い い >> It has stood
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the test of time -- God's Book,
the Bible -- still relevant
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in today's complex
world. "It Is Written,"
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sharing messages of
hope around the world.
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い い >> On
January the 15th, 2009,
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an event unfolded that has been
described even by the secular
press as a miracle.
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At 3:24 p.m., U.S. Airways
flight 1549 was cleared for
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takeoff. It was a routine flight
from LaGuardia Airport in New
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York to Charlotte,
North Carolina. There were 150
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passengers aboard, along with
five crew members. As the
engines throttled up and the
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Airbus 320 lifted off,
everything seemed normal. But at
3:27 p.m., something very much
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out of the ordinary happened. A
flock of geese flew in the path
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of flight 1549, and flight 1549
struck the geese. That strike
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caused not one but both engines
to fail. And now Captain Chesley
"Sully" Sullenberger and
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first officer Jeff Skiles were
faced with a major dilemma. With
their aircraft completely
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impaired, how could they
land the airplane and take their
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passengers to safety? They
followed the appointed
parameters of the engine
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checklist for engine restart.
The plane was at 3,000 feet, and
they could not restart
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the engines. Sully called
mayday and requested emergency
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landing procedures. He was
instructed to turn back toward
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LaGuardia, but it became
apparent that it would not be a
good option. Then, he was called
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to a secondary airport,
Teterboro. But Sully waited,
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and he calculated his situation,
and in that very quick moment,
he realized that either
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of those options would lead to
certain disaster. And so,
following his years
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of training and experience, he
realized that their best chance
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of survival would be a crash
landing into the water of the
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Hudson River. And so flight
1549, at approximately 3:31
p.m., crash landed into the
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Hudson River, which was
described both by passengers and
crew as nothing more
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than a hard landing, or so it
felt like. Because Sully waited
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and followed the training he
had, all passengers and crew
members were saved.
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Not one life was lost. In
the aftermath, investigators
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questioned the decision of
Sullenberger, but they found
that his decision likely not
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only saved the lives of 155
people on board flight 1549 but
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likely saved many hundreds of
others who would've been killed
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on the ground had Sully
attempted the return to
LaGuardia or to go to Teterboro.
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Could it be that this story of
waiting, instead of going on the
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advice of others or merely
operating on gut reactions,
could contain a lesson
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for us today? As God's people,
Israel, settled in the Promised
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Land, a history that is recorded
in the Book of Joshua and
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Judges, something happened
amongst God's people that he had
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not hoped for. Israel was to be
a light to the nations. They
were to bring about
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a transformation of the land.
They were to operate against the
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grain of society and be a light.
However, instead of going
against the grain, Israel,
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for all practical purposes,
began to become like the nations
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surrounding her. The testimony
of the scriptures is one of
repeated apostasy and going
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against the very commands of
God. The conclusion of the Book
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of Judges ends with these words.
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Now, there would come a time
of revival in Israel, and the
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prophet Samuel would become
judge over Israel. However,
Israel wasn't content with the
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prophet as judge over them. They
desired something more. They
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desired to be more like the
nations that surrounded them,
and the Bible records
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what happens in 1 Samuel 8:1-5,
and this is what the Bible says.
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Now, this question was not a
personal attack against the
leadership of Samuel,
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but rather it was a rejection of
something far greater. God
himself knew that this was
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more than just the reaction of
Samuel's leadership. In fact,
verses 6 and 9 state
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this.
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The history of Israel is a
testimony to God's favor and his
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appointed times. But Israel was
no longer interested in the
theocracy of God's rule,
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but they wanted to be like the
nations around her. They desired
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to be led by a human leader. So
God allowed Israel to have her
way and to have a king,
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even after Samuel warned them of
what would be brought about by
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that king's rule. They still
desired a king, but who would
become the king? Who would be
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the human leader over Israel? 1
Samuel 9:1-2 describe who would
become the next leader of
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Israel.
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The Bible describes this
candidate for king as a choice
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man, literally translated as
a young man from his beauty and
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form. It's also translated as
"the chosen one," "the one who
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has been examined and tested."
But it also carries with it the
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connotation of one who has been
divinely chosen. But not only
was he a choice man, a young
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man, but the Bible says he was
a handsome man. The word in the
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original has a variety of
meanings -- good, merry,
pleasant, desirable, happy,
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right, precious, and righteous.
Not only that, but the Bible
says, beyond his choice nature,
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beyond his handsome looks,
he was taller than any of the
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people. Now, the word here is
frequently used to describe high
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and lofty hills. But the word is
also used in a qualitative sense
of majesty and dignity.
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However, there are some
instances in the Bible that this
word is also used to
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describe someone of haughty
or prideful nature. So it would
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seem that Israel had their man.
He looked the part -- tall,
handsome, all the physical
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characteristics you could ask
for -- a man of seemingly good
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moral character. Now, possibly
he had some pride or arrogance,
but I'm sure, one may wonder,
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don't all good leaders have
a little bit of arrogance? His
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name was Saul. Literally, in the
Bible, it means "to ask for."
Israel asked for a king,
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and it seemed that they had
found him. A physical prowess
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and presence that might help
them forget what they were
replacing God Almighty with -- a
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man. The Bible records that
Samuel anointed Saul as king,
and as Samuel anointed Saul,
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he had some specific
instructions from the Lord. Now,
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those instructions are
recorded in 1 Samuel 10:1-8.
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And so Saul obeyed the commands
of the Lord, or at least it
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seems that he did. He obeyed
almost all of them. Samuel
anointed Saul, and he was
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proclaimed king, and the people
rejoiced at their new king, and
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he went about as a mighty king.
First, he saved Jabesh-Gilead
from the Ammonites,
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and now he was gonna take on the
mighty Philistines, so he blew
the trumpets of war,
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and the men of Israel joined him
at Gilgal for the showdown with
these heathen Philistines.
00:14:27.40\00:14:33.77
1 Samuel 13:5-7 tell us
of this amazing showdown.
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Saul had followed the
instructions of the Lord, as
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given by Samuel. He had followed
all of those instructions, and
now came the instructions
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for when he came to Gilgal.
The instructions of Samuel were
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clear -- "Seven days you shall
wait till I come to you and show
you what you should do."
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I want you to notice
the instruction. It is key.
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"First, you're to wait seven
days. Second, you are to wait
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for me." Samuel spoke to Saul
and told him the third thing he
was to do is that he would show
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him what to do. The Philistines
were there. They were there in
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mighty numbers, and his men
trembled. And so, what was Saul
to do? The Bible records what
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the almost obedient Saul
did. 1 Samuel 13 continues on.
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At first, it may seem that
Saul was obedient. He waited the
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seven days for the appointed
time. However, while he did, in
fact, wait for the appointed
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time, he did not wait for the
appointed way in which Samuel
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instructed him. Now, there were
challenges beyond just the
waiting. Saul gave offerings
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which he was unqualified to
give. You see, he was almost
obedient. But he took matters
00:16:55.84\00:17:01.52
into his own hands, and the sad
story of Saul's continues in 1
00:17:01.52\00:17:07.96
Samuel 13. Saul was unwilling to
wait. He was unwilling to wait
for God's appointed time
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and God's appointed way. The
instructions were clear. He was
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to wait for three things --
God's appointed time, God's
appointed prophet, and God's
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appointed instructions from the
prophet. The testimony of
scripture is that Saul
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only waited for one of those.
Verse 12 tells us that Saul felt
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compelled, literally, to hold
fast. It was an emotional
decision that drove Saul to act
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and make the offering. It was
not God's word. It was emotion.
00:18:48.92\00:18:55.16
And Samuel summarizes the extent
of the nature of what Saul did
when he simply said to him,
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"You have done foolishly." The
Hebrew word there is the
opposite of wisdom.
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Most often, it is a word used
to describe those who lack moral
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or spiritual principles. Saul
acted as a fool when he ignored
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the Levitical laws in offering
sacrifices. He was more than
just an intellectual fool.
00:19:20.79\00:19:26.80
Saul lacked the spiritual
principles to make a decision on
00:19:26.80\00:19:32.10
God's word rather than his own
emotions. And this one word
describes the reality of moving
00:19:32.10\00:19:39.07
apart from God's principles.
Foolishness. And the
consequences of Saul's
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one simple act of taking matters
into his own hands had eternal
00:19:44.48\00:19:50.52
consequences. Samuel said that
God was prepared to establish
Saul's kingdom forever --
00:19:50.52\00:19:56.99
literally for eternity -- but
no longer. God had an appointed
00:19:56.99\00:20:03.37
time, but Saul was unwilling to
wait for it. Why is it that we
00:20:03.37\00:20:08.30
should wait for God's appointed
time? Noah waited for the waters
to recede and sent out
00:20:08.30\00:20:13.58
a dove to test the land.
Psalm 130 -- we are promised...
00:20:13.58\00:20:18.68
And in the midst of sorrow,
Micah the prophet says this in
00:20:24.12\00:20:29.12
Micah 7:7. And in the ultimate
waiting, Isaiah the prophet
rejoices in his waiting for the
00:20:37.40\00:20:42.70
day of salvation.
00:20:42.70\00:20:44.24
So, what is it that we are to
wait for? What is it that we can
00:21:02.02\00:21:05.93
learn from Saul's failure?
Waiting upon God's appointed
time can be challenging.
00:21:05.93\00:21:11.43
We don't always know what the
future holds. We don't know what
00:21:11.43\00:21:16.71
to expect on the path. We don't
know necessarily what the next
00:21:16.71\00:21:21.78
steps are. But what we do know
is this. God has appointed
times, and He is calling
00:21:21.78\00:21:26.15
upon us to wait upon Him. You'll
remember the prophet Daniel
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experienced this time and time
again. In Daniel 2, he prayed
and then waited for God to
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answer. In Daniel 4, he waited
as he prayed to receive the
00:21:37.63\00:21:42.96
interpretation of
Nebuchadnezzar's dream. In
Daniel 5, he waited upon God. In
00:21:42.96\00:21:49.47
Daniel 6, he was thrown into the
lion's den, and he waited upon
the Lord's salvation. In Daniel
00:21:49.47\00:21:55.01
7, he called upon God and waited
for the prophecy's explanation.
And in Daniel 8, even when he
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did not understand the vision
and it made him sick and faint,
00:22:00.18\00:22:06.39
he waited. And then, in Daniel
10:1-3, he gives us even further
insight into this waiting.
00:22:06.39\00:22:15.26
Three weeks. Daniel waited
and he mourned. My dear friends,
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sometimes waiting upon God
can be difficult. Those moments
00:22:51.13\00:22:54.80
where we don't know. Maybe there
are those moments where we feel
00:22:54.80\00:22:58.84
like we don't hear from God.
Maybe there are those times
where we don't see what God is
00:22:58.84\00:23:04.18
doing. Maybe there are those
times where we feel helpless.
00:23:04.18\00:23:07.88
But the call of God is to wait
even and maybe especially when
we don't understand.
00:23:07.88\00:23:13.99
Samuel described what it looks
like to wait upon God. He did
that in his explanation
00:23:13.99\00:23:19.59
to Saul that Saul was losing
his kingdom, and then he said to
00:23:19.59\00:23:24.13
Saul, "The Lord has sought for
himself a man after His own
heart." To wait upon God means
00:23:24.13\00:23:30.91
to be someone who is after God's
own heart. Acts 13:22 describes
00:23:30.91\00:23:37.25
exactly what this is.
00:23:37.25\00:23:39.11
More modern versions will say,
"Who will do everything I want
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him to do." And there it is,
friends. To wait upon the Lord
is to surrender your will to God
00:24:00.97\00:24:05.64
and do whatever He asks. Jesus
himself, in the experience of
the garden of Gethsemane,
00:24:05.64\00:24:10.88
prayed and asked God to take the
cup away there in the garden, as
00:24:10.88\00:24:15.85
the weight of sin was placed
upon him. In his mortal flesh,
he could not see through
00:24:15.85\00:24:21.19
to the resurrection. Jesus said,
"If there be any other way, let
00:24:21.19\00:24:27.66
this cup pass." But he concluded
that prayer in distinct words --
00:24:27.66\00:24:32.63
"Not my will, but thy will be
done." To be someone who is
after God's own heart, to be
00:24:32.63\00:24:38.94
someone who waits upon the Lord
means that we surrender
everything to Jesus
00:24:38.94\00:24:45.88
and that we ask for God's will
to be done in our life. The
question that we face
00:24:45.88\00:24:50.92
in light of this story of Saul
is this -- will we be like David
00:24:50.92\00:24:56.06
and pray the prayer of Psalm
25:1-5? "To you, oh, Lord, I
00:24:56.06\00:25:02.06
lift up my soul. Oh, my God, I
trust in you. Let me know be
ashamed. Let not my enemies
00:25:02.06\00:25:07.00
triumph over me. Indeed, let no
one who waits on you be ashamed.
00:25:07.00\00:25:12.21
Let those be ashamed who deal
treacherously without cause.
Show me your ways, oh, Lord.
00:25:12.21\00:25:18.05
Teach me your paths. Lead
me in your truth, and teach me,
00:25:18.05\00:25:21.92
for you are the God of my
salvation. On you I wait all the
00:25:21.92\00:25:28.09
day." We must hear a word
from the Lord. His word alone
00:25:28.09\00:25:32.16
must be our guide. His truth
alone must be the foundation of
00:25:32.16\00:25:37.37
our lives. Are each of us
willing? Are each of us willing
00:25:37.37\00:25:41.97
to wait upon Him for His
appointed times? Are each of us
willing to wait upon those
00:25:41.97\00:25:46.98
appointed times where God is
intervening in our lives to
prepare us for the appointed
00:25:46.98\00:25:52.31
time? God is calling you. Will
you listen? God is calling each
00:25:52.31\00:25:57.45
of us to full obedience that we
would wait upon the Lord for his
00:25:57.45\00:26:02.72
appointed times, to be prepared
for the appointed time of His
00:26:02.72\00:26:07.36
return. God calls you today.
Will you listen? Will you heed
00:26:07.36\00:26:13.34
his voice? Will you surrender
your will to His will? Will you
00:26:13.34\00:26:18.77
wait upon the Lord and wait
for His appointed times? Let us
00:26:18.77\00:26:26.41
pray. Our heavenly father, the
story of Saul is one which
teaches us that we need to wait
00:26:26.41\00:26:35.42
upon you. Oh, Lord, please
forgive us of our impatience.
Forgive us when we don't wait.
00:26:35.42\00:26:41.70
We ask that you would give us
the power to wait, to listen, to
00:26:41.70\00:26:48.87
hear your voice, and then be
obedient to you in all your
ways. We pray this in Jesus'
00:26:48.87\00:26:55.81
name. Amen.
00:26:55.81\00:26:57.35
My dear friends, the story of
Saul teaches us. It teaches us
00:27:00.75\00:27:04.95
that we must be satisfied in the
Lord. Saul was not satisfied. He
was only satisfied by being
00:27:04.95\00:27:10.99
driven by his own emotions. But
God is calling upon us to wait
00:27:10.99\00:27:17.17
upon Him, find satisfaction in
Him, listen to His word, and be
00:27:17.17\00:27:23.44
obedient. Today, I want to offer
you the book "Satisfied," by a
good friend of mine,
00:27:23.44\00:27:27.68
Mark Finley. In this
book, you will find promises,
00:27:27.68\00:27:33.05
hopeful teachings, that will
help you to be satisfied in the
00:27:33.05\00:27:38.92
Lord. In finding that
satisfaction, you will be
willing to wait upon the Lord.
00:27:38.92\00:27:43.56
And in waiting upon the Lord,
you will hear His voice and be
00:27:43.56\00:27:49.20
obedient to Him. Here's the
information you need to receive
00:27:49.20\00:27:53.44
today's offer. >> To request
today's offer, just log on to
00:27:53.44\00:27:57.44
www.ItIsWrittenCanada.ca
-- that's
00:27:57.44\00:28:02.31
www.ItIsWrittenCanada.ca --
and select the TV program tab.
00:28:02.31\00:28:08.48
For Canadian viewers,
the offer will be sent free
00:28:08.48\00:28:11.65
and postage paid. For
viewers outside of Canada,
00:28:11.65\00:28:15.39
shipping charges will apply.
If you prefer, you may call,
00:28:15.39\00:28:19.66
toll-free, at 1-888-CALL-IIW.
That's 1-888-CALL-IIW.
00:28:19.66\00:28:26.84
Call any time. Lines
are open 24 hours, daily.
00:28:26.84\00:28:30.57
That's
1-888-CALL-IIW. Or if you wish,
00:28:30.57\00:28:34.88
you may write to us at It
Is Written, Box 2010, Oshawa,
00:28:34.88\00:28:38.88
Ontario, L1H 7V4. And
thank you for your prayer
00:28:38.88\00:28:43.79
requests and your
generous financial support.
00:28:43.79\00:28:46.79
That's It Is Written, Box 2010,
Oshawa, Ontario, L1H 7V4. >> My
00:28:46.79\00:28:54.86
dear friends, when we wait upon
the Lord, we demonstrate that we
have a heart after God.
00:28:54.86\00:29:01.10
God wants people who are willing
to listen to Him, who are
willing to wait upon
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His appointed times, that
He might prepare them for   
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appointed time. Jesus is coming
soon, at the appointed time, to
take his children home.
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He wants you to be one of those
children. He wants you to be a
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follower of Jesus Christ. My
dear friend, I'm so glad that
you joined us today.
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I hope you'll join us again
next week. Until then, remember,
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it is written. Man shall not
live by bread alone but by every
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word that proceeds
from the mouth of God. い い
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い い
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