Participants: Doug Batchelor
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021505
|
00:00 (MUSIC)
00:34 >>HELLO FRIENDS, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU BACK TO 00:35 ANOTHER STUDY HOUR - SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. 00:39 WE'VE BEEN STUDYING THROUGH THE BOOK OF PROVERBS AND TODAY WE 00:42 FIND OURSELVES ON LESSON #5 DEALING WITH THE BLESSINGS 00:45 PRONOUNCED ON THOSE WHO ARE RIGHTEOUS. 00:48 WE'D LIKE TO WELCOME THOSE ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND 00:51 THE WORLD THAT ARE JOINING US THROUGH THE VARIOUS TELEVISION 00:54 NETWORKS AND ALSO THOSE OF YOU WATCHING ONLINE AT THE AMAZING 00:56 FACTS WEBSITE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW 00:59 ALONG WITH OUR STUDY TODAY BUT YOU DON'T HAVE A LESSON 01:02 QUARTERLY DEALING WITH PROVERBS, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD TODAY'S LESSON 01:05 AT THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE. JUST 'AMAZINGFACTS.ORG'. 01:11 WE ALSO HAVE A FREE OFFER WE'D LIKE TO TELL YOU ABOUT, IT'S A 01:14 BOOK WRITTEN BY JOE CREWS ENTITLED 'ALONE IN THE CROWD' 01:18 AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND IT TO ANYBODY WHO CALLS AND ASKS. 01:21 THE NUMBER FOR OUR FREE OFFER IS 866-788-3966. THAT'S 01:28 866-STUDY-MORE AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #714. A GREAT LITTLE 01:34 BOOK - WE'D BE HAPPY TO SEND IT TO ANYBODY WHO CALLS AND ASKS. 01:37 AGAIN, THE TITLE OF THE BOOK IS 'ALONE IN THE CROWD.' WELL, 01:42 BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR STUDY THIS EVENING, I'D LIKE TO ALSO 01:45 WELCOME OUR LOCAL CONGREGATION FROM THE GRANITE BAY - THANK YOU 01:49 FOR COMING OUT. LET'S BEGIN WITH A WORD OF PRAYER. DEAR FATHER, 01:53 WE THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY YOUR WORD. 01:56 WE THANK YOU FOR THE BOOK OF PROVERBS THAT HAS SUCH GREAT 02:00 WISDOM - PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR EVERYDAY LIVING. SO WE ASK YOUR 02:04 BLESSING AS WE OPEN UP YOUR WORD. GUIDE US INTO A DEEPER AND 02:06 A FULLER UNDERSTANDING OF TRUTH, FOR WE ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME, 02:10 AMEN. >>AMEN. 02:12 >>I'D LIKE TO INVITE DOUG BATCHELOR TO COME FORWARD AND 02:15 LEAD US IN OUR STUDY THIS EVENING. THANK YOU PASTOR DOUG. 02:18 >>THANK YOU PASTOR ROSS. HELLO EVERYONE. 02:21 WELCOME TO OUR LOCAL STUDY GROUP AND OUR FRIENDS THAT I KNOW ARE 02:26 WATCHING FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. 02:28 AND JUST A FEW DAYS BEYOND THE TAPING OF THIS PROGRAM, 02:34 WE'RE GOING TO BE WITH OUR FRIENDS IN JAMAICA AND SO 02:37 WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT EXPERIENCE - 02:38 AND IT'D BE MY FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO PREACH THERE. I WAS THERE 02:41 YEARS AGO ON VACATION AND THEN IN ABOUT FOUR WEEKS OR NOT LONG 02:46 AFTER THIS BROADCAST, WE'RE GOING TO BE IN THE PHILIPPINES 02:48 AGAIN, TO DO A MEETING ALL AROUND THE WORLD AND IT'S 02:52 AMAZING THAT, IN THE PHILIPPINES, THEY WATCH THE 02:54 SABBATH SCHOOL PROGRAM. 02:56 AND SO, IT'S JUST SO ENCOURAGING TO KNOW THAT, WHILE WE'RE IN A 02:59 COMPARATIVELY SMALL STUDIO HERE, WE HAVE A LARGE CLASS AND WE'RE 03:03 VERY THANKFUL THAT YOU'RE TUNED IN. I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE 03:06 MENTIONED, IT'S INTIMIDATING TO TRY TO TEACH PROVERBS BECAUSE, 03:10 HERE, YOU'RE TAKING THE WORDS OF WHO IS OSTENSIBLY THE WISEST MAN 03:14 WHO EVER LIVED, BESIDES JESUS, AND I'M GOING TO EXPLAIN IT. 03:17 AND SO YOU ALREADY FEEL LIKE YOU'RE AT A LOSS BECAUSE YOU'RE 03:21 TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE WORDS OF THE WISEST MAN WHO EVER LIVED. 03:24 BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR BEST AND TODAY, AS PASTOR ROSS 03:28 MENTIONED, WE'RE ON LESSON #5 DEALING WITH 'THE BLESSINGS OF 03:32 THE RIGHTEOUS' AND WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE THAT COMES FROM 03:36 PROVERBS 10, VERSE 6. AND IF YOU HAVE YOUR BIBLES, I 03:39 ENCOURAGE YOU TO SAY IT ALONG WITH ME. WE'LL SAY IT OUT LOUD. 03:42 PROVERBS 10, VERSE 6. ARE YOU READY? 03:45 "BLESSINGS ARE ON THE HEAD OF THE RIGHTEOUS, 03:49 BUT VIOLENCE COVERS THE MOUTH OF THE WICKED." 03:52 NOW I SHOULD PROBABLY MENTION RIGHT HERE AT THE OUTSET OF OUR 03:55 LESSON, THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING OUR BEST TO BE COVERING 03:58 THE PASSAGES THAT GO FROM PROVERBS 10, VERSE 1 ALL THE WAY 04:03 THROUGH PROVERBS 13 SO WE'VE GOT A BIG ASSIGNMENT. 04:07 WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND COVER PROVERBS 10, 11, 12, AND 13 IN 04:11 OUR TIME. AND THE WRITER OF THE LESSON HAS 04:15 DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF TRYING TO CATEGORIZE SOME HIGH POINTS 04:17 THAT ARE MENTIONED HERE IN THE STUDY. 04:20 THE LESSON TITLE, OF COURSE, IS 'BLESSINGS OF THE RIGHTEOUS.' 04:23 NOW, I THOUGHT THAT IT'D PROBABLY BE GOOD TO START WITH A 04:27 DEFINITION BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LOT ABOUT THE 04:29 RIGHTEOUS AS OPPOSED TO THE WICKED. 04:31 AND WHEN YOU LOOK UP THE WORD 'RIGHTEOUS,' IT MEANS 'A PERSON 04:35 OR CONDUCT THAT IS MORALLY RIGHT, GOOD JUSTIFIABLE, 04:40 UPSTANDING, LAWFUL, EXCELLENT, AND VIRTUOUS. 04:44 THAT'S SORT OF A - IS A SUMMARY OF WHAT'S ALL POURED INTO THAT 04:48 WORD 'RIGHTEOUS.' AND I KIND OF COME FROM THE HIPPIE ERA AND WE 04:54 USED TO SAY, 'RIGHTEOUS' IN, KIND OF, HIPPIE JARGON AND YOU 04:59 HAVE TO DETACH YOURSELF FROM THAT. 05:03 YOU KNOW, THEY'D SAY, 'THAT WAS A REALLY RIGHTEOUS CONCERT.' 05:06 AND, OF COURSE, IF IT WAS THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS IT MADE 05:10 SENSE, BUT OTHER THAN THAT IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL. 05:12 BUT ANYWAY, RIGHTEOUSNESS, IN THE BIBLE IS, OF COURSE, THE 05:16 OPPOSITE OF WRONGESSNESS AND SO, IT'S EVERYTHING THAT IS BAD. 05:20 PROVERBS, HERE SOLOMON IS CONSTANTLY CONTRASTING 05:23 APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR FOR A BELIEVER FROM THAT WHICH IS 05:29 INAPPROPRIATE AND - JUST IF YOU LOOK UNDER SUNDAY'S LESSON, IT 05:33 SAYS, 'RIGHTEOUSNESS IS HOLISTIC.' AND I'M JUST GOING TO 05:37 READ THROUGH ONE - PROVERBS 10, VERSES 1 THROUGH 7. 05:41 I WANT YOU TO NOTICE SOMETHING HERE: "A WISE SON MAKES A GLAD 05:46 FATHER BUT A FOOLISH SON IS THE GRIEF OF HIS MOTHER. 05:51 TREASURES OF WICKEDNESS PROFIT NOTHING, BUT RIGHTEOUSNESS 05:56 DELIVERS FROM DEATH." - VERSE 3, "THE LORD WILL NOT 06:01 ALLOW THE RIGHTEOUS SOUL TO FAMISH, BUT HE CASTS AWAY THE 06:05 DESIRE OF THE WICKED. HE WHO HAS A SLACK HAND BECOMES 06:09 POOR, BUT THE HAND OF THE DILIGENT MAKES RICH. 06:13 HE WHO GATHERS IN SUMMER IS A WISE SON; HE WHO SLEEPS IN 06:18 HARVEST IS A SON WHO CAUSES SHAME. 06:21 BLESSINGS ARE ON THE HEAD OF THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT VIOLENCE COVERS 06:25 THE MOUTH OF THE WICKED. THE MEMORY OF THE RIGHTEOUS IS 06:29 BLESSED, BUT THE NAME OF THE WICKED WILL ROT." - OR DECAY. 06:33 NOW, DID YOU NOTICE SOMETHING THAT APPEARED THROUGH THOSE 06:36 SEVEN VERSES? >>CONTRAST. 06:39 >>IT'S A THREE-LETTER WORD THAT'S IN ALMOST ALL THE VERSES 06:42 EXCEPT 5 - YEAH. IT'S 'BUT.' YOU EVER ASK SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, 06:46 'COULD YOU HELP ME WITH SOMETHING?' THEY SAY, 'AW MAN 06:48 I'D JUST LOVE TO HELP YOU. I WOULD - I - 'BUT' - AND THEN 06:51 WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AT THAT POINT? 06:53 IT MEANS, 'UH THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING, DOESN'T IT?' 06:56 AND SO HE'S MAKING A TOTAL OPPOSITE CONTRAST AND IT'S 07:01 JUST THE POLAR OPPOSITES OF BEHAVIOR. 07:06 IT TALKS ABOUT THE WISE SON AND THE FOOLISH SON. 07:09 TREASURES OF WICKEDNESS BUT RIGHTEOUSNESS. 07:13 "THE LORD WILL NOT ALLOW THE RIGHTEOUS SOUL TO FAMISH, BUT HE 07:18 CASTS AWAY THE DESIRE OF THE WICKED." 07:20 AND SO HE CONTINUES TO CONTRAST THESE TWO THINGS. 07:24 NOW ALL OF THIS IS REALLY SUMMARIZED IN 'LOVE FOR GOD AND 07:29 LOVE FOR YOUR FELLOW MAN.' A LOT OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH BEHAVIOR 07:32 AND HOW WE TREAT EACH OTHER AND THAT, REALLY, IS SUMMED UP IN - 07:36 WHAT ARE THE TWO GREAT COMMANDMENTS JESUS SUMMARIZED? 07:40 LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL YOU HEART, MIND, SOUL, AND STRENGTH 07:45 - >>AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. 07:48 WHERE DOES THAT PASSAGE - WHAT IS JESUS QUOTING WHEN HE SAYS, 07:52 'THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, MIND, SOUL, AND 07:56 STRENGTH.' IS THAT THE FIRST TIME IT APPEARS IN THE BIBLE OR 07:57 IS JESUS SIMPLY QUOTING SCRIPTURE? DEUTERONOMY 08:02 CHAPTER 6, "HEAR O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE! 08:05 YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL 08:08 YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH." 08:10 AND THEN 'THOU SHALT LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' DID JESUS 08:12 MAKE THAT ONE UP? HE'S QUOTING LEVITICUS - JUST 08:15 THINK ABOUT THE WAR IN 1918 - HE'S QUOTING LEVITICUS 19:18. 08:20 SO WHEN JESUS SAID, 'A NEW COMMANDMENT I GIVE UNTO YOU,' - 08:23 I'VE HAD A LOT OF DEAR CHRISTIANS SAY, 'WE DON'T HAVE 08:26 TO KEEP THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ANYMORE BECAUSE JESUS GAVE A NEW 08:28 COMMANDMENT.' WHY DID JESUS CALL THAT A NEW COMMANDMENT? 08:32 BECAUSE IT'S FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT. BECAUSE IT WAS A 08:36 NEW CONCEPT FOR THEM THAT THE WHOLE LAW COULD BE SUMMARIZED 08:39 IN THE SIMPLE PRINCIPLES OF 'LOVE FOR GOD AND LOVE FOR YOUR 08:43 FELLOW MAN.' LOVE IS THE PERFECT DEFINITION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. 08:48 LET'S FACE IT, IF YOU REALLY LOVE GOD AND YOU LOVE YOUR 08:51 NEIGHBOR, WILL YOU DO WHAT'S RIGHT? 08:54 AND SO, WHEN YOU BREAK THESE THINGS DOWN THAT SOLOMON IS 08:58 TALKING ABOUT, THAT KIND OF SUMS IT UP PRETTY WELL. 09:01 ALRIGHT - AND I BELIEVE I'VE GOT SOMEONE WHO IS GOING TO READ FOR 09:06 ME, IN A MOMENT. WE'RE GOING TO JUMP TO MONDAY - 09:08 PROVERBS 13:14, WHO'S FIRST IN LINE? MRS. BATCHELOR. 09:12 OKAY, WE'LL GET TO YOU IN JUST A SECOND. NOW, THIS IS THE SECTION 09:15 DEALING WITH - AND IT'S THE LONGEST SECTION, I'LL TELL YOU 09:18 RIGHT NOW, IT'S DEALING WITH THE MOUTH OF THE RIGHTEOUS. 09:20 IN FACT, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT, EVEN IN THE FIRST FEW VERSES 09:24 THAT WE READ IT SAID, 'BLESSINGS ARE ON THE HEAD OF THE RIGHTEOUS 09:27 BUT VIOLENCE COVERS THE MOUTH OF THE WICKED." 09:30 DOES THAT REALLY MEAN VIOLENCE COVERS THEIR MOUTH OR THAT 09:33 VIOLENT WORDS WERE IN THEIR SPEECH? MATTER OF FACT, IN THE 09:36 BOOK OF PROVERBS - AND THIS IS IN THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION - 09:38 YOU'LL FIND THAT THE WORD 'MOUTH' IS USED 50 TIMES, 09:43 THE WORD 'LIPS' OCCURS 41 TIMES, AND 'TONGUE' 19 TIMES. 09:51 NOW, THIS WEEK, KAREN WAS READING 'ADVENTIST WORLD' AND 09:58 SHE SAID, 'HERE'S A GREAT AMAZING FACT, DOUG.' AND I USED 10:00 IT OR, AT LEAST PART OF IT, DURING OUR 'BIBLE ANSWERS LIVE' 10:05 PROGRAM. SO I WANT TO GIVE CREDIT TO WHOEVER THE AUTHOR IS. 10:07 I DO APOLOGIZE, I DON'T HAVE IT WRITTEN HERE. 10:09 IT'S ABOUT THE MARVELS OF THE HUMAN VOICE. 10:12 THE CALL OF A HOWLER MONKEY'S VOICE CAN BE HEARD UP TO THREE 10:15 MILES AWAY, BUT AN ELEPHANT'S VOICE IS DEEPER. 10:18 THE SONG OF A HUMPBACK WHALE CAN CROSS AN OCEAN. 10:22 BUT OF ALL THE VOICES ON EARTH, NONE IS AS VERSATILE AS THE 10:25 HUMAN VOICE. EACH PERSON'S VOICE USES A 10:29 MARVELOUS SOUND-PRODUCING MECHANISM THAT IS MORE INTRICATE 10:32 AND COMPLEX THAT ANY MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. 10:34 MUCH RESEARCH AND STUDY HAS GONE INTO ATTEMPTS TO UNDERSTAND THE 10:38 HUMAN VOICE AND SCIENTISTS HAVE TRIED, IN VAIN, TO REPRODUCE IT 10:41 WITH COMPUTERS, BUT IT ALWAYS SOUNDS UNNATURAL. 10:44 ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE COMPUTER PROGRAMS THAT WILL, 10:46 LIKE, READ TO YOU AND THEY ALWAYS SOUND VERY (ROBOT NOISES) 10:51 NO EMOTION IN THE WORDS, NO NUANCE IN THE WORDS, AND EVEN 10:53 THE VERY EXPENSIVE ONES, YOU CAN QUICKLY TELL IT'S A 10:57 COMPUTER-GENERATED VOICE. A HUMAN VOICE CAN PRODUCE A 11:00 RANGE OF SEVERAL OCTAVES IN SOUND. 11:03 THE AVERAGE PERSON - TWO OCTAVES. 11:05 SINGERS CAN GO FOUR OCTAVES AND - THAT'S, OF COURSE, A GOOD 11:09 SINGER - A FEW RARE PEOPLE - BY USING JUST TWO WEDGE-LIKE 11:15 PROJECTIONS OF LIGAMENT AND MUSCLE CALLED 'VOCAL CORDS.' 11:18 THESE SOUNDS ARE AMPLIFIED BY BUILT-IN RESONATORS IN OUR HEAD 11:22 CALLED 'SINUS CAVITIES.' IT'S AMAZING THAT IN ORDER TO SING A 11:26 HIGH C, A SOPRANOS VOCAL CORDS MUST VIBRATE - OPEN AND CLOSE - 11:31 1,200 TIMES PER SECOND. ON THE OTHER HAND, A BASS 11:36 SINGER'S LOWEST NOTE ONLY REQUIRES 40 VIBRATIONS PER 11:38 SECOND. BESIDES SINGING, OUR VOICES ARE 11:42 CAPABLE OF PRODUCING THE MOST COMPLEX VARIATIONS IN SPEECH. 11:45 TO CONTROL SPEECH SOUNDS, 72 SETS OF MUSCLES WORK WITH 11:49 SPLIT-SECOND TIMING. IN TALKING FOR ONE MINUTE, THE 11:52 TONGUE, JAW, AND LIPS MAKE AT LEAST 300 SEPARATE MOVEMENTS. 11:55 AT THE SAME TIME - I'M BECOMING VERY CONSCIOUS OF WHAT I'M DOING 11:59 RIGHT NOW, EVEN AS I'M READING THIS. 12:01 >>(LAUGHTER) >>AT THE SAME TIME, 12:05 OUR VOCAL CORDS ARE VIBRATING AND OUR RESPIRATORY MUSCLES 12:07 FORCE OUT THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF AIR AND IF THIS ISN'T COMPLEX 12:10 ENOUGH, JUST THINK OF THE MANY INFLECTIONS A VOICE IS CAPABLE 12:13 OF MAKING - RANGING UP TO NEARLY 500 AUDIBLE PITCHES. 12:16 ONE CAN VARY THE TONE 12:18 TREMENDOUSLY FROM A SHOUT TO A DELICATE WHISPER. 12:20 TRAINED SINGERS CAN HOLD A NOTE FOR A LONG TIME, WHEREAS AN 12:24 AUCTIONEER CAN SPEAK IN HYPER-FAST STACCATO. 12:27 THEN IT GOES ON TO SAY - YOU KNOW THE BIBLE SPOKE ABOUT 12:30 ONE MAN THAT SPOKE UNLIKE ANY OTHER? 12:33 YOU REMEMBER WHEN THEY WENT TO ARREST JESUS? 12:35 THEY CAME BACK AND SAID, 'NEVER A MAN SPAKE LIKE THIS MAN.' AND 12:38 SO THERE'S A LOT OF POWER IN WORDS. 12:41 WE'VE PROBABLY ALL SEEN OR HEARD STORIES WHERE SOMEBODY WAS IN A 12:45 FOOTBALL GAME OR A BOXING MATCH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THEY 12:49 WERE JUST DOWN AND OUT - ABOUT TO LOSE - AND SOMEBODY, A COACH 12:52 OR SOMEBODY, GAVE THEM A PEP TALK - THEY WENT AND THEY TURNED 12:55 EVERYTHING AROUND BECAUSE THEY'D BEEN INSPIRED BY THE MEANINGS OF 12:59 THESE VIBRATIONS THAT GO THROUGH THE AIR, WE CALL 'WORDS.' 13:01 SO WORDS CAN ACCOMPLISH GREAT GOOD. 13:03 THEY CAN ALSO ACCOMPLISH GREAT HARM. 13:07 HOW MANY OF YOU CAN REMEMBER SOMETHING SOMEONE SAID THAT WAS 13:10 CUTTING AND PAINFUL TO YOU YEARS AGO, BUT YOU'VE FORGOTTEN 13:14 MILLIONS OF CONVERSATIONS THAT WERE, SORT OF, MEANINGLESS - BUT 13:19 JUST A FEW WORDS. AND CAN YOU ALSO REMEMBER SOME 13:21 VERY KIND WORDS AND LOVING WORDS THAT TOUCHED YOUR HEART. 13:26 WE DON'T KNOW WHAT JESUS LOOKED LIKE. 13:28 WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT JESUS IS WHAT HE SAID. 13:31 HE WAS CALLED 'THE WORD.' KAREN AND I, YEARS AGO - IT WAS, 13:35 ACTUALLY, AN 'IT IS WRITTEN' PARTNERSHIP MEETING WHERE GEORGE 13:39 VANDEMAN, I THINK, WAS INTRODUCING MARK FINLEY 13:41 AS HE WAS MOVING INTO THAT POSITION. 13:43 AND PAUL HARVEY WAS THE SPEAKER AT THIS EVENT. 13:47 ANY OF YOU REMEMBER THE RADIO COMMENTATOR PAUL HARVEY? 13:49 THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE YOUNGER, YOU MISSED OUT, BUT EVERYBODY 13:53 WOULD STOP AROUND NOON, ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY, TO LISTEN TO 13:56 WHAT PAUL HARVEY WAS GOING TO SAY DURING LUNCHTIME BECAUSE HE 13:58 JUST - TREMENDOUS POWER OF WORDS AND - AND HE JUST GAVE A 14:02 WONDERFUL TALK AT THAT OCCASION ABOUT WHAT A GIFT SPEECH IS AND 14:07 HOW POWERFUL WORDS ARE AND WE SHOULD USE THEM CAREFULLY TO DO 14:10 GOOD BECAUSE WE DON'T REALLY APPRECIATE HOW LASTING THE 14:14 INFLUENCE OF OUR WORDS ARE. THERE'S A PROVERB I HEARD YEARS 14:18 AGO, I THINK IT'S ATTRIBUTED TO ISLAM AND MOHAMMAD, THAT THIS 14:23 MAN HAD BEEN GOSSIPING ABOUT EVERYBODY IN HIS TOWN. 14:26 THEY WENT TO MOHAMMAD AND SAID, 'WHAT SHALL I DO?' 14:28 AND HE SAID, 'WELL, YOU NEED TO GO GET A BAG FULL OF GOOSE 14:31 FEATHERS.' AND HE SAID, 'DURING THE NIGHT WHILE YOU'RE VICTIM'S 14:37 SLEEP - THE ONES YOU'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, GO TO THEIR DOORS 14:39 AND PLACE A GOOSE FEATHER AT THE DOOR OF EVERYBODY THAT'S ASLEEP 14:42 THAT YOU'VE BEEN GOSSIPING ABOUT.' AND SO HE DUTIFULLY DID 14:46 THAT AND HE CAME BACK IN THE MORNING EXHAUSTED AND HE SAID, 14:49 'WELL, NOW WHAT SHOULD I DO?' AND HE SAID, 'WELL, NOW GO 14:51 COLLECT THE FEATHERS.' HE SAID, 'WELL, THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE. 14:53 THEY'VE ALL BEEN BLOWN AWAY BY NOW.' HE SAID, 'EXACTLY. 14:55 THAT'S WITH YOUR WORDS - ONCE YOU SPEAK THEM, YOU CAN NEVER 14:57 RECALL THEM.' ANY OF YOU EVER SEND A TEXT MESSAGE BY ACCIDENT 15:01 AND THEN YOU HAVE TO SEND A FOLLOW-UP MESSAGE THAT SAYS, 15:03 'DISREGARD THAT MESSAGE.' AND ALL THAT DOES IS MAKE EVERYONE 15:05 LOOK AT THAT ORIGINAL MESSAGE MUCH MORE CAREFULLY, RIGHT? 15:09 SO ONCE YOU SPEAK THOSE WORDS AND THEY GO OUT INTO SPACE, 15:13 SOMEONE TOLD ME THAT IF YOU HAD THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT - 15:17 SOPHISTICATED ENOUGH - THAT YOU COULD GO TO SOME DISTANT PLANET 15:22 AND YOU COULD TUNE THAT EQUIPMENT TOWARDS EARTH AND YOU 15:27 COULD HEAR FREQUENCIES THAT HAVE COME FROM EARTH'S RADIO 50 YEARS 15:30 AGO. THAT ONCE THEY GO OUT INTO SPACE, THEY CONTINUE ENDLESSLY. 15:34 THEY GET A LITTLE THINNER BUT THEY JUST KEEP GOING AND GOING 15:37 AND GOING. AND YOU EVER WONDER HOW WE CAN 15:40 TALK TO PEOPLE ON THE MOON WITH OUR RADIOS? 15:43 JUST THINK ABOUT THAT. WORDS - THOSE VIBRATIONS - 15:47 WHAT DID GOD USE TO CREATE EVERYTHING? 15:49 >>HE SPOKE. >>HE SPOKE. 15:51 SO, WITH THAT IN MIND - BETTER GET BACK TO OUR LESSON - 15:56 THE POWER OF WORDS. ALRIGHT. 16:00 KAREN, WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND READ PROVERBS 13, VERSE 14. 16:04 >>ALRIGHT, "THE LAW OF THE WISE IS A FOUNTAIN OF LIFE TO TURN 16:09 ONE AWAY FROM THE SNARES OF DEATH." 16:11 >>NOW THAT'S IN PROVERBS 13:14. YOU NOTICE WORDS? 16:15 FOUNTAIN OF LIFE - IF YOU READ IN PROVERBS 10, VERSE 11, 16:20 "THE MOUTH OF THE RIGHTEOUS IS A WELL OF LIFE, 16:25 BUT VIOLENCE COVERS THE MOUTH OF THE WICKED." 16:28 SO HERE, IN OUR ASSIGNMENT FOR TODAY, WE'VE GOT BOTH PROVERBS 16:31 10 AND PROVERBS 13, IT TALKS ABOUT HOW A MOUTH COULD BE A 16:34 FOUNTAIN OF LIFE, ESPECIALLY IN THE DESERT REGIONS THAT - WHERE 16:39 THE BIBLE ORIGINATED, WATER WAS VERY PRECIOUS. 16:42 READ IN PSALM 36:9, FOR EXAMPLE, "FOR WITH YOU IS THE FOUNTAIN OF 16:49 LIFE; IN YOUR LIGHT WE SEE LIGHT." 16:53 AGAIN, THE WORD OF GOD, IT'S LIKE A FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 16:56 HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER THE STORY OF THE WOMAN AT THE WELL? 16:59 AND JESUS SAYS TO HER IN JOHN 4:13, "WHOEVER DRINKS OF THIS 17:05 WATER WILL THIRST AGAIN, BUT WHOEVER DRINKS THE WATER THAT I 17:08 SHALL GIVE HIM WILL NEVER THIRST. 17:10 BUT THE WATER THAT I SHALL GIVE HIM WILL BECOME IN HIM A 17:13 FOUNTAIN OF WATER SPRINGING UP INTO EVERLASTING LIFE." 17:17 YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY THAT EVERY LIKES TO TALK TO IS USUALLY AN 17:25 ENCOURAGING PERSON. WE'D ALL LIKE TO HAVE A FRIEND 17:29 OR SOMEONE YOU CAN TALK TO THAT THEY'RE A GOOD LISTENER, AND 17:32 THEY CAN BE POSITIVE AND ENCOURAGE YOU. 17:34 THOSE PEOPLE ARE IN PRETTY HIGH DEMAND. 17:36 THERE ARE FOLKS THAT WILL - THEY'LL GO VISIT THEIR DOCTOR - 17:41 I'VE HAD DOCTORS SAY BEFORE, 'SOME PEOPLE WILL SET UP AN 17:45 APPOINTMENT AND THERE'S REALLY NOTHING WRONG BUT THEY JUST WANT 17:47 SOMEONE TO TALK TO.' IT'S A PRETTY EXPENSIVE CONVERSATION. 17:50 BUT IF SOMEONE HAS SOMEBODY THAT WILL ENCOURAGE THEM, THEY BECOME 17:56 A WELL OF LIFE. AND JESUS, HE SAID, 'I AM THE WATER OF LIFE.' 18:01 OF COURSE, IT'S HIS WORDS THAT GIVE US THAT WATER OF LIFE. 18:04 IT'S REFRESHING. WHO WAS IT? DAVID - THAT SAID, 18:07 'AS THE DEER PANTS AFTER THE WATER BROOK, SO MY SOUL PANTS 18:11 FOR THEE' - OR LONG'S AFTER THEE. AND THAT'S HOW WE OUGHT 18:15 TO BE FOR THE WORD OF GOD - TO HUNGER AND WHAT? 18:18 >>THIRST >>THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 18:20 OKAY, YEAH, IN A MOMENT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOMEBODY READ 18:23 PROVERBS 13:13. >>THIRTEEN - TRIPLE THREE. 18:27 >>OH, MAYBE IT'S 13:3, THANK YOU. YEAH, THAT'LL BE NEXT. 18:29 PROVERBS 10 - I'M GOING TO READ VERSES 13 AND 14, "WISDOM IS 18:35 FOUND ON THE LIPS OF HIM WHO HAS UNDERSTANDING, BUT A ROD IS FOR 18:40 THE BACK OF HIM WHO IS DEVOID OF UNDERSTANDING. 18:43 WISE PEOPLE STORE UP KNOWLEDGE, BUT THE MOUTH OF THE FOOLISH 18:48 IS NEAR DESTRUCTION." 18:49 A COUPLE WAYS YOU CAN TELL A FOOLISH PERSON IS A FOOLISH 18:53 PERSON: ONE IS BY WHAT THEY DO AND THE OTHER IS BY WHAT? 18:58 >>WHAT HE SAYS. >>WHAT THEY SAY. 19:00 YOU KNOW, CONCERNING JESUS IT SAID 'HE WAS A PROPHET MIGHTY IN 19:03 DEED AND IN WORD.' AND SO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE ESSENCE OF 19:09 WHO YOU ARE IS SUMMED UP IN WHAT YOU DO AND WHAT YOU SAY. 19:12 AND I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT WILL 19:14 TALK THE TALK BUT THEY DON'T WALK THE WALK. 19:17 WELL PROVERBS - SOLOMON IS SAYING THAT YOU CAN IDENTIFY, 19:20 SOMETIMES, A FOOLISH PERSON, BY THE WORDS THEY SPEAK. MATTER OF 19:24 FACT - WELL, I TELL YOU WHAT, I DON'T WANT TO KEEP RON HANGING 19:28 WITH HIS VERSE. GO AHEAD AND READ PROVERBS 13:3 FOR US. 19:32 >>"HE WHO GUARDS HIS MOUTH PRESERVES HIS LIFE, BUT HE WHO 19:36 OPENS WIDE HIS LIPS SHALL HAVE DESTRUCTION." 19:39 >>NOW, ISN'T THAT KIND OF COUNSELING US TO BE CAREFUL WHAT 19:43 WE SAY? YOU CAN ALSO READ IN PROVERBS 19:47 10:19, "IN THE MULTITUDE OF WORDS SIN IS NOT LACKING, BUT HE 19:52 WHO RESTRAINS HIS LIP IS WISE - HIS LIPS IS WISE." 19:57 YOU KNOW I - PERIODICALLY WE GET - WELL, WE GET A LOT OF MAIL 20:01 HERE AT AMAZING FACTS - MATTER OF FACT, PASTOR ROSS MIGHT 20:04 CORRECT ME BUT I THINK WE GOT A REPORT - YOU KNOW, WE JUST 20:07 STARTED A NEW YEAR AND WE'RE DOING SOME REPORTING AND OUR 20:10 CORRESPONDENCE DEPARTMENT - I THINK THEY ANSWERED SOME 42,000 20:13 E-MAILS AND LETTERS. CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT? 20:17 THE PEOPLE ON OUR TEAM - WE GET QUESTIONS AND WE ANSWER THEM 20:21 ALL. THEY MAY NOT BE GOOD ANSWERS BUT 20:24 WE ANSWER THEM ALL AND WE TRY AND WRITE EVERYBODY BACK. 20:28 AND, YOU KNOW, I, OF COURSE, CAN'T DO IT ALL MYSELF SO WE 20:30 HAVE A GREAT TEAM THAT HELPS WITH THAT. 20:32 BUT PERIODICALLY WE'LL GET A LETTER AND SOMEONE WILL SAY, 20:36 'PASTOR SAID 'SUCH AND SUCH' AND HE MISSPOKE' OR 'HE SAID 20:40 SOMETHING WRONG' OR - AND - OR, YOU KNOW, 'HE MADE THIS LITTLE 20:45 QUIP' YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T WRITE OUT YOUR WHOLE SERMON AND 20:47 YOU'RE PREACHING OR TEACHING SOMEWHAT EXTEMPORANEOUSLY, 20:50 THINGS SLIP. AND I HAVE TO WRITE - AND I QUOTE THIS VERSE: 20:55 "IN THE MULTITUDE OF WORDS SIN IS NOT LACKING." 21:00 A LOOSE TRANSLATION WOULD BE, 'IF YOU TALK A LOT, THERE'S MORE 21:04 CHANCE YOU'RE GOING TO SAY SOMETHING WRONG.' "BUT HE WHO 21:07 RESTRAINS HIS LIPS IS WISE." MATTER OF FACT, THERE'S ANOTHER 21:12 VERSE I QUOTE WHERE SOLOMON SAYS, 'EVEN A FOOL IS COUNTED 21:16 WISE WHEN HE RESTRAINS HIS LIPS." 21:19 SO IF A FOOL WANTS TO CREATE THE SENSE OF WISDOM, JUST DON'T SAY 21:24 ANYTHING AND YOU CAN MAYBE KEEP PEOPLE THINKING YOU'RE A LOT 21:28 SMARTER THAN YOU ARE. SO A LOT COMES OUT BY JESUS 21:32 SAID, 'OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART, THE MOUTH SPEAKS. 21:36 I WANT READ A VERSE FOR YOU - THIS IS NOT PROVERBS, THIS IS 21:38 ECCLESIASTES - BUT IT IS SOLOMON. 21:41 SO IF YOU GO TO ECCLESIASTES 5 - ECCLESIASTES 5 - NOW, OF COURSE, 21:46 THIS IS A SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY, SOME OF YOU ARE GOING TO BE 21:50 WATCHING US IN THE MORNING BEFORE YOU GO TO CHURCH AND THIS 21:53 IS GOOD COUNSEL, "WALK PRUDENTLY WHEN YOU GO TO THE HOUSE OF GOD; 21:59 AND DRAW NEAR TO HEAR RATHER THAN TO GIVE THE SACRIFICE OF 22:05 FOOLS, FOR THEY DO NOT KNOW THAT THEY DO EVIL." 22:08 WHAT IS THE SACRIFICE OF FOOLS? 22:10 WHEN HE SAYS, 'DRAW NEAR TO HEAR RATHER THAN' - WHAT DO YOU 22:15 SUPPOSE THE 'RATHER THAN' FROM HEARING? 22:17 >>SPEECH. >>TALKING. 22:19 KEEP READING AND YOU GET THE CONTEXT. 22:21 "DO NOT BE RASH WITH YOUR MOUTH, AND LET NOT YOUR HEART UTTER 22:26 ANYTHING HASTILY BEFORE GOD. FOR GOD IS IN HEAVEN AND YOU ON 22:31 THE EARTH; THEREFORE LET YOUR WORDS BE FEW. 22:34 FOR A DREAM COMES THROUGH MUCH ACTIVITY AND A FOOL'S VOICE IS 22:39 KNOWN BY HIS MANY WORDS." THAT OUGHT TO REALLY MAKE A LOT 22:43 OF PASTORS PONDER. IT DOES ME. YOU'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL. 22:47 "WHEN YOU MAKE A VOW TO GOD, DO NOT DELAY TO PAY IT; FOR HE HAS 22:53 NO PLEASURE IN FOOLS. PAY WHAT YOU HAVE VOWED-BETTER 22:56 NOT TO VOW THAN TO VOW AND NOT PAY." 22:58 SO ALL OF THIS - IN THE FIRST FIVE VERSES OF ECCLESIASTES 5 - 23:02 IS TALKING ABOUT THINGS RELATED TO 'BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY' AND 23:06 'YOU CAN SNARE YOUR SOUL WITH YOUR LIPS,' SOLOMON ALSO SAYS. 23:13 SO, OKAY, BACK TO PROVERBS. 23:15 SPEAKING - LET ME SEE, LET'S GO TO PROVERBS 11:2 - WE'RE STILL 23:19 TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THESE PROVERBS THAT DEAL WITH SPEECH. 23:23 PROVERBS 11, VERSE 12, "HE WHO IS DEVOID OF WISDOM DESPISES HIS 23:29 NEIGHBOR, BUT A MAN OF UNDERSTANDING HOLD HIS PEACE." 23:33 SO, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES - WHEN IT SAYS HE DESPISES HIS 23:37 NEIGHBOR, THAT MEANS HE'S GOSSIPING ABOUT HIS NEIGHBOR - 23:40 "BUT A MAN OF UNDERSTANDING" - DOESN'T SAY EVERYTHING HE KNOWS 23:43 OR SEES OR HEARS. HE KEEPS IT TO HIMSELF. 23:46 PROVERBS 11:13 - NEXT VERSE - "A TALEBEARER REVEALS SECRETS, BUT 23:53 HE WHO IS OF A FAITHFUL SPIRIT CONCEALS A MATTER." 23:57 WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? 23:58 YOU EVER HAD A FRIEND YOU CONFIDED IN AND YOU MAYBE TOLD 24:05 THEM SOMETHING THAT THEY THOUGHT WAS REALLY INTERESTING - YOU 24:08 SAID, 'NOW LET'S - THIS IS OFF THE RECORD, LET'S KEEP THIS 24:10 BETWEEN US' OR 'JUST SOMETHING I WANT YOU TO PRAY ABOUT. 24:12 IT'S PERSONAL.' AND THEY SAY, 'OH YEAH, YOU CAN TRUST ME.' IF 24:14 YOU EVER HEAR A REPORTER DOING AN INTERVIEW AND YOU SAY 24:20 SOMETHING OFF THE RECORD, FORGET ABOUT IT. NO SUCH THING. I DID 24:28 AN INTERVIEW WITH A REPORTER AND THEY ASKED A QUESTION. 24:30 I SAID, 'WELL, IF THIS IS OFF THE RECORD I CAN...' HEADLINES - 24:33 THAT'S THE FIRST THING THEY'LL SAY, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST WIN YOU 24:36 OVER, BUT YOU WANT TO BE VERY CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU SAY AND YOU 24:40 NEED TO HAVE - IF YOU WANT TO HAVE FRIENDS, YOU NEED TO KNOW 24:43 HOW TO, WHEN IT SAYS 'CONCEAL A MATTER' YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO 24:47 KEEP PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE AND NOT SAY EVERYTHING YOU KNOW. 24:50 I KNEW THIS SISTER, SHE WAS A CHRISTIAN - ACTUALLY WORKED AS A 24:54 POSTMASTER IN A SMALL TOWN AND PEOPLE WOULD TRY TO ENGAGE HER 24:59 IN GOSSIP WHEN THEY CAME TO PICK UP LETTERS AND DROP LETTERS OFF 25:02 OR GET POSTAGE AND THEY'D TELL HER THINGS AND THEY'D TRY AND 25:06 DRAW HER AND SHE WOULD NEVER EVER SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT 25:09 ANYBODY. AND YOU JUST COULDN'T GET HER TO DO IT. SHE WAS JUST 25:13 CONVICTED BY CHRIST THAT IF YOU CAN'T SAY SOMETHING NICE ABOUT 25:16 SOMEBODY, DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. AND I JUST REALLY ADMIRED 25:20 HER BECAUSE NOT ALL OF US HAVE THAT MUCH RESTRAINT. 25:26 JESUS SAID, YOU KNOW, MATTHEW 12:36, "BUT I SAY TO YOU THAT 25:32 FOR EVERY IDLE WORD MEN MAY SPEAK, THEY WILL GIVE ACCOUNT OF 25:36 IT IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT. FOR BY YOUR WORDS YOU WILL BE 25:40 JUSTIFIED, AND BY YOUR WORDS YOU WILL BE CONDEMNED." 25:43 AND ONE REASON - WAIT A SECOND, THAT'S NOT FAIR. 25:46 WE'RE SAVED BY GRACE, WHY WOULD WE BE JUDGED BY OUR WORDS? 25:49 YOU KNOW WHY JESUS CAN JUDGE US BY OUR WORDS? 25:52 'OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART THE MOUTH SPEAKS. 25:57 AND SO WHAT COMES OUT OF YOUR MOUTH IS REVEALING WHAT'S REALLY 26:01 IN YOUR HEART. AND SO YOU'RE BEING JUDGED BY YOUR HEART. 26:03 AND SO, ONE OF THE WAYS WE CAN DO JUST A LITTLE SELF-TEST - 26:10 IT SAYS IN, WHAT IS IT? 2 CORINTHIANS 13, 'LET EVERYONE 26:14 PROVE HIMSELF WHETHER HE BE IN THE FAITH.' ONE WAY TO PROVE 26:17 YOURSELF IS TO SAY, 'AM I TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE? 26:20 AM I SAYING NEGATIVE THINGS? WHAT'S COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH? 26:23 AM I BEING ENCOURAGING? AM I BEING POSITIVE? 26:26 AM I UPLIFTING CHRIST WITH MY WORDS? 26:28 DO I GLORIFY GOD WITH MY SPEECH OR DO I SOMETIMES HAVE THE LIPS 26:31 OF A FOOL AND SAY THINGS THAT ARE BRINGING PEOPLE DOWN. 26:36 NOW, THAT BRINGS US TO PSALM 141, VERSE 3. THIS IS PROBABLY 26:42 SOMETHING YOU COULD SAY AS A PRAYER, "SET A GUARD, O LORD, 26:47 OVER MY MOUTH; KEEP WATCH OVER THE DOOR OF MY LIPS." 26:50 AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO SOMETIMES STRUGGLES TO CONTROL WHAT I SAY? 26:55 IN SPITE OF THAT BEAUTIFUL LITTLE SPEECH I MADE ABOUT NOT 26:58 GOSSIPING, I REMEMBER ONE, I DID A WORSHIP ON GOSSIP AND BEFORE 27:06 AN HOUR WENT BY, I CAUGHT MYSELF GOSSIPING. 27:09 HOW CAN YOU CHANGE SOMETHING LIKE THAT? 27:13 SO WHEN YOU PRAY, "SET A GUARD, O LORD, OVER MY MOUTH" YOU'RE 27:17 ASKING FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT TO JUST BE IN YOUR HEART AND GUIDE 27:20 YOU IN YOUR SPEECH, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT, 27:22 YOU'LL SAY THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO YOUR MIND. 27:24 AND IT'S REALLY A MIRACLE WHEN GOD CAN CHANGE YOUR SPEECH. 27:28 I THINK I'VE PROBABLY SHARED WITH YOU BEFORE, PRIOR TO MY 27:33 BEING A CHRISTIAN, I KNEW ALL THE CURSE WORDS AND I USED THEM 27:39 ALL TOO. AND ONCE I BECAME CONVICTED THAT 27:42 WAS WRONG, I JUST HAD TO PRAY AND SAY, 'LORD, YOU'RE GOING TO 27:44 HAVE TO HELP ME BECAUSE IT JUST - IT'S ENTRENCHED. 27:47 IT'S LIKE, IF I SHOULD TELL YOU TO TRY TO CARRY ON A 27:50 CONVERSATION AND DON'T USE THE WORDS 'THE,' 'A,' OR 'IT,' COULD 27:54 YOU DO IT? THAT'S WHAT IT'S LIKE FOR A 27:58 PERSON THAT GROWS UP CURSING; IT'S LIKE YOU'RE TAKING OUT ALL 28:01 THE SUPERLATIVES IN THERE - THEY'RE VOCABULARY. 28:05 I SAID, 'LORD, IF I'M GOING TO CHANGE THIS, IT'S GOING TO TAKE 28:08 A MIRACLE.' AND I PRAYED AND I JUST FELT - I GOT TO THE POINT 28:11 WHERE IF FELT ABSOLUTELY HELPLESS AND THEN 28:13 THE HOLY SPIRIT DID SOMETHING. 28:16 HE SET A GUARD ON MY LIPS AND I NOTICED EVERY TIME I WAS ABOUT 28:18 TO SAY ONE OF THESE WORDS I WOULD KNOW AHEAD OF TIME. 28:20 AND THE ONLY THING I CAN LIKEN IT TO IS LIKE THERE WAS A BIT IN 28:25 MY MOUTH - LIKE A RIDER WITH REINS AND THE LORD WOULD PULL ON 28:28 MY TONGUE AND IT WOULD JUST STOP - LIKE AN EMERGENCY BRAKE. 28:31 AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY VERY EXCITING FOR ME. 28:34 IT WASN'T A BAD THING - THAT TOLD ME GOD WAS REAL BECAUSE 28:35 WHENEVER I GOT READY TO SAY IT, IT'S LIKE THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS 28:38 DOING SOMETHING FOR ME I COULDN'T DO FOR MYSELF. 28:40 SAME THING WITH GOSSIP - IT'S THE SAME THING. 28:44 THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS TO DO THAT. ONE MORE TIME - 141, VERSE 3 - 28:48 IT'S A GOOD PROMISE, "SET A GUARD, O LORD, OVER MY MOUTH; 28:50 KEEP WATCH OVER THE DOORS OF MY LIPS." 28:53 THAT'S A PSALM - I WONDER WHAT THE MELODY WAS. PROVERBS 11:9, 28:57 "THE HYPOCRITE WITH HIS MOUTH DESTROYS HIS NEIGHBOR, BUT 29:01 THROUGH KNOWLEDGE THE RIGHTEOUS WILL BE DELIVERED." 29:05 PROVERBS 12:6, "THE WORDS OF THE WICKED ARE, 'LIE IN WAIT FOR 29:10 BLOOD,' BUT THE MOUTH OF THE UPRIGHT WILL DELIVER THEM." 29:14 YOU KNOW, I THOUGH - I'LL READ YOU A LITTLE STATEMENT FROM THE 29:19 BOOK 'COUNCILS FOR THE CHURCH' PAGE 81, 29:23 "THERE ARE MANY WAYS WHEREIN WE MIGHT ACKNOWLEDGE OUR LORD AND 29:27 MANY WAYS WHEREIN WE MIGHT DENY HIM. 29:29 WE MAY DENY HIM IN OUR WORDS, BY SPEAKING EVIL OF OTHERS, BY 29:33 FOOLISH TALKING, JESTING, AND JOKING, OR IDLE UNKIND WORDS OR 29:38 BY PREVOCATING - SPEAKING CONTRARY TO THE TRUTH. 29:42 IN OUR WORDS WE MAY CONFESS THAT CHRIST IS NOT IN US. 29:46 THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST TELLING THINGS IS WHEN YOU'RE HEART 29:49 CHANGES - 'OUT OF THE ABUNDANCE OF THE HEART' OUR WORDS'LL 29:52 CHANGE. OKAY, TUESDAY, 'THE HOPE OF THE 29:56 RIGHTEOUS.' ALL THROUGH THE PROVERBS - YOU KNOW, AS YOU READ 30:00 THROUGH THESE SECTIONS, IT JUST JUMPS FROM ONE SUBJECT TO 30:04 ANOTHER AND SO IT'S REALLY VERY INTERESTING. 30:07 PROVERBS 11:1, "DISHONEST SCALES ARE AN ABOMINATION TO THE LORD, 30:14 BUT A JUST WEIGHT IS HIS DELIGHT." 30:17 NOW, WHY DID HE SAY THAT? IS HE TALKING ABOUT THE BATHROOM 30:19 SCALE WHERE YOU CHECK YOUR WEIGHT? 30:21 WHENEVER YOU - AND HOPEFULLY YOU DON'T HAVE A DISHONEST SCALE 30:26 THERE BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT HELPING YOURSELF. BUT IN - WHEN YOU WENT 30:30 TO THE MARKET IN BIBLE TIMES, AT EVERY CASH REGISTER THERE WAS A 30:35 SCALE BECAUSE YOU OFTEN BOUGHT THINGS BY THEIR WEIGHT. 30:39 AND THEY HAD ONE OF THOSE - YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THEM, THE 30:42 LITTLE - THE LITTLE BALANCE - YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THE JUDGES 30:46 ABOVE COURTHOUSES - THE BLIND LADY JUSTICE WHERE SHE'S 30:48 BLINDFOLDED - SHE'S HOLDING UP THE SCALES. 30:50 WELL, THEY'D PUT A LITTLE WEIGHT, LIKE A ONE OUNCE OR HALF 30:53 OUNCE SIDE AND THEN THEY'D PUT THE EQUAL AMOUNT OF THE PRODUCT 30:57 YOU'RE BUYING ON THE OTHER SIDE AND YOU'D KNOW EXACTLY HOW - BUT 31:00 IF YOU ARE AN UNJUST MERCHANT, THEY'D DRILL OUT THOSE WEIGHTS 31:05 SOMETIMES - IT'D SAY '1-OUNCE' ON IT BUT THEY'D PUT LEAD IN IT 31:07 OR THEY'D HOLLOW IT OUT SO IT'S ACTUALLY LIGHTER SO YOU'RE NOT 31:11 GETTING AS MUCH PRODUCT. AND SO YOU'RE BEING DECEIVED AND THEY 31:16 HAD ALL THESE LITTLE TRICKS. IT'S LIKE THE - YOU'VE HEARD 31:20 ABOUT THE BUTCHER THAT - HE HAD - HE WASN'T TOTALLY HONEST. 31:24 AT THE END OF THE DAY A LADY CAME IN, SHE SAID, 'I'M HAVING 31:27 COMPANY, I NEED TO HAVE THE FATTEST CHICKEN THAT YOU'VE GOT. 31:30 WELL, HE HAD ALREADY STARTED CLEANING OUT THE COUNTERS. 31:32 HE SAID, 'WELL, LET ME GO BACK AND I'LL SEE WHAT I'VE GOT.' AND 31:35 HE CAME OUT - AND HE ONLY HAD ONE CHICKEN BACK THERE. 31:37 EVERYTHING ELSE WAS GONE. AND HE CAME OUT AND HE SAID, 31:40 'THIS IS OUR BIGGEST CHICKEN. SHE LOOKED AT IT AND SHE SAID - 31:43 SHE PUT IT ON - OR HE PUT IT ON THE SCALE AND HE PUT HIS THUMB 31:48 ON THE SCALE SO IT LOOKED HEAVIER THAN IT ACTUALLY WAS. 31:51 AND SHE SAID, 'OH, TWO POUND CHICKEN.' SHE SAID, 'YOU KNOW, I 31:55 THINK I NEED SOMETHING A LITTLE BIGGER.' HE SAID, 'ALRIGHT, I'LL 31:58 BE RIGHT BACK.' SO HE GOES OUT, WALKS BACK TO THE FREEZER, COMES 32:00 BACK - SAME CHICKEN - THROWS IT UP ON THE SCALE, PRESSES A 32:03 LITTLE HARDER WITH HIS THUMB. SHE SAID, 'YOU KNOW, I'M STILL 32:07 NOT SURE THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE ENOUGH.' SHE SAID, 'I'LL TAKE 32:10 THEM BOTH.' UNJUST SCALES WILL BACKFIRE, BUT A JUST WEIGHT IS 32:20 HIS DELIGHT. PROVERBS 11:2, "WHEN PRIDE 32:24 COMES, THEN COMES SHAME; BUT WITH THE HUMBLE IS WISDOM." 32:29 ISN'T IT HARD TO TEACH A PROUD PERSON? 32:31 YOU EVER TRY AND TEACH SOMEBODY THAT SAYS, 'OH, I KNOW, I KNOW, 32:33 I KNOW?' THEY'RE CALLED 'TEENAGERS.' NO. 32:38 WHEN A PERSON SAYS THEY KNOW EVERYTHING - WHEN YOU'RE HUMBLE, 32:42 THERE'S WISDOM - YOU'RE TEACHABLE. AND GOD'LL GIVE YOU 32:47 WISDOM IF YOU'RE WILLING TO LEARN. WITH PRIDE COMES SHAME. 32:51 ISN'T THAT SOMETHING LIKE THE VERSE THAT SAYS, 'A HAUGHTY 32:54 SPIRIT COMES BEFORE A FALL?' CAN YOU THINK OF SOME EXAMPLES 32:58 IN THE BIBLE WHERE PEOPLE WERE SHAMED BY THEIR PRIDE? 33:02 PETER BOASTED, 'THOUGH ALL THESE FORSAKE YOU, I'LL NEVER FORSAKE 33:07 YOU.' WHO DID IT THE WORST? PETER. IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN 33:11 NEAR AS BAD IF HE HADN'T BOASTED ABOUT IT. 33:13 PROVERBS 11:3, "THE INTEGRITY OF THE UPRIGHT WILL GUIDE THEM, BUT 33:19 THE PERVERSITY OF THE UNFAITHFUL WILL DESTROY THEM." 33:23 PERVERSITY, HERE, IS OBVIOUSLY THE OPPOSITE OF INTEGRITY. 33:27 SOMEONE SAID, 'INTEGRITY' - OR CHARACTER - 'IS WHO YOU ARE WHEN 33:32 NO ONE'S WATCHING.' A PERSON OF INTEGRITY IS JUST AS HONEST WHEN 33:35 NO ONE IS WATCHING AS THEY ARE WHEN PEOPLE ARE WATCHING. 33:39 THAT'S WHAT REAL INTEGRITY IS. IN PROVERBS 11:5, "THE 33:45 RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE BLAMELESS WILL DIRECT HIS WAY ARIGHT, BUT 33:50 THE WICKED WILL FALL BY HIS OWN WICKEDNESS." 33:53 NOW SOMEONE LOOK UP FOR ME 2 CORINTHIANS 4, VERSE 18. 33:58 YOU'LL HAVE THAT IN JUST A SECOND? OKAY? 34:00 NOW, BEFORE WE GO ANY FARTHER, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THE VERSES 34:03 THAT WE JUST READ, PROVERBS 11:1, 3, 5 AND I'M GOING TO READ 34:10 PROVERBS 11:4 - I'M MIXING THEM UP HERE - 34:12 IT TELLS YOU WHAT THE POSITIVE SIDE IS. 34:16 THIS IS UNDER TUESDAY, 'THE HOPE OF THE RIGHTEOUS.' IT SAYS, 'HIS 34:19 DELIGHT, GOD'LL GUIDE THEM, HE WILL DIRECT THEM, HE'LL SHOW 34:24 THEM THE WAY.' SO IT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES PEOPLE READ 34:28 PROVERBS, IT'S LIKE THE CUP HALF EMPTY OR THE CUP HALF FULL? 34:32 IF YOU READ WHERE IT SAYS "THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE BLAMELESS 34:37 WILL DIRECT HIS WAY ARIGHT, BUT THE WICKED WILL FALL IN HIS OWN 34:40 WICKEDNESS." YOU COULD LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, 34:43 'OH MAN, THE WICKED ARE GOING TO FALL. I DON'T WANT TO FALL.' 34:45 OR YOU COULD LOOK AT IT AND SAY, 'FORGET ABOUT THE WICKED, I'M 34:48 GOING TO LOOK AT WHAT THE PROMISE OF THE RIGHTEOUS IS. 34:50 SO YOU COULD LOOK AT ALL THESE PROVERBS AND LOOK AT THE CURSES 34:52 THAT ARE IN THEM AND YOU COULD FEEL, 'WOW, PROVERBS IS A REALLY 34:55 NEGATIVE BOOK.' OR YOU COULD LOOK AT ALL THE PROVERBS AND 34:58 SAY, 'LOOK AT ALL THE PROMISES THAT ARE IN THEM' AND SAY IT'S A 35:00 REALLY POSITIVE BOOK. EVERY ONE OF THESE THINGS THAT 35:03 IS SEPARATED BY THE WORD 'BUT,' YOU COULD READ THE POSITIVE SIDE 35:06 OF THAT OR THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF IT. 35:09 THERE'S A LOT OF PROMISES IN HERE THAT ARE PROMISED TO THE 35:11 RIGHTEOUS AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE WANT US TO FOCUS 35:14 ON. AND THEN AGAIN, IT SAYS IN PROVERBS 11:7, "WHEN A WICKED 35:18 MAN DIES, HIS EXPECTATION WILL PERISH, AND THE HOPE OF THE 35:23 UNJUST PERISHES." BUT IT'S TELLING YOU, OBVIOUSLY, THAT YOU 35:27 DO NOT PERISH. IT REMINDS US OF THAT JOHN 3:16 VERSE. 35:31 ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD, READ FOR US 2 CORINTHIANS 4:18. 35:35 >>"WHILE WE DO NOT LOOK AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN, BUT AT 35:39 THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN. FOR THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN 35:42 ARE TEMPORARY, BUT THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN ARE ETERNAL." 35:46 >>AND SO HERE HE'S HIGHLIGHTING - PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT - 35:49 PROVERBS IS TELLING YOU THAT THE WICKED PERSON AND THE FOOLISH 35:54 PERSON IS - THEY'RE LOOKING AT JUST WHAT 35:56 THE IMMEDIATE VISIBLE RESULT IS. 36:00 SOLOMON IS SAYING, 'IF YOU'RE REALLY WISE, YOU'LL REALIZE 36:02 THERE'S A GOD AND THAT THE RESULTS GO BEYOND THAT AND 36:05 SOMETIMES THE REWARD ISN'T IMMEDIATE, BUT IF YOU'RE DOING 36:11 WHAT'S RIGHT HE'LL DIRECT YOUR PATH, HE'LL DELIVER YOU, YOU'LL 36:14 BE THE DELIGHT OF GOD, HE'LL SHOW YOU HIS WAY. 36:19 THERE'S ALL THESE PROMISES AND YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE 36:22 YOU'RE NOT LOOKING AT THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN. 36:24 ALRIGHT, AND THEN IN A MOMENT I'M GOING TO HAVE SOMEBODY READ 36:28 PSALM 41:1 AND 2, BUT LET ME READ PROVERBS 11:8, "THE 36:34 RIGHTEOUS IS DELIVERED FROM TROUBLE," - ANYONE WANT TO CLAIM 36:37 THAT PROMISE? THAT'S PRETTY ENCOMPASSING, ISN'T IT? 36:41 IS THERE A TIME OF TROUBLE COMING TO THE WORLD? 36:44 IS THERE GOING TO BE A TIME OF TROUBLE UNLIKE ANY OTHER 36:47 TROUBLE? WHO SAID THAT? >>JESUS. 36:49 >>JESUS - MATTHEW 24 AND JESUS IS QUOTING DANIEL 12, 'AT THAT 36:58 TIME MICHAEL WILL STAND UP' - I THINK THIS IS VERSE 1 - 'THAT 37:00 GREAT PRINCE THAT STANDS FOR THE CHILDREN OF YOUR PEOPLE, AND 37:03 THERE'LL BE A TIME OF TROUBLE SUCH AS THERE NEVER HAS BEEN 37:05 SINCE THERE WAS A NATION EVEN UNTO THE SAME TIME.' 37:07 GREAT TIME OF TROUBLE. HOW'D YOU LIKE THAT PROMISE 'THE RIGHTEOUS 37:11 IS DELIVERED FROM TROUBLE?' THAT'S WHERE YOU GET THE WORD 37:14 TRIBULATION, IT'S LIKE 'TROUBLE-ATION.' 37:17 BUT THE WICKED, THEY DON'T HAVE THAT PROMISE. 37:22 "AND IT COMES TO THE WICKED INSTEAD." 37:24 NOW, CAN YOU THINK OF SOME EXAMPLES IN THE BIBLE WHERE IT 37:27 LOOKED LIKE THE RIGHTEOUS WERE ABOUT TO BE DESTROYED BUT 37:30 INSTEAD IT BACKFIRED ON THE WICKED? 37:33 ALL PRIME THE PUMP AND GIVE YOU A COUPLE. 37:36 MAYBE YOU CAN THINK OF SOME. YOU REMEMBER WHEN PETER WAS PUT 37:40 IN PRISON BY HEROD THE KING? HEROD KILLED JAMES. 37:45 HE PUT PETER IN PRISON. HE WAS GOING TO EXECUTE PETER? 37:49 BUT WHAT HAPPENED? >>ANGEL. 37:52 >>AN ANGEL CAME, PETER'S DELIVERED. DID YOU READ THE END 37:56 OF THE CHAPTER? WHAT HAPPENS TO HEROD? 37:58 ANGEL OF THE LORD STRIKES HIM, HE DIES. 38:02 SO THE ONE WHO WAS GOING TO BE THE PERSECUTOR, HE ENDS UP DYING 38:06 AND THE FISHERMAN, WHO WAS IN THE TOP SECURITY PRISON, HE 38:09 CONTINUES LIVING AND PREACHING. HOW ABOUT MORDECAI AND HAMAN? 38:15 YOU KNOW THE STORY OF ESTHER? SO AN EDICT IS MADE TO 38:19 EXTERMINATE ALL OF GOD'S PEOPLE ON A CERTAIN DATE, BUT GOD 38:25 INTERVENES AND THE GALLOWS THAT HAD BEEN BUILT TO HANG MORDECAI, 38:31 WHO ENDS UP GETTING HUNG ON THOSE GALLOWS? 38:34 >>HAMAN. >>HAMAN. 38:36 WHO BUILT THEM? IT JUST BACKFIRED. 38:38 "THE RIGHTEOUS IS DELIVERED FROM TROUBLE AND IT COMES TO THE 38:42 WICKED INSTEAD." DOES THAT REALLY HAPPEN IN THE BIBLE? 38:44 >>DANIEL. 38:45 >>ALRIGHT, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE, DANIEL. 38:47 THE POLITICAL ENEMIES OF DANIEL, THAT WANTED HIM EATEN BY THE 38:52 LIONS, DANIEL MAKES IT THROUGH THE LIONS' DEN - GOD SHUTS THEIR 38:55 MOUTH - BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM? 38:57 >>THEY'RE THROWN IN. 38:59 >>AND THE EGYPTIANS, WHO WERE GOING TO ENSLAVE THE ISRAELITES, 39:05 THE ISRAELITES GO FREE AND THE EGYPTIANS GET SWALLOWED BY THE 39:08 RED SEA. THE SOLDIERS THAT THREW 39:11 SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO IN THE FURNACE, THEY SURVIVED 39:16 THE FURNACE BUT THE SOLDIERS GET BURNED UP. 39:18 YOU CAN JUST LOOK AT - THERE'S MANY, MANY EXAMPLES IN THE BIBLE 39:22 HOW THE LORD STEPS IN - JEREMIAH - KING ZEDEKIAH PUTS HIM IN A 39:27 PRISON BECAUSE HE'S PROPHESYING THAT NEBUCHADNEZZAR IS GOING TO 39:32 COME AND THERE'S GOING TO BE GREAT SLAUGHTER. 39:35 AND THE GUY IN THE DUNGEON, JEREMIAH, IS ONE OF THE ONLY 39:39 ONES THAT FINDS MERCY FROM NEBUCHADNEZZAR AND HE LIVES 39:41 AFTER THE WHOLE SIEGE AND THE WAR IS OVER. 39:44 ZEDEKIAH HAS HIS EYES PUT OUT AND HE DIES IN JAIL. 39:46 I MEAN, THE LORD CAN TURN THINGS AROUND. 39:49 WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE? GOD DELIVERS THE RIGHTEOUS. 39:52 NOW DOES THAT MEAN RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE NEVER PERISH? 39:56 >>NO. >>YEAH IT DOES. 40:00 IN THE LONG RUN. THEY NEVER PERISH ETERNALLY. 40:05 THEY MIGHT DIE, BUT CAN YOU REALLY KILL A RIGHTEOUS PERSON? 40:09 >>NO. >>YOU CAN KILL THE BODY. 40:11 JESUS SAID, 'DON'T BE AFRAID OF HIM WHO KILLS THE BODY 40:13 BUT THEY CAN'T TOUCH YOUR SOUL. FEAR HIM WHO CAN DESTROY SOUL 40:16 AND BODY IN HELL.' ALRIGHT, IT GOES ON TO SAY IN VERSE 11 - I'M 40:22 SORRY, VERSE 17 OF CHAPTER 11, "THE MERCIFUL MAN DOES GOOD FOR 40:26 HIS OWN SOUL, BUT HE WHO IS CRUEL TROUBLES HIS OWN FLESH.' 40:31 WHAT KIND OF MAN? >>THE MERCIFUL. 40:35 >>"THE MERCIFUL MAN DOES GOOD FOR HIS OWN SOUL" AND IT MAKES 40:38 YOU THINK ABOUT THAT VERSE IN MATTHEW 5:7, 40:40 "BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL." MERCY COMES TO THE MERCIFUL. 40:44 ALRIGHT, YOU'RE GOING TO READ FOR US, I THINK, PSALM - 40:46 SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ PSALM 41, VERSES 1 AND 2. 40:49 >>"BLESSED IS HE WHO CONSIDERETH THE POOR; THE LORD WILL DELIVER 40:54 HIM IN TIME OF TROUBLE. THE LORD WILL PRESERVE HIM AND 40:57 KEEP HIM ALIVE, AND HE WILL BE BLESSED ON THE EARTH; THOU WILL 41:03 NOT DELIVER HIM UNTO THE WILL OF HIS ENEMIES." 41:07 >>WELL THAT'S A LOT OF PROMISES. 41:08 IT'S SAYING THAT IF YOU'RE MERCIFUL TO THE POOR, GOD SAYS, 41:12 'I'LL DELIVER YOU IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE' - THERE'S ANOTHER TIME 41:15 OF TROUBLE PROMISE - THE LORD WILL PRESERVE HIM AND KEEP HIM 41:18 ALIVE, HE WILL BE BLESSED ON THE EARTH, YOU WILL NOT DELIVER HIM 41:22 TO THE WILL OF HIS ENEMIES. THAT'S JUST SAYING THAT A 41:25 RIGHTEOUS PERSON - GOD PROMISES TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. 41:29 NOW, AGAIN, THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS. 41:31 WE ALL KNOW AND WE'VE READ OF RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE THAT MAYBE DIED 41:34 IN CONCENTRATION CAMPS, OR THEY DIED IN WAR. 41:37 THEY MIGHT BE ON A PLANE THAT CRASHES. 41:39 IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT A RIGHTEOUS PERSON IS NEVER GOING TO 41:42 EXPERIENCE ANY KIND OF CALAMITY OR TROUBLE. 41:44 BUT, BY FAR AND LARGE, YOU'LL SEE THAT GOD BLESSES THOSE THAT 41:52 TRUST IN HIM. THAT DO FOLLOW HIM. 41:55 MARK 11:26 - IN THE LORD'S PRAYER IT SAYS, "BUT IF YOU 42:00 DON'T FORGIVE, NEITHER WILL YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN FORGIVE YOU." 42:04 SO WHEN IT'S TALKING ABOUT BEING MERCIFUL, IT DOESN'T JUST MEAN 42:06 TO THE POOR. CAN WE SOMETIMES BE UNMERCIFUL 42:09 IN NOT FORGIVING OTHERS FOR SMALLER OFFENSES THAN WHAT GOD 42:13 FORGIVES US OF? YOU KNOW THE PARABLE OF THE 42:19 UNMERCIFUL DEBTOR? MATTHEW 18? 42:22 MAN OWES THE KING 10,000 TALENTS - CAN'T PAY - KING SAYS, 'OKAY, 42:29 YOU KNOW THE RULES, YOU'RE GOING TO A DEBTOR'S PRISON, EVERYTHING 42:31 YOU HAVE IS GOING TO BE SOLD' - BIG DEBT - AND THE MAN SAYS, 42:35 'HAVE PITY ON ME. 42:37 GIVE ME TIME AND I'LL PAY IT ALL BACK.' HE SAYS, 'OKAY, I'M GOING 42:40 TO FORGIVE YOU.' HE FORGIVES THE WHOLE THING. 42:42 HE GOES OUT AND HE FINDS A FELLOW SERVANT THAT OWES HIM A 42:44 HUNDRED PENCE - SMALL AMOUNT - AND HE TAKES HIM BY THE THROAT 42:49 AND HE PUTS HIM IN A DEBTOR'S PRISON FOR JUST AN INSIGNIFICANT 42:52 AMOUNT - COMPARED TO 10,000 TALENTS IT'S NOTHING. 42:54 AND AT THE END OF THAT PARABLE, IT TURNS OUT THAT THE UNMERCIFUL 43:00 DEBTOR - HE GOES BACK TO THE KING AND THE KING SAYS, 'YOU 43:02 WICKED SERVANT, I FORGAVE YOU THAT WHOLE DEBT BECAUSE YOU 43:05 ASKED ME. SHOULDN'T YOU HAVE ALSO HAD MERCY ON YOUR FELLOW 43:07 SERVANT AS I HAD PITY ON YOU?' AND SO HE PUTS HIM BACK IN JAIL 43:12 TO SUFFER THE PENALTY FOR THE ORIGINAL OFFENSE BECAUSE HE 43:17 WOULDN'T FORGIVE HIS BROTHER. NOW WHAT'S A GOOD REASON FOR US 43:21 TO BE MERCIFUL TO OTHERS? I - HOW MUCH MERCY DO WE GET? 43:27 FROM THE - WE'RE LIKE THAT SERVANT IN THE STORY WHEN YOU 43:31 THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH WE'VE BEEN FORGIVEN. 43:32 AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD FOR US TO BE PRETTY SHORT WITH OTHER 43:38 PEOPLE. IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU NEVER HOLD A 43:41 PERSON ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT THEY DO. 43:43 ALRIGHT - AND THEN HE CLOSES THAT PARABLE IN MATTHEW 18 BY 43:47 SAYING, 'SO, LIKEWISE, WILL MY HEAVENLY FATHER DO UNTO YOU IF 43:51 YOU EACH, FROM YOUR HEART, DOES NOT FORGIVE EVERY MAN HIS 43:54 BROTHER HIS TRESPASSES. AND SO THE LORD WANTS US TO FORGIVE. 43:57 WEDNESDAY, 'THE TRUTH OF THE RIGHTEOUS.' 44:02 NOW THIS EMPHASIS IS ON TRUTH. PROVERBS 13:3, "HE WHO GUARDS 44:08 HIS MOUTH PRESERVES HIS LIFE, BUT HE WHO OPENS WIDE HIS LIPS 44:13 SHALL HAVE DESTRUCTION." PROVERBS 13:5, "A RIGHTEOUS MAN 44:18 HATES LYING, BUT A WICKED MAN IS LOATHSOME AND COMES TO SHAME." 44:24 SO, AGAIN, WE'RE BACK ON WORDS, BUT IT'S TALKING ABOUT - NOW 44:27 IT'S TALKING NOT JUST ABOUT CHATTER AND IDLE WORDS, IT'S 44:30 TALKING ABOUT LYING AND TRUTH AND SO ONE OF THE 44:34 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RIGHTEOUS IS WHAT? 44:36 >>TRUTH. >>HONESTY AND WHAT THEY SAY. 44:40 NOW, I HAD A SERMON YEARS AGO, CALLED 'THE TRUTH ABOUT LYING.' 44:45 ACTUALLY, IT WAS A TWO-PART SERIES BECAUSE IT'S A BIG 44:47 SUBJECT. AND, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, EVEN 44:51 CHRISTIANS - THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS YOU CAN BE DISHONEST 44:54 WITHOUT TELLING A BOLD-FACED LIE. 44:56 YOU CAN BE DECEPTIVE WITH YOUR BODY LANGUAGE - WITH A SHRUG OF 45:02 THE SHOULDERS - BY ONLY TELLING HALF A TRUTH THAT MIGHT 45:07 DELIBERATELY LEAD A PERSON TO WHAT YOU KNOW IS GOING TO BE A 45:10 FALSE CONCLUSION. CHRISTIANS OUGHT TO BE CRYSTAL CLEAR. 45:13 ELLEN WHITE WROTE, IN THE BOOK 'MY LIFE TODAY' PAGE 331, 45:19 "LYING LIPS ARE AN ABOMINATION TO HIM. 45:23 HE DECLARES" - AND, BY THE WAY, THAT'S A QUOTE FROM THE BIBLE, 45:25 'LYING LIPS ARE AN ABOMINATION TO THE LORD.' "HE DECLARES THAT 45:28 INTO THE HOLY CITY THERE WILL IN NO WISE ENTER ANYTHING THAT 45:31 DEFILES OR WHATSOEVER WORKS AN ABOMINATION OR MAKES A LIE. 45:37 LET TRUTH TELLING BE HELD WITH NO LOOSE HAND OR UNCERTAIN 45:42 GRASP. LET IT BECOME PART OF THE LIFE. 45:45 PLAYING FAST AND LOOSE WITH THE TRUTH IN DISSEMBLING TO PROMOTE 45:50 ONE'S OWN SELFISH PLANS MAKE A SHIPWRECK OF FAITH. 45:54 HE WHO UTTERS UNTRUTH SELLS HIS SOUL IN A CHEAP MARKET. 45:59 HIS FALSEHOODS SEEM TO SERVE IN EMERGENCIES. 46:03 HE MAY THUS SEEM TO MAKE BUSINESS ADVANCEMENTS THAT HE 46:06 COULD ONLY GAIN - THAT HE COULD NOT GAIN BY FAIR DEALING, BUT HE 46:10 FINALLY REACHES THE PLACE WHERE HE CAN TRUST NO ONE. 46:12 HIMSELF A FALSIFIER, HE HAS NO CONFIDENCE IN THE WORDS OF 46:17 OTHERS." YOU KNOW, IF YOU MEET SOMEONE 46:19 THAT DOESN'T BELIEVE ANYTHING ANYONE ELSE SAYS, IT MIGHT BE 46:22 THAT THEY ARE NOT ALWAYS CLEAR WITH THE TRUTH AND SO THEY 46:25 SUPERIMPOSE ON OTHERS THEIR OWN CHARACTERISTICS. 46:29 SO THE LORD WANTS US TO BE HONEST. 46:32 ONE OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IS TRUTH. 46:36 JESUS IS THE ESSENCE OF TRUTH AND IF WE'RE GOING TO BE A 46:41 PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE SHARING THE BIBLICAL TRUTH WITH 46:44 PEOPLE, SHOULD WE BE HONEST TO SOMEONE ABOUT LITTLE THINGS LIKE 46:49 WHEN WE'RE GOING TO PAY THEM BACK OR WHERE THEIR MISSING RAKE 46:55 IS? OR, YOU KNOW, JUST TAKE YOUR PICK. 47:01 NOW, YOU KNOW, WE GET INTERESTING QUESTIONS. 47:03 'BIBLE ANSWERS LIVE' - IF, YOU KNOW, IF A 5-YEAR-OLD WANTS TO 47:11 UNDERSTAND THE BIRDS AND BEES AND ASKS MOMMY AND DADDY SOME 47:14 DIRECT QUESTIONS, IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'VE GOT TO TELL HIM 47:16 EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE. YOU KNOW, EVEN JESUS SAID TO THE 47:19 DISCIPLES, 'THERE'S MANY THINGS THAT I STILL HAVE TO SAY TO YOU, 47:21 BUT YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO BEAR THEM.' AND SO, YOU KNOW, PARENTS 47:25 WILL SHARE CERTAIN TRUTHS AS PEOPLE CAN HANDLE THEM. 47:28 BUT CHRISTIANS SHOULD NEVER BE DISHONEST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, 47:32 WHEN YOU START TELLING YOUR KIDS, 'WHERE'D THOSE PRESENTS 47:34 COME FROM?' 'SANTA CLAUS.' AND YOU MIGHT BE 47:37 THINKING IT'S A GREAT FAMILY JOKE AND, YOU KNOW, I KNOW 47:40 THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT JOKE INNOCENTLY ABOUT THAT BUT, 47:43 YOU KNOW, SOMEDAY YOU'RE GOING TO BE TELLING THEM, 'OH, THERE'S 47:46 REALLY NO SANTA CLAUS AND YOU'RE TELLING THEM THE STORY ABOUT 47:48 JESUS THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, 'HOW DO I KNOW THAT HE'S NOT LIKE 47:50 SANTA CLAUS? IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, A MORE ELABORATE FABLE.' 47:53 AND SO, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO JUST ALWAYS SPEAK THE TRUTH, NOT 47:59 ONLY TO YOUR CHILDREN, BUT TO EVERYBODY. 48:01 THE TRUTH IS A - WHO WAS IT, MARK TWAIN THAT SAID, 'PEOPLE 48:08 HAVE SUCH A HIGH REGARD FOR THE TRUTH BECAUSE IT'S SO RARE IN 48:11 THE WORLD.' IT'S SUCH A RARE COMMODITY. SO THAT SHOULD BE ONE 48:16 OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RIGHTEOUS. 48:17 ALRIGHT, THEN - THERE ARE SEVERAL PROVERBS THAT DEAL WITH 48:21 RICHES. NOW DID SOLOMON KNOW ANYTHING 48:24 ABOUT THAT SUBJECT? >>YEAH. 48:26 >>JESUS EVEN REFERRED TO SOLOMON - HIS WEALTH - AND PART OF HIS 48:31 WEALTH WAS NOT ONLY THE SPLENDOR OF HIS PALACE, BUT HIS ATTIRE. 48:35 THE QUEEN OF SHEBA, WHEN SHE SAW EVEN THE APPAREL OF HIS 48:38 SERVANTS, HER BREATH WAS TAKEN AWAY. IT WAS BREATHTAKING. 48:41 AND JESUS SAID, 'EVEN SOLOMON IN ALL OF HIS GLORY WAS NOT ARRAYED 48:45 LIKE THE FLOWERS OF THE FIELD.' BUT - SO HE WAS RICH. 48:49 EVERYTHING IN HIS KINGDOM WAS GOLD. PROVERBS 13:11, "WEALTH 48:54 GAINED BY DISHONESTY WILL BE DIMINISHED, BUT HE WHO GATHERS 48:58 BY LABOR WILL INCREASE." HAVE YOU MET ANYBODY BEFORE THAT 49:02 WANTS TO GET RICH QUICK? OR HAVE YOU MET SOMEBODY BEFORE 49:05 WHO HAS A SCHEME HOW YOU CAN GET RICH QUICK? 49:08 IT USUALLY INVOLVES GIVING THEM YOUR MONEY FOR SOMETHING. 49:09 HAVE YOU EVER HEARD A PROGRAM ON THE RADIO AND IT SAYS, 'I'VE 49:15 MADE MILLIONS AND I WANT TO SHOW YOU HOW TO DO IT TOO?' 49:18 YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS ARE USUALLY HOW THEY CONTINUE TO 49:22 MAKE MILLIONS, NOT HOW YOU MAKE MILLIONS. 49:24 THEY'RE SELLING YOU SOMETHING. BUT WHO ARE THE ONES THAT END UP 49:30 REALLY BEING MILLIONAIRES? THE ONES WHO WIN THE LOTTERY OR THE 49:34 ONES WHO, THROUGH CAREFUL PLANNING, SAVING, SPENDING, 49:38 WORKING SAVE IT? "BUT HE WHO GATHERS BY LABOR 49:43 WILL INCREASE." NOW SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ FOR 49:46 ME PROVERBS 13:4. I'LL LET YOU GET ALL LINED UP. 49:51 I'M GOING TO READ - I'M GOING TO JUMP AHEAD OF YOU. 49:53 I'M GOING TO READ PROVERBS 13:7 AND THESE ARE ALL ABOUT RICHES. 49:56 "THERE IS ONE WHO MAKES HIMSELF RICH, YET HAS NOTHING;" - CAN 50:00 YOU THINK OF SOMEONE IN THE BIBLE THAT WAS RICH IN TEMPORAL 50:03 THINGS BUT REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING? THERE WAS A SHORT MAN 50:07 THAT CLIMBED A TREE - THAT'S A CLUE. ZACCHEUS - IT SAYS HE WAS 50:13 VERY RICH, BUT WAS HE SATISFIED? >>NO. 50:15 >>HE FELT POOR - AND WHEN HE FOUND JESUS WAS HE READY TO 50:19 UNLOAD HIS RICHES BECAUSE HE HAD FOUND REAL RICHES? 50:21 YOU KNOW THE RICH YOUNG RULER? JESUS SAID, 'SELL WHAT YOU HAVE, 50:25 GIVE IT TO THE POOR, YOU'LL HAVE TREASURE IN HEAVEN. 50:27 TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW ME.' HE COULDN'T DO IT. 50:29 HE WENT AWAY SAD BECAUSE HE HAD GREAT POSSESSIONS. 50:33 IT MAKES YOU THINK OF THIS VERSE THAT SAYS, "AND ONE WHO MAKES 50:37 HIMSELF POOR, YET HAS GREAT RICHES." 50:39 JESUS SAID TO THAT YOUNG RULER, 'YOU'LL HAVE TREASURE IN 50:42 HEAVEN.' ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD, READ FOR US PROVERBS 13, VERSE 4. 50:46 >>"THE SOUL OF THE SLUGGARD DESIRETH, AND HATH NOTHING; BUT 50:51 THE SOUL OF THE DILIGENT SHALL BE MADE FAT." 50:54 >>ALRIGHT, NOW WHEN IT SAYS IN THE BIBLE, 'MADE FAT,' THAT 50:57 ACTUALLY IS TRANSLATED, 'BE MADE RICH.' IN THE HEBREW'S MIND, 51:03 WHEN IT TALKED ABOUT FAT, IT TALKED ABOUT THE RICHNESS OF THE 51:08 LAND. IT MEANT THE CREAM AND THE MILK. 51:10 IT WAS TALKING ABOUT THE HONEY - JUST THE VERY BEST OF THE LAND. 51:13 AND IT'S JUST TALKING ABOUT ONE WHO HAD AN ABUNDANCE. 51:17 "A LAZY MAN DESIRED AND HE HAS NOTHING, BUT THE SOUL OF THE 51:21 DILIGENT SHALL BE MADE RICH." THAT'S THE NI - NEW KING JAMES 51:25 VERSION OF THAT. PROVERBS 13:8, "THE RANSOM OF A MAN'S LIFE IS 51:30 HIS RICHES, BUT THE POOR DOES NOT HEAR REBUKE." SO I'M - 51:37 SOLOMON WAS AWARE THAT RICHES CAN SOMETIMES GET YOU OUT OF 51:42 TROUBLE. IT'S NOT NECESSARILY APPRECIATED, BUT IS IT SOMETIMES 51:49 TRUE THAT IF A PERSON'S WEALTHY THEY CAN AFFORD A ROOM FULL OF 51:52 ATTORNEYS THEY MIGHT GET A DIFFERENT KIND OF JUSTICE THAN 51:55 THE PEOPLE WHO GET A PUBLIC DEFENDER? 51:59 I WONDER IF HE WAS ALLUDING TO THAT. 52:01 ALRIGHT, THEN THURSDAY IS OUR LAST SECTION. 52:04 'THE REWARD OF THE RIGHTEOUS.' SOMEONE'S GOING TO LOOK UP FOR 52:09 ME PROVERBS 13:13 - AND YOU'LL HAVE THAT IN JUST A SECOND? 52:13 I'M GOING TO READ PROVERBS 13:9, "THE LIGHT OF THE RIGHTEOUS 52:18 REJOICES, BUT THE LAMP OF THE WICKED WILL BE PUT OUT." 52:22 WHO WANTS TO REJOICE? THIS WHOLE LESSON'S ABOUT 52:25 RIGHTEOUSNESS. ARE THE RIGHTEOUS THE SAD ONES 52:28 OR THE HAPPY ONES? THEY'RE THE HAPPY ONES. 52:30 JOHN 3:16 - IT'S IN OUR LESSON - "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE 52:36 GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD 52:39 NOT PERISH BUT" - THERE YOU'VE GOT THAT BUT AGAIN - 52:42 CONTRASTING - PERISH OR EVERLASTING LIFE? 52:45 WHAT ARE THE TWO CHOICES THAT THE WORLD HAS? 52:46 LIVE FOREVER OR PERISH. 52:48 AND THEN - GO AHEAD, READ FOR US PROVERBS 13:13. 52:52 >>"WHOSO DESPISETH THE WORD SHALL BE DESTROYED: BUT HE THAT 52:56 FEARETH THE COMMANDMENT SHALL BE REWARDED." 52:59 >>SO, YOU KNOW, THIS SECTION IS TALKING ABOUT THE REWARD. 53:02 'THE RIGHTEOUS REJOICE, THEY WILL BE REWARDED.' AND THEN IT 53:07 SAYS IN PROVERBS 13, VERSE 20, "HE WHO WALKS WITH WISE MEN WILL 53:11 BE WISE, BUT THE COMPANION OF FOOLS WILL BE DESTROYED." 53:16 AND SO YOU'VE GOT THE TWO EXTREMES THERE. 53:18 YOU'VE GOT THE ONES WHO REJOICE - THEY'RE REWARDED, THEY'RE WISE 53:21 - AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THE ONES WHO ARE DESTROYED, 53:24 THEIR LIGHT IS PUT OUT, AND THEY PERISH. 53:27 IT JUST MAKES YOU THINK ABOUT THE FINAL APPEAL THAT MOSES MADE 53:31 WHEN HE STOOD BEFORE ISRAEL AND HE SAID, 'HEAR, O ISRAEL, I SET 53:34 BEFORE YOU THIS DAY TWO OPTIONS:' - I'M PARAPHRASING - 53:38 'ON ONE HAND I'VE GOT LIFE AND GOOD AND BLESSING; ON THE OTHER 53:41 HAND I'VE GOT DEATH AND EVIL AND CURSING.' YOU'VE GOT THE WAY OF 53:44 THE RIGHTEOUS - LIFE, GOOD, AND BLESSING, OR YOU'VE GOT THE WAY 53:47 OF THE WICKED - DEATH, EVIL, AND CURSING. 53:49 NOW, WOULD THAT EVER SEEM LIKE A DIFFICULT CHOICE? 53:52 BUT WHAT CHOICE IS MOST OF THE WORLD MAKING? 53:56 THEY'RE MAKING THE FOOLISH CHOICE OF EVIL - YOU KNOW, 54:03 SELFISH GRATIFICATION, DEATH, EVIL AND CURSING. 54:06 AND SOLOMON SAYS THE WISDOM IS 'DO WHAT THE RIGHTEOUS DO AND 54:09 YOU'LL END UP WITH BETTER LIFE NOW AND ETERNAL LIFE - 54:13 LIFE, GOOD, AND BLESSING - FOREVER. 54:16 SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IN ALL THESE PROVERBS. 54:19 IT'S CONTRASTING THE LIFE OF THE RIGHTEOUS WITH THE LIFE OF THE 54:22 FOOLISH AND THE WICKED AND THERE'S REALLY NO CONTRAST - OR 54:24 THERE'S NO COMPARISON - BETWEEN THE TWO. 54:27 WELL, FRIENDS, THAT TAKES US OUT OF TIME FOR OUR LESSON TODAY. 54:30 I'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU WE DO HAVE A FREE OFFER. 54:32 YOU CAN NOT ONLY SEND AND REQUEST THIS - 54:34 ACTUALLY YOU CAN CALL AND REQUEST IT. 54:36 THE NUMBER AGAIN IS 866-788-3966 - THAT'S 866-STUDY-MORE. 54:42 AND WHEN YOU DO, IT'S OFFER #714. 54:44 OR YOU CAN READ IT RIGHT NOW, JUST GO ONLINE TO 54:47 'AMAZINGFACTS.ORG' AND YOU CAN READ THE BOOK 'ALONE IN THE 54:51 CROWD' BY JOE CREWS. OUT OF TIME FOR TODAY'S STUDY. 54:54 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. 54:56 GOD BLESS YOU AND WE'LL STUDY TOGETHER AGAIN NEXT WEEK. 55:01 >>AMAZING FACTS - CHANGED LIVES. 55:09 >>NOBODY WAS THERE TO DEFEND ME. NOBODY WAS THERE TO PROTECT ME. 55:15 MY QUESTION WAS: 'WHY DID THAT HAPPEN TO ME GOD? 55:19 WHY DIDN'T YOU INTERVENE?' ONCE I HIT MY TEENAGE YEARS, 55:24 EVERYTHING JUST STARTED COMING OUT. 55:27 I FELT EMBARRASSED ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED BECAUSE FOR SO LONG 55:32 I FELT IT WAS MY FAULT. THERE WERE TIMES THAT I PRAYED 55:35 BUT IT WAS PRAYERS OF RESENTMENT AND ANGER AND JUST YELLING AT 55:40 GOD. I WAS SO CONFUSED, SO DEPRESSED 55:45 AND I COULD NOT BEAR ANY MORE OF THE PAIN. 55:48 YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE POINT OF LIVING? 55:51 IT'S MIGHT AS WELL JUST DIE. 55:54 I STARTED CUTTING MYSELF BUT I HEARD A SMALL, STILL VOICE AND 55:59 IT SAID, 'STOP! GIVE ME A SECOND CHANCE.' AND 56:06 RIGHT THERE I JUST FELT SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. 56:11 I FELT A PRESENCE THERE AND I PUT EVERYTHING DOWN AND I WENT 56:16 TO MY ROOM AND I JUST STARTED CRYING. 56:18 I REALIZED THAT ME AND GOD CONNECTED SO WELL AND I NO 56:23 LONGER SAW HIM AS JUST A GOD THAT NO LONGER CARED, BUT I 56:27 ACTUALLY SAW HIM AS A FATHER AND I CONTINUED PRAYING. 56:31 ONE DAY I WAS SLEEPING. MY MOM CAME TO THE BED AND SHE 56:36 SAID, 'CONNIE, HE'S HERE. HE'S IN TOWN AND THE LORD 56:40 IMPRESSED ME THAT YOU NEED TO FACE THE SITUATION. 56:44 IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO FORGIVE.' WHEN SOMETHING SO DRASTIC AND SO 56:51 PAINFUL HAS HAPPENED, FORGIVENESS IS VERY HARD BECAUSE 56:56 YOU'RE VULNERABLE. YOU LET GO OF THAT EGO - THAT 57:00 PRIDE - THAT HAS TAKEN OVER YOU FOR SO MANY YEARS. 57:03 I PRAYED AND WHEN WE CONFRONTED THE SITUATION IT WAS THE MOST 57:09 AMAZING MOMENT WHERE WE COULD PRAY, WE COULD CRY, AND WE COULD 57:13 FORGIVE. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, I'M ABLE TO 57:16 HELP OTHERS AND TELL OTHERS THAT THERE IS HOPE AND THERE IS 57:21 SOMEONE THAT DOES CARE. >>TOGETHER WE HAVE SPREAD THE 57:31 GOSPEL MUCH FARTHER THAN EVER BEFORE. 57:35 THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. >>IN SIX DAYS GOD CREATED THE 57:45 HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, MAN HAS 57:49 WORSHIPED GOD ON THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE WEEK. 57:51 NOW, EACH WEEK, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WORSHIP ON THE FIRST DAY. 57:56 WHAT HAPPENED? WHY DID GOD CREATE A DAY OF REST? 57:59 DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHAT DAY WE WORSHIP? 58:02 WHO WAS BEHIND THIS GREAT SHIFT. DISCOVER THE TRUTH BEHIND GOD'S 58:06 LAW AND HOW IT WAS CHANGED. VISIT 'SABBATHTRUTH.COM'. 58:14 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2015-01-27