Well, welcome. 00:01:00.24\00:01:01.28 We're so happy that you could join us 00:01:01.31\00:01:03.42 on this beautiful Sabbath morning 00:01:03.45\00:01:07.78 here in west Frankfort, Illinois 00:01:07.81\00:01:09.16 Absolutely, I told you when you moved here, 00:01:09.19\00:01:10.94 he said how's the weather, 00:01:10.97\00:01:12.02 I said it's 70 degrees year around. 00:01:12.05\00:01:15.72 He figured out later, 00:01:15.75\00:01:17.10 he said you're telling the truth, 00:01:17.13\00:01:19.87 it's 100 degrees all summer and 30 all winter 00:01:19.90\00:01:23.40 so that average is 70 degrees so, 00:01:23.43\00:01:25.80 but today it is may be 70 or 80, 00:01:25.83\00:01:27.64 it's beautiful, beautiful sunshiny day. 00:01:27.67\00:01:30.18 Most of all it's our hope in prayer 00:01:30.21\00:01:32.02 that you have sun shine in your hearts today, 00:01:32.05\00:01:34.86 the son of God, Jesus Christ, in your heart today. 00:01:34.89\00:01:37.73 We have an incredible speaker line up 00:01:37.76\00:01:40.60 and behind stage we're actually talking to Mark and Teenie 00:01:40.63\00:01:44.65 and Teenie made a very wonderful statement, 00:01:44.68\00:01:47.67 she said it's not the messengers to message 00:01:47.70\00:01:50.10 and we, Mark and I have always espoused that 00:01:50.13\00:01:52.37 and we tell that everywhere we go 00:01:52.40\00:01:54.37 because people want to say "wow what a great speaker" 00:01:54.40\00:01:56.91 but we can't do anything ourselves 00:01:56.94\00:01:59.07 but through the anointing of the Holy Spirit 00:01:59.10\00:02:01.24 Mark has a ministry and a gift for communications 00:02:01.27\00:02:04.92 like very few people on planet earth. 00:02:04.95\00:02:07.76 He's reached millions and millions 00:02:07.79\00:02:09.63 and millions of people, he and his wife together, 00:02:09.66\00:02:12.25 and only eternity will tell the souls that will come up 00:02:12.28\00:02:15.83 and that's why I think we need eternity, 00:02:15.86\00:02:17.36 people like this will be coming out to folks like Mark 00:02:17.39\00:02:19.81 and say because of your ministry I found Jesus Christ. 00:02:19.84\00:02:22.92 You know, God has given Mark a tremendous gift, 00:02:22.95\00:02:26.69 but he worked awfully hard on this gift as well, 00:02:26.72\00:02:29.97 Teenie, you remember those early sermons and-- 00:02:30.00\00:02:34.87 Don't get her to commit for that on T.V. 00:02:34.90\00:02:36.96 She's nodding her head, but you know something 00:02:36.99\00:02:39.66 when you are dedicated to God, and you give him what you have, 00:02:39.69\00:02:44.54 God multiplies your abilities and your talents 00:02:44.57\00:02:49.21 and I want to tell you something. 00:02:49.24\00:02:50.41 I met Mark and Teenie when day before they got married. 00:02:50.44\00:02:54.28 In fact I've told this before, 00:02:54.31\00:02:55.84 Mark actually got married in my sport coat, 00:02:55.87\00:02:59.07 white sport coat that he wore to get married in. 00:02:59.10\00:03:02.98 I know you're looking at me like you don't believe that, but. 00:03:03.01\00:03:05.99 I didn't say anything. 00:03:06.02\00:03:07.05 It's a truth and I gave it to him not long ago, 00:03:07.08\00:03:10.37 I still had it in a closet. 00:03:10.40\00:03:12.47 I just meant he's taller than you. 00:03:12.50\00:03:13.78 Yeah, right, right. 00:03:13.81\00:03:15.19 I know what you meant, but you know something? 00:03:15.22\00:03:20.34 When we worked in a-- first meeting Mark worked with me 00:03:20.37\00:03:23.41 when was in Sterling, Massachusetts, 00:03:23.44\00:03:27.66 and then the next one was down in Harford. 00:03:27.69\00:03:30.26 And he and Teenie were together in Harford 00:03:30.29\00:03:32.41 they were married by that time, 00:03:32.44\00:03:34.33 and they were the hardest working couple I have ever seen. 00:03:34.36\00:03:38.30 And people asked that, 00:03:38.33\00:03:39.36 you think Mark Finley back in those, 00:03:39.39\00:03:41.67 how you think he is gonna do? 00:03:41.70\00:03:42.99 I said, God will bless them abundantly 00:03:43.02\00:03:46.99 because I have never seen anybody 00:03:47.02\00:03:49.47 that put more of their hard earned energy 00:03:49.50\00:03:54.61 into what they were doing 00:03:54.64\00:03:56.04 than Mark and Teenie and they still do. 00:03:56.07\00:03:58.80 And God has moved him in a incredible position 00:03:58.83\00:04:02.41 within the Adventist Church working so closely 00:04:02.44\00:04:04.80 with Elder Ted Wilson 00:04:04.83\00:04:07.64 and I believe that God has appointed Mark and Ted 00:04:07.67\00:04:12.57 to work together 00:04:12.60\00:04:13.63 for these closing moments of earth's history. 00:04:13.66\00:04:15.50 These are people who love the message, they love people, 00:04:15.53\00:04:18.63 they're committed to getting this undiluted 00:04:18.66\00:04:20.75 Three Angels' Messages into all the world, 00:04:20.78\00:04:23.28 and the leadership that we have, 00:04:23.31\00:04:24.69 we need to pray for the folks there 00:04:24.72\00:04:26.17 at the General Conference North American Division. 00:04:26.20\00:04:28.59 All of our leadership around the world, 00:04:28.62\00:04:30.84 because we know the devil is angry 00:04:30.87\00:04:32.67 and he'd like to destroy but the devil is a defeated foe 00:04:32.70\00:04:35.63 and that's what I like about it. 00:04:35.66\00:04:37.00 Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. 00:04:37.03\00:04:39.74 So we want to encourage you today 00:04:39.77\00:04:41.29 no matter what you're going through, 00:04:41.32\00:04:42.82 you know that Satan you can put him on a run 00:04:42.85\00:04:45.47 by calling out to the name of Jesus, 00:04:45.50\00:04:47.23 says that the name of Jesus 00:04:47.26\00:04:48.76 every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess 00:04:48.79\00:04:51.63 that Jesus Christ is the Lord. 00:04:51.66\00:04:53.19 We are thankful for the ministry of evangelist, 00:04:53.22\00:04:55.68 author, speaker, Pastor Mark Finley, 00:04:55.71\00:04:58.86 his wife who is here Teenie also, 00:04:58.89\00:05:00.82 and today I just look forward to great blessing. 00:05:00.85\00:05:03.60 Oh, I really do, too. 00:05:03.63\00:05:04.80 And this, this week they're gonna be with us 00:05:04.83\00:05:07.28 and do some cooking programs, 00:05:07.31\00:05:09.89 and so we're looking forward to that. 00:05:09.92\00:05:12.26 I know they were shopping yesterday 00:05:12.29\00:05:14.34 and getting all the foods together that they'll have 00:05:14.37\00:05:17.14 and our employees will be lined up at the door 00:05:17.17\00:05:20.17 as soon as they are through to taste all that good food 00:05:20.20\00:05:25.62 that they'll be preparing. 00:05:25.65\00:05:27.20 Well, listen before Pastor Mark comes 00:05:27.23\00:05:29.55 and he is going to pray just before his message 00:05:29.58\00:05:33.18 so we will wait for that, but just before he comes 00:05:33.21\00:05:37.01 Pastor C.A Murray, he is gonna sing for us, 00:05:37.04\00:05:41.60 Is It Any Wonder. 00:05:41.63\00:05:43.70 When I think how Jesus loves me 00:06:02.58\00:06:08.18 How he waited patiently 00:06:08.21\00:06:12.88 Even when I turned my back 00:06:12.91\00:06:15.82 and walked away 00:06:15.85\00:06:19.92 When he knew I wanted everything 00:06:19.95\00:06:24.27 This world could offer me 00:06:24.30\00:06:28.46 Well, I guess he knew the price I'd have to pay 00:06:28.49\00:06:33.98 So he watched me stumble downward 00:06:34.01\00:06:38.80 Saw each compromise I made 00:06:38.83\00:06:42.74 Heard each lie I whispered just to get my way 00:06:42.77\00:06:49.49 Still He waited there to hear me 00:06:49.52\00:06:54.28 When I cry to him and prayed 00:06:54.31\00:06:58.73 Then he saved my soul and that is why I say 00:06:58.76\00:07:05.11 Tell me is it any wonder 00:07:05.14\00:07:11.96 That I love Him 00:07:11.99\00:07:16.09 When you consider 00:07:16.12\00:07:18.33 All He's done for me 00:07:18.36\00:07:23.56 And is it any wonder 00:07:23.59\00:07:28.18 That I long to do HIS will 00:07:28.21\00:07:32.26 And let His light shine out for all to see 00:07:32.29\00:07:38.32 And is it any wonder 00:07:38.35\00:07:44.39 That I praise Him 00:07:44.42\00:07:48.14 Each time I think of how He's made me free 00:07:48.17\00:07:55.76 And is it any wonder 00:07:55.79\00:08:00.17 That I have given Him my heart 00:08:00.20\00:08:03.79 When Jesus freely 00:08:03.82\00:08:05.96 Gave His life for me 00:08:05.99\00:08:11.90 When I think how Jesus loves me 00:08:22.47\00:08:28.02 How he watches patiently 00:08:28.05\00:08:32.78 How His arms are stretched to meet me when I run 00:08:32.81\00:08:39.03 When I'm feeling down and lonely 00:08:39.06\00:08:43.51 How He's there to comfort me 00:08:43.54\00:08:47.43 In the darkness He becomes my morning sun 00:08:47.46\00:08:53.74 When I think of how He's healed me 00:08:53.77\00:08:58.55 How He's touched me in my pain 00:08:58.58\00:09:01.87 How His gentle hands have wiped my tears away 00:09:01.90\00:09:08.82 How He's taken every heartache 00:09:08.85\00:09:13.41 And brought happiness again 00:09:13.44\00:09:16.96 Oh, I want the world to hear me when I say 00:09:16.99\00:09:23.60 Tell me is it any wonder 00:09:23.63\00:09:30.06 That I love Him 00:09:30.09\00:09:34.12 When you consider 00:09:34.15\00:09:36.21 All He's done for me 00:09:36.24\00:09:41.38 And is it any wonder 00:09:41.41\00:09:46.09 That I long to do His will 00:09:46.12\00:09:49.85 And let His light shine out for all to see 00:09:49.88\00:09:55.66 And is it any wonder 00:09:55.69\00:10:01.63 That I praise Him 00:10:01.66\00:10:05.61 Each time I think of how He's made me free 00:10:05.64\00:10:13.26 And is it any wonder 00:10:13.29\00:10:17.45 That I've given Him my heart 00:10:17.48\00:10:20.93 When Jesus freely 00:10:20.96\00:10:25.89 Gave His life for me 00:10:25.92\00:10:32.87 Amen. Amen. 00:10:46.44\00:10:49.80 Good morning, and welcome to the second 00:10:49.83\00:10:52.44 in this three part series, 00:10:52.47\00:10:54.67 when time fades into eternity. 00:10:54.70\00:10:57.54 Last evening we spoke about the topic, 00:10:57.57\00:11:00.92 why the doomsday prophets are wrong. 00:11:00.95\00:11:03.02 And the reason they're wrong 00:11:03.05\00:11:04.08 is because they're looking in the wrong place. 00:11:04.11\00:11:06.48 They're looking what's going on around us 00:11:06.51\00:11:08.18 rather than what's going to happen 00:11:08.21\00:11:10.73 when Jesus Christ breaks through the sky, 00:11:10.76\00:11:12.54 they're looking at what's taking place on earth 00:11:12.57\00:11:14.28 rather than understanding what's going to take place 00:11:14.31\00:11:16.79 when Jesus comes and Jesus returns. 00:11:16.82\00:11:19.14 In our second message we're talking about, 00:11:19.17\00:11:20.69 when all of our questions are answered 00:11:20.72\00:11:23.12 and then our third message, how to survive Armageddon. 00:11:23.15\00:11:27.90 So let's pray as we open God's word this morning. 00:11:27.93\00:11:31.45 Father in heaven, thank you so much 00:11:31.48\00:11:34.94 for the glorious opportunity 00:11:34.97\00:11:37.03 of clinging to the hope of the return of Jesus. 00:11:37.06\00:11:41.26 Thank you for the fact 00:11:41.29\00:11:43.39 that You have not abandoned this world, 00:11:43.42\00:11:46.14 that You have not left this world alone, 00:11:46.17\00:11:48.87 that beyond the play and counter play 00:11:48.90\00:11:51.08 of this world's activities God sits enthroned, 00:11:51.11\00:11:55.80 and that this world is in Your hands 00:11:55.83\00:11:58.13 and one day soon, very, very soon 00:11:58.16\00:12:01.91 You will come and we can see you face to face. 00:12:01.94\00:12:06.29 We thank you for the reality of that promise in Christ name. 00:12:06.32\00:12:10.89 Amen. 00:12:10.92\00:12:12.57 I fly a great deal 00:12:12.60\00:12:14.93 and recently I was leaving New York City 00:12:14.96\00:12:18.46 to come back to the General Conference 00:12:18.49\00:12:20.11 of Seventh-day Adventists 00:12:20.14\00:12:21.94 and as I looked at my ticket that the ticket agent gave me, 00:12:21.97\00:12:26.34 I noticed that I have been upgraded to first class. 00:12:26.37\00:12:30.14 Now some people asked me why do you fly coach, 00:12:30.17\00:12:34.03 why do you fly second class and I tell them 00:12:34.06\00:12:36.72 there's no third or fourth class, 00:12:36.75\00:12:38.61 that's why I fly that particular class. 00:12:38.64\00:12:41.62 So we don't pay for first class tickets 00:12:41.65\00:12:44.26 but when I get upgraded, 00:12:44.29\00:12:45.62 you know, the Apostle Paul says, 00:12:45.65\00:12:47.01 I know how to be a beast and I know how to abound. 00:12:47.04\00:12:50.11 So I was abounding in my first class seat 00:12:50.14\00:12:53.57 when the lady brought me the little cup of nuts 00:12:53.60\00:12:56.43 and my orange juice and I have my Bible next to me, 00:12:56.46\00:13:00.29 which I take on the plane 00:13:00.32\00:13:01.82 and I was going to begin to read, 00:13:01.85\00:13:03.38 and I noticed that a young man was sitting next to me 00:13:03.41\00:13:06.87 and he looked over and he said, is that a Bible? 00:13:06.90\00:13:11.71 As if he had never seen a Bible before. 00:13:11.74\00:13:15.70 And so I wondered about this young man 00:13:15.73\00:13:17.51 and I said, yes that is a Bible, why do you ask? 00:13:17.54\00:13:21.15 Do you read the Bible often? 00:13:21.18\00:13:23.06 He said, "No, I don't." 00:13:23.09\00:13:24.47 I said, are you a religious individual? 00:13:24.50\00:13:27.59 Did you, do you come from a religious background? 00:13:27.62\00:13:30.46 He said, well, I'm a Jew but I'm an atheist. 00:13:30.49\00:13:34.10 And he said, you know, I go to a university here 00:13:34.13\00:13:36.44 in New York City, it only has a few students, 00:13:36.47\00:13:39.21 a 150 or 200 students not too many. 00:13:39.24\00:13:42.19 And in fact this particular university has no tuition. 00:13:42.22\00:13:49.27 Our endowments are so great 00:13:49.30\00:13:52.01 and the university is so wealthy, 00:13:52.04\00:13:54.33 that if you qualify to get in, they pay your tuition. 00:13:54.36\00:13:59.31 And we began to talk together about life, 00:13:59.34\00:14:03.48 about the purpose of life. 00:14:03.51\00:14:05.53 He wondered why anybody who looked like 00:14:05.56\00:14:08.00 they had a semblance of a brain who would be reading 00:14:08.03\00:14:11.64 such an antiquated book called the Bible. 00:14:11.67\00:14:14.69 So we talked about 00:14:14.72\00:14:15.75 the four great questions of life, 00:14:15.78\00:14:18.85 is that philosophers and thinkers 00:14:18.88\00:14:21.78 and educators and theologians down through the centuries 00:14:21.81\00:14:25.57 have tried to answer, but they found unanswerable. 00:14:25.60\00:14:29.36 And we talked about how the Bible presents the answer 00:14:29.39\00:14:32.33 to those four great questions of life, and there are four. 00:14:32.36\00:14:37.31 Down through the centuries 00:14:37.34\00:14:38.99 philosophers have asked these questions, 00:14:39.02\00:14:41.53 down through the centuries 00:14:41.56\00:14:43.33 theologians have raised those questions and educators, 00:14:43.36\00:14:46.97 and down through the centuries 00:14:47.00\00:14:48.28 the common men and women have asked those questions. 00:14:48.31\00:14:51.52 Question number one, what is the purpose of life? 00:14:51.55\00:14:56.18 Is the purpose of life simply to get up every morning, 00:14:56.21\00:15:01.77 jam down a sweet donut and drink a cup of black coffee 00:15:01.80\00:15:07.85 if you don't know the Adventist health message of course. 00:15:07.88\00:15:11.31 We have a cooking school this week with my wife 00:15:11.34\00:15:13.53 and so we are happy to share that, don't miss it on 3ABN. 00:15:13.56\00:15:16.77 But the average American and most people around the world 00:15:16.80\00:15:19.09 get up and jammed out a piece of white toast 00:15:19.12\00:15:22.01 and some kind of donut and drink a cup of coffee 00:15:22.04\00:15:23.90 and go out to work 00:15:23.93\00:15:25.69 and they come home and watch T.V 00:15:25.72\00:15:27.37 or do something else. 00:15:27.40\00:15:28.73 Is that the purpose of life? 00:15:28.76\00:15:30.18 To get up every morning and to go to work 00:15:30.21\00:15:32.69 and to come home and get up the next morning 00:15:32.72\00:15:34.76 and go to work and come home and get up the next-- 00:15:34.79\00:15:36.72 What is the purpose of life? Why do I live? 00:15:36.75\00:15:40.00 It's a philosophical question of life. 00:15:40.03\00:15:42.12 Second great question of life is, 00:15:42.15\00:15:44.76 why do we have so much pain and suffering in the world? 00:15:44.79\00:15:47.64 You look out over the world 00:15:47.67\00:15:48.87 whether you are a believer or unbeliever, 00:15:48.90\00:15:50.85 whether you are committed to God or an atheist, 00:15:50.88\00:15:52.50 you look out over the world, you see pain, 00:15:52.53\00:15:54.02 you see suffering, you see heartache. 00:15:54.05\00:15:56.27 Why do we have that? 00:15:56.30\00:15:57.94 Where does this pain and suffering come from? 00:15:57.97\00:15:59.74 So I talked about this with this young Jewish atheist. 00:15:59.77\00:16:02.70 Third question, why is there so much injustice in the world? 00:16:02.73\00:16:05.88 If there is a God, why is this world so unfair? 00:16:05.91\00:16:10.72 Where does this unfairness come from? 00:16:10.75\00:16:12.45 Where does this injustice come from? 00:16:12.48\00:16:14.51 Why do so many innocent people suffer? 00:16:14.54\00:16:16.81 There had been books written about it by atheists 00:16:16.84\00:16:19.07 and books written about it by theologians, 00:16:19.10\00:16:20.77 trying to figure that whole question out. 00:16:20.80\00:16:22.73 And the fourth question is, 00:16:22.76\00:16:25.24 how can we resolve the riddle of death? 00:16:25.27\00:16:28.01 Science and technology may have increased 00:16:28.04\00:16:31.08 aging by reducing infant mortality 00:16:31.11\00:16:34.67 and by reducing certain diseases, 00:16:34.70\00:16:36.82 but how do you solve the problem of death 00:16:36.85\00:16:40.07 when everybody is gonna die, 00:16:40.10\00:16:41.78 so those are the four great questions of life. 00:16:41.81\00:16:44.03 The question of purpose, the question of pain, 00:16:44.06\00:16:46.52 the question of injustice, and the question of death. 00:16:46.55\00:16:49.96 The Bible answers every single one of those questions. 00:16:49.99\00:16:53.12 In the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, 00:16:53.15\00:16:55.05 I'm gonna invite you to turn to the Book of Revelation, 00:16:55.08\00:16:58.02 because God provides an answer to the great questions of life, 00:16:58.05\00:17:01.83 the questions that human beings have struggled 00:17:01.86\00:17:04.26 with down through the centuries. 00:17:04.29\00:17:06.35 Revelation, the 21 Chapter beginning with verse 1. 00:17:06.38\00:17:10.64 Our topic is when all of our questions are answered, 00:17:10.67\00:17:14.98 Revelation Chapter 21:1 00:17:15.01\00:17:18.92 "And I saw a new heavens and a new earth" 00:17:18.95\00:17:22.17 John says this is reality, this is not myth, 00:17:22.20\00:17:26.50 this is not fiction, this is not a pipe dream, 00:17:26.53\00:17:30.26 this is not an idle tale, 00:17:30.29\00:17:32.12 John says, "And I saw "he saw it, " 00:17:32.15\00:17:36.68 a new heaven and a new earth 00:17:36.71\00:17:38.91 for the first heaven and the first earth 00:17:38.94\00:17:40.58 had passed away also there was no more sea." 00:17:40.61\00:17:43.16 John on the island of Patmos, that old man, 00:17:43.19\00:17:46.91 hands trembling, hair grayed, deeply edged lines in his face 00:17:46.94\00:17:53.34 and he writes looking out over the great Aegean Sea 00:17:53.37\00:17:57.22 separated from family and friends, 00:17:57.25\00:17:59.95 John says there was no more sea, 00:17:59.98\00:18:02.38 no more separation, no more aching hearts of loneliness 00:18:02.41\00:18:07.09 for those that you love, that you want to embrace. 00:18:07.12\00:18:09.90 John says, "there was no more sea" 00:18:09.93\00:18:12.56 then "I" John "saw the holy city, 00:18:12.59\00:18:15.85 new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 00:18:15.88\00:18:18.98 prepared as a bride adorned for their husband. 00:18:19.01\00:18:22.80 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 00:18:22.83\00:18:25.03 behold the tabernacle of God is with men, 00:18:25.06\00:18:27.54 and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people, 00:18:27.57\00:18:30.79 and God himself shall be with them and be their God." 00:18:30.82\00:18:33.75 Now notice carefully the text. 00:18:33.78\00:18:36.55 John says, I looked up into heaven 00:18:36.58\00:18:38.91 and I saw the holy city descending from heaven 00:18:38.94\00:18:43.53 and I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, 00:18:43.56\00:18:47.56 behold the tabernacle of God is with men. 00:18:47.59\00:18:51.46 Here is a divine announcement 00:18:51.49\00:18:54.75 that the cosmic control center of the universe is moving. 00:18:54.78\00:19:00.20 Today from the tabernacle of God, from the holy city, 00:19:00.23\00:19:06.03 they're millions and trillions of miles in the cosmos. 00:19:06.06\00:19:10.19 God controls the universe. 00:19:10.22\00:19:13.01 We're told by scientists 00:19:13.04\00:19:15.07 that the sun is the center of our solar system 00:19:15.10\00:19:19.01 and planets revolve around that sun, 00:19:19.04\00:19:22.02 but ours is one of only many solar systems. 00:19:22.05\00:19:26.18 You remember the vision of Ezekiel 00:19:26.21\00:19:28.01 of the wheel within the wheel, 00:19:28.04\00:19:30.23 and so our solar system is moving, 00:19:30.26\00:19:33.08 millions of other systems in the universe are moving 00:19:33.11\00:19:37.20 and they're moving around one cosmic control center 00:19:37.23\00:19:40.95 in the throne of God, 00:19:40.98\00:19:42.68 and there from that cosmic control center 00:19:42.71\00:19:45.68 God guides the stars and God guides the planets, 00:19:45.71\00:19:50.62 and God keeps them in orderly fashion, 00:19:50.65\00:19:53.60 God says to the tides of the sea, 00:19:53.63\00:19:56.47 come here and go no further. 00:19:56.50\00:19:59.08 God says to the flowers bloom and they bloom, 00:19:59.11\00:20:02.78 God orders the seasons 00:20:02.81\00:20:04.92 where there is in many countries of the world 00:20:04.95\00:20:08.50 you have spring and winter 00:20:08.53\00:20:10.91 and then on to rather fall and winter 00:20:10.94\00:20:14.32 and then on to spring and summer, 00:20:14.35\00:20:15.72 so God guides the sun, the moon, and the stars 00:20:15.75\00:20:18.66 and all this is done 00:20:18.69\00:20:19.72 from the cosmic control center of the universe. 00:20:19.75\00:20:22.23 10,000 times, 10,000 angels obey his commands. 00:20:22.26\00:20:26.82 But here John says, 00:20:26.85\00:20:28.70 I John saw the holy city descending from heaven, 00:20:28.73\00:20:31.78 I heard a loud voice from the heaven saying, 00:20:31.81\00:20:34.49 so here is a voice that announces to the whole universe, 00:20:34.52\00:20:37.64 God is gonna change address, God is gonna move, 00:20:37.67\00:20:43.05 Christ has come, the saints of God 00:20:43.08\00:20:46.46 the believers have been resurrected. 00:20:46.49\00:20:48.76 There's been a 1000 year millennial period 00:20:48.79\00:20:51.36 that Revelation 20 talks about. 00:20:51.39\00:20:53.38 Now in Revelation Chapter 21, this divine announcement, 00:20:53.41\00:20:58.18 God is gonna take this rebel planet, 00:20:58.21\00:21:01.00 this planet rebellion, 00:21:01.03\00:21:02.71 God is gonna take this sin polluted planet, 00:21:02.74\00:21:05.51 God is gonna take this pockmark 00:21:05.54\00:21:07.79 environmentally destroyed planet. 00:21:07.82\00:21:10.17 God is gonna take this sin sick, sickened, diseased planet. 00:21:10.20\00:21:14.55 God is gonna create a new heavens and a new earth. 00:21:14.58\00:21:17.50 The center of the universe is going to move. 00:21:17.53\00:21:21.04 The holy city is going to descend. 00:21:21.07\00:21:23.07 A planet in rebellion will become 00:21:23.10\00:21:25.57 the center of this new cosmos, 00:21:25.60\00:21:28.44 and from here God will command all the universe, 00:21:28.47\00:21:31.85 and we as sons and daughters of God 00:21:31.88\00:21:34.61 as royalty, as prince and princesses of the kingdom 00:21:34.64\00:21:38.27 will reign with Jesus forever, 00:21:38.30\00:21:40.52 and will travel from planet to planet, 00:21:40.55\00:21:42.74 and from star to star, to tell the story of His grace. 00:21:42.77\00:21:47.60 It is too marvelous. 00:21:47.63\00:21:48.94 Somebody said that's too good to be true. 00:21:48.97\00:21:50.95 The truth of the matter is, it is too good not to be true. 00:21:50.98\00:21:54.33 It is too good not to be true. 00:21:54.36\00:21:56.31 Do not sell out your heritage cheap. 00:21:56.34\00:21:58.86 Do not sell out your destiny, 00:21:58.89\00:22:00.76 like Esau for a few messes of pottage, 00:22:00.79\00:22:04.99 people are selling their destiny 00:22:05.02\00:22:07.10 for a shot of heroin in their veins. 00:22:07.13\00:22:10.92 They're selling out their destiny 00:22:10.95\00:22:12.56 for the material things of this world, 00:22:12.59\00:22:14.42 for its money, for its houses, 00:22:14.45\00:22:16.18 they're selling out their destiny for a lust. 00:22:16.21\00:22:18.76 God has a marvelous destiny for you my friend. 00:22:18.79\00:22:23.82 The Bible says "Then I John saw the holy city 00:22:23.85\00:22:27.32 New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, 00:22:27.35\00:22:29.22 prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." 00:22:29.25\00:22:31.35 Verse 3, Revelation 21, "I heard a loud voice 00:22:31.38\00:22:34.36 from heaven saying, behold the tabernacle of God." 00:22:34.39\00:22:36.72 Now notice when you read the word 'tabernacle'. 00:22:36.75\00:22:40.49 Do we read of any other tabernacle than the Bible? 00:22:40.52\00:22:43.55 Whereabouts do you read that? 00:22:43.58\00:22:45.23 Exodus 25:8 God says to Moses "Let them make me a" what? 00:22:45.26\00:22:51.53 "sanctuary" or tabernacle that I may dwell among them, 00:22:51.56\00:22:55.26 in the center of the tabernacle was the place of Shekinah Glory. 00:22:55.29\00:23:00.19 The tabernacle had three apartments, 00:23:00.22\00:23:02.07 the court where sacrifices were offered, 00:23:02.10\00:23:04.43 the holy place where the priest went each day 00:23:04.46\00:23:09.11 to minister the blood of those sacrifices, 00:23:09.14\00:23:11.37 but once you hear the high priest 00:23:11.40\00:23:12.57 put into the most holy place of that earthly sanctuary. 00:23:12.60\00:23:15.63 That most holy place to manifest the Shekinah Glory of God. 00:23:15.66\00:23:19.10 The key of the tabernacle in the Old Testament 00:23:19.13\00:23:21.49 was that it revealed God's glory, 00:23:21.52\00:23:24.61 it manifest God's presence. 00:23:24.64\00:23:27.12 So here, the tabernacle of God descends from heaven 00:23:27.15\00:23:32.24 and God is present with His people. 00:23:32.27\00:23:36.16 For millenniums God has been separated 00:23:36.19\00:23:39.47 from His people because of sin. 00:23:39.50\00:23:41.51 But notice it says the tabernacle, 00:23:41.54\00:23:43.99 the dwelling place of God, is with men. 00:23:44.02\00:23:47.55 He will dwell with them, they shall be His people 00:23:47.58\00:23:52.17 and God Himself shall be with them and be their God. 00:23:52.20\00:23:55.72 When God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, 00:23:55.75\00:23:59.45 it was God's desire that they never be separated. 00:23:59.48\00:24:03.78 Go back to Genesis 1. 00:24:03.81\00:24:10.83 Notice the intimacy of this passage, 00:24:10.86\00:24:14.13 notice the closeness of God and His people, 00:24:14.16\00:24:18.67 in Genesis 1, you're looking there 00:24:18.70\00:24:22.95 at verse 21 and 22. 00:24:22.98\00:24:26.54 When God created Eden, He created it as a sanctuary, 00:24:26.57\00:24:30.62 He created it as tabernacle, He created it as a place 00:24:30.65\00:24:34.69 where He would dwell with His people forever. 00:24:34.72\00:24:38.10 Genesis 1:21 and 22 00:24:38.13\00:24:42.14 "And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, 00:24:42.17\00:24:45.78 and he slept, and He God took one of his ribs 00:24:45.81\00:24:49.20 and closed the flesh in its place, 00:24:49.23\00:24:51.54 the rib which the Lord God had taken from man 00:24:51.57\00:24:54.34 he made unto a women, and he brought her to man." 00:24:54.37\00:24:57.30 Can you imagine this scene? 00:24:57.33\00:24:59.49 God holding Eve's hand and in the intimacy of that moment, 00:24:59.52\00:25:04.67 introducing Eve to Adam in the Garden of Eden, 00:25:04.70\00:25:10.49 God had fellowship with Adam and Eve, 00:25:10.52\00:25:13.63 in the Garden of Eden God walked, 00:25:13.66\00:25:15.47 and talked with Adam and Eve. 00:25:15.50\00:25:17.45 It was God's desire that Adam and Eve 00:25:17.48\00:25:20.25 never be separated as the result of sin, 00:25:20.28\00:25:25.08 but sin brings separation, 00:25:25.11\00:25:27.38 so down through the centuries 00:25:27.41\00:25:29.34 there's been a loneliness in our hearts. 00:25:29.37\00:25:31.72 Down through the centuries 00:25:31.75\00:25:33.38 there's been a God shaped vacuum 00:25:33.41\00:25:35.87 that nothing but fellowship with God can provide. 00:25:35.90\00:25:39.44 Down through the centuries there's been this angst, 00:25:39.47\00:25:42.65 this feeling of wondering, 00:25:42.68\00:25:45.58 there is feeling that something is not right, 00:25:45.61\00:25:48.42 this feeling of dissonance. 00:25:48.45\00:25:50.47 You can live in a beautiful home, 00:25:50.50\00:25:52.66 you can have a wonderful marriage, 00:25:52.69\00:25:55.32 you can have everything 00:25:55.35\00:25:57.19 the comforts of this life provides. 00:25:57.22\00:25:59.88 But there is something in our life that's missing. 00:25:59.91\00:26:03.12 There's one thing I know for certain, 00:26:03.15\00:26:06.69 when I look out at the news and I see a chemical attack on Syria 00:26:06.72\00:26:12.09 and I see children being gassed, 00:26:12.12\00:26:14.93 I know there is something wrong with this world. 00:26:14.96\00:26:18.02 When I walk the streets of India and I have orphans come up 00:26:18.05\00:26:21.93 and wrap their arms around my legs, and cry, 00:26:21.96\00:26:26.16 sir, would you give me just a dollar 00:26:26.19\00:26:28.53 so I can buy some food? 00:26:28.56\00:26:30.14 And I look at the dirty faces of those Indian orphans 00:26:30.17\00:26:34.62 and I look at their big brown eyes, 00:26:34.65\00:26:36.50 I know that something is wrong with this world, 00:26:36.53\00:26:39.90 something is just not right. 00:26:39.93\00:26:42.12 When I sense and go to counsel in the inner city of Chicago, 00:26:42.15\00:26:46.89 a woman whose husband is gotten drunk and come home 00:26:46.92\00:26:50.02 and broken her nose and battered her face, 00:26:50.05\00:26:52.63 I know that there is something just not right with this world. 00:26:52.66\00:26:57.18 When I visit in the hospital, a man dying of cancer, 00:26:57.21\00:27:01.70 I say there is something not right with this world. 00:27:01.73\00:27:04.82 Deep within our hearts we know it, 00:27:04.85\00:27:06.83 deep in the fabric of our beings we know it, 00:27:06.86\00:27:09.51 something is wrong. 00:27:09.54\00:27:11.08 One day the tabernacle of God would descend from heaven. 00:27:11.11\00:27:14.88 One day a loud voice for making announcement 00:27:14.91\00:27:17.98 to the whole universe, 00:27:18.01\00:27:19.40 behold the tabernacle of God is with man, 00:27:19.43\00:27:22.62 the dwelling place of God is here again, 00:27:22.65\00:27:25.28 the fellowship lost by sin will be restored, 00:27:25.31\00:27:28.14 if they're sworn out at this meeting, 00:27:28.17\00:27:29.50 somebody will say, amen. Amen. 00:27:29.53\00:27:31.48 The fellowship that we've lost 00:27:31.51\00:27:34.10 as a result of sin will be restored. 00:27:34.13\00:27:36.46 We will walk the grassy hills of Eden again. 00:27:36.49\00:27:40.53 We will drink the pure crystalline brooks of Eden. 00:27:40.56\00:27:43.09 We will pluck the fruit trees of Eden. 00:27:43.12\00:27:44.97 What is the purpose of life? 00:27:45.00\00:27:47.02 The purpose of life is to have fellowship with God. 00:27:47.05\00:27:50.55 The purpose of life is to know God. 00:27:50.58\00:27:53.33 The purpose of life is to reveal 00:27:53.36\00:27:55.18 His love and grace to the universe. 00:27:55.21\00:27:57.23 There is something more than getting up in the morning 00:27:57.26\00:28:00.96 and eating a quick breakfast and running off to work 00:28:00.99\00:28:03.64 and coming home at night half tired 00:28:03.67\00:28:05.85 and doing that again and again and again and again. 00:28:05.88\00:28:08.54 We have hope, the Eden life will be restored. 00:28:08.57\00:28:11.93 We have hope we can see Jesus again. 00:28:11.96\00:28:14.93 We can fellowship with Him again. 00:28:14.96\00:28:17.06 We were made for our maker. 00:28:17.09\00:28:18.97 Can you say that with me today here in the 3ABN audience. 00:28:19.00\00:28:22.44 We were made for our maker, again. 00:28:22.47\00:28:25.85 We were made for our maker. Second phrase. 00:28:25.88\00:28:29.64 We are friends for fellowship. 00:28:29.67\00:28:32.16 We are what? Friends for fellowships. 00:28:32.19\00:28:34.75 Who you made for? Why were you made? 00:28:34.78\00:28:38.49 For fellowship, we were made for our maker 00:28:38.52\00:28:40.68 and we are friends for fellowship. 00:28:40.71\00:28:43.23 What is the purpose of life? 00:28:43.26\00:28:44.99 Philosophers have wrestled with that question 00:28:45.02\00:28:48.22 but one day bathed in His love, satisfied in His presence, 00:28:48.25\00:28:53.18 resting in His care, at peace in Him, 00:28:53.21\00:28:56.11 we shall be fulfilled forever. 00:28:56.14\00:28:59.13 Nothing in this life can fully satisfy. 00:28:59.16\00:29:02.41 Nothing in this life can fully satisfy. 00:29:02.44\00:29:05.28 There is always going to be in this life 00:29:05.31\00:29:07.64 the sense of dissonance, 00:29:07.67\00:29:09.77 the sense that I don't fully belong, 00:29:09.80\00:29:12.59 the sense that this world is not my home. 00:29:12.62\00:29:17.24 Remember reading a story about a preacher 00:29:17.27\00:29:18.74 he is passing through New Orleans 00:29:18.77\00:29:20.70 and he stopped to do little preaching 00:29:20.73\00:29:22.44 on the street corner. 00:29:22.47\00:29:23.82 And as he was preaching a guy walked up 00:29:23.85\00:29:25.56 ripped out a page in his Bible began to mock him 00:29:25.59\00:29:27.71 and poured beer over his head. 00:29:27.74\00:29:29.90 The guy kept preaching. 00:29:29.93\00:29:31.52 Then he began walking away and the man says, 00:29:31.55\00:29:33.84 said to him the drunk man called out to him he said, 00:29:33.87\00:29:35.92 hey preacher where're you going? 00:29:35.95\00:29:37.88 And the preacher said, well, I'm heading for heaven, 00:29:37.91\00:29:40.27 don't know about you. 00:29:40.30\00:29:41.33 I'm just passing through New Orleans. 00:29:41.36\00:29:44.36 That's true. I'm heading for heaven. 00:29:44.39\00:29:48.90 There is a God shaped vacuum in all of our hearts, 00:29:48.93\00:29:52.97 the purpose of life is to know God 00:29:53.00\00:29:54.80 and to prepare for eternity. 00:29:54.83\00:29:56.82 The great philosophers wrestled about the purpose of life 00:29:56.85\00:29:59.30 but in scripture it's clear. 00:29:59.33\00:30:00.44 Now there's a second great question. 00:30:00.47\00:30:02.42 If God is a God of love, 00:30:02.45\00:30:03.74 why is there so much pain and suffering in our world? 00:30:03.77\00:30:05.94 Why is there so much death? 00:30:05.97\00:30:08.57 The Bible does not answer the question 00:30:08.60\00:30:12.57 of why pain comes to one and why suffering comes to one 00:30:12.60\00:30:15.55 and it does not come to another. 00:30:15.58\00:30:17.74 The Bible describes that there's a great controversy 00:30:17.77\00:30:19.72 between good and evil and that Satan is behind all evil, 00:30:19.75\00:30:23.05 but the Bible does not describe 00:30:23.08\00:30:24.72 why a praying committed Christian is in a car, 00:30:24.75\00:30:27.87 a drunk driver hits that car, 00:30:27.90\00:30:29.42 kills the praying committed Christian 00:30:29.45\00:30:31.27 and a drunk driver walks away. 00:30:31.30\00:30:33.22 The Bible does not describe why bombs fall 00:30:33.25\00:30:36.15 in both Christians and non-Christians are killed. 00:30:36.18\00:30:39.14 The Bible does not say why, 00:30:39.17\00:30:41.79 but here's what the Bible does say. 00:30:41.82\00:30:43.43 It says that all pain and suffering 00:30:43.46\00:30:46.22 is the result of evil in the universe, 00:30:46.25\00:30:48.75 a planet rebellion against God. 00:30:48.78\00:30:50.70 The Bible also says that nothing can happen to us 00:30:50.73\00:30:53.41 without divine permission and that even in trauma in life 00:30:53.44\00:30:57.20 God can bring some good out of the evil, 00:30:57.23\00:31:00.43 the wickedness and the sadness of life. 00:31:00.46\00:31:02.84 It does not say that, that thing is good, 00:31:02.87\00:31:04.82 but it says God is bigger than that thing 00:31:04.85\00:31:06.67 and He is still in control. 00:31:06.70\00:31:07.87 It also says that no matter how much heartache 00:31:07.90\00:31:10.76 we go through in life, when we go through it, 00:31:10.79\00:31:13.10 God is there to sustain and to strengthen. 00:31:13.13\00:31:16.33 But in Revelation the main point is something bigger 00:31:16.36\00:31:19.25 than all those points. 00:31:19.28\00:31:20.31 Revelation Chapter 21 as we continue our study, 00:31:20.34\00:31:23.18 we go to verse 2, here's what the scripture says about pain, 00:31:23.21\00:31:26.66 here's what the scripture says about suffering. 00:31:26.69\00:31:28.43 It says "Tears and sorrow and death 00:31:28.46\00:31:31.27 and crying are real" but it says 00:31:31.30\00:31:33.82 "one day they will pass away." 00:31:33.85\00:31:36.74 "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, 00:31:39.06\00:31:43.22 there shall be no more death nor sorrow, nor crying, 00:31:43.25\00:31:46.54 there shall be no more pain 00:31:46.57\00:31:48.00 for the former things have passed away." 00:31:48.03\00:31:50.39 Here is the Bible's ultimate answer, 00:31:50.42\00:31:52.64 science doesn't have the answer for pain, 00:31:52.67\00:31:54.96 science doesn't have the answer for suffering, 00:31:54.99\00:31:57.35 with all the advanced scientific technology in the world 00:31:57.38\00:32:00.61 there is still pain, 00:32:00.64\00:32:01.96 there is still suffering, there is still disease. 00:32:01.99\00:32:04.28 We thank God for all science 00:32:04.31\00:32:06.50 trying to cure disease and help humanity. 00:32:06.53\00:32:10.06 But we know that the ultimate solution 00:32:10.09\00:32:13.58 to pain, to suffering, to disease 00:32:13.61\00:32:16.85 is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to this world. 00:32:16.88\00:32:21.33 Amen! 00:32:21.36\00:32:22.61 You see, what if, what if we had no hope 00:32:22.64\00:32:28.19 of the second coming of the Christ? 00:32:28.22\00:32:30.90 What if this life was all there was? 00:32:30.93\00:32:34.98 I was preaching in Hungary during the time 00:32:35.01\00:32:39.24 that a hundred thousand people 00:32:39.27\00:32:40.49 marched in the street that night. 00:32:40.52\00:32:43.64 Berlin Wall had fallen 00:32:43.67\00:32:46.52 and democracy freedom was coming to Eastern Europe 00:32:46.55\00:32:51.27 and right after the fall of communism in Hungary, 00:32:51.30\00:32:54.28 the universities opened up. 00:32:54.31\00:32:56.53 So I spoke a hundred times in 30 days, 00:32:56.56\00:33:01.15 many times in universities, many times in universities 00:33:01.18\00:33:05.30 that were communist universities, 00:33:05.33\00:33:07.24 because once the universities opened up, 00:33:07.27\00:33:09.32 I was invited to come to speak. 00:33:09.35\00:33:11.28 And I was speaking at one particular university 00:33:11.31\00:33:13.76 it's in a place called Székesfehérvár 00:33:13.79\00:33:15.63 which was the center of Hungarian communism 00:33:15.66\00:33:18.54 was a very, very challenging time. 00:33:18.57\00:33:21.80 And in those times, very often I'd speak for an hour, 00:33:21.83\00:33:24.84 speak for an hour and half about God, about faith, 00:33:24.87\00:33:28.11 about the integrity of the Bible, 00:33:28.14\00:33:30.33 about the truthfulness of Gods word 00:33:30.36\00:33:33.02 and then the students would ask me questions. 00:33:33.05\00:33:36.52 In this particular time I was being 00:33:36.55\00:33:38.77 grilled by these students. 00:33:38.80\00:33:41.29 They were trying to rip apart the Bible, 00:33:41.32\00:33:44.70 and as I was being grilled with them 00:33:44.73\00:33:46.65 I decided to go on the offensive and so I said to the students, 00:33:46.68\00:33:51.64 let me ask you a question. 00:33:51.67\00:33:54.27 Let's suppose your best friend is in a car accident, 00:33:54.30\00:34:00.61 his wife is killed and his two children are killed 00:34:00.64\00:34:05.35 and he's lying in a hospital bed. 00:34:05.38\00:34:08.04 I want you to tell me as an atheist, 00:34:08.07\00:34:11.02 what you're gonna say to him as you go visit at his bedside. 00:34:11.05\00:34:17.94 Are you gonna say, well, oh, that's too bad 00:34:17.97\00:34:19.83 I'm sorry that happened, you'll never see them again. 00:34:19.86\00:34:22.84 Now they're gonna be put in the grave, 00:34:22.87\00:34:24.77 and their bodies are gonna decay, 00:34:24.80\00:34:27.71 and worms are gonna eat their body, 00:34:27.74\00:34:30.01 and you may die too 00:34:30.04\00:34:32.88 and you know, you should be happy 00:34:32.91\00:34:35.21 your child lived for two and half years 00:34:35.24\00:34:37.35 the one that was killed, 00:34:37.38\00:34:38.41 and you know, you had a marriage there 00:34:38.44\00:34:40.01 and but that's really hopeful isn't it? 00:34:40.04\00:34:42.04 I mean that's really encouraging right? 00:34:42.07\00:34:45.16 What kind of encouragement can you give to people 00:34:45.19\00:34:48.91 that are suffering if you're an atheist? 00:34:48.94\00:34:51.73 Can you say God is by your side, He's gonna strengthen you? 00:34:51.76\00:34:55.46 Can you say one day this suffering is over gonna be over 00:34:55.49\00:34:59.10 and Jesus is gonna come again? 00:34:59.13\00:35:00.94 Can you say that one day 00:35:00.97\00:35:02.41 you're gonna see your loved ones again? 00:35:02.44\00:35:04.28 What kind of hope can you give? 00:35:04.31\00:35:06.60 And I will tell you the students were silent, 00:35:06.63\00:35:09.37 they were silent, there was like a dead clam 00:35:09.40\00:35:12.03 in that room and then I opened the Bible 00:35:12.06\00:35:14.62 and I said let me share with you a hopeful message. 00:35:14.65\00:35:17.80 If you have two options in life, and one option says, 00:35:17.83\00:35:23.54 you die and you go into the ground 00:35:23.57\00:35:25.88 and you never come out. 00:35:25.91\00:35:27.99 And this life is all there is, there is pain, 00:35:28.02\00:35:30.75 there is suffering, there is economic privation, 00:35:30.78\00:35:33.67 there is poverty. 00:35:33.70\00:35:34.83 What are you gonna say as an atheist 00:35:34.86\00:35:36.42 to the child in India who is an orphan, 00:35:36.45\00:35:38.28 who's starving and he's near death? 00:35:38.31\00:35:40.64 Are you simply gonna say, oh too bad, too bad 00:35:40.67\00:35:43.50 you're gonna starve and die and that's about it. 00:35:43.53\00:35:46.91 The Christian ethic leads us to do everything 00:35:46.94\00:35:50.42 we can hear for that child. 00:35:50.45\00:35:52.50 Provide food, to provide education 00:35:52.53\00:35:54.36 but it does much more than that. 00:35:54.39\00:35:56.61 It presents them a world 00:35:56.64\00:35:58.75 where pain and suffering is over. 00:35:58.78\00:36:01.20 It presents them with world where tears, 00:36:01.23\00:36:03.94 and tragedy, and heartache is over. 00:36:03.97\00:36:06.16 Here's what 00:36:06.19\00:36:09.88 "God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, 00:36:09.91\00:36:13.12 there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor cry," 00:36:13.15\00:36:16.53 we as Christians have a glorious hope 00:36:16.56\00:36:19.20 that beyond this life there is eternity 00:36:19.23\00:36:21.83 that Jesus is gonna come, 00:36:21.86\00:36:23.48 that one day there'll be a new heavens and a new earth, 00:36:23.51\00:36:25.95 and that one day the holy city will be descending 00:36:25.98\00:36:28.26 and one day every tear will be gone, 00:36:28.29\00:36:30.21 and all sorrow be gone. 00:36:30.24\00:36:31.41 That is something to incredibly rejoice about. 00:36:31.44\00:36:35.02 Four great questions that philosophers and educators 00:36:35.05\00:36:37.86 and theologians have struggled with through the years. 00:36:37.89\00:36:39.84 First, what is the purpose of life? 00:36:39.87\00:36:41.82 Revelation tells us the purpose of life, it is to restore. 00:36:41.85\00:36:46.76 The fellowship with God that was lost by sin, 00:36:46.79\00:36:50.11 it is to know Christ and to long for the day 00:36:50.14\00:36:52.76 that he will come and earth will be made over again 00:36:52.79\00:36:56.30 in Edenic splendor and we can walk with Him 00:36:56.33\00:36:58.97 and talk with Him and fellowship with Him again. 00:36:59.00\00:37:01.26 What is the, what are the four great questions? 00:37:01.29\00:37:03.74 Question number two, where does pain, 00:37:03.77\00:37:05.59 suffering and tragedy come from? 00:37:05.62\00:37:07.01 It comes from the evil one. 00:37:07.04\00:37:08.62 What's the answer to pain, suffering and tragedy? 00:37:08.65\00:37:11.09 One day it will be done away with forever. 00:37:11.12\00:37:14.88 Third question, what about the injustice in our world? 00:37:14.91\00:37:20.70 Look at Revelation 21:6, 00:37:23.16\00:37:28.50 Revelation provides the answer, verse 5, verse 6 00:37:28.53\00:37:32.01 to the problem of injustice. 00:37:32.04\00:37:35.18 It says in Revelation 21:5 00:37:35.21\00:37:38.96 'Then he who sat on the throne said, 00:37:38.99\00:37:41.40 'behold I make all things new.' 00:37:41.43\00:37:43.94 And He said to me, 00:37:43.97\00:37:45.00 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.'" 00:37:45.03\00:37:47.33 Now notice, it says he that sat upon the throne said, 00:37:47.36\00:37:51.14 I make all things new. 00:37:51.17\00:37:53.63 Jesus will take every wrong and make it right. 00:37:53.66\00:37:57.90 He will take every injustice and turn it around. 00:37:57.93\00:38:02.55 Life is not fair but God is, 00:38:02.58\00:38:06.64 and when God sits on the throne 00:38:06.67\00:38:10.00 with the new heavens and the new earth, 00:38:10.03\00:38:12.42 justice and righteousness will reign forever. 00:38:12.45\00:38:15.66 I love Daniel Chapter 7, take your Bible 00:38:15.69\00:38:17.88 and go back to Daniel Chapter 7. 00:38:17.91\00:38:21.10 I've had people say to me well life is fair. 00:38:21.13\00:38:23.98 They just don't know life. Life is not fair but God is. 00:38:24.01\00:38:29.65 Is it fair for children to be starving to death 00:38:29.68\00:38:34.66 through no choice of their own? 00:38:34.69\00:38:36.91 Is it fair for a child to be born with HIV positive 00:38:36.94\00:38:43.16 because of choices their parent has made? 00:38:43.19\00:38:47.22 Is it fair for bombs to drop 00:38:47.25\00:38:50.69 and thousands of innocent people to be killed? 00:38:50.72\00:38:53.86 Is it fair for a tornado to rip through a city 00:38:53.89\00:38:56.95 killing the righteous and the unrighteous at times? 00:38:56.98\00:39:00.16 Is life always fair? It is not. 00:39:00.19\00:39:04.32 Is it fair for a Christian 00:39:04.35\00:39:08.84 to be shot to death in a school 00:39:08.87\00:39:12.31 in new town Connecticut where a deranged young man 00:39:12.34\00:39:16.23 walks in and start shooting, and he doesn't look and say, 00:39:16.26\00:39:18.96 well, that's a Christian child I won't shoot him 00:39:18.99\00:39:20.68 but that's a non Christian child I will shoot him. 00:39:20.71\00:39:24.25 Is life always fair, yes or no? 00:39:24.28\00:39:26.30 No! 00:39:26.33\00:39:27.36 Is God always fair? Yes! 00:39:27.39\00:39:29.48 Life may not be always fair, but in the unfairness 00:39:29.51\00:39:35.03 and in the inequity of life God ministers His spirit 00:39:35.06\00:39:39.74 to give us hope and encouragement 00:39:39.77\00:39:41.70 and one day righteousness will reign 00:39:41.73\00:39:44.26 and to the proportion that we have had 00:39:44.29\00:39:46.96 injustice in this world, God will make it up in eternity. 00:39:46.99\00:39:51.41 To the degree with which 00:39:51.44\00:39:52.87 you have suffered pain and heartache, 00:39:52.90\00:39:56.38 you will experience joy and gladness in all eternity. 00:39:56.41\00:40:00.75 Notice what it says in Daniel 7th chapter, 00:40:00.78\00:40:06.40 Daniel Chapter 7 speaks about the great empires Babylon, 00:40:06.43\00:40:09.74 Medo-Persian, Greece and Rome. 00:40:09.77\00:40:11.96 It speaks about the break up of the Roman Empire. 00:40:11.99\00:40:14.73 It speaks about a church state power 00:40:14.76\00:40:17.26 that rises try to persecute Gods people. 00:40:17.29\00:40:20.51 And Daniel Chapter 7 comes to the end 00:40:20.54\00:40:22.91 and it talks about God's people oppressed in Babylon, 00:40:22.94\00:40:25.61 injustice, unfairness. 00:40:25.64\00:40:27.35 God's people oppressed in Medo-Persian 00:40:27.38\00:40:29.47 they've been treated unjustly. 00:40:29.50\00:40:31.43 God's people oppressed with Greece and Rome. 00:40:31.46\00:40:35.56 God's people facing tribulation, facing persecution, 00:40:35.59\00:40:39.76 death decree, nobody can buy or sell. 00:40:39.79\00:40:41.77 That's not fair. 00:40:41.80\00:40:43.27 Some martyrs that's not fair, God uses it certainly. 00:40:43.30\00:40:46.57 But He talks about the injustice. 00:40:46.60\00:40:48.51 Was Jesus always treated fairly? 00:40:48.54\00:40:50.78 Was He? No. 00:40:50.81\00:40:52.06 Was Jesus treated fairly at the trial with Pilate? 00:40:52.09\00:40:55.95 Was He treated fairly with Herod? 00:40:55.98\00:40:59.22 Was He treated fairly when they nailed Him to the cross? 00:40:59.25\00:41:02.17 Not at all. 00:41:02.20\00:41:03.23 This was very unfair, very unjust 00:41:03.26\00:41:05.43 but the Jesus take the pain of a cross 00:41:05.46\00:41:07.92 and turned it into salvation for the human race. 00:41:07.95\00:41:10.66 So Jesus can take injustice and unfairness, 00:41:10.69\00:41:13.49 but after Daniel 7 talks about all that, 00:41:13.52\00:41:16.16 here's what Daniel 7 says, Daniel 7, you look there, 00:41:16.19\00:41:19.20 verse 26 and 27, 00:41:19.23\00:41:22.30 "But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away 00:41:22.33\00:41:26.13 his dominion to consume and destroy it forever." 00:41:26.16\00:41:30.82 The dominion of evil will be destroyed forever, 00:41:30.85\00:41:34.91 "righteousness will reign through eternity, 00:41:34.94\00:41:38.02 then the kingdom and dominion, 00:41:38.05\00:41:39.91 and the greatness of the kingdoms 00:41:39.94\00:41:41.70 under the whole heaven shall be given to the people 00:41:41.73\00:41:44.74 of the saints of the most high, 00:41:44.77\00:41:46.58 his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom 00:41:46.61\00:41:49.27 and dominion shall serve and reign and obey him." 00:41:49.30\00:41:52.11 One day righteousness will reign. 00:41:52.14\00:41:54.75 One day Jesus will sit upon his throne. 00:41:54.78\00:41:57.95 One day injustice will be gone forever. 00:41:57.98\00:42:01.22 I had just walked out of a evangelistic meeting 00:42:01.25\00:42:03.87 in Kigali, Rwanda. 00:42:03.90\00:42:05.55 I rounded a corner 00:42:05.58\00:42:06.89 in the darkness of the African night 00:42:06.92\00:42:09.11 and I heard steps running toward me. 00:42:09.14\00:42:12.02 I looked up and there are large group of orphan children. 00:42:12.05\00:42:15.25 Now you'll recall in the early 1990s, 00:42:15.28\00:42:18.70 there was a horrible genocide in Rwanda. 00:42:18.73\00:42:21.58 A number of years ago I was in Rwanda 00:42:21.61\00:42:23.67 on numerous occasions 00:42:23.70\00:42:25.29 preaching about the Hutus and the Tutsis 00:42:25.32\00:42:27.50 traveling to Tutsi village and Hutu villages. 00:42:27.53\00:42:29.97 This was one of the most 00:42:30.00\00:42:31.03 terrible genocides in all the world. 00:42:31.06\00:42:33.63 In six months Hutu militants 00:42:33.66\00:42:37.73 killed over one million, 00:42:37.76\00:42:42.09 about a million died in the genocide. 00:42:42.12\00:42:44.42 In fact the Tutsis tended to be small slender 00:42:44.45\00:42:48.27 and taller than a Hutus. 00:42:48.30\00:42:49.55 Hutus tended to be shorter and with square jaws. 00:42:49.58\00:42:52.70 And over the radio one day 00:42:52.73\00:42:55.73 the announcement came cut down the tall trees, 00:42:55.76\00:42:59.28 young people by the hundreds were given machetes, 00:42:59.31\00:43:02.06 they brought in machetes by the truckloads 00:43:02.09\00:43:04.37 and they were given these machetes 00:43:04.40\00:43:06.07 and they were trained to kill, trained to cut the throats 00:43:06.10\00:43:09.80 and there was killing on both sides 00:43:09.83\00:43:11.65 and it was a just a terrible time of slaughter. 00:43:11.68\00:43:14.03 But when the-- is a demonstration in fact 00:43:14.06\00:43:17.47 and I shared this of what Satan does when he gets full control. 00:43:17.50\00:43:20.98 It was bitterness and hate and anger and resentment. 00:43:21.01\00:43:23.61 And so the announcement came forth 00:43:23.64\00:43:26.63 cut down the tall trees. 00:43:26.66\00:43:27.71 That was the signal for the Hutu youth 00:43:27.74\00:43:29.59 to go out with their machetes and kill. 00:43:29.62\00:43:31.55 So they began to hack and kill and kill by the hundreds. 00:43:31.58\00:43:34.60 And the bodies were couldn't even be buried, 00:43:34.63\00:43:37.08 there were large bodies stacked in the streets 00:43:37.11\00:43:38.90 and dogs came and ate them. 00:43:38.93\00:43:40.49 Bodies were thrown in the river, the rivers were like blood, 00:43:40.52\00:43:43.36 bodies floating down the river. 00:43:43.39\00:43:44.88 It was terrible, terrible during that period of time. 00:43:44.91\00:43:48.38 As result to that there were many orphans. 00:43:48.41\00:43:50.65 You would see many people in Rwanda, 00:43:50.68\00:43:52.93 in the years that I went there for two or three years 00:43:52.96\00:43:55.54 with people with one arm because their arm was hacked up, 00:43:55.57\00:43:57.95 people with one leg they were maimed. 00:43:57.98\00:43:59.86 Well, I had come out of the meeting one night 00:43:59.89\00:44:01.74 and I rounded a corner and as I did, 00:44:01.77\00:44:04.16 this group of young people ran to me. 00:44:04.19\00:44:06.07 They were children probably 00:44:06.10\00:44:07.51 anywhere from four to nine years old, 00:44:07.54\00:44:10.00 15 of them, 18 of them and one boy bolted 00:44:10.03\00:44:13.18 from these crowd and he grabbed me around the legs 00:44:13.21\00:44:17.18 and he looked up at me. 00:44:17.21\00:44:18.52 He was just crying and all these other kids gathered around 00:44:18.55\00:44:20.96 and I knelt down there in the African night 00:44:20.99\00:44:23.32 and this little boy at my legs and he said to me, 00:44:23.35\00:44:27.27 Mister, I don't have any daddy, he was killed. 00:44:27.30\00:44:32.19 Will you be my daddy? 00:44:32.22\00:44:34.54 Mister, I don't have any daddy. 00:44:34.57\00:44:36.69 And I looked at all those orphans 00:44:36.72\00:44:38.02 and it was the same story 00:44:38.05\00:44:40.38 and I knew it was no possibility because for those 15 orphans 00:44:40.41\00:44:43.71 there were another thousand, another 5,000 another 100,000. 00:44:43.74\00:44:49.04 So I sat on the ground in the dirt in the African night 00:44:49.07\00:44:52.49 holding a young crying boy with other boys around us 00:44:52.52\00:44:56.99 and I said, son, what happened to you is not fair, 00:44:57.02\00:45:00.31 it is not fair, it's horrible. 00:45:00.34\00:45:02.16 He could understand, he was nine years old. 00:45:02.19\00:45:05.07 I said, what happened to you is horrible 00:45:05.10\00:45:06.65 but I want to tell you two things. 00:45:06.68\00:45:08.56 God has a plan for your life, God has a plan for your life, 00:45:08.59\00:45:12.45 you just hang on, don't give up, know that Jesus has a plan. 00:45:12.48\00:45:16.11 Then I said to him sitting there in the African night 00:45:16.14\00:45:18.71 looking up at the stars that sparkle 00:45:18.74\00:45:20.67 like diamonds in the sky, 00:45:20.70\00:45:22.90 I said, boy, look, look there, look there beyond the stars. 00:45:22.93\00:45:26.14 You don't understand what I'm telling you now, 00:45:26.17\00:45:28.65 but there is a God that sits on a throne 00:45:28.68\00:45:31.27 and one day Jesus is gonna come, 00:45:31.30\00:45:33.76 and one day all the tears are gonna be wiped away, 00:45:33.79\00:45:36.37 and one day there's gonna be no sorrow or death, 00:45:36.40\00:45:38.57 and one day there will be no injustice. 00:45:38.60\00:45:41.01 What happened to you wasn't fair. 00:45:41.04\00:45:42.72 Never give up, children, never give up 00:45:42.75\00:45:45.09 because there is a king who reigns in righteousness, 00:45:45.12\00:45:48.05 that one day will come 00:45:48.08\00:45:50.24 and all of your sorrows will be gone 00:45:50.27\00:45:52.17 and all of the heartache will be over. 00:45:52.20\00:45:54.18 And I sat in that night talking about the goodness of God, 00:45:54.21\00:45:57.71 the greatness of God, about the majesty of God 00:45:57.74\00:45:59.98 when Jesus comes again 00:46:00.01\00:46:01.34 four great philosophical questions 00:46:01.37\00:46:02.83 that this world cannot answer. 00:46:02.86\00:46:04.41 What is the ultimate purpose of life? 00:46:04.44\00:46:06.44 Is it merely getting up in the morning 00:46:06.47\00:46:07.93 and going to work and dying? 00:46:07.96\00:46:08.99 No, the purpose of life is knowing God 00:46:09.02\00:46:10.77 and preparing for the day 00:46:10.80\00:46:11.83 that I shall see Him face to face. 00:46:11.86\00:46:14.21 When will pain be over? 00:46:14.24\00:46:15.73 One day every tear will be wiped away from our eyes. 00:46:15.76\00:46:18.30 What about injustice? Life is unfair. 00:46:18.33\00:46:20.84 Yes, but God is just, He strengthens us 00:46:20.87\00:46:23.53 and we face injustice here, and one day He will come again. 00:46:23.56\00:46:26.53 Amen! 00:46:26.56\00:46:27.59 And Revelation Chapter 21, that final question, 00:46:27.62\00:46:31.45 what is the answer to the riddle of death? 00:46:31.48\00:46:35.72 What is the answer to the riddle of death? 00:46:35.75\00:46:39.09 Revelation Chapter 21 00:46:39.12\00:46:42.65 and notice in the midst of the text 00:46:42.68\00:46:44.38 that we read previously, 00:46:44.41\00:46:48.75 "God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, 00:46:48.78\00:46:52.03 there shall be no more death." 00:46:52.06\00:46:55.39 One day death will be gone forever. 00:46:55.42\00:46:59.37 One day there will be no more funeral trends. 00:46:59.40\00:47:03.73 One day there will be no more organs 00:47:03.76\00:47:07.63 playing at funeral services their solemn songs. 00:47:07.66\00:47:12.99 One day there will be no more cascades. 00:47:13.02\00:47:16.34 One day there will be no more morgues. 00:47:16.37\00:47:18.95 One day there will be no more cemeteries 00:47:18.98\00:47:22.03 because the graves will be opened and Jesus will come 00:47:22.06\00:47:25.55 and death will be a thing in a past. 00:47:25.58\00:47:28.40 In the last few years, 00:47:28.43\00:47:30.86 I preached two of the most difficult sermons in my life. 00:47:30.89\00:47:35.06 I preached my mothers funeral sermon 00:47:35.09\00:47:41.28 about few years back now, 00:47:41.31\00:47:45.27 and then just this last year in the month of June 00:47:45.30\00:47:47.95 my father at 89 years old died 00:47:47.98\00:47:50.85 and I preached dads funeral sermon. 00:47:50.88\00:47:54.41 And I can't tell you the times that I have thought about it. 00:47:54.44\00:47:59.94 What if I had no hope? 00:47:59.97\00:48:02.98 What if I thought mother was lying in the ground 00:48:03.01\00:48:05.54 that I would never see her again? 00:48:05.57\00:48:08.10 What if I thought I'd never see dad again? 00:48:08.13\00:48:10.69 You know it's something strange, 00:48:10.72\00:48:12.39 you know my--about this relationship of parent to child. 00:48:12.42\00:48:17.97 My father has died in this last June, 00:48:18.00\00:48:22.43 but I find myself driving in the car, 00:48:22.46\00:48:26.29 warning to pull over to the side of the road 00:48:26.32\00:48:28.70 and get on my cell phone and call him. 00:48:28.73\00:48:32.02 You see when I was 17 years old, 00:48:32.05\00:48:35.03 I was raised in a home where my mother was a catholic 00:48:35.06\00:48:38.64 and my father later became a Seventh-day Adventist 00:48:38.67\00:48:41.64 after he married my mother. 00:48:41.67\00:48:43.84 My father promised the priest 00:48:43.87\00:48:46.84 that he would bring the children up catholic. 00:48:46.87\00:48:49.99 In those days a protestant and catholic could not marry 00:48:50.02\00:48:53.57 in the Catholic Church. 00:48:53.60\00:48:55.22 So my parents were married in the rectory 00:48:55.25\00:48:57.98 in the side of the church. 00:48:58.01\00:49:00.27 My father was a protestant not an Adventist, 00:49:00.30\00:49:02.55 my mother a catholic. 00:49:02.58\00:49:03.92 My father had to promise 00:49:03.95\00:49:05.10 the children that-- promise the priest 00:49:05.13\00:49:07.66 that he would bring the children up catholic 00:49:07.69\00:49:09.20 and so all of us, myself and my sisters 00:49:09.23\00:49:11.66 went to catholic schools. My father kept that promise. 00:49:11.69\00:49:14.89 When I was 17 years old, 00:49:14.92\00:49:16.50 my father had become an Adventist a few years before, 00:49:16.53\00:49:20.53 and when I was 17 my father said to me, 00:49:20.56\00:49:23.51 son I promised the priest 00:49:23.54\00:49:24.94 I'd bring you up in the catholic church 00:49:24.97\00:49:27.00 and I fulfilled that now I brought you up, 00:49:27.03\00:49:29.28 I want to share some things with you. 00:49:29.31\00:49:31.07 And he began to share with me 00:49:31.10\00:49:32.17 the marvelous truths of the Bible 00:49:32.20\00:49:34.06 and it was my father that led me 00:49:34.09\00:49:35.64 ultimately to become a Seventh-day Adventist. 00:49:35.67\00:49:39.20 All through my ministry I'd be preaching in evangelism 00:49:39.23\00:49:41.86 and I'd see dad walk in and sit in the meeting 00:49:41.89\00:49:44.62 from the time to time, from place to place. 00:49:44.65\00:49:47.60 I'd be traveling all over the world 00:49:47.63\00:49:49.14 and I get out my cell phone, 00:49:49.17\00:49:51.01 I remember walking down the streets of many European cities 00:49:51.04\00:49:54.02 and I'd call dad, dad I'm in England, 00:49:54.05\00:49:56.81 dad I'm in Norway, dad I'm in Russia today, 00:49:56.84\00:50:00.67 dad I'm on this island today preaching. 00:50:00.70\00:50:02.88 He would say son, I am praying for you. 00:50:02.91\00:50:05.25 Son, your mother and I are praying for you. 00:50:05.28\00:50:10.01 It's a wonderful thing to have a father that's praying for you. 00:50:10.04\00:50:12.84 It's a wonderful thing to have a mother that's praying for you. 00:50:12.87\00:50:15.95 But you know, I find myself now, 00:50:15.98\00:50:18.84 going into a meeting 00:50:18.87\00:50:20.47 wanting to grab my cell phone to call my dad. 00:50:20.50\00:50:23.86 There is this loneliness in the heart 00:50:23.89\00:50:27.97 that is never ultimately fulfilled. 00:50:28.00\00:50:32.50 But think about it, think about it. 00:50:32.53\00:50:35.32 As I stood there looking at my father in that casket, 00:50:35.35\00:50:40.01 I had the glorious joy of knowing 00:50:40.04\00:50:43.42 that one day I would see him again. 00:50:43.45\00:50:45.88 That's why the Apostle Paul says, 00:50:45.91\00:50:47.77 that we sorrow not as others who have no what? 00:50:47.80\00:50:51.44 Hope. 00:50:51.47\00:50:52.50 The Lord Himself here descends from heaven from with a shout, 00:50:52.53\00:50:55.38 with a voice of the archangel, 00:50:55.41\00:50:57.09 and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 00:50:57.12\00:51:00.76 And we which are alive and remain 00:51:00.79\00:51:02.45 shall be caught up together with them 00:51:02.48\00:51:04.24 to meet the Lord, where? 00:51:04.27\00:51:05.74 In the air, and ever we will be with the Lord. 00:51:05.77\00:51:09.47 Isn't that incredible good news? 00:51:09.50\00:51:11.83 That is good news. 00:51:11.86\00:51:13.35 Death will not have the last word, God will. 00:51:13.38\00:51:17.30 The grave will not have the last word, God will. 00:51:17.33\00:51:20.89 The tomb will not have the last word, God will. 00:51:20.92\00:51:23.86 Because Jesus will cry forth, 'my child come forth' 00:51:23.89\00:51:27.55 and the grave will open and new life will corse 00:51:27.58\00:51:30.33 through these bodies of ours 00:51:30.36\00:51:32.30 and mortality will be swallowed up with immortality 00:51:32.33\00:51:35.71 and Jesus Christ will come. 00:51:35.74\00:51:37.83 Human beings cannot solve 00:51:37.86\00:51:39.83 the problem of death but God can, God can. 00:51:39.86\00:51:44.83 The life giver can give life again. 00:51:44.86\00:51:47.59 The one who has immortality 00:51:47.62\00:51:49.61 can give immortality to those who are mortal. 00:51:49.64\00:51:52.73 The one who is life can give us life. 00:51:52.76\00:51:55.72 This is incredible, good news. 00:51:55.75\00:51:59.57 Amen! 00:51:59.60\00:52:00.93 Recently, I attended a funeral 00:52:00.96\00:52:05.42 of Howard Faigao's wife. 00:52:05.45\00:52:08.21 Howard Faigao is the publish-- 00:52:08.24\00:52:10.44 the publishing director of the General Conference. 00:52:10.47\00:52:13.71 It was a particularly difficult funeral for me 00:52:13.74\00:52:16.14 and I'll explain to you why. 00:52:16.17\00:52:18.17 Howard's wife had been diagnosed 00:52:18.20\00:52:21.61 with multiple myeloma seven years ago. 00:52:21.64\00:52:26.16 She fought a gallant battle that I'll share with you, 00:52:26.19\00:52:29.99 and died of multiple myeloma. 00:52:30.02\00:52:32.39 At that time I had just been to the doctor 00:52:32.42\00:52:37.18 and been diagnosed 00:52:37.21\00:52:38.24 with the possibility of multiple myemola. 00:52:38.27\00:52:40.34 Now let me share with you that I'm so thankful 00:52:40.37\00:52:43.39 that the diagnosis is better today. 00:52:43.42\00:52:45.66 My doctor tells me that to have stage one multiple myeloma 00:52:45.69\00:52:49.63 you need about ten percent myeloma cells. 00:52:49.66\00:52:53.98 My body has five to ten percent. 00:52:54.01\00:52:56.38 So I'm at what they've called pre-myeloma 00:52:56.41\00:52:58.78 which is treatable and which is very-- 00:52:58.81\00:53:02.60 my prognosis is very good. 00:53:02.63\00:53:04.53 But anyways that I'm just praising God. 00:53:04.56\00:53:06.32 I thank God for the-- for the prayers. 00:53:06.35\00:53:08.78 Initially we thought it was stage one myeloma 00:53:08.81\00:53:10.87 but today there are people that have pre-myloma 00:53:10.90\00:53:13.57 and it stays there for the rest of their life. 00:53:13.60\00:53:15.29 So I am just thankful to God my energy is good, 00:53:15.32\00:53:18.51 I am preaching and I'm living my life with joy in Jesus 00:53:18.54\00:53:22.03 knowing that He is in control and desiring to glorify Him. 00:53:22.06\00:53:26.16 But when I went to this particular funeral, 00:53:26.19\00:53:29.09 I sat there thinking about the uncertainty in my own life. 00:53:29.12\00:53:34.93 Ana Faigao struggled with multiple myeloma 00:53:34.96\00:53:38.09 for seven years. 00:53:38.12\00:53:39.83 Toward the end of her life she recognized 00:53:39.86\00:53:43.37 that her life was going to come to an end 00:53:43.40\00:53:46.61 that unless God worked a miracle 00:53:46.64\00:53:48.99 and she decided to do something. 00:53:49.02\00:53:51.94 About two years ago she said, 00:53:51.97\00:53:55.09 I may die but I'm gonna leave a legacy for my children. 00:53:55.12\00:54:00.17 And so she decided that she would take the Bible, 00:54:00.20\00:54:02.79 read it from Genesis to Revelation, 00:54:02.82\00:54:05.49 mark key passages, 00:54:05.52\00:54:07.84 write notes of hope and encouragement 00:54:07.87\00:54:10.49 and present that Bible to her daughter. 00:54:10.52\00:54:13.55 It took her about six months, and here this woman 00:54:13.58\00:54:17.00 struggling in the throws of a death crippling disease, 00:54:17.03\00:54:23.71 took Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus read it, underlined, 00:54:23.74\00:54:28.11 thought about passing on the legacy of faith 00:54:28.14\00:54:30.78 to her daughter. 00:54:30.81\00:54:32.08 When she gave the daughter the Bible, 00:54:32.11\00:54:34.10 in fact at the funeral her daughter stood up 00:54:34.13\00:54:36.06 and held the Bible that her mother gave her 00:54:36.09\00:54:37.83 and she said, this is one of my most precious possessions. 00:54:37.86\00:54:41.20 Ana then did that a second time for son 00:54:41.23\00:54:44.04 and read the Bible through a second time for her son 00:54:44.07\00:54:47.15 and gave that Bible to her son. 00:54:47.18\00:54:51.54 She did a third one, and gave that Bible away. 00:54:51.57\00:54:55.82 She then started taking Desire of Ages 00:54:55.85\00:54:58.85 and would read Desire of Ages underline it, 00:54:58.88\00:55:02.03 write notes in the margin and give the book 00:55:02.06\00:55:05.23 to Desire of Ages on the life of Christ to her friends. 00:55:05.26\00:55:08.98 You see, how could Ana do this? 00:55:09.01\00:55:14.11 Cancer did not conquer her she conquered it. 00:55:14.14\00:55:17.58 Amen! 00:55:17.61\00:55:18.66 Disease did not triumph over her, 00:55:18.69\00:55:21.75 she triumphed over it. 00:55:21.78\00:55:25.01 Because she knew that we hold 00:55:25.04\00:55:29.38 this treasure of Christ in earthen vessels. 00:55:29.41\00:55:33.56 She knew that our bodies are perishable and frail 00:55:33.59\00:55:37.26 but she come to the hope 00:55:37.29\00:55:39.27 that one day Jesus Christ will return. 00:55:39.30\00:55:42.65 There will be a time, 00:55:42.68\00:55:44.16 when every desire will be fulfilled, 00:55:44.19\00:55:47.30 Jesus will come. 00:55:47.33\00:55:48.46 There will be a time when every longing will be met, 00:55:48.49\00:55:52.75 Jesus will come. 00:55:52.78\00:55:53.98 There will be a time that every question will be answered, 00:55:54.01\00:55:56.34 every need satisfied. 00:55:56.37\00:55:58.95 There will be a time that every disease will be healed 00:55:58.98\00:56:01.28 and every pain subside and every tear dried 00:56:01.31\00:56:03.93 and every heart healed. 00:56:03.96\00:56:05.25 There will be a time that every relationship will mended 00:56:05.28\00:56:07.75 and every tragedy be over. 00:56:07.78\00:56:10.01 There will be a time that every disaster will be gone. 00:56:10.04\00:56:13.91 This is incredible good news. 00:56:13.94\00:56:17.01 You can triumph, you can overcome. 00:56:17.04\00:56:19.74 You can overcome worry. You can overcome fear. 00:56:19.77\00:56:22.14 You can overcome disease. You can overcome disaster. 00:56:22.17\00:56:25.91 You can overcome anything that the devil's gonna throw at you. 00:56:25.94\00:56:28.87 Why? 00:56:28.90\00:56:29.93 Because at the end Jesus is gonna win, 00:56:29.96\00:56:33.13 and Satan is gonna lose. 00:56:33.16\00:56:34.72 Amen! You can be an overcomer, why? 00:56:34.75\00:56:36.74 Because at the end the holy city will descend, 00:56:36.77\00:56:39.56 at the end the earth will be made new, 00:56:39.59\00:56:41.56 at the end God will dwell with his people again, 00:56:41.59\00:56:44.34 at the end His presence will fill your life, 00:56:44.37\00:56:47.48 at the end you'll be embraced by God. 00:56:47.51\00:56:49.77 He'll whisper in your ears. 00:56:49.80\00:56:51.31 Well done good and faithful servant. 00:56:51.34\00:56:53.11 You can triumph at last, why? 00:56:53.14\00:56:55.65 Because at the end every tear will be wiped away, 00:56:55.68\00:56:57.84 every sorrow will be gone, pain will be gone, 00:56:57.87\00:56:59.92 injustice will be gone, death will be gone, 00:56:59.95\00:57:02.23 and we will live with Him throughout whole eternity. 00:57:02.26\00:57:05.52 Praise His holy name. 00:57:05.55\00:57:07.18 Let's pray. Amen. 00:57:07.21\00:57:08.36 Father in heaven, thank You, that there is purpose in life. 00:57:08.39\00:57:12.32 Thank You that suffering and pain will be gone forever. 00:57:12.35\00:57:15.46 Thank You, that injustice will be gone. 00:57:15.49\00:57:17.62 Thank You, that Jesus will come. 00:57:17.65\00:57:19.93 Thank You, that death will be over. 00:57:19.96\00:57:21.84 Thank You, that we can rejoice today 00:57:21.87\00:57:25.42 because we have hope for tomorrow. 00:57:25.45\00:57:27.43 In Christ name, amen. 00:57:27.46\00:57:29.49