Welcome, friends, to
Sabbath School Study Hour.
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My name is
Pastor Doug Batchelor.
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And we're so thankful
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that you are
tuning in this morning
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for our Sabbath
School Study Hour time.
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We know we have people
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that are not only here
in our local congregation
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but there are
folks who are watching
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via the Internet, or Facebook,
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or one of the
satellite stations.
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And we're just so
glad that you've tuned in.
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As we do each week,
we have a free offer.
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And the offer today is a book
called, it's actually a DVD,
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and it's called the
Challenge of Self Denial.
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If you get this right,
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you will get
everything else right.
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It's a free offer.
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And it's offer number 858.
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You can get that by calling
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866-788-3966.
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That's just 866-Study-More.
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You can also go to a
link so you can download it,
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if you text SH111
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to the number 40544,
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you'll receive a
free digital download
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of this audio message called
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The Challenge of Self Denial,
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something I think
we all grapple with.
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Well, in just a moment,
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we're going to get
to our study for today.
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But as we always do, we'd
like to prepare our hearts
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with song.
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And so we'd like to
invite our singers to come out
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and lead us as we
get ready for our study.
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Thank you for
joining us. Happy Sabbath.
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Loving, Lord, we
want to thank You so much
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for Your Word
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that is a lamp to our
feet and a light to our path.
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Lord, we want to thank You
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for the promise
of the Holy Spirit
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that will help
us to rightly divide
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and understand
these principles of truth
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and apply them to our lives.
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Be with us in our study today.
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We thank You and we
ask in Jesus' name, amen.
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Amen.
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Once again,
welcome to our class here
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in the sanctuary.
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I want to tell our
friends, who are watching,
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that this is not the only class,
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we of course have all
the children's classes
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and there's some
other adult classes
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that take place
here in the sanctuary.
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This is an unusual Sabbath
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in that a good
percentage of our men
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are at an annual men's retreat.
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And I was not able to
join them in this morning
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because I'm kind of
holding down the fort here
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and I fly out for
Washington early in the morning.
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So that's just the
way the stars lined up.
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And there's
some other big events
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that are
happening in the area today.
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And so but we're still thankful
for the faithful that are here
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because we have
an important lesson,
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we're going through
our new quarterly now
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dealing with the
subject of oneness in Christ.
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I'll be talking about unity.
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And we're on lesson 2,
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talking about the
subject of causes of disunity
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or division,
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isn't it the same
thing as disunity.
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We have a memory verse.
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And the memory verse
is from Proverbs 9...
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I'm sorry, yeah, Proverbs 9:10.
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And if you say that
with me that'd be great.
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This is the New King
James Version, Proverbs 9:10.
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You ready?
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"The fear of the Lord
is the beginning of wisdom,
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and the
knowledge of the Holy One
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is understanding."
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How many of you have
heard or read that verse before?
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You're acquainted with that one.
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Now when we talk about disunity,
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we're talking about two aspects.
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Now let me back up
and say it this way.
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The Great Commandment,
what's the great commandment?
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The first Great Commandment
is love the Lord your God
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with all your heart,
mind, soul, and strength.
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What's the second?
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Love your
neighbor. Love your neighbor.
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Disunity
addresses those two ideals.
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It's talking
about disunity with God
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and disunity with each other.
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Now I was not
able to hear the study
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last week actually I
heard a little bit of it.
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I think Dr. DeRose was doing it,
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but I saw in the lesson,
I got a confession to make.
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When I knew I was teaching
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the Sabbath
school lesson this week
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because I
travel, I get mixed up,
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and because we teach the
lesson three weeks in advance,
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Sunday, I start getting
for the next week's study
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in the next week's sermons.
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So Sunday, I thought, "Oh
new quarterly on oneness."
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And I spent the whole morning
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getting the
lesson number 1 ready.
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And then I got to the
office and Diane said,
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"Don't forget you have
Lesson number 2 this week."
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So I studied all
of lesson number 1
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which is a good thing to do.
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But then I realized I've
studied the wrong lesson.
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But I did learn in that lesson
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right after Adam and
Eve sinned, what happened?
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First, they began to blame
God, it's the serpent you made,
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you know, it's
the woman you made,
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and they're blaming each other.
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Yes, with sin
brings the disunity.
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Sin brings
disunity between us and God,
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and it brings
disunity on a horizontal level.
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So in the first section here,
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it's talking about returning
the old backsliding Israel.
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Now one of the things
you notice, unfortunately,
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is the Bible is filled
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with examples of strife
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among God's people.
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Some people say, "I
don't want to join the church
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because there's
problems in the church,
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there's the visions,"
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that's like saying, "I'm
never going to get married
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'cause some
people get divorced."
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One reason that we need
to be part of the church
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is because that's
how we learn to love
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is being put in a position
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where your love
muscles are challenged.
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You know, God's
people were given
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great and beautiful laws.
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And you can look at
Deuteronomy 4 for example.
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Deuteronomy 4,
I'll read verse 5 and 6.
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Moses said...
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Deuteronomy is a
last book of Moses.
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He's given all the
laws of God's people,
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he said,
"Surely, I have taught you
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statutes and judgments
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just as the Lord
my God commanded me."
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They're not from
Moses, they're from God,
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"That you should
act according to them
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in the land that you possess."
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He's saying if you do this,
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you will have a
strong relationship with God
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and with each other.
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"Therefore, be
careful to observe them
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for this is your
wisdom and your understanding
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in the sight of the peoples
who hear all these statutes
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and they'll say,
'Surely, this is a great nation
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and a wise and
understanding people
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because of the great
laws that they've got.'"
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Now then Moses
also gave them warning
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of the opposite would happen
if they neglected his laws.
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Now before I even
read this to you...
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When you look at
the Old Testament,
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what do you see?
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What's the history
of the Old Testament?
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All right, traces God
once you get to Genesis 9
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or actually 11,
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it starts
identifying a particular people,
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Abraham is
called out, Genesis 12,
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and from that time on,
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it's God
communicating to the world
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through the people.
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First it's Israel, then it's
spiritual Israel of the church.
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What is the history?
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They always loved the Lord,
and they're always faithful,
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and they always got
along, that's the history.
00:10:07.77\00:10:10.57
What is the history?
00:10:10.61\00:10:13.84
Division.
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Problems.
00:10:15.64\00:10:17.21
Do you know a
lot of the problems
00:10:17.25\00:10:19.41
were not the
enemies on the outside,
00:10:19.45\00:10:21.62
it was the enemy on the inside.
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During the Gulf War,
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the first Gulf War
was Saddam Hussein.
00:10:27.12\00:10:31.56
I think there were about
80 US soldiers that perished.
00:10:31.59\00:10:37.23
Over 100 soldiers
died from friendly fire.
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It's one of the
only wars in history
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where more soldiers died
from firing on their allies
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than firing on the enemies.
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It was largely
due to friendly fire.
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In the Bible, what
caused most of the casualties?
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Friendly fire.
00:10:59.82\00:11:01.72
Who sold Joseph
to the Egyptians?
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His own brothers.
00:11:05.96\00:11:08.26
Who tried to kill David
after he killed Goliath?
00:11:08.30\00:11:12.50
King Saul.
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Who tried to kill
David after he became king?
00:11:14.24\00:11:17.81
His own son.
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And who killed Adonijah?
00:11:20.81\00:11:24.71
His brother Solomon.
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And as you see now as you go
through the history of Israel,
00:11:28.58\00:11:31.45
whenever they were unfaithful,
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it seem like they
just turned inward.
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Somebody said that
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when threatened by wolves
00:11:38.36\00:11:40.83
thoroughbred
horses will form a circle
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with their heads
towards the middle
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and their legs on the outside,
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and they will kick at the enemy.
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On the other hand, donkeys
when threatened by wolves,
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will form a circle with
their legs on the inside
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and their heads on the outside,
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and they will kick each other.
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God's people need to
keep their heads together
00:12:05.05\00:12:07.09
and kick at the enemy.
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When you're trying
to do it independently,
00:12:09.39\00:12:11.56
we kick each other.
00:12:11.59\00:12:14.56
So there are a lot of the damage
00:12:14.60\00:12:16.43
was done through friendly fire.
00:12:16.46\00:12:19.53
All right, so
let's get to Deuteronomy,
00:12:19.57\00:12:21.24
and I'm not going
to read all of this.
00:12:21.27\00:12:22.30
Deuteronomy 28
is a famous chapter,
00:12:22.34\00:12:24.27
just before Moses dies.
00:12:24.31\00:12:26.11
Get your Bibles, you
may want to turn there.
00:12:26.14\00:12:27.91
Just before Moses dies,
00:12:27.94\00:12:29.54
it's that chapter of
blessing and cursing.
00:12:29.58\00:12:32.98
Now I love this chapter
and I dread this chapter.
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I love the part where it
says you're going to be blessed
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because it's such
a blessed section.
00:12:39.05\00:12:42.32
And I don't like
the other section
00:12:42.36\00:12:43.86
because actually
the cursed section
00:12:43.89\00:12:45.96
is longer than
the blessed section,
00:12:45.99\00:12:48.13
it's three times as long,
and it's very frightening.
00:12:48.16\00:12:53.17
But you know what?
00:12:53.20\00:12:54.24
It's in the Word of
God as a warning to us.
00:12:54.27\00:12:56.27
So let's look at
this, Deuteronomy 28: 1,
00:12:56.30\00:12:59.71
this is in your lesson.
00:12:59.74\00:13:02.41
Now will come to pass that,
00:13:02.44\00:13:03.65
"If you diligently obey
the voice of the Lord your God
00:13:03.68\00:13:06.51
and observe carefully
all of his commandments
00:13:06.55\00:13:08.82
that I command you today
00:13:08.85\00:13:10.45
that the Lord your
God will set you high
00:13:10.49\00:13:12.55
above all the
nations of the earth.
00:13:12.59\00:13:14.42
And all of these
blessings will come upon you
00:13:14.46\00:13:16.69
and overtake you
00:13:16.73\00:13:17.79
because you will be the
voice of the Lord your God.
00:13:17.83\00:13:21.10
Blessed you will be in the city,
00:13:21.13\00:13:23.13
blessed you will
be in the country."
00:13:23.16\00:13:25.00
So you get the city
ministry, the country ministry,
00:13:25.03\00:13:27.20
you're blessed in both.
00:13:27.24\00:13:28.54
"Blessed will be
the fruit of your body
00:13:28.57\00:13:30.57
and the produce of
the ground and your herds
00:13:30.61\00:13:34.24
and the increase of your cattle
00:13:34.28\00:13:35.54
in the offspring of your flocks.
00:13:35.58\00:13:37.41
Your family, your fields,
your flocks will be blessed.
00:13:37.45\00:13:41.68
Blessed will be your
basket and your kneading bowl.
00:13:41.72\00:13:45.45
Blessed you will
be when you come in
00:13:45.49\00:13:47.12
and blessed will
you be when you go out."
00:13:47.16\00:13:49.56
And by the way,
and of the Lord said
00:13:49.59\00:13:50.79
these words I command you today
00:13:50.83\00:13:52.43
shall be on the
gates of your house,
00:13:52.46\00:13:54.63
gates of your city.
00:13:54.66\00:13:56.33
So you see them when you go out,
00:13:56.36\00:13:57.73
you come in
00:13:57.77\00:13:59.27
and you suppose to be blessed
as you come in as you go.
00:13:59.30\00:14:01.77
God says, "I'll protect you."
00:14:01.80\00:14:03.14
The Lord, I'm in verse 7.
00:14:06.14\00:14:07.34
"The Lord will
cause your enemies
00:14:07.38\00:14:08.81
who rise up against you
00:14:08.84\00:14:09.91
to be defeated
before your face."
00:14:09.94\00:14:11.81
Did He say, "If you're blessed,
you'll have no enemies"?
00:14:11.85\00:14:14.62
Or did He say that,
00:14:14.65\00:14:15.68
"I will protect you
against your enemies."
00:14:15.72\00:14:17.99
"They will come
out against you one way
00:14:18.02\00:14:20.09
and they will flee
before you seven ways.
00:14:20.12\00:14:23.26
The Lord will
command the blessing
00:14:23.29\00:14:25.09
on your storehouse,
00:14:25.13\00:14:26.36
your provisions will be safe
00:14:26.39\00:14:28.06
and won't be eaten
by rats and varmints.
00:14:28.10\00:14:31.53
And all that
you set your hand to
00:14:31.57\00:14:33.50
and He will
bless you in the land
00:14:33.54\00:14:35.24
that your God has given you,
00:14:35.27\00:14:37.07
the Lord will establish
you as a holy people do himself
00:14:37.11\00:14:40.31
just as he's sworn to you,
00:14:40.34\00:14:42.38
if you keep the commandments
of the Lord your God
00:14:42.41\00:14:44.55
and walk in His ways."
00:14:44.58\00:14:45.61
And as ambiguous
as it is pretty clear,
00:14:45.65\00:14:48.05
what is the
criteria for this blessing?
00:14:48.08\00:14:50.59
You obey or walk in
the ways of the Lord.
00:14:50.62\00:14:54.19
"Then all the
people of the earth
00:14:54.22\00:14:55.59
will see that you are
called by the name of the Lord,
00:14:55.62\00:14:58.23
they'll be afraid of you.
00:14:58.26\00:14:59.66
And the Lord will
grant you plenty of goods
00:14:59.69\00:15:02.16
in the fruit of your body
00:15:02.20\00:15:03.30
in the increase
of your livestock
00:15:03.33\00:15:05.13
in the produce of your ground
00:15:05.17\00:15:06.67
in the land that the Lord God
00:15:06.70\00:15:08.24
swore to your
fathers to give you.
00:15:08.27\00:15:10.91
The Lord will open you his
good treasure, the heavens,
00:15:10.94\00:15:13.44
and give you rain on
the land, in that season
00:15:13.48\00:15:16.28
to bless all the
work of your hand,
00:15:16.31\00:15:18.88
you will lend many
nations and you will not borrow.
00:15:18.91\00:15:21.65
And the Lord will make you
the head, and not the tail.
00:15:21.68\00:15:23.85
You will be above
only and not beneath
00:15:23.89\00:15:25.79
if you listen
to the commandments
00:15:25.82\00:15:27.89
of the Lord your God,
I've commanded you today.
00:15:27.92\00:15:30.29
And be careful to observe them
00:15:30.33\00:15:32.43
and you shall not turn aside
00:15:32.46\00:15:34.10
from any of the words
that I command you this day
00:15:34.10\00:15:35.96
to the right, or to the left,
or to go after other gods."
00:15:36.00\00:15:38.50
And what did He
mean about disobedience?
00:15:38.53\00:15:40.10
Do not go after
other gods and serve them.
00:15:40.14\00:15:43.04
I'm emphasizing that
'cause it comes up later.
00:15:43.07\00:15:46.07
Or that's the blessing.
00:15:46.11\00:15:47.64
I'd like to stop there.
00:15:47.68\00:15:49.44
I'm not going to
read all the cursing,
00:15:49.48\00:15:51.25
but I just want you to notice
00:15:51.28\00:15:52.31
that it's the
antithesis of the blessing
00:15:52.35\00:15:54.75
and it's rather frightening.
00:15:54.78\00:15:56.65
"But it will come to pass
00:15:56.69\00:15:57.92
that if you do not obey
the voice of the Lord your God
00:15:57.95\00:16:00.66
to observe His commandments,
00:16:00.69\00:16:02.49
to observe all
of His commandments
00:16:02.52\00:16:04.19
in the statute,
00:16:04.23\00:16:05.29
what I command you today
00:16:05.33\00:16:06.80
that all these
curses will come upon you
00:16:06.83\00:16:08.66
and overtake you."
00:16:08.70\00:16:10.27
It's like they
don't happen at once,
00:16:10.30\00:16:11.60
they catch up with you.
00:16:11.63\00:16:13.37
"Cursed you'll be in the city,
00:16:13.40\00:16:14.60
and cursed you'll
be in the country,
00:16:14.64\00:16:16.27
cursed will be your
basket in your kneading bowl,
00:16:16.30\00:16:18.57
cursed will be
the food of your body
00:16:18.61\00:16:20.11
in the produce of your land,
the increase of your cattle,
00:16:20.14\00:16:22.91
the offspring of your flocks,
00:16:22.94\00:16:24.78
cursed shall you
be when you come in
00:16:24.81\00:16:26.31
and curse you will
be when you go out.
00:16:26.35\00:16:29.25
The Lord will send on
you confusion and rebuke
00:16:29.28\00:16:31.69
and all that you set your
hand to until you're destroyed,
00:16:31.72\00:16:34.99
until you perish quickly
00:16:35.02\00:16:36.32
because of the
wickedness of your doings
00:16:36.36\00:16:39.06
because you have forsaken me."
00:16:39.09\00:16:40.66
And if you ever have a day?
00:16:40.70\00:16:42.66
Well, he said, "What is day?"
00:16:42.70\00:16:43.80
Just for one of those days
where everything went right.
00:16:43.83\00:16:46.80
You ever had like a blessed day?
00:16:46.84\00:16:48.50
You thought, "Wow!
00:16:48.54\00:16:49.57
The lights all turned
green when I pulled up to him,
00:16:49.60\00:16:52.81
and the parts I
bought were the right parts
00:16:52.84\00:16:54.98
and they all fit,
00:16:55.01\00:16:56.64
and everything I
needed at the store was there,
00:16:56.68\00:16:59.51
and I felt good."
00:16:59.55\00:17:00.88
And you just had one
every one of those days,
00:17:00.92\00:17:03.28
like everything goes right.
00:17:03.32\00:17:05.15
And you have a hand,
son, and raising your hands.
00:17:05.19\00:17:07.89
You know, you not
have any blessed days.
00:17:07.92\00:17:10.56
I mean I've had days were just,
00:17:10.59\00:17:11.76
you know, for the
days even over thought,
00:17:11.79\00:17:13.66
"This has been a good day,
00:17:13.70\00:17:15.33
everything I put my
hand to worked out."
00:17:15.36\00:17:19.50
Have you ever had the other days
00:17:19.53\00:17:23.17
where it just seemed like
someone put a whammy on you
00:17:23.20\00:17:26.78
and just everything went wrong.
00:17:26.81\00:17:29.48
You know, the Bible
tells a story about...
00:17:29.51\00:17:32.65
And I forget it maybe
Hosea or Amos where it says,
00:17:32.68\00:17:36.45
"It would be as if a
man is fleeing from a lion,
00:17:36.48\00:17:40.79
and he runs into a bear,
00:17:40.82\00:17:42.36
and then he runs into
his house from the bear,
00:17:42.39\00:17:44.73
and he leans against the wall,
and the serpent bites him."
00:17:44.76\00:17:48.90
It's like you can
run, but you can't hide,
00:17:48.93\00:17:50.73
but everything goes wrong.
00:17:50.77\00:17:53.84
Well, you know,
the people of God
00:17:53.87\00:17:56.71
had both experiences.
00:17:56.74\00:17:58.57
They had the
blessing and the curse.
00:17:58.61\00:18:01.01
When did the cursing come?
00:18:01.04\00:18:02.74
When they became
separated from God.
00:18:02.78\00:18:05.48
The vision happened,
00:18:05.51\00:18:06.65
there was disunity
between them and God.
00:18:06.68\00:18:09.32
They backslid.
00:18:09.35\00:18:10.85
And this is our first section,
00:18:10.89\00:18:12.02
"Return, O,
backsliding children."
00:18:12.05\00:18:14.89
Now before I
delve into these verses
00:18:14.92\00:18:17.46
on backsliding,
00:18:17.49\00:18:18.53
let me just help you remember,
00:18:18.56\00:18:21.43
it does not
call it back hopping,
00:18:21.46\00:18:25.43
back skipping, or back jumping.
00:18:25.47\00:18:28.54
You really need to be
conscious and make an effort
00:18:28.57\00:18:30.84
if you're going to hop back,
or skip back, or jump back.
00:18:30.87\00:18:36.01
But sliding, you can stand still
00:18:36.04\00:18:38.68
and if you're on the
wrong ground you can slide,
00:18:38.71\00:18:41.05
you don't even
know you're sliding.
00:18:41.08\00:18:43.45
You've been in a
car on a slippery road,
00:18:43.49\00:18:45.45
your brakes are on,
the car's still moving?
00:18:45.49\00:18:47.52
Kind of frightening,
frightening experience.
00:18:47.56\00:18:50.59
That'll make you pray.
00:18:50.63\00:18:53.13
Sliding is different.
00:18:53.16\00:18:55.20
And there's a lot of
people who are sliding.
00:18:55.23\00:18:58.13
It's like glaciers speed,
00:18:58.17\00:19:00.07
you know, you don't
know what's happening,
00:19:00.10\00:19:02.64
but it's
happening little by little.
00:19:02.67\00:19:05.77
Now would you
like me to tell you
00:19:05.81\00:19:07.51
how you can
backslide in three easy steps?
00:19:07.54\00:19:10.18
My sermon today is about
00:19:10.21\00:19:12.58
how to be lost in seven
steps about Pontius Pilot,
00:19:12.61\00:19:14.95
I'll tell you how to backslide.
00:19:14.98\00:19:16.42
Three things, if
you show me a Christian
00:19:16.45\00:19:18.75
who is not reading the
Bible on a regular basis.
00:19:18.79\00:19:22.26
Show me a
Christian who is not praying,
00:19:22.29\00:19:25.66
they're not sharing
their faith in some way.
00:19:25.69\00:19:28.43
I could have a friend not
attending church regularly,
00:19:28.46\00:19:32.00
that is a backslidden Christian.
00:19:32.03\00:19:35.37
That's the step to backsliding.
00:19:35.40\00:19:37.14
If you want to see a Christian
that is experiencing growth
00:19:37.17\00:19:39.91
and revival someone
who has regular devotions,
00:19:39.94\00:19:44.05
they're engaged in
sharing their faith,
00:19:44.08\00:19:47.25
they spend regular
time in prayer like Daniel,
00:19:47.28\00:19:50.55
they get set time
where they pray, real prayer,
00:19:50.59\00:19:53.99
and they're involved
in church fellowship.
00:19:54.02\00:19:56.76
I know that sounds so
standard, but it's true,
00:19:56.79\00:20:00.40
those things work.
00:20:00.43\00:20:02.30
And so he gives this
warning to backsliding Israel.
00:20:02.33\00:20:06.43
Look in Jeremiah,
00:20:06.47\00:20:08.50
you see God's people
have a history of backsliding.
00:20:08.54\00:20:12.01
Jeremiah 3:12,
00:20:12.04\00:20:14.71
"Go and proclaim these
words towards the north,
00:20:14.74\00:20:17.61
and say, 'Return backsliding
Israel,' says the Lord,
00:20:17.65\00:20:21.95
'And I will not cause
my anger to fall on you
00:20:21.98\00:20:24.95
for I am
merciful,' says the Lord,
00:20:24.99\00:20:27.19
'And I will not
remain angry forever.
00:20:27.22\00:20:29.69
Only
acknowledge your iniquity.'"
00:20:29.72\00:20:31.36
Now have you ever
wondered why did He say,
00:20:31.39\00:20:32.79
"Go, pronounce these
words against the north"?
00:20:32.83\00:20:35.96
When Jeremiah
makes this prophecy,
00:20:36.00\00:20:37.90
Nebuchadnezzar has already come
00:20:37.93\00:20:40.30
and he's carried away
some of the people of God
00:20:40.34\00:20:42.70
because of their disobedience,
00:20:42.74\00:20:44.44
north to Babylon,
00:20:44.47\00:20:45.74
to get to Babylon that
was sort of north east,
00:20:45.77\00:20:48.14
but he had to go directly
north to get around the desert.
00:20:48.18\00:20:50.91
And so he's saying,
"Look, if you repent,
00:20:50.95\00:20:53.92
God will restore you.
00:20:53.95\00:20:55.98
But if you don't repent,
you'll all be carried off,"
00:20:56.02\00:20:58.75
which is what
ended up happening.
00:20:58.79\00:21:01.42
What was the
formula for restoration?
00:21:01.46\00:21:03.69
"Acknowledge your iniquity
00:21:03.73\00:21:05.89
that you have
transgressed against the Lord
00:21:05.93\00:21:07.86
because of your
disunity with the Lord
00:21:07.93\00:21:10.63
you're going to be
separated from the land.
00:21:10.67\00:21:13.60
You've transgressed
against the Lord your God,
00:21:13.64\00:21:15.87
and you've scattered
your charms to alien deities
00:21:15.90\00:21:20.61
under every green tree,
00:21:20.64\00:21:22.68
and you've not obeyed my voice."
00:21:22.71\00:21:24.28
They started
worshipping other gods.
00:21:24.31\00:21:27.22
And you jump to Jeremiah,
it's actually the next verses,
00:21:27.25\00:21:30.45
verse 14 and 15.
00:21:30.49\00:21:31.75
Jeremiah 3, "Return,
O backsliding children."
00:21:31.79\00:21:36.39
Now doesn't that
sound kind of like a parent
00:21:36.42\00:21:39.33
saying to their
child, "Come back to me."
00:21:39.36\00:21:41.93
You're wondering,
don't you see it happening,
00:21:41.96\00:21:44.20
it's not too late.
00:21:44.23\00:21:46.27
And he's pleading with
the nation to turn back.
00:21:46.30\00:21:48.80
"Return, O, backsliding
children, says the Lord,
00:21:48.84\00:21:51.37
for I'm married to you.
00:21:51.41\00:21:53.84
And I'll take you,
00:21:53.88\00:21:54.98
one from the
city, two from a family.
00:21:55.01\00:21:57.25
I'll bring you to
Zion, I'll bring you back.
00:21:57.28\00:22:00.05
And I'll give you
shepherds according to my heart,
00:22:00.08\00:22:02.22
who will feed you with knowledge
00:22:02.25\00:22:03.75
and understanding."
00:22:03.79\00:22:05.49
He's pleading with them.
00:22:05.52\00:22:06.96
Go down and you read verse 22.
00:22:06.99\00:22:09.19
I think someone, you're
supposed to read verse 22.
00:22:09.22\00:22:12.16
Hang on, I'll tell
you it before you do.
00:22:12.19\00:22:13.66
I'll give them a
chance to get you on camera.
00:22:13.70\00:22:15.96
You notice what he
says here in chapter 3,
00:22:16.00\00:22:18.90
"For I am married to you."
00:22:18.93\00:22:21.47
How does God talk about
00:22:21.50\00:22:22.60
His relationship with
His people, His church?
00:22:22.64\00:22:27.04
It's in the
context of a marriage.
00:22:27.08\00:22:29.51
And have you read
the story of Hosea?
00:22:29.54\00:22:31.38
He said, "My bride,
the church is my bride,
00:22:31.41\00:22:35.32
but she's played the harlot."
00:22:35.35\00:22:37.39
I mean, not just fell
in love with someone else,
00:22:37.42\00:22:39.62
just kind of selling herself.
00:22:39.65\00:22:41.92
It's a very bad picture
of what the church has done.
00:22:41.96\00:22:45.93
Hosea uses the same language.
00:22:45.96\00:22:48.60
He says, "I will
heal their backslidings.
00:22:48.63\00:22:50.73
I will love them freely
00:22:50.77\00:22:52.27
even though they've
been unfaithful to me.
00:22:52.30\00:22:54.70
For my anger has
turned away from him."
00:22:54.74\00:22:57.54
Okay, go ahead,
please read the verse 22.
00:22:57.57\00:22:59.94
Jeremiah 3:22,
00:23:00.04\00:23:02.21
"Return, you
backsliding children,
00:23:02.24\00:23:05.28
And I will heal
your backslidings.
00:23:05.31\00:23:08.08
Indeed we do come to You,
For you are the Lord our God."
00:23:08.12\00:23:13.32
Does Jesus tell a
parable in the New Testament
00:23:13.36\00:23:15.76
about a
backslidden son who returns.
00:23:15.79\00:23:20.46
What'd they call?
00:23:20.50\00:23:22.36
Prodigal Son.
00:23:22.40\00:23:23.80
How does the father
receive that backslidden son?
00:23:23.83\00:23:28.24
Does he browbeat him
with his hands on his hip
00:23:28.27\00:23:30.87
and say, "I told you so,
00:23:30.91\00:23:32.41
where is all that
money you left with?"
00:23:32.44\00:23:34.61
Or does he freely
embrace and forgive.
00:23:34.64\00:23:37.98
And does that first
happen in the New Testament
00:23:38.01\00:23:40.28
or even now we read
in the Old Testament.
00:23:40.32\00:23:42.08
God says, "I'll forgive
you, my children, come back."
00:23:42.12\00:23:45.39
And he not only appeals
on them as His children,
00:23:45.42\00:23:47.46
He appeals to
them as His spouse.
00:23:47.49\00:23:49.72
I'll tell you,
00:23:49.76\00:23:50.79
one of the
hardest things I've seen
00:23:50.83\00:23:52.23
is you know when you
do marriage counseling
00:23:52.26\00:23:55.43
and it's discovered that
there's been unfaithfulness
00:23:55.46\00:23:59.00
on the part of
the husband or wife,
00:23:59.03\00:24:00.64
one has violated
the marriage vows,
00:24:00.67\00:24:02.97
there's been some
cheating happening,
00:24:03.00\00:24:05.04
and there's
usually a period of shock
00:24:05.07\00:24:07.68
and sometimes there's remorse
00:24:07.71\00:24:09.54
and they say, "I'm
sorry, it'll never happen again.
00:24:09.58\00:24:11.28
I slipped, you know."
00:24:11.31\00:24:12.51
And maybe it was the man,
and he was on a business trip,
00:24:12.55\00:24:15.02
and it's nobody special,
it's not an ongoing affair,
00:24:15.05\00:24:17.42
it just he fell,
"Would you please forgive me?
00:24:17.45\00:24:19.29
Don't destroy the marriage.
00:24:19.32\00:24:20.32
What about the children?"
00:24:20.36\00:24:22.66
And, boy, the pain,
there's so much pain,
00:24:22.69\00:24:26.03
the wife struggles to
forgive and to forget,
00:24:26.06\00:24:28.26
and to trust again.
00:24:28.30\00:24:30.37
And for them to say, "All right,
00:24:30.40\00:24:31.67
I'm going to forgive you
00:24:31.70\00:24:32.70
and I'll act like
it never happened."
00:24:32.73\00:24:33.84
That's hard.
00:24:33.87\00:24:35.00
I'll tell you, that's really
hard to forgive and forget.
00:24:35.04\00:24:38.44
This is what God says
that He'll do with us.
00:24:38.47\00:24:40.61
God told Hosea,
00:24:40.64\00:24:41.68
He marries a
harlot, and she runs off,
00:24:41.71\00:24:43.35
and he goes back,
and he gets here again.
00:24:43.38\00:24:46.85
And you would
have thought right away
00:24:46.88\00:24:47.95
if you marry a harlot,
there could be problems.
00:24:47.98\00:24:50.65
But God says, "This
is what I did with you
00:24:50.69\00:24:53.29
when I called you as a nation."
00:24:53.32\00:24:55.76
And He's offering to forgive
and says, "Come back to Me."
00:24:55.79\00:24:58.79
Read in Hosea 5:5,
00:24:58.83\00:25:01.36
"The pride of Israel
testifies through his face.
00:25:01.40\00:25:03.53
Therefore, Israel and Ephraim
stumble in their iniquity.
00:25:03.57\00:25:06.80
Judah also stumbles with them."
00:25:06.84\00:25:10.17
Now this is,
00:25:10.21\00:25:11.77
you notice he talks
about Judah in Israel
00:25:11.81\00:25:13.84
because later on
when Hosea writes,
00:25:13.88\00:25:17.01
"The Kingdom of the
north and the south is split."
00:25:17.05\00:25:20.75
They'd have a division.
00:25:20.78\00:25:21.82
We'll get to
that in just a minute.
00:25:21.85\00:25:24.05
So one of the...
00:25:24.09\00:25:25.12
Some of the things
that cause disunity,
00:25:25.15\00:25:27.52
well, disobedience to God.
00:25:27.56\00:25:29.92
Gossip causes disunity.
00:25:33.03\00:25:37.67
Look in Proverbs 26:20.
00:25:37.70\00:25:41.00
"Where there's no
wood, the fire goes out.
00:25:41.04\00:25:43.44
And where there
is no talebearer..."
00:25:43.47\00:25:47.04
It's not talking about
a person that has a tale,
00:25:47.08\00:25:49.78
it's talking about a gossip.
00:25:49.81\00:25:51.55
"Where there's no
talebearer, stripes ceases."
00:25:51.58\00:25:55.48
1 Timothy 5:13.
00:25:55.52\00:25:57.65
"And besides
they learn to be idle,
00:25:57.69\00:25:59.59
wandering about
from house to house,
00:25:59.62\00:26:01.56
not only idle but also
gossips and busy bodies,
00:26:01.59\00:26:05.16
saying things they ought not."
00:26:05.19\00:26:07.46
How many of you have known
00:26:07.50\00:26:08.43
that division is caused
even among chief friends
00:26:08.46\00:26:11.57
because somebody
is telling stories.
00:26:11.60\00:26:14.84
And they create suspicion.
00:26:14.87\00:26:17.54
A talebearer tries to separate
the chiefest of friends.
00:26:17.57\00:26:21.91
And so people
need to be very careful
00:26:21.94\00:26:25.21
and if you ever
heard the expression,
00:26:25.25\00:26:26.41
"If you can't say
something nice about a person,
00:26:26.45\00:26:28.12
don't say anything."
00:26:28.15\00:26:30.02
That's good advice, not
too many people live by it.
00:26:30.05\00:26:33.15
But it's a really good advice.
00:26:33.19\00:26:35.16
So one of the things
that causes division,
00:26:35.19\00:26:38.19
Satan is called the
accuser of the brethren,
00:26:38.23\00:26:42.20
where do you find that?
00:26:42.23\00:26:45.53
Revelation 12.
00:26:45.57\00:26:48.14
How many of you
remember the story in the Bible?
00:26:48.17\00:26:50.74
It's a vision of
Joshua the high priest,
00:26:50.77\00:26:53.41
and he's
standing before the Lord,
00:26:53.44\00:26:54.81
and he's got filthy garments on.
00:26:54.84\00:26:56.31
And Satan is there
00:26:56.34\00:26:57.38
and he's pointing
at the filthy garments
00:26:57.41\00:26:59.75
that the priest is wearing.
00:26:59.78\00:27:01.28
The priest's garments are filthy
00:27:01.32\00:27:02.38
because he's
interceding for the people,
00:27:02.42\00:27:04.79
and he's burying their sins
00:27:04.82\00:27:06.29
that represent the
people of God and Satan.
00:27:06.32\00:27:09.22
And the Lord says to Satan,
"The Lord rebuked you, Satan."
00:27:09.26\00:27:13.29
Is not this a brand
plucked from the burning,
00:27:13.33\00:27:15.30
I'm going to forgive them.
00:27:15.33\00:27:16.33
But Satan is the
accuser of the brethren.
00:27:16.36\00:27:19.40
Even with Eve, he
says, "Has God said..."
00:27:19.43\00:27:21.70
God, he's talking about
God, didn't say that right away.
00:27:21.74\00:27:25.17
Can you think of
other examples in the Bible
00:27:25.21\00:27:27.08
where people telling stories
have brought about division?
00:27:27.11\00:27:33.21
Through rumors and gossip,
00:27:33.25\00:27:35.08
and that's one of
the things that happens,
00:27:35.12\00:27:38.02
people giving an evil report.
00:27:38.05\00:27:42.29
Then you go to
the Book of Judges,
00:27:42.32\00:27:43.76
we talk a little bit
about the time of Moses.
00:27:43.79\00:27:45.89
And we're going to jump
ahead to the Book of Judges.
00:27:45.93\00:27:47.86
Judges 17, this was a
time when they had no king,
00:27:47.86\00:27:51.27
they were led by judges,
but in between the judges,
00:27:51.30\00:27:55.60
you read in Judges 17:6,
00:27:55.64\00:27:57.67
"In those days, there
was no king in Israel,
00:27:57.71\00:28:00.41
everyone did what was
right in his own eyes."
00:28:00.44\00:28:02.91
What was the result of that?
00:28:02.94\00:28:05.88
There is no
shepherd, the sheep scatter.
00:28:05.91\00:28:08.58
You look in Judges
2, what does it mean?
00:28:08.62\00:28:10.89
They did what was
right in their own eyes.
00:28:10.92\00:28:14.19
Then the children
of Israel did evil
00:28:14.22\00:28:15.86
in the sight of the Lord
00:28:15.89\00:28:16.93
and they serve the Baals."
00:28:16.96\00:28:18.69
Is it the gods of
the surrounding nations?
00:28:18.73\00:28:20.93
"And they foresook the
Lord God of their fathers
00:28:20.96\00:28:23.63
who had brought them
out of the land of Egypt
00:28:23.67\00:28:25.60
and they followed other gods."
00:28:25.63\00:28:28.04
This caused a
separation between them and God.
00:28:28.07\00:28:31.47
"From among the
gods of the people
00:28:31.51\00:28:33.04
who were all around
they began to worship."
00:28:33.07\00:28:36.51
Now what was God's
instruction to Israel
00:28:36.54\00:28:39.41
when they first
came into the land
00:28:39.45\00:28:41.45
regarding the other nations?
00:28:41.48\00:28:43.49
He said "Just Leave them
alone, let them be okay."
00:28:43.52\00:28:47.22
Or did God tell
them chase them out
00:28:47.26\00:28:50.53
those who will not
leave or eradicate?
00:28:50.56\00:28:54.73
God gave them...
00:28:54.73\00:28:55.90
I know this sounds really brutal
00:28:55.93\00:28:57.40
and people write
questions about it.
00:28:57.43\00:28:59.47
"You mean, God told them
00:28:59.50\00:29:00.84
to annihilate
these other nations?"
00:29:00.87\00:29:02.70
Yeah, they either
had to leave or die.
00:29:02.74\00:29:06.98
Now some of them
said, "We'll accept your god
00:29:07.01\00:29:09.11
and they were allowed to stay,"
00:29:09.14\00:29:10.71
'cause they did end up,
you know, Ruth was a Moabite,
00:29:10.75\00:29:13.72
so some of them
were sort of assimilated.
00:29:13.75\00:29:16.79
But the nations
that would not submit,
00:29:16.82\00:29:19.05
that would not cooperate,
they were annihilated.
00:29:19.09\00:29:22.96
Why did God say that?
00:29:22.99\00:29:25.83
Do not let any of them stay
00:29:25.86\00:29:27.30
if you don't completely
drive them out, drive them out.
00:29:27.30\00:29:29.90
The message of Joshua was,
00:29:29.93\00:29:31.00
"Drive them
out, drive them out."
00:29:31.03\00:29:32.53
He said, "They'll be
thorns in your sides.
00:29:32.57\00:29:36.14
They'll be
stickers in your eyes.
00:29:36.17\00:29:38.41
They're going to be
a pain to you," why?
00:29:38.44\00:29:40.08
Because you will observe
their customs and their ways
00:29:40.11\00:29:42.94
and you will start to
imitate the culture around you.
00:29:42.98\00:29:47.38
Now could that
happen to the church today?
00:29:47.42\00:29:50.39
Through constant
exposure to a corrupt culture,
00:29:50.42\00:29:53.36
we start becoming corrupt.
00:29:53.39\00:29:55.39
Things that God
says are absolutely wrong
00:29:55.42\00:29:57.96
through constantly being exposed
00:29:57.99\00:30:00.50
through unrelenting bombardment,
00:30:00.53\00:30:03.10
pretty soon the
thing we once uphold,
00:30:03.13\00:30:06.13
we embrace.
00:30:06.17\00:30:07.67
It doesn't happen overnight.
00:30:07.70\00:30:09.10
This was what
happened to Israel,
00:30:09.14\00:30:10.31
didn't happen overnight.
00:30:10.34\00:30:12.04
Sometimes it will say, "Well,
when the generation died off
00:30:12.07\00:30:14.71
they saw all the miracles
of the Lord in the wilderness."
00:30:14.74\00:30:16.85
The children, they hadn't seen
those things and they started,
00:30:16.88\00:30:20.35
you know, wondering, "Well
maybe those are just legends
00:30:20.38\00:30:22.38
that can't really
believe the Word of God,"
00:30:22.42\00:30:24.25
and they started hanging
out with the locals and...
00:30:24.29\00:30:27.62
How did Samson get in trouble?
00:30:27.66\00:30:30.59
He got a little too close
to the Philistines, didn't he?
00:30:30.63\00:30:34.60
And does that still
happen with God's people today.
00:30:34.63\00:30:38.27
Doesn't mean you're not
supposed to witness to him,
00:30:38.30\00:30:40.30
but he got
romantically involved.
00:30:40.34\00:30:42.54
That's the next thing
that happened, Judges 3:5.
00:30:42.57\00:30:45.17
"Thus the..."
00:30:45.21\00:30:46.24
I'm still
talking about the Judges
00:30:46.27\00:30:47.68
"The children of Israel
dwelt among the Canaanites,
00:30:47.71\00:30:50.05
and the
Hittites, and the Amorites,
00:30:50.08\00:30:51.98
and the
Perizzites, and the Hivites,
00:30:52.01\00:30:53.45
and Jebusites."
00:30:53.48\00:30:54.78
And notice, "And
they took their daughters
00:30:54.82\00:30:57.52
to be their wives,
00:30:57.55\00:30:59.12
and they gave their
daughters to their sons,
00:30:59.15\00:31:02.26
and they served their gods."
00:31:02.29\00:31:03.89
How did they start
serving their gods?
00:31:03.93\00:31:06.73
Gradually, it
didn't happen overnight,
00:31:06.76\00:31:08.90
through intermarriage.
00:31:08.93\00:31:10.93
I've been
sometimes called dogmatic
00:31:10.97\00:31:13.67
and Pharisaical and legalistic
00:31:13.70\00:31:15.84
because I will not marry
a believer to an unbeliever.
00:31:15.87\00:31:20.94
But isn't that
what the Bible says?"
00:31:20.98\00:31:23.91
How can a pastor...
00:31:23.95\00:31:25.18
Oh, but they love each other
00:31:25.21\00:31:26.78
and, you know,
they're living together,
00:31:26.82\00:31:27.88
you may as well help
them do the right thing.
00:31:27.92\00:31:29.85
I'm not going to marry...
that's in the arguments I hear.
00:31:29.88\00:31:32.65
I'm not going to marry,
00:31:32.69\00:31:34.32
someone who's
supposed to be a believer
00:31:34.36\00:31:36.32
to an unbeliever
00:31:36.36\00:31:38.03
'cause God condemns that.
00:31:38.06\00:31:40.90
And, you know,
what ends up happening,
00:31:40.93\00:31:43.06
and they have children.
00:31:43.10\00:31:44.57
And the unbeliever says,
00:31:44.60\00:31:45.63
"Although, we're
going to let them decide
00:31:45.67\00:31:46.84
what they want to
believe for themselves.
00:31:46.87\00:31:48.04
We're not
pushing them into church,
00:31:48.07\00:31:49.87
and we're not forcing them
to go to a Christian school."
00:31:49.90\00:31:53.04
And in the distinctive
beliefs of Christianity
00:31:53.07\00:31:55.78
are lost from the family.
00:31:55.81\00:31:57.05
So this is one of
the things the devil does
00:31:57.08\00:31:58.95
to divide us
from God is through...
00:31:58.98\00:32:01.72
That's a very
important statement,
00:32:01.75\00:32:02.82
I want to make
sure you caught it.
00:32:02.85\00:32:04.09
Talking about division,
00:32:04.12\00:32:05.35
one of the ways that
devil gets division from God
00:32:05.39\00:32:10.19
is by getting us
into romantic alliance
00:32:10.23\00:32:13.80
with unbelievers.
00:32:13.83\00:32:15.63
It takes away our hearts.
00:32:15.66\00:32:16.90
This is going to
come out a little later.
00:32:16.93\00:32:18.63
Happen to God's people
many times in the Bible.
00:32:18.67\00:32:21.74
So they begin to intermarry,
00:32:21.77\00:32:24.11
"They forgot the Lord their God,
00:32:24.14\00:32:26.57
and they serve the
Baals and the Asherahs.
00:32:26.61\00:32:29.94
Paul says 2
Corinthians, you all know this.
00:32:29.98\00:32:32.35
2 Corinthians
4:15, "Do not be..."
00:32:32.38\00:32:35.35
What's the rest of it?
00:32:35.38\00:32:37.02
"Unequally yoked
together with unbelievers."
00:32:37.05\00:32:42.02
Now you all understand
00:32:42.06\00:32:43.39
when you yoke
two animals together,
00:32:43.43\00:32:45.39
you might have one oxen
00:32:45.43\00:32:47.23
that would help you pull a plow,
00:32:47.30\00:32:48.90
two oxen, you know,
a lot more horse power.
00:32:48.93\00:32:52.40
But if you get an
oxen yoked to a donkey,
00:32:52.43\00:32:57.34
that just doesn't work,
they don't pull the same,
00:32:57.37\00:33:00.38
they don't move the same,
they're not at the same level.
00:33:00.41\00:33:03.81
And it's like, you
know, you're going in circles.
00:33:03.85\00:33:05.78
You just get an
oxen and the donkey,
00:33:05.81\00:33:08.72
now two donkeys, two
mules that might work,
00:33:08.75\00:33:11.02
two oxen that might work,
00:33:11.05\00:33:12.79
but Paul is
painting a picture here
00:33:12.82\00:33:14.52
of you get a
believer and an unbeliever,
00:33:14.56\00:33:16.99
that's just a really dumb match.
00:33:17.03\00:33:21.83
Have you ever
heard this argument?
00:33:21.86\00:33:25.13
"Well, you know, I went
and married a Christian,
00:33:25.17\00:33:28.40
and she turned out to
be just a total unbeliever,
00:33:28.44\00:33:31.21
it was a miserable marriage.
00:33:31.24\00:33:32.67
And now I have
found somebody online
00:33:32.71\00:33:34.98
and yeah, they
don't believe in God,
00:33:35.01\00:33:36.24
but they're such
a wonderful person."
00:33:36.28\00:33:39.08
I can't tell you how
many times I've heard that.
00:33:39.11\00:33:41.38
I know they're not a believer,
00:33:41.42\00:33:42.52
but they're just
a wonderful person.
00:33:42.55\00:33:44.82
"And so I know I
believe in Jesus,
00:33:44.85\00:33:47.16
maybe I'll convert them later."
00:33:47.19\00:33:49.72
The Bible says, "Do not
be unequally yoked together."
00:33:49.76\00:33:52.99
I know a family
that did that, they said,
00:33:53.03\00:33:54.83
"I married in the
church and it ended so badly.
00:33:54.86\00:33:59.00
I'm getting on
this dating website."
00:33:59.03\00:34:00.60
They said, "Go to
a Christian website."
00:34:00.64\00:34:01.97
"Oh, they're all ugly there."
00:34:02.00\00:34:04.27
Somebody told me that last
week really, honest to goodness.
00:34:04.31\00:34:08.74
And so there are on a
non-Christian website.
00:34:08.78\00:34:11.15
He said, "What in
the world are you doing?"
00:34:11.18\00:34:14.28
I will all convert them later.
00:34:14.32\00:34:15.75
Well, you know what happened?
00:34:15.78\00:34:17.69
The unbeliever
converted the believer.
00:34:17.72\00:34:21.19
I know there are some
rare occasions, God's merciful,
00:34:21.22\00:34:23.32
and maybe the
believer will reach
00:34:23.36\00:34:24.86
finally the unbeliever.
00:34:24.89\00:34:26.09
But, boy, you're just walking
on thin ice when you do that.
00:34:26.13\00:34:29.43
All right, say amen.
00:34:29.46\00:34:31.73
Amen.
00:34:31.77\00:34:32.80
I want to read a
quote this in your lesson,
00:34:32.83\00:34:34.27
Prophets and Kings page 20.
00:34:34.30\00:34:36.97
"The Lord had through
Moses set up for his people
00:34:37.01\00:34:39.34
the result of unfaithfulness
00:34:39.37\00:34:40.94
by refusing to
keep his covenant,
00:34:40.98\00:34:42.88
they would cut themselves
off from the life of God,
00:34:42.91\00:34:45.88
and His blessings
could not come upon them.
00:34:45.91\00:34:48.15
At these times,
warnings were heated,
00:34:48.18\00:34:50.65
at these times,
warnings were heated
00:34:50.69\00:34:52.39
rich blessings were
bestowed upon the Jewish nation
00:34:52.42\00:34:55.36
and through them
the surrounding people.
00:34:55.39\00:34:57.76
But more often in their
history they forgot God,
00:34:57.79\00:35:00.20
lost sight of
their high privileges
00:35:00.23\00:35:02.13
as his representatives."
00:35:02.16\00:35:04.00
Look at the
history of God's people,
00:35:04.03\00:35:06.03
it's a roller coaster.
00:35:06.07\00:35:08.00
They reach the trough
00:35:08.04\00:35:09.47
because of their
disobedience, they go down,
00:35:09.50\00:35:11.67
finally in their
humiliation, they repent,
00:35:11.71\00:35:13.68
they turn back to
God, God shows them mercy,
00:35:13.71\00:35:16.21
He would send them a
judge who would deliver them
00:35:16.24\00:35:17.88
from their enemies and
they'd be blessed again.
00:35:17.91\00:35:20.52
They want to be
blessed for very long
00:35:20.55\00:35:22.38
and they'd forget about God,
00:35:22.42\00:35:23.65
they'd intermarry and worship
other gods, and they'd go down,
00:35:23.69\00:35:26.15
they'd be held
captive by their enemies,
00:35:26.19\00:35:28.62
they'd be subjugated,
they'd be paying tribute,
00:35:28.66\00:35:31.26
they'd be enslaved,
they'd cry out to the Lord.
00:35:31.29\00:35:33.73
The Lord will forgive them,
He'd send them a deliverer,
00:35:33.76\00:35:36.90
and they'd be victorious,
00:35:36.93\00:35:39.20
but they'd pretty
soon forget the bad days,
00:35:39.23\00:35:41.60
and they'd turn
back to the world again
00:35:41.64\00:35:43.24
and they'd down.
00:35:43.27\00:35:44.67
What happened to
the nation of Israel
00:35:44.71\00:35:47.48
over millennia?
00:35:47.51\00:35:48.91
I've seen it
happen in Christian lives
00:35:48.94\00:35:51.81
in a matter of months.
00:35:51.85\00:35:54.48
You ever had a
rollercoaster month
00:35:54.52\00:35:57.09
with the Lord spiritually
00:35:57.12\00:35:59.92
where He blesses you
and you're real happy,
00:35:59.95\00:36:01.69
but then you forget, you
disobeyed, things go badly,
00:36:01.72\00:36:04.39
and then you repent,
and then you come back,
00:36:04.43\00:36:05.99
and it's like...
00:36:06.03\00:36:07.36
Is that way it's
supposed to be up and down?
00:36:07.40\00:36:10.20
Or does God want us to have
a consistently faithful walk?
00:36:10.23\00:36:13.40
Notice this about Daniel.
00:36:13.44\00:36:15.77
"Your God who you
serve continually,
00:36:15.80\00:36:19.71
He will deliver you."
00:36:19.74\00:36:21.48
It's in Daniel 6.
00:36:21.51\00:36:23.51
All right, now the
division of the Hebrew nation.
00:36:23.55\00:36:27.12
Now we're
talking about division.
00:36:27.15\00:36:29.15
What brought it about?
00:36:29.18\00:36:31.19
Go to 1 Kings 11:1.
00:36:31.22\00:36:34.69
It's interesting,
you go to 1 Kings 3,
00:36:34.72\00:36:37.73
and it says,
"Solomon loved the Lord,"
00:36:37.76\00:36:40.90
starts with
Solomon loved the Lord.
00:36:40.93\00:36:44.53
And God blessed Solomon,
and the nation became great,
00:36:44.57\00:36:49.17
and they were
going up, up, up, up, up.
00:36:49.20\00:36:52.27
And if you look in
Deuteronomy 28, you say,
00:36:52.31\00:36:55.38
"Was there a time in
the history of Israel
00:36:55.41\00:36:57.31
where they actually
experienced all of the blessings
00:36:57.35\00:37:00.55
that God had promised?"
00:37:00.58\00:37:02.12
Briefly yes, the
close as they came.
00:37:02.15\00:37:05.25
It wasn't maybe perfect,
but as the close as they came
00:37:05.29\00:37:07.76
to fulfilling
God's plan for them
00:37:07.79\00:37:09.72
was during the reign of Solomon.
00:37:09.76\00:37:13.26
They had peace
on all their sides,
00:37:13.29\00:37:15.00
even Solomon's
name Shalom means peace.
00:37:15.03\00:37:19.27
And they had great riches,
economically doing fantastic,
00:37:19.30\00:37:25.64
they were close to the Lord,
00:37:25.67\00:37:27.11
the temple was
operating full steam,
00:37:27.14\00:37:29.84
the people were
trusting the Lord,
00:37:29.88\00:37:31.25
the priests
were doing their job,
00:37:31.28\00:37:32.71
they had people
singing in the temple
00:37:32.75\00:37:34.12
24 hours a day.
00:37:34.15\00:37:36.35
All the other
nations were coming to Israel
00:37:36.38\00:37:39.19
to hear about the
wisdom of Solomon.
00:37:39.22\00:37:42.02
That's what God wanted, He said,
00:37:42.06\00:37:43.26
"I want you to be a
nation of kings and priests
00:37:43.29\00:37:45.69
where everybody comes."
00:37:45.73\00:37:47.00
The Bible says there were
so much gold in the kingdom,
00:37:47.03\00:37:49.90
silver was counted as nothing.
00:37:49.93\00:37:51.67
Beautiful valuable trees,
00:37:51.70\00:37:53.64
animals from all over the world,
00:37:53.67\00:37:54.90
exotic plants were
adorning its gardens.
00:37:54.94\00:37:57.41
I mean, it was the closest thing
00:37:57.44\00:37:59.57
to Eden on earth
the world had ever seen
00:37:59.61\00:38:04.31
since the time of the fall.
00:38:04.35\00:38:05.98
During the time of
Solomon, Jesus points,
00:38:06.01\00:38:08.25
this is even
Solomon in all of his glory
00:38:08.28\00:38:10.92
was not a raid like a flower.
00:38:10.95\00:38:12.19
He points to Solomon as
the pinnacle of human glory.
00:38:12.22\00:38:15.96
So during this time
00:38:15.99\00:38:17.13
that whole section
begins with the words
00:38:17.16\00:38:19.16
Solomon loved the
Lord, but then what happens,
00:38:19.19\00:38:22.16
it's very interesting.
00:38:22.20\00:38:23.87
Just before chapter
11, it says in that year,
00:38:23.90\00:38:27.24
666 talents of gold
00:38:27.27\00:38:31.34
came to Solomon in one year.
00:38:31.37\00:38:34.41
And after it says 666,
00:38:34.44\00:38:36.34
the other time in the
Bible you find the number 666...
00:38:36.38\00:38:38.68
Listen to what it says next,
00:38:38.71\00:38:40.42
"But King Solomon
loved many foreign women."
00:38:40.45\00:38:46.52
When it starts out
Solomon loving the Lord
00:38:46.55\00:38:48.36
and walking in all the
commandments of the Lord,
00:38:48.39\00:38:50.13
up, up, up, up, up, up.
00:38:50.16\00:38:53.06
And then it says six, six, six.
00:38:53.09\00:38:55.23
And the next thing it says,
00:38:55.26\00:38:56.30
"But he loved
many foreign women,"
00:38:56.33\00:38:57.90
down, down, down.
00:38:57.93\00:39:00.17
I mean it continues to go
down. Kingdom ultimately splits.
00:39:00.20\00:39:03.71
I'm going to read it to you.
00:39:03.74\00:39:04.84
"Solomon loved
many foreign women
00:39:04.87\00:39:06.37
as well as the
daughter of Pharaoh.
00:39:06.41\00:39:08.61
Women of the
Moabites, and the Ammonites,
00:39:08.64\00:39:10.75
and the Edomites and
Zidonians and the Hivites
00:39:10.78\00:39:13.95
from the nations
whom the Lord said
00:39:13.98\00:39:15.35
to the children of his own,
00:39:15.38\00:39:16.48
'You shall not intermarry
with them, nor they with you,
00:39:16.52\00:39:19.79
surely they will turn away
your heart after their gods.'"
00:39:19.82\00:39:23.59
Did we just read about that?
00:39:23.63\00:39:24.79
It's what
happened during Judges.
00:39:24.83\00:39:26.49
Solomon clung to these in love,
he said, "But I love them."
00:39:26.53\00:39:29.66
How many of you
have heard the argument
00:39:29.70\00:39:30.80
that love is supposed to
be the excuse for everything?
00:39:30.83\00:39:34.80
I know we are from
Bahal, but we love each other.
00:39:34.84\00:39:39.11
I know there are
two women or two men,
00:39:39.14\00:39:41.21
but they love each other.
00:39:41.24\00:39:43.45
Love is supposed to cover
all kinds of things, right.
00:39:43.48\00:39:47.35
"And as he clung to in
love and he had 700 wives,"
00:39:47.38\00:39:51.72
or would you think if
you really love one of them,
00:39:51.75\00:39:53.19
that would be good.
00:39:53.22\00:39:54.26
No, he had to love lots of them.
00:39:54.29\00:39:56.06
"He had 700 wives,
princesses, and 300 concubines.
00:39:56.09\00:40:00.90
And his wives
turned his heart away."
00:40:00.93\00:40:05.00
God later... Go to verse 11.
00:40:05.03\00:40:06.53
I mean, 1 Kings 11:11,
00:40:06.57\00:40:10.01
"Therefore, the
Lord said to Solomon,"
00:40:10.04\00:40:11.77
notice, "because
you have done this
00:40:11.81\00:40:13.71
and have not kept my
covenant and my statutes
00:40:13.74\00:40:16.08
that I have commanded you,
00:40:16.11\00:40:17.31
I will surely tear
the kingdom away from you
00:40:17.35\00:40:21.12
and give it to your servants."
00:40:21.15\00:40:24.15
Did a big division
come into the kingdom?
00:40:24.19\00:40:27.09
What caused the division?
00:40:27.12\00:40:30.29
Solomon's
unfaithfulness is disobedience.
00:40:30.33\00:40:34.00
Some of you remember
later the prophet Ahijah,
00:40:34.00\00:40:36.13
he came to Jeroboam.
00:40:36.16\00:40:37.33
Jeroboam was a servant,
00:40:37.37\00:40:38.40
he was rebellious
servant of Solomon's
00:40:38.43\00:40:41.64
who had fled to Egypt.
00:40:41.67\00:40:43.51
And Ahijah the prophet met
him, and he took his garment,
00:40:43.54\00:40:47.21
and he tore it
into twelve pieces,
00:40:47.24\00:40:49.84
and he gave ten pieces
to Jeroboam, and he said,
00:40:49.88\00:40:53.65
"The other two pieces..."
00:40:53.68\00:40:55.25
Maybe I'm getting
this little mixed up.
00:40:55.28\00:40:56.45
He said, "Do you have
pieces for the house of David?"
00:40:56.48\00:40:59.72
And 10 of the
tribes were torn away
00:40:59.75\00:41:02.12
and went to Jeroboam.
00:41:02.16\00:41:05.29
Finally, after Solomon died,
Solomon repented by the way.
00:41:05.33\00:41:10.07
And that's when you read
the book of Ecclesiastes,
00:41:10.10\00:41:12.73
this prophet after
he spoke of Solomon,
00:41:12.77\00:41:14.30
he realized the
foolishness of what he did,
00:41:14.34\00:41:16.07
he repented of his sin.
00:41:16.10\00:41:17.91
But he said
because you've repented,
00:41:17.94\00:41:19.14
I'm not going to
do this in your day,
00:41:19.17\00:41:20.48
but when Solomon died,
00:41:20.51\00:41:22.48
Rehoboam wasn't quite
as smart as his father.
00:41:22.51\00:41:26.15
And when they came to
make him king, they said,
00:41:26.18\00:41:30.22
"Look are you going to ease
the tax burden of your father?"
00:41:30.25\00:41:33.12
The last few years
of Solomon's reign,
00:41:33.15\00:41:35.72
his wives wanted all
these exotic palaces,
00:41:35.76\00:41:37.99
he heavily taxed the people.
00:41:38.03\00:41:39.46
And he got to be a
real burden, very unfair.
00:41:39.49\00:41:43.83
And Rehoboam, he went
to his father's counselors
00:41:43.87\00:41:46.43
and he said, "What do
you think I should do?"
00:41:46.47\00:41:48.34
They said, "Look, if
you serve these people now,
00:41:48.37\00:41:50.11
they'll serve you forever.
00:41:50.14\00:41:51.17
Humble yourself, tell
them you'll lighten the load
00:41:51.21\00:41:53.41
and win their hearts."
00:41:53.44\00:41:55.11
And he went to his friends,
his young friends, he said,
00:41:55.14\00:41:56.68
"What do you think?"
00:41:56.71\00:41:57.78
"You've got to show
him you're the boss.
00:41:57.81\00:41:59.75
You put down your foot,
you've got to lay down the law,
00:41:59.78\00:42:02.72
tell them 'My father
chastised you with whips,
00:42:02.75\00:42:05.62
we're going to
chastise you with scorpions.
00:42:05.65\00:42:08.16
My father's
little fingers not...
00:42:08.19\00:42:11.76
My little finger
is going to be bigger
00:42:11.79\00:42:12.96
than my father's thighs.'"
00:42:12.99\00:42:14.13
Something like that.
00:42:14.20\00:42:16.33
And he said, "Yeah, I'll
show them who's the boss,"
00:42:16.36\00:42:18.70
Rehoboam, young
and inexperienced,
00:42:18.73\00:42:20.47
he didn't listen
to Solomon's counsels.
00:42:20.50\00:42:23.07
That's a really dumb thing.
00:42:23.10\00:42:24.64
I mean, Solomon's the
wisest King who ever lived.
00:42:24.67\00:42:27.34
How would you qualify to
be a counselor for Solomon?
00:42:27.38\00:42:30.51
What test would you take?
00:42:30.55\00:42:32.58
So here why
would you ever reject
00:42:32.61\00:42:34.68
the council of
Solomon's counselors?
00:42:34.72\00:42:38.35
But he did.
00:42:38.39\00:42:41.06
And he answered
the people roughly,
00:42:41.09\00:42:43.26
he says, "I'm going
to show you I'm king."
00:42:43.29\00:42:45.03
They said fine.
00:42:45.06\00:42:47.13
The people of Judah,
00:42:47.13\00:42:48.16
you can serve
the House of David,
00:42:48.20\00:42:50.33
but what lot does
Israel have in David,
00:42:50.37\00:42:53.03
we're not from your tribe,
00:42:53.07\00:42:54.14
you're not going
to tell us what to do.
00:42:54.17\00:42:55.64
They went, they
made Jeroboam King
00:42:55.67\00:42:57.87
and they fled to the north.
00:42:57.91\00:42:59.54
And from that day, the
kingdom was never united again.
00:42:59.57\00:43:04.28
It caused a great division.
00:43:04.31\00:43:06.15
What began that division?
00:43:06.18\00:43:09.48
Not being faithful to the
Lord, intermarrying with others.
00:43:09.52\00:43:13.29
Could that happen to
the church again today?
00:43:13.32\00:43:17.39
Is this what we're talking
about ancient history here
00:43:17.43\00:43:19.79
or do these things
still happen today?
00:43:19.83\00:43:22.73
You know, this disobedience
still brings in division.
00:43:22.76\00:43:28.37
And so that by the way
whatever is sharing with you
00:43:28.40\00:43:30.44
was 1 Kings 12:3-6.
00:43:30.47\00:43:33.41
All right, now we're
going to talk about a schism
00:43:33.44\00:43:34.88
or division in Corinth.
00:43:34.91\00:43:37.08
Someone's going to
read for me John 13:35.
00:43:37.11\00:43:40.48
Okay, Dan, before you
do that, I'm going to read
00:43:40.52\00:43:42.85
1 Corinthians 1:10-13.
00:43:42.88\00:43:48.79
"Now I plead with your brethren,
00:43:48.82\00:43:50.33
by the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:43:50.36\00:43:52.73
that you all
speak the same thing,
00:43:52.76\00:43:55.43
that there be no
divisions among you,
00:43:55.46\00:43:58.47
that you be
perfectly joined together
00:43:58.50\00:44:00.77
in the same mind and
in the same judgment,
00:44:00.80\00:44:04.14
for it's been declared to
me concerning you brethren,
00:44:04.17\00:44:07.18
by those are Chloe's household
00:44:07.21\00:44:09.64
that there are
contentions among you,"
00:44:09.68\00:44:11.78
divisions among you.
00:44:11.81\00:44:13.28
"Now I say that
each of you says,
00:44:13.31\00:44:14.62
'I am of Paul
or I am of Apollos,
00:44:14.65\00:44:16.55
or I am of Peter,
or I am of Christ.'
00:44:16.58\00:44:19.75
Is Christ divided? Was
Paul crucified for you?
00:44:19.79\00:44:22.09
Were you baptized
in the name of Paul?"
00:44:22.12\00:44:24.66
They did different
fractions and divisions came in.
00:44:24.69\00:44:27.40
And now when Paul commands them
00:44:27.40\00:44:28.80
that they should all
speak the same thing,
00:44:28.83\00:44:31.47
is God a cookie cutter?
00:44:31.50\00:44:32.70
Does He want us
all to be identical?
00:44:32.73\00:44:35.00
No.
00:44:35.04\00:44:36.27
Are you allowed to be different
from others sitting around you
00:44:36.30\00:44:38.91
and still be a
faithful Christian?
00:44:38.94\00:44:40.38
Yeah.
00:44:40.41\00:44:41.51
Bible's very clear, we all
have different personalities,
00:44:41.54\00:44:43.71
we all have different gifts.
00:44:43.75\00:44:45.45
The high priest
had a breastplate
00:44:45.48\00:44:46.98
with 12 different stones
00:44:47.02\00:44:48.82
in different
facets on the stones,
00:44:48.85\00:44:51.05
all precious, all
close to the heart,
00:44:51.09\00:44:52.95
all God's people are different,
00:44:52.99\00:44:55.69
but we are to be speaking
the same thing in our truth.
00:44:55.72\00:45:00.96
The Bible, we should all
be united on our beliefs.
00:45:01.00\00:45:05.07
If we're not united in
our fundamental beliefs
00:45:05.10\00:45:08.07
and, you know, it is
going to be differences.
00:45:08.10\00:45:09.67
And I sometimes
hear people, you know,
00:45:09.70\00:45:11.77
argue about who's
the king of the north
00:45:11.81\00:45:13.71
and, you know, what
does this prophecy mean,
00:45:13.74\00:45:16.11
and there are obscure things
that we're all still studying,
00:45:16.14\00:45:18.05
nobody knows everything
about the Bible, right?
00:45:18.08\00:45:20.88
But there are
foundational things.
00:45:20.92\00:45:24.19
It really causes division
00:45:24.22\00:45:25.75
if I believe God
created the world
00:45:25.79\00:45:28.22
in six literal days, I
take Genesis 1:11 literally.
00:45:28.26\00:45:32.63
And you say, "No, we
came from evolution,"
00:45:32.66\00:45:35.00
we're on a different page,
00:45:35.03\00:45:36.53
there's going to
be a division there.
00:45:36.56\00:45:38.00
That's a major thing.
00:45:38.03\00:45:39.73
You can't be
united being that divided
00:45:39.77\00:45:42.57
on such a fundamental.
00:45:42.60\00:45:44.41
Or if you say
that you don't believe
00:45:44.44\00:45:47.04
that Jesus is divine.
00:45:47.08\00:45:49.81
You know, we're
going to have a problem.
00:45:49.84\00:45:51.91
There are some things
that are foundational truths.
00:45:51.95\00:45:55.25
See what I'm
saying? So when God says...
00:45:55.28\00:45:58.25
When Paul is saying here,
00:45:58.29\00:45:59.35
I want you all to
speak the same thing,
00:45:59.39\00:46:01.49
he's not saying that
God is a cookie cutter,
00:46:01.52\00:46:03.43
but we must be
united on His Word.
00:46:03.46\00:46:06.26
All right, please
read for me from John.
00:46:06.29\00:46:09.03
John 13:35,
00:46:09.06\00:46:11.00
"By this, all will know
that you are my disciples
00:46:11.03\00:46:14.50
if you have love
for one another."
00:46:14.54\00:46:17.11
All right, the
title of our lesson
00:46:17.14\00:46:18.67
is what causes
division or disunity.
00:46:18.71\00:46:21.94
What causes disunity?
00:46:21.98\00:46:24.28
The devil.
00:46:24.31\00:46:25.88
The devil tries
to divide us. Why?
00:46:25.91\00:46:29.28
Because Jesus said,
"All people will know
00:46:29.32\00:46:31.65
that you are My
followers by your love."
00:46:31.69\00:46:33.86
So He tries to create not
love so nobody will believe.
00:46:33.89\00:46:38.56
Did that make sense?
00:46:38.59\00:46:40.16
If the world is going to
believe because of our love,
00:46:40.20\00:46:42.63
then they would disbelieve
because of our division
00:46:42.66\00:46:45.33
and our disunity.
00:46:45.37\00:46:47.40
And so one of the
most important things
00:46:47.44\00:46:48.67
is that we do have
that love for one another.
00:46:48.70\00:46:51.74
And you're going
to read for me Romans,
00:46:51.77\00:46:53.71
in just a moment, Romans 16:17.
00:46:53.74\00:46:56.18
But I'm going to
first read 2 Timothy 2:23.
00:46:56.21\00:47:01.42
"Avoid foolish
and ignorant disputes
00:47:01.45\00:47:04.29
knowing they generate strife."
00:47:04.32\00:47:06.89
Now we may
disagree on some things.
00:47:06.92\00:47:09.42
Don't be engaged in
arguing about minor things,
00:47:09.46\00:47:12.99
he's saying.
00:47:13.03\00:47:14.10
Avoid those things.
00:47:14.10\00:47:15.33
Look at Titus 3:10.
00:47:15.36\00:47:19.87
"Reject a divisive man
00:47:19.90\00:47:22.30
after the first
and second admonition."
00:47:22.34\00:47:24.34
If you got
somebody in the church,
00:47:24.37\00:47:25.44
and they're going around,
they're causing division...
00:47:25.47\00:47:29.94
I heard of a
church not too long ago.
00:47:29.98\00:47:31.38
They dropped a
person's name from membership,
00:47:31.41\00:47:34.92
and it wasn't just
because he believed some things
00:47:34.95\00:47:37.59
that were a little bit off,
00:47:37.62\00:47:39.15
they probably would
have winked at that,
00:47:39.19\00:47:41.36
but he insisted that
everybody agree with him,
00:47:41.39\00:47:44.09
and he went around, he was
just creating all this division.
00:47:44.13\00:47:47.23
And that was grounds.
00:47:47.23\00:47:48.33
They gave him one warning,
they gave him two warnings.
00:47:48.36\00:47:50.23
They said, "Look, like baseball.
00:47:50.27\00:47:51.90
Three strikes, you're out."
00:47:51.93\00:47:53.47
And they said, "You know,
00:47:53.50\00:47:54.54
you just won't
listen to the elders,
00:47:54.57\00:47:55.60
you won't listen to the church.
00:47:55.64\00:47:56.64
You're just
bringing in division.
00:47:56.67\00:47:58.77
Sometimes you've got
to throw Jonah overboard
00:47:58.81\00:48:00.94
if you want to
have smooth sailing."
00:48:00.98\00:48:03.61
Isn't that what
the Bible teaches?
00:48:03.65\00:48:05.65
There comes that time.
All right, please read for us.
00:48:05.68\00:48:08.78
Romans 16:17-18.
00:48:08.82\00:48:11.55
"Now I urge you, brethren,
00:48:15.66\00:48:17.46
note those who cause
divisions and offenses,
00:48:17.49\00:48:20.66
contrary to the
doctrine which you learned,
00:48:20.70\00:48:22.96
and avoid them.
00:48:23.00\00:48:24.80
For those who are such
00:48:24.83\00:48:26.23
do not serve our
Lord Jesus Christ,
00:48:26.27\00:48:29.17
but their own
belly, and by smooth words
00:48:29.20\00:48:31.81
and flattering speech
00:48:31.84\00:48:33.41
deceive the
hearts of the simple."
00:48:33.44\00:48:35.81
Amen.
00:48:35.84\00:48:36.95
That ties in with the last thing
00:48:36.98\00:48:38.58
we're going to look at,
00:48:38.61\00:48:39.65
where he says,
"Wolves will come in."
00:48:39.68\00:48:42.38
Paul, just as he was departing
00:48:42.42\00:48:43.95
from some other
church there in Asia,
00:48:43.99\00:48:45.82
one of the last
times you would see him.
00:48:45.85\00:48:47.69
Acts 20:28.
00:48:47.72\00:48:49.62
He said, "Take heed to
yourselves and to the flock
00:48:49.66\00:48:52.63
among whom the Holy
Spirit has made you overseers,
00:48:52.66\00:48:55.20
the shepherd of the
church," and he goes and says,
00:48:55.23\00:48:57.93
"For I know this,
that after my departure
00:48:57.97\00:49:01.47
savage wolves
will come in among you,
00:49:01.50\00:49:03.81
not sparing the flock.
00:49:03.84\00:49:05.67
Also from among your own selves,
00:49:05.71\00:49:07.44
men will rise up,
speaking perverse things
00:49:07.48\00:49:10.08
to draw away the
disciples after themselves.
00:49:10.11\00:49:12.81
Therefore watch and remember.
00:49:12.85\00:49:14.48
For three years, I did
not cease to warn everyone
00:49:14.52\00:49:16.52
day and night with tears."
00:49:16.55\00:49:18.65
When the wolf wants to get
the sheep, what does it do?
00:49:18.69\00:49:23.56
Scatter them.
00:49:23.59\00:49:25.19
They're easy to take down,
00:49:25.23\00:49:27.03
separate them from the shepherd,
00:49:27.03\00:49:29.70
break them off
into little groups.
00:49:29.73\00:49:31.33
You've heard the expression,
00:49:31.37\00:49:32.40
"United we
stand, divided we fall."
00:49:32.43\00:49:34.24
The devil will send in
representatives to divide.
00:49:34.27\00:49:37.31
And if the church sees
00:49:37.34\00:49:38.64
there's somebody
that has come in,
00:49:38.67\00:49:40.48
and they're doing
the work of the wolf,
00:49:40.51\00:49:42.71
what's the responsibility
of the pastors and the elders?
00:49:42.74\00:49:46.05
Warn them.
00:49:46.08\00:49:47.38
And they will not listen,
get them away from the flock
00:49:47.42\00:49:51.45
because the devil, he
hasn't changed his tactics,
00:49:51.49\00:49:53.42
he still tries to
do that, doesn't he?
00:49:53.46\00:49:55.99
All right, there's are lot
more I could say about this.
00:49:56.02\00:49:57.46
Hopefully, we've
learned some things.
00:49:57.49\00:49:59.16
I want to remind you
about the free offer.
00:49:59.19\00:50:02.03
It's called The
Challenge of Self Denial.
00:50:02.06\00:50:07.14
If you like this free DVD,
just ask for offer number 858,
00:50:07.17\00:50:11.64
we'll send it to you.
00:50:11.67\00:50:12.94
And the number if
you'd like to call
00:50:12.97\00:50:14.51
is 866-788-3966 to get the DVD.
00:50:14.54\00:50:19.08
That's 866-STUDY-More.
00:50:19.11\00:50:22.28
Well, I want to thank
you for joining us, friends,
00:50:22.32\00:50:25.05
for Sabbath School Study Hour.
00:50:25.09\00:50:26.45
And we look forward to
seeing you again next week.
00:50:26.49\00:50:30.33
Let's face it.
00:50:30.36\00:50:31.76
It's not always
easy to understand
00:50:31.79\00:50:33.60
everything you
read in the Bible.
00:50:33.63\00:50:35.53
With over 700,000
words contained in 66 books,
00:50:35.56\00:50:39.37
the Bible can
generate a lot of questions.
00:50:39.40\00:50:41.84
To get biblical
straightforward answers,
00:50:41.87\00:50:44.17
call into the
Bible Answers Live,
00:50:44.21\00:50:46.01
a live-nationwide
call in radio program
00:50:46.04\00:50:48.74
where you can talk
to Pastor Doug Batchelor
00:50:48.78\00:50:51.05
and ask him your most
difficult Bible questions.
00:50:51.08\00:50:53.62
For times in
stations in your area
00:50:53.65\00:50:55.78
or to listen to answers on line,
00:50:55.82\00:50:57.62
visit bal.amazingfacts.org.
00:50:57.65\00:51:01.09
Hi, friends. This is
Pastor Doug Batchelor.
00:51:15.90\00:51:18.14
Would you like to
hear an amazing fact?
00:51:18.17\00:51:20.31
More and more of
the world is turning now
00:51:20.34\00:51:22.14
to natural forms of energy
to try and find their power,
00:51:22.18\00:51:25.88
and they're resorting to
things like the wind farm
00:51:25.91\00:51:27.78
that we have here
in Jamaica at Wigton.
00:51:27.82\00:51:30.49
You know, I remember years ago,
my wife and I going to visit
00:51:30.52\00:51:32.75
the big island of Hawaii,
00:51:32.79\00:51:34.36
and we were amazed at
all the potential there
00:51:34.39\00:51:36.66
for natural power,
00:51:36.69\00:51:38.13
but they weren't using it.
00:51:38.16\00:51:39.29
There at the south
part of the island,
00:51:39.33\00:51:41.63
there was volcanic activity.
00:51:41.66\00:51:43.80
You can make
geothermal power there.
00:51:43.83\00:51:46.23
If you went to Waimea,
00:51:46.27\00:51:47.60
the wind was constantly blowing,
00:51:47.64\00:51:49.47
but they had no windmills there.
00:51:49.50\00:51:51.37
If you went over to
Kona, sun always shines,
00:51:51.41\00:51:54.38
solar electric,
00:51:54.41\00:51:55.94
but they didn't have very
much solar electric there.
00:51:55.98\00:51:58.55
And if you went to
Hilo, it was always raining,
00:51:58.58\00:52:00.75
hydroelectric.
00:52:00.78\00:52:02.18
And in spite of all
that potential for power
00:52:02.22\00:52:04.59
there on the big
island of Hawaii,
00:52:04.62\00:52:06.29
they were powering
the island back then
00:52:06.32\00:52:08.36
with dirty diesel generators.
00:52:08.39\00:52:10.73
It made me think about
00:52:10.76\00:52:11.79
how we, sometimes, waste
the power of God's Spirit
00:52:11.83\00:52:13.90
that He's
making available to us.
00:52:13.93\00:52:15.26
And each of us
can have that spirit
00:52:15.30\00:52:17.43
if we simply ask.
00:52:17.47\00:52:18.70
You can read in
Zachariah 10, what do we do,
00:52:18.73\00:52:22.27
"Ask of the Lord rain in
the time of the latter rain,
00:52:22.30\00:52:24.87
and He will send
flashing clouds."
00:52:24.91\00:52:27.21
Jesus also said
in the book of Luke,
00:52:27.24\00:52:29.51
"If you then, being evil,
00:52:29.54\00:52:31.01
know how to give good
gifts to your children,
00:52:31.05\00:52:33.15
how much more will your Father
in heaven give the Holy Spirit
00:52:33.18\00:52:36.65
to them that ask?"
00:52:36.69\00:52:38.55
When you look in
the book of Acts,
00:52:38.59\00:52:40.52
when the Holy
Spirit was poured out,
00:52:40.56\00:52:42.36
it says there was a
sound of a mighty rushing wind.
00:52:42.39\00:52:45.56
And that power that
launched the church back then
00:52:45.59\00:52:47.83
can still power
your life today, friends.
00:52:47.86\00:52:50.03
So why don't you ask Him?
00:52:50.07\00:52:51.40
Amazing Facts, Changed Lives.
00:53:11.29\00:53:14.16
It wasn't my
choice to be a Catholic.
00:53:19.09\00:53:21.73
It was my parent's choice.
00:53:21.76\00:53:23.57
My mom, she's
very, very religious.
00:53:23.60\00:53:28.10
My father, he was made the
presidential troubleshooter
00:53:28.14\00:53:33.07
during the Martial Law.
00:53:33.11\00:53:36.41
I guess having seven kids
00:53:36.44\00:53:39.11
would not be able
to make my mother to,
00:53:39.15\00:53:41.75
you know, be there for
each and every one of us.
00:53:41.78\00:53:44.52
But what is really
very hard for me was
00:53:44.55\00:53:47.16
I was always told to be
the ugliest, to be the darkest.
00:53:47.19\00:53:51.49
You know here
in the Philippines,
00:53:51.53\00:53:53.43
you're
beautiful if you're white.
00:53:53.46\00:53:55.73
But if you're brown
or a little bit darker,
00:53:55.76\00:53:58.73
which I was,
00:53:58.77\00:54:01.57
you're ugly.
00:54:01.60\00:54:02.74
All of us had about seven maids,
00:54:02.77\00:54:05.31
one for each child.
00:54:05.34\00:54:07.38
The maids would say, "My baby,"
the one she's taking care of,
00:54:07.41\00:54:11.88
"is a lot better than
yours," referring to me.
00:54:11.91\00:54:16.22
I believed that I was ugly.
00:54:16.25\00:54:17.59
I believed I was stupid,
00:54:17.62\00:54:19.45
I believe I was
good for nothing,
00:54:19.49\00:54:22.16
so I attracted all
the bad things in my life.
00:54:22.19\00:54:26.19
I had to believe that
God is fair, so I said,
00:54:26.23\00:54:30.83
"Maybe it's because I was
bad in my previous lives."
00:54:30.87\00:54:36.10
So I believed in, of
course, reincarnation.
00:54:36.14\00:54:39.97
And when I was
young, my mom told me
00:54:40.01\00:54:43.38
that I could really see ghosts.
00:54:43.41\00:54:45.78
I went into a lab of saints
00:54:45.81\00:54:50.59
and there was even a time
when we did the ouija board.
00:54:50.62\00:54:53.99
And then, in
front of me, really...
00:54:54.02\00:54:56.39
It really happened
in front of four of us,
00:54:56.42\00:54:59.39
the glass,
which is a wine glass,
00:54:59.43\00:55:01.86
just, you know, it just went up.
00:55:01.90\00:55:07.17
So because this is my life,
00:55:07.20\00:55:08.84
I do believe that I was
attracted to the wrong man.
00:55:08.87\00:55:12.71
There's anything that
really happened very good
00:55:12.74\00:55:15.58
is to have my two
adorable children,
00:55:15.61\00:55:18.21
but I was really
abused in all areas,
00:55:18.25\00:55:22.82
physically, emotionally,
of course spiritually.
00:55:22.85\00:55:27.79
And you will
think, "Where is God?"
00:55:27.82\00:55:31.63
I began to
search, and unfortunately,
00:55:36.20\00:55:38.17
my church doesn't
have a Bible study.
00:55:38.20\00:55:41.40
So I was able to go
to Baptist Bible study.
00:55:41.44\00:55:45.31
And there I had a
classmate, her name is Lou,
00:55:45.34\00:55:49.71
she gave me the DVDs.
00:55:49.74\00:55:52.65
And that is where I
learned about Pastor Doug
00:55:52.68\00:55:56.02
and Amazing Facts.
00:55:56.05\00:55:59.42
That Baptist
Church saw my eagerness.
00:55:59.45\00:56:02.76
So when I started
asking for the Sabbath worship
00:56:02.79\00:56:09.63
on a Saturday,
00:56:09.66\00:56:10.83
they took me out,
they even got a meeting,
00:56:10.87\00:56:15.00
and they said I was a
stumbling block, me and Lou.
00:56:15.04\00:56:18.91
And that is how we left.
00:56:18.94\00:56:21.58
Our friends are
all from the Baptist
00:56:21.61\00:56:23.51
and we love them dearly,
00:56:23.55\00:56:26.01
but the truth
cannot be compromised.
00:56:26.05\00:56:29.28
So that is when we
started having Bible Study
00:56:32.32\00:56:37.03
every 4 o'clock
at Club Filipino,
00:56:37.06\00:56:39.93
and I invited all my friends.
00:56:39.96\00:56:44.07
It pains me to think
that I was really lost.
00:56:44.10\00:56:48.24
If I say that I find
teaching through a foreigner,
00:56:48.27\00:56:53.68
through Pastor Doug,
00:56:53.71\00:56:55.88
what if nobody
gave me the message
00:56:55.91\00:56:59.05
because my growth happened?
00:56:59.08\00:57:03.05
Because of the DVDs
that I watch every night,
00:57:03.08\00:57:09.06
every morning.
00:57:09.09\00:57:10.99
And even my friends
00:57:11.03\00:57:12.43
who happened to
have master's degree,
00:57:12.46\00:57:15.40
they say, "Why are
you so much better,
00:57:15.43\00:57:18.77
maybe your teachers are good."
00:57:18.80\00:57:21.34
Yes, my teachers are
from the Amazing Facts.
00:57:21.37\00:57:25.17
I owe my salvation
really to all teachers.
00:57:25.21\00:57:29.18
I've learned from their
DVDs and from their books.
00:57:29.21\00:57:32.55
Can't get enough
Amazing Facts Bible Study?
00:57:45.93\00:57:48.73
You don't have to
wait until next week
00:57:48.76\00:57:50.47
to enjoy more
truth-filled programming.
00:57:50.50\00:57:53.10
Visit the Amazing Facts
Media Library at AFTV.org.
00:57:53.13\00:57:58.21
At AFTV.org,
00:57:58.24\00:58:00.44
you can enjoy video
and audio presentations
00:58:00.48\00:58:03.24
as well as printed
material, all free of charge,
00:58:03.28\00:58:06.31
24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
00:58:06.35\00:58:08.82
right from your
computer or mobile device,
00:58:08.85\00:58:11.29
visit AFTV.org.
00:58:11.32\00:58:14.02