Hello, and welcome once
again to Pillars of Faith,
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our word for today,
in today's modern world.
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My name is CA Murray,
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and it is my privilege
and pleasure to welcome you
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to this very
special five part series
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where we examine the
pillars of our faith.
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Those foundations
that we stand upon
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and that we walk
in, that we peach,
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that we teach, that
we live and that we love.
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The pillars of our
faith is a special opportunity
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to spend some concentrated
time in the Word of God
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and to reestablish
who we are, what we are,
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where we have come
from, and where we are going.
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Our speaker for
this particular series
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is Pastor John Lomacang.
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John is a friend of
3ABN, has a ministry.
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He is the pastor
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of the Thompsonville
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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and ordained
minister for many, many years
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and has served the Lord
with distinction in California,
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in Missouri and now here
in Southern Illinois at 3ABN.
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We are very, very
pleased to have him and his wife
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as part of the 3ABN family,
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and as part of the
Seventh-day Adventist family.
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He is in his thirteenth
year I do believe at 3ABN
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and has done such a fine job
as singer, counselor, preacher,
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teacher and friend to us all.
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This series is
exciting as I look at the titles
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that I have here before me.
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The theme of the series is,
"The Anatomy of the Crisis,"
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The Anatomy of the Crisis.
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Today, we're gonna
hear the Crisis in Heaven.
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Our next seating will be
the Crisis in the Garden,
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followed by the
Crisis in the Family
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and then the Crisis in the Heart
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and then Solving the Church
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and so we praise the
Lord for these five messages,
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and I am quite sure
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that God will use our
servant John Lomacang again
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during this, this seating
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as he has so many,
many times in the past
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and I am excited
as I know you are
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to hear what God
has for us through him.
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We're gonna draw
together now in prayer
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and then when I
shall have finished,
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the next voice
that you will be hearing
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will be that of our pastor,
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our friend Pastor John Lomacang.
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Shall we pray?
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Father God, how we
praise You and thank You,
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for the man of God
and for his wife Angela,
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who have served
you so faithfully.
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We ask now from You
for him an anointing
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that his lips may be anointed
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as he speaks
Your words of truth.
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And then Father, I pray
for those around the world
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who will sit and
hear what he has to say.
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Oh Father, bless them.
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May these words
enable us, embolden us
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to take one more
step along that road
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that leads to glory,
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for truly we know
that Christ is coming soon.
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And a crisis will
steel upon the church
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as men and women
are sealed for eternity
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as others let go of their
faith and are lost for eternity.
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How sad it will be Lord.
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Oh, dear Father,
bless those who sit
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and consume what we
have to offer this day.
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May none turn their
back, may none give up,
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but maybe hold on
to Your unchanging hand
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until we see You face to face.
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Bless our dear
friend Pastor John Lomacang
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and speak to him and through him
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and we thank you dear Father
in Jesus' name, amen and amen.
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Thank you, Pastor.
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So glad to have you join
us for this wonderful series.
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And we are asking the Lord
to direct and bless our hearts
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as we open His word together.
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Thank you Pastor CA
for the introduction.
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If I were to give
any focus to the message,
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I would call it the, the
crisis that confronts humanity
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and the answer is in
God's word to this crisis.
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Now, I know that
my dear pastor pray,
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but I always like to
pray before I open God's word
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so, if you'd bow
your heads with me,
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I'll just offer a
brief word of prayer
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and ask the Lord to bless.
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Heavenly Father,
the opportunity is mine.
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The blessing
will come to me Lord,
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as You open and
pour upon me Your spirit
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to communicate this
message to Your people
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in Jesus name I pray.
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Amen.
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If you have
your Bibles with you,
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turn with me to
Revelation Chapter 12.
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We're gonna begin
with a message entitled,
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''Crisis in Heaven,"
The Crisis in Heaven.
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You know when we
look at the crises
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that we face in our world today,
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we come to the conclusion
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that the crisis began somewhere.
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And the Bible tells us
in Revelation 12:7 to 10,
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how the crisis
unfolded and what we can learn
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from the unfolding of this
crisis in a perfect setting,
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in a perfect environment,
among perfect beings.
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begins as follows.
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And I'm reading
from the New King James
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from the King James Version
that is, and the Bible reads,
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"And there was war in heaven:
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Michael and his angels
fought against the dragon,
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and the dragon
fought and his angels,
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And prevailed not,
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neither was their place
found any more in heaven.
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And the great dragon was
cast out, that old serpent,
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called the Devil, and Satan,
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which deceiveth the whole world:
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he was cast out into the earth,
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and his angels
were cast out with him.
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And I heard a loud
voice saying in heaven,
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Now is come
salvation, and strength,
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and the kingdom of our God,
and the power of his Christ:
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for the accuser of
our brethren is cast down,
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which accused them
before our God day and night."
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You know, friends, as I
think about the message,
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it seems like just yesterday,
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but it's been more
than 10 or 12 years now,
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maybe even 15
years before this event
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that forever shaped
the world began to unfold.
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I will never forget
September 11th 2001.
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My wife and I were
guests in Grantham, England,
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went there to sing and
to share and to preach,
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and because my wife
is born in Derby England,
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we had an opportunity to
visit with her relatives.
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And she chose
September 11th 2001
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as the day that we
were gonna arrive home.
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We woke that morning in
London, England, about 6 AM.
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And we departed London,
Heathrow Airport about 9 AM.
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It was only 1 AM in Boston
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and 1 AM in New
York, New Jersey.
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In eight short hours,
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the world would
be forever changed.
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That day, 266
passengers packed their bags
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for the very last time.
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According to the reports,
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two women that day
drove to the airport,
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together they
took different flights,
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but they ended up in the
midst of the same tragedy.
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A young woman that day
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arrived at World Trade
Center building number one
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arrived at 8AM.
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As soon as she walked
in according to the record,
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she was
approached by her supervisor.
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She was fired on the
spot, cleared her desk
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said, goodbye to her
coworkers, left the building
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and all her former
colleagues died that day.
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And I guess out
of this bad situation
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something good came
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because, she was glad
that she got fired that day
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not to minimize the
loss of her coworkers
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and those who sadly
lost their lives on that day
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but sometimes, in the
midst of a bad situation,
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something good
can come out of it.
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Five hours into our flight,
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we were
notified of the incident.
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I was sitting in my seat
on a United Airlines 777,
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when the pilot came on
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and began to
make the announcement.
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He said, he said,
''What I'm about to say
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may sound like a fairytale
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or something that
could never happen
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but the World Trade
Centers in New York,
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The Pentagon in Washington
D.C. had been attacked."
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and he mentioned
American Airlines
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and United Airlines.
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Well, I don't have a
difficulty hearing at all
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as you can see,
but my wife was sitting
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listening to the
in-flight entertainment
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and they announced it again,
and then I rose to my feet in,
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in utter surprise
and shock I believe
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at the very same time.
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And I noticed
that other passengers
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began to respond
to that announcement.
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A lady sitting in
front of me began to cry
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and the Lord moved on
my heart to comfort her
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as I discovered she had a son
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that worked in the
World Trade Center.
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We were one of the first planes
to be diverted to Edmonton,
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Alberta, Canada.
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We landed there in a very
abandoned as it were airport
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for the very
first time in my life,
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I saw an airport with no
one at the check in counters,
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no one at the baggage counters.
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All the cars for the
exception of one had been,
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had been rented and my
wife and I were fortunate
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to get just one
vehicle to get to our hotel.
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For security
reasons they disembarked
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at the end of the runway
as the crisis began to unfold,
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we began to understand
more about this tragedy
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that began to
impact the entire world,
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not just the United States.
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We disembarked, we left
our luggage on the plane
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and the next day, we
finally received our luggage
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but we had to
stay in the clothing
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that we had overnight.
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For the next two
days, we were inconvenienced
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but even greater than that
for the next years to come,
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the world was forever changed
by this one single event.
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A new crisis was in the making,
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one that lasts
even to this very day.
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In the book, Great Controversy,
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page 510 paragraph
2 Ellen White says,
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speaking about the
days in which we live
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she says the following.
00:11:01.49\00:11:03.16
"From the days of
Adam to our own time,
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our great enemy has
been exercising his power
00:11:05.53\00:11:08.90
to oppress and to destroy."
00:11:08.93\00:11:12.13
And then she says,
00:11:12.17\00:11:13.50
"He is now preparing
for his last campaign
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against the church."
00:11:17.47\00:11:18.81
You see that
attack on September 11th
00:11:18.84\00:11:20.44
was against America.
00:11:20.48\00:11:21.88
But the final attack is
gonna be against God's people,
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against God's Church.
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And she goes on to say,
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"All who seek to follow Jesus
will be brought into conflict
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with this relentless foe.
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The more nearly the Christian
imitates the divine pattern,
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the more surely will
he make himself a mark
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for the attacks of Satan."
00:11:44.50\00:11:46.33
And then she ends, "All
who are actively engaged
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in the cause of God,
00:11:50.24\00:11:52.07
seeking to unveil the
deceptions of the evil one
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and to present
Christ before the people,
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will be able to join
in the testimony of Paul,
00:11:58.88\00:12:03.15
in which he speaks
of serving the Lord
00:12:03.18\00:12:05.12
with all humility of mind,
00:12:05.15\00:12:07.56
with many tears
and with temptation."
00:12:07.59\00:12:11.43
You know, I've
heard people say that,
00:12:11.46\00:12:13.93
you know when we are blessed,
they say God is blessing us.
00:12:13.96\00:12:17.07
When things go
wrong, they blame God.
00:12:17.10\00:12:18.97
But friends, make no mistake,
00:12:19.00\00:12:20.74
God does not use evil
to accomplish His will,
00:12:20.77\00:12:24.54
God had no hand in
the event that happened
00:12:24.57\00:12:27.28
on September 11,
2001, in New York,
00:12:27.31\00:12:30.01
in Washington D.C.
and in Pennsylvania.
00:12:30.05\00:12:32.75
God does not partner
with evil to reveal His love.
00:12:32.78\00:12:38.79
A very famous writer once wrote,
00:12:38.82\00:12:41.02
his name Emil Brenner said,
00:12:41.06\00:12:43.12
"Evil is not that
which God expresses His will.
00:12:43.16\00:12:48.76
Evil is that which God does
not use to express His will."
00:12:48.80\00:12:53.34
So the question is, since
God is not the author of evil,
00:12:53.37\00:12:58.01
why does God allow such evil?
00:12:58.04\00:13:01.71
Notice in the
book, the Bible Echo,
00:13:01.74\00:13:03.58
November 1, 1892, these words.
00:13:03.61\00:13:09.02
"Christ came to represent
the character of His father."
00:13:09.05\00:13:13.56
To represent what?
00:13:13.59\00:13:14.92
The character of His father,
00:13:14.96\00:13:17.06
"To win man back to
his allegiance to God,
00:13:17.09\00:13:21.36
to reconcile man to God,
00:13:21.40\00:13:23.97
he proposed to meet the
foe and unmask his arts,
00:13:24.00\00:13:30.34
that man might be
able to make a choice
00:13:30.37\00:13:34.18
between whom he would serve."
00:13:34.21\00:13:36.51
Now, there are three
very important points
00:13:36.54\00:13:38.21
I'm gonna bring
out in this message,
00:13:38.25\00:13:39.68
the very first one is,
00:13:39.71\00:13:41.42
"Every crisis is self-centered."
00:13:41.45\00:13:44.32
I'll say that one more time.
00:13:44.35\00:13:45.85
Every crisis that
you will ever face
00:13:45.89\00:13:48.76
always it a seed
of self-centeredness.
00:13:48.79\00:13:53.60
Notice how Isaiah the
Prophet, makes this very clear,
00:13:53.63\00:13:56.97
Isaiah 14:12 to 14.
00:13:57.00\00:14:00.54
Amazing text, "How you are
fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,
00:14:00.57\00:14:05.47
son of the morning!
00:14:05.51\00:14:07.38
How you are cut
down to the ground,
00:14:07.41\00:14:09.78
you who weakened the nations!"
00:14:09.81\00:14:11.48
In other words, the
world is the way it is
00:14:11.51\00:14:13.68
because of the fall of Lucifer.
00:14:13.72\00:14:15.72
He is no longer called Lucifer.
00:14:15.75\00:14:17.95
He is now called Satan,
the devil, the fallen angel.
00:14:17.99\00:14:22.72
Verse 13 says,
00:14:22.76\00:14:24.29
the
self-centeredness comes in here.
00:14:24.33\00:14:26.93
"For you have
said in your heart,
00:14:26.96\00:14:30.03
I will ascend into heaven,
00:14:30.07\00:14:33.10
I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God:
00:14:33.13\00:14:37.37
I will also sit on the
mount of the congregation,
00:14:37.41\00:14:42.01
on the farthest
sides of the north:
00:14:42.04\00:14:44.61
I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds,
00:14:44.65\00:14:48.02
I will be like the Most High."
00:14:48.05\00:14:50.79
Notice, over and over again
the phrase, ''I will, I will''
00:14:50.82\00:14:56.09
continues to
emphasize that this war,
00:14:56.12\00:14:59.23
this crisis that began in heaven
00:14:59.26\00:15:00.90
began when
Lucifer, now the named Satan
00:15:00.93\00:15:06.74
began to be
filled with a discontent
00:15:06.77\00:15:09.30
about where God had placed him?
00:15:09.34\00:15:11.21
What God had given to him
00:15:11.24\00:15:12.81
and he began to
consider in himself
00:15:12.84\00:15:14.81
what could I have more
than what I already have.
00:15:14.84\00:15:17.88
And so, he coveted the price
00:15:17.91\00:15:20.42
and the place that
Christ alone had occupied
00:15:20.45\00:15:23.55
and then he focused on replacing
00:15:23.59\00:15:25.85
the only one that
is exalted above him
00:15:25.89\00:15:28.46
and then he said, ''I
will, I will, I will."
00:15:28.49\00:15:32.19
And so we begin to see
00:15:32.23\00:15:33.56
that the crisis
that began in heaven
00:15:33.60\00:15:35.33
also affected
everyone on planet earth.
00:15:35.36\00:15:39.20
As Adam and Eve knows,
00:15:39.23\00:15:41.50
the first intruder
into the Adam family
00:15:41.54\00:15:43.84
was a fallen
angel, now renamed Satan.
00:15:43.87\00:15:47.64
He entered the
battle as Lucifer,
00:15:47.68\00:15:51.05
he exited the battle as Satan.
00:15:51.08\00:15:54.22
He not only lost
his sight and his light,
00:15:54.25\00:15:57.69
but he lost his name.
00:15:57.72\00:15:59.32
And to continue the onslaught,
00:15:59.35\00:16:02.39
he picked up and aimed
that two that God had created
00:16:02.42\00:16:06.80
in a garden where sin
had not yet been known
00:16:06.83\00:16:10.47
till this particular point.
00:16:10.50\00:16:12.10
If you read in the
Book of Genesis Chapter 3,
00:16:12.13\00:16:13.90
you discover the
anomy of the fall,
00:16:13.94\00:16:17.04
the anatomy of the crisis.
00:16:17.07\00:16:18.81
Satan began in the way he
began in the Garden of Eden,
00:16:18.84\00:16:21.74
he does to this very day.
00:16:21.78\00:16:23.55
He began by getting Eve
to question the Word of God,
00:16:23.58\00:16:27.52
he said, ''Has God said."
00:16:27.55\00:16:30.49
Now let me also suggest one
00:16:30.52\00:16:31.85
we don't know what God has said,
00:16:31.89\00:16:33.86
it opens the door
to the enemy to begin
00:16:33.89\00:16:36.62
to establish in
our lives a crisis of,
00:16:36.66\00:16:40.53
of incalculable and
inestimable portions.
00:16:40.56\00:16:45.00
When we don't study God's Word,
00:16:45.03\00:16:47.70
the door opens up
00:16:47.74\00:16:49.07
that Satan may begin
a crisis in our lives.
00:16:49.10\00:16:51.31
And after he got Eve
to question God's word,
00:16:51.34\00:16:53.98
he said, the reason
why God does not want you
00:16:54.01\00:16:57.71
to experience the
things that you desire.
00:16:57.75\00:16:59.98
He says in verse 5
of Genesis Chapter 3.
00:17:00.02\00:17:02.72
"For God knows, that
in the day you eat of it,
00:17:02.75\00:17:07.49
that is of the fruit
of the forbidden tree,
00:17:07.52\00:17:09.96
your eyes will be opened
00:17:09.99\00:17:12.66
and you will be like
God knowing good and evil."
00:17:12.69\00:17:16.03
Now notice, notice something
that we read earlier in Isaiah,
00:17:16.06\00:17:19.27
he said, "I will be like God"
00:17:19.30\00:17:21.24
Now, he says to Adam and Eve
or Eve, "You will be like God."
00:17:21.27\00:17:24.57
You see, whenever we
are placed in a position
00:17:24.61\00:17:28.38
where we are
beginning to covet what God has,
00:17:28.41\00:17:30.88
Satan always
suggest that by disobedience
00:17:30.91\00:17:34.92
we will be more exalted
than we are in obedience.
00:17:34.95\00:17:38.45
And the reality of it
is, friends, there are things
00:17:38.49\00:17:41.42
that God knows that God
never intended for us to know,
00:17:41.46\00:17:45.29
God never intended
for mankind to know evil.
00:17:45.33\00:17:48.53
God never intended
for mankind to know pain.
00:17:48.56\00:17:51.63
God never intended
for mankind to know death
00:17:51.67\00:17:54.27
and suffering and heartache
and loss and depression,
00:17:54.30\00:17:58.44
but all these things
found their way into the world,
00:17:58.47\00:18:02.61
because Satan suggested to
Eve that there is something
00:18:02.64\00:18:05.41
that God does
not want you to know.
00:18:05.45\00:18:07.65
And when you think about
it, to some degree he was right,
00:18:07.68\00:18:11.35
because there are certain things
00:18:11.39\00:18:12.72
that God really never
intended for us to know.
00:18:12.75\00:18:16.22
In other words, you
don't need to know crime
00:18:16.26\00:18:19.86
to understand peace.
00:18:19.89\00:18:21.60
You don't need to
experience drug abuse
00:18:21.63\00:18:24.03
to understand freedom.
00:18:24.07\00:18:25.80
You don't need
to be an alcoholic
00:18:25.83\00:18:27.74
to experience being
delivered from alcoholism.
00:18:27.77\00:18:30.41
There are certain things
that we don't have to know
00:18:30.44\00:18:33.17
in order to know
the peace of God.
00:18:33.21\00:18:35.54
But Satan said,
"If you only know
00:18:35.58\00:18:38.98
what God is trying
to withhold from you,
00:18:39.01\00:18:42.08
your life will be more exalted,
00:18:42.12\00:18:45.29
your life will be different,
your life will be enhanced."
00:18:45.32\00:18:47.69
Well, nothing as you can see
now is further from the truth,
00:18:47.72\00:18:51.46
for the crisis
that began in heaven
00:18:51.49\00:18:53.33
that now has engulfed the world.
00:18:53.36\00:18:56.36
Nothing has been better
00:18:56.40\00:18:58.03
ever since the
entrance of sin into this world.
00:18:58.07\00:19:02.37
The crisis that began in
heaven extended to the garden,
00:19:02.40\00:19:05.64
and I'll talk about
that tomorrow and then,
00:19:05.67\00:19:08.08
it extended to the
entire then known world,
00:19:08.11\00:19:11.01
also known as the
antediluvian world
00:19:11.05\00:19:13.38
and evil.
00:19:13.42\00:19:16.02
One from, one from
one depth to the other,
00:19:16.05\00:19:18.79
evil began to become
more intense as time went on.
00:19:18.82\00:19:24.13
Notice this Genesis 6:5,
00:19:24.16\00:19:26.53
these words that describes
the condition of the world,
00:19:26.56\00:19:30.53
just because Satan said,
"Things would get better."
00:19:30.57\00:19:34.30
Genesis 6:5 the Bible says,
00:19:34.34\00:19:36.97
"Then the Lord saw
that the wickedness of man
00:19:37.01\00:19:40.68
was great in the earth--"
00:19:40.71\00:19:42.04
Was what?
00:19:42.08\00:19:43.41
"Great in the earth,
00:19:43.45\00:19:44.78
and that every intent of
the thoughts of his heart
00:19:44.81\00:19:48.35
was only evil continually."
00:19:48.38\00:19:51.85
In other words, there was
an unbroken streak of evil.
00:19:51.89\00:19:54.99
That's why today,
I've said this before,
00:19:55.02\00:19:56.83
but I think it fits right here,
00:19:56.86\00:19:58.59
we have to decide
what goes into our hearts,
00:19:58.63\00:20:01.70
what goes into our minds.
00:20:01.73\00:20:03.50
What we occupy our time with
00:20:03.53\00:20:05.53
because Satan knows
that our mind is the seat,
00:20:05.57\00:20:08.90
the place where God
communicates with us.
00:20:08.94\00:20:11.17
If he can pull us
away from the Word of God.
00:20:11.21\00:20:13.84
If he can take us away
from our allegiance to God
00:20:13.88\00:20:16.54
and lead us down a path
that seems for the moment
00:20:16.58\00:20:19.71
to be more bright
than the path of God,
00:20:19.75\00:20:21.78
then He knows it's
just a matter of time
00:20:21.82\00:20:24.79
before our separation from
God would lead us to the place
00:20:24.82\00:20:28.69
where our
thoughts and intentions
00:20:28.72\00:20:31.33
are only evil continually.
00:20:31.36\00:20:34.66
In the book Testimonies,
Volume 8, page 49 paragraph 3.
00:20:34.70\00:20:38.57
Listen to these
words of inspiration.
00:20:38.60\00:20:42.34
"As it was in the days
of Noah, so shall it be,
00:20:42.37\00:20:45.97
when the Son of
Man shall be revealed."
00:20:46.01\00:20:48.68
In other words, the evil
that could have taken place
00:20:48.71\00:20:53.35
and could have
brought a cancer to heaven
00:20:53.38\00:20:55.78
that God did not allow.
00:20:55.82\00:20:57.42
Praise the Lord for that.
00:20:57.45\00:20:59.25
Found its way into the
garden, then found its way
00:20:59.29\00:21:01.59
into the generation
of Adam's descendants,
00:21:01.62\00:21:04.06
then found its way
00:21:04.09\00:21:05.43
into the hearts
of the antediluvians.
00:21:05.46\00:21:07.10
And now it's found its way
into the hearts of humanity
00:21:07.13\00:21:09.76
all over the world
because the Bible says,
00:21:09.80\00:21:11.23
"All have sinned
00:21:11.27\00:21:12.63
and fallen short
of the glory of God."
00:21:12.67\00:21:15.34
But Ellen White says,
00:21:15.37\00:21:16.97
"As it was in the days
of Noah, so shall it be
00:21:17.01\00:21:21.81
when the Son of
Man shall be revealed."
00:21:21.84\00:21:23.75
she's quoting Matthew 24.
00:21:23.78\00:21:26.75
She says, "The Lord is
removing his restrictions
00:21:26.78\00:21:31.29
from the earth.
00:21:31.32\00:21:32.65
And soon there will
be death and destruction,
00:21:32.69\00:21:36.19
increasing crime
and cruel evil workings
00:21:36.22\00:21:39.49
against the rich,
00:21:39.53\00:21:41.06
who have exalted
themselves against the poor."
00:21:41.10\00:21:43.90
That's already
happening. She continues.
00:21:43.93\00:21:46.74
"Those who are
without God's protection
00:21:46.77\00:21:49.97
will find no safety in any place
00:21:50.01\00:21:53.27
or in any position."
00:21:53.31\00:21:55.14
In other words, the
fact of the matter is,
00:21:55.18\00:21:56.75
there is no place on this earth,
00:21:56.78\00:21:58.88
where death has been excluded.
00:21:58.91\00:22:01.58
There's no place on
this earth and in this world,
00:22:01.62\00:22:04.09
where there are
people that don't die.
00:22:04.12\00:22:06.05
And by the way, the
death rate is 100 percent.
00:22:06.09\00:22:09.96
I know somebody just
recently had a heart attack
00:22:09.99\00:22:12.56
and as I spoke to him.
00:22:12.59\00:22:14.76
He said, 'I'm all fixed up now
00:22:14.80\00:22:16.26
and I am, and he is not
living for the Lord yet,
00:22:16.30\00:22:19.93
I've been talking to him
and trying to encourage him
00:22:19.97\00:22:22.27
to give his life to the
Lord, but he said, he said,
00:22:22.30\00:22:23.94
''I feel good now, my
heart is in good condition.
00:22:23.97\00:22:27.18
I'm all set for 60 more years.'
00:22:27.21\00:22:29.41
And he is already
60 plus years old,
00:22:29.44\00:22:32.01
and he said, ''I
think I could live to 100."
00:22:32.05\00:22:34.12
And I said to him,
''You're focusing on 100 years,
00:22:34.15\00:22:37.62
I'm focusing on eternity."
00:22:37.65\00:22:39.99
You see, friends, it is not
our focus of a temporary life,
00:22:40.02\00:22:43.66
because there is
no place in this world
00:22:43.69\00:22:47.20
where there is safety.
00:22:47.23\00:22:48.76
No position, no rank, no
status in life on this earth
00:22:48.80\00:22:53.84
where humanity is not affected
00:22:53.87\00:22:55.40
by the crisis
that began in heaven.
00:22:55.44\00:22:58.24
She goes on to say
in the same quotation,
00:22:58.27\00:23:01.58
"Human agents are being trained
00:23:01.61\00:23:04.18
and are using
their inventive power
00:23:04.21\00:23:07.35
to put in operation
the most powerful machinery
00:23:07.38\00:23:11.22
to wound and to kill."
00:23:11.25\00:23:13.02
And so, you look
at the world today,
00:23:13.05\00:23:14.76
we are in a world now
00:23:14.79\00:23:16.12
that's, that's
racked by terrorism,
00:23:16.16\00:23:18.86
by senseless violence.
00:23:18.89\00:23:21.63
People are being kidnapped,
children are being abused,
00:23:21.66\00:23:26.43
senseless
violence racks our world.
00:23:26.47\00:23:28.77
Sometimes, I look at
the news and I wonder,
00:23:28.80\00:23:30.91
there are times I turn it
off because the news is all bad.
00:23:30.94\00:23:33.58
They leave the good
news to the very end
00:23:33.61\00:23:35.34
even on a good day,
they say, instead of saying
00:23:35.38\00:23:38.08
a 90 percent chance of sunshine,
00:23:38.11\00:23:39.61
they say a 10
percent chance of rain.
00:23:39.65\00:23:41.75
Our world is a world
wracked with bad news.
00:23:41.78\00:23:45.29
But the Lord knew
that's the result of evil.
00:23:45.32\00:23:48.22
He knew that if
Satan could find his way
00:23:48.26\00:23:50.99
into the hearts of humanity,
it will only get worse,
00:23:51.03\00:23:54.43
and the Bible
says in 2 Timothy 3:13.
00:23:54.46\00:23:57.63
Notice how it describes
the intensity of the days
00:23:57.67\00:24:00.27
in which we live.
00:24:00.30\00:24:01.64
The Bible says, "But evil men--"
00:24:01.67\00:24:05.21
I'll say that again,
"But evil men and imposters,
00:24:05.24\00:24:09.41
those claiming to be good
hiding behind the cloak of good
00:24:09.44\00:24:13.31
but really are inwardly evil.
00:24:13.35\00:24:15.68
But evil men and imposters
will grow worse and worse
00:24:15.72\00:24:20.56
deceiving and being deceived."
00:24:20.59\00:24:23.63
The point of the matter
is, you cannot deceive someone
00:24:23.66\00:24:27.06
without being deceived yourself.
00:24:27.10\00:24:30.20
There are
people that are saying,
00:24:30.23\00:24:31.57
they can set you free
00:24:31.60\00:24:32.93
when in fact they
themselves are bound.
00:24:32.97\00:24:34.57
There are people
that are offering you
00:24:34.60\00:24:36.24
an exalted lifestyle,
00:24:36.27\00:24:37.84
when they themselves are
slaves to the same system.
00:24:37.87\00:24:41.41
Deceiving and being deceived.
00:24:41.44\00:24:44.25
But the Lord knew
that these days would come,
00:24:44.28\00:24:46.21
it's no surprise to
the King that we serve.
00:24:46.25\00:24:49.92
2 Timothy 3:1, in
the King James Version
00:24:49.95\00:24:54.09
we read the following words,
00:24:54.12\00:24:55.99
"This know also
that in the last days
00:24:56.02\00:24:59.39
perilous times shall come."
00:24:59.43\00:25:02.23
And whether you know it or not,
00:25:02.26\00:25:03.73
whether you're
living in a countryside
00:25:03.77\00:25:05.20
or quiet community
like here in Thompsonville
00:25:05.23\00:25:07.87
or in Southern Illinois.
00:25:07.90\00:25:09.54
All you've got to do
is go to a major city,
00:25:09.57\00:25:12.77
go to a large metropolitan area
00:25:12.81\00:25:15.11
and you'll discover that
perilous times have come.
00:25:15.14\00:25:19.25
This verse was
looking forward shall come.
00:25:19.28\00:25:22.18
But if I could
modify it I could say,
00:25:22.22\00:25:24.32
"In the last days
00:25:24.35\00:25:25.82
in which we live
perilous times have come."
00:25:25.85\00:25:29.96
And the Bible talks
about those kinds of times.
00:25:29.99\00:25:32.19
Why is there
such a killing spree
00:25:32.23\00:25:35.06
in society today?
00:25:35.10\00:25:36.53
The Bible says
without natural affection,
00:25:36.56\00:25:38.73
no thought of
killing the innocent.
00:25:38.77\00:25:41.30
No thought of stealing
from those who have worked hard
00:25:41.34\00:25:44.74
to provide for their own needs.
00:25:44.77\00:25:46.71
''Fierce, the Bible says,
00:25:46.74\00:25:48.41
despisers of
those that are good."
00:25:48.44\00:25:51.51
If you look at the world
today, there is a hatred.
00:25:51.55\00:25:54.78
There is a hatred
expressed on some talk shows
00:25:54.82\00:25:57.82
when Christians stand up
to express their freedom,
00:25:57.85\00:26:00.56
their views.
00:26:00.59\00:26:01.92
You'll often discover
that the crowd is against
00:26:01.96\00:26:03.76
those who name
the name of Christ.
00:26:03.79\00:26:06.43
All you've got to do today
to be odd is live a good life.
00:26:06.46\00:26:11.40
All you've got to do
today to have the world
00:26:11.43\00:26:13.94
to turn their back
on you is to simply say,
00:26:13.97\00:26:17.37
"you are a follower of Jesus."
00:26:17.41\00:26:20.18
For that's not the
kind of world we live in.
00:26:20.21\00:26:22.04
They are exalting
everything that is against God.
00:26:22.08\00:26:26.31
Fierce, despisers
of those that are good.
00:26:26.35\00:26:30.39
In other words,
there is a hatred
00:26:30.42\00:26:31.75
against those who embrace
the things that are good.
00:26:31.79\00:26:36.83
But there is no surprise
in this condition to God.
00:26:36.86\00:26:40.66
For you see, the
actions of evil men
00:26:40.70\00:26:43.40
have more to do
with heart condition
00:26:43.43\00:26:46.37
than with religious conviction.
00:26:46.40\00:26:48.64
Now let me make
my point very clear.
00:26:48.67\00:26:50.97
There may be
differences in denominations
00:26:51.01\00:26:53.21
and what one believes
and what the other believes,
00:26:53.24\00:26:55.64
but, that's not
really the greater foundation
00:26:55.68\00:26:58.18
of the reason
why this evil exist.
00:26:58.21\00:27:00.42
The Bible makes it
clear in Jeremiah 17:9,
00:27:00.45\00:27:03.55
"As to the seed of evil."
00:27:03.59\00:27:06.09
That's why when
somebody once said to me,
00:27:06.12\00:27:08.36
I was speaking to a neighbor
that was not a Christian,
00:27:08.39\00:27:11.16
and I was trying to share
Jesus with him and he said,
00:27:11.19\00:27:14.10
''I'm a good person.
00:27:14.13\00:27:15.46
I don't steal, I don't
lie, I help in my community.
00:27:15.50\00:27:20.04
Whenever there is a blood drive,
00:27:20.07\00:27:21.64
I try to donate my blood.
00:27:21.67\00:27:24.01
I try to be a good
neighbor and keep my yard clean
00:27:24.04\00:27:26.47
and try to do things
00:27:26.51\00:27:27.84
to keep the
community in good condition."
00:27:27.88\00:27:30.31
But what he did not know,
it was not what he has done,
00:27:30.35\00:27:34.22
but what he has inherited
00:27:34.25\00:27:36.32
that places him
against the Lord.
00:27:36.35\00:27:38.72
That's why each one of
us needs to be born again.
00:27:38.75\00:27:40.89
Look at Jeremiah
17:9, the Bible says,
00:27:40.92\00:27:44.63
"The heart is
deceitful above all things,
00:27:44.66\00:27:47.80
and desperately wicked:"
00:27:47.83\00:27:50.67
Not, not kind of
wicked who can know it.
00:27:50.70\00:27:53.54
That's why when
people say to me,
00:27:53.57\00:27:54.90
you know, I'm a good guy.
00:27:54.94\00:27:56.71
I say, ''You have no idea.
00:27:56.74\00:27:58.51
You have no idea
00:27:58.54\00:28:00.41
of the depth of sin
that you can sink into
00:28:00.44\00:28:03.98
unless you
understand your own character."
00:28:04.01\00:28:07.12
In James 4:1,
speaking about crises and wars.
00:28:07.15\00:28:10.65
He said
everything about this earth
00:28:10.69\00:28:12.95
has to do with a contention.
00:28:12.99\00:28:14.86
There's a battle
good against evil,
00:28:14.89\00:28:17.03
light against
darkness, truth against error
00:28:17.06\00:28:19.56
and we contend
amongst ourselves,
00:28:19.59\00:28:21.96
because of the
crisis that began in heaven
00:28:22.00\00:28:24.67
extended to the earth,
to the antediluvian world
00:28:24.70\00:28:27.74
and now the
entire world is involved
00:28:27.77\00:28:30.04
in this final crisis.
00:28:30.07\00:28:32.27
James 4:1, 2, describes
00:28:32.31\00:28:34.84
some of the other
elements of this crisis,
00:28:34.88\00:28:36.95
and notice what he says.
00:28:36.98\00:28:38.31
Remember the
war began in heaven.
00:28:38.35\00:28:40.28
James says in
verse 1 of Chapter 4.
00:28:40.32\00:28:43.42
"Where do wars and
fighting come from among you?"
00:28:43.45\00:28:48.46
Where do they come
from? How do they come?
00:28:48.49\00:28:50.56
Where do they spring up from?
00:28:50.59\00:28:52.16
He said, "Do they not come
from your desire for pleasure
00:28:52.19\00:28:56.00
that war in your members.
00:28:56.03\00:28:58.90
You lust and do not have,
00:28:58.93\00:29:01.24
you murdered and
covet and cannot obtain.
00:29:01.27\00:29:04.17
You fight in war,
yet you do not have
00:29:04.21\00:29:07.98
because you do not ask."
00:29:08.01\00:29:11.68
You see the reason why
many people fight in the war
00:29:11.71\00:29:13.75
and contend and
covet and murder and lust
00:29:13.78\00:29:16.92
is because, they often
know that these are things
00:29:16.95\00:29:19.69
that if they ask God for them,
00:29:19.72\00:29:21.82
God will not grant lust
and murder and covetousness
00:29:21.86\00:29:26.59
and pleasure that
leads us away from Him
00:29:26.63\00:29:29.06
so, so we
contend for these things.
00:29:29.10\00:29:31.17
And I tell you today,
00:29:31.20\00:29:33.13
one of the reasons
why we have to be careful
00:29:33.17\00:29:34.57
about our devices
because oftentimes,
00:29:34.60\00:29:36.84
our devices leads
us to other devices.
00:29:36.87\00:29:40.78
Somebody once said,
00:29:40.81\00:29:42.14
just recently I
heard an article,
00:29:42.18\00:29:43.51
I read an article
actually that said,
00:29:43.55\00:29:47.58
the reason why
they call our devices,
00:29:47.62\00:29:49.65
the one that we carry
around very frequently with us
00:29:49.68\00:29:52.09
cell phones is because,
00:29:52.12\00:29:53.79
young people today
are becoming victims
00:29:53.82\00:29:56.52
to their own
cell, their cell phones.
00:29:56.56\00:30:00.90
There are jail cells.
00:30:00.93\00:30:02.33
Their cell phones are
becoming the very instrument
00:30:02.36\00:30:05.80
that captures their
minds and their hearts,
00:30:05.83\00:30:08.54
and therefore the things of
God are often not considered.
00:30:08.57\00:30:11.77
We've got to be
smarter than our smart devices.
00:30:11.81\00:30:16.91
In the midst of this battle,
00:30:16.95\00:30:19.21
we've got to begin
to pursue the things
00:30:19.25\00:30:21.62
that bring us closer to God
00:30:21.65\00:30:23.89
and run away from the things
that lead us away from God.
00:30:23.92\00:30:27.59
What kind of
condition should we have
00:30:27.62\00:30:30.36
in this kind of climate today?
00:30:30.39\00:30:31.93
What should we do
to, to protect ourselves
00:30:31.96\00:30:36.13
in this climate of evil,
00:30:36.16\00:30:37.87
in this climate
of a climbing battle?
00:30:37.90\00:30:40.64
Notice Ephesians
6:13 the Bible says,
00:30:40.67\00:30:44.74
"Therefore take up
the whole armor of God--"
00:30:44.77\00:30:49.84
How much of God's
armor? The whole armor of God.
00:30:49.88\00:30:53.62
"That you may be able to
withstand in the evil day,
00:30:53.65\00:30:59.35
and having done all, to stand."
00:30:59.39\00:31:01.22
In other words,
the shield of faith,
00:31:01.26\00:31:03.89
the helmet of salvation,
00:31:03.93\00:31:06.09
the breastplate
of righteousness,
00:31:06.13\00:31:08.63
our feet shod with
the gospel of peace.
00:31:08.66\00:31:11.07
We can have on the entire armor,
00:31:11.10\00:31:13.40
but if we don't
have an offensive weapon,
00:31:13.44\00:31:16.00
the sort of God Spirit,
we can be wonderfully clad
00:31:16.04\00:31:19.07
in all of the
garments of Christianity,
00:31:19.11\00:31:21.28
but without the
proper use and identity
00:31:21.31\00:31:24.88
and application of God's word,
00:31:24.91\00:31:26.68
the only offensive
weapon in the Christian armor
00:31:26.72\00:31:29.88
we can be perfectly clad,
00:31:29.92\00:31:31.89
but not be
prepared to go into battle.
00:31:31.92\00:31:34.36
That's why we've got to
find more time for our Bibles.
00:31:34.39\00:31:37.16
We've got to make the
best use of our Bibles.
00:31:37.19\00:31:38.99
We've got to get to the place
00:31:39.03\00:31:40.36
where our Bibles become
closer to us than our devices.
00:31:40.40\00:31:44.27
My wife and I
just decided recently
00:31:44.30\00:31:47.44
to move our phones
further away from our bed head
00:31:47.47\00:31:51.37
and our Bibles
closer to our bed head
00:31:51.41\00:31:54.24
because it's a very easy thing
00:31:54.28\00:31:55.88
when you wake up in the
morning for the first thing
00:31:55.91\00:31:58.45
that we reach for
is our cell phones
00:31:58.48\00:32:00.62
or our iPads or our androids
00:32:00.65\00:32:03.15
or whatever we
might have our iPhones
00:32:03.18\00:32:04.72
or whatever kind
of device you have.
00:32:04.75\00:32:06.69
It's so easy to reach
for these electronic devices
00:32:06.72\00:32:11.16
and scan and,
and sometimes, I say,
00:32:11.19\00:32:13.73
I'm only looking to find
out what the temperature is
00:32:13.76\00:32:15.73
and before I know it.
00:32:15.76\00:32:17.63
Before I even know it,
00:32:17.67\00:32:19.03
I'm diving in deeper and deeper.
00:32:19.07\00:32:21.17
I find myself
looking at the news
00:32:21.20\00:32:23.67
or checking the weather
00:32:23.71\00:32:25.47
or looking at someone's pictures
00:32:25.51\00:32:27.34
or looking at
Instagram and I find myself
00:32:27.38\00:32:29.94
and the time goes by so quickly,
00:32:29.98\00:32:31.45
and I ask myself on some days,
00:32:31.48\00:32:34.52
and I'm confessing, on
some days I ask myself,
00:32:34.55\00:32:37.72
my time would
have better been spent
00:32:37.75\00:32:40.72
looking through the Word of God
than looking through my device.
00:32:40.76\00:32:45.56
Put on the whole armor of God.
00:32:45.59\00:32:48.50
These are the
days of dark valleys
00:32:48.53\00:32:50.23
and dark shadows.
00:32:50.27\00:32:51.90
We are living in the
prevailing climate of evil.
00:32:51.93\00:32:55.04
But there is no
more greater news,
00:32:55.07\00:32:57.51
no better security
to know than to know
00:32:57.54\00:32:59.94
that in this prevailing
climate of darkness and evil,
00:32:59.97\00:33:03.31
that God has not
left us by ourselves.
00:33:03.35\00:33:06.82
Amen to that.
Look at Psalms 23:4.
00:33:06.85\00:33:10.49
What should we do in
the days of darkness,
00:33:10.52\00:33:13.99
the Psalmist David
said, "Yea, though I walk
00:33:14.02\00:33:17.29
through the valleys
of the shadows of death,
00:33:17.33\00:33:19.86
I fear no evil:
for thou art with me,
00:33:19.89\00:33:23.43
thy rod and thy
staff they comfort me."
00:33:23.47\00:33:27.90
In the midst of this battle,
00:33:27.94\00:33:30.37
the rod that
keeps the enemy away,
00:33:30.41\00:33:32.67
the staff that keeps
us from running away.
00:33:32.71\00:33:35.94
The Lord says, "We're
living in a dark world,
00:33:35.98\00:33:38.15
a world of death and shadows."
00:33:38.18\00:33:40.42
But God has promised,
He will never leave us,
00:33:40.45\00:33:43.62
and He will never forsake us.
00:33:43.65\00:33:45.95
That's why
whenever we come to worship,
00:33:45.99\00:33:48.69
brothers and sisters,
00:33:48.72\00:33:50.06
whenever we get together
to talk amongst ourselves,
00:33:50.09\00:33:52.09
whenever we get
together to fellowship,
00:33:52.13\00:33:54.66
we've got to focus
less on Satan's capability
00:33:54.70\00:33:58.70
and more on God's ability,
00:33:58.73\00:34:01.00
because
sometimes we give the devil
00:34:01.04\00:34:03.00
so much press,
so much notoriety,
00:34:03.04\00:34:07.41
we speak about
all the bad things
00:34:07.44\00:34:09.38
more than we
exalt the good things.
00:34:09.41\00:34:11.71
And we all have difficult weeks,
00:34:11.75\00:34:14.25
but if we can make
it through the week,
00:34:14.28\00:34:15.68
we ought to find
reason to give God the glory.
00:34:15.72\00:34:17.69
Amen.
00:34:17.72\00:34:19.05
Ought to find a reason
to give God the praise,
00:34:19.09\00:34:21.69
to say to the Lord, I know
how tough the week has been
00:34:21.72\00:34:25.63
but thank you Lord,
that You are always faithful.
00:34:25.66\00:34:30.93
Isaiah 26:3.
00:34:30.97\00:34:33.13
It's all about
where we focus our minds.
00:34:33.17\00:34:35.57
It's all about the
focus of our minds,
00:34:35.60\00:34:38.11
the prophet says,
00:34:38.14\00:34:39.47
"Thou wilt keep
him in perfect peace,
00:34:39.51\00:34:42.51
whose mind is stayed upon thee:
because he trusteth in thee."
00:34:42.54\00:34:47.32
Isaiah 26:3, if we trust in God,
00:34:47.35\00:34:50.82
it's not gonna be easy,
but God will be with us in it.
00:34:50.85\00:34:54.06
He was with the
Hebrews in the furnace,
00:34:54.09\00:34:55.76
Daniel in the den,
Paul and Silas in prison.
00:34:55.79\00:34:59.49
He was with His
people in battle, in turmoil,
00:34:59.53\00:35:02.76
in destruction and persecution
during the Dark Ages.
00:35:02.80\00:35:06.00
And the God we serve, my
friends, has never changed.
00:35:06.03\00:35:09.34
He was with them
and He will be in us,
00:35:09.37\00:35:12.77
if we keep our
minds stayed on Him.
00:35:12.81\00:35:17.78
In the SDA
commentary about Isaiah 26:3,
00:35:17.81\00:35:21.28
a very interesting
angle to this, listen to this.
00:35:21.32\00:35:24.62
Trouble and
turmoil may surround us,
00:35:24.65\00:35:28.59
yet we enjoy a
calmness and a peace of mind
00:35:28.62\00:35:33.36
which the world knows nothing.
00:35:33.40\00:35:37.13
This inward peace is reflected
in a cheerful countenance."
00:35:37.17\00:35:42.67
If you're happy
and you know it smile,
00:35:42.70\00:35:45.54
and on ruffled temper
00:35:45.57\00:35:48.11
and a vigorous
glowing experience
00:35:48.14\00:35:51.65
that stimulates all with
whom we come in contact."
00:35:51.68\00:35:55.68
Listen to how it ends.
00:35:55.72\00:35:57.15
"The peace of
the Christian depends
00:35:57.19\00:35:59.25
not upon peaceful conditions
in the world about him,
00:35:59.29\00:36:03.32
but upon the
indwelling of the Spirit of God
00:36:03.36\00:36:07.40
in the heart.
00:36:07.43\00:36:08.90
You see friends, if
I focus on the world,
00:36:08.93\00:36:10.40
I'll never be happy.
00:36:10.43\00:36:11.77
If I focus on the difficulty
in the news, the elections,
00:36:11.80\00:36:15.17
the stock markets instability,
00:36:15.20\00:36:17.34
the devaluing of the dollar,
the rising of the gas prices,
00:36:17.37\00:36:20.31
the loss of real
estate, the increase of crime
00:36:20.34\00:36:23.11
and violence and I
focus on those things,
00:36:23.14\00:36:25.25
I will never find
reason to have peace.
00:36:25.28\00:36:28.68
But if my mind is stayed on God,
00:36:28.72\00:36:31.69
He promises to keep
us not just in peace,
00:36:31.72\00:36:34.69
but in perfect peace.
00:36:34.72\00:36:37.73
Second point, every crisis
reveals our vulnerabilities,
00:36:37.76\00:36:42.50
every crisis
reveals our vulnerabilities.
00:36:42.53\00:36:46.77
Psalms 103:14, the
Lord says in His word,
00:36:46.80\00:36:51.81
for He knows how we are
formed, this is the NIV.
00:36:51.84\00:36:56.04
"He remembers that we are dust."
00:36:56.08\00:36:59.95
One of the things that
keeps me humble before the Lord
00:36:59.98\00:37:02.58
is I know that on any given day,
00:37:02.62\00:37:04.75
if God doesn't give us
the strength in the morning
00:37:04.79\00:37:06.86
to open our
eyes, we don't wake up.
00:37:06.89\00:37:09.52
If God doesn't give
us the strength to move,
00:37:09.56\00:37:12.73
we become dysfunctional.
00:37:12.76\00:37:14.46
Everyday in God
we live and we move,
00:37:14.50\00:37:17.27
and we have our being,
we've got to remember that,
00:37:17.30\00:37:19.87
because in
reality, under this suit
00:37:19.90\00:37:22.67
and beyond all of the
exteriors of our abilities,
00:37:22.70\00:37:25.24
we are simply dust in the sight
of an immortal and eternal God.
00:37:25.27\00:37:31.11
Billy Graham once said
00:37:31.15\00:37:32.48
as we speak about New York City.
00:37:32.51\00:37:34.55
He commented
00:37:34.58\00:37:35.92
about the destruction
of the World Trade Center
00:37:35.95\00:37:37.29
and this is very
important, he said,
00:37:37.32\00:37:39.35
''When the World
Trade Center fell,
00:37:39.39\00:37:41.99
it was not because
the foundation failed,
00:37:42.02\00:37:44.79
the foundation was still there
when the buildings came down."
00:37:44.83\00:37:49.23
You see friend when men fail,
00:37:49.26\00:37:51.67
when we fall
short of God's glory,
00:37:51.70\00:37:53.80
when we disappoint one another,
00:37:53.84\00:37:56.47
it's not that
the foundation fails
00:37:56.50\00:37:59.37
because Jesus
Christ is still there,
00:37:59.41\00:38:02.58
Isaiah 28:16, Listen to this,
00:38:02.61\00:38:05.71
"Therefore thus says the
Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion,
00:38:05.75\00:38:10.19
a stone for a foundation."
00:38:10.22\00:38:12.89
God is not just a
stone. He is a tried stone.
00:38:12.92\00:38:17.63
The prophet says, "He
is a precious cornerstone,
00:38:17.66\00:38:20.93
a sure foundation.
00:38:20.96\00:38:23.37
Whoever believes in
Him will not act hastily."
00:38:23.40\00:38:27.54
In other words, you
don't have to be in a hurry.
00:38:27.57\00:38:29.67
You can be patient and
peaceful and thoughtful.
00:38:29.70\00:38:32.84
When you stand on the
stone, the strong foundation,
00:38:32.87\00:38:36.48
the precious
stone, the sure foundation
00:38:36.51\00:38:39.11
and that's why Paul in
1 Corinthians 3:11 says,
00:38:39.15\00:38:42.48
"For no other
foundation can anyone lay."
00:38:42.52\00:38:47.16
No president, no kings,
no leaders, no governors,
00:38:47.19\00:38:51.73
or Republican or Democrat,
00:38:51.76\00:38:54.16
whether they are from
the south or the north,
00:38:54.20\00:38:56.67
or east or the west,
00:38:56.70\00:38:58.03
no other foundation of
security can anyone lay
00:38:58.07\00:39:03.00
than that which is
laid which is Christ Jesus.
00:39:03.04\00:39:07.08
Amen.
00:39:07.11\00:39:08.44
And so, friends,
when we think about that,
00:39:08.48\00:39:10.41
if you want security
in an unsecured world,
00:39:10.45\00:39:12.95
if you want stability in a world
00:39:12.98\00:39:14.82
that's shaking for fear.
00:39:14.85\00:39:16.89
If you want to hope in a
world where people are dying
00:39:16.92\00:39:18.99
as the clock
ticks by the moment,
00:39:19.02\00:39:21.16
there's only one
foundation you can find
00:39:21.19\00:39:23.56
and that foundation is Jesus.
00:39:23.59\00:39:27.30
You see, the good news
is in all of this crises
00:39:27.33\00:39:30.30
is that it's not
gonna be this way always.
00:39:30.33\00:39:33.64
In the book, Our High Calling,
page 354, in paragraph 5,
00:39:33.67\00:39:38.57
we read the following words.
00:39:38.61\00:39:41.48
'The end of all
things is that hand--"
00:39:41.51\00:39:43.35
And I say amen to that.
00:39:43.38\00:39:45.58
'The day of God is
hastening on a pace,
00:39:45.61\00:39:48.72
the world is full of
crime and anguish and sorrow.
00:39:48.75\00:39:52.05
There are
calamities by land and by sea.
00:39:52.09\00:39:55.36
Storm and tempests
make it unsafe for us
00:39:55.39\00:39:58.59
to be separated from
God for one single moment.
00:39:58.63\00:40:02.00
Only those and
I'll say that again,
00:40:02.03\00:40:04.37
only all those who live by faith
00:40:04.40\00:40:07.47
in this probationary life
00:40:07.50\00:40:10.67
will be able to stand
in the day of the test.
00:40:10.71\00:40:14.41
When everything that
can be shaken will be shaken
00:40:14.44\00:40:19.38
but they shall dwell
in safety and be unmoved."
00:40:19.41\00:40:23.52
If we trust God in the storm,
00:40:23.55\00:40:26.65
God will bring us
through the storm.
00:40:26.69\00:40:29.16
If we trust God
before the clouds come,
00:40:29.19\00:40:32.09
God will be with us
00:40:32.13\00:40:33.46
when the clouds begin to gather.
00:40:33.50\00:40:35.63
If we trust God before
the difficulty arrives,
00:40:35.66\00:40:38.70
we will know
exactly to whom to turn
00:40:38.73\00:40:41.14
when the difficulty does arrive.
00:40:41.17\00:40:43.44
You see there are so many people
00:40:43.47\00:40:44.81
that wonder where God is.
00:40:44.84\00:40:46.17
I never forget the day
00:40:46.21\00:40:48.68
after the World Trade Center
event in 2001, September 11th.
00:40:48.71\00:40:52.45
The very next day on the
front of some of the newspapers
00:40:52.48\00:40:55.65
was this phrase
or this question.
00:40:55.68\00:40:57.49
''Where was God?'
People ask, ''Where was God?"
00:40:57.52\00:41:01.39
How could God have been awake,
00:41:01.42\00:41:02.76
how could God
have been at a station
00:41:02.79\00:41:04.26
if so many lives were
taken in this single incident?
00:41:04.29\00:41:07.50
Well, I thought about
it for a moment I said,
00:41:07.53\00:41:09.60
God was in the same place
that He was on September 10th.
00:41:09.63\00:41:13.03
He did not move His address
His throne was not removed,
00:41:13.07\00:41:16.81
God was not replaced,
God was not dethroned,
00:41:16.84\00:41:20.64
He is the same God in
the midst of difficulty
00:41:20.68\00:41:24.85
as He is in the midst of peace.
00:41:24.88\00:41:28.32
But the reason why people
ask that question is this.
00:41:28.35\00:41:31.39
You see one you don't
stay in touch with God
00:41:31.42\00:41:33.66
in times of peace.
00:41:33.69\00:41:35.12
You don't know where to
find God in times of difficulty.
00:41:35.16\00:41:38.09
When you don't spend
time in the Word of God
00:41:38.13\00:41:40.26
when things are going well,
00:41:40.30\00:41:41.93
it's hard to find
meaning in God's word
00:41:41.96\00:41:43.90
when things are going bad.
00:41:43.93\00:41:45.47
Those who ask
those kinds of questions
00:41:45.50\00:41:47.30
are people that don't
have the kind of connection
00:41:47.34\00:41:50.07
and
relationship with God to know
00:41:50.11\00:41:52.91
that no matter how
bad the world gets,
00:41:52.94\00:41:55.41
God still loves us
with an everlasting love.
00:41:55.44\00:42:01.65
In Testimonies, volume
9, page 11 in paragraph 2,
00:42:01.68\00:42:06.22
we read these words
about the following climate
00:42:06.25\00:42:08.42
that's
consolidating around, she says,
00:42:08.46\00:42:11.69
"The agencies of evil
are combining their forces
00:42:11.73\00:42:15.36
and consolidating."
00:42:15.40\00:42:16.83
What does that mean?
00:42:16.87\00:42:18.20
That means all of
the forces of darkness
00:42:18.23\00:42:20.54
whether it is crime,
violence, immorality, drugs,
00:42:20.57\00:42:25.81
terrorism, theft, murder,
00:42:25.84\00:42:28.78
they're all
consolidating together,
00:42:28.81\00:42:31.05
they are strengthening
for the last great crises.
00:42:31.08\00:42:35.38
Great changes are soon
to take place in our world,
00:42:35.42\00:42:38.42
and our final
movements will be rapid ones."
00:42:38.45\00:42:44.03
And so don't be surprised
00:42:44.06\00:42:45.39
when you turn on
the news tonight.
00:42:45.43\00:42:47.60
Don't be surprised when
you hear of another bombing
00:42:47.63\00:42:50.03
in some place of the world.
00:42:50.07\00:42:51.40
Don't be surprised when
you hear that another terrorist
00:42:51.43\00:42:53.70
carried out
another atrocious attack,
00:42:53.74\00:42:55.64
maybe in an airport
00:42:55.67\00:42:57.01
or in a crowded
restaurant or in a mall.
00:42:57.04\00:42:59.14
Don't be surprised
because the agencies of evil
00:42:59.17\00:43:02.11
are gathering.
00:43:02.14\00:43:04.08
And as we see senseless
crimes being carried out.
00:43:04.11\00:43:06.95
Satan is revealing to the
world the kind of government
00:43:06.98\00:43:10.69
that he would carry
forth, had God allowed him
00:43:10.72\00:43:14.62
to have complete
control of this planet.
00:43:14.66\00:43:18.99
But there's another
quotation that opens my mind
00:43:19.03\00:43:21.63
as I come to my final point.
00:43:21.66\00:43:24.07
In Prophets and
Kings, page 537, paragraph 1.
00:43:24.10\00:43:28.04
''We are told
the present is a time
00:43:28.07\00:43:31.51
of overwhelming
interest to all living."
00:43:31.54\00:43:36.11
Very important the
content, listen carefully.
00:43:36.14\00:43:38.25
''Rulers and statesman,
00:43:38.28\00:43:40.08
men who occupy positions
of trust and authority.
00:43:40.12\00:43:43.15
Thinking men and
women of all classes
00:43:43.18\00:43:46.59
have their attention
00:43:46.62\00:43:47.99
fixed upon the events
taking place about us.
00:43:48.02\00:43:51.73
They are watching
the restless relations
00:43:51.76\00:43:54.36
that exist among the nations.
00:43:54.40\00:43:56.50
They observe the intensity
that is taking possession
00:43:56.53\00:44:00.14
of every earthly element,
fires, floods, earthquakes,
00:44:00.17\00:44:04.77
disasters, hot temperatures
when it should be cold,
00:44:04.81\00:44:08.51
cold temperatures
when it should be hot.
00:44:08.54\00:44:10.95
And they recognize
that something great
00:44:10.98\00:44:14.38
and decisive is
about to take place
00:44:14.42\00:44:17.85
that the world is on the
verge of a stupendous crisis."
00:44:17.89\00:44:22.36
Well, Revelation reveals
who is behind that crisis.
00:44:22.39\00:44:25.86
The good news is God is with us
in this unfolding final crisis.
00:44:25.89\00:44:32.83
But who is behind
this? Revelation 12:17.
00:44:32.87\00:44:36.27
Now remember the
war began in heaven.
00:44:36.30\00:44:38.54
The war continued
in the Garden of Eden.
00:44:38.57\00:44:40.58
It continued in the
days of the Antediluvians.
00:44:40.61\00:44:43.35
It continued during
the time of the soldier
00:44:43.38\00:44:45.21
and the Israelites.
00:44:45.25\00:44:46.58
It continued through the
life of Jesus and His ministry.
00:44:46.61\00:44:49.92
It continued
through the Dark Ages.
00:44:49.95\00:44:52.55
It continued during
the Protestant Reformation
00:44:52.59\00:44:55.09
during World War I, World War II
00:44:55.12\00:44:56.93
and World War III,
and the Bible says,
00:44:56.96\00:44:59.06
"Now as we get down
to the final stages.
00:44:59.09\00:45:02.10
Listen to the words of
the inspired prophet John.
00:45:02.13\00:45:05.83
Revelation 12:17, "This
dragon, no longer Lucifer
00:45:05.87\00:45:10.11
but a fallen
angel, now the dragon,
00:45:10.14\00:45:12.04
and the dragon was
wroth with the woman,
00:45:12.07\00:45:14.28
that is the church
and went to make war
00:45:14.31\00:45:16.95
with the remnant of her
seed that is the last days,
00:45:16.98\00:45:21.65
the people of
God in the last days
00:45:21.68\00:45:24.02
which keep the
commandments of God
00:45:24.05\00:45:26.82
and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ."
00:45:26.86\00:45:30.86
Which now leads
me to my final point
00:45:30.89\00:45:32.99
and this is good
news, every war has an end.
00:45:33.03\00:45:36.77
Amen somebody?
Every war has an end.
00:45:36.80\00:45:40.57
Praise the Lord for that.
00:45:40.60\00:45:42.27
Look at Revelation
12:11, 12, the Bible says,
00:45:42.30\00:45:46.37
"And they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb,
00:45:46.41\00:45:49.48
they overcame a dragon."
00:45:49.51\00:45:51.38
When have you ever heard a
lamb victorious over a dragon?
00:45:51.41\00:45:55.72
Well, friends, I tell you,
00:45:55.75\00:45:57.09
only the Lamb of God can
defeat the dragon on any day.
00:45:57.12\00:46:00.72
He may seem small
and tender and helpless,
00:46:00.76\00:46:03.36
but he is a lamb of God
00:46:03.39\00:46:05.19
who has been slain from
the foundation of the world
00:46:05.23\00:46:07.86
and he's never lost a battle,
praise the Lord for that.
00:46:07.90\00:46:11.33
They overcame him by
the blood of the Lamb,
00:46:11.37\00:46:13.20
by the blood of the Lamb
00:46:13.23\00:46:14.57
and by the word
of their testimony
00:46:14.60\00:46:16.37
and they loved not
their lives to the death."
00:46:16.40\00:46:19.41
But verse 12 as a
Solomon, Revelation 12:12.
00:46:19.44\00:46:23.45
"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens,
00:46:26.88\00:46:28.92
and ye that dwell in them.
00:46:28.95\00:46:31.22
But woe to the inhabitants
of the earth and of the sea!
00:46:31.25\00:46:34.76
For the devil has come down
unto you, having great wrath,
00:46:34.79\00:46:40.76
because he knoweth that
he hath but a short time."
00:46:40.80\00:46:47.04
He knows he has a short time.
00:46:47.07\00:46:48.50
You see, friends, God
saw the final movements
00:46:48.54\00:46:52.54
in earth's history.
00:46:52.57\00:46:53.91
God predicted the crumbling
of the world's infrastructure.
00:46:53.94\00:46:57.41
God saw man's frailty
but God's plan will prevail
00:46:57.45\00:47:03.72
above every
fallen plan of humanity.
00:47:03.75\00:47:06.96
Listen to these
words, Acts of the Apostles,
00:47:06.99\00:47:09.92
page 535 in paragraph 2,
only two groups in the end.
00:47:09.96\00:47:14.70
''As the end of all
things earthly should approach
00:47:14.73\00:47:18.13
their would be faithful ones
00:47:18.17\00:47:20.24
able to discern
the signs of the times,
00:47:20.27\00:47:23.91
while a large number
of professing believers
00:47:23.94\00:47:27.04
would deny their
faith by their works,
00:47:27.08\00:47:30.28
there would be a remnant
who would endure unto the end.''
00:47:30.31\00:47:35.38
Now the question might be,
00:47:35.42\00:47:36.75
how could we endure
in the midst of violence?
00:47:36.79\00:47:38.52
How could we endure
in the midst of death?
00:47:38.55\00:47:40.39
How can we endure
00:47:40.42\00:47:41.76
in the midst of
violence and crime?
00:47:41.79\00:47:43.12
How could we endure
in the midst of darkness?
00:47:43.16\00:47:44.93
Where can we find hope?
00:47:44.96\00:47:46.70
Well, friends, it's more
important to preach a message
00:47:46.73\00:47:49.96
of hope and
security and everlasting joy
00:47:50.00\00:47:52.80
than just to be
focused only on prophecies,
00:47:52.83\00:47:56.91
only on doctrines.
00:47:56.94\00:47:58.74
I would say as Jesus says,
00:47:58.77\00:48:00.28
"If I be lifted up,
I'll draw all men to myself."
00:48:00.31\00:48:05.41
You see as in these last days
00:48:05.45\00:48:07.85
that the message
that will triumph
00:48:07.88\00:48:10.39
from its all this darkness
00:48:10.42\00:48:12.42
is the message of
a crucified and risen
00:48:12.45\00:48:16.46
and coming again savior.
00:48:16.49\00:48:18.69
Listen to this,
Revelation 19:11,
00:48:18.73\00:48:23.87
one day the war
is gonna be over,
00:48:23.90\00:48:26.20
one day the King of kings
is gonna come to rescue us.
00:48:26.23\00:48:29.64
One day every crime,
every act of violence
00:48:29.67\00:48:33.68
will forever be suspended
never to be reenacted again.
00:48:33.71\00:48:38.41
Revelation 19:11,
00:48:38.45\00:48:41.42
"And I saw heaven opened,
and behold a white horse;
00:48:41.45\00:48:45.89
and he who sat upon him
was called Faithful and True,
00:48:45.92\00:48:51.09
and in righteousness he
judges and he make war."
00:48:51.13\00:48:53.86
You see Satan began the war,
but Jesus is gonna end the war.
00:48:53.90\00:48:58.10
His eyes were
like a flame of fire,
00:48:58.13\00:49:00.70
and on his head
were many crowns.
00:49:00.74\00:49:04.81
He had a name written that
no one knew except himself.
00:49:04.84\00:49:08.38
He was clothed with
a robe dipped in blood
00:49:08.41\00:49:11.51
and his name is
called the Word of God,
00:49:11.55\00:49:14.32
and the armies in heaven
00:49:14.35\00:49:16.12
clothed in fine
linen white and clean
00:49:16.15\00:49:19.39
followed him on white horses,
00:49:19.42\00:49:22.09
a representation of
purity and righteousness."
00:49:22.12\00:49:25.29
And verse 15, "Now out of
his mouth goeth a sharp sword,
00:49:25.33\00:49:29.00
that with it he
should strike the nations:
00:49:29.03\00:49:32.40
and he himself will
rule them with a rod of iron:
00:49:32.43\00:49:36.50
he himself treads the
winepress of the fierceness
00:49:36.54\00:49:41.78
and wrath of Almighty God.
00:49:41.81\00:49:44.28
And who is he?
00:49:44.31\00:49:46.15
And he had on his robe
00:49:46.18\00:49:48.48
and on his thigh a name written
00:49:48.52\00:49:51.72
King of kings
and Lord of lords."
00:49:51.75\00:49:56.16
Friend, the
good news is one day,
00:49:56.19\00:49:58.79
the crisis that began in heaven,
00:49:58.83\00:50:00.46
that continues in the earth
00:50:00.50\00:50:01.90
one day that crisis
is going to be over.
00:50:01.93\00:50:06.60
I never forget as I close now,
00:50:06.63\00:50:08.44
what happened on that
day, back in September 11th.
00:50:08.47\00:50:12.84
As we stayed in a hotel there
in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,
00:50:12.87\00:50:16.54
waiting for our time of
departure to return home.
00:50:16.58\00:50:20.52
Finally, we got the
news, all these passengers
00:50:20.55\00:50:22.78
that had been
unfamiliar with each other,
00:50:22.82\00:50:25.32
we became
familiar, we became a family,
00:50:25.35\00:50:27.76
we all had one desire
to be home one destiny
00:50:27.79\00:50:30.46
to get back to our families.
00:50:30.49\00:50:32.93
One burning pulsating
desire to be in atmosphere
00:50:32.96\00:50:36.93
and environment
of safety and joy.
00:50:36.97\00:50:40.20
And so we were called to
go to the airport in Canada.
00:50:40.24\00:50:44.17
And we stood in line for hours
00:50:44.21\00:50:46.24
waiting for our
flight number to be called.
00:50:46.27\00:50:48.64
Finally, finally, we
heard our flight number called,
00:50:48.68\00:50:53.45
United Airlines
flight such and such.
00:50:53.48\00:50:56.55
We passed
through intense security
00:50:56.58\00:50:59.89
because before we were
allowed to get on the plane,
00:50:59.92\00:51:02.59
before we were allowed to begin
our journey back to our home,
00:51:02.62\00:51:07.66
we all had to be
cleared by security.
00:51:07.70\00:51:10.60
Friends, whether
you know it or not
00:51:10.63\00:51:11.97
before we begin our,
our journey to heaven
00:51:12.00\00:51:14.47
by God's grace and
under God's judgment,
00:51:14.50\00:51:17.64
each one of us has to be
cleared through security.
00:51:17.67\00:51:21.11
God wants to make sure that
the crisis never begins again.
00:51:21.14\00:51:24.95
We can only get
on board with Jesus
00:51:24.98\00:51:27.45
for this final journey,
00:51:27.48\00:51:29.28
if we have been
cleared by security.
00:51:29.32\00:51:31.89
And I want to tell you,
00:51:31.92\00:51:33.25
when we finally
got on that plane.
00:51:33.29\00:51:35.12
I saw the fight attended
that just a few days before,
00:51:35.16\00:51:38.29
we had not really even
known, we smiled and she said,
00:51:38.33\00:51:41.76
'There will be no
in-flight service for security
00:51:41.80\00:51:44.03
everything has been
locked down and secured.
00:51:44.07\00:51:48.50
But here is some food.
00:51:48.54\00:51:50.21
This should hold you
until we get to America.
00:51:50.24\00:51:53.54
And then we sat in our
seats and I want to tell you.
00:51:53.58\00:51:56.08
There was no
feeling like the feeling
00:51:56.11\00:51:57.91
that we were on our way home.
00:51:57.95\00:52:01.42
I remember
looking out the window
00:52:01.45\00:52:03.49
and I saw as it were,
00:52:03.52\00:52:05.45
looks like the
trailing of the smoke
00:52:05.49\00:52:08.79
that comes from a plane
00:52:08.82\00:52:10.16
or and I asked the
flight attendant I said,
00:52:10.19\00:52:12.59
''Are we up here by ourselves."
00:52:12.63\00:52:15.33
And she says, ''Let
me check with the pilot
00:52:15.36\00:52:17.17
and I'll get back to you."
00:52:17.20\00:52:18.53
And what we discovered
is that for our own safety,
00:52:18.57\00:52:22.97
we were being
escorted from Canada
00:52:23.00\00:52:25.54
to San Francisco,
California by two fighter jets
00:52:25.57\00:52:29.01
that America had
assigned just to our plane
00:52:29.04\00:52:33.18
to make sure there
are no hurt, no harm,
00:52:33.21\00:52:35.58
or no danger came to any of us.
00:52:35.62\00:52:37.29
I want to tell you, I
feel special, I felt good.
00:52:37.32\00:52:40.46
For the first time I
felt like an American citizen.
00:52:40.49\00:52:43.63
I was proud of our
country, because I knew
00:52:43.66\00:52:46.76
that our government
had made a decision to,
00:52:46.80\00:52:50.27
to secure all of those
that were on this flight
00:52:50.30\00:52:54.37
bound for our homeland.
00:52:54.40\00:52:56.97
And I want to tell you.
00:52:57.01\00:52:58.47
There was rejoicing on
that United Airlines flight.
00:52:58.51\00:53:02.48
Well, when we
arrived in the airport
00:53:02.51\00:53:05.31
in San Francisco, it was the--
00:53:05.35\00:53:08.25
I have to say, it was
one of the strangest feelings
00:53:08.28\00:53:10.85
to see no other planes
active, no other planes landing,
00:53:10.89\00:53:13.82
a completely empty runway,
00:53:13.86\00:53:15.56
a completely almost as
it were abandoned terminal,
00:53:15.59\00:53:19.56
but as our
flight began to turn in
00:53:19.59\00:53:21.86
to where we disembark
00:53:21.90\00:53:23.57
and we saw the
gangplank coming down
00:53:23.60\00:53:25.67
to, to connect to the plane.
00:53:25.70\00:53:27.04
We looked out our windows
00:53:27.07\00:53:28.70
and on the right
side of the vehicle,
00:53:28.74\00:53:30.67
on the right side of the plane
00:53:30.71\00:53:32.27
and on the left
side of the plane
00:53:32.31\00:53:34.08
there were, there were cars
and trucks and airport vehicles
00:53:34.11\00:53:37.55
and baggage handler
vehicles and they had signs
00:53:37.58\00:53:41.35
and they had,
they were waving signs,
00:53:41.38\00:53:43.18
''Welcome Home.
Glad you're back.
00:53:43.22\00:53:45.62
Welcome back."
00:53:45.65\00:53:46.99
And I felt as
though I had been in a war.
00:53:47.02\00:53:49.66
And then, they open
the doors of the plane
00:53:49.69\00:53:52.19
and there they had it
00:53:52.23\00:53:53.56
as they were
dressed in the regalia
00:53:53.60\00:53:55.80
and the uniforms of
United Airlines representatives,
00:53:55.83\00:53:59.83
two or three
people standing deep,
00:53:59.87\00:54:01.90
and as we each disembarked,
they shook our hands
00:54:01.94\00:54:05.27
and they said to us
and I never forget that,
00:54:05.31\00:54:07.41
they said,
''Welcome to America."
00:54:07.44\00:54:10.41
And I felt like I was
in a battle somewhere.
00:54:10.45\00:54:12.88
I felt like I'd just
come home from the battlefield
00:54:12.91\00:54:14.95
from a difficult,
from a difficult trial
00:54:14.98\00:54:17.62
and I want to tell you,
00:54:17.65\00:54:19.19
it was hard to find a
passenger without tears
00:54:19.22\00:54:21.66
coming from his or her eyes.
00:54:21.69\00:54:23.66
Because for the first time,
00:54:23.69\00:54:25.46
I understood what it's
like to be home safely.
00:54:25.49\00:54:28.40
I understood what it was
like to stand on the shores
00:54:28.43\00:54:30.70
of the country of my birth,
the country of my citizenship
00:54:30.73\00:54:36.40
and I thought
about that one day,
00:54:36.44\00:54:38.37
brothers and sisters, one
day the doors are going to open
00:54:38.41\00:54:41.71
in the New Jerusalem,
00:54:41.74\00:54:43.08
and we're gonna
hear those words,
00:54:43.11\00:54:44.98
"The King will say to
those on his right hand,
00:54:45.01\00:54:47.08
'Come you blessed of my Father,
00:54:47.12\00:54:48.92
inherit the
kingdom prepared for you
00:54:48.95\00:54:51.42
from the
foundations of the world.'"
00:54:51.45\00:54:54.46
One day the crisis is gonna
be over, no more bloodshed,
00:54:54.49\00:54:58.79
no more heartache,
no more temptation,
00:54:58.83\00:55:01.43
no more violence, no more crime,
00:55:01.46\00:55:04.17
that's why this is
a very crucial hour
00:55:04.20\00:55:07.94
for every one of us.
00:55:07.97\00:55:09.37
This is the hour to
prepare for eternity.
00:55:09.40\00:55:12.37
This is the hour to make
sure that we are cleared,
00:55:12.41\00:55:15.54
that we are secured
by the blood of Jesus
00:55:15.58\00:55:17.55
that when the time comes
and we listen for the call,
00:55:17.58\00:55:21.75
we will hear our
name in the manifest.
00:55:21.78\00:55:24.45
We will be allowed to
enter into that final journey,
00:55:24.49\00:55:28.66
seven day journey to
the kingdom of heaven.
00:55:28.69\00:55:31.09
Oh, what a day of
rejoicing that's gonna be.
00:55:31.13\00:55:33.66
But right now, the
crisis still continues.
00:55:33.70\00:55:36.73
This very day, the
crisis still goes on,
00:55:36.77\00:55:39.67
this very moment,
00:55:39.70\00:55:41.77
someone somewhere is
hoping to find answers
00:55:41.80\00:55:45.01
in the midst of this darkness,
00:55:45.04\00:55:46.81
in the midst of
this disappointment,
00:55:46.84\00:55:48.78
in the midst of
their bereavement.
00:55:48.81\00:55:50.61
And I'm gonna tell you,
00:55:50.65\00:55:51.98
if you're
watching this broadcast,
00:55:52.01\00:55:53.35
if you're listening to it.
00:55:53.38\00:55:54.72
Today, the only hope that
we can find is in the person
00:55:54.75\00:55:57.69
of none other than
Christ Jesus, our Lord.
00:55:57.72\00:56:02.46
Yes, our world
is a world of crisis
00:56:02.49\00:56:05.03
but one day, if you hold on,
00:56:05.06\00:56:07.23
one day if you trust
the Lord with your life,
00:56:07.26\00:56:10.20
one day if you give
your heart to Jesus today,
00:56:10.23\00:56:13.47
in your home, in
your living room,
00:56:13.50\00:56:15.90
in your car, as it
may be, in your church.
00:56:15.94\00:56:18.51
Wherever you may be
listening to this broadcast,
00:56:18.54\00:56:20.84
today is the day, this
is the hour of salvation.
00:56:20.88\00:56:25.11
And so, friends, if you
want to get on board with Jesus,
00:56:25.15\00:56:28.58
if you want to have
the kind of relationship
00:56:28.62\00:56:30.22
that gives you
lasting security in a world
00:56:30.25\00:56:32.82
where peace is absent.
00:56:32.85\00:56:34.86
This is the moment
to make that decision
00:56:34.89\00:56:36.93
to turn your life and
your heart over to Christ.
00:56:36.96\00:56:39.23
I want to pray with you
that you can make that calling
00:56:39.26\00:56:41.73
and election sure, I
want to pray with you
00:56:41.76\00:56:44.07
so that when the
moment of decision comes
00:56:44.10\00:56:47.30
which is right now,
you'll make your decision
00:56:47.34\00:56:50.47
on the side of the God
00:56:50.51\00:56:52.01
who alone can
deliver us from this crisis.
00:56:52.04\00:56:55.04
Our Father in
heaven, we thank You so much
00:56:55.08\00:56:58.01
for the goodness of
Your Son Christ Jesus.
00:56:58.05\00:57:01.42
For His sacrifice,
for the blood He shed,
00:57:01.45\00:57:05.59
for the victory that
we find in Him alone.
00:57:05.62\00:57:09.36
We pray for
those who are hurting,
00:57:09.39\00:57:10.93
those who have been disappointed
00:57:10.96\00:57:12.93
that they will
make their decisions
00:57:12.96\00:57:14.40
even now in the midst
of this world gone mad
00:57:14.43\00:57:18.60
that they will
prepare for a world
00:57:18.63\00:57:20.97
where peace will
rain forever more.
00:57:21.00\00:57:23.24
And we pray and thank
You for this opportunity,
00:57:23.27\00:57:26.34
in Jesus' precious
and holy name we pray.
00:57:26.37\00:57:30.21
Amen.
00:57:30.25\00:57:31.58