Participants: Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021622A
|
00:01 >>I LOVE THE QUOTE: "THE GREATEST WANT OF THE WORLD IS
00:03 THE WANT OF MEN ... MEN WHO WILL STAND FOR THE RIGHT THOUGH THE 00:07 HEAVENS FALL." YET STUDIES ARE SHOWING, FOR 00:10 SEVERAL YEARS NOW, THE SECULAR MEDIA AND CULTURE HAVE SOUGHT 00:14 TO PORTRAY MEN AS THE FAMILY IDIOTS. 00:16 SADLY, RESPECT FOR THE ROLE OF FATHERS AND HUSBANDS HAS REACHED 00:21 AN ALL-TIME LOW. SO NOW, AS THE DISPIRITED MEN 00:25 ABANDON THEIR ROLES OF GODLY LEADERSHIP, IT'S NOT SURPRISING 00:28 THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING A MORAL FREE-FALL IN OUR COUNTRY. 00:32 THAT'S WHY, STARTING SEPTEMBER 30TH I'LL BE PRESENTING A NEW 00:35 PROGRAM CALLED MIGHTY MEN OF GOD . 00:38 USING BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES, THIS ENCOURAGING FOUR-PART SERIES 00:41 WILL ADDRESS HOW TO BE A LOVING FATHER, FAITHFUL HUSBAND, AND 00:45 ALL-AROUND MAN OF GOD IN THE FAMILY, CHURCH, AND NATION. 00:49 PLEASE PLAN NOW TO JOIN ME FOR THIS LIVE EVENT AND LEARN FROM 00:52 THE WORD HOW TO LIVE COURAGEOUSLY FOR THE KING. 01:01 (MUSIC) 01:15 >>YOU EVER THOUGHT YOU MIGHT WANT YOUR IMAGE CHISELED 01:19 ON MOUNT RUSHMORE? YOU KNOW, IN THE BACK - 01:22 I'VE ONLY SEEN IT ONCE. I WAS IN SOUTH DAKOTA AND IN THE 01:27 BACK YOU'VE GOT THE FAINTEST OF THE THREE IMAGES. 01:32 YOU'VE GOT THE FOREGROUND, YOU KNOW, WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN AND 01:35 - WHO'S THE OTHER ONE, JEFFERSON? I FORGET. 01:39 I JUST KNOW THAT IN THE BACK YOU'VE GOT TEDDY ROOSEVELT. 01:43 AND IT COSTS SOMETHING TO GET YOUR FACE CHISELED UP THERE. 01:52 HAVE YOU EVER BEEN BLINDSIDED BY GRIEF? 01:57 OR DISASTER? OR LOSS YOU DIDN'T EXPECT? 02:02 AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU HAVE SOME TERRIBLE PHONE CALL OR 02:05 AN ACCIDENT AND YOUR WHOLE LIFE CHANGED. 02:09 AND I JUST REMEMBER, ONE TIME, READING IN HISTORY THAT TEDDY 02:11 ROOSEVELT HAD ONE OF THOSE DAYS WHERE HIS WIFE WAS LIVING WITH 02:16 HIS MOTHER AND SHE WAS EXPECTING. 02:17 HE, YOU KNOW, HAD BEEN GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK AT ONE POINT, HE WAS 02:20 AWAY ON BUSINESS, HE HAD HEARD THAT HIS WIFE WASN'T WELL AND HE 02:25 CAME HOME AND HIS WIFE DIED GIVING BIRTH. HE DEARLY LOVED 02:31 HIS WIFE - AND HIS MOTHER HAD A HEART ATTACK THE SAME DAY. 02:39 AND NOW HE'S GOT THIS LITTLE BABY GIRL, NO WIFE, HIS MOTHER'S 02:42 GONE, AND HE WROTE IN HIS DIARY, 'TODAY MY LIGHT HAS GONE OUT.' 02:48 AND HE JUST FELT LIKE HIS LIFE WAS OVER. 02:53 HE PUT HIS LITTLE GIRL IN THE CARE OF HIS SISTER. 02:55 HE TOOK OFF AND WENT TO THE DAKOTAS. 02:57 HE JUST WENT OFF THE MAP, SO TO SPEAK, OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF 03:01 NOWHERE - DECIDED TO BECOME A COWBOY. 03:05 BUT, YOU KNOW, HE LEARNED SOME THINGS IN THAT FROZEN COUNTRY 03:08 AND THAT ROUGH LIFE AND GOD WAS PREPARING HIM FOR A VERY BIG JOB 03:12 IN LEADING THE COUNTRY. BUT IT WAS ALL SORT OF FORGED 03:15 OUT OF A GREAT PERSONAL LOSS THAT NOBODY WOULD WANT. 03:21 HE ALSO LOST SEVERAL OF HIS SONS IN WORLD WAR I AND OTHER 03:26 TRAGEDIES. AND, YOU KNOW, HISTORY TALKS 03:31 ABOUT PEOPLE THAT THE LORD PREPARES THROUGH GREAT TRIALS. 03:36 AND JOB, WHO WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST MEN - A BOOK DEDICATED 03:39 TO HIM - IS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. WE STARTED LAST WEEK WITH PRETTY 03:44 MUCH AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF JOB. 03:46 I'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO BACK THERE AGAIN NOW, AND WE'LL 03:50 DO A LITTLE BIT OF REVIEW, BOTH FOR JUST CATCHING UP TO SPEED 03:53 AND SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE NOT HAVE BEEN HERE. 03:56 OF THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE, IF THE BIBLE IS THE MILK OF THE 04:00 WORD, THEN JOB IS THE CREAM. THERE IS SOMETHING 04:04 EXTRAORDINARY, SUBLIME, MAJESTIC ABOUT THIS BOOK BECAUSE IT 04:09 REALLY COVERS THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 04:12 IT TALKS ABOUT THE CONTEST THAT IS GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES, 04:16 WHERE THERE'S A BATTLE THAT IS BEING RAGED FOR EVERY SOUL AND 04:19 JOB DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN HEAVEN WHERE GOD AND THE 04:23 DEVIL ARE FIGHTING OVER HIM. IT TALKS ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL 04:28 MAN FROM THE LAND OF UZ THERE IN THE AREA THAT WAS EAST OF 04:33 MIDIAN IN THE WILDERNESS. IT WAS MORE BEAUTIFUL BACK THEN. 04:36 BLAMELESS AND UPRIGHT MAN - SEVEN SONS, THREE DAUGHTERS, 04:40 GREAT POSSESSIONS - AND THEN, TAKE IT UP WITH VERSE 4 - AND I 04:46 WANTED TO EMPHASIZE THIS - WE'RE GOING BACK TO THIS BECAUSE IT 04:48 COMES UP IN CHAPTER - IN THE NEXT SECTION, AS WELL. 04:52 IT SAYS, "AND HIS SONS WOULD GO AND FEAST IN THEIR HOUSES, EACH 04:55 ON HIS APPOINTED DAY," - NOW WE DON'T KNOW IF THAT APPOINTED DAY 04:58 MEANT THEIR BIRTHDAY - OR IT COULD MEAN WHENEVER THERE WAS A 05:01 NEW MOON - ONCE A MONTH THE FAMILY WOULD HAVE A GET TOGETHER 05:04 - AND THIS WAS COMMON IN THE EAST - "AND WOULD SEND AND 05:08 INVITE THEIR THREE SISTERS TO EAT AND DRINK WITH THEM. 05:11 SO IT WAS, WHEN THE DAYS OF FEASTING HAD RUN THEIR COURSE," 05:16 - IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THEY SET ASIDE TWO OR THREE DAYS - "THAT 05:20 JOB WOULD SEND AND SANCTIFY THEM," - HE WOULD SEND FOR THEM 05:23 - NOW, THEY'RE GROWN. THEY'VE GOT THEIR OWN HOMES - 05:25 AND HE'D SEND AND HE'D SANCTIFY - HE'D BRING THEM. 05:28 HE'D SAY, 'LET'S PRAY. AND LET'S RE-CONSECRATE 05:31 OURSELVES.' IT'S THE SAME WORD THAT USED WHEN THE CHILDREN OF 05:33 ISRAEL WERE ABOUT TO HAVE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS GIVEN. 05:37 THEY WERE CONSECRATED TO GOD - PREPARED TO MEET THE LORD. 05:42 JOB WANTED TO MAKE SURE HIS CHILDREN WERE PREPARED TO MEET 05:45 THE LORD. "IT MAY BE THAT MY SONS HAVE 05:48 SINNED AND CURSED GOD" - AND THE WORD THERE 'CURSED' DOESN'T MEAN 05:51 THEY SHOOK THEIR FIST AND SAID DIRTY WORDS, IT MEANS THAT THEY 05:55 MAY HAVE DISMISSED GOD IN THEIR HEARTS OR FORGOTTEN ABOUT 05:58 GOD OR DESPISED GOD. "THUS JOB DID REGULARLY." 06:03 SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE DISCOVER ABOUT JOB IS, EVEN THOUGH HE'S A 06:06 WEALTHY MAN AND HE HAS MANY SERVANTS AND HE'S A GODLY MAN, 06:11 HE IS A PRAYING MAN. NOW, IN OUR FAMILY WORSHIP LAST 06:17 NIGHT, WE ARE READING A BOOK THAT WAS TALKING ABOUT PRAYER 06:19 AND, BOY, I WAS SO CONVICTED I WANTED TO GET ON MY KNEES 06:22 BEFORE I WAS EVEN DONE WITH OUR CHAPTER. 06:24 IT JUST TALKS ABOUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PRAYING CHURCH, THEN 06:28 YOU'VE GOT A CHURCH THAT'S JUST GOING THROUGH THE FORMS. 06:31 AND IF A PASTOR'S NOT PRAYING - THE PASTOR WHO WROTE THE BOOK 06:34 SAID, 'IF YOU DON'T SPEND TWO HOURS A DAY IN PRAYER, YOU'RE 06:36 WASTING YOUR TIME. I THOUGHT, 'WELL, I'M IN TROUBLE.' 06:39 HE TALKS ABOUT SPENDING ENTIRE NIGHTS IN PRAYER 06:43 AND HOW THIS IS WHERE THE POWER IS - IT'S IN THE 06:45 RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD. JOB WAS A PRAYING MAN. 06:48 I BELIEVE THE REASON YOU'VE GOT A BOOK IN THE BIBLE NAMED JOB IS 06:51 BECAUSE OF THE SECTION WHERE IT SAYS HE PRAYED. 06:55 THE REASON THERE'S A BOOK IN THE BIBLE CALLED DANIEL IS BECAUSE 06:57 IT TALKS ABOUT MORNING, EVENING, AND AT NOON DANIEL HAD A HABIT 07:02 OF PRAYING. IT WASN'T JUST THE EXTERNAL 07:08 PRACTICE OF RELIGION, IT WAS AN INTERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD - 07:12 A SEEKING AFTER AND A PLEADING TO KNOW THE LORD. 07:15 AND, YOU KNOW, IF GOD BLESSES THIS CHURCH IN EVERY WAY WITH 07:19 GOOD PROGRAMS, GOOD FACILITIES, NICE PEOPLE - AND WE'RE NOT A 07:24 PEOPLE THAT IS A PRAYING PEOPLE - THAT WE'RE NOT COMMUNICATING 07:28 WITH GOD, THEN WE'VE MISSED IT ALL. 07:31 THAT'S ALL THE TRAPPINGS OF RELIGION IF WE DON'T HAVE A 07:34 SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD. 07:36 NOW WHAT WAS THE - WHAT WAS THE MAIN THING THAT JOB WAS PRAYING 07:38 ABOUT? WAS HE PRAYING FOR HIMSELF OR 07:41 WAS HE PRAYING FOR OTHERS? WHEN YOU BEGIN PRAYING FOR 07:45 OTHERS, WHERE DOES THAT START? IF A MAN DOESN'T CARE FOR HIS 07:49 OWN HOUSEHOLD, THEN HE'S WORSE THAN AN INFIDEL. 07:52 IT STARTS WITH PRAYING FOR YOUR FAMILY AND HE'S PRAYING FOR HIS 07:56 CHILDREN AND HE'S PRAYING FOR THEIR SALVATION. 08:00 AND HE DOES THIS REGULARLY - AND I CAN SEE IT - IT SAYS HE WOULD 08:03 SEND FOR THEM. THEY'D ALL COME. HE'D SAY, 'LET'S CONSECRATE 08:05 OURSELVES.' 'OKAY, DAD.' AND HE'D PRAY FOR THEM. 08:08 HE REALIZED LIFE IS SHORT. IT'S UNCERTAIN. 08:12 AND THEN IT TALKS ABOUT THIS FIRST HEAVENLY MEETING WE READ 08:15 ABOUT, WHEN THE SONS OF GOD CAME BEFORE THE LORD. 08:18 INTERESTING, YOU'VE GOT THE SONS AND THE DAUGHTERS OF JOB AND 08:21 THEN YOU'VE GOT THE SONS OF GOD. 08:23 YOU'VE GOT THE MEETINGS AMONG THE CHILDREN OF JOB AND THEN A 08:26 MEETING AMONG GOD'S CHILDREN. YOU'VE GOT A MEETING ON EARTH 08:30 AND THEN YOU'VE GOT A MEETING IN HEAVEN. 08:32 AT - INTO BOTH THESE MEETINGS, SATAN INSERTS HIMSELF AND HE 08:38 BEGINS TO CHALLENGE GOD. YOU SEE, SATAN IS COMING TO THIS 08:41 HEAVENLY MEETING WHERE THE SONS OF GOD ARE GATHERED. 08:43 THESE ARE, OSTENSIBLY, THE REPRESENTATIVES OF OTHER 08:46 UNFALLEN WORLDS - HOLY WORLDS - AND, NORMALLY, ADAM WOULD HAVE 08:52 COME, BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS ADAM WAS A SON OF GOD. 08:55 BUT, INSTEAD OF ADAM, THE BIBLE SAYS, IN ROMANS CHAPTER 6, 08:58 'WHOEVER YOU OBEY, THAT'S WHOSE SERVANT YOU ARE.' AND THE DEVIL 09:01 SAID, 'THE WORLD OBEYS ME. I AM ITS KING. 09:04 I AM ITS REPRESENTATIVE.' AND HE SHOWS UP AT THIS MEETING AND YOU 09:08 CAN JUST HEAR THE MURMURS AMONG THE OTHER SONS OF GOD - 'OH, 09:11 LOOK WHO'S HERE. HE'S CAUSED SO MUCH TROUBLE, WE 09:14 WISH HE DIDN'T COME.' THE LORD SAYS, 'WHERE'D YOU COME FROM?' 09:18 NOW, IS GOD ASKING QUESTIONS BECAUSE GOD DOESN'T KNOW? 09:22 YOU KNOW, GOD ASKED ADAM, 'WHERE ARE YOU?' 09:24 DID GOD KNOW WHERE ADAM WAS? AND WHEN GOD SAID TO LUCIFER, 09:27 'WHERE'D YOU COME FROM?' DIDN'T GOD KNOW 09:28 WHERE LUCIFER WAS? WHERE CAN YOU RUN 09:31 FROM HIS PRESENCE? GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING. 09:33 GOD'S ASKING FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE OTHER INTELLIGENT BEINGS 09:36 THAT ARE NOT OMNISCIENT. THEY DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING. 09:39 AND HE SAYS, 'I'M COMING AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE EARTH. 09:41 THAT'S MY DOMAIN.' GOD SAID, 'OH, IS IT REALLY YOUR DOMAIN? 09:46 IT'S NOT ALL YOUR DOMAIN, BECAUSE I'VE GOT A PIECE OF MY 09:49 KINGDOM IN THAT WORLD. IT'S IN THE HEART OF A PERSON 09:51 NAMED JOB.' JESUS SAID THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN 09:55 IS AT HAND. DOES THE LORD HAVE SOME 09:57 TERRITORY IN THIS WORLD BECAUSE HE'S GOT YOUR HEART? 10:00 DOES HE HAVE SOME ACREAGE IN YOU IN THIS WORLD? 10:04 AND THAT BOTHERED THE DEVIL SO MUCH THAT HE DIDN'T REALLY HAVE 10:07 COMPLETE DOMINION OF THE WORLD, BECAUSE THERE WAS JOB, A THORN 10:10 IN HIS SIDE, WHICH WAS FAIR ENOUGH BECAUSE THE DEVIL IS A 10:12 THORN IN EVERYONE ELSE'S SIDE. AND SO, THERE'S THIS CHALLENGE. 10:19 AND IF YOU READ ABOUT IT, YOU CAN GO HERE IN VERSE 8, "THEN 10:24 THE LORD SAID TO SATAN, 'HAVE YOU CONSIDERED MY SERVANT JOB," 10:28 - HE'S NOT YOUR SERVANT - "THAT THERE IS NONE LIKE HIM ON THE 10:31 EARTH," - IT'S TOO BAD THERE WEREN'T MORE - "ONE WHO FEARS 10:34 GOD AND [ESCHEWS OR HATES OR] SHUNS EVIL?' 10:38 SO SATAN ANSWERED THE LORD AND SAID, 'DOES JOB FEAR GOD FOR 10:41 NOTHING?'" - HE'S DOING IT BECAUSE HE'S A RICE CHRISTIAN. 10:46 IT'S BECAUSE OF WHAT HE'S GOING TO GET. 10:47 IT'S BECAUSE OF THE LOAVES AND THE FISHES. 10:49 IT'S BECAUSE YOU'VE BLESSED HIM ON EVERY SIDE. 10:52 NOW WE'RE GOING TO BRING OUT SOME POINTS HERE AS WE PROCEED. 10:56 NOT ONLY DID JOB PRAY OVER HIS FAMILY, THE BIBLE SAYS THAT GOD 10:58 HAD PUT A HEDGE ABOUT JOB. NOW, HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD LIKE 11:04 TO BE HEDGED IN BY THE LORD? >>AMEN. 11:08 >>WHERE - WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT A HEDGE? 11:10 WHAT IS THIS HEDGE OF GOD? 11:12 MATTHEW 21:33, "HEAR ANOTHER PARABLE:" - JESUS SAID - "THERE 11:15 WAS A CERTAIN LANDOWNER WHO PLANTED A VINEYARD AND SET A 11:19 HEDGE AROUND IT, DUG A WINEPRESS IN IT AND BUILT A TOWER." 11:24 BACK IN BIBLE TIMES THEY DID NOT HAVE BARBED WIRE AND IF YOU HAD 11:28 FARMS AND IF YOU HAD, YOU KNOW, PRODUCE AND THINGS YOU WANTED TO 11:33 PROTECT, THEY WOULD PLANT A LIVING FENCE AROUND THESE 11:37 THINGS. SOMETIMES IT WOULD EVEN HAVE 11:39 BRAMBLES AND THORNS IN IT THAT WOULD KEEP THE CRITTERS OUT 11:43 AND IT CREATED A BOUNDARY - IT CREATED A BARRIER. 11:47 AND SO, THE OXEN, THE DONKEYS AND THE CAMELS AND THE GOATS AND 11:50 EVERYTHING, THEY COULDN'T GET THROUGH IT. 11:52 AND SO, IT PROTECTED EVERYTHING THAT WAS INSIDE THE HEDGE. 11:58 AND GOD HAS SET - THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT THE LORD STATIONING 12:04 HIS ANGELS AROUND US. THE ANGEL OF THE LORD DOES WHAT? 12:07 ENCAMPS ROUNDABOUT - THAT'S THE HEDGE - THOSE THAT SERVE HIM. 12:13 AND SO, SATAN WAS RIGHT. GOD HAD HEDGED IN JOB. 12:16 HE'D BLESSED HIM. HE PROTECTED HIM. 12:18 I READ YOU LAST WEEK, IN DEUTERONOMY 28, THE PROMISED 12:21 BLESSINGS THAT GOD WOULD GIVE TO THOSE THAT SERVE HIM. 12:25 HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER THE STORY OF JOSEPH? 12:28 EVEN THOUGH JOSEPH WENT THROUGH TERRIBLE TRIALS, WAS HE BLESSED 12:32 IN SPITE OF THOSE TRIALS? GENESIS 39, VERSE 2, "THE LORD 12:37 WAS WITH JOSEPH," - WHY, HE'D JUST BEEN SOLD BY HIS BROTHERS. 12:40 BUT THE LORD'S STILL WITH HIM - "AND HE WAS A SUCCESSFUL MAN;" - 12:44 'SUCCESSFUL? HE'S A SERVANT.' 12:46 CAN YOU BE BLESSED AND STILL BE POOR? 12:49 CAN YOU BE BLESSED BY GOD AND STILL HAVE A LOWLY STATION? 12:53 - "AND HE WAS IN THE HOUSE OF HIS MASTER THE EGYPTIAN. 12:56 AND HIS MASTER SAW THAT THE LORD WAS WITH HIM AND THAT THE LORD 12:59 MADE ALL HE DID TO PROSPER IN HIS HAND. 13:02 SO JOSEPH FOUND FAVOR IN HIS SIGHT, AND SERVED HIM. 13:07 THEN HE MADE HIM THE OVERSEER OF HIS HOUSE AND ALL THAT HE HAD, 13:12 HE PUT UNDER HIS AUTHORITY. 13:13 SO IT WAS, FROM THE TIME THAT HE MADE HIM OVERSEER OF HIS HOUSE 13:17 AND ALL THAT HE HAD, THAT THE LORD BLESSED THE EGYPTIAN'S 13:19 HOUSE FOR JOSEPH'S SAKE; AND THE BLESSING OF THE LORD WAS ON ALL 13:23 THAT HE HAD IN THE HOUSE AND IN THE FIELD." 13:27 HE PUT A HEDGE ABOUT IT. WHY? BECAUSE JOSEPH WAS THERE. 13:31 NOW, WHO DOES JOSEPH REPRESENT? 13:32 >>JESUS. >>JESUS. 13:34 IF JESUS IS IN OUR HOUSE THEN THE LORD WILL BLESS US. 13:39 AND I DO BELIEVE THAT GOD BLESSES. 13:41 THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU WILL NOT HAVE PROBLEMS. 13:44 I LIKE THAT PSALM OF DAVID - DAVID WAS BLESSED BY GOD BUT DID 13:47 HE HAVE TROUBLE? HE SAYS, "YOU HAVE HEDGED ME 13:52 BEHIND AND BEFORE AND LAID YOUR HAND UPON ME" - 13:55 PSALM 139, VERSE 5. SOMETIMES I READ THE VERSE AND 13:58 THEN I GIVE THE REFERENCE, SORRY. 14:00 THAT'S CALLED DYSLEXIA. I GET EVERYTHING 14:02 KIND OF BACKWARDS. I'M SERIOUS. 14:05 ISAIAH 5:5, "AND NOW, PLEASE LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I WILL DO TO MY 14:09 VINEYARD:" - THIS IS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. 14:11 GOD HAD BLESSED THEM ON EVERY SIDE, BUT WHEN THEY TURNED FROM 14:16 THE LORD, DO YOU NOTICE WHAT HAPPENED? 14:17 HE REMOVED THE HEDGE. THEIR ENEMIES CAME IN. 14:21 DIDN'T THAT HAPPEN TO ISRAEL? - AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I'LL DO 14:24 TO MY VINEYARD - "I WILL TAKE AWAY ITS HEDGE, AND IT SHALL BE 14:27 BURNED; AND BREAK DOWN ITS WALL, AND IT SHALL BE TRAMPLED DOWN." 14:32 NOW, YOU PRAY SOMETIMES, I SUPPOSE, THAT GOD'LL PUT A HEDGE 14:36 OF PROTECTION AROUND YOUR FAMILY AND JOB HAD THAT. 14:43 THE DEVIL'S SAYING - HE'S CHALLENGING GOD. 14:45 YOU CAN JUST HEAR THE GASPS AMONG THE SONS OF GOD IN HEAVEN 14:49 WHEN HE SAID - HE SNEERED, 'THE ONLY REASON HE SERVES YOU IS 14:52 BECAUSE OF WHAT'S IN IT FOR HIM. ALL HE'S THINKING ABOUT 14:55 - HE DOESN'T LOVE YOU. HE DOESN'T WANT TO WORSHIP YOU. 14:57 HE JUST KNOWS THIS IS WHAT HE HAS TO DO BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING 15:00 TO BLESS HIM IF YOU DO ALL THIS. HE WORSHIPS YOU BECAUSE 15:05 HE'S THINKING OF HIMSELF.' NOW, HONESTLY, WHEN WE GO OUT 15:11 AND SHARE THE GOSPEL, AND WE TALK ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF BEING 15:14 A CHRISTIAN - FOLLOW JESUS AND YOU DON'T GO TO HELL, 15:18 YOU DO GO TO HEAVEN. AND SO IF A PERSON SAYS, 'THAT 15:21 SOUNDS GOOD TO ME.' WHO ARE THEY THINKING ABOUT? 15:24 'I DON'T WANT TO GO TO HELL. I DO WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN. 15:29 I'M THINKING ABOUT ME.' NOW THAT MIGHT BE A SUITABLE STARTING 15:33 POINT FOR ANYBODY, AND THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT THESE THINGS BECAUSE 15:36 WE ALL ARE NATURALLY INCLINED TO WORRY ABOUT SELF-PRESERVATION, 15:40 BUT YOU'VE NOT MATURED AS A CHRISTIAN IF YOU'RE THINKING 15:43 ONLY ABOUT 'WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?' 15:45 AND THE DEVIL'S SAYING, 'HE'S ONLY DOING IT BECAUSE YOU'VE 15:48 BLESSED HIM. TAKE AWAY THE BLESSINGS, HE'LL 15:50 CURSE YOU LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.' SO YOU UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGE 15:53 THAT THE DEVIL IS MAKING TO GOD? AND SO, GOD SAYS, 'OKAY.' - 16:00 ISN'T IT AMAZING TO YOU THAT GOD WOULD ANSWER THE DEVIL'S PRAYER? 16:06 HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE STORY WHERE THE DEMONIAC - THIS MAN IS 16:09 FILLED WITH A LEGION OF DEMONS AND HE'S GOING TO CAST THE 16:12 DEVILS OUT AND THE DEVILS SAID, 'DON'T CAST US INTO THE 16:14 NOTHINGNESS, PLEASE' - THE DEVILS PRAY - 'CAST US INTO THE 16:17 PIGS.' AND JESUS ANSWERS THE DEVILS' PRAYER AND CAST THEM 16:21 INTO THE PIGS. I MEAN, HERE YOU'VE GOT SATAN 16:24 MAKING AN APPEAL TO GOD IN HEAVEN. 16:27 GOD ANSWERS SATAN'S PRAYER. DEVILS PRAY MORE THAN WE DO. 16:31 AND IF GOD ANSWERS THEIR PRAYERS, WHY DON'T WE PRAY MORE? 16:35 AMEN? HE SAID, 'OKAY.' "AND THE LORD 16:39 SAID TO SATAN," - I'M IN VERSE 12 - HE SAID - THE DEVIL SAID IN 16:43 VERSE 11, "...STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND AND TOUCH ALL THAT HE HAS," 16:46 - NOT HIM, WHAT HE HAS - "AND HE WILL SURELY CURSE 16:50 YOU TO YOUR FACE!" HE'S ISSUED THE CHALLENGE. 16:55 HE'S CAST DOWN THE GAUNTLET - "AND THE LORD SAID TO SATAN, 16:58 'BEHOLD, ALL THAT HE HAS IS IN YOUR POWER; ONLY'" - SATAN CAN'T 17:04 GO BEYOND THE WORD OF THE LORD - "'DO NOT LAY A HAND ON HIS 17:07 PERSON.' SO SATAN WENT OUT FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD." 17:12 HE WAS CAST OUT OF HEAVEN EARLIER. 17:15 YOU KNOW, I PROBABLY OUGHT TO TALK ABOUT THAT BEFORE I GO TOO 17:17 FAR. IT SEEMS LIKE SATAN IS ABLE TO 17:20 FREELY ACCESS THESE HEAVENLY MEETINGS. CAN HE STILL DO THAT? 17:25 NO, JESUS SAYS, IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE, 'I SAW SATAN FALL FROM 17:28 HEAVEN LIKE LIGHTNING.' AND WHEN CHRIST DIED ON THE CROSS, HE 17:33 REDEEMED OUR WORLD. NOW, THE BATTLE'S NOT OVER, 17:36 OBVIOUSLY, BUT SATAN NO LONGER HAS ACCESS TO REPRESENT THIS 17:40 WORLD BECAUSE CHRIST HAS PAID THE PRICE. 17:42 HE SUCCESSFULLY DIED FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD. 17:45 HE'S RECLAIMED IT. AND THE DEVIL HAS COME DOWN 17:47 HAVING GREAT WRATH BECAUSE HE KNOWS HE HAS A SHORT TIME. 17:50 AND SO, IT TALKS ABOUT - TALKS HERE ABOUT WHAT THE DEVIL DOES 17:58 NEXT WHEN HE GOES OUT FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD. 18:01 IT JUST - YOU KNOW WHAT A BLITZKRIEG IS? 18:04 I THINK, IN GERMAN, IT MEANS SOMETHING LIKE 'RAPID WAR'. 18:08 WE'VE GOT SOME GERMANS HERE THAT COULD PROBABLY - IT MEANS A 18:11 QUICK WAR OR RAPID WAR - BUT THE WHOLE IDEA OF WHAT HITLER DID 18:16 AND THE NAZIS DURING WORLD WAR II IS THEY JUST WENT 18:19 'BANG! BANG!' AND BEFORE THESE COUNTRIES COULD 18:21 FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON, THEY WERE OVERWHELMED 18:23 AND CONQUERED. AND THEY JUST CAME 18:26 POURING INTO POLAND. THEY CAME POURING INTO THESE 18:28 - CZECHOSLOVAKIA AND THESE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND 18:30 THEY WERE JUST OVERWHELMED. IT'S CALLED A BLITZKRIEG. 18:33 AND THE DEVIL, HE THINKS, 'I'M GOING TO JUST USE SHOCK AND AWE 18:38 AND I AM GOING TO JUST HIT HIM ALL AT ONCE.' YOU KNOW WHAT'S 18:42 THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN A BATTLE? 18:45 SURPRISE. JUST A - ABSOLUTELY OVERWHELMING SURPRISE. 18:51 AFTER YOU GIVE HIM A RIGHT, DON'T LET HIM RECOVER AND GIVE 18:53 HIM A LEFT, GIVE HIM A RIGHT THEN A LEFT THEN A RIGHT THEN A 18:54 LEFT UNTIL HE'S OUT. AND - YOU EVER HEARD SOMEONE 19:00 SAY, 'THESE PROBLEMS COME IN THREES'? 19:03 WELL, FOR JOB THEY CAME IN FOURS. BUT - SO IT TELLS US THE 19:08 DEVIL GOES OUT FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD. 19:11 AND LISTEN, YOU CAN READ IN VERSE 13, "NOW THERE WAS A DAY 19:18 WHEN HIS SONS AND DAUGHTERS WERE EATING AND DRINKING WINE IN 19:23 THEIR OLDEST BROTHER'S HOUSE; AND A MESSENGER CAME TO JOB AND 19:28 SAID, - THIS MESSENGER COMES - HE'S COVERED WITH DIRT. 19:30 HE'S HUFFING AND PUFFING. HE'S COVERED WITH SWEAT. 19:32 HIS CLOTHES ARE TORN. AND HE SAYS, "'THE OXEN WERE 19:35 PLOWING'" - NOW IT SAYS HE HAD 500 OXEN. 19:39 THAT'S A LOT OF OXEN BECAUSE - NO, NO, IT DOESN'T SAY THAT. 19:41 IT SAYS HE HAD 500 YOKE - HOW MANY OXEN IN A YOKE? 19:45 >>TWO. >>TWO. 19:46 SO IF YOU'VE GOT 500 YOKE, HOW MANY OXEN DOES HE HAVE? 19:49 A THOUSAND - YOU EVER SEE A THOUSAND - YOU KNOW HOW MUCH 19:51 LAND A PERSON MUST HAVE TO HAVE A THOUSAND OXEN PLOWING? 19:55 DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY SERVANTS YOU NEED TO HAVE TO MANAGE 19:57 THOSE? BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T JUST SET 19:59 THEM ON CRUISE CONTROL, THEY HAD TO HAVE SOMEONE LOOKING AT THE 20:03 SOUTH END OF THOSE OXEN AS THEY WERE GOING NORTH. 20:06 AND THERE WAS AT LEAST ONE PERSON PLOWING. 20:10 AND, BY THE WAY, DON'T FORGET IT SAYS HE HAD MANY SERVANTS. 20:12 JOB HAD MANY - VERY MANY SERVANTS. 20:15 SO HE COMES AND HE SAYS, "'THE OXEN WERE PLOWING AND THE 20:19 DONKEYS'" - 500 DONKEYS - WERE "'FEEDING BESIDE THEM, WHEN THE 20:23 SABEANS RAIDED THEM'" - NOW, YEARS LATER YOU HEARD ABOUT A 20:29 QUEEN OF THAT AREA; SHE WAS CALLED SHEBA. 20:31 SABEANS WERE THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN SHEBA. SHEBA WAS A SON 20:35 OF JOCHTHAN - YOU READ ABOUT IT IN, I THINK IT'S GENESIS CHAPTER 20:38 10 - AND MANY OF THESE ARE RELATED TO AND DESCENDANTS OF 20:42 ABRAHAM. AND THEY'D GROWN INTO NATIONS AT THIS POINT AND THEY 20:46 THOUGHT, 'THIS MAN JOB, HE'S THE GREATEST MAN OF THE EAST. HE'S 20:48 GOT TOO MUCH STUFF AND HE'S DWELLING AT EASE AND PEACE. 20:51 HE DOESN'T HAVE AN ARMY. LET'S JUST TAKE IT.' - "'THE SABEANS 20:55 AND TOOK THEM AWAY - INDEED THEY HAVE KILLED THE SERVANTS'" - 21:00 THOSE VERY MANY SERVANTS - "'WITH THE EDGE OF THE SWORD; 21:03 AND I'" - IF YOU'VE GOT 500 YOKE OF OXEN, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE ONE 21:07 SERVANT WITH EACH YOKE - 500 SERVANTS - 21:12 "AND I ALONE HAVE ESCAPED TO TELL YOU!'" 21:16 YOU REMEMBER WHEN - THE BIBLE TELLS US WHEN KING SAUL WAS 21:19 SLAIN, SOMEONE CAME TO TELL THE NEWS OF THE WAR TO DAVID - ONE 21:24 PERSON - AND WHEN ELI - WHEN THE ARK WAS STOLEN, AND ELI'S SONS 21:28 WERE KILLED, SOMEONE ESCAPED AND CAME FROM THE BATTLE WITH DIRT 21:31 ON THEIR HEAD AND THEY TOLD ELI THE BAD NEWS. 21:35 WELL, THAT'S NOT IT - "WHILE HE WAS STILL SPEAKING," - VERSE 16 21:39 - "ANOTHER ALSO CAME AND SAID, 'THE FIRE OF GOD FELL FROM 21:44 HEAVEN AND BURNED UP THE SHEEP AND THE SERVANTS, AND CONSUMED 21:48 THEM; AND I ALONE HAVE ESCAPED TO TELL YOU!'" 21:51 NOW, THEY'VE GOT ANOTHER PART OF HIS VAST COUNTRY THAT'S 21:55 PROBABLY GOT SOME GRASS THAT WAS DRY. 21:57 WHEN IT SAYS - HE'S GOT THOUSANDS OF SHEEP. 22:01 I DON'T THINK THAT MEANS THAT GOD OR EVEN THE DEVIL WAS UP 22:04 THERE WITH ONE LIGHTNING BOLT PER SHEEP. 22:07 YOU KNOW, JUST 'WAA! BAA! BAA!' AND IT JUST - AND THEY'RE 22:10 BURNING THEM ALL UP. I THINK LIGHTNING HIT THE GRASS 22:13 AND IT CAUSED SOME PRAIRIE FIRES AND IT BURNT UP - THEY COULDN'T 22:17 ESCAPE AND IT KILLED THEM AND YOU CAN STILL SEE THIS HAPPEN 22:21 IN AFRICA, WHERE THEY HAVE LIGHTNING STRIKES AND THE 22:23 PRAIRIE FIRES TRAP THE ANIMALS AND IT KILLS THEM. 22:27 THEY CAN DIE FROM THE SMOKE AND THEN, ULTIMATELY, THE FIRE. 22:31 SO IT'S A TERRIBLE CALAMITY. IT MUST HAVE BEEN BAD WEATHER 22:34 THAT DAY BECAUSE IT'S NOT OVER YET. 22:37 FIRE OF GOD - WAIT A SECOND, WAS IT THE FIRE OF GOD? 22:43 I DON'T KNOW IF THEY STILL HAVE IT, BECAUSE I HAVEN'T READ THE 22:45 FINE PRINT LATELY, BUT YOU EVER SEE THOSE INSURANCE POLICIES 22:48 WHERE IT SAYS, 'AND IF YOUR HOUSE IS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING AND 22:51 BURNED UP, THIS IS AN ACT OF GOD.' ANY OF YOU REMEMBER WHEN 22:55 THEY USED TO CALL THAT 'AN ACT OF GOD'? 22:58 NOW, WITH ALL THE POLITICAL CORRECTNESS, I DON'T EVEN KNOW 23:00 IF YOU CAN PUT GOD IN YOUR INSURANCE POLICY. 23:04 BUT THEY NEVER DID SAY 'AN ACT OF LUCIFER'. 23:08 BUT, BIBLICALLY, WHAT HAPPENED TO JOB, IT WASN'T AN ACT OF GOD, 23:12 IT WAS AN ACT OF THE DEVIL. 23:14 I HEARD A FASCINATING STORY - SUPPOSED TO BE A TRUE STORY - 23:20 YEARS AGO, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO WATCH THESE EVANGELISTS, THAT 23:23 THERE WAS A SMALL TOWN IN THE MIDWEST WHERE A SALOON OPENED IN 23:29 THE TOWN AND THE CHURCH MEMBERS WERE SO OUTRAGED THAT LIQUOR 23:35 SALES HAD COME TO THEIR COUNTY, THAT THEY HAD AN ALL-NIGHT 23:38 PRAYER MEETING THAT GOD WOULD DO SOMETHING TO DESTROY THIS 23:43 SALOON. AND A THUNDER STORM CAME THROUGH 23:47 AND LIGHTNING STRUCK THE SALOON AND BURNED IT DOWN. 23:52 WELL, THE SALOON KEEPER HEARD ABOUT WHAT THE CHURCH HAD BEEN 23:56 PRAYING FOR AND HE TOOK THEM TO COURT TO SUE THEM FOR DESTROYING 24:01 HIS SALOON. WELL, THE CHRISTIANS AT THE 24:05 CHURCH SAID, 'WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE. 24:07 WE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.' AND THE JUDGE FINALLY SAID, 24:10 'I'VE NEVER SEEN A CASE LIKE THIS BEFORE, WHERE THE 24:13 SALOONKEEPER BELIEVES IN GOD AND THE CHURCH MEMBERS DON'T.' 24:16 (LAUGHTER) AN ACT OF GOD - DIVINE DESTRUCTION. 24:28 YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE SAYS THERE IS A TIME, IN ECCLESIASTES 3:6, 24:31 TO GAIN AND A TIME TO LOSE. WHILE THAT SERVANT IS STILL 24:34 SPEAKING, YOU READ VERSE 17, "...ANOTHER ALSO CAME AND SAID, 24:39 'THE CHALDEANS'" - NOW YOU KNOW WHO THEY ARE. 24:41 THEY LATER GREW INTO A GREAT NATION CALLED THE BABYLONIANS. 24:45 THEY LATER DESTROYED JERUSALEM. 24:48 "THE CHALDEANS FORMED THREE BANDS, RAIDED THE CAMELS AND 24:51 TOOK THEM AWAY," - THAT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, TODAY, YOU HAVE AN 18 24:55 WHEELER - IF YOU'VE GOT A TRUCKING INDUSTRY - JOB HAD THAT 24:59 TRUCKING INDUSTRY, HE HAD A FARMING BUSINESS, HE HAD SHEEP 25:02 AND WOOL CLOTHING BUSINESS, AND NOW THEY TAKE AWAY HIS TRUCKS - 25:07 THE CAMELS. THEY "RAIDED THE CAMELS AND TOOK 25:10 THEM AWAY, YES, AND KILLED THE SERVANTS WITH THE EDGE OF THE 25:12 SWORD; AND I ALONE HAVE ESCAPED TO TELL YOU!'" 25:15 THE DEVIL COULD HAVE KILLED THEM ALL, BUT HE NEEDED SOMEONE 25:17 TO BRING BAD NEWS. YOU KNOW, WHEN THE DEVIL HAS HIS 25:20 WAY, HE'LL ALWAYS SAVE SOMEONE THAT'LL BRING YOU THE BAD NEWS. 25:24 WHAT IS THE GOSPEL? GOOD NEWS. 25:26 THE DEVIL PRESERVES PEOPLE THAT CARRY BAD NEWS. 25:30 "AND I ALONE HAVE ESCAPED TO TELL YOU." 25:34 THE DEVIL TOOK AWAY ALL OF HIS MATERIAL POSSESSIONS SO FAR AND 25:42 DID THIS DESTROY JOB? WILL YOU LOVE HIM IN 25:47 PROSPERITY AND ADVERSITY? PROVERBS 11:4 SAYS "RICHES DO 25:53 NOT PROSPER IN THE DAY OF WRATH, BUT RIGHTEOUSNESS 25:56 DELIVERS FROM DEATH." AND SO JOB STILL WAS NOT SHAKEN. 26:02 BUT THE HARDEST THING WAS THE LAST OF THE FOUR. 26:05 YOU KNOW, I THINK THE REASON FOUR THINGS HAPPENED - FOUR IN 26:08 THE BIBLE INDICATES SOMETHING THAT IS UNIVERSAL. 26:10 THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT HIS SENDING HIS ANGELS TO GATHER 26:12 TOGETHER HIS ELECT FROM THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH. 26:16 YOU CAN READ IN REVELATION ABOUT HE'S GOT FOUR ANGELS HOLDING 26:18 BACK THE WINDS OF STRIFE, LEST THEY SHOULD BLOW UPON THE EARTH. 26:22 IT SIMPLY MEANS NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, AND WEST. 26:24 THAT MEANS JOB WAS HIT FROM EVERY CORNER. 26:28 HE WAS HIT IN EVERY WAY A PERSON CAN BE HIT. 26:32 YOU NOTICE HERE HE LOSES ALL OF HIS POSSESSIONS, BUT NOW 26:35 HE'S ABOUT TO LOSE HIS POSTERITY. 26:39 "WHILE HE WAS STILL SPEAKING," - I'M IN VERSE 18 - YOU SHOULD 26:42 HAVE YOUR BIBLES OPEN TO JOB CHAPTER 1 - WE'RE NOT TURNING 26:46 AROUND TOO MUCH HERE - "WHILE HE WAS STILL SPEAKING, ANOTHER ALSO 26:50 CAME AND SAID, 'YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS WERE EATING AND 26:54 DRINKING WINE IN THEIR OLDEST BROTHER'S HOUSE,'" - THE 26:57 FIRSTBORN'S HOME - "'AND SUDDENLY A GREAT WIND CAME FROM 27:02 ACROSS THE WILDERNESS AND STRUCK THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE HOUSE, 27:08 AND IT FELL ON THE YOUNG PEOPLE, AND THEY ARE DEAD; AND I ALONE 27:14 HAVE ESCAPED TO TELL YOU!'" NOW, WHAT WAS THE OBJECT? 27:18 CHAPTER 1 TELLS US THAT THE SUPREME OBJECT OF HIS PRAYERS 27:23 WAS FOR HIS CHILDREN. HE WAS WORRIED 27:26 ABOUT HIS CHILDREN. HE WAS PRAYING FOR HIS CHILDREN. 27:29 AND HE'S ESPECIALLY PRAYING FOR THEM ON THE DAYS OF THEIR 27:32 FEASTING. AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAYS 27:35 OF THEIR FEASTING - AND IT SPECIFIES 'WHILE THEY WERE 27:37 DRINKING WINE' THEY SUDDENLY DIE - A TORNADO. 27:42 THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS - A GREAT WIND - 27:45 SOMETHING SO POWERFUL THAT IT JUST, YOU KNOW, PULVERIZES A 27:49 HOUSE INSTANTLY - ALL FOUR CORNERS COLLAPSED - 27:53 A GREAT WIND CAME FROM THE WILDERNESS. 27:54 EVEN IN THESE REGIONS THEY HAVE THESE GREAT SUPER-CELL THUNDER 27:58 CLOUDS OUT IN THE DESERT AND TORNADOES FORM. 28:01 WE DON'T HEAR MUCH ABOUT THEM IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD BECAUSE 28:04 THEY FREQUENTLY DON'T HIT POPULATED PLACES, BUT IT HIT THE 28:08 HOUSE. WHO CAUSED THAT DESTRUCTION? 28:12 >>SATAN. >>CAN THE DEVIL DO THINGS 28:15 WITH WEATHER? CAN THE DEVIL CAUSE LIGHTNING? 28:20 DOES REVELATION SAY THAT THE BEAST POWER BRINGS FIRE DOWN 28:24 FROM HEAVEN ON THE EARTH IN THE SIGHT OF MEN TO DECEIVE THEM? 28:28 PROBABLY GOING TO CLAIM IT'S FIRE OF GOD. 28:30 CAN GOD BRING FIRE DOWN FROM HEAVEN? 28:32 >>YES. >>WHEN ELIJAH PRAYED, 28:33 DID FIRE COME DOWN? >>YES. 28:36 >>AND HERE YOU SEE THE DEVIL CAN BRING DOWN FIRE. 28:39 HE'S GOT A COUNTERFEIT FOR JUST ABOUT EVERY MIRACLE OF GOD. 28:42 EVIDENTLY, HE CAN DO THINGS WITH TORNADOES BECAUSE GOD, HE SAID, 28:48 'ALRIGHT SATAN, HE'S IN YOUR HAND.' NOW, I'M GOING TO GET 28:52 BACK TO HIS SONS AND I'M GOING TO GET BACK TO JOB'S RESPONSE, 28:55 BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, I THINK I NEED TO PAUSE AND JUST ASK WHO 29:02 CAUSED THESE PROBLEMS FOR JOB, THE DEVIL OR GOD? 29:05 >>SATAN. >>HAVE YOU EVER HEARD, LIKE WHEN 29:11 IT SAYS THAT THE LORD SENT AN EVIL SPIRIT TO HARASS KING SAUL? 29:17 AND IN ISAIAH IT SAYS 'GOOD AND EVIL'. 29:20 AND EVEN JOB, IN HIS PRAYER, SAYS, 'SHALL WE NOT RECEIVE GOOD 29:23 FROM THE HAND OF THE LORD AND EVIL ALSO?' 29:25 NOW THIS IS - WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW - AND I TOLD 29:28 YOU, THIS STUDY IS NOT GOING TO BE JUST THE MILK OF THE WORD, 29:30 THERE'LL BE SOME MEAT IN HERE - THE GREAT RELIGIOUS MINDS OF 29:35 AGES HAVE PONDERED THIS QUESTION OF THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD: 29:42 BECAUSE GOD IS ALL-POWERFUL AND BECAUSE GOD IS SOVEREIGN, AND 29:46 BECAUSE THE DEVIL CAN'T GO ANY FARTHER THAN GOD ALLOWS, IN ONE 29:51 SENSE, CAN YOU SEE WHY PEOPLE BLAME GOD FOR EVEN WHEN BAD 29:54 THINGS HAPPEN? ISN'T IT TRUE THAT GOD HAD TO 29:59 GIVE THE DEVIL ENOUGH LEASH TO DO THESE THINGS TO JOB? 30:06 CAN GOD WORK ALL THINGS TOGETHER FOR GOOD? 30:08 >>AMEN. >>DOES IT MEAN THAT THE DEVIL 30:13 SENT - THAT GOD SENT THE EVIL? NO, THE DEVIL DID IT. 30:17 IF THERE WAS NO DEVIL, IT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. 30:19 THE DEVIL HAS A FREE CHOICE. 30:21 WHAT THE LORD DOES IS HE SETS LIMITS ON THE DEVIL. 30:25 THE VERY FACT YOU'RE HERE IS EVIDENCE THAT GOD HAS LIMITED 30:28 THE DEVIL IN YOUR LIFE OR YOU WOULDN'T BE HERE, BECAUSE THE 30:31 DEVIL WOULD LIKE TO KILL AND DESTROY. 30:34 HE IS A MURDERER AND WE'LL SAY MORE ABOUT THAT IN A MOMENT. 30:37 SO, JOB IS ABSOLUTELY DECIMATED. HE'S LOST HIS POSSESSIONS, HE 30:41 LOSES HIS POSTERITY - DOESN'T TAKE SOME OF HIS CHILDREN - ALL 30:46 OF HIS CHILDREN IN ONE DAY. CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT? 30:50 I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T LIKE TO DWELL ON IT, BUT WE'VE HAD IT 30:54 HAPPEN WHERE WE GOT A PHONE CALL - ONE OF OUR CHILDREN DIED. 30:58 I WOULDN'T WISH THAT ON MY WORST ENEMY. 31:01 IT'S THE MOST PAINFUL THING I CAN IMAGINE, IS TO GET THE NEWS 31:05 THAT YOU'VE LOST A CHILD TO DEATH - AND TO LOSE THEM ALL - 31:11 HE WAS ABSOLUTELY REELING FROM GRIEF. WHO WOULDN'T BE? HE'S 31:17 LOST ALL HIS POSSESSIONS. NOW, HE WAS PROBABLY THINKING 31:22 TO HIMSELF, HOW TERRIBLE IT WAS THAT HE LOST ALL OF HIS STUFF, 31:28 BUT SUDDENLY, WHEN HE GOT THE NEWS THAT HE HAD LOST ALL OF 31:31 HIS CHILDREN, THE STUFF MEANT NOTHING. WOULD YOU AGREE? 31:36 >>YES. >>SOMEONE SAID THAT BIG PROBLEMS 31:38 ARE CANNIBALS THAT EAT LITTLE PROBLEMS. 31:43 YOU KNOW, YOU JUST - YOU COULD BE SO FRUSTRATED THAT YOUR CAR 31:47 NEEDS A MAJOR REPAIR AND YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE IT TO THE SHOP AND 31:52 IT'S GOING TO COST, YOU KNOW, A THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THAT'S JUST 31:55 BOTHERING YOU AND STRESSING YOU, AND THEN YOU GET A PHONE CALL 31:58 FROM A FAMILY MEMBER THAT'S JUST HAD A SERIOUS ACCIDENT - YOU'RE 32:00 NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION ANYMORE. 32:03 THE BIG PROBLEMS ARE CANNIBALS THAT EAT THE LITTLE PROBLEMS. 32:06 JOB DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THE STUFF ANYMORE, HE'S LOST THE THING 32:10 THAT HE WAS PRAYING FOR AND WHAT'S PROBABLY AS HARD AS 32:13 ANYTHING, IT SEEMED LIKE GOD SAID 'NO' TO HIS REGULAR PRAYER 32:18 FOR HIS CHILDREN. THEY DIE IN THE MIDST OF IT. 32:23 HE'D BEEN PLEADING THE BLOOD. 32:25 HE OFFERED SACRIFICE FOR EACH ONE OF THEM, THE BIBLE SAYS. 32:28 TEN CHILDREN - TEN SACRIFICES - REGULARLY, WHENEVER THEY 32:31 FEASTED, BECAUSE HE WANTED THEM TO BE SAVED. 32:35 AND SUDDENLY, THEY DIE. SO WHAT IS JOB'S RESPONSE? 32:41 VERSE 20 - JOB 1:20: "THEN JOB AROSE, TORE HIS ROBE," - WHICH 32:47 WAS CUSTOMARY AS A SIGN OF MOURNING BACK THEN - "AND SHAVED 32:50 HIS HEAD;" - LIKEWISE A CUSTOM - "AND HE FELL TO THE GROUND AND 32:55 WORSHIPED." - YOU NOTICE HE DOESN'T KNEEL, 32:57 HE FALLS. HE IS SWAYING. 33:00 HE IS STAGGERING UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THIS GRIEF. 33:02 HE FALLS TO THE GROUND, BUT IN SPITE OF HIS SOBBING AND HIS 33:06 BROKEN HEART, HE SAID, "'NAKED I CAME FROM MY MOTHER'S WOMB, AND 33:12 NAKED SHALL I RETURN THERE. THE LORD GAVE, AND THE LORD HAS 33:16 TAKEN AWAY; BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD.' IN ALL THIS JOB 33:22 DID NOT SIN NOR CHARGE GOD WITH WRONG." 33:27 WAIT, HE JUST SAID THE LORD HAS TAKEN - THE LORD HAS GIVEN AND 33:30 THE LORD HAS TAKEN AWAY. WHY IS HE NOT CHARGING 33:32 GOD WITH WRONG? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? 33:36 HE'S BELIEVING THAT GOD IS DOING WHAT IS BEST. 33:40 HE'S TRUSTING GOD EVEN THOUGH HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND. 33:42 LATER ON - I'LL READ IT AGAIN - YOU READ WHERE JOB, IN HIS 33:46 DIALOGUE WITH HIS FRIENDS, HE SAYS, 'THOUGH HE SLAY ME, YET 33:49 WILL I TRUST HIM.' SO, WHEN - YOU KNOW WHAT THE JOB - BOOK OF 33:54 JOB IS OFTEN DEALING WITH IS 'WHY DO GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO 33:58 BAD PEOPLE? AND WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE?' 34:02 IF I WAS GOD, I WOULD ONLY MAKE GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD 34:06 PEOPLE AND I'D ONLY MAKE BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD PEOPLE. 34:10 AND PEOPLE LOOK AROUND AND THEY SEE GOOD SUFFERING AND BAD 34:13 THRIVING AND THEY SAY, 'HOW CAN THERE BE A GOD?' 34:16 THIS IS THE BIG QUESTION THAT'S EXPLORED - OR ONE OF THE BIG 34:20 QUESTIONS - IN THE BOOK OF JOB. JOB UNDERSTANDS THAT 34:23 GOD HAS A PURPOSE. HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, 34:27 BUT HE'S ACCEPTING THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN AND HE 34:31 TRUSTS THE LORD. IT SAYS HE DOES NOT SIN. 34:34 YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER IN THE BIBLE, WHEN DAVID WAS PRAYING 34:37 OVER A CHILD THAT WAS TERMINALLY ILL - PRAYING THAT GOD 34:40 WOULD FORGIVE AND TO HEAL THE CHILD. 34:42 2 SAMUEL 12, AND AFTER SEVEN DAYS OF PRAYING ON HIS FACE THAT 34:48 GOD WILL HEAL THIS BABY - DAVID'S SIN WITH BATHSHEBA 34:51 WASN'T THE BABY'S FAULT, AND HE'S REALIZING 'THIS CHILD IS 34:54 DYING FOR MY SIN.' WOULDN'T THAT HURT? 34:58 AND SO HE'S - SEVEN DAYS - IS ON HIS FACE PRAYING AND HE HEARS 35:02 HIS SERVANTS WHISPERING AND HE DOESN'T EAT - THEY'RE AFRAID TO 35:06 TELL HIM. THEY'RE THINKING, 'LOOK AT HOW HE'S ACTING. 35:08 WAIT UNTIL WE GIVE HIM THE NEWS THAT THE CHILD'S DEAD.' AND 35:12 DAVID HEARD THEM WHISPERING AND HE PERCEIVED THE CHILD WAS DEAD, 35:16 THEREFORE, DAVID SAID TO HIS SERVANTS, 'IS THE CHILD DEAD?' 35:19 THEY SAID, 'HE IS DEAD.' "SO DAVID AROSE FROM THE GROUND, 35:23 WASHED AND ANOINTED HIMSELF, AND CHANGED HIS CLOTHES; AND HE WENT 35:28 INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD AND WORSHIPED." 35:31 HE'S COMPLETELY PLACED HIMSELF IN GOD'S HANDS IN THE MIDST OF 35:35 HIS TRAGEDY AND SAYS, 'LORD, I DON'T UNDERSTAND BUT YOU ARE 35:37 GOD; I STILL LOVE YOU.' YOU'D THINK AFTER THE BABY WOULD DIE 35:40 HE WOULD SHAKE HIS FIST AT GOD AND CURSE HIM. 35:43 'I PRAYED SEVEN DAYS AND NOW THIS IS HOW YOU ANSWER MY 35:46 PRAYER.' SO, DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH FAITH TO LOVE AND TO TRUST GOD 35:51 EVEN WHEN YOUR PRAYERS AREN'T ANSWERED? 35:53 EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOT GET THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU'VE BEEN 35:57 PRAYING FOR - THAT TAKES INCREDIBLE FAITH. 36:01 THERE WAS NONE LIKE HIM IN THE EARTH, WHO FEARED GOD AND HATED 36:05 EVIL. 1 TIMOTHY 6, VERSE 7 - YOU REMEMBER WHAT JOB SAYS? 36:11 'NAKED I CAME INTO THIS WORLD; NAKED I'LL LEAVE.' AND DO YOU 36:17 KNOW, THEY MUST HAVE BEEN QUOTING JOB, "FOR WE BROUGHT 36:20 NOTHING INTO THIS WORLD, AND IT IS CERTAIN WE CAN CARRY NOTHING 36:23 OUT." YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD THAT MAXIM 36:26 BEFORE: 'THERE ARE NO POCKETS IN A SHROUD.' THEY USED TO USE A 36:29 DEATH SHROUD WHEN THEY BURIED SOMEBODY. AND MAYBE YOU'VE HEARD 36:32 THE SAYING: 'YOU NEVER SEE A HEARSE PULLING A U-HAUL. 36:38 YOU BROUGHT NOTHING - YOU'VE HEARD THE EXPRESSION 'NAKED AS A 36:41 JAY BIRD' WE COME INTO THE WORLD. 36:44 NOW, JAY BIRDS ARE NOT LIKE CHICKENS. 36:45 A LITTLE CHICKEN, AFTER THEY HATCH, THEY FLUFF UP A LITTLE 36:47 BIT IN A FEW DAYS AND THEY'VE GOT FEATHERS RIGHT AWAY. 36:50 JAY BIRD - THEY GOT NOTHING. AND WE COME INTO THIS 36:53 WORLD WITH NOTHING. AND I REMEMBER WHEN I WENT TO 36:57 SEE MY FATHER IN THE FUNERAL HOME, BEFORE THEY FLEW HIS BODY 37:02 TO OKLAHOMA, KAREN WAS WITH ME, MULTI-MILLIONAIRE - WHOEVER 37:09 PREPPED HIM, THEY EVEN TOOK HIS WEDDING RING. 37:11 HE HAD NOTHING. YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU. 37:16 NAKED YOU COME INTO THE WORLD AND NAKED YOU LEAVE - AND YOU 37:18 STILL WORSHIP GOD. PSALM 34:1, "I WILL BLESS THE 37:21 LORD AT ALL TIMES; HIS PRAISE SHALL CONTINUALLY BE IN MY 37:25 MOUTH." THAT WAS WRITTEN BY DAVID. YOU BLESS AND YOU PRAISE 37:28 THE LORD IN THE GOOD TIMES AND YOU BLESS AND YOU PRAISE HIM IN 37:30 THE BAD TIMES. >>AMEN. 37:33 >>ECCLESIASTES 5:15, "AS HE CAME FROM HIS MOTHER'S WOMB, NAKED 37:36 SHALL HE RETURN, TO GO AS HE CAME; AND HE SHALL TAKE NOTHING 37:41 FROM HIS LABOR WHICH HE MAY CARRY AWAY IN HIS HAND." 37:45 AGAIN, SOLOMON, HERE, IS REALLY QUOTING JOB BECAUSE JOB WAS 37:47 WRITTEN FIRST. 1 THESSALONIANS 5:18 - IN SPITE 37:51 OF THE TRAGEDIES THAT COME - "IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS; FOR THIS 37:55 IS THE WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS FOR YOU." 37:58 THANK GOD FOR EVERYTHING? EVERYTHING? 38:02 THE LORD CAN WORK IT ALL TOGETHER FOR GOOD. 38:04 EPHESIANS 5:20, "GIVING THANKS ALWAYS FOR ALL THINGS TO GOD THE 38:09 FATHER IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST." 38:11 PHILIPPIANS 4:11, "NOT THAT I SPEAK IN REGARD TO NEED, FOR I 38:15 HAVE LEARNED IN WHATEVER STATE I AM, TO BE CONTENT: I KNOW HOW TO 38:21 BE ABASED, AND I KNOW HOW TO ABOUND. 38:23 EVERYWHERE AND IN ALL THINGS I HAVE LEARNED BOTH TO BE FULL AND 38:25 TO BE HUNGRY, BOTH TO ABOUND AND TO SUFFER NEED. 38:29 I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME." 38:34 JOB EVIDENTLY KNEW JESUS. 38:37 NOW, IT SAYS JOB DID NOT SIN - AND YOU CAN JUST SEE - IF YOU 38:42 COULD PULL ASIDE THE VEIL AND SEE INTO THE SPIRITUAL WORLD, 38:45 WHEN THE DEVIL HITS HIM - LOSES ALL HIS POSSESSIONS - HE 38:49 EXPERIENCED THEFT AND DESTRUCTION AND THE LOSS OF ALL 38:54 OF HIS CHILDREN AND NOTHING BUT BAD NEWS FROM HIS SERVANTS AND 38:58 HE WAS JUST OVERWHELMED AND JOB DOES NOT SIN. 39:02 THE DEVIL, WHEN HE SAW THAT, HE WAS STOMPING HIS FEET. 39:05 HE WAS MAD. YOU DON'T WANT TO GET THE DEVIL MAD. 39:09 HE WAS AS MAD AS HE COULD BE BECAUSE GOD WAS RIGHT. 39:14 NOW, DO YOU MAKE THE DEVIL MAD OR DO YOU DISAPPOINT THE LORD? 39:17 WHEN YOU'RE TEMPTED, WHAT DO YOU DO? 39:20 DO YOU DO LIKE PETER, WHERE YOU DENY CHRIST? 39:23 OR YOU DO LIKE JOB AND YOU MAKE HEAVEN BOAST, 'HAVE YOU 39:28 CONSIDERED MY SERVANT?' THIS IS GOING ON ALL THE TIME. 39:32 THE STORY OF JOB IS TELLING US WHAT THE GREAT CONTROVERSY IS 39:35 ALL ABOUT. THE DEVIL IS ACCUSING GOD. 39:37 HE'S SAYING, 'YOU'RE NOT FAIR! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR THESE PEOPLE 39:40 TO OBEY YOU.' AND WHENEVER THERE'S SOMEONE WHO STANDS UP 39:43 FOR THE LORD AND IS FAITHFUL, IT IS A THORN IN THE DEVIL'S SIDE. 39:46 NOW THE DEVIL IS MAD AND HE PROBABLY DOESN'T EVEN WANT TO 39:49 SEE GOD RIGHT NOW. AND, FINALLY, GOD CALLS 39:53 ANOTHER MEETING IN HEAVEN. YOU CAN READ IN CHAPTER 2, VERSE 39:58 1, "AGAIN THERE WAS A DAY WHEN THE SONS OF GOD CAME TO PRESENT 40:02 THEMSELVES BEFORE THE LORD, AND SATAN CAME ALSO AMONG THEM TO 40:06 PRESENT HIMSELF BEFORE THE LORD." 40:08 THESE BEINGS - THESE SONS OF GOD - THEY'RE GIVING REGULAR REPORTS 40:13 TO THE LORD OF SOME - OF THEIR WORLDS THAT THEY REPRESENT. 40:17 THERE'S SOME OFFICIAL MEETING - THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE 40:20 CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE IN THIS LIFE THAT ARE GOING ON 40:22 IN THE GALAXIES AND THE COSMOS. 40:26 SATAN COMES AND THE LORD SAYS, 'FROM WHERE DO YOU COME?' 40:29 AGAIN, NOT BECAUSE HE DOESN'T KNOW. 40:31 SATAN SAYS TO THE LORD, "FROM GOING TO AND FRO ON THE EARTH, 40:34 AND FROM WALKING BACK AND FORTH ON IT." 40:36 AND, AGAIN NOW, THEY BEGAN TO TALK ABOUT JOB, "THEN THE LORD 40:42 SAID TO SATAN, 'HAVE YOU CONSIDERED MY SERVANT JOB, THAT 40:45 THERE IS NONE LIKE HIM ON THE EARTH, A BLAMELESS AND UPRIGHT 40:48 MAN, ONE WHO FEARS GOD AND SHUNS EVIL?'" 40:51 - THIRD TIME NOW IN THE BIBLE IT SAYS THIS ABOUT JOB - "AND 40:54 STILL HE HOLDS FAST TO HIS INTEGRITY, ALTHOUGH YOU INCITED 41:00 ME AGAINST HIM, TO DESTROY HIM WITHOUT CAUSE.'" AND YOU'D THINK 41:06 THAT THE DEVIL WOULD SAY, 'YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT. 41:08 HE IS FAITHFUL. HE DOES REALLY LOVE YOU. 41:10 I WAS WRONG.' IS HE EVER GOING TO GET THE DEVIL TO SAY THAT? 41:13 YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T EVER WANT TO PRAISE THE DEVIL, BUT HE DOESN'T 41:15 GIVE UP, DOES HE? HE IS A WORKAHOLIC - AND YOU 41:23 EVER HEARD THE EXPRESSION 'WORKING LIKE THE DEVIL'? 41:24 (LAUGHTER) HE IS HIGHLY MOTIVATED. 'EVEN THOUGH YOU 41:33 MOVED ME AGAINST HIM WITHOUT CAUSE.' "SO SATAN ANSWERED THE 41:37 LORD AND SAID - HE'S SAYING, OH WELL, THAT REALLY - THAT WASN'T 41:44 REALLY A TEST. THAT WAS NOTHING COMPARED WITH WHAT I HAVE 41:46 NOW.' - HE SAYS, "'SKIN FOR SKIN! 41:51 YES, ALL THAT A MAN HAS HE WILL GIVE FOR HIS LIFE. 41:54 BUT STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND NOW, AND TOUCH HIS BONE'" - TOUCH HIS 41:59 BODY - "'AND HIS FLESH, AND HE WILL SURELY CURSE YOU TO YOUR 42:02 FACE.'" NOW HE'S TAKING THE CHALLENGE AS FAR AS HE CAN TAKE 42:06 IT, SHORT OF KILLING JOB. HE'S SAYING - NO - HE SAID, 'YOU 42:10 KNOW, YOU TOOK AWAY ALL HIS STUFF, BUT HE FEELS FINE. 42:12 HE'S STILL GOT ENOUGH TO EAT. HE STILL HAS HIS HOUSE. 42:15 HIS CHILDREN'S HOUSES WERE DESTROYED - NOT HIS HOUSE. 42:17 HE SAID, 'BUT IF HE WERE SICK, THAT'S HIS WEAKNESS. 42:22 IT'S NOT HIS STUFF.' "AND THE LORD SAID TO SATAN, 'BEHOLD, HE 42:27 IS IN YOUR HAND,'" - BUT GOD, AGAIN, SETS LIMITS ON THE DEVIL. 42:31 IT SAYS, "'BUT SPARE HIS LIFE.' SO SATAN WENT OUT FROM THE 42:35 PRESENCE OF THE LORD," - HE GOES RIGHT "OUT FROM THE PRESENCE OF 42:38 THE LORD AND STRUCK JOB WITH PAINFUL BOILS FROM THE SOLE OF 42:43 HIS FOOT TO THE CROWN OF HIS HEAD." 42:47 AND HE'S IN PHYSICAL AGONY, HE'S IN EMOTIONAL AGONY, HE'S LOST 42:51 EVERYTHING, AND ALL HE CAN THINK ABOUT IS BEING IN TERRIBLE PAIN. 42:58 NOW, YOU NOTICE THAT THE DEVIL COMES AGAIN TO GOD, BECAUSE HE 43:01 WANTS TO ATTACK JOB. THE DEVIL IS OUR ENEMY. 43:08 BY THE WAY, IF THERE'S A MEETING IN HEAVEN AND SATAN COMES, DOES 43:11 THE DEVIL GO TO HEAVENLY MEETINGS? 43:14 DO WE HAVE HEAVENLY MEETINGS ON EARTH? 43:17 DOES THE DEVIL SOMETIMES COME? AND WHAT WILL THE DEVIL 43:21 DO AT MEETINGS LIKE THIS? >>DISTRACT YOU. 43:24 >>TRY AND CAUSE DISTRACTIONS, FOR ONE THING. 43:27 TRY AND GET YOU TO WORRY ABOUT YOUR LUNCH SO YOU'RE NOT HEARING 43:30 THE WORD OF GOD. JOHN 8:44 - JUST IN CASE YOU 43:35 DIDN'T KNOW, LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO YOUR ENEMY, THE DEVIL. 43:39 CHRIST SAID TO SOME OF THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS THAT WERE 43:42 HYPOCRITES, "YOU ARE OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL, AND THE 43:45 DESIRES OF YOUR FATHER YOU WANT TO DO. 43:47 HE WAS A MURDERER FROM THE BEGINNING, AND DOES NOT STAND IN 43:51 THE TRUTH, BECAUSE THERE IS NO TRUTH IN HIM. 43:53 WHEN HE SPEAKS A LIE, HE SPEAKS FROM HIS OWN RESOURCES, FOR HE 43:56 IS A LIAR AND THE FATHER OF IT." 44:00 THE DEVIL'S A LIAR. HE IS A MURDERER. 44:03 THE DEVIL BINDS AND AFFLICTS PHYSICALLY. 44:05 JESUS HEALED A WOMAN WHO HAD BEEN BENT OVER FOR 18 YEARS AND 44:08 HE SAID, 'SHOULDN'T THIS WOMAN, BEING A DAUGHTER OF ABRAHAM, 44:12 WHOM SATAN HAS BOUND FOR 18 YEARS, BE LOOSED ON THE 44:15 SABBATH?' - WHO HAD BOUND HER? >>SATAN. 44:17 >>SATAN. CAN SATAN CAUSE SICKNESS? 44:20 HE CAN CAUSE LIGHTNING, HE CAN CAUSE TORNADOES, HE CAN CAUSE 44:22 SICKNESS. 2 CORINTHIANS 12:7, "AND LEST I 44:26 SHOULD BE EXALTED ABOVE MEASURE BY THE ABUNDANCE OF THE 44:29 REVELATIONS, A THORN IN THE FLESH WAS GIVEN TO ME, A 44:32 MESSENGER OF SATAN TO BUFFET ME..." 44:35 PAUL WAS TALKING ABOUT SOME PHYSICAL AILMENT - PAIN - YOU 44:39 KNOW, YOU GET A THORN - JUST LAST WEEK I WAS IN THE HILLS AND 44:41 I GOT A SPLINTER IN MY FINGER. IT'S ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT. 44:45 AND YOU WOULD LAUGH, BUT I, YOU KNOW, EVER SINCE MY VISION - 44:50 WHEN YOUR VISION GETS BAD, YOU CAN'T SEE THE LITTLE - I'VE 44:53 STILL GOT IT. IF YOU WANT, I'LL SHOW IT TO YOU AFTER CHURCH. 44:55 (LAUGHTER) AND I GOT THESE - I'VE GOT THESE JEWELER'S GOGGLES 45:00 - IT'S A HOOD THING YOU PUT ON - YOU FLIP DOWN - TWO DIFFERENT - 45:03 VERY - THINGS OF MAGNIFICATION YOU TURN UP - IT'S ALMOST LIKE 45:05 IT'S SOMEWHERE BETWEEN A MAGNIFYING GLASS AND A 45:07 MICROSCOPE THAT YOU - DOCTOR'S PROBABLY - AND I WAS LOOKING AT 45:11 MY FINGER JUST THINKING - ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT WAS THAT 45:12 LITTLE SPLINTER. AND SO IT TALKS ABOUT 45:16 A THORN IN YOUR SIDE. THAT'D BE PRETTY PAINFUL. 45:19 THE DEVIL CAUSED SOME SICKNESS BUT PAUL SAYS GOD ALLOWED IT. 45:23 PAUL PRAYED ABOUT IT THREE TIMES. 45:25 PAUL CALLS IT A MESSENGER FROM SATAN BUT HE ASKS GOD TO TAKE IT 45:29 AWAY AND GOD SAYS, 'NO. 45:31 MY STRENGTH IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.' SO, YOU SEE, GOD IS 45:34 SOVEREIGN BUT THE DEVIL IS THE ONE WHO CAUSES THE PROBLEMS. 45:38 EVERY GOOD AND PERFECT GIFT COMES FROM GOD. 45:41 WELL, THE BIBLE'S CLEAR, THE DEVIL IS AN ENEMY. 45:45 1 KINGS 22:2 - 22, VERSE 21, RATHER - IT SAYS, "AND THERE 45:50 CAME FORTH A SPIRIT, AND STOOD BEFORE THE LORD, AND SAID, 'I 45:52 WILL PERSUADE HIM.'" - PERSUADING KING AHAB WHO WAS A 45:55 WICKED KING - "AND THE LORD SAID UNTO HIM, WHEREWITH? 45:58 AND HE SAID, 'I WILL GO FORTH, AND I WILL BE A LYING SPIRIT'" - 46:00 THESE ARE DEMONS - THEY SAID, "'I WILL BE A LYING SPIRIT IN 46:03 THE MOUTH OF ALL HIS PROPHETS.' AND HE SAID, 'THOU SHALT 46:07 PERSUADE HIM'" - AND GO. 46:09 YOU SEE, AHAB HAD REJECTED GOD AND SO, BECAUSE HE HAD REJECTED 46:12 GOD, THE HEDGE WAS GONE - LYING SPIRITS. 46:16 THE LORD ALLOWED LYING SPIRITS TO DECEIVE HIM. 46:18 YOU'VE READ IN THE BIBLE, IF YOU RECEIVE NOT A LOVE OF THE TRUTH, 46:21 GOD WILL WITHDRAW HIS PROTECTION AND YOU'LL GET TO THE PLACE 46:24 WHERE YOU BELIEVE A LIE. THAT'S MY PARAPHRASE. 46:27 AND SO, YOU SAY, 'WELL, IS GOD SENDING A LIE? 46:31 IS GOD SENDING SICKNESS? NO, IT'S THE DEVIL. 46:34 AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE GOT TO BE PRAYING THAT GOD PROTECTS US 46:36 WITH HIS HOLY HEDGE OF PROTECTION BECAUSE THE DEVIL'S 46:39 OUR ENEMY. PETER SAYS, 'BE SOBER, BE 46:42 VIGILANT; YOUR ADVERSARY, THE DEVIL, IS WALKING ABOUT LIKE A 46:46 ROARING LION, SEEKING WHOM HE MIGHT DEVOUR. 46:50 JESUS WARNED PETER - LUKE 22:31 - "...'SIMON, SIMON, INDEED, 46:54 SATAN HAS ASKED FOR YOU,'" - WOULDN'T THAT SCARE YOU? 46:58 NOW HERE, HE'S AN APOSTLE. 47:00 I THINK THE DEVIL IS UP THERE SAYING, 'I WANT HIM.' - "'SATAN 47:04 HAS ASKED FOR YOU THAT HE MIGHT SIFT YOU AS WHEAT: BUT I HAVE 47:07 PRAYED FOR YOU, THAT YOUR FAITH SHOULD NOT FAIL; AND WHEN YOU 47:11 HAVE RETURNED TO ME, STRENGTHEN YOUR BRETHREN.'" PETER ALMOST 47:13 COMPLETELY FELL AFTER DENYING THE LORD. 47:16 COULD HAVE GONE OUT AND HUNG HIMSELF FROM DISCOURAGEMENT LIKE 47:18 JUDAS. BUT JESUS PRAYED FOR HIM. OH, WE NEED JESUS TO 47:22 PRAY FOR US, AMEN. >>AMEN. 47:25 >>SO HERE IS JOB, HE'S ATTACKED PHYSICALLY - BOILS - I'VE HEARD 47:31 THAT A DIMINISHED IMMUNE SYSTEM CAN LEAD TO A CONDITION WHERE 47:37 YOU'RE COVERED FROM - WELL, YOU CAN GET MULTIPLE BOILS ALL OVER 47:41 YOUR BODY. I WAS TALKING TO DR. STEVE ABOUT 47:43 IT JUST BEFORE THE SERVICE AND I WAS LOOKING ONLINE AND 47:46 THEY'VE GOT SOMETHING CALLED 'PSYCHOSOMATIC DERMATITIS' - I 47:53 THINK THAT'S RIGHT - OBVIOUSLY, I'M NOT A DOCTOR. 47:55 BUT IT CAN ACTUALLY - I READ IT ONLINE - THEY SAY SOME PEOPLE, 47:58 BECAUSE OF MENTAL STRESS, THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEM IS LOWERED AND 48:02 THEY CAN HAVE BOIL PROBLEMS. AND SO, HE'S COVERED 48:06 WITH THESE PAINFUL BOILS. AND BOILS, YOU KNOW, 48:09 IT'S NOT PLEASANT, FRIENDS, BUT IT'S ALSO DIRTY. 48:12 EVENTUALLY IT FORMS PUSTULES AND - WHICH IS UNCLEAN, BIBLICALLY. 48:18 SO HERE JOB IS UNCLEAN AND HE SITS DOWN IN THE ASH HEAP AND HE 48:22 GETS A PIECE OF BROKEN POTTERY TO SCRAPE HIMSELF. 48:26 HIS HEAD IS SHAVED. HE'S LOST HIS CHILDREN - THIS 48:29 MAN WHO WAS LIKE A KING IN EVERY WAY, IS NOW LIKE JUST A 48:35 POOR, SICK, DECREPIT MAN. AND AFTER THE PHYSICAL ATTACK - 48:42 VERSE 9 - JOB CHAPTER 2 - COMES A FAMILY ATTACK. 48:50 THE ONE WHO WAS TO BE ONE WITH HIM AND CLOSEST TO HIM BECOMES 48:54 THE DEVIL'S MEDIUM FOR DISCOURAGEMENT. 48:56 AND YOU CAN'T BLAME HER. "THEN HIS WIFE SAID TO HIM, 'DO 49:00 YOU STILL HOLD FAST TO YOUR INTEGRITY? CURSE GOD AND DIE!'" 49:07 BOY, THAT'D BE - THAT'D BE REALLY DISCOURAGING BECAUSE 49:10 YOU'D WANT, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE THE ONE CLOSEST TO YOU SAY, 49:15 'LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU. IT'LL GET BETTER. 49:17 LET ME HELP YOU.' BUT SHE'S LOST HER FAMILY. 49:20 SHE'S LOST ALL OF HER POSSESSIONS. 49:22 SHE MAY HAVE BEEN RELATED TO LOT'S WIFE, I DON'T KNOW, BUT 49:25 NOW SHE COMES AND SHE SEES HER HUSBAND, WHO WAS THIS PRINCELY 49:28 MAN AND HE'S JUST A PULP OF BOILS AND PUS AND SITTING ON A 49:34 GARBAGE PILE. AND SHE SAID JUST TO 49:37 'GET IT OVER WITH. I MEAN, GOD, LOOK 49:40 WHAT HE DID TO YOU. JUST CURSE GOD AND DIE. 49:43 DO YOU STILL RETAIN YOUR INTEGRITY?' 49:44 YOU CAN'T BLAME HER. I DON'T WANT TO BE TOO HARD ON 49:46 HER, BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT - LET ME SEE - I WANT TO GO ON 49:49 RECORD WHILE KAREN IS HERE. GOD SOMETIMES WILL USE THOSE 49:55 CLOSEST TO YOU AND SO WILL THE DEVIL - TO DISCOURAGE YOU. 50:00 AND I KNOW THE DEVIL HAS USED ME AND MY FAMILY 50:03 TO DISCOURAGE OTHERS. AND IF YOU'RE ALL HONEST, 50:05 YOU'LL ADMIT THAT TOO. WE ALL HAVE OUR MOMENTS WHERE 50:10 WE'RE FEELING SORRY FOR OURSELVES AND WE SAY THINGS 50:12 WE WISH WE HADN'T SAID. OR A PERSON NEEDS ENCOURAGEMENT 50:15 AND, INSTEAD, WE JUST GIVE THEM A HARD TIME. 50:19 AND SO, THE DEVIL, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE ONE CLOSEST TO 50:22 JOB, NOW, USES HIM AS A SOURCE OF DISCOURAGEMENT. 50:28 SO HE'S LOST HIS POSSESSIONS, HE'S LOST HIS POSTERITY, HE'S 50:32 LOST HIS PHYSICAL HEALTH AND NOW THE DEVIL USES HIS FAMILY TO 50:36 SAY, 'CURSE GOD AND DIE.' AND HOW DOES JOB RESPOND? 50:42 "BUT HE SAID TO HER, 'YOU SPEAK AS ONE OF THE FOOLISH WOMEN 50:44 SPEAKS.'" - AND THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY OUT OF CHARACTER FOR 50:47 HER OR HE WOULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT - "SHALL WE INDEED ACCEPT 50:51 GOOD FROM GOD, AND SHALL WE NOT ACCEPT ADVERSITY?" 50:56 - WOW. HE SAID, 'GOD BLESSED US FOR 50:59 YEARS - NOTHING BUT BLESSING, BLESSING, BLESSING - AND NOW 51:02 THIS HAPPENS, WE MUST ACCEPT IT.' 51:04 >>AMEN. >>"IN ALL THIS, JOB DID 51:08 NOT SIN WITH HIS LIPS." YOU KNOW WHY? 51:12 OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART, THE MOUTH SPEAKS. 51:16 AND BECAUSE GOD WAS IN HIS HEART, IT DIDN'T MATTER WHAT THE 51:19 DEVIL THREW AT HIM, HE DIDN'T STOP LOVING THE LORD. 51:22 YOU KNOW THAT VERSE WHERE PAUL SAID, 'THINGS PRESENT, THINGS 51:27 PAST, NO HEIGHT, NO DEPTH, NEITHER SHALL ANY CREATURE 51:31 SEPARATE YOU FROM THE LOVE OF GOD.' THERE'S NOTHING THAT 51:33 CIRCUMSTANCES CAN DO TO SEPARATE YOU FROM THE LOVE OF GOD. 51:36 NOW HERE'S THE QUESTION: IS THERE SOMETHING THE DEVIL CAN 51:38 SEND INTO YOUR LIFE TO SEPARATE YOU FROM LOVING GOD? 51:43 WILL YOU STOP LOVING HIM IF HE TAKES AWAY YOUR STUFF? 51:46 OR, IF YOU LOSE YOUR HEALTH - OR IF YOU HAVE YOUR FAMILY TURN 51:51 AGAINST YOU, HAVE YOU MADE UP YOUR MIND YOU'RE NOT JUST GOING 51:55 TO SERVE THE LORD BECAUSE, 'I DON'T WANT TO GO TO HELL AND I 51:57 DO WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN. BUT I'M GOING TO LOVE GOD 52:00 BECAUSE HE IS GOOD.' >>AMEN. 52:03 >>'HE IS WORTHY OF MY WORSHIP AND MY HEART AND IT WILL NOT BE 52:06 CONDITIONAL.' DO CIRCUMSTANCES DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE 52:10 GOING TO LOVE GOD TOMORROW? IF YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE, 52:13 WILL YOUR FAITH CHANGE? OR WILL IT GET STRONGER? 52:17 JOB HAD A FAITH THAT COULD NOT BE HELD CAPTIVE TO 52:22 CIRCUMSTANCES. NOTHING THE DEVIL OR A PRISONER 52:25 OF WAR CAMP COULD TO JOB THAT WOULD MAKE HIM STOP LOVING GOD. 52:29 THAT'S WONDERFUL TO HAVE THAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE. 52:31 I'M ENCOURAGED THE STORY'S IN THE BIBLE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE 52:34 KIND OF EXPERIENCE I WANT. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE A 52:38 WHIMSICAL, WISHY-WASHY COMMITMENT TO CHRIST THAT IS 52:42 CONSTANTLY AT THE SERVICE OF CIRCUMSTANCES. I WANT TO LOVE 52:50 THE LORD THROUGH THE RAIN AND THROUGH THE SUNSHINE. 52:52 JESUS SAID HE MAKES THE SUN RISE ON THE EVIL AND THE GOOD; HE 52:55 SENDS RAIN ON THE JUST AND THE UNJUST. 52:57 THERE'S BLESSING AND THERE'RE TRIALS THAT COME TO EVERYBODY. 53:01 AND JOB WAS GOING THROUGH A GREAT TEST. 53:03 HEBREWS 12:5, "AND YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN THE EXHORTATION WHICH 53:08 SPEAKS TO YOU AS TO SONS: 'MY SON, DO NOT DESPISE THE 53:12 CHASTENING OF THE LORD, NOR BE DISCOURAGED WHEN YOU ARE REBUKED 53:16 BY HIM; FOR WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE CHASTENS, AND SCOURGES EVERY 53:21 SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." WAS THERE ANYONE ON THE EARTH 53:25 BACK THEN THAT GOD LOVED MORE THAN JOB? 53:29 IF THERE WAS, IT'S NOT MENTIONED. 53:31 AND YET, HE ALLOWED HIM TO GO THROUGH THIS TREMENDOUS TRIAL. 53:34 WAS IT BECAUSE HE DIDN'T LOVE HIM OR BECAUSE HE DID LOVE HIM? 53:38 SO, IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH A TRIAL, WHETHER IT'S A PHYSICAL 53:43 CHALLENGE - IT MIGHT BE A FINANCIAL REVERSE, IT MIGHT BE 53:47 SOME FAMILY OR FRIENDS THAT HAVE FORSAKEN YOU. 53:51 DOES THAT MEAN GOD DOESN'T LOVE YOU? 53:53 NO, GOD LOVES YOU NO MATTER WHAT. 53:55 THERE'S NOTHING THAT CAN SEPARATE YOU FROM THE LOVE OF 53:56 GOD. HE MIGHT BE PREPARING YOU FOR 53:59 MINISTRY IN THE FUTURE - OR TO LOVE HIM MORE. 54:02 YOU KNOW, I'LL CLOSE WITH THIS: THERE'S A GREAT POEM THAT WAS 54:06 WRITTEN BY ANGELA MORGAN AND IT'S CALLED WHOM GOD CHOOSETH , 54:12 "WHEN GOD WANTS TO DRILL A MAN AND TO THRILL A MAN AND TO SKILL 54:16 A MAN, WHEN GOD WANTS TO HOLD A MAN TO PLAY THE NOBLE'S PART; 54:21 WHEN HE YEARNS WITH ALL HIS HEART TO CREATE SO GREAT AND 54:24 BOLD A MAN THAT ALL THE WORLD SHALL PRAISE; WATCH HIS METHODS 54:28 AND WATCH HIS WAYS, HOW HE RUTHLESSLY PERFECTS WHOM HE 54:33 ROYALLY ELECTS, HOW HE HAMMERS HIM AND HURTS HIM AND WITH 54:36 MIGHTY BLOWS CONVERTS HIM INTO TRIAL SHAPES OF CLAY, WHICH ONLY 54:41 GOD CAN UNDERSTAND, WHILE HIS TORTURED HEART IS CRYING AND HE 54:45 LIFTS BESEECHING HANDS; HOW HE BENDS BUT NEVER BREAKS WHEN HIS 54:49 GOOD HE UNDERTAKES, HOW HE USES WHOM HE CHOOSES AND WITH EVERY 54:53 PURPOSE FUSES HIM BUT EVERY ACT INDUCES HIM TO TRY HIS SPLENDOR 54:58 OUT, YES, GOD KNOWS WHAT HE'S ABOUT." 55:02 SO YOU MAY NOT KNOW WHY GOD IS DOING WHAT HE'S DOING IN YOUR 55:05 LIFE OR WHY YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THE STRUGGLES THAT YOU'RE GOING 55:08 THROUGH, BUT GOD DOES. THERE ARE THINGS HAPPENING 55:12 BEHIND THE VEIL WE DON'T SEE, BUT YOU'VE JUST GOT TO KNOW, 55:15 WHATEVER YOU'RE GOING THROUGH, WHATEVER TRIALS - AND YOU MAY 55:18 NOT BE - HAVE FACED YOUR TRIALS YET. 55:21 THERE'LL PROBABLY BE MORE TO COME - CHEER UP! 55:23 (LAUGHTER) THE BIBLE SAYS THERE'S GOING TO BE A GREAT 55:25 TRIBULATION THAT WILL COME ON THE WHOLE WORLD, BUT WE DON'T 55:27 HAVE TO BE AFRAID, RIGHT? GOD LOVES US AND HE PROMISES 55:30 HE WILL TAKE CARE OF US. >>I LOVE THE QUOTE: "THE 55:35 GREATEST WANT OF THE WORLD IS THE WANT OF MEN ... MEN WHO WILL 55:38 STAND FOR THE RIGHT THOUGH THE HEAVENS FALL." 55:41 YET STUDIES ARE SHOWING, FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, THE SECULAR 55:44 MEDIA AND CULTURE HAVE SOUGHT TO PORTRAY MEN AS THE FAMILY 55:48 IDIOTS. SADLY, RESPECT FOR THE ROLE OF 55:52 FATHERS AND HUSBANDS HAS REACHED AN ALL-TIME LOW. 55:55 SO NOW, AS THE DISPIRITED MEN ABANDON THEIR ROLES OF GODLY 55:59 LEADERSHIP, IT'S NOT SURPRISING THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING A MORAL 56:03 FREE-FALL IN OUR COUNTRY. 56:05 THAT'S WHY, STARTING SEPTEMBER 30TH I'LL BE PRESENTING A NEW 56:08 PROGRAM CALLED MIGHTY MEN OF GOD . 56:11 USING BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES, THIS ENCOURAGING FOUR-PART SERIES 56:14 WILL ADDRESS HOW TO BE A LOVING FATHER, FAITHFUL HUSBAND, AND 56:18 ALL-AROUND MAN OF GOD IN THE FAMILY CHURCH AND NATION. 56:22 PLEASE PLAN NOW TO JOIN ME FOR THIS LIVE EVENT AND LEARN FROM 56:25 THE WORD HOW TO LIVE COURAGEOUSLY FOR THE KING. 56:34 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? 56:37 YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE 56:40 TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING, VISIT THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY 56:44 AT 'AFTV.ORG'. AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY 56:49 VIDEO AND AUDIO PRESENTATIONS AS WELL AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL 56:53 FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR 56:58 COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 57:04 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES, VISIT AFBOOKSTORE.COM 57:08 OR CALL 1-800-538-7275. >>AMAZING FACTS, THROUGH YOUR 57:15 FAITHFUL SUPPORT, HAS HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON SOME OF THE 57:19 LARGEST NON-CHRISTIAN LOCATIONS IN THE WORLD. 57:22 BEYOND THE GREAT WALL, THE PRINTING AND TRANSLATION OF OUR 57:25 BOOKS AND VIDEO MATERIALS ARE IN CONSTANT MOTION. 57:29 >>(CHINESE DIALOGUE) >>THE AMAZING FACTS CHINESE 57:35 LANGUAGE WEBSITE IS NOW ONE OF OUR MOST VISITED WEBSITES. 57:39 WE ALSO TRANSLATED THOUSANDS OF PIECES OF LITERATURE FOR THESE 57:43 NATIONS. WHAT STARTED OUT AS HUNDREDS OF 57:45 FOLLOWERS IS NOW IN THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS. 57:49 THE IMPACT OF YOUR FUNDS INVESTED IN SHARING THE 57:51 EVERLASTING GOSPEL IN THESE FOREIGN LANDS WILL BE FELT FOR 57:55 YEARS TO COME. >>YOU KNOW, EVERY WEEK WE HEAR 57:58 THE MOST INCREDIBLE STORIES FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE, OF LIVES 58:01 THAT ARE BEING CHANGED AND HEARTS THAT ARE BEING 58:03 TRANSFORMED BY THE POWER OF THE WORD. 58:07 AND NONE OF IT COULD HAPPEN WITHOUT YOUR TEAMWORK WITH THIS 58:09 MINISTRY. GOD BLESS YOU. 58:14 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2019-09-19