Our first question
for this evening says,
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I know that I should spend time
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alone with God in prayer
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and reading the
Bible as a Christian,
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but I don't feel
like it, I don't enjoy it,
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I would rather
do homework instead.
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What is wrong?
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What I can do so I will
enjoy time with my Bible?
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Could I jump in
for a moment there,
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I don't want to
trivialize the question,
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but I would definitely
take stay in the Bible
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over doing homework,
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but maybe one of
our panelists has
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a better answer for that.
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Well, if you like,
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if you like to study
more than study the Bible,
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you've already accomplished
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something that is harder to do.
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The truth of the matter is that,
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in order to fall
in love with someone,
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we need to spend
time with that person.
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And sometimes it may
take a little time of habit.
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It's a habit that it
is a wholesome habit.
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We sometimes
don't like what we eat
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or what we eat is not, you know,
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does not set off
all kinds of fireworks
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in our minds, oh,
we're so enjoying this meal,
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but we need it, in order to eat,
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to be nourished
to have strength.
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The Bible works in the same way.
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You do not need to expect it
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to be just a
wonderful feast every time,
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what you need is persistence
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and what you need is confidence
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and the fact that God
is going to reveal His way
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in you and your life,
if you continue to do that.
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I tell you,
here's a small council,
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a number of years ago,
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I decided to listen
to the Bible on tape
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and that was helpful to
me because I was able to see
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the Bible as a bird's eye view,
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in just kind of the
whole activity of God
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and that gave me
such confidence in Christ,
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perhaps that
would be one way to jump
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start your Bible study
or your Bible reading. John.
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Yeah, just something else
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I don't know the
person who turned this in,
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but one of the
things I would do is,
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I would make sure
you have a contemporary,
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modern translation of the Bible,
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and so that it's a little easier
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to read than thee, thy,
thou that kind of thing.
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And read books that are
a little more compelling,
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you know, I love
Psalms, Proverbs, the gospels.
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If you start with Leviticus
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it's gonna bog
you down a little bit,
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so that's just a
little council I would have.
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One of the things
I've found helpful
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in my Bible study is this,
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I have a little acronym
that I use I call it fim.
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How to put fim,
vigor, excitement,
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vitalization
into your Bible study?
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And I take the, I
am read the gospels
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as John mentioned.
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For example, if I'm reading
the story of the disciples
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on the sea and
the storm coming up.
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The first thing I do
is visualize it my mind.
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What would it be like
to be on a boat in the sea
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and the boat's
going up and down,
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up and down, so I
visualize the story.
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Secondly, I
identify with the disciples.
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What if I were Peter?
What if I were in that boat?
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What if the wind
was blowing in my face?
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What if I thought I
was going to go down
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then I mediate on a
lesson for me that day.
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Visualize it, identify it,
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identify with
it, meditate on it.
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And don't worry
about how much you read.
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It's not a speed reading course.
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It's far better
to take one story,
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read about it, think about it.
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It's not that you have to
spend an hour or two hours.
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It would be better
to spend five minutes
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and get something out of
it that it would be an hour
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and be bored by it.
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So spend short
amounts of time, visualize it,
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identify with what
you're reading, mediate on it,
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and get a blessing
for that day and move on,
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but be consistent in
your devotional life.
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We'll go with Jeffery
and then Elder Douglas.
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I just wanted to say is well,
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when I first picked up
the Bible I was 17 years old
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and I learned
something and that was this.
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I wonder what my
life would be like
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if I only did things
that initially felt good.
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And I think that I
learned that in my mind,
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so long as I was
convinced of my need
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to spend time in the word,
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that would
transition from just something
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that I was convinced of mentally
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and it would
grab hold of my heart.
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And so what did
not initially begin
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as like gooey
feelings in my heart.
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It only began as a
thought I desperately need this,
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and that compelled me to read,
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and it transitioned from that
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and it grabbed
hold of my emotions.
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And so now, it's an
accelerating experience
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because my mind is involved
and my emotions are involved.
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I would say, don't
let that hold you back,
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follow mentally
what you know you need
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and it'll grab
hold of your heart.
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Well, Elder Douglas has
something to add I believe.
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I say, amen to everything here.
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Something I've
done over the years,
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if I had a challenge,
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especially if it's
human challenge of some kind.
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The Lord and I have a bargain.
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I start with the
first verse of Proverbs 1,
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and I tell Him,
I'm gonna keep reading
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Proverbs until
you give me a solution
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to what I'm dealing with.
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Sometimes I go to
the fourth Chapter,
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sometimes to the 8th Chapter,
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but I never stop until I know
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what I'm supposed
to do that day. Amen.
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One of the things that
I'm finding helpful to me
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right now
personally is I'm going through
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the Book of Acts and
there was many exciting things
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in the Book of
Acts, but what I did
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was I took the
Acts of the Apostles
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and started
reading it and using it
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as supplemental to
my Bible study work,
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and it's just so exciting.
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In fact, there are
times when I feel like
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I can't wait to
get to my morning
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or evening Bible study
because it's so exciting
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from the Book of Acts
and the Acts of the Apostles
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because it's
real, it's real people
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and there are real events
and real things happening,
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it's like a story.
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And so you can't put it down
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and I found that just recently
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when I started doing this.
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It really has vitalized
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my own personal
worship experience,
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my Bible study, and its enhanced
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and enriched my own life.
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Amen. Amen.
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We're gonna move on, we could,
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we could probably
talk on that question
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for quite a while, couldn't we?
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And there are so
many aspects of that
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and so many ways that
we can -- practical things
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we can do to vitalize
or devotional experience.
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I have a question that's
particularly pertaining to
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Dr. Clouzet's
seminar, but everybody else
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is welcome to jump in as well.
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But the question is how
can I tell between God's voice
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or the difference
between God's voice
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and impressions
of the devil? Amen.
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How can you
recognize any one's voice?
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And you begin by spending
time listening to that voice.
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The genuine article can
only be recognized by being
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so familiar with it
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that everything
else then is different.
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I think that the beginning of
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that is simply
reading the Bible.
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We know the God has
spoken in the written word.
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If that is something
that we can internalize
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and read and read and re-read,
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many times the
applied word when we hear God
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in an application mode.
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We will find a real consistency
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with what we have read.
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Now, if we do not know
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what we have
read or if we do not,
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if we do not read then
we are a lot more liable
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to be in subject to other voices
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that may appear as God,
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but indeed they're
not necessarily God.
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And I think, Marquis,
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would you have
something to add to that?
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I wanted to kind of piggy back
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on what Dr. Clouzet said.
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Isaiah Chapter 8 verse 20 says
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"To the law and
to the testimony,
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if they speak not
according to this word,
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there is no light in them.
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" And so
everything that you hear,
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all these
impressions you must again
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reference back to the Bible
and see what the Bible says.
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If these things are
consistent with the Bible
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and when you find
the lack of consistency,
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you know that this
is not the voice of God.
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Sometimes feelings are fooling
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and we have to be
careful not to go with feelings,
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I mean, go with
the fooling feelings,
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but go with the word of God.
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Last comment and we'll
move on. Thank you for that.
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Not everything is always
an impression of the devil,
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it maybe a human
impulse, that is mean
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the devil's standing
next me whispering in my ear.
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So it maybe a human impulse.
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For me, here is the
way I distinguish between
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human impulse and
divine impression.
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A divine impression
is a growing consistent,
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constant, awareness that
God wants me to do something.
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A human impulse is flighty.
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If I don't act on it today
and I let it go for a week,
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it maybe gone totally.
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So divine impression
is regularly consistent,
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it's that voice of
God that is in my soul
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in which I have a conviction
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that God wants
me to do something,
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but impulse flighty.
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Here today, gone tomorrow,
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but don't think
everything that it's not
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a divine impression is
whispered you by the devil,
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certainly not, it
may be a human impulse.
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Another great question.
00:10:01.54\00:10:02.89
How can the person tell
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if they're supposed to
be a missionary? They are.
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Well, let me go
back a little bit.
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I really
appreciate what you just said.
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I believe that
God is calling people
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to serve as missionaries
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and just like
Elder Finley was saying,
00:10:18.82\00:10:21.86
it's a growing experience,
00:10:21.87\00:10:24.07
you will hear the
Holy Spirit speak to you,
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in one way you'll sense him
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leading you to
do certain things,
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you'll look at your
life and you'll say,
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you know, why did I do this?
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How, why am I
getting this education?
00:10:32.77\00:10:34.65
God has been preparing me
to do something special for Him
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and He is calling
me to be a missionary.
00:10:37.69\00:10:40.06
And I really
encourage you to start,
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you know, if
you're sensing that,
00:10:43.14\00:10:45.12
pray about it,
investigate resources,
00:10:45.13\00:10:49.73
and see if God will
continue to lead you,
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make sure it's not
just a human impression.
00:10:52.67\00:10:55.34
I don't think the
devil is gonna tempt you
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to be a
missionary, but, you know,
00:10:56.65\00:11:00.52
God will confirm
this calling for you
00:11:00.53\00:11:02.69
because He wants people to go,
00:11:02.70\00:11:04.11
that's what God is all
about is sending people out.
00:11:04.12\00:11:07.18
So the question isn't
should I be a missionary,
00:11:07.19\00:11:09.09
but where does God
want me to be a missionary?
00:11:09.10\00:11:11.24
Right, and in fact,
there was an article I read
00:11:11.25\00:11:14.52
recently in Mission
Post Magazine that said,
00:11:14.53\00:11:17.04
we're all missionaries.
00:11:17.05\00:11:18.68
You know, whether it's -- here
00:11:18.69\00:11:20.55
I spoke about this morning.
00:11:20.56\00:11:23.90
This is Jerusalem here,
00:11:23.91\00:11:27.16
Southern Adventist
University is Jerusalem,
00:11:27.17\00:11:29.58
then He's calling
people to go to Judea,
00:11:29.59\00:11:31.21
which maybe
let's say, Chattanooga,
00:11:31.22\00:11:33.61
then He's calling
people to go to Samaria
00:11:33.62\00:11:35.29
which I don't know
Nashville, New York City,
00:11:35.30\00:11:38.25
and then He is calling people
00:11:38.26\00:11:39.24
to go to the ends of the earth.
00:11:39.25\00:11:40.82
And I believe God
leads people in progression,
00:11:40.83\00:11:43.75
He doesn't just say,
okay, go here and then, boom,
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you're in the
middle of nowhere land.
00:11:45.84\00:11:48.49
So God does want each one of us
00:11:48.50\00:11:50.25
to be a missionary for
Him, wherever we find Him
00:11:50.26\00:11:52.25
and then find yourselves
00:11:52.26\00:11:53.33
and then it's listening
to His voice to discover
00:11:53.34\00:11:55.49
where He may want us to go.
00:11:55.50\00:11:56.70
And I can see a couple of
people wanting to jump in.
00:11:56.71\00:11:58.48
Well, we're
gonna move on actually.
00:11:58.49\00:12:00.54
Here, Glenn, I'll
pass those off to you.
00:12:00.55\00:12:02.71
Another just excellent question,
00:12:02.72\00:12:05.31
it says, I'm
struggling with bitterness.
00:12:05.32\00:12:09.46
How can I give it to Jesus?
00:12:09.47\00:12:11.30
How do I give anything to Jesus?
00:12:11.31\00:12:14.91
We could put guilt,
00:12:14.92\00:12:15.89
we could put
anything in that situation.
00:12:15.90\00:12:18.18
How do we give
those things to Jesus?
00:12:18.19\00:12:20.68
Bitterness is a
very unique phenomenon.
00:12:20.69\00:12:24.36
It's a unique attitude.
00:12:24.37\00:12:26.10
Bitterness
often grips your soul,
00:12:26.11\00:12:28.84
ruins your life and sours it.
00:12:28.85\00:12:31.77
If you have felt
bitter over a period of time,
00:12:31.78\00:12:33.63
here's my
suggestion very practically.
00:12:33.64\00:12:35.70
Sit down and write out a letter,
00:12:35.71\00:12:39.33
that simply says
God, I'm writing to You
00:12:39.34\00:12:42.51
why I'm bitter and
you write that out.
00:12:42.52\00:12:44.98
Then you say this, Lord,
00:12:44.99\00:12:47.14
I'm giving this to You
right now and You tear it up.
00:12:47.15\00:12:51.37
You simply
express yourself on paper,
00:12:51.38\00:12:54.18
give all that to God
and then tear it up and say,
00:12:54.19\00:12:57.45
Lord, by Your grace,
00:12:57.46\00:12:58.75
You've forgiven me,
I'm gonna forgive others.
00:12:58.76\00:13:00.72
I think you also
should write a letter
00:13:00.73\00:13:02.25
to the person
you're bitter about.
00:13:02.26\00:13:04.31
Not that you're gonna send it,
00:13:04.32\00:13:05.78
but I think you
ought to write it out
00:13:05.79\00:13:06.95
as long as you want to make it
00:13:06.96\00:13:08.44
and tell them just
why you feel this way.
00:13:08.45\00:13:10.28
And something may happen
to you on the third page.
00:13:10.29\00:13:14.86
Or the second sentence.
00:13:14.87\00:13:16.82
Well, I want to
thank each one of you
00:13:16.83\00:13:18.31
for joining us
for this conference,
00:13:18.32\00:13:20.07
this entire weekend
and also for joining us
00:13:20.08\00:13:22.22
as our panelist this evening.
00:13:22.23\00:13:23.76
You know what, it's seems
to me as many of these answers
00:13:23.77\00:13:26.12
we've been receiving goes back
00:13:26.13\00:13:28.67
to spending time
in God's word. Amen.
00:13:28.68\00:13:31.11
And spending time with
Jesus and getting to know Him.
00:13:31.12\00:13:34.08
And I wonder sometimes
if the questions we have
00:13:34.09\00:13:36.42
and it's always good
to have the questions
00:13:36.43\00:13:37.88
and to ask the
questions, but I wonder,
00:13:37.89\00:13:40.22
if sometimes we
have fewer questions,
00:13:40.23\00:13:42.62
if we took the time you today
00:13:42.63\00:13:44.09
to spend time
getting to know Jesus.
00:13:44.10\00:13:46.35
And so I'm sure
it's the encouragement
00:13:46.36\00:13:47.61
of each person up here
00:13:47.62\00:13:48.69
and it's my
encouragement to you as well
00:13:48.70\00:13:50.44
is to spend time
getting to know Jesus. Amen.
00:13:50.45\00:13:53.13
And you can always
take your questions
00:13:53.14\00:13:54.26
directly to Him. Amen.
00:13:54.27\00:13:55.49
I wanna thank you all
you again for joining us,
00:13:55.50\00:13:57.30
and thank you
for your questions.
00:13:57.31\00:13:59.02
Well, tonight we're
gonna open God's word.
00:13:59.03\00:14:01.34
But before we do that,
00:14:01.35\00:14:02.93
I'm gonna invite
you to bow your heads
00:14:02.94\00:14:04.34
with me as we pray.
00:14:04.35\00:14:06.80
Father in heaven, we
thank You today for Jesus.
00:14:06.81\00:14:11.10
We thank You that
there is something big for us
00:14:11.11\00:14:14.51
to be involved in.
00:14:14.52\00:14:15.97
We're thankful
that, we're thankful that
00:14:15.98\00:14:17.50
the littleness
and the shallowness
00:14:17.51\00:14:19.35
of the world does not entice us.
00:14:19.36\00:14:23.15
But we're thankful
that we can give our talents
00:14:24.46\00:14:27.58
and our abilities and the gifts
00:14:27.59\00:14:29.25
that you've given us
to the big cause of God
00:14:29.26\00:14:32.71
to cooperate with
Christ, and sharing His love
00:14:32.72\00:14:36.84
in the message of His
truth with the lost world.
00:14:36.85\00:14:39.63
Thank You, Lord, that our
eyes are on something bigger
00:14:39.64\00:14:43.50
than the things of this world.
00:14:43.51\00:14:45.75
There are men and
women and boys and girls
00:14:45.76\00:14:48.91
who are lost and
need to know Christ,
00:14:48.92\00:14:51.77
need to know the
message of His soon return,
00:14:51.78\00:14:54.07
need to know the
message of His truth
00:14:54.08\00:14:55.39
and grace before He comes.
00:14:55.40\00:14:57.79
So consume us and fill us
00:14:57.80\00:15:01.85
with that desire
to share Your love,
00:15:01.86\00:15:03.12
we pray thee in
Christ name, amen.
00:15:03.13\00:15:06.29
It was in 1988,
00:15:06.30\00:15:07.49
I was the Minister of Secretary,
00:15:07.50\00:15:08.72
the Trans-European
Division with headquarters
00:15:08.73\00:15:11.57
in St. Albans, England,
00:15:11.58\00:15:12.55
and went into the office one day
00:15:12.56\00:15:14.84
and I noticed a
copy of the London Times
00:15:14.85\00:15:17.19
that was sitting
there on the little table
00:15:17.20\00:15:19.31
in the entry way.
00:15:19.32\00:15:20.47
I don't know why I picked it up,
00:15:20.48\00:15:21.58
I had a little time
before my first appointment
00:15:21.59\00:15:23.50
at the office
and I picked it up.
00:15:23.51\00:15:24.92
And I noticed
the fascinating story
00:15:24.93\00:15:27.23
of a
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:15:27.24\00:15:28.90
in Bucharest, Romania.
00:15:28.91\00:15:30.72
At this time, Nicolae Ceausescu
00:15:30.73\00:15:33.44
was the ruthless
dictator who hated religion
00:15:33.45\00:15:37.96
in Romania in Bucharest.
00:15:37.97\00:15:41.07
He had ordered
Seventh-day Adventist
00:15:41.08\00:15:44.20
to leave this church
00:15:44.21\00:15:46.12
and under the pretext of
wanting to build a bridge
00:15:46.13\00:15:49.88
over that section of the
city and put a new road through.
00:15:49.89\00:15:55.20
He ordered
Adventists out of the church
00:15:55.21\00:15:56.92
and he was going to
bulldoze the church down.
00:15:56.93\00:16:00.44
Now the national news picked
up the story for this reason.
00:16:00.45\00:16:03.39
The Adventist
said to the dictator,
00:16:03.40\00:16:05.44
Nicolae Ceausescu, we are
more than happy to cooperate,
00:16:05.45\00:16:09.27
we are faithful
citizens of the state,
00:16:09.28\00:16:11.07
we do not want to defy law.
00:16:11.08\00:16:13.40
If you'll replace our
land and replace our church
00:16:13.41\00:16:16.39
and just give
us another facility
00:16:16.40\00:16:17.94
and that seems logical,
we don't want anymore money
00:16:17.95\00:16:20.69
than what the land
and building is worth.
00:16:20.70\00:16:23.09
We will gladly move.
00:16:23.10\00:16:24.60
Although the church has
00:16:24.61\00:16:26.98
certain sentimental value to us,
00:16:26.99\00:16:29.51
we many of us have
worshiped there for years,
00:16:29.52\00:16:32.51
we will move.
00:16:32.52\00:16:33.53
The dictator said
nothing doing do it.
00:16:33.54\00:16:34.86
The church is mine,
the state is seizing it,
00:16:34.87\00:16:37.64
we're not giving
you a penny for it,
00:16:37.65\00:16:39.73
and we're not
replacing it for you.
00:16:39.74\00:16:42.80
The Adventist believed
that that was a violation
00:16:42.81\00:16:44.85
of their religious rights.
00:16:44.86\00:16:46.35
So, in 1988, they
went down into the church
00:16:46.36\00:16:49.76
and they said, if you
knock down the church,
00:16:49.77\00:16:51.60
you've got to knock
it down with us in it.
00:16:51.61\00:16:54.54
The dictator surrounded
the church with his militia
00:16:54.55\00:16:58.39
and he also got
prisoners out of prison
00:16:58.40\00:17:01.06
and brought them
down to the church.
00:17:01.07\00:17:03.02
Our believers
prayed in the church,
00:17:03.03\00:17:04.93
they sang hymns in the church.
00:17:04.94\00:17:06.67
And on the
order of the dictator,
00:17:06.68\00:17:08.42
these militia
came and broke down
00:17:08.43\00:17:10.51
the doors of the church,
00:17:10.52\00:17:11.94
pulled the
Adventist out of the church
00:17:11.95\00:17:13.87
and totally
destroyed the church,
00:17:13.88\00:17:16.81
a great defeat for the true God.
00:17:16.82\00:17:21.75
About 15 years later,
I was visiting Romania
00:17:21.76\00:17:25.40
and I had visited
Romania many times
00:17:25.41\00:17:27.29
in the ensuring15
years by visiting Romania
00:17:27.30\00:17:29.50
and I remembered the story,
God brought it to my mind.
00:17:29.51\00:17:31.99
And I asked our Union President,
00:17:32.00\00:17:33.90
who at the time
was Adrian Bocaneanu
00:17:33.91\00:17:35.29
and I said, Adrian,
00:17:35.30\00:17:36.61
what about that Church
that I read about in 1988,
00:17:36.62\00:17:40.59
that was destroyed.
00:17:40.60\00:17:42.05
I was there to hold a satellite
00:17:42.06\00:17:43.45
of evangelistic series in 2000
00:17:43.46\00:17:45.72
in a place got Salo Plato,
00:17:45.73\00:17:47.40
which was the
Former Communist Center,
00:17:47.41\00:17:50.66
their former
communist party building.
00:17:50.67\00:17:52.36
And I said, Adrian,
what about that Church
00:17:52.37\00:17:53.92
that Nicolae
Ceausescu knocked down,
00:17:53.93\00:17:55.71
I'm interested in.
00:17:55.72\00:17:57.35
He said, Mark, I want to
take you to the new facility
00:17:57.36\00:18:02.06
that we built not
far from the place
00:18:02.07\00:18:04.81
where they
knocked down that Church.
00:18:04.82\00:18:06.54
there's an
interesting story behind that.
00:18:06.55\00:18:09.81
Although the devil
apparently may win a battle,
00:18:09.82\00:18:13.10
he never wins the war. Amen.
00:18:13.11\00:18:15.68
And he said this
Church is the nicest Church
00:18:15.69\00:18:19.91
in Bucharest today.
00:18:19.92\00:18:22.04
And he said, I want
you to talk to the people
00:18:22.05\00:18:24.94
that were actually in
the church during the days
00:18:24.95\00:18:29.26
that they were pulled
out, and how they came back
00:18:29.27\00:18:32.14
to that very site that
was rubble and broken glass
00:18:32.15\00:18:36.57
and steel and how they
prayed there and they said,
00:18:36.58\00:18:39.97
God we know that
you want a house of God
00:18:39.98\00:18:42.50
to the glory of your
name in this area of the city
00:18:42.51\00:18:45.43
and how God led them to
another piece of property.
00:18:45.44\00:18:48.00
Now, Mark, I want
to tell you something.
00:18:48.01\00:18:49.93
The dictator is
dead in the revolution
00:18:49.94\00:18:53.15
of 1989 and 2000, 1989 and 1990.
00:18:53.16\00:18:59.03
The dictator tried to flee,
he was shot and he is dead,
00:18:59.04\00:19:02.70
but we have a new
Church and do you know what
00:19:02.71\00:19:04.98
the name of the street
of that new Church is on?
00:19:04.99\00:19:07.46
I said, no, I don't know.
00:19:07.47\00:19:08.54
He said, it's on
Winner Street. Amen.
00:19:08.55\00:19:11.08
And he said, you know,
what number the Church is?
00:19:11.09\00:19:13.59
It's a number
seven Winner Street.
00:19:13.60\00:19:17.31
A dictator tries to
destroy the Adventist Church
00:19:17.32\00:19:21.41
and to the glory of God
00:19:21.42\00:19:23.24
you can do
nothing against the truth,
00:19:23.25\00:19:24.84
but follow the truth.
00:19:24.85\00:19:26.12
To the glory of God,
00:19:26.13\00:19:27.43
all things work
together for good.
00:19:27.44\00:19:29.30
To the glory of God,
00:19:29.31\00:19:30.40
in Christ we are
more than conquerors.
00:19:30.41\00:19:32.74
To the glory of God, a new
temple for the worship of God
00:19:32.75\00:19:36.62
is built on number
seven Winner Street
00:19:36.63\00:19:39.03
because the truth
of the matter is this.
00:19:39.04\00:19:41.53
In the battle
between good and evil,
00:19:41.54\00:19:44.56
Christ has called you to
be a winner, not a loser.
00:19:44.57\00:19:48.05
In the battle
between good and evil,
00:19:48.06\00:19:50.75
there is no power
that is greater than
00:19:50.76\00:19:53.18
the power of Christ.
00:19:53.19\00:19:54.81
I am not
concerned about the devil,
00:19:54.82\00:19:57.20
I'm concerned about the
power of the living God.
00:19:57.21\00:20:00.30
Too many Adventist Christians
00:20:00.31\00:20:01.76
today are putting more thought
00:20:01.77\00:20:03.65
into what the devil is doing,
00:20:03.66\00:20:05.10
then what more than the thought
00:20:05.11\00:20:06.60
into what God is doing.
00:20:06.61\00:20:08.17
Too many Adventist Christians
today are talking about
00:20:08.18\00:20:10.42
the power of the
devil, the power of Satan.
00:20:10.43\00:20:13.30
I remember, I was helping
a man quit smoking one night,
00:20:13.31\00:20:16.55
and we gathered
all his cigarettes up
00:20:16.56\00:20:19.08
and I read him
First John Chapter 5,
00:20:19.09\00:20:21.57
this is the
confidence that I have in Him
00:20:21.58\00:20:23.70
the confidence in Christ,
the confidence in His power
00:20:23.71\00:20:26.90
that if I ask anything
00:20:26.91\00:20:27.90
according to His
will, He hears us.
00:20:27.91\00:20:29.81
And I read that
text and I said look,
00:20:29.82\00:20:31.61
it doesn't say,
00:20:31.62\00:20:33.37
this is the
confidence that I have in Him,
00:20:33.38\00:20:34.87
if I ask anything
according to His will
00:20:34.88\00:20:36.42
except quit
smoking. He hears me.
00:20:36.43\00:20:38.51
I said my brother, you can come
00:20:38.52\00:20:40.39
with all of your weakness,
00:20:40.40\00:20:42.85
you can come with
your tobacco laden blood,
00:20:42.86\00:20:46.48
you can come with
tobacco saturating
00:20:46.49\00:20:49.27
the cells in your body,
00:20:49.28\00:20:50.25
you can come and cry out to God
00:20:50.26\00:20:52.14
and He will give you
the power to overcome.
00:20:52.15\00:20:54.37
So we knelt down
and began to pray.
00:20:54.38\00:20:56.09
And this man prayed like this,
00:20:56.10\00:20:57.30
oh, dear Lord, I'm so weak.
00:20:57.31\00:20:59.66
Dear, Lord, the
devil is so strong.
00:20:59.67\00:21:01.70
Dear Lord, I can't overcome
00:21:01.71\00:21:03.77
because the devil is so strong,
00:21:03.78\00:21:05.06
but please Lord help me.
00:21:05.07\00:21:06.30
About halfway
through his pray I got tried,
00:21:06.31\00:21:07.64
I shook the man, stop
praying brother, stop praying.
00:21:07.65\00:21:10.96
You're gonna be worse
at the end of the prayer
00:21:10.97\00:21:12.50
then at the beginning.
00:21:12.51\00:21:14.31
Now he had not had a
preacher tell him that,
00:21:14.32\00:21:15.90
but it was the
truth, it was the truth.
00:21:15.91\00:21:17.97
He was reinforcing his
defeatist attitude in prayer.
00:21:17.98\00:21:22.64
And psychologically
he was conditioning
00:21:22.65\00:21:24.94
his mind for failure
00:21:24.95\00:21:26.04
and I couldn't let
that happened as a minister.
00:21:26.05\00:21:27.43
So I have to shake
him, brother, stop praying.
00:21:27.44\00:21:31.21
You're gonna be worse
at the end of your prayer.
00:21:31.22\00:21:33.40
You are telling God
how the strong the devil is
00:21:33.41\00:21:35.59
that all that's
happening is reinforcing
00:21:35.60\00:21:37.43
your defeatist
attitude in your mind.
00:21:37.44\00:21:39.65
Now, brother, pray like this.
00:21:39.66\00:21:41.41
Dear Lord, I know that
on the cross of Calvary
00:21:41.42\00:21:44.81
you defeated Satan.
00:21:44.82\00:21:46.69
I know that in
Jesus and by Jesus
00:21:46.70\00:21:48.74
and through Jesus
I can be more than
00:21:48.75\00:21:50.33
an overcomer through Christ.
00:21:50.34\00:21:52.37
I know that His
blood and He is great--
00:21:52.38\00:21:54.47
His blood is shed to
cleanse me for my past sins
00:21:54.48\00:21:58.56
and the grace that
flows from Calvary empowers me
00:21:58.57\00:22:01.22
to live a positive
abundant Christian life today.
00:22:01.23\00:22:05.02
And that man prayed like that.
00:22:05.03\00:22:07.33
And by the grace of God,
00:22:07.34\00:22:08.46
Jesus gave him
victory over tobacco.
00:22:08.47\00:22:10.60
He became a deacon
in one of our churches
00:22:10.61\00:22:12.50
in Boston, Massachusetts.
00:22:12.51\00:22:13.70
I want to talk to you today
00:22:13.71\00:22:16.03
about being an
overcomer in Christ.
00:22:16.04\00:22:17.68
Take your Bible and turn
00:22:17.69\00:22:18.66
to Revelation
Chapter 12 verse 11.
00:22:18.67\00:22:22.19
The grace of God
pardons our past.
00:22:22.20\00:22:26.50
The grace of
God provides freedom
00:22:26.51\00:22:30.19
from the guilt and shame of sin,
00:22:30.20\00:22:32.66
but the grace that justifies me
00:22:32.67\00:22:35.08
is also the grace
that sanctifies me. Amen.
00:22:35.09\00:22:38.03
The grace that pardons me
00:22:38.04\00:22:39.61
is also the
grace that cleanses me.
00:22:39.62\00:22:43.29
Rock of Ages cleft for
me, let me hide myself where?
00:22:43.30\00:22:49.27
In thee.
00:22:49.28\00:22:51.52
Be of sin the
what? Be of sin the what?
00:22:51.53\00:22:54.69
Double what?
00:22:54.70\00:22:56.05
Cure save me from its, what?
00:22:56.06\00:22:59.08
Guilt and power,
00:22:59.09\00:23:01.20
and any gospel
that doesn't save me
00:23:01.21\00:23:03.09
from guilt and power
is not the real gospel
00:23:03.10\00:23:07.75
because the
gospel is the gospel,
00:23:07.76\00:23:10.67
when it is the gospel,
and if it's not the gospel,
00:23:10.68\00:23:13.24
it's not the gospel.
00:23:13.25\00:23:14.73
The gospel is not
only the good news
00:23:14.74\00:23:16.61
what Jesus did
for me on the cross
00:23:16.62\00:23:19.45
and He did a
great deal for me there,
00:23:19.46\00:23:21.62
but it's the good news
what He is doing for me today
00:23:21.63\00:23:23.80
in heaven sanctuary. Amen.
00:23:23.81\00:23:25.59
There is a Jesus in
heaven sanctuary. Amen.
00:23:25.60\00:23:28.75
And from that
sanctuary, He applies His death
00:23:28.76\00:23:32.19
on the cross to my life today.
00:23:32.20\00:23:34.50
And I see that sin brought Him
00:23:34.51\00:23:37.01
and nailed Him to the cross,
00:23:37.02\00:23:38.75
and I see the horror of my sin
00:23:38.76\00:23:43.03
and through His
grace and by His power,
00:23:43.04\00:23:45.78
I'm changed from the
gutter most to the uttermost,
00:23:45.79\00:23:49.21
from the depths of despair
00:23:49.22\00:23:50.88
to the delights of discipleship.
00:23:50.89\00:23:52.83
Revelation Chapter 12,
and we look at the verse 11.
00:23:52.84\00:23:57.14
And they overcame
Him, and they did what?
00:23:57.15\00:24:00.45
What did they do?
00:24:00.46\00:24:02.02
They overcame, they
tried to overcome him.
00:24:02.03\00:24:05.25
They thought it might be
possible to overcome him. No.
00:24:05.26\00:24:08.15
They wish they
could overcome him,
00:24:08.16\00:24:10.17
but he was too strong
and they could not. Amen.
00:24:10.18\00:24:14.91
Is that what the text says? No.
00:24:14.92\00:24:16.75
What does it say?
00:24:16.76\00:24:18.18
And they overcame him,
00:24:18.19\00:24:20.45
but it's
impossible to overcome, right?
00:24:20.46\00:24:23.59
And they did what?
00:24:23.60\00:24:25.30
Overcame him.
00:24:25.31\00:24:26.89
The Bible said
it and I believe it.
00:24:26.90\00:24:29.10
What about you? Amen.
00:24:29.11\00:24:30.18
And they overcame him how?
00:24:30.19\00:24:32.33
By the blood of the lamb
00:24:32.34\00:24:34.36
and by the word
of their testimony,
00:24:34.37\00:24:35.73
they did not allow
their lives to death.
00:24:35.74\00:24:38.94
Now notice the text
says they overcame him.
00:24:38.95\00:24:41.80
Throughout the
Book of Revelation
00:24:41.81\00:24:44.16
this idea of
overcoming is used 10 times
00:24:44.17\00:24:48.55
in the seven Churches,
of the Church of Ephesus.
00:24:48.56\00:24:51.02
To him who overcome,
to the Church of Smyrna
00:24:51.03\00:24:53.91
to him who overcomes,
00:24:53.92\00:24:55.85
to the Church
throughout Thyatira
00:24:55.86\00:24:59.02
and Philadelphia and
Sardis, and Laodicea.
00:24:59.03\00:25:03.54
You go through
the seven Churches,
00:25:03.55\00:25:05.39
Pergamos, all the
churches, to him who overcomes,
00:25:05.40\00:25:08.22
to him who
overcomes, to him who overcomes.
00:25:08.23\00:25:10.69
What is the message
to the seven Churches?
00:25:10.70\00:25:13.54
It's possible
to be an overcomer.
00:25:13.55\00:25:16.58
Revelation Chapter 17 verse 14.
00:25:16.59\00:25:20.42
Whatever you are
struggling with today,
00:25:20.43\00:25:23.11
whatever attitudes
that have gripped you today,
00:25:23.12\00:25:26.40
whatever habits are choking out
00:25:26.41\00:25:28.33
your spiritual life
today through grace,
00:25:28.34\00:25:31.13
by grace, in grace,
you can be an overcomer.
00:25:31.14\00:25:35.57
You don't have to
be bound in that sin
00:25:35.58\00:25:38.60
and fold out it again
00:25:38.61\00:25:40.21
and again and again and again.
00:25:40.22\00:25:42.77
Somebody says,
are you talking about
00:25:42.78\00:25:44.26
some super perfectionism?
00:25:44.27\00:25:46.94
I'm not talking about
some super perfectionism.
00:25:46.95\00:25:49.10
I'm talking about
what the Bible says. Amen.
00:25:49.11\00:25:51.21
The Bible says, it's
possible to overcome.
00:25:51.22\00:25:54.16
That's biblical theology.
00:25:54.17\00:25:56.46
Revelation Chapter 17 verse 14.
00:25:56.47\00:25:59.70
"These will make
war with the Lamb,
00:25:59.71\00:26:02.21
and the Lamb will overcome them.
00:26:02.22\00:26:04.87
" Jesus is going to overcome
00:26:04.88\00:26:07.04
all the evil foes of wickedness
00:26:07.05\00:26:09.92
and through your
life by His grace
00:26:09.93\00:26:13.44
you can be an overcomer.
00:26:13.45\00:26:15.78
Revelation, we look there
at the Book of Revelation,
00:26:15.79\00:26:19.82
again Revelation
Chapter 21 and verse 6.
00:26:19.83\00:26:25.23
Revelation
Chapter 21 verse 6 and 7.
00:26:25.89\00:26:29.16
"And he said to me, it is done.
00:26:29.17\00:26:31.48
" It will never
be done in verse six
00:26:31.49\00:26:34.52
until the reality
of verse 7 occurs.
00:26:34.53\00:26:38.44
He will never say
it is done in verse six
00:26:38.45\00:26:40.90
until the reality
of verse seven occurs,
00:26:40.91\00:26:43.25
and he said them it is done.
00:26:43.26\00:26:45.52
I'm Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end.
00:26:45.53\00:26:48.34
I will give him of
the water of life freely,
00:26:48.35\00:26:50.60
him who thirst, he who overcome
00:26:50.61\00:26:53.27
shall inherit all
things and I will be his God,
00:26:53.28\00:26:55.79
and he shall be my
son, but the cowardly
00:26:55.80\00:26:58.41
and the
unbelieving and the abominable
00:26:58.42\00:26:59.96
and the murderers and the sexual
00:26:59.97\00:27:01.45
and the sexually immoral,
sorcerers and idolaters,
00:27:01.46\00:27:04.75
and all liars
shall have their part
00:27:04.76\00:27:06.16
in the lake of fire.
00:27:06.17\00:27:07.30
" What happens to
those in verse eight?
00:27:07.31\00:27:09.47
They do not overcome.
00:27:09.48\00:27:11.18
What happens to
those in verse seven?
00:27:11.19\00:27:12.99
They do overcome.
00:27:13.00\00:27:14.68
Tonight, I have
good news for you.
00:27:14.69\00:27:16.42
This is incredibly good news.
This is wonderful good news.
00:27:16.43\00:27:20.51
Grace is greater than sin. Amen.
00:27:20.52\00:27:24.26
It is not about
gritting your teeth
00:27:24.27\00:27:26.45
and clenching your
fists and trying to bear it
00:27:26.46\00:27:29.36
and resist evil.
00:27:29.37\00:27:30.90
That is the formula
for failure every time.
00:27:30.91\00:27:34.19
It is not about what you can do.
00:27:34.20\00:27:36.22
It is not about what
your will power it does.
00:27:36.23\00:27:38.98
It is not about choosing merely
00:27:38.99\00:27:41.21
to fight Satan in your strength,
00:27:41.22\00:27:43.24
but Revelation says,
He who overcomes in Jesus,
00:27:43.25\00:27:47.75
through Jesus, by
Jesus, and with Jesus.
00:27:47.76\00:27:50.91
You can be an overcomer
00:27:50.92\00:27:53.15
because grace is
greater than sin.
00:27:53.16\00:27:55.72
The power of
Jesus is greater than
00:27:55.73\00:27:57.96
the power of
bondage in your life.
00:27:57.97\00:27:59.96
Whatever that bondage
is, whatever attitude,
00:27:59.97\00:28:02.09
whatever habit,
Jesus is greater,
00:28:02.10\00:28:04.53
but our text in Revelation 11.
00:28:04.54\00:28:07.28
Revelation 12,
let's go back to it
00:28:07.29\00:28:09.76
because we want
to look at that text,
00:28:09.77\00:28:11.79
word by word, phrase by prhase.
00:28:11.80\00:28:14.75
Revelation Chapter
12, and we look there.
00:28:14.76\00:28:18.63
The 12th Chapter,
the Book of Revelation
00:28:18.64\00:28:21.02
and the 11th verse,
notice what the Bible says.
00:28:21.03\00:28:24.75
Revelation 12 verse 11.
00:28:24.76\00:28:26.56
"And they overcame him.
00:28:26.57\00:28:27.99
" Point one,
possible to overcome.
00:28:28.00\00:28:31.55
Do never accept
some sin in your life
00:28:31.56\00:28:36.34
as genetically
inherited or environmentally
00:28:36.35\00:28:41.05
that it's a predisposition
of your environment.
00:28:41.06\00:28:45.19
You see, if I
wasn't a Christian,
00:28:45.20\00:28:47.34
I would believe in the
deterministic philosophy
00:28:47.35\00:28:50.45
in psychology of life.
00:28:50.46\00:28:52.15
I would say, you
are what you are largely
00:28:52.16\00:28:54.39
because of your
heredity or environment.
00:28:54.40\00:28:56.97
Heredity does play a nature
factor in your personality.
00:28:56.98\00:29:01.31
Environment, how
you've been brought up
00:29:01.32\00:29:03.16
does play a major
factor, but I say to you today,
00:29:03.17\00:29:07.71
there is something
stronger than heredity.
00:29:07.72\00:29:10.59
There is something
stronger than environment.
00:29:10.60\00:29:13.61
As Christians we do not deny
00:29:13.62\00:29:15.62
the effect of
heredity environment,
00:29:15.63\00:29:17.59
but what we say is
the power of the Gospel
00:29:17.60\00:29:20.59
of Christ is
stronger than your heredity
00:29:20.60\00:29:23.47
and stronger
than your environment.
00:29:23.48\00:29:25.34
I don't know what kind of
home you were brought up Him.
00:29:25.35\00:29:27.82
I don't know what
kind of background you had.
00:29:27.83\00:29:29.94
I don't know what kind of code
00:29:29.95\00:29:31.27
dysfunction came
out of your family,
00:29:31.28\00:29:33.85
but I will say
this to you today.
00:29:33.86\00:29:35.79
You can live a happy,
joyous life in Jesus Christ
00:29:35.80\00:29:39.80
because whatever
the dysfunction is,
00:29:39.81\00:29:42.06
He will give you greater
function through His grace.
00:29:42.07\00:29:46.36
Whatever the scar is,
00:29:46.37\00:29:48.25
He is-- there
is a balm in Gilead
00:29:48.26\00:29:51.03
that heals the sin-sick soul.
00:29:51.04\00:29:53.67
Jesus is stronger
than your heredity.
00:29:53.68\00:29:55.99
Jesus is stronger
than your environment.
00:29:56.00\00:29:58.26
Revelation Chapter 12 verse 11,
00:29:58.27\00:30:00.04
"And they overcame Him.
Point one, you can overcome.
00:30:00.05\00:30:01.94
Now you list
three ways to overcome,
00:30:01.95\00:30:04.21
three reasons you can overcome,
00:30:04.22\00:30:06.14
and they overcame him verse 11,
00:30:06.15\00:30:08.38
first by the blood of the lamb.
00:30:08.39\00:30:11.87
It's an
understanding of what happened
00:30:11.88\00:30:13.86
at the cross that
enables you to overcome.
00:30:13.87\00:30:16.63
Now the cross is like
a multi-faceted diamond
00:30:16.64\00:30:20.51
that the more you
look at it in your hand
00:30:20.52\00:30:23.19
the more the sun irradiates
off the sides of that diamond
00:30:23.20\00:30:27.66
and the more
beautiful it becomes.
00:30:27.67\00:30:29.63
You can approach the
cross from a variety of ways.
00:30:29.64\00:30:32.94
There is one aspect of the cross
00:30:32.95\00:30:35.14
and I
acknowledge, I get into it,
00:30:35.15\00:30:36.46
it's only one aspect of the
cross that I want to look at.
00:30:36.47\00:30:39.16
And it's this aspect,
when Jesus died on the cross,
00:30:39.17\00:30:43.81
He gave a death blow to Satan
00:30:43.82\00:30:46.89
and He defeated
the principalities
00:30:46.90\00:30:49.08
and powers of hell in His
death. Now that is scriptural.
00:30:49.09\00:30:53.06
First I'd like you to
take your Bible please
00:30:53.07\00:30:55.21
and turn to
Colossians Chapter 2,
00:30:55.22\00:30:57.76
Colossians Chapter
2, "They overcame him
00:30:57.77\00:31:00.74
by the blood of the
lamb." And my question is this.
00:31:00.75\00:31:04.19
How can an understanding
of the blood of Christ
00:31:04.20\00:31:08.96
enable you to be
victorious day by day?
00:31:08.97\00:31:12.71
What does that mean practically
00:31:12.72\00:31:15.46
in the Christian
life? Colossians Chapter 2,
00:31:15.47\00:31:19.15
Colossians Chapter 2,
00:31:19.16\00:31:21.02
and we're going to
look there at verse 15.
00:31:21.03\00:31:24.74
Colossians Chapter 2 verse 15,
00:31:24.75\00:31:28.34
"This is describing what Jesus
did on the cross and He says,
00:31:28.35\00:31:32.58
'Having disarmed
principalities and powers.'
00:31:32.59\00:31:36.84
" Having disarmed
principalities and powers,
00:31:36.85\00:31:38.81
He made a public spectacle
of them, triumphing over them.
00:31:38.82\00:31:42.67
That is triumphing of
all the powers of hell,
00:31:42.68\00:31:45.20
triumphing over all
the powers of wickedness,
00:31:45.21\00:31:48.19
triumphing over all
the temptations of Satan.
00:31:48.20\00:31:51.12
In it, that is in the
cross Jesus gave a death blow
00:31:51.13\00:31:55.72
to Satan as was
predicted in Genesis
00:31:55.73\00:31:59.07
where Jesus would
have a bruise in His heel,
00:31:59.08\00:32:01.72
but He would crush Satan's head.
00:32:01.73\00:32:05.40
Because Jesus died on the cross.
00:32:05.41\00:32:07.63
Satan has no
control over your life.
00:32:07.64\00:32:11.05
When you feel tempted,
00:32:11.06\00:32:12.53
when you're
struggling to do something,
00:32:12.54\00:32:14.79
you know it's not right.
00:32:14.80\00:32:16.00
When there are
attitudes in your mind
00:32:16.01\00:32:18.00
of jealousy and
bitterness and lust,
00:32:18.01\00:32:20.40
you get on your knees,
cry out to God and say,
00:32:20.41\00:32:22.55
Jesus, I believe by faith.
00:32:22.56\00:32:24.31
You triumphed over all the
powers of hell on the cross.
00:32:24.32\00:32:27.32
Jesus by faith, I claim the
victory that you came for me.
00:32:27.33\00:32:31.72
And therefore, I
claim Romans Chapter 8.
00:32:31.73\00:32:34.55
Take the Bible, quote
Jesus promises back to Him
00:32:34.56\00:32:38.34
and find strength and
power in what Christ did for you
00:32:38.35\00:32:41.85
on the cross at Calvary.
00:32:41.86\00:32:43.27
Romans Chapter
8, look there please
00:32:43.28\00:32:45.38
in Romans 8 verse 32, verse 37.
00:32:45.39\00:32:48.36
Romans Chapter 8 verse 37,
00:32:48.37\00:32:52.97
we look there to get the
background in verse 35 and 36
00:32:52.98\00:32:57.61
and we come down to verse 37.
00:32:57.62\00:32:59.18
Romans 8,
background, verse 35 and 36,
00:32:59.19\00:33:02.71
"Who shall separate us
from the love of Christ?"
00:33:02.72\00:33:04.99
Shall
tribulation, shall distress,
00:33:05.00\00:33:07.37
shall persecution, shall famine,
00:33:07.38\00:33:09.23
or nakedness, or
peril, or sword?"
00:33:09.24\00:33:10.50
Think about those
things tribulation,
00:33:10.51\00:33:12.24
everything that
troubles me from without.
00:33:12.25\00:33:14.80
Distress, everything
that hassles me from within.
00:33:14.81\00:33:18.46
Persecution, every physical,
00:33:18.47\00:33:22.94
every physical
sickness in my body,
00:33:22.95\00:33:25.36
every physical pain in my body.
00:33:25.37\00:33:27.55
Famine, hunger,
nakedness, peril, sword,
00:33:27.56\00:33:30.80
what else separate us
from the love of Christ?
00:33:30.81\00:33:32.89
Tribulation,
distress, persecution,
00:33:32.90\00:33:34.90
famine, nakedness,
peril, sword as it is written.
00:33:34.91\00:33:37.83
For your sake, we
killed all day long
00:33:37.84\00:33:39.74
where counting
sheep for the slaughter.
00:33:39.75\00:33:41.98
Verse 37, Yet at all
these things in what for,
00:33:41.99\00:33:46.17
and all these things
in tribulation, distress,
00:33:46.18\00:33:48.48
persecution, famine,
nakedness, peril, or sword,
00:33:48.49\00:33:51.15
in all these things,
we are more than what?
00:33:51.16\00:33:54.42
We're more than what? Conquers
through Him that loved us.
00:33:54.43\00:33:57.67
Can you believe
that this afternoon?
00:33:57.68\00:33:59.75
On the cross Jesus
dealt a death blow to Satan.
00:33:59.76\00:34:04.36
So when you're
hassled by the devil,
00:34:04.37\00:34:06.60
when you feel that the
temptations are too strong,
00:34:06.61\00:34:11.13
speak to Jesus in His own words.
00:34:11.14\00:34:12.78
Say Lord, you said in
Colossians Chapter 2 verse 15,
00:34:12.79\00:34:15.82
you triumph over
all the powers of hell.
00:34:15.83\00:34:17.92
Lord, give me your grace.
By faith I receive it today.
00:34:17.93\00:34:22.13
When you're hassled by Satan,
00:34:22.14\00:34:23.59
when temptations
seem to be out of control
00:34:23.60\00:34:26.27
in your life
say, Lord, you've said
00:34:26.28\00:34:27.58
we're more than conquerors
and today I believe it
00:34:27.59\00:34:30.01
that through Your
blood I can be an overcomer.
00:34:30.02\00:34:32.13
I've seen God work
incredible miracles.
00:34:32.14\00:34:35.11
One thing that I love
about evangelism is that
00:34:35.12\00:34:37.98
as I preach the
Gospel of Jesus Christ,
00:34:37.99\00:34:40.44
I see Jesus transformed
the attitudes of men and women.
00:34:40.45\00:34:43.85
I was in Eastern
City a number of years ago
00:34:43.86\00:34:45.90
and it was the last Sabbath
of our evangelistic meetings
00:34:45.91\00:34:49.28
and I saw her walking
to the baptismal pool.
00:34:49.29\00:34:51.26
Her name was Maria.
Her eyes just sparkled
00:34:51.27\00:34:54.01
and she had this
look of peace and joy
00:34:54.02\00:34:57.69
and serenity on her face,
00:34:57.70\00:34:58.93
and this sense that
she was one with Jesus.
00:34:58.94\00:35:01.93
I stood next to one
of my pastoral friends
00:35:01.94\00:35:03.72
watching Maria walk
into the baptismal pool
00:35:03.73\00:35:05.66
and I said to my friend,
00:35:05.67\00:35:07.12
this girl is the picture
of one who has come to Jesus.
00:35:07.13\00:35:10.64
Look at that radiant
face, look at that smile,
00:35:10.65\00:35:14.00
look at the glow
of joy in her life.
00:35:14.01\00:35:16.29
And he said, if you only knew.
00:35:16.30\00:35:18.87
I said, what do you mean?
He said, if you only knew.
00:35:18.88\00:35:22.34
I said, after the
baptism I really want
00:35:22.35\00:35:23.93
to learn something about Maria,
00:35:23.94\00:35:25.01
I want to learn about
her life and her story.
00:35:25.02\00:35:27.42
And so we sat down
and my pastor friend said,
00:35:27.43\00:35:30.50
Maria, it was at the
time in her mid 30s, 35, 36,
00:35:30.51\00:35:35.48
he said, Maria
was married at 17.
00:35:35.49\00:35:38.73
She had her first child
at 18 and her second child
00:35:38.74\00:35:42.39
when she was a
little older than 19.
00:35:42.40\00:35:44.18
So by the time she
was 20, she had two kids.
00:35:44.19\00:35:47.18
Her husband divorced
her for another woman
00:35:47.19\00:35:50.78
and so she had to bring
up the two children alone.
00:35:50.79\00:35:54.11
For just about 13
years, she decided
00:35:54.12\00:35:58.55
that she would not date anybody,
00:35:58.56\00:36:01.79
but poured her
life into the children.
00:36:01.80\00:36:04.22
And so for 13, 14
years, she poured her life
00:36:04.23\00:36:06.89
into these kids.
She took them to school.
00:36:06.90\00:36:09.96
She stayed with them for
extra curricular activities.
00:36:09.97\00:36:13.13
She would take
them to piano lessons.
00:36:13.14\00:36:15.58
She worked 40-50 hours a week
00:36:15.59\00:36:17.72
to supply their
needs in their humble home.
00:36:17.73\00:36:21.43
When she was about 34,
00:36:21.44\00:36:23.09
her girls now
were 16, 17 years old,
00:36:23.10\00:36:28.17
and she said, you
know, I've pulled my life
00:36:28.18\00:36:32.95
into my girls and she met
a fellow that she thought,
00:36:32.96\00:36:36.77
she might be
interested and they began dating
00:36:36.78\00:36:38.94
and dated for about a year
00:36:38.95\00:36:40.63
and she now had quite a
bit of confidence, say amen.
00:36:40.64\00:36:43.34
She often worked late
to 6 or 7 O'clock at night
00:36:43.35\00:36:45.80
and he came often
over to the house at 4.
00:36:45.81\00:36:49.69
What she did not know is
that he isolated the girls,
00:36:49.70\00:36:54.03
found out when one of
them would be home alone
00:36:54.04\00:36:56.09
and he raped both of them.
00:36:56.10\00:36:58.41
At different times,
the girls were too afraid
00:36:58.42\00:37:00.40
to say anything about it.
00:37:00.41\00:37:02.00
What she also didn't know
was that he was HIV positive
00:37:02.01\00:37:04.81
and infected both of her girls.
00:37:04.82\00:37:08.32
Maria was incredibly
devastated when she found out,
00:37:08.33\00:37:12.44
of course, the
authorities were brought in
00:37:12.45\00:37:14.93
and this man's AIDS, the
HIV positive was so far long
00:37:14.94\00:37:19.08
that he was dying of AIDS.
00:37:19.09\00:37:21.70
He was in a
hospital because of it.
00:37:21.71\00:37:24.46
Maria was bitter, that's
not her real name obviously
00:37:24.47\00:37:28.13
I wouldn't use
that, but she was bitter,
00:37:28.14\00:37:30.07
she was angry. She said,
00:37:30.08\00:37:31.68
God, I spent 14
years of my life,
00:37:31.69\00:37:35.34
15 years, 16 years
00:37:35.35\00:37:38.32
raising my girls
and now this happens.
00:37:38.33\00:37:42.17
Lord, where are You?
00:37:42.18\00:37:43.57
Lord, don't You
have pity on a widow?
00:37:43.58\00:37:46.05
Don't You have
pity on a single mother?
00:37:46.06\00:37:48.08
Angry, bitter,
couldn't face life.
00:37:48.09\00:37:51.65
And she was walking
down the street one day
00:37:51.66\00:37:54.66
and heard about our
meetings and walked in,
00:37:54.67\00:37:57.35
and that night I was
speaking about the Grace of God.
00:37:57.36\00:38:00.42
How, whatever pain you've
gone through in your life,
00:38:00.43\00:38:03.60
when your head can't understand,
00:38:03.61\00:38:05.36
your heart can still
in embrace His grace.
00:38:05.37\00:38:09.57
There is a peace that
passes all understanding.
00:38:09.58\00:38:13.00
There are many things in
life that have no good answers.
00:38:13.01\00:38:16.49
You can't figure them out,
00:38:16.50\00:38:18.97
but as you open your
heart to God's grace,
00:38:18.98\00:38:21.63
there is an inner healing
00:38:21.64\00:38:22.85
even when your
head can't understand,
00:38:22.86\00:38:25.15
your heart can be
open to God's grace
00:38:25.16\00:38:27.59
and they can be a healing.
00:38:27.60\00:38:29.93
That night in that meeting,
Maria knelt on the floor
00:38:29.94\00:38:33.76
and cried her eyes out
with hundreds of others.
00:38:33.77\00:38:37.62
And something
miraculous happened to her life
00:38:37.63\00:38:40.84
and she discovered
that Jesus is going
00:38:40.85\00:38:44.29
to enable her to be a conqueror.
00:38:44.30\00:38:45.95
That Jesus is going to
enable her to be an overcomer.
00:38:45.96\00:38:49.21
She continued to
come to the meeting,
00:38:49.22\00:38:51.00
she continued to
take Bible studies.
00:38:51.01\00:38:53.61
She was a new woman in Christ.
00:38:53.62\00:38:55.65
She was
ministering to her daughters
00:38:55.66\00:38:57.25
now in different ways.
00:38:57.26\00:38:59.31
Three or four days
before her baptism,
00:38:59.32\00:39:01.91
she learned that
the man who infected
00:39:01.92\00:39:03.85
her daughters was
in a hospital dying
00:39:03.86\00:39:07.79
and she knew that she had to go
00:39:07.80\00:39:11.52
to that hospital
room and forgive him.
00:39:11.53\00:39:14.90
And so she said, I
came to the hospital room
00:39:14.91\00:39:17.89
and I wanted to lash
out, I wanted to yell,
00:39:17.90\00:39:20.31
I wanted to
scream, I wanted to say,
00:39:20.32\00:39:23.25
look what you've
done to me and my life?
00:39:23.26\00:39:28.45
But Jesus changed me. I
felt only pity for him now.
00:39:28.46\00:39:32.58
I felt only sorrow for him.
00:39:32.59\00:39:34.51
And I thought, if
Jesus could say on the cross,
00:39:34.52\00:39:37.00
Father forgive
them for they don't know
00:39:37.01\00:39:39.80
what they have done.
If Jesus could forgive
00:39:39.81\00:39:43.03
those who harmed Him,
00:39:43.04\00:39:44.74
if Jesus the divine Son of God,
00:39:44.75\00:39:46.60
the one who was so incredibly
pure and sinless and spotless.
00:39:46.61\00:39:51.40
If He could forgive and if He
has forgiven me I can forgive.
00:39:51.41\00:39:56.04
So she said,
contrary to all my feelings,
00:39:56.05\00:40:00.45
contrary to all of
my inner bitterness.
00:40:00.46\00:40:05.19
You see forgiveness is not
justifying the act of another,
00:40:05.20\00:40:09.77
forgiveness is not
condoning their sin,
00:40:09.78\00:40:13.14
forgiveness is releasing another
00:40:13.15\00:40:15.12
from your condemnation
because Christ has released
00:40:15.13\00:40:18.30
you from His condemnation.
Forgiveness is not justifying
00:40:18.31\00:40:24.18
their behavior, but
it is releasing them
00:40:24.19\00:40:27.45
from all of the
anger, bitterness,
00:40:27.46\00:40:29.86
and condemnation in you
because if they hurt you once,
00:40:29.87\00:40:33.93
there is no need to let
them continue to hurt you
00:40:33.94\00:40:36.97
by being bitter
because as Confucius said,
00:40:36.98\00:40:39.59
an angry man is
always full of poison.
00:40:39.60\00:40:42.03
And so she said, I went
and sat on the edge of his bed
00:40:42.04\00:40:44.53
and I looked him in the
eye and I said to him honestly,
00:40:44.54\00:40:47.67
she called them by
name, his name wasn't John,
00:40:47.68\00:40:49.66
but I'll use
that honestly, John.
00:40:49.67\00:40:52.35
You've hurt me, honestly
you've ruin with my life,
00:40:52.36\00:40:55.48
the life of my girls, but
I want to tell you something.
00:40:55.49\00:40:58.62
I found Jesus,
and I've been telling
00:40:58.63\00:41:00.28
to my girls about Jesus.
00:41:00.29\00:41:02.42
And although our lives
will never be the same again,
00:41:02.43\00:41:05.46
and although we've
gone through intense pain,
00:41:05.47\00:41:07.67
I want to tell you, Christ
has given me joy in my pain.
00:41:07.68\00:41:12.46
Christ has given
me peace in my pain.
00:41:12.47\00:41:15.43
Christ has transformed me
and because He's forgiven me
00:41:15.44\00:41:19.49
I want you to
know before you die,
00:41:19.50\00:41:22.47
that just as Jesus
forgave those who nailed Him
00:41:22.48\00:41:25.59
to the cross I forgive you.
00:41:25.60\00:41:28.33
He began to cry
and she walked out.
00:41:28.34\00:41:31.79
She said, pastor,
when I walked out,
00:41:31.80\00:41:34.26
it was like a burden was lifted.
00:41:34.27\00:41:36.65
All the bitterness
and anger was gone.
00:41:36.66\00:41:40.02
All of the
psychology in the world
00:41:40.03\00:41:43.56
could not have
accomplished that.
00:41:43.57\00:41:45.76
But the blood of Christ
00:41:45.77\00:41:47.72
enabled her to be an overcomer.
00:41:47.73\00:41:50.47
And they overcame Him by what?
00:41:50.48\00:41:54.66
Revelation 12 verse
11, look at the text.
00:41:54.67\00:41:58.46
One text that bares
its way into our mind,
00:41:58.47\00:42:02.74
one text that burrows its way
00:42:02.75\00:42:04.99
into our heart, one
text that fills our soul,
00:42:05.00\00:42:09.29
Revelation 12 verse
11, they overcame Him
00:42:09.30\00:42:12.53
in Christ and by
Christ and through Christ
00:42:12.54\00:42:14.70
you can be an overcomer.
By the blood of the Lamb,
00:42:14.71\00:42:17.91
coming to the
cross we come to Jesus
00:42:17.92\00:42:23.14
and He enables
us through the cross
00:42:23.15\00:42:26.98
because He broke down
all of the principalities
00:42:26.99\00:42:29.70
and powers of hell
to be an overcomer,
00:42:29.71\00:42:33.69
and they overcame Him.
How did they overcome Him?
00:42:33.70\00:42:36.19
Three ways. First, by
the blood of the lamb.
00:42:36.20\00:42:38.56
Second, by the
word of their testimony.
00:42:38.57\00:42:42.82
They overcame Him,
how? By the word of what?
00:42:42.83\00:42:47.16
Their testimony.
What He is saying here?
00:42:47.17\00:42:51.03
When you come to
Christ and share your faith
00:42:51.04\00:42:55.61
by the word of their
testimony they overcame.
00:42:55.62\00:42:59.44
In other words,
the more I love Jesus
00:42:59.45\00:43:03.19
the more I will
witness about that love.
00:43:03.20\00:43:05.87
And the more I
witness about that love
00:43:05.88\00:43:07.77
the more I will love Jesus.
00:43:07.78\00:43:09.97
There is a direct relationship
00:43:09.98\00:43:11.87
between my love for
Jesus and my witness.
00:43:11.88\00:43:14.78
The more I love Him
the more I'm gonna witness,
00:43:14.79\00:43:16.66
but the more I witness the
more I'm going to love Him.
00:43:16.67\00:43:19.25
That's why Ellen White says
00:43:19.26\00:43:20.97
in Acts of the
Apostles, page 105,
00:43:20.98\00:43:23.36
"Strength to
resist evil is best gained
00:43:23.37\00:43:26.29
through aggressive service."
00:43:26.30\00:43:27.27
Now that's rather fascinating.
00:43:27.28\00:43:28.82
He does not say
strength to resist evil
00:43:28.83\00:43:30.66
is best gained through prayer.
00:43:30.67\00:43:31.85
Although prayer is
incredibly important,
00:43:31.86\00:43:33.85
it doesn't say
strength resist evil
00:43:33.86\00:43:35.18
is best gained
through Bible study,
00:43:35.19\00:43:36.44
although Bible study
is incredibly important.
00:43:36.45\00:43:38.33
Can you think of
any group of people
00:43:38.34\00:43:40.02
that prayed most of the day
00:43:40.03\00:43:41.34
and study the
Bible most of the day,
00:43:41.35\00:43:42.60
but they will be lost.
00:43:42.61\00:43:44.99
Who is it? You know, who is it?
00:43:45.00\00:43:46.82
They prayed mostly all
day. Oh, they had prayer life.
00:43:46.83\00:43:50.30
They studied the
Bible mostly all day
00:43:50.31\00:43:52.85
and they
actually drove a few nail.
00:43:52.86\00:43:54.39
They shout to crucify Him
and they prompted the Romans
00:43:54.40\00:43:57.77
and drive a few nails
through the hands of Jesus.
00:43:57.78\00:43:59.48
Who are these people?
00:43:59.49\00:44:00.97
They were called the
Pharisees, weren't they?
00:44:00.98\00:44:02.94
Did the Pharisees pray?
00:44:02.95\00:44:04.42
Was the problem
with the Pharisees
00:44:04.43\00:44:05.79
they didn't pray enough.
00:44:05.80\00:44:07.21
If you were
counseling a Pharisee,
00:44:07.22\00:44:08.61
would you go say pray some more?
00:44:08.62\00:44:11.16
What about if you're
giving counsel to a Pharisee,
00:44:11.17\00:44:13.11
would you say go
study the Bible some more?
00:44:13.12\00:44:15.07
Did the
Pharisees study the Bible?
00:44:15.08\00:44:16.96
Did some of the
Pharisees memorize
00:44:16.97\00:44:18.54
the first five
books of the Bible,
00:44:18.55\00:44:19.76
Genesis, Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy?
00:44:19.77\00:44:21.53
Did they know the Old Testament?
00:44:21.54\00:44:23.68
What was the
problem with the Pharisees?
00:44:23.69\00:44:26.54
They were
self-centered egotists.
00:44:26.55\00:44:29.31
And religion consisted of trying
00:44:29.32\00:44:33.25
to live to save themselves.
00:44:33.26\00:44:36.94
Christianity is not
giving up bad things,
00:44:36.95\00:44:40.71
so that I can be saved. Amen.
00:44:40.72\00:44:43.14
It's giving up at time good
things so others can be saved.
00:44:43.15\00:44:47.21
How much bad was
up there in heaven?
00:44:47.22\00:44:48.96
Was there a lot
bad up in heaven?
00:44:48.97\00:44:50.50
The Jesus gave up
before He came to earth,
00:44:50.51\00:44:52.62
that He give up
tobacco and alcohol
00:44:52.63\00:44:55.09
and the
honky-tonk and rock music,
00:44:55.10\00:44:56.63
and come to earth,
is that what Jesus did?
00:44:56.64\00:44:59.21
There was
nothing bad up in heaven.
00:44:59.22\00:45:00.90
Jesus gave up the
worship of the angels,
00:45:00.91\00:45:02.51
and He gave up the
fellowship of the Father
00:45:02.52\00:45:05.54
and He gave up the glory
of the cherubims and seraphims
00:45:05.55\00:45:08.15
and the fellowship
with unfallen worlds.
00:45:08.16\00:45:10.49
Jesus gave up nothing
bad, so He could be saved.
00:45:10.50\00:45:13.04
He gave up that which is
good so we could be saved.
00:45:13.05\00:45:15.49
Christianity is not praying
all day so you can be saved.
00:45:16.96\00:45:22.58
And it's not
studying the Bible all day,
00:45:22.59\00:45:24.46
so you know more than others,
00:45:24.47\00:45:25.93
so you can win some
theological argument.
00:45:25.94\00:45:28.88
Christianity has to
do with coming to Jesus.
00:45:29.55\00:45:32.67
And falling in love with
Him and sensing the grace
00:45:32.68\00:45:36.24
that He gives to
us, sensing the power
00:45:36.25\00:45:39.59
that he imparts in our life,
00:45:39.60\00:45:41.40
and being activity
involved in service.
00:45:41.41\00:45:44.55
If you are not
involved in some aspect
00:45:44.56\00:45:47.96
of service for Christ,
you can't grow spiritual.
00:45:47.97\00:45:52.67
Our spiritual growth is
intimately linked to service.
00:45:52.68\00:45:58.39
Do you have a prayer list?
00:46:00.07\00:46:02.62
Is your mind
going out of yourself?
00:46:02.63\00:46:06.55
And are you
praying for somebody else?
00:46:06.56\00:46:09.89
Are you giving out literature?
00:46:09.90\00:46:11.28
Sharing tapes
with somebody else,
00:46:11.29\00:46:13.00
giving a Bible study.
00:46:13.01\00:46:14.21
Do you have some
small group in your home?
00:46:14.22\00:46:16.84
Are you calling a friend
or neighbor on the telephone
00:46:16.85\00:46:19.07
and inviting them to meetings.
00:46:19.08\00:46:21.07
What are you doing to be
actively involved in service?
00:46:21.08\00:46:25.68
Not to save others merely,
00:46:25.69\00:46:28.89
but so that your
own soul will grow.
00:46:28.90\00:46:32.05
The reason the Lord
led me into evangelism
00:46:32.06\00:46:33.93
was maybe not to save
others, but to save me,
00:46:33.94\00:46:37.84
because He knew that
this man's heart is selfish,
00:46:37.85\00:46:41.13
and this man's
heart is egotistical.
00:46:41.14\00:46:44.15
And He knew that I
needed the disappoint of faith
00:46:44.16\00:46:48.71
sharing to grow spiritually.
00:46:48.72\00:46:52.99
Are you involved in some form,
00:46:53.00\00:46:56.93
wherever you're
watching in the world,
00:46:56.94\00:46:59.24
are you involved in some
form of witness activity?
00:46:59.25\00:47:03.44
You say, I could
never do anything for Jesus.
00:47:03.45\00:47:06.34
What can I do? You know
sometime ago just in October,
00:47:06.35\00:47:09.97
I was down in Curitiba, Brazil,
00:47:09.98\00:47:12.07
and there in
Curitiba I was coming to hold
00:47:12.08\00:47:14.40
a satellite evangelistic meeting
00:47:14.41\00:47:15.77
and the church was involved,
00:47:15.78\00:47:17.28
people out giving Bible studies,
00:47:17.29\00:47:18.80
they had small groups in
their home and a little group,
00:47:18.81\00:47:21.88
a small group of children,
00:47:21.89\00:47:23.28
they were seven,
eight, nine years old,
00:47:23.29\00:47:24.47
they heard Pastor
Finley was coming.
00:47:24.48\00:47:25.77
And so they said,
Pastor Finley is coming,
00:47:25.78\00:47:27.90
we want to be
involved in service for Jesus.
00:47:27.91\00:47:29.94
We want to do something.
00:47:29.95\00:47:31.15
And the adults said, you know,
these kids seven years old,
00:47:31.16\00:47:33.12
six years old, what can they do?
00:47:33.13\00:47:34.95
One bright adult got this idea.
00:47:34.96\00:47:37.26
Let's get balloons and
the stamp on the balloons
00:47:37.27\00:47:41.02
Revelation of hope prophecy
seminar with Pastor Finley.
00:47:41.03\00:47:44.45
And let's blow up the balloons
the kids would like that.
00:47:44.46\00:47:46.64
Let's take a
hand bill, roll it up,
00:47:46.65\00:47:49.08
stick it inside a balloon
and we'd go up on a mountain
00:47:49.09\00:47:52.30
with these hand
bills in the balloons,
00:47:52.31\00:47:54.17
and now the windy
day will send hundreds
00:47:54.18\00:47:55.96
and through the city
and we'll pray about it
00:47:55.97\00:47:58.08
and these little
kids will get involved.
00:47:58.09\00:47:59.48
So the kids were
excited Pastor Finley is coming,
00:47:59.49\00:48:01.97
you know, kids
anyway five, six years older
00:48:01.98\00:48:03.88
excited about these
balloons and so they sent
00:48:03.89\00:48:06.02
the balloons off and
the balloons are blowing
00:48:06.03\00:48:07.98
by the hundred
across Curitiba, Brazil.
00:48:07.99\00:48:10.18
Now, Curitiba is a very,
it's a kind of a secular city,
00:48:10.19\00:48:13.73
it's a very
affluent city in Brazil
00:48:13.74\00:48:15.75
and the balloons are
blowing over the place.
00:48:15.76\00:48:18.13
In one man's home, he
and his wife and children
00:48:18.14\00:48:21.80
are praying, Dear,
Lord, we don't know truth.
00:48:21.81\00:48:24.58
Dear, Lord, we
want to know the Bible.
00:48:24.59\00:48:26.37
Dear, Lord, send
us some messages,
00:48:26.38\00:48:29.31
if you have to send
from the sky, send it, Lord.
00:48:29.32\00:48:32.97
Don't get ahead me
in the story, please.
00:48:32.98\00:48:34.81
I can just imagine the angels.
00:48:37.57\00:48:39.66
One angel flying on
one side of the balloon,
00:48:39.67\00:48:42.41
and the other angel flying on
the other side of the balloon,
00:48:42.42\00:48:44.42
one angel says,
laughed his wings,
00:48:44.43\00:48:46.71
the balloon goes this way.
00:48:46.72\00:48:47.74
No brother, that way.
00:48:47.75\00:48:49.67
The angel goes this way then
they get over the guys house
00:48:49.68\00:48:52.02
and the angel says, down draft,
00:48:52.03\00:48:54.77
the balloon goes
right down the guys yard.
00:48:54.78\00:48:56.33
I actually believe that angels
guided that balloon into them.
00:48:56.34\00:48:59.75
And the balloon is bouncing
in the guy's front yard.
00:48:59.76\00:49:02.63
That morning the
guys out walking for walk,
00:49:02.64\00:49:04.43
walks out and
here comes the balloon.
00:49:04.44\00:49:06.91
The guy looks
at it, picks it up,
00:49:06.92\00:49:08.53
take that balloon for my kids,
00:49:08.54\00:49:09.76
revelation of hope,
he pops the balloon,
00:49:09.77\00:49:12.62
pulls out the hand bill,
00:49:12.63\00:49:13.89
I mean, this isn't
some preacher story,
00:49:13.90\00:49:15.26
this is the truth. No, I
mean, you know, what I mean.
00:49:15.27\00:49:18.98
I mean, I witness
this, this actually happened.
00:49:18.99\00:49:23.08
Pulls that hand
bill out of the balloon,
00:49:23.09\00:49:24.88
revelation of
hope, Pastor Mark Finley.
00:49:24.89\00:49:27.63
Answers to the promises of life.
00:49:27.64\00:49:29.91
How can you have hope meaning
00:49:29.92\00:49:30.96
and purpose in your life?
He says, this is our answer.
00:49:30.97\00:49:34.14
The whole came to our meetings.
00:49:34.15\00:49:36.66
We've baptized two
family members so far,
00:49:36.67\00:49:39.82
the other three
under the baptismal class,
00:49:39.83\00:49:41.15
getting ready for baptism. Amen.
00:49:41.16\00:49:43.40
God looks for your availability,
00:49:43.41\00:49:48.27
not your ability.
With God, He can take
00:49:48.28\00:49:53.40
a seven-year-old
child who on their knees,
00:49:53.41\00:49:56.68
prays and guides
a balloon to a house
00:49:56.69\00:49:59.81
and they can be
more of a effective
00:49:59.82\00:50:01.16
soul winner than
some egotistical.
00:50:01.17\00:50:05.92
I was gonna, than some
egotistical Pharisaical
00:50:05.93\00:50:10.99
Church member that thinks
they know how to do it all.
00:50:11.00\00:50:15.18
Give me an army of young people
00:50:15.19\00:50:18.88
and adults who are
humble, who love Jesus
00:50:18.89\00:50:24.47
and who have the
passion for witness
00:50:24.48\00:50:26.78
and you'll turn
Chattanooga around.
00:50:26.79\00:50:28.57
You'll turn Tenseness around,
you'll turn the South around,
00:50:28.58\00:50:31.26
you'll turn the
United States around,
00:50:31.27\00:50:32.42
you'll turn the world around.
00:50:32.43\00:50:34.61
God is looking
for your availability.
00:50:34.62\00:50:37.23
And the more you get
involved in witness and they,
00:50:37.24\00:50:41.59
what's our text
say, and they what?
00:50:41.60\00:50:43.51
What do they do?
Overcame and is it--
00:50:43.52\00:50:45.63
possible to
overcome? Yes or no? Amen.
00:50:45.64\00:50:47.85
By the what? Blood of the Lamb.
00:50:47.86\00:50:49.96
Is grace greater
than sin? Yes or no. Yes.
00:50:49.97\00:50:52.87
And they overcame and by the
blood of the lamb and by what?
00:50:52.88\00:50:55.59
The word of their testimony.
00:50:55.60\00:50:57.20
As you get involved in witness,
00:50:57.21\00:50:58.52
you will grow spiritually.
00:50:58.53\00:51:00.80
Desire of Ages
143, in order to develop
00:51:00.81\00:51:02.85
a character like Christ,
they must work as Christ works.
00:51:02.86\00:51:08.55
Steps to Christ, page 80,
00:51:08.56\00:51:10.26
if we go to work
as Jesus designed
00:51:10.27\00:51:11.99
there would be
a breath and mind,
00:51:12.00\00:51:12.98
the nobility of purpose
or strength and character,
00:51:12.99\00:51:15.05
as it's not seen in our times.
00:51:15.06\00:51:17.24
If you want to grow spiritually,
00:51:17.25\00:51:19.41
get off your knees
and get out in the street.
00:51:19.42\00:51:22.02
If you want to grow spiritually,
00:51:22.03\00:51:23.89
get your nose out of the Bible
00:51:23.90\00:51:25.29
and go share it
with some lost sinner.
00:51:25.30\00:51:27.43
Amen. Amen, amen.
00:51:27.44\00:51:28.96
And Jesus
Christ will empower you
00:51:28.97\00:51:32.77
and you will
sense spiritual growth
00:51:32.78\00:51:35.47
and they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb,
00:51:35.48\00:51:38.21
by the word of their testimony
00:51:38.22\00:51:39.19
that was one more
aspect to this look at it,
00:51:39.20\00:51:40.65
please, Revelation
Chapter 12 verse 11,
00:51:40.66\00:51:42.41
we stay in the one text today.
00:51:42.42\00:51:44.50
They overcame him verse
11 is possible overcome.
00:51:44.51\00:51:46.98
By the blood of the
Lamb, of the cross at Calvary,
00:51:46.99\00:51:48.87
the principalities
empowers of hell were crushed.
00:51:48.88\00:51:51.20
And by the word
of their testimony,
00:51:51.21\00:51:52.75
the more you witness,
the more you love Jesus.
00:51:52.76\00:51:55.29
The more you share your
faith because the Bible says,
00:51:55.30\00:51:57.48
it is more blessed to do what?
00:51:57.49\00:51:59.39
Give then to do what? Receive.
00:51:59.40\00:52:01.33
Who is more blessed?
The one that goes out
00:52:01.34\00:52:03.53
tomorrow afternoon and
gives out the health brochures
00:52:03.54\00:52:07.02
or the one who
receives the health brochure
00:52:07.03\00:52:09.57
is more blessed to do what?
Give then it is to receive.
00:52:09.58\00:52:12.79
Were you not blessed
at GYC when you went out
00:52:12.80\00:52:16.04
and gave out the
Bible study cards,
00:52:16.05\00:52:17.72
you know, not you
more doubly blessed
00:52:17.73\00:52:19.38
when you know that there
are some 14, 15 hundred people
00:52:19.39\00:52:22.85
that signed those
cards and they're waiting
00:52:22.86\00:52:24.47
for Bible studies now.
Will you not be more blessed?
00:52:24.48\00:52:28.89
As you go out and
give a Bible study.
00:52:28.90\00:52:31.02
Wherever you are
it is more blessed
00:52:31.03\00:52:32.32
to give than it is to receive.
00:52:32.33\00:52:33.30
Now last point, here it is.
00:52:33.31\00:52:35.03
They overcame him by
the blood of the Lamb,
00:52:35.04\00:52:36.83
by the word of their testimony,
00:52:36.84\00:52:38.21
they did not love
their lives to the death."
00:52:38.22\00:52:43.03
They did not love
their lives to the death.
00:52:43.04\00:52:45.17
What is this talking about?
00:52:45.18\00:52:48.50
It is talking about early
New Testament Christianity
00:52:48.51\00:52:52.63
that is
passionate about pouring out
00:52:52.64\00:52:56.58
their lives for
Christ, about sacrificing self
00:52:56.59\00:53:02.18
on the altar for Jesus.
00:53:02.19\00:53:04.22
In every heart there is a
cross and there is a throne.
00:53:04.23\00:53:07.27
And if self is on
the throne of your heart
00:53:07.28\00:53:11.03
Jesus is on the
cross of your heart.
00:53:11.04\00:53:13.52
He is crucified of
getting in your heart,
00:53:13.53\00:53:15.48
but if self is on the cross
00:53:15.49\00:53:18.22
Jesus is on the
throne of your heart.
00:53:18.23\00:53:21.08
So in every heart
there is a cross and throne.
00:53:21.09\00:53:23.43
Where is Jesus
tonight? In your heart.
00:53:23.44\00:53:26.59
Is He on the cross
because self is on the throne
00:53:26.60\00:53:30.18
or is He on the throne
because self is on the cross.
00:53:30.19\00:53:34.60
They overcame him and they
loved not their lives to death
00:53:34.61\00:53:39.02
that is to say, they said,
00:53:39.03\00:53:40.96
Jesus what do You want me to do?
00:53:40.97\00:53:43.05
And I will do it.
That is to say Jesus,
00:53:43.06\00:53:46.01
I want to give my life for You.
00:53:46.02\00:53:48.99
And whatever that
is, I want to do it,
00:53:49.00\00:53:51.31
comeback with me
please to 1948, '49 and '50,
00:53:51.32\00:53:56.48
we're in the
country of the Ukraine.
00:53:56.49\00:53:58.83
Communism dominates the land,
00:53:58.84\00:54:00.99
it's against the
law to own a typewriter,
00:54:01.00\00:54:03.21
so Seventh-day Adventists know
00:54:03.22\00:54:06.89
that if they're
gonna preserve the Bible,
00:54:06.90\00:54:08.37
they have to love
their lives not to death.
00:54:08.38\00:54:10.25
They know if they're
gonna preserve God's word,
00:54:10.26\00:54:12.42
they have to secretly type
the messages of Jesus Christ.
00:54:12.43\00:54:16.95
Mrs. Olga Galan,
Conference President's wife
00:54:16.96\00:54:19.60
in the days of
communism received a typewriter,
00:54:19.61\00:54:23.24
it was smuggled into
her and she dedicated
00:54:23.25\00:54:26.62
35 years of her
life to secretly typing
00:54:26.63\00:54:29.75
and typed over 2,000
copies of Desire of Ages
00:54:29.76\00:54:32.48
and went blind
typing. For about 15 years,
00:54:32.49\00:54:35.52
she spent under a
table in the living room,
00:54:35.53\00:54:37.62
she go into the table,
00:54:37.63\00:54:38.93
they would put a
quilt over the table.
00:54:38.94\00:54:41.15
So that nobody would hear
00:54:41.16\00:54:42.13
a tick, tick, tick,
tick, tick of typing
00:54:42.14\00:54:44.24
and they're
underneath that table.
00:54:44.25\00:54:46.85
She would type day
after day, hour after hour,
00:54:46.86\00:54:49.18
Sabbath school
lessons, Bible passages,
00:54:49.19\00:54:51.49
memory verses, Desire of Ages,
00:54:51.50\00:54:53.94
but it became too
dangerous in the later years
00:54:53.95\00:54:56.33
particularly in Stalin
years, so they put padding,
00:54:56.34\00:55:00.14
quilt padding in a closet
and she type in the closet
00:55:00.15\00:55:03.66
until she went blind
typing, could not see.
00:55:03.67\00:55:08.63
Hoping that through Jesus
and by Jesus that those books
00:55:08.64\00:55:13.44
would make an impact,
she sacrificed to her life,
00:55:13.45\00:55:17.48
poured out her life, 35 years,
00:55:17.49\00:55:19.76
many people say it's
a waste, why do that,
00:55:19.77\00:55:22.59
would freedom ever come?
00:55:22.60\00:55:24.97
In 1954, Khrushchev came
00:55:24.98\00:55:28.96
to the Communist Cultural
Palace in the City of Kiev
00:55:28.97\00:55:34.47
and he stood behind the lectern,
00:55:34.55\00:55:36.88
walked on the wooden bound,
wooden slats of the platform,
00:55:36.89\00:55:41.47
and Khrushchev said, in 25 years
00:55:41.48\00:55:45.93
they were not be one Christian
in the Former Soviet Union,
00:55:45.94\00:55:49.19
directed
materialism will triumph,
00:55:49.20\00:55:52.05
humanism will
triumph, we will destroy
00:55:52.06\00:55:54.79
the myth of God. Then he said,
00:55:54.80\00:55:57.89
there will be one
Christian that remains
00:55:57.90\00:56:01.17
and when he dies
we'll stuff him like a deer,
00:56:01.18\00:56:04.48
will stuff him like an animal
and bring him up to Moscow
00:56:04.49\00:56:07.77
and there that
Christian will be in a museum
00:56:07.78\00:56:10.22
for other generations to
see because the Christian,
00:56:10.23\00:56:13.64
because
Christians will be extinct
00:56:13.65\00:56:15.75
and at least we
need a preserve one.
00:56:15.76\00:56:19.47
A few months ago, I walked
00:56:19.48\00:56:22.33
into the Kiev Cultural Center
00:56:23.94\00:56:26.33
and I stood
there on that platform
00:56:26.34\00:56:30.86
and the cameras were turned on
00:56:30.87\00:56:33.89
and through the Hope Channel,
00:56:33.90\00:56:37.46
we satellited to all of
the Former Soviet Union,
00:56:37.47\00:56:43.30
the message of Jesus
Christ as I was standing
00:56:43.97\00:56:47.53
on the same boards
that Khrushchev said
00:56:47.54\00:56:50.84
made his
statement for the Christians
00:56:50.85\00:56:52.55
would become extinct.
And thousands of people
00:56:52.56\00:56:55.59
with the word of
God in their hands,
00:56:55.60\00:57:00.40
thousands of people
listened to God's word,
00:57:00.41\00:57:04.54
accepted Jesus
Christ, they were baptized.
00:57:04.55\00:57:07.71
The seeds that Mrs. Olga Galan
00:57:07.72\00:57:11.60
and hundreds and
thousands of other faithful
00:57:11.61\00:57:14.54
Christians sowed,
because they love God
00:57:14.55\00:57:17.75
their life to
death came to harvest,
00:57:17.76\00:57:21.76
they overcame Him
through the blood of the Lamb.
00:57:21.77\00:57:26.93
Satan is a defeated
foe, they overcame him
00:57:26.94\00:57:30.26
by the word of their testimony,
00:57:30.27\00:57:32.66
Satan is a defeated
foe. Would you share Christ?
00:57:32.67\00:57:35.09
You will grow, they overcame him
00:57:35.10\00:57:37.28
because they sacrifice
their lives not unto death,
00:57:37.29\00:57:40.02
unto death. Are you
willing to say to Jesus today,
00:57:40.03\00:57:43.16
Lord, everything I have is
Yours, my life is Yours today,
00:57:43.17\00:57:48.76
my heart is Yours
today, my mind is Yours today.
00:57:48.77\00:57:53.36
Who I am and what I
am about is Yours today.
00:57:53.37\00:57:57.16
Would you like to
say that to Jesus today?
00:57:57.17\00:57:59.27
How many of you like to
say Jesus I'm Yours today?
00:57:59.28\00:58:01.90
Who I am? What I am about?
00:58:01.91\00:58:03.78
My time is Yours,
my talents are Yours,
00:58:03.79\00:58:06.75
my treasure is Yours,
everything about me today Lord
00:58:06.76\00:58:10.79
is Yours and through
Christ and in Christ,
00:58:10.80\00:58:13.37
I can be more than a
conqueror through Jesus.
00:58:13.38\00:58:15.62