Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021647A
00:01 >>LET'S FACE IT, IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING
00:03 YOU READ IN THE BIBLE. WITH OVER 700,000 WORDS 00:07 CONTAINED IN 66 BOOKS, THE BIBLE CAN GENERATE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. 00:11 TO GET BIBLICAL STRAIGHTFORWARD ANSWERS CALL IN TO BIBLE ANSWERS 00:15 LIVE - A LIVE NATIONWIDE CALL-IN RADIO PROGRAM WHERE YOU CAN TALK 00:19 TO PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR AND ASK HIM YOUR MOST DIFFICULT BIBLE 00:22 QUESTIONS. FOR TIMES AND STATIONS IN YOUR AREA, OR TO 00:25 LISTEN TO ANSWERS ONLINE, VISIT BAL.AMAZINGFACTS.ORG . 00:35 >>AMAZING FACTS, CHANGED LIVES. 00:46 >>I WAS HEADING SOUTH ON INTERSTATE 5. 00:49 THIS COMMERCIAL COME ON KFBK RADIO ABOUT A REVELATION SEMINAR 00:53 BY AMAZING FACTS. I BEGAN - MY CHEST BEGAN TO TIGHTEN UP. 00:57 I BEGAN SWEATING PROFUSELY. I HAD DIFFICULTY IN BREATHING. 01:03 THERE WAS THIS BIG REST AREA AND, AT THIS TIME, I PULLED INTO 01:06 THERE. I THOUGHT 'WELL, MAYBE I'M HAVING A HEART ATTACK.' 01:09 I GOT OUT OF MY TRUCK, WALKED INTO THE MEN'S RESTROOM THERE, 01:13 AND PUT COLD WATER ON MY FACE, AND THEN FINALLY THINGS 01:16 SUBSIDED. A WEEK LATER, AGAIN, I HEARD 01:19 THIS AMAZING FACTS COMMERCIAL COME ON THE RADIO. 01:22 IN FACT, THE MEETINGS WERE GOING TO START THAT VERY NIGHT - THIS 01:24 - AND, AGAIN, IMMEDIATELY I HAD THESE SAME SYMPTOMS. 01:28 I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T MY HEART. 01:30 I HAVE TO GO TO THAT MEETING. AND, AS I WAS GOING DOWN TO 01:33 SACRAMENTO, I DECIDED TO PARK AND GO INSIDE. 01:37 WELL, I GOT IN AND WALKED INTO THE FURTHERMOST REAR SEAT THEY 01:42 HAD IN THE PEW THERE. AND THIS PARTICULAR EVANGELIST, 01:49 HIS NAME WAS KIM KJAER. IT WAS LIKE TAKING ONE LAYER 01:52 OFF AT A TIME OF AN ONION. HE LAID IT OUT SO PERFECTLY THAT 01:56 WE COULD ALL UNDERSTAND IT. AND I WAS REALLY MOTIVATED. 01:59 I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. WELL, I FINISHED - I 02:01 DIDN'T MISS A MEETING. IN FACT, ON THE FIFTH NIGHT THEY 02:05 HAD AN ALTAR CALL AND MY KNEES STOOD RIGHT UP AND I WALKED 02:09 FORWARD AND I GAVE MY HEART TO JESUS CHRIST. 02:12 I'VE LEARNED, THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE THING, THAT WHEN YOU - 02:15 WHEN YOU LEAVE THE DEVIL'S TERRITORY, HE GETS PRETTY ACTIVE 02:19 IN CAUSING A LOT OF PROBLEMS. WELL, I HAD THE EVANGELIST COME 02:24 OUT AND THEY HAD PRAYER WITH ME ABOUT MY BUSINESS. 02:27 I WOULD FIND A SICK BUSINESS AND MAKE IT WELL AND THEN MARKET IT. 02:33 I FINALLY ENDED UP WITH A BUSINESS THAT I ENJOYED THAT WAS 02:36 ONE THAT WAS BUILDING EQUESTRIAN CENTERS. 02:39 AND THEY SAID TO ME, 'STEVE,' HE SAID, 'YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GOING 02:42 TO REALLY KEEP THE SABBATH YOU'VE GOT TO SHUT YOUR DOORS ON 02:44 THE SABBATH.' WELL, I DID AND SO I SOLD THE 02:48 BUSINESS TO MY BROTHER. IT TOOK ME 22 YEARS TO BUILD 02:51 THAT BUSINESS AND HE LOST IT IN 33 MONTHS. 02:55 MY SON, WHO WAS MY BUSINESS PARTNER, I'D BEEN GIVING HIM TEN 02:58 PERCENT OF THE BUSINESS EVERY YEAR. 03:01 HE THOUGHT I'D JUST FALLEN OFF THE BRIDGE. 03:05 MY SON DIDN'T TALK TO ME FOR FIVE AND A HALF YEARS. 03:09 AND THEN A FEW OTHER THINGS HAPPENED. 03:11 I HAD AN EX-EMPLOYEE LIVING IN MY GUEST HOUSE - HE KIND OF 03:14 WATCHED AFTER OUR PLACE - AND HE SAID, 'STEVE,' HE SAID, 'THERE'S 03:18 AN ALLIED MOVING VAN BACKED UP TO YOUR FRONT DOOR IN YOUR 03:21 HOME.' I SAID, 'YOU'RE KIDDING!' I SAID, 'WHAT DO YOU MEAN?' 03:25 HE SAID, 'THEY'RE MOVING EVERYTHING OUT OF YOUR HOUSE 03:27 INTO THIS TRUCK AND YOUR WIFE IS OUT THERE SUPERVISING THEM.' AND 03:32 WHEN I WENT HOME AND OPENED THE FRONT DOOR, MY VOICE ECHOED IN 03:35 THAT HOUSE. THERE WASN'T ANY FURNITURE LEFT ANYWHERE. 03:37 THERE WAS ONE BED LEFT IN THE HOUSE. 03:40 I KNEW MY WIFE WAS UPSET BECAUSE OF MY COMING TO THIS CHURCH, BUT 03:45 I HAD NO IDEA THAT SHE WOULD MOVE OUT LIKE THIS - THAT WAS A 03:48 TOTAL SHOCK TO ME. IT WAS SOME TIME THERE - I 03:51 LOCKED MYSELF IN THE BEDROOM AND I BEGAN READING THE BIBLE. 03:55 I SPENT ABOUT A HALF A YEAR JUST EVERY NIGHT, GETTING HOME AND I 03:59 WOULD STUDY. IT ALLOWED ME TO HAVE A PERSONAL 04:03 RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST. WELL, TO MAKE A LONG STORY 04:06 SHORT, I MET CRYSTAL, AND SHE WAS A GODLY WOMAN. 04:11 THAT WAS THE LORD'S DOING, NOT MINE, AND HE WAS JUST THERE TO 04:14 LET ME KNOW, 'I'M WITH YOU ALL THE WAY. 04:17 EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME TRIALS AND YOU'RE GOING TO 04:19 HAVE SOME HARDSHIPS, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I'LL BE WITH YOU.' 04:23 BECAUSE, NO MATTER WHAT I DO NOW, HE IS MY LEADER. 04:28 HE'S THE LEADER OF MY MARRIAGE. HE'S THE LEADER OF 04:30 EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE TODAY. THAT ONE MEETING WITH THE 04:33 AMAZING FACTS SEMINAR CHANGED MY ENTIRE LIFE AND, TO THIS DAY, 04:38 I'M STILL ON FIRE FOR GOD - I'M STILL WITNESSING TO MY 04:41 NEIGHBORS. MY NAME IS STEVE JOHNSON AND 04:44 IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU THAT AMAZING FACTS HAS CHANGED MY LIFE. 04:48 (MUSIC) 05:05 >>FRIENDS, IF YOU'RE SCARED OF SNAKES, THIS MAY NOT 05:08 BE FOR YOU. I'M HERE AT A REPTILE PARK 05:11 OUTSIDE OF DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, AND I'M HOLDING MY FRIEND 05:14 HERE WHO'S A RED-TAIL BOA. SNAKES ARE FOUND ALL OVER THE 05:18 WORLD AND THEY COME IN ALL SIZES. 05:20 SNAKES CAN BE FOUND THROUGH THE TREES, THEY CRAWL ON THE GROUND, 05:23 THEY LIVE UNDER THE GROUND, AND THEY SWIM IN THE WATER - VERY 05:27 INTERESTING CREATURES. SOME SNAKES ARE VENOMOUS - NOT 05:31 MY FRIEND HERE, BUT THE BLACK MAMBA - VERY POISONOUS. 05:35 MATTER OF FACT, THEIR BITE IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE KISS OF 05:38 DEATH. THEY CAN GROW 15-FEET LONG AND 05:40 CAN TRAVEL UP TO SEVEN MILES AN HOUR. 05:42 THEY DON'T CALL THEM BLACK MAMBAS BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF 05:44 THEIR SKIN, BUT THE INTERIOR OF THEIR MOUTH IS BLACK. 05:48 SNAKES ALSO COME IN ALL SIZES, LIKE THIS BOA OR PYTHON - THEY 05:52 CAN GROW TO GREAT SIZES. MATTER OF FACT, IN SOUTH 05:54 AMERICA, THEY FOUND SOME FOSSILS OF A SNAKE THAT THEY 05:58 CALL 'TITANIBOA'. THEY BELIEVE IT WAS AS BIG AS 06:01 50-FEET LONG AND WEIGHED AS MUCH AS A CAR. SAY 'CHEESE'. 06:07 A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SCARED OF SNAKES. I USED TO LIVE IN A 06:09 MOUNTAIN IN A CAVE AND I RAN INTO SNAKES FREQUENTLY. 06:11 THEY NEVER BOTHERED ME UNLESS I WAS BOTHERING THEM. 06:14 IN THE BIBLE, THE SNAKE IS OFTEN A SYMBOL OF THE DEVIL. 06:17 IN REALITY, IT'S JUST A SYMBOL - THEY'RE ANIMALS LIKE OTHER 06:20 ANIMALS, BUT IT SAYS THEY WERE CURSED TO GO UPON THEIR BELLY 06:23 BECAUSE THEY WERE THE FIRST MEDIUM THAT THE DEVIL USED TO 06:26 TEMPT ADAM AND EVE. 06:27 IN THE BOOK OF NUMBERS, CHAPTER 21, IT TELLS THE STORY OF HOW, 06:30 WHEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE GOING THROUGH THE WILDERNESS, 06:33 THEY BEGAN TO COMPLAIN ABOUT GOD'S MANNA, AND IT SAYS THE 06:36 LORD ALLOWED THESE FIERY SERPENTS TO GO AMONG THE PEOPLE 06:40 AND MANY WERE BITTEN - AND THE VENOM WAS DEADLY. 06:43 I SHOULD PROBABLY MENTION, AT THIS POINT, THAT BREAD THEY WERE 06:45 COMPLAINING ABOUT IS A SYMBOL FOR THE WORD OF GOD. 06:48 AS MANY OF THE PEOPLE WERE DYING FROM THIS PLAGUE OF SERPENTS, 06:51 THEY WENT UNTO MOSES AND THEY SAID, 'WHAT SHALL WE DO?' 06:54 GOD TOLD MOSES TO MAKE A BRONZE SERPENT AND PUT IT ON A POLE AND 06:57 LIFT IT UP, THAT WHOEVER LOOKED UPON THE SERPENT THEY WOULD BE 07:01 HEALED OF THEIR VENOM. THIS IS WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE 07:04 JESUS SAYS, IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN CHAPTER 3, VERSES 14 AND 07:08 15, "AND AS MOSES LIFTED UP THE SERPENT IN THE WILDERNESS, EVEN 07:12 SO MUST THE SON OF MAN BE LIFTED UP, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM 07:17 SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE." THEY NEEDED TO 07:20 LOOK AND TO LIVE. YOU SEE, THOSE ANCIENT 07:23 SHEPHERDS, WHEN THEY WOULD KILL A VENOMOUS SNAKE, THEY WOULD 07:25 CARRY IT OFF ON THEIR STAFF AND BURY IT. 07:28 SO, A SERPENT ON A POLE REPRESENTED A DEFEATED SNAKE. 07:32 IT'S TALKING ABOUT DEFEATING THE DEVIL, FRIENDS. 07:35 HAVE YOU BEEN BITTEN BY THE SERPENT? WE ALL HAVE. 07:37 THE ONLY CURE FOR THE VENOM OF SATAN IS TO LOOK IN FAITH AT 07:41 JESUS. HE, THEN, DEFEATED A DEVIL. 07:44 HE TOOK THE VENOM OF SIN IN HIS BODY TO PROVIDE THE ANTIDOTE IN 07:48 HIS BLOOD. SO, FRIENDS, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO 07:50 LOOK TODAY AND LIVE. (MUSIC) 08:14 >>IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT 08:16 CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP AND THAT'S WHY THE MESSAGE TODAY IS DEALING 08:20 WITH STOLEN TREASURE OR OPEN BLESSINGS. 08:23 NOW, WHAT I'M GOING TO READ TO YOU IS A POEM, BUT I UNDERSTAND 08:28 THE POEM IS BASED UPON A TRUE STORY. 08:31 YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THIS BEFORE, IT'S CALLED THE COOKIE 08:34 SCROUNGER . THE WOMAN ARRIVED AT AN AIRPORT 08:39 ONE NIGHT WITH HOURS TO KILL BEFORE HER LONG FLIGHT. 08:43 SHE HUNTED FOR A BOOK IN THE AIRPORT SHOP, BOUGHT A BAG OF 08:47 COOKIES AND FOUND A PLACE TO DROP. 08:50 ENGROSSED IN HER BOOK, SHE HAPPENED TO SEE THAT A MAN WAS 08:53 SITTING BY HER AS BOLD AS COULD BE, HE GRABBED A COOKIE OR TWO 08:57 FROM THE BAG IN BETWEEN. WHEN SHE TRIED TO IGNORE THIS TO 09:01 AVOID A SCENE, SHE MUNCHED ON HER COOKIES WHILE WATCHING THE 09:05 CLOCK, WHILE THE DARING COOKIE THIEF DIMINISHED HER STOCK. 09:10 SHE WAS GETTING MORE OUTRAGED AS THE MINUTES TICKED BY THINKING, 09:13 'IF I WASN'T SO NICE, I'D BLACKEN HIS EYE.' WITH EACH 09:17 COOKIE SHE TOOK, HE TOOK ONE TOO, WHEN ONLY ONE WAS LEFT, SHE 09:21 WONDERED WHAT HE'D DO. WITH A SMILE ON HIS FACE AND AN 09:24 AWKWARD LAUGH, HE TOOK THE LAST COOKIE AND BROKE IT IN HALF. 09:28 HE OFFERED HER ONE AS HE ATE THE OTHER SHE SNATCHED IT FROM HIM 09:33 AND THOUGHT, 'OH BROTHER! THIS GUY HAS SOME NERVE AND 09:36 HE IS SO RUDE, HE ATE HALF MY COOKIES WITH NO GRATITUDE.' 09:40 SHE NEVER REMEMBERED BEING SO GALLED AND SIGHED WITH RELIEF 09:43 WHEN HER FLIGHT WAS CALLED. SHE GATHERED HER THINGS AND 09:47 STORMED TO THE GATE, REFUSING TO GLANCE AT THE THIEVING INGRATE. 09:52 SHE BOARDED THE PLANE AND SANK IN HER SEAT AND DUG FOR HER 09:54 BOOK, WHICH WAS ALMOST COMPLETE. AS SHE REACHED IN HER BAG, SHE 09:58 GASPED WITH SURPRISE, THERE WERE HER COOKIES IN FRONT OF HER 10:02 EYES. IF MINE ARE ALL HERE, SHE MOANED 10:06 IN DESPAIR, THE OTHERS WERE HIS AND HE TRIED TO SHARE. 10:11 (LAUGHTER) TOO LATE TO REPENT, SHE REALIZED WITH GRIEF, THAT 10:19 SHE WAS THE RUDE ONE, THE SCROUNGER, THE THIEF. 10:23 (LAUGHTER) THERE SHE WAS, PLOPPED DOWN, SAW THAT BRAND OF 10:29 COOKIES SHE HAD JUST BOUGHT AND THOUGHT SHE HAD OPENED THEM AND 10:32 STARTING EATING THEM AND DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THEY WERE HIS. 10:37 YOU EVER SAT DOWN AT A RESTAURANT OR SOME PLACE, YOU 10:40 KNOW, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL LIKE DRINKS AND YOU DRINK FROM 10:42 SOMEONE ELSE'S CUP BECAUSE YOU JUST GOT YOUR RIGHT AND YOUR 10:45 LEFT MIXED UP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? 10:48 AND YOU ALWAYS FEEL BAD BECAUSE YOU THINK, 'OH, I STOLE YOURS. 10:52 I DIDN'T MEAN TO. I'M SORRY.' JUST - YOU KNOW, 10:54 WE'RE ALL WIRED TO KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING MORALLY WRONG WITH NOT 10:58 RESPECTING SOMEONE ELSE'S RIGHTS OF PROPERTY. 11:02 AND ONE OF THE VERY IMPORTANT FOUNDATIONS OF ANY SUCCESSFUL 11:06 COUNTRY IS THAT PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO OWN THINGS. 11:10 WE DON'T BELIEVE IN COMMUNISM, BUT IT MUST BE DISCONCERTING TO 11:15 DISCOVER THAT YOU'VE BEEN STEALING AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW IT. 11:21 ROMANS 2, VERSE 21 - PAUL SAID, "YOU, THEREFORE, WHO TEACH 11:24 ANOTHER, DO YOU NOT TEACH YOURSELF? 11:27 YOU WHO PREACH THAT A MAN SHOULD NOT STEAL, DO YOU STEAL?" 11:31 AND HERE THIS WOMAN WAS SO INDIGNANT THAT THIS MAN WAS 11:33 STEALING HER COOKIES AND, IN REALITY, SHE WAS STEALING HIS, 11:36 BUT SHE DIDN'T KNOW IT. NOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT 11:41 A STORY THAT YOU FIND IN THE OLD TESTAMENT TODAY - WE'LL BE 11:44 JUMPING AROUND A LITTLE BIT, BUT PRINCIPALLY, IF YOU TURN IN YOUR 11:47 BIBLES TO THE BOOK OF JOSHUA - JOSHUA CHAPTER 6 - AND I'LL BE 11:53 GIVING YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND: THIS IS TELLING THE MIRACULOUS 11:57 STORY ABOUT THE - THE FALL OF JERICHO AND HOW GOD GAVE HIS 12:02 PEOPLE VICTORY OVER JERICHO IN A DRAMATIC WAY. 12:06 AND, YOU REMEMBER, THE LORD GAVE GENERAL JOSHUA SOME PLANS NO 12:10 GENERAL EVER HAD BEFORE - 'I WANT YOU TO MARCH WITH THE MEN, 12:13 CIRCLE THE CITY ONCE FOR SIX DAYS, BLOW THE TRUMPETS, DON'T 12:19 UTTER A WORD, AND THEN GO BACK TO CAMP.' 12:22 EACH DAY THEY'D GO OUT, THEY'D CIRCLE THE CITY, THEY'D STOMP, 12:25 THE MEN WOULDN'T SAY A WORD, THE PRIESTS WOULD JUST BLOW ON THESE 12:28 SEVEN TRUMPETS. AND THEN HE SAID, 'NOW, ON THE 12:31 SEVENTH DAY, I WANT YOU TO GO MARCH AROUND THE CITY SEVEN 12:34 TIMES ON THE SEVENTH DAY AND, ON THE LAST TIME, WHEN YOU GET THE 12:36 SIGNAL, BLOW THE TRUMPETS.' AND FINALLY THE MEN WOULD 12:39 BE ALLOWED TO SHOUT. AND YOU CAN READ HERE IN JOSHUA 12:44 6:15, "BUT IT CAME TO PASS ON THE SEVENTH DAY THAT THEY ROSE 12:48 EARLY, ABOUT THE DAWNING OF THE DAY, AND MARCHED AROUND THE CITY 12:51 SEVEN TIMES IN THE SAME MANNER." - AS THEY HAD DONE ON THE SIX 12:53 EARLIER DAYS - "ON THAT DAY ONLY THEY MARCHED AROUND 12:57 THE CITY SEVEN TIMES." AND, IF YOU CAN READ HERE IN 13:01 JOSHUA 6, VERSE 18, IT SAYS WHEN THEY BLEW THE TRUMPETS AND THEY 13:06 WERE TO CAPTURE THE CITY, THEY WERE NOT TO BE TAKING 13:10 ANY OF THE SPOILS. YOU CAN READ IN JOSHUA 6:20, 13:14 "SO THE PEOPLE SHOUTED WHEN THE PRIESTS BLEW THE TRUMPETS. 13:18 AND IT HAPPENED WHEN THE PEOPLE HEARD THE SOUND OF THE TRUMPET, 13:21 AND THE PEOPLE SHOUTED WITH A GREAT SHOUT, THAT THE WALL FELL 13:24 DOWN FLAT. THEN THE PEOPLE WENT UP INTO THE 13:26 CITY, EVERY MAN STRAIGHT BEFORE HIM," - AS THEY SURROUNDED THE 13:29 CITY, THE WALL FELL, YOU COULD ENTER THE CITY FROM ANY SIDE. 13:32 IT WAS A MIRACLE - THEY ALL SAW IT. THE WALL FELL DOWN FLAT. 13:37 MATTER OF FACT, BEFORE I GO TOO FAR, I OUGHT TO JUST TELL YOU, 13:40 THERE'S A SPIRITUAL ANALOGY HERE WE SHOULD NOT MISS. THE WAY YOU 13:43 SAY 'JOSHUA' IN GREEK IS 'JESUS'. JESUS' NAME WAS 13:49 'YASHUA' - GREEK IS - JESUS IS SORT OF A GREEK PRONUNCIATION OF 13:54 THAT. JOSHUA CAME INTO THE PROMISED LAND, TRUMPETS BLEW, 14:03 THE CITY OF THE WICKED WAS DESTROYED. ONLY THOSE IN THE 14:06 HOUSE OF RAHAB, WITH A RED ROPE, WERE SPARED. 14:09 YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY LEFT EGYPT, ONLY THOSE IN A HOUSE WITH THE 14:12 BLOOD ABOVE THE DOOR WERE SPARED AND, WHEN THEY - THAT WAS THE 14:16 JEWS - NOW, FORTY YEARS LATER, WHEN THEY ENTERED THE PROMISED 14:18 LAND, IT'S GENTILES AND ONLY THOSE IN THE HOUSE WITH BLOOD 14:21 [RED] ARE SPARED WHEN JOSHUA COMES AND THE TRUMPETS BLOW. 14:24 AND THERE'S A SHOUT. 14:26 DOES THE BIBLE TELL US WHEN JESUS COMES THERE'S GOING TO BE 14:28 A TRUMPET, THERE'S GOING TO BE A SHOUT, AND HE IS GOING TO RESCUE 14:31 HIS OWN AND HIS WORLD IS GOING TO BE GIVEN TO DESTRUCTION? 14:35 I JUST WANT YOU TO HAVE - THIS IS A BIGGER PICTURE - IT'S NOT 14:37 JUST AN OLD TESTAMENT STORY, THIS IS A FUTURE STORY. 14:41 SO THE PEOPLE SHOUTED - THE WALLS FELL. 14:44 NOW JOSHUA - VERSE 18 - I JUMPED OVER THAT ON PURPOSE. 14:46 HE GAVE THEM INSTRUCTIONS AFTER THE WALLS FELL, HE SAID, "AND 14:50 YOU, BY ALL MEANS ABSTAIN FROM THE ACCURSED THINGS, LEST YOU 14:55 BECOME ACCURSED WHEN YOU TAKE OF THE ACCURSED THINGS, AND MAKE 14:59 THE CAMP OF ISRAEL A CURSE, AND TROUBLE IT." 15:02 WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT IS JERICHO WAS THE FIRSTFRUITS OF 15:08 THE CITIES THAT THEY WERE GOING TO CONQUER. 15:10 THERE WERE SEVERAL CITIES THEY WOULD NEED TO CONQUER TO TAKE 15:12 THE PROMISED LAND - JERICHO WAS FIRST. 15:14 ANY OF THE SPOILS OF THAT CITY WERE GOING TO GO TO GOD - ALL 15:18 THE PEOPLE - ALL THE ANIMALS - THERE WAS TOTAL ANNIHILATION, 15:23 EXCEPT THOSE IN RAHAB'S HOUSE. 15:25 WHEN JESUS COMES, IT'S THE SAME THING, ONLY THOSE THAT ARE IN 15:28 CHRIST - THE HOUSE OF RAHAB - A WOMAN REPRESENTS A CHURCH - ONLY 15:33 THOSE THAT ARE IN THE HOUSE UNDER THE BLOOD WILL BE SAVED. 15:36 EVERYTHING ELSE, ANNIHILATION - TOTAL DESTRUCTION - LIKE THE 15:39 DAYS BEFORE THE FLOOD, SO IS THE SECOND COMING - ONLY THOSE IN 15:43 THE ARK WERE SAVED. BUT, ALL OF THE - THE MONEY - 15:49 THE VALUABLES - THE SILVER, THE BRASS, THE GOLD, AND IRON WAS 15:53 EVEN CONSIDERED MONEY BACK THEN, BECAUSE IT WASN'T AS ABUNDANT AS 15:56 IT IS TODAY - WAS TO BE CONSECRATED TO THE LORD. 15:59 AND THIS IS BASED ON THE PRINCIPLE OF THE FIRSTFRUITS. 16:02 IF A PERSON TOOK OF WHAT WAS GOD'S, THEY WERE A THIEF AND 16:08 THEY WOULD BRING A CURSE ON THEMSELVES AND THE PEOPLE. 16:11 NOTICE WHAT JOSHUA SAID: 'DON'T DO THAT - DON'T TAKE THESE 16:14 THINGS. THERE'S A CURSE PRONOUNCED ON 16:15 ANYTHING WHEN YOU STEAL FROM GOD AND YOU'LL BRING A CURSE 16:19 ON THE CAMP OF ISRAEL.' SO, THEY WENT IN THE CITY AND 16:23 THEY DESTROYED EVERYBODY EXCEPT THOSE IN RAHAB'S HOUSE. 16:26 THEY TOOK ALL THE VALUABLES OUT AND THEY SET THE CITY ON FIRE 16:30 AND THEY DEDICATED IT ALL TO THE LORD. 16:33 NOW, YOU LOOK UNDER THE FIRSTFRUITS PRINCIPLE - YOU'LL 16:35 SEE IN JOSHUA 6:19 - NOW I DON'T PUT ON - SOMETIMES I'LL PUT A 16:39 PICTURE ON THE SCREEN, BUT I HOPE YOU READ THE VERSES. 16:41 I ONLY OCCASIONALLY PUT A VERSE ON THE SCREEN - USE YOUR BIBLES. 16:44 JOSHUA 6:19, "BUT ALL THE SILVER AND GOLD, AND VESSELS OF BRONZE 16:49 AND IRON, ARE CONSECRATED TO THE LORD; THEY SHALL COME INTO THE 16:54 TREASURY OF THE LORD." THEN YOU CAN READ IN VERSE 24, 17:00 "BUT THEY BURNED THE CITY AND ALL THAT WAS IN IT WITH FIRE. 17:04 ONLY THE SILVER AND GOLD, AND THE VESSELS OF BRONZE AND IRON, 17:07 THEY PUT INTO THE TREASURY OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD." 17:10 YOU KNOW, JESUS SAID, 'LAY UP NOT FOR YOURSELF TREASURES ON 17:13 EARTH WHERE THIEVES BREAK THROUGH AND STEAL AND WHERE MOTH 17:17 AND RUST DOES CORRUPT, BUT LAY UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES IN 17:20 HEAVEN WHERE THIEVES CANNOT BREAK THROUGH AND STEAL. 17:23 WHATEVER YOU STORE IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD STAYS. 17:26 >>AMEN. >>THE ONLY THING THAT SURVIVED 17:28 THE COMING OF JOSHUA FROM JERICHO WAS WHAT WAS CONSECRATED 17:34 TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. EVERYTHING ELSE WAS DESTROYED. 17:39 AND THE ONLY - YOU KNOW, YOU COME INTO THIS WORLD NAKED, AS 17:41 JOB SAYS, AND I'VE NEVER SEEN A HEARSE PULLING A U-HAUL, HAVE 17:47 YOU? YOU DON'T GET TO TAKE IT OUT. 17:51 YOU'RE ONLY A STEWARD FOR A LITTLE WHILE. 17:52 EVERYTHING NOW IS THE FIRSTFRUITS OF GOD AND WHEN GOD 17:57 BLESSES YOU, WHETHER IT'S TITHES OR OFFERINGS, WE ARE THEN TO 18:00 RETURN THE FIRSTFRUITS TO HIM. IT'S A PRINCIPLE YOU FIND. 18:04 YOU CAN LOOK IN DEUTERONOMY 26:10, "AND NOW, BEHOLD, I HAVE 18:08 BROUGHT THE FIRSTFRUITS OF THE LAND WHICH YOU, O LORD, HAVE 18:11 GIVEN ME." WHENEVER THE HARVEST CAME 18:13 THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WOULD REMEMBER THAT AND THEY 18:15 WOULD BRING AND PRESENT THE FIRSTFRUITS TO THE LORD AND 18:17 THEY WOULD MAKE THIS STATEMENT, "WHICH YOU, O LORD, 18:21 HAVE GIVEN ME. THEN YOU SHALL SET IT BEFORE 18:22 THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND WORSHIP BEFORE THE LORD YOUR GOD." 18:25 GIVING IS PART OF WORSHIP, IN THE BIBLE. 18:29 PROVERBS 3:9, "HONOR THE LORD WITH YOUR POSSESSIONS AND WITH 18:33 THE FIRSTFRUITS OF ALL OF YOUR INCREASE." 18:36 WHENEVER GOD BLESSES US, WHENEVER THERE'S INCREASE WE 18:39 SHOULD HONOR AND THANK HIM. YOU KNOW, OF ALL THE HOLIDAYS, 18:42 I CAN'T THINK OF ONE THAT CHRISTIANS CAN GET MORE EXCITED 18:45 ABOUT THAN THANKSGIVING. >>AMEN. 18:47 >>YOU KNOW, WE OFTEN THINK ABOUT THE FAMILY FEAST AT 18:52 THANKSGIVING, BUT THANKSGIVING - AND THE LEFTOVERS THAT LINGER 18:56 THROUGH THE WEEKEND, BUT THANKSGIVING IS NOT SUPPOSED TO 19:00 BE ABOUT GLUTTONY, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT GRATITUDE. 19:05 AND IT'S A GOOD TIME TO REMEMBER THE LORD AND HIS WORK AND BE 19:11 THANKFUL TO HIM. AND SO, WE'RE TO HONOR GOD. 19:15 NOW, IF YOU GO TO CHAPTER 7 OF JOSHUA, YOU FIND OUT SOMETHING 19:20 WENT SIDEWAYS. I MEAN, YOU - IN CHAPTER 6 - AND 19:24 WHAT A TREMENDOUS VICTORY - ONE OF THE HIGH POINTS IN THE BIBLE 19:27 - THROUGH FAITH THE WALLS OF JERICHO CAME DOWN. 19:30 IT'S AN ALLEGORY OF THE SECOND COMING, BUT YOU CAN TELL 19:33 SOMETHING'S WRONG RIGHT AWAY, WITH THE FIRST WORD OF JOSHUA 7. 19:37 AFTER THAT TREMENDOUS VICTORY IS SAYS, "BUT". 19:41 RIGHT AWAY YOU KNOW SOMETHING'S WRONG. 19:43 JUST A THREE-LETTER WORD - "BUT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL COMMITTED 19:48 A TRESPASS" - WHO COMMITTED A TRESPASS? 19:51 >>THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. >>IS THAT SINGULAR OR PLURAL? 19:53 >>PLURAL. >>"REGARDING THE ACCURSED 19:56 THINGS, FOR ACHAN" - IS ACHAN ONE OR MANY? IT'S ONE PERSON. 20:02 "FOR ACHAN, THE SON OF CARMI, THE SON OF ZABDI, THE SON OF 20:05 ZERAH, OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, TOOK OF THE ACCURSED THINGS." 20:10 THAT MEANS THAT HE, WHEN HE WENT INTO ONE OF THE HOUSES AND THEY 20:13 WERE CLEARING THINGS OUT, INSTEAD OF DEDICATING SOME OF 20:17 THE SILVER AND GOLD HE FOUND TO THE LORD - AND A GARMENT - HE 20:21 STUCK IT IN HIS POCKET - HE PURLOINED, FOR HIMSELF, WHAT WAS 20:25 SUPPOSED TO BE GOD'S. HE TOOK OF THE ACCURSED THING. 20:29 NOW, WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN? 20:31 IT SAYS THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WOULD BE CURSED. 20:34 YOU MIGHT WONDER - THAT DOESN'T SOUND FAIR, ONE PERSON DOES 20:37 SOMETHING WRONG AND EVERYBODY SUFFERS? 20:40 YOU ALMOST NEVER HEAR ABOUT THIS IN CHURCHES ANYMORE, IT'S THE 20:44 IDEA OF CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY. 20:48 IF YOU ARE A CHURCH AND IF WE ARE ONE, THAT MEANS THAT WE CAN 20:53 STAND TOGETHER AND FALL TOGETHER. 20:55 WHY IS IT IN THE LORD'S PRAYER THAT WE PRAY 'FORGIVE US'? 20:59 WHY AM I PRAYING ABOUT YOU? WHY DON'T I JUST SAY, 'FORGIVE 21:02 ME MY DEBTS AS I FORGIVE MY DEBTORS'? 21:04 WHY AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY 'FORGIVE US'? 21:06 BECAUSE I SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR FORGIVENESS JUST LIKE 21:09 I'M CONCERNED ABOUT MY FORGIVENESS. 21:11 WHY DO I NOT SAY, 'LORD, GIVE ME THIS DAY MY DAILY BREAD'? 21:15 WHY DO I SAY 'GIVE US'? BECAUSE THE BIBLE PRINCIPLE IS 21:19 THAT WE ARE ONE PEOPLE TOGETHER - WE ARE A FAMILY - AND 21:22 WHAT YOU DO AFFECTS ME. ONE PERSON IN A FAMILY CAN MAKE 21:28 A DECISION THAT WILL AFFECT THE WHOLE FAMILY. 21:31 YOU KNOW, THEY'LL OFTEN DO THAT IN THE MILITARY, THEY'LL HAVE 21:34 THESE DIFFERENT TEAMS AND SQUADS AND PLATOONS, AND IF ONE MAN 21:36 DOES SOMETHING WRONG THE WHOLE PLATOON SUFFERS, BECAUSE THEY'RE 21:39 TEACHING THAT THAT PERSON - THEY'RE TEACHING THAT GROUP THAT 21:42 YOU ARE NOT YOURSELF; YOUR BAD BEHAVIOR 21:45 WILL RISK THE LIFE OF THE OTHER SOLDIERS AND YOU ARE ALL IN IT 21:49 TOGETHER. AND SO, WHEN ACHAN DECIDED TO 21:52 STEAL HE HURT THE WHOLE ARMY - HE HURT THE WHOLE TRIBE. 21:56 SO THIS BECOMES EVIDENT AT THE BATTLE OF AI. 22:00 JOSHUA 7, VERSE 5 - THEY NOW NEEDED TO CONQUER. 22:03 THEY MANAGED TO GET INTO THE PROMISED LAND, THEY CONQUERED 22:05 JERICHO; NEXT IN THE SERIES OF TOWNS THEY WOULD HAVE TO CONQUER 22:08 TO TAKE THE PROMISED LAND IS A COMPARATIVELY SMALL TOWN WITH 22:13 SMALL WALLS CALLED AI. THERE WEREN'T THAT MANY PEOPLE 22:16 THERE COMPARED TO JERICHO - IT WAS MIGHTY WALLS, BIG FORTRESS, 22:19 A CAPITAL KINGDOM - AND SO, JOSHUA AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE 22:23 SAID, 'WELL, WE DON'T NEED TO MOBILIZE THE WHOLE ARMY, LET'S 22:26 TAKE THREE THOUSAND MEN, LET'S GO CAPTURE AI. I MEAN, IF, YOU 22:30 KNOW, WE WERE JUST ABLE TO SHOUT AND TAKE OVER JERICHO, THREE 22:34 THOUSAND MEN - NO PROBLEM FOR AI.' BUT IT DIDN'T WORK THAT 22:37 WAY. THEY WENT PRESUMPTUOUSLY TO FIGHT AGAINST AI. 22:42 YOU READ IN VERSE 5, THE MEN OF AI, THEY CAME SWARMING OUT OF 22:45 THE CITY. THEY WERE ORGANIZED, THEY WERE 22:47 PREPARED, THEY WERE MOTIVATED - THEY WEREN'T GOING TO GIVE IN. 22:50 AND AI "STRUCK DOWN ABOUT THIRTY-SIX MEN," - OF ISRAEL - 22:54 "FOR THEY CHASED THEM" - AND THE MEN OF ISRAEL HAD TO RETREAT 22:56 BEFORE A SMALLER ARMY - "...BEFORE THE GATE AS FAR AS 23:00 CHEBARIM, AND STRUCK THEM DOWN ON THE DESCENT; THEREFORE THE 23:05 HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE MELTED AND BECAME LIKE WATER." 23:08 JOSHUA, WHEN HE SAW THIS, HE WENT BEFORE THE LORD. 23:11 HE FELL ON HIS FACE UNTIL THE SUN WENT DOWN. 23:14 HE THOUGHT, 'THIS IS TERRIBLE! HERE WE'VE COME INTO THE 23:17 PROMISED LAND - IF A LITTLE GROUP - I DON'T KNOW WHAT 23:19 HAPPENED AT JERICHO, BUT' - THEY QUICKLY FORGOT JERICHO. 23:21 THEY SAID, 'IF A LITTLE GROUP LIKE AI CAN SEND US RUNNING, HOW 23:25 ARE WE GOING TO FIGHT AGAINST ALL THESE SEVEN NATIONS OF THE 23:27 AMORITES?' AND JOSHUA WAS ON HIS 23:31 FACE AND GOD SPOKE TO HIM. HE SAID TO JOSHUA, "GET UP! 23:34 WHY DO YOU LIE THUS ON YOUR FACE? ISRAEL HAS SINNED." 23:37 - I'M IN JOSHUA 7:11 - CAN YOU REMEMBER 7:11? 23:40 "ISRAEL HAS SINNED, AND THEY HAVE ALSO TRANSGRESSED" - 23:44 NOW WHO SINNED? >>THE AMORITES. 23:46 >>THE WHOLE GROUP. "AND THEY HAVE TRANSGRESSED MY 23:49 COVENANT WHICH I COMMANDED THEM. FOR THEY HAVE EVEN TAKEN SOME OF 23:53 THE ACCURSED THINGS" - NOW, YOU MIGHT THINK, 'WHY WAS THE GOLD 23:56 AND THE SILVER AND THE BRONZE AND THE ART - WHY WOULD 23:58 HE CALL IT 'ACCURSED''? WHAT THAT MEANT WAS IT'S 24:01 ACCURSED IF YOU TAKE IT FROM THE LORD - IT BECOMES ACCURSED. 24:05 "THEY HAVE EVEN TAKEN SOME OF THE ACCURSED THINGS AND THEY 24:08 HAVE STOLEN AND DECEIVED; AND THEY HAVE ALSO PUT IT AMONG 24:13 THEIR OWN STUFF." AGAIN HE SAYS 'THEY'. 24:17 "THEREFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL COULD NOT STAND BEFORE 24:20 THEIR ENEMIES, BUT TURNED THEIR BACK BEFORE THEIR ENEMIES, 24:24 BECAUSE THEY HAVE BECOME DOOMED TO DESTRUCTION. 24:26 NEITHER WILL I BE WITH YOU ANYMORE, UNLESS YOU DESTROY THE 24:30 ACCURSED FROM AMONG YOU." 24:33 NOW THAT'S A PRETTY POWERFUL PRINCIPLE THERE, THAT WHAT I DO 24:39 CAN AFFECT THE WHOLE TRIBE AND THAT GOD WITHDRAWS HIS POWER 24:44 BECAUSE SOMEONE IS BEING DISOBEDIENT IN A HIGH-HANDED 24:48 WAY, AMONG GOD'S PEOPLE, AND THAT WE CANNOT DEFEAT THE ENEMY 24:54 BECAUSE THERE'S BASICALLY FORBIDDEN SIN IN THE CAMP - 25:01 THEY'D STOLEN FROM THE LORD AND HIDDEN IT. 25:04 THAT'S WHAT HE SAID, 'THEREFORE THEY COULDN'T STAND BEFORE THEIR 25:06 ENEMIES.' I WONDER IF THAT'S TRUE OF GOD'S PEOPLE. 25:09 I WONDER HOW MANY BATTLES WE LOSE IN EVANGELISM AND SOUL 25:11 WINNING AGAINST THE DEVIL - AGAINST TEMPTATION - BECAUSE 25:14 WE'RE LIVING IN DELIBERATE, KNOWN, HIGH-HANDED DISOBEDIENCE. 25:19 IF WE'RE FULLY SURRENDERED AND SUBMITTED TO GOD THERE'S NO 25:23 LIMIT TO WHAT GOD CAN DO THROUGH THE CHURCH. 25:25 HE CAN BRING DOWN JERICHO, AMEN? >>AMEN. 25:28 >>IT'S UNLIMITED WHAT GOD - LOOK WHAT HE DID AT THE EARLY CHURCH 25:30 WHEN THEY FULLY HUMBLED THEMSELVES BEFORE GOD AND 25:33 SURRENDERED TO GOD AND OBEYED GOD AND THEY SAW THEMSELVES AS 25:36 ONE - THEY WERE IN ONE PLACE OF ONE ACCORD - GOD HAD POURED OUT 25:39 THE SPIRIT AND THEY HAD 3,000 GET BAPTIZED IN A DAY. 25:43 AND WE WONDER WHAT IS KEEPING US FROM EXPERIENCING PENTECOST 25:47 AGAIN. WELL, MAYBE WE'VE GOT MORE THAN 25:49 ONE OR TWO ACHANS IN THE CAMP. IT'S IN THE BIBLE, FRIENDS. 25:54 YOU WANT ME TO TEACH THE BIBLE? TAKE IT UP WITH THE LORD. 25:59 NOW, DON'T MISUNDERSTAND, THIS CHURCH IS - I'M NOT TRYING TO BE 26:05 CRITICAL OF OUR CHURCH, IN PARTICULAR, I'M JUST TEACHING A 26:07 BIBLE TRUTH. OUR CHURCH IS AN UNUSUALLY FAITHFUL CHURCH. 26:11 IN THE SHORT TIME THIS CHURCH HAS BEEN ORGANIZED, WE'VE BECOME 26:14 ONE OF THE HIGHEST TITHE-PAYING CHURCHES IN THE CONFERENCE. 26:17 THIS IS A FAITHFUL CHURCH. BUT I WANT US TO BE 26:20 EVEN MORE FAITHFUL. >>AMEN. 26:23 >>DON'T YOU? >>THAT'S RIGHT. 26:26 >>SO, FINALLY JOSHUA SAYS, 'LOOK, WE'VE GOT TO - WE'VE GOT 26:31 TO ROOT THIS OUT. THERE'LL BE AN INVESTIGATION.' 26:34 AND SO THEY START CASTING LOTS. AND AS - MATTER OF FACT, I'M 26:39 GOING TO TURN HERE AND READ THIS TO YOU FROM THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. 26:45 "SO [JOSHUA] ROSE EARLY IN THE MORNING AND BROUGHT ISRAEL" - 26:48 VERSE 16 - "AND BROUGHT ISRAEL BY THEIR TRIBES, AND THE TRIBE 26:52 OF JUDAH WAS TAKEN." - THEY CAST LOTS - "HE BROUGHT THE CLAN OF 26:57 JUDAH, AND HE TOOK THE FAMILY OF THE ZARHITES;" 27:00 NOW, CAN YOU IMAGINE IF YOU'RE ACHAN, YOU KNOW - YOU GOT 27:04 SEVERAL COMMANDS - 'DO NOT STEAL ANYTHING FROM JERICHO' - 27:07 YOU'RE ACHAN AND YOU'VE GOT SOME FORBIDDEN STUFF HIDDEN IN YOUR 27:10 TENT AND, ALL OF A SUDDEN, THEY CALL EVERYONE TOGETHER AND 27:13 THEY SAY, 'SOMETHING'S WRONG. WE LOST THE BATTLE BECAUSE 27:15 THERE'S SIN IN THE CAMP. WE'RE GOING TO CAST LOTS AND 27:18 FIGURE OUT WHO IT IS.' AS SOON AS YOU HEAR THAT AND YOU'RE 27:21 ACHAN, YOU'RE GETTING A LITTLE RESTLESS, HUH? 27:25 THEY CAST LOTS AND THEY PICK YOUR TRIBE AND YOU GO, 'UH OH'. 27:28 THEN THEY CAST LOTS AGAIN AND THEY PICK YOUR CLAN - YOU'RE 27:31 GOING, 'UH OH'. THEN THEY PICK YOUR FAMILY - 'UH OH!' 27:35 (LAUGHTER) BUT HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME FORWARD AND 27:39 REPENT. HE DIDN'T REPENT UNTIL 27:41 HE WAS ABSOLUTELY BUSTED. MAN BY MAN - THEN ZABDI WAS 27:48 TAKEN AND THEY BROUGHT HIS HOUSEHOLD MAN BY MAN. 27:53 THEY CAST LOTS AND "ACHAN, THE SON OF CARMI, THE SON OF ZABDI, 27:56 THE SON OF ZERAH, OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH WAS TAKEN. 27:59 NOW JOSHUA SAID TO ACHAN, 'MY SON,' - KEEP IN MIND, JOSHUA WAS 28:04 THE OLDEST - JOSHUA AND CALEB ARE THE OLDEST GUYS RIGHT NOW IN 28:07 ISRAEL, SO EVERYONE WAS YOUNGER. HE SAID, "MY SON, I BEG YOU, 28:12 GIVE GLORY TO THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL," - THEY'RE ALL ONE 28:15 FAMILY, REMEMBER - "AND MAKE CONFESSION TO HIM," - AT LEAST 28:19 FOR THE SAKE OF GOD'S GLORY, TELL US WHAT HAPPENED - "TELL ME 28:23 NOW WHAT YOU HAVE DONE; DO NOT HIDE IT FROM ME." 28:26 ACHAN FINALLY COMES CLEAN AND HE ANSWERED AND SAID, "INDEED I 28:32 HAVE SINNED AGAINST THE LORD OF ISRAEL, AND THIS IS WHAT I HAVE 28:35 DONE: WHEN I SAW AMONG THE SPOILS A BEAUTIFUL BABYLONIAN 28:40 GARMENT," - RIGHT THERE, JUST BABYLONIAN, YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT 28:43 GOOD, RIGHT? WHEN YOU COVET ANYTHING FROM 28:46 BABYLON THAT'S NOT GOOD. I'M SURPRISED THAT, YOU KNOW, 28:51 NEIMAN MARCUS HASN'T RELEASED A NEW CLOTHING LINE CALLED 28:53 'BABYLONIAN GARMENT' YOU WOULD THINK - "I SAW...A BEAUTIFUL 28:58 BABYLONIAN GARMENT" - DANIEL WOULDN'T EAT THE FOOD OF 29:01 BABYLON, BUT ACHAN WANTED THE CLOTHES OF BABYLON. 29:05 IF CHRIST'S ROBE IS A ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, YOU DON'T WANT 29:07 THE ROBE OF BABYLON, DO YOU? "A BEAUTIFUL BABYLONIAN GARMENT" 29:13 - IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN BEAUTIFUL, THE BIBLE SAYS A WOMAN CALLED 29:17 BABYLON IN REVELATION HAD BEAUTIFUL THINGS AROUND 29:20 HER, BUT SHE'S A HARLOT. 'I WANTED THAT BABYLONIAN 29:24 GARMENT' AND "TWO HUNDRED SHEKELS OF SILVER, AND A WEDGE 29:28 OF GOLD WEIGHING FIFTY SHEKELS," - YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? 29:31 HE HAD ALREADY WEIGHED IT. HE KNEW HOW MUCH IT WAS. 29:34 HE WAS A COVETOUS MAN - "'I COVETED THEM AND TOOK THEM. 29:39 AND THERE THEY ARE, HIDDEN IN THE EARTH IN THE MIDST OF MY 29:42 TENT, WITH THE SILVER UNDER IT.' SO JOSHUA SENT MESSENGERS, AND 29:46 THEY RAN TO THE TENT; AND THERE IT WAS, HIDDEN IN HIS TENT, WITH 29:50 THE SILVER UNDER IT. AND THEY TOOK THEM FROM THE 29:54 MIDST OF THE TENT, BROUGHT THEM TO JOSHUA AND TO ALL THE 29:56 CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND LAID THEM OUT BEFORE THE LORD. 30:01 THEN JOSHUA, AND ALL ISRAEL WITH HIM, TOOK ACHAN THE SON OF 30:04 ZERAH, THE SILVER, THE GARMENT, THE WEDGE OF GOLD, HIS SONS, HIS 30:09 DAUGHTERS, HIS OXEN, HIS DONKEYS, HIS SHEEP," - 30:15 POOR OL' SHEEP, WHAT DID THEY DO? 30:18 YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, 'WHY HIS SONS AND DAUGHTERS?' 30:20 IT COULD BE, OF COURSE, SONS AND DAUGHTERS DOESN'T MEAN LITTLE 30:22 CHILDREN. HE COULD HAVE BEEN AN OLDER MAN. 30:24 THEY COULD HAVE BEEN ADULT CHILDREN AND THEY COULD HAVE 30:26 BEEN ACCESSORIES THAT KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON. 30:30 BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SHEEP AND THE OXEN? 30:34 BASICALLY, IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE THAT WHAT YOU DO AFFECTS 30:40 YOUR FAMILY. AND WHEN HIS FAMILY KNEW WHAT 30:42 WAS HIDDEN IN THE TENT - YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE SAYS YOU NEED 30:46 TO LOVE THE LORD MORE THAN YOUR FATHER, YOUR MOTHER, YOUR 30:50 HUSBAND, YOUR WIFE, HOUSES, LANDS, CHILDREN - ANYTHING. 30:53 YOU'VE GOT TO LOVE GOD FIRST. JESUS SAID, 'IF YOU DON'T LOVE 30:54 ME MORE, YOU'RE NOT WORTHY OF ME.' AND WHEN THOSE KIDS SAW THE 30:57 DAD HAD THE ACCURSED THING IN THE TENT, THEY SHOULD HAVE SAID 31:00 SOMETHING, BUT THEY SHOWED THE LOYALTY TO THE FAMILY, YOU 31:05 KNOW, THEY WERE IN THE MOB. BUSINESS IS BUSINESS, 31:07 YOU DON'T RAT ON DAD. BUT IT WAS EXPOSED. 31:12 YOU KNOW, THERE'S A PLACE IN THE BIBLE WHERE IT SAYS, 'BE SURE 31:14 YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT.' AND HE MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT, 'I'VE GOT 31:20 MY RETIREMENT SETTLED NOW, I'M GOING TO GET AWAY WITH IT.' 31:22 HOW MUCH OF THAT MONEY DID HE GET TO SPEND? 31:25 HE NEVER GOT TO WEAR THAT BABYLONIAN GARMENT. 31:28 AND WHEN YOU ROB GOD, YOU WILL NEVER GET TO ENJOY THE FRUITS OF 31:33 ROBBING GOD. IF YOU WANT TO ENJOY THE 31:35 BLESSINGS OF GOD, IT COMES THROUGH GIVING AND HONORING GOD 31:40 WITH THE FIRSTFRUITS OF YOUR SUBSTANCE, AMEN? 31:45 SO, ACHAN IS STONED. THEY STONE HIM, THEY STONE HIS 31:50 FAMILY, THEY STONE HIS SHEEP, THEY STONE HIS OXEN AND THEY - 31:53 AFTER THEY STONE HIM THEN THEY BUILD A BONFIRE ON TOP. 31:57 THAT'S THE ONLY TIME IN THE BIBLE ANYONE WAS EXECUTED BY THE 31:59 COMBINATION OF STONING AND THEN BURNING. 32:02 AND THEN THEY RAISE A BIG PILE OF STONES ON TOP OF THAT AND IT 32:07 BECAME A MEMORIAL BECAUSE THEY TROUBLED ISRAEL. 32:13 YOU KNOW, COVETOUSNESS, WHICH IS WHAT HE ADMITTED HIS PROBLEM 32:18 WAS, IS THE ONE COMMANDMENT THAT SORT OF BECOMES THE HANDLE FOR 32:23 EVERY OTHER COMMANDMENT. IT SAYS, 'THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT 32:25 ADULTERY' BUT THEN YOU READ THE TENTH COMMANDMENT THAT SAYS, 32:27 'DON'T COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR'S WIFE.' YOU HAVE TO ALMOST BEGIN 32:31 BREAKING THE TENTH COMMANDMENT BEFORE YOU BREAK 32:32 THE SEVENTH, RIGHT? DON'T COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR'S 32:37 GOODS - WELL, IT SAYS 'THOU SHALT NOT STEAL' BUT YOU ALMOST 32:39 HAVE TO BEGIN BY COVETING BEFORE YOU STEAL. 32:43 COVETOUSNESS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE CONNECTED TO ALMOST EVERY 32:48 OTHER - VIRTUALLY EVERY OTHER SIN. 32:50 YOU CAN READ IN THE BOOK PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS PAGE 32:52 496, "THE DEADLY SIN THAT LED TO ACHAN'S RUIN HAD ITS ROOT IN 32:58 COVETOUSNESS, WHICH, OF ALL SINS, IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON 33:03 AND MOST LIGHTLY REGARDED. WHILE OTHER OFFENSES MEET WITH 33:06 THE DETECTION AND PUNISHMENT, HOW RARELY DOES THE VIOLATION OF 33:10 THE TENTH COMMANDMENT SO MUCH AS CALL FORTH EVEN CENSURE. 33:13 THE ENORMITY OF THIS SIN AND ITS TERRIBLE RESULTS ARE LESSONS IN 33:18 ACHAN'S HISTORY." AND THEY'RE LESSONS 33:20 FOR THE CHURCH. BY THE WAY, HAS GOD CHANGED? 33:22 >>NO. >>IS IT STILL POSSIBLE FOR 33:25 PEOPLE TO TAKE WHAT IS NOT THEIRS? 33:29 HOW MUCH OF WHAT YOU OWN BELONGS TO GOD - WHAT PERCENT? 33:32 >>ALL. >>I THOUGHT SOMEONE WOULD SAY 33:34 TEN PERCENT, BUT YOU GOT IT RIGHT. 33:36 IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT. EVERYTHING BELONGS TO GOD. 33:40 THE EARTH IS THE LORD'S AND THE FULLNESS THEREOF. 33:43 HE ASKS US TO SHOW WE BELIEVE THAT BY AN ACT OF FAITH IN 33:46 RETURNING TITHES AND OFFERINGS. WE ARE ONLY TEMPORARY STEWARDS 33:51 OF WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN US. I THINK MOST OF US HAVE HEARD 33:54 ABOUT BERNIE MADOFF - HE'S BEEN IN JAIL FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW 33:59 - I HEAR HE'S NOT DOING WELL. HE RAN THE LARGEST PONZI 34:03 FRAUD SCHEME IN U.S. HISTORY, BILKING PEOPLE OUT OF, 34:07 WELL, THERE WERE 65 BILLION ON THE BOOKS THAT WAS MISSING. 34:11 SOME OF THAT WAS LOST TO CORPORATIONS AND IT WAS A PAPER 34:13 WRITE OFF, BUT THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT LOST 18 BILLION DOLLARS. 34:19 SOME OF THEM WERE CHARITIES THAT GOT WIPED OUT. 34:22 THERE ARE FOUNDATIONS THAT GOT WIPED OUT BECAUSE THEY TRUSTED 34:25 HIM BECAUSE HE PROMISED - HE STARTED OUT HONEST, AND THEN 34:29 WHEN THINGS STARTED TO TURN, HE NEEDED NEW MONEY, HE STARTED 34:32 LYING, IT TURNED INTO A MASSIVE PONZI SCHEME AND HE BECAME MORE 34:36 CORRUPT. AND WHERE DO YOU THINK THAT MONEY WENT? 34:40 WHEN HE FINALLY WAS CAUGHT, HE HAD HOUSES ALL OVER THE WORLD, 34:43 HE HAD MEMBERSHIPS AT CLUBS, HE HAD YACHTS, FLEW PRIVATE PLANES. 34:49 HE WAS HIRED TO BE A STEWARD OF OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY AND, 34:56 INSTEAD OF FAITHFULLY MANAGING OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY, HE USED IT 35:00 SELFISHLY AND HE WASTED IT. YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE TELLS US 35:04 THAT THERE'S A JUDGEMENT COMING AND STEWARDS WILL BE JUDGED - 35:07 AND WE'RE ALL STEWARDS OF GOD'S RESOURCES. 35:09 LUKE 16, TALKING ABOUT THIS UNFAITHFUL STEWARD, VERSE 1, "HE 35:15 ALSO SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES: 'THERE WAS A CERTAIN RICH MAN 35:18 WHO HAD A STEWARD, AND AN ACCUSATION WAS BROUGHT TO HIM 35:21 THAT THIS MAN WAS WASTING HIS GOODS." 35:24 - IN A PONZI SCHEME - IT DOESN'T SAY THAT - "...WASTING HIS 35:27 GOODS. SO HE CALLED HIM AND SAID TO 35:30 HIM, 'WHAT IS THIS I HEAR ABOUT YOU? 35:33 GIVE AN ACCOUNT'" - THERE'S GOING TO BE AN ACCOUNTING - 35:35 THERE'S GOING TO BE AN INVESTIGATION - THERE'S GOING TO 35:37 BE A JUDGMENT OF YOUR STEWARDSHIP. 35:40 GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF YOUR STEWARDSHIP. 35:42 IS THAT PARABLE THERE JUST BECAUSE THIS HAPPENED IN ONE 35:44 PLACE OR IS IT TO REMIND US THAT ALL OF US ARE STEWARDS OF GOD'S 35:48 BLESSINGS AND WE WILL ALL GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF OUR STEWARDSHIP? 35:53 YOU KNOW, WE GIVE AN ACCOUNT IN THE JUDGMENT FOR WHAT WE DO WITH 35:57 THE TIME GOD HAS GIVEN US, WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT GOD HAS GIVEN 36:01 US, WITH THE MEANS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US. OUR TIME - OUR LIVES 36:05 WE'LL ANSWER FOR. WE HAVE INFLUENCE OVER SOME 36:08 RESOURCES AND, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'VE ONLY 36:10 GOT A HUNDRED DOLLARS OR A HUNDRED - OR TEN DOLLARS OR TEN 36:13 CENTS TO YOUR NAME, HE WANTS YOU TO BE FAITHFUL WITH 36:15 THAT TEN CENTS. >>AMEN. 36:17 >>I REMEMBER I HAD A FRIEND AT A CHURCH I USED TO PASTOR IN NEW 36:19 MEXICO AND HE BORROWED MY PEN TO WRITE SOMETHING AND HE WALKED 36:26 OUT AND THEN HE CAME BACK IN AND HE PULLED THE PEN OUT OF HIS TOP 36:29 POCKET AND HE SAID, 'I'M SORRY, DOUG, THIS IS A HABIT. 36:31 I'VE GOT A SHOP - I ALWAYS STICK THE PEN BACK IN MY POCKET.' HE 36:33 SAID, 'YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GO TO HELL FOR STEALING A PEN JUST 36:35 LIKE A MILLION DOLLARS.' IF YOU'RE STEALING - IF STEALING IS 36:39 IN YOUR HEART, THE AMOUNT IS IRRELEVANT. 36:42 JESUS HONORED A WIDOW, NOT BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT SHE GAVE, 36:46 BUT BECAUSE OF THE PERCENTAGE OF HER GIVING. 36:48 IT WAS TWO CENTS, BUT HE WAS SO MOVED BY THE TWO CENTS. 36:53 AND GOD IS BROKEN HEARTED IF YOU THINK STEALING A LITTLE BIT 36:55 DOESN'T MATTER. AND SOMEHOW WE THINK THAT 'OH, 37:00 YOU KNOW, I WOULD NEVER ROB A BANK, BUT OH, YOU KNOW, MY BOSS 37:05 DOESN'T PAY ME ENOUGH AND SO STEALING A BOX OF PAPER CLIPS 37:08 FROM THE SUPPLY CLOSET, HE OWES IT TO ME.' IF YOU'RE STEALING 37:12 PAPER CLIPS, YOU'RE A THIEF. IT DOESN'T MATTER. 37:16 WHAT IF IT'S A BOX OF RUBBER BANDS OR WHAT IT IS? 37:18 IT'S AMAZING THAT WE CAN SAY, 'WELL, IT'S JUST A LITTLE 37:21 THING.' STEALING IS STEALING. HE THAT IS FAITHFUL IN THAT 37:26 WHICH IS LEAST IS FAITHFUL ALSO IN MUCH. 37:30 AND GOD WANTS US TO BE FAITHFUL IN THE LITTLE THINGS. 37:32 AND I'M UNDER CONVICTION RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I'VE GOT A PEN IN MY 37:34 POCKET I TOOK OUT OF JËAN'S OFFICE WHEN I CAME IN TO DO THE 37:37 SERMON (LAUGHTER) AND IT DOES SAY 'AMAZING FACTS' ON THE PEN, 37:42 BUT IT'S NOT MY PEN. AND SO I'M GOING TO GIVE IT 37:45 BACK, BUT I NEEDED SOMETHING FOR THE NOTES. 37:47 SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW. OUR LORD - SEE, I HOPE I'M CLEAR 37:49 NOW. I JUST - BUT LITTLE THINGS DO MATTER. 37:55 WHEN I WENT AND VOTED THIS LAST WEEK I SIGNED WITH A PEN - I 38:00 DON'T WANT TO MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF THE PEN - I SIGNED WITH A 38:02 PEN - THEY GIVE YOU A PEN TO FILL OUT YOUR BALLOT AND I 38:04 WALKED OUT THE DOOR. I HAD THE PEN. 38:06 I DID THE SAME THING AS MY BUDDY, I STUCK IT IN MY POCKET 38:07 AND I REALIZED, 'AH! I JUST STOLE A PEN FROM THE 38:09 GOVERNMENT.' AND I COULD HAVE THOUGHT, 'OH MAN, THE 38:12 GOVERNMENT'S STEALING ALL THE TIME, THEY OWE IT TO ME.' 38:14 (RAUCOUS LAUGHTER) BUT I WENT BACK IN, I SAID, 'I'M SORRY, BUT 38:19 I COULD NOT STEAL THIS PEN.' AND I BROUGHT - BUT IT'S A 38:22 PRINCIPLE OF HONESTY, RIGHT? >>YES. 38:26 >>WELL, WITH THAT IN MIND, IS IT POSSIBLE TO STEAL FROM GOD? 38:32 DO YOU KNOW WHERE I'M GOING? TURN TO MALACHI CHAPTER 8 - NO, 38:38 THERE'S NO MALACHI CHAPTER 8, THAT'S A TRICK. 38:40 MALACHI CHAPTER 3, VERSE 8 - HERE'S WHAT THE PROPHET SAYS - 38:45 LAST BOOK IN THE OLD TESTAMENT - "WILL A MAN ROB GOD? 38:50 YET YOU HAVE ROBBED ME! BUT YOU SAY, 'IN WHAT 38:54 WAY HAVE WE ROBBED YOU?'" - YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES PEOPLE 38:57 ARE DOING THESE THINGS UNAWARE - "IN TITHES AND OFFERINGS. 39:01 YOU ARE CURSED WITH A CURSE, FOR YOU HAVE ROBBED ME, EVEN THIS 39:06 WHOLE NATION." MALACHI'S HEARKENING BACK TO 39:08 THE STORY OF ACHAN - THAT WHOLE NATION COULD BE CURSED IF PEOPLE 39:12 ARE UNFAITHFUL IN HONORING GOD THE WAY THAT HE COMMANDS. 39:17 IF WE'RE FOL - IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE A CHRISTIAN THEN DON'T BE 39:19 A CHR - IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE A CHRISTIAN AND BELIEVE THE BIBLE, 39:20 THIS IS WHAT IT TEACHES, AMEN? 39:24 AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING THAT MAY NOT UNDERSTAND, IN OUR 39:27 CHURCH, WHAT PEOPLE GIVE NEVER AFFECTS THE PASTOR'S SALARY. 39:32 YOU KNOW, IN SOME CHURCHES, BIGGER OFFERING - BIGGER SALARY. 39:35 PASTORS ALWAYS TALK ABOUT MONEY SO IT INCREASES THEIR INCOME. 39:38 IT DOESN'T AFFECT US HERE AT ALL. 39:40 WE'RE NOT ON THAT KIND OF A PROGRAM. 39:41 WE'RE ON A FIXED INCOME THAT HAS NO IMPACT WHETHER BIG 39:45 CHURCH/LITTLE CHURCH - BIG OFFERING/LITTLE OFFERING. 39:48 SO, WHENEVER WE TALK ABOUT FINANCES WE'RE THINKING ABOUT 39:50 YOU BEING BLESSED AND GOD'S PEOPLE BEING BLESSED AND THE 39:54 BROADER WORK OF THE GOSPEL BEING BLESSED. 39:57 IT DOESN'T EVER AFFECT ME, PERSONALLY. 39:59 BUT WE WANT YOU TO BE BLESSED. AND IT'S INTERESTING - YOU MIGHT 40:03 BE THINKING, 'PASTOR DOUG, WE'RE GETTING READY TO START 40:07 A CAPITAL CAMPAIGN. WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO MAKE 40:10 SPECIAL COMMITMENTS AND OFFERINGS TO BUILD THIS 40:13 EVANGELISM TRAINING CENTER - SIGNIFICANT COMMITMENTS - WHY 40:18 WOULD YOU TALK ABOUT TITHE BECAUSE TITHE GOES ON TO THE 40:21 GENERAL PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL?' 40:23 BECAUSE, FOR YOU TO BE BLESSED AND BE ABLE TO GIVE TO A CAPITAL 40:28 CAMPAIGN, YOU NEED TO BE FAITHFUL FIRST IN TITHE. 40:32 >>AMEN. >>DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? 40:33 >>YES. >>YOU CAN'T GIVE TO THE OTHER IF 40:36 YOU'RE NOT BLESSED IN THE FIRST PART. 40:38 AND SO, IF YOU'RE FAITHFUL IN THIS PART THEN GOD BLESSES YOU 40:41 MORE, THEN YOU CAN GIVE BIGGER TO THE BUILDING PROGRAM. 40:44 DID THAT MAKE SENSE? IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE IF YOU 40:46 DON'T HAVE FAITH, BUT IF YOU BELIEVE THE BIBLE, IT SAYS, 40:51 YOU'VE ROBBED ME "IN TITHES AND OFFERINGS. 40:52 YOU ARE CURSED WITH A CURSE...EVEN THIS WHOLE NATION. 40:54 BRING" - LISTEN TO THE PROMISE NOW - "BRING ALL THE TITHES INTO 40:58 THE STOREHOUSE THAT THERE MAY BE FOOD IN MY HOUSE," 41:02 A LOT OF THE TITHE BACK THEN WAS IN GRAIN AND CORN AND THINGS AND 41:07 THEN IT WAS DISTRIBUTED TO THE PRIESTS WHO THEN SPREAD OUT 41:09 THROUGH ISRAEL TO PREACH THE GOSPEL. 41:11 AND HE SAYS, "AND TRY ME" - I MEAN, THAT'S AMAZING WHEN THE 41:16 ALMIGHTY WOULD SAY TO HUMANS, 'GIVE ME A CHANCE.' CAN I HAVE A 41:21 CHANCE? PROVE ME. TEST ME. TRY ME.' GOD IS SAYING, 'PUT ME 41:25 TO THE TEST AND SAY - SEE "IF I WILL NOT OPEN FOR YOU THE 41:29 WINDOWS OF HEAVEN AND POUR OUT FOR YOU SUCH A BLESSING THAT 41:35 THERE WILL NOT BE ROOM ENOUGH TO RECEIVE IT." 41:37 THAT'S A WONDERFUL PROMISE. DO YOU BELIEVE 41:39 GOD COULD DO THAT? >>YES. 41:41 >>NOW, YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, YOU KNOW, 'I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW 41:43 GOD'S GOING TO BLESS ME BECAUSE I'VE JUST MAXED OUT MY INCOME. 41:46 I'M ON A FIXED INCOME AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT WOULD COME 41:47 FROM. IT WOULD HAVE TO COME FROM A WINDOW IN HEAVEN. 41:52 IT'S NOT COMING FROM THE BANK, IT'S NOT COMING FROM THE 41:53 GOVERNMENT.' GOD SAYS HE HAS WAYS THAT ARE SUPERNATURAL. 41:58 AND GOD'S OPENING THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN IS NOT ALWAYS BLESSING 42:01 YOU IN FINANCIAL MEANS. IT OFTEN IS, BUT IT'S TALKING 42:05 ABOUT A BLESSING IS A BLESSING. HE GOES ON AND EXPLAINS IT. 42:10 HE SAYS, "AND" - ONE OF THE WAYS I'LL BLESS YOU - "I WILL REBUKE" 42:14 - I'M IN MALACHI 3, VERSE 11 - "'I WILL REBUKE THE DEVOURER FOR 42:18 YOUR SAKES, SO THAT HE WILL NOT DESTROY THE FRUIT OF YOUR 42:21 GROUND, NOR SHALL THE VINE FAIL TO BEAR FRUIT FOR YOU IN THE 42:25 FIELD,' SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS." IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN WE'RE 42:28 FAITHFUL IN OUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS, HE NOT ONLY SAYS THAT 42:32 'I'M GOING TO BLESS YOU WITH AN ABUNDANCE, BUT I'M GOING TO 42:34 MAKE WHAT YOU HAVE GO FARTHER, BECAUSE WHAT GOOD IS IT IF YOU 42:37 HAVE A CROP AND THE GRASSHOPPERS EAT IT ALL?' 42:40 YOU SAY, 'LORD, THANK YOU FOR BLESSING ME WITH A CAR.' BUT IF 42:43 THE CAR'S ALWAYS BROKEN DOWN AND IN THE SHOP IT'S NOT A BLESSING. 42:47 IF GOD BLESSES WHAT YOU HAVE - WE'RE NOT ALL FARMERS HERE, BUT 42:51 HE HAS WAYS TO BLESS YOU. YOU KNOW, THE CHILDREN OF 42:54 ISRAEL, WHEN THEY CAME OUT OF EGYPT - HE SAYS, 'I BLESSED YOU. 42:57 FOR FORTY YEARS YOUR SHOES DID NOT WEAR OUT.' - I HAD A PAIR OF 43:00 SHOES LIKE THAT - 'FORTY YEARS YOUR SHOES DID NOT WEAR OUT. 43:04 YOUR GARMENTS DID NOT WEAR OUT. I BLESSED YOU. 43:06 I MADE EVERYTHING LAST.' KAREN AND I HAVE BEEN OVER 23 YEARS IN 43:12 THE HOUSE WE'RE IN. WE'RE GETTING READY TO MOVE. 43:14 SOME OF YOU KNOW WE'RE MOVING CLOSER TO WHERE THIS CHURCH IS 43:16 AND WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE AND I'M LOOKING AROUND AND GOING, 43:22 THAT'S THE REFRIGERATOR - WE'VE STILL GOT THE SAME FREEZER IN 43:25 THE HOUSE THAT WAS IN THE HOUSE WHEN WE BOUGHT IT. 43:28 PRAISE THE LORD. THE WATER HEATER IN THE KITCHEN 43:34 - THE AIR-CONDITIONER - KAREN HAS BEEN TELLING ME FOR YEARS, 43:37 'YOU'VE GOT TO GET A NEW ONE BECAUSE THAT THING'S GOING 43:39 TO GO OUT.' IT'S STILL GOING. AND THE LORD JUST MAKES IT - THE 43:43 LORD JUST BLESSED - I'VE GOT CLOTHES IN MY CLOSET THAT WON'T 43:46 WEAR OUT - AND THEY'RE ALL OUT OF STYLE. 43:48 I KNOW I'VE GOT THROW 'EM OUT, BUT THEY WON'T WEAR OUT AND I 43:51 THINK, 'IT'S STILL GOOD.' HE SAYS HE'LL NOT ONLY OPEN THE 43:57 WINDOWS OF HEAVEN AND GIVE YOU AN ADDITIONAL BLESSING, HE'LL 43:59 MAKE WHAT YOU HAVE PROSPER - >>THAT'S RIGHT. 44:03 >>AND HE SAYS, 'PROVE ME.' GOD WANTS TO BLESS YOU. 44:06 YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF FAITHFUL TITHE-PAYING PEOPLE 44:09 IN THIS CHURCH AND SOME WHO ARE WATCHING AND - BUT I KNOW, 44:12 STATISTICALLY, BASED ON THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE AVERAGE CHURCH 44:18 AND THE RESOURCES THAT COME IN, EVERYBODY IN THE CHURCH WOULD 44:22 HAVE TO, SORT OF, BE ON WELFARE BASED ON THE TITHE THAT COMES IN 44:25 TO THE TYPICAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH. AND WE KNOW WE'RE 44:29 NOT ALL ON WELFARE. A LOT OF PEOPLE THEY GIVE A 44:33 LITTLE OFFERING TO THE LORD, BUT THEY DON'T PAY A FAITHFUL TITHE. 44:36 AND TITHE IS NOT A JEWISH TEACHING, AS SOME PEOPLE THINK. 44:39 ABRAHAM, JACOB, THEY WERE PAYING TITHE BEFORE THE LAW OF MOSES 44:43 WAS GIVEN. IT GOES ALL THE WAY BACK - IT'S THE PRINCIPLE. 44:47 SOME PEOPLE SAY, 'OH, TITHE IS - THAT'S THE OLD TESTAMENT METHOD 44:51 AND YOU DON'T REALLY FIND TITHE BEING TAUGHT IN THE NEW 44:53 TESTAMENT.' OH YES YOU DO. IF YOU LOOK IN MATTHEW 23:23, 44:57 JESUS SAID IF WE'RE FAITHFUL IN OUR TITHES AND OUR OFFERINGS, 45:02 HE SAID, 'YOU PAY TITHE OF YOUR MINT AND YOUR ANISE AND YOUR 45:05 CUMIN, BUT YOU'VE FORGOTTEN THE WEIGHTIER MATTERS.' WEIGHTIER 45:08 MEANS THEY'RE THE IMPORTANT ONES. 45:11 HE SAID, 'THESE YOU OUGHT TO DO AND NOT LEAVE THE OTHER UNDONE.' 45:15 DON'T NEGLECT TO BE FAITHFUL IN YOUR TITHE IN LITTLE THINGS, BUT 45:19 DON'T NEGLECT THE WEIGHTIER THINGS. 45:21 SO EVEN IN THE NEW TESTAMENT - AND I TELL MY - MY FRIENDS FROM 45:24 OTHER CHURCHES THAT SAY, 'PASTOR DOUG, WHY DO YOU TEACH TITHE? 45:27 THAT'S AN OLD TESTAMENT LAW.' I SAY, 'YOU'RE RIGHT. 45:30 NEW TESTAMENT IS A LOT MORE THAN TITHE. 45:33 NEW TESTAMENT, NO MAN SAID THAT ANYTHING HE HAD WAS HIS OWN, BUT 45:36 ALL OF THEM HAD EVERYTHING IN COMMON. 45:38 NEW TESTAMENT THEY BROUGHT THEIR PROPERTY AND THEY LAID IT AT THE 45:42 DISCIPLES' FEET AND THEY SOLD THEIR HOUSES AND THEIR LANDS.' I 45:45 SAID, 'WHAT DO YOU WANT? DO YOU WANT TITHE OR DO 45:47 YOU WANT NEW TESTAMENT?' NEW TESTAMENT - MAN, IT 45:49 WAS A TOTAL COMMITMENT. THEY WERE LIQUIDATING TO 45:53 SPREAD THE GOSPEL EVERYWHERE. SO THE NEW TESTAMENT 45:55 IS NOT LESS. IF ANYTHING IT'S GOING TO BE MORE. 45:59 IS THAT RIGHT? IS THAT HOW YOU READ YOUR BIBLE? 46:01 >>YES. >>I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT WHAT 46:02 HAPPENED AT PENTECOST AND IT'S PRETTY CLEAR. 46:04 NOW, YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, 'PASTOR DOUG, OH, I DON'T LIKE 46:07 THESE SERMONS WHERE YOU TALK ABOUT FINANCES.' DO YOU WANT GOD 46:10 TO BLESS YOUR FINANCES? THEN THIS IS THE KIND 46:13 OF MESSAGES WE NEED. HE SAYS, 'GIVE AND IT WILL BE 46:17 GIVEN TO YOU.' THE LORD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER. 46:20 IF WE ARE FAITHFUL - HE SAYS, 'PROVE ME. 46:22 I WILL BE FAITHFUL AND I WILL BLESS YOU.' ONE-FIFTH OF 46:26 EVERYTHING JESUS HAD TO SAY WAS ABOUT MONEY. 46:28 DID YOU KNOW THAT? MARTIN LUTHER SAID - HE 46:34 OBSERVED, 'THERE ARE THREE CONVERSIONS NECESSARY: THE 46:36 CONVERSION OF THE HEART, THE CONVERSION OF THE MIND, AND 46:39 THE CONVERSION OF THE PURSE. OF THESE THREE, IT MAY WELL BE 46:42 THAT THE CONVERSION OF THE PURSE IS THE MOST DIFFICULT.' SOME 46:48 PEOPLE MIGHT SAY, 'OH, I'VE GOT A CONVERTED HEART, BUT THEY'RE 46:52 COVETOUS IN THEIR FINANCES. THEIR PURSE IS NOT CONVERTED. 46:55 WELL, OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART THE MOUTH SPEAKS. 46:58 IT'S GOING TO BE OUT OF THE HEART THAT WE GIVE. 47:01 AND, BY THE WAY, WHAT BROUGHT ABOUT THE BETRAYAL OF JESUS? 47:09 ACHAN WAS A CHURCH MEMBER AND, BECAUSE OF WHAT HE DID, IT 47:13 BROUGHT A DISASTER ON THE PEOPLE. 47:15 JUDAS WAS A CHURCH MEMBER, BUT BECAUSE OF HIS UNFAITHFULNESS, 47:19 CHRIST THE SAVIOR WAS SOLD FOR SILVER - BECAUSE OF THE 47:23 UNFAITHFULNESS OF ONE. YOU KNOW, I HEARD AN INTERESTING 47:26 STORY ABOUT A MAN WHO WAS A GRAIN ELEVATOR OPERATOR IN IOWA. 47:35 AND ALL OF THE MEMBERS IN THIS ONE CHURCH WERE FARMERS AND 47:39 THEIR CHURCH WAS STRUGGLING. THEY NEVER HAD MONEY FOR 47:41 ANYTHING. THE CHURCH WAS IN DEBT AND THE 47:43 PASTOR WAS BARELY GETTING PAID, BUT THEY KNEW THIS ONE BROTHER 47:46 THAT OPERATED THE GRAIN ELEVATOR, HE WAS AN HONEST MAN, 47:49 HE WAS A BLESSED MAN, HE WAS A PROSPEROUS MAN - GOOD WITH HIS 47:51 FINANCING AND ACCOUNTS - AND THEY WENT TO HIM AND SAID, 'WILL 47:54 YOU BE OUR CHURCH TREASURER? WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. 47:57 HE THOUGHT ABOUT. HE PRAYED ABOUT IT. 47:58 HE CAME BACK AND SAID, 'ALRIGHT, I WILL BE YOUR CHURCH TREASURER 48:01 UNDER ONE CONDITION: YOU DON'T ASK ME FOR AN ACCOUNTING OF THE 48:06 CHURCH FINANCES FOR THE FIRST YEAR, YOU TRUST ME AND YOU DON'T 48:09 ASK ANY QUESTIONS.' THEY THOUGHT, WELL, THAT'S KIND OF AN 48:13 ODD CRITERIA, BUT THEY KNEW HE WAS AN HONEST MAN - HE WAS 48:16 ALWAYS SUCCESSFUL. 'ALRIGHT, AFTER THE FIRST YEAR' 48:19 - THEY SAID - 'CAN WE HAVE AN ACCOUNTING?' 48:21 HE SAID, 'YES, NO PROBLEM.' HE SAID, 'THE CHURCH DEBT OF 48:26 $200,000.00 IS ALL PAID OFF. WE'VE RAISED THE PASTOR'S 48:30 SALARY 8-PERCENT. WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY NEXT 48:33 DOOR AND' - HE SAID - 'WE HAVE ANOTHER $50,000.00 IN THE BANK.' 48:39 AND THEY SAID, 'HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?' 48:41 HE SAID, 'OKAY, NOW, I'LL TELL YOU.' - HE SAID - 'YOU KNOW, I 48:43 OPERATE THE GRAIN ELEVATOR AND ALL OF YOU BRING YOUR GRAIN TO 48:47 ME TO HAVE IT MEASURED OUT.' - HE SAID - 'I'VE KEPT 10-PERCENT 48:50 OF YOUR GRAIN.' (LAUGHTER) I SOLD IT AND PUT IT INTO THE 48:55 CHURCH AND NONE OF YOU EVEN MISSED IT.' AND YOU WONDER - 49:03 SOMETIMES WE THINK, 'OH, I CAN'T AFFORD TO DO THAT. 49:05 I CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY MY TITHE.' YOU CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO BECAUSE, 49:09 BIBLICALLY, THE TRUTH IS THAT NINE-TENTHS IS GOING TO GO 49:13 FURTHER THAN TEN TENTHS. WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE, A 49:17 HUNDRED PERCENT THAT'S CURSED OR NINETY PERCENT THAT'S BLESSED? 49:22 AND IT'S ACTUALLY MORE THAN NINETY PERCENT BECAUSE THAT'S 49:26 JUST TITHE. THE BIBLE SAYS, 'BE FAITHFUL IN 49:27 YOUR TITHES AND YOUR OFFERINGS.' GOD USES THE WORD 'ROBBERY' 49:32 FOR TITHES AND OFFERINGS. TITHE IS A SPECIFIED AMOUNT. 49:36 HOW MUCH IS THAT? TENTH - TEN PERCENT - OFFERINGS 49:39 ARE AS THE LORD BLESSES YOU. SOME PEOPLE GIVE A DOUBLE TITHE. 49:43 I MEAN, SOME PEOPLE - IT VARIES - IT DEPENDS ON - LET THEM GIVE 49:47 CHEERFULLY FROM THEIR HEARTS. BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO 49:51 BE A BLESSED PEOPLE. AND WHEN WE STEP OUT IN FAITH 49:54 AND WE FOLLOW GOD IN THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN - 49:58 WE'VE DONE IT IN OUR LIVES AND GOD HAS BEEN SO GOOD TO US AND 50:01 TAKEN CARE OF US, AND I KNOW HE'LL DO THE SAME FOR YOU. 50:04 I WANT HIM TO CONTINUE TO BLESS THE CHURCH - ESPECIALLY AS WE 50:06 MOVE FORWARD IN A VERY BIG STAGE OF FAITH WITH THIS PROJECT. 50:12 WE WANT TO BUILD UP THE CHURCH OF GOD, RIGHT? 50:14 AND WE DO THIS - WE WANT TO WIN OUR BATTLES AGAINST THE ENEMY, 50:17 AMEN? I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY HERE 50:20 THAT HAVE ANYTHING ACCURSED HIDDEN IN THEIR TENTS, BUT YOU 50:24 DON'T WANT TO WAIT UNTIL JOSHUA STARTS CASTING LOTS, DO YOU? 50:28 AND SO, I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT TO DO, BUT AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, 50:34 WE WANT TO BE FAITHFUL AND SERVE THE LORD, AMEN? 50:36 >>AMEN. (MUSIC) 50:49 >>HI FRIENDS, THIS IS PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR. 50:52 WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR AN AMAZING FACT? 50:54 MORE AND MORE OF THE WORLD IS TURNING, NOW, TO NATURAL FORMS 50:57 OF ENERGY TO TRY AND FIND THEIR POWER AND THEY'RE RESORTING TO 51:01 THINGS LIKE THE WIND FARM THAT WE HAVE HERE IN JAMAICA AT 51:03 WIGTON. YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER YEARS AGO, 51:06 MY WIFE AND I GOING TO VISIT THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII AND WE WERE 51:09 AMAZED AT ALL THE POTENTIAL THERE FOR NATURAL POWER, 51:12 BUT THEY WEREN'T USING IT. THERE AT THE SOUTH PART OF 51:14 THE ISLAND THERE WAS VOLCANIC ACTIVITY. 51:18 YOU CAN MAKE GEOTHERMAL POWER THERE. IF YOU WENT TO WAIMEA, 51:21 THE WIND WAS CONSTANTLY BLOWING, BUT THEY 51:24 HAD NO WINDMILLS THERE. IF YOU WENT OVER TO KONA, SUN 51:27 ALWAYS SHINES - SOLAR ELECTRIC - BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE MUCH 51:31 SOLAR ELECTRIC THERE. AND IF YOU WENT TO HILO, IT WAS 51:34 ALWAYS RAINING - HYDROELECTRIC. AND IN SPITE OF ALL THAT 51:37 POTENTIAL FOR POWER THERE ON THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII, THEY WERE 51:41 POWERING THE ISLAND BACK THEN WITH DIRTY DIESEL GENERATORS. 51:45 IT MADE ME THINK ABOUT HOW WE SOMETIMES WASTE THE POWER OF 51:47 GOD'S SPIRIT THAT HE'S MAKING AVAILABLE TO US. 51:50 AND EACH OF US CAN HAVE THAT SPIRIT IF WE SIMPLY ASK. 51:53 YOU CAN READ IN ZECHARIAH CHAPTER 10 - WHAT DO WE DO? 51:56 'ASK OF THE LORD RAIN IN THE TIME OF THE LATTER RAIN AND HE 51:59 WILL SEND FLASHING CLOUDS.' JESUS ALSO SAID, IN THE BOOK OF 52:03 LUKE, 'IF YOU THEN BEING EVIL KNOW HOW TO GIVE GOOD GIFTS TO 52:06 YOUR CHILDREN, HOW MUCH MORE WILL YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN GIVE 52:09 THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THEM THAT ASK?' 52:12 WHEN YOU LOOK IN THE BOOK OF ACTS, WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS 52:16 POURED OUT, IT SAYS THERE WAS A SOUND OF A MIGHTY RUSHING WIND. 52:19 AND THAT POWER THAT LAUNCHED THE CHURCH BACK THEN CAN STILL POWER 52:23 YOUR LIFE TODAY, FRIENDS. SO WHY DON'T YOU ASK HIM? (MUSIC) 52:46 >>AMAZING FACTS, CHANGED LIVES. 52:54 >>I'D HAVE TO SAY THAT I HAD A WONDERFUL CHILDHOOD. 52:57 GROWING UP, I WENT TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL UP UNTIL THE SEVENTH 53:01 GRADE - UNTIL JUNIOR HIGH. I BELIEVE IT WAS AT THAT POINT, 53:04 IN JUNIOR HIGH, THAT MY LIFE BEGAN TO CHANGE. 53:09 GOING FROM A CHRISTIAN EDUCATION TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL WAS A BIG 53:12 DIFFERENCE. THERE WAS A LOT OF SECULAR 53:15 INFLUENCE - PEER PRESSURE - AND, FOR ME, IT WAS MUSIC. 53:21 I STARTED LISTENING TO HEAVY METAL MUSIC. 53:23 EVERY CONCERT THAT WOULD COME TO TOWN I WAS THERE. 53:26 IT HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON ME. I STARTED USING MARIJUANA, 53:31 PROBABLY AT THE AGE OF 14. I STARTED DRINKING - USING A 53:36 LOT OF COCAINE AND THAT LED TO METHAMPHETAMINE AND THAT 53:39 COMPLETELY CHANGED MY LIFE. I DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL MY 53:43 SOPHOMORE YEAR AND WENT TO WORK. I WOULD GET OFF OF WORK AND WE'D 53:49 GO IN THE BAR UNTIL 2:00 IN THE MORNING AND I'D GET BACK UP AT 53:52 5:00 AND GO BACK AT IT AGAIN - SIX, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. 54:00 AT THE AGE OF 20, I LOST MY DAD TO A HEART ATTACK. 54:04 I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THE LOSS SO I TRIED TO MASK MY PAIN 54:08 WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUGS. I GOT THREE DUIS IN ONE YEAR. 54:13 I WAS ARRESTED. THEY GAVE ME ONE YEAR IN THE 54:16 COUNTY JAIL AND THE MOMENT I GOT OUT I WENT BACK TO DOING THE 54:20 SAME THING, HANGING WITH THE SAME PEOPLE - THE SAME CROWD. 54:24 I WAS INVOLVED IN A HIT-AND-RUN MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT AND I WAS 54:27 CHARGED WITH A FELONY DUI. EVEN THOUGH AT THE TIME OF THE 54:30 ACCIDENT I WAS NOT UNDER THE INFLUENCE, I STILL HAD 54:32 METHAMPHETAMINE IN MY SYSTEM. AT MY SENTENCING DATE I LEFT 54:38 THE COURTROOM AND I DIDN'T COME BACK. 54:40 AND THAT LEFT ME WITH A FELONY WARRANT. 54:43 AND I HAD FALLEN ASLEEP AT A PARK AND I WOKE UP TO A PARK 54:48 RANGER KNOCKING ON MY WINDOW. I KNEW THAT I WAS WANTED AND I 54:52 KNEW THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO JUST TURN MYSELF IN. 54:56 I TURNED TO HIM AND I MADE THE COMMENT, 'NOT TODAY.' AND I TOOK 55:00 OFF. I LED FIVE DIFFERENT AGENCIES ON 55:03 ABOUT A 35-MINUTE CHASE AND I REALIZED AT ONE POINT THAT I 55:07 WASN'T GOING TO GET AWAY AND THIS WAS GOING TO END UP EITHER 55:10 ME KILLING SOMEBODY OR MYSELF. AND SO I MADE A DECISION TO PULL 55:15 OVER. AT THAT POINT, EVERYTHING 55:18 THAT I HAD, I LOST. I WAS SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN 55:21 STATE PRISON AND IT WAS THERE THAT GOD GOT AHOLD OF ME. 55:29 AND IT WAS THROUGH AMAZING FACTS MINISTRIES. 55:32 I REMEMBER LISTENING ON MY RADIO TO PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR. 55:36 I WANTED TO GET TO KNOW THE BIBLE. 55:38 I WANTED TO KNOW GOD. AND SO MY AUNT MARILYN SENT ME 55:43 THE AMAZING FACTS STUDY GUIDES AND IT WAS THERE THAT MY 55:48 RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST BEGAN. I HAD CALLED HOME AND I KNEW MY 55:55 MOTHER WASN'T DOING WELL, BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT 56:00 SHE HAD CANCER. SHE HAD ABOUT A 30-PERCENT 56:06 CHANCE OF MAKING IT THROUGH HER SURGERY. 56:08 SHE HAD TOLD THE DOCTORS THAT SHE WAS NOT GOING TO HAVE CHEMO 56:11 AND SHE WAS NOT GOING TO HAVE RADIATION. 56:12 THAT, IF HER GOD WAS GOING TO SAVE HER, THEN HE WOULD 56:14 SAVE HER. I REMEMBER HANGING UP THE PHONE 56:19 TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY LAST CONVERSATION WITH MY MOM. 56:24 I TURNED AROUND, I GOT DOWN ON MY KNEES, AND I PRAYED TO GOD. 56:29 I SAID, 'GOD, IF YOU'RE THERE, PLEASE SAVE MY MOTHER. 56:33 WHEREVER YOU LEAD ME IN LIFE, WHATEVER YOU WANT ME TO DO, I AM 56:37 YOURS.' AND I HAD A FEELING OF 56:41 SUCH PEACE, THAT I KNEW THAT MY MOTHER WAS GOING TO BE OKAY 56:46 AND THAT MY LIFE WAS GOING TO CHANGE. 56:49 THERE ARE NO WORDS THAT I CAN ADEQUATELY EXPRESS TO AMAZING 56:52 FACTS AND PASTOR DOUG - TO SAY, 'THANK YOU' TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE 56:56 WHO SUPPORT THE MINISTRY. I AM A PRODUCT OF YOUR SUPPORT. 57:00 MY LIFE IS CHANGED BECAUSE OF THIS MINISTRY AND I THANK YOU 57:06 FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN 57:22 RESOURCES, VISIT AFBOOKSTORE.COM OR CALL 1-800-538-7275. 57:31 >>DID YOU KNOW THAT NOAH WAS PRESENT AT THE BIRTH OF ABRAHAM? 57:34 OKAY, MAYBE HE WASN'T IN THE ROOM, BUT HE WAS ALIVE AND 57:38 PROBABLY TELLING STORIES ABOUT HIS FLOATING ZOO. 57:41 FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO THE LAST-DAY EVENTS OF 57:44 REVELATION, 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM' IS A FREE RESOURCE WHERE YOU CAN 57:48 EXPLORE MAJOR BIBLE EVENTS AND CHARACTERS. 57:51 ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE AND DRAW CLOSER TO GOD'S 57:54 WORD. GO DEEPER. VISIT 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM'. 58:01 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2017-03-20