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Shawn Brummund: Good morning,
and welcome to another edition
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of the Sabbath School Study Hour
right here in the Granite Bay
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Hilltop Seventh-day
Adventist Church in the Greater
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Metropolitan area of
Sacramento, California.
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My name is
Pastor Shawn Brummund.
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It is my privilege to be able to
welcome you to this particular
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study session as we continue to
make our way through one of the
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most fundamental, important
Bible books that we can find.
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It's the first one in the Bible
so it's an easy one to find.
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It's entitled "Genesis" and our
quarterly that we're continuing
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to go through is
entitled just simply, "Genesis."
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And that really says it all.
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The origins of all things.
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And so today we're going to
be looking at Lesson number 8.
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That is Lesson number 8
which is entitled "The Promise."
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Now, again, put your seatbelts
on because we have a lot of
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material to cover.
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We're looking at four chapters.
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Last week we looked at five;
today we're looking at Genesis
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chapter 22 through Genesis
chapter 25, and so we have a lot
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of material to
be able to look at.
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Looking forward to being able to
hearing what Pastor Luccas, our
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teacher here today, is going to
share with us as we review for
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those of us who have gone
through our quarterly over the
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week, and also for those of us
who perhaps are just looking at
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this material together this
morning for the very first time.
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So again, very special welcome
to all our guests, all our
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members that are with us
here today locally, and again, a
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special welcome to our friends,
both in the area here of
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California as well as across the
country and around the world.
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Now, if you are in the United
States or the various United
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States territories, we have
a special gift offer that we'd
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like to offer to you
here today, free of charge.
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It's entitled--the booklet today
is entitled "The High Cost of
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the Cross."
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And this is written by the
founder of "Amazing Facts," Joe
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Crews, and all you have to do is
dial the number 1-866-788-3966.
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Again, that's 1-866-788-3966,
and you want to ask
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for Free Offer Number 156.
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Now, if you'd like to have a
digital download on that and you
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are living in the United
States, that also is available.
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All you have to do is text the
code "SH080," and you want to
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dial that to the number "40544."
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Now, I know that some of you are
not in the United States and you
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can't get either of those
offers, but we do have this also
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available for you as a
digital download on the Internet
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anywhere you can get onto the
website, which is study, that's
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S-T-U-D-Y dot aftv.org/SH080.
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And so that's available for all
our friends across the world, so
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please take advantage of that.
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You're going to learn a lot
about the high cost of the cross
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and how much Jesus loves us
and how much he paid that price
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for you and me.
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So before we open with prayer
and look at our study, we have a
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very special
group that is with us.
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It is one of my favorite
universities, the University
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called Weimar.
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I'm a graduate and
alumni there for 1997.
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We have their choir that is
visiting us today, and they're
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going to lead us out
in worship through song.
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God bless you.
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¤ Soon we'll be done with
the troubles of the world, ¤
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¤ the troubles of the world,
the troubles of the world. ¤
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¤ Soon we'll be done with
the troubles of the world. ¤
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¤ Going home to live with God. ¤
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¤ Soon we'll be done with
the troubles of the world, ¤
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¤ the troubles of the world,
the troubles of the world. ¤
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¤ Soon we'll be done with
the troubles of the world. ¤
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¤ Going home to live with God. ¤
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¤ I want to meet my mother. ¤
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¤ I want to meet my mother. ¤
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¤ I want to meet my mother. ¤
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¤ I'm going to live with God. ¤
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¤ I want to meet my mother. ¤
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¤ I want to meet my mother. ¤
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¤ I want to meet my mother. ¤
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¤ I'm going to live with God. ¤
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¤ Soon we'll be done with
the troubles of the world, ¤
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¤ the troubles of the world,
the troubles of the world. ¤
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¤ Soon we'll be done with
the troubles of the world. ¤
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¤ Going home to live with God. ¤
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¤ Soon we'll be done with
the troubles of the world, ¤
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¤ the troubles of the world,
the troubles of the world. ¤
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¤ Soon we'll be done with
the troubles of the world. ¤
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¤ Going home to live with God. ¤
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¤ No more
weeping and a-wailing. ¤
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¤ No more
weeping and a-wailing. ¤
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¤ No more
weeping and a-wailing. ¤
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¤ Going to live with God. ¤
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¤ No more
weeping and a-wailing. ¤
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¤ No more
weeping and a-wailing. ¤
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¤ No more
weeping and a-wailing. ¤
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¤ No more weeping. ¤
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¤ No more wailing. ¤
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¤ No more weeping. ¤
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¤ Soon we'll be done with
the troubles of the world, ¤
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¤ the troubles of the world,
the troubles of the world. ¤
00:05:38.23\00:05:40.54
¤ Soon we'll be done with
the troubles of the world. ¤
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¤ Going home to live with God. ¤
00:05:42.57\00:05:45.27
¤ Soon we'll be done with
the troubles of the world, ¤
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¤ the troubles of the world,
the troubles of the world. ¤
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¤ Soon we'll be done with
the troubles of the world. ¤
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¤ Going home to live with God. ¤
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¤ I want to meet my Jesus. ¤
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¤ I want to meet my Jesus. ¤
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¤ I want to meet my Jesus. ¤
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¤ Going to live with God. ¤
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¤ I want to meet my Jesus. ¤
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¤ I want to meet my Jesus. ¤
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¤ I want to meet my Jesus. ¤
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¤ Going to live with God. ¤
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¤ I'm going to live with God. ¤
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¤ I'm going to live with God. ¤¤
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Shawn: I want to invite you
to join me as we pray and ask
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the Lord to bless our study.
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Father in heaven, we
want to thank You so much for
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the opportunity to
worship You here this morning.
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Want to thank You so much for
the inspiration of song and for
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our special guests and, Lord,
as we also want to thank You
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for our teacher today as well.
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We want to pray that the
Holy Spirit will be the ultimate
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teacher that guides us
and leads us into all truth.
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And we thank You for listening,
in Jesus's name we pray, amen.
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Luccas Rodor: It's
good to see you all.
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Good-looking group.
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And I'm sure that our
friends that are online
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are also a beautiful group.
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You know, one of the beauties
of the gospel and God's saving
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grace is the intricate
canvas in which He works.
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You know, sometimes when
you look at it, I don't know if
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you've ever seen a
canvas upside down.
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It's all messy, right?
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It's weaved and--I
don't know if that's a word.
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Weaved and woven in different
directions and different ways,
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but then when you flip it over
and you see the design, you see
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what is actually going on,
you see this beautiful design of
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God's grace.
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And so I just love seeing
the diversity of his people and
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being able to be a
part of that is a blessing.
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So thank you for
being here this morning.
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Thank you so much for
tuning in and investing
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this time here with us.
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We do have a
very beautiful study.
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Just like Pastor Shawn mentioned
before, there's a lot going on
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in this week's lesson, and it's
going to be somewhat difficult
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to actually get everything,
so we're going to focus, really,
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we're going to focus--the
majority of our lesson is going
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to be focused on Sunday and
Monday's lesson, and then we're
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going to talk a little
bit about Tuesday, Wednesday,
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and Thursday also.
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But really, to me, the most
beautiful part and really the
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latter days, they're kind
of details that revolve around
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these first two
days of the lesson.
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Now, we've been building on
Genesis, and Genesis is such an
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interesting book because when
you read it, you know, it's--the
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first 12--I
mentioned this before.
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The first 11 chapters, it's like
the author, he is just flying
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through history, right?
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He's writing so fast, there
are so many things that are
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happening, but really, you only
find a few events mentioned.
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In the first, basically, 2000
years of history, you only find,
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you know, a few major events.
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You have the Creation, right?
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You have the Fall, and you
can kind of put those together
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because they happen,
you know, together in
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the first three chapters.
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So you have the Creation, you
have the Fall, then you have the
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flood and
everything involved there.
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Then you have the Tower of
Babel, and that takes, you know,
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centuries, it's so much
time, but at the same time
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it's only 11 chapters.
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And then it's as if the author
and we know it's Moses, he slows
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way down when he starts writing
in chapter 12, because he gets
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to this point
that is so important.
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I mentioned this in Lesson 6,
that the calling of Abraham is,
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you know, arguably the most
important event of the entire
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Old Testament, and the reason
why I say that, it's not, you
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know, I'm not excluding any of
the other very important events,
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but it's because the calling
of Moses is--it has this seminal
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nature.
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Everything else, everything that
happens afterwards, they all
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find their beginning, they find
their origin, with the calling
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of this man and
everything that that involved.
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So this week's lesson that has
the title, "The Promise," it's
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the unfolding of what was
studied last week in chapter--in
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Lesson 7.
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Last week's lesson was all
about "The Covenant," right?
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The Covenant.
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You had this great plan that
God put into motion by calling
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Abraham, and the promise that
one day all the nations of the
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world would be blessed by Him.
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And why is God saying that?
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Why is God saying that
all the nations of the world
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would be blessed?
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Why is there a
need of such a blessing?
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Well, it's because the world
found itself in this emergency,
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the emergency of sin.
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And so God, putting into plan
the eternal plan of redemption,
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we know that Jesus
was the Lamb slain since
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the foundation of the world.
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What does that mean?
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That Jesus was killed before
the foundation of the world,
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before the world began?
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No, Jesus was the Lamb slain
before the foundation of the
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world, in essence, in
motive, in motivation.
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Because God knew once Lucifer
was created, all the unfolding,
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all the latter part of the story
would come to happen and the
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ultimate price would be
His Son laying His life down
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or being laid down.
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And so, here we have God putting
into motion this plan, and this
00:11:06.33\00:11:09.73
week's lesson speaks
about the ramifications
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of that covenant story.
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And here we have a very strange
story in the first two days
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of the lesson.
00:11:18.37\00:11:19.67
So, again, here in this moment
of Scripture, in this--in these
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moments of Scripture, we find
glimpses of how God dealt with
00:11:26.92\00:11:30.22
the patriarch--how He dealt
with Abraham, with his family,
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and we find the
lessons that He taught him.
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And again, one of the beautiful
parts of the Bible, one of the
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few beautiful aspects of
the Bible, is that while we're
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dealing with, you know, very
real, very live, personalities,
00:11:41.33\00:11:48.07
in a strange way, in a
providential way, there is this
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transcendence to the Bible
where, again, these were real
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people but, at the
same time, here we have
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the biographies of ourselves.
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In the Bible, in the
Bible stories, you find your
00:12:01.65\00:12:03.55
biography, I find my biography.
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In how we meet and
how we encounter God.
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The lessons that these people
learned are lessons that are
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applicable to
you and to me today.
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And so here with Abraham,
we find how God is dealing with
00:12:13.26\00:12:16.83
this man in his ups and downs
and his doubts and anxieties
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and his victories and losses.
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And one thing that becomes very
clear in Abraham's story is that
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while, yes, he is known in the
Bible as the father of faith,
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he was human.
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This was a human being and what
that means is that sometimes he
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had to go through some
very difficult lessons,
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some very difficult moments.
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He had to learn how to allow God
to be God and to understand that
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this whole story, friends, this
whole story that you go through,
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that I go through, that we see
these people in the Bible going
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through, this whole
story, is all about God
00:12:50.17\00:12:52.77
fulfilling His promises.
00:12:52.80\00:12:55.44
It's not primarily
about you and about me.
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It's about Him.
00:12:57.31\00:12:59.41
God is the God that
fulfills His promises.
00:12:59.44\00:13:01.88
And this is a lesson that took
quite a long time for Abraham to
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learn, because there are many
moments when Abraham is trying
00:13:05.11\00:13:08.35
to help God be God, right?
00:13:08.38\00:13:10.12
We talked about this
before and it's been discussed.
00:13:10.15\00:13:12.35
There are moments in Egypt,
there are moments with Ishmael
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and Hagar where Abraham is
trying to help God, and very
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painstakingly, he had
to learn to let God be God.
00:13:18.49\00:13:23.13
And that is a very hard lesson
to learn for anyone, because we,
00:13:23.16\00:13:26.10
as humans, like to
be in control, right?
00:13:26.13\00:13:28.64
We like to have
control of things, of events.
00:13:28.67\00:13:31.34
We like to know what is going
to happen, when it's going to
00:13:31.37\00:13:33.38
happen, how
it's going to happen.
00:13:33.41\00:13:34.88
That's the kind of
creatures that we are.
00:13:34.91\00:13:37.68
And so, learning submission,
learning how to allow God to be
00:13:37.71\00:13:41.08
God, friends, this is one of
those difficult of the Christian
00:13:41.12\00:13:44.49
virtues to learn and to acquire.
00:13:44.52\00:13:47.46
Another difficult lesson that
Abraham learned the hard way is
00:13:47.49\00:13:50.66
that God doesn't
always make sense.
00:13:50.69\00:13:53.86
Have you ever had to
learn that lesson before?
00:13:53.90\00:13:56.23
That God doesn't
always make sense, at least,
00:13:56.26\00:13:58.63
not to you or to me.
00:13:58.67\00:14:01.70
There are moments when our
logic, when our way of thinking,
00:14:01.74\00:14:05.54
our reasoning, our way of
understanding the world around
00:14:05.57\00:14:08.34
us, simply isn't enough.
00:14:08.38\00:14:10.88
It's just not enough.
00:14:10.91\00:14:12.55
Now, the lesson is accepting
that this isn't about God being
00:14:12.58\00:14:15.68
logical, because my question
to you is, is God illogical?
00:14:15.72\00:14:20.89
No, God is not illogical.
00:14:20.92\00:14:24.43
God is super-logical.
00:14:24.46\00:14:26.63
He's above our logic.
00:14:26.66\00:14:29.36
When the Bible says--when God
says there, you know, "Just as
00:14:29.40\00:14:32.30
the East is far from the
West, just are My thoughts far
00:14:32.33\00:14:36.77
from your thoughts."
00:14:36.81\00:14:38.14
Distant from your thoughts,
way above your thoughts.
00:14:38.17\00:14:41.44
We cannot think on
the same level as God.
00:14:41.48\00:14:43.71
We can't comprehend.
00:14:43.75\00:14:45.11
We don't have that perspective.
00:14:45.15\00:14:47.28
And so we need to learn to let
God be God, and that's something
00:14:47.32\00:14:50.55
that Abraham had to learn.
00:14:50.59\00:14:52.92
There are occasions, friends,
where all the pieces of the
00:14:52.95\00:14:55.92
puzzle seem to fit, and you seem
to think that you--you have God
00:14:55.96\00:15:01.70
figured out.
00:15:01.73\00:15:03.03
There are those moments.
00:15:03.06\00:15:04.67
But then, all of a sudden, the
winds of circumstance change and
00:15:04.70\00:15:08.57
they blow us in a completely
different direction from
00:15:08.60\00:15:11.77
what we would have imagined,
what we would have expected:
00:15:11.81\00:15:14.21
one that we could
never have thought
00:15:14.24\00:15:16.51
that we would be going to.
00:15:16.54\00:15:19.51
Circumstances in which
God truly does not make sense.
00:15:19.55\00:15:25.05
Circumstances in which God seems
to demand from you burdens that
00:15:25.09\00:15:29.69
you deem too heavy, that
you can't really know why God is
00:15:29.72\00:15:34.36
asking you to carry that.
00:15:34.36\00:15:36.23
Occasions where you have a great
difficulty in making sense of
00:15:36.26\00:15:39.13
the direction or even
understanding the love of God in
00:15:39.17\00:15:42.70
your life,
understanding God when the
00:15:42.74\00:15:45.21
tragedies knock on your door.
00:15:45.24\00:15:47.48
We might even know
the theological answers.
00:15:47.51\00:15:50.35
That's something that people
have gotten really good at,
00:15:50.38\00:15:53.65
giving answers to
other people's problems.
00:15:53.68\00:15:58.32
We might know the theological,
theoretical answers, but it's
00:15:58.35\00:16:02.86
too hard to depend on these
theoretical justifications when
00:16:02.89\00:16:06.49
we are confronted with loss,
with suffering, with despair.
00:16:06.53\00:16:09.30
And look, sometimes, we go
through situations that defy
00:16:09.33\00:16:12.47
reasoning and
logic and explanations.
00:16:12.50\00:16:14.77
Where God seems to
downright contradict Himself.
00:16:14.80\00:16:19.61
And this week's lesson, the
stories of this week's lesson,
00:16:19.64\00:16:23.81
they are
testament to this reality.
00:16:23.85\00:16:26.01
You might be asking, "Well, why
is he speaking about this right
00:16:26.05\00:16:27.78
now in this lesson?"
00:16:27.82\00:16:29.32
Well, it's because this week's
lesson is all about that kind of
00:16:29.35\00:16:31.39
circumstance.
00:16:31.42\00:16:33.32
It's about this story.
00:16:33.36\00:16:35.36
It's one of the most confusing
stories and the most difficult
00:16:35.39\00:16:39.09
to understand, at least if you
try to put yourself in Abraham's
00:16:39.13\00:16:42.76
shoes, in his experience.
00:16:42.80\00:16:46.33
At least from
the human standpoint.
00:16:46.37\00:16:49.44
Now, as we saw last week, God
made with Abraham a covenant.
00:16:49.47\00:16:53.41
This is found in Genesis chapter
12 and Genesis chapter 15.
00:16:53.44\00:16:57.25
You have a
repetition of the covenant.
00:16:57.28\00:16:59.31
This is called the Abrahamic
Covenant in, you know, in
00:16:59.35\00:17:02.52
theology.
00:17:02.55\00:17:03.92
You find many different forms of
this deal throughout the Bible.
00:17:03.95\00:17:07.89
You know, in the Bible
you have these different words
00:17:07.92\00:17:11.79
for another, right?
00:17:11.83\00:17:13.76
You have the word "heteros"
and you have the word "allos."
00:17:13.80\00:17:16.93
And these two words, in Greek,
they define the nuances of the
00:17:16.97\00:17:23.07
covenant in many ways because
God, really, He doesn't give us
00:17:23.10\00:17:26.54
a new covenant in the
sense where the promise changes.
00:17:26.57\00:17:30.65
The promise has always
been: He's going to save us.
00:17:30.68\00:17:33.35
He's going to redeem us.
That's always been the promise.
00:17:33.38\00:17:36.05
Since the very beginning in
Genesis chapter 3, you have the
00:17:36.08\00:17:39.19
promise that the head of
the serpent would be crushed.
00:17:39.22\00:17:42.69
And throughout the
entire Bible, the promise
00:17:42.72\00:17:44.66
has always been that.
00:17:44.69\00:17:46.49
The covenant, the deal, has
always been that God would take
00:17:46.53\00:17:49.56
us out of the situation.
00:17:49.60\00:17:51.43
Now, since you have different
people involved and since you
00:17:51.47\00:17:54.30
have fallible humans involved,
God has worked with us in our
00:17:54.34\00:17:58.41
different situations.
00:17:58.44\00:17:59.74
And that's why--where you find
the different covenants, or the
00:17:59.77\00:18:02.84
new covenants, that come along
but they're not new in the sense
00:18:02.88\00:18:05.78
that God is just
reshaping the entire promise.
00:18:05.81\00:18:08.08
They're new in the sense that
God is making room for us to be
00:18:08.12\00:18:11.45
part of this.
00:18:11.49\00:18:13.36
So, last week, we found
God coming into this covenant,
00:18:13.39\00:18:16.89
coming into this deal with
Abraham and, apparently, it
00:18:16.93\00:18:20.40
happens at the very beginning
of the story with Abraham, when
00:18:20.43\00:18:24.53
he's not yet an old man.
00:18:24.57\00:18:26.40
Now that's kind of--it's kind of
relative, you know, it's kind of
00:18:26.43\00:18:31.71
subjective, what I mean by
"old man" here, because when God
00:18:31.74\00:18:34.71
calls Abraham,
he was 75 years old.
00:18:34.74\00:18:38.18
Now you know, when I get to
75 years old, I'm thinking that,
00:18:38.21\00:18:41.18
you know, "Well,
you know, I did a lot.
00:18:41.22\00:18:42.68
I can rest now.
00:18:42.72\00:18:44.02
I can do a whole bunch of,
you know, cool stuff, stuff that
00:18:44.05\00:18:45.75
I've always
wanted to do, you know?
00:18:45.79\00:18:47.16
You're getting ready for
retirement or you're probably
00:18:47.19\00:18:49.89
already in
retirement at that age.
00:18:49.92\00:18:52.16
And Abraham here, I imagine that
he's at that point, and then God
00:18:52.19\00:18:55.23
just appears and
says, you know, "Abraham,
00:18:55.26\00:18:58.23
you've got to get out, man.
00:18:58.27\00:18:59.63
You've got to leave."
00:18:59.67\00:19:02.24
And if it were me, if
it were me, in my mind,
00:19:02.27\00:19:05.74
I would be going, "Now?
00:19:05.77\00:19:10.31
At this point?"
00:19:10.35\00:19:12.91
But the interesting thing
and the reason why I said it's
00:19:12.95\00:19:14.75
subjective is because
Abraham lives to about 175.
00:19:14.78\00:19:18.15
So he still had 100--he
had most of his life left.
00:19:18.19\00:19:21.62
He had--Abraham had
most of his life ahead of him
00:19:21.66\00:19:24.43
at 75 years old.
00:19:24.46\00:19:26.63
Seventy-five years of age.
00:19:26.66\00:19:28.06
He still had no children.
00:19:28.10\00:19:29.80
And so a lot of things happened,
but God appears to this man at
00:19:29.83\00:19:33.27
the beginning of
this whole covenant story,
00:19:33.30\00:19:36.40
and He says this.
00:19:36.44\00:19:37.74
This is Genesis
chapter 12, verse 1 through 3.
00:19:37.77\00:19:39.91
He says: "Abraham, do
you see all these stars?
00:19:39.94\00:19:41.94
This will be the number of your
descendants, more numerous than
00:19:41.98\00:19:44.95
the stars, more numerous
than the sands of the sea.
00:19:44.98\00:19:47.58
Abraham, I will give you
countless generations and even
00:19:47.62\00:19:50.72
kings will come
from your lineage."
00:19:50.75\00:19:54.59
Again, it must have been
strange, if not confusing to
00:19:54.62\00:19:58.26
Abraham, because he
still didn't have any children.
00:19:58.29\00:20:03.03
And his wife was presumably
sterile, which since the Bible
00:20:03.06\00:20:08.00
includes this detail, what that
means is that they had tried,
00:20:08.04\00:20:12.51
but she was sterile.
00:20:12.54\00:20:14.28
They had not borne children.
00:20:14.31\00:20:16.75
Now, what really makes--and
I really want you to try to
00:20:16.78\00:20:19.45
include yourself
in this story, okay?
00:20:19.48\00:20:22.05
Put yourself inside the story
as someone that is really seeing
00:20:22.08\00:20:26.49
what's going on here.
00:20:26.52\00:20:27.86
Try to feel what's
happening in this story, okay?
00:20:27.89\00:20:30.06
What makes this event even
stranger is that after saying
00:20:30.09\00:20:35.03
all of this, after coming to
Abraham and saying, "Abraham,
00:20:35.06\00:20:37.17
look at all these stars.
00:20:37.20\00:20:38.87
These will be your descendants.
00:20:38.90\00:20:40.54
Multitudes and nations, kings
and rulers, will come from you."
00:20:40.57\00:20:43.57
After saying all these things,
these incredible promises, God
00:20:43.61\00:20:47.04
becomes strangely
silent about the matter.
00:20:47.08\00:20:51.88
Again, we know that Abraham was
75 when the promise was made,
00:20:51.91\00:20:55.18
and the years
just started going by.
00:20:55.22\00:20:59.05
Has someone ever made you a
promise and then taken their
00:20:59.09\00:21:02.79
sweet time to
deliver on the promise?
00:21:02.82\00:21:05.36
Has that ever happened to you?
00:21:05.39\00:21:08.56
What about waiting for
2½ decades for a promise?
00:21:08.60\00:21:12.77
Does that sound fair enough?
00:21:12.80\00:21:15.30
I'd be downright grumpy
if that were the reality.
00:21:15.34\00:21:19.61
Because, look, at this point,
Abraham and Sarah, they weren't
00:21:19.64\00:21:22.24
spring chickens anymore.
00:21:22.28\00:21:24.85
Time had been
passing, and nothing.
00:21:24.88\00:21:29.88
God doesn't appear.
00:21:29.92\00:21:31.39
God doesn't show up.
00:21:31.42\00:21:32.95
Nothing more about
this whole issue, ha, ha.
00:21:32.99\00:21:36.62
There is nowhere in the whole of
Scripture where we find that God
00:21:36.66\00:21:39.36
has another conversation with
Abraham where He says, you know,
00:21:39.39\00:21:42.96
where He treats about this
subject, He talks about the
00:21:43.00\00:21:45.30
subject and just like that,
20 years, 25 years, went by.
00:21:45.33\00:21:49.40
Now, if she hadn't already, at
this point, certainly, Sarah had
00:21:49.44\00:21:53.27
gone into menopause.
00:21:53.31\00:21:55.28
And they knew that what was
before difficult, at this point
00:21:55.31\00:21:57.81
had just become impossible.
00:21:57.85\00:22:01.52
I can see old Sarah in
resignation, her head droopy,
00:22:01.55\00:22:08.79
her shoulders droopy, downcast,
disappointed, perhaps feeling
00:22:08.82\00:22:12.56
guilty, perhaps
feeling that it was her fault.
00:22:12.59\00:22:17.07
Poor thing, what
could she have done?
00:22:17.10\00:22:21.64
Knowing that she
couldn't have a child.
00:22:21.67\00:22:24.01
Abraham was 100, Sarah
was 90, and still no child,
00:22:24.04\00:22:28.74
no promise fulfilled.
00:22:28.78\00:22:30.48
And I imagine that at
this point, enormous questions,
00:22:30.51\00:22:34.15
enormous questions and doubts
must have flashed through the
00:22:34.18\00:22:37.72
mind of the old patriarch.
00:22:37.75\00:22:39.32
He must have thought, "Lord,
what was that conversation that
00:22:39.35\00:22:41.79
we had so many years ago?
00:22:41.82\00:22:44.13
What was it that
you said at that time?
00:22:44.16\00:22:46.43
Did I hear you wrong?
00:22:46.46\00:22:48.33
Did I get it wrong?
00:22:48.36\00:22:50.00
I remember that You said
something about my posterity,
00:22:50.03\00:22:53.60
about my descendants."
00:22:53.64\00:22:57.81
But still, no answer, nothing.
00:22:57.84\00:23:05.28
Have you ever felt
the silence of heaven?
00:23:05.31\00:23:10.05
I mean, we expect that God
would either say "No" or "Yes,"
00:23:10.09\00:23:13.46
but that He would inform us.
00:23:13.49\00:23:15.02
Don't we think--isn't that what
you expect from any good friend?
00:23:15.06\00:23:18.59
At least let me
know what Your answer is.
00:23:18.63\00:23:22.86
But the thing is that with God,
sometimes that silence is the
00:23:22.90\00:23:27.30
lesson, because
I'll tell you something.
00:23:27.34\00:23:32.07
The silence of
God speaks volumes.
00:23:32.11\00:23:37.88
Imagine the huge obstacles
for them to have a child.
00:23:37.91\00:23:43.15
The New Testament, with the
apostle Paul, says that they
00:23:43.18\00:23:45.85
were already mortified,
they were already dead
00:23:45.89\00:23:48.62
in their flesh,
already dead in their flesh.
00:23:48.66\00:23:55.10
Have you ever imagined a
90-year-old woman having a baby?
00:23:55.13\00:24:00.37
It's no wonder that Sarah found
this funny and laughed about it.
00:24:00.40\00:24:04.34
And to be honest with
you all, I find it funny.
00:24:04.37\00:24:08.48
I can imagine
her finding it funny.
00:24:08.51\00:24:12.18
But the miracle did
happen, and we know the story.
00:24:12.21\00:24:16.12
A child was born, a child that
foreshadowed the very birth of
00:24:16.15\00:24:20.46
Christ, the Coming of the
Messiah, contrary to the rules
00:24:20.49\00:24:23.73
of anatomy, the rules of nature.
00:24:23.76\00:24:28.30
And there's a whole story in
there that, unfortunately, we
00:24:28.33\00:24:30.43
have to jump over because
otherwise we'd take way too long
00:24:30.47\00:24:33.44
and we wouldn't have time.
00:24:33.47\00:24:34.90
But now, with the child,
after all the questions, all the
00:24:34.94\00:24:38.47
problems, all the obstacles,
after all the lessons that
00:24:38.51\00:24:41.38
Abraham had learned, I mean,
here we're kind of jumping over
00:24:41.41\00:24:44.91
the whole story with Ishmael
and with Hagar, where Abraham,
00:24:44.95\00:24:47.48
he tried to help God be
God, and God had to institute
00:24:47.52\00:24:51.22
circumcision to remind Abraham
and his--the generations later
00:24:51.25\00:24:56.16
on that God is the God
that fulfills His promise.
00:24:56.19\00:24:59.26
God is the God that
fulfills His promise.
00:24:59.29\00:25:01.60
That's a lesson that it took a
while for Abraham to understand.
00:25:01.63\00:25:04.60
But here we're jumping over all
of that and, finally, the child
00:25:04.63\00:25:07.64
of promise comes, the child
that foreshadows Jesus Christ,
00:25:07.67\00:25:10.21
the birth of the Messiah.
00:25:10.24\00:25:11.81
Here we find the guarantee
of all the subsequent promises.
00:25:11.84\00:25:16.51
All of the other promises,
the following promises,
00:25:16.54\00:25:19.05
were guaranteed in
the birth of this child.
00:25:19.08\00:25:23.15
They praised him, they
worshiped him because of it.
00:25:23.18\00:25:27.16
Promises about the
future were ensured.
00:25:27.19\00:25:30.46
But you know that the
story doesn't stop there.
00:25:30.49\00:25:33.46
The story doesn't end there.
00:25:33.50\00:25:36.56
In chapter 22 of Genesis
the Lord's--the Lord returns to
00:25:36.60\00:25:39.50
Abraham and, without
any warning, without any
00:25:39.53\00:25:42.30
preparation, without any
kind of introduction, prolog, or
00:25:42.34\00:25:45.74
explanation, out of nowhere, out
of the blue, He gives Abraham a
00:25:45.77\00:25:51.18
very simple order.
00:25:51.21\00:25:54.28
Genesis 22, verse 2:
"Abraham, take now your son."
00:25:54.32\00:26:01.79
Friends, imagine
God saying this to you.
00:26:01.82\00:26:05.13
"Take your son, your only son,
Isaac, whom you love," it's like
00:26:05.16\00:26:13.60
God is twisting the knife in.
00:26:13.64\00:26:16.20
Not only does God put the knife
in, does--not only does He stick
00:26:16.24\00:26:19.04
it in, He twists it.
00:26:19.07\00:26:21.18
"Take your son, your only son,
Isaac, whom you love, and go to
00:26:21.21\00:26:28.18
the land of Moriah and offer him
there as a burnt offering on one
00:26:28.22\00:26:33.29
of the mountains of
which I shall tell you."
00:26:33.32\00:26:36.89
Like I said, there's almost a
touch of cruelty to God's order,
00:26:36.93\00:26:39.86
as God reminds Abraham that this
is his only son whom he loves.
00:26:39.89\00:26:45.07
Can you imagine the
mental state of this man?
00:26:45.10\00:26:49.74
The formidable
questions arising in his mind?
00:26:49.77\00:26:52.27
This was Isaac, this was the
son of the promise, the son upon
00:26:52.31\00:26:55.61
which all the
future promises depended.
00:26:55.64\00:26:59.28
Everything seemed to lie on this
boy, and yet God says, "Go and
00:26:59.31\00:27:04.62
offer him as a sacrifice"?
00:27:04.65\00:27:08.22
Did I hear that correctly?
00:27:08.26\00:27:10.86
Am I getting this right?
00:27:10.89\00:27:13.16
Am I losing my mind?
00:27:13.19\00:27:15.73
Is this truly the voice of God?
00:27:15.76\00:27:18.30
God would never
demand human sacrifice.
00:27:18.33\00:27:20.57
God is different from
all the other pagan gods.
00:27:20.60\00:27:26.57
And what's worse, nowhere
do we find God telling Abraham,
00:27:26.61\00:27:29.48
"Abraham, I know this seems
confusing, I know that this is
00:27:29.51\00:27:33.25
hard, I know that you
probably can't understand it,
00:27:33.28\00:27:36.79
but trust Me.
00:27:36.82\00:27:38.89
I know what I'm doing.
00:27:38.92\00:27:40.26
Just wait and everything
will turn out all right."
00:27:40.29\00:27:43.29
Nowhere do you find God saying
anything of the sort, nowhere.
00:27:43.32\00:27:48.90
There is nothing like
that in the entire Bible.
00:27:48.93\00:27:50.97
On the contrary, it seems as
though God just left Abraham to
00:27:51.00\00:27:53.84
his own confusion and despair.
00:27:53.87\00:27:56.17
It seems that God left Abraham
alone with his questions.
00:27:56.20\00:27:58.81
It seemed like God was
downright contradicting Himself.
00:27:58.84\00:28:03.41
Because God said, "I will give
you future generations, I will
00:28:03.45\00:28:05.55
give you nations and peoples,
and all the people of the world
00:28:05.58\00:28:08.78
will be blessed," and God
said that there was Isaac.
00:28:08.82\00:28:11.15
He didn't say that there
was going to be another son.
00:28:11.19\00:28:13.12
It's Isaac.
00:28:13.15\00:28:14.59
This is the one that God gave
Abraham and Sarah in their old
00:28:14.62\00:28:16.99
age, and yet now God is
saying, "Go and sacrifice him."
00:28:17.03\00:28:21.73
How do I understand that?
00:28:21.76\00:28:25.57
First, He had said,
"Yeah, the future is guaranteed,
00:28:25.60\00:28:28.84
but now sacrifice the child."
00:28:28.87\00:28:30.31
I can only imagine.
00:28:30.34\00:28:33.51
I certainly could never
comprehend, but I can imagine
00:28:33.54\00:28:36.81
the mental anguish,
the inward struggle.
00:28:36.85\00:28:39.75
Apparently he didn't tell Sarah,
and by studying the Bible, you
00:28:39.78\00:28:43.79
kind of know the
personality of Sarah by now.
00:28:43.82\00:28:46.12
Who knows what
she would have done.
00:28:46.15\00:28:50.43
We're going to give sacrifice.
00:28:50.46\00:28:54.83
But you know what?
00:28:54.86\00:28:57.47
In one of my favorite portions
of the entire Bible, we find a
00:28:57.50\00:29:04.64
glimpse of the character of this
man that bears witness to the
00:29:04.67\00:29:13.35
difference between Abraham
and most of us, because while I
00:29:13.38\00:29:18.05
would be caught up on all
the questions, the Bible says in
00:29:18.09\00:29:22.52
Romans chapter 4,
verse 2, it says that
00:29:22.56\00:29:24.59
"Abraham believed in God."
00:29:24.63\00:29:29.46
Abraham believed in God.
00:29:29.50\00:29:32.13
It made no sense, he certainly
couldn't understand the mystery
00:29:32.17\00:29:36.64
behind the Lord's request, but
God had said that the promise
00:29:36.67\00:29:40.94
would be fulfilled,
and so Abraham believed.
00:29:40.98\00:29:46.92
Do you see the lesson that
God is trying to teach Abraham?
00:29:46.95\00:29:50.39
And by consequence, do you see
the lesson that God is trying to
00:29:50.42\00:29:54.22
teach you and me today?
00:29:54.26\00:29:57.29
What God is really telling
us here, what God was really
00:29:57.33\00:30:00.60
demonstrating here to Abraham,
is that the future truly and
00:30:00.63\00:30:05.60
absolutely does not and
did not depend on Isaac.
00:30:05.63\00:30:14.58
The future, as
always, depends on God.
00:30:14.61\00:30:20.15
Friends, I am sure that there
have been occasions, all right,
00:30:20.18\00:30:23.55
in your life.
00:30:23.59\00:30:25.22
I know there have been occasions
in my life, where God apparently
00:30:25.25\00:30:27.72
contradicts Himself.
00:30:27.76\00:30:29.82
Situations where
He makes no sense.
00:30:29.86\00:30:32.29
You cannot fathom what's
going on in the mind of God.
00:30:32.33\00:30:34.96
Moments where God seems to break
the line at the last chain of
00:30:35.00\00:30:38.60
the cord, the
last link of the chain.
00:30:38.63\00:30:42.20
Moments where He seems to cloak
Himself in impenetrable silence,
00:30:42.24\00:30:47.21
and the question that is left
for us, living here in time and
00:30:47.24\00:30:50.48
space, isolated from the
understanding of eternity,
00:30:50.51\00:30:54.88
the question that
remains is: what to do
00:30:54.92\00:30:57.05
when God doesn't make sense.
00:30:57.09\00:30:59.55
What does He want of me?
00:30:59.59\00:31:01.72
What does He want of you?
00:31:01.76\00:31:05.43
He wants the same thing
that He wanted from Abraham.
00:31:05.46\00:31:08.93
Abraham believed in God.
00:31:08.96\00:31:14.10
And the question that
you might ask yourself is why
00:31:14.14\00:31:18.21
is God doing this to me?
00:31:18.24\00:31:20.48
Why is this happening to me?
00:31:20.51\00:31:22.41
I try to be good,
I try to do the best.
00:31:22.44\00:31:24.15
Abraham could have certainly
said that, couldn't he?
00:31:24.18\00:31:26.98
"I left Ur, I left my
family, I left my connections.
00:31:27.02\00:31:31.39
I left everything behind.
00:31:31.42\00:31:32.99
I have suffered the
loss of many things.
00:31:33.02\00:31:35.76
I'm living as a wanderer
in a land that was promised
00:31:35.79\00:31:39.06
but not given to me yet."
00:31:39.09\00:31:41.30
Abraham could have justified
all of this, but the Bible says
00:31:41.33\00:31:43.90
none of that.
00:31:43.93\00:31:45.40
Abraham believed in God,
because many times, friends,
00:31:45.43\00:31:47.84
the question is "Why me?"
00:31:47.87\00:31:49.54
And in other moments,
the question is "Why not me?"
00:31:49.57\00:31:53.98
Why not?
00:31:54.01\00:31:56.28
We are all here.
00:31:56.31\00:31:58.28
We are all subject to
this disease of death,
00:31:58.31\00:32:02.08
to this great controversy.
00:32:02.12\00:32:05.95
The question isn't
really what's happening?
00:32:05.99\00:32:07.89
The question is
how will I react?
00:32:07.92\00:32:10.23
Because this
patriarch, how did he react?
00:32:10.26\00:32:13.03
Here, he believed in God.
00:32:13.06\00:32:17.60
I want to remind you that God
rarely decides to answer these
00:32:17.63\00:32:21.84
questions on
this side of eternity.
00:32:21.87\00:32:26.84
He doesn't expose His plans or
purposes, awaiting our approval.
00:32:26.88\00:32:31.08
We must never forget that He is
God and, as such, He expects us
00:32:31.11\00:32:35.42
to trust and believe in Him,
despite the situations that we
00:32:35.45\00:32:39.29
do not understand.
00:32:39.32\00:32:41.82
You see, the Lord did not
provide complete answers to
00:32:41.86\00:32:44.19
Abraham or to Job or to Paul or
to Moses or to Peter or to any
00:32:44.23\00:32:47.40
of these men and do not think
that you're going to be the
00:32:47.40\00:32:51.13
exception.
00:32:51.17\00:32:54.50
Because my dear friend, if you
aren't able to accept the simple
00:32:54.54\00:32:57.54
fact that God is God and that
He knows perfectly well what is
00:32:57.57\00:33:01.98
best for you, then you are
destined to walk through life
00:33:02.01\00:33:05.48
with weak faith, with immature
and impatient and impotent
00:33:05.51\00:33:09.42
faith, which is the same
as saying no faith at all.
00:33:09.45\00:33:14.26
And if this is the case, what
that means is that you will have
00:33:14.29\00:33:17.03
to build your
castles on quicksand,
00:33:17.06\00:33:21.23
on some other foundation.
00:33:21.26\00:33:23.67
And that is--that is going
to be your greatest challenge,
00:33:23.70\00:33:26.77
simply because there
is no other foundation.
00:33:26.80\00:33:31.74
This is the lesson that Abraham
learned throughout his life: in
00:33:31.77\00:33:34.51
several moments, through various
circumstances, he learned to
00:33:34.54\00:33:37.81
allow God to be God.
00:33:37.85\00:33:39.61
And in this case, we see
that he did learn his lesson.
00:33:39.65\00:33:44.05
Because when Isaac noticed that
there was no sacrificial lamb
00:33:44.09\00:33:47.52
and he questions his father
about it, the man's answer
00:33:47.56\00:33:50.26
revealed a deepset trust in the
friend that he had come to know.
00:33:50.29\00:33:56.60
Genesis 22, verse 8, he says,
"My son, God will provide for
00:33:56.63\00:33:59.43
Himself a burnt offering."
00:33:59.47\00:34:05.34
The translation could also,
and this was mentioned in the
00:34:05.37\00:34:07.51
lesson, it's very proper.
00:34:07.54\00:34:09.78
The translation is quite
ambiguous because it could also
00:34:09.81\00:34:12.35
mean, "God will--God will
provide Himself for a burnt
00:34:12.38\00:34:15.55
offering."
00:34:15.58\00:34:18.45
It's incredible how
Hebrew works that way.
00:34:18.49\00:34:23.39
That didn't mean that Abraham
did not have questions or that
00:34:23.43\00:34:25.76
he had all the answers.
00:34:25.79\00:34:27.96
It did not mean
that he wasn't afraid.
00:34:27.96\00:34:29.43
It certainly didn't mean that
he could say that he understood
00:34:29.46\00:34:31.47
everything about God.
00:34:31.50\00:34:33.00
What this reveals is that this
man had learned and was putting
00:34:33.03\00:34:36.00
into practice the very simple
biblical truth that God always
00:34:36.04\00:34:40.41
fulfills His promises, always.
00:34:40.44\00:34:44.18
Maybe not in your time, maybe
not in your way, maybe not in
00:34:44.21\00:34:47.52
the place that you imagine
or the way that you imagine, but
00:34:47.55\00:34:50.22
God always
fulfills His promises.
00:34:50.25\00:34:54.86
And here, he finally understood
that the future absolutely did
00:34:54.89\00:34:58.76
not depend on Isaac.
00:34:58.79\00:35:01.10
Friends, the future does
not depend on your job, doesn't
00:35:01.13\00:35:03.67
depend on your health,
doesn't depend on your family,
00:35:03.70\00:35:06.80
it doesn't depend
on your mental--on
00:35:06.84\00:35:08.64
your mental stability.
00:35:08.67\00:35:10.41
The future does not
depend on any of these things.
00:35:10.44\00:35:13.84
The future
always depends on God.
00:35:13.88\00:35:19.41
And God is the firm
foundation of our faith.
00:35:19.45\00:35:23.25
So the future is
always guaranteed.
00:35:23.28\00:35:27.92
And finally, perhaps, in this
story, the greatest lesson that
00:35:27.96\00:35:31.19
Abraham learned
is one that had to do
00:35:31.23\00:35:35.00
with the very heart of God.
00:35:35.03\00:35:37.90
Because Abraham felt firsthand
what the God of the universe was
00:35:37.93\00:35:41.84
feeling, what was going on in
God's own heart by laying down
00:35:41.87\00:35:45.71
His own Son.
00:35:45.74\00:35:48.08
"Patriarchs and Prophets," page
154 says: "It was to impress
00:35:48.11\00:35:51.08
Abraham's mind with the reality
of the gospel as well as to test
00:35:51.11\00:35:54.98
his faith that God
commanded him to slay his son.
00:35:55.02\00:35:58.89
The agony which he endured
during these dark days of
00:35:58.92\00:36:00.92
fearful trial was permitted that
he might understand from his own
00:36:00.96\00:36:04.63
experience something of the
greatness of the sacrifice made
00:36:04.66\00:36:07.83
by the infinite God
for man's redemption."
00:36:07.86\00:36:12.00
And so here we see many
different lessons that Abraham
00:36:12.03\00:36:14.30
learned and that, friends,
we are called also not only to
00:36:14.34\00:36:17.57
mentally, abstractly,
theoretically learn, but to put
00:36:17.61\00:36:22.18
into practice.
00:36:22.21\00:36:24.38
Let God be God in your life, and
understand that He will fulfill
00:36:24.41\00:36:28.68
His promises.
00:36:28.72\00:36:31.39
The continuation of the lesson
this week on Tuesday with the
00:36:31.42\00:36:33.82
death of Sarah is very
interesting because it plays
00:36:33.86\00:36:36.19
into the nuances
of this main story.
00:36:36.22\00:36:39.76
The death of Sarah,
it adds some details.
00:36:39.79\00:36:42.66
She is one of the only women
mentioned as part of the lineage
00:36:42.70\00:36:46.97
of the Messiah.
00:36:47.00\00:36:48.60
Now, we know that there were
just as many women as there were
00:36:48.64\00:36:51.04
men, all right?
00:36:51.07\00:36:52.51
We know that for a fact.
00:36:52.54\00:36:54.14
But unfortunately, in the
patriarchal society that they
00:36:54.18\00:36:58.61
had in that time, and a negative
point at this point, the women
00:36:58.65\00:37:02.95
weren't usually
included in the lineage.
00:37:02.98\00:37:07.36
But you do find God
breaking that tradition.
00:37:07.39\00:37:11.13
You find that God, He doesn't
care for human traditions in
00:37:11.16\00:37:13.83
that way, because He includes
several women, women of faith,
00:37:13.86\00:37:17.20
women of grandeur, and Sarah,
she is one of these women that
00:37:17.23\00:37:20.84
we learn about in the Bible
that she participates in this
00:37:20.87\00:37:25.54
descendancy or
ascendancy of the Messiah.
00:37:25.57\00:37:29.44
Now, she, just like
Abraham, is portrayed
00:37:29.48\00:37:34.75
in the Bible as flawed.
00:37:34.78\00:37:36.79
We know that.
00:37:36.82\00:37:38.82
But at the same time,
never underestimate this woman,
00:37:38.85\00:37:42.19
because just like her husband,
she left Ur of the Chaldeans
00:37:42.22\00:37:45.13
as a pilgrim.
00:37:45.16\00:37:46.86
She also experienced the life of
exodus, and the Bible mentions
00:37:46.90\00:37:50.77
the doubts and anxieties that
she had, the flaws and failures
00:37:50.80\00:37:54.60
that she had, and to be sure,
most of us would be having the
00:37:54.64\00:37:58.87
same kinds of doubts that she
had, under the same situations
00:37:58.91\00:38:02.68
that she was exposed to.
00:38:02.71\00:38:05.88
Right after this incident
in Mount Moriah, the Bible
00:38:05.91\00:38:08.42
describes the burial, the
death and the burial of Sarah.
00:38:08.45\00:38:11.05
So you don't really have,
you know, what happened next.
00:38:11.09\00:38:13.59
You don't really
have: did she figure it out?
00:38:13.62\00:38:15.42
Did she learn about
it? How did she react?
00:38:15.46\00:38:17.96
Did she get angry?
00:38:17.99\00:38:19.76
Did she--we don't know because
the Bible goes right into the
00:38:19.79\00:38:21.76
next step which was after
this incident, Sarah died.
00:38:21.80\00:38:25.87
Maybe this is what did it.
00:38:25.90\00:38:27.34
We don't know.
00:38:27.37\00:38:30.57
Maybe the stress,
the--I don't know.
00:38:30.61\00:38:34.38
But you see, she was the first
of Abraham's family to die and
00:38:34.41\00:38:37.48
to be buried in
the Promised Land.
00:38:37.51\00:38:39.75
And that, coupled with, you
know, that detail that she's the
00:38:39.78\00:38:42.38
first and she's buried in the
Promised Land, and we find it
00:38:42.42\00:38:44.75
coupled with the details around
Abraham acquiring the plot of
00:38:44.79\00:38:48.82
land where she was going to
be buried, not, you know, just
00:38:48.86\00:38:51.69
burying her anywhere.
00:38:51.73\00:38:53.33
No, it was thought through.
00:38:53.36\00:38:54.63
That fact confirms
that Abraham knew that this
00:38:54.66\00:38:56.93
was a permanent stay.
00:38:56.97\00:38:59.40
While he lived the life of
a wanderer, while he lived the
00:38:59.43\00:39:02.00
life of a pilgrim, while
as, again, we discussed in the
00:39:02.04\00:39:04.91
previous chapters, in the
previous lessons, that there
00:39:04.94\00:39:07.38
were many nations contending for
dominion over Canaan, Abraham
00:39:07.41\00:39:11.71
knew that God would
fulfill His promise.
00:39:11.75\00:39:15.25
Abraham knew that that
stay was indeed permanent.
00:39:15.28\00:39:21.12
This was, after all, the land
that God had promised him, and
00:39:21.16\00:39:24.79
Abraham knew by now
that God always does what?
00:39:24.83\00:39:28.00
Keeps His promises.
00:39:28.03\00:39:31.57
Sarah's significance
in this story is very big.
00:39:31.60\00:39:35.44
And as the lesson puts it, on
Tuesday's lesson, "the focus on
00:39:35.47\00:39:37.94
the purchase of Sarah's burial
place which covers most of the
00:39:37.97\00:39:40.84
chapter, rather than on her
death, emphasizes the connection
00:39:40.88\00:39:44.75
with the Promised Land.
00:39:44.78\00:39:46.55
Already, the specification that
she died "in the land of Canaan"
00:39:46.58\00:39:50.82
underlines the rooting of
Sarah's death in God's promise
00:39:50.85\00:39:54.12
of this land.
00:39:54.16\00:39:56.09
Sarah is the first dead of
Abraham's clan to have died and
00:39:56.12\00:39:59.49
be buried in the Promised Land.
00:39:59.53\00:40:01.50
Abraham's concern about himself,
a foreigner and a visitor, and
00:40:01.53\00:40:04.97
his insistent argument with the
sons of Heth, show that Abraham
00:40:05.00\00:40:08.47
is interested not only in just
acquiring the burial place, but
00:40:08.50\00:40:11.44
he is primarily concerned
in settling in the land
00:40:11.47\00:40:13.81
permanently."
00:40:13.84\00:40:15.14
And the next day's lesson
which is "A Wife for Isaac," it
00:40:15.18\00:40:17.51
additionally adds details to
this reality, because Abraham,
00:40:17.55\00:40:21.48
while he knew that
he was going to stay
00:40:21.52\00:40:23.08
in Canaan forever, right?
00:40:23.12\00:40:24.72
That's where he was supposed
to stay, he also knew that he
00:40:24.75\00:40:26.89
couldn't get one of the women
of the land to marry his son
00:40:26.92\00:40:30.33
because the land was
extremely idolatrous.
00:40:30.36\00:40:34.23
And so there is a care, there
is a worry, in Abraham's mind to
00:40:34.30\00:40:37.87
provide for his son a wife that
would allow him to--or it would
00:40:37.90\00:40:42.64
enhance his ability of
remaining faithful to God.
00:40:42.67\00:40:46.07
You know, one of the--when
I graduated from theology,
00:40:46.11\00:40:48.98
I wanted to come
directly to the U.S.
00:40:49.01\00:40:51.35
to continue my studying.
00:40:51.38\00:40:54.72
And I asked my dad for
advice, you know, should I go?
00:40:54.75\00:40:56.92
My father, he went through
a very similar path, you know.
00:40:56.95\00:40:59.62
He ended up coming to
the States and studying more,
00:40:59.65\00:41:02.46
and so I asked my dad,
you know, what should I do?
00:41:02.49\00:41:04.59
What would you do?
00:41:04.63\00:41:05.93
And he said, "Look, I think
there are two things that you
00:41:05.96\00:41:07.50
should do before you leave.
00:41:07.56\00:41:09.96
Marry a woman
from your own people,
00:41:10.00\00:41:13.03
and be ordained as a minister."
00:41:13.07\00:41:15.80
And in fact, that's
what I ended up doing.
00:41:15.84\00:41:19.47
And you know, the
reasons--there's nothing wrong
00:41:19.51\00:41:21.51
with marrying someone from
a different land if I believe
00:41:21.54\00:41:23.91
she has the same, or he
has the same, belief as you.
00:41:23.95\00:41:27.45
But in this case, you
know, Brazilian culture is so
00:41:27.48\00:41:30.29
specific, that sometimes if
you marry someone from a vastly
00:41:30.32\00:41:33.36
different culture, sometimes
you can have some difficulty.
00:41:33.39\00:41:36.52
So I saw my dad's wisdom there.
00:41:36.56\00:41:38.43
Again, nothing wrong, if
you're marrying someone from a
00:41:38.46\00:41:40.33
different land than yourself.
00:41:40.36\00:41:41.80
There's nothing wrong with that.
00:41:41.83\00:41:43.23
That is perfectly fine.
00:41:43.26\00:41:44.57
There are people that make that
work brilliantly, but I saw my
00:41:44.60\00:41:46.67
dad's wisdom and
that's exactly what I did.
00:41:46.70\00:41:49.64
And nowadays I see that a
great--at least, in our case,
00:41:49.67\00:41:53.51
Dani and myself, in our case,
not speaking for anyone else, in
00:41:53.54\00:41:55.88
our case, the fact that, you
know, we speak fluently the same
00:41:55.91\00:41:59.21
language, we can understand each
other, you know, amazingly and
00:41:59.25\00:42:01.98
it really helps us
avoid some arguments,
00:42:02.02\00:42:06.19
especially with my stubbornness,
let's leave it that way.
00:42:06.22\00:42:13.53
With my stubbornness,
it ends up helping, right?
00:42:13.56\00:42:15.16
Dani is an
extremely patient human being.
00:42:15.20\00:42:17.70
Those that know
that--know her, know that.
00:42:17.73\00:42:19.83
She's extremely
patient, very calm, very--she's
00:42:19.87\00:42:22.14
an angel on earth.
00:42:22.17\00:42:23.71
And so I saw the wisdom in that
and I see here that Abraham,
00:42:23.74\00:42:26.98
more so even than my father or,
you know, more so because not
00:42:27.01\00:42:33.52
only was--it wasn't
really a matter of, I believe,
00:42:33.55\00:42:36.85
ethnic culture, it was
really a matter of belief,
00:42:36.89\00:42:39.32
of spiritual convictions.
00:42:39.35\00:42:41.72
And so he sends his servant
to find a wife for Isaac and
00:42:41.76\00:42:44.59
there's a whole
story there, friends.
00:42:44.63\00:42:45.99
There's a beautiful
story, filled with prayer, with
00:42:46.03\00:42:48.40
devotion, and unfortunately,
we don't have time for that,
00:42:48.43\00:42:50.27
to go into the specifics.
00:42:50.30\00:42:51.53
But I do want to tell you that
there is something to be said
00:42:51.57\00:42:55.40
about marrying someone within
your faith, especially here
00:42:55.44\00:42:58.14
for the youth.
00:42:58.17\00:42:59.41
Those who are not married yet,
there is something very big to
00:42:59.44\00:43:02.48
be said about marrying
someone within your own faith.
00:43:02.51\00:43:06.01
And the reason for this is
because you might even find
00:43:06.05\00:43:08.25
someone that is very
good, that does not believe
00:43:08.28\00:43:11.59
the way you believe.
00:43:11.62\00:43:13.19
Good--there are many good
people that aren't Seventh-day
00:43:13.22\00:43:15.49
Adventists, of course there are.
00:43:15.52\00:43:17.26
Many decent, moral
human beings that are atheist.
00:43:17.29\00:43:20.36
I know many atheists that
are very good people, but let me
00:43:20.40\00:43:23.70
tell you that the problem with
that kind of union is that their
00:43:23.73\00:43:29.77
reason for being good is
different than your reason.
00:43:29.80\00:43:35.64
They might be good, but their
reason is different than yours.
00:43:35.68\00:43:40.35
Why do we want to be good and
moral and reproduce the fruits
00:43:40.38\00:43:43.99
of the Spirit?
00:43:44.02\00:43:45.32
Why do we want to do that?
00:43:45.35\00:43:46.72
Because we have a God
that holds us accountable.
00:43:46.76\00:43:48.26
We have a standard.
00:43:48.29\00:43:49.89
God is the source.
00:43:49.92\00:43:52.23
But for other people,
God is not the source,
00:43:52.26\00:43:58.03
not to them at least.
00:43:58.07\00:43:59.40
Not in their understanding.
00:43:59.43\00:44:00.87
And so, in that way, in that
union, you'll have a hurricane
00:44:00.90\00:44:02.47
on one side, you'll have a
volcano on another side, and
00:44:02.50\00:44:05.24
when you have the combination of
that, you just have a hurricane
00:44:05.27\00:44:07.48
of lava, and you don't
want that in your house.
00:44:07.51\00:44:11.11
So, there is wisdom in
marrying within your own faith.
00:44:11.15\00:44:15.88
Look for someone that
believes in what you believe in.
00:44:15.92\00:44:18.92
Don't be like
Samson, led by your eyes.
00:44:18.95\00:44:22.62
Be led by the will of God.
00:44:22.66\00:44:24.69
There is nowhere better to be
than within God's will, nowhere.
00:44:24.73\00:44:31.17
Even though you might
not understand it at times.
00:44:31.20\00:44:33.87
Now, what I've just said is
the rule, because I know of some
00:44:33.90\00:44:38.71
exceptions.
00:44:38.74\00:44:40.04
I do know--I do know of
exceptions of people who have
00:44:40.08\00:44:42.84
married outside the faith and
over a course of a lifetime and
00:44:42.88\00:44:45.55
through many hardships, that
unbelieving spouse comes in and
00:44:45.58\00:44:48.55
starts believing.
00:44:48.58\00:44:50.55
I know that there are those
cases and those situations,
00:44:50.59\00:44:53.39
but careful not to risk it.
00:44:53.42\00:44:57.26
Because in most
cases, that doesn't happen.
00:44:57.29\00:44:59.66
And I say this with, at this
point, ten years of pastoral
00:44:59.69\00:45:04.00
experience, witnessing and
counseling and hearing stories
00:45:04.03\00:45:08.34
where the majority of the
times where that happens, the
00:45:08.37\00:45:11.37
believing spouse is
who ends up going over.
00:45:11.41\00:45:17.05
And that is a very sad reality.
00:45:17.08\00:45:18.78
But any case, I couldn't pass
up the opportunity to tell the
00:45:18.81\00:45:21.32
youth of my church: it is wise
to find someone within your own
00:45:21.35\00:45:25.45
belief, within your own faith.
00:45:25.49\00:45:27.89
And that's what Abraham does
here with Isaac, and that's what
00:45:27.92\00:45:29.86
he finds.
00:45:29.89\00:45:31.46
Because they knew, both Abraham
and Isaac and Eliezer going to
00:45:31.49\00:45:34.36
find, you know, Rebecca, we see
that these people involved, they
00:45:34.36\00:45:38.07
were all willing to submit their
wills and their lives to God.
00:45:38.10\00:45:42.97
That's what we find.
00:45:43.00\00:45:45.04
The family had learned that
lesson, that God will provide.
00:45:45.07\00:45:48.21
Not only will God provide a
sacrifice, God here, He provided
00:45:48.24\00:45:50.98
a spouse.
00:45:51.01\00:45:52.71
And that's
exactly what Isaac needed.
00:45:52.75\00:45:54.35
He waited--he was 40 years old.
00:45:54.38\00:45:56.12
That's an old single guy.
00:45:56.15\00:45:57.89
So there's hope for you
single people out there, right?
00:45:57.92\00:46:00.69
Cool, right?
00:46:00.72\00:46:02.92
Isaac was 40, but I've known
stories of people, you know,
00:46:02.96\00:46:05.39
at 70, you know,
you'd be surprised.
00:46:05.43\00:46:08.03
So, don't lose hope.
God can always provide.
00:46:08.06\00:46:11.00
And finally, the last day
of--or Thursday's lesson is
00:46:11.03\00:46:13.57
"A Wife for Abraham."
00:46:13.60\00:46:14.90
I would have thought that
at this point Abraham had,
00:46:14.94\00:46:17.04
you know, he was done.
00:46:17.07\00:46:18.31
But no, Abraham here, he does
marry again and some scholars,
00:46:18.34\00:46:22.01
they agree that Hagar and
Keturah were the same person.
00:46:22.04\00:46:26.61
It's somewhat unclear who
Keturah was, and the reason that
00:46:26.65\00:46:31.25
people give is since Keturah's
sons are associated with Hagar's
00:46:31.29\00:46:34.52
and her name isn't mentioned
in that association, many people
00:46:34.56\00:46:37.56
are compelled to
believe that they are, in fact,
00:46:37.59\00:46:40.06
the same person.
00:46:40.10\00:46:41.40
Another clue would be that
Abraham treats Keturah's sons
00:46:41.43\00:46:44.00
just as he treated Ishmael,
sending them away to avoid any
00:46:44.03\00:46:47.40
sort of spiritual influence,
and that makes a contrast
00:46:47.44\00:46:50.87
between them and
Sarah's son and the others.
00:46:50.91\00:46:54.71
Another thing is that the
firstborn blessing was given
00:46:54.74\00:46:57.55
to Isaac, while the
other sons received gifts.
00:46:57.58\00:47:01.02
They didn't receive
the first son's blessing.
00:47:01.05\00:47:06.22
And literally, these sons are
called the sons of concubines
00:47:06.25\00:47:09.42
which implies the status
of both Keturah and Hagar.
00:47:09.46\00:47:13.13
So, to be sure, if they are or
if they're not the same person,
00:47:13.16\00:47:16.06
that's really not
the central point.
00:47:16.10\00:47:18.23
It doesn't really
matter that much in the story.
00:47:18.27\00:47:20.37
Of course, these sons did end up
becoming great nations, part of
00:47:20.40\00:47:24.07
the fulfillment of God's promise
to Abraham, just as the fact
00:47:24.11\00:47:27.68
that, you know, God had promised
that He would live up to a good
00:47:27.71\00:47:30.41
old age which he did.
00:47:30.45\00:47:33.21
But the lesson this week, it
ends by saying, "In the end, the
00:47:33.25\00:47:35.75
Lord remained true to His
promise of grace to His faithful
00:47:35.78\00:47:40.06
servant, Abraham, whose faith is
depicted in Scripture as a great
00:47:40.09\00:47:43.29
example, if not the best
example, in the Old Testament
00:47:43.32\00:47:46.19
of salvation by faith."
00:47:46.23\00:47:48.26
Friends, we are called daily to
cut and to sever the connections
00:47:48.30\00:47:54.97
with this world and to
live, like Abraham, by faith.
00:47:55.00\00:47:59.27
Now, that's beautifully--that's
beautiful to say, and it's
00:47:59.31\00:48:03.28
harder done than it is said.
00:48:03.31\00:48:08.58
But the great hope that we see
in the story is that Abraham,
00:48:08.62\00:48:11.65
after being called,
after receiving the promise,
00:48:11.69\00:48:14.26
did everything go well for him?
00:48:14.29\00:48:15.79
Was everything perfect?
00:48:15.82\00:48:17.16
Did he never trip,
never fail, never fall?
00:48:17.19\00:48:19.89
Was that Abraham's experience?
00:48:19.93\00:48:22.06
No, this was an
extremely fallible man,
00:48:22.10\00:48:25.43
and yet the father of faith.
00:48:25.47\00:48:27.47
So that motivates me, that
encourages me, to know that
00:48:27.50\00:48:30.21
while God calls me daily,
"Luccas, sever the connections,
00:48:30.24\00:48:34.31
sever the ties, live by faith,
stand in Me, I will provide,"
00:48:34.34\00:48:40.42
I also do claim the promise of
Micah chapter 8, verse 7--sorry,
00:48:40.45\00:48:46.45
7, verse 8, where he says, "Oh
my enemy, do not laugh over me
00:48:46.49\00:48:51.43
because when I fall and
when I abide in the darkness,
00:48:51.46\00:48:53.86
the Lord will be my light."
00:48:53.90\00:48:56.36
And we see that the Lord
was Abraham's life--light in
00:48:56.40\00:48:58.93
multiple
occasions and instances.
00:48:58.97\00:49:01.90
So know that God
can do that for you.
00:49:01.94\00:49:04.31
Do not forget to take
advantage of this free offer,
00:49:04.34\00:49:07.28
"The High Cost of the Cross."
00:49:07.31\00:49:09.88
We see that here in Abraham's
story with Isaac on Mount
00:49:09.91\00:49:13.95
Moriah, we see that Abraham
understood what that high cost
00:49:13.98\00:49:17.55
would be, and this
little booklet, it will help us
00:49:17.59\00:49:22.06
understand a little
bit more what the high cost
00:49:22.09\00:49:24.73
of the cross was.
00:49:24.76\00:49:26.26
So take advantage of it.
00:49:26.29\00:49:27.60
It's free.
00:49:27.60\00:49:29.03
If you want it, you can
call the number, 866-788-3966,
00:49:29.06\00:49:32.20
and you can ask for
the offer number 156.
00:49:32.23\00:49:35.44
If you are in continental North
America, you could text SH080
00:49:35.47\00:49:41.08
to the number "40544."
00:49:41.11\00:49:43.41
If you're outside continental
North America, you can go to
00:49:43.45\00:49:46.41
study.aftv.org/SH080 and
you can get a digital download
00:49:46.45\00:49:52.92
and I'm sure that this will
be a blessing for you and for
00:49:52.95\00:49:54.69
your family, and a blessing
for you to give to your friends.
00:49:54.72\00:49:58.56
I'd like to invite you to bow
your head and to pray with me
00:49:58.59\00:50:01.03
right now.
00:50:01.06\00:50:02.36
Dear Lord, thank You
so much for Your love.
00:50:02.40\00:50:03.73
Thank You so
much for Your grace.
00:50:03.77\00:50:05.07
Thank You for being the
God that fulfills His promises.
00:50:05.10\00:50:07.64
Father, as we leave this place
right now and we go out into our
00:50:07.67\00:50:11.81
everyday life, I ask You,
Father, both for those that are
00:50:11.84\00:50:14.88
here today and those that are
watching online and that will be
00:50:14.91\00:50:17.21
watching in the future, I ask
You, Lord, to please reveal to
00:50:17.25\00:50:21.12
them that while You don't
always make sense, You do always
00:50:21.15\00:50:23.99
fulfill Your promises.
00:50:24.02\00:50:25.52
I thank You for these things and
I ask in the precious name of
00:50:25.55\00:50:27.79
Jesus, amen.
00:50:27.82\00:50:29.39
male announcer: Don't forget
to request today's life-changing
00:50:32.93\00:50:34.83
free resource.
00:50:34.86\00:50:36.46
Not only can you receive
this free gift in the mail,
00:50:36.50\00:50:38.53
you can download a digital
copy straight to your computer
00:50:38.57\00:50:40.77
or mobile device.
00:50:40.80\00:50:42.40
To get your digital copy of
today's free gift, simply text
00:50:42.44\00:50:45.71
the keyword on your screen to
40544 or visit the web address
00:50:45.74\00:50:50.21
shown on your screen and be sure
to select the digital download
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option on the request page.
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It's now easier than ever
for you to study God's Word with
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Amazing Facts
wherever and whenever you want.
00:50:58.95\00:51:02.16
And most important,
to share it with others.
00:51:02.19\00:51:04.63
announcer: "Amazing
Facts" Changed Lives.
00:51:10.93\00:51:13.10
¤¤¤
00:51:13.13\00:51:17.24
Jennifer: So as a teenager
growing up, I was getting into
00:51:18.21\00:51:20.84
all sorts of trouble.
00:51:20.88\00:51:22.64
I was drinking, smoking.
00:51:22.68\00:51:25.71
I would look for love
in all the wrong places.
00:51:25.75\00:51:28.15
I thought that those were
ways that could make me happy
00:51:28.18\00:51:31.42
and it didn't.
00:51:31.45\00:51:32.75
It just made everything worse.
00:51:32.79\00:51:34.62
I was very confused.
I didn't know who I was.
00:51:34.66\00:51:36.83
I had no identity whatsoever and
just, I had such a hole in me,
00:51:36.86\00:51:41.20
such hurt, that I would
do anything and everything
00:51:41.23\00:51:44.73
just to try to fill that void.
00:51:44.77\00:51:46.60
I was making a lot of bad
decisions, a lot of bad choices.
00:51:46.63\00:51:50.27
I got pregnant
when I was 19 years old
00:51:50.31\00:51:53.17
and I was a single mother.
00:51:53.21\00:51:55.21
And to try to prove to
myself and the world that I can
00:51:55.24\00:51:57.85
make it on my own, I
became an exotic dancer.
00:51:57.88\00:52:00.98
My mom, she started sending me
links to Amazing Facts Ministry
00:52:01.02\00:52:04.25
just sermons and seminars and
Bible studies and YouTube videos
00:52:04.29\00:52:10.59
with Doug Batchelor.
00:52:10.63\00:52:13.13
And I started watching it and
beforehand I would delete them
00:52:13.16\00:52:15.53
but now here I am watching
and I couldn't get enough of it.
00:52:15.56\00:52:18.27
My heart was on fire,
I wanted more and more.
00:52:18.30\00:52:20.80
So instead of going to the club,
I would go to the website, the
00:52:20.84\00:52:23.77
Amazing Facts website, and then
I would go to the Bible studies
00:52:23.81\00:52:27.21
and I would go after one, study
one, which would make me want to
00:52:27.24\00:52:31.31
study another one.
00:52:31.35\00:52:33.05
So I'd study another one and
another one and I went through
00:52:33.08\00:52:35.08
the whole set and
that wasn't enough for me.
00:52:35.12\00:52:38.79
I wanted more.
00:52:38.82\00:52:40.29
So I just--I would do it again.
00:52:40.32\00:52:41.86
I would read the
whole set over again.
00:52:41.89\00:52:43.73
And I was learning so much and I
just couldn't get enough of it.
00:52:43.76\00:52:45.83
And this made me where I didn't
even want to go to work, I just
00:52:45.86\00:52:48.13
had this fire in my heart.
00:52:48.16\00:52:50.37
And then it got to where I was
on the interstate to go to work
00:52:50.40\00:52:52.80
and I pulled over and God,
He just--He told me, like, He's,
00:52:52.83\00:53:01.01
like, "Jennifer, we
can't do this no--anymore."
00:53:01.04\00:53:04.18
And so I told Him, I
said, "God, I know this is You.
00:53:04.21\00:53:07.58
I know that You're
speaking to me right now."
00:53:07.62\00:53:10.62
And for the first time ever
my eyes were opened to the whole
00:53:10.65\00:53:13.72
situation and how
I was living my life.
00:53:13.76\00:53:16.09
And I went home and
I got down on my knees
00:53:16.12\00:53:19.36
and I fell before God.
00:53:19.39\00:53:21.30
I started to beg Him,
"God, please take me out of this
00:53:21.33\00:53:24.17
lifestyle and if You do, I
promise You I will serve You
00:53:24.20\00:53:27.34
for the rest of my life."
00:53:27.37\00:53:29.24
And so, for the first time in
my life I was healing and I was
00:53:29.27\00:53:32.54
learning and I was coming to a
knowledge of the truth, and that
00:53:32.57\00:53:35.58
truth was Jesus Christ
Himself and that He loved me.
00:53:35.61\00:53:39.31
So, as I'm going about these
studies, Amazing Facts comes to
00:53:39.35\00:53:41.92
my local church and Pastor
Wyatt Allen, he puts on this
00:53:41.95\00:53:46.99
evangelistic series and he makes
a call for baptisms and I'm
00:53:47.02\00:53:53.60
impressed, you know, that I need
to do this, and I want to make
00:53:53.63\00:53:56.97
this decision for Christ
to rededicate my life to Him.
00:53:57.00\00:54:01.80
My life has been completely
changed in so many ways, just
00:54:01.84\00:54:04.97
seeing where God has taken me
on this journey where He took me
00:54:05.01\00:54:11.65
from this to this lost confused
girl, to this woman He knows who
00:54:11.68\00:54:18.32
she is, her identity in Christ.
00:54:18.35\00:54:20.49
Jennifer: My name is Jennifer.
00:54:24.83\00:54:26.90
Thank you for changing my life.
00:54:26.93\00:54:28.96
¤¤¤
00:54:29.00\00:54:35.80
Dee: My parents got divorced
when I was three or four,
00:54:35.84\00:54:37.97
and then I was basically
unchurched most of my life.
00:54:38.01\00:54:41.44
I had a girlfriend in high
school tell me that she had to
00:54:41.48\00:54:43.38
break up with me
because I wasn't a Christian.
00:54:43.41\00:54:45.41
I thought, "That's
weird. I believe in God.
00:54:45.45\00:54:46.92
Why would she say that?"
00:54:46.95\00:54:48.42
Not realizing I was
living a horrible life with foul
00:54:48.45\00:54:49.92
language, was
mean, and other stuff.
00:54:49.95\00:54:53.05
And that kind of
challenged me initially.
00:54:53.09\00:54:55.59
And then my dad, 9/11 woke him
up that he wasn't ready to meet
00:54:55.62\00:54:58.83
his Lord, though he
was a man that I valued
00:54:58.86\00:55:01.03
and knew he loved me.
00:55:01.06\00:55:02.56
Didn't doubt that.
00:55:02.60\00:55:04.00
But he just knew he needed
more so he started watching TV
00:55:04.03\00:55:05.87
ministries first, Baptist
preachers and others, and he was
00:55:05.90\00:55:11.24
kind of intrigued by
what he was learning.
00:55:11.27\00:55:13.27
And so when he turned me on to
this, this television station,
00:55:13.31\00:55:16.14
first thing that I got access
to was Doug Batchelor's "Most
00:55:16.18\00:55:19.51
Amazing Prophecy" series
that he did in Berrien Springs,
00:55:19.55\00:55:21.88
Michigan.
00:55:21.92\00:55:23.32
And I remember when I first
watched this, my background was
00:55:23.35\00:55:25.49
Baptist-ish, of sorts, but I
remember when I first watched
00:55:25.52\00:55:28.82
this series, I remember
thinking, "I've never heard that
00:55:28.86\00:55:32.23
before about the state of the
dead or about the Sabbath or the
00:55:32.26\00:55:35.60
commandments or the
Rapture," or other things.
00:55:35.63\00:55:38.00
And I remember thinking to
myself, "I've never heard that
00:55:38.03\00:55:39.73
before but that's
what the text says."
00:55:39.77\00:55:42.60
And that kept happening.
00:55:42.64\00:55:43.94
And I had this experience
of just wondering, like, "Well,
00:55:43.97\00:55:46.34
what else have I believed
that isn't as it is," you know?
00:55:46.37\00:55:49.38
And the more I watched, the more
helpful it became, but again, he
00:55:49.41\00:55:53.21
kind of took a different
perspective on the messages.
00:55:53.25\00:55:55.42
It was fresh to me but I
just--these things I'd never
00:55:55.45\00:55:58.55
heard before and I just
realized, like, there's so much
00:55:58.59\00:56:02.82
stuff in the Bible that no one's
talking about and that people
00:56:02.86\00:56:05.63
need to know.
00:56:05.66\00:56:07.23
And so I ended up in this
awkward situation that some of
00:56:07.30\00:56:09.70
my friends who didn't believe
what I was coming to believe, I
00:56:09.73\00:56:13.37
didn't know how to communicate
with them, and so one of the
00:56:13.40\00:56:15.87
things that helped me initially
was the SabbathTruth.com
00:56:15.90\00:56:19.91
website, TheTruthAboutHell.com
and TheTruthAboutDeath and some
00:56:19.94\00:56:24.25
of those resource websites that
Amazing Facts had put together
00:56:24.28\00:56:26.75
that were just
full of resources.
00:56:26.78\00:56:29.55
If I needed an answer to
something that someone brought
00:56:29.58\00:56:32.05
up, there would be a 95% chance
that Amazing Facts would have
00:56:32.09\00:56:36.02
something that I could use.
00:56:36.06\00:56:37.63
It makes witnessing
even easier in that sense.
00:56:37.66\00:56:40.10
The Amazing Facts Prophecy Study
Bible was my first real Bible
00:56:40.13\00:56:43.80
that I had of a
more trusted translation.
00:56:43.83\00:56:46.87
The Bible Study Guides
were in the back of it.
00:56:46.90\00:56:49.04
They had a lot of other
resources that were helpful.
00:56:49.07\00:56:51.04
If you can hand a book to
somebody and you can pick up a
00:56:51.07\00:56:53.81
phone and call Amazing Facts,
you have everything you need.
00:56:53.84\00:56:56.14
And so I was just printing off
stuff and handing it to people,
00:56:56.18\00:56:58.41
you know?
00:56:58.45\00:56:59.95
Like, "Here's what
I'm coming to realize.
00:57:00.05\00:57:01.52
This is true.
It's in the Bible."
00:57:01.55\00:57:02.88
And it was a huge blessing to me
and a real help just to kind of
00:57:02.92\00:57:06.12
help me to better understand
what the message was and
00:57:06.15\00:57:10.26
understand it for myself
and have resources to put in the
00:57:10.29\00:57:12.46
hands of other people.
00:57:12.49\00:57:13.86
It was
invaluable. Some time went by.
00:57:13.90\00:57:15.43
I eventually went to a school
of evangelism and was baptized.
00:57:15.46\00:57:18.67
And then I had this amazing
opportunity that after being in
00:57:18.70\00:57:21.97
ministry for about five or six
years, Doug Batchelor was going
00:57:22.00\00:57:24.57
to be the main speaker at a
youth event and I was actually
00:57:24.61\00:57:27.08
begin doing a
seminar at this youth event.
00:57:27.11\00:57:29.84
And it was just this amazing
kind of full circle experience
00:57:29.88\00:57:32.25
that the first person I came
in contact with in Adventism, to
00:57:32.28\00:57:35.95
hear the message, to have
it make sense, to be able to do
00:57:35.98\00:57:37.95
ministry together with him
in whatever role possible, just
00:57:37.99\00:57:41.86
meant the world to me, and to
be able to tell him my story and
00:57:41.89\00:57:44.36
tell him thank
you was invaluable.
00:57:44.39\00:57:46.76
And so God just gave me a
precious gift in affording that
00:57:46.80\00:57:50.20
opportunity and
I'll never forget that.
00:57:50.23\00:57:52.60
Dee: My name is Dee.
Thank you for changing my life.
00:57:52.63\00:57:55.84
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