Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021624A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:14 >>TODAY, AGAIN, OUR MESSAGE IS FROM THE BOOK OF JOB 00:17 AND THIS IS OUR FOURTH PRESENTATION, JUST IN CASE 00:19 YOU'RE WONDERING. THERE WILL BE FIVE - THE WAY 00:22 IT'S PLANNED RIGHT NOW, ANYHOW. AND TODAY IS THE BIG QUESTIONS 00:26 OF LIFE - THE BIG QUESTIONS OF LIFE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 00:30 BOOK OF JOB AND JUST TO GIVE YOU THE BACKGROUND, YOU KNOW, JOB 00:36 WAS THIS GREAT MAN AND IT MENTIONS HIM AS A MAN WHO IS 00:42 VERY WEALTHY, BUT THERE IS A CHALLENGE FROM HEAVEN. 00:46 THE DEVIL COMES AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE EARTH TO 00:49 THIS HEAVENLY MEETING AND HE SAYS, 'THE ONLY REASON THAT JOB 00:52 IS SERVING YOU IS BECAUSE OF WHAT'S IN IT FOR HIM.' AND THE 00:55 LORD ALLOWS THE DEVIL TO BRING A SERIES OF TRIALS ON JOB THAT 01:01 REDUCES THIS MAN, THAT WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST OF THE MEN IN 01:05 THE WORLD, SO THAT HE'S SCARCELY RECOGNIZABLE BY HIS FRIENDS. 01:11 THE BOOK OF JOB IS JUST - IT'S ONE OF THE GREAT BOOKS OF 01:14 HISTORY - NOT JUST THE BIBLE, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE 01:16 GREATEST BOOKS IN THE BIBLE. MATTER OF FACT, VICTOR HUGO, THE 01:20 FAMOUS NOVELIST, HE SUGGESTED THAT IF ALL THE WORLD'S LITERARY 01:24 EFFORTS WERE TO BE DESTROYED AND HE COULD SAVE ONE SAMPLE, IT 01:29 WOULD BE THE BOOK OF JOB. THAT'S QUITE A STATEMENT. 01:34 THE BOOK OF JOB, IT'S AN OLD BOOK. 01:36 IT'S AN ANCIENT BOOK WRITTEN HUNDREDS OF YEARS BEFORE MOSES. 01:39 IT'S IN WHAT THEY CALL PALEO-HEBREW. 01:42 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JOB AND WHAT YOU NORMALLY READ IN THE 01:45 WRITINGS OF MOSES AND MANY OF THE MODERN PROPHETS - ANY OF YOU 01:48 EVER WRITTEN - HAVE ANY OF YOU EVER READ A 1611 VERSION OF THE 01:53 KING JAMES BIBLE? I WAS IN ENGLAND NOT TOO LONG 01:57 AGO AND I WAS LOOKING AT A WYCLIFF BIBLE - WRITTEN BY HIM - 02:01 AND YOU COULDN'T READ A LOT OF THE WORDS BECAUSE THEY USED AN 02:06 'F' FOR AN 'S' AND THERE WERE A LOT OF DIFFERENCES IN 02:10 SOME OF THE LANGUAGE. WELL, THAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE 02:14 BETWEEN PALEO-HEBREW AND THE BOOKS OF MOSES. 02:16 WHEN MOSES IS READING JOB, MOSES IS READING AN OLD BOOK, YOU 02:21 UNDERSTAND? SO THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST 02:23 ANCIENT BOOKS IN THE WORLD AND IT IS A BEAUTIFUL BOOK IN THAT 02:27 IT IS FILLED WITH SUBLIME POETRY. NOW THE BOOK OF JOB IS 02:30 DIVIDED IN SIX PARTS. I KNOW I ONLY HAVE FIVE FINGERS 02:34 ON THIS HAND, BUT IT'S ALL I GOT - UNLESS I'M A SON OF GOLIATH. 02:37 YOU'VE GOT - SO YOU'VE SIX PARTS AND HERE'S WHAT THEY ARE: IT 02:41 STARTS WITH A GREAT MAN, THEN THERE'S A GREAT CHALLENGE, A 02:45 GREAT TRIBULATION, A GREAT DEBATE, A GREAT REVELATION OF 02:50 GOD, AND A GREAT VINDICATION. 02:53 NOW, TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO COVER QUITE A BIT OF THE BOOK. 02:56 THERE'S FIVE SCENES, REALLY, IN THE BOOK OF JOB. 02:58 IT STARTS ON EARTH, GOES TO A SCENE IN HEAVEN, GOES BACK TO A 03:03 SCENE ON EARTH, GOES BACK TO A SCENE IN HEAVEN, GOES BACK TO A 03:06 SCENE ON EARTH AND, ULTIMATELY, GOD APPEARS AND HE SPEAKS. 03:11 THE BOOK IS FILLED WITH A NUMBER OF THE BIG QUESTIONS OF LIFE AND 03:16 IT'S WONDERFUL THAT THE LORD REVEALS HIMSELF THROUGH THIS 03:20 BOOK BECAUSE THE CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK OF JOB ARE ASKING A LOT 03:24 OF THE BASIC QUESTIONS. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU READ THE BOOK 03:26 OF JOB, IT DEALS WITH ZOOLOGY, IT DEALS WITH WEATHER, IT DEALS 03:33 WITH POLITICS, IT DEALS WITH FARMING, IT DEALS WITH FINANCE, 03:36 IT DEALS WITH MINERALS AND GEOLOGY - IT DEALS WITH JUST 03:41 ABOUT ALL THE SCIENCES IN SOME FORM OF LIFE - SOCIAL 03:45 RELATIONSHIPS, POLITICAL - IT'S AMAZING, AS YOU READ THROUGH IT, 03:48 JUST, IT COVERS THE SPECTRUM OF LIFE - AN INCREDIBLE BOOK. 03:51 AND IT DOES IT IN VERY UNIQUE, RHYTHMICAL POETRY. 03:57 FIRST PART OF THE BOOK AND THE LAST PART OF THE BOOK IS WRITTEN 04:00 IN PROSE. IN THE MIDDLE IS REALLY POETRY. 04:05 NOW HERE'S ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS THAT POPS UP IN THE 04:07 BOOK OF JOB. SATAN CHALLENGES GOD AND HE 04:11 SAYS, 'DOES MAN SERVE GOD FOR NOTHING?' 04:14 HE SAID, 'THE ONLY REASON THAT JOB SERVES YOU IS BECAUSE OF 04:17 WHAT'S IN IT FOR HIM - THE WIIFM - WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME - IS WHAT 04:24 THE DEVIL IS SAYING. 'YOU TAKE IT AWAY, HE 04:27 WON'T SERVE YOU ANYMORE. THE ONLY WAY GOD GETS PEOPLE TO 04:29 SERVE HIM IS HE HAS TO BRIBE THEM.' 04:32 NOW THERE ARE A LOT OF PREACHERS THAT EXPLOIT THAT DARKER SIDE OF 04:36 HUMAN NATURE AND THEY ALWAYS SAY, 'YOU SERVE GOD AND HE'LL' - 04:40 YOU KNOW, 'YOU HAVE FAITH AND HE'LL GIVE YOU MONEY, HE'LL GIVE 04:42 YOU HEALTH, HE'LL GIVE YOU WHATEVER YOU WANT.' 04:44 LAST NIGHT I SAW IT AGAIN. 04:46 YOU KNOW, I HAVE THIS SATELLITE WITH 3ABN, AMAZING FACTS TV, AND 04:50 IN THAT BOUQUET YOU'VE GOT A FEW CHARISMATIC STATIONS. 04:54 AND I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF, I WATCHED ONE OF THESE PREACHERS 04:56 FOR A FEW MINUTES AND WHEN HE STARTED TELLING PEOPLE THAT THEY 05:01 WERE GOING TO GET A NEW HOME - GOD TOLD HIM THAT SOMEONE OUT 05:03 THERE WAS GOING TO GET A NEW HOME, I CHANGED THE CHANNEL. 05:06 I SAID, 'THERE THEY GO. WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME.' AND JOB 05:10 PROVES THAT HE WORSHIPED GOD AND SERVED GOD FOR WHO GOD WAS 05:15 INTRINSICALLY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT WAS IN IT FOR HIM. 05:20 YOU CAN SEE SOME EXAMPLES FOR THAT. 05:23 WHEN JOB LOSES EVERYTHING HE SAYS - JOB 1:20 - "NAKED I CAME 05:27 FROM MY MOTHER'S WOMB, AND NAKED I SHALL RETURN THERE. 05:30 THE LORD GAVE, AND THE LORD HAS TAKEN AWAY; BLESSED BE THE NAME 05:32 OF THE LORD." >>AMEN. 05:34 >>HE'S GOD THIS IS WHAT HE WANTS TO DO. 05:36 AND THEN, AFTER HIS SECOND SERIES OF TRIALS HE SAYS TO HIS 05:39 WIFE, "'SHALL WE ACCEPT GOOD FROM GOD AND NOT ACCEPT 05:43 ADVERSITY?' IN ALL THIS, JOB DID 05:45 NOT SIN WITH HIS LIPS." HE WAS SUBMITTED TO THE WILL 05:48 OF GOD AND HE LOVED GOD. 1 JOHN 4:8, "HE WHO DOES NOT 05:53 LOVE DOES NOT KNOW GOD, FOR GOD IS LOVE." 05:56 THE REASON TO SERVE GOD IS BECAUSE YOU LOVE HIM. 05:58 NOW, NOT WANTING TO GO TO HELL AND WANTING TO GO TO HEAVEN ARE, 06:03 MAYBE, A SUITABLE STARTING POINT BUT, ULTIMATELY, GOD WANTS US TO 06:07 MATURE TO THE POINT WHERE WE SERVE GOD BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS 06:11 AND WE LOVE HIM REGARDLESS OF WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME. 06:14 >>AMEN. >>THERE MAY BE THINGS 06:15 THAT ARE IN IT FOR US. PETER SAID, 'LORD, WE'VE 06:18 FORSAKEN EVERYTHING TO FOLLOW YOU. WHAT DO WE GET?' 06:20 IT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, A NORMAL THOUGHT. 06:23 BUT, ULTIMATELY, WE NEED TO LOVE THE LORD - SERVE HIM - JUST 06:27 BECAUSE WE LOVE HIM. NOW, WE'RE GETTING READY TO ENTER INTO THE 06:33 GREAT DEBATE. THE BOOK OF JOB IS A GREAT DEBATE - JOB'S THREE 06:39 FRIENDS COME AND THEY SIT DOWN WITH HIM AND - YOU'VE MET THEM 06:41 BEFORE - AND IT'S ALMOST LIKE A BOXING MATCH. PICTURE, IF YOU 06:48 WILL, THERE'S A RING - YOU'VE GOT FOUR CORNERS. YOU'VE GOT JOB 06:52 IN ONE CORNER - IT'S KIND OF A VERBAL BOXING MATCH. 06:57 YOU'VE GOT ELIPHAZ, YOU'VE BILDAD, YOU'VE GOT ZOPHAR - AND 07:00 THEY'RE ALL OCCUPYING DIFFERENT CORNERS - AND JOB STEPS INTO THE 07:02 MIDDLE OF THE RING AND HE BOXES WITH THEM - WITH WORDS - AND 07:07 THEN THEY TAKE TURNS COMING OUT AND THEY BOX BACK. 07:10 THEY GO BACK TO THEIR CORNER AND THEN JOB COMES OUT. 07:14 AND THEY ALWAYS - AFTER EACH ONE OF HIS FRIENDS GETS DONE WITH 07:16 THE DISCOURSE, JOB COMES OUT AND HE RESPONDS AND THEN THEY COME 07:19 OUT AGAIN. AND THEY'RE SLUGGING AT EACH OTHER WITH WORDS AND 07:23 THOUGHTS AND WISDOM - AND THE THINGS THEY SAY ARE SO PROFOUND. 07:27 IN A SENSE, EVERYTHING THEY SAY IS TRUE. 07:31 WHERE THEY'RE MAKING A MISTAKE IS THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S 07:35 HAPPENING BEHIND THE VEIL LIKE YOU AND I DO BECAUSE, IN THE 07:38 BOOK, IT TELLS US WHAT HAPPENED IN HEAVEN THAT HELPS US 07:41 UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING ON EARTH. 07:42 BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN HEAVEN, IT'S HARD TO 07:45 ALWAYS UNDERSTAND WHY THINGS ARE HAPPENING ON EARTH. 07:49 AND SO, WE'RE GETTING AHEAD OF OURSELVES. 07:52 THIS IS ONE OF THE LONGEST POEMS IN THE WORLD. 07:55 I DON'T KNOW - ANY OF YOU GO TO COLLEGE AND THEY MADE YOU READ 07:58 JOHN MILTON'S PARADISE LOST ? I SEE A COUPLE OF HANDS. 08:03 THAT'S SOME BOOK. I LOOKED IT UP AGAIN LAST NIGHT. 08:06 IT'S A CHRISTIAN STORY. 08:08 JOHN MILTON - HE WAS BLIND WHEN HE WROTE IT - LONGEST POEM IN 08:13 HISTORY - 186 PAGES - ONE POEM - THOUSANDS OF VERSES. 08:19 HOW'D YOU LIKE TO HAVE TO MEMORIZE THAT POEM? 08:22 SOME SENTENCES ARE THIRTY LINES BEFORE YOU GET A PERIOD. 08:26 ONE SENTENCE - 30 LINES - IT'S AMAZING. 08:31 AND THE GRASP OF VOCABULARY THAT HE HAS IN THIS POEM IS 08:35 ASTONISHING. JOB IS A MATCH FOR JOHN MILTON, IN THIS BOOK. 08:43 SO, HERE WE GO. NOW I AM GOING TO QUICKLY GO 08:47 THROUGH THESE CHAPTERS OR WE'LL BE HERE ALL DAY. AND SO, JOB 08:50 COMES OUT OF HIS CORNER, IN CHAPTER 3, HE FINALLY, AFTER 08:54 SEVEN DAYS OF SILENCE, THEY'RE WEEPING WITH HIM, THEY'RE 08:56 WATCHING HIM SUFFER. HE CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE. 08:59 HE OPENS HIS MOUTH AND HE ASKS THE BIG QUESTION, WHICH IS, 09:03 'WHY IS THERE SUFFERING?' WHY DO WE SUFFER? 09:08 YOU KNOW, JOB SAYS, IN VERSE 1, HE CURSED THE DAY OF HIS BIRTH. 09:12 'WHY WAS I BORN?' AND HE'S REALLY PLEADING WITH 'WHY DO YOU 09:17 ALLOW ME TO LIVE AND SUFFER?' I MEAN, HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED? 09:22 WE'RE BORN IN THIS LIFE, NOBODY REALLY FAXED ME IN ADVANCE AND 09:25 SAID, 'HOW'D YOU LIKE TO BE BORN?' 09:27 SUDDENLY WE'RE HERE - WE'RE BORN - AND WE'RE BORN INTO A WORLD 09:30 WHERE THERE'S SUFFERING. BUT GOD IS GOOD. 09:32 AND IF GOD IS GOOD AND IF GOD IS ALL-POWERFUL, WHY DOES HE ALLOW 09:35 BAD THINGS LIKE SUFFERING AND PAIN? 09:39 AND SO PEOPLE STRUGGLE TO RECONCILE THOSE BIG QUESTIONS. 09:44 LET ME GIVE YOU, IN A NUTSHELL, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO THROUGH 09:47 ALL THE REASONS, BUT LET ME GIVE YOU ABOUT EIGHT REASONS WHY WE 09:51 SUFFER. IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED, I CAN 09:54 SHARE THIS WITH YOU - IT'S NOT ORIGINAL WITH ME. 09:58 1) SUFFERING KEEPS THE WORLD FROM BECOMING TOO ATTRACTIVE. 10:03 GOD DOESN'T WANT US TO BE IN LOVE WITH THIS WORLD - WE'RE 10:05 PILGRIMS - WE'RE PASSING THROUGH. 10:07 PAUL SAYS, IN 2 CORINTHIANS 5, VERSE I, "FOR WE KNOW THAT IF 10:12 OUR EARTHLY HOUSE, THIS TENT, IS DESTROYED, WE HAVE A BUILDING 10:15 FROM GOD, A HOUSE NOT MADE WITH HANDS, ETERNAL IN THE HEAVENS. 10:19 FOR IN THIS WE GROAN, EARNESTLY DESIRING TO BE CLOTHED WITH OUR 10:22 HABITATION WHICH IS FROM HEAVEN," - AS WE SUFFER WITH 10:25 THESE BODIES WE THINK, 'OH, I REALLY WANT THE HEAVENLY BODY.' 10:28 IT HELPS US KEEP A PERSPECTIVE THAT THIS IS TEMPORARY AND WE 10:31 LIVE WITH THE IDEA OF ETERNITY IN MIND. 10:34 THAT'S ONE THING ACCOMPLISHED BY SUFFERING. 10:36 2) SUFFERING CAN BRING OUT OUR BEST. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN WHEN 10:40 PEOPLE OR A NEIGHBORHOOD OR SOME CITY GOES THROUGH A TRIAL OR A 10:43 CRISIS, PEOPLE START SACRIFICING. 10:46 YOU SEE THEY START GIVING. THEY SEE OTHER PEOPLE SUFFER AND 10:50 IT SOMETIMES BRINGS OUT GOOD THINGS IN THE NATURE. 10:55 AND I'VE GOT VERSES FOR ALL THESE, I JUST DON'T HAVE TIME. 10:58 3) SUFFERING GIVES AN OCCASION TO SILENCE THE ENEMIES OF GOD. 11:01 AS YOU SEE IN THE STORY OF JOB, YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'RE THE BEST 11:04 WITNESS FOR THE LORD? NOT IN YOUR PROSPERITY; WE'RE 11:07 THE BEST WITNESSES IN OUR ADVERSITY. 11:10 WHEN A PEOPLE - WHEN PEOPLE ARE CHEERFUL AND NICE WHEN THEY'VE 11:12 GOT EVERYTHING THEY WANT, WELL THAT'S - SO WHAT? 11:15 BUT WHEN YOU SEE PEOPLE SUFFERING AND THEY'RE STILL KIND 11:19 - I HAD SOMEBODY THAT - I WAS WAITING FOR SERVICE SOMEWHERE - 11:24 I WON'T GO INTO THE DETAILS OR IT'LL TELL YOU TOO MUCH - AND I 11:28 DON'T ALWAYS THINK OF MYSELF AS A PATIENT PERSON, BUT I MUST 11:30 HAVE BEEN FEELING PATIENT THAT DAY, BUT I WAITED AND WAITED AND 11:34 WAITED AND SEVERAL PEOPLE AROUND ME BECAME IRRITABLE AND VERY 11:37 UNKIND AND THEY - AND THE PERSON WHO WAS ATTENDING TO US CAME UP 11:41 LATER AND SAID, 'I COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW PATIENT YOU WERE.' 11:45 AND I THOUGHT THERE MUST BE A HOLY SPIRIT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT 11:48 HOW I AM NORMALLY. I SAID, 'WELL, I'M A CHRISTIAN. 11:51 GOD HELPS ME. HE'S TEACHING ME PATIENCE.' BUT 11:54 MY SHOWING PATIENCE THROUGH ADVERSITY BECAME AN 11:58 OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS. WE DO OUR BEST WITNESSING 12:02 THROUGH TRIALS, NOT WHEN HE SAVES US FROM TRIALS. 12:05 THE GREATEST WITNESS OF CHRIST WAS ON THE CROSS AND THE 12:09 GREATEST WITNESS OF BELIEVERS IS WHEN WE'RE BARING OUR CROSS 12:13 PATIENTLY. SO THAT'S ONE REASON WE SUFFER. 12:16 SUFFERING MAKES US APPRECIATIVE. IF YOU ALWAYS GET EVERYTHING YOU 12:19 WANT WHEN YOU WANT, YOU DON'T APPRECIATE ANYTHING. 12:22 BUT SOMETIMES, WHEN YOU'RE SUFFERING - BOY, IT FEELS SO 12:27 GOOD TO FEEL HEALTHY AFTER YOU'VE HAD A FEW WEEKS OF 12:30 FEELING SICK. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? 12:33 IT IS SO NICE TO WAKE UP AND NOT HAVE YOUR HEAD SPIN AFTER IT'S 12:36 BEEN SPINNING FOR A WEEK. NORMALLY YOU DON'T APPRECIATE 12:41 GOD - THAT YOUR HEAD ISN'T SPINNING. 12:45 THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT YOU WOULD BE THANKFUL FOR RIGHT 12:48 NOW, IF THOSE THINGS WERE TAKEN AWAY. 12:51 SO WHEN YOU SUFFER, AND THE SUFFERING'S REMOVED, YOU ARE 12:54 VERY GRATEFUL. >>AMEN. 12:55 >>SUFFERING CAN MAKE YOU APPRECIATIVE. 12:58 SUFFERING MAKES US MORE DEPENDENT ON GOD. 13:00 HAVE YOU NOTICED YOU PRAY MORE WHEN YOU STRUGGLE? 13:03 IT'S - WHEN YOU'VE GOT A BURDEN ON YOUR BACK IT SEEMS TO SEND 13:06 YOU TO YOUR KNEES. SUFFERING MAKES 13:08 US MORE DEPENDENT. SUFFERING HELPS PURIFY US. 13:11 THERE'S A SANCTIFYING INFLUENCE. IN THE BOOK OF JOB IT TALKS 13:15 ABOUT YOU'LL BE TRIED LIKE GOLD THAT IS PURIFIED. 13:19 AND PETER TALKS ABOUT THAT. SUFFERING MAKES US SYMPATHETIC. 13:24 I REMEMBER HEARING ONE TIME ABOUT A MAN THAT WAS IN A 13:26 HOSPITAL AND HE HAD HAD THIS SURGERY AND I GUESS IT WAS A 13:31 PAINFUL SURGERY AND THIS NURSE CAME IN THE ROOM AND SHE SAID, 13:35 'IT'S TIME TO CHANGE YOUR SHEETS!' 13:36 AND SHE'S THROWING THEM AROUND AND HE'S GROANING AND HOWLING 13:38 FROM THE PAIN AS SHE MOVES HIM. AND SHE CHANGES THE BED AND THEN 13:43 SHE WALKS OUT AND HE THOUGHT THAT SHE WAS PRETTY ROUGH. 13:46 NEXT DAY THE BED NEEDED TO BE CHANGED AGAIN AND THIS NURSE 13:49 CAME AND SHE WAS SO GENTLE AND SHE WAS SO KIND AND HE SAID, 13:53 'WOW, I'VE JUST GOT TO TELL YOU, THAT OTHER NURSE - SHE WAS 13:55 PRETTY MEAN - PRETTY ROUGH.' AND HE SAID, 'YOU'RE SO NICE. 13:59 BIG DIFFERENCE.' SHE SAID, 'WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHY.' SHE 14:01 SAID, 'I HAD THE SAME SURGERY YOU HAD. 14:04 I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL.' SUFFERING MAKES US SYMPATHETIC. 14:11 I HAD A PROCEDURE FROM A DOCTOR A LITTLE WHILE BACK THAT WAS 14:13 RATHER UNCOMFORTABLE. I WANTED TO ASK THE DOCTOR, 14:15 'HAVE YOU EVER HAD ANYONE DO THIS TO YOU?' (LAUGHTER) 'I BET 14:19 YOU'D BE A LITTLE GENTLER IF YOU HAD SOMEONE DO THIS TO YOU. 14:25 THAT'S TOO MUCH INFORMATION, ISN'T IT? 14:29 SUFFERING TEACHES US HOW TO PRAY. 14:31 SO THAT'S JUST LIKE A LIST OF EIGHT THINGS. 14:33 I'M SURE THERE'S MORE BUT THERE ARE BLESSINGS. 14:35 THERE ARE GOOD THINGS THAT COME FROM SUFFERING. 14:37 NONE OF US PRAYS FOR SUFFERING, BUT GOD, IN HIS LOVE, SOMETIMES 14:42 ALLOWS EVEN THOSE THAT HE CARES ABOUT TO SUFFER BECAUSE HE DOES 14:46 CARE. SO JOB CURSES THE DAY OF HIS BIRTH. 14:50 ELIPHAZ COMES OUT - CHAPTER 4 - AND HE STARTS TO BOX BACK. 14:56 "REMEMBER NOW, WHO EVER PERISHED BEING INNOCENT?" 14:59 - 'IF YOU'RE SUFFERING AND YOU'RE JUST ABOUT DYING, YOU'VE 15:01 DONE SOMETHING WRONG.' - "OR WHERE WERE THE UPRIGHT EVER CUT 15:04 OFF?" WELL, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THE 15:06 UPRIGHT ARE CUT OFF, ISN'T THAT RIGHT? 15:09 HE ALSO SAYS - ELIPHAZ GOES ON FOR SEVERAL CHAPTERS - JOB 5:17, 15:14 "BEHOLD, HAPPY IS THE MAN WHOM GOD CORRECTS;" - HE'S RIGHT, 15:17 THERE - "THEREFORE DO NOT DESPISE THE CHASTENING OF THE 15:20 ALMIGHTY. FOR HE BRUISES, BUT HE BINDS UP; 15:22 HE WOUNDS, BUT HIS HANDS MAKE WHOLE." 15:26 JOB, THEN, COMES OUT OF HIS CORNER - CHAPTER 7 - BY THE WAY, 15:29 THE NAME 'JOB' MEANS 'PERSECUTED' OR 'HATED'. 15:34 NOW, WE DON'T KNOW IF IT MEANT THAT BEFORE OR IF IT CAME TO 15:37 MEAN THAT BECAUSE OF WHAT HE WENT THROUGH. 15:39 JOB 7:17, "WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU SHOULD EXALT HIM, THAT YOU 15:43 SHOULD SET YOUR HEART ON HIM, THAT YOU SHOULD VISIT HIM EVERY 15:46 MORNING, AND TEST HIM EVERY MOMENT?" 15:48 JOB IS ASKING A BIG QUESTION: 'WHY DOES GOD SPEND ALL THIS 15:52 TIME ON MAN?' EVEN SHAKESPEARE SAID, 15:56 'WHAT A WONDER IS MAN'. YOU THINK ABOUT IT - HE'S MADE 15:59 US THE HEAD OF THE CREATION OF THIS WORLD - GOD HIMSELF. 16:02 THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE - HOW BIG IT IS - HOW 16:05 MANY UNFALLEN WORLDS THERE ARE. WHY WOULD GOD LEAVE ALL THAT, 16:09 BECOME A HUMAN, COME TO THIS WORLD TO SAVE THESE CREATURES? 16:12 HE DIDN'T COME TO SAVE GORILLAS. HE DIDN'T COME TO SAVE WHALES. 16:17 I MEAN, I LIKE ANIMALS TOO, BUT HE CAME TO SAVE PEOPLE. 16:22 >>AMEN. >>WHAT IS MAN? JOB IS SAYING 16:25 SOMETHING - DAVID QUOTES JOB. DID YOU KNOW THAT? DAVID 16:28 ACTUALLY QUOTES JOB IN PSALM 8, "WHAT IS MAN THAT YOU ARE 16:31 MINDFUL OF HIM AND THE SON OF MAN THAT YOU VISIT HIM? 16:34 FOR YOU HAVE MADE HIM A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS, AND YOU 16:36 HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR. YOU HAVE MADE HIM TO HAVE 16:39 DOMINION OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS 16:41 UNDER HIS FEET," - JOB ASKED THAT QUESTION. 16:44 WHAT IS MAN THAT YOU SHOULD EXALT HIM? 16:46 BY THE WAY, THAT WAS PSALM 8, VERSE 4. 16:49 JOB THEN GOES BACK TO HIS CORNER AND BILDAD COMES OUT IN CHAPTER 16:54 8, VERSE 3, "DOES GOD SUBVERT JUDGMENT? 16:57 OR DOES THE ALMIGHTY PERVERT JUSTICE?" 16:59 THERE'S A QUESTION: IS EVERYTHING GOD DOES JUST? 17:04 >>YES. >>IS EVERYTHING GOD DOES FAIR? 17:09 >>YES. AMEN. >>IS EVERYTHING FAIR? 17:18 ARE WE ALL BORN WITH THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES? 17:22 ARE WE ALL BORN WITH THE SAME IQ? 17:23 >>NO. >>ARE WE ALL BORN IN 17:26 THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES? SAME GOOD - NICE FAMILIES - 17:29 EVERYTHING NORMAL - NO BAGGAGE - NO PHYSICAL ADVERSITY. 17:34 IS LIFE ALWAYS FAIR? GOD IS JUST, BUT THIS WORLD IS A 17:40 WAR ZONE AND SO YOU WON'T ALWAYS SEE THAT EVERYTHING SEEMS FAIR. 17:45 NOW, OUR POLITICIANS PROMISE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE IT 17:47 ALL FAIR, BUT I SUSPECT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME DOING 17:51 THAT. SO JOB - SO BILDAD IS ASKING 17:54 THAT QUESTION AND HE GOES THROUGH HIS WHOLE POEM. 17:56 I CAN'T READ THAT WHOLE CHAPTER, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO READ IT. 17:58 HOW MANY OF YOU ARE READING THE BOOK OF JOB AS WE'RE GOING 18:00 THROUGH THIS? I'M HOPING SOME OF 18:01 YOU ARE LOOKING AT IT. WHAT A GREAT BOOK. 18:04 THIS IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR YOUR READING THE 18:06 BOOK. THEN JOB COMES OUT, AFTER BILDAD 18:11 - HE COMES BACK FROM HIS CORNER - JOB 9, VERSE 2, "...BUT HOW 18:15 CAN A MAN BE RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD?" 18:17 - CAN A MAN - THERE'S A QUESTION FOR YOU - ALL HAVE SINNED - I 18:22 THINK IT WAS ELIPHAZ THAT SAYS, 'MAN IS PRONE TO EVIL AS SPARKS 18:26 FLY UPWARD.' CAN A MAN BE RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD? 18:29 IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO BE RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD? 18:32 THERE IS. GOD HAS PROVIDED A WAY THAT WE 18:36 CAN BE RIGHTEOUS IN HIS SIGHT. JESUS HAS TOLD US TO SEEK 18:39 FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND WHAT? HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 18:44 JOB 10:9, "REMEMBER, I PRAY, THAT YOU HAVE MADE ME LIKE CLAY. 18:49 AND WILL YOU TURN ME INTO DUST AGAIN?" 18:51 THIS IS WHAT MOSES QUOTES IN GENESIS - 'ASHES YOU ARE AND 18:55 UNTO ASHES' - THE WORD IS THE SAME - DUST - CLAY - 'YOU SHALL 18:59 RETURN.' MAN IS - HE'S EXALTED MAN AND, YET, WE KNOW WHAT 19:05 HAPPENS WHEN YOU DIE, GIVEN A LITTLE TIME. 19:08 WE JUST RETURN BACK TO THE ELEMENTS OF THE EARTH. 19:12 BUT HERE WE ARE, 150 POUNDS OF CHEMICALS, THINKING, MOVING, 19:18 ALTERING THE FACE OF THE WORLD, WONDERING WHERE WE COME FROM AND 19:20 WHERE WE'RE GOING. CLAY THAT GOD 19:25 ANIMATED INTO LIFE. ZOPHAR, THEN, COMES OUT OF HIS 19:30 CORNER - JOB 11, "CAN YOU SEARCH OUT THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD? 19:34 CAN YOU FIND OUT THE LIMITS OF THE ALMIGHTY? 19:37 THEY ARE HIGHER THAN HEAVEN" - HE SAYS, 'JOB, YOU'RE TRYING TO 19:39 EXPLAIN GOD. HE'S BEYOND EXPLANATION.' - 19:41 WHICH IS TRUE - "WHAT CAN YOU DO? DEEPER THAN [HELL] SHEOL" - 19:45 IS THE WORD - "WHAT SHALL YOU KNOW?" 19:48 - THIS IS WHAT PAUL SAYS - ROMANS 11:33, "OH, THE DEPTH OF 19:52 THE RICHES BOTH OF THE WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE OF GOD! 19:54 HOW UNSEARCHABLE ARE HIS JUDGMENTS AND HIS WAYS PAST 19:58 FINDING OUT!" AND SO, SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE WONDERING, 20:01 'WHY DID THIS HAPPENED? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?' 20:05 HAVE YOU ALWAYS EVER TRIED TO ANALYZE WHEN GOOD THINGS 20:08 HAPPEN/BAD THINGS - WONDER, 'DID I DO SOMETHING TO CAUSE THIS?' 20:11 'DID I DO SOMETHING GOOD TO EARN THIS?' 20:13 'DID I DO SOMETHING BAD WHERE I'M BEING CHASTISED?' 20:17 YOU CAN'T ALWAYS SEARCH OUT THE REASON FOR EVERYTHING THAT'S 20:20 HAPPENING. SOMETIMES GOD'S WAYS ARE 20:23 MARVELOUS AND MYSTERIOUS. ISAIAH 55, "FOR AS THE HEAVENS 20:27 ARE HIGHER THAN THE EARTH, SO ARE MY WAYS HIGHER THAN YOUR 20:30 WAYS," - NOW THAT - ZOPHAR WAS MAKING THAT POINT. 20:34 HE GOES BACK TO HIS CORNER AND JOB COMES BACK OUT AND ANSWERS 20:36 AGAIN. YOU SEE HOW THEY'RE GOING BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH? 20:40 JOB SAYS, IN CHAPTER 14, "IF A MAN DIES, SHALL HE LIVE AGAIN?" 20:44 NOW THAT'S A BIG QUESTION. THIS MESSAGE IS ABOUT 20:47 THE GREAT QUESTIONS. "ALL THE DAYS OF MY HARD SERVICE 20:51 I WILL WAIT, TILL MY CHANGE COMES. 20:54 YOU SHALL CALL AND I WILL ANSWER YOU;" - THE LORD WILL DESCEND 20:57 FROM HEAVEN - "YOU SHALL DESIRE THE WORK OF YOUR HANDS." 21:02 SEE YOU JUMP TO VERSE - CHAPTER 19 HE TALKS ABOUT THIS AGAIN - 21:06 JOB 19:25, "FOR I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVES, AND HE SHALL 21:11 STAND AT LAST ON THE EARTH; AND AFTER MY SKIN IS DESTROYED, THIS 21:15 I KNOW, THAT IN MY FLESH I SHALL SEE GOD." 21:18 HOW WILL THAT BE IF, AFTER HIS FLESH IS DESTROYED, HE SEES HIM 21:21 AGAIN? GOD'S GOING TO GIVE 21:23 US NEW BODIES, AMEN. >>AMEN. 21:26 >>AFTER JOB DEALS WITH THIS QUESTION ABOUT 'WILL WE LIVE 21:29 AGAIN?' 'IS THIS ALL THERE IS?' ISN'T THAT A 21:32 QUESTION PEOPLE ASK? ELIPHAZ COMES OUT - CHAPTER 15 21:36 OF JOB, VERSE 14, "WHAT IS MAN, THAT HE COULD BE PURE? 21:41 AND HE WHO IS BORN OF A WOMAN, THAT HE COULD BE RIGHTEOUS? 21:44 IF GOD PUTS NO TRUST IN HIS SAINTS,"AND THAT WORD 'SAINTS' 21:47 THERE MEANS 'ANGELS' - THEY KNEW SOME ANGELS HAD FALLEN. 21:51 THAT'S HOW THE DEVIL ENTERS INTO THIS STORY - "AND THE HEAVENS 21:54 ARE NOT PURE IN HIS SIGHT, HOW MUCH LESS MAN, WHO IS ABOMINABLE 21:59 AND FILTHY, WHO DRINKS INIQUITY LIKE WATER!" 22:03 IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A MAN TO BE PURE? 22:06 JOB ASKED 'IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A MAN TO BE RIGHTEOUS?' 22:08 JESUS SAID, 'BLESSED ARE THE' - WHAT? 22:10 - 'THE PURE IN HEART'. SO IS IT POSSIBLE? 22:14 ONLY THROUGH THE LORD. JOB SAYS - AND THEY'RE GIVING 22:20 HIM A HARD TIME - THEY'RE SAYING, 'HOW ARE YOU - HOW 22:22 DARE YOU SAY YOU'RE PURE, JOB? NOBODY'S PURE. 22:25 YOU'RE SUFFERING BECAUSE OF YOUR WICKEDNESS.' JOB IS SAYING - I 22:30 JUST WANTED TO THROW THIS - IN CHAPTER 16 HE COMES BACK OUT AND 22:33 HIS RESPONSE, "I ALSO COULD SPEAK AS YOU DO, IF YOUR SOUL 22:36 WERE IN MY SOUL'S PLACE." - THAT MEANS, IF WE TRADED 22:40 PLACES - "I COULD HEAP UP WORDS AGAINST YOU, AND SHAKE MY HEAD 22:43 AT YOU; BUT I WOULD STRENGTHEN YOU WITH MY MOUTH AND THE 22:47 COMFORT OF MY LIPS WOULD RELIEVE YOUR GRIEF." 22:51 HE SAID, 'SOME FRIENDS YOU ARE. IF THE ROLES WERE REVERSED HERE, 22:54 I WOULDN'T BE TALKING ABOUT, 'WELL, YOU'RE GETTING WHAT 22:57 YOU DESERVE.' THAT'S NOT VERY ENCOURAGING TO A FRIEND WHO'S 23:00 SUFFERING.' BILDAD THE SHUHITE, HE COMES OUT THEN - THAT'S 23:07 CHAPTER 18 OF JOB - VERSE 15, "THEY DWELL IN HIS TENT WHO 23:11 ARE NONE OF HIS; BRIMSTONE IS SCATTERED ON HIS DWELLING." 23:14 - HE'S TALKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE WICKED - "HIS 23:16 ROOTS ARE DRIED OUT BELOW, AND HIS BRANCH WITHERS ABOVE." 23:19 - 'GOOD THINGS DON'T HAPPEN TO THE WICKED.' - JOB SAYS, 'YES 23:22 THEY DO.' MALACHI CHAPTER 4:1 - MALACHI'S QUOTING BILDAD WHEN HE 23:28 SAYS, "AND THE DAY WHICH IS COMING SHALL BURN THEM UP...THAT 23:31 WILL LEAVE THEM NEITHER ROOT NOR BRANCH." 23:33 - TALKING ABOUT THE ERADICATION OF THE WICKED. 23:35 I WAS PULLING WEEDS YESTERDAY AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU PULL 23:39 SOME WEEDS, IF YOU JUST PINCH OFF THE PARTS STICKING ABOVE THE 23:41 GROUND, IT'S GOING TO BE BACK IN A COUPLE OF DAYS, ESPECIALLY IN 23:44 THIS WEATHER. I'VE GOT TO STICK MY FINGERS 23:47 RIGHT DOWN IN THE DIRT AND GET THAT LITTLE HEART OF THE ROOT 23:49 BALL AND PULL IT UP AND THEN IT WON'T COME BACK. YOU GET RID OF 23:53 IT ROOT AND BRANCH. THE ONLY WAY TO PULL WEEDS. 23:56 CAN I GET AN 'AMEN'? >>AMEN. 23:59 >>I JUST WANT SOMETHING FROM YOU. 24:01 (LAUGHTER) JOB THEN COMES OUT - HE RESPONDS TO BILDAD - CHAPTER 24:06 19 - SEE, WE'RE MOVING RIGHT ALONG - "HOW LONG WILL YOU 24:10 TORMENT MY SOUL, AND BREAK ME IN PIECES" - HERE'S A QUESTION - 24:13 "WITH WORDS?" - THEY'RE BOXING WITH WORDS 24:16 - "THESE TEN TIMES YOU HAVE REPROACHED ME; YOU ARE NOT 24:19 ASHAMED THAT YOU HAVE WRONGED ME." 24:21 - HERE, YOU'RE MY FRIENDS, AND YOU'RE JUST HITTING ME RIGHT AND 24:24 LEFT AND TELLING ME I'M GETTING WHAT I DESERVE AND I NEED TO 24:26 'FESS UP BECAUSE OF MY WICKEDNESS. 24:29 JOB 19:21 - "HAVE PITY ON ME," 24:32 - YOU KNOW, I JUST PUT THIS IN HERE - I'M JUST TAKING SOUND 24:34 BITES FROM EACH CHAPTER, YOU REALIZE? 24:37 AND THIS ONE TOUCHED MY HEART - "HAVE PITY ON ME, HAVE PITY ON 24:41 ME," - HE SAID IT TWICE - "O YOU MY FRIENDS, FOR THE HAND OF GOD 24:45 HAS STRUCK ME!" - IF YOU SEE SOMEONE THAT'S BEEN 24:48 STRUCK DOWN BY CIRCUMSTANCES, SHOW THEM MERCY. 24:52 MAYBE THEY ARE GETTING WHAT THEY DESERVE. 24:56 YOU KNOW, DON'T YOU HATE IT WHEN YOU'RE SUFFERING BECAUSE OF A 25:00 MISTAKE YOU MADE AND SOMEONE REMINDS YOU THAT'S WHY YOU'RE 25:03 SUFFERING. MOST PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING 25:06 BECAUSE OF A BAD DECISION KNOW IT. 25:09 THEY DON'T NEED YOU TO TELL THEM. 25:12 SOMETIMES MY KIDS HAVE DONE THINGS THAT CAUSE PROBLEMS. 25:18 YOU KNOW, THEY CALL YOU AND THEY SAY, 'UH, DAD, CAR'S OUT OF GAS. 25:21 I'M ON THE ROAD.' AND I BRING THEM A CAN OF GAS. 25:27 DO I NEED TO TELL THEM, 'IF YOU'D WATCH YOUR GAS GAUGE, YOU 25:30 WOULDN'T RUN OUT OF GAS'? OR DID THEY KNOW 25:32 THAT AT THAT POINT? THEY ALREADY KNOW 25:33 THAT, DON'T THEY? 'YOU KNOW THAT IDIOT LIGHT THAT 25:36 COMES ON THAT DINGS THAT SAYS YOU'RE ALMOST OUT OF GAS?' 25:39 THEY DON'T NEED YOU TO TELL THEM THAT. 25:41 THE LESSON IS THAT THEY HAD TO CALL YOU AND ASK FOR HELP. 25:44 THEY ALREADY KNOW. NOW THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF 25:46 A THOUSAND TIMES, BUT WE STILL TELL THEM ANYWAY, DON'T WE? 25:52 (LAUGHTER) JUST IN CASE THEY'VE MISSED THE LESSON. 25:57 SO JOB SAYS, 'I'D ENCOURAGE YOU. 26:00 HAVE PITY ON ME.' "FOR THE HAND OF THE LORD HAS STRUCK ME!" 26:05 NOW WAS IT THE HAND OF THE LORD OR THE DEVIL? 26:09 SO JOB DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. 26:12 SOMETIMES, WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO US WE THINK, 'WHY IS 26:13 THE LORD DOING THIS?' MAYBE IT'S NOT THE LORD. 26:19 CAN THE LORD STRIKE PEOPLE? SOMETIMES THE DEVIL STRUCK 26:23 PEOPLE AND THEY DIED, AND SOMETIMES THE ANGEL OF THE LORD 26:26 STRUCK PEOPLE AND THEY DIED. GOD CAN SEND A STORM; THE DEVIL 26:32 CAN SEND A STORM - AS HE DID IN THE STORY OF JOB. AND THEN IT 26:38 SAYS - ZOPHAR, THE NAAMATHITE COMES OUT - CHAPTER 20, VERSE 4, 26:43 "DO YOU NOT KNOW THIS OF OLD, SINCE MAN WAS PLACED ON EARTH, 26:47 THAT THE TRIUMPHING OF THE WICKED IS SHORT, AND THE JOY OF 26:50 THE HYPOCRITE IS BUT FOR A MOMENT? THOUGH HIS HAUGHTINESS 26:53 MOUNTS UP TO THE HEAVENS, AND HIS HEAD REACHES TO THE CLOUDS, 26:56 YET HE WILL PERISH FOREVER LIKE HIS OWN REFUSE; THOSE WHO HAVE 26:59 SEEN HIM WITH SAY, 'WHERE IS HE?'" 27:01 IS IT TRUE THAT THE TRIUMPHING OF THE WICKED 27:04 IS ALWAYS SHORT? >>NO. 27:06 >>IS FIDEL CASTRO STILL ALIVE TODAY? 27:11 57 YEARS SO FAR, SINCE 1959 WHEN HE CAME INTO POWER THERE IN 27:16 CUBA, AND THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN SUFFERING UNDER HIS 27:19 LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNISM EVER SINCE. 27:22 I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN TO CUBA, BUT THEY DON'T 27:24 HAVE A LOT OF PROSPERITY THERE BECAUSE OF THEIR POLICIES. 27:26 SO IT ISN'T ALWAYS TRUE THAT THE WICKED - OR THE TRIUMPHING OF 27:33 THE WICKED IS SHORT. GOD IS VERY PATIENT. 27:36 WHO WAS THE LONGEST REIGNING KING OF JUDAH? 27:41 MANASSEH. WHO WAS THE WICKEDEST 27:45 KING OF JUDAH? >>MANASSEH. 27:47 >>MANASSEH. WHY DID GOD BEAR WITH 27:50 THAT WICKED KING SO LONG? HE DID TERRIBLE THINGS. 27:54 HE MADE HIS CHILDREN PASS THROUGH THE FIRE TO PAGAN GODS. 27:57 HE KILLED ISAIAH THE PROPHET AND HE LIVED - HE REIGNED 55 YEARS. 28:02 HE LIVED LONGER THAN THAT - I THINK HE WAS 12 WHEN HE CAME TO 28:06 THE THRONE. BUT, YOU KNOW, HE REPENTED AT 28:10 THE END OF HIS LIFE AND CAME BACK TO GOD. 28:15 SO WE DON'T KNOW WHY GOD IS WAITING SO LONG. 28:18 THERE MAY BE HOPE FOR FIDEL. (LAUGHTER) 28:22 THE POPE WENT TO VISIT HIM. (LAUGHTER) 28:25 LITTLE SARCASM, I'M SORRY. (LAUGHTER) 28:31 HE'S - OH, I THINK HE'S 89 OR 90 NOW. AND SO, HERE'S ANOTHER BIG 28:35 QUESTION: WHY DO THE WICKED SEEM TO PROSPER? 28:39 QUITE A BIT OF THE BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THAT. 28:41 JOB SPENDS A LOT OF TIME SAYING, 'IT'S NOT JUST BAD THINGS THAT 28:44 HAPPEN TO BAD PEOPLE. SOMETIMES GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO 28:46 BAD PEOPLE AND BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE. JOB SAYS, IN 28:53 THIS SECTION - YOU CAN READ IN JOB 21, VERSE 7, "WHY DO THE 28:58 WICKED LIVE AND BECOME OLD, YES, BECOME MIGHTY IN POWER? 29:01 THEIR DESCENDANTS ARE ESTABLISHED WITH THEM IN THEIR 29:03 SIGHT, AND THEIR OFFSPRING BEFORE THEIR EYES. 29:06 THEIR HOUSES ARE SAFE FROM FEAR, NEITHER IS THE ROD OF GOD UPON 29:09 THEM. THEIR BULL BREEDS WITHOUT 29:11 FAILURE; THEIR COW CALVES WITHOUT MISCARRIAGE." 29:15 - SO, YOU KNOW, THE BOOK OF JOB, IT'S AN AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY SO 29:18 THEY'RE MEASURING SUCCESS BY HOW THEIR FLOCKS ARE GROWING - "THEY 29:21 SEND FORTH THEIR LITTLE ONES LIKE A FLOCK, AND THEIR CHILDREN 29:23 DANCE." - DOES DAVID TALK ABOUT THIS? PSALM 73:3, "FOR I WAS 29:30 ENVIOUS OF THE BOASTFUL, WHEN I SAW THE PROSPERITY OF THE 29:35 WICKED." - ARE THERE SOME VERY RICH WICKED PEOPLE? 29:40 SO JUST BECAUSE A PERSON - THE DEVIL, SOMETIMES, CASTS 29:43 PROSPERITY IN A PERSON'S PATH TO TRIP THEM UP, BECAUSE IT'S HARD 29:47 FOR A RICH MAN TO GET INTO THE KINGDOM. 29:51 THOSE AREN'T MY WORDS, TAKE THAT UP WITH JESUS - "FOR THERE ARE 29:54 NO PANGS IN THEIR DEATH, BUT THEIR STRENGTH IS FIRM. 29:57 THEY ARE NOT IN TROUBLE AS OTHER MEN, NOR ARE THEY PLAGUED LIKE 29:59 OTHER MEN. THEREFORE PRIDE SERVES AS THEIR 30:02 NECKLACE; VIOLENCE COVERS THEM LIKE A GARMENT. THEIR EYES BULGE 30:05 WITH ABUNDANCE;" - YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A PERSON 30:07 THAT HE'S JUST SO FULL THEIR EYES ARE BUGGING OUT - "THEY 30:10 HAVE MORE THAN THEIR HEART COULD WISH. 30:12 THEY SCOFF AND SPEAK WICKEDLY CONCERNING OPPRESSION; THEY 30:15 SPEAK LOFTILY. THEY SET THEIR MOUTH AGAINST THE 30:17 HEAVENS, AND THEIR TONGUE WALKS THROUGH THE EARTH." 30:20 PSALM 37, VERSE 1, "DO NOT FRET BECAUSE OF EVILDOERS, NOR BE 30:24 ENVIOUS OF THE WORKERS OF INIQUITY. 30:27 FOR THEY SHALL SOON BE CUT DOWN" - WRITTEN BY THE SAME PERSON - 30:30 THEY'LL BE "CUT DOWN LIKE THE GRASS AND WHITHER AS THE GREEN 30:33 HERB. COMPARED TO ETERNITY, THEY DON'T HAVE LONG. 30:36 THEY MIGHT APPEAR TO BE PROSPEROUS. 30:39 YOU KNOW ONE REASON THE WICKED MAY APPEAR TO PROSPER AT TIMES? 30:42 THE DEVIL DOESN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEM. 30:46 HE'S GOT THEM. HE LEAVES THEM ALONE. 30:49 HE'LL MAKE THE LIFE OF THE LOST LOOK ATTRACTIVE. 30:52 THE DEVIL WANTS TO MAKE THE LIFE OF THE LOST LOOK ATTRACTIVE. 30:57 AND SO, YOU'LL SOMETIMES SEE PEOPLE OUT THERE, THEY SEEM TO 31:00 TOTALLY SCOFF AT GOD AND RELIGIOUS THINGS AND IT SEEMS 31:03 LIKE EVERYTHING'S GOING WELL FOR THEM. AND AS SOON AS YOU TRY TO 31:07 GET OUT OF EGYPT, THE PHARAOH TIGHTENS HIS GRIP AND ALL 31:10 OF THESE PLAGUES HAPPEN. WHENEVER A PERSON TRIES TO 31:12 ESCAPE THE DEVIL'S GRIP, THEN THEY'VE GOT ALL THESE TRIALS. 31:16 ISN'T THAT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ISRAELITES? JESUS SAID, 'YOU'LL 31:18 BE HATED OF ALL NATIONS FOR MY SAKE.' DOES THE LORD PROMISE 31:21 EVERYTHING GOES WELL FOR BELIEVERS? 'IF THEY PERSECUTED 31:24 ME' HE SAID, 'THEY'LL PERSECUTE YOU. ALL THAT LIVE GODLY WILL 31:27 SUFFER PERSECUTION.' IT ISN'T JUST GOOD THINGS HAPPENING TO 31:32 GOOD PEOPLE AND BAD THINGS HAPPENING TO BAD PEOPLE, THIS IS 31:35 ONE OF THE THINGS THE BOOK OF JOB IS TRYING TO TEACH US - IS 31:38 THERE'S A COMPLICATED WAR GOING ON BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. 31:42 ECCLESIASTES 8 - NOW HERE, SOLOMON REALLY GETS THE RIGHT 31:46 ANSWER - LISTEN CAREFULLY - ECCLESIASTES 8:11, "BECAUSE THE 31:50 SENTENCE AGAINST AN EVIL WORK IS NOT EXECUTED SPEEDILY, THEREFORE 31:57 THE HEART OF THE SONS OF MEN IS FULLY SET IN THEM TO DO EVIL." 32:02 WHAT HE'S SAYING IS, BECAUSE GOD IS GOOD AND HE'S PATIENT, AND 32:06 HE'S EVEN PATIENT WITH THE WICKED. 32:08 AND "BECAUSE THE SENTENCE AGAINST AN EVIL WORK IS NOT 32:11 EXECUTED SPEEDILY" - A LOOSE TRANSLATION IS 'BECAUSE 32:14 LIGHTNING DOES NOT ZAP A PERSON ON THE HEAD AS SOON AS THEY SIN, 32:18 THEY SAY, 'OH, I STOLE; I DIDN'T GET CAUGHT. 32:22 I GUESS I'LL STEAL AGAIN.' 'I CURSED GOD AND NOTHING HAPPENED. 32:26 I GUESS I'LL KEEP CURSING.' - OR WHATEVER THE SIN MIGHT BE. 32:31 AND THEY SAY, "BECAUSE SENTENCE AGAINST AN EVIL WORK IS NOT 32:34 EXECUTED SPEEDILY, THEREFORE THE HEART OF THE SONS OF MEN IS 32:37 FULLY SET IN THEM TO DO EVIL" - HE GOES ON, THOUGH, LISTEN - I'M 32:40 STILL READING ECCLESIASTES 8, NOW VERSE 12, "THOUGH A SINNER 32:44 DOES EVIL A HUNDRED TIMES, AND HIS DAYS ARE PROLONGED, YET I 32:49 SURELY KNOW THAT IT WILL BE WELL WITH THOSE WHO FEAR GOD, WHO 32:52 FEAR BEFORE HIM. BUT IT WILL NOT BE WELL WITH THE WICKED; NOR 32:57 WILL HE PROLONG HIS DAYS, WHICH ARE AS A SHADOW," - LIFE IS A 33:01 SHADOW, DAVID SAYS - "BECAUSE HE DOES NOT FEAR BEFORE GOD." 33:04 IT MAY LOOK, FOR A WHILE, LIKE THE WICKED ARE PROSPERING, BUT 33:09 JUST WAIT. IT'S NOT GOING TO GO ON FOREVER. 33:15 ISAIAH 57:21, "'THERE IS NO PEACE,' SAYS MY GOD, 'FOR THE 33:19 WICKED.'" AND A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE - A LOT OF THE WICKED 33:21 THAT LOOK LIKE THEY'RE PROSPERING - WOULD YOU WANT TO 33:24 BE HOWARD HUGHES FROM HOW HE LIVED 60 YEARS ON? 33:29 HE WAS MISERABLE. HE LIVED IN FEAR. 33:30 DO YOU KNOW, HE HAD ONE PILOT? HE LIVED IN SO MUCH FEAR THAT, 33:35 FOR A SIX-MONTH PERIOD, HOWARD HUGHES HAD A PRIVATE PILOT 33:37 FLY HIM TO A DIFFERENT HOTEL, THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHWEST, 33:40 ALMOST EVERY DAY. AND HE WAS AFRAID FOR HIS LIFE 33:45 AND HE'D STAY IN A HOTEL ROOM AND STAY UP ALL NIGHT WATCHING 33:47 MOVIES - JUST LIVING IN FEAR - A BILLIONAIRE! WHAT PROFIT IS IT 33:52 IF YOU GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD AND LOSE YOUR SOUL? 33:54 NO, THE WICKED DON'T PROSPER THAT MUCH. 33:58 ALRIGHT, AFTER JOB SAYS THAT, ELIPHAZ COMES OUT OF HIS CORNER 34:02 IN - JOB 22 - AND HE SAYS TO JOB, "IS NOT YOUR WICKEDNESS 34:06 GREAT, AND YOUR INIQUITY WITHOUT END?" 34:08 - THEY WON'T LET UP ON THE GUY. 34:10 THEY'RE SAYING, 'THIS IS HAPPENING TO YOU' - AND THEY'RE 34:12 LOOKING AT HIM - 'YOU'VE LOST EVERYTHING. 34:13 YOU'RE COVERED WITH SORES. YOUR FAMILY'S GONE. 34:15 YOUR WIFE REJECTED YOU. YOU SMELL BAD. 34:19 GOD'S PUNISHING YOU. YOUR WICKEDNESS IS GREAT. 34:22 'FESS UP JOB.' JOB THEN STEPS TO THE MICROPHONE - THEY GO BACK 34:27 AND FORTH - JOB 23, VERSE 10, "BUT HE KNOWS THE WAY THAT I 34:32 TAKE; WHEN HE HAS TESTED ME, I SHALL COME FORTH AS GOLD." 34:35 - THIS IS A TRIAL. PETER'S QUOTING JOB - 1 PETER 34:39 1:6 - "IN THIS YOU GREATLY REJOICE, THOUGH NOW FOR A LITTLE 34:42 WHILE," - DID JOB SUFFER FOREVER OR WAS IT FOR A LITTLE WHILE? 34:46 >>A WHILE. >>FOR A LITTLE WHILE. 34:48 JESUS WAS TEMPTED IN THE WILDERNESS; IT SAYS THAT SATAN 34:51 LEFT HIM FOR A SEASON. IT DOESN'T LAST - "IF NEED BE, 34:56 YOU HAVE BEEN GRIEVED BY VARIOUS TRIALS" - IF IT'S NEEDED - "THAT 34:59 THE GENUINENESS OF YOUR FAITH, BEING MUCH MORE PRECIOUS THAN 35:03 GOLD THAT PERISHES, THOUGH IT IS TESTED BY FIRE, MAY BE FOUND TO 35:07 PRAISE, HONOR, AND GLORY AT THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST." 35:10 AT THE END OF HIS TRIALS, THE GENUINENESS OF JOB'S FAITH 35:14 BROUGHT GLORY TO GOD AND IT BROUGHT SHAME TO THE DEVIL. 35:18 SO YOU DON'T KNOW. YOU MIGHT BE GOING THROUGH A 35:20 TRIAL AND ALL OF HEAVEN IS WATCHING SO THAT YOU CAN GIVE 35:22 GLORY TO GOD REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU. 35:25 >>AMEN. >>JOB 23:11, "MY FOOT HAS HELD 35:29 FAST TO HIS STEPS; I HAVE KEPT HIS WAY AND NOT TURNED ASIDE. 35:33 I HAVE NOT DEPARTED FROM THE COMMANDMENT OF HIS LIPS; I HAVE 35:36 TREASURED THE WORDS OF HIS MOUTH MORE THAN MY NECESSARY FOOD." 35:39 THIS IS AN INTERESTING VERSE. I LEARNED A LOT STUDYING 35:42 FOR THIS SERIES. ONE THING IS, 'THE WORDS OF HIS 35:46 MOUTH' - WAS ANY BIBLE WRITTEN YET WHEN HE HAD THIS EXPERIENCE? 35:50 >>NO. >>NO, BUT DID THEY 35:52 HAVE THE WORD OF GOD? >>YES. 35:54 >>IT WAS PASSED DOWN ORALLY BACK THEN. "I HAVE TREASURED THE 35:57 WORDS OF HIS MOUTH MORE THAN MY NECESSARY FOOD." 36:00 DIDN'T JESUS SAY, 'MAN DOES NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE BUT BY EVERY 36:03 WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD'? 36:07 JEREMIAH SAYS, 'I FOUND HIS WORDS AND I DID EAT THEM' - 36:11 TALKING ABOUT THE WORD OF GOD LIKE FOOD. 36:13 JOB FINISHES; BILDAD COMES OUT IN VERSE - CHAPTER 25, BILDAD 36:18 THE SHUHITE - VERSE 4, "HOW THEN CAN MAN BE RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD? 36:23 OR HOW CAN HE BE PURE THAT IS BORN OF A WOMAN?" 36:26 - THIS IS A REPEAT OF WHAT WAS SAID BEFORE - "IF EVEN THE MOON 36:29 DOES NOT SHINE, AND THE STARS ARE NOT PURE IN HIS SIGHT, HOW 36:32 MUCH LESS MAN, WHO IS A MAGGOT, AND THE SON OF MAN, WHO IS A 36:36 WORM?'" NOW, JOB GOES ON UNTIL CHAPTER 32, AND SOMETHING VERY 36:44 INTERESTING COMES UP - I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER. 36:47 I CAN GIVE YOU SOME IDEAS AND I INVITE YOUR - YOUR SUGGESTIONS, 36:51 YOUR IDEAS - YOU STUDY IT AND YOU TELL ME. 36:52 OUT OF THE BLUE A FOURTH FRIEND APPEARS - A FOURTH CHARACTER - 36:58 HIS NAME IS ELIHU - CHAPTER 32 OF JOB - JOB HAD ENDED HIS 37:03 WORDS, YOU CAN SEE, IT BEGINS BY SAYING "THE WORDS OF JOB ARE 37:06 ENDED." CHAPTER 32, "SO THESE THREE MEN 37:10 CEASED ANSWERING JOB, BECAUSE HE WAS RIGHTEOUS IN HIS OWN EYES. 37:14 THEN THE WRATH OF ELIHU, THE SON OF BARACHEL THE BUZITE," - AND 37:19 YOU CAN FIND WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT 'HUZ' AND 'BUZ' - HE'S 37:21 EVIDENTLY A DESCENDANT OF BUZ, WHICH WOULD BE THE BUZITES. 37:25 THE WERE HONEY MAKERS. I MADE THAT UP. I DON'T KNOW THAT. 37:28 (LAUGHTER) "ELIHU, THE SON OF BARACHEL THE BUZITE, OF THE 37:33 FAMILY OF RAM, WAS AROUSED AGAINST JOB; HIS WRATH WAS 37:38 AROUSED BECAUSE HE JUSTIFIED HIMSELF RATHER THAN GOD. 37:41 ALSO AGAINST HIS THREE FRIENDS HIS WRATH WAS AROUSED, BECAUSE 37:44 THEY HAD FOUND NO ANSWER, AND YET HAD CONDEMNED JOB. 37:48 NOW BECAUSE THEY WERE YEARS OLDER THAN HE, ELIHU HAD WAITED 37:52 TO SPEAK TO JOB." - SOME PEOPLE HAVE SAID, 'OH, 37:55 THIS WAS THE HOLY SPIRIT.' WELL, IT SAYS HE'S A MAN, IT SAYS HE'S 37:57 A FRIEND, IT SAYS HE'S YOUNG, SO I THINK HE'S A REAL PERSON. 38:00 THEY WERE SITTING THERE AND - SOME HAVE WONDERED IF ELIHU WAS 38:04 THE ONE WHO ACTUALLY WROTE THE TRANSCRIPT OF WHAT EVERYONE IS 38:08 SAYING. NOW, KEEP IN MIND, THESE PEOPLE 38:10 LIVED HUNDREDS OF YEARS BACK THEN. 38:12 THEIR MINDS WERE MUCH SHARPER THAN OURS ARE TODAY. 38:14 THEY HAD ALMOST PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIES TO REMEMBER ORATORY. 38:18 THEY DID NOT GO AROUND WITH EARBUDS IN THEIR HEADS HEARING 38:21 MUSIC BLARING ALL DAY LONG SO THEIR BRAINS WERE FRIED AND THEY 38:24 COULDN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING. WHEN PEOPLE SPOKE BACK THEN, 38:27 THAT WAS THE ENTERTAINMENT. AND THEY HAD BETTER MEMORIES. 38:29 AND SO THEY HAD - HE EITHER WROTE THIS DOWN - THEY DID HAVE 38:33 WRITING BECAUSE JOB TALKS IN HIS BOOK ABOUT 'THOUGH IT WAS 38:36 WRITTEN' SOMETHING WAS WRITTEN, AND SO THEY - THERE WAS WRITING, 38:40 CERTAINLY, BACK THEN. ELIHU MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE WRITER. 38:43 HE TAKES UP SEVERAL CHAPTERS AND THEY SIT AND THEY LISTEN TO HIM. 38:47 HE'S VERY ELOQUENT. HE'S A YOUNG MAN, BUT HE'S A BRIGHT YOUNG 38:50 MAN. MOST OF WHAT HE SAYS IS RIGHT ON. 38:53 SO ELIHU, HE'S SORT OF A MYSTERY CHARACTER, BUT HE GOES ON AND - 39:00 I DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ ALL THAT HE SAYS. 39:02 HE SPENDS QUITE A BIT OF TIME SAYING, 'JOB, LISTEN TO ME' - IN 39:05 VERSE 10, "THEREFORE I SAY, 'LISTEN TO ME, I WILL ALSO 39:07 DECLARE MY OPINION. INDEED I WAITED FOR YOUR WORDS, 39:10 I LISTENED TO YOUR REASONINGS," - NOW ONE THING YOU NOTICE HERE, 39:13 THE RESPECT FOR AGE IN THE BOOK OF JOB. 39:16 JOB TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE RESPECT THAT THEY HAD FOR AGE. 39:20 THIS FELLOW SAT THROUGH 31 CHAPTERS. 39:25 HE'S GOT VERY STRONG OPINIONS, BUT BECAUSE THE ELDERS ARE 39:28 SPEAKING, HE DOESN'T SAY A WORD. HE WAITS UNTIL THEY'RE ALL 39:31 DONE BEFORE HE SAYS ANYTHING. TODAY, THEY KEEP INTERRUPTING. 39:38 THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME ATTITUDE ABOUT ELDERS AND 39:41 PARENTS BACK THEN THAT THEY HAVE NOW. 39:43 THEY USED TO HONOR THEIR PARENTS. 39:46 I HEARD SOMEONE ASKED A FATHER, THEY SAID, 'DO YOU EVER STRIKE 39:52 YOUR CHILD?' HE SAYS, 'ONLY IN SELF-DEFENSE.' 39:55 (LAUGHTER) "LEST YOU SAY" - VERSE 13, CHAPTER 32 - "'WE HAVE 40:07 FOUND WISDOM'; GOD WILL VANQUISH HIM, NOT MAN. 40:11 NOW HE HAS NOT DIRECTED HIS WORDS AGAINST ME; SO I WILL NOT 40:14 ANSWER HIM WITH YOUR WORDS. THEY ARE DISMAYED AND ANSWER NO 40:18 MORE;" - HE SAID -"WORDS ESCAPE THEM. 40:20 AND I HAVE WAITED, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT SPEAK, BECAUSE THEY 40:23 STOOD STILL AND ANSWERED NO MORE. 40:24 I ALSO WILL ANSWER MY PART," - HE'S TAKING A WHOLE CHAPTER TO 40:27 EXPLAIN WHY HE'S GOING TO SAY SOMETHING. 40:28 (LAUGHTER) "INDEED MY BELLY IS LIKE WINE THAT HAS NO VENT; 40:34 [FERMENTING WINE] IT IS READY TO BURST LIKE NEW WINESKINS." 40:36 - YOU EVER WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING SO BAD YOU JUST FEEL 40:38 LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO EXPLODE? PAUL SAID, 'WOE UNTO ME IF I 40:41 PREACH NOT CHRIST.' HE HAD SOMETHING HE HAD TO SAY. 40:43 SO HE GOES ON NOW FOR SEVERAL CHAPTERS AND HE TALKS ABOUT THE 40:49 RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD AND HOW HE DEALS WITH MAN AND - OH, YOU 40:55 KNOW, I'VE GOT TO LEAVE OUT SO MUCH BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT 40:58 POSSIBLE TO READ ALL THESE CHAPTERS. 41:02 IN CHAPTER 34, "ELIHU FURTHER ANSWERED AND SAID: 'HEAR MY 41:06 WORDS YOU WISE MEN; GIVE EAR TO ME, YOU WHO HAVE KNOWLEDGE. 41:09 FOR THE EAR TESTS WORDS AS THE PALATE TASTES FOOD. 41:12 LET US CHOOSE JUSTICE FOR OURSELVES; LET US KNOW AMONG 41:15 OURSELVES WHAT IS GOOD. FOR JOB HAS SAID, 'I AM 41:18 RIGHTEOUS, BUT GOD HAS TAKEN AWAY MY JUSTICE; SHOULD I 41:21 LIE CONCERNING MY RIGHT? MY WOUND IS INCURABLE, THOUGH I 41:24 AM WITHOUT TRANSGRESSION.' WHAT MAN IS LIKE JOB, WHO DRINKS 41:27 SCORN LIKE WATER, WHO GOES IN COMPANY WITH THE WORKERS OF 41:30 INIQUITY, AND WALKS WITH WICKED MEN? 41:33 FOR HE HAS SAID, 'IT PROFITS A MAN NOTHING THAT HE SHOULD 41:35 DELIGHT IN GOD.'" HE IS NOW ACCUSING JOB, LIKE HIS FRIENDS - 41:38 "THEREFORE LISTEN TO ME, YOU MEN OF UNDERSTANDING: FAR BE IT FROM 41:41 GOD TO DO WICKEDNESS, AND FROM THE ALMIGHTY TO COMMIT INIQUITY. 41:45 FOR HE REPAYS MAN ACCORDING TO HIS WORK, AND MAKES MAN TO FIND 41:48 A REWARD ACCORDING TO HIS WAY." IS IT TRUE THAT GOD REWARDS 41:52 PEOPLE ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS? >>ULTIMATELY. 41:55 >>ULTIMATELY, YEAH IT IS. IN THE GREAT JUDGMENT EVERY MAN 41:59 IS REWARDED ACCORDING TO HIS WORK. 42:02 I'M GOING TO JUMP ON HERE BECAUSE I THINK WE OUGHT TO GIVE 42:05 GOD A CHANCE TO SPEAK. GO TO CHAPTER 38 - JOB NEVER 42:13 SPEAKS IN RESPONSE TO ELIHU, HE LISTENS. 42:19 AND THEN, FINALLY, THE LORD INTERRUPTS - CHAPTER 38. 42:22 NOW THESE FELLOWS HAVE BEEN TALKING ALL DAY AND, AT THE END 42:25 OF THE DAY, GOD SPEAKS. THIS ALL HAPPENS IN ONE DAY, 42:28 WHEN YOU ADD UP THE TIME IT WOULD TAKE TO READ THESE. 42:32 AND GOD SPEAKS FROM A WHIRLWIND AND HE SAYS, "WHO IS THIS WHO 42:37 DARKENS COUNSEL BY WORDS WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE?" 42:40 NOW WE DON'T KNOW - WHO'S HE TALKING TO? 42:43 GOD MAY BE TALKING TO ALL THREE OF THEM. 42:45 HE - THEY'RE ALL STILL SITTING THERE. 42:46 "WHO IS THIS WHO DARKENS COUNSEL BY WORDS WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE?" 42:50 - SOUNDS LIKE, YOU KNOW, MUCH OF WHAT'S ON TV - WORDS WITHOUT 42:53 KNOWLEDGE - "NOW PREPARE YOURSELF LIKE A MAN; I WILL 42:57 QUESTION YOU," - NOW HE'S ADDRESSING JOB - "AND YOU SHALL 43:00 ANSWER ME. WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I LAID THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE 43:03 EARTH? TELL ME, IF YOU HAVE UNDERSTANDING. 43:06 WHO DETERMINED ITS MEASUREMENTS? SURELY YOU KNOW! 43:09 OR WHO" - IS THAT GOD BEING A LITTLE SARCASTIC? 43:12 (LAUGHTER) "OR WHO STRETCHED THE LINE UPON IT? 43:16 TO WHAT WERE ITS FOUNDATIONS FASTENED? 43:19 OR WHO LAID ITS CORNERSTONE, WHEN THE MORNING STARS SANG 43:21 TOGETHER, AND ALL THE SONS OF GOD SHOUTED FOR JOY?" 43:24 THESE ARE THE WATCHING ANGELS THAT WERE AT THE MEETING AT THE 43:26 BEGINNING OF THE BOOK OF JOB - "OR WHO SHUT IN THE SEA WITH 43:30 DOORS, WHEN IT BURST FORTH AND ISSUED FROM THE WOMB; WHEN I 43:33 MADE THE CLOUDS ITS GARMENT, AND THICK DARKNESS ITS SWADDLING 43:36 BAND; WHEN I FIXED MY LIMIT FOR IT, AND SET BARS AND DOORS; WHEN 43:41 I SAID, 'THIS FAR YOU MAY COME, BUT NO FARTHER, AND HERE YOUR 43:45 PROUD WAVES MUST STOP!'" AND GOD GOES ON NOW FOR 43:49 SEVERAL CHAPTERS AND HE'S ASKING THESE QUESTIONS ABOUT CREATION, 43:53 ABOUT THE MOUNTAINS, ABOUT THE ANIMALS - AND HE MENTIONS A 43:58 COUPLE OF VERY INTERESTING ANIMALS. HE MENTIONS ONE CALLED 44:02 'THE BEHEMOTH' AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF SPECULATION ABOUT WHAT 44:07 WAS THIS CREATURE? BECAUSE IT DESCRIBES A CREATURE 44:09 THAT - BEHEMOTH - IT'S BIG - HE'S SAYING THE GREATEST OF 44:12 GOD'S WORKS - THE CHIEF OF HIS WORKS - GREAT CREATURE. 44:15 IT'S NOT AN ELEPHANT - IT SAYS IT'S GOT A TAIL LIKE A CEDAR 44:18 TREE - ELEPHANTS HAVE A LITTLE ROPE TAIL. 44:22 IT TALKS ABOUT IT BEING IN THE MARSHES, SLEEPING UNDER THE 44:25 WILLOWS, AND SOME - IT'S SAID ITS POWER IS IN ITS THIGHS. 44:31 IT TALKS ABOUT ITS HIND LEGS - AND DINOSAURS, IF YOU'VE SEEN 44:35 THEM, THEIR HIND LEGS WERE MUCH BIGGER THAN THEIR FRONT LEGS AND 44:38 SOME OF THEM HAD TAILS LIKE A CEDAR AND A NUMBER OF BIBLE 44:42 SCHOLARS HAVE WONDERED IF THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF DINOSAURS 44:45 LIVING CONTEMPORANEOUSLY WITH MAN AND GOD IS ASKING JOB, 44:49 'WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE BEHEMOTH?' 44:51 AND THEN HE TALKS ABOUT THE LEVIATHAN. 44:52 I'LL SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE LEVIATHAN NEXT WEEK. 44:55 AND SO, BASICALLY, GOD IS TALKING ABOUT THE BIGNESS OF THE 44:57 WORLD - THE BIGNESS OF THE SEA - THE BIGNESS OF THE CREATURES - 45:00 THE MYSTERY OF THE CREATURES - AND HE'S SAYING, 'HOW CAN YOU 45:06 SAY YOU UNDERSTAND THE WAYS OF GOD?' 45:09 HE SAID, 'I'M SO MUCH GREATER THAN YOU.' AND JOB, HE HEARS GOD 45:14 TALKING, JOB ANSWERED - GO TO CHAPTER 42, VERSE 1, "THEN JOB 45:17 ANSWERED THE LORD AND SAID: 'I KNOW THAT YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING, 45:21 AND THAT NO PURPOSE OF YOURS CAN BE WITHHELD FROM YOU." 45:24 - MATTER OF FACT, JOB ANSWERS IN CHAPTER 40 ALSO - I JUMPED OVER 45:28 THAT - "MOREOVER THE LORD ANSWERED JOB, AND SAID: "SHALL 45:30 THE ONE WHO CONTENDS WITH THE ALMIGHTY CORRECT HIM?" 45:33 - VERSE 3 - "THEN JOB ANSWERED THE LORD AND SAID: 'BEHOLD, I AM 45:35 VILE; WHAT SHALL I ANSWER YOU? I LAY MY HAND OVER MY MOUTH. 45:40 ONCE I HAVE SPOKEN, BUT I WILL NOT ANSWER; YES, TWICE, BUT I 45:43 WILL PROCEED NO FURTHER.'" THEN THE LORD ANSWERED JOB FROM THE 45:47 WHIRLWIND AND SAID, "NOW PREPARE YOURSELF LIKE A MAN; I WILL 45:50 QUESTION YOU, AND YOU SHALL ANSWER ME.'" - YOU'VE BEEN 45:52 ASKING QUESTIONS - CHAPTER 42 - HE SAYS, "I KNOW THAT YOU CAN DO 45:56 EVERYTHING AND THAT NO PURPOSE OF YOURS CAN BE WITHHELD...YOU 46:02 ASKED, 'WHO IS THIS WHO HIDES COUNSEL WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE?' 46:04 THEREFORE I HAVE UTTERED WHAT I DID NOT UNDERSTAND, THINGS TOO 46:07 WONDERFUL FOR ME, WHICH I DID NOT KNOW." 46:10 YOU KNOW, FRIENDS, ONE OF THE IMPORTANT LESSONS FROM THE BOOK 46:12 OF JOB? TRUST GOD WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. 46:16 >>AMEN. >>JUST TRUST THE LORD. 46:18 DON'T TRY AND HAVE AN ANSWER FOR EVERYTHING - "THINGS TOO 46:22 WONDERFUL FOR ME...LISTEN, PLEASE, AND LET ME SPEAK; YOU 46:25 SAID, 'I WILL QUESTION YOU, AND YOU SHALL ANSWER ME.' I HAVE 46:28 HEARD OF YOU BY THE HEARING OF THE EAR, BUT NOW MY EYES SEE 46:32 YOU." - THE LORD APPEARS TO JOB IN THIS WHIRLWIND - "THEREFORE I 46:35 ABHOR MYSELF, AND REPENT IN DUST AND ASHES." 46:39 NOW, YOU NOTICE, ALL THROUGH THE BOOK - THIS IS SOMETHING OF A 46:41 MYSTERY. DOES GOD EVER SAY JOB DID ANYTHING WRONG? 46:45 >>NEVER. >>DOES JAMES REFER TO 46:48 THE PATIENCE OF JOB? >>YES. 46:50 >>DOES EZEKIEL REFER TO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF JOB? 46:52 >>YES. >>HE DOES. 46:55 GOD HONORS JOB AS A RIGHTEOUS MAN AT THE END OF THE BOOK - 46:57 TELLS JOB TO PRAY FOR HIS FRIENDS - CALLS HIM A RIGHTEOUS 47:00 MAN AT THE BEGINNING - SAYS TO THE DEVIL, 'HAVE YOU CONSIDERED 47:02 MY SERVANT JOB? HE'S JUST AND UPRIGHT.' BUT WHEN JOB SEES GOD 47:07 - ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT - HE SAYS, 'I REPENT IN 47:10 DUST AND ASHES.' YOU SEE, IT'S - IS IT WRONG FOR - WELL, LET ME 47:18 PUT IT DIFFERENTLY- IF MICHAEL JORDAN SAYS, 'I'M A GOOD 47:23 BASKETBALL PLAYER' IS IT BRAGGING? 47:26 >>NO. >>IF HE SAID HE'S NOT A GOOD 47:29 BASKETBALL PLAYER, IT'S NOT HUMILITY, IT'S LYING, RIGHT? 47:34 >>RIGHT. >>HE'S AN INCREDIBLE BASKETBALL 47:37 PLAYER - AT LEAST HE WAS. I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S KEPT UP 47:39 WITH IT. WHEN JOB IS DEFENDING HIS 47:42 RIGHTEOUSNESS, HE'S NOT DOING IT OUT OF SELF OR PHARISAISM OR 47:46 PRIDE, HE IS SAYING, 'I HAVE LIVED FOR GOD.' 47:50 HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER WHEN HEZEKIAH WAS DYING? 47:52 ISAIAH SAID, 'YOU'RE GONNA DIE. SET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER.' 47:54 HEZEKIAH TURNS HIS FACE TO THE WALL, HE STARTS TO 47:56 PRAY, AND HE CRIES. HE SAYS, 'LORD, PLEASE REMEMBER 47:59 NOW HOW I HAVE FOLLOWED YOU AND I HAVE KEPT YOUR COMMANDMENTS 48:01 AND I HAVE SERVED YOU.' AND GOD SAID, 'YOU KNOW, YEAH, YOU HAVE. 48:05 AND SO, I'M GOING TO HEAR YOUR PRAYER AND I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU 48:07 15 MORE YEARS.' WAS HEZEKIAH LYING? WAS HE BRAGGING? 48:13 OR WAS HE SAYING, 'GOD, I'VE SERVED YOU. 48:16 I'VE LOVED YOU.' AND SO THIS IS ALL THAT JOB IS DOING WHEN HE'S 48:19 DEFENDING HIMSELF THROUGH THE BOOK. 48:20 HE'S SAYING, 'NO, GOD IS NOT PUNISHING ME FOR MY WICKEDNESS. 48:24 I'VE LIVED FOR GOD TO THE BEST OF MY HUMAN ABILITY.' SO NOW HE 48:29 SEES GOD AND HE SAYS, 'I REPENT IN DUST AND ASHES.' "AND SO IT 48:33 WAS, AFTER THE LORD HAD SPOKEN THESE WORDS" - WE'RE ALMOST DONE 48:37 - "THAT THE LORD SAID TO ELIPHAZ THE TEMANITE, 'MY WRATH IS 48:41 AROUSED AGAINST YOU'" - ELIPHAZ MUST HAVE BEEN THE OLDEST - HE 48:43 ADDRESSES HIM - "'MY WRATH IS AROUSED AGAINST YOU AND YOUR TWO 48:46 FRIENDS,'" - WAIT, WHAT ABOUT ELIHU? 48:49 HE ONLY ADDRESSES THE THREE OF THEM - NOTICE - "'FOR YOU HAVE 48:53 NOT SPOKEN OF ME WHAT IS RIGHT, AS MY SERVANT JOB HAS.'" NOW, 48:56 WHAT DID HE SAY ABOUT WHAT JOB SAID? 48:58 'YOU'VE NOT SPOKEN RIGHT LIKE MY SERVANT JOB HAS.' IN GETTING 49:03 READY FOR THIS SERMON, I LISTENED TO SOME OTHER 49:04 PREACHERS, AND ON PREACHER WAS SAYING HOW BAD JOB WAS. 49:07 I SAID, 'THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M GETTING FROM THIS. 49:09 GOD SAID JOB SPOKE WHAT WAS RIGHT.' "NOW THEREFORE, TAKE FOR 49:12 YOURSELVES SEVEN BULLS AND SEVEN RAMS, GO TO MY SERVANT JOB, AND 49:16 OFFER UP FOR YOURSELVES A BURNT OFFERING; AND MY SERVANT JOB 49:19 SHALL PRAY FOR YOU." - THIS MAN WHO YOU THOUGHT WAS 49:22 SO WICKED - HE'S GOING TO BE YOUR PRIEST. 49:26 "LEST I DEAL WITH YOU ACCORDING TO YOUR FOLLY; BECAUSE YOU HAVE 49:29 NOT SPOKEN OF ME WHAT IS RIGHT, AS MY SERVANT JOB HAS." 49:33 DOESN'T THAT SETTLE IT FOR EVERYBODY? 49:36 THAT'S THE WORD OF GOD, RIGHT? "SO ELIPHAZ THE TEMANITE AND 49:40 BILDAD THE SHUHITE AND ZOPHAR THE NAAMATHITE WENT AND DID AS 49:42 THE LORD COMMANDED THEM; FOR THE LORD HAD ACCEPTED JOB. 49:48 AND THE LORD RESTORED" - HE NEVER MENTIONS ELIHU - DIDN'T 49:51 SAY PRAY FOR ELIHU - HE'S A MYSTERY - "AND THE LORD RESTORED 49:56 JOB'S LOSSES WHEN HE PRAYED FOR HIS FRIENDS. 50:00 INDEED THE LORD GAVE JOB TWICE AS MUCH AS HE HAD BEFORE. 50:04 THEN ALL HIS BROTHERS, ALL HIS SISTERS, AND ALL THOSE WHO HAD 50:07 BEEN HIS ACQUAINTANCES BEFORE, CAME TO HIM AND ATE FOOD WITH 50:10 HIM IN HIS HOUSE; AND THEY CONSOLED HIM AND COMFORTED HIM 50:14 FOR ALL THE ADVERSITY THAT THE LORD HAD BROUGHT UPON HIM." 50:16 THESE FRIENDS LEFT, THEY SAID, 'GOD SPOKE TO JOB. 50:19 WE HEARD THAT JOB WAS JUST AND HE DIDN'T DESERVE WHAT 50:23 HAPPENED.' AND WORD GOT OUT THAT JOB WAS STILL HOLY AND EVERYONE 50:26 THEN FELT VINDICATED TO COME AND SEE JOB; OTHERWISE THEY THOUGHT 50:28 HE HAD A CURSE ON HIM. AND THEY ALL CAME AND THE LORD - 50:32 AND THEY ALL GAVE HIM A PIECE OF SILVER AND EACH A RING OF GOLD. 50:37 THIS CONTRIBUTES TO HIS WISE INVESTMENT OF THAT, WHICH, 50:40 AGAIN, DOUBLES HIS INCREASE. "NOW THE LORD BLESSED THE LATTER 50:44 DAYS OF JOB MORE THAN HIS BEGINNING;" - I DON'T KNOW HOW 50:48 HE COULD BE BLESSED MORE, BUT HE DOUBLED HIS ANIMALS - "FOR HE 50:52 HAD FOURTEEN THOUSAND SHEEP," - INSTEAD OF SEVEN - "SIX THOUSAND 50:55 CAMELS," - INSTEAD OF THREE - "ONE THOUSAND YOKE OF OXEN," 50:58 INSTEAD OF FIVE HUNDRED - "AND ONE THOUSAND FEMALE DONKEYS. 51:03 HE ALSO HAD SEVEN SONS AND THREE DAUGHTERS." 51:07 AND SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT THE BOOK OF JOB. 51:10 UNLIKE THE REST OF THE BIBLE, IT DOESN'T NAME HIS SONS, BUT IT 51:14 GIVES THE NAMES OF HIS DAUGHTERS. I'LL TELL YOU WHY 51:17 NEXT WEEK. GOTTA COME BACK. THERE'S MORE. AND IT SAYS THE 51:26 NAMES OF HIS DAUGHTERS: JEMIMAH, KEZIAH, AND THE NAME OF THE 51:30 THIRD WAS KEREN-HAPPUCH" - KAREN'S NAME IS IN THE BIBLE. 51:33 (LAUGHTER) DOUG IS IN THE BIBLE TOO, DID YOU KNOW THAT? 51:37 ISAAC DUG THE WELLS OF HIS FATHER. 51:38 (LAUGHTER) IT'S JUST SPELLED DIFFERENTLY. 51:41 AND THEN ALL - AND THEN IT COMMENTS ON HIS DAUGHTERS. 51:44 IT SAYS, "IN ALL THE LAND WERE FOUND NO WOMEN SO BEAUTIFUL AS 51:48 THE DAUGHTERS OF JOB; AND THEIR FATHER GAVE THEM AN INHERITANCE 51:52 AMONG THEIR BROTHERS." - VERY INTERESTING - "AFTER THIS 51:57 JOB LIVED ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY YEARS," - BEYOND THIS - "AND SAW 52:01 HIS CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN FOR FOUR GENERATIONS. 52:06 SO JOB DIED, OLD AND FULL OF DAYS." 52:09 NOW, WHEN YOU THINK OF JOB - ARE YOU ALL WITH ME? 52:12 WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE THIS OFF FOR A SECOND. 52:15 IF I SAY, 'WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OF JOB?' 52:19 MOST OF YOU WOULD SAY, 'OH, NO.' (LAUGHTER) BUT OUT OF THE 52:24 TWO-HUNDRED-PLUS YEARS THAT JOB LIVED, HOW LONG DID HE SUFFER? 52:31 A FEW MONTHS. WE DON'T KNOW, BUT IT MAY HAVE 52:34 BEEN, YOU KNOW, TWO MONTHS - IF YOU ADD IT UP - AND THE 52:38 DISCOURSE ALL HAPPENED IN ONE DAY. 52:41 DIDN'T SEEM LIKE IT WAS VERY LONG BETWEEN ONE TRIAL AND 52:44 ANOTHER. WE GO THROUGH TRIALS, BUT WHEN 52:48 YOU LOOK AT THE LIFE OF JOB, IS IT A CURSED LIFE OR 52:50 IS IT A BLESSED LIFE? IT'S ABUNDANTLY BLESSED. 52:53 NOW, WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH TRIALS, IT FEELS LIKE IT'LL LAST 52:55 FOREVER, BUT YOU WAIT. IF YOU KEEP TRUSTING GOD, HE'LL 52:59 GENERALLY BRING US OUT THE OTHER SIDE OR HE GIVES US GRACE, AMEN? 53:04 NOW THE BIG THING THAT THE BOOK OF JOB IS DEALING WITH HERE IS 53:08 THAT WE MAY NOT KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT WE CAN TRUST THE 53:11 LORD. >>AMEN. 53:12 >>YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD THE STORY ABOUT AUGUSTINE, THAT 53:15 GREAT THEOLOGIAN, HE WAS TRYING TO COMPREHEND THE MIND OF GOD 53:19 AND THE TRINITY AND THESE BIG CONCEPTS. HE WAS WALKING ALONG A 53:21 BEACH MEDITATING ONE DAY AND WHILE HE WAS WALKING HE SAW 53:25 THERE WAS A CHILD PLAYING AT THE EDGE OF THE WATER. 53:27 THIS LITTLE CHILD HAD A SEASHELL THAT HE RAN DOWN INTO THE WATER 53:31 AND HE SCOOPED UP SOME OF THE WATER AND HE RAN BACK UP ON THE 53:33 SHORE AND HE POURED THE WATER BACK DOWN THIS LITTLE CRAB HOLE. 53:36 AND THEN HE RAN BACK AGAIN AND HE SCOOPED SOME MORE WATER IN 53:38 THE SHELL AND RAN BACK AND POURED IT DOWN THE CRAB HOLE. 53:41 AND HE WATCHED THE PERSISTENCE OF THIS CHILD AND HE WAS 53:43 OVERCOME WITH CURIOSITY AND AUGUSTINE WENT UP TO HIM AND 53:45 SAID, 'CHILD, WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING?' 53:48 HE SAID, 'OH MISTER, YOU SEE ALL THAT WATER OUT THERE? 53:50 I'M GOING TO PUT IT IN THE HOLE.' (LAUGHTER) AND THE LORD 53:54 SPOKE TO AUGUSTINE AND SAID, 'FOR YOU TO COMPREHEND GOD IS 53:58 LIKE THAT CHILD TRYING TO FIT THE OCEAN IN THAT CRAB HOLE.' 54:02 AND THERE'S JUST SO MUCH THAT WE WON'T KNOW AND THE BOOK OF JOB 54:05 IS SAYING, 'TRUST ME. I LOVE YOU. I AM JUST. AND I'LL REDEEM 54:09 YOU.' AND WE'RE GOING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JOB - THE OVERRIDING 54:14 THEME - WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT JESUS 54:16 IN THE BOOK OF JOB. I BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW 54:18 JESUS WAS IN THERE. NEXT WEEK. (MUSIC) 54:30 >>TODAY'S SMART PHONES ARE A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE OF 54:33 INFORMATION THAT FITS IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND. 54:36 IT'S A GOOD THING WE HAVE OPPOSABLE THUMBS! 54:38 WITH IT YOU CAN BUY YOUR GROCERIES, TAKE CARE OF YOUR 54:41 EXERCISE REGIME, WATCH A VIDEO, LISTEN TO MUSIC, YOU CAN SURF 54:45 THE INTERNATIONAL WORLD-WIDE WEB, WHICH MAY NOT ALWAYS BE A 54:49 GOOD THING. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE IS MORE 54:51 COMPUTER PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY AND POWER IN A LITTLE SMART 54:55 PHONE TODAY THAN WAS USED BY NASA TO PUT A MAN ON THE MOON. 54:59 AND I ALMOST FORGOT, YOU CAN ALSO USE THESE TO MAKE A PHONE 55:02 CALL, BUT WHO DOES THAT ANYMORE? TODAY COMMUNICATION IS 55:06 NOT IN COMPLETE SENTENCES. IT'S ALL ABOUT SHORT MESSAGE 55:09 SERVICING OR SMS TEXTING. THAT'S RIGHT, THERE ARE ABOUT 55:14 2.5 BILLION PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TODAY THAT ARE COMMUNICATING 55:18 WITH THEIR FELLOW HUMANS IN SHORT BYTES CALLED TEXTING. 55:21 THAT'S MORE DATA THAT IS BEING USED THAN THOSE WHO ARE SURFING 55:24 THE WEB OR EVEN PLAYING VIDEO GAMES. 55:27 AND, FRIENDS, NOWHERE IS THIS MORE TRUE THAN RIGHT HERE IN THE 55:29 PHILIPPINES. EVEN THOUGH THE PHILIPPINES HAS 55:31 ABOUT 100 MILLION PEOPLE, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LARGEST 55:35 NUMBER OF TEXT MESSAGES OF ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. 55:38 THEY'RE THE TWELFTH-LARGEST COUNTRY, BUT THEY SEND 400 55:42 MILLION TEXT MESSAGES EVERY DAY. WOW, THAT'S A LOT 55:46 OF FINGER FATIGUE. EVEN THOUGH THE GREATEST NUMBER 55:49 OF TEXTERS IS HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES, THE RECORD FOR THE 55:52 FASTEST TEXTER IN THE WORLD IS FROM BRAZIL. A YOUNG MAN BY THE 55:55 NAME OF MARCEL FERNANDES FILHO - HE WAS ABLE TO TEXT 25 VERY 56:00 COMPLICATED WORDS IN A LITTLE MORE THAN 18 SECONDS. 56:03 WOW, IT TAKES ME LONGER THAN THAT TO JUST SAY 'I LOVE YOU' TO 56:06 MY WIFE AND PRESS SEND. ALL THUMBS. 56:11 ONE OF THE NEAT THINGS ABOUT TEXTING IS YOU CAN TEXT JUST 56:13 ABOUT ANYWHERE. IF YOU'RE SURROUNDED WITH PEOPLE 56:15 AND YOU WANT TO SEND A PERSONAL MESSAGE, YOU TEXT. 56:17 YOU'RE IN A CROWDED SUBWAY OR AN AIRPORT, YOU CAN TEXT. 56:20 IF YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY NOISE OR NOSEY PEOPLE, YOU CAN TEXT - 56:24 JUST DON'T TEXT WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING. 56:26 THAT'S WHAT'S SO WONDERFUL, FRIENDS, YOU CAN ALWAYS TEXT GOD 56:29 A MESSAGE OF PRAYER FROM YOUR HEART. WHEN YOU'RE WONDERING 56:33 'WHAT SCHOOL DO I GO TO?' 'WHAT JOB DO I TAKE?' 56:35 'WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO DATE THAT MAY BE A FUTURE LIFE PARTNER?' 56:39 YOUR PRAYERS DON'T HAVE TO BE LONG. 56:40 THE SHORTEST PRAYER IN THE BIBLE IS THREE WORDS - WHEN PETER 56:43 PRAYED, 'LORD SAVE ME.' AND JESUS ANSWERED HIS PRAYER. 56:47 IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW FAST YOU CAN TEXT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO 56:49 GOD, HE'LL KNOW WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR AND HEAR YOUR PRAYER 56:52 BEFORE YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO SAY 'AMEN' AND PRESS THE SEND 56:55 BUTTON. IN FACT, FRIENDS, YOU'LL BRING 56:57 JOY TO GOD WHEN YOU SEND HIM REGULAR MESSAGES FROM YOUR HEART 57:01 TO HIS. SO WHY DON'T YOU TALK TO HIM RIGHT NOW? (MUSIC) 57:16 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? YOU DON'T HAVE TO 57:20 WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING, 57:23 VISIT THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY AT 'AFTV.ORG'. 57:29 AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY VIDEO AND AUDIO PRESENTATIONS AS 57:34 WELL AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 57:38 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. 57:41 VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 57:47 >>DID YOU KNOW THAT NOAH WAS PRESENT AT THE BIRTH OF ABRAHAM? 57:50 OKAY, MAYBE HE WASN'T IN THE ROOM, BUT HE WAS ALIVE AND 57:54 PROBABLY TELLING STORIES ABOUT HIS FLOATING ZOO. 57:57 FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO THE LAST-DAY EVENTS OF 58:00 REVELATION, 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM' IS A FREE RESOURCE WHERE YOU CAN 58:04 EXPLORE MAJOR BIBLE EVENTS AND CHARACTERS. ENHANCE YOUR 58:08 KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE AND DRAW CLOSER TO GOD'S WORD. 58:11 GO DEEPER. VISIT 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM'. 58:18 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2019-11-12