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Carlos Muņoz:
Maranatha. Happy Sabbath.
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Welcome, everybody, to the
Granite Bay Hilltop Seventh-day
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Adventist Church.
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Welcome to our
"Sabbath School Study Hour."
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It's my privilege to be here
with you this morning as we are
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continuing in our study
on the book of Deuteronomy,
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"Present Truth," amen?
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And so, before we get
started I want to share with
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everybody here and those
that are watching our special
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gift that we have for today;
it's called "Choosing Life:
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A Christian
Perspective on Suicide,"
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and you can obtain a
free copy of this by calling
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1-866-788-396 or
1-866-Study-More, and you can
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ask for offer number 882.
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Or if you are in the
United States, you can text the
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number--the letters
"SH151" to number 40544, and you
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will receive also a
digital download of this,
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"Choosing Life: A Christian
Perspective on Suicide."
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I have a question.
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Is suicide a problem
and an issue nowadays?
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Oh, yes, it is, and we're going
to talk a little bit about that
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today with the topic that
has to do with choose life.
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Now, before we get
into our study let's have
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a word of prayer.
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Heavenly Father, thank You again
for the privilege and the honor
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of being Your children, of being
part of Your remnant church, of
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being part of this end-time
movement, Father, for being
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co-laborers with You in this.
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Father, we thank You for Your
patience, for Your mercy, for
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Your love, for Your
grace, and we see how all of
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these are perfectly
represented and manifested
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in Your son Jesus Christ.
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And so, Father, as we come
together now to open Your Word
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we ask for a special blessing
to study Your holy book on this
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Your holy day and this Your
holy place, because we want to
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glorify and
honor Your holy name.
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We thank You, Father,
again for this blessing.
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I ask blessing for everybody
that's here and everybody that's
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watching online, on
AFacts TV and any other media.
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We ask a special blessing
for them, Father, as we get into
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such an important
and amazing topic.
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We thank You, Father,
for this blessing, and we
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ask this in Jesus's name, amen.
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Everybody say "amen"?
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Who's excited to
be here this morning?
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All right, I see
somebody's excited over there.
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Praise the Lord.
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So, the topic for this
study, for lesson number 8,
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is "Choose Life."
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Now, I have to admit that the
topic or the title was, at first
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when I looked at it, a little
interesting, because, well, in
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every single sermon or any--
every single gospel presentation
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that you bring forth
you're always choosing, right?
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You're always presenting to
the audience the choice, right?
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You have to present the facts.
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You have to present the
foundation of the gospel.
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And then, in every
sermon, every presentation
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there should be a choice,
there should be an appeal
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for somebody to make an
informed, educated decision
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on the choices that they have to
make in regards to the gospel.
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Now, I say this because that's
obviously a component of every
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presentation and every sermon
I've given, but I've never fully
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given a presentation on the
topic of choosing, so that was a
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little bit challenging
for me because I never really
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thought about it together.
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And I was like, "Ooh," so I like
it because I like when God puts
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me in situations I
haven't been before, amen?
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Who likes those kind
of situations, right?
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Little uncomfortable situations.
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Why? Because
then you got to what?
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You have to learn to
depend on Him, right?
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God is always, always pushing
our faith, pushing that line
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a little bit farther
off so that we can never get
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too comfortable, right?
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And if you're in a position
where you're too comfortable
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in your Christian
life, then you're in a bad
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position, because
this is about challenges.
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This is about
putting ourselves--this is
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about taking the next step.
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This is about what
does God want to do.
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And almost always
what God wants us to do is
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not what we want to do.
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Very interesting, right?
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And so, when we talk about
choice, right, choice is a very
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interesting situation, because
do you know that there are
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people that struggle
with making decisions?
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Maybe you're sitting here today.
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Maybe you're watching
here, and you have struggles
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with making decisions.
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I know people, they
have anxiety, right?
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There's actually a whole brand
of psychology that has to do
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behind the concept
of decision making and
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people that have anxiety.
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They even can get depressed
because of the decisions
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that they have to
make, and they're uncertain,
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right, in regards to this.
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And so, you ask yourselves,
why do people get anxious
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about making decisions?
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Why do people get
depressed to the extent right,
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about making decisions?
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And it's very simple, it could
be because of insecurity, right?
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It could be because of fear.
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That's probably the--one
of the most driving factors
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in regards to why we
have issues or why we struggle
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making decisions in our lives.
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There was a famous
psychologist who said this.
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He said, "There is no
more miserable human being than
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one in whom nothing is," what?
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"Is habitual but,"
what? "Indecision," right?
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Always, "Did I make
the right decision?"
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And I know people that are
carrying around the burden,
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still questioning and
wondering if the decision they
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make last year, five years ago,
ten years ago--still carrying
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the guilt of some of
the decisions that they've
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been making,
whether they made the right
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decision, did they
make the wrong decision.
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I have a question: Can you
live a happy, fulfilling life
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if you're always worried about
what you're going--what--about
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your decisions in the
past or in the present?
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Now, it's not wrong to be a
little bit anxious about some
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decision, because some
decisions are big, right, right?
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There are some decisions that
it's good to take a step back
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and say, "Wait a minute, let
me think about this thoroughly."
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Other decisions you can probably
make fairly quick, but in this
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context we're
talking about choosing life.
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Now, that was an interesting
title, "Choosing Life."
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So, if you're choosing life what
would be inferred in the title,
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choosing life or
choosing death, right?
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And this battle between choices
that we have to make, choosing
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life and choosing death.
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Now, raise your hand if
anybody here would choose death.
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Nobody would choose death.
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Raise your hand if
you would choose life.
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Amen, right?
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That would be like maybe you've
come across some type of a
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Charismatic preaching, right,
where they go to you and they
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give you the rundown of what
hell is going to be like and
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what the torture and the
pain and the suffering for all
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eternity is going
to be like in hell.
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And then, they say,
"And if you don't choose God
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that's what
you're going to get."
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That's a pretty easy
decision to make, right?
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Nobody wants to be
tortured in hell for eternity.
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Of course, we know we're talking
about that distorted concept of
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hell, right, the place of
eternal torment that actually
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has to do a lot about what we're
going to talk about today, of
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how God's character
has been distorted, right?
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How the perception
of the image of who God
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is has been distorted.
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And, sadly, this concept of
eternal hell has breeded into
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that, but the point is nobody
wants to choose to be in this
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hell supposedly for
the rest of eternity.
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Everybody would want to choose
to be in heaven for the rest of
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eternity, so this got me
thinking, then, going deeper
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into what we're
studying, because what?
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Because this topic of choosing
life or choosing death is
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probably not about this life.
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It's probably not about now.
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What do I mean by that?
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How many of you
chose to be alive?
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Raise your hand. Nobody.
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How many of you
chose--can choose when to die?
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Nobody; how many of
you can choose whether
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you want to continue
living forever or living now?
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And that's the question--
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that's where it gets a little
bit more interesting, right?
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So, the concept or the title of
choosing life or choosing death
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inferred cannot be
talking about this life.
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It must be talking about what?
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Eternal life, or
eternal death, right?
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That must be the context,
because, again, we can't choose
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when we live or if we want to
live, and we can't choose when
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we're going to die.
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And this is where it gets very
interesting, and so the study of
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this week starts off and goes
directly into a very interesting
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concept, which is
what happened where?
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What happened in the
Garden of Eden, right?
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What happened in
the Garden of Eden?
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And so, when you start to
think about the situation, what
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happened in the Garden
of Eden, how many trees did
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God present to Adam and Eve?
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How many trees? How many trees?
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Two trees--I know, all
the trees, of course, right?
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Go with me, please,
to Genesis chapter 2.
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Genesis chapter 2.
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Let's talk about
this for a second.
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Genesis chapter 2.
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Genesis chapter 2, verse
number--Genesis chapter 2.
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Let's go to verse number 8.
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If you have your Bibles
with you let's study this.
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Genesis chapter
2, verse number 8.
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When you're there say, "Amen."
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It said, "The Lord God planted
a garden eastward in Eden, and
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there He put man
whom He had formed.
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And out of the ground the Lord
made every tree grow that is
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pleasant to the
sight and good for food."
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Who says amen to that?
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Who likes the
food off of the trees?
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Who likes mangoes,
avocados? Raise your hand.
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Whoo, right? Thank You, Lord.
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"And out of the ground
the Lord God made every
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tree grow that is
pleasant," I just read that.
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"The tree of life was also found
in the midst of the garden, and
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the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil."
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So, there were two very specific
or special trees in the Garden
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of Eden, which were what?
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The tree of life, and
the tree of knowledge of
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good and evil, right?
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And so, this would be--we can
presume would be choice, right?
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This is the choice
presented to Adam and Eve.
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My question is, is
this the first choice?
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Is this the first
decision made, or was there
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a choice made before this?
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Did somebody before
Adam and Eve had a choice?
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Somebody else had to
have made a choice also.
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In other words, the choice
that Adam and Eve made was not
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in a vacuum, in an
empty--oh, I'm sorry.
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The options to choose which Adam
and Eve received come from a
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very interesting and sometimes
overlooked perspective of
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choice, because I ask
myself who chose first?
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You know what the
answer to that is?
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God chose first.
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Go with me to
Ephesians chapter 1.
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God chose first. And
what do I mean by that?
00:10:47.98\00:10:50.61
Ephesians chapter
1. Let's look at this.
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To understand, I think that the
backdrop--before we jump into
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what happened in the Garden
of Eden we have to understand or
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see--I think we'll facilitate
the understanding of the choice
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that you and I have to make.
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It's not just a choice
again, that an uninformed,
00:11:06.56\00:11:09.13
uneducated choice.
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The choice that we have to make
is informed based on the choice
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that God has already made and
the choice that God presents,
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and off of what God
chooses then we will see how
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easy it is for us to choose.
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What do I mean by that?
Let's go to Ephesians chapter 1.
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When you're there say "Amen."
00:11:27.85\00:11:30.25
Ephesians chapter 1 says like
this, "Blessed be the God and
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Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who," what?
00:11:34.72\00:11:37.96
Who what? "Who has blessed us--"
00:11:37.99\00:11:42.33
in what verb
tense is "blessed us"?
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In the past.
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So, were you around
when this was written?
00:11:47.70\00:11:49.87
No. This is way
before all of this.
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God has blessed us with
every spiritual blessing
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in the heavenly places in who?
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"In Christ," so, in other words,
before you were even created,
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before--I'm going to
go even further than that.
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Before Adam and Eve
were created, God, it
00:12:04.45\00:12:08.92
says here, had what?
00:12:08.96\00:12:10.46
Had already decided
to bless us with every
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spiritual blessings in where?
00:12:13.29\00:12:16.00
In heavenly places.
00:12:16.03\00:12:17.50
So, where was this
blessing, this choice to
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bless before creation made?
00:12:20.00\00:12:22.77
In heaven.
00:12:22.80\00:12:24.37
To bless us in
heavenly places in who?
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In Christ, so notice this.
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That before the creation
of humanity God had already
00:12:31.41\00:12:35.22
determined or chosen to
bless you and me in Christ.
00:12:35.25\00:12:39.02
Now, what does that
mean? Let's continue to read.
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"Just as He,"
what? "Chose us in," who?
00:12:41.29\00:12:47.20
"In Him." Are you catching that?
00:12:47.23\00:12:51.47
Humanity has been
chosen in who? In Christ.
00:12:51.50\00:12:56.84
"Before the
foundation of the world."
00:12:56.87\00:13:00.64
In other words, pay attention
to this, before God created
00:13:00.68\00:13:04.51
humanity and foreseeing what was
going to happen with the fall of
00:13:04.55\00:13:08.98
Lucifer, with the fall of Adam
and Eve, with the fall of human
00:13:09.02\00:13:12.95
beings, God was already
thinking about blessing you.
00:13:12.99\00:13:17.49
God, knowing that you were going
to rebel, knowing that you were
00:13:17.53\00:13:21.66
going to be disobedient,
knowing this stuff, God
00:13:21.70\00:13:25.47
already chose to
bless you despite that.
00:13:25.50\00:13:29.27
It's like Jesus
dealing with Judas.
00:13:29.30\00:13:32.17
Did Jesus know that
Judas was going to betray Him?
00:13:32.21\00:13:35.04
Yes; did Jesus know that
Judas was going to backstab Him?
00:13:35.08\00:13:38.91
Yes, He did, but He
still chose him, why?
00:13:38.95\00:13:42.15
To be a blessing to him, so
that he, then, when he makes his
00:13:42.18\00:13:45.59
decision whether he's going
to be faithful, when he chooses
00:13:45.62\00:13:48.86
whether he's going to choose
life and death in or not in
00:13:48.89\00:13:52.33
Christ, he has all of
the information needed.
00:13:52.36\00:13:55.43
He knows Jesus
Christ personally before he
00:13:55.46\00:13:58.17
makes his decision, so why?
00:13:58.20\00:14:00.04
So that now he
knows Jesus. Now what?
00:14:00.07\00:14:02.64
Now when he makes his
decision he can't say what?
00:14:02.67\00:14:05.74
"I didn't know."
00:14:05.77\00:14:07.71
God is saying in Ephesians
chapter 1 that before the
00:14:07.74\00:14:10.55
creation, despite knowing what
was going to happen to you and
00:14:10.58\00:14:13.78
me, He already chose
you, to bless you, to love
00:14:13.82\00:14:17.59
you in Jesus Christ.
00:14:17.62\00:14:20.62
Notice this blessing does not
come in us but in Jesus Christ.
00:14:20.66\00:14:23.53
And notice what it says.
00:14:23.56\00:14:25.13
What is the spiritual
blessing that He wants to
00:14:25.16\00:14:26.93
give us in Christ?
00:14:26.96\00:14:28.76
That we should be what?
00:14:28.80\00:14:30.40
Holy and without
blame before Him in love.
00:14:30.43\00:14:35.00
Again, what is God wanting?
00:14:35.04\00:14:37.37
God already chose
you. God wanted you.
00:14:37.41\00:14:41.31
God chose you and
invites you to say what?
00:14:41.34\00:14:44.75
"I want to give you a holy life.
00:14:44.78\00:14:47.82
I want to give you
spiritual blessings.
00:14:47.85\00:14:50.39
I want you to be a special,
special person on this earth so
00:14:50.42\00:14:56.06
that others can see my
glory and my power through you.
00:14:56.09\00:14:59.43
I want to be a
blessing to you so that you can
00:14:59.46\00:15:01.80
be a blessing to others."
00:15:01.83\00:15:04.20
Notice this.
00:15:04.23\00:15:05.53
"That we should be holy,
without blame before Him," in?
00:15:05.57\00:15:08.94
"In love, having," verse
5, "predestined us to," what?
00:15:08.97\00:15:14.98
Predestined us to what?
00:15:15.01\00:15:17.31
"To adoption as sons," and
daughters, "by Jesus Christ to
00:15:17.35\00:15:23.18
Himself," so let's
break this down a little bit.
00:15:23.22\00:15:25.72
We are already blessed.
00:15:25.75\00:15:27.52
We have already been
chosen by God, right?
00:15:27.56\00:15:30.39
Before the foundation of the
world God chose us to be holy,
00:15:30.43\00:15:33.86
untouched, perfect in His
presence, and these blessings
00:15:33.90\00:15:38.00
which we receive in
Christ are guaranteed already.
00:15:38.03\00:15:42.00
They're fulfilled.
And how do I know that?
00:15:42.04\00:15:43.54
It's very simple;
look at what it says
00:15:43.57\00:15:45.07
in "Desire of Ages," page 773.
00:15:45.11\00:15:47.91
"Before the foundation of the
earth were laid, the Father and
00:15:47.94\00:15:51.38
the Son had united in a covenant
to redeem man," humanity, "if he
00:15:51.41\00:15:56.28
should be overcome by Satan.
00:15:56.32\00:15:58.89
They had clasped Their hands
in a solemn pledge that Christ
00:15:58.92\00:16:01.96
should be the," what?
00:16:01.99\00:16:03.96
"The surety for the human race."
00:16:03.99\00:16:06.90
This is what
we're talking about.
00:16:06.93\00:16:08.20
This is what Ephesians
chapter 1 is talking about.
00:16:08.23\00:16:10.03
Before we even came, God
knew what was going to happen.
00:16:10.07\00:16:13.90
And what did He do?
00:16:13.94\00:16:15.17
He already made a covenant, the
everlasting covenant between the
00:16:15.20\00:16:18.47
Father and the Son to what?
00:16:18.51\00:16:20.28
To redeem humanity
should humanity fall.
00:16:20.31\00:16:23.38
God already made a pledge,
and He says, "Despite this I am
00:16:23.41\00:16:26.31
going to make a promise.
00:16:26.35\00:16:27.72
I am going to give them
spiritual blessings so that they
00:16:27.75\00:16:29.88
can live holy
lives in My presence.
00:16:29.92\00:16:33.05
They can be
blameless before Me," amen?
00:16:33.09\00:16:36.32
And it says here
that Christ to be what?
00:16:36.36\00:16:38.66
The surety.
00:16:38.69\00:16:41.23
Now, I--that word "surety,"
maybe we're unfamiliar with the
00:16:41.26\00:16:44.90
word "surety," so I went
and I looked for a couple of
00:16:44.93\00:16:47.77
definitions so I can share
with you what does this word
00:16:47.80\00:16:50.84
"the surety for
the human race" mean.
00:16:50.87\00:16:53.14
Look at what I found here.
00:16:53.17\00:16:54.84
"A formal engagement
(such as a pledge) given for the
00:16:54.88\00:16:57.88
fulfillment of an
undertaking: a guarantee."
00:16:57.91\00:17:02.45
Ooh. Whoo-hoo!
00:17:02.48\00:17:03.85
"A person who takes," what?
00:17:03.89\00:17:07.09
"Responsibility for another's
performance of an undertaking,
00:17:07.12\00:17:12.23
for example their
appearing in court or the
00:17:12.26\00:17:14.83
payment of debt."
00:17:14.83\00:17:17.77
And I love this one: "One
who has become legally liable
00:17:17.80\00:17:21.80
for the debt, default, or
failure in duty of," what?
00:17:21.84\00:17:26.14
"In duty of
another." Did you catch that?
00:17:26.17\00:17:29.51
Christ is our surety
because Christ has done what?
00:17:29.54\00:17:32.88
Christ, before the creation,
took--He made a covenant with
00:17:32.91\00:17:36.32
the Father to take what?
00:17:36.35\00:17:37.99
To take our responsibility
for falling, to take our place,
00:17:38.02\00:17:42.66
to--He became
legally liable for the debt.
00:17:42.69\00:17:45.29
He didn't have to, but
He says, "You know what?
00:17:45.33\00:17:46.83
I am going to
take this in Myself.
00:17:46.86\00:17:50.03
I am going to deal with
this so that humanity can
00:17:50.07\00:17:52.53
have a second chance," amen?
00:17:52.57\00:17:54.54
And He chose us. He chose you.
00:17:54.57\00:17:57.67
He was looking at you
when He--when this covenant was
00:17:57.71\00:18:00.21
made between the Father
and the Son so that He would
00:18:00.24\00:18:02.18
take our place
from the very beginning.
00:18:02.21\00:18:07.22
Whoo. Isn't that mind-blowing?
00:18:07.25\00:18:10.35
So, when we go back to
first-- Ephesians chapter 1,
00:18:10.39\00:18:13.86
He has chosen us, verse
5, "Having been predestined
00:18:13.89\00:18:16.66
us to adoptions as
son by Jesus Christ," who?
00:18:16.69\00:18:21.23
"To Himself," so it is
in Christ that we have what?
00:18:21.26\00:18:25.50
That we have this choice
and this option to become
00:18:25.53\00:18:27.97
sons and daughters of God.
00:18:28.00\00:18:30.07
Based on what?
00:18:30.11\00:18:31.41
Based on the understanding
that God has already
00:18:31.44\00:18:33.41
presented--before we were ever
created, before the fall of man,
00:18:33.44\00:18:37.21
God had already presented Jesus
Christ as the guarantee and the
00:18:37.25\00:18:40.75
surety that if humans
fall, there is one that
00:18:40.78\00:18:43.85
will take their place.
00:18:43.89\00:18:45.55
There is one that is going to
be there for them and not permit
00:18:45.59\00:18:49.92
condemnation to
fall on the human race.
00:18:49.96\00:18:52.26
There is one that was
going to take it on Himself.
00:18:52.29\00:18:55.33
Now, in that context we talk
about predestination, if we're
00:18:55.36\00:18:58.97
not going to talk about--we're
not talking about the
00:18:59.00\00:19:00.74
Calvinistic predestination which
is a distortion, which basically
00:19:00.77\00:19:04.07
assumes or presumes that
there are dual predestinations,
00:19:04.11\00:19:08.51
where one is to be
saved for all eternity or one
00:19:08.54\00:19:11.11
is to be lost, right?
00:19:11.15\00:19:12.45
That God has already
predetermined that before the
00:19:12.48\00:19:15.42
cause of creation, because here
it's saying the total opposite.
00:19:15.45\00:19:18.62
Here it's saying that
God is choosing us to what?
00:19:18.65\00:19:22.22
So that we can see His love and
that we can respond to that love
00:19:22.26\00:19:26.93
once we are conscious, once we
are aware that God has already
00:19:26.96\00:19:30.33
provided an
answer for this problem.
00:19:30.37\00:19:34.14
There's nothing
predestined. There's a choice.
00:19:34.17\00:19:36.91
God made the choice so
that we can also have a
00:19:36.94\00:19:39.17
choice, so that we can be what?
00:19:39.21\00:19:41.48
Predestined; now, let's
talk about predestination for a
00:19:41.51\00:19:43.38
second, because there is a
lot of confusion because of this
00:19:43.41\00:19:45.78
Calvinistic concept of
predestination, that God had
00:19:45.81\00:19:48.55
already predetermined, right?
00:19:48.58\00:19:50.49
And that has a whole litany
of theological implications and
00:19:50.52\00:19:54.69
problems that you come across
when somebody has this idea that
00:19:54.72\00:19:58.06
you're already going to be
saved no matter what you do, and
00:19:58.09\00:20:01.10
you're going to be lost
no matter what you do, right?
00:20:01.13\00:20:03.73
That it's already predetermined,
but when you look at
00:20:03.77\00:20:05.83
predestination here
this is how I like to
00:20:05.87\00:20:07.84
explain predestination.
00:20:07.87\00:20:09.50
Let's say I'm going
to fly to Los Angeles.
00:20:09.54\00:20:12.77
And what do I do?
I buy a plane ticket.
00:20:12.81\00:20:16.01
What am I?
00:20:16.04\00:20:17.95
I am predestined to
go to Los Angeles, right?
00:20:17.98\00:20:22.68
I am predestined to go to Los
Angeles, let's say, on Monday.
00:20:22.72\00:20:26.65
I have my ticket in my hand.
00:20:26.69\00:20:28.79
I am ready, but
what do I need to do?
00:20:28.82\00:20:32.36
What do I need to do?
00:20:32.39\00:20:33.70
Can I just sit on my sofa
and say, "Oh, I'm predestined
00:20:33.73\00:20:36.06
to go to Los Angeles, so
I'm just going to sit on my
00:20:36.10\00:20:38.63
sofa and wait for
the plane to leave"?
00:20:38.67\00:20:41.97
No. What do I have to do?
00:20:42.00\00:20:44.37
I have to put myself in a
position where I can get to the
00:20:44.41\00:20:48.64
place that I
need to be for what?
00:20:48.68\00:20:50.78
For that plane to take me to the
destination, because if I'm not
00:20:50.81\00:20:53.92
on that plane, no matter how
much I paid, no matter how much
00:20:53.95\00:20:57.45
I complain, no matter how
much I scream and pound my
00:20:57.49\00:21:00.76
feet on the ground, if I'm
not on that plane, that plane
00:21:00.79\00:21:03.26
is leaving
whether I'm there or not.
00:21:03.29\00:21:06.73
Are you catching me?
00:21:06.76\00:21:08.06
Another way of looking at it
is--when I try to explain this,
00:21:08.10\00:21:10.57
especially to young people,
it's like a check, huh, right?
00:21:10.60\00:21:14.44
Let's say right now I
give each and every one of
00:21:14.47\00:21:16.24
you a check for $1 million.
00:21:16.27\00:21:19.04
Raise your hand if
you would be happy.
00:21:19.07\00:21:21.21
Raise your hand if you
would be happy, I just give you
00:21:21.24\00:21:22.94
a check for $1 million.
00:21:22.98\00:21:26.35
Wow. You're easy to fraud.
00:21:26.38\00:21:29.85
How many of you would
not be happy if I gave
00:21:29.88\00:21:31.42
you a $1 million check?
00:21:31.45\00:21:32.82
Raise your hand.
I see two people.
00:21:32.85\00:21:35.19
It's because they
probably know me, right?
00:21:35.22\00:21:39.63
Why should you not be happy?
Because it's just a check.
00:21:39.66\00:21:43.97
It's a what?
It's a promise, right?
00:21:44.00\00:21:47.60
I can have that check all
day, and I can jump up and down
00:21:47.64\00:21:49.74
and, "Ooh, look, somebody
gave me a million-dollar check.
00:21:49.77\00:21:51.94
I'm so happy, whoo, I'm a
millionaire," no, you're not.
00:21:51.97\00:21:54.78
What do I need to do
to reap the benefits,
00:21:54.81\00:21:56.54
the blessings of that promise?
00:21:56.58\00:22:00.45
I need to
deposit the check, right?
00:22:00.48\00:22:02.75
And then, once I deposit
and then you see the money in
00:22:02.78\00:22:04.92
your bank account,
then you could be like, oh,
00:22:04.95\00:22:07.39
now you're happy, right?
00:22:07.42\00:22:09.46
Ones that said that they
wouldn't, maybe because they
00:22:09.49\00:22:11.19
know that Carlos doesn't
have a million dollars, right?
00:22:11.23\00:22:13.53
Can barely stand
on his own two feet.
00:22:13.56\00:22:16.36
So, this is what God has
given us: He has predestined.
00:22:16.40\00:22:18.83
He has given us
salvation in Jesus Christ.
00:22:18.87\00:22:21.27
He has already guaranteed
on Jesus Christ that there is a
00:22:21.30\00:22:27.18
opportunity for humanity, for
you and me, He has chosen for
00:22:27.21\00:22:31.05
you so that you can
be in heaven with Him.
00:22:31.08\00:22:34.28
That you can be his
son and his daughter so
00:22:34.32\00:22:36.85
that He can adopt you in.
00:22:36.89\00:22:38.39
And if you've never been adopted
it's probably something--a
00:22:38.42\00:22:40.22
concept that may be difficult
for you to understand, but those
00:22:40.26\00:22:43.16
that are in adoption centers,
or those that are waiting to be
00:22:43.19\00:22:46.36
adopted, go talk
with those children.
00:22:46.39\00:22:48.43
Go talk with adults that have
been in adoption centers or been
00:22:48.46\00:22:51.87
jumping from adopted
family to adopted family.
00:22:51.90\00:22:54.90
It is a difficult life.
00:22:54.94\00:22:57.54
There's no security.
There's no foundation.
00:22:57.57\00:22:59.91
But when God says, "I'm going to
adopt you," understand that He's
00:22:59.94\00:23:03.21
adopting you with all of the
promises and the guarantees of
00:23:03.24\00:23:05.75
the covenant gospel, amen?
00:23:05.78\00:23:08.25
He's wanting to offer
everything to you, and
00:23:08.28\00:23:10.12
He's guaranteeing it to you how?
00:23:10.15\00:23:11.79
On Jesus Christ.
00:23:11.82\00:23:13.05
He's guaranteeing that you will
receive those promises, that you
00:23:13.09\00:23:16.42
will receive those blessings,
that you will receive the
00:23:16.46\00:23:19.26
inheritance that He has
said in His covenant, why?
00:23:19.29\00:23:22.76
Because you look at Jesus
Christ, and you can say, "God
00:23:22.80\00:23:25.33
said it, He did it, and I
can take it to the bank," amen?
00:23:25.37\00:23:28.97
That's a
promise you can deposit.
00:23:29.00\00:23:31.37
That's a promise
that you know that God is
00:23:31.41\00:23:33.41
going to be fulfilling;
who says amen to that?
00:23:33.44\00:23:36.18
So now, in that context, in
that understanding, when we go
00:23:36.21\00:23:39.15
then to the tree of life,
when we go to the situation
00:23:39.18\00:23:41.48
in the Garden of
Eden, what happens?
00:23:41.52\00:23:43.69
God says, basically, "Here
are your two options," right?
00:23:43.72\00:23:47.09
Basically, if you want to look
at the tree of life, look at the
00:23:47.12\00:23:49.36
tree of life as a voting booth.
00:23:49.39\00:23:52.59
What do I compare
the tree of life to?
00:23:52.63\00:23:54.93
A voting booth.
00:23:54.96\00:23:56.56
In other words,
what does that mean?
00:23:56.60\00:23:58.77
God--in the scheme of the
great controversy, the devil had
00:23:58.80\00:24:02.84
already rebelled, right?
00:24:02.87\00:24:04.74
The whole universe is now in
this political debate, the war,
00:24:04.77\00:24:08.34
the war in heaven, the polemos,
the debate is God worthy?
00:24:08.38\00:24:12.78
Does God deserve
honor and praise?
00:24:12.81\00:24:14.95
Should we trust in God?
Is God as good as He says?
00:24:14.98\00:24:18.59
These are the dilemmas of
the great controversy, right?
00:24:18.62\00:24:20.92
Satan putting God's character in
doubt, in question, and so now
00:24:20.96\00:24:25.43
God says, "Ah, I'm going to
bring forth this new creation
00:24:25.46\00:24:28.30
that has not been
exposed to this debate.
00:24:28.33\00:24:31.30
They're neutral, and I'm going
to bring them forth in this
00:24:31.33\00:24:33.34
great controversy so
that they can choose."
00:24:33.37\00:24:36.64
And what happens? God
gives them the option.
00:24:36.67\00:24:39.57
"If you choose to not
eat of the tree of knowledge
00:24:39.61\00:24:42.41
and good and
evil," what happens?
00:24:42.44\00:24:44.75
What government
are they voting for?
00:24:44.78\00:24:49.05
If they choose not to
eat of the tree of the good--
00:24:49.08\00:24:51.15
of the knowledge of good
and evil, what government
00:24:51.19\00:24:53.02
are Adam and Eve voting for?
00:24:53.05\00:24:55.82
The government of God,
the government of life.
00:24:55.86\00:24:59.03
But if they choose to eat
off of the tree, what happens?
00:24:59.06\00:25:02.13
What government
are they voting for?
00:25:02.16\00:25:04.73
Satan.
00:25:04.77\00:25:06.07
So, when God creates Adam
and Eve, He doesn't create these
00:25:06.10\00:25:08.04
machines, He creates them
as free moral agents, right?
00:25:08.07\00:25:12.01
Because remember the
essence of God is love, and
00:25:12.04\00:25:14.58
the essence of
love is freedom, right?
00:25:14.61\00:25:17.61
The essence of love is choice,
and so God says, "I am not going
00:25:17.65\00:25:21.75
to impose this on My children.
00:25:21.78\00:25:23.42
I want to give them and give
them this informed decision."
00:25:23.45\00:25:26.09
Now, remember before this
happens God had already given
00:25:26.12\00:25:28.62
them and shown them the world.
00:25:28.66\00:25:30.96
He had given them
a tour of the world.
00:25:30.99\00:25:32.99
He had said, "All of this,
this planet that I have created,
00:25:33.03\00:25:35.93
is My wedding gift to you."
00:25:35.96\00:25:38.53
How many of you
received a microwave for
00:25:38.57\00:25:40.07
a wedding gift, or some plates?
00:25:40.10\00:25:44.07
Imagine receiving a whole
planet as your wedding gift.
00:25:44.11\00:25:47.61
God gave Adam and Eve a
planet as their wedding gift.
00:25:47.64\00:25:50.08
He says, "Here it is.
This is My gift to you."
00:25:50.11\00:25:52.05
Even to Adam, right?
He put it even for him.
00:25:52.08\00:25:55.38
"This is My gift to you, Adam."
You think Adam wasn't happy?
00:25:55.42\00:25:58.09
"O Lord, You're so good."
00:25:58.12\00:26:00.96
He gives him this beautiful
gift, and then He says,
00:26:00.99\00:26:06.26
"But remember there's
still a choice to be made.
00:26:06.29\00:26:08.56
If you stay on My
side, if you choose to be
00:26:08.60\00:26:10.77
loyal to Me, then," what?
00:26:10.80\00:26:12.70
"All of these blessings
that I have given you, the
00:26:12.73\00:26:15.00
kingship of this earth,
everything shall be yours.
00:26:15.04\00:26:19.11
It's yours."
00:26:19.14\00:26:20.48
Except for what? One tree.
00:26:20.51\00:26:24.15
Now, is that a difficult option?
00:26:24.18\00:26:26.95
Is that a
difficult test, one tree?
00:26:26.98\00:26:29.68
Tell me, yes or no?
00:26:29.72\00:26:32.42
Some say yes. Some say no.
00:26:32.45\00:26:34.29
Why is it not a
difficult option?
00:26:34.32\00:26:38.43
Because there are
thousands and thousands and
00:26:38.46\00:26:40.36
millions of trees, right?
00:26:40.40\00:26:41.76
So, God, in the abundance of His
blessings, in the abundance of
00:26:41.80\00:26:45.07
giving Adam and Eve everything
that they need to live, He says,
00:26:45.10\00:26:48.10
"All of this is
yours, except," what?
00:26:48.14\00:26:49.60
"Except this one tree."
00:26:49.64\00:26:51.34
This is the one
test, a small test.
00:26:51.37\00:26:53.48
Now, if there are only two trees
on earth and Adam and Eve are
00:26:53.51\00:26:57.48
eating off of the same tree all
day, they're going to start to
00:26:57.51\00:26:59.75
be thinking, "I wonder what
that tree tastes like," right?
00:26:59.78\00:27:01.78
Because that's how we are,
we're always thinking about
00:27:01.82\00:27:03.42
what we don't have, but
God gave them in abundance.
00:27:03.45\00:27:07.29
And they chose what?
What did they choose?
00:27:07.32\00:27:09.69
Now, why? Here's the key.
00:27:09.72\00:27:12.36
Go with me, please,
to Genesis chapter 2.
00:27:12.39\00:27:14.13
Genesis chapter 3. I'm sorry.
00:27:14.20\00:27:16.00
Watch this. Here's the key.
00:27:16.03\00:27:17.97
Genesis chapter
3. Genesis chapter 3.
00:27:18.00\00:27:21.10
When you're there say, "Amen."
00:27:21.14\00:27:23.10
Now, we know who shows up
in the Garden of Eden, right?
00:27:23.14\00:27:26.14
And notice what it
says in verse number 1.
00:27:26.17\00:27:30.41
"Now the serpent was more
cunning than any beast of the
00:27:30.45\00:27:32.18
field which the
Lord God had made.
00:27:32.21\00:27:33.88
And he said to the woman,
'Has God indeed said to you,
00:27:33.92\00:27:36.15
"You shall not eat of
every tree of the garden"?'"
00:27:36.18\00:27:39.45
Now, we know that
that's not what God says.
00:27:39.49\00:27:41.32
We know that--what
does the devil like to do?
00:27:41.36\00:27:43.76
He likes to twist and
turn. And why do I say this?
00:27:43.79\00:27:46.06
Because the topic of
this lesson is "Choose Life."
00:27:46.09\00:27:48.63
And you're saying,
"Well, who would choose death?"
00:27:48.66\00:27:51.37
Well, there are people that
choose death, and we're going to
00:27:51.40\00:27:53.57
explain now in this
context why people choose death.
00:27:53.60\00:27:57.37
Who would choose death?
00:27:57.41\00:27:58.87
Well, the devil doesn't
present it as black and white
00:27:58.91\00:28:01.08
as we think sometimes.
00:28:01.11\00:28:02.84
The devil is a cunning,
deceptive liar and manipulator,
00:28:02.88\00:28:07.95
and so he knows he's
not going to present it
00:28:07.98\00:28:09.35
to you in black and
white, he's going to do what?
00:28:09.38\00:28:11.92
He's going to try to distort and
turn and manipulate truth with
00:28:11.95\00:28:16.36
error so that it looks that way.
00:28:16.39\00:28:19.23
Now, what does he do
here? Look at what it says here.
00:28:19.26\00:28:21.43
Verse 2, "And the woman said
to the serpent, 'We may eat the
00:28:21.46\00:28:24.63
tree of the--fruit of the trees
of the garden; but of the fruit
00:28:24.67\00:28:27.84
of the tree which is in the
midst of the garden, God has
00:28:27.87\00:28:30.67
says, "You shall not
eat of it, nor shall you--
00:28:30.71\00:28:32.94
or shall you touch
it, lest you die."'"
00:28:32.97\00:28:36.08
Again misquoting a bit.
00:28:36.11\00:28:37.85
Verse 4, "Then the serpent
said to the woman," what?
00:28:37.88\00:28:43.72
"God is a liar.
00:28:43.75\00:28:46.45
God is a manipulator.
00:28:46.49\00:28:49.19
God is deceiving you."
00:28:49.22\00:28:50.69
That's what he's telling her.
00:28:50.73\00:28:52.03
"God told you you weren't going
to die--you were going to die?
00:28:52.06\00:28:54.56
You will not surely die."
00:28:54.60\00:28:56.20
In other words,
what is the devil doing?
00:28:56.23\00:28:58.13
He's lying. He's defaming.
00:28:58.17\00:29:00.74
He's attacking
the character of God.
00:29:00.77\00:29:02.24
"God lied to you, Eve.
00:29:02.27\00:29:04.11
You can't trust in
God," so notice what the
00:29:04.14\00:29:07.98
devil does is he what?
00:29:08.01\00:29:10.48
He tries to--the devil, in
order for us to make the wrong
00:29:10.51\00:29:13.68
decision--and, of course,
we think, "Life or death?
00:29:13.72\00:29:16.62
That's pretty easy."
00:29:16.65\00:29:17.95
What the devil does is he
distorts the character of God.
00:29:17.99\00:29:21.39
He distorts the image of God.
00:29:21.42\00:29:23.19
He distorts or perverts who
God is so that you can make a
00:29:23.22\00:29:26.93
misinformed decision in regards
to thinking you're choosing
00:29:26.96\00:29:30.40
life, when you're
really choosing death.
00:29:30.43\00:29:33.13
I'll give an example for you.
00:29:33.17\00:29:34.40
I told you when I was raised,
those of you that know, I was
00:29:34.44\00:29:36.60
raised and I was
shown the concept of eternal
00:29:36.64\00:29:39.11
torment and burning in hell.
00:29:39.14\00:29:41.81
Now, who would want to choose
and follow a God like that?
00:29:41.84\00:29:45.21
I'm like, "That doesn't sound
like a loving God to me, that I
00:29:45.25\00:29:47.35
would live 80 years of my life
and he would choose to torture
00:29:47.38\00:29:49.45
me for the rest of eternity."
00:29:49.48\00:29:52.52
That was a distorted or
perverted image that was
00:29:52.55\00:29:54.66
presented to me of the character
of God, and so what did I do?
00:29:54.69\00:29:57.56
What do you think I did?
00:29:57.59\00:29:58.89
They did it, of
course, for me to behave.
00:29:58.93\00:30:00.66
"Carlitos, this
way you can behave.
00:30:00.70\00:30:02.10
You can be a good boy."
00:30:02.13\00:30:03.90
And instead what that made
me do is reject God completely.
00:30:03.93\00:30:06.43
What was my choice?
00:30:06.47\00:30:07.77
I rejected God based on the
premise or the false premise,
00:30:07.80\00:30:11.14
the false concept, the false
image that was given to me of
00:30:11.17\00:30:14.54
who God was, and so
I made that decision.
00:30:14.58\00:30:18.15
Is everybody following me?
00:30:18.18\00:30:21.15
And that's what the devil does.
00:30:21.18\00:30:23.15
He makes us think that we're
choosing correctly, because
00:30:23.18\00:30:27.12
anybody that would come to the
conclusion that I could would
00:30:27.16\00:30:29.12
think I made the right decision.
00:30:29.16\00:30:30.89
Why would I want to
serve a God like that?
00:30:30.93\00:30:33.80
And this is what
he's doing with Eve.
00:30:33.83\00:30:35.33
"God is a liar.
God is a manipulator.
00:30:35.36\00:30:38.07
God is a deceiver, and
not only does God do that,"
00:30:38.10\00:30:40.67
but look at when we continue
to read it says in verse 4--5,
00:30:40.70\00:30:44.01
"For God knows that in the
day that you eat of it your eyes
00:30:44.04\00:30:46.17
will be opened, and you will
be like God, knowing," what?
00:30:46.21\00:30:50.21
"Good and evil."
00:30:50.25\00:30:51.55
Now, I struggle
with this concept of
00:30:51.58\00:30:52.88
knowing good and evil.
00:30:52.91\00:30:54.85
So, the devil basically says
this, "Not only is God lying to
00:30:54.88\00:30:57.29
you, Eve, but God is lying
to you because He's selfish.
00:30:57.32\00:31:01.32
God is lying to you because
He knows that if you eat of that
00:31:01.36\00:31:05.23
tree you will be like
Him, and He's selfish.
00:31:05.26\00:31:08.56
He doesn't want you to be like
Him," even though to a certain
00:31:08.60\00:31:12.10
degree Adam and
Eve already had what?
00:31:12.13\00:31:14.17
They were like in the
likeness of God, right?
00:31:14.20\00:31:16.67
But this is the manipulation.
00:31:16.71\00:31:18.14
This is the distortion that the
devil brings upon us, and so,
00:31:18.17\00:31:21.11
"God is being selfish.
00:31:21.14\00:31:22.81
He does not want
you to be like Him."
00:31:22.84\00:31:25.61
Now, what does it
mean to be like God?
00:31:25.65\00:31:28.12
Who wanted to be
like God, first of all?
00:31:28.15\00:31:29.78
Who wanted to be
like God? Satan, right?
00:31:29.82\00:31:32.62
Was he able to obtain it? No.
00:31:32.65\00:31:34.82
So, what does he do?
00:31:34.86\00:31:36.19
He tricks us to thinking we
can be like God, to trick us to
00:31:36.22\00:31:39.49
think that we can be like God.
00:31:39.53\00:31:41.33
And what does that
mean? Knowing good or evil.
00:31:41.36\00:31:43.16
Now, I struggled with
this concept of knowing good
00:31:43.20\00:31:44.70
and evil for a long time.
00:31:44.73\00:31:46.03
What does that mean,
knowing good or evil?
00:31:46.07\00:31:47.37
Mmm. I struggle with that.
00:31:47.40\00:31:49.94
And here's where I did.
00:31:49.97\00:31:53.07
I went and I asked a couple
of people, looked for some
00:31:53.11\00:31:55.04
commentaries, couldn't find an
answer, so I go and I go inside,
00:31:55.08\00:31:58.58
and I look for a "Strong's
Concordance," and I find the
00:31:58.61\00:32:01.65
word "for knowing"
is the word "yada."
00:32:01.68\00:32:03.85
What's the word? Yada.
00:32:03.89\00:32:06.19
Now, the word
"yada" does mean "to know."
00:32:06.22\00:32:08.29
It does, but there are other
definitions to the word "yada."
00:32:08.32\00:32:12.13
And it also means
not just to know, but to
00:32:12.16\00:32:13.90
declare or to determine.
00:32:13.93\00:32:16.06
So, in other words, when
you read it in this context, it
00:32:16.10\00:32:18.23
says, "For you will be like
God, declaring or determining
00:32:18.27\00:32:22.47
what is good and what is evil."
00:32:22.50\00:32:26.21
I have a question: Who is
the one that determines or
00:32:26.24\00:32:28.08
declares what is good and evil?
00:32:28.11\00:32:29.88
God, it's not us, so
what he's basically saying
00:32:29.91\00:32:33.55
to Adam and Eve
is, "You know what?
00:32:33.58\00:32:35.02
You don't need God to
tell you what's right or wrong.
00:32:35.05\00:32:38.02
You can determine and
declare it on your own.
00:32:38.05\00:32:41.72
You don't need God for that."
00:32:41.76\00:32:43.93
I have a question.
00:32:43.96\00:32:45.33
Has anything changed
from the Garden of Eden?
00:32:45.36\00:32:48.96
No, right?
00:32:49.00\00:32:50.70
Postmodern theology, what is it?
00:32:50.73\00:32:52.77
"Oh, you can be like
God, you don't need--" right?
00:32:52.80\00:32:56.00
I'm saying "theology"
in a facetious way, right?
00:32:56.04\00:32:58.71
The postmodern
mindset is saying what?
00:32:58.74\00:33:00.88
"You don't need God, you
don't need God to tell you
00:33:00.91\00:33:02.64
what's right or wrong.
00:33:02.68\00:33:03.98
You can determine and
declare what's right or
00:33:04.01\00:33:05.35
wrong on your own."
00:33:05.38\00:33:08.42
Nothing has really changed.
00:33:08.45\00:33:09.75
The devil has the
same deception, and it
00:33:09.78\00:33:11.95
has this theology, I
call it postmodern theology.
00:33:11.99\00:33:14.69
Has this come
inside of the church?
00:33:14.72\00:33:17.36
Yes. "Well, the Bible--"
00:33:17.39\00:33:18.96
No, just go by
what you feel, right?
00:33:18.99\00:33:22.36
You don't need God to
tell you what's right or wrong.
00:33:22.40\00:33:24.20
Just trust your feelings.
00:33:24.23\00:33:25.77
Trust your gut.
00:33:25.80\00:33:27.94
Trust your
instincts. No, just go by that.
00:33:27.97\00:33:31.31
Do we have an issue in
Christianity where people
00:33:31.34\00:33:33.24
following their feelings
and their emotions and their gut
00:33:33.27\00:33:36.14
more than the Word of God?
00:33:36.18\00:33:38.11
Yes, and this is
what this lesson is about.
00:33:38.15\00:33:41.38
It's not just about choosing
right or wrong, right, in the
00:33:41.42\00:33:43.89
context of choosing
the devil or choosing God.
00:33:43.92\00:33:47.19
Nobody would choose the devil.
00:33:47.22\00:33:48.86
The real lesson in this is, do
we trust in God so much that we
00:33:48.89\00:33:52.23
follow and obey His Word and
listen to His calling and His
00:33:52.26\00:33:56.23
direction more than my own?
00:33:56.26\00:33:58.27
That's what
this is really about.
00:33:58.30\00:34:00.34
Or am I going to choose to
follow in the Spirit and follow
00:34:00.37\00:34:04.01
the Word of God, or am I going
to choose to follow my flesh, my
00:34:04.04\00:34:07.21
carnal desires, my carnal
inclinations, my carnal impulses
00:34:07.24\00:34:11.28
over the Word of God?
00:34:11.31\00:34:13.58
"Well, I know God said
this, but I want to do this."
00:34:13.62\00:34:17.19
And that's the problem,
and that's the deception.
00:34:17.22\00:34:21.59
That's the foundation,
basically, of this concept of
00:34:21.62\00:34:24.53
choice, because
nobody would choose death.
00:34:24.56\00:34:27.03
Nobody would choose the devil,
but every day you're going to
00:34:27.03\00:34:30.60
choose which camp you
want to be in with what?
00:34:30.63\00:34:34.07
With whether you're going
to choose to live your life
00:34:34.10\00:34:35.94
according to God's Word or
according to your own will and
00:34:35.97\00:34:39.21
your own ways, your own desires.
00:34:39.24\00:34:42.58
And sometimes this is not as
clear either, because sometimes
00:34:42.61\00:34:45.08
even inside the devil wants
to bring deception, not clarity.
00:34:45.11\00:34:48.85
Go with me to Romans chapter 6.
00:34:48.88\00:34:50.19
Let's look at this
in another context.
00:34:50.22\00:34:52.49
Romans chapter 6.
00:34:52.52\00:34:53.82
I like how Paul
explains it in Romans chapter 6.
00:34:53.86\00:34:57.73
Now, after Adam and Eve
chose that, the condemnation
00:34:57.76\00:35:01.53
was to fall on humanity.
00:35:01.56\00:35:03.10
I have a question: Did humanity
suffer the condemnation of
00:35:03.13\00:35:07.47
eating off of the tree of
the knowledge and good and evil
00:35:07.50\00:35:10.84
that God said, "The day you
eat of it you shall surely die"?
00:35:10.87\00:35:14.34
They chose.
00:35:14.38\00:35:15.68
Did they choose or did
they not choose to eat of it?
00:35:15.71\00:35:17.71
Yes or no? Yes.
00:35:17.75\00:35:19.81
Eve is considered to be--
have deceived by the devil.
00:35:19.85\00:35:23.05
Adam wasn't.
00:35:23.08\00:35:25.09
Adam chose,
basically, Eve over God, right?
00:35:25.12\00:35:28.82
He made an idol of his wife.
00:35:28.86\00:35:31.76
Could be that you're
making an idol of your wife.
00:35:31.79\00:35:34.36
You're making an
idol of your children.
00:35:34.36\00:35:36.10
You're making an
idol of your work.
00:35:36.13\00:35:38.67
You're making an
idol of your theology.
00:35:38.70\00:35:41.07
You're making an idol of
your impulses, of your desires.
00:35:41.10\00:35:44.97
This is not just some--we're
not just talking about things.
00:35:45.01\00:35:48.11
We're talking about
thoughts and mindsets.
00:35:48.14\00:35:52.15
This is the real struggle
and the real battle that is
00:35:52.18\00:35:53.85
happening in choosing.
00:35:53.88\00:35:55.18
Are we going to want to follow
what is comfortable for us, what
00:35:55.22\00:35:58.25
we like, or are we going to
follow what God has chosen for
00:35:58.29\00:36:01.26
us, what God is asking for us?
00:36:01.29\00:36:03.49
Is everybody with me?
00:36:03.53\00:36:04.83
And so, we see that
in the Garden of Eden.
00:36:04.86\00:36:06.53
God chose for Adam and Eve.
00:36:06.56\00:36:09.13
God chose for humanity what?
00:36:09.16\00:36:10.93
A second chance.
A predisposition.
00:36:10.97\00:36:14.40
He chose to give them
that second chance, why?
00:36:14.44\00:36:17.04
He chose--God chose us, or I
look at it this way: God chose
00:36:17.07\00:36:21.14
you first so that you
can then choose Him, amen?
00:36:21.18\00:36:27.62
God chose us first.
00:36:27.65\00:36:29.75
He says, "Despite
what was going to happen, I
00:36:29.78\00:36:31.75
still chose you first.
00:36:31.79\00:36:33.66
And I chose you how?
00:36:33.69\00:36:35.66
Through My son, in My son
Jesus Christ giving it all."
00:36:35.69\00:36:38.89
And that informed decision, my
loved ones, is where it start.
00:36:38.93\00:36:42.16
Now let's go to
Romans chapter 6.
00:36:42.20\00:36:43.53
Look at here, let's go
back-- let's go deeper into this
00:36:43.57\00:36:45.57
concept of
decision making, right?
00:36:45.60\00:36:48.10
Choosing life,
or choosing death.
00:36:48.14\00:36:50.14
I think this is the best
place that it's explained.
00:36:50.17\00:36:53.21
Romans chapter 6.
00:36:53.24\00:36:54.68
Let's start on verse number 15.
00:36:54.71\00:36:56.44
When you're there say, "Amen."
00:36:56.48\00:36:59.38
"What then?
00:36:59.41\00:37:00.82
Shall we sin because we are not
under the law but under grace?
00:37:00.85\00:37:04.59
Certainly not!
00:37:04.62\00:37:05.92
Do you not know
that to whom you present
00:37:05.95\00:37:07.66
yourselves slaves to," what?
00:37:07.69\00:37:09.29
"Slaves to obey, you are the one
slaves whom you obey, whether of
00:37:09.32\00:37:13.46
sin leading to death, or of
obedience leading to," what?
00:37:13.50\00:37:16.83
"Righteousness."
00:37:16.87\00:37:18.33
So, basically, what
we're saying here is that we
00:37:18.37\00:37:20.14
are all born slaves.
00:37:20.17\00:37:26.24
The question is, slaves to what?
00:37:26.27\00:37:30.38
Slaves to what?
00:37:30.41\00:37:32.55
We're all slaves here.
00:37:32.58\00:37:33.92
Every single one of us that is
standing here right now in this
00:37:33.95\00:37:36.05
moment is all a slave.
00:37:36.08\00:37:38.05
The question is,
to what or to who?
00:37:38.09\00:37:41.42
Because through your life,
through your giving, through
00:37:41.46\00:37:43.86
your life, through your choices
and the decisions you make you
00:37:43.89\00:37:46.80
are choosing who you want to be
a slave to, whether slave to the
00:37:46.83\00:37:50.90
flesh or a slave to the Spirit.
00:37:50.93\00:37:54.20
Look at what he says.
00:37:54.24\00:37:55.80
"But God be thanked," but God be
thanked, "that though you were
00:37:55.84\00:38:02.11
slaves of sin, yet you obeyed
from the heart that form of
00:38:02.14\00:38:04.88
doctrine to which
you were delivered.
00:38:04.91\00:38:06.41
And having been
set free from sin, you
00:38:06.45\00:38:08.38
became slaves of," what?
00:38:08.42\00:38:10.75
A slave is somebody that has
given their will over, that has
00:38:10.79\00:38:14.19
given everything that
they are, some by choice, but
00:38:14.22\00:38:17.33
most obviously not by choice.
00:38:17.36\00:38:18.69
But in this context the word
"slave," even though it might
00:38:18.73\00:38:20.96
carry a negative connotation in
our society, right, because of
00:38:20.96\00:38:24.27
the slave trade and the
implications of slave, in the
00:38:24.30\00:38:27.74
quest or in the concept of
theology and the quest and the
00:38:27.77\00:38:30.31
concept of the gospel I
want to be a slave to God.
00:38:30.34\00:38:33.94
I want to freely--I choose to
give and decide to give my life,
00:38:33.98\00:38:38.48
my mind, my thoughts,
my preconceived ideas, my
00:38:38.51\00:38:41.75
presuppositions, my
family, my relationship,
00:38:41.78\00:38:47.46
my resources, whatever I have.
00:38:47.49\00:38:49.52
I can choose to put it
and put it under the bondage
00:38:49.56\00:38:52.83
of the righteousness
of God, or I can choose to
00:38:52.86\00:38:57.00
continue to live as what?
00:38:57.03\00:38:59.47
As a slave to the flesh, as a
slave to self, as a slave to my
00:38:59.50\00:39:03.84
own desires and my
own inclinations, so as
00:39:03.87\00:39:06.57
Christians--because that's the
concept of the--the context of
00:39:06.61\00:39:09.68
the word of the--of
this lesson on choosing.
00:39:09.71\00:39:13.15
He's talking to His people.
00:39:13.18\00:39:14.98
In Deuteronomy chapter 30,
God is talking to His people.
00:39:15.02\00:39:18.12
He's talking to you and
me, and He's saying, "Choose."
00:39:18.15\00:39:20.96
Choose what?
00:39:20.99\00:39:23.02
You can choose to be a
mediocre, stagnant, complacent,
00:39:23.06\00:39:27.40
lukewarm Christian if you want.
00:39:27.46\00:39:29.93
You can choose that, and
if you're choosing that you're
00:39:29.96\00:39:31.93
choosing death, but you can
also choose to live a vibrant,
00:39:31.97\00:39:36.97
joyful, powerful life in Christ.
00:39:37.01\00:39:41.28
You can choose to have a life
full of hope, full of blessing
00:39:41.31\00:39:46.58
to others to where
God can reveal His power,
00:39:46.61\00:39:49.32
His glory, His holiness.
00:39:49.35\00:39:51.82
You can choose that, too.
00:39:51.85\00:39:55.49
And how do we know
what we're choosing?
00:39:55.52\00:39:57.43
How do we know what
choice are we choosing?
00:39:57.46\00:39:59.83
Are we choosing the side of
God, the side of living in the
00:39:59.86\00:40:02.53
Spirit, or are we choosing
on the side of the flesh, on the
00:40:02.56\00:40:05.90
side of me, of selfishness?
00:40:05.93\00:40:07.97
The Bible says, "You shall know
them by their fruits," and I'm
00:40:08.00\00:40:12.81
asking this not because
I'm pointing the finger.
00:40:12.84\00:40:14.71
Remember I've said this before.
00:40:14.74\00:40:17.18
Any time I come to present
the Word of God in any type of
00:40:17.21\00:40:19.68
environment, whether it be a
Bible study, one-on-one Bible
00:40:19.71\00:40:22.32
study, a group,
sermon, whatever, I'm always
00:40:22.35\00:40:24.52
looking at myself.
00:40:24.55\00:40:26.62
I'm analyzing and
studying this in view of me.
00:40:26.65\00:40:29.99
Am I a lukewarm,
carnal Christian?
00:40:30.03\00:40:33.56
Am I deceiving myself by
thinking that because I work at
00:40:33.60\00:40:38.20
Amazing Facts, because I stand
here, because I do this, because
00:40:38.23\00:40:41.90
I do that and I do this,
can I be deceiving myself to
00:40:41.94\00:40:45.54
thinking that I am living
the life that God wants when
00:40:45.57\00:40:48.41
I'm really living my own life?
00:40:48.44\00:40:49.78
I have a question: Can I be
deceiving myself, yes or no?
00:40:49.81\00:40:52.88
Yes; now I'll throw
the question back at you.
00:40:52.91\00:40:56.42
Can you be deceiving yourself?
00:40:56.45\00:40:59.62
Ooh. Think.
00:40:59.65\00:41:04.49
Choose life or death.
00:41:04.53\00:41:06.43
It's not that white and black
in this context, because the
00:41:06.46\00:41:10.07
choosing that you make
is who are you choosing
00:41:10.10\00:41:12.63
to be a slave to?
00:41:12.67\00:41:14.27
Who are you choosing to obey?
00:41:14.30\00:41:16.10
Who are you
choosing to surrender?
00:41:16.14\00:41:18.01
And again, God presents all
of this in the context of what?
00:41:18.04\00:41:22.48
Of this covenant.
00:41:22.51\00:41:24.21
Now, when we were born
or when--after the fall of
00:41:24.25\00:41:26.75
Adam and Eve, we were stripped.
00:41:26.78\00:41:29.68
Humanity was
stripped of willpower.
00:41:29.72\00:41:31.92
That means you cannot
fight against your fallen carnal
00:41:31.95\00:41:36.12
impulses and desires.
00:41:36.16\00:41:37.93
You just can't, but in the
new covenant, in the everlasting
00:41:37.96\00:41:42.23
covenant, God
promised the Holy Spirit.
00:41:42.26\00:41:48.34
Notice, because some people will
ask me, "Well, in that quote it
00:41:48.37\00:41:50.47
doesn't say that the Holy Spirit
was involved in the covenant.
00:41:50.51\00:41:54.21
It says that the Father and the
Son made that covenant to redeem
00:41:54.24\00:41:57.11
man, with Jesus Christ
as the guarantee before.
00:41:57.15\00:42:01.28
Where was the Holy
Spirit?" You know why?
00:42:01.32\00:42:02.95
Because the Holy Spirit is
the promise of the covenant.
00:42:02.98\00:42:06.59
It's through the
Holy Spirit that this
00:42:06.62\00:42:08.96
covenant was going to be what?
00:42:08.99\00:42:10.29
In Christ,
guaranteed to you and to me.
00:42:10.33\00:42:13.13
And so, when we receive the Holy
Spirit, as Doug talked about
00:42:13.16\00:42:15.56
last night, when we accept Jesus
Christ, when we say, "Lord,
00:42:15.60\00:42:19.33
I want to begin a new life.
00:42:19.37\00:42:20.77
I want to ask for forgiveness,"
we receive that Holy Spirit.
00:42:20.80\00:42:23.74
Even before, but
especially in that moment.
00:42:23.77\00:42:25.47
The Spirit comes into
us. What does the Spirit do?
00:42:25.51\00:42:27.78
I'll give it to you
in a very simple way.
00:42:27.81\00:42:29.51
The Spirit basically
gives us back willpower.
00:42:29.54\00:42:34.78
He doesn't make
the decision for us.
00:42:34.82\00:42:36.75
The Spirit doesn't make that
choice for me or for you, but
00:42:36.79\00:42:39.65
the Spirit does
give us back what?
00:42:39.69\00:42:41.82
Willpower so we can what?
00:42:41.86\00:42:44.86
So we can choose,
choose righteousness or
00:42:44.89\00:42:49.83
unrighteousness, choose
to walk in the Spirit or walk
00:42:49.86\00:42:53.54
in the flesh, choose
to walk a holy life or
00:42:53.57\00:42:56.37
choose to walk a carnal life.
00:42:56.40\00:42:58.77
That decision is given to us.
00:42:58.81\00:43:01.38
That willpower is given back to
us, and now we, as co-laborers
00:43:01.41\00:43:07.75
with God, we as partakers,
we then now have to decide if we
00:43:07.78\00:43:12.19
are going to choose to
follow in that same path.
00:43:12.22\00:43:15.29
Is everybody with me? Amen.
00:43:15.32\00:43:18.73
And so, when God presents
before His people in Deuteronomy
00:43:18.76\00:43:22.36
chapter 30, the
context is the covenant.
00:43:22.40\00:43:25.60
Go with me, please, to
Deuteronomy chapter 30.
00:43:25.63\00:43:27.54
The lesson goes straight
into the chapter, but you have
00:43:27.57\00:43:31.01
to--when you study the context
of what's going on, right,
00:43:31.04\00:43:35.61
they're about to
reenter--not to reenter.
00:43:35.64\00:43:37.81
They're about to
enter the Promised Land.
00:43:37.85\00:43:39.61
And already their parents were
not faithful to God, and so God
00:43:39.65\00:43:42.58
is already trying to explain to
them, show them through these 40
00:43:42.62\00:43:46.69
years in the desert that there's
a better decision to make,
00:43:46.72\00:43:50.13
because they made
the wrong decisions.
00:43:50.16\00:43:51.89
Why? Why was the decision wrong?
00:43:51.93\00:43:53.46
They loved it when
God liberated them.
00:43:53.50\00:43:55.40
They loved it when
God opened the Red Sea.
00:43:55.43\00:43:57.60
They loved it when God
gave them victory over the
00:43:57.63\00:44:01.14
Egyptian enemies, but
they did not love it when
00:44:01.17\00:44:03.91
they were eating manna all day.
00:44:03.94\00:44:06.31
They did not love it
when they were thirsty.
00:44:06.34\00:44:10.18
They did not love it
having to be in the desert.
00:44:10.21\00:44:12.68
They did not love it, and so
despite the blessings and the
00:44:12.71\00:44:16.22
glory of God they
started to murmur.
00:44:16.25\00:44:19.09
And so, God is trying to tell
them, "Listen, learn from the
00:44:19.12\00:44:21.79
mistakes of the past."
00:44:21.82\00:44:23.29
That's what circumcision is.
00:44:23.32\00:44:24.63
Learn from the
mistakes of others and
00:44:24.66\00:44:26.49
don't fall into the same trap.
00:44:26.53\00:44:28.73
And so, when God is presenting
in Deuteronomy chapter 30, I
00:44:28.76\00:44:31.53
love this part of Deuteronomy
chapter 30 because what it
00:44:31.57\00:44:34.20
presents to us is
very, very clear and simple.
00:44:34.24\00:44:37.94
If you read it in
a--with a certain lens, a
00:44:37.97\00:44:41.18
certain legalistic
lens, all you'll see is,
00:44:41.21\00:44:43.38
"Obey, obey, obey, obey, obey."
00:44:43.41\00:44:47.55
But if you look at it from the
context of the loving God and
00:44:47.58\00:44:50.92
what He wants to do, look
at what it says in Deuteronomy
00:44:50.95\00:44:52.59
chapter 30, verse number 2.
00:44:52.62\00:44:54.82
"Return the Lord--to the Lord
your God and obey His voice,
00:44:54.86\00:44:58.73
according to all I command you
today, and your children, with
00:44:58.76\00:45:02.40
all your heart and
with all your soul."
00:45:02.43\00:45:04.63
Verse 6, "And the Lord your God
will circumcise your heart and
00:45:04.67\00:45:07.57
the heart of your descendants."
00:45:07.60\00:45:08.90
That's the new covenant.
00:45:08.94\00:45:10.27
That's the everlasting covenant,
God giving us a new heart.
00:45:10.31\00:45:13.21
"To love the Lord your God with
all your heart, with all your
00:45:13.24\00:45:15.64
soul, that you may live."
00:45:15.68\00:45:17.28
Look at what it
says in verse number 14.
00:45:17.31\00:45:20.38
"But the Word is very near to
you, in your mouth and in your
00:45:20.42\00:45:23.35
heart, that you may do it."
00:45:23.39\00:45:25.69
Verse 17, "But if your heart
turns away so that you do not
00:45:25.72\00:45:28.79
hear, and are drawn away--"
00:45:28.82\00:45:31.39
You have to give your heart
to the Lord first so that He
00:45:31.43\00:45:34.30
can give you the power to obey.
00:45:34.36\00:45:37.23
Verse number 20, "That you
may love the Lord your God,
00:45:37.27\00:45:39.53
that you may," what?
00:45:39.57\00:45:41.07
"Obey His voice."
00:45:41.10\00:45:42.50
How is it possible
to obey God's voice?
00:45:42.54\00:45:45.21
It's only if we love Him.
00:45:45.24\00:45:46.78
It's only through love,
and that's the option, that God
00:45:46.81\00:45:50.98
chose us from the beginning, to
present to us His love and His
00:45:51.01\00:45:54.12
mercy, and so we
choose based on that.
00:45:54.15\00:45:57.69
"To choose that you may
love the Lord your God, that you
00:45:57.72\00:45:59.75
may obey His voice, and
that you may cling to Him,
00:45:59.79\00:46:02.52
for He is your life."
00:46:02.56\00:46:05.26
Ooh, that just sounds so
beautiful, clinging to the Lord.
00:46:05.29\00:46:09.73
That's what the Lord wants,
but it's based off of what?
00:46:09.76\00:46:11.80
You have to be able to
have a relationship with God.
00:46:11.83\00:46:14.94
You have to know
God, because if you don't
00:46:14.97\00:46:16.57
know Him you won't love Him.
00:46:16.60\00:46:17.94
And if you don't love
Him, you won't serve Him.
00:46:17.97\00:46:20.31
And if you don't serve God, if
you don't choose to be a slave
00:46:20.34\00:46:22.71
to God, if you don't choose
to surrender completely, totally
00:46:22.74\00:46:25.88
everything that you are,
you will be a slave to self.
00:46:25.91\00:46:29.92
Psalms 48 says, "I delight to
do Your will, O my God, and Your
00:46:29.95\00:46:33.82
law is written," where?
00:46:33.86\00:46:35.99
"Within my heart," amen?
00:46:36.02\00:46:38.33
That's the choice,
my loved ones, is to
00:46:38.36\00:46:40.10
surrender your heart or not.
00:46:40.13\00:46:41.73
God is not asking us for
obedience on the top, why?
00:46:41.76\00:46:45.93
Because He knows
we're incapable of obeying
00:46:45.97\00:46:47.74
because of our fallen nature.
00:46:47.77\00:46:49.07
God is saying, "Love
Me, accept Me, and let Me
00:46:49.10\00:46:52.31
give you a new heart.
00:46:52.34\00:46:54.68
Let Me give you a new mind,
and I will put the love and
00:46:54.71\00:46:57.71
surrender to My will in your
heart, and I will give you the
00:46:57.75\00:47:01.12
power to obey," amen?
00:47:01.15\00:47:03.35
"I will give you that
strength and that power."
00:47:03.39\00:47:06.09
In other words, and this is very
important, obedience is not the
00:47:06.12\00:47:09.46
condition or
obligation of God for us
00:47:09.49\00:47:12.03
in the Everlasting Covenant.
00:47:12.06\00:47:13.60
We have to change that mindset.
00:47:13.63\00:47:15.20
"Oh, I have to obey, I
have to comply, and that's
00:47:15.23\00:47:18.07
what I have to
do in the covenant."
00:47:18.10\00:47:19.40
No, obedience is not the
condition or obligation of God
00:47:19.43\00:47:22.67
for us in the
Everlasting Covenant.
00:47:22.70\00:47:24.24
Obedience is the promise and the
blessing of God for us in the
00:47:24.27\00:47:27.91
Everlasting Covenant, amen?
00:47:27.94\00:47:30.41
God wants to--He tells us, "Give
Me your heart, and I will give
00:47:30.45\00:47:33.62
you the power to obey.
00:47:33.65\00:47:35.18
I will give you the strength.
00:47:35.22\00:47:36.65
I will give you
what I want you to do."
00:47:36.69\00:47:38.99
Look at what it says in the
book, "Patriarchs and Prophets."
00:47:39.02\00:47:41.39
"The covenant of grace was first
made with man in Eden, when
00:47:41.42\00:47:44.43
after the Fall there was given a
divine promise that the seed of
00:47:44.46\00:47:47.23
the woman should
bruise the serpent's head.
00:47:47.30\00:47:49.30
To all men," and women,
"this covenant offered pardon,"
00:47:49.33\00:47:53.87
forgiveness of sin,
"and assisting grace
00:47:53.90\00:47:57.07
of God for," what?
00:47:57.11\00:47:59.24
"For future obedience
through faith in Jesus Christ."
00:47:59.27\00:48:03.04
I have a
question: What comes first,
00:48:03.08\00:48:04.38
the covenant or obedience?
00:48:04.41\00:48:10.25
What comes first, the
covenant or obedience?
00:48:10.29\00:48:13.52
The covenant comes first.
That's what it says there.
00:48:13.56\00:48:15.59
God presents the covenant
of grace, and through that man,
00:48:15.62\00:48:19.33
the responsive man, is to give
their lives, and then God gives
00:48:19.36\00:48:21.76
us the power, the
assisting grace for future
00:48:21.80\00:48:24.33
obedience through
faith in Jesus Christ.
00:48:24.37\00:48:27.67
Go with me to
Hebrews chapter 13.
00:48:27.70\00:48:29.90
Ooh, see, this is crucial
to understand, because if not,
00:48:29.94\00:48:34.28
we're going to go around trying
to think, "Oh, I'm going to be--
00:48:34.31\00:48:37.88
I'm going to obey God
and--" no, you can't obey God.
00:48:37.91\00:48:42.22
That's the whole point of it.
00:48:42.25\00:48:43.69
We are unrighteous. We
cannot produce righteousness.
00:48:43.72\00:48:46.25
The point of it is surrender
your heart to God, and He will
00:48:46.29\00:48:48.86
give you the power to obey.
00:48:48.89\00:48:51.83
He will give you the
strength so that you can live
00:48:51.86\00:48:54.00
according to His will.
00:48:54.03\00:48:55.60
Hebrews chapter 30, verse 20.
00:48:55.63\00:48:58.17
"Now may the God of peace who
brought up our Lord Jesus from
00:48:58.20\00:49:01.37
the dead, that great Shepherd of
the sheep, through the blood of
00:49:01.40\00:49:04.07
the everlasting
covenant," through the what?
00:49:04.11\00:49:06.41
The blood of the
everlasting covenant.
00:49:06.44\00:49:08.24
What does it say
then? Watch this.
00:49:08.28\00:49:11.88
What does the blood of
the everlasting covenant do?
00:49:11.91\00:49:13.62
"Make you complete in
every good work to do His will,
00:49:13.65\00:49:17.59
working in you what is
well pleasing in His sight,
00:49:17.62\00:49:20.56
through Jesus Christ," amen?
00:49:20.59\00:49:22.79
I have a
question: What came first,
00:49:22.82\00:49:24.29
the covenant or obedience?
00:49:24.33\00:49:26.70
The covenant.
00:49:26.73\00:49:27.96
The promise came first, and then
our response to that promise, to
00:49:27.96\00:49:31.27
the covenant that Christ
has done with the Father.
00:49:31.30\00:49:33.27
Then we are given that
response. Who says amen to that?
00:49:33.30\00:49:36.64
And so, I'm going to
finish looking at it this way.
00:49:36.67\00:49:38.97
This is you and me in our lives.
00:49:39.01\00:49:40.51
We are wandering
children in this world.
00:49:40.54\00:49:42.81
We are wandering around
not knowing where to go.
00:49:42.84\00:49:48.22
This is how we
come to the life, right?
00:49:48.25\00:49:50.45
Even when we have parents that
are God-fearing, that present a
00:49:50.49\00:49:53.12
household for us where we
can--but at the end of the day
00:49:53.15\00:49:55.69
we're all
wandering and struggling.
00:49:55.72\00:49:57.49
I can't tell you how many
kids growing up or raised in the
00:49:57.53\00:49:59.79
Seventh-day Adventist
Church have become--have
00:49:59.83\00:50:02.06
left the church because what?
00:50:02.10\00:50:03.47
Because they were not
presented a solid perception and
00:50:03.50\00:50:06.17
image of who God really is.
00:50:06.20\00:50:08.34
They presented
this legalistic mindset.
00:50:08.37\00:50:10.84
"You have to
comply. You have to obey."
00:50:10.87\00:50:12.51
Instead of, "You
have to surrender."
00:50:12.54\00:50:14.78
The word "obey" is implicit,
the word, the power to obey.
00:50:14.81\00:50:18.28
God is trying to
give us this power,
00:50:18.31\00:50:20.42
but we have to first what?
00:50:20.45\00:50:21.78
Surrender our hearts, it's
a heart problem that we have,
00:50:21.82\00:50:24.89
and then God gives us the power.
00:50:24.92\00:50:26.52
So, we're wandering around in
the rain, in fear, the winds and
00:50:26.55\00:50:29.99
the enemy attacking and
bombarding us, giving us these
00:50:30.03\00:50:33.33
false impressions, this false
concept of who God, and we're
00:50:33.36\00:50:36.83
struggling to know who God is.
00:50:36.87\00:50:38.17
And then, God brings what?
00:50:38.20\00:50:39.67
God brings and
comes a cross, amen?
00:50:39.70\00:50:42.17
This is one--a very famous
picture in 2015 that became
00:50:42.20\00:50:45.31
viral, of this father with the
umbrella over his son, and the
00:50:45.34\00:50:49.78
son holding on to the umbrella,
and the father is taking his son
00:50:49.81\00:50:53.08
through the rain, amen?
00:50:53.11\00:50:55.48
He's walking us through,
and this is--I think this is the
00:50:55.52\00:50:57.72
perfect picture of
what justification is.
00:50:57.75\00:51:00.19
We were lost. We
were in the rain.
00:51:00.22\00:51:03.29
We were abandoned.
00:51:03.32\00:51:04.66
We--but God
says, "No, you are not.
00:51:04.69\00:51:07.00
Here I am, son.
You have an option.
00:51:07.03\00:51:09.06
You can choose Me.
00:51:09.10\00:51:10.47
You can walk with Me,
and I will take the burdens."
00:51:10.50\00:51:14.30
Doesn't mean we're not going
to get sprinkled because of the
00:51:14.34\00:51:16.17
consequences of sin, but
God is walking with us as
00:51:16.20\00:51:19.04
he's walked--this father
is walking with his child,
00:51:19.07\00:51:21.48
taking this on Himself.
00:51:21.51\00:51:23.58
But where does
choice come, life or death?
00:51:23.61\00:51:25.68
Where does it happen?
00:51:25.71\00:51:27.55
You can choose to walk away.
00:51:27.58\00:51:30.45
You can choose to not continue
to walk under the grace of God.
00:51:30.49\00:51:34.16
You can choose to not want to
continue to walk with God, and
00:51:34.19\00:51:36.56
God says, "If that's your
choice, I'm going to let you."
00:51:36.59\00:51:38.69
But God has given us
already everything that we
00:51:38.73\00:51:40.80
need to know so what?
00:51:40.83\00:51:42.56
So that we can
live in His glory, amen?
00:51:42.60\00:51:44.80
It's your choice. You choose.
00:51:44.83\00:51:47.70
And the question or the thing
I want you to think about today
00:51:47.74\00:51:49.80
is, am I truly living a
life of faith in the Spirit?
00:51:49.84\00:51:55.24
Am I truly living and growing
in faith or am I stagnant,
00:51:55.28\00:51:59.18
am I unjoyful, am I
not seeing the power of God
00:51:59.21\00:52:02.45
manifested in my life?
00:52:02.48\00:52:03.79
Am I not growing in faith?
00:52:03.82\00:52:05.15
If this is the case,
then we need to reanalyze.
00:52:05.19\00:52:09.62
We need to refocus.
00:52:09.66\00:52:11.23
We need to change the things
that we're doing so that we can
00:52:11.26\00:52:12.99
begin to see the glory of God
and we can choose life, amen?
00:52:13.03\00:52:16.67
Because the ways of the flesh,
the ways of ourselves are not
00:52:16.70\00:52:19.33
going to lead us
anywhere but to death.
00:52:19.37\00:52:21.74
It's only when we choose to be
slaves to God and to surrender
00:52:21.77\00:52:24.81
completely and totally
will we then see the glory and
00:52:24.84\00:52:27.38
the power of God in our lives.
00:52:27.41\00:52:29.58
That's the choice
that we make every day.
00:52:29.61\00:52:31.65
Am I going to follow me,
what I want, what I like, what I
00:52:31.68\00:52:34.62
desire, or am I going to
surrender completely, totally to
00:52:34.65\00:52:37.12
the will of God
through His Word?
00:52:37.15\00:52:39.69
How many of you
choose life? Amen.
00:52:39.72\00:52:43.69
Let's pray.
Father, we thank You.
00:52:43.73\00:52:46.19
We thank You, Father, because
before creation of humanity
00:52:46.23\00:52:49.20
everything was presented,
the plan of salvation.
00:52:49.23\00:52:51.97
The everlasting
covenant was there for us to
00:52:52.00\00:52:54.14
accept, for us to receive.
00:52:54.17\00:52:56.14
The choice is whether we're
going to be grateful and receive
00:52:56.17\00:52:59.57
it or if whether we're going to
choose to live in our own ways
00:52:59.61\00:53:01.94
and follow our own path.
00:53:01.98\00:53:03.38
Help us, Father, to
make the right choice.
00:53:03.41\00:53:05.58
Help us, Father, to
make the informed choice.
00:53:05.61\00:53:07.58
Help us to show others who You
really are so that they can make
00:53:07.62\00:53:10.85
the correct choices and
follow Your Word and live
00:53:10.89\00:53:13.76
in accordance to it, Father.
00:53:13.79\00:53:15.26
Help us so that we can see the
blessings and the promises of
00:53:15.29\00:53:18.26
Your covenant, and we
can then, through Your power,
00:53:18.29\00:53:20.53
live and obey in them.
00:53:20.56\00:53:22.20
We thank You, Father,
for this blessing, and we
00:53:22.23\00:53:23.83
ask this in Jesus's name, amen.
00:53:23.87\00:53:26.40
male announcer: Don't
forget to request today's
00:53:28.10\00:53:29.47
life-changing free resource.
00:53:29.50\00:53:31.47
Not only can you receive this
free gift in the mail, you can
00:53:31.51\00:53:33.88
download a digital copy
straight to your computer
00:53:33.91\00:53:36.01
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To get your digital copy of
today's free gift, simply text
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the keyword on your screen to
40544 or visit the web address
00:53:40.98\00:53:45.65
shown on your screen.
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And be sure to select
a digital download option
00:53:47.22\00:53:49.52
on the request page.
00:53:49.56\00:53:50.93
It's now easier than ever
for you to study God's Word with
00:53:50.96\00:53:54.20
"Amazing Facts,"
wherever and whenever you want.
00:53:54.20\00:53:57.37
And most important,
to share it with others.
00:53:57.40\00:54:00.84
announcer: "Amazing
Facts" change lives.
00:54:05.64\00:54:11.28
female: Well, my conversion
story is when I was in the
00:54:13.78\00:54:17.59
Philippines, I just graduated as
a nurse and afterwards I did not
00:54:17.62\00:54:23.56
have any religion and one time
I found myself inside a small
00:54:23.59\00:54:29.36
church, Catholic church, in
Manila, and before a big cross.
00:54:29.40\00:54:36.74
And I was kneeling before and
I could hear Jesus telling me to
00:54:36.77\00:54:42.18
enter the convent, save
myself and also my family.
00:54:42.21\00:54:46.92
And I said, "Lord, I would
like to follow You all the way."
00:54:46.95\00:54:49.95
At that point, I seemed to
be happy externally, but because
00:54:49.98\00:54:54.52
inside the convent we don't read
the Bible, we don't study about
00:54:54.56\00:54:58.83
the Word of God.
00:54:58.86\00:55:00.66
We prayed the rosaries, we also
at the same time studied the
00:55:00.70\00:55:04.70
lives of the saints and also our
founders, and the encyclicals of
00:55:04.73\00:55:09.70
the Pope and the Virgin Mary.
00:55:09.74\00:55:13.01
And so I do not know the
truth and I had this torture of
00:55:13.04\00:55:16.14
conscience, the guilty feelings
that cannot be resolved.
00:55:16.18\00:55:21.05
So I would confess to the priest
in the confessional box, saying,
00:55:21.08\00:55:24.89
"Father, forgive me, since my
last confession was last week.
00:55:24.92\00:55:29.86
Since then I have
committed the following
00:55:29.89\00:55:31.79
sin," including the root cause.
00:55:31.83\00:55:34.40
Why am I falling
and falling in that same
00:55:34.46\00:55:37.43
sin over and over again?
00:55:37.47\00:55:40.00
And still for 21 long
years, I struggle and I
00:55:40.04\00:55:44.24
struggle and I struggle.
00:55:44.27\00:55:46.94
I realized that I was
totally empty, I was totally
00:55:46.98\00:55:51.75
helpless and hopeless.
00:55:51.78\00:55:53.75
And so depressed and so
desperate that I would like
00:55:53.78\00:55:57.72
already to end my life.
00:55:57.75\00:55:59.95
I was working for five years
as dean of the University of San
00:56:00.06\00:56:04.53
Agustin College of Nursing in
Iloilo City, one of the islands
00:56:04.56\00:56:09.26
in the Philippines.
00:56:09.30\00:56:10.87
After five years I received
a commission from my parents to
00:56:10.90\00:56:16.47
help my sister who is
being a battered woman.
00:56:16.50\00:56:20.74
This is one of the reasons why
I came over to United States.
00:56:20.78\00:56:25.75
It is because my
sister needs my help.
00:56:25.78\00:56:29.72
As I was working in the
hospital in New York, my boss--
00:56:29.75\00:56:33.12
he was so gracious
enough to give me an invitation
00:56:33.15\00:56:37.63
to the Millennium Prophecy.
00:56:37.66\00:56:39.59
As I was listening to Pastor
Doug Batchelor's presentation,
00:56:39.63\00:56:44.17
my heart really was beating so
fast, and my mind, I'm able to
00:56:44.20\00:56:49.40
grasp the truth, that this is
the truth that I've been longing
00:56:49.44\00:56:54.94
to hear all my life, that I
have been seeking for so long.
00:56:54.98\00:57:00.35
My personal relationship
with Jesus, I can see Jesus
00:57:00.38\00:57:05.09
as my personal Savior.
00:57:05.12\00:57:07.42
He is not only the Savior
of the whole world but He is my
00:57:07.46\00:57:11.39
personal Savior.
00:57:11.43\00:57:13.40
He was the one who delivered me
mightily from the depths of sin,
00:57:13.43\00:57:19.23
from the miry clay.
00:57:19.27\00:57:20.97
Pastor Doug Batchelor
has been used by the Lord
00:57:21.00\00:57:24.71
in my conversion.
00:57:24.74\00:57:26.21
The Amazing
Facts, I owe to them.
00:57:26.24\00:57:29.41
The Lord really blessed this
ministry and I'm so proud I was
00:57:29.44\00:57:34.82
able to attend this
Millennium Prophecy.
00:57:34.85\00:57:38.39
My life has never been the same.
00:57:38.42\00:57:41.09
It has given me the peace, the
joy, that never--I have never
00:57:41.12\00:57:47.60
tasted in my life, and
now I am set free to be able
00:57:47.66\00:57:52.53
to work for Him
and to follow Him.
00:57:52.57\00:57:55.84
¤¤¤
00:58:03.28\00:58:13.25
¤¤¤
00:58:13.29\00:58:19.59
¤¤¤
00:58:19.63\00:58:28.47