The escalation of global
terrorism, crime, immorality
00:00:09.24\00:00:12.44
and natural disasters,
seems to indicate our world
00:00:12.47\00:00:15.42
is spiraling towards its
ultimate hour with destiny.
00:00:15.45\00:00:18.49
Who, if anyone, will
survive Earth's final events?
00:00:18.52\00:00:21.49
Discover what Bible prophecy
reveals about the rapture,
00:00:21.52\00:00:24.35
the mark of the
beast, and Armageddon.
00:00:24.38\00:00:26.55
Though shrouded in
mystery for centuries,
00:00:26.58\00:00:28.69
the book of Revelation
can be understood today.
00:00:28.72\00:00:32.01
Peer into the future,
and see what wonderful things
00:00:32.04\00:00:35.29
God has planned for His people.
00:00:35.32\00:00:38.01
And now, Pastor Brian
McMahon presents the powerful
00:00:38.04\00:00:41.42
Bible seminar
"Revelation Speaks Hope".
00:00:41.45\00:00:46.03
It's so good to
be with you again.
00:05:09.27\00:05:11.11
The subject that we're going
to cover this morning we've
00:05:11.14\00:05:13.43
entitled
"Overcoming through the Word!"
00:05:13.46\00:05:16.41
Some 13 years ago, after
Saddam Hussein and the army
00:05:16.44\00:05:21.67
of Iraq had entered
into Kuwait the US began
00:05:21.70\00:05:26.45
a campaign of
liberating that country.
00:05:26.48\00:05:30.04
I remember that as I listened
to the news Saddam Hussein
00:05:30.08\00:05:33.83
made a great boast, he said
that if the US dared to come
00:05:33.86\00:05:37.56
against him with their
army that he would give them
00:05:37.59\00:05:40.99
the mother of all battles, do
you remember that boast he made?
00:05:41.02\00:05:45.04
Of course, the battle didn't
last very long, only a few days,
00:05:45.07\00:05:49.05
so historians, as they
write back upon it they say
00:05:49.08\00:05:51.76
what he really did was make
the mother of all surrenders
00:05:51.79\00:05:55.50
because it didn't last
very long, but they analyzed
00:05:55.53\00:05:58.87
that short war and they realized
that the Iraqi army did not
00:05:58.90\00:06:03.06
lose simply because they
had no weapons, they actually
00:06:03.09\00:06:05.65
had a lot of sophisticated
weaponry that they had purchased
00:06:05.68\00:06:08.92
from the former soviet union.
But they realized that they had
00:06:08.95\00:06:12.15
never learned to use that
weaponry properly, they had
00:06:12.18\00:06:16.97
never really learned how
to use that which they had.
00:06:17.12\00:06:21.02
Now, we are in the battle
of all battles right now in
00:06:21.05\00:06:24.16
the Christian war, amen?
We're in the battle between
00:06:24.19\00:06:27.23
good and evil, and we need
to know how to use weaponry that
00:06:27.26\00:06:31.89
God has given us effectively.
This last campaign that the US
00:06:31.92\00:06:36.36
has now embarked on to liberate
the Iraqi people, I remember
00:06:36.39\00:06:40.80
that as they were interviewing
the various branches of
00:06:40.83\00:06:43.88
the military, before they
actually entered into Iraqi
00:06:43.91\00:06:46.70
they asked them the
question, they'd ask the people
00:06:46.73\00:06:49.07
of the army, they would
say: "Are you ready to go"
00:06:49.10\00:06:51.38
"into this battle?" and the army
would say "Yes, we're ready. "
00:06:51.41\00:06:55.86
They'd be so confident
about it, and so the news people
00:06:55.89\00:06:58.68
would ask them "How do
you know that you're ready? "
00:06:58.71\00:07:01.43
And they would say
"We're well trained, Sir. "
00:07:01.46\00:07:04.00
They would ask the air force,
"Are you ready to go into this"
00:07:04.03\00:07:06.36
"battle with your weaponry,
with your planes, and so on? "
00:07:06.39\00:07:09.23
"Yes, we're ready. " "How
do you know you're ready? "
00:07:09.26\00:07:12.05
"We're well trained,
Sir. " They'd ask the Marines:
00:07:12.08\00:07:14.83
"Are you ready? "
"Yes, we're ready. "
00:07:14.86\00:07:16.89
"How do you know you're ready?
" "We're well trained, Sir. "
00:07:16.92\00:07:20.79
Confident, knowing that they
knew how to use the weaponry
00:07:20.82\00:07:24.35
that had been provided to
them, so should we be confident
00:07:24.38\00:07:28.36
in what God has given to us.
So one of the greatest things
00:07:28.39\00:07:31.79
that I have been blessed to
learn as a Christian is what
00:07:31.82\00:07:35.19
I'm going to share
with you this morning.
00:07:35.22\00:07:37.17
We all are beset with evil
temptations, various habits
00:07:37.20\00:07:40.38
that we wish were not in our
life, not all habits are bad,
00:07:40.41\00:07:43.54
by the way, sometimes habits
can work very well for us,
00:07:43.57\00:07:46.08
learning how to tie your shoe
when you're young is a pretty
00:07:46.11\00:07:48.58
good habit, isn't it?
Learning how to type on
00:07:48.61\00:07:51.97
a typewriter, or on a
computer, a very good habit.
00:07:52.00\00:07:54.87
Learning how to drive
should be a good habit, we hope
00:07:54.90\00:07:57.73
we're learning good
habits there, sometimes we might
00:07:57.76\00:08:00.31
learn bad habits, but what
happens when habits are not
00:08:00.34\00:08:02.82
so good? What
happens when thoughts
00:08:02.85\00:08:05.86
come into our mind that we
really shouldn't have there?
00:08:05.89\00:08:08.94
You see, habits are simply
thoughts and actions that are
00:08:08.97\00:08:12.18
repeated over and over
and over, and God has given us
00:08:12.21\00:08:15.78
a way for the Christian to
have victory over those kinds
00:08:15.81\00:08:18.83
of things, and that's what
I'd like to share with you.
00:08:18.86\00:08:21.81
In the evening session I shared
a little short story of how
00:08:21.84\00:08:24.91
a lady came to me one day
and she said "Pastor, we get"
00:08:24.94\00:08:27.94
"a lot of sermons on what to
do, but very few sermons on how"
00:08:27.97\00:08:31.26
"to do it." That
always stuck in my mind
00:08:31.29\00:08:35.39
that if I have an opportunity
I want to give some "how to"
00:08:35.43\00:08:38.49
sermons so that we
feel empowered with the Word
00:08:38.52\00:08:41.20
in our hand. So turn
in your Bibles with me
00:08:41.23\00:08:43.83
this morning to Joshua 24.
First of all, we must realize
00:08:43.86\00:08:49.50
as you're turning there
that no victory is going to come
00:08:49.54\00:08:54.85
to the Christian without
our cooperation; in other words,
00:08:54.88\00:08:59.81
if we desire to be set free
from alcohol, God is not going
00:08:59.84\00:09:04.70
to reach down with a
great, almighty hand from heaven
00:09:04.73\00:09:07.78
and sweep the alcohol out of
our house, God does not do that
00:09:07.81\00:09:10.78
for us because victories
come as a cooperative effort.
00:09:10.81\00:09:14.83
If we desire to quit smoking
the Lord is not going to reach
00:09:14.86\00:09:17.59
down from heaven with His hand
and snatch a cigarette out of
00:09:17.62\00:09:20.31
anybody's mouth, or blow a
hurricane force wind through
00:09:20.34\00:09:23.44
our home and sweep out
pornographic material that may
00:09:23.47\00:09:26.38
be there, the Lord does
not do those things for us.
00:09:26.41\00:09:29.24
We cooperate with Him, but
our cooperation begins with our
00:09:29.27\00:09:33.87
choice, and that's what we read
in Joshua 24:15, here's what
00:09:33.90\00:09:38.62
it says, Joshua 24:15:
"If it seem evil unto you"
00:09:38.65\00:09:46.25
"to serve the Lord, choose you
this day whom ye will serve."
00:09:46.29\00:09:51.82
Brothers and sisters,
right living begins by making
00:09:54.90\00:09:58.41
right choices. If we
really want to overcome,
00:09:58.44\00:10:02.16
we've first got to choose
whom we're going to serve,
00:10:02.19\00:10:05.09
either the Lord Jesus Christ,
or the evil one, let's choose
00:10:05.12\00:10:08.16
the Lord, amen? So
in other words, if I say
00:10:08.19\00:10:11.02
to myself, I'm going to perhaps
use some illustrations this
00:10:11.05\00:10:13.58
morning that maybe don't
pertain to your place where
00:10:13.61\00:10:15.92
you're at, they maybe
don't pertain to your life,
00:10:15.95\00:10:18.18
but you use the same principle
and apply them where you're at.
00:10:18.21\00:10:22.29
So if I want to quit
smoking, for example, and I say
00:10:22.32\00:10:25.43
"Well, I'd kind of like to quit
smoking, it would be a good"
00:10:25.46\00:10:28.23
"idea if I overcame, one
day I will quit smoking."
00:10:28.26\00:10:32.60
Is that making a
choice? No, not at all.
00:10:32.63\00:10:34.86
If I really want to quit,
I will quit right now and I
00:10:34.89\00:10:38.15
will say "I choose this
day to not smoke anymore. "
00:10:38.18\00:10:41.40
That is exercising a
faculty of the mind that we call
00:10:41.43\00:10:44.58
the will, it's not what we
often think of as "will power",
00:10:44.61\00:10:48.53
that means our power, no,
it's using our will, which is
00:10:48.56\00:10:52.40
the ability of the mind to make
deliberate choices, and then
00:10:52.43\00:10:57.09
those choices can be
followed by a determined action,
00:10:57.12\00:10:59.71
but first we have to make
that choice, once we've made the
00:10:59.74\00:11:02.64
choice, then we ask God to
give us the power to backup
00:11:02.67\00:11:05.54
that choice; power's
what we're often lacking.
00:11:05.57\00:11:08.32
Many times people have
tried to quit, maybe 100 times,
00:11:08.35\00:11:11.06
but they've never felt
the power to really do it.
00:11:11.09\00:11:13.13
So first we make the
choice, after making that choice
00:11:13.16\00:11:15.16
God says "Okay, now
I'll give you the power. "
00:11:15.19\00:11:18.82
Let's see how that works.
Go to 1 Corinthians 15:57.
00:11:18.85\00:11:27.45
I want you to turn in
your Bibles because we want to
00:11:27.48\00:11:33.06
really use the Word,
we're talking about overcoming
00:11:33.10\00:11:38.65
through the Word, so let's
use the Word and look it up
00:11:38.68\00:11:41.28
in our own Bibles. 1
Corinthians 15:57 says this:
00:11:41.31\00:11:45.61
"But thanks be to God,
which giveth us the victory"
00:11:45.64\00:11:49.95
"through our
Lord, Jesus Christ."
00:11:49.98\00:11:51.93
God will give us victories
if we need them, we don't have
00:11:51.96\00:11:55.33
to earn them, and we
can be thankful for that;
00:11:55.36\00:11:57.76
we don't have to try to muster
up the strength from within us.
00:11:57.79\00:12:01.20
Victories are not going to
come to us through motivational
00:12:01.23\00:12:04.61
classes, through pulling
ourselves up by our own boot
00:12:04.64\00:12:08.25
straps, as we might say.
When we know that there's
00:12:08.28\00:12:11.81
a habit in our life that is
sinful before God then we don't
00:12:11.84\00:12:15.12
have to say "Lord, if it is
Your will that I stop smoking"
00:12:15.15\00:12:18.40
"then please give me the
victory", "Lord, if it is"
00:12:18.43\00:12:21.21
"Your will that I stop looking
at improper reading material"
00:12:21.24\00:12:23.73
"please give me the victory",
"Lord, if it is Your will"
00:12:23.76\00:12:26.18
"that I stop drinking alcohol,
please give me the victory. "
00:12:26.21\00:12:29.17
We know that it is
God's will that we do not sin.
00:12:29.20\00:12:31.27
So when we know that something
is God's will then we can pray
00:12:31.30\00:12:34.60
confidently that God will give
us the victory for that area.
00:12:34.63\00:12:37.89
We say "Thank You
God for the victory."
00:12:37.92\00:12:39.71
Let's put that up on the
screen if we could, Cheryl.
00:12:39.74\00:12:44.61
There we go. So
we make a choice, now
00:12:49.73\00:12:52.45
we'll put step 2 up if we could,
step 1, we've made the choice,
00:12:52.48\00:12:56.25
now step 2: we claim
the promise for victory.
00:12:56.28\00:12:59.15
So we can confidently
claim the promise in those areas
00:12:59.18\00:13:02.72
that we know God wants
us to have the victory over.
00:13:02.75\00:13:06.16
Now, put this one in 1
Corinthians 15:57 together
00:13:06.19\00:13:09.53
with this next text because
they really do belong together,
00:13:09.56\00:13:12.23
go to Mark 11. When we
know something is God's
00:13:12.26\00:13:17.08
will we can claim it.
For example, when we read
00:13:17.11\00:13:21.89
about the children of
Israel marching around the city
00:13:21.93\00:13:25.94
of Jericho, God has them
claim the victory and shout that
00:13:25.97\00:13:29.96
victory even before the walls
came down, even before they saw
00:13:29.99\00:13:32.80
a crack in the wall, they
were to have the confidence
00:13:32.83\00:13:36.00
and faith that God was going
to give them that which they
00:13:36.03\00:13:38.33
asked for. Mark
11:22, the Bible says:
00:13:38.36\00:13:48.47
"And Jesus answering sayeth
unto them, Have faith in God",
00:13:48.50\00:13:52.78
it's not a faith in your self
plan, that's why people fail,
00:13:52.81\00:13:55.72
it's because they try to
believe that they can do it.
00:13:55.75\00:13:58.19
No, this plan works because
God does it, God does it through
00:13:58.22\00:14:01.00
us, so yeah, it says "have
faith in God", now verse 24,
00:14:01.03\00:14:04.41
Jesus says: "Therefore I say
unto you, what things so ever"
00:14:04.44\00:14:07.73
"ye desire", allow me to pause
there, some of you will desire
00:14:07.76\00:14:11.08
a victory in 1 area, and some
of you will desire a victory
00:14:11.11\00:14:14.01
in another area, you apply
that principle exactly where
00:14:14.04\00:14:17.33
you need it, "what things so
ever you desire when you pray"
00:14:17.36\00:14:20.52
"believe that you do receive
them and you shall have them."
00:14:20.55\00:14:25.68
If you were to knock on
someone's door that you had
00:14:25.71\00:14:28.63
done something wrong to
and confessed that you had
00:14:28.66\00:14:31.50
done that wrong, and asked
for forgiveness and they said
00:14:31.53\00:14:33.95
"yes, I forgive you", and
then you came back the next day
00:14:33.98\00:14:36.37
and you knocked again
on the door and you said
00:14:36.40\00:14:37.86
"Would you please forgive
me for that sin that I did"
00:14:37.89\00:14:40.34
"against you? ", and they said
"Yes, I forgave you yesterday, "
00:14:40.37\00:14:43.00
"go in peace. " "Okay. "
00:14:43.03\00:14:45.25
You came back the next day
and he knocked again on the door
00:14:45.29\00:14:47.91
and he said "Would
you please forgive me? "
00:14:47.94\00:14:50.42
Wouldn't they start to
wonder if there was something
00:14:50.45\00:14:53.27
wrong with you? Why,
when God tells us that
00:14:53.30\00:14:55.37
He is going to do something
in our life and we claim
00:14:55.40\00:14:57.86
the victory, we need to
believe that He has given that
00:14:57.89\00:15:00.31
which He has promised.
A lot of people will kneel
00:15:00.34\00:15:03.03
down by their bed and
they'll say in prayer "Lord, "
00:15:03.06\00:15:05.69
"please give me the victory
over this habit in my life."
00:15:05.72\00:15:09.56
And then the next day
they'll pray the same prayer
00:15:09.59\00:15:12.22
"Lord, please give me the
victory", and 2 weeks later
00:15:12.25\00:15:14.93
"Please give me the victory",
and 20 years later they're
00:15:14.96\00:15:17.52
still saying the same exact
thing, "Lord, please give me"
00:15:17.55\00:15:20.07
"the victory. "
What God wants us to do
00:15:20.10\00:15:22.67
is to believe that we
have received and then get up
00:15:22.70\00:15:26.28
off our knees and walk as
a son or a daughter of God,
00:15:26.31\00:15:29.82
believe that God has given us
that which He has asked us to.
00:15:29.85\00:15:33.44
A gift becomes
ours when we receive it.
00:15:33.47\00:15:36.07
Someone can hold out something
all day long, but unless we take
00:15:36.10\00:15:39.15
it it never really becomes ours.
Someone will say, "Oh, in that"
00:15:39.18\00:15:42.20
"case I want $1 million in
my bank account, so I'll just"
00:15:42.23\00:15:45.19
"believe that I receive it
and I'm going to look in my"
00:15:45.22\00:15:47.86
"bank account the next
day and it should be there. "
00:15:47.89\00:15:50.71
Some people preach that,
right? You see them on TV
00:15:50.74\00:15:53.56
"name it and claim it"
preachers, and they talk about
00:15:53.59\00:15:56.35
prosperity and how you
just have to believe that you're
00:15:56.38\00:15:58.58
going to be rich and you will
be rich, we don't always know
00:15:58.61\00:16:00.77
what is God's
will in those areas.
00:16:00.80\00:16:03.02
Many people have been destroyed
through having something
00:16:03.05\00:16:05.74
that really wasn't best for
them, and isn't it interesting
00:16:05.77\00:16:08.30
that these preachers on TV
that say that they always say
00:16:08.33\00:16:10.78
"God wants you to be rich, but
first send me a bunch of money"
00:16:10.81\00:16:15.52
"as a faith pledge", they
say. Well, no, we don't always
00:16:15.55\00:16:19.94
know that, but we can
know that repentance is a gift,
00:16:19.97\00:16:24.29
forgiveness is a gift, and
the power that comes from heaven
00:16:24.32\00:16:28.15
to help us to walk right
before heaven is also a gift.
00:16:28.18\00:16:33.20
Jesus says when you pray believe
that you receive it and you
00:16:34.15\00:16:37.76
shall have it. So the
first step to overcoming
00:16:37.79\00:16:41.45
is up here on the screen
this morning: [text on screen]
00:16:41.48\00:16:46.54
We make a choice, and
then the second point,
00:16:48.10\00:16:51.31
1 Corinthians 15:57
is: [text on screen]
00:16:51.34\00:16:54.62
And now turn with me to
Romans 6, here is the next point
00:16:54.65\00:17:02.20
in God's plan for
victory over evil temptation.
00:17:02.23\00:17:06.54
Romans 6:11, the Bible
says: "Likewise, reckon ye also"
00:17:08.28\00:17:19.56
"yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive"
00:17:19.59\00:17:23.83
"unto God through
Jesus Christ our Lord."
00:17:23.86\00:17:26.68
So claiming this promise,
we say "I'm going to be dead"
00:17:26.71\00:17:31.25
"to that sin
that has enslaved me".
00:17:31.28\00:17:34.53
Remember, this is the King
James I'm reading from here,
00:17:35.69\00:17:38.56
it says "reckon ye also",
that means "consider yourself"
00:17:38.59\00:17:41.41
"to be dead to sin".
If we had a corpse up here
00:17:41.44\00:17:44.10
at the front, let's try to
just imagine it for a moment,
00:17:44.13\00:17:47.37
there's a person lying in
the casket and I'm going to come
00:17:47.40\00:17:50.49
down to that corpse lying
in the casket, and I'm going to
00:17:50.52\00:17:54.60
try to tempt this corpse
to sin, I'm going to hold out
00:17:54.63\00:17:59.18
in front of this dead
person a cigarette, maybe this
00:17:59.21\00:18:03.98
person died of chain smoking,
so now I'm going to hold out
00:18:04.09\00:18:07.02
a cigarette in front of
that person and wave it in front
00:18:07.05\00:18:09.64
of their nose, is there going
to be any reaction to that?
00:18:09.67\00:18:12.22
No. What if I
hold out his favorite
00:18:12.25\00:18:14.46
brand, Marlboros, well, it
used to be; is there now going
00:18:14.49\00:18:18.91
to be any reaction? No.
00:18:18.94\00:18:21.13
What if I hold
out a whole carton?
00:18:21.29\00:18:23.75
Same thing.
There's no reaction because
00:18:23.78\00:18:25.93
that person is dead.
The Bible says we should
00:18:25.96\00:18:30.06
consider ourself to be
dead, we are very much alive
00:18:30.09\00:18:33.16
and breathing this
morning, we should be, amen?
00:18:33.19\00:18:36.19
And we are to consider, in
other words, when we consider
00:18:36.22\00:18:39.06
ourselves to be dead, what
that's doing is it conditions
00:18:39.09\00:18:42.59
the mind to continually reject
that thing and to hate it.
00:18:42.62\00:18:46.08
We can say I can no
more respond to that sinful
00:18:46.11\00:18:50.52
temptation in my life
than a dead person could,
00:18:50.58\00:18:53.27
that's what it's telling us;
you consider yourself to be dead
00:18:53.30\00:18:56.83
to that thing that
has formerly overcome you.
00:18:56.86\00:18:59.16
Somehow, and I'm not sure why,
I'm not a neurologist, I don't
00:18:59.19\00:19:03.50
know all the workings of the
brain, I do know a few things
00:19:03.53\00:19:05.37
from what I've studied,
but somehow we remember things
00:19:05.40\00:19:08.47
well in groups of 3, even
better than twos and fours,
00:19:08.50\00:19:11.21
when something's in a 1,
2, 3 plan, we do remember it
00:19:11.24\00:19:14.05
very well. So what
I'm going to do at this
00:19:14.08\00:19:16.68
moment is take the first 3
principles that we've looked
00:19:16.71\00:19:19.16
at and reduce them
down to very short phrases
00:19:19.19\00:19:22.19
because when you're tempted
to sin we may not have our
00:19:22.22\00:19:24.87
Bibles with us, we may not
be able to review this whole
00:19:24.90\00:19:27.18
sermon in your mind, but you
can remember what we're about
00:19:27.21\00:19:29.97
to do, so the very first
thing we do when we are tempted
00:19:30.00\00:19:33.65
to sin is we make a choice
and we say [text on screen].
00:19:33.68\00:19:36.85
The next thing we do is we
claim the victory and we say:
00:19:36.88\00:19:40.02
[text on screen]
00:19:40.05\00:19:41.50
And the third point we're going
to put up on the screen is say:
00:19:43.13\00:19:45.86
[text on screen]
00:19:45.89\00:19:47.25
Now, I only heard about a third
of you, so let's go through
00:19:47.28\00:19:49.80
it again, the first
thing is "No!", the second is:
00:19:49.83\00:19:52.94
"Thank You God for the
victory", and the third is
00:19:52.97\00:19:55.95
"I'm dead to it", good,
now you're sounding alive.
00:19:55.98\00:20:00.21
You see, when sinful temptation
comes and the very thing
00:20:00.24\00:20:04.82
we do next is we say "No!
Thank You God for the victory, "
00:20:04.85\00:20:07.94
"I am dead to it", you
don't know how easy it is
00:20:07.97\00:20:11.66
to overcome because how
can you submit yourself to that
00:20:11.69\00:20:14.29
temptation when you're saying
"No" to it, you're rejecting it,
00:20:14.32\00:20:18.16
you're saying "I already
have the victory over it",
00:20:18.19\00:20:20.05
notice it doesn't say "Please
give me the victory", it says
00:20:20.08\00:20:23.00
"Thank You God for the
victory" because what Jesus
00:20:23.03\00:20:25.44
said was "believe that
you receive it and you shall"
00:20:25.47\00:20:27.82
"have it", so we're already
claiming it, and then you say,
00:20:27.85\00:20:30.10
Romans 6:11, "I'm dead to it,
I don't even respond to it. "
00:20:30.13\00:20:32.34
Dear friends, it works
absolutely marvelously.
00:20:32.37\00:20:36.09
We make a choice, we thank
God for the victory, and we say
00:20:36.12\00:20:40.02
"I don't respond to it",
and when you say "no", say it
00:20:40.05\00:20:43.87
like you mean it, don't say
[in a high, scared voice] "No. "
00:20:43.90\00:20:49.46
"Thank You God for
the victory...I think."
00:20:49.77\00:20:53.66
Put a smile on your face, I have
found that when you say "No"
00:20:53.77\00:20:59.48
to evil and you smile
because you are happy about it,
00:20:59.86\00:21:03.99
there is power
there, have you found that?
00:21:04.02\00:21:06.25
And praise God for that,
there is power in praising God,
00:21:06.28\00:21:09.76
can I hear an "amen"
for that? [Audience] Amen.
00:21:09.79\00:21:12.69
Okay, so you say "No" and you
smile and you say "Thank You"
00:21:12.72\00:21:15.27
"God for the
victory, I am dead to it".
00:21:15.30\00:21:17.93
Some people act, you've
heard this before, from probably
00:21:17.96\00:21:20.51
Pastor Doug, some people
run from temptation hoping
00:21:20.54\00:21:24.82
to escape it, others
crawl, hoping it overcomes them.
00:21:24.85\00:21:29.16
Well, we don't want to act like
we're divorcing a best friend,
00:21:29.19\00:21:33.82
"Oh I've got to give up
this, oh, I've got to give up,"
00:21:33.85\00:21:36.69
"oh, it's so terrible", evil is
an enemy in our life so you say
00:21:36.72\00:21:42.62
"No, this is a good thing
that I'm doing", smile about it
00:21:42.65\00:21:45.26
and say "I am so thankful
that God has given me a way"
00:21:45.29\00:21:47.85
"to overcome. " So
now let's go to the next
00:21:47.88\00:21:49.96
point, go to Romans 13.
We want to make sure that
00:21:49.99\00:21:55.82
temptation is held to a
minimum, how do we do that?
00:21:55.85\00:21:59.54
Romans 13:14 gives us the
answer to it, and God always
00:21:59.57\00:22:02.73
has answers for these
things, Romans 13:14 says this:
00:22:02.76\00:22:07.61
"But put you on the Lord
Jesus Christ and make not"
00:22:08.23\00:22:12.09
"provision for the flesh
to fulfill the lust thereof. "
00:22:12.12\00:22:15.96
Do you notice the 2 parts
to this verse, the first part
00:22:15.99\00:22:18.43
is putting on the Lord Jesus
Christ, that's the absolute
00:22:18.46\00:22:21.86
essential part in that we have
to start each day asking God
00:22:21.89\00:22:24.99
for a converted mind, because
if we start a day without
00:22:25.02\00:22:27.95
a converted mind we're
already knowing that we're going
00:22:27.98\00:22:30.68
to fail; so we ask
for the Holy Spirit.
00:22:30.71\00:22:32.67
The Bible says "walk in the
Spirit, you shall not fulfill"
00:22:32.70\00:22:34.82
"the lusts of the flesh".
Have you noticed that when
00:22:34.85\00:22:37.73
you start each day with some
time on your knees, start each
00:22:37.76\00:22:41.27
day with some time in either
the Bible or a good spiritual
00:22:41.30\00:22:43.80
book that you do feel extra
strength to go out and meet
00:22:43.83\00:22:47.14
the day, no question about
it. And when you don't do that,
00:22:47.17\00:22:50.48
all of a sudden when a sinful
thought comes, or some kind
00:22:50.51\00:22:53.75
of temptation comes, you just
don't feel the power to meet it
00:22:53.78\00:22:56.41
as we should.
Proverbs 16:3 is a verse
00:22:56.44\00:23:05.93
that I have tried to commit
to memory, and I hope that you
00:23:05.96\00:23:08.42
will too, it
says: [text on screen]
00:23:08.45\00:23:11.90
So when you commit your works,
or your life, to the Lord in
00:23:15.30\00:23:18.54
the morning, it establishes
your thoughts for that day.
00:23:18.57\00:23:21.69
Once again, you want to have
a connection to heaven as you
00:23:21.72\00:23:24.04
go out and try to meet the
evil that is going to be coming
00:23:24.07\00:23:26.86
your way during that day.
Galatians 5:16 is one that
00:23:26.89\00:23:30.69
goes right along with it.
Paul says: [text on screen]
00:23:30.72\00:23:35.56
That's a promise to us, he says
if you will walk in the Spirit
00:23:37.16\00:23:40.69
you will not fulfill the things
that the fleshly mind wants.
00:23:40.72\00:23:44.20
The fleshly mind wants
to sin, the fleshly mind,
00:23:44.23\00:23:46.69
or the carnal mind, wants to
get impatient, the fleshly mind
00:23:46.72\00:23:50.17
wants to get angry, and enjoys
it, the fleshly mind wants
00:23:50.20\00:23:53.45
to use profanity, enjoys
it; the fleshly mind wants to
00:23:53.48\00:23:56.64
over eat, or to smoke, or
do many of the other things we
00:23:56.67\00:23:59.80
probably could mention
this morning, but anyway,
00:23:59.83\00:24:02.02
the fleshly mind wants to
do that and we will either be
00:24:02.05\00:24:04.39
in the fleshly mind or we'll
be in the spiritual mind, and so
00:24:04.42\00:24:07.14
we have to commit our life
early in the morning, and ask
00:24:07.17\00:24:10.01
God for conversion.
00:24:10.04\00:24:11.73
Now let's look at the last
part of the verse, it says:
00:24:14.47\00:24:16.87
"make not
provision for the flesh".
00:24:16.90\00:24:18.87
To make not provision for
the flesh, let me try to update
00:24:18.90\00:24:23.15
that language if I may, "don't
put yourself in a situation"
00:24:23.18\00:24:29.18
"unnecessarily where you know
you're going to be tempted. "
00:24:29.30\00:24:33.08
For example, if an alcoholic
was to walk into a tavern,
00:24:33.11\00:24:36.19
some kind of bar room, knowing
that he already has a weakness
00:24:36.22\00:24:40.02
for alcohol, and there, he sits
down on a bar stool, lifts up
00:24:40.05\00:24:43.82
his eyes to heaven and
says "Dear Lord, help me not"
00:24:43.85\00:24:46.78
"to drink while I'm
here. " Does it make any sense?
00:24:46.81\00:24:49.66
Not at all. What's the first
thing the Lord would want him
00:24:49.69\00:24:52.32
to do? Get out
of temptation's way.
00:24:52.35\00:24:55.65
How can we pray to be delivered
from temptation when we put it
00:24:55.99\00:24:59.94
all around us. I've
talked to many young
00:24:59.97\00:25:03.72
people about their Christian
life, and sometimes they'll come
00:25:03.75\00:25:06.54
to me and they'll say "I just
don't have a desire to read"
00:25:06.57\00:25:09.34
"the Bible, I don't have
desire for spiritual things. "
00:25:09.37\00:25:11.81
And I'll say "Well, show
me your music collection. "
00:25:11.84\00:25:14.02
So they show me their music
collection and it's some of
00:25:14.05\00:25:16.19
the most satanic music
I've ever laid my eyes on,
00:25:16.22\00:25:19.15
and I say "Do you play this?
" "Oh yeah, I love this stuff. "
00:25:19.18\00:25:21.77
They've got CDs and all kinds
of other things piled around
00:25:21.80\00:25:25.19
their player and I'll say
"here's what you need to do: "
00:25:25.22\00:25:28.34
"take all of this stuff,
put it in a brown paper bag, "
00:25:28.37\00:25:31.35
"take it out to the dumpster
there and throw it in, "
00:25:31.38\00:25:34.26
"and go out and buy some
real good Christian music",
00:25:34.29\00:25:36.62
kind of the stuff we've
been hearing this morning, amen?
00:25:36.65\00:25:39.14
[Audience] Amen!
"...buy some of this kind"
00:25:39.17\00:25:41.26
"of music and put that in
your mind, and you will notice"
00:25:41.29\00:25:43.99
"a tremendous
difference in your life. "
00:25:44.02\00:25:46.54
How can you ask to be delivered
from something that you're
00:25:46.57\00:25:49.32
putting in your mind
over and over and over again?
00:25:49.35\00:25:51.94
If a person wants to quit
smoking, I have a little test,
00:25:51.97\00:25:55.62
they'll come to me and they'll
say "Pastor, I really want"
00:25:55.65\00:25:58.56
"to quit smoking", I'll
say "You want to quit? "
00:25:58.59\00:26:00.94
They'll say "Yes", I'll
say "Alright, hand over your"
00:26:00.97\00:26:03.18
"cigarettes right now. "
00:26:03.21\00:26:05.26
Oh, you should see the reactions
I get, "you mean right now? "
00:26:05.29\00:26:08.64
I say "You wanted
to quit didn't you? "
00:26:08.67\00:26:11.13
"Yes", "Well
then quit right now. "
00:26:11.16\00:26:13.54
Oh, you can't imagine the
fun I have asking that question,
00:26:13.57\00:26:15.96
[Audience laughs]
and I can always tell
00:26:15.99\00:26:18.45
the sincerity between
the 2 because some will say
00:26:18.48\00:26:21.13
"You bet", lay those
pack of cigarettes right down,
00:26:21.16\00:26:23.11
they'll say "I hate those
things, I want to be done"
00:26:23.14\00:26:25.06
"with them", I can
tell that person's serious.
00:26:25.09\00:26:27.39
When the other one says
"Well, I was kind of thinking"
00:26:27.42\00:26:30.28
"of maybe, sort of, quitting
on Friday", [Audience laughs]
00:26:30.31\00:26:33.46
I'll say "You come back when
you're serious and we'll talk. "
00:26:33.49\00:26:36.58
Then the person who puts
down the cigarettes on the table
00:26:36.61\00:26:39.03
I'll say "Now you go out in
your car, do you have any in"
00:26:39.06\00:26:41.44
"you car?" "Well
yeah, I think I have"
00:26:41.47\00:26:43.89
"a few there. "
"Go out into your car"
00:26:43.92\00:26:45.80
"and bring them in, put
them on the table too. "
00:26:45.83\00:26:48.26
So they do that; then I say
"Do you have any at your home? "
00:26:48.29\00:26:50.83
"Don't worry, I won't follow
you home, but do you have"
00:26:50.86\00:26:53.55
"any at home? " And
they say "Yeah, I think"
00:26:53.58\00:26:56.07
"I do have half a pack there.
" I say "Now here's what I want"
00:26:56.10\00:26:58.71
"you do to, you go home
and you take that half a pack"
00:26:58.74\00:27:01.31
"and you crush it in your
hand and throw it down in"
00:27:01.34\00:27:03.95
"the garbage, or the
toilet or wherever you want, "
00:27:03.98\00:27:06.71
"and you thank God for the
victory right then and there, "
00:27:06.74\00:27:09.24
"thing I'm going to do". I
know that that person is going
00:27:09.27\00:27:11.81
to have a victory, because
if that person was to leave
00:27:11.84\00:27:14.44
even half a cigarette
alone, knowing they knew
00:27:14.47\00:27:16.91
it was there in the house,
they're saying to them self this
00:27:16.94\00:27:19.56
"I'm going to fail, and
I'm leaving this here for when"
00:27:19.59\00:27:22.12
"I fail because I'm just
going to make it easier to grab"
00:27:22.15\00:27:24.82
"something rather than
have to go down to the store."
00:27:24.85\00:27:27.27
In other words, they really
don't believe they've been
00:27:27.30\00:27:29.79
delivered at all.
Once again, some people run
00:27:29.82\00:27:32.62
from temptation, others
crawl hoping it will catch up
00:27:32.67\00:27:35.73
with them. There
was a time in my life,
00:27:35.76\00:27:39.21
and I'm certainly not proud
of what I'm going to tell you,
00:27:39.24\00:27:40.92
but I'm going to share with you
this story because it might help
00:27:40.95\00:27:44.67
some, but in my pre-Christian
days I noticed that some people
00:27:44.70\00:27:48.39
around me were making
their own homemade wine,
00:27:48.42\00:27:50.94
and I was a drinker of
alcohol of that time, and I said
00:27:50.97\00:27:53.61
"I'm going to make my own
homemade wine", and I went down
00:27:53.64\00:27:56.26
to the hardware store and
I bought this crazy equipment
00:27:56.29\00:27:58.97
and I started to do it,
and I learned that you can make
00:27:59.00\00:28:01.65
different kinds, there's
apricot wine, and peach wine,
00:28:01.68\00:28:04.30
and whatever else
kind, and I would make these
00:28:04.33\00:28:07.07
various kinds and I would
put them in my basement on
00:28:07.10\00:28:10.19
a shelf, and I became proud
of it because it was myself
00:28:10.22\00:28:12.85
that made it, I didn't
have to go buy it, I made it.
00:28:12.88\00:28:15.43
Then, by God's grace, He brought
the truth to me that that
00:28:15.46\00:28:18.09
kind of thing destroys the
mind, and I said "I don't want"
00:28:18.12\00:28:20.51
"to drink it", so I got rid
of all of the beer, and the hard
00:28:20.54\00:28:22.89
liquor and these kinds
of things, but I didn't want
00:28:22.92\00:28:25.86
to get rid of this, the wine
on the shelf, because I made it.
00:28:25.89\00:28:30.05
Then you try to rationalize
it and justify it, and I said
00:28:30.08\00:28:32.63
"Well, they say it gets better
with age, so that's my reason"
00:28:32.66\00:28:34.78
"for leaving it there",
it's amazing how the mind tries
00:28:34.81\00:28:38.34
to rationalize sin, and
every time I went down into
00:28:38.37\00:28:42.05
the basement and looked at
those bottles sitting there
00:28:42.08\00:28:45.72
it was as if they
would call out to me and say:
00:28:45.75\00:28:47.48
"Ahem, over here, drink me,
see if I'm better with age. "
00:28:47.51\00:28:50.17
I would say "No, I don't want
to drink that", but I didn't
00:28:50.20\00:28:54.20
get rid of it either.
It was the strangest thing,
00:28:54.23\00:28:58.23
I'd go down in my basement,
whatever time, I'd look over
00:28:58.26\00:29:00.74
at that and it would still
be sitting there on the shelf,
00:29:00.77\00:29:03.93
and it's as if it would call
out to me and say "drink me, "
00:29:03.96\00:29:07.22
"see if I'm better with age,
I've been sitting here another"
00:29:07.25\00:29:09.53
"2 months", or
whatever it's been.
00:29:09.56\00:29:11.13
Finally, I realized how stupid
that was, so I took all of those
00:29:11.16\00:29:14.90
bottles, I wiped them all
off the shelf, poured them out,
00:29:14.93\00:29:19.51
except 1, and I left 1 solitary
bottle on that shelf, it did not
00:29:19.54\00:29:25.44
matter whether it was 20,
or whether it was 1, it was
00:29:25.47\00:29:28.53
the same temptation: "Drink me,
see if I get better with age. "
00:29:28.56\00:29:32.81
Finally, when I woke up
and regained my senses I popped
00:29:32.84\00:29:37.28
the cork off that bottle and
without even taking the smallest
00:29:37.31\00:29:40.37
sip I poured it down the
drain, and I know at that moment
00:29:40.40\00:29:43.43
I had a victory over that
substance, because now I had
00:29:43.46\00:29:46.42
made the real choice, before
that I was just playing with it,
00:29:46.45\00:29:49.45
now I had really made the
choice and I knew that God could
00:29:49.48\00:29:52.44
bless my life. This
next point is absolutely
00:29:52.47\00:29:56.46
essential, turn
with me to James 1:12,13.
00:29:56.49\00:30:04.73
The next very important,
and even fascinating point
00:30:04.76\00:30:07.61
in God's plan
for victory over sin.
00:30:07.64\00:30:10.94
Do not keep pornographic
material in the house and say
00:30:11.42\00:30:13.88
"Lord, I want to be delivered
from it", do not keep cigarettes
00:30:13.91\00:30:16.71
in the house and say "Lord, I
want to have victory over it",
00:30:16.74\00:30:19.51
Jesus said sometimes you've
got to make some very tough
00:30:19.54\00:30:22.14
decisions. "If
thy eye offend thee, "
00:30:22.17\00:30:24.75
"pluck it out, if they
hand offend thee, cut it off, "
00:30:24.78\00:30:27.39
Jesus isn't saying "maim
yourself", but He's saying
00:30:27.42\00:30:29.43
"sometimes you're going
to have to make some drastic"
00:30:29.46\00:30:31.39
"choices and you're going to
have to do that if you really"
00:30:31.42\00:30:34.26
"want a victory." Some
people say "Oh, how can"
00:30:34.29\00:30:36.42
"I get rid of all of this music
collection when I spent so much"
00:30:36.45\00:30:39.05
"money on it? " If
it's bad, okay you wasted
00:30:39.08\00:30:42.13
your money, if you listen
to it it's worse than wasted
00:30:42.16\00:30:44.72
because now you're continuing
to contaminate your mind.
00:30:44.75\00:30:47.28
In other words, we need
to do what we need to do.
00:30:47.31\00:30:49.82
James 1:12, 13,
here's what the Bible says:
00:30:49.85\00:30:58.19
"Blessed is the man that
endureth temptation, for when"
00:30:59.23\00:31:02.62
"he is tried he shall receive
the crown of life, which"
00:31:02.65\00:31:06.03
"the Lord has promised
to them that love Him."
00:31:06.06\00:31:08.54
"Let no man say when he is
tempted, I am tempted of God, "
00:31:08.57\00:31:11.54
"for God can not be tempted
with evil, neither tempteth"
00:31:11.57\00:31:14.08
"he any man, but every man
is tempted when he is drawn"
00:31:14.11\00:31:17.29
"away of his own
lust and enticed. "
00:31:17.32\00:31:20.48
Now notice what it says next:
"Then when lust has conceived, "
00:31:20.51\00:31:25.11
"it brings forth sin. "
Back in the 1970's when my
00:31:25.14\00:31:33.24
family and I watched a lot
of TV, there was a very, very
00:31:33.27\00:31:36.57
popular show on, this is before
some of you were even born,
00:31:36.60\00:31:40.03
so there's only a fraction
here who are going to know
00:31:40.06\00:31:42.96
what I'm talking about
next, but there was a very, very
00:31:42.99\00:31:46.45
popular show, it was called
"The Flip Wilson Comedy Hour",
00:31:46.48\00:31:49.88
okay, there's a few. Now,
Flip Wilson was at the top
00:31:49.91\00:31:53.43
of the ratings then, a
funny man, you had to say,
00:31:53.46\00:31:56.90
he was funny, so we would watch
the Flip Wilson Comedy Hour,
00:31:56.93\00:32:01.40
and Flip Wilson, because
they had drama skits and things
00:32:01.43\00:32:03.63
in there, he would always
be getting himself worked into
00:32:03.66\00:32:05.98
various kinds of trouble,
and then at the height of his
00:32:06.01\00:32:08.29
predicament he would
shout out and he would say:
00:32:08.32\00:32:11.19
"The Devil made me do
it", do you remember that line?
00:32:11.22\00:32:13.85
He became famous for saying
that line, "the Devil made me"
00:32:13.88\00:32:17.11
"do it", well, you can be
assured, it was a lot more funny
00:32:17.14\00:32:20.34
when Flip Wilson said it.
Well anyway, the point is,
00:32:20.37\00:32:23.10
even though he became very
popular and he was very funny,
00:32:23.13\00:32:27.44
what he was saying is a
lie, the Devil can't make us do
00:32:27.47\00:32:31.74
anything. The
Devil can pressure us,
00:32:31.77\00:32:35.05
the Devil can persecute
us, he can sorely tempt us,
00:32:35.49\00:32:39.35
but thank God that the
Devil can't make us sin.
00:32:39.38\00:32:43.80
Why? Because God
has not given him
00:32:43.90\00:32:45.20
that ability. Every
single one of us here
00:32:45.23\00:32:47.64
this morning has, as it
were, a door in your mind,
00:32:47.67\00:32:52.17
and God has not given the
Devil the power to open up
00:32:52.20\00:32:54.92
that door and walk in whenever
he chooses, he might knock
00:32:54.95\00:32:57.69
on that door, but it is up
to us because we have the power
00:32:57.72\00:33:01.23
to open that door, or
to keep that door shut.
00:33:01.26\00:33:04.31
I like how Billy Graham would
always say it, he would say
00:33:04.34\00:33:06.38
"When the Devil comes knocking
on the door of your mind"
00:33:06.41\00:33:08.39
"don't you think you have
the power to go answer it, "
00:33:08.42\00:33:11.23
he says "you send Jesus to the
door, He'll be able to handle"
00:33:11.26\00:33:14.29
"it a lot better than you can.
" Well, that is so true because
00:33:14.32\00:33:18.16
if we open up the door and
we allow him in, it's different
00:33:18.19\00:33:22.00
than simply allowing the
knocking, or knowing that
00:33:22.03\00:33:24.98
the Devil knocked there,
because temptation is not sin,
00:33:25.01\00:33:28.81
Jesus, our Lord, was
tempted, we're told in Scripture
00:33:28.84\00:33:31.12
and yet He was without sin,
it's only when we open the door
00:33:31.15\00:33:34.52
and we allow the temptation
to come in that it becomes sin,
00:33:34.55\00:33:37.29
why? Because we desired it now,
00:33:37.32\00:33:39.50
we desired it to remain, it
didn't have to remain there,
00:33:39.53\00:33:43.48
but we desired it to remain,
and that's why it becomes sin.
00:33:43.51\00:33:47.42
The key to this is that
when the sinful thought comes
00:33:47.45\00:33:51.75
to your mind and knocks
there, refuse that evil thought
00:33:51.78\00:33:56.12
immediately, do not wait 30
seconds, do not wait 10 seconds
00:33:56.15\00:34:00.85
and allow it to grow
and conceive, as James says,
00:34:00.88\00:34:03.43
but immediately say to yourself,
let's put it back on the screen
00:34:03.46\00:34:07.38
Cheryl, immediately
when temptation comes we want
00:34:07.41\00:34:12.46
to say: [text on screen]
00:34:12.49\00:34:14.76
Again, the absolute key is
to do it immediately, and you'll
00:34:18.24\00:34:22.73
be amazed how easy it is
to say no to that thought
00:34:22.76\00:34:26.30
and say "Thank You God for
the victory, I am dead to it. "
00:34:26.33\00:34:29.12
And don't just refuse
the thought because all of us
00:34:29.15\00:34:33.88
are thinking human beings,
and our mind has to dwell
00:34:33.91\00:34:36.77
on something. It's
like that old story
00:34:36.80\00:34:40.34
when they say "Don't think
of the green monkey, whatever"
00:34:40.51\00:34:42.84
"you do, don't think of
the green monkey", what are
00:34:42.87\00:34:45.63
you going to do? All
you're going to think about
00:34:45.66\00:34:48.42
is the green monkey.
So, we have to not just get
00:34:48.45\00:34:51.14
that thought out of our head,
but we have to put something
00:34:51.17\00:34:53.88
good in our head. When
Jesus was at His weakest
00:34:53.91\00:34:57.92
in the wilderness of temptation,
the Devil comes to Jesus
00:34:57.95\00:35:00.68
and tries to get Him to
sin, Jesus answered 3 times
00:35:00.71\00:35:03.92
and said "It is written... ".
00:35:03.95\00:35:08.72
If Jesus did it, we would
be well served to do it too.
00:35:08.76\00:35:12.32
"Thy word have I hid in
my heart that I might not"
00:35:12.35\00:35:15.94
"sin against Thee." The
Devil doesn't care how many
00:35:15.97\00:35:18.71
Bibles we own, the Devil doesn't
care how prominently we display
00:35:18.74\00:35:21.91
them in our house, the
Devil only cares if we get it
00:35:21.94\00:35:25.15
in our heart, and if we get
it in our heart we can quote
00:35:25.18\00:35:28.35
it back, and that's where
power comes, we quote it back.
00:35:28.38\00:35:30.83
When we say verses like
this in 1 Corinthians 10:13,
00:35:30.86\00:35:33.27
this is my
favorite: [text on screen]
00:35:33.30\00:35:36.71
Wow, that's a
long verse, isn't it?
00:35:43.47\00:35:45.11
By the time you quote all
that through, you almost forget
00:35:45.14\00:35:47.91
what you were tempted
with. [Audience laughs]
00:35:47.94\00:35:50.29
But that's the one I like and
I like a lot more, by the way,
00:35:50.32\00:35:52.97
but I quote that, and I
just quote it and I believe it,
00:35:53.00\00:35:55.48
and I know that
it's going to be so.
00:35:55.51\00:35:57.51
Many people fail because they
fail about the problem rather
00:35:57.54\00:36:02.03
than the solution to
the problem, for example,
00:36:02.06\00:36:04.82
they'll say "I am going to
stop smoking Friday 5 o'clock"
00:36:04.85\00:36:07.79
"after work", so Friday
5 o'clock after work comes,
00:36:07.82\00:36:10.48
they go back home, they
find their favorite easy chair
00:36:10.51\00:36:13.23
and they sit down, and
they grab one hand on one arm
00:36:13.26\00:36:15.91
of the chair, and another hand
on another arm of the chair,
00:36:15.94\00:36:18.55
and they sit there and they say
"I'm going to be a non-smoker, "
00:36:18.58\00:36:21.15
"I will not smoke, no I'm
not going to smoke, no I won't"
00:36:21.18\00:36:24.77
"do it, I will not smoke, I said
I wasn't going to and I'm not"
00:36:24.80\00:36:27.44
"going to, how long as it been?
Oh, I've been a non-smoker"
00:36:27.47\00:36:30.08
"5 minutes", and they're
sweating and all of these
00:36:30.11\00:36:33.10
things. What's the problem?
00:36:33.13\00:36:35.59
The problem is they're
thinking about the problem
00:36:35.62\00:36:38.24
until finally it builds, and
it builds, and it's cherished,
00:36:38.27\00:36:41.12
and they build, and then they
say "Oh, I just have to smoke"
00:36:41.15\00:36:43.97
and they run off to
the store and grab some.
00:36:44.00\00:36:46.53
They didn't have to
smoke, what did they do?
00:36:46.56\00:36:49.02
They failed to look to the
solution and they let their mind
00:36:49.05\00:36:52.39
be filled with the problem.
00:36:52.42\00:36:54.85
"No! Thank You Lord for
the victory, I am dead to it. "
00:36:54.96\00:36:59.16
If you respond immediately you
can turn your whole life around.
00:36:59.19\00:37:03.62
When I was about 14 years old,
going off to junior high school
00:37:03.65\00:37:08.84
I found that I was always
late for school because when
00:37:08.87\00:37:13.84
the alarm went off in the
morning I woke up and I said
00:37:13.87\00:37:19.72
to myself "Do I want
to get up right now? "
00:37:19.75\00:37:23.43
and I said "No", and
then I would go back to sleep.
00:37:23.46\00:37:28.25
You know, the snooze button
would get hit and the alarm
00:37:29.78\00:37:32.40
would go off again, and I
would wake up and I would say
00:37:32.43\00:37:35.17
"Now do I want to get up? "
"No, I don't want to get up. "
00:37:35.20\00:37:37.87
And this would go several times,
and finally the alarm would go
00:37:37.90\00:37:40.52
off and I look at the watch and
say "oh, I'm 45 minutes late"
00:37:40.55\00:37:43.14
and I'd jump out of bed
and try to get all done,
00:37:43.17\00:37:45.71
no, I couldn't
do it all on time.
00:37:45.74\00:37:48.28
The thought came to me,
and I know God must have given
00:37:48.31\00:37:50.76
this to me, even though I
wasn't a Christian, I didn't
00:37:50.79\00:37:53.35
know the Bible, I'm sure
that God gave this to me:
00:37:53.38\00:37:55.87
I said to myself "The problem
is I'm thinking about it, "
00:37:55.90\00:37:58.31
"I'm thinking about the
problem", so I said to myself,
00:37:58.34\00:38:00.67
as a young 14 year old boy, I
said "when the alarm goes off"
00:38:00.70\00:38:03.11
"I'm not going to ask myself the
question 'Do I feel tired?', "
00:38:03.14\00:38:05.48
"I'm just going to get
up. " So the alarm went off
00:38:05.51\00:38:07.99
the next morning and I jumped
to my feet, I didn't think
00:38:08.02\00:38:10.73
"Do I want to get up? ", I
didn't think "Am I tired? ",
00:38:10.76\00:38:13.40
I said "I'm jumping to my feet"
and I did, and then I thought
00:38:13.43\00:38:16.00
"Well, I'm already up, I
might as well go have a shower"
00:38:16.03\00:38:18.54
"and get ready, no sense in
going back to bed, I'm already"
00:38:18.57\00:38:21.17
"up, you just don't go back
to bed when you're already up. "
00:38:21.20\00:38:23.73
And then the next morning I
did it, and the next morning
00:38:23.76\00:38:26.28
I did it, and pretty soon I
wasn't late for school anymore,
00:38:26.31\00:38:29.01
I developed the habit of acting
rather than thinking about
00:38:29.04\00:38:31.70
what I want to do. I
acted on what I knew was
00:38:31.73\00:38:34.48
right to do, and it's the
same way when temptation comes.
00:38:34.51\00:38:38.42
Here's the good news, this
is great news: the brain has
00:38:38.45\00:38:42.28
a pathway that develops as a
habit develops, and the Lord has
00:38:42.31\00:38:47.41
given us the ability to develop
another pathway that makes it
00:38:47.44\00:38:52.79
easier to say "no" to the
habit than the pathway that said
00:38:52.82\00:38:55.58
"yes" to the habit. So
every time you say this
00:38:55.61\00:38:58.13
"No! Thank You Lord for
the victory, I am dead to it",
00:38:58.16\00:39:00.55
the brain fires
down a different pathway.
00:39:00.58\00:39:03.06
Then the next time you say it
it becomes easier and you fire
00:39:03.09\00:39:06.21
down that pathway again,
and then again, and again,
00:39:06.24\00:39:08.70
and pretty soon you close
up the high way that said "yes"
00:39:08.73\00:39:11.29
to that sinful habit,
you've developed a super highway
00:39:11.32\00:39:13.75
that says "no" to it, and
the brain will fire down that
00:39:13.78\00:39:17.42
pathway every time, it's
powerful the way that works.
00:39:17.45\00:39:21.26
God has given us the
ability, even as you analyze it
00:39:21.29\00:39:26.03
in the physical sense
to resist sin, this is what
00:39:26.68\00:39:31.08
the Bible speaks about
when it says, 2 Corinthians 10:5
00:39:31.11\00:39:34.41
we are to: [text on screen]
00:39:34.44\00:39:37.00
Once again, we look at this
famous verse in Philippians 4:13
00:39:40.25\00:39:43.27
[text on screen]
00:39:43.30\00:39:44.75
We're told in James to
submit ourselves unto God,
00:39:48.81\00:39:53.46
and when we do that, you
can resist the Devil and he
00:39:53.72\00:39:55.93
will flee. Now,
there's something else
00:39:55.96\00:39:58.62
I have not really mentioned
too much, but we need to take
00:39:58.65\00:40:02.86
the remainder of our
time and really go into this.
00:40:02.89\00:40:06.49
In Isaiah 45:22, here's
what the Scriptures say,
00:40:06.52\00:40:10.96
Jesus says: [text on screen]
00:40:11.95\00:40:14.57
There is a powerful principle
here, and that is we look
00:40:19.39\00:40:23.46
to God and not to ourself.
So many people fail because
00:40:23.49\00:40:26.96
they simply say "I can do
it, I'm strong enough, I've got"
00:40:26.99\00:40:30.69
"the ability, I've got the
will power", and the Lord says
00:40:30.72\00:40:34.38
"No, you don't,
look to Me and be saved".
00:40:34.41\00:40:38.29
In 1 Corinthians 1:18,
is another powerful verse
00:40:38.67\00:40:43.09
of Scripture, it
tells us: [text on screen]
00:40:43.12\00:40:47.28
The Greek more accurately
reads here "but unto us which"
00:40:53.04\00:40:55.37
"are being saved, it
is the power of God. "
00:40:55.40\00:40:58.48
It says "the preaching of the
cross", let's understand what
00:40:58.51\00:41:01.50
that means, to try to put
it in as simple terms as I can
00:41:01.53\00:41:04.34
this morning, when we say
"the preaching of the cross",
00:41:04.37\00:41:07.10
isn't it true that what
we're saying is "the preaching"
00:41:07.13\00:41:10.94
"of God's incredible gift
of love in giving His Son,"
00:41:10.97\00:41:14.86
"Jesus Christ, to come
and die in our place. "
00:41:14.89\00:41:18.71
That incredible gift of
a loving God towards His
00:41:18.74\00:41:22.79
creatures is the preaching
of the cross, and it says
00:41:22.82\00:41:27.27
that is power for us who
are being saved, so if we're not
00:41:27.30\00:41:31.96
finding the power, maybe
we're not dwelling enough on
00:41:31.99\00:41:36.57
the preaching of the cross
and what the cross is all about,
00:41:36.60\00:41:38.74
what do you
say? [Audience] Amen.
00:41:38.77\00:41:41.34
We're not thinking enough
about what Jesus did for us,
00:41:41.37\00:41:44.18
we're not thinking
about that great gift.
00:41:44.21\00:41:46.76
So often we do something
that the Bible says not to do,
00:41:46.79\00:41:51.25
we say "I have this sin in
my life, and yes, I know that"
00:41:51.28\00:41:55.70
"it's wrong, and perhaps
God would want me to give"
00:41:55.73\00:41:57.94
"that up, but at least it's
not as big a sin as that guy"
00:41:57.97\00:42:00.29
"over there. Boy, he's
got some whopping big sins,"
00:42:00.32\00:42:04.42
"so mine aren't that bad,
because look at that one over"
00:42:04.45\00:42:06.96
"there too, whoa, they've
really got some big ones",
00:42:06.99\00:42:09.56
in other words, we compare
ourselves among ourselves
00:42:09.59\00:42:12.44
and by ourselves, and the
Bible says that's foolishness.
00:42:12.47\00:42:16.31
The only way to really
understand the evilness of sin
00:42:16.34\00:42:22.66
is to understand what sin
costs, and the only way to know
00:42:22.69\00:42:28.06
what sin costs is to
understand what it cost God.
00:42:28.09\00:42:32.61
And if it cost God the death
of His Son, listen dear friends,
00:42:33.41\00:42:39.88
then that sin that we have
deceived our self into thinking
00:42:39.91\00:42:44.49
might be small, if that sin
is evil enough that Jesus would
00:42:44.52\00:42:50.03
have to die that it may be
forgiven, now that will create
00:42:50.06\00:42:53.83
a hatred towards it in
our minds, we understand that?
00:42:53.86\00:42:57.56
When we really understand it
we'll say "I hate that thing"
00:42:57.59\00:43:01.48
"because I love Jesus, and
I don't want to do anything"
00:43:01.51\00:43:05.34
"that would cause Jesus to
have to die, that that sin"
00:43:05.37\00:43:08.89
"would have to be forgiven.
" The ultimate way to quit sin
00:43:08.92\00:43:14.17
is to know what God
gave that that sin would have
00:43:14.20\00:43:17.49
to be forgiven.
Overcoming begins with
00:43:17.52\00:43:21.31
believing, do you know how
you look at the churches in
00:43:21.34\00:43:24.65
Revelation 2 and 3, and
in every single case God says
00:43:24.68\00:43:28.07
"to him that overcometh
will I give to eat of the fruit"
00:43:28.10\00:43:31.49
"of the tree of life", "to him
that overcometh I will grant"
00:43:31.52\00:43:34.84
"to sit down with Me in My
throne, even as I also overcame"
00:43:34.87\00:43:38.15
"and sat down with My
Father in His throne",
00:43:38.18\00:43:40.57
"to Him that overcometh
will I give a new name",
00:43:40.60\00:43:42.91
all of these beautiful promises,
"To him that overcometh...",
00:43:42.94\00:43:46.38
overcoming begins with
believing, with having faith,
00:43:46.41\00:43:52.12
believing in what God
says. Notice the words up on
00:43:52.15\00:43:55.33
the screen right
now: [text on screen]
00:43:55.36\00:43:58.85
We should rise each morning
and say this to ourselves folks.
00:44:02.57\00:44:05.50
Notice, it doesn't say "I
wish I could be an overcomer",
00:44:05.53\00:44:08.21
it doesn't say "It would
be a good idea if I overcame",
00:44:08.24\00:44:11.88
it does not say "One day
I might be an overcomer",
00:44:11.91\00:44:16.02
no, it says "Through the
grace of God I am an overcomer".
00:44:16.05\00:44:20.59
I want you to say this out loud
with me right now, if you could
00:44:20.62\00:44:24.47
please, here we go: "Through the
grace of God I am an overcomer",
00:44:24.50\00:44:28.31
again, "Through the grace
of God I am an overcomer".
00:44:28.34\00:44:32.31
One more time "Through the
grace of God I am an overcomer".
00:44:32.99\00:44:37.77
It makes a difference, "believe
it, though you have not seen it"
00:44:38.51\00:44:42.85
"and it will be
true in your life. "
00:44:42.88\00:44:45.11
You say to yourself: "I want
joy, I will have joy", "I want"
00:44:45.14\00:44:52.00
"to be free, through the
grace of God, I am free",
00:44:52.03\00:44:55.56
"I will surrender, I
do surrender to Jesus. "
00:44:55.59\00:44:59.31
You can change your whole
life with a different attitude.
00:44:59.34\00:45:02.99
I'll never forget, I was
working in a retail store, I had
00:45:03.02\00:45:06.53
the midnight to 8.30 shift
stocking shelves; I'll tell you,
00:45:06.56\00:45:08.43
when you don't get any sleep the
day before, that's a long shift,
00:45:08.46\00:45:15.12
and we would go and we
would have all of our good times
00:45:15.98\00:45:19.74
all through the day,
and up through the night,
00:45:19.77\00:45:21.84
and because we were young
we thought "We're invincible",
00:45:21.87\00:45:24.34
it's amazing how young people
think they're bullet proof,
00:45:24.37\00:45:26.80
but anyway, you find
out later on you're not.
00:45:26.83\00:45:29.33
Anyway, we would go all day long
and up to midnight, and then
00:45:29.36\00:45:31.87
start our shift, and then we'd
go through the night, and by
00:45:31.90\00:45:34.44
the time we got to 5.30 in
the morning, we were grumbling
00:45:34.47\00:45:36.98
and complaining a lot.
And in would come Fred,
00:45:37.01\00:45:40.15
Fred was the meat manager
and Fred was about to stock
00:45:40.18\00:45:44.33
his shelves, we were at one
of these food retail stores,
00:45:44.36\00:45:48.53
and Fred would come in, and
he would walk by us on his way
00:45:48.56\00:45:51.17
to the meat department, he would
say "Good morning everyone, "
00:45:51.20\00:45:54.37
"isn't it a great morning?
" "Oh Fred, get out of here. "
00:45:54.40\00:45:57.76
[Audience laughs] We
would say "Go away Fred. "
00:45:57.79\00:46:00.21
Then Fred would come in the next
day "Hello to you all, isn't it"
00:46:00.24\00:46:03.52
"a wonderful day?
How are you all? "
00:46:03.55\00:46:05.46
Just the biggest smile on
his face, and we would say
00:46:05.49\00:46:07.89
"Fred, we don't want to hear
it, we're not in the mood, "
00:46:07.92\00:46:10.71
"please go away", every
single day he was like that.
00:46:10.74\00:46:15.50
So, one time when we
were by our self and I could,
00:46:15.53\00:46:19.35
I pulled Fred aside, I
said "Fred, come on, nobody's"
00:46:19.38\00:46:22.82
"that happy." [Audience laughs]
00:46:22.85\00:46:25.43
"What's going on here?
Would you share with me"
00:46:25.46\00:46:28.77
"how is it that you
could be always so happy? "
00:46:28.80\00:46:32.03
Well, Fred was kind of a
jokester, but for the first
00:46:32.06\00:46:34.44
time he got more of a serious
look on his face and he said
00:46:34.47\00:46:38.02
"Brian, I wasn't always
this way, in fact, I used to be"
00:46:38.05\00:46:42.03
"just the opposite, I used
to be negative, I used to be"
00:46:42.06\00:46:46.01
"unhappy, I used to be
all the things that I don't"
00:46:46.04\00:46:48.57
"want to be; and I made up
my mind one morning I was not"
00:46:48.60\00:46:51.94
"going to be that way, and I
was not going to spend the rest"
00:46:51.97\00:46:54.46
"of my life that way, and I
said: 'I am going to be happy' "
00:46:54.49\00:46:57.14
" 'even if I don't feel like
it right night, I'm going to' "
00:46:57.17\00:46:59.76
" 'act it, I'm going to act like
I have joy, and I'm going' "
00:46:59.79\00:47:03.22
" 'to talk about joy, and I'm
going to greet people with' "
00:47:03.25\00:47:06.44
" 'a smile on my face' ", and
he said "at first I did that, "
00:47:06.47\00:47:09.63
"and I have to admit, I
didn't feel it in my heart, "
00:47:09.66\00:47:12.25
"but the more I did it, the more
I did feel it in my heart, "
00:47:12.28\00:47:15.27
"and I became that individual,
and now it's just natural"
00:47:15.30\00:47:17.92
"for me, I don't have to put
on anything, that's the kind"
00:47:17.95\00:47:20.51
"of person I am", we can change
our life by the grace of God.
00:47:20.54\00:47:25.76
You say to yourself "I will
be free, I am free in Jesus. "
00:47:25.79\00:47:31.88
"I want to
surrender, I do surrender. "
00:47:32.66\00:47:36.24
"I will overcome, I am
overcoming through the grace"
00:47:36.27\00:47:41.24
"of God in my life. " Can
you get up in the morning,
00:47:41.27\00:47:45.76
and can you say, along
with David, "I delight to do"
00:47:45.79\00:47:49.17
"Thy will, O my God, yea,
Thy law is within my heart. "
00:47:49.20\00:47:52.25
Can you say "Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven"
00:47:52.28\00:47:55.30
and really mean it?
Some people try to act
00:47:55.33\00:47:59.18
happy in spite of
their religion, have you ever
00:47:59.21\00:48:03.13
found that, someone like that?
"Oh, I've got to do this, "
00:48:03.16\00:48:05.96
"and I can't do that, and
I can't wear this, I can't"
00:48:05.99\00:48:08.42
"wear that, I can't listen
to that; oh, I'm so unhappy, "
00:48:08.45\00:48:10.85
"but I've got to
be a Christian. "
00:48:10.88\00:48:13.09
Some people are trying to be
happy in spite of their faith,
00:48:13.12\00:48:15.93
God wants us to be
joyful because of our faith.
00:48:15.96\00:48:18.57
[Audience] Amen. The
wise person will always
00:48:18.60\00:48:21.15
think it more important
what their faith gives them than
00:48:21.18\00:48:23.78
what their faith denies them.
What does my faith give me?
00:48:23.81\00:48:26.44
It gives me the love of God
in my life, it gives me joy,
00:48:26.47\00:48:29.02
it gives me peace, it gives me
all of these wonderful things,
00:48:29.05\00:48:31.51
think on those things.
00:48:31.54\00:48:33.53
When the Devil comes to you
and says that you're a great
00:48:35.25\00:48:39.30
sinner, what should you say?
You should say "I know it, "
00:48:39.33\00:48:44.07
"but I have a great Saviour,
and Jesus came not to call"
00:48:44.10\00:48:47.25
"the righteous, but
sinners, to repentance. "
00:48:47.28\00:48:51.29
"Come ye weary, heavy laden,
crushed and ruined in the fall,"
00:48:51.43\00:48:56.99
"if you wait until you're
better, you'll never come"
00:48:57.62\00:49:00.69
"at all. Not the righteous,"
00:49:00.72\00:49:03.51
"not the righteous, but
sinners, Jesus came to call. "
00:49:04.06\00:49:08.96
Say to yourself when
you get up in the morning:
00:49:09.50\00:49:12.22
"Jesus is my Saviour, I
will love Him because He first"
00:49:12.25\00:49:17.31
"loved me. "
00:49:17.71\00:49:18.82
The Bible predicted a time, a
time like ours, when the world
00:49:21.53\00:49:25.91
would be plummeting
towards its final destiny;
00:49:25.94\00:49:29.13
nature thrown out of her
course, some of the worst fires,
00:49:29.16\00:49:33.18
and natural disasters
ever recorded in history,
00:49:33.21\00:49:36.26
with violence, and
crime spreading like cancer
00:49:36.29\00:49:39.28
in the big cities.
And the passions of men
00:49:39.31\00:49:42.03
spilling over into global
conflicts that seem to involve
00:49:42.06\00:49:45.28
every nation on
earth. [text on screen]
00:49:45.31\00:49:48.88
In 2002 Pastor Doug Batchelor
presented "Visions for Life"
00:50:00.24\00:50:04.95
in Cameroon, Central Africa,
this 24 night series was held
00:50:04.98\00:50:08.56
in the city of Yaoundé.
The program was broadcast
00:50:08.59\00:50:12.46
in 24 languages, and
reached more than 30 counties,
00:50:12.49\00:50:16.32
5,000 people were
baptized in Cameroon alone,
00:50:16.35\00:50:20.45
there were 1600 down link sites
on the continent of Africa,
00:50:20.59\00:50:23.82
and many countries participated
in the "Visions for Life"
00:50:23.85\00:50:27.02
satellite evangelistic effort.
00:50:27.05\00:50:29.62
So in these seminars we're
presenting Jesus, we're talking
00:50:30.52\00:50:33.08
about Jesus as the resurrection
and the life, Jesus as
00:50:33.11\00:50:36.19
the Saviour of the world,
Jesus as the theme of Bible
00:50:36.22\00:50:40.00
prophecy, Jesus as the
soon coming King, Jesus as our
00:50:40.03\00:50:43.93
mediator between us and
God, people are meeting Jesus,
00:50:43.96\00:50:47.69
people are becoming one with
Jesus, they're being changed
00:50:47.72\00:50:51.22
by Jesus, that's going to
continue to happen as long
00:50:51.25\00:50:55.07
as we have breath to
proclaim His message.
00:50:55.10\00:50:58.21
I'll tell you about a
friend of mine named Tim,
00:50:58.24\00:51:01.87
he'd learned some things from
the Bible, he'd started watching
00:51:01.90\00:51:05.36
some TV programming, and he'd
started watching Doug Batchelor
00:51:05.39\00:51:08.82
in the "Millennium of Prophecy".
He woke up one Saturday
00:51:08.85\00:51:13.93
morning and he said "Okay,
I know it's the Sabbath, "
00:51:14.36\00:51:19.28
- "I'm going to church today.
" - You understand that as I
00:51:19.31\00:51:23.25
prayed this prayer, I don't
have a clue where a Sabbath
00:51:23.29\00:51:27.20
keeping church is, and I'm
in Sacramento, as I was going
00:51:27.23\00:51:30.59
I said "Lord, I'm going to
church, and You're just going"
00:51:30.62\00:51:33.95
"to have to
direct me where to go."
00:51:33.98\00:51:37.28
I noticed a neighbor was
backing out of their drive way,
00:51:37.66\00:51:42.82
a man and his wife, and they
were dressed in nice clothes.
00:51:44.34\00:51:48.35
I don't know where they're
going, but I was impressed
00:51:48.38\00:51:53.22
to follow them, so this is like
a 10 mile trip, and I'm going
00:51:53.25\00:51:58.99
"Where are these people going",
we were a long way from my
00:51:59.26\00:52:03.56
house now, they pulled off of
the freeway, and into a school
00:52:03.59\00:52:08.66
parking lot, and I felt
impressed to keep following
00:52:08.69\00:52:11.87
them. So I got out of my car,
00:52:11.90\00:52:14.15
and they went into the school,
and they went into an auditorium
00:52:14.18\00:52:18.67
and I was right behind them,
and lo and behold, when I walked
00:52:18.70\00:52:21.90
into the auditorium, there was
a Seventh Day Adventist church
00:52:21.93\00:52:25.07
meeting in this school
auditorium, so it was the very
00:52:25.10\00:52:29.27
first time that I had ever
attended church on Sabbath.
00:52:29.30\00:52:34.22
Amazing Facts employs 12
evangelists like John Bradshaw,
00:52:34.96\00:52:39.33
their combined efforts last
year brought in 15,000 souls.
00:52:39.36\00:52:43.75
Amazing Facts has over 65,000
people enrolled in the Bible
00:52:43.78\00:52:48.11
school, all of the materials
used for the Bible school
00:52:48.14\00:52:51.62
are made available free
to the thousands seeking
00:52:51.65\00:52:55.59
to understand God's
word. More than 110,000 people
00:52:55.62\00:53:00.19
visit Amazing Fact's websites
each month, the websites provide
00:53:00.22\00:53:04.68
a vast resource for
the searching heart.
00:53:04.71\00:53:08.36
...Because I wanted to
know the Bible better, and I had
00:53:10.97\00:53:14.28
this desire to want to share
my faith with people, but I
00:53:14.31\00:53:17.57
didn't know how, I
wanted to know how.
00:53:17.60\00:53:20.25
AFCOE and incredible
experience. I learned how
00:53:20.28\00:53:25.24
to work with people, how to
share my faith, how to be able
00:53:25.27\00:53:28.93
to reach the heart, and it
was an experience that just
00:53:28.96\00:53:31.81
completely changed my own
life. The teachers at AFCOE
00:53:31.84\00:53:35.31
are wonderful, they're
funny, they're down to earth,
00:53:35.34\00:53:39.37
but they're spiritual,
very, very spiritual people.
00:53:39.40\00:53:43.98
Amazing Facts College
of Evangelism, or AFCOE,
00:53:44.48\00:53:47.86
offers a 4 month, a 2
week condensed program,
00:53:47.89\00:53:51.09
a 1 month introductory program,
and a 6 week "Youth in action"
00:53:51.12\00:53:56.36
"literature evangelism course".
00:53:56.39\00:53:59.04
It's interesting because
my husband and I are always
00:54:02.23\00:54:06.00
asking the Lord to show
us ways to witness to people.
00:54:06.03\00:54:09.58
I was introduced to Amazing
Facts by Kimberly, she came
00:54:09.61\00:54:13.17
through, I work at Bel
Air, and she had come through
00:54:13.20\00:54:16.72
my line and I noticed
that she ate very well.
00:54:16.75\00:54:20.95
She grabbed some of my eggplant,
and holds it up and says
00:54:21.26\00:54:24.17
"how do you cook this?"
and I said "Well, since I'm"
00:54:24.20\00:54:27.53
"vegetarian, this
is the way I do it...",
00:54:27.56\00:54:29.56
and she immediately says
"Oh my word, I've been wanting"
00:54:29.59\00:54:33.25
"to learn how to
cook vegetarian. "
00:54:33.28\00:54:35.29
It was interesting from the
very beginning, Shauna was like
00:54:35.32\00:54:37.53
"Well, I don't know
if I'd believe in God".
00:54:37.56\00:54:39.96
...It's a personal
being that loves me.
00:54:39.99\00:54:42.32
But I just have such
a different perspective,
00:54:42.35\00:54:44.84
it just brings tears to my
eyes to know that there's God
00:54:44.87\00:54:48.63
up there who loves each
and every one of us, and wants
00:54:48.66\00:54:50.75
- to save us. - So we
really found we needed
00:54:50.78\00:54:53.78
some tools. The
Millennium of Prophecy video
00:54:53.81\00:54:57.41
set from Amazing Facts was
an excellent tool in guiding
00:54:57.44\00:55:00.92
- Shauna and David. -
I am actually, my husband
00:55:00.95\00:55:04.38
and I getting baptized
next week, next Saturday,
00:55:04.41\00:55:07.81
we are so
excited, I never imagined.
00:55:07.84\00:55:11.17
It's about 23 years abusing
drugs, alcohol, cigarettes,
00:55:15.97\00:55:20.95
and about anything I could
put into my body, I abused.
00:55:21.39\00:55:25.92
Well, I was a drug addict
for 25 years and I found myself
00:55:25.95\00:55:30.21
a 3 time felon back in
jail again with weapons charges
00:55:30.24\00:55:34.44
and facing state prison
time, and ended up that the last
00:55:34.47\00:55:40.10
time I went into prison I
realized that if I didn't stop
00:55:40.62\00:55:44.14
using now I was going to
die. We were clean and sober
00:55:44.17\00:55:47.98
and we had a little 19"
or a 13" TV with rabbit ears,
00:55:48.01\00:55:51.90
and he started flipping the
channels, and lo and behold,
00:55:51.93\00:55:54.73
channel 27 came on, and
it was Pastor Doug Batchelor.
00:55:54.76\00:55:58.15
We were having trouble
understanding the Bible
00:55:58.18\00:56:00.70
because everything was so hard
to read, and the words were hard
00:56:00.73\00:56:03.42
to pronounce, but we
would have a question, we turned
00:56:03.45\00:56:06.02
the TV on that night, and
he would answer the question;
00:56:06.05\00:56:08.51
whether it would be on Sabbath,
or tithing, or the state
00:56:08.54\00:56:11.18
of the dead, and we knew
that it was the truth, we knew
00:56:11.21\00:56:15.19
that he was speaking from
the Bible, and the Bible only.
00:56:15.22\00:56:17.74
One day I walked into
Taco Bell and there was
00:56:17.77\00:56:20.65
Pastor Doug, so I walked up
to him and I asked him if he was
00:56:20.68\00:56:24.24
the man on TV, and
he said yes he was.
00:56:24.27\00:56:27.01
So I told him a little bit
about our testimony, and he ran
00:56:27.04\00:56:30.20
out to his car and he got a
book and invited us to church.
00:56:30.23\00:56:33.38
...And it was Pastor Doug,
he said "How you guys doing? "
00:56:33.91\00:56:36.32
I said "Pastor Doug, I
just quit smoking", he said
00:56:36.35\00:56:38.86
"Well, you know it's
time to get baptized. "
00:56:38.89\00:56:41.10
Millions of viewers like Rich
and Susan have the opportunity
00:56:41.13\00:56:44.25
to hear the Word of God, pure,
simple and Christ centered,
00:56:44.28\00:56:47.37
the Millennium of Prophecy
series is broadcast on 12
00:56:47.40\00:56:51.11
networks in the US, Asia,
the Middle East, and Russia,
00:56:51.14\00:56:55.64
and 210 TV stations in the
US. Every Sunday evening Pastor
00:56:55.67\00:57:00.25
Doug Batchelor presents
Bible Answers Live, a nationwide
00:57:00.28\00:57:04.53
call in program, over 150
radio stations in the US carry
00:57:04.56\00:57:08.70
the program, enabling people
to learn many wonderful truths
00:57:08.73\00:57:12.84
from God's word.
Your involvement in this
00:57:12.87\00:57:15.61
ministry will make a difference
to people all over the world.
00:57:15.64\00:57:19.04
We solicit your prayers for
God's guidance in the future.
00:57:19.07\00:57:22.83
Now is the time.
00:57:22.86\00:57:24.36
The Amazing Facts catalogue
provides quality Christian
00:57:28.28\00:57:30.80
resources for people
seeking a closer walk with God,
00:57:30.83\00:57:33.80
and those wanting
to share their faith.
00:57:33.83\00:57:35.91
With over 300 new items
to choose from, you're sure
00:57:35.94\00:57:39.33
to find plenty of
spiritual food for the soul.
00:57:39.36\00:57:42.43
To order your free catalogue
call: [information on screen]
00:57:42.46\00:57:46.45
Or write to:
[information on screen]
00:57:46.48\00:57:49.77