What does the future hold?
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Where can we find certainty
in a world of uncertainty?
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The Book of Revelation provides
hopeful answers for today,
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tomorrow, and forever.
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Join Mark Finley, author
and world-renowned speaker,
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on a journey into the future
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with Revelation's
Ancient Discoveries.
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The Book of Revelation
answers our deepest questions.
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It reveals God's
plans for the future.
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The Book of Revelation written
by John on the Island of Patmos
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at the end of the first century
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takes us down
the stream of time,
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takes us down the epics of time,
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takes us through
history to reveal
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the mighty hand of
God in every generation.
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Our Bible study in
Revelation today takes us
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to the Four
Horsemen of Revelation.
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Your eyes will be opened
as the spirit touches you
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with the magnificent
truths of the Four Horsemen.
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Let's pray.
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Father in heaven,
thank You so much for Jesus.
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Thank You for Him
revealing these truths to us.
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As we open the
pages of Scripture,
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as we see the
revelation of God in history,
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guide us, we pray
Thee, closer to You.
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May we make
those eternal changes
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and decisions in our life
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that will be decisions
that will impact our destiny.
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We pray in Christ's name. Amen.
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My topic is, why are there
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so many different denominations?
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If there is one God,
one faith, one Bible,
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where did all these
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different
denominations come from?
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And how did we get this
confusing array of churches?
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One thing is for certain,
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the average person is bewildered
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by this confusing
array of churches.
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If you just take the phonebook
and you start with "A",
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you go to assembly
of God and past the age,
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you go to the B's, the
Baptists, and pass the B's,
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you go to the church of
Christ, and pass the C's,
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you go to the
disciples of Christ.
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And well, maybe
these every man's religion
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but you go down the
whole alphabet of religions
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and you end up
with the Zionists.
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But where did
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all these
different churches come from?
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Is it God's
intent for there to be
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this bewildering
array of churches?
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How can you...?
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Have you ever wondered
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how can I find the
truth with all these churches?
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And let's suppose,
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you're moving into a new city
and you go to the Yellow Pages.
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You say, "Where
do I choose a church?
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How do I find a church?"
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If you would have to look
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through every
different denomination
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and all of their beliefs,
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you would become quite confused.
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In fact, it would
take you a lifetime.
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So you never go to the church
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to find out what
the Bible teaches,
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rather you go to the
Bible to find out what truth is.
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And then you
find a church teaching
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in harmony with the Bible.
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Now let me clarify that.
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You see, if you had to
go to the church to find out
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what the Bible
teaches and you'd have to go
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through all of
these varying churches
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one after the
other, after the other.
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And maybe it takes you a year
to study the doctrines of one
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and then a year to study
the doctrines of another.
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And then pretty
soon, what happens?
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All of your time is consumed.
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But if you go to the Bible
and you raise that question,
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what says the Bible?
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The blessed Bible to me,
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this my only question
be what says the Bible,
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the blessed Bible to me?
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So you first go to the
Bible to try to discover
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what the church ought
to teach not in reverse.
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Bible prophecy clearly reveals
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why there is so many
different denominations.
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Bible prophecy, specifically
the Book of Revelation
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lets us know just
what Scripture teaches
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about where these different
denominations came from.
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Revelation's Four
Horsemen reveals the future
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of Christianity.
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These four horsemen take us down
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the stream of time.
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Now here is a
prophetic principle
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in all time sequence prophecy.
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When you look at the
time prophecy say of Daniel,
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the prophecy always
begins where the prophet is.
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Remember the
great image of Daniel 2
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with the head of gold, the
breasts and arms of silver,
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the thighs of brass,
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the legs of iron, the
feet of iron and clay.
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That prophecy
begins in Daniel's day.
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That's true with the prophecies
of the four beasts in Daniel 7,
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and it's true also
with the 11th chapter
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in the Book of Daniel.
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When you come to
the Book of Revelation
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and you look at
chapters 2 and 3,
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the seven churches,
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they begin where the prophet is.
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When you come to the trumpets,
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they begin where the prophet is.
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The same with the
prophecy of the seven seals
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or the four horsemen.
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They always begin
in the first century
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where the prophet is.
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These four horsemen
described in Revelation
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reveal four successive ages
in the history of the church.
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Four successive time periods,
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one that follows
right after the other
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from the first
century to our generation.
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In Revelation 6:1,
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the seals are
opened and looking here,
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it says, "Now I saw
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when the Lamb
opened one of the seals."
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So who is the Lamb?
Who is that, everybody?
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The Lamb of God of
course is Jesus Christ.
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He's the great Lamb
of Revelation mentioned
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more than 27 times in
the Book of Revelation.
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So the Lamb is
opening the seals,
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Jesus Christ is
revealing to you,
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He's revealing to me
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what's going to happen
down the stream of time.
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He's revealing
what's going to happen
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to the Christian church
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in each successive
generation of history.
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So the Lamb of God,
Christ, is opening the seals.
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If Jesus is opening the
seals for you and for me,
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don't you think it's
quite important for us
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to understand
them and study them?
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The first seal
opens and it says,
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"I heard one of the
four living creatures saying
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with a voice like
thunder, 'Come and see."'
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The beings in
heaven say to you and me,
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"Come and see.
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Come and take a
look at these seals.
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Come and understand these seals.
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Come with us as we unlock
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the mystery of these seals."
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What does the first seal,
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when it's
opened, what does it say?
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"And I looked, and
behold, a white horse.
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And he who sat on it had a bow,
and a crown was given to him,
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and he went forth to
conquer and conquering."
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Notice what the Bible
says that the first seal opens
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and there's a
rider on a white horse.
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When a Roman
General conquered the enemy,
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he always came
back to Rome riding
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through the streets of
Rome triumphantly victoriously
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on a white horse.
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So the symbol of a white
horse is the symbol of triumph,
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it's the symbol of victory.
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New Testament
Christianity was triumphant.
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White is also a
symbol of apostolic purity.
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When Jesus comes
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and He comes
riding on a white horse
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with white horses,
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a symbol of purity and
righteousness triumphing
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over wickedness and evil.
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So when you look at
the first century church,
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it was pure, its
members were faithful
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to the living Word of God.
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It was based on
the truth of God's Word
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and that church
New Testament believers
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went forth conquering
and to conquer everywhere.
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So what does the
white horse represent?
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This rider on the white horse
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who gallops across
the sky with a bow,
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who gallops across
the sky triumphing,
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it represents a
powerful and pure faith.
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What a description of
New Testament Christianity
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from AD 31 to a 100,
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a pure faith, a powerful faith,
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a faith that goes
everywhere triumphing
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over the principalities
and powers of hell.
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The white horse seal opens,
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represents this conquering faith
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of New Testament.
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You know, one Roman
writer put it this way
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describing the
New Testament church,
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he said, "You
Christians are everywhere.
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You're in our
armies, you're in our navies,
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you're in the
marketplace and the shops,
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you're in our
senate, our universities.
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You are everywhere."
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In fact, one of the
early Roman writers wrote back
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to the governor and
he said to the governor,
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"These Christians have..."
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He actually said,
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"This infection of
Christianity has influenced
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even the smallest
villages in the Empire."
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So when you see New
Testament Christianity,
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it had a powerful
impact on Roman society.
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The story, in
fact, is told of 20
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of the leading guards of Rome.
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These were part of
the honor guard of Rome.
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These 20 guards
became Christians,
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gave their lives to Christ
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and worshiped the living Christ.
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And as they did,
they were arrested.
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Another 20 were
found. They were arrested.
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They were taken out to
a lake in Northern Italy.
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That Lake was
now filled with ice,
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it was cold, it
was a winter time,
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the ice on the lake
a foot two feet thick,
00:10:00.80\00:10:04.23
snow had fallen
around the side of the lake,
00:10:04.27\00:10:06.74
temperatures were
sub-freezing temperatures
00:10:06.77\00:10:10.27
down in the teens.
00:10:10.31\00:10:11.64
And these 40 men, 40 of
the honor guard of Rome,
00:10:11.67\00:10:16.41
40 of those that
guarded the Caesar of Rome
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were taken in the
center of the lake
00:10:19.45\00:10:21.48
and they were told,
00:10:21.52\00:10:22.88
"We're going to
have a fire on the shore,
00:10:22.92\00:10:25.32
and if you desire
to save your life,
00:10:25.35\00:10:28.86
if you desire to live,
00:10:28.89\00:10:32.03
all you need to
do is deny Christ,
00:10:32.06\00:10:34.26
and you can come to
this fire and be warm.
00:10:34.30\00:10:37.13
But if you move from
the center of that lake
00:10:37.17\00:10:39.80
without denying Christ,
00:10:39.83\00:10:41.74
you'll be slain with the sword."
00:10:41.77\00:10:44.54
These men circled together,
00:10:44.57\00:10:47.68
huddled together at
the centre of the lake,
00:10:47.71\00:10:49.74
and they began to
sing 40 wrestlers for Thee,
00:10:49.78\00:10:53.45
O Christ,
00:10:53.48\00:10:54.82
to Thine be the
honor, to Thine be the glory,
00:10:54.85\00:10:58.65
Thy name be exalted as
they sang through the night,
00:10:58.69\00:11:02.86
they shivered.
00:11:02.89\00:11:04.23
Some of them were
facing, freezing to death,
00:11:04.26\00:11:08.63
one of these broke ranks.
00:11:08.66\00:11:11.73
He began to go toward
the fire for the warmth.
00:11:11.77\00:11:15.30
He could not stand
the cold any longer.
00:11:15.34\00:11:18.61
And as he did, the song
began to echo through the air,
00:11:18.64\00:11:22.54
39 wrestlers for Thee, O Christ,
00:11:22.58\00:11:25.25
39 wrestlers for Thee, O Christ,
00:11:25.28\00:11:27.25
to Thine be the
honor, to Thine be the glory.
00:11:27.28\00:11:30.75
Then the captain
of the Roman guard
00:11:30.79\00:11:35.19
standing by the fire saw
00:11:35.22\00:11:38.16
the faith of these 39,
00:11:38.19\00:11:42.53
he said, "I too
will accept Christ."
00:11:42.56\00:11:45.20
He left the warmth of the fire,
00:11:45.23\00:11:46.87
went out into the
center of that lake, cold,
00:11:46.90\00:11:50.37
and that song went up
again, 40 wrestlers for Thee,
00:11:50.41\00:11:53.31
O Christ, to Thine be the glory.
00:11:53.34\00:11:55.74
One of the early
Christian writers,
00:11:55.78\00:11:57.25
Tertullian, put it this way,
00:11:57.28\00:11:58.91
"The blood of the martyrs
is the seed of the gospel."
00:11:58.95\00:12:02.28
They are in the New
Testament, "Nothing could stop
00:12:02.32\00:12:06.12
the progress of
first century Christianity,
00:12:06.15\00:12:10.93
armed with the Word of God,
00:12:10.96\00:12:13.06
their minds filled
with the truth of God,
00:12:13.09\00:12:16.36
consumed with a
passion for Christ,
00:12:16.40\00:12:19.23
they went everywhere.
00:12:19.27\00:12:20.60
Acts 2, 3,000 are
baptized into Christ.
00:12:20.64\00:12:24.31
Acts 4, 5,000 more added.
00:12:24.34\00:12:27.24
And you come down and
the gospel leaps across
00:12:27.28\00:12:29.78
geographical boundaries,
it penetrates the Middle East,
00:12:29.81\00:12:33.08
penetrates Asia,
penetrates Europe.
00:12:33.11\00:12:35.52
God is working a miracle
in the white horse period.
00:12:35.55\00:12:38.95
You see, my friend,
00:12:38.99\00:12:40.39
when men and women
do not compromise truth
00:12:40.42\00:12:44.33
in their own life
the church's power,
00:12:44.36\00:12:47.00
why at times today.
00:12:47.03\00:12:49.03
As the church become powerless,
why at times today has society
00:12:49.06\00:12:54.27
and culture impacted the church?
00:12:54.30\00:12:57.14
Because when you drift
away from the Word of God,
00:12:57.17\00:12:59.77
when you drift away
from Christ's passion
00:12:59.81\00:13:02.94
and to have this
passion for Christ,
00:13:02.98\00:13:04.75
when religion becomes external,
00:13:04.78\00:13:07.08
then the church loses its power.
00:13:07.12\00:13:10.89
But here in the four seals,
00:13:10.92\00:13:12.79
the four
horsemen, the scene changes.
00:13:12.82\00:13:15.46
The devil knows
he must do something.
00:13:15.49\00:13:17.56
So we go to the
red horse period.
00:13:17.59\00:13:19.83
The Bible says, "Another
horse, fiery red went out.
00:13:19.86\00:13:22.40
And it was granted to the one
00:13:22.43\00:13:24.37
who sat on it to
take peace from the earth,
00:13:24.40\00:13:28.57
and that people
should kill one another.
00:13:28.60\00:13:31.04
There was given to
him a great sword."
00:13:31.07\00:13:33.64
The red horse period.
00:13:33.68\00:13:35.88
Persecution
comes upon the church,
00:13:35.91\00:13:38.05
the devil sees the
church going forward powerfully,
00:13:38.08\00:13:41.28
the devil wants to stop
00:13:41.32\00:13:42.68
that onward
motion of the church.
00:13:42.72\00:13:44.59
So the red horse period,
bloodshed, conflict come,
00:13:44.62\00:13:49.36
peace is taken from the earth.
00:13:49.39\00:13:51.29
The state powers of
Rome persecute the church.
00:13:51.33\00:13:56.26
Christians are
brought to the Coliseum,
00:13:56.30\00:13:59.23
some thrown to lions there.
00:13:59.27\00:14:01.84
They brought to Circus Maximus,
the great horse-racing stadium.
00:14:01.87\00:14:06.81
And they are told
to deny their faith,
00:14:06.84\00:14:09.81
taken in that stadium chained,
00:14:09.84\00:14:11.95
chained one arm,
chained one foot,
00:14:11.98\00:14:13.85
put to a horses
here, chained this arm,
00:14:13.88\00:14:16.95
chained this leg, horses
here, and the Christian is told,
00:14:16.99\00:14:20.42
"Unless you
recant of your faith,
00:14:20.46\00:14:23.56
the horses will run
in opposite directions.
00:14:23.59\00:14:25.29
You'll be torn apart."
00:14:25.33\00:14:26.83
But yet in the
midst of that persecution,
00:14:26.86\00:14:30.03
in the midst of
being cast to lions,
00:14:30.07\00:14:32.57
in the midst of being
killed with the sword,
00:14:32.60\00:14:35.40
in the midst to be torn
apart, not only by wild beasts
00:14:35.44\00:14:38.94
but in those
horse racing stadiums,
00:14:38.97\00:14:43.45
Christians were faithful to God.
00:14:43.48\00:14:45.51
And their
persecution only showed
00:14:45.55\00:14:48.42
the truthfulness of their faith.
00:14:48.45\00:14:50.82
The red horse period
is a blood-stained phase,
00:14:50.85\00:14:53.42
faith from a 100 to 313 AD,
00:14:53.46\00:14:56.52
particularly the 10-year
persecution of Diocletian
00:14:56.56\00:14:59.83
from 303 to 313 AD.
00:14:59.86\00:15:03.20
The devil knows,
I must do something.
00:15:03.23\00:15:05.43
So what happens?
00:15:05.47\00:15:06.84
The white horse period,
00:15:06.87\00:15:08.20
the pure faith gives
ray to the red horse period,
00:15:08.24\00:15:10.11
the blood-stained faith.
00:15:10.14\00:15:11.54
But then another horse
marches across the sky,
00:15:11.57\00:15:15.54
the black horse period.
00:15:15.58\00:15:17.15
And here in this
black horse period,
00:15:17.18\00:15:19.45
faith compromised.
00:15:19.48\00:15:21.95
Revelation 6:5, "When
He opened the third seal,
00:15:21.98\00:15:26.05
I heard the third
living creature say,
00:15:26.09\00:15:27.46
'Come and see.'"
00:15:27.49\00:15:28.92
And I say to you, my
friend, come and see.
00:15:28.96\00:15:31.26
Come and see the
history of Christianity
00:15:31.29\00:15:33.56
during this period.
00:15:33.60\00:15:34.93
"So I looked, and
behold, a black horse,
00:15:34.96\00:15:37.93
and he who sat on it
00:15:37.97\00:15:39.30
had a pair of
scales in his hand."
00:15:39.33\00:15:41.50
The church is
weighed in the balance
00:15:41.54\00:15:43.20
and found wanting.
00:15:43.24\00:15:44.64
This is the period
of the fourth, fifth,
00:15:44.67\00:15:46.61
and sixth centuries.
00:15:46.64\00:15:48.04
Compromise comes
into the Christian church,
00:15:48.08\00:15:50.75
pagan practices come
into the Christian church,
00:15:50.78\00:15:53.68
church and state
unites at this period.
00:15:53.72\00:15:57.42
"So I looked," he says,
"and behold a black horse
00:15:57.45\00:16:00.49
who sat on had a pair
of scales in his hand."
00:16:00.52\00:16:03.32
Satan's strategy was
to introduce compromise
00:16:03.36\00:16:07.36
to lead the church to
adopt pagan practices.
00:16:07.40\00:16:11.17
The devil knew that
he could not destroy
00:16:11.20\00:16:15.04
the church merely
through persecution.
00:16:15.07\00:16:18.57
These Christians were
solid in their faith for Christ.
00:16:18.61\00:16:22.61
These Christians were stalwart
in their faith for Christ.
00:16:22.64\00:16:26.51
These Christians were courageous
00:16:26.55\00:16:28.78
in their faith for Christ.
00:16:28.82\00:16:30.52
So the devil had to
decide on another strategy.
00:16:30.55\00:16:33.82
What was that strategy?
00:16:33.86\00:16:35.36
Bringing
compromise into the church.
00:16:35.39\00:16:39.09
And so from AD 313
to approximately AD 537
00:16:39.13\00:16:43.37
and 38, we see a
compromised faith.
00:16:43.40\00:16:47.44
We see pagan practices
and the practices not found
00:16:47.47\00:16:52.61
in the Bible tradition
00:16:52.64\00:16:54.41
coming into the Christian church
00:16:54.44\00:16:56.61
from a pure faith in
the white horse period,
00:16:56.64\00:16:59.65
to a red horse of
blood-stained faith,
00:16:59.68\00:17:02.45
to the black horse of
the compromised faith.
00:17:02.48\00:17:05.39
From the first
century to the fourth century,
00:17:05.42\00:17:08.52
things in the Christian church
begin to dramatically change.
00:17:08.56\00:17:11.93
Now the Bible predicted this.
00:17:11.96\00:17:13.40
The Apostle Paul
actually predicted
00:17:13.43\00:17:14.96
that this would happen.
00:17:15.00\00:17:17.07
Acts 20:29-30
and Paul said this,
00:17:17.10\00:17:21.40
"For I know this,
00:17:21.44\00:17:22.87
that after my
departure grievous wolves
00:17:22.90\00:17:26.21
will enter into the flock."
00:17:26.24\00:17:28.31
That is persecution
would come from without,
00:17:28.34\00:17:31.98
that is the church
would be persecuted,
00:17:32.01\00:17:35.82
torn apart, the sword, fire,
00:17:35.85\00:17:40.06
men and women who stood
00:17:40.09\00:17:42.02
for Christ being
cast to the lions.
00:17:42.06\00:17:45.83
That would take place.
00:17:45.86\00:17:47.20
But after that,
00:17:47.23\00:17:48.56
notice what the
Apostle Paul says,
00:17:48.60\00:17:51.43
"Also from your own
selves will men rise up..."
00:17:51.47\00:17:54.30
From your own selves,
who was he talking to?
00:17:54.34\00:17:56.67
He was addressing the leadership
00:17:56.71\00:17:58.07
of the Christian church.
00:17:58.11\00:17:59.44
He was addressing
the elders of the church.
00:17:59.47\00:18:02.08
And he said, "From
within your own communion,
00:18:02.11\00:18:06.15
your own fellowship,
00:18:06.18\00:18:07.88
there were those
men that rise up.
00:18:07.92\00:18:09.65
They'll speak perverse
things," what's perverse?
00:18:09.68\00:18:12.19
What's perverse? It's crooked.
00:18:12.22\00:18:13.96
They'll speak crooked things,
00:18:13.99\00:18:15.36
deceitful things to draw
away disciples after them.
00:18:15.39\00:18:18.49
So here the Apostle
Paul in Acts 20:29-30
00:18:18.53\00:18:22.80
makes two predictions.
00:18:22.83\00:18:24.27
One that persecution would
come in to the Christian church.
00:18:24.30\00:18:28.77
Two, in addition
to the persecution
00:18:28.80\00:18:31.17
that came in to
the Christian church
00:18:31.21\00:18:32.97
that there would be an
apostasy within the church,
00:18:33.01\00:18:37.55
that falsehoods would come
in, that errors would come in.
00:18:37.58\00:18:41.02
Indeed, history
reveals that that took place.
00:18:41.05\00:18:44.82
The teachings of
men were substituted
00:18:44.85\00:18:47.96
for the teachings
of the Word of God.
00:18:47.99\00:18:50.33
What happened?
How did that happen?
00:18:50.36\00:18:52.16
The Roman Empire by
this time was falling apart,
00:18:52.19\00:18:54.96
and the pagan
Roman Emperor Constantine
00:18:55.00\00:18:57.83
tried to discover a
way to unite his empire.
00:18:57.87\00:19:00.37
The barbarian tribes
00:19:00.40\00:19:01.74
were coming down from the north,
00:19:01.77\00:19:03.37
the Huns, the Visigoths,
the Ostrogoths, the Alemanni,
00:19:03.41\00:19:07.78
the Suevi, and so forth.
00:19:07.81\00:19:09.61
They were coming down.
00:19:09.64\00:19:11.11
Many of these were
being Christianized.
00:19:11.15\00:19:14.58
So to make
Christianity more attractive
00:19:14.62\00:19:17.99
to the pagans,
00:19:18.02\00:19:19.52
the pagan emperor Constantine
and the church leaders together
00:19:19.55\00:19:23.29
began to make compromises.
00:19:23.32\00:19:24.99
Images were
brought into the church.
00:19:25.03\00:19:27.40
The pagans were used
to worshipping images.
00:19:27.43\00:19:30.33
Sunday worship
came into the church
00:19:30.37\00:19:32.60
during this period of time.
00:19:32.63\00:19:34.64
The Bible says
00:19:34.67\00:19:36.00
that what would
happen here Daniel 8:12,
00:19:36.04\00:19:39.04
"He cast truth
down to the ground."
00:19:39.07\00:19:41.58
That's this church state power,
00:19:41.61\00:19:43.11
the little horn or
what would be called
00:19:43.14\00:19:45.11
the antichrist
power in these days.
00:19:45.15\00:19:47.65
"He cast down
truth to the ground.
00:19:47.68\00:19:49.58
He did all this and prospered."
00:19:49.62\00:19:51.75
So church and state would
unite in these early centuries
00:19:51.79\00:19:55.42
and as it did, it
would grow strong,
00:19:55.46\00:19:58.13
truth would be compromised.
00:19:58.16\00:20:00.36
I like the way
James Russell Lowell
00:20:00.40\00:20:02.46
puts it in his poem,
00:20:02.50\00:20:04.20
"Truth forever on the scaffold,
wrong forever on the throne.
00:20:04.23\00:20:09.20
Yet that
scaffold sways the future
00:20:09.24\00:20:11.91
and beyond the dim
00:20:11.94\00:20:13.27
unknown standeth God
keeping watch over His own."
00:20:13.31\00:20:18.08
God always
watches over His children
00:20:18.11\00:20:20.22
even in days of compromise.
00:20:20.25\00:20:22.42
Now in the Development
of Christian doctrine,
00:20:22.45\00:20:24.35
page 372, this historian writes,
00:20:24.39\00:20:29.52
"We are told by Eusebius,"
00:20:29.56\00:20:30.89
Eusebius was one
00:20:30.93\00:20:32.26
of the early historians of Rome,
00:20:32.29\00:20:33.66
"that Constantine,
00:20:33.70\00:20:35.46
in order to
recommend the new religion,"
00:20:35.50\00:20:38.23
that's
Christianity, "to the heathen,"
00:20:38.27\00:20:40.37
so Constantine and
the church leaders want
00:20:40.40\00:20:43.07
to recommend
Christianity to the heathen.
00:20:43.10\00:20:45.61
What do they do?
00:20:45.64\00:20:46.98
"Transferred into it
the outward ornaments
00:20:47.01\00:20:50.55
to which they
had been accustomed
00:20:50.58\00:20:51.91
in their own."
00:20:51.95\00:20:53.28
Now don't miss this.
00:20:53.31\00:20:54.65
So Constantine unites
with the Christian church.
00:20:54.68\00:20:58.12
He wants to, he desires to
have the heathen converted.
00:20:58.15\00:21:03.59
And so what do they do,
00:21:03.63\00:21:04.96
they transfer the ornaments
that is the images of paganism,
00:21:04.99\00:21:09.16
the rights of paganism,
00:21:09.20\00:21:10.83
the worship of
paganism into the Christianity
00:21:10.87\00:21:16.27
to try to make Christianity
more attractive to paganism.
00:21:16.30\00:21:20.28
This really is a
compromise period.
00:21:20.31\00:21:23.45
Salvation through Christ,
the simplicity of the gospel,
00:21:23.48\00:21:28.58
the teachings of the Word of God
00:21:28.62\00:21:31.89
were replaced
by the requirements
00:21:31.92\00:21:34.62
of the church.
00:21:34.66\00:21:36.26
You know, in
Ephesians 2:8, it says,
00:21:36.29\00:21:38.09
"By grace are you
saved through faith,
00:21:38.13\00:21:40.46
it is the gift of God
and not of yourselves."
00:21:40.50\00:21:44.43
So that simplicity of the gospel
00:21:44.47\00:21:47.77
was substituted for
the teachings of men
00:21:47.80\00:21:51.64
and the complexity
of human tradition,
00:21:51.67\00:21:54.51
the church grew large,
large cathedrals were built,
00:21:54.54\00:21:58.31
requirements were
placed upon Christian believers
00:21:58.35\00:22:02.18
that were never
found in Scripture,
00:22:02.22\00:22:04.25
the lighting of candles,
00:22:04.29\00:22:06.15
the bringing of
money to gain indulgences
00:22:06.19\00:22:09.82
as penance for sin,
00:22:09.86\00:22:13.50
kneeling before images,
and worshipping those images,
00:22:13.53\00:22:18.20
the taking of incense,
00:22:18.23\00:22:20.27
and offering that as
some form of righteousness.
00:22:20.30\00:22:23.54
These works came into the church
00:22:23.57\00:22:26.31
and salvation by grace
00:22:26.34\00:22:28.58
through faith was substituted
for the works of man.
00:22:28.61\00:22:32.55
During the age of compromise,
00:22:32.58\00:22:34.72
the pagan's day of the sun
replaced the Bible Sabbath.
00:22:34.75\00:22:38.62
Now that might
surprise you, and you might say,
00:22:38.65\00:22:41.16
"Why do so many
people worship on Sunday
00:22:41.19\00:22:44.26
rather than the Bible Sabbath?
00:22:44.29\00:22:45.73
Where does that come from?"
00:22:45.76\00:22:47.10
You know, in Genesis it's clear.
00:22:47.13\00:22:48.56
God says,
"Remember there the Sabbath."
00:22:48.60\00:22:51.13
He sanctified the Sabbath.
00:22:51.17\00:22:53.47
He blessed the Sabbath,
He rested upon the Sabbath.
00:22:53.50\00:22:57.37
Remember in Genesis 2:1-3,
00:22:57.41\00:22:59.41
it says, "And on the seventh day
00:22:59.44\00:23:01.08
God finished all the
work that He had made,
00:23:01.11\00:23:03.28
and God blessed the seventh day,
00:23:03.31\00:23:05.51
and God
sanctified the seventh day,
00:23:05.55\00:23:07.25
and God rested
upon the seventh day."
00:23:07.28\00:23:09.48
He gave it right at creation
00:23:09.52\00:23:10.99
before the Jewish
race ever existed,
00:23:11.02\00:23:12.75
and He gave it to Adam and Eve.
00:23:12.79\00:23:14.32
And you remember in
the Ten Commandments
00:23:14.36\00:23:15.86
written with God's own
finger on tables of stone,
00:23:15.89\00:23:18.99
Exodus 20:8-11,
00:23:19.03\00:23:21.40
"Remember the
Sabbath day to keep it holy."
00:23:21.43\00:23:23.80
So all through
the Old Testament,
00:23:23.83\00:23:25.17
the Sabbath was the day of
God as opposed to sun worship
00:23:25.20\00:23:29.54
by the heathens.
00:23:29.57\00:23:31.14
And then in the New Testament,
Luke 4:16, the Bible says,
00:23:31.17\00:23:34.54
"As his custom was Genesis
went into the synagogue."
00:23:34.58\00:23:37.31
He went there to
worship on the Bible Sabbath.
00:23:37.35\00:23:40.02
The disciples kept the Sabbath
00:23:40.05\00:23:41.95
but look how was
the Sabbath changed.
00:23:41.98\00:23:45.02
Here's the history
of the Eastern Church,
00:23:45.05\00:23:47.09
page 184.
00:23:47.12\00:23:49.49
It's describing how
this Sabbath was changed.
00:23:49.52\00:23:52.66
"The retention
00:23:52.69\00:23:54.03
of the old pagan
name of Dies Solis,"
00:23:54.06\00:23:57.53
Dies means day, so a Sunday,
00:23:57.57\00:23:59.73
"for Sunday, is
in a great measure
00:23:59.77\00:24:02.90
owing to the union,"
owing to the union of what?
00:24:02.94\00:24:06.37
"Pagan and Christian sentiment
00:24:06.41\00:24:09.01
with which the first day
of the week was recommended
00:24:09.04\00:24:11.48
by Constantine to
his subjects Pagan
00:24:11.51\00:24:14.65
and Christian alike,
00:24:14.68\00:24:16.08
as the
'venerable' day of the sun."
00:24:16.12\00:24:19.05
So notice what history
says, there is no question
00:24:19.09\00:24:23.43
about how Sabbath
was changed, not by God.
00:24:23.46\00:24:26.59
He says, "I am the
Lord. I changed not."
00:24:26.63\00:24:30.17
Malachi 3.
00:24:30.20\00:24:31.77
Not by Jesus,
00:24:31.80\00:24:33.17
He says in the
Book of Hebrews 13:8,
00:24:33.20\00:24:36.84
"Jesus Christ the same
yesterday and forever."
00:24:36.87\00:24:39.87
Not by the
disciples, Acts 5:20-29,
00:24:39.91\00:24:43.85
"We ought to obey
God rather than men."
00:24:43.88\00:24:46.28
How did the Sabbath get changed?
00:24:46.31\00:24:47.95
By a union, a synthesis,
00:24:47.98\00:24:50.75
a bringing together of pagan
00:24:50.79\00:24:54.26
and Christian sentiments.
00:24:54.29\00:24:56.79
So the pagans were
worshiping the sun god,
00:24:56.83\00:24:59.09
some Christians had
started worshiping on Sunday,
00:24:59.13\00:25:01.43
the first day, in
honor of the resurrection.
00:25:01.46\00:25:03.67
Now the Bible never
tells us to do that,
00:25:03.70\00:25:05.30
of course, the symbol of
the resurrection is baptism.
00:25:05.33\00:25:08.40
Romans 6 says, "We
go into the watery grave
00:25:08.44\00:25:10.67
and we come out resurrected
into this new life of Christ."
00:25:10.71\00:25:13.51
So compromises
came into the church
00:25:13.54\00:25:15.91
during the black horse period.
00:25:15.94\00:25:18.25
Satan's master strategy
00:25:18.28\00:25:21.05
was to influence
powerful church leaders
00:25:21.08\00:25:24.45
to unite with
powerful state leaders
00:25:24.49\00:25:27.16
in the black horse
period and that happened.
00:25:27.19\00:25:29.96
And once that happened,
00:25:29.99\00:25:31.49
the church began to
lose its spiritual power.
00:25:31.53\00:25:36.13
In A Doctrinal
Catechism, page 174,
00:25:36.16\00:25:39.43
with the
imprimatur of the Pope of Rome
00:25:39.47\00:25:42.70
by Stephen Keenan,
the question is asked,
00:25:42.74\00:25:46.61
"Have you any
other way of proving
00:25:46.64\00:25:50.01
that the church has power
00:25:50.05\00:25:51.51
to institute
festivals of precept?"
00:25:51.55\00:25:53.95
In other words,
the question is raised,
00:25:53.98\00:25:57.12
how can the
church have authority
00:25:57.15\00:26:00.22
to establish all these holy days
00:26:00.26\00:26:02.22
where if you don't go
that sin, you know, to church?
00:26:02.26\00:26:04.46
How can the church do that?
00:26:04.49\00:26:06.13
So the author is
arguing here's why,
00:26:06.16\00:26:08.90
"Had she not such
power, she could not have done
00:26:08.93\00:26:12.43
that in which all
modern religionists
00:26:12.47\00:26:15.44
agree with her."
00:26:15.47\00:26:16.81
Well, what is it
00:26:16.84\00:26:18.17
that all modern
religionists agree with?
00:26:18.21\00:26:19.94
"She could not have substituted
00:26:19.97\00:26:22.21
the observance of Sunday
the first day of the week,
00:26:22.24\00:26:25.88
for the observance of Saturday
the seventh day of the week."
00:26:25.91\00:26:29.12
Are you getting
00:26:29.15\00:26:30.49
the significance
of this, my friend?
00:26:30.52\00:26:32.35
Here in the Catechism to uphold
00:26:32.39\00:26:35.69
the authority of Rome,
00:26:35.72\00:26:38.39
Steven Keenan, the author says,
00:26:38.43\00:26:40.60
that one of the evidences
that the Church of Rome
00:26:40.63\00:26:43.90
has authority over Christianity
00:26:43.93\00:26:47.40
is that she has
changed the Sabbath
00:26:47.44\00:26:50.24
from Saturday the seventh
day to Sunday the first day.
00:26:50.27\00:26:54.51
"A change," the Catechism says,
00:26:54.54\00:26:57.31
"for which there is
no Scriptural authority."
00:26:57.35\00:27:00.45
On that point I
agree with the Catechism,
00:27:00.48\00:27:02.78
there is no
scriptural authority.
00:27:02.82\00:27:05.75
There is no clear command
at all in the New Testament
00:27:05.79\00:27:10.56
that says the
Sabbath was changed
00:27:10.59\00:27:13.50
from the seventh day to
the first day of the week.
00:27:13.53\00:27:15.50
When did this happen?
00:27:15.53\00:27:16.87
During the compromise period,
during the black horse period.
00:27:16.90\00:27:20.70
The Bible predicted indeed
that these pagan practices
00:27:20.74\00:27:24.71
such as sun worship would enter
00:27:24.74\00:27:27.01
into the Christian church
during this period of time.
00:27:27.04\00:27:30.35
That leads us to
the fourth horse,
00:27:30.38\00:27:33.52
the pale horse.
00:27:33.55\00:27:35.12
Now the pale is
a symbol of death,
00:27:35.15\00:27:38.15
and by this time,
00:27:38.19\00:27:39.59
we've gone down the
sequence of the ages.
00:27:39.62\00:27:42.66
And now Christianity
00:27:42.69\00:27:44.53
during what's
now known as the Dark
00:27:44.56\00:27:46.83
or Middle Ages is
experiencing death.
00:27:46.86\00:27:50.90
Look, Revelation 6:8,
00:27:50.93\00:27:53.84
"So I looked, and
behold, a pale horse."
00:27:53.87\00:27:55.87
What kind of a horse, everybody?
00:27:55.90\00:27:57.24
A pale horse, death.
00:27:57.27\00:27:59.07
"And the name of him
00:27:59.11\00:28:00.44
who sat on it was
Death, and Hades,"
00:28:00.48\00:28:02.44
that's the grave,
"followed with him.
00:28:02.48\00:28:05.18
And powers given to them
over a fourth of the earth,
00:28:05.21\00:28:07.92
to kill with the sword,
with hunger, with death,
00:28:07.95\00:28:10.25
and by the beasts of the earth."
00:28:10.29\00:28:11.82
In other words,
church and state had united.
00:28:11.85\00:28:15.42
Anytime the church
unites with the state,
00:28:15.46\00:28:19.49
it turns from its
true lover Jesus Christ.
00:28:19.53\00:28:22.90
And when the
church and state unite
00:28:22.93\00:28:25.23
and the church goes to
the state for its power,
00:28:25.27\00:28:27.80
it's because it's
lost its godliness,
00:28:27.84\00:28:31.41
it's lost its genuine
authority that comes from God,
00:28:31.44\00:28:35.41
and it's lost truly
its Holy Spirit power.
00:28:35.44\00:28:38.28
Church and state unite.
When they do what happens?
00:28:38.31\00:28:41.18
Typically what happens
when church and state unite
00:28:41.22\00:28:43.82
is that there is
persecution for those
00:28:43.85\00:28:47.19
who have not gone along,
00:28:47.22\00:28:48.89
who've not accepted
this church state union.
00:28:48.92\00:28:53.60
And so power is given.
00:28:53.63\00:28:54.96
So there's
persecution that occurs.
00:28:55.00\00:28:57.20
During the black horse
period, there was compromise.
00:28:57.23\00:29:01.37
During the pale horse period,
there was spiritual death.
00:29:01.40\00:29:04.34
The church grew large.
00:29:04.37\00:29:06.27
The church became
00:29:06.31\00:29:07.94
the major
institution of the state.
00:29:07.98\00:29:10.45
But although it had
these large edifices,
00:29:10.48\00:29:13.21
there was a
lack of spirituality,
00:29:13.25\00:29:15.98
a lack of genuine
authentic godliness.
00:29:16.02\00:29:19.35
In fact, in the
History of Christianity,
00:29:19.39\00:29:21.42
century 2, chapter 2, section 7,
00:29:21.46\00:29:24.69
there is this statement about
Christianity in the Dark Ages.
00:29:24.73\00:29:29.06
It's a remarkable statement.
00:29:29.10\00:29:30.80
"Christianity became
an established religion
00:29:30.83\00:29:34.47
in the Roman Empire..."
00:29:34.50\00:29:36.00
Now I want to remind you,
this is the historian speaking.
00:29:36.04\00:29:39.77
"And took the
place of Paganism...
00:29:39.81\00:29:42.48
Christianity as it
existed in the Dark Ages
00:29:42.51\00:29:46.48
might be termed
Baptized Paganism."
00:29:46.51\00:29:51.02
What a term, baptized paganism.
00:29:51.05\00:29:54.32
When you bring in
these pagan practices
00:29:54.36\00:29:57.13
to the church,
00:29:57.16\00:29:58.49
when you bring
in these traditions
00:29:58.53\00:30:00.10
to the church,
00:30:00.13\00:30:01.46
when you bring in
the teachings of men
00:30:01.50\00:30:03.16
that substitute
for the Word of God,
00:30:03.20\00:30:05.63
what do you have?
00:30:05.67\00:30:07.00
You don't have Christianity.
00:30:07.04\00:30:08.70
You have a weakened faith
00:30:08.74\00:30:10.67
if you can call
it a faith at all.
00:30:10.71\00:30:12.24
You have a weakened faith
and you have baptized paganism.
00:30:12.27\00:30:16.41
Here we have the
pale horse period
00:30:16.44\00:30:18.45
from about 538 AD to 1798.
00:30:18.48\00:30:23.82
But wait, would
truth be cast down forever?
00:30:23.85\00:30:27.89
It took about 500
years to go into this period
00:30:27.92\00:30:30.59
from the white
horse period of pure faith
00:30:30.63\00:30:33.06
when the church goes
forth conquering and to conquer,
00:30:33.09\00:30:35.73
preaching the Word of
God, uplifting Jesus Christ,
00:30:35.76\00:30:38.80
faithfully obedient to
Him from AD 331 to AD 100.
00:30:38.83\00:30:42.84
The red horse
period, blood-stained faith,
00:30:42.87\00:30:45.77
AD 100 to 313,
00:30:45.81\00:30:49.21
black horse
period compromised faith,
00:30:49.24\00:30:51.75
AD 313 to AD 538.
00:30:51.78\00:30:54.68
Pagan practices,
00:30:54.72\00:30:56.05
traditions come into
the church, compromise,
00:30:56.08\00:30:58.55
but then there
is spiritual death,
00:30:58.59\00:31:00.22
the pale horse period
about AD 538 to AD 1798,
00:31:00.26\00:31:05.43
what we would call a dead faith.
00:31:05.46\00:31:08.73
There's the union
of church and state
00:31:08.76\00:31:11.93
during this period of time.
00:31:11.97\00:31:14.77
True Christianity
is being squelched,
00:31:14.80\00:31:17.77
men and women
00:31:17.81\00:31:19.14
during this period
of time are chained,
00:31:19.17\00:31:21.14
they're burned again,
persecution is revived.
00:31:21.18\00:31:25.75
What are some of those steps
that led to this compromise?
00:31:25.78\00:31:29.38
First, you'll find in
leading this compromise,
00:31:29.42\00:31:32.92
there were traditions,
00:31:32.95\00:31:34.29
the traditions of
men came into the church.
00:31:34.32\00:31:36.52
There were
penances. What are penances?
00:31:36.56\00:31:39.06
When you go on long pilgrimages
to earn your salvation.
00:31:39.09\00:31:43.83
Many of these Christian pilgrims
00:31:43.87\00:31:45.73
would go on their knees,
00:31:45.77\00:31:47.17
some of them coming to
Rome with blood-stained knees,
00:31:47.20\00:31:50.71
some of them fasting
long periods of time, why?
00:31:50.74\00:31:54.28
Desiring to
earn their salvation.
00:31:54.31\00:31:57.65
Indulgences,
what are indulgences?
00:31:57.68\00:32:01.18
Indulgences are grants
by the popular Roman church
00:32:01.22\00:32:07.06
for forgiveness of sin
00:32:07.09\00:32:09.02
based on a
certain amount of money
00:32:09.06\00:32:11.56
that one might give.
00:32:11.59\00:32:13.06
You see, the
church believed this,
00:32:13.09\00:32:15.46
that if you weren't
good enough to go to heaven
00:32:15.50\00:32:18.20
and you weren't bad
enough to go to hell,
00:32:18.23\00:32:20.70
you'd end up in a
place called purgatory.
00:32:20.74\00:32:23.27
And according to the teaching
00:32:23.30\00:32:24.64
of the Roman
Church at that time,
00:32:24.67\00:32:26.01
purgatory was a place
between heaven and hell
00:32:26.04\00:32:28.94
where you would burn
00:32:28.98\00:32:30.31
and be consumed of all your sin.
00:32:30.35\00:32:33.28
You would be purged
of sin in purgatory.
00:32:33.31\00:32:36.52
Now depending on
how much you had sinned,
00:32:36.55\00:32:38.72
that would be depending
about how long you'd suffer.
00:32:38.75\00:32:41.02
Now you can imagine.
00:32:41.06\00:32:42.39
The average
person didn't believe
00:32:42.42\00:32:43.76
they were good
enough to go to heaven.
00:32:43.79\00:32:45.13
They weren't
righteous like the saints.
00:32:45.16\00:32:46.80
They thought they're probably
not bad enough to go to hell
00:32:46.83\00:32:48.56
but they thought that
00:32:48.60\00:32:49.93
they would be
burned in purgatory
00:32:49.96\00:32:52.13
and they would
be consumed there...
00:32:52.17\00:32:54.14
Their sin would
be consumed there.
00:32:54.17\00:32:56.44
Think about it if that
was your understanding,
00:32:56.47\00:32:58.54
and one could get out
of there by paying money.
00:32:58.57\00:33:01.78
Wouldn't you sell
a lot to pay money
00:33:01.81\00:33:03.31
not to live in purgatory?
00:33:03.35\00:33:04.81
That's what indulgences were.
Images came into the church.
00:33:04.85\00:33:08.75
You take the image of Apollo,
00:33:08.78\00:33:11.02
the image of Zeus,
change their names to Peter.
00:33:11.05\00:33:14.46
Take the image of Venus
and change her name to Mary.
00:33:14.49\00:33:18.36
Bring those
things into the church.
00:33:18.39\00:33:19.76
All this is taking
place during the Dark Ages.
00:33:19.79\00:33:23.03
You got the church hierarchy
00:33:23.06\00:33:24.77
whose authority takes
the place of the Bible.
00:33:24.80\00:33:27.34
You have human
dogmas and human traditions.
00:33:27.37\00:33:29.84
And so you have this Dark Ages,
00:33:29.87\00:33:31.84
truth of God has
been stamped down.
00:33:31.87\00:33:33.94
But would the truth
be stamped down forever?
00:33:33.98\00:33:36.85
Would God's truth
be trodden down always?
00:33:36.88\00:33:40.38
Would there be voices
00:33:40.42\00:33:41.82
that came to uphold
and uplift that truth?
00:33:41.85\00:33:45.02
Jude, "Beloved,
while I was very diligent
00:33:45.05\00:33:48.49
to write to you concerning
our common salvation,"
00:33:48.52\00:33:51.59
the Bible writer says,
00:33:51.63\00:33:53.26
"I found it necessary
to write to you exhorting,"
00:33:53.29\00:33:55.56
that means encouraging,
00:33:55.60\00:33:56.93
"urging you to contend earnestly
00:33:56.97\00:33:59.13
for the faith
that was once delivered
00:33:59.17\00:34:01.57
to the saints."
00:34:01.60\00:34:03.47
Earnestly contend
for the faith delivered
00:34:03.51\00:34:05.81
to the saints,
uphold the Word of God,
00:34:05.84\00:34:09.51
light would
shine in the darkness.
00:34:09.54\00:34:12.48
God would raise up man and women
00:34:12.51\00:34:15.48
whose minds would be
captive to the Word of God.
00:34:15.52\00:34:18.99
The Bible would be translated
00:34:19.02\00:34:20.66
into the language of the people.
00:34:20.69\00:34:22.89
The Word of God would be copied,
00:34:22.92\00:34:24.93
and copied, and spread.
00:34:24.96\00:34:26.83
And although there
would be fierce opposition,
00:34:26.86\00:34:29.53
although many copies of the Word
00:34:29.56\00:34:31.33
would be seized and
burned, there would be those
00:34:31.37\00:34:35.17
that faithfully read God's Word,
00:34:35.20\00:34:37.37
those whose lives
would be guided by the Word,
00:34:37.41\00:34:40.64
those that would be
obedient to the Word,
00:34:40.68\00:34:43.35
those who would
find Christ in the Word
00:34:43.38\00:34:46.18
and come to a new joy and
a new peace in their life,
00:34:46.21\00:34:50.95
those who would find
new spiritual vitality
00:34:50.99\00:34:53.86
as they obeyed God's Word
00:34:53.89\00:34:55.42
and walked in
the light of truth.
00:34:55.46\00:34:58.96
One of these groups in the 1300s
00:34:58.99\00:35:03.53
were the
Bible-believing Waldensians.
00:35:03.57\00:35:06.84
Peter Waldo was their leader
00:35:06.87\00:35:10.34
and he began to
read the Word of God.
00:35:10.37\00:35:12.11
He had some manuscripts of it
00:35:12.14\00:35:13.64
that he was able to get
and read from monasteries.
00:35:13.68\00:35:17.38
And as he began to read,
his life was transformed.
00:35:17.41\00:35:21.18
The grace of Christ
touched Peter Waldo's heart,
00:35:21.22\00:35:25.02
and he began to share
from the Word with others.
00:35:25.05\00:35:29.32
He began to recognize
00:35:29.36\00:35:31.43
that the Word of
God had authority,
00:35:31.46\00:35:33.80
that the Word
of God was supreme,
00:35:33.83\00:35:36.20
that the Word of God stood high
00:35:36.23\00:35:38.33
and above the
teachings of the church.
00:35:38.37\00:35:41.60
This led to persecution,
00:35:41.64\00:35:44.11
this led the
Waldenses to flee from Rome,
00:35:44.14\00:35:49.31
and to flee from Italy,
and flee from Switzerland,
00:35:49.34\00:35:52.85
and flee from France,
00:35:52.88\00:35:54.68
and they came to the
mountains of northern Italy
00:35:54.72\00:35:58.05
and southern France,
high there in the Alps.
00:35:58.09\00:36:01.39
They built their
stone homes there.
00:36:01.42\00:36:04.59
They were a peace-loving people,
00:36:04.63\00:36:07.10
studied the Word of God there.
00:36:07.13\00:36:09.63
But the armies of Rome
often pursued them there.
00:36:09.66\00:36:14.04
The Waldensians
would flee high up
00:36:14.07\00:36:16.87
into the mountains.
00:36:16.91\00:36:18.24
Not long ago, I was
up in these mountains
00:36:18.27\00:36:20.94
in this very stone hut.
00:36:20.98\00:36:23.71
This is where, in fact,
they copied the Word of God.
00:36:23.75\00:36:26.98
I remember
sitting at this table.
00:36:27.02\00:36:29.25
And I sat at this table
with my own Bible in my hand.
00:36:29.28\00:36:33.15
And as I sat there thinking
how free it is in our country,
00:36:33.19\00:36:38.19
the United States,
00:36:38.23\00:36:39.56
in many Western
countries today to read
00:36:39.59\00:36:42.26
and have a copy of the Bible.
00:36:42.30\00:36:43.87
I thought of these
Waldensians sitting
00:36:43.90\00:36:45.73
at this stone
table copying the Bible
00:36:45.77\00:36:49.04
so that they could share it.
00:36:49.07\00:36:50.61
And often these Waldensian women
00:36:50.64\00:36:53.31
whose sons were
copying the Bible
00:36:53.34\00:36:55.18
and whose husbands
were Waldensian preachers.
00:36:55.21\00:36:57.78
Waldensian women
would sew secret pockets
00:36:57.81\00:37:00.72
into the long flowing
robes of their children.
00:37:00.75\00:37:05.29
They would hide
pages of Scripture
00:37:05.32\00:37:07.36
in those long flowing robes.
00:37:07.39\00:37:09.22
These young men,
brilliant and young women
00:37:09.26\00:37:11.93
would go down to
the cities of Europe.
00:37:11.96\00:37:15.23
They would go as
merchants and artisans.
00:37:15.26\00:37:17.30
They'd sell pots and pans
and as they found somebody
00:37:17.33\00:37:20.54
that was honest,
00:37:20.57\00:37:21.90
somebody whose heart was opened,
00:37:21.94\00:37:23.77
somebody whose mind was opened,
00:37:23.81\00:37:26.21
they would share the
scriptures with them.
00:37:26.24\00:37:27.98
And soon a little
light of truth here
00:37:28.01\00:37:29.51
and soon a little
light of truth there.
00:37:29.54\00:37:30.88
Many of the Waldenses enrolled
00:37:30.91\00:37:32.45
in the great
universities of Europe.
00:37:32.48\00:37:35.68
And they gathered
students around secretly,
00:37:35.72\00:37:37.79
of course, and soon
the authorities didn't know
00:37:37.82\00:37:39.89
what was happening, the
light of truth was shining.
00:37:39.92\00:37:42.69
And I remember the last time
00:37:42.72\00:37:44.16
I was here in the
Waldensian valleys,
00:37:44.19\00:37:45.76
there is one
thing I wanted to do.
00:37:45.79\00:37:47.13
I hadn't done it
all the other times
00:37:47.16\00:37:49.03
I was at the Waldensian valleys.
00:37:49.06\00:37:50.67
I wanted to climb.
00:37:50.70\00:37:52.07
I wanted to go on the route
00:37:52.10\00:37:53.64
that they went
over the mountains,
00:37:53.67\00:37:55.40
where they were
pursued by the Roman armies.
00:37:55.44\00:37:58.24
We went down into
the cave where they hid.
00:37:58.27\00:38:00.34
Then we began to
climb hour after hour
00:38:00.38\00:38:03.14
across the mountains.
00:38:03.18\00:38:04.75
What a journey. What a trip.
00:38:04.78\00:38:06.58
The Waldensians
believed in the Bible
00:38:06.61\00:38:08.85
and the Bible only but
they did not understand
00:38:08.88\00:38:11.95
or know all the truth.
00:38:11.99\00:38:13.32
You see, it took
500 years for the truth
00:38:13.36\00:38:16.83
to be compromised.
00:38:16.86\00:38:18.19
And so God began to restore
00:38:18.23\00:38:19.59
the truth a little
bit in each person's mind.
00:38:19.63\00:38:23.03
God raised up John Huss,
Czechoslovakian reformer.
00:38:23.06\00:38:27.47
And he made
obedience to God his motto.
00:38:27.50\00:38:30.57
I think that's a
great motto, don't you?
00:38:30.61\00:38:32.57
Not obedience to the church,
00:38:32.61\00:38:34.64
not obedience to
religious prelates,
00:38:34.68\00:38:37.48
not obedience to
religious priests
00:38:37.51\00:38:40.78
or pompous pastors
but obedience to God.
00:38:40.82\00:38:46.29
Our first allegiance is to God.
00:38:46.32\00:38:49.59
And John Huss came in conflict
with the popular church,
00:38:49.62\00:38:54.93
eventually was
burned at the stake
00:38:54.96\00:38:57.30
and martyred for his faith.
00:38:57.33\00:39:00.10
God raised up one
reformer after the other.
00:39:00.14\00:39:05.27
Huss stood there at the stake.
00:39:05.31\00:39:07.48
And as he did,
they took the dry wood,
00:39:07.51\00:39:11.11
put it around his feet.
00:39:11.15\00:39:12.88
The executioner came
00:39:12.91\00:39:16.18
with the torch
and Huss was singing,
00:39:16.22\00:39:18.45
"Lord, have mercy on me."
00:39:18.49\00:39:20.69
Offering up his life, why?
00:39:20.72\00:39:23.12
Because he had obedience to God.
00:39:23.16\00:39:25.53
Then the executioner
came around behind him,
00:39:25.56\00:39:28.03
was going to light the flame
00:39:28.06\00:39:29.53
and it is
reported that Huss said,
00:39:29.56\00:39:31.53
"My friend, you don't
need to come behind me,
00:39:31.57\00:39:34.10
bring the flame to my face
00:39:34.14\00:39:36.30
because if I were
afraid, I would not be here."
00:39:36.34\00:39:39.44
But as Huss died for his
faith, others stepped forward.
00:39:39.47\00:39:44.11
The reformation was going,
00:39:44.15\00:39:45.91
the Spirit of God was moving
and it could not be stopped.
00:39:45.95\00:39:49.62
Light was
shining in the darkness.
00:39:49.65\00:39:52.99
God raised up Martin Luther
00:39:53.02\00:39:56.19
who was a priest
but who felt tormented.
00:39:56.22\00:39:59.16
He felt agonized,
wanted to find peace.
00:39:59.19\00:40:02.16
He would beat
himself, flagellate himself,
00:40:02.20\00:40:04.97
whip himself but
yet could find no peace.
00:40:05.00\00:40:08.74
Traveled to Rome, he
thought I can find peace there.
00:40:08.77\00:40:11.94
Climbed up what was
believed to be Pilate staircase
00:40:11.97\00:40:15.44
where the Roman church
taught, of course, tradition,
00:40:15.48\00:40:18.51
no foundation in
history of Scripture
00:40:18.55\00:40:20.85
that the angels
brought the Pilate staircase
00:40:20.88\00:40:23.79
that Christ went up on His knees
00:40:23.82\00:40:26.19
from Jerusalem back to Rome.
00:40:26.22\00:40:29.82
Luther was going up
that staircase on his knees,
00:40:29.86\00:40:33.23
and then he heard
in his ears the words,
00:40:33.26\00:40:35.86
"The just shall live by faith."
00:40:35.90\00:40:38.00
He left that staircase
and came back to his home
00:40:38.03\00:40:42.74
in Wittenberg
00:40:42.77\00:40:44.21
because he knew
00:40:44.24\00:40:45.57
that Christ only was our Savior.
00:40:45.61\00:40:48.54
These words echoed in his ears.
00:40:48.58\00:40:51.08
Romans 1:17, "The
just shall live by faith."
00:40:51.11\00:40:54.28
He felt such joy.
00:40:54.32\00:40:56.35
It's not climbing up
the staircase on your knees,
00:40:56.38\00:40:58.62
it's not flagellating yourself,
it's not fasting for days.
00:40:58.65\00:41:01.79
You know, Luther tells
what dream he had one night,
00:41:01.82\00:41:04.89
one night he's
sleeping and he has a dream.
00:41:04.93\00:41:08.03
And in that dream,
00:41:08.06\00:41:09.40
Satan appears before him
in all of his hideous form.
00:41:09.43\00:41:13.30
And Satan unrolls a scroll.
00:41:13.34\00:41:15.77
And on that
scroll were Luther's sins
00:41:15.80\00:41:18.64
and Satan says,
"Are these your sins?"
00:41:18.67\00:41:21.31
And Luther trembles.
00:41:21.34\00:41:22.68
He says, "They are.
They are. They are."
00:41:22.71\00:41:25.81
"Can you deny
they are your sins?"
00:41:25.85\00:41:27.18
"No, I cannot." "Is
the wages of sin death?"
00:41:27.22\00:41:30.62
"Yes, it is." "Do
you deserve to die?"
00:41:30.65\00:41:32.35
"Yes, I do."
00:41:32.39\00:41:34.26
"Will you
receive eternal death?"
00:41:34.29\00:41:35.72
And Luther says, "I'm
trembling in that dream."
00:41:35.76\00:41:38.56
Then he notices
that the devil's hand
00:41:38.59\00:41:41.40
is over something on
the top of that scroll.
00:41:41.43\00:41:44.77
And Luther
says, "Move your hand.
00:41:44.80\00:41:46.70
Move your hand."
The devil says, "No."
00:41:46.74\00:41:48.07
"Move your hand." "No."
00:41:48.10\00:41:49.60
Finally, "In the name
of Jesus, move your hand."
00:41:49.64\00:41:51.37
He moves his hand and it says,
00:41:51.41\00:41:52.74
"The blood of Jesus
Christ cleanses Martin Luther
00:41:52.77\00:41:55.84
from all his sins."
00:41:55.88\00:41:57.38
Friend of mine, I don't
know what guilt fills your life.
00:41:57.41\00:42:01.35
I don't know how
condemned you feel.
00:42:01.38\00:42:03.99
I don't know
how unclean you feel
00:42:04.02\00:42:06.15
but I know this,
00:42:06.19\00:42:07.52
the blood of
Christ will cleanse you
00:42:07.56\00:42:09.92
from all your
sins because Acts 4:12,
00:42:09.96\00:42:13.56
"There is no other name
under heaven given among men
00:42:13.60\00:42:15.90
by which we must be saved."
00:42:15.93\00:42:17.77
Except the
name, the lovely name,
00:42:17.80\00:42:19.67
the beautiful name of Jesus.
00:42:19.70\00:42:22.24
Jesus has never lost a
case, and He can save you.
00:42:22.27\00:42:25.91
Light shining
through the darkness.
00:42:25.94\00:42:28.18
The Waldensians, the Bible,
00:42:28.21\00:42:30.15
and the Bible alone
is the rule of faith.
00:42:30.18\00:42:32.58
John Huss,
obedience to God as the motto.
00:42:32.61\00:42:36.89
Martin Luther, grace and faith.
00:42:36.92\00:42:39.15
But not one of these men
had all the truth of God.
00:42:39.19\00:42:43.66
The light of truth
would penetrate the darkness.
00:42:43.69\00:42:46.93
Just as the sun rises gradually,
00:42:46.96\00:42:49.66
the light of truth was rising.
00:42:49.70\00:42:52.27
Does God turn on
all the light at once
00:42:52.30\00:42:57.24
in the morning?
00:42:57.27\00:42:58.61
Does the sun
just, boom, come out?
00:42:58.64\00:43:00.71
Look, it took 500
years for the church to go
00:43:00.74\00:43:05.25
from the white horse
period to the black horse period
00:43:05.28\00:43:08.55
down to the pale horse period.
00:43:08.58\00:43:10.35
So you have black
horse, you have white horse,
00:43:10.39\00:43:12.79
then you have red horse,
00:43:12.82\00:43:14.16
then you have black
horse, you have pale horse.
00:43:14.19\00:43:15.72
That whole
process took 500 years.
00:43:15.76\00:43:21.30
If God would have
led the church out
00:43:21.33\00:43:23.67
of that pale horse period
00:43:23.70\00:43:25.93
and out of that dense
deep darkness all at once,
00:43:25.97\00:43:29.40
have you ever walked out
00:43:29.44\00:43:30.77
of a dark room
into the sunlight?
00:43:30.81\00:43:33.07
What happens?
00:43:33.11\00:43:34.44
You got to blink and
your eyes are blinded.
00:43:34.48\00:43:36.85
So God gradually
revealed His truth
00:43:36.88\00:43:40.92
to each generation
00:43:40.95\00:43:43.02
as it was coming out
of the period of darkness.
00:43:43.05\00:43:45.62
Why are there so many
different denominations?
00:43:45.65\00:43:47.52
Because people camped,
they didn't keep moving.
00:43:47.56\00:43:50.36
The Lutheran said,
00:43:50.39\00:43:51.73
"Oh, if Luther believed
it, it's good enough for us."
00:43:51.76\00:43:53.70
Hussites, oh, if
the Hussites believe it,
00:43:53.73\00:43:55.30
it's good enough for us.
00:43:55.33\00:43:56.90
But God had more truth.
He had more light to reveal.
00:43:56.93\00:44:00.30
He was leading His
people out of darkness.
00:44:00.34\00:44:03.20
God raised up John Calvin.
00:44:03.24\00:44:05.01
Calvin's special contribution
00:44:05.04\00:44:06.68
was to bring
theological truth together,
00:44:06.71\00:44:09.28
to bring
biblical truth together.
00:44:09.31\00:44:11.15
He didn't understand everything.
00:44:11.18\00:44:12.51
He actually didn't understand
fully religious liberty,
00:44:12.55\00:44:14.78
and he persecuted people
00:44:14.82\00:44:16.35
who were not in
harmony with his understanding.
00:44:16.38\00:44:19.09
He'd understand, for example,
00:44:19.12\00:44:20.96
the great truths about
the second coming of Christ,
00:44:20.99\00:44:24.73
and the signs of the times,
and the way Christ would come.
00:44:24.76\00:44:28.33
He didn't fully
understand everything
00:44:28.36\00:44:29.80
about baptism by immersion.
00:44:29.83\00:44:31.53
So what does God
do? He uses Calvin.
00:44:31.57\00:44:34.80
He only
understood part of the truth
00:44:34.84\00:44:36.71
but God raises up others.
00:44:36.74\00:44:38.87
When John Robinson,
00:44:38.91\00:44:42.38
that great pilgrim preacher,
00:44:42.41\00:44:44.38
stood with his
followers on the shores
00:44:44.41\00:44:47.25
there in Holland at the
dock and the boat was to sail,
00:44:47.28\00:44:51.02
this is what Robinson
said to his followers,
00:44:51.05\00:44:54.36
and it's good
counsel for you and me,
00:44:54.39\00:44:56.26
"If God should
reveal anything to you
00:44:56.29\00:44:59.89
by any other instrument of His,
00:44:59.93\00:45:01.93
be as ready to
receive it as ever you were
00:45:01.96\00:45:05.43
to receive any
truth of my ministry.
00:45:05.47\00:45:08.24
For I am confident
00:45:08.27\00:45:09.74
the Lord has
more truth and light
00:45:09.77\00:45:11.64
yet to break forth
out of His holy word."
00:45:11.67\00:45:14.64
Friend of mine,
I would say to you,
00:45:14.68\00:45:17.35
if God reveals more light
and truth to you, follow it.
00:45:17.38\00:45:21.18
If God reveals light and
truth to you from His Word,
00:45:21.22\00:45:25.45
do not turn your back on it.
00:45:25.49\00:45:27.46
God was leading
out of the Dark Ages,
00:45:27.49\00:45:30.56
men and women to the
fullness of His truth.
00:45:30.59\00:45:33.83
He raised up the
Anabaptists, why?
00:45:33.86\00:45:35.90
Because a truth
was long lost sight of,
00:45:35.93\00:45:37.83
what was that truth?
00:45:37.87\00:45:39.20
The truth of baptism.
00:45:39.23\00:45:40.60
You see, Luther still sprinkled,
00:45:40.64\00:45:42.27
he still baptized babies as
did others of the reformers.
00:45:42.30\00:45:46.84
But the truth of
baptism by immersion
00:45:46.88\00:45:50.18
had been lost sight of.
00:45:50.21\00:45:51.68
So God raised up
00:45:51.71\00:45:53.05
the Anabaptists to
restore that truth.
00:45:53.08\00:45:54.98
Often people say to me,
00:45:55.02\00:45:56.35
"Pastor Mark,
what do you believe?"
00:45:56.38\00:45:58.92
I believe in the
Bible and the Bible only.
00:45:58.95\00:46:00.79
And so in that
sense, I'm a Waldensian.
00:46:00.82\00:46:03.06
I believe in
obedience to God supremely.
00:46:03.09\00:46:06.63
In that sense, I'm a Hussite.
00:46:06.66\00:46:08.40
I believe in salvation by grace.
00:46:08.43\00:46:11.23
In that sense, I'm a Lutheran.
00:46:11.27\00:46:12.87
I believe that we're
supposed to grow in grace.
00:46:12.90\00:46:15.04
In that sense, I'm a Calvinist.
00:46:15.07\00:46:16.67
I believe in
baptism by full immersion.
00:46:16.71\00:46:18.74
In that sense, I am a Baptist.
00:46:18.77\00:46:21.38
The Bible says,
Matthew 28:19-20,
00:46:21.41\00:46:25.08
"Go therefore
00:46:25.11\00:46:26.58
and make
disciples of all nations,
00:46:26.61\00:46:28.85
baptizing them in
the name of the Father,
00:46:28.88\00:46:31.02
the Son, and the Holy Spirit,"
00:46:31.05\00:46:32.55
Jesus said, "Go and baptize.
00:46:32.59\00:46:33.99
I believe that."
00:46:34.02\00:46:35.36
And men and women
who hear the Word of God
00:46:35.39\00:46:37.03
are to follow
Christ and be baptized.
00:46:37.06\00:46:39.26
"Teaching them to
observe everything
00:46:39.29\00:46:41.16
I've commanded you,
00:46:41.20\00:46:42.53
and lo, I'm with you always,
even to the ends of the earth."
00:46:42.56\00:46:45.80
See, Jesus said, "Go
to the ends of the earth,
00:46:45.83\00:46:48.07
don't teach part of
what I've commanded."
00:46:48.10\00:46:50.27
What does the Scripture say?
00:46:50.31\00:46:51.74
It says,
"Teaching them to observe,
00:46:51.77\00:46:54.04
to keep, to do all things
that I have commanded you."
00:46:54.08\00:46:58.78
John Wesley was
raised up by God.
00:46:58.81\00:47:01.45
The church
lacked in holy standards
00:47:01.48\00:47:05.85
and Wesley came along preaching,
00:47:05.89\00:47:08.52
moving powerful
sermons for men and women
00:47:08.56\00:47:10.99
to come to their knees to
repent of their worldliness,
00:47:11.03\00:47:13.83
to repent of their earthliness,
00:47:13.86\00:47:15.90
to have high and holy
standards in their dress,
00:47:15.93\00:47:19.23
in their music, in
their entertainment.
00:47:19.27\00:47:21.30
He brought small groups together
00:47:21.34\00:47:23.37
that studied the
Word of God to grow
00:47:23.41\00:47:25.51
in the area of sanctification,
00:47:25.54\00:47:27.51
to grow in the area of holiness.
00:47:27.54\00:47:29.78
I believe that
God calls His church
00:47:29.81\00:47:32.31
to be separate from the world.
00:47:32.35\00:47:34.02
I believe that God
calls His church to high
00:47:34.05\00:47:36.92
and holy standards.
00:47:36.95\00:47:39.42
I believe that
God calls His church
00:47:39.45\00:47:41.49
to be distinct.
00:47:41.52\00:47:42.86
A light can only
penetrate the darkness
00:47:42.89\00:47:46.06
if light is
distinct from the darkness.
00:47:46.09\00:47:48.63
If the church is like the world,
00:47:48.66\00:47:50.93
the world will not be influenced
00:47:50.97\00:47:52.97
by the church and the church
00:47:53.00\00:47:54.37
can't make an
impact on the world.
00:47:54.40\00:47:56.40
Do you see what
God's strategy was?
00:47:56.44\00:47:58.57
He is leading a
people out of the Dark Ages,
00:47:58.61\00:48:01.68
leading a
people back to Himself.
00:48:01.71\00:48:05.81
William Miller
was raised up by God.
00:48:05.85\00:48:07.85
You see, at this
time the church believed
00:48:07.88\00:48:12.89
and religious leaders taught
00:48:12.92\00:48:14.56
that there'd be a thousand
year millennial period on earth.
00:48:14.59\00:48:18.19
The church was not
preaching the soon coming,
00:48:18.23\00:48:21.73
imminent second
coming of Christ.
00:48:21.76\00:48:24.17
See, the
Waldensians were brought up
00:48:24.20\00:48:27.14
in the 12 and 1300s to emphasize
00:48:27.17\00:48:30.24
the Bible and the Bible only.
00:48:30.27\00:48:31.84
Huss came along following them
to emphasize obedience to God.
00:48:31.87\00:48:36.58
God raised up
Martin Luther, 1517,
00:48:36.61\00:48:39.68
nailed the 95 theses
on the wall at Wittenberg.
00:48:39.71\00:48:45.69
So Martin Luther
is raised up then.
00:48:45.72\00:48:49.52
Then God raises up John Calvin.
00:48:49.56\00:48:52.49
They bring together
the systematic theology.
00:48:52.53\00:48:57.37
God raises up the John Wesleys.
00:48:57.40\00:49:00.04
You see, every generation,
by now we come to the 1800s
00:49:00.07\00:49:03.87
but the church isn't
beating with an urgency.
00:49:03.91\00:49:06.11
The church is complacent
00:49:06.14\00:49:08.01
the idea Christ is
going to come to earth.
00:49:08.04\00:49:10.71
He's going to
set up His kingdom.
00:49:10.75\00:49:12.58
William Miller begins
to study the Word of God.
00:49:12.61\00:49:16.05
And as he does,
light dawns on his mind,
00:49:16.08\00:49:18.55
Christ is coming
and He's coming soon.
00:49:18.59\00:49:20.92
And all over the world,
00:49:20.96\00:49:22.29
there is this messianic movement
00:49:22.32\00:49:24.23
this sense of
the coming of Christ.
00:49:24.26\00:49:26.39
Manuel Lacunza,
00:49:26.43\00:49:28.16
a Catholic
priest in South America
00:49:28.20\00:49:30.37
begins to sense
Christ is coming,
00:49:30.40\00:49:32.47
writes under the pen
name of Rabbi Ben Ezra.
00:49:32.50\00:49:35.70
Edward Irving, 300 church men
in the England begins to write,
00:49:35.74\00:49:40.94
three new preachers there,
00:49:40.98\00:49:42.48
Anglicans begin to write
about second coming of Christ.
00:49:42.51\00:49:47.55
Johan Bangel in
Germany and Joseph Wolfe
00:49:47.58\00:49:50.79
all over the
world God was moving,
00:49:50.82\00:49:53.15
there is an Advent movement
and God is restoring the truth
00:49:53.19\00:49:57.16
about the second
coming of Jesus Christ.
00:49:57.19\00:50:00.03
What was God doing?
00:50:00.06\00:50:01.40
Why are there so many
different denominations?
00:50:01.43\00:50:03.73
Because the
Waldensians stopped at Waldo,
00:50:03.77\00:50:06.47
and the
Hussites stopped at Huss,
00:50:06.50\00:50:08.00
and the Lutheran
stopped at Luther,
00:50:08.04\00:50:09.44
and the
Calvinists stopped at Calvin,
00:50:09.47\00:50:10.84
and the Baptists say,
00:50:10.87\00:50:12.21
"If we're
baptizing by immersion,
00:50:12.24\00:50:13.58
this is good enough for
us", and the Methodists say,
00:50:13.61\00:50:17.55
"Oh, we don't go any
further than Wesley,"
00:50:17.58\00:50:20.02
and then you got the Millerites.
00:50:20.05\00:50:21.68
But what was God doing?
00:50:21.72\00:50:23.05
Restoring the truth about
the Bible, about obedience,
00:50:23.08\00:50:25.45
about grace,
about growth in Christ,
00:50:25.49\00:50:28.09
about baptism, about holiness,
about the second coming?
00:50:28.12\00:50:30.96
But was all that truth restored?
00:50:30.99\00:50:33.06
Not at all.
00:50:33.09\00:50:34.43
God would restore the
truth of the Bible Sabbath,
00:50:34.46\00:50:38.43
and in an age of evolution,
God would lead men and women
00:50:38.47\00:50:43.10
back to the keeping
of His commandments.
00:50:43.14\00:50:45.97
And Jesus said in John 14:15,
"If you love Me," do what?
00:50:46.01\00:50:50.78
"If you love Me," do
what? "Keep My commandments."
00:50:50.81\00:50:53.31
God would raise up
a Sabbath-keeping body
00:50:53.35\00:50:58.05
that would be the
capstone of the reformation.
00:50:58.09\00:51:01.12
God would raise
up a last day church.
00:51:01.16\00:51:04.59
The Bible says, "Worship
Him who made heaven and earth,
00:51:04.63\00:51:08.46
the sea and the
springs of water."
00:51:08.50\00:51:10.47
Worship the Creator,
00:51:10.50\00:51:11.93
an end time
message in Revelation
00:51:11.97\00:51:14.44
to go to the ends of the
earth at a time of evolution.
00:51:14.47\00:51:19.14
Jesus says in Revelation 14:12,
00:51:19.17\00:51:21.88
"Here is the
patience of the saints,
00:51:21.91\00:51:23.71
here are they that
believe," like the Hussites,
00:51:23.75\00:51:25.71
the Bible and the Bible only,
"here at they that believe,"
00:51:25.75\00:51:30.52
like the
Waldensians and the Hussites,
00:51:30.55\00:51:32.55
the Bible and the Bible only
00:51:32.59\00:51:34.59
and obedience to
God as our motto.
00:51:34.62\00:51:37.26
Here are they that
believe like Luther,
00:51:37.29\00:51:39.83
salvation by grace alone.
00:51:39.86\00:51:42.90
Here are they that
believe like Calvin
00:51:42.93\00:51:46.20
that we need to have a theology,
00:51:46.23\00:51:48.50
a belief system
that's not scattered
00:51:48.54\00:51:50.87
but unified together
and we must grow in grace
00:51:50.91\00:51:54.14
like Wesley said and be
separate from the world.
00:51:54.18\00:51:56.61
Here is a group of people
00:51:56.64\00:51:58.35
that believe that
Jesus Christ is coming again.
00:51:58.38\00:52:01.35
Here is a Sabbath keeping body
00:52:01.38\00:52:03.69
that bases their faith
on the living Word of God.
00:52:03.72\00:52:08.32
Here is a called out people,
00:52:08.36\00:52:10.83
a people that
believe in the Bible
00:52:10.86\00:52:12.66
and the Bible only.
00:52:12.69\00:52:14.03
A people that
believe in obedience to God
00:52:14.06\00:52:16.13
as their motto,
00:52:16.16\00:52:17.50
a people that
believe in salvation
00:52:17.53\00:52:19.20
by grace through Christ,
00:52:19.23\00:52:20.94
a people that believe
that the church is organized
00:52:20.97\00:52:24.27
and it must be a mighty movement
00:52:24.31\00:52:26.07
that goes to the
ends of the earth,
00:52:26.11\00:52:27.84
a people that believe in baptism
00:52:27.88\00:52:30.05
by immersion, a
people that believe too
00:52:30.08\00:52:32.68
that God has
called us to holiness,
00:52:32.71\00:52:34.78
and a people that believe
in the second coming of Christ,
00:52:34.82\00:52:38.02
and a Sabbath keeping people.
00:52:38.05\00:52:39.39
There's only one group of people
00:52:39.42\00:52:40.76
like that on the
face of the earth
00:52:40.79\00:52:42.12
that I know, friend.
00:52:42.16\00:52:43.49
And that are
Seventh-day Adventists.
00:52:43.53\00:52:46.53
Some time ago,
there were three men,
00:52:46.56\00:52:50.97
Ridley, Kramer, and Latimer.
00:52:51.00\00:52:54.57
And there they were tried
00:52:54.60\00:52:56.00
for their faith
in the Middle Ages,
00:52:56.04\00:52:57.54
God is calling
men and women again,
00:52:57.57\00:52:59.47
to have that courage,
they were burned at the stake,
00:52:59.51\00:53:03.51
burned at the stake in Oxford.
00:53:03.55\00:53:06.38
And while they were, you,
00:53:06.41\00:53:10.49
Latimer looked over
at Ridley and he said,
00:53:10.52\00:53:12.92
"Be of good comfort,
00:53:12.95\00:53:14.29
we shall this
day light a candle,
00:53:14.32\00:53:17.09
by God's grace
00:53:17.13\00:53:18.46
that shall never
ever be put out."
00:53:18.49\00:53:20.53
Step out for Jesus. The
Word of God is true today.
00:53:20.56\00:53:23.60
"The grass
withers, the flower fades,
00:53:23.63\00:53:26.10
but the word of our
God stands forever."
00:53:26.13\00:53:30.51
You can light a
candle, a candle in your home.
00:53:30.54\00:53:33.81
You can light a candle.
00:53:33.84\00:53:35.48
You can light a candle,
my friend, a candle of truth.
00:53:35.51\00:53:38.98
You can stand with those...
00:53:39.01\00:53:41.35
You can stand with those
00:53:41.38\00:53:43.59
who are faithful to
Christ down through the ages.
00:53:43.62\00:53:47.72
You can stand
with the people of God.
00:53:47.76\00:53:51.13
Listen, my friend,
00:53:51.16\00:53:53.43
Jesus Christ
will never let you go.
00:53:53.46\00:53:57.23
Jesus Christ will
never, never keep you
00:53:57.27\00:54:02.80
from walking in the
convictions that you have.
00:54:02.84\00:54:06.98
He will empower you.
He will strengthen you.
00:54:07.01\00:54:11.25
He will enable you.
00:54:11.28\00:54:13.45
Some people say,
"Well, I'm not sure
00:54:13.48\00:54:15.12
if Jesus is
leading me that way."
00:54:15.15\00:54:17.42
My friend, Jesus is
leading you that way.
00:54:17.45\00:54:20.92
He is leading you to
stand with the Waldenses.
00:54:20.96\00:54:26.53
He is leading you to have God
00:54:26.56\00:54:30.47
and God alone as your leader.
00:54:30.50\00:54:33.37
He is leading you
to stand with Huss
00:54:33.40\00:54:36.50
and make
obedience to God your motto.
00:54:36.54\00:54:39.54
He is leading you to
stand with Luther and say,
00:54:39.57\00:54:42.48
"Jesus, all I
want is Your grace.
00:54:42.51\00:54:47.82
All I want is Your grace.
00:54:47.85\00:54:50.65
Lord, I know that
salvation can only be
00:54:50.69\00:54:53.42
through Your grace."
00:54:53.46\00:54:54.79
That's where
Jesus is leading you.
00:54:54.82\00:54:56.66
He's leading you to stand
with these great reformers down
00:54:56.69\00:54:59.89
through the ages.
00:54:59.93\00:55:01.83
He's leading you to
stand with Wesley who says,
00:55:01.86\00:55:07.34
"Separation from the world
00:55:07.37\00:55:10.61
is a Christian teaching."
00:55:10.64\00:55:14.01
He's leading you
to stand with Miller,
00:55:14.04\00:55:17.45
who said, "Christ is coming.
00:55:17.48\00:55:20.38
We must be ready."
00:55:20.42\00:55:22.55
He's leading you to stand
00:55:22.58\00:55:23.92
with those
Sabbath keeping believers
00:55:23.95\00:55:26.89
who've been faithful to God down
00:55:26.92\00:55:28.96
through the centuries.
00:55:28.99\00:55:31.43
Jesus is appealing to you.
00:55:31.46\00:55:34.70
Ridley, and Latimer, and Kramer
00:55:34.73\00:55:37.97
stood in that square,
00:55:38.00\00:55:41.07
stood there in Oxford
00:55:41.10\00:55:44.01
as the wood was
placed around them,
00:55:44.04\00:55:48.84
and they said, "We
will be faithful to God."
00:55:48.88\00:55:53.92
God is calling you
to that faithfulness.
00:55:53.95\00:55:56.65
God is calling you
to make that decision.
00:55:56.69\00:55:59.99
Jesus is leading you.
00:56:00.02\00:56:02.99
Would you like to
say to Jesus right now,
00:56:03.02\00:56:04.56
"Lord, I'm
opening my heart to You.
00:56:04.59\00:56:08.53
I'm not going to camp...
00:56:08.56\00:56:10.87
I'm not going to camp
00:56:10.90\00:56:12.23
where my religious
forefathers camped.
00:56:12.27\00:56:14.64
I'm not going to
stay where they stayed."
00:56:14.67\00:56:18.34
These reformers
were men of truth.
00:56:18.37\00:56:22.01
They were godly men.
00:56:22.04\00:56:24.11
They lived up
00:56:24.15\00:56:25.48
to all of the
Word of God they had.
00:56:25.51\00:56:29.12
But God had more truth for them,
00:56:29.15\00:56:32.75
and God has more truth for you.
00:56:32.79\00:56:35.62
Your father, your
mother may have lived up
00:56:35.66\00:56:37.49
all the truth they had.
00:56:37.53\00:56:39.43
They were faithful,
00:56:39.46\00:56:40.80
and they'll be
saved in God's kingdom.
00:56:40.83\00:56:42.16
But God has
something more for you.
00:56:42.20\00:56:43.63
Would you step out and say,
00:56:43.67\00:56:45.17
"Jesus, I'm going to walk
with Your end time people?"
00:56:45.20\00:56:48.17
As we pray, Father in heaven,
00:56:48.20\00:56:50.41
thank You for
Your wonderful love.
00:56:50.44\00:56:53.01
Thank You for Your grace.
Thank You for Your goodness.
00:56:53.04\00:56:56.91
Thank You that You
lead us step-by-step,
00:56:56.95\00:57:00.12
that You reveal
more light to us,
00:57:00.15\00:57:01.85
that You reveal
more truth to us.
00:57:01.88\00:57:03.85
Thank You, Jesus,
00:57:03.89\00:57:05.39
that we can follow
You now and forever.
00:57:05.42\00:57:08.29
In Your name, we pray. Amen.
00:57:08.32\00:57:10.86
Thank you for joining us
00:57:10.89\00:57:12.59
for Revelation's
Ancient Discoveries.
00:57:12.63\00:57:16.00
God has another
step for you to take
00:57:16.03\00:57:20.00
in your Christian experience.
00:57:20.04\00:57:22.04
Why not right now say,
00:57:22.07\00:57:23.41
"Jesus, I will take that step."
00:57:23.44\00:57:27.14