My name is Gavriel. Gabrielle, Jibril, Gabriel. 00:01:56.90\00:02:04.76 The strength of God. 00:02:04.79\00:02:09.04 Journey with me to a time when the emergence 00:02:09.07\00:02:13.88 of government superpowers was not yet, 00:02:13.91\00:02:19.10 to a time before the great wars. 00:02:19.13\00:02:22.20 Before Napoleon and his unstoppable French military 00:02:26.03\00:02:30.34 scoured the face of Europe and Africa. 00:02:30.37\00:02:34.92 To a time before a nation under God declared 00:02:34.95\00:02:38.59 its independence with words and then with blood. 00:02:38.62\00:02:44.48 Won its freedom. 00:02:44.51\00:02:47.72 Before the monk named Luther defied a theocracy when 00:02:47.75\00:02:52.00 he tacked his 95 proofs to the doors of an establishment. 00:02:52.03\00:02:58.55 Before the bubonic plague claimed 00:02:58.58\00:03:01.04 one in every three people of Europe. 00:03:01.07\00:03:05.40 Before Christianity took its first fledgling steps 00:03:05.43\00:03:09.21 into a world that was determined to destroy it. 00:03:09.24\00:03:14.16 Before the apostles. Before the Christ. 00:03:14.19\00:03:19.38 Before Asians crossed the Bering Strait into America 00:03:23.69\00:03:27.78 and swapped their furs for feathers. 00:03:27.81\00:03:31.32 Before the Greeks and their many Gods. Before the Persians. 00:03:31.35\00:03:38.42 Long before the Egyptian Pharaoh Horus Netjeri-khet 00:03:38.45\00:03:43.16 raised the first pyramids atop the broken backs of his slaves 00:03:43.19\00:03:48.66 and his prisoners of war. 00:03:48.69\00:03:52.57 Before the Druids dragged bluestone monoliths 00:03:52.60\00:03:56.64 up the Avon River and made their henge of stone. 00:03:56.67\00:04:01.06 Before the Sumerians hung their famous gardens 00:04:01.09\00:04:04.18 and King Hammurabi formed the earliest constitution. 00:04:04.21\00:04:08.72 Before the first downpour in history 00:04:08.75\00:04:11.49 fell up on Noah's cypress ark. 00:04:11.52\00:04:14.67 Before Enoch walked with God. 00:04:14.70\00:04:17.65 Before Adam fell in love with Eve. 00:04:17.68\00:04:22.39 Even before the earth was just a black wet blotch in space. 00:04:22.42\00:04:30.13 Journey with me to a time 00:04:31.37\00:04:36.23 when there was war in heaven, 00:04:36.26\00:04:40.77 Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon, 00:04:40.80\00:04:43.84 and the Dragon fought and his angels and prevailed not, 00:04:43.87\00:04:49.41 neither was there place found anymore in heaven. 00:04:49.44\00:04:54.67 And the great Dragon was cast out 00:04:54.70\00:04:57.03 that old serpent called the devil and called Satan, 00:04:57.06\00:05:01.47 which deceiveth the entire world. 00:05:01.50\00:05:05.58 He was cast out into the earth, 00:05:05.61\00:05:09.14 and his angels were cast out with him. 00:05:09.17\00:05:11.77 My name is Gabriel, and this is your story. 00:05:18.91\00:05:24.44 The plan for our redemption was not an after thought. 00:05:32.82\00:05:37.54 God did not ordained that sin should exist, 00:05:37.57\00:05:41.59 but He foresaw its existence and made provision. 00:05:41.62\00:05:46.04 The question is often asked how did sin start 00:05:49.05\00:05:52.18 and who did it start with? 00:05:52.21\00:05:53.92 And the Bible is clear in Revelation, 00:05:53.95\00:05:56.77 the 12th chapter in verse 7. 00:05:56.80\00:05:59.95 It says words that shouldn't even make sense 00:05:59.98\00:06:01.82 to the humankind, for there there'd be war in heaven, 00:06:01.85\00:06:04.58 because that's what the word say, 00:06:04.61\00:06:05.98 there was war in heaven. 00:06:06.01\00:06:07.38 It's a declaration that there existed war in heaven. 00:06:07.41\00:06:10.31 Heaven is a place that should be far in a war 00:06:10.34\00:06:13.07 and there was war in heaven between Christ 00:06:13.10\00:06:15.13 and the devil himself named Lucifer at that time. 00:06:15.16\00:06:18.93 The way I pictured it is that 00:06:18.96\00:06:20.37 Lucifer was made-- created perfect. 00:06:20.40\00:06:23.95 And I think sometimes perfection can get to somebody. 00:06:23.98\00:06:28.33 And in that sense, his perfection, 00:06:28.36\00:06:30.07 his beauty, his ability, his wisdom, his power, 00:06:30.10\00:06:33.21 I think got to him because of one ingredient 00:06:33.24\00:06:36.14 that God gave that was really risking it 00:06:36.17\00:06:38.07 with any created being. 00:06:38.10\00:06:39.98 And that was the power to choose. 00:06:40.01\00:06:42.21 And somehow inside of this perfect creature 00:06:42.24\00:06:45.88 was found an element of self-focus. 00:06:45.91\00:06:48.74 And that in itself drove him, we don't know how long, 00:06:48.77\00:06:52.25 year after year, millennium after millennium. 00:06:52.28\00:06:55.03 Something caused him to think very highly of himself, 00:06:55.06\00:06:58.69 so much so until he thought 00:06:58.72\00:07:00.99 he could actually be God and take God's place. 00:07:01.02\00:07:04.04 In my mind, the only way a created being 00:07:04.07\00:07:07.35 can come to the conclusion that they're better 00:07:07.38\00:07:09.07 than their creator is they have to have 00:07:09.10\00:07:11.30 a creator that's very humble. 00:07:11.33\00:07:13.15 So I think God was so non-threatening 00:07:13.18\00:07:15.90 and so loving to His creatures until this created being 00:07:15.93\00:07:19.75 thought that he could be just as good as God. 00:07:19.78\00:07:22.78 And so there was war in heaven 00:07:22.81\00:07:24.18 because you can't have competing Godheads. 00:07:24.21\00:07:26.75 Or gods in heave, so one person had to go. 00:07:26.78\00:07:29.70 And so, Michael and his angels cast out the enemy 00:07:29.73\00:07:32.94 and he was cast down to this earth. 00:07:32.97\00:07:34.98 Of course, in Hebrew, the Bible says they cast out 00:07:35.01\00:07:37.20 the (speaking in Hebrew) or out of darkness. 00:07:37.23\00:07:39.83 So whatever happened, he arrived here somehow. 00:07:39.86\00:07:42.83 But at any rate, he's here, he's causing problems, 00:07:42.86\00:07:45.84 and the controversy continues, 00:07:45.87\00:07:47.85 because good has to confront evil 00:07:47.88\00:07:51.27 and that controversy continues even to today. 00:07:51.30\00:07:54.53 So then here we are, we got a new heaven 00:07:59.19\00:08:02.80 that God has created and Jesus had to spoke 00:08:02.83\00:08:04.86 and He came into existence, but the controversy continues 00:08:04.89\00:08:08.43 and God has enough faith in His ability to redeem 00:08:08.46\00:08:12.62 mankind until He allows mankind to be exposed to this power, 00:08:12.65\00:08:18.57 only in spot in the garden. 00:08:18.60\00:08:20.24 But that creature comes and he tempts Adam and Eve, 00:08:20.27\00:08:22.96 starting with Eve and Adam deliberately 00:08:22.99\00:08:24.87 with his eyes wide open chose to sin which makes his fall, 00:08:24.90\00:08:28.78 his problem worse than his wife's. 00:08:28.81\00:08:31.17 But in essence, they fall. 00:08:31.20\00:08:32.79 They fall because they say "yes" 00:08:32.82\00:08:34.87 to a concept that was really ridiculous. 00:08:34.90\00:08:37.66 The devil offered them what they already had. 00:08:37.69\00:08:39.80 He said if you would just eat of this, you'll become like God. 00:08:39.83\00:08:43.85 Well, of course Genesis said they were made 00:08:43.88\00:08:45.57 an image of God in the first chapter. 00:08:45.60\00:08:47.55 It says that they actually in the image of God already, 00:08:47.58\00:08:50.06 so there they are in a lost condition, 00:08:50.09\00:08:53.04 there should be no hope, there is no excuse really, 00:08:53.07\00:08:55.88 even though they tried the blame different things, 00:08:55.91\00:08:58.63 but there they are caught with the cookie crumbs 00:08:58.66\00:09:00.49 around their mouth and they knew they had the cookies, 00:09:00.52\00:09:02.61 so now they're caught and they're standing there 00:09:02.64\00:09:06.25 and the only thing Jesus can think to do is to redeem them, 00:09:06.28\00:09:10.30 because He's got a heart. 00:09:10.33\00:09:11.70 He wanted to redeem His lost children. 00:09:11.73\00:09:14.65 What Jesus Christ does, he becomes a priest for them 00:09:14.68\00:09:18.88 and He offers two lambs, sacrifices, 00:09:18.91\00:09:21.93 so they might have covering, which is the whole plan 00:09:21.96\00:09:25.46 of salvation wrapped up in His initial act. 00:09:25.49\00:09:28.57 Right at the beginning of sin, He brings the solution. 00:09:28.60\00:09:31.46 He's forecasting His own death, 00:09:31.49\00:09:33.69 He's talking of His commitment to redeem mankind 00:09:33.72\00:09:37.54 even with His own blood, because it's only about 00:09:37.57\00:09:39.25 the blood of Jesus that we make it. 00:09:39.28\00:09:42.82 So that's why John 3:16 means so much to all of us. 00:09:47.52\00:09:51.09 For God so loved the world, 00:09:51.12\00:09:52.69 that He gave his only begotten son, 00:09:52.72\00:09:55.05 that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, 00:09:55.08\00:09:57.37 but have ever lasting life. 00:09:57.40\00:09:58.96 Because in that verse, it says He didn't come 00:09:58.99\00:10:00.75 to condemn us and every human being 00:10:00.78\00:10:02.63 ought to shout when they hear those words. 00:10:02.66\00:10:04.36 Because it's not even His desire to condemn us 00:10:04.39\00:10:07.10 when we condemn ourselves by our actions. 00:10:07.13\00:10:09.05 He doesn't even ratify the position we've taken. 00:10:09.08\00:10:11.57 He simply comes to restore and redeem 00:10:11.60\00:10:13.88 and to bless and to put back into full fellowship with Him 00:10:13.91\00:10:17.57 that which was separated by sin. 00:10:17.60\00:10:23.58 The promise had been given even from the Garden of Eden 00:10:23.61\00:10:26.84 that Christ would come, so that He might crush 00:10:26.87\00:10:29.53 the head of the serpent 00:10:29.56\00:10:30.93 and be heard Himself and then redeem us. 00:10:30.96\00:10:35.68 To be the mother of Christ, Mary must have been 00:10:35.71\00:10:37.89 some kind woman to give birth to the Messiah. 00:10:37.92\00:10:41.96 But God is showing us that He can take each experience, 00:10:41.99\00:10:45.76 He can take a person from nothingness 00:10:45.79\00:10:48.94 and use them to His glory, 00:10:48.97\00:10:50.82 so He gave this teenager this baby by a miracle. 00:10:50.85\00:10:56.69 The Holy Spirit covered her and so Jesus Christ was born 00:10:56.72\00:10:59.81 and He is a one of a kind, the unique one, 00:10:59.84\00:11:03.00 the firstborn, He is truly a firstborn son to all humanity. 00:11:03.03\00:11:08.41 All that night when there was no room in the inn, 00:11:08.44\00:11:11.26 I tell you, I'm glad that somebody made room for Him. 00:11:11.29\00:11:15.41 And Jesus Christ was born, as my brother would say, 00:11:15.44\00:11:18.62 "In the face of the Billy goat." 00:11:18.65\00:11:20.29 I don't even know if a Billy goat was in that limestone cave. 00:11:20.32\00:11:23.31 But He was born in the face of some kind of animal in there. 00:11:23.34\00:11:26.03 There He was, put in a trough where animals feed 00:11:26.06\00:11:29.34 and Jesus the Messiah came all the way from glory 00:11:29.37\00:11:33.86 as a baby to confront the devil 00:11:33.89\00:11:36.95 in the controversies in full blown. 00:11:36.98\00:11:39.89 I would think that Christ should've come on a white horse 00:11:39.92\00:11:43.24 as a grown man to deal with the devil, 00:11:43.27\00:11:45.26 but He came as a babe to show God's power 00:11:45.29\00:11:47.81 to handle anything that the devil can throw 00:11:47.84\00:11:50.17 at any of us at any stage of life. 00:11:50.20\00:11:52.29 As the people on the plains caught sight of Jesus, 00:11:57.31\00:12:00.49 they ran to meet Him. 00:12:00.52\00:12:03.00 It was an object lesson of redemption. 00:12:03.03\00:12:06.54 The divine one from the Father's glory 00:12:06.57\00:12:09.64 stooping to save the lost. 00:12:09.67\00:12:14.94 Many want to ask the question 00:12:14.97\00:12:16.34 about the missing years of Jesus' life 00:12:16.37\00:12:17.93 and what happened as He grew up. 00:12:17.96\00:12:19.71 We've got some years of that life in the scriptures, 00:12:19.74\00:12:22.96 but it's enough said to let us know 00:12:22.99\00:12:25.75 that He was a normal young man, 00:12:25.78\00:12:27.63 He grew up and we don't know what age 00:12:27.66\00:12:30.54 He was in the carpenter shop with Joseph, 00:12:30.57\00:12:33.57 but He surely was there and there are some traditions 00:12:33.60\00:12:36.61 that was handed down by the Jews They said 00:12:36.64\00:12:39.04 that when He was a little boy in the carpenter shop 00:12:39.07\00:12:41.49 working with his dad, that they had a reputation 00:12:41.52\00:12:44.34 of making such fine yokes until Jesus 00:12:44.37\00:12:48.30 was known as a yoke maker and at times 00:12:48.33\00:12:50.88 when the individuals wanted a yoke made for their ox. 00:12:50.91\00:12:53.73 They would bring it to the carpenter shop 00:12:53.76\00:12:56.25 and you had to bring the ox more than one time, 00:12:56.28\00:12:58.22 because the yoke had to be tailor-made 00:12:58.25\00:13:00.20 in order to fit the ox's shoulders, 00:13:00.23\00:13:02.41 so it would not dig into their flesh, 00:13:02.44\00:13:04.17 so the yoke had to be easy. 00:13:04.20\00:13:05.63 The yoke had to be comfortable, 00:13:05.66\00:13:07.03 the yoke had to be tailor-made 00:13:07.06\00:13:08.88 and they said Jesus was the best yoke maker. 00:13:08.91\00:13:11.01 So when you got problems, remember Jesus is a yoke maker, 00:13:11.04\00:13:13.86 because He is the one that does a fine job. 00:13:13.89\00:13:19.19 When Jesus walked the earth, He walked as a man for sure, 00:13:19.22\00:13:23.49 but He walked to show us what the father's like, 00:13:23.52\00:13:26.57 so in all His actions, we can see this is what God is like. 00:13:26.60\00:13:30.32 And any time you see Jesus confronting a problem, 00:13:30.35\00:13:32.82 even supernatural problems, you see Him stepping up 00:13:32.85\00:13:36.34 using the same power that's available to us, 00:13:36.37\00:13:38.62 because He did not use any power that is not available to us, 00:13:38.65\00:13:41.54 otherwise the devil could've accused Him of overreaching. 00:13:41.57\00:13:47.34 This story just stands out in my mind 00:13:53.96\00:13:55.76 that actually depicts Christ for who He is. 00:13:55.79\00:13:59.08 I can't help to go to the one that everybody 00:13:59.11\00:14:01.39 talks about and that's this woman called Mary. 00:14:01.42\00:14:05.07 Caught in the act of adultery, brought to Jesus, 00:14:05.10\00:14:08.07 who is the judge of the universe, 00:14:08.10\00:14:09.47 was pure in every way. 00:14:09.50\00:14:10.98 So they bring this lady, they drag her before Jesus 00:14:11.01\00:14:13.99 and I can just picture her being kind of half clad 00:14:14.02\00:14:16.64 and caught in the act and maybe covered in a bed sheet. 00:14:16.67\00:14:19.12 And she's brought to Jesus and thrown at His feet 00:14:19.15\00:14:21.93 and they ask Him, "Moses' law says 00:14:21.96\00:14:25.59 that this woman ought to be stoned. 00:14:25.62\00:14:27.42 Now what do you say?" 00:14:27.45\00:14:30.35 And Jesus just simply starts writing in the dust 00:14:30.38\00:14:33.39 and from the oldest to the youngest, 00:14:33.42\00:14:35.56 they kind of drifted off the scene 00:14:35.59\00:14:37.46 and Jesus simply said, "Well, let the one 00:14:37.49\00:14:40.22 that's without sin cast the first stone." 00:14:40.25\00:14:43.57 And all of a sudden, the stones started 00:14:43.60\00:14:44.97 hitting the pavement as they walk away. 00:14:45.00\00:14:47.96 And then Jesus says to her and He is messiah, 00:14:47.99\00:14:51.29 He is king, He's the lord of lords, 00:14:51.32\00:14:52.71 He simply says to her, "Woman, where are your accusers?" 00:14:52.74\00:14:57.15 Now she finally lifts her head from the pavement 00:14:57.18\00:14:59.53 and she looks in His eyes and all she sees is love. 00:14:59.56\00:15:03.74 Not love to take something from her, 00:15:03.77\00:15:05.71 but love to give her something. 00:15:05.74\00:15:07.37 She saw mercy and kindness. 00:15:07.40\00:15:09.46 She saw something she probably never seen before 00:15:09.49\00:15:11.61 in the eyes of a priest or anybody else. 00:15:11.64\00:15:14.45 She sees the eyes of God. 00:15:14.48\00:15:17.03 So that scene often crosses my mind. 00:15:26.43\00:15:28.74 And then another that kind of stands out 00:15:28.77\00:15:30.64 in my thinking is when he walked on the sea that evening 00:15:30.67\00:15:34.02 and he had sent his disciples on and he came across the sea 00:15:34.05\00:15:37.43 and met them in the middle of a storm. 00:15:37.46\00:15:40.00 Now some say and I believe it 00:15:40.03\00:15:42.36 that the concept of the Jewish thought 00:15:42.39\00:15:44.63 and people of that day was that Baal owned the winds 00:15:44.66\00:15:48.19 and the rains and the mountain, that they actually a idol, 00:15:48.22\00:15:51.06 a false God of the Israelites. 00:15:51.09\00:15:53.19 The false gods of the pagans was the one 00:15:53.22\00:15:55.72 that ruled the storm and so now Jesus is venturing 00:15:55.75\00:15:58.94 across the water and he's venturing into Baal's territory. 00:15:58.97\00:16:03.39 So now Jesus has a confrontation, 00:16:03.42\00:16:05.04 a great controversy is being fulfilled again. 00:16:05.07\00:16:07.79 The enemy of God in His church is trying to wipe out 00:16:07.82\00:16:11.69 the 12 leaders of the church and Jesus is coming along 00:16:11.72\00:16:15.96 and Jesus simply walks on and because wants Peter wants 00:16:15.99\00:16:19.04 to join him on the water and he does. 00:16:19.07\00:16:21.62 And by faith, he gets out of the boat. 00:16:21.65\00:16:23.32 He has a whole lot of faith, but he joins Jesus 00:16:23.35\00:16:25.65 and Jesus just takes him up and then he walks with Him. 00:16:25.68\00:16:28.21 That may say something to a lot of us 00:16:28.24\00:16:29.95 that we can walk with Jesus and we can walk above the storm. 00:16:29.98\00:16:32.92 We can, we can even walk in an impossible situation. 00:16:32.95\00:16:36.35 I don't know how much buoyancy 00:16:36.38\00:16:37.86 you can have in your feet not to sink in water, 00:16:37.89\00:16:40.90 but there must be something that God would give us 00:16:40.93\00:16:43.27 that would give us the capacity 00:16:43.30\00:16:45.36 to walk along the top of the storm and not sink. 00:16:45.39\00:16:50.18 And Jesus simply spoke to Baal, that's me talking, 00:16:50.21\00:16:53.71 to Baal, the false God, he said, 00:16:53.74\00:16:55.27 "Hush. Stop your noise. Peace," and all of a sudden, 00:16:55.30\00:17:00.02 there's peace and they arrive back in the boat. 00:17:00.05\00:17:03.26 Poor peter, yeah, he fell, 00:17:03.29\00:17:05.04 but I have to give him credit for getting out on the water. 00:17:05.07\00:17:07.65 And he joins Jesus and he joins him in the boat as well, 00:17:07.68\00:17:11.73 so he's safe again. 00:17:11.76\00:17:13.13 So God's able to keep his children safe, 00:17:13.16\00:17:14.89 he'll let you come out and venture 00:17:14.92\00:17:16.29 in miraculous territory with him. 00:17:16.32\00:17:18.32 If you just keep your eyes on him, you'll be all right. 00:17:18.35\00:17:20.66 But to show that he has power over nature, 00:17:20.69\00:17:23.93 power over any idol god, and he's able to speak peace 00:17:23.96\00:17:27.84 in any turmoil in your life, I like a God like that. 00:17:27.87\00:17:31.03 I want to walk with him, in fact, 00:17:31.06\00:17:32.98 whether it means on sand or water, 00:17:33.01\00:17:34.55 I just want to keep my hand in God's hand. 00:17:34.58\00:17:36.56 So I see Him as a forgiving God, a storm-calming God, 00:17:55.51\00:18:00.58 a God that can get us safely in the boat 00:18:00.61\00:18:02.10 to get to the other side, and one other thing is what 00:18:02.13\00:18:05.05 impressed me so much is that the fact 00:18:05.08\00:18:06.94 that he would put his hands on lepers, the symbol of sin. 00:18:06.97\00:18:10.80 The highest form of contamination you can get, 00:18:10.83\00:18:13.58 but Jesus got so much life and so much cleanliness, 00:18:13.61\00:18:16.45 so much purity in his touch, 00:18:16.48\00:18:18.66 He can extend it to somebody else. 00:18:18.69\00:18:20.52 So when a leper got cleaned, 00:18:20.55\00:18:21.92 I know a sinner could be set free. 00:18:21.95\00:18:23.48 When a leper got cleaned, 00:18:23.51\00:18:24.88 I just think he might have some mercy on me. 00:18:24.91\00:18:27.02 If a man whose fingers are falling off 00:18:27.05\00:18:29.59 and nose has disappeared, 00:18:29.62\00:18:30.99 ears are falling off with him 00:18:31.02\00:18:32.39 and you can smell him before he comes 00:18:32.42\00:18:33.98 and he's a walking dead man, 00:18:34.01\00:18:35.49 in fact, his family has already had his funeral 00:18:35.52\00:18:38.93 when he was banished to be with the other lepers. 00:18:38.96\00:18:41.97 When all that's done and you know life is over 00:18:42.00\00:18:44.08 and there is no hope and here comes Jesus 00:18:44.11\00:18:46.73 in your hopeless situation 00:18:46.76\00:18:48.70 and he just simply does not stand back 00:18:48.73\00:18:52.10 and speak cleansing and speak healing. 00:18:52.13\00:18:55.04 He takes the time to put his hands on the untouchable. 00:18:55.07\00:18:59.38 He takes His time to put his pure hand 00:18:59.41\00:19:02.48 on that which is the filthiest 00:19:02.51\00:19:04.15 in the minds of the Jewish priests 00:19:04.18\00:19:06.59 and he touches and everything changes. 00:19:06.62\00:19:10.70 Another occasion in Jesus' life when we see Him 00:19:24.72\00:19:27.60 working on behalf of humankind, 00:19:27.63\00:19:30.54 we all know that a messenger came to Jesus, 00:19:30.57\00:19:33.27 the man was concerned about his daughter. 00:19:33.30\00:19:34.78 She was at the point of death. 00:19:34.81\00:19:37.26 In fact, she was dying when he left, 00:19:37.29\00:19:39.57 but once he got to Jesus asking Jesus to come 00:19:39.60\00:19:42.38 and take care of his daughter and to heal her, 00:19:42.41\00:19:44.82 he was assuming that Jesus must get there 00:19:44.85\00:19:46.52 before she die in order to make a difference. 00:19:46.55\00:19:48.78 But, you know, on the way, he got delayed 00:19:48.81\00:19:50.34 and on the way an old lady who had been sick for 12 years. 00:19:50.37\00:19:53.96 She had been sick as long as the little girl had been alive 00:19:53.99\00:19:57.30 and she stole the blessings, some say. 00:19:57.33\00:19:59.81 She's touched the hem of Jesus' garment and was made whole, 00:19:59.84\00:20:02.98 but Jesus was not rushing, it did not appear. 00:20:03.01\00:20:07.23 Can you imagine parents were concerned about their daughter? 00:20:11.66\00:20:14.81 Now she's gone and still Jesus wants to see her 00:20:14.84\00:20:17.79 and they don't see any hope now, she's gone. 00:20:17.82\00:20:19.75 If he had got there early, 00:20:19.78\00:20:21.63 maybe there would have been a whole another scenario. 00:20:21.66\00:20:24.78 But she's surely dead. They see it and they know it. 00:20:24.81\00:20:28.26 And Jesus just simply walks over to her, 00:20:28.29\00:20:31.24 calls her by her nickname that her parents used, 00:20:31.27\00:20:34.33 and I wish I knew what that was, 00:20:34.36\00:20:36.38 but he called her a precious name 00:20:36.41\00:20:38.68 that she had often heard by her parents. 00:20:38.71\00:20:40.90 It was easy stepping in and doing the father role, 00:20:40.93\00:20:43.30 maybe stepping in letting her, 00:20:43.33\00:20:44.70 "I know what's going on around here. 00:20:44.73\00:20:46.10 I know you, sugar, personally. I know your nickname." 00:20:46.13\00:20:48.55 And He simply says, "Daughter arise," 00:20:48.58\00:20:52.81 and she just sat up. 00:20:52.84\00:20:54.21 I mean, it wasn't a second command, 00:20:54.24\00:20:56.51 it wasn't a third command. 00:20:56.54\00:20:58.05 He just says it one time 00:20:58.08\00:21:00.73 and life came back into this dead girl 00:21:00.76\00:21:04.94 simply because the giver of life beckoned her. 00:21:04.97\00:21:08.62 And so she sits up and he tells, 00:21:08.65\00:21:10.42 "Just give her something to eat. 00:21:10.45\00:21:12.02 Because now she's gonna live. She needs fuel." 00:21:12.05\00:21:14.71 Can you imagine those parents? 00:21:14.74\00:21:16.89 Can you just kind of figure out what may have happened 00:21:16.92\00:21:20.38 in their hearts when their greatest prize had disappeared 00:21:20.41\00:21:25.68 and now she's given back and then better than before. 00:21:25.71\00:21:29.33 Christ says, "No man cometh unto the Father, but by me." 00:21:34.80\00:21:40.99 He alone is the way by which we may have access to God. 00:21:41.02\00:21:45.98 His time had come. He would go to the cross for us. 00:21:46.01\00:21:50.53 I had the privilege of going to the Garden of Gethsemane 00:22:27.81\00:22:30.81 and looking through the fence at the trees, 00:22:30.84\00:22:33.17 trying to imagine where Jesus knelt the night 00:22:33.20\00:22:36.04 before His crucifixion and my imagination was running with me. 00:22:36.07\00:22:40.40 You know, what was the night like? 00:22:40.43\00:22:42.19 I just had to go to scripture to find out. 00:22:42.22\00:22:44.16 So Jesus is in the garden and He's already gone 00:22:44.19\00:22:48.60 through the Lord's supper with His disciples, 00:22:48.63\00:22:50.44 He's already washed their feet and made them clean, 00:22:50.47\00:22:52.87 and He walks out there and He's pictured 00:22:52.90\00:22:55.66 as if as he walked toward the garden of Gethsemane 00:22:55.69\00:22:59.01 He got weaker and weaker 00:22:59.04\00:23:00.84 till He got to the place where He would pray 00:23:00.87\00:23:03.45 and He threw Himself on the ground 00:23:03.48\00:23:06.09 and begged God to let this cup pass. 00:23:06.12\00:23:08.91 If it were not for the scene at Gethsemane, 00:23:08.94\00:23:12.25 we would not have the window into Jesus' humanity 00:23:12.28\00:23:15.79 that He provided for us that night. 00:23:15.82\00:23:17.44 Because when He said, "Let this cup pass," 00:23:17.47\00:23:20.06 He's talking human now. 00:23:20.09\00:23:21.87 He's not talking as God, He's actually saying, 00:23:21.90\00:23:26.34 "Is there some other kind of way?" 00:23:26.37\00:23:28.60 But he never says he's not going forward. 00:23:28.63\00:23:31.13 He simply says, "If there's another way, I'll take it. 00:23:31.16\00:23:35.20 If there's not, and so let it be. 00:23:35.23\00:23:38.51 Whatever you say, thy will be done." 00:23:38.54\00:23:40.52 What he sees and we should see 00:23:40.55\00:23:42.90 that there is not other way for us to be saved 00:23:42.93\00:23:46.09 without him going through in sacrificing all. 00:23:46.12\00:23:49.29 That scene clarifies that there are no other options, 00:23:49.32\00:23:53.03 because the only other option is to wipe us all out 00:23:53.06\00:23:54.95 and start over again or to fail 00:23:54.98\00:23:57.15 and Jesus wasn't willing to do that. 00:23:57.18\00:23:58.76 So he's willing to go all the way, 00:23:58.79\00:24:01.34 no matter how bad it tastes, 00:24:01.37\00:24:03.23 so he drank the cup and it is pictured by 00:24:03.26\00:24:06.17 In Desire of Ages that Gabriel comes. 00:24:06.20\00:24:11.97 Imagine an otherwise lovely evening. 00:24:24.54\00:24:28.92 The cherub of crickets, the blinking of fireflies 00:24:28.95\00:24:33.56 entertaining the night. Gethsemane. 00:24:33.59\00:24:38.40 Was there ever a more suspenseful 00:24:38.43\00:24:41.23 and sullen place in all of human history? 00:24:41.26\00:24:44.65 Not even at Calvary was the earth in greater peril, 00:24:44.68\00:24:48.43 for here we find the creator, 00:24:48.46\00:24:51.12 the master, upon his knees, 00:24:51.15\00:24:54.05 supplicating strength to go through with the plan, 00:24:54.08\00:24:58.31 while I, Gabriel, leading legions of battle-hungry angels 00:24:58.34\00:25:04.26 await the command, the nod of his royal head, nay, 00:25:04.29\00:25:08.54 the mere batting of an eyelash permitting us 00:25:08.57\00:25:11.58 to sweep through the halls of earth 00:25:11.61\00:25:13.77 and bring it down--bring it all crashing down. 00:25:13.80\00:25:19.64 It would only require one of us. 00:25:19.67\00:25:24.64 But instead, he prays for strength, 00:25:33.19\00:25:37.81 for endurance, and with each passing heartbeat, 00:25:37.84\00:25:43.09 the cross draws ever closer. 00:25:43.12\00:25:47.75 He should have died in that spot where he was praying. 00:25:57.91\00:26:00.90 Any time blood leaks from the tissues of a person's face, 00:26:00.93\00:26:05.06 that's a medical condition that calls for death. 00:26:05.09\00:26:07.61 But, you see, Jesus can't die 00:26:07.64\00:26:10.80 because he must be sacrificed at 3 p.m. on Friday on time, 00:26:10.83\00:26:16.84 because the Passover lamb dies at that hour. 00:26:16.87\00:26:19.19 So that condition should have taken his life, 00:26:19.22\00:26:22.61 but the angel Gabriel came and sustained him 00:26:22.64\00:26:25.22 and cradled him in his arms 00:26:25.25\00:26:28.07 and rejuvenated him enough to go to the cross to die. 00:26:28.10\00:26:31.37 So he gets up and he's getting ready 00:26:31.40\00:26:34.27 to leave the garden and who comes? 00:26:34.30\00:26:37.02 But the crowd, the rabble, the stick bearing, 00:26:37.05\00:26:41.64 sword wielding madmen from Jerusalem. 00:26:41.67\00:26:45.97 They come to take a man that's non-threatening. 00:26:46.00\00:26:49.75 They come to arrest somebody 00:26:49.78\00:26:51.78 that they had seen in the temple, 00:26:51.81\00:26:53.67 they could have taken easily. 00:26:53.70\00:26:55.35 But somehow they're being led by a disciple. 00:26:55.38\00:27:00.45 I said, "A disciple?" 00:27:00.48\00:27:02.43 A church member, a follower of Jesus, 00:27:02.46\00:27:05.78 somebody who had walked in Jesus' shadow for 3 years. 00:27:05.81\00:27:09.82 He had seen the sick raise up. 00:27:09.85\00:27:12.39 You see, Judas simply thinks that he knows 00:27:12.42\00:27:15.44 how to box Jesus in to make him fight to become king. 00:27:15.47\00:27:19.68 And Jesus simply said, "Friend." 00:27:19.71\00:27:21.95 I mean, that is not the word you want to come up-- 00:27:21.98\00:27:24.15 most of us would come up with when being betrayed, 00:27:24.18\00:27:26.51 but Jesus said, "Friend, do you betray me with a kiss?" 00:27:26.54\00:27:29.63 So he finally gets almost to Calvary 00:27:45.19\00:27:47.75 dragging across with 300 pound hard wood implement, 00:27:47.78\00:27:51.52 just a crosspiece, some say. 00:27:51.55\00:27:53.46 But he's walking and everybody is watching and he falls. 00:27:53.49\00:27:58.82 Because now Jesus who has been restored in strength 00:27:58.85\00:28:01.44 and just to make it that far, now needs help. 00:28:01.47\00:28:05.09 "I'm another human being just to make it to be sacrificed." 00:28:05.12\00:28:11.29 And so Simon of Cyrene, who seems to look at Jesus 00:28:25.54\00:28:29.98 and have compassion in his eyes 00:28:30.01\00:28:32.22 and so the soldiers look and see this compassion, 00:28:32.25\00:28:34.94 so they grab him and say, "You carry the cross then, 00:28:34.97\00:28:38.27 since you look like you got sympathy. You carry it." 00:28:38.30\00:28:42.83 But he carried the cross all the way to Calvary. 00:28:42.86\00:28:45.61 Jesus of sin, hauled it to a place that is called Golgotha. 00:28:45.64\00:28:49.36 Which is a hill, they call the hill of the skull, 00:28:49.39\00:28:52.42 because it actually looks like the skull of a man's head 00:28:52.45\00:28:56.92 and there are sockets as if there's missing eyes 00:28:56.95\00:29:00.38 and so he's placed on that hill 00:29:00.41\00:29:02.09 which is a common place for crucifixion. 00:29:02.12\00:29:04.49 The Carthaginians had fine-tuned the act of crucifying somebody. 00:29:04.52\00:29:10.37 The idea was so scientifically worked out 00:29:10.40\00:29:13.60 until a person could stay on the cross dying 00:29:13.63\00:29:16.52 for 48 to 72 hours just standing there at the cross. 00:29:16.55\00:29:19.59 The whole idea was to drag it out as long as they could. 00:29:19.62\00:29:23.59 So there were masses at crucifixion. 00:29:23.62\00:29:25.25 They knew where to place the nails, 00:29:25.28\00:29:27.21 to not cut a vital organ so the person would bleed to death, 00:29:27.24\00:29:30.72 they knew how to fold the feet and pin them to the cross. 00:29:30.75\00:29:33.61 I mean, it was a science. 00:29:33.64\00:29:35.01 They knew how to twist the body so the human being 00:29:35.04\00:29:37.27 on the cross would have to pull up on the nails in order 00:29:37.30\00:29:40.60 to breathe because their lungs would fill with water 00:29:40.63\00:29:43.28 and they would sound like the bellows of a blacksmith 00:29:43.31\00:29:46.60 trying to just suck oxygen in and so the person 00:29:46.63\00:29:50.10 is not supposed to be able to get past a quick death, 00:29:50.13\00:29:55.29 because it was not designed to die quick. 00:29:55.32\00:29:58.05 But Jesus was on the timeframe. Jesus had to die at 3 o'clock. 00:29:58.08\00:30:02.01 And it had to be clear that nobody could take his life. 00:30:02.04\00:30:04.80 So there he is placed on the ground, 00:30:04.83\00:30:06.62 he's pinned down by Roman soldiers, 00:30:06.65\00:30:09.32 I can't imagine what it's like to have nails 00:30:09.35\00:30:11.92 driven through your hands and hear the hammer ring. 00:30:11.95\00:30:14.33 And Jesus was jarred into the ground 00:30:14.36\00:30:16.56 and he's there and people walked by 00:30:16.59\00:30:19.22 and they rail on him or they shout out obscene things to him. 00:30:19.25\00:30:25.18 You know, "You saved others, save yourself." 00:30:25.21\00:30:27.99 Yeah, he saved others, but he couldn't save himself 00:30:28.02\00:30:30.53 or saving them would've been impossible. 00:30:30.56\00:30:33.35 So he's on the cross, he can't save himself, 00:30:33.38\00:30:35.77 would not save himself, had too much love 00:30:35.80\00:30:37.91 to come down from the cross. 00:30:37.94\00:30:39.81 Yes, he could've called 10,000 angels, 00:30:39.84\00:30:41.49 we've all heard that story, but he does not 00:30:41.52\00:30:43.76 because he's a lamb of God slain 00:30:43.79\00:30:46.16 from the foundation of the earth 00:30:46.19\00:30:47.71 and he's attempting to wash away our sins 00:30:47.74\00:30:50.26 and to die the second death for all sinners 00:30:50.29\00:30:54.34 and so he's on the cross 00:30:54.37\00:30:56.78 and the hour's ticking toward 3 p.m. 00:30:56.81\00:31:01.18 And the priest is gathering with his knife to slay the lamb. 00:31:01.21\00:31:03.77 And at that very hour when the lamb 00:33:43.04\00:33:45.16 was supposed to be slain, 00:33:45.19\00:33:47.07 the Earth has already gotten dark, 00:33:47.10\00:33:48.87 the Father is as close as He can behind the clouds 00:33:48.90\00:33:51.84 because He's so concerned. 00:33:51.87\00:33:53.36 Any father having to witness the death 00:33:53.39\00:33:55.77 of His child would rather say, 00:33:55.80\00:33:58.41 "Take my life and let my child live." 00:33:58.44\00:34:01.45 But here He is, the Father has to hold in check all the angels 00:34:01.48\00:34:06.50 and He holds on to them tight preventing 00:34:06.53\00:34:09.32 whoever might intervene to save His child 00:34:09.35\00:34:11.80 and Jesus feels on the cross abandoned by God. 00:34:11.83\00:34:16.45 He actually says, "Father, why hast thou forsaken me? 00:34:16.48\00:34:20.81 Everybody else has, but why you, Lord?" 00:34:20.84\00:34:23.56 But he understands and he gives up his life 00:34:23.59\00:34:27.36 after asking for forgiveness for our sins. 00:34:27.39\00:34:30.10 He dies on the cross at 3 p.m. Why did he die please tell me 00:34:30.13\00:34:34.39 Why did he die? 00:34:34.42\00:34:40.30 Did he die because of something he had done 00:34:40.33\00:34:47.14 Or because they didn't know he was God's son? 00:34:47.17\00:34:54.35 I don't understand tell me why did he die 00:34:54.38\00:35:02.35 What did he do please tell me 00:35:08.00\00:35:14.48 What did he do? 00:35:14.51\00:35:19.99 They say he helped the sick, made blind eyes see again 00:35:20.02\00:35:27.43 Is that a crime is that what caused his pain 00:35:27.46\00:35:35.15 I don't understand it. 00:35:35.18\00:35:38.97 Tell me why did he die 00:35:39.00\00:35:45.47 I saw the crown he wore 00:35:45.50\00:35:52.13 I touched the cross he bore 00:35:52.16\00:35:58.59 A king shall never feel such agony 00:35:58.62\00:36:06.59 His Father never came 00:36:11.40\00:36:17.98 Although he called his name 00:36:18.01\00:36:24.56 This ruler died alone 00:36:24.59\00:36:30.85 upon a tree 00:36:30.88\00:36:35.97 Why did he die please tell me 00:36:40.02\00:36:46.55 Why did he die 00:36:46.58\00:36:50.50 I just can't comprehend 00:36:50.53\00:36:55.99 why his perfect life had to end 00:36:56.02\00:37:02.21 It just isn't fair. 00:37:06.34\00:37:10.25 Tell me why did he die 00:37:10.28\00:37:15.07 Three days had passed and the body of the Savior 00:37:37.04\00:37:41.32 lay in the darkness of a stone sepulcher. 00:37:41.35\00:37:45.99 Outside, human guards stood 00:37:46.02\00:37:48.66 watch over the massive stone door, while inside, 00:37:48.69\00:37:53.29 the Lord was watched by nonhuman guards 00:37:53.32\00:37:56.96 who lurk in dark places and slither in and out 00:37:56.99\00:38:01.62 of the evil crevices of mankind. 00:38:01.65\00:38:04.16 Is he alive? I don't know. He's still dead. 00:38:04.19\00:38:07.92 Jesus' body was in enshrouded in white. His face covered. 00:38:23.56\00:38:30.16 He was dead and all the present parties 00:38:30.19\00:38:34.49 wished it to remain that way. 00:38:34.52\00:38:40.55 Yet even then, somewhere near the center of the galaxy, 00:38:40.58\00:38:46.05 a bright blur shot through the heavens. 00:38:46.08\00:38:51.01 It was Gabriel and his countenance blazed with fury. 00:38:51.04\00:38:56.94 He bolted past the stars of Orion 00:38:56.97\00:39:00.73 and spiraled upward toward a yellow sun at the far edge. 00:39:00.76\00:39:05.78 Pluto whipped by and Neptune and Saturn. 00:39:05.81\00:39:10.59 The blur straightened and screamed to the left 00:39:10.62\00:39:14.41 around the Sun cutting into the orbit of Jupiter. 00:39:14.44\00:39:19.63 Faster than light, he hung left at Mars, 00:39:19.66\00:39:23.52 braked and careened toward the fateful blue planet Earth. 00:39:23.55\00:39:28.41 As he approached, the planet began to shake. 00:39:28.44\00:39:32.33 He blazed bright red when he entered the atmosphere 00:39:32.36\00:39:36.65 and as he turned east, other angels swooped up to join him. 00:39:36.68\00:39:42.66 The earth shook so violently that graves 00:39:42.69\00:39:46.82 broke open and buildings reeled. 00:39:46.85\00:39:50.78 Over Jerusalem, he dived, detouring the Mount of Olives 00:39:50.81\00:39:55.46 through the Garden of Gethsemane. 00:39:55.49\00:39:57.80 A brief twist north and there he stood 00:39:57.83\00:40:01.65 before Jesus' tomb in midair. 00:40:01.68\00:40:05.55 His face shining with the brightness of lightening, 00:40:05.58\00:40:09.11 his white eyes blazing with the awful majesty of Heaven. 00:40:09.14\00:40:14.88 Both men and demon fell to the earth in terror. 00:40:14.91\00:40:21.52 The angel laid hold of that massive bolder 00:40:21.55\00:40:24.85 covering the tomb and tossed it aside. 00:40:24.88\00:40:28.28 Light flooded the cave, sending Satan 00:40:28.31\00:40:31.60 and his host fleeing in terror. 00:40:31.63\00:40:35.31 Gabriel unsheathed his sword and lifted it toward him. 00:40:35.34\00:40:41.99 "Jesus, thou son of God, thy Father calleth thee." 00:40:42.02\00:40:47.88 Life rushed into the Savior's body 00:40:52.61\00:40:56.20 and in a flash, he was immortal. 00:40:56.23\00:40:59.16 He leapt up, not as a peasant, 00:40:59.19\00:41:02.16 but as ruler and creator of the universe. 00:41:02.19\00:41:05.87 Gabriel bowed low, "Oh, death, where is thy sting? 00:41:09.08\00:41:17.08 Pray, where is thy victory? 00:41:17.55\00:41:21.20 He's not dead, he's alive. 00:41:21.23\00:41:25.06 He's alive. 00:41:28.21\00:41:30.00 He's alive." 00:41:34.92\00:41:37.01 So there's Christ resting in the grave 00:41:54.22\00:41:56.40 and he's completely dead. 00:41:56.43\00:42:00.02 There's no thoughts going on, 00:42:00.05\00:42:01.42 there's no visit in hell, there's noting else. 00:42:01.45\00:42:03.10 He's just sleeping, he's just resting, 00:42:03.13\00:42:04.59 keeping the Sabbath and then on Sunday morning, 00:42:04.62\00:42:08.86 the first work day of the week. 00:42:08.89\00:42:11.44 Jesus doesn't stay dead any longer than he has to. 00:42:11.47\00:42:14.66 So as the darker portion of Sunday disappears 00:42:14.69\00:42:18.31 and the lighter portion is coming on, 00:42:18.34\00:42:20.44 Jesus come forth from the grave and of course the Bible says 00:42:20.47\00:42:23.78 his Father called him-- St. Gabriel to get him 00:42:23.81\00:42:26.88 and Jesus as an obedience, he hears the voice of God 00:42:26.91\00:42:31.39 in his state of death until he gets up, 00:42:31.42\00:42:35.28 because his Father calls him, because no one takes his life, 00:42:35.31\00:42:38.85 he gives his life and he takes it back again. 00:42:38.88\00:42:41.68 But when he gets up from that grave, 00:42:41.71\00:42:43.30 from that slab, he walks out of that tomb 00:42:43.33\00:42:46.77 and the devil himself must be nearby, 00:42:46.80\00:42:49.82 because Jesus takes from him 00:42:49.85\00:42:51.22 the keys of death, hell, and the grave. 00:42:51.25\00:42:53.35 Figuratively, he takes and conquers all those things 00:42:53.38\00:42:56.51 and he comes out of the grave and he comes out victorious, 00:42:56.54\00:43:00.42 but he also know if he's be accepted by his Father 00:43:00.45\00:43:02.32 when he gets to heaven. 00:43:02.35\00:43:03.72 So when he comes forth from the grave, 00:43:03.75\00:43:05.53 he does not go to heaven on Friday, 00:43:05.56\00:43:07.44 he does not go on Saturday, 00:43:07.47\00:43:09.65 he comes on Sunday and Mary grabs him by his feet 00:43:09.68\00:43:13.36 and he says to her, "Don't keep holding on to me, 00:43:13.39\00:43:17.57 I must listen to my Father." 00:43:17.60\00:43:19.68 He needs to go and see 00:43:19.71\00:43:21.08 if his sacrifice was accepted by the Father. 00:43:21.11\00:43:24.43 I don't think he was worried about it too much. 00:43:24.46\00:43:26.21 I think he had enough faith to know what was gonna happen, 00:43:26.24\00:43:28.45 but he had to go and see. 00:43:28.48\00:43:30.52 And so I see Jesus going back to heaven 00:43:30.55\00:43:33.29 and when he gets closer to the gates 00:43:33.32\00:43:34.93 and now here my imagination is running again, 00:43:34.96\00:43:37.98 the angels sing, "Lift up your heads, 00:43:38.01\00:43:39.68 Oh you gates, and be you lifted up you everlasting doors" 00:43:39.71\00:43:43.03 and the gates saw joy. 00:43:43.06\00:43:45.00 Jesus walks in and he's totally accepted by his Father 00:43:45.03\00:43:48.65 and the sacrifice is complete and everybody's excited, 00:43:48.68\00:43:53.53 people on earth don't even know what's happening. 00:43:53.56\00:43:55.97 They don't even know that they're being redeemed 00:43:56.00\00:43:58.61 because there's some dead folk that came out the grave 00:43:58.64\00:44:00.38 and they'll testify, but Jesus in glory 00:44:00.41\00:44:03.05 being accepted by his Father 00:44:03.08\00:44:04.79 and I wish that every human being would understand 00:44:04.82\00:44:08.02 that Christ' death made it possible for us 00:44:08.05\00:44:11.34 to enter glory by faith with him 00:44:11.37\00:44:15.08 and hear the same song sung when we arrive. 00:44:15.11\00:44:17.69 If any of us fall asleep with a hope 00:55:11.27\00:55:13.93 and assurance of salvation, 00:55:13.96\00:55:15.66 we can simply rest in unconscious state 00:55:15.69\00:55:19.91 only to have our eyes open to see Jesus 00:55:19.94\00:55:23.22 come in the clouds of glory with myriads of angels 00:55:23.25\00:55:25.96 and all that day when the earth is in turmoil, 00:55:25.99\00:55:29.64 but our eyes are focused on our Savior. 00:55:29.67\00:55:31.88 And we're caught up and meet Him in the air. 00:55:31.91\00:55:34.15 I don't know how you get to fly without a spacesuit 00:55:34.18\00:55:37.45 and all the rest, but when Jesus beckons us, 00:55:37.48\00:55:39.98 we don't come up higher 00:55:40.01\00:55:41.38 or the dead in Christ will rise first. 00:55:41.41\00:55:44.24 And there are no more precious words 00:55:44.27\00:55:46.59 in scripture in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. 00:55:46.62\00:55:49.88 It says, "The Lord Himself shall descend 00:55:49.91\00:55:52.37 from heaven with a shout, 00:55:52.40\00:55:53.87 with the voice of the archangel, with the trumpet of God, 00:55:53.90\00:55:56.04 and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 00:55:56.07\00:55:58.34 Then we which are alive, 00:55:58.37\00:55:59.74 that remain shall be called up to meet Him in the air." 00:55:59.77\00:56:01.97 And it says, "So shall we always be with the Lord." 00:56:02.00\00:56:05.65 We shall be with the Lord forever. What a day. 00:56:05.68\00:56:08.47 When Jesus comes, all our troubles will be over. 00:56:08.50\00:56:11.85 When Jesus comes, there are no more 00:56:11.88\00:56:14.61 frowns to ever be expressed. 00:56:14.64\00:56:16.78 There are no more harsh words ever to be said 00:56:16.81\00:56:19.22 and no more tears to fall. 00:56:19.25\00:56:21.34 There's no more rejection. 00:56:21.37\00:56:23.00 There's no more fatherless children. 00:56:23.03\00:56:25.44 There's no more single parents. 00:56:25.47\00:56:27.61 There's no more sadness and sorrow. 00:56:27.64\00:56:30.31 No more hunger. No more thirst. 00:56:30.34\00:56:33.37 We'd live forever with Him in mansions in glory, 00:56:33.40\00:56:36.97 but more than anything to be His children 00:56:37.00\00:56:39.66 and to live and rule and reign with Him 00:56:39.69\00:56:42.82 throughout the ages of eternity. 00:56:42.85\00:56:45.74 My appeal to you is you can accept Jesus Christ 00:56:45.77\00:56:48.00 as your Lord and Savior, make your calling 00:56:48.03\00:56:51.11 and let's ensure make heaven your home, 00:56:51.14\00:56:55.25 don't let anybody fool you into thinking 00:56:55.28\00:56:58.62 that there's some other way to get to glory 00:56:58.65\00:57:00.63 other than through this man called Jesus 00:57:00.66\00:57:02.75 who's nothing but a loving compassionate Savior. 00:57:02.78\00:57:06.08 A forgiver of sinners and He lives to forgive us. 00:57:06.11\00:57:10.22 So accept Jesus Christ as your all in all. 00:57:10.25\00:57:12.67 Let Him put His mighty arms around you 00:57:12.70\00:57:15.22 and keep you safe until we reach heaven's shore 00:57:15.25\00:57:19.60 and spend an eternity with Him. 00:57:19.63\00:57:21.54 So be strong in the Lord, live for Him. 00:57:21.57\00:57:23.96 Celebrate the fact that He has died to save us. 00:57:23.99\00:57:27.85 John 3:16 is where we're reading again, 00:57:27.88\00:57:30.20 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, 00:57:30.23\00:57:34.46 that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish 00:57:34.49\00:57:37.29 but have everlasting life." 00:57:37.32\00:57:39.53 Thank God for the gift of Jesus the Christ. 00:57:39.56\00:57:43.51