Hello and
welcome to Faith Chapel.
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I'm Tim
Riesenberger and I'm going to be
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sharing with you the truth that
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transforms the
world. Let us pray.
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Loving Father in
heaven, thank you so
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much for changing
my life, I pray that
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everyone who hears
this would be forever
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changed, that
they would see you and
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know you in Jesus name. Amen.
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A simple question for
you, does God love you?
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Does God love the
people in his Church?
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Well does God love
the people who don't go
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to church? Does
he love the lost?
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Does he love the
people who hate him?
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Well does he love
Satan and his angels?
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And even more
important question why does
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he love you? Why
does he love the lost?
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Why would he love his enemies?
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And why would he
love Satan or his angels?
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As I share this
message I pray that you would
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think about those
questions. I got a message
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from my boss and he
said Dr. Riesenberger
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I need to meet
with you. Now normally
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when your boss says
something like this,
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it's not just a
chat, it's usually to share
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something negative.
So I had my friends pray.
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And this truth came
to me as a result of a
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simple text
message. I received a message
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from a friend of
mine who said I'm praying
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for you that God will
give you the right words
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when you need them.
Whatever happens I'm
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proud of you. Simple
enough but very disturbing
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to me. I thought to
myself whatever happens
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I'm proud of you.
Well, let's think about
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whatever could
happen. Could it be good
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chore? My boss could
say, Tim, we love you.
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You're the best
doctor we have here at the
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hospital, we're
doubling your salary and we're
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cutting your hours in
half. But it could be you
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are the worst
doctor I've ever seen.
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We are just overflowing
with complaints about
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you and you are
fired. I can tell you that if
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I were fired I
wouldn't be proud of me.
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I would say what a
horrible witness to people
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at work. What a
dishonor, what a disgrace,
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I've never been
fired in my life.
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But not my friend,
they wrote and said
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whatever happens
I'm proud of you,
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that disturbed
me until I began to
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understand the truth
that transforms the world.
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God lead me to a
passage in the Bible that's
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very familiar to you.
It's in the Old Testament;
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it's about one of David's sons.
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Turn with me in your
Bibles to Second Samuel
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chapter 14 and verse
25. Now in all Israel
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there was no one
who was praised as much
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as Absalom for his
good looks. From the sole
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of his foot to
the crown of this head
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there was no blemish in him.
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Absalom was
flawless, he was what every
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guy envied to be.
All the women loved him.
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But unfortunately
the inside is not always
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the same as the
outside, because Absalom
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began scheming. He
noticed that his father
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was getting older, his
government was becoming
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less efficient.
Absalom took time to hang
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out around the
court house when the
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people were in
line waiting for their
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judgment Absalom
would talk to them.
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He would sympathize with them.
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He would say your
cause is right but there
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is no one that
the King has appointed
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to hear you. If
only I were made a judge
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then I would do you
right. The Bible tells us
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what happened as
a result of this.
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Second Samuel
chapter 15 verse 6 tells
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us, in this manner
Absalom acted toward
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all Israel who came
to the King for judgment.
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So Absalom stole
the hearts of the men of
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Israel. Absalom
began doing even more.
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He increased his
plots to draw the people to
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himself and he
found some allies in the
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court of the King.
Second Samuel chapter 15
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verses 10 and 12,
Then Absalom sent spies
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throughout all
the tribes of Israel,
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saying, As soon as
you hear the sound of
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the trumpet, then you shall say,
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'Absalom reigns in Hebron!'.
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Then Absalom sent for
Ahithophel the Gilonite,
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David's counselor,
from his city from Giloh
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where he offered
sacrifices. And the
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conspiracy grew
strong, for the people with
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Absalom continually
increased in number.
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Who was Ahithophel?
Well the verse tells
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us it was David's
counselor but it's
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more than that.
If you look at Second
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Samuel 11:3 and
23:34 you will see that
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he was actually
Bathsheba's grandfather.
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I can assure you
he was waiting for a
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moment to even
the score between he
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and David. For
what David had done not
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only to Bathsheba
but to her husband and to
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their family name.
But just when you thought
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it couldn't get worse, it does.
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Ahithophel gives a
little piece of advice
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to Absalom as he is
taking over the kingdom.
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Let's look at
what he does in Second
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Samuel chapter 16
verses 22, Second Samuel
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chapter 16 verse
22, so they pitched a
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tent for Absalom on
the top of the house,
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and Absalom went
in to his father's
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concubines in the
sight of all Israel.
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David had fled the
city at this point.
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He was so worried,
he was so fearful that
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his whole family
would be slaughtered.
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At one point he
said that my son who came
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out of my own body
is seeking my life.
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David prepares for
the last stand between
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he and his own
son. Now Absalom has all
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of Israel on his side,
David has just a little
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handful. David, as
he is preparing his
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armies to go out
to war gives one final
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piece of
information to his generals.
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Does he say take
courage, does he say that
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God will fight
our battles for us.
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What does he say?
Let's take a look in
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Second Samuel
chapter 18 verse 5,
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Now the king
commanded Joab, Abishai,
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and Ittai, saying,
"Deal gently for my sake
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with the young man
Absalom." And all the
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people heard when
the king gave all the
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captains orders
concerning Absalom.
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David repeats this
command three times to
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each general;
take it easy on my son.
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If it's any way
possible save his life.
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If as you're
fighting you can avoid killing
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him then do it.
David's final command was
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to save his son. I can
tell you how the battle
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goes. David's army
by the grace of God
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wins a categorical
victory. Absalom's forces
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are slaughtered and
as Absalom is turning
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to flee his hair
catches in a tree and he's left
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dangling between
heaven and earth.
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A soldier finds
him, but the soldier
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remembers David's
explicit command and he
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spares Absalom.
However he tells Joab the
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general of David's
army. Joab comes and
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takes not one, not
two, but three spears
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thrust them through
the heart of Absalom
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and thus ends the
greatest rebellion Israel
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has ever known.
They send messengers to
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return to the city
to tell the good news.
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Amazingly, the
answer of the King is not
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Praise the Lord, is
not thank God for sparing
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us and our
family. David has only one
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question for the
messengers. In fact
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there's two
separate messengers in Second
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Samuel chapter
18 verses 29 and 32,
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the King said, is the
young man Absalom safe?
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When they tell him
that Absalom is dead,
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we read David's
response, thus the King was
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deeply moved and
he went up to the
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chamber over the
gate, and he wept.
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And as he went, he
said thus: "O my son
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Absalom my son, my
son Absalom if only
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I had died in your
place! O Absalom my son,
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my son!" Now I have
a simple question for
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you. Why did David love Absalom?
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Did he love him,
because he was a loyal
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citizen? Did he
perhaps love him because he
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was an obedient
son? Maybe he loved him
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for his upright
character. Well Absalom was
00:10:07.02\00:10:10.81
the worst trader in
the history of Israel.
00:10:10.88\00:10:13.02
Absalom tried
to kill his father.
00:10:13.78\00:10:16.06
Absalom committed
adultery with his father's
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wives. You don't
get any worst than what
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his son had done.
So why in the world
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would David love
Absalom? The answer is
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simple. Whether you
are a Christian or whether
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you are not.
Whether you are Buddhist,
00:10:34.70\00:10:35.98
Shinto, Muslim it
doesn't matter. No matter how
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bad your son was.
He still is your son.
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David loved
Absalom not for what he did
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but for who he was.
And what Absalom did
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no matter how bad
didn't change the simple
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fact that he was the
son of David. I can tell
00:10:58.74\00:11:03.20
you that this
truth comes home to me,
00:11:03.23\00:11:08.33
to you and to
everyone on this planet.
00:11:08.92\00:11:11.87
As I realized why
David loved Absalom God
00:11:12.91\00:11:16.59
spoke to me three
words. I can tell you,
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it wasn't written
on the ceiling in fire.
00:11:20.00\00:11:21.67
It wasn't like I
opened the closet to see if
00:11:22.11\00:11:23.77
anyone was there.
But God spoke it to my
00:11:23.80\00:11:26.25
mind, but I knew it
wasn't me because it was
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a new thought. God
spoke to me three simple
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words. He impressed
me that I was not loved
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because I was a
doctor. Tim, I don't love
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you because you help
people. I don't love you
00:11:42.48\00:11:45.13
because you
dedicate your time to go
00:11:45.22\00:11:47.86
oversees as a
missionary. I don't love you
00:11:47.89\00:11:50.73
even because you're a
Seventh-Day Adventist.
00:11:51.23\00:11:53.25
I don't love you
even because you do what's
00:11:53.81\00:11:56.89
right. I love you and
here's the three words,
00:11:56.92\00:12:00.31
because you're mine.
And when I understood
00:12:01.10\00:12:04.73
that I cried until I
couldn't cry anymore.
00:12:04.76\00:12:07.74
I ran out of tears
as I realized the whole
00:12:08.54\00:12:12.38
great controversy,
as I realized the whole
00:12:12.41\00:12:15.23
message of the Bible.
It's just my dad trying
00:12:15.26\00:12:18.74
to get me back.
It's that simple, every
00:12:18.77\00:12:22.26
warning you read,
every promise that you
00:12:22.30\00:12:24.61
claim is just your
dad, trying to get you back
00:12:24.71\00:12:28.63
home. That's the
whole great controversy.
00:12:28.71\00:12:31.46
That's the truth
that transforms the world.
00:12:32.13\00:12:34.27
That God is your
father and he wants his
00:12:35.03\00:12:37.49
child home. I can
tell you that everyone of
00:12:37.54\00:12:40.86
us understands
this truth because we go
00:12:40.91\00:12:44.44
back to the original
question, why does God
00:12:44.52\00:12:48.02
love you? Well I
can give you an example.
00:12:48.05\00:12:51.92
I've a friend of
mine who, you ask her and
00:12:52.12\00:12:55.10
you say do you
have any enemies and she
00:12:55.25\00:12:57.29
will say well,
no, I love everybody,
00:12:57.32\00:12:59.44
I'm everyone's
friend. And many times we
00:13:00.07\00:13:02.78
think that God
loves us for that reason,
00:13:02.81\00:13:05.13
because as the
Bible says God is love and
00:13:05.66\00:13:08.44
this is true. There are
certain people that love
00:13:08.51\00:13:12.22
everyone not
because the people around
00:13:12.25\00:13:14.16
them are bad but
because their nature is
00:13:14.19\00:13:16.45
so good. God is the
same. Truly, he's going
00:13:16.48\00:13:20.23
to love no matter
what, but that's not
00:13:20.26\00:13:22.61
the main reason that he
loves you. He loves you,
00:13:22.74\00:13:25.92
yes because he's
God. He loves you,
00:13:25.95\00:13:28.24
yes because he's the
creator. But you are his,
00:13:28.27\00:13:31.65
he made you. You
are his child and he is
00:13:32.32\00:13:36.25
your father. I
remember working in the
00:13:36.28\00:13:39.94
emergency
department. There was a bad
00:13:39.97\00:13:42.28
motor vehicle
accident. A young teenage boy
00:13:42.31\00:13:45.69
was not breathing;
his heart was not beating,
00:13:46.23\00:13:48.35
no blood pressure. I
put the breathing tube
00:13:48.56\00:13:51.24
down his throat I put
him on the ventilator,
00:13:51.27\00:13:53.61
put a line in his
chest. We continued doing CPR
00:13:53.74\00:13:58.14
on this boy. I can
tell you a grieving father
00:13:58.17\00:14:02.99
was behind me just
sobbing saying Dr. Riesenberger
00:14:03.02\00:14:06.87
if only it was me
in the passenger side.
00:14:06.90\00:14:09.66
I remember a girl
who was just 8 vomiting
00:14:10.75\00:14:14.19
uncontrollably; we
couldn't stop it with any
00:14:14.27\00:14:16.25
medications. She had
lost all her hair because
00:14:16.28\00:14:19.79
she had cancer and she
was getting chemotherapy.
00:14:19.82\00:14:22.32
The mother looked
down and wished saying if
00:14:23.57\00:14:28.06
only I had the
cancer Dr. Riesenberger.
00:14:28.09\00:14:30.50
Couldn't I take
the chemotherapy for my
00:14:31.14\00:14:33.14
little daughter?
Every parent feels the same.
00:14:33.17\00:14:37.33
I can tell you that
no matter what that child
00:14:38.20\00:14:40.62
has done, no
matter what they've gone
00:14:40.65\00:14:42.26
through. The parent
will change places and
00:14:42.30\00:14:45.60
take their place.
They would willingly take
00:14:45.65\00:14:48.93
any punishment take
any amount of suffering
00:14:49.00\00:14:51.86
to spare their
child. I can tell you that
00:14:52.32\00:14:56.38
perhaps you may
think, well I've committed
00:14:56.46\00:14:59.55
the unpardonable
sin, I'm too bad to save.
00:14:59.58\00:15:01.76
Look at Absalom,
Absalom was about as bad
00:15:02.26\00:15:05.97
as you can get. But
David loved him still.
00:15:06.00\00:15:09.46
And we all
understand that because he
00:15:09.99\00:15:11.92
was his son. Don't
you see that's how God
00:15:11.99\00:15:15.53
sees you and I. No
matter how bad we get,
00:15:15.56\00:15:18.50
no matter how
dark the situation is.
00:15:18.59\00:15:20.51
What doesn't
change is that we're still
00:15:20.97\00:15:23.55
children of our heavenly Father.
00:15:23.64\00:15:25.92
And when does he give upon us?
00:15:26.87\00:15:28.23
Well, let's go back
to the ER. I can tell you
00:15:28.95\00:15:32.44
I had a 2 year
old one time come in,
00:15:32.47\00:15:34.34
very sad story. Little
child wasn't breathing.
00:15:34.39\00:15:37.76
We did our best to
help the child breath;
00:15:38.50\00:15:41.75
we shocked the
child's heart many times.
00:15:42.31\00:15:44.60
We gave him
strong drugs to see if we
00:15:44.96\00:15:47.54
could bring him
back. Ten minutes went by,
00:15:47.57\00:15:50.38
twenty minutes,
thirty minutes and I can tell
00:15:50.49\00:15:53.34
you something
happened then that always
00:15:53.37\00:15:55.14
happens after about
30 minutes. I feel little
00:15:55.17\00:15:57.92
touch on my shoulder
and I turned around and
00:15:57.97\00:16:02.14
it's one of the
parents. And they say
00:16:02.17\00:16:04.12
Dr. Riesenberger,
it's been a long time since
00:16:04.17\00:16:07.24
my boy has breathe
or if he's even moved.
00:16:07.32\00:16:10.22
I need to know if
there is any hope.
00:16:11.64\00:16:14.04
And I can tell you
that if tell the parents
00:16:15.06\00:16:17.49
there is a little
chance we saw the heart beat
00:16:17.59\00:16:20.65
flutter a little bit. I
saw some movement actually
00:16:20.76\00:16:23.59
of his eyelids that
parent will say keep going.
00:16:23.70\00:16:26.50
But if I respond to
the parent and I say,
00:16:27.64\00:16:29.72
ma'am I'm sorry
your son has not moved,
00:16:30.58\00:16:33.40
breathed, or had any
signs of life for the last
00:16:33.43\00:16:36.50
half hour. There is
no hope and the parent
00:16:36.53\00:16:41.41
will look down. And
what will they tell me to
00:16:41.44\00:16:43.98
do? Well, what
would you say to do?
00:16:44.05\00:16:46.86
Would you tell
me keep shocking him
00:16:47.31\00:16:48.49
anyway? Keep put
more lines in him?
00:16:48.54\00:16:51.04
Keep forcing air into
his lungs. No. You'd say
00:16:51.45\00:16:55.79
it's time to let go.
Let my son go to rest.
00:16:55.87\00:17:00.27
That's when God gives up on you.
00:17:01.48\00:17:03.47
When he knows that
there is no more hope
00:17:03.88\00:17:06.16
but I can tell you
that just as David did.
00:17:07.23\00:17:10.65
He was sending his
armies out to defeat
00:17:11.07\00:17:13.26
Absalom and his
forces but even as he did
00:17:13.43\00:17:15.77
that, what did he
say? Spare my son Absalom
00:17:15.84\00:17:19.85
and I can tell you
no matter how bad you
00:17:20.54\00:17:22.13
are. You may think
that God is sending the
00:17:22.16\00:17:23.88
angels after you to
end your life, to bring
00:17:23.93\00:17:27.17
judgment upon you.
And that may be true
00:17:27.24\00:17:29.31
but I can tell you
what he tells his angels.
00:17:30.20\00:17:32.14
He says spare if
you can. Do what you can
00:17:33.01\00:17:36.76
to bring my son
or my daughter home.
00:17:36.84\00:17:39.98
Let's imagine, if this
family goes through the
00:17:43.75\00:17:47.04
tragedy of losing
their child. They've just
00:17:47.16\00:17:50.48
finished telling
me okay, let him go.
00:17:50.53\00:17:53.95
And I come over to
the grieving parents and
00:17:55.24\00:17:58.05
I decide to put my
arm around them and I
00:17:58.08\00:17:59.86
say Mr and Mrs. Smith
I'm so sorry that you've
00:17:59.89\00:18:03.17
lost your 2 year
old son. But I see you
00:18:03.31\00:18:05.36
have several
small children here.
00:18:05.39\00:18:07.01
You still have
others or you're a young
00:18:07.71\00:18:10.76
family you can have
more kids or perhaps I
00:18:10.80\00:18:14.27
could even say this
child looks like it was a
00:18:14.30\00:18:17.43
twin. You still have
the other twin, so that's
00:18:17.46\00:18:20.73
alright. I can tell you
the hospital administrator
00:18:20.76\00:18:24.29
would on me the next
day, I would be fired.
00:18:24.32\00:18:27.49
Because having other
children doesn't erase,
00:18:28.27\00:18:32.01
doesn't replace
the one that is gone.
00:18:32.55\00:18:35.87
I can tell you any
parent on the face of this
00:18:36.81\00:18:39.77
planet would say
that having other children
00:18:39.96\00:18:43.23
doesn't replace
the one that's gone.
00:18:43.88\00:18:45.70
But why don't we
think it's that way with
00:18:46.32\00:18:47.68
God. God could
create more children but
00:18:47.71\00:18:51.43
they would never be another you.
00:18:51.46\00:18:52.88
Even if you were a
twin that twin is not the
00:18:53.42\00:18:57.49
same as you. All the
same genetic material,
00:18:57.52\00:19:01.80
even the same
name doesn't make you,
00:19:01.91\00:19:04.91
and doesn't replace
you in the heart of your
00:19:05.67\00:19:08.30
parents or the heart
of God. I can tell you
00:19:08.33\00:19:14.32
that I understand
this now, because if you
00:19:14.36\00:19:16.77
ask any parent how
many of your children
00:19:16.86\00:19:18.89
do you want to save
90 percent, 95 percent,
00:19:18.93\00:19:22.01
99 percent. They
would say what do you mean?
00:19:22.10\00:19:24.97
It's clearly 100
and it makes sense to me
00:19:25.58\00:19:29.18
now why God leaves the
99 in the wilderness and
00:19:29.28\00:19:32.52
he goes after one
that's lost. We're told
00:19:32.55\00:19:36.60
in Second Peter that
God is long suffering
00:19:36.97\00:19:40.63
toward us. He is not
willing that any should
00:19:40.75\00:19:44.39
perish but that all
should come to repentance.
00:19:44.50\00:19:47.84
Do you realize that
God, His will is to save
00:19:48.32\00:19:52.01
every last one of us?
Why is God so particular?
00:19:52.04\00:19:55.67
Why would you
want to save your kids?
00:19:56.75\00:19:58.38
There is no question
in my mind, I can tell
00:19:58.95\00:20:02.15
you that if you've
ever known a parent
00:20:02.18\00:20:04.20
whose lost a child
they're never the same again.
00:20:04.35\00:20:07.17
No matter how
much counseling they go
00:20:07.58\00:20:09.32
through, no matter
how many years have
00:20:09.46\00:20:11.19
passed since the
death of the child.
00:20:11.28\00:20:13.05
There is a hole that's
left and I can tell you
00:20:13.49\00:20:16.53
that some day when
we go to heaven it may
00:20:16.91\00:20:19.74
be that you are
missing a child, you may look
00:20:19.78\00:20:22.26
around and say
well, where is my son?
00:20:22.36\00:20:24.58
Where is my
daughter? You may see that
00:20:25.31\00:20:27.66
one of your children
is missing and you will
00:20:27.70\00:20:29.80
be sad. You will
cry and you will mourn.
00:20:29.83\00:20:33.11
You see because God
does not wipe away all
00:20:33.77\00:20:35.67
tears until after
the second resurrection.
00:20:35.79\00:20:38.85
There will be many
tears shed during that
00:20:39.52\00:20:41.30
thousand years but I
can tell you there is
00:20:41.33\00:20:43.59
one person who is
gonna cry more than
00:20:43.68\00:20:45.59
anyone else. God
himself is going to look
00:20:45.68\00:20:48.89
around at the
mansions that he has prepared
00:20:49.04\00:20:51.39
for you and I and he
is going to see some empty
00:20:51.48\00:20:55.52
ones. He will say
why, why did you die?
00:20:55.60\00:21:02.06
You didn't have to?
I prepared these places
00:21:02.53\00:21:06.41
for you so you could be with me.
00:21:06.44\00:21:08.31
But you see that's
the way it is with God,
00:21:09.29\00:21:12.80
just like is with us.
You see David in the last
00:21:13.20\00:21:16.33
verse he said O Absalom my son.
00:21:16.36\00:21:18.84
Would to God that I
had died instead of you.
00:21:19.80\00:21:23.24
You see David wished
that he could have died
00:21:23.97\00:21:26.44
for Absalom. But
you see that's where the
00:21:26.55\00:21:29.67
story falls short.
God did die for you and I.
00:21:29.70\00:21:34.10
I can tell you if I've
had parents on the gurney
00:21:34.78\00:21:36.93
saying Dr.
Riesenberger, do you need blood?
00:21:36.97\00:21:39.25
Have some of mine.
When I've told them look
00:21:39.42\00:21:41.99
your daughter's
kidneys are failing from
00:21:42.12\00:21:43.72
shock they'll say
take one of my kidneys.
00:21:43.75\00:21:46.21
But you see you
have two kidneys,
00:21:46.78\00:21:48.21
but can you imagine
if a child needed a heart
00:21:49.29\00:21:52.13
transplant. Because
that's what you and I
00:21:52.26\00:21:54.71
need. Our hearts
are lost. We are bad and
00:21:54.74\00:21:59.82
there is no turning
back for us. God gives up
00:21:59.85\00:22:03.54
his heart that we
might live. That's where it
00:22:03.69\00:22:07.39
falls short. Turn to
Isaiah, chapter 49 verse
00:22:07.42\00:22:13.04
14-16, Isaiah 49, but Zion said,
00:22:13.41\00:22:19.12
"The Lord has
forsaken me, And my Lord
00:22:19.21\00:22:21.17
has forgotten me.
Can a woman forget her
00:22:21.21\00:22:23.82
nursing child, And
not have compassion on
00:22:23.86\00:22:26.55
the son of her
womb? Surely they may
00:22:26.58\00:22:28.73
forget, Yet will I
not forget you. See I have
00:22:28.76\00:22:31.80
inscribed you on
the palms of My hands:
00:22:31.87\00:22:34.68
Your walls are
continually before Me."
00:22:35.15\00:22:38.56
Amazingly a mother
and her child touching
00:22:41.03\00:22:44.94
as though it may
be can fail. There are
00:22:44.97\00:22:47.98
mothers that we read
in the paper that have
00:22:48.02\00:22:49.75
left their
children in the dumpster,
00:22:49.80\00:22:51.40
they have murdered
them. God understands
00:22:52.14\00:22:54.59
that the story isn't
perfect and just like with
00:22:54.68\00:22:58.63
David. He wished that
he could die for Absalom
00:22:58.66\00:23:01.22
but he didn't, but
you see God did die for
00:23:01.76\00:23:05.27
you and I. He did
die for his children.
00:23:05.30\00:23:08.13
His love goes so
much farther than human
00:23:08.98\00:23:12.64
love. But I can tell
you that it goes even
00:23:12.67\00:23:16.38
further than that.
Remember the question
00:23:16.41\00:23:19.68
that I asked you,
does God love Satan?
00:23:19.73\00:23:22.28
Well let's think about
it. Go back to Absalom.
00:23:22.95\00:23:27.02
Absalom was
perfect from head to toe;
00:23:27.82\00:23:30.90
there was no
blemish, who else was created
00:23:31.22\00:23:34.06
perfect? Absalom
rebelled and took the
00:23:34.10\00:23:37.96
loyalties of his
father's kingdom. Was there
00:23:37.99\00:23:41.21
someone else who
took the loyalty of his
00:23:41.24\00:23:43.93
father's
subjects? Absalom committed
00:23:43.96\00:23:47.48
adultery with his
father's wives. There was
00:23:47.53\00:23:50.55
someone else who
committed spiritual
00:23:50.58\00:23:52.15
adultery with his
father's wife. And finally
00:23:52.18\00:23:55.72
Absalom tried to
kill his father, there was
00:23:55.87\00:23:58.78
another who tried
to kill his father.
00:23:58.81\00:24:00.87
There was no missing
the illustration Lucifer
00:24:01.46\00:24:05.03
was the one who did
all these things to God.
00:24:05.55\00:24:07.72
He lied about God's government,
00:24:07.96\00:24:09.66
stole the
affections of the angles,
00:24:09.80\00:24:11.52
stole affections of
us on earth. He committed
00:24:11.55\00:24:14.29
spiritual adultery
with God's bride the church.
00:24:14.32\00:24:17.49
There is no question
in mind that this story
00:24:18.41\00:24:20.72
illustrates the
great controversy and so
00:24:20.83\00:24:22.92
I know that God
does love Satan, because
00:24:22.95\00:24:27.05
he created him, he is
his father. But you see
00:24:27.14\00:24:31.09
there is a
difference between Satan and you
00:24:31.18\00:24:34.02
and I. In the Bible
it tells us in the final
00:24:34.05\00:24:37.90
judgment Matthew
25:34 tells us that God
00:24:38.03\00:24:43.26
will say to those on
his right hand, come ye
00:24:43.29\00:24:45.10
blessed of my
father inherit the kingdom
00:24:45.13\00:24:47.50
prepared for you
from the foundation of the
00:24:47.56\00:24:49.83
world. And he says to
the people on the other
00:24:49.86\00:24:52.36
side depart from
me you cursed into the
00:24:52.44\00:24:55.34
everlasting fire
prepared for. No, it doesn't
00:24:55.37\00:24:58.53
say you; it was
prepared for the devil
00:24:58.59\00:25:01.10
and his angels. Do
you realize not one human
00:25:01.14\00:25:03.93
being was designed to be lost?
00:25:03.98\00:25:06.00
Remember we read
that, that God is not
00:25:06.64\00:25:08.11
willing that any
should perish but that all
00:25:08.22\00:25:10.72
should come to
repentance. But the
00:25:11.31\00:25:13.33
difference between
the devil and you and
00:25:13.36\00:25:15.32
I is fundamental.
Romans 2:4 tells us there
00:25:15.35\00:25:18.92
is only thing that
brings us to repentance and
00:25:18.95\00:25:21.87
that is the
goodness of God. How much of
00:25:21.90\00:25:24.59
God's goodness
did Satan understand?
00:25:24.62\00:25:26.73
What was his job? He
was the covering cherub,
00:25:27.36\00:25:30.15
he's right here God's over here.
00:25:30.59\00:25:32.48
How much of God's
goodness did he know?
00:25:33.86\00:25:35.75
He saw it all
and he walked away.
00:25:36.15\00:25:38.77
There is nothing
more God is gonna show him
00:25:39.31\00:25:41.53
to bring him
back. But you see it was
00:25:41.56\00:25:44.37
different for me.
God knew Tim doesn't
00:25:44.41\00:25:48.44
understand me he
doesn't see me as I am.
00:25:48.47\00:25:51.46
But now God has
shown me that he is just
00:25:52.03\00:25:54.51
my dad trying to
get me back. Have you
00:25:54.55\00:25:57.77
ever woken up in
the middle of the night,
00:25:57.80\00:25:59.43
it's pitch black,
you don't know where you
00:25:59.82\00:26:01.64
are, you don't know
which side of the bed
00:26:01.67\00:26:03.33
your head is on,
you don't know where the
00:26:03.46\00:26:04.75
door is or the
window is, but when someone
00:26:04.78\00:26:06.93
opens that door just
a crack and lets some
00:26:06.96\00:26:09.30
light in, you see
it last. You know where
00:26:09.38\00:26:12.37
everything is in the
room. That's what it's
00:26:12.40\00:26:14.94
like for me. I see
God at last. God knows
00:26:14.97\00:26:19.04
that I'm not like
Satan; I was deceived into
00:26:19.07\00:26:21.21
sin just as you
were. And when God reveals
00:26:21.24\00:26:24.83
to us who he is,
we can turn back.
00:26:24.86\00:26:28.35
So how does this
effect you? I'll share with
00:26:29.54\00:26:32.35
you. When you
understand the three
00:26:32.38\00:26:34.43
most powerful words
in the Bible it changes
00:26:34.50\00:26:37.54
you. Turn with me in
Isaiah chapter 43 verse 1,
00:26:37.57\00:26:44.77
But now, thus says
the Lord who created you,
00:26:44.94\00:26:47.23
O Jacob, and He who
formed you, O Israel:
00:26:47.26\00:26:50.17
" Fear not, for I
have redeemed you: I have
00:26:50.66\00:26:53.44
called you by
your name: here are the
00:26:53.48\00:26:55.65
three words, You are Mine.
00:26:55.74\00:26:59.11
Let us consider that
God calls us by our name,
00:27:00.74\00:27:04.30
because we are his
that is why he loves us
00:27:04.85\00:27:07.25
and what does that do
for our lives well read
00:27:07.78\00:27:10.52
the next verse.
When you pass through the
00:27:10.55\00:27:13.72
waters, I will be
with you: And through the
00:27:13.78\00:27:16.66
rivers, they
shall not overflow you.
00:27:16.69\00:27:18.88
When you walk through the fire,
00:27:18.99\00:27:20.41
you shall not be
burned, Nor shall the flame
00:27:20.70\00:27:23.71
scorch you. Don't
you see what this does
00:27:24.26\00:27:27.67
when we understand
this truth that we are
00:27:27.90\00:27:31.00
God's and
that's why he loves us,
00:27:31.07\00:27:32.73
we are invincible.
We can face anything
00:27:33.01\00:27:35.85
because there is
one thing that doesn't
00:27:36.33\00:27:38.50
change. What doesn't
change is how God feels
00:27:38.58\00:27:42.24
about you. He loves
you, yes because he is God,
00:27:42.27\00:27:45.86
yes because he is the creator,
00:27:46.22\00:27:47.52
but he loves you
most because you're mine.
00:27:47.79\00:27:50.94