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00:35 Good morning, friends,
00:36 and welcome once again to Sabbath School Study Hour 00:38 here at the Granite Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:41 in Sacramento, California. 00:43 Very warm welcome to our online members 00:45 and our friends who are joining us 00:46 across the country and around the world, 00:48 part of our extended Sabbath School class, 00:51 and as always very warm welcome to our members and our visitors 00:54 here in person at church this morning. 00:57 Now over the past, well, last week, 01:00 it's just one week so far, 01:01 we started a brand new lesson quarterly 01:03 dealing with one of my favorite books 01:06 in the New Testament. 01:07 I know the church members probably know what that is, 01:09 the Book of Revelation. 01:11 So today, we find ourselves on Lesson Number 2 01:13 of our study in the Book of Revelation. 01:15 It's actually entitled Amongst the Lampstands. 01:19 And we're going to be looking at the last part 01:21 of Revelation 1 as well as part of Revelation 2. 01:25 We want to let our friends know who are joining us 01:28 if you don't have a copy of the Sabbath School lesson 01:31 entitled The Book of Revelation, 01:33 you can download today's lesson 01:35 by simply going to Lesson.AFTV.org, 01:39 and you can download Lesson 2 01:41 entitled Amongst the Lampstands, 01:44 and that's going to be our study for today. 01:46 We also have a free offer that we'd like 01:47 to make available to anyone in North America, 01:49 we'll be happy to send you a copy 01:51 of one of the Amazing Facts study guide lessons. 01:54 It's entitled Ultimate Deliverance. 01:57 And all you'll have to do is call 866-788-3966 02:02 and ask for offer number 105, and we'll be happy 02:05 to send you for free the study guide. 02:08 Or if you like, you can actually download 02:11 this study guide for free, 02:12 simply text the code SH090 02:17 to the number 40544. 02:20 You'll then receive a link and you'll be able to download 02:23 and read the ultimate deliverance, and of course, 02:25 that's not just for North America 02:27 but anywhere around the world, 02:29 you'll be able to receive the free download 02:32 of The Amazing Facts study guide 02:34 Ultimate Deliverance. 02:35 Well, before we get to our study this morning, 02:37 we always like to begin by lifting our voices in song. 02:40 I'd like to invite the song leaders 02:42 to please come forward. 05:38 Thank you so much for singing along with us. 05:40 And at this time, Pastor Ross 05:42 is going to have our opening prayer. 05:45 Dear Father in heaven, once again, we are so grateful 05:47 to be able to gather together in Your house Your Word 05:49 and study this very important book, 05:52 a special book related for our time, 05:54 the Book of Revelation. 05:56 And, Lord, we ask once again that the Holy Spirit would come 05:58 and got our hearts, our minds as we look at this 06:01 very important part of this last book, 06:04 in Jesus name, amen. 06:07 Well, as mentioned just a little while ago 06:09 in our introduction, 06:11 we're starting a lesson quarterly 06:13 dealing with the Book of Revelation. 06:15 And those of you who were here last week, 06:17 we looked at the first few verses 06:19 of Revelation 1 last week, 06:22 probably from verse 1 through to about verse 8, 06:25 which gives you a little bit of the background 06:27 to the Book of Revelation. 06:29 Today, we're going to continue our study in Revelation 1 06:33 starting in verse 9 going all the way 06:34 through the end of the chapter. 06:36 Our lesson is Lesson Number 2, and it's entitled 06:39 Amongst the Lampstands. 06:42 Now if you have your lesson quarterly, 06:43 we have a memory verse and I'm going to read it 06:45 from our lesson quarterly. 06:46 Revelation 2:7, it is actually something 06:51 that is repeated to all of the seven churches. 06:54 It's the words of Jesus, "He who has an ear, 06:56 let him hear what the Spirit says 07:00 to the churches." 07:02 Important council, he who has an ear, 07:03 let him hear. 07:04 Now on Sabbath afternoon, 07:06 this is Lesson Number 2 in your lesson quarterly. 07:09 Sabbath afternoon, we have a summary 07:11 of what this week's lesson really covered. 07:13 It said this week, in addition 07:15 to introducing Christ's ministry 07:16 in the heavenly sanctuary, 07:18 we'll spend a few moments on that, 07:20 we also will begin by looking at the first 07:22 of His seven special messages to the church 07:26 addressed collectively to the seven churches in Asia 07:29 but which also have meaning for us today. 07:32 Then next week, we will look at the messages 07:34 that Jesus has to the other six churches. 07:37 So our mission this morning in our study 07:40 is to finish up Revelation 1, 07:42 that's from verse 9 through to the end of the chapter, 07:45 and then take a look at the first church, 07:47 the church of Ephesus, that you find in Revelation 2 07:50 from verse 1 through to verse 7. 07:52 And as I looked at the lesson, 07:53 there were number of important points 07:54 that were brought to view, 07:56 and Revelation being one of my favorite books, 07:58 I thought, well, what should we do, 08:00 should we just take on these different themes 08:02 that we have in the quarterly for the week 08:04 or should we just try and do an overview 08:06 of the passage of scripture 08:08 that we need to study for the week. 08:09 And I thought well, let's take a look this morning 08:12 at starting in verse 9, and let's see 08:14 if we can get through all of Revelation 1 08:18 and also save a little time to look at the first church, 08:20 the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2. 08:23 So that is our mission today. 08:24 We're going to look from verse 9, Revelation 1:9 08:27 all the way through the chapter. 08:29 So if you have your Bibles, you can turn to Revelation 1. 08:32 And we're going to start reading here in verse 9. 08:35 Revelation 1:9. 08:39 It says, "I, John, both your brother 08:41 and companion in tribulation..." 08:43 Well, there's no doubt 08:44 as to who wrote the Book of Revelation, 08:46 it's the Apostle John. 08:47 John was the youngest of the disciples. 08:51 At the time that John wrote Revelation, 08:53 he was an old man, the Book of Revelation 08:55 is estimated to be written somewhere around 90 AD, 08:59 so that's some 40 plus years after Christ. 09:02 The other apostles, 09:03 they're already been put to death 09:05 that already died, but John, 09:07 an old man on the island of Patmos, 09:09 we'll find that why he's there in just a few moments. 09:11 It's there that he writes the Book of Revelation. 09:14 Now John says, "I'm your brother 09:16 in companion and tribulation." 09:18 Did John know something about tribulation? 09:21 Absolutely. 09:22 And you'll find that more, he was on the island of Patmos 09:25 because of his faith in God. 09:27 The Christian is not removed from tribulation 09:30 rather the Bible tells us that 09:31 we are sustained through tribulation. 09:34 So to be a Christian doesn't mean 09:35 you won't have trials and difficulties, 09:37 rather than means that through trials and difficulties, 09:40 God is able to sustain you and carry you. 09:43 Matter of fact, in Acts 14:22, we read, 09:45 "We must through many tribulations 09:47 enter the kingdom of God." 09:49 So the Christian is not removed from trials 09:51 rather we are sustained through trials. 09:55 John goes on to say, 09:56 "I'm your brother and companion in tribulation 09:58 and the kingdom," that is the kingdom of God, 10:01 "and patience of Jesus Christ." 10:04 Now you might be wondering what is this patience of Jesus. 10:07 What was it that John was longing for, 10:10 that John was looking forward to, 10:12 and that was the promise that Jesus made, 10:15 "I will go prepare a place for you 10:17 and I will come again." 10:20 So John says, I am patiently waiting 10:22 for that promise to be fulfilled, 10:24 not only me, but all of those who believe. 10:27 We are looking forward to the coming of Jesus. 10:30 Now the word patience also carries with it 10:32 a certain degree of endurance. 10:35 To have patience not only means a passive waiting 10:38 but in the original, 10:39 it has the idea of an active endurance 10:42 or standing firm in the midst of trial. 10:45 And so John is one who endured, he had patience, he held on. 10:50 It's interesting to note that the early church described 10:53 as having patience or endurance. 10:56 So the church of the last days the Bible tells us 10:58 also needs to have patience and endurance. 11:02 It was Jesus that said, "He that endures to the end, 11:06 the same shall be saved." 11:08 Revelation 14:12, 11:09 talking about God's people at the end of time. 11:11 "Here is the patience of the saints, 11:14 here are those who keep the commandments of God 11:17 and have the faith of Jesus." 11:18 So God's people in the last days 11:19 will also have this endurance or this patience that we see 11:23 demonstrated in the first century church. 11:27 Verse 9 continues and says, 11:29 "Was on the island that is called Patmos." 11:32 Now Patmos is a small island about 10 miles by 6 miles. 11:37 It's in the Aegean Sea currently about 30 miles west 11:42 of Turkey as we know it today. 11:45 During the time of John, the island was used 11:47 by the Romans as a prison, and according to tradition, 11:50 John was sent to Patmos 11:52 by the Roman Emperor Titus Flavius, Domitian, 11:55 during a time of intense persecution 11:58 that came against the Christians. 12:01 He says that he was on the island 12:02 for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus. 12:07 Now Revelation is... 12:09 The Book of Revelation is an eyewitness account 12:11 of the things that God revealed to John. 12:14 In Revelation 1, the earlier part 12:16 John says that he wrote down what he heard, what he saw, 12:20 and what God revealed to him through the testimony of Jesus 12:23 or the Spirit of Prophecy. 12:25 Now we know that the testimony of Jesus 12:27 according to Revelation 19:10 is the Spirit of Prophecy, 12:33 John being a prophet had the Spirit of Prophecy, 12:36 but it's also interesting to note 12:38 that God's people at the end of time 12:40 who also faced trials and persecutions, 12:43 those that have endurance 12:44 also have the testimony of Jesus 12:47 or the Spirit of Prophecy according to Revelation 12:17. 12:51 So there's an interesting connection 12:53 between that first century Christians 12:56 and then, of course, the last Christians, 12:58 just prior to the coming of Christ, 12:59 we'll look more at that 13:00 when we get to the church of Ephesus in chapter 2. 13:05 Now verse 10 is an important verse. 13:08 It says, John writes, 13:09 "I was in the spirit on the Lord's Day." 13:13 Now I've heard people say, well, John was having a vision 13:17 on the first day of the week. 13:19 He was having a vision on Sunday, 13:21 and they say the Lord's Day is Sunday. 13:23 Now why do people say that? 13:25 Well, they say that because 13:26 Jesus rose on the first day of the week, didn't He? 13:29 Yes, He did. 13:30 But does that somehow make Sunday sacred 13:35 with reference to the other days of the week? 13:37 What was more important, the resurrection of Jesus 13:41 or the death of Jesus on Friday, 13:44 or they both equally important? 13:46 Yes, they're both equally important. 13:49 So if we're going to celebrate the first day and say, 13:52 well, this is the resurrection, what about Friday, 13:56 the sixth day, shouldn't that also be celebrated? 13:58 No, the Bible gives us no command anywhere 14:01 to celebrate the death of Jesus 14:03 by setting aside Friday or to celebrate 14:07 the resurrection of Jesus by setting aside Sunday. 14:11 What is it that the Bible gives us 14:13 which is a reminder and a celebration of the death 14:16 and the resurrection of Jesus. 14:19 Baptism, Paul's very clear 14:21 that baptism is a symbol of Christ's 14:23 death and resurrection, and we participate by faith 14:26 in that experience through baptism. 14:28 So what does the Bible say is the Lord's Day. 14:32 Well, we just need to look at three verses, 14:33 it makes it very clear. 14:35 Matthew 12:8, Jesus says, "The Son of Man is Lord 14:41 even of the Sabbath." 14:43 Which day of the week is Jesus Lord off? 14:46 Sabbath. That's what he said. 14:49 Exodus 20:10 says, "But the seventh day 14:52 is the Sabbath of the Lord." 14:56 So if you just turn that around, 14:57 it's the Lord's Day, the Sabbath, is the Lord's. 15:01 And then Isaiah 58:13 makes it very clear, 15:05 "If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, 15:06 from doing thy pleasures on My holy day." 15:10 So which day of the week does God claim as His? 15:14 The seventh day Sabbath, that is the Lord's today. 15:17 It's important to note that here, 15:18 John writing the Book of Revelation, 15:20 some 50 years after Jesus had spoken 15:24 and taught and been amongst the disciples, 15:26 John still recognizes a day as being special, 15:30 set apart, he calls it the Lord's Day, 15:33 he's referring to the seventh day Sabbath. 15:36 And then the rest of verse 10 says, 15:37 "And I heard behind me a loud voice, 15:39 as of a trumpet." 15:41 So in order for John to see the one 15:45 that he's talking to him, what does John need to do? 15:49 Where does he hear the voice? 15:51 It says, I heard a voice as of a trumpet where? 15:54 Behind me. 15:55 In order for John to see the one 15:57 that was talking to him, 15:59 he had to take his eyes 16:00 away from these earthly surroundings 16:04 and turn to look to a heavenly environment, 16:07 and we'll see that in just a minute. 16:09 Sometimes, in order for us to hear God to see God, 16:13 we have to look away from our earthly surroundings, 16:15 and by faith, look to heavenly things, 16:18 look by faith to Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary 16:21 that is ministering on our behalf. 16:24 That says he has a voice like to a trumpet. 16:27 A trumpet in the Bible is often used 16:30 as a symbol for God's guidance of His people. 16:33 Numbers 10:2, 5, 6, 16:38 the sound of a trumpet is often associated 16:40 with the proclamation of the gospel. 16:42 Psalm 89:15. 16:46 It is also connected with the bold 16:47 and faithful preaching of ministers. 16:51 Isaiah 58:1, it is also connected 16:55 to warnings and judgments. 16:57 And of course, later on in our study of Revelation, 16:58 we're going to be talking about the seven trumpets. 17:01 They have to do with warnings and judgments. 17:04 Now verse 11 says, this is not Jesus speaking, 17:07 "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last." 17:13 Now that is a well-known title of Jesus. 17:15 But do we know what it means? What is Alpha? 17:19 Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. 17:23 In essence, it's the A you might say. 17:26 And what is Omega? 17:28 Omega will be the last letter of the Greek alphabet, 17:31 we might say Z. 17:32 Now that's an interesting name. 17:34 Jesus says, I am the A and the Z. 17:37 Why does Jesus say I'm the Alpha and the Omega? 17:39 What do we do 17:41 with the letters of the alphabet? 17:43 Well, we arrange them differently 17:45 to make words, right? 17:47 And what are our words? 17:49 Our words are our thoughts revealed. 17:52 Isn't it interesting that Jesus says I am the A and Z 17:56 and then in the gospel of john, 17:57 speaking of Jesus, he's called the Word, 18:01 and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us? 18:06 What is Jesus? 18:07 Jesus is the thoughts of God revealed. 18:10 Jesus said to His disciples, "If you have seen Me, 18:12 you've" what, "seen the Father." 18:15 So Jesus is called the A and the Z, 18:17 He is God's thoughts revealed through the Word. 18:21 And then He goes on to say, what do you see writing a book 18:25 or a letter, and send it to the seven churches 18:28 which are in Asia, to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, 18:31 Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. 18:35 So John would write down the things he heard, 18:38 the things he saw, that which was revealed to him 18:40 through the Spirit of Prophecy. 18:41 He wrote it in a book or a letter, 18:43 and then it was sent via the mail 18:47 to the seven churches in Asia. 18:49 Now John didn't write seven different books 18:52 and send one to each of the churches, 18:54 rather he wrote one book or letter 18:56 probably sent it first to the church of Ephesus 18:59 because that's the first church 19:01 that's referred to in Revelation 2. 19:04 This letter was then received in the church. 19:07 Now tradition has it that it's pretty solid 19:10 that John prior to him been taken to Patmos 19:14 was the leader of the church of Ephesus. 19:17 So he has taken away from the church, 19:19 he was taken to Patmos, he writes a letter, 19:21 he sends the letter to his church in Ephesus. 19:25 And you can imagine the Sabbath morning 19:27 when the church assembles, 19:28 and everyone is sitting there in the church, 19:30 and the elder of the church gets up, and he says, 19:33 "Brethren, we've got something 19:35 that has just arrived in the mail, 19:38 we have got a letter of our beloved John," 19:41 and you can imagine how all the members sat spellbound 19:45 as this letter was read in its entirety, 19:48 starting Revelation 1:1 19:49 reading all the way through the end of the book. 19:52 Everybody listened, 19:53 and I'm sure the book was read more than once 19:55 'cause they wanted to get every word that they could. 19:58 After the letter was read to the church, 20:01 a scribe carefully copied everything 20:04 that John had written so they would have a copy. 20:07 And then they probably sent the original 20:09 to the next church, the church of Smyrna. 20:12 And when the letter arrived in the church of Smyrna, 20:14 the same thing happened, somebody in the church read it 20:16 to the congregation, it was carefully copied, 20:19 and then it was sent to the next church, 20:20 and so it went all around the seven churches. 20:23 And I'm sure after it went around the seven churches, 20:25 it was again mailed out to other churches, 20:27 and again, it was read and copied. 20:29 And so it was multiplied during the Christian era, 20:32 that first century. 20:34 But just imagine being able to receive a letter from John, 20:38 an eye witness account of what he had seen, 20:40 what he had heard, 20:41 and being able to share that with the church. 20:43 Now John in verse 12 says, "Then I turned to see the voice 20:47 which spake onto me, 20:49 having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands." 20:53 Now these lampstands according to Revelation 1:20 20:56 represents the churches, the seven churches, 20:59 the seven churches represent 21:01 seven phases of Christian history, 21:03 and we'll get to that later on. 21:05 In the sanctuary, there was a seven branched candlestick. 21:09 There are two compartments in the sanctuary. 21:11 The first compartment is known as the holy place, 21:14 and then there is veil, 21:15 and then you have the most holy place, 21:17 outside of the sanctuary was the courtyard. 21:21 Now the Bible is very clear in the Book of Hebrews, 21:24 that there is a heavenly sanctuary, 21:26 a sanctuary built by God and that Jesus, 21:29 our high priest ministers for us 21:31 in the heavenly sanctuary. 21:33 It's interesting to note that there is no courtyard 21:36 in the heavenly sanctuary. 21:37 Do you know why? 21:39 Where was the lamb to be sacrificed? 21:42 In the courtyard, right? 21:44 It's placed on the altar of burnt sacrifice 21:46 which was in the courtyard. 21:48 Where was the blood of the lamb to be taken? 21:51 Into the sanctuary and throughout the year 21:54 into the first compartment 21:55 and then on the Day of Atonement, 21:56 the blood of the sacrifice 21:58 was taken into the most holy place. 22:00 So the courtyard then would represent 22:03 Christ work for us here on this earth. 22:05 Jesus came, lived on the earth, 22:07 He died, the Lamb of God, a sacrifice for our sins. 22:10 And then when Jesus ascended to heaven, 22:13 He began his high priestly ministry for us in heaven. 22:18 So John in vision looks up into heaven, 22:21 and he sees Jesus standing 22:23 amongst the seven-branched candlestick. 22:26 Where would you find the seven-branched candlestick 22:28 in the sanctuary? 22:29 Well, if you went through the door 22:32 leading into the first compartment of the sanctuary 22:35 and you looked over to the right, 22:37 what article of furniture would you see? 22:39 You'd see the table of showbread directly opposite 22:43 from the table of showbread would be 22:45 the seven-branched candlestick. 22:47 And what would be directly in front of you? 22:49 The altar of incense. 22:51 And then what was behind the altar of incense? 22:54 There was a veil and then you go 22:56 into the most holy place. 22:58 And what was in the most holy place? 23:00 The Ark of the Covenant. 23:01 So where is Jesus seen? 23:04 He's seen standing amongst 23:05 the seven-branched candlesticks. 23:08 Now this is very interesting. 23:09 In Revelation 4, 23:12 and we'll get to this later on in our study. 23:14 You have a picture of God the Father 23:16 seated upon His throne. 23:18 God the Father is seated upon His throne, 23:21 there are four living creatures surrounding his throne. 23:24 And then Revelation 4 says 23:26 there are seven burning lamps of fire 23:30 before the throne or in front of the throne. 23:34 And then in chapter 5 of Revelation, 23:37 Jesus appears as a lamb as it had been slain, 23:41 and He appears before the throne 23:44 by the seven burning lamps of fire. 23:47 Now if the altar of incense separates the veil, 23:52 the holy and the most holy place, 23:54 and you have the table of showbread, 23:56 and across from the table of showbread 23:57 is the seven-branched candlestick, 24:00 when it says that God's throne, 24:02 in front of the throne, seven burning lamps of fire, 24:06 what article of furniture 24:08 in the first compartment of the sanctuary 24:10 would then symbolize God's throne? 24:14 The table of showbread. Do you see that? 24:17 So the table of showbread 24:18 in the first compartment of the sanctuary 24:20 represents God's throne in front of the throne 24:23 of the seven burning lamps of fire 24:25 and Jesus is seen in front of the throne 24:28 standing amongst the seven golden lampstands, 24:31 symbolizing Jesus's connection with His church. 24:35 Something else important to note, 24:36 now that we laid that as a foundation, 24:38 as we study through the Book of Revelation, 24:40 it's exciting to see how Jesus moves 24:45 from amongst the seven-branched candlestick 24:47 to the altar of incense. 24:50 And then in Revelation 11, 24:51 when the seventh trumpet sounds, 24:53 guess where Jesus is? 24:55 By the Ark of the Covenant in the most holy place. 24:59 So throughout the book of Revelation, 25:00 Jesus actually moves from place to place. 25:03 So look for that in your study throughout this quarter. 25:06 Where is Jesus? 25:07 What part of the sanctuary is brought to view? 25:09 And you'll see Jesus moving through the sanctuary. 25:12 All right, we need to keep going here. 25:13 Verse 13, "And in the midst of the seven lamps, 25:16 one like unto the Son of Man," 25:18 clearly it's a reference to Jesus, 25:20 "clothed with a garment down to His feet, 25:22 girded about the chest with a golden band." 25:25 Notice that He is gird about the chest 25:27 with a golden band. 25:29 The belt was not around the waist, 25:30 where most people would wear a belt, 25:32 but this is a belt or a band around the chest. 25:35 It's relating to the dress of a priest, 25:38 in particular, the high priest here. 25:40 So Jesus is described as a high priest 25:43 ministering for us 25:44 in the first compartment of the heavenly sanctuary 25:47 when John sees Jesus envision in Revelation 1. 25:52 Now we know from a study of the book of Revelation, 25:54 Jesus is administering for us in the first compartment, 25:57 but He's actually ministering for us today 26:00 in the most holy place or the second compartment, 26:03 and we learn more about that when we get to Revelation 11. 26:07 We have a little bit of a description 26:09 of what Jesus looks like 26:11 in symbolic language here in Revelation 1:14. 26:15 It says, "His head and hair were white like wool, 26:19 as white as snow." 26:21 Now remember, Revelation is a symbolic book 26:24 and the different images that are used 26:26 are illustrating important truths for us. 26:28 What does white represent in the Bible? 26:31 White represents wisdom and purity. 26:34 I think we know the verse in Isaiah 1:18, 26:37 God says, "Come now, let us reason together. 26:40 Though your sins be like scarlet, 26:42 they shall be," what, "as white as snow." 26:46 And then the last part of verse 14 says, 26:48 "His eyes were like a flame of fire." 26:51 So His hair, His countenance is white, white like snow, 26:54 His eyes like flames of fire. 26:57 What does that mean? 26:58 His eyes as a flame of fire, it represents intensity of gaze 27:02 and the searching of the heart. 27:05 2 Chronicles 16:9, this is a wonderful promise. 27:08 It says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro 27:11 throughout the whole earth 27:13 to show Himself strong on behalf of those 27:17 whose heart is loyal to Him." 27:19 Those eyes of fire are looking throughout the earth 27:22 to see who is faithful to Jesus. 27:24 He wants to show Himself strong on their behalf. 27:28 What a wonderful promise. 27:30 Verse 15 continues in this description and says, 27:33 "His feet were as fine brass, refined in a furnace," 27:38 the symbol here of fine brass 27:40 represents purity through trial, 27:43 purity through trial. 27:44 It was through Christ's experience on the earth 27:47 through his faithfulness in trial 27:49 that He obtained salvation for us. 27:52 Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, 27:54 "Not my will be done but Thy will be done." 27:57 Full surrender to the will of His Father, 27:59 God's people at the end of time 28:00 will also have their faith tested. 28:03 They will also be tried, so to speak, by fire. 28:06 We read in Zechariah 13:9, 28:10 "I will bring one-third through the fire, 28:12 will refine them as silver is refined," 28:15 talking about God's people in the last days, 28:17 "and test them as gold is tested. 28:20 They will call on My name, and I will answer them. 28:22 I will say, 'This is My people.' 28:24 And each one will say, 'The Lord is my God.'" 28:28 So there is a time of testing and trial 28:29 even for God's people in the last days. 28:32 The last part of verse 15 says, 28:35 "And His voice is as the sound of many waters 28:39 or of rushing water," 28:41 like standing beside Niagara Falls. 28:43 I've been there several times 28:45 and I hear the roar of the water 28:47 just coming over the falls. 28:49 Back in Jewish literature, the one who had the voice 28:53 that sounds like many waters 28:55 was none other than the Creator. 28:57 So when it talks about Jesus having the voice 28:59 that sounds like many waters, 29:01 it's a reference to Jesus being the Creator. 29:03 And of course, we see that in the Gospel of John 29:06 where all things that were made were made by Him. 29:09 Verse 16, still talking about Jesus, it says, 29:12 "He had in His right hand seven stars." 29:16 Which hand did Jesus have the seven stars? 29:20 In his right hand. 29:21 Any significance of the fact that it's his right hand? 29:24 Absolutely. 29:25 In the Bible, the right arm or the right hand 29:28 is a symbol of power and strength. 29:31 You can read in Isaiah 41:10, 29:34 that there is power and strength, fear not... 29:37 This is Isaiah 41:10, "Fear not, for I am with you. 29:40 Do not be dismayed, for I am your God, 29:42 I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, 29:45 I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." 29:49 So here you have Jesus holding the seven stars 29:52 which are the angels to the seven churches, 29:54 we'll look at that in a minute, 29:55 but there in His right hand, meaning that Jesus is the one 29:59 that sustains his church, He will strengthen his church. 30:03 And then verse 16 continues and says, 30:05 and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. 30:10 Remember Revelation is a symbolic book, 30:12 but here coming forth from His mouth 30:14 is described a two-edged sword. 30:16 What does that two-edged sword represent? 30:19 Represents the Word of God. 30:21 Hebrews 4:12 says, 30:23 "For the Word of God is living and powerful 30:26 and sharper than any," what, "two-edged sword." 30:29 Now you might be wondering why two edges. 30:31 What are the two edges relating to the Word of God? 30:35 The Old and New Testament? Yes. 30:37 But there's more, 30:38 we'll get to it in just a minute. 30:40 The last part of the verse says, 30:41 "His countenance was like the sun 30:44 shining in its strength." 30:46 So Jesus's countenance shines forth at the sun. 30:49 There's an interesting Old Testament verse 30:51 in Malachi 4:2, that says, 30:53 "The sun," S-U-N " of righteousness shall arise 30:57 with healing in His wings." 30:59 That is a messianic prophecy, it's talking about Jesus. 31:02 So Jesus is like unto the sun shining forth in its strength. 31:07 Now in Revelation 12, we have a description of the church 31:11 symbolized as a woman clothed with the sun, 31:15 standing upon the moon, 31:17 she has a crown of 12 stars above her head. 31:20 So the church is to be clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, 31:24 clothed with the sun, standing upon the moon. 31:26 Incidentally, the moon... What does the moon represent? 31:29 Well, the moon does not have light of itself, 31:31 it's merely reflects the light of the sun. 31:34 What is the church to be founded on 31:36 and to be standing on? 31:38 Where do we get the clearest reflection of Jesus? 31:41 It's through His Word. 31:43 That's the church must be standing upon the Word of God. 31:46 Clothed in Christ's righteousness, 31:48 the 12 stars would be a symbol of the 12 apostles, 31:51 at least in the New Testament, 31:52 the 12 tribes of the Old Testament. 31:55 And verse 17, Revelation 1:17, 31:57 it says, "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead." 32:02 Now this is something interesting 32:03 that you'll find both in the New Testament 32:05 and the Old Testament that often a profit 32:07 when he sees in vision, the glory of God, 32:10 his first response is to fall to the ground 32:14 as though he were dead. 32:16 Actually, we read about in Daniel 8:17 32:18 where Daniel saw the glory of God, 32:20 he fell to the ground and he says, 32:21 "There was no breath left in me." 32:24 We have the same experience with the Prophet Ezekiel. 32:28 So when a prophet sees God in His glory, 32:30 there is no strength left in him, 32:32 he falls to the ground, but then it goes on, 32:34 "But He laid His right hand on me 32:37 and said to me, 'Do not be afraid, 32:39 I am the First and the Last." 32:42 So John in vision sees the glory of Christ, 32:44 he falls to the ground, but Jesus reaches over 32:47 and touches the prophet. 32:49 We find that also true with reference to Daniel, 32:51 Ezekiel, and other prophets of the Old Testament, 32:54 that often when they see the glory of God, 32:56 and they realize their sinfulness 32:58 and their unworthiness, 33:00 there's no strength left in them, 33:01 and then God will touch them 33:03 and revive them and give them strength. 33:06 Notice, it's Christ's right hand 33:09 that is laid upon the prophet and John is revived. 33:13 Verse 18, Jesus says, "I am He who lives, 33:16 and was dead, and behold, I'm alive for evermore. 33:19 Amen. 33:20 And I have the keys of Hades and of death." 33:24 Jesus is the one who lives was dead and is alive. 33:28 Of course, he's talking about Christ, 33:29 His incarnation, He came to the earth, 33:31 He died and sacrificed for our sins. 33:33 He rose from the dead, 33:34 and now He intercedes, He ever lives for us. 33:37 Jesus also says, 33:39 "I have the keys of Hades and Death." 33:42 And what does the word Hades mean? 33:44 Hades in the Greek simply means the grave. 33:46 Jesus has the key of the grave, He is the key of death, 33:50 He can unlock the grave, 33:52 He can set the captives of death free. 33:56 In John 5:25, we read, Jesus says, "Most assuredly, 34:00 I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, 34:03 when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, 34:06 and those who hear will live." 34:09 So Jesus has power to call forth the sleeping dead, 34:12 and they will be raised. 34:14 Of course, death in the Bible is like unto sleep. 34:17 Verse 19, Revelation 1:19, "Write the things 34:21 which you have seen, and the things which are, 34:24 and the things that will take place after this." 34:26 So John is actually writing Revelation 34:29 as he is seeing these visions taking place. 34:31 Write the things that you have seen 34:33 that's everything up to this point 34:34 in Revelation 1:19, 34:36 the things that are happening now 34:37 he's to write that down, 34:39 as well as the things that is yet to come. 34:41 So the Book of Revelation deals with historical issues, 34:44 it deals with present time issues, 34:46 and it also deals with future issues, 34:48 things of the church will face before Jesus comes. 34:51 Of course Revelation even extends past the Second Coming 34:54 all the way that 1000-year period 34:56 that we read about in Revelation 20 34:58 and the new heavens and the new earth 35:00 of Revelation 21. 35:02 So those are the things that are yet to come. 35:05 And then in verse 20, 35:06 our last verse here in chapter 1 35:08 before we talk about the first church, it says, 35:12 "The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand 35:15 and the seven golden lampstands." 35:17 Now a very important rule 35:19 when studying the Book of Revelation, 35:20 as a tool, so the Book of Daniel 35:23 or any prophetic book in the Bible, 35:25 we need to let the Bible interpret itself. 35:27 It is not for us to guess what these symbols might mean. 35:30 All of the symbols are revealed to us 35:32 elsewhere in Scripture, 35:34 sometimes in the same book, sometimes in a different book. 35:36 For example, Revelation 13 talks about beasts, 35:40 the one comes from the sea, the other comes from the earth. 35:43 What do beasts represent in Bible prophecy? 35:46 Well, to get the answer, 35:47 we got to go all the way back to the Book of Daniel 35:49 and tells us that beast represent kingdoms or nations. 35:53 One of the beast in Revelation 13, 35:55 he said, to come up from the sea. 35:57 What does the sea represent in Bible prophecy? 36:00 Revelation 17 gives us the answer, 36:02 multitudes, and nations, and kingdoms, and towns. 36:05 What do stars represent in Bible prophecy? 36:09 They represent angels, right? 36:11 In Revelations 1:20, it tells us that. 36:14 The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. 36:17 So in Revelation 12, where we read about the dragon 36:20 sweeps a third of the stars of heaven with his tail 36:24 and cast them to the earth, 36:25 what are those one-third of the stars represent? 36:28 A third of the angels, 36:30 join Satan's rebellion against God. 36:32 So we need to let the Bible interpret itself. 36:35 That's why the Bible tells us no prophecy or scripture 36:38 is for private interpretation, 36:40 it is not for us to look at something 36:41 and say, "Well, I think it might mean this, 36:44 or I think it might mean that." 36:45 No, the Bible tells us what it means. 36:47 And so here in verse 20, the Bible tells us 36:50 what these various symbols mean. 36:52 First, it talks about seven. 36:55 Now numbers are significant in the Bible. 36:58 There are several that are particularly significant, 37:00 not all numbers are significant, 37:02 but especially from one through seven, 37:05 they're very significant. 37:06 The number 10 is significant, the number 12 is significant, 37:09 the number 40 in the Bible is significant, 37:12 so as a little bit of a background, 37:13 I just want to review through the meaning of numbers, 37:16 especially in Revelations, prophetic books, 37:18 what they might mean. 37:19 And we'll start at the very beginning, 37:21 the number one. 37:23 What is the number one represent in Bible prophecy? 37:26 Well, it's interesting to note 37:28 that the number one in the original Hebrew, 37:31 there is a singular form for the word one. 37:35 There is also a plural form for the word one. 37:39 And that famous verse, "Hear, O Israel, 37:41 the Lord thy God is one," the original Hebrew word 37:45 there for one is in the plural form. 37:48 So you have one singular form, 37:50 which means at least in our thinking, one, 37:53 but there is also a plural form of one 37:55 where the Bible says, "The Lord thy God is one," 37:58 one represents unity of purpose, 38:01 unity of purpose. 38:03 Jesus said, "For this reason, a man shall leave his father 38:06 and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife, 38:08 and that two shall become one." 38:11 Jesus prayed that His disciples would be one, 38:14 even as He is one with the Father, 38:16 so one symbolically represents unity of purpose, 38:20 unity of purpose. 38:21 Then number two in Bible prophecy 38:24 represents the Word of God, represents the Word of God. 38:27 Now the Old Testament was divided up into two parts. 38:31 The first five books of the Old Testament 38:33 written by Moses 38:34 was often referred to as the law 38:36 and the last or the rest of the Old Testament 38:40 was referred to as the prophets. 38:42 So the two witnesses with reference to the scriptures 38:45 was the law and the prophets. 38:48 The New Testament is really an extension of the prophets. 38:52 So the two parts of the word is the law and the prophets, 38:55 the law and the prophets. 38:56 And we find that over and over again in the Bible. 38:58 Sometimes it's referred to as the two witnesses 39:01 or the testimonies, the law and the prophets, 39:04 to the law and to the testimony 39:06 if they speak not according to this, 39:07 there is no light in them. 39:09 So the number two has reference to the Word of God. 39:12 What does the number three in Bible prophecy represent? 39:15 It represents the Godhead, 39:17 the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 39:20 It is also interesting to note that in Revelation 16, 39:23 you have a counterfeit Godhead introduced, the dragon, 39:28 the beast, and the false prophet. 39:30 And we'll be looking at what that is a little later. 39:32 So three has reference to the Godhead, the Father, 39:35 Son, and the Holy Spirit. 39:36 What do you suppose the number four might represent 39:38 in Bible prophecy? 39:40 Can you think of four in the book of Revelation? 39:43 What about Revelation 7 39:45 where it talks about four angels 39:48 holding back the four corners of the earth? 39:51 What are the four corners of the earth? 39:53 It's simply the four points of the compass, 39:55 north, south, east, and west. 39:57 So four in the Bible has a reference to the earth, 40:01 four has a reference to the earth. 40:03 What about the number five, 40:05 any significance with the number five? 40:07 Well, I spoke a little earlier 40:08 when talking about the number two 40:10 that the Old Testament was divided into two parts, 40:12 the first part, the Pentateuch written by Moses, 40:15 the five books had reference to the law 40:18 and then the rest was the prophets. 40:19 So the number five in Bible prophecy 40:22 is often associated with doctrine or teaching. 40:26 And number five, associated with doctrine or teaching. 40:29 And then a very interesting number, 40:31 the number six. 40:33 What does the number six represent in Bible prophecy? 40:36 What day of the week was man created on? 40:39 The sixth day of the week, right? 40:42 That's also interesting to note 40:43 that the number of the beast power 40:46 of Revelation 13 is the number six 40:49 how many times? 40:51 Three times. 40:52 Again, a counterfeit trinity, 40:54 man's attempt to usurp the position of God, 666. 40:58 So six is man's number. 41:01 And then seven would be God's number. 41:05 The number seven represents completion or perfection. 41:09 God created the earth in six days, 41:10 He rested on the seventh day. 41:12 God told the Israelites that they would work their fields 41:14 for six years and then rest the land 41:16 on the seventh year. 41:18 The number 10 in the Bible would represent what? 41:21 What is the most famous biblical article 41:26 that comes in 10? 41:28 Ten Commandments without a doubt. 41:31 The number ten represents the Ten Commandments. 41:34 Now the Ten Commandments 41:35 written on how many tables of stone? 41:39 How many of the Ten Commandments 41:41 was universal for the whole world 41:43 with reference to worshiping God as the Creator? 41:47 The first four commandments, which is for everyone 41:50 because all are created by God, it's universal. 41:54 The first four of the Ten Commandments 41:56 have to deal with worship to God, 41:57 and how many of the Ten Commandments 41:59 have to do without relationship to our fellowman? 42:03 The last six. Isn't that interesting? 42:05 Ten commandments come on two tables of stone, 42:07 the first four have to do with our relationship to God, 42:09 the last six has to do 42:11 with our relationship with our fellowman. 42:13 Kind of interesting numbers there. 42:15 What about the number 12? 42:17 What does 12 represent in Bible prophecy? 42:20 It represents God's people, 12 tribes of the Old Testament, 42:23 you got the 12 apostles of the New Testament. 42:26 And then the next number, there are others, 42:28 but these are the main ones is the number 40. 42:30 And what does 40 represent in Bible prophecy? 42:33 How long did the children of Israel 42:34 wander in the wilderness 42:35 on their way to the Promised Land? 42:37 Forty years. 42:38 How long was Jesus in the wilderness fasting? 42:40 Forty days. 42:42 So the number 40, how long did it rain 42:43 during the time of Noah and the flood? 42:45 Forty days. 42:46 So 40 represents a time of testing or trial 42:49 or purifying. 42:51 Number 40 has to do with testing, trial, 42:53 or purifying. 42:55 And then the rest of verse 12 says, 42:56 "The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches." 43:00 I like the idea that there is an angel 43:02 assigned to each of God's churches. 43:06 I like the idea that there is a Granite Bay Church angel. 43:10 An angel assigned to the Granite Bay Church. 43:13 And that could very well be. 43:15 But the word angel in the original Greek Anglos 43:17 means messenger. 43:19 And in Revelation, angels are not only referring 43:22 to angelic beings 43:23 but it can also represent human beings 43:26 who are carrying a message from God. 43:29 For example, Revelation 14 43:31 talks about the three angels messages. 43:33 Those messengers are carried to the world by God's people 43:36 in the last days. 43:38 And then it talks about the seven lampstands, 43:40 and of course, the lampstands represent the church. 43:44 Now what is it that the church is to do 43:46 in the world? 43:48 Jesus said, speaking to his disciples, 43:50 "I am the light of the world." 43:53 Jesus is the light of the world. 43:55 But later on, Jesus said to His disciples, 43:58 "You are the light of the world." 44:01 So Jesus is the light, and He says, His Church, 44:04 the disciples, they're also the light. 44:07 How is it that the disciples are the light? 44:09 They are only the light of the world 44:12 as they hold up Jesus to the world. 44:15 Does that make sense? 44:16 Jesus is the light, 44:18 the church is to hold Jesus up to the world, 44:21 the lampstand in Revelation is said to be the church. 44:25 What is the church to do for the world? 44:27 Hold Jesus up to the world. He is the light. 44:31 But in order to have a flame on the lampstand, 44:34 what needs to be in the lamp? 44:37 There needs to be oil. 44:38 What does the oil represent? The Holy Spirit. 44:41 What does the church need 44:42 in order to hold Jesus up to the world? 44:45 Needs the Holy Spirit. 44:47 The church can't do the work of revealing Jesus 44:50 if the church is void of the Holy Spirit. 44:54 All right, well, that brings us then 44:55 to our summary of our introduction 44:58 of Revelation 1. 45:00 And now we have Christ message to the churches, 45:03 the seven churches, and I'm going to quickly 45:05 go through the first church, which is the church of Ephesus. 45:09 Now the church of Ephesus represents a time period 45:11 from about 31 AD to 100 AD. 45:15 The word Ephesus means desirable. 45:17 During the Roman period, 45:18 Ephesus was the second largest city in the empire, 45:22 it had a population of more than 250,000 people. 45:26 According to tradition, it was Paul 45:29 that was the first Christian missionary 45:31 to Ephesus, somewhere around 52 AD. 45:34 And later, after persecution broke out in Jerusalem, 45:38 John ended up in Ephesus, 45:40 and he was the pastor of the church of Ephesus. 45:42 And it was there that he was sent by the Romans 45:45 because he refused to offer incense 45:47 of the Emperor's shrine, 45:48 he was sent as an exile out to Patmos, 45:51 there, as a prisoner. 45:53 Revelation 2:1, "These things says 45:55 He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, 45:58 who walks in the midst 45:59 of the seven golden lampstands." 46:01 Again, Jesus is the one 46:02 that's bringing this message to the church of Ephesus. 46:05 He's acquainted with the church. 46:07 He's walking amongst the lampstands. 46:09 Verse 2 says, "I know your works, 46:11 your labor, your patience, 46:13 and that you cannot bear those who are evil." 46:15 So Jesus starts off 46:16 by speaking words of encouragement 46:19 to the church of Ephesus. 46:21 It was during this time 46:22 that there was severe persecution 46:24 that came against Christians. 46:25 And yet, overall, Christianity was pure 46:28 during that first century time period. 46:31 They were devout, 46:32 they were committed to evangelism, 46:34 they were filled with missionary activity, 46:36 they were faithful to the doctrine of the apostles, 46:39 there was doctrinal purity, and they suffered 46:42 under great trials and persecutions. 46:45 And then it goes on in verse 3, Jesus says, 46:48 "You have persevered and you have patience." 46:53 The church of the first century patiently endured affliction, 46:57 "You have labored for my name's sake," 46:58 it was during the same time period 47:00 31 AD to 100 AD 47:02 that the believers in Christ were first known as Christians, 47:06 and they were called as Christians. 47:08 Verse 4 says, "Nevertheless, I have a few things against you 47:11 because you have left your first love." 47:15 So the church was very zealous for doctrinal purity, 47:18 it was very committed to missionary activity. 47:21 But Jesus says there's something missing, 47:23 you've turned more into a form 47:25 and you've lacked the spirit or the power of love. 47:30 1 Corinthians 13 tells us, 47:32 "Though I speak with the tongues of men 47:33 and angels, but I have not love, 47:35 I have become as a sounding brass 47:37 and a clanging cymbal. 47:39 Though I have the gift of prophecy 47:40 and understand all mysteries and knowledge, 47:42 and though I have all faith 47:45 so that I could even remove mountains 47:47 but I do not have love, I am nothing." 47:50 So the church was lacking in this love, 47:52 this devotion to Christ. 47:56 When love is absent in the church, 47:58 the church loses its position 48:01 as being the light of the world. 48:03 So the Bible tells us that God is love. 48:05 And then when there is love lacking in the church, 48:08 we can't represent Jesus to a world that is in need. 48:12 Jesus said in John 13, "A new commandment 48:15 I give to you that you love one another 48:16 as I have loved you, that you love one another. 48:20 By this will all know that you are my disciples," 48:23 how, "By the love that you have for one another." 48:27 So in order for the church to hold Jesus up to the world, 48:30 the church needs the love of Christ. 48:33 Verse 6 says, "But this you have, 48:35 that you hate, the deeds of the Nicolaitans 48:38 which I also hate." 48:40 Who were the Nicolaitans? 48:41 The Nicolaitans were a group of Christians 48:43 who claim that obedience was not required by God. 48:47 If you had faith in Jesus, you didn't have to obey Jesus, 48:50 they actually practiced adultery 48:53 and eating things sacrificed to idols, 48:55 and they said it doesn't matter what you do with the flesh 48:57 as long as your spirit is devoted to God. 49:00 Jesus says I hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans. 49:05 Do we still have Nicolaitans in Christianity today 49:07 that say you don't have to keep God's commandments, 49:10 that some of the commandments of God done away with? 49:13 The church of Ephesus recognized 49:15 the importance of obedience for the Christian. 49:17 Verse 7 says, "He who has an ear, 49:19 let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." 49:23 Now that is given to each of the churches. 49:25 Jesus says, "He who has an ear, 49:27 let him hear." 49:28 And there in the original language, 49:30 it's more than just hearing what Jesus says. 49:33 It's hearing and understanding and then putting into practice 49:36 those things that Christ has told us to do. 49:39 So the seven churches represent these seven time periods 49:43 that we find representing the Christian era 49:45 from the first century 49:46 all the way to the church of Laodicea 49:48 which would be the church of today. 49:50 Each of the churches have a promise 49:52 that Jesus gives to those who overcome 49:55 and to the church of Ephesus, 49:57 the promises you will eat from the tree of life. 50:00 What a wonderful promise that is 50:02 in the midst of the paradise of God. 50:04 So they are important lessons that we can learn 50:07 from the seven churches. 50:09 Well, it looks like we're out of time for today. 50:11 Again, I want to welcome and thank those who joined us 50:13 part of our study today. 50:15 You don't have to stop studying now, 50:16 even though the program is over, 50:18 we want to encourage you to go to the Amazing Facts website, 50:20 and you'll learn so much more about the Book of Revelation 50:23 and these important lessons. 50:25 I'd like to remind you about our free offer for today. 50:28 It is a study guide entitled The Ultimate Deliverance 50:31 talking about the Second Coming of Jesus. 50:33 If you'd like to receive this, you'd want to give us a call 50:35 on the number on the screen 50:36 or you could text and ask for the free offer, 50:39 and we'll be happy to send it to you. 50:40 Until we study next week, may God bless. 50:45 Don't forget to request today's life-changing free resource. 50:48 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail, 50:50 you can download a digital copy straight to your computer 50:53 or mobile device. 50:54 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, 50:57 simply text the keyword on your screen 50:59 to 40544 51:01 or visit the web address shown on your screen. 51:04 And be sure to select 51:05 the digital download option on the request page. 51:08 It's now easier than ever for you 51:09 to study God's Word with Amazing Facts 51:12 wherever and whenever you want, 51:14 and most important, to share it with others. 51:21 Amazing Facts Change Lives. 51:30 I was addicted to all different types of things. 51:33 I finally hit rock bottom 51:35 when I got pulled over one night 51:37 after having enough partying with some friends. 51:41 I was drunk high on ecstasy. 51:43 And I realized then that I had to make a change. 51:47 I was in the military 51:48 and listening to very satanic music every day, 51:51 and heard this whisper to carve 666 into my knuckles, 51:56 contemplated on it a while and I was sitting at my desk 52:00 and I had my knife on me. 52:02 And I started carving the horizontal lines for the sixes 52:07 into my index finger first with squared edges, 52:12 and started to enjoy it. 52:14 I wanted to make it known who I wanted to follow actually 52:19 and not knowing 52:20 I was following Satan at the time, 52:21 just I thought it was a cool thing to do. 52:24 So I met this guy online, and that was my husband Vince. 52:28 And I noticed his ears 52:31 and we started talking and he was just adorable. 52:35 Flew down and actually met her here in Arizona. 52:37 And at that point, 52:39 I found out quickly after we met 52:42 that I was pregnant. 52:43 So shortly after our daughter was born, 52:45 it was a very exciting moment. 52:46 But the nurses and doctors noticed something right away 52:49 that she was extremely orange with jaundice. 52:52 And she ended up in the hospital very sick. 52:56 And it was extremely hard on us. 52:59 We were teenagers, we were scared, 53:02 our baby was sick. 53:04 I was with someone that was very angry. 53:08 And at that point, we were in the hospital room. 53:15 And I remember a chaplain coming in 53:17 and speaking with the people, 53:19 since it was like a conjoined room, 53:20 we had a roommate. 53:21 And the chaplain had said, you know, 53:25 if they could pray for the other family, 53:27 and that's when I knew there was my chance. 53:30 I had to take that opportunity. 53:32 And I asked my husband, "Should I go talk to him?" 53:35 And I said, "No way, I have nothing to do with God. 53:37 I wanted nothing to do with talking to this chaplain." 53:39 I decided that I was going to get up anyway. 53:43 And I got up and you could tell he was very angry 53:46 that I decided to walk over. 53:48 And I went to the chaplain and I asked him to come over 53:52 and speak to us and he did. 53:54 And he came in, and we asked him questions, 53:56 and he actually came to visit us every single day. 53:59 The chaplain that we met with mentioned 54:02 Amazing Facts study guides and just the ministries. 54:05 He showed us videos and study guides 54:08 from Amazing Facts, specifically, 54:10 it was on final events in Cosmic Conflict. 54:13 At that point, we had transferred hospitals 54:14 to an outpatient hospital, 54:17 and we were able to watch these videos 54:19 and we were hooked onto them. 54:21 It was a huge blessing. 54:23 We would watch Pastor Doug 54:25 and we would sit up late at night watching sermons. 54:30 And we were just teenagers, 54:32 most kids our age were doing crazy things. 54:35 And here we are at home with popcorn and chocolate bars 54:38 watching Pastor Doug. 54:40 This young couple came into the Camelback Church 54:42 holding a beautiful little baby. 54:45 And this was one of the first times 54:46 that I had ever met Vince and Brittany. 54:49 We needed somebody to show us 54:51 that they loved us and they supported us. 54:52 And Pastor Ben was there giving us Bible studies 54:54 on marriage counseling as well as baptism. 54:57 I was still smoking and drinking lightly 55:00 and a few things along those lines. 55:02 And it was one day when I woke up 55:06 on February 15, 2011, 55:09 after watching many sermons 55:12 on Amazing Facts from Pastor Doug 55:14 and having a really solid church family 55:17 that I was able to say no more. 55:19 And from that day on, I stopped all of my addictions. 55:23 And ultimately, their lives begin to take on 55:26 just a new dimension of congruity 55:28 because Jesus was there 55:30 and He was the one who was bringing that sense 55:32 of belonging and hope and help. 55:35 We decided to get baptized and married, 55:38 and we got baptized one day and married the next 55:41 and it was an amazing experience. 55:43 And we found a spot by the lake and it was absolutely perfect. 55:46 The evening was coming to a close, 55:48 the sun was about ready to go down. 55:50 And we were standing in the water with Pastor Ben 55:53 and the sky was such a deep red, 55:56 the reflections off the sky, 55:58 it was almost as if we were standing in blood, 56:01 we were washed in the blood of Jesus. 56:02 That was the moment that God painted 56:04 the canvas of the sky with the most beautiful colors 56:09 signifying the journey 56:11 that he was going to be laying out 56:12 for Vince and Brittany. 56:14 Shortly after we were baptized, about a month later, 56:17 we had realized that my scars were gone, 56:20 I was completely healed physically 56:22 of not having the 666 on my knuckles anymore. 56:24 And I struggled with that for so long 56:26 because of what I did, and He forgave me. 56:30 Many times when we think of the way 56:32 that we've been led to Christ, 56:33 we think there's usually one individual, 56:35 but having been able to work alongside Pastor Ben 56:38 and Pastor White, it's been great to see 56:41 how we've been able to work with Brittany 56:43 and Vincent and seeing them just really grow. 56:45 And this has really been 56:47 something that's been beneficial to me. 56:48 You know, sometimes I think about this, 56:50 and the Bible says, 56:52 "More blessed is he who gives and receives," 56:54 and I feel many times more blessed 56:56 just seeing them, 56:58 and seeing all the challenges they've gone through, 57:01 all the difficulties, 57:02 and seeing them overcome these things, 57:04 it's just, it amazes me. 57:06 As I reflect back on everything I've done in my life, 57:11 completely going against God, wanting nothing to do with Him, 57:15 He still tried so hard 57:16 as if I was the only one that was lost 57:18 just as He promises. 57:21 He still went and found me 57:23 even though I wanted nothing to do with Him. 57:25 Having Amazing Facts and the pastors in our lives 57:29 help us so much, it's really a blessing, 57:32 and I feel like now we're happy 57:35 and we have these two healthy, beautiful little girls, 57:38 and God has truly blessed us. 57:41 And I just want to share it with everyone. 57:43 I want to scream it, I'm so excited, 57:46 and I feel really blessed to even have this opportunity 57:50 to share my story. |
Revised 2019-01-12