¤¤¤
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¤¤¤
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Luccas Rodor: Happy
Sabbath, church family.
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It's such a privilege and a joy
to have you all here with us.
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And thank you also to you--we
welcome you who are watching
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from around the world here
to our Granite Bay Seventh Day
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Adventist Church in Rocklin,
California--Granite Bay,
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California.
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And in association with Amazing
Facts International Ministries,
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we'd like to welcome you.
00:00:54.58\00:00:56.75
It is so good to
have you here with us,
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and today we have a great study.
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But before we invite
our choristers to come in,
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I want to make you know, I want
to tell you that we have a great
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offer for you today,
and the name of the offer
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is "Cosmic Conflict."
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And if you'd like to receive
this offer, it's Offer 809.
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You could send a text to
"SH018," to the number 40544,
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and you would get
a digital download.
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If you want it to be mailed
to you and you live in North
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America or the U.S. territories,
you could send--you could call
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866-788-3966, and then you could
have this great, free offer,
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"Cosmic Conflict:
The Origin of Evil,"
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and that's a great study for
you to have with your family or
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with your friends.
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Now, today we
have a great study.
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Pastor Doug will be teaching
for us, but before we get there,
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I'd like to invite our
choristers to come out and
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praise the Lord with us.
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¤ On a hill far away ¤
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¤ Stood an old rugged cross ¤
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¤ The emblem of
suffering and shame ¤
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¤ And I love that old cross ¤
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¤ Where the dearest and best ¤
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¤ For a world of
lost sinners was slain ¤
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¤ So I'll cherish
the old rugged cross ¤
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¤ Till my trophies
at last I lay down ¤
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¤ I will cling to
the old rugged cross ¤
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¤ And exchange it
some day for a crown ¤
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¤ O that old rugged cross ¤
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¤ So despised by the world ¤
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¤ Has a wondrous
attraction for me ¤
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¤ For the dear Lamb of God ¤
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¤ Left His glory above ¤
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¤ To bear it to dark Calvary ¤
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¤ So I'll cherish
the old rugged cross ¤
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¤ Till my trophies
at last I lay down ¤
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¤ I will cling to
the old rugged cross ¤
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¤ And exchange it
some day for a crown ¤
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¤ To the old rugged cross ¤
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¤ I will ever be true ¤
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¤ Its shame and
reproach gladly bear ¤
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¤ Then he'll call me some day ¤
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¤ To my home far away ¤
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¤ Where his glory
forever I'll share ¤
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¤ So I'll cherish
the old rugged cross ¤
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¤ Till my trophies
at last I lay down ¤
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¤ I will cling to
the old rugged cross ¤
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¤ And exchange it
some day for a crown ¤
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male: Thank you.
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Luccas: We have a
great study today.
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The name of the study is
"From Battle to Victory,"
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and isn't that our anthem,
"From Battle to Victory"?
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Pastor Doug will be
teaching for us today,
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but before we get there, I'd
like to say a word of prayer.
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Dear Father God, we thank You,
and we praise Your holy name for
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being with us, for
bringing us to church, Father,
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be that here at the Granite Bay
Church or anywhere around this
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world, we are here gathered
together, at least in spirit,
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to worship and to
learn more about You, Father.
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As we begin, I'd like to ask for
Your Holy Spirit to guide and
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use Pastor Doug as he opens the
precious truths that we find in
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this amazing book of Daniel.
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Please be with us now, I
ask You in Jesus' name, amen.
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Doug Batchelor: Thank you,
Pastor Luccas and our musicians,
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and welcome everybody.
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So good to see you here.
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You may have noticed that
Karen and I've been gone for
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two weeks.
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Some of you maybe didn't notice,
and that'll hurt our feelings.
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But if you're interested--and
one of our members, Katrina,
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who is from Melbourne,
Australia--her son, Jaime,
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was just singing up front, and
she was also with us at least
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for part of the trip.
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We're going to give you a little
Sabbath School mission report.
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Is that okay?
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Tell you--you wonder what in the
world your pastors are doing,
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and so we thought we'd share.
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Now, I don't have any kind
of sophisticated technology,
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but you're going to see some
pictures on the screen here,
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and I'll just let the
studio know and, kind of,
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snap my fingers or
pull my ears, stomp my foot,
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and they can move.
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Okay, we're going up to the big
screen--we were in Australia.
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This is, like, my fourth or
fifth trip there doing mission,
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different kind of
mission projects and preaching,
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and you see I've got a circle
around Southern Australia.
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We were in the
districts of Victoria
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and South Australia and
the cities of Melbourne and
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Adelaide, two of the larger
cities, and Melbourne is soon
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going to pass Sydney as
the largest city in Australia.
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It's growing very quickly, and
we can go to the next picture.
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You may know that, in recent
months from September through
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January, Australia suffered
in some of the most devastating
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fires in its history.
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I've heard conflicting
numbers, but a minimum of
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25 million acres.
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Now, that is four times bigger
than the terrible fires we had
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two years ago, where we had
about half a million acres that
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was lost in property damage.
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And then that was followed
almost immediately--next
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picture--by catastrophic floods.
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And I looked at
the news yesterday,
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and now Southern Australia
is having another heat wave,
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and they're afraid they're going
to have fire problems again.
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So they've been going
back and forth with it.
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Not only that--next
picture--this is all happening
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in the midst of
the coronavirus issues,
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and there have been some cases
of coronavirus in Australia--not
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many, but the big problem is
they do so much trade with the
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Orient, and the airports--you'd
be shocked--in China are shut
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down, and it's
affecting products coming in.
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It's affecting tourism.
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Twenty-five percent of the
tourism in Australia are Chinese
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tourists, and so,
economically--I think this is a
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picture of the Sydney
Airport--economically,
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they're being hit.
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Now, all of this is
happening--actually,
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it played out well for our
meetings because it's a very
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secular country in
Australia--not a very religious
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country, but, boy, at our
meetings, they really responded.
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We've been--next picture.
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"Amazing Facts" has been
on TV all over the country.
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We're in 99% of the market of
Australian television right now,
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meaning 99% of the
country can reach it.
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Right now we're on Channel 9.
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It's called G-E-M,
and so when we advertise,
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we actually had people call
into the theaters to register,
00:09:07.48\00:09:11.51
and Amazing Facts has
an office in Australia.
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It's in the Gold
Coast near Brisbane,
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and there's Katrina at the door.
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She was there
with us in Melbourne,
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and so they
registered, and they overbooked.
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So many people
wanted to book to come,
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that they actually had to add
sessions to the programs there.
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They're very well attended,
and we were very thankful.
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This is actually the
first Sabbath meeting we had
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in Adelaide.
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They brought all the churches
together at a center there,
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and they had about 1,300 people,
I think, came to the program,
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which more people in California
live in the whole country of
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Australia, so you got a lot, but
it's almost as big as the U.S.,
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the lower U.S., so their
churches are small and many.
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They're scattered, but
they had a great turnout.
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This is the conference
president of Southern Australia,
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David Butcher, great guy doing
the interview with Karen and I,
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and the people came out
faithfully, night after night.
00:10:03.16\00:10:05.87
Yeah, you can
keep going, Marcia.
00:10:05.90\00:10:08.07
That'll work fine.
00:10:08.10\00:10:10.24
Then we had evangelistic
programs that began and met
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every evening, and
because of the attendance,
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we ended up having to do
two presentations every night.
00:10:15.58\00:10:18.65
I haven't done
that in years, you know?
00:10:18.68\00:10:20.68
Do the "Mark of the
Beast" one, back-to-back,
00:10:20.72\00:10:22.58
or whatever it is you do.
00:10:22.62\00:10:25.32
The folks, we
meet them in the lobby.
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This is--the local
production crew streamed it.
00:10:27.82\00:10:30.59
They produced it for TV,
so they've got copies of it.
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We'll get some of
those for our office.
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Just took a picture
with the media crew,
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but not only were they
streaming the programs,
00:10:36.67\00:10:39.33
but they had translators.
00:10:39.37\00:10:40.97
You see the four
translators there?
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They were translating every
broadcast of the evangelistic
00:10:42.84\00:10:46.94
programs, and I
think it was Swahili.
00:10:46.98\00:10:49.24
It's an African tongue, and
they were doing it in Polish,
00:10:49.28\00:10:52.41
in Samoan, in
Romanian, as well as in English,
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so five languages.
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It was going out simultaneously,
and people were there.
00:10:58.75\00:11:01.09
It's all the translators in
their booths, listening online.
00:11:01.12\00:11:04.19
And so, night after
night, the people came,
00:11:04.23\00:11:06.29
and we were worried.
00:11:06.33\00:11:08.20
Once you get to Sunday night,
Monday night, Tuesday night,
00:11:08.23\00:11:11.23
but they kept filling the venue.
00:11:11.27\00:11:13.30
We kept doing to two
venues or two presentations.
00:11:13.34\00:11:18.67
That's just a picture of us with
some of the media crew and the
00:11:18.71\00:11:21.88
volunteers that
helped with the program.
00:11:21.91\00:11:23.91
Also, while we were there, we
did some presentations where we
00:11:23.95\00:11:28.35
just shared with the
pastors in the conference.
00:11:28.38\00:11:31.69
We got a picture with
the pastors there and the
00:11:31.72\00:11:33.92
conference staff.
00:11:33.96\00:11:36.62
And that's Karen and I.
00:11:36.66\00:11:38.73
We did some radio interviews.
00:11:38.76\00:11:40.53
They've got a radio program,
reaches all of Adelaide.
00:11:40.56\00:11:43.06
Faith FM did an interview
with them, and that's Nick,
00:11:43.10\00:11:45.83
the director of the
station, and his wife,
00:11:45.87\00:11:48.44
and then we
went up to Melbourne,
00:11:48.47\00:11:52.64
and right after getting to
Melbourne, they said, "Now,
00:11:52.67\00:11:55.21
can you talk to the school?"
00:11:55.24\00:11:56.91
It wasn't in the schedule.
00:11:56.95\00:11:58.51
"They're having
a week of prayer.
00:11:58.55\00:12:00.18
Can you do one of the sessions?"
00:12:00.22\00:12:01.95
So we had 400 young people came
out and were very well behaved
00:12:01.98\00:12:04.72
as we did a Gospel presentation,
invited those who had not,
00:12:04.75\00:12:08.79
to accept the Lord.
00:12:08.82\00:12:10.29
And in the school there,
most of the kids are not from
00:12:10.33\00:12:12.23
Adventist homes.
00:12:12.26\00:12:13.83
It's like a mission school.
00:12:13.86\00:12:15.60
Then we did a program,
a Wednesday night program,
00:12:15.63\00:12:18.40
of all things, in another venue,
led out by an elder there.
00:12:18.43\00:12:22.67
He's very evangelistic, Johnny
Wong, and his team of youth,
00:12:22.70\00:12:27.21
and then we went to a concert
hall for the weekend meetings.
00:12:27.24\00:12:30.11
This was over
1,000 attended there.
00:12:30.15\00:12:33.52
This was Friday, Sabbath.
00:12:33.55\00:12:36.35
We told folks we'd meet
them after the program and shake
00:12:36.38\00:12:39.29
hands and take
pictures and sign books.
00:12:39.32\00:12:42.12
They gave out a
lot of literature,
00:12:42.16\00:12:44.06
and you could see this
is a panoramic picture.
00:12:44.09\00:12:46.03
It shows
everyone just wrapped out.
00:12:46.06\00:12:47.50
Karen and I are in
the far right corner.
00:12:47.56\00:12:49.23
Just, folks are lined up,
and they've been watching the
00:12:49.26\00:12:50.77
TV programs.
00:12:50.80\00:12:52.27
And I think I've got a few
pictures here I just snapped of
00:12:52.30\00:12:53.70
some of the folks.
00:12:53.74\00:12:55.77
These are people who came to
the Lord through "Amazing Facts"
00:12:55.80\00:12:57.81
programs, a Catholic couple--I
don't remember their names.
00:12:57.84\00:13:01.14
I met so many people.
00:13:01.18\00:13:03.14
But when they say, "We came to
the Lord through you," I'd say,
00:13:03.18\00:13:04.68
"Let me get your picture."
00:13:04.71\00:13:06.72
And I'm not
showing you all of them.
00:13:06.75\00:13:08.08
Next one.
00:13:08.12\00:13:10.25
This lady was a flight attendant
with Emirates Air in Dubai.
00:13:10.29\00:13:12.52
She started watching our
programs there on satellite,
00:13:12.55\00:13:15.29
I think, and then
went to the website,
00:13:15.32\00:13:17.23
and she's come to the
Lord and joined the church.
00:13:17.26\00:13:19.39
Can't remember her name.
00:13:19.43\00:13:21.53
This is Danny.
00:13:21.56\00:13:23.53
He has a business in
Ballarat, outside of Melbourne.
00:13:23.57\00:13:26.50
Came to the Lord from
"Amazing Facts" programs,
00:13:26.53\00:13:28.74
and they went to
Israel with us two years ago.
00:13:28.77\00:13:31.84
So we got a picture together--we
have the same barber.
00:13:31.87\00:13:34.51
And this is a lady
named Susan, from China,
00:13:34.54\00:13:37.88
and her
daughter--and came to the Lord,
00:13:37.91\00:13:41.75
just watching the websites
and reading the material and was
00:13:41.78\00:13:45.45
baptized subsequently.
00:13:45.49\00:13:47.09
Far left in that
picture is Charmaine.
00:13:47.12\00:13:49.19
She's with our
Amazing Facts Oceania office.
00:13:49.22\00:13:52.43
And, next picture, this is a
doctor who flew from New Zealand
00:13:52.46\00:13:56.33
for our meetings in Melbourne
and came back to the Lord.
00:13:56.36\00:14:00.34
He was raised an Adventist and
drifted away, came back to Lord,
00:14:00.37\00:14:03.47
Stan, and that's his fiancee.
00:14:03.51\00:14:05.87
She studied her
way in, was baptized.
00:14:05.91\00:14:08.24
Venus is her name.
00:14:08.28\00:14:09.94
And many others, I don't
have time to show you all,
00:14:09.98\00:14:12.25
but it was so--I just wanted you
to see some samples of pictures.
00:14:12.28\00:14:15.02
There's another,
a Chinese couple.
00:14:15.05\00:14:16.79
This, I thought, was neat.
00:14:16.82\00:14:18.29
They showed me they had
read the "Caveman" book.
00:14:18.32\00:14:20.09
I'd never seen this version.
00:14:20.12\00:14:22.09
It's in Chinese.
00:14:22.12\00:14:24.26
It's Mandarin, and it's
in English and Mandarin.
00:14:24.29\00:14:25.83
So they use it to
teach English over there.
00:14:25.86\00:14:27.83
They're using our testimony,
but I said, "That's great,
00:14:27.86\00:14:30.07
whatever works."
00:14:30.10\00:14:32.43
And so Karen and I took a selfie
with one--I think it was one of
00:14:32.47\00:14:35.04
the afternoon
programs in the hall there.
00:14:35.07\00:14:38.54
And now we're back in Adelaide.
00:14:38.57\00:14:40.18
This is from Mount Lofty.
00:14:40.21\00:14:42.54
You know,
Adelaide is fairly flat,
00:14:42.58\00:14:44.75
but a beautiful view
overlooking the city.
00:14:44.78\00:14:47.05
Now, this is a picture--you're
wondering where Pastor Ross is.
00:14:47.08\00:14:49.18
I got this, this week.
00:14:49.22\00:14:51.39
Pastor Ross has been in India,
training the Amazing Facts
00:14:51.42\00:14:53.66
workers there that are--and
this is our team in India.
00:14:53.69\00:14:56.83
You may remember from our church
here, also the Hoover family.
00:14:56.86\00:14:59.16
There's Ryan and Audrey
and Sophie with Pastor Ross,
00:14:59.19\00:15:03.33
and Lazarus and Karin
and their families and
00:15:03.37\00:15:06.67
Pastor Elisha Rowe.
00:15:06.70\00:15:08.84
He trains pastors over
there, and we're translating the
00:15:08.87\00:15:11.07
"Amazing Facts" programs into
Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, English,
00:15:11.11\00:15:16.58
and they're being broadcast all
over India in those languages.
00:15:16.61\00:15:20.15
So that's just some
of what's happening.
00:15:20.18\00:15:22.55
Thank you for letting your
pastors play hooky from the
00:15:22.58\00:15:24.79
local congregation.
00:15:24.82\00:15:26.89
This is what we're
doing when we're gone,
00:15:26.92\00:15:29.29
and we just thought you need
to know what's been going on.
00:15:29.32\00:15:32.39
So that's our
little mission report.
00:15:32.43\00:15:34.56
Hope it wasn't too long.
00:15:34.56\00:15:36.97
But we have a very
exciting lesson today.
00:15:37.00\00:15:39.37
I thought I could drop in the
mission report today because our
00:15:39.40\00:15:40.87
lesson is 21 verses.
00:15:40.90\00:15:43.74
Chapter 10 is a comparatively
short chapter in the book
00:15:43.77\00:15:47.68
of Daniel.
00:15:47.71\00:15:50.58
We're on lesson 11, but it's
covering chapter 10 of Daniel,
00:15:50.61\00:15:53.58
but what we're doing in chapter
10 is you're now delving into
00:15:53.62\00:15:57.55
the longest prophecy in Daniel,
the most intricate and the
00:15:57.59\00:16:02.09
longest prophecy in the Bible.
00:16:02.12\00:16:05.23
It is a prophecy that has the
largest number of time periods
00:16:05.26\00:16:08.80
in it.
00:16:08.83\00:16:10.97
When we begin to
study chapter 10, realize,
00:16:11.00\00:16:13.90
there are no
chapters in the Bible.
00:16:13.94\00:16:16.24
You're really beginning the
prophecy that goes from chapter
00:16:16.27\00:16:19.21
10, 11, and 12, of Daniel.
00:16:19.24\00:16:22.58
It is all one prophecy.
00:16:22.61\00:16:25.68
And so it kind of covers in
greater detail than any other
00:16:25.71\00:16:28.72
earlier prophecy in Daniel,
the events that would relate to
00:16:28.75\00:16:32.19
God's people from the time of
Daniel to the second coming of
00:16:32.22\00:16:37.49
Jesus, when Michael stands
up, the great time of trouble.
00:16:37.53\00:16:40.66
The Resurrection
is how this book ends.
00:16:40.70\00:16:43.77
And so, with
that, let's go ahead,
00:16:43.80\00:16:46.07
and we're going to get into
our study and start reading in
00:16:46.10\00:16:49.67
Daniel chapter 10.
00:16:49.70\00:16:52.77
We have a memory verse, memory
verses from Daniel 10, verse 19,
00:16:52.81\00:16:55.94
if you want to find that
in the chapter, Daniel 10:19,
00:16:55.98\00:16:59.28
and it's in the
New King James Version.
00:16:59.31\00:17:02.25
Are you ready?
00:17:02.28\00:17:04.89
"O man greatly
beloved, fear not.
00:17:04.92\00:17:08.29
Peace be to you.
00:17:08.32\00:17:10.59
Be strong, yes, be strong."
00:17:10.63\00:17:14.73
How many times does God tell
his people, "Peace, be strong"?
00:17:14.73\00:17:19.53
This is what he told Joshua.
00:17:19.57\00:17:22.54
Now we're going
to dive right in.
00:17:22.57\00:17:24.11
Daniel chapter 10, verse 1: "In
the third year of Cyrus king of
00:17:24.14\00:17:30.41
Persia a message
was revealed to Daniel,
00:17:30.45\00:17:33.82
whose name is
called Belteshazzar.
00:17:33.85\00:17:36.79
The message was true, but
the appointed time was long,
00:17:36.82\00:17:40.39
and he understood the message--"
now, you can underline there,
00:17:40.42\00:17:42.62
where it says,
"the time was long."
00:17:42.66\00:17:44.73
That comes up again
later in this same chapter.
00:17:44.76\00:17:47.36
"And he understood the message,
and had understanding of
00:17:47.40\00:17:50.03
the vision."
00:17:50.07\00:17:52.57
Now, what just happens
in chapter 9, of Daniel?
00:17:52.60\00:17:56.24
There you've got the prophecy
that talks about the first
00:17:56.27\00:17:59.17
coming of Jesus, but it talks
about Jerusalem being rebuilt
00:17:59.21\00:18:04.31
and the wall again
in troublous times.
00:18:04.35\00:18:09.05
So Daniel understands that God's
people are going to meet with
00:18:09.08\00:18:11.65
a resistance, and you'll
also notice it says--when does
00:18:11.69\00:18:16.09
this happen?
00:18:16.12\00:18:17.66
It says, "In the
third year of Cyrus."
00:18:17.69\00:18:20.16
What does it say about
Cyrus in chapter 1 of Daniel?
00:18:20.20\00:18:23.43
Remember the chapter 1
where Daniel doesn't eat the
00:18:23.47\00:18:25.43
Babylonian food, and
he's healthy, and it says,
00:18:25.47\00:18:27.67
because he's healthy, he lives
until--sounds like it says he
00:18:27.70\00:18:32.14
lives until the
first year of Cyrus,
00:18:32.17\00:18:34.81
and here it says
the third year Cyrus.
00:18:34.84\00:18:37.45
Actually, chapter 1
isn't saying "he lived until."
00:18:37.48\00:18:39.55
A lot of people assume that.
00:18:39.58\00:18:41.98
He served probably in an
official capacity into the first
00:18:42.02\00:18:44.95
year of Cyrus, or it may mean
that, when Cyrus became king,
00:18:44.99\00:18:48.96
he let Daniel retire at
that point, who is 90 now.
00:18:48.99\00:18:53.03
You remember he served through
Darius, who was before Cyrus?
00:18:53.06\00:18:56.36
He was a Median king.
00:18:56.40\00:18:58.40
He's actually
the uncle of Cyrus,
00:18:58.43\00:19:00.90
and that's the
lions' den experience,
00:19:00.94\00:19:03.10
maybe after the lions' den
and--or after Darius retired or
00:19:03.14\00:19:06.11
died, and Cyrus took over.
00:19:06.14\00:19:09.14
Daniel was more in retirement
and--but he's still--now it's
00:19:09.18\00:19:12.48
the third year of
Cyrus, he's still alive.
00:19:12.51\00:19:15.88
You know, we don't know
exactly how long Daniel lived.
00:19:15.92\00:19:19.59
He could've lived
to 100, we don't know.
00:19:19.62\00:19:22.06
There's one tradition
you read in Daniel chapter 8,
00:19:22.09\00:19:25.09
that he has a vision by
the river of--I think it's Ulai
00:19:25.13\00:19:30.07
in Shushan.
00:19:30.10\00:19:32.57
Now, we know where the
ruins of Shushan are now.
00:19:32.60\00:19:35.30
It's by another river even
further east of the Tigris.
00:19:35.34\00:19:38.61
It was a place where the
Persian kings often ruled.
00:19:38.64\00:19:41.31
It was a beautiful
area in the foothills,
00:19:41.34\00:19:43.41
not the plains so much, desert,
and a little more fertile.
00:19:43.45\00:19:48.95
There's a grave there
called "The Grave of Daniel the
00:19:48.98\00:19:51.59
Prophet," to this very day, and
there are priests that always
00:19:51.62\00:19:55.76
guard it, and there is one
legend that, when Daniel died,
00:19:55.79\00:20:02.13
that Cyrus also
diverted the river Ulai,
00:20:02.16\00:20:06.90
buried a golden
sarcophagus of Daniel,
00:20:06.94\00:20:10.77
and then redirected the river to
run over it so no one would ever
00:20:10.81\00:20:13.14
disturb his remains.
00:20:13.17\00:20:15.94
I read that--don't even
remember where I read it,
00:20:15.98\00:20:17.81
but I read that years ago
in one of the history books.
00:20:17.85\00:20:21.38
And then they've
got this other tomb.
00:20:21.42\00:20:24.02
You know, they've got--they had
the tomb of Jonah in Nineveh,
00:20:24.05\00:20:27.76
but it was blown up a couple of
years ago by ISIS when they were
00:20:27.79\00:20:30.03
blowing up all these.
00:20:30.06\00:20:32.13
It's very sad.
00:20:32.16\00:20:34.23
They had the--yeah, they
say it's where Jonah was buried.
00:20:34.30\00:20:36.70
Now, we don't know that,
it could've been a legend.
00:20:36.73\00:20:39.37
You know, when
you go around Israel,
00:20:39.40\00:20:41.20
they'll show you 20
places where Jesus was born.
00:20:41.24\00:20:43.24
Every church says,
"We've got the place,
00:20:43.27\00:20:45.11
and this is where Jesus did
this and this," so, you know,
00:20:45.14\00:20:48.41
it is true he
lived in that area.
00:20:48.44\00:20:50.41
It could be one of the true
ancient marks where Daniel's
00:20:50.45\00:20:52.95
grave is, but we don't
know how long he lived.
00:20:52.98\00:20:57.05
Now, it might be he was
vacationing there because it
00:20:57.09\00:20:59.15
tells us that he's by the river,
but he's not by Shushan now,
00:20:59.19\00:21:04.89
and if you look on an old Google
map or you go to Google Earth,
00:21:04.93\00:21:07.86
it'll call it "Susa."
00:21:07.93\00:21:10.57
It's not spelled
as "Shushan" anymore,
00:21:10.60\00:21:12.80
but you can see the ruins of
where those ancient cities of
00:21:12.83\00:21:15.47
the Persian kings were,
where they would sometimes spend
00:21:15.50\00:21:18.51
their summers.
00:21:18.54\00:21:21.14
And so, he's continued until
now, the third year of Cyrus,
00:21:21.18\00:21:27.32
and says in verse 2, "I
was mourning three full weeks."
00:21:27.35\00:21:33.56
Now, why is Daniel mourning?
00:21:33.59\00:21:36.62
Well, we read there in Daniel
9:25, that, even after Cyrus,
00:21:36.66\00:21:40.20
in his first year, gave
them permission to go home,
00:21:40.23\00:21:42.96
they were going to
meet with opposition.
00:21:43.00\00:21:46.13
And what did the enemies say?
00:21:46.17\00:21:48.07
Remember?
00:21:48.10\00:21:49.77
When they started to build
the temple--look in Ezra chapter
00:21:49.80\00:21:52.21
1--sorry, Ezra
chapter 4, verse 1.
00:21:52.24\00:21:54.41
Ezra 4, verse 1, "Now when
the adversaries of Judah and
00:21:54.44\00:21:58.25
Benjamin heard that the
descendants of the captivity
00:21:58.28\00:22:00.82
were building the
temple of the Lord of Israel,
00:22:00.85\00:22:04.09
they came to Zerubbabel, the
heads of the fathers' houses,
00:22:04.12\00:22:07.06
and said to them,
'Let us build with you,
00:22:07.09\00:22:09.62
for we seek your God as you
do, and we've sacrificed to Him
00:22:09.66\00:22:12.19
since the days of
Esarhaddon king of Assyria,
00:22:12.23\00:22:14.93
who brought you here.'
00:22:14.93\00:22:17.03
Zerubbabel and Jeshua and
the rest of the heads of the
00:22:17.07\00:22:19.40
fathers' house of
Israel said to them,
00:22:19.43\00:22:21.90
'You may do nothing with us
to build this house to our God,
00:22:21.94\00:22:25.27
but we will build it alone.'"
00:22:25.31\00:22:27.38
Now, why did they
tell the Samaritans that?
00:22:27.41\00:22:30.25
First of all, the
Samaritans, they--yeah,
00:22:30.28\00:22:32.41
they prayed to Jehovah,
but they also prayed to idols.
00:22:32.45\00:22:35.68
They mixed the religion.
00:22:35.72\00:22:38.32
You remember when
they, these Assyrians,
00:22:38.35\00:22:40.59
were put up in
Northern Israel by the king?
00:22:40.62\00:22:42.76
Lions were attacking them.
00:22:42.79\00:22:44.69
They said, "Why are
these lions attacking us?"
00:22:44.73\00:22:46.90
They said, "Well, we don't know
the ways of the God of the land"
00:22:46.93\00:22:49.80
that used to live in--the people
used to live in Northern Israel.
00:22:49.83\00:22:52.03
So the king of Assyria sent some
priests down to teach them some
00:22:52.07\00:22:54.80
of the ways of Israel.
00:22:54.84\00:22:58.27
Well, they
sacrifice on Mount Gerizim,
00:22:58.31\00:23:00.61
but they also
sacrificed to idols,
00:23:00.64\00:23:02.78
but they believed
the five books of Moses.
00:23:02.81\00:23:05.08
They sort of
commingled the two religions.
00:23:05.11\00:23:07.72
So they said, "Oh, great, you're
building a temple to Jehovah?
00:23:07.75\00:23:09.72
Let us join you."
00:23:09.75\00:23:11.75
And they said, "No,
this is not a good idea.
00:23:11.79\00:23:13.69
We will be unequally yoked
together because you will bring
00:23:13.72\00:23:15.62
in your corrupting
influence into our religion.
00:23:15.66\00:23:19.83
We are trying
to get back to God.
00:23:19.86\00:23:21.86
We've just come out of
being punished by God for
00:23:21.90\00:23:24.10
our unfaithfulness.
00:23:24.13\00:23:25.93
We're not going to start
compromising now to make friends
00:23:25.97\00:23:27.80
with you."
00:23:27.84\00:23:29.80
Now, that took courage because
they knew that would upset them,
00:23:29.84\00:23:32.21
and it did.
00:23:32.24\00:23:33.88
And from that day,
until the time of Christ,
00:23:33.91\00:23:36.18
the Jews and the Samaritans, the
people from Samaria, up north,
00:23:36.21\00:23:41.08
the quasi-Assyrians that
also believed a little bit about
00:23:41.12\00:23:45.92
Jehovah, they were at odds
with each other for hundreds
00:23:45.95\00:23:51.79
of years.
00:23:51.83\00:23:53.50
This is where it all happened.
00:23:53.53\00:23:55.20
But notice what happened then.
00:23:55.23\00:23:57.37
It said, "We
will build our house."
00:23:57.40\00:24:00.37
Verse 4, "The people of the land
then tried to discourage the
00:24:00.40\00:24:03.10
people of Judah, and they
troubled them in building,
00:24:03.14\00:24:06.11
and they hired counselors
against them to frustrate their
00:24:06.14\00:24:08.78
purposes all the days of Cyrus.
00:24:08.81\00:24:11.65
They were sending letters
to King Cyrus, King of Persia,
00:24:11.68\00:24:14.85
even until the reign of Darius."
00:24:14.88\00:24:17.35
This is the second Darius,
I think his name was Cambyses,
00:24:17.39\00:24:20.36
of Persia.
00:24:20.39\00:24:23.22
And so they are now
trying to build the wall in
00:24:23.26\00:24:25.63
troublous times.
00:24:25.66\00:24:27.73
Cyrus is being tempted to
rethink his giving permission
00:24:27.76\00:24:31.73
and support for the
rebuilding of the temple,
00:24:31.77\00:24:34.84
and this is why a spiritual
battle rages in chapter 10.
00:24:34.87\00:24:38.01
Daniel realizes Cyrus is
reconsidering his support
00:24:38.04\00:24:41.44
because he's getting reports
that the Jews are rebuilding
00:24:41.48\00:24:44.45
to rebel.
00:24:44.48\00:24:47.02
So Daniel sets his heart
to pray, and he's mourning,
00:24:47.05\00:24:50.62
and he mourns
for 3 weeks, 21 days,
00:24:50.65\00:24:55.76
and you can read in
Psalm 42, verse 9, says,
00:24:55.79\00:24:58.99
"I will say unto my God,
'Why has Thou forgotten me?
00:24:59.03\00:25:02.23
I go mourning because of
the oppression of the enemy.'"
00:25:02.26\00:25:06.20
And you can read in
Daniel 10, verse 13, he says,
00:25:06.23\00:25:10.41
"The prince of the
kingdom of Persia withstood me
00:25:10.44\00:25:12.31
1 and 20 days."
00:25:12.34\00:25:14.18
How long was Daniel praying?
00:25:14.21\00:25:16.14
Three weeks.
00:25:16.18\00:25:18.08
How long was there this
spiritual battle between the
00:25:18.11\00:25:20.22
prince of the kingdom
of Persia and the Lord?
00:25:20.25\00:25:23.72
Twenty-one days.
00:25:23.75\00:25:25.39
So Daniel is praying on earth
about a spiritual battle that is
00:25:25.42\00:25:29.82
raging over God's people.
00:25:29.86\00:25:33.50
Do the prayers of
God's people affect kingdoms?
00:25:33.53\00:25:37.37
They do.
00:25:37.40\00:25:39.40
Can we offer just
brief flippant prayers,
00:25:39.43\00:25:42.00
or is Daniel engaging
in fasting and prayer?
00:25:42.04\00:25:44.91
And he's not fasting
and praying a day or two.
00:25:44.94\00:25:47.34
He's fasting and
praying three weeks.
00:25:47.38\00:25:49.38
Now, he's an old man.
00:25:49.41\00:25:51.11
He doesn't do a
complete no-food fast.
00:25:51.15\00:25:53.82
It says, "He ate
no pleasant thing,"
00:25:53.85\00:25:55.58
and I think I might
be getting ahead of that.
00:25:55.62\00:25:57.92
You go to verse 3.
00:25:57.95\00:25:59.95
"I ate no pleasant food or
meat or wine came into my mouth,
00:26:00.06\00:26:03.02
nor did I anoint myself
at all till three whole weeks
00:26:03.06\00:26:06.09
were fulfilled."
00:26:06.13\00:26:08.63
Now, doesn't Jesus
say, "When you're fasting,
00:26:08.66\00:26:10.30
comb your hair," assuming
you have some, "anoint yourself,
00:26:10.33\00:26:12.57
wash your face, don't go
around trying to look like
00:26:12.60\00:26:14.34
you're fasting."
00:26:14.37\00:26:16.37
Some of the Jews took
the statement of Daniel here,
00:26:16.40\00:26:18.47
where he says he
didn't anoint himself,
00:26:18.51\00:26:20.44
and that was their reason for
looking as disheveled and unkept
00:26:20.48\00:26:22.88
as possible while
they were fasting.
00:26:22.91\00:26:24.88
When it says, "He didn't anoint
himself," Daniel's not saying
00:26:24.91\00:26:27.82
that he tried to look
as slovenly as he could.
00:26:27.85\00:26:31.22
He's just saying,
"I humbled myself."
00:26:31.25\00:26:33.82
Sometimes they wear sackcloth
and ashes when they were fasting
00:26:33.86\00:26:36.62
and praying--no fancy clothes.
00:26:36.66\00:26:39.33
They're wanting to
humble themselves before God.
00:26:39.36\00:26:41.93
He's eating just the bare
necessities to give him human
00:26:41.96\00:26:44.63
strength because he's old.
00:26:44.67\00:26:46.77
And--but he's really seeking
after God during this time.
00:26:46.80\00:26:51.41
Nehemiah 1:4, just a similar
time of prayer and fasting,
00:26:51.44\00:26:57.65
Nehemiah says, "So when I
heard these words, I sat down,
00:26:57.68\00:26:59.55
and I wept," when he hears about
the walls of Jerusalem broken
00:26:59.58\00:27:02.02
down, "and I mourned for
many days, and I was fasting."
00:27:02.05\00:27:05.72
Here's Nehemiah fasting for
many days that the walls would
00:27:05.75\00:27:08.69
be rebuilt.
00:27:08.72\00:27:10.56
When Daniel's fasting,
the temple will be rebuilt,
00:27:10.59\00:27:13.16
and the people will
be supported by the king.
00:27:13.19\00:27:15.70
Nehemiah's doing the same thing.
00:27:15.73\00:27:17.57
Did God answer Daniel's prayer?
00:27:17.60\00:27:20.27
He does--you know
how the story ends.
00:27:20.30\00:27:22.07
Does he answer
Nehemiah's prayer?
00:27:22.10\00:27:24.74
Does Nehemiah get
sent to rebuild the walls,
00:27:24.77\00:27:27.31
and do they get rebuilt?
00:27:27.34\00:27:29.38
Yeah.
00:27:29.41\00:27:31.45
So does the Lord
answer prayer in fasting?
00:27:31.48\00:27:34.02
He does.
00:27:34.05\00:27:36.22
And he said, "I
pray, Lord God of heaven,
00:27:36.25\00:27:38.72
O great and awesome God, You
who keep covenant and mercy with
00:27:38.75\00:27:40.62
those who love You and
observe Your commandments,
00:27:40.66\00:27:42.96
please let Your ear be
attentive and Your eyes open,
00:27:42.99\00:27:45.89
that You may hear the prayer of
Your servant that I pray before
00:27:45.93\00:27:48.50
You now, day and night,
for the children of Israel Your
00:27:48.53\00:27:51.17
servants, and confess the sin
of," so part of his repentance
00:27:51.20\00:27:55.14
and fasting is confession of
sin, "of the children of Israel
00:27:55.17\00:27:58.47
which they have
sinned against You.
00:27:58.51\00:28:00.51
Both my father's
house and I have sinned."
00:28:00.54\00:28:03.08
It was corporately.
00:28:03.11\00:28:04.95
You know in Daniel
chapter 9, he says,
00:28:04.98\00:28:07.08
"While I was confessing my
sin and the sin of my people,"
00:28:07.12\00:28:09.82
fasting and praying.
00:28:09.85\00:28:12.62
In Isaiah, when he sees
the Lord, he says, "Woe is me,
00:28:12.65\00:28:14.92
I am a man of unclean lips, and
I dwell in the midst of a people
00:28:14.96\00:28:17.66
of unclean lips."
00:28:17.69\00:28:20.13
His sin, the sin of the people.
00:28:20.16\00:28:22.46
You know, in the Lord's
Prayer, it never says, "I, me,
00:28:22.50\00:28:25.00
my, mine."
00:28:25.03\00:28:26.97
It says, "us."
00:28:27.00\00:28:29.04
So as God's church, we
should care about each other's
00:28:29.07\00:28:31.14
relationship with the
Lord, not just our own.
00:28:31.17\00:28:34.74
So we're finding
out what happens.
00:28:34.78\00:28:41.12
They're telling you
something about when it happens.
00:28:41.15\00:28:44.19
It tells you where
it happened, right?
00:28:44.22\00:28:46.09
When did it happen?
00:28:46.12\00:28:48.16
It says, "On the 24th day of
the first month," he's getting
00:28:48.19\00:28:49.89
ready to have this vision,
24th day of the first month.
00:28:49.92\00:28:52.59
Now, he's fasting 21 days.
00:28:52.63\00:28:55.10
That's how long he fasted.
00:28:55.13\00:28:56.87
That has nothing to
do with a calendar, okay?
00:28:56.90\00:28:59.07
You just say, "I'm
fasting three weeks."
00:28:59.10\00:29:01.70
You don't know what the date is,
do you, when I tell you that?
00:29:01.74\00:29:04.54
But now he's saying, "On the
24th day of the first month,"
00:29:04.57\00:29:06.78
first month in the Jewish year.
00:29:06.81\00:29:08.58
When is he fasting?
00:29:08.61\00:29:10.41
This is important.
00:29:10.45\00:29:12.38
This vision comes
during the Passover.
00:29:12.41\00:29:14.68
When did Jesus die?
00:29:14.72\00:29:16.85
During the Passover.
00:29:16.89\00:29:19.29
So it's making
a point of saying,
00:29:19.32\00:29:21.52
"He's thinking about the great
deliverance of God's people out
00:29:21.56\00:29:24.23
of Egypt, and now
he's looking at them,
00:29:24.26\00:29:27.23
trying to get
reborn as a nation.
00:29:27.23\00:29:29.66
They're going
through similar birth pains.
00:29:29.70\00:29:32.60
They're trying to build.
00:29:32.63\00:29:34.44
They've got the opposition
of the Samaritans and the other
00:29:34.47\00:29:36.17
nations around them.
00:29:36.20\00:29:38.11
You remember, you read Nehemiah.
00:29:38.14\00:29:39.74
It wasn't just Samaritans.
00:29:39.77\00:29:41.31
It was the Arabians.
00:29:41.34\00:29:44.25
It was the people of
the East, the Samaritans.
00:29:44.28\00:29:46.25
They're all opposing
Jerusalem coming back,
00:29:46.28\00:29:49.28
the Jews
getting their land back.
00:29:49.32\00:29:51.85
Now, has history changed?
00:29:51.89\00:29:53.86
Is Israel surrounded with
countries that aren't very happy
00:29:53.89\00:29:55.86
with that they're
wanting to reclaim their land?
00:29:55.89\00:29:58.83
So some things haven't changed.
00:29:58.86\00:30:02.10
And when Joshua led
them into the Promised Land,
00:30:02.13\00:30:04.40
were there other nations there
that were not very happy that
00:30:04.43\00:30:06.53
they said, "You know,
God gave that to Abraham,
00:30:06.57\00:30:08.37
we're coming to
take title again"?
00:30:08.40\00:30:11.24
They weren't very happy.
00:30:11.27\00:30:13.61
And is the devil happy when
you want to take title to the
00:30:13.64\00:30:15.44
Promised Land?
00:30:15.48\00:30:17.51
No, you're going to
meet with opposition.
00:30:17.55\00:30:20.55
So notice when it happened.
00:30:20.58\00:30:21.98
Let's look at where it happened.
00:30:22.02\00:30:24.25
He says, "I was by the side
of the great river, that is,
00:30:24.29\00:30:28.06
the Tigris."
00:30:28.09\00:30:30.76
Now, I'm
mentioning this because,
00:30:30.79\00:30:34.36
if you look in
Daniel 12, verse 5,
00:30:34.36\00:30:38.00
I'm going to the last chapter in
Daniel: "Then I, Daniel, looked,
00:30:38.03\00:30:41.97
and behold, there stood another
two by this bank of the river
00:30:42.00\00:30:46.78
and on that side of
the bank of the river."
00:30:46.81\00:30:49.81
For you to know what part of
the river they're standing by in
00:30:49.84\00:30:52.21
Daniel 12, you have to
read what we read in Daniel 10.
00:30:52.25\00:30:55.48
They're by the Tigris.
00:30:55.52\00:30:57.69
Now, where is Babylon?
00:30:57.72\00:30:59.39
Tigris or Euphrates?
00:30:59.42\00:31:01.49
Euphrates.
00:31:01.52\00:31:03.69
Tigris is another one
of the ancient rivers,
00:31:03.73\00:31:05.56
sometimes called
the Hiddekel, and that,
00:31:05.59\00:31:07.83
the word Tigris and Hiddekel, it
means "dark or quickly moving,"
00:31:07.86\00:31:13.07
and this was a river back
in those times that was moving
00:31:13.10\00:31:15.74
very quickly.
00:31:15.77\00:31:17.74
Just a little side note, I don't
know if any of you saw a YouTube
00:31:17.77\00:31:19.67
that I posted on my site
last night about the plagues?
00:31:19.71\00:31:21.98
Did a couple of you see that?
00:31:22.01\00:31:23.95
I'm just kind of giving them a
potluck of different things that
00:31:23.98\00:31:25.55
are happening in
the world right now,
00:31:25.58\00:31:27.98
but one of the things I
mentioned is very interesting.
00:31:28.02\00:31:33.89
Years ago, I was in Guam.
00:31:33.92\00:31:37.83
I was doing some
work in Micronesia,
00:31:37.86\00:31:40.03
and I stopped in a doctor's
office there just to visit the
00:31:40.06\00:31:42.40
Adventist's clinic in Guam, and
while I was waiting to meet with
00:31:42.43\00:31:45.87
one of the doctors, I
saw a "Newsweek" magazine.
00:31:45.90\00:31:50.21
It's the international
version of "Newsweek" magazine,
00:31:50.24\00:31:52.64
and it was on the
desk there, and it said,
00:31:52.67\00:31:54.74
"When Rivers Run Dry," and
it said the Euphrates River is
00:31:54.78\00:31:59.41
drying up.
00:31:59.45\00:32:01.12
Now, this is 15
years ago or more.
00:32:01.15\00:32:03.28
Yeah, it's more than that,
it's close to 25 years ago.
00:32:03.32\00:32:09.09
And then two years ago, Fox and
CNN ran a report that ISIS was
00:32:09.12\00:32:13.56
shutting off the dams upstream
and drying up the Euphrates
00:32:13.60\00:32:18.63
River, and it showed
pictures of the Euphrates River.
00:32:18.67\00:32:21.87
It's just mud.
00:32:21.90\00:32:23.54
You could run across it.
00:32:23.57\00:32:25.17
And then I wondered, "Well,
is that an isolated problem?"
00:32:25.21\00:32:28.78
Now, you know why
I'm talking about this?
00:32:28.81\00:32:31.15
You know what one of the
plagues is that you read about?
00:32:31.18\00:32:33.85
Now, I don't think
that, that is the plague,
00:32:33.88\00:32:35.98
but I still think it's very
interesting that it does say in
00:32:36.02\00:32:38.35
Revelation, "drying
up the Euphrates River,"
00:32:38.39\00:32:41.06
and now because of the
dams that are being built by
00:32:41.09\00:32:43.89
Turkey--and they don't like
Iraq--and Iran--and they don't
00:32:43.93\00:32:47.66
like Iraq--and Syria, they all
have tributaries that run into
00:32:47.66\00:32:52.47
the Tigris and Euphrates.
00:32:52.50\00:32:54.47
The Tigris and Euphrates
are at their lowest levels in
00:32:54.50\00:32:57.91
millennia, and in the Bible,
it's called "The Mighty River"?
00:32:57.94\00:33:02.71
Didn't we just read that?
00:33:02.74\00:33:04.81
You can throw a
rock across it now.
00:33:04.85\00:33:06.72
You can walk across them, and
it's because they've dammed it
00:33:06.75\00:33:09.35
up, and they're pulling
the water away for irrigation,
00:33:09.38\00:33:12.29
and these rivers
really are drying.
00:33:12.32\00:33:14.26
There's a crisis
in Iraq right now,
00:33:14.29\00:33:16.22
and it's a big sanitation
problem because now everyone is
00:33:16.26\00:33:18.03
throwing their garbage.
00:33:18.06\00:33:20.16
They used to throw
their garbage in the river.
00:33:20.20\00:33:21.66
It ran out to the ocean.
00:33:21.70\00:33:23.43
That was just their habit,
and now it's just staying there,
00:33:23.47\00:33:26.67
and people are getting sick, and
they're having cholera problems,
00:33:26.70\00:33:30.27
and so when you read about
Daniel talking about this river,
00:33:30.31\00:33:33.31
it was a
different river back then.
00:33:33.34\00:33:35.28
There were no
dams, and it really ran.
00:33:35.31\00:33:37.41
How many of you have
been to Niagara Falls?
00:33:37.45\00:33:40.92
Are you impressed by the falls?
00:33:40.95\00:33:43.52
It's only half as powerful
as it was before they dammed it
00:33:43.55\00:33:46.52
up-river for power.
00:33:46.55\00:33:48.72
Do you know, they've
diverted half of the water?
00:33:48.76\00:33:50.83
Wouldn't you like to have
seen it before they dammed it?
00:33:50.86\00:33:52.56
Can you imagine that?
00:33:52.59\00:33:54.60
Now it's being diverted,
about half of the water for
00:33:54.63\00:33:56.67
hydroelectric, and so
these rivers back then,
00:33:56.70\00:33:59.70
even the Jordan used to run
a lot more than it does today
00:33:59.73\00:34:05.94
because so much irrigation and
damming is going on upstream.
00:34:05.97\00:34:09.91
So picture this as a significant
river, and it ran pretty well.
00:34:09.94\00:34:15.65
And so he has this
vision by the Tigris River.
00:34:15.68\00:34:19.19
Now, you think, "How
did Daniel get from Babylon,
00:34:19.22\00:34:21.79
where he was
serving, over to the Tigris?"
00:34:21.82\00:34:24.19
There are places where
the Tigris is only 22 miles.
00:34:24.23\00:34:26.49
If you look at a
map, it goes like that.
00:34:26.53\00:34:29.96
Daniel may have had
a vacation home there.
00:34:30.00\00:34:33.07
He was one of the most powerful
people in the kingdom, right?
00:34:33.10\00:34:35.57
Prime Minister, and he's old.
00:34:35.60\00:34:38.21
Maybe it was a good place to
go for the season, but anyway,
00:34:38.24\00:34:40.18
he's spending time in prayer,
and he may have been there.
00:34:40.21\00:34:42.68
It's only 22
miles away in places.
00:34:42.71\00:34:45.18
And what happens?
00:34:45.21\00:34:46.85
So he said when it happened,
where it happened, what happens.
00:34:46.88\00:34:49.88
Says, "I'm praying, and I
lifted my eyes, and I looked,
00:34:49.92\00:34:53.82
and behold, a
certain man clothed in linen,
00:34:53.86\00:34:56.59
whose waist was girded
with the gold of Uphaz.
00:34:56.62\00:34:59.86
His body was like of beryl,
his face like the appearance of
00:34:59.89\00:35:03.47
lightning, his eyes
like torches of fire,
00:35:03.50\00:35:07.34
his arms and his feet
like burnished bronze in color,
00:35:07.37\00:35:10.71
and the sound of his words
like the voice of a multitude."
00:35:10.74\00:35:14.98
Now, does that sound familiar?
00:35:15.01\00:35:17.85
What does that have echoes of?
00:35:17.88\00:35:20.72
Revelation.
00:35:20.75\00:35:22.82
Is this Gabriel?
00:35:22.85\00:35:26.49
I think he's
seeing a vision of Christ.
00:35:26.52\00:35:29.42
This is the one that
came to Shadrach, Meshach,
00:35:29.46\00:35:31.03
and Abednego in
the fiery furnace.
00:35:31.06\00:35:33.53
You look in Revelation
1, verse 13, and John said,
00:35:33.56\00:35:37.07
"And in the
midst," Revelation 1:13,
00:35:37.10\00:35:39.80
"And in the midst of the seven
lampstands One like the Son of
00:35:39.83\00:35:42.84
Man," who's that, "clothed with
a garment down to the feet and a
00:35:42.87\00:35:48.04
girdle about His chest, and
a golden band, and His head was
00:35:48.08\00:35:52.38
white like wool,
as white as snow.
00:35:52.41\00:35:55.22
His eyes were
like a flame of fire.
00:35:55.25\00:35:57.32
His feet were like fine
brass, as if refined in a fire,
00:35:57.35\00:36:00.92
His voice like the
sound of many waters."
00:36:00.96\00:36:04.06
What we just read, Daniel said,
"His voice was like the sound of
00:36:04.09\00:36:05.99
a multitude," saying,
"This is powerful voice."
00:36:06.03\00:36:09.66
And Daniel chapter 7 describes
a similar divine character.
00:36:09.70\00:36:14.40
Now, Daniel talked
to angels all the time,
00:36:14.44\00:36:16.87
like you and I are talking, but
this personage must have been
00:36:16.91\00:36:20.11
more important than an angel
because Daniel falls on his face
00:36:20.14\00:36:22.88
and can't get up.
00:36:22.91\00:36:25.35
He's seen the glory of God.
00:36:25.38\00:36:27.52
This is the one that made Isaiah
fall down and say, "Woe is me."
00:36:27.55\00:36:30.65
Look in Ezekiel 1:26, "And above
the firmament over their heads
00:36:30.69\00:36:35.89
was the likeness of a
throne, in appearance like a
00:36:35.92\00:36:37.93
sapphire stone.
00:36:37.96\00:36:40.76
On the likeness of a throne,
it was like the likeness of the
00:36:40.80\00:36:42.83
appearance of a
man high above it.
00:36:42.86\00:36:45.53
Also from the appearance of His
waist upward I saw, as it was,
00:36:45.57\00:36:48.50
the color of amber with the
appearance of fire all around
00:36:48.54\00:36:51.47
within, and the appearance
was from His waist downwards,
00:36:51.51\00:36:54.58
as it were, the appearance of
fire with brightness all around.
00:36:54.61\00:36:57.91
Like the appearance of a rainbow
in a cloud on a rainy day,
00:36:57.95\00:37:01.22
so was the appearance of
the brightness, the glory,
00:37:01.25\00:37:03.42
all around it.
00:37:03.45\00:37:05.35
It was the appearance of
the likeness of the glory of
00:37:05.39\00:37:07.32
the Lord."
00:37:07.36\00:37:09.36
So this is another.
00:37:09.39\00:37:11.09
He's seen the glory
of God in this vision.
00:37:11.13\00:37:14.23
Now it tells us not only where
it happened, when it happened,
00:37:14.30\00:37:19.53
what happened, it
says with who it happened.
00:37:19.57\00:37:22.14
Is Daniel alone, or does he have
some attendants with him when he
00:37:22.17\00:37:24.67
has this vision?
00:37:24.71\00:37:27.41
"And I, Daniel,
alone saw the vision,
00:37:27.44\00:37:29.68
for the men who were with
me did not see the vision,
00:37:29.71\00:37:32.68
but a great
terror fell upon them,
00:37:32.71\00:37:34.75
so that they fled
to hide themselves."
00:37:34.78\00:37:37.09
They left poor
Daniel and ran for it.
00:37:37.12\00:37:39.95
You know, they
saw--they knew he was a prophet,
00:37:39.99\00:37:42.29
and he went into vision.
00:37:42.32\00:37:44.66
His face began to shine, and
if from the look of his eyes and
00:37:44.69\00:37:46.63
his behavior, they knew he
was going off in the vision,
00:37:46.66\00:37:49.30
they were so overwhelmed
with the holiness of the spot,
00:37:49.33\00:37:52.43
they fled.
00:37:52.47\00:37:54.57
Now, does that happen to anyone
else in the Bible where they see
00:37:54.60\00:37:56.87
a vision of God,
and they become afraid?
00:37:56.91\00:37:59.67
They're not having the vision,
but the person they're with is
00:37:59.71\00:38:01.34
having the vision.
00:38:01.38\00:38:03.31
Who knows where that is?
00:38:03.35\00:38:04.91
Paul--let's read it, Acts
chapter 22, verse 9, Paul says,
00:38:04.95\00:38:09.28
"And they that were with me
saw indeed the light and were
00:38:09.32\00:38:12.09
afraid, but they heard not the
voice of Him who spoke to me."
00:38:12.12\00:38:17.23
And then you read Daniel
goes on to say in verse 8,
00:38:17.26\00:38:19.29
"Therefore I was left alone."
00:38:19.33\00:38:21.46
But he's not alone, is he?
00:38:21.50\00:38:23.10
God's with him.
00:38:23.13\00:38:25.10
"And when I saw
this great vision,
00:38:25.13\00:38:27.97
and there was no
strength remained in me,
00:38:28.00\00:38:30.31
for my vigor was
turned to frailty in me,
00:38:30.34\00:38:33.48
and I retained no strength."
00:38:33.51\00:38:36.21
You know, often, when
Ellen White was in vision,
00:38:36.24\00:38:39.18
she became faint, and then she
was supernaturally strengthened,
00:38:39.21\00:38:44.09
and she did not
breathe, and you read on here,
00:38:44.12\00:38:45.92
you'll see the Daniel says,
"There was no breath in me.
00:38:45.95\00:38:50.19
I was left alone, for my
vigor was turned to frailty.
00:38:50.23\00:38:53.76
I retain no strength, yet I
heard the sound of his words,
00:38:53.80\00:38:56.23
and while I heard
the sound of his words,
00:38:56.26\00:38:58.10
I was in a deep
sleep on my face,
00:38:58.13\00:39:00.54
with my face to the ground."
00:39:00.57\00:39:02.47
He was face down on the
ground before the glory of God.
00:39:02.50\00:39:05.91
So you can see that, in
Revelation, Daniel chapter 10,
00:39:05.94\00:39:10.88
Joshua chapter 5, this glorious
being appears to them before he
00:39:10.91\00:39:15.05
makes his revelation.
00:39:15.08\00:39:17.09
And now Daniel is, as you would
say, "touched by an angel."
00:39:17.12\00:39:21.09
Go to Daniel 10:10,
"Suddenly, a hand touched me,
00:39:21.12\00:39:25.23
which made me to tremble on
my knees and on the palms of
00:39:25.26\00:39:27.83
my hands.
00:39:27.86\00:39:30.20
And he said, 'O
Daniel, man greatly Beloved--"
00:39:30.23\00:39:32.10
Now, is this the
first time he said that?
00:39:32.13\00:39:34.34
Chapter 9, he's
praying, and God comes and says,
00:39:34.37\00:39:36.37
"You are greatly beloved."
00:39:36.40\00:39:38.71
Let me give you
something to think about.
00:39:38.74\00:39:40.44
Is that only Daniel?
00:39:40.48\00:39:46.18
When Jesus was baptized--and
I'll maybe repeat this at the
00:39:46.21\00:39:48.92
baptism today, this afternoon
in Folsom if any of you are
00:39:48.95\00:39:51.75
there--what did the
voice say from heaven?
00:39:51.79\00:39:55.49
"This is--"
00:39:55.52\00:39:58.39
What's the rest of it?
00:39:58.43\00:40:01.03
"In who I am well pleased."
00:40:01.06\00:40:03.40
"My beloved Son, in
whom I'm well pleased."
00:40:03.43\00:40:06.07
Was Jesus baptized for His sins?
00:40:06.10\00:40:09.84
Or is He partly baptized
as an example for you and I?
00:40:09.87\00:40:13.48
When we are baptized, and
all our sins are washed away,
00:40:13.51\00:40:16.11
how does God look upon us?
00:40:16.14\00:40:19.78
Greatly beloved.
00:40:19.81\00:40:22.38
And if we are spending time in
prayer for God's people and if
00:40:22.42\00:40:25.52
we're walking with the Lord like
Daniel, you are greatly beloved.
00:40:25.55\00:40:28.89
If you've been
washed from your sins,
00:40:28.92\00:40:30.53
He looks upon you
as greatly beloved.
00:40:30.56\00:40:32.99
He's highly pleased with you.
00:40:33.03\00:40:35.30
I'll never forget doing
a meeting in Santa Rosa,
00:40:35.33\00:40:37.00
years before, and
one of the members,
00:40:37.03\00:40:39.83
a young lady that was helping
support the meetings--I was
00:40:39.87\00:40:42.04
doing this subject--she
broke down and started crying,
00:40:42.07\00:40:44.77
and I talked to her later
and said, "Are you all right?"
00:40:44.81\00:40:46.68
She said, "Yeah."
00:40:46.71\00:40:48.34
She's collecting herself, trying
not to cry when she's talking
00:40:48.38\00:40:50.08
to me.
00:40:50.11\00:40:51.65
She said, "I've been a member
of the church all my life,
00:40:51.68\00:40:53.05
but I always
thought God was mad at me."
00:40:53.08\00:40:55.15
Says, "This is the first time
I realized that God could be
00:40:55.18\00:40:56.75
pleased with me."
00:40:56.79\00:40:59.65
He wants us to know
He's washed away our sins.
00:40:59.69\00:41:02.12
God doesn't want to be
mad at you all the time,
00:41:02.16\00:41:04.33
any more than you want to be
mad at your kids all the time.
00:41:04.36\00:41:07.30
How many of you had a father
you felt like he was always mad
00:41:07.30\00:41:09.03
at you?
00:41:09.06\00:41:10.77
I did.
00:41:10.80\00:41:12.40
And then I heard one of
my kids say that to me once.
00:41:12.43\00:41:14.47
I thought, "Ooh."
00:41:14.50\00:41:16.47
"Dad, it seems
like you're always mad."
00:41:16.50\00:41:17.84
I said, "Oh, no.
00:41:17.87\00:41:19.51
I don't want to be like my dad."
00:41:19.54\00:41:21.78
God wants us--He
wants to be pleased with us.
00:41:21.81\00:41:25.65
And so he says,
"'You are greatly beloved.
00:41:25.68\00:41:30.72
From the beginning of
your prayer, I listened.'
00:41:30.75\00:41:34.66
So I stood trembling."
00:41:34.69\00:41:35.99
I'm in verse 12.
00:41:36.02\00:41:37.99
"He said, 'Do not fear, Daniel,
for from the first day that you
00:41:38.03\00:41:40.93
set your heart to understand,
to humble yourself before God,
00:41:40.96\00:41:43.53
your words--'"
00:41:43.57\00:41:45.40
What are his words?
00:41:45.43\00:41:46.90
"Your prayers were heard."
00:41:46.94\00:41:48.80
When did his prayer get heard?
00:41:48.84\00:41:50.67
After 21 days?
00:41:50.71\00:41:52.91
First day.
00:41:52.94\00:41:54.91
So when you start to
pray, does God listen?
00:41:54.94\00:41:57.01
Do you have his
undivided attention?
00:41:57.05\00:42:00.58
"Because of your words but--"
00:42:00.62\00:42:04.99
Now, when that happens, he
says, "God heard your prayer,"
00:42:05.02\00:42:07.26
this is really shocking to some
people, "but," verse 13, "the
00:42:07.29\00:42:11.06
prince of the kingdom of
Persia withstood me 21 days."
00:42:11.09\00:42:16.53
Who is the prince of
the kingdom of Persia?
00:42:16.56\00:42:20.90
You think--well,
isn't that Cyrus?
00:42:20.94\00:42:22.60
Didn't we just
see Cyrus was king?
00:42:22.64\00:42:25.24
You know, I believe
he's talking about the devil.
00:42:25.27\00:42:30.11
The word there, "prince," he's
not talking about King Cyrus.
00:42:30.15\00:42:34.45
He's talking about the ruler or
a principality who was seeking
00:42:34.48\00:42:38.99
to manipulate.
00:42:39.02\00:42:41.39
Now, you see this
through the Bible.
00:42:41.42\00:42:44.09
When you look--for instance, how
many of you know some of these
00:42:44.13\00:42:47.30
great Scriptures
that talk about the devil?
00:42:47.36\00:42:50.40
For instance, you look in
Isaiah 14:12, where it says,
00:42:50.43\00:42:54.40
"How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning."
00:42:54.44\00:42:57.91
How does that prophecy begin?
00:42:57.94\00:43:00.48
Says, "Take up this prophecy
against the king of Babylon."
00:43:00.51\00:43:04.05
But then, Isaiah is being shown
the power that was manipulating
00:43:04.08\00:43:07.68
the king of Babylon.
00:43:07.72\00:43:09.98
It's the devil, right?
00:43:10.02\00:43:11.55
Lucifer.
00:43:11.59\00:43:13.82
And then Ezekiel, you
read in 28, in Ezekiel 28,
00:43:13.86\00:43:16.49
when he talks about "You
are the anointed cherub,"
00:43:16.52\00:43:20.23
in verse 14 of Ezekiel 28.
00:43:20.26\00:43:22.53
"You're the
anointed cherub who covers.
00:43:22.56\00:43:24.30
I established you.
00:43:24.33\00:43:25.97
You were on the
holy mountain of God.
00:43:26.00\00:43:27.80
You walked back and forth
in the midst of the burning,
00:43:27.84\00:43:29.44
fiery stones."
00:43:29.47\00:43:30.94
Who's he talking about?
00:43:30.97\00:43:32.81
So Lucifer.
00:43:32.84\00:43:34.14
How does that
prophecy begin by Ezekiel?
00:43:34.18\00:43:35.78
"Take up these words
against the king of Tyre."
00:43:35.81\00:43:37.48
Tyre was a Phoenician capital.
00:43:37.51\00:43:40.28
Isaiah is talking
to the king of Babylon,
00:43:40.32\00:43:42.15
but then he's showing the
power of manipulating Babylon.
00:43:42.18\00:43:44.89
Ezekiel is talking
about the king of Tyre,
00:43:44.92\00:43:46.82
but then he shows the
power behind the king of Tyre.
00:43:46.86\00:43:50.23
When you read in Revelation
12, it says the dragon tried to
00:43:50.26\00:43:52.79
devour the woman, the
baby, as soon as it was born.
00:43:52.83\00:43:56.90
Who is that dragon?
00:43:56.93\00:43:59.13
It was the devil
working through Rome.
00:43:59.17\00:44:01.20
Herod tried to
kill Jesus as a baby.
00:44:01.24\00:44:04.44
And so you'll often see--and you
get to Revelation 17--this woman
00:44:04.47\00:44:09.91
and this dragon are working
together to manipulate the
00:44:09.94\00:44:12.85
kings, right?
00:44:12.88\00:44:15.72
Those seven kings.
00:44:15.75\00:44:18.19
And so you'll often see
Satan's got his--you know,
00:44:18.22\00:44:21.46
you read in Ephesians 6, there's
principalities and powers.
00:44:21.49\00:44:24.49
Satan's got his different demons
assigned to different rulers,
00:44:24.53\00:44:26.93
and they're trying to
manipulate earthly events,
00:44:26.96\00:44:29.20
and angels are fighting
on behalf of God's people in
00:44:29.23\00:44:32.67
those events.
00:44:32.70\00:44:34.84
Do God's angels always win?
00:44:34.87\00:44:38.67
Not if God's
people are not praying.
00:44:38.71\00:44:41.68
Now, this is going to--some
people are going to struggle
00:44:41.71\00:44:43.81
with this: Not everything
that happens is God's will.
00:44:43.85\00:44:47.28
Why do you pray in the Lord's
prayer, "Thy will be done,"
00:44:47.32\00:44:49.78
if God's will is always done?
00:44:49.82\00:44:52.42
God's will is not always done.
00:44:52.45\00:44:54.32
So he tells us to
pray that his will is done,
00:44:54.36\00:44:56.66
and things will not
happen if we don't pray,
00:44:56.69\00:44:59.36
that otherwise would
happen if we do pray.
00:44:59.39\00:45:03.26
Angels are waiting to answer
prayers for us that we never
00:45:03.30\00:45:06.60
pray, and sometimes the angels
lose battles because we don't
00:45:06.63\00:45:10.47
pray very much.
00:45:10.51\00:45:13.58
Have you ever thought of that?
00:45:13.61\00:45:16.04
I mean, Daniel is
wrestling in prayer,
00:45:16.08\00:45:18.61
and finally Michael
comes to answer the prayer.
00:45:18.65\00:45:20.92
Now we got to get
into this important part.
00:45:20.95\00:45:23.18
Who is Michael?
00:45:23.22\00:45:27.52
Michael is Christ.
00:45:27.56\00:45:31.23
I'm not saying
that Jesus is an angel,
00:45:31.26\00:45:34.13
and I know there are people
watching, and they're thinking,
00:45:34.20\00:45:36.70
"Oh, there is
some cult out there.
00:45:36.73\00:45:39.00
They think Jesus is an angel."
00:45:39.03\00:45:41.14
No, we think Jesus is
the uncreated Son of God.
00:45:41.17\00:45:44.01
He is everlasting.
00:45:44.04\00:45:46.01
He is God the Son, but one
of His titles is "Michael."
00:45:46.04\00:45:48.51
"Michael"
means, "who is as God,"
00:45:48.54\00:45:50.95
and just in case you think
this is some particular belief,
00:45:50.98\00:45:53.21
Melanchthon, who was the
right-hand man of Martin Luther,
00:45:53.25\00:45:57.39
he insisted that
Michael is Christ,
00:45:57.42\00:46:00.49
called in the New
Testament, "the archangel,
00:46:00.52\00:46:02.42
the prince of angels, the
head of all principalities
00:46:02.46\00:46:04.03
and powers."
00:46:04.06\00:46:06.39
He is none other than
Christ, the Son of God,
00:46:06.43\00:46:08.66
an uncreated angel
who is one, or first,
00:46:08.70\00:46:11.27
or the chief of the princes,
superior to angels in nature.
00:46:11.30\00:46:17.17
According to John Wesley,
"Michael" is commonly supposed
00:46:17.21\00:46:22.31
to mean "Christ."
00:46:22.34\00:46:25.38
"I remain to counter the
work and the designs against the
00:46:25.41\00:46:27.58
people of God."
00:46:27.62\00:46:29.22
It said Michael has come
to fight against the devil,
00:46:29.25\00:46:31.22
who is
countering the work of God.
00:46:31.25\00:46:33.25
Matthew Henry commentary was
also in E.G. White's library.
00:46:33.29\00:46:39.03
"Michael is," he
says, "our Christ."
00:46:39.06\00:46:43.03
When Michael appears to Joshua
as the commander of God's army,
00:46:43.06\00:46:47.64
he says, "Take your
shoes off," [inaudible],
00:46:47.67\00:46:49.04
and Joshua worships.
00:46:49.07\00:46:51.14
You don't worship angels.
00:46:51.17\00:46:53.78
The Bible says the Lord Himself,
1st Thessalonians chapter 4,
00:46:53.81\00:46:55.61
"The Lord Himself will descend
from heaven with a shout,
00:46:55.64\00:46:58.21
and the voice of the
archangel," the Lord,
00:46:58.25\00:47:01.55
voice of the archangel.
00:47:01.58\00:47:04.09
That's Christ.
00:47:04.12\00:47:06.39
You read in Jude verse 9,
Michael comes to contend with
00:47:06.42\00:47:08.56
the devil over
the body of Moses.
00:47:08.59\00:47:11.19
He comes to resurrect.
00:47:11.23\00:47:13.06
Jesus is the
resurrection of life.
00:47:13.09\00:47:15.00
Jesus did not send an
angel to resurrect His best
00:47:15.03\00:47:16.83
friend, Moses.
00:47:16.87\00:47:18.83
He came.
00:47:18.87\00:47:21.37
His name, the way Jesus
often appears prior to His
00:47:21.40\00:47:22.97
Incarnation, sometimes called
"christophanies" in the Old
00:47:23.00\00:47:26.11
Testament, is "who
is as God," Michael.
00:47:26.14\00:47:29.48
"Archangel" means
"greatest messenger."
00:47:29.51\00:47:31.75
That's all that means.
00:47:31.78\00:47:33.58
Doesn't mean he's got
wings, and he's a cherub.
00:47:33.62\00:47:35.35
He's never called the cherub
of [inaudible] from--Michael is
00:47:35.38\00:47:37.19
this majestic name of
Christ prior to His incarnation.
00:47:37.22\00:47:41.92
In Revelation, you get
the two principal powers.
00:47:41.96\00:47:44.89
The dragon and his angels
are fighting with Michael and
00:47:44.93\00:47:47.46
his angels.
00:47:47.50\00:47:48.76
Who is the leader
of the good angels?
00:47:48.80\00:47:51.10
It's Jesus.
00:47:51.13\00:47:52.77
So, finally, this battle is
so severe that Christ Himself,
00:47:52.80\00:47:56.37
not Gabriel, Christ Himself
comes to contend with the devil
00:47:56.40\00:48:00.58
because of the prayers
of Daniel, and through God,
00:48:00.61\00:48:05.25
the Spirit impressed Cyrus to
follow through and deliver God's
00:48:05.28\00:48:09.08
people and support
God's people in their freedom.
00:48:09.12\00:48:12.39
So I think this is a
very encouraging point.
00:48:12.42\00:48:14.99
You can read in the
book "Prophets and Kings,"
00:48:15.02\00:48:17.09
"For three weeks Gabriel
wrestled with the powers of
00:48:17.13\00:48:20.16
darkness, seeking to counteract
the influences in the work and
00:48:20.20\00:48:23.37
the mind of Cyrus," and "All
that heaven could do on behalf
00:48:23.40\00:48:27.74
of the people of God was done.
00:48:27.77\00:48:29.90
The victory was finally gained.
00:48:29.94\00:48:31.84
The forces of the enemy were
held in check in the days of
00:48:31.87\00:48:35.04
Cyrus, and all the
days of his son Cambyses."
00:48:35.08\00:48:38.35
And it's because
finally Christ came to help.
00:48:38.38\00:48:41.52
That's why Gabriel says,
"Michael came to help me."
00:48:41.55\00:48:45.49
And so then you finally read
on--and go with me to Daniel
00:48:45.52\00:48:49.82
chapter 10.
00:48:49.86\00:48:52.16
Just want to make sure we
get through the 21st verse.
00:48:52.19\00:48:54.20
We've got, like,
a minute here to go.
00:48:54.23\00:48:58.50
He said he was
strengthened, and he said,
00:48:58.53\00:49:02.44
"Michael came to help me, but
I will tell you what is noted in
00:49:02.47\00:49:06.91
the Scripture of Truth.
00:49:06.94\00:49:09.61
No one upholds me against these,
except Michael your prince."
00:49:09.64\00:49:16.15
Who is our prince?
00:49:16.18\00:49:19.29
In Daniel chapter 12, Michael
is called "the great prince that
00:49:19.32\00:49:21.79
stands for the children of thy
people," and when he stands up,
00:49:21.82\00:49:25.49
the time of trouble comes,
and all intercession ceases.
00:49:25.53\00:49:29.40
Now, the interesting thing
is--look in verse--and I'll end
00:49:29.43\00:49:33.30
with this--verse 20.
00:49:33.34\00:49:35.24
Gabriel says, "Do you
know why I've come to you?
00:49:35.27\00:49:37.87
Now I must return to
fight with the prince of Persia,
00:49:37.91\00:49:39.74
and when I have gone forth,
indeed the prince of Greece
00:49:39.77\00:49:44.91
will come."
00:49:44.95\00:49:47.05
When he goes forth, meaning,
"When I cease to contend with
00:49:47.08\00:49:49.12
the prince of Persia,
the prince of Greece--" now,
00:49:49.15\00:49:52.05
this is 200 years
later it's going to happen.
00:49:52.09\00:49:54.56
His name was
Alexander the Great,
00:49:54.59\00:49:57.03
and this is introducing what
you're going to run into now in
00:49:57.06\00:49:59.83
chapter 11 of Daniel, and
this is an amazing chapter,
00:49:59.86\00:50:03.80
chapter 11,
chapter 12 of Daniel.
00:50:03.83\00:50:06.67
So this really was the
introduction to the vision and
00:50:06.70\00:50:10.04
tells you about the forces
that are going on spiritually.
00:50:10.07\00:50:12.77
I want to remind
those who are watching,
00:50:12.81\00:50:15.08
two things: We have a book.
00:50:15.11\00:50:16.98
If you have questions
about Michael the archangel,
00:50:17.01\00:50:18.61
just go to the
Amazing Facts website,
00:50:18.65\00:50:21.85
and you can
download for free the book,
00:50:21.88\00:50:23.62
"Who is Michael the Archangel?"
00:50:23.65\00:50:26.09
And we also have a free
offer that talks about this
00:50:26.12\00:50:28.82
"Cosmic Conflict"
between Christ and Satan.
00:50:28.86\00:50:31.46
It's a DVD you'll
really enjoy, and simply,
00:50:31.49\00:50:34.00
it's Offer Number 809, and
you can text "SH018" to 40544.
00:50:34.03\00:50:43.20
You can download and
watch this online, yes,
00:50:43.24\00:50:45.87
or you can request to order one.
00:50:45.91\00:50:48.11
Again, it's 866-788-3966
is the phone number.
00:50:48.14\00:50:52.28
God bless you, friends, and
we'll look forward to studying
00:50:52.31\00:50:54.68
His Word with
you again next week.
00:50:54.72\00:50:57.62
male announcer: Don't forget
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00:50:59.62\00:51:01.62
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00:51:01.66\00:51:03.83
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00:51:18.71\00:51:20.98
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It's now easier than ever
for you to study God's Word with
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Amazing Facts,
wherever and whenever you want,
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and most important,
to share it with others.
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announcer: Amazing
Facts Changed Lives.
00:51:37.49\00:51:40.93
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male: I met my ex-wife, and
her family were real big into
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drugs, and it started out with
them wanting me to go to the
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doctor to help get them drugs.
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And, you know, I'm noticing
they're going to the doctor.
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They're coming back
with, like, 60 pills,
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and they're selling these pills
for, like, a thousand bucks,
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and I'm thinking, "Wow, this is
a lot of money I'm giving these
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people, so I'm just going
to start selling it myself."
00:52:04.59\00:52:07.59
The problem with that was
that we had all this money,
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but we was absolutely miserable,
and she would go out and sleep
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with other guys to get drugs,
and that ended my marriage.
00:52:14.73\00:52:19.43
But during this time, I have
to get a job to build back up to
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where I was at to
open my shop again,
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so I get a job at Food City,
and when I get this job at Food
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City, there's my
wife now, Rebecca.
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She's a cashier there.
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And when I walk in, she's the
most beautiful girl I've ever
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seen in my life.
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I was, like, "Man, I could
never have a girl like that.
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Wow, she's so beautiful."
00:52:40.69\00:52:42.82
But as I'm working with her,
she's actually kind of mean to
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me, and she's saying, "I don't
want anything to do with you,"
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"Get away from
me," stuff like that.
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But, you know, I just keep being
nice to her and keep trying to
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give her my phone number,
and it's around Christmas Eve.
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We'd just been dating
for a little while and moved
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in together.
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My ex-wife shows up with my
three children that I had by
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her, and she's
like, "Here's your kids.
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Here's their birth certificates.
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Here's their Social
Security cards, I'm done."
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And we're starting a family.
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We have--I
already have three kids.
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During this time, we spent the
next year watching nothing but
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"Amazing Facts" on YouTube.
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I didn't even know they
even had a website at this time.
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I just knew that this little
guy on YouTube was super smart,
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was teaching Bible,
and I wanted to follow him.
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I wanted to be a Christian.
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I gave my life to God now
because of these truths that I'm
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learning from Doug Batchelor.
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Just because Doug taught it
didn't make me real sure about
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going to this church.
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I really didn't want
anything to do with it,
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but I called the guy up and I'm
telling him--and I'm not very
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nice about it, actually.
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I'm telling him, "Look, we was
thinking about coming to your
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church," and he's really
nice, and he's like, "Well,
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you're more than welcome to.
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We'd like to have you come."
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And I'm like, "Well, hold on.
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I'm going to lay
down some ground rules.
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I'm telling you," I said, "look
here, I'm covered in tattoos,
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and I'm a tattoo artist."
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And he don't say,
"Well, you know, wow,
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I didn't know all that.
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Don't come to my church."
00:54:07.71\00:54:09.18
He says, "You're
more than welcome.
00:54:09.21\00:54:10.81
We would love to have you.
00:54:10.85\00:54:12.18
Please come."
00:54:12.21\00:54:13.92
He asked me what I want
to do, and I said, "Well,
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I want to preach."
00:54:15.68\00:54:17.65
I said, "I have
all these truths.
00:54:17.69\00:54:19.45
I have all this knowledge
stuff I'd never known before,
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stuff if I'd have
had when I was younger,
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that would've been
life-changing to me."
00:54:23.69\00:54:26.63
I said, "I got to
share this with the world."
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I said, "I want to
preach, I want to teach."
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He gives me the
book, says, "Study that."
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Well, now that
I'm a Bible worker,
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I'm able to go and reach people
that most of the normal churches
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wouldn't even
bother to even speak to.
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I'm able to go out and reach the
people who have lived the life
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that I've lived.
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I'm able to let them
know that "I am like you.
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I've been there, I've done that.
00:54:49.78\00:54:52.29
I want to show you
what my life is like now.
00:54:52.32\00:54:55.16
I want to teach you this Bible.
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I want to show you
what Jesus can do for you.
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It's not too late."
00:54:59.33\00:55:01.66
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Doug: Flying sounds
really exotic when you're young.
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As you get older, if you
do any commercial flight,
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it can lose its luster.
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The longest commercial flight
in the world goes from Auckland,
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New Zealand, to Dubai,
over 17 hours, 8,800 miles.
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That's a long flight, especially
if you're stuck in the
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middle seat.
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Spend a lot of time
looking at your watch,
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waiting for the plane to land.
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But scientists have now found
there are some birds that can
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fly much longer than
anything a man has made.
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Matter of fact, for years,
they've known that the great
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frigate birds can stay on
the wing for several weeks.
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We always thought that was
impressive until recently when
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scientists in Sweden
did an experiment with the
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common swift.
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They have these very
lightweight micro transmitters.
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They put them on 13
swift birds and let them go.
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They discovered that three of
those swifts did not land even
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one time in 10 months,
10 months of nonstop flying.
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So someone might
naturally be wondering,
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"How do the
swifts manage to sleep,
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especially if they're
flying nonstop for 10 months?"
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Everybody needs to rest.
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Well, we're not exactly
sure, but through studying these
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swifts with the
electronic transmitters,
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it seems just before sundown,
they fly up to an elevation of
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about two miles, and then
they begin to glide slowly down,
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taking cat naps.
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Birds taking a cat nap.
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Evidently, that's what they do.
00:56:49.90\00:56:51.84
You might be wondering, "How
do they eat without landing?"
00:56:51.87\00:56:54.11
You see, the swift has an almost
perfect aerodynamic design.
00:56:54.14\00:56:57.85
In fact, some aircraft designers
have looked at the shape of the
00:56:57.88\00:57:00.45
swift and use their design to
pattern jet fighters because the
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swift is able to turn
and maneuver so precisely in
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the air.
00:57:07.86\00:57:09.62
So, generally, right after
sunrise and just before sundown,
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the birds go on a feast, and
they're able to grab the bugs
00:57:12.73\00:57:16.26
right out of the air, having
a great birdie bug buffet.
00:57:16.30\00:57:21.14
Perhaps before you've wished
you could have that unending
00:57:21.17\00:57:23.54
energy like these birds, to
be able to fly nonstop without
00:57:23.57\00:57:26.81
getting bored or tired.
00:57:26.84\00:57:29.21
You know, the Bible says that
those that put their trust in
00:57:29.24\00:57:31.08
God will never feel
that kind of fatigue.
00:57:31.11\00:57:34.35
Isaiah chapter 40, verse 31,
"They that wait upon the Lord
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will renew their strength.
00:57:38.22\00:57:40.22
They will mount up
with wings like eagles.
00:57:40.26\00:57:42.86
They will run and not be weary.
00:57:42.89\00:57:44.63
They will walk and not faint."
00:57:44.66\00:57:47.96
So, friends, if you
need an energy boost,
00:57:47.96\00:57:49.56
surrender to Jesus, and He'll
help you mount up with wings
00:57:49.60\00:57:52.10
like a bird.
00:57:52.13\00:57:54.44
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