Hello and we
welcome you once again
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to Foundation of our Faith.
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I'm CA Murray.
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And we do welcome you
to the Thomson Wilson,
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the Adventist Church.
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The 3ABN worship
center as together
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we listen to the man of
God preaching the word of God.
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We welcome you
to sadly the last,
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the fourth in a
wonderful series of sermons
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by our pastor, our
speaker Edward Bryan.
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The first message
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and I love these
topics and the titles,
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'Burn baby burn.'
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And if you did
not hear that message,
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you want to
make sure to get that
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because it's a
wonderful sermon followed by
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'The Golden Touch'
then 'Old Brother',
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and our presentation
for this particular sitting
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back to the present.
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We cannot wait to hear
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what God has brought to pastor
to give to us this very day.
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As it has been mentioned,
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he is pastoring in the
Northern New England Conference.
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He comes from a
part of the country
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that gets very
cold in the winter,
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but is very
beautiful in the summer.
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He's pastor in
few churches there.
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He's the husband of one wife
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and the father of
two lovely daughters,
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and together
they seek to encourage
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the youth of our church,
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to encourage young people
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to be all that they can be
for Jesus Christ to serve Him
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faithfully and
consistently, and it is his job,
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his desire as still a young man
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to see his fellow young people
do great things for the Lord,
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even as he
preaches the word of God
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each week and each
day and wherever he can,
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and whenever he can.
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We are so happy to have him here
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and we know that
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God has a very special blessing
for you from him this day.
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So I ask you to
give him your prayerful
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and undivided attention.
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Our music ministry is coming
from a friend of long standing
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when you get my age, I
never say an old friend
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because I just don't
want to say that anymore.
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So I will say a
friend of long standing
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and I've known his
family for many, many years.
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He is a New Yorker
from Queens, New York,
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and just a wonderful singer,
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Mark Prentice is a
gifted minister of the word.
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He plays, he
sings, he writes music
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and God has given
him an unusual talent,
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very beautiful smooth voice,
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but more than that
he's a Christian young man.
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I know his family comes
from a Christian family.
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He is a person
who loves the Lord,
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who cares about
the things of God,
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who has committed himself
to full time music ministry
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which means he's
trusting in the Lord
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and leaning on the Lord
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to provide for
him all that he needs
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and he's given his
considerable talent
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back to the Lord,
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and God is given him
His presence and His power
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in exchange for that
surrender of his talent.
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So we're going to pray
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then we'll have Mark
Prentice come forward.
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He'll be
followed by Pastor Bryan
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and the Word of God
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will be preached with
power on this very day.
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Pray with me, if you will.
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Father God,
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it is our
privilege to call upon you.
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And we know and
understand that when we call,
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you're sure to answer.
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So we do call, dear Lord.
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We ask you to
answer the prayer of faith
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as we ask from you
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for your
manservant and anointing
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from the throne rule of God.
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Bless his lips, bless
his hand, bless his heart,
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bless his head,
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bless the words that
You're going to say to him
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so that those words will
be transmitted through him
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to our thirsty souls this day.
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And then bless Mark as
he lives up Christ in song.
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May we sit even for a
little while in heavenly places,
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may we be blessed to
see again the face of Jesus,
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and hear the words of Christ.
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And we thank you, dear father,
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for the privilege we
have of listening to you
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and being blessed by
you, in Jesus name, Amen.
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I'm pressing on
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The upward way
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New heights I'm
gaining every day
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Still praying as I onward bound
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Lord, plant my feet
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On higher ground
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My heart has no
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Desire to stay
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Where doubts
arise and fears dismay
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Though some may dwell
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Where these abound
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My prayer, my
aim, is higher ground
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Lord, lift me up
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And I shall stand
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By faith on heavens tableland
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A higher plane
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Than I have found
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Lord, plant my
feet on higher ground
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I want to live above the world
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Though Satan's
darts at me are hurled
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For faith has
caught the joyful sound
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The song of
saints on higher ground
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Lord, lift me up
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And I shall stand
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By faith on heavens tableland
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A higher plane
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Than I have found
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Please, Lord
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Plant my feet
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Like only you can Lord
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Plant my feet you're lovely
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Yes, plant my feet
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Oh, Lord
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As I up look this
Christian journey alive
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He said I'll never,
I'll never walk alone
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Lord, plant my
feet on higher ground
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Please, plant my
feet on higher ground
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By faith, on Heaven's tableland
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A higher plane,
than I have found
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Lord, plant my
feet on higher ground
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Please, plant my feet
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On higher ground.
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Praise the Lord and once again,
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I count it a privilege to
be able to lay before the Lord
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alongside Brother Mark Prentice,
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it's been an honor.
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And before
starting today's message,
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I wanted to share,
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maybe a little
bit about my story,
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maybe get you acquainted
a little bit with who I am,
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and maybe a little
bit with who I was.
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I had the privilege of
growing up in a Christian home
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with a very godly mother,
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first in Miami, Florida,
and then Atlanta, Georgia.
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She worked
tirelessly multiple jobs
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to provide perks for
us that those around me
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didn't get to have such
as a Christian education
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for my brother and I.
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Unfortunately,
very early on in life,
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I made a series of mistakes.
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I got into selling
drugs and used licensed drugs
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at around the age of 12,
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got into heavy
alcoholism shortly
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after stealing,
breaking into homes,
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running around
with the wrong crowds,
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doing everything that I
could do to derail my life.
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And waste all of
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the opportunities and privileges
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that I had been given.
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I could say by
the age of 13 or 14,
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I was a full blown addict
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and I chose to surround myself
to remove myself from people
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who are good influences
and from the church environment
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that I had grown up in as a kid,
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and to surround myself
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with the violence
types of individuals
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that I could find and
just get into trouble.
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And it didn't take long
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before
consequences started piling up,
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you know, having
run ins with the law
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or having constant
spouts of violence,
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and fights and
things of that nature.
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My life was just
going downhill quickly
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and this was my life
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for probably about 12
or 13 years at which point,
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I met a young lady
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who herself had a troubled
past and had a young daughter.
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At that time probably
eight or nine years old
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and me and her got
together and before I knew it,
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we had a daughter.
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And now I was a father,
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soon I would be a husband,
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but my life was
spiraling out of control
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as I had been for so many years
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and I didn't know
what to do to fix it.
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I still had all the
addictions, the drugs,
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the drug addictions escalating
00:11:47.47\00:11:48.80
the heart of
alcoholism got worse,
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the consequences
escalated and got worse
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and now I had a family.
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Well, by God's grace, my mother
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who was a praying
mother and never ceased to be,
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relentlessly, pursued us
or the Lord did through her.
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And one day she took my..
00:12:10.56\00:12:15.30
Soon to be wife who was a...
00:12:15.33\00:12:18.73
I was living with
and had a daughter with,
00:12:18.77\00:12:20.87
took her and her older daughter
to an evangelistic campaign
00:12:20.90\00:12:25.51
where the older daughter
10 years old at the time
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decided to give
her life to the Lord.
00:12:28.58\00:12:32.28
My wife fought her decision
to give her life to the Lord
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and her, my mother
pretty much got into it
00:12:35.95\00:12:40.76
about how she did not have
the right to keep this child
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from giving her
life to the Lord.
00:12:43.46\00:12:45.86
So my wife's older daughter
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who is now my step daughter
00:12:48.76\00:12:53.03
at 10 years old decided
to give her life to Jesus.
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And despite her
crazy upbringing,
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despite how chaotic our life was
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and everybody around us
was, she would go to church,
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she would get
herself ready on the Sabbath.
00:13:06.98\00:13:09.18
She lived a Christian life
and set such an example for us
00:13:09.22\00:13:11.62
that a year later,
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my wife went to an
Evangelistic campaign
00:13:13.02\00:13:14.59
with my mother and she decided
to give her life to the Lord.
00:13:14.62\00:13:18.13
And then I was a final hold out.
00:13:18.16\00:13:20.80
And our marriage was so toxic,
00:13:20.83\00:13:25.00
mostly as a result of me
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and the
influences that I would bring
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and the habits that I still had
00:13:28.87\00:13:32.24
that my wife said, "I
can't do this anymore.
00:13:32.27\00:13:35.41
Lord, I don't know what to do?"
00:13:35.44\00:13:36.78
And she decided to pray
and to fast for 40 days,
00:13:36.81\00:13:40.85
do a half-day fast,
00:13:40.88\00:13:45.12
to see if God could do
something to fix the problem.
00:13:45.15\00:13:49.86
And unbeknownst to
me on that 40th day,
00:13:49.89\00:13:53.40
I felt this overwhelming
feeling a conviction
00:13:53.43\00:13:57.93
that I needed to
surrender my life to Jesus,
00:13:57.97\00:13:59.97
that I had been
running from him all this time
00:14:00.00\00:14:02.04
at a positive change
00:14:02.07\00:14:03.41
that I've been
seeking in my life
00:14:03.44\00:14:04.77
to get out of the gutter
00:14:04.81\00:14:06.68
could only be found through him.
00:14:06.71\00:14:10.21
And I decided to stop running.
00:14:10.25\00:14:11.68
And that day, I
decided give Jesus my life.
00:14:11.71\00:14:16.08
And that day,
00:14:16.12\00:14:17.65
the Lord took all
of my drug addiction,
00:14:17.69\00:14:21.02
all of my
alcoholism, my smoking habit,
00:14:21.06\00:14:23.63
the violence,
00:14:23.66\00:14:24.99
my desire for sexual misconduct,
00:14:25.03\00:14:30.53
and all the rest.
00:14:30.57\00:14:31.90
The Lord took it that day.
00:14:31.93\00:14:35.27
When I couldn't do in
10 or 11 years of trying,
00:14:35.30\00:14:39.51
the Lord took in an instant,
00:14:39.54\00:14:41.51
and he proved
himself powerfully in my life
00:14:41.54\00:14:44.58
and I prayed.
00:14:44.61\00:14:45.95
And then I found
out after the fact
00:14:45.98\00:14:47.32
that my wife had gone
this 40 day prayer and fast
00:14:47.35\00:14:49.78
and it was the 40th day.
00:14:49.82\00:14:54.36
Now I can't say
it's been an easy road,
00:14:54.39\00:14:58.83
since then back and tell you,
00:14:58.86\00:15:00.20
it's been a better road
00:15:00.23\00:15:01.56
and the God has
been there all along.
00:15:01.60\00:15:04.30
And I praised his name
for what he's done in my life
00:15:04.33\00:15:06.30
and for how he's
changed my family's life,
00:15:06.33\00:15:07.80
and how he's
gotten me to this point.
00:15:07.84\00:15:09.44
Now here, I stand 10 years later
00:15:09.47\00:15:12.87
as a minister,
00:15:12.91\00:15:14.64
10 years later,
00:15:14.68\00:15:16.18
privileged enough
to stand on a stage
00:15:16.21\00:15:18.81
that great man of God
00:15:18.85\00:15:20.18
who I have listened
to preach have stood on
00:15:20.22\00:15:22.22
knowing that I'm not worthy,
00:15:22.25\00:15:23.59
knowing that I'm
not an experienced
00:15:23.62\00:15:25.35
enough preacher to
occupy such a position,
00:15:25.39\00:15:28.42
but thanking the Lord
00:15:28.46\00:15:29.92
because he has
gotten me to this point.
00:15:29.96\00:15:33.13
The danger
though is to look back
00:15:33.16\00:15:36.33
at what happened 10 years ago,
00:15:36.36\00:15:39.13
with the Lord did in my life,
and in the life of my family,
00:15:39.17\00:15:41.60
and to linger there, as
though the work is finished,
00:15:41.64\00:15:45.31
as though he does
not have more for us,
00:15:45.34\00:15:50.41
as though the work
00:15:50.45\00:15:53.15
that he's going to
do to us is completed.
00:15:53.18\00:15:55.02
I'll tell you, it would
be a depressing reality,
00:15:55.05\00:15:57.75
if he was done working in us
00:15:57.79\00:15:59.45
because I have so
much further to go.
00:15:59.49\00:16:03.73
Friends, I've talked to
you a little bit about my past,
00:16:03.76\00:16:05.96
but now I want to
come back to the present,
00:16:05.99\00:16:09.70
back to the present
00:16:09.73\00:16:11.07
because God has something
00:16:11.10\00:16:12.43
that he wants to say to us today
00:16:12.47\00:16:14.34
and I pray that it would
be a message of inspiration
00:16:14.37\00:16:16.54
and a message of encouragement
to each and every one of you.
00:16:16.57\00:16:18.94
So I want to invite you
00:16:18.97\00:16:20.31
just bow your head
for one moment as I kneel
00:16:20.34\00:16:23.11
and then we'll
jump into God's word.
00:16:23.14\00:16:25.75
Dear heavenly
father, Lord, I come to you
00:16:25.78\00:16:28.12
because they didn't
come to hear about me,
00:16:28.15\00:16:29.48
they came to hear about you.
00:16:29.52\00:16:31.35
And your Holy Spirit
can do something powerful
00:16:31.39\00:16:33.79
at this moment
00:16:33.82\00:16:35.16
and I just pray
that you would Lord.
00:16:35.19\00:16:36.52
I'm trusting that
you're going to do just that,
00:16:36.56\00:16:39.09
speak to our hearts
father, in Jesus' name, amen.
00:16:39.13\00:16:41.70
Among the most powerful events
00:16:46.23\00:16:48.17
they're described
in all of the Bible,
00:16:48.20\00:16:51.27
and the most
notable in the Old Testament
00:16:51.31\00:16:53.74
is the
deliverance of the Israelites
00:16:53.78\00:16:56.51
from out of Egypt to
a series of prophecies,
00:16:56.54\00:17:00.72
plagues, and
miracles, the Lord God,
00:17:00.75\00:17:03.72
defined conventional wisdom,
00:17:03.75\00:17:05.55
as well as the
very laws of nature
00:17:05.59\00:17:08.32
which he
established in order to deliver
00:17:08.36\00:17:10.39
his children out of the
state of the bondage of slavery.
00:17:10.43\00:17:16.13
By doing this, God
distinguish himself
00:17:16.16\00:17:17.90
from all the false gods.
00:17:17.93\00:17:19.27
He distinguished his children
00:17:19.30\00:17:20.67
from all other
peoples on the earth
00:17:20.70\00:17:22.34
and he proved that He,
00:17:22.37\00:17:24.37
the Almighty God
was not only willing,
00:17:24.41\00:17:26.88
but anxious to work powerfully
on his people's behalf.
00:17:26.91\00:17:31.65
This event was one
00:17:31.68\00:17:33.38
which God intended
for them to remember
00:17:33.42\00:17:36.08
as evidence by his
call for the Israelites
00:17:36.12\00:17:38.05
to commemorate it annually.
00:17:38.09\00:17:40.36
That's found in
Exodus chapter 13:3.
00:17:40.39\00:17:42.79
I'm gonna read just the
first part of it, it says,
00:17:42.82\00:17:44.79
and Moses said to the people,
00:17:44.83\00:17:46.66
"Remember this day in
which you went out of Egypt,
00:17:46.70\00:17:49.93
out of the house of bondage,
00:17:49.96\00:17:51.93
for by strength of
hand the Lord brought you
00:17:51.97\00:17:55.00
out of this place."
00:17:55.04\00:17:57.47
The important thing to know
for the purpose of this study
00:17:57.51\00:18:00.21
is that God called
for them to remember this,
00:18:00.24\00:18:02.84
Him delivering
them out of Egypt.
00:18:02.88\00:18:05.88
He calls them to remember it,
00:18:05.91\00:18:07.25
he wants us to remember
the things which he's done,
00:18:07.28\00:18:09.28
that's what we stand here
00:18:09.32\00:18:11.32
and open up his word,
and listen to sermons.
00:18:11.35\00:18:16.66
You know, memory as
it relates to history,
00:18:16.69\00:18:19.16
is a beautiful thing
00:18:19.19\00:18:20.80
when it's utilized
for the right purpose.
00:18:20.83\00:18:22.33
It can spare us a whole
lot of hardship and negativity
00:18:22.36\00:18:26.63
if we're willing
to learn the lessons
00:18:26.67\00:18:29.44
which God is trying to
teach us by our past experience
00:18:29.47\00:18:32.47
and those experiences of others.
00:18:32.51\00:18:36.34
And at the same time,
00:18:36.38\00:18:37.71
it can be encouraging to
us and a boost to our faith,
00:18:37.75\00:18:42.78
renew our confidence in God
00:18:42.82\00:18:44.59
when we remember the things
that he's done in the past.
00:18:44.62\00:18:49.29
One inspired writer once said,
00:18:49.32\00:18:50.69
"We have nothing to
fear for the future lest,
00:18:50.73\00:18:52.96
we forget the way
the Lord has led us
00:18:52.99\00:18:54.66
and His teaching
in our past history."
00:18:54.70\00:18:57.13
If you read the story of
the Israelites in the Bible,
00:18:57.17\00:18:59.93
the author had
very short term memory.
00:18:59.97\00:19:02.64
And they seemed to
forget the marvelous things
00:19:02.67\00:19:04.91
which God had done no sooner
00:19:04.94\00:19:06.74
than they had to
reap the benefits of them.
00:19:06.78\00:19:09.81
Yet and still, the story
of the miraculous deliverance
00:19:09.84\00:19:12.75
from slavery in Egypt
00:19:12.78\00:19:15.22
was told and retold among
them in the surrounding region
00:19:15.25\00:19:18.12
and from generation to
generation for a long time.
00:19:18.15\00:19:22.66
Actually, he never
stopped being retold.
00:19:22.69\00:19:26.63
Now, to fill you in
what happened after that,
00:19:26.66\00:19:28.70
when the Israelites left Egypt,
00:19:28.73\00:19:30.37
they would eventually wind up
in the Promised Land of Canaan.
00:19:30.40\00:19:33.40
It took them 40
years to get there,
00:19:33.44\00:19:34.77
not because God
intended it to take so long,
00:19:34.80\00:19:37.11
but because they were stubborn
and stiff necked people.
00:19:37.14\00:19:40.98
After they got into Canaan,
00:19:41.01\00:19:42.34
they began to conquer
territories with God's help,
00:19:42.38\00:19:44.78
one after the other.
00:19:44.81\00:19:46.15
Before he knew it,
00:19:46.18\00:19:47.52
all 12 of the tribes of
Israel had its own territory.
00:19:47.55\00:19:52.42
However, to a
series of bad decisions
00:19:52.45\00:19:54.86
and infidelities to God,
00:19:54.89\00:19:56.86
they winded up being relegate
to only two territories,
00:19:56.89\00:20:00.00
Israel to the North,
and Judah to the South.
00:20:00.03\00:20:02.80
Israel being
00:20:02.83\00:20:05.87
basically absorbed 10
of the 12 tribes of Israel,
00:20:05.90\00:20:10.07
Judah to the South
00:20:10.11\00:20:12.41
was comprised of
the tribe of Judah
00:20:12.44\00:20:14.21
and the tribe of Benjamin.
00:20:14.24\00:20:16.95
Both of these
kingdoms had their own kings,
00:20:16.98\00:20:19.05
both of these kingdoms
had their own prophets,
00:20:19.08\00:20:20.98
and they both had
their own spiritual as well
00:20:21.02\00:20:24.39
as physical warfare going on.
00:20:24.42\00:20:27.52
Eventually, the
Northern Kingdom of Israel
00:20:27.56\00:20:30.03
would be taken
over by the Assyrians.
00:20:30.06\00:20:33.83
And over a century later,
00:20:33.86\00:20:35.20
the Southern kingdom of Judah
00:20:35.23\00:20:37.03
would also meet the same faith
00:20:37.07\00:20:39.80
at the hands of
the greatest empire
00:20:39.83\00:20:41.17
that the world had ever known
up until that point, Babylon.
00:20:41.20\00:20:45.34
Now, this is where I
need to pump the brakes
00:20:45.37\00:20:47.11
for just a moment.
00:20:47.14\00:20:48.48
I'm going to
back up about 40 years
00:20:48.51\00:20:50.41
to the time of a
prophet by the name of Jeremiah
00:20:50.45\00:20:55.72
and maybe you've heard of him.
00:20:55.75\00:20:57.55
Jeremiah was a young man
00:20:57.59\00:20:58.92
when he was
called to be a prophet.
00:20:58.95\00:21:00.69
Just to give you
a taste of his life
00:21:00.72\00:21:02.46
of how good his life was,
00:21:02.49\00:21:03.83
God told him to not even marry
and to especially not have kids
00:21:03.86\00:21:08.56
because the future of
Judah only contains suffering.
00:21:08.60\00:21:13.03
Jeremiah himself had
to suffer to humiliations,
00:21:13.07\00:21:15.64
and public beatings.
00:21:15.67\00:21:18.07
He had to contend with
the word of false prophets
00:21:18.11\00:21:20.21
whose job was a
lot easier than his was
00:21:20.24\00:21:22.24
because all he did
was tell the people
00:21:22.28\00:21:23.61
what they wanted to hear.
00:21:23.65\00:21:25.95
Jeremiah lived under a king
00:21:25.98\00:21:30.45
that hated the
message that God sent to him
00:21:30.49\00:21:32.15
so much that he
thought to kill him.
00:21:32.19\00:21:34.32
The following King
00:21:34.36\00:21:35.69
actually sucked the
messages that God sent to him,
00:21:35.72\00:21:38.66
only he refused to
apply them in his own life.
00:21:38.69\00:21:45.20
Jeremiah prophesied in
Judah during the last 40 years
00:21:45.23\00:21:47.77
before they went
into exile in Babylon,
00:21:47.80\00:21:50.74
while there, there were
some minor moments of spiritual,
00:21:50.77\00:21:54.58
revival, renewal
during his time as a prophet
00:21:54.61\00:21:57.75
before the most part the people
00:21:57.78\00:21:59.11
just carried out their
empty religious rituals
00:21:59.15\00:22:01.92
while believing that
God would somehow bless them
00:22:01.95\00:22:04.35
regardless to how they
chose to live their lives.
00:22:04.39\00:22:07.62
Jeremiah's messages
went completely unheeded.
00:22:07.66\00:22:11.56
He told them,
00:22:11.59\00:22:12.93
"Hey, if you guys don't
turn from your wicked ways,
00:22:12.96\00:22:15.36
you're going to fall prey
to the nations around you."
00:22:15.40\00:22:17.90
But Israel refused to believe
that God would actually allow
00:22:17.93\00:22:23.00
His people to fall prey
00:22:23.04\00:22:27.01
and be judged by
the surrounding nations.
00:22:27.04\00:22:29.98
While the annals of
history have shown us
00:22:30.01\00:22:32.75
that everything
that Jeremiah predicted
00:22:32.78\00:22:34.92
was absolutely correct.
00:22:34.95\00:22:36.35
They did wind up
being seized by Babylon.
00:22:36.38\00:22:43.22
But how could this happen?
00:22:43.26\00:22:45.89
After all,
00:22:45.93\00:22:47.26
they were the descendants
of the very Israelites
00:22:47.30\00:22:49.16
that God had
brought out of Egypt.
00:22:49.20\00:22:51.97
Why is he now allowing them
00:22:52.00\00:22:53.90
to go into captivity in Babylon?
00:22:53.94\00:22:58.04
They have recounted
time and time again,
00:22:58.07\00:23:00.64
the marvelous things that God
had done for their ancestors.
00:23:00.68\00:23:03.51
Weren't they blessed
and highly favored too?
00:23:03.55\00:23:05.58
Why did it seem that
00:23:05.61\00:23:07.02
they were going
backwards instead of forwards?
00:23:07.05\00:23:11.35
Maybe you can relate,
00:23:11.39\00:23:13.09
maybe you find
yourself in life right now,
00:23:13.12\00:23:17.69
in a place where
you don't want to be.
00:23:17.73\00:23:19.69
Maybe you're in
a spiritual slump
00:23:19.73\00:23:21.83
that you can't
manage to get out of,
00:23:21.86\00:23:23.50
no matter how many
sermons you listen to,
00:23:23.53\00:23:25.47
no matter how much
you read your Bible.
00:23:25.50\00:23:28.24
Maybe you feel like a
prisoner to your life right now
00:23:28.27\00:23:30.17
and you're looking for
some kind of a breakthrough
00:23:30.21\00:23:34.14
and despite hearing
testimonies of others
00:23:34.18\00:23:37.51
who have had
great things happened,
00:23:37.55\00:23:39.35
despite everything
that you read in the Bible,
00:23:39.38\00:23:42.18
you cannot figure out,
00:23:42.22\00:23:43.89
why you can't
seem to catch a break?
00:23:43.92\00:23:47.82
Why doesn't God
manifest himself in your life
00:23:47.86\00:23:51.23
the same way he
manifested Himself
00:23:51.26\00:23:53.23
in the written word?
00:23:53.26\00:23:54.60
Why don't you see
00:23:54.63\00:23:56.40
the miraculous
things happening to you
00:23:56.43\00:23:58.60
that you hear others so
frequently talking about?
00:23:58.63\00:24:02.70
Why can't it just
be like these days?
00:24:02.74\00:24:04.17
Why can't it be
like the good old days?
00:24:04.21\00:24:07.11
Well, let's talk about
the good old days, shall we?
00:24:07.14\00:24:10.61
God counseled his children
00:24:10.65\00:24:12.71
then like he does not
remember the good old days.
00:24:12.75\00:24:15.68
We're gonna jump to
the book of Jeremiah
00:24:15.72\00:24:17.05
and that's where we're gonna
spend the rest of our time.
00:24:17.09\00:24:18.55
We're gonna let Jeremiah,
00:24:18.59\00:24:20.22
the prophet that lived
during the time of Judah
00:24:20.26\00:24:23.12
tell us what God
informed His people.
00:24:23.16\00:24:26.09
Jeremiah 6:16,
00:24:26.13\00:24:28.00
God actually instructed us
to recall the good old days.
00:24:28.03\00:24:31.07
I'll read the first
part of it, it says,
00:24:31.10\00:24:33.00
"Thus says the Lord,
00:24:33.03\00:24:34.44
stand in the ways and see
00:24:34.47\00:24:36.57
and ask for the old
paths where the good way is."
00:24:36.60\00:24:40.88
So God absolutely
wants us to reminisce
00:24:40.91\00:24:43.65
and look back at the good way
00:24:43.68\00:24:45.18
in which he led his
people, but look what he says.
00:24:45.21\00:24:48.52
He says, "And walk in it,
00:24:48.55\00:24:50.32
then you will find
rest for your souls."
00:24:50.35\00:24:54.56
But they said, God predicted
what Judah's response will be.
00:24:54.59\00:24:58.43
He says, "But they
said, we will not walk in it."
00:24:58.46\00:25:03.87
You see they like to
talk about the good old days,
00:25:03.90\00:25:06.84
but they didn't like to
walk in the good old ways.
00:25:06.87\00:25:11.21
They like to sit
around, listening to studies,
00:25:11.24\00:25:15.18
talking about what
God had done in the past,
00:25:15.21\00:25:17.48
but they themselves
00:25:17.51\00:25:18.85
weren't willing to
live in those experience.
00:25:18.88\00:25:20.62
Friends, is that
much different than us.
00:25:20.65\00:25:22.65
We congregate sometimes
that churches we preach,
00:25:22.68\00:25:25.29
we teach, we listen to sermons,
00:25:25.32\00:25:29.42
and we share how God had
manifested Himself powerfully
00:25:29.46\00:25:33.70
on behalf of his
people in the past,
00:25:33.73\00:25:35.40
but then sometimes
00:25:35.43\00:25:36.77
we experience very
little results ourselves,
00:25:36.80\00:25:40.10
but could it be that the
Lord doesn't want to people
00:25:40.14\00:25:42.40
that merely talk about
experiences in the past,
00:25:42.44\00:25:45.34
but the people that are
actually willing to walk
00:25:45.37\00:25:48.04
through fresh experiences
with him in the present.
00:25:48.08\00:25:53.85
Now I know that
sounds very simple,
00:25:53.88\00:25:55.22
that sounds very
cliché(C), but think about it.
00:25:55.25\00:25:59.35
The people in the Bible,
the stories that we read,
00:25:59.39\00:26:01.56
and we hear so often,
00:26:01.59\00:26:02.92
they didn't
experience success in a vacuum,
00:26:02.96\00:26:05.76
they too dealt with hardships,
00:26:05.79\00:26:07.63
they too dealt
with frustrations,
00:26:07.66\00:26:09.20
well, let downs,
00:26:09.23\00:26:10.57
but we're often
faithful to the Lord,
00:26:10.60\00:26:12.20
in route to those miraculous
victories and experiences
00:26:12.23\00:26:16.97
that we so often
retell time and time again.
00:26:17.01\00:26:21.14
You know what?
00:26:21.18\00:26:22.51
I can imagine
those Jewish captives
00:26:22.54\00:26:24.88
on their way to
Babylon saying, Where is God?
00:26:24.91\00:26:29.78
Where is God now?
00:26:29.82\00:26:31.15
Where is the God of
Abraham, the founding father?
00:26:31.19\00:26:37.03
Where is the God of Moses
00:26:37.06\00:26:39.93
who led our ancestors
out of slavery in Egypt?
00:26:39.96\00:26:43.50
Where is the God
of Joshua and Caleb
00:26:43.53\00:26:47.70
who helped lead us
into the Promised Land?
00:26:47.74\00:26:51.01
Where is the God of Elijah
00:26:51.04\00:26:52.37
who God manifested
himself so powerfully
00:26:52.41\00:26:55.51
for on Mount Carmel?
00:26:55.54\00:26:57.05
Where is the God of David,
00:26:57.08\00:26:59.45
who put our city on the
map, who made us a great people?
00:26:59.48\00:27:02.98
Where is this God
now when we need him?
00:27:03.02\00:27:07.29
Maybe we asked similar questions
00:27:07.32\00:27:09.66
when we were looking
for a spiritual breakthrough
00:27:09.69\00:27:11.39
or a miraculous intervention.
00:27:11.43\00:27:16.40
Maybe we ask,
yes, where is this God?
00:27:16.43\00:27:19.53
I'm reading great stories,
00:27:19.57\00:27:20.90
but where is the
God of the Bible?
00:27:20.94\00:27:22.74
Where is the God
of these individuals?
00:27:22.77\00:27:26.17
Churches long to see
00:27:26.21\00:27:29.61
the Holy Spirit
work in their communities
00:27:29.64\00:27:32.31
like he did for the disciples.
00:27:32.35\00:27:33.68
Where is the God
of the disciples?
00:27:33.72\00:27:37.12
I often wonder, what will happen
00:27:37.15\00:27:39.35
if God is simply put
the question back on us?
00:27:39.39\00:27:42.86
You ask where the
God of Abraham is.
00:27:42.89\00:27:45.03
Let me ask you something.
00:27:45.06\00:27:47.40
Where is the modern day Abraham?
00:27:47.43\00:27:52.13
You ask where the
God of Abraham is,
00:27:52.17\00:27:53.50
where is the modern day Abraham?
00:27:53.54\00:27:55.10
Where are my servants
00:27:55.14\00:27:57.61
that are willing to
step out of the comfort zone,
00:27:57.64\00:28:00.38
leave behind
everything they know,
00:28:00.41\00:28:02.28
and venture into uncharted
territory trusting in me?
00:28:02.31\00:28:07.02
You ask where
the God of Moses is.
00:28:07.05\00:28:09.45
No. Where is the
millennial Moses?
00:28:09.48\00:28:13.52
Where are my servants
00:28:13.56\00:28:14.89
that are willing to
rather than follow, lead,
00:28:14.92\00:28:18.59
even if they're
leading a stiff-necked people?
00:28:18.63\00:28:21.46
Where are my servants,
00:28:21.50\00:28:22.83
that are willing to
spend time on their knees,
00:28:22.86\00:28:24.53
pleading, interceding
00:28:24.57\00:28:27.20
for those
unfaithful folks around them?
00:28:27.24\00:28:30.01
You ask where the god
of Joshua and Caleb are.
00:28:30.04\00:28:32.51
No. Where is Joshua and Caleb?
00:28:32.54\00:28:36.08
Where are the Christians
00:28:36.11\00:28:37.45
who are willing to
hold on to their faith
00:28:37.48\00:28:39.81
even while everybody
else seems to be dying off
00:28:39.85\00:28:41.82
in the wilderness, seems
to be abandoning the ship
00:28:41.85\00:28:43.79
that will hold on
00:28:43.82\00:28:45.15
until they make it
to the Promised Land.
00:28:45.19\00:28:48.46
You ask for the God of Elijah's?
00:28:48.49\00:28:50.16
Where is Elijah?
00:28:50.19\00:28:53.53
Where are the servants
00:28:53.56\00:28:55.26
that are willing
to stand up for Christ
00:28:55.30\00:28:57.93
even when they think
they're standing up alone,
00:28:57.97\00:28:59.67
even when they think
everybody else's bow,
00:28:59.70\00:29:01.17
they need a bell or
want to hang in there.
00:29:01.20\00:29:05.44
Where is the God of David?
00:29:05.47\00:29:07.41
No, no, no, no, no,
where are the Davids?
00:29:07.44\00:29:09.51
Where are the young
men and the young women?
00:29:09.54\00:29:11.81
That are willing to utilize
their gifts and their talents
00:29:11.85\00:29:14.78
to glorify the Lord rather
then to bring applauds for self.
00:29:14.82\00:29:20.62
Where are the young
men and young women,
00:29:20.66\00:29:22.96
who are willing to
leave evangels in God's hand
00:29:22.99\00:29:26.70
rather than
retaliate and go tit for tat
00:29:26.73\00:29:28.46
when somebody
comes for their neck?
00:29:28.50\00:29:31.93
Where are the
servants that are willing to
00:29:31.97\00:29:33.77
when they fall on
their face and sin
00:29:33.80\00:29:38.74
or willing to repent
00:29:38.77\00:29:40.94
and face the
consequences that come with it
00:29:40.98\00:29:44.01
and continue to glorify
the Lord's name and get back,
00:29:44.05\00:29:47.05
when they get
back on their feet?
00:29:47.08\00:29:51.22
We talk about the disciples,
00:29:51.25\00:29:52.65
you know, we want the
success of disciples experience,
00:29:52.69\00:29:55.49
but think about it,
how did their story end?
00:29:55.52\00:29:58.53
They didn't just get
success out of nowhere.
00:29:58.56\00:30:00.90
No, they spent days and
days in prayer and nights.
00:30:00.93\00:30:05.67
And when it was
all set and done,
00:30:05.70\00:30:07.77
practically all of them
00:30:07.80\00:30:09.14
with the exception
of John died as martyrs.
00:30:09.17\00:30:12.87
We're not going to ask
where the God of Job is, right?
00:30:12.91\00:30:14.74
'Cause we don't want to
repeat Job's experience,
00:30:14.78\00:30:19.15
we're not going to
ask where the god of John,
00:30:19.18\00:30:21.15
the Baptist is, right?
00:30:21.18\00:30:22.52
'Cause we don't
want to meet John's end,
00:30:22.55\00:30:25.55
we want to talk
just about the benefits
00:30:25.59\00:30:30.29
and that's the thing.
00:30:30.33\00:30:31.66
You look at this
faithful servants,
00:30:31.69\00:30:34.60
they weren't just
looking for the happy ending,
00:30:34.63\00:30:37.07
they were seeking to
be faithful to the Lord
00:30:37.10\00:30:38.93
no matter what
they had to go through.
00:30:38.97\00:30:42.57
Sometimes we just
look for the benefits,
00:30:42.60\00:30:44.74
we just want to
claim the promises, right?
00:30:44.77\00:30:46.17
That's what we
say. Name it and claim.
00:30:46.21\00:30:48.51
If you can name the
promise, you can claim it.
00:30:48.54\00:30:50.48
Well, here's the
problem. There are conditions.
00:30:50.51\00:30:55.72
I realize that conditional
is almost a dirty word
00:30:55.75\00:30:59.32
in Christianity nowadays.
00:30:59.35\00:31:01.56
We accept it in a rest
and every other area of life.
00:31:01.59\00:31:05.16
We don't even
read the fine print
00:31:05.19\00:31:06.53
and we are signing
00:31:06.56\00:31:07.90
'cause we know
that conditions apply,
00:31:07.93\00:31:09.26
there's no need to
get into particulars.
00:31:09.30\00:31:10.83
But then when it comes to God,
00:31:10.87\00:31:12.20
we just want to
name it and claim it,
00:31:12.23\00:31:13.57
but no, brothers,
00:31:13.60\00:31:14.94
there are conditions to
claiming God's promises.
00:31:14.97\00:31:18.21
His love is unconditional.
00:31:18.24\00:31:20.41
There is absolutely
nothing that you can do
00:31:20.44\00:31:22.41
to make God love you any less.
00:31:22.44\00:31:26.01
But claiming the
promises in this book, no,
00:31:26.05\00:31:27.75
there are conditions for that.
00:31:27.78\00:31:30.42
Now, you look a
little skeptical.
00:31:30.45\00:31:32.52
So we're going to
jump into the world,
00:31:32.55\00:31:34.62
we're going to
look at Chapter 18,
00:31:34.66\00:31:36.39
we're still in
Jeremiah chapter 18.
00:31:36.42\00:31:39.69
And there's a plethora of verses
00:31:39.73\00:31:41.73
but I'll just
read a couple here.
00:31:41.76\00:31:44.43
Jeremiah 18, we'll
start with verse 7 and 8.
00:31:44.47\00:31:49.80
"The instant I speak,
00:31:49.84\00:31:51.54
concerning a nation
and concerning a kingdom,
00:31:51.57\00:31:54.74
to pluck up, or to
pull down, and destroy it."
00:31:54.78\00:31:57.58
Now, let me pause there.
00:31:57.61\00:31:59.15
Do you realize that
that's actually a promise?
00:31:59.18\00:32:03.92
You say, "That
sounds like a threat."
00:32:03.95\00:32:05.29
No, it's not a
threat, it's a promise.
00:32:05.32\00:32:07.46
The soul that thinks shall die,
00:32:07.49\00:32:09.52
when you turn
your back on the Lord,
00:32:09.56\00:32:12.46
you have to deal with the enemy.
00:32:12.49\00:32:16.06
You do wrong judgment
comes, that's a promise.
00:32:16.10\00:32:19.73
Who would want to
claim that promise,
00:32:19.77\00:32:22.00
the day we pluck
down and destroy?
00:32:22.04\00:32:23.47
Nobody, but look
at verse 8, if...
00:32:23.51\00:32:26.31
that's a conditional clause,
00:32:26.34\00:32:27.78
"If that nation against
00:32:27.81\00:32:29.41
whom I have spoken
turns from its evil,
00:32:29.44\00:32:32.15
I will relent of the disaster
00:32:32.18\00:32:33.75
that I thought
to bring upon it."
00:32:33.78\00:32:36.45
Praise the Lord that His
promises are conditional.
00:32:36.48\00:32:39.92
That's all we get to
escape many of the judgments
00:32:39.95\00:32:43.39
that would
naturally come upon us.
00:32:43.43\00:32:44.76
I praise the Lord, at the
day I gave my life to the Lord,
00:32:44.79\00:32:47.30
I felt like He was telling
me, "Well, it's now or never.
00:32:47.33\00:32:49.13
I didn't understand that.
00:32:49.16\00:32:51.07
But you know what,
00:32:51.10\00:32:52.43
within about two
or three months of me
00:32:52.47\00:32:53.80
giving my life to the Lord,
00:32:53.84\00:32:55.57
the grand
majority of my friends,
00:32:55.60\00:32:57.17
in my close circle of friends
00:32:57.21\00:32:58.77
that I would love
to make money with,
00:32:58.81\00:33:00.84
wind up getting
rounded up and incarcerating,
00:33:00.88\00:33:03.11
getting 10, 15,
and 20 year sentences.
00:33:03.14\00:33:05.31
I should have fallen
victim to the same thing,
00:33:08.38\00:33:11.32
to the same faith,
00:33:11.35\00:33:12.69
but praise the Lord
00:33:12.72\00:33:14.06
that His
promises are conditional
00:33:14.09\00:33:15.42
and being willing to relent,
00:33:15.46\00:33:17.19
He was willing to pull
me out of that situation.
00:33:17.23\00:33:22.46
Let's continue to read,
let's read verse 9, it says,
00:33:22.50\00:33:24.93
"And the instant, I speak,
00:33:24.97\00:33:26.80
concerning a nation
and concerning a kingdom
00:33:26.84\00:33:29.70
to build and to plant it.
00:33:29.74\00:33:32.24
If it is evil in my sight
so that does not obey my voice
00:33:32.27\00:33:38.05
then I will relent
concerning the good
00:33:38.08\00:33:40.72
with which I said
I would benefit it."
00:33:40.75\00:33:43.42
So this works both ways.
00:33:43.45\00:33:44.79
God said, "You know
what, I want nothing but good.
00:33:44.82\00:33:46.82
I want to prosper
you, but it is conditional
00:33:46.86\00:33:51.03
and then if you decide
to turn your back on me,
00:33:51.06\00:33:53.80
then I can't do for
you what I wish to do."
00:33:53.83\00:33:57.80
As you can see, God
does not mince words here,
00:33:57.83\00:34:00.80
his promises have conditions,
00:34:00.84\00:34:02.44
this works as much in our favor
as it does to our detriment.
00:34:02.47\00:34:08.24
My wife and I have
a couple of daughters
00:34:08.28\00:34:10.45
as I mentioned which
I love with all my heart
00:34:10.48\00:34:13.05
and there is nothing they can do
00:34:13.08\00:34:14.42
to change that reality.
00:34:14.45\00:34:15.78
As long as they're in our home,
their clothing, their food,
00:34:15.82\00:34:20.22
their shelter is guaranteed,
00:34:20.26\00:34:21.62
they have no reason to question
whether the provision is sure.
00:34:21.66\00:34:24.79
However,
00:34:24.83\00:34:26.66
"Oh, no, he's about to
00:34:26.70\00:34:28.03
put a condition on
his daughter's love?"
00:34:28.06\00:34:29.40
No, no, no the
love is unconditional.
00:34:29.43\00:34:31.63
However, should
they decide to leave
00:34:31.67\00:34:36.24
and choose paths for themselves,
00:34:36.27\00:34:38.64
independent of the
influence of my wife and I,
00:34:38.67\00:34:42.01
independent of our involvement,
00:34:42.04\00:34:44.11
then we certainly
cannot be held accountable
00:34:44.15\00:34:46.61
for the consequences that come
as a result of the decisions.
00:34:46.65\00:34:51.92
So it is with God, He says,
00:34:51.95\00:34:53.62
"Oh, yeah, I've made
a whole lot of promises
00:34:53.66\00:34:55.99
and I honor them as
well as their conditions."
00:34:56.02\00:34:59.69
Don't get me wrong friends,
00:34:59.73\00:35:01.06
there are times when
God is definitely unfair.
00:35:01.10\00:35:07.07
There are times when
God is just outright, unfair
00:35:07.10\00:35:09.50
because oftentimes
His mercy and His Grace
00:35:09.54\00:35:12.21
far exceed His fairness.
00:35:12.24\00:35:14.98
Therefore, we don't
always get what we deserve.
00:35:15.01\00:35:18.08
We oftentimes get better.
00:35:18.11\00:35:20.95
However, when I don't
get better than I deserve,
00:35:20.98\00:35:25.12
it's not God's fault,
00:35:25.15\00:35:26.86
but let me get back to Judah,
being taken captive by Babylon.
00:35:26.89\00:35:32.16
Could this have been prevented?
00:35:32.19\00:35:34.73
Certainly right, this is what
00:35:34.76\00:35:36.70
the prophet Jeremiah
has spent his life doing,
00:35:36.73\00:35:38.83
trying to prevent
these circumstances.
00:35:38.87\00:35:42.64
"But while Judah had
been unfaithful to God
00:35:42.67\00:35:45.51
in the present,
believe it or not,
00:35:45.54\00:35:48.14
they actually
relished the memories of
00:35:48.18\00:35:50.41
what God had done in
the past to their ancestors,
00:35:50.45\00:35:53.21
the children of Israel.
00:35:53.25\00:35:55.08
They love to talk about it,
00:35:55.12\00:35:56.55
this was after all
00:35:56.58\00:35:58.32
what had carved
out their legacy,
00:35:58.35\00:35:59.95
this was their greatest hit.
00:35:59.99\00:36:01.52
Have you ever heard
somebody who is a broken record?
00:36:01.56\00:36:05.66
Who will talk
about their heyday,
00:36:05.69\00:36:07.63
time and time again?
00:36:07.66\00:36:10.30
Maybe they played
basketball in high school
00:36:10.33\00:36:12.23
and they scored 40 points
00:36:12.27\00:36:14.60
and you got to hear
it at least twice a week.
00:36:14.64\00:36:19.01
Maybe they, I don't know,
maybe they claim the fame is,
00:36:19.04\00:36:22.58
there are, their
little Richard's,
00:36:22.61\00:36:25.61
cousins, nephew
00:36:25.65\00:36:30.72
and they're going to
make sure you don't forget it.
00:36:30.75\00:36:34.09
Whatever that story is,
00:36:34.12\00:36:35.46
everybody's got a
different story, right?
00:36:35.49\00:36:36.96
Maybe they got
to serve breakfast
00:36:36.99\00:36:38.69
at the inauguration ball
00:36:38.73\00:36:41.70
and they bring it
up time and time again,
00:36:41.73\00:36:43.06
this is their claim the fame.
00:36:43.10\00:36:45.23
This was Judah with
Israel's deliverance from Egypt.
00:36:45.27\00:36:50.51
They said, "That's
our claim the fame,
00:36:50.54\00:36:52.34
that was the heyday,
that's when we were great."
00:36:52.37\00:36:54.94
So while they
were not allowing God
00:36:54.98\00:36:56.31
to work in their
life in the present,
00:36:56.34\00:36:58.01
they relished what
God had done in the past.
00:36:58.05\00:37:01.75
But listen to
what God tells Jeremiah
00:37:01.78\00:37:04.29
as recorded in Jeremiah 23:7.
00:37:04.32\00:37:08.92
"Therefore, behold,
the days are coming,
00:37:08.96\00:37:11.86
says the Lord,
00:37:11.89\00:37:13.29
that they shall no
longer say, as the Lord lives,
00:37:13.33\00:37:16.87
who brought up the children of
Israel from the land of Egypt."
00:37:16.90\00:37:22.87
He says, "There's
actually a day coming
00:37:22.90\00:37:24.47
where you're
going to stop talking,
00:37:24.51\00:37:25.84
you've never stop
talking about that
00:37:25.87\00:37:27.21
but the day is coming
00:37:27.24\00:37:28.58
where you're going
to stop talking about,
00:37:28.61\00:37:30.25
what God had done for
the children of Israel
00:37:30.28\00:37:33.45
and bring them out of Egypt."
00:37:33.48\00:37:34.82
Why?
00:37:34.85\00:37:36.18
Why would they
ever stop talking about
00:37:36.22\00:37:37.55
what God had done?
00:37:37.59\00:37:38.92
It was great, it was a miracle.
00:37:38.95\00:37:41.82
Is it because they
would become too discouraged,
00:37:41.86\00:37:43.46
once they became, went
into captivity in Babylon
00:37:43.49\00:37:47.86
because they would
become too ashamed of
00:37:47.90\00:37:49.56
what they had been relegated to?
00:37:49.60\00:37:51.30
No.
00:37:51.33\00:37:52.67
Rather God was telling
him that the day was coming
00:37:52.70\00:37:54.60
when they, when He would do
00:37:54.64\00:37:56.00
even greater
things on their behalf,
00:37:56.04\00:37:58.37
the day was coming
00:37:58.41\00:37:59.74
when they could
stop talking about
00:37:59.77\00:38:01.11
the testimony of their ancestors
00:38:01.14\00:38:02.48
'cause they could
start talking about
00:38:02.51\00:38:03.85
the testimony of what God
was doing to them personally.
00:38:03.88\00:38:06.68
Let's read, Jeremiah 23:7 again,
00:38:06.72\00:38:09.42
but this we're going
to read it with verse 8.
00:38:09.45\00:38:12.75
It says, "Therefore,
behold, the days are coming,
00:38:12.79\00:38:15.79
says the Lord, that
they shall no longer say,
00:38:15.82\00:38:17.56
as the Lord lives,
00:38:17.59\00:38:18.93
who brought up the children of
Israel from the land of Egypt.
00:38:18.96\00:38:21.56
But, as the Lord
lives, who brought up
00:38:21.60\00:38:24.10
and led to the
centers of the house of Israel
00:38:24.13\00:38:25.87
from the North Country
and from all the countries
00:38:25.90\00:38:28.00
where He had driven them
00:38:28.04\00:38:29.37
and they shall
dwell in their own land."
00:38:29.40\00:38:33.78
See, they were a broken record
00:38:33.81\00:38:35.21
about how God had
brought the children of Israel
00:38:35.24\00:38:37.35
out into the Promised Land,
00:38:37.38\00:38:38.71
but once they got there
and they were established,
00:38:38.75\00:38:40.62
they were
forgetting all about God.
00:38:40.65\00:38:43.89
They were taking it for granted.
00:38:43.92\00:38:45.72
God had to take
them to an experience,
00:38:45.75\00:38:47.29
He had to bring
deliverance into their lives
00:38:47.32\00:38:49.29
that they might appreciate
00:38:49.32\00:38:50.76
where they were and say,
00:38:50.79\00:38:52.13
"Praise the Lord,
we're on our own land."
00:38:52.16\00:38:56.87
As we can see in this
verse, God clearly was aware
00:38:56.90\00:38:58.93
that Judah was
going to go captive
00:38:58.97\00:39:03.47
as a result of
their own stubbornness.
00:39:03.51\00:39:06.47
But He tells them that one day
00:39:06.51\00:39:09.01
they will come
back from captivity
00:39:09.04\00:39:10.65
and have their own
story of deliverance.
00:39:10.68\00:39:15.45
God is the same God
00:39:15.48\00:39:16.95
who brought
deliverance for Israel
00:39:16.99\00:39:19.32
and He would do the
same on their behalf.
00:39:19.35\00:39:24.49
Friends, I hope you realize
00:39:24.53\00:39:25.86
that every time you
hear a great testimony,
00:39:25.89\00:39:27.93
every time you
hear great stories
00:39:27.96\00:39:29.30
something that God has done,
00:39:29.33\00:39:30.67
He's willing to
do it also for you.
00:39:30.70\00:39:34.80
God's desire is not a people
00:39:34.84\00:39:37.64
who live
reminiscing about the past,
00:39:37.67\00:39:40.08
His desire is the people
00:39:40.11\00:39:41.58
who allow Him to do
great things for Him today.
00:39:41.61\00:39:45.05
Friends, never
take for granted today,
00:39:45.08\00:39:48.32
the here and now, it's a gift,
00:39:48.35\00:39:50.39
that's why it's
called the present.
00:39:50.42\00:39:54.66
The beautiful
stories in the Bible
00:39:54.69\00:39:56.76
are not given to us
00:39:56.79\00:39:58.13
that we may marvel
about what God once did,
00:39:58.16\00:40:00.16
they're given to us as examples
of what God yearns to do,
00:40:00.20\00:40:03.13
time and time again.
00:40:03.16\00:40:05.70
The canon of
scripture may be close, friends,
00:40:05.73\00:40:07.64
no more authors allowed
here, the canon may be close,
00:40:07.67\00:40:10.91
but the God of the
Bible is still open,
00:40:10.94\00:40:13.61
24/7, 365 from here to Eternity,
00:40:13.64\00:40:16.14
He's open to
manifesting Himself powerfully
00:40:16.18\00:40:19.21
on behalf of those
00:40:19.25\00:40:20.58
who are willing
to be led by Him.
00:40:20.62\00:40:22.78
The apostles, who are one time
filled with the Holy Spirit,
00:40:22.82\00:40:26.32
when I turn the
world upside down.
00:40:26.35\00:40:29.39
You know, where they are today?
00:40:29.42\00:40:30.76
Today, they
rest in their graves.
00:40:30.79\00:40:34.06
But, the god
00:40:34.10\00:40:37.00
who poured his
spirit into disciples
00:40:37.03\00:40:38.73
is willing to pour
His spirit of fresh
00:40:38.77\00:40:41.34
into His modern day disciples
00:40:41.37\00:40:43.51
and do through them
00:40:43.54\00:40:45.07
the same or
more or better things
00:40:45.11\00:40:47.78
than He ever did to
the original apostles.
00:40:47.81\00:40:50.71
Why? How can I say that?
00:40:50.75\00:40:52.95
Because the latter rain will
be poured out in great imagine
00:40:52.98\00:40:55.18
in the early rain was.
00:40:55.22\00:40:56.75
God wants to continue
the work that He started.
00:40:56.79\00:41:00.52
You know what?
00:41:00.56\00:41:01.89
Christian history has seen
00:41:01.92\00:41:03.26
its share of powerful
revivals throughout history.
00:41:03.29\00:41:07.80
One of the most notable
ones is the Reformation.
00:41:07.83\00:41:11.17
And yes, God did incredible
things to individuals like
00:41:11.20\00:41:14.07
Martin Luther, Zwingli,
John Huss, John Wycliffe.
00:41:14.10\00:41:20.41
God did
incredible things to him,
00:41:20.44\00:41:22.14
but do you know
that God is not done?
00:41:22.18\00:41:25.18
He desires to do
the same thing to you,
00:41:25.21\00:41:27.15
the work of regenerating hearts
00:41:27.18\00:41:29.58
and bringing His children
00:41:29.62\00:41:30.95
to the soul
dependence on his word
00:41:30.99\00:41:33.12
and soul dependence
00:41:33.15\00:41:34.49
on the merits of
Jesus Christ for salvation,
00:41:34.52\00:41:36.06
that work actually continues.
00:41:36.09\00:41:40.86
You know, I'm
proud to call myself
00:41:40.90\00:41:43.63
a Seventh Day
Adventist Christian.
00:41:43.67\00:41:46.47
And I am grateful
00:41:46.50\00:41:48.30
for the faithful
legacy of the pioneers,
00:41:48.34\00:41:51.27
they came a forth,
00:41:51.31\00:41:52.64
this is actually one of
my favorite topics of study.
00:41:52.67\00:41:55.18
However, I must acknowledge,
00:41:55.21\00:41:57.11
that even our pioneers were
not the height of Christianity.
00:41:57.15\00:42:01.62
They weren't the climax
of the Christian experience,
00:42:01.65\00:42:03.95
otherwise the Lord Jesus Christ
would have already returned.
00:42:03.99\00:42:09.19
We do well to acquaint ourselves
00:42:09.22\00:42:10.63
with their
stories, with their history,
00:42:10.66\00:42:13.16
with how we got to where we are.
00:42:13.19\00:42:15.30
As long as we remember that
the story continues with us.
00:42:15.33\00:42:19.23
When the character of Christ
00:42:19.27\00:42:20.60
is perfectly
reproduced in His people,
00:42:20.64\00:42:22.74
then He will come to
claim them as his own.
00:42:22.77\00:42:27.44
Friends, at the
offset of our pioneers
00:42:27.48\00:42:31.65
there was doctrine that
needed to get sorted out,
00:42:31.68\00:42:33.15
we needed to
understand the Sabbath,
00:42:33.18\00:42:34.72
we needed to understand health,
00:42:34.75\00:42:36.08
we needed to understand
00:42:36.12\00:42:37.49
the true place in
deity of Jesus Christ,
00:42:37.52\00:42:41.59
we needed to understand
righteousness by faith.
00:42:41.62\00:42:44.33
There was legalism
00:42:44.36\00:42:45.69
that needed to
be contended with.
00:42:45.73\00:42:47.80
God has brought us
this far not to stop,
00:42:47.83\00:42:51.60
He has brought us this far
to continue that great work
00:42:51.63\00:42:54.94
until the day of Christ Jesus
00:42:54.97\00:42:56.34
'cause when our
characters already,
00:42:56.37\00:42:59.01
when our
characters are like Christ,
00:42:59.04\00:43:00.81
then He will
come and receive us.
00:43:00.84\00:43:03.75
The work of deliverance
which got started so long ago,
00:43:03.78\00:43:07.78
getting back to
Judah and as Judah,
00:43:07.82\00:43:09.65
the work of deliverance
that God started so long ago
00:43:09.68\00:43:11.72
by delivering the
Israelites out of Egypt
00:43:11.75\00:43:14.52
and delivering
Judah out of Babylon
00:43:14.56\00:43:18.33
is the same work that
He desires to do for us
00:43:18.36\00:43:21.63
in bringing us
out of spiritual Egypt
00:43:21.66\00:43:24.37
and spiritual Babylon.
00:43:24.40\00:43:26.84
Egypt being
symbolic of the world
00:43:26.87\00:43:28.90
and its trappings,
00:43:28.94\00:43:30.27
Babylon being symbolic of
a false system of worship,
00:43:30.31\00:43:33.21
both of which
can hold us captive,
00:43:33.24\00:43:36.68
but the Lord is
working on a deliverance
00:43:36.71\00:43:38.85
that makes those
others hale in comparison,
00:43:38.88\00:43:43.69
pale in comparison, sorry.
00:43:43.72\00:43:45.25
It is that which will take place
00:43:45.29\00:43:48.12
at the coming of Jesus
Christ, which is very soon.
00:43:48.16\00:43:52.26
This is as much a reality
for Judah as it is for us.
00:43:52.29\00:43:57.90
You may say, "Well,
what are you talking about?
00:43:57.93\00:43:59.40
How can this be the
same reality for Judah?"
00:43:59.43\00:44:02.04
Well, for us,
00:44:02.07\00:44:03.51
the great deliverance
happens at the second coming
00:44:03.54\00:44:05.94
but for Judah,
00:44:05.97\00:44:07.31
it was to take
place at the first coming.
00:44:07.34\00:44:09.68
You see, we just
read Jeremiah 23:7 and 8
00:44:09.71\00:44:15.75
and that is called,
that is what is called
00:44:15.78\00:44:17.45
a "Dual prophecy"
meaning it has two applications.
00:44:17.49\00:44:20.89
What I talked about,
00:44:20.92\00:44:22.76
what was to be Judah's
literal return from captivity
00:44:22.79\00:44:27.50
which the prophet
Jeremiah predicted
00:44:27.53\00:44:29.50
would happen 70
years after the captivity.
00:44:29.53\00:44:32.23
It also refers to
the ultimate deliverance
00:44:32.27\00:44:35.14
which would take place
more than 500 years later
00:44:35.17\00:44:37.61
when Jesus Christ would
come to set the captives free.
00:44:37.64\00:44:41.91
This is why the two verses
that proceed Jeremiah 23:7 and 8
00:44:41.94\00:44:46.41
talk about the
coming of the Messiah.
00:44:46.45\00:44:48.98
Let's read it.
00:44:49.02\00:44:50.35
It says,
00:44:50.39\00:44:54.19
"Behold, the days are
coming, says the Lord,
00:44:54.22\00:44:56.99
that I will raise to
David a Branch of righteousness.
00:44:57.03\00:45:01.10
A King shall reign and prosper,
00:45:01.13\00:45:03.06
and execute judgment and
righteousness in the earth.
00:45:03.10\00:45:06.53
In his days,
00:45:06.57\00:45:07.90
Judah will be saved and
Israel will dwell safely.
00:45:07.94\00:45:11.94
Now this is his name by
which he is to be called,
00:45:11.97\00:45:14.84
"The Lord Our Righteousness."
00:45:14.88\00:45:19.35
Clearly this is a
reference to Jesus Christ
00:45:19.38\00:45:22.32
who is still to
visit His people.
00:45:22.35\00:45:25.75
He was going to visit them
00:45:25.79\00:45:27.12
by taking on the
form of humanity.
00:45:27.16\00:45:29.42
So while they thought
00:45:29.46\00:45:30.79
that their heyday had
come and gone was back
00:45:30.83\00:45:34.53
when Israel was
delivered out of Egypt,
00:45:34.56\00:45:36.67
God is trying to
tell them, "No, no, no,
00:45:36.70\00:45:38.53
your heyday has not yet come,
00:45:38.57\00:45:39.90
your heyday is going to be
00:45:39.93\00:45:41.27
when Jesus Christ
comes to this earth and God,
00:45:41.30\00:45:45.07
Emmanuel walks among you."
00:45:45.11\00:45:47.41
Just like us, think about it.
00:45:50.68\00:45:52.41
I'm here in America
00:45:52.45\00:45:53.78
and in America we
spend at least a tithe,
00:45:53.82\00:45:57.09
easily 10% of the year
00:45:57.12\00:45:59.72
focusing, celebrating Christmas
00:45:59.75\00:46:02.96
or in the Christmas season
00:46:02.99\00:46:05.89
which for Christians means
00:46:05.93\00:46:07.53
supposedly
reminiscing about Jesus coming.
00:46:07.56\00:46:12.00
He's coming to this
earth, the first time.
00:46:12.03\00:46:14.40
However, very few
Christians live their lives
00:46:14.44\00:46:18.04
in anticipation
of the second coming
00:46:18.07\00:46:20.01
which will be so
much more glorious.
00:46:20.04\00:46:22.34
Very few
Christians who even are aware,
00:46:22.38\00:46:24.91
who are aware the
Christ is coming to soon,
00:46:24.95\00:46:26.72
live their lives
in that anticipation.
00:46:26.75\00:46:29.02
Rather, we focus on the past
00:46:29.05\00:46:31.72
when great days
are right ahead of us
00:46:31.75\00:46:34.36
and God wants to
do something now.
00:46:34.39\00:46:37.16
"Yes, sure enough,
00:46:37.19\00:46:38.53
Judah was going
to go into captivity.
00:46:38.56\00:46:40.73
However, just as
God had prophesied
00:46:40.76\00:46:43.63
that they would go into it,
00:46:43.67\00:46:45.57
He had prophesied that he
would bring them out of it."
00:46:45.60\00:46:49.64
Look at proverbs,
sorry Jeremiah 29:10-11.
00:46:49.67\00:46:56.64
"For thus says the Lord,
00:46:56.68\00:46:58.15
after 70 years are
completed at Babylon,
00:46:58.18\00:47:01.32
I will visit you,
00:47:01.35\00:47:02.68
and perform my
good of word toward you
00:47:02.72\00:47:06.39
and cause you to
return to this place.
00:47:06.42\00:47:09.02
For I know the thoughts
that I think toward you,
00:47:09.06\00:47:12.36
says the Lord,
00:47:12.39\00:47:13.73
thoughts of
peace and not of evil,
00:47:13.76\00:47:15.76
to give you a future and hope."
00:47:15.80\00:47:20.44
Friends, Jesus is coming soon,
00:47:20.47\00:47:27.41
every trial that you
experience in your life
00:47:27.44\00:47:30.85
is with the purpose
of getting you ready
00:47:30.88\00:47:33.58
for his soon coming.
00:47:33.62\00:47:36.12
I know that
there's times in life
00:47:36.15\00:47:37.49
when we go through hardships
00:47:37.52\00:47:38.85
and we go
through trial oftentimes
00:47:38.89\00:47:40.22
as a result of
our own decisions.
00:47:40.26\00:47:44.46
And it feels like
that's the end of our story,
00:47:44.49\00:47:46.29
God has abandoned us, that's it.
00:47:46.33\00:47:48.06
But friends, let me assure you,
it's not the end of your story.
00:47:48.10\00:47:50.80
God intends it for good.
00:47:50.83\00:47:52.20
It is the beginning
of your comeback story.
00:47:52.23\00:47:56.37
God does not allow
things to come up on us
00:47:56.40\00:47:58.37
that would harm us,
00:47:58.41\00:47:59.74
but rather He can
use the adversities
00:47:59.77\00:48:01.21
that come upon us
from our missteps for good
00:48:01.24\00:48:06.31
to get us ready
for something better.
00:48:06.35\00:48:09.98
Friends, God does not
want us to linger in the past,
00:48:10.02\00:48:13.56
God wants to work in
our lives in the present.
00:48:13.59\00:48:16.56
You know, how sad it is,
often times visiting churches,
00:48:16.59\00:48:20.26
they'll tell you,
"Oh, we're dying now," why?
00:48:20.30\00:48:23.57
Phew, in the '70s, in the '60s,
00:48:23.60\00:48:26.30
in the '20s, in the '80s.
00:48:26.33\00:48:30.11
We were so full,
00:48:30.14\00:48:31.67
they'll talk about their heyday,
00:48:31.71\00:48:33.31
as though the God who
got that church started
00:48:33.34\00:48:35.18
and guided on fire back
then can't do it again today.
00:48:35.21\00:48:38.95
How sad that sometimes
00:48:38.98\00:48:40.32
we get caught up in
the past talking about
00:48:40.35\00:48:44.25
what God once did in our lives.
00:48:44.29\00:48:46.99
You know, that's the
reason, I'll tell you the truth,
00:48:47.02\00:48:48.59
I don't even like
sharing my testimony
00:48:48.62\00:48:51.86
because easily, we're caught
up in what God did a decade ago.
00:48:51.89\00:48:56.20
Yes, praise the
Lord that He delivered me
00:48:56.23\00:48:58.23
from alcoholism and from smoking
00:48:58.27\00:49:00.20
and from drinking.
00:49:00.24\00:49:02.74
But, He's not done the
good work which he started,
00:49:02.77\00:49:04.61
He wants to complete,
00:49:04.64\00:49:06.54
and I still have health habits
00:49:06.57\00:49:08.48
that need to get worked out
as you can see by this guide.
00:49:08.51\00:49:13.01
I still have character flaws
that need to be worked out.
00:49:13.05\00:49:16.25
Praise the Lord that I
no longer start fistfights,
00:49:16.28\00:49:18.62
praise the Lord that I
no longer cuss and swear.
00:49:18.65\00:49:22.49
But you know what,
00:49:22.52\00:49:23.86
that's not the only thing
God wants to take, friends.
00:49:23.89\00:49:26.19
God wants to take
our bad attitudes,
00:49:26.23\00:49:28.86
God want to take
our critical spirits,
00:49:28.90\00:49:31.37
God wants to take
our self-righteousness,
00:49:31.40\00:49:33.44
our willing to
gossip and tear others down.
00:49:33.47\00:49:36.57
He has a work
00:49:36.60\00:49:37.94
that He wants
to complete in you,
00:49:37.97\00:49:39.57
but sometimes we look
at the past and we think,
00:49:39.61\00:49:41.64
"Oh, the good old days
when we were sanctified.
00:49:41.68\00:49:44.01
Thank God, we're
perfect Christians now."
00:49:44.05\00:49:45.78
No, the only reason you
have breath in your lungs is
00:49:45.81\00:49:47.68
'cause God is
still working on you.
00:49:47.72\00:49:50.12
You know, it's a beautiful thing
00:49:55.12\00:49:56.46
that God has done what He's done
00:49:56.49\00:49:58.99
through the reformation.
00:49:59.03\00:50:00.63
It's a beautiful thing
00:50:00.66\00:50:02.00
that God has done what He's done
00:50:02.03\00:50:03.37
to the Seventh
Day Adventist Church.
00:50:03.40\00:50:05.43
But, He is not done yet.
00:50:05.47\00:50:08.94
He needs the people
00:50:08.97\00:50:10.31
who will perfectly reproduced
00:50:10.34\00:50:11.74
His character,
He longs for that.
00:50:11.77\00:50:15.44
Friends, are we going
to give him the opportunity
00:50:15.48\00:50:17.45
to do that in our lives?
00:50:17.48\00:50:19.81
I love this book, I
will never stop to read it,
00:50:25.45\00:50:29.42
and I always stop to read it,
I will never cease to read it
00:50:29.46\00:50:33.56
because there's so
much wisdom in these pages.
00:50:33.60\00:50:38.97
But I need to realize
00:50:39.00\00:50:40.34
that these are just examples
of what God is still doing
00:50:40.37\00:50:44.81
and willing to do in
my life and in your life.
00:50:44.84\00:50:49.84
Friends, I challenge you
00:50:49.88\00:50:55.58
to stop listening to sermons,
if you do as a history lesson.
00:50:55.62\00:51:00.69
Stop reading your
bible almost as a textbook
00:51:00.72\00:51:05.49
and start pleading with the Lord
00:51:05.53\00:51:08.40
to give you
fresh new experiences.
00:51:08.43\00:51:11.73
If you were converted 10
years ago, praise the Lord,
00:51:11.77\00:51:14.27
20 years ago, praise the lord,
two weeks ago, praise the Lord.
00:51:14.30\00:51:18.04
But, pray to the Lord
that he gave you that fire,
00:51:18.07\00:51:21.68
that first love that
you had at the beginning
00:51:21.71\00:51:23.71
and that you never lose it.
00:51:23.75\00:51:25.11
If you haven't had it for years,
00:51:25.15\00:51:26.48
He can restore
that in your life.
00:51:26.51\00:51:29.82
He will give you this,
He will answer that prayer
00:51:29.85\00:51:31.89
'cause this is what he wants.
00:51:31.92\00:51:35.86
Friends, it was a pleasure
to be with you this week.
00:51:35.89\00:51:39.56
I pray that you don't walk away
00:51:39.59\00:51:41.36
with a better
understanding of the Bible,
00:51:41.40\00:51:43.00
I pray that you walk away
00:51:43.03\00:51:44.37
with a better
understanding of Jesus
00:51:44.40\00:51:46.40
and His Holy
Spirit and how He yearns
00:51:46.43\00:51:48.54
to work in your life.
00:51:48.57\00:51:50.41
May God be with you all.
00:51:50.44\00:51:51.77
All to Jesus
00:52:11.33\00:52:16.30
I surrender
00:52:16.33\00:52:21.17
All to Him
00:52:21.20\00:52:25.11
I freely give
00:52:25.14\00:52:30.98
I will ever love
00:52:31.01\00:52:37.92
And trust Him
00:52:37.95\00:52:40.82
In His presence
00:52:40.86\00:52:46.29
Daily live
00:52:46.33\00:52:50.43
I surrender all
00:52:50.47\00:52:56.00
Lord, I surrender all
00:52:59.01\00:53:06.41
All
00:53:06.45\00:53:11.92
To Thee my blessed
00:53:11.95\00:53:17.49
Savior
00:53:17.53\00:53:20.06
I surrender all
00:53:20.10\00:53:26.43
All to Jesus
00:53:29.67\00:53:35.01
I surrender
00:53:35.04\00:53:39.91
Humbly at His feet
00:53:39.95\00:53:45.95
I bow
00:53:45.99\00:53:49.09
Worldly pleasures
00:53:49.12\00:53:54.36
All forsaken
00:53:54.40\00:53:59.70
Take me, Jesus
00:53:59.73\00:54:04.51
Take me now
00:54:04.54\00:54:08.78
I surrender all
00:54:08.81\00:54:16.72
I surrender all
00:54:18.95\00:54:24.06
All
00:54:24.09\00:54:30.27
To Thee my blessed
00:54:30.30\00:54:35.94
Savior
00:54:35.97\00:54:38.41
I surrender
00:54:38.44\00:54:45.58
I surrender all
00:54:45.61\00:54:50.82
Lord I surrender all
00:54:54.22\00:55:02.16
I surrender
00:55:05.13\00:55:09.70
All Lord
00:55:09.74\00:55:15.11
I surrender
00:55:15.14\00:55:19.68
All
00:55:19.71\00:55:22.48
All
00:55:22.52\00:55:29.02
To Thee my blessed
00:55:29.06\00:55:34.53
Savior
00:55:34.56\00:55:37.47
I surrender all
00:55:37.50\00:55:45.37
Oh, Lord, all of me
00:55:49.58\00:55:52.15
I give to you dear Lord
00:55:52.18\00:55:58.79
My heart, my mind
00:55:58.82\00:56:02.52
My soul
00:56:02.56\00:56:06.83
Oh, Lord
00:56:06.86\00:56:09.73
My eyes, my hands
00:56:09.76\00:56:12.60
Dear Lord
00:56:12.63\00:56:17.51
Use me as you please
00:56:17.54\00:56:22.51
Lord, I'm yours
00:56:22.54\00:56:24.18
I'm yours, yours I'm yours
00:56:24.21\00:56:28.38
I'm yours all of me, all of me
00:56:28.42\00:56:34.02
Dear Lord
00:56:34.06\00:56:38.69
All to Thee my blessed
00:56:45.13\00:56:52.94
Savior
00:56:52.97\00:56:55.78
I surrender all
00:56:55.81\00:57:03.75