Hello and welcome to
another edition of Faith
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Chapel. My name is Terry
Shelton. I like to bring to
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you a message today that I
have simply entitled Signs.
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What do you think of
when I say the word signs, you
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probably have some ideas
about it, before we get into
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the study today. Let us
bow for a moment and ask God
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to be with us. Heavenly
Father, as we study into
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your word just now, as
we open your word we pray
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that you would open our
hearts and our minds and
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help us Father to
receive your word with gladness.
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For we pray these
things in Jesus name, Amen.
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What do you think of when I
say signs, if you're like most
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people you're probably
thinking of the signs of the
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second coming, isn't
that right. And that is a very
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important topic that we
could discuss, possibly may
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be you might even be
thinking of road signs or
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advertising signs. And
those are different types
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of signs but today,
I would like to look at
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signs from God's word,
signs that God has a plan
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for you and for me.
Have you ever prayed and
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asked God, Lord I wanna
do your will, just give me
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a sign have you ever
prayed that prayer. There
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are others in
scripture who have prayed that
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prayer as well, I
would like to look at one
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individual by the name
of Moses, you know Moses
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don't you. Moses
asked God for some signs and
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he received those
signs because God was so good
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to give those signs.
Let's look at Exodus chapter 3,
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we're gonna begin with
verse number 1, Exodus 3
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and verse 1. Now Moses
was tending the flock of
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Jethro his father-in-law,
the priest of Midian.
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And he led the flock
to the back of the desert
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and came to Horeb,
the mountain of God. And
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the angel of the
Lord appeared to him in a
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flame of fire from
the midst of a bush. So he
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looked, and behold
the bush was burning with
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fire, but the bush was
not consumed. Then Moses
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said, "I will now turn
aside and see this great
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sight, why the bush
does not burn." So when the
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Lord saw that he turned
aside to look, God called
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to him from the
midst of the bush and said,
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"Moses, Moses!" And he
said, "Here I am." Then he
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said, Do not draw
near this place. Take your
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sandals off your feet,
for the place where you
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stand is holy ground.
" Moreover he said, " I
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am the God of the
your father, the God of
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Abraham, the God of
Isaac, and the God of
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Jacob." And Moses
hid his face, for he was
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afraid to look upon
God. Now let's think
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about this
happening here for a moment.
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Here is Moses and he
is out tending the flocks
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one day and he looks
off in the distance and
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he sees this mountain
and he sees this light
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coming from there.
And as he looks a little
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closer he notices that
there is a bush and it's
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on fire. But the bush
is not being consumed.
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You can imagine
what maybe Moses might
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have been thinking.
Hmm! It's a nice bright
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sunny day, I haven't
seen any storm clouds,
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there's not been
any lightening why would
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there be a bush on
fire. And as he, as he looked
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a little closer, he said,
the bush is on fire but is
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not being consumed.
You can imagine I've
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got to get closer, he
probably thought, I've
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got to go check this
out. So as he continued to
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get a littler closer,
all of a sudden something
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drastic happened,
something, I'm sure he
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never expected in a
million years. The bush
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spoke to him
Moses, Moses what would be
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your response, if you
are in that situation. For
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those of you who have
seen the movie Cecil B.
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DeMille's Ten Commandments.
If you remember that
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scene where God
calls from the bush and you
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hear this voice,
"Moses," I don't know if it was
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like that it may
have been or it may
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have been a quite and
still voice, but yet a
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voice came from the
bush, Moses response
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was here I'm, I am
right here what do you want?
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So, God begins to
identify himself to Moses.
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He says I'm the God
of Abraham, the God of
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Isaac and the God of
Jacob. And he begins to,
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as we continue to read
on, we see that he asked
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something of Moses.
Moses had an encounter
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with God in that
burning bush. Have you
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had an encounter with
God in your life? So, as
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we continue on let's
skip on a little bit to the
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same chapter, chapter 3
and let's go to verse 11.
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But Moses said to God,
"Who am I that I should
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go to Pharaoh, and
that I should bring the
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children of Israel out
of Egypt?" So he said, "I
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will certainly be with
you. And this shall be a
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sign to you that I
have sent you: When you
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have brought the
people out of Egypt, you shall
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serve God on this
mountain. Then Moses
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said to God,
"Indeed, when I come to the
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children of Israel and
say to them, the God of
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your fathers has sent
me to you, they say to me,
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what is his name,
what shall I say to them?"
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God said to
Moses, "I AM WHO I AM."
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"Thus you shall say to
the children of Israel, I
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AM has sent me to
you." Moreover God
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said to Moses,
"Thus you shall say to the
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children of Israel,
The Lord God of your
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fathers, the God
of Abraham, the God of
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Isaac, and the God of
Jacob, has sent me to you.'
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This is My name
forever, and this is My
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memorial to all generations."
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Moses asked God for a sign,
some sign of identification
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and God did
identify himself to Moses two
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times in fact he
identified himself to
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Moses. Now can you
think about; let's think
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about this situation
and put yourself in this
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situation. Here is
Moses talking to a burning
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bush. And the bush
is not being consumed.
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And Moses says, he
asked God can you give
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me some proof maybe
let's look at chapter 4
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verse 1. Then Moses
answered and said, "But
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suppose they will not
believe me or listen to
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my voice; suppose
they say, the Lord has not
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appeared So the Lord
said to him, what is that
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in your hand?" and
he said, "A rod." And he
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said, "Cast it to the
ground." So he cast it to
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the ground, and
it became a serpent;
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and Moses fled from
it. Then the Lord said to
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Moses, "Reach out your
hand and take it by the
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tail" and he reached
out his hand and caught it,
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and it became a rod in
his hand, "that they may
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believe that the Lord
God of their fathers, the
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God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac, and the
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God of Jacob,
has appeared to you."
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Furthermore the Lord
said to him, "Now put
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your hand in your
bosom." And when he
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put his hand in
his bosom, and when he
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took it out, behold,
his hand was leprous, like
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snow. And He said,
"put your hand in your
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bosom again." And
he put his hand in his
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bosom again, and drew
it out of his bosom, and
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behold, it was
restored like his other flesh.
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"Then it will be, if
they do not believe you, nor
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heed the message of the
first sign, that they may
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believe the message of
the latter sign. And it
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shall be, if they do
not believe even these two
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signs or listen to
your voice, that you shall
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take water from the
river and pour it on the
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dry land. And the
water which you take from
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the river will become
blood on the dry land."
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Now I want you to
think, I want you to
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think about how ironic
this situation is, here is
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Moses standing on the
middle of a hill and he
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is talking to this
bush that is on fire but not
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being consumed. And
the bush is talking back
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to him and Moses says
give me a sign. I kind of
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believe that God
must have looked to those
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around him and said
bless his heart. He just
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don't get it, he just
don't get it, I mean how many
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of you, I ask you
watching today, have
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you ever spoken to a
bush, that was on fire
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and not consumed. And
they have the bush speak
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back to you, has
that ever happened to you.
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Have you ever had an
experience like that and
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then turn around and
ask God for a sign? God
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must have said bless
his heart. He just don't get
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it. That's okay, we'll
go ahead and give him the
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signs, so they had
the thing about the snake,
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threw down the rod
it became a snake. God
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says pick it up by
the tail. Have you ever,
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have you ever worked
with snakes. People will
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tell you that you do
not pick up a snake by the
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tail. You just don't do
it, why? Because it will
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come back and bite
you that's why. However
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Moses obeyed,
reached down, picked up that
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snake it became a
rod again. Supernatural
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power, this thing with
putting his hand inside
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his coat here
bringing it out it was leprous,
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white as snow, put it
back in again and it was
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made whole. These
were signs that God
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was willing to give
Moses. Moses needed a
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little help in
just believing this
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commission that God
had given him to take
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on. Well what
happened, we can read
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the story of how
Moses did go to Pharaoh, he
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did go to Egypt and
he did say let my people
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go, the Lord God of
Israel says. And as we
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continue on, let's
look at Exodus chapter 7,
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Exodus chapter 7
beginning with verse 8.
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Then the Lord
spoke to Moses and Aaron,
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saying, "When Pharaoh
speaks to you, saying,
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show a miracle for
yourselves, then you
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shall say to Aaron,
take your rod and cast it
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before Pharaoh, and
let it become a serpent."
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So Moses and Aaron
went in to Pharaoh, and they
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did so, just as the
Lord commanded. And Aaron
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cast down his rod
before Pharaoh and
00:10:36.22\00:10:37.83
before his servants,
and it became a serpent.
00:10:37.86\00:10:40.14
But Pharaoh also
called the wise men and the
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sorcerers; so the
magicians of Egypt,
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they also did in
like manner with their
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enchantments. For
every man threw down
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his rod, and they
became serpents. But
00:10:50.11\00:10:55.96
Aaron's rod
swallowed up their rods. And
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Pharaoh's heart
grew hard, and he did not
00:11:00.62\00:11:03.02
heed them, as the
Lord had said. God was
00:11:03.05\00:11:07.38
willing to show
his power to the mighty
00:11:07.41\00:11:09.29
Pharaoh, the King of
Egypt at that time. God
00:11:09.32\00:11:12.28
was willing to
demonstrate who he
00:11:12.31\00:11:14.68
was to mighty
Pharaoh. But it is a very
00:11:14.71\00:11:17.23
important point that
I want you to get out of
00:11:17.26\00:11:19.94
this small story.
What happened when the
00:11:19.97\00:11:25.12
magicians and
sorcerers cast down their rods,
00:11:25.15\00:11:28.84
did they not become
serpents as well. They
00:11:28.87\00:11:33.14
became serpents I
want you to get this point,
00:11:33.17\00:11:35.13
when we asked for a
sign it is possible that
00:11:35.16\00:11:39.59
the sign could be
falsely given. Is that something
00:11:39.62\00:11:43.49
that could happen in
every day life? If I were
00:11:43.52\00:11:45.41
to go and get a rod
and throw it down. Do you
00:11:45.44\00:11:47.30
think it would become
a serpent, well I'm gonna
00:11:47.33\00:11:49.65
say no, if God had
not commanded me to do
00:11:49.68\00:11:51.73
so. This is not
something that they
00:11:51.76\00:11:54.41
were used to seeing in
everyday life. Yet these
00:11:54.44\00:11:57.56
magicians threw
this thing down and it
00:11:57.59\00:11:59.79
became serpents as
well. A sign asked can
00:11:59.82\00:12:04.67
be falsely given. Do
you believe that it was
00:12:04.70\00:12:08.73
God of heaven behind
this power that turned
00:12:08.76\00:12:11.76
their rods into serpents?
Of course not, yet it did
00:12:11.79\00:12:14.92
happen, any sign that
you or I ask for could
00:12:14.95\00:12:19.64
possibly be falsely
given. It has to line up
00:12:19.67\00:12:23.00
with God's word. It
would have to line up
00:12:23.03\00:12:24.92
with what God has
already said. Well what
00:12:24.95\00:12:29.71
about, what about
today, have you ever
00:12:29.74\00:12:33.21
asked God for a sign,
let's go backwards, well
00:12:33.24\00:12:37.20
I mean Oh! I mean
let's forward from where we
00:12:37.23\00:12:38.20
were just now to the
New Testament and ask
00:12:38.21\00:12:41.76
and take a look at
those who ask Jesus for a
00:12:41.79\00:12:45.75
sign. Let's look
at Mathew chapter 16
00:12:45.78\00:12:49.22
beginning with verse
1, Mathew 16 beginning
00:12:49.25\00:12:53.88
with verse 1.
Then the Pharisees and
00:12:53.91\00:12:56.93
Sadducees came, and
testing Him asked that
00:12:56.96\00:13:00.16
He would show them
a sign from heaven. He
00:13:00.19\00:13:03.46
answered and said
to them, "When it is
00:13:03.49\00:13:05.52
evening you say, it
will be fair weather, for the
00:13:05.55\00:13:08.08
sky is red, and in the
morning, it will be foul
00:13:08.11\00:13:10.68
weather today,
for the sky is red and
00:13:10.71\00:13:12.84
threatening.
Hypocrites! You know how to
00:13:12.87\00:13:16.62
discern the face of
the sky, but you cannot
00:13:16.65\00:13:19.19
discern the signs of
the times. A wicked and
00:13:19.22\00:13:22.15
adulterous generation
seeks after a sign, and
00:13:22.18\00:13:26.26
no sign shall be given
to it except the sign of the
00:13:26.29\00:13:29.29
prophet Jonah." And He
left them and departed.
00:13:29.32\00:13:32.24
You see the leaders of
the church at that day,
00:13:32.27\00:13:35.77
they asked Jesus for a
sign, think about it they
00:13:35.80\00:13:38.75
had him in their
midst, they had the
00:13:38.78\00:13:41.68
opportunity to see
the miracles that he
00:13:41.71\00:13:45.08
performed. They could
have examined the life
00:13:45.11\00:13:48.38
that he lived.
They could have watched
00:13:48.41\00:13:52.14
with intense interest
on how he lived and what
00:13:52.17\00:13:57.01
he did, and they said
we seek a sign. Jesus must
00:13:57.04\00:14:02.04
have said bless their
heart. How can they ask
00:14:02.07\00:14:06.33
for a sign. In fact
he said there will be no
00:14:06.36\00:14:10.12
sign. That same,
that same little story is
00:14:10.15\00:14:13.19
repeated in Mark
8:11 and 12. And it's also
00:14:13.22\00:14:16.88
repeated in Luke
11:29 and 30. And in fact in
00:14:16.91\00:14:21.52
the book of Mark it
says that Jesus sighed
00:14:21.55\00:14:25.42
deeply. He must
have thought how can they
00:14:25.45\00:14:31.77
ask me for a sign.
Everything is right here
00:14:31.80\00:14:36.30
in front of them to
examine for themselves,
00:14:36.33\00:14:40.40
how can they ask for
a sign. Let's look at
00:14:40.43\00:14:44.41
another passage of
scripture here, the
00:14:44.44\00:14:45.86
scripture of John
chapter 4, John chapter
00:14:45.89\00:14:49.42
4 and verse 48, John
chapter 4 and verse 48.
00:14:49.45\00:14:54.51
Then Jesus said
unto him, "Unless you
00:14:54.54\00:15:01.38
people see signs and
wonders, you will by no
00:15:01.41\00:15:05.04
means believe." Jesus
is here saying you are not
00:15:05.07\00:15:09.73
going to believe
me unless you see me
00:15:09.76\00:15:11.48
some, do some
fantastic work. Some marvelous
00:15:11.51\00:15:15.67
miracle that you can
go home and tell your
00:15:15.70\00:15:17.33
friends and family
about; you want to see
00:15:17.36\00:15:18.98
something big, some
fantastic thing, when
00:15:19.01\00:15:24.15
you have all the
opportunity that you
00:15:24.18\00:15:26.09
need, you will not
believe on me unless
00:15:26.12\00:15:29.93
you see these
signs. Let's go back to
00:15:29.96\00:15:34.02
Matthew chapter 23,
Matthew 23 and verse
00:15:34.05\00:15:40.62
29. Jesus talking
here and says, "Woe to you,
00:15:40.65\00:15:44.41
scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! Because
00:15:44.44\00:15:47.52
you build the
tombs of the prophets and
00:15:47.55\00:15:49.50
adorning the
monuments of the righteous,
00:15:49.53\00:15:50.89
and say, if we had
lived in the days of our
00:15:50.92\00:15:54.03
fathers, we would
not have been partakers
00:15:54.06\00:15:56.39
with them in the
blood of the prophets.
00:15:56.42\00:15:58.01
Therefore you
are witnesses against
00:15:58.04\00:16:01.43
yourselves that you
are sons of those who
00:16:01.46\00:16:03.95
murdered the
prophets. Fill up, then, the
00:16:03.98\00:16:06.15
measure of your fathers'
guilt. Serpents, brood of
00:16:06.18\00:16:09.73
vipers! How can you
escape the condemnation
00:16:09.76\00:16:12.26
of hell? Therefore,
indeed I send you prophets,
00:16:12.29\00:16:16.61
wise men, and scribes:
some of them you will kill
00:16:16.64\00:16:20.12
and crucify, and
some of them you will
00:16:20.15\00:16:22.27
scourge in your synagogues and
00:16:22.30\00:16:24.37
persecute from city
to city, that on you may
00:16:24.40\00:16:26.83
come all the righteous
blood shed on the earth,
00:16:26.86\00:16:29.19
from the blood of
righteous Abel to the
00:16:29.22\00:16:31.54
blood of Zechariah,
son of Berechiah, whom
00:16:31.57\00:16:34.66
you murdered between
the temple and the altar.
00:16:34.69\00:16:36.62
Assuredly, I say to
you, all these things will
00:16:36.65\00:16:39.00
come upon this
generation." Jesus says
00:16:39.03\00:16:42.68
I've sent you signs, I
have sent you all kinds
00:16:42.71\00:16:45.58
of things that you
need, I've sent you prophets,
00:16:45.61\00:16:47.62
I've sent you
scribes, I've sent you seers, I
00:16:47.65\00:16:50.42
have sent you the
word of God and you
00:16:50.45\00:16:51.95
wouldn't heed them,
you wouldn't listen. In
00:16:51.98\00:16:54.89
fact you murdered my
prophets. You murdered
00:16:54.92\00:16:57.32
those who brought
the word to you. This is
00:16:57.35\00:17:00.70
how you treated me,
this you how you have
00:17:00.73\00:17:03.17
heeded my signs, the
leaders of God's chosen
00:17:03.20\00:17:07.29
people in that day
did not heed the signs.
00:17:07.32\00:17:11.71
Were the signs
given? Of course, they had
00:17:11.74\00:17:14.93
Jesus himself he
was right there in their
00:17:14.96\00:17:18.22
midst. In fact Jesus
said in Luke 16:31, if they
00:17:18.25\00:17:24.11
hear not Moses and
the prophets, neither will
00:17:24.14\00:17:27.13
they be persuaded
though one rose from
00:17:27.16\00:17:29.95
the dead. Jesus says you
are not going to believe,
00:17:29.98\00:17:33.39
no matter what,
it doesn't matter if
00:17:33.42\00:17:35.30
someone that you
saw buried last month
00:17:35.33\00:17:36.99
comes out of the
tomb and walks and brings
00:17:37.02\00:17:39.26
you the word of God
you will not hear it
00:17:39.29\00:17:42.40
why? Because you
don't wanna hear it. That's
00:17:42.43\00:17:45.85
what he is telling the
people of that day. They
00:17:45.88\00:17:49.11
didn't want to
believe him, why because it
00:17:49.14\00:17:52.03
went against
everything that they had been
00:17:52.06\00:17:54.55
taught, all these
things that they had believed
00:17:54.58\00:17:56.12
all these years they
didn't understand, they
00:17:56.15\00:17:59.63
didn't want to heed
the signs, what about
00:17:59.66\00:18:02.14
today? Has God given
us signs of who he is, of
00:18:02.17\00:18:08.64
who we are, and how
he wants us to obey. In
00:18:08.67\00:18:14.34
Isaiah chapter 30 and
verse 21 it says this,
00:18:14.37\00:18:19.87
Isaiah chapter 30
and verse 21. Your ears
00:18:19.90\00:18:24.25
shall hear a word
behind you, saying,
00:18:24.28\00:18:26.67
"This is the way,
walk in it." Whenever you
00:18:26.70\00:18:30.28
turn to the right hand
or whenever you turn to
00:18:30.31\00:18:33.09
the left. We refer to
this possibly today as
00:18:33.12\00:18:38.04
something that we call
the conscience, I refer
00:18:38.07\00:18:41.87
to it as God's Holy
Spirit speaking to your
00:18:41.90\00:18:45.93
heart and to my
heart, helping us to make the
00:18:45.96\00:18:49.88
right decisions,
telling us when should go this
00:18:49.91\00:18:52.78
way or go that way.
Helping us to discern
00:18:52.81\00:18:56.58
the good from the
evil. That small voice in the
00:18:56.61\00:19:01.06
back of your mind
that says this is the way,
00:19:01.09\00:19:03.65
walk ye in it. These
are some of the signs that
00:19:03.68\00:19:08.04
God has given, what
about in Psalm 119:105,
00:19:08.07\00:19:12.16
Psalm 119 and
verse 105. Your word is a
00:19:12.19\00:19:20.26
lamp unto my feet and
a light to my path. Have
00:19:20.29\00:19:25.32
you received a word
today from God? It's
00:19:25.35\00:19:28.63
right here in this
Bible. Pick it up everyday and
00:19:28.66\00:19:32.26
read it. You will
receive something from God, I
00:19:32.29\00:19:34.78
have no doubt about
that, you will receive a
00:19:34.81\00:19:37.83
sign that you need that
God is in charge of your
00:19:37.86\00:19:42.00
life. What about
this one is Exodus chapter
00:19:42.03\00:19:44.72
31, I'm wondering
today is there possibly a
00:19:44.75\00:19:48.97
sign that we are
God's people today. What is
00:19:49.00\00:19:54.14
the sign that we are
his people. Exodus 31 and
00:19:54.17\00:19:57.29
beginning with verse
12. And the Lord spoke
00:19:57.32\00:20:01.55
to Moses, saying,
"Speak also to the
00:20:01.58\00:20:04.30
children of
Israel, saying: surely my
00:20:04.33\00:20:06.47
Sabbaths you shall
keep, for it is a, a what?
00:20:06.50\00:20:09.67
A sign between Me
and you throughout your
00:20:09.70\00:20:13.81
generations, that you
may know that I am the
00:20:13.84\00:20:16.64
Lord who
sanctifies you." And if we
00:20:16.67\00:20:21.19
continue on a little
bit further in verse 16 it
00:20:21.22\00:20:24.26
says, Therefore the
children of Israel shall
00:20:24.29\00:20:25.86
keep the Sabbath,
to observe the Sabbath
00:20:25.89\00:20:29.00
throughout
their generations as a
00:20:29.03\00:20:30.36
perpetual covenant. It
is a sign between Me and
00:20:30.39\00:20:33.92
the children of Israel
forever; what is the sign
00:20:33.95\00:20:36.50
that we are God's
people today. Holy
00:20:36.53\00:20:40.48
Scripture says it is
the seventh day Sabbath,
00:20:40.51\00:20:43.29
it's a sign that we
are following God, that we
00:20:43.32\00:20:47.95
are obeying his commandments and
00:20:47.98\00:20:50.73
that we wish to be
saved in the Kingdom
00:20:50.76\00:20:53.12
of God. I found some
very interesting articles
00:20:53.15\00:20:57.50
as I was studying this
subject. There is a little
00:20:57.53\00:21:03.17
paragraph I wish to
share with you from the
00:21:03.20\00:21:05.85
book called Desire
of Ages, page 458 and it
00:21:05.88\00:21:10.02
says this, God does
not compel men to give up
00:21:10.05\00:21:13.54
their unbelief.
Before them are light and
00:21:13.57\00:21:18.03
darkness, truth and
error. It is for them to
00:21:18.06\00:21:23.03
decide which they
will accept. The human
00:21:23.06\00:21:26.85
mind is endowed with
power to discriminate
00:21:26.88\00:21:30.91
between right and
wrong. God designs
00:21:30.94\00:21:34.18
that men shall not
decide from impulse,
00:21:34.21\00:21:36.73
but weight of
evidence, carefully comparing
00:21:36.76\00:21:41.55
scripture with
scripture. You see this, this is
00:21:41.58\00:21:45.52
telling us that God
just he doesn't just remove
00:21:45.55\00:21:49.70
all doubt, that would
be too easy, it would be
00:21:49.73\00:21:52.97
too easy and then
we wouldn't really have
00:21:53.00\00:21:55.24
control over things
would we. We wouldn't
00:21:55.27\00:21:57.25
really have that
free will. God gives us a
00:21:57.28\00:22:01.33
choice, he says here
is this and here is this.
00:22:01.36\00:22:05.08
Which will you choose
light or darkness, life or
00:22:05.11\00:22:09.93
death? Here is
another one, remember Thomas,
00:22:09.96\00:22:14.62
remember Thomas and
how there after Christ
00:22:14.65\00:22:18.46
had come from the
grave and he said, I
00:22:18.49\00:22:21.00
won't believe unless
I'm able to put my hands in
00:22:21.03\00:22:24.42
his side and feel the
scars on his hands and
00:22:24.45\00:22:28.03
feet. Desire of
Ages, page 807 says this,
00:22:28.06\00:22:32.66
Many who are
given to doubt excuse
00:22:32.69\00:22:37.13
themselves by
saying that if they had the
00:22:37.16\00:22:40.62
evidence which
Thomas had from his
00:22:40.65\00:22:43.89
companions, they
would believe. They do
00:22:43.92\00:22:47.12
not realize that
they have not only that
00:22:47.15\00:22:50.15
evidence, but much
more. Many who, like
00:22:50.18\00:22:54.65
Thomas, wait for
all cause of doubt to be
00:22:54.68\00:22:58.85
removed, will never
realize their desire.
00:22:58.88\00:23:02.14
They gradually become
confirmed in unbelief.
00:23:02.17\00:23:06.81
Those who educate
themselves to look on
00:23:06.84\00:23:10.23
the dark side, and
murmur and complain,
00:23:10.26\00:23:13.46
know not what they
do. They are sowing the
00:23:13.49\00:23:18.07
seeds of doubt, and
they will harvest a doubt,
00:23:18.10\00:23:21.30
have a harvest of
doubt to reap. At a time when
00:23:21.33\00:23:26.06
faith and confidence
are most essential, many
00:23:26.09\00:23:30.16
will thus find
themselves powerless to
00:23:30.19\00:23:32.70
hope and believe. Have
you not ever heard of a
00:23:32.73\00:23:37.91
life, perhaps there
is someone in your church
00:23:37.94\00:23:40.09
who lived a life of
just horrible disobedience
00:23:40.12\00:23:44.60
for many, many years.
And all of a sudden the
00:23:44.63\00:23:47.73
Lord got a hold of
them and he brought them to
00:23:47.76\00:23:50.34
him and they had a
marvelous transformation.
00:23:50.37\00:23:53.30
Is that not a sign
that God is in control.
00:23:53.33\00:23:56.18
And some have
said well if I could be
00:23:56.21\00:23:58.82
like Thomas, if I
could just you know do put
00:23:58.85\00:24:01.51
my hands in his, if I
could have some sort of
00:24:01.54\00:24:03.98
miraculous sign then
I would believe. This
00:24:04.01\00:24:06.52
paragraph says that
we have that sign and
00:24:06.55\00:24:08.44
much, much more.
Some have said today I
00:24:08.47\00:24:15.20
will keep the
Sabbath when God impresses
00:24:15.23\00:24:17.57
me to do it. Some have
said I will quit eating
00:24:17.60\00:24:22.01
unclean foods when
God impresses me to do
00:24:22.04\00:24:25.67
that. Some have said
I will quit believing in
00:24:25.70\00:24:29.45
the spirits of the
dead when God tells me.
00:24:29.48\00:24:32.98
Some have said I
will pay tithe when God
00:24:33.01\00:24:38.66
impresses me to do so.
Friend, I submit to you
00:24:38.69\00:24:42.88
today that God has
already given us these
00:24:42.91\00:24:47.17
signs, it's right here
in this book. If you will
00:24:47.20\00:24:50.95
read this book you will
find that God still wants
00:24:50.98\00:24:55.73
us to keep his
Seventh-Day-Sabbath.
00:24:55.76\00:24:57.90
If you will read this
book you will find that
00:24:57.93\00:25:00.73
there are unclean
foods that we should not be
00:25:00.76\00:25:02.70
eating. If you
will read this book,
00:25:02.73\00:25:04.74
you will find that there
is truth about the spirits
00:25:04.77\00:25:09.11
of dead. If you will
read this book you will find
00:25:09.14\00:25:12.21
that God expects his
children to pay tithe.
00:25:12.24\00:25:15.42
God may not come to you
00:25:15.45\00:25:22.03
personally and give you a
message. Now he may, but it's
00:25:22.06\00:25:25.46
possible he may not. And
remember what I said earlier,
00:25:25.49\00:25:27.34
that a sign can be
falsely given. Have you ever
00:25:27.37\00:25:31.11
looked into
heaven and prayed Lord
00:25:31.14\00:25:32.82
give me a sign. I would
submit to you today that
00:25:32.85\00:25:36.95
if you will go to this
word, if you will go to
00:25:36.98\00:25:39.86
this word with an
honest heart and an
00:25:39.89\00:25:42.85
open mind, God
will give you what you
00:25:42.88\00:25:45.95
need. God will give
you the signs that you are
00:25:45.98\00:25:49.46
asking for. Don't
expect some great and big and
00:25:49.49\00:25:51.73
marvelous thing.
Don't expect you know I
00:25:51.76\00:25:54.45
remember someone,
I remember someone
00:25:54.48\00:25:56.95
once said Lord if
you want me to witness to
00:25:56.98\00:26:00.85
so and so today,
would you please let me pass
00:26:00.88\00:26:03.83
five cars on the
street. This is a true story.
00:26:03.86\00:26:05.90
Would you please let
me pass five cars on the
00:26:05.93\00:26:09.78
street? Friend,
God's word is already said
00:26:09.81\00:26:13.36
that we should
witness of him, that we should
00:26:13.39\00:26:16.46
testify of his love,
that we should tell what
00:26:16.49\00:26:20.34
God has done for
us. Now there is a
00:26:20.37\00:26:25.09
possibility that
God may come to you in a
00:26:25.12\00:26:27.83
dream or a vision or
something I don't know
00:26:27.86\00:26:30.74
and that's not for me
to judge. But be careful
00:26:30.77\00:26:34.42
with signs like that.
Be careful because signs
00:26:34.45\00:26:37.51
can be falsely given.
Our responsibility is to
00:26:37.54\00:26:41.88
read this word and
to obey. Scripture says
00:26:41.91\00:26:46.25
fear God and keep
his commandments, this is
00:26:46.28\00:26:50.34
the whole duty of man.
That's all we have to do,
00:26:50.37\00:26:54.44
our responsibility is
to read and obey. Friend, I
00:26:54.47\00:27:00.69
would invite you today
to just open your heart
00:27:00.72\00:27:04.91
to God's word, get
into this book read and
00:27:04.94\00:27:10.20
study this book for
yourself, find out what
00:27:10.23\00:27:13.69
is in this book that
can change and transform
00:27:13.72\00:27:16.13
your life today. God
wants to do that for you
00:27:16.16\00:27:20.60
and for me. Don't ask
for some big miraculous
00:27:20.63\00:27:24.11
sign, read the signs
that God had already given
00:27:24.14\00:27:27.78
in his word. Read
and obey, that's what he
00:27:27.81\00:27:32.01
wants us to do. And
let's learn the lessons of
00:27:32.04\00:27:35.85
the prophets, I mean
of the Pharisees. Let's
00:27:35.88\00:27:38.54
learn the prophets,
of the Sadducees, those
00:27:38.57\00:27:41.25
who received the
sign but did not heed the
00:27:41.28\00:27:44.07
warnings. Today let
us read God's word, find
00:27:44.10\00:27:49.86
the signs and heed the signs and
00:27:49.89\00:27:52.40
he will bless you and I today.
00:27:52.43\00:27:55.13