Hello and welcome to
3ABN Spring Camp Meeting 2010.
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And we welcome our local
audience and our audience
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from around the
world. Now, I know that
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we've just returned from lunch.
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When I was in the seminary,
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I had a Greek class
that I used to take right
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after lunch and I had to
actually cancel that class
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because I was going to fail it.
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Because I kept falling asleep
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on my Greek teacher.
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So, I'm praying that
you didn't eat too much
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and everybody is
wide awake because
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we've got an exciting
seminar this afternoon
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and some good music.
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Our music is
coming from our friend
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Darrell Marshall
and he is gonna be
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with us in just
a moment to sing,
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but our, our speaker
for this afternoon is a
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young man that we'll
hear again during the course
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of this weekend.
His name is David Shin.
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He is a just a
fireball for the Lord.
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We like David Shin
quite a lot around here.
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He is married under two years,
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so he's still
technically a newly wed.
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He went all the
way to Africa to,
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to be married. And
his wife is Tennille,
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I don't know if
Tennille is here,
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but I know she
is on the grounds.
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David Shin
pastors the East Lansing
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and Williamston
district in Michigan conference.
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He is a graduate of
the seminary with his
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Masters Degree and is
continuing his education,
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but more than
that, this is a young man
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who loves the Lord,
who is a good student
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of the word and just
a Christian young man,
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who we really love here at 3ABN.
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He will be our seminar
presenter this afternoon,
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but before he comes to us,
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Darrell Marshall is
here, who is gonna be singing,
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Drinking From My
Saucer, God bless you. Amen.
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I've Never Made A Fortune
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and It's Probably Too Late Now
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but I Don't
Worry About That Much
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'Cause I'm Happy Anyhow
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As I Go Along Life's Journey
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I'm Reaping Better Than I Sowed
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I'm Drinking From My Saucer
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'Cause My Cup Has Overflowed
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Ain't Got A Lot Of Riches
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Sometimes The Going's Tough
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but I've Got a
friend his Jesus, Oh! Yes
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and That Makes Me
Rich Enough Oh! Yes
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I Thank God For
all His Blessings on me
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and The Mercies
that He's Bestowed
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I'm Drinking From My Saucer
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'Cause My Cup Has Overflowed
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You know, my
friend, sometime sadness
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and sorrow comes our way and
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there doesn't seem to
be much we can do about it.
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But I remember the one day,
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when I was at my very lowest?
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I looked up into heaven
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and I've touched his
precious nail scarred hands.
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God promises all
that he would be faithful
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to reach down, pick us
up and restore us to new.
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Has he done that
for you today, yes?
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So Lord, Help Me
Not to grumble in pain
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about The Tough
Rows That I've Hoed
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I'm Drinking From My Saucer
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'Cause My Cup Has Overflowed
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And if I should go in
levy and if and if my way gets
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steep and low
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I'm not gonna ask
for other blessings.
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And you know why
because I feel that
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I'm Already Blessed Enough
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And this is my prayer
for all of you, all over the
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world today that
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I can Never Be Too Busy
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I don't wanna ever be too busy
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To Help another Bear his Loads
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I'm Drinking From My Saucer
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'Cause My Cup Has Overflowed
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Yes, I'll be
drinking from my Saucer
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Oh! Yes I will,
this cup has overflowed,
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Tell me today
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Has your cup overflowed.
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Amen, amen.
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Good afternoon. Good afternoon.
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And let's bow our
heads forward to prayer.
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Father in heaven we thank you
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for this Pillars Weekend
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and this opportunity
that we have to study
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your word this afternoon.
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We pray for your
Holy Spirit to be with us.
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I be behind the
cross, we pray that as
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we open your
word, as we delve into
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your holy scriptures
that you would speaks to
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our hearts and to
our minds in Jesus name,
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amen. Amen.
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Our topic this after
afternoon is entitled
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'The Last And Final Deception.'
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And I know, we've
heard this many times,
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but I believe sincerely
that we are living in the
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very final moments
of earth's history,
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amen. Amen.
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Jesus is coming soon.
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And as we delve into this topic,
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I would like to just
by way of introduction
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set this stage
for the Bible study
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we're gonna have
for this seminar,
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is it okay if we've a
Bible study this afternoon,
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amen. Amen.
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I was working as a Bible worker
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a number of years
ago in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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Anyone here ever been
to Tulsa, Oklahoma before?
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And we were doing an
Evangelistic series there.
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I was going door-to-door
working with the contacts
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that were coming to
these Evangelistic series.
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And there was this
one couple they had some
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Pentecostal
background, they were hearing
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the Adventist
message and were making
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steps toward baptism.
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On this particular afternoon
she came to the church,
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I was walking around the church
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praying for our
interest and she said,
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David something's happened
in our home this morning.
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You'll have to hear me out,
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is there anything you can do
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and I asked her what happened?
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And she said that,
she went out to her
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garage that
morning, it's a stone
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or I should say a
cement slab garage floor.
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And there was this
closet in the garage and
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suddenly the
closet started shaking.
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She knew that it
wasn't an earthquake because
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there was nothing else
in the room that was shaking
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and she knew that
this was a supernatural
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phenomenon and she
called out the name of Jesus
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and the, the closet
started shaking even more.
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You can imagine that
she was quite frazzled
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to say the least and
it was that day that she
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came out to the
church and spoke to me.
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So, I said, there is no problem,
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I will speak to the Evangelist
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and I'm sure that he
will do something about it.
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So, I was in
Workers Meeting that morning
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and I told the
Evangelist and there was another
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Bible worker that
was with us and I said,
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Mark, his name was
Mark, I said there is this
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situation in the
home, is there something
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that we could do.
He said David this
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will be a great
experience for you.
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And I said, wait a
minute. I'm here to learn,
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no you know, why
don't, why, what about you?
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And he said, no,
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no I want you and
Bill to go down there
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and, and pray in the home and,
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and it will be fine.
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And, so I went back to
my room and I was quite.
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Had a little bit of
anxiety to say the least
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because I remember
in the Book of Acts
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where these
gentleman were dealing with the
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supernatural phenomenon.
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And they said, Peter we know,
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Paul we know, but who are you?
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And remember the
rest of that story
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they ran out of the room
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and without
their clothes on. And,
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so I went and said, the
Lord if there is anything
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in my heart that
I need to repent of,
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please cleanse me and
you know the Holy Spirit
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works on your life
and I went on my computer
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and I remember I
had some software
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on there that I
had not paid for.
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A friend had given
it to me, amen. Amen.
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Remember, and so I
started deleting all these
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software and all the
things on my computer
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that I did not
have a license for.
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I prayed Lord if there
is anything in my heart
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that I need to
confess, please cleanse me,
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cover with me with
your blood and I went off
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with my friend
Bill. I never forget it;
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it was so silent in the car.
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We pulled up to the drive way,
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and I said are you
ready. He said, yeah.
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And we, she invited us
in, she said I want you to
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go to the garage
where this happened.
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We're thinking great you know,
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and so we went in the garage.
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It, it is kind of anticlimactic,
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but we're glad nothing happen
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we prayed in the home,
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come to find out
they had a history
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of supernatural
phenomenon happening
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in their home and
they were making steps for
00:11:29.38\00:11:31.51
baptism and there was
these things taking place,
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praise the Lord they were,
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they were baptized
into the Seventh Day
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Adventist as a result. Amen.
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You know, that
situation really got me thinking
00:11:40.46\00:11:42.85
because I came to
the conclusion with other
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individuals I met
canvassing and going Bible
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work door-to-door was that.
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As we approached the end of time
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and if I read my Bible correctly
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that the veil
between the supernatural
00:11:55.85\00:11:58.86
and natural will become very,
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very thin.
00:12:01.30\00:12:02.27
And if you haven't
noticed in the media
00:12:03.80\00:12:05.65
and magazines, in the Internet
00:12:05.68\00:12:09.06
and on the TV shows and movies,
00:12:09.09\00:12:12.39
there is a fascination
with the supernatural,
00:12:12.42\00:12:15.40
it seems that
Hollywood is embracing these
00:12:15.43\00:12:17.95
things and it comes
down to this question of
00:12:17.98\00:12:20.89
what is our final authority
00:12:20.92\00:12:23.26
because all over the
world there are these
00:12:23.81\00:12:26.45
supernatural phenomenons
that are taking place
00:12:26.48\00:12:28.62
and people are
saying, this is real
00:12:28.65\00:12:30.62
because I've experienced it.
00:12:30.65\00:12:32.42
And, as we
approach the end of time,
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there is going to be
miracles according to
00:12:34.66\00:12:36.98
the Book of
Revelation that is going to be
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from both sides and
the question comes to us.
00:12:39.79\00:12:42.25
What is our final authority?
00:12:42.28\00:12:44.98
I'd like to give you
some other examples here
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this afternoon of
things that have been
00:12:48.79\00:12:50.27
happening in society
and read this quotation.
00:12:50.30\00:12:52.97
It's said just
before Christmas in 1996,
00:12:54.06\00:12:57.33
a painting of Jesus
was seen by hundreds of
00:12:57.81\00:13:00.89
eyewitnesses to
be weeping red tears.
00:13:00.92\00:13:04.51
The painting was
not an ordinary icon for
00:13:05.72\00:13:09.06
it hangs in the Bethlehem
Church of the Nativity,
00:13:09.09\00:13:12.17
above the spot
where Christian tradition
00:13:12.20\00:13:15.10
maintains Jesus was born.
00:13:15.13\00:13:17.24
A Muslim cleaning
lady was the first to see
00:13:17.96\00:13:20.36
a light that came
from the painting just
00:13:20.39\00:13:23.01
prior to the tears
flowing from the eyes of Jesus.
00:13:23.04\00:13:26.45
Since her sighting,
thousands of Christians
00:13:26.89\00:13:29.82
of all denominations,
along with many Jews
00:13:29.85\00:13:33.18
and Muslims, have
witnessed the tears.
00:13:33.21\00:13:35.89
Here is another
instance, it's called the lady
00:13:37.19\00:13:39.11
of Syracuse, maybe
you've heard of this
00:13:39.14\00:13:41.19
before in Sicily
in the spring of 1953,
00:13:41.22\00:13:44.07
you've heard of
these marine operations
00:13:44.68\00:13:46.24
that have been taking place.
00:13:46.27\00:13:47.52
It says, the statue of
Mary began weeping tears.
00:13:47.55\00:13:50.62
Doubting neighbors
cynical journalists
00:13:51.77\00:13:54.59
and rational
scientific investigators
00:13:54.62\00:13:57.92
were baffled by the
phenomenon of a virtual
00:13:57.95\00:14:00.78
torrent of tears
flowing from the eyes
00:14:00.81\00:14:04.39
of the plaster Madonna.
00:14:04.42\00:14:06.57
A skeptical
detective caught several tears
00:14:07.31\00:14:10.04
in a chemist's vial
and without identifying
00:14:10.07\00:14:12.68
the liquid sent the
specimen to a police
00:14:12.71\00:14:14.78
laboratory for analysis,
it was real human tears.
00:14:14.81\00:14:18.24
Hardly anytime
passed before the crippled,
00:14:19.37\00:14:21.78
the lame and the ill
from all over Italy were soon
00:14:21.81\00:14:25.37
gathering before
the weeping Madonna.
00:14:25.40\00:14:27.71
The tears, listen to this.
00:14:28.38\00:14:30.33
The tears were
caught on a cloth and wiped
00:14:30.36\00:14:33.33
on the bodies of the afflicted.
00:14:33.36\00:14:35.19
A middle-aged man recovered the
00:14:35.59\00:14:37.34
use of a crippled arm.
00:14:37.37\00:14:38.94
A three-year-old
girl stricken with polio
00:14:39.28\00:14:41.58
was able to discard
the stainless steel braces
00:14:41.61\00:14:43.94
that encased her twisted legs.
00:14:43.97\00:14:45.57
An 18-year-old
girl who had struck,
00:14:46.31\00:14:48.37
been struck dumb 11
years began to speak,
00:14:48.40\00:14:51.33
hundreds of
others claimed to have
00:14:51.84\00:14:54.02
received a healing
blessing from the tears
00:14:54.05\00:14:56.93
of the little Madonna.
00:14:56.96\00:14:57.99
The Madonna's
tears ceased to flow
00:14:58.48\00:15:00.36
on the fourth day,
00:15:00.39\00:15:01.66
but exactly one month later,
00:15:02.49\00:15:04.07
the statue was carried through
00:15:04.10\00:15:05.29
the streets of Syracuse, Italy
00:15:05.32\00:15:07.64
at the head of a procession
00:15:07.67\00:15:10.04
of thirty thousand people.
00:15:10.07\00:15:12.86
And there are documented,
00:15:14.50\00:15:16.85
marine operations that have been
00:15:17.16\00:15:19.25
taking place for centuries.
00:15:19.28\00:15:22.45
I'm Korean by decent
and there was one that
00:15:23.65\00:15:27.10
caught my
attention, it was of Julia Kim,
00:15:27.50\00:15:30.34
she was in South
Korea, a Catholic nun.
00:15:30.37\00:15:32.85
And the story goes
that they were taking part
00:15:33.49\00:15:36.16
in the Eucharist.
And the priest was going
00:15:36.19\00:15:38.42
around placing the Eucharist,
00:15:38.45\00:15:40.45
the wafer in the mouth
of different individuals
00:15:40.48\00:15:42.62
and when they came to Julia Kim.
00:15:42.65\00:15:44.18
The priest placed
the wafer in the mouth
00:15:44.89\00:15:47.53
and it became a piece of flesh.
00:15:48.10\00:15:50.19
Amen. And, you
remember the Catholic
00:15:50.22\00:15:54.53
theology of transubstantiation.
00:15:54.56\00:15:56.60
They believe when
the priest blesses
00:15:56.63\00:15:58.82
the Eucharist that
it literally becomes
00:15:58.85\00:16:00.51
the body of Jesus
and they are saying that
00:16:00.54\00:16:02.38
this is evidence of the doctrine
00:16:02.41\00:16:04.89
of transubstantiation. Amen.
00:16:04.92\00:16:07.80
There is another phenomenon
00:16:09.28\00:16:10.25
that has been taking place
00:16:10.26\00:16:11.50
and it's called out
of body experiences.
00:16:11.53\00:16:14.57
One statistic
states that as many
00:16:15.45\00:16:17.21
seven million
Americans to have claimed
00:16:17.24\00:16:19.46
to have out of body experiences.
00:16:19.95\00:16:21.99
And I would like to
read to you this account.
00:16:22.02\00:16:23.78
Grace was shaking with
fever and terrible pain.
00:16:24.08\00:16:26.98
Her body was just trembling
00:16:27.01\00:16:28.50
as she was
rushed to the hospital.
00:16:28.53\00:16:29.96
And she immediately was ushered
00:16:30.65\00:16:32.21
into the emergency room.
00:16:32.24\00:16:33.51
The physician gave her
very, very, little hope.
00:16:33.96\00:16:36.44
Her blood pressure was dropping.
00:16:37.06\00:16:38.68
Grace described
their experience later,
00:16:39.09\00:16:40.93
she said that as her
blood pressure dropped
00:16:40.96\00:16:43.39
and as she was very near death
00:16:43.67\00:16:45.13
it appeared that she was
slipping out of her body.
00:16:45.16\00:16:47.55
It appeared to her
that something unusual
00:16:48.00\00:16:50.26
and strange was happening.
00:16:50.29\00:16:51.99
It appeared that she was
ascending to the ceiling.
00:16:52.32\00:16:54.47
She seemed to be
floating up to the ceiling.
00:16:54.50\00:16:56.86
She seemed to be
looking back at the physicians
00:16:56.89\00:16:58.74
and the nurses who
were attending her.
00:16:58.77\00:17:00.71
She described her experience
00:17:01.03\00:17:02.38
as a journey to the light.
00:17:02.41\00:17:03.99
In fact Grace
said I began to feel
00:17:04.55\00:17:07.04
the most incredible
warm loving feeling.
00:17:07.07\00:17:11.33
I was in the light and there was
00:17:11.98\00:17:13.84
a presence in the light.
00:17:13.87\00:17:16.04
Now, this morning I
have just talked about
00:17:17.24\00:17:18.99
a variety of different
supernatural experiences
00:17:19.02\00:17:22.24
and these are many times
scientifically verifiable,
00:17:22.27\00:17:26.81
eye witnessed experiences.
00:17:28.35\00:17:31.12
And this morning,
00:17:32.52\00:17:33.49
this afternoon it's
not my intention to do
00:17:33.94\00:17:40.12
a analysis of each
one of these experiences,
00:17:40.15\00:17:43.10
but rather to ask the
fundamental question as
00:17:43.13\00:17:45.99
to what is the
final authority between
00:17:46.02\00:17:48.58
experience and scripture.
00:17:48.61\00:17:51.10
Let's say we've
a real experience,
00:17:51.95\00:17:54.42
it is scientifically verifiable,
00:17:54.45\00:17:56.93
accurate from an experiential
00:17:56.96\00:17:58.67
stand point of view.
Does that in fact show us
00:17:58.70\00:18:01.91
that it is the truth? No.
00:18:01.94\00:18:03.95
As we're
approach the end of time,
00:18:04.71\00:18:06.10
there was gonna be a
lot of people that say,
00:18:06.13\00:18:07.89
I've seen it, I've heard it,
00:18:07.92\00:18:10.22
I've experienced it,
therefore it is the truth.
00:18:10.25\00:18:14.97
And, so this
afternoon for the seminar,
00:18:15.84\00:18:18.41
I would like for
us to look at a Bible
00:18:18.44\00:18:20.33
study from a
Biblical stand point
00:18:20.36\00:18:22.70
of view to look at,
00:18:22.73\00:18:24.54
what is to be
the final authority
00:18:24.91\00:18:27.51
for the Christian?
Now, I would like to say,
00:18:27.54\00:18:30.07
first and foremost,
00:18:30.10\00:18:31.20
do we as Bible
believing Christians
00:18:31.23\00:18:34.22
believe in
miracles. Yes. Yes, we do.
00:18:34.25\00:18:37.09
We look in the Bible.
You see, plenty of miracles.
00:18:37.12\00:18:39.58
You see, the dead being raised.
00:18:39.82\00:18:41.74
You see, the lame being healed
00:18:42.00\00:18:44.05
and all types
of beautiful things
00:18:44.08\00:18:46.81
happening in the
name of Jesus in the New
00:18:46.84\00:18:49.09
and the Old Testament.
So, we believe in miracles,
00:18:49.12\00:18:53.68
but miracles are they
to be our final authority?
00:18:54.40\00:18:58.90
Amen. So, with this background
00:18:58.93\00:19:01.03
I would like to
go to two passages
00:19:01.06\00:19:02.80
in the Bible in our
study as we lay this
00:19:02.83\00:19:05.83
foundation as to
what is to be our final
00:19:05.86\00:19:08.61
authority as we
delve into this topic of
00:19:08.64\00:19:11.38
the last and final deception.
00:19:11.41\00:19:13.47
And, I like to invite
you to, to turn with me
00:19:13.96\00:19:15.99
in your Bibles to
Second Peter chapter 1,
00:19:16.02\00:19:18.77
verse 18. Second
Peter chapter 1, verse 18.
00:19:19.21\00:19:23.74
What is to be
the final authority
00:19:23.77\00:19:26.36
for the Christian especially
00:19:26.39\00:19:29.00
as we approach the end of time?
00:19:29.03\00:19:31.49
Second Peter
chapter 3 and verse 18,
00:19:31.52\00:19:34.63
Peter is writing to
this to the New Testament
00:19:34.66\00:19:37.81
church and he
makes a very profound
00:19:37.84\00:19:41.30
point as to this
question that we've opened up
00:19:41.84\00:19:45.88
this afternoon.
00:19:45.91\00:19:46.95
Second Peter let's
go back to verse 16.
00:19:47.92\00:19:50.15
Get a little bit
of a background here.
00:19:50.70\00:19:52.28
For we have not
followed cunningly devised.
00:19:53.29\00:19:57.49
What is your Bible
say? Fables. Fables,
00:19:57.52\00:19:59.74
in other words Peter is saying,
00:19:59.77\00:20:01.01
what I'm telling
you is not a myth,
00:20:01.04\00:20:03.47
it's not a fable,
it's not something
00:20:03.88\00:20:06.18
that has been made up.
00:20:06.21\00:20:07.18
It is the truth and
he bases this on the
00:20:07.24\00:20:10.78
following statements.
For we have not followed
00:20:10.91\00:20:12.68
cunningly devised
fables, when we made known
00:20:12.78\00:20:15.57
unto you the power
and coming of our Lord
00:20:15.73\00:20:18.78
Jesus Christ, but we
were, what? Eyewitnesses.
00:20:18.87\00:20:22.02
But we were eyewitnesses
of his majesty. So, Peter
00:20:22.17\00:20:25.98
from the beginning
is making his point that
00:20:26.01\00:20:28.10
this is not a fable, this
is not a myth, this is not
00:20:28.33\00:20:30.07
something that a bunch
of individuals had made
00:20:30.26\00:20:31.82
up because we have,
what? We've seen it.
00:20:31.85\00:20:34.86
We were
eyewitnesses of his majesty.
00:20:38.20\00:20:39.17
Now, Peter came
to us today and said,
00:20:39.18\00:20:40.62
believe me, Jesus is
the son of God because
00:20:41.02\00:20:43.45
I was there; I saw
it, that would be credible
00:20:43.60\00:20:46.52
evidence. That would
stand up in a court of
00:20:46.62\00:20:48.71
law. I saw it with
my own eyes. I was an
00:20:48.97\00:20:52.22
eyewitness. And he
goes on in verse 17 for he
00:20:52.25\00:20:56.08
received from God the
Father honor and glory
00:20:56.38\00:20:59.72
when such a voice came
to him from the excellent
00:20:59.81\00:21:03.47
glory. This is my
beloved son, in whom I am
00:21:03.72\00:21:07.08
well pleased. Notice
that he goes to the next
00:21:07.23\00:21:10.06
sensory perception in
establishing the reality,
00:21:10.14\00:21:13.59
the truth, the fact
of Jesus. And he says,
00:21:13.78\00:21:16.61
first of all I saw
it. I was an eyewitness
00:21:16.64\00:21:19.18
and he says the
second sensory perception is
00:21:19.41\00:21:21.56
what? I heard it; I
heard the voice from heaven
00:21:21.75\00:21:24.97
saying. This is my
beloved son. Now, there
00:21:25.15\00:21:28.69
is two instances in
the Bible where that voice
00:21:28.72\00:21:30.97
was heard and he
clarifies that in verse
00:21:33.11\00:21:34.08
18. And we heard
this voice which came
00:21:34.09\00:21:37.46
from heaven when
we are with him on the
00:21:37.49\00:21:40.17
holy mount. One
instance was that.
00:21:40.35\00:21:41.73
That was the mount
of transfiguration.
00:21:42.02\00:21:43.85
That was arguably in
Peter's experience the
00:21:45.15\00:21:49.33
greatest
manifestation of the son of God.
00:21:49.69\00:21:52.13
He saw Moses and
Elijah. And I like to
00:21:52.89\00:21:55.88
read to you this
statement from the
00:21:56.45\00:21:58.46
Desire of Ages. It
says, His prayer is heard,
00:21:58.78\00:22:00.91
while He is bowed
in loneliness upon the
00:22:00.94\00:22:03.07
the stony ground
suddenly the heaven's opened.
00:22:03.10\00:22:05.68
The golden gates of
the city of God are thrown
00:22:06.57\00:22:09.31
wide and holy radiance
descends from the mount.
00:22:09.47\00:22:13.87
And shrouding the
saviors form, Divinity
00:22:14.30\00:22:17.18
from within
flashes through humanity.
00:22:17.55\00:22:20.81
And meets the
glory coming from above,
00:22:21.80\00:22:23.71
arising from his prostrate
position Christ stands in
00:22:24.21\00:22:28.48
God light majesty.
The soul agony is gone.
00:22:28.51\00:22:32.28
His countenance
now shines as the Sun.
00:22:32.66\00:22:35.25
And his garments
are as a white as light.
00:22:35.70\00:22:38.40
The disciples are
wakening behold the
00:22:39.28\00:22:40.78
flood of glory that
emanates from the mount,
00:22:40.95\00:22:43.90
I wish I was there. Amen.
00:22:44.07\00:22:46.10
So, Peter is basing the
reality of Christ as the
00:22:46.48\00:22:50.04
son of God on the
fact that he was there on
00:22:50.13\00:22:54.31
the mount of transfiguration.
00:22:54.34\00:22:56.00
He heard the
voice, he saw the glory,
00:22:56.44\00:22:58.84
he saw Moses and
Elijah transfigure before his
00:22:59.10\00:23:02.18
very eyes. Now, if
Peter had just stopped there.
00:23:02.32\00:23:05.58
It would have been
enough, amen. Amen.
00:23:06.17\00:23:08.91
He was an
eyewitness, he heard, he was
00:23:09.41\00:23:11.12
experiencing the
excellent glory and was
00:23:11.57\00:23:13.76
it the truth,
amen, it was. Amen.
00:23:13.96\00:23:16.19
Right, now this next
statement is revolutionary
00:23:16.50\00:23:20.16
in verse 19. Notice
what Peter says, and now
00:23:20.19\00:23:23.83
we have a more
sure word of prophecy.
00:23:23.97\00:23:28.30
That is earth
shattering up to this point.
00:23:29.72\00:23:32.24
He has just said,
what I'm saying to you,
00:23:32.36\00:23:34.01
it's not a myth, it's
not fable, it's a reality
00:23:34.07\00:23:36.19
because I was there on
mount of transfiguration.
00:23:36.22\00:23:38.85
It's a fact. Amen.
But I want to tell you
00:23:39.17\00:23:41.20
something that is
more sure than the mount of
00:23:41.35\00:23:44.13
transfiguration
experience as true as
00:23:44.27\00:23:46.49
it was. And that is
the word of God. Amen.
00:23:46.52\00:23:50.45
Are you hearing,
what he is saying. Yeah.
00:23:51.73\00:23:53.57
He is saying, I was
there on the mount of
00:23:53.72\00:23:54.93
transfiguration more
sure than that is the
00:23:55.15\00:23:59.16
word of God. Amen.
00:23:59.25\00:24:00.70
So, if you were to
put in Peter's estimation
00:24:01.05\00:24:03.40
something that is
more verifiable. Something
00:24:03.64\00:24:06.25
that is more
authoritative than the
00:24:06.33\00:24:08.50
mount of transfiguration,
he had placed the word
00:24:08.72\00:24:10.68
of God up here. Even
greater than an authentic
00:24:10.71\00:24:14.76
experience is to
be the word of God.
00:24:14.96\00:24:18.11
The word of God is to
be our final authority.
00:24:18.27\00:24:21.66
Amen. Amen. Amen.
So, we've just seen Peter
00:24:21.87\00:24:25.07
establish the reality
of the authoritative nature
00:24:25.23\00:24:29.49
of God's word.
This is dripping with
00:24:29.96\00:24:33.34
implications. Number
one, personal experience
00:24:33.51\00:24:35.90
does not
supersede scripture. Amen.
00:24:35.94\00:24:38.82
Therefore we're to
test our experience with the
00:24:39.92\00:24:42.24
Bible and not
the other way around.
00:24:42.40\00:24:45.50
And if our experience
contradicts the Bible.
00:24:46.13\00:24:48.53
We're to trust the Bible
instead of our experience.
00:24:49.23\00:24:53.42
Amen. It's a
difficult thing to do.
00:24:53.45\00:24:55.57
Great controversy, but
God would have a people
00:24:56.91\00:24:59.62
upon the earth
maintain the Bible and the Bible
00:24:59.76\00:25:02.18
only as the standard
of all of doctrines and
00:25:02.47\00:25:05.18
the basis of all reforms. Amen.
00:25:05.21\00:25:07.83
The opinions of
learned men, the deductions
00:25:08.24\00:25:11.35
of science, the
creeds or decisions of
00:25:11.56\00:25:14.69
ecclesiastical
counsels as numerous and
00:25:14.78\00:25:17.64
discordance as are
the churches which they
00:25:17.67\00:25:19.85
represent. Listen to
this, the voice of the
00:25:20.20\00:25:22.99
majority, not one nor
all of these should be
00:25:23.02\00:25:26.62
regarded as evidence
for or against any point
00:25:26.65\00:25:30.79
of religious faith.
Before accepting any
00:25:30.86\00:25:33.62
doctrine or precept,
we should demand a plain,
00:25:33.84\00:25:37.10
thus saith the
Lord in its support.
00:25:37.13\00:25:39.90
Amen, that's right.
You know, we're living
00:25:39.93\00:25:43.38
an age where people
are doubting the Bible.
00:25:43.41\00:25:49.08
And I believe that
inside the church as well as
00:25:50.95\00:25:53.72
without. We're going
through this period that
00:25:53.92\00:25:56.33
Ellen White described
as the shaking period.
00:25:56.74\00:25:59.43
That's right. Amen, amen.
00:25:59.65\00:26:00.62
Where every wind of
doctrine has been blowing
00:26:00.63\00:26:04.58
and our 28
fundamental beliefs had been
00:26:05.55\00:26:07.39
under attack. Amen.
00:26:07.53\00:26:09.25
And we need to
be a people that are
00:26:09.69\00:26:12.55
consumed with the book, amen.
00:26:13.03\00:26:14.66
Amen, amen. I like to go to our
00:26:14.69\00:26:17.76
second example. Let's
go to the example of Jesus.
00:26:17.79\00:26:20.79
What did Jesus hold
as the final authority?
00:26:21.26\00:26:23.41
Let's go to Luke
chapter 24. As we continue
00:26:23.52\00:26:26.80
in our study this
afternoon. We've just
00:26:26.83\00:26:29.22
seen, in Second Peter
chapter 1 that Peter says
00:26:29.25\00:26:32.59
that more than the
experience on the mount
00:26:32.65\00:26:34.80
of transfiguration. The
Bible is to be our final
00:26:34.83\00:26:37.25
authority, that it
is the more sure word of
00:26:37.38\00:26:40.79
prophecy. And,
I'd like to go to Luke
00:26:41.02\00:26:43.82
chapter 24, and this
is a phenomenal example
00:26:43.85\00:26:48.13
where Jesus shows
by his own life what he
00:26:48.82\00:26:52.51
holds? Dear as the
final authority. It's known as
00:26:52.68\00:26:56.56
the walk to Emmaus.
Matthew chapter 24 and
00:26:57.38\00:27:01.41
verse 13. Now,
behold, two of them were
00:27:01.54\00:27:05.89
traveling the same
day, this is right after the
00:27:06.04\00:27:07.90
crucifixion to a
village called Emmaus, which was
00:27:07.98\00:27:11.73
seven miles from
Jerusalem. Incidentally
00:27:11.94\00:27:13.84
these two disciples
are very obscure. We don't
00:27:14.05\00:27:16.09
know a lot about
them. One of them,
00:27:16.30\00:27:17.66
we don't even know
the name. The other one's
00:27:17.94\00:27:19.52
name is Cleopas. As
we'll find out later and
00:27:19.60\00:27:21.68
they're, they're
depressed, they're
00:27:21.71\00:27:23.11
downtrodden because
Jesus has died the hopes
00:27:23.26\00:27:26.17
of the messiah being
Jesus Christ, Jesus of
00:27:26.20\00:27:29.61
Nazareth has been
dashed over the weekend.
00:27:29.77\00:27:31.74
And, they're going
down to Emmaus and the
00:27:32.59\00:27:34.62
Jesus meets them along
the way. And they talked
00:27:34.80\00:27:38.05
together of all the
things which had happened.
00:27:38.14\00:27:39.21
So, it was while they
conversed and reasoned
00:27:39.91\00:27:41.99
that Jesus himself drew
near and went with them.
00:27:42.02\00:27:45.62
And, notice this,
but their eyes were
00:27:46.34\00:27:47.75
restrained, so that
they did not know him.
00:27:48.02\00:27:50.35
And he sent to them
what kind of conversation
00:27:50.58\00:27:52.92
is this, that you
have would one another,
00:27:53.03\00:27:54.65
as you walk and
are sad. Now, this is a
00:27:54.94\00:27:57.61
curious story because
Jesus knew the problem.
00:27:58.25\00:28:03.34
What was the
problem? They, they thought
00:28:03.52\00:28:05.83
that Jesus was dead.
And they were depressed.
00:28:05.91\00:28:08.98
So, there was a
very easy efficient way
00:28:09.07\00:28:12.63
of getting them out
of their depression.
00:28:12.71\00:28:14.67
Amen. He could have
just walked up to them,
00:28:14.70\00:28:16.70
light emanating
from heaven and said I'm
00:28:17.98\00:28:20.69
Jesus. Look at my
hands; look at my feet,
00:28:20.91\00:28:23.42
end of story, right. Amen.
00:28:23.94\00:28:25.79
But this is so
curious because he walks up to
00:28:25.83\00:28:28.03
them; he knows why
they are depressed?
00:28:28.22\00:28:30.91
And he asked them
this question. He says what
00:28:31.04\00:28:33.18
kind of communication
or conversation is this
00:28:33.32\00:28:36.12
that you had with one
another as you walk and
00:28:36.35\00:28:38.42
are sad. The question
is why is Jesus doing this?
00:28:38.45\00:28:42.55
It seems almost,
almost cruel. Now, we know
00:28:43.00\00:28:46.59
that's not the case,
but why doesn't he just step
00:28:46.68\00:28:49.19
up and reveal
himself. He goes on, then the
00:28:49.32\00:28:54.40
one whose name was
Cleopas answered and
00:28:54.51\00:28:56.64
said to him. Are you
are the only stranger in
00:28:56.85\00:28:59.57
Jerusalem and have
you not known the things
00:28:59.60\00:29:02.35
that have happened in
these days. And he said
00:29:02.51\00:29:04.94
to them Jesus goes
on. What things, this is
00:29:05.12\00:29:07.95
getting painful? So,
they said to him the things
00:29:08.07\00:29:11.42
concerning Jesus of
Nazareth, who was the
00:29:11.45\00:29:13.18
prophet, mighty
indeed and word before God
00:29:13.33\00:29:15.22
and all the people and
how the chief priests and
00:29:15.38\00:29:17.29
our rulers delivered
him to be condemned to death
00:29:17.32\00:29:19.29
and crucified him, but
we were hoping that it was
00:29:19.42\00:29:21.68
he who was going
to redeem Israel.
00:29:21.94\00:29:23.79
Indeed besides all
this, today is the third day
00:29:24.37\00:29:26.47
since these
things happened. Yes,
00:29:26.50\00:29:28.14
and certain women of
our company, who arrived
00:29:28.37\00:29:30.28
at the tomb early,
astonished us. When they
00:29:30.45\00:29:32.57
did not find His
body, they came saying that
00:29:32.60\00:29:35.02
they had seen a vision
of angels, who said that
00:29:35.14\00:29:37.38
he was alive and a
certain of those who
00:29:37.51\00:29:39.61
are with us went to
the tomb, and found it just
00:29:39.64\00:29:42.26
as the women had said,
but him they did not see.
00:29:42.29\00:29:45.98
And here is why
Jesus was holding out.
00:29:47.22\00:29:51.11
It's in the next verse,
verse 25. And he said to
00:29:52.11\00:29:55.69
them, Oh foolish
ones, and slow of heart
00:29:55.72\00:30:00.94
to believe all that
the, what? Prophets.
00:30:01.75\00:30:03.95
All that the
prophets have spoken?
00:30:04.18\00:30:06.49
"Ought not Christ to
have suffered these things,
00:30:06.97\00:30:09.40
and to enter into His
glory?" And, notice what
00:30:09.43\00:30:11.37
Jesus said in verse
27. And beginning at Moses
00:30:11.40\00:30:14.64
and all the prophets,
he expounded to them all
00:30:14.78\00:30:17.51
the scriptures the
things concerning himself.
00:30:17.59\00:30:20.74
He gave them a
Bible study that must have
00:30:21.38\00:30:23.45
been a phenomenal
Bible study on the walk to
00:30:23.48\00:30:25.67
Emmaus. He says, all
the things concerning
00:30:25.91\00:30:28.48
himself. In other
words Jesus wanted them to
00:30:28.51\00:30:32.76
base their faith
on scripture not an
00:30:33.05\00:30:37.16
experience. That's right. Amen.
00:30:37.50\00:30:39.41
So, by example in
the mind of Christ, what
00:30:39.97\00:30:42.66
had the higher
priority, a real authentic
00:30:42.69\00:30:45.24
manifestation of
Jesus Christ himself or the
00:30:45.66\00:30:48.39
Bible? You see, by
precedence Jesus did not
00:30:48.48\00:30:51.61
even reveal himself.
You know, he was about
00:30:51.78\00:30:53.91
to walk off. In other
words, he had done his
00:30:53.96\00:30:55.66
job. And, if they had
not held on to them to
00:30:55.69\00:30:58.12
stay they would not
have, he would not have
00:30:58.15\00:31:00.64
revealed himself.
So, you see in the mind
00:31:00.80\00:31:02.15
of Christ scripture
is to take precedence.
00:31:02.18\00:31:06.16
Amen. Scripture is to
be the final authority even
00:31:06.19\00:31:10.70
above a real authentic
supernatural experience.
00:31:11.10\00:31:15.12
Amen. Now, I'd like
to with that back drop,
00:31:15.15\00:31:23.38
go to Matthew
chapter 24. As we go into the
00:31:25.16\00:31:29.88
nature of the final deception.
00:31:30.12\00:31:31.51
We see from a
Biblical stand point of view.
00:31:34.56\00:31:35.93
The Bible always
says, trust the Bible even
00:31:36.17\00:31:39.05
above experience,
not that we're to verify
00:31:39.19\00:31:41.95
our experiences, but
in the final realm of
00:31:42.02\00:31:44.67
things, if our
experience contradicts the word
00:31:44.70\00:31:47.00
of God. The Bible
says the Bible is to be
00:31:47.03\00:31:49.76
trusted. Amen.
The question is why?
00:31:50.02\00:31:53.02
Why is it that the
Bible points out that the
00:31:53.92\00:31:57.54
scriptures are to
be our final authority.
00:31:57.57\00:31:59.89
Now, in Matthew
chapter 24, we have an
00:32:01.05\00:32:03.09
interesting perspective
as to the nature of what
00:32:03.36\00:32:08.55
is going to be
happening in the last days.
00:32:08.58\00:32:10.51
Matthew chapter 24 and
verse 3. Now, as he sat
00:32:11.84\00:32:13.84
on the Mount of
Olives, the disciples came to
00:32:13.87\00:32:16.29
him privately saying.
"Tell us, when will these
00:32:16.47\00:32:19.36
things be and what
will be the sign of your
00:32:19.39\00:32:21.71
coming and of
the end of the age?"
00:32:21.82\00:32:24.25
Now, Matthew chapter
24 is known as the great
00:32:25.17\00:32:27.45
end time chapter.
Some theologians know it,
00:32:27.67\00:32:30.46
it's know as the
eschatological chapter of
00:32:30.57\00:32:33.09
the Gospels. Jesus is
illustrating the things
00:32:33.12\00:32:36.95
that are going to
happen right before the final
00:32:37.09\00:32:39.02
moments of earth's
history. Now, there is a
00:32:39.05\00:32:40.71
lot of things,
that he could have said,
00:32:40.74\00:32:42.32
but notice the first
words that come out of
00:32:42.93\00:32:45.21
the mouth of Jesus
in verse 4. And Jesus
00:32:45.24\00:32:49.01
answered and said to
them. "Take heed that
00:32:49.20\00:32:51.67
no one deceives you." Amen.
00:32:51.95\00:32:54.85
Isn't it interesting
that Christ looking down
00:32:55.72\00:32:57.57
to the end of time his
first concern is not the
00:32:57.60\00:33:01.50
time of trouble; he
goes into that a little bit
00:33:01.66\00:33:03.30
later. His first
concern is not the moon turning
00:33:03.33\00:33:06.22
to blood or the
sun fading or the stars
00:33:06.25\00:33:09.11
falling, but his
first concern looking down
00:33:09.35\00:33:11.46
through the end of
time for Christ's people is
00:33:11.56\00:33:14.39
this notion of end time
deception. Now, there is
00:33:14.58\00:33:19.81
a fascinating thing
about deception, as we talk
00:33:19.84\00:33:22.26
about the anatomy of
deception. You can be
00:33:22.40\00:33:27.18
deceived right now
and not even know it.
00:33:27.39\00:33:30.65
That's right.
That's the nature of
00:33:31.29\00:33:32.26
deception. No one
goes through Thomsonville
00:33:32.27\00:33:34.27
saying I'm
deceived, I'm deceived.
00:33:34.44\00:33:36.78
Because once you
know that you're deceived,
00:33:37.36\00:33:39.28
you're no longer
deceived that's the nature of
00:33:39.50\00:33:40.99
deception. Also
another factor of deception
00:33:41.13\00:33:44.52
is that, it is always
a mixture of truth and
00:33:44.74\00:33:48.30
error. That's
right. In other words,
00:33:48.52\00:33:50.18
if I bring a glass of
water in, not me someone
00:33:50.30\00:33:53.69
else, it's a heinous
illustration for me to do
00:33:53.72\00:33:56.10
but anyways you'll
say you bring a glass of
00:33:56.41\00:33:57.75
water and it's 100
percent pure distilled
00:33:57.87\00:34:00.99
water. And, someone
drops, just a drop of
00:34:01.10\00:34:05.31
cyanide in it. Is that
a deception, yes or no?
00:34:05.34\00:34:08.46
Amen. That's a
deception. Now, someone else
00:34:08.49\00:34:10.42
brings something
and says, it's black,
00:34:10.70\00:34:12.48
it's got a skull on
it, and it says cyanide.
00:34:13.16\00:34:16.17
You know,
that's not a deception.
00:34:16.41\00:34:17.60
The nature of
deception is always a mixture
00:34:18.41\00:34:20.73
of truth and error.
Also there is a cost to
00:34:21.06\00:34:25.90
deception. I think of
Jim Jones, many of you
00:34:26.33\00:34:31.03
remember that time.
And this is a statement
00:34:31.53\00:34:33.74
from Jim Jones. And
he says, what you need
00:34:33.99\00:34:35.85
to believe is more
than what you can see,
00:34:35.88\00:34:38.48
if you see me as your
friend, I will be your
00:34:38.53\00:34:40.51
friend. If you
see me as your father,
00:34:40.54\00:34:43.34
I will be your
father. If you see me
00:34:43.77\00:34:46.26
as your savior, I
will be your savior.
00:34:46.41\00:34:48.56
If you see me as your
God, I will be your God.
00:34:48.71\00:34:51.64
Amen. We know the
story later that same day
00:34:51.67\00:34:54.19
909 inhabitants of
Jones town, 276 of them
00:34:54.44\00:34:58.08
children died of
apparent cyanide poisoning
00:34:58.26\00:35:01.18
mostly in around that
pavilion. And this is the
00:35:01.69\00:35:04.81
other nature of
deception. Deception always has
00:35:05.04\00:35:08.76
a cost. The question
is what is the cost of
00:35:09.14\00:35:13.35
deception in the end of
time. Now, I want to ask
00:35:13.38\00:35:16.62
you this, this
question as we're going in our
00:35:16.65\00:35:18.98
study this
afternoon. Let's say, there is a
00:35:19.16\00:35:22.73
Baptist out there, we
have our Baptist friends
00:35:22.93\00:35:25.90
and they believe and
accept Jesus as their
00:35:26.01\00:35:28.46
Lord and savior.
They don't know about the
00:35:28.49\00:35:30.74
Sabbath, but they
have a dynamic relationship
00:35:30.92\00:35:33.18
with him. If they
die today, will they be
00:35:33.21\00:35:37.24
saved. Yes, yes. So,
you see that the nature
00:35:37.51\00:35:41.57
of deception right now
is not that high, you could
00:35:41.62\00:35:44.99
not know the truth
about the Sabbath and die in
00:35:45.37\00:35:48.16
the Lord, have a
relationship with him.
00:35:48.31\00:35:50.16
And still be saved.
Now, the question is what is
00:35:50.69\00:35:54.48
the cost of
deception in the end of time.
00:35:54.69\00:35:58.00
When you read the
Bible according to Revelation
00:35:59.12\00:36:00.76
chapter 14, The
Three Angels message.
00:36:00.89\00:36:02.95
The Bible says that if
anyone worships the beast
00:36:03.03\00:36:05.50
or his image or receives
his Mark in his forehead
00:36:05.67\00:36:07.96
or in his hand. He
shall drink of the wine of the
00:36:07.99\00:36:11.06
wrath of the God. In
other words, the cost of
00:36:11.21\00:36:13.68
deception in the end
of time is that it will
00:36:13.94\00:36:16.73
cost us our eternal
salvation. That's right.
00:36:17.11\00:36:20.58
In other words, there is
going to be a poll arising
00:36:20.96\00:36:22.76
of the ranks between
those that have the seal
00:36:23.04\00:36:25.39
of God and those
that have the mark of the
00:36:25.55\00:36:26.98
beast. And the price
of deception in the end of
00:36:27.01\00:36:30.15
time is that, if your
name is written in the lamb's
00:36:30.18\00:36:33.63
book of life, it will
be removed. So, Christ
00:36:33.93\00:36:38.93
looking down
through the end of time.
00:36:38.96\00:36:40.10
He knows the cost of
deception. The cost of
00:36:40.17\00:36:42.28
deception in the end
of time is our salvation.
00:36:42.31\00:36:45.25
Amen. And, so he
says, let no man deceive
00:36:45.28\00:36:49.00
you. That's his
primary concern as he goes
00:36:49.03\00:36:51.75
down through the end
of time. I want to read
00:36:51.78\00:36:56.42
to you the statement
from great controversy.
00:36:56.48\00:36:58.63
It's a little bit of a
long quote, but I want to get
00:37:00.00\00:37:02.28
it in it's entirety
about the last final deception.
00:37:02.31\00:37:06.01
It says, as the
crowning act in the
00:37:06.92\00:37:09.31
drama of
deception, Satan himself will
00:37:09.59\00:37:12.96
personate Christ.
The long, the church has
00:37:12.99\00:37:17.14
long professed to
look to the Savior's advent
00:37:17.35\00:37:19.61
as the
consummation our hopes. Now,
00:37:19.72\00:37:22.81
the great deceiver
will make it appear that
00:37:22.84\00:37:24.29
Christ has come in
different parts of the
00:37:24.40\00:37:27.08
earth Satan will
manifest himself among men as a
00:37:27.11\00:37:30.40
majestic being of
dazzling brightness.
00:37:30.52\00:37:33.00
Resembling the
description of the son
00:37:33.39\00:37:34.77
of God given by
John in Revelation.
00:37:34.80\00:37:37.11
Listen to this, the
glory that surrounds him is
00:37:38.23\00:37:41.65
unsurpassed by
anything that mortal eyes have
00:37:41.96\00:37:45.35
yet be held. The shout
of triumph rings out upon
00:37:45.56\00:37:49.29
the ear. Christ has
come, Christ has come.
00:37:49.32\00:37:52.85
The people prostrate
themselves in adoration
00:37:53.37\00:37:55.59
before him while he
lifts up his hands and
00:37:55.83\00:37:57.71
pronounces a
blessing upon them as Christ
00:37:57.96\00:38:00.63
blessed his
disciples when he was upon the
00:38:00.66\00:38:02.72
earth. His voice is
soft and subdued, yet full
00:38:02.75\00:38:06.75
of melody. In gentle
compassionate tones he
00:38:06.82\00:38:10.41
presents some of the
same gracious heavenly
00:38:10.60\00:38:12.57
truths, which the
savior uttered. He heals the
00:38:12.96\00:38:15.46
disease of the people
and then in the assumed
00:38:15.71\00:38:18.29
character of Christ,
he claims to have changed
00:38:18.57\00:38:21.15
the Sabbath to
Sunday and commands all to
00:38:21.18\00:38:24.10
hallow the day
which he has blessed.
00:38:24.37\00:38:26.26
He declares that
those who persist in keeping
00:38:26.77\00:38:29.22
holy the seventh day
are blaspheming his name
00:38:29.40\00:38:32.53
by refusing to listen
to the angel sent to them
00:38:32.92\00:38:35.60
with light and truth.
This is a strong almost over
00:38:36.00\00:38:39.37
mastering
delusion. So, I want you to
00:38:39.46\00:38:42.95
notice this, it looks
like Jesus, it sounds like
00:38:43.22\00:38:47.09
Jesus, performs
miracles like Jesus, even quotes
00:38:47.28\00:38:51.24
scripture like Jesus.
But at the end he puts in the
00:38:51.58\00:38:55.67
hook. He claims to
have changed the Sabbath
00:38:55.91\00:38:58.93
to Sunday. That's right.
00:38:59.81\00:39:01.08
And the great controversy
tells us that, this is a
00:39:01.36\00:39:02.98
strong almost over
mastering delusion.
00:39:03.26\00:39:07.12
She goes on to say
that none but those that
00:39:09.63\00:39:11.87
have fortified their
minds with the truth of
00:39:11.90\00:39:14.10
the Bible would be
able to stand through
00:39:14.13\00:39:16.71
the last great
conflict. That's right. Amen.
00:39:16.74\00:39:19.73
She says, so closely
will the counterfeit resemble
00:39:20.06\00:39:23.34
the true that it'll be
impossible to distinguish
00:39:23.43\00:39:26.57
between them except
by the Holy Scriptures.
00:39:26.71\00:39:29.62
That's right. Only
those who have been diligent
00:39:29.90\00:39:31.98
students of the
scriptures, who have
00:39:32.20\00:39:33.51
received the love of
the truth, will be shielded
00:39:33.80\00:39:36.18
from the powerful
delusions that take the
00:39:36.36\00:39:38.94
world captive. And
so, this afternoon I just
00:39:38.97\00:39:44.25
wanted to paint for you
the reality that we need
00:39:44.28\00:39:47.55
to be people of the
Bible as never before.
00:39:47.63\00:39:50.54
Yes. You know, there
is two spirits and one
00:39:50.91\00:39:54.11
Bible. Amen. And
the only way that we can
00:39:54.20\00:39:56.42
decide for which
spirit it is, is through the
00:39:56.65\00:39:59.28
Holy Scriptures.
And we need to have an
00:39:59.48\00:40:00.91
experiential walk
with the word of God as
00:40:01.04\00:40:05.01
never before. Amen.
00:40:05.22\00:40:06.67
And, so I would like to
go and ask this question.
00:40:06.96\00:40:09.14
How do we get to the
place before we trust the
00:40:09.39\00:40:11.15
word implicitly,
where it becomes our final
00:40:11.25\00:40:14.08
authority. And the
Bible is a phenomenal book.
00:40:14.11\00:40:17.37
I remember this
statement by Voltaire that says,
00:40:17.78\00:40:19.72
in a hundred years
this book, the Bible will be
00:40:20.03\00:40:22.77
forgotten and eliminated.
It's ironic that today;
00:40:22.91\00:40:27.04
the house of Voltaire
is inhabited by the Bible
00:40:27.08\00:40:31.59
society. You
know, Voltaire is dead,
00:40:31.79\00:40:34.37
but the Bible is
very alive. Another
00:40:34.94\00:40:38.15
interesting notion
about the Bible is that
00:40:38.45\00:40:41.08
Dr. Nelson Glueck,
arguably the greatest
00:40:41.31\00:40:43.78
modern authority on
Israeli archeology has
00:40:44.00\00:40:46.85
said, no archaeological
discovery has ever
00:40:47.05\00:40:49.95
controverted a
Biblical reference. Scores of
00:40:50.37\00:40:53.76
archaeological
findings haven't been made
00:40:53.79\00:40:55.79
which confirm in
clear outline or in exact
00:40:56.11\00:40:58.38
detail historical
statements in the Bible.
00:40:58.64\00:41:01.06
And by the same
token proper evaluation of
00:41:01.47\00:41:03.67
Biblical descriptions
has often led to amazing
00:41:03.70\00:41:06.77
discoveries. Not one
archaeological discovery
00:41:06.82\00:41:10.61
has controverted a
single aorta of the scripture.
00:41:10.78\00:41:14.43
And it's
fascinating when archaeological
00:41:14.81\00:41:17.16
discoveries are taking
place and archaeologists
00:41:17.45\00:41:19.46
are going overseas.
You know what they take
00:41:19.49\00:41:21.35
with them, they take
with them a map and a
00:41:21.38\00:41:23.73
Bible. Amen.
Because the Bible has proven
00:41:24.02\00:41:26.34
to be accurate and
tested. And, so I would
00:41:26.91\00:41:29.51
like to go through
some different points about
00:41:29.73\00:41:31.45
how we can
practically make the word of God
00:41:31.48\00:41:34.38
a dynamic portion of
our lives. Number one,
00:41:34.87\00:41:38.23
we're told that we
must pray before reading
00:41:39.16\00:41:41.51
the Bible. This is
a foundational point,
00:41:41.72\00:41:44.79
we cannot approach
the Holy Scriptures the
00:41:44.97\00:41:47.61
same way that we
approach science or
00:41:47.67\00:41:49.84
mathematics or any
other intellectual discovery.
00:41:50.14\00:41:54.65
And the Bible should
never be studied without
00:41:55.49\00:41:57.80
prayer. This is
from great controversy,
00:41:58.02\00:41:59.19
page 600. The Holy
Spirit alone can cause us
00:41:59.39\00:42:02.44
to feel the importance
of those things, easy to
00:42:02.59\00:42:05.04
be understood or to
prevent us from wrestling
00:42:05.09\00:42:07.68
trues difficult
of comprehension.
00:42:08.03\00:42:10.87
Number one, we
must pray before reading
00:42:12.05\00:42:13.53
the Bible. Number two
and this is foundational
00:42:13.56\00:42:15.80
as well. I must
make time for the word.
00:42:15.83\00:42:18.08
Did you know that,
five minutes a day and you
00:42:19.31\00:42:21.34
could read the
Bible through in less than
00:42:21.37\00:42:23.78
3 years? 15 minutes
a day and you can read
00:42:24.03\00:42:27.83
through the Bible in
less than a year. My wife
00:42:27.86\00:42:30.13
and I have on a daily
basis over the past year
00:42:30.16\00:42:33.31
spend 15 minutes a
day reading through the
00:42:33.50\00:42:35.14
Bible and there is the
one year Bible, some of
00:42:35.23\00:42:37.64
you have seen that
and it's just a beautiful
00:42:37.85\00:42:39.17
thing to read through
the Bible in one year.
00:42:39.23\00:42:41.30
The last one is read
the Bible non-stop and you
00:42:42.05\00:42:44.65
can finish the
Bible in 72 hours.
00:42:44.68\00:42:46.91
Now, I don't
recommend you do that in one
00:42:47.02\00:42:48.70
sitting. Yeah. But
it just shows you that,
00:42:48.92\00:42:50.85
you know, this is
possible. It's, it's very
00:42:51.01\00:42:53.53
possible. Another
thing that you can do with
00:42:53.56\00:42:55.07
the technology today
is that, you can download
00:42:55.10\00:42:57.61
the Bible for free
online. As, on your Mp3 player
00:42:57.64\00:43:01.56
and you can listen
to the Bible as you go
00:43:01.73\00:43:04.55
about your day. This
is a quotation from a
00:43:04.86\00:43:09.25
preacher. He says,
surely we've to be realistic and
00:43:09.49\00:43:12.22
honest with
ourselves to know how regularly
00:43:12.34\00:43:15.29
we need to turn to
the Bible. How often do we
00:43:15.65\00:43:18.36
face problems,
temptation, and pressure,
00:43:18.58\00:43:20.67
everyday then how
often do we need instruction,
00:43:20.91\00:43:23.88
guidance and greater
encouragement, everyday.
00:43:24.20\00:43:26.67
To catch all of
these, felt needs up into an
00:43:27.15\00:43:29.57
even greater issue.
How often do we need to
00:43:29.93\00:43:32.12
see God's face? Hear
his voice, feel his touch,
00:43:32.26\00:43:35.48
know his power.
The answer to all these
00:43:35.85\00:43:38.10
questions is the same
everyday. As the American
00:43:38.31\00:43:41.28
Evangelist D.L. Moody
put it, "a man can no more
00:43:41.45\00:43:43.86
take in a supply of
grace for the future than he
00:43:43.89\00:43:46.33
can eat enough for the
next six months or take
00:43:46.36\00:43:48.71
in sufficient air into
his lungs at one time to
00:43:48.74\00:43:51.34
sustain life for a
week. We must draw upon
00:43:51.37\00:43:54.06
God's down the
store of grace from
00:43:54.33\00:43:56.13
day-to-day as we need it." Amen.
00:43:56.36\00:43:59.74
Christianity today said
in 1980 that there is no
00:44:00.38\00:44:03.93
factor more influential
in shaping a person's
00:44:04.41\00:44:07.61
moral and social
behavior than regular Bible
00:44:07.64\00:44:11.45
reading. So, number
one, make time or pray
00:44:11.91\00:44:16.26
before reading the
Bible. And number two,
00:44:16.44\00:44:17.92
make time for the
word. And, number three,
00:44:18.17\00:44:20.37
I must meditate
upon the word of God.
00:44:20.56\00:44:23.62
We must go over it
and again and again.
00:44:23.95\00:44:25.61
Joshua chapter 1, verse
8 says, this Book of the
00:44:25.64\00:44:28.88
law shall not depart
from your mouth, but you
00:44:28.91\00:44:31.36
shall meditate
on it day and night.
00:44:31.39\00:44:33.94
And, so this is an
important portion of
00:44:34.46\00:44:36.83
thinking about God's
word over-and-over again.
00:44:37.02\00:44:41.35
And the last and final
point is that I must live
00:44:42.94\00:44:46.15
God's word. I'd like
to spend a little bit more
00:44:46.80\00:44:48.70
time on this and I
would like to invite you to
00:44:48.89\00:44:50.86
turn with me in your
Bibles to John chapter 7,
00:44:51.13\00:44:53.83
verse 17. And this is a
portion that is not often
00:44:54.35\00:44:58.26
highlighted; when
it comes in regard to
00:44:58.77\00:45:01.05
interpreting
scripture. John chapter 7:17,
00:45:01.41\00:45:05.14
and this statement is,
is so revolutionary when
00:45:05.46\00:45:09.15
we think about
Biblical interpretation.
00:45:09.30\00:45:12.16
John chapter 7, verse
17, Jesus says if anyone
00:45:14.25\00:45:19.09
wills to do his will,
he shall know concerning
00:45:19.70\00:45:23.24
the doctrine, whether
it is from God or whether
00:45:23.39\00:45:26.26
I speak of my own
authority. Notice that
00:45:26.46\00:45:29.90
Jesus says he that has
an IQ of a 130 or above
00:45:30.01\00:45:33.70
shall know
concerning in the doctrine.
00:45:35.45\00:45:36.42
I praise the Lord he
didn't say that, amen.
00:45:36.43\00:45:37.40
Amen. He said, he
that wills to do his will,
00:45:37.49\00:45:40.35
shall know
concerning the doctrine.
00:45:40.58\00:45:42.20
In other words,
your intention, your
00:45:42.43\00:45:44.80
motivation, your
desire to know and follow the
00:45:45.00\00:45:47.82
truth is the foundational
factor in being able
00:45:47.85\00:45:52.15
to interpret scripture. Amen.
00:45:52.43\00:45:54.80
Now, I will be the
first to admit that there are
00:45:55.63\00:46:00.12
certain subjects that
certain people have an
00:46:00.37\00:46:03.50
advantage of, I
remember sitting in
00:46:03.75\00:46:05.01
school, don't you
just enjoy this. There is
00:46:05.36\00:46:08.64
someone sitting next
to you that looks at the
00:46:08.81\00:46:10.90
board has an IQ of a
150 and just gets it like
00:46:11.03\00:46:14.37
that and you're
still scratching your head
00:46:14.62\00:46:16.04
wondering how in
the world, are you gonna
00:46:16.35\00:46:18.04
make sense of what's
on the board. I had this
00:46:18.07\00:46:20.42
gentleman that got a
full scholarship to MIT,
00:46:20.60\00:46:23.04
he was a mathematical
genius. And he would
00:46:23.21\00:46:25.46
sit in calculus class
and fall asleep. And then he
00:46:25.74\00:46:29.56
would come to the
final and get over a
00:46:29.59\00:46:31.27
hundred percent. Oh!
And, it just, it just made
00:46:31.57\00:46:34.18
me sick. And I think
of individuals like Daniel
00:46:34.21\00:46:38.06
Tammet, he is known as a savant.
00:46:38.27\00:46:40.67
A type of genius and
he holds the world record;
00:46:41.95\00:46:44.91
I saw this on a video
tape of be able to recite
00:46:45.10\00:46:48.34
Pi to the 22,514
digit. He memorized it.
00:46:48.68\00:46:55.16
It took him over 5
hours, brilliant. And on this
00:46:55.98\00:47:00.80
video tape, they
would show them doing these
00:47:00.86\00:47:03.32
incredible mathematical
equations and he would
00:47:03.61\00:47:06.21
go off the calculator
of the decimal points.
00:47:06.37\00:47:09.18
Amen. Incredible,
he speaks 11 languages,
00:47:10.01\00:47:13.10
English, French,
Finnish, German, Spanish,
00:47:13.69\00:47:17.04
Lithuanian, Romanian,
Estonian and Icelandic.
00:47:17.38\00:47:20.60
He learned in one week. Oh!
00:47:20.90\00:47:23.65
And went on
national television in an
00:47:23.89\00:47:26.21
interview,
genius. I will there say,
00:47:26.38\00:47:31.33
that when it comes
to mathematics Daniel
00:47:31.49\00:47:33.53
Tammet has an
advantage. That, that's exactly.
00:47:33.76\00:47:37.78
What about the
Bible. When it comes to
00:47:38.43\00:47:41.73
scriptures, God has
made it fair. That's right.
00:47:41.99\00:47:47.23
So, whether you've an
IQ of a 170 or an IQ of
00:47:47.86\00:47:51.99
70, if you come to
the word of God and say,
00:47:52.02\00:47:54.84
Lord I desire to
follow your will. I want to
00:47:55.07\00:47:58.46
follow truth, I want to
know truth. You can come
00:47:58.91\00:48:00.96
to scripture and be
able to unlock the mysteries
00:48:01.12\00:48:03.98
of the Bible,
whether you've a third grade
00:48:04.02\00:48:06.15
educational or a
PhD, and ironically enough
00:48:06.35\00:48:09.38
there are many
individuals that have
00:48:09.54\00:48:10.51
very little education
and read the Bible and say,
00:48:10.60\00:48:12.59
I see Jesus, amen. Amen.
00:48:12.94\00:48:14.96
And then you have
another individual that has
00:48:15.15\00:48:16.73
a very high
education, a PhD, and sees the
00:48:16.82\00:48:19.61
Bible and says, I
see not, noting but
00:48:19.70\00:48:21.87
contradictions.
That's because your intention
00:48:22.10\00:48:25.40
makes a difference in
what content you get out
00:48:27.78\00:48:30.69
of scripture.
That's right. That's right.
00:48:30.72\00:48:32.50
Truthfulness in the
heart precedes truth in the
00:48:32.72\00:48:37.24
objective world.
Amen. So, when you come to
00:48:37.41\00:48:40.24
scripture, this is
the most important thing,
00:48:40.33\00:48:42.79
your education does
not matter, what really
00:48:43.63\00:48:47.30
matters is the intents
of your heart, your desire
00:48:47.52\00:48:51.12
to know, and to
follow the truth. Amen.
00:48:51.20\00:48:54.87
There is a statement
that Ellen White makes,
00:48:58.62\00:49:01.94
and she says many a
portion of the scripture,
00:49:02.47\00:49:05.46
which learned man
pronounce a mystery or
00:49:06.67\00:49:10.12
pass over as
un-important is full of
00:49:10.35\00:49:13.29
comfort and
instruction to him who has been
00:49:13.57\00:49:16.10
taught in the school
of Christ. Listen to this
00:49:16.36\00:49:19.10
part. One reason
why many theologians,
00:49:19.13\00:49:23.14
now don't get me
wrong, I believe that we need
00:49:24.28\00:49:26.22
good and Godly
theologians, but notice
00:49:26.39\00:49:29.13
what she is making,
she is not saying that we
00:49:29.27\00:49:30.67
don't need theologians,
but in this statement
00:49:30.70\00:49:32.69
she says, one
reason why many theologians
00:49:32.82\00:49:35.31
have no clear
understanding of God's
00:49:35.50\00:49:38.02
word is. Because they
close their eyes to the
00:49:38.21\00:49:42.67
truths they do
not wish to practice.
00:49:42.95\00:49:45.17
That's right. Isn't
that a fascinating statement?
00:49:45.76\00:49:47.75
In other words, the
reason why theologians,
00:49:47.97\00:49:49.78
some of them do not
have a clear understanding
00:49:49.98\00:49:51.99
of Biblical truth is
not because of intellect.
00:49:52.09\00:49:54.51
It's not because
they do not have a PhD or
00:49:55.20\00:49:57.34
understand Greek or
Hebrew, it's really moral.
00:49:57.45\00:50:00.00
In other words it says,
she says, that they close
00:50:01.13\00:50:03.31
their eyes to the
trues, they do not wish to
00:50:03.38\00:50:05.82
practice and thus blinding them
00:50:05.96\00:50:07.60
intellectually.
Amen. We cannot approach
00:50:07.84\00:50:10.56
scripture like any
other book and live a
00:50:10.77\00:50:13.49
dichotomous life,
where we live one way in
00:50:13.70\00:50:16.27
public and another
way in private, that will
00:50:16.52\00:50:19.02
taint our
Biblical interpretation.
00:50:19.25\00:50:21.49
That's right. Yeah,
that's true, yeah that is
00:50:21.81\00:50:23.61
true. As
understanding of Biblical truth
00:50:23.64\00:50:26.63
depends not so much
on the power of intellect
00:50:26.86\00:50:29.85
brought to the search as
on singleness of purpose,
00:50:30.45\00:50:33.56
the earnest longing
after righteousness.
00:50:34.05\00:50:37.42
Amen. Amen. The
Psalms makes an interesting
00:50:37.92\00:50:40.40
point. It says, the
fool has said in his heart,
00:50:40.68\00:50:43.56
there is no God.
Amen. Notice that the
00:50:44.37\00:50:47.89
scriptures did not
say the fool has said
00:50:48.08\00:50:49.44
intellectually. The
Bible says that, it's really an
00:50:49.68\00:50:52.59
issue of the heart.
So, many people say,
00:50:52.75\00:50:54.60
I do not believe in God
for intellectual reasons.
00:50:54.71\00:50:57.08
The Bible points out
that it's really moral.
00:50:57.25\00:50:59.51
Amen. So, as we
approach scripture,
00:50:59.83\00:51:02.74
it's important that
we live the word of God.
00:51:03.12\00:51:06.70
Amen. Amen. Amen.
Apply the same test
00:51:06.94\00:51:11.34
to the Bible and
it's power, men and women
00:51:11.47\00:51:14.76
have broken the
chains of sinful habits.
00:51:15.10\00:51:17.40
They have renounced selfishness.
00:51:18.41\00:51:19.83
The profane
have become reverent,
00:51:20.59\00:51:22.14
the drunken sober,
the profligate pure,
00:51:23.10\00:51:26.22
souls that are born the
likeliness of Satan have
00:51:27.01\00:51:29.19
been transformed
into the image of God.
00:51:29.22\00:51:31.41
This change is rocked
by the word, it is one
00:51:31.70\00:51:34.55
of the deepest
mysteries of the word,
00:51:34.58\00:51:36.30
we cannot understand
it. We can only believe.
00:51:36.52\00:51:40.73
You never hear a
testimony of someone
00:51:43.02\00:51:45.09
getting up front
and saying, geometry has
00:51:45.17\00:51:49.87
changed my life. You
never hear it you know,
00:51:49.97\00:51:53.38
I love geometry, if,
if two sides of a triangle
00:51:54.31\00:51:56.82
are equal the opposite
interior angles are equal
00:51:57.00\00:51:59.88
and I meditated on
that theorem and these
00:52:00.07\00:52:02.17
postulates and it
cleaned up my language.
00:52:02.42\00:52:05.03
I stopped stealing; I
become a better person
00:52:05.64\00:52:08.53
in society because
of geometry. You know,
00:52:08.68\00:52:11.79
you never hear that or
about biology or physics
00:52:11.90\00:52:14.42
or any other subject
in the world. None of them
00:52:14.56\00:52:18.36
you never hear a
testimony like that.
00:52:18.49\00:52:20.59
And yet millions of
people have read this
00:52:20.96\00:52:24.11
book and have testified
for centuries and said,
00:52:24.44\00:52:28.98
I've read this book
and its changed my life.
00:52:29.25\00:52:32.06
Amen. It's made me
a better person. Amen.
00:52:32.63\00:52:35.40
It's made me a
better husband and a father,
00:52:35.68\00:52:37.66
a better person in
society. It's uplifted me
00:52:38.03\00:52:40.96
and brought me
closer-and-closer to the
00:52:41.45\00:52:43.27
character of Christ.
Amen. There is something
00:52:43.51\00:52:45.85
divinely special
about this book. Amen.
00:52:46.19\00:52:49.83
I want to read to
you, as we ramp up our
00:52:50.90\00:52:54.71
presentation this afternoon.
00:52:54.93\00:52:56.36
And this is from
the General Conference
00:52:58.70\00:53:00.90
Bulletin of 1909,
Ellen White was still alive.
00:53:01.19\00:53:05.29
Amen. And, it would
just been so beautiful to
00:53:05.82\00:53:07.98
have been there to hear
the last words from this
00:53:08.11\00:53:11.66
prophet. She was 82
years of age, and there
00:53:11.83\00:53:13.61
was a sense at this
General Conference Session
00:53:13.66\00:53:15.69
that this was perhaps
the last time that they were
00:53:16.12\00:53:19.15
going to able to hear
the aged prophet speak.
00:53:19.30\00:53:22.72
The year was 1909,
when the General Conference
00:53:24.24\00:53:26.84
Session took place in
Tacoma Park, Maryland.
00:53:26.97\00:53:29.21
Ellen White being
82 years of age was in
00:53:30.49\00:53:33.62
attendance. And there
was a feeling among all
00:53:33.77\00:53:37.01
that were present
there that this might be the
00:53:37.07\00:53:38.85
last time for the
aged messenger of the Lord.
00:53:39.02\00:53:41.89
It was the last day
of the session, Sunday
00:53:42.92\00:53:44.66
afternoon June 6,
around 3:30 pm, the delegates
00:53:44.75\00:53:48.42
were anxiously
gathered to listen to her speak
00:53:48.65\00:53:50.80
perhaps for the last
time. The General Conference
00:53:51.30\00:53:55.51
Bulletin
summarized her speech as such.
00:53:55.72\00:53:57.74
As the aged speaker
spoke, the congregation
00:53:58.68\00:54:01.90
responded with
many hearty Amens.
00:54:02.15\00:54:04.47
And with trembling lips
and with a voice touched
00:54:05.38\00:54:08.77
with deep emotion
Ellen White assured the
00:54:08.90\00:54:11.58
ministers and other
workers that God loves
00:54:11.71\00:54:13.75
them. And Jesus
delights to make intersession
00:54:13.78\00:54:16.93
in their behalf.
Amen. She then closed her
00:54:17.35\00:54:20.64
address with these
words. Brethren we shall
00:54:20.75\00:54:24.34
separate for a
little while, but let us not
00:54:24.61\00:54:27.46
forget what we've
heard at this meeting.
00:54:27.60\00:54:29.56
Let us go forward in
the strength of the mighty
00:54:30.43\00:54:32.68
one, consider the joy
that is set before us of
00:54:32.71\00:54:35.30
seeing his face in the
kingdom of God and going
00:54:35.35\00:54:37.92
out forever more. I
pray God that this might be
00:54:37.95\00:54:41.63
the experience of each
one and in the great day
00:54:41.78\00:54:44.70
of God, we may all
be glorified together.
00:54:44.78\00:54:48.01
Amen. Having thus
concluded at the last
00:54:48.65\00:54:51.43
sermon, she was to
preach at the General
00:54:51.46\00:54:54.11
Conference Session.
The 82 year old messenger
00:54:54.32\00:54:58.39
of the Lord moved
away from the desk and
00:54:58.53\00:55:01.96
headed toward her
seat. Suddenly she stopped,
00:55:02.16\00:55:06.53
turned and came back
to the pulpit, picking up
00:55:07.53\00:55:11.63
the Bible from which
she had earlier read and she
00:55:11.69\00:55:14.44
opened it and held it
out with extended hands
00:55:14.62\00:55:17.58
that trembled with age
and she said brethren and
00:55:17.72\00:55:21.51
sisters I commend
unto you this book. Amen.
00:55:21.81\00:55:26.93
Amen. Without
another word, she closed the
00:55:26.96\00:55:30.82
book and walked
away from the platform.
00:55:30.85\00:55:34.98
What a legacy to
leave, amen? Amen.
00:55:36.13\00:55:38.41
Friends, I believe
that we're living in a very
00:55:40.08\00:55:44.36
exciting and
perhaps terrifying time.
00:55:44.94\00:55:48.62
That's right. But
we've nothing to fear for the
00:55:49.32\00:55:51.37
future except we
shall forget how God has led
00:55:51.47\00:55:53.79
us in the past. That's right.
00:55:53.85\00:55:55.35
You know, we don't
have to worry about those
00:55:56.91\00:55:57.93
final moments of
earth's history because if we're
00:55:58.03\00:55:59.80
faithful day-by-day
experiencing, reading,
00:56:00.01\00:56:03.39
delving into and
studying the word of God,
00:56:03.84\00:56:05.86
when the final
test comes, we will be
00:56:06.09\00:56:07.68
prepared, amen. Amen.
And, so, it's, it's my
00:56:07.92\00:56:10.84
appeal to you this
afternoon to be people
00:56:11.01\00:56:15.28
of the book, amen.
Amen. You know, when Jesus
00:56:15.53\00:56:17.87
comes the second time.
And he is coming in the
00:56:18.05\00:56:19.76
clouds of glory and, and
the sky splits open like a
00:56:19.87\00:56:23.16
scroll. It's going to
be surreal. I'm going to be
00:56:23.62\00:56:25.48
pinching myself to
say. You know, I'm,
00:56:25.76\00:56:27.20
I'm here, I'm there
you know, it's we no longer
00:56:27.48\00:56:30.45
need faith because we
will have seen the actual
00:56:31.10\00:56:33.50
Jesus Christ face-to-face
coming in the clouds of
00:56:33.87\00:56:37.07
glory. And there is
going to be many things that
00:56:37.30\00:56:39.55
we have, we will have
wished, but one of them
00:56:39.94\00:56:42.02
will not be I wish I
had spend more time on
00:56:42.19\00:56:44.64
the Internet. I wish
I had spent more time
00:56:44.91\00:56:48.22
watching television
unless its 3ABN and I got
00:56:48.51\00:56:51.25
to put that in. You
know, I, I wish I had spend
00:56:51.28\00:56:55.56
more time doing all
these other things, but heaven
00:56:55.75\00:56:58.67
forbid you may just
wish I had spend more time in
00:56:58.95\00:57:04.10
the word of God. Amen. Amen.
00:57:04.13\00:57:05.78
Bible study, prayer and
ministry from an eternal
00:57:07.05\00:57:10.27
perspective takes
a very high priority.
00:57:10.53\00:57:14.78
And so, it's my appeal
to you this afternoon to
00:57:16.10\00:57:19.09
make scripture first. Amen.
00:57:19.12\00:57:21.84
If there ever comes a
situation in your life,
00:57:21.95\00:57:24.44
when you have an experience,
00:57:25.21\00:57:26.74
a supernatural
experience or whatever maybe,
00:57:27.00\00:57:29.15
make it your point to
test it with scripture.
00:57:29.82\00:57:33.64
Amen. Is that your
desire today? Amen.
00:57:34.19\00:57:35.72
I would like to invite
you to raise your hands,
00:57:35.75\00:57:37.22
today as we see
that now. Let's bow your
00:57:38.07\00:57:40.37
heads together as we
pray. Father in heaven,
00:57:40.49\00:57:43.26
we want to make scripture first.
00:57:45.59\00:57:47.93