[ Organ plays
00:00:09.00\00:00:10.17
>> ¤ What wondrous love is this
¤ ¤ Oh, my soul, oh, my soul ¤
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¤ What wondrous love is this ¤
¤ Oh, my soul ¤ ¤ What wondrous
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love is this ¤ ¤ That caused the
Lord of bliss ¤ ¤ To bear the
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dreadful curse for my soul, for
my soul ¤ ¤ To bear the dreadful
curse for my soul ¤
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[ Organ plays ]
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¤ All we, like sheep, have gone
astray, gone astray ¤ ¤ Like
sheep, have gone astray,
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oh, my soul ¤ ¤ We all have gone
astray ¤ ¤ Each one to his own
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way ¤ ¤ And the Lord hath laid
on Him, laid on Him, oh, my soul
¤ ¤ The iniquity of our souls ¤
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[ Organ plays ]
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¤ What wondrous love
is this, oh, my soul ¤
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>> Well, good morning, boys and
girls. Nice to see you on this
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last Sabbath of June, the first
Sabbath, official Sabbath, of
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summer. Yep, summer started this
week on Wednesday. Nice to have
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you here from wherever you have
come. God bless you. I thought,
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you know, today everybody would
be at camp meeting, but I'm so
00:03:26.67\00:03:29.30
glad you're here! I've got just
the right story for you, because
some friends of ours, and Bill
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Sipes, they went to Alaska last
month. They sent us a postcard
00:03:35.88\00:03:39.65
from Alaska. And Carlson Sipes,
she says, "Pastor, this could be
a children's story."
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I believe she's right! I want
to show you a little village in
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Alaska called Talkeetna. Let's
put the village store on the
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screen, please. There you go.
Talkeetna. Hey, do you see the
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antlers from the moose right
beneath the sign there? See the
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moose antler? They have all
kinds -- Oh, here, deer antlers
up here. And there's snowshoes.
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This is kind of the biggest
building in town. Inside the
building, the mayor
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of the town lives. Now, just let
me tell you about this mayor.
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This mayor is so popular that 30
to 40 people every day come and
they say, "We want to see you,
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Mayor." How many people come to
Berrien Springs and ask to see
00:04:22.29\00:04:25.96
the mayor? Nobody. But they want
to see the mayor. This mayor is
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so popular that he has his own
Facebook page. Ho! But I've got
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to tell you, some strange things
have happened to him. He got
attacked by a dog once.
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Ooh, that hurt! Ooh, that hurt!
Some teenage boys with a BB gun
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went pow, pow.
Oh! Shot the mayor!
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[ Scoffs ] And then once, the
mayor got stuck in the garbage
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truck and they took him out of
town! [ Children laugh ] And
then they realized, the
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mayor's in the truck! Oh, that's
not a way to treat a mayor.
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I want to see the Mayor,
please, of Talkeetna, Alaska.
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There is the mayor.
[ Children exclaim ]
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That's Mr. Stubbs!
That's Mr. Stubbs, the mayor.
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He's been mayor for 20 years.
Since July 1997, he's been the
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mayor. And they
get along very nicely.
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That might be an
idea for us. I don't know.
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[ Children exclaim ]
But isn't that something?
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That's a cat. [
Laughing ] That's a cat!
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But the cat is their mayor.
Apparently, anybody can be a
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mayor. But not anybody can be a
savior. There's only one person
in the whole universe who could
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possibly be savior for you
and me, and what's His name? His
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name is Jesus. He did what for
us? He died for us. He loved us
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unto death. He rose, and He
says, "I'm gonna to save you, if
you want to be." How many here
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want to be saved by the Lord
Jesus? Of course! And in a few
00:05:54.28\00:05:57.15
moments, your mother and father
are going to hold a little piece
of bread and a cup, and they're
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going to celebrate our Savior
came, hallelujah. Not anybody
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can be a savior, only One. And
is He is our Lord Jesus. Who
would like to thank God for
00:06:05.86\00:06:11.80
our Savior? Sissy, you come
right here. You got your hand
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right up there. All
right. What's your name, Sissy?
00:06:15.67\00:06:20.74
>> Hannah. >> Hannah?
Hannah, have you prayed before?
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Good, you pray well. Okay, let's
close our eyes. Hannah's going
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to pray. Fold our hands. Please
pray, "Thank God for Jesus."
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>> Thank you, God. Help us
remember this day. Help us to
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have a good day. Amen.
>> Amen. Thank you, Hannah.
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And God bless you, boys and
girls, shh, as you go quietly
and reverently back to your
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seats. You can say it in your
heart, "Thank you, God, for the
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only Savior of the universe, our
Lord Jesus." Happy Sabbath to
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you. [ Organ plays ]
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>> Let's pray together. Oh, God,
what wondrous loveis this, oh,
my soul, that caused
00:07:06.52\00:07:16.40
the Lord of bliss to bear the
dreadful curse for my soul, for
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my soul? Ah, bring that price
back to us. Thrill our hearts
with the Good News of our
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Savior. We pray
in Jesus' name, amen.
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By the way, my heart always
thrills with a beautiful song.
00:07:38.22\00:07:47.76
Mm-hmm. But my
heart especially thrills
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when, with the beautiful song,
there is a beautiful singer.
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[ Congregation murmurs ] Two
weeks ago, we've been married,
Karen and I, 43 years.
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Can you believe that? 43 years.
We were 12 when we got married.
00:08:04.21\00:08:07.12
That explains why. They're
saying, "Dwight, the numbers
00:08:07.12\00:08:10.29
don't add up. They just don't
add up." So, no, no, no. [
Congregation applauds ]
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You know, I hate to begin with
such bad news, because this is
00:08:18.06\00:08:21.43
how it begins. John the Baptist
gets... decapitated at the
behest of a very wicked queen
00:08:21.43\00:08:31.44
and her naive
accomplice daughter.
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Our story today, "Two
Fish and a Cross," begins
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right here, right now.
Open your Bible with me,
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please, to the Gospel of
Matthew -- Matthew chapter 14.
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Let's go. What a dramatic
beginning to so moving a story.
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Matthew chapter 14. I'm in
the New International Version.
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Whatever translation you have
is fine by me. You didn't bring
00:08:52.83\00:08:56.73
one, grab the pew bible in front
of you. You'll see the page
number on the screen.
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Let's go. Matthew 14:11.
"His head..." that would be
00:09:00.40\00:09:04.74
John the Baptist's head. "His
head was brought in on a
platter..." I imagine it a
00:09:04.74\00:09:11.28
sliver platter, "...and given to
the girl, who carried it to her
00:09:11.28\00:09:15.92
mother." Verse 12: "John's
disciples came and took his..."
00:09:16.08\00:09:20.19
obviously headless "...body and
buried it. Then they went and
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told Jesus." I've got to tell
you, there is something poignant
with that line -- "Then they
00:09:29.03\00:09:32.77
went and told Jesus." I mean,
they could've gone home and told
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their parents. They could've
gone and told their spouses.
They could've gone and told
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their friends. They could've
told their neighbors or their
00:09:38.94\00:09:41.18
teachers. No, no, no, no. The
record reads, "Then they went
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and told Jesus." Oh, it's like
that old Gospel song. If I could
sing, I'd sing it to
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you right now. ¤ I must tell
Jesus ¤ ¤ All of my burdens ¤
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¤ I cannot bear these burdens
alone ¤ You know what, ladies
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and gentlemen?
That's absolutely true.
00:10:02.70\00:10:04.33
Some of you who have come into
this space today, sacred space,
00:10:04.50\00:10:07.54
summer space, and you've come
with you heart just weighted
00:10:07.54\00:10:11.17
down. I'm looking into your
00:10:11.17\00:10:12.57
well-manicured faces.
Doesn't look like there's
00:10:12.57\00:10:14.54
anything wrong with you at all,
but there's something down deep
00:10:14.54\00:10:16.91
beneath that smile that is
just a weight on your soul.
00:10:16.91\00:10:21.98
And I've already been praying
that, in this space where Jesus
is right now, that somehow He'll
00:10:22.15\00:10:28.49
draw from your heart what you
need to tell Him and take the
courage and the hope He wants to
00:10:28.49\00:10:33.40
give you. And, oh, I pray that
in a friendly church like this,
00:10:33.40\00:10:38.57
that there be somebody in the
next few minutes as we cross
paths, will say, "Hey, I'm gonna
00:10:38.57\00:10:46.91
get to know you." We need each
other. I want to tell Jesus.
00:10:46.91\00:10:52.08
I must tell Jesus. That's what
the disciples did. They go, they
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pour out their broken hearts to
Him. And God bless Jesus, He
just reaches His strong arms
00:10:55.58\00:11:00.62
around them and draws them to
Himself in the inner circle of
00:11:00.62\00:11:04.43
His own disciples. And then,
they go quietly. Nobody knows.
00:11:04.43\00:11:08.16
They slip away. Look at that,
verse 13. "When Jesus heard what
had happened..." John the
00:11:08.16\00:11:12.20
Baptist, his cousin, is dead.
And by the way, Jesus knows,
00:11:12.20\00:11:16.74
"I'm next." "I'm next," He knows
it. "When Jesus heard what had
happened, he withdrew by boat
00:11:16.74\00:11:21.68
privately to a solitary place."
"Desire of Ages" tells us, "Just
a few hours alone together
00:11:21.68\00:11:27.62
to draw strength from the
master..." But the people heard
00:11:27.62\00:11:31.79
about this. "Hearing of this,
the crowds followed Him on foot
00:11:31.95\00:11:35.56
from the towns." So
they go around the curve of
00:11:35.56\00:11:37.43
Galilee, and when Jesus
eventually "landed and saw a
00:11:37.43\00:11:41.06
large crowd, He had compassion
on them and He healed their
00:11:41.06\00:11:44.73
sick."
00:11:44.73\00:11:46.50
I spent four days last week in
the nation's capital, right on
the edge and in it --
00:11:46.67\00:11:51.64
Washington, D.C. I preached in
the iconic church in Takoma Park
00:11:51.64\00:11:57.05
-- Sligo. It only has one name.
It's called "Sligo." I preached
in that church last
00:11:57.05\00:12:01.12
Sabbath. I was there for a
symposium that my friend, Alex
00:12:01.12\00:12:06.09
Santrack, put together -- a
symposium on preaching in urban
ministry. Alex is Serbian, and
00:12:06.09\00:12:13.09
so he said, "I've got a great
Serbian restaurant we've got to
go to down in the heart of
00:12:13.09\00:12:15.63
the District of Columbia." So
a bunch of us went down there.
00:12:15.63\00:12:20.04
I'm telling you what. Like every
urban sprawl, gridlocked traffic
00:12:20.04\00:12:25.71
everywhere you turn, gridlocked
crowds as far as the eye can
see. Jesus is drawn, He's drawn
00:12:25.71\00:12:33.48
-- He's drawn to the crowds. And
He had compassion on them. By
the way, I remind you, cities
00:12:33.48\00:12:42.66
are the largest container on
Earth of lost human beings.
That's why God's so big on
00:12:42.66\00:12:49.30
cities. "There's so
many of My children here."
00:12:49.30\00:12:54.40
Jesus had compassion on the
crowds. Now, Matthew -- I don't
00:12:54.40\00:12:58.57
know if he intended this, but he
juxtaposes the disciples'
reaction to the crowd right up
00:12:58.57\00:13:04.18
against Jesus. And here's what
we see. So, Jesus has compassion
00:13:04.18\00:13:07.95
on the crowds in verse 14. And
now, "As evening approached..."
00:13:07.95\00:13:11.09
verse 15, "...the disciples came
to Him." You can put the words
on the screen there...
00:13:11.09\00:13:14.06
Jesus has compassion on the
crowds, and the disciples say,
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"Yo, get 'em away. We don't need
these crowds. Send them away. I
mean, what are we supposed to
00:13:28.20\00:13:32.01
do with them? We can't feed
them." Listen, you have a hard
00:13:32.01\00:13:36.48
time with cities, I have a hard
time with cities, we're probably
going to have a hard time going
00:13:36.48\00:13:39.61
to Heaven, because guess what?
Heaven is a city -- Zion, City
00:13:39.61\00:13:44.92
of God. We're going to
get used to living in cities.
00:13:44.92\00:13:47.49
Jesus surprises them. He
says, "No, no. Youdo something."
00:13:51.79\00:13:56.40
"We just told You we can't."
"Yes, you can. You feed them."
00:13:56.40\00:13:59.10
"Feed them what?" "Feed
them what every crowd wants."
00:13:59.10\00:14:01.07
"What's that?" "Bread of
Life. You give it to them."
00:14:01.07\00:14:05.54
It's the Gospel of John. And by
the way, this is one of those
rare miracles where all
00:14:05.54\00:14:12.05
four Gospel writers say, "We've
got to have this as a part of
00:14:12.05\00:14:16.22
our story." It's one of the rare
miracles. So, we got details in
John because Phillip said, "Oh,
00:14:16.22\00:14:21.12
Lord. You want us to feed them?
Yeah, do You know how much money
it would take to feed this
00:14:21.12\00:14:24.43
crowd? Just guess." And
Brother Andrew pipes up,
00:14:24.43\00:14:27.46
"Yo, but I did find a little
lad over here. He's got two
00:14:27.46\00:14:32.10
shriveled fish and some five
small, little loaves of bread,
but what is that among so huge a
00:14:32.10\00:14:38.17
crowd?" And then, I love what
Jesus says in verse 18. Notice
00:14:38.17\00:14:41.58
what Jesus says in verse 18.
Jesus says, "Bring that little
00:14:41.58\00:14:45.01
lunch to Me. Bring Me that
lunch." Don't you love that
00:14:45.01\00:14:51.82
about God? Oh, my. As a boy, you
know, growing up in Japan, I was
fascinated with the fish
00:14:51.82\00:14:57.23
markets, because Japan is a
seabound nation, so fish is a
staple of their diet. I mean,
00:14:57.23\00:15:01.46
that's what they live off of.
So, I'd go down as a boy, and I
just watch these butchers slice
00:15:01.46\00:15:05.20
and dice, fillet, wrap it all up
in newspaper, put it in a scale.
Their happy customer pays, walks
00:15:05.20\00:15:14.88
away with fresh, raw fish. The
Japanese eat fish raw. I want to
assure you that this
00:15:14.88\00:15:19.81
little Hebrew mother who sent
her boy with that lunch didn't
00:15:19.81\00:15:23.45
send raw fish. The fish would be
stinking by now. It, no doubt,
00:15:23.45\00:15:27.52
was salted. You know how
sardines can get salted for
preservation? Two shriveled
00:15:27.52\00:15:33.56
little sardines and five small
loaves of bread. "Give Me that
lunch. Bring that lunch to Me."
00:15:33.56\00:15:37.30
And he probably tussles the
boy's hair. "Thank you, son, for
00:15:37.30\00:15:40.30
sharing with Me." Don't you love
that about God? Come on, you
00:15:40.30\00:15:45.41
think about it. "Hey, Moses! Yo,
what do you have in your hand?"
00:15:45.41\00:15:48.64
"A rod." "Hey, good
enough for Me. Bring it to Me.
00:15:48.64\00:15:51.58
Bring Me that rod. We can do
business with that. Yo, wedding
00:15:51.58\00:15:56.92
coordinator. What've you got in
your hand?" "I've got six empty
stone jars." "Bring those stone
00:15:56.92\00:16:00.89
jars to Me. I'll do business
with that." "Yo, little widow,
little widow. What do you have
00:16:00.89\00:16:05.99
in your hand?" "Well, I have a
little oil and a little meal,
and this is our last food."
00:16:05.99\00:16:09.50
"Bring Me that. Give Me that.
I can do business with that."
00:16:09.50\00:16:13.47
"Gideon, what've you got? "Lord,
I'm already down to 300." "Bring
00:16:13.47\00:16:20.14
the 300 to Me. I can take
it." Can you believe God's
00:16:20.14\00:16:24.28
mathematics? Because in every
one of those instances, and in
your life and mine as well,
00:16:24.28\00:16:28.52
here's how God operates...
00:16:28.52\00:16:29.42
Have you noticed that? We add.
Humble, little two shriveled-up
00:16:32.95\00:16:36.76
fish -- We add, he multiplies.
Mercy! "Bring Me what you have.
00:16:36.76\00:16:44.83
Give Me what you have, and I'll
take it from here." God says,
00:16:44.83\00:16:47.94
"You add, I'll multiply, and
we'll get along famously." And
by the way, the heroes of
00:16:47.94\00:16:50.97
Scripture got along famously,
very famously with this God of
the universe, because they kept
00:16:50.97\00:16:55.98
adding and He kept multiplying.
That's exactly what happens
00:16:55.98\00:17:01.58
here. They didn't have a tithe
envelope to bring their little,
but they brought their little.
00:17:01.58\00:17:07.06
Okay, verse 18. "Bring them
to Me. Come on, bring that bread
00:17:07.06\00:17:12.96
and fish to Me,"
He said. Verse 19...
00:17:12.96\00:17:14.93
And I was studying this
this last week, I said, "Wait a
00:17:25.31\00:17:27.61
minute. There's something
missing in this story, because
00:17:27.61\00:17:31.68
this is Matthew. I don't read
anything about fish getting
handed out." You read the story,
00:17:31.68\00:17:34.82
the next verse, not a word,
not a peep about fish. I said,
00:17:34.82\00:17:38.12
"That's crazy. Did He only do
the bread?" So I went through
all four Gospels, and I found
00:17:38.12\00:17:43.79
out two Gospel writers say not a
hint about Him breaking the
fish. Two others make it a key,
00:17:43.79\00:17:51.53
integral part of their
narrative. "What's going on
00:17:51.53\00:17:53.94
here?" I said. Okay, who are
the two that didn't? Well, it's
00:17:53.94\00:17:56.37
Matthew and of course, he's a
tax collector. And then there's
Dr. Luke, and he's a Gentile
00:17:56.37\00:18:00.81
physician and a historian. And
neither one says a word about
00:18:00.81\00:18:03.65
fish. But the other two writers,
get this -- the Gospel of Peter.
That would be Mark, by the way,
00:18:03.65\00:18:10.39
because Peter told the story to
Mark and Mark wrote it down. The
Gospel of Peter and the
00:18:10.39\00:18:13.69
Gospel of John -- guess what
those two boys were all their
00:18:13.69\00:18:16.99
lives? They were fishermen. And
they're saying, "If we're going
to tell this story, make
00:18:16.99\00:18:19.53
sure you get the fish in there
as well." He broke the fish!
00:18:19.53\00:18:23.57
That's how they made
their living. Fish and bread.
00:18:23.57\00:18:27.90
Verse 20...
00:18:27.90\00:18:28.80
Verse 21 -- "And the number of
those who ate was about 5,000
men, besides..."besides,
00:18:35.94\00:18:42.25
..."women and children." We're
talking about 15,000, minimum.
00:18:42.25\00:18:46.72
Two stinking little fish and
five loaves of bread in the
hands of the God who multiplies
00:18:46.72\00:18:54.60
when we add, and 15,000
people get fed. What a God!
00:18:54.60\00:19:00.77
Can you believe it? "You add,
I'll multiply." What's wrong
00:19:00.77\00:19:07.74
with mathematics like that? "You
add, I'll multiply." "Desire of
Ages," right here at
00:19:07.74\00:19:12.65
the top of the page in Matthew
14, I have this quotation
00:19:12.65\00:19:16.45
written down. I'm going to put
it on the screen for you.
"Desire of Ages," page 371, that
00:19:16.45\00:19:20.62
classic on the life of Jesus.
"The means in our possession
today may not seem to be
00:19:20.62\00:19:25.59
sufficient for the work." "What
kind of work are you talking
00:19:25.59\00:19:28.30
about, Dwight?" Well, I don't
know. It's whatever work you do
for the glory of God.
00:19:28.30\00:19:31.77
So, what's the work you do?
Whatever you do for the glory of
00:19:31.77\00:19:35.50
God. You're a mother? I
know the work you're doing 24/7.
00:19:35.50\00:19:38.67
You are raising those little
cherubs for the Kingdom of
00:19:38.67\00:19:42.51
Heaven. Whatever work you do.
You're a plumber? God says
whatever work you do --
00:19:42.51\00:19:48.15
What did we just read? If...
00:19:48.15\00:19:51.72
"What could I do with this?" It
doesn't matter what you do. Keep
00:19:56.19\00:20:00.06
reading. You add, He multiplies.
What's wrong with that?
00:20:10.94\00:20:14.64
You add, He multiplies. "I
will take care of you," which
00:20:14.81\00:20:20.18
is why I will
put my trust in Him.
00:20:20.18\00:20:24.19
We spent six months coming
back to that line over and over
00:20:24.19\00:20:26.69
again, that seven-word
credo of the Lord Jesus.
00:20:26.69\00:20:28.86
Hebrews 2:13, "I
will put my trust in Him."
00:20:28.86\00:20:33.76
"Give Me what you have. Just
bring it to Me. You add, I'll
00:20:33.93\00:20:39.80
multiply." And by the way, did
you catch that line? What was
00:20:39.80\00:20:42.07
that line? "If we will move
forward in faith..." It reminds
00:20:42.07\00:20:48.38
of the Israelites. Hot dragon
breath of Pharaoh and his armies
on their tail, the cold waters
00:20:48.38\00:20:55.42
of the Red Sea right in front of
them, and God says, "Hey, quit
talking to Me. Go forward!
00:20:55.42\00:20:59.72
Move it! I'll take care of
you. You add, I'll multiply.
00:20:59.72\00:21:06.39
You watch what I do for you."
Takes a little bit of faith to
live like that because you're
00:21:06.39\00:21:12.00
not sure how the story ends.
Jesus says, "You just stay with
00:21:12.00\00:21:15.77
Me, girl. You stay with Me. I'll
show you how this story ends.
00:21:15.77\00:21:18.47
You'll be all right." Wow.
Some of you struggling right
00:21:18.47\00:21:23.18
now, are you afraid? Are you
anxious? Are you worried about
00:21:23.18\00:21:29.38
the future? Don't worry.
"I will put my trust in Him."
00:21:29.38\00:21:34.76
"You add," He says, "I'll
multiply." Oh, that quotation
00:21:34.76\00:21:39.49
goes on. Here's another line.
"If the work be of God..." Oh, I
00:21:39.49\00:21:42.70
love this... Young father,
listen. Listen, young father.
Young mother, are you here?
00:21:48.20\00:21:53.14
You need to know that your
anxious concerns over providing
for the physical necessities of
00:21:53.14\00:21:59.58
your tiny little family have
been heard by the Provider of
00:21:59.58\00:22:04.99
the universe. He has heard
this. He said, "You add, I'll
00:22:04.99\00:22:08.92
multiply. If the work be of God
and your work is of God, I will
multiply when you give what you
00:22:08.92\00:22:19.03
have. Give me those kids." He
knows, struggling heart, your
desperate need for money.
00:22:19.03\00:22:24.54
He knows, lonely soul, your
longing for a life companion. He
00:22:24.54\00:22:30.65
knows. "Give Me what you have.
I'll multiply for you." Wow.
"Desire of Ages" goes on.
00:22:30.65\00:22:36.32
You add, You multiply, you add,
You multiply, here it goes.
Here's the next line.
00:22:36.32\00:22:40.66
"He will..." God will "...reward
honest, simple reliance upon
00:22:40.66\00:22:46.19
Him. The little that is wisely
and economically used in the
00:22:46.36\00:22:50.47
service of the Lord of
Heaven..." Whatever you do is
00:22:50.47\00:22:53.17
for the service of the
Lord of Heaven. Whatever you do.
00:22:53.17\00:22:55.87
So if you use the little you
have wisely in the service of
00:22:55.87\00:23:00.04
the Lord of Heaven, it
will -- what's the next word?
00:23:00.04\00:23:02.74
It will what? It
will "increase in the very
00:23:02.74\00:23:05.95
act" of your
giving, "your imparting.
00:23:05.95\00:23:08.15
In the hand of Christ, the
small supply of food remained
00:23:08.15\00:23:11.05
undiminished..."
It didn't get used up.
00:23:11.05\00:23:12.85
It just kept lasting "...until
the famished multitude were
00:23:12.85\00:23:16.16
satisfied."
00:23:16.16\00:23:17.59
Two little fish and 15,000
minimum people got fed. "Give Me
00:23:17.76\00:23:24.77
what you have. You add, I
multiply. You can trust Me. You
can take that to the bank!
00:23:24.77\00:23:33.24
You add, I multiply."
What a God! Ah, "You add, I'll
00:23:33.24\00:23:43.35
multiply." One last line, this
is written on my page here. "If
we go..." final line, "If we
00:23:43.35\00:23:47.99
go to the Source of
all strength..." Isn't this
00:23:47.99\00:23:51.46
beautiful? "...with our hands of
faith outstretched to
receive..." People say, "Don't
00:23:51.46\00:23:54.50
go begging, begging, begging
God." [ Laughing ] No, no. Beg,
00:23:54.50\00:23:57.47
beg, beg God. God says, "Come to
Me. Come on, put your hands out.
Put your hands out and believe
00:23:57.47\00:24:00.44
that I can fill your hand."
"Open wide your mouth," the
Psalmist says, "and I will fill
00:24:00.44\00:24:03.81
it." Just put your
hands out. Put your hands out.
00:24:03.81\00:24:07.98
"If we will go to the Source of
all strength, with our hands of
faith outstretched to receive,
00:24:07.98\00:24:13.55
we shall be sustained in our
work..." whatever your work is,
"...even under the most
00:24:13.55\00:24:18.52
forbidding circumstances..." and
we "...shall be enabled to give
to others the bread of life."
00:24:18.52\00:24:25.56
"You add, I multiply." God
says, "These are My mathematics.
00:24:25.56\00:24:30.70
Come on, get this. You add, I
multiply." In fact, that is the
00:24:30.70\00:24:36.20
sign of the Cross -- add and
multiply. Watch this. The cross
00:24:36.20\00:24:41.34
is a sign of add. You add,
and then what does He say? "I'll
00:24:41.34\00:24:47.28
multiply." You got
multiplication right there,
don't you? And it's been a long
00:24:47.28\00:24:51.39
time since I was in
grade school, but I know this.
00:24:51.39\00:24:53.79
"You add, you add, I
multiply. You add, I multiply."
00:24:53.96\00:25:03.73
That's Calvary!
00:25:03.73\00:25:05.70
"Give me two little fish, and I
will feed 15,000 people through
00:25:05.87\00:25:10.74
you." Don't sell yourself short.
Don't dream small, dream big. "I
will feed 15,000 people
00:25:10.74\00:25:17.45
through you. Just give Me what
you have. Two fish? I'll take
00:25:17.45\00:25:21.85
it. Let's go! Move on!
We've got cities to reach.
00:25:21.85\00:25:26.96
We have a world to save. And
you've got to believe that when
you add, I multiply.
00:25:26.96\00:25:32.19
You have to believe that."
00:25:32.19\00:25:33.83
Wow. So, a few nights earlier
this week, Karen and I are
00:25:36.67\00:25:46.37
having pillow talk. Do you ever
have pillow talk? That's a good
00:25:46.37\00:25:50.38
thing to have, by the way. If
you're married, that is. [
Congregation laughs ]
00:25:50.38\00:25:55.85
A little caveat just to keep
this very clear. So, this week,
00:25:55.85\00:26:02.36
Karen and I were having a little
pillow talk in the dark, a great
concern on our hearts.
00:26:02.36\00:26:07.40
So we're talking about it to
each other, just talking back
and forth, back and forth.
00:26:07.40\00:26:12.10
Finally, we had prayer together.
I prayed, she prayed, in bed.
And then, we fell asleep.
00:26:12.10\00:26:19.17
I woke up early that morning,
earlier than my alarm. It was
00:26:19.17\00:26:23.65
dark. I tiptoed downstairs to
my study where I have my time in
00:26:23.65\00:26:30.35
the early morning. And I want to
bless the name of God, because
He cut a slack. He said, "Okay,
00:26:30.35\00:26:37.46
get it off, get it off," because
my mind is still on what was
last night. And so, God let me
00:26:37.46\00:26:44.50
just kind of pour it out again.
And God said, "Lookit, Dwight,
are you through yet?
00:26:44.50\00:26:49.90
Are you through? 'Cause
I'd like to say something now."
00:26:49.90\00:26:54.01
And God said, "Let's just clear
the deck of all this." I didn't
hear an audible voice,
00:26:54.01\00:26:58.41
you understand that, but God
brought His word to my mind, and
words came to mind and I'm
00:26:58.41\00:27:03.79
thinking on those words. And I'm
realizing those words are
speaking to my very need at
00:27:03.79\00:27:07.86
this moment, and I finally turn
on the light. I've got to read
00:27:07.86\00:27:10.73
these words myself, and here's
what I read. I'll put it on the
screen for you -- Romans 8:31.
00:27:10.73\00:27:16.80
Get this, "...how will He not
also, along with Him, graciously
give us all things?"
00:27:26.27\00:27:31.05
"I'll give you everything.
Lookit, have I emptied the
treasury of Heaven for you?
00:27:31.05\00:27:36.22
Have I already emptied the
treasury of Heaven for you in
00:27:36.22\00:27:39.29
the gift of Jesus? Is Calvary
about you add and I multiply? Is
00:27:39.29\00:27:42.76
that still true? You add, I
multiply? Have I done all that
for you?" Yes, You have.
00:27:42.76\00:27:46.03
"Then what are you worried
about?" What are you worried
00:27:46.03\00:27:52.60
about? I will put my trust
in Him. Wow. I mean, you keep
00:27:52.60\00:27:59.07
reading, it gets even better.
"Who shall separate us from the
00:27:59.07\00:28:02.84
love of Christ? Shall trouble or
hardship or persecution or
famine or nakedness or danger or
00:28:02.84\00:28:06.72
sword?" Some of you are going
through that right now. "No!"
00:28:06.72\00:28:09.85
Paul cries out.... Amen! And
just like that, that burden on
my heart, it just lifted into
00:28:27.94\00:28:33.34
the dark and just disappeared.
How do You do that, God? "You
00:28:33.34\00:28:42.18
add, I multiply. It's My
mathematics. It's how you'll
00:28:42.18\00:28:45.62
survive this life. Bring Me what
you have. You got heartache?
00:28:45.62\00:28:48.46
Bring it to Me. You got concerns
and worries? Bring it to me. You
got empty cupboards and a
00:28:48.46\00:28:53.80
bank account that's about
zero right now? Bring it to Me.
00:28:53.80\00:28:57.27
You bring Me what you have. Your
marriage run out of high-octane
00:28:57.27\00:29:02.04
fuel? You bring it to Me.
You add, I multiply. Come to the
00:29:02.04\00:29:11.58
cross, I'll multiply. Wow.
Today, when we pick up the bread
00:29:11.58\00:29:17.05
and the cup, that's what we're
going to do. We're going to
00:29:17.05\00:29:21.32
confess to God, "I will put my
trust in Him." Seven words,
that's what the Lord's Supper's
00:29:21.32\00:29:26.96
about. We say seven words, "I
will put my trust in You. I'm
adding to You, and now You
00:29:26.96\00:29:33.60
are multiplying for me." We add,
He multiplies forever and ever.
00:29:33.60\00:29:45.21
Amen. I want you to lock those
words in your heart right now.
00:29:45.21\00:29:49.42
We add, He multiplies. Let's
pray. Oh, God, wow. That's the
00:29:49.42\00:29:58.29
news for us today. That's it,
from the foot of the Cross.
You're saying this?
00:29:58.29\00:30:01.60
"I am." Oh, Father, we will
put our trust, we will keep our
00:30:01.60\00:30:06.67
trust in You no matter what is
happening, no matter what
isnothappening, we will put our
00:30:06.67\00:30:13.34
trust in You. We add, You
multiply. And how could it be
any better than that right now?
00:30:13.34\00:30:19.81
So, lift our spirits up, and
knowing we sit at the table with
Jesus, oh, just lock this deep
00:30:19.81\00:30:26.39
in our hearts for the next
chapter before us. We pray in
00:30:26.39\00:30:31.43
Jesus' name, amen. [
"Worthy Is The Lamb" plays ]
00:30:35.50\00:30:38.60
[ Performers sing ]
00:30:47.08\00:30:48.98
[ "Crown Him With
Many Crowns" plays ]
00:34:47.82\00:34:49.08
[ Performers sing ]
00:34:49.08\00:34:50.99
>> Sing "Worthy." [
"Worthy Is The Lamb" plays ]
00:35:36.50\00:35:38.83
[ Performers sing ]
00:35:38.83\00:35:40.74
[ "Revelation Song" plays ]
00:36:52.84\00:36:54.74
[ Instrumental music plays ]
00:36:58.75\00:37:00.72
[ Performers sing ]
00:37:08.79\00:37:10.69
>> Holy, holy,
holy. [ Performers sing ]
00:37:34.92\00:37:39.52
[ Instrumental music plays ]
00:39:12.95\00:39:14.85
[ Performers sing ]
00:39:23.66\00:39:25.56
[ "Holy, Holy, Holy" plays ]
00:40:19.45\00:40:21.35
[ Instrumental music plays ]
00:40:24.75\00:40:26.65
[ Performers sing ]
00:40:30.13\00:40:32.03
[ Organ plays ]
00:42:34.35\00:42:37.35
[ Organ continues ]
00:42:46.39\00:42:49.23
[ Organ continues ]
00:42:58.97\00:43:01.91
[ Organ stops ] >> It's very
interesting in John's account of
00:43:05.95\00:43:12.89
the feeding of the 5,000, after
we capture that mathematics --
We add and He multiplies -- John
00:43:12.89\00:43:23.20
immediately plunges into "Jesus,
Bread of Life" discourse.
00:43:23.20\00:43:27.64
And those who know John's Gospel
the best are quite convinced
that, in fact, these words in
00:43:29.94\00:43:39.85
the discourse are John's "Lord's
Supper" talk because there is no
Lord's Supper in the
00:43:39.85\00:43:44.59
Gospel of John. Washes the feet,
and nothing. No word from Jesus,
00:43:44.59\00:43:50.39
because the other three had
already written about it. John
writes much later in the
00:43:50.39\00:43:53.66
First Century, says, "I don't
need to put that, but I am gonna
embed it right here."
00:43:53.66\00:43:58.57
So, now when we read these
words, we can say, "Oh, thisis
00:43:58.57\00:44:02.84
Lord's Supper." So, this is John
6 where he tells the story,
Jesus now speaking, red letters.
00:44:02.84\00:44:07.11
"I am the living bread that came
down from Heaven. Whoever eats
00:44:07.11\00:44:12.15
this bread will live forever.
This bread is My flesh which I
will give for the life of the
00:44:12.15\00:44:18.35
world. Whoever eats My flesh
and drinks My blood has eternal
00:44:18.35\00:44:25.43
life, and I will raise them
up at the last day." And then he
00:44:25.43\00:44:29.56
repeats it. "Whoever eats My
flesh and drinks My blood
remains in Me and I in them."
00:44:29.56\00:44:35.84
And the old King James
says, "...abides in Me, and I in
00:44:35.84\00:44:39.47
them." So, what you and I are
about to do as we ingest the
bread and the wine, Jesus says,
00:44:39.47\00:44:45.18
"That's Me. It's a symbol of
Me coming in. And then, I do My
00:44:45.18\00:44:49.58
mathematics from the inside out.
You add, I multiply." That's why
we have His gift of
00:44:49.58\00:44:57.89
this supper. Genie Patterson
Smith is going to read the
00:44:57.89\00:45:03.47
sacred account of this -- that
Thursday night. And then her
husband, Harold, will lead us in
00:45:03.47\00:45:08.70
prayer. >> From Luke 22, this
marvelous scene. "When the hour
00:45:13.14\00:45:20.12
came, Jesus and his apostles
reclined at the table. And he
said to them, 'I have
00:45:20.12\00:45:25.72
eagerly waited and desired
to eat this Passover with you
00:45:25.72\00:45:31.49
before I suffer.' And he took
bread, gave thanks and broke it,
and gave it to them saying,
00:45:31.49\00:45:41.94
'This is my body given for you.
Do this remembrance of me.' In
the same way, after the
00:45:41.94\00:45:50.91
supper he took the cup saying,
'This cup is the new covenant in
my blood which is poured out for
00:45:50.91\00:45:58.29
you.'" Please kneel with us
as my husband, Harold, prays.
00:45:58.29\00:46:05.63
>> Father, we pray in thanks for
Your son's blood and for his
body which is, was, and will be
00:46:15.30\00:46:26.18
the key to our meeting You face
to face in glory. Bless us this
00:46:26.18\00:46:34.32
Sabbath day as we take these
symbols of what Your son did for
us. May they become life in each
00:46:34.32\00:46:41.80
of us, we pray.
Amen. [ Organ plays ]
00:46:41.80\00:46:49.84
[ "There Is A Fountain" plays ]
00:47:15.83\00:47:17.73
>> ¤ There is a fountain
filled with blood ¤ ¤ Drawn from
00:47:30.25\00:47:44.93
Emmanuel's veins ¤ ¤ And sinners
plunged beneath that flood ¤ ¤
Lose all their guilty stains ¤
00:47:44.93\00:48:00.28
¤ Lose all their guilty stains ¤
¤ Lose all their guilty stains ¤
¤ And sinners plunged beneath
00:48:00.28\00:48:22.16
that flood ¤ ¤ Lose all their
guilty stains ¤ [ Organ plays ]
00:48:22.16\00:48:34.08
¤ E'er since by faith I saw the
stream ¤ ¤ Thy flowing wounds
00:48:40.02\00:48:55.30
supply ¤ ¤ Redeeming love has
been my theme ¤ ¤ And shall be
00:48:55.30\00:49:11.31
till I die ¤ ¤ And shall be till
I die ¤ ¤ And shall be till I
die ¤ ¤ Redeeming love has been
00:49:11.31\00:49:33.74
my theme ¤ ¤ And shall be till I
die ¤ ¤ Wash all my sins away ¤
00:49:33.74\00:49:51.62
¤ Wash all my sins away ¤ ¤
Redeeming love has been my theme
00:49:51.62\00:50:08.20
¤ ¤ Wash all my sins away ¤
00:50:08.20\00:50:21.65
[ Organ plays ]
00:50:34.30\00:50:36.20
>> That's quite a promise --
redeeming love shall be my
theme, wash all my sins away.
00:51:15.24\00:51:22.61
You know, this
multiplication/addition formula,
it really works for sin.
00:51:22.61\00:51:30.42
Because there's some sins I
can't even think of that are
embedded so deep in me, I've
00:51:30.42\00:51:35.76
become accustomed to them. So I
bring the one I know about or
the two or the three, and God
00:51:35.76\00:51:41.36
says, "That's okay. You add, I
multiply. I have you covered to
00:51:41.36\00:51:49.07
the very depths." That's
why we'll sing "redeeming love"
00:51:49.07\00:51:55.64
forever and ever. So that we
would never forget, Jesus turns
to us like he turned to his
00:51:55.64\00:52:01.68
closest friends. He said, "This
is my body. Take, eat this. Do
this in remembrance of me."
00:52:01.68\00:52:11.19
[ Organ plays ]
00:52:11.19\00:52:13.09
And then he turns to us. He
says, "This is my blood shed for
00:52:33.38\00:52:41.92
you, all of you.
Drink in remembrance of me."
00:52:41.92\00:52:45.46
[ Organ plays ]
00:52:48.30\00:52:50.20
And that's what he does, and
that's why we came. And that's
why we leave with the
00:53:06.41\00:53:11.79
joy that we will. It's no wonder
they sang. Bible says they sang
00:53:11.79\00:53:17.33
a hymn, and then they went out
to Gethsemane. We've got a hymn
00:53:17.33\00:53:20.70
we love to sing here. It's
407, "Sent Forth with God's
00:53:20.70\00:53:27.34
Blessings." We're gonna sing
that. But they had another
custom, and we do it right here.
00:53:27.34\00:53:31.71
And so let me just tip you off,
because there's gonna be ushers
standing at every one of these
00:53:31.71\00:53:35.78
doors. If God has blessed
you over these last three months
00:53:35.78\00:53:40.68
unusually, and you know how
blessed you are, and out of that
largess you would like to give
00:53:40.68\00:53:47.92
to someone in need, we have an
emergency fund. We service the
00:53:47.92\00:53:52.49
inner city of Benton Harbor as
well as Berrien Springs, and so
freely you've received, freely
00:53:52.49\00:53:58.30
give. There'll be ushers
standing here. Just be generous
00:53:58.30\00:54:02.04
with them. You're going to be
helping somebody that you'll
never meet in this life, but
00:54:02.04\00:54:06.71
thank you in advance for your
love for them. Now, let's sing
407, "Sent Forth With God's
00:54:06.71\00:54:12.88
Blessings." [ Organ plays ]
00:54:12.88\00:54:14.78
[ Congregation sings ]
00:54:37.91\00:54:39.81
And now may the God of peace,
who through the blood of the
eternal covenant brought back
00:56:27.08\00:56:31.39
from the dead, our Lord Jesus,
that great shepherd of the
00:56:31.39\00:56:36.26
sheep, may He equip you with
everything good for doing His
will and may He work in us what
00:56:36.26\00:56:41.33
is pleasing to Him through Jesus
Christ, to whom be glory forever
00:56:41.33\00:56:50.41
and ever. Amen. [ Organ plays ]
00:56:50.41\00:56:53.07
We've been really blessed by
the financial support that comes
00:57:01.92\00:57:04.95
from our viewers. And
we've made a conscious
00:57:04.95\00:57:07.26
decision not to continually
appeal to you for that support.
00:57:07.26\00:57:10.23
Which I hope doesn't convey
to you that this national and
00:57:10.23\00:57:13.09
international
telecast has no needs.
00:57:13.09\00:57:15.00
The fact is, is anyone in the
industry will tell you, we are
00:57:15.00\00:57:17.83
needing to make constant
upgrades to the technology that
00:57:17.83\00:57:20.50
brings "New
Perceptions" to you every week.
00:57:20.50\00:57:23.27
So if God has blessed you and
you're in a position to share
00:57:23.27\00:57:26.41
some of that blessing with this
ministry, I'd be very grateful.
00:57:26.41\00:57:29.74
I don't receive a dime from our
listeners' support, but there's
00:57:29.74\00:57:32.61
a world that gets blessed by
the teachings of this program.
00:57:32.61\00:57:35.85
So thank you in advance.
You can go to our website and
00:57:35.85\00:57:38.35
give there --
www.newperceptions.tv.
00:57:38.35\00:57:42.46
Or you can call our
operators and make a donation.
00:57:42.46\00:57:45.09
877 -- Toll-free
for you. 877-HIS-WILL.
00:57:45.09\00:57:49.30
And here's my prayer, that the
God who has blessed you, may He
00:57:49.30\00:57:53.17
continue to pour into your
life His gifts of joy and hope.
00:57:53.17\00:57:58.04
Thank you. I'll
see you here next time.
00:57:58.04\00:58:01.91
¤¤
00:58:04.95\00:58:08.55