IIW-PAH-LIONS,
LEOPARDS AND BEARS .. OH MY!
00:00:01.00\00:00:04.60
IIW-PAH-LIONS,
LEOPARDS AND BEARS .. OH MY!
00:00:04.97\00:00:09.37
IIW-PAH-LIONS,
LEOPARDS AND BEARS .. OH MY!
00:00:09.74\00:00:14.04
IIW-PAH-LIONS,
LEOPARDS AND BEARS .. OH MY!
00:00:14.38\00:00:18.11
IIW-PAH-LIONS,
LEOPARDS AND BEARS .. OH MY!
00:00:18.45\00:00:23.49
IIW-PAH-LIONS,
LEOPARDS AND BEARS .. OH MY!
00:00:23.79\00:00:28.16
IIW-PAH-LIONS,
LEOPARDS AND BEARS .. OH MY!
00:00:28.49\00:00:32.63
IIW-PAH-LIONS,
LEOPARDS AND BEARS .. OH MY!
00:00:32.99\00:00:37.37
IIW-PAH-LIONS,
LEOPARDS AND BEARS .. OH MY!
00:00:37.73\00:00:42.67
IIW-PAH-LIONS,
LEOPARDS AND BEARS .. OH MY!
00:00:43.00\00:00:47.51
>>Announcer: It has
stood the test of time.
00:01:31.45\00:01:33.89
God's book, The Bible
00:01:34.96\00:01:37.39
Still relevant in
today's complex world
00:01:38.36\00:01:41.80
It Is Written
00:01:44.37\00:01:45.37
Sharing messages of
hope around the world!
00:01:45.93\00:01:49.67
>>CHRIS: We began this series by
introducing a very powerful
principle that helps us to
00:01:58.75\00:02:04.85
determine whether our claims
about the knowledge we have are
certain. Simply stated, this
00:02:04.95\00:02:11.83
principle is the principle of
probability and reveals that
extremely small probabilities
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point to certainty, and
eliminate chance as an
explanation. This principle of
00:02:18.97\00:02:26.71
probability, when applied to the
existence of God, and the
reliability of His Word, soundly
00:02:26.81\00:02:34.08
demonstrate that He is real and
this Bible can be trusted. Some
of the greatest evidence of this
00:02:34.18\00:02:45.69
has been found in prophecy. Over
the course of our study of the
first 6 chapters of Daniel
00:02:45.79\00:02:54.84
through the lens of probability
we have seen some incredible
things that defy simple chance
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as an explanation. That was most
especially the case in King
Nebuchadnezzar's dream of Daniel
00:03:02.88\00:03:09.62
2, that Daniel interpreted. That
dream outlined over 2,500 years
of history in advance. Simply
00:03:09.72\00:03:18.46
amazing, but more than amazing,
it points to the existence of an
all knowing, all powerful God
00:03:18.56\00:03:24.90
who cares and interacts with us
as His creation. This week we
turn our attention to the
00:03:25.00\00:03:32.84
prophetic section of the book of
Daniel and open the pages of the
Bible to Daniel 7. This chapter
00:03:32.94\00:03:40.68
introduces us to a very sinister
power that does all kinds of
things against God and against
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God's people. In fact, his
attacks are so devastating that
Daniel wants to make sure that
00:03:47.36\00:03:55.93
God's people are able to
identify this menacing agent of
evil. Let's turn to Daniel
00:03:56.03\00:04:04.71
7:1-7, here is
what God's word says,
00:04:04.81\00:04:10.18
What should stand out first
about this amazing dream is that
these creatures seen will not be
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seen or show up in any of your
local zoos. Each of these
animals violate the very laws of
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nature. Have you ever seen a
lion with eagles wings, or a
leopard with four wings and four
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heads, or animals with iron
teeth? Of course not! As we look
at this passage there are four
00:06:09.13\00:06:18.51
symbols that we need to
interpret: the winds, the great
sea, the beasts and the horns.
00:06:18.61\00:06:30.62
Our mission here at It Is
Written is to instill the
understanding that the Bible
00:06:30.72\00:06:36.12
interprets itself. And so each
of these are symbolic
representations of something
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else. So then what are those
four winds? Well, in Jeremiah
51:1 God said that He would send
00:06:43.63\00:07:01.18
a destroying wind against
Babylon. He was speaking of the
strife and destruction caused by
00:07:01.28\00:07:06.86
the Medo-Persians. This means
that wind represents strife and
destruction. But what about the
00:07:06.96\00:07:14.00
sea.the waters?Rev 17:15 is
actually quite clear when it
00:07:14.10\00:07:18.70
states, Thus the great sea
represents peoples or a populous
place. That still leaves us
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wondering about those
beasts, what do they represent?
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The beasts represent kingdoms,
empires. Interestingly enough
Daniel 7:24 declares "The ten
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horns are ten kings," and so the
horns also represent kingdoms.
What then does all of this mean?
00:08:04.18\00:08:11.62
How do we sort this all out?
Let's look at the specific
symbols and see what they might
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mean. That first symbol was a
lion with eagle's wings. What
could that amount to? As a
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beast, it represents a kingdom,
but what kingdom? Friends, it is
a fitting symbol of Babylon,
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which came to power in 605 BC.
Remarkably enough Jeremiah 4:7,
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50:17,44 refers to
Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon as a
lion that has arisen out of his
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lair to destroy the nations. In
addition, the winged lion is one
of the forms that is often
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pictured in art and inscription
in combat with Marduk, who was
the patron god of the city of
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Babylon. But Daniel informs us
that the wings were plucked off
that lion and a man's heart was
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given to it. What an description
of the fate of Babylon. After
Nebuchadnezzar's death, Babylon
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lost much of its prestige and
power and ultimately became weak
00:09:28.30\00:09:36.91
and enfeebled. It is here that I
want to introduce you to how
Hebrew thinking works. It is
00:09:37.84\00:09:44.41
something called recapitulation
or repeat and enlarge. Our
western minds don't quite work
00:09:44.51\00:09:52.29
like those from the east. But
here is the basic concept,
something is said, then that
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same thing is repeated or
restated with greater detail but
possibly in a bit different
00:10:00.73\00:10:09.54
language. Daniel 7 is a
recapitulation of Daniel 2. It
is a restatement of the world's
00:10:09.64\00:10:21.08
history, but with greater
detail. And so this description
of Babylon as the lion parallels
00:10:21.18\00:10:28.06
that of Daniel 2 and Babylon
being represented as the head of
gold But after the 2 winged
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lion, on the scene a bear shows
up. That bear is raised up on
one side with three ribs in its
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mouth. As you could probably
guess, this bear represents the
Medo-Persian empire. And
00:10:45.47\00:10:52.11
although Daniel 7 does not
mention who the three ribs
represent, history reveals that
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they were symbols of the three
principal powers of Lydia,
Babylon, and Egypt, that were
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conquered by the combined forces
of the Medes and the Persians
who came to power around 539 BC.
00:11:04.76\00:11:11.60
What makes this symbol
additionally fascinating is the
reality that when these powers
00:11:11.70\00:11:18.87
came together, the Medes were
the stronger of the two, however
over time the Persians grew in
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strength and became so strong
that most history books today
simply refer to it as the
00:11:27.05\00:11:34.62
Persian empire. This symbol of
the bear parallels the chest and
arms of silver from Daniel 2.
00:11:34.72\00:11:42.43
But the bear is moved aside by a
even stranger looking creature.a
leapard with four wings and four
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heads! This bizarre looking
beast represents the kingdom of
Greece. Now, like the other
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beasts, leopards are fierce and
carnivorous, yet they have the
added advantage of being swift
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and agile. Even more, this beast
has four wings which denote its
incredible speed and agility
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What a fitting representation of
Greece. It is almost inadequate
to describe the amazing speed of
00:12:14.76\00:12:22.84
Alexander the Great's conquest
of the known world.
Astonishingly, in less than a
00:12:22.94\00:12:29.81
decade, Alexander and his army
came into possession of the
greatest empire the world had
00:12:29.91\00:12:35.75
ever seen at the time. One
commentator put it this way,
"there is no other example in
00:12:35.85\00:12:42.46
ancient times of such rapid
movements of troops on so large
and successful a scale." In 331
00:12:42.56\00:12:52.03
BC Alexander's army decisively
defeated the Persians in the
famous battle of Arbela. Yet,
00:12:52.13\00:13:00.84
Alexander's kingdom would not
last very long. Alexander could
conquer the world, but he could
00:13:00.94\00:13:09.38
not conquer himself. He died
from his own lustful exuberance
and on his death bed was asked
00:13:09.48\00:13:18.03
who would succeed him. He simply
answered.he who is strongest.
Greece was weakened by internal
00:13:18.13\00:13:28.67
strife and civil war. The four
heads of the leopard represent
the four kingdoms that occupied
00:13:28.77\00:13:35.28
the territory of Alexander's
conquest. Greece would come to
an end. This winged leopard
00:13:35.38\00:13:44.75
kingdom corresponds with the
bronze or brass of the statue of
00:13:44.85\00:13:48.86
Daniel 2. But now we are brought
to the fourth beast. The
description was frightening, it
00:13:49.59\00:13:57.40
is described as dreadful,
terrible, exceedingly strong and
with iron teeth. You'll remember
00:13:57.50\00:14:03.10
back in Daniel 2, the metals
started with gold, then silver,
bronze, and finally the fourth
00:14:03.20\00:14:08.94
symbol in Daniel 2 was iron.
These iron teeth of this
non-descript fourth beast give
00:14:09.04\00:14:17.65
us a clue to who this is in
Daniel 7. It is the kingdom of
Rome and perfectly matches the
00:14:17.75\00:14:24.36
order of Daniel 2 with the legs
of iron. In the vision of Daniel
2 there was no fifth world
00:14:24.46\00:14:33.27
empire. Simply a mixture of iron
and clay, a representation of
the kingdom of Rome not being
00:14:33.37\00:14:40.41
defeated, but falling apart or
dividing. Similarly in Daniel 7
the Bible records that this
00:14:40.51\00:14:48.12
non-descript beast would not
give way to another beast or
world empire; instead this beast
00:14:48.22\00:14:56.73
has 10 horns, which means that
10 kingdoms would arise out of
the Roman Empire. And although
00:14:56.83\00:15:03.83
a score or more barbarian tribes
evolved from the Roman Empire
the ten kingdoms that would
00:15:03.93\00:15:11.44
represent the division of the
Roman Empire are the Ostrogoths,
Visigoths, Franks, Vandals,
00:15:11.54\00:15:19.21
Suevi, Alamanni, Anglo-Saxons,
Heruli, Lombards, and
Burgundians. But wait, there is
00:15:19.31\00:15:32.09
more. Three of those are removed
and replaced by a little horn.
00:15:32.19\00:15:40.80
At this point, we need to notice
that as we have read Daniel 7,
we will not find Daniel
00:15:42.20\00:15:47.74
identifying the little horn. He
doesn't say that it is
Christianity, or the little horn
00:15:47.84\00:15:53.48
is Islam, or Buddhism, or
Hitler, Napolean or some other
power. Daniel does not provide
00:15:53.58\00:15:59.85
us with a short concise
statement telling us who the
little horn represents. However,
00:15:59.95\00:16:05.39
instead of a short statement,
Daniel describes the various
characteristics that make up the
00:16:05.49\00:16:11.57
identity of the little horn. God
in His wisdom has provided this
much better approach. How so,
00:16:11.67\00:16:20.44
you might ask? Quite simply, the
probability of misinterpreting
or falsifying one statement is
00:16:20.54\00:16:28.02
much greater than the
probability of misinterpreting
00:16:28.12\00:16:33.02
or falsifying many
characteristics that describe
one entity. Think about in this
00:16:33.12\00:16:40.50
way, let's say, for example's
sake, that you were robbed by
someone at gun point who stole
00:16:40.60\00:16:47.64
your belongings. After the
event, the police visit you and
police ask you to describe the
00:16:47.74\00:16:53.64
robber. So you tell them he was
light skinned, average height,
average build, long hair, mark
00:16:53.74\00:17:00.05
on his face, and spoke with an
accent. Friends, there are going
to be several problems with this
00:17:00.15\00:17:07.09
description if that is the most
precise you can be. His long
hair can be cut; the mark on his
00:17:07.19\00:17:13.63
face can be removed, and he can
modify his accent.if you can
even remember what type of
00:17:13.73\00:17:21.14
accent it was. See all of those
characteristics are too general.
Maybe your son or nephew could
00:17:21.24\00:17:29.68
match that description? The
probability of getting the wrong
thief increases greatly with
00:17:29.78\00:17:36.08
such general characteristics.
But the probability of getting
the right thief increases with
00:17:36.18\00:17:44.23
specific characteristics.he was
5'9", black hair down to the
shoulders, brown eyes, crooked
00:17:44.33\00:17:50.70
nose, spoke with a British
accent and was missing his left
ring finger. That type of
00:17:50.80\00:17:58.94
description greatly
helps catch the thief.
00:17:59.04\00:18:01.51
It is in the same way, that
probability of wrongly
identifying this little horn of
00:18:02.68\00:18:06.58
Daniel 7 greatly decreases with
more specific characteristics
and descriptions. So God, in His
00:18:06.68\00:18:13.76
infinite wisdom did not limit
the identification of the little
horn to one statement. He give
00:18:13.86\00:18:20.36
nine characteristics or nine
features to this little horn
power Those nine characteristics
00:18:20.46\00:18:27.77
would be like, using our earlier
illustration, finding the
thief's fingerprints everywhere
00:18:27.87\00:18:38.48
in the house. And, in addition
in your struggle with the thief
, you scratched the thief and
00:18:38.58\00:18:45.32
had some of his skin and hair
under your fingernails. With DNA
now in hand, the probability of
00:18:45.42\00:18:53.19
correctly identifying the thief
is almost sure. And that is what
we have here in Daniel 9.the DNA
00:18:53.29\00:19:04.54
of the little horn power. What
we are about to reveal is 9
characteristics of the little
00:19:04.64\00:19:12.15
horn power that no one else on
the face of the earth will be
able to fulfill other than one
00:19:12.25\00:19:18.12
identifiable power. With all of
that, we are now ready to reveal
the 9 specific characteristics
00:19:18.22\00:19:27.73
of Daniel 7 that identify the
little horn power. 1. According
to verses 8 and 24, It rose out
00:19:27.83\00:19:38.64
of the "fourth beast." 2. Verses
7 and 8 tell us It arose "among"
00:19:38.74\00:19:47.62
the "ten horns" -
geographically. 3. Verse 24
iterates that It appeared after
00:19:47.72\00:19:58.13
"ten" other "horns." 4. Verse 25
states It was allotted special
powers for "a time, two times,
00:19:58.23\00:20:08.00
and half a time." 5. Verses 8
and 24 also state that "It was
to "put down three kings" so
00:20:08.10\00:20:17.91
that, as it arose, "three of the
first horns were plucked up by
the roots." 6. Verse 25 tells us
00:20:18.01\00:20:28.16
that It was to "think to change
the times and the law." 7.
Verses 8 and 20, inform us that
00:20:28.26\00:20:40.80
It was "little" when it was
first seen, but in time it
became "greater than its
00:20:40.90\00:20:48.28
fellows.". 8. Verses 8 and 25
outline that it had "eyes like
the eyes of a man, and a mouth
00:20:48.38\00:20:54.05
speaking great things," and it
spoke "words against the Most
High." 9. And finally, verse 25
00:20:54.15\00:21:02.36
says It was to "wear out the
saints of the Most High."
History clearly tells us who
00:21:02.46\00:21:11.07
this power was and is. Of the
ten kingdoms that rose out of
the Roman empire, the Heruli
00:21:11.17\00:21:17.31
were the first to be eliminated,
after them the Vandals fell and
finally there was a decisive
00:21:17.41\00:21:23.85
blow against the Ostrogothsin
538 AD. Why would this little
horn choose these kingdoms to
00:21:23.95\00:21:31.52
eliminate? Well the little horn
warred against God. The Heruli,
Vandals and Ostrogoths
00:21:31.62\00:21:40.06
represented Germanic
Christianity. Germanic
Christianity consisted of a more
00:21:40.16\00:21:48.00
pure and Biblical religion that
derived from the East, many of
them kept all the commandments
00:21:48.10\00:21:56.51
of God including the fourth,
which remembers the seventh-day
Sabbath. The espoused a belief
00:21:56.61\00:22:05.75
in Christ as the only mediator
between God and man. They also
believed that Christ was not
00:22:05.85\00:22:14.10
created, but a divine being.
While they rejected the Nicene
Creed, it was for other reasons,
00:22:14.20\00:22:26.47
but were labeled as being Arian
tribes. For this little horn
power, that warred against God,
00:22:26.57\00:22:36.05
it needed to make sure that they
disappeared. The last of those
was defeated in 538, this marks
00:22:36.15\00:22:49.93
the beginning of the time, times
and half a time. You'll remember
from our last show that that
00:22:50.03\00:22:56.50
phrase is equal to 1260
prophetic days or 1260 literal
years. In addition 538
00:22:56.60\00:23:06.08
represented theyear that Emperor
Justinian made a decree which
established Catholicism as the
00:23:06.18\00:23:14.26
religion of the empire. Thus,
any Christians outside of
Catholicism were either forced
00:23:14.36\00:23:20.00
to accept Roman Christianity or
suffer the death of martyrdom.
In addition in 538 at the third
00:23:20.10\00:23:30.77
synod of Orleans, a church-state
system that was set up that made
Christians to be punished for
00:23:30.87\00:23:42.18
violating or desecrating Sunday,
"not as the civil authorities
may direct, but as the
00:23:42.28\00:23:50.29
ecclesiastical
powers may determine."
00:23:50.39\00:23:52.53
Each of these nine
characteristics, give us a clear
picture of who the little horn
00:23:52.59\00:23:58.80
power must be. It would be
utterly impossible for any human
being to try to predict by
00:23:58.90\00:24:03.17
chance processes some of these
characteristics. No, there is a
precision that outlines
00:24:03.27\00:24:10.35
characteristics that clearly
identify it. Perhaps the
characteristic that most clearly
00:24:10.45\00:24:16.12
defies chance processes is the
prediction that this little
horn's activity would last for
00:24:16.22\00:24:21.56
1260 years. But, when we account
for this time period along with
the geographical location in
00:24:21.66\00:24:30.53
which it arose; the fact that it
arose after the fall of Rome and
after the 10 horns; that it
00:24:30.63\00:24:36.57
would intend to change times and
laws; that it would put down
three kings as it arose; that it
00:24:36.67\00:24:42.38
would have a man at the head;
that it would speak blasphemous
words against God, and that it
00:24:42.48\00:24:48.35
would persecute the saints
throughout the 1260 year period;
the only reasonable conclusion
00:24:48.45\00:24:55.92
is that the information that
Daniel 7 contains did not
originate with any human source.
00:24:56.02\00:25:03.13
Isaiah the prophet states,
00:25:03.23\00:25:05.57
God has spoken and His words are
clear. This power is clearly
identified. It is now speaking
00:25:36.40\00:25:44.24
of a person or a peoples, but
rather a system. As system of
religio-political magnitude that
00:25:44.34\00:25:54.18
actually opposes God and His
mission. The beautiful promise
of scripture is that this power
00:25:54.28\00:26:00.49
doesn't win. God wins. The
future is in His hands. He is
coming again. And here Daniel 7
00:26:00.59\00:26:09.93
further emphasizes what we have
seen over and over again. God is
real. God cares. And God wants
00:26:10.03\00:26:20.64
to be in relationship with you.
00:26:20.74\00:26:23.91
Heavenly Father, we thank you
that you are in control of all
things. Please be with us we
00:26:25.68\00:26:31.55
pray in Jesus name, amen.
00:26:31.65\00:26:34.06
Our God is an awesome God
00:26:49.27\00:26:52.64
He reigns from heaven above
00:26:52.97\00:26:56.24
With wisdom, power and love
00:26:56.54\00:27:00.08
Our God is an awesome God
00:27:00.32\00:27:04.22
Hail Him the King of glory,
00:27:04.72\00:27:08.22
Once the Lamb for sinners slain;
00:27:08.46\00:27:11.69
Tell, tell the wondrous story,
00:27:11.96\00:27:15.66
"Jesus comes to reign."
00:27:15.90\00:27:19.97
Tell it to every
kindred and nation,
00:27:21.87\00:27:28.51
Tell it far and near;
00:27:28.74\00:27:30.35
Earth's darkest night
will fade with the dawning,
00:27:30.65\00:27:33.05
Jesus will soon appear!
00:27:33.35\00:27:36.95
Hail Him the King of glory,
00:27:37.25\00:27:40.89
Once the Lamb for sinners slain;
00:27:41.16\00:27:44.66
Tell, tell the wondrous story,
00:27:45.19\00:27:48.63
"Jesus comes to reign."
00:27:49.03\00:27:53.17
Children of God
look up with rejoicing;
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Shout and sing His praise;
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Blessèd are they
who, waiting and watching,
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Look for the dawning rays.
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Hail Him the King of glory,
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Once the Lamb for sinners slain;
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Tell, tell the wondrous story,
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"Jesus comes to reign."
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Jesus Christ, He reigns
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Our God is an awesome God
00:28:34.14\00:28:37.31
He reigns from heaven above
00:28:37.71\00:28:41.12
With wisdom, power and love
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Our God is an awesome God
00:28:45.25\00:28:53.23
>>CHRIS: Friend, would you like
to learn more about these
amazing prophecies? I want to
00:29:01.77\00:29:05.17
offer you the "Living in the end
time prophecy study guides" for
today's offer. Here is the
00:29:05.27\00:29:10.68
information you need.
00:29:10.78\00:29:11.71
>>CHRIS: Friends, thank you so
much for watching. God cares for
you, God loves you. Join us
00:29:45.28\00:29:50.49
again next week. Until then
remember, It Is Written, man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:29:50.59\00:29:56.32
but by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God.
00:29:56.42\00:30:00.63
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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