Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021630A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS, WELCOME AGAIN TO SABBATH SCHOOL 00:37 STUDY HOUR. A VERY WARM WELCOME TO THOSE 00:39 JOINING US, OUR ONLINE MEMBERS, AND ALSO THOSE PARTICIPATING IN 00:43 OUR STUDY ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD. 00:46 WE'D ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME THE MEMBERS HERE OF THE GRANITE BAY 00:49 CHURCH - WE'RE SO GLAD THAT YOU JOINED US - AND ALSO THOSE 00:51 VISITING. WE HAVE SOME VISITORS WHO ARE 00:53 OUT OF STATE AND SOME NOT TOO FAR AWAY THAT ARE PART OF OUR 00:56 STUDY TIME TOGETHER, SO A VERY WARM WELCOME TO YOU. 01:00 WE'VE BEEN STUDYING THROUGH OUR LESSON QUARTERLY DEALING WITH 01:02 THE SUBJECT OF THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN THE COMMUNITY . 01:05 TODAY WE FIND OURSELVES ON LESSON #4 ENTITLED JUSTICE AND 01:10 MERCY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, PART 2 . 01:13 SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE PARTICIPATING ONLINE, IF YOU 01:16 DON'T HAVE A COPY OF THE LESSON THEN GO TO THE AMAZING FACTS 01:19 WEBSITE - AMAZINGFACTS.ORG - AND YOU CAN DOWNLOAD TODAY'S LESSON 01:24 - LESSON #4 AND YOU CAN STUDY ALONG WITH US. 01:27 WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY, I WOULD LIKE TO LET YOU 01:30 KNOW ABOUT A FREE OFFER THAT WE HAVE, A BOOK WRITTEN BY JOE 01:33 CREWS ENTITLED RICHES OF HIS GRACE . 01:36 AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN OUR STUDY IN 01:38 NORTH AMERICA, TO RECEIVE OUR FREE OFFER CALL OUR RESOURCE 01:42 PHONE NUMBER. THE NUMBER IS 866-788-3966 AND 01:48 YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #152. AGAIN, THAT NUMBER IS 01:52 866-788-3966 - OFFER #152 - RICHES OF HIS GRACE . 01:59 WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY I'D LIKE TO INVITE OUR SONG 02:01 LEADERS TO COME AND THEY'LL LEAD US IN A SONG OF PRAISE. 02:05 (PIANO MUSIC) >>GOOD MORNING, CHURCH FAMILY. WE'RE GOING TO 02:14 SING #545 - SAVIOR, LIKE A SHEPHERD - LEAD US. 02:23 >>SAVIOR, LIKE A SHEPHERD LEAD US, MUCH WE NEED THY TENDEREST 02:31 CARE; IN THY PLEASANT PASTURES FEED US, FOR OUR USE THY FOLDS 02:40 PREPARE. BLESSED JESUS, BLESSED JESUS, THOU HAST BOUGHT US, 02:49 THINE WE ARE. BLESSED JESUS, BLESSED JESUS, THOU HAST BOUGHT 02:58 US THINE WE ARE. WE ARE THINE; DO THOU BEFRIEND US, BE THE 03:08 GUARDIAN OF OUR WAY; KEEP THY FLOCK, FROM SIN DEFEND US, SEEK 03:17 US WHEN WE GO ASTRAY. BLESSED JESUS, BLESSED JESUS, HEAR, O 03:26 HEAR US, WHEN WE PRAY! BLESSED JESUS, BLESSED JESUS, HEAR, O 03:36 HEAR US, WHEN WE PRAY! THOU HAS PROMISED TO RECEIVE US, POOR AND 03:47 SINFUL THOUGH WE BE; THOU HAS MERCY TO RELIEVE US, GRACE TO 03:56 CLEANSE, AND POWER TO FREE. BLESSED JESUS, BLESSED JESUS, WE 04:04 WILL EARLY TURN TO THEE; BLESSED JESUS, BLESSED JESUS, 04:14 WE WILL EARLY TURN TO THEE. 04:24 >>I WANT TO WELCOME THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING. WE KNOW WE HAVE 04:26 PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST CHANNEL SURFING AND RUN INTO THE SABBATH 04:30 SCHOOL STUDY HOUR AND THEN WE HAVE FOLKS SCATTERED AROUND THE 04:33 WORLD THAT ARE REGULAR VIEWERS AND SOME WHO ARE ACTUALLY ONLINE 04:38 MEMBERS. AND HERE AT GRANITE BAY WE'RE THANKFUL WE CAN PROVIDE A 04:41 SERVICE, BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE AROUND THE GLOBE WHO CAN 04:44 TUNE IN AND STUDY WITH US THROUGH EITHER THE INTERNET OR 04:47 THROUGH SATELLITE AND THERE'S NO LOCAL CHURCH THAT THEY CAN 04:49 ATTEND FOR SOME REASON, AND WE'VE DEVELOPED A MECHANISM 04:53 WHERE YOU CAN BE AN ONLINE MEMBER OF THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH 04:56 FAMILY AND WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU AS WELL. LESSON #4 TODAY, 05:00 JUSTICE AND MERCY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, PART 2 . 05:04 AND WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE - AND THE MEMORY VERSE, IN YOUR 05:08 LESSON, IT COMES FROM THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, IT'S 05:10 EZEKIEL 47:9 IF YOU'D LIKE TO SAY THAT WITH ME - EZEKIEL 47:9 05:16 - ARE YOU READY? "SWARMS OF LIVING CREATURES WILL 05:20 LIVE WHEREVER THE RIVER FLOWS. THERE WILL BE LARGE NUMBERS OF 05:25 FISH, BECAUSE THIS WATER FLOWS THERE AND MAKES THAT SALT WATER 05:30 FRESH; SO WHERE THE RIVER FLOWS EVERYTHING WILL LIVE." 05:36 YOU KNOW, I USED TO SING THIS SONG - BEFORE I WAS A 05:40 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST I WORSHIPED WITH AN EVANGELICAL 05:42 CHARISMATIC GROUP AND I THINK YOU SING IT IN THE ADVENTIST 05:45 CHURCH. IT'S NOT IN YOUR HYMNAL. 05:48 'I'VE GOT A RIVER OF LIFE FLOWING OUT OF ME, MAKES THE 05:51 LAME TO WALK AND THE BLIND TO SEE, OPENS PRISON DOORS AND SETS 05:54 THE CAPTIVES FREE. YOU KNOW THAT SONG? 05:57 OH YEAH, YOU SANG - IT'S LIKE SUMMER CAMP, I GUESS, THEY SING 05:59 THAT SONG. BUT I LIKE THAT. 06:01 WHEN YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN, IT'S LIKE IT SAYS THERE IN JOHN 06:04 CHAPTER 4 - JESUS SAID, 'YOU WILL HAVE' - TO THE WOMAN AT THE 06:08 WELL - 'AN ARTESIAN SOURCE OF WATER THAT WILL SPRING OUT OF 06:12 YOU - THAT WILL OVERFLOW.' AND WHEN JESUS REVEALED TO THAT 06:16 WOMAN HE WAS THE MESSIAH, THE FIRST THING SHE HAD TO DO WAS GO 06:19 TELL SOMEONE ELSE, AND THE WHOLE TOWN THERE IN SAMARIA, CAME OUT 06:23 TO JESUS AND ACCEPTED HIM AS THE MESSIAH. 06:26 WHERE THE WATER FLOWS IT WILL LIVE. 06:29 THAT'S OUR MEMORY VERSE. NOW THE FIRST PLACE THAT THE 06:31 LESSON TAKES US - WE GO FROM THIS - THIS WATER OF 06:35 LIFE TO A BREATH OF LIFE. AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT 06:38 DEAD BONES SO, HOPEFULLY, YOU'LL FIND THAT INTERESTING. 06:41 SOME OF YOU KNOW THIS FAMOUS PASSAGE IN EZEKIEL 37 - WHY 06:44 DON'T YOU TURN THERE? THE LESSON IS GOING TO HAVE US 06:47 CONSIDER THIS - EZEKIEL 37 - AND WE'RE GOING TO BE READING 06:50 THE FIRST FEW VERSES. THE VALLEY OF DRY BONES - 06:54 THERE'S A SONG ABOUT THIS TOO. "THE HAND OF THE LORD CAME UPON 06:59 ME AND BROUGHT ME OUT IN THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD, AND SET ME 07:04 DOWN IN THE MIDST OF THE VALLEY; AND IT WAS FULL OF BONES." 07:08 NOW YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING, 'WHY WOULD HE, IN VISION, BE TAKEN 07:12 AND SHOWN A VALLEY FULL OF - OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE NOT LIVE 07:14 BONES, THEY'RE DEAD BONES. 07:16 JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, THIS IS ONE VERSE FROM 1 07:20 CHRONICLES 18:12 - MANY BIBLE BATTLES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, 07:27 AND IF YOU READ IN 1 CHRONICLES 18:12 IT SAYS, "MOREOVER ABISHAI 07:31 THE SON OF ZERULAH" - THIS IS THE BROTHER OF ASAHEL AND JOAB - 07:36 DAVID HAD THREE NEPHEWS THAT WERE MIGHTY MEN. 07:39 ABISHAI BECAME DAVID'S, SORT OF, RIGHT-HAND MAN - MIGHTY WARRIOR. 07:44 HE LED HIS TROOPS AND THEY FOUGHT AGAINST THE EDOMITES AND 07:48 HE "KILLED EIGHTEEN THOUSAND EDOMITES IN THE VALLEY OF SALT." 07:53 DOWN THERE NOT FAR FROM THE DEAD SEA THEY'VE GOT THE VALLEY OF 07:56 SALT. WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENED WHEN 07:58 THEY HAD A BIG BATTLE LIKE THAT AND A WHOLE ARMY WAS DECIMATED? 08:02 DID THEY HAVE RED CROSS VOLUNTEERS THAT QUICKLY CAME 08:05 DOWN AND KIND OF PACKED UP THE BODIES AND PUT THEM IN BAGS AND 08:08 BROUGHT THEM OFF FOR PROPER BURIALS? 08:11 IT WAS NOT UNCOMMON IN BIBLE TIMES - THEY OFTEN FOUGHT IN THE 08:16 VALLEYS. YOU REMEMBER WHEN DAVID WENT 08:19 DOWN TO THE VALLEY AGAINST GOLIATH? 08:22 THEY'D STAND ON OPPOSING MOUNTAINS AND THEY'D TAUNT EACH 08:24 OTHER AND THEY'D FINALLY ENGAGE IN THE VALLEY AND SOMETIMES 08:28 THERE'D BE THESE MASSIVE SLAUGHTERS AND AFTER A BATTLE, 08:30 ESPECIALLY IF YOUR ARMY WAS FIGHTING IN A FOREIGN LAND AND 08:35 IF THEY WERE DECIMATED, YOU COULD HAVE THOUSANDS OF CORPSES 08:39 OUT THERE AND NOBODY THERE TO TEND THEM. YOU REMEMBER WHAT 08:43 DAVID SAID TO GOLIATH AND GOLIATH SAID TO DAVID? 08:45 HE SAID, 'I'M GOING TO GIVE YOUR BODY TO THE BIRDS OF THE AIR.' 08:48 YOU KNOW, EVEN REVELATION TALKS ABOUT THIS FEAST OF THE BIRDS 08:51 WHERE ALL THE SLAIN OF THE LORD ARE LAYING THERE AND ALL THE 08:53 BIRDS COME - AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT VERY PRETTY. 08:56 SOMETIMES WHEN WE'RE RIDING AROUND OUT IN THE HILLS, IF YOU 08:58 SEE A CIRCLE OF VULTURES IT OFTEN MEANS - YOU KNOW, THEY CAN 09:03 SMELL CARRION FOR MILES AND YOU MIGHT FIND A DEAD DEAR, YOU 09:08 MIGHT FIND A DEAD BEAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, AND THEY 09:14 WOULD PICK - PICK IT CLEAN UNTIL YOU HAD BONES. 09:19 AND SO WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT A VALLEY OF BONES, IT'S SORT OF 09:22 GIVING THE PICTURE OF A LOST BATTLE - AN ARMY DEFEATED. 09:27 NOW THIS IS NOT REALLY TALKING ABOUT A BATTLE, IT'S TALKING 09:29 ABOUT GOD'S PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE THEIR SITUATION IS 09:32 HOPELESS, OKAY? SO THEY ALL UNDERSTOOD THESE TERMS. 09:37 THEY - IF YOU LIVED BACK THEN YOU MIGHT HIKE AROUND AND FIND A 09:39 VALLEY OF BONES - AND IT TALKED ABOUT AN OLD BATTLE. 09:44 "AND HE CAUSED ME TO PASS BY THEM ALL AROUND." 09:46 HE'S HAVING TO PASS BY AND THROUGH ALL THESE DEAD BONES - 09:50 "AND THERE WERE VERY MANY IN THE OPEN VALLEY, AND INDEED, THEY 09:55 WERE VERY DRY." NOW, WHEN THEY'RE DRY, THAT 09:59 MEANS THERE'S NO LIFE LEFT AND THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR AWHILE - 10:04 IT'S LOOKING HOPELESS - "AND HE SAID TO ME, 'SON OF MAN'" - 10:08 HERE'S ALL THESE BLEACHED BONES - "'CAN THESE BONES LIVE?' 10:14 AND SO I ANSWERED, 'OH LORD, GOD, YOU KNOW.'" CAN YOU TELL ME 10:18 SOMEWHERE ELSE WHERE IT SAYS THAT IN THE BIBLE? 10:21 'LORD, YOU KNOW.' GOD ASKS A QUESTION AND THE PROPHET ANSWERS 10:24 AND SAYS, 'LORD, YOU KNOW.' LAST WEEK WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE 10:28 144,000 AND THE ANGEL SAYS TO JOHN, 'WHO ARE THESE ARRAYED IN 10:33 WHITE ROBES?' AND JOHN SAYS, 'YOU KNOW.' NOW, 10:39 EZEKIEL COULD HAVE SAID, 'OF COURSE THESE BONES CAN'T LIVE.' 10:41 BUT IS THAT WHAT HE SAYS? HE DIDN'T - YOU DON'T WANT TO 10:44 UNDERESTIMATE GOD AND IF THE LORD CAN MAKE AN AX HEAD SWIM 10:53 AND IF HE COULD BRING THAT NATION UP OUT OF EGYPT, AND 10:58 IF ELISHA COULD RESURRECT AND ELIJAH COULD RESURRECT A DEAD 11:00 BODY - SO WHEN GOD SAYS, 'CAN THESE BONES LIVE?' 11:04 YOU KNOW THE STORY WHERE A MAN WAS BEING BURIED AND WHILE THEY 11:08 WERE HAVING THE FUNERAL, MOABITE RAIDERS CAME THROUGH THE COUNTRY 11:13 THERE IN NORTHERN ISRAEL, AND THE MEN REALIZED, 'LOOK, WE'D 11:18 BETTER GET BACK TO OUR HOMES. WE CAN'T FINISH THIS BURIAL.' 11:21 AND THEY SAID, 'WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE BODY?' 11:22 THEY SAID, 'WELL, HERE'S THE GRAVE OF ELISHA, LET'S TAKE THE 11:25 LID OFF AND TOSS HIM DOWN IN THERE.' AND THEY MOVED THE LID 11:29 AND THEY DROPPED THIS BODY DOWN IN ON THE BONES OF ELISHA - AND 11:32 WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THIS BODY HIT THE BONES OF ELISHA? 11:35 IT CAME BACK TO LIFE. ELISHA WAS A PROPHET THAT HAD 11:39 TWICE THE HOLY SPIRIT OF ELIJAH. ELIJAH RESURRECTED A BOY WHILE 11:44 HE WAS ALIVE; ELISHA RESURRECTED A BOY WHILE HE WAS ALIVE, BUT 11:49 ELISHA HAD A DOUBLE PORTION OF THE SPIRIT - ELISHA RESURRECTED 11:51 A BOY WHEN HE WAS DEAD. YOU NAME ANOTHER PROPHET THAT 11:55 COULD PERFORM A MIRACLE AFTER HIS DEATH, LIKE THAT. 11:58 WELL, JESUS ROSE HIMSELF, DIDN'T HE? 12:01 AND SO HE SAID, "CAN THESE BONES LIVE?" 12:04 HE SAID, "'YOU KNOW.' AGAIN HE SAID TO ME, PROPHESY TO THESE 12:09 BONES AND SAY TO THEM, 'OH DRY BONES'" - NOW, WOULD YOU FEEL 12:13 FUNNY DOING THAT? I KNOW HOW IT FEELS. 12:18 SOMETIMES I PREACH IN SOME PLACES AND YOU WONDER IF YOU'RE 12:22 TALKING TO A ROOM OF - >>HOPEFULLY NOT TODAY. 12:27 >>NOT TODAY, NO - NOT THIS GROUP. 12:32 HE SAID - BUT, I MEAN, HAS A PREACHER EVER BEEN GIVEN A 12:34 TOUGHER ASSIGNMENT? 'PREACH TO A VALLEY OF BONES.' 12:42 BUT IF GOD TELLS YOU TO PREACH, PREACH, RIGHT? DON'T EVER 12:46 UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE WORD. "PROPHESY TO THESE BONES 12:52 AND SAY TO THEM, 'OH DRY BONES, HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD. 12:56 THUS SAYS THE LORD GOD TO THESE BONES" - I CAN JUST SEE ELISHA, 12:59 YOU KNOW, HE'S WALKING AROUND AMONG THESE BONES AND HE'S 13:02 PREACHING AND THERE HE'S LOOKING AT THESE SKULLS AND YOU CAN SEE 13:04 RIGHT THROUGH THE EYE SOCKETS OUT THE EARS, YOU KNOW, AND HE'S 13:07 THINKING, 'BOY, IT'S JUST GOING IN ONE EAR AND OUT THE OTHER, 13:09 LITERALLY.' (LAUGHTER) THAT'S A TOUGH ASSIGNMENT FOR A PASTOR. 13:18 "PREACH TO THESE BONES, THUS SAYS THE LORD TO THESE BONES, 13:23 'SURELY, I WILL CAUSE BREATH TO ENTER INTO YOU AND YOU WILL 13:26 LIVE. I WILL PUT SINEW ON YOU AND 13:30 BRING FLESH UPON YOU AND COVER YOU WITH SKIN AND PUT BREATH IN 13:34 YOU.'" - HE'S ACTUALLY PREACHING AND IT'S DECOMPOSITION IN 13:38 REVERSE - "'AND I'LL PUT BREATH IN YOU AND YOU WILL LIVE AND 13:43 THEN YOU WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.' AND SO I PROPHESIED 13:48 AS I WAS COMMANDED AND AS I PROPHESIED, THERE WAS A NOISE 13:54 AND SUDDENLY A RATTLING AND THE BONES CAME TOGETHER." 14:00 YOU KNOW, THE POWER OF THE WORD IS SOMETHING. YOU START 14:02 PREACHING AND YOU HEAR RATTLING. YOU DON'T THINK YOU'RE GETTING 14:05 ANYWHERE, YOU DON'T THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS SINKING IN, BUT 14:08 WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE WORD OF GOD, THERE'S INHERENT 14:10 POWER IN THE WORD OF GOD AND YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED IF 14:13 THINGS START TO RATTLE. >>AMEN. 14:16 >>AND HEARTS START TO STIR AND PEOPLE WHO WERE DEAD IN 14:19 TRESPASSES AND SINS BEGIN TO COME BACK TO LIFE AGAIN. 14:24 "AND BONE CAME TOGETHER WITH BONE." 14:27 YOU KNOW THAT SONG - OLD SPIRITUAL - KNEE BONE CONNECTED 14:31 TO THE HIP BONE - I PROBABLY GOT THEM WRONG, BUT 'DEM BONES, DEM 14:36 BONES' YOU KNOW? IT'S ABOUT EZEKIEL'S SERMON. 14:43 "AND INDEED THERE WAS A RATTLING AND THE BONES CAME TOGETHER, 14:46 BONE TO BONE." THE BONES GOT MATCHED WITH THE 14:48 RIGHT BODY - YOU KNOW, BECAUSE AFTER ALL THE ANIMALS DRAG 14:51 THEM AROUND AND THE BIRDS PICK THROUGH THEM. THE BONES AREN'T 14:54 CONNECTED WITH THE RIGHT SPOTS ANYMORE. IN THE RESURRECTION IS 14:57 GOD GOING TO KNOW HOW TO PIECE PEOPLE BACK TOGETHER AGAIN? 15:01 IT'S FUN, WHEN YOU HEAR PEOPLE FIRST HEAR - COME TO AN 15:03 EVANGELISTIC MEETING AND YOU START TALKING ABOUT THE STATE OF 15:06 THE DEAD AND THE RESURRECTION AND THE SECOND COMING, PEOPLE 15:09 BEGIN TO THINK, 'WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE SORT OF 15:13 BURIED IN MASS GRAVES AND, YOU KNOW, THEY - IS GOD GOING TO BE 15:19 ABLE TO SORT ALL THAT OUT? 15:22 WHAT ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE BURIED AT SEA? 15:24 AND, YOU KNOW, WE HATE TO THINK ABOUT STUFF LIKE THIS BUT, YOU 15:28 KNOW, AFTER THE FISH AND THE STUFF STARTED TO PICK THROUGH 15:31 THEM AND THE CURRENTS REDEPOSIT THEM AND HOW'S THE LORD GOING TO 15:34 FIND ALL THE PARTS TO PERFORM A RESURRECTION? 15:37 AND THEN PEOPLE SAY - AND THIS IS A COMMON QUESTION - I'M 15:39 SERIOUS. ASK PASTOR ROSS - 'IF I'M 15:42 CREMATED, WILL THAT PREVENT ME FROM BEING RESURRECTED? 15:47 BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD ABOUT PEOPLE BEING CREMATED AND 15:50 THEN THEY TAKE THEIR ASHES AND THEY THROW THEM OUT AT SEA AND 15:52 THEY'RE JUST - PIECES OF THEM SCATTERED ALL OVER THE PLANET. 15:54 HOW WILL GOD EVER FIND THE PARTS AND PUT THEM BACK TOGETHER 15:56 AGAIN? AS THOUGH IT'S GOING TO 15:59 BE A PROBLEM FOR GOD. IS THE LORD GOING TO MAKE YOU 16:03 OUT OF THE OLD PARTS, OR IS HE GOING TO MAKE A NEW CREATURE? 16:06 >>A NEW CREATURE. >>SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT. 16:09 GOD CAN SPEAK IT BACK INTO EXISTENCE. 16:11 IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A PROBLEM FOR HIM. "INDEED, AS I LOOKED, 16:16 THE SINEWS AND THE FLESH CAME UPON THEM, AND THE SKIN COVERED 16:19 THEM OVER; BUT THERE WAS NO BREATH IN THEM." 16:22 NOW THEY'RE ALL IN PLACE, THEY'VE BEEN REASSEMBLED - 16:25 THEY'VE GOT THE SKIN, THEY'VE GOT THE ORGANS - WHAT WAS ADAM 16:29 LIKE WHEN GOD MADE HIM BEFORE GOD BREATHED INTO HIM? 16:33 HE WAS A PERFECT MAN, BUT HE WAS DEAD. 16:37 THERE WAS NO LIFE. GOD MADE HIM, BUT UNTIL HE 16:40 BREATHED INTO HIM, IT WAS A CORPSE. 16:46 SO HE SAID, "PROPHESY TO THE BREATH,'" - FIRST HE PROPHESIED 16:49 TO THE BONES, NOW HE SAYS, "PROPHESY TO THE BREATH, 16:53 PROPHESY, SON OF MAN, AND SAY TO THE BREATH, 'THUS SAYS THE LORD 16:57 GOD: 'COME FROM THE FOUR WINDS, O BREATH, AND BREATHE ON THESE 17:01 SLAIN, THAT THEY MAY LIVE.''' SO I PROPHESIED AS HE COMMANDED ME 17:07 AND BREATH CAME INTO THEM, AND THEY LIVED, AND STOOD UPON THEIR 17:11 FEET, AN EXCEEDINGLY GREAT ARMY." 17:14 THROUGH THE PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD, THERE IS LIFE. 17:19 AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT THE CHURCH IS TO BE A LIGHT IN THE 17:24 COMMUNITY IS BY SPREADING THIS LIFE. 17:28 YOU KNOW, WHEN PENTECOST HAPPENED - WE WERE READING IN 17:31 OUR DEVOTIONAL A BOOK LAST NIGHT - TWO OF THE MOST POWERFUL 17:35 FORCES OF NATURE ARE FIRE AND WIND. 17:39 AND RIGHT NOW WE'VE GOT A LARGE FIRE IN THE FOOTHILLS UP HERE 17:42 THAT'S BEEN ACTUALLY THREATENING THE HOMES OF SEVERAL OF OUR 17:44 MEMBERS AND THE LAST I HEARD - WE'VE BEEN PRAYING FOR THESE 17:48 INDIVIDUALS, AS WELL AS OTHERS AND, SO FAR, GOD HAS PRESERVED 17:53 ALL OF THEIR HOMES - THAT I KNOW OF - AND WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR 17:57 THAT. BUT THE COMBINATION OF THE FIRE 18:00 WITH THE HOT WIND - WE'VE HAD DAYS THAT ARE A HUNDRED DEGREES 18:03 - IT'S A POWERFUL FORCE. AND AT PENTECOST, WHAT HAPPENED? 18:09 AT PENTECOST THEY HAD BEEN PRAYING AND YOU HAD THE 18:12 COMBINATION OF A MIGHTY WIND AND TONGUES OF FIRE - TWO OF THE 18:17 MOST POWERFUL FORCES OF NATURE CAME UPON THE DISCIPLES FOR THE 18:21 PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD. AND WAS THERE LIFE WHEN THEY 18:24 PREACHED? THOUSANDS WERE SAVED AS THEY PREACHED THE WORD. 18:29 AND THIS IS WHAT GOD WANTS THE CHURCH TO DO. 18:31 WE ARE IN THE WORLD - WE ARE A COMMUNITY - AND ONE OF OUR 18:35 PRINCIPLE MISSIONS IS TO PROCLAIM THE WORD OF JESUS. 18:38 WHY? WHY DO WE DO THAT? 18:42 JOHN 6:63 - NOW SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ FOR ME IN JUST A MOMENT 18:46 1 TIMOTHY 6:18 - OKAY, YOU'LL HAVE THAT SAM? 18:50 BUT IF YOU LOOK IN JOHN 6:63 JESUS SAID, "IT IS THE SPIRIT 18:56 WHO GIVES LIFE; THE FLESH PROFITS NOTHING. 18:59 THE WORDS THAT I SPEAK TO YOU ARE SPIRIT, AND THEY ARE LIFE." 19:03 NOW, IS A PERSON CONVERTED BY READING THROUGH THE 19:06 ENCYCLOPEDIA? OR IF I SHOULD STAND UP IN FRONT 19:09 OF THE CONGREGATION AND JUST START GOING THROUGH THE 19:11 DICTIONARY - IT'S A LOT OF WORDS - INTERESTING WORDS - DEEP WORDS 19:16 - LONG WORDS - WILL THAT CONVERT ANYBODY? OR IF I SHOULD READ 19:23 JUST POETRY - IT MIGHT BE MOVING BUT WHAT KIND OF WORDS ARE THEY 19:29 THAT ACTUALLY BRING CONVERSION AND CHANGE HEARTS? 19:33 WHAT KIND OF WORDS WILL TAKE A SKELETON AND MAKE IT A LIVING 19:38 CREATURE ALL PUT BACK TOGETHER STANDING ON ITS FEET? 19:41 WHEN JESUS SAID 'LAZARUS COME FORTH' HE TOOK SOMEONE THAT WAS 19:44 ALREADY DECOMPOSING AND RE- ANIMATED HIM IN PERFECT HEALTH. 19:50 AND IT'S THE WORD OF GOD THAT GIVES LIFE, AMEN? 19:54 "THE WORDS THAT I SPEAK TO YOU ARE SPIRIT, AND THEY ARE LIFE." 19:58 SO WHY DOES GOD GIVE - WHAT IS THE RESULT THAT THE LORD WANTS 20:03 TO HAVE WHEN A CHURCH IS RAISED UP - AN ARMY? 20:09 I SHOULD PROBABLY BACK UP AND JUST GIVE YOU THE MORE PRECISE 20:15 EXPLANATION OF WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN EZEKIEL 37. 20:17 WHEN DOES EZEKIEL PREACH? WHEN DOES HE - WHEN 20:21 DOES HE GET THAT VISION? WHAT'S GOING ON WITH ISRAEL 20:23 WHEN HE HAS THAT VISION? WHERE WERE THE ISRAELITES? 20:32 THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH - ISRAELITES HAD BEEN CARRIED 20:36 OFF BY THE ASSYRIANS, JUDAH BY THE BABYLONIANS - IT LOOKED LIKE 20:39 THEY WERE DEAD AS A NATION. 20:41 IT LOOKED LIKE THERE WAS NO HOPE AND GOD SAID, 'I WILL BRING YOU 20:45 BACK TO THIS PLACE AGAIN AND RAISE YOU UP AND MAKE YOU AN 20:48 EXCEEDING GREAT ARMY.' AND SO GOD WAS BASICALLY - IT WAS A 20:52 PROMISE TO ISRAEL, FOR ONE THING, THAT THEY WOULD BE 20:55 BROUGHT BACK AS A NATION, WHICH GOD KEPT THAT PROMISE. 20:57 BUT BEYOND THAT, IT'S A MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH THAT THROUGH THE 21:01 PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD, THAT HE BRINGS US TO LIFE AND WE ARE 21:06 SOLDIERS FOR THE LORD. WE ARE TO GO FIGHT HIS BATTLES 21:09 AND WE ARE TO BRING FORTH THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT. 21:14 AND WHAT ARE THESE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT? 21:16 LOOK IN EPHESIANS 2 - WHY DOES GOD BRING US TO LIFE? 21:20 EPHESIANS 2:10, "FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST 21:25 JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND THAT WE 21:29 SHOULD WALK IN THEM." AND SO, YOU KNOW, OUR LESSON 21:32 TODAY IS TALKING ABOUT JUSTICE AND MERCY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT 21:35 - WE ARE TO BE DOING WORKS OF JUSTICE AND MERCY. 21:38 I'LL READ TO YOU TITUS 2, VERSES 6 AND 7 AND 14, "LIKEWISE, 21:45 EXHORTING THE YOUNG MEN TO BE SOBER-MINDED, IN ALL THINGS 21:49 SHOWING YOURSELF TO BE A PATTERN OF GOOD WORKS...WHO GAVE HIMSELF 21:53 FOR US, THAT HE MIGHT REDEEM US FROM EVERY LAWLESS DEED AND 21:56 PURIFY FOR HIMSELF HIS OWN SPECIAL PEOPLE, ZEALOUS FOR GOOD 22:01 WORKS." NOW, WHEN YOU, IN THE CHRISTIAN 22:05 CHURCH TODAY, TALK ABOUT WORKS, DOES THAT CONJURE UP GOOD 22:08 FEELINGS OR DO SOME PEOPLE RESENT THAT? 22:11 WHY DO SOME PEOPLE RESENT THE IDEA THAT THE CHURCH IS SUPPOSED 22:15 TO DO GOOD WORKS? WHAT IS BAD ABOUT GOOD WORKS? 22:22 IS IT - WELL, YOU COULD BOAST - THE DANGER OF GOOD WORKS IS THAT 22:28 A PERSON MIGHT THINK YOU'RE SAVED BY THEM. 22:31 BUT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH CHRISTIANS DOING GOOD WORKS. 22:35 WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE TO GOOD WORKS? 22:36 >>BAD WORKS. >>BAD WORKS? IS THAT WHAT WE'RE 22:38 SUPPOSED TO DO? OF COURSE NOT. 22:40 AND SO, WHILE IT IS TRUE WE ARE NOT SAVED BY GOOD WORKS, WE ARE 22:45 SAVED FOR GOOD WORKS. DIDN'T WE JUST READ THAT? 22:48 MATTER OF FACT, JESUS SAID YOU CAN TELL WHETHER OR NOT A PERSON 22:51 IS SAVED BY WHAT? THEIR PROFESSION OR THEIR - 22:54 YOU'LL KNOW THEM BY THEIR - >>FRUITS. 22:56 >>FRUITS. JESUS SAYS, IN MATTHEW 7:16 - GO 23:00 AHEAD, READ IN 1 TIMOTHY 6:18. >>"LET THEM DO GOOD THAT THEY 23:05 MAY BE RICH IN GOOD WORKS: READY TO GIVE, WILLING TO SERVE." 23:09 >>AND SO THE CHURCH IN THE COMMUNITY IS SUPPOSED TO BE 23:14 DOING THINGS TO MINISTER. AND I SAID THIS LAST WEEK AND IT 23:19 MAY COME UP IN A FUTURE LESSON, BUT YOU CAN'T IMPROVE ON THAT 23:22 PARABLE JESUS GIVES WHERE HE SAYS, 'IN THE GREAT JUDGMENT DAY 23:26 I WILL SAY TO THOSE ON MY RIGHT HAND, 'WELL DONE, GOOD 23:29 AND FAITHFUL SERVANT. ENTER INTO THE JOY OF THE LORD.' 23:31 - MATTHEW CHAPTER 25:31 - 'FOR I WAS HUNGRY AND YOU GAVE ME FOOD. 23:37 I WAS THIRSTY AND YOU GAVE ME A DRINK. 23:39 I WAS NAKED AND YOU CLOTHED ME. I WAS SICK AND YOU VISITED ME. 23:42 I WAS A STRANGER AND YOU TOOK ME IN.' - AND I THINK I LEFT ONE 23:46 OUT. >>PRISON. 23:49 >>'I WAS IN PRISON' - THANK YOU - 'AND YOU CAME TO ME' - THERE'S 23:51 SIX THINGS THAT ARE MENTIONED THERE. 23:53 THESE ARE ALL GOOD WORKS. NOW THEY'RE NOT DOING IT TO BE 23:57 SAVED, BECAUSE WHEN JESUS SAYS THIS THEY SAID, 'LORD, WHEN DID 24:00 WE SEE YOU AND DO THESE THINGS?' HE SAID, 'IN AS MUCH AS YOU'VE 24:03 DONE IT TO THE LEAST OF THESE, YOU DID IT TO ME.' THE REDEEMED 24:08 CARE ABOUT THE LEAST OF THESE AND THEY'RE DOING 24:12 GOOD THINGS FOR THEM. AND SO, THIS IS ONE OF THE WAYS 24:14 THAT THE CHURCH IS EFFECTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY. 24:18 ALRIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO JUMP FROM EZEKIEL 36 - I'M SORRY, 37 24:23 - TO EZEKIEL 47 - ONE OF THE LAST CHAPTERS IN THE BOOK - AND 24:27 HERE HE'S GOT ANOTHER PROPHECY AND EZEKIEL'S PROPHECY - 24:30 EZEKIEL, OF COURSE WAS A PRIEST AND HE IS IN BABYLON WHEN HE'S 24:33 HAVING HIS VISIONS, AND HE'S TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE WORK OF 24:36 THE CHURCH SHOULD BE. NOW, GOD INTENDED FOR THE 24:42 CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TO BE A NATION OF KINGS AND PRIESTS. 24:46 THE BIBLE SAYS YOU ARE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD. 24:49 WE ARE ALL SUPPOSED TO BE INVOLVED IN MINISTRY IN SOME 24:52 CAPACITY AND USING THE GIFTS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US SO THE 24:55 LORD MIGHT LET HIS BLESSING COME OUT OF US. 25:00 GOD ORIGINALLY PLACED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL IN THEIR OWN 25:04 LAND, IN A PLACE OF - IT'S A BRIDGE OF CONTINENTS. 25:09 IT WAS STRATEGICALLY - THE PROMISED LAND IS A VERY 25:12 STRATEGIC PIECE OF REAL ESTATE. DOES A DAY GO BY WHEN YOU DON'T 25:15 HEAR SOMETHING ABOUT THE MIDDLE EAST IN THE NEWS? 25:18 ISN'T IT INTERESTING THAT ISRAEL IS, YOU KNOW, LIKE THIS - IT'S 25:21 THIS LITTLE COUNTRY - CALIFORNIA IS MUCH BIGGER THAN ISRAEL, BUT 25:26 IT'S IN THE NEWS EVERY DAY, PRACTICALLY. 25:28 IT'S A VERY STRATEGIC PLACE. SO HE PUT THEM IN THEIR OWN LAND 25:33 SO THAT PEOPLE PASSING THROUGH, THEY COULD WITNESS TO THEM AND 25:36 THEY WOULD BE THERE AT A PLACE OF VISIBILITY TO SHARE THE LIGHT 25:40 WITH THE NATIONS AROUND THEM. WHEN THEY DISOBEYED, GOD SAID, 25:44 'OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO DO IT DIFFERENTLY. 25:45 IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE HEATHEN COME TO YOU, I AM GOING 25:50 TO PLACE YOU IN THE HEATHEN LAND AND LET YOU BE A WITNESS THERE. 25:53 GOD'S ORIGINAL PLAN WAS QUEEN OF SHEBA. 25:57 SOLOMON - GLORIOUS KINGDOM - GODLY KINGDOM - OTHER NATIONS 26:01 CAME TO THEM TO LEARN OF THEIR GOD. BUT, IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO 26:05 DO IT THAT WAY, WE'RE GOING TO DO SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND 26:07 ABEDNEGO.' DO YOU REALIZE THAT ON THE PLAIN OF DURA, WHEN 26:14 EVERYONE BOWED DOWN EXCEPT SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO 26:17 AND GOD SAVED THEM FROM THE FIERY FURNACE? 26:19 THE LORD DID, THROUGH THOSE THREE HEBREWS THAT WERE BRAVE, 26:24 WHAT HE HAD BEEN TRYING TO DO THROUGH THE NATION. 26:26 BECAUSE OF THEIR FAITHFULNESS AND, LATER, DANIEL IN THE LION'S 26:28 DEN, THE KING OF PERSIA AND THE KING OF BABYLON MAKE AN 26:33 INTERNATIONAL PROCLAMATION ABOUT JEHOVAH. 26:37 SO THEY WERE BEING WITNESSES IN A FOREIGN LAND. 26:41 HE SAID, 'LOOK, IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LET ME USE YOU TO BE MY 26:44 WITNESSES BY PEOPLE COMING TO YOU, THEN I AM GOING TO PUT YOU 26:48 WHERE YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY PAGANS AND YOU'LL WITNESS THERE. 26:52 IT'LL BE TOUGH BECAUSE YOU'LL BE - YOU WON'T HAVE YOUR OWN GOD, 26:55 YOU'LL BE SURROUNDED BY PAGAN GODS, BUT I'LL HAVE YOU WITNESS 26:58 THERE.' AND SO, EZEKIEL, THEN HE'S TALKING ABOUT HOW WHEREVER 27:03 WE GO, WE'RE TO BE A RIVER OF POSITIVE INFLUENCE. 27:07 GO TO EZEKIEL 47, VERSE 1 AND IT SAYS, "THEN HE BROUGHT ME BACK 27:12 TO THE DOOR OF THE TEMPLE; AND THERE WAS WATER, FLOWING FROM 27:15 UNDER THE THRESHOLD OF THE TEMPLE TOWARD THE EAST," - THIS 27:18 COMES UP IN THE LESSON LATER - "FOR THE FRONT OF THE TEMPLE 27:23 FACED EAST; THE WATER WAS FLOWING FROM UNDER THE RIGHT 27:25 SIDE OF THE TEMPLE, SOUTH OF THE ALTAR. 27:27 HE BROUGHT ME OUT BY WAY OF THE NORTH GATE, AND LED ME AROUND ON 27:30 THE OUTSIDE TO THE OUTER GATEWAY THAT FACES EAST; AND THERE WAS 27:34 WATER, RUNNING OUT ON THE RIGHT SIDE. AND WHEN THE MAN WENT OUT 27:38 TO THE EAST WITH THE LINE IN HIS HAND, HE MEASURED ONE THOUSAND 27:41 CUBITS, AND HE BROUGHT ME THROUGH THE WATERS; THE WATER 27:44 CAME UP TO MY ANKLES. AGAIN HE MEASURED ONE THOUSAND 27:47 AND BROUGHT ME THROUGH THE WATERS; THE WATER 27:49 CAME UP TO MY KNEES. AGAIN HE MEASURED ONE THOUSAND 27:52 AND BROUGHT ME THROUGH; THE WATER CAME UP TO MY WAIST. 27:56 AGAIN HE MEASURED ONE THOUSAND, AND IT WAS A RIVER THAT I COULD 27:59 NOT CROSS; FOR THE WATER WAS TOO DEEP, WATER IN WHICH ONE MUST 28:03 SWIM, A RIVER THAT COULD NOT BE CROSSED. 28:07 HE SAID TO ME, 'SON OF MAN, HAVE YOU SEEN THIS?' 28:09 THEN HE BROUGHT ME AND RETURNED ME TO THE BANK OF THE RIVER. 28:12 WHEN I RETURNED, THERE, ALONG THE BANK OF THE RIVER, WERE VERY 28:15 MANY TREES ON ONE SIDE AND THE OTHER." 28:18 I WANT TO PAUSE THERE BEFORE I GET TO THE TREES. 28:22 HAVE YOU EVER GONE AND CROSSED A RIVER? 28:24 FIRST OF ALL, LET ME JUST SAY THIS: WHEN I WAS A BABY 28:28 CHRISTIAN, I'D READ IN THE BIBLE ABOUT THE JORDAN RIVER. 28:31 I'D NEVER BEEN TO THE MIDDLE EAST. 28:32 YOU ONLY HEAR ABOUT IT AND THE JORDAN RIVER SEEMS LIKE, YOU 28:35 KNOW, YOU'VE HEARD OF THE AMAZON AND THE MISSOURI AND THE 28:39 MISSISSIPPI AND THE NILE AND THE YANGTZE AND THESE BIG RIVERS OF 28:42 THE WORLD - THE DANUBE - AND IT'S THE JORDAN - BIBLICAL - 28:46 EPIC RIVER - JOHN THE BAPTIST BAPTIZED THERE - RIVER - PARTED 28:49 - CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WENT ACROSS THE JORDAN RIVER. 28:52 AND I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED WHEN I WENT TO ISRAEL AND I SAW THE 28:56 JORDON RIVER. WE'VE GOT A CREEK IN COVELO 28:59 AS BIG AS THE JORDAN RIVER. YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT IT 29:02 WAS INTERESTING WHAT PEOPLE CALL LAKES AND WHAT 29:05 PEOPLE CALL PONDS. AND WE WERE VISITING SOME 29:12 FRIENDS AND THEY TALKED ABOUT A LAKE AND I THOUGHT, 'THAT'S 29:20 NOT A LAKE, I CAN THROW A ROCK ACROSS IT. 29:22 THAT'S A POND.' AND THE GREAT LAKES, WHICH ARE SEAS, ARE 29:30 CALLED LAKES. AND YOU GO TO THE SEA OF GALILEE 29:33 AND YOU CAN SEE ACROSS IT - IT'S A LAKE. 29:35 WE'VE GOT LAKE TAHOE AND THE SEA OF GALILEE - IT'S NOT THAT BIG. 29:39 BUT - AND THEN YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, YOU GO TO THE GREAT LAKES 29:42 AND YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE ACROSS IT. IT'S JUST INTERESTING. 29:45 AND SOME PEOPLE CALL - THE JORDAN RIVER IS CALLED 'THE 29:47 RIVER' - IT'S JUST A LONG CREEK BECAUSE IT GOES A LONG WAYS, BUT 29:54 SUMMERTIME YOU CAN WADE ACROSS IT. 29:59 BUT HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A RIVER WHERE YOU GO A THOUSAND - 30:02 HE TALKS ABOUT THIS HERE - YOU GO OUT, WHAT IS IT - A THOUSAND 30:06 CUBITS? - IT CAME UP TO MY ANKLES - A 30:11 THOUSAND CUBITS - THAT'S 18 INCHES - HOW LONG IS THAT? 30:13 ONE THOUSAND CUBITS - THAT'S LIKE ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED 30:19 FEET. IS THAT RIGHT? AND YOU GO THAT FAR OUT INTO A 30:24 RIVER - THAT CROSSES THE JORDAN RIGHT THERE, AND HE'S ONLY 30:27 GOT WATER UP TO HIS ANKLES. THEN HE GOES OUT ANOTHER ONE 30:30 THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED FEET AND IT'S UP TO HIS KNEES. 30:34 HE GOES OUT ANOTHER ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED FEET - ARE YOU 30:37 BEGINNING TO GET AN IDEA THAT THIS RIVER FLOWING OUT FROM 30:39 UNDER THE TEMPLE MUST BE A BIG RIVER? 30:42 AND THEN HE GOES OUT ANOTHER - AND FINALLY - AND HE DOESN'T SAY 30:46 HOW MUCH FARTHER TIL YOU GET TO THE OTHER SIDE AND IT'S GOING 30:48 LIKE THIS ON ONE SIDE AND THEN YOU GET WHERE IT'S FINALLY THAT 30:52 DEEP - WHERE IT FLOWS AND YOU HAVE TO SWIM, THEN YOU FIGURE IT 30:55 GOES THE SAME DISTANCE ON THE OTHER SIDE. 30:57 DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? USUALLY RIVERS, YOU KNOW, 31:00 THEY'VE GOT SIMILAR BANKS. THIS IS TALKING ABOUT THE RIVER 31:03 THAT FLOWS FROM THE THRONE OF GOD THAT IRRIGATES THE WORLD IN 31:08 THE SECOND COMING AND THEN IT TELLS YOU THAT THE TREE OF 31:10 LIFE IS ON EITHER SIDE OF IT. THAT'S A BIG TREE. 31:14 IT'S A BIG RIVER. IT'S A BIG TREE. 31:17 THE RIVER - THE LONGEST RIVER - I THINK THE JURY IS IN - THE 31:21 LONGEST RIVER IN THE WORLD IS THE NILE. 31:23 AMAZON KEEPS ARGUING SAYING, 'NO, IT'S US.' BUT THE EXPERTS 31:26 SAY THE NILE IS A LITTLE LONGER, BUT THE AMAZON, BY FAR, PUTS 31:31 MORE WATER OUT INTO THE OCEAN, AS FAR AS VOLUME, THAN THE OTHER 31:38 FOUR LARGEST RIVERS COMBINED. THE AMAZON IS A WATERSHED FOR AN 31:43 ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF AREA, BUT THE RIVER THAT IRRIGATES THE WORLD 31:49 FROM THE THRONE OF GOD IS BIGGER THAN ALL OF THAT. 31:53 I MEAN, AND IT'S CLEAN. AND IT'S LIFE-GIVING WATER 31:57 BECAUSE IT SAYS WHEREVER IT GOES, THINGS LIVE. 31:59 THAT WHERE - YOU GET DOWN HERE TO VERSE 6 - "HE SAID TO ME, 32:04 'SON OF MAN, HAVE YOU SEEN THIS?' 32:06 THEN HE BROUGHT ME AND RETURNED ME TO THE BANK OF THE RIVER. 32:09 WHEN I RETURNED, THERE, ALONG THE BANK OF THE RIVER, WERE VERY 32:12 MANY TREES ON ONE SIDE AND THE OTHER. 32:14 THEN HE SAID TO ME: 'THIS WATER FLOWS TOWARD THE EASTERN REGION, 32:17 GOES DOWN INTO THE VALLEY, AND ENTERS THE SEA." 32:20 WHAT SEA IS HE TALKING ABOUT? WATER COMING FROM THE TEMPLE - 32:23 THE THRONE - IN JERUSALEM, WOULD GO DOWN INTO THE KIDRON VALLEY, 32:27 IT WOULD INTERSECT WITH THE JORDAN AND RUN OUT 32:31 INTO THE DEAD SEA. NOW HOW MUCH IS ALIVE 32:33 IN THE DEAD SEA? TRICK QUESTION. NOTHING. 32:40 AND IT SAYS THAT THIS WATER FLOWS TOWARD THE EASTERN REGION 32:45 AND WHEN IT REACHES THE SEAS, IT'S WATERS ARE HEALED. 32:50 THE WATERS OF THE DEAD SEA COMING BACK TO LIFE WAS A GREAT 32:53 MIRACLE FOR THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING 32:55 THERE. WHEN YOU - WHEN YOU HAD A LAKE AND YOU REALIZE THE DEAD 33:00 SEA - IT'S WATER LEVEL IS GOING DOWN RIGHT NOW, THEY SAY. 33:04 IT'S GOING DOWN LIKE 18 INCHES A YEAR. 33:06 IT'S REALLY DROPPING FAST AND THERE'S A CRISIS BECAUSE THE 33:10 MAIN SOURCE OF WATER FOR THE DEAD SEA IS THE JORDAN RIVER AND 33:13 THE JORDAN RIVER IS JUST BEING SUCKED UP BY IRRIGATION FROM 33:18 ISRAEL AND PALESTINE BEFORE IT'S EVEN GETTING THERE NOW AND 33:23 THEY'RE GOING TO NEED SOME VERY, VERY WET YEARS TO EVER BRING IT 33:26 BACK TO WHERE IT USED TO BE, BUT BY THE TIME OF JESUS - THEY KNOW 33:29 FROM THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE BUILT ON THE OUTSKIRTS - THE 33:32 WATER - THE DEAD SEA, IT WAS MUCH BIGGER AND THEY ALWAYS 33:36 WISHED, IF IT WASN'T CONTAMINATED WITH SALT - THINK 33:40 OF ALL THE FISH AND THE LIFE YOU'D BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THAT 33:42 SEA - ALL OF THE RESOURCES AND ALL OF THE TREES YOU COULD 33:46 IRRIGATE, AND ALL THE CROPS YOU COULD GROW, EXCEPT THE WATER WAS 33:49 BAD. NEXT YOU GO - LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SECTION. 33:57 IT TALKS ABOUT ELISHA HEALING WATERS. SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ 34:01 FOR ME IN A MINUTE, GENESIS 18:32, OKAY? 34:05 HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER THE STORY THAT WHEN ELISHA WAS 34:08 APPROACHED BY SOME OF HIS SONS OF THE PROPHETS THAT WERE LIVING 34:12 NEAR JERICHO AND THEY SAID, 'ELISHA, MASTER, WE CAN'T DO 34:17 ANYTHING HERE BECAUSE IT'S A GREAT LOCATION - THERE'S PALM 34:19 TREES - BUT THE WATER FROM THIS SPRING - A GREAT SPRING - BUT IT 34:23 STINKS.' I WAS READING SOME VERY TRAGIC STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE 34:28 THAT WERE CROSSING NEVADA DURING THE GOLD RUSH. 34:33 ALL THESE PILGRIMS THAT WERE COMING - THE WAGON TRAINS - AND 34:38 SOME OF THEM WROTE IN THEIR DIARY - YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S 34:40 DYING OF THIRST - AND THE DONNER PARTY, FOR ONE THING, HAD A VERY 34:44 HARD TIME BEFORE THEY EVER GOT STUCK AT DONNER PASS BECAUSE 34:48 THEY TRIED TO DEVELOP A NEW TRAIL ACROSS NEVADA AND EVERYONE 34:51 WAS SO THIRSTY AND THEY CAME TO THIS WATER AND IT COULD NOT BE 34:54 DRUNK - AN ABUNDANT SPRING BUT IT WAS UNDRINKABLE. 34:57 THE WATERS WERE SULPHUR WATERS - IT WAS BITTER. 34:59 MAYBE YOU COULD DRINK IT BUT IT WAS REALLY BAD AND THEY CALLED 35:03 IT POISONED. AND SO HERE THEY COME TO ELISHA 35:05 - THEY SAY, 'THE CITY IS PLEASANT AS MY LORD SEES, BUT 35:08 THE WATER IS BAD AND THE GROUND IS BARREN. 35:11 YOU CAN'T GROW ANYTHING OUT OF IT BECAUSE THE WATER IS SO BAD.' 35:13 AND ELISHA SAID, 'BRING ME A NEW BOWL AND PUT SALT IN IT.' SO 35:18 THEY BROUGHT HIM THIS NEW VESSEL, HE PUT - THEY PUT SALT 35:21 IN IT - AND HE WENT OUT TO THE SOURCE - THE SPRING OF 35:24 WATER - AND HE CAST THE SALT IN THERE AND HE SAID, 'THUS SAYS 35:27 THE LORD: 'I HAVE HEALED THE WATER. 35:30 FROM THERE THERE SHALL BE NO MORE DEATH OR BARRENNESS.' SO 35:34 THE WATER REMAINS HEALED TO THIS DAY, ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF 35:37 ELISHA, WHICH HE SPOKE.' NOW DO YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO TO JERICHO 35:40 TODAY - I'VE BEEN THERE. 35:42 I WAS THERE WITH BONNIE AND ED MANY YEARS AGO WHEN THE HERITAGE 35:45 SINGERS WENT AND WE WENT TO THE SPRING OF ELISHA AND YOU COULD 35:50 GO RIGHT TO WHERE YOU SEE THIS WATER RUNNING OUT OF THE GROUND 35:52 - OUT OF THIS ROCK SPRING - AND THEY SAY, 'THIS IS THE SAME 35:54 SPRING THAT DATES BACK OVER 500 YEARS BEFORE CHRIST. 35:59 AND IT WAS ONCE UNDRINKABLE AND ELISHA PERFORMED A MIRACLE AND 36:03 THEY SAID, 'REACH DOWN.' AND YOU COULD REACH DOWN RIGHT THEN AND 36:05 SCOOP IT UP AND DRINK IT AND IT'S SWEET WATER. 36:07 AND HE PERFORMED THIS MIRACLE AND IT IRRIGATES, TO A GREAT 36:10 EXTENT, THE CITY OF JERICHO TO THIS VERY DAY. 36:14 SO THE BIBLE SAYS - MATTHEW 5:13 - "YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE 36:19 EARTH; BUT IF THE SALT LOSES ITS FLAVOR, HOW SHALL IT BE 36:22 SEASONED? IT IS THEN GOOD FOR NOTHING BUT 36:25 TO BE THROWN OUT AND TRAMPLED UNDERFOOT BY MEN." 36:30 NOW THEY ESTIMATE THERE'S ABOUT 14,000 DIFFERENT USES FOR SALT - 36:33 SODIUM CHLORIDE. THE WORD SALT APPEARS 45 TIMES IN THE BIBLE. 36:38 IT'S USED FOR PRESERVING. IT WAS USED FOR SEASONING. 36:41 'IS THERE ANY FLAVOR IN THE WHITE OF AN EGG?' 36:43 JOB ASKS. AND SO, SALT WAS 36:47 NEEDED FOR LIFE. THEY WOULD IMPORT SALT. 36:50 MATTER OF FACT, THERE WAS ONE TIME WHEN ROME WAS RULING THE 36:52 WORLD THAT THE VALUE OF SALT WAS ALMOST EQUAL TO THE VALUE OF 36:55 GOLD AND SOLDIERS WERE PAID IN SALT. 36:59 YOU EVER HEAR SOMEONE SAY, 'HE'S NOT WORTH HIS SALT'? 37:02 THAT'S BECAUSE THEY USED TO PAY SOLDIERS IN SALT AND THEY'D SAY 37:06 HE WASN'T WORTH WHAT YOU PAY HIM. 37:08 WHERE DO YOU GET THE WORD 'SALARY'? 37:11 WHAT DOES SALINE MEAN? A SALARY WAS WHEN A PERSON WAS 37:15 PAID IN SALT IT MEANT YOUR PAYDAY, RIGHT? 37:20 AND SO HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU OPENED YOUR ENVELOPE AND SALT 37:22 CAME OUT INSTEAD OF YOUR PAYCHECK? 37:25 IT'S PRETTY COMMON TODAY. BUT IT MEANT LIFE BACK THEN. 37:30 AND SO WHEN HE PUT THIS SALT IN THERE AND JESUS, OF COURSE USED 37:33 THAT SAME ILLUSTRATION. READ FOR US, PLEASE GENESIS 18:32. 37:38 >>"...'SUPPOSE TEN SHOULD BE FOUND THERE?' AND HE SAID, 37:42 'I WILL NOT DESTROY IT FOR THE SAKE OF TEN.'" 37:45 >>YOU REMEMBER WHEN GOD SAID, 'I'M GOING TO DESTROY SODOM 37:48 BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A WICKED CITY'? AND ABRAHAM BEGAN TO 37:51 INTERCEDE - HE SAID, 'OH LORD, SHALL ALL THE - SHALL THE LORD 37:55 OF ALL THE EARTH NOT DO WHAT IS RIGHT?' AND HE SAID, 'IF THERE 37:59 ARE FIFTY RIGHTEOUS IN THIS CITY WILL YOU STILL DESTROY IT FOR 38:02 FIFTY?' AND GOD SAID, 'NO, IF THERE'S FIFTY PEOPLE THAT ARE 38:04 STILL BEING AN INFLUENCE FOR GOOD - EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE 38:06 WICKED, THERE'S HOPE.' AND HE SAID, 'WHAT ABOUT FORTY-FIVE?' 38:09 'I WON'T DESTROY IT FOR FORTY-FIVE.' 'HOW ABOUT FORTY?' 38:12 'I WON'T DESTROY IT FOR FORTY.' 'WHAT ABOUT THIRTY' AND HE SAID, 38:17 'I WON'T DESTROY IT.' AND YOU THINK GOD WOULD SAY, 'ABRAHAM, 38:18 LEAVE ME ALONE.' BUT GOD ENJOYED ABRAHAM INTERCEDING BECAUSE 38:24 ABRAHAM HAD A HEART TO SEE PEOPLE SAVED. 38:27 DO YOU KNOW, ABRAHAM HAD ONCE RISKED HIS LIFE TO SAVE THE 38:29 PEOPLE OF SODOM? ISN'T THAT RIGHT? AND HE SAID, 'HOW ABOUT 38:34 TWENTY?' 'HOW ABOUT TEN?' GOD SAID, 'IF THERE ARE TEN 38:38 THERE I WILL SPARE THE WHOLE CITY. 38:40 IF THERE'S TEN PEOPLE THERE THAT ARE BEING SALT AND LIGHT, 38:43 THERE'S HOPE FOR THE CITY.' THE FACT THAT GOD DESTROYED SODOM 38:46 AND GOMORRAH, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? 38:49 THERE WEREN'T TEN. HOW MANY WERE THERE? HALF OF ONE. 38:53 (LAUGHTER) LOT, WHO WAS SORT OF COMPROMISING, AND HIS DAUGHTERS 39:00 - YOU KEEP READING AND YOU FIND OUT THEY WEREN'T THAT CONVERTED. 39:03 IT DOES CALL LOT A RIGHTEOUS MAN IN - I THINK IT'S IN 2 PETER - 39:07 'THAT RIGHTEOUS MAN VEXED HIS SOUL DAY AFTER DAY.' SO GOD NOT 39:10 ONLY WANTS US TO BE SALT, MATTHEW 5:16, HE SAYS, "LET 39:13 YOUR" - WHAT SO SHINE? >>LIGHT. 39:16 >>"LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE BEFORE MEN THAT THE MAY SEE YOUR 39:19 GOOD WORKS AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN. 39:21 THE CHURCH IS TO BE SALT IN OUR COMMUNITY. 39:23 ARE YOU MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY FOR GOOD? 39:26 DO YOU HELP YOUR NEIGHBORS? WE'VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD 39:29 RELATIONSHIP IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. 39:30 ALL AROUND US OUR NEIGHBORS WILL FREQUENTLY SAY, 'CAN YOU HELP 39:33 WITH THIS?' OR 'CAN YOU HELP WITH THAT?' 39:35 AND YOU WANT TO SHOW THEM YOU CARE - THAT YOU LOVE. 39:37 I DID AN AMAZING FACT THIS WEEK ON THE RADIO PROGRAM. 39:41 IF YOU WEREN'T LISTENING THEN I'LL SHARE IT WITH YOU AGAIN. 39:44 THERE'S A COUPLE OF INTERESTING VILLAGES IN THE WORLD TODAY, ONE 39:48 OF THEM IS KNOWN AS RJUKON, NORWAY - RJUKON, NORWAY AND THE 39:53 OTHER ONE IS VIGANELLA, ITALY. THEY'RE SITUATED IN DEEP VALLEYS 39:58 WHERE, IN THE WINTER, BECAUSE THE SUN GOES DOWN ON ITS ARC, 40:02 NO SUNSHINE HITS THE VALLEY ALL WINTER LONG AND THEY'RE IN THE 40:06 SHADOWS AND SOMETIMES, LIKE IN NORWAY, IN PARTICULAR, IT'S BAD 40:09 BECAUSE THEIR DAYS GET REALLY SHORT IN THE WINTER. 40:13 I'VE BEEN IN SWEDEN IN THE SUMMER AND THE SUN NEVER WENT 40:15 DOWN. I'D HATE TO BE THERE IN THE 40:16 WINTER WHEN IT NEVER COMES UP. BUT WHEN IT DOES COME UP, 40:19 IT'S ONLY UP FOR A FEW HOURS. SO ONCE SOMEONE GOT AN IDEA; 40:22 THEY PUT THESE ENORMOUS MIRRORS - I THINK THEY PUT LIKE SIX - 40:28 500-SQUARE-FOOT MIRRORS THAT TRACK THE SUN AND REFLECT THE 40:32 SUN FROM A MOUNTAINTOP DOWN INTO THE VALLEY WHERE THE TOWN IS. 40:38 AND THEY - IT'S CONTROLLED BY A COMPUTER, IT'S ALL SOLAR 40:41 POWERED, AND SO IN THE WINTERTIME THE PEOPLE WERE 40:44 ALWAYS KIND OF DEPRESSED THERE IN THE DARK ALL WINTER LONG. 40:47 NOW, AT A CERTAIN TIME EACH DAY, THE SUN APPEARS ON TOP OF THIS 40:51 MOUNTAIN. IT LOOKS LIKE IT STAYS IN THE 40:52 SAME PLACE BECAUSE THESE MIRRORS ARE TRACKING THE SUN SO THE SUN 40:55 DOESN'T MOVE KIND OF WEIRD. BUT ALL THESE PEOPLE GATHER ON 40:58 THESE BENCHES IN THE TOWN AND THEY'VE GOT THIS LITTLE SUNBEAM 41:02 IN THE CENTER OF THE TOWN - AND THEY ALL KIND OF - 'HA! A LITTLE 41:06 SUN!' - THEY'LL STAND THERE AND THEY'LL TALK TO EACH OTHER AND 41:08 THEY SUNBATHE. IT'S FREEZING COLD, BUT AT LEAST 41:09 THEY GET A LITTLE SUNSHINE. AND THOSE MIRRORS ARE 41:12 REFLECTING THE SUN. IT'S KIND OF CLEVER. 41:16 BETTER THAN MOVING THE TOWN - MOVE THE LIGHT. 41:20 WELL, YOU AND I ARE IN A DARK WORLD. 41:22 WE DON'T HAVE ANY LIGHT OF OUR OWN, BUT CHRISTIANS ARE TO BE 41:24 REFLECTING THE LIGHT - LIKE THE MOON REFLECTS THE LIGHT OF THE 41:28 SUN IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THE CHURCH: A SOURCE OF LIFE - WE'RE 41:34 BACK IN EZEKIEL 47 AGAIN. AND I REALLY LOVE THIS - THIS WAS OUR 41:38 MEMORY VERSE, "AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYTHING LIVES THAT 41:42 MOVES. WHEREVER THE RIVER GOES WILL LIVE. THERE WILL BE A GREAT 41:48 MULTITUDE OF FISH BECAUSE THE WATERS GO THERE FOR THEY WILL BE 41:51 HEALED AND EVERYTHING WILL LIVE WHEREVER THE RIVER GOES. WE, AS 41:56 THE CHURCH IN OUR COMMUNITY, ARE TO BE A RIVER OF LIFE AND 42:01 COLLECTIVELY WE SHOULD BE HAVING AN INFLUENCE FOR GOOD IN OUR 42:04 COMMUNITY SO THAT PEOPLE SAY, 'YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT A CHRISTIAN 42:08 NEIGHBOR AND I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEM MAKING LOUD 42:12 NOISES AT NIGHT, SCREAMING AND YELLING AND DRINKING AND 42:15 FIGHTING. AND I DON'T SEE THE' - ANY OF YOU EVER HAVE ANY 42:19 NEIGHBORS THE POLICE CAR ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE AT THE FRONT DOOR? 42:24 NOT NOW, WHEN MY NEIGHBOR'S WATCHING, YOU KNOW? 42:28 ONE OF MY NEIGHBORS TOLD ME, HE SAID, 'DOUG, I WAS DRIVING 42:32 ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND I CAUGHT YOUR RADIO PROGRAM AND I NOTICE 42:34 YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE NEIGHBORS.' I SAID GOOD 42:37 THINGS. YOU'VE GOT TO WATCH IT, YOU NEVER KNOW WHO'S LISTENING. 42:40 BUT I HAD ANOTHER NEIGHBOR, YEARS AGO, AND IT SEEMED LIKE 42:45 ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH THE POLICE CAR WAS THERE BECAUSE OF FAMILY 42:49 FEUDS AND THERE WAS A DRINKING PROBLEM. HOPEFULLY THAT'S NOT 42:54 YOUR WITNESS IN THE COMMUNITY. WE WANT TO BE A BLESSING OF 42:59 LIGHT IN OUR COMMUNITIES THAT THINGS LIVE. 43:03 IT SAYS IN EZEKIEL 47:10, "IT SHALL BE THAT FISHERMEN WILL 43:08 STAND BY IT FROM EN GEDI TO EN EGLAIM; THEY WILL BE A PLACE FOR 43:13 SPREADING THEIR NETS. THEIR FISH WILL BE OF THE SAME 43:15 KINDS AS THE FISH OF THE GREAT SEA, EXCEEDING MANY." 43:18 - 'THE GREAT SEA' MEANING THE SEA OF GALILEE OR THE - EVEN THE 43:22 MEDITERRANEAN, BUT IT SAYS THERE'LL BE AN ABUNDANCE OF FISH 43:24 AND YOU CAN NET THEM. RIGHT NOW, THE SALT SEA WAS SO 43:28 BAD THAT, I UNDERSTAND, THE EMPEROR VESPIAN, ONE TIME, HE 43:32 HEARD THAT THE WATER WAS SO SALTY THAT PEOPLE WOULDN'T 43:37 SINK, THEY WOULD FLOAT. AND HE TIED UP A PRISONER AND HE 43:40 THREW HIM IN TO SEE IF IT WAS TRUE. 43:43 AND HE FLOATED - FORTUNATELY FOR THE PRISONER. 43:46 NOW I'VE NEVER BEEN TO THE DEAD SEA. 43:47 I DIDN'T GO OUT AND SWIM IN IT AT THE TIME, BUT FOR THE 43:51 ISRAELITES, WHEN THEY SAID, 'THERE'LL BE LIFE IN THE DEAD 43:54 SEA? FROM THAT WATER?' 43:57 THAT WAS A PRETTY DRAMATIC TRANSITION FOR THEM - "ALONG THE 44:00 BANK OF THE RIVER, ON THIS SIDE AND THAT, WILL GROW ALL KINDS OF 44:04 TREES USED FOR FOOD; THEIR LEAVES WILL NOT WITHER, AND 44:09 THEIR FRUIT WILL NOT FAIL. THEY WILL BEAR FRUIT EVERY 44:11 MONTH, BECAUSE THEIR WATER FLOWS FROM THE SANCTUARY. 44:15 THEIR FRUIT WILL BE FOR FOOD, AND THEIR LEAVES FOR MEDICINE." 44:18 NOW DOES THAT SOUND FAMILIAR? SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ FOR ME 44:22 IN A MINUTE, JEREMIAH 17 - YOU HAVE THAT STEVE? OKAY. 44:26 I'M GOING TO READ REVELATION 22, VERSES 1 AND 2, "AND HE SHOWED 44:29 ME A PURE RIVER OF WATER OF LIFE, CLEAR AS CRYSTAL, 44:33 PROCEEDING FROM THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB. 44:36 IN THE MIDDLE OF ITS STREET, AND ON EITHER SIDE OF THE RIVER, WAS 44:40 THE TREE OF LIFE, WHICH BORE TWELVE FRUITS, EACH TREE 44:43 YIELDING ITS FRUIT EVERY MONTH." - NOW, YOU NOTICE WHEN WE READ 44:45 EZEKIEL - FRUIT EVERY MONTH, FROM THE SANCTUARY, IT'LL - THE 44:50 FRUIT WILL BE FOR FOOD, AND IT SAYS, "THE LEAVES OF THE TREE 44:54 WERE FOR THE HEALING OF THE NATIONS." IN EZEKIEL IT SAYS, 44:57 'AND THEIR LEAVES WERE FOR MEDICINE.' IF YOU WANT TO 45:00 UNDERSTAND REVELATION, LOOK AT THE OLD TESTAMENT. 45:03 REVELATION IS A COLLAGE OF OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES THAT ALL 45:09 KIND OF COME TOGETHER AND MAKE SENSE. GO AHEAD, READ 45:12 FOR US PLEASE JEREMIAH 17:7 AND 8. 45:15 >>"BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO TRUSTS IN THE LORD, AND WHOSE HOPE IS 45:18 THE LORD. FOR HE SHALL BE LIKE A TREE PLANTED BY THE WATERS, 45:21 WHICH SPREADS OUT ITS ROOTS BY THE RIVER, AND WILL NOT FEAR 45:24 WHEN HEAT COMES; BUT ITS LEAF WILL BE GREEN, AND WILL NOT BE 45:28 ANXIOUS IN THE YEAR OF DROUGHT, NOR WILL CEASE FROM YIELDING 45:32 FRUIT." >>THIS IS HOW A CHRISTIAN SHOULD 45:34 BE. WE ARE ROOTED IN THE LIVING 45:36 WATER AND WE'RE BEARING THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT 45:40 IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND, WHILE EVERYONE AROUND US 45:43 IS DRY, THEY'RE WONDERING, 'HOW COME YOUR LEAVES ARE GREEN 45:47 WHEN EVERYONE ELSE IS DRY?' BECAUSE WHERE I'M ROOTED. 45:53 CHRISTIANS ARE ROOTED IN THE LORD. 45:54 AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT SOMETIMES TRIALS THAT COME TO PEOPLE AND 45:58 COMMUNITIES - SOMEONE ONE TIME SAID, 'A CHRISTIAN THAT HAS A 46:04 BIBLE THAT IS FALLING APART IS USUALLY A PERSON WHO CAN KEEP IT 46:09 TOGETHER. IF YOUR BIBLE IS FALLING APART 46:13 AND YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN, THAT MEANS THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO 46:15 KEEP IT TOGETHER WHEN THE TRIALS COME. FALLING APART MEANS YOU 46:17 REALLY STUDY THE WORD IF YOU'RE ROOTED IN THE WORD, AMEN? 46:20 ALRIGHT, JUBILEE PROMISES - I'VE JUST GOT A COUPLE OF MINUTES 46:24 HERE - AND IT SAYS IN ISAIAH 61:1 THROUGH 3, "THE SPIRIT OF 46:33 THE LORD GOD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE THE LORD HAS ANOINTED ME TO 46:36 PREACH GOOD TIDINGS TO THE POOR; HE HAS SENT ME TO HEAL THE 46:39 BROKENHEARTED, TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES, AND THE 46:42 OPENING OF THE PRISON TO THOSE WHO ARE BOUND; TO PROCLAIM THE 46:44 ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD," - NOW THESE ARE WONDERFUL PROMISES 46:48 - IT GOES ON TO SAY, "AND THE DAY OF VENGEANCE OF OUR GOD;" - 46:51 THERE'S A JUDGMENT COMING - "TO COMFORT ALL WHO MOURN, TO 46:53 CONSOLE THOSE WHO MOURN IN ZION, TO GIVE THEM BEAUTY FOR ASHES, 46:57 THE OIL OF JOY FOR MOURNING, THE GARMENT OF PRAISE FOR THE SPIRIT 47:01 OF HEAVINESS; THAT THEY MAY BE CALLED TREES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 47:04 THE PLANTING OF THE LORD, THAT HE MAY BE GLORIFIED." 47:07 TIES IN WITH OUR OTHER METAPHOR - WHAT WAS THE FIRST SERMON 47:10 JESUS GAVE WHEN HE STOOD UP IN NAZARETH? 47:13 HE SAYS IN LUKE 18, 'THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME BECAUSE 47:18 HE'S ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR; HE'S SENT ME 47:21 TO HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED, TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES 47:24 AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET AT LIBERTY THOSE 47:27 WHO ARE OPPRESSED' - WHEN JESUS GOT DONE HE SAID, 'VERILY I SAY 47:30 UNTO YOU, TODAY THIS PROPHECY IS FULFILLED IN YOUR EARS.' 47:34 WHAT IS THE MINISTRY OF A CHRISTIAN? 47:37 SAME THING, A CHRISTIAN FOLLOWS CHRIST. 47:40 CHRIST SAID, 'AS THE FATHER SENT ME, SO SEND I YOU.' WE ARE TO 47:43 PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR, HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED, PROCLAIM 47:48 LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES THROUGH THE GOSPEL - SET FREE FROM SIN, 47:51 RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND' - OPEN THEIR EYES WITH 47:55 UNDERSTANDING, TO SET AT LIBERTY THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED. 47:59 AND SO THIS IS THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 48:02 WE ARE TO HAVE THIS KIND OF INFLUENCE IN THE WORLD. 48:05 AND THEN FINALLY, IT SAYS IN MICAH - THIS IS OUR LAST SECTION 48:09 - THE CHURCH: A CHANGE AGENT . HE GIVES THAT GREAT PASSAGE IN 48:15 MICAH CHAPTER 6 - START WITH VERSE 6, "WITH WHAT SHALL I COME 48:20 BEFORE THE LORD, AND BOW MYSELF BEFORE THE HIGH GOD? 48:23 SHALL I COME BEFORE HIM WITH BURNT OFFERINGS, WITH CALVES A 48:27 YEAR OLD? WILL THE LORD BE PLEASED WITH 48:29 THOUSANDS OF RAMS, TEN THOUSAND RIVERS OF OIL? 48:33 SHALL I GIVE MY FIRSTBORN FOR MY TRANSGRESSION, THE FRUIT OF MY 48:37 BODY FOR THE SIN OF MY SOUL? WHAT DO WE DO? 48:39 HOW DO WE PLEASE THE LORD? 48:41 AND HERE'S THE CONCLUSION: "HE HAS SHOWN YOU, O MAN, WHAT IS 48:44 GOOD; AND WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF YOU BUT TO DO JUSTLY, 48:49 TO LOVE MERCY, AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD? 48:54 WHAT WAS THAT VERSE IN DEUTERONOMY - YOU TOLD ME THIS 48:56 MORNING - IN DEUTERONOMY 20 - >>TEN, TWELVE, THIRTEEN. 49:00 >>DEUTERONOMY 10:12 AND 13 - JEREMIAH IS ACTUALLY QUOTING 49:03 MOSES WHEN HE SAYS THIS ABOUT SEEKING AFTER THE LORD. 49:07 AND WE HAVE OUR LAST VERSE, WHICH IS ECCLESIASTES 12:13 AND 49:13 14. I WANTED TO SAVE SOLOMON'S VERSE 49:16 FOR LAST BECAUSE SOLOMON SORT OF SUMS IT ALL UP. 49:19 WHAT IS THE WORK OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD? 49:21 OKAY, I THINK WE'RE READY FOR THAT. 49:23 >>"LET US HEAR THE CONCLUSION OF THE WHOLE MATTER: FEAR GOD AND 49:27 KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS FOR THIS IS MAN'S ALL. 49:30 FOR GOD WILL BRING EVERY WORK INTO JUDGMENT INCLUDING EVERY 49:33 SECRET THING, WHETHER GOOD OR EVIL. 49:36 >>TO FEAR GOD, TO LOVE THE LORD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS MEANS 49:40 DOING THE WORK OF JESUS IN THE WORLD - LOVING THE LORD WITH ALL 49:43 YOUR HEART AND LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR. 49:45 THIS IS THE CONCLUSION OF THE WHOLE MATTER, THAT WE MIGHT BE - 49:48 THE BIBLE SAYS IT'S MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE - THAT 49:51 WE MIGHT BE A BLESSING. WE ARE OUT OF TIME FOR OUR 49:53 LESSON, BUT BEFORE WE CONCLUDE I WANT TO JUST REMIND OUR FRIENDS 49:56 WE DO HAVE A FREE OFFER. IT'S CALLED RICHES OF HIS GRACE . 49:59 AND CALL 866-788-3966 - WE'LL SEND THIS TO YOU FOR FREE. 50:06 I THINK YOU CAN EVEN READ IT ONLINE AT AMAZINGFACTS.ORG . 50:10 IF YOU DO CALL IN, ASK FOR OFFER #152 AND WE'LL SEND THAT TO YOU. 50:14 GOD BLESS YOU, FRIENDS. I LOOK FORWARD TO STUDYING 50:16 HIS WORD AGAIN NEXT WEEK. (MUSIC) 50:29 >>TODAY'S SMART PHONES ARE A VIRTUAL UNIVERSE OF 50:31 INFORMATION THAT FITS IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND. 50:33 IT'S A GOOD THING WE HAVE OPPOSABLE THUMBS! 50:36 WITH IT YOU CAN BUY YOUR GROCERIES, TAKE CARE OF YOUR 50:39 EXERCISE REGIME, WATCH A VIDEO, LISTEN TO MUSIC, YOU CAN SURF 50:44 THE INTERNATIONAL WORLD-WIDE WEB, WHICH MAY NOT ALWAYS BE A 50:47 GOOD THING. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE IS MORE 50:49 COMPUTER PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY AND POWER IN A LITTLE SMART 50:53 PHONE TODAY THAN WAS USED BY NASA TO PUT A MAN ON THE MOON. 50:57 AND I ALMOST FORGOT, YOU CAN ALSO USE THESE TO MAKE A 51:00 PHONE CALL, BUT WHO DOES THAT ANYMORE? 51:03 TODAY COMMUNICATION IS NOT IN COMPLETE SENTENCES. 51:05 IT'S ALL ABOUT SHORT MESSAGE SERVICING OR SMS TEXTING. 51:11 THAT'S RIGHT, THERE ARE ABOUT 2.5 BILLION PEOPLE IN THE WORLD 51:14 TODAY THAT ARE COMMUNICATING WITH THEIR FELLOW HUMANS IN 51:17 SHORT BYTES CALLED TEXTING. THAT'S MORE DATA THAT IS BEING 51:21 USED THAN THOSE WHO ARE SURFING THE WEB OR EVEN 51:23 PLAYING VIDEO GAMES. AND, FRIENDS, NOWHERE IS THIS 51:26 MORE TRUE THAN RIGHT HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES. 51:28 EVEN THOUGH THE PHILIPPINES HAS ABOUT 100 MILLION PEOPLE, THEY 51:31 ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LARGEST NUMBER OF TEXT MESSAGES OF 51:35 ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. THEY'RE THE TWELFTH-LARGEST 51:37 COUNTRY, BUT THEY SEND 400 MILLION TEXT MESSAGES EVERY DAY. 51:43 WOW, THAT'S A LOT OF FINGER FATIGUE. 51:46 EVEN THOUGH THE GREATEST NUMBER OF TEXTERS IS HERE IN THE 51:49 PHILIPPINES, THE RECORD FOR THE FASTEST TEXTER IN THE WORLD IS 51:52 FROM BRAZIL. A YOUNG MAN BY THE NAME OF 51:54 MARCEL FERNANDES FILHO - HE WAS ABLE TO TEXT 25 VERY COMPLICATED 51:58 WORDS IN A LITTLE MORE THAN 18 SECONDS. 52:01 WOW, IT TAKES ME LONGER THAN THAT TO JUST SAY 'I LOVE YOU' TO 52:04 MY WIFE AND PRESS SEND. ALL THUMBS. 52:09 ONE OF THE NEAT THINGS ABOUT TEXTING IS YOU CAN TEXT JUST 52:11 ABOUT ANYWHERE. IF YOU'RE SURROUNDED WITH PEOPLE 52:13 AND YOU WANT TO SEND A PERSONAL MESSAGE, YOU TEXT. 52:15 YOU'RE IN A CROWDED SUBWAY OR AN AIRPORT, YOU CAN TEXT. 52:18 IF YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY NOISE OR NOSEY PEOPLE, YOU CAN TEXT - 52:23 JUST DON'T TEXT WHILE YOU'RE DRIVING. 52:25 THAT'S WHAT'S SO WONDERFUL, FRIENDS, YOU CAN ALWAYS TEXT GOD 52:28 A MESSAGE OF PRAYER FROM YOUR HEART. 52:30 WHEN YOU'RE WONDERING 'WHAT SCHOOL DO I GO TO?' 52:32 'WHAT JOB DO I TAKE?' 'WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO DATE THAT MAY BE A 52:35 FUTURE LIFE PARTNER?' YOUR PRAYERS DON'T HAVE TO BE LONG. 52:38 THE SHORTEST PRAYER IN THE BIBLE IS THREE WORDS - WHEN PETER 52:41 PRAYED, 'LORD SAVE ME.' AND JESUS ANSWERED HIS PRAYER. 52:45 IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW FAST YOU CAN TEXT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO 52:47 GOD, HE'LL KNOW WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR AND HEAR YOUR PRAYER 52:51 BEFORE YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO SAY 'AMEN' AND PRESS THE SEND 52:53 BUTTON. IN FACT, FRIENDS, YOU'LL BRING 52:55 JOY TO GOD WHEN YOU SEND HIM REGULAR MESSAGES FROM 52:58 YOUR HEART TO HIS. SO WHY DON'T YOU TALK 53:01 TO HIM RIGHT NOW? (MUSIC) 53:17 >>AMAZING FACTS, CHANGED LIVES. 53:27 >>I WAS HEADING SOUTH ON INTERSTATE 5. 53:30 THIS COMMERCIAL CAME ON KFBK RADIO ABOUT A REVELATION SEMINAR 53:35 BY AMAZING FACTS. I BEGAN - MY CHEST BEGAN TO TIGHTEN UP. 53:39 I BEGAN SWEATING PROFUSELY. I HAD DIFFICULTY IN BREATHING. 53:44 THERE WAS THIS BIG REST AREA AND, AT THIS TIME, I PULLED INTO 53:48 THERE - I THOUGHT, 'WELL, MAYBE I'M HAVING A HEART ATTACK.' I 53:51 GOT OUT OF MY TRUCK, WALKED INTO THE MEN'S RESTROOM THERE AND PUT 53:55 COLD WATER ON MY FACE. AND THEN FINALLY 53:57 THINGS SUBSIDED. A WEEK LATER, AGAIN, I HEARD 54:00 THIS AMAZING FACTS COMMERCIAL COME ON THE RADIO AND, IN FACT, 54:04 THE MEETINGS WERE GOING TO START THAT VERY NIGHT. 54:06 AND, AGAIN, IMMEDIATELY, I HAD THESE SAME SYMPTOMS. 54:09 I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T MY HEART. 54:12 I HAVE TO GO TO THAT MEETING. AND, AS I WAS GOING DOWN TO 54:15 SACRAMENTO I DECIDED TO PARK AND GO INSIDE. WELL, I GOT IN AND 54:21 WALKED INTO THE FURTHERMOST REAR SEAT THEY HAD IN THE PEW THERE. 54:26 AND THIS PARTICULAR EVANGELIST, HIS NAME WAS KIM KJEAR. 54:32 IT WAS LIKE TAKING ONE LAYER OFF AT A TIME - OF AN ONION - HE 54:36 LAID IT OUT SO PERFECTLY THAT WE COULD ALL UNDERSTAND IT. 54:39 AND I WAS REALLY MOTIVATED. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. 54:42 WELL, I FINISHED. I DIDN'T MISS A MEETING. 54:44 IN FACT, ON THE FIFTH NIGHT THEY HAD AN ALTAR CALL AND MY KNEES 54:49 STOOD RIGHT UP AND I WALKED FORWARD AND I GAVE MY HEART TO 54:52 JESUS CHRIST. I'VE LEARNED, THROUGHOUT THIS 54:55 WHOLE THING, THAT WHEN YOU - WHEN YOU LEAVE THE DEVIL'S 54:58 TERRITORY HE GETS PRETTY ACTIVE IN CAUSING A LOT OF PROBLEMS. 55:04 WELL, I HAD THE EVANGELIST COME OUT AND THEY HAD PRAYER WITH ME 55:08 ABOUT MY BUSINESS. I WOULD FIND A SICK BUSINESS AND 55:11 MAKE IT WELL AND THEN MARKET IT. I FINALLY ENDED UP WITH A 55:15 BUSINESS THAT I REALLY ENJOYED THAT WAS ONE THAT WAS BUILDING 55:19 EQUESTRIAN CENTERS AND THEY SAID TO ME, 'STEVE, YOU KNOW, IF 55:23 YOU'RE GOING TO REALLY KEEP THE SABBATH YOU'VE GOT TO SHUT YOUR 55:26 DOORS ON THE SABBATH.' WELL, I DID. AND SO I SOLD THE 55:29 BUSINESS TO MY BROTHER. IT TOOK ME 22 YEARS TO BUILD 55:32 THAT BUSINESS AND HE LOST IT IN 33 MONTHS. 55:37 MY SON, WHO WAS MY BUSINESS PARTNER, I'D BEEN GIVING HIM TEN 55:40 PERCENT OF THE BUSINESS EVERY YEAR. 55:42 HE THOUGHT I'D JUST FALLEN OFF THE BRIDGE. 55:47 MY SON DIDN'T TALK TO ME FOR FIVE AND A HALF YEARS. 55:50 AND THEN A FEW OTHER THINGS HAPPEN. 55:52 I HAD AN EX-EMPLOYEE LIVING IN MY GUEST HOUSE. 55:55 HE KIND OF WATCHED AFTER OUR PLACE AND HE SAID, 'STEVE, 55:59 THERE'S AN ALLIED MOVING VAN BACKED UP TO YOUR FRONT DOOR IN 56:03 YOUR HOME.' I SAID, 'YOU'RE KIDDING!' 56:05 I SAID, 'WHAT DO YOU MEAN?' HE SAID, 'THEY'RE MOVING 56:08 EVERYTHING OUT OF YOUR HOUSE INTO THIS TRUCK AND YOUR WIFE IS 56:11 OUT THERE SUPERVISING THEM.' AND WHEN I WENT HOME AND OPENED THE 56:14 FRONT DOOR, MY VOICE ECHOED IN THAT HOUSE. 56:17 THERE WASN'T ANY FURNITURE LEFT ANYWHERE. 56:19 THERE WAS ONE BED LEFT IN THE HOUSE. 56:22 I KNEW MY WIFE WAS UPSET BECAUSE OF MY COMING TO THIS CHURCH, BUT 56:27 I HAD NO IDEA THAT SHE WOULD MOVE OUT LIKE THIS. 56:30 THAT WAS A TOTAL SHOCK TO ME. IT WAS SOME THERE - I LOCKED 56:33 MYSELF IN THE BEDROOM AND I BEGAN READING THE BIBLE. 56:37 I SPENT ABOUT A HALF A YEAR JUST EVERY NIGHT GETTING HOME AND I 56:41 WOULD STUDY. IT ALLOWED ME TO HAVE A PERSONAL 56:44 RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST. WELL, TO MAKE A LONG STORY 56:48 SHORT, I MET CRYSTAL AND SHE WAS A GODLY WOMAN. 56:52 THAT WAS THE LORD'S DOING, NOT MINE, AND HE WAS JUST THERE TO 56:56 LET ME KNOW THAT 'I'M WITH YOU ALL THE WAY. 56:58 EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME TRIALS AND YOU'RE GOING TO 57:00 HAVE SOME HARDSHIPS, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I'LL BE WITH YOU 57:05 BECAUSE, NO MATTER WHAT I DO NOW, HE IS MY LEADER. 57:09 HE'S THE LEADER OF MY MARRIAGE. HE'S THE LEADER OF 57:11 EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE TODAY. THAT ONE MEETING WITH THE 57:15 AMAZING FACTS SEMINAR CHANGED MY ENTIRE LIFE. 57:18 AND TO THIS DAY I'M STILL ON FIRE FOR GOD. 57:22 I'M STILL WITNESSING TO MY NEIGHBORS. 57:24 MY NAME IS STEVE JOHNSON AND IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU THAT AMAZING 57:27 FACTS HAS CHANGED MY LIFE. (MUSIC) 57:37 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? YOU DON'T HAVE TO 57:41 WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE TRUTH-FILLED PROGRAMMING, 57:44 VISIT THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY AT 'AFTV.ORG'. 57:50 AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY VIDEO AND AUDIO PRESENTATIONS AS 57:54 WELL AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL FREE OF CHARGE, 24 HOURS A DAY 7 57:59 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR COMPUTER OR MOBILE DEVICE. 58:03 VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 58:08 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2016-07-15