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Rodney Thompson:
Good morning, everyone.
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Welcome to the
"Sabbath School Study Hour."
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I'm Pastor Rod Thompson.
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I'm going to be leading
you in this study today.
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I want to welcome all of you
that are watching here in the
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local area of Granite Bay,
California, and those watching
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across the United
States and around the world.
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Today, we're going to be
continuing in our topic on the
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quarterly of "Education," and
today we're looking at Lesson
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Number 10, "Education in
the Arts and the Sciences."
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But before we get into
that I want to present to you
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our free offering today.
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This is going to be a study
called "Is There Anything Left
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You Can Trust?"
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and this is free
offering Number 103.
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You can call 866-788-3966, and
you can get that study guide.
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That's 866-Study-More, or you
can get a digital download of
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that by texting the code
"SH043," to number 40544.
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Again, that is "Is
There Anything Left
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That You Can Trust?"
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Well, let's begin our study this
morning with a word of prayer.
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Oh, loving Father, we want to
thank You for the Sabbath Day.
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We want to thank You that You
desire to commune with us, and,
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Lord, we want to draw near
to You, and so we pray that You
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would speak to our hearts.
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Show us what You
would have us do.
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And, Lord, help us to surrender
our will to You and allow You to
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do those things in us
that we can't do in ourselves.
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And we pray and ask it
all in Jesus's name, amen.
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I want to start off this morning
by reading to you a quote from
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the book "Education," page 13.
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Notice, it says, "Our ideas
of education take too narrow and
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too low a range.
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There is need of a
broader scope, a higher aim.
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True education means more
than the pursual of a certain
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course of study.
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It means more than a preparation
for the life that now is.
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It has to do with the whole
being, and with the whole period
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of existence possible to man.
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It is the harmonious development
of the physical, the mental,
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and the spiritual powers.
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It prepares the student for the
joy of service in this world and
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for the higher joy of wider
service in the world to come."
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I want you to notice there in
that quote that it is telling us
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that true education is
more than just studying various
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disciplines and
lessons and objects.
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It's even more than bringing in
Bible verses that go along with
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that object of study, but true
education involves this life
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and the life to come.
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It involves our whole being,
the mental, the physical, the
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emotional, the spiritual, and it
is all designed to bring joy in
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service to God and
to service to others.
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That's real--that's what true
education is really all about.
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And this week, we are going to
see how true education involves
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the arts and the sciences but,
more importantly than that, that
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the arts and the
sciences must be taught
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from a biblical perspective.
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Only in this way can true
education accomplish its goal,
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and if you were watching last
week, you heard Pastor Shawn
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talk about the
goal of true education.
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If you were watching the week
before, you heard Pastor Luccas
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talk about the
goal of true education.
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What is that goal?
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The goal of true education
is to provide for redemption
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and salvation.
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That is the goal of all true
education, to introduce us to
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the Creator, to introduce us to
our Savior, and to show us what
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we need to do and what
God is doing on our behalf
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for our salvation.
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I really like what it says
in Sabbath afternoon's lesson.
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If you have your study guide,
why don't you grab that and look
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with me in the second paragraph.
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I want you to
notice what it says.
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It says, "For
such an education--"
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what kind of an education?
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A true education, right?
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"For such a education truly to
function, we need God's Word to
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inform the teaching of every
discipline, from humanities
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to molecular biology.
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Without it, we can lose sight of
God's enormity, His sovereignty
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as Creator and
Sustainer of our world.
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In learning to see how God views
His creation as organic and
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purpose-filled, we come closer
to understanding how certain
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disciplines could
and should be taught."
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In other words, if we are going
to truly understand the science
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behind how this world works and
the laws of nature that God has
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put in place, then we need to
first, at the very beginning, at
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the very basic level, we
must have at least a basic
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understanding and a belief that
there is a Creator who has put
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everything into existence.
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Now, let me ask you a
question: What is faith?
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What is faith?
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Is faith believing in
something that you can't see?
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I think that's probably a
pretty good definition, right?
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Faith is believing in
something that you can't see.
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Okay, so let me ask you a
second question, and that is,
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what is "blind faith"?
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You see, that's also believing
in something that we can't see,
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but there's a difference.
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You see, God doesn't just say,
"Believe in Me because I said
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so," but, rather, God
gives us evidence on which
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we can hang our faith.
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He gives us evidence if we
are willing to accept it that He
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exists, that He is our Creator,
that He is wanting to recreate
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His image in us, that He
loves us, and that He wants
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a relationship with us.
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He wants the very best for us.
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I want you to notice, again, in
that book "Education," this time
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in chapter 10, notice what it
says, "Upon all created things
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is seen the
impress of the Deity.
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Nature testifies of God.
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The susceptible mind, brought in
contact with the miracle and the
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mystery of the universe, cannot
but recognize the working of
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infinite power.
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Not by its own inherent energy
does the earth produce its
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bounties, and year by
year continue its motion
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around the sun.
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An unseen hand guides
the planets in their circuit
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of the heavens.
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A mysterious life pervades all
nature--a life that sustains the
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unnumbered worlds throughout
immensity, that lives in the
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insect atom which floats in the
summer breeze, that wings the
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flight of the swallow and feeds
the young ravens which cry, that
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brings the bud to
blossom and the flower to fruit.
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The same power that upholds
nature, is working also in man.
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The same great laws that guide
alike the star and the atom
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control human life.
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The laws that govern the heart's
action, regulating the flow of
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the current of life to the
body, are the laws of the mighty
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Intelligence that has
the jurisdiction of the soul.
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From Him all life proceeds.
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Only in harmony with Him can be
found its true sphere of action.
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For all the objects of His
creation the condition is the
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same--a life sustained by
receiving the life of God, a
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life exercised in
harmony with the Creator's will.
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To transgress His law, physical,
mental, or moral, is to place
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one's self out of harmony
with the universe, to introduce
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discord, anarchy, ruin.
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To him who learns thus to
interpret its teachings, all
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nature becomes illuminated.
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The world is a
lesson book, life a school.
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The unity of man with nature and
with God, the universal dominion
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of law, the results of
transgression, cannot fail of
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impressing the mind
and molding the character."
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What this is
telling us here is that God
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is working through nature.
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He's working through science to
give us faith that we can hang
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on, that we can say
God is real, that God
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is in charge of all things.
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And that's why Paul says in
Romans chapter 1, verse 20, "For
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since the creation of the world
His invisible attributes are
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clearly seen, being understood
by the things that are made,
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even His eternal power
and Godhead, so that they are
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without excuse."
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Here we see that Paul is telling
us that all of the things in the
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world are those visible
representations that God is
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giving to us to
show us that He is real.
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I remember, many years ago,
probably about 25 years ago, I
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was a new baby Christian, and I
was living in California, and I
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went home to Michigan to visit
my parents, and I was talking to
00:11:01.06\00:11:05.06
my dad, sharing my new faith
with him and talking to him
00:11:05.09\00:11:09.86
about his need for a
Savior, and I'll never forget
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what he said to me.
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He said, "I won't believe in
God unless I see it for myself."
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And I remember thinking
to myself, "Are you kidding?"
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I said to him, "Dad,
you--" you know, my dad,
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he was an outdoorsman.
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He loved to hunt.
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He loved to fish.
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I grew up doing
those things with him.
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I loved to do those things too,
and he was always out in nature,
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and I said to him, God--
"Dad, you've got to look around.
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Look at what you're seeing.
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You love to be out in nature.
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Why is that?
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Because there's so much here to
identify to us that there is an
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intelligent design behind it
all, that there is a God who has
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created all of these things.
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And you look at
the animals that we see
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and how
intricately they are made.
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We look at the human
body and how wonderfully
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God has made us."
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And I said, "Dad, you are going
to be without excuse on the day
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of judgment when
you stand before God.
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There is enough evidence there
to show us that God is real."
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Why don't you turn in your
Bibles with me to Psalm 19.
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Psalm 19.
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And I want you to notice what it
says here, starting in verse 1.
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The Bible says, "The heavens
declare the glory of God, and
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the firmament
shows His handiwork.
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Day unto day utters
speech, and night unto
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night reveals knowledge.
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There is no speech nor language
where their voice is not heard.
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Their line has gone out through
all the earth, and their words
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to the end of the world.
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In them He has set a tabernacle
for the sun, which is like a
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bridegroom coming out of
his chamber, and rejoices like a
00:13:06.58\00:13:10.55
strong man to run its race.
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Its rising is from one end of
heaven, and its circuit to the
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other end, and there is
nothing hidden from its heat."
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Here we see that the Scripture
is telling us that the heavens
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declare the glory of God.
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They reveal to us--the creation
reveals to us that there is an
00:13:26.94\00:13:30.94
intelligent design behind
it, and there must be a Creator.
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And, friends, if we are honest
with ourselves, we can see
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enough evidence in our world so
that, by faith, we can not only
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believe in the existence of
a Creator, but that He wants to
00:13:46.15\00:13:52.76
recreate in us His image, and
He wants to have a relationship
00:13:52.79\00:13:57.77
with us because God is love.
00:13:57.80\00:14:01.17
In fact, there is so much
evidence that Paul says that you
00:14:01.20\00:14:05.11
will be without excuse in the
judgment because enough about
00:14:05.14\00:14:10.08
Him can be seen
in all that is made.
00:14:10.11\00:14:14.98
You're very familiar with
the passage of John chapter 1,
00:14:15.02\00:14:17.95
starting in verse 1.
00:14:17.99\00:14:19.79
It says, "In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with
00:14:19.82\00:14:22.32
God, and the Word was God.
00:14:22.36\00:14:24.73
He was in the beginning with
God, and all things were made
00:14:24.76\00:14:27.86
through Him, and without Him
nothing was made that was made."
00:14:27.86\00:14:32.50
Obviously, this is talking about
Jesus, the creative part of the
00:14:32.53\00:14:37.24
Godhead, and we can take that
"Word" out of that passage, and
00:14:37.27\00:14:44.81
we can put "Jesus" in there
because Jesus was the Word.
00:14:44.85\00:14:48.38
Jesus is the one who
spoke the world into existence.
00:14:48.42\00:14:51.89
And if we do that, it would say,
"In the beginning was Jesus,
00:14:51.92\00:14:55.36
and Jesus was with
God, and Jesus is God.
00:14:55.39\00:14:58.76
He was in the beginning with
God, and all things were made
00:14:58.79\00:15:02.43
through Him, and without Him,
nothing was made that was made."
00:15:02.46\00:15:08.40
And so, if we are going to truly
receive an education and if we
00:15:08.44\00:15:13.61
are going to rightly understand
the arts and the sciences, we
00:15:13.64\00:15:18.31
must believe in a Creator, and
the science and the arts have to
00:15:18.35\00:15:24.02
be taught from the laws of
nature that God has put in place
00:15:24.05\00:15:29.16
because, if we don't do that,
then we are going to fall into
00:15:29.19\00:15:33.50
the same trap as the rest
of the world, who worshiped the
00:15:33.53\00:15:37.33
creation rather
than the Creator.
00:15:37.37\00:15:41.44
And in the end, any ideologies,
philosophies, presumptions,
00:15:41.47\00:15:46.57
presuppositions, or teachings
that deny or exclude God and His
00:15:46.61\00:15:52.41
Word are only
going to lead to error.
00:15:52.45\00:15:57.49
And so let's look at Monday's
lesson, and it's called "The
00:15:57.52\00:16:01.76
Beauty of Holiness."
00:16:01.79\00:16:04.19
Psalm 96, verse 9, says,
"Worship the Lord in the beauty
00:16:04.23\00:16:08.20
of holiness."
00:16:08.23\00:16:10.33
Well, that, friends, should
really beg of us the question,
00:16:10.37\00:16:13.87
what does it mean to worship
God in the beauty of holiness?
00:16:13.90\00:16:18.17
And how should that impact
what we teach about art and the
00:16:18.21\00:16:23.24
beauty that is
often associated with it?
00:16:23.28\00:16:27.42
Because nature is God's
24-hour-a-day, 3D-multimedia,
00:16:27.45\00:16:33.42
stereophonic revelation of
Himself, and the arts should do
00:16:33.46\00:16:38.66
that as well.
00:16:38.69\00:16:40.30
To the degree that they reflect
the beauty and/or the truth,
00:16:40.33\00:16:44.47
they can be a
source of seeing God
00:16:44.50\00:16:48.17
and reflecting his character.
00:16:48.20\00:16:50.54
In other words, looking at the
arts, looking at the beauty of
00:16:50.57\00:16:55.11
the Creation of God, that should
bring us to looking to God and
00:16:55.14\00:17:01.78
bring us to a place where we can
reflect the character of God.
00:17:01.82\00:17:06.45
And so art, in the proper
context, can and should lead us
00:17:06.49\00:17:12.63
to God.
00:17:12.66\00:17:14.10
It should lead us to developing
the character, His character,
00:17:14.13\00:17:18.23
which is beautiful, and
worshiping Him in true holiness
00:17:18.27\00:17:24.14
in spite of our sinful nature.
00:17:24.17\00:17:27.98
I want you to think
about this for a minute.
00:17:28.01\00:17:30.65
Our world has been marred and
decimated by sin, and, yet even
00:17:30.68\00:17:37.02
in this condition, there are
beautiful things in nature and
00:17:37.05\00:17:43.19
beautiful things in art
that can draw us to God.
00:17:43.22\00:17:48.16
I remember, years ago, my wife
and I were going to visit the
00:17:48.20\00:17:52.60
Niagara Falls, and we came up
over the hill, and we got up to
00:17:52.63\00:17:58.94
the top, and just as we started
coming over the hill, "bam,"
00:17:58.97\00:18:04.08
there was the Niagara Falls,
right there in front of us.
00:18:04.11\00:18:08.25
It was literally a "wow" moment.
00:18:08.28\00:18:12.39
It was exciting.
00:18:12.42\00:18:13.99
It was beautiful, and I just
remember it immediately brought
00:18:14.02\00:18:19.93
my attention to the Lord, and I
just started praising God, "Oh,
00:18:19.96\00:18:23.03
Lord, You are so amazing.
00:18:23.06\00:18:25.03
You created this beautiful
tapestry, if you will, of this
00:18:25.07\00:18:30.64
waterfall."
00:18:30.67\00:18:32.17
And then, you know, I realized
that all of that was created
00:18:32.21\00:18:38.45
through destruction.
00:18:38.48\00:18:41.15
You see, friends, we are living
in a world that has been marred
00:18:41.18\00:18:45.59
and decimated by sin, and,
yet even in the midst of that,
00:18:45.62\00:18:48.86
there's still these beautiful
things that God uses to draw us
00:18:48.89\00:18:54.00
to Himself.
00:18:54.03\00:18:56.00
You know, my wife and I, we
lived in Michigan for the last
00:18:56.03\00:18:58.50
19 years, and we had the four
seasons, and every fall, you
00:18:58.53\00:19:04.07
would see those trees.
00:19:04.11\00:19:06.17
The leaves start to turn
beautiful colors, and there are
00:19:06.21\00:19:10.08
people that come from all over
the place to go on a color tour
00:19:10.11\00:19:15.05
to look at the beautiful
colors of the trees, and, yet we
00:19:15.08\00:19:19.72
realize that all of that is
happening because of death, that
00:19:19.75\00:19:25.69
those trees are going dormant
for the winter, and, yet even in
00:19:25.73\00:19:30.37
all of that there is a
beauty that God has provided.
00:19:30.40\00:19:34.74
I want you to notice in the book
"Steps to Christ," what it says:
00:19:34.77\00:19:39.24
"God would have His children
appreciate His works and delight
00:19:39.27\00:19:43.11
in the simple, quiet
beauty with which He has adorned
00:19:43.14\00:19:47.82
our earthly home.
00:19:47.85\00:19:49.42
He's a lover of beauty,
and above all that is outwardly
00:19:49.45\00:19:52.79
attractive He loves
beauty of character.
00:19:52.82\00:19:55.79
He would have us cultivate
purity and simplicity, the quiet
00:19:55.82\00:20:00.80
graces of the flowers."
00:20:00.83\00:20:03.67
I want you to notice there that
it's telling us that our God
00:20:03.70\00:20:07.24
loves beauty, and I can't help
but think of that verse where
00:20:07.27\00:20:11.84
Jesus was talking about Solomon,
and he said, "And even in all of
00:20:11.87\00:20:16.01
his splendor,
Solomon's dress couldn't compare
00:20:16.04\00:20:20.75
to that of the flowers."
00:20:20.78\00:20:22.92
And God has given us
that beauty so that we
00:20:22.95\00:20:27.59
can be attracted to Him.
00:20:27.62\00:20:30.66
And even more importantly than
outward beauty, God desires that
00:20:30.69\00:20:36.80
we would have inward beauty.
00:20:36.83\00:20:38.87
He desires that we would have
that meek and quiet spirit and
00:20:38.90\00:20:44.14
emulate our Lord Jesus
Christ, that we would have His
00:20:44.17\00:20:49.21
character, that we would have
His beauty, not that outward
00:20:49.24\00:20:53.25
beauty, but that
inward beauty of God.
00:20:53.28\00:20:56.82
And that's why Paul tells us in
Philippians, chapter 4, verse 8
00:20:56.85\00:21:01.69
and 9, he says, "Whatever things
are true, whatever things are
00:21:01.72\00:21:04.46
noble, whatever things are
just, whatever things are pure,
00:21:04.49\00:21:08.80
whatever things are lovely,
whatever things are of good
00:21:08.83\00:21:11.47
report, if there's any
virtue, if there's anything
00:21:11.50\00:21:14.50
praiseworthy," He says,
"meditate on these things,"
00:21:14.54\00:21:19.51
those things that are going to
draw us to God, not those things
00:21:19.54\00:21:24.38
that are going to pull us away.
00:21:24.41\00:21:27.35
And so there's another lesson
that we need to learn from
00:21:27.38\00:21:31.99
beauty and from the arts.
00:21:32.02\00:21:35.92
You see, not everything
that is beautiful is holy.
00:21:35.96\00:21:43.13
Think about that for a minute.
00:21:43.16\00:21:45.23
Not everything that
is beautiful is holy.
00:21:45.27\00:21:48.17
We don't have to go
very far to figure this out.
00:21:48.20\00:21:50.34
We can go back to Genesis
chapter 3, verse 6, which says,
00:21:50.37\00:21:53.61
"So the woman saw the tree, that
it was good for food, that it
00:21:53.64\00:21:58.35
was pleasant to the eyes, and it
was a tree desirable to make one
00:21:58.38\00:22:04.45
wise, and so she took of
the fruit, and she ate it."
00:22:04.49\00:22:07.86
And so it looked good, it was
beautiful, it was pleasing to
00:22:07.89\00:22:12.23
the eyes, and, yet
it was not good, right?
00:22:12.26\00:22:17.57
I want you to notice the last
paragraph on Monday's lesson.
00:22:17.60\00:22:24.41
It says, "As with everything God
has done, we have an enemy who
00:22:24.44\00:22:30.88
distorts and exploits it.
00:22:30.91\00:22:33.88
It shouldn't be surprising,
then, that beauty and concepts
00:22:33.92\00:22:37.45
of beauty can be
used against us, as well.
00:22:37.49\00:22:40.82
Thus, especially in the arts,
Christian education, guided by
00:22:40.86\00:22:44.53
Scripture, must help us learn to
be careful in understanding that
00:22:44.56\00:22:50.03
not all that is beautiful
is necessarily good or holy."
00:22:50.07\00:22:57.31
It's simply saying that we need
to make sure that just because
00:22:57.34\00:23:01.78
it's beautiful doesn't mean that
we are attracted to it, that
00:23:01.81\00:23:05.55
we're going to follow those
things because, friends, we
00:23:05.58\00:23:08.25
know--don't we?--from firsthand
experience, that much of the
00:23:08.28\00:23:12.42
art, much of the philosophy, the
teachings of this world, do not
00:23:12.45\00:23:17.33
honor God.
00:23:17.36\00:23:20.30
I can't help but think of that
description of Lucifer in Isaiah
00:23:20.33\00:23:25.00
chapter 14, and it talks about
him and, of course, he gained
00:23:25.03\00:23:31.31
that title for himself of Satan,
but it says in chapter 14, verse
00:23:31.34\00:23:36.54
12, "You were the seal of
perfection, full of wisdom and
00:23:36.58\00:23:42.72
perfect in beauty."
00:23:42.75\00:23:45.99
He's a beautiful creature,
and, of course, we know that the
00:23:46.02\00:23:52.36
Scripture says that he can
transform himself into a being
00:23:52.39\00:23:57.60
of light, and so we need to
be very careful because then it
00:23:57.63\00:24:01.74
goes on in verse 13, and it
talks about the workmanship of
00:24:01.77\00:24:07.18
his timbrels and his pipes and
how they were prepared for him
00:24:07.21\00:24:11.25
on the day that he was created.
00:24:11.28\00:24:13.68
I don't know about you, friends,
but when I read that verse, I
00:24:13.72\00:24:16.79
can't help but think that
Lucifer had an orchestra built
00:24:16.82\00:24:23.56
right into his body.
00:24:23.59\00:24:26.09
I remember, years ago, went
to a musical, and I was sitting
00:24:26.13\00:24:32.03
there, and the person that
was singing, oh, they had such a
00:24:32.07\00:24:36.37
beautiful voice, and the person
that was sitting next to me,
00:24:36.40\00:24:41.04
when the song ended, they
said, "Wow, what a great set of
00:24:41.08\00:24:44.58
pipes," right?
00:24:44.61\00:24:46.48
You ever heard someone say that
in talking about someone being
00:24:46.51\00:24:49.88
able to sing?
00:24:49.92\00:24:51.55
You know, he had these pipes and
these timbrels, this orchestra
00:24:51.59\00:24:54.39
built right in him.
00:24:54.42\00:24:55.79
He was the leader of the worship
of God but, of course, we know
00:24:55.82\00:25:02.23
that he has taken
that, and he has twisted it.
00:25:02.26\00:25:06.63
And there are some great
DVDs that are out there on this
00:25:06.67\00:25:10.17
topic.
00:25:10.21\00:25:11.67
I can think of Christian
Berdahl, I can think of Scott
00:25:11.71\00:25:16.14
Ritsema, who have
done topics on this and
00:25:16.18\00:25:20.15
how Satan has twisted it.
00:25:20.18\00:25:22.25
In fact, Scott Ritsema's DVD
called "The Media Mind," we have
00:25:22.28\00:25:27.29
that in the
Amazing Facts website.
00:25:27.32\00:25:30.43
You can just go to
AmazingFacts.org, and you can
00:25:30.46\00:25:33.60
click on the bookstore and type
in "The Media Mind," and that
00:25:33.63\00:25:38.50
will pull that up.
00:25:38.53\00:25:40.87
Scott goes into how the media,
how movies, and how music has
00:25:40.90\00:25:47.11
been twisted by Satan.
00:25:47.14\00:25:49.04
He's used men to take that music
which God intended to draw us
00:25:49.08\00:25:54.72
near to Him, and they've used it
to twist it and to pull us away
00:25:54.75\00:26:00.22
from God rather than to Him.
00:26:00.26\00:26:04.09
And so we have to be very
careful that our study of art
00:26:04.13\00:26:08.86
and music draws us closer to
God and doesn't lead us into the
00:26:08.90\00:26:14.34
ways of the enemy.
00:26:14.37\00:26:16.64
Friends, you know, the melody
of praise is the atmosphere of
00:26:16.67\00:26:20.11
heaven.
00:26:20.14\00:26:21.64
And when heaven comes in touch
with the earth, there is music,
00:26:21.68\00:26:24.61
and there is song.
00:26:24.65\00:26:26.68
Isaiah 51, verse 3, talks about
"thanksgiving and the voice of
00:26:26.72\00:26:31.39
melody."
00:26:31.42\00:26:32.82
Job, chapter 38, verse 7, is
talking about the creation of
00:26:32.85\00:26:36.02
the world, and it says, "The
morning stars sang together, and
00:26:36.06\00:26:40.03
all the sons of
God shouted for joy."
00:26:40.06\00:26:44.40
You know, the earliest song
recorded in the Bible is when
00:26:44.43\00:26:48.37
Israel came out of Egypt, and
they went through the Red Sea,
00:26:48.40\00:26:53.21
and when they came out the other
side, there was this glorious
00:26:53.24\00:26:57.15
outburst of thanksgiving by the
host of Israel, and they were
00:26:57.18\00:27:01.15
singing songs and praising God.
00:27:01.18\00:27:05.15
You know, we could talk about
poetry of the words of Moses
00:27:05.19\00:27:09.02
that he used in
describing that conversation
00:27:09.06\00:27:12.83
that God had with Job.
00:27:12.86\00:27:15.03
You know, in the original
language, it was very poetic,
00:27:15.06\00:27:18.87
and then there's a little bit of
that missing when you translate
00:27:18.90\00:27:22.37
from the Hebrew to the English
language, but God said to him,
00:27:22.40\00:27:26.88
"Where were you when I laid
the foundations of the earth?
00:27:26.91\00:27:30.78
Who determined its measurements?
00:27:30.81\00:27:33.18
Who stretched the line upon it?
00:27:33.21\00:27:35.45
To what were its
foundations fastened?
00:27:35.48\00:27:38.75
Who laid its cornerstone?"
00:27:38.79\00:27:41.19
In other words, God was
pointing Job back to Creation.
00:27:41.22\00:27:45.63
He was pointing him back to
all that God has done for us.
00:27:45.66\00:27:50.77
And how Job respond to that?
00:27:50.80\00:27:55.60
Job, chapter 42, verse 5, he
said, "I have heard of you by
00:27:55.64\00:27:59.04
the hearing of the ear,
but now my eyes see you."
00:27:59.07\00:28:04.78
In other words, Job is
saying, "I've heard of you.
00:28:04.81\00:28:07.95
I've, you know, had this
experience, but now I see you.
00:28:07.98\00:28:12.85
When I look at
Creation, I can see that
00:28:12.89\00:28:15.89
there's an intelligent design.
00:28:15.92\00:28:17.63
I can see that there is a God."
00:28:17.66\00:28:20.20
And so, like Job, our human
hearts in sympathy with heaven,
00:28:20.23\00:28:25.43
have responded to God's
goodness, and we do that in
00:28:25.47\00:28:30.34
notes of praise, whether it's
music or hymns or meditation,
00:28:30.37\00:28:35.54
and all of that, the arts, all
those things that are designed
00:28:35.58\00:28:39.25
to draw us to God.
00:28:39.28\00:28:41.15
So let's talk now a
little bit about science.
00:28:41.18\00:28:45.12
I remember, years ago, my wife
and I went and visited the Grand
00:28:45.15\00:28:49.82
Canyon, and I have to say
that it was awe-inspiring.
00:28:49.86\00:28:54.63
It was truly majestic.
00:28:54.66\00:28:57.10
And it's interesting: If you
look at a topographical map and
00:28:57.13\00:29:04.41
you go from the Grand Canyon,
all the way up through Arizona
00:29:04.44\00:29:08.71
and into Utah, you discover
on that topographical map, you
00:29:08.74\00:29:14.75
discover what's
called the Grand Staircase.
00:29:14.78\00:29:19.02
It is an immense sequence
of sedimentary rock layers that
00:29:19.05\00:29:22.82
stretch from the Bryce Canyon
National Park in Utah, down
00:29:22.86\00:29:28.13
through Zion
National Park in Arizona,
00:29:28.16\00:29:31.37
and down into the Grand Canyon.
00:29:31.40\00:29:34.54
And in the 1870s,
geologist Clarence Dutton first
00:29:34.57\00:29:39.57
conceptualized this
region as a huge staircase.
00:29:39.61\00:29:44.18
In looking at it, he saw that,
descending from the Bryce Canyon
00:29:44.21\00:29:53.29
National Park, up in Utah, down
in through Arizona, and down
00:29:53.32\00:29:59.36
into the Grand Canyon, he showed
a giant staircase that was
00:29:59.39\00:30:05.80
formed, and he goes into that,
and if you look at this from a
00:30:05.83\00:30:13.31
biblical perspective and you
study the geomorphology, that
00:30:13.34\00:30:18.38
is, the physical features of the
landforms from Utah, all the way
00:30:18.41\00:30:23.55
down into Arizona, and down into
the Grand Canyon, and you look
00:30:23.59\00:30:29.19
at places like Devils Tower
National Monument, you discover
00:30:29.22\00:30:34.10
that all of these landforms
actually provide physical
00:30:34.10\00:30:37.97
evidence of a global flood.
00:30:38.00\00:30:41.87
It shows how the water must've
come down and how it created
00:30:41.90\00:30:48.08
that Grand Canyon.
00:30:48.11\00:30:49.48
I remember, back in 2017, my
wife and I had taken a call to
00:30:49.51\00:30:56.08
pastor in the middle of Michigan
in Midland and Mount Pleasant,
00:30:56.12\00:31:00.26
and we were up there looking for
a house to purchase, and they
00:31:00.29\00:31:03.56
had just had a storm that had
come through that lasted several
00:31:03.59\00:31:10.17
days, and they
had a lot of rain.
00:31:10.20\00:31:12.77
And as we were driving around,
trying to find some houses that
00:31:12.80\00:31:18.24
we wanted to look at, we went by
this one place that just caused
00:31:18.27\00:31:23.88
me to stop, right in the middle
of the road, and I looked at it,
00:31:23.91\00:31:27.35
and you could see where there
was a river about 20 feet below
00:31:27.38\00:31:30.55
the road, and then there
was this house, and then the
00:31:30.59\00:31:33.86
landscape went up a little bit
higher, but you could see how
00:31:33.89\00:31:38.06
the rain ran down through this
yard, and it tore away large
00:31:38.09\00:31:44.57
pieces of ground, and,
fortunately, it missed the
00:31:44.60\00:31:47.57
house, but it went right across
their driveway, right across
00:31:47.60\00:31:51.57
their front yard, and down into
the river, and we literally saw
00:31:51.61\00:31:55.91
a miniature version of the
Grand Canyon, and that was just
00:31:55.94\00:31:59.91
from a very small local flood.
00:31:59.95\00:32:03.52
And so, as my wife and I were
visiting the Grand Canyon, we
00:32:03.55\00:32:07.32
walked down into the canyon,
and that was a lot of fun.
00:32:07.36\00:32:10.23
We enjoyed that.
00:32:10.26\00:32:11.69
We rode mules on the rim of the
canyon, and we had a lot of fun
00:32:11.73\00:32:16.73
doing that, and then we
went into the Museum of Natural
00:32:16.77\00:32:20.77
History there in the Grand
Canyon National Park, and what
00:32:20.80\00:32:24.21
do you suppose they did?
00:32:24.24\00:32:27.04
They described how it took
millions and billions of years
00:32:27.08\00:32:31.28
to form the Grand Canyon, right?
00:32:31.31\00:32:33.52
And I remember thinking
to myself, "Oh, foolish man."
00:32:33.55\00:32:38.29
You see, brothers and sisters,
whenever we leave God out of the
00:32:38.32\00:32:41.76
equation, when we remove the
Creator and the Word of God from
00:32:41.79\00:32:46.86
the science and
the study of the earth,
00:32:46.90\00:32:50.13
we become experts in error.
00:32:50.17\00:32:54.30
I want you to notice in that
book "Education," again, this
00:32:54.34\00:32:56.47
time in chapter 14, notice what
it says: "Inferences erroneously
00:32:56.50\00:33:02.04
drawn from facts observed
in nature have, however, led to
00:33:02.08\00:33:07.38
supposed conflict between
science and revelation, and in
00:33:07.42\00:33:11.05
the effort to restore harmony,
interpretations of Scripture
00:33:11.09\00:33:14.96
have been adopted that
undermine and destroy the force
00:33:14.99\00:33:17.69
of the word of God.
00:33:17.73\00:33:19.43
Geology has been thought
to contradict the literal
00:33:19.46\00:33:22.03
interpretation of the
Mosaic record of the Creation.
00:33:22.06\00:33:25.87
Millions of years, it is
claimed, were required for the
00:33:25.90\00:33:29.37
evolution of the earth
from chaos, and in order to
00:33:29.40\00:33:32.74
accommodate the Bible to this
supposed revelation of science,
00:33:32.77\00:33:37.25
the days of Creation are assumed
to have been vast, indefinite
00:33:37.28\00:33:41.42
periods, covering thousands
or even millions of years."
00:33:41.45\00:33:46.89
Here we see that what it's
saying is that, unfortunately,
00:33:46.92\00:33:52.06
many Christians have
tried to harmonize the theory of
00:33:52.09\00:33:57.27
evolution with the story of
Creation and blend the two of
00:33:57.30\00:34:02.64
them together, and when
you do that, rather than taking
00:34:02.67\00:34:07.01
Scripture at face value and
literally viewing Creation as
00:34:07.04\00:34:11.71
happening in six literal 24-hour
days, we say it took thousands
00:34:11.75\00:34:18.75
of years.
00:34:18.79\00:34:20.49
And in contrast to that, I
want you to notice in that book,
00:34:20.52\00:34:24.19
"Education," back there in
chapter 14, page 128, it said,
00:34:24.23\00:34:28.60
"Since the book of nature and
the book of revelation bear the
00:34:28.63\00:34:31.47
impress of the same
master mind, they cannot
00:34:31.50\00:34:35.20
but speak in harmony.
00:34:35.24\00:34:37.17
By different methods,
and in different languages,
00:34:37.21\00:34:39.74
they witness to the same truths.
00:34:39.77\00:34:42.54
Science is ever discovering new
wonders, but she brings from her
00:34:42.58\00:34:47.05
research nothing
that, rightly understood,
00:34:47.08\00:34:51.75
conflicts with
divine revelation.
00:34:51.79\00:34:54.46
The book of nature and
the written word shed light
00:34:54.49\00:34:58.09
upon each other.
00:34:58.13\00:34:59.73
They make us acquainted with God
by teaching us something of the
00:34:59.76\00:35:03.63
laws through which He works."
00:35:03.67\00:35:06.20
And in that quote, we see there
that nature and science should
00:35:06.23\00:35:13.58
be in agreement
with the Scriptures.
00:35:13.61\00:35:16.85
Proverbs chapter 1, verse 7,
says, "Fear of the Lord is the
00:35:16.88\00:35:20.02
beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom
00:35:20.05\00:35:23.99
and instruction."
00:35:24.02\00:35:25.49
Psalm 33, verse 9, says,
"He spoke, and it was done.
00:35:25.52\00:35:29.42
He commanded,
and it stood fast."
00:35:29.46\00:35:32.39
Nehemiah chapter 9, verse 6,
says, "You alone are the Lord.
00:35:32.43\00:35:36.70
You have made the heaven, the
heaven of heavens, with all of
00:35:36.73\00:35:39.63
their host, the earth and
everything on it, the seas and
00:35:39.67\00:35:42.37
all that is in them."
00:35:42.40\00:35:45.31
You go back to that book,
"Education," chapter 14, this
00:35:45.34\00:35:47.81
time on page 133, it says, "He
who studies most deeply into the
00:35:47.84\00:35:54.62
mysteries of nature will realize
most fully his own ignorance
00:35:54.65\00:36:01.56
and weakness.
00:36:01.59\00:36:03.32
He will realize that there
are depths and heights which he
00:36:03.36\00:36:06.06
cannot reach, secrets
which he cannot penetrate,
00:36:06.09\00:36:08.80
vast fields of truth
lying before him unentered."
00:36:08.83\00:36:13.84
Friends, here we see that, when
we look at Creation and we think
00:36:13.87\00:36:21.04
about a Creator and an infinite
God, and we try to understand
00:36:21.08\00:36:27.52
the infinite in our finite
minds, we are always going to
00:36:27.55\00:36:31.62
come up short.
00:36:31.65\00:36:33.52
There are going to be some
things that we are just going to
00:36:33.56\00:36:37.26
have to take by faith.
00:36:37.29\00:36:40.73
You know, in our study here,
there's a quote by Sir Isaac
00:36:40.76\00:36:44.50
Newton, who once said, "I seem
to myself to have been like a
00:36:44.53\00:36:49.57
child on the seashore, finding
pebbles and shells, while the
00:36:49.60\00:36:53.58
great ocean of truth
lay undiscovered before me."
00:36:53.61\00:36:58.61
Here we see that, in our finite
minds and trying to grasp all
00:36:58.65\00:37:04.02
that God has done, friends, it's
going to take us all of eternity
00:37:04.05\00:37:08.92
to figure out God and His
creative power and who He is.
00:37:08.96\00:37:13.53
And, you know, I imagine that,
just about the time where we
00:37:13.56\00:37:17.33
think we've got God figured
out, Jesus is going to say,
00:37:17.37\00:37:20.34
"Hey, come on with me.
00:37:20.37\00:37:21.84
I want to take you, and I
want to show you something,"
00:37:21.87\00:37:24.54
and he's just going
to blow our minds, right?
00:37:24.57\00:37:27.91
You see, the deepest students
of science are constrained to
00:37:27.94\00:37:34.52
recognize in nature the
working of infinite power.
00:37:34.55\00:37:41.52
And so, when we leave God and
we leave the Word of God out of
00:37:41.56\00:37:47.60
education and we go by
man's unaided reason, nature's
00:37:47.66\00:37:53.84
teaching seem to be contrary and
contradictory and disappointing.
00:37:53.87\00:37:59.87
And so, when we look at nature,
when we look at the Grand
00:37:59.91\00:38:05.05
Canyon, when we look at the
sciences, and we look at the
00:38:05.08\00:38:09.05
Word of God, rather than trying
to bring harmony between these
00:38:09.08\00:38:14.79
two opposing views, these
two views that have nothing in
00:38:14.82\00:38:20.63
common, we need to
realize that it doesn't work.
00:38:20.66\00:38:25.90
It is only in the light of
revelation that we can read and
00:38:25.93\00:38:31.27
understand the
sciences correctly.
00:38:31.31\00:38:34.64
Hebrews, chapter 11,
verse 3, says, "Through faith we
00:38:34.68\00:38:40.15
understand."
00:38:40.18\00:38:42.48
You see, friends, both the
atheist and the Christian have
00:38:42.52\00:38:50.13
to live by faith.
00:38:50.16\00:38:52.89
Now, I want to pause for a
moment, and I want to just let
00:38:52.93\00:38:56.16
that sink in.
00:38:56.20\00:38:59.87
Let me say it again: Both
the atheist and the Christian
00:38:59.90\00:39:05.64
live by faith.
00:39:05.67\00:39:08.44
You see, by faith, one says
there is no God, that all things
00:39:08.48\00:39:12.28
came from chaos and evolved over
millions and billions of years,
00:39:12.31\00:39:16.95
and you are here by chance.
00:39:16.99\00:39:22.09
And then the other says by faith
that there is a Creator God, and
00:39:22.12\00:39:28.86
all that was made,
was made through Him,
00:39:28.90\00:39:32.93
that there is order, that
there is purpose in everything,
00:39:32.97\00:39:37.17
and that He loves you.
00:39:37.21\00:39:40.01
He wants to have a
relationship with you.
00:39:40.04\00:39:43.41
He wants to commune with you,
and He has a plan for your life.
00:39:43.45\00:39:49.28
I love that verse that says that
God has a plan for you and that
00:39:49.32\00:39:54.72
it is for good and not for evil.
00:39:54.76\00:39:58.33
You see, true education involves
the arts and the sciences, but
00:39:58.36\00:40:05.93
it's about much more than that.
00:40:05.97\00:40:10.24
I want you to notice that in
Friday's lesson here, it says
00:40:10.27\00:40:17.21
two reasons exist why science,
which gets so many things right,
00:40:17.25\00:40:23.65
gets origins so wrong.
00:40:23.69\00:40:26.92
First, science, which studies
the natural world, must look
00:40:26.96\00:40:31.86
only to the
natural world for answers.
00:40:31.89\00:40:35.16
Second, science assumes that
the law of nature must remain
00:40:35.20\00:40:39.93
constant, yet both of these are
wrong when it comes to origins.
00:40:39.97\00:40:46.94
If we leave the Word of
God out of the equation,
00:40:46.98\00:40:51.95
if we leave a Creator out of
the equation, then it's going
00:40:51.98\00:40:56.99
to lead us to error.
00:40:57.02\00:41:02.72
True education involves the arts
and the sciences, but it's about
00:41:02.76\00:41:11.07
much more than that.
00:41:11.10\00:41:14.64
Friends, what did we read in the
beginning of our lesson today
00:41:14.67\00:41:18.31
from the book of "Education"?
00:41:18.34\00:41:20.78
It said, "True education means
more than pursual of certain
00:41:20.81\00:41:27.28
courses of study."
00:41:27.32\00:41:29.18
It's important to
get a good education.
00:41:29.22\00:41:31.89
It's important to go to school.
00:41:31.92\00:41:33.92
It's important that we study
certain topics and that, if we
00:41:33.96\00:41:38.53
can, that we become an expert
in one of those and provide for
00:41:38.56\00:41:42.50
ourselves and for our family.
00:41:42.53\00:41:44.60
But true education is far more
than just a certain course of
00:41:44.63\00:41:50.14
study, and it even said there
that it was more than adding
00:41:50.17\00:41:54.81
Scripture to our course of
study, and it's even more than a
00:41:54.84\00:42:01.98
preparation for
the life that now is.
00:42:02.02\00:42:06.12
It has to do
with the whole being.
00:42:06.15\00:42:10.16
It has to do with the whole
period of existence that is
00:42:10.19\00:42:13.93
possible to man.
00:42:13.96\00:42:16.53
It is the harmonious development
of the physical, the mental, the
00:42:16.56\00:42:22.90
emotional, the spiritual powers,
and all of those things are
00:42:22.94\00:42:28.51
designed to prepare us for
the joy of service to God and
00:42:28.54\00:42:35.55
service to each other, and if we
are looking to that next world,
00:42:35.58\00:42:41.82
if we are looking to heaven,
we see that that's what heaven's
00:42:41.86\00:42:45.56
going to be all about.
00:42:45.59\00:42:47.76
It's going to be about our
service to others, and if we are
00:42:47.76\00:42:52.83
going to gain a true education,
then we have got to put it into
00:42:52.87\00:42:58.94
the proper context.
00:42:58.97\00:43:00.74
We have got to put it into view
that there is a Creator, and
00:43:00.78\00:43:05.95
whether you believe that there
is no God or whether you believe
00:43:05.98\00:43:10.92
that there is, both are going by
faith, and ultimately, faith has
00:43:10.95\00:43:18.36
to have a play in all of this.
00:43:18.39\00:43:20.10
I remember, years ago,
there were some presidential
00:43:20.13\00:43:24.10
candidates who were having a
debate, and I remember one of
00:43:24.13\00:43:28.70
them, they were talking
about their faith, right?
00:43:28.74\00:43:33.74
And I remember one of them
saying, "I have faith, but it
00:43:33.78\00:43:40.55
doesn't dictate what I do."
00:43:40.58\00:43:43.22
And I remember thinking
to myself, "That's insane.
00:43:43.25\00:43:46.89
I've never heard
of such a thing."
00:43:46.92\00:43:48.86
Your faith will
always dictate what you do.
00:43:48.89\00:43:53.36
And so you either have faith
that there is no God, or you
00:43:53.40\00:43:58.47
have faith that there is, and
depending on which side of the
00:43:58.50\00:44:02.40
equation you're on is
going to determine what you do.
00:44:02.44\00:44:06.01
And if we are going to truly
understand science, if we're
00:44:06.04\00:44:09.71
going to truly understand the
arts, if we are going to make
00:44:09.74\00:44:12.85
sense of it all as we look
at that grand staircase coming
00:44:12.88\00:44:17.35
down, as we look at the
geomorphology--you know, you go
00:44:17.39\00:44:20.86
out in the deserts of Arizona
and up into Utah, and you see,
00:44:20.89\00:44:26.96
you know, those giant
rock formations sticking up,
00:44:27.00\00:44:30.70
and it's incredible.
00:44:30.73\00:44:32.30
If you go up onto the top of
those, you find stones, giant
00:44:32.33\00:44:36.77
boulders, that are up there
that don't belong in that area.
00:44:36.81\00:44:42.98
You know, where
did they come from?
00:44:43.01\00:44:45.61
And the science can't always
give an answer to that if you
00:44:45.65\00:44:50.12
take Creation out of that, if
you take the flood out of that.
00:44:50.15\00:44:55.76
And so if we are going to look
at the sciences and we are going
00:44:55.79\00:45:01.53
to look at the arts and we are
going to truly understand them,
00:45:01.56\00:45:06.94
then we have to have a
correct interpretation.
00:45:06.97\00:45:12.61
There has to be
an element of faith.
00:45:12.64\00:45:18.75
You see, it's only when the arts
and the sciences are taught from
00:45:18.78\00:45:22.88
a biblical perspective that
they can rightly be understood.
00:45:22.92\00:45:29.42
And, friends, I don't know about
you, but I really appreciated
00:45:29.46\00:45:32.99
this study this week in talking
about how the arts and the
00:45:33.03\00:45:37.07
sciences should rightly lead
us to God because God doesn't
00:45:37.10\00:45:43.51
expect us to
just have blind faith.
00:45:43.54\00:45:46.37
He doesn't expect us to
just take His word that He is
00:45:46.41\00:45:50.08
Creator, but, rather, He has
given us the evidence that we
00:45:50.11\00:45:54.85
need that He not only exists,
but that He loves us and that He
00:45:54.88\00:46:02.26
wants to call us out of the
world and set us apart for His
00:46:02.29\00:46:06.46
good purpose.
00:46:06.49\00:46:08.10
He has a plan for your life.
00:46:08.13\00:46:09.83
There is a purpose to your life,
and He is leading and guiding
00:46:09.86\00:46:14.57
each and every one of us
as far as, and as much as,
00:46:14.60\00:46:17.84
we allow Him to do that.
00:46:17.87\00:46:19.97
And as we surrender our hearts
to Him and as we allow Him to do
00:46:20.01\00:46:25.45
those things in us that we
can't do in ourselves, He can
00:46:25.48\00:46:31.59
transform us and give
us that beautiful character
00:46:31.62\00:46:37.33
that He is looking for.
00:46:37.36\00:46:38.66
Yes, He loves the outward
beauty, but more than that,
00:46:38.69\00:46:43.80
He is looking for that inward
beauty that He, and He alone,
00:46:43.83\00:46:49.07
can develop in you.
00:46:49.10\00:46:50.81
And if we take that out of the
picture, if we take that away
00:46:50.84\00:46:54.74
from our understanding of the
sciences and the arts, we are
00:46:54.78\00:47:00.55
going to always be
going down a path of error.
00:47:00.58\00:47:06.42
So, friends, I hope that you
were blessed by our study today.
00:47:06.45\00:47:10.26
I really
appreciated this week's study.
00:47:10.29\00:47:12.53
I hope that you were able to
get those things out of there
00:47:12.56\00:47:16.10
and hopefully much more
than that, and you can see
00:47:16.13\00:47:19.53
that God is there.
00:47:19.57\00:47:21.57
And just looking at creation
itself, just looking at the
00:47:21.60\00:47:25.84
things around us,
there is evidence in a God.
00:47:25.87\00:47:31.11
I'm going to close today
by reminding you of our free
00:47:31.15\00:47:34.68
offering today, and it's this
book, "Is There Anything Left
00:47:34.72\00:47:38.32
That You Can Trust?"
00:47:38.35\00:47:40.36
That's offering Number 103,
and once again, you can dial
00:47:40.39\00:47:45.56
866-788-3966, and you can ask
them for offering Number 103, or
00:47:45.59\00:47:54.64
you can get a digital download,
and you can just text "SH043"
00:47:54.67\00:48:01.01
to number 40544.
00:48:01.04\00:48:05.58
Well, brothers and
sisters, God bless you.
00:48:05.61\00:48:07.95
I hope that you have
a great Sabbath today.
00:48:07.98\00:48:10.62
Let me close
with a word of prayer.
00:48:10.65\00:48:15.29
Oh, loving Father, Lord, as
we look at the things around us,
00:48:15.32\00:48:22.76
even though our world has been
marred and decimated by sin,
00:48:22.80\00:48:27.70
Lord, there is clearly evidence
of a Creator of an intelligent
00:48:27.74\00:48:35.58
design behind it all.
00:48:35.61\00:48:38.41
And, Father, we are just so
grateful and thankful that You
00:48:38.45\00:48:41.48
don't just say: Just trust Me
and believe," but, rather, You
00:48:41.52\00:48:45.59
have given us the evidence that
we need to hang our faith on,
00:48:45.62\00:48:52.96
that we can trust and believe
that there is a Creator, God,
00:48:52.99\00:48:58.37
that You love us, Lord, and
that You have a plan for us.
00:48:58.40\00:49:03.14
And You have gone to prepare
a place for us, yes, and You are
00:49:03.17\00:49:06.14
desiring to come back to this
world, and I believe very soon
00:49:06.17\00:49:09.98
that, Lord, You want to come,
and You want to take us home so
00:49:10.01\00:49:14.12
that we can be with You.
00:49:14.15\00:49:17.89
And, Lord, we long for that day
when You would come and wake the
00:49:17.92\00:49:22.76
dead and transform the living in
the twinkling of an eye, that,
00:49:22.79\00:49:26.70
Lord, we could
come and be with You.
00:49:26.73\00:49:29.00
We long to see You re-create
the world, and we pray that You
00:49:29.03\00:49:33.10
would help us to become a
part of it, and we ask for it in
00:49:33.13\00:49:35.94
Jesus's name, amen.
00:49:35.97\00:49:39.24
God bless you,
everyone. Have a great day.
00:49:39.27\00:49:41.54
¤¤¤
00:49:41.58\00:49:43.85
male announcer: Don't forget
to request today's life-changing
00:49:43.88\00:49:46.01
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00:49:46.05\00:49:47.65
Not only can you receive this
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To get your digital copy of
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00:49:53.66\00:49:56.83
the key word on your screen to
40544, or visit the web address
00:49:56.86\00:50:01.56
shown on your screen, and
be sure to select the digital
00:50:01.60\00:50:04.63
download option
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00:50:04.67\00:50:06.77
It's now easier than ever
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important, to
share it with others.
00:50:13.91\00:50:19.81
¤¤¤
00:50:19.85\00:50:22.18
announcer: Amazing
Facts changed lives.
00:50:22.22\00:50:26.45
¤¤¤
00:50:26.49\00:50:30.53
Diamond Garcia: Hi, my name
is Diamond Garcia, and I am from
00:50:30.56\00:50:32.66
the beautiful islands of Hawaii.
00:50:32.69\00:50:34.60
I was raised in a
very dysfunctional family,
00:50:34.63\00:50:38.20
like most families.
00:50:38.23\00:50:39.97
Being in that environment,
I would lie, cheat, steal, rob
00:50:40.00\00:50:43.84
houses, cheat in school on tests
and lie to teachers and getting
00:50:43.87\00:50:48.28
into fights, and
all kinds of stuff.
00:50:48.31\00:50:52.11
One day, I was asked to take
this little box of something.
00:50:52.15\00:50:55.48
I had to walk down the road
and give it to someone, and they
00:50:55.52\00:50:58.39
would give me money, and I would
walk back home, and I later
00:50:58.42\00:51:00.32
realized that I
was dealing drugs.
00:51:00.36\00:51:04.66
Growing up in that environment,
I thought that, you know, being
00:51:04.69\00:51:07.30
an adult was a life of drinking
and smoking and partying, and
00:51:07.36\00:51:10.53
that's just what adults did.
00:51:10.57\00:51:14.27
When I looked at my family
and saw the road that they were
00:51:14.30\00:51:16.50
going down, getting arrested,
getting beaten up, coming home
00:51:16.54\00:51:20.68
drunk and puking all over
the floor, I just didn't want
00:51:20.71\00:51:23.58
that for myself.
00:51:23.61\00:51:26.45
Growing up, I had a grandma who
was baptized as a Christian in
00:51:26.48\00:51:29.95
her 20s, but then she wasn't
ever a practicing Christian.
00:51:29.98\00:51:33.39
And so, one day, I was at her
house, and there was a box of
00:51:33.42\00:51:36.32
various books, and I went to the
bottom of that box and found a
00:51:36.36\00:51:39.66
book called "The Great
Controversy," and I picked it
00:51:39.69\00:51:42.26
up, and I said,
"This is interesting."
00:51:42.30\00:51:44.63
And I opened to the first page
of that book, and it said, "If
00:51:44.67\00:51:47.90
thou hadst known--" I
had no clue what it meant.
00:51:47.94\00:51:51.71
And so I said, "You
know what? Forget this."
00:51:51.74\00:51:53.34
I put the book
down. I just walked away.
00:51:53.38\00:51:55.54
I did my thing.
00:51:55.58\00:51:57.21
But then something
told me, "You know, Diamond,
00:51:57.25\00:51:58.78
go back to that book."
00:51:58.81\00:52:00.52
And so I went back to the book,
picked it up, went to the last
00:52:00.55\00:52:03.49
two chapters, and I read it,
and I said to my grandmother, I
00:52:03.52\00:52:08.09
said, "What church is this from?
I want to go to that church."
00:52:08.12\00:52:10.96
So she brought me down to the
local church, and then I walk in
00:52:10.99\00:52:13.66
through the back
door, and the piano is
00:52:13.70\00:52:16.30
off-key, the people are off-key.
00:52:16.33\00:52:18.10
It's like, man, this is
really, kind of--I don't want
00:52:18.13\00:52:20.80
to be here.
00:52:20.84\00:52:23.10
And I got to the front of
the church, and I sat down.
00:52:23.14\00:52:24.84
I was listening to the sermon,
and the whole service, it was so
00:52:24.87\00:52:27.38
boring to me, but then someone
gives me this set of DVDs, and
00:52:27.41\00:52:32.21
it was called
"The Prophecy Code."
00:52:32.25\00:52:36.22
It was through watching Doug
Batchelor explain the truths
00:52:36.25\00:52:39.15
found in the Bible
that really brought me to
00:52:39.19\00:52:41.42
Christ and brought me to
realize that, you know what?
00:52:41.46\00:52:43.86
There is a life
better than my family's life.
00:52:43.89\00:52:48.46
My second week at
church on Sabbath,
00:52:48.50\00:52:50.27
there was one person there.
00:52:50.30\00:52:52.50
He basically told me, "Hey,
Diamond, do you want to make
00:52:52.53\00:52:54.40
some money?"
00:52:54.44\00:52:55.87
And I said, "Sure."
00:52:55.90\00:52:57.54
I said, "What do you do?"
00:52:57.57\00:52:59.34
He says, "Well,
I'm a call porter.
00:52:59.37\00:53:01.01
We go door-to-door, and
we sell Christian books."
00:53:01.04\00:53:02.38
I said, "Oh, okay,
well, that sounds interesting.
00:53:02.41\00:53:05.25
I do want to
make some money too."
00:53:05.28\00:53:06.72
And so he said, "Okay, well,
why don't you come with me."
00:53:06.75\00:53:09.85
We drove out to the
neighborhood, parked the car,
00:53:09.88\00:53:12.72
and that night was just raining.
00:53:12.75\00:53:14.29
It was pouring and pouring.
00:53:14.32\00:53:15.69
It could not stop raining.
00:53:15.72\00:53:17.63
He prayed.
00:53:17.66\00:53:19.06
He said, "God, this
is Diamond's first night.
00:53:19.09\00:53:20.50
If it's Your will, stop the rain
so we can go knocking on doors."
00:53:20.53\00:53:23.57
And as soon as he said,
"Amen," the rain just stopped.
00:53:23.60\00:53:26.53
I was just thinking in my
head, "Is this guy a prophet,
00:53:26.57\00:53:29.37
or what?"
00:53:29.40\00:53:30.77
I mean, he just prayed and
asked God, and it happened.
00:53:30.81\00:53:34.28
And so I was so happy.
00:53:34.31\00:53:36.14
I grabbed the books, and I went
to the first door, and the first
00:53:36.18\00:53:38.18
door I went to, the
person gave me 50 bucks.
00:53:38.21\00:53:41.15
That night was actually a
big night for me because it was
00:53:41.18\00:53:43.79
where I saw God's power work
in stopping the rain, and people
00:53:43.82\00:53:47.66
were actually
giving me lots of money.
00:53:47.69\00:53:50.26
I then became a call porter,
or a canvasser, and I received
00:53:50.29\00:53:52.53
money to pay for my way through
academy, and when my church
00:53:52.56\00:53:55.53
began to see how God was using
me, they immediately recognized
00:53:55.56\00:54:00.07
that it was God's Word moving,
and they put me, you know,
00:54:00.10\00:54:03.34
preaching and
teaching and sharing my faith.
00:54:03.37\00:54:05.24
And I've been engaged in
ministry for the past six or
00:54:05.27\00:54:07.81
seven years now, and God has
taken me all over the world on
00:54:07.84\00:54:10.81
multiple continents, sharing my
testimony how God has brought me
00:54:10.85\00:54:13.65
out of darkness
into his marvelous light.
00:54:13.68\00:54:17.49
That's just total contrast as to
how I was before, and now, you
00:54:17.52\00:54:19.75
know, it's a total contrast.
00:54:19.79\00:54:23.53
My name is Diamond, and
Amazing Facts has helped
00:54:23.56\00:54:26.03
to change my life.
00:54:26.06\00:54:28.80
¤¤¤
00:54:28.83\00:54:38.81
¤¤¤
00:54:38.84\00:54:48.85
Doug Batchelor:
Friends, have you ever heard
00:54:49.18\00:54:50.49
of the bowhead whale?
00:54:50.52\00:54:51.82
This enormous Leviathan is
the second largest creature
00:54:51.85\00:54:55.12
in the world.
00:54:55.16\00:54:56.56
Dark and stocky, it roams the
fertile Arctic northern waters.
00:54:56.59\00:55:01.06
These massive creatures can be
more than 65 feet long and weigh
00:55:01.10\00:55:04.97
more than 75 tons.
00:55:05.00\00:55:06.94
That's heavier
than the space shuttle.
00:55:06.97\00:55:09.97
Yet in spite of their titanic
size, they're able to leap
00:55:10.01\00:55:13.01
entirely out of the water.
00:55:13.04\00:55:15.28
Can you say, "belly flop"?
00:55:15.31\00:55:18.01
The bowhead whale gets its
name from its bow-shaped skull,
00:55:18.05\00:55:21.45
and they've got
one ginormous noggin.
00:55:21.48\00:55:24.35
Matter of fact, their heads are
about 40% of their body size,
00:55:24.39\00:55:27.69
which comes in handy
when you find out how
00:55:27.72\00:55:29.66
they use their heads.
00:55:29.69\00:55:31.16
They've got very thick skulls.
00:55:31.19\00:55:33.03
Sometimes they get trapped under
the surface, and they use their
00:55:33.06\00:55:36.06
heads to ram the ice.
00:55:36.10\00:55:38.00
They can break a breathing
hole in the ice that is a foot
00:55:38.03\00:55:40.80
and a half thick.
00:55:40.84\00:55:43.07
Friends, you have to just
imagine what it would be like to
00:55:43.10\00:55:45.34
be walking around on the Arctic
ice and, all of a sudden, have
00:55:45.37\00:55:48.41
the ground beneath you crack and
split and rise as one of these
00:55:48.44\00:55:52.98
sea monsters pushes its head
up to breathe for the first time
00:55:53.01\00:55:56.42
in 90 minutes.
00:55:56.45\00:55:58.69
Because bowheads make their
home in the coldest part of our
00:55:58.72\00:56:01.02
world, they have the thickest
blubber of any whale, but this
00:56:01.06\00:56:04.89
plus their friendly and curious
nature made them prime targets
00:56:04.93\00:56:08.70
when the European
whalers discovered the bowheads.
00:56:08.73\00:56:11.67
They hunted them
nearly to extinction.
00:56:11.70\00:56:15.70
Fortunately, because of
conservation efforts, we've
00:56:15.74\00:56:18.44
slowly seen their numbers begin
to increase since the '60s.
00:56:18.47\00:56:22.31
One of the most amazing
facts about the bowhead whale
00:56:22.34\00:56:25.15
is its longevity.
00:56:25.18\00:56:26.92
Scientists have discovered by
evaluating harpoon tips found in
00:56:26.95\00:56:30.25
their skull and examining their
eye tissue, there are bowhead
00:56:30.29\00:56:33.99
whales out there that are
probably over 200 years old.
00:56:34.02\00:56:38.56
You realize that means there
are bowhead whales swimming the
00:56:38.59\00:56:41.40
oceans right now that were
alive before Abraham Lincoln
00:56:41.43\00:56:45.40
was elected President.
00:56:45.43\00:56:47.27
Can you imagine that?
00:56:47.30\00:56:49.24
Among the other amazing
mega-facts about the bowhead
00:56:49.27\00:56:52.11
whale is its mega-mouth.
00:56:52.14\00:56:54.54
They have the largest mouth of
any in the animal kingdom, and
00:56:54.58\00:56:58.01
when they open their piehole,
full extended, it's large enough
00:56:58.05\00:57:01.22
to park a
medium-sized SUV inside.
00:57:01.25\00:57:04.82
Yet in spite of the fact they've
got such big mounds, they
00:57:04.85\00:57:07.29
survive by eating the very
smallest creatures in the ocean,
00:57:07.32\00:57:11.13
plankton, krill, and
other microscopic animals.
00:57:11.16\00:57:15.60
Friends, I'm always amazed
by the creatures God has made.
00:57:15.63\00:57:18.20
This bowhead whale is able
to dive to the deepest oceans.
00:57:18.23\00:57:21.47
They can break through the ice
and move mountains with their
00:57:21.50\00:57:23.67
head and completely leave the
water and fly through the air,
00:57:23.71\00:57:27.38
and, yet they do all that
by gaining strength from almost
00:57:27.41\00:57:30.78
microscopic organisms.
00:57:30.81\00:57:33.15
Helps us remember that we
survive through the little
00:57:33.18\00:57:35.58
promises in God's Word.
00:57:35.62\00:57:37.69
Jesus, when tempted by the
devil, He quoted just a few
00:57:37.72\00:57:40.59
little verses, and He
sent the enemy running.
00:57:40.62\00:57:43.49
You can also have that same
durability and long life as the
00:57:43.53\00:57:46.29
bowhead whale by trusting
in God's Word and His promises.
00:57:46.33\00:57:50.63
¤¤¤
00:57:50.67\00:57:57.54
¤¤¤
00:57:58.91\00:58:08.85
¤¤¤
00:58:08.88\00:58:18.73
¤¤¤
00:58:18.76\00:58:23.77