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Jean Ross: Good
morning, friends.
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Welcome again to "Sabbath School
Study Hour" here at the Granite
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Bay Seventh Day Adventist Church
in Sacramento, California.
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We'd like to welcome our online
members who are tuned in to
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study our lesson with us, also
our friends who are joining us
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across the country
and around the world.
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And also our regular Sabbath
School members and our visitors
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who are here in person,
very warm welcome to all of you.
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I'm glad that you have chosen to
study the lesson with us today.
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And of course, we started
a new lesson dealing with two
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Old Testament prophetic
books called Ezra and Nehemiah.
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And that of course is the
title of our new quarterly.
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Today, we find ourselves on
lesson number four in the study
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called "Facing Opposition."
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So, if you have your
lesson quarterly with you,
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you can turn to lesson number
four, "Facing Opposition."
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For our friends who
are joining us online,
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if you don't have a
copy of today's lesson,
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you can download
one at lesson.aftv.org.
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Again, that's lesson.aftv.org,
lesson number four called
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"Facing Opposition," and
you can study along with us.
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We also have a free offer
we'd like to let you know about,
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it's a book written by
Pastor Doug, it's entitled
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"Compromise,
Conformity, and Courage."
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This is our free offer today.
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And if you'd like to receive
it, the number to call is...
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and ask for offer number 774.
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We'll be happy to send this out
to anyone who calls and asks.
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You can also download a
copy of our free offer today by
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texting the code
SH019 to the number 40544.
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You will then get a link
and you just click on that link
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and you'll be able to
download the book "Compromise,
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Conformity, and Courage."
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And I think you'll find it an
encouragement to read this book
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and look at the various
Scriptures contained in it.
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It'll encourage you
in your Christian walk.
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Well, before we get to
our lesson this morning,
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we always like to be in our
Sabbath school time with song,
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and so I'd like to invite
our song leaders to come out.
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male: We'll be singing
this morning number 577 in the
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Seventh Day
Adventist Hymnal, and it's
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"In the Heart of Jesus."
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We'll sing all four verses.
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¤ In the heart of
Jesus, there is love for you. ¤
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¤ Love most pure and tender,
love most deep and true. ¤
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¤ Why should you be lonely,
why for friendship sigh, ¤
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¤ when the heart of
Jesus has a full supply? ¤
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¤ In the mind of Jesus,
there is thought for you, ¤
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¤ warm as summer sunshine,
sweet as morning dew. ¤
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¤ Why should you be fearful,
why take anxious thought ¤
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¤ since the mind of Jesus
cares for those He bought? ¤
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¤ In the field of
Jesus, there is work for you ¤
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¤ such as even angels
might rejoice to do. ¤
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¤ Why stand idly sighing
for some lifework grand, ¤
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¤ while the field of
Jesus seeks your reaping hand? ¤
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¤ In the home of Jesus,
there's a place for you. ¤
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¤ Glorious, bright, and
joyous, calm and peaceful too. ¤
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¤ Why then, like a
wanderer, roam with weary pace ¤
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¤ if the home of Jesus
holds for you a place? ¤¤
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Jean: Dear Father in heaven,
we thank You once again that we
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have this opportunity to
gather in Your house on this,
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this beautiful Sabbath
that You've given us to open up
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Your Word and study.
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And so, Father, we ask for
the Holy Spirit to be with us,
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to guide our
hearts and our minds,
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and guide us as we need
to look into a very important
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subject this morning.
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So, we pray for Your
blessing in Jesus's name, amen.
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Our lesson this
morning is going to be brought
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to us by Pastor Doug.
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Doug Batchelor:
Good to see each of you.
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Feels like I've been gone,
I think it's 'cause I have.
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And it's good to be back,
be able to study God's Word.
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Want to welcome our friends
who are studying with us,
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via either the internet, or
you're watching on satellite,
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or maybe some
programs that are archived.
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I'm glad that you
could study His Word with us.
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Our lesson today is
from chapter four in this,
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our study of Ezra and Nehemiah.
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And it's dealing
with facing opposition.
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You ever run into any opposition
when you tried to do God's work?
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It won't be the
first time, biblically.
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And we have a memory verse,
memory verse is from Ezra 5:5.
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If you have your
Bibles, you might turn and look
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at that with me.
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We invite you to
say that it loud.
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Ezra 5:5, and this is in the New
King James version, you ready?
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"But the eye of their God was
upon the elders of the Jews so
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that they could not
make them cease till a report
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could go to Darius.
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Then a written answer
was returned concerning
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this matter."
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So, they were doing all
they could to try to stop and to
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block the work of the Lord
in sharing the gospel and in
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building up the
city and the walls.
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Now, the time of Ezra is a very
interesting time historically.
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You've heard of Buddhism?
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Ezra lived during
the time of Buddha.
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You've heard of Confucius?
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Ezra lived during
the time of Confucius.
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Of course, they're
not in the same place.
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And in Greece, you had
a famous philosopher by
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the name of Socrates.
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So, all around the
world during this time,
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some very powerful
religions were being born,
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or ways of thought.
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And Ezra in many ways is
responsible for helping to
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organize the books
of the Old Testament the
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way that we have them now.
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He was a scribe
trained in the law.
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He understood what
happened in Babylon,
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Persia, and of course Israel.
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And so, the period of time we're
talking about in this study on
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Ezra, it's a pretty good span.
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First you've got
during the time of--well,
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Daniel's carried away captive
about 70 years later with
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the handwriting on the wall.
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Babylon falls, the
Persians come into power.
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Cyrus the Persian, he ends up
giving the people permission to
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move back home, the Jews
are allowed to go back home.
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And then there's a pilgrimage
of Jews that go during the time
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of Zerubbabel.
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And then from
that time until Ezra,
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about 50 years go by,
but Ezra covers that history.
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And you can read here,
you know, in Ezra chapter 1,
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he talks about the group that
comes back during the captivity
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and worship is
restored in chapter 3.
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Now, we're
beginning in chapter 4.
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And it says resistance
to building the temple.
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"Now, when the adversaries
of Judah and Benjamin heard that
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the descendants of the
captivity were building
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the temple of the Lord."
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What came first,
let me just ask you,
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building the temple
or building the walls?
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Temple came first.
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First you think, "Whoa, wouldn't
you want to first put walls up?"
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And no, they thought the worship
of God needed to be first.
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Seek ye first
the kingdom of God,
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so they started with the temple.
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"Now, when the adversaries
of Judah and Benjamin."
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Why does he say
Judah and Benjamin?
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How many tribes came
back from--originally,
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how many tribes
of Israel were there?
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Let me ask the
question that way.
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I hear 12. Technically, 13.
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Now, I know we always
say Jacob had 12 sons,
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but what he did is because
Joseph was sold by his brothers,
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Jacob said, "I'm going to
count Ephraim and Manasseh
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as two of my sons.
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They'll get an equal share."
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So, Ephraim and
Manasseh were counted,
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and you say, "Well, why does
it still call it the 12 tribes?"
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Because when they
divided the Promised Land,
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the Levites did
not get an inheritance,
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they were the
priest for everybody.
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So, they have the
12 tribes and Levi.
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So, when ten of the tribes are
carried off by the Assyrians,
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they don't really come back the
same way as the tribes of Judah,
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Benjamin, and the Levites.
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They were in the
southern kingdom.
00:10:15.61\00:10:17.25
So, "The adversaries heard
that the people of Benjamin and
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Judai--Judah and of the
captivity were building the
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temple of the
Lord God of Israel.
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They came to Zerubbabel and the
heads of the father's house and
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they said, 'Let us
build with you, for we seek
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your God as you do.
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And we have sacrificed to Him
since the days of Esarhaddon,
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king of Assyria,
who brought us here.'
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But Zerubbabel and
Jeshua and the rest of the heads
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of the father's
house of Israel said,
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'You may do nothing with us
to build a house for our God,
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but we alone will build the
Lord--to the Lord God of Israel,
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as King Cyrus the king
of Persia has commanded us.'
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Then the people of the
land tried to discourage
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the people of Judah."
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When you make overtures to
someone to help them and they
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tell you no, instead
of going your merry way,
00:11:08.16\00:11:10.70
you may be more angry than if
you had never offered your help.
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Look how quickly Potiphar's
wife goes from loving Joseph
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and wanting to sleep
with Joseph to turning Joseph
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in and falsely accusing him.
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When you offer yourself
to someone and they spurn
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that offer, it may
turn from love to hate.
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And they all of
a sudden went from,
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"Hey, let's all
work together," to,
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"We're going to stop
the work altogether."
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Which kind of tells you maybe
they made the right decision.
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Their hearts were not in it if
they were so willing to stop it.
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"Then the people of the land,"
talking about the people that
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lived up in the north,
the Samaritans and the Arabs,
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"they tried to
discourage the people of Judah.
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And they
troubled them in building,
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and they hired counselors
against them to frustrate their
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purpose all the days
of Cyrus king of Persia,
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even until the reign
of Darius king of Persia."
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This is another Darius now.
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I've just got to
say something here,
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and I hope it doesn't
confuse you a little bit,
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but the book of Ezra is
written chronologically.
00:12:14.20\00:12:18.57
Yeah, he's a very
meticulous scribe,
00:12:18.60\00:12:21.10
he's kind of giving the
order of events that happened.
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Sometimes, it looks like
he's hopping around 'cause these
00:12:23.44\00:12:25.87
kings seem to appear
long distances apart.
00:12:25.91\00:12:28.88
Several of the
kings have the same names.
00:12:28.91\00:12:31.91
When I say Caesar,
who are you thinking of?
00:12:31.95\00:12:35.68
But what about Augustus Caesar?
00:12:35.72\00:12:38.09
What about Nero Caesar?
00:12:38.12\00:12:40.12
A lot of people
called themselves Caesars.
00:12:40.16\00:12:42.02
You know why you've
got the czar of Russia?
00:12:42.06\00:12:46.33
Do you know how you
say Caesar in Russian?
00:12:46.36\00:12:49.46
Czar.
00:12:49.50\00:12:50.97
Do you know you
had Kaiser Wilhelm?
00:12:51.00\00:12:53.50
You know how you
say Caesar in German?
00:12:53.54\00:12:56.67
Kaiser.
00:12:56.71\00:12:58.01
So, they're all--the term
"Caesar," so often when people
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say Caesar, they think of Julius
Caesar because he was born via
00:13:01.51\00:13:04.55
caesarian, which is
where the word originated.
00:13:04.58\00:13:08.48
When you're reading in the
Bible about the Philistines,
00:13:08.52\00:13:14.56
you'll find that it
tells us Isaac told Abimelech,
00:13:14.59\00:13:20.83
the Philistine king, that
Rebekah was just his sister.
00:13:20.86\00:13:24.37
Years later, David is scrabbling
on the doors of Abimelech,
00:13:24.40\00:13:28.60
the Philistine king.
00:13:28.64\00:13:30.11
Now, that guy
must've lived 400 years.
00:13:30.14\00:13:31.97
No, Abimelech was a very common
name among the Philistine kings.
00:13:32.01\00:13:36.08
Some of their
names almost meant king,
00:13:36.11\00:13:39.11
and so it was
used interchangeably.
00:13:39.15\00:13:42.02
You're going to find that with
some of the kings of Persia,
00:13:42.05\00:13:43.89
and that's caused no
small amount of confusion about
00:13:43.92\00:13:45.95
who was the king.
00:13:45.99\00:13:47.86
There was more one
king by the name of Darius,
00:13:47.89\00:13:50.03
and there was
one--more than one Artaxerxes.
00:13:50.06\00:13:54.30
So, you're going to find
when you're in--for instance,
00:13:54.36\00:13:57.40
if you look in Ezra
chapter 4, verse 11,
00:13:57.43\00:14:02.84
King Artaxerxes
stops the building.
00:14:02.87\00:14:05.54
Well, then you
get to Ezra chapter 7,
00:14:05.57\00:14:07.94
Artaxerxes is the one who
gives the decree to rebuild.
00:14:07.98\00:14:10.48
Well, you think,
"Will he make up his mind?"
00:14:10.51\00:14:12.48
They're two
different characters.
00:14:12.51\00:14:14.35
And so, there was
one guy who is Smerdis,
00:14:14.38\00:14:18.95
he was a magician, he
briefly inserted himself,
00:14:18.99\00:14:22.72
he's called the false king.
00:14:22.76\00:14:24.43
He put himself and he
was also called Artaxerxes.
00:14:24.46\00:14:26.70
He's the one that
stopped the building.
00:14:26.73\00:14:29.40
So, I just wanted to let
you know that it's caused some
00:14:29.43\00:14:32.37
confusion 'cause these
guys had the same names and--but
00:14:32.40\00:14:35.17
they're really different.
00:14:35.20\00:14:37.01
And you've got quite a period
of time going between when the
00:14:37.04\00:14:40.64
first captives came back
and when Ezra comes in person.
00:14:40.68\00:14:42.71
He's just giving the
history up until his coming.
00:14:42.74\00:14:45.25
And then Nehemiah comes
about 15 or 16 years after Ezra,
00:14:45.28\00:14:49.25
but Ezra and
Nehemiah did know each other.
00:14:49.28\00:14:51.35
All right, now are
you thoroughly confused?
00:14:51.39\00:14:54.82
Okay. If you are, don't look it.
00:14:54.86\00:14:57.73
Look like, "Got
it, I understand."
00:14:57.76\00:15:01.80
All right, so they're wanting to
build up the temple and there's
00:15:01.83\00:15:05.20
great opposition.
00:15:05.23\00:15:06.60
Does God still have a
temple on earth today?
00:15:06.63\00:15:10.94
Don't you know, first of
all, your body's the temple
00:15:10.97\00:15:13.27
of the Holy Spirit?
00:15:13.31\00:15:15.31
And the Bible tells
us that we, His church,
00:15:15.34\00:15:18.91
are living in stones built up on
the cornerstone of Jesus and the
00:15:18.95\00:15:25.15
apostles to a
holy habitation to God.
00:15:25.19\00:15:28.32
That wicked one, the antichrist,
would sit in the temple of God
00:15:28.36\00:15:32.79
showing himself that he is God.
00:15:32.83\00:15:34.10
Is that a physical
temple or is he putting himself
00:15:34.13\00:15:35.86
over the church?
00:15:35.90\00:15:37.77
A lot of people are waiting for
the antichrist to build a temple
00:15:37.80\00:15:40.47
and rebuild another temple.
00:15:40.50\00:15:42.24
The antichrist, John said,
"There are even many antichrists
00:15:42.27\00:15:45.81
now," back in the New Testament.
00:15:45.84\00:15:48.38
When any false person
puts himself over the church,
00:15:48.41\00:15:51.68
over the
temple--so, God is a temple.
00:15:51.71\00:15:54.32
Jesus said, "Destroy
this temple made with hands,
00:15:54.35\00:15:57.45
and in three days I'll
make one without hands."
00:15:57.49\00:15:59.42
What was He talking
about? Said His body.
00:15:59.45\00:16:03.12
The church is called
what? The body of Christ.
00:16:03.16\00:16:07.10
So, does God
still have a temple?
00:16:07.13\00:16:09.03
And as we're seeking to
build up the temple of God,
00:16:09.06\00:16:12.97
what will the devil do?
00:16:13.00\00:16:15.10
He'll try to stop
it one of two ways.
00:16:15.14\00:16:17.44
One way he tries to
stop it is to join it.
00:16:17.47\00:16:20.91
You notice what
they said here first?
00:16:20.94\00:16:24.01
They said, "Let
us help you build.
00:16:24.05\00:16:27.38
Let's all work together."
00:16:27.42\00:16:29.62
And they knew
what they were up to,
00:16:29.65\00:16:31.72
that the devil was
going to try to destroy this
00:16:31.75\00:16:34.19
revival through compromise.
00:16:34.22\00:16:35.89
Now, let me see if I
could prove that to you.
00:16:35.92\00:16:41.70
If you look, for
instance, in 2 Kings chapter 17,
00:16:41.73\00:16:46.03
says now after the ten tribes
were carried away by the king of
00:16:46.07\00:16:49.97
Assyria to the north, it says,
"Then when the king of Assyria
00:16:50.01\00:16:55.04
brought the people
from Babylon, Kuthah,
00:16:55.08\00:16:58.35
Ayva, Hamath and Sepharvaim, and
he placed them in the cities of
00:16:58.38\00:17:02.48
Samaria instead of
the children of Israel."
00:17:02.52\00:17:04.32
So, when the ten
tribes were carried away,
00:17:04.35\00:17:05.89
the king of Syria, he
transplanted Assyrians back down
00:17:05.92\00:17:09.89
in that area of Samaria.
00:17:09.92\00:17:12.56
They later became known as what?
00:17:12.59\00:17:15.23
Samaritans, who did not worship
the same way as the Jews,
00:17:15.26\00:17:18.83
and they hated each other.
00:17:18.87\00:17:20.17
Do you want to know why the Jews
and the Samaritans hated each
00:17:20.20\00:17:22.44
other so much?
00:17:22.47\00:17:23.77
It goes back to
Ezra and Nehemiah.
00:17:23.81\00:17:25.61
So, the king of Assyria, he
transplanted some Assyrians.
00:17:25.64\00:17:29.08
There may have been
some Jews among them,
00:17:29.11\00:17:31.18
but they're principally
Assyrians back in the area of
00:17:31.21\00:17:34.18
the ten tribes, and
they got attacked by lions.
00:17:34.22\00:17:37.72
I'm getting
ahead, let me read it.
00:17:37.75\00:17:40.56
"They took possession
of the cities of Samaria
00:17:40.59\00:17:42.42
and they dwelt in its cities.
00:17:42.46\00:17:44.09
And it was so, at the beginning
of their dwelling there,
00:17:44.13\00:17:46.36
they did not fear the Lord,
therefore the Lord sent lions
00:17:46.39\00:17:48.63
among them, which
killed some of them.
00:17:48.66\00:17:52.53
So, then the king
of Assyria commanded,
00:17:52.57\00:17:54.40
'Send there one of the priests
who you brought from there,
00:17:54.44\00:17:58.44
and let him go and dwell them,
and let him teach the rituals
00:17:58.47\00:18:02.21
of the--of the
God of the land.'"
00:18:02.24\00:18:04.48
Now, when it says
send one of the priests,
00:18:04.51\00:18:06.41
the ten tribes in the north
that were carried to Assyria,
00:18:06.45\00:18:11.12
did they have the same
priesthood as the tribes
00:18:11.15\00:18:13.42
in the south?
00:18:13.46\00:18:15.66
No, there was a bad
king, that Jeroboam,
00:18:15.69\00:18:20.33
he made priests of anybody.
00:18:20.36\00:18:21.93
And they started
worshipping golden calves.
00:18:21.96\00:18:24.80
And they understood the
commandments of the Lord,
00:18:24.83\00:18:27.30
so they kind of commingled
paganism with true worship.
00:18:27.34\00:18:30.51
So, now they send one of
these kind of half priests or
00:18:30.54\00:18:33.21
self-made priests down to teach
the Assyrians who Jehovah is.
00:18:33.24\00:18:37.71
So, they did learn some things,
but they weren't pure priests.
00:18:37.75\00:18:42.45
"Let him dwell there,
let him teach the rituals of
00:18:42.48\00:18:44.42
the God of the land.
00:18:44.45\00:18:45.69
Then one of the priests who they
carried away from Samaria," not
00:18:45.72\00:18:48.09
from Jerusalem, "came and
dwelled in Bethel," that's where
00:18:48.12\00:18:52.13
they had a golden calf.
00:18:52.16\00:18:53.46
"And taught them
how to fear the Lord.
00:18:53.50\00:18:55.23
However, every nation continued
to make gods of its own and put
00:18:55.26\00:19:00.04
in them shrines," idolatry,
"in the high places which the
00:19:00.07\00:19:04.67
Samaritans had made.
00:19:04.71\00:19:06.11
So, they feared the Lord,
yet they served their own gods."
00:19:06.14\00:19:09.41
Now, I've got that underlined.
00:19:09.44\00:19:12.85
That sums up a
lot of Christians too.
00:19:14.28\00:19:17.29
They fear the Lord, yet
they serve their own gods.
00:19:17.32\00:19:20.02
Kind of let's see if
we can commingle the world
00:19:20.06\00:19:22.02
and the church.
00:19:22.06\00:19:24.33
"According to the rituals
of the nations from whom they
00:19:24.36\00:19:27.13
were carried away."
00:19:27.13\00:19:28.43
They were bringing in
the other nations' worship
00:19:28.46\00:19:30.20
into their worship.
00:19:30.23\00:19:31.57
"To this day, they continue
practicing the former rituals."
00:19:31.60\00:19:34.87
So, when they come
to Ezra and Nehemiah,
00:19:34.90\00:19:38.17
they say, "Hey, praise the
Lord, you can build the temple.
00:19:38.21\00:19:40.48
Let's all work together."
00:19:40.51\00:19:41.84
Can you understand why
Zerubbabel and those with him
00:19:41.88\00:19:46.31
said, "No, that's
not going to happen.
00:19:46.35\00:19:48.85
We know you're going to get us
to start compromising worship.
00:19:48.88\00:19:52.15
And the reason we got carried
off to Babylon is because
00:19:52.19\00:19:54.49
we compromised"?
00:19:54.52\00:19:55.92
The reason that in
the book of Judges,
00:19:55.96\00:19:57.83
they kept having trouble
is 'cause they compromised.
00:19:57.86\00:19:59.56
We're not going to do it.
00:19:59.59\00:20:01.16
They said, "Oh, so
you want to be that way?
00:20:01.20\00:20:03.43
Well, we're going to stop
you from building altogether."
00:20:03.47\00:20:05.67
This animosity
between the southern kingdom,
00:20:05.70\00:20:10.64
the Jews, Benjamin, the Levites,
and the Samaritans went all the
00:20:10.67\00:20:15.11
way down to the time of Jesus,
where you've got a woman at the
00:20:15.14\00:20:17.95
well saying to Jesus,
"Where should we worship,
00:20:17.98\00:20:20.18
Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim?"
00:20:20.22\00:20:22.22
They still were arguing
about worship in that day.
00:20:22.25\00:20:24.99
And so, they'd never
completely got over it.
00:20:25.02\00:20:27.29
But this is what started it all
is when they sent a phony priest
00:20:27.32\00:20:30.76
from Assyria,
kind of a half priest,
00:20:30.79\00:20:34.56
one of Jeroboam's
priests, to come down and teach
00:20:34.60\00:20:37.83
the Assyrians about Jehovah.
00:20:37.87\00:20:40.00
And it just
corrupted the religion.
00:20:40.04\00:20:42.00
They believed in
the five books of Moses,
00:20:42.04\00:20:43.71
but they didn't
believe the other prophets.
00:20:43.74\00:20:45.64
And so, it was
just a hodgepodge.
00:20:45.67\00:20:48.48
Now, do we see that
happen to Christianity also?
00:20:48.51\00:20:50.48
You got the commingling
of paganism and idolatry and
00:20:50.51\00:20:54.55
pagan teachings
with Christianity.
00:20:54.58\00:20:57.12
And then you
ask and they'll say,
00:20:57.15\00:20:58.52
"Oh yeah, I'm a
Christian, I believe in Jesus."
00:20:58.55\00:21:00.52
But they're worshipping
kind of like some of the pagans.
00:21:00.56\00:21:04.09
So, things have not changed
I guess is what I'm saying.
00:21:04.13\00:21:06.63
All right, so have you noticed
that when the work of God is
00:21:06.66\00:21:10.23
going forward, the
devil tries to stop it?
00:21:10.27\00:21:13.27
Is that true in your life?
00:21:13.30\00:21:16.34
If you're trying
to get out of Egypt,
00:21:16.37\00:21:17.67
will the pharaoh
chase after you and try to
00:21:17.71\00:21:21.01
keep you from escaping?
00:21:21.04\00:21:22.78
When God poured out the
Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 2,
00:21:22.81\00:21:25.35
there was a great revival.
00:21:25.38\00:21:27.28
Did the devil sit
back and applaud, or did
00:21:27.32\00:21:29.48
he try to stop it?
00:21:29.52\00:21:31.65
Look in Acts 6, verse 8,
00:21:31.69\00:21:34.76
"Stephen, full of faith
and power, did great wonders
00:21:34.79\00:21:37.93
and signs among them."
00:21:37.96\00:21:39.76
And then you go to Acts 8:1,
"Now Saul was consenting to his
00:21:39.79\00:21:44.90
death," Stephen's
dead, tried to stop it.
00:21:44.93\00:21:47.90
"And at that time,
great persecution arose
00:21:47.94\00:21:51.14
against the church."
00:21:51.17\00:21:52.67
It doesn't just say persecution,
what kind of persecution?
00:21:52.71\00:21:55.31
Great persecution.
00:21:55.34\00:21:57.58
Did the persecution
come from the Romans
00:21:57.61\00:21:59.81
or from their own people?
00:21:59.85\00:22:02.12
From their own people.
00:22:02.15\00:22:04.12
Was Jesus killed by
the Romans or did His own
00:22:04.15\00:22:06.45
people hand Him over?
00:22:06.49\00:22:09.96
Who handed over
Paul to the Romans?
00:22:09.99\00:22:12.26
His own people.
00:22:12.29\00:22:14.30
And who
turned--who executed Stephen?
00:22:14.30\00:22:16.56
His own people.
00:22:16.60\00:22:17.90
They didn't even bother
going to the Romans that time.
00:22:17.93\00:22:20.10
"And Saul was
consenting to his death,
00:22:20.14\00:22:22.77
and there was great persecution.
00:22:22.80\00:22:24.44
And they were scattered
throughout the regions of Judah
00:22:24.47\00:22:26.34
and Samaria,
except the apostles."
00:22:26.37\00:22:28.71
So, you can see there's this
opposition because they refuse
00:22:28.74\00:22:34.62
to be unequally yoked
with the pagans of Samaria.
00:22:34.65\00:22:40.32
2 Corinthians 6:14 through
18: "Do not be unequally yoked
00:22:40.36\00:22:45.99
together with unbelievers,
for what fellowship has
00:22:46.03\00:22:49.23
righteousness with lawlessness?
00:22:49.26\00:22:51.70
And what communion
has light with darkness?
00:22:51.73\00:22:53.77
And what accord
has Christ with Belial?
00:22:53.80\00:22:56.67
Or what part has a
believer with an unbeliever?
00:22:56.71\00:22:59.67
And what agreement has
the temple of God with idols?
00:22:59.71\00:23:02.71
For you are the
temple of the living God.
00:23:02.74\00:23:05.05
As God has said, 'I will dwell
in them and walk among them.
00:23:05.08\00:23:07.22
I will be their God
and they will be My people.
00:23:07.25\00:23:09.95
Therefore, come out from
among them and be separate,
00:23:09.98\00:23:13.09
says the Lord.
00:23:13.12\00:23:14.42
Do not touch what is
unclean and I'll receive you.
00:23:14.46\00:23:17.29
I will be a Father to
you, and you will be My sons
00:23:17.33\00:23:20.03
and daughters, says
the Lord Almighty.'"
00:23:20.06\00:23:21.66
This is an important verse,
but it can be misunderstood.
00:23:21.70\00:23:23.93
"Come out from among
them and be separate."
00:23:23.97\00:23:26.94
Does that mean
Christians shouldn't have
00:23:26.97\00:23:28.64
any non-Christian friends?
00:23:28.67\00:23:30.71
When it says, "Do not be
unequally yoked," does that mean
00:23:30.74\00:23:34.54
you cannot work for a
non-believing business?
00:23:34.58\00:23:39.11
No.
00:23:39.15\00:23:40.85
You shouldn't be entering into
a partnership where you're going
00:23:40.88\00:23:45.75
to be tempted to compromise your
convictions with an unbeliever.
00:23:45.79\00:23:48.59
And of course, the most
important partnership anyone
00:23:48.62\00:23:50.66
ever enters into
is called marriage.
00:23:50.69\00:23:53.86
And so, that's principally
what he's saying there,
00:23:53.90\00:23:56.93
but you shouldn't enter into a
religious alliance with somebody
00:23:56.97\00:24:01.57
that does not believe.
00:24:01.60\00:24:03.77
Now, you know, if people who are
Protestants and Catholic say,
00:24:03.81\00:24:08.48
"Look, we're going to get
together down town and feed
00:24:08.51\00:24:10.01
the homeless," and you're on
neutral ground, that's great.
00:24:10.05\00:24:14.65
But when you start commingling
in your worship services,
00:24:14.68\00:24:18.09
that's a different story.
00:24:18.12\00:24:20.56
So, sometimes it
takes wisdom to know where
00:24:20.59\00:24:22.36
do you draw the lines.
00:24:22.39\00:24:23.69
Christians ought to have a lot
of friends that they're reaching
00:24:23.73\00:24:26.53
through Bible studies
or you won't reach anyone.
00:24:26.56\00:24:29.20
When it says come
out and be separate,
00:24:29.23\00:24:31.20
it doesn't mean build a wall
around yourself and just live in
00:24:31.23\00:24:33.13
a Christian ghetto and
let the world all go to pot.
00:24:33.17\00:24:36.57
They're already there.
00:24:36.60\00:24:37.91
So, it's saying just
don't enter into these alliances
00:24:37.94\00:24:41.14
with unbelievers.
00:24:41.18\00:24:42.64
You might find you've got
to compromise your convictions.
00:24:42.68\00:24:46.01
All right, so the building
of the temple is being resisted.
00:24:46.05\00:24:50.65
Go to Ezra
chapter 4, verse 13 now.
00:24:50.69\00:24:57.06
And you can see
that--well, go to verse 11.
00:24:57.09\00:25:02.23
They send a letter.
00:25:02.26\00:25:04.47
This is a copy of the letter
they sent to King Artaxerxes.
00:25:04.50\00:25:06.97
This is the false Artaxerxes.
00:25:07.00\00:25:09.60
"From your servants,
the men of the region
00:25:09.64\00:25:11.87
beyond the river," and so forth.
00:25:11.91\00:25:13.81
I mean, this is
the introduction,
00:25:13.84\00:25:15.31
"Let it be known to the
king that the Jews who came up
00:25:15.34\00:25:19.25
from you," have come
from Persia, "have come to us
00:25:19.28\00:25:22.38
at Jerusalem, and
they're building the rebellious
00:25:22.42\00:25:24.69
and the evil city."
00:25:24.72\00:25:26.25
Is that kind of setting the
stage for what they're saying?
00:25:26.29\00:25:30.09
They're telling them they're
rebellious and the evil city.
00:25:30.13\00:25:32.43
What city are
they talking about?
00:25:32.46\00:25:33.76
Jerusalem.
00:25:33.80\00:25:35.10
"And are finishing its walls
and repairing the foundations.
00:25:35.13\00:25:37.47
Let it be known to the king that
if this city is built and if the
00:25:37.50\00:25:42.70
wall is completed,
they will not pay tax,
00:25:42.74\00:25:45.14
tribute, or custom
to the king's treasury.
00:25:45.17\00:25:47.38
It will be diminished.
00:25:47.41\00:25:48.74
Now, because we receive
support," the Samaritans,
00:25:48.78\00:25:52.48
"we receive
support from the palace,
00:25:52.51\00:25:54.85
it was not proper for us
to see the king's dishonor."
00:25:54.88\00:25:57.05
Now they said, "It'll
hurt you, it'll hurt us.
00:25:57.09\00:25:58.89
That's why we're doing this."
00:25:58.92\00:26:00.32
"Therefore, we've sent and
informed the king that a search
00:26:00.36\00:26:03.46
might be made in the book
of our records of your fathers,
00:26:03.49\00:26:06.80
and you'll find in that book the
record and know that this city
00:26:06.83\00:26:09.90
is a rebellious city,
harmful to kings and provinces,
00:26:09.93\00:26:12.93
and that they have incited
sedition within the city in
00:26:12.97\00:26:16.10
former times, for which
cause this city was destroyed."
00:26:16.14\00:26:19.91
All right, was it true
that Jerusalem on more than one
00:26:19.94\00:26:25.05
occasion had
rebelled against pagan kings?
00:26:25.08\00:26:31.12
Yeah, they rebelled against
Egypt, they rebelled against
00:26:31.15\00:26:35.56
Babylon, they
rebelled against Hezekiah,
00:26:35.59\00:26:38.33
refused to surrender to Assyria.
00:26:38.36\00:26:39.96
And God fought for them.
00:26:40.00\00:26:43.10
And two sons of Josiah
rebelled against Babylon.
00:26:43.13\00:26:48.00
They promised, "We will
submit, we will pay taxes."
00:26:48.04\00:26:50.24
In fact, Zachariah
or Zedekiah rather,
00:26:50.27\00:26:53.94
he made a covenant in the name
of the Lord that he will not
00:26:53.98\00:26:57.65
rebel and he would pay taxes.
00:26:57.68\00:26:59.11
And Jeremiah said, "You need to
submit to the king of Babylon,
00:26:59.15\00:27:02.25
pay the taxes.
00:27:02.28\00:27:03.65
You will have peace."
00:27:03.69\00:27:04.99
And he would not, and they ended
up the temple was destroyed,
00:27:05.02\00:27:08.26
the walls were destroyed, and
everything got burnt and turned
00:27:08.29\00:27:10.93
into the ruins
they're describing.
00:27:10.96\00:27:13.46
So, the kings look
through the record books,
00:27:13.50\00:27:16.13
and you know, they had
some amazing libraries.
00:27:16.16\00:27:20.37
Up in Asia, they discovered an
ancient library with cuneiform
00:27:20.40\00:27:23.14
tablets that had 14,000 books.
00:27:23.17\00:27:26.27
And they had many
vast, ancient libraries.
00:27:26.31\00:27:29.24
And they weren't
all cuneiform tablets,
00:27:29.28\00:27:31.15
they were sometimes scrolls.
00:27:31.18\00:27:33.18
And so, they had some
method of carrying these books.
00:27:33.21\00:27:37.22
In the peak of
the Ottoman Empire,
00:27:37.25\00:27:40.26
just trivia, the grand vizier
traveled with his library.
00:27:40.29\00:27:46.23
He had 400 camels that carried
his books when he traveled.
00:27:46.26\00:27:52.37
And he organized his camels
alphabetically so he could find
00:27:52.40\00:27:56.14
the books in his library.
00:27:56.17\00:27:59.87
They wanted to take
their documents with them.
00:27:59.91\00:28:01.91
But they--so they had vast
libraries, they kept things.
00:28:01.94\00:28:04.21
And it's so much
faster now, you just type in
00:28:04.25\00:28:07.32
search, press enter.
00:28:07.35\00:28:09.58
It was a little
harder back then,
00:28:09.62\00:28:12.42
they had full-time
scribes that would do that.
00:28:12.45\00:28:14.82
And so, they did
a search, they said,
00:28:14.86\00:28:16.96
"Sure enough, this is true."
00:28:16.99\00:28:19.33
And notice what else it says.
00:28:19.36\00:28:21.66
"If they build the
city, they'll rebel.
00:28:21.70\00:28:24.47
We want to inform the
king if this city is rebuilt,
00:28:24.50\00:28:27.44
you'll have no dominion."
00:28:27.47\00:28:29.74
So, the king sends an answer.
00:28:29.77\00:28:31.57
This is verse 17 of Ezra
4, "To Rehum the commander,
00:28:31.61\00:28:34.61
to Shimshai the scribe and
the rest of their companions who
00:28:34.64\00:28:37.15
dwell in Samaria, and to
the remainder beyond the river,"
00:28:37.18\00:28:40.22
that's Euphrates,
"peace and so forth."
00:28:40.25\00:28:42.65
They said--they had
a long introduction.
00:28:42.68\00:28:44.52
"The letter which you sent us
has been clearly read before me,
00:28:44.55\00:28:47.86
and I gave the
command and search was made,
00:28:47.89\00:28:50.53
and it was found that this city
in former times has revolted
00:28:50.56\00:28:54.46
against kings, and
rebellion and sedition
00:28:54.50\00:28:56.83
have been fostered in it.
00:28:56.87\00:28:58.47
There have also
been mighty kings."
00:28:58.50\00:29:01.47
He kept reading, he said, "There
have also been mighty kings over
00:29:01.50\00:29:04.14
Jerusalem, who rule over all
the region beyond the river."
00:29:04.17\00:29:07.41
And who are those mighty kings?
00:29:07.44\00:29:09.48
Well, David, actually Solomon.
00:29:09.51\00:29:12.55
His reign went all the
way to beyond the river.
00:29:12.58\00:29:16.38
There were times when
King Asa, who reigned 52 years,
00:29:16.42\00:29:19.69
King Jehoshaphat, there were
some other kings that did pretty
00:29:19.72\00:29:23.16
well in being some
of the most powerful.
00:29:23.19\00:29:25.36
And it says tribute and
custom were paid to them.
00:29:25.39\00:29:28.50
"Now, give the command
to make these men cease,
00:29:28.53\00:29:32.23
that this city may
not be built until the
00:29:32.27\00:29:34.57
command be given by me.
00:29:34.60\00:29:36.34
Take heed now that you
do not fail to do this.
00:29:36.37\00:29:39.41
Why should damage increase
to the hurt of the king?"
00:29:39.44\00:29:42.78
Now, when the copy of King
Artaxerxes's letter was read
00:29:42.81\00:29:45.61
before Rehum, Shimshai
scribe, and their companions,
00:29:45.65\00:29:47.95
they couldn't wait.
00:29:47.98\00:29:49.45
"They went up in haste to
Jerusalem against the Jews,
00:29:49.48\00:29:53.36
and by force of
arms made them cease.
00:29:53.39\00:29:55.76
Thus the work of the
house of God which is in
00:29:55.79\00:29:58.93
Jerusalem ceased.
00:29:58.96\00:30:00.66
And it was discontinued until
the second year of the reign
00:30:00.70\00:30:03.43
of Darius, King of Persia."
00:30:03.47\00:30:05.60
Now, eventually they
get permission to rebuild.
00:30:05.63\00:30:09.17
This is a long spell
when they don't build.
00:30:09.20\00:30:11.04
But then they get permission
to rebuild, but they stall.
00:30:11.07\00:30:14.24
Because you know, when you
lose momentum--we have a house
00:30:14.28\00:30:19.91
up in the hills.
00:30:19.95\00:30:22.92
And a friend who is a contractor
did most of the work on that.
00:30:22.95\00:30:27.22
And we were getting so
excited about moving in,
00:30:27.26\00:30:31.26
they weren't quite done.
00:30:31.29\00:30:32.76
They were little
things like, you know,
00:30:32.79\00:30:34.30
some trim around the wallpaper
and some baseboards in the
00:30:34.30\00:30:36.50
closet, just little things,
and hanging a few lights.
00:30:36.53\00:30:39.53
And I remember he said,
"Don't move in until it's
00:30:39.57\00:30:42.24
all done, Doug."
00:30:42.27\00:30:43.87
He says, "Once you move
in, you'll never finish."
00:30:43.91\00:30:46.81
I said, "No, I'll
finish. You don't know me."
00:30:46.84\00:30:51.88
Well, here we are 35,
almost 40 years later,
00:30:51.91\00:31:01.89
and still don't have the
trim around the wallpaper,
00:31:01.92\00:31:05.43
still don't have
all the baseboard in.
00:31:05.46\00:31:08.20
Temporary things have a strange
way of becoming permanent.
00:31:08.23\00:31:11.50
And they had put off
the building of the temple,
00:31:11.53\00:31:15.44
even though they had
laid the foundation and
00:31:15.47\00:31:17.71
they done some work.
00:31:17.74\00:31:19.44
And you remember when
they laid the foundation,
00:31:19.47\00:31:21.54
I think this was
in an earlier lesson,
00:31:21.58\00:31:22.88
I wasn't here, that the old man
who had seen Solomon's temple,
00:31:22.91\00:31:29.28
when they saw the size, the
inferior size of the new temple,
00:31:29.32\00:31:33.52
when they're
laying the foundation,
00:31:33.56\00:31:35.42
they're weeping.
00:31:35.46\00:31:37.29
And the other people are
saying, "Oh, we're starting
00:31:37.33\00:31:38.83
to build the temple," and
they're praising the Lord.
00:31:38.86\00:31:40.93
And it says you couldn't
tell who was weeping and
00:31:40.96\00:31:42.50
who was rejoicing.
00:31:42.53\00:31:45.60
So, they had started,
but now the work had stopped.
00:31:45.63\00:31:50.34
But finally, that
king didn't last very long,
00:31:50.37\00:31:53.68
that false
Smerdis, that Artaxerxes.
00:31:53.71\00:31:57.41
And he died off and
they sent another letter,
00:31:57.45\00:31:59.48
and they got permission to
remobilize building the temple.
00:31:59.51\00:32:04.02
And so, during this
time, the prophets encourage.
00:32:04.05\00:32:07.19
You go to Ezra
chapter 5, verse 1 and 2.
00:32:07.22\00:32:11.36
"Then the prophet
Haggai and Zechariah--"
00:32:11.39\00:32:14.23
By the way, when you're reading
what we're studying here,
00:32:14.30\00:32:15.80
there's a cluster of
books that go together.
00:32:15.83\00:32:18.60
It's good to know Daniel
'cause Daniel's life overlaps
00:32:18.63\00:32:22.04
Zerubbabel, who ends up
bringing back the captivity.
00:32:22.07\00:32:24.71
Daniel, he foretold Cyrus.
00:32:24.74\00:32:27.54
Actually, Daniel lived
until the time of Cyrus.
00:32:27.58\00:32:30.28
And then you've got
Zerubbabel, you got Ezra,
00:32:30.31\00:32:34.85
Nehemiah, Haggai,
Zechariah, Malachi.
00:32:34.88\00:32:39.65
And guess who else
appears during this time?
00:32:39.69\00:32:45.99
She was a queen.
00:32:46.03\00:32:47.96
That was a
giveaway, wasn't it? Esther.
00:32:48.00\00:32:50.87
And so, all of these books
are happening during the same
00:32:50.90\00:32:53.60
time period, okay?
00:32:53.64\00:32:56.10
So, now they've got
permission to rebuild again.
00:32:56.14\00:32:58.47
And then it says,
"The prophet Haggai,
00:32:58.51\00:33:00.88
and Zechariah the son of Iddo,
and the prophets prophesied to
00:33:00.91\00:33:03.41
the Jews who were in Judah
and Jerusalem in the name of the
00:33:03.45\00:33:06.18
God of Israel who was over them.
00:33:06.21\00:33:08.02
So, Zerubbabel the son
of Shealtiel, and Jeshua
00:33:08.05\00:33:11.39
the son of Jehozadak."
00:33:11.42\00:33:13.05
Jeshua is the same as
Joshua, just it's a little
00:33:13.09\00:33:17.13
different spelling.
00:33:17.16\00:33:18.46
"Rose up and began to
build the house of God,
00:33:18.49\00:33:20.00
which is in Jerusalem.
00:33:20.03\00:33:21.50
And the prophets of God
were with them helping them."
00:33:21.53\00:33:24.63
Now, how do prophets help?
00:33:24.67\00:33:26.10
Well, they might've
had bricks and a trowel,
00:33:26.13\00:33:28.77
but the main way
prophets help is by prophesying.
00:33:28.80\00:33:32.37
Notice what it says in
Haggai chapter 1, verse 3.
00:33:32.41\00:33:35.11
"Then the Word of the Lord
came by Haggai the prophet,
00:33:35.14\00:33:38.61
saying, 'Is it time for
you yourselves to dwell in your
00:33:38.65\00:33:42.45
paneled houses and
the temple lie in ruins?
00:33:42.48\00:33:45.15
Now therefore, thus says
the Lord, consider your ways.
00:33:45.19\00:33:48.39
You've sown much,
but you bring in little.
00:33:48.42\00:33:51.36
You eat, but you
don't have enough.
00:33:51.39\00:33:53.46
You drink, but you're
not filled with drink.
00:33:53.50\00:33:56.67
You clothe
yourselves, but no one is warm.
00:33:56.70\00:33:59.03
And he who earns
wages earns wages to put it
00:33:59.07\00:34:02.34
in a bag with holes.'"
00:34:02.37\00:34:03.67
Any of you ever
felt that way before?
00:34:03.71\00:34:05.74
You just feel like
you can't get ahead.
00:34:05.77\00:34:08.04
It feels like no
matter what you do,
00:34:08.08\00:34:09.38
you're buying clothes, but
you're still never quite warm.
00:34:09.41\00:34:11.95
Nothing seems to be
blessed is what he's saying.
00:34:11.98\00:34:14.98
You earn wages and you
put them in a bag with holes.
00:34:15.02\00:34:19.79
I had that happen
to me not too long ago.
00:34:19.82\00:34:21.76
I put something in my pocket,
and I went to look for it later
00:34:21.79\00:34:23.93
and I couldn't find it.
00:34:23.96\00:34:25.76
I kept digging and I said,
"I know I put it in my pocket."
00:34:25.79\00:34:27.73
I'm digging around with my hand.
00:34:27.76\00:34:29.23
Pretty soon, I stuck my finger
through a hole in the pocket.
00:34:29.26\00:34:31.70
I said, "Ah, who
knows where it is now."
00:34:31.73\00:34:36.74
So, you ever feel like you
put something in your pocket
00:34:36.77\00:34:39.51
and it just--it goes away?
00:34:39.54\00:34:43.95
"Thus says the
Lord." He's explaining why.
00:34:43.98\00:34:47.35
"Consider your ways.
00:34:47.38\00:34:48.82
Go up to the
mountains. Bring wood.
00:34:48.85\00:34:51.75
Build the temple that
I might take pleasure in
00:34:51.79\00:34:54.39
it and be glorified."
00:34:54.42\00:34:55.72
He says, "You're all
running to your houses,
00:34:55.76\00:34:57.06
you're neglecting My house."
00:34:57.09\00:34:58.39
He says, "You look for much,
but indeed it came to little.
00:34:58.43\00:35:00.73
And when you brought
it home, I blew it away."
00:35:00.76\00:35:04.93
You don't want God will
be blowing away your stuff.
00:35:04.97\00:35:06.90
"Why, says the Lord?
00:35:06.94\00:35:09.54
Because My house is
in ruins while everyone
00:35:09.57\00:35:12.67
runs to his own house."
00:35:12.71\00:35:15.31
Boy, this would be a terrible
waste of a Scripture for me to
00:35:15.34\00:35:17.91
not mention to you we are in
the midst of a church building
00:35:17.95\00:35:21.12
program and we
don't have enough money to
00:35:21.15\00:35:23.02
finish yet, hint, hint.
00:35:23.05\00:35:26.65
Want a blessing?
Haggai chapter 2.
00:35:26.69\00:35:30.86
He says that this temple, "The
glory of this latter temple will
00:35:30.89\00:35:35.93
be greater than the former."
00:35:35.96\00:35:37.73
Now, why did he prophesy that?
00:35:37.77\00:35:39.30
They were saying,
"Oh, this temple's nothing
00:35:39.33\00:35:41.10
like Solomon's temple."
00:35:41.14\00:35:42.67
But Haggai said, "No, no,
no, the glory of this house
00:35:42.70\00:35:45.27
will be even greater."
00:35:45.31\00:35:46.64
Why could he say that?
00:35:46.68\00:35:48.64
Well, two things.
00:35:48.68\00:35:50.38
First of all, Jesus
would be in that temple.
00:35:50.41\00:35:54.45
You know, there was a day
when on top of the mountain
00:35:54.48\00:35:58.05
of transfiguration,
Jesus is on the mountain.
00:35:58.09\00:36:00.82
And while He's up
there on the mountain,
00:36:00.86\00:36:03.09
who appears to Him?
00:36:03.12\00:36:05.59
Moses and Elijah.
00:36:05.63\00:36:08.43
And then Peter
doesn't know what to say,
00:36:08.46\00:36:09.80
he says, "Lord, let's
build three tabernacles,
00:36:09.83\00:36:11.50
one for You, one for Moses,
one for Elijah," 'cause he
00:36:11.53\00:36:14.47
didn't know what to say.
00:36:14.50\00:36:15.80
But that's actually
an interesting statement.
00:36:15.84\00:36:17.14
Even what Peter
said was inspired.
00:36:17.17\00:36:18.54
There was one temple
during the time of Moses in
00:36:18.57\00:36:21.68
the wilderness, correct?
00:36:21.71\00:36:23.28
There was another temple
during the time of Elijah
00:36:23.31\00:36:27.15
that Solomon's temple was
when what was still in existence
00:36:27.18\00:36:30.32
during the time of Elijah.
00:36:30.35\00:36:31.72
And wasn't there
a different temple?
00:36:31.75\00:36:33.92
Nehemiah and Ezra's temple
was during the time of Jesus.
00:36:33.96\00:36:35.86
And actually, the temple of
Ezra and Nehemiah, when Herod
00:36:35.89\00:36:39.69
the Great came along, he said,
"I want a temple that's going
00:36:39.73\00:36:44.23
to rival Solomon's."
00:36:44.27\00:36:45.97
And he went through one
of the most massive temple
00:36:46.00\00:36:48.70
reconstructions in history.
00:36:48.74\00:36:50.51
Matter of fact, when Jesus
said, "You destroy this temple,
00:36:50.54\00:36:52.51
I'll raise it up in three days."
00:36:52.54\00:36:53.84
They said, "Forty and
six years it's taken us
00:36:53.88\00:36:56.24
to build this temple."
00:36:56.28\00:36:57.75
Why did they say 46 years?
00:36:57.78\00:36:59.11
The restoration of Herod
the Great had made it one of the
00:36:59.15\00:37:02.82
wonders of the world.
00:37:02.85\00:37:04.49
The temple was
bigger than the Coliseum,
00:37:04.52\00:37:06.65
at least the
courtyard and the building area.
00:37:06.69\00:37:09.36
It was--it was a
jewel even for the Romans.
00:37:09.39\00:37:13.26
They didn't want to
destroy it in 70 AD,
00:37:13.29\00:37:15.10
it was a soldier that threw
a firebrand that wrecked it
00:37:15.13\00:37:17.90
because it was such
a beautiful building.
00:37:17.93\00:37:20.04
And so, it's a twofold prophecy.
00:37:20.07\00:37:23.30
Haggai's saying, "The glory of
the second temple's going to be
00:37:23.34\00:37:27.11
bigger, first of all 'cause the
Lord Himself in person is going
00:37:27.14\00:37:31.48
to come to this temple
and teach in its courts."
00:37:31.51\00:37:33.48
Jesus often
went into the temple.
00:37:33.52\00:37:36.02
Every day, He went into
the temple and He taught when
00:37:36.05\00:37:38.29
He was in Jerusalem.
00:37:38.32\00:37:39.69
Secondly, because he was saying,
"The temple you're looking at
00:37:39.72\00:37:42.46
now is going to
grow in magnificence."
00:37:42.49\00:37:45.76
So, by the time Jesus came,
it was pretty spectacular after
00:37:45.79\00:37:48.56
that 46-year remodeling program.
00:37:48.60\00:37:53.37
So, he said, "Don't
worry, it's going to be better
00:37:53.40\00:37:57.34
than you can imagine."
00:37:57.37\00:37:58.67
And then he tells us
in chapter--Haggai I'm in,
00:37:58.71\00:38:01.81
chapter 2, verse 18, "Consider
now from this day forward,
00:38:01.84\00:38:04.65
from the 24th day of the ninth
month from the day that the
00:38:04.68\00:38:07.72
foundation of the Lord's
temple was laid, consider it.
00:38:07.75\00:38:10.02
Is the seed still in the barn,
and yet the vine and the fig
00:38:10.05\00:38:14.72
tree and the pomegranate
and the olive, have they
00:38:14.76\00:38:16.89
not yielded fruit?
00:38:16.93\00:38:18.23
But from this
day, I will bless you."
00:38:18.26\00:38:21.13
He said, "From the time you
finally start getting back to
00:38:21.16\00:38:25.43
work on the house of the
Lord, I'm going to bless you."
00:38:25.47\00:38:27.84
There's a neat quote in the book
"Prophets and Kings," this is
00:38:27.87\00:38:33.68
page--this is in your
lesson, page 573 and 574.
00:38:33.71\00:38:37.78
"The prophets Haggai
and Zechariah were raised up
00:38:37.81\00:38:41.42
to meet the crisis.
00:38:41.45\00:38:42.98
In stirring testimonies, these
appointed messengers revealed
00:38:43.02\00:38:45.95
to the people the
cause of their troubles.
00:38:45.99\00:38:48.62
The lack of temporal prosperity
was the result of a neglect to
00:38:48.66\00:38:52.89
put God's interests first."
00:38:52.93\00:38:56.10
That's a great quote, sounds
a lot like where Jesus said,
00:38:56.13\00:38:59.87
"Seek first the kingdom
of God and all the other
00:38:59.90\00:39:01.87
things will be added."
00:39:01.90\00:39:03.74
When we fail to
put spiritual things,
00:39:03.77\00:39:06.71
and God's work, and
God's house as a priority,
00:39:06.74\00:39:09.48
our houses and our
other things aren't going to
00:39:09.51\00:39:12.31
have the same blessing.
00:39:12.35\00:39:13.88
"The neglect to put
God's interests first,
00:39:13.92\00:39:17.35
the prophets declared had the
Israelites honored God as they
00:39:17.39\00:39:20.89
had shown Him due respect and
courtesy by making the building
00:39:20.92\00:39:24.63
of His house their first
work, they would've invited His
00:39:24.66\00:39:27.93
presence and His blessing."
00:39:27.96\00:39:29.56
So, now we're going
to jump to Nehemiah,
00:39:29.60\00:39:32.33
I've just got ten
minutes here to cover this very
00:39:32.37\00:39:34.70
important section.
00:39:34.74\00:39:36.04
Go to Nehemiah chapter 4.
00:39:36.07\00:39:37.67
And you'll see
here this is so great,
00:39:37.71\00:39:40.54
the whole story.
00:39:40.58\00:39:41.98
And this is another study, it's
about Nehemiah praying and being
00:39:42.01\00:39:44.95
sent by the king, and some
believe that the queen during
00:39:44.98\00:39:49.08
that time was Esther,
to come and to rebuild
00:39:49.12\00:39:51.85
the walls of the city.
00:39:51.89\00:39:54.39
They built some of the
walls around the temple,
00:39:54.42\00:39:56.93
but the main fortifications
they had not built because,
00:39:56.96\00:40:00.23
well, the enemy said they're
going to do that to defend it
00:40:00.26\00:40:02.90
against the king of Persia.
00:40:02.93\00:40:04.97
But when the king--Nehemiah
went directly to the king
00:40:05.00\00:40:08.60
and he gave him
permission to go.
00:40:08.64\00:40:09.94
And he says, "I'll
also even pay for it."
00:40:09.97\00:40:12.54
So, now not only are they
getting what do you call it?
00:40:12.57\00:40:16.04
To opposition from building
the temple during the time of
00:40:16.08\00:40:18.78
Nehemiah, "It happened with
Sanballat heard that we were
00:40:18.81\00:40:22.42
rebuilding the wall
that he was furious."
00:40:22.45\00:40:27.96
You know, the Bible says God's
people are going to be called
00:40:27.99\00:40:29.76
the restorers of
paths to dwell in.
00:40:29.79\00:40:34.00
We are to do repairing,
repairers of the breach.
00:40:34.00\00:40:37.63
Has there been a
breach in God's law,
00:40:37.67\00:40:39.87
in God's church?
00:40:39.90\00:40:41.24
Does the Seventh Day Adventist
church have a special work to do
00:40:41.27\00:40:44.61
to repair a breach in the wall?
00:40:44.64\00:40:48.21
And when we do that,
how's the devil going to feel?
00:40:48.24\00:40:52.48
Revelation 12:17,
"The dragon was wroth,
00:40:52.51\00:40:57.49
enraged, furious with the woman,
and went to make war with the
00:40:57.52\00:41:00.62
remnant of her seed that
keep the commandments of God."
00:41:00.66\00:41:04.53
Restoring that
breach, does that make sense?
00:41:04.56\00:41:07.10
So, when our enemies heard, they
were furious and very indignant,
00:41:07.13\00:41:12.33
and mocked the Jews.
00:41:12.37\00:41:14.07
They'll try to
use discouragement.
00:41:14.10\00:41:16.27
And he spoke before his brethren
and the army of Samaria,
00:41:16.30\00:41:19.44
and he said, "What are
these feeble Jews doing?
00:41:19.47\00:41:22.24
Will they fortify themselves?
00:41:22.28\00:41:24.15
Will they offer sacrifices?
00:41:24.18\00:41:25.78
Will they complete it in a day?
00:41:25.81\00:41:27.28
Will they revive the stones
from the heaps of rubbish,
00:41:27.32\00:41:29.92
stones that are burned?"
00:41:29.95\00:41:31.32
Once the stones are burned,
they're not safe anymore,
00:41:31.35\00:41:32.65
you need to get new ones.
00:41:32.69\00:41:34.29
"Now, Tobiah the
Ammonite was beside him,
00:41:34.32\00:41:36.19
and he said, "Oh,
whatever they build,
00:41:36.22\00:41:37.93
even if a fox goes
up on it, he'll break
00:41:37.96\00:41:40.20
down their stone walls."
00:41:40.23\00:41:41.56
Foxes are so
small and fleet of foot,
00:41:41.60\00:41:43.30
the idea that a fox could tumble
it over is a figure of speech.
00:41:43.33\00:41:47.70
So, how does Nehemiah respond?
00:41:47.74\00:41:51.11
He doesn't argue
with him, he prays.
00:41:51.14\00:41:53.88
Verse 4: "Hear, oh our
God." What else does he do?
00:41:53.91\00:41:58.45
Verse 6: he ignores
him and he keeps working.
00:41:58.48\00:42:00.72
The devil will try to
distract you by mocking.
00:42:00.75\00:42:04.25
You know what the devil does?
00:42:04.29\00:42:05.59
He tries to get
you to defend yourself.
00:42:05.62\00:42:08.66
You know, friends, you have
no idea of the amount of mail,
00:42:08.69\00:42:12.09
Bonnie knows something about
it, the amount of mail I get.
00:42:12.13\00:42:15.60
And much of it very kind
and positive, not all of it.
00:42:15.63\00:42:19.97
And a lot of people say
the most outrageous things.
00:42:20.00\00:42:23.10
And if I wanted to, I could
spend all of my time defending
00:42:23.14\00:42:25.64
myself, defending my statements.
00:42:25.67\00:42:28.74
And sometimes you have to
say, "This person is not open."
00:42:28.78\00:42:31.35
They're not--if
they're open, we always try and
00:42:31.38\00:42:33.42
send them information.
00:42:33.45\00:42:34.75
But if they're just being
hostile and angry and combative,
00:42:34.78\00:42:37.29
the devil would
love to distract you,
00:42:37.32\00:42:39.89
getting into a
debate so you stop building.
00:42:39.92\00:42:42.56
You got to keep the
main thing the main thing.
00:42:42.59\00:42:44.73
And don't waste your time
arguing with people you're never
00:42:44.76\00:42:48.70
going to reach anyway.
00:42:48.73\00:42:50.80
Verse 7, how did
they respond when they
00:42:50.83\00:42:52.77
were ignored and
he kept building?
00:42:52.80\00:42:54.27
You notice what happened?
00:42:54.30\00:42:55.60
"So we built the wall.
00:42:55.64\00:42:56.94
The entire wall was joined
together up to half its height
00:42:56.97\00:42:59.01
because the people
had a mind to work."
00:42:59.04\00:43:02.24
They had a mind to work 'cause
Nehemiah was a great leader.
00:43:02.28\00:43:05.65
"Then their enemies,"
verse 7, I'm in Nehemiah 4,
00:43:05.68\00:43:08.22
verse 7, "became very angry."
00:43:08.25\00:43:12.05
That dragon is very wroth.
00:43:12.09\00:43:15.29
And so, what did Nehemiah do?
00:43:15.32\00:43:16.79
Go to verse 13, "Do
not be afraid of them."
00:43:16.83\00:43:19.23
They threatened to attack.
00:43:19.26\00:43:21.03
"Remember the
Lord, great and awesome,
00:43:21.06\00:43:22.70
and fight for your
brethren, your sons,
00:43:22.73\00:43:25.10
your daughter, your
wives, and your homes."
00:43:25.13\00:43:27.74
And verse 19 and
20, Nehemiah says,
00:43:27.77\00:43:30.67
"Our God will fight for us."
00:43:30.71\00:43:32.04
He said, "All right,
look, if you want to fight,
00:43:32.07\00:43:33.38
we'll fight, but we're
not going to stop working."
00:43:33.41\00:43:34.98
So, they even
threatened him with war.
00:43:35.01\00:43:36.81
And so, what was
Nehemiah's response?
00:43:36.85\00:43:38.18
"Well, we're going to
have soldiers on the wall,
00:43:38.21\00:43:40.32
we'll have the
arsenal and the weapons ready,
00:43:40.35\00:43:43.05
and we're going to keep working.
00:43:43.08\00:43:44.82
We're not going to stop building
the wall," because the most
00:43:44.85\00:43:47.69
important thing for your
protection is to have the wall,
00:43:47.72\00:43:50.96
have it finished.
00:43:50.99\00:43:52.39
The devil doesn't want you to
have the wall 'cause if you got
00:43:52.43\00:43:55.63
the wall, then it's
really hard for him to get in.
00:43:55.66\00:43:58.33
Isn't that right?
00:43:58.37\00:44:00.40
So, then finally I want you to
notice when the walls get built,
00:44:00.44\00:44:04.27
and it's a miracle, you know,
they build the wall 'cause the
00:44:04.31\00:44:06.54
people had a mind to work.
00:44:06.57\00:44:07.88
And they had to haul
out rubbish, they had all
00:44:07.91\00:44:09.14
kinds of threats and, you know,
they threatened Nehemiah's life.
00:44:09.18\00:44:13.28
"You got to hide in the temple,
they're going to kill you."
00:44:13.31\00:44:15.72
He said, "No, I'm
not going to hide."
00:44:15.75\00:44:17.05
And they kept
working. And go to Nehemiah 6.
00:44:17.09\00:44:21.89
Go to the first verse.
00:44:23.49\00:44:26.49
"Now it happened
when Sanballat, Tobiah,
00:44:26.53\00:44:29.93
Geshem the Arab," remember
I mentioned the Arabs earlier.
00:44:29.96\00:44:33.20
And you wondered,
"Why do you say that?"
00:44:33.23\00:44:34.74
"And the rest of our enemies
heard that I had rebuilt the
00:44:34.77\00:44:37.97
wall, that there were no
breaks, no breaches left in it."
00:44:38.01\00:44:41.61
This is the work of God's
people to restore the breach.
00:44:41.64\00:44:45.45
"Though at that time had
not hung the doors of the gates.
00:44:45.48\00:44:47.72
Then Sanballat
and Geshem sent to me,
00:44:47.75\00:44:51.22
saying, 'Come, let's
meet together in one of the
00:44:51.25\00:44:54.19
villages in the plain of Ono.'
00:44:54.22\00:44:56.76
But they thought to do me harm."
00:44:56.79\00:44:58.96
So, you just need to know that
if anyone ever says they want
00:44:58.99\00:45:03.40
to meet with you in the plain
of Ono, your answer is, "Oh no."
00:45:03.43\00:45:09.14
Isn't that right?
00:45:09.17\00:45:11.51
"They thought to do me
harm." They said, "Come on down.
00:45:11.54\00:45:15.18
Let's talk about
it. We can negotiate.
00:45:15.21\00:45:19.58
Let's find some common ground.
00:45:19.61\00:45:21.48
You make a compromise,
we'll make a compromise.
00:45:21.52\00:45:24.42
We don't have to be at
odds like this with each other."
00:45:24.45\00:45:26.76
He said, "No, I'm not
even going to meet with you."
00:45:26.79\00:45:28.76
You know why we're in trouble?
00:45:28.79\00:45:32.33
It's because Eve wanted
to parlay with the devil.
00:45:32.36\00:45:37.60
She was engaged
in discussing it.
00:45:37.63\00:45:40.90
And as soon as you get
yourself on that ground,
00:45:40.94\00:45:43.30
he's a better
debater than you are.
00:45:43.34\00:45:46.57
So it says, "They
thought to do me harm,
00:45:46.61\00:45:50.21
so I sent a
message to them saying,
00:45:50.25\00:45:51.85
'I am doing a great work
so that I cannot come down.
00:45:51.88\00:45:56.52
Why should the work cease while
I leave it and go down to you?'
00:45:56.55\00:46:00.59
But they sent this
message four times,
00:46:00.62\00:46:03.22
and I answered them
in the same manner."
00:46:03.26\00:46:06.73
Can you look at the
relentlessness of the devil
00:46:06.76\00:46:11.93
to try to just wear him down?
00:46:11.97\00:46:14.84
Kept sending the
message, different ways,
00:46:14.87\00:46:16.20
they said, "Oh look, you know,
we're going to--the king's going
00:46:16.24\00:46:18.64
to find out bad
things are happening.
00:46:18.67\00:46:20.08
You better talk
to us. You need us.
00:46:20.11\00:46:22.48
You better negotiate with us."
00:46:22.51\00:46:23.81
And he just said,
"Look, I'm focused on getting
00:46:23.85\00:46:27.85
this wall built.
00:46:27.88\00:46:29.28
Why should the work cease while
I come down and talk to you?"
00:46:29.32\00:46:33.96
Now, are you and I
doing a great work when
00:46:33.99\00:46:38.76
we're sharing the gospel?
00:46:38.79\00:46:41.06
There's nothing the devil
wants more than to distract us.
00:46:41.10\00:46:44.50
Can you think of another time
in the Bible when someone said,
00:46:44.53\00:46:48.57
"Come down and
let's talk about it"?
00:46:48.60\00:46:52.94
He said, "Why should the work
cease while I go down to you?"
00:46:52.97\00:46:56.51
Matthew 27, when
Jesus is on the cross:
00:46:56.54\00:47:00.12
"Likewise, the
chief priest also,
00:47:00.15\00:47:02.82
mocking with the
scribes and elders,
00:47:02.85\00:47:04.72
said, 'He saved
others, Himself He cannot save.
00:47:04.75\00:47:07.66
If He is the king of the Jews.'"
00:47:07.69\00:47:10.39
Now, who was
inspiring that sentence?
00:47:10.43\00:47:13.29
The mocking and the if,
does that sound familiar?
00:47:13.33\00:47:16.10
Were they mocking Nehemiah?
00:47:16.13\00:47:19.10
"If He is the king of
Israel, let Him now come down
00:47:19.13\00:47:23.34
and we will believe."
00:47:23.37\00:47:25.01
You want us to believe?
00:47:25.04\00:47:26.34
All you've got
to do is come down.
00:47:26.37\00:47:27.94
I think those priests
were inspired by Satan himself.
00:47:27.98\00:47:30.18
And that word, that line was put
in their mouth by Satan himself.
00:47:30.21\00:47:33.82
And he's saying, "Look, we'll
believe You're the Son of God.
00:47:33.85\00:47:36.15
You don't need
to die on the cross.
00:47:36.18\00:47:38.79
Just come down,
use Your miracle power.
00:47:38.82\00:47:40.66
You've healed so many
others before, just come down.
00:47:40.69\00:47:43.43
The whole nation will
convert. You don't need to die."
00:47:43.46\00:47:47.96
And Jesus by His silence, He
said, "I am doing a great work.
00:47:48.00\00:47:52.03
Why should the work cease while
I come down and argue with you?"
00:47:52.07\00:47:55.94
You know, I've
got--I like history.
00:47:55.97\00:48:01.18
And I got a few
heroes in history.
00:48:01.21\00:48:03.01
And one of my heroes, I
mean, he had his problems,
00:48:03.04\00:48:06.21
but I admire him,
was Teddy Roosevelt.
00:48:06.25\00:48:09.85
Because you know how many people
tried to build the Panama Canal?
00:48:09.88\00:48:13.79
Way back in the days of Cortez,
they actually got up to the top
00:48:13.82\00:48:18.36
and they said, "Look,
you can reach the Pacific
00:48:18.39\00:48:20.63
from the Atlantic.
00:48:20.66\00:48:22.46
We could build a canal."
00:48:22.50\00:48:24.50
And so, some tried to
start a business there in Spain.
00:48:24.53\00:48:26.77
And then different
conglomerations started
00:48:26.80\00:48:29.80
business and they failed.
00:48:29.84\00:48:31.21
Mostly it was because
malaria ate them alive,
00:48:31.24\00:48:33.84
the workers died off so fast.
00:48:33.88\00:48:35.71
And then the French had a
corporation, it went bankrupt.
00:48:35.74\00:48:38.38
Matter of fact, the same fellow
who built the Suez Canal said,
00:48:38.41\00:48:40.68
"Oh yeah, I can do that.
00:48:40.72\00:48:42.02
I built the Suez Canal."
00:48:42.05\00:48:43.59
But the Suez Canal,
it was all flat sand.
00:48:43.62\00:48:45.65
All you had to do
was dig a straight line.
00:48:45.69\00:48:48.09
He had no idea he was going to
have to dig through mountains,
00:48:48.12\00:48:50.76
all that water, and
all that disease and stuff.
00:48:50.79\00:48:52.99
They went bankrupt.
00:48:53.03\00:48:54.93
And finally, Teddy
Roosevelt came along,
00:48:54.96\00:48:56.70
he said, "You sell it to us."
00:48:56.73\00:48:59.20
He actually orchestrated things
where he created the country
00:48:59.23\00:49:01.84
of Panama with
his navy a little bit.
00:49:01.87\00:49:05.14
And then he said,
"Now, sell us a little piece.
00:49:05.17\00:49:07.31
We will build the
canal," and he did.
00:49:07.34\00:49:09.91
And said, "Just
give us 100-year lease."
00:49:09.94\00:49:12.41
Of course, our lease is up
now, we don't own it anymore.
00:49:12.45\00:49:14.28
But the determination,
if you knew Roosevelt,
00:49:14.32\00:49:18.89
whenever he
went after something,
00:49:18.92\00:49:20.69
he just was relentless.
00:49:20.72\00:49:22.66
And so, that's how Nehemiah was.
00:49:22.69\00:49:25.36
He said, "I'm
doing a great work.
00:49:25.39\00:49:27.20
I'll not be distracted."
00:49:27.23\00:49:28.73
One of the ways the
devil tries to stop us
00:49:28.76\00:49:30.17
is just distracting us, amen?
00:49:30.20\00:49:33.64
We have run out of time, I think
we got most of the lesson in.
00:49:33.67\00:49:36.77
And this is a
great study to go along
00:49:36.81\00:49:40.11
with what we've talked about.
00:49:40.14\00:49:41.44
Free gift we want to make
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00:49:41.48\00:49:43.35
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00:49:43.38\00:49:45.81
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00:50:18.15\00:50:19.48
We're out of
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00:50:19.51\00:50:20.95
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¤¤¤
00:51:29.35\00:51:39.09
Doug: We're here
in Ponce, Puerto Rico,
00:51:39.13\00:51:40.76
in an iguana park surrounded by
big lizards or small dinosaurs,
00:51:40.80\00:51:45.67
depends on how you look at it.
00:51:45.70\00:51:47.27
These magnificent creatures
are found mostly in Mexico,
00:51:47.30\00:51:50.07
Central America, South America,
and the Caribbean Islands.
00:51:50.11\00:51:53.24
Here's a few
amazing facts about iguanas.
00:51:53.27\00:51:56.38
Iguanas come in a
great spectrum of colors.
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They can be brown, green, blue,
and their skin will often work
00:51:58.95\00:52:03.82
as camouflage, allowing
them to hide in the jungle.
00:52:03.85\00:52:07.12
They're social creatures
who like to eat together.
00:52:07.16\00:52:09.82
And what's really interesting,
even though they look fierce,
00:52:09.86\00:52:12.56
iguanas are vegan vegetarians.
00:52:12.59\00:52:15.36
They're
regarded as popular pets,
00:52:15.40\00:52:17.33
though if they're not cared
for, they can actually just stop
00:52:17.37\00:52:20.10
eating and will
themselves to die.
00:52:20.14\00:52:22.20
Typically, iguanas just
lay eggs and they abandon their
00:52:22.24\00:52:24.87
offspring, so those
little iguanas have to fend for
00:52:24.91\00:52:27.71
themselves from
the time they're born.
00:52:27.74\00:52:30.71
If they're attacked,
they'll fight with their tail,
00:52:30.75\00:52:32.95
either punching or
whipping their opponent.
00:52:32.98\00:52:35.18
It's interesting to
see a dog running for mercy
00:52:35.22\00:52:38.25
after being
whipped by an iguana.
00:52:38.29\00:52:39.75
[dogs barking]
00:52:39.79\00:52:42.22
Doug: Also, to ensure a fast
escape, they can detach their
00:52:42.26\00:52:45.06
tail and later grow another one.
00:52:45.09\00:52:47.50
Iguanas generally
like to live around water.
00:52:47.50\00:52:49.90
And they can swim away,
escaping from predators.
00:52:49.93\00:52:52.83
Green iguanas in particular
are excellent swimmers.
00:52:52.87\00:52:56.44
They have the ability
to inflate themselves and
00:52:56.47\00:52:59.24
swim incredible distances.
00:52:59.27\00:53:01.61
This is one way they've been
able to populate the different
00:53:01.64\00:53:03.88
islands of the Caribbean.
00:53:03.91\00:53:05.71
What's incredible is
these creatures have lungs where
00:53:05.75\00:53:08.88
they're able to hold their
breath for up to 28 minutes,
00:53:08.92\00:53:12.55
putting even a
crocodile to shame.
00:53:12.59\00:53:15.96
They also know how to compensate
for when things get hot or cold.
00:53:15.99\00:53:18.83
They can regulate their
body temperature using the loose
00:53:18.86\00:53:22.40
flaps of skin they
have under their throats and
00:53:22.43\00:53:24.93
under their legs.
00:53:24.97\00:53:26.37
You might even say an iguana has
ESP because God made them with
00:53:26.40\00:53:30.84
sort of a third eye
on top of their head.
00:53:30.87\00:53:32.94
They can't really see with it,
but it's a photoreceptor that
00:53:32.97\00:53:36.21
helps them to regulate
their body's circadian rhythms.
00:53:36.24\00:53:39.38
You know, in the same way that
God made iguanas where they're
00:53:39.41\00:53:42.72
some of the toughest creatures
in God's natural kingdom,
00:53:42.75\00:53:45.65
Christians need to
learn to be resilient in
00:53:45.69\00:53:48.19
the spiritual realm.
00:53:48.22\00:53:49.52
Through God's grace, we can
learn to be great survivors.
00:53:49.56\00:53:52.63
Paul says in 2
Corinthians 4, verse 8 and 9,
00:53:52.66\00:53:55.46
"We are hard
pressed on every side,
00:53:55.50\00:53:57.67
yet not crushed;
we are perplexed,
00:53:57.70\00:54:00.04
but not in despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
00:54:00.07\00:54:03.47
struck down, but not destroyed."
00:54:03.51\00:54:07.14
I think, friends, we all know
sometimes life can be tough.
00:54:07.18\00:54:10.18
We feel like we're being
beaten, pressed on every side.
00:54:10.21\00:54:12.81
Sometimes, it's health
problems, relationship problems,
00:54:12.85\00:54:16.62
financial reverses.
00:54:16.65\00:54:18.39
But in the same way God
made the iguana resilient,
00:54:18.42\00:54:21.52
God can help you to bounce back.
00:54:21.56\00:54:23.69
Jesus said that
through His help,
00:54:23.73\00:54:25.46
we can be overcomers
and we are able to endure.
00:54:25.49\00:54:28.56
If you turn to Him and ask
Him for His help and His Spirit,
00:54:28.60\00:54:31.43
He will recreate you and make
you even tougher than an iguana.
00:54:31.47\00:54:35.27
Wouldn't you
like to ask Him now?
00:54:35.30\00:54:37.67
¤¤¤
00:54:37.77\00:54:44.95
Diana Dixon: My
name is Diana Dixon,
00:54:44.98\00:54:46.95
I'm a professional truck driver.
00:54:46.98\00:54:49.22
And August the 4th, 2011, I
stopped to help in an accident.
00:54:49.25\00:54:53.19
male: Diana Dixon
also tried to help.
00:54:53.22\00:54:55.06
She parked her semi, jumped out,
and headed toward the pickup.
00:54:55.09\00:54:58.69
That's when she saw
vehicles barreling toward her,
00:54:58.73\00:55:02.10
so she reacted by
jumping off 475 to a road below.
00:55:02.13\00:55:06.17
Diana: Well, a
pickup had clipped a semi,
00:55:06.20\00:55:08.14
and I stopped to help
and I saw it in the mirror.
00:55:08.17\00:55:10.31
So, I walked
back, gentleman told me,
00:55:10.34\00:55:12.14
he says, "Hey, you
know, everything's okay.
00:55:12.17\00:55:13.48
They called 911."
00:55:13.51\00:55:14.81
And I looked over at the pickup
and there was a black pickup
00:55:14.84\00:55:17.61
over there and he was okay.
00:55:17.65\00:55:19.05
And about that time, I
don't know how far I walked,
00:55:19.08\00:55:20.95
but I walked far enough and a
semi hit him, and it imploded.
00:55:20.98\00:55:27.29
I knew it was going to hit me.
00:55:27.32\00:55:28.62
I had 30 seconds to
decide, and I decided to jump.
00:55:28.66\00:55:31.89
Diana: Yeah, I jumped off
the bridge, my back's broken.
00:55:31.93\00:55:35.80
male: Where are you at?
00:55:35.83\00:55:38.40
Diana: I don't know.
00:55:38.43\00:55:40.54
Fractured my pelvis in
24 places, 5 broken ribs,
00:55:40.57\00:55:43.77
C5 neck fracture.
00:55:43.81\00:55:46.01
I had a collapsed lung,
I had a lacerated bladder,
00:55:46.04\00:55:49.18
I was bleeding internally.
00:55:49.21\00:55:51.05
I had no marks on
the outside of me at all,
00:55:51.08\00:55:53.55
but a scrape where my
arm had scraped the concrete.
00:55:53.58\00:55:55.88
From the chest
down, I was on fire.
00:55:55.92\00:55:58.32
I was a dispatcher for
a year after the accident.
00:55:58.35\00:56:01.92
And I went back,
finished my degree,
00:56:01.96\00:56:03.66
and I went to Pittsburg,
threw a backpack over my back,
00:56:03.69\00:56:07.66
walked like all the other
students, I ran a marathon.
00:56:07.73\00:56:11.40
And I'm--since then, I've
been back to truck driving.
00:56:11.43\00:56:15.04
There was a
gentleman I worked with,
00:56:15.07\00:56:16.77
and one day he was walking
in, and he walked up to my desk
00:56:16.81\00:56:19.67
and I was reading my Bible.
00:56:19.71\00:56:21.18
And he says,
"Are you a believer?"
00:56:21.21\00:56:24.01
And I said, "Yes."
00:56:24.05\00:56:25.45
And he gave me some
Amazing Facts study guides.
00:56:25.48\00:56:28.18
And it just--it was an
eye-opening experience for me.
00:56:28.22\00:56:31.95
I mean, I started reading them
and I had a bunch of questions
00:56:31.99\00:56:34.49
to ask him, so I got
online and I got on the
00:56:34.52\00:56:37.26
Amazing Facts webpage.
00:56:37.29\00:56:39.66
And I just found information
just that I'd never known.
00:56:39.69\00:56:44.63
I went back to work
as a truck driver because
00:56:44.67\00:56:46.97
that was my ministry.
00:56:47.00\00:56:48.34
It was my ministry
before the accident.
00:56:48.37\00:56:50.14
And I was driving down the road
and I just needed a connection,
00:56:50.17\00:56:54.38
and I was flipping through, and
somehow I ended up on YouTube.
00:56:54.41\00:56:57.45
And next thing I
know, Amazing Facts,
00:56:57.48\00:57:00.22
one of those things
would come up there,
00:57:00.25\00:57:02.15
and I'd listen to it.
00:57:02.18\00:57:03.69
I'm driving down the road, I
got--I got 11 hours of driving.
00:57:03.72\00:57:06.65
So, I listen to one,
I listen to another one.
00:57:06.69\00:57:10.13
And the more I listen to him,
everything that I thought in my
00:57:10.16\00:57:12.76
heart, I'd just click on one
of his YouTubes and there he was
00:57:12.79\00:57:15.70
giving me the answer.
00:57:15.73\00:57:17.03
I walked in the Seventh Day
Adventist Church for the first
00:57:17.07\00:57:19.43
time and I felt at home.
00:57:19.47\00:57:21.97
I was baptized in the Seventh
Day Adventist Church because
00:57:22.00\00:57:24.47
I had found the truth
that I just was searching
00:57:24.51\00:57:28.81
for and I'd been praying about.
00:57:28.84\00:57:30.78
Amazing Facts has been such an
inspiration and important for my
00:57:30.81\00:57:35.82
coming back into ministry that
I want to be able to give back
00:57:35.85\00:57:39.52
to anyone that I can.
00:57:39.55\00:57:40.96
And Amazing Facts is
the backbone of my ministry.
00:57:40.99\00:57:46.09
My name is Diana Dixon.
00:57:46.13\00:57:48.03
Thank you for changing my life.
00:57:48.06\00:57:51.17
¤¤¤
00:57:51.20\00:57:55.74
announcer: Did you know
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00:57:55.77\00:57:57.64
school that you can do from
the comfort of your own home?
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Sign up today by calling...
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00:58:13.36\00:58:23.30
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00:58:23.33\00:58:29.34