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Luccas Rodor: Hi, friends.
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Well, thank you so much for
being here with us this morning.
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We have a great study.
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I'd like to welcome you to our
Sabbath School Study Hour, where
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we will be investing one hour in
learning more about God's Word,
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diving deep into the
present truth of Deuteronomy.
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That is the title of
our quarter, if you've been
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accompanying us so far.
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I'd like to welcome all those
that are watching virtually,
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also those who are
here in our local church.
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Thank you for being here
and spending this time with us.
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Today, we have an incredible
study coming from the fifth
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lesson of this quarterly which
is about the book of Deuteronomy
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and today's title is "The
Stranger Within Your Gates."
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And so Pastor Doug will be
diving deep into this lesson,
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bringing us truth for today
about how to deal with many
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situations that are relevant
for us today but that we learned
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from the Bible so long ago.
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But before we actually invite
him to come out and invite our
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choristers to come out, I'd like
to tell you that you can take
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advantage of our free offer.
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It's called,
"Life in the Spirit."
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So it teaches us how to live
through the power of the Holy
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Spirit and how to
have that Holy Spirit power
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in our day-to-day life.
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And if you would like that,
you could call 866-788-3966 or
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866-Study-More and you could
ask for the offer number 155.
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If you live on continental North
America you can text "SH047" to
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the number 40544 and you
could ask for that digital link.
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But if you live outside of North
America, you can also go to
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study.aftv.org/SH047 and
you could ask for "Life in the
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Spirit," and I'm sure
that'll be a blessing for you.
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I would like to invite our
choristers to come out and to
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lead us in worship and I'd like
to invite you to also sing along
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with them, praising
our God this morning.
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Doug Batchelor: I want to
welcome our friends that are
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studying with us and we
know we've got a lot of people
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joining us on Facebook
or YouTube or Amazing Facts
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Television or Hope
Channel or 3ABN and so we have
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kind of a global class.
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Welcome to you as well as those
of you who are here live in our
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Granite Bay Hilltop Church.
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We're continuing with our
study guide on the book of
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Deuteronomy, one of my
favorite books in the Bible.
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And today's lesson is going
to deal mostly with chapter 10.
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Some of chapter 10 has been
touched on in other studies.
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But we have a memory verse.
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This is Lesson 5 and the
memory verse comes to us from
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Deuteronomy
chapter 10, verse 19.
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If you have your Bibles open,
you can say it along with me.
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Deuteronomy 10, verse 19, ready?
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"Therefore, love the
stranger for you were strangers
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in the land of Egypt."
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Have you ever been a
stranger in a strange land?
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I'll tell you, it is a lonely
feeling when you get off the
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plane in a foreign land where
nobody speaks your language.
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You don't know how the systems
work and the transportation
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and the person who's
supposed to meet you at the
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airport is not there.
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And that is--it's a real empty
feeling and when finally someone
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comes along to help you
and guide you that speaks your
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language, oh, there's such a
relief you just want to cling
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to them because they are
your bridge to being able to
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survive in this strange land.
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You know, after you've been a
stranger in a strange land, then
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you know how it feels and
you can show a lot more love for
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people who are
in that situation.
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Well, turn with me in your
Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 10
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and there's a number of passages
we're going to consider here.
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We're not going to take time to
read every word in the chapter,
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but when you go to the
first section, it talks
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about circumcising your heart.
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Circumcising your heart.
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Now, that phrase is found
several times in the Bible.
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Let me give you a couple
of places where you find that.
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We'll talk about
what does that mean.
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For instance, of course,
first of all, it's there in
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Deuteronomy 10:16: "Therefore
circumcise the foreskin of your
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heart and be
stiff-necked no longer."
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It's almost
self-explanatory there.
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You look in Deuteronomy chapter
30, verse 6, Moses repeats this
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again: "And the Lord your God
will circumcise your heart and
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the heart of your descendants to
love the Lord your God with all
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of your heart and with all
of your soul that you may live."
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Well, whatever it is, it's
pretty important because he
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marries it with the Great
Commandment, "that you might
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love the Lord your God
with all your heart and all
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your soul, that you might live."
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Conversely, if you don't
understand what that means,
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you might die.
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Romans 2, verse 27 through 29:
"And will not the physically--"
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I'm sorry.
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"And will not the physically
uncircumcised, if he fulfills
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the law, judge you who with your
written code and circumcision
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are transgressors of the law."
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So here, Paul is saying in
Romans chapter 2 to the Jews,
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"There are people who are not
Jews, they're not circumcised,
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but they'll be judging you, even
though you've got the law, if
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you don't have circumcision
of the heart, basically.
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If you don't love the
Lord, what profit is it to you?"
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"For he is a Jew--"
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I'm in verse 28 now
of Romans chapter 2.
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"For he is not a Jew who is one
outwardly," meaning in the body,
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"nor is circumcision that
which is outward in the flesh.
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But he is a Jew who is one
inwardly, and circumcision is
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that of the heart, in the
Spirit, not of the letter,
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whose praise is not
from man but from God."
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So circumcision, of course, was
the covenant that God made with
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Abraham and the descendants
of Abraham, and it was very
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important to the
children of Israel.
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In fact, one of the terms that
David used for the Philistines,
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he went to King Saul, speaking
of Goliath, and he says,
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"Why should we let this
uncircumcised Philistine?"
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It was a phrase
they used for people that
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were pagans and lost.
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Unlike the descendants of Moab,
Edom, and Ammon, they were all
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related to Abraham through
either Ishmael or Keturah.
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They still
practiced circumcision.
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But the Philistines, they were
considered, you know, heathen
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heathen, and they
were into idolatry.
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And so, you know, this is
talking about just making a
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complete covenant with the Lord.
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Now let's go to the New
Testament and some other
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verses that talk about this.
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You look in Colossians chapter
2, verse 11: "In Him you were
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also circumcised," meaning
in Christ, you were circumcised,
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"with a circumcision made
without hands," not done by a
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rabbi when you're eight days
old, "by putting off the body
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of sins of the flesh, by
the circumcision of Christ."
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In the born again experience--
now a baby might be born but he
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wasn't circumcised until the
eighth day and I understand the
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reason for this is that on the
eighth day the clotting vitamin,
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vitamin K, isn't
really released in a newborn.
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Matter of fact, in many
hospitals when newborn babies
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are born, they give them an
injection of vitamin K to help
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accelerate that clotting factor.
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And it's amazing that God
knew this and baby boys were not
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supposed to be circumcised
until the eighth day.
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So they were born but
it's still a few days later
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before they were circumcised.
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People who are born again, it
may take a little while for them
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to experience the sanctification
but Christ changes the heart and
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look, for instance, in
Philippians 3:3, another New
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Testament example of this
principle: "For we are the
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circumcision who worship God
in the spirit, rejoice in Christ
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Jesus, and have no
confidence in the flesh."
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See, as Paul went from place to
place, preaching and teaching,
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he would start
first in the synagogue and
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he'd talk to the Jews.
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Bible says: "Go preach
the gospel to the Jew first,
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then to the Gentile."
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Why did he go to the Jews first?
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Because when Paul first went
preaching to the Jews, he did
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not need to say, "Now, there's
only, you know, one God and
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you're not supposed to be eating
unclean food and," you know, a
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lot of principles, "you're
not supposed to be praying to
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idols," the Jews,
they knew all that.
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What was the thing
the Jews did not know?
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They didn't know about Jesus.
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So to bring them into the full
truth, it was a much shorter
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job when he
started at the synagogue:
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"So you know the
Messiah we've been looking for?
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Jesus was Him."
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When he went and he talked
to the Greeks, he had to explain
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what is a Messiah?
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He had to talk about idolatry,
he had to talk about just all
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the other things
the Jews already knew.
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When we do public
evangelism-- any of you see our
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big statue out front?
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I'm wondering if some
of the neighbors are going
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to think we're
Buddhist now when they drive--
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I hope they've read Daniel 2.
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As they drive by, they know and
will make the connection, but--
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how did I get off on that?
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Anyway, what
was I talking about?
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I don't remember.
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All right, so you've got
the--oh, yeah, now I know it.
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So they were involved
in idolatry, the Gentiles.
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And they had so many
things they had to learn.
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We're doing an evangelistic
meeting this week and when you
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do public evangelism, you know,
it is much easier to share the
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three angels' message with
people that have some background
00:13:06.98\00:13:09.55
in the Bible, that
already believe in Jesus.
00:13:09.58\00:13:12.75
When I go to countries, I did
some meetings in Japan, it's one
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of the most atheistic
countries in the world.
00:13:16.56\00:13:18.79
Lovely people but just
a lot of atheism, a lot of
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suicide too, you might know.
00:13:20.96\00:13:23.06
But it's a lot harder
doing evangelism where
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they have no background.
00:13:26.00\00:13:27.70
Karen and I were in China and
I remember talking to our cab
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driver and he asked
about what we do and
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we mentioned, "An
evangelist," and "What's that?"
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I said, "Well, we believe
the Bible," "What's that?"
00:13:35.74\00:13:39.45
I said, "Well, we
talk about Jesus."
00:13:39.48\00:13:40.78
"Who's Jesus?"
00:13:40.82\00:13:42.82
Well, doing a series of
Bible studies in a country
00:13:42.85\00:13:44.72
like that takes a lot
more time 'cause you've got
00:13:44.75\00:13:47.39
to lay the foundation.
00:13:47.42\00:13:49.16
So Paul, as he went from
place to place and he would go
00:13:49.19\00:13:52.16
from preaching to the
Jews and start talking to the
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Gentiles, the Jews were annoyed.
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And sometimes, Paul
would take Timothy with him.
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You remember Timothy,
he had a Jewish mother
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but a Greek father.
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And Timothy was not circumcised
and they would say, "How dare
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you bring this uncircumcised
person into our synagogue?"
00:14:07.81\00:14:12.11
And it just became
such a point of conflict.
00:14:12.15\00:14:16.18
When you read the book of
Galatians, where he talks about
00:14:16.22\00:14:19.09
we're no longer under that yoke
of bondage and the law, some
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people try and make that sound
like it's the Ten Commandments.
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Has nothing to do
with the Ten Commandments.
00:14:24.76\00:14:27.00
The big battle
was over circumcision.
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And Paul had to keep emphasizing
what God wants is the
00:14:29.36\00:14:31.87
circumcision of the heart,
meaning that we're born again.
00:14:31.90\00:14:36.00
Circumcision was a rite
that was to point to the time of
00:14:36.04\00:14:38.27
Christ and, like the sacrificing
of lambs, it ended at the cross.
00:14:38.31\00:14:42.88
Now, you know, nothing
wrong medically with the person
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practicing that but it's not
a requirement for salvation, and
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it doesn't change the heart.
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What God wants is a
change of the heart.
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Look, for instance, in Ezekiel
11, verse 19: "Then I will give
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them one heart and I'll put a
new spirit within them, and I'll
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take away the stony heart out
of their flesh and give them a
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heart of flesh, that they
may walk in My statutes and
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keep My judgments and do
them and they shall be My
00:15:07.47\00:15:10.24
people and I will be their God."
00:15:10.27\00:15:12.24
There you have it, friends.
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That's talking about the
new covenant and that's what it
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means, that the circumcision
of the heart is taking the hard
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stony heart out and having a
heart of flesh that is moved by
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love and touched by the Spirit.
00:15:24.25\00:15:26.22
All right, going on now
to the next section under
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"Love the Stranger."
00:15:28.62\00:15:30.23
Now we could spend the rest
of the time here because that's
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the title of our study
today: "Love the Stranger."
00:15:32.39\00:15:35.26
Look in Deuteronomy chapter
10, verse 17, and I'll read
00:15:35.30\00:15:38.37
verse--through verse 19.
00:15:38.40\00:15:41.14
"For the Lord your God is
God of gods and Lord of lords."
00:15:41.17\00:15:46.88
And we might
add, "King of kings."
00:15:46.91\00:15:50.78
"The great God, mighty
and awesome, who shows no
00:15:50.81\00:15:53.75
partiality or takes a bribe."
00:15:53.78\00:15:57.12
The Bible says God is
no respecter of persons.
00:15:57.15\00:16:00.46
God--you know, you might
be the CEO of your company.
00:16:00.49\00:16:05.59
That does not impress God.
00:16:05.63\00:16:08.30
You might have a proliferation
of degrees following your name.
00:16:08.33\00:16:12.13
Do you think God's impressed?
00:16:12.17\00:16:15.77
When God looks down,
what does God look for?
00:16:15.80\00:16:19.84
He wants to see the fruits
of the Spirit in our life and
00:16:19.87\00:16:23.35
that's the things that matter to
Him is the integrity, people who
00:16:23.38\00:16:26.25
are willing to do His will.
00:16:26.28\00:16:27.72
He's no respecter of persons,
the way, you know, that we
00:16:27.75\00:16:31.39
categorize importance.
00:16:31.42\00:16:34.69
"He shows no
partiality, nor takes a bribe."
00:16:34.72\00:16:39.59
You know, some judges--I
guess I can tell you this now
00:16:39.63\00:16:44.13
without incriminating anybody
but when I was a kid, my mother
00:16:44.17\00:16:46.84
and father went to court
once or twice, fighting over
00:16:46.87\00:16:49.40
custody of my brother and I.
00:16:49.44\00:16:51.27
It's very awkward when
you're brought in to talk to a
00:16:51.31\00:16:53.11
judge and a bunch of attorneys
and say which parent you
00:16:53.14\00:16:55.18
want to live with.
00:16:55.21\00:16:56.68
And I remember one time, my
father flew--my brother and I
00:16:56.71\00:16:59.95
were at a camp up in Maine.
00:17:00.05\00:17:02.95
My father got a private plane.
00:17:02.98\00:17:05.02
He flew, he said to the
camp counselors, "I'm the dad.
00:17:05.05\00:17:08.09
I've come to
visit with the boys.
00:17:08.12\00:17:09.42
Want to take them to lunch."
00:17:09.46\00:17:10.79
He went to take us to
lunch and he took us from
00:17:10.83\00:17:12.39
Maine back to Miami.
00:17:12.43\00:17:14.00
We didn't know
what was going on.
00:17:14.03\00:17:15.56
And it got into a big court
battle with my mom and we had to
00:17:15.60\00:17:21.70
go and talk to the judge
and everything like that and it
00:17:21.74\00:17:23.77
ended up that we
went back to Mom.
00:17:23.81\00:17:26.21
And I remember Mom leaning over
the front seat in the car and
00:17:26.24\00:17:30.01
we--I was trying to figure out
what had happened and she said,
00:17:30.05\00:17:33.78
"We paid the judge more than
your father because he's cheap."
00:17:33.82\00:17:38.92
What kind of impression
do you think that makes on
00:17:38.95\00:17:40.96
the justice system for a kid?
00:17:40.99\00:17:43.63
That I guess it was a
pretty corrupt set-up back then.
00:17:43.66\00:17:47.83
And my father had all
this money, but he didn't give
00:17:47.86\00:17:49.73
the judge a big enough bribe.
00:17:49.76\00:17:52.87
So, yeah, they're--not
all judges are honest.
00:17:52.90\00:17:55.80
I believe there are a lot
of honest ones out there, but
00:17:55.84\00:17:57.47
they're not all honest.
00:17:57.51\00:17:59.57
And even in Bible times, if a
judge thought he might get some
00:17:59.61\00:18:02.38
benefit--do you remember what it
says about the sons of Samuel?
00:18:02.41\00:18:06.51
Samuel was a good man, godly
man, and at the end of Samuel's
00:18:06.55\00:18:09.32
life when they asked for a king,
Samuel said, "You know, you've
00:18:09.35\00:18:13.99
sinned a great sin
and asked me for a king."
00:18:14.02\00:18:15.82
He said, "Why have you been
unhappy with my administration?"
00:18:15.86\00:18:18.59
He said, "Testify." He
gathered all of Israel here.
00:18:18.63\00:18:21.06
Says, "Testify to me now.
00:18:21.10\00:18:22.73
Who here have I taken your
donkey, have I taken your sheep?
00:18:22.76\00:18:27.47
Did anyone here ever
give me a gift or a bribe?"
00:18:27.50\00:18:30.31
When Naaman tried to pay Elisha
for his healing, Elisha said, "I
00:18:30.34\00:18:35.58
will accept nothing," but
Gehazi, he wanted the money,
00:18:35.61\00:18:38.68
he got leprosy, didn't he?
00:18:38.71\00:18:40.45
And so a principle with God in
justice--did Jesus ever give a
00:18:40.48\00:18:44.29
medical bill for
anyone He healed?
00:18:44.32\00:18:47.56
Now, it's okay if
doctors--you're in the
00:18:47.59\00:18:49.12
profession, you bill
people, I understand that.
00:18:49.16\00:18:50.49
I'm just saying.
00:18:50.53\00:18:51.93
He wasn't bribed to do it.
00:18:51.96\00:18:53.50
He didn't heal the
rich more than the poor.
00:18:53.53\00:18:56.36
And so, you know,
God chose no partiality.
00:18:56.40\00:18:59.23
"Therefore love the
stranger for you were strangers
00:18:59.27\00:19:02.30
in the land of Egypt."
00:19:02.34\00:19:03.64
We're going to come back to that
phrase again a little later.
00:19:03.67\00:19:08.41
One example you might look
at, if you have your Bibles, you
00:19:08.44\00:19:10.45
might turn to the book of Ruth.
00:19:10.48\00:19:12.55
I'd like to highlight a little
vignette from the story of
00:19:12.58\00:19:15.15
Ruth that talks about
loving and caring for the
00:19:15.18\00:19:18.12
foreigner, the stranger.
00:19:18.15\00:19:21.52
In Ruth chapter 2 and in verse
8, now, you know the first part
00:19:21.56\00:19:27.03
of the story, Naomi's husband
dies and Ruth's husband dies and
00:19:27.03\00:19:31.77
Orpah's husband dies while
they're in the land of Moab
00:19:31.80\00:19:34.80
during the famine
that's in Bethlehem.
00:19:34.84\00:19:36.91
Finally, the famine's over and
Naomi says, "I'm coming home,"
00:19:36.94\00:19:39.61
and Ruth says,
"I'll go with you."
00:19:39.64\00:19:41.41
And they get into town and she
moves into maybe part of her old
00:19:41.44\00:19:44.91
house or something,
and they have nothing.
00:19:44.95\00:19:48.72
She said, "I went out
full, I'm coming back empty."
00:19:48.75\00:19:52.15
And so, the only thing they
can do for food is gleaning.
00:19:52.19\00:19:54.59
That's what the poor people did.
00:19:54.62\00:19:56.66
Gleaning is where you kind of
go through the field and you're
00:19:56.69\00:19:59.49
just living from hand to mouth.
00:19:59.53\00:20:01.00
When I first landed in Covelo,
I hitchhiked into town, had no
00:20:01.03\00:20:04.53
food, and I remember my
girlfriend and I were walking
00:20:04.57\00:20:08.64
through cornfields
picking corn and eating it raw.
00:20:08.67\00:20:11.81
Ever eat raw corn, off
the stalk, when you're hungry?
00:20:11.84\00:20:15.41
And it tasted great, actually.
00:20:15.44\00:20:17.41
But this is how they lived back
then and they would go behind
00:20:17.45\00:20:19.85
the people that were harvesting
and whatever they missed, they
00:20:19.88\00:20:22.85
were allowed to pick it up.
00:20:22.88\00:20:24.85
Or after they'd harvested the
olives or the trees, anything
00:20:24.89\00:20:28.02
left on the trees,
the poor would try and go
00:20:28.06\00:20:29.86
get the ones they missed.
00:20:29.89\00:20:31.26
And they lived on the gleaning.
00:20:31.29\00:20:32.76
So, Ruth, who was a little
younger and more able, a little
00:20:32.79\00:20:36.97
stronger than Naomi,
she goes out to glean.
00:20:37.00\00:20:40.07
Boaz sees her in the field.
00:20:40.10\00:20:41.84
There were other women
and poor people gleaning.
00:20:41.87\00:20:45.07
And he says, "Who is
that?" to his servants.
00:20:45.11\00:20:48.18
They said, "That
is Ruth the Moabitess
00:20:48.21\00:20:50.11
who came back with Naomi.
00:20:50.15\00:20:51.45
She's looking after Naomi."
00:20:51.48\00:20:53.82
And then Boaz says to Ruth,
this is Ruth chapter 2, verse 8:
00:20:53.85\00:20:57.29
"You listen, my
daughter, will you not?
00:20:57.32\00:21:00.69
Do not go to glean in another
field, nor go from here, but
00:21:00.72\00:21:04.33
stay close to my young women.
00:21:04.36\00:21:06.49
Let your eyes be on
the field which they reap
00:21:06.53\00:21:08.90
and go after them.
00:21:08.93\00:21:10.30
Have not I commanded the
young men not to touch you,"
00:21:10.33\00:21:13.03
in other words,
you'll be protected.
00:21:13.07\00:21:14.37
Other fields--sometimes
the young poor ladies,
00:21:14.40\00:21:16.94
the harvesting men
might take advantage of them.
00:21:16.97\00:21:19.71
But Boaz is looking after
her 'cause she's a stranger.
00:21:19.74\00:21:22.84
He said, "I've told them not
to touch you, not to harass you,
00:21:22.88\00:21:26.21
and to let you glean.
00:21:26.25\00:21:27.62
And when you are
thirsty, go to the vessels.
00:21:27.65\00:21:29.95
You can come to our well when we
take a break for lunch and you
00:21:29.98\00:21:32.32
can share with us and drink
what the young men have drawn."
00:21:32.35\00:21:35.19
You don't have to draw your own.
00:21:35.22\00:21:36.73
"So she fell on her face, bowed
down to the ground to him and
00:21:36.76\00:21:39.73
said, "Why have I found favor in
your eyes that you should take
00:21:39.76\00:21:42.46
notice of me
since I am a foreigner?
00:21:42.50\00:21:45.63
I am a stranger?"
00:21:45.67\00:21:47.14
Well, Boaz was following the
principle, "Show mercy on the
00:21:47.17\00:21:50.51
strangers, the foreigners,"
because the children of Israel
00:21:50.54\00:21:53.24
were strangers in Egypt, amen?
00:21:53.27\00:21:56.61
So here's one
example of that playing out.
00:21:56.64\00:21:59.01
Here's another one
about loving the stranger.
00:21:59.05\00:22:01.65
You know this story.
00:22:01.68\00:22:03.08
Luke chapter 10, verse 30.
00:22:03.12\00:22:08.92
Fold my notes here,
makes it easier to hold.
00:22:08.96\00:22:11.49
"A certain man went down from
Jerusalem to Jericho and fell
00:22:11.53\00:22:14.20
among thieves who stripped him
of his clothing, wounded him,
00:22:14.20\00:22:17.80
departed, leaving him half dead.
00:22:17.83\00:22:21.04
Now by chance, a certain priest
came down that road and when he
00:22:21.07\00:22:23.61
saw him, he passed
by on the other side.
00:22:23.64\00:22:26.68
Likewise, a Levite, when he
arrived at the place, he came
00:22:26.71\00:22:29.38
and he looked and he
passed by on the other side.
00:22:29.41\00:22:32.45
But a certain Samaritan--"
00:22:32.48\00:22:34.62
Samaritans were in
foreign land when they were
00:22:34.65\00:22:37.99
down around Jerusalem.
00:22:38.02\00:22:39.45
This was the road
between Jerusalem and Jericho.
00:22:39.49\00:22:41.56
Samaritans live up North.
00:22:41.59\00:22:43.89
"But a certain Samaritan, as he
journeyed, he came to where he
00:22:43.93\00:22:46.29
was and when he saw him,
he had compassion on him.
00:22:46.33\00:22:49.70
So he went to him and he
bandaged his wounds, pouring in
00:22:49.73\00:22:53.40
the oil and the wine, set him on
his own animal, brought him to
00:22:53.44\00:22:56.47
an inn, took care of him.
00:22:56.50\00:22:58.57
On the next day, he departed and
took out two denarii and gave
00:22:58.61\00:23:01.78
them to the innkeeper and said
to him, "Take care of him and
00:23:01.81\00:23:04.41
whatever more you spend, when
I come again I will repay you."
00:23:04.45\00:23:08.48
And now Jesus says,
"Which of the two do you think
00:23:08.52\00:23:10.49
was a neighbor to him
who fell among thieves?"
00:23:10.52\00:23:12.82
Who is it?
00:23:12.85\00:23:14.29
It's the foreigner
who showed mercy on the
00:23:14.32\00:23:17.19
man who fell among thieves.
00:23:17.23\00:23:19.19
And of course, this is
the attitude Jesus wants us
00:23:19.23\00:23:21.66
to have, to have mercy.
00:23:21.70\00:23:23.23
Now, right now, oh,
do I dare even say this?
00:23:23.26\00:23:30.94
Kind of sets you
up, I sort of need to.
00:23:30.97\00:23:33.41
I got to say it carefully.
00:23:33.44\00:23:35.64
There's an immigration
crisis in our country.
00:23:35.68\00:23:40.05
And there's two ways I think a
Christian needs to look at this.
00:23:40.08\00:23:43.55
Personally and civilly.
00:23:43.59\00:23:47.02
Every country needs to have
laws, and you need to be able to
00:23:47.06\00:23:52.79
recognize what your
borders are if you're a country.
00:23:52.83\00:23:56.33
That's one aspect to
the immigration issues
00:23:56.36\00:23:59.77
in North America.
00:23:59.80\00:24:01.24
The other aspect is when you
meet an individual, regardless
00:24:01.27\00:24:05.34
of what your immigration
theories and philosophy might
00:24:05.37\00:24:07.61
be, you want to treat them
the way Jesus would treat them.
00:24:07.64\00:24:11.78
You see what I'm saying?
00:24:11.81\00:24:13.15
Because it's the
one-on-one relationship.
00:24:13.18\00:24:16.38
And you know, I frequently
encounter--I pick up hitchhikers
00:24:16.42\00:24:19.49
and meet people in coming and
going and doing odd jobs and I
00:24:19.52\00:24:23.66
frequently meet people that--and
I speak a little Spanish,
00:24:23.69\00:24:27.86
you know, and they are
not legally in the country.
00:24:27.86\00:24:32.40
But I treat them like
brothers because whatever those
00:24:32.43\00:24:35.70
issues are, that's, you
know, to be dealt with in
00:24:35.74\00:24:38.74
a different jurisdiction.
00:24:38.77\00:24:40.91
As a Christian, you
want to treat everybody
00:24:40.94\00:24:43.14
like a brother or a sister.
00:24:43.18\00:24:44.71
How would you want to
be treated, is the idea.
00:24:44.75\00:24:48.32
That's the golden rule.
00:24:48.35\00:24:49.72
So, did I--I hope I didn't say
anything wrong by saying that.
00:24:49.75\00:24:52.72
Okay, so I've got my views
on what the law should be, but
00:24:52.75\00:24:55.82
that's separate from how
you treat every individual.
00:24:55.86\00:24:59.76
See what I'm saying?
00:24:59.79\00:25:01.20
All right, so you
love the stranger and I
00:25:01.23\00:25:03.26
told you about
the good Samaritan.
00:25:03.30\00:25:04.63
Now let's go to
Deuteronomy 10:19.
00:25:04.67\00:25:08.40
It's repeating the second half
of that verse where it talks
00:25:08.44\00:25:12.04
about "you were
strangers in Egypt."
00:25:12.07\00:25:15.24
And he says in Deuteronomy
10:19: "Therefore love the
00:25:15.28\00:25:17.85
stranger for you were
strangers in the land of Egypt."
00:25:17.88\00:25:21.08
What is the Lord saying
here that should jump out at us?
00:25:21.12\00:25:25.69
There's a principle that we need
to remember how God has been
00:25:25.72\00:25:32.69
merciful to us and
show other people mercy.
00:25:32.73\00:25:36.10
You know the parable of
the unmerciful debtor that you
00:25:36.13\00:25:39.40
find in Matthew chapter 18.
00:25:39.43\00:25:42.94
This man owes the king
10,000 talents and he can't pay.
00:25:42.97\00:25:46.27
The king's going to sell his
wife and children, all his stuff
00:25:46.31\00:25:49.44
for--to recompense,
and he begs for mercy.
00:25:49.48\00:25:53.45
He's about to lose everything,
he's about to go to jail
00:25:53.48\00:25:56.02
and be tormented for
his sins, and the king says,
00:25:56.05\00:25:59.02
"Okay, you're forgiven."
00:25:59.05\00:26:01.09
That same servant goes out and
finds a fellow servant that owes
00:26:01.12\00:26:03.83
him 100 denarii,
a very small sun.
00:26:03.86\00:26:07.66
Takes him by the throat, says,
"Pay me what you owe me," and
00:26:07.73\00:26:12.60
throws him in prison,
even though he begs for mercy.
00:26:12.63\00:26:16.00
He forgot the mercy
that he received and
00:26:16.04\00:26:18.77
he did not pass it on.
00:26:18.81\00:26:21.21
You know, whenever you go
through any trial, you're going
00:26:21.24\00:26:23.98
through that trial for one
of two reasons, usually both.
00:26:24.01\00:26:27.28
One is God wants to
teach you through that trial.
00:26:27.32\00:26:31.49
The other is God
wants to help you reach
00:26:31.52\00:26:35.02
others through your trial.
00:26:35.06\00:26:37.89
So it's that we show
compassion with others, with the
00:26:37.93\00:26:40.86
compassion that we've received.
00:26:40.90\00:26:43.00
And so, I'll tell you what,
since I got sick with COVID a
00:26:43.03\00:26:48.70
few months ago and other people
call up and say, "Yeah, I've got
00:26:48.74\00:26:51.61
the plague," boy, I
can empathize with them a
00:26:51.64\00:26:56.64
whole lot different, a
whole different level of
00:26:56.68\00:26:58.98
empathy now, than before.
00:26:59.01\00:27:02.55
You know what I'm saying?
When you've been through it.
00:27:02.58\00:27:04.82
And so if you have been a slave
in a foreign land and you know
00:27:04.85\00:27:09.02
what it's like to be mistreated,
you show a lot more compassion
00:27:09.06\00:27:12.63
on people that are in
your country, hopefully,
00:27:12.66\00:27:17.00
you've learned from it.
00:27:17.03\00:27:18.37
He says, "Don't forget."
00:27:18.40\00:27:19.83
In other words, don't
forget what God forgave you.
00:27:19.87\00:27:21.57
Don't forget the
mercy God showed you.
00:27:21.60\00:27:23.51
You show mercy to
others in the same way.
00:27:23.54\00:27:26.94
And the--it's summed
up in Matthew 7, verse 12.
00:27:26.98\00:27:31.38
He said, "Therefore, whatever
you want men to do to you, do
00:27:31.41\00:27:35.15
also to them for this is the law
and the prophet in a nutshell."
00:27:35.18\00:27:39.92
You know, whenever you're
in doubt about what to do, they
00:27:39.95\00:27:42.22
call this, what kind of rule?
00:27:42.26\00:27:44.56
The Golden Rule: do
unto others as you would
00:27:44.59\00:27:47.76
have them do unto you.
00:27:47.83\00:27:49.83
And Billy complained to Mom.
00:27:49.86\00:27:52.97
She said, "What's the problem?"
00:27:53.00\00:27:55.37
He said, "Sally and
I were having a fight.
00:27:55.40\00:27:57.84
I pulled her left braid and I
told her she had to let me pull
00:27:57.87\00:28:00.88
the right one," because
you turn the other cheek.
00:28:00.91\00:28:05.85
It doesn't say, "Whatever
you would--whatever you do
00:28:05.88\00:28:08.92
to men, do back to them."
00:28:08.95\00:28:10.49
Says, "Treat people the
way you want to be treated."
00:28:10.52\00:28:13.56
Now, it says: "Don't
forget you were strangers
00:28:13.59\00:28:15.56
in the land of Egypt."
00:28:15.59\00:28:18.29
Have you considered
that Jesus was a stranger
00:28:18.33\00:28:20.63
in the land of Egypt?
00:28:20.66\00:28:22.86
Do you remember that?
00:28:22.90\00:28:24.20
Look in Matthew chapter 2, verse
14, and this is after the wise
00:28:24.23\00:28:30.21
men went back to the country.
00:28:30.24\00:28:32.17
"When he arose he took the young
child and His mother by night
00:28:32.21\00:28:36.54
and departed for Egypt, and was
there until the death of Herod
00:28:36.58\00:28:41.52
that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by the Lord through
00:28:41.55\00:28:44.72
the prophet saying, 'Out of
Egypt I have called My Son.'"
00:28:44.75\00:28:48.52
Now, we don't know exactly
how long Joseph and Mary were in
00:28:48.56\00:28:53.90
Egypt, probably around two years
because the Child, you know, He
00:28:53.93\00:28:59.23
was about, probably about
four when they came back again.
00:28:59.27\00:29:02.74
Herod reigned probably two more
years after the slaughter of the
00:29:02.77\00:29:06.51
innocents in Bethlehem.
00:29:06.54\00:29:08.41
Jesus was about two years
old because he killed all the
00:29:08.44\00:29:11.31
children two
years old and under.
00:29:11.35\00:29:14.22
So we're just speculating.
00:29:14.25\00:29:15.68
We can't be very dogmatic about
this but they lived in Egypt.
00:29:15.72\00:29:20.89
Joseph and Mary were
strangers in a strange land.
00:29:20.92\00:29:24.26
I mean, by the time a child is
three or four, are they talking?
00:29:24.29\00:29:27.83
Yeah, they're
jabbering at two, usually.
00:29:27.86\00:29:32.07
And yeah, I remember our
daughter Rachel, I took her to
00:29:32.10\00:29:36.84
an auto parts store.
00:29:36.87\00:29:38.77
She was, like, 19 months old.
00:29:38.81\00:29:41.48
The guy at the counter saw this
cute little blond girl, he said,
00:29:41.51\00:29:43.75
"And how old is she?"
00:29:43.78\00:29:45.38
And she spoke up and
said, "I'll be two, March 23."
00:29:45.41\00:29:48.12
The guy almost fainted.
00:29:48.15\00:29:49.75
She talked really young.
00:29:49.78\00:29:51.52
My mother says I didn't
talk until I was four and then I
00:29:51.55\00:29:54.99
didn't stop after that.
00:29:55.02\00:29:58.43
I felt better when I
heard Einstein didn't talk
00:29:58.46\00:30:00.23
until he was four either.
00:30:00.26\00:30:01.80
I think I talked, I
just didn't say much.
00:30:01.83\00:30:04.30
Anyway, so the reason I said all
of that is Jesus probably spoke
00:30:04.33\00:30:08.07
a few Egyptian words, if He was
living in Egypt during that time
00:30:08.10\00:30:11.71
in His life because you notice
how quick kids learn a language?
00:30:11.74\00:30:16.54
I've seen it before where--I
know one particular family that
00:30:16.58\00:30:20.45
came from Mexico and
they had three children and--
00:30:20.48\00:30:23.35
who were attending our church.
00:30:23.39\00:30:24.82
And the mother and father were
struggling learning English,
00:30:24.85\00:30:28.06
and in one year the
kids were speaking fluently,
00:30:28.09\00:30:30.16
without an accent.
00:30:30.19\00:30:31.49
Have you seen that
before? It's amazing.
00:30:31.53\00:30:34.00
Twenty years later, parents
still struggling with English.
00:30:34.00\00:30:38.47
There's a time in your
life when your language skills
00:30:38.50\00:30:40.60
develop rather quickly.
00:30:40.64\00:30:41.97
Jesus might have spoke
a few words of Egyptian.
00:30:42.00\00:30:44.01
There's probably not a lot
spiritually edifying in that
00:30:44.04\00:30:46.51
thought but I thought it anyway.
00:30:46.54\00:30:48.31
2 Kings chapter 8, verse 3.
00:30:48.34\00:30:51.48
Another stranger
in a strange land.
00:30:51.51\00:30:54.52
"And it came to pass at
the end of seven years."
00:30:54.55\00:30:57.05
Now, this is talking
about the Shunammite woman.
00:30:57.09\00:30:59.39
I kind of wish we
knew what her name was.
00:30:59.42\00:31:01.72
Always just refers to her,
of a great woman from Shunaam.
00:31:01.76\00:31:05.09
And Shunaam was a
territory in northern Israel.
00:31:05.13\00:31:09.90
They were not Jews but they
accepted the God of the Bible,
00:31:09.93\00:31:13.07
many of them did.
00:31:13.10\00:31:14.54
You remember in the Song
of Solomon, Solomon falls
00:31:14.57\00:31:16.84
in love with a Shunammite.
00:31:16.87\00:31:19.07
We're assuming it's
Solomon that is in the story.
00:31:19.11\00:31:21.94
You remember when David was old
and he needed someone to keep
00:31:21.98\00:31:24.51
him warm as he was dying,
probably from congestive heart
00:31:24.55\00:31:27.65
failure that they found
Abishag, the Shunammite.
00:31:27.68\00:31:31.92
And while there is a
great woman of Shunaam,
00:31:31.95\00:31:34.26
Elisha resurrects her son.
00:31:34.29\00:31:35.82
You remember the story?
00:31:35.86\00:31:37.29
She makes an upper room for
Elisha in the roof of her house
00:31:37.33\00:31:39.49
and he then prays for her
and she has a miracle baby boy.
00:31:39.53\00:31:44.67
Boy later dies, working
in the field with his father.
00:31:44.70\00:31:48.34
Elisha resurrects the boy,
tells one more story about her.
00:31:48.37\00:31:52.07
"Came to pass that
Elisha tells her, 'You better go
00:31:52.11\00:31:55.88
wherever you can dwell because
there's going to be a famine
00:31:55.91\00:31:57.85
in the land for seven years.'"
00:31:57.88\00:32:00.15
It's interesting,
that's also what Ruth did.
00:32:00.18\00:32:02.98
Famine for seven years.
00:32:03.02\00:32:04.79
And so the Shunammite woman, she
goes and she dwells in the land
00:32:04.82\00:32:07.36
of the Philistines and then at
the end of the famine she comes
00:32:07.39\00:32:10.76
back but while she was gone
during that seven years, she
00:32:10.79\00:32:13.63
being a stranger in
the land of Israel, other
00:32:13.66\00:32:16.83
people had moved into her house.
00:32:16.87\00:32:19.03
They'd taken over, you know?
00:32:19.07\00:32:21.90
Often happens.
00:32:21.94\00:32:23.54
Had a place up in Covelo,
we still have that place.
00:32:23.57\00:32:26.68
I had to go to Texas for over
a year to help a family, had a
00:32:26.71\00:32:31.48
heart attack and they
were building a house.
00:32:31.51\00:32:33.52
And while I was gone,
someone moved into my house.
00:32:33.55\00:32:37.19
And I actually had to drive back
and get the police and chase
00:32:37.22\00:32:40.76
them out of my house.
00:32:40.79\00:32:42.86
And I knew, as soon as they
knew I was going back to Texas,
00:32:42.89\00:32:45.36
they'd move back in again.
00:32:45.39\00:32:46.90
It's the Wild West up
here in Mendocino County.
00:32:46.93\00:32:49.86
And so I stayed one more
day and I went back to the house
00:32:49.90\00:32:53.40
after they'd been evicted.
00:32:53.44\00:32:55.20
They had moved back
in, just like I thought.
00:32:55.24\00:32:58.81
So you know what I did?
00:32:58.84\00:33:00.61
With the help of a friend, I
snuck down to the house at night
00:33:00.64\00:33:05.48
while they're in the house, I
took some pebbles and I screwed
00:33:05.51\00:33:10.32
some pebbles into the valve
stem on their truck so it would
00:33:10.35\00:33:13.96
slowly let the air out
on several tires and while
00:33:13.99\00:33:18.73
I was doing that,
they came out of the house.
00:33:18.76\00:33:21.33
I had to roll
underneath the truck and hide.
00:33:21.36\00:33:23.67
My own place.
00:33:23.70\00:33:25.97
Then they went
back in the house.
00:33:26.00\00:33:27.37
I went back and I got
the sheriff and I said,
00:33:27.40\00:33:28.94
"They moved back again."
00:33:28.97\00:33:30.27
He said, "No,
they wouldn't do that."
00:33:30.31\00:33:31.61
I said, "I can
guarantee they're still there,"
00:33:31.64\00:33:33.44
because the truck was flat.
00:33:33.48\00:33:36.21
They were loading up my stuff in
their truck to take with them.
00:33:36.24\00:33:39.75
So, she's been gone seven years.
00:33:39.78\00:33:42.88
I mean, she has this nice house.
00:33:42.92\00:33:44.22
She actually built a--she
built a special room for Elisha.
00:33:44.25\00:33:47.82
People had moved in.
00:33:47.86\00:33:49.32
They'd taken over.
00:33:49.36\00:33:50.93
And so she's
appealing that she can get her
00:33:50.96\00:33:52.29
place back to the king.
00:33:52.33\00:33:53.63
She's a stranger, she's a
foreigner, and the king could
00:33:53.66\00:33:55.40
have said, "Well,
tough, you're a Shunammite.
00:33:55.43\00:33:57.77
Israel's going to
get first choice."
00:33:57.80\00:34:00.34
She went to make
an appeal to the king.
00:34:00.37\00:34:02.97
At that very time--isn't
God's providence wonderful?
00:34:03.00\00:34:06.54
"At that very time that she goes
to appeal to the king between
00:34:06.57\00:34:10.01
court cases, the king is talking
to Gehazi, Elisha's servant.
00:34:10.05\00:34:13.75
Says, "Tell me the story about
the boy that was raised from the
00:34:13.78\00:34:19.15
dead," and so Gehazi
tells the story about how Elisha
00:34:19.19\00:34:22.82
resurrected this boy that
was stone dead, and while he's
00:34:22.86\00:34:26.53
telling the story, they said,
"Okay, next case," and there is
00:34:26.56\00:34:30.23
this woman and she's with
the son who's now a teenager.
00:34:30.27\00:34:33.74
And Gehazi says,
"My Lord, the king.
00:34:33.77\00:34:36.00
That's the woman.
00:34:36.04\00:34:37.51
There's her boy."
00:34:37.54\00:34:39.51
How providential that something
like that would happen.
00:34:39.54\00:34:42.91
And it happened as the king was
telling--that Elisha was telling
00:34:42.94\00:34:46.41
the king how she had been
restored--or the boy had been
00:34:46.45\00:34:49.08
restored to life, there was the
woman whose son he had restored,
00:34:49.12\00:34:52.52
appealing to the king
for her house and her land.
00:34:52.55\00:34:55.39
And Gehazi said, "Oh my Lord,
this is the woman and that's her
00:34:55.42\00:34:58.36
son that
was--Elisha restored the life."
00:34:58.39\00:35:01.13
And the King asked
the woman--she told him.
00:35:01.16\00:35:04.03
So the king
appointed a certain officer.
00:35:04.07\00:35:05.97
He said, "I'm sending a
policeman with you," saying,
00:35:06.00\00:35:07.84
"Restore everything that was
hers and all the proceeds of the
00:35:07.87\00:35:12.07
field from the day
she left until now.
00:35:12.11\00:35:14.64
Not only that, you're to give
interest for all the--her crops
00:35:14.68\00:35:16.91
that you took while she
was gone, you're to restore."
00:35:16.95\00:35:20.92
And so, and the Bible
talks about can God restore the
00:35:20.95\00:35:24.39
locust--what the
locust has eaten?
00:35:24.42\00:35:26.59
God restored
everything to that woman.
00:35:26.62\00:35:28.52
She's a type of the church.
00:35:28.56\00:35:29.89
This world is going
to be restored after
00:35:29.92\00:35:31.86
these 7000 years, amen?
00:35:31.89\00:35:33.83
He's going to make a
new heaven and a new earth.
00:35:33.86\00:35:35.60
So she was a stranger.
00:35:35.63\00:35:37.60
The king--that king of Israel
was not always good, but he did
00:35:37.63\00:35:40.64
the right thing here, showing
mercy to the foreigner, okay?
00:35:40.67\00:35:45.31
Judge righteously.
00:35:45.34\00:35:47.21
Deuteronomy 10, verse 17: "For
the Lord your God is God of gods
00:35:47.24\00:35:52.95
and Lord of lords, great,
mighty, and awesome, who shows
00:35:52.98\00:35:56.65
no partiality
nor takes a bribe."
00:35:56.69\00:36:01.62
You know, it's--people
are always tempted to show
00:36:01.66\00:36:05.49
partiality and you really need
to examine your heart to make
00:36:05.53\00:36:09.50
sure that you're being fair
with everybody and not giving
00:36:09.53\00:36:12.03
anybody preferential treatment.
00:36:12.07\00:36:14.57
James says in his book: "If
there comes into your assembly a
00:36:14.60\00:36:17.17
poor man and you say to him,
'Yeah, there's a seat over there
00:36:17.21\00:36:21.71
on that log or the rag there on
the floor, you can go sit over
00:36:21.74\00:36:25.75
there,' and then a rich
man comes in, in fine apparel,
00:36:25.78\00:36:28.48
you go, 'Oh, we've
got the throne for you.'
00:36:28.52\00:36:31.45
And James says, "Are you
not showing yourself partial,
00:36:31.49\00:36:34.12
judges of evil thoughts?"
00:36:34.16\00:36:36.02
That effect, that's in
James chapter 2, verse 1.
00:36:36.06\00:36:38.66
Let me read it to you.
00:36:38.69\00:36:40.00
"Brethren, do not hold the faith
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
00:36:40.03\00:36:42.60
Lord of glory, with partiality."
00:36:42.63\00:36:44.93
He's talking about
don't be partial, give people
00:36:44.97\00:36:46.30
preferential treatment.
00:36:46.33\00:36:48.27
Treat everybody
as a child of God.
00:36:48.30\00:36:50.44
"For if there should come into
your assembly a man with gold
00:36:50.47\00:36:52.57
rings and fine apparel, and
there should also come in a poor
00:36:52.61\00:36:55.64
man in filthy clothes and you
pay attention to the one wearing
00:36:55.68\00:36:58.41
the fine clothes and you
say to him, 'You sit here in a
00:36:58.45\00:37:01.18
good place,' and say to the
poor man, 'You stand there,'"
00:37:01.22\00:37:04.29
don't even give him a chair,
"or 'Sit here at my footstool,'
00:37:04.32\00:37:07.96
have not you shown partiality
among yourselves and become
00:37:07.99\00:37:10.73
judges of evil thoughts?'"
00:37:10.76\00:37:13.26
Then go to James chapter
2, verse 8: "If you really
00:37:13.29\00:37:16.43
fulfill the royal law
according to the Scripture,
00:37:16.46\00:37:18.93
you will love your
neighbor as yourself.
00:37:18.97\00:37:20.30
You do well.
00:37:20.34\00:37:21.57
But if you show partiality, you
commit sin and are convinced by
00:37:21.60\00:37:25.37
the law as transgressors."
00:37:25.41\00:37:27.88
I'll tell you a
little story from history.
00:37:27.91\00:37:30.05
How many of you remember
when you were in school,
00:37:30.08\00:37:32.01
probably about fourth
or fifth grade, hearing
00:37:32.05\00:37:34.58
about the Boston Massacre?
00:37:34.62\00:37:37.02
Before the Revolutionary War,
one of the things that fomented
00:37:37.05\00:37:40.46
it into being a revolution is
the colonists, the people that
00:37:40.49\00:37:44.16
were colonizing North America
in Boston, had become very upset
00:37:44.19\00:37:48.50
about the taxes that the British
Empire was imposing, unfair
00:37:48.53\00:37:52.00
taxes with no representation,
just arbitrary, to pay for other
00:37:52.03\00:37:56.37
wars that they fought, and the
colonists were getting fed up
00:37:56.40\00:37:59.71
with it and when they started to
complain, Britain sent more and
00:37:59.74\00:38:03.81
more soldiers into Boston
to help settle everybody down.
00:38:03.85\00:38:08.15
And finally, there was a
confrontation between the
00:38:08.18\00:38:10.45
citizens and some soldiers
and someone threw something or
00:38:10.49\00:38:14.22
someone fired a shot when they
fell down, and all the other
00:38:14.26\00:38:17.16
soldiers fired into the crowd.
00:38:17.19\00:38:18.73
Several people were killed.
00:38:18.76\00:38:20.70
And it turned out
that-- and the whole thing
00:38:20.73\00:38:22.43
was just a mob gone bad.
00:38:22.46\00:38:24.70
Well, they were going
to hang all the soldiers
00:38:24.73\00:38:27.04
and the British loyalists.
00:38:27.07\00:38:29.40
"Following the Boston Massacre,
March 5, 1770, Captain Thomas
00:38:29.44\00:38:33.44
Preston, eight British soldiers
and five British civilians were
00:38:33.48\00:38:36.75
indicted for murder, thus
facing possible execution.
00:38:36.78\00:38:40.88
Obviously, it was very difficult
to find a defense team that
00:38:40.92\00:38:43.59
would agree to defend them."
00:38:43.62\00:38:45.42
I mean, if you're a defense
lawyer and you've got somebody
00:38:45.45\00:38:49.82
who's been a traitor in the US
and the media has painted them
00:38:49.86\00:38:54.46
as the devil, as soon as you as
an attorney say, "I will defend
00:38:54.50\00:38:59.07
the devil," you're going
to be hated and you're going
00:38:59.10\00:39:01.80
to be threatened, right?
00:39:01.84\00:39:03.91
Do you know who defended them?
00:39:03.94\00:39:06.47
John Adams, attorney,
future to be president
00:39:06.51\00:39:10.01
of the United States.
00:39:10.05\00:39:11.61
"Obviously, it was very
difficult to find a defense
00:39:11.65\00:39:14.22
team that would agree to defend
them in a very anti-British
00:39:14.25\00:39:17.82
city of Boston.
00:39:17.85\00:39:19.69
John Adams realized
that much was on the line for
00:39:19.72\00:39:22.12
colonial America, not
the least of which was the
00:39:22.16\00:39:24.73
international reputation.
00:39:24.76\00:39:26.70
He realized it was critical
for the accused to have a fair
00:39:26.73\00:39:30.63
trial, lest other
nations view colonial America as
00:39:30.67\00:39:34.17
a place where justice
and due process were not
00:39:34.20\00:39:36.34
respected or applied to all."
00:39:36.37\00:39:38.84
You know, I've seen a couple
of cases in our country in the
00:39:38.87\00:39:41.91
last year and a half or
two years where the media tried
00:39:41.94\00:39:45.78
people before they
declared them guilty, before
00:39:45.81\00:39:48.68
they were ever tried.
00:39:48.72\00:39:50.39
And they were
denied due process.
00:39:50.42\00:39:52.52
And someone says, "We
don't need a court case,
00:39:52.55\00:39:54.06
we've got video on our phone."
00:39:54.09\00:39:56.42
Several cases like
that. Have you noticed?
00:39:56.46\00:39:58.69
People were treated as though
they were guilty before they
00:39:58.73\00:40:00.60
ever went to court and that's
when you start drifting away
00:40:00.63\00:40:04.10
from due process and fairness.
00:40:04.13\00:40:08.34
So, he realized what's
the world's going to say that
00:40:08.37\00:40:11.14
America's a wild
country with no due process.
00:40:11.17\00:40:14.51
A fair trial might also prevent
retaliation from the British.
00:40:14.54\00:40:18.48
Furthermore, Adams
had gained the reputation
00:40:18.51\00:40:20.82
as being incorruptible.
00:40:20.85\00:40:22.95
You could not bribe John Adams.
00:40:22.98\00:40:25.39
He had his faults.
00:40:25.42\00:40:26.82
I read a whole
massive book on him.
00:40:26.86\00:40:28.96
It took me a year.
00:40:28.99\00:40:30.36
He had his faults but I'll
tell you, the guy had integrity.
00:40:30.39\00:40:33.40
He was a very honest man.
00:40:33.43\00:40:35.00
He was incorruptible and
everybody knew that, and they
00:40:35.03\00:40:38.17
firmly believed the accused
had a right to a fair trial
00:40:38.20\00:40:40.60
and all of the
neighbors were upset when he
00:40:40.64\00:40:44.11
defended the British soldiers.
00:40:44.14\00:40:45.81
They finally got over it
because they realized that he
00:40:45.84\00:40:48.38
was being honest and I
think that they were acquitted
00:40:48.41\00:40:51.25
of deliberate murder.
00:40:51.28\00:40:53.01
The whole thing was a
terrible misunderstanding.
00:40:53.05\00:40:56.55
And so the idea was
do not show partiality.
00:40:56.58\00:41:01.66
Give justice to everybody, amen?
00:41:01.69\00:41:04.79
So, I think I got
another verse on that.
00:41:04.83\00:41:08.06
Exodus 23, verse 3: "You
shall not show partiality to
00:41:08.10\00:41:11.63
the poor man in his dispute."
00:41:11.67\00:41:13.37
Now, I put that in there because
everybody automatically thinks
00:41:13.40\00:41:17.04
like what James said that we
tend to show partiality to the
00:41:17.07\00:41:22.21
rich and we've got to bury--
00:41:22.24\00:41:24.55
because the rich can bribe more,
and they can give you favors.
00:41:24.58\00:41:29.68
But, you know, sometimes in
society, they can hate the rich
00:41:29.72\00:41:35.26
and show partiality
to the poor when the
00:41:35.29\00:41:37.19
rich are really not guilty.
00:41:37.23\00:41:38.59
Rich person might be--have done
everything perfectly fine, but
00:41:38.63\00:41:44.03
people wanting to get poor votes
will show partiality to the poor
00:41:44.07\00:41:48.04
and they'll villainize the rich.
00:41:48.07\00:41:50.24
So what Moses is saying, it
doesn't matter if they're poor
00:41:50.27\00:41:52.97
or rich, you treat
everybody equally, right, amen?
00:41:53.01\00:41:59.41
You with me on that?
00:41:59.45\00:42:00.88
Okay, so Moses
does it both ways.
00:42:00.92\00:42:02.68
He says, "Don't show
partiality to the rich.
00:42:02.72\00:42:05.09
Do not show
partiality to the poor."
00:42:05.12\00:42:08.19
And everyone should
get fairness before God.
00:42:08.22\00:42:13.13
God is no respecter of persons.
00:42:13.16\00:42:15.43
Doesn't matter what your race
is, the Bible says: "God has
00:42:15.46\00:42:18.70
made of one blood, all people."
00:42:18.73\00:42:21.14
It doesn't matter whether
you're a foreigner, a native."
00:42:21.17\00:42:23.94
The Bible often, Moses
said, the same law will apply
00:42:23.97\00:42:27.88
to the native and the
foreigner, and everyone
00:42:27.91\00:42:30.65
was to be treated equally.
00:42:30.68\00:42:32.91
All right, and then
in the last section,
00:42:32.95\00:42:34.52
pure religion before God.
00:42:34.55\00:42:37.25
This also comes from
James but, well, let me see.
00:42:37.29\00:42:40.99
I'm going to start with
Deuteronomy chapter 24, verse
00:42:41.02\00:42:43.26
10: "When you lend your brother
anything, you shall not go into
00:42:43.29\00:42:47.13
his house to get his pledge.
00:42:47.20\00:42:49.63
You shall stand outside, and
the man to whom you lend shall
00:42:49.66\00:42:52.23
bring the pledge out to you."
00:42:52.27\00:42:53.67
A person's home
was their sanctuary.
00:42:53.70\00:42:56.27
You were not to barge into
a person's home and collect.
00:42:56.30\00:42:59.41
And God knew that
if that was allowed, it
00:42:59.44\00:43:03.04
could easily be abused.
00:43:03.08\00:43:05.21
If you said, "Look, you owe
me something, there's a pledge,
00:43:05.25\00:43:07.45
you've got to pay
me," you could stand at the
00:43:07.48\00:43:08.85
door, you can't
go in their house.
00:43:08.88\00:43:10.22
They've got to
bring it out to you.
00:43:10.25\00:43:11.99
"And the man to whom you lend
shall bring the pledge to you."
00:43:12.02\00:43:16.06
Don't they--we have a law in our
country, the police cannot enter
00:43:16.09\00:43:18.39
your house without a warrant.
00:43:18.43\00:43:20.46
Your house is
supposed to be sanctuary.
00:43:20.50\00:43:22.93
And you see this in the Bible.
00:43:22.96\00:43:25.07
I can think of at
least three examples.
00:43:25.10\00:43:27.14
They're not always the best.
00:43:27.17\00:43:29.67
The mob in Sodom, they banged on
the door of Lot and they said,
00:43:29.70\00:43:33.78
"Bring the men out to us."
00:43:33.81\00:43:36.31
They didn't say,
"We're coming in."
00:43:36.34\00:43:38.31
That also happens in a similar
story in the book Judges, where
00:43:38.35\00:43:41.48
they didn't go in.
00:43:41.52\00:43:43.59
They said, you know,
"Bring the woman out to us."
00:43:43.62\00:43:46.09
And then when Sisera went into
the tent of Jael, they came to
00:43:46.12\00:43:49.66
the door and she
had to invite them in.
00:43:49.69\00:43:53.93
You always
stopped at someone's door.
00:43:53.96\00:43:55.76
You did not go into their house.
00:43:55.80\00:43:57.10
Their house was sanctuary.
00:43:57.13\00:43:59.93
"And he'll bring it out to you.
00:44:00.04\00:44:01.40
If the man is poor, you shall
not keep his pledge overnight."
00:44:01.44\00:44:03.91
Now, what does that mean?
00:44:03.94\00:44:05.27
Sometimes, as the pledge
of an agreement, a person
00:44:05.31\00:44:07.74
might give their garment.
00:44:07.78\00:44:09.58
They might say, "All
right, here's my robe.
00:44:09.61\00:44:11.08
This is my guarantee
that I will pay you back."
00:44:11.11\00:44:14.65
I don't know if
you've ever gone to a pawn
00:44:14.68\00:44:16.48
shop to pawn something.
00:44:16.52\00:44:18.02
Once, I was so short on
money I had to pawn my clarinet.
00:44:18.05\00:44:21.22
You're shocked to know
that I owned a clarinet.
00:44:21.26\00:44:23.19
I could sort of play it.
00:44:23.22\00:44:25.33
But I really needed money.
00:44:25.36\00:44:26.86
And it was, like, you
know, a $100 clarinet.
00:44:26.90\00:44:28.66
The guy gave me $10,
but I needed that $10.
00:44:28.70\00:44:32.10
Well, there was a
period of time if I didn't
00:44:32.13\00:44:33.64
come back, he could sell it.
00:44:33.67\00:44:36.64
And I did come back
and got my clarinet back.
00:44:36.67\00:44:39.57
But I had to pay it with
interest to get it back again.
00:44:39.61\00:44:43.55
You didn't know
all this, have you?
00:44:43.58\00:44:45.05
That's how a lot
of people get by.
00:44:45.08\00:44:47.35
So, they used to have a process
where maybe you needed to borrow
00:44:47.38\00:44:51.59
some money and you'd
offer something as pledge,
00:44:51.62\00:44:53.25
and they'd lend it to you.
00:44:53.29\00:44:54.69
But they said, "If the
pledge is their garment,
00:44:54.72\00:44:57.66
give it back to them.
00:44:57.69\00:44:59.29
They've shown
you it in sincerity."
00:44:59.33\00:45:01.00
"They might need it
to stay warm at night,"
00:45:01.03\00:45:03.03
is what he's really saying.
00:45:03.06\00:45:04.43
"You shall not keep
his pledge overnight.
00:45:04.47\00:45:06.33
You shall in any case return his
pledge to him again when the sun
00:45:06.37\00:45:09.94
goes down that he might sleep in
his own garment and bless you,
00:45:09.97\00:45:13.74
and it will be righteousness
to you before the Lord your God.
00:45:13.78\00:45:16.75
You shall not oppress a hired
servant who is poor and needy,
00:45:16.78\00:45:20.45
whether one of your brethren
or one of the aliens who is
00:45:20.48\00:45:22.88
in your land with
you, whether he's a native
00:45:22.92\00:45:24.45
or whether he's a stranger.
00:45:24.49\00:45:25.85
Each day you shall give him his
wages and do not let the sun go
00:45:25.89\00:45:30.36
down on it for he is poor and he
has set his heart on it, lest he
00:45:30.39\00:45:33.90
cry against you to the
Lord and it be sin to you."
00:45:33.93\00:45:36.63
Back then, you
would hire harvesters.
00:45:36.67\00:45:38.60
You remember the parable
that Jesus told about the
00:45:38.63\00:45:40.17
workers in the vineyard?
00:45:40.20\00:45:41.70
At the end of the
day, he paid them.
00:45:41.74\00:45:43.97
And basically, those people
often live from hand to mouth.
00:45:44.01\00:45:46.98
They'd take the pay from that
day, they'd go and they'd buy
00:45:47.01\00:45:49.04
food to feed their family.
00:45:49.08\00:45:51.01
They didn't say, "Okay, you'll
get your paycheck in two weeks."
00:45:51.05\00:45:54.35
They said, "When someone does
contract labor, unless you've
00:45:54.38\00:45:57.39
got a prearranged agreement, you
pay them at the end of every day
00:45:57.42\00:46:01.12
because some of these people
were living--they're poor,
00:46:01.16\00:46:03.12
they're living from day to day.
00:46:03.16\00:46:04.56
Now, most of us, you know,
we've got bank accounts and we
00:46:04.59\00:46:06.56
can float a couple of
weeks and it's actually
00:46:06.59\00:46:08.26
more convenient that way.
00:46:08.30\00:46:09.86
But back then,
that was so important.
00:46:09.90\00:46:12.73
So what is pure
religion before God?
00:46:12.77\00:46:14.67
In concluding, I want you
to turn with me to the book of
00:46:14.70\00:46:18.51
Matthew, Matthew chapter 25, and
this is an interesting passage
00:46:18.54\00:46:24.95
because it comes on the
heels--if you've got a Red
00:46:24.98\00:46:27.38
Letter Edition Bible, if you
look in your Bible, if you've
00:46:27.42\00:46:32.15
got a Red Letter Edition,
you will notice that Matthew 24,
00:46:32.19\00:46:36.49
Jesus begins his
discourse on the Second Coming.
00:46:36.52\00:46:41.40
It stays red letter all the
way through Matthew 24, through
00:46:41.43\00:46:46.10
Matthew 25, and then you
get to Matthew 25, verse 31.
00:46:46.13\00:46:51.11
This is the
conclusion of Jesus's sermon
00:46:51.14\00:46:53.71
on the Second Coming.
00:46:53.74\00:46:55.74
And this is a picture of what we
would call the Great Judgment,
00:46:55.78\00:46:59.01
talking about how important
it is to love the stranger.
00:46:59.05\00:47:04.12
"When the Son of Man
comes," Matthew 25, verse 31.
00:47:04.15\00:47:07.49
"When the Son of Man comes
in His glory, and all the angels
00:47:07.52\00:47:10.39
with Him," that's going to
be a lot of angels, "He will sit
00:47:10.43\00:47:15.46
on the throne of His glory.
00:47:15.50\00:47:17.50
And all nations will be
gathered before Him, and He
00:47:17.53\00:47:21.14
will separate them one
from another, as a shepherd
00:47:21.17\00:47:23.41
divides his
sheep from the goats."
00:47:23.44\00:47:25.44
There's going to be a day, we'll
be talking about this in our
00:47:25.47\00:47:28.41
study of the Millennium during
our Panorama Prophecy series.
00:47:28.44\00:47:31.75
But there's a day, there's a
judgment, when God separates all
00:47:31.78\00:47:34.08
the saved from all the
lost, the sheep from the goats.
00:47:34.12\00:47:37.82
And everybody's going
to meet again in eternity.
00:47:37.85\00:47:43.49
"And He will set the sheep on
His right hand," a position of
00:47:43.53\00:47:45.73
favor, "but the
goats on His left hand.
00:47:45.76\00:47:49.50
Then the King will say to those
on His right hand, 'Come, you
00:47:49.53\00:47:52.63
blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared
00:47:52.67\00:47:55.40
for you from the
foundation of the world.
00:47:55.44\00:47:58.17
For I was--'" by
the way, it talks about
00:47:58.21\00:47:59.67
the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world
00:47:59.71\00:48:02.44
and from the
sacrifice of Christ.
00:48:02.48\00:48:05.51
This is how these people were
able to find their salvation.
00:48:05.55\00:48:11.49
"'For I was hungry, and you
gave Me food; I was thirsty,
00:48:11.52\00:48:15.62
and you gave Me drink; I was
a stranger, and you took Me in;
00:48:15.66\00:48:19.83
I was naked, and you clothed Me;
I was sick, and you visited Me;
00:48:19.86\00:48:24.47
I was in prison,
and you came to Me.'"
00:48:24.50\00:48:26.84
Notice that part: "I was a
stranger, and you took Me in,"
00:48:26.87\00:48:30.87
showing love for
the stranger, love for
00:48:30.91\00:48:33.04
the poor, equality, mercy.
00:48:33.07\00:48:37.41
"And then the righteous,"
the sheep, they say to the King,
00:48:37.45\00:48:42.78
"'When did we see You?
00:48:42.82\00:48:44.15
We forgot that.
00:48:44.19\00:48:45.49
When did we see You as
stranger and take You in,
00:48:45.52\00:48:47.42
or naked and clothe You?
00:48:47.46\00:48:48.86
Or when did we see You sick
or in prison, and come to You?'
00:48:48.89\00:48:52.29
And the King will
answer and say, 'Assuredly,
00:48:52.33\00:48:54.83
I say to you, inasmuch
as you did it to one of the
00:48:54.83\00:48:56.93
least of these My
brethren, you did it to Me.'"
00:48:56.97\00:49:00.60
Whether they were great
or whether they were small,
00:49:00.64\00:49:02.50
He says, "Anything you do
in showing love to your fellow
00:49:02.54\00:49:05.81
man, you are in
turn doing for Jesus."
00:49:05.84\00:49:10.01
And then, He continues.
00:49:10.05\00:49:12.81
"Then He'll say to those on
the left hand, 'Depart from Me,
00:49:12.85\00:49:16.08
ye cursed, into the
everlasting fire, prepared
00:49:16.12\00:49:20.36
for the devil and his angels.
00:49:20.39\00:49:22.16
For I was hungry, and you
gave Me no food; I was thirsty,
00:49:22.19\00:49:25.29
and You gave Me no drink;
I was a stranger, and You did
00:49:25.33\00:49:27.56
not take Me in; and naked,
and you did not clothe Me;
00:49:27.60\00:49:30.87
sick and in prison,
and you did not visit Me.'
00:49:30.90\00:49:33.97
And then they'll
answer, and say to him, 'Lord,
00:49:34.00\00:49:36.27
when did we see You hungry,
or thirsty, or a stranger,
00:49:36.30\00:49:38.94
or naked, or sick, or in prison,
and did not minister to You?'"
00:49:38.97\00:49:41.84
They were aghast, they said,
00:49:41.88\00:49:43.18
"If course we would
have done that for You."
00:49:43.21\00:49:44.98
"And He'll answer and say to
them, 'Assuredly I say to you,
00:49:45.01\00:49:48.25
inasmuch as you did not do
this to one of the least of
00:49:48.28\00:49:50.55
these, you did not do it to Me.'
00:49:50.59\00:49:52.95
And these," the goats,
"they go away into everlasting
00:49:52.99\00:49:56.19
punishment; but the
righteous into eternal life."
00:49:56.22\00:49:59.56
Now, first thing I want to
draw to your attention in this
00:49:59.59\00:50:02.63
passage: so often when we think
about what's going to separate
00:50:02.66\00:50:05.93
the saved from the lost, we
think about, "Well, the lost,
00:50:05.97\00:50:10.11
they committed
sins so they're lost.
00:50:10.14\00:50:13.61
They stole, they lied,
they committed adultery.
00:50:13.64\00:50:19.41
They murdered, they worshiped
idols, they did all these bad
00:50:19.45\00:50:23.62
things, they were bad
people and so they were lost."
00:50:23.65\00:50:27.52
This parable is rather
stunning in that the ones
00:50:27.56\00:50:31.46
who were lost do nothing bad.
00:50:31.49\00:50:34.83
What they do bad is
they omit to do good.
00:50:34.83\00:50:38.93
You've got two kind
of categories of sins.
00:50:38.97\00:50:41.37
One are called the
sins of commission.
00:50:41.40\00:50:43.14
That's where you commit a sin.
00:50:43.17\00:50:45.27
If you kill
someone, you commit murder.
00:50:45.31\00:50:47.31
If you lie, you commit perjury.
00:50:47.34\00:50:49.94
And so they're sins
of commission, you're
00:50:49.98\00:50:51.68
doing something wrong.
00:50:51.71\00:50:53.05
But there's a whole 'nother
category people don't think
00:50:53.08\00:50:54.85
about and they're
called sins of omission.
00:50:54.88\00:50:57.72
That means you are omitting or
neglecting to do something good.
00:50:57.75\00:51:01.89
In this Great Judgment that is
depicted here, it's only talking
00:51:01.92\00:51:05.79
about sins of omission because,
in reality, those who are guilty
00:51:05.83\00:51:11.03
of sins of omission
are almost also guilty of
00:51:11.07\00:51:14.74
the sins of commission.
00:51:14.77\00:51:16.71
But they're being
judged here solely upon,
00:51:16.74\00:51:19.94
"Did you love your brother?
00:51:19.97\00:51:23.01
Do you love your sister?
Do you love your neighbor?"
00:51:23.04\00:51:25.15
Isn't that right?
00:51:25.18\00:51:26.55
He's saying--He's not saying you
did anything bad to the poor.
00:51:26.58\00:51:30.19
You didn't steal the clothes
and make that person naked.
00:51:30.22\00:51:32.59
You didn't falsely accuse
them and put them in prison.
00:51:32.62\00:51:35.22
You're not
responsible for their suffering.
00:51:35.26\00:51:37.29
What you're
responsible for is not caring
00:51:37.33\00:51:40.00
to relieve their suffering.
00:51:40.03\00:51:42.00
And so they are guilty
of the sins of omission.
00:51:42.03\00:51:45.50
Now look at what
the categories are that
00:51:45.53\00:51:47.87
are being mentioned here.
00:51:47.90\00:51:50.11
I know that when I first studied
this, it kind of shocked me.
00:51:50.14\00:51:53.41
I thought, "Wow, in the Great
Judgment, I've always thought,
00:51:53.44\00:51:56.24
you know, I've got to
stop doing bad things."
00:51:56.28\00:51:58.38
And I thought, it's not
just-- I mean, theoretically,
00:51:58.41\00:52:02.12
you could lock yourself
in a room with 72 degrees
00:52:02.15\00:52:05.25
and never do anything wrong.
00:52:05.29\00:52:06.79
But you never do
anything right either.
00:52:06.82\00:52:09.99
And God is not calling
Christians to just go through
00:52:10.03\00:52:11.99
the day and trying
not to do something wrong.
00:52:12.03\00:52:15.00
He wants us to be
doing what is right.
00:52:15.03\00:52:17.90
And so, these people who
are going into everlasting
00:52:17.93\00:52:21.44
punishment, they could have
said, "We didn't--we never would
00:52:21.47\00:52:24.57
have done that to You,
Jesus, we would have never--"
00:52:24.61\00:52:26.61
He said, "It's what you didn't
do that's what's condemning you.
00:52:26.64\00:52:29.98
You didn't care, you
didn't love your neighbor."
00:52:30.01\00:52:33.52
There are six
things that are mentioned
00:52:33.55\00:52:35.85
here as specific things.
00:52:35.88\00:52:38.52
He said, notice, go to, you
know, Matthew chapter 25, He
00:52:38.55\00:52:43.36
says, "I was hungry
and you gave Me food."
00:52:43.39\00:52:46.26
Should
Christians feed the hungry?
00:52:46.29\00:52:49.06
Yeah, oh, we can't feed the
whole world but we ought to do
00:52:49.10\00:52:51.17
what we can to feed
those that are hungry.
00:52:51.20\00:52:53.60
Fortunately, right now, we're
in a country that has relative
00:52:53.64\00:52:57.24
abundance and we are able to
help to a great extent do that.
00:52:57.27\00:53:03.14
But Christians are not
just supposed to give out,
00:53:03.18\00:53:06.48
you know, baked beans.
00:53:06.51\00:53:10.15
What is the bread that
we're supposed to be giving?
00:53:10.19\00:53:13.72
Jesus said, "Man doesn't live
by bread alone but by every word
00:53:13.76\00:53:16.19
that proceeds
from the mouth of God."
00:53:16.22\00:53:17.99
Not only should we feed
the hungry, we should be
00:53:18.03\00:53:20.13
giving them the bread of
life, see what I'm saying?
00:53:20.16\00:53:22.46
"I was thirsty,
you gave Me drink."
00:53:22.50\00:53:24.73
If you see someone thirsty,
Jesus asked the woman at the
00:53:24.77\00:53:27.37
well for a drink of water.
00:53:27.40\00:53:28.70
I think she may have
forgotten to give it to
00:53:28.74\00:53:30.07
Him, she was so amazed.
00:53:30.11\00:53:31.74
But should we care and be
providing living water for
00:53:31.77\00:53:34.48
people that need Jesus?
00:53:34.51\00:53:37.28
He says, "I was a
stranger and you took Me in."
00:53:37.31\00:53:40.22
One of the jobs for Christians:
people are separated from God.
00:53:40.25\00:53:43.49
We are to make atonement.
00:53:43.52\00:53:45.69
That means "at one-ment."
00:53:45.72\00:53:47.12
We are to become a bridge
between them and the God that
00:53:47.16\00:53:50.19
they're alienated from.
00:53:50.23\00:53:51.93
So we're to care about those
who are strangers to God and
00:53:51.96\00:53:54.60
introduce them to their Savior.
00:53:54.63\00:53:56.80
You see, there's
a spiritual analogy.
00:53:56.83\00:53:58.57
"I was naked." What
does clothing represent?
00:53:58.60\00:54:01.84
Character, and naked
would be no character.
00:54:01.87\00:54:04.97
We need to give them
Christ's righteousness.
00:54:05.01\00:54:07.28
What happened to
Adam and Eve after the
00:54:07.31\00:54:08.88
devil got done with them?
00:54:08.91\00:54:10.28
They were naked.
Did God clothe them?
00:54:10.31\00:54:13.05
Are you with me?
00:54:13.08\00:54:15.28
When the man fell among thieves,
it says they beat him and left
00:54:15.32\00:54:18.65
him naked and half dead.
00:54:18.69\00:54:20.56
Did he help clothe him?
00:54:20.59\00:54:22.66
He did.
00:54:22.69\00:54:24.53
But they should be provided
with Christ's righteousness.
00:54:24.56\00:54:27.40
"I was sick."
00:54:27.40\00:54:28.70
Now we Christians should care
for the sick and I'm so glad we
00:54:28.73\00:54:31.00
have health ministry and we've
got hospital systems and things
00:54:31.03\00:54:34.74
that minister to people's
practical physical needs, but
00:54:34.77\00:54:39.04
way beyond that,
people are sick with sin.
00:54:39.07\00:54:42.61
The Bible
describes those who are lost.
00:54:42.64\00:54:44.35
It says: "From the crown of the
head to the sole of the foot,
00:54:44.38\00:54:46.55
there's nothing but wounds and
bruises and putrefying sores.
00:54:46.58\00:54:49.82
They're sick in sin,
and we ought to help them
00:54:49.85\00:54:52.65
find that balm in Gilead."
00:54:52.69\00:54:54.19
You with me?
00:54:54.22\00:54:55.62
"I was in prison."
00:54:55.66\00:54:57.86
Some people are in literal
prison and I'm thankful for
00:54:57.89\00:55:00.13
Christians that
have prison ministry.
00:55:00.16\00:55:02.53
And we've got folks in
our own congregation that
00:55:02.56\00:55:04.97
care about those in prison.
00:55:05.00\00:55:06.67
But there's
another kind of prison.
00:55:06.70\00:55:08.10
Those who are imprisoned by sin.
00:55:08.14\00:55:09.54
See what I'm saying?
00:55:09.57\00:55:11.07
So we're to be giving the bread
of life and the living water and
00:55:11.11\00:55:14.51
one last thought
before I run out of time.
00:55:14.54\00:55:17.58
These six things that are
described: hungry, thirsty,
00:55:17.61\00:55:23.08
naked,
stranger, sick, in prison.
00:55:23.12\00:55:26.79
Did Jesus experience all
of those things in the cross?
00:55:26.82\00:55:30.76
They represent all
the suffering of humanity.
00:55:30.79\00:55:32.99
Do you know you cannot hardly
describe any suffering in the
00:55:33.03\00:55:35.96
human race that doesn't
fit in one of those categories.
00:55:36.00\00:55:39.00
So when Jesus died on the cross,
He literally took all of that
00:55:39.03\00:55:44.27
pain and suffering of humanity
when He was hanging there.
00:55:44.31\00:55:47.98
God is not only omnipotent and
all-powerful and all-knowing,
00:55:48.01\00:55:53.01
He's omnipathic, meaning
that God feels everything.
00:55:53.05\00:55:56.72
Does God feel
when a person's hungry?
00:55:56.75\00:55:58.99
Does He feel when they're
thirsty or naked or sick?
00:55:59.02\00:56:01.39
Anything you do to
relieve the suffering of any
00:56:01.42\00:56:04.29
creature, not just man.
00:56:04.33\00:56:07.13
"Righteous man regards
the life of his beast."
00:56:07.20\00:56:09.33
Anything you do to relieve the
suffering of any creature, does
00:56:09.36\00:56:11.93
Jesus feel the relief?
00:56:11.97\00:56:13.94
So you are literally making
God feel better when you show
00:56:13.97\00:56:18.51
love for the stranger, amen?
00:56:18.54\00:56:21.14
male announcer: Don't
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And most important,
to share it with others.
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Brian: I normally do 15
to 20 yards a day by myself.
00:56:58.88\00:57:01.45
I have a lawn service.
00:57:01.48\00:57:02.85
And it was a long day.
00:57:02.88\00:57:04.29
I'm coming home, so I'm just--
hit scan on the radio, and it
00:57:04.32\00:57:07.59
stopped on a staticky
station and I heard Doug say,
00:57:07.62\00:57:11.93
"Hello, friends, would you
like to hear an amazing fact?"
00:57:11.96\00:57:15.23
And I actually looked
at the radio and answered.
00:57:15.26\00:57:16.80
I'm like, "Yeah, I sure do."
00:57:16.83\00:57:18.47
After it was over with, I wanted
to make sure to find the program
00:57:18.50\00:57:21.14
again because it was
starting to static in and out.
00:57:21.17\00:57:23.74
I went and started to find the
podcast of "Bible Answers Live,"
00:57:23.77\00:57:27.41
and that's really what got me
with "Amazing Facts," is their
00:57:27.44\00:57:30.05
vast library of the podcast.
00:57:30.08\00:57:31.85
Once I seen all that, I
got to hear his testimony.
00:57:31.88\00:57:34.98
So I got on YouTube.
00:57:35.02\00:57:36.42
I have to see this man's
testimony, and his testimony,
00:57:36.45\00:57:39.42
like, I was looking at me.
00:57:39.45\00:57:41.59
It's like, you know, I
can understand this guy.
00:57:41.62\00:57:44.33
He's been through
what I've been through.
00:57:44.36\00:57:45.86
There's no coincidence in this.
00:57:45.89\00:57:47.86
There's a reason that
station stopped that day.
00:57:47.93\00:57:50.87
Thank you for changing my life.
00:57:50.90\00:57:53.44
¤¤¤
00:57:53.47\00:57:57.54
¤¤¤
00:57:58.77\00:58:08.75
¤¤¤
00:58:08.78\00:58:18.76
¤¤¤
00:58:18.79\00:58:28.70