLE. YOU KNOW THE AMAZING THING 42:41 ABOUT THE STORY OF JONAH? EVERYBODY IN THE STORY OF 42:43 JONAH IS LISTENING TO GOD EXCEPT JONAH. (LAUGHTER) 42:47 THE STORM LISTENS TO GOD, THE 42:50 FISH LISTENS TO GOD, THE SAILORS LISTEN TO GOD, THE 42:54 CAPTAIN LISTENS TO GOD, IT SAYS EVEN THE PEOPLE OF 42:58 NINEVEH - THEY LISTENED TO GOD. 43:00 AND THERE'S THIS GREAT REVIVAL - THERE'S THIS 43:02 GREAT REPENTANCE AND THE ONE WHO'S THE MOST 43:04 DIFFICULT IN THE WHOLE STORY IS JONAH. 43:09 THE BOOK OF JONAH TALKS ABOUT METEOROLOGY, 43:12 ENTOMOLOGY, ZOOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY - IT JUST COVERS 43:18 JUST THE WHOLE SPECTRUM. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THE MOST 43:20 IMPORTANT MESSAGE IS IN THE BOOK OF JONAH? 43:23 IS THAT GOD HAS A CALLING FOR EACH ONE OF US. 43:26 >>AMEN. >>GOD CALLED JONAH WITH A 43:28 WORK TO DO TO SAVE OTHERS AND SOMETIMES HUMAN NATURE 43:33 - WE'RE RELUCTANT TO DO WHAT GOD IS 43:34 CALLING US TO DO. AND WHEN JONAH RAN FROM 43:37 THE WILL OF GOD, IT WENT VERY BADLY AND IT NOT ONLY 43:43 WENT BADLY FOR HIM, IT WENT BADLY FOR 43:44 THOSE AROUND HIM. AND WHEN JONAH SURRENDERED 43:48 TO THE WORD OF GOD AND WENT TO DO WHAT GOD TOLD 43:50 HIM TO DO, PEOPLE THAT WERE DOOMED WERE SAVED. 43:55 ONCE JONAH SURRENDERED TO THE LORD IN THAT BOAT AND 43:59 HE SAID, 'I'M THE CAUSE. THROW ME OVERBOARD', THE 44:01 SAILORS FOUND PEACE. WHEN JONAH SURRENDERED 44:04 AND HE WENT TO NINEVEH, A WHOLE CITY FOUND PEACE. 44:08 AND GOD HAD TO REASON WITH JONAH. 44:10 IN THE END OF THE BOOK HE SAID, "SHOULD I NOT PITY 44:13 NINEVEH, THAT GREAT CITY, IN WHICH ARE MORE THAN ONE 44:16 HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND PERSONS WHO 44:18 CANNOT DISCERN BETWEEN THEIR RIGHT HAND AND THEIR 44:21 LEFT?" JONAH WAS WORRIED BECAUSE 44:23 HIS GOURD PLANT DIED THAT WAS GIVING HIM SHADE. 44:27 HE DIDN'T CARE. SOMETIMES WE'RE MORE 44:29 CONCERNED WITH OUR DAILY INCONVENIENCES THAN WITH 44:31 THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND US THAT ARE LOST. 44:35 NOW YOU KNOW WHY I SAVED THIS MESSAGE FOR LAST? 44:38 WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE STORIES - HEROES OF 44:41 FAITH - THAT DEAL WITH SALVATION. 44:43 WE MADE SEVERAL APPEALS FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO 44:46 JESUS THAT YOU MIGHT BE SAVED. 44:48 BUT WHY DOES THE LORD WANT TO SAVE US? 44:51 WHY DID HE SAVE JONAH? HE SAVED HIM AND THEN 44:54 SAID, 'I'VE GOT A MISSION FOR YOU. 44:56 GO AND TELL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PERISHING THAT 44:59 THEY MIGHT BE SAVED. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING 45:03 IN LIFE IS THAT YOU COME TO GOD - JESUS CALLS IT 45:07 THE GREAT INVITATION. 45:08 COME UNTO ME ALL YOU WHO ARE WEARY AND HEAVY LADEN - 45:11 HE INVITES US TO COME TO HIM. BUT HE DOESN'T STOP THERE. 45:14 THE LAST THING THE LORD SAYS IN MATTHEW 28 IS 'GO 45:17 YE THEREFORE AND TEACH ALL NATIONS.' ALL OF LIFE IS 45:21 INVOLVED IN THOSE TWO GREAT ENDEAVORS. 45:24 IT'S LIKE YOUR HEART IS CONSTANTLY TAKING IN AND 45:28 IT'S GIVING OUT. AND THAT'S HOW LIFE IS. 45:31 WE RECEIVE FROM GOD AND THEN WE GIVE FOR GOD. 45:34 THE GREAT COMMISSION IS SUMMED UP IN OUR COMING TO 45:36 JESUS - THIS IS THE VERTICAL RELATIONSHIP - 45:39 AND THEN WE GO FOR JESUS. I ALWAYS FEEL A LITTLE 45:42 LIKE THE POPE WHEN I DO THAT. WE COME TO JESUS AND WE 45:44 GO FOR JESUS (LAUGHS). BUT IT IS - IT'S THE 45:46 VERTICAL RELATIONSHIP AND THEN IT'S THE HORIZONTAL 45:48 RELATIONSHIP WHICH DOES FORM A CROSS. THE CROSS IS TALKING 45:53 ABOUT LOVE FOR GOD - WHAT'S THE GREAT COMMANDMENT? 45:56 LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART. 45:58 AND WHAT'S THE SECOND ONE? LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR. 46:00 AND SO, AS WE TALK NIGHT AFTER NIGHT ABOUT OUR 46:02 COMING TO GOD, DON'T STOP THERE BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T 46:06 USE YOUR CHRISTIANITY, YOU LOSE YOUR CHRISTIANITY. 46:10 WHEN GOD GIVES YOU SOMETHING TO DO TO TELL 46:11 OTHERS, DON'T BE AFRAID. JONAH WAS AFRAID. 46:14 LAST THING IN THE WORLD HE EXPECTED WAS THE BIGGEST 46:16 REVIVAL IN THE BIBLE. I MEAN, NOAH SAVED 46:19 EIGHT PEOPLE. JONAH SAVED A WHOLE CITY. 46:25 AND IF GOD COULD USE JONAH, AS RELUCTANT - AND, 46:29 YOU KNOW, HE PROBABLY WROTE THE BOOK SO HE 46:31 ADMITTED THAT 'I WAS A RELUCTANT PROPHET.' HE 46:36 UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS WRONG. IF HE COULD USE 46:38 JONAH, CAN HE USE US? >>AMEN. 46:41 >>IF HE COULD ANSWER JONAH'S PRAYER, CAN HE 46:43 ANSWER OUR PRAYERS? SOME OF US, LIKE JONAH, 46:46 HAVE RUN FROM GOD AND WE'RE - WE MIGHT BE INSIDE 46:49 THE WHALE RIGHT NOW GOING THROUGH SOME HARD TIMES 46:52 - GOING THROUGH SOME STRUGGLES. 46:54 AND MAYBE WE NEED TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE EXPERIENCES 46:56 LIKE JONAH, WHERE WE REACH THE BOTTOM. 46:59 TALK ABOUT REACHING THE BOTTOM - AND WE SAY, 47:02 'LORD' AND WE SURRENDER TO HIM. 47:06 JONAH MADE A COMPLETE SURRENDER. 47:08 HE WAS WILLING TO DO WHATEVER GOD WANTED HIM TO 47:10 DO AND WHEN HE DID THAT, GOD THEN WAS ABLE TO TURN 47:13 EVERYTHING AROUND AND GOD WAS ABLE TO USE HIM. 47:16 HE HAS A PLAN FOR EACH ONE OF YOU. 47:18 YOU KNOW, WE ARE SO THANKFUL THAT YOU'VE BEEN 47:21 TUNING INTO THIS PROGRAM AND LEARNING ABOUT THESE 47:24 HEROES OF FAITH, BUT I ALWAYS FEEL A LITTLE MIXED 47:28 SADNESS AT THE END OF A SERIES LIKE THIS BECAUSE I 47:31 JUST - I FEAR THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO THINK, 'OKAY, 47:34 IT'S OVER. NOW WHAT DO I DO?' 47:38 FRIENDS, I'D LIKE YOU TO THINK OF THIS AS JUST A 47:40 NEW BEGINNING. >>AMEN. 47:41 >>THE BIBLE IS FULL OF TRUTH THAT GOD WANTS TO 47:43 REVEAL TO YOU, BUT YOU WON'T FIND IT UNLESS YOU 47:46 SEARCH FOR IT. BUT HE PROMISES, IF YOU 47:48 SEEK, YOU WILL FIND. THE LORD HAS A PLAN FOR 47:52 EVERYONE'S LIFE AND I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT GOD'S 47:55 PLAN INVOLVES USING YOU TO TOUCH THE LIVES OF OTHERS. 48:00 IF YOU'RE WILLING TO DO HIS WILL, HE HAS A WORK 48:03 FOR YOU TO DO. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN LIFE. 48:07 IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR STATION, IT DOESN'T 48:08 MATTER WHAT YOUR EDUCATION IS. 48:10 IT'S INTERESTING THAT GOD COULD USE JONAH - JONAH, 48:13 YOU COULD SAY, WAS A FISHERMAN. 48:15 HE CAUGHT THE BIGGEST FISH IN THE BIBLE. 48:16 (LAUGHTER) AND JESUS USED FISHERMEN TOO, DIDN'T HE? 48:21 AND HE WANTS TO TEACH ALL OF US. 48:22 HE SAYS, 'FOLLOW ME AND I WILL MAKE YOU A FISHER OF 48:25 MEN.' YOU MAY NOT BE ONE YET AND SAY, 'I DON'T KNOW 48:27 HOW I COULD EVER BE USED, LORD, TO REACH OTHER 48:30 PEOPLE.' THAT'S WHAT I ONCE THOUGHT. 48:32 WHO WOULD HAVE THUNK (LAUGHTER) THAT GOD COULD 48:35 USE ME? BUT HE SAYS, 'FOLLOW ME 48:38 AND I WILL MAKE YOU A FISHER OF MEN.' AND HE 48:42 WILL USE YOU TO SAY - CAN YOU THINK OF ANYTHING THAT 48:45 WILL BE OF MORE VALUE THAN GETTING TO THE KINGDOM? 48:48 I MEAN, SOMETIMES I'LL TALK TO PASTORS AND I'LL 48:54 TELL THEM, 'I'M THANKFUL FOR DOCTORS BUT EVERYBODY 48:56 A DOCTOR EVER TREATS WILL SOMEDAY GET OLD AND DIE. 49:00 I'M THANKFUL FOR BUILDERS. I LIKE HOUSES THAT 49:02 ARE BUILT WELL. I'M THANKFUL FOR 49:05 MECHANICS, BUT EVERY HOUSE AND EVERY CAR - EVERYTHING 49:10 IS GOING TO BURN UP IN THIS WORLD. THE ONLY THING THAT IS 49:14 GOING TO LAST FOREVER IN THIS LIFE ARE SOULS THAT 49:18 ARE TRANSFORMED BY THE POWER OF GOD. 49:21 WHAT YOU DO FOR GOD, IN YOUR LIFE, TO SERVE HIM IN 49:24 THIS LIFE IS THE ONLY THING THAT IS REALLY GOING 49:26 TO MATTER AT THE END. >>AMEN. 49:29 >>AND THE LORD HAS A WORK FOR EACH ONE OF US TO DO, 49:32 BUT WE'VE GOT TO COME TO HIM AND SURRENDER AND SAY, 49:34 'LORD, I'M WILLING TO DO YOUR WILL.' I'D LIKE TO 49:37 MAKE A SPECIAL APPEAL AT THE CONCLUSION OF THIS SERIES. 49:40 GOD HAS A BIG PLAN FOR EACH ONE OF YOU, BUT IT 49:44 ALL BEGINS BY COMING TO JESUS. 49:47 THE BIBLE SAYS, 'WHOSOEVER WILL COME UNTO ME, HE WILL 49:51 RECEIVE.' YOU COME JUST LIKE YOU ARE AND THEN HE 49:55 GIVES YOU HIS SPIRIT. AND IT MAY NOT ALL HAPPEN 49:58 IN ONE DAY, BUT HE'LL GIVE YOU A WORK TO DO. 50:01 HE WANTS TO USE YOU TO REACH OTHERS AND THERE IS 50:03 NOTHING MORE VALUABLE THAN THAT. AND WHEN YOU GET TO 50:05 THE KINGDOM, WHAT A JOY IT WILL BE FOREVER AND EVER 50:10 TO SEE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE BECAUSE YOU DECIDED 50:13 TO SURRENDER YOUR LIFE TO THE LORD. 50:16 YOU KNOW, WE WANT YOU TO KEEP STUDYING AND, IF YOU 50:20 DON'T MIND MY SAYING SO, IF YOU GO TO THE AMAZING 50:22 FACTS WEBSITE, THERE ARE MORE BIBLE STUDIES THERE 50:26 WE'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE. 50:27 NOT ONLY DO WE WANT YOU TO DO THE BIBLE STUDIES, 50:30 WE'RE HOPING THAT YOU'LL SHARE THE BIBLE STUDIES 50:32 WITH OTHER PEOPLE - THAT YOU'LL CONTINUE TO STUDY. 50:35 KEEP WATCHING 3ABN - YOU'RE GOING TO SEE OTHER 50:37 INSPIRING PROGRAMS. BUT YOU NEED TO 50:40 STAY INVOLVED. SPIRITUAL HEALTH IS LIKE A 50:44 MUSCLE - IF YOU DON'T USE IT, IT GETS WEAK. 50:47 IT'LL ATROPHY. USE YOUR FAITH EVERY DAY. 50:50 THERE ARE THREE SECRETS TO STRENGTH AS A CHRISTIAN. 50:54 ONE IS PHYSICALLY, YOU'VE GOT TO BREATHE - YOU NEED 50:58 TO PRAY. YOU NEED TO EAT - YOU 51:00 NEED THE BREAD OF LIFE. YOU NEED TO EXERCISE - YOU 51:04 NEED TO USE YOUR FAITH AND SHARE IT. 51:06 THESE ARE THREE BASIC PRINCIPLES. 51:09 IT'S LIKE IN THE SANCTUARY, IF YOU KNOW THAT. 51:10 IN THE HOLY PLACE THEY HAD THE LIGHT - YOU'VE GOT TO 51:14 LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE. THEY HAD THE BREAD - THAT 51:17 REPRESENTS THE BREAD OF LIFE - THE WORD OF GOD. 51:20 AND THERE WAS THE ALTAR OF INCENSE - THAT'S PRAYER. 51:22 THOSE ARE THE THREE SECRET WEAPONS IF YOU WANT TO 51:24 HAVE A VITAL CHRISTIAN LIFE. AND SO, WHEN THIS SPECIAL 51:27 SERIES - THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PRAYING FOR EVERYBODY. 51:30 WE'LL SPEND TIME - I'VE ONLY SKIMMED THE SURFACE. 51:33 THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER HEROES OF FAITH AND 51:35 THERE'S SO MUCH MORE IN EACH ONE OF THESE STORIES, 51:37 FRIENDS, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO DECIDE 'I WANT TO SEEK GOD 51:40 FIRST.' (SOFT PIANO MUSIC) OFTEN WHEN I SIGN A BOOK, 51:44 SOMETIMES I'LL PUT A SCRIPTURE IN THERE - IT'S 51:46 JEREMIAH 29:13 AND IT SAYS, 'YOU WILL SEARCH FOR 51:50 ME AND YOU WILL FIND ME WHEN YOU SEARCH FOR ME 51:54 WITH ALL YOUR HEART.' CAN YOU THINK OF ANYTHING THAT 51:57 WOULD BE WORTH MORE THAN SEARCHING FOR GOD? 52:01 FIRST QUESTION IN THE BIBLE, GOD SAYS, 'WHERE 52:04 ARE YOU?' FIRST QUESTION IN THE 52:06 NEW TESTAMENT MAN SAYS, 'WHERE IS HE?' 52:10 WE HAVE BEEN SEPARATED FROM GOD BECAUSE OF OUR 52:12 SINS AND GOD SENT HIS SON INTO THE WORLD - JESUS IS, 52:16 OF COURSE, THE ULTIMATE HERO OF FAITH. 52:19 GOD SENT HIS SON INTO THE WORLD. 52:20 HE IS DESPERATE TO SAVE YOU. 52:22 WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE SAVED? 52:24 >>AMEN. >>HE SAYS YOU COME TO 52:25 HIM, HE WON'T REFUSE YOU. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF 52:27 YOU'RE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAINS. 52:29 COULD WE PRAY TOGETHER, FRIENDS, AND ASK HIM ONCE 52:31 AGAIN? FATHER IN HEAVEN, LORD, 52:35 WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THE SIMPLE STORY OF JONAH. 52:37 HOW, IF WE COME TO YOU JUST AS WE ARE, YOU'LL 52:39 ACCEPT US AND FORGIVE US. AND THAT YOU CAN SAVE US 52:42 FROM THOSE LOW POINTS AND BRING US INTO HEAVENLY 52:46 PLACES AND USE US TO REACH OTHERS. 52:48 THIS IS OUR PRAYER THAT YOU'LL DO FOR EACH ONE OF 52:50 US, LORD, AND WE ASK IT IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 52:54 (MUSIC) 52:55 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? 52:57 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'. 53:07 AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY VIDEO AND AUDIO PRESENTATIONS AS WELL 53:12 AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A 53:17 WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 53:25 (MUSIC) >>AMAZING FACTS CHANGED LIVES. 53:37 >>I'D HAVE TO SAY THAT I HAD A WONDERFUL CHILDHOOD. 53:39 GROWING UP, I WENT TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL UP UNTIL THE SEVENTH 53:43 GRADE - UNTIL JUNIOR HIGH. I BELIEVE IT WAS AT THAT POINT, 53:46 IN JUNIOR HIGH, THAT MY LIFE BEGAN TO CHANGE. 53:51 GOING FROM A CHRISTIAN EDUCATION INTO A PUBLIC SCHOOL WAS A BIG 53:54 DIFFERENCE. THERE WAS A LOT OF SECULAR 53:57 INFLUENCE - PEER PRESSURE - AND, FOR ME, IT WAS THE MUSIC. 54:03 I STARTED LISTENING TO HEAVY METAL MUSIC. 54:05 EVERY CONCERT THAT WOULD COME TO TOWN I WAS THERE. 54:08 IT HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON ME. I STARTED USING MARIJUANA, 54:13 PROBABLY AT THE AGE OF 14. I STARTED DRINKING - USING A LOT OF 54:18 COCAINE AND THAT LED TO METHAMPHETAMINE AND THAT 54:21 COMPLETELY CHANGED MY LIFE. I DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL MY 54:25 SOPHOMORE YEAR AND WENT TO WORK. I WOULD GET OFF OF WORK 54:30 AND WE'D GO TO A BAR UNTIL 2:00 IN THE MORNING AND I'D GET BACK 54:33 UP AT 5:00 AND GO BACK AT IT AGAIN - SIX, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. 54:41 AT THE AGE OF 20, I LOST MY DAD TO A HEART ATTACK. 54:46 I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THE LOSS SO I TRIED TO MASK MY PAIN 54:50 WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUGS. I GOT THREE DUIS IN ONE YEAR. 54:55 I WAS ARRESTED. THEY GAVE ME A YEAR IN THE 54:58 COUNTY JAIL AND THE MOMENT I GOT OUT I WENT BACK TO DOING THE 55:02 SAME THING, HANGING WITH THE SAME PEOPLE - THE SAME CROWD. 55:06 I WAS INVOLVED IN A HIT-AND-RUN MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT AND I WAS 55:09 CHARGED WITH A FELONY DUI. EVEN THOUGH AT THE TIME OF THE 55:12 ACCIDENT I WAS NOT UNDER THE INFLUENCE, I STILL HAD 55:14 METHAMPHETAMINE IN MY SYSTEM. AT MY SENTENCING DATE I LEFT 55:20 THE COURTROOM AND I DIDN'T COME BACK. 55:22 AND THAT LEFT ME WITH A FELONY WARRANT. 55:25 AND I HAD FALLEN ASLEEP AT A PARK AND I WOKE UP TO A PARK 55:30 RANGER KNOCKING ON MY WINDOW. I KNEW THAT I WAS WANTED AND I 55:34 KNEW THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO JUST TURN MYSELF IN. 55:38 I TURNED TO HIM AND I MADE THE COMMENT, 'NOT TODAY.' AND I TOOK 55:41 OFF. I LED FIVE DIFFERENT AGENCIES ON 55:45 ABOUT A 35-MINUTE CHASE AND I REALIZED AT ONE POINT THAT I 55:49 WASN'T GOING TO GET AWAY AND THIS WAS GOING TO END UP EITHER 55:52 ME KILLING SOMEBODY OR MYSELF. AND SO I MADE A 55:56 DECISION TO PULL OVER. AT THAT POINT, EVERYTHING 56:00 THAT I HAD, I LOST. I WAS SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN 56:03 STATE PRISON AND IT WAS THERE THAT GOD GOT AHOLD OF ME. 56:11 AND IT WAS THROUGH AMAZING FACTS MINISTRIES. 56:14 I REMEMBER LISTENING ON MY RADIO TO PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR. 56:18 I WANTED TO GET TO KNOW THE BIBLE. 56:19 I WANTED TO KNOW GOD. AND SO MY AUNT MARILYN SENT ME 56:25 THE AMAZING FACTS STUDY GUIDES AND IT WAS THERE THAT MY 56:30 RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST BEGAN. I HAD CALLED HOME AND I KNEW MY 56:37 MOTHER WASN'T DOING WELL, BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT 56:41 SHE HAD CANCER. SHE HAD ABOUT A 30-PERCENT 56:47 CHANCE OF MAKING IT THROUGH HER SURGERY. 56:50 SHE HAD TOLD THE DOCTORS THAT SHE WAS NOT GOING TO HAVE CHEMO 56:52 AND SHE WAS NOT GOING TO HAVE RADIATION. 56:54 THAT, IF HER GOD WAS GOING TO SAVE HER, THEN HE WOULD 56:56 SAVE HER. I REMEMBER HANGING UP THE PHONE 57:00 TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY LAST CONVERSATION WITH MY MOM. 57:06 I TURNED AROUND, I GOT DOWN ON MY KNEES, AND I PRAYED TO GOD. 57:11 I SAID, 'GOD, IF YOU'RE THERE, PLEASE SAVE MY MOTHER. 57:15 WHEREVER YOU LEAD ME IN LIFE, WHATEVER YOU WANT ME TO DO, I AM 57:19 YOURS.' AND I HAD A FEELING OF SUCH PEACE, THAT I KNEW THAT MY 57:25 MOTHER WAS GOING TO BE OKAY AND THAT MY LIFE WAS GOING TO 57:29 CHANGE. THERE ARE NO WORDS THAT I CAN 57:32 ADEQUATELY EXPRESS TO AMAZING FACTS AND PASTOR DOUG - TO SAY, 57:36 'THANK YOU' TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THE MINISTRY. 57:39 I AM A PRODUCT OF YOUR SUPPORT. MY LIFE IS CHANGED BECAUSE OF 57:44 THIS MINISTRY AND I THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. |
Revised 2016-06-28