>>Announcer: It has
stood the test of time.
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God's book, The Bible
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Still relevant in
today's complex world
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It Is Written
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Sharing messages of
hope around the world!
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>>Chris: It was a beautiful day.
The sand was crisp and white,
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the water was warm, unusually
warm and it was clear Then it
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happened, something unusual,
something extremely out of the
ordinary. The water
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just disappeared, it was as if
the ocean had gotten thirsty and
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just swallowed back itself.
Boats sat upon the sandy ocean
floor. See creatures and
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shells were revealed. People
should have known what was
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coming. They should have
referred back to history and
known in their minds what was
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happening. But many didn't, they
just seemed to enjoy the moment.
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Walking out as far as they could
and exploring. Then they heard
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it, a rumble and then the sound
like that of a jet airplane.
They didn't know what was
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coming, but it was a wall - a
wall of water moving at a speed
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that is equal to the square root
of the product of the
acceleration of gravity
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(9.8 m/s2) and the water depth.
It was most likely moving at
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anywhere between 300 to 600
miles per hour. The wave itself
was probably anywhere from 50
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to 100 feet tall. Over 200,000
people died in the the
destruction of that
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tsunami on December 26,
2004. Many should have known the
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destruction that was about to
come upon them, but they chose
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to ignore it. How many are there
today who see the spiritual
tsunami coming but are
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choosing to ignore it? Over
the last two weeks we have been
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studying what we have been
calling the beatitudes of
Revelation Revelation 1:3
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And now today we come to
beatitude number three. A
blessing given in the
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midst of the sixth plague. As we
study the passage for today, we
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find its context in Revelation
15:8 the Bible says, Revelation
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15:8, What is the scene that is
happening? The temple is filled
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with smoke. No one can enter any
longer. The ministration of the
temple is over. There is no more
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ministry happening there.
Why? Because decisions have been
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made. People have made a choice
for right or wrong. And now
Jesus is readying Himself
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to return with everyone's just
reward. Probation for humankind
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has ended All humankind
has made their final choice.
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The Revelation hapter 16 opens
with the seven last plagues
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which contain the wrath of God
They come in all their fury.
Each of the plagues is brought
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by an angel. These plagues fall
on those who have refused to
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recognize the soveirnity of God.
1st angel brings a plague of
Boils; a 2nd angel brings
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a plague that turns the Sea to
blood; then a 3rd angel brings a
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plague the turns Rivers and
springs to blood; the 4th angel
a plague where the Sun
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scorches men; then a 5th
angel brings us to a plague of
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darkness. And that finally
brings us to the sixth angel who
has another plague. But within
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this plague there is a
blessing, our third beatitude of
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Revelation. In Revelation 16 the
Bible says the following in
verses 12 through 16:
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Here God uses a literal event
that happened in the past to
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symbolize and
foretell future events.
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In order to understand this
passage we need to go back in
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time to a historical event in
the history of Israel. As you
will remember in the sixth
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century BC Babylon was the
dominant empire of the middle
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east. They had conquered
Jerusalem and taken captive many
Hebrew young people. One of
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those young people was the
prophet Daniel. While Babyon was
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in power, a growing force was
emerging in the east. The Medes
and the Persians were uniting
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forces to become a very
considerable force. Belshazzar
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was co-reigning with his father
Nabonidus in Babylon. Nabonidus
lead the Babylonian troops out
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from Babylon to contend with
this emerging force and crush
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their rebellion. Nabonidus was
detained and his troops
defeated. However, Babylon was
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considered a impenitrable city
and had supplies to last some
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twenty years. During the battle
to take Babylon, the Persian
general Cyrus' favorite
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horse was killed. He was so
infuriated by this event that he
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decided that he would take the
city at all costs. He led his
troops to dig trenches all
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along the Euphrates river,
which ran through the center of
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Babylon, and they diverted the
river so much that it lowered
height of the river to
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only as high as a man's thigh.
While all of this was going on,
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Nabonidus' son, who co-reigned
with him was left in the city.
Do you think Belshazzar
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was preparing for war and
doing all he could to defeat the
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coming Persians? No, in fact the
Bible records that he was living
the lavish life and
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partying. Even bringing the
vessels taken from God's temple
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to serve drinks at the party.
But God sent a message to
Belshazzar and his kingdom
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was taken from him. Because
unbeknowst to him, Cyrus and his
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troops were marching up the
lowered Euphrates, someone left
the gate that was lowered
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into the river open and Cyrus
and his troops marched right
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into the city to defeat it
and thus ending Babylon's reign.
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What then is this passage
telling us in these symbols that
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point back to the story of
ancient history. First, when the
angel dumps the plague
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upon the earth it says that the
Euphrates, "its water was dried
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up" What does this symbolize?
The Euphrates provided the basic
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necessity of water to ancient
Babylon. Revelation 17:15 give
us a clue as to what the
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Euphrates symbolizes.
Revelation 17:15 says.
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The story of Revelation is of
Jesus the Lamb versus the beast.
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A great controversy verses good
and evil. The beast power of
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revelation, which represents
a false religious system has as
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Revelation 13:3, So the whole
world was following this false
religious power.people,
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multitudes, nations and tongues
and as the sixth plague is
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poured out, that support system
of the beast is dried up and the
people stop in their
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support. The people begin to
turn away in the midst of the
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plagues, because the promise of
prosperity is failing and
instead they are receiving the
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plagues. The text goes on to say
that this "prepares the way for
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the kings of the east" Well in
that story of ancient Babylon,
Cyrus came from none other
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than east. It is very
interesting to note what the
Bible calls Cyrus in
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Isaiah 45:1.
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That word annointed in the
Hebrew is the same word for
messiah. Cyrus was a
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deliverer of God's people. Under
Cyrus' nation, the Hebrews were
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able to go back and rebuild
Jerusalem. This is a symbol of
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preparation of Christ return.
The Bible says in Matthew 24:27,
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Jesus is coming from the east.
And so as the support system of
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the Beast power is dried up it
prepares the way for the coming
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of the true Messiah, the true
King, Jesus. But then Revelation
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16 goes on to say, As the
support for the beast power
dries up, there is a concerted
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effort to try to win back
support through all kinds of
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deception. The false spirits
being as frogs is an interesting
choice. The only other
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time the Bible discusses
frogs is in plagues that fell on
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Egypt. The frog was a symbol of
ancient foreign gods and in the
last days, the false
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teachings of Egypt will continue
onward into the future throught
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the beast anti-Christ power
to deceive the nations. They are
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demons and devils working
miracles trying to reclaim the
dried up support. Work the whole
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world into a frenzy for the last
great battle. The the passage
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gives clear timing, Behold I
come as a thief This is the
second coming of Jesus. Notice
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the timing To my friends who
believe in the secret rapture,
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this passage clearly
demonstrates that God's people
are still here on this planet
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during the plagues and great
tribulation. But the key piece
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of our study comes
next. Here is the beatitude:
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Here the blessing is a two fold
instruction Number one is to
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watch To watch literally means
to be awake, alert and vigilant.
Jesus said in Matthew
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24:42,
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Freind, we are to be in a
constant state of readiness, we
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are to be always seeking Jesus
and maintaining a relationship
with him. It is to be
00:15:56.35\00:16:00.99
constant. Later Jesus gave the
same counsel to the ten virgins
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in Matthew 25:13,
00:16:06.70\00:16:08.10
Now why were the virgins
who were ready, prepared for the
00:16:14.97\00:16:20.04
return of Jesus? Because they
had lamps and oil -
representations of word of God
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and the Holy Spirit Friends,
this is not a works oriented
Gospel, but being a people
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who are both hearers and doers
of God's Word. But the second
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instruction is to keep his
garment What garment is being
referred to here? Clearly the
00:16:42.36\00:16:48.97
analogy takes us back to the
garden of Eden. Adam and Eve in
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their perfect condition wore
garments of righteousness. But
in a tragic turn of events,
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Adam and Eve make a choice to
be disobedient to God. And when
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they did this,
Genesis 3:7 tells us ,
00:17:15.53\00:17:20.27
To be naked is to be self
sufficient. To be covered is to
depend the sacrifice
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of Christ. To be clothed is to
be covered with the
righteousness of Jesus
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Christ. To be naked is to
be self sufficient and shameful
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This has been the nature of man
throughout history, an attempt
to try to cover self.which never
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works and leaves the person
empty. They are blessed not
00:18:01.48\00:18:10.19
because these individuals are
just starting to watch and keep
their garments, no.but
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they have practiced and prepared
through a faithful life for the
00:18:15.32\00:18:19.29
final great day of God.
00:18:19.39\00:18:23.03
What have the people of God
been prepared for? Those who are
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blessed, because they watch and
keep their garment. The Bible
00:18:30.54\00:18:41.85
says they are prepared for
Armaggedon. This symbol of
Armageddon is difficult to
00:18:41.95\00:18:48.36
identify exactly. Some have
thought this was a literally
place for a literal great
00:18:48.46\00:18:53.76
Battle. However, all of plague
six has spoken in symbolic
00:18:53.86\00:19:04.37
language and that symbolism
continues here. This Greek word,
Armageddon literally means
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the mount of Megiddo. Megiddo
is a literal place of ancient
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times. Because Megiddo was in
the shadows of Mt. Carmel It
could draw our attention to the
00:19:21.66\00:19:27.40
showdown on Mt. Carmel with
Elijah and the false prophets of
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Baal. A reference to God's
decisive victory Or it could
00:19:34.50\00:19:40.24
draw reference to Jehoshaphat
and his story of 2 Chronicles
20:15-17 Or to Israel in Judges
00:19:40.34\00:19:47.18
4 and 5 The overarching theme is
clear. God is the supreme power
00:19:47.28\00:19:56.79
in the universe and even though
at times, it may seem as if your
00:19:56.89\00:20:01.16
all alone. God comes through.
Those who watch and are faithful
to Jesus and keep themselves
00:20:01.26\00:20:08.97
under the cover of His
righteousness will be able to be
faithful, even when
00:20:09.07\00:20:14.31
it seems that all is failing.
When the support of the beast
00:20:14.41\00:20:19.51
power is waning and drying up,
but there is great deception,
who will be able to stand.
00:20:19.61\00:20:27.76
Those who watch and keep on
their garment. Are you watching
00:20:27.86\00:20:35.76
for the return of Jesus? Have
you surrendered your life to Him
fully that you live
00:20:35.86\00:20:41.94
under his righteousness? Today,
why not make that commitment.
00:20:42.04\00:20:49.74
The promise of the book of
Revelation is that you will be
blessed if you do so. Let's
00:20:49.84\00:20:59.72
pray. Heavenly Father, we want
to receive the blessing that is
00:20:59.82\00:21:04.43
promised in Revelation. And so
our prayer is very simple. Lord,
help us to watch and
00:21:04.53\00:21:10.90
help us to be in a constant
state of readiness for Your
00:21:11.00\00:21:14.04
Son's return. Help us to be
ready at all times. But Lord, we
00:21:14.14\00:21:21.81
also, we also want to pray that
You help us to keep on the
garment of Christ's
00:21:21.91\00:21:26.05
righteousness, that we would
every day, as Paul prayed, that
we would die daily. And
00:21:26.15\00:21:32.85
Father, through all of this, may
we be submitted to your will and
00:21:32.95\00:21:38.36
follow You no matter what
the cost. This is our prayer in
00:21:38.46\00:21:45.50
Jesus' name, amen. >>Bev: Hi,
everyone. If you are nuts about
nuts, you'll be glad to hear
00:22:25.21\00:22:28.58
that eating a small
handful every day can help lower
00:22:28.68\00:22:32.45
cholesterol and prevent heart
disease. According to the Mayo
Clinic, eating nuts as
00:22:32.55\00:22:36.55
part of a healthy diet can
be good for your heart, and a
00:22:36.65\00:22:40.49
number of health studies confirm
this to be true. Despite their
diminutive size, nuts are
00:22:40.59\00:22:44.99
packed with all kinds of good
nutrition, including protein,
00:22:45.09\00:22:49.50
omega 3 fatty acids, fibre,
vitamin E, trace minerals, and
something interesting
00:22:49.60\00:22:53.94
called L-arginine. L-arginine is
a substance that helps make your
00:22:54.04\00:22:58.41
arteries more flexible, thereby
aiding in lowering your blood
00:22:58.51\00:23:04.88
pressure. So what's your
favourite nut? I love the rich
creaminess of cashews, the hard
00:23:04.98\00:23:08.82
crunch of a Brazil nut, the way
walnuts mix so well with dates,
00:23:08.92\00:23:13.76
and the heightened sweetness of
almonds when they plump up after
00:23:13.86\00:23:17.89
soaking in water. Speaking of
soaking, it's a good idea to
soak nuts for several hours
00:23:17.99\00:23:21.73
before using them. This makes
them easier to digest by
neutralizing protective
00:23:21.83\00:23:26.67
enzyme inhibitors on the surface
of the nut. Soaking times vary
00:23:26.77\00:23:31.21
for different nuts, and you can
Google the internet to find more
00:23:31.31\00:23:36.08
information. When purchasing
nuts, raw is best. Leave the
salted and chocolate-covered
00:23:36.18\00:23:40.15
ones on the grocery shelf. At
home, store nuts in the fridge
00:23:40.25\00:23:44.99
so their natural oils don't
spoil too quickly. What all can
you with nuts? The list is
00:23:45.09\00:23:49.79
endless. Make your own nut
milks, nut butters, pâtés, sweet
00:23:49.89\00:23:56.20
or savoury creams, cheeses, pie
crusts, scrambles, and more. Be
careful, though. With
00:23:56.30\00:24:00.94
their high fat content, it's
easy to overload by eating too
00:24:01.04\00:24:06.31
many nuts. Been there, done
that. Keep in mind that about a
quarter cup of nuts daily is
00:24:06.41\00:24:10.81
enough to derive all their
delicious health benefits. If
00:24:10.91\00:24:14.95
you have high cholesterol or
want to lose weight, however,
you'll want to curb your
00:24:15.05\00:24:18.49
intake of nuts. This week,
instead of purchasing cow's
milk, blend your own
00:24:18.59\00:24:23.53
healthy nut milk instead. It's
super easy and so delicious. Let
00:24:23.63\00:24:28.56
me show you how to make almond
milk. You'll need one cup of raw
almonds. Rinse them
00:24:28.66\00:24:33.27
well, then soak them overnight.
This will yield about
one-and-a-half cups
00:24:33.37\00:24:37.04
of almonds. Three to four cups
of water, depending on how thin
00:24:37.14\00:24:41.34
or thick you like your milk, and
filtered water is best. Maybe
00:24:41.44\00:24:45.55
about four dried dates, soaked
to soften, or two teaspoons of
honey, and half a teaspoon of
00:24:45.65\00:24:50.45
vanilla. And after soaking
overnight, drain and rinse the
almonds, then place
00:24:50.55\00:24:55.86
them in the blender. Add the
dates, the vanilla, and half the
00:24:55.96\00:25:00.33
water. Blend on high speed until
creamy. And keep adding the
remaining water and
00:25:00.43\00:25:04.17
blend until you have the
consistency of milk you like.
Now, I'm just going
00:25:04.27\00:25:08.10
to do that right now. I've got
my water already in here. And
00:25:08.20\00:25:14.74
I'm going to put the nuts in and
the dates. And you know what? I
usually don't add the
00:25:14.84\00:25:19.78
vanilla, so I'm not even going
to do that this time. And then
00:25:19.88\00:25:26.15
you would just put this back on.
I'm using a Vitamixer. And this
00:25:26.25\00:25:30.33
is the king of
blenders. So here we go.
00:25:30.43\00:25:34.50
You can strain the milk if you
prefer, but don't throw out the
00:25:50.01\00:25:53.38
fibrous goodness. Be sure to use
the pulp in other recipes. And
you can store the milk
00:25:53.48\00:25:57.89
in a glass jar in the fridge for
three days. I'm just going to
00:25:57.99\00:26:01.26
pour this out to show you. Look
at this. When I make it, I don't
strain it. Beautiful
00:26:01.36\00:26:07.40
milk. Enjoy it in good
health. I'll see you next time.
00:26:07.50\00:26:12.47
>>Chris: The book of Revelation
is the unveiling of the
00:26:19.44\00:26:22.41
character of love of Jesus.
Today we want to offer you the
"Focus on Prophecy"
00:26:22.51\00:26:27.95
lessons which will guide you
through the book of revelation
00:26:28.05\00:26:31.72
to better understand it and to
receive the blessings that Jesus
00:26:31.82\00:26:38.53
has promised. To receive today's
free offer, here is the
information that you need.
00:26:38.63\00:26:43.23
The beatitudes of Revelation are
Jesus' blessings pronounced on
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God's people in these last days.
I know I want to receive the
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blessings of Jesus and I know
you do too. The call today is
that we would watch, be
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ready for Jesus, and we would
submit to Him on a daily basis
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and put on that robe of
righteousness. Thank you so much
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for watching. I invite you to
join us again next week. Until
then, remember, it is
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written: "Man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word
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that proceeds
from the mouth of God."
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