Hello, friends, we'd
like to welcome all of you
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once again to
Sabbath School Study Hour
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coming to you here
from the Granite Bay
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Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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This is our in-depth
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Bible study portion
of our worship service.
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We'd like to
welcome our online members
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and also those
who are joining us
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across the country
and around the world,
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and also the
members and the visitors
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right here at the
Granite Bay Church,
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always a joy to see you
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week after week
as we study together.
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We've been studying
through our lesson quarterly
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dealing with the
subject of stewardship.
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We're nearing the
end of our quarterly
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and we're on
lesson number 12 today.
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It is entitled "The
Habits of a Steward".
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Then after that we have one more
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that we would be
dealing with this subject.
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Now for those of
you who are joining us
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that don't have a
copy of the study,
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you can download one
at the following website,
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just study.aftv.org.
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Just study.aftv.org,
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and you can follow along with us
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with the notes right
there in front of you.
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And also for those
joining us on Facebook,
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we appreciate
all of the questions
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that have been coming in.
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And about 20 minutes
into the lesson this morning,
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Pastor Doug's going to give us
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a few moments to
ask Bible questions.
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So those of you on Facebook,
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if you have a question related
to the subject of stewardship
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or the subject
dealing with habits,
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making good habits,
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type that in and
we'll try to answer
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as many of those questions
during our study time today.
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We also have a free offer.
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For those joining us
in North America for free,
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we'll be happy to
send you a book entitled
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Remember Lot's Wife".
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And this free offer
is offer number 108.
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And the number to call
for that is 866-788-3966
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or 866-Study-More.
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If you're outside North America,
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you can still read it.
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Just go to the
Amazing Facts website,
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just AmazingFacts.org.
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Well, before we get to
our study this morning,
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we're going to have
a special musical item.
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I'd like to invite some
of our members right here
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at Granite Bay and
they'll be bringing us
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something in music this morning.
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O sacred Head, now wounded
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With grief and
shame weighed down
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Now scornfully surrounded
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With thorns, thine only crown
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O sacred Head, what glory
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What bliss till now was Thine!
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Yet, though despised and gory
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I joy to call Thee mine
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What Thou, my
Lord, hast suffered
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Was all for sinners' gain
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Mine, mine was the transgression
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But Thine the deadly pain
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Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
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'Tis I deserve Thy place
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Look on me with Thy favor
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Vouchsafe to me Thy grace
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What language shall I borrow
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To thank Thee, dearest friend
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For this Thy dying sorrow
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Thy pity without end?
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O make me Thine forever
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And should I fainting be
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Lord, let me
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Never, never
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Outlive my love
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To Thee
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Let's bow our
heads for word of prayer.
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Dear Father in heaven,
once again we are grateful
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for the opportunity together
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to get and open up Your Word
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and study this important
subject of stewardship,
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and in particular how
we can form good habits.
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So we pray, Lord, once
again with the Holy Spirit.
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We're praising to God
our hearts, our minds,
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lead us into a clear
understanding of truth
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and Your will for our
lives, in Jesus' name, amen.
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We're just
delighted that Pastor Doug
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will be bringing us our
lesson study this morning.
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Amen.
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Delighted, that's what
happened to the lightning bugs
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that got hit by the lawn mower.
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Morning, everybody.
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I'm glad to see you
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and I want to
welcome our friends
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that are watching on
satellite or on the internets.
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And Karen and I just got
back yesterday from Nashville,
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we met a number of
people in the south there
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that were attending
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the National Religious
Broadcasters Convention
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and so many watched the program,
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both members and nonmembers
and so that was very exciting.
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And they want to encourage
you as Pastor Ross mentioned
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that if you have any
questions on the study today
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and the lesson today is dealing
with habits of a steward,
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talking about your lifestyle,
how to overcome habits,
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habits of time management,
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living out the
ministry and the message,
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then you can text those to us,
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go to our Facebook
page and you can text them,
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there's someone in the back,
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they'll then put
them up on the screen.
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We're going to try and
take some live questions
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during the program.
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But let's begin and by the way,
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it's lesson number
12, "Habits of a Steward"
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and there's a memory verse.
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And the memory verse is from
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the Book of Psalms 119:9-11.
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I'd invite you
to say this with me.
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This is by the way
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from the New King James version.
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Are you ready? Psalm 119:9-11.
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"How can a young
man cleanse his way?
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By taking heed
according to Your word.
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With my whole
heart I have sought You.
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Oh, let me not wander
from Your commandments!
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Your word I have
hidden in my heart,
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that I might not sin..."
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How many of you know that?
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"Your word I have
hidden in my heart,
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that I might not
sin against You."
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That's one part
of that great Psalm
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that all of us should remember.
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Well, you know, this
suit, I like this suit,
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but it's just, it's a magnet.
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It just picks up
hair all the time
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and it looks like I've
been wrestling with a sled dog.
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Anyway, okay,
back to our lesson.
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So we're going to be dealing
with some of the very important
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core issues of
being a Christian.
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Talking about habits, you know,
it all boils down to habits.
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Daniel had a
habit of daily prayer,
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we'll talk about
that in a minute.
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Paul, it says,
"As his custom was..."
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What's a custom?
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It's a habit.
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As his custom was,
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he would go to the
synagogue on the Sabbath.
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What about...
And that's Acts 17:1.
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What about Jesus' custom?
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Have you read
before where it says,
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as his custom was,
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He would go to the
synagogue, that is Luke 4:16.
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Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15,
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"Do not be deceived,
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'Evil company
corrupts good habits.'"
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So where is one of the
ways that you get bad habits?
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Bad company.
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How many of you have seen
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good kids raised in a good home,
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they hang out
with the wrong people
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and they start
picking up the habits.
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You ever have
your kids come home
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and they use a word you
know they did not learn at home?
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And you say, "Who have
you been playing with?"
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Right?
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And in the same way,
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picking good friends
help develop good habits.
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So you need to
cultivate good habits
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to overcome the bad ones,
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you overcome evil with good.
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You know, we're not exactly sure
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who originated this statement
00:09:07.38\00:09:09.21
because there are several people
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who have shared
different variations of it
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but you've
probably heard it before.
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Watch your
thoughts, they become words.
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Watch your words,
they become actions.
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Watch your
actions, they become habits.
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Watch your habits,
they become character.
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And watch your character
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because it will
become your destiny.
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And so the little daily habits
really make up who you are
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and they determine
your eternal destiny,
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so how important is this
study, dealing with everything.
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Now, am I the only one
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that find it's easy
to develop a bad habit
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and hard to develop a good one?
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How do you change your habit?
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Well, it's sort of like
developing a habit in reverse.
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I used to smoke, but
you may be shocked to know
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I was not born smoking.
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I learned to smoke.
00:10:07.90\00:10:10.31
And what happened is one day,
00:10:10.31\00:10:13.51
the other kids after school
were hanging around outside,
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they were smoking and
I was now in junior high,
00:10:15.84\00:10:17.88
they wanted to be tough.
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I don't know I must
have been 12 years old.
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My mother had cigarettes
on the piano that for company,
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anyone could take one
back then everybody smoked.
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So I said, I took one,
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I was so used to smoke
as my parents smoked it,
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you know, some kids
smoke and they start coughing,
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I was so used to
secondhand smoke,
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I didn't have that experience.
00:10:35.40\00:10:37.63
And so I smoked one
cigarette walking to school
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and I just did one a
day walking to school.
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I thought, "Oh, I
kind of like the feeling,
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that's a good drug.
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And then I started taking two,
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I take one to smoke on my
way to school, one to smoke...
00:10:50.88\00:10:54.12
And, you know, if I tried
to stop after the first day,
00:10:54.12\00:10:56.69
probably thought
I can stop any time,
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I don't do this very
often, not a problem.
00:10:57.99\00:11:00.76
I can stop any time.
00:11:00.76\00:11:01.96
What difference can one make?
00:11:01.96\00:11:03.69
You ever heard that?
00:11:03.69\00:11:06.43
And then I started taking two,
00:11:06.43\00:11:08.20
one to school, one
on the way from school,
00:11:08.20\00:11:10.30
and then I realized
my mom's going to notice
00:11:10.30\00:11:11.90
that I'm
pilfering her cigarettes
00:11:11.90\00:11:13.34
that she's put in,
00:11:13.34\00:11:14.37
there is a
little porcelain thing
00:11:14.37\00:11:15.40
on the piano with
cigarette sticking out,
00:11:15.40\00:11:16.84
looked like a birthday
cake, anyway for company.
00:11:16.84\00:11:20.24
And they were
all stale cigarettes
00:11:20.24\00:11:21.94
'cause they'd been
sitting there a long time.
00:11:21.94\00:11:23.91
I said, she's going to notice,
so I managed to get a pack
00:11:23.91\00:11:26.61
and back then they
had cigarette machines
00:11:26.61\00:11:28.32
and any kid could
buy a pack of cigarettes,
00:11:28.32\00:11:29.95
it's like 30 cents.
00:11:29.95\00:11:32.75
So I started getting my own.
00:11:32.75\00:11:34.92
And then it just got worse
and worse and so for years,
00:11:34.92\00:11:38.23
I got to where
then I couldn't quit.
00:11:38.23\00:11:41.50
And once or twice,
00:11:41.50\00:11:44.63
well, it's like Mark Twain said,
00:11:44.63\00:11:46.00
I quit 100 times,
nothing not hard to quit,
00:11:46.00\00:11:49.04
I did it a hundred times.
00:11:49.04\00:11:50.61
It was staying
quit that was difficult.
00:11:50.61\00:11:54.01
So you're not born
smoking, you learn it.
00:11:54.01\00:11:57.55
Little by little
you develop a groove.
00:11:57.55\00:12:00.95
And the way that you
break a habit is the same thing,
00:12:00.95\00:12:03.92
you need to
take time practicing,
00:12:03.92\00:12:06.99
doing something different.
00:12:06.99\00:12:08.09
Let me see if I could
illustrate it this way.
00:12:08.09\00:12:11.89
Here is a big meadow
00:12:11.89\00:12:14.96
and you want to get to
the other side of the meadow
00:12:14.96\00:12:16.77
'cause there's
a beautiful spring
00:12:16.77\00:12:18.47
there you want to drink from,
00:12:18.47\00:12:20.00
and there's cliffs on the
side you can't get around,
00:12:20.00\00:12:22.20
you got to get
through the meadow.
00:12:22.20\00:12:23.47
But the problem is, all through
this meadow are berry bushes.
00:12:23.47\00:12:26.51
Now, berries aren't so bad
00:12:26.51\00:12:27.98
but walking through the berries,
they tear you to pieces,
00:12:27.98\00:12:30.41
I know because we
have them up in Covelo.
00:12:30.41\00:12:33.55
And the first time
you tried, you notice,
00:12:33.55\00:12:35.95
any of you tried to walk
through hedges of berries.
00:12:35.95\00:12:39.02
It just tears you up.
00:12:39.02\00:12:39.99
It sticks to your
clothes, you get scratched,
00:12:39.99\00:12:41.86
this is miserable,
00:12:41.86\00:12:43.69
but you want to
get across there.
00:12:43.69\00:12:45.66
And so the first time you
try to get across, you stomp...
00:12:45.66\00:12:50.30
And I've done it
before, you just say,
00:12:50.30\00:12:51.83
I mean, this is,
you know, which is one
00:12:51.83\00:12:53.57
I'm pulling a little berry aside
00:12:53.57\00:12:54.90
and put my foot,
I'm stepping on these,
00:12:54.90\00:12:56.37
while I pull those aside
and then I'm stepping on these.
00:12:56.37\00:12:58.14
Sometimes I have garden clippers
00:12:58.14\00:12:59.57
and I'll clip a few, and
you fight your way through
00:12:59.57\00:13:03.71
and you get your
drink and so wonderful,
00:13:03.71\00:13:05.25
and then you fight your
way back and it was tough.
00:13:05.25\00:13:09.98
But the next day you
want to go get a drink.
00:13:09.98\00:13:12.89
It's a little easier, isn't it?
00:13:12.89\00:13:15.16
Because you started a path
00:13:15.16\00:13:19.03
and so you still
find you miss stuff,
00:13:19.03\00:13:20.76
you get snagged.
00:13:20.76\00:13:22.03
Little by little that
trail if you continue to use it,
00:13:22.03\00:13:25.63
gets wider until pretty soon
00:13:25.63\00:13:27.80
the berries don't
touch you anymore.
00:13:27.80\00:13:31.44
That's like
breaking a bad habit.
00:13:31.44\00:13:33.98
The first time you say,
00:13:33.98\00:13:35.41
I don't want to do this anymore,
00:13:35.41\00:13:37.21
I want a new
path, it's a struggle.
00:13:37.21\00:13:40.25
But every time in your brain
you say no to the temptation,
00:13:40.25\00:13:44.75
you're building a path
00:13:44.75\00:13:46.25
and it gets easier
and easier and easier
00:13:46.25\00:13:48.76
and conversely, when
you develop a bad habit,
00:13:48.76\00:13:51.96
every time you say
yes to something bad...
00:13:51.96\00:13:57.37
Any of you remember the sermon
00:13:57.37\00:13:58.87
I did on Cold Confession
about my addiction to ice cream?
00:13:58.87\00:14:03.27
Do you know I was not
born eating ice cream?
00:14:03.27\00:14:06.21
I developed that habit
00:14:06.21\00:14:07.31
and it started
through once or twice that,
00:14:07.31\00:14:10.25
you know, my mom,
couple times a week she'd say,
00:14:10.25\00:14:12.08
"You can have ice
cream for dessert."
00:14:12.08\00:14:14.15
And I enjoyed it so much.
00:14:14.15\00:14:15.38
I want to do it every night.
00:14:15.38\00:14:17.45
And when I moved
to live with my dad,
00:14:17.45\00:14:18.65
I got to be a teenager,
I could do it every night.
00:14:18.65\00:14:21.42
And then just it got to
where I developed a habit
00:14:21.42\00:14:24.33
where I thought I had
to have it every night,
00:14:24.33\00:14:25.83
but it started little by little.
00:14:25.83\00:14:28.60
The way you change your habit
is the same thing in reverse,
00:14:28.60\00:14:31.47
you got to say
no little by little
00:14:31.47\00:14:33.17
and then replace it
with something good,
00:14:33.17\00:14:36.00
instead, tofu ice cream
or whatever it happens to be.
00:14:36.00\00:14:41.58
So the whole Christian
life it revolves around habits,
00:14:41.58\00:14:45.45
and you want to
have the good habits.
00:14:45.45\00:14:47.42
Listen to this in
Testimonies Volume 4,
00:14:47.42\00:14:49.48
there's a quote,
this is in your lesson.
00:14:49.48\00:14:51.69
"We shall individually,
for time and eternity,
00:14:51.69\00:14:54.49
be what our habits make us.
00:14:54.49\00:14:57.29
The lives of those
who form right habits,
00:14:57.29\00:15:00.43
and are faithful in the
performance of every duty,
00:15:00.43\00:15:02.93
will be as shining lights,
00:15:02.93\00:15:04.43
shedding bright beams
upon the pathway of others."
00:15:04.43\00:15:07.70
Our good influence
will affect others.
00:15:07.70\00:15:10.71
So we want to have the
habits that will please God.
00:15:10.71\00:15:14.48
All right, here
we're going to start going
00:15:14.48\00:15:16.04
into some of those
sections now in your lesson.
00:15:16.04\00:15:18.78
Here's a habit, a habit
of making God a priority.
00:15:18.78\00:15:23.08
Think it says in your
studies, seeking God first.
00:15:23.08\00:15:27.62
Matthew 6:33,
00:15:27.62\00:15:29.39
"What's to be the
priority for the Christian?"
00:15:29.39\00:15:31.86
Seek ye...
00:15:31.86\00:15:33.66
How many of you know this one?
00:15:33.66\00:15:34.73
You know the song?
00:15:34.73\00:15:36.36
Seek ye first the kingdom
of God and His righteousness,
00:15:36.36\00:15:40.90
seeking the righteousness
of God in your life,
00:15:40.90\00:15:43.00
seeking His
kingdom in your life,
00:15:43.00\00:15:44.67
making that the
priority of everything you do.
00:15:44.67\00:15:46.84
When you evaluate
00:15:46.84\00:15:48.48
what are the
priorities for your day,
00:15:48.48\00:15:51.31
and what you're going to say,
and what you're going to do,
00:15:51.31\00:15:53.88
always ask "How will this
affect the kingdom of God?
00:15:53.88\00:15:57.55
How will this communicate
the righteousness of Jesus?"
00:15:57.55\00:16:03.06
You ever met
anybody that the only way
00:16:03.06\00:16:05.23
you could see things
the way they see things
00:16:05.23\00:16:07.23
as if you put on their glasses?
00:16:07.23\00:16:09.83
You know what I'm talking about,
00:16:09.83\00:16:10.90
they got the strange belief.
00:16:10.90\00:16:13.34
I hope I don't
hurt anybody's feelings.
00:16:13.34\00:16:16.47
But Pastor Ross and I
got a phone call last week
00:16:16.47\00:16:19.64
at the radio station,
00:16:19.64\00:16:21.34
and at the beginning of the call
00:16:21.34\00:16:22.41
they just seemed so nice,
00:16:22.41\00:16:24.21
and then they began
to try to persuade me
00:16:24.21\00:16:26.08
that the earth was flat.
00:16:26.08\00:16:28.68
Now if I heard
that a few years ago,
00:16:28.68\00:16:30.02
I thought this is a joke
but they are dead serious.
00:16:30.02\00:16:33.66
And they started looking
at all the verses in the Bible
00:16:33.66\00:16:36.19
and I had never
looked at the verses
00:16:36.19\00:16:38.33
that way to say
the earth was flat.
00:16:38.33\00:16:41.83
And I had to see what
they see the way they see it,
00:16:41.83\00:16:44.47
you have to wear their glasses.
00:16:44.47\00:16:48.17
As a Christian, you
need to put on glasses
00:16:48.17\00:16:50.51
where you see everything in life
00:16:50.51\00:16:52.91
through the
spectacles of God's kingdom
00:16:52.91\00:16:55.58
is the priority.
00:16:55.58\00:16:57.41
That's good,
those are good glasses.
00:16:57.41\00:16:59.61
Some people put
on the wrong glasses
00:16:59.61\00:17:01.02
and they see everything
00:17:01.02\00:17:02.22
through the perspective
of how will this benefit me?
00:17:02.22\00:17:05.79
What will this get me?
00:17:05.79\00:17:07.72
And as a Christian
you don't think that way,
00:17:07.72\00:17:09.82
you think how
will this glorify God?
00:17:09.82\00:17:12.56
How will this spread His word?
00:17:12.56\00:17:15.20
So seeking God first
must be the priority.
00:17:15.20\00:17:18.93
Was that the
priority with Jesus?
00:17:18.93\00:17:22.20
Luke 2:46, "So it
was after three days..."
00:17:22.20\00:17:27.01
Remember, Mary and Joseph
00:17:27.01\00:17:28.08
on their way
back from the feast,
00:17:28.08\00:17:30.38
they thought Jesus was somewhere
00:17:30.38\00:17:31.81
in the parade of
people heading north
00:17:31.81\00:17:33.62
and they didn't see Him.
00:17:33.62\00:17:35.68
Says after three days,
00:17:35.68\00:17:36.75
they found Him in the temple
00:17:36.75\00:17:38.22
sitting in the
midst of the teachers,
00:17:38.22\00:17:40.56
both listening to
them and asking questions,
00:17:40.56\00:17:43.16
and all who heard
Him were astonished
00:17:43.16\00:17:44.96
at His
understanding and answers.
00:17:44.96\00:17:46.86
So when they, Mary
and Joseph saw Him,
00:17:46.86\00:17:48.56
they were amazed.
00:17:48.56\00:17:50.00
And his mother said, "Son,
why have you done this to us?
00:17:50.00\00:17:54.14
Look, your father and I
have sought you anxiously."
00:17:54.14\00:17:57.87
And he said,
"Why did you seek me?
00:17:57.87\00:17:59.81
Did you not know I must be
about my father's business?"
00:17:59.81\00:18:03.01
What was the priority for Jesus?
00:18:03.01\00:18:05.95
The father's business,
00:18:05.95\00:18:07.95
more than his
mother and His father?
00:18:07.95\00:18:11.82
Matthew 10:37, "He who loves
father or mother more than me
00:18:11.82\00:18:16.42
is not worthy of me
00:18:16.42\00:18:17.99
and he that
loves son or daughter
00:18:17.99\00:18:20.00
more than me is
not worthy of me."
00:18:20.00\00:18:22.80
Now did God
model what He teaches?
00:18:22.80\00:18:27.17
Did God put His son
00:18:27.17\00:18:30.91
on the altar for us?
00:18:30.91\00:18:34.51
So His love for us,
00:18:34.51\00:18:36.11
did Abraham put his
son on the altar for God?
00:18:36.11\00:18:40.72
Did Jesus put Himself
on the altar to save us?
00:18:40.72\00:18:44.12
God is saying, I
need to be your priority,
00:18:44.12\00:18:47.09
even at the
expense of your life,
00:18:47.09\00:18:48.72
seeking first His kingdom.
00:18:48.72\00:18:50.23
That's easy in theory for me
to stand here and teach that,
00:18:50.23\00:18:52.49
I'll tell you it's
really hard in practicing that.
00:18:52.49\00:18:57.03
And I talk to
somebody just this last week
00:18:57.03\00:19:00.97
that lost a child
in a terrible accident,
00:19:00.97\00:19:06.41
a pastor,
actually lost a grandchild.
00:19:06.41\00:19:09.71
And we wrote a note and said,
00:19:09.71\00:19:15.22
"We know how you feel."
00:19:15.22\00:19:18.75
And they understood that's
all we needed to say, we know.
00:19:18.75\00:19:21.42
Matter of fact,
I didn't even said,
00:19:21.42\00:19:22.49
I think I said, "How you feel?"
00:19:22.49\00:19:23.93
We just said, "We know."
00:19:23.93\00:19:25.66
And it's hard to explain.
00:19:25.66\00:19:26.93
So when you're talking theory
00:19:26.93\00:19:28.16
about putting it
all on the altar,
00:19:28.16\00:19:29.46
it sounds really good in church,
00:19:29.46\00:19:30.53
but when you
get out of church...
00:19:30.53\00:19:33.70
You talk about Will, I love him
more than my father and mother,
00:19:33.70\00:19:36.67
Jesus said, you know, even
for seeking husband or wife
00:19:36.67\00:19:39.74
for my sake in the gospels,
really making God a priority.
00:19:39.74\00:19:43.85
That's hard.
00:19:43.85\00:19:45.01
But when you think about
it, it's the logical thing to do
00:19:45.01\00:19:47.88
because what do you love more,
00:19:47.88\00:19:50.09
a gift or the one
who gives you the gift?
00:19:50.09\00:19:54.66
It should be, I mean,
are you going to love the...
00:19:54.66\00:19:56.99
It's like people
worshipping the sun
00:19:56.99\00:19:58.56
instead of the one
who made the sun, right?
00:19:58.56\00:20:01.93
So we're to worship the
giver more than the gift,
00:20:01.93\00:20:05.43
and so even our
family and our loved ones
00:20:05.43\00:20:08.17
come from God.
00:20:08.17\00:20:09.90
I knew a lady that
she learned the truth
00:20:09.90\00:20:13.31
and she was going
to church for a while
00:20:13.31\00:20:15.58
and that bothered her
husband, he didn't believe,
00:20:15.58\00:20:18.08
and then she
started missing church.
00:20:18.08\00:20:20.55
And I said, "Sister, you know,
00:20:20.55\00:20:22.85
I haven't seen you for a while."
00:20:22.85\00:20:24.02
"But my husband, he, you
know, I got to honor my husband,
00:20:24.02\00:20:28.02
he doesn't want
me to go to church."
00:20:28.02\00:20:29.32
And I said, "You
know, there's a lot of areas
00:20:29.32\00:20:31.53
where I think
that would be true,
00:20:31.53\00:20:32.63
but if you're putting him
above God that's a mistake,
00:20:32.63\00:20:35.23
you need to put God first."
00:20:35.23\00:20:37.83
And her husband had a
terrible accident at work
00:20:37.83\00:20:41.64
that nearly killed him,
put him in the hospital,
00:20:41.64\00:20:44.47
I went to the
hospital to visit him.
00:20:44.47\00:20:46.37
And she said in
front of her husband,
00:20:46.37\00:20:48.64
"I had made a mistake, I
put my husband ahead of God
00:20:48.64\00:20:51.41
and God almost
took my husband away."
00:20:51.41\00:20:54.32
And reminding me that He
needs to be first in my life
00:20:54.32\00:20:57.75
and sometimes the best thing
00:20:57.75\00:20:59.05
you can do to
reach the ones you love
00:20:59.05\00:21:00.89
is by putting God first,
not by putting them first.
00:21:00.89\00:21:05.03
And so He really
needs to be the priority.
00:21:05.03\00:21:08.20
Now someone's going to read
for me in a moment Proverbs 2,
00:21:08.20\00:21:11.70
if you have that, all right,
00:21:11.70\00:21:13.07
I'm going to read
a couple of others.
00:21:13.07\00:21:15.60
Hosea 5:15, said "I will
return again to my place,
00:21:15.60\00:21:21.58
I will return again to my place
00:21:21.58\00:21:23.35
till they have
acknowledged their offense.
00:21:23.35\00:21:25.55
They will seek my
face in their affliction,
00:21:25.55\00:21:28.08
they will earnestly seek me."
00:21:28.08\00:21:30.25
Why does God sometimes
allow us to go through trials?
00:21:30.25\00:21:33.96
To get our priorities right.
00:21:33.96\00:21:36.93
Have you ever discovered that?
00:21:36.93\00:21:38.89
Sometimes you get shocked
all of a sudden you think,
00:21:38.89\00:21:41.43
you know, the only thing that
really matters is a loving God,
00:21:41.43\00:21:44.17
loving my neighbor,
00:21:44.17\00:21:45.43
and it is so easy for us to get
distracted with other things.
00:21:45.43\00:21:49.20
Now go ahead and read
for us please your verse.
00:21:49.20\00:21:53.24
"If you seek her as silver
00:21:53.24\00:21:56.08
and search for her
as for hidden treasures,
00:21:56.08\00:21:59.38
then you will
understand the fear of the Lord
00:21:59.38\00:22:02.52
and find the knowledge of God."
00:22:02.52\00:22:05.02
Thank you. Yeah,
that's Proverbs 2:4 and 5.
00:22:05.02\00:22:08.16
Seeking after the wisdom of God,
00:22:08.16\00:22:09.99
of course, that's
the Spirit of God.
00:22:09.99\00:22:11.93
One of the gifts of
the Spirit is wisdom.
00:22:11.93\00:22:14.63
And so it's talking
about seeking after God.
00:22:14.63\00:22:16.50
How?
00:22:16.50\00:22:17.63
More than any earthly treasure.
00:22:17.63\00:22:19.27
I don't know if I
should tell you this,
00:22:23.47\00:22:24.57
but this week Karen
and I were at a convention,
00:22:24.57\00:22:28.51
we're in a hotel
room, turned on the TV.
00:22:28.51\00:22:31.28
I always feel little
conflicted mentioning TV
00:22:31.28\00:22:33.52
'cause I think most
Christians would be better
00:22:33.52\00:22:35.15
if they didn't even have a TV.
00:22:35.15\00:22:38.25
Many believers
would be Christians
00:22:38.25\00:22:40.26
if they didn't have TV,
00:22:40.26\00:22:41.52
anyway so I'm
confessing, we turn on the TV.
00:22:41.52\00:22:43.93
And then I thought we'll
put on Discovery channel,
00:22:43.93\00:22:45.76
maybe there will
be something edifying.
00:22:45.76\00:22:47.83
And they went in this
long thing about these people
00:22:47.83\00:22:51.80
that have been spend
years and millions of dollars,
00:22:51.80\00:22:55.07
looking for
treasure on an island
00:22:55.07\00:22:58.64
called the Oak Island
or something like that.
00:22:58.64\00:23:00.78
People died
looking for the treasure
00:23:00.78\00:23:02.74
and it's all based on
some legends and myths,
00:23:02.74\00:23:05.35
and personally from what I saw,
00:23:05.35\00:23:06.58
I don't think
there's any treasure there.
00:23:06.58\00:23:08.65
But they dug
holes and friends died,
00:23:08.65\00:23:10.65
and they're
looking for treasure,
00:23:10.65\00:23:11.82
years, generations,
looking for treasure.
00:23:11.82\00:23:15.42
And I thought would God,
00:23:15.42\00:23:16.49
that people would
look for God that way,
00:23:16.49\00:23:18.69
invest their means,
invest their energy,
00:23:18.69\00:23:20.80
put their lives on the line,
00:23:20.80\00:23:22.03
seeking after God like treasure.
00:23:22.03\00:23:24.00
And this is what
Solomon is saying,
00:23:24.00\00:23:26.37
and that we should
make that priority.
00:23:26.37\00:23:29.57
Psalm 27:8, "When
You said, "Seek My face,"
00:23:29.57\00:23:34.78
my heart said to You,
00:23:34.78\00:23:35.84
"Your face, O
Lord, will I shall seek."
00:23:35.84\00:23:38.21
What was the big
desire in the heart of Moses?
00:23:38.21\00:23:42.35
I mean, Moses had a
close relationship with God.
00:23:42.35\00:23:45.89
If you could ask God a
question, what would you ask?
00:23:45.89\00:23:49.12
Solomon asked for wisdom.
00:23:49.12\00:23:50.29
Moses said, "Lord, I
want to see Your glory.
00:23:50.29\00:23:53.29
Can I see Your face?"
00:23:53.29\00:23:55.63
And so often in the Bible says,
00:23:55.63\00:23:58.93
"No man could see God and live."
00:23:58.93\00:24:01.00
Meaning, we can't see
the Father and His glory
00:24:01.00\00:24:02.84
in our sinful condition.
00:24:02.84\00:24:04.14
But Revelation
concludes by saying
00:24:04.14\00:24:06.64
and they will see His face.
00:24:06.64\00:24:10.21
Blessed are the
pure in heart for, what?
00:24:10.21\00:24:12.81
They will see God.
00:24:12.81\00:24:16.05
And so that ought to be
the big desire of our life.
00:24:16.05\00:24:20.19
Someone was talking
to Martin Luther about,
00:24:20.19\00:24:22.29
you know, all the
different things in heaven,
00:24:22.29\00:24:23.93
what will you
want to do in heaven
00:24:23.93\00:24:25.16
and there will be
golden streets in heaven,
00:24:25.16\00:24:27.03
and he said, I just want
to see the face of the Lord.
00:24:27.03\00:24:31.10
Two of the most exalted
angels in all of eternity,
00:24:31.10\00:24:34.40
their job is to be
in the presence of God
00:24:34.40\00:24:36.77
and look at His face,
00:24:36.77\00:24:38.17
and they just
declared glory, glory, glory,
00:24:38.17\00:24:40.11
holy, holy, holy,
00:24:40.11\00:24:41.78
just to see the
face of the Lord.
00:24:41.78\00:24:44.98
All right, and we do this
through our personal devotions.
00:24:44.98\00:24:49.52
Now we're talking about habits.
00:24:49.52\00:24:53.22
It's letter 36, 1901, it
says, "Every morning dedicate
00:24:53.22\00:24:57.53
your soul, body,
and spirit to God,
00:24:57.53\00:25:00.50
establish habits of devotion,
00:25:00.50\00:25:03.63
trust more and
more in your savior."
00:25:03.63\00:25:07.17
Now, what does it say
about Daniel in chapter 6,
00:25:07.17\00:25:11.51
when he went to his upper room?
00:25:11.51\00:25:14.04
He knelt on his knees
and he prayed for Jerusalem,
00:25:14.04\00:25:17.58
windows are open.
00:25:17.58\00:25:19.35
How many times?
00:25:19.35\00:25:21.25
Three times a day.
00:25:21.25\00:25:22.98
Did he just start doing
that when Darius became king,
00:25:22.98\00:25:26.19
or what does it say?
00:25:26.19\00:25:27.96
As he had done,
since he was a youth.
00:25:27.96\00:25:30.93
He developed a
habit of reading the Word.
00:25:30.93\00:25:33.50
How do you know
he read the Word?
00:25:33.50\00:25:35.26
You read in Daniel 9, it says,
00:25:35.26\00:25:36.83
I was reading the
prophecy of Jeremiah.
00:25:36.83\00:25:39.80
Another reason I know
that Daniel read the Word.
00:25:39.80\00:25:42.10
Why did he prayed
towards Jerusalem?
00:25:42.10\00:25:44.77
Because he read in the
Bible where Solomon said,
00:25:44.77\00:25:46.81
if you're carried
away because of your sins
00:25:46.81\00:25:48.64
then you pray
towards this place.
00:25:48.64\00:25:51.25
Why did he pray
three times a day?
00:25:51.25\00:25:52.81
'Cause Daniel read
in the Bible in Psalm 55
00:25:52.81\00:25:55.25
where King David said,
00:25:55.25\00:25:56.35
"Morning, evening,
and at noon will I pray."
00:25:56.35\00:25:58.79
So it wasn't just Daniel
00:25:58.79\00:26:00.39
that had the habit
of personal devotions,
00:26:00.39\00:26:02.92
what about David?
00:26:02.92\00:26:05.66
King David says so
much about meditate,
00:26:05.66\00:26:07.66
and David's meditation
is not eastern meditation,
00:26:07.66\00:26:09.70
I'm talking about
thinking on the Word of God.
00:26:09.70\00:26:12.17
And so often, you'll see
the words Selah in the Psalms
00:26:12.17\00:26:17.41
and that means think on this.
00:26:17.41\00:26:19.14
So that something
profound would be written,
00:26:19.14\00:26:21.14
it says, "Think on this,"
that means meditate on this.
00:26:21.14\00:26:23.21
And so meditating
on the Word of God,
00:26:23.21\00:26:25.75
I tell you we just got back,
00:26:25.75\00:26:27.15
I told you twice
already from this convention.
00:26:27.15\00:26:29.78
And they had some kids there
00:26:29.78\00:26:32.55
that were from a
Bible be around the country,
00:26:32.55\00:26:36.66
all different
churches came together,
00:26:36.66\00:26:38.26
and these kids,
all different ages,
00:26:38.26\00:26:40.03
one of them looked like
she was seven years old,
00:26:40.03\00:26:42.36
were reciting the
long passages of scripture.
00:26:42.36\00:26:45.47
That to me was one of the
most inspiring things I saw.
00:26:45.47\00:26:48.37
We saw these kids, just
one passage after another.
00:26:48.37\00:26:50.47
You could open your
Bible and follow along,
00:26:50.47\00:26:52.24
there are some who are
not using the King James
00:26:52.24\00:26:53.91
but you could
see that they had it.
00:26:53.91\00:26:56.11
And they were
memorizing entire chapters,
00:26:56.11\00:26:59.25
difficult ones,
like, you know, Paul,
00:26:59.25\00:27:01.82
read what Paul
says in Colossians 1,
00:27:01.82\00:27:03.69
try and memorize that.
00:27:03.69\00:27:05.12
It is so deep and here,
00:27:05.12\00:27:06.62
a nine year old
using these lofty terms,
00:27:06.62\00:27:09.32
it was inspiring.
00:27:09.32\00:27:10.93
So we need to have habits
of studying the Word of God,
00:27:10.93\00:27:14.23
memorizing the Word of God.
00:27:14.23\00:27:16.53
How do we resist temptation?
00:27:16.53\00:27:18.40
By word I have
hidden in my heart.
00:27:18.40\00:27:20.44
What does that mean?
00:27:20.44\00:27:21.50
Stored it, that I
might not sin against you,
00:27:21.50\00:27:25.24
prayer, having
habits of devotions.
00:27:25.24\00:27:29.98
This is what it
means to walk with God,
00:27:29.98\00:27:31.85
not just praying
three times a day,
00:27:31.85\00:27:33.38
but thinking about
Him and His presence.
00:27:33.38\00:27:36.25
All right, another habit,
00:27:36.25\00:27:37.89
next section here is
the habit of looking for,
00:27:37.89\00:27:41.16
living in the
expectancy of Christ's return.
00:27:41.16\00:27:44.19
I'm really glad
this is in the lesson
00:27:44.19\00:27:46.19
because I've seen
some things written,
00:27:46.19\00:27:48.80
even in our own
church lately where it says,
00:27:48.80\00:27:52.67
you know, we need to be
thinking about the here and now
00:27:52.67\00:27:54.77
and not just
constantly believing
00:27:54.77\00:27:56.50
for some future event,
00:27:56.50\00:27:57.94
it's, you know, 100,
50 years have gone by
00:27:57.94\00:28:01.11
and Adventists have
talked about the second coming
00:28:01.11\00:28:03.11
and we need to stop
focusing on prophecy
00:28:03.11\00:28:05.08
and start focusing on
how to minister socially
00:28:05.08\00:28:07.75
now to people.
00:28:07.75\00:28:09.35
And the idea of living
00:28:09.35\00:28:10.95
with an expectancy
of the second coming
00:28:10.95\00:28:12.95
has been played out.
00:28:12.95\00:28:14.32
Am I the only
one that's heard that
00:28:14.32\00:28:15.56
or if you noticed that?
00:28:15.56\00:28:17.86
Oh, no, no. And, you know what?
00:28:17.86\00:28:19.86
You're in good company
00:28:19.86\00:28:20.96
if you make the
priority of Jesus coming
00:28:20.96\00:28:25.37
big in your life.
00:28:25.37\00:28:27.07
How does the New Testament end?
00:28:27.07\00:28:29.50
Even so come Lord Jesus.
00:28:29.50\00:28:33.31
Did the Apostle John
00:28:33.31\00:28:34.38
lived with an
expectancy of the second coming?
00:28:34.38\00:28:37.41
Adventists, people live in,
00:28:37.41\00:28:38.65
especially in the last
phase of church history,
00:28:38.65\00:28:41.52
should have an
expectancy of Jesus' coming.
00:28:41.52\00:28:44.95
Titus 2:13 just going to
give you a bunch of verses here,
00:28:44.95\00:28:47.76
then I see some scriptures
or questions are on the screen.
00:28:47.76\00:28:51.63
"Looking for the blessed
hope in the glorious appearing
00:28:51.63\00:28:54.56
of our great God and
Savior Jesus Christ."
00:28:54.56\00:28:58.33
You know, living
with the expectancy
00:28:58.33\00:29:00.47
that you're going
to see someone you love
00:29:00.47\00:29:02.57
is a motivating power.
00:29:02.57\00:29:05.27
Living with an expectancy
00:29:05.27\00:29:07.28
that you're going
to soon be with Christ
00:29:07.28\00:29:09.38
is it's a wonderful thing.
00:29:09.38\00:29:11.58
And, you know,
every believer knows
00:29:11.58\00:29:15.52
that whether you see the Lord
00:29:15.52\00:29:17.69
because you
live and you're alive
00:29:17.69\00:29:20.39
when He comes, or
you live a faithful life
00:29:20.39\00:29:22.82
and then you see Him,
it's short either way.
00:29:22.82\00:29:27.23
I mean, if we've had
three score in 10 years
00:29:27.23\00:29:29.03
or if by reason of
strength, we live longer.
00:29:29.03\00:29:31.60
What is that
compared to eternity?
00:29:31.60\00:29:34.00
Our lives are short.
Jesus is coming soon for you.
00:29:34.00\00:29:38.17
Ready or not, you
know what I'm saying.
00:29:38.17\00:29:40.61
And so we need to be
living in a sense of expectancy,
00:29:40.61\00:29:43.08
and that's why the
Bible writers wrote this.
00:29:43.08\00:29:45.81
Philippians 3:20, "For
our citizenship is in heaven
00:29:45.81\00:29:49.22
from which we also
eagerly wait for the Savior,
00:29:49.22\00:29:54.06
the Lord Jesus Christ."
00:29:54.06\00:29:55.79
How are we to do it?
00:29:55.79\00:29:57.36
We're living with
an eager anticipation.
00:29:57.36\00:30:00.83
Now someone is going to read
Hebrews 10:25 in just a minute.
00:30:00.83\00:30:04.17
I'm going to read Luke 12:35.
00:30:04.17\00:30:07.17
Here Jesus is sharing a parable,
00:30:07.17\00:30:09.00
"Let your waist be
girded and your lamps burning
00:30:09.00\00:30:11.71
and you yourselves be like
men who wait for their master,
00:30:11.71\00:30:15.51
when He will
return from the wedding,
00:30:15.51\00:30:17.55
that when He knocks they
may open to him immediately."
00:30:17.55\00:30:19.91
Why did they open immediately?
00:30:19.91\00:30:21.28
'Cause they're expecting Him.
00:30:21.28\00:30:23.82
"Blessed are those
servants whom the master,
00:30:23.82\00:30:25.75
when He comes,
will find watching."
00:30:25.75\00:30:27.96
Living within the
essence of expectancy.
00:30:27.96\00:30:32.13
"Assuredly, I say to you
that He will gird Himself
00:30:32.13\00:30:36.13
have them sit down to eat,
and will come and serve them.
00:30:36.13\00:30:39.80
And if He should
come in the second watch,
00:30:39.80\00:30:41.90
or come in the third
watch, and find them so,
00:30:41.90\00:30:44.57
blessed are those servants.
00:30:44.57\00:30:46.44
But know this, that if
the master of the house
00:30:46.44\00:30:48.81
had known what hour
the thief would come,
00:30:48.81\00:30:50.41
he would have
watched and not allowed."
00:30:50.41\00:30:52.35
At any cost if you
knew a thief was coming,
00:30:52.35\00:30:53.95
you would stay awake.
00:30:53.95\00:30:55.08
"He would have watched
00:30:55.08\00:30:56.05
and not allowed his
house to be broken into.
00:30:56.05\00:30:57.75
Therefore, you also be ready."
00:30:57.75\00:31:01.66
The Bible says
that we should live
00:31:01.66\00:31:03.16
looking up with
our heads lifted,
00:31:03.16\00:31:07.60
praying that we
should be accounted
00:31:07.60\00:31:08.73
worthy to stand
before when He comes.
00:31:08.73\00:31:10.23
"Therefore, you also be
ready for the Son of Man
00:31:10.23\00:31:12.77
is coming at an hour
that you do not expect."
00:31:12.77\00:31:15.10
In Matthew 24, how
does Jesus end Matthew 24?
00:31:15.10\00:31:19.64
"If that evil
servant says in his heart,
00:31:19.64\00:31:21.24
'My Lord delays His coming.'"
00:31:21.24\00:31:24.05
And begins to eat and
drink with the drunkard
00:31:24.05\00:31:26.48
and beat his fellow servants.
00:31:26.48\00:31:28.12
The master of that
servant will come in an hour
00:31:28.12\00:31:30.05
he is not looking for and
a day he is not prepared for.
00:31:30.05\00:31:33.49
I messed up a little
bit but that's the idea.
00:31:33.49\00:31:37.36
But who is a
faithful and just servant
00:31:37.36\00:31:39.73
that will be
giving his fellow servants
00:31:39.73\00:31:41.36
a meat in due season.
00:31:41.36\00:31:42.70
That servant will be blessed.
00:31:42.70\00:31:43.77
You're waiting
for the Lord's coming.
00:31:43.77\00:31:46.20
I remember years ago, I
have probably told you this,
00:31:46.20\00:31:51.07
when I went to
military school, they used to...
00:31:51.07\00:31:53.14
Once a year have
the big inspection
00:31:53.14\00:31:54.94
they call that GI,
government inspection.
00:31:54.94\00:31:57.15
You weren't just
inspected by the local officers,
00:31:57.15\00:31:59.55
they brought in
someone from the Pentagon
00:31:59.55\00:32:02.12
who inspected the
rooms of all the cadets
00:32:02.12\00:32:05.15
at New York Military Academy.
00:32:05.15\00:32:07.52
And, I mean, we spent weeks
00:32:07.52\00:32:10.13
getting ready for
government inspection,
00:32:10.13\00:32:13.36
we polished, every
button were shining,
00:32:13.36\00:32:16.63
we literally
polished with Brasso,
00:32:16.63\00:32:18.67
and our shoes were shining.
00:32:18.67\00:32:20.34
And we cleaned our windows,
00:32:20.34\00:32:21.90
you couldn't have one
streak in your window.
00:32:21.90\00:32:23.57
Our beds were made so
tight, they look like plastic.
00:32:23.57\00:32:26.11
I mean, and you could
bounce a quarter on the bed,
00:32:26.11\00:32:28.51
you didn't see a
single wrinkle in the sheet,
00:32:28.51\00:32:30.71
and everything on
the shelves was stack,
00:32:30.71\00:32:32.58
all the books in order.
00:32:32.58\00:32:34.18
No dust anywhere,
you could literally...
00:32:34.18\00:32:36.18
I would have eaten off my floor,
00:32:36.18\00:32:37.42
it was that clean.
00:32:37.42\00:32:38.85
And so we had to get
the whole room clean,
00:32:38.85\00:32:41.26
but there is hundreds
of cadets at the school.
00:32:41.26\00:32:43.29
And so when the
government inspection began
00:32:43.29\00:32:44.93
something came over the place,
00:32:44.93\00:32:46.33
government inspection has began.
00:32:46.33\00:32:47.60
You had to stand in your
dress, uniform, white gloves on.
00:32:47.60\00:32:50.50
And wait for, at
this point it was General,
00:32:50.50\00:32:56.04
was it George Westmoreland,
00:32:56.04\00:32:57.67
some of you may
remember that name.
00:32:57.67\00:33:00.11
And he was coming
through to inspect, a General.
00:33:00.11\00:33:04.08
And we're all
standing at our doors waiting,
00:33:04.08\00:33:05.68
and then someone would say,
00:33:05.68\00:33:07.52
you know, "Attention,
he is coming to the hall."
00:33:07.52\00:33:09.92
But it took, you know,
minutes went by, hours went by.
00:33:09.92\00:33:13.12
And we were boys,
you know, I was like 13.
00:33:13.12\00:33:15.92
And you're kind of,
you're all looking around,
00:33:15.92\00:33:17.06
you're picking
your heads out the door
00:33:17.06\00:33:18.79
and just waiting and starting
to get more and more relax,
00:33:18.79\00:33:21.56
you know, how it was.
00:33:21.56\00:33:24.20
I mean, hours
we're waiting all day
00:33:24.20\00:33:26.37
for this inspection to happen.
00:33:26.37\00:33:28.07
Now what I didn't tell you
is we used to wax our floors,
00:33:28.07\00:33:30.94
we buffed them
with a buffing machine.
00:33:30.94\00:33:32.94
We used this butcher wax
and spread out, buffed it.
00:33:32.94\00:33:35.08
It was so slick.
00:33:35.08\00:33:36.68
And we used to have fun.
00:33:36.68\00:33:38.01
You take off your shoes
and you run up the hall,
00:33:38.01\00:33:40.55
and you just slide
just like a skating rink.
00:33:40.55\00:33:43.75
And so some of the
boys, they looked around,
00:33:43.75\00:33:46.05
they flipped off their shoes,
and they would go running...
00:33:46.05\00:33:48.29
They thought it would
be funny to go sliding by,
00:33:48.29\00:33:49.89
you go, you know,
they're showing off,
00:33:49.89\00:33:51.83
look, I'm not scared
that the General might come.
00:33:51.83\00:33:55.46
And so some of the guys were
sliding up and down the hall,
00:33:55.46\00:33:58.33
and I didn't do it, I thought,
00:33:58.33\00:33:59.50
"You guys are
going to get busted."
00:33:59.50\00:34:02.90
And all of a sudden
someone came up our land
00:34:02.90\00:34:05.37
and they announced, attention...
00:34:05.37\00:34:07.61
I forgot they had some command
00:34:07.61\00:34:08.98
they gave when
the General was there.
00:34:08.98\00:34:11.25
And right when he entered...
00:34:11.25\00:34:14.38
Came up the
stairs on to our floor
00:34:14.38\00:34:16.58
one of the kid
that went sliding by.
00:34:16.58\00:34:21.26
And the General said,
00:34:21.26\00:34:22.32
"You wicked and
faithless servant."
00:34:22.32\00:34:24.29
No, he didn't say it.
00:34:24.29\00:34:26.43
But you could see
00:34:26.43\00:34:28.13
and that's human
nature, isn't it?
00:34:28.13\00:34:30.80
We get tired of waiting,
00:34:30.80\00:34:32.73
and we don't live with
the sense of expectancy
00:34:32.73\00:34:35.07
that we should be
ready at any movement
00:34:35.07\00:34:38.11
because we don't know, amen?
00:34:38.11\00:34:39.57
All right, let's...
00:34:39.57\00:34:40.64
Wait a second, we're
going to read a verse.
00:34:40.64\00:34:42.98
Go ahead.
00:34:42.98\00:34:44.45
Hebrews 10:25,
00:34:44.45\00:34:46.65
"Not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together,
00:34:46.65\00:34:49.25
as is the manner of some,
00:34:49.25\00:34:50.85
but exhorting one another,
00:34:50.85\00:34:52.19
and so much the more as
you see the Day approaching."
00:34:52.19\00:34:55.19
Now, if Paul wrote
that back then in Hebrews
00:34:55.19\00:34:57.79
as you see the day approaching
exhort people even more
00:34:57.79\00:35:01.03
to not forsake
assembling together,
00:35:01.03\00:35:03.06
and we should exhort people
as we see the day approaching.
00:35:03.06\00:35:06.00
Is it just me or do you
see the day approaching?
00:35:06.00\00:35:10.31
And, you know, I see
signs of the coming of the Lord.
00:35:10.31\00:35:14.78
People go, "Oh,
they've seen that for years.
00:35:14.78\00:35:16.51
Pastors have been talking about
00:35:16.51\00:35:17.71
the coming of the
Lord for years and..."
00:35:17.71\00:35:20.58
Yeah, one of these
days we're going to be right
00:35:20.58\00:35:23.05
and He is going to come.
00:35:23.05\00:35:24.69
And we all have been
saying He's going to come soon
00:35:24.69\00:35:27.46
and when He does come,
00:35:27.46\00:35:28.56
I can promise you it will
be too soon for many people.
00:35:28.56\00:35:32.83
Also look at
Hebrews 11:10, it says,
00:35:32.83\00:35:35.76
"He waited for the
city that have foundations,
00:35:35.76\00:35:38.17
whose builder and maker is God."
00:35:38.17\00:35:40.40
They look forward,
the Bible picture that,
00:35:40.40\00:35:42.67
even in the Old Testament
00:35:42.67\00:35:44.17
lived with the
sense of expectancy,
00:35:44.17\00:35:46.07
looking for it.
00:35:46.07\00:35:47.04
So don't ever be
ashamed of the name Adventist
00:35:47.04\00:35:51.18
that you're a person
00:35:51.18\00:35:52.21
who is looking forward
to the coming of the Lord.
00:35:52.21\00:35:54.25
The Bible writers were
Adventists in that sense.
00:35:54.25\00:35:57.42
All right, practical
question here that came in,
00:35:57.42\00:36:01.79
looks like through Facebook.
00:36:01.79\00:36:03.76
"What should I do
00:36:03.76\00:36:05.26
if I am starting
daily devotions?"
00:36:05.26\00:36:07.50
Great question.
00:36:07.50\00:36:08.96
Some people say, I
think you try and read
00:36:08.96\00:36:10.90
through the Bible in a month.
00:36:10.90\00:36:12.53
Don't overwhelm yourself.
00:36:12.53\00:36:16.10
One of the most important things
00:36:16.10\00:36:17.21
is not that you read a lot,
00:36:17.21\00:36:21.74
you may not even
understand everything you read.
00:36:21.74\00:36:24.25
The most important thing
about starting is starting.
00:36:24.25\00:36:28.28
Make up your mind, I'm
going to take this time
00:36:28.28\00:36:30.25
and then stick to it,
00:36:30.25\00:36:32.59
and continue it, be,
yes, religious about it.
00:36:32.59\00:36:37.63
And say I'm
going to take this time
00:36:37.63\00:36:39.06
and I'm going to
pray and, of course...
00:36:39.06\00:36:41.73
What I do, I get on
my knees and I pray,
00:36:41.73\00:36:44.10
and I try not to get
00:36:44.10\00:36:45.57
in the ritual of
saying the same thing.
00:36:45.57\00:36:47.44
Have you noticed?
00:36:47.44\00:36:48.87
Having the habit of
devotion doesn't mean
00:36:48.87\00:36:50.41
you say and do the same thing,
00:36:50.41\00:36:51.57
you'll just be
repeating the Lord's prayer
00:36:51.57\00:36:53.14
and Hail Mary.
00:36:53.14\00:36:54.24
And it stops
really being devotion.
00:36:54.24\00:36:56.24
You want to have
real interaction with God
00:36:56.24\00:36:58.48
where you're talking to Him,
00:36:58.48\00:36:59.48
you spend time,
listening to Him talk to you.
00:36:59.48\00:37:02.08
And then have something regular,
00:37:02.08\00:37:03.95
you're studying through
or you're reading through.
00:37:03.95\00:37:07.52
And, yeah, I'm always
reading through the Bible.
00:37:07.52\00:37:10.29
The only day of the week I
don't read a section of Bible
00:37:10.29\00:37:13.60
going through the
Bible is Sabbath morning
00:37:13.60\00:37:15.43
because I'm usually
touching up the sermon.
00:37:15.43\00:37:17.83
And the manna fell from
heaven six days a week, right?
00:37:17.83\00:37:21.24
So that's my excuse for that.
00:37:21.24\00:37:23.34
But, yeah, I study
Sabbath don't worry.
00:37:23.34\00:37:26.91
And you might want to begin by
00:37:26.91\00:37:32.91
getting an
overview of the Bible,
00:37:32.91\00:37:36.15
and I recommend
you read the books
00:37:36.15\00:37:37.49
that give you history.
00:37:37.49\00:37:39.52
Read like Genesis up to Exodus,
and then go Joshua, and Judges,
00:37:39.52\00:37:46.46
1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings.
00:37:46.46\00:37:48.40
You don't have to do Chronicles,
00:37:48.40\00:37:49.53
it's sort of a repeat of Kings,
00:37:49.53\00:37:51.83
and then you can
read Ezra, and Nehemiah,
00:37:51.83\00:37:54.64
Esther, they give you history,
00:37:54.64\00:37:56.40
so you're getting the
picture what's going on
00:37:56.40\00:37:58.34
because then when
you get to the gospels
00:37:58.34\00:37:59.81
and you read
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John,
00:37:59.81\00:38:01.64
and Acts, their history.
00:38:01.64\00:38:04.81
So much of what Jesus said
00:38:04.81\00:38:06.01
is referring back to the history
00:38:06.01\00:38:07.72
in the Old Testament,
00:38:07.72\00:38:08.78
it all started
making sense for me.
00:38:08.78\00:38:10.25
I started out
reading the New Testament
00:38:10.25\00:38:12.02
and it moved my heart,
but lot of what was said
00:38:12.02\00:38:14.36
I had no idea what
they're talking about
00:38:14.36\00:38:15.96
because I didn't
have the history.
00:38:15.96\00:38:17.49
So read the history
00:38:17.49\00:38:19.16
and then you may want
to completely read through,
00:38:19.16\00:38:21.43
get good devotional
books to read with your Bible.
00:38:21.43\00:38:25.67
Commentaries are great,
00:38:25.67\00:38:26.80
so you read a verse,
you say I don't understand.
00:38:26.80\00:38:28.94
They got Bible software now
00:38:28.94\00:38:30.27
where you'll see
the Bible on one side,
00:38:30.27\00:38:32.21
get a trustworthy commentary
00:38:32.21\00:38:33.81
and it will help you understand.
00:38:33.81\00:38:35.04
Now some of those commentaries
you're going to watch out for.
00:38:35.04\00:38:37.51
Be aware of who
the commenter was,
00:38:37.51\00:38:40.82
and where they're
coming from because, you know,
00:38:40.82\00:38:42.68
every commentary
is jaded a little bit
00:38:42.68\00:38:45.15
or is slanted a little bit
towards that person's beliefs.
00:38:45.15\00:38:51.83
Reading the Spirit of Prophecy,
you can't improve on that.
00:38:51.83\00:38:54.93
HMS Richards Sr. said
that the average layman
00:38:54.93\00:38:59.03
if they have read
Patriarchs and Prophets,
00:38:59.03\00:39:02.74
Prophets and Kings,
00:39:02.74\00:39:04.64
Acts of the Apostles,
00:39:04.64\00:39:05.87
Desire of Ages,
not in that order,
00:39:05.87\00:39:07.64
and Great Controversy will
know much more about the Bible
00:39:07.64\00:39:10.78
than the typical pastor
that is pastoring a church
00:39:10.78\00:39:14.25
out there in Babylon.
00:39:14.25\00:39:16.02
So those books will
give you such an education,
00:39:16.02\00:39:18.19
it's phenomenal, so you
might do that with a Bible.
00:39:18.19\00:39:22.02
All right, another question.
00:39:22.02\00:39:24.13
"How do I get ready
for the second coming?"
00:39:24.13\00:39:26.96
Surrender your heart
to the Lord to start with,
00:39:26.96\00:39:28.53
that's the first step.
00:39:28.53\00:39:30.00
So if you have accepted
Jesus, repented of your sins,
00:39:30.00\00:39:32.80
that's the first and
most important thing.
00:39:32.80\00:39:35.04
It's not buying,
00:39:35.04\00:39:36.10
storing away
foods somewhere in a,
00:39:36.10\00:39:38.01
you know, cave
and being a prepper.
00:39:38.01\00:39:40.88
The best prep
for the second coming
00:39:40.88\00:39:43.04
is make sure you get the
heart preparation, right?
00:39:43.04\00:39:45.21
And then live day by day,
surrendering your will to His,
00:39:48.42\00:39:52.15
saying, "Lord, help me
be willing to do Your will
00:39:52.15\00:39:54.69
in every area
where I know You will."
00:39:54.69\00:39:56.42
And search to know God's will.
00:39:56.42\00:39:59.39
All right, here
is another question.
00:39:59.39\00:40:01.36
"What do you do
00:40:01.36\00:40:02.43
if a family
member has a bad habit?"
00:40:02.43\00:40:04.87
And I'm assuming
00:40:04.87\00:40:05.93
they're meaning
it's affecting you.
00:40:05.93\00:40:07.77
Where you got to be careful?
00:40:07.77\00:40:09.80
Sometimes you don't
win your family members
00:40:09.80\00:40:11.54
to the Lord by badgering them,
00:40:11.54\00:40:14.91
but sometimes
it might be helpful
00:40:14.91\00:40:16.58
to bring to their attention
00:40:16.58\00:40:17.78
that this is not
good and encourage them.
00:40:17.78\00:40:21.15
If you just keep
doing it over and over,
00:40:21.15\00:40:22.82
you know, you can
drive a person away.
00:40:22.82\00:40:25.09
There's three things
you've often heard me say,
00:40:25.09\00:40:26.76
there's three things you can do
00:40:26.76\00:40:29.29
when you want to reach or
help someone that you love.
00:40:29.29\00:40:33.16
One is, if they're
open, share information,
00:40:33.16\00:40:35.56
because truth sets you free.
00:40:35.56\00:40:37.47
The Word is information.
00:40:37.47\00:40:40.10
So share the
Word if they listen.
00:40:40.10\00:40:42.20
Two, pray, and
sometimes people always act like
00:40:42.20\00:40:45.57
that's the last
resort, you know,
00:40:45.57\00:40:47.11
like that used to
have in our school,
00:40:47.11\00:40:50.11
they had a little
hammer hanging by a glass box
00:40:50.11\00:40:52.78
so you could pull the alarm,
they don't have them any more.
00:40:52.78\00:40:56.28
And it said, break
glass in case of fire.
00:40:56.28\00:40:59.75
Some people will
think prayer is like that,
00:40:59.75\00:41:01.16
in case of fire
break glass, you know,
00:41:01.16\00:41:02.62
some emergency you're
going to start praying.
00:41:02.62\00:41:05.23
But prayer is powerful
and you continue to pray.
00:41:05.23\00:41:08.80
And the third thing
is be a good example.
00:41:08.80\00:41:11.17
Make sure you don't replicate
the habit in your own life
00:41:11.17\00:41:13.37
when you're preaching to them.
00:41:13.37\00:41:15.20
My dad, I remember
beat me up a little bit
00:41:15.20\00:41:18.21
because he caught me smoking,
00:41:18.21\00:41:19.51
but he had to put
out a cigar to do it.
00:41:19.51\00:41:22.51
So how do you think
that? So I didn't quit.
00:41:22.51\00:41:26.65
And so you want to be
a good example, right?
00:41:26.65\00:41:31.59
All right, "I'm addicted to
eating sweets, how do I stop?"
00:41:31.59\00:41:36.46
Remember the
illustration I gave about
00:41:36.46\00:41:39.19
the field covered
with berry bushes?
00:41:39.19\00:41:42.76
You know, how you
cross the field like that,
00:41:42.76\00:41:45.10
one foot at a time.
00:41:45.10\00:41:47.20
And with any habit,
whether it's smoking,
00:41:47.20\00:41:49.10
or sweets, or
whatever it might be,
00:41:49.10\00:41:51.81
we live in time,
00:41:51.81\00:41:53.17
and you have to go
moment by moment and say,
00:41:53.17\00:41:55.01
"Lord, can I make it?"
00:41:55.01\00:41:56.64
I've got several friends
that quit smoking by saying,
00:41:56.64\00:41:59.08
"Can I make it another hour?"
00:41:59.08\00:42:01.52
Sometimes it would
get so tough they say,
00:42:01.52\00:42:02.98
"Can I make it
another five minutes?"
00:42:02.98\00:42:05.19
And they just kept
saying five minutes at a time
00:42:05.19\00:42:08.09
praying for strength
and they finally got where,
00:42:08.09\00:42:10.56
then they'd say, "Can
I make it another day?"
00:42:10.56\00:42:13.09
And they'd say, "Can I make
it another month or a week?"
00:42:13.09\00:42:16.40
And we live moment by
moment, you know that song?
00:42:16.40\00:42:19.43
So you just pray God,
00:42:19.43\00:42:21.20
He'll give you the strength
whatever the struggle is.
00:42:21.20\00:42:24.14
So another one.
00:42:24.14\00:42:25.97
"How do I know if
someone has the Holy Spirit?"
00:42:25.97\00:42:30.08
Jesus said, you'll
know them by their fruits.
00:42:30.08\00:42:33.42
And so, if they've got
the fruits of the Spirit,
00:42:33.42\00:42:35.25
what are they?
00:42:35.25\00:42:36.32
Galatians 5, love,
joy, peace so forth,
00:42:36.32\00:42:39.85
look that up Galatians 5
00:42:39.85\00:42:40.99
and I think it
starts in verse 22
00:42:40.99\00:42:43.06
and look at the
fruits of the Spirit.
00:42:43.06\00:42:45.23
And Jesus said,
you'll know them by that.
00:42:45.23\00:42:47.20
"How do you overcome
the habit of white lies?"
00:42:47.20\00:42:51.30
What's a white lie?
00:42:51.30\00:42:53.80
Is that a lesser lie?
00:42:53.80\00:42:55.57
So someone brings you a
baby at the door after church
00:42:59.94\00:43:03.04
and you look at the baby
00:43:03.04\00:43:04.18
and say ugliest
baby I've ever seen.
00:43:04.18\00:43:06.88
Are you lying if you don't say,
00:43:06.88\00:43:07.98
"You know, I
just got to be honest,
00:43:07.98\00:43:08.95
that is the ugliest
baby I have you ever seen."
00:43:08.95\00:43:10.49
No, you probably
don't want to do that.
00:43:13.49\00:43:14.99
And Jesus said, there's
many things I have to tell you,
00:43:14.99\00:43:16.86
but I can't tell you now
because you cannot bear it.
00:43:16.86\00:43:21.43
So you need to pray
for tact and diplomacy,
00:43:21.43\00:43:25.67
you don't have to always
say everything you're thinking,
00:43:25.67\00:43:27.30
but I don't think
you should ever, ever
00:43:27.30\00:43:29.07
utter anything
that is dishonest.
00:43:29.07\00:43:32.11
You know, I think some of us
00:43:32.11\00:43:33.17
probably get close to the border
00:43:33.17\00:43:34.54
because you're trying to be...
00:43:34.54\00:43:35.61
How do you feel? I feel fine.
00:43:35.61\00:43:36.85
You don't really feel fine.
00:43:36.85\00:43:38.68
But, you know, people say it.
00:43:38.68\00:43:41.22
And so you might say, you
know, God is good, you deflect.
00:43:41.22\00:43:45.55
You might be struggling.
00:43:45.55\00:43:46.62
People say, "How are you doing?
00:43:46.62\00:43:47.69
I say, "A lot
better than I deserve."
00:43:47.69\00:43:49.89
That's sort of an answer
that works all the time, right?
00:43:49.89\00:43:52.99
And so you always
want to be honest,
00:43:52.99\00:43:54.66
you might say but don't
you need to lie sometimes
00:43:54.66\00:43:57.40
just because if
your kids want to ask
00:43:57.40\00:44:00.04
how little brother
suddenly showed up,
00:44:00.04\00:44:02.50
you don't have to
tell a five-year-old
00:44:02.50\00:44:04.14
all the details of
the birds and the bees.
00:44:04.14\00:44:07.01
And so you just pray for
wisdom that God will help you
00:44:07.01\00:44:09.31
put things in
the simplest terms,
00:44:09.31\00:44:10.58
but don't say the
stork brought the baby
00:44:10.58\00:44:13.31
or that Santa Claus
brought the parents,
00:44:13.31\00:44:15.12
you're lying, right?
00:44:15.12\00:44:17.72
So, yeah, you just
always want to be honest.
00:44:17.72\00:44:20.52
Amen? Amen.
00:44:20.52\00:44:21.82
Okay, I'm going to get
back to the lesson here,
00:44:21.82\00:44:23.32
I've got a few minutes
and a lot of neat things.
00:44:23.32\00:44:25.46
So we need to have a habit of
00:44:25.46\00:44:27.50
talking about the
eminence of Jesus' coming.
00:44:27.50\00:44:30.03
Now here's one
that's very important habit,
00:44:30.03\00:44:33.37
use your time wisely.
00:44:33.37\00:44:37.41
Priorities.
00:44:37.41\00:44:40.84
Job 8:9,
00:44:40.84\00:44:44.21
"For we were born
yesterday, and we know nothing,
00:44:44.21\00:44:46.72
because our days on
earth are like a shadow."
00:44:46.72\00:44:49.98
We've got a
limited amount of time.
00:44:49.98\00:44:51.65
We need to pray
that God will know,
00:44:51.65\00:44:53.89
teach us how to
prioritize our time.
00:44:53.89\00:44:56.16
Psalm 39:4 and 5,
"Lord, make me to know my end,
00:44:56.16\00:45:00.66
and what is the
measure of my days,
00:45:00.66\00:45:02.33
that I might
know how frail I am.
00:45:02.33\00:45:04.50
Indeed, You have made
my days as a handbreadth."
00:45:04.50\00:45:07.37
We need to know how frail
we are, our days are short.
00:45:07.37\00:45:09.90
"And my age is
nothing before You.
00:45:09.90\00:45:11.54
Certainly every man at
his best state is but vapor."
00:45:11.54\00:45:14.88
You know as you live a little
longer, it seems like you go,
00:45:14.88\00:45:18.08
"I felt like it was just
yesterday, I was a teenager.
00:45:18.08\00:45:21.32
And here I look in the mirror
00:45:21.32\00:45:22.52
I say who is that wrinkled
old duffer staring back at me."
00:45:22.52\00:45:26.82
And it just seems like it
goes by, it goes by so quick,
00:45:26.82\00:45:30.46
and so knowing that
you want to prioritize
00:45:30.46\00:45:33.53
your life to seek
first His kingdom, right?
00:45:33.53\00:45:36.90
There's a quote where...
00:45:36.90\00:45:38.37
Someone's going to read a
verse for me in just a moment.
00:45:38.37\00:45:41.80
Ellen White says, this
is Christ's Object Lesson.
00:45:41.80\00:45:43.87
This is a powerful quote,
00:45:43.87\00:45:45.11
page 342 in
Christ's Object Lessons.
00:45:45.11\00:45:48.08
"Our time belongs to God.
00:45:48.08\00:45:50.11
Every moment is His,
00:45:50.11\00:45:51.95
and we are under the
most solemn obligation
00:45:51.95\00:45:54.75
to improve it to His glory.
00:45:54.75\00:45:57.35
Of no talent has He
given will He require
00:45:57.35\00:46:01.32
a more strict
account than of our time."
00:46:01.32\00:46:04.89
That makes me
shudder, but it's true.
00:46:04.89\00:46:06.80
We'll give an account to God
for what we do with our lives
00:46:06.80\00:46:08.93
and that's basically
your time that you have.
00:46:08.93\00:46:12.33
Go ahead and read for us,
00:46:12.33\00:46:13.40
I think you've got
Ephesians 5:15, 16.
00:46:13.40\00:46:16.77
Ephesians 5:15, 16.
00:46:16.77\00:46:19.07
"See then that you
walk circumspectly,
00:46:19.07\00:46:21.51
not as a fool but as
wise, redeeming the time,
00:46:21.51\00:46:24.15
because the days are evil."
00:46:24.15\00:46:26.01
Thank you.
00:46:26.01\00:46:27.08
You know, one of the
ways you can spot a fool
00:46:27.08\00:46:28.35
is just they're
wasting their time
00:46:28.35\00:46:29.78
and trying to get
you to waste yours.
00:46:29.78\00:46:32.19
Now time management,
00:46:32.19\00:46:37.16
you know, you got to be careful
if you're a workaholic that,
00:46:37.16\00:46:39.69
you know, that part of what God
00:46:39.69\00:46:41.10
wants you to do with your time
is spent time with your family.
00:46:41.10\00:46:45.37
And I'll just share with you,
00:46:45.37\00:46:48.80
two days ago I sat
down for about half an hour
00:46:48.80\00:46:50.77
with Dr. David
Jeremiah who is pastor,
00:46:50.77\00:46:53.38
has a radio, TV program,
he was at this conference.
00:46:53.38\00:46:55.81
A wonderful man of
God, and I really respect.
00:46:55.81\00:46:58.18
And he's a little older than me.
00:46:58.18\00:47:00.25
And so I said,
00:47:00.25\00:47:01.35
you know, one of the
things I struggle with,
00:47:01.35\00:47:02.42
I don't get to talk
very often to somebody
00:47:02.42\00:47:04.15
that has a television ministry,
00:47:04.15\00:47:05.59
radio ministry,
publishing ministry,
00:47:05.59\00:47:07.26
you know, evangelism training,
a lot of the same things we do,
00:47:07.26\00:47:09.82
so how do you manage your time?
00:47:09.82\00:47:11.99
And he said, "Boy, I
don't know it's hard,"
00:47:11.99\00:47:13.66
he said, "But, you know,
this is one thing I learned
00:47:13.66\00:47:16.13
is my wife had to stop me
00:47:16.13\00:47:17.43
when our church and
ministry really began to grow,
00:47:17.43\00:47:19.57
and she said you're
sacrificing your family
00:47:19.57\00:47:22.74
on the altar of ministry.
00:47:22.74\00:47:25.74
And that someday
Jesus is going to ask you,
00:47:25.74\00:47:28.34
where is your flock.
00:47:28.34\00:47:30.38
And so you've got to
make priority for family,
00:47:30.38\00:47:33.35
you have to
spend time with family.
00:47:33.35\00:47:35.25
And I'm telling you that
not because I got the answer,
00:47:35.25\00:47:37.89
but because I've
made the mistakes.
00:47:37.89\00:47:40.32
You've got to take
time for your body.
00:47:40.32\00:47:42.89
I've known people
that don't take..."
00:47:42.89\00:47:44.79
Bible says, "If you
don't sharpen the axe,
00:47:44.79\00:47:47.13
you're going to
work twice as hard
00:47:47.13\00:47:48.30
trying to cut
that piece of wood."
00:47:48.30\00:47:49.73
That means you've got
to stop swinging the axe
00:47:49.73\00:47:51.40
and sit down and sharpen it.
00:47:51.40\00:47:54.77
And whatever your work is
00:47:54.77\00:47:55.84
that means you need
to take time to study.
00:47:55.84\00:47:57.47
If you're a pastor, you
can't just be preaching,
00:47:57.47\00:47:59.24
you've got to take time alone
to study so the axe is sharp
00:47:59.24\00:48:02.08
and you've got
something to give,
00:48:02.08\00:48:04.11
whatever your
field happens to be,
00:48:04.11\00:48:05.58
it's a principle.
00:48:05.58\00:48:06.72
So knowing how
to manage your time
00:48:06.72\00:48:09.42
and taking care of your health,
00:48:09.42\00:48:11.19
you have to have a
certain amount of recreation,
00:48:11.19\00:48:13.15
you need to get exercise
because you live longer,
00:48:13.15\00:48:16.19
and you accomplish more.
00:48:16.19\00:48:18.06
So having the
right amount of exercise,
00:48:18.06\00:48:19.59
and you need to be
religious about certain things
00:48:19.59\00:48:21.53
when it comes to your time.
00:48:21.53\00:48:22.90
Don't cast your
pearls before swine.
00:48:26.17\00:48:28.40
There are people that the
devil sends along sometimes
00:48:28.40\00:48:30.81
that will try to
monopolize your life,
00:48:30.81\00:48:33.11
and distract you from
what God's plan is for you,
00:48:33.11\00:48:36.44
and I know you want to
use that verse very carefully.
00:48:36.44\00:48:38.88
But I think you all
know what I'm talking about.
00:48:38.88\00:48:41.28
And so think about,
plan your days, sit down,
00:48:41.28\00:48:45.32
you know, sometimes at the
end of a day say all right,
00:48:45.32\00:48:47.42
now you just map out
the next day God willing,
00:48:47.42\00:48:49.36
set your plans
before His feet and say,
00:48:49.36\00:48:50.96
"Lord, if you bless,
00:48:50.96\00:48:52.19
these are the things I'd
like to get accomplished.
00:48:52.19\00:48:54.73
And Ecclesiastes 9:10,
00:48:54.73\00:48:57.80
"Whatever your hand finds to do
00:48:57.80\00:48:59.13
then with your time," do it how?
00:48:59.13\00:49:01.54
When you finally
get around to it,
00:49:01.54\00:49:02.94
"do with all your might,"
wherever it happens to be.
00:49:02.94\00:49:06.78
Bible says there's
a time for everything.
00:49:06.78\00:49:09.24
"Walk in wisdom
towards those who are outside,
00:49:09.24\00:49:12.05
redeeming the time."
00:49:12.05\00:49:13.25
Another verse that
says redeeming the time.
00:49:13.25\00:49:15.48
And then Romans 13:11,
"And do this, knowing the time,
00:49:15.48\00:49:19.29
that it is high time
to awake out of sleep,
00:49:19.29\00:49:22.06
for now our salvation is
nearer than we first believed.
00:49:22.06\00:49:25.86
And the habits
of self-discipline.
00:49:25.86\00:49:28.40
Wow, how much of this
can I cover in 26 minutes,
00:49:28.40\00:49:31.40
probably not very much.
00:49:31.40\00:49:32.50
So with that I'm going to...
00:49:32.50\00:49:34.30
I'm gonna have to
say please forgive me,
00:49:34.30\00:49:35.90
I will post my notes online
00:49:35.90\00:49:37.97
if you want to
see the last part.
00:49:37.97\00:49:39.54
I want to remind our
friends about the free offer
00:49:39.54\00:49:41.98
that we're making available.
00:49:41.98\00:49:43.08
It's a great book called
00:49:43.08\00:49:44.15
Remember Lot's Wife
by Brother Joe Crews,
00:49:44.15\00:49:46.28
I read this,
00:49:46.28\00:49:47.38
and it is
encouraging and sobering too.
00:49:47.38\00:49:50.59
Ask for offer number
108 when you call the number
00:49:50.59\00:49:52.99
866-788-3966.
00:49:52.99\00:49:56.79
It's simply 866-Study-More.
00:49:56.79\00:49:59.39
Read it and then
share it with your friends.
00:49:59.39\00:50:01.66
God bless you, friends.
00:50:01.66\00:50:02.86
And we look forward to
study in His Word together
00:50:02.86\00:50:04.67
again next week.
00:50:04.67\00:50:06.33
For over 60 years
Jeepneys have been
00:50:20.35\00:50:22.32
the virtual king of the
road here in the Philippians.
00:50:22.32\00:50:25.29
These unique
vehicles that are festered
00:50:25.29\00:50:27.26
with colorful
stickers, lights, and chrome
00:50:27.26\00:50:29.96
have grown into the
cheap source of transportation
00:50:29.96\00:50:32.29
in the country.
00:50:32.29\00:50:33.36
Let's go.
00:50:33.36\00:50:34.56
These iconic four-wheel
drive military vehicles
00:50:38.90\00:50:41.80
made by the Willys
Company or known as Jeeps
00:50:41.80\00:50:44.74
because it's stood
for general purpose,
00:50:44.74\00:50:47.48
but it also
came from a character
00:50:47.48\00:50:49.68
in a Popeye cartoon that
was known as Eugene the Jeep.
00:50:49.68\00:50:53.95
He was an imaginary dog
00:50:53.95\00:50:55.42
that can crawl across
the ceilings and the walls,
00:50:55.42\00:50:57.69
and these jeeps
could go anywhere.
00:50:57.69\00:50:59.75
When the Americans
left the Philippines
00:50:59.75\00:51:01.56
following World War II,
00:51:01.56\00:51:03.22
it was just
cheaper for them to leave
00:51:03.22\00:51:04.96
these thousands of
military vehicles behind
00:51:04.96\00:51:07.20
rather than to transport
them back to the States.
00:51:07.20\00:51:09.73
The creative Filipino people,
00:51:09.73\00:51:11.73
modified these military vehicles
00:51:11.73\00:51:13.54
by extending the
frame about six feet.
00:51:13.54\00:51:16.14
They added a
couple of cozy inventions
00:51:16.14\00:51:18.01
that are designed to
carry about 18 people.
00:51:18.01\00:51:21.18
They put a cab over it
00:51:21.18\00:51:22.31
to prevent the
water from coming in.
00:51:22.31\00:51:24.78
But I've seen that
looks like 20 to 25 people
00:51:24.78\00:51:27.72
hanging on every possible
edge and ledge of a Jeepney,
00:51:27.72\00:51:31.05
and jumping off,
they're jumping on
00:51:31.05\00:51:32.95
as it goes through congested in
just in the middle of traffic.
00:51:32.95\00:51:37.33
Every Jeepney is
little bit different.
00:51:37.33\00:51:39.66
Some are just held together
with patches of daily wire
00:51:39.66\00:51:42.63
and bubblegum, a
little bit of duck tape.
00:51:42.63\00:51:45.07
Some are little
more ornate and modern,
00:51:45.07\00:51:46.77
they've got chrome
and stainless steel.
00:51:46.77\00:51:49.24
And there's good reason
that the ceilings are padded.
00:51:49.24\00:51:51.37
When one of the local Filipinos
wants to ride on a Jeepney,
00:51:54.71\00:51:57.51
they just flag
them down, they shout,
00:51:57.51\00:51:59.35
they tap on the hood,
then they jump on board.
00:51:59.35\00:52:01.98
They may not even slow
down when they do this.
00:52:01.98\00:52:04.59
Then they pay about 8 pesos,
00:52:04.59\00:52:06.65
which is
equivalent of 16 cents for us.
00:52:06.65\00:52:09.29
It's by far the
most economical way
00:52:09.29\00:52:11.23
to get around in the country.
00:52:11.23\00:52:12.69
Some Jeepneys are even equipped
with an old emergency privy.
00:52:17.50\00:52:20.30
One little downside to the
Jeepneys is because the cabs
00:52:23.54\00:52:26.21
are open like this,
they're not air-conditioned,
00:52:26.21\00:52:28.74
it gets very hot in summertime
00:52:28.74\00:52:30.48
and all the fumes
from the street coming in,
00:52:30.48\00:52:33.01
which to make it an
exhausting experience.
00:52:33.01\00:52:36.72
Part of the downside of a
jeepney is they don't have
00:52:36.72\00:52:38.69
all of the modern
safety features, no seatbelts.
00:52:38.69\00:52:41.96
You have to take
advantage of the padding
00:52:41.96\00:52:43.69
if you hit a hard bump.
00:52:43.69\00:52:45.19
And if there is
a serious accident,
00:52:45.19\00:52:47.03
there is no airbags
other than the friends
00:52:47.03\00:52:49.20
that might be
sitting around you.
00:52:49.20\00:52:51.00
But that's the
upside of the Jeepney.
00:52:51.00\00:52:52.73
Because you're up close
and personal with everybody,
00:52:52.73\00:52:55.20
you make some new friends.
00:52:55.20\00:52:57.17
Riding on a
Jeepney requires teamwork.
00:52:57.17\00:52:59.54
If you buy something
from one of the vendors,
00:52:59.54\00:53:01.61
you all sort of pass
it back to each other.
00:53:01.61\00:53:03.58
And when
passengers get on board,
00:53:03.58\00:53:05.61
you just pass
your money upfront.
00:53:05.61\00:53:07.42
Thanks a lot.
00:53:12.99\00:53:14.42
Friends, it's safe to
say there are no two Jeepneys
00:53:18.23\00:53:20.93
that are exactly the same.
00:53:20.93\00:53:22.73
They're all unique and
distinct and so are you.
00:53:22.73\00:53:26.37
Have you ever
felt that you get lost
00:53:26.37\00:53:28.10
in a massive humanity
and God doesn't notice you?
00:53:28.10\00:53:31.44
Bible tells us
that He knows your name,
00:53:31.44\00:53:33.38
the very hairs of
your head numbered
00:53:33.38\00:53:35.24
and He hears your prayers.
00:53:35.24\00:53:36.68
More than that, the Lord wants
to take you to His kingdom,
00:53:36.68\00:53:39.88
you just have to get on board.
00:53:39.88\00:53:41.55
Amazing Facts changed lives.
00:53:56.13\00:53:58.97
Hi, my name is Diamond Garcia,
00:54:04.74\00:54:06.27
and I'm from the
beautiful islands of Hawaii.
00:54:06.27\00:54:08.71
I was raised in a
very dysfunctional family
00:54:08.71\00:54:12.21
like most families.
00:54:12.21\00:54:14.22
Being in that environment
I would lie, cheat, steal,
00:54:14.22\00:54:17.69
rob houses, cheat
in school, in tests,
00:54:17.69\00:54:20.62
and lying to teachers,
00:54:20.62\00:54:21.96
and getting into
fights, and all kind of stuff.
00:54:21.96\00:54:26.19
One day I was asked to take
this little box of something
00:54:26.19\00:54:29.63
and I had to walk down the
road and give it to someone,
00:54:29.63\00:54:32.53
and they would give me money,
and I would walk back home,
00:54:32.53\00:54:34.07
and I later
realized I was dealing drugs.
00:54:34.07\00:54:38.84
Growing up in that environment,
I thought that, you know,
00:54:38.84\00:54:41.18
being an adult was a
life of drinking, and smoking,
00:54:41.18\00:54:44.01
and partying, and
that's just what adults did.
00:54:44.01\00:54:48.35
When I looked at my
family and saw the road
00:54:48.35\00:54:50.55
that they were going
down, getting arrested,
00:54:50.55\00:54:53.09
getting beaten up,
00:54:53.09\00:54:54.36
coming home drunk, and
puking all over the floor.
00:54:54.36\00:54:56.79
I just didn't
want that for myself.
00:54:56.79\00:55:00.80
Growing up I had a
grandma who was baptized
00:55:00.80\00:55:03.33
as a Christian in her 20s,
00:55:03.33\00:55:04.80
but then she wasn't a
real practicing Christian.
00:55:04.80\00:55:08.00
And so one day
I was at her house
00:55:08.00\00:55:09.80
and there was a
box of various books,
00:55:09.80\00:55:11.24
and I went to the
bottom of that box
00:55:11.24\00:55:13.11
and found a book
called The Great Controversy.
00:55:13.11\00:55:16.24
And I picked it up and I
said, this is interesting.
00:55:16.24\00:55:18.88
And I opened to the first
page of that book and I said,
00:55:18.88\00:55:22.12
"If thou hadst known."
00:55:22.12\00:55:24.52
I had no clue what it meant.
00:55:24.52\00:55:25.95
And so I said, you
know what, forget this,
00:55:25.95\00:55:27.59
I put the book down,
00:55:27.59\00:55:28.92
I just walked away did my thing,
00:55:28.92\00:55:30.86
but then something told me,
00:55:30.86\00:55:31.89
you know, Diamond
go back to that book.
00:55:31.89\00:55:34.46
And so I went back to
the book, picked it up
00:55:34.46\00:55:36.63
went to the last two
chapters and I read it.
00:55:36.63\00:55:40.77
And I said to my
grandmother, I said,
00:55:40.77\00:55:42.67
"What church is this from?
00:55:42.67\00:55:44.14
I want to go to that church."
00:55:44.14\00:55:45.41
So she brought me
down to the local church
00:55:45.41\00:55:47.44
and then I walked
in from the back door
00:55:47.44\00:55:49.58
and the piano was off key,
00:55:49.58\00:55:51.08
people were off
key, it's like, man,
00:55:51.08\00:55:52.91
this is really kind of
I don't want to be here.
00:55:52.91\00:55:57.22
And I got to the
front of the church,
00:55:57.22\00:55:58.39
and I sat down I was
listening to the sermon
00:55:58.39\00:56:00.79
and the whole
service was so boring to me,
00:56:00.79\00:56:03.43
but then someone
gives me the set of DVDs,
00:56:03.43\00:56:06.43
and it was called
The Prophecy Code.
00:56:06.43\00:56:10.33
It was through
watching Doug Batchelor
00:56:10.33\00:56:12.17
explain the
truths found in the Bible
00:56:12.17\00:56:14.37
that really
brought me to Christ,
00:56:14.37\00:56:16.17
and brought me to
realize that, you know what,
00:56:16.17\00:56:18.24
there is a life
better than my family's life.
00:56:18.24\00:56:22.68
My second week at
church on Sabbath,
00:56:22.68\00:56:24.68
there was one person
there, he basically told me,
00:56:24.68\00:56:27.72
"Hey, Diamond, do you
want to make some money?"
00:56:27.72\00:56:29.98
And I said, "Sure," I
said, "What do you do?"
00:56:29.98\00:56:31.92
He says, "Well,
I'm a colporteur,
00:56:31.92\00:56:33.92
we go door-to-door and
we sell Christian books.
00:56:33.92\00:56:36.42
I said, "Oh, okay, well
that sounds interesting.
00:56:36.42\00:56:39.46
I do want to
make some money too."
00:56:39.46\00:56:40.80
And so he said, "Okay, well,
why don't you come with me?"
00:56:40.80\00:56:44.03
We drove out to
the neighborhood,
00:56:44.03\00:56:46.27
parked the car, and that
night it was just raining,
00:56:46.27\00:56:48.47
it was pouring and pouring,
it could not stop raining.
00:56:48.47\00:56:51.34
He prayed, he said,
00:56:51.34\00:56:52.37
"God, this is
Diamond's first night,
00:56:52.37\00:56:54.38
if it's Your will, stop the rain
00:56:54.38\00:56:55.84
so we can go knocking on doors."
00:56:55.84\00:56:57.81
And as soon as he said
amen, the rain just stopped.
00:56:57.81\00:57:00.85
I was just thinking in my head,
is this guy a prophet or what?
00:57:00.85\00:57:04.25
I mean, he just prayed
and asked God and it happened.
00:57:04.25\00:57:08.49
And so I was so happy,
00:57:08.49\00:57:10.53
I grabbed the books, and
I went to the first door.
00:57:10.53\00:57:12.13
And the first door I went to,
that person gave me 50 bucks.
00:57:12.13\00:57:15.53
That night was
actually a big night for me
00:57:15.53\00:57:17.43
because it was where
I saw God's power work
00:57:17.43\00:57:20.54
in stopping the rain
00:57:20.54\00:57:21.54
and people are actually
giving me lots of money.
00:57:21.54\00:57:24.71
I then became a
colporteur or a canvasser,
00:57:24.71\00:57:26.37
and I've saved money to
pay for my way through academy.
00:57:26.37\00:57:29.34
And when my church began to see
00:57:29.34\00:57:31.75
how God was using me and
they immediately recognized
00:57:31.75\00:57:34.95
that it was God's
Spirit moving in me,
00:57:34.95\00:57:36.95
put me, you know,
preaching, and teaching,
00:57:36.95\00:57:38.62
and sharing my faith.
00:57:38.62\00:57:40.32
And I've been
engaged in ministry
00:57:40.32\00:57:41.36
for the past six
or seven years now,
00:57:41.36\00:57:43.46
and God has taken
me all over the world
00:57:43.46\00:57:45.13
on multiple
continents sharing my testimony
00:57:45.13\00:57:47.36
how God has brought me
00:57:47.36\00:57:48.70
out of darkness
into His marvelous light,
00:57:48.70\00:57:51.80
which is total contrast as
to how I was before and now,
00:57:51.80\00:57:54.47
you know, it's a total contrast.
00:57:54.47\00:57:57.74
My name is Diamond
00:57:57.74\00:57:58.87
and Amazing Facts has
helped to change my life.
00:57:58.87\00:58:01.81