Hello, I'm Shelley
Quinn and welcome again
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to Issues and
Answers. We got an interesting
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program for you
today and I wanted to begin
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by sharing this
scripture with you.
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Perhaps you're
familiar with the story of Job
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and all of the
suffering that he went through.
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Well you know Job's
friends were pretty sure
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that Job was to
be blame and that God
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was punishing him.
Job even thought that God
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was punishing him
and he wasn't really sure
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what was going
on. And so in Job 38
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the Lord shows up and
this is what God says.
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Who is this who darkens council
by words without knowledge?
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Now prepare yourself
like a man I will question you
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and you shall answer me.
Why is God blamed for suffering
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and sickness and
disasters, that's what
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we're gonna be looking at today.
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And our special guests
back with us for a third time is
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Dr. Herb
Douglas. And Dr. Douglas,
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thank you so
much. My pleasure dear.
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It's good to have you here.
We are gonna be talking about
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something that is a
little bit philosophical
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but we're gonna be
drawing on the Bible today.
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The Lord is blamed
often, we hear even Christians
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blaming Him for
sickness and calamities
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and accidents and disasters,
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why, why do we
choose to be this?
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You know Shelley, it's
amazing, those who don't pray
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to the God, blame
Him for all the badness
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that happens in this
world, so it is amazing.
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You'd think that they
wouldn't have any interest
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in whose causing it,
and that's the way it goes.
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And it almost seems
to me that they're trying
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to excuse themselves
for not believing in God
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when they blame Him for
all the misfortune you know.
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You're probably
thinking more along the line
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of the insurance companies
when they call it acts of God.
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That's true, but
when you ask the question,
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where was God on 9/11?
I hear that frequently.
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But, Dr. Douglas
you're a professor,
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or were a professor of theology,
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that is your
doctoral degree in theology.
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Haven't you run into? I
have run into praying people,
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it's not all just
those who don't pray,
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but I've run into
some praying people,
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people who are
Christians, who are saying,
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where was God on
9/11? Haven't you run
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into people like
that? No question about it,
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and many of
them, many well known
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T.V. preachers say that was
God's way of telling America
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that we got to shape
up that we've rejected Him
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and insulted Him
and that was his way.
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That was awful to make
God into a cosmic executioner.
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So I take it that you
don't hold that view at all.
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Oliver Jacques,
you may not know him,
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a wonderful man, and
his father was a physician
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during the depression.
And a man came to him
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who just learned
that his wife had
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another child on the
way, he had 11 children.
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And he says, how
can God do this to me?
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Well God gets blamed
for a lot of things. Yes.
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And we just have
to recognize that
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an insurance
company that can write
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on the policy an act of
God. Many people believe it
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is an act of
God, that somehow God
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is in control of everything
that happens in this world.
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They have no
concept of an evil power,
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no concept of a personal devil
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that somehow is
messing things up in someway.
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No concept of how
God is trying to work out
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a program in such a
way that evil exists
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no more in this world.
But somehow, God has to work
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within His own parameters.
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The biggest gift God ever gave
to this creation is freedom.
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Choice. Even before love,
because you can't have love
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without freedom. That's true.
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Lot of people think
they could get away with it,
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you know, love with love
and but until a loving person
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is giving
freedom to his partner,
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you don't have love.
Freedom is the basic core
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word in this
universe. Satan used freedom
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and it's kind of changed into
a new definition of liberty.
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In another words, Don't
Fence Me In as the song says,
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we've got to
develop and do it my way,
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as Sinatra used to
say. In other word we have
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that freedom to just
let our real self develop
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into some kind of a potential.
We don't want to be cramped
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by these authoritarian
rules. Now God is saying look,
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you could go your way if
you want, but there are some
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unintended
consequences along the way.
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And we have been
suffering those consequences
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ever since the
Garden of Eden. Amen.
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Okay. Now, let me
take you back just a step,
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because you said
that some people believe
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that God is in
control of everything
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and they don't
recognize this other evil power.
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The Bible does teach God
is sovereign, so why would,
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the Bible teach
us that God is love?
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Why would an all
powerful, all loving sovereign
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God allow these
things to happen?
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Shelley, we have a
word for this in theology,
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we call it the
Odyssey. It simply means
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the justice of God,
how can God be just?
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It's been one of those
great theological subjects,
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why suffering? And
there had been three ways
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that theological
figures have worked this out.
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One is, God is
sovereign as you said.
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But He's so
sovereign that He predestines
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every thing that
happens in this world,
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the good and the
bad, even suffering.
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Even the evil, and
even those who are not saved
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because they haven't
predestined to be saved,
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they gonna be lost
but they're predestined
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to live forever in eternal hell.
So that... that is Calvinism,
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that's Calvinism, and
that's. And some are Lutheran
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and Presbyterians
today. And then the second,
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response to them, people
say this is not the Bible,
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we call it
they're minion position.
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And they believe
that God is sovereign,
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but He's given to
every created being,
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angels and men. The
responsibility to choose
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for themselves good or
evil. And the good and the bad
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that happens to even
good people, that's a pity.
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But God is going to
workout some good purpose out
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of this and I guess you
can say, Grid and Barrett.
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But that's no constellation,
when people tell me,
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in the hospital, as I'm
trying to comfort somebody.
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And some family
member says, well pastor
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is the will of the God.
I argued just a little bit
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under my breathe, it is
never the will of the God
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that that person to
suffer. That is somebody's else
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will not God. And
so there's a third way
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of looking at
these alternatives,
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who also believe
in a sovereign God.
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But they believe that
the sovereign God is part
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of the Great Controversy
between spiritual forces.
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Beginning in
heaven, Revelation 12,
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The evil force is doing
their best to wear our down.
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And God is not going to overrule
what evils is doing through
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the unintended
consequences that men and women
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have done to
themselves through the years.
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DNA does the job in all of
us, and we just have to take
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what comes in our lineage.
It's not always pleasant,
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but God is working out
the controversy to show
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that who is right? Who
can run this universe best?
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God's principles
or Satan's principles,
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and that's where
sufferings comes in,
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we're suffering the consequences
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of evil through the years.
But God is going to give us
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strength to meet any suffering,
any trial, any overwhelming
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problem that we have to
face. Okay, now which one
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for our viewer's
sake which of the three
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positions do you
hold? I represent a position
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that's trying to
tell the truth about God,
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he's a marvelously
loving God's who gives
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freedom to everybody.
He gave it to Adam and Eve,
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and we're
suffering the consequences
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of saying no to His way of life.
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He gave freedom to Lucifer.
He gave freedom to Lucifer.
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Who became Satan. And
he gave freedom to Satan
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to do a job on Job, but
He's gonna stand by Job.
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And He's gonna give
that strength to Job,
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that Job eventually
discovered, was the only way
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he could understand God.
God is not the author of sin,
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suffering or death, Satan is.
Okay, but you know coming back
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and...and maybe we have
to be a little philosophical
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here because, I
believe as you believe,
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that sin and
suffering is the result of pride
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and rebellion of an angel,
that was a covenant angel.
00:10:05.14\00:10:09.31
Lucifer who is now referred
to as Satan or adversary.
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There are people who ask
when God saw that Satan rebelled
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and that He was to
bring all of the sin
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and suffering into the world.
Why didn't this loving God
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just zap him out
and get rid of him,
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right then and
there? Oh, don't we all wish
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that he had done that
in sometime in our life.
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But there would
have been somebody else
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who would say, wow,
you disagree with God,
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and look what happens to
you, maybe Satan is right,
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maybe you don't
disagree with God.
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Satan had a better plan,
at least as far as we heard,
00:10:47.82\00:10:50.73
he certainly made it possible
that life could be better
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with a little extra
give on the part of the God.
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There would always be
a question whether God
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was as fair, was as just,
was just as kind as God says
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he wants to be. And
they didn't have time
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to see it workout,
and God says, I will work
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it out in some laboratory,
I will prove to the Universe,
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I'll make the world
where there be procreation,
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where people will see
the effects of the father
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and son, mother and
daughter, operation.
00:11:23.14\00:11:25.45
And how all that could show
how I feel about my universe,
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my family. Well
that was a great risk
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on the part of the God,
that was part of His way
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of taking time to show that
Satan with all of his charm,
00:11:35.84\00:11:40.41
with all of his gracious plans,
would end up with confusion
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and suffering and death.
You know, it's hard when we see
00:11:45.58\00:11:49.99
people
suffering, it's hard to say,
00:11:50.00\00:11:51.90
I'm glad God chose it this
way. But I am glad that He did,
00:11:51.91\00:11:55.40
because had He annihilated
Satan immediately then what
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would have happened is
all the rest of the angels
00:12:00.30\00:12:02.82
would have been
coerced to love and obey Him.
00:12:02.83\00:12:06.85
And you can't, you
can't even use the word love
00:12:07.33\00:12:09.29
that they would have
been coerced to obey,
00:12:09.30\00:12:11.64
because they wouldn't
want to end up like Satan.
00:12:11.65\00:12:14.81
And when we think about it now,
00:12:15.22\00:12:17.14
I...I mean the
greatest thing we have
00:12:18.62\00:12:20.73
is the gift of the
choice, right? Exactly.
00:12:20.74\00:12:23.10
And we cannot love God
without choice, so that's what
00:12:23.11\00:12:26.22
the Lord is doing here
is letting us know that,
00:12:26.23\00:12:30.25
that we still have
that freedom of choice.
00:12:30.26\00:12:35.67
No husband or wife can
really, really love each other
00:12:38.31\00:12:42.72
unless they had the
choice not to do it.
00:12:42.73\00:12:45.03
That's right. And as soon
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as the choice is
gone, the love is gone,
00:12:46.75\00:12:49.15
the glue is gone, but
they still have the choice
00:12:49.16\00:12:52.62
that is no more love. Love
is that marvelous chemistry
00:12:52.63\00:12:57.21
where you choose to listen
to and even obey a person,
00:12:57.85\00:13:03.20
because you have
that immense trust in
00:13:03.82\00:13:08.26
what you know that person
to be, that's how God wants us
00:13:08.27\00:13:11.34
to relate to Him that we
have an immense trust in Him.
00:13:11.35\00:13:14.74
Because everything He
says works out that way,
00:13:14.75\00:13:18.59
and given enough time
we're gonna see it more clearly.
00:13:19.70\00:13:22.12
You know one of
these days is going to be
00:13:22.13\00:13:24.81
a marvelous
course, Revelation 15:3.
00:13:24.82\00:13:27.99
Finally the Universe is
going to say just and true
00:13:28.69\00:13:32.24
our thy ways oh God. But
see, from the very beginning
00:13:32.25\00:13:37.09
of Satan's rebellion
that's what He's being trying
00:13:37.10\00:13:39.30
to prove is
that God is not just.
00:13:39.31\00:13:41.13
So that when He
got cast out of heaven,
00:13:41.14\00:13:42.99
don't you think that was
kind of at the top of His list
00:13:43.00\00:13:46.24
that do you believe
that part of the reason
00:13:46.25\00:13:49.51
that there is so
much sin and suffering
00:13:49.52\00:13:51.05
because Satan is
trying to give God a bad name?
00:13:51.06\00:13:53.96
Well, He's done a good
job, most of the Heathen,
00:13:54.78\00:13:58.09
all the Heathen
religions look upon God
00:13:58.10\00:14:00.55
as somebody to be feared. Yeah.
00:14:00.56\00:14:02.28
And they think of someway
they have to appease Him,
00:14:02.29\00:14:04.78
to make Him happy,
throw their children
00:14:04.79\00:14:06.73
into the fire to
make their God happy.
00:14:06.74\00:14:09.10
But many
Christians do the same thing,
00:14:09.79\00:14:12.06
maybe in
different ways of course.
00:14:12.56\00:14:14.32
But they have to go
to this particular city,
00:14:14.33\00:14:16.19
or climb up these
particular stony steps,
00:14:16.20\00:14:19.63
somehow to get
God's attention that,
00:14:19.64\00:14:21.51
we're alright Lord,
we're right with you,
00:14:21.52\00:14:24.87
without giving Him of
course the kind of response
00:14:25.96\00:14:28.31
He wants of
life, trust and faith.
00:14:28.32\00:14:30.57
But it was a great
risk on the part of God
00:14:30.58\00:14:35.45
to put this honor
on laboratory basis.
00:14:35.46\00:14:37.66
Instead of saying
this is the way it is
00:14:38.68\00:14:40.67
and write it on the clouds,
hammer that out with thunder.
00:14:40.68\00:14:44.06
He said no I won't let
you all see how it works out,
00:14:45.42\00:14:48.12
principles. Adam
and Eve be my first risk
00:14:48.13\00:14:52.30
and see how they work it out
00:14:53.08\00:14:55.16
and it didn't
last too long did it?
00:14:55.17\00:14:56.64
So we then have a line
of people that God said,
00:14:56.65\00:15:01.95
they will be my
people for one purpose,
00:15:01.96\00:15:04.12
to tell the world,
the truth about God.
00:15:04.75\00:15:06.67
They kind of messed it
up, they talked about a God.
00:15:08.77\00:15:11.33
And we're talking about
the Hebrew's Israelites,
00:15:11.34\00:15:14.70
that God choose. They
were the only ones on earth
00:15:14.71\00:15:16.84
who had a true picture of God,
but they kind of messed it up.
00:15:16.85\00:15:20.72
Jesus came, the
third risk. He didn't come
00:15:20.73\00:15:24.71
as a dazzling
prince. He didn't come as
00:15:24.72\00:15:27.33
a reverse astronaut,
you know, with all those
00:15:27.34\00:15:29.43
heavenly pack on Him. So
He would breathe anything
00:15:29.44\00:15:31.89
in this world
polluted environment.
00:15:31.90\00:15:34.61
He came as a man, as
every little boy is born.
00:15:34.62\00:15:39.07
And he had to fight the
battles as every little boy
00:15:39.67\00:15:42.09
has had to fight as a
teenager, as a growing man.
00:15:42.10\00:15:45.64
There is nothing that
Jesus didn't have to fight.
00:15:45.65\00:15:47.86
Hebrew's 2, Hebrew's
4 so kind of and so on.
00:15:47.87\00:15:51.01
That was quite a risk
because He could have,
00:15:51.02\00:15:53.05
as a man He could have
failed and it would have
00:15:54.58\00:15:57.55
been eternal loss for all
of us. That was a great risk.
00:15:57.56\00:16:01.42
But when God would, when
Jesus went back to heaven,
00:16:01.43\00:16:03.65
ask God of course. It
wasn't the end of anything.
00:16:03.66\00:16:09.23
He died on the Cross to
begin His work as High Priest.
00:16:10.17\00:16:14.88
Amen. As the book of Hebrew,
00:16:14.89\00:16:16.71
that's the main point
of the book of Hebrew,
00:16:16.72\00:16:19.49
that He is there
today to be our High Priest,
00:16:19.50\00:16:22.04
to be unto us
everything I need to be,
00:16:22.05\00:16:24.22
especially in
times of suffering.
00:16:24.96\00:16:26.53
Especially in times of
all kinds of emotional trial.
00:16:27.65\00:16:29.93
God knows how to
talk to me and talk to you
00:16:31.72\00:16:34.68
because He's been here. Amen.
00:16:34.69\00:16:38.06
He's gone through
the same situations
00:16:38.07\00:16:39.92
that you and I go through.
And tempted in every way
00:16:39.93\00:16:44.28
and yet without
sin. He wasn't exempt.
00:16:44.29\00:16:47.11
He didn't suffer
like vicariously. Right.
00:16:47.12\00:16:50.71
He suffered as a man
but suffered...with Satan
00:16:50.72\00:16:53.69
really throwing it at
Him. Face to face with Satan
00:16:53.70\00:16:57.34
like you and I
have not yet done.
00:16:57.35\00:16:58.79
But he showed us how
to do it, how to live,
00:16:59.69\00:17:01.95
and how to die? And
when Jesus was here,
00:17:01.96\00:17:06.43
He did a lot to
dispel these errors about God
00:17:07.12\00:17:12.87
and the misunderstandings
of that we had about God.
00:17:12.88\00:17:16.65
He told Pilate, "I came to bear
witness to the truth." Amen.
00:17:16.66\00:17:21.27
And everything about Him,
He was on the side of healing.
00:17:22.13\00:17:25.09
You know, the word that
we often translate as Savior,
00:17:25.10\00:17:28.44
is the same
Greek word for healer.
00:17:29.28\00:17:31.18
And He is a grand
healer of everything
00:17:31.19\00:17:34.29
that Satan has messed
up. All that sin has done
00:17:34.30\00:17:37.14
in my life and yours,
he's going to restore,
00:17:37.67\00:17:40.66
he's going to
undo. That's His job.
00:17:40.67\00:17:43.65
On this earth, he's
gonna do part of it.
00:17:43.66\00:17:45.58
You can recover, from
the life of doing everything
00:17:47.11\00:17:51.05
you want to do and
your body can recover
00:17:51.06\00:17:53.04
if you let the Holy Spirit help
you become a brighter person.
00:17:53.05\00:17:56.30
Amen. But one of these days,
00:17:56.31\00:17:58.04
he's going to restore.
He is a grand restorer,
00:17:58.05\00:18:00.45
He is not the destroyer. Amen.
00:18:00.46\00:18:02.03
And you know, for me,
I don't know, if you know
00:18:02.71\00:18:06.15
my background but I grew
up in another denomination
00:18:06.16\00:18:08.59
where I believed in eternal
hellfire that I was going
00:18:08.60\00:18:12.38
to be punished
forever and ever and ever.
00:18:12.39\00:18:14.13
And so I saw God as
one who was, you know,
00:18:14.14\00:18:18.04
just ready to zap
me. Yes. And it was,
00:18:18.05\00:18:20.34
when I came to Hebrews
1:3, that say that Jesus
00:18:20.35\00:18:23.54
is the exact
expression of the Father.
00:18:23.55\00:18:26.44
He is the very
representation of His character.
00:18:26.45\00:18:29.03
And you, I don't know
why, I don't know how many
00:18:29.04\00:18:31.65
times I probably
read the New Testament,
00:18:31.66\00:18:33.40
two hundred times
before I... That scripture
00:18:33.41\00:18:35.80
just jumped out at
me Herb, and I thought,
00:18:35.81\00:18:38.13
you know, Jesus
did say, you've seen me
00:18:38.14\00:18:40.06
may you have seen the
Father. And all of a sudden,
00:18:40.07\00:18:42.43
I realized that the Father God.
00:18:42.44\00:18:45.01
He had to get close
to His own disciples.
00:18:45.02\00:18:45.99
Yeah, and the
Father is just exactly
00:18:46.00\00:18:50.52
as loving and patient
and kind and considerate,
00:18:50.53\00:18:54.66
compassionate as
Jesus. So, if we want to know
00:18:54.67\00:18:59.27
who the Father is,
we just need to look
00:18:59.28\00:19:02.96
to Jesus and He was the exact
representation of His character.
00:19:02.97\00:19:07.77
Now when we ask
people who do you want
00:19:07.78\00:19:09.48
to meet first on the other
side when you are resurrected,
00:19:09.49\00:19:13.25
most people say,
well, I want to see Jesus.
00:19:14.06\00:19:16.56
Jesus would feel just a
little bit like a failure
00:19:19.11\00:19:22.56
because His job was
to show us the Father.
00:19:23.33\00:19:25.59
The Father is the pole
point. The Father is the one
00:19:25.60\00:19:29.62
who's been maligned,
misrepresented, lied about,
00:19:29.63\00:19:32.93
had a bad press and
Jesus was trying to say,
00:19:32.94\00:19:36.14
the Father is not
like you think he is.
00:19:37.25\00:19:39.15
And that's why
he gives us Luke 15
00:19:40.05\00:19:41.70
with those marvelous parables.
00:19:41.71\00:19:43.94
God is the one looking for
that lost sheep and looking
00:19:44.65\00:19:48.90
for that coin that seems so
important and God is the kind
00:19:48.91\00:19:52.51
of like a Father,
just waiting for His kids
00:19:52.52\00:19:55.91
to come back
home. It's beautiful.
00:19:55.92\00:19:58.48
It's the Father that
needs to be properly vindicated
00:19:58.49\00:20:03.29
and Jesus is helping us to
vindicate His Father. Amen.
00:20:03.30\00:20:07.97
You know, I'm
thinking as you're speaking
00:20:08.98\00:20:11.04
of a scripture Nahum
1:9 that says, The Lord says
00:20:11.05\00:20:15.89
that He will not
let sin rise again so...
00:20:15.90\00:20:19.36
Okay, follow that through
now. How does that happen?
00:20:19.37\00:20:22.68
It has to be
destroyed. But it has to be done
00:20:23.47\00:20:27.77
in a way that's not
coercive. Absolutely.
00:20:27.78\00:20:30.66
Everybody gets the
results of their own choices.
00:20:30.67\00:20:33.70
When the 7 last plagues
fall, that's not God having
00:20:35.90\00:20:41.27
the last word.
That's not God saying,
00:20:41.28\00:20:43.91
look you guys have
just messed up this world
00:20:43.92\00:20:48.71
and you made me into a
fiend. Well, I'll show you now
00:20:48.72\00:20:54.31
who is powerful. No,
no, I'm telling no, no.
00:20:54.32\00:20:57.52
Right now, Revelation
7, the reason why Jesus
00:20:58.58\00:21:03.88
has not returned, as He
could returned years ago
00:21:03.89\00:21:08.58
is because God hasn't found
enough people He could seal,
00:21:10.08\00:21:13.28
so that He through
them, He can give a real good
00:21:13.29\00:21:16.46
witness of the
truths to the world.
00:21:16.47\00:21:18.38
He is waiting for people that
catch on as to why the gospel
00:21:19.08\00:21:24.67
of this kingdom will be
preached in all of the world
00:21:24.68\00:21:26.90
through witnesses to all...Yes.
You have to be a witness.
00:21:27.40\00:21:31.83
Anybody can talk the gospel.
Somebody, you have to witness
00:21:31.84\00:21:36.71
to what He is talking
about. In Second Corinthians 3:3
00:21:36.72\00:21:39.43
He says that we are a
letter written on the heart
00:21:39.44\00:21:42.12
from Christ. So It's our actions
00:21:42.13\00:21:44.64
that matter more than our words.
00:21:44.65\00:21:46.98
The witness is to
someone see.. Words are cheap.
00:21:46.99\00:21:50.60
Absolutely. But,
when we talk about
00:21:50.61\00:21:54.50
especially the ceiling
work. What is the ceiling work?
00:21:56.67\00:22:00.82
When God finishes
up His whole thing.
00:22:01.49\00:22:03.28
It's His signatures
right on your forehead.
00:22:04.26\00:22:06.49
14:1 and 22:3. Well,
when you pick up anything,
00:22:06.50\00:22:15.76
shall we say a toaster or
mixture or whatever you use
00:22:15.77\00:22:19.98
in the kitchen. You
look at to the bottom
00:22:19.99\00:22:22.00
and you will see, well, not
always a little yellow label
00:22:22.01\00:22:25.39
because now they're
imprinted in the frame work of,
00:22:25.40\00:22:31.90
I am trying to say it's
the underwriters laboratory
00:22:31.91\00:22:36.82
seal of approval. Yes.
And in the plastic it's there.
00:22:36.83\00:22:40.37
Why? Because you look at
that label, the seal says
00:22:41.91\00:22:46.63
you can trust
it. You can use it.
00:22:46.64\00:22:48.36
It's not gonna burn up.
You go for some tennis rackets
00:22:48.37\00:22:53.40
and you don't pick up
any old tennis racket.
00:22:53.41\00:22:55.98
You pick up Venus William's.
Or a Tiger Wood golf club.
00:22:55.99\00:22:59.76
Why do you think they're
selling Tiger Wood golf clubs?
00:23:00.09\00:23:02.77
Because he has a
signature on them.
00:23:02.78\00:23:04.65
You can trust it, you
can count on that person
00:23:05.49\00:23:08.54
because look what he does
with a golf club like this.
00:23:08.55\00:23:12.53
God says, you can
trust these people.
00:23:13.37\00:23:15.12
When I seal these
people they are going to be
00:23:15.79\00:23:17.80
the kind of
people you can trust,
00:23:17.81\00:23:19.37
you can lean on them,
they're saying what's right
00:23:19.38\00:23:21.90
about me and you
won't have to ever wonder
00:23:21.91\00:23:24.45
again what's right
about the universe?
00:23:24.46\00:23:27.76
And when God has
people who are so sealed
00:23:28.42\00:23:32.83
that they're saying
the truth about him.
00:23:32.84\00:23:35.19
They will never again say no
to him under any circumstance.
00:23:36.62\00:23:40.02
They follow Jesus as
Bible says wheresoever he goeth?
00:23:40.03\00:23:44.45
I want to walk that way now.
00:23:44.46\00:23:46.42
God will put His
stamp of approval upon you.
00:23:47.00\00:23:49.63
Remember that ad,
the Hanes clothing ad
00:23:49.64\00:23:54.25
and this lady is
watching the conveyor belt,
00:23:54.26\00:23:57.37
the under clothing
goes along, all packaged up.
00:23:58.16\00:24:00.73
And she's like a sergeant
major watching all this.
00:24:00.74\00:24:05.01
The name goes on
when the quality goes in,
00:24:06.90\00:24:10.26
Hanes.... The name goes on
you when the quality goes in.
00:24:12.24\00:24:17.67
That's God's way of
ending up the Universe
00:24:18.59\00:24:20.43
at the end of time.
He'll let people say
00:24:20.44\00:24:22.61
what is right about
Him. And a lot of people
00:24:22.62\00:24:26.44
were suffering today.
I know through experience
00:24:26.45\00:24:30.05
that when I tell them
this little story where God
00:24:30.06\00:24:32.65
fits into this whole
thing. It makes the difference.
00:24:32.66\00:24:36.89
They're not just wondering
why either in the gravel,
00:24:36.90\00:24:40.84
pushed down and God
is saying, it's alright,
00:24:40.85\00:24:43.72
I'm using you for
a greater purpose.
00:24:43.73\00:24:45.94
Ah, I don't need to be used
for a greater purpose anymore
00:24:46.93\00:24:50.76
Lord I heard. But
would you agree with me,
00:24:50.77\00:24:53.85
Herb, that, you
know Romans 8:28 says,
00:24:53.86\00:24:58.99
that those who love
the Lord have whatever,
00:24:59.00\00:25:02.98
my mind went blank for a second.
00:25:02.99\00:25:04.99
It says, all
things work together
00:25:05.00\00:25:06.69
for good for
those who love the Lord,
00:25:06.70\00:25:08.50
and are called
according to His purpose.
00:25:08.51\00:25:10.48
And so what I teach
though, I mean you can't tell
00:25:10.49\00:25:13.65
a mother who has just
lost her husband and her child
00:25:13.66\00:25:16.76
in a car wreck all
things work together for good.
00:25:16.77\00:25:19.37
You know, you'd say how
can God use this for my good?
00:25:20.21\00:25:24.51
I don't use the
text that time because of
00:25:24.52\00:25:26.62
what you're trying to say
now. But you know, here is the..
00:25:26.63\00:25:29.48
you can't separate
that text from Romans 8:29.
00:25:29.49\00:25:32.59
It says that those
that he foreknew he called
00:25:32.60\00:25:36.11
and he predestined us
to be confirmed according
00:25:36.12\00:25:39.82
to the image of
Jesus. So even though
00:25:39.83\00:25:42.69
there is this horrible
battle, this great controversy
00:25:42.70\00:25:46.87
going on between good
and evil. And the devil
00:25:46.88\00:25:49.10
is the one who is responsible
for death and sickness
00:25:49.11\00:25:53.09
and calamities
or accidents. Amen.
00:25:53.10\00:25:54.89
But still when it happens,
God can still is the lifter
00:25:54.90\00:26:00.61
of your head, the comforter,
He will still take the worse
00:26:00.62\00:26:05.31
to those circumstances
and help confirm you
00:26:05.32\00:26:08.37
to the image of
Jesus. Absolutely.
00:26:08.38\00:26:10.59
Because all are gonna
suffer in this lifetime.
00:26:10.60\00:26:13.52
I have held many hands
of people who are dying
00:26:13.53\00:26:16.39
and people die in
different ways. Yeah.
00:26:18.03\00:26:21.37
And if I get them
quick enough to understand
00:26:21.38\00:26:23.59
what we're talking about today
it's a very peaceful death.
00:26:23.60\00:26:28.27
Because they know on the
other side when God wakens them,
00:26:29.59\00:26:32.54
it will be one wonderful God
00:26:32.55\00:26:34.84
they're going to
live with forever. Amen.
00:26:34.85\00:26:36.79
And they won't be
confused as to why this happens
00:26:36.80\00:26:40.33
or why that
happens? They will understand
00:26:40.34\00:26:42.92
that evil does
prevail up to a point.
00:26:42.93\00:26:45.95
John the Baptist
didn't enjoy having someone
00:26:45.96\00:26:49.42
take off his head.
Yeah. And who is closer
00:26:49.43\00:26:51.58
to Jesus than
John the Baptist. Yes.
00:26:51.59\00:26:53.70
Who is closer to,
shall we say the Father?
00:26:53.71\00:26:56.76
But Jesus Christ, when
he suffered in Gethsemane.
00:26:57.47\00:26:59.93
Three times
Lord, Father, Father,
00:27:01.14\00:27:04.49
if there's some
way we can do this,
00:27:04.50\00:27:07.00
and I could
complete a much better life
00:27:07.01\00:27:08.55
if I lived a little longer.
Not my will but thine be done.
00:27:08.56\00:27:12.38
Amen. Herb, thank you so
much. It's been a pleasure
00:27:12.39\00:27:15.51
to have you here and
God bless you for the work
00:27:15.52\00:27:18.04
that you are doing.
00:27:18.05\00:27:19.02
For those of
you who are at home,
00:27:19.53\00:27:21.02
remember this, Romans 5:8 says
that God manifested His love.
00:27:21.92\00:27:26.34
He demonstrated His
love for us in this way,
00:27:26.35\00:27:28.97
that while we
were still sinners.
00:27:28.98\00:27:31.56
He sent Jesus Christ to
save us. And I'll tell you,
00:27:31.57\00:27:35.32
if Jesus will die for us
while we are still sinners.
00:27:35.33\00:27:38.10
How much more
will He do for us now?
00:27:38.11\00:27:41.05
God loves you so much and He
is not the one who is causing
00:27:41.06\00:27:45.00
the calamities
that are in your life,
00:27:45.01\00:27:47.41
but you can look
to Him for salvation.
00:27:47.42\00:27:50.14
You can look to
Him and know that
00:27:50.15\00:27:53.08
your God will
provide all that you need.
00:27:53.09\00:27:56.33