Hello everybody, again.
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It's good to see you here
for session number five of,
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The Secrets of Pentecost.
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Time does fly, doesn't it?
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And the topic that we're going
to study tonight is titled,
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Chain of Command.
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But we want to pray first.
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Never do we open the
Bible without prayer.
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Because the Holy
Spirit inspired Scripture.
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And only the Holy
Spirit can explain it to us.
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So I invite you to bow
your heads with me as we pray.
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Our loving Father, we
come before You this evening
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as we've done in
the previous sessions,
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realizing our own ignorance,
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our own lack of
knowledge and wisdom.
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That's why we're coming
before Your throne to request
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that You will be present
with us through the ministry
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of Your Spirit and Your angels.
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We desperately need
wisdom from on high,
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for we're going to study
a very important subject.
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And therefore, we ask that
You will make Yourself present
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in this place.
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That our minds might be opened,
our hearts might be opened,
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that we might be able
to understand and receive
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that which You
have for us today.
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We thank You for the privilege
of approaching Your throne
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and for hearing our prayer.
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For we ask it in the
precious name of Jesus, amen.
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One of the hotly debated
doctrines in the church today,
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not only the church in general,
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but the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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is the topic of the Holy Spirit.
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There are many individuals
who believe that the Holy Spirit
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is simply a force,
an impersonal force.
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That the Holy
Spirit is not a person.
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I believe that one of
the reasons why people
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believe that the Holy Spirit is
a force or perhaps a substance
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that is infused or poured into
us is because of the metaphors
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that the Bible uses to
describe the Holy Spirit.
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For example, the Holy
Spirit is described in the Bible
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as a dove.
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The Spirit is described as
rain, as oil, as wind, as fire.
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And therefore,
because of these metaphors,
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people get the
impression that the Holy Spirit
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is these things.
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But these are
metaphors of the Holy Spirit.
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The Holy Spirit is not a dove.
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The Holy Spirit is not rain.
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The Holy Spirit is not oil.
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The Holy Spirit is not fire.
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And the Holy Spirit is not wind.
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All of these are
metaphors that describe
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functions of the Holy Spirit.
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For example, wind;
we can see its effects,
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but we can't see the wind.
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The same way with the Holy
Spirit; we can see the results
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of His work, but we can't
actually see the Holy Spirit.
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You know, oil
gives light to a lamp.
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And so, the Holy
Spirit enlightens our minds.
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Rain makes the
seed germinate and grow,
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jut like the Holy Spirit
makes our spiritual life grow.
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And so all of these metaphors
of the Holy Spirit are simply
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descriptive of the functions
that the Holy Spirit fulfills.
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The Holy Spirit
is not these things.
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And yet for many people
it's very difficult to conceive
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of the Holy Spirit
as someone who speaks,
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as someone who loves,
who reasons, who helps,
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who guides, who reproves, etc.
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Now the spirit of prophecy is
very clear that the Holy Spirit
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is a person.
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And Ellen White is also
very clear that the Godhead
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is composed of
three distinct Persons.
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And so as we begin our study,
I want to read a few statements
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from the writings of
Ellen White on the Godhead
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and the
personality of the Holy Spirit.
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The first of these
statements we find in the book,
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Evangelism, page 616.
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This is in a speech
that Ellen White gave to the
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students at Avondale.
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It was actually
a morning worship.
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And Ellen White
had this to say...
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In the book,
Evangelism, pages 616-617,
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Ellen White has this to say...
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Now I want to read several
statements where she also
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makes it clear that
the Godhead is composed
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of three distinct Persons.
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This is from,
Evangelism, page 617.
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So if the Holy
Spirit is the third Person,
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there must be a second
and there must be a first.
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In, Evangelism,
page 617, she says this,
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"We are to
cooperate with the..."
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So she describes three
highest powers in heaven.
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In another
quotation that we find in the
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Seventh-day Adventist Bible
Commentary, volume 7, page 908,
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she has this to say...
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Time and again, she
emphasizes that there are
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three great powers in heaven;
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the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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And all three of
them are real Persons.
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They are not impersonal
forces or energy forces.
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They are Persons.
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Now, the Holy Spirit also has
an element of mystery to Him.
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I'm not saying that
we can explain everything
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concerning the Holy Spirit.
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I want to read this statement
that we find in the book,
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Acts of the
Apostles, pages 51-52.
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"It is not essential for
us to be able to define..."
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So notice, the Bible
explains His work, but the Bible
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does not explain His nature.
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So there's one
aspect which is a mystery,
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which is the
nature of the Holy Spirit,
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but His work can be
known because we can see
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His work in the Scriptures.
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So finishing the statement,
"The nature of the Holy Spirit
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is a mystery..."
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So we are not going
to delve into the nature
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of the Holy Spirit.
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We're going to study
how the Holy Spirit works;
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how it is revealed in the Bible
and in the spirit of prophecy.
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Now we want to begin
by going to Psalm 8:3-8.
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And there's two
points that I want us
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to notice in this passage.
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First of all, when God created
Adam, He created him as king.
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That was his
office or his position.
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Secondly, God gave him a
territory over which to rule,
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which was everything
concerning planet earth.
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So two ideas in this passage:
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the position of
Adam was that if king,
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and the realm of his
dominion was planet earth.
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So let's go to Psalm 8:3-8.
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Here, the psalmist says...
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This is speaking
about the creation of man.
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Let me ask you,
who wears crowns?
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Kings wear crowns.
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In fact, Ellen White says that
Adam was crowned king in Eden.
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So it says here,
"You have crowned him
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with glory and honor."
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Now if he's a king, he's
going to have a territory
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over which he rules.
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Now notice what
is the territory.
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"...dominion..."
That means rulership.
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"You have put all
things under his feet..."
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That's an expression that
means, "You have placed him
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to rule over everything."
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And then we see what that is.
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Now when the Bible mentions
heaven, earth, and seas,
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it means everything.
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Everything
concerning planet earth.
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So in other words, Adam
was placed upon this earth
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as king to rule over the entire
planet, over this territory.
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And it was the plan of God
that as eternity should pass,
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that Adam would continue
to be king of this planet
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and that he rule over
the things of this earth.
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But sin interrupted God's plan.
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Romans 6:16 gives us a
very important principle.
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And that is that we
are slaves of the one
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whom we choose to obey.
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I want to read that
verse because it expresses
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a very important principle.
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You see, God
wanted Adam to obey him.
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But when Adam
chose to obey Satan,
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he became a servant of Satan.
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And Satan took over the throne
and he took over the territory
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that belonged to Adam,
because Adam now became
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subject and Satan became lord.
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Notice Romans 6:16.
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The apostle Paul says...
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We are slaves of the
one that we choose to obey.
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And Adam chose to obey Satan.
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And so Satan now took
over the throne of the world
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and he took over the
territory over which Adam
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had originally ruled.
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Adam lost both.
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He lost his position as
king and he lost the territory
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over which he governed.
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But God promised that
it would be recovered.
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Notice, Patriots
and Prophets, page 67.
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Patriots and Prophets, page 67.
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It says here..
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So do you see
the position as king?
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He was placed in
dominion over the earth.
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And then Ellen
White quotes 2 Peter 2:19,
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which expresses
the same principle as
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Romans 6:16 which we read.
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The verse says...
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In other words, whoever
overcomes you, you're in bondage
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to the one that overcame you.
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Then she continues saying...
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Is that clear?
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Then it continues saying...
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So in other words,
Jesus came to this earth
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to take away from Satan what
Satan had taken away from Adam.
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Satan took over the throne
and he took over the territory.
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Jesus said, "I'm
going to go and I'm going to
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live and die for man.
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And in living and
dying for man, I am going to
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take back the throne and I'm
going to take back the territory
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in place of man."
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Now Satan claimed
dominion to this world.
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Notice Luke 4:5-7.
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Luke 4:5-7, this is on
the Mount of Temptation.
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And I want you to
notice the devil laid claim
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to being the king or the ruler
of this realm or this world.
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It says there...
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Who had given it to the devil?
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Adam.
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The devil says, "Hey, this
rulership has been given to me.
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And I give it to whoever I wish.
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So if You just bow
down and worship me,
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I'll give You the throne
and I'll give You the territory,
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and You can ruler over it.
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You don't even
have to go to the cross.
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You don't even have to die."
00:15:16.75\00:15:18.08
But then there's a condition.
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The devil says, "Therefore,
if You will worship..."
00:15:19.78\00:15:21.72
And so what was the
mission of Jesus Christ?
00:15:25.32\00:15:27.69
The mission of Christ
was to recover the throne
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and the
territory that Adam lost.
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But in order to do this, Jesus
had to accomplish two things
00:15:33.86\00:15:37.87
in His earthly ministry.
00:15:37.90\00:15:39.40
First of all, He had
to live a perfect life
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which the law
requires and which Adam and his
00:15:42.24\00:15:44.31
descendants
cannot offer the law.
00:15:44.34\00:15:46.07
And secondly, Jesus had
to bear the sins of humanity
00:15:46.47\00:15:49.48
upon Himself and He
had to pay the penalty
00:15:49.51\00:15:51.61
for sin in place of man.
00:15:51.81\00:15:53.55
So Jesus had to live for man
and Jesus had to die for man.
00:15:53.75\00:15:58.45
He had to live a perfect
life to offer the law of God,
00:15:58.49\00:16:01.52
and He had to carry
the sins of humanity
00:16:01.62\00:16:04.59
and pay the debt of sin
that human beings had incurred.
00:16:04.63\00:16:09.40
And that's
exactly what Jesus did.
00:16:09.70\00:16:12.10
The last week of His life,
according to John 12:31-33,
00:16:12.47\00:16:17.34
Jesus made a very
interesting prediction.
00:16:17.57\00:16:20.18
I want you to notice
what Jesus said to those
00:16:20.21\00:16:22.41
who were gathered there.
00:16:22.44\00:16:23.78
Once again, John 12:31-33.
00:16:23.81\00:16:27.68
Jesus says, and He's
speaking about His death...
00:16:28.38\00:16:31.25
In other words, "He's not
going to be the ruler anymore,"
00:16:40.06\00:16:41.70
is what Jesus is saying.
00:16:41.73\00:16:43.06
And then He explains what
event was going to cast him out.
00:16:47.37\00:16:51.17
So what was it that
was going to cast out
00:17:02.82\00:17:05.12
the ruler of this world?
00:17:05.15\00:17:06.59
It was the death of
Jesus Christ on the cross.
00:17:06.62\00:17:08.99
And of course, we
could say also His life,
00:17:09.02\00:17:11.09
because if Jesus
was not a perfect Lamb
00:17:11.13\00:17:14.00
His death would not
have been of any value.
00:17:14.03\00:17:16.36
So we have to connect His
perfect life with His death.
00:17:16.40\00:17:19.40
Because He has to offer
His perfect life to the law,
00:17:19.87\00:17:22.74
and then He has to offer death
to the law in our place as well.
00:17:22.77\00:17:26.07
So when Jesus on the
cross said, "It is finished,"
00:17:26.34\00:17:28.98
He had won back the throne and
He had won back the territory,
00:17:29.14\00:17:32.68
and the enemy had been cast out.
00:17:32.98\00:17:35.42
Ellen White describes
this in a beautiful way.
00:17:35.68\00:17:37.99
Desire of Ages, page 758.
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Now notice the terminology here.
00:17:52.77\00:17:55.07
Was Jesus still going to
win the battle after the cross?
00:17:58.67\00:18:02.34
No, no, no, no. It says
the battle had been won.
00:18:02.38\00:18:04.91
Sometimes we think, well
Jesus is going to be victorious.
00:18:12.69\00:18:14.92
No, Jesus was
victorious at the cross.
00:18:14.96\00:18:16.93
He won the battle at the cross.
00:18:17.19\00:18:18.99
And then you say, "Well,
why is this continuing then?"
00:18:19.59\00:18:21.70
That's what we're
going to study about.
00:18:21.73\00:18:23.06
Now notice what
it continues saying.
00:18:23.10\00:18:24.73
"Was there not joy
among the angels..."
00:18:35.54\00:18:38.08
Notice, it doesn't say
that his kingdom would be lost.
00:18:47.72\00:18:50.39
It says he knew that
his kingdom was lost.
00:18:50.43\00:18:53.53
Satan lost the throne
and he lost this world
00:18:53.56\00:18:58.17
when Jesus died on
the cross of Calvary.
00:18:58.20\00:19:00.47
You say, "Well, it
doesn't look like it."
00:19:01.20\00:19:02.80
But looks can be deceiving.
00:19:03.14\00:19:04.94
And that's what
we're going to study about.
00:19:04.97\00:19:06.64
Now John, about 60 years
after this, looking backwards,
00:19:07.08\00:19:12.65
reminisced about how
heaven reacted when Jesus died
00:19:12.85\00:19:16.05
on the cross
and won the victory.
00:19:16.08\00:19:17.62
It's found in
Revelation 12:10-12.
00:19:17.79\00:19:21.32
"Then I heard a loud
voice saying in heaven..."
00:19:22.19\00:19:24.43
Notice, it doesn't
say, "will be cast down."
00:19:38.37\00:19:40.01
"...has been cast down."
00:19:40.04\00:19:41.38
It's talking about
what happened at the cross.
00:19:41.41\00:19:43.11
And it continues saying...
00:19:43.68\00:19:45.08
And now notice that heaven
can rejoice, but the earth
00:19:51.95\00:19:54.56
has to really be worried.
00:19:54.59\00:19:57.16
Because it
continues saying here,
00:19:57.36\00:19:59.53
"Therefore, rejoice O heavens
and you who dwell in them."
00:19:59.56\00:20:02.66
The pest is gone now.
00:20:03.03\00:20:05.00
See, before the cross, the devil
went representing this world
00:20:05.10\00:20:08.67
in the heavenly councils.
00:20:08.70\00:20:10.04
But he was cast out
because he's no longer
00:20:10.07\00:20:11.44
the ruler of this world.
00:20:11.47\00:20:12.81
Now Jesus represents this world.
00:20:12.84\00:20:14.91
And so it says here...
00:20:15.11\00:20:17.15
The pest is gone from heaven.
00:20:20.05\00:20:21.65
Ah, but notice the earth.
00:20:21.68\00:20:23.05
So Jesus won the
victory at the cross of Calvary.
00:20:37.13\00:20:40.70
Now in one of our previous
studies, we noticed that
00:20:41.50\00:20:43.87
there's a very intimate link
between the victory of Jesus
00:20:43.91\00:20:48.34
at the cross and the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit
00:20:48.38\00:20:51.01
on the day of Pentecost.
00:20:51.05\00:20:52.48
I hope that you remember
that; The Lord Is Our Rock.
00:20:52.71\00:20:55.55
Remember, we
studied the rock episodes
00:20:55.58\00:20:57.32
and we noticed how there
was a very intimate connection
00:20:57.52\00:21:01.99
between the
sacrifice and the fire,
00:21:02.02\00:21:04.36
between striking the rock and
00:21:04.86\00:21:06.46
water coming
forth from the rock.
00:21:06.49\00:21:08.23
In other words, there's an
intimate connection between
00:21:08.36\00:21:10.33
the victory of Jesus on
the cross and what happened
00:21:10.37\00:21:14.27
on the day of Pentecost.
00:21:14.30\00:21:16.30
Now what is the connection
between these two events?
00:21:16.34\00:21:19.74
We have to go and
analyze what happened
00:21:20.08\00:21:22.78
on the day of Pentecost.
00:21:22.81\00:21:24.15
So go with me to Acts 2 and
we're going to read verses 1-4.
00:21:24.28\00:21:28.78
And I'm going to
emphasize four main points
00:21:28.82\00:21:31.79
in this passage.
00:21:31.82\00:21:33.15
Acts 2:1-4
00:21:33.19\00:21:35.49
The first idea that
I want you to remember;
00:21:51.44\00:21:53.17
of a rushing mighty wind.
00:21:53.21\00:21:56.04
So you have wind
and you have fire.
00:22:04.22\00:22:07.06
Here's the third concept;
"...speak with other tongues..."
00:22:15.53\00:22:19.03
Were these languages?
00:22:19.07\00:22:20.40
Yeah, this was not gibberish.
00:22:20.87\00:22:22.60
This was the ability to
speak the languages of those
00:22:22.77\00:22:25.44
who were present there
for the feast of Pentecost.
00:22:25.47\00:22:27.74
And so it says...
00:22:27.78\00:22:29.11
And who gave them the ability
to speak with other tongues?
00:22:32.88\00:22:35.72
"...as the Spirit
gave them utterance."
00:22:35.75\00:22:39.22
So who gave them the
gift of the Holy Spirit?
00:22:39.99\00:22:42.39
Or the gift of tongues?
00:22:44.26\00:22:45.59
It was the Holy
Spirit that gave the gift.
00:22:46.09\00:22:48.63
So you have the
mighty rushing wind,
00:22:49.00\00:22:50.87
you have tongues as of fire,
00:22:51.13\00:22:52.77
then you have
languages imparted.
00:22:53.07\00:22:55.14
And the Holy Spirit is
the one who gave the ability
00:22:55.17\00:22:57.67
to speak the languages.
00:22:57.71\00:22:59.07
Now I want us to go to a
very interesting passage that
00:22:59.51\00:23:02.14
we find in the Old Testament.
00:23:02.18\00:23:03.71
Do you know what was
the first time in the Bible
00:23:04.01\00:23:06.68
where the gift of
tongues was given?
00:23:06.72\00:23:08.68
At the tower of Babel.
00:23:09.55\00:23:11.09
So we have to go back there and
see how it happened back then.
00:23:12.05\00:23:16.73
Go with me to Genesis 11:8-9.
00:23:17.13\00:23:20.23
Genesis 11:8-9
00:23:20.26\00:23:23.03
After God confused
the languages there,
00:23:23.97\00:23:27.04
it says here...
00:23:27.24\00:23:28.57
Who confused the language?
00:23:46.96\00:23:48.29
Who gave the gift
of tongues at Babel?
00:23:48.32\00:23:50.03
The Lord.
00:23:50.33\00:23:51.66
The Lord gave them the ability
to speak different languages,
00:23:59.37\00:24:03.27
and the Lord scattered
them all over the earth.
00:24:03.30\00:24:05.74
But now I want to read you
a very interesting statement
00:24:06.41\00:24:08.94
that we find in the book,
Story of Redemption, page 73.
00:24:09.44\00:24:12.81
The Lord did it, but how did
the Lord accomplish this work
00:24:13.48\00:24:17.39
of giving these
builders of the tower of Babel
00:24:17.42\00:24:20.06
the ability to
speak the many languages
00:24:20.26\00:24:22.59
that exist in the world today?
00:24:22.62\00:24:23.96
Because before this, they
all spoke the same language.
00:24:23.99\00:24:26.49
They were all on the same page.
00:24:26.53\00:24:28.03
So something happened
to give them the ability to
00:24:28.80\00:24:32.37
speak all of the
languages of the earth.
00:24:32.40\00:24:34.30
Now notice what we find here in,
Story of Redemption, page 73.
00:24:34.34\00:24:37.91
What did the Lord do? Sent what?
00:24:52.32\00:24:54.02
"...two angels to
confound them in their work..."
00:24:54.72\00:24:57.39
Do you know angels are compared
with lightening, by the way?
00:25:28.82\00:25:31.09
So who was it that
gave this gift of speaking
00:25:41.97\00:25:46.21
in many different languages?
00:25:46.24\00:25:47.94
It was God through
the ministry of angels.
00:25:48.81\00:25:52.61
The angels plugged
in a Rosetta Stone...
00:25:52.91\00:25:56.35
...in the minds of
the Babel builders.
00:25:57.72\00:25:59.99
You know, Rosetta Stone
is a famous language course
00:26:00.46\00:26:03.32
that they sale today.
00:26:03.36\00:26:04.69
There was no Rosetta
Stone back then, I realize.
00:26:04.73\00:26:07.03
But the angels, by a
miraculous intervention,
00:26:07.06\00:26:11.53
they programmed the
minds of those individuals
00:26:11.80\00:26:15.24
to speak perfectly the languages
that exist in the world today.
00:26:15.27\00:26:19.07
Now you say, what possible
relationship can this have
00:26:19.94\00:26:22.98
with the day of Pentecost?
00:26:23.08\00:26:24.55
Well, if you have
tongues at Babel imparted by God
00:26:24.65\00:26:28.78
through the ministry of
the angels, the question is,
00:26:28.82\00:26:31.12
is it just possible that the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit
00:26:31.15\00:26:34.39
on the day of Pentecost was
God giving the gift of tongues
00:26:34.42\00:26:38.49
through the
ministry of the angels?
00:26:38.53\00:26:40.40
Let's pursue this.
00:26:40.60\00:26:41.93
Let's go to Psalm 104
and we're going to read
00:26:42.50\00:26:47.54
verses actually 3 and 4.
00:26:47.64\00:26:51.54
Psalm 104:3-4
00:26:51.57\00:26:55.04
I want you to notice, I'm
going to read first of all
00:26:55.48\00:26:57.41
from the New King James Version,
and then I'm going to read
00:26:57.45\00:27:00.28
from the New International
Version which translates it
00:27:00.32\00:27:02.95
a little bit differently,
and I think more correctly.
00:27:02.98\00:27:05.45
It says in the New King James
Version, speaking about God...
00:27:05.75\00:27:09.52
What do clouds
represent in the Bible?
00:27:17.60\00:27:19.53
Angels, right?
00:27:20.40\00:27:21.74
Jesus is coming with the clouds.
00:27:21.77\00:27:23.14
It means that He's
going to come with the angels.
00:27:23.17\00:27:24.77
So it says here...
00:27:24.81\00:27:26.14
Are you following me?
00:27:42.86\00:27:44.19
So He makes His angels what?
00:27:44.23\00:27:45.59
Spirits.
00:27:45.69\00:27:47.03
And His
ministers a flame of fire.
00:27:47.06\00:27:49.40
Now you say, "What
relationship does that
00:27:50.03\00:27:51.67
have to do with Pentecost?"
00:27:51.70\00:27:53.07
Well we need to read from
the New International Version.
00:27:53.10\00:27:55.30
And I'm going to
tell you why I believe
00:27:55.40\00:27:56.74
this is a better translation.
00:27:56.77\00:27:58.27
It says in the NIV...
00:27:58.54\00:27:59.94
You see the difference?
00:28:18.13\00:28:19.46
"He makes winds His messengers,
00:28:19.49\00:28:22.23
and He makes flames
of fire His servants."
00:28:22.26\00:28:24.07
You say, "Well, why
does the King James translate
00:28:24.17\00:28:26.60
that He makes
His angels spirits,
00:28:26.63\00:28:28.70
whereas the NIV translates that
He makes winds His messengers?
00:28:28.74\00:28:32.74
Let me explain the reason why.
00:28:32.97\00:28:34.44
In the Hebrew, the
word, "ruach," is translated
00:28:34.98\00:28:39.55
both, "spirit," and, "wind."
00:28:39.58\00:28:41.68
In other words, the
context determines whether
00:28:44.15\00:28:47.52
it's talking about
the spirit or whether it's
00:28:47.56\00:28:49.29
talking about the wind.
00:28:49.32\00:28:50.66
In the New Testament,
the Greek word, "pneuma,"
00:28:51.36\00:28:54.66
is also translated,
"spirit," and, "wind,"
00:28:55.23\00:28:58.07
depending on the context.
00:28:58.10\00:28:59.57
For example, you remember
Jesus spoke about the work of
00:29:00.14\00:29:02.30
the Holy Spirit to
Nicodemus and He said, you know,
00:29:02.34\00:29:04.34
the wind, you can see
the effects of the wind,
00:29:04.37\00:29:06.57
but you can't see the wind.
00:29:06.61\00:29:07.94
That's the same
word, "pneuma." Spirit.
00:29:08.28\00:29:11.55
So it's perfectly
proper to translate that,
00:29:11.78\00:29:15.48
He makes His messengers winds.
00:29:15.52\00:29:18.59
And He makes His servants what?
00:29:18.89\00:29:21.59
Flames of fire.
00:29:22.06\00:29:23.39
Let me ask you, what
were the two phenomena
00:29:23.43\00:29:24.89
that took place on
the day of Pentecost?
00:29:24.93\00:29:26.66
Wind, and what else?
00:29:28.06\00:29:29.96
Wind and fire.
00:29:30.00\00:29:31.87
Interesting.
00:29:32.27\00:29:33.60
Now you say, "Well,
who are these messengers
00:29:34.20\00:29:36.94
that we have here?"
00:29:36.97\00:29:38.31
You know, it says He
makes winds His messengers,
00:29:38.34\00:29:41.04
flames of fire His servants.
00:29:41.08\00:29:42.41
Okay, His
messengers and His servants.
00:29:42.44\00:29:43.91
Who are they?
00:29:43.95\00:29:45.28
Hebrews 1:7
00:29:45.35\00:29:47.08
And I'm reading
once again from the NIV,
00:29:47.42\00:29:49.32
which I believe is
a better translation.
00:29:49.35\00:29:51.29
I'm not saying the NIV is the
best translation in everything.
00:29:51.55\00:29:56.02
Because the NIV
leaves a lot of text out,
00:29:56.59\00:29:59.03
it mistranslates many text.
00:29:59.06\00:30:00.63
And so I'm not saying
that it's best always.
00:30:00.66\00:30:03.50
But I'm saying that sometimes
the translation is better.
00:30:03.87\00:30:06.47
Not the manuscript
trail, but the translation.
00:30:06.50\00:30:08.80
Now notice Hebrews 1:7.
00:30:08.84\00:30:10.77
So the angels are the winds
00:30:21.98\00:30:23.89
and the angels are
the flames of fire.
00:30:23.92\00:30:26.19
And you're saying, "Are you
saying, Pastor Bohr, that on the
00:30:26.29\00:30:28.39
day of Pentecost
God unleashed His angels
00:30:28.42\00:30:31.79
to give the apostles the
gift of speaking tongues?
00:30:31.83\00:30:35.56
Is that the way that God
worked on the day of Pentecost?"
00:30:35.73\00:30:39.13
I believe that's
the way that God did it,
00:30:39.90\00:30:41.87
and the spirit of
prophecy confirms it.
00:30:41.90\00:30:43.91
Let me read you four statements
from the spirit of prophecy
00:30:43.94\00:30:46.94
on this specific point.
00:30:46.98\00:30:48.51
The first of these is
found in the devotional book,
00:30:48.84\00:30:51.08
My Life Today, page 58.
00:30:51.11\00:30:53.35
Listen carefully to
what Ellen White had to say.
00:30:53.75\00:30:56.25
Did you catch what she's saying?
00:31:18.41\00:31:19.77
Selected
Messages, volume 2, page 57.
00:31:28.48\00:31:31.59
Once again, the
angels linked and connected
00:31:46.23\00:31:49.70
with what happened at Pentecost.
00:31:49.74\00:31:51.37
Manuscript
Releases, volume 10, page 112,
00:31:51.71\00:31:55.44
is this remarkable statement...
00:31:55.81\00:31:57.55
Angels are waiting to do for you
what they did for the apostles
00:32:09.42\00:32:12.83
on the day of Pentecost.
00:32:12.86\00:32:14.20
And one final one, That
I May Know Him, page 57.
00:32:14.36\00:32:17.67
How does the Holy
Spirit draw people to Christ?
00:32:32.15\00:32:34.88
Through what?
00:32:35.42\00:32:36.75
Through the ministry of
the angels, it says here.
00:32:36.79\00:32:39.72
Interesting.
00:32:56.40\00:32:57.74
Now, God works
according to a chain of command.
00:32:58.51\00:33:04.25
God has a chain of command.
00:33:04.65\00:33:06.21
God does not do
everything directly Himself.
00:33:06.61\00:33:09.98
Now the Bible
attributes everything to God
00:33:10.82\00:33:13.56
because God ultimately
is the source of everything,
00:33:13.59\00:33:16.12
but God
delegates responsibility.
00:33:16.36\00:33:19.03
Now the key text is
found in Revelation 1:1-5.
00:33:19.66\00:33:25.20
Revelation 1:1-5
00:33:25.23\00:33:28.40
Here is God's chain of command.
00:33:28.57\00:33:31.21
It says there...
00:33:31.51\00:33:32.84
So who gives the
message to Jesus?
00:33:40.95\00:33:43.75
God does.
00:33:44.55\00:33:45.89
Now who does Jesus give it to?
00:33:45.92\00:33:47.26
Actually Jesus gives
it to the Holy Spirit,
00:33:48.82\00:33:50.83
because with every church
it says, "He who has an ear,
00:33:50.86\00:33:54.30
let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches."
00:33:54.33\00:33:57.07
So God the Father
gives the message to Jesus.
00:33:57.90\00:34:00.90
And then Jesus gives it to whom?
00:34:01.90\00:34:04.04
Jesus gives it
to the Holy Spirit.
00:34:04.74\00:34:06.78
And then I want you to notice,
let's continue reading...
00:34:07.08\00:34:09.44
And then I've
inserted chapter 2 and verse 7,
00:34:14.98\00:34:17.82
"He who has an ear,
let him hear what the
00:34:17.85\00:34:19.32
Spirit says to the churches."
00:34:19.35\00:34:20.82
And then it continues saying...
00:34:20.86\00:34:22.19
Do you see the chain of command?
00:34:46.15\00:34:47.48
Who does God
give the message to?
00:34:48.48\00:34:50.25
Jesus.
00:34:50.59\00:34:51.92
Who does Jesus
give the message to?
00:34:51.95\00:34:53.29
The Holy Spirit.
00:34:53.59\00:34:54.92
Who does the Holy
Spirit give the message to?
00:34:54.96\00:34:56.76
The angel.
00:34:57.03\00:34:58.36
Who does the angel
give the message to?
00:34:58.39\00:35:00.10
John.
00:35:00.13\00:35:01.46
And who does John
send the message to?
00:35:01.50\00:35:03.13
The seven churches.
00:35:03.47\00:35:04.80
And what are the seven
churches suppose to do?
00:35:04.83\00:35:06.47
Sit on it.
00:35:06.77\00:35:08.10
No.
00:35:08.60\00:35:09.94
They're suppose to what?
00:35:09.97\00:35:11.31
They're suppose to take the
message and they're suppose to
00:35:11.37\00:35:13.64
proclaim it to the world.
00:35:13.68\00:35:15.24
So God has a chain of
command, in other words.
00:35:16.24\00:35:20.15
God doesn't come down
and do everything Himself.
00:35:20.38\00:35:22.75
God delegates responsibility.
00:35:23.28\00:35:25.22
He's the great delegator.
00:35:25.25\00:35:26.62
God is not a dictator.
00:35:26.82\00:35:28.22
God could do everything
Himself if He wanted to,
00:35:28.62\00:35:31.33
but God has chosen to
operate in this specific way.
00:35:31.69\00:35:35.83
Now let me give you an
illustration of how it works.
00:35:36.46\00:35:39.53
This is a very
interesting illustration that
00:35:39.57\00:35:41.84
we're going to
take a look at now.
00:35:41.87\00:35:43.20
You remember the story of
the centurion that came to Jesus
00:35:43.57\00:35:47.08
wanting Jesus to
heal his servant?
00:35:47.11\00:35:49.54
Now let's read that
passage in the light
00:35:50.45\00:35:52.58
of what we're studying.
00:35:52.61\00:35:53.95
It's found in Matthew 8:5-10.
00:35:54.25\00:35:57.92
Matthew 8:5-10
00:35:57.95\00:36:00.96
This centurion was not
a Jew, but he understood
00:36:01.16\00:36:03.59
how God operates
better than the Jews did.
00:36:03.63\00:36:05.86
Notice what this story says.
00:36:06.66\00:36:09.23
In other words, "I'll
come and I'll heal him.
00:36:27.12\00:36:28.98
I'll come to your house."
00:36:29.02\00:36:30.35
And now notice what
this centurion says.
00:36:30.45\00:36:33.25
And you know
what I use to think?
00:36:45.20\00:36:46.53
I use to think that when
Jesus said, "Okay, be healed,"
00:36:46.57\00:36:49.20
somehow mystically the word
would fly through the air...
00:36:49.24\00:36:51.71
...and the
person would be healed.
00:36:53.04\00:36:54.38
I don't believe that.
00:36:55.04\00:36:56.38
Because Jesus had a
way in which He healed.
00:36:57.41\00:36:59.85
In a moment I'm going to
read you a statement from the
00:36:59.95\00:37:01.62
spirit of prophecy
explaining this episode.
00:37:01.65\00:37:03.62
Notice...
00:37:03.65\00:37:04.99
In other words,
"I have authority."
00:37:10.56\00:37:12.19
In other words, he says,
"I'm the commander and I have
00:37:27.58\00:37:30.08
soldiers that do
what I tell them to do."
00:37:30.11\00:37:32.01
Now let me read you Ellen
White's interpretation of this.
00:37:32.51\00:37:35.18
It's magnificent.
00:37:35.22\00:37:36.55
It's found in,
Desire of Ages, page 316.
00:37:36.75\00:37:39.79
She's quoting the centurion.
00:37:40.32\00:37:42.69
It's as if the
centurion is speaking.
00:37:42.72\00:37:44.79
Speaking to Jesus.
00:37:55.47\00:37:56.81
Are you
understanding how it works?
00:38:19.59\00:38:20.96
Jesus said, "He's healed."
00:38:21.60\00:38:23.67
At that time, what happened?
00:38:23.70\00:38:25.37
The angel was whizzing through
the air and going to impart
00:38:25.47\00:38:29.74
healing virtue to that servant.
00:38:29.84\00:38:33.17
That's the way
that God operates.
00:38:33.71\00:38:35.28
You say, "How did
you go down this road?"
00:38:35.78\00:38:39.51
As an Adventist pastor, I
believe that we need a 29th
00:38:39.55\00:38:42.95
fundamental
belief in our church.
00:38:42.98\00:38:44.75
The 29th fundamental belief
would be the ministry of angels.
00:38:45.65\00:38:49.02
Because we have
very little, if nothing,
00:38:49.96\00:38:52.76
in our fundamental
belief about angels.
00:38:52.79\00:38:54.70
And the Bible is saturated
with the ministry of angels.
00:38:54.73\00:38:57.80
And we have not even
half begun to understand
00:38:58.07\00:39:01.14
the ministry of angels.
00:39:01.17\00:39:02.50
How they are the connecting
link between God and us.
00:39:02.54\00:39:05.87
They are the connecting
link between God and us.
00:39:06.54\00:39:09.41
They are extremely
important in the operation
00:39:09.44\00:39:12.41
of the universe.
00:39:12.45\00:39:13.78
And so Ellen White
says, quoting the centurion...
00:39:13.82\00:39:18.45
Do you know who performed
the miracles of Christ?
00:39:28.20\00:39:30.67
Let's read this statement
from, Desire of Ages, page 143.
00:39:31.90\00:39:36.34
This is an
unbelievable statement.
00:39:38.17\00:39:40.78
Well I shouldn't
say unbelievable,
00:39:40.81\00:39:42.14
because I believe it.
00:39:42.18\00:39:43.51
But unbelievable in
the sense that we're not
00:39:43.55\00:39:45.41
accustomed to think this way.
00:39:45.45\00:39:47.02
"The angels of God..."
00:39:47.35\00:39:49.62
And by the way, in Spirit of
Prophecy, volume 2, page 67-68,
00:39:57.33\00:40:00.70
Ellen White adds, "All
the miracles of Christ..."
00:40:00.73\00:40:05.83
How do we receive
every blessing from God?
00:40:22.88\00:40:25.42
By the heavenly messengers.
00:40:25.82\00:40:27.32
Now let me read you two
statements about blessings;
00:40:27.72\00:40:29.99
who blesses us.
00:40:30.03\00:40:31.36
Notice, In
Heavenly Places, page 113.
00:40:31.39\00:40:34.36
It says, "There is
one blessings that..."
00:40:34.60\00:40:36.26
But we just read in
the previous statement
00:40:46.98\00:40:49.81
that every blessing comes to us
through the heavenly messengers.
00:40:50.01\00:40:54.28
Are you with me or not?
00:40:54.32\00:40:55.65
Notice the devotional book,
Our High Calling, page 129.
00:40:55.82\00:40:59.62
They impart
grace and power, folks.
00:41:09.93\00:41:12.20
Of course, it's not
their own grace and power.
00:41:12.23\00:41:14.74
It's the grace and
power of the Holy Spirit.
00:41:14.84\00:41:17.14
They are merely the conductors
of the power of the Holy Spirit.
00:41:17.67\00:41:21.91
She continues saying...
00:41:22.14\00:41:23.48
Now, what connection is there
between the cross and Pentecost?
00:41:36.52\00:41:40.40
Are we doing well so far?
00:41:40.43\00:41:42.13
Between the cross and Pentecost.
00:41:42.23\00:41:43.73
In the Old Testament,
folks, the Holy Spirit
00:41:44.07\00:41:46.47
is very seldom mentioned.
00:41:46.77\00:41:48.60
He is
mentioned, but very seldom.
00:41:49.10\00:41:51.57
And the reason is very simple.
00:41:51.94\00:41:53.48
Everything in the Old Testament
was done by Jesus Christ.
00:41:53.91\00:41:57.41
He was the Angel of the Lord.
00:41:57.88\00:41:59.91
He was Michael, the Archangel.
00:42:00.35\00:42:01.95
He was in charge of the
pilgrimage of the children
00:42:01.98\00:42:05.05
of Israel from Egypt to Canaan.
00:42:05.09\00:42:06.65
He was in the pillar of cloud,
He was in the pillar of fire.
00:42:06.76\00:42:10.36
He was the one that
accomplished the work.
00:42:10.39\00:42:12.79
And Ellen White says that every
time that God tried to intervene
00:42:14.16\00:42:17.63
on this earth in the Old
Testament, Satan cried, "Foul!
00:42:17.83\00:42:22.07
You're
intruding on my territory.
00:42:22.94\00:42:25.94
I'm the king here
and this is my territory.
00:42:25.97\00:42:28.24
What gives You the
right to come in and to
00:42:28.28\00:42:30.15
interfere in my territory?"
00:42:30.18\00:42:31.55
He always complained.
00:42:31.58\00:42:32.91
Like when God came
down to resurrect Moses,
00:42:32.95\00:42:34.85
Jesus came to resurrect Moses.
00:42:34.88\00:42:36.22
Oh, he railed against
God saying, "He's mine.
00:42:36.62\00:42:39.59
He's in my realm.
I'm the king here.
00:42:39.62\00:42:41.76
How dare You come
and take what is mine."
00:42:41.79\00:42:44.33
But Satan was
defeated at the cross.
00:42:46.29\00:42:48.43
And Jesus legally
recovered this world.
00:42:49.20\00:42:52.07
He is now the King
and this is His territory.
00:42:52.33\00:42:56.04
And we need to understand
that because at the cross
00:42:56.71\00:42:59.21
Jesus won the throne
and He won the territory.
00:42:59.24\00:43:02.51
And therefore, this is His now.
00:43:02.71\00:43:04.48
And so Jesus says, "Hey, if I
want to unleash all of My angels
00:43:05.81\00:43:09.02
upon My planet, I can do it.
00:43:09.05\00:43:11.09
Because this is legally Mine.
00:43:11.62\00:43:13.12
Because you beat
Adam, but I beat you.
00:43:13.86\00:43:16.32
And so as he became your
servant, you're My servant now."
00:43:16.69\00:43:19.73
In other words,
the cross was D-day.
00:43:22.96\00:43:24.87
It was the decisive
battle in the great controversy.
00:43:26.37\00:43:29.30
Ellen White expressed it in,
00:43:29.74\00:43:31.07
Desire of Ages,
758, by saying that...
00:43:31.11\00:43:32.91
But let me ask you, is
Satan going to simply lie down
00:43:36.85\00:43:41.18
and say, "Okay, I give up."
00:43:41.22\00:43:43.92
No. No.
00:43:44.12\00:43:46.02
Satan is not going to give up
this territory without a fight.
00:43:46.12\00:43:49.52
He's not just going
to give up and surrender.
00:43:50.39\00:43:52.53
He's going to hang on
to every inch that he can
00:43:52.79\00:43:56.03
of the territory
that is legally Christ's.
00:43:56.73\00:43:59.17
And so Jesus now says,
"Okay, this is My planet.
00:44:00.07\00:44:04.04
And I am the
King of this planet.
00:44:04.34\00:44:06.74
So now I am going to
unleash all of My troops
00:44:06.84\00:44:11.15
to help My earthly troops
go and conquer the territory
00:44:11.18\00:44:15.95
which belongs to Me which
you do not want to give up."
00:44:15.98\00:44:18.82
Are you following me?
00:44:19.89\00:44:21.22
Notice this statement
from, Desire of Ages, page 352.
00:44:21.56\00:44:25.66
Ellen White is
talking about the apostles.
00:44:25.89\00:44:28.10
She says...
00:44:28.13\00:44:29.56
And who are the soldiers?
00:44:53.42\00:44:54.79
The soldiers are
the heavenly angels.
00:44:55.69\00:44:57.29
And who are the
earthly soldiers?
00:44:57.33\00:44:59.09
We are, you see.
00:44:59.49\00:45:00.93
You know what our role is?
00:45:01.13\00:45:02.46
It's simply to tell the world
that they're with the loser.
00:45:02.73\00:45:06.30
And if you stay with
the loser, you're lost.
00:45:07.77\00:45:10.24
So we have to tell
them, "You desert that army
00:45:10.74\00:45:12.84
and you come over to
the army of the winner."
00:45:12.87\00:45:14.54
That's what our
evangelistic task is all about,
00:45:15.91\00:45:18.41
is to call people to
forsake the army of the loser
00:45:18.68\00:45:22.92
and to come over to
the army of the winner.
00:45:23.28\00:45:26.05
Now did you notice
here that Ellen White says,
00:45:26.09\00:45:27.99
"The Holy Spirit, the
representative of the Captain
00:45:28.02\00:45:31.19
of the Lord's host."
00:45:31.23\00:45:32.56
How many people are
involved in that statement?
00:45:32.93\00:45:35.10
The Holy Spirit, the
representative of the Captain
00:45:35.56\00:45:38.73
of the Lord's host."
00:45:38.77\00:45:40.10
How many? Three.
00:45:40.14\00:45:41.84
There's three
there, three persons.
00:45:43.30\00:45:45.31
One, the Holy Spirit.
00:45:45.51\00:45:46.88
Number two, the Captain.
00:45:48.34\00:45:49.68
Because the Holy Spirit is the
representative of the Captain.
00:45:49.71\00:45:51.81
And the host is the Lord's.
00:45:52.55\00:45:53.95
So since Jesus assumed humanity,
the representative of the
00:45:55.18\00:45:59.42
Captain is now the Holy Spirit.
00:45:59.45\00:46:01.76
Because Jesus is in heaven
encumbered by a human body.
00:46:02.22\00:46:05.23
And so the Holy Spirit now
performs through the angels
00:46:05.49\00:46:08.23
the work that Jesus use to
perform in the Old Testament
00:46:08.33\00:46:11.47
through the hosts.
00:46:11.50\00:46:13.64
And so what is our task?
00:46:13.74\00:46:15.07
Our task, folks, is to
go out and tell the world
00:46:15.10\00:46:18.17
that Jesus has legally
won the throne of this world,
00:46:18.27\00:46:21.21
and that this
world belongs to Him.
00:46:21.91\00:46:24.15
And that they're suppose to come
over to the side of the winner.
00:46:24.75\00:46:27.28
And God has promised to unleash
all of the angels of heaven.
00:46:27.68\00:46:31.49
That's what He did
on the day of Pentecost.
00:46:31.52\00:46:33.42
The Holy Spirit
unleashed upon this earth
00:46:33.69\00:46:36.12
all of the angelic hosts,
the earth that Jesus had won,
00:46:36.16\00:46:39.16
to help the apostles in
the preaching of the gospel.
00:46:39.19\00:46:42.26
It's interesting to notice that
in Acts 8:26 and also verse 29,
00:46:43.93\00:46:49.30
I want you to notice
how the Spirit speaking
00:46:49.34\00:46:51.87
and the angels speaking
are used interchangeably.
00:46:51.91\00:46:54.34
You remember Philip
when he went to speak
00:46:54.94\00:46:57.41
with the Ethiopian eunuch?
00:46:57.45\00:46:59.08
Now listen to what
it says in Acts 8:26.
00:46:59.51\00:47:02.98
And then a little bit
later in the story, it says...
00:47:15.40\00:47:18.20
So who's speaking, is it the
angel or is it the Holy Spirit?
00:47:22.07\00:47:25.04
It's the Holy
Spirit through what?
00:47:25.84\00:47:27.91
The Holy Spirit
through the angel.
00:47:28.51\00:47:31.21
In other words, the Holy
Spirit accomplishes His work
00:47:31.71\00:47:34.75
through the
ministry of the angels.
00:47:34.85\00:47:36.72
The Holy Spirit is in the
command and control center
00:47:36.95\00:47:39.95
of the universe, if you please.
00:47:39.99\00:47:41.69
And the Holy Spirit
coordinates the angelic hosts.
00:47:41.86\00:47:44.19
He says to this one, "Go there."
00:47:44.23\00:47:45.66
He says to the
other one, "Go there."
00:47:45.69\00:47:47.03
"This individual is
struggling with sin.
00:47:47.16\00:47:48.83
Go help him."
00:47:48.86\00:47:50.20
"This individual is
preaching the gospel.
00:47:50.23\00:47:52.00
Go and influence the
people that are listening."
00:47:52.03\00:47:53.97
In other words, the Holy
Spirit, through the angels,
00:47:54.00\00:47:56.87
accomplishes the work
of impacting human hearts.
00:47:56.91\00:48:01.11
Now let me ask you, why
aren't we seeing the tremendous
00:48:02.68\00:48:05.61
convicting power that was
seen after the day of Pentecost?
00:48:05.65\00:48:08.82
It's very simple.
00:48:08.85\00:48:10.19
The Holy Spirit needs
earthly soldiers who will
00:48:11.12\00:48:15.32
cooperate with Him.
00:48:15.36\00:48:16.93
You see, the disciples
went through basic training.
00:48:18.19\00:48:20.76
And they learned to take
orders from their Commander
00:48:21.90\00:48:25.73
and to render Him
unquestioning obedience.
00:48:26.23\00:48:29.60
In other words, they were
prepared to receive the help
00:48:30.64\00:48:33.74
of the Holy Spirit through
the ministry of the angels
00:48:33.78\00:48:36.08
because they had
made a total commitment
00:48:36.28\00:48:38.71
to their Commander.
00:48:38.75\00:48:40.08
The reason why today we
don't see the same power
00:48:40.52\00:48:43.22
is because we do not commit
ourselves without reservation
00:48:43.62\00:48:48.86
to the Lord the way that
the apostles and those who
00:48:48.89\00:48:52.06
preach the gospel at first did.
00:48:52.09\00:48:53.93
And so the angels are
waiting to work through us,
00:48:54.16\00:48:57.37
but they can't work
through us because we are always
00:48:57.40\00:49:00.54
interested in
fulfilling our own agendas.
00:49:00.57\00:49:04.14
I want to read from
this devotional book,
00:49:05.67\00:49:09.58
A Call To Stand Apart, page 66.
00:49:09.61\00:49:12.11
This is a well known statement.
00:49:13.01\00:49:14.35
It's speaking about
the youth in the church.
00:49:14.38\00:49:16.25
And it has something
very important to say about
00:49:17.25\00:49:19.42
the ministry of angels through
the power of the Holy Spirit.
00:49:19.45\00:49:23.29
This is what Ellen White
had to say about our youth.
00:49:23.56\00:49:26.13
What are we?
00:49:38.97\00:49:40.31
We're God's helping hand.
00:49:40.51\00:49:41.84
And how does God help us?
00:49:41.88\00:49:43.31
Through the
ministry of the angels.
00:49:43.81\00:49:45.48
Then she says...
00:49:45.58\00:49:46.92
Now she's going to explain.
00:49:47.12\00:49:48.45
That is the angels.
00:50:06.87\00:50:08.20
See, there's boot camp, right?
00:50:19.61\00:50:21.52
And learning to accept the
commands of your Commander.
00:50:21.55\00:50:24.82
So she says once again...
00:50:25.02\00:50:28.56
"...rightly trained, might
furnish, how soon the message
00:50:31.49\00:50:34.93
of a crucified, risen,
and soon-coming Saviour
00:50:34.96\00:50:37.53
might be carried
to the whole world..."
00:50:37.63\00:50:39.40
How soon it would
happen if an army of youth
00:51:01.16\00:51:04.89
rightly trained and lending
themselves to the power of God,
00:51:04.93\00:51:09.30
through the ministry of
the angels, were willing
00:51:09.33\00:51:11.30
to accomplish the work of God.
00:51:11.33\00:51:13.34
Now do we believe that
there's going to be a final
00:51:15.00\00:51:17.01
outpouring of the
Holy Spirit on this world?
00:51:17.04\00:51:19.31
A final outpouring of the Holy
Spirit in latter rain power?
00:51:19.61\00:51:22.91
We most certainly do.
00:51:23.04\00:51:24.38
And you say, "Well
what must the outpouring
00:51:24.41\00:51:26.38
of the latter rain be?"
00:51:26.41\00:51:27.75
Well, if the outpouring of the
early rain by the Holy Spirit
00:51:27.78\00:51:30.75
means that the Holy
Spirit, through the angels,
00:51:31.12\00:51:33.32
helped the disciples in
accomplishing their work,
00:51:33.52\00:51:36.29
is it just possible that the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit
00:51:36.49\00:51:39.46
at the end is going to
have something to do with
00:51:39.49\00:51:41.90
God unleashing all of
the angelic host upon the
00:51:41.93\00:51:44.57
earth again because
we have lent ourselves
00:51:44.60\00:51:46.97
as God's earthly army to be
used by the heavenly agencies?
00:51:47.00\00:51:50.61
Absolutely.
00:51:50.71\00:51:52.04
Let me read you some statements
from the spirit of prophecy.
00:51:52.07\00:51:54.41
The book, Maranatha, page
212, Ellen White explains...
00:51:54.58\00:51:58.71
Listen carefully.
00:51:59.58\00:52:00.92
So what is the
outpouring of the Spirit of God?
00:52:14.60\00:52:16.90
Angels will be in our midst.
00:52:17.03\00:52:19.40
It doesn't mean that the angels
have the power in themselves.
00:52:19.87\00:52:22.54
They are the
emissaries of the Holy Spirit.
00:52:22.57\00:52:26.47
They are the foot
soldiers of the Holy Spirit.
00:52:26.51\00:52:29.51
The Holy Spirit is in the
command and control center.
00:52:29.54\00:52:31.58
Everything is under His control.
00:52:31.61\00:52:33.45
We're not giving
glory to the angels.
00:52:33.48\00:52:35.18
The angels lend themselves
as instruments in the hands
00:52:35.22\00:52:38.45
of the Holy Spirit, and
we are to lend ourselves
00:52:38.49\00:52:41.06
as instruments in
the hands of the angels.
00:52:41.09\00:52:43.16
But the chain of command
is broken when it gets to us.
00:52:44.09\00:52:46.96
You know, sometimes I
think of Isaiah, you know,
00:52:48.50\00:52:50.37
the vision that Isaiah had.
00:52:50.40\00:52:51.93
You know, after he saw
the holiness of God he said,
00:52:52.63\00:52:54.87
"I am undone, for I am a sinful
man and I live in the midst
00:52:54.90\00:52:57.41
of a people that are sinful.
00:52:57.44\00:52:59.37
My eyes have seen
the glory of the Lord,
00:52:59.41\00:53:01.74
the holiness of the Lord."
00:53:01.78\00:53:03.11
And then he hears a
conversation in heaven
00:53:03.61\00:53:05.65
where a question is asked,
"Who will go and tell Israel
00:53:06.21\00:53:09.78
about this vision
that Isaiah has seen?"
00:53:10.09\00:53:13.36
And what did Isaiah say?
00:53:14.06\00:53:15.39
Isaiah said,
"Here am I; send him."
00:53:15.42\00:53:17.76
That's not what Isaiah said.
00:53:19.06\00:53:20.60
He says, "Well
who better than me?
00:53:20.63\00:53:22.50
Here am I; send me."
00:53:22.53\00:53:24.13
And he was sent.
00:53:24.93\00:53:26.27
And he was helped.
00:53:26.74\00:53:28.07
And as a result, he
was put in a hollow log
00:53:28.54\00:53:31.07
and it was sawn in half.
00:53:31.11\00:53:32.47
And he died as a martyr.
00:53:32.91\00:53:34.24
And some day we are going to
see him again, praise the Lord.
00:53:34.28\00:53:37.75
Now in, Review and
Herald, January 20, 1891,
00:53:38.35\00:53:41.62
we have another
statement about how the work is
00:53:41.65\00:53:44.29
going to be accomplished under
the power of the latter rain.
00:53:44.32\00:53:46.59
Now how did this happen?
00:53:53.03\00:53:54.36
Let's continue reading.
00:53:54.40\00:53:55.73
I'd like to mention one
final thing before we close.
00:54:44.68\00:54:47.05
Do you remember the
individual who had a son
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that was on his
dying bed in Capernaum?
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He was in Cana of Galilee,
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this is in John chapter
4, and he had a son that
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was in Capernaum
and he was dying.
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So he says to Jesus,
"Would you please heal my son?"
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And Jesus says,
"Oh this generation.
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Unless they see
signs, they won't believe."
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But Jesus pronounced the
word, He says, "Don't worry.
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He's well."
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And this man believed Jesus.
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And we know that
he believed Jesus
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because he didn't go right home.
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He could have
gone home that same day
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and arrived before dark.
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But he decided to hang around.
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And the next day, you
know, he began his trip.
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And Ellen White
says he enjoyed the songs
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of the birds and the sunshine.
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He was having a great
time because he knew that
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his son had been healed.
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And so when he got
back home, he asked,
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"At what time
was my son healed?"
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They said, at
such and such a time.
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And he said, "That's exactly
the time Jesus said the word."
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Now I want to read
you two statements from
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the spirit of
prophecy and how this happened.
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Very interesting.
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The first is in, Spirit of
Prophecy, volume 2, page 155.
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I like that expression.
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"...by a flash of
divine telegraphy..."
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In other words, Jesus
sent the message by telegraph
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to the angel who
was over there waiting.
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And then another
statement is found in,
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The Youth's
Instructor, December 4, 1902.
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Angels, in the Bible,
are compared to lightening.
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And so, folks, the Holy
Spirit is waiting for us.
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The Holy Spirit is waiting to
unleash all of the angelic host
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upon this world
to finish God's work.
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And the big question
is, will we lend ourselves
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as willing
instruments in God's hand?
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The decision is ours.
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