Participants:
Series Code: HC
Program Code: HC200018S
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00:07 It's time to ignite the flames of revival
00:10 with 3ABN's first Interactive Homecoming Camp Meeting. 00:14 It's time to rise and shine... 00:17 we are the light of the world. 00:21 Turn up the light, 00:23 let it shine bright like never before. 00:28 In a world that's dark 00:30 the only hope we have is Jesus Christ. 00:35 So turn up the light, 00:38 let it shine bright... 00:40 turn up, turn up the light! 00:45 Good morning and happy Sabbath. Welcome to 3ABN 00:49 Fall Camp Meeting the divine worship hour. 00:52 We've just been blessed with an incredible SS message. 00:55 I know you enjoyed being on there. And then the question 00:57 and answers afterward: that was something a little different 01:00 that we normally don't do. 01:01 But we are so glad that you have joined us. 01:03 We're thankful for your participation. 01:05 What a beautiful Sabbath day we have here in So. Illinois! 01:08 We're coming to you from the Worship Center here at 3ABN. 01:11 And we are so blessed. Why? Well, because God 01:14 is on the throne but also because you are part of our 01:17 3ABN family. I think of Psalm 118:24 01:23 that says: "This is the day which the Lord has made. 01:26 Let us... " What? Rejoice! "rejoice and be glad in it. " 01:29 But what an incredible Camp Meeting we've had already! 01:31 It's hard to believe it's Sabbath already. 01:33 I know. I love Camp Meeting. I love the opportunity 01:35 we have to connect with you at home and to 01:37 open up the Word of God Pastor John and to study. 01:40 Now you've been our featured speaker this whole time. 01:43 The theme Turn Up The Light based off of Isaiah 60! 01:47 Isaiah 60... yes. The reason that theme was 01:50 interesting to me is because it's always become 01:52 such a clarion call: turn up the light. 01:56 I survived the blackout of New York City. 01:58 I was there in 1977. 02:01 I was there in 1965 when that... I was a little boy. 02:04 We won't go back any more... we won't go any further years back. 02:07 And I survived both of those but we were so excited when 02:10 the lights came back on. 02:11 And we're living in a very dark time. 02:13 And we as a people have been committed to communicating 02:16 the light of God's Word. But in the dark times 02:18 in which we're living now... Need I say more about 02:21 the world's challenges? 02:22 It is time for the church of God to turn up the light. 02:25 And Isaiah says if we do that 02:27 the kings, the leaders of the earth will come to the 02:30 brightness... the GENTILES will come to the brightness 02:33 of our rising. So there are many people 02:35 in this age now that are chal- lenged by COVID, unemployment, 02:39 all the other issues that need to know that there is 02:42 some light amid all the darkness that's taking place around us. 02:45 Amen! Absolutely! Powerful messages! 02:48 I know we heard from Pastor John Wednesday night 02:50 as well as last night. 02:53 We have two more messages coming from Pastor John 02:56 this afternoon as well. 02:58 But divine worship hour is our very own Danny Shelton 03:01 and we're going to introduce him in a little bit. 03:03 I'm looking forward to what the Lord is going to do 03:06 in and through him. 03:07 This entire weekend we've been focusing on 03:10 Turn Up The Light... really focused on the Three Angels' 03:12 Messages. Pastor, John, of course, you did the overview 03:15 opening night. Yes. Then the first angel's message 03:17 last night. That's right. And then this afternoon 03:20 Second and Third Angels' Message. And this booklet... 03:22 I just wanted to mention this booklet... The Three 03:24 Angels' Messages in Summary 03:26 which you could say the sermons were focused or based on 03:30 the 3 Angels' Messages off of this book as well. 03:32 Yes. As a matter of fact the first one was the foundation 03:35 as you pointed out. And the second one was talking about 03:38 the times in which we live: the first angel's message. 03:41 Um-hmm. This is the generation to bring these messages out. 03:45 This is the time to just let the world know 03:47 because we believe, and the Bible makes it clear, that 03:49 these messages are to be proclaimed before the coming 03:53 of Jesus. And if we're convinced of that 03:56 and convicted and commissioned by that 03:58 what better time to proclaim to the world 04:00 a message that says to humanity 04:03 that "For God so loved the world. " Amen! 04:06 You know, these messages are not easy messages 04:08 as you can tell. The first angel's message: the judgment 04:11 hour coming. And then the next one coming, the next two, 04:14 about Babylon and then the mark of the beast. 04:17 These are not easy messages. 04:18 But when you think about who Jesus is 04:20 it's imperative that we wrap these difficult messages 04:23 into two ways: an appeal to all human hearts 04:26 the love of Christ must come through, but the urgency 04:30 has to be there. As I said if a flood was coming... 04:32 if a hurricane was coming and you lived in the Gulf Coast, 04:35 would you want to be warned? Oh yes! Oh, absolutely! 04:38 If your bank was about to close, 04:41 you'd wanna know. You would want to know! 04:42 And if you were sitting in the airport and this was the last 04:45 flight for the evening and you're going home 04:46 would you want to hear the announcement? 04:48 I'm thinking like out West, Pastor. All these fires coming. 04:51 When the fire is coming you want to KNOW that the fire 04:53 is coming to your neighborhood. And there IS a fire coming 04:56 to this earth. Ah, far greater. As someone once said 05:00 years ago when Mt. St. Helens blew up 05:02 there was a gentlemen continually warned, and he said: 05:04 "Well this is my home. " 05:05 He was the first casualty. 05:07 Well, it is not God's desire... He is not willing that any 05:10 should perish. Amen to that! 05:11 So these are the messages of God's love. 05:12 Urgent... but filled with Christ's love. 05:15 Wrapped in the everlasting gospel. Everlasting gospel. 05:17 That is the best part about the three angels' messages 05:20 is that Christ, the Lord Jesus, is central in each one 05:24 of those messages. So this booklet... we know this is 05:26 the Sabbath hours so we would encourage you after Sabbath 05:30 you can go online and you can get this booklet to share 05:34 in your community as an evangelistic tool 05:37 or evangelistic outreach. Right now the books have been 05:40 paid for as far as the printing so all you would pay for 05:43 is the shipping. Wow! That's incredible! 05:45 And we're all about evangelism; 3ABN is all about evangelism. 05:48 And we know that you are all about evangelism too. 05:50 So like Jill said we know this is the Sabbath 05:52 so we don't want to be doing a lot of "commercial stuff" 05:55 on the Sabbath Day. But yeah, contact us after 05:57 or during regular business hours. We'll be happy 05:59 to tell you the details. So let's transition into 06:02 song service, Pastor. Church service; we need song service. 06:05 What's the opening song? 06:06 He Lives! You know that's a fact so I want the audience 06:10 to sing with us. The words may appear on the screen 06:12 but even if they don't we've chosen hymns... 06:14 Tim and I are going to sing together with you and 06:16 wherever you are whether home, small gathering, or in a church 06:20 somewhere. Join us wherever you are around the world. 06:23 We're going to start with He Lives! 09:16 Now let's tell the whole world: 10:48 Wow! Amen! AMEN! Praise the Lord! 10:51 Boy, I'm looking forward to Jesus coming again 10:53 and He is coming really soon. 10:55 Thank you for singing along with us! 10:57 We could literally - almost - hear everyone singing 11:00 at home. That's right! And you all sounded way better 11:02 than Greg and I, but Pastor John and Tim sounded very good. 11:05 Oh my! Absolutely incredible. 11:06 I was thinking here we are standing and I bet some of you 11:09 at home actually stood up and sang the opening song 11:12 for the divine worship hour along with us. 11:14 You know, Jesus Christ is coming again so very soon 11:17 and we just want to say thank you again 11:19 for standing with the ministry of 3ABN for almost 36 years. 11:24 We hear from a number of you on a monthly basis. 11:27 You've been supporting from the very beginning, 11:29 many of you just recently. But thank you for your vision 11:32 for evangelism. Yes! You're mak- ing a difference in the world. 11:35 Sweetheart, we should have an opening prayer. Absolutely. 11:38 Please, thank you. Holy Father, we come before You 11:41 in the name of Jesus. We thank you for the gift 11:43 of Sabbath. Amen! Thank you for these 24 hours 11:47 You have set apart and made holy. 11:49 Thank you for your presence here, and we just ask 11:52 right now for the anointing of Your Holy Spirit 11:56 on your manservant Danny Shelton as he breaks the bread of life 12:00 to us today. We ask that we would have 12:03 an open heart, ears to hear, 12:05 and a heart to receive the message from Your Word. 12:09 Thank you that You are our God and our Savior. 12:13 In Jesus' name, Amen. Amen. 12:18 I'd like to invite Dr. Yvonne Shelton to come out 12:20 and share with us for just a moment. 12:22 I'm going to switch places, let the two ladies 12:23 stand together here. OK. Dr. Yvonne: air hug to you. 12:28 Air hug... air hug. 12:30 You know, this COVID has been quite the... 12:32 Oh, I don't know what we want to describe it, 12:34 but what a thing we've dealt with in the world because 12:36 we're such social beings. You know, hugs and - yes! 12:41 handshakes and Camp Meeting being virtual. 12:44 We're used to a full house here though we know we've got 12:46 a full house worldwide that are watching, but... 12:48 it's an amazing time that we live in. 12:50 It really is. We're not used to not being able to touch. 12:54 We're very "touchy/feely. " You know, it's like 12:56 "Oh, I'm so glad to see you! " 12:58 And we can't really do that now and the whole world is changed. 13:02 As of January everything just changed. 13:06 And so I'm really thankful that we're part of a ministry 13:10 that can adjust to all of that - Amen to that - 13:12 and can continue getting the gospel out to the world. 13:15 What a blessing it is to be part of 3ABN! Amen! 13:18 Amen... that's right. 13:20 You know, I think when God called Danny 13:23 36 years ago it will be in November 13:25 to build a television station that would reach the world 13:27 with the undiluted three angels' messages, 13:31 one that would counteract the counterfeit 13:33 I've just seen Danny's faithfulness to that vision 13:36 for so many years and to see the way the ministry 13:39 has grown! Yes. To watch from one network 13:42 which we call the "parent network" 13:44 to all the other networks! We broadcast in Spanish 24/7. 13:49 In French 24/7. 13:52 In Russian 24/7. 13:55 And then there's the Kids Network and Dare to Dream 13:58 focused specifically on the inner-city urban audience. 14:02 Praise Him! 24/7 music. 14:05 Proclaim: preaching and teaching. Australia. 14:08 What an incredible gift - yes - that's been growing from 14:12 that one network from that one vision 14:14 to nine networks and five radio networks. 14:20 It's amazing to me to see the way God has grown this 14:23 ministry, and that has happened because of you at home. 14:26 You are part of the ministry of 3ABN 14:30 and because of your prayers, because you partner with us 14:33 on projects, on what's happening here in the ministry, 14:37 people come to know Jesus and make a decision to follow Him. 14:41 It's amazing to me the stories that we get: 14:45 people whose lives are changed through the ministry. 14:48 You know, and also with COVID I think 3ABN... we know that 14:51 3ABN is here for such a time as this, Dr. Yvonne. Yes! 14:53 You know we talk about that all of us administratively 14:55 off camera that 3ABN is here for such a time as this. 14:59 And I think the power of the Internet is incredible. 15:01 You know, 3ABN... When 3ABN started, the Internet really 15:05 wasn't there. That's right... that's right. 15:07 And now here we can bring 3ABN to you on your cellphone. 15:10 People... this is the power of the Internet... 15:11 People can search online, right? You've all heard of Google 15:14 and other search engines and you can just type in 15:17 second coming or other things like that... the Sabbath 15:19 and 3ABN often times comes up as one of the top search results. 15:23 What a blessing! That's powerful because 15:24 we have people now... we receive e-mails 15:27 and messages throughout every week of people that have 15:30 just stumbled across... You know it's not stumbling... 15:33 it's a divine appointment - that's right; that's right - 15:35 across 3ABN. And we hear those stories 15:37 on a daily basis and it's encouraging. Um-hmm. 15:40 It's amazing to me how many people come to know the Lord 15:44 through 3ABN and will walk into a church 15:47 ready for baptism. 15:49 It's amazing, isn't it? It is! 15:50 You hear stories all the time about people coming in 15:53 from different places. They watch 3ABN 15:56 and they say: "Wow! I want to get baptized! 15:59 Where's the closest SDA church? I want to get baptized. " 16:02 So what a blessing it is that we're doing this. 16:06 And we cannot do it without you. 16:08 We're just here up here 16:10 you know, we're talking and we're praying and all that 16:14 but without you - the rest of our 3ABN family - 16:18 we can't get the gospel to the world. 16:20 So we are dependent upon our partners to get 16:23 the gospel to the world. 16:25 I have to just share this really quick story 16:26 'cause this is an e-mail that just came in. 16:29 And this is thanks to the Internet. 16:31 So a lady wrote this to us and she said she was 16:33 sitting in the hair salon having her hair done. Right? 16:36 So she's sitting there and the hairdresser's working on her 16:38 hair, and in walks a lady that neither one had seen before. 16:42 And she walks into the hair salon and she's all excited. 16:45 As soon as she walks in the door do you know what she's talking 16:47 about? The Sabbath... the seventh-day Sabbath! 16:50 In the hair salon? In the hair salon. Love it... love it! 16:53 So the lady sitting in the chair... she's a SDA. 16:55 She's the one that actually wrote us this e-mail. 16:58 So she's telling us this story. This lady walks in 17:00 saying: "Oh, I just found out this incredible information. 17:03 The 7th day is the Sabbath! " 17:05 So the hairdresser's sitting there like: "OK... I've never 17:09 heard this before. " The lady in the chair, long story short, 17:12 connects with the lady who just came in. 17:14 The lady who found out about the Sabbath 17:16 she did a YouTube search for the Sabbath and found guess what? 17:20 3ABN. I love it! Love it! 3ABN! And this lady 17:24 is all excited about the Sabbath. 17:25 The hairdresser never heard of the Sabbath. 17:27 Now she's interested in studying the Sabbath as well. 17:30 Praise God! So thanks to 3ABN an Internet search 17:34 this lady found out about the Sabbath. 17:35 Now the hairdresser too. I mean these are stories that we hear 17:38 on a daily basis. This one just came in here just 17:40 before Camp Meeting. Wow! A letter just crossed my desk 17:43 a few weeks ago. A woman wrote in and she said 17:45 "Dear Jill, I want to find Jesus. 17:49 Help me find Jesus. " 17:51 There's people all over the world... people lost and alone. 17:55 People looking for Jesus; people searching for truth 17:58 in the Word of God; people looking for answers. 18:02 And because you partner with us 18:04 we have that tremendous opportunity to share the gospel 18:08 to share Jesus with a lost and dying world. 18:12 We are excited this morning because 3ABN 18:15 has an exciting initiative. We are going 18:19 into a closed Communist country. Oh, yeah... it's fantastic! 18:23 That's the country of Cuba. Praise the Lord! 18:26 We have the opportunity and privilege 18:29 to be able to be the first Christian channel in Cuba. 18:35 On the "package. " The Lord has opened up the doors of 18:39 opportunity. There's a little package which is a USB drive. 18:43 This is how Cubans would purchase their movies, 18:47 their television... their secu- lar television. That's right! 18:50 But 3ABN will be on this package. 18:55 3ABN Latino will be on the package. 18:57 So you can join hands with us today 19:00 in helping 3ABN go to the country of Cuba. 19:05 Yeah, oh... we are so excited about this Dr. Yvonne. 19:08 You know, I went to Cuba in 2001. 19:11 I had just arrived at 3ABN and we went there and recorded 19:14 a series there and it impressed my heart. 19:17 You know, the love for God that the people had in their hearts 19:21 but were finding out, right? You know, 'cause the message 19:23 is being preached; the Word of God is being opened. 19:25 Well now 3ABN, what? Now almost 20 years later 19:27 is now going to be there - 3ABN Latino - in the country 19:31 of Cuba. And God has opened these doors 19:33 and you know what? We have to go through 19:35 because if we don't go through somebody else will. 19:37 So we know that God has opened these doors for 3ABN. 19:40 You know, for 3ABN to broadcast 24/7 19:43 all these networks that you've talked about, it's not free. 19:46 You may say: "What? We get it into our home! " 19:48 Well you know what? It costs money, a tremendous amount 19:51 of money. But God for 36 years 19:54 has never failed this ministry. Amen! 19:57 And He's using you as the vessel to bless the ministry of 3ABN. 20:01 So today we have something really special 'cause we're 20:03 going to be asking... we're doing our offering appeal 20:06 right now, and for any size donation that you give 20:08 to the ministry of 3ABN there's a special gift 20:11 that we want to give to you. And Dr. Yvonne, we want to talk 20:14 to you about that because this is an exciting project 20:16 that we want to share with the viewers. 20:18 Oh yes. Dr. Yvonne has written a brand new book. 20:22 I just have to say that; we'll let her talk about it. 20:24 But called Glimpses of His Glory focused on the names of God. 20:28 I had the privilege to do a sneak-peek 20:30 and read it before it went to press. It's an amazing book! 20:34 Tell us about it. Oh... praise the Lord! 20:35 Well first of all, let me just go back to Cuba for a second 20:38 because when you start talking about it I get a chill. 20:41 The opportunity to go into this country 20:44 where yes, they're spiritual, but we have truth to share with 20:48 them and we're the first Chris- tian network to get in there! 20:52 Ooh! This is an AMAZING opportunity. 20:56 So I'm just... I'm thrilled about that 20:59 and I just know that that is a door that God has opened 21:02 and we MUST walk through. As Mr. Danny so often 21:05 says: "That's a two hander. " Right? 21:06 That's a two hander... that's right - that's a two hander 21:09 for sure... for sure. 21:10 Well the book that I've written... 21:13 It's called Glimpses of His Glory 21:15 and it's a revelation of the character of God 21:18 through His different names and titles. 21:20 So we know like Genesis 1:1 21:25 it says: "In the beginning God created 21:27 the heavens and the earth. " But in the Hebrew it's 21:31 "In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth. " 21:35 And Elohim means God 21:38 but it's an interesting word 21:41 because it's both plural and singular. 21:45 Wow! So it's plural 21:47 in that it reflects plurality 21:50 but yet it's singular in that it reflects the oneness 21:55 of that plurality. So within Elohim 21:59 it's a covenant that God has made 22:04 within the godhead. 22:06 We see the godhead in the name of God 22:09 which cannot be broken. So all of the 22:13 chapters have the name of God 22:17 how to pronounce it because some of the names are really 22:20 hard to pronounce - we need that... 22:22 I think it is too - how to pronounce it; 22:25 Scripture... a foundational text; 22:27 and the context for the name. And then 22:33 a story, a testimony, that demonstrates how God 22:37 has manifested that aspect of His character 22:40 in the person's life. 22:42 And so it's so... Over the years 22:45 I have interviewed so many amazing people 22:48 here at 3ABN whose testimonies have "blown me away. " 22:53 They've just been so powerful showing how God has 22:55 intervened in their lives. 22:57 So I contacted some of them and they have given me permission 23:01 to share their testimony, and that's what I have in the book. 23:05 So I can't... I'm so excited about the book 23:08 because I feel as though... Oh, and there's a prayer 23:11 at the end as well that you can pray aloud. 23:14 And I feel as though this is a way 23:17 to really turn up the heat of your prayer life. 23:20 Sometimes your worship time gets a little mundane, 23:24 a little routine. You can turn up the fire 23:28 with this because you're getting a glimpse of who God is. 23:31 And He just reveals Himself through these names and titles 23:35 so beautifully. It's just... I'm just 23:38 It's almost as though for me, and this is not some 23:41 fake piety or anything, I know the Lord 23:44 wants this book to be out because it shows who He is 23:49 and it demonstrates who He is. 23:51 How loving a God He is... It's all about love. Amen! 23:54 He's so loving. It's an encouraging book. 23:56 I had the privilege and opportunity to read it 23:59 and it brought me closer to Jesus. Praise Jesus! 24:02 When I read the book I fell more in love with Jesus 24:05 and thought "I want to know You more. " 24:07 And it led me into a deeper study of His Word. 24:10 It is an amazing book. 24:12 So for any size donation here this morning 24:15 we will send you a copy of... It's just hot off the press. 24:19 Yeah! Just coming out: Dr. Yvonne Shelton's book 24:23 Glimpses of His Glory. 24:24 So we're going to try something new today. 24:26 You can go online... That's not new. 24:29 That's regular. Go to 3ABN.tv 24:32 click on the donate page and you can scroll down and choose 24:35 anything that you would like to donate for. 24:38 You could donate for Cuba. Um-hmm. We're going to Cuba! 24:42 What a tremendous opportunity and privilege! 24:45 So if you say: "Yes! I want to support the work 24:48 of 3ABN Latino going into Cuba" 24:51 just click on the Cuba button there. 24:53 BUT if you would like to text your pledge this morning - 24:59 this is new - we're going to put the number up 25:01 at the bottom of the screen right now. Text us at: 25:10 That number again is: 25:15 And just say: "Yes! I want to pledge $100. " 25:19 Or $1,000 or $10,000 or maybe one dollar. 25:23 Whatever it is: "I want to pledge to support 25:26 the work of 3ABN and yes, I want Dr. Yvonne Shelton's 25:30 wonderful book on Glimpses of His Glory. " 25:33 Or you can always do it the old fashioned way. 25:35 Checks work well, too... and you can send us a check 25:38 and just put in the memo Yvonne's book 25:41 and whatever you want your donation specifically to go for. 25:44 So when you pledge this morning via text like Jill said 25:47 to the 618-228-3975 number 25:49 don't put your credit card information, OK? 25:52 Just say: "Yes I pledge" like Jill said. 25:54 And then what we will do: we will actually contact you 25:57 next week. So just hold tight... We'll contact you next week. 26:00 But we just want to say thank you for standing with 26:03 the ministry of 3ABN all of these years. 26:06 And you know what's neat is that you see the funds 26:08 that people donate... they're multiplied. Yes! 26:11 God multiplies them and those funds turn into souls 26:13 for the kingdom of Jesus Christ. 26:16 Dr. Yvonne, do you mind to pray for the offering now... 26:18 as it is being taken now? Thank you. 26:20 Father God, we just praise Your name! 26:22 We just thank you so very much for the privilege of 26:25 being able to cooperate with You 26:27 in sharing the gospel with the world. 26:29 And so we ask You to bless this offering. 26:32 We ask You to multiply it, Lord. 26:34 We ask You to continue to be with this ministry 26:37 and be with all of our 3ABN family: 26:40 the viewers and the listeners 26:41 who are a part of our family, Lord. 26:43 Continue to bless, guide, lead, and direct us. 26:46 And we praise You and thank You and look forward 26:49 to Your coming. In Jesus' name, Amen. Amen! 26:52 Dr. Yvonne: stay out here for just a minute. Mr. Danny 26:54 I'd like to ask you to come on right now. 26:56 This is the speaker of the hour. 26:57 I'd like to just have you up here as a couple. 26:58 I think that's really a special thing and just... 27:01 Mr. Danny, I just want to say thank you. 27:02 I know that God has given you this message 27:04 for today. I want to say thank you for your leadership. 27:06 You know, it's a blessing for Jill and myself to be 27:09 a part of the ministry of 3ABN. 27:11 You think about the 36 years. 27:13 Whoever would have thought that we would have a Camp Mtg. 27:15 without people in the live audience, right? 27:17 But yet God has 3ABN here for such a time as this. 27:20 Thank you for your vision. 27:22 Thank you for your vision for evangelism. 27:24 When you see him talk about evangelism 27:26 when we're in these meetings his eyes sparkle 27:29 like you've never seen before. 27:30 And it's just encouraging to young people 27:33 to see someone that has vision. Never lost that. 27:35 And to see you both as a team working together 27:38 for the cause of God: what an inspiration 27:41 for young people such as ourselves. 27:43 Thank you for your vision for the ministry of 3ABN 27:46 and your heart for other people & for the cause of Jesus Christ. 27:50 Thank you, though, for bringing us the message today Mr. Danny. 27:52 All right! Praise the Lord! Amen! 27:53 Thank you, and the book is great. I've been reading it. 27:56 God had really anointed you. Amen! It's a great book. 28:00 Thank you. I also want to say 28:02 I'm so thankful to be a part of a ministry 28:05 that literally is reaching around the world. 28:09 And I especially want to thank of course Yvonne 28:12 but also Greg and Jill Morikone 28:14 for how they have stepped up to the plate 28:17 in the last few years and how God has blessed them 28:20 abundantly. And they're people who are Christians. 28:23 They love Jesus more than anything. 28:25 They're dedicated to this ministry. 28:28 They have a kind heart for people: for employees, 28:31 for workers, those we work with. 28:33 And honestly I could talk quite a while 28:36 but I'm just uplifting the Jesus in them 28:39 because that's what we should do. Not bragging on people. 28:42 And also with my wife Yvonne. What a tremendous blessing 28:46 that she is. Now today I'm going to be a little bit... 28:49 I'm going to say like a "duck out of water" 28:52 because I don't usually like to use notes. 28:55 If I do, there's maybe two or three little things 28:58 that remind me of what I should talk about. 29:00 But today because of the subject matter 29:03 and because of the time I'm going to be reading a lot 29:07 and using a lot... using a lot of scriptures 29:09 because I think it's a very important topic that we have 29:13 today. So I want to kind of stay on track 29:15 and not get sidetracked like I sometimes do. 29:18 I seem to be good at getting sidetracked from time to time. 29:21 But the title of the message today 29:24 is Are We God's Remnant Church? 29:27 Now before we can answer that question 29:29 we should see what the Bible has to say concerning 29:32 God's last-day remnant church. 29:34 If you'll turn with me now: Revelation 12:17. And it says: 29:49 Now, what is a remnant? 29:52 My mother used to work at a dress factory 29:54 and much to the chagrin of my brothers and me 29:57 she would bring home remnant material that her boss gave her 30:01 and she would make shirts for us boys. 30:03 She would use the remnant material 30:06 from these dresses. Believe you me, my brothers 30:09 and I, we weren't very happy about wearing shirts 30:11 that were made from the same cloth as women's dresses. 30:15 But hey, we were poor so when we'd complain about it 30:18 guess what? My mother'd say: 30:20 "Hey, beggars can't be choosers. " 30:23 So what is a remnant? A remnant, I know this from experience, 30:27 is a mirror-like image of the original. 30:30 So the remnant church would be a mirror-like image 30:34 of the true church of God. All right? 30:38 Now, I'm not going to go into the details of the prophecies 30:41 of Daniel and Revelation that one might expect 30:43 when covering this topic of the remnant church. 30:46 And I won't be going into details as to why SDA's believe 30:50 this scripture applies to us as a church. 30:53 Now why not? 30:54 The intent of this sermon - this message - 30:57 is to be a wake-up all TO the church. 30:59 So the rest of you listening: that's OK if you want to 31:02 listen in, but today I really think it's time 31:05 that we talk to the church of God. 31:08 And we want to take a good look at ourselves 31:10 and see if we truly meet the requirements 31:13 of a remnant church. It's a church we claim to be: 31:16 the remnant church. I'm not here to judge you 31:19 and to judge who's going to heaven and who isn't. 31:21 That's God's job... not mine. 31:24 But I am here to say that those who see themselves 31:26 as the "very elect" better make good and certain 31:29 that you meet the qualifications as part of the remnant church. 31:33 Just being a member of the church - now listen to this - 31:36 just being a member of the church who teaches 31:39 they are the remnant church does not make you part of 31:42 the remnant group. Now you got that, right? 31:45 Just because we think we are doesn't mean we are. 31:48 As I'm sure you know politics has woven itself 31:51 into almost everything including the church. 31:54 I'll assure you that today's sermon 31:56 is based on the Bible and not what's politically correct. 32:01 I'm going to say that again. I'm going to say 32:03 what's based on the Bible today 32:04 and not what is politically correct in the world around us. 32:08 But I'm going to tell you in advance that before this sermon 32:11 is over I'm going to guess now that a number of you 32:14 are going to be upset by what I'm going to say 32:17 and you're going to accuse me of jumping into politics. 32:20 Well how do I know that? I've heard it before. 32:22 But I also want to remind you that if your politics 32:25 get in the way of the Bible then what should you do? 32:29 I think you should get rid of the politics, right? 32:31 No matter what side of the aisle you're on. 32:33 So today you're not going to hear me... I'm not rooting for 32:36 Democrats or against them; I'm not rooting 32:38 for Republicans or against them. 32:40 I'm rooting for God. I'm rooting for what we know 32:43 is truth. And God has given us truth as a church - 32:47 a remnant church - to take into all the world. 32:51 I believe God has put this message on my heart 32:53 today to share with you. Some will accept it 32:56 and some won't. That's not for me to worry about. 32:58 The decision will be left in your court... 33:01 you and the Holy Spirit work it out. 33:03 When I'm through please don't write to me that 33:05 you were offended, because if you do 33:07 you'll be telling on yourself. Why? 33:09 Because the Bible says: 33:16 Now do I need to repeat that scripture for you again? 33:19 "Great peace have they which love Thy law 33:21 and nothing shall offend them. " 33:24 So I'm not a politician; today I'm a "Bibliotician. " 33:28 Now don't ask me to break that word down 33:30 'cause I have to tell you I probably just made it up. 33:32 But it sounded OK... all right? 33:34 I'm not a politician; I'm a Bibliotician. 33:37 What we're doing today is I'm going to stick with the Bible. 33:39 Even though I'm talking to the choir 33:41 I want to remind us that according to Revelation 12:17 33:45 God's last-day church, His last-day people, 33:48 are those who have come out of Babylon 33:51 and will be those people who hold the standards high 33:55 in spite of Satan's attacks to destroy 33:57 God's Ten Commandment law. 33:59 These people will be willing to give their lives unto death 34:02 if necessary to keep, protect, reflect, 34:06 and proclaim God's law to a lost and dying world. 34:10 Like those down through the ages 34:12 who have come out of great tribulation 34:14 God's last-day remnant people 34:16 will reflect the character of God. 34:18 Now... Revelation 12:11: 34:28 We SDA's see the remnant church as a visible, historical, 34:33 organized body characterized by the obedience 34:36 to the commandments of God and the possession of a unique 34:39 end-time gospel proclamation. 34:42 Now you know what that proclamation is. 34:44 It's called the three angels' messages. 34:47 So we understand that a remnant church 34:49 or people alive in the closing moments of earth's history 34:52 is a mirror-like image of the original true church. 34:56 Right? Now, though all the world wonders after the beast 35:00 of Revelation guess what? The remnant people of God will not. 35:04 They'll stand firm to the pillars of the Christian faith. 35:07 The remnant church will be in unity 35:10 as was the original church of God. 35:12 They will be one in faith, hope, and doctrine. 35:16 Now let's consider this: 35:18 if the above is true, would it be a fair statement 35:21 to say that it would be impossible 35:23 for the remnant church to be divided? 35:26 I think the common sense answer would be: the remnant 35:29 church what? CANNOT BE divided before Jesus comes 35:34 or it's not the remnant church. 35:36 That probably has some of you confused there. 35:38 Maybe me, too... but that's the way I see it. 35:41 Because I believe a remnant of the remnant 35:43 will be the bride that Jesus comes to take with Him. 35:46 The Christian church at this point 35:49 has already been divided by false teachings that are 35:52 proclaimed as truth by pastors and teachers 35:55 and false prophets. Many shepherds are not willing 35:57 to speak truth because they're trying to please 36:00 all the itching ears in the pews. 36:03 II Timothy 4:3... let's read it. 36:06 If you've got your Bibles, go with me. 36:18 Matthew 24:24 says: 36:32 I'm going to read that part again. You do it with me: 36:42 Well that's an interesting question about who the elect is. 36:46 But I think many of you - many of US - 36:49 believe that we're considered the elect. Those who are 36:52 part of the remnant church. Those who have given their lives 36:55 to Jesus. Those who literally are willing 36:58 we believe to give our lives for the cause of God. 37:01 Well, when we read these scriptures 37:03 many of us if you're like me... Now I'm going to be honest 37:07 for just a moment: probably never once do we apply 37:10 these to ourselves when we talk about "able to deceive 37:15 the very elect" we probably are, you're thinking about me 37:18 and I'm thinking about you, right? 37:21 Why not? Because many of us see ourselves 37:24 differently from the rest of the Christian world 37:26 because we believe - or at least we say we do - 37:29 in the sanctity of God's Ten Commandment law. 37:33 Now many of us seem to believe that keeping all 10 commandments 37:36 of God automatically earns us a spot in heaven 37:40 or makes us part of the remnant church here on earth. 37:43 Now I want to tell you something: 37:44 believing this is a lie. 37:47 It's a lie from the devil. 37:49 Just because you may choose to believe it does not make it true 37:52 any more than if I believe that leaving my goat in my garage 37:56 at the house long enough would turn him into a Dodge truck. 38:00 That's a lie, too. Right? It's a nice thought 38:03 but it's not gonna happen. 38:17 So we're not saved by keeping the Ten Commandments. 38:21 But if we love God, will we keep His Ten Commandments? 38:25 Jesus said it. He said it in John 14:15. 38:33 The remnant will stand out from the crowd. 38:35 They'll be separated from the rest of the world. 38:38 Let's go to I Peter 2:9. 38:40 Get your Bibles. I hope you have your Bibles, 38:42 your sword, with you. 38:58 Now, my question for you would be: 39:01 if a jury made up of your peers, your friends, and your neighbors 39:05 were to weigh all the evidence gathered about you 39:07 would they have enough evidence to convict you 39:10 of being a Christian? Wow! That's pretty tough. 39:13 Would they? What about this: 39:15 would they have enough evidence against you as a SDA Christian 39:19 to convict you of living up, to identifying 39:22 the characteristics of the remnant church? 39:25 Or... sadly... would they have to set you free? 39:28 Now I'm talking to myself too. 39:30 Now this may be a shock for many of you 39:33 but from what I gather from Scripture 39:35 most of us - I'm going to say this slowly - most of us 39:39 would not now qualify as God's remnant church. 39:43 Now that's not to be offensive. 39:45 I'm just saying the people that Jesus is coming back for 39:49 is a purified bride, a purified church... 39:52 those that have come out of great tribulation. 39:55 So let's turn to I Corinthians chapter 13 39:58 and read what God expects of His church. 40:02 To me if we're going to be part of the remnant church 40:05 and that's our desire, let's go to the Word of God 40:08 and say: "Well what are some of these qualifications? " 40:11 I love this: 41:58 I'm reading these scriptures because they're describing 42:01 the identifying characteristics or marks 42:04 of God's last-day remnant church. 42:06 It's all about love and patience's towards God 42:10 and towards one another. 42:12 You see I believe doctrinally that the SDA church 42:15 is the closest to any church that I've seen on this earth 42:19 as far as embracing the identifying marks 42:21 of the remnant church. But remember the Jewish nation 42:24 was God's chosen people. But their allegiance 42:27 to their surrounding culture... Now I'm using the word culture. 42:30 It may come up a little later in this sermon so think about that. 42:35 Their allegiance to their surrounding culture 42:37 became more important than their allegiance to God's law. 42:41 They committed spiritual adultery constantly seeking 42:44 after other gods. 42:47 Now this can happen to you and me also. 42:49 I want to say that like Paul 42:52 I am the chief of sinners. 42:54 I'm not standing up here today telling you that... 42:57 pointing my finger at you. Three of them are pointing back 43:00 at me, OK? Nothing I say to you 43:02 does not apply to me. 43:03 I made many mistakes in my past. 43:05 And guess what? I'll make many more should I live 43:08 a little longer. Hey... but so will you, right? 43:11 When we come to Jesus and confess our sins 43:14 our past is forgiven. 43:15 Praise the Lord! Today I want to talk about 43:18 the future and what God expects of His last-day remnant people. 43:24 Well, let's get down to the message at hand. 43:27 Some of you thought it was over? Not yet. 43:29 We've got a little ways to go here. 43:30 Let me ask you: is teaching... This is very important now: 43:34 Is teaching the sanctity of God's 10 Commandment law 43:37 a spiritual teaching from the Bible or a jab 43:40 at one or both political platforms? 43:43 Now, do I have to repeat that again? 43:46 Let me do it again, all right? 43:48 Is teaching the sanctity of God's 10 Commandment law 43:52 a spiritual teaching - think about it - from the Bible 43:56 or a jab at one or both political platforms? 43:59 Now remember: I say people keep accusing us 44:01 of jumping into politics. That's not our intention today. 44:05 We're going to stick with the Bible. 44:06 Now this is not a trick question: 44:08 I and other Christians including some Seventh-day Adventists 44:11 are being accused by people of just what I said - 44:14 jumping into politics - because what we are preaching 44:17 from the Word of God clashes with their politics. 44:21 Did you know that it is now politically incorrect 44:24 to speak out against the breaking of the 6th and 7th 44:27 commandments? "Thou shalt not kill" which includes abortion 44:31 and the adultery commandment which includes homosexual 44:34 relationships and same-sex marriage? 44:37 I understand that same-sex marriage is legal in the USA. 44:41 Same-sex marriage was law of the land that was promoted 44:45 and championed by then president Barack Obama 44:47 all the way to the Supreme Court where it became law of the land 44:50 in 2015. 44:52 But it is in direct violation of God's law 44:56 and we as a Christian church should not endorse it. 44:59 Same goes with abortion. 45:01 Can you imagine what a temporary victory the devil chalked up 45:04 when he was able to get the United States Congress 45:07 and the Supreme Court of America to legalize the killing 45:10 of millions of the most innocent, vulnerable, helpless 45:14 human beings of God's creation? 45:17 The legalized breaking of the 6th and 7th commandments 45:20 is abhorrent to God. 45:22 There's a reason that of all the laws 45:25 the Creator could write with His own fingers 45:27 in the tables of stone 45:29 that these two commandments were included. 45:31 Now here's the quick version as I don't think I should 45:34 have to do a Bible study while preaching to the choir 45:37 to prove that God knew what He was doing 45:39 by adding the 6th and 7th commandments 45:42 to the other eight, right? You agree with me? 45:44 All right... let's move forward. 45:46 The devil hates the fact that God is the one and only 45:50 Creator. Satan is only an imitator. 45:52 God allowed man the privilege of procreation. 45:55 Satan cannot procreate. 45:57 So it makes sense that he is especially jealous 46:00 of God AND man and that he has unleashed 46:04 an all-out attack to destroy the natural order 46:07 of procreation flowing forth from the life-giving Creator. 46:12 Genesis tells us that God created Adam and Eve 46:15 in the Garden of Eden. He performed the first ever 46:18 wedding ceremony sanctifying matrimony as a holy union 46:23 between one man and one woman. 46:26 Then God later told them to "go and multiply. " 46:29 As you know, two males together or two females 46:33 cannot procreate life. 46:35 Life on this planet would cease in a few generations 46:38 if everyone had subscribed to the LGBTQ lifestyle. 46:44 I mean, think about it. 46:46 Two men? That's not going to work. 46:48 Two women? That's not going to work. 46:51 Satan loves to see the precious babies 46:56 lives taken from them before they ever have a chance 47:00 to breathe their first breath outside their mother's womb. 47:05 Isn't that sad? When you think about it 47:07 what Satan has done to God's creation, 47:11 to the institution of marriage, one man and one woman, 47:15 saying: No, just as long as you love somebody 47:17 that's all that counts. " Think about these babies 47:21 that are coming 'cause we're talking about both the 6th 47:24 and 7th commandments... You think about these babies 47:26 that never have a chance to breathe that fresh air 47:30 outside the mother's womb. What a tragedy! 47:34 I could talk a lot more on the subject 47:35 but I will move on. 47:38 I understand that people who don't profess Christianity 47:41 I can see them to be blown by every wind of doctrine 47:44 but shocking truth is that it is fast becoming 47:48 politically incorrect for preachers to preach on the 47:51 6th and 7th commandments in OUR Christian churches today 47:55 and even including some of our own Adventist churches. 47:58 I think it most interesting that Christians especially 48:01 SDAs never before were offended 48:04 when their pastor spoke out against homosexual relationships 48:07 as the breaking of the 7th commandment. 48:09 Or when their pastor spoke out against abortion 48:12 calling it murder and the breaking of the 6th commandment. 48:16 We as SDAs teach that God's law is eternal. 48:19 It was not nailed to the cross as many churches teach. 48:23 Agreed? We seem especially to teach the breaking of the 4th 48:27 commandment which is commonly called the Sabbath commandment. 48:31 So my question to you is this: 48:33 has God's Ten Commandment law been done away with 48:37 in the last 10 or 15 years and somebody just didn't tell me 48:41 about it? Right? 48:43 Why do I ask that? 48:45 Because 15 or 20 years ago when nearly any pastor 48:48 preached against abortion or homosexual relationships 48:51 no one... I'm going to say it again: 48:54 no one in the church got angry or upset 48:56 or called them homophobic. 48:58 Nor did they become angry because the pastor spoke 49:01 on the sanctity of life. 49:03 Fifty years ago - many of us can remember the 50's & the 60's, 49:07 I'm talking about 1950's and 1960's - 49:10 neither political party ran a platform supporting 49:13 same-sex marriage and abortion. 49:16 Rowe vs. Wade passed in 1973. 49:19 Most Christians polled were against this law 49:21 allowing abortion in the United States of America. 49:25 Now in 2020 when a pastor or a layman 49:28 speaks out against same-sex marriage and abortion 49:32 as sin or violation against the Ten Commandments 49:35 they're accused by many of being homophobic 49:37 and ridiculed for teaching the same Ten Commandments 49:41 that they taught only a few years earlier. 49:43 If God's law never changes, then why the division in the 49:47 church over the breaking of God's Ten Commandment law? 49:50 Now, we as SDA's used to remind people 49:54 that God's eternal law is Ten Commandments. 49:58 Not nine commandments. We tell folk 50:00 the Ten Commandments are not a smorgasbord 50:02 where we can pick and choose which ones we want to keep. 50:06 Let me ask you: why have SDAs historically 50:10 made such a big deal of the 4th or the Sabbath 50:14 commandment? You think about that for a second. 50:18 How often have we been accused 50:21 of... I'm going to put quotes in this... 50:24 "harping" on the 4th commandment? 50:26 Is the Sabbath commandment any more important 50:28 than any of the other nine? 50:30 The answer is no it is not. 50:33 In fact, a number of years ago I wrote a little book 50:36 and it's entitled The Forgotten Commandment. 50:39 Now there's the answer. 50:41 The reason we spend so much time on the 4th commandment 50:44 is because it seems much of the Christian world 50:47 is either confused or ignorant of its importance. 50:51 So we feel it's our duty 50:53 to - right? shine theological light on those in darkness. 50:57 Today we - believe it or not - 51:00 there's a swell among many in our college... 51:03 I'm talking about our SDA colleges teachers & students... 51:09 to support... to support the politically acceptable 51:13 breaking of the 6th and 7th commandments 51:15 in the name of free choice. 51:17 They say that a woman has the right to take her 51:20 baby's life any time between conception 51:23 through late term. 51:24 They also claim the Bible doesn't limit marriage 51:27 to one man and one woman. 51:29 According to many in our church now 51:32 LGBTQ... I think that's the names they go by... marriages 51:36 are acceptable before God as long as the two people 51:39 getting married love each other. 51:41 Folks, I'm telling you the truth. 51:43 Now how do I know? 51:45 I've had conversations with these Adventists myself. 51:48 We live in a different world now 51:50 where Satan has thousands of ways to distract and deceive 51:54 our young folk as well as the older folk. 51:57 I have to stop and say here: it's not my job to judge others 52:01 but it is my job to enlighten people with Bible truth 52:04 found in Jesus. Any statement I make here 52:08 today, I'm being careful with this, 52:10 any statement I make here today 52:12 is not because I hate or dislike people 52:16 in the LGBTQ community. I don't. 52:18 I've had friends. I know lots of people. 52:21 We as Christians are to love everybody. 52:24 BUT sin is sin 52:27 and we've been preaching as SDA Christians 52:29 for so many years that we're to keep all of God's commandments 52:33 as they weren't done away with. 52:35 We always say: "Either they're all done away with or not. " 52:39 And as Adventists we realize and we know 52:41 and we teach the world about that forgotten commandment... 52:44 that the commandments have not been done away with. 52:47 So if they're important, why is it 52:50 that we've not been preaching on some of these? 52:52 And I'm gettin' ready to tell you. 52:54 That's not the case with the 7th. 52:57 I'm going to say that's not the case at all. 53:00 The 7th commandment also teaches against adultery 53:03 between a man and a woman. 53:04 According to the Bible one sin is no greater than the other. 53:09 Let's let the Bible define for us - you want to? what sin is. 53:12 Because I have my opinion of sin; you have your 53:15 opinion of sin. But I think it's amazing 53:17 so many people have their own definitions. 53:20 Well, let's see what the Bible has to say. 53:22 We can read about it in I John 3:4. 53:36 I'm going to read it one more time. All right? 53:39 You read it with me. If you have your Bibles, 53:41 I John 3:4: 53:51 So whether a person is a murderer, 53:54 an adulterer, a practicing homosexual, 53:56 or a thief or a gossiper 53:59 it's all rebellion against God's Ten Commandment law. 54:03 But because of the political climate 54:05 most pastors shy away from the gay and abortion sermons. 54:09 The political influence in the church is so strong 54:12 when it comes to the gay community 54:14 pastors shy away from calling this lifestyle sin. Why? 54:18 Because they are concerned about the negative repercussions 54:22 or feedback they will get from some of the church members 54:25 not to mention people in the community. 54:29 Now I told you that this sermon is not a political sermon 54:32 and that's true. It's a Biblical sermon. 54:36 Still I can almost assure you 54:38 poor Jill Morikone will be getting all sorts of e-mails 54:41 from people all bent out of shape because they're gonna be 54:44 saying: "Danny Shelton is on 3ABN 54:47 right now talking politics. " 54:49 That's how good a job that Satan has done 54:52 in deceiving a tremendous amount of the people 54:55 in the church. They can't seem to separate 54:58 their politics from the Bible. 55:00 Any time your Bible gets in the way of your politics 55:04 regardless of which side of the aisle you're on 55:06 it's time to get rid of your politics... NOT the Bible. 55:10 Now a question: 55:12 when was the last time you heard your pastor preach a sermon 55:15 against homosexuality or abortion? 55:17 Now I'm guessing most of you will have to test your memory 55:21 on that one and say: "Well, if we truly believe 55:23 in the Ten Commandments, then why are so many pastors 55:26 and Christian educational leaders silent 55:29 when it comes to the openly breaking of these commandments? 55:33 I can answer that. 55:35 Because many SDA pastors and leaders 55:38 have fallen into the same trap as the world. 55:41 It's not politically correct... 55:44 it's not politically correct to speak against 55:47 homosexuality and murdering of babies by the millions 55:50 right here in America. 55:52 Would you believe me if I told you 55:54 that many of our oldest and dearest colleges 55:57 and university allow gay and lesbian student clubs 56:01 to meet on the college campuses? 56:03 AND then to add insult to injury as the old saying goes 56:07 they will not allow ministries such as the Coming Out ministry 56:11 that reach out to gay and lesbians with the good news 56:15 that God can give you victory over the sin 56:18 of the gay lifestyle. 56:20 Pastors will speak out about sin of adultery 56:23 or stealing or breaking the Sabbath 56:26 and victory that we find in Jesus to help us overcome 56:29 those sins yet many of these pastors 56:31 and educational leaders don't want to even class 56:35 homosexuality as a sin. 56:37 Why? Because it is politically incorrect. 56:42 If students attending our academies and universities 56:44 aren't told that homosexuality is a sin 56:47 how will they know? The blood will be on the hands 56:50 of those pastors and educational leaders 56:52 who refuse to call sin by its right name. 56:55 You see, folks, God's law hasn't changed. 56:59 It's many among us who have let their loyalty 57:03 to the political party... they've let their loyalty 57:06 to the political party move them away 57:08 from supporting God's Ten Commandment law. 57:11 Would any of you ever dream that members 57:14 of your own church could stand up against you 57:16 because you believe and continue to uphold 57:19 Ten Commandment law of God? 57:21 Well, it's happening today 57:22 because we are still divided as a church. 57:26 Now... I'm glad I'm not ending this here 57:28 because if I ended this talk here, this sermon now, 57:31 it's just all bad news. But I'm going to give you some 57:33 good news in a minute so hang in there. 57:35 Again, I'm not scolding anybody. 57:38 I'm not judging anybody. 57:39 I'm just telling you simply God has given us 10 commandments 57:43 to live by, and when these laws are being forgotten 57:47 we are responsible to stand up and tell the world about it. 57:52 That's what the Lord told us to do! 57:54 Because the Ten Commandment law is a transcript 57:57 of God's own character 57:58 and that's who He is: He's a God of love. 58:02 But He gives us these as ten promises. 58:05 That's what they are. People say: "Oh, I don't like 58:07 to follow those old laws. " 58:08 "Well, I don't like people tellin' me what to do. " 58:10 No! God who created life knows what it takes to sustain life. 58:15 So therefore what does He do? 58:17 He shows us a mirror image of who He is... His 58:22 character... and says: "This... if you do these, 58:25 if you'll follow these instructions, 58:27 I promise you you won't be temp- ted to go into that lifestyle. " 58:31 "I promise you you won't want to steal. " 58:33 "I promise you you won't want to kill. " 58:36 That's the kind of God that we serve. 58:38 I believe that we are the remnant church. 58:40 Doctrinally there's no doubt about it. 58:42 But we as a people are divided. 58:45 We're going to talk about that a little bit more. 58:46 But... I have good news so don't go away. 58:48 Don't get upset. Don't bother poor Jill. 58:51 We're comin' back around now, OK? 58:53 All right. Now, let me ask you: 58:55 Have you ever gone on social media only to be shocked 58:59 about what you read? 59:00 By social media, we're talking about Facebook, Twitter, 59:03 all those type of things. 59:04 Placed there by church members these public forums 59:07 can be read by non-Christian readers. 59:10 Church member against church member over race, 59:14 religion, culture, gossiping, 59:16 and accusing others of terrible things. 59:18 And yes, sometimes threatening one another! 59:21 Whoo! Boy, this is deep. 59:25 There's what's actually called and I've seen it... 59:29 you've probably been on it... 59:30 chat rooms where people mostly just gossip and argue 59:33 about any number of things that they're not happy about. 59:37 Many church members use Facebook and Twitter 59:39 and YouTube and other communication vehicles 59:42 to take their grievances to the public 59:45 and sadly it's therefor the world to see and hear. 59:49 Hmm... this is something. 59:51 I Corinthians told us that love, patience, and kindness 59:56 are some of the characteristics of the true Christians. 59:59 God's remnant church will reflect His character 01:00:03 of love to the world. 01:00:04 Yes, this will be the outstanding characteristic 01:00:07 of God's remnant church just before the second coming. 01:00:12 Let's read some more of the identifying marks 01:00:15 of God's remnant church. 01:00:17 II Peter... I hope you've got your Bibles now... 01:00:20 II Peter 1:5. I told you this is a Biblical 01:00:23 talk today. This is not a political talk. 01:00:26 It's a Biblical talk. 01:00:29 I Peter 1:5 says: 01:01:16 Isn't that a great promise? Isn't that a beautiful text? 01:01:19 Let me ask you: is this what the world sees in the majority 01:01:22 of the church members today? 01:01:24 Again, I believe that our church doctrines are sound. 01:01:28 That's why I'm a member of the Seventh-day Adventist church. 01:01:31 If they were not sound, I wouldn't be a part of it. 01:01:34 BUT do we as a people really reflect and represent 01:01:37 the true character of God on this earth? 01:01:41 At present... I can't speak for everybody 01:01:44 but for myself as well... 01:01:45 I don't think that we do. 01:01:47 I don't think when the world hears the name SDA 01:01:50 that they all of a sudden say: "Oh wow! These are the people 01:01:54 that are going to be the last day people. 01:01:56 These are the remnant people on planet earth. " 01:01:58 Because they see us as who we are. 01:02:01 And so it's my prayer that each and every one of us 01:02:04 before this day is over and this sermon is over 01:02:07 that we will seek the Lord and ask Him to come into our hearts 01:02:10 and into our life. We should be sighing and crying 01:02:13 for the outpouring of the Latter Rain to cultivate 01:02:16 and weed out the tares from among God's church 01:02:19 that we can rightly represent His character of love 01:02:22 to a lost and dying world. 01:02:25 I love Joel 2:28. 01:02:46 Wow! The good news is that a Latter Rain is coming. 01:02:51 Isn't that great news? 01:02:52 The Holy Spirit is coming. It's going to be poured out 01:02:55 in great measure, but will we as individuals 01:02:59 and as church members be ready for it? 01:03:03 It's my hope and prayer that we will be. 01:03:06 If you were the devil, where would you work the hardest? 01:03:09 It's a no brainer. 01:03:11 The devil is about like a roaring lion 01:03:14 seeking those whom he may devour... and who is that? 01:03:18 We read it earlier. Let's read it again. 01:03:20 Revelation 12:17. 01:03:22 Get your Bibles out. Open them up. 01:03:24 Get your iPad... whatever that I'm using here, all right? 01:03:40 So we shouldn't be surprised to see every kind of evil 01:03:42 being brought into the church. 01:03:44 BUT we should stand up against it and call sin by 01:03:47 its right name. It is our RESPONSIBILITY 01:03:51 to protect this end-time message 01:03:54 that God has entrusted with us. 01:03:56 It's our responsibility to train our children up 01:03:58 in the way they should go without compromising 01:04:02 our foundational beliefs. 01:04:04 They're being attacked from every side... every side. 01:04:09 As a church I'm concerned that we're either asleep 01:04:12 or falling asleep. 01:04:14 We must repent of our sins and ask God to renew a new heart 01:04:17 and a new mind in each of us. 01:04:19 I asked you a question in the beginning of this sermon: 01:04:22 Can the remnant church be divided? 01:04:27 And the answer is no. 01:04:29 But we as a people and a church are not there yet. 01:04:33 As I mentioned earlier I believe there's a remnant 01:04:36 of a remnant. It should be each and every one of our prayer 01:04:40 that we can be a part of that group that rightly represents 01:04:44 the character of God. 01:04:46 Yes, right now we're divided 01:04:49 by the same issues that much of the world is divided by: 01:04:52 race, culture, politics, doctrinal differences. 01:04:58 I'll give you an example. 01:05:01 I received a real wake-up call on this one. 01:05:04 Some time ago 3ABN had Dr. Ben Carson 01:05:07 as one of our Camp Meeting speakers this past year. 01:05:10 He simply gave his testimony of how God brought him 01:05:14 from a poor, inner-city kid to becoming a world renown 01:05:18 brain surgeon. Now he credits his mother - 01:05:20 his praying mother - for this. 01:05:22 Now Dr. Carson did not speak of his appointment 01:05:25 as HUD Secretary appointed by President Trump. 01:05:28 He did not talk about politics. He talked about 01:05:31 Jesus Christ and His power to save. 01:05:34 Dr. Carson told our viewers that his loyalty is to God first 01:05:39 not a political party. I thought that's incredible 01:05:41 for his position to say: "You know what? I'm here. 01:05:44 I'm workin' with the government. 01:05:45 God has placed me here like a modern-day Daniel 01:05:48 or Joseph, but my allegiance is not to the government. 01:05:52 My allegiance is to God. " 01:05:55 So it's amazing. He's a member of the president's cabinet 01:05:58 of the United States of America. 01:06:00 So doesn't that kind of remind you of a modern-day Joseph? 01:06:02 A modern-day Daniel? Placed in a high position 01:06:05 of influence to have an impact on the world. 01:06:08 Shortly after Dr. Carson's sermon, which 01:06:10 was telecast live around the world, 01:06:12 Yvonne and I received nearly 3,000 comments 01:06:15 from people on Facebook who were so furious that 3ABN 01:06:19 had him speak that they wrote very unChristian things 01:06:22 for the non-Christian world to see and hear. 01:06:24 I won't tell you everything they said, but I will tell you 01:06:27 I was accused of being a racist, homophobic, 01:06:29 white supremacist, and they even called Yvonne racial names - 01:06:33 figure that one out - for supporting me. Why? 01:06:36 Because 3ABN allowed Dr. Carson who is HUD Secretary 01:06:40 for the Republican adminis- tration which is for the USA... 01:06:44 They happen to be who's in office... 01:06:47 to speak at our 3ABN Camp Meeting. 01:06:49 Most if not all of the complaints 01:06:51 came from those on the opposite side of the political aisle. 01:06:55 Now the devil has done a job dividing the church of God 01:06:58 on this earth. I had no idea 01:07:01 how bad the political and racial divide really is 01:07:04 within the Christian church. I'm not talking about 01:07:06 just the Adventist church. The Christian church in general. 01:07:10 We still should love one another. 01:07:11 Even if we don't agree with each other's politics 01:07:15 this kind of hate for one another is very telling 01:07:18 among church members. Why? 01:07:20 It's evidence that there are those among us who place their 01:07:23 political and cultural convictions 01:07:25 over their religious convictions and over the principles of 01:07:29 the Bible. Now, some church members claim to be on the 01:07:32 political left while others claim to be on 01:07:35 the political right. Now I'm not trying to tell you 01:07:38 which side of the aisle that you should be on. 01:07:41 But whatever side of the aisle you're on 01:07:44 you should NEVER compromise sound doctrine 01:07:46 to make it fit your political views. 01:07:49 You won't find truth in any political party 01:07:52 as their allegiance is to man rather than to God. 01:07:56 I'm sure we all lean one way or the other 01:07:58 when it comes to politics. Right? 01:08:00 I mean if you're honest you're leaning... you're like us 01:08:03 if you're here in the USA or wherever around the world 01:08:07 we're getting close to an election 01:08:08 we lean one way or the other. 01:08:10 You usually can tell by which channel. You watch CNN; 01:08:12 you watch FOX; you watch MSNBC. 01:08:15 What do you watch? But we all tend to lean 01:08:19 and I lean to the right side of politics 01:08:22 though I'm not a registered Republican 01:08:24 for some of the reasons already stated. 01:08:26 I don't support abortion and I don't support same-sex 01:08:30 marriage. Now in the past I've voted both. 01:08:34 Now it's been a long time. I didn't even vote in the last 01:08:36 probably few elections. Please don't get upset with me 01:08:39 about that. Some of you will get upset at me and say: 01:08:41 "Well you SHOULD vote. " But for whatever reasons 01:08:44 we chose not to. And so I have voted in the past 01:08:48 both Democrat and Republican 01:08:50 depending on who was running for office. 01:08:52 Again, please don't write me ugly letters 01:08:54 for what I just said about my leaning to the right 01:08:57 or it will just show that you are upset because you're 01:08:59 leaning to the left. All right? That should balance us out. 01:09:02 Well, we as Christians cannot give our loyalty 01:09:06 to any organized groups that come in conflict... 01:09:08 conflict with the Ten Commandment law of God. 01:09:12 And that includes political parties as we were just 01:09:15 talking about or organizations such as the KKK. 01:09:19 Now very few people will be upset I said that. 01:09:21 But I'm saying it. We can't be part of the remnant church 01:09:25 and believe that we're going to be here, those willing to give 01:09:28 their lives unto death if necessary, 01:09:30 and be part of the KKK organization. 01:09:32 We can't be part of ANTIFA. 01:09:35 We can't be part of the Arian Nations. 01:09:37 And guess what? We can't be a part of the Black Lives Matter 01:09:42 organization. Now all of a sudden some feathers raised up. 01:09:46 And it shouldn't. I'm not talking politics. 01:09:48 I'm talking Bible here. 01:09:51 We can't be a part of the Black Panthers. 01:09:53 And I named all these... the skinheads, whomever else. 01:09:56 These groups do not reflect attributes 01:09:59 and characteristics of God's remnant church. 01:10:03 When you lay the Bible down to join organizations whose mission 01:10:06 statement is contrary to the Word of God 01:10:09 you lose your moral and spiritual compass. 01:10:13 Now, these organizations whose agendas don't match 01:10:16 their slogans, they disguise themselves as 01:10:19 social justice organizations 01:10:21 but their real purpose is a deep change in American values 01:10:25 and structure. Take the Black Lives Matter organization 01:10:28 for example. Now as a slogan 01:10:30 we all agree that black lives definitely matter. 01:10:32 Right? As Christians we MUST! 01:10:36 That's a part of our Christian walk with the Lord 01:10:38 is we love everybody. God loves us; He died that 01:10:41 none should perish but all should have everlasting life. 01:10:44 We all agree about that. 01:10:46 However, further investigation into the platform 01:10:49 of the organization of Black Lives Matter 01:10:52 reveals positions that are anti Bible. 01:10:56 Now on its website BLM we'll call it 01:10:59 proclaims... Now I'm going to quote from what they say. 01:11:01 Now, most of you are OK when we're talking about 01:11:04 the change of the Sabbath: the Catholic church. 01:11:06 You don't mind me using what they say 01:11:08 'cause we're not talking about them. 01:11:10 So let's don't talk about the Black Lives Matter organization. 01:11:13 Let's say what they say about themselves. 01:11:15 And then let's you and me line it up with our beliefs 01:11:19 as SDA Christians and see how they jell, OK? 01:11:23 Or if they don't jell. 01:11:25 So on the website, quote: 01:11:42 So they're against the Biblical marriage: one man and one woman. 01:11:46 They want to disrupt it. That's what they say. 01:11:48 Then they also say, quote: 01:12:57 So when you march with Black Lives Matter organization, 01:13:00 we're not talking about the Black Lives Matter movement, 01:13:03 please keep that separate 01:13:05 and it'll keep a lot of your wasted time sending e-mails. 01:13:08 We are not talking about the movement. 01:13:11 We think the movement is great 01:13:12 for equal rights. Everybody should have it. 01:13:15 We are now centering in on organizations. 01:13:18 Why am I picking this one? 01:13:19 Because this one has tremendous influence 01:13:22 that many other organizations don't have right now. 01:13:25 And it's influencing our church more than any 01:13:28 other organization I've ever seen. 01:13:30 So the Black Lives Matter organization 01:13:33 when you march with them you're supporting their fight 01:13:37 by what they just said to end Biblical marriage 01:13:40 and the family AND you're standing with them 01:13:44 in their fight to free themselves from the tight grip 01:13:48 of heteronormative thinking. 01:13:51 You're supporting their platform that there are more than 01:13:55 two sexual genders that God created. 01:13:58 It's he/she/they and I think they say something like 01:14:01 109 others. It changes all the time... I don't know. 01:14:04 You are joining their fight to promote leadership 01:14:08 in all areas of queer and trans people. 01:14:11 Now I'm not callin' names. 01:14:13 A few years ago that was a bad name 01:14:14 but now they wear it. They say: "Oh, no! We're queer. " 01:14:17 So... I'll go with whatever they say here. 01:14:20 So whatever name they like. 01:14:22 This would include positions... They're going to put you in 01:14:25 all areas, it says. "Center them" would include 01:14:28 positions in our schools, in our churches. 01:14:31 Now... please understand 01:14:33 again: I don't hate any of these people. 01:14:35 I don't hate any of the organizations. 01:14:38 I stand up against what they're preaching, what they're teaching 01:14:42 because it's influencing our people in our schools 01:14:45 of our young people and in our churches. 01:14:47 They have a right to peaceful protest 01:14:50 and they have a right to their opinion... 01:14:52 but so do you and I as Christians. In fact, 01:14:56 we have a mandate from God to go and tell the world 01:14:59 about His saving power. 01:15:00 We have a mandate from God to stand up against that which 01:15:04 is not true and that which is false 01:15:06 and that which can lead us away from the character of God. 01:15:10 Now I want to ask you: was the information that I just 01:15:14 gave you from the Black Lives Matter organization 01:15:18 website a political jump into politics? 01:15:21 Or was it a Biblical move? 01:15:24 Think about it. The answer is that it's a Biblical move. 01:15:28 We do the same when we quote the Catholic church 01:15:31 when they're attempting to change the Sabbath. 01:15:33 As SDAs we've done it for well over 100 years. 01:15:36 We don't see ourselves of jumping into politics 01:15:40 or name calling. We always say that "God has people 01:15:43 in all churches" and we are not talking about 01:15:45 people; we're talking about an organization. 01:15:47 This is exactly the same situation here. 01:15:50 We believe it is our duty as SDA Christians 01:15:54 to help people not to be deceived by telling them 01:15:57 the truth. So just to be clear 01:16:00 black lives matter, right? Black Lives Matter 01:16:05 the organization I don't agree with. 01:16:07 But the black lives movement - I'm sorry - 01:16:12 I do agree with. We believe in fairness, right? 01:16:15 The movement of black people for fairness and equality. 01:16:18 I'm with that 100%. Absolutely I am. 01:16:22 But it's one thing to stand with our brothers and sisters 01:16:25 for fairness and equality and totally a different thing 01:16:28 to stand with the Black Lives Matter organization 01:16:32 who by their own website says 01:16:34 their focus is on destroying the Western family unit 01:16:37 and to promote gay and transgender people 01:16:39 and to undo the fact that every- one is born male or female. 01:16:43 They are anti-Bible. Their own description 01:16:46 of themselves says so. 01:16:49 We as Christians cannot allow anyone to 01:16:52 muzzle us from telling the truth. 01:16:54 We never have before, right? 01:16:58 Why would we do it now? 01:17:00 Because it's so politically "incorrect. " That's why your 01:17:03 pastors and your ministers and your university professors... 01:17:06 You think all these folk who have all these degrees 01:17:09 don't know the difference? They're not smart enough 01:17:11 to read the Ten Commandments and say: 01:17:14 "Duh! This is wrong. " 01:17:15 Of course they know that! Of course they know it. 01:17:18 But they're so worried because these people 01:17:21 will turn on you. The devil has given so much power 01:17:24 to these organizations that not just them 01:17:28 many other organizations too 01:17:30 that people are afraid of what might happen 01:17:32 so we stand back from telling the truth. 01:17:35 My concern is this: we have thousands of SDA members - 01:17:40 black and white - marching with BLM organization. 01:17:43 We have conference presidents, university pastors, 01:17:46 and students... all in the name of social justice. 01:17:49 As Christians we cannot be a part of any organization 01:17:52 whose mission is to destroy the family, the church, 01:17:55 the Biblical marriage, and the law of God. 01:17:57 Now I realize that I have the right to support... 01:18:01 You know, they have right to support who they want 01:18:03 and so do I but we cannot be silent. 01:18:07 So I'm asking our leaders and our members of our church 01:18:11 those... we should not be so easily deceived. 01:18:14 I'm yet to hear our pastors and hear church leaders 01:18:19 denounce this organization that has so much influence 01:18:22 on the government as well as people all across... 01:18:25 and within our own churches. 01:18:27 So what I'm asking today is - 01:18:30 I know we're running short on time - 01:18:31 I could go on. Again, I'm not here 01:18:34 I'm not talking politics; I'm just talking about 01:18:37 organization. So don't forget: I mentioned KKK. 01:18:40 I mentioned Arian Nations. 01:18:42 Skinheads. I mentioned ANTIFA. 01:18:44 All the white things. All of these: I denounce all of that 01:18:47 but I also denounce this. I just hope that some of you 01:18:51 all watching this that have been so caught up 01:18:54 in the culture of it all 01:18:55 that you really compare your notes with the Bible 01:18:59 and say: "Who do I serve right here? " 01:19:02 Are any of these? Is there a conflict in what I believe? 01:19:06 I'm out here on this one day; I'm in church on Sabbath 01:19:09 proclaiming... keeping the commandments of God. 01:19:11 And then on the next day, the rest of the week, 01:19:15 anything goes. Well I support all of these things. 01:19:19 Folks, today we have to make a choice. 01:19:21 And it's my hope and prayer today... I'm sorry that we're 01:19:24 out of time. Some of you I'm sure wasn't soon enough. 01:19:27 But I'm going to ask my wife Yvonne to come out here 01:19:30 in just a moment but I want to do this: 01:19:33 I want you to think about your life in the last several months. 01:19:36 I want you to think about your life. 01:19:38 Are the things of earth growing strangely dim 01:19:41 in the light of Christ's glory and grace? 01:19:43 Are... The things that you once loved are you now beginning 01:19:47 to hate? You see, I'm asking God for... 01:19:51 for a new heart and a new mind. 01:19:53 I want to put on the mind of Christ. 01:19:56 Without the mind of Christ all of this preaching, 01:19:58 and all the stuff that we're doing is in vain. 01:20:01 So Lord, create within me a new heart. 01:20:04 It's my hope and prayer that you right now 01:20:05 would pray with us. Dear Lord, I just pray 01:20:09 for each and every person viewing today. 01:20:11 I pray that they heard what they needed to hear 01:20:14 not the jumbled up words that I've said. 01:20:16 And I pray that You'll work on our hearts and minds. 01:20:19 Father, help us to get rid of self, 01:20:21 to get rid of things on this earth. 01:20:24 that we can truly represent and reflect 01:20:27 Your character to a lost and dying world. Lord, 01:20:31 we want to be part of that remnant church. 01:20:33 We want to be that remnant of the remnant. 01:20:36 We want to be ready when You come in the clouds of glory. 01:20:38 And we want our lives to so shine before men 01:20:42 right now that others will see Jesus in us. 01:20:45 It's my hope and prayer today that people won't be offended. 01:20:48 They'll take the facts. 01:20:50 They'll take this; they'll replay it, re-look at it 01:20:52 and see where do we line up. 01:20:54 The organizations that we belong to, that we support: 01:20:59 do they line up with the Word of God? 01:21:00 If not, help us to turn loose of things of the world. 01:21:05 Turn your eyes upon Jesus; look full in His wonderful face 01:21:08 and the things of earth will grow strangely dim 01:21:11 in the light of His glory and His grace. 01:21:15 Yvonne: 01:21:28 On the outside 01:21:31 I think I'm all right. 01:21:36 There's a smile on my face... 01:21:39 everything's OK. 01:21:43 But on the inside 01:21:47 there's a different story. 01:21:52 I stumble down this road 01:21:55 and I've got so far to go. 01:21:59 I'm a broken girl 01:22:03 on my knees again 01:22:07 longing for a touch from You. 01:22:12 I need Your hand 01:22:16 to restore me 01:22:21 I need Your mercy! 01:22:25 Take me 01:22:28 to the place I used to be. 01:22:33 Use all the pain and the hurt 01:22:38 to do a greater 01:22:41 work 01:22:47 and Lord 01:22:48 restore me. 01:22:56 I wore my mask 01:22:59 running away from my past 01:23:03 hiding all my scars 01:23:07 thinking I'd gone too far. 01:23:10 But You knew my pain 01:23:14 and Lord You loved me just the same. 01:23:18 You promised I'd be free 01:23:22 if I fall on my knees and cry: 01:23:27 "Restore me! 01:23:31 I need Your mercy. " 01:23:34 Oh, take me 01:23:38 to the place I used to be. 01:23:42 Use all the pain and the hurt 01:23:48 to do a greater 01:23:50 work 01:23:56 and restore me... 01:24:01 restore unto me 01:24:04 the joy of my salvation 01:24:07 so I'll sing again the song You wrote for me. 01:24:13 Yes! Give me a clean heart; 01:24:19 I want a brand new start 01:24:22 like the moment 01:24:24 when I first believed. 01:24:30 Oh Lord 01:24:34 restore me. 01:24:38 I need Your mercy. 01:24:41 Oh take me 01:24:44 to the place I used to be. 01:24:49 Use all the pain and the hurt 01:24:54 to do a greater 01:24:57 work 01:25:03 And Lord 01:25:08 restore me... 01:25:21 restore 01:25:25 me. 01:25:31 Amen! Thank you, Tim. Thank you, Yvonne. 01:25:35 Yvonne, we just have a minute left. 01:25:37 I'm really hopin' and praying that what I've said today 01:25:40 comes across with love. I know I get excited 01:25:43 and I get, you know, talkin' loud. But 01:25:45 my heart is for people that are out of the ark of safety, 01:25:50 people that have been deceived. Yes. 01:25:51 "The very elect" as you say which is me and you 01:25:54 and the folks out here that we all at least will be open - 01:25:57 yes - to havin' the Holy Spirit work in us and through us 01:26:02 maybe like never before. Yes, for sure. 01:26:05 It's so easy now... You know, the devil has 01:26:07 so many distractions for us. But I'm so thankful 01:26:11 that you spoke the truth and you spoke the Bible. 01:26:14 It's not Danny's opinion. 01:26:16 This is Bible truth, and so it's important that we 01:26:20 understand that we are living in the last days 01:26:23 and that Satan is going to try to deceive us. 01:26:25 And he's going to use culture to divide, to deceive. 01:26:29 And so we have to hold on. Study the Word of God. 01:26:33 Pray and ask for the Lord to root us and ground us 01:26:36 in His Word. And so I'm thankful for the words that you spoke 01:26:40 today, honey. All right. Now I want everybody to know 01:26:42 each and every one of you that I love you. 01:26:44 That we pray for you and we ask for your prayers 01:26:47 and your support because we're all human beings. 01:26:51 Everything that I talked about today: I'm not above 01:26:54 any of that. I've been guilty of all of those things 01:26:56 as far as sin goes. No, I haven't done certain sins - 01:26:59 this sin or that - but we're all sinners. 01:27:02 You've done it, too. 01:27:03 We're all guilty of sin. Yes. 01:27:05 So it's my hope and prayer today that we ask Jesus 01:27:07 to come into our heart, ask Him to forgive us from our sins 01:27:10 because He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Amen! |
Revised 2021-03-17