Good evening.
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Welcome to Pathways to
Life. My name is Jim Hakes.
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I'm the pastor of
the Paradise Valley
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Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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which is the host
facility for Pathways to Life
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here in Phoenix with
Pastor John Lomacang.
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And I want to tell you, this
being meeting number 14 of 15,
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we are not winding down,
we are coming to a crescendo.
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And it is our prayer
that each and every one,
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whether it is here
locally, or whether on 3ABN,
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or watching
through streaming video,
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or Good News TV, or YouTube,
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I hope you have been blessed
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by each and every one
of the different meetings
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that you will be tonight as well
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as Pastor Lomacang
talks to us tonight about
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"The Judgment Hour."
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Before he does that though,
our guest musician tonight
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Mr. Lyndon Carriger is going
to be leading us in some music
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and we are going to be blessed
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by all of the
things that are happening.
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And again we hope and pray
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that you're whether out there on
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watching on the television,
3ABN, or here locally
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that each one
receives a blessing from music
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and from opening
God's Word together.
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But as our custom, before
we invite them to come out
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and to carry on with the
things that are happening,
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let's begin by asking
God to bless us, shall we?
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Gracious Heavenly Father,
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we thank You
for the privilege of
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being able to come together
and open our Bibles together.
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And it is our prayer
that everything that is said,
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and everything that is sung,
and everything that is played
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would be to the glory
and honor of Jesus Christ.
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It is our prayer that
You would fill this place
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with Your Holy
Spirit, with Your holy angels
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and it is our prayer
that we would be blessed
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for being here together.
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And we thank You,
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for we ask it in
Jesus' name, amen.
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Day in and day out
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Working hard and learning how to
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Play the rules of this game
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We know that while your hearts
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Becomes so cold
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You're selling out your soul
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Reaching for
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A temporary goal
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But when you
reach that final sunset
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And you look into his eyes
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Will the filling
in your hearts rejoice
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Or will it be your last goodbye
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It would be the greatest tragedy
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If you never realized
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That what you own cannot compare
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To eternal life
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Oh, Lord
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You finally arrived
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Making lots of money
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But there's emptiness inside
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You're spending all your time
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Trying to own very best
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As if somehow the
rest will fall in place
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But when you
reach the final sunset
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And you look into His eyes
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Will the filling
in your hearts rejoice
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Or will it be your last goodbye
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It would be the greatest tragedy
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If you never realized
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That what you own
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Cannot compare
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But when you
reach that final sunset
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And the tears
will lead your eyes
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Will the filling
in your heart rejoice
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Or will be your
last Your last goodbye
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It would be the greatest tragedy
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If you never realized
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That what you own cannot compare
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What you own it cannot compare
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To eternal life
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To eternal life
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Can we say amen again? Amen.
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Praise the Lord.
Thank you so much, Lyndon.
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That's what we want to avoid
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getting to our final sunset
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and realizing that
it is our last goodbye.
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Tonight, I want to invite
you to bow your heads with me
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as we unite with our
audience from around the world
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and ask for the Lord's
presence to be here tonight
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on a very sobering topic,
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"The Judgment Hour."
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Let us pray.
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Loving Father in
heaven, we thank You, Lord,
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for the privilege
and opportunity tonight
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to open Your Word.
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Send Your Holy
Spirit, we ask into this place
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that as we are moved
by heavens' directive,
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our hearts would be
transformed and changed.
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In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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Tonight's message
is The Judgment Hour.
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John the Revelator
calls the world to pause
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on the timeline of prophecy,
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as he proclaims to the world
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that the long awaited
hour of judgment has come.
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You know whether we
recognize it or not,
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the judgment
for the entire world
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is soon to come.
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And John from his
secluded prison encampment
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on the Island of Patmos
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proclaims to the
world these words tonight
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that we read Revelation 14:7.
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Tonight, if we could
begin by reading this together.
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The Bible says,
"Saying with a..."
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What kind of voice?
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"Loud voice, 'Fear
God and give glory to Him,
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for the hour of
His judgment has come
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and worship Him and do..."
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What?
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"Worship Him who
made heaven and earth,
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the sea and the
springs of water.'"
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And then the Apostle Paul
inserts into the words of John
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this divine summons
recorded in 2 Corinthians
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with the words in 5:10.
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"For we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ,
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that each one may receive
the things done in the body,
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according to what he has done,
whether good or whether bad."
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You know, so many people
say we worship God in spirit.
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But as we have
discovered a few nights ago,
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when we talked about
health, the abundant life,
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we must come to
the realization that
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worship is not just
done as a spiritual act,
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but worship is
also a physical act.
00:10:01.53\00:10:04.73
And when you look at the way
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the world today
has abused the body,
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you must come to the conclusion
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that how we
treat our body temple
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is either an act of
worship to the true God,
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or a representation of
worship to the wrong God.
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And so when the Bible says,
the things done in the body,
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it is not saying that we
should only worship the Lord
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out of music,
and out of singing,
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and out of reading our
Bibles, and out of witnessing,
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but how we
treat our body temples
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is such a
reflection of our relationship
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between us and Jesus.
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Can you say amen?
00:10:42.40\00:10:43.74
Not only that, when
we come to the judgment,
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we'll discover that the
standard in the judgment
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will not be
based on our education,
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our financial status,
and neither our possessions,
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but it will be
based on the law of God,
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the standard by which
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the entire world will be judged.
00:10:58.89\00:11:01.06
Notice the words of Solomon
the wise men when he said
00:11:01.09\00:11:04.33
in Ecclesiastes 12:13 and 14,
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"Let us hear the
conclusion of the whole matter:
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Fear God..."
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The very same words in
Revelation 14, "Fear God..."
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That is honor God,
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recognize His
sovereignty, fear God,
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"And keep His commandments:
00:11:20.58\00:11:23.11
for this is the
whole duty of man."
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Why?
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For God shall bring once
again every work into judgment
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with every secret thing,
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whether it be good,
or whether it be evil."
00:11:34.99\00:11:38.26
Now, those three
passages that we just read,
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when you think
about the judgment,
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it could be quite frightening,
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because I don't know if anybody
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that receives a
summons from a court with joy.
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Think about it.
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When you get a
letter from the IRS
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or you get a summons
from the local court,
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if it's not to be on the jury,
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you feel there's a
sense of intrepidation?
00:11:59.68\00:12:02.52
What do I do?
00:12:02.55\00:12:03.89
The first
thing, I need a lawyer?
00:12:03.92\00:12:05.65
Well, I'm going to tell
you, the best lawyer to have
00:12:05.69\00:12:08.12
in light of the
coming judgment is Jesus,
00:12:08.16\00:12:09.99
what do you say?
00:12:10.03\00:12:11.36
When we look at ourselves,
we will find there's a fear
00:12:11.39\00:12:14.40
in looking
forward to the judgment.
00:12:14.43\00:12:15.96
But when you know Jesus...
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Let me say that again.
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When you know
Jesus, there is no fear.
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When you look at yourself,
you say, "How can I be saved?"
00:12:23.57\00:12:26.27
But when you look
at Jesus, you say,
00:12:26.31\00:12:28.14
"How can I not be saved?"
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That's why the writer of
Hebrews says these words.
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Isaiah 45:22, as
a matter of fact.
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Notice where we should look,
the Lord says, look to who?
00:12:36.95\00:12:39.82
"Look to me, and be saved,
all you ends of the earth!
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For I am God and..." What?
00:12:43.32\00:12:45.49
"There is no other."
00:12:45.53\00:12:47.76
I told you a
couple of nights ago,
00:12:47.80\00:12:49.66
if you have any doubt
about the existence of God
00:12:49.70\00:12:52.67
on one of your
evenings here in Arizona,
00:12:52.70\00:12:54.80
or maybe if you
have a dark place
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where you live
and around the world,
00:12:56.50\00:12:57.91
go to the desert
and look up at the stars
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where there is no doubt.
00:13:00.34\00:13:02.41
The heavens
declare the glory of God.
00:13:02.44\00:13:04.31
Amen?
00:13:04.35\00:13:05.68
My wife and I
00:13:05.71\00:13:07.05
are what I might refer
to as amateur astronomers.
00:13:07.08\00:13:11.02
But we love even if
just through my iPad,
00:13:11.05\00:13:14.76
we love to look at stars.
00:13:14.79\00:13:16.59
One evening, I showed
my wife a constellation
00:13:16.62\00:13:19.39
that was like
3522 light years away,
00:13:19.43\00:13:22.66
and she says, "How
much is the light year?"
00:13:22.70\00:13:24.27
And I told her
186,000 miles per second
00:13:24.30\00:13:27.04
for an entire year, 365 days,
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you travel that
speed all year long,
00:13:29.47\00:13:31.84
that's one light year,
00:13:31.87\00:13:33.44
multiply that by 3520,
and then we'll get there.
00:13:33.48\00:13:37.88
She said, "We'll
never get there."
00:13:37.91\00:13:39.25
I said, "Oh, no, no,
honey, we will get there."
00:13:39.28\00:13:41.68
Come on. Did you get it?
00:13:41.72\00:13:43.39
If in Jesus you
receive eternal life,
00:13:43.42\00:13:45.42
we will have access
00:13:45.45\00:13:47.92
to God's playground.
00:13:47.96\00:13:52.43
But we got to look
in the right direction.
00:13:52.46\00:13:53.90
I was reading the story once
and doing some research about
00:13:53.93\00:13:56.63
the judgment
scene in Roman court.
00:13:56.67\00:13:58.83
And I read in
Revelation where the Lord says,
00:13:58.87\00:14:01.00
"I will give you a white
stone and a new name on it."
00:14:01.04\00:14:04.67
And I thought
what does that mean?
00:14:04.71\00:14:06.24
So I decided to look at
some of the commentaries
00:14:06.27\00:14:08.04
and discover for
myself why a white stone
00:14:08.08\00:14:10.65
and then the Lord reveal
to me something beautiful
00:14:10.68\00:14:13.72
which gave me
hope and the judgment.
00:14:13.75\00:14:15.88
You see when the jury
00:14:15.92\00:14:18.09
just like ours today, 12 and 12,
00:14:18.12\00:14:19.75
when the jury could
not come to a verdict,
00:14:19.79\00:14:23.06
they would take a leather
bag with a slit in the top of,
00:14:23.09\00:14:26.53
kind of like the price is right,
00:14:26.56\00:14:28.56
and drop two stones in the bag,
00:14:28.60\00:14:30.37
a white stone and a black stone,
00:14:30.40\00:14:33.27
and then it was
up to the accused
00:14:33.30\00:14:36.24
to determine his own fate.
00:14:36.27\00:14:38.14
So standing before the court,
00:14:38.17\00:14:39.77
he would put
his hand and the bag
00:14:39.81\00:14:42.08
with tremendous fear, knowing,
00:14:42.11\00:14:44.45
pulling out a white
stone, he is exonerated,
00:14:44.48\00:14:48.12
pulling out the black
stone, he will be executed.
00:14:48.15\00:14:51.55
Can you imagine the fear that
will go through you on that?
00:14:51.59\00:14:55.16
But then his lawyer steps up,
00:14:55.19\00:14:57.23
his advocate steps up
and says, "Wait a minute."
00:14:57.26\00:15:01.26
This is a rig court
in favor of the saints.
00:15:01.30\00:15:03.67
"Wait a minute,
00:15:03.70\00:15:05.40
I'm going to
give you a white stone
00:15:05.43\00:15:08.77
with a new name on it."
00:15:08.80\00:15:12.41
You'll get that on Tuesday.
00:15:12.44\00:15:15.24
He's in essence saying,
00:15:15.28\00:15:16.61
"Don't put your hand in the
bag to determine your own fate.
00:15:16.64\00:15:20.32
Your fate is in my hands."
00:15:20.35\00:15:23.62
So he gives the accused a
white stone and the accused
00:15:23.65\00:15:29.22
before the
prosecutor of humanity says,
00:15:29.26\00:15:32.26
"White stone."
00:15:32.29\00:15:33.83
He's not only exonerated,
but his name is changed.
00:15:33.86\00:15:37.10
I'll give you a white
stone with a new name on it.
00:15:37.13\00:15:39.70
Meaning,
00:15:39.73\00:15:41.17
when we are forgiven,
even our names are changed.
00:15:41.20\00:15:45.04
There's not going
to be people in heaven
00:15:48.21\00:15:49.54
with their
former criminal names.
00:15:49.58\00:15:51.68
That's why the Lord
changed Saul's name to Paul.
00:15:51.71\00:15:55.55
He changed his name, his
identity, and his mission.
00:15:55.58\00:15:58.75
That's why tonight I begin
this presentation by saying,
00:15:58.79\00:16:01.56
we've got to change our
focus in light of the judgment.
00:16:01.59\00:16:04.49
We've got to understand
00:16:04.53\00:16:05.86
where to look and
where not to look.
00:16:05.89\00:16:07.43
Don't look in your
mirror, look in your Bible.
00:16:07.46\00:16:10.03
Here's the Bible.
00:16:10.07\00:16:11.40
Hebrews 12:2,
00:16:11.43\00:16:12.77
"Looking unto Jesus, the Author,
00:16:12.80\00:16:15.47
He began your story
and the Finisher..."
00:16:15.50\00:16:18.34
If you keep your eyes on Him,
00:16:18.37\00:16:19.71
He will end the
work He began in us,
00:16:19.74\00:16:22.21
the finisher of our faith.
00:16:22.24\00:16:23.71
"Who for the joy
that was set before us..."
00:16:23.75\00:16:26.18
Notice what he
did in our behalf.
00:16:26.21\00:16:30.42
"Endured the cross,
despising the shame."
00:16:30.45\00:16:33.96
When you pause,
what that means is
00:16:33.99\00:16:36.52
He didn't care about the
shame, He cared about us.
00:16:36.56\00:16:42.50
Some people will say,
"I'm not going to do that.
00:16:42.53\00:16:44.00
That's shameful."
00:16:44.03\00:16:45.37
The Lord says,
"No, I will do anything
00:16:45.40\00:16:47.17
regardless of the shame
00:16:47.20\00:16:48.64
because their freedom
is more important to Me
00:16:48.67\00:16:51.37
than My shame,"
00:16:51.41\00:16:52.74
despising the shame.
00:16:52.77\00:16:54.61
And the Bible
says, "And He sat down
00:16:54.64\00:16:56.14
at the right hand
of the throne of God."
00:16:56.18\00:16:58.41
He's now sitting in
His place of royalty.
00:16:58.45\00:17:01.05
When we stand on
the truth of God's Word,
00:17:01.08\00:17:03.59
there is no need to fear.
00:17:03.62\00:17:05.35
When we walk in the
light of God's Word,
00:17:05.39\00:17:07.39
there is no need to fear.
00:17:07.42\00:17:09.19
And when we are covered by
the righteousness of Jesus,
00:17:09.22\00:17:12.53
there is no need to fear.
00:17:12.56\00:17:14.96
Amen? Amen!
00:17:15.00\00:17:16.36
So there the judgment is coming.
00:17:16.40\00:17:18.03
But the question is,
00:17:18.07\00:17:19.40
is your advocate
greater than your adversary?
00:17:19.43\00:17:21.54
Is Jehovah-Nissi
greater than your nemesis?
00:17:24.77\00:17:28.14
Is the deliverer in your life
greater than your prosecutor?
00:17:28.18\00:17:33.31
The answer to
all those questions
00:17:33.35\00:17:34.68
is yes, yes, yes.
00:17:34.72\00:17:37.49
There is nobody greater,
00:17:37.52\00:17:39.32
there is nobody greater than
Jehovah-Nissi, Jehovah-Rapha.
00:17:39.35\00:17:45.29
There is nobody
greater than Jesus.
00:17:45.33\00:17:47.26
Come on, say amen. Amen.
00:17:47.30\00:17:48.80
Since you can
get the Hebrew names,
00:17:48.83\00:17:50.93
there is nobody greater than
00:17:50.97\00:17:52.30
the one who went to the
cross and died in our place.
00:17:52.33\00:17:54.60
That's why when I
proclaim this message,
00:17:54.64\00:17:56.37
I lay the foundation.
00:17:56.40\00:17:58.81
I weave the power of
Jesus all the way through it,
00:17:58.84\00:18:01.88
including His Word,
00:18:01.91\00:18:03.38
and I end on no other foundation
00:18:03.41\00:18:05.58
than the
foundation of Jesus Christ.
00:18:05.61\00:18:08.55
But we are called in this hour,
00:18:08.58\00:18:10.69
not only to proclaim a judgment
hour message to the world,
00:18:10.72\00:18:14.72
we are called to
proclaim a judgment hour message
00:18:14.76\00:18:17.89
to the people of God.
00:18:17.93\00:18:19.36
Notice what the
Bible says in Isaiah 58:1,
00:18:19.39\00:18:23.00
"Cry aloud, and spare not,
lift up thy voice like a..."
00:18:23.03\00:18:26.43
What?
00:18:26.47\00:18:27.80
"Trumpet, shew
my people there..."
00:18:27.84\00:18:29.30
What?"
00:18:29.34\00:18:30.67
Transgression, and the
house of Jacob their sins."
00:18:30.71\00:18:34.54
Now, when you think about
this, each one of us by faith,
00:18:34.58\00:18:37.58
each one of us is a member
of the household of Jacob,
00:18:37.61\00:18:40.95
we are spiritual Israel.
00:18:40.98\00:18:44.32
So before we get to the
sins of the household of Jacob,
00:18:44.35\00:18:47.46
let me introduce
you to who Jacob is.
00:18:47.49\00:18:49.42
Jacob is the son
of Esau, the brother,
00:18:49.46\00:18:52.46
sorry, the son of
Isaac, the brother of Esau.
00:18:52.49\00:18:55.86
You know the story
00:18:55.90\00:18:57.27
he stole his
brother's birthright,
00:18:57.30\00:19:01.14
and his greed
for the seat of power
00:19:01.17\00:19:04.41
caused him to be on
the run for his life.
00:19:04.44\00:19:08.14
And when he was on
the run for his life,
00:19:08.18\00:19:10.95
the Lord did not
allow Jacob to run anywhere
00:19:10.98\00:19:15.35
that the Lord
could not reach him.
00:19:15.38\00:19:17.89
And the plan that
God had for Jacob's life
00:19:17.92\00:19:22.79
was going to be fulfilled
in spite of Jacob's character.
00:19:22.82\00:19:26.83
But God did not leave
Jacob to his own demise.
00:19:26.86\00:19:31.13
He went after him,
00:19:31.17\00:19:33.44
and gave him an
opportunity to repent,
00:19:33.47\00:19:36.10
and then he changed his name.
00:19:36.14\00:19:37.54
Notice the narrative
00:19:37.57\00:19:39.51
in the Book of
Genesis 32:24 to 28,
00:19:39.54\00:19:43.55
"Then Jacob was left alone,
00:19:43.58\00:19:44.95
and a Man wrestled with
him until the breaking of day."
00:19:44.98\00:19:49.42
Have you ever been on your knees
00:19:49.45\00:19:50.79
and wrestled with the
Lord until the breaking of day?
00:19:50.82\00:19:54.22
Until you've done that,
00:19:54.26\00:19:55.59
you have not experienced
what Jacob had experienced.
00:19:55.62\00:19:58.29
"Now when he saw that He
did not prevail against him,
00:19:58.33\00:20:02.33
He touched the
socket of his hip,
00:20:02.36\00:20:05.27
and the socket of
Jacob's hip was out of joint
00:20:05.30\00:20:08.00
as He wrestled with him.
00:20:08.04\00:20:10.87
And He said,
00:20:10.91\00:20:12.51
'Let me go, for the day breaks.'
00:20:12.54\00:20:16.31
But he that is, Jacob said,
00:20:16.34\00:20:18.41
"I will not let you
go unless you do..."
00:20:18.45\00:20:21.72
What?
00:20:21.75\00:20:23.08
"Unless you bless me."
00:20:23.12\00:20:24.92
Let me make a point here.
00:20:24.95\00:20:26.52
Some people let the Lord go
just before the blessing comes.
00:20:26.55\00:20:32.79
It's on the way,
but you can't wait.
00:20:32.83\00:20:35.93
He said, "I'm not
going to let you go until."
00:20:35.96\00:20:38.50
You got to have or unless.
00:20:38.53\00:20:40.44
You got to have some
untils and some unlesses
00:20:40.47\00:20:42.74
in your prayer life.
00:20:42.77\00:20:44.61
You got to pray and say,
00:20:44.64\00:20:45.97
"I'm not going to
stop praying unless."
00:20:46.01\00:20:48.71
And you'll discover
God, and His faithfulness,
00:20:48.74\00:20:51.05
and His love for us will
take the unless and the until,
00:20:51.08\00:20:55.35
and turn it into a blessing."
00:20:55.38\00:20:58.22
But the Lord
continues, so "He said to him,
00:20:58.25\00:21:01.42
'What is your name?'"
00:21:01.46\00:21:02.79
As this the Lord didn't know?
00:21:02.82\00:21:05.03
He said, "Jacob."
00:21:05.06\00:21:06.83
And He said, "Your name shall
no longer be called Jacob."
00:21:06.86\00:21:10.60
You see, when God
exonerates and forgives,
00:21:10.63\00:21:12.87
He changes our identity,
00:21:12.90\00:21:15.17
so that Jacob the deceiver
is no longer known as a deceiver
00:21:15.20\00:21:19.17
but an overcomer.
00:21:19.21\00:21:21.04
"But Israel, your name
shall no longer be called Jacob,
00:21:21.08\00:21:23.75
but Israel, for
you have struggle
00:21:23.78\00:21:26.55
with God, and with
men, and have done..."
00:21:26.58\00:21:29.95
What?
00:21:29.98\00:21:31.32
"And prevailed."
00:21:31.35\00:21:32.69
So the Lord blessed
Jacob, and as time went on,
00:21:32.72\00:21:36.39
and Jacob was married.
00:21:36.42\00:21:37.76
He married Rachel.
00:21:37.79\00:21:39.13
Rachel is the daughter of Laban.
00:21:39.16\00:21:40.63
Laban was a man who was
Syrian, he sold idols, and gods,
00:21:40.66\00:21:45.13
and as Rachel,
you know the story,
00:21:45.17\00:21:47.10
when some of his
gods were missing,
00:21:47.14\00:21:48.94
and Rachel had taken it,
00:21:48.97\00:21:51.47
she hid it,
00:21:51.51\00:21:53.58
and she was on the camel
00:21:53.61\00:21:54.98
and refused to get off the
camel to confess to her dad
00:21:55.01\00:21:58.75
that she had
stolen his own idols.
00:21:58.78\00:22:01.28
And when she married Jacob,
00:22:01.32\00:22:02.65
she brought the
idols that were a part of
00:22:02.68\00:22:04.72
her dad's
livelihood into their family.
00:22:04.75\00:22:09.46
But God having blessed Jacob,
00:22:09.49\00:22:12.19
preparing to multiply his seed
00:22:12.23\00:22:14.70
and cause them to
be a great nation.
00:22:14.73\00:22:17.63
What kind of
nation? A great nation.
00:22:17.67\00:22:20.47
He said to Jacob, "I met
you in Bethel, I delivered you.
00:22:20.50\00:22:24.57
Now that you have a family,
00:22:24.61\00:22:26.27
I want to bless
your family also.
00:22:26.31\00:22:28.44
But I want you to go to Bethel.
00:22:28.48\00:22:30.18
But there's
something I need you to do,
00:22:30.21\00:22:32.11
as you go to Bethel
00:22:32.15\00:22:33.48
because I want your family
to be in the place spiritually,
00:22:33.52\00:22:37.69
that they are
prepared for the blessing."
00:22:37.72\00:22:40.26
I believe that
God doesn't bless us
00:22:40.29\00:22:42.19
just because we
want to be blessed.
00:22:42.22\00:22:44.36
But God wants us to be in
the right place spiritually.
00:22:44.39\00:22:48.40
So that when the blessing comes,
00:22:48.43\00:22:50.73
our hearts and our minds
00:22:50.77\00:22:52.47
will be in
harmony with God's will.
00:22:52.50\00:22:54.84
So the Lord gave instructions
to Jacob and his household.
00:22:54.87\00:22:58.41
We read this in
Genesis Chapter 35.
00:22:58.44\00:23:00.28
And by the way, as
we discover the story,
00:23:00.31\00:23:02.48
we'll see what the sin
of the house of Jacob was.
00:23:02.51\00:23:05.51
Notice very carefully.
00:23:05.55\00:23:08.65
"Then God said to
Jacob," Genesis 35:1-3,
00:23:08.68\00:23:11.65
"Then God said to Jacob,
00:23:11.69\00:23:14.16
'Arise, go up to
Bethel, and dwell there,
00:23:14.19\00:23:16.76
and make an altar there to God,
00:23:16.79\00:23:18.43
who appeared to
you when you fled
00:23:18.46\00:23:21.50
from the face of
Esau your brother.'
00:23:21.53\00:23:24.53
And Jacob said to his household
and to all who were with him,
00:23:24.57\00:23:27.74
'Put away the foreign
gods that are among you..."
00:23:27.77\00:23:30.41
That's what Rachel
brought into the marriage.
00:23:30.44\00:23:34.01
And he said,
00:23:34.04\00:23:35.38
"Purify yourselves,
and change your garments.
00:23:35.41\00:23:39.61
Then let us
arise and go to Bethel,
00:23:39.65\00:23:41.95
the house of God,
00:23:41.98\00:23:44.05
and I will make an
altar there to God,
00:23:44.09\00:23:46.82
who answered me in
the day of my distress
00:23:46.86\00:23:50.49
and has been with me in
the way which I have gone.'"
00:23:50.53\00:23:55.56
So the question is,
00:23:55.60\00:23:57.03
what did Jacob's household
understand him to mean?
00:23:57.07\00:24:00.40
What did Jacob's household
00:24:00.44\00:24:01.94
understand God's
instructions to mean?
00:24:01.97\00:24:04.67
Remember, in preparation
for this great blessing,
00:24:04.71\00:24:07.28
the Lord said, "There needs
to be some changes in your life
00:24:07.31\00:24:09.84
before you go to Bethel."
00:24:09.88\00:24:11.21
So what did the family do?
00:24:11.25\00:24:12.65
Look at Genesis 35:4.
00:24:12.68\00:24:14.95
The Bible says, "So they
gave Jacob all the foreign gods
00:24:14.98\00:24:18.32
which were in their hands,
00:24:18.35\00:24:20.46
and all the earrings
which were in their ears,
00:24:20.49\00:24:23.39
and Jacob hid them
under the terebinth tree,
00:24:23.43\00:24:26.26
which was by..."
00:24:26.29\00:24:27.63
Where?
00:24:27.66\00:24:29.00
"Which was by Shechem."
00:24:29.03\00:24:30.37
In preparation
00:24:30.40\00:24:31.77
for the coming out of
this Syrian household,
00:24:31.80\00:24:34.50
Rachel, a lifestyle she
was accustomed to being raised,
00:24:34.54\00:24:38.34
but God is calling Jacob
now to establish a new standard.
00:24:38.37\00:24:42.11
Follow me very carefully,
00:24:42.14\00:24:43.55
because this is
the very same Jacob
00:24:43.58\00:24:46.88
who's going to
eventually have 12 sons.
00:24:46.92\00:24:49.12
And by the way,
00:24:49.15\00:24:50.75
if he had only been patient,
00:24:50.79\00:24:52.22
God would have given him
sons the way that God intended.
00:24:52.25\00:24:55.92
Amen?
00:24:55.96\00:24:57.29
Got to be patient,
00:24:57.33\00:24:58.66
because God will
bring us to the place
00:24:58.69\00:25:00.03
where His plan
will be fulfilled.
00:25:00.06\00:25:02.76
So God is
establishing in Jacob's life
00:25:02.80\00:25:06.30
and for his people
00:25:06.33\00:25:07.67
that are yet to populate
the earth a standard by which
00:25:07.70\00:25:10.97
they will be seen as a people
connected to the Almighty God.
00:25:11.01\00:25:15.34
So now,
00:25:15.38\00:25:17.15
if God required
Jacob and his family
00:25:17.18\00:25:20.02
to change the way that
they presented themselves
00:25:20.05\00:25:22.55
before the Lord in
order for them to be blessed.
00:25:22.58\00:25:25.52
Do you think that God will call
His people in the last days,
00:25:25.55\00:25:29.16
spiritual Israel
to present themselves
00:25:29.19\00:25:31.86
before the Lord
the very same way?
00:25:31.89\00:25:34.86
Amen? Amen.
00:25:34.90\00:25:36.30
And so, so these stories
are included in the Bible.
00:25:36.33\00:25:38.83
These accounts
are included there,
00:25:38.87\00:25:40.80
so that the people of
God who are getting ready
00:25:40.84\00:25:44.21
to inherit
spiritual New Jerusalem,
00:25:44.24\00:25:49.44
we're getting ready to go in
00:25:49.48\00:25:51.91
and God is calling us out
of the practices of the past.
00:25:51.95\00:25:55.42
So allow me to introduce you to
00:25:55.45\00:25:57.72
one of the most ignored
commandments of all time,
00:25:57.75\00:26:01.19
the third commandment.
00:26:01.22\00:26:02.82
The Bible says in Exodus 20:3,
00:26:02.86\00:26:05.49
together, "You shall have..."
00:26:05.53\00:26:07.10
What? "No other gods before Me."
00:26:07.13\00:26:11.03
A few nights ago when we talked
about the Sabbath commandment,
00:26:11.07\00:26:13.44
the fourth commandment,
00:26:13.47\00:26:14.80
notice the
parallels in the scripture.
00:26:14.84\00:26:16.27
And there are some parallels.
00:26:16.30\00:26:17.64
When you study the scriptures,
you begin to see them come out.
00:26:17.67\00:26:20.01
They just... The
Lord allows them to glow.
00:26:20.04\00:26:23.51
One of those is
the Sabbath command
00:26:23.55\00:26:25.68
or the fourth commandment
answers the question,
00:26:25.71\00:26:28.82
"Who is your God?"
00:26:28.85\00:26:30.35
Follow me carefully?
00:26:30.39\00:26:31.72
Not what day do
you want to worship on?
00:26:31.75\00:26:35.09
You follow?
00:26:35.12\00:26:36.46
If God is your God,
00:26:36.49\00:26:37.86
then the Bible
says in Exodus 20:10,
00:26:37.89\00:26:40.96
"The seventh day is the
Sabbath of the Lord, your God."
00:26:41.00\00:26:46.23
So the Lord has
already picked a day
00:26:46.27\00:26:47.67
so when you answer the question,
00:26:47.70\00:26:49.04
"Who is your God?"
00:26:49.07\00:26:50.57
Then the day is
already clearly established.
00:26:50.61\00:26:53.17
Am I right?
00:26:53.21\00:26:54.54
But the third commandment
answers the question.
00:26:54.58\00:26:58.18
Follow carefully,
00:26:58.21\00:26:59.55
"Who is your God
about the Sabbath?"
00:26:59.58\00:27:01.02
The third commandment
asks us the question,
00:27:01.05\00:27:02.88
"What is your God?"
00:27:02.92\00:27:06.55
Did you get that?
00:27:06.59\00:27:09.29
Who is your God?
00:27:09.32\00:27:11.26
What is your God?
00:27:11.29\00:27:12.69
And when you follow
00:27:12.73\00:27:14.06
the history of the
nation's that surrounded Israel,
00:27:14.10\00:27:17.10
you had the Amalekites,
the Hittites, the Jebusites,
00:27:17.13\00:27:19.63
the Hivites, the
Perizzites, the Midianites,
00:27:19.67\00:27:23.20
the Ishmaelites.
00:27:23.24\00:27:24.57
The life that the
nations that surrounded Israel
00:27:24.61\00:27:27.34
lived was quite different
00:27:27.38\00:27:30.91
than the nations that
worship to the true God.
00:27:30.95\00:27:33.35
And by the way,
00:27:33.38\00:27:34.78
as the Sabbath was
violated thousands of years ago,
00:27:34.82\00:27:39.35
God is calling us people
today to restore the Sabbath.
00:27:39.39\00:27:42.16
Amen? Amen.
00:27:42.19\00:27:43.73
But in the very same way
00:27:43.76\00:27:45.09
as the nations that surrounded
the people of God years ago
00:27:45.13\00:27:48.70
did not
acknowledged the true God,
00:27:48.73\00:27:50.43
they worshiped the
sun, the moon, the stars,
00:27:50.47\00:27:52.67
and that's
still happening today.
00:27:52.70\00:27:54.04
My wife and I were in
India not too long ago.
00:27:54.07\00:27:56.77
And as I
mentioned, a few nights ago,
00:27:56.81\00:27:58.54
we had to take our shoes off
00:27:58.57\00:28:00.74
as we walked into
a Buddhist temple.
00:28:00.78\00:28:04.08
And then when I went
to church on Sabbath,
00:28:04.11\00:28:06.82
they said to me,
"Take off your shoes."
00:28:06.85\00:28:08.62
I said, "Well, do
we take our shoes off
00:28:08.65\00:28:11.25
in our church, too?"
00:28:11.29\00:28:12.72
And listen what they said,
00:28:12.75\00:28:14.09
if just in case
you were not here.
00:28:14.12\00:28:16.12
They said, "If the
Buddhists require you
00:28:16.16\00:28:19.69
to take off your
shoes to a false god,
00:28:19.73\00:28:23.80
how much more should
we remove our sandals
00:28:23.83\00:28:26.00
in the presence of a true God?"
00:28:26.03\00:28:27.37
Amen everybody?
00:28:27.40\00:28:28.74
Thus the Lord said to Moses,
00:28:28.77\00:28:30.11
"Take your shoes off your feet,
00:28:30.14\00:28:31.57
for the ground upon
which you stand is what?
00:28:31.61\00:28:33.88
Holy ground.
00:28:33.91\00:28:35.48
And so in the very same
way, when we talked about
00:28:35.51\00:28:37.91
a few nights ago
about abundant health.
00:28:37.95\00:28:40.22
Now, I mentioned to you,
00:28:40.25\00:28:41.58
you saw that
picture of the little mouse.
00:28:41.62\00:28:42.95
Remember the little
mouse, nobody would want.
00:28:42.98\00:28:45.85
Nobody wants a mouse for dinner.
00:28:45.89\00:28:49.19
But in some countries,
a mouse is a delicacy.
00:28:49.22\00:28:51.53
God calls us not
to a little pork,
00:28:56.56\00:28:59.60
but no pork, right?
00:28:59.63\00:29:01.94
Not a little bit of
shrimp, but no shrimp.
00:29:01.97\00:29:04.61
Not a little bit of
alcohol, but no alcohol.
00:29:04.64\00:29:07.71
It was not about moderation,
it was about abstinence.
00:29:07.74\00:29:11.11
And when you study
the history of the nations
00:29:11.15\00:29:13.85
from antiquity to the
very day in which we live,
00:29:13.88\00:29:16.28
you'll discover that
the practices of adornment
00:29:16.32\00:29:18.95
was very
prevalent in Jacob's day
00:29:18.99\00:29:21.22
and it's prevalent in our day.
00:29:21.26\00:29:23.26
I was in
Wisconsin at Camp Wokanda
00:29:23.29\00:29:25.53
a number of years ago.
00:29:25.56\00:29:27.03
And I met a young lady
00:29:27.06\00:29:29.63
who came to the camp
meeting with her friend,
00:29:29.66\00:29:31.27
was an Adventist young lady,
and she said after the sermon.
00:29:31.30\00:29:34.30
She said, "I want to meet
you. I want to talk to you."
00:29:34.34\00:29:37.41
And then she said, "Well, maybe
she does or maybe she doesn't."
00:29:37.44\00:29:40.28
Well, let me see if she
does. Well, I'm not sure.
00:29:40.31\00:29:43.24
And I said,
00:29:43.28\00:29:44.61
"What's the
vacillation all about?"
00:29:44.65\00:29:45.98
She said, "Well, you know,
00:29:46.01\00:29:47.35
I don't know if she
has on her protection."
00:29:47.38\00:29:50.25
I said, "Protection against me.
00:29:50.29\00:29:54.02
I'm just the preacher."
00:29:54.06\00:29:55.86
She said, "No, no, she's Wiccan.
00:29:55.89\00:29:57.99
And she has to
wear her protection
00:29:58.03\00:29:59.63
because she has her
allegiance to other gods.
00:29:59.66\00:30:03.40
So these gods that she
has with her will protect her
00:30:03.43\00:30:06.63
if there's anything
about this camp meeting
00:30:06.67\00:30:09.27
that's not in
harmony with her beliefs."
00:30:09.30\00:30:10.71
And I thought that's unusual.
00:30:10.74\00:30:12.34
And then I began to study
years ago, and notice these,
00:30:12.37\00:30:15.01
these are the
practices of the gods
00:30:15.04\00:30:16.98
of other
nations and other people
00:30:17.01\00:30:18.78
that do not honor the true God.
00:30:18.81\00:30:21.05
Thou shalt have no
other gods before me.
00:30:21.08\00:30:22.68
Here you have
00:30:22.72\00:30:24.05
a rainbow moonstone
triple goddess necklace.
00:30:24.09\00:30:26.25
This is what the
Wiccan wear today.
00:30:26.29\00:30:28.42
They still wear this today
00:30:28.46\00:30:30.43
because they honor
the planets, the stars,
00:30:30.46\00:30:33.26
they honor those things
00:30:33.29\00:30:34.93
that are not
connected to the true God.
00:30:34.96\00:30:37.93
You find further,
00:30:37.97\00:30:39.30
this is the angelic chain
for healing and protection.
00:30:39.33\00:30:42.10
Once again, a
form of Wiccan jewelry,
00:30:42.14\00:30:43.94
and if you go to their website,
00:30:43.97\00:30:45.31
it's hundreds of
different styles,
00:30:45.34\00:30:48.34
all fashioned for the worship
to the gods that they honor.
00:30:48.38\00:30:52.08
Let's go further.
00:30:52.11\00:30:53.45
This is another Wiccan jewelry,
00:30:53.48\00:30:54.82
the solar cross
of essence pendant.
00:30:54.85\00:30:56.89
Notice, it draws
energy from the sun, really?
00:30:56.92\00:31:01.72
Which gives you power and drive
00:31:01.76\00:31:04.89
while the runes provide you
00:31:04.93\00:31:07.30
with wisdom, clarity, and focus.
00:31:07.33\00:31:09.60
Can I make a point?
00:31:09.63\00:31:10.97
Only God can provide you
00:31:11.00\00:31:12.90
with wisdom, clarity, and focus.
00:31:12.93\00:31:15.40
If any man lacks
wisdom, let him ask of God.
00:31:15.44\00:31:18.81
But this is what
the Lord was preventing
00:31:18.84\00:31:20.98
Jacob and his household,
00:31:21.01\00:31:22.74
the line that he was
choosing them not to go down.
00:31:22.78\00:31:25.55
Follow me carefully.
00:31:25.58\00:31:26.92
Let's go on.
00:31:26.95\00:31:28.28
Today, you have body piercing,
00:31:28.32\00:31:30.45
the same practices that
were planted in Jacob's day
00:31:30.49\00:31:33.46
and there are plethora
of scriptures in the Bible.
00:31:33.49\00:31:35.29
For example, the Midianites,
00:31:35.32\00:31:37.89
when the Midianites were
overrun by the Israelites
00:31:37.93\00:31:40.13
the request was
00:31:40.16\00:31:41.50
bring all the
plunder of the Midianites.
00:31:41.53\00:31:43.33
And the Bible said,
00:31:43.37\00:31:44.70
"The Midianite men wore earrings
00:31:44.73\00:31:46.07
because they were Midianites,
00:31:46.10\00:31:47.87
but the Israelite men did not."
00:31:47.90\00:31:50.21
What about male body piercing?
00:31:50.24\00:31:52.64
I tried to be conservative
00:31:52.67\00:31:55.51
because I tell you,
00:31:55.54\00:31:56.88
you've seen the
extreme cases, haven't you?
00:31:56.91\00:31:59.28
But why is this not in
harmony with God's Word?
00:31:59.31\00:32:02.38
Because the
body is God's temple.
00:32:02.42\00:32:04.59
Amen somebody? Amen!
00:32:04.62\00:32:06.29
Not just the inside
but also the outside.
00:32:06.32\00:32:11.89
Let's go on.
00:32:11.93\00:32:13.26
You find in the
Egyptian jewelry,
00:32:13.29\00:32:15.10
Egyptian goddess
of magic, fertility,
00:32:15.13\00:32:17.00
and motherhood necklace.
00:32:17.03\00:32:18.50
You wear that, that's
what you're supposed to get.
00:32:18.53\00:32:20.54
Fertility and magic.
00:32:20.57\00:32:22.67
And they believe
that to this very day,
00:32:22.70\00:32:24.24
this is being sold today.
00:32:24.27\00:32:26.21
Also the Egyptian
Eye of Horus necklace,
00:32:26.24\00:32:28.74
Eye of Ra goddess necklace,
00:32:28.78\00:32:30.71
these are purchasable today
00:32:30.75\00:32:32.65
because they don't
recognize the true God.
00:32:32.68\00:32:35.45
So whenever the
children of Israel
00:32:35.48\00:32:36.89
participated in the practices
of the surrounding nations,
00:32:36.92\00:32:40.22
the Lord always said,
"Wait a minute, wait a minute,
00:32:40.26\00:32:42.16
your body is My temple."
00:32:42.19\00:32:43.96
What fellowship Paul says
00:32:43.99\00:32:45.79
does the temple of
God have with idols?
00:32:45.83\00:32:49.96
Not only Old
Testament but the New Testament.
00:32:50.00\00:32:51.90
Let's look at a quotation from
this very one of organizations,
00:32:51.93\00:32:56.40
"Protecting and
power amulets, symbols
00:32:56.44\00:32:58.71
meaning inherited from pagans.
00:32:58.74\00:33:00.64
Pagans believed
in more than one god.
00:33:00.68\00:33:03.55
Paganism exploded monotheism,
worshiping of one God.
00:33:03.58\00:33:07.52
Paganism used many
symbols, slavic runes
00:33:07.55\00:33:10.59
to reveal their relation
to natural and divine powers,
00:33:10.62\00:33:14.29
to the exterior world, to
other people, and animals."
00:33:14.32\00:33:18.79
They communicate with animals.
00:33:18.83\00:33:22.36
Symbols were an essential part
of pagan culture and rituals.
00:33:22.40\00:33:27.00
Ancient pagans used symbols
00:33:27.04\00:33:28.60
not only in
religion and rituals,
00:33:28.64\00:33:31.14
the symbols were
widely used in pagan's
00:33:31.17\00:33:33.91
jewelry representing
spiritual connection
00:33:33.94\00:33:37.35
of physical body, human
soul, and external spirits.
00:33:37.38\00:33:43.39
Continuing,
00:33:43.42\00:33:44.75
pagans worshiped various gods,
00:33:44.79\00:33:47.56
nature power, and
wore protection amulets
00:33:47.59\00:33:50.66
to get safeguarded by
divine and nature forces."
00:33:50.69\00:33:56.03
When I found this
only then that I understand
00:33:56.06\00:33:59.60
what this young lady meant
in Wisconsin, when she said,
00:33:59.63\00:34:02.57
"The young lady that
wants to meet you is not sure
00:34:02.60\00:34:05.11
because she needs to
have her protection."
00:34:05.14\00:34:08.01
When you think about
God leading His children
00:34:08.04\00:34:10.95
out of Egypt.
00:34:10.98\00:34:13.85
After Jacob had all of his sons,
00:34:13.88\00:34:16.69
and they went
into the land of Egypt
00:34:16.72\00:34:18.89
and were slaves there 400 years,
00:34:18.92\00:34:21.22
if you count when
Joseph went there, 430.
00:34:21.26\00:34:25.43
Once again, when
we talked about diet,
00:34:25.46\00:34:28.36
the Israelites took on
the diet of the Egyptians,
00:34:28.40\00:34:30.90
and God called them and
before they got to Sinai
00:34:30.93\00:34:33.60
to receive the commandments.
00:34:33.64\00:34:34.97
One of the first
things he did was
00:34:35.00\00:34:36.37
he changed their
diet, remember that.
00:34:36.40\00:34:39.31
He gave them... What
did He give them to eat?
00:34:39.34\00:34:41.51
Manna.
00:34:41.54\00:34:43.18
And those who adjusted
to God's way of eating,
00:34:43.21\00:34:46.98
continued
healthfully in the journey.
00:34:47.02\00:34:48.55
But those who
didn't, the Bible says,
00:34:48.58\00:34:50.32
they died with the
flesh in their teeth.
00:34:50.35\00:34:52.22
God wants us to
be healthy. Amen?
00:34:52.25\00:34:54.32
I mean, look at
me, I'm 93 years old,
00:34:54.36\00:34:55.86
don't I look good at for my age?
00:34:55.89\00:34:58.19
Honesty, I'm really not,
00:34:58.23\00:34:59.56
but you keep
asking how old I am,
00:34:59.59\00:35:00.93
I'm not going to tell you.
00:35:00.96\00:35:03.00
But when the Israelites
came out of the Egypt,
00:35:03.03\00:35:04.73
notice what happened,
00:35:04.77\00:35:06.10
as Moses is in the mountain
receiving the commandments,
00:35:06.13\00:35:08.90
and he stays there
for 40 days, Aaron,
00:35:08.94\00:35:12.77
under the urging
of the mixed multitude
00:35:12.81\00:35:15.24
that came out of
Egypt with Israel,
00:35:15.28\00:35:17.58
notice what they
encouraged him to do,
00:35:17.61\00:35:19.91
and he acquiesced.
00:35:19.95\00:35:21.75
Exodus 32:2 to 4.
00:35:21.78\00:35:23.52
"And Aaron said to them,
'Break off the golden earrings
00:35:23.55\00:35:25.85
which are in the ears
of your wives, your sons,
00:35:25.89\00:35:28.42
and your daughters,
and bring them to me.'"
00:35:28.46\00:35:30.23
So it's not unusual today
for men and boys to wear it
00:35:30.26\00:35:32.96
because it's a common practice.
00:35:32.99\00:35:34.86
It may be new in
America by a couple of decades,
00:35:34.90\00:35:37.67
but it's not unusual.
00:35:37.70\00:35:39.47
Verse 3.
00:35:39.50\00:35:40.84
"So all the people
broke off the golden earrings
00:35:40.87\00:35:42.40
which were in their ears,
and brought them to Aaron."
00:35:42.44\00:35:44.91
And what did he do?
00:35:44.94\00:35:46.44
"And he received the
gold from their hand,
00:35:46.47\00:35:49.14
and he fashioned it
with an engraving tool,
00:35:49.18\00:35:52.15
and made a..."
00:35:52.18\00:35:53.52
What? "Molded calf.
00:35:53.55\00:35:56.28
And then he said,
00:35:56.32\00:35:58.09
'This is your god, O Israel,
00:35:58.12\00:35:59.65
that brought you out
of the land of Egypt.'"
00:35:59.69\00:36:04.93
Now get this,
00:36:04.96\00:36:06.29
they were crying for
God to bring them out.
00:36:06.33\00:36:10.50
He brought them
out with a mighty hand.
00:36:10.53\00:36:14.10
Amen.
00:36:14.14\00:36:16.04
They are in the wilderness,
00:36:16.07\00:36:18.71
but the challenge was not just
00:36:18.74\00:36:22.64
getting Israel out of Egypt
00:36:22.68\00:36:25.71
but getting Egypt out of Israel.
00:36:25.75\00:36:31.02
Do you see that?
00:36:31.05\00:36:32.39
I know that because when
I started coming to church,
00:36:32.42\00:36:35.16
when I was a teenager,
my wife can attest to this,
00:36:35.19\00:36:38.69
when I finally gave up my music
00:36:38.73\00:36:40.80
or when I said,
"Lord, forgive me.
00:36:40.83\00:36:42.96
Lord, I'm not going to do that
anymore in the music world."
00:36:43.00\00:36:46.63
I come to church
and somebody say,
00:36:46.67\00:36:50.04
"I have a party tonight,
00:36:50.07\00:36:51.81
would you disc
jockey for my party?"
00:36:51.84\00:36:53.24
And I said, "Okay,
just one more time."
00:36:53.27\00:36:55.78
No, really. Hear me carefully.
00:36:55.81\00:36:57.15
And it took me a while
00:36:57.18\00:36:58.51
before I broke
away from the Egypt,
00:36:58.55\00:37:01.22
I was in Israel
00:37:01.25\00:37:02.62
but in my mind I
was still in Egypt,
00:37:02.65\00:37:05.82
until one day my wife
and I as we were dating
00:37:05.85\00:37:08.22
almost lost our
lives in a car accident
00:37:08.26\00:37:10.83
and that was the
dividing line between me
00:37:10.86\00:37:12.79
getting rid of the life I lived
00:37:12.83\00:37:15.36
and beginning the life
the Lord wanted me to live.
00:37:15.40\00:37:17.60
And God has a sense of
humor because the very first,
00:37:17.63\00:37:19.93
I got rid of all my 400 records,
00:37:19.97\00:37:21.94
all my albums, my
pool stick, my boom box,
00:37:21.97\00:37:24.77
all the things of the world.
00:37:24.81\00:37:26.34
And the very first album
that I got that was Christian
00:37:26.37\00:37:29.04
was a Heritage Singers album.
00:37:29.08\00:37:32.61
God has a sense
of humor, don't He?
00:37:32.65\00:37:34.32
Because I ended up
becoming a Heritage Singer.
00:37:34.35\00:37:37.52
So God was given me a
glimpse, and get this,
00:37:37.55\00:37:40.02
when you are
willing, when you are what?
00:37:40.06\00:37:42.39
When you're willing,
00:37:42.42\00:37:43.76
God gives you a
glimpse of what you can have,
00:37:43.79\00:37:47.46
compared to what
you think you have.
00:37:47.50\00:37:49.90
When Aaron led the Israelites
and the mix multitudes
00:37:53.03\00:37:56.94
into worshiping the wrong God,
00:37:56.97\00:37:58.31
Moses receive
instruction from God.
00:37:58.34\00:38:01.81
God said to Moses,
"Something's going on."
00:38:01.84\00:38:04.18
And the Lord said
to Moses, Exodus 32:7.
00:38:04.21\00:38:06.31
"And the Lord said to Moses,
'Go, get down! For your people
00:38:06.35\00:38:09.05
whom you brought out.'"
00:38:09.08\00:38:11.45
He said, "I don't
know who they are."
00:38:11.49\00:38:13.59
Whom you brought out.
00:38:13.62\00:38:14.96
You ever do that
when your kids are bad,
00:38:14.99\00:38:16.32
"Go get your son."
00:38:16.36\00:38:18.56
That's the inference here.
00:38:18.59\00:38:19.93
"Whom you brought
out of the land of Egypt
00:38:19.96\00:38:21.46
have corrupted themselves."
00:38:21.50\00:38:24.03
And Moses returned
to the Lord and said,
00:38:24.07\00:38:25.63
'Oh, these people have
committed a great sin,"
00:38:25.67\00:38:28.20
Exodus 32:31,
00:38:28.24\00:38:29.74
"and have made for
themselves a god of gold!'"
00:38:29.77\00:38:32.97
Let me tell you, brothers,
00:38:33.01\00:38:34.34
the closer we get
to the promised land,
00:38:34.38\00:38:36.31
the more of these practices
00:38:36.34\00:38:37.95
will be repeated
in the last days,
00:38:37.98\00:38:39.68
but they should not be
named among the people of God.
00:38:39.71\00:38:42.58
Amen?
00:38:42.62\00:38:43.95
So what did the
Lord tell Moses to do?
00:38:43.99\00:38:46.42
Exodus 33:5 and 6.
00:38:46.45\00:38:48.46
"For the Lord had said to Moses,
00:38:48.49\00:38:50.43
'Say to the children of Israel,
you are a stiff-necked people.
00:38:50.46\00:38:54.40
I could come up into your midst
in one moment and consume you.
00:38:54.43\00:38:58.73
Now therefore,'
God's instruction,
00:38:58.77\00:39:01.40
'take off your ornaments,
00:39:01.44\00:39:02.77
that I may know
what to do to you.'"
00:39:02.80\00:39:05.24
Until they did that
they had no identity,
00:39:05.27\00:39:07.18
they lost their
identity in the wilderness.
00:39:07.21\00:39:11.41
You couldn't tell
the difference between
00:39:11.45\00:39:12.78
an Israelite and a Midianite.
00:39:12.81\00:39:15.32
"I can't do anything
until you revert to ways
00:39:15.35\00:39:19.95
to the way of life that
is in harmony with My will."
00:39:19.99\00:39:23.32
And so what did they do?
00:39:23.36\00:39:24.69
So the children
of Israel did what?
00:39:24.73\00:39:27.40
They did what?
00:39:27.43\00:39:28.83
When you strip something,
00:39:28.86\00:39:30.20
it doesn't mean you
took up just a little bit up,
00:39:30.23\00:39:32.73
they strip
themselves of their ornaments
00:39:32.77\00:39:35.57
bound by Mount Horeb.
00:39:35.60\00:39:37.31
They took it all off.
00:39:37.34\00:39:39.27
But what spirit did they have?
00:39:39.31\00:39:42.44
Follow me carefully
because, you know what?
00:39:42.48\00:39:44.48
I learned this very carefully.
00:39:44.51\00:39:46.41
You can take leaves off a tree
00:39:46.45\00:39:51.12
but if the tree does
not change its nature,
00:39:51.15\00:39:54.42
those leaves are
going to grow back.
00:39:54.46\00:39:56.32
Are you following me?
00:39:56.36\00:39:58.26
Somebody could say,
00:39:58.29\00:39:59.63
"Take off your
earrings, take off your jewels,"
00:39:59.66\00:40:01.13
but, you know what?
00:40:01.16\00:40:02.50
If your heart is not changed,
it doesn't make a difference
00:40:02.53\00:40:06.33
because there are some people
without it that are corrupt,
00:40:06.37\00:40:08.80
there are some people
with it that are not corrupt
00:40:08.84\00:40:11.94
but when you are
lining your life up
00:40:11.97\00:40:13.71
with God's standard,
00:40:13.74\00:40:16.31
there's a heart change
that God is looking for
00:40:16.34\00:40:19.65
rather than a
garment change alone
00:40:19.68\00:40:23.28
because some people
don't dress that way,
00:40:23.32\00:40:24.69
but they're corrupt,
00:40:24.72\00:40:26.05
and some people dress that way,
00:40:26.09\00:40:27.42
but they don't even
know the difference.
00:40:27.46\00:40:29.52
So what God is in
essence saying here,
00:40:29.56\00:40:31.16
"The thing that matters
before the change happens
00:40:31.19\00:40:34.06
is the condition of the heart."
00:40:34.10\00:40:36.13
Notice how the
scriptures emphasize this.
00:40:36.16\00:40:38.70
Exodus 33:22.
00:40:38.73\00:40:40.90
"They came, both men and women,
00:40:40.94\00:40:44.54
as many as had a..."
00:40:44.57\00:40:46.11
What kind of heart?
00:40:46.14\00:40:48.54
"Willing heart."
00:40:48.58\00:40:51.01
Praise God for willing hearts.
00:40:51.05\00:40:53.11
And what did they do?
00:40:53.15\00:40:55.05
"And brought
earrings and nose rings,
00:40:55.08\00:40:58.52
rings and necklaces,
00:40:58.55\00:41:01.42
all jewelry of gold, that is,
00:41:01.46\00:41:04.33
every man who made an
offering of gold to the Lord."
00:41:04.36\00:41:07.66
And this
happened during the time,
00:41:07.70\00:41:09.76
when they made an appeal
00:41:09.80\00:41:11.13
because they were getting ready
to build the temple of God.
00:41:11.17\00:41:14.47
So they made the appeals
00:41:14.50\00:41:15.97
first in the
categories of what they needed
00:41:16.00\00:41:18.11
so they started with
gold, and then with silver,
00:41:18.14\00:41:20.54
and then with wood,
and then with stone.
00:41:20.58\00:41:22.61
And so whoever
had these articles,
00:41:22.64\00:41:24.75
all of them that had it
that brought it out of Egypt
00:41:24.78\00:41:28.15
came and gave it as
the temple preparation,
00:41:28.18\00:41:31.95
the portable tabernacle,
that was being built,
00:41:31.99\00:41:34.29
all the articles of furniture.
00:41:34.32\00:41:36.22
When you study the
Bible very carefully,
00:41:36.26\00:41:37.83
you discover that when
the Israelites left Egypt,
00:41:37.86\00:41:41.76
they were slaves in Egypt.
00:41:41.80\00:41:43.47
The first thing the Lord did was
00:41:43.50\00:41:44.93
He gave them all
the wealth of Egypt,
00:41:44.97\00:41:48.17
when they left
Egypt, Egypt was broke
00:41:48.20\00:41:51.77
because God said, "Take
all the articles of gold,
00:41:51.81\00:41:54.44
all the articles of silver,
00:41:54.48\00:41:56.34
all the change of clothing,
00:41:56.38\00:41:59.21
leave Egypt broke."
00:41:59.25\00:42:02.72
But the Lord never
told them to wear it.
00:42:02.75\00:42:06.15
He said, "I need this for
the building of my temple."
00:42:06.19\00:42:09.59
But they said,
00:42:09.62\00:42:11.39
"I like that."
00:42:11.43\00:42:13.60
And before
along, they began to...
00:42:13.63\00:42:16.00
Remember the song years ago,
00:42:16.03\00:42:17.37
they began to
walk like an Egyptian.
00:42:17.40\00:42:18.83
I know, I was there.
00:42:23.07\00:42:25.77
That's why the
Bible says these words
00:42:25.81\00:42:27.21
in the writings
of the Apostle Paul.
00:42:27.24\00:42:30.25
Romans 12:1 to 2.
00:42:30.28\00:42:31.61
"I beseech you."
00:42:31.65\00:42:32.98
You know what the
word beseech means,
00:42:33.01\00:42:34.35
I beg you.
00:42:34.38\00:42:36.18
"I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the..."
00:42:36.22\00:42:38.92
What? "Mercies."
00:42:38.95\00:42:40.86
Notice, not by the
fear or anger of God
00:42:40.89\00:42:43.96
but, "By the
mercies of God, that you..."
00:42:43.99\00:42:47.06
Do what?
00:42:47.10\00:42:48.43
"Present your
bodies as a..." What?
00:42:48.46\00:42:50.83
"Living sacrifice..." How?
00:42:50.87\00:42:54.27
"Holy, acceptable to God,
00:42:54.30\00:42:57.37
which is your
reasonable service."
00:42:57.41\00:42:59.77
I love the way the
NIV says it, it says,
00:42:59.81\00:43:02.04
"Which is your
spiritual act of worship?
00:43:02.08\00:43:05.48
And verse 2.
00:43:05.51\00:43:07.15
Very important because
the world today will mold you,
00:43:07.18\00:43:10.15
the world today is
like a crooked river,
00:43:10.19\00:43:12.02
just get into your raft,
00:43:12.05\00:43:13.39
and it will take you
wherever it wants you to go.
00:43:13.42\00:43:16.09
But you got to
think differently.
00:43:16.12\00:43:17.76
Notice the Bible says
this, verse 2 of Romans 12.
00:43:17.79\00:43:20.60
"And do not be
conformed to..." What world?
00:43:20.63\00:43:23.37
"This world, but
be transformed by..."
00:43:23.40\00:43:26.17
How? "The renewing..."
00:43:26.20\00:43:28.64
You got to think differently,
the renewing of your mind,
00:43:28.67\00:43:32.61
in your
entertainment, in your music,
00:43:32.64\00:43:35.68
in the way you choose to dress
00:43:35.71\00:43:40.45
because the world today...
00:43:40.48\00:43:43.42
I said a few
nights ago, sometimes...
00:43:43.45\00:43:45.82
And one young man told me,
00:43:45.85\00:43:47.19
I don't want to
tell you where it was,
00:43:47.22\00:43:48.56
but one young man told me,
I was down in Miami, Florida.
00:43:48.59\00:43:51.53
And he came to me...
00:43:51.56\00:43:52.89
Let me finish this text,
and I'll tell you the story.
00:43:52.93\00:43:56.00
"By the renewing of
your mind, that you may prove
00:43:56.03\00:43:58.40
what is that good and acceptable
00:43:58.43\00:44:01.67
and perfect will of God."
00:44:01.70\00:44:04.47
Only when your mind is renewed
00:44:04.51\00:44:06.84
and you do not conform
to the ways of the world.
00:44:06.88\00:44:10.08
The Lord says, "Ah,
now you can show the world
00:44:10.11\00:44:12.78
what is that good and acceptable
00:44:12.81\00:44:14.92
and perfect will of God."
00:44:14.95\00:44:16.58
But my wife and I had
been to more than 61 countries,
00:44:16.62\00:44:18.95
and we have seen the church
going through a metamorphosis,
00:44:18.99\00:44:22.72
the Adventist church
going through a metamorphosis,
00:44:22.76\00:44:25.76
and I thought to
myself, "This is very ironic,
00:44:25.79\00:44:28.06
this is really...
00:44:28.10\00:44:29.43
Are you ready?
00:44:29.46\00:44:30.80
Open your ears, here we go.
00:44:30.83\00:44:33.00
When people become Adventists,
00:44:33.03\00:44:34.37
they say, "You
know, in my church,
00:44:34.40\00:44:35.74
I never hear about
the Fourth Commandment."
00:44:35.77\00:44:37.14
That's those who come
out of the First Day Church.
00:44:37.17\00:44:39.47
They say, "I never heard
about the Fourth Commandment."
00:44:39.51\00:44:41.91
And I thought we
have our own irony
00:44:41.94\00:44:44.08
in the Adventists church
00:44:44.11\00:44:45.45
you don't hear about
the Third Commandment.
00:44:45.48\00:44:48.32
"Thou shall have no
other gods before Me."
00:44:48.35\00:44:51.45
Isn't it ironic?
00:44:51.49\00:44:53.52
There's nothing wrong with
the Ten Commandments of God.
00:44:53.56\00:44:56.39
We leave the third one out,
00:44:56.42\00:44:58.63
First Day pastors
leave the fourth one out.
00:44:58.66\00:45:00.76
Ironic?
00:45:00.80\00:45:02.13
No because James knows
00:45:02.16\00:45:04.13
that he that
violates it in one point
00:45:04.17\00:45:07.90
is guilty of how much of it?
00:45:07.94\00:45:09.27
All!
00:45:09.30\00:45:10.64
And you've got to
remember, guilty of it all,
00:45:10.67\00:45:12.34
and you have to remember,
we're living in the last days,
00:45:12.37\00:45:14.34
if the devil wants nothing more,
00:45:14.38\00:45:16.01
he wants to lead us
down a path of mediocrity.
00:45:16.04\00:45:21.25
But let's
determine not to meander
00:45:21.28\00:45:23.22
in the maze of mediocrity,
00:45:23.25\00:45:25.32
or ponder at the
pool of popularity,
00:45:25.35\00:45:27.66
or negotiate at
the table of the enemy.
00:45:27.69\00:45:29.72
Come on somebody say amen. Amen.
00:45:29.76\00:45:31.66
You got to be willing.
00:45:31.69\00:45:33.03
The Bible says,
Isaiah 1:19 and 20.
00:45:33.06\00:45:35.53
Notice the
blessing of willingness.
00:45:35.56\00:45:37.50
"If you are willing
and..." What? "Obedient..."
00:45:37.53\00:45:40.70
Things that are
often overlooked.
00:45:40.74\00:45:42.90
"You shall eat
the good of the land."
00:45:42.94\00:45:44.94
How many of you look forward
00:45:44.97\00:45:46.31
to eating of the
good of the land one day?
00:45:46.34\00:45:48.48
I sure do. You'll
eat of the good of land.
00:45:48.51\00:45:50.45
"But if you refuse and rebel,
00:45:50.48\00:45:51.81
you shall be
devoured by the sword.'
00:45:51.85\00:45:53.45
For the mouth of
the Lord has..." What?
00:45:53.48\00:45:55.25
"He has spoken."
00:45:55.28\00:45:57.02
So what the Lord told
Moses to tell pharaoh?
00:45:57.05\00:46:02.36
Today,
00:46:02.39\00:46:04.76
pharaoh of Egypt is Satan today.
00:46:04.79\00:46:08.96
The devil doesn't
want to let us go,
00:46:09.00\00:46:10.57
you know why?
00:46:10.60\00:46:11.93
Because until he lets
us go, we cannot serve God.
00:46:11.97\00:46:16.64
"Tell pharaoh."
00:46:16.67\00:46:18.01
Exodus 8:1.
00:46:18.04\00:46:19.97
"And the Lord spoke to Moses,
'Go to pharaoh and say to him,
00:46:20.01\00:46:23.35
'Thus says the Lord:
00:46:23.38\00:46:24.88
'Let My people go,
that they may do...What?
00:46:24.91\00:46:28.15
"That they serve
Me.'" Let me make a point.
00:46:28.18\00:46:30.09
Until the world
no longer holds us,
00:46:30.12\00:46:34.59
we cannot really
effectively serve God.
00:46:34.62\00:46:37.93
When our hearts
are divided between,
00:46:37.96\00:46:39.79
"Should I live this
way? Should I dress this way?
00:46:39.83\00:46:43.03
Should this be my entertainment?
00:46:43.06\00:46:44.60
Should this be my
music? Should I watch that?
00:46:44.63\00:46:47.47
Should I go to these places?"
00:46:47.50\00:46:50.07
And then we live
that way during the week,
00:46:50.11\00:46:51.97
and we try to come to
church on Sabbath morning
00:46:52.01\00:46:53.64
and find spiritual
interest, and what happens?
00:46:53.68\00:46:56.01
Laodicea.
00:46:56.04\00:46:58.45
And we wonder why
the church is dying.
00:46:58.48\00:47:00.32
Let me tell you something.
00:47:00.35\00:47:01.68
Don't take your
adversary for granted.
00:47:01.72\00:47:05.22
What the Bible
says, Joshua 24:15.
00:47:05.25\00:47:08.06
We've got to think logically.
00:47:08.09\00:47:10.43
I chose what I call a
smart looking gentleman
00:47:10.46\00:47:12.56
to put in this
picture, you know why?
00:47:12.59\00:47:14.36
Because you have to be smart
00:47:14.40\00:47:15.73
to make a
decision about eternity.
00:47:15.76\00:47:18.20
Don't leave your decision
in somebody else's hand,
00:47:18.23\00:47:20.30
it has to be your decision.
00:47:20.34\00:47:21.77
And I love what
Joshua 24:15 says.
00:47:21.80\00:47:23.81
And if it seems evil to
you to serve the Lord...
00:47:23.84\00:47:26.14
Can you imagine that?
00:47:26.17\00:47:28.74
Evil,
00:47:28.78\00:47:30.18
that's why we should
never ask the question,
00:47:30.21\00:47:32.91
"What do I have to give
up to join your church?"
00:47:32.95\00:47:34.95
"What do you have to give
up, you've got to give up hell."
00:47:34.98\00:47:38.65
Amen.
00:47:38.69\00:47:40.02
You've got to give
up the lake of fire.
00:47:40.06\00:47:42.09
The way some people live,
they need fire insurance...
00:47:42.12\00:47:44.59
Because they think
it's evil to serve God, why?
00:47:49.50\00:47:51.80
Because the heart is messed
up, this world has messed us up.
00:47:51.83\00:47:56.20
We live in it, we operate in it,
00:47:56.24\00:47:57.61
we go to the malls,
00:47:57.64\00:47:58.97
we see stuff that messes
us up for the next two days,
00:47:59.01\00:48:02.14
just in the mall.
00:48:02.18\00:48:05.18
"And if it seems evil
to you to serve the Lord,
00:48:05.21\00:48:07.12
choose for yourselves..." When?
00:48:07.15\00:48:09.22
"This day whom
you will serve..."
00:48:09.25\00:48:11.85
And look at the comparison.
00:48:11.89\00:48:13.66
"Whether the gods
00:48:13.69\00:48:16.39
which your fathers served
00:48:16.42\00:48:17.86
that were on the
other side of the River."
00:48:17.89\00:48:20.03
Brethren, it's too late
00:48:20.06\00:48:21.40
to go back to the
other side of the river,
00:48:21.43\00:48:22.76
what do you say?
00:48:22.80\00:48:24.13
We're on this side,
we're on the Canaan side.
00:48:24.17\00:48:27.64
"Or the gods of the Amorites,
in whose land you dwell."
00:48:27.67\00:48:31.24
Together.
00:48:31.27\00:48:32.61
"But as for me and
my house, we will..."
00:48:32.64\00:48:36.68
Do what? "Serve the Lord."
00:48:36.71\00:48:38.41
That's got to be your
decision. Nobody else's.
00:48:38.45\00:48:41.52
In this closing hour,
00:48:41.55\00:48:42.88
in this judgment
hour, we don't...
00:48:42.92\00:48:44.95
You know, I could
tell you the dates of
00:48:44.99\00:48:46.32
when the judgment began,
00:48:46.35\00:48:47.69
and how it happened in 1844
00:48:47.72\00:48:49.29
but that's the
least of your issue,
00:48:49.32\00:48:51.29
the issue is how do we
live in light of the judgment?
00:48:51.33\00:48:54.96
How should we
stand before a holy God
00:48:55.00\00:48:57.10
in an unholy and corrupt world?
00:48:57.13\00:49:00.30
We got to examine ourselves
and say, "Lord, help me."
00:49:00.34\00:49:03.87
"He that has this hope in
himself, purifies himself,
00:49:03.91\00:49:07.34
even as he has is pure."
00:49:07.38\00:49:09.54
That's why Deuteronomy
makes this statement.
00:49:09.58\00:49:11.21
Deuteronomy 30:19.
00:49:11.25\00:49:12.98
"I call, I call heaven and earth
00:49:13.01\00:49:14.58
as witnesses today against you,
00:49:14.62\00:49:16.99
that I have set
before you..." What?
00:49:17.02\00:49:19.15
"Life and death,
blessing and cursing,
00:49:19.19\00:49:21.89
therefore,"
together, "choose life,
00:49:21.92\00:49:24.99
that both you and
your descendants may live."
00:49:25.03\00:49:27.66
I want to live. Anybody else?
00:49:27.70\00:49:31.13
And some people say,
"Well, it doesn't matter."
00:49:31.17\00:49:32.50
Let me tell you something.
00:49:32.53\00:49:33.87
When you're on
your hospital bed,
00:49:33.90\00:49:35.24
I don't know of anybody that
says, "I'd like to die sooner."
00:49:35.27\00:49:38.61
Now think about it.
00:49:38.64\00:49:39.97
It's not even a
point of the hilarity,
00:49:40.01\00:49:42.04
nobody wants to die.
00:49:42.08\00:49:43.91
But the way some
of us live is like
00:49:43.95\00:49:46.51
we don't think about death
00:49:46.55\00:49:47.88
until it's
knocking on our doors.
00:49:47.92\00:49:50.99
Let's think about living for God
00:49:51.02\00:49:52.62
and giving Him
the best of our lives,
00:49:52.65\00:49:54.72
not just giving Him what's left.
00:49:54.76\00:49:56.86
That's why no matter
where you stand with the Lord,
00:50:00.53\00:50:03.40
if you turn your heart to God,
00:50:03.43\00:50:05.40
He will accept you and love you
00:50:05.43\00:50:07.20
and bring you to
the point of redemption,
00:50:07.24\00:50:09.40
and He will change
you and cover your sin
00:50:09.44\00:50:11.47
and make you a son
and daughter of eternity
00:50:11.51\00:50:13.81
and forgive you and get
you ready for golden streets.
00:50:13.84\00:50:17.45
Think about it.
00:50:17.48\00:50:18.88
You want the gold here or here?
00:50:18.91\00:50:23.02
God ain't taking
anybody to heaven
00:50:23.05\00:50:24.39
with a chisel and an axe
00:50:24.42\00:50:25.75
to start chopping
up heaven to wear it.
00:50:25.79\00:50:28.12
Think about it.
00:50:28.16\00:50:29.62
Walk through the gates of pearl,
00:50:29.66\00:50:30.99
I'd like those.
00:50:31.03\00:50:32.99
No, that's God's asphalt,
00:50:33.03\00:50:34.96
leave it alone.
00:50:35.00\00:50:37.10
That's why the Bible says today
00:50:37.13\00:50:38.47
here is what
He's calling us to do
00:50:38.50\00:50:39.83
on these closing
hours of the judgment.
00:50:39.87\00:50:41.64
1 John 1:9 together.
00:50:41.67\00:50:43.04
"If we..." What?
00:50:43.07\00:50:44.41
"Confess our sins,
00:50:44.44\00:50:45.77
He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to...
00:50:45.81\00:50:48.34
Do what? "Cleanse
us from..." How much?
00:50:48.38\00:50:51.01
"All unrighteousness."
00:50:51.05\00:50:52.88
But you got to come to the place
00:50:52.91\00:50:54.38
where you realize
that this is not an edict,
00:50:54.42\00:50:57.92
but this is for our best good.
00:50:57.95\00:51:02.52
I don't want to
miss out on that party.
00:51:02.56\00:51:06.36
As I said, I
don't care where I...
00:51:06.39\00:51:07.80
I don't care if I
have a mansion in heaven,
00:51:07.83\00:51:09.53
give me a sleeping
bag, I'll be just fine.
00:51:09.56\00:51:13.13
Anybody else? Amen.
00:51:13.17\00:51:14.77
The mission of
Jesus hasn't changed.
00:51:14.80\00:51:16.71
Matthew 1:21 hasn't changed.
00:51:16.74\00:51:18.97
"And she will bring forth a Son,
00:51:19.01\00:51:20.61
and you shall
call His name Jesus..."
00:51:20.64\00:51:23.48
What will He do for us?
00:51:23.51\00:51:25.18
"For He will save His people
00:51:25.21\00:51:30.19
from their sins."
00:51:30.22\00:51:32.72
Jeremiah says it so beautifully.
00:51:32.75\00:51:35.16
I love the words
of Jeremiah 33:16.
00:51:35.19\00:51:38.36
"In those days
Judah will be saved,
00:51:38.39\00:51:40.86
and Jerusalem will dwell safely.
00:51:40.90\00:51:43.67
And this is the name by
which she will be called..."
00:51:43.70\00:51:47.64
Come on, church, together.
00:51:47.67\00:51:49.00
"The Lord our righteousness."
00:51:49.04\00:51:52.07
Let me make a point very clear.
00:51:52.11\00:51:53.68
You can change the way you dress
00:51:53.71\00:51:55.84
and you're
still ain't righteous.
00:51:55.88\00:51:59.31
The Lord doesn't just want
to change the way you dress,
00:51:59.35\00:52:01.58
He wants to change your heart.
00:52:01.62\00:52:04.09
When the heart is
changed, it will follow.
00:52:04.12\00:52:07.56
If I picked the
oranges off of an orange tree
00:52:07.59\00:52:09.99
and it's still an orange tree,
they're going to come back.
00:52:10.03\00:52:13.06
What God is
asking for you tonight
00:52:13.09\00:52:14.83
is ask yourself the question,
00:52:14.86\00:52:16.46
what side of the resurrection
do you want to get up on,
00:52:16.50\00:52:21.90
and is your god is more
important than your God?
00:52:21.94\00:52:28.11
"Tell me what to give
up, Lord, and I'll give it up
00:52:28.14\00:52:31.01
as long as I'm not left out of
that final call for eternity."
00:52:31.05\00:52:36.15
Anybody else?
00:52:36.18\00:52:38.39
That's why this is
the most potent passage.
00:52:38.42\00:52:41.12
And I'm going to invite
Lyndon to come here in a moment.
00:52:41.16\00:52:43.39
Come on, Lyndon, right now
00:52:43.43\00:52:44.76
and begin to play
softly this to me,
00:52:44.79\00:52:46.16
it's the most...
00:52:46.19\00:52:47.53
One of the most potent God
loving passages in the Bible.
00:52:47.56\00:52:51.57
You know, I thought about this
00:52:51.60\00:52:53.47
and sometimes God
takes us to those places
00:52:53.50\00:52:55.80
that we hit a snag
in our walk with God.
00:52:55.84\00:52:58.77
Have you hit a snag?
00:52:58.81\00:53:00.91
Have you ever got to
the place where you felt,
00:53:00.94\00:53:02.28
"Man, I've been
Adventist all my life,
00:53:02.31\00:53:04.11
it just, kind of, seems like
00:53:04.15\00:53:05.48
the other churches
are having so much fun,
00:53:05.51\00:53:10.72
and I don't know
if this is really
00:53:10.75\00:53:12.39
what God wants me..."
00:53:12.42\00:53:13.76
And so we start church shopping.
00:53:13.79\00:53:16.36
And then the Lord
brings a storm in our lives
00:53:16.39\00:53:18.39
to blow us back to sensibility.
00:53:18.43\00:53:23.83
He brings a storm to
help us get shaken up
00:53:23.87\00:53:26.53
like He allow the boat to rock
00:53:26.57\00:53:28.90
and for the disciples
trying to save themselves,
00:53:28.94\00:53:32.17
He brought a storm to
get Peter's attention,
00:53:32.21\00:53:35.61
so that Peter can stop focusing
on his fishing abilities
00:53:35.64\00:53:38.51
and simply say, "Lord, save me.
00:53:38.55\00:53:40.98
I cannot do it myself."
00:53:41.02\00:53:42.62
And when the other disciples
decided to walk away from God
00:53:42.65\00:53:44.95
because they thought
the price was too great.
00:53:44.99\00:53:48.16
The Lord said to Peter,
"Are you going to leave too?"
00:53:48.19\00:53:50.19
And I love what he
said, "To whom shall I go?
00:53:50.23\00:53:54.63
You have the words
of life where we going."
00:53:54.66\00:53:58.97
The world is saying,
"Go here and go there."
00:53:59.00\00:54:01.17
The Lord is saying, "No,
that's going up in flames,
00:54:01.20\00:54:03.91
that's going up in flames,
that's going up in flames,
00:54:03.94\00:54:06.47
let me take you to
a fireproof kingdom
00:54:06.51\00:54:08.58
called the New Jerusalem."
00:54:08.61\00:54:10.95
That's why no matter
where you are tonight,
00:54:10.98\00:54:12.58
listen to the words
of the writer of Hebrews.
00:54:12.61\00:54:14.75
Hebrews 7:25, no
matter how far you down,
00:54:14.78\00:54:17.59
no matter how
far down you've been,
00:54:17.62\00:54:19.45
the Lord as we said in New York,
00:54:19.49\00:54:20.86
the Lord can save you
00:54:20.89\00:54:22.22
from the gutter
most of the uttermost.
00:54:22.26\00:54:25.39
It's not about how bad you are,
00:54:25.43\00:54:28.03
this is about how good He is.
00:54:28.06\00:54:30.80
The God is calling
His church to come back up
00:54:30.83\00:54:33.27
and be the
Israel of the last days,
00:54:33.30\00:54:35.74
to be a people
reflecting the glory of God
00:54:35.77\00:54:37.47
letting your light shine,
00:54:37.51\00:54:39.97
and letting the glory that's
being seen in you, and on you,
00:54:40.01\00:54:43.58
be the character of Christ.
00:54:43.61\00:54:45.38
Let's read this
final passage together.
00:54:45.41\00:54:48.05
What a passage?
00:54:48.08\00:54:49.42
"Therefore, He
is also able to..."
00:54:49.45\00:54:50.89
Do what?
00:54:50.92\00:54:52.25
"Save to the uttermost."
00:54:52.29\00:54:55.89
Doesn't matter what you've done,
00:54:55.92\00:54:57.56
it doesn't matter
where you've been,
00:54:57.59\00:55:01.43
it doesn't matter how
dark your walk has been,
00:55:01.46\00:55:04.17
He's able to
save to the uttermost.
00:55:04.20\00:55:07.14
"Those who come
to God through Him,
00:55:07.17\00:55:10.71
since He always live."
00:55:10.74\00:55:12.07
I like the king ever liveth,
00:55:12.11\00:55:14.44
"to make intercession for them."
00:55:14.48\00:55:16.51
Tonight,
00:55:16.54\00:55:19.11
who can take a profane
man and make him a prophet?
00:55:19.15\00:55:21.88
Ask Isaiah.
00:55:21.92\00:55:23.59
Who can take a harlot
and make her an evangelist?
00:55:23.62\00:55:26.09
Ask Rahab.
00:55:26.12\00:55:27.56
Who can take an adulterer
00:55:27.59\00:55:28.92
and make him the son
and the lineage of God?
00:55:28.96\00:55:31.13
Ask David.
00:55:31.16\00:55:32.99
Who can take a prosecutor
and make him a sole winner?
00:55:33.03\00:55:35.76
Ask Paul.
00:55:35.80\00:55:37.23
Tonight,
00:55:37.27\00:55:39.33
as Lyndon sings the song,
00:55:39.37\00:55:41.37
if you want to say
tonight, "Lord Jesus..."
00:55:41.40\00:55:44.41
If you're watching, "Lord Jesus,
00:55:44.44\00:55:46.01
I want You to come into my life,
00:55:46.04\00:55:48.74
and I want You to do one thing,
00:55:48.78\00:55:50.88
get me ready for eternity."
00:55:50.91\00:55:54.85
Tonight as he plays the song,
00:55:54.88\00:55:56.22
as he plays the
song, and as he's singing,
00:55:56.25\00:55:57.75
if the Lord is
speaking to your heart tonight,
00:55:57.79\00:55:59.35
just come on down
here and let's pray.
00:55:59.39\00:56:01.99
I don't want us to leave Phoenix
00:56:02.02\00:56:03.36
and never see you again,
00:56:03.39\00:56:05.13
I want to leave Phoenix
and see you in the kingdom,
00:56:05.16\00:56:07.33
is that all right?
00:56:07.36\00:56:09.03
Tonight as he plays the
song, The Savior is Waiting.
00:56:09.06\00:56:11.43
The Savior is waiting
00:56:11.47\00:56:17.31
To enter your heart
00:56:17.34\00:56:20.41
Praise the
Lord, Praise the Lord.
00:56:20.44\00:56:22.51
Come on, down.
00:56:22.54\00:56:23.88
Why don't you let Him come in?
00:56:23.91\00:56:29.38
God bless you, God bless you.
00:56:29.42\00:56:32.19
Anybody else tonight?
00:56:32.22\00:56:33.56
There's nothing...
00:56:33.59\00:56:35.09
You just want to
be in the kingdom.
00:56:35.12\00:56:36.46
In this world...
Whatever God says lay down...
00:56:36.49\00:56:38.83
To keep you apart
00:56:38.86\00:56:40.63
Tonight, you're
willing to do that.
00:56:40.66\00:56:42.33
Praise God wherever
you are. Come on, down.
00:56:42.36\00:56:44.70
What is your
00:56:44.73\00:56:47.50
Answer to Him?
00:56:47.54\00:56:52.97
It's your chance tonight.
00:56:53.01\00:56:55.34
Time after time
00:56:55.38\00:57:00.18
He has waited before
00:57:00.22\00:57:04.85
Tonight...
00:57:04.89\00:57:06.22
And now
00:57:06.25\00:57:08.06
He is waiting again
00:57:08.09\00:57:14.76
Yes, Lord is waiting tonight.
00:57:14.80\00:57:16.67
To see...
00:57:16.70\00:57:18.43
Come down, come down, come down.
00:57:18.47\00:57:19.80
If you're willing
00:57:19.83\00:57:22.24
To open the door
00:57:22.27\00:57:26.71
That's right, friends.
00:57:26.74\00:57:28.41
Oh, how He wants to...
00:57:28.44\00:57:31.48
God bless you
until we see you again.
00:57:31.51\00:57:34.25
That's right.
00:57:34.28\00:57:35.62
Come in
00:57:35.65\00:57:37.02