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Jean Ross: Hello, friends,
we'd like to welcome all of you
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to "Sabbath School Study
Hour" here at the Granite Bay
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Seventh-day Adventist Church
in Sacramento, California.
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We'd like to welcome many
of those who are joining us
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online today.
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We have our extended Sabbath
School class, who are joining us
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across the country
and around the world.
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I'd also like to welcome our
regular Sabbath School members
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who are here in
person this morning.
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We're very excited about the new
lesson that we're going to be
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starting today.
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It's a quarterly.
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The focus is on the Bible.
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It's called "How to
Interpret Scripture."
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And I know those who are
viewing, some of you might
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already have a lesson quarterly.
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If you don't have one, you could
get one at a hopefully local
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Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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They should have that as well,
or you can go online and you can
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download this quarter
study, "How to Interpret
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the Scriptures."
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Today, our lesson
is lesson number one.
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It's entitled "The
Uniqueness of the Bible."
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Very important study.
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Well, before we get to
our lesson today, we'd like to
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remind our friends about the
free offer that we have today.
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It's a book entitled "The
Ultimate Resource," and it is
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all about the Bible;
written by Pastor Doug.
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If you'd like to receive the
book, all you'll need to do is
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call the number 866-788-3966
and ask for offer number 728.
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We'll be happy to send
that to anyone in North America.
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If you would like a digital copy
of the book, you want to text
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the code "SH091" to the number
40544 and you'll be able to read
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the book through a digital
download that'll be sent to you.
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At this time I'd like to
invite our song leaders to come
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forward, and they're going to be
leading us in our Sabbath School
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song today.
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female: Good
morning, church family.
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We're going to be singing
"I Need thee Every Hour," hymn
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number 483.
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And please sing
verses 1, 2, and 4 with us.
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¤¤¤
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¤ I need thee every hour ¤
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¤ Most gracious Lord ¤
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¤ No tender voice like thine ¤
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¤ Can peace afford ¤
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¤ I need thee, O I need thee ¤
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¤ Every hour I need thee ¤
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¤ O bless me now, my Savior ¤
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¤ I come to thee ¤
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¤ I need thee every hour ¤
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¤ Stay thou nearby ¤
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¤ Temptations lose their power ¤
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¤ When thou art nigh ¤
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¤ I need thee, O I need thee ¤
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¤ Every hour I need thee ¤
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¤ O bless me now, my Savior ¤
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¤ I come to thee ¤
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¤ I need thee every hour ¤
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¤ Teach me thy will ¤
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¤ And thy rich promises ¤
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¤ In me fulfill ¤
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¤ I need thee, O I need thee ¤
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¤ Every hour I need thee ¤
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¤ O bless me now, my Savior ¤
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¤ I come to thee ¤
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Jean: Let's bow our
heads for a word of prayer.
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Dear Father in heaven, we thank
you once again that we're able
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to gather in your house
on a rainy Sabbath, but yet a
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beautiful Sabbath
for we need the rain.
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But Lord more important than the
physical rain outside, we need
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the rain of the Holy Spirit to
come and fill our hearts and our
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minds, especially as we delve
into a new series of lessons
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talking about the Bible
and the importance of the Word.
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So we invite your presence.
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Come and guide our
hearts and our minds.
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We ask this in
Jesus' name, amen.
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Now, for those of you who are
here in person, you can see, and
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maybe those who are joining us
online, we have two podiums up
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here for our Sabbath School
study hour this morning, and
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that means that Pastor Doug
and myself we're going to be
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teaching together.
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It's such an exciting and
important lesson we thought,
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"Well, let's talk
about the Bible together."
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We do have a radio program
called "Bible Answers Live," and
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I know it's the highlight
of my week to be able to take
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Bible questions.
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So anytime we can talk
about the Bible, that's always a
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good thing.
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Good morning, Pastor Doug.
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Doug Batchelor:
Morning, Pastor Ross.
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We thought this is such an
important lesson that--you know,
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they say two heads are uglier
than one, but they are better.
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And it would be nice to get
the message in stereo today.
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And so--and we also want to
especially welcome--you know,
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we're recording this
live, and it is March 14th.
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And there's been a lot going
on in the news nationally and
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internationally connected
with this coronavirus and the
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potential threat that it poses.
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A lot of folks have canceled
their church services today and
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they're doing church online
or at home, and we want you--you
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want to take a moment right now
at the beginning of our study
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and then again later
during our worship service.
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Call or text them and say, "You
can participate in a Sabbath
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School program online if
you can't go to church and you
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haven't already
found one online."
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Encourage them go to
the Granite Bay SDA website.
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They can also watch
Facebook--Amazing Facts Facebook
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page, my Facebook page.
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And we want them to be engaged.
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We don't want God's church to
grow weak through lack of study.
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So you can let them know
that--by the way, if you want to
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know about the--in the next few
weeks, things are going to be
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very unusual in the world,
but we're going to continue to
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provide spiritual
programming online.
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If you want to know when we're
having a special online and you
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want to be in the loop,
you can text right now the word
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online--just text the
word "Online" to 40544.
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And those of you watching, those
of you here--and that'll help
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you get the updates when we say
we're having an online program
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and you'll be able to
pass it on to your friends.
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A lot is happening.
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Things are changing daily.
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You almost have to check the
news every 10 minutes to know
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what's going on now.
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And so we want to do our best to
try to keep our friends online
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updated with what's happening
and some of the spiritual
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ramification of these things.
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Jean: Actually, on that same
line, pastor, that we've been
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having a lot of questions coming
into "Amazing Facts" and people
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are just curious about this
virus and--is there something
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connected to Bible prophecy?
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Does the Bible speak about
pestilence and various diseases
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in the last days?
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Well, this afternoon--as Pastor
Doug mentioned, it's the 14th,
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today, of March.
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This afternoon the
14th of March at 4 p.m.
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Pacific time, Pastor Doug and
myself, we're going to be doing
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a live Facebook
interactive Q&A session.
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So we want to invite
those of you who are here.
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Tune in on Facebook--this
afternoon on the Amazing Facts
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Facebook page, also on the
Pastor Doug Batchelor Facebook
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page and you will
be able to participate.
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And if you have a Bible question
related to what's happening in
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the news, what's happening in
our world, how does that tie in
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with Bible prophecy, we want to
encourage you to just type your
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Bible question there on Facebook
and we'll try to take as many
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live questions this afternoon.
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So that'll be at 4 p.m. Pacific
time, and be sure to tune in.
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Tell your friends about that.
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Doug: That's right, and
we might even have a little
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special treat.
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We just heard, as I was coming
in the church, a Jamie George is
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here in town and one of
his events was canceled.
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He may join us and do
some music before and after our
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prophecy study.
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We will have some
people in the live audience.
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You know, we've got to
keep that number down to 250.
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Looks like we're in compliance
today and--but, you know, on my
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way this morning, I noticed that
the gym, the parking lot was
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full, and they tell me the
theaters are still full, and the
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casino around the
corner still has customers.
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So I think the house of
God is--we can do it safely.
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We ought to come together.
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And so we want to keep it safe,
use good judgment, but we don't
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want to have church be the first
thing that people stop doing.
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Jean: That's right, and we're
trying to do everything we can
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to communicate
online, so, all right.
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Well, we opened up by
introducing our new study on
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the Bible.
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Today's lesson number one, and
it's called "The Uniqueness of
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the Bible."
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And, Pastor Doug, I
believe we have a memory verse.
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Doug: I bet most of you could do
this one: Psalm 119, verse 105.
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You want to say it with me?
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Psalm 119, verse 105, "Your Word
is a lamp unto my feet and a
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light unto my path."
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And that is, you know,
one of my favorite verses.
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God's Word guides us.
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I was thinking about it, Pastor
Ross, as I was preparing for the
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lesson; that if it wasn't for
the Bible, I wouldn't know what
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to do with my life.
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Because my whole life is
involved in waking up, studying
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the Bible, reading the Bible,
teaching the Bible, preaching
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the Bible,
writing about the Bible.
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I mean, the Bible is basically
the axle on which my life
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rotates, and
the Bible is Christ.
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He is the living Word.
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So how important is
that to a Christian?
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And this study, this quarter,
I think, is going to be very
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edifying for everybody.
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Jean: Now, of course when we
talk about the Bible, many of us
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think about this book and
we know it's divided into two
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parts, you got the Old
Testament, you got the New
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Testament, but really the Bible
is a collection of 66 books
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that have been bound
together into one book.
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Roughly 22 of the books of the
Bible are largely historical.
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It's describing
God's dealing with mankind.
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Twenty-one of the books of the
Bible are in the form, for the
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most part, of letters written to
individuals or written to groups
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of people or churches, about
another 21 of the books have a
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lot of prophecy in it, and then
we have two of the books of the
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Bible which is in
the style of poetry.
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But whatever the style,
the central theme of the Bible
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inspired by the Holy Spirit is,
of course, Christ and the plan
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of redemption and
hope for people today.
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Doug: Amen.
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Now, when you say the word
Bible, Bible actually comes from
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a Greek word
biblia, and it means books.
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Now, the word Bible or biblia
comes from a city in the area of
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ancient Lebanon.
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It was called Byblos, and it
was a very powerful trading port
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where the Egyptians--one of
the most popular commodities
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was papyrus.
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Papyrus was the paper that the
Egyptians made, I think, from
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reeds and there's still a few
very rare papyrus fragments that
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survived with
different texts on it.
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It didn't hold up as
well as some materials.
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But that's where you get
the word paper, from papyrus.
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And people would go to Byblos to
get papyrus, and it became also
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sort of a synonym for
books because so much paper was
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purchased in this city.
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So that's a little bit of the
history etymology of where the
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word Bible comes from.
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Jean: Of course, the Bible is
a very unique book for a number
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of reasons.
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For one, it wasn't
written by just one individual.
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Roughly about 36 different
people wrote the Bible.
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It was written on three
different continents: Africa,
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Asia, and--what's the other one?
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Europe?
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Doug: Australia?
00:12:56.44\00:12:57.81
Jean: Australia, I
don't know about Australia.
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And three languages.
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Probably the two most common
that we know about is Hebrew and
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Greek, but there's a little bit
of Aramaic and you find it in
00:13:04.75\00:13:08.15
the Book of Daniel.
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So written in three
different languages.
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Spanning a time period, and
this is amazing to me, of about
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1,500, 1,600 years.
00:13:14.16\00:13:17.69
From the first time when Moses
began to write until the last
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book, Revelation, written by
John, you're looking at about
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1,500 years.
00:13:24.57\00:13:26.03
That's a long
time to write a book.
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Doug: I had some homework that
took me that long when I was
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a kid.
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So who wrote the
first book in the Bible?
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What is the name
of the first book?
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Trick question.
00:13:37.65\00:13:39.28
I heard some
people get it right.
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As far as we know, the first
book written, was also written
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by Moses, was the Book of Job.
00:13:43.52\00:13:45.85
He probably wrote that before
he wrote Genesis, and the time
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period it deals with is
before the time of Moses.
00:13:49.12\00:13:51.86
And then Genesis and the other
five books that Moses wrote
00:13:51.89\00:13:55.33
beyond that and so--he of
course, is one of the most
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important Bible writers.
00:13:58.23\00:14:00.17
Now, Pastor Ross, some people,
they say, "Well, you know, the
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Bible is so old.
00:14:02.97\00:14:04.54
And after a book is that
ancient, written over that long
00:14:04.57\00:14:07.11
a period then, you know,
its dependability is really in
00:14:07.14\00:14:09.68
doubt, probably a lot of
collections of stories that
00:14:09.71\00:14:13.52
changed over time.
00:14:13.55\00:14:15.48
And how can we know that
the Bibles we hold today are
00:14:15.52\00:14:18.05
accurate based on the original?"
00:14:18.09\00:14:21.49
You ever heard
that argument before?
00:14:21.52\00:14:23.83
You know, it's
fascinating to me.
00:14:23.86\00:14:25.63
I never hear anyone question the
existence of Alexander the Great
00:14:25.66\00:14:32.13
or his deeds or his exploits.
00:14:32.17\00:14:34.70
We've only got about eight
documents that talk about that.
00:14:34.74\00:14:38.47
People don't
question Julius Caesar.
00:14:38.51\00:14:41.08
They don't question a lot
of ancient history, and we have
00:14:41.11\00:14:45.18
very--far fewer
documents of those things.
00:14:45.21\00:14:48.75
Let me give you an example.
00:14:48.78\00:14:50.65
Plato's original
manuscripts, there's seven.
00:14:50.69\00:14:53.36
Heraclitus has eight--there's
eight manuscripts of Heraclitus,
00:14:53.39\00:14:58.23
the famous historian, and
he talked a lot about ancient
00:14:58.26\00:15:00.53
battle than Alexander the Great.
00:15:00.56\00:15:02.33
Homer's "Iliad and the Odyssey,"
there are more than 263
00:15:02.36\00:15:05.27
surviving copies.
00:15:05.30\00:15:07.50
But there are over
24,600 existent New Testament
00:15:07.54\00:15:13.58
manuscripts from the first four
centuries, either in part or in
00:15:13.61\00:15:18.41
whole, 24,000.
00:15:18.45\00:15:21.15
Why are people falling off
that argument that we're not
00:15:21.18\00:15:24.15
really sure?
00:15:24.19\00:15:25.85
It is the most well-documented
book in history as far as
00:15:25.89\00:15:29.56
its authenticity.
00:15:29.59\00:15:31.19
Jean: Then of course one of the
greatest discoveries in the last
00:15:31.23\00:15:33.70
century was the discovery of the
Dead Sea Scrolls, which Pastor
00:15:33.73\00:15:37.07
Doug mentioned.
00:15:37.10\00:15:38.63
You got 24,000 more--more
than 24,000 parts of the New
00:15:38.67\00:15:42.64
Testament available.
00:15:42.67\00:15:44.11
But what about
the Old Testament?
00:15:44.14\00:15:45.81
Well, you got the Dead Sea
Scrolls that validate the Old
00:15:45.84\00:15:48.14
Testament that date back to,
some of it even, before the time
00:15:48.18\00:15:51.35
of Christ.
00:15:51.38\00:15:52.91
So there's plenty of historical
archaeological evidence to
00:15:52.95\00:15:55.78
substantiate that what we have
in the Bible was indeed written
00:15:55.82\00:15:59.19
way back when the Bible says
it was written, and what we have
00:15:59.22\00:16:02.49
today is accurate.
00:16:02.52\00:16:04.59
It's faithful to
the original text.
00:16:04.63\00:16:07.10
So, you know, if you spend some
time studying a little bit of
00:16:07.13\00:16:09.63
the background about
the Bible, your faith grows.
00:16:09.66\00:16:12.23
Matter of fact, our free offer
today, which is called "The
00:16:12.27\00:16:15.00
Ultimate Resource," is a
book talking about some of the
00:16:15.04\00:16:17.51
origins of where we get the
Bible from and how we know the
00:16:17.54\00:16:20.48
Bible is trustworthy.
00:16:20.51\00:16:22.11
Doug: You know, when they found
the Dead Sea Scrolls--and I
00:16:22.14\00:16:24.68
think some of the manuscripts
dated 200 years before Christ
00:16:24.71\00:16:28.55
as--near as they can tell.
00:16:28.58\00:16:30.99
But when they found them,
the whole world was on pins
00:16:31.02\00:16:32.79
and needles.
00:16:32.82\00:16:34.32
They thought, "Oh, everyone's
always wondered after 2,000
00:16:34.36\00:16:36.62
years how much has it changed?"
00:16:36.66\00:16:38.46
And they couldn't wait to
take--the Isaiah scroll was the
00:16:38.49\00:16:41.53
longest complete document.
00:16:41.56\00:16:43.50
They had the whole
book of Isaiah, 66 chapters.
00:16:43.53\00:16:45.73
And they said, "Let's lay that
out next to what we have today."
00:16:45.77\00:16:50.01
And it's getting
very interesting.
00:16:50.04\00:16:51.77
People were kind of betting
on how much has it changed, how
00:16:51.81\00:16:54.21
different is it.
00:16:54.24\00:16:55.94
It was absolutely astonishing
that it was 99% identical.
00:16:55.98\00:16:59.41
There was no substantive
difference between the copy that
00:16:59.45\00:17:07.22
was 2,000 years old because
the Hebrews were so careful.
00:17:07.26\00:17:11.29
Those Jewish scribes when they
were copying the Scriptures,
00:17:11.33\00:17:13.90
they thought, "This
is the Word of God."
00:17:13.93\00:17:15.80
They were very careful.
00:17:15.83\00:17:17.27
Then it would be proofed
by other rabbis to make sure
00:17:17.30\00:17:19.93
that--and if there was a
corruption in it, they would
00:17:19.97\00:17:22.50
destroy it.
00:17:22.54\00:17:24.14
And so it was probably the most
carefully preserved book--it is
00:17:24.17\00:17:26.88
the most carefully
preserved book in history.
00:17:26.91\00:17:29.04
Jean: Of course, the Bible has a
number of records to its title.
00:17:29.08\00:17:31.45
It is the first book
ever printed in the West on a
00:17:31.48\00:17:35.28
printing press.
00:17:35.32\00:17:37.15
It's also the first book to be
translated in as many languages
00:17:37.19\00:17:40.69
as the Bible is translated.
00:17:40.72\00:17:42.92
It's the first book to be as
widely distributed around the
00:17:42.96\00:17:46.03
world, there's no other book so
widely distributed as the Bible.
00:17:46.06\00:17:49.53
And this is amazing, it is the
first book in history that can
00:17:49.56\00:17:53.40
be read by 95% of the people on
the planet, that's if they can
00:17:53.44\00:17:59.31
read, because it's been
translated in so many languages.
00:17:59.34\00:18:02.94
No other book can be read almost
by every language group on the
00:18:02.98\00:18:07.48
planet.
00:18:07.52\00:18:08.82
So that's an amazing thought.
00:18:08.85\00:18:10.39
This book is inspired and
directed and protected by God.
00:18:10.42\00:18:14.32
Doug: Amen, you know, probably
ought to start diving into some
00:18:14.36\00:18:18.39
of the sections in the lesson.
00:18:18.43\00:18:20.23
It's so much fun
talking about the Bible.
00:18:20.26\00:18:21.63
I think every week now as we
go through the Scriptures, we're
00:18:21.66\00:18:24.80
going to have more tidbits and
some amazing facts on the Bible.
00:18:24.83\00:18:27.74
The first section, Pastor Ross,
is talking about the living
00:18:27.77\00:18:30.44
Word, and the Bible is not
simply ink on paper, the Bible
00:18:30.47\00:18:37.01
is the words of God.
00:18:37.05\00:18:39.21
And you can read where it says
in John 6:63, "It is the Spirit
00:18:39.25\00:18:44.65
who gives life.
00:18:44.69\00:18:46.35
The flesh profits nothing."
00:18:46.39\00:18:47.82
Jesus said, "The words that
I speak to you, they are spirit
00:18:47.86\00:18:50.66
and they are life."
00:18:50.69\00:18:53.16
And maybe, Pastor Ross, you want
to read that other famous verse
00:18:53.19\00:18:56.03
there in 2 Timothy.
00:18:56.06\00:18:57.83
Jean: And one of my favorites.
00:18:57.87\00:18:59.30
2 Timothy chapter 3, and
you can read in verse 16 and 17.
00:18:59.33\00:19:03.10
It says, "All Scripture is given
by the inspiration of God."
00:19:03.14\00:19:06.27
And then it says, "It's
profitable for doctrine, for
00:19:06.31\00:19:09.58
reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness
00:19:09.61\00:19:12.95
that the man of God might be
complete, thoroughly furnished
00:19:12.98\00:19:17.12
unto all good works."
00:19:17.15\00:19:18.75
And so we have all
Scripture reference here.
00:19:18.79\00:19:22.09
It's not just a portion of the
Scripture, but the Bible itself
00:19:22.12\00:19:25.33
says that it is God-breathed
or inspired; God-breathed
00:19:25.36\00:19:28.03
Scripture, it's the Word of God.
00:19:28.06\00:19:31.23
Doug: And there's been efforts
through history where people
00:19:31.27\00:19:33.94
find Scripture that they don't
like what it says and so they
00:19:33.97\00:19:36.24
try to get the Scripture to be
changed to fit what they want.
00:19:36.27\00:19:40.24
But in reality, the purpose of
the Scripture is to change us.
00:19:40.28\00:19:43.14
It's not that we
should change the Scripture.
00:19:43.18\00:19:46.41
All of it is the
message of God to us.
00:19:46.45\00:19:48.62
And not the Bible needs
changing, we need changing.
00:19:48.65\00:19:52.15
And then when we talk about the
living Word of God, one of the
00:19:52.19\00:19:56.09
most famous verses that
is--you're really on holy ground
00:19:56.12\00:19:59.36
when you read 1 John 1.
00:19:59.39\00:20:01.26
1 John, verses 1
through 3, "That which was from
00:20:01.30\00:20:04.90
the beginning--"
00:20:04.93\00:20:06.74
I'm sorry, 1 John.
00:20:06.77\00:20:08.30
Thank you very much, dear.
00:20:08.34\00:20:09.70
1 John 1, 1 through 3, "That
which was from the beginning,
00:20:09.74\00:20:12.84
which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which
00:20:12.87\00:20:16.14
we have looked upon and our
hands have handled concerning
00:20:16.18\00:20:18.61
the Word of life."
00:20:18.65\00:20:20.98
See, these are living words.
00:20:21.02\00:20:22.95
"The life was manifested and
we have seen and we bear witness
00:20:22.98\00:20:25.42
and we declare to you that
eternal life, which was with the
00:20:25.45\00:20:29.26
Father and was manifested to
us, that which we have seen and
00:20:29.29\00:20:32.66
heard we declare to you that you
may also have fellowship with us
00:20:32.69\00:20:36.00
and truly our fellowship is
with the Father and with his Son
00:20:36.03\00:20:40.10
Jesus Christ."
00:20:40.14\00:20:41.54
It's called the Word of life.
00:20:41.57\00:20:43.34
It gives life.
00:20:43.37\00:20:44.74
How did the
universe come into existence?
00:20:44.77\00:20:49.38
God said, God
said, "Let there be."
00:20:49.41\00:20:53.48
And God said,
things came into existence.
00:20:53.52\00:20:56.25
There is life
in the Word of God.
00:20:56.28\00:20:58.25
I love the story in the Bible
where a leper comes to Jesus and
00:20:58.29\00:21:01.86
he says--and it says
he's full of leprosy.
00:21:01.89\00:21:04.23
And he said, "Lord, if you
want, you can make me clean."
00:21:04.26\00:21:07.36
And he said, "I will.
00:21:07.40\00:21:08.93
Be thou clean."
00:21:08.96\00:21:11.50
It's like when God
said, "Let there be light."
00:21:11.53\00:21:13.90
And when God
says be, it happens.
00:21:13.94\00:21:16.34
And he said,
"Let there be light.
00:21:16.37\00:21:18.61
"Be thou clean."
00:21:18.64\00:21:20.31
He was clean.
00:21:20.34\00:21:21.98
There's creative
power in the Word of God.
00:21:22.01\00:21:23.81
Jean: And, of course,
Jesus is described as the Word.
00:21:23.85\00:21:25.71
Now, we read 1 John.
00:21:25.75\00:21:27.42
But if you read the other book
written by John, probably the
00:21:27.45\00:21:29.28
more famous one is
the Gospel of John.
00:21:29.32\00:21:31.22
Did you notice the similarity
between the first few verses of
00:21:31.25\00:21:34.06
the Gospel of John and the
first few verses of 1 John?
00:21:34.09\00:21:37.83
He's talking about the Word
of God, the power of the Word.
00:21:37.86\00:21:41.66
"And then the Word
became flesh and dwelt with us."
00:21:41.70\00:21:44.13
So not only is the Bible the
Word of God, but who does the
00:21:44.17\00:21:46.90
Bible talk about?
00:21:46.94\00:21:48.37
Talks about Jesus.
00:21:48.40\00:21:49.80
And so Jesus also
described as the Word of God.
00:21:49.84\00:21:51.51
Thus he is living--ever living
to make intercession for us.
00:21:51.54\00:21:54.74
So you can't separate the Bible
from Christ that is the Word
00:21:54.78\00:21:58.21
of God.
00:21:58.25\00:21:59.61
And, you know, Pastor Doug,
I want to have a quick thought
00:21:59.65\00:22:01.32
on that.
00:22:01.35\00:22:02.95
You know, in the Book of
Revelation, Jesus is described
00:22:02.98\00:22:04.75
as the Alpha and the Omega.
00:22:04.79\00:22:06.92
Now, do you know
what Alpha and Omega is?
00:22:06.96\00:22:09.19
Well, we say it's the first and
the last and that's correct, but
00:22:09.22\00:22:12.19
it's the first
and the last of what?
00:22:12.23\00:22:14.60
Of the Greek alphabet.
00:22:14.63\00:22:16.33
So it's kind of a strange title
Jesus is called the A and the Z
00:22:16.36\00:22:18.70
of the Greek alphabet.
00:22:18.73\00:22:21.47
Now, we might
wonder, "Why is that?"
00:22:21.50\00:22:23.20
Well, what do we do with
the letters of the alphabet?
00:22:23.24\00:22:25.04
We put them in different
order and we create words.
00:22:25.07\00:22:28.38
And what are our words?
00:22:28.41\00:22:30.15
Our words are our
thoughts expressed.
00:22:30.18\00:22:34.08
So Jesus is God's
thoughts expressed.
00:22:34.12\00:22:38.29
He's the Word of God.
00:22:38.32\00:22:39.85
That's why when the disciples
say, "Show us the Father and
00:22:39.89\00:22:41.92
suffices us," Jesus says,
"He who has seen me has seen
00:22:41.96\00:22:45.36
the Father."
00:22:45.39\00:22:46.76
If you want to know what
the Father is thinking, look at
00:22:46.80\00:22:48.63
Jesus, he is the Word of God,
he's God's thoughts revealed.
00:22:48.66\00:22:52.87
Doug: Amen, it's kind of like
saying Jesus is the alphabet of
00:22:52.90\00:22:54.50
God, the Word of God, everything
God uses to communicate to us.
00:22:54.54\00:22:59.64
He is the Word.
00:22:59.67\00:23:01.81
And then, Pastor Ross, there's
several verses that highlight an
00:23:01.84\00:23:03.95
important truth about
the Bible that--it is truth.
00:23:03.98\00:23:07.88
Jesus said, John 17:17,
"Sanctify them by your truth.
00:23:07.92\00:23:14.02
Your Word is truth."
00:23:14.06\00:23:17.43
And so when people begin to pick
and choose in the Bible and say,
00:23:17.46\00:23:19.89
"Well, we think this part is
true, but, you know, Paul, he
00:23:19.93\00:23:22.06
really didn't know what he
was saying over here and can't
00:23:22.10\00:23:24.27
believe that."
00:23:24.30\00:23:25.77
Jesus has settled this.
00:23:25.80\00:23:27.37
He said, "Thy Word is truth."
00:23:27.40\00:23:29.20
The Bible, it's all truth.
00:23:29.24\00:23:31.84
And Christ said of course,
"I am the way, the truth."
00:23:31.87\00:23:34.54
He is the Word.
00:23:34.58\00:23:36.14
He is the truth.
00:23:36.18\00:23:37.61
He's the embodiment of the Word.
00:23:37.65\00:23:39.31
I think we have a couple
other verses on the truth.
00:23:39.35\00:23:40.95
John 15:26, if you
want to read that one.
00:23:40.98\00:23:42.88
Jean: That's right, we got
John chapter 15:26 to 27, Jesus
00:23:42.92\00:23:45.42
speaking, he says, "But
when the helper comes, whom I
00:23:45.45\00:23:47.96
will send you from the Father,
the spirit of truth who proceeds
00:23:47.99\00:23:52.13
from the Father, he will testify
of me and you also will be a
00:23:52.16\00:23:56.13
witness because you have been
with me from the beginning."
00:23:56.16\00:23:59.43
So there we find Jesus is
referred to as the truth, but
00:23:59.47\00:24:02.24
now the Holy Spirit is described
as the Spirit of truth as well.
00:24:02.27\00:24:06.11
So you have the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit all
00:24:06.14\00:24:08.31
connected with truth.
00:24:08.34\00:24:09.91
What is this truth?
00:24:09.94\00:24:11.31
It's the way of life, how we can
have everlasting life in Jesus.
00:24:11.35\00:24:13.42
Doug: You know, one point you
can't really overstate is that
00:24:13.45\00:24:17.52
when you think about the
Bible, it is really a written
00:24:17.55\00:24:21.22
embodiment of a person.
00:24:21.26\00:24:24.56
For example, can
a person be a book?
00:24:24.59\00:24:27.66
Of course you've ever heard
someone say, "I can read you
00:24:27.73\00:24:30.23
like a book."
00:24:30.27\00:24:32.00
You know, Jesus
is called the light.
00:24:32.03\00:24:33.87
The Bible is called the light.
00:24:33.90\00:24:35.37
That's our memory verse.
00:24:35.40\00:24:37.14
Jesus is called the truth.
00:24:37.17\00:24:38.77
The Bible is called the truth.
00:24:38.81\00:24:40.48
Jesus is called the bread.
00:24:40.51\00:24:42.44
The Bible is called the bread.
00:24:42.48\00:24:44.58
Jesus is called the Word.
00:24:44.61\00:24:46.61
The Bible is called the Word.
00:24:46.65\00:24:48.28
Jesus is called eternal.
00:24:48.32\00:24:50.25
The Bible is called eternal.
00:24:50.29\00:24:52.15
You start looking through the
different characteristics of the
00:24:52.19\00:24:55.22
Bible, you'll find that they're
often used in parallel to
00:24:55.26\00:24:57.99
describe Jesus as well.
00:24:58.03\00:24:59.76
Jean: Now, probably that lesson
brings up the point probably
00:24:59.79\00:25:03.10
some of the most significant
words that a person speaks, at
00:25:03.13\00:25:06.43
least for those who know
the person, would be some of his
00:25:06.47\00:25:10.64
final words or her final words.
00:25:10.67\00:25:13.94
And some of the final words that
Moses spoke to the children of
00:25:13.98\00:25:18.18
Israel were rather significant
because he's challenging them,
00:25:18.21\00:25:21.72
he's encouraging them
to be faithful to God.
00:25:21.75\00:25:24.22
And we find Moses's last
words to the children of Israel
00:25:24.25\00:25:27.69
recorded in Deuteronomy,
Deuteronomy chapter 32.
00:25:27.72\00:25:30.29
Now, we're not going to read the
whole passage, but one of the
00:25:30.33\00:25:33.29
things that Moses is emphasizing
to the children of Israel, he
00:25:33.33\00:25:36.16
says, "Set your hearts on the
words, these words that I speak
00:25:36.20\00:25:39.77
unto you."
00:25:39.80\00:25:41.37
He also says the children
of Israel were to observe
00:25:41.40\00:25:43.57
those words.
00:25:43.61\00:25:45.41
They were to teach their
children the truths and they
00:25:45.44\00:25:49.08
were to guide their children
in obedience to the Word.
00:25:49.11\00:25:52.11
So what are some of the parting
words of Moses to the children
00:25:52.15\00:25:54.88
of Israel?
00:25:54.92\00:25:56.65
He says, "Take
the Word to heart.
00:25:56.69\00:25:59.45
Keep the Word.
00:25:59.49\00:26:00.86
Teach the Word.
00:26:00.89\00:26:02.32
Order your life in
harmony with the Word."
00:26:02.36\00:26:05.06
So we see the centrality
of the Word in the life of
00:26:05.09\00:26:07.46
the believer.
00:26:07.50\00:26:10.17
Doug: Yeah,
absolutely, keep talking.
00:26:10.20\00:26:11.53
I was reading something.
00:26:11.57\00:26:12.97
Jean: Oh, you were reading,
all right, just wondering what I
00:26:13.00\00:26:14.57
was saying there.
00:26:14.60\00:26:16.24
But not only is the children
of Israel that need the Word, we
00:26:16.27\00:26:18.61
need the Word, right?
00:26:18.64\00:26:20.01
Doug: I found what I want.
00:26:20.04\00:26:21.41
Jean: Oh, you got it, okay,
'cause I wasn't quite sure where
00:26:21.44\00:26:22.81
I was going with
that, Pastor Doug.
00:26:22.84\00:26:24.85
Doug: Not only Moses at the end
of his life when Pastor Ross is
00:26:24.88\00:26:27.52
quoting that there in
Deuteronomy, the first book of
00:26:27.55\00:26:29.88
Joshua, notice the
emphasis on Joshua's leadership.
00:26:29.92\00:26:32.92
He said, "Be
careful to observe--"
00:26:32.95\00:26:36.59
And this is Joshua
chapter 1, verse 8.
00:26:36.62\00:26:39.29
"This book of the law shall
not depart from your mouth."
00:26:39.33\00:26:42.86
That's what they called the
Bible back then, the book of the
00:26:42.90\00:26:44.90
law, they didn't
have all of it yet.
00:26:44.93\00:26:46.30
"It shall not depart from your
mouth, but you shall meditate in
00:26:46.33\00:26:52.54
it day and night that you may
observe to do according to all
00:26:52.57\00:26:57.25
that is written therein, that
you may be prosperous and that
00:26:57.28\00:27:02.28
you will have good success."
00:27:02.32\00:27:03.82
Now, that's a
promise to all of us.
00:27:03.85\00:27:05.59
If we are having morning and
evening worship and we're trying
00:27:05.62\00:27:07.69
to live by not some but every
word that proceeds from the
00:27:07.72\00:27:10.33
mouth of God, God promised
Joshua, "You would be successful
00:27:10.36\00:27:13.26
and you will be prosperous,"
and he was, but he said, "Day
00:27:13.29\00:27:18.27
and night meditate on
this book--these words."
00:27:18.30\00:27:21.57
Jean: Now, of course the Bible
is central--essentially in the
00:27:21.60\00:27:23.91
Bible as we've already been
mentioning is Christ and the
00:27:23.94\00:27:26.68
good news of salvation.
00:27:26.71\00:27:28.24
Matter of fact, not only is the
Bible filled with prophecies in
00:27:28.28\00:27:30.31
the Old Testament pointing
forward to Christ, but even the
00:27:30.35\00:27:32.61
stories that you read about
in the Old Testament and the New
00:27:32.65\00:27:35.55
Testament, particularly the Old
Testament, are shadows or types
00:27:35.58\00:27:38.25
that teach lessons about Jesus.
00:27:38.29\00:27:40.69
Now, Pastor Doug, we haven't
spoken about this before, but
00:27:40.72\00:27:43.49
I'm sure you're going
to be able to handle this.
00:27:43.53\00:27:45.99
One of the things that Pastor
Doug likes to do is to look at
00:27:46.03\00:27:48.20
some of the stories in the Bible
and bring out points in the
00:27:48.23\00:27:51.53
story that emphasize Christ
or some aspect of Christ's
00:27:51.57\00:27:54.57
ministry, so I jotted
down a few Bible stories.
00:27:54.60\00:27:58.94
And can we bring up some
sort of spiritual [inaudible]?
00:27:58.97\00:28:01.84
The first is
the story of Joseph.
00:28:01.88\00:28:04.15
How does that
teach us about Jesus?
00:28:04.18\00:28:06.11
Doug: Oh my, this could
be the whole sermon now.
00:28:06.15\00:28:10.39
Well, first of all, you've got
the beloved son of an ancient
00:28:10.42\00:28:13.62
father, he sends him
looking for his lost brethren.
00:28:13.66\00:28:18.06
Jesus is sent by the
Father, looking for the lost.
00:28:18.09\00:28:20.70
But when he comes to them,
instead of being thankful, they
00:28:20.73\00:28:24.23
mistreat him.
00:28:24.27\00:28:25.73
They throw him in a pit.
00:28:25.77\00:28:27.40
He's sold for
the price of a slave.
00:28:27.44\00:28:29.34
He's sold for 20 pieces of
silver, where Jesus was sold for
00:28:29.37\00:28:31.64
30 pieces of silver.
00:28:31.67\00:28:33.44
But he's
willing to forgive them.
00:28:33.48\00:28:35.38
The whole world is fed
with bread from Joseph.
00:28:35.41\00:28:37.71
His brothers don't know him.
00:28:37.75\00:28:40.35
They didn't realize what
an exalted position he had.
00:28:40.38\00:28:43.89
I mean, he's
number two in command.
00:28:43.92\00:28:45.79
Jesus is number two in command,
as you would say, to the Father.
00:28:45.82\00:28:50.16
And there's just
so many similarities.
00:28:50.19\00:28:54.46
There's finally a dinner with
them, and there's a big dispute
00:28:54.46\00:28:57.90
over a cup at a dinner
where he sits down with the 12.
00:28:57.93\00:29:00.17
Jesus seals the new covenant
with a cup when he has a dinner
00:29:00.20\00:29:04.47
with the 12.
00:29:04.51\00:29:05.97
I can go on and on.
00:29:06.01\00:29:07.44
Just the analogies and parallels
between Jesus and Joseph--
00:29:07.48\00:29:10.71
Jean: What about
Samson, Pastor Doug?
00:29:10.75\00:29:12.61
Doug: Samson, people think,
"How could Samson be a type of
00:29:12.65\00:29:14.28
Christ here?
00:29:14.32\00:29:15.95
You got this
womanizing drunkard."
00:29:15.98\00:29:17.45
But Samson really
was a type of Jesus.
00:29:17.49\00:29:19.75
You know, he was tied up by
his people and handed over to
00:29:19.79\00:29:21.79
the enemy.
00:29:21.82\00:29:23.59
Samson was betrayed by Delilah.
00:29:23.63\00:29:26.03
Woman represents the church.
00:29:26.06\00:29:27.86
And given into the hands
of the Gentiles for silver.
00:29:27.86\00:29:31.37
And the last--and the Bible says
that Samson was--he was bound.
00:29:31.40\00:29:36.07
He was blinded.
00:29:36.10\00:29:38.61
And Jesus, they blinded him.
00:29:38.64\00:29:41.18
They put a hood over his head,
they bound him, they beat him,
00:29:41.21\00:29:42.58
mistreated him.
00:29:42.61\00:29:44.38
The last act of Samson's life is
he stretches out his arms and he
00:29:44.41\00:29:46.85
prays for God's Spirit,
and Jesus commended his Spirit
00:29:46.88\00:29:52.12
to God.
00:29:52.15\00:29:53.72
Samson's filled with the Spirit,
and the Bible says he slew more
00:29:53.76\00:29:55.59
by his death than
he did by his life.
00:29:55.62\00:29:59.69
Jesus through his sacrifice more
of the enemy are destroyed than
00:29:59.73\00:30:03.33
anything, that's
through the cross, right?
00:30:03.37\00:30:06.70
A lot of
analogies even about Samson.
00:30:06.74\00:30:09.04
Jean: And, of course, it's just
the two stories, but you can
00:30:09.07\00:30:10.87
probably look at all of the
different stories in the Bible
00:30:10.91\00:30:12.81
and learn lessons
from teaching Jesus, yeah.
00:30:12.84\00:30:18.41
All right, well, on Monday--we
better keep moving here.
00:30:18.45\00:30:21.15
The question is asked, who
wrote the Bible and where was
00:30:21.18\00:30:23.65
it written?
00:30:23.69\00:30:26.22
Doug: Yeah, the Bible is a
fascinating book because it's
00:30:26.25\00:30:28.66
written by every
stripe and type of people.
00:30:28.69\00:30:31.16
You've got prisoners.
00:30:31.19\00:30:34.00
You've got people
that are living in caves.
00:30:34.03\00:30:36.87
You've got people
that are living in palaces.
00:30:36.90\00:30:39.23
You have shepherds.
00:30:39.27\00:30:41.54
You've got tax collectors.
00:30:41.57\00:30:43.64
You've got fishermen.
00:30:43.67\00:30:46.34
I mean, they're writing from out
in the wilderness, in the middle
00:30:46.37\00:30:49.24
of a city.
00:30:49.28\00:30:51.61
I mean, you think about
the different experience.
00:30:51.65\00:30:53.72
And so the Bible is something
that everybody can relate to.
00:30:53.75\00:30:55.95
Stories in the Bible are
embraced by children, and then
00:30:55.98\00:30:59.12
they challenge the
deepest thinkers of the world.
00:30:59.15\00:31:01.96
Jean: Now, not all of those
who wrote in the Bible were
00:31:01.99\00:31:04.66
necessarily
eyewitnesses of certain events.
00:31:04.69\00:31:07.93
Some of them were eyewitnesses.
00:31:07.96\00:31:10.37
Many of the New Testament
writings are the story of Jesus.
00:31:10.40\00:31:12.90
You got an eyewitness account
from the disciples who wrote.
00:31:12.93\00:31:15.87
Some of those who wrote the
Scripture, they were inspired by
00:31:15.90\00:31:19.31
the Holy Spirit,
guiding them in writing.
00:31:19.34\00:31:22.14
But many of them actually
researched the writings of other
00:31:22.18\00:31:24.78
Scripture or other Bible writers
to help understand what they had
00:31:24.81\00:31:29.55
seen in vision will help explain
the truth that they were trying
00:31:29.58\00:31:33.19
to portray.
00:31:33.22\00:31:35.49
So you have eyewitness account
in the Bible, but you also have
00:31:35.52\00:31:37.69
inspired counsel; but then
you have authors who have done
00:31:37.73\00:31:40.33
research from other Bible
authors under the guidance of
00:31:40.36\00:31:42.93
the Holy Spirit to
bring out different aspects.
00:31:42.96\00:31:45.47
Often in the New Testament,
you'll have Paul quoting from
00:31:45.50\00:31:48.14
some passage in
the Old Testament.
00:31:48.17\00:31:50.67
So the Bible interacts with
itself, and we find the writers
00:31:50.71\00:31:53.54
also interacting with
other authors in Scripture.
00:31:53.58\00:31:57.08
Doug: Yeah, sometimes today
you'll hear Christian authors
00:31:57.11\00:31:58.85
accused of plagiarism for
quoting other Christian authors.
00:31:58.88\00:32:02.72
In Bible times, they
often quoted each other without
00:32:02.75\00:32:05.52
giving credit.
00:32:05.55\00:32:06.96
Read 1 and 2 Peter and then read
the Book of Jude and you'll be
00:32:06.99\00:32:10.56
surprised how many references
there are and Jude never says,
00:32:10.59\00:32:13.50
"You know, Peter
said this first."
00:32:13.53\00:32:16.00
'Cause it's a message from God.
00:32:16.03\00:32:17.87
And early Christian authors,
they weren't worried about who's
00:32:17.90\00:32:20.00
getting the credit.
00:32:20.04\00:32:21.50
They thought, "These
are messages from God."
00:32:21.54\00:32:23.24
And so you'll hear Paul quoting
things that Jesus said that he
00:32:23.27\00:32:27.51
did not hear Jesus say firsthand
because he wasn't converted
00:32:27.54\00:32:30.51
until later, but he heard the
other disciples repeat it and
00:32:30.55\00:32:33.75
then he says it.
00:32:33.78\00:32:35.88
And then you'll have--there's a
few people who are some unknown
00:32:35.92\00:32:38.42
writers in the Bible.
00:32:38.45\00:32:40.22
They are not widely known.
00:32:40.26\00:32:42.02
Here's one example.
00:32:42.06\00:32:43.76
If you go to 2 Samuel 20, verse
23, it's talking about David's
00:32:43.79\00:32:46.23
cabinet, it says, "Joab was over
the army of Israel, Benaiah the
00:32:46.26\00:32:50.90
son of Jehoiada that was over
the Kerethites and Pelethites."
00:32:50.93\00:32:53.57
These are like the honor guard.
00:32:53.60\00:32:55.70
"Adoniram was in
charge of the revenue.
00:32:55.74\00:32:57.57
Jehoshaphat the son
of Ahilud was recorder."
00:32:57.61\00:33:01.41
That meant scribe.
00:33:01.44\00:33:03.45
Now, when you're reading through
the "Deeds of the Kings," who do
00:33:03.48\00:33:06.72
you think wrote that?
00:33:06.75\00:33:08.92
Or some of that may have been
edited by Ezra later, but these
00:33:08.95\00:33:11.39
scribes were inspired and some
of it, I think, was contributed
00:33:11.42\00:33:15.09
to--David had some prophets
in his kingdom like Nathan,
00:33:15.12\00:33:18.63
like Gad.
00:33:18.66\00:33:20.53
And they don't always sign their
writings, but--you know, that's
00:33:20.56\00:33:23.16
why when we talk about how many
people wrote the Bible, you'll
00:33:23.20\00:33:25.50
hear the number
vacillate between 38 and 42.
00:33:25.53\00:33:30.41
We're not exactly sure because
there are parts--like when you
00:33:30.44\00:33:33.61
get to 2 Samuel.
00:33:33.64\00:33:35.44
When does Samuel die?
00:33:35.48\00:33:37.81
At the end of 1 Samuel.
00:33:37.85\00:33:39.88
So how did he write 2 Samuel?
00:33:39.91\00:33:42.38
Email?
00:33:42.42\00:33:45.05
So someone else probably wrote
that, and it may have been the
00:33:45.09\00:33:48.76
chronicles of one of
the scribes that were a
00:33:48.79\00:33:50.46
Spirit-filled recorder.
00:33:50.49\00:33:53.36
Jean: One of the passages
I like is what Peter says in
00:33:53.40\00:33:56.06
1 Peter--actually 2 Peter.
00:33:56.10\00:33:58.57
2 Peter chapter 1 and verse 16.
00:33:58.60\00:34:01.34
This is what he says.
00:34:01.37\00:34:03.20
He says, "For we did not follow
cunningly-devised fables when we
00:34:03.24\00:34:06.24
made known unto you the power
of the coming of the Lord Jesus
00:34:06.27\00:34:08.98
Christ, but we were
eyewitnesses of his majesty."
00:34:09.01\00:34:12.95
And then he goes on to
talk about the voice that came.
00:34:12.98\00:34:15.32
"This is our beloved son--"
00:34:15.35\00:34:17.22
Or, "This is my beloved son."
00:34:17.25\00:34:19.02
on the mount when Peter, James,
and John were there with Jesus.
00:34:19.05\00:34:21.39
So Peter is emphasizing the
fact, he says, "We haven't made
00:34:21.42\00:34:23.49
these things up about Jesus."
00:34:23.53\00:34:25.43
He says, "We were there,
we saw it, we're bearing an
00:34:25.46\00:34:28.20
eyewitness account
it is trustworthy."
00:34:28.23\00:34:30.07
And if they're just come up with
some story, if they had made up
00:34:30.10\00:34:33.64
the whole story of the
resurrection, why would you have
00:34:33.67\00:34:36.20
so many of the disciples willing
to die for that belief if they
00:34:36.24\00:34:42.38
had simply made it up?
00:34:42.41\00:34:44.58
So the fact that this belief
was so central to them testifies
00:34:44.61\00:34:48.35
that it was indeed true.
00:34:48.38\00:34:50.05
They were eyewitnesses of the
things that they talk about that
00:34:50.09\00:34:52.42
we read about in
the New Testament.
00:34:52.45\00:34:54.56
Doug: Amen, now, when you're
thinking about who are the
00:34:54.59\00:34:57.93
greatest contributors to the
Bible--this isn't really in the
00:34:57.96\00:35:00.76
lesson, but just something
to exercise your minds a
00:35:00.80\00:35:02.70
little bit.
00:35:02.73\00:35:04.97
Who do you think wrote
most of the Old Testament?
00:35:05.00\00:35:09.10
Probably Moses.
00:35:09.14\00:35:11.24
David's not far behind.
00:35:11.27\00:35:14.98
And then New Testament?
00:35:15.01\00:35:17.01
Probably Paul.
00:35:17.05\00:35:19.38
I think Paul writes nearly
half of the New Testament.
00:35:19.41\00:35:21.98
But let me give you
something--did they know that
00:35:22.02\00:35:23.72
they were speaking under the
inspiration of the Spirit when
00:35:23.75\00:35:25.99
they wrote?
00:35:26.02\00:35:27.72
Interesting statement.
00:35:27.76\00:35:29.99
This is one of the last phrases
from David, who is one of the
00:35:30.03\00:35:32.03
large contributors of
the Bible, mostly the Psalms.
00:35:32.06\00:35:35.10
In 2 Samuel 23, verse 1.
00:35:35.13\00:35:37.47
Now these are the
last words of David.
00:35:37.50\00:35:39.77
"Thus says David
the son of Jesse--"
00:35:39.80\00:35:43.24
You know, usually it
says thus says the Lord.
00:35:43.27\00:35:45.54
But listen how he words this.
00:35:45.57\00:35:47.71
"Thus says
David, the son of Jesse.
00:35:47.74\00:35:50.21
Thus says the man raised up on
high, taken from a shepherd to
00:35:50.25\00:35:52.61
the highest
place in the kingdom.
00:35:52.65\00:35:55.08
The anointed of God of Jacob."
00:35:55.12\00:35:57.52
He remembered when the
Spirit of the Lord came on him.
00:35:57.55\00:35:59.92
"The sweet psalmist of Israel.
00:35:59.95\00:36:02.32
The Spirit of the Lord's
spoke by me, and his Word was in
00:36:02.36\00:36:05.16
my tongue."
00:36:05.19\00:36:07.56
Well, that's something.
00:36:07.60\00:36:09.86
I mean, he's--you got to call
David very arrogant and a liar.
00:36:09.90\00:36:12.03
You say, "This man was just
stating a fact that he knew what
00:36:12.07\00:36:15.47
it was like to have the
Spirit of the Lord come on him."
00:36:15.50\00:36:17.91
He knew what it was like
to have the Spirit of the Lord
00:36:17.94\00:36:19.41
leave him.
00:36:19.44\00:36:21.58
That's why he prayed in Psalm
51, "Take not your Holy Spirit
00:36:21.61\00:36:23.75
from me."
00:36:23.78\00:36:26.25
But they knew they
had a message from God.
00:36:26.28\00:36:28.52
Some of the prophets had come
in and say, "Thus says the Lord.
00:36:28.55\00:36:29.98
This is a message from God."
00:36:30.02\00:36:31.82
Some of them
didn't want to do it.
00:36:31.85\00:36:33.46
Moses didn't want
to do it at first.
00:36:33.49\00:36:35.56
Jeremiah didn't want to do it.
00:36:35.59\00:36:37.86
Isaiah said, "Woe is me," and he
called them and said, "I have a
00:36:37.89\00:36:39.46
message, I want you to give
it," and they spoke, let God
00:36:39.49\00:36:42.40
speak through them and it
wasn't always well received.
00:36:42.43\00:36:45.13
Jean: I like also what
David says, speaking about being
00:36:45.17\00:36:47.44
under inspiration.
00:36:47.47\00:36:49.80
You find this in 2 Psalm that
you're reading, Pastor Doug.
00:36:49.84\00:36:51.97
The last part says, "The
rock of Israel spoke to me.
00:36:52.01\00:36:55.48
He who rules over
men must be just."
00:36:55.51\00:36:58.35
So he's referring to
God as the rock of Israel.
00:36:58.38\00:37:00.98
Of course, Jesus in the New
Testament is referred to as the
00:37:01.02\00:37:03.45
rock, as the
foundation of the church.
00:37:03.49\00:37:05.72
So just throughout the Bible is
scattered the fact that Jesus is
00:37:05.75\00:37:09.19
central to the Scriptures, and
the plan of redemption is found
00:37:09.22\00:37:12.69
from cover to cover.
00:37:12.73\00:37:14.96
Doug: Now, those who wrote the
Bible--we probably won't be able
00:37:15.00\00:37:18.57
to belabor this point too long,
but they came from all different
00:37:18.60\00:37:22.77
educational strata.
00:37:22.80\00:37:24.91
Paul was deeply
educated as well as Moses.
00:37:24.94\00:37:29.28
Moses was properly educated in
all the wisdom of Egypt, which
00:37:29.31\00:37:31.61
was--that was the top
university at the time.
00:37:31.65\00:37:34.45
And he was probably being
prepared for leadership in the
00:37:34.48\00:37:37.69
throne, I'm sure he
was deeply-educated.
00:37:37.72\00:37:39.55
You know, one reason Alexander
the Great was so successful, he
00:37:39.59\00:37:42.99
was educated by Aristotle.
00:37:43.02\00:37:45.19
I mean, you think about that,
that's to have your own tutor
00:37:45.23\00:37:48.60
one of the great
Greek philosophers.
00:37:48.63\00:37:50.87
Moses was being educated by some
of the wisest people, people
00:37:50.90\00:37:54.04
that can build pyramids
that are still a mystery to us.
00:37:54.07\00:37:57.61
He had a great education.
00:37:57.64\00:37:59.37
He--good thing for you and me,
he was able to write and he was
00:37:59.41\00:38:02.78
able to read.
00:38:02.81\00:38:04.75
And Paul was greatly educated.
00:38:04.78\00:38:06.58
But then God calls fishermen.
00:38:06.61\00:38:09.02
He calls people like Amos who
says, "I was not a prophet or a
00:38:09.05\00:38:11.65
son of a prophet, but I was
a gatherer of sycamore fruit."
00:38:11.69\00:38:15.32
He calls Elisha
who is out farming.
00:38:15.36\00:38:18.46
And so from all different strata
of society, God spoke through
00:38:18.49\00:38:22.23
these people.
00:38:22.26\00:38:23.97
Jean: And God
spoke through old people.
00:38:24.00\00:38:25.73
He spoke through young people.
00:38:25.77\00:38:27.47
For example, Jeremiah when the
Word of the Lord came to him, he
00:38:27.50\00:38:29.80
said, "Lord, behold, I
cannot speak for I'm a youth."
00:38:29.84\00:38:32.27
Of course, Daniel, when he
was taken captive along with his
00:38:32.31\00:38:35.31
three friends to Babylon, they
were still probably in their
00:38:35.34\00:38:37.85
teens and yet God spoke
through him and through them.
00:38:37.88\00:38:40.52
So God could use old people.
00:38:40.55\00:38:42.52
For example, John--the Apostle
John, when he wrote the Book of
00:38:42.55\00:38:45.22
Revelation, he was an old man.
00:38:45.25\00:38:47.39
The last of the
apostles still alive.
00:38:47.42\00:38:50.06
The rest had
died a martyr's death.
00:38:50.09\00:38:51.99
Very old, but the Word of
the Lord came to him and he
00:38:52.03\00:38:54.63
spoke--he wrote
the Book of Revelation.
00:38:54.66\00:38:56.33
So God can use
young, he can use old.
00:38:56.36\00:38:58.23
He's not limited by
education, background, culture.
00:38:58.27\00:39:02.34
He's able to communicate his
will through whoever is willing,
00:39:02.37\00:39:04.97
a willing vessel
that God could use.
00:39:05.01\00:39:08.11
Doug: Yeah, and of course he
can communicate to anybody today
00:39:08.14\00:39:10.61
through you to
others if we're willing.
00:39:10.65\00:39:13.75
You know, there's a nice
quote that's in the lesson.
00:39:13.78\00:39:15.88
It's from "Selected
Messages Book 1" page 26.
00:39:15.92\00:39:19.92
It says, "God has been pleased
to communicate his truth to the
00:39:19.95\00:39:23.32
world by human agencies, and
he himself by his Holy Spirit
00:39:23.36\00:39:27.40
qualify these men and
enabled them to do his work.
00:39:27.46\00:39:30.70
He guided the mind in selection
of what to speak and what
00:39:30.73\00:39:34.94
to write.
00:39:34.97\00:39:36.30
The treasure was entrusted
to earthen vessels, yet it is
00:39:36.34\00:39:38.67
nonetheless from heaven."
00:39:38.71\00:39:40.54
Yes, it is true that the people
that God chose to write the
00:39:40.58\00:39:44.48
Bible were not sinless.
00:39:44.51\00:39:48.38
You know, they made mistakes.
00:39:48.42\00:39:50.09
You can go from Moses to Paul
and Peter all the way through.
00:39:50.12\00:39:53.29
But they were spirit-filled.
00:39:53.32\00:39:55.42
They were consecrated to him,
and he was able to fill them
00:39:55.46\00:39:58.66
with the Spirit and
speak to them and through them.
00:39:58.69\00:40:00.96
Jean: The next section in our
lesson talks about the Bible is
00:40:00.96\00:40:03.77
prophecy, and about 30% of
the various parts of the Old
00:40:03.80\00:40:08.87
Testament is pointing in some
way or another towards Christ or
00:40:08.90\00:40:13.84
some prophetic event associated
with not only Christ but with
00:40:13.88\00:40:17.65
the nation of Israel or
something willing to our time in
00:40:17.68\00:40:20.78
the day of judgment
near the end of time.
00:40:20.82\00:40:23.39
So prophecy is scattered
throughout the Scriptures.
00:40:23.42\00:40:26.45
And we find in Amos chapter
3, verse 7 this very well-known
00:40:26.49\00:40:30.03
verse, it says, "Surely the
Lord God will do nothing, but he
00:40:30.06\00:40:33.13
reveals his secrets to
his servants the prophets."
00:40:33.16\00:40:36.33
So what makes the Bible
different from any other
00:40:36.36\00:40:38.50
religious book is because the
Bible not only sent as in Jesus
00:40:38.53\00:40:43.20
or in Christ, but it also can
tell us things that will happen
00:40:43.24\00:40:46.78
in the future.
00:40:46.81\00:40:48.24
And the prophecies given in
the Scripture have all come true
00:40:48.28\00:40:50.65
just perfectly as
given in the Bible.
00:40:50.68\00:40:54.08
And, you know, we might touch on
some of that, Pastor Doug, if we
00:40:54.12\00:40:57.12
have time.
00:40:57.15\00:40:58.99
But "Amazing Facts" prepared
a DVD called "Kingdoms in Time."
00:40:59.02\00:41:03.29
And I don't know if you've had a
chance to see that, but what it
00:41:03.32\00:41:05.89
does is it looks at some of the
most compelling prophecies in
00:41:05.93\00:41:09.13
the Old Testament and some in
the new that Jesus made and how
00:41:09.16\00:41:12.67
history has proven those
prophecies to be perfectly
00:41:12.70\00:41:16.54
fulfilled, like the destruction
of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
00:41:16.57\00:41:20.31
So when you look at all of the
prophecies and how accurate they
00:41:20.34\00:41:22.88
are, that increases your
faith in the Word of God.
00:41:22.91\00:41:25.68
We can trust the Bible.
00:41:25.71\00:41:27.62
Doug: Amen, who knows where
you find the first prophecy in
00:41:27.65\00:41:29.52
the Bible?
00:41:29.55\00:41:33.12
Genesis 3:15.
00:41:33.15\00:41:35.72
"And I'll put enmity
between thee and the woman."
00:41:35.76\00:41:38.63
And is--the last verse in
the Bible, is it a prophecy?
00:41:38.66\00:41:42.03
"Even so come Lord Jesus."
00:41:42.06\00:41:44.57
Last words in the Old Testament:
"Behold, I send you Elijah
00:41:44.60\00:41:47.14
the Prophet."
00:41:47.17\00:41:48.94
Is it a prophecy?
00:41:48.97\00:41:50.94
And that isn't far before you
get into the first chapter of
00:41:50.97\00:41:52.64
the New Testament it
talks about prophecies of Jesus'
00:41:52.67\00:41:54.61
first coming.
00:41:54.64\00:41:56.31
Matthew spends a lot of time
quoting Old Testament prophecies
00:41:56.34\00:41:59.11
that are fulfilled in Christ.
00:41:59.15\00:42:01.88
So the Bible is
really a book of prophecy.
00:42:01.92\00:42:04.35
Every now and then, you'll run
into a preacher out there and
00:42:04.39\00:42:06.72
says, "Oh, these folks
that focus on prophecy, they're
00:42:06.76\00:42:09.26
wasting their time."
00:42:09.29\00:42:10.83
You have to ignore the Bible if
you say you're going to ignore
00:42:10.86\00:42:12.76
prophecy because it is
very integral to its message.
00:42:12.79\00:42:17.43
Jean: And some of the
prophecies--we don't have time
00:42:17.47\00:42:19.37
to go through all of them 'cause
there's about 65 Old Testament
00:42:19.40\00:42:22.57
prophecies fulfilled in a life
and ministry of Jesus, but just
00:42:22.60\00:42:25.64
a few of them.
00:42:25.67\00:42:27.68
Genesis chapter 49, it tells us
that Shiloh will come--speaking
00:42:27.71\00:42:30.55
of the Messiah, will
come from the tribe of Judah.
00:42:30.58\00:42:33.72
Well, we know that Jesus
came from the tribe of Judah.
00:42:33.75\00:42:36.58
Psalm 22, and this is an amazing
prophecy, tells us that his
00:42:36.62\00:42:41.52
hands and his
feet would be pierced.
00:42:41.56\00:42:45.29
That's exactly what happened to
Jesus when he died on the cross.
00:42:45.33\00:42:48.43
His hands and his
feet were pierced.
00:42:48.46\00:42:50.57
Doug: Pardon me, one
more thing about Psalm 22.
00:42:50.60\00:42:52.53
You know what
the first verse is?
00:42:52.57\00:42:55.40
"My God, my God, why
have you forsaken me?"
00:42:55.44\00:42:58.71
The very words he spoke on the
cross were the first line in a
00:42:58.74\00:43:00.84
messianic prophecy.
00:43:00.88\00:43:03.28
So it may even be the thief
hanging on the cross next to
00:43:03.31\00:43:05.08
Jesus knew that psalm and when
he heard Jesus quote from that
00:43:05.11\00:43:08.25
psalm and then he looked at his
hands and his feet being pierced
00:43:08.28\00:43:11.62
and being surrounded by dogs
and gambling for his Ramon, he's
00:43:11.65\00:43:14.99
going, "This is the Messiah."
00:43:15.02\00:43:17.29
Not to mention the sign above
his head that said, "King of
00:43:17.33\00:43:18.76
the Jews."
00:43:18.79\00:43:21.30
And so that's a very
important psalm, Psalm 22.
00:43:21.33\00:43:23.73
Jean: And of course one of the
passages of Scripture that is a
00:43:23.77\00:43:25.83
challenge for the Jewish people
who reject Jesus as the Messiah
00:43:25.87\00:43:31.34
is Isaiah 53, which really
describes the suffering Messiah.
00:43:31.37\00:43:36.31
What he would do?
00:43:36.34\00:43:37.95
And of course all of
those prophecies were perfectly
00:43:37.98\00:43:39.85
fulfilled: He's a man of
sorrow, acquainted with grief.
00:43:39.88\00:43:42.12
He was rejected by his very own,
and yet he was the sacrifice
00:43:42.15\00:43:46.12
for sin.
00:43:46.15\00:43:48.56
I mean, it's just an amazing
prophecy pointing to Jesus,
00:43:48.59\00:43:51.03
which was perfectly fulfilled
in Christ's ministry and in
00:43:51.06\00:43:52.86
his death.
00:43:52.89\00:43:55.50
Doug: And then the prophecy that
made me jump up and down when I
00:43:55.53\00:43:57.47
first read it and
understood it was in Daniel.
00:43:57.50\00:44:00.64
Daniel has a lot of prophecy.
00:44:00.67\00:44:02.54
The 490-year prophecy that
perfectly outline the ministry
00:44:02.57\00:44:07.14
of Jesus: when he would be
baptized, when he would die,
00:44:07.18\00:44:10.21
when the message would then go
to the Gentile world, and to see
00:44:10.25\00:44:13.38
how perfectly that all lined up.
00:44:13.42\00:44:16.28
What is--what does prophecy do
for you when you read it and you
00:44:16.32\00:44:18.72
see it fulfilled?
00:44:18.75\00:44:21.59
I remember Dr. Leslie
Harding used to frequently say,
00:44:21.62\00:44:24.56
"Prophecy is best
understood looking back."
00:44:24.59\00:44:27.23
You know, Jesus said, "When
these things come to pass, then
00:44:27.23\00:44:29.46
you will know it's redemptive."
00:44:29.50\00:44:32.00
The purpose of prophecy is to
increase our faith in the Bible.
00:44:32.03\00:44:35.77
When I--you know, as an atheist,
when you see prophecy coming
00:44:35.80\00:44:39.14
true, I started out that way,
you say, "Wow, there's a God.
00:44:39.17\00:44:44.25
He must understand time and
maybe he knows what's coming and
00:44:44.28\00:44:47.22
there's a future, and the rest
of what the Bible says is true."
00:44:47.25\00:44:50.35
People have it--it's easier for
people to believe in the message
00:44:50.39\00:44:53.56
about heaven and hell and
everything in the Bible when
00:44:53.59\00:44:55.72
they see God has
been accurate in prophecy.
00:44:55.76\00:44:58.83
That's why so many evangelists
when they do an evangelistic
00:44:58.86\00:45:02.56
program, what's
their first sermon?
00:45:02.60\00:45:05.43
It's usually Daniel 2.
00:45:05.47\00:45:09.27
They usually--'cause if you get
people coming that don't believe
00:45:09.30\00:45:11.77
the Bible, you've got to get
them to develop confidence in
00:45:11.81\00:45:15.38
the book, and prophecy is
one of the best ways to do that.
00:45:15.41\00:45:17.88
Jean: Probably moving on to
the next section here is Bible
00:45:17.91\00:45:21.12
is history.
00:45:21.15\00:45:22.62
Not only is it a prophetic book,
but it's also a book of history.
00:45:22.65\00:45:24.85
But it's a
unique book of history.
00:45:24.89\00:45:27.06
It's not just simply stating
what individuals have done over
00:45:27.09\00:45:29.69
time or what has happened in
different nations, but central
00:45:29.72\00:45:32.13
to the history in the Bible
is how God interacted with his
00:45:32.16\00:45:35.16
people, how God interacts
with individuals, and how God
00:45:35.20\00:45:38.23
directed in the
affairs of the earth.
00:45:38.27\00:45:41.44
So it's unique history book in
that it send us upon God and his
00:45:41.47\00:45:44.64
dealing with mankind.
00:45:44.67\00:45:46.47
Doug: When you say the word
history, it's really composed of
00:45:46.51\00:45:49.38
two words, his story, and
history is really his story and
00:45:49.41\00:45:57.02
it's the way that
God deals with men.
00:45:57.05\00:45:59.19
You know, some of the great
people through history that have
00:45:59.22\00:46:03.83
talked about the Bible--Abraham
Lincoln, for instance, he said,
00:46:03.86\00:46:07.40
"I believe the Bible is the best
gift God has ever given to men.
00:46:07.40\00:46:12.13
All of the good from the Savior
of the world is communicated to
00:46:12.17\00:46:15.70
us through this book."
00:46:15.74\00:46:18.34
It's quite a statement.
00:46:18.37\00:46:20.34
George Mueller,
this is true also.
00:46:20.38\00:46:22.44
You know who George Mueller
was, that famous Christian that
00:46:22.48\00:46:24.58
sustained an
orphanage by faith for years.
00:46:24.61\00:46:26.68
Never asked for an offering.
00:46:26.72\00:46:28.62
The money always
came through prayer.
00:46:28.65\00:46:30.85
He said, "The vigor of our
spiritual life will be in exact
00:46:30.89\00:46:34.09
proportion to the place
held by the Bible in our life
00:46:34.12\00:46:36.99
and thoughts."
00:46:37.03\00:46:38.96
I think that's inspiring.
00:46:38.99\00:46:41.26
The vigor of our spiritual life
will be in proportion to the
00:46:41.30\00:46:43.26
place that the Scriptures
are held in our life and
00:46:43.30\00:46:45.93
our thoughts.
00:46:45.97\00:46:47.60
If you've got a very low esteem
for the Bible, that'll usually
00:46:47.64\00:46:49.74
reflect in your spiritual life.
00:46:49.77\00:46:51.57
If you have a high esteem for
the Word of God, for sharing,
00:46:51.61\00:46:53.78
living by the Word of God,
reading the Word of God, that
00:46:53.81\00:46:56.51
will lift you.
00:46:56.54\00:46:58.51
And Dwight Moody used to
say, "Sin will keep you from the
00:46:58.55\00:47:01.15
Bible or the Bible
will keep you from sin."
00:47:01.18\00:47:03.65
And I find that's true as well.
00:47:03.69\00:47:06.65
Jean: Now, of course the Old
Testament has a central hope,
00:47:06.69\00:47:08.59
and the New
Testament has a central hope.
00:47:08.62\00:47:11.43
What do you think is the
central hope and focus of the
00:47:11.46\00:47:14.36
Old Testament?
00:47:14.40\00:47:16.20
The coming of the Messiah.
00:47:16.23\00:47:17.97
That was the central hope.
00:47:18.00\00:47:20.14
You find that in
the very first prophecy.
00:47:20.17\00:47:21.94
What do you think is the
central focus and hope in the
00:47:21.97\00:47:23.30
New Testament?
00:47:23.34\00:47:25.11
The second coming of Christ.
00:47:25.14\00:47:27.01
So central to the history in
the Bible is looking forward to
00:47:27.04\00:47:29.91
Christ coming the first time;
and in the New Testament, it's
00:47:29.94\00:47:33.08
looking forward to
Christ coming the second time.
00:47:33.11\00:47:36.18
So the hope in history is Jesus.
00:47:36.22\00:47:38.75
Matter of fact, he's
the only hope for history.
00:47:38.79\00:47:40.96
If you look what's happening
in our world today and what's
00:47:40.99\00:47:43.02
happening amongst the nations,
is there any way our world can
00:47:43.06\00:47:46.13
ever put itself
together and live in peace?
00:47:46.16\00:47:48.53
No, there is hope only in Jesus,
we need his kingdom to come.
00:47:48.56\00:47:53.34
That's why we
pray, "Thy kingdom come."
00:47:53.37\00:47:56.20
Doug: Amen, I
just say amen to that.
00:47:56.24\00:47:58.91
You're preaching there.
00:47:58.94\00:48:02.81
You know, when Jesus came the
first time, he came as a lamb,
00:48:02.84\00:48:10.29
and he's coming the
second time as a lion.
00:48:10.32\00:48:13.46
And people need to understand
the reason for his first coming
00:48:13.49\00:48:16.89
and embrace his sacrifice in
order to be ready to survive the
00:48:16.93\00:48:20.43
second coming.
00:48:20.46\00:48:22.70
And that's what the whole
map of the Bible is about.
00:48:22.73\00:48:24.77
You know, we have 2
minutes left, Pastor Ross.
00:48:24.80\00:48:27.74
Can we get to the part about
transforming the power of--the
00:48:27.77\00:48:30.14
transforming power of the Word?
00:48:30.17\00:48:31.87
We just got a few verses here.
00:48:31.91\00:48:34.04
And you want to
read Hebrews 4, verse 12?
00:48:34.08\00:48:36.48
Jean: Yes, it's under the
section "Transforming Power of
00:48:36.51\00:48:39.48
the Word."
00:48:39.51\00:48:41.28
It says, "For the Word of God
is living and powerful," Hebrews
00:48:41.32\00:48:42.88
4:12, "and sharper than any
two-edged sword, piercing even
00:48:42.92\00:48:45.69
to the division of soul and
spirit, joints and marrow; and
00:48:45.72\00:48:48.16
it is a discerner of the
thoughts and the intents of
00:48:48.19\00:48:51.99
the heart."
00:48:52.03\00:48:53.73
Probably the greatest evidence
for the inspiration of the Bible
00:48:53.76\00:48:55.53
is the way the Bible can change
people's lives, and we have
00:48:55.56\00:48:59.20
exhibit A standing right
next to me today, Pastor Doug.
00:48:59.23\00:49:01.80
And the work of the Lord
has done through him through the
00:49:01.84\00:49:05.34
Word, and what a powerful story
of lives changed by the Bible.
00:49:05.37\00:49:09.48
Doug: There's a story
that they asked you to read.
00:49:09.51\00:49:12.05
And we'll not have time to
read it all now, but I really
00:49:12.08\00:49:14.22
recommend it there
in 2 Kings chapter 22.
00:49:14.25\00:49:17.62
You can read the whole chapter.
00:49:17.65\00:49:19.92
There was a young king
who--well, he told them to clean
00:49:19.95\00:49:23.53
up the temple, and in the
process of cleaning up the
00:49:23.56\00:49:25.39
temple they found the book
of Moses that had been lost.
00:49:25.43\00:49:30.33
Just been covered over through
the reign of some bad kings and
00:49:30.37\00:49:34.84
here--you know, they were a
Jewish nation, but they'd really
00:49:34.87\00:49:37.27
lost the Word.
00:49:37.31\00:49:39.17
And they read it to the king.
00:49:39.21\00:49:41.91
And in the process of
reading, probably the Book of
00:49:41.94\00:49:44.75
Deuteronomy, to King Josiah,
he just wept, tore his clothes.
00:49:44.78\00:49:50.72
He repented.
00:49:50.75\00:49:52.52
There was a revival in the
nation, and it all sprang from
00:49:52.55\00:49:55.19
the rediscovery of the Word.
00:49:55.22\00:49:58.06
And I'm hoping that during this
quarter when we are delving into
00:49:58.09\00:50:01.83
the Word of God, both
here locally and those who are
00:50:01.86\00:50:04.53
joining us online around
the world, that there will be a
00:50:04.57\00:50:07.37
revival that takes place.
00:50:07.40\00:50:09.04
We remember why we believe what
we believe and why we are who we
00:50:09.07\00:50:12.54
are, it's all going to
spring back to the foundation in
00:50:12.57\00:50:16.34
the Word.
00:50:16.38\00:50:18.35
Jean: You know, the Bible tells
us in Romans chapter 12, verse
00:50:18.38\00:50:19.95
2, "Do not be conformed to this
world, but be ye transformed by
00:50:19.98\00:50:23.92
the renewing of your mind."
00:50:23.95\00:50:25.59
It is through the Word
that our mind is transformed.
00:50:25.62\00:50:28.79
It's the power
of the Word of God.
00:50:28.82\00:50:30.86
So we don't want to
underestimate the power of the
00:50:30.89\00:50:33.06
Word of God.
00:50:33.09\00:50:34.56
Matter of fact, how many
people--how many times in your
00:50:34.56\00:50:36.83
life and in the lives of people
you know you have been sustained
00:50:36.87\00:50:39.60
by quoting and claiming a
promise found in the Bible?
00:50:39.63\00:50:43.14
Just this morning, a verse kept
going around and around in my
00:50:43.17\00:50:47.24
mind as I woke up and I
thought, "Wow, what a promise."
00:50:47.28\00:50:50.71
And I repeated it several times.
00:50:50.75\00:50:52.95
There is power
in the Word of God.
00:50:52.98\00:50:54.72
We can claim the promises
of the Bible and have a way of
00:50:54.75\00:50:58.05
transforming us, and
that's good news, that's power.
00:50:58.09\00:51:02.49
Doug: Amen, thank you so
much friends who are joining
00:51:02.52\00:51:04.49
us online.
00:51:04.53\00:51:06.66
And God willing, we'll look
forward to studying his Word
00:51:06.70\00:51:08.33
with you again next week.
00:51:08.36\00:51:09.93
I do want to mention
we have a free offer.
00:51:09.96\00:51:11.50
They're going to put that back
up on the screen, and I think
00:51:11.53\00:51:13.34
it's the book,
"The Ultimate Resource."
00:51:13.37\00:51:15.34
Yes, "The Ultimate Resource."
00:51:15.37\00:51:18.64
Call 866-788-3966 and
we'll send you a free copy.
00:51:18.67\00:51:22.78
You can also download it.
00:51:22.81\00:51:24.45
If you want to text, simply text
the code "SH091" and you text
00:51:24.48\00:51:29.88
that to our
number, which is 40544.
00:51:29.92\00:51:33.02
You'll get the information
there on how to get a free copy.
00:51:33.05\00:51:36.02
You can download it right then.
00:51:36.06\00:51:38.26
God bless you, and
let's stay in prayer.
00:51:38.29\00:51:40.80
We'll study his Word with
you again online next week.
00:51:40.83\00:51:43.10
male announcer: Don't forget
to request today's life-changing
00:51:45.80\00:51:48.34
free resource.
00:51:48.37\00:51:49.60
Not only can you receive this
free gift in the mail, you can
00:51:49.64\00:51:51.67
download a digital copy
straight to your computer or
00:51:51.71\00:51:53.74
mobile device.
00:51:53.78\00:51:55.21
To get your digital copy of
today's free gift, simply text
00:51:55.24\00:51:58.38
the keyword on your screen to
40544 or visit the web address
00:51:58.41\00:52:02.95
shown on your screen, and
be sure to select a digital
00:52:02.98\00:52:06.29
download option
on the request page.
00:52:06.32\00:52:08.62
It's now easier than ever
for you to study God's Word with
00:52:08.66\00:52:11.16
"Amazing Facts" wherever
and whenever you want, and most
00:52:11.19\00:52:14.73
important to
share it with others.
00:52:14.73\00:52:18.10
male: I grew up in
a church-going family.
00:52:20.67\00:52:22.90
I mean, we were
at every meeting.
00:52:22.94\00:52:25.34
I sang in four
of the choirs there.
00:52:25.37\00:52:27.81
I directed three.
00:52:27.84\00:52:29.51
Very involved, very active.
00:52:29.54\00:52:32.91
It almost seemed
like busy work sometimes.
00:52:32.95\00:52:35.22
You know, I went to Sunday
school, I knew about God, I knew
00:52:35.25\00:52:39.59
about Jesus, but I didn't have
a personal relationship with
00:52:39.62\00:52:43.83
Jesus Christ.
00:52:43.86\00:52:46.26
My senior year in high school,
I got the news my father had
00:52:46.29\00:52:51.73
been murdered.
00:52:51.77\00:52:55.00
I played it off well.
00:52:55.04\00:52:56.84
No one really saw that
I was struggling with it.
00:52:56.87\00:53:03.21
It just really felt like there
was a hole that needed to be
00:53:03.24\00:53:06.21
filled, and I tried to fill
it with drugs, with alcohol,
00:53:06.25\00:53:10.49
with partying.
00:53:10.52\00:53:12.19
After college, I just stopped
going to church altogether.
00:53:12.22\00:53:18.79
One day on a Sunday 'cause I
didn't feel like going to church
00:53:18.83\00:53:22.30
with my mom, I thought, "You
know, I should get a little bit
00:53:22.33\00:53:26.53
of Word."
00:53:26.57\00:53:28.37
She had the satellite system
hooked up, and I'm flipping
00:53:28.40\00:53:30.74
through channels and then
the logo pops across, "Amazing
00:53:30.77\00:53:34.41
Facts Presents."
00:53:34.44\00:53:36.18
I've listened to a lot of
different ministers, but this
00:53:36.21\00:53:38.68
was the first time that he's
actually saying something where
00:53:38.71\00:53:41.92
I had to grab my Bible
and actually pick it up.
00:53:41.95\00:53:44.59
"And I've never
heard this before.
00:53:44.62\00:53:46.89
Let me look
through and find this."
00:53:46.92\00:53:48.89
I went through
all the historicals.
00:53:48.92\00:53:51.36
I went through all the study
guides that I just couldn't get
00:53:51.39\00:53:53.43
enough, and then the Sabbath
came up, and he's going through
00:53:53.46\00:53:56.83
the appeal and I'm just
going, "Lord, I hear you.
00:53:56.87\00:53:59.67
I have to go to the church."
00:53:59.70\00:54:01.94
So I show up, it was funny, I
didn't feel like I was going to
00:54:01.97\00:54:05.94
be judged, anything
judgmental, anything.
00:54:05.97\00:54:09.38
I walked in the door and I just
felt at home, but there's still
00:54:09.41\00:54:13.21
a problem.
00:54:13.25\00:54:15.95
I'm still partying.
00:54:15.98\00:54:18.25
I was still
going out to the bars.
00:54:18.29\00:54:20.76
At this time, I was
selling cocaine to pay my rent.
00:54:20.79\00:54:24.06
Sixteen days
later, I find myself in a
00:54:24.09\00:54:27.13
life-or-death situation.
00:54:27.20\00:54:29.36
I just came back from a liquor
store and grabbed a bottle of
00:54:29.40\00:54:33.00
vodka, and there I am high off
cocaine with my Bible in hand
00:54:33.03\00:54:38.27
trying to do a Bible study and
I heard an audible voice, "Just
00:54:38.31\00:54:45.91
look at yourself."
00:54:45.95\00:54:48.42
And I did and I was
like, "What am I doing?"
00:54:48.45\00:54:54.52
And I got on my knees and I
said, "Lord, if you do not take
00:54:54.56\00:54:58.03
this away from me now,
I'm going to kill myself."
00:54:58.06\00:55:02.56
I was going to continue this
lifestyle and I was going to end
00:55:02.60\00:55:06.87
up overdosing, having a
heart attack, whatever it was.
00:55:06.90\00:55:10.84
"You have to take
this away, all of it."
00:55:10.87\00:55:17.41
And that day, he
lifted all of it away from me.
00:55:17.45\00:55:22.18
It was all gone.
00:55:22.22\00:55:24.29
When God does something in
your life, he does it complete.
00:55:24.32\00:55:29.56
¤¤¤
00:55:29.59\00:55:35.00
¤¤¤
00:55:37.23\00:55:46.01
¤¤¤
00:55:50.01\00:55:58.55
Doug: So what is the
brightest light in the world?
00:55:58.59\00:56:01.59
Well, naturally you'd say the
sun, but we're talking about the
00:56:01.62\00:56:03.89
brightest man-made
light in the world.
00:56:03.93\00:56:06.36
It's the light that
shines out of the roof of that
00:56:06.39\00:56:08.96
pyramid-shaped hotel in
Las Vegas called the Luxor.
00:56:09.00\00:56:12.53
There in the cap of that hotel,
there's a room that contains 39
00:56:12.57\00:56:16.60
washing-machine-sized Xenon
bulb, and each of those bulbs
00:56:16.64\00:56:20.81
requires about 7,000 watts.
00:56:20.84\00:56:23.35
All together, they produce
about 40 billion candle power
00:56:23.38\00:56:27.72
of light.
00:56:27.75\00:56:29.05
Can you imagine getting that
electric bill at the Luxor Hotel
00:56:29.08\00:56:31.45
every month?
00:56:31.49\00:56:33.12
That light is so bright
that planes can see it 250
00:56:33.15\00:56:36.66
miles away.
00:56:36.69\00:56:38.23
They are shining light 10 miles
up into space; meaning if you
00:56:38.26\00:56:41.70
happen to be floating by, you
could read a newspaper up there.
00:56:41.73\00:56:46.17
And as you might have guessed,
that bright light has become the
00:56:46.20\00:56:48.64
world's best bug attractor,
bringing in moths and bats and
00:56:48.67\00:56:52.47
owls creating its own ecosystem
there are at night above
00:56:52.51\00:56:55.44
the hotel.
00:56:55.48\00:56:57.11
But the sad thing about the
brightest light in the world is
00:56:57.15\00:56:59.25
especially when the night air
is clear, without any particles,
00:56:59.28\00:57:02.52
the light doesn't hit
anything and it's invisible.
00:57:02.55\00:57:06.86
It shoots up into empty space.
00:57:06.89\00:57:09.29
The brightest light in
the world illuminates nothing.
00:57:09.32\00:57:13.13
You know, the Bible tells
us that there's another great
00:57:13.16\00:57:15.36
wasted light, and
that's the light of God's Word.
00:57:15.40\00:57:18.63
It says in Psalm 119, verse 105,
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet
00:57:18.67\00:57:23.10
and a light unto my path," and
yet so many people are walking
00:57:23.14\00:57:27.28
in darkness.
00:57:27.31\00:57:28.88
Furthermore, Jesus said, "If you
do have that light, make sure
00:57:28.91\00:57:31.81
you don't put it under a
bushel, but you let it shine and
00:57:31.85\00:57:34.22
illuminate the lives of others."
00:57:34.25\00:57:36.15
Jesus said in Matthew chapter
5, "Set your light up on a hill
00:57:36.18\00:57:39.62
like a city so
that all might see it."
00:57:39.65\00:57:42.19
Light only benefits others when
it reflects off of something.
00:57:42.22\00:57:46.56
God wants our lights to
illuminate the lives of others.
00:57:46.59\00:57:50.70
So are you glowing for God?
00:57:50.73\00:57:52.63
Remember, Jesus
said, "Let there be light."
00:57:52.67\00:57:55.54
¤¤¤
00:57:55.57\00:57:58.47