The Paradise
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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is delighted to welcome our
3ABN and Good News television
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audience here to Phoenix,
Arizona to the fifteen message
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presentations
on, Pathways to Life.
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And it is our hope
and prayer that each one
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receives a blessing tonight.
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It is meeting number
nine, so we are actually
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in the second
half of the series.
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3ABN has been here, Pastor
Lomacang has been speaking
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meeting after
meeting after meeting,
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giving just
tremendous presentations
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from the Word of God.
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Which we're certain
will be happening again
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in this meeting number nine.
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In each of the last
eight presentations he has
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brought some friends along,
some musical friends along.
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And he has done that
again tonight as well.
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We are glad that
you, we are proud that you
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will have a treat.
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Pastor Lomacang will be
singing with Stephanie Dawn
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from Dawn of Hope ministries
with Dan Thornton at the piano.
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They will be singing a
song together, and then
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the pastor will be
leading us in our presentation.
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Before we ask them to come
out and to begin the program,
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let's begin with a
word of prayer, shall we.
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Heavenly Father, thank
You again for a blessed day,
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for another day of life,
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for the privilege of
being able to come together and
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enjoy beautiful
music, and then to be able to
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think from the Word of God.
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We pray that You
bless us now as we
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deal with another topic tonight.
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And we thank You, for
we've asked it in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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Wonderful, merciful Savior,
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precious Redeemer and Friend;
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Who would have
thought that a Lamb could
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rescue the souls of men?
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Oh, You rescue the souls of men.
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Counselor, Comforter, Keeper,
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Spirit we long to embrace;
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You offer hope
when our hearts have
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hopelessly lost our way.
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Oh, we've
hopelessly lost our way.
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You are the One that we praise,
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You are the One we adore.
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You give the
healing and grace our
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hearts always hunger for.
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Oh, our hearts
always hunger for.
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Almighty, infinite Father,
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faithfully loving Your own.
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Here in our weakness You find us
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falling before Your throne.
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Oh, we're falling
before Your throne.
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You are the One that we praise,
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You are the One we adore.
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You give the
healing and grace our
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hearts always hunger for.
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Oh, our hearts
always hunger for.
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You are the One that we praise,
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You are the One we adore.
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You give the
healing and grace our
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hearts always hunger for.
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Oh, our hearts
always hunger for.
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- Can we say amen again? ~ Amen.
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Thank you,
Stephanie. Thank you, Dan.
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Wonderful, merciful Savior.
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Aren't you glad we serve a
wonderful, merciful Savior?
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Each night we have
made an attempt each meeting
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to present Jesus as
wonderful, merciful Savior.
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And tonight's topic,
Hope Beyond the Grave,
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is a topic that
definitely needs to have Jesus
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weaved all through it.
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So tonight let's go
to the Lord in prayer.
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Our wonderful,
merciful Savior, tonight as we
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open Your Word, we pray
that You will open our hearts.
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Speak not only from Your
Word, but Father, find us
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at the
intersection of our belief
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and what Your Word teaches.
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May it be clear,
may the truth be seen,
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may Jesus be revealed,
may we embrace what You say.
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But even more than what You say,
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may we accept You as
our Lord and our Savior.
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In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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Recently Billy
Graham passed away.
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A giant in the Christian world.
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Generations have been
blessed by his ministry.
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And Billy Graham was able to do,
at the time of his ministry...
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What a man of God.
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A man that did not
hesitate to uplift Jesus.
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Growing up I remember so many
of the times when he preached
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they would preempt
the regular broadcast
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when Billy
Graham had his crusades.
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And he and Beverly
Shea would always sing
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that song, I'd
Rather Have Jesus.
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And what a man he was.
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Throughout the years thousands,
and probably millions,
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have come to know
Christ because of his ministry.
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President after
president, after president,
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dignitaries, have been in
the presence of Billy Graham.
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And they have all
said, "What a godly man."
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I couldn't help but to
watch the news very recently.
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But the one thing that disturbed
me, not about Billy Graham,
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but about after he passed
away is, so many people said,
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"Billy Graham is in heaven now.
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He's with his wife."
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And although Billy Graham led
so many people to accept Jesus,
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I do believe this
evening that Billy Graham
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is going to be in the kingdom.
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That's my firm conviction.
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But I'm not the
judge. I don't decide that.
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But I do believe, based
on the kind of life he lived,
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that he had a
relationship with Jesus Christ.
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But I don't believe
that he understood as clearly
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as he should have the
topic on what the Bible
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teaches about death.
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Notice his words.
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This is a
quotation from Billy Graham.
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This is after his wife
passed away, he said...
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Now I believe he's
going to see his wife,
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but she's not in
heaven, and neither is he.
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According to the Word of God,
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they are both
resting until Jesus comes.
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Let's go right to the Word
of God and see the Bible verses.
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It's important that we
establish our foundation
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on what the Word of God
says, not on what society says,
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not on what the television says.
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You'll notice that
sometimes you'll see on the news
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as soon as someone famous
dies, when Michael Jackson died
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they said, "He's in heaven."
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When Liberace died
they said, "He's in heaven."
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When Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean
Martin and Frank Sinatra died,
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"He's in heaven."
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The righteous will
eventually be in heaven.
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But they will not be in
heaven until Jesus comes.
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Notice the Word of God,
1 Thessalonians 4:15-18.
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That's the only place our
foundation should be established
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in our beliefs: by
the word of the Lord.
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That means, "asleep,"
that means nobody is going
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before those who
are in the grave.
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If we're alive, we're
not going before them.
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The Bible continues.
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Let me not run past this verse.
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My mother who is
resting in Jesus,
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and my mother who gave me
life who is resting in Jesus,
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we are both going to
meet the Lord together.
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Caught up how? Together.
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Say that. Caught
up how? Together.
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That's what the Bible says.
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They're not going before me,
and I'm not going before them.
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We're going to be caught
up together to meet the Lord.
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Which means we
haven't met Him yet.
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They haven't met Him at death,
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and we haven't met Him yet
because we are still waiting
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for the coming of the Lord.
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And then the Bible says,
"...with them in the clouds
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to meet the Lord in the air."
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When we tell people
that their loved ones are not
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in heaven now, it amazes me
that so many people get upset.
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And we're not saying they're
not going to be in heaven,
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we are saying they will
be when Jesus comes back.
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That's the only foundation
we can establish this belief on.
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When you think about it tonight,
a lie told 6,000 years ago
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is still believed today.
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People believe that
their dead relatives
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can still contact them.
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The danger with that
is, when you open that door
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you open the door to
spiritualism, to demons.
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They call them ghosts.
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You have these people that
are being paid professionally.
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When I was growing up
I was raised in the era
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that spiritualists
looked very creepy and weird.
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But nowadays they
look just as sharp as
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anybody that's professional.
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They say the Long Island
medium, or whether man or woman,
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they dress in such a way they
make themselves look legitimate.
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The only that way you
can determine whether or not
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somebody is legitimate
is based on the Word of God.
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Am I right?
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Others believe that
their dead relatives
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are now their guardian angels.
00:13:08.45\00:13:10.19
My family, sometimes
I look at Facebook and,
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you know, my family
are predominately Catholic,
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they'll say, "Well, you know,
mama is watching over me now."
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No, the only one
that can watch over us
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is our holy angel or the
Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
00:13:21.63\00:13:26.00
People don't die
and become angels.
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Some ask the dead for
advice and believe that
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the dead periodically visit.
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Dangerous.
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I've heard about
people that said, "Well..."
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A young man called me
once from Florida, he said,
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"My mother kept
visiting me, but I'm afraid."
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And I said,
"Well is your mother...
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Why are you
afraid of your mother?"
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He said, "She died."
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And I told him what to do
when he had that next visit.
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He did it, and
she never, ever...
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That apparition, by the way.
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It's not her.
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But the Bible talks
about familiar spirits.
00:13:54.16\00:13:57.30
Familiar, from which
we get the word, family.
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So the devil...
00:13:59.97\00:14:01.30
And then people say, "Well
how can that not be my mother?
00:14:01.34\00:14:04.01
They know things that
only my mother knows."
00:14:04.27\00:14:07.01
Come on, let's get real here.
00:14:07.04\00:14:08.74
The devil and his angels
have been around since Satan
00:14:09.04\00:14:12.61
and his angels have
been cast out of heaven.
00:14:12.65\00:14:15.05
And until we accept
the fact that there is good
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and there is evil, we
will be setting ourselves
00:14:18.19\00:14:20.99
up for deception.
00:14:21.02\00:14:22.36
Others talk openly to
their dead, waiting for answers.
00:14:22.62\00:14:25.26
Some people go to the graveside
and they talk to the tombstones.
00:14:25.29\00:14:27.86
I am glad they're
not getting answers.
00:14:28.06\00:14:30.87
But some of them say they are.
00:14:34.27\00:14:35.84
Some of them say they
embraced their daughter.
00:14:36.24\00:14:40.14
A lady talked about the
fact that her dead daughter
00:14:40.18\00:14:42.71
walked into the
room and sat in her lap,
00:14:42.74\00:14:45.41
and they talked for hours.
00:14:45.45\00:14:46.85
A good friend of mine
said, "I had a 45 minute
00:14:47.42\00:14:49.75
conversation with my mother."
00:14:49.78\00:14:51.15
And it was on
Facebook. And I sent her a text.
00:14:51.19\00:14:53.46
You know, when I see
opportunities like that,
00:14:53.49\00:14:55.02
I cannot hesitate to let people
know what God's Word says.
00:14:55.06\00:14:57.73
Amen, somebody.
00:14:57.76\00:14:59.09
We should not be afraid to tell
somebody who is being deceived
00:14:59.13\00:15:03.13
the beautiful
truth of God's Word.
00:15:03.33\00:15:06.53
And so often we say, "Well,
we don't want to offend them."
00:15:06.94\00:15:09.87
"Well..."
00:15:10.11\00:15:11.44
Now I'm not saying go to a
funeral and pass out fliers
00:15:11.54\00:15:14.08
about what happens when you die.
00:15:14.11\00:15:15.58
Don't be insensitive.
00:15:16.24\00:15:17.58
But I'm saying, when we
know that somebody is not
00:15:17.71\00:15:19.91
believing the truth,
if we think about it,
00:15:19.95\00:15:21.92
if somebody is going
in the wrong direction
00:15:21.95\00:15:23.75
would you stand back and say,
"I don't want to offend them.
00:15:23.79\00:15:26.99
Let them get lost, and when
they figure out they're lost
00:15:27.02\00:15:29.19
I'll tell them how to
get to the right place."
00:15:29.22\00:15:30.63
No!
00:15:30.66\00:15:31.99
If we really care about
somebody, we will tell them
00:15:32.03\00:15:34.83
the truth of
God's Word lovingly.
00:15:34.86\00:15:37.00
But don't leave
them in darkness.
00:15:37.63\00:15:39.23
Some people go to the
cemetery and talk to the grave.
00:15:39.43\00:15:41.60
Some say that they
died and floated above
00:15:41.64\00:15:44.01
their bodies before returning.
00:15:44.04\00:15:45.51
All these ways Satan
is deceiving the world.
00:15:45.54\00:15:48.38
Others say they
died and went to heaven
00:15:48.41\00:15:50.71
and returned with
a message from God.
00:15:50.75\00:15:52.91
And often the devil
uses little children,
00:15:53.15\00:15:55.15
innocent little children,
00:15:55.18\00:15:56.69
and he says, "I brought
a message back from God."
00:15:57.95\00:16:00.16
And then he says, "Everybody
dies and goes to heaven."
00:16:00.36\00:16:03.46
So we look at this nine
year old little kid and we say,
00:16:03.49\00:16:06.59
"He wouldn't lie."
00:16:06.63\00:16:08.03
But let me tell you something.
00:16:08.83\00:16:10.17
Eve was deceived.
00:16:11.47\00:16:13.67
And she was perfect.
00:16:13.70\00:16:15.94
If the devil can deceive
somebody who was perfect,
00:16:16.60\00:16:19.84
what chance does an
inexperienced little child have
00:16:20.21\00:16:23.65
whose mind is not yet protected
by what the Bible says?
00:16:23.75\00:16:27.92
Others say they
died and went to heaven
00:16:29.52\00:16:31.02
and came back with a message.
00:16:31.05\00:16:32.39
Some claim to have
the ability to conjure up
00:16:32.42\00:16:34.56
the spirits of the dead.
00:16:34.59\00:16:35.92
And some say they embrace their
children after they have died.
00:16:36.36\00:16:39.16
Tonight we're going to
find out how amazing it is
00:16:39.19\00:16:43.53
that a lie told 6,000
years ago is still alive today.
00:16:44.20\00:16:48.54
What is that lie?
00:16:48.57\00:16:49.90
Genesis tells us. Genesis 3:4
00:16:49.94\00:16:53.68
Here's the lie. What is it?
00:16:55.94\00:16:57.75
In other words, "You're
going to die, but not surely."
00:17:02.15\00:17:05.52
Now think about it.
00:17:06.09\00:17:07.42
That's why people...
00:17:07.46\00:17:08.79
You know the safest place,
by the way, the safest place
00:17:08.82\00:17:10.89
in Phoenix is the cemetery.
00:17:10.93\00:17:13.16
Did you know that?
00:17:13.19\00:17:14.53
How many of you would go and
spend a night in the cemetery?
00:17:14.60\00:17:17.17
Raise your hand.
00:17:17.20\00:17:18.53
You know why? Because
you don't really believe
00:17:18.67\00:17:20.80
that the dead are dead.
00:17:20.84\00:17:22.17
Take your wallet to the
cemetery and put it on a
00:17:23.37\00:17:25.57
gravestone you choose,
your car keys and everything,
00:17:25.61\00:17:29.64
and you'll go back
tomorrow and I guarantee you
00:17:29.68\00:17:31.95
chances are greater
that it will be still there
00:17:31.98\00:17:34.62
than if you left
it at McDonald's.
00:17:34.65\00:17:36.55
You know why?
00:17:37.82\00:17:39.15
'Cause ain't no dead
people going anywhere.
00:17:39.19\00:17:40.89
And when I see
cemeteries with gates, I wonder
00:17:42.09\00:17:44.19
why they put up fences.
00:17:44.23\00:17:45.56
Nobody's leaving.
00:17:45.59\00:17:46.93
The point of the matter is,
this lie told 6,000 years ago
00:17:50.83\00:17:53.97
is still believed today.
00:17:54.00\00:17:55.50
What we need to do is walk
through God's Word together
00:17:55.54\00:17:57.84
and find out how
the Lord created us.
00:17:57.87\00:18:01.21
When we look at creation,
then we can look at creation
00:18:01.24\00:18:03.85
in reverse, which is death.
00:18:03.88\00:18:05.21
Let's begin
with the Word of God.
00:18:05.25\00:18:07.12
Genesis 2:7
00:18:07.15\00:18:08.82
I want to emphasize
this more than once because
00:18:21.46\00:18:23.57
sometimes saying it
once doesn't penetrate.
00:18:23.60\00:18:26.50
when you've believed a
certain way for so long.
00:18:26.53\00:18:28.80
Man became a living soul.
00:18:28.84\00:18:30.87
The Lord did not
give him a living soul.
00:18:30.91\00:18:33.74
Look at the combination.
Look at the combination.
00:18:34.01\00:18:36.64
The dust that God
formed, then He breathed into
00:18:37.08\00:18:40.75
man's nostril the
spirit, or the breath of life,
00:18:40.78\00:18:43.79
and that equals a living soul.
00:18:43.89\00:18:45.79
So dust plus the breath
of God equals a living soul.
00:18:45.82\00:18:51.79
One without the
other, there is no life.
00:18:52.33\00:18:54.76
Said another way...
00:18:55.53\00:18:57.87
Elements of earth plus breath
from God equals a living being.
00:18:57.90\00:19:03.84
Man does not have a living soul.
00:19:04.44\00:19:07.94
Man is a living soul.
00:19:07.98\00:19:10.91
Man does not have a living soul.
00:19:11.31\00:19:13.52
Together. Man is a living soul.
00:19:13.55\00:19:16.45
Until the two are
combined together,
00:19:16.48\00:19:19.09
we are just
simply a pile of dust.
00:19:19.12\00:19:21.69
And when the breath of
life that keeps us alive
00:19:21.72\00:19:24.19
which only can come from God,
00:19:24.23\00:19:26.46
in Him was life, and that life
is unborrowed and underived.
00:19:27.06\00:19:32.17
We can't breathe into somebody's
nostrils and give them life.
00:19:32.83\00:19:36.91
But we can keep the
life going as we continue.
00:19:37.54\00:19:39.77
But in our breath is
not the combination of the
00:19:39.81\00:19:42.78
life-giving power that belongs
only to the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:19:43.08\00:19:47.12
So when we think about
that, the living soul is a
00:19:47.15\00:19:50.55
combination of two things.
00:19:50.59\00:19:52.99
Until God puts His breath in
us, there is absolutely no life.
00:19:53.02\00:19:57.19
Now, the dust plus the
breath equals a living soul.
00:19:57.23\00:20:03.93
The dust minus the
breath equals a what?
00:20:04.33\00:20:07.80
A dead soul.
00:20:08.70\00:20:10.04
Watch this.
00:20:10.81\00:20:12.14
Let's look at life in reverse.
00:20:12.17\00:20:14.31
Ecclesiastes 12:7
00:20:14.71\00:20:16.58
Speaking of death...
00:20:17.11\00:20:18.45
Many people read that
text and say, "There we go.
00:20:27.82\00:20:30.16
The spirit is on
its way to heaven."
00:20:30.19\00:20:32.33
According to this
passage, that's correct.
00:20:32.83\00:20:35.80
But here is where
the problem comes in.
00:20:35.83\00:20:37.83
When you don't understand what
the word, spirit, there means.
00:20:38.03\00:20:41.54
That's where the
challenge comes in.
00:20:41.57\00:20:43.30
Remember now, the dust
returns to the earth as it was.
00:20:43.71\00:20:47.98
So man eventually
decays, whether by cremation
00:20:48.18\00:20:51.81
or eventually,
slowly, and gradually.
00:20:51.85\00:20:54.52
We all decay back to dust.
00:20:55.22\00:20:56.95
But the life-giving force
goes back to where it came from.
00:20:57.32\00:21:01.09
Let's look at that for example.
00:21:01.12\00:21:02.82
The question is, what is
the spirit that returns to God?
00:21:02.86\00:21:06.03
The Bible is clear on that also.
00:21:06.13\00:21:08.26
Notice what the
Scriptures teach us.
00:21:08.30\00:21:10.07
Job 27:3
00:21:11.13\00:21:12.80
How did the spirit of
God get into man's nostrils?
00:21:21.98\00:21:25.85
The Lord put it there.
00:21:26.21\00:21:27.62
He breathed into
man's nostrils, Genesis 2:7,
00:21:27.65\00:21:31.45
the breath of life.
00:21:31.49\00:21:32.85
And Job is saying, "All the
while that my breath is in me,
00:21:33.12\00:21:36.39
the spirit of God
is in my nostrils."
00:21:36.59\00:21:38.89
The life-giving power
that comes only from God.
00:21:39.23\00:21:42.06
Let's think about it this way.
00:21:42.10\00:21:43.50
Here's a light bulb.
00:21:43.70\00:21:45.03
All around our church we
have light bulbs that are lit.
00:21:45.83\00:21:48.77
We're not in dark.
00:21:49.27\00:21:50.61
Now when the bulb dies,
where does the light go?
00:21:50.64\00:21:53.41
Does that light go into another
bulb and start glowing there?
00:21:54.04\00:21:57.21
No. When that bulb
ceases to function,
00:21:57.98\00:22:00.72
you don't put that bulb in
another lamp and then it works.
00:22:00.75\00:22:03.95
When a car battery dies,
you don't put that car battery
00:22:04.25\00:22:06.82
in another car
and then it works.
00:22:06.86\00:22:08.52
When a cat dies, you
don't give it to the neighbor
00:22:08.92\00:22:11.26
and it comes back to life.
00:22:11.29\00:22:12.63
Dead means dead.
00:22:13.63\00:22:15.53
It doesn't mean
life some place else.
00:22:16.80\00:22:19.60
Now let's look at Genesis 2:7
in the New King James Version.
00:22:19.63\00:22:23.84
Because the confusion has
been, in the King James Version
00:22:23.87\00:22:27.01
people somehow...
00:22:27.04\00:22:28.38
And by the way, this
came from Neoplatonism.
00:22:28.41\00:22:31.25
Look that up when you
get a chance; Neoplatonism.
00:22:31.28\00:22:36.45
The belief that the body, soul,
and spirit are separate entities
00:22:36.69\00:22:40.22
and each one of them can
exist independent of the other.
00:22:40.26\00:22:43.26
This is the reason why, and I'll
talk about it in just a moment,
00:22:43.56\00:22:45.93
this is the reason why
Jesus stayed away for four days
00:22:45.96\00:22:48.96
before He came to
resurrect Lazarus.
00:22:49.06\00:22:50.87
We'll get to
that in just a moment.
00:22:50.90\00:22:52.27
The belief was,
three days the soul tried
00:22:52.43\00:22:55.87
to get back into the body.
00:22:55.90\00:22:57.24
Plato, Neoplatonism.
00:22:57.67\00:22:59.41
So Jesus stayed away four days.
00:23:00.38\00:23:02.01
He wasn't late, but
He was setting it up
00:23:02.04\00:23:04.41
so that He could destroy
a theory that was not based
00:23:04.45\00:23:06.85
on the truth of His on word.
00:23:06.88\00:23:08.78
Let's look at
Genesis 2:7 in another text.
00:23:09.02\00:23:12.29
The Bible makes it clear.
00:23:12.45\00:23:13.79
This woman is at the grave site.
00:23:13.82\00:23:15.16
She's not talking to anybody.
00:23:15.19\00:23:16.52
But the Word of God is clear.
00:23:16.56\00:23:17.89
Death is creation in reverse.
00:23:17.93\00:23:19.59
Let's look at that.
00:23:19.63\00:23:20.96
New King James Version.
00:23:21.60\00:23:23.00
When you go to the cemetery,
when you go to the cemetery...
00:23:32.81\00:23:35.94
As is the case in, you
know, I think it's Memorial Day
00:23:36.98\00:23:40.25
when people go.
00:23:40.28\00:23:41.62
Many people go to
remember their loved ones.
00:23:41.65\00:23:43.49
But don't spend the
time, you know, talking,
00:23:43.52\00:23:46.19
because nobody is listening.
00:23:46.22\00:23:47.82
It may be
something that soothes you,
00:23:47.86\00:23:50.09
but you're not
going to get an answer.
00:23:50.29\00:23:51.96
Because the dead
don't know anything.
00:23:52.16\00:23:54.03
They are silent.
00:23:54.53\00:23:55.86
And the Bible makes
this abundantly clear.
00:23:56.00\00:23:58.33
Let's continue looking at
what the Bible says about souls.
00:23:58.37\00:24:01.17
Let's look at the example
of what the Lord said to Adam
00:24:01.20\00:24:04.07
after Adam sinned.
00:24:04.11\00:24:05.61
Where was Adam
going to go after he died?
00:24:05.64\00:24:08.64
That's where Adam
was going. To the ground.
00:24:17.29\00:24:19.42
Adam was not
going back to heaven
00:24:19.45\00:24:21.66
because Adam did
not come from heaven.
00:24:21.69\00:24:24.53
When the word,
returned, like when we're done,
00:24:24.69\00:24:27.90
we're going to
return to Illinois
00:24:28.00\00:24:29.93
because that's
where we came from.
00:24:30.03\00:24:31.60
When the Bible says, return,
the spirit returns to God.
00:24:31.73\00:24:35.34
If you believe that a
person died and went to heaven,
00:24:35.50\00:24:38.27
you also have to connect
to that with the word, return,
00:24:38.31\00:24:41.38
you would have to believe that
the people came from heaven,
00:24:41.41\00:24:44.48
then came to earth and lived,
00:24:44.51\00:24:45.91
then died and
went back to heaven.
00:24:45.95\00:24:47.52
But that's not the case.
00:24:47.62\00:24:48.95
Man was created from
the dust of the ground.
00:24:48.98\00:24:51.12
Man's origin is not in heaven.
00:24:51.15\00:24:53.15
One day we will be there.
00:24:53.19\00:24:55.02
But that's not
where we came from.
00:24:55.06\00:24:56.39
Amen, somebody.
00:24:56.42\00:24:57.76
The Bible makes it
very clear. Psalm 146:4
00:24:57.93\00:25:01.03
And I'm glad for that.
00:25:11.84\00:25:13.17
Because I was listening to a...
00:25:13.54\00:25:15.04
I was watching a
court trial play itself out.
00:25:15.94\00:25:18.65
This was many years ago.
00:25:18.68\00:25:20.02
And I'll never forget the
news captured a particular
00:25:20.22\00:25:22.68
portion of this
court, you know the trial.
00:25:22.72\00:25:25.32
It was a lady that
killed a man's wife.
00:25:25.55\00:25:27.86
And just before the trial is
over, you know they convicted
00:25:28.09\00:25:30.59
the woman that
committed the murder,
00:25:30.63\00:25:32.09
and the man had an
opportunity to say, you know,
00:25:32.19\00:25:34.66
the family can say
something before the sentencing.
00:25:34.70\00:25:38.10
So he said to the convicted lady
who had taken his wife's life,
00:25:38.13\00:25:42.80
he said, "I can't wait
till you die and go to heaven
00:25:43.07\00:25:47.74
so my wife can
settle the score."
00:25:47.78\00:25:49.94
His belief made him think
that when this woman, who was
00:25:54.88\00:25:58.12
set up for death row,
was executed, that somehow
00:25:58.15\00:26:01.56
she's going to get to heaven
and his wife is waiting there
00:26:01.59\00:26:03.99
and saying, "I can't wait
until she comes to heaven.
00:26:04.03\00:26:05.76
Where is she?"
00:26:05.79\00:26:07.13
I mean, think about it.
00:26:07.90\00:26:09.23
We smile about that,
but that's the foolishness
00:26:09.50\00:26:13.50
that has permeated
the minds of so many.
00:26:14.14\00:26:16.30
So the moment somebody dies...
00:26:16.34\00:26:18.37
And then the other sad
thing about it is when babies
00:26:19.04\00:26:21.84
unfortunately die, either
in birth or some unusual way
00:26:21.88\00:26:24.95
in their home, people say,
"God needed another angel."
00:26:24.98\00:26:28.98
They make God
like some assassin.
00:26:29.18\00:26:31.22
Or when our loved one dies,
"Well God needed another angel."
00:26:32.05\00:26:35.66
I remember one of
my family members said,
00:26:36.12\00:26:37.53
"Well, God needed another person
on His baseball team in heaven."
00:26:37.56\00:26:40.53
And I thought, "What!"
00:26:40.56\00:26:41.90
Where is this coming from?
00:26:42.16\00:26:43.63
Not from God's Word.
00:26:45.43\00:26:46.80
We've got to
make sure everything
00:26:46.84\00:26:48.17
comes from God's Word.
00:26:48.20\00:26:49.54
Am I right?
00:26:49.57\00:26:50.91
The Bible makes it clear.
00:26:50.94\00:26:52.27
In the days of Noah, look what
happened in the days of Noah.
00:26:52.31\00:26:54.64
Genesis 7:15
00:26:54.98\00:26:56.64
And also seven by
seven. That's another story.
00:27:03.95\00:27:06.45
We'll talk about
that tomorrow night.
00:27:06.49\00:27:08.06
What happened in Noah's day?
00:27:08.09\00:27:09.96
Those who were not in the
ark, notice what the Bible says.
00:27:10.06\00:27:12.39
Now what happened?
00:27:28.11\00:27:29.44
The Bible makes it clear.
00:27:29.48\00:27:30.85
Luke 17:27
00:27:32.31\00:27:34.05
Now get this.
00:27:44.83\00:27:46.16
If people survive death, then
those people that were destroyed
00:27:46.19\00:27:49.93
in the flood
would still be alive.
00:27:49.96\00:27:51.87
But that's not
what the Bible says.
00:27:54.94\00:27:56.37
The flood came and did
what? Destroyed them all.
00:27:56.40\00:28:00.14
They ate, they
drank, they married,
00:28:00.18\00:28:02.11
they were given in marriage.
00:28:02.14\00:28:03.48
But Jeremiah makes it
clear about what happened.
00:28:03.55\00:28:06.01
That's actually Joshua.
00:28:06.05\00:28:07.38
Notice this, Joshua 11:11.
00:28:07.42\00:28:10.39
Speaking of a battle
that Joshua referred to.
00:28:15.99\00:28:18.59
Now the reason this
passage is vitally important
00:28:35.54\00:28:37.65
is because the
word, soul, is here.
00:28:37.75\00:28:39.65
And a soul, if a soul
died, if a soul was eternal
00:28:39.68\00:28:43.25
it couldn't die.
00:28:43.28\00:28:44.62
Am I right?
00:28:44.65\00:28:45.99
The word, immortal,
means you cannot die.
00:28:46.02\00:28:47.96
But for the fact that the Bible
says the souls were destroyed,
00:28:50.86\00:28:54.20
it means souls are
not naturally immortal.
00:28:54.40\00:28:57.57
We don't have
natural immortality.
00:28:57.60\00:28:59.40
Nobody has natural immortality.
00:29:00.40\00:29:02.47
That's why the Bible
makes it very, very clear
00:29:02.50\00:29:04.41
in Ezekiel 18:4.
00:29:04.87\00:29:06.68
If a soul was
immortal by nature,
00:29:17.25\00:29:20.76
then Adam would not have died.
00:29:21.82\00:29:23.83
But the Bible says Adam
lived 930 years, and he died.
00:29:23.86\00:29:28.83
He died.
00:29:28.96\00:29:30.30
And you know, it's
so vitally important.
00:29:30.33\00:29:31.67
I remember when my
dad, the man who raised me,
00:29:31.70\00:29:34.87
really important, I was
having a particular challenge
00:29:35.77\00:29:38.71
when I was a young man,
and I wanted to buy a car.
00:29:38.74\00:29:41.58
You know, I was young,
and when they first came out
00:29:43.04\00:29:46.05
I saw a Honda Accord, and I
wanted this car really badly,
00:29:46.08\00:29:49.05
and I tried to convince my dad
that I needed a brand new Honda.
00:29:49.08\00:29:52.69
That's what teenagers do.
00:29:52.72\00:29:54.29
"Dad, I need a brand new Honda."
00:29:54.32\00:29:56.42
He said, "You
don't need a Honda.
00:29:56.86\00:29:58.19
I don't like Japanese cars."
00:29:58.23\00:29:59.56
So I said, "Dad, I
need a brand new Buick."
00:29:59.59\00:30:01.36
I wanted to get
a car out of that.
00:30:02.43\00:30:04.00
And he said, "No.
No. Absolutely not."
00:30:04.30\00:30:07.20
One day he surprised
me and gave me a $1000.
00:30:11.61\00:30:15.84
And I went out and got
me a used Toyota Corona.
00:30:15.94\00:30:18.98
The car had
cancer on both fenders.
00:30:19.21\00:30:21.22
All the salt on the
streets had rotted it off.
00:30:21.68\00:30:24.92
And then I went away to school.
00:30:25.45\00:30:27.09
Eventually away
to Oakwood college.
00:30:27.19\00:30:29.02
And when I was at school I
needed some money for school.
00:30:29.32\00:30:32.79
And I called home and he said,
"I'm not giving it to you."
00:30:33.96\00:30:36.46
But his wife that he
had married, she said,
00:30:36.50\00:30:38.43
"I'll give you the $1000."
00:30:38.47\00:30:40.47
"Thank you very much."
00:30:42.27\00:30:43.61
I came home from
school, got a job.
00:30:43.87\00:30:46.34
A few years later she
met an unfortunate death.
00:30:46.37\00:30:49.44
And my dad said to
me, "When are you going to
00:30:49.91\00:30:51.81
pay me back the $1000?"
00:30:51.85\00:30:53.65
I said, "Dad, she
gave me the money.
00:30:54.08\00:30:57.79
And when people die,
all debts are canceled."
00:30:57.89\00:31:00.52
Amen? He laughed.
00:31:02.42\00:31:04.09
I said, "Did you give
it to me or did your wife?"
00:31:04.16\00:31:05.93
He said, "Well, she did."
00:31:05.96\00:31:07.30
I said, "Well,
she's not asking for it.
00:31:07.33\00:31:08.66
All debts are canceled."
00:31:09.23\00:31:10.73
Amen for that.
00:31:10.97\00:31:12.30
Fingerhut one day called me
when I was living in California.
00:31:13.17\00:31:16.00
My mom, after she passed away,
Fingerhut called me and said,
00:31:16.04\00:31:18.57
"Is Rosario
Maria Lomacang there?"
00:31:18.77\00:31:21.21
I said, "No."
00:31:21.24\00:31:22.58
They said, "Can
we speak to her?"
00:31:22.61\00:31:23.95
I said, "No."
They said, "Why not?"
00:31:23.98\00:31:25.88
I said, "She's in the
cemetery in the Virgin Islands."
00:31:25.91\00:31:28.45
They said, "Do you have
any way of contacting her?"
00:31:28.58\00:31:30.89
I'm not even kidding.
00:31:33.86\00:31:35.19
I said, "Did you
just hear what I said?"
00:31:35.22\00:31:37.16
I said, "Do you think I'm
going to fake my mother's death
00:31:37.36\00:31:40.36
just to avoid a bill?"
00:31:40.40\00:31:42.10
I said, "Let me
tell you something.
00:31:42.13\00:31:43.47
She's in the Virgin Islands
in St. Thomas in the cemetery.
00:31:43.90\00:31:47.64
You contact her.
00:31:47.67\00:31:49.00
But please do not call back
here asking me any questions
00:31:49.04\00:31:52.17
about a bill for my mom.
00:31:52.21\00:31:53.54
I would not use my
mother's death to avoid a bill."
00:31:53.58\00:31:55.84
Amen?
00:31:55.88\00:31:57.21
"Do have any way
of contacting her?
00:31:57.95\00:31:59.65
In the resurrection
we'll be talking then.
00:31:59.75\00:32:01.78
But until then, absolutely not.
00:32:01.82\00:32:03.85
The Bible makes it clear.
00:32:04.19\00:32:05.52
Notice how the Bible is clear.
00:32:05.55\00:32:07.06
And the reason why this
passage is vitally important
00:32:07.09\00:32:09.36
is because the devil is
about to fool the entire world,
00:32:09.46\00:32:13.96
the devil is about to
pull off the greatest hoax
00:32:14.56\00:32:17.10
in human history,
making people believe
00:32:17.13\00:32:19.47
that their dead loved ones
are coming back with a message
00:32:19.50\00:32:23.30
that is in conflict
with the Word of God.
00:32:23.34\00:32:27.08
When you see
somebody that you recognize,
00:32:27.28\00:32:29.48
and you know the
truth of God's Word,
00:32:29.51\00:32:31.38
you can say, "Get
thee behind me, Satan."
00:32:31.41\00:32:33.85
And I guarantee you
that apparition will be gone.
00:32:33.88\00:32:37.19
The Bible makes it
clear. Ecclesiastes 9:10
00:32:39.09\00:32:41.89
That's why when I hear
about these home going services,
00:33:01.24\00:33:04.51
the devil comes up with
one lie after the other.
00:33:04.55\00:33:07.58
And he uses songs,
"When I die, hallelujah,
00:33:07.98\00:33:10.69
by and by, I'll fly away."
00:33:10.72\00:33:12.85
And then songs
like, "Going up yonder."
00:33:12.95\00:33:15.96
Going up yonder?
00:33:16.59\00:33:17.93
And they have these
home going services.
00:33:17.96\00:33:19.29
They don't call them
funeral services anymore.
00:33:19.33\00:33:21.23
They call them, home going.
00:33:21.26\00:33:22.70
The only home they're going
to is in the cemetery locally.
00:33:23.26\00:33:26.10
Not going to heaven.
00:33:27.40\00:33:28.74
And you'll find out
in just a moment why
00:33:29.14\00:33:30.81
people cannot go to
heaven until Jesus comes.
00:33:30.84\00:33:34.58
When a person that claims
to believe in the Bible...
00:33:34.68\00:33:36.85
And this is something else.
00:33:36.88\00:33:38.21
When a person that claims
to believe in the Bible...
00:33:38.25\00:33:40.35
I'm going to slow this down.
00:33:40.38\00:33:41.78
When a person that
claims to believe in the Bible
00:33:41.88\00:33:44.69
believes the same
thing that a witch does,
00:33:45.19\00:33:47.62
a warlock does, a medium
does, and a soothsayer does,
00:33:47.66\00:33:51.79
there's something wrong.
00:33:52.39\00:33:53.80
Because a soothsayer says,
"I'll contact your loved one."
00:33:55.06\00:33:57.60
What's the difference
between a Christian who says,
00:33:57.63\00:33:59.63
"My loved one
communicates with me,"
00:33:59.97\00:34:01.77
and a witch who says, "I
can contact them for you."
00:34:01.80\00:34:05.17
Something seriously wrong.
00:34:06.47\00:34:08.38
But the problem today
is people are being taught
00:34:08.74\00:34:11.45
from the pulpits of America and
the pulpits around the world.
00:34:11.48\00:34:14.85
But the Bible says very clearly,
00:34:14.88\00:34:16.79
they appear to be
ministers of righteousness.
00:34:17.75\00:34:20.76
But Satan himself
also transforms himself
00:34:21.42\00:34:24.19
into an angel of light.
00:34:24.23\00:34:25.89
Therefore, it is no great
thing if his ministers also
00:34:25.99\00:34:29.06
appear as
ministers of righteousness
00:34:29.10\00:34:31.53
whose end will be
according to their works.
00:34:31.73\00:34:34.27
If the devil knew that all
it takes is to put a person
00:34:34.30\00:34:36.97
in a suit or a robe
and put him in a pulpit
00:34:37.01\00:34:39.34
to deceive you,
that's exactly what he'll do.
00:34:39.37\00:34:41.51
And we think that
because somebody is up here,
00:34:42.48\00:34:44.41
it's completely legitimate.
00:34:44.51\00:34:45.88
We say, "Well,
he's an honest man."
00:34:45.91\00:34:47.55
Let me tell you something.
00:34:47.58\00:34:48.92
The only way that you can
tell whether somebody is honest
00:34:48.95\00:34:50.72
is check out what
they say by God's Word.
00:34:50.75\00:34:53.12
Quick story. I was
in Oakland, California.
00:34:54.02\00:34:56.29
My wife and I, when we lived in
California we were in Oakland.
00:34:56.49\00:34:58.93
Did not know where the bus
station was, but somebody was
00:34:59.09\00:35:01.23
coming in to meet them.
00:35:01.26\00:35:02.60
We went to meet them at
the bus station in Oakland.
00:35:02.63\00:35:04.57
And not knowing where it was,
I flagged down a police officer
00:35:04.60\00:35:09.00
who was walking
along the pavement.
00:35:09.04\00:35:10.37
I said, "Officer,
where is the bus station?"
00:35:10.41\00:35:13.21
He said, "Now if you go down..."
And he gave me directions.
00:35:13.31\00:35:15.48
Soon as he walked away,
a transient just walking
00:35:16.38\00:35:20.58
on the streets kind
of tattered up, he said,
00:35:20.62\00:35:22.12
"They ain't right directions."
00:35:22.68\00:35:24.49
He said, "Them
directions ain't right."
00:35:25.45\00:35:27.92
I said, "They're not."
00:35:28.32\00:35:29.66
He said, "Naw, he
don't know where it is.
00:35:29.69\00:35:31.03
I know where it is."
00:35:31.06\00:35:32.39
He said, "Now it ain't
that way, it's that way."
00:35:32.56\00:35:35.23
I said, "How do you know?"
00:35:35.83\00:35:37.17
He said, "I go
there every night."
00:35:37.20\00:35:38.90
Sometimes we think
because they look legitimate,
00:35:40.50\00:35:42.84
they are legitimate.
00:35:42.87\00:35:44.27
The police officer
looked completely legitimate.
00:35:45.37\00:35:48.08
That's why you've got to
examine what a person says
00:35:48.11\00:35:50.45
by God's Word.
00:35:50.55\00:35:52.68
Don't take
anything on face value.
00:35:52.71\00:35:55.78
Because Satan will
appear as an angel of light.
00:35:56.05\00:35:59.79
And if that's all it
takes to deceive you,
00:36:00.46\00:36:02.32
he'll do whatever he can.
00:36:02.36\00:36:03.99
And remember, the Bible says he
has come down having great wrath
00:36:04.03\00:36:07.50
because he knows
he has a short time.
00:36:07.53\00:36:09.53
And funerals; the two
greatest lies ever told
00:36:09.56\00:36:12.73
that are repeated
from pulpits of America...
00:36:12.77\00:36:14.87
And I've been on programs where
we'd say what the Bible says
00:36:14.90\00:36:17.61
and pastors would get upset
when these two topics come up.
00:36:17.71\00:36:21.91
When the Sabbath and the
state of the dead come up.
00:36:21.94\00:36:24.91
Those are the two biggest
lies ever told in Christianity
00:36:24.95\00:36:29.28
over and over and over again.
00:36:29.32\00:36:32.95
And they'll use little
fragmented text in the Bible.
00:36:33.42\00:36:35.62
What I'm showing you, they won't
ever repeat any of these text.
00:36:35.82\00:36:38.49
They'll use something like,
"To be absent from the body
00:36:38.53\00:36:40.70
is to be present with the Lord."
00:36:40.73\00:36:42.06
The Bible doesn't say that.
00:36:42.16\00:36:43.50
The Bible says, "I would
rather be absent from the body
00:36:43.93\00:36:46.63
and be present with the Lord."
00:36:46.67\00:36:48.04
The same Paul that talked
about, he talked about the agony
00:36:48.07\00:36:51.07
of this life, the
difficulty of this life.
00:36:51.11\00:36:54.08
And he says, "One day
this temple, this body,
00:36:54.11\00:36:57.81
death will be
swallowed up in victory."
00:36:57.85\00:37:01.28
Yes, one day we will be free
from all the agony of this life.
00:37:01.32\00:37:04.82
Amen.
00:37:04.85\00:37:06.19
But not at the moment that you
die you're not going to heaven.
00:37:06.22\00:37:09.62
You'll be laid to rest.
00:37:09.66\00:37:11.09
That's why they
say, "Rest in peace."
00:37:11.13\00:37:13.50
Because that's what it is.
All the trials of life are over.
00:37:13.90\00:37:16.83
David the
psalmist makes this clear.
00:37:16.97\00:37:18.43
Notice what he says.
00:37:18.47\00:37:19.80
Psalm 115:17
00:37:19.83\00:37:21.84
Powerful.
00:37:22.37\00:37:23.71
When I go to funerals
sometimes in different churches,
00:37:30.11\00:37:32.58
and you know, I
go out of respect,
00:37:32.81\00:37:34.32
I sit there and I'm thinking,
00:37:35.92\00:37:37.45
"I am so glad I know
what God's Word says."
00:37:37.49\00:37:39.82
Because you will leave
out of there like, "Huh?"
00:37:39.85\00:37:42.32
One pastor said...
00:37:44.76\00:37:46.09
You know the song,
"I Can Only Imagine"?
00:37:46.13\00:37:48.40
I can only imagine...
00:37:48.50\00:37:50.60
He said, "Dear sister
don't have to imagine now.
00:37:50.70\00:37:53.34
She's in heaven in
the presence of the Lord."
00:37:53.37\00:37:55.30
And then at the end he
said, "We cannot wait till Jesus
00:37:55.70\00:37:58.37
comes and calls her
forth from the grave."
00:37:58.41\00:38:00.21
And I'm thinking,
"Which one is it?"
00:38:00.24\00:38:01.68
And you know the sad reality
is, there are sincere Christians
00:38:03.31\00:38:05.91
who love the Lord,
there are beautiful Christians
00:38:05.95\00:38:08.68
who love the Lord
who don't check it out.
00:38:08.72\00:38:11.85
And what I found out is,
in many of these churches
00:38:11.95\00:38:14.09
the reason why they
don't check it out is because
00:38:14.12\00:38:16.06
it's become a
mantra, a repetitious thing,
00:38:16.16\00:38:19.69
that somehow builds a groove,
00:38:19.73\00:38:21.36
and somehow
because you believe it
00:38:21.40\00:38:22.80
they think it's true.
00:38:22.83\00:38:24.17
But because you believe
it doesn't make it true.
00:38:24.20\00:38:25.73
You've got to check it
out based on the Word of God.
00:38:25.77\00:38:27.70
Another point I must say is,
00:38:27.74\00:38:29.30
people often talk
about their thoughts.
00:38:29.57\00:38:31.64
The Bible says they
don't know anything.
00:38:31.67\00:38:33.41
They go down into silence.
00:38:33.44\00:38:34.81
If a person is on
an operating table
00:38:35.64\00:38:37.91
and they're being
sustained by a machine,
00:38:38.41\00:38:41.68
and they're not yet
declared brain dead,
00:38:42.58\00:38:44.92
the brain is still
functioning but the body is just
00:38:45.65\00:38:47.76
in a comatose
state, unfortunate,
00:38:47.79\00:38:50.19
they don't know what's going on.
00:38:52.06\00:38:53.63
They have no concept of
what's happening around them.
00:38:53.66\00:38:55.90
Now when they finally pass away,
and the brain is now declared...
00:38:56.56\00:39:03.74
...dead, no
other way to say that,
00:39:05.04\00:39:07.91
do you think
that they're conscious
00:39:08.61\00:39:09.94
about their surroundings?
00:39:09.98\00:39:11.45
Absolutely not.
00:39:12.01\00:39:13.35
Just like I
woke up this morning.
00:39:13.38\00:39:14.92
Actually I went
to bed this morning.
00:39:15.45\00:39:17.42
But when I go to bed
every night, I have no idea
00:39:18.52\00:39:20.92
what happens during the night.
00:39:20.96\00:39:22.29
Because we are
in a state of sleep
00:39:23.66\00:39:26.49
until we wake up, and then
we say, "Hey, what happened?"
00:39:27.66\00:39:31.63
The Bible makes it very clear.
The Bible makes it very clear.
00:39:31.83\00:39:36.00
"For the living know
that they will die..."
00:39:36.44\00:39:38.27
The living have a
functioning conscious mind
00:39:38.31\00:39:41.18
of what's going to happen next.
00:39:41.21\00:39:42.58
That's why when we think about
the Bible story about Lazarus...
00:40:04.77\00:40:07.80
I told you, I laid the
foundation a moment ago.
00:40:09.07\00:40:10.77
When Jesus finally showed
up to Mary and Martha's house,
00:40:10.81\00:40:13.54
He said, "Take me
where Lazarus is."
00:40:13.74\00:40:15.88
This story really opens many
doors to help us to understand
00:40:15.91\00:40:18.95
what actually happened that day.
00:40:18.98\00:40:20.72
Once again revisiting
the point I made earlier.
00:40:20.92\00:40:23.08
The Lord waited for four
days because He wanted to
00:40:23.12\00:40:25.79
put to death the idea that
the soul naturally is the reason
00:40:25.82\00:40:30.23
why men come back to
life after three days.
00:40:30.26\00:40:34.00
Jesus showed up after four days.
00:40:34.03\00:40:37.13
And a couple of points I'll
make right after this story,
00:40:37.17\00:40:38.97
but let's look at
the account in the Bible.
00:40:39.00\00:40:40.67
John 11:11-14
00:40:41.04\00:40:43.17
Speaking about Lazarus,
He was going to visit him.
00:40:43.37\00:40:46.21
Because that's what
happens when people are sick.
00:41:00.76\00:41:02.86
They need rest.
00:41:02.89\00:41:04.23
Now why does the
Bible say, sleep?
00:41:18.51\00:41:21.14
We'll find out in just
a moment in Revelation.
00:41:21.38\00:41:23.48
For the saint that has
gone to sleep in Christ,
00:41:23.65\00:41:28.72
they have not
experienced the second death.
00:41:29.02\00:41:31.99
They're just resting, waiting
for the voice of the Life-giver
00:41:32.95\00:41:36.12
to come and call them forth.
00:41:36.16\00:41:38.16
Martha understood very
clearly when He talked to her
00:41:38.39\00:41:41.10
about her brother Lazarus.
00:41:41.13\00:41:42.60
In verse 23-24...
00:41:42.80\00:41:44.53
And notice how
Martha understood when.
00:41:48.44\00:41:51.37
For the life of me,
why do churches not teach
00:41:57.95\00:42:01.95
about the resurrection?
00:42:01.98\00:42:03.92
It's like the
resurrection has been deleted,
00:42:04.75\00:42:07.72
or left out, or rejected.
00:42:07.76\00:42:10.39
Between death and the
second coming of Jesus
00:42:10.43\00:42:14.36
there is a resurrection.
00:42:14.40\00:42:16.77
Everybody is coming
out in the resurrection,
00:42:17.93\00:42:20.04
except those the
Bible talks about.
00:42:20.07\00:42:21.87
Like Enoch walked
with God, and was not.
00:42:21.90\00:42:24.11
Elijah was taken
away in a chariot of fire.
00:42:24.21\00:42:26.71
And Moses died
and was resurrected.
00:42:26.74\00:42:28.81
Outside of that, the Bible
gives allusion to the 24 elders,
00:42:28.84\00:42:32.18
those who came forth
when Jesus was crucified.
00:42:32.21\00:42:34.58
And they became the first
fruits of those who had slept.
00:42:34.62\00:42:36.89
But people don't die
and go to heaven right away.
00:42:37.15\00:42:39.55
Because there would be no
reason for Jesus to come back.
00:42:39.89\00:42:42.36
He didn't say, and I'll
re-iterate this later on,
00:42:42.39\00:42:45.66
He didn't say, "I'll
see you when you get there."
00:42:45.69\00:42:48.30
He says, "I will come
again to receive you."
00:42:48.33\00:42:50.80
And He said in John
13, when they asked,
00:42:52.43\00:42:55.47
"Lord, where are You going?"
He said, "Where I'm going
00:42:55.50\00:42:59.17
you know, but you cannot come."
00:42:59.21\00:43:02.71
Look at the Scriptures.
00:43:05.18\00:43:06.51
John 5:28-29
00:43:06.55\00:43:08.78
And my prayer is, as I
communicate this tonight,
00:43:08.82\00:43:10.82
my prayer is
that your mind is open
00:43:10.85\00:43:13.32
to what the Word of God says.
00:43:13.62\00:43:14.96
Can somebody say amen?
00:43:14.99\00:43:16.32
Because you know,
we can be recalcitrant
00:43:16.46\00:43:18.33
and set ourselves up
for terrible deception
00:43:18.43\00:43:21.46
if our preference is, "Well, I
don't care what the pastor says.
00:43:21.56\00:43:25.57
I know my mother is in heaven."
00:43:25.60\00:43:27.07
You could be passionate as
you want, if you have no support
00:43:27.17\00:43:30.81
from God's Word your
feelings do not create a truth
00:43:30.84\00:43:34.28
that does not exist and
has no support in God's Word.
00:43:34.31\00:43:37.78
If you haven't
understood it, say humbly,
00:43:38.31\00:43:41.15
"Lord, thank You for
Your Word that makes sense."
00:43:41.18\00:43:44.12
But let us not set
ourselves up for deception
00:43:44.75\00:43:46.99
just because we've
believed that for a long time.
00:43:47.02\00:43:49.12
A lie will travel
around the world while truth is
00:43:49.16\00:43:51.86
just putting its laces on.
00:43:51.89\00:43:53.70
Here's what the
Bible says. John 5:28-29
00:43:54.03\00:43:57.97
Two resurrections.
00:44:24.83\00:44:26.16
Resurrection of life,
Resurrection of condemnation.
00:44:26.19\00:44:30.43
And before that, we're
going to talk the topic,
00:44:30.47\00:44:32.60
there's a judgment.
00:44:32.63\00:44:34.07
The reason why you
don't die and go to heaven,
00:44:34.44\00:44:36.84
you'll hear this when we come
to the topic of the judgment,
00:44:36.87\00:44:39.27
Jesus said in Revelation
22:12, "Behold, I come quickly
00:44:39.31\00:44:43.75
and my reward is with
Me to give to everyone
00:44:43.78\00:44:46.95
according as his work."
00:44:47.05\00:44:48.52
We don't get
the reward at death.
00:44:48.62\00:44:50.12
We all get the reward
together when He comes again.
00:44:50.15\00:44:54.12
And let me re-iterate.
00:44:54.86\00:44:56.19
I'm not saying your loved one
is not going to go to heaven.
00:44:56.22\00:44:58.83
I'm saying we're
going to all go together.
00:44:58.86\00:45:00.46
Amen.
00:45:00.50\00:45:01.83
That's what the
Bible is teaching.
00:45:02.03\00:45:03.43
It makes it even clearer.
00:45:03.63\00:45:04.97
Notice Revelation 20:6.
That's why this word is there.
00:45:05.00\00:45:08.10
Revelation 20:6.
00:45:08.14\00:45:09.70
Remember, Jesus
makes this very clear.
00:45:09.80\00:45:12.21
We're going to go back to
the story in just a moment
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about what He said to Martha.
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But notice this.
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The first resurrection
is the resurrection of life.
00:45:22.12\00:45:25.52
And just a point,
it comes in right here,
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the reign of Christ is
not going to be on earth.
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It is going to be in heaven.
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The first time Jesus
came He walked the earth.
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The second time He's coming,
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He's coming to
take us off the earth.
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As Pastor C.D. Brooks
said when he was preaching,
00:45:55.15\00:45:57.39
he said, "Our message
is an evacuation message."
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God bless him as
he's resting in Christ.
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Our message is an
evacuation message.
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Let's go and see why.
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Look at this. A
beautiful passage.
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You got to remember that.
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Now let's revisit the
story of Martha and Jesus.
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When Jesus went to the tomb...
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- Though he may what? ~ Die.
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Though he may what? Die.
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So that means he may die.
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"...he shall live."
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Now let me make it clear.
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First of all, it may
seem to be contradictory
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because He said,
"Those who believe in Me,
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though he may die," and in the
King James, "yet shall he live."
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That means we will die.
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But we will live again.
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But what does He mean, "Those
who live and believe in Me
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shall never die."
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He's talking
about the second death.
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Here's the point.
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Those who are born
once will die twice.
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But those who are born
twice, that's born again,
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may die once.
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There's a death that
everybody, as in Adam,
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how many of us die?
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All die. 1 Corinthians 15:22.
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Everybody
suffers a physical death
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unless you are
alive when Jesus comes.
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Everybody ever born...
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By the way, the
mortality rate is 100%.
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Let's go on and see
what the Bible says.
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That's why Job
says this in Job 14:14.
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What change is he talking about?
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Let the Bible speak,
the Word of God speak.
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1 Corinthians 15:51-55
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We'll be change at the
what? The last trumpet.
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Not when you die.
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Meaning, we have the
promise, but we have not
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yet put on immortality.
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We've got the promise,
but we haven't put it on yet.
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One day, the good
news is, death will die.
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The last enemy that
shall be destroyed is death.
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But what about this immortality
that people think we have?
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The only one that has
immortality right now is Jesus.
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The Father, the Holy
Spirit; the Godhead is immortal.
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No human has
natural immortality.
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And the apostle Paul told
that to his protégé Timothy.
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Speaking of Jesus...
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And what does he say? Amen.
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Now let me make the
point very clear here.
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When people say they died
and went toward the light,
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it's not God.
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Because the Bible
says, "He dwells in the light
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which no man can approach
unto, whom no man has seen
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nor can see."
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Now the question is, why?
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Can mortal man exist in the
presence of an immortal God?
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No.
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Remember when Moses
said, "Show me Your glory."
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The Lord said, "You
need to hide in a rock.
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Because My glory
will consume you.
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When I pass by, just peek."
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And just that one
experience alone so ignited
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the face of Moses
that when he came down
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they had to put a
curtain over his face because
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the glory of God,
from just peeking,
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ignited his life.
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And truly, he
let his light shine.
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Amen?
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You cannot exist,
mortal man cannot exist
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in the presence
of an immortal God.
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But let go on
before our time runs out.
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Job 14:10-13
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A very legitimate question.
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That's what we want to know.
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Job was the most
righteous man on earth.
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The very same thing the
thief on the cross said,
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"Remember me when You
come in Your kingdom."
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"Remember me when You come."
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Not, "I want to go to
heaven with You today."
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"Remember me when You come."
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Job says, "Hide me until Your
wrath is over, till it's past.
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Hide me in the grave, put me
there, until the wrath is over.
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And when the time
comes, remember me."
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And Job, the Bible says
there was no one on earth
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more righteous than he.
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But let's look at
the patriarch David.
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The patriarch David.
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Acts 2:29-34
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And my wife and I just
finished reading about David
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in 2 Chronicles
and in 1 Kings now.
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David was laid to rest.
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And you know the
rest of the story.
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Solomon took his
place. He mounted the throne.
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He became the next king.
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And we saw his
tomb. That's right, honey.
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We saw David's tomb.
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We saw it.
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And verse 34.
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David did not
ascend into the heavens.
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I was preaching a
sermon not too long ago.
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And as I said to you,
"too long ago," could mean
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a year ago or
five years ago for me,
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because it all runs
together so quickly.
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And I was preaching a sermon
at our 3ABN worship center.
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And my mind was so
focused on the coming of Jesus.
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You know, there
are some of you tonight
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that have lost a loved one.
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I met some people today
at the door, we talked about
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the topic we
discussed, and some people said,
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"I look forward, my
husband is laying to rest,
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my husband has
been laid to rest."
00:53:55.46\00:53:56.83
And the lady with tears,
she said, "I'm looking forward
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to the day when
we can be reunited."
00:53:59.10\00:54:01.57
She said, "I have not
been remarried because
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I only want one man.
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And I'm looking
forward to when Jesus comes
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to reunite us together."
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I was one of those
fortunate children with
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two fathers and two mothers.
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A mother who gave me life,
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who later I was
able to lead to Jesus.
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And a mother
who led me to Jesus.
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And they are both
now resting in Jesus.
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And the Bible says, "Precious
in the sight of the Lord
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is the death of His saints."
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So I'm looking
forward for Jesus to come.
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I'm going to invite
Stephanie and Dan to come.
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I'm looking forward
for the coming of Jesus.
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I'm looking forward to the day
when we can meet Him in peace.
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I'm looking forward to the
day where there will be no more
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sorrow, no more death, no
more crying, no more pain.
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No more funeral
parlors. Amen, somebody.
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No more wakes, no more
tears, no more sadness,
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no more goodbyes,
no more broken hearts,
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no more children
without their parents.
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What a glorious
day that's going to be.
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That's why this is
the promise of Jesus.
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He said, in John 14:3,
let's read this together...
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Amen, somebody.
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Dan and
Stephanie, bless us tonight.
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There's a land
that is fairer than day,
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and by faith we can see it afar;
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for the Father
waits over the way
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to prepare us a
dwelling place there.
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In the sweet by and by,
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we shall meet on
that beautiful shore.
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In the sweet by and by,
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we shall meet on
that beautiful shore.
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Isn't that a
wonderful message, friends?
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A few years ago my
wife lost her mother.
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A little less than two years.
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We're looking forward
to that beautiful shore.
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I've got friends
that are resting in Jesus.
00:56:40.80\00:56:42.46
We're looking forward
to that beautiful shore.
00:56:42.50\00:56:44.13
I'm looking forward to
seeing Pastor C.D. Brooks
00:56:44.17\00:56:46.84
in the sweet by and by.
00:56:47.34\00:56:48.67
And all the saints
that have gone ahead of me,
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evangelists and
pastors and teachers,
00:56:52.01\00:56:53.94
they all have gone
ahead and they're resting
00:56:53.98\00:56:56.51
in their graves somewhere.
00:56:56.54\00:56:57.88
Elder E. E. Cleveland, a
giant of a gospel preacher.
00:56:57.91\00:57:01.82
When his wife passed away,
00:57:02.55\00:57:03.89
he would visit her
every day in the cemetery.
00:57:03.92\00:57:05.49
He said, "I'm looking
forward to seeing my wife
00:57:05.52\00:57:07.89
in the resurrection."
00:57:07.92\00:57:09.26
And he's finally laid to rest.
00:57:09.49\00:57:10.83
In that land that
is fairer than day.
00:57:10.86\00:57:12.99
One day we will meet
in that sweet by and by.
00:57:13.29\00:57:17.63
My prayer for you
tonight, as well as those of you
00:57:18.00\00:57:19.83
who are watching, that
we will trust God's Word,
00:57:19.87\00:57:22.60
we will stand
firmly on God's Word,
00:57:22.80\00:57:25.01
so that when Jesus comes
we will be ready to meet Him
00:57:25.04\00:57:29.64
in that sweet by and by.
00:57:29.68\00:57:31.51
Is that your desire tonight.
00:57:31.55\00:57:32.95