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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"
coming to you from the Amazing
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Facts World Headquarters
in Sacramento, California.
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Of course, this is part of
the Granite Bay online church
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service and as many of you know,
across the country, and really
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around the world, we're doing
something different as we can't
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gather together in large groups
because of the virus, but we can
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still gather
together and study God's Word.
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We have a very exciting lesson
that we want to share with
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you today.
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It's in our lesson quarterly
entitled How To Interpret
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Scripture, and today we find
ourselves on lesson number four
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and it's entitled, The Bible,
The Authoritative Source Of Our
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Theology, very important study.
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What do we believe,
why do we believe it?
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It needs to be
based upon the Bible.
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Well, before we get to our
study, I'd like to remind our
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friends joining us across
the country and around the world
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about our free offer.
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This is actually our first
lesson in the Amazing Facts
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lesson study series entitled,
Is There Anything Left You
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Can Trust?
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And it's all about the Bible,
how do we interpret the Bible,
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how do we understand the Bible?
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If you'd like to receive this
study guide for free, the number
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to call is 866-788-3966 and you
can ask for Offer Number 103.
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You can also text the number,
or the code, SH043 to the number
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40544, and we can send you
a digital link where you'll be
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able to read and study this
right online on your phone, or
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your iPad, or your
computer, whatever it might be.
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Well, even though we're
not meeting with our regular
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congregation, it still gives
us an opportunity to lift our
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voices in song
wherever you might be.
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We invite you to join us for our
Sabbath School song and Jolene
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will come and lead us
in our song this morning.
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Jolene: Thank you, Pastor Ross.
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I invite you to bring out your
hymnals wherever you are, and
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we're going to sing hymn number
523, "My Faith Has Found A
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Resting Place."
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My grandpa and I used to talk
about what it would be like just
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before Jesus came.
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He always wondered,
what is it going to be like?
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How will the earth fall apart?
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This week when I was walking,
I thought of grandpa and I
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thought, boy, if you could see
things now, Grandpa, you'd know
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that we are about to go home.
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So, we're going to sing about
that, 523, we're going to sing
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the first, the
second, and the last verse.
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¤¤¤
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¤ My faith has
found a resting place ¤
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¤ Not in a manmade creed ¤
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¤ I trust the ever living One ¤
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¤ That He for me shall plead ¤
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¤ I need no other evidence ¤
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¤ I need no other plea ¤
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¤ It is enough that Jesus died ¤
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¤ And rose again for me ¤
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¤ Enough for me
that Jesus saves ¤
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¤ This ends my fear and doubt ¤
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¤ A sinful soul ¤
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¤ I come to Him ¤
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¤ He will not cast me out ¤
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¤ I need no other evidence ¤
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¤ I need no other plea ¤
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¤ It is enough ¤
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¤ That Jesus died ¤
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¤ And rose again for me ¤
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¤ The great Physician ¤
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¤ Heals the sick ¤
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¤ The lost He came to save ¤
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¤ For me His
precious blood He shed ¤
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¤ For me His life He gave ¤
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¤ I need no other evidence ¤
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¤ I need no other plea ¤
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¤ It is enough that Jesus died ¤
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¤ And rose again for me ¤
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Jean: Amen, thank you,
Jolene, for that beautiful song,
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and Pastor Doug, welcome.
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We are going to be looking
at a very important study
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this morning.
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Doug Batchelor:
Thank you Pastor, Ross.
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Thank you, Jolene.
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We're going to be talking
today about the authority of
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God's Word.
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We're going through our
quarterly talking about how to
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interpret Scripture and the
study today in particular is
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talking about the
authority of the Bible.
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And we have a memory verse and
the memory verse is from Isaiah
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chapter 8, verse 20.
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Any good evangelist knows this.
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It says, "According to the law,
or to the law, in the testimony
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if they speak not according to
this Word, it is because there
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is no light in them."
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And the Bible needs
to be the bottom line.
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Now, we want to make this as
much as an interactive class as
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we can since we're studying with
you online, and so if any of you
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who are watching now on
Facebook, YouTube Live, that
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would be the Doug Batchelor
Facebook page, The Amazing Facts
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Facebook page, the Granite
Bay Facebook page, and you have
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questions about the lesson,
we want to tell you right at the
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beginning, Pastor Ross is sort
of plugged in with someone who's
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getting your messages,
and they're going to send them
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to him.
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Just give your name and
what your question is about
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the lesson.
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You may have a question about
some of what's happening in the
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world today, and we'll
screen through those as well.
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Send them in, we want to try
and answer as many questions as
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we can.
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And then we'll,
you know, take them.
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Matter of fact, I'm going
to invite Santiago up here.
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We've got people listening or
anyone tuned in from around the
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world, Santiago?
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Yeah, come on up here.
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We can, we're going to put
you--we'll hold our breath,
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don't worry.
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Well, we'll put
you right in here.
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We're trying to maintain
our social, social distance.
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He's kind of keeping
track of who's tuning in.
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>> Santiago: Yeah, we have a
Winsome watching from watching
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from Michigan, Elizabeth
from Germany, Yancey says Happy
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Sabbath from California.
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We got Andrew from South Africa
saying Happy Sabbath, Oscar from
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Florida, Nellen from
New York, Byron from Canada.
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We got Adeli from the North Fork
Church, Marina from Las Vegas.
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Doug: People all over.
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All right, so what will happen
now, if you have a question
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about the lesson, you go ahead
and put that into Facebook, it's
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going to be relayed to Pastor
Ross's computer and he'll share
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that with us.
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Thank you,
Santiago, appreciate that.
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Jean: Well, Pastor Doug, before
we get to our lesson, it's
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probably always good
to have a Word of prayer.
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When we open up the Bible, and
we're studying especially about
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the Bible, we want the
Holy Spirit to help and guide
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our understanding.
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So, let's bow
our heads for prayer.
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Dear Father, we thank you
once again that we do have this
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opportunity to gather together
here in Sacramento, just a few
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of us in the studio, but
those gathered around the world
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in homes.
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We pray, Lord, that you would
be with all of us as we open up
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your Word.
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It's so important, it is the
anchor to our faith and we pray
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that you give us
understanding as we look at this
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important lesson.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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Doug: Amen.
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Jean: Well, Pastor Doug, as you
mentioned a little earlier, we
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are going to invite those who
have Bible questions, probably
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the theme of the questions that
we're hoping for today, anything
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related to the Bible.
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If you have questions about
how to understand the Bible, or
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maybe there's a particular verse
in Scripture that has puzzled
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you and you're wondering,
what exactly does this mean?
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We'd love to hear from you.
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You can just type that
Bible question on Facebook.
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I believe it's the Amazing
Facts Facebook page, or the Doug
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Batchelor Facebook page, and
they're going to email it to me,
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and I'm going to try and take as
many of these questions through
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our program.
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We do want to make sure we have
enough time though to cover the
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lesson because there's some very
important points that we need to
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highlight in the lesson.
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The first thing, if you look on
our opening study, the first day
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it says tradition as being sort
of the subject that we need to
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look at as it
relates to the Bible.
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Doug: Absolutely.
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Now, this subject about
the authority of Scripture, it
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really was the turning point
for the Protestant Reformation
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because the church had said that
really the church and tradition
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are above Scripture and their
argument was, who is it that
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interprets Scripture?
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It must ultimately be the church
that interprets Scripture so the
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authority of the church is above
the authority of Scripture.
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I know that sounds a little
convoluted to a Protestant, but
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for the Protestants they said,
no, the Church must be guided by
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Scripture and the church's
authority is measured, or
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regulated, or
restrained by Scripture.
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The ultimate authority must be
Scripture, even above tradition.
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Now, this is no new problem.
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Jesus dealt with that
during His earthly ministry.
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And maybe to kick this off,
Pastor Ross, if you want to go
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ahead and read Mark 7, go ahead
and read 6 through 13, and then
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we'll comment on that.
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Jean: The verse that we're
looking at is Mark chapter 7,
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beginning then in verse 6.
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If you have your
Bibles, you can follow with us.
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"He answered and said to them,"
Jesus speaking, "'Well did
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Isaiah prophesy of you
hypocrites, as it is written:
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'This people honors Me with
their lips, But their heart is
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far from Me.
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And in vain they worship
Me, Teaching as doctrines the
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commandments of men.
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For laying aside the commandment
of God, you hold the tradition
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of men, the washing of pitchers
and cups, and many other such
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things you do.'
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He said unto them,
this is verse 9, 'All too
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well you reject the commandment
of God, that you may keep
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your tradition.
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For Moses said, 'Honor
your father and your mother.'"
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Of course, it was more than
just Moses who said that, that's
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part of the Ten Commandments.
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"And, 'He who curses his father
and his mother, let him be put
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to death.'
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But you say, 'If a man
says to his father and mother,
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'Whatever profit you
might have received from me is
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Corban' (that is, a gift of
God), then you no longer let him
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do anything for his father or
his mother, making the word of
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God of no effect through
your tradition which you have
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handed down.
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And many such things you do."
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Doug: You know, I used to wonder
when I first read through the
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Bible, what does this mean where
they would say, Corban, and they
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didn't honor
their father and mother.
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And evidently, they had
a manmade tradition sort of
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developed by the priests in
the temple, that, you know, they
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were anxious for
funds to support the temple.
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And someone said, "Well, I would
donate to the temple, but I need
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to take care of my
mother and father in old age."
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And they manufactured a law that
pretty much says if you choose
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to dedicate or will your assets
to the temple, then you can
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declare Corban over it, that
word means gift, and you can
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tell your mother and father, "I
can't really support you in your
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old age."
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Keep in mind, they had no
Social Security back then.
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It was really the obligation
of a family to care for their
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aged parents.
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They say, "sorry, mom and dad,
I'm going to have to actually
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boot you out on the street
or we can't help you because it
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belongs to the Lord now."
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You could use it as long as you
live, but you couldn't give it
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away because it was
dedicated to the Lord.
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And so, they kind of made this
law that you can neglect the law
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about honoring your father and
mother in order for the temple
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to get the money, and the
tradition was trumping the
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commandment of God.
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And He said there's
many things like that you do.
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And so, now, do we have some
of those manmade traditions that
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seemed to trump the commandments
of God in the church today?
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Jean: Well, you know, Pastor
Doug, it's interesting in the
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time of Jesus, that he
was upholding the authority
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of Scripture.
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He would say, "It is written."
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The religious leaders, they
were upset with Jesus because He
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placed the Word
above their traditions.
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Well, you come down a thousand
years later to the time of the
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Reformation and you find once
again, the religious leaders of
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the day being very upset with
the reformers because they said,
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in essence it's the same
thing that Jesus said, is that
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Scripture is above the church's
traditions, and that offended a
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lot of people.
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It actually led to persecution
of Bible-believing Christians.
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Doug: You know, Matthew Henry
in his commentary, he said that
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during the Dark Ages, the church
had manufactured a similar law
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to Corban.
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If someone said that they were
going to join the monastery,
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they could give all their money
to the monastery, they joined
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the monastery, they didn't have
to give anything to their mother
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and father to take care of them.
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And so, he basically said, "You
know, this isn't the first time
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that's happened,
what happened there."
00:13:08.32\00:13:10.52
But why do people
go to church on Sunday?
00:13:10.55\00:13:14.62
Jean: Biblical reason for that.
00:13:14.66\00:13:17.66
Doug: You know, and people say,
"Well, we've done this for over
00:13:17.69\00:13:19.93
a thousand years," which
certainly makes it a tradition.
00:13:19.96\00:13:22.66
When you do something a
long period of time, it sort of
00:13:22.70\00:13:24.30
becomes a tradition, but I've
often stood up in live meetings
00:13:24.33\00:13:27.64
with hundreds, thousands of
people and I say, show me one
00:13:27.67\00:13:31.17
verse in Scripture that commands
us to keep the first day holy as
00:13:31.21\00:13:35.94
the Sabbath.
00:13:35.98\00:13:37.41
And there's usually a deafening
silence, nobody says anything.
00:13:37.45\00:13:41.32
I say, all right,
then why are we doing it?
00:13:41.35\00:13:43.59
Tradition.
00:13:43.62\00:13:44.99
And they'll have lots o
arguments like, "Well, it's
00:13:45.02\00:13:46.76
because we're
not under the law."
00:13:46.79\00:13:48.46
So, why are we
keeping Sundays the Sabbath?
00:13:48.49\00:13:49.96
It's the Lord's day.
00:13:49.99\00:13:51.29
But where are we
commanded to do that?
00:13:51.33\00:13:52.66
"Well, it said John was in
the spirit on the Lord's day."
00:13:52.69\00:13:54.40
So, where does it say
He's resting and that is
00:13:54.46\00:13:55.93
a new Sabbath?
00:13:55.96\00:13:57.30
Where does it say God
threw out the Old Sabbath?
00:13:57.33\00:13:59.37
It's just a tradition.
00:13:59.40\00:14:01.77
Jean: But if you look at what
the Lord's Day is in the Bible,
00:14:01.80\00:14:04.07
it's pretty clear that there
is a day that God claims is His.
00:14:04.11\00:14:07.18
That's the seventh
day, it's the Sabbath.
00:14:07.21\00:14:09.08
So, the idea that Sunday is
now the new Lord's day, it's
00:14:09.11\00:14:11.38
not biblical.
00:14:11.41\00:14:12.85
You know, we do have folks who
are sending in questions, Pastor
00:14:12.88\00:14:14.55
Doug, as you mentioned, they
are coming in, and let's try and
00:14:14.58\00:14:17.32
take a few of them.
00:14:17.35\00:14:18.72
Manny's asking the question,
"Who decides what is, or which
00:14:18.75\00:14:22.52
is Scripture?"
00:14:22.56\00:14:23.89
We're talking about the
authority and importance of
00:14:23.93\00:14:25.33
Scripture but who
gets to decide this?
00:14:25.36\00:14:27.23
Is it the church that
decides what Scripture is?
00:14:27.30\00:14:29.50
Doug: Well, the Bible, the Bible
is the one who--the Bible is the
00:14:29.53\00:14:34.40
one--the Bible is the book that
has been agreed upon from the
00:14:34.44\00:14:38.77
days of the apostles, and
I can hear where the person's
00:14:38.81\00:14:41.94
coming from.
00:14:41.98\00:14:43.31
They're saying, "Well,
it's the church who decided what
00:14:43.35\00:14:44.71
was Scripture."
00:14:44.75\00:14:46.31
It says the authority of the
church is above the authority of
00:14:46.35\00:14:47.72
the Bible.
00:14:47.75\00:14:49.32
Once the church comes
together and decides this is
00:14:49.35\00:14:50.72
Scripture--it was the
early church in the time of the
00:14:50.75\00:14:52.85
apostles that first recognized
what the books of the New
00:14:52.89\00:14:56.86
Testament were.
00:14:56.89\00:14:58.19
By the time of Christ, Jesus
tells us what Scripture is, and
00:14:58.23\00:15:01.66
in the time of the apostles,
they're telling us what
00:15:01.70\00:15:03.30
Scripture is.
00:15:03.33\00:15:04.70
And these are the holy men that
are moved by the Holy Spirit, so
00:15:04.73\00:15:07.04
that's been
established since 100 A.D.
00:15:07.07\00:15:10.14
right into the
Book of Revelation.
00:15:10.17\00:15:12.34
Jean: What I find interesting is
that the Scripture precedes, if
00:15:12.37\00:15:14.98
you like, the church.
00:15:15.01\00:15:16.64
Let me explain, in the time of
Abraham, you know, God spoke to
00:15:16.68\00:15:20.55
Abraham and his descendants, God
communicated directly with him.
00:15:20.58\00:15:23.79
But it's not until the time of
Moses that you actually have the
00:15:23.82\00:15:26.19
Scripture being written down.
00:15:26.22\00:15:27.59
And we believe that during
the 40 years when Moses in the
00:15:27.62\00:15:29.89
wilderness, he began to write
possibly the Book of Genesis
00:15:29.92\00:15:32.23
during that
time, the Book of Job.
00:15:32.26\00:15:33.90
So, by the time the children of
Israel come up out of Egypt and
00:15:33.93\00:15:36.33
they, in essence, become the
Old Testament church, there is
00:15:36.36\00:15:39.40
already a Scripture given under
the inspiration of God by Moses,
00:15:39.43\00:15:43.84
maybe just one
or two of the books.
00:15:43.87\00:15:45.44
But as time has gone on,
the time of Christ, the Old
00:15:45.47\00:15:48.51
Testament, which
was the Scripture, was
00:15:48.54\00:15:50.48
already established.
00:15:50.51\00:15:51.95
And in the New Testament era,
the Scripture that the apostles
00:15:51.98\00:15:54.18
refer to was the Old Testament.
00:15:54.22\00:15:56.62
And then as time went on,
you find some of the apostles
00:15:56.65\00:15:58.62
referring to the writings
of some of the other apostles.
00:15:58.65\00:16:01.19
So, it's not a church that
gets to say, "I think this is
00:16:01.22\00:16:03.96
Scripture and that's Scripture,"
it's really the Bible that tells
00:16:03.99\00:16:07.03
us what is inspired
and what's not inspired.
00:16:07.10\00:16:10.27
Doug: And even the last book of
the Bible was Revelation and it
00:16:10.30\00:16:13.34
says, "If any man thinks to add
to the words of this book, he's
00:16:13.37\00:16:17.47
going to be called least, or the
curses will be added to him if
00:16:17.51\00:16:20.28
he thinks to add or if he takes
away, his name is going to be
00:16:20.31\00:16:22.81
taken away from
the Book of Life."
00:16:22.84\00:16:24.78
So, now are all traditions bad?
00:16:24.81\00:16:29.32
Just because something's a
tradition doesn't mean it's no
00:16:29.35\00:16:31.65
good if you can't
find it in the Bible.
00:16:31.69\00:16:33.62
You know, we, in our culture, we
mentioned there's no commandment
00:16:33.66\00:16:38.46
to keep holy the
first day of the week.
00:16:38.49\00:16:40.53
But there's nothing wrong
with a person going to church on
00:16:40.56\00:16:43.57
Wednesday, or
Thursday, or any day.
00:16:43.60\00:16:46.67
It's just not
commanded as the Sabbath.
00:16:46.70\00:16:48.54
Nothing wrong with
keeping Thanksgiving.
00:16:48.57\00:16:50.41
We've got a tradition, you
might say in our culture, that
00:16:50.44\00:16:55.21
Thanksgiving is a great time for
families to get together, but
00:16:55.24\00:16:59.28
there's no command to do
that, but there's nothing wrong
00:16:59.31\00:17:02.08
morally with it.
00:17:02.12\00:17:05.72
You know, we have a tradition
that people shake hands.
00:17:05.75\00:17:08.76
Jean: Can't do that now.
00:17:08.79\00:17:11.16
Doug: Yeah, that's right but
I was going to say, where does
00:17:11.19\00:17:13.09
that come from?
00:17:13.13\00:17:14.83
There's no commandment.
00:17:14.86\00:17:16.40
In the Bible, it says greet
the brethren with a holy kiss.
00:17:16.43\00:17:18.77
So, while we're talking
about this, let me read a couple
00:17:18.80\00:17:21.94
things here.
00:17:21.97\00:17:23.81
For instance, if you look
in 1 Corinthians 11, verse 12,
00:17:23.84\00:17:27.31
maybe next you can read
2 Thessalonians 3, verse 6
00:17:27.34\00:17:30.45
through 7.
00:17:30.48\00:17:32.01
I'll read 1
Corinthians 11, verse 2 rather.
00:17:32.05\00:17:34.52
"Now I praise you, brethren,
that you remember me in all
00:17:34.55\00:17:37.19
things and keep the traditions."
00:17:37.22\00:17:39.82
Now some people say, "Well,
they're just telling us keep
00:17:39.85\00:17:41.49
the traditions."
00:17:41.52\00:17:42.82
That word "tradition" there is
actually precepts or ordinance.
00:17:42.86\00:17:47.10
So he's saying, "Keep the
precepts and the ordinances that
00:17:47.13\00:17:49.30
we taught you."
00:17:49.33\00:17:50.83
So, the disciples were not
saying, the apostles were not
00:17:50.87\00:17:52.90
saying that we're to
keep manmade tradition
00:17:52.93\00:17:54.84
above Scripture.
00:17:54.87\00:17:57.31
That word there is really
talking about the precepts or
00:17:57.34\00:17:58.91
the teachings that were given.
00:17:58.94\00:18:00.31
Jean: You know, the apostles
gave practical information on
00:18:00.34\00:18:02.44
the church, how the church
was to worship, how they were to
00:18:02.48\00:18:05.08
organize, how they were to take
care of the needs of certain
00:18:05.11\00:18:07.95
members in the church, and
these sort of became traditions.
00:18:07.98\00:18:11.05
They didn't trump the authority
of the Bible, but it helped to
00:18:11.09\00:18:13.46
do things decently and
in order, as the Bible says.
00:18:13.49\00:18:16.42
2 Thessalonians chapter 3:6
and 7 says, "But we command you,
00:18:16.46\00:18:20.16
brethren, in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that you
00:18:20.20\00:18:22.63
withdraw from every brother
who walks disorderly and not
00:18:22.66\00:18:26.53
according to the tradition
which you received from us.
00:18:26.57\00:18:31.07
For you yourselves know how you
ought to follow us, for we were
00:18:31.11\00:18:35.31
not disorderly among you."
00:18:35.34\00:18:37.68
Doug: That's right.
00:18:37.71\00:18:39.21
And so there again, you see,
we've given you an example in
00:18:39.25\00:18:41.55
our lives and it's
also based on the Word.
00:18:41.58\00:18:44.92
You know, even in our church,
we've got some traditions.
00:18:44.95\00:18:48.99
I know when I first--I came
from the Sunday keeping churches
00:18:49.02\00:18:52.56
before I became a Seventh Day
Adventist, and they said, "Yeah,
00:18:52.59\00:18:56.03
we're going to get
together for haystacks."
00:18:56.06\00:18:58.43
I thought, what's a haystack?
00:18:58.47\00:19:02.07
So, you know, for those who are
watching that don't know, it's
00:19:02.10\00:19:05.97
sort of a traditional potluck
meal where everyone brings their
00:19:06.01\00:19:09.24
chips, and their beans, and
their sauce, and their lettuce,
00:19:09.28\00:19:11.58
and their olives, and their
onions, and they chop it all up
00:19:11.61\00:19:13.45
and they kind of make
a vegetarian tortillas or
00:19:13.48\00:19:16.52
something like that.
00:19:16.55\00:19:18.32
Jean: You know, Pastor
Doug, that is an international
00:19:18.35\00:19:19.79
Adventists tradition because
I grew up in South Africa.
00:19:19.82\00:19:22.69
I didn't know
anything about Mexican food.
00:19:22.72\00:19:24.46
We don't get Mexican food in
South Africa, but we all knew
00:19:24.49\00:19:26.73
what haystacks were,
all the Adventists did.
00:19:26.76\00:19:28.76
So it crosses borders.
00:19:28.80\00:19:31.13
We have somebody asking
a question about the Bible.
00:19:31.17\00:19:33.30
It's Natie* is asking, "There
are those who said that the
00:19:33.34\00:19:36.24
Bible borrowed many things from
Egyptian mythology, but they say
00:19:36.27\00:19:39.77
that the book of the dead is
older than the Bible, and how
00:19:39.81\00:19:43.91
true is that?"
00:19:43.95\00:19:45.51
I guess maybe to add to that
a little bit, people say, "Well,
00:19:45.55\00:19:47.98
there were sacrifices
in these pagan religions.
00:19:48.02\00:19:50.62
Some will argue that Moses
just adopted some of these pagan
00:19:50.65\00:19:53.79
practices and incorporated
that in the sanctuary service.
00:19:53.82\00:19:58.03
Doug: All right, well,
I'll respectfully disagree.
00:19:58.06\00:20:00.66
I think that there may be
truths that you'll find in other
00:20:00.70\00:20:03.77
cultures that went from the
Tower of Babel to their cultures
00:20:03.80\00:20:07.47
that originated with God.
00:20:07.50\00:20:09.30
The sacrificial system
predates the Tower of Babel.
00:20:09.34\00:20:13.07
And so, many cultures had
sacrificial systems, and many of
00:20:13.11\00:20:16.48
them would only
sacrifice clean animals.
00:20:16.51\00:20:19.21
It might just be clean birds.
00:20:19.25\00:20:20.72
I think there are a number of
tribes in Africa that would only
00:20:20.75\00:20:22.52
sacrifice what the Bible would
call a clean bird, and they did
00:20:22.55\00:20:26.92
sacrifice cattle
too, the Masi* and others.
00:20:26.96\00:20:31.29
So, I think that if they
found some truth in the Egyptian
00:20:31.33\00:20:35.10
writings and the Egyptian
practice, they were probably
00:20:35.13\00:20:37.50
holdovers that came
from the truths of the Bible.
00:20:37.53\00:20:41.10
And so, rather than Moses
borrowing it from them, they got
00:20:41.14\00:20:45.04
it from Noah, and Adam, and Eve.
00:20:45.07\00:20:47.24
And, of course, it just, that's
why you see a similarity there.
00:20:47.28\00:20:50.11
Jean: And of course, this
is not only talking about the
00:20:50.15\00:20:52.08
sacrificial system, but I think
we mentioned this a week or so
00:20:52.11\00:20:54.32
ago that even the story of
the flood is carried down in
00:20:54.35\00:20:57.35
different tribal traditions or
legends talking about, in some
00:20:57.39\00:21:01.59
cases, it's a group of eight
that were saved by a canoe.
00:21:01.62\00:21:05.46
They talk about a big bolder,
box or something, and it's got
00:21:05.49\00:21:09.26
essence of truth.
00:21:09.30\00:21:10.80
But you find the real
true story, of course, found in
00:21:10.83\00:21:13.50
the Bible.
00:21:13.54\00:21:14.90
Somebody else
has another question.
00:21:14.94\00:21:16.60
Ruthie's asking,
"There's a principle in
00:21:16.64\00:21:18.44
Bible interpretation.
00:21:18.47\00:21:19.84
How can you be sure that a
day in Bible prophecy stands for
00:21:19.87\00:21:23.28
a year?"
00:21:23.31\00:21:25.08
Doug: All right, when you're
interpreting Bible prophecy, of
00:21:25.11\00:21:27.08
course, look at the context.
00:21:27.12\00:21:28.42
Is it a time prophecy?
00:21:28.45\00:21:30.02
And God gives the example that
for the 40 days, the 12 spies
00:21:30.05\00:21:33.76
went through the Promised Land.
00:21:33.79\00:21:35.12
He said for every day
they went, ten of the spies did
00:21:35.16\00:21:37.26
not believe.
00:21:37.29\00:21:39.13
He says you're gonna spend
a year marching through this
00:21:39.16\00:21:40.93
wilderness, a day for a year.
00:21:40.96\00:21:42.66
God told Ezekiel you lay on your
side, I believe it was Ezekiel.
00:21:42.70\00:21:46.57
He says, "For every day you
lay on your side, it will be
00:21:46.60\00:21:48.84
a year."
00:21:48.87\00:21:50.44
And Jesus, I think gives a
really good example of a day for
00:21:50.47\00:21:53.04
a year.
00:21:53.07\00:21:54.44
When John the Baptist had been
arrested, it may have been even
00:21:54.48\00:21:56.44
after John the Baptist was
beheaded, some came and told
00:21:56.48\00:21:59.31
Jesus what Herod had done.
00:21:59.35\00:22:00.95
They're basically saying,
"You better run and hide.
00:22:00.98\00:22:02.62
Look what happened to John."
00:22:02.65\00:22:04.15
He said, "Go tell that fox
that I teach, do cures, cast
00:22:04.19\00:22:07.29
out devils.
00:22:07.32\00:22:08.86
Today, tomorrow, and the
third day, I'll be perfected."
00:22:08.89\00:22:13.63
Well, this happened six
months into Jesus' ministry.
00:22:13.66\00:22:15.80
He did not teach three
more days, he taught three more
00:22:15.83\00:22:18.20
years, and he was making
a prophecy, a prediction.
00:22:18.23\00:22:21.74
And so, even Jesus used
the day for the year principle.
00:22:21.77\00:22:25.34
Jean: And of course, if you take
that principle and you apply it
00:22:25.37\00:22:27.48
to a prophecy found in Daniel
9, we call it the 70 weeks, you
00:22:27.51\00:22:30.71
have to apply the year
for, a day for a year principle
00:22:30.75\00:22:33.78
otherwise, it really
doesn't have any meaning.
00:22:33.82\00:22:36.28
But if you do apply
that principle, it has great
00:22:36.32\00:22:38.39
significance because it
points to the coming of Christ,
00:22:38.42\00:22:40.19
the Messiah.
00:22:40.22\00:22:41.96
Doug: Yep, very good.
00:22:41.99\00:22:43.73
And jump in with any other
questions or we can keep going.
00:22:43.76\00:22:45.36
Jean: Yeah, let me ask one
more and then we'll move to the
00:22:45.39\00:22:46.86
next section.
00:22:46.90\00:22:48.46
Here is one that's asking, good
question, a lot of questions.
00:22:48.50\00:22:50.63
Thank you for your questions.
00:22:50.67\00:22:52.13
This one is from Lynn, "How can
you explain to an atheist that
00:22:52.17\00:22:57.11
the Bible is authoritative?
00:22:57.14\00:23:00.31
How can you explain the
authenticity," exactly the way
00:23:00.34\00:23:02.84
she worded it, "of
the Bible to an atheist?"
00:23:02.88\00:23:06.28
Doug: Well, I'm glad
they're asking that question.
00:23:06.31\00:23:07.95
We have a section here in the
lesson that talks about reason,
00:23:07.98\00:23:11.65
and I'm just gonna jump to that
now because none of these really
00:23:11.69\00:23:14.06
have to be given.
00:23:14.09\00:23:15.49
I don't think the authors
of the lesson will mind if we
00:23:15.52\00:23:16.86
jump around.
00:23:16.89\00:23:18.33
These are just five principles
of how you understand the
00:23:18.36\00:23:20.16
authority of the Bible.
00:23:20.20\00:23:22.30
Martin Luther, when he stood
before the Diet of Worms and
00:23:22.33\00:23:25.70
they were asking him about
his beliefs, he made a kind of a
00:23:25.73\00:23:28.94
famous statement, he said,
"Unless I am convinced by the
00:23:28.97\00:23:32.51
testimony of Scripture or by
clear reason, for I do not trust
00:23:32.54\00:23:37.11
that either the Pope and his
counsels alone, since it's well
00:23:37.15\00:23:39.91
known they've often erred and
contradicted themselves, I am
00:23:39.95\00:23:42.95
bound by the Scriptures I've
quoted and by my conscience that
00:23:42.98\00:23:47.16
is captive to the Word of God, I
cannot recant anything since it
00:23:47.19\00:23:50.69
is neither safe or right
to go against conscience.
00:23:50.73\00:23:53.33
May God help me."
00:23:53.36\00:23:54.63
But I think--and he
said, "May God help me, amen."
00:23:54.66\00:23:56.33
So, I think Martin Luther there
he's saying, "You need to show
00:23:56.36\00:23:59.40
me by Scriptures and reason."
00:23:59.43\00:24:01.84
Well, the Lord says in
His Word, "Come now, let us
00:24:01.87\00:24:04.17
reason together."
00:24:04.21\00:24:05.84
God wants us to use our noodle.
00:24:05.87\00:24:07.68
And whenever an evangelist,
you're talking about reaching an
00:24:07.71\00:24:10.18
atheist, every time, you know,
you've done an evangelistic
00:24:10.21\00:24:13.45
meeting, we just finished
a meeting here, Carlos did,
00:24:13.48\00:24:15.95
in Folsom.
00:24:15.98\00:24:17.79
And every evangelistic meeting I
have performed, I always assume
00:24:17.82\00:24:21.06
that there are people there that
don't believe the Bible or don't
00:24:21.09\00:24:24.13
understand the Bible and so, I
need to show them through logic
00:24:24.16\00:24:27.86
and reason why the
Bible should be believed.
00:24:27.86\00:24:30.90
Amazing Facts just completed
a DVD, it's called, "Kingdoms in
00:24:30.93\00:24:35.77
Time," where we take
approximately 40 prophecies in
00:24:35.80\00:24:39.01
the Bible and we show how these
prophecies were made before the
00:24:39.04\00:24:42.84
event, and then
they're fulfilled.
00:24:42.88\00:24:45.05
And a logical person would
say this is a supernatural book
00:24:45.08\00:24:48.25
because it foretells something
and then you see it was foretold
00:24:48.28\00:24:50.95
before the event happened.
00:24:50.99\00:24:52.39
It's exactly fulfilled.
00:24:52.42\00:24:53.82
This author of this book must
have supernatural insight, and
00:24:53.86\00:24:57.89
that then gives credibility to
the rest of the Bible as sacred
00:24:57.93\00:25:00.96
message from God,
as a sacred message.
00:25:00.96\00:25:03.67
Jean: I think that's one of
the most compelling reasons.
00:25:03.70\00:25:05.90
If somebody were to look, even
if they're an atheist and they
00:25:05.93\00:25:08.17
look at the prophecies in the
Bible, so many which have become
00:25:08.20\00:25:10.67
true, you got
to just use reason.
00:25:10.71\00:25:13.58
And if you have some sort of
understanding of history, you're
00:25:13.61\00:25:16.48
going to reach the conclusion
that there's something unique
00:25:16.51\00:25:18.41
and special about this book.
00:25:18.45\00:25:20.05
No other book, no other
religious book, whether it's the
00:25:20.08\00:25:22.15
Qur'an, or whether it's some
writing of the Hindu faith, has
00:25:22.18\00:25:26.19
prophecy that has been so
accurately fulfilled and the
00:25:26.22\00:25:30.16
prediction hundreds
of years in advance.
00:25:30.19\00:25:32.09
That sets the Bible
above any other book.
00:25:32.13\00:25:33.96
Doug: Yeah, and the prophecies
about Jesus you read in the
00:25:34.00\00:25:36.06
Psalms where it says, his hands
and his feet would be pierced,
00:25:36.10\00:25:40.00
they would gamble for his
clothing, he would declare from
00:25:40.04\00:25:42.40
the cross, "My God, my
God, why have you forsaken me?"
00:25:42.44\00:25:45.14
That a mob would surround him
and mock him, that he would be
00:25:45.17\00:25:48.18
betrayed by a close friend for
30 pieces of silver, and that
00:25:48.21\00:25:52.15
silver would be cast
down in the house of the Lord.
00:25:52.18\00:25:54.55
These things are given a
thousand years in advance.
00:25:54.58\00:25:58.02
That detail, I mean, you look at
the prophecies of Nostradamus,
00:25:58.05\00:26:02.02
and I'm not recommending that.
00:26:02.06\00:26:03.66
But, you know, some people have
talked about the prophecies of
00:26:03.69\00:26:05.79
Nostradamus and I look at them
and I go, what a garbled bunch
00:26:05.83\00:26:08.86
of fortune cookie utterances.
00:26:08.90\00:26:10.57
It doesn't make any sense.
00:26:10.60\00:26:12.30
And people try to force
history into these very vague
00:26:12.33\00:26:16.74
prophecies, or the Oracle of
Delphi, and it's just all these
00:26:16.77\00:26:19.71
strange mutterings.
00:26:19.74\00:26:21.48
The prophecies in the Bible
are explicit, and clear, and
00:26:21.51\00:26:24.68
precise, and there's
no misunderstanding them.
00:26:24.71\00:26:27.65
So, that, I think,
would convince a person.
00:26:27.68\00:26:31.29
Jean: Talking about the
prophecies in the Bible, we have
00:26:31.32\00:26:32.82
Monica that's asking a question
and it's related to one of the
00:26:32.85\00:26:35.72
verses in the
Book of Revelation.
00:26:35.76\00:26:37.56
It says, "There is a verse that
refers to the seven Spirits of
00:26:37.59\00:26:41.00
God, what are those Spirits?"
00:26:41.03\00:26:43.93
Is the question.
00:26:43.97\00:26:45.30
Doug: Good question.
00:26:45.33\00:26:47.17
Let's take a look real quick in
our Bible, and I think that one
00:26:47.20\00:26:49.44
of the keys for understanding
the authority of the Bible is
00:26:49.47\00:26:52.64
let the Bible explain the Bible.
00:26:52.67\00:26:54.64
I'm going to go to
Isaiah chapter 11, almost there,
00:26:54.68\00:26:58.85
verse 2.
00:26:58.88\00:27:00.82
And it says, "The Spirit,"
speaking of the Messiah, "The
00:27:00.85\00:27:03.18
Spirit of the Lord shall rest
upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom
00:27:03.22\00:27:06.96
and understanding, The Spirit of
counsel and might, The Spirit of
00:27:06.99\00:27:10.29
knowledge and the
fear of the Lord."
00:27:10.33\00:27:13.03
So, when it's talking about the
seven Spirits of God, you have
00:27:13.06\00:27:15.43
here seven, if you include the
Spirit of the Lord being one,
00:27:15.46\00:27:18.80
you get seven facets
of the Spirit of the Lord.
00:27:18.83\00:27:21.60
Seven is, of course, a perfect
number and it's talking about
00:27:21.64\00:27:24.74
the all knowing.
00:27:24.77\00:27:26.54
You know, time is
developed in a seven day week.
00:27:26.57\00:27:30.11
God created our
first cycle of time.
00:27:30.15\00:27:32.18
And it represents that God
is all knowing, the perfect,
00:27:32.21\00:27:35.95
complete cycle.
00:27:35.98\00:27:37.32
The Holy Spirit knows all
things, He guides, wisdom,
00:27:37.35\00:27:39.49
peace, so forth.
00:27:39.52\00:27:41.22
And so, some have thought,
"Well, these are the seven
00:27:41.26\00:27:43.83
attributes of the Holy Spirit."
00:27:43.86\00:27:46.33
Jean: Absolutely, of course,
that verse found in Revelation
00:27:46.36\00:27:48.00
chapter 4 that talks about the
seven spirits, Revelation is a
00:27:48.03\00:27:51.60
symbolic book, and there are
some very significant, you know,
00:27:51.63\00:27:54.87
the numbers in
Revelation are significant.
00:27:54.90\00:27:56.91
Number one and number three,
the number seven, number four, I
00:27:56.94\00:28:00.38
mean these are
significant numbers, number 12.
00:28:00.41\00:28:02.74
Doug: And it talks about
that lamb that's got seven eyes.
00:28:02.78\00:28:05.98
That's obviously unless you've
seen a lamb with seven eyes
00:28:06.01\00:28:08.18
before, that means God, he knows
all things and he's got seven
00:28:08.22\00:28:11.69
horns and that represents all
power in the Bible that it was
00:28:11.72\00:28:15.52
the power of their cattle.
00:28:15.56\00:28:17.26
And so, all right, what else?
00:28:17.29\00:28:19.26
Shall I go back to the lesson?
00:28:19.29\00:28:20.73
Do you have another question?
00:28:20.76\00:28:22.30
Jean: I got another question,
Pastor Doug, and then we'll jump
00:28:22.33\00:28:23.70
right in the lesson.
00:28:23.73\00:28:25.30
Abraham is asking, "What do we
say to people who said that the
00:28:25.33\00:28:26.70
Bible is out of
touch with modern society?"
00:28:26.74\00:28:30.67
What can we
share with them to say?
00:28:30.71\00:28:33.27
Well, no, it's useful.
00:28:33.31\00:28:35.51
It's true for us today.
00:28:35.54\00:28:38.05
Doug: Well, in our next section,
that's probably a good segue,
00:28:38.08\00:28:40.88
it's talking about
culture, not tradition.
00:28:40.92\00:28:42.88
It's talking about culture.
00:28:42.92\00:28:44.35
And when you read in the Bible
about culture, you've got to
00:28:44.39\00:28:49.16
keep in mind, not only the
culture that we're living in,
00:28:49.19\00:28:52.26
which should not compromise
anything, we shouldn't be
00:28:52.29\00:28:55.46
compromising truth
to accommodate culture.
00:28:55.50\00:28:57.63
But when you read the Bible, you
need to recognize the culture in
00:28:57.67\00:29:00.67
which it was written.
00:29:00.70\00:29:02.47
You know, a lot of what Jesus
said, it was an agrarian society
00:29:02.50\00:29:06.14
where they had goats, and
they had sheep, and they were
00:29:06.17\00:29:07.94
farmers, and they fished.
00:29:07.98\00:29:09.31
And Jesus tells parables
about fishing, about farming,
00:29:09.34\00:29:13.35
about goats.
00:29:13.38\00:29:15.05
Now, living most of the
world today, they do not live
00:29:15.08\00:29:17.35
on farms.
00:29:17.39\00:29:19.32
Most of the world is
living in cities today.
00:29:19.35\00:29:21.79
And so, we need to keep in
mind, who is Jesus talking to?
00:29:21.82\00:29:24.83
It helps us then to understand
their culture as we read
00:29:24.86\00:29:27.93
the Bible.
00:29:27.96\00:29:29.30
So, that's one aspect.
00:29:29.33\00:29:30.80
But then we are in a culture
that is, does a lot of things
00:29:30.83\00:29:37.27
that are not biblical.
00:29:37.31\00:29:38.94
Now, there's some cultural
things we've got, there's
00:29:38.97\00:29:40.68
nothing wrong with it.
00:29:40.71\00:29:42.18
As I mentioned a minute ago,
you know, we've got the habit of
00:29:42.21\00:29:46.08
shaking hands or something like
that, but you should never--
00:29:46.11\00:29:50.52
Jean: Even in other cultures,
I mean, for example, you just
00:29:50.55\00:29:52.82
reminded me, Pastor, that when
we were in India, you asked to
00:29:52.85\00:29:56.66
speak at one of the
largest Christian churches.
00:29:56.69\00:29:58.96
It's amazing.
00:29:58.99\00:30:00.43
It's actually in India, but part
of their tradition, when you go
00:30:00.46\00:30:02.26
up onto the stage and you begin
to preach or go in front of the
00:30:02.30\00:30:04.93
pulpit, you remove your shoes.
00:30:04.97\00:30:07.14
Now, that's not something we
do in North America, but it's a
00:30:07.17\00:30:09.54
sign of respect and
a sign of reverence.
00:30:09.57\00:30:13.41
When you go into
church, you take your shoes off.
00:30:13.44\00:30:15.48
Doug: This church had
30,000 cubby holes for shoes.
00:30:15.51\00:30:19.55
I thought I'd
never get my shoes back.
00:30:19.58\00:30:21.88
Jean: Everybody places their
shoes outside the church and
00:30:21.92\00:30:23.95
then they go in.
00:30:23.99\00:30:25.42
So, now there's
nothing wrong with that.
00:30:25.45\00:30:27.16
You know, that's
a sign of reverence.
00:30:27.19\00:30:28.59
Here in North America, if you're
a man and you're going to the
00:30:28.62\00:30:30.99
church and you're wearing
a baseball cap, you'll take
00:30:31.03\00:30:33.13
it off.
00:30:33.16\00:30:34.56
It's a sign of
reverence and respect.
00:30:34.60\00:30:36.30
Doug: But when we were in
Israel, we went to the Wailing
00:30:36.33\00:30:37.73
Wall, I had to
keep my baseball cap on.
00:30:37.77\00:30:40.77
They prefer you use a yarmulke,
but they said at least if you've
00:30:40.80\00:30:42.90
got a head covering, so a
lot of people went up with their
00:30:42.94\00:30:44.74
baseball caps.
00:30:44.77\00:30:46.31
I kind of turned mine around
backwards to be more respectful.
00:30:46.34\00:30:48.34
But, so that was purely a
cultural thing, whatever the
00:30:48.38\00:30:52.08
respect is in your culture.
00:30:52.11\00:30:54.25
I might read a little definition
here, what is culture.
00:30:54.28\00:30:56.28
"Culture is the characteristic
and knowledge of a particular
00:30:56.32\00:30:59.09
group of people encompassing
language, values, religion,
00:30:59.12\00:31:02.62
cuisine, social
habits, music, and art."
00:31:02.66\00:31:05.33
And so, values, there may
be values that change in a
00:31:05.36\00:31:09.46
particular culture, but biblical
values should always trump, or
00:31:09.50\00:31:14.40
go before, the
values of the culture.
00:31:14.44\00:31:19.57
Jean: So, we find two things,
we find traditions and we
00:31:19.61\00:31:22.18
find principles.
00:31:22.21\00:31:23.85
The principles are
founded upon the Word of God.
00:31:23.88\00:31:25.51
The ultimate set of
principles is of course, the Ten
00:31:25.55\00:31:27.78
Commandments and
that needs to be absolute.
00:31:27.82\00:31:30.25
But the traditions might vary
from place to place, and it's
00:31:30.29\00:31:33.32
not always wrong.
00:31:33.36\00:31:34.69
It might have cultural
influence, but we never want to
00:31:34.72\00:31:36.46
have a tradition
stand in opposition to a
00:31:36.49\00:31:40.46
biblical principle.
00:31:40.50\00:31:42.03
You know, in the case, we have
Daniel and his three friends.
00:31:42.06\00:31:44.37
We got the three friends
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
00:31:44.40\00:31:46.50
It might have been cultural for
them in Babylon to show their
00:31:46.53\00:31:49.77
loyalty to the king by bowing
down to the golden image, but
00:31:49.80\00:31:53.78
that was going
against a biblical principle.
00:31:53.81\00:31:56.38
And even at, you know, losing
their life, they were willing to
00:31:56.41\00:31:59.65
lose their life than violate one
of those biblical principles.
00:31:59.68\00:32:02.85
Doug: Yeah, and like for
an example, we're wearing ties
00:32:02.88\00:32:06.72
right now.
00:32:06.76\00:32:08.39
There is no command in the
Bible, thou shalt wear a tie.
00:32:08.42\00:32:10.93
And a lot of good
pastors, they don't wear ties.
00:32:10.96\00:32:13.53
And, you know, even in our
office dress code, we've talked
00:32:13.56\00:32:16.40
before at what point, I think
a few years ago we decided, you
00:32:16.43\00:32:19.17
know, it seems like ties are
sort of going out of style as
00:32:19.20\00:32:21.17
far as formal, you
know, workplace attire.
00:32:21.20\00:32:24.84
It's a cultural thing.
00:32:24.87\00:32:26.71
There's no
biblical principle here.
00:32:26.74\00:32:28.98
It probably carries a
lot of pathogens on it as it
00:32:29.01\00:32:31.55
drags around.
00:32:31.58\00:32:33.42
So, good idea to
get rid of the tie.
00:32:33.45\00:32:35.58
But some things that
cultures change, you don't want
00:32:35.62\00:32:39.39
to change.
00:32:39.42\00:32:40.89
And, you know, I might just
mention, for example, in the
00:32:40.92\00:32:43.86
world today, there's a lot of
confusion in the culture about
00:32:43.89\00:32:47.96
how important is it that
the distinctions the Bible makes
00:32:48.00\00:32:52.07
between men and women?
00:32:52.10\00:32:54.37
And well, does the Bible
say something about that?
00:32:54.40\00:32:58.77
Jesus said, "From the beginning
of the creation," this is Mark
00:32:58.81\00:33:01.38
10:6 and 7, "God
made them male and female.
00:33:01.41\00:33:06.35
For this reason a man shall
leave his father and mother and
00:33:06.38\00:33:08.92
be joined to his wife."
00:33:08.95\00:33:10.62
Well, this creates in the Bible
talks about the roles, and the
00:33:10.65\00:33:13.15
Bible talks about that a
man should not lie with a man, a
00:33:13.19\00:33:15.79
woman with a woman, but in
our culture today in the last 20
00:33:15.82\00:33:18.46
years, that has totally flipped
on its head so that now it's
00:33:18.49\00:33:23.13
almost like people are serving
and say, "What do you, what
00:33:23.16\00:33:26.37
gender would you
like to choose today?"
00:33:26.40\00:33:28.57
And people sort of get
to choose their gender.
00:33:28.60\00:33:30.54
And in spite of the fact
that the genes, the cellular,
00:33:30.57\00:33:36.64
chemical levels, biology it
says, a person is inherently
00:33:36.68\00:33:43.05
male or female.
00:33:43.08\00:33:44.72
That's, we're living in like
a fantasy that people get to
00:33:44.75\00:33:46.96
decide these things.
00:33:46.99\00:33:48.56
So, the church has been having
to grapple with, how do we deal
00:33:48.59\00:33:51.19
with that?
00:33:51.23\00:33:52.73
Do we accommodate what's
going on in our culture at the
00:33:52.76\00:33:56.26
sacrifice of the Word of God?
00:33:56.30\00:33:57.63
Or do we say, "No, this is what
the Bible says and we need to
00:33:57.67\00:33:59.87
stick with the Bible."
00:33:59.90\00:34:01.87
Jean: You know, Pastor Doug,
even secular entities are having
00:34:01.90\00:34:04.54
some challenges with this new
interpretation where you can be
00:34:04.57\00:34:06.94
whatever you want to be.
00:34:06.98\00:34:08.78
There are some athletes who were
born men or male, and for some
00:34:08.81\00:34:14.05
reason they decide to be female
and then they want to compete in
00:34:14.08\00:34:18.02
maybe a race with
girls, or with women.
00:34:18.05\00:34:21.39
And the women are saying, "Wait
a minute, it's not fair, you
00:34:21.42\00:34:23.29
have an advantage.
00:34:23.32\00:34:24.86
Your genes are
different than ours."
00:34:24.89\00:34:26.53
So, even secular entities
are realizing that there is a
00:34:26.56\00:34:30.37
fundamental difference.
00:34:30.40\00:34:32.23
It's not just a
matter of choice.
00:34:32.27\00:34:33.70
God is the one who created us.
00:34:33.74\00:34:36.10
He's the one that set the DNA
the way he did, and there's a
00:34:36.14\00:34:39.71
reason for that.
00:34:39.74\00:34:41.11
Doug: I heard of one example
where there's this gentleman
00:34:41.14\00:34:43.35
that was a fighter, MMA, very
brutal form of fighting, and he
00:34:43.38\00:34:50.62
decided that he wanted to
go through the transgender
00:34:50.65\00:34:52.95
operation, which he did, and now
he wants to fight the girls and
00:34:52.99\00:34:57.03
they're all protesting and
said, "No way in the world.
00:34:57.06\00:34:58.96
You're a man.
00:34:58.99\00:35:00.46
Everything about your anatomy
is different, you'll cream us."
00:35:00.50\00:35:04.00
And I'm paraphrasing.
00:35:04.03\00:35:05.87
So, yeah, I think even in our
culture they're beginning to say
00:35:05.90\00:35:08.60
that, you know, it doesn't
matter how much wishful thinking
00:35:08.64\00:35:11.34
you have, a man is never going
to ovulate, and lactate, and
00:35:11.37\00:35:14.94
give birth.
00:35:14.98\00:35:16.68
There are some physiological
differences, but, you know,
00:35:16.71\00:35:19.88
we're grapple--we're in a
culture where there's all kinds
00:35:19.91\00:35:21.95
of things that
we have to evaluate.
00:35:21.98\00:35:23.49
Jean: Well, you know, Pastor
Doug, there's a reason behind
00:35:23.52\00:35:24.92
it, we don't want to miss that.
00:35:24.95\00:35:26.35
The two institutions that God
created, even before sin entered
00:35:26.39\00:35:28.52
the world, Sabbath.
00:35:28.56\00:35:30.73
Remember, he rested on the
seventh day of the week, and he
00:35:30.76\00:35:33.66
created marriage, he
created male and female.
00:35:33.70\00:35:35.30
It seems that the devil is doing
everything he can to undermine
00:35:35.33\00:35:38.13
those very principles
established at the beginning
00:35:38.17\00:35:39.93
of time.
00:35:39.97\00:35:41.57
We know what he's done for the
Sabbath trying to substitute a
00:35:41.60\00:35:43.67
counterfeit day for the Sabbath,
but now we see what he's doing
00:35:43.71\00:35:47.21
to marriage, redefining
marriage, and also trying to
00:35:47.24\00:35:49.91
redefine male and female.
00:35:49.94\00:35:51.78
So, there is a conspiracy, if
you like, the devil's conspiracy
00:35:51.81\00:35:56.22
is trying to undermine
the very institutions that
00:35:56.25\00:35:57.89
God established.
00:35:57.92\00:35:59.72
Doug: Everything in Genesis,
the evolution is seeking to
00:35:59.75\00:36:01.56
undermine creation, the
confusion about gender, the
00:36:01.59\00:36:05.06
importance of the family, the
original diet for man, you could
00:36:05.09\00:36:09.23
just go through the foundational
things in our culture are all
00:36:09.26\00:36:12.33
the Sabbath, or
they're all under attack.
00:36:12.37\00:36:14.87
Jean: Right, I think we got a
text coming in, a question that
00:36:14.90\00:36:17.77
somebody's asking about
different Bible translations.
00:36:17.81\00:36:21.08
"Could you explain which is the
best Bible translation and why?"
00:36:21.11\00:36:25.68
Doug: Well, this is sort
of a subjective question.
00:36:25.71\00:36:27.98
You and I will maybe have our
favorites, and I hope we have an
00:36:28.02\00:36:32.49
evidence for the reason.
00:36:32.52\00:36:34.56
I believe the most dependable
for Bible study, there are some
00:36:34.59\00:36:38.03
modern paraphrases that might
have some creative renderings
00:36:38.06\00:36:42.00
that are useful, but I think as
far as Bible study and accurate
00:36:42.03\00:36:45.40
theology, you want--in English,
there are more translations in
00:36:45.43\00:36:48.94
English than
probably any other language.
00:36:48.97\00:36:51.17
You want to have something
that's based on what we would
00:36:51.21\00:36:54.21
call the textus receptus
documents and that's mostly New
00:36:54.24\00:36:57.51
Testament or the received text.
00:36:57.55\00:37:01.55
And King James, New King James,
New American Standard, New
00:37:01.58\00:37:04.85
English Version, I think
are very good translations.
00:37:04.89\00:37:07.86
Jean: I think it's important,
Pastor Doug, to recognize that
00:37:07.89\00:37:09.62
at least in the English
language, you do have two
00:37:09.66\00:37:11.96
categories of
what we call Bibles.
00:37:11.99\00:37:14.50
The one would be a paraphrase,
which could be somebody taking,
00:37:14.56\00:37:17.47
you could write your own
paraphrase, you can just take
00:37:17.50\00:37:19.27
the English Bible and you could
read a verse, and then write in
00:37:19.30\00:37:21.24
your own words.
00:37:21.27\00:37:22.70
And I'm not saying all of
them are bad, you can get some
00:37:22.74\00:37:25.47
wonderful insights, but we
need to recognize that, that is
00:37:25.51\00:37:27.94
a paraphrase.
00:37:27.98\00:37:29.81
Then you have a translation, and
then a translation, you go to
00:37:29.84\00:37:32.21
the original language and you
hopefully, you have people that
00:37:32.25\00:37:35.48
are translating the original
Hebrew or Greek as closely as
00:37:35.52\00:37:38.95
they can.
00:37:38.99\00:37:40.32
So, when we're studying a
doctrinal point, I think it's
00:37:40.36\00:37:42.59
important that we go
to a genuine translation.
00:37:42.62\00:37:45.73
In our Bible program at the
beginning of the year, we have a
00:37:45.76\00:37:48.50
lot of people calling in and
they ask a question, and you can
00:37:48.53\00:37:52.33
tell they're starting to read
their Bible through starting
00:37:52.37\00:37:54.24
in Genesis.
00:37:54.27\00:37:55.90
One of the common questions
they have is, who are the sons
00:37:55.94\00:37:58.31
of God?
00:37:58.34\00:37:59.71
Were they somehow talking about
taking--were there angels that
00:37:59.74\00:38:04.05
were marrying people on
earth, woman on the earth?
00:38:04.08\00:38:08.08
And part of that idea
came from, really a paraphrase.
00:38:08.12\00:38:12.02
Maybe you want to explain
a little more what that is.
00:38:12.05\00:38:14.66
Doug: Yeah, I think it's the
Good News Bible and it says that
00:38:14.69\00:38:17.53
angels married with men and they
had these giants, and it doesn't
00:38:17.56\00:38:21.63
say that in the original and so,
it creates a lot of confusion.
00:38:21.66\00:38:25.30
But we still got a lot left and
we got 12 minutes to go so maybe
00:38:25.33\00:38:29.94
we can get--and then
we'll try and take some more.
00:38:29.97\00:38:32.47
Now, I never did get into the
section on experience, I jump
00:38:32.51\00:38:35.14
right to culture.
00:38:35.18\00:38:36.61
Where does a person's experience
come in when it comes to
00:38:36.64\00:38:39.25
interpreting the Bible?
00:38:39.28\00:38:41.02
When we read the Bible, is
there any role of experience?
00:38:41.05\00:38:44.95
And I would say that,
first of all, Scripture needs to
00:38:44.99\00:38:48.26
go ahead.
00:38:48.29\00:38:49.62
By the way, when we talk about
the authority of Scripture, it's
00:38:49.66\00:38:52.29
where we get the word
"author," it's the authorship.
00:38:52.33\00:38:55.10
And since God, all Scripture is
God breathed, He is the author
00:38:55.13\00:38:58.53
and so it is the supreme bottom
line, it's the foundation.
00:38:58.57\00:39:02.87
You know, Jesus said, "Heaven
and earth will pass away, My
00:39:02.90\00:39:05.21
word will not pass away."
00:39:05.24\00:39:06.98
And so, that's the bottom line
for everything, but experience
00:39:07.01\00:39:09.58
does play a role.
00:39:09.61\00:39:11.01
As we read the Bible and we put
the words of Scripture to the
00:39:11.05\00:39:14.82
test, and we pray, and we
get answers to prayer, our
00:39:14.85\00:39:18.25
experience informs the validity
of Scripture and we see that God
00:39:18.29\00:39:26.46
wants us to have an experience
based on the Word of God.
00:39:26.49\00:39:28.86
In other words, when we read the
Word, and we try the promises,
00:39:28.90\00:39:31.67
we experience that it's real.
00:39:31.70\00:39:33.34
I think people ought to have
an experience in the Word of God
00:39:33.37\00:39:36.40
putting the
promises to the test.
00:39:36.44\00:39:38.71
But we never say, "Well, I
prayed, I didn't get an answer.
00:39:38.74\00:39:41.41
The Bible must not be true so I
don't believe the Word anymore."
00:39:41.44\00:39:45.71
But I think that if the Word,
if we are reading the Word, you
00:39:45.75\00:39:49.58
will have an experience.
00:39:49.62\00:39:51.69
Jean: Absolutely.
00:39:51.72\00:39:53.29
You know, the devil is always
apt to try and get people one
00:39:53.32\00:39:54.79
way or the other, either putting
tradition above the Bible.
00:39:54.82\00:39:57.09
And now in our culture today,
there is a tendency to put an
00:39:57.13\00:40:00.16
experience or a feeling
above the Bible as well.
00:40:00.20\00:40:03.83
So, someone might say, "Well,
you know, I know what the Bible
00:40:03.87\00:40:06.10
says, but I feel this way, or
I have this experience so I must
00:40:06.13\00:40:10.11
have the Holy Spirit," even
though they're contradicting
00:40:10.14\00:40:12.94
what the Bible says.
00:40:12.97\00:40:14.31
So, the devil doesn't mind
when he gets tradition above the
00:40:14.34\00:40:16.38
Scripture or some type of
feeling above the Scripture, he
00:40:16.41\00:40:19.78
wants to keep people
away from what the Word says.
00:40:19.81\00:40:22.45
Doug: That's right.
00:40:22.48\00:40:23.95
And if we're reading the
Scripture and following the
00:40:23.99\00:40:25.45
Scripture, there ought to
be a change in the experience.
00:40:25.49\00:40:28.06
And I'll read here Titus 3,
verse 4 and 5, "But when the
00:40:28.09\00:40:31.53
kindness and the love of God our
Savior toward man appeared, not
00:40:31.56\00:40:34.83
by the works of righteousness
which we have done, but in
00:40:34.86\00:40:37.57
accordance to His mercy He
saved us, through the washing of
00:40:37.60\00:40:41.04
regeneration and
renewing of the Holy Spirit."
00:40:41.07\00:40:45.01
And so, there's a
renewing, there's a washing that
00:40:45.04\00:40:47.58
takes place.
00:40:47.61\00:40:49.44
And I remember hearing stories
about atheists that say, "You
00:40:49.48\00:40:52.21
know, why do you believe
that bad book, the Bible?
00:40:52.25\00:40:54.72
It just causes all kinds
of problems in the world."
00:40:54.75\00:40:56.89
And this lady responded to this
atheist by saying, "I live at
00:40:56.92\00:41:00.69
home with my brother, sir, and
he was an alcoholic, a gambler,
00:41:00.72\00:41:06.16
a loafer, he cursed.
00:41:06.19\00:41:08.00
He was immoral.
00:41:08.03\00:41:09.66
He started reading the
Bible, and now there's peace in
00:41:09.70\00:41:12.93
our home.
00:41:12.97\00:41:14.34
He works.
00:41:14.37\00:41:15.74
He earns a living.
00:41:15.77\00:41:17.31
He takes care of our mother.
00:41:17.34\00:41:18.71
And he stopped drinking,
he stopped gambling, he's
00:41:18.74\00:41:20.31
saving money."
00:41:20.34\00:41:21.84
She said, "You might think the
Bible is a bad book, but it made
00:41:21.88\00:41:23.45
a good difference in his life."
00:41:23.48\00:41:25.88
And so, there should be
an experience that's seen.
00:41:25.91\00:41:28.22
Jean: You know, we read the
stories of the Great Reformation
00:41:28.25\00:41:30.59
in the early 1800s that swept
across North America, and the
00:41:30.62\00:41:34.56
stories go how that these
preachers would go preach in
00:41:34.59\00:41:36.93
villages and towns, and there
would be a marked decrease in
00:41:36.96\00:41:41.36
crime as a result of the
preaching of the Word of God.
00:41:41.40\00:41:44.27
So, the Bible changes people's
lives and that's a powerful
00:41:44.30\00:41:46.87
evidence for the
Scripture being what it is.
00:41:46.90\00:41:50.04
Doug: I heard about a revival
they had in Scotland years ago,
00:41:50.07\00:41:53.51
and the Holy Spirit moved so
much, that this one factory had
00:41:53.54\00:41:58.08
to build several sheds to store
the goods that workers brought
00:41:58.11\00:42:03.65
back that they had
purloined over the years.
00:42:03.69\00:42:07.12
They had kept buying
replacements and but they were
00:42:07.16\00:42:09.66
also convicted by the preaching
of the Word, they began to bring
00:42:09.69\00:42:11.99
back all the tools and things
they'd stolen from the factory.
00:42:12.03\00:42:14.73
And they ended up with much more
than they started with because
00:42:14.76\00:42:18.03
of the Holy Spirit
moving in their lives.
00:42:18.07\00:42:21.24
Any other questions?
00:42:21.27\00:42:22.60
Jean: We do, somebody, we have
Carl who is asking the question,
00:42:22.64\00:42:24.97
"Is there any missing books
that should be in the Bible?"
00:42:25.01\00:42:29.38
Doug: Well, we
don't believe there are.
00:42:29.41\00:42:31.21
Now, there are other inspired
books you can read in the Bible
00:42:31.25\00:42:34.72
where it talks about the book of
Gad, the book of Gad, Nasher*,
00:42:34.75\00:42:38.99
and there were other prophets
who wrote inspired messages that
00:42:39.02\00:42:45.29
were present truth for their
day for particular people or
00:42:45.33\00:42:47.96
particular time.
00:42:47.96\00:42:49.30
God did not see fit that
they should then be added to the
00:42:49.33\00:42:51.63
canon of Scripture
that we have today.
00:42:51.67\00:42:54.17
But so, you can't really
say there's missing books.
00:42:54.20\00:42:56.54
We have everything that
is sufficient in here to
00:42:56.57\00:43:00.84
save souls.
00:43:00.88\00:43:02.28
You know, years ago, I'll tell
a quick story, years ago, I was
00:43:02.31\00:43:05.81
part of a mission that was
called Land and Seas Missions
00:43:05.85\00:43:08.68
of God.
00:43:08.72\00:43:10.39
And they had a special ministry
where they would go out into the
00:43:10.42\00:43:13.62
Pacific Ocean.
00:43:13.66\00:43:14.99
Now, this would be bad
now, but this is what they did.
00:43:15.02\00:43:17.33
They were trying to get the
gospel into Asia so they put New
00:43:17.36\00:43:21.06
Testament--no, no, they put the
gospel of John, that's all that
00:43:21.10\00:43:23.73
could fit in a bottle.
00:43:23.77\00:43:25.30
And they would fill thousands of
bottles with the gospel of John,
00:43:25.33\00:43:28.00
they would dump them in the
ocean, they'd take the boat out
00:43:28.04\00:43:30.77
to the currents where they knew
the currents would bring it to
00:43:30.81\00:43:32.94
the shores of North Korea, and
China, and even the Philippines,
00:43:32.97\00:43:36.24
then they'd get messages back of
these people that were reading
00:43:36.28\00:43:39.21
these gospels of
John in their languages.
00:43:39.25\00:43:41.75
And they found people were
finding the Lord just through
00:43:41.78\00:43:44.45
that one book of the Bible.
00:43:44.49\00:43:46.22
And so, instead of saying,
"Well, we don't know what truth
00:43:46.25\00:43:49.06
is because we may be missing
a book," we've got more than
00:43:49.09\00:43:52.09
we need.
00:43:52.13\00:43:53.66
It's like Mark Twain, of course,
Mark Twain is not the best
00:43:53.70\00:43:55.66
person to quote for the Bible
but Mark Twain used to say,
00:43:55.70\00:43:58.07
"It's not the mysteries
in the Bible that cause me
00:43:58.10\00:44:00.80
sleepless nights.
00:44:00.84\00:44:02.27
It's the good I
know I should do.
00:44:02.30\00:44:04.14
It's the part I do understand."
00:44:04.17\00:44:06.14
He said, "It's not arguing about
the stuff I don't understand."
00:44:06.17\00:44:08.88
He says, "I'm convicted about
the stuff I do understand."
00:44:08.91\00:44:11.91
So, there are all these wonders
about Christians arguing about
00:44:11.95\00:44:13.92
the things they
don't understand.
00:44:13.95\00:44:15.38
You see, you got more that you
do understand you're not living
00:44:15.42\00:44:16.95
up to.
00:44:16.99\00:44:18.39
So, I don't think
there's any missing books.
00:44:18.42\00:44:21.06
We've got already
too much information.
00:44:21.09\00:44:23.12
Jean: We've got a really
important question I want to try
00:44:23.16\00:44:24.79
and get in here, Pastor Doug.
00:44:24.83\00:44:26.33
Elijah is asking, he says he's
a newly converted Christian.
00:44:26.36\00:44:28.83
He wants to--or he's asking,
"What Bible version explains
00:44:28.86\00:44:32.23
better to my understanding
what I should do when I read
00:44:32.27\00:44:35.24
the Bible?"
00:44:35.27\00:44:36.57
What can we share with somebody
who's wanting to start a Bible
00:44:36.60\00:44:39.67
reading plan with reference to
a Bible version, and then how do
00:44:39.71\00:44:44.85
they go about reading the Bible?
00:44:44.88\00:44:46.38
>> Doug: I would strongly
encourage, was it Elijah
00:44:46.41\00:44:48.32
the name?
00:44:48.35\00:44:49.72
Jean: Yes.
00:44:49.75\00:44:51.32
Doug: I'd strongly encourage
Elijah to go to the Amazing
00:44:51.35\00:44:52.75
Facts website and sign up for
our free online Bible program
00:44:52.79\00:44:56.32
and just take--I think it
follows the New King James
00:44:56.36\00:44:59.13
Version, the new
lessons if I'm not mistaken.
00:44:59.16\00:45:02.30
And so, get yourself--New King
James is not hard to understand.
00:45:02.33\00:45:05.10
And I think that
people can learn.
00:45:05.13\00:45:08.04
You know, I started reading the
King James Version, and I had no
00:45:08.07\00:45:10.47
experience growing up in a Bible
Church and I struggled, but I
00:45:10.51\00:45:13.94
got where I really am thankful
that I learned to read the King
00:45:13.98\00:45:16.95
James Version, and
even the New King James.
00:45:16.98\00:45:19.28
There's some ancient English
in there, but you know what?
00:45:19.31\00:45:22.28
We can learn.
00:45:22.32\00:45:23.99
Instead of dumbing down the
Bible, I think we smarten up
00:45:24.02\00:45:25.95
the people.
00:45:25.99\00:45:27.39
We can learn
what these words mean.
00:45:27.42\00:45:29.02
The whole English language has
been shaped by the King James
00:45:29.06\00:45:32.43
Version and even
the New King James.
00:45:32.46\00:45:34.76
And you'll pick it up.
00:45:34.83\00:45:37.07
If I can, anybody can.
00:45:37.10\00:45:39.17
Jean: One of the suggestions is
start reading, if you like, if
00:45:39.20\00:45:41.77
you haven't read the
Bible before, start with Genesis
00:45:41.80\00:45:43.54
because that lays a great
foundation, and then maybe you
00:45:43.57\00:45:46.14
want to also connect that with
maybe the Book of John or maybe
00:45:46.17\00:45:49.58
the Book of Luke, or Mark.
00:45:49.61\00:45:51.18
Mark is the shortest of the four
gospels and you can also begin
00:45:51.21\00:45:54.08
to learn more
about the story of Jesus.
00:45:54.12\00:45:56.12
And as you read those two
together, you'll begin to see a
00:45:56.15\00:45:58.99
change taking place
in your heart and life.
00:45:59.02\00:46:01.22
There is power in
the reading of the Word.
00:46:01.26\00:46:03.59
Doug: Amen.
00:46:03.63\00:46:05.26
You know, and maybe before
we run out of time, Pastor Ross,
00:46:05.29\00:46:07.20
let's get to that
section on the Bible.
00:46:07.23\00:46:08.96
We talked about
culture and reason.
00:46:09.00\00:46:13.60
A lot of people are looking
for signs and wonders instead
00:46:13.64\00:46:15.90
of Scripture.
00:46:15.94\00:46:17.51
Like the father came to
Jesus and he was thinking in his
00:46:17.54\00:46:20.34
heart, "If Jesus heals my
son, then I'll believe in Him."
00:46:20.38\00:46:23.01
Jesus knew what he was thinking.
00:46:23.04\00:46:24.95
This is in John chapter 4, verse
46 through 48 Christ said to
00:46:24.98\00:46:29.28
him, "Unless you people see
signs and wonders, you will by
00:46:29.32\00:46:32.85
no means believe."
00:46:32.89\00:46:34.49
And the father then implored
Jesus said, "Lord, come down
00:46:34.52\00:46:36.69
here or my child die."
00:46:36.73\00:46:38.59
So often, they were looking
for signs and wonders and Jesus
00:46:38.63\00:46:41.86
said, "It's an evil generation
that seeks after sign."
00:46:41.90\00:46:45.07
Now, the reason I wanted to
mention this right now, friends,
00:46:45.10\00:46:47.27
is because we've got a lot
happening in the world today and
00:46:47.30\00:46:52.04
boy, this would be a great time
for someone to show up false
00:46:52.07\00:46:54.68
prophets and false Christ to
start doing signs and wonders.
00:46:54.71\00:46:57.28
People are wondering,
they're looking for direction.
00:46:57.31\00:46:59.15
And boy, I'll tell you, we
need to understand now more than
00:46:59.18\00:47:02.52
ever, it's according to
the law in the testimony.
00:47:02.55\00:47:05.09
What does the Bible say?
00:47:05.12\00:47:06.72
We're gonna have to measure
everything that's happening in
00:47:06.76\00:47:08.49
our culture, in the
world, in the governments.
00:47:08.52\00:47:10.73
People are wondering, are
we violating some Christian
00:47:10.76\00:47:13.63
principle by not gathering
together during the pandemic?
00:47:13.66\00:47:16.70
No, the Bible says,
"Do not tempt the Lord."
00:47:16.73\00:47:19.00
You know, there's a good time
for us to, you know, give it
00:47:19.03\00:47:22.74
a break.
00:47:22.77\00:47:24.17
The Bible talks about sanitation
and isolating things when
00:47:24.21\00:47:26.24
there's a sickness.
00:47:26.27\00:47:27.81
There's nothing, no
moral problem here and this is
00:47:27.84\00:47:29.88
something that's going
across the board equally for all
00:47:29.91\00:47:32.45
religions, and it'll pass.
00:47:32.48\00:47:34.82
But so, we're going to need
to have a good judgment in these
00:47:34.85\00:47:38.99
last days to know, you know, how
to apply the Scriptures, and we
00:47:39.02\00:47:42.79
need to know them for ourselves
because we're going to be
00:47:42.82\00:47:45.13
brought to answer.
00:47:45.16\00:47:46.93
Jean: You know, this is a verse
I think, a powerful verse, John
00:47:46.96\00:47:49.70
chapter 7, verse 38.
00:47:49.73\00:47:51.40
Jesus said, "He who believes in
Me," he's talking about Himself.
00:47:51.43\00:47:54.50
Then he adds, "As the Scripture
has said, out of his heart will
00:47:54.54\00:47:57.84
flow rivers of living water."
00:47:57.87\00:47:59.31
Jesus is referring to the
Scriptures to sort of back up
00:47:59.34\00:48:02.38
his claim that
he is the Messiah.
00:48:02.41\00:48:04.98
So, we find even Jesus, who
didn't have to do that, He was
00:48:05.01\00:48:07.42
the Word of God, yet he was
saying, "Look to the Scriptures,
00:48:07.45\00:48:10.52
they testify of Me."
00:48:10.55\00:48:11.95
Doug: Yeah, absolutely.
00:48:11.99\00:48:13.56
And as I think we mentioned
in our study last week from the
00:48:13.59\00:48:15.39
gospel of Luke chapter 24,
he said, "We're slow of heart to
00:48:15.42\00:48:19.76
believe all that prophets have
said and beginning at Moses, and
00:48:19.79\00:48:23.83
all the prophets, he expounded
unto them in all the Scriptures,
00:48:23.87\00:48:27.50
the things concerning Himself."
00:48:27.54\00:48:30.54
And there's that verse it says,
"Lo, in the volume of the book,
00:48:30.57\00:48:34.48
it is written of Me."
00:48:34.51\00:48:36.24
So, the volume of this book,
it's telling us all about Jesus
00:48:36.28\00:48:40.25
and he's the bottom line.
00:48:40.28\00:48:42.18
So, really the most important
point we want to leave people
00:48:42.22\00:48:44.89
with, it's like Peter says here,
1 Peter chapter 1, verse 24
00:48:44.92\00:48:48.36
through 25, "All flesh is as
grass and the glory of man is
00:48:48.39\00:48:53.33
the flower of grass.
00:48:53.36\00:48:54.93
The grass withers and its flower
falls away, but the Word of the
00:48:54.93\00:48:59.07
Lord endures forever."
00:48:59.10\00:49:01.70
Jesus said, "Heaven and earth
will pass away, my Word will not
00:49:01.74\00:49:03.74
pass away."
00:49:03.77\00:49:05.37
He says, "Not one jot or one
tittle will pass from the law,
00:49:05.41\00:49:07.44
till all is fulfilled."
00:49:07.48\00:49:09.98
And so, and it's, "The Word
of the Lord endures forever.
00:49:10.01\00:49:14.48
Now, this is the Word by which
the gospel was preached to you."
00:49:14.52\00:49:18.22
You know, maybe we could just
mention to our friends, before
00:49:18.25\00:49:20.56
we tie off our Sabbath
school time, that we do have a
00:49:20.59\00:49:22.69
free offer.
00:49:22.72\00:49:24.26
What was that free offer?
00:49:24.29\00:49:25.83
Jean: We'd like remind everyone,
this is the first of our series
00:49:25.86\00:49:27.60
of study guides and if you're
looking to study, now maybe you
00:49:27.60\00:49:30.23
have a little more time on your
own and at home and you'd like
00:49:30.27\00:49:32.90
to study the Word, we want
to encourage you to call and ask
00:49:32.93\00:49:35.47
for our free offer.
00:49:35.50\00:49:36.94
It's the study guide entitled,
Is There Anything Left You
00:49:36.97\00:49:38.31
Can Trust?
00:49:38.34\00:49:39.81
To receive it, just call the
number 866-788-3966 and ask for
00:49:39.84\00:49:44.55
Offer Number 103.
00:49:44.58\00:49:46.55
We'll be happy
to send that to you.
00:49:46.58\00:49:48.12
The Postal Service is still up
and running so you'll be able to
00:49:48.15\00:49:49.95
get it.
00:49:49.98\00:49:51.52
If you'd like to receive a
digital copy of our study guide,
00:49:51.55\00:49:54.19
text the code SH043 to the
number 40544 and we'll be able
00:49:54.22\00:50:00.40
to send that to you.
00:50:00.43\00:50:01.93
Doug: Amen.
00:50:01.96\00:50:03.93
announcer: Don't forget to
request today's life-changing
00:50:03.97\00:50:06.40
free resource.
00:50:06.43\00:50:07.94
Not only can you receive this
free gift in the mail, you can
00:50:07.97\00:50:10.17
download a digital copy
straight to your computer or
00:50:10.21\00:50:12.04
mobile device.
00:50:12.07\00:50:13.98
To get your digital copy of
today's free gift, simply text
00:50:14.01\00:50:17.21
the key word on your screen to
40544 or visit the web address
00:50:17.25\00:50:21.85
shown on your screen and be sure
to select the digital download
00:50:21.88\00:50:25.49
option on the request page.
00:50:25.52\00:50:27.29
It's now easier than ever
for you to study God's Word with
00:50:27.32\00:50:30.46
Amazing Facts wherever
and whenever you want and most
00:50:30.49\00:50:33.96
important, to
share it with others.
00:50:34.00\00:50:38.23
announcer: Amazing
Facts, Changed Lives.
00:50:42.27\00:50:45.91
Charlie Green: My
life was in turmoil.
00:50:50.31\00:50:52.61
My wife and I were
fighting all the time.
00:50:52.65\00:50:54.82
I got away from
everything and everybody.
00:50:54.85\00:50:57.39
I don't know, just I always
had this emptiness in my heart I
00:50:57.42\00:51:00.89
wanted filled.
00:51:00.92\00:51:02.36
I just felt like I went my whole
life, you know, just searching
00:51:02.39\00:51:05.23
for something.
00:51:05.26\00:51:07.23
And my father died,
and that ruined me a lot.
00:51:07.23\00:51:10.17
My father didn't believe in
suicide and I didn't want to
00:51:10.20\00:51:13.37
live but rather than disrespect
him, I decided I would just
00:51:13.40\00:51:16.91
become so mean someone else
would do it to me, you know, and
00:51:16.94\00:51:19.71
I wouldn't have to.
00:51:19.74\00:51:21.31
So, I joined the Army thinking,
what better place to get killed
00:51:21.34\00:51:23.28
than the Army?
00:51:23.31\00:51:24.61
While I was in the Army, my
daughter got injured, she was in
00:51:24.65\00:51:28.32
an accident and she was blind
and paraplegic, and it's just
00:51:28.35\00:51:34.26
like I felt the whole
world was coming down on me.
00:51:34.29\00:51:37.16
One morning, I just really got
mad, and I gave God a cussing
00:51:37.19\00:51:41.10
like you wouldn't believe.
00:51:41.13\00:51:42.80
I said, "I'm not Moses, not
Abraham, you know, I don't--but
00:51:42.83\00:51:47.47
I put my sandals on just
like they do and I'm a man.
00:51:47.50\00:51:50.47
I don't want to know why this is
happening to me, I just want to
00:51:50.51\00:51:53.07
know that it's
happening for a reason.
00:51:53.11\00:51:55.94
If you tell me right now this is
all for a reason, then you can
00:51:55.98\00:51:58.91
stack it on me from here till
the end of time and I will never
00:51:58.95\00:52:03.18
complain again."
00:52:03.22\00:52:05.52
And that little TV came on, had
been sitting there just static
00:52:05.55\00:52:09.16
all night long.
00:52:09.19\00:52:11.46
And there's this minister when
he pops up and he says, "Today's
00:52:11.49\00:52:14.63
lesson's from the Book of Job.
00:52:14.66\00:52:16.30
God only lets those
suffer that He loves the most."
00:52:16.33\00:52:19.60
And I said, "Well,
that's all you had to say, Lord.
00:52:19.63\00:52:20.94
I appreciate it."
00:52:20.97\00:52:22.30
From that day forward, I knew
that He was there, He was in my
00:52:22.34\00:52:25.21
life, and that He would help me.
00:52:25.24\00:52:28.98
I went to prison
just almost immediately.
00:52:29.01\00:52:32.25
I was in prison
for aggravated assault.
00:52:32.28\00:52:35.15
I was in one the worst prisons
in the state of Tennessee.
00:52:35.18\00:52:38.29
It was full of gang activity.
00:52:38.32\00:52:40.69
I got my throat
cut, 52 stitches.
00:52:40.72\00:52:44.43
My neck, I could take those
fingers and stick them all the
00:52:44.46\00:52:46.33
way to out my mouth.
00:52:46.36\00:52:48.13
I'd gone to the library that day
because it was really about the
00:52:48.16\00:52:51.47
only thing to do.
00:52:51.50\00:52:52.93
But I ran across this
little book called "The
00:52:52.97\00:52:54.80
Richest Caveman."
00:52:54.84\00:52:56.44
This book is
hilarious, but it is great.
00:52:56.47\00:53:00.24
I'm sitting there with this big
beard and I'm thinking, hey, I
00:53:00.28\00:53:02.28
know what it's like
to look like a caveman.
00:53:02.31\00:53:05.55
I'm not an educated person,
I guess you'd say, but I'm a
00:53:05.58\00:53:07.95
simple guy.
00:53:07.98\00:53:09.65
I'm just really a simple guy.
00:53:09.68\00:53:11.45
That's what I loved about Doug
Batchelor because this guy is
00:53:11.49\00:53:15.69
just straight
out as you can get.
00:53:15.72\00:53:18.53
And my wife and I, we've kept
contact through all these years.
00:53:18.56\00:53:22.56
And so much has gone on.
00:53:22.60\00:53:26.50
And I told her, I said, "Listen,
this is the center of my world
00:53:26.53\00:53:31.54
right now."
00:53:31.57\00:53:32.97
And I said, "I really want you
to be involved in it with me.
00:53:33.01\00:53:35.91
I need it," and I said, "And you
will too if you ever just take
00:53:35.94\00:53:38.25
hold of it."
00:53:38.28\00:53:40.18
I told my wife I said, "Listen,
they've got this Amazing Facts
00:53:40.22\00:53:42.58
Bible study going here and this
is the best way for you to get
00:53:42.62\00:53:47.02
this information, I think," I
said, "because it's broken down
00:53:47.06\00:53:50.73
and they give you questions
and to make you look for these
00:53:50.76\00:53:58.40
things, you know?
00:53:58.43\00:53:59.77
So, it's not anyone telling you,
you find it on your own, and
00:53:59.80\00:54:02.97
they teach you
actually to use the Bible."
00:54:03.00\00:54:05.74
She was there faithfully every
Wednesday until we decided, you
00:54:05.77\00:54:09.48
know, she wanted
to be baptized also.
00:54:09.51\00:54:13.75
She saw it coming around.
00:54:13.78\00:54:16.08
The choice was made and October
4, 2014, my wife and I were, we
00:54:16.12\00:54:21.56
were baptized in the water at
the same time and we started our
00:54:21.59\00:54:28.00
walk together,
I guess you'd say.
00:54:28.03\00:54:30.27
I went through everything that a
man could possibly go through, I
00:54:30.30\00:54:33.40
guess, from marital trouble,
loss of family members, death in
00:54:33.44\00:54:39.57
my family.
00:54:39.61\00:54:40.98
My children were harmed.
00:54:41.01\00:54:42.31
My daughter
handicapped for life.
00:54:42.34\00:54:45.91
I went to prison, but still
I kept my Word to God that He
00:54:45.95\00:54:51.55
could stack it on me as
much as He wanted, and I'd never
00:54:51.59\00:54:54.59
question Him
again, and I didn't.
00:54:54.62\00:54:56.99
But I can say this much, He
never put nothing on me that I
00:54:57.03\00:55:01.60
couldn't handle, and He
walked with me through it all.
00:55:01.63\00:55:05.80
And I'd like to say that
anyone who is in prison, not to
00:55:05.83\00:55:11.31
give up.
00:55:11.34\00:55:12.87
Don't lose hope.
00:55:12.91\00:55:14.41
Put your faith in the Lord and
study and seek Him and He will
00:55:14.44\00:55:18.41
seek you.
00:55:18.45\00:55:20.32
And my name is Charlie Green,
and I want you to know that you
00:55:20.35\00:55:22.38
and Amazing Facts
have changed my life.
00:55:22.42\00:55:26.92
¤¤¤
00:55:26.96\00:55:32.09
¤¤¤
00:55:38.07\00:55:47.24
Doug: Hi friends, this
is Pastor Doug Batchelor.
00:55:52.28\00:55:54.32
Would you like to
hear an amazing fact?
00:55:54.35\00:55:56.12
More and more of the world is
turning now to natural forms of
00:55:56.15\00:55:59.09
energy to try and find their
power, and they're resorting to
00:55:59.12\00:56:02.59
things like the wind farm
that we have here in Jamaica
00:56:02.62\00:56:04.56
and Wigton.
00:56:04.59\00:56:06.23
You know, I remember years ago,
my wife and I going to visit the
00:56:06.26\00:56:08.50
Big Island of Hawaii, and we
were amazed at all the potential
00:56:08.53\00:56:11.60
there for natural power,
but they weren't using it.
00:56:11.63\00:56:15.27
There at the south part
of the island, there was
00:56:15.30\00:56:17.77
volcanic activity.
00:56:17.81\00:56:19.61
You can make
geothermal power there.
00:56:19.64\00:56:21.78
If you went to Waimea, the wind
was constantly blowing, but they
00:56:21.81\00:56:25.45
had no windmills there.
00:56:25.48\00:56:27.08
If you went over to Kona, sun
always shines, solar electric,
00:56:27.12\00:56:31.35
but they didn't have very
much solar electric there.
00:56:31.39\00:56:34.02
And if you went to Hilo, it was
always raining, hydroelectric.
00:56:34.06\00:56:37.73
And in spite of all that
potential for power there on the
00:56:37.76\00:56:40.73
big island of Hawaii, they were
powering the island back then,
00:56:40.76\00:56:43.87
with dirty diesel generators.
00:56:43.90\00:56:46.20
Made me think about how we
sometimes waste the power of
00:56:46.23\00:56:48.84
God's Spirit that he's making
available to us, and each of us
00:56:48.87\00:56:51.64
can have that
Spirit if we simply ask.
00:56:51.67\00:56:54.38
You can read in Zechariah
chapter 10, what do we do?
00:56:54.41\00:56:57.68
Ask of the Lord rain in the time
of the latter rain, and he will
00:56:57.71\00:57:01.22
send flashing clouds.
00:57:01.25\00:57:02.98
Jesus also said in the Book
of Luke, "If you then being evil
00:57:03.02\00:57:06.22
know how to give good gifts
to your children, how much more
00:57:06.25\00:57:09.02
will your Father in heaven
give the Holy Spirit to them
00:57:09.06\00:57:12.66
that ask?"
00:57:12.69\00:57:14.50
When you look in the Book of
Acts, when the Holy Spirit was
00:57:14.56\00:57:17.17
poured out, it says there was
a sound of a mighty rushing wind
00:57:17.20\00:57:20.60
and that power that launched
the church back then, can still
00:57:20.64\00:57:23.94
power your life today, friends.
00:57:23.97\00:57:25.77
So, why don't you ask Him?
00:57:25.81\00:57:27.91
¤¤¤
00:57:27.94\00:57:34.85