Participants: Pr. Jëan Ross
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021442
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00:01 (MUSIC)
00:34 >>HELLO FRIENDS AND THOSE HERE. WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY 00:38 HOUR. AND WE'RE JUST VERY GLAD THAT 00:40 YOU CAN TUNE IN AND STUDY GOD'S WORD WITH US. 00:42 FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT BE WONDERING ABOUT THE LITTLE DIFFERENT LOOK 00:46 AND FEEL HERE, LET ME GIVE YOU THE BACKGROUND. 00:49 FOR THE LAST 18 YEARS OR SO AMAZING FACTS HAS BEEN 00:53 CO-PRODUCING THE SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY TIME WITH THE SACRAMENTO 00:56 CENTRAL CHURCH. WELL ABOUT SEVEN YEARS AGO, 00:58 SACRAMENTO CENTRAL ACCEPTED THE CHALLENGE TO PLANT A NEW CHURCH 01:03 IN AN AREA WHERE THERE WAS NO CHURCH, CALLED GRANITE BAY. 01:06 IT'S SORT OF AN ADJOINING COMMUNITY TO SACRAMENTO. 01:08 AND THE LORD'S BLESSED AND THAT CHURCH HAS FLOURISHED. 01:11 IT'S A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE AMAZING FACTS OFFICE AND FOR 01:15 SEVERAL YEARS NOW WE HAVE BEEN SHARING OR RENTING FACILITIES 01:19 WITH A PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, BUT THE LOGISTICS HAVEN'T REALLY 01:22 ALLOWED US TO PRODUCE PROGRAMMING THERE. 01:24 AND SO, RIGHT NOW, LIKE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, OUR CHURCH 01:27 IS SORT OF IN THE WILDERNESS BETWEEN BUILDINGS SO WE'RE 01:31 TRANSITIONING INTO ANOTHER OFFICE/WAREHOUSE BUILDING WHERE 01:35 THE CHURCH IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO MEET. 01:36 WE'LL HAVE IT SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND THAT'LL BE VERY NICE. 01:39 WE'LL PRODUCE OUR SABBATH SCHOOL PROGRAMS THERE, BUT IN THE 01:42 MEANTIME, OUR MEMBERS HERE, AT THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH AND SOME 01:45 VISITING FROM THE AREA, ARE JOINING US FOR OUR SABBATH 01:49 SCHOOL CLASS. WE'RE RECORDING THIS DURING OUR 01:51 REGULAR PRAYER MEETING TIME. BUT TONIGHT, OUR TEACHER IS 01:55 GOING TO BE ASSOCIATE PASTOR OF THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH, 01:59 PASTOR JEAN ROSS - YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH. I ASKED JEAN 02:02 IF HE COULD PLEASE TEACH THE LESSON BECAUSE I WAS IN 02:04 AUSTRALIA YESTERDAY - WELL, I WAS ON THE PLANE YESTERDAY 02:07 COMING BACK FROM AUSTRALIA AND SO I'M AFRAID OF WHAT I MIGHT 02:10 SAY AND SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR PRAYER AND I'LL LET 02:14 PASTOR ROSS INTRODUCE THE LESSON AND OUR FREE OFFER. 02:17 SO LET'S PRAY TOGETHER AS WE BEGIN. 02:19 FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE'RE JUST VERY THANKFUL FOR THE TRUTH. 02:22 WE'RE VERY THANKFUL YOU HAVE SPOKEN IN A WONDERFUL WAY - YOUR 02:27 INSPIRED WORD - THROUGH THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS. 02:30 AND AS WE DIRECT OUR ATTENTION NOW TO STUDY THIS LESSON ON THIS 02:33 VERY IMPORTANT SUBJECT, WE PRAY THAT YOU WILL BE WITH US AND 02:36 GUIDE US ALL TO BE MORE LIKE CHRIST. 02:38 WE ASK IN HIS NAME, AMEN. THANK YOU. PASTOR ROSS. 02:45 >>THANK YOU, PASTOR DOUG AND WELCOME BACK. WELCOME FRIENDS, 02:48 AGAIN, FOR JOINING US HERE AT THE SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 02:52 IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING ALONG, WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE BOOK OF JAMES, 02:55 WHICH IS OUR SABBATH SCHOOL QUARTERLY FOR THIS QUARTER AND 02:58 TODAY WE FIND OURSELVES ON LESSON #3 - IT IS PAGE 22 IN THE 03:03 REGULAR SABBATH SCHOOL QUARTERLY. 03:05 AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE JOINING US ACROSS THE COUNTRY 03:09 AND AROUND THE WORLD, IF YOU'D LIKE TO FOLLOW ALONG, YOU CAN GO 03:12 TO THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH WEBSITE AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY 03:14 DOWNLOAD THE LESSON THAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY. 03:17 THE WEB ADDRESS FOR THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH WEBSITE IS 03:20 'GRANITEBAYSDA.ORG'. WE'RE ON LESSON #3 AND THE LESSON IS 03:26 ENTITLED 'ENDURING TEMPTATION.' NOW, WE HAVE A MEMORY TEXT THAT 03:31 I THINK IS FAIRLY FAMILIAR TO MOST OF US, IT'S JAMES 03:34 CHAPTER 1, VERSE 12. SO LET'S BEGIN BY TAKING A LOOK AT THIS 03:38 IMPORTANT MEMORY VERSE, JAMES CHAPTER 1, VERSE 12. THE APOSTLE 03:43 JAMES WRITES, "BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT ENDURETH TEMPTATION: 03:47 FOR WHEN HE IS TRIED, HE SHALL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE, 03:51 WHICH THE LORD HATH PROMISED TO THEM THAT LOVE HIM." 03:55 SO OUR ENTIRE STUDY FOR THIS WEEK DEALS WITH THE SUBJECT OF 03:59 TEMPTATION. HOW DO WE RESIST TEMPTATION? THE APOSTLE JAMES 04:03 HAS A LOT TO SAY ABOUT HOW WE CAN BE VICTORIOUS. 04:06 NOW, BEFORE I FORGET, WE HAVE A FREE OFFER THAT WE'D LIKE TO 04:09 MAKE AVAILABLE TO ANYBODY WHO'S WATCHING US. 04:11 IT'S A LITTLE BOOK CALLED 'TIPS FOR RESISTING TEMPTATION.' 04:15 IT'S WRITTEN BY PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR. 04:17 WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THIS TO ANYONE WHO CALLS AND ASKS FOR IT 04:21 AND THE NUMBER TO CALL FOR OUR FREE OFFER IS 866-788-3966 - 04:28 THAT'S 866-STUDY-MORE AND YOU WANT TO ASK FOR OFFER #708 - 04:35 'TIPS FOR RESISTING TEMPTATION.' NOW I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY BE 04:37 REFERRING TO TWELVE TIPS FOR RESISTING TEMPTATION THAT YOU 04:41 FIND IN THIS LITTLE BOOK. YOU CAN ALSO READ THIS BOOK 04:44 ONLINE AT THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE - JUST 04:46 'AMAZINGFACTS.ORG' AND YOU 04:48 GO TO THE TAB THAT SAYS 'FREE ONLINE LIBRARY,' YOU CLICK ON 04:51 THAT AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO READ ALONG. 04:53 YOU'LL READ THE LITTLE BOOKS - SOME GREAT, IMPORTANT INSIGHTS 04:55 HERE IN THIS BOOK SO I THINK YOU'LL ENJOY THAT. 04:59 THE PRINCIPLE PASSAGE FOR OUR STUDY TODAY IS JAMES CHAPTER 1 05:03 AND IT'S VERSE 12 ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO VERSE 21. 05:06 SO I'M GOING TO DO SOMETHING JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT TODAY. 05:08 WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THESE VERSES ONE BY ONE - TAKE SOME 05:12 TIME TO TALK ABOUT EACH OF THESE VERSES. 05:14 SO WE'RE GOING TO SEE HOW FAR WE CAN GET THROUGH THE 05:16 ALLOTTED TIME THAT WE HAVE THIS EVENING. 05:18 SO WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH OUR SCRIPTURE READING: JAMES CHAPTER 05:21 1, VERSE 12, AND WE'VE GOT SOME OF OUR CHURCH MEMBERS HERE WHO 05:25 ARE GOING TO READ EACH OF THE VERSES AS WE WORK OUR WAY ALONG. 05:28 SO, DARREN, WHY DON'T WE START WITH YOU? JAMES CHAPTER 1, 05:31 VERSE 12. OH, ACTUALLY IT'S KIM. THANK YOU, KIM. 05:34 >>"BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO ENDURES TEMPTATION, FOR WHEN HE 05:37 HAS BEEN APPROVED, HE WILL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE WHICH 05:41 THE LORD HAS PROMISED TO THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." 05:43 >>THANK YOU. NOW NOTICE HOW THE VERSE BEGINS. 05:46 WHAT'S THE FIRST WORD THAT WE HAVE THERE IN VERSE 12? 05:49 JAMES SAYS, "BLESSED - BLESSED IS THE MAN." 05:52 THE WORD 'BLESSED' THERE COULD ALSO BE TRANSLATED AS 'HAPPY.' 05:55 HAPPY IS THE MAN WHO ENDURES TEMPTATION. WE DON'T ALWAYS 05:59 ASSOCIATE TEMPTATION WITH HAPPY, ESPECIALLY ENDURING TEMPTATION. 06:04 NOW, WHEN YOU THINK OF THE WORD 'BLESSED,' IS THERE ANOTHER 06:07 PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE THAT COMES TO MIND THAT'S FAIRLY WELL KNOWN 06:10 FOR ALSO USING THE WORD 'BLESSED?' 06:13 IT'S MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES. IT'S THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS. 06:17 IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING THAT JAMES OFTEN REFERS TO THE 06:19 TEACHINGS OF JESUS AND, IN THIS CASE, OF COURSE, WE'RE THINKING 06:22 OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 5 AND VERSE 10, 06:26 IN PARTICULAR, TALKS ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE BLESSED WHEN THEY FACE 06:29 TRIALS AND DIFFICULTIES AND TEMPTATIONS - OR IN THIS CASE, 06:33 PERSECUTION. JESUS SAYS, IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 5, VERSE 10, 06:36 "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS' 06:39 SAKE, FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN." 06:42 YOU KNOW, WHEN WE FACE TEMPTATION, SOMETIMES WE MIGHT 06:45 FEEL AS THOUGH WE ARE BEING PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS' 06:47 SAKE, BUT THERE IS A PROMISE - THERE IS A BLESSING PRONOUNCED 06:51 UPON THOSE WHO ENDURE - THOSE WHO HOLD FIRM AND ARE FAITHFUL. 06:55 SO THE VERSE IS: "BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT ENDURES TEMPTATION." 07:00 THE WORD THERE 'ENDURE' MEANS 'TO HOLD ON; TO BE STEADFAST; 07:04 TO STAND AND RESIST SOMETHING COMING AGAINST YOU.' 07:09 BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO ENDURES - OR RESISTS - TEMPTATION. 07:13 THE WORD 'TEMPTATION' THERE CAN ALSO BE TRANSLATED AS 07:16 'TRIALS' OR 'AFFLICTION' OR 'SORROW' OR 'PAIN' OR 'STRESS' - 07:19 ANYTHING THAT COMES AGAINST US FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISTRACTING 07:23 US OR STEERING US AWAY FROM GOD'S PURPOSE AND PLAN FOR OUR 07:27 LIVES. ANYTHING THAT WILL TRY AND MOVE 07:29 US AWAY FROM OBEDIENCE TO WHAT GOD ASKS US TO DO. 07:32 THAT CAN FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY OF TEMPTATIONS. 07:36 MATTHEW CHAPTER 24, VERSE 13, JESUS, TALKING ABOUT END-TIME 07:39 EVENTS, SAID, "BUT HE THAT ENDURETH UNTIL THE END, 07:43 THE SAME SHALL BE SAVED." YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO SURVIVE 07:48 THE LAST DAYS, GOD'S PEOPLE NEED TO HAVE A HIGH DEGREE OF 07:52 ENDURANCE. WE NEED TO ENDURE. THE DEVIL IS GOING AROUND AS A 07:57 ROARING LION SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR. HE'S DOING EVERYTHING 08:01 HE CAN TO TRY AND BREAK THE HOLD OF GOD'S PEOPLE ON CHRIST. 08:05 AND, AS THE REMNANT, WE NEED TO HAVE ENDURANCE. 08:08 WE READ ABOUT THE REMNANT IN REVELATION CHAPTER 12, VERSE 17 08:11 - WE HAVE TWO CHARACTERISTICS GIVEN ON THE REMNANT. 08:14 REVELATION 12:17 SAYS, "AND THE DRAGON WAS ENRAGED WITH THE 08:18 WOMAN." IN BIBLE PROPHECY, WHO DOES THE 08:21 DRAGON REPRESENT? SATAN. WHO DOES THE WOMAN REPRESENT? 08:24 THE CHURCH. AND IT SAYS, "HE WENT TO MAKE 08:27 WAR WITH THE REMNANT OF HER OFFSPRING. 08:29 THAT'S WHY THE REMNANT NEED ENDURANCE, BECAUSE THE DEVIL IS 08:33 MAKING WAR WITH THEM AND THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE REMNANT AT 08:36 THE END OF TIME, WHO KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD AND THEY 08:39 HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST. 08:41 REVELATION CHAPTER 10 - OR CHAPTER 19, VERSE 10, DEFINES 08:45 FOR US WHAT THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS IS: IT'S THE SPIRIT OF 08:48 PROPHECY. AND THEN, IN REVELATION CHAPTER 08:50 14, VERSE 12, WE HAD AN ADDED IDENTIFYING MARK AS TO THE 08:55 REMNANT. REVELATION 14:12 SAYS, "HERE IS 08:58 THE PATIENCE OF THE SAINTS." NOW THAT WORD 'PATIENCE' CAN 09:02 ALSO BE TRANSLATED AS 'ENDURANCE.' SO GOD'S PEOPLE, AT 09:06 THE END OF TIME, NEED TO HAVE ENDURANCE. 09:09 THEN THE VERSE GOES ON AND SAYS, "HERE IS THE PATIENCE OF THE 09:11 SAINTS; HERE ARE THOSE THAT KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD AND THEY 09:14 HAVE THE FAITH OF JESUS." I THINK THERE'S A CLOSE 09:18 CONNECTION BETWEEN HAVING ENDURANCE, OR PATIENCE, AND THE 09:23 FAITH OF JESUS. NOTICE, THE REMNANT NOT ONLY 09:26 HAVE FAITH IN JESUS, BUT HERE IT SAYS THEY HAVE THE FAITH OF 09:30 JESUS. DO YOU THINK THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING FAITH 09:33 IN JESUS AND HAVING THE FAITH OF JESUS? I THINK SO. 09:38 HAVING FAITH IN JESUS IS BELIEVING HIM TO BE THE SON OF 09:41 GOD, TO BELIEVING THAT HE DIED FOR OUR SINS, TO RECEIVE HIM AS 09:44 OUR SAVIOR. BUT TO HAVE THE FAITH OF JESUS 09:47 IS TO HAVE THAT ENDURANCE - THAT STEADFASTNESS. 09:51 I THINK THE FAITH OF JESUS CAN BEST BE DESCRIBED IN CHRIST'S 09:54 PRAYER IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE, WHEN HE PRAYED 'NOT 09:57 MY WILL BE DONE, BUT THY WILL BE DONE.' THE FAITH OF JESUS IS 10:01 TRUSTING IN THE GOODNESS OF GOD, NOT TRUSTING TO OUR OWN 10:05 CIRCUMSTANCES OR OUR OWN FEELINGS, BUT TRUSTING THAT GOD 10:09 IS GOING TO DO WHAT HE'S PROMISED HE WOULD DO. 10:11 THAT'S THE FAITH OF JESUS. 10:13 GOD'S PEOPLE AT THE END OF TIME NEED TO HAVE THIS KIND OF 10:15 ENDURANCE AND THIS PERSISTENCE, THIS PATIENCE. 10:18 THE NEXT PART OF THE VERSE SAYS, "FOR WHEN HE HAS BEEN APPROVED, 10:22 HE WILL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF LIFE." 10:25 SO TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS REVEAL THE QUALITY OF OUR FAITH, OR OUR 10:31 LOVE TOWARDS GOD. IN REVELATION CHAPTER 3 WE HAVE 10:35 CHRIST'S MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH OF LAODICEA. 10:38 AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JESUS SAYS THE CHURCH NEEDS IN THE 10:41 LAST DAYS IS GOLD. NOW WHAT KIND OF GOLD? 10:46 WHAT DOES JESUS SAY THERE IN REVELATION CHAPTER 3 - IT'S GOLD 10:48 REFINED IN THE FIRE. NOW WHAT IS THAT GOLD? 10:53 WHAT IS THE MOST PRECIOUS THING THAT THE CHRISTIAN CAN HAVE? 10:56 REALLY IT'S TWO: IT'S FAITH AND LOVE. AND, OF COURSE, THE TWO 11:01 WORK TOGETHER. IN ORDER FOR US TO HAVE THIS 11:03 ENDURANCE IN THE MIDST OF TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS, WE NEED TO HAVE 11:07 THE LOVE OF JESUS IN OUR HEARTS AND WE NEED TO HAVE FAITH. 11:11 1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 13, THE APOSTLE PAUL SAYS, "AND NOW 11:13 ABIDETH FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE, THESE THREE, BUT THE GREATEST OF 11:18 THESE IS" - WHAT? "LOVE." THAT'S THIS GOLD 11:21 REFINED IN THE FIRE. THAT'S WHAT GIVES US STRENGTH TO 11:24 STAND AGAINST THE TEMPTATIONS OF THE ENEMY. IN MATTHEW 11:28 CHAPTER 7:21 JESUS SAYS, "NOT EVERYONE WHO SAYS UNTO ME, 11:30 'LORD, LORD' WILL ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, BUT HE THAT 11:33 DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER IN HEAVEN." SO IN THE LAST DAYS, 11:37 IT'S MORE THAN JUST CLAIMING TO BE A CHRISTIAN. 11:40 GOD IS LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO ARE WILLING TO SURRENDER THEMSELVES 11:43 TO HIM - THOSE WHO HAVE THIS GOAL, THIS FAITH AND LOVE IN 11:46 THEIR HEARTS - THOSE WHO ARE ABLE TO STAND FIRM AND ENDURE 11:50 THE WRATH OF THE DRAGON IN THE FINAL MOMENTS OF EARTH'S 11:53 HISTORY. NOW, OF COURSE, THERE'S MANY 11:55 ILLUSTRATIONS OF STANDING FIRM AND BEING FAITHFUL IN THE MIDST 11:59 OF TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS. WHAT OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTER 12:04 COMES TO MIND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO ENDURED TRIALS AND 12:08 TEMPTATIONS? WE THINK OF JOB, RIGHT? 12:11 AND, INDEED, HE'S A GREAT EXAMPLE FOR US TO FOLLOW. 12:14 HERE IS A MAN THAT IS RICHLY BLESSED BY GOD, BUT THEN ONE DAY 12:17 THERE IS THIS MEETING THAT TAKES PLACE IN HEAVEN AND SATAN SHOWS 12:21 UP AT THIS MEETING AND HE CLAIMS TO BE THE REPRESENTATIVE OF 12:24 EARTH. AND SO, GOD SAYS TO SATAN, WHERE DID YOU COME FROM? 12:27 AND SATAN SAYS, 'OH, FROM WALKING UP AND DOWN UPON THE 12:29 EARTH.' AND THEN GOD SAYS, 'HAVE YOU CONSIDERED MY SERVANT JOB?' 12:34 NOW, I'VE OFTEN WONDERED, WHY DID GOD EVEN BRING JOB UP? 12:38 AFTER ALL, AFTER GOD SAYS, 'HAVE YOU CONSIDERED MY SERVANT JOB?' 12:40 AND THEN SATAN SAYS, 'WELL, THE REASON HE SERVES IS BECAUSE YOU 12:42 BLESSED HIM WITH ALL OF THESE THINGS.' AND THEN ALL THESE BAD 12:45 THINGS HAPPEN TO JOB. WHY DID GOD EVEN MENTION IT? 12:48 WELL, PERHAPS, HERE'S A REASON: SATAN CLAIMED THE EARTH WAS HIS 12:52 - CLAIMED IT TO BE HIS KINGDOM - AND, BY DEFAULT, HE CLAIMED THE 12:55 PEOPLE ON THE EARTH TO BE CITIZENS OF HIS KINGDOM. 12:59 AND GOD WAS POINTING OUT TO SATAN THAT THERE IS SOMEONE IN 13:02 HIS KINGDOM THAT REALLY BELONGS IN GOD'S KINGDOM. 13:06 SATAN SAYS, 'OH, I'VE COME BACK FROM WALKING UP AND DOWN ON THE 13:08 EARTH - FROM SURVEYING MY KINGDOM.' AND GOD SAYS, 'OH, BY 13:11 THE WAY, DID YOU NOTICE THERE'S SOMEBODY IN YOUR KINGDOM THAT 13:14 REALLY BELONGS IN MY KINGDOM? AND HIS NAME IS JOB.' 13:17 SATAN SAYS, 'OH, THE REASON HE'S DOING ALL THESE THINGS FOR YOU 13:19 IS BECAUSE YOU BLESSED HIM SO ABUNDANTLY.' 13:21 WELL, YOU REMEMBER THE STORY? GOD ALLOWED THESE BAD THINGS TO 13:25 HAPPEN TO JOB: HE LOST, FIRST OF ALL, HIS KIDS AND THEN ALL OF 13:28 HIS POSSESSIONS AND STILL HE REMAINED FAITHFUL TO GOD. 13:31 THERE WAS ANOTHER MEETING THAT TAKES PLACE IN HEAVEN AND SATAN 13:34 IS THERE AGAIN AND HE'S COME FROM WALKING UP AND DOWN ON THE 13:37 EARTH AND GOD SAYS, 'WELL, WHERE HAVE YOU COME FROM?' 13:39 AND AGAIN SATAN SAYS, 'FROM GOING UP AND DOWN UPON THE 13:41 EARTH.' AND GOD SAYS, 'WELL, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED MY SERVANT 13:44 JOB? THAT EVEN THOUGH ALL OF THESE 13:45 BAD THINGS HAPPENED TO HIM, HE STILL REMAINS FAITHFUL TO ME.' 13:49 WHAT DOES SATAN SAY? OH, HE SAYS, 'FLESH FOR FLESH. 13:52 YES, BUT JUST TOUCH HIS BODY; LET HIM GET SICK. 13:56 THEN HE WILL CURSE YOU.' AND GOD SAYS, 'ALRIGHT, YOU CAN TOUCH 14:00 HIS BODY BUT DON'T TAKE HIS LIFE.' AND THEN JOB GETS THESE 14:04 TERRIBLE BOILS. NOW I'VE NEVER HAD A BOIL 14:07 BEFORE, BUT I HAD A FRIEND WHO HAD A COUPLE OF BOILS AND I KNOW 14:11 IT'S VERY PAINFUL AND HE WOULD TELL ME HOW PAINFUL THESE BOILS 14:14 ARE. AND HERE JOB GETS THESE BOILS 14:17 FROM THE CROWN OF HIS HEAD TO THE SOLE OF HIS FOOT. 14:20 HE CAN'T STAND WITHOUT PAIN. HE CAN'T SIT WITHOUT PAIN. 14:23 HE CAN'T EVEN LIE DOWN WITHOUT PAIN AND THEN, TO MAKE THINGS 14:26 WORSE, HIS WIFE SAYS TO HIM, 'WHY DON'T YOU JUST CURSE GOD 14:29 AND DIE?' IN OTHER WORDS, 'GIVE UP.' AND 14:32 THEN HE GETS THESE FRIENDS THAT COME AND, INSTEAD OF ENCOURAGING 14:35 JOB AND SYMPATHIZING WITH JOB, THEY BEGIN TO SAY, 'JOB, WHAT'S 14:38 THE MATTER WITH YOU? YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HIDING 14:40 SOMETHING. WHAT SIN ARE YOU GUILTY OF? 14:43 AND THEY'RE THERE TO DISCOURAGE JOB EVEN MORE. 14:45 AND YET, DESPITE ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT HAPPEN TO JOB, 14:48 HE STILL REMAINS FAITHFUL TO GOD. 14:50 NOW, HE HAS A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND HE SAYS, 'LORD, I DON'T KNOW 14:53 WHY THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING TO ME.' FINALLY, GOD RESPONDS TO 14:56 JOB'S QUESTIONINGS - AND I LIKE GOD'S RESPONSE. 14:59 GOD DOESN'T SAY, 'WELL, JOB, YOU SEE, THERE WAS THIS MEETING IN 15:02 HEAVEN AND SATAN SHOWED UP AND HE MADE THESE ACCUSATIONS.' NO. 15:06 INSTEAD, GOD RESPONDS WITH THE WORDS - WHEN HE ANSWERS JOB - HE 15:10 SAYS, 'WHO IS THIS THAT DARKENS COUNSEL, SPEAKING WORDS WITHOUT 15:14 WISDOM?' GIRD YOURSELF UP LIKE A MAN AND 15:17 I WILL DEMAND OF YOU AND YOU ANSWER ME. 15:19 WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I LAID THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH? 15:23 TELL ME NOW IF YOU CAN.' AND THEN GOD GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT 15:25 HIS POWER AND HIS GLORY AND HOW HE SUSTAINS ALL OF NATURE AND 15:30 HOW HE MADE EVERYTHING AND HOW THAT HE IS IN CONTROL OF ALL 15:33 THINGS AND, BY THE TIME GOD GETS THROUGH REVEALING HIS 15:37 GOODNESS AND HIS POWER AND HOW HE SUSTAINS ALL THINGS, JOB 15:42 RESPONDS AND HE SAYS, 'I'VE HEARD ABOUT YOU WITH MY HEARING 15:46 BUT NOW MY EYES HAVE SEEN YOU. THEREFORE, I REPENT IN DUST AND 15:50 ASHES.' YOU SEE, WHEN JOB GOT A GLIMPSE OF GOD'S GOODNESS AND 15:53 HIS POWER, HE BEGAN TO REALIZE, 'YOU KNOW WHAT? 15:56 I DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT WHY THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING TO 16:00 ME. GOD KNOWS. GOD'S IN CHARGE. GOD'S GOING TO TAKE CARE OF ME 16:06 BECAUSE GOD MADE ME AND HE LOVES ME.' OF COURSE, YOU KNOW HOW THE 16:09 STORY ENDS: GOD BLESSES JOB IN AN ABUNDANT WAY. 16:12 NOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING ON THE RESURRECTION 16:14 MORNING - AS FAR AS WE KNOW, JOB NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHY THESE 16:18 THINGS REALLY HAPPENED TO HIM - BUT ON THE RESURRECTION MORNING, 16:21 JOB GETS TO SEE THE REST OF THE STORY. 16:23 GOD EXPLAINS OR WILL REVEAL TO HIM WHAT HAPPENED. 16:26 AND WHAT AN HONOR, IF YOU STOP AND THINK ABOUT IT, WHAT AN 16:29 HONOR GOD BESTOWED UPON JOB. HERE ARE ACCUSATIONS MADE 16:33 AGAINST GOD BY SATAN AND GOD STAKES HIS REPUTATION ON ONE MAN 16:40 - ON JOB. AND GOD SAYS, 'NO, I KNOW JOB. HE'S GOT THAT FAITH, 16:45 HE'S GOT THAT LOVE, HE'S GOT THAT GOLD. HE KNOWS ME. 16:49 HE CAN ENDURE WHATEVER COMES HIS WAY.' AND JOB'S EXPERIENCE IS A 16:53 TYPE OF THE EXPERIENCE OF GOD'S PEOPLE AT THE END OF TIME. 16:57 THEY NEED TO HAVE THAT SAME LOVE, THAT SAME FAITH, THAT SAME 17:00 COMMITMENT WHERE THEY ARE WILLING TO SAY, 'THOUGH HE SLAY 17:03 ME, YET WILL I TRUST HIM.' COMPLETE DEPENDENCE UPON GOD. 17:08 OF COURSE, THE PROMISE FOR THE REDEEMED IS THAT THEY WILL 17:10 RECEIVE A CROWN OF LIFE. THAT CROWN OF LIFE IS A SYMBOL 17:14 OF EVERLASTING LIFE. IN REVELATION CHAPTER 2, WE HAVE 17:18 CHRIST'S MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH OF SMYRNA. 17:20 NOW CHAPTER 2 AND CHAPTER 3 OF REVELATION TALK ABOUT SEVEN 17:25 CHURCHES AND EACH OF THESE CHURCHES REPRESENT DIFFERENT 17:27 TIME PERIODS OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA. 17:29 THE CHURCH OF SMYRNA REPRESENTS A TIME OF SEVERE PERSECUTION 17:33 FROM ABOUT 100 TO 313 AD. THIS IS A CHURCH THAT WAS FACING 17:38 PERSECUTION FROM THE PAGAN ROMANS AND JESUS SAYS TO THE 17:42 CHURCH, REVELATION CHAPTER 2, VERSE 10, HE SAYS, "DO NOT FEAR 17:45 ANY OF THOSE THINGS WHICH YOU ARE ABOUT TO SUFFER. 17:48 INDEED, THE DEVIL IS ABOUT TO THROW SOME OF YOU INTO PRISON 17:51 THAT YOU MIGHT BE TESTED." - THERE'S THAT TESTING, THAT 17:54 TRYING - "AND YOU WILL HAVE TRIBULATION TEN DAYS." 17:57 NOW, THOSE TEN DAYS - ONE PROPHETIC DAY IS EQUAL TO ONE 18:00 LITERAL YEAR. THAT REPRESENTS THE TIME PERIOD 18:02 FROM ABOUT 303 TO 313 AD - A TIME PERIOD OF SEVERE 18:06 PERSECUTION THAT CAME AGAINST THE CHRISTIANS. 18:10 BUT THEN THE VERSE ENDS WITH A PROMISE. 18:11 JESUS SAYS, "BUT BE FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH AND I WILL GIVE YOU A 18:15 CROWN OF LIFE." THERE'S THAT PROMISE. IF WE HOLD ON AND WE 18:19 TRUST IN GOD, WE HAVE THE PROMISE OF HIM GIVING US ETERNAL 18:23 LIFE, SYMBOLIZED BY THAT CROWN OF GLORY. 18:26 WELL, LET'S TAKE A LOOK NOW AT VERSE 13 - JAMES CHAPTER 1, 18:30 VERSE 13, THANK YOU DARREN. >>"LET NO ONE SAY WHEN HE IS 18:34 TEMPTED, 'I AM TEMPTED BY GOD.' FOR GOD CANNOT BE TEMPTED BY 18:38 EVIL, NOR DOES HE HIMSELF TEMPT ANYONE." 18:42 >>SO JAMES WANTS US TO UNDERSTAND THAT TEMPTATION DOES 18:45 NOT COME FROM GOD. GOD DOES NOT TAKE PLEASURE IN 18:48 SEEING HIS CHILDREN SUFFER. ACTUALLY, IT WAS A PAGAN IDEA. 18:52 THE PAGANS BELIEVED THAT THE GODS WOULD BRING TEMPTATION UPON 18:56 PEOPLE IN ORDER TO WATCH THEM SUFFER. AND JAMES IS MAKING IT 19:00 VERY CLEAR: TEMPTATION DOESN'T FIND ITS SOURCE IN GOD. 19:04 DON'T SAY, WHEN YOU FACE TRIALS AND DIFFICULTIES, 'WELL, GOD IS 19:07 BRINGING THIS UPON ME.' MATTER OF FACT, THAT IDEA OF BLAMING 19:10 GOD FOR TEMPTATION FINDS ITS CAUSE OR ITS ROOT WAY BACK IN 19:14 THE FIRST BOOK OF THE BIBLE, THE BOOK OF GENESIS. 19:17 YOU READ IN GENESIS CHAPTER 3, VERSE 12, - THIS IS AFTER THE 19:20 FALL OF ADAM AND EVE - THE LORD CAME LOOKING FOR THEM AND WHEN 19:23 THE LORD FOUND THEM GOD SAID TO ADAM AND EVE, 'HAVE YOU EATEN OF 19:26 THE TREE THAT I TOLD YOU NOT TO EAT OF? 19:28 AND THEN ADAM RESPONDS, IN GENESIS CHAPTER 1, VERSE 12, 19:32 THEN THE MAN SAID, 'THE WOMAN, WHOM YOU GAVE ME, SHE GAVE ME OF 19:36 THE TREE AND I DID EAT.' SO WHO IS ADAM BLAMING? HE'S BLAMING 19:40 GOD - WELL, HE'S BLAMING EVE BUT HE'S ALSO BLAMING GOD. 19:42 HE'S SAYING, 'WHY DID YOU GIVE ME THIS WOMAN THAT GAVE ME THE 19:45 FRUIT AND I ATE?' AND, OF COURSE, VERSE 13, "AND 19:47 THE LORD SAID TO THE WOMAN, 'WHAT IS THIS THAT YOU HAVE 19:49 DONE?' AND THE WOMAN SAID, 'THE SERPENT 19:50 DECEIVED ME AND I ATE.'" IN OTHER WORDS, WHY DID YOU ALLOW 19:53 THE SERPENT IN THE GARDEN?' SO HERE WE FIND AT THE VERY 19:57 BEGINNING, AFTER THE FALL, MAN BEGINS TO BLAME GOD FOR 20:01 TEMPTATION. JAMES WANTS TO SET THE RECORD 20:03 STRAIGHT AND HE SAYS, 'TEMPTATION DOESN'T COME FROM 20:06 GOD.' AND THEN HE GOES ON AND HE SAYS, "FOR GOD CANNOT BE TEMPTED 20:10 BY EVIL, NOR DOES HE HIMSELF TEMPT ANYONE." NOW, IT IS TRUE, 20:14 GOD DOES PERMIT US TO FACE TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS, BUT 20:18 HE IS NOT THE SOURCE OF THESE TEMPTATIONS. IN LUKE CHAPTER 13, 20:22 VERSE 16, WE READ JESUS, SPEAKING TO THE JEWISH LEADERS, 20:27 WHEN THE JEWISH LEADERS WERE ACCUSING CHRIST OF BREAKING THE 20:30 SABBATH - CHRIST NEVER BROKE THE SABBATH BUT HE HAD SET ASIDE 20:32 THEIR MAN-MADE TRADITIONS BECAUSE HE WAS HEALING PEOPLE 20:35 ON THE SABBATH, SO THEY ACCUSED JESUS OF BREAKING THE SABBATH 20:38 BECAUSE HE HEALED THIS WOMAN ON THE SABBATH. 20:40 AND JESUS, RESPONDING TO THEM, HE SAYS, "AND OUGHT NOT THIS 20:43 WOMAN, BEING A DAUGHTER OF ABRAHAM, WHOM SATAN HAS BOUND LO 20:48 THESE 18 YEARS, BE LOOSED FROM HER BOND ON THE SABBATH DAY." 20:51 SO JESUS MAKES IT CLEAR THAT DISEASE AND SUFFERING COMES FROM 20:55 SATAN - COMES FROM THE DEVIL. HE'S THE ONE THAT BOUND THIS 20:58 WOMAN WITH THIS DISEASE FOR THESE 18 YEARS. 21:01 IN THE BOOK 'DESIRES OF AGES' PAGE 471, WE HAVE THIS 21:05 STATEMENT: "SUFFERING IS INFLICTED BY SATAN, BUT IT IS 21:09 OVERRULED BY GOD FOR PURPOSES OF MERCY. 21:13 SO SATAN IS REALLY THE SOURCE OF SUFFERING. 21:16 IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 6, VERSE 13, IN THE LORD'S PRAYER WE PRAY, 21:20 "AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL." 21:23 YOU SEE, GOD CAN'T BE THE SOURCE OF TEMPTATION IF HE'S LEADING US 21:27 AWAY FROM TEMPTATION. HE WILL GIVE US WISDOM AND 21:30 GUIDANCE AND STRENGTH TO SEE THE DEVIL COMING WITH HIS 21:33 TEMPTATIONS AND LEAD US AWAY. NOW LET ME SHARE WITH YOU A 21:36 COUPLE OF TIPS FOR RESISTING TEMPTATION. 21:40 AND I'M GOING TO REFER TO THIS LITTLE BOOK OVER HERE, 21:42 'TIPS FOR RESISTING TEMPTATION' AND I'M GOING TO JUST GO 21:45 THROUGH A COUPLE OF THESE KEY POINTS. 21:47 SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO WRITE IT DOWN, YOU MIGHT WANT TO 21:50 GO TO THE WEBSITE AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO READ THE BOOK WITH SOME 21:52 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THAT BUT TIP #1, REMEMBER THE REWARD. 21:56 REMEMBER WHAT JAMES SAID WHEN YOU FACE TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS? 21:59 'IF YOU ENDURE YOU WILL RECEIVE' WHAT? 22:02 'A CROWN OF LIFE.' SO WHEN WE FACE TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS, 22:06 LET'S REMEMBER THE REWARD. GOD HAS PROMISED A REWARD TO 22:09 THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIM. THOSE WHO ENDURE. 22:12 SECONDLY, BELIEVING THE BADNESS OF SIN. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T QUITE 22:17 UNDERSTAND HOW BAD SIN IS UNTIL WE LOOK TO CALVARY. 22:20 AND WHEN WE UNDERSTAND WHAT SIN DID TO JESUS - WHAT SIN COST 22:24 GOD, THEN WE BEGIN TO REALIZE, 'LORD, I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO 22:28 DO WITH THIS.' I DON'T WANT ANYTHING THAT BROUGHT PAIN AND 22:31 SUFFERING TO THE HEART OF JESUS. POINT NUMBER 3 - A VERY 22:35 PRACTICAL POINT HERE - 'DON'T LOVE MONEY.' THE BIBLE TELLS US 22:40 THAT THE LOVE OF MONEY IS WHAT? THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL. 22:43 SO RIGHT FROM THE GET-GO, WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THAT IS A 22:46 HUMAN WEAKNESS THAT THE DEVIL IS GOING TO TRY AND USE AGAINST US. 22:50 SO RATHER LET OUR LOVE BE TOWARDS GOD AND OUR FELLOW MAN 22:53 VERSES THE LOVE OF MONEY. NUMBER 4, GET READY TO FLEE. 22:58 REALIZE THAT THE DEVIL IS GOING TO COME AGAINST US AT A TIME 23:01 WHEN WE LEAST EXPECT IT OR MAYBE WHEN WE'RE AT A WEAK POINT. 23:05 YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST FLYING UP FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THIS 23:07 WEEKEND AND, WHEN YOU GET ON THE PLANE AND YOU TAKE YOUR SEAT AND 23:10 JUST BEFORE THE PLANE TAKES OFF A FLIGHT ATTENDANT WILL GO 23:13 THROUGH THE VARIOUS, YOU KNOW, THINGS ABOUT PUTTING UP YOUR 23:15 TRAY AND THERE'S THE LIFE JACKET AND SO ON. 23:17 AND, TYPICALLY, THEY USUALLY SAY, 'LOOK AROUND YOU AND FIND 23:20 THE CLOSEST EXIT IN CASE OF EMERGENCY.' I ALWAYS DO. 23:24 I ALWAYS LOOK AROUND, 'WELL, WHERE IS THAT EXIT?' 23:26 JUST IN CASE SOMETHING GOES WRONG I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M 23:28 THE FIRST ONE BY THE EXIT. I WANT TO GET OUT. WELL, 23:32 YOU KNOW, AS CHRISTIANS, WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE THE EXIT IS. 23:35 WE NEED TO BE READY FOR THE TEMPTATIONS OF THE DEVIL. 23:38 WE NEED TO HAVE A PLAN THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, RUN TO THE LORD 23:41 OR COME UP WITH A VERSE OF SCRIPTURE THAT WE CAN QUOTE WHEN 23:46 THOSE TEMPTATIONS COME OUR WAY. POINT #5 IT SAYS, 23:49 "DON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD." JUST BECAUSE THE MAJORITY IS 23:53 DOING IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S RIGHT. 23:54 OF COURSE, AT THE TIME OF JESUS, THE MAJORITY WAS WRONG. 23:57 EVEN IN THE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY THE MAJORITY WAS WRONG. 24:01 ANOTHER IMPORTANT POINT - POINT #6 PLAN TO STAY BUSY. 24:05 I REMEMBER AS A KID MY PARENTS WOULD OFTEN SAY TO ME, 'THE 24:08 DEVIL FINDS WORK FOR IDLE HANDS.' HAVE YOU HEARD THAT 24:10 BEFORE? SO WE NEED TO STAY BUSY. 24:13 STAY BUSY DOING THE RIGHT THINGS. 24:15 STAY BUSY DOING THE THINGS GOD IS ASKING US TO DO. 24:18 #7 - HAVE A PLAN. SO BEFORE TEMPTATION COMES YOUR 24:22 WAY, YOU WANT TO HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE. 24:24 OF COURSE, WHERE ARE WE TO GO WHEN THE DEVIL COMES TO US AS A 24:27 ROARING LION? WHO IS OUR DEFENSE? 24:30 WE NEED TO RUN TO JESUS. THE POWER TO RESIST TEMPTATION 24:33 IS FOUND IN PRAYER. A SOUL THAT IS HUMBLY PRAYING, 24:37 SURRENDERING TO GOD, CANNOT BE OVERCOME BY THE DEVIL. 24:41 THE QUESTION IS SOMETIMES WE DON'T FEEL LIKE PRAYING AND THEN 24:44 WE NEED TO PRAY EVEN MORE, RIGHT? ASK GOD FOR STRENGTH. 24:47 AND THEN, KNOW YOURSELF. RECOGNIZE YOUR STRENGTHS AND 24:50 YOUR WEAKNESSES. THE DEVIL WILL USE OUR 24:51 WEAKNESSES AGAINST US. OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD. 24:55 AGAIN, I THINK THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD IS SO IMPORTANT HERE 24:58 - THE POWER OF BEING ABLE TO QUOTE SCRIPTURE. THE SCRIPTURE 25:01 SAYS, 'THY WORD HAVE I HID IN MY HEART THAT I SHOULD' WHAT? 25:05 'NOT SIN AGAINST YOU.' SO WHEN THOSE TEMPTATIONS COME WE START 25:08 FILLING OUR MINDS WITH THE WORD OF GOD. 25:10 THAT IS OUR DEFENSE AGAINST THOSE TEMPTATIONS. 25:13 'CARE FOR YOUR HEALTH' - POINT #10 - VERY PRACTICAL. 25:15 YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE FEELING DOWN AND WE'RE FEELING SICK 25:18 THEN, OF COURSE, THE DEVIL IS GOING TO TRY AND TAKE ADVANTAGE 25:20 OF THAT. SO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP 25:22 OURSELVES IN GOOD HEALTH. POINT #11: 'RECOGNIZE YOUR 25:26 ESCAPE' - RECOGNIZE THAT YOUR HOPE IS IN JESUS BECAUSE HE'S 25:29 THE ONE THAT CAN COME TO YOUR DELIVERANCE. 25:31 AND THEN POINT #12 'LEARN HOW TO SURVIVE A FALL.' WE DO FALL. 25:36 WE MAKE MISTAKES. BUT DON'T GIVE UP. 25:39 THE BIBLE SAYS THAT HE IS ABLE TO KEEP US FROM FALLING BUT IF 25:44 WE DO FALL WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE WITH THE FATHER, JESUS CHRIST. 25:47 AND WE CAN COME TO HIM, WE CAN CONFESS OUR SINS AND WE CAN MAKE 25:51 THAT COMMITMENT ONCE AGAIN - TO FOLLOW GOD AND DO THOSE THINGS 25:54 THAT WE KNOW TO BE RIGHT. SO TAKE A LOOK AT THE BOOK - 25:57 I THINK YOU'LL ENJOY IT - 'TIPS FOR RESISTING TEMPTATION' IT'S 25:59 SOME VERY GOOD, PRACTICAL INFORMATION. 26:01 ALRIGHT, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT VERSE 14. 26:05 >>"BUT EACH ONE IS TEMPTED WHEN HE IS DRAWN AWAY BY HIS OWN 26:08 DESIRES AND ENTICED." >>ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. 26:11 SO NOW JAMES, WHO TOLD US THAT TEMPTATION DOESN'T COME FROM 26:15 GOD, IS NOW SHOWING US WHERE TEMPTATION ACTUALLY COMES FROM 26:19 AND HE'S POINTING OUT THAT TEMPTATION DOESN'T COME FROM 26:21 WITHOUT AS MUCH AS IT COMES FROM WITHIN. HE SAYS, 'WE ARE DRAWN 26:26 AWAY BY OUR OWN DESIRES AND ENTICED.' AS A FISH IS ENTICED 26:31 BY A WORM ON A HOOK, SO THE HUMAN HEART IS ENTICED BY SIN. 26:37 I REMEMBER ON ONE OCCASION I HAD A FRIEND WHO TOOK ME FISHING AND 26:40 WE WERE UP IN THE WATER SEPARATING CANADA FROM THE 26:42 UNITED STATES ON THE EAST COAST - BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO GO FISH - 26:46 AND HE HAD A BOAT AND WE WENT OUT AND HE SAID, 'I'VE FISHED 26:48 THIS AREA, I KNOW WHERE THE FISH BITE.' AND THEN HE SAID, 'THE 26:51 FISH OVER HERE, THEY LIKE THESE WORMS SO MUCH' - AND HE HAD THIS 26:56 LITTLE BOX WITH WORMS THAT HE PULLED OUT AND PUT ON THE HOOKS. 26:59 HE SAID, 'THESE FISH HERE LIKE THESE WORMS SO MUCH THAT YOU 27:02 WON'T BELIEVE WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO.' SO HE TOOK A WHOLE LOT 27:05 OF FISHING HOOKS AND HE PUT ONE NEXT TO ANOTHER NEXT TO ANOTHER 27:09 - ABOUT FIVE, SIX, SEVEN OF THESE FISHING HOOKS ON THE SAME 27:11 LINE AND THEN HE TOOK HIS WORMS AND HE PUT THEM ON ALL THE HOOKS 27:14 AND HE SAID, 'YOU'D THINK THE ONE FISH WOULD LEARN FROM THE 27:17 OTHER FISH BUT,' HE SAYS, 'WATCH THIS.' AND THEN HE GAVE ME THE 27:20 FISHING ROD AND I THREW IT OUT INTO THE WATER AND HE STARTED 27:23 THE BOAT AND HE JUST STARTED MOVING THE BOAT JUST A LITTLE 27:25 WAYS AND, YOU KNOW, I - THE HOOK BARELY HIT THE WATER IT SEEMED 27:30 AND SUDDENLY I FELT A TUG ON THE HOOK AND I SAID, 'OH, I THINK I 27:32 GOT ONE!' HE SAID, 'DON'T PULL IT IN YET! DON'T PULL IT IN YET! 27:35 WAIT! WAIT!' AND I JUST HELD ON AND NEXT 27:37 MINUTE I FELT ANOTHER TUG AND ANOTHER TUG AND ANOTHER TUG. 27:41 FINALLY HE SAID, 'ALRIGHT, I THINK IT'S TIME. 27:42 YOU CAN PULL IT IN.' AND I REELED IT IN AND WHAT DO 27:44 YOU KNOW? THERE'S ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE FISH 27:46 ON THE SAME LINE. THEY EACH WENT FOR THE WORM. 27:51 AND YOU'D THINK, 'WELL, WHY DIDN'T THEY LEARN FROM THE 27:52 OTHER?' WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS WITH SIN. 27:55 YOU'D THINK PEOPLE WOULD LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHERS. 27:59 AND, BY THE WAY, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE, IN THE SCRIPTURES, THESE 28:03 STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT - ALSO IN THE NEW - 28:06 THE PURPOSE OF THAT IS FOR US TO LEARN FROM THEIR EXPERIENCE SO 28:10 WE DON'T REPEAT THE SAME MISTAKE. 28:11 SO THE SOURCE OF SIN, TO A LARGE DEGREE, HAS TO DO WITH OUR 28:15 ATTITUDE - OUR HEART. TRUE VICTORY OVER SIN INVOLVES A 28:19 CHANGE OF HEART. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE NEW 28:21 COVENANT PROMISE. EZEKIEL CHAPTER 36, VERSE 26 GOD 28:25 SAYS, "I WILL GIVE YOU" - A WHAT? - "A NEW HEART. 28:29 I'LL PUT A NEW SPIRIT WITHIN YOU." 28:31 LUKE CHAPTER 6, VERSE 45, JESUS SAYS, "A GOOD MAN, OUT OF THE 28:34 GOOD TREASURE OF HIS HEART BRINGS FORTH THAT WHICH IS GOOD 28:38 AND AN EVIL MAN, OUT OF THE EVIL TREASURE OF HIS HEART BRINGS 28:42 FORTH THAT WHICH IS EVIL." NOW WHEN WE THINK ABOUT SIN, THE 28:45 BIBLE DESCRIBES SIN WITH THREE WORDS. 28:48 YOU HAVE THE WORD SIN, WHICH LITERALLY MEANS 'TO MISS THE 28:52 MARK' OR 'TO FALL SHORT OF THE STANDARD.' SO GOD'S GOT AN IDEAL 28:56 FOR US AND WHEN WE FALL SHORT OF THAT STANDARD - WE MISS THE MARK 29:00 - WE'RE GUILTY OF SIN. ANOTHER WORD THAT WE FIND IN 29:03 SCRIPTURE WITH REFERENCE TO SIN IS THE WORD 'TRANSGRESSION' AND 29:07 TRANSGRESSION THAT'S FAIRLY OBVIOUS. 29:08 THAT'S BREAKING GOD'S COMMANDMENTS. 29:10 WE KNOW THAT SIN IS THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW. 29:12 AND THEN THERE IS A THIRD WORD, THE WORD 'INIQUITY.' 29:16 NOW THIS IS AN INTERESTING WORD. 29:17 THE ROOT FOR THE WORD INIQUITY MEANS 'A BENT TOWARDS SELF' AND 29:23 IT COMES FROM THE NAME GIVEN TO THE SHEPHERD'S STAFF THAT TURNS 29:28 BACK TOWARDS ITSELF - SORT OF POINTING BACK TO SELF - SORT OF 29:32 THE ROOT FOR THE MEANING OF THE WORD 'INIQUITY.' 29:35 IT'S REALLY SELFISHNESS. 29:36 THAT'S, SORT OF, THE CAUSE AND GOD DOESN'T JUST WANT TO TAKE 29:39 CARE OF THE EXTERNAL IN OUR LIVES, HE WANTS TO DEAL WITH THE 29:43 CAUSE. HE WANTS TO DEAL WITH THE HEART. 29:45 THAT'S WHY THE NEW COVENANT PROMISES A CHANGE OF HEART. 29:49 SOMETIMES IT TAKES US A WHILE TO LEARN THIS IMPORTANT LESSON - 29:52 THAT WE NEED A CHANGE OF HEART. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE DISCIPLES 29:56 THAT TOOK AWHILE TO LEARN THIS WAS SIMON PETER. 29:59 NOW, PETER WAS SOMEBODY THAT HAD STRENGTH. 30:01 HE HAD STRENGTH OF LEADERSHIP - WHENEVER THE DISCIPLES ARE 30:04 LISTED IN SCRIPTURE, PETER'S NAME IS ALWAYS LISTED FIRST. 30:07 HE WAS ONE OF THE INNER CIRCLE OF DISCIPLES THAT GOT TO SHARE 30:10 SOME VERY SPECIAL EXPERIENCES WITH JESUS. 30:13 THEY WERE THERE WHEN JESUS RAISED THE LITTLE GIRL, TWELVE 30:15 YEARS OF AGE, BACK TO LIFE. THEY WERE WITH JESUS ON THE 30:18 MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION. YOU HAVE PETER, JAMES, AND JOHN 30:24 THAT WERE SEPARATED FROM THE OTHER DISCIPLES IN THE GARDEN OF 30:26 GETHSEMANE AND JESUS SAID, 'COME PRAY WITH ME.' SO HE HAD A LOT 30:30 OF GOOD LEADERSHIP QUALITIES. HE ALSO HAD STRENGTH OF SPIRIT. 30:36 PETER WAS THE SPOKESMAN IN THE GROUP. 30:39 SOMETIMES HE WOULD SAY GOOD THINGS, LIKE THE TIME JESUS 30:42 ASKED THE DISCIPLES 'WHO DO MEN SAY THAT I AM?' 30:45 AND THEY SAID, 'WELL, SOME SAY THAT YOU ARE JOHN THE BAPTIST. 30:47 OTHERS SAY THAT YOU ARE ELIJAH. 30:49 SOME SAY THAT YOU ARE JEREMIAH OR ONE OF THE PROPHETS.' AND 30:52 THEN JESUS SAYS, 'BUT WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?' 30:54 AND IMMEDIATELY PETER SAID, 'YOU ARE THE CHRIST. 30:56 THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.' AND THEN JESUS SAID, 'FLESH AND 30:59 BLOOD HAS NOT REVEALED THIS TO YOU, BUT MY FATHER WHICH IS IN 31:02 HEAVEN.' SO HE GAVE THE RIGHT ANSWER. 31:04 BUT THERE WERE OTHER TIMES WHERE PETER SAID THINGS THAT 31:08 HE PROBABLY SHOULD NOT HAVE SAID. 31:09 ON THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION, WHERE MOSES AND ELIJAH APPEARED 31:13 WITH JESUS, PETER, FILLED WITH FEAR, NOT QUITE KNOWING WHAT TO 31:16 SAY - HE SAID, 'LORD, IT'S GOOD FOR US TO BE HERE BECAUSE NOW WE 31:19 CAN BUILD THREE TABERNACLES: ONE FOR YOU, ONE FOR MOSES, AND ONE 31:22 FOR ELIJAH.' AND THERE WAS A CLOUD THAT OVERSHADOWED THE 31:25 DISCIPLES AND GOD SAID TO PETER, 'THIS IS MY BELOVED SON. 31:29 HEAR HIM.' IN OTHER WORDS PETER, DON'T TALK 31:30 RIGHT NOW, JUST BE QUIET. 31:32 NOT A GOOD TIME TO TALK.' AND THEN, OF COURSE, IN THE STORM ON 31:35 THE BOAT, PETER SEES JESUS WALKING ON THE WATER AND PETER 31:38 SAYS, 'LORD, IF IT'S YOU, CALL ME. 31:40 I WANT TO COME WALKING TO YOU ON THE WATER.' I DON'T KNOW WHERE 31:43 PETER GOT THAT IDEA FROM BUT NEVERTHELESS, THE LORD SAID 31:46 'COME' AND PETER WALKED ON WATER. 31:48 SO PETER HAD A LOT OF GOOD LEADERSHIP QUALITIES. 31:51 HE ALSO HAD STRENGTH OF BODY. HE WAS A FISHERMAN AND HE WAS 31:53 USED TO ROWING BOATS AND PULLING IN NETS. 31:55 YET, IN SPITE OF ALL OF THESE GOOD QUALITIES, WE FIND PETER 31:59 DENYING JESUS THREE TIMES, EVEN AFTER HE MAKES THE PROMISE - HE 32:03 SAYS, 'LORD, I'M READY TO GO WITH YOU TO PRISON AND IN 32:05 DEATH.' BUT WHEN IT REALLY MATTERED HE SAID, 32:08 'I DON'T KNOW HIM.' YOU SEE, SATAN IS VERY GOOD AT 32:12 USING OUR WEAKNESSES AGAINST US. 32:15 PETER WAS STRONG WHEN HIS FRIENDS WERE AROUND, BUT HE WAS 32:20 WEAK WHEN HE WAS ALONE. AND SO IT IS WITH US. 32:23 YOU KNOW, IT'S EASY TO BE A CHRISTIAN WHEN YOU COME TO 32:25 CHURCH AND YOU'RE FELLOWSHIPPING WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS, BUT WHAT 32:29 ABOUT WHEN WE'RE ALONE OR WHEN WE'RE NOT SURROUNDED BY 32:32 CHRISTIANS? WHAT IS OUR ATTITUDE? 32:35 ARE WE STILL BEING FAITHFUL TO GOD? ARE WE TRUSTING IN HIM? 32:38 1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 10, VERSE 12 SAYS, "THEREFORE, LET HIM WHO 32:41 THINKS HE STANDS TAKE HEED LEST HE FALL. 32:46 EPHESIANS CHAPTER 6, VERSE 12 SAYS, "FOR WE DO NOT WRESTLE 32:49 AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST 32:52 POWERS, AGAINST RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD, AGAINST 32:55 SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES. 32:58 AND SO WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE DO HAVE AN ADVERSARY AND WE 33:02 NEED TO BE SURRENDERING OURSELVES TO CHRIST. 33:05 JAMES CHAPTER 4, VERSE 7 SAYS, "THEREFORE SUBMIT TO GOD, RESIST 33:08 THE DEVIL" - AND WHAT WILL HE DO? 33:11 - HE WILL FLEE FROM US. SOMETIMES THAT TAKES QUITE A BIT 33:14 OF WORK - RESISTING AND SURRENDERING. 33:17 OF COURSE, TRUE RESISTING COMES AFTER WE SUBMIT TO GOD AND WE 33:21 SAY, 'ALRIGHT, LORD, I WILL DO WHAT YOU ASK ME TO DO.' AND THAT 33:25 COMES FROM TRUST - TRUSTING THAT GOD KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR US. 33:29 TRUSTING HIM WITH ALL OF OUR HEART. 33:31 WELL, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT VERSE 15. 33:33 WHO'S GOT VERSE 15 FOR US? THANK YOU. 33:35 >>THEN WHEN DESIRE HAS CONCEIVED, IT GIVES BIRTH TO 33:38 SIN; AND SIN, WHEN IT IS FULL GROWN, BRINGS FORTH DEATH." 33:43 >>THIS IS A SOBERING VERSE. 33:45 IT SAYS, 'DESIRE IS CONCEIVED, THEN IT GIVES BIRTH TO SIN. 33:51 SIN WILL ULTIMATELY LEAD TO DEATH. 33:54 YOU SEE, SIN, IF CHERISHED IN THE HEART, WILL EVENTUALLY 33:58 HARDEN OUR HEARTS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT. 34:02 THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF THAT AS THE UNPARDONABLE SIN. 34:05 IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 12, VERSE 31, JESUS SAID, 'THEREFORE, I SAY 34:09 UNTO YOU EVERY SIN AND BLASPHEMY WILL BE FORGIVEN MEN. 34:13 BUT THE BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE SPIRIT WILL NOT BE FORGIVEN 34:16 MEN.' NOW, WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE IT MEANS WHEN HE SAYS 'BLASPHEMY 34:20 AGAINST THE SPIRIT?' IN THE BIBLE, WHAT DOES THE WORD 34:24 'BLASPHEMY' MEAN? HOW IS IT DEFINED? 34:27 WELL, YOU REMEMBER THEY ACCUSED JESUS OF BLASPHEMY BECAUSE HE 34:30 FORGAVE PEOPLE THEIR SINS, RIGHT? 34:32 AND THEY ALSO ACCUSED JESUS OF BLASPHEMY BECAUSE HE CLAIMED TO 34:35 BE EQUAL WITH GOD. SO JESUS SAYS, 'EVERY SIN CAN BE 34:40 FORGIVEN BUT THE SIN OF BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY 34:42 SPIRIT.' WELL, WHAT IS THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT? 34:46 JESUS SAID IN JOHN 16, VERSE 8, "BUT WHEN HE COMES" - SPEAKING 34:49 OF THE SPIRIT - "HE WILL CONVINCE THE WORLD" - OR CONVICT 34:52 THE WORLD - "OF SIN, RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND JUDGMENT." 34:56 SO THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS TO CONVICT US 34:58 AS TO WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG. 35:02 BUT WHEN WE COMMIT BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE'RE 35:06 PUTTING OURSELVES IN THE PLACE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 35:09 WE'RE SAYING, 'WELL, WE DON'T NEED GOD, THROUGH HIS WORD, TO 35:13 REVEAL TO US WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG, BUT WE CAN RELY UPON OUR 35:16 OWN WISDOM.' OKAY, TRYING TO PUT OURSELVES IN THE PLACE OF GOD. 35:20 IT'S ALSO EXCUSING SIN AND THAT'S THE DEFINITION OF 35:24 BLASPHEMY. 'WELL, THAT'S NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL. 35:26 GOD DOESN'T CARE. I CAN ALWAYS ASK FOR FORGIVENESS.' 35:30 IF WE KEEP HARDENING OUR HEARTS THROUGH 35:33 BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT - JESUS WARNS US BECAUSE 35:36 IF THE SPIRIT CAN'T REACH US - THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT IT'S THE 35:40 GOODNESS OF GOD THAT LEADS US TO REPENTANCE. 35:42 WITHOUT REPENTANCE WE CAN'T HAVE FORGIVENESS, BUT IF WE'VE 35:45 HARDENED OUR HEARTS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT, HOW DO WE COME 35:48 TO THE POINT OF GENUINE REPENTANCE? 35:50 THAT'S BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT. 35:53 A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO I WORKED AS A CAMP PASTOR FOR SOME YOUTH 35:57 CAMPS AND THEY HAD VARIOUS ACTIVITIES THAT THEY WOULD DO. 36:00 ONE OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT THE YOUNG PEOPLE LIKED TO DO - THERE 36:04 WAS A LITTLE SHACK AND THEY CALLED IT THE CERAMICS SHACK AND 36:08 PEOPLE WOULD GO DOWN THERE AND THERE WOULD BE THESE BIG TUBS 36:11 WITH POWDERED CLAY AND THEY WOULD ADD THE CLAY TO THE WATER 36:15 AND THEY WOULD MIX IT UP AND YOU WOULD HAVE LIQUID CLAY AND THEN 36:17 THE YOUNG PEOPLE WOULD PICK OUT A MOLD - THESE PLASTIC MOLDS AND 36:21 THEN THEY WOULD POUR THIS CLAY MIXTURE INTO THESE MOLDS AND 36:25 THEN THEY WOULD SET IT OVER THERE AND THEY WOULD JUST WAIT 36:27 FOR IT TO HARDEN. NOW, OF COURSE, YOUNG PEOPLE, 36:29 BEING YOUNG PEOPLE, OFTEN THEY WOULD CHOOSE A MOLD AND - MICKEY 36:32 MOUSE OR WHATEVER IT IS - AND THEY WOULD POUR IT IN. 36:34 AFTER AWHILE THEY'D LOOK AT THEIR FRIENDS AND, YOU KNOW, 36:37 THEY GOT A PONY AND THEY - 'OH, I DON'T WANT THIS ANYMORE. 36:39 I WANT WHAT HE HAS.' NOW, DEPENDING UPON HOW LONG THE CLAY 36:43 HAD BEEN IN THAT MOLD, EVEN IF IT STARTED TO HARDEN JUST A 36:45 LITTLE BIT, IT WAS POSSIBLE TO PEEL OFF THE MOLD, TAKE THE CLAY 36:49 AND PUT IT IN A CONTAINER AND THEN ADD SOME WATER AND KIND OF 36:52 CRUSH IT A LITTLE BIT AND MIX IT AND THEN IT WOULD GO BACK TO 36:55 THAT WATERY CONSISTENCY. BUT AFTER A CERTAIN PERIOD OF 36:58 TIME OF THE CLAY BEING IN THE MOLD, IT WOULD HARDEN AND EVEN 37:02 IF YOU ADDED THE WATER OR TRIED TO BREAK IT, IT WOULD STAY 37:05 LUMPY. IT WOULDN'T DISSOLVE. YOU 37:07 COULDN'T USE IT AGAIN. AND THE BIBLE WARNS US - IT 37:10 SAYS, 'DON'T LET THE WORLD SQUEEZE YOU. 37:14 DON'T BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD. 37:15 DON'T LET THE WORLD SQUEEZE YOU INTO ITS MOLD.' NOW, OF COURSE, 37:19 THE DEVIL IS DOING EVERYTHING HE CAN TO SQUEEZE PEOPLE INTO HIS 37:23 MOLD. NOW, JAMES TELLS US, IN VERSE 16 37:27 - WHY DON'T YOU READ VERSES 16 AND 17, ALLEN? 37:30 >>"DO NOT ERR MY BELOVED BRETHREN. 37:32 EVERY GOOD GIFT AND EVERY PERFECT GIFT IS FROM ABOVE AND 37:35 COMETH DOWN FROM THE FATHER OF LIGHTS, WITH WHOM IS NO 37:38 VARIABLENESS, NEITHER SHADOW OF TURNING." 37:41 >>YOU KNOW WHY I LIKE VERSE 16? 37:43 JAMES IS SO EMPHATIC HE SAYS, 'DO NOT BE DECEIVED.' HE WANTS 37:48 US TO UNDERSTAND THE SOURCE OF TEMPTATION. 37:50 HE FEELS LIKE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REALIZE THAT TEMPTATION 37:52 DOESN'T COME FROM GOD BUT IT COMES FROM OUR OWN SELFISH 37:55 INCLINATIONS AND SELFISH DESIRES. 37:58 OF COURSE, THE DEVIL PLAYS UP ON THAT. 38:00 NOW WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN IT COMES TO A HUMAN BEING, 38:03 WE ARE COMPRISED OF THESE THREE AREAS: YOU'VE GOT THE MIND, 38:07 WHICH SYMBOLIZES THE WILL - VERY IMPORTANT - THE WILL AND THE 38:11 THOUGHTS. WE CAN CONTROL OUR THOUGHTS - 38:13 THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT - AND THE WILL. THEN YOU'VE GOT THE HEART. 38:17 THE HEART CAN SYMBOLIZE DESIRES AND FEELINGS. 38:20 AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOU'VE GOT THE FLESH OR THE BODY. 38:23 SO WHEN A TEMPTATION COMES OUR WAY AND EVEN THOUGH THE FEELINGS 38:27 MIGHT BE CONTRARY TO THE WILL OF GOD, WE STILL HAVE THE FREEDOM 38:31 TO EXERCISE THE WILL, THAT IS, THE POWER OF CHOICE. 38:35 IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO REALIZE THAT SOMETIMES WE FEEL 38:38 AS THOUGH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST NOTHING WE CAN DO AGAINST 38:40 TEMPTATION. THE DEVIL IS TOO BIG FOR US. 38:43 THERE'S NO HOPE FOR US. 38:44 NO, GOD HAS GIVEN US THE WILL, THE POWER OF CHOICE. 38:47 WHEN WE EXERCISE OUR WILL - WHEN WE CHOOSE TO REDIRECT OUR 38:51 THOUGHTS, THAT ENABLES GOD, THROUGH HIS SPIRIT, TO 38:54 STRENGTHEN US, TO GIVE US COURAGE, TO STAND AGAINST 38:58 TEMPTATION. SO EVERYTHING DEPENDS UPON THE 39:02 RIGHT ACTION OF THE WILL - THE POWER OF CHOICE. 39:04 I LIKE THIS STATEMENT - YOU FIND IT IN 'STEPS TO CHRIST' PAGE 47. 39:08 IT SAYS, 'EVERYTHING DEPENDS ON THE RIGHT ACTION OF THE WILL.' 39:11 AND THEN IT'S DEFINED: "THE POWER OF CHOICE GOD HAS GIVEN TO 39:15 MAN. IT IS THEIRS TO EXERCISE. YOU CANNOT CHANGE YOUR HEART. 39:19 YOU CANNOT, OF YOURSELF, GIVE TO GOD OF ITS AFFECTIONS, BUT YOU 39:23 CAN CHOOSE TO SERVE HIM. YOU CAN GIVE HIM YOUR WILL. 39:27 HE WILL THEN WORK IN YOU TO WILL AND TO DO ACCORDING TO HIS GOOD 39:31 PLEASURE. THUS, YOUR WHOLE NATURE WILL BE 39:34 BROUGHT UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST. 39:36 YOUR AFFECTIONS WILL BE CENTERED UPON HIM. 39:38 YOUR THOUGHTS WILL BE IN HARMONY WITH HIS THOUGHTS. 39:42 SO WE CAN'T CHANGE OURSELVES BUT WE CAN CHOOSE TO BE CHANGED, 39:47 RIGHT? BY CHANGING OUR THOUGHTS, BY 39:49 CHANGING OUR ATTITUDE, BY RESISTING TEMPTATION, AND 39:52 HUMBLING OURSELVES AND FOLLOWING GOD'S WAY. 39:55 YOU KNOW, I'M REMINDED OF A STORY OF A LITTLE BOY WHO HAD A 40:00 NEIGHBOR AND THE NEIGHBOR HAD SOME TOYS IN THE BACKYARD. 40:04 AND THE LITTLE BOY LOVED TO CLIMB THROUGH THIS HOLE IN THE 40:06 FENCE AND GO PLAY WITH THE NEIGHBOR'S TOYS. 40:10 WELL, THE NEIGHBORS WEREN'T THAT EXCITED ABOUT HAVING THIS LITTLE 40:12 BOY OVER IN THEIR YARD ALL THE TIME PLAYING WITH THE TOYS AND 40:15 SO THEY SPOKE TO THE LITTLE BOY'S MOM AND ONE DAY MOM CALLED 40:19 JOHNNY AND SAID, 'YOU KNOW JOHNNY, WE CAN'T HAVE YOU 40:21 CLIMBING THROUGH THAT HOLE IN THE FENCE AND PLAYING WITH THE 40:23 NEIGHBOR'S TOYS.' AND JOHNNY WAS, OF COURSE, JUST 40:25 DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THIS AND THOUGHT ABOUT IT FOR AWHILE AND 40:28 HE SAID, 'WELL, ALRIGHT MOM, I WON'T DO IT ANYMORE.' A LITTLE 40:32 WHILE LATER MOM WAS BUSY WASHING THE DISHES AND SHE LOOKED OUT OF 40:34 THE WINDOW AND, SURE ENOUGH, WHERE DO YOU SUPPOSE JOHNNY IS? 40:36 HE'S IN THE NEIGHBOR'S YARD PLAYING WITH THE TOYS. 40:38 SHE GOES OUTSIDE, SHE CALLS HIM. 40:40 JOHNNY COMES AND HE SQUEEZES THROUGH THE HOLE IN THE FENCE 40:42 AND HE STANDS THERE IN FRONT OF HIS MOTHER AND HIS MOTHER SAID, 40:44 'JOHNNY, I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU YOU SHOULDN'T BE GOING OVER 40:46 THERE AND PLAYING WITH THE TOYS.' 40:47 AND JOHNNY THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND HE SAID, 'WELL, MOM, THE DEVIL 40:49 MADE ME DO IT.' AND HIS MOTHER SAID, 'OH, THE DEVIL MADE 40:53 YOU DO IT, HUH?' 'YEAH, THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT.' 40:56 SHE GOES, 'WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, NEXT TIME THE DEVIL TEMPTS 40:58 YOU TO GO NEXT DOOR, YOU JUST TELL HIM TO GET BEHIND YOU.' 41:02 JOHNNY THOUGHT ABOUT IT FOR AWHILE 41:04 - 'OKAY, MOM.' HALF AN HOUR LATER MOM'S BUSY WORKING IN THE 41:07 KITCHEN, SHE LOOKS OUT OF THE WINDOW AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW? 41:09 THERE JOHNNY IS IN THE NEIGHBOR'S YARD AGAIN. 41:12 NOW SHE'S GETTING A LITTLE BIT FRUSTRATED - A LITTLE BIT UPSET 41:15 WITH JOHNNY AND SHE CALLS HIM, 'JOHNNY, YOU GET OVER HERE RIGHT 41:17 NOW!' JOHNNY COMES, CRAWLS THROUGH THE 41:19 HOLE IN THE FENCE AND HE STANDS IN FRONT OF HIS MOTHER. 41:21 HIS MOTHER SAID, 'JOHNNY, I TOLD YOU NOT TO GO OVER TO THE 41:23 NEIGHBOR'S YARD.' AND HE SAID, 'WELL, MOM, I KNOW. 41:26 I KNOW.' 'DIDN'T I TELL YOU WHAT TO SAY?' 41:28 'YEAH, I TOLD THE DEVIL 'GET BEHIND ME.'' THE MOTHER SAID, 41:32 'AND?' 'WELL THEN HE PUSHED ME THROUGH 41:34 THE HOLE IN THE FENCE. IT'S NOT MY FAULT!' HE SAID 41:36 'THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT.' WELL THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE DEVIL 41:39 CAN'T FORCE US TO DO THAT WHICH IS WRONG, RIGHT? HE CAN TEMPT US 41:43 BUT THE POWER OF CHOICE GOD HAS GIVEN TO US. WE CAN USE IT. 41:48 WE CAN CHOOSE TO SERVE GOD. WELL, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT 41:52 VERSE 17 - JAMES CHAPTER 1, VERSE 17 - OR VERSE 18, SORRY. 41:58 >>"OF HIS OWN WILL HE BROUGHT US FORTH BY THE WORD OF TRUTH THAT 42:02 WE MIGHT BE A KIND OF FIRSTFRUITS OF HIS CREATURES." 42:07 >>ALRIGHT NOW, JAMES IS SHIFTING GEARS HERE JUST A LITTLE BIT. 42:10 HE'S SPOKEN ABOUT THE SOURCE OF TEMPTATION. 42:12 HE'S ALSO TOLD US THAT VICTORY IS FOUND IN JESUS. 42:16 WE CAN SUBMIT TO GOD, YOU KNOW, THE DEVIL WILL FLEE FROM US - 42:19 HE SAYS THAT IN JAMES CHAPTER 4 - BUT NOW HE'S SHIFTING GEARS 42:22 AND HE'S DIRECTING OUR ATTENTION TO WHERE WE CAN FIND STRENGTH 42:26 AND HELP IN OUR TIME OF NEED. AND HE BEGINS BY SAYING 'WE ARE 42:30 BROUGHT FORTH OF GOD BY HIS WORD THAT WE SHOULD BE A KIND OF 42:34 FIRSTFRUITS UNTO GOD.' SOMETIMES GOD'S WILL IS NOT THE SAME AS 42:40 OUR WILL AND WE NEED TO LEARN TO TRUST IN THE WILL OF GOD. 42:44 IT'S EASY FOR US TO KIND OF LOOK AT THINGS FROM HUMAN PERSPECTIVE 42:47 AND THINK, 'WELL, LORD, THIS DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A GOOD IDEA' 42:50 OR 'I DON'T KNOW' BUT WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE GOD IS LOOKING AT 42:52 THINGS FROM AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE. 42:55 GOD'S ULTIMATE PURPOSE FOR OUR LIVES IS FOR US TO BE IN THE 42:57 KINGDOM. SO GOD'LL ALLOW CIRCUMSTANCES TO 43:00 COME OUR WAY BECAUSE HE'S SHAPING US. HE'S MOLDING US. 43:03 HE WANTS US WITH HIM IN HEAVEN AND WE WANT TO TRUST IN GOD'S 43:07 DEALING. SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T ALWAYS SEE 43:09 GOD'S HAND LEADING IN A PARTICULAR SITUATION. 43:12 IN THAT CASE, JUST TRUST HIS HEART. THAT'S WHY HAVING THIS 43:16 LOVE FOR GOD AND THIS FAITH IN GOD IS SO IMPORTANT. 43:19 THAT'S WHAT CARRIES US THROUGH THOSE DARK MOMENTS WHERE WE'RE 43:22 ASKING, 'LORD, WHERE ARE YOU?' 'WHY ARE YOU ALLOWING THIS TO 43:25 HAPPEN TO ME?' WE CAN TRUST IN GOD BECAUSE HE 43:27 LOVES US. AND THEN, ALSO, JAMES TELLS US 43:30 THE SOURCE OF STRENGTH IS IN THE WORD OF TRUTH. 43:32 AS CHILDREN RESEMBLE THEIR PARENTS, SO TRUE CHRISTIANS WILL 43:36 GROW UP TO REFLECT THE CHARACTER OF THEIR HEAVENLY FATHER AND 43:40 JESUS WANTS US TO REFLECT HIS CHARACTER. 43:43 THE PURPOSE OF SALVATION IS REALLY NOT JUST TO SAVE US, THE 43:48 PURPOSE OF SALVATION IS TO RESTORE THE IMAGE OF GOD IN MAN. 43:52 GENESIS CHAPTER 1, VERSE 26 IT SAYS, SPEAKING OF GOD, "LET US 43:57 MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE ACCORDING TO OUR LIKENESS." 44:02 SO THE IMAGE OF GOD IN WHICH ADAM AND EVE WERE ORIGINALLY 44:04 CREATED WAS MARRED BECAUSE OF SIN. 44:07 THE PURPOSE OF SALVATION, THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION, IS TO 44:10 RESTORE THE IMAGE OF GOD IN MAN. WHY? WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO 44:14 GOD THAT HIS IMAGE BE RESTORED IN US? 44:16 BECAUSE GOD KNOWS THAT OUR TRUE PURPOSE AND JOY IN LIFE CAN ONLY 44:21 BE FOUND IN BEING WHAT GOD ORIGINALLY DESTINED US TO BE: 44:25 CREATED IN HIS IMAGE. SO THE PURPOSE OF SALVATION IS 44:28 TO RECREATE THE IMAGE OF GOD IN MAN. AND THEN THE VERSE GOES ON 44:33 AND SAYS THAT WE SHOULD BE SOME KIND OF FIRSTFRUITS TO GOD. 44:38 NOW THIS IS AN INTERESTING PHRASE, THIS 'FIRSTFRUITS.' 44:41 THE IDEA BEHIND FIRSTFRUITS IS IF THE FIRST FRUITS ARE GOOD, 44:45 YOU CAN EXPECT THAT THE HARVEST WILL BE GOOD AS WELL, 44:49 GIVEN ENOUGH TIME. SO WHAT GOD WANTS US TO DO IS TO GROW 44:53 SPIRITUALLY IN REFLECTING THE CHARACTER OF JESUS AND THEN HE 44:58 TALKS ABOUT US BEING FIRSTFRUITS TO GOD. NOW REVELATION CHAPTER 45:02 14, FROM VERSES 1 THROUGH 4, TALKS ABOUT A GROUP OF PEOPLE 45:05 WHO WILL BE ALIVE WHEN JESUS COMES THE SECOND TIME. 45:09 WE REFER TO THIS GROUP BY THE NAME OF 144,000. IT SAYS THAT 45:12 THEY HAD THEIR FATHER'S NAME WRITTEN IN THEIR FOREHEADS. 45:15 QUITE SIGNIFICANT TO HAVE THE FATHER'S NAME WRITTEN IN THE 45:17 FOREHEAD - THAT IS TO REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OF THE FATHER. 45:21 THAT IS TO HAVE THE CHARACTER OF JESUS. 45:24 AND OF THIS GROUP, IN VERSE 4 IT SAYS, "THESE WERE REDEEMED FROM 45:27 AMONG MEN BEING THE FIRSTFRUITS TO GOD AND TO THE LAMB." 45:31 IN OTHER WORDS, BEFORE JESUS COMES HE WILL HAVE A GROUP OF 45:34 PEOPLE WHO ARE SO SURRENDERED TO CHRIST THAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD IS 45:39 ABLE TO TRANSFORM THEIR CHARACTERS SO THEY REFLECT THE 45:42 CHARACTER OF JESUS. WE KNOW THAT BEFORE JESUS COMES, 45:45 ACCORDING TO DANIEL CHAPTER 12, VERSE 1 AND ALSO REVELATION 45:49 CHAPTER 22, THAT THERE IS WHAT WE CALL THE CLOSE OF PROBATION 45:53 WHERE JESUS FINISHES HIS WORK AS OUR HIGH PRIEST AND HE REMOVES 45:56 HIS PRIESTLY ROBE AND HE PUTS ON HIS KINGLY ROBE AND THEN HE 46:00 COMES BACK AS KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 46:03 AND GOD IS LOOKING FOR A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SO FILLED WITH 46:06 LOVE FOR HIM, SO SURRENDERED TO HIM, THAT THEY BECOME COMPLETE 46:12 REFLECTIONS OF HIS GOODNESS AT A TIME WHEN THE WORLD IS JUST DARK 46:17 WITH THE MISAPPREHENSION OF GOD'S CHARACTER. 46:20 WHEN THE WORLD IS FILLED WITH SIN, HERE GOD HAS A GROUP OF 46:23 PEOPLE WHO LOVE HIM SUPREMELY, WHO ARE FULLY SURRENDERED TO HIM 46:26 AND THEY ARE THESE FIRSTFRUITS UNTO GOD. 46:29 THEY HAVE ALLOWED THE SPIRIT OF GOD TO TRANSFORM THEM AND MAKE 46:32 THEM WHAT GOD WANTS THEM TO BE. WELL, LET'S LOOK AT VERSE 19. 46:37 WHO'S GOT VERSE 19 FOR US? 46:39 >>"WHEREFORE, MY BELOVED BRETHREN, LET EVERY MAN BE SWIFT 46:44 TO HEAR, SLOW TO SPEAK, SLOW TO WRATH." 46:47 >>ALRIGHT, SO JAMES TELLS US THAT WE NEED TO BE EAGER TO HEAR 46:51 THE WORD OF GOD. AS CHRISTIANS WE WANT TO HEAR 46:54 THE WORD OF TRUTH. WE RECOGNIZE THAT OUR CONNECTION 46:58 WITH GOD IS DEPENDENT UPON US FEASTING UPON THE WORD. 47:01 JESUS SAID, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE BUT BY EVERY WORD 47:05 THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.' AND THEN JESUS SAID, TO 47:09 THOSE WHO WERE LISTENING TO HIM, 'EXCEPT YOU EAT MY FLESH AND 47:12 DRINK MY BLOOD, YOU HAVE NO LIFE IN YOU.' NOW THIS WAS A HARD 47:16 THING EVEN FOR THE DISCIPLES AND THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE THAT 47:19 TURNED AND LEFT JESUS. AND THEN JESUS SAID TO THE 47:21 DISCIPLES, 'ARE YOU ALSO GOING TO LEAVE?' 47:22 AND THEY SAID, 'WELL, LORD, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO GO? 47:24 YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF TRUTH.' BUT THIS WAS A HARD SAYING. 47:27 AND THEN JESUS EXPLAINED WHAT HE MEANT. 47:30 HE SAID, 'THE FLESH PROFITS NOTHING BUT THE WORDS THAT I 47:32 SPEAK UNTO YOU, THEY ARE SPIRIT AND THEY ARE LIFE.' TO EAT THE 47:37 FLESH AND DRINK THE BLOOD OF JESUS IS TO RECEIVE HIS WORD - 47:41 TO MAKE IT A PART OF OURS. JEREMIAH CHAPTER 15, VERSE 16 47:45 SAYS, "THY WORDS WERE FOUND AND I DID EAT THEM AND THEY WERE 47:48 UNTO ME THE JOY AND THE REJOICING OF MY HEART." 47:52 AND THEN JAMES ALSO TELLS US THAT WE NEED TO BE SLOW TO SPEAK 47:55 AND SLOW TO WRATH OR SLOW TO ANGER. 47:59 PROVERBS CHAPTER 16, VERSE 32 SAYS, "HE WHO IS SLOW TO ANGER 48:03 IS BETTER THAN THE MIGHTY AND HE WHO RULES HIS SPIRIT THAN HE 48:08 WHO TAKES A CITY." ABOVE ALL OTHERS, CHRISTIANS 48:11 SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONTROL THEIR TEMPERS. 48:15 LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT VERSE 20. WHO'S GOT VERSE 20 FOR US? 48:18 >>"FOR THE WRATH OF MAN WORKETH NOT THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD." 48:22 >>NOW, THE WRATH OF GOD OR RATHER, THE WRATH OF MAN HERE, 48:26 CAN ALSO BE TRANSLATED AS 'OUTBURSTS OF ANGER.' THESE 48:30 OUTBURSTS OF ANGER DON'T WORK TOWARDS RIGHTEOUSNESS BUT WORK 48:35 TOWARDS UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. YOU SEE, THE CHARACTER OF GOD 48:39 CANNOT BE REFLECTED IN AN ANGRY PERSON BECAUSE GOD'S NOT ANGRY. 48:44 GOD IS LOVE. IN THE BOOK 'GOSPEL WORKERS' 48:47 PAGE 122 WE READ THIS: "A KIND, COURTEOUS CHRISTIAN IS THE MOST 48:53 POWERFUL ARGUMENT THAT CAN BE PRODUCED IN FAVOR OF 48:57 CHRISTIANITY." A LOVING, LOVABLE CHRISTIAN. 49:00 YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER AN EXPERIENCE THAT HAPPENED - MY 49:03 DAD'S A PASTOR AND THERE WAS A WONDERFUL OLD LADY IN THE CHURCH 49:10 THAT LOVED THE LORD. SHE CAME TO CHURCH SO REGULAR, 49:12 BUT HER HUSBAND WAS JUST A RASCAL. 49:15 HE WOULD GIVE HER THE HARDEST TIME HE COULD. 49:17 HE'D MAKE FUN OF HER RELIGION AND SHE'D GO TO CHURCH AND HE'D 49:20 SAY, 'WELL, NOW, YOU PRAY FOR ME. 49:21 PRAY FOR ME I'M A SINNER.' AND HE'D BRING HIS FRIENDS OVER AND 49:24 THEY WOULD DRINK AND JUST - BUT HIS WIFE WAS SO KIND AND SO 49:29 CARING AND SO GENTLE. SHE KEPT PRAYING FOR HIM. 49:32 SHE KEPT WITNESSING. WELL, ONE DAY THE HOLY SPIRIT 49:34 GOT THROUGH TO HIM AND TOUCHED HIS HEART AND HE WAS INTERESTED 49:38 IN STUDYING MORE ABOUT THE BIBLE. 49:39 SO MY DAD CAME AND HAD BIBLE STUDIES AND THE MAN GREW IN HIS 49:43 RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD AND FINALLY MADE THAT COMMITMENT HE 49:45 WANTED TO BE BAPTIZED. AND I REMEMBER THE DAY OF THE BAPTISM. 49:48 MY FATHER WAS IN THE BAPTISTERY WITH THIS MAN AND HE WAS JUST 49:52 ABOUT READY TO BAPTIZE THE MAN AND THE MAN STOPPED AND SAID, 49:56 'PASTOR, CAN I JUST SAY A FEW WORDS?' 49:57 AND MY FATHER SAID, 'SURE.' AND HE TURNED TO THE CONGREGATION 50:02 AND THERE'S HIS WIFE SITTING AND SHE'S JUST BEAMING FROM EAR TO 50:06 EAR AND HE SAYS, 'FRIENDS, I WANT YOU TO KNOW' - HE SAYS - 'I 50:10 HAVE BEEN A TERRIBLE HUSBAND.' - HE SAYS - 'I GAVE MY WIFE SUCH A 50:14 HARD TIME. I MOCKED HER RELIGION. I MADE FUN OF HER. 50:17 I TRIED TO MAKE HER LIFE AS HARD AS I COULD BUT SHE WAS ALWAYS SO 50:21 KIND, SO LOVING, I SAW JESUS IN MY WIFE AND I JUST COULDN'T 50:28 RESIST IT AND I FINALLY GAVE IN.' BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE. 50:31 HE WAS BAPTIZED AND JUST A FEW MONTHS LATER HE DIED. 50:37 AND YET, SHE HAD HOPE. SHE LIVED THE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN. 50:41 SHE REVEALED THE LOVE OF CHRIST AND IT WASN'T IN VAIN. 50:46 SHE'S LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HIM IN HEAVEN WHEN JESUS COMES 50:49 AGAIN. THE REDEEMED GET TO BE WITH HIM FOREVER. 50:53 LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT OUR LAST VERSE, VERSE 21. 50:56 WHO'S GOT THAT FOR US? JAMES 1:21. 50:58 >>"THEREFORE, LAY ASIDE ALL FILTHINESS AND OVERFLOW OF 51:02 WICKEDNESS AND RECEIVE WITH MEEKNESS THE IMPLANTED WORD 51:05 WHICH IS ABLE TO SAVE YOUR SOULS." 51:08 >>YOU KNOW, HERE JAMES TALKS ABOUT THE WORD BEING AS A SEED 51:12 AND THAT THAT WORD OF TRUTH IS ABLE TO SAVE THE SOUL. 51:16 OFTEN IN SCRIPTURE THE GOSPEL IS LIKENED UNTO A SEED - 51:19 A SEED PLANTED IN THE SOIL. NOW THE SOIL CAN'T PRODUCE THE 51:24 SEED, BUT IT CAN RECEIVE THE SEED. SO IT IS WITH OUR HEARTS. 51:30 WE CAN'T CHANGE OUR HEARTS BUT WE CAN RECEIVE THE SEED OF THE 51:34 WORD OF GOD THAT DOES CHANGE OUR HEART. 51:37 WE CAN SURRENDER OURSELVES TO JESUS EVERY DAY AND ALLOW THE 51:40 LORD TO WORK WITHIN US. YOU KNOW, THE PROMISE IS THAT 51:43 THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT WILL BE MANIFEST IN OUR LIFE IF WE 51:46 SURRENDER OURSELVES TO JESUS. WHAT IS THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT? 51:50 IT IS LOVE AND JOY AND PEACE AND LONGSUFFERING AND KINDNESS AND 51:54 GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF CONTROL. 51:58 HOW CAN WE HAVE THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES? 52:00 JESUS TELLS US IN JOHN 15, VERSES 4 AND 5, 52:04 "ABIDE IN ME AND I IN YOU. 52:06 AS THE BRANCH CANNOT BEAR FRUIT OF ITSELF EXCEPT THAT IT ABIDE 52:09 IN THE VINE, NO MORE CAN YOU EXCEPT YOU ABIDE IN ME. 52:14 HE THAT ABIDES IN ME" - JESUS SAYS - "AND I IN HIM, THE SAME 52:17 BRINGS FORTH MUCH FRUIT FOR WITHOUT ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING." 52:22 THE KEY TO LIVING A VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN LIFE IS ABIDING IN 52:25 JESUS MOMENT BY MOMENT, DAY BY DAY. 52:29 NOW YOU MIGHT WONDER, 'WELL, HOW DO WE ABIDE IN JESUS FROM A VERY 52:32 PRACTICAL STANDPOINT?' LET ME CLOSE BY SHARING THIS 52:35 STATEMENT FROM THE BOOK 'MIND, CHARACTER, AND PERSONALITY' PAGE 52:39 69 - LISTEN TO THIS: "EVIL THOUGHTS DESTROY THE SOUL. 52:45 THE CONVERTING POWER OF GOD CHANGES THE HEART, REFINING AND 52:49 PURIFYING THE THOUGHTS. UNLESS A DETERMINED EFFORT IS 52:54 MADE TO KEEP THE THOUGHTS CENTERED ON CHRIST, GRACE CANNOT 52:58 REVEAL ITSELF IN THE LIFE. THE MIND MUST BE ENGAGED IN 53:04 SPIRITUAL WARFARE. EVERY THOUGHT MUST BE BROUGHT 53:07 INTO THE CAPTIVITY TO OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST." SO THERE'S THE KEY. 53:13 CHOOSING CAREFULLY WHAT WE THINK ABOUT. 53:16 TURNING THE THOUGHTS TOWARDS GOD. 53:18 FILLING OUR MIND WITH THE WORD OF GOD - THAT IS GOING TO BE THE 53:21 SOURCE OF STRENGTH THAT WHEN TEMPTATION COMES OUR WAY WE CAN 53:25 CRY OUT TO JESUS AND HE WILL COME TO OUR DELIVERANCE. 53:29 YOU KNOW, JESUS GIVES US WORDS OF COMFORT AND HOPE. 53:31 HE SAYS, 'FEAR NOT, FOR I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.' HE'S 53:36 ALREADY WON THE VICTORY AND WE CAN, BY FAITH, RECEIVE THE 53:39 VICTORY THAT HE WANTS TO GIVE US. 53:42 IS THAT YOUR DESIRE TODAY - SAYING, 'LORD, GIVE ME THE 53:43 VICTORY?' AMEN. LET US CLOSE WITH PRAYER. 53:47 DEAR FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORD. 53:49 WE THANK YOU FOR THESE VERSES IN JAMES THAT GIVE US PRACTICAL 53:52 ADVICE AND GUIDANCE AS TO HOW WE CAN BE SUCCESSFUL, OVERCOMING 53:59 CHRISTIANS. LORD, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE 54:01 SECRET OF SUCCESS DEPENDS UPON US ABIDING IN YOU. 54:05 ALL POWER IS GIVEN UNTO YOU. YOU'RE ABLE TO DO ALL THINGS. 54:08 FATHER, GIVE US FAITH AND LOVE TO TRUST IN YOU IN EVERY 54:11 SITUATION. AND LORD, WE HAVE CONFIDENCE 54:14 THAT YOU WILL FINISH THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU STARTED IN US. 54:17 THANK YOU, LORD, FOR HEARING OUR PRAYER. IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 54:21 AGAIN, THOSE OF US - THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE JOINING US, WE'D 54:23 LIKE TO REMIND YOU ABOUT THE BOOK THAT WE HAVE TODAY, 'TIPS 54:26 FOR RESISTING TEMPTATION.' IF YOU'D LIKE TO READ IT, GO TO THE 54:29 WEBSITE 'AMAZINGFACTS.ORG' AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO RECEIVE YOUR 54:33 OWN BOOK, CALL US AT 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR 54:40 OFFER #708. MAY GOD BLESS YOU. 54:45 >>SPANNING THE TIMELINE OF HUMAN HISTORY GOD HAS PROVIDED 54:49 PROPHETIC LANDMARKS SIGNALING THAT HIS COMING IS NEAR. 54:53 ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT BIG LEAP IN BIBLE PROPHECY? 54:57 JOIN PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR AS HE PRESENTS 54:59 'LANDMARKS OF PROPHECY.' A LIVE, 20-PART BIBLE SERIES 55:04 BEGINNING OCTOBER 31ST FROM ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. 55:09 TO LEARN MORE, VISIT 'LANDMARKSOFPROPHECY.COM.' 55:18 >>AMAZING FACTS. CHANGED LIVES. 55:27 >>I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND JUST BUYING ANY KIND OF DRUGS JUST TO 55:30 DO FOR MYSELF BECAUSE IT JUST MADE SENSE TO INVEST IT IN 55:33 SOMETHING ELSE AND THEN I COULD MAKE ALL THE MONEY BACK AND HAVE 55:37 WEED THAT I COULD SMOKE FOR FREE. 55:39 I WAS HAVING A LOT OF FUN - AT LEAST AT FIRST. 55:45 I WAS MAKING MORE MONEY THAN ANYBODY THAT I KNEW. 55:49 I'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, POUNDS AND POUNDS OF WEED IN THE CLOSET. 55:52 I'VE GOT A BEAUTIFUL FULLY FURNISHED APARTMENT, A 55:56 CHANDELIER HANGING IN MY LIVING ROOM. 55:58 I'VE GOT A LUXURY CAR - ALL LEATHER INTERIOR. 56:00 I'VE GOT THE HOTTEST GIRLFRIEND. 56:02 I HAVE EVERY SINGLE THING THAT THIS WORLD TELLS ME THAT I NEED 56:09 AND THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED HOW EMPTY I REALLY WAS. 56:13 EVENTUALLY SMOKING WEED DIDN'T DO IT ANYMORE. 56:18 I STARTED GOING TO DOING A LOT OF ACID - LSD - AND ECSTASY. 56:23 OF COURSE, OTHER HARD DRUGS CAME INTO THE PICTURE. 56:26 I FOUND OUT THAT YOU CAN'T RUN AWAY FROM YOURSELF AND NO MATTER 56:31 WHERE YOU GO, THERE YOU ARE. 56:34 IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO RECONCILE A FAITH IN GOD AND 56:36 THEN THIS LIFESTYLE THAT I WAS CHOOSING TO LEAD. 56:39 AND, AT THIS POINT, I HAD MADE THAT CHOICE TO LEAD THAT 56:41 LIFESTYLE BUT I COULDN'T REVERSE IT. 56:44 EVEN THOUGH I WANTED TO STOP OR AT LEAST SLOW DOWN, I HAD NO 56:49 POWER. I SAID, 'GOD, DO WHATEVER IT IS 56:53 YOU'VE GOT TO DO TO CHANGE ME.' I GET ARRESTED FOR A DUI. 56:57 I'D BEEN TO JAIL MANY TIMES BEFORE BUT I USED TO THINK THAT 57:01 THE REASON THAT I WENT TO JAIL IS BECAUSE GOD WAS SICK OF ME - 57:04 THAT GOD HATED ME. THERE I AM IN JAIL AND I'M 57:08 STARTING TO SEE THE FACT THAT GOD LOVES ME. 57:11 TO KNOW THE EMPTINESS OF THIS WORLD, TO KNOW THAT THIS LIFE 57:15 REALLY STINKS, BUT THERE'S HOPE AND THE HOPE THAT I FOUND CAN 57:23 ONLY BE SEEN OR KNOWN IN CHRIST JESUS. 57:38 >>DID YOU KNOW THAT NOAH WAS PRESENT AT THE BIRTH OF ABRAHAM? 57:41 OKAY, MAYBE HE WASN'T IN THE ROOM, BUT HE WAS ALIVE AND 57:45 PROBABLY TELLING STORIES ABOUT HIS FLOATING ZOO. 57:48 FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO THE LAST DAY EVENTS OF 57:51 REVELATION, 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM' IS A FREE RESOURCE WHERE YOU CAN 57:55 EXPLORE MAJOR BIBLE EVENTS AND CHARACTERS. 57:59 ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLE AND DRAW CLOSER TO GOD'S 58:01 WORD. GO DEEPER. VISIT THE AMAZING BIBLE TIMELINE 58:06 AT 'BIBLEHISTORY.COM'. (MUSIC) |
Revised 2014-12-17