I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Removing pain
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Lord, let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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And welcome to 3ABN today.
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You will be-- may be surprised
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to see me hosting this program.
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I'm Mark Finley
and usually I'm a guest
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and answer some questions.
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But today we have a
couple new comers to 3ABN.
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C.A. Murray and Shelley
Quinn and I have the opportunity
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of asking the
questions as your host today
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and you have the
opportunity of answering them.
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And something about
this is really backwards.
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We are gonna be talking today
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about the
second coming of Christ
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and Christians down
through the centuries
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have looked forward to
the second coming of Jesus.
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When you look at the Bible
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for example you have the
promise of John Chapter 14
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that marvelous
promise that Jesus gave
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where He said, "Let
not your heart be troubled,
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you believe in
God, believe also in me.
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My Father's house
are many mansions,
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if it were not so,
I would have told you.
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I go to prepare a place for you.
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And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again."
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Yes.
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Well, most amazing
thing C.A., and Shelley, to me
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is that when you
look at the Bible
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in more than 1,500 places
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it describes the
second coming of Jesus.
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Once in every 25
verses in the New Testament
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talk about the coming of Jesus.
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For every promise
in the Old Testament
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on the coming of
Jesus there are--
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on the first coming of Jesus
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there are eight
on the second coming.
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But there are lot of questions.
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Questions like, is
there any evidence today
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that Christ is coming soon
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having Christians believe
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that Christ was
going to come soon
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down through the centuries?
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Questions like, what
the way is Christ coming?
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Why hasn't He come if
the Christian churches
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believe that for 2,000 years?
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And may be more
practical question and that is,
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how can people prepare
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for the second coming of Christ?
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We're gonna
probe those questions.
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But let's go to a song.
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There's a song
that I heard today
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first time about hallelujah
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and the coming of
our God Jesus Christ.
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It is an amazing song,
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moved my heart
when I listen to it.
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I really wanted out viewers
to be able to hear this song
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on "Hallelujah."
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Hallelujah to the Lamb!
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Hallelujah to the Great I AM!
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Hallelujah, all pain is past!
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Hallelujah, we're home at last!
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There's excitement in Heaven
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Like there's never been before
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Jesus stands up
Heaven is changed
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Forevermore and more
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The angels surround the Savior
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To escort the Son of Man
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He returns to earth victorious
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To fulfill salvation's plan
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Hallelujah to the Lamb!
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Hallelujah to the Great I AM!
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Hallelujah, all pain is past!
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Hallelujah, we're home at last!
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At the sound of the last trump
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The dead in Christ will rise
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We're going home at last
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We'll surround the sea of glass
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No more empty mansions
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No vacant seats
around the throne
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Heaven is finally Heaven
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When God's children are home
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Hallelujah to the Lamb!
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Hallelujah to the Great I AM!
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Hallelujah, all pain is past!
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Hallelujah, we're home at last!
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Hallelujah,
Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
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Hallelujah to the Lamb!
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Hallelujah to the Lamb!
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Hallelujah to the Great I AM!
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Hallelujah, all pain is past!
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Hallelujah, we're home at last!
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Hallelujah, we're home at last!
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Hallelujah, we're home
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We're home at last
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Home at last!
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Hallelujah, we're
home at last. Amen.
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I can't wait to sing
in the angels' chorus.
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And if have ever heard me sing
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you would recognize
why I said that statement
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but in heaven we're
gonna have perfect pitch
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like Reggie and Layde Love
Smith on that last out song,
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"Hallelujah,
we're home at last."
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We are looking at the
second coming of Christ
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and we are gonna
begin C.A. and Shelley,
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by focusing
particularly on this question,
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"Haven't
Christians for 2,000 years
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anticipated the
second coming of Christ?"
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Are there any signs that
you see in the world today
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that indicate in any way
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that we are closer to
the second coming of Christ
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than we were years ago.
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C.A., you been in
ministry how many years now?
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Oh, 41. Forty one years.
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Forty one.
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And you've been preaching about
the second coming of Christ.
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Why do you believe that
Christ coming is sooner today?
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You know, the Bible tells us
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that spiritual things
are spiritually discerned.
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At the baptism of
Jesus the Lord spoke
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"This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased."
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Everyone didn't understand
that or hear that message.
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A Christian can look at an event
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and a non-Christian
look at the same event
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and come away with two
totally different opinions.
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The Christian is filtering
that event through his faith,
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through his
knowledge of the word,
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through his love of God.
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So he sees a war or a
ruler rise up and fall
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and sees a prophetic statement
in that rising and falling.
00:08:01.18\00:08:04.71
Well, as an other
person just sees a world event.
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So as we look at the
world that we now face it
00:08:07.82\00:08:11.95
that now faces us.
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We see things that
we know the Bible says,
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when you see these things
begin to prepare your mind.
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Certain kinds of
things, atmospheric things,
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things in nature,
wars and rumors of war
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so Matthew have
always happened but there is,
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Shelley and Mark, a frequency,
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there is an urgency,
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there is a resonance that I
think has never happened before
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and of course our
fathers believe that
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and our father's
father's believe that
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but there is
something happening now
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and one of the things I
want to go to John Chapter,10
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just very quickly.
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And so it approaches
from another standpoint
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something that jumped out at me.
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John 10:10.
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And John 9 and John 10.
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You have Christ
giving certain assurances,
00:09:07.58\00:09:10.18
He is the good shepherd
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and then He moves into something
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which we had not
given those insurances
00:09:12.95\00:09:15.08
would be a little bit daunting.
00:09:15.12\00:09:16.45
He says, "The thief does not
come except to steal, to kill,
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and to destroy.
00:09:20.96\00:09:22.29
I have come that
they may have life,
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and that they may
have it more abundantly."
00:09:24.36\00:09:26.59
What jumps out at me
during these last days
00:09:26.63\00:09:29.96
is this rampant
disrespect for life
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and I see that more now
than perhaps ever before.
00:09:36.30\00:09:40.04
And I mean, you have the
Holocaust in World War II,
00:09:40.08\00:09:42.71
you had programs in New Europe,
00:09:42.74\00:09:45.21
you had the
Stalin's regime in Russia
00:09:45.25\00:09:48.22
those kinds of things
but there is now this,
00:09:48.25\00:09:50.49
this rampant
disrespect for life.
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I mean, someone has
problem with his girlfriend,
00:09:54.89\00:09:57.69
so let me get a
gun and just go in
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and spray a
theater full of people.
00:10:00.03\00:10:02.96
Christ came
that we may have life
00:10:03.00\00:10:06.27
but I think one
of the salient signs
00:10:06.30\00:10:08.74
of the coming of Christ is this
rampant disrespect for lives
00:10:08.77\00:10:12.57
for whom Christ has died.
00:10:12.61\00:10:13.94
We don't value
life as we once did
00:10:13.98\00:10:16.85
and I think when you
see this kind of thing
00:10:16.88\00:10:18.91
it's got to be
one of those signs,
00:10:18.95\00:10:20.48
one of many that says to
me "Jesus is coming soon"
00:10:20.52\00:10:23.99
and if He doesn't come we
are gonna destroy ourselves
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because we just don't
respect life like we once did.
00:10:27.12\00:10:29.56
Shelley, what were you
thinking on that same topic
00:10:29.59\00:10:32.76
of the signs of Christ coming?
00:10:32.79\00:10:34.96
What do we see today
that we haven't been seeing?
00:10:35.00\00:10:36.77
Is there a different
dynamic in the world today?
00:10:36.80\00:10:39.00
I think there's a
completely different dynamic
00:10:39.03\00:10:40.87
and I think that as
you said that people,
00:10:40.90\00:10:43.71
there is this
disrespect for life,
00:10:43.74\00:10:45.31
there is a
disrespect for the law of God.
00:10:45.34\00:10:47.18
We have seen the
homosexuals movement
00:10:47.21\00:10:51.41
and now we see the gay marriage,
00:10:51.45\00:10:53.92
we see things that I
know that my parents would not
00:10:53.95\00:10:59.52
have been able to
even imagine happening
00:10:59.55\00:11:03.46
but we see that people have
become boasters, lovers, self,
00:11:03.49\00:11:08.83
everything that the
Bible says will be happening
00:11:08.86\00:11:11.53
before Christ
return is happening.
00:11:11.57\00:11:13.64
We are seeing
prophecy fulfilled.
00:11:13.67\00:11:15.47
But one thing that
is not in the Bible
00:11:15.50\00:11:18.24
but something that
really has resonated with me
00:11:18.27\00:11:22.48
is what's happening
in the Muslim world.
00:11:22.51\00:11:25.28
I had a friend, dear
friend whom I've never met
00:11:25.31\00:11:28.62
but I consider her mine
very dear sister in the Lord
00:11:28.65\00:11:32.12
and she converted
from Islam to Christianity
00:11:32.15\00:11:37.23
by watching 3ABN.
00:11:37.26\00:11:39.23
And she is-- I mean,
she has been persecuted
00:11:39.26\00:11:43.10
for righteousness
say, to say at least.
00:11:43.13\00:11:45.93
But her family is still Muslim
and they came home from a--
00:11:45.97\00:11:51.24
I would say this is
may be eight months ago.
00:11:51.27\00:11:53.64
They came home from
a very large conference
00:11:53.68\00:11:56.38
and her mother
approached her and said,
00:11:56.41\00:11:59.55
"Isn't your church the
one that's always preaching
00:11:59.58\00:12:02.28
the second
return of Jesus Christ?"
00:12:02.32\00:12:04.79
And she said, "Yes."
00:12:04.82\00:12:06.15
And she said,
00:12:06.19\00:12:07.52
"That's what this whole
world conference was about."
00:12:07.56\00:12:09.79
Even Muslims are
preaching Christ soon return.
00:12:09.82\00:12:15.03
I think that anyone
who reads their Bibles
00:12:15.06\00:12:18.97
and of all the
things that we are told
00:12:19.00\00:12:21.74
will happen before Christ comes
00:12:21.77\00:12:24.31
they are
happening with great speed
00:12:24.34\00:12:29.04
things are being fulfilled
00:12:29.08\00:12:30.65
but the fact
that to me-- I mean,
00:12:30.68\00:12:33.55
I thought it was interesting
00:12:33.58\00:12:34.92
I don't know how
you feel but the fact
00:12:34.95\00:12:36.38
that even the
Muslims are saying,
00:12:36.42\00:12:39.32
"Christ second return is soon."
00:12:39.35\00:12:42.46
Things are just
lining up around the world
00:12:42.49\00:12:45.39
and it's going to happen.
00:12:45.43\00:12:46.76
We've had some
experiences as well
00:12:46.80\00:12:49.63
with leadership in
the General Conference
00:12:49.66\00:12:51.60
of Seventh-day Adventist meeting
00:12:51.63\00:12:53.30
at times with Muslim leaders
00:12:53.34\00:12:56.37
who have asked our leadership,
00:12:56.40\00:12:58.77
"Do you believe
that Christ is coming?"
00:12:58.81\00:13:00.68
And we "Yes, we do."
00:13:00.71\00:13:02.51
And they have
responded, "How soon?"
00:13:02.54\00:13:04.45
And we said, "Soon."
00:13:04.48\00:13:06.45
And our leaders and they
said, "How soon is soon?"
00:13:06.48\00:13:08.98
And we said, "Very soon."
00:13:09.02\00:13:10.35
And they said,
00:13:10.39\00:13:11.72
"We believe Christ is
coming very, very soon as well."
00:13:11.75\00:13:13.82
So there is
this advent awareness
00:13:13.86\00:13:18.36
that's taking
place around the world
00:13:18.39\00:13:20.90
that something
great and decisive
00:13:20.93\00:13:23.13
is about ready to happen.
00:13:23.16\00:13:25.50
You know, there is a
couple of passages in scripture
00:13:25.53\00:13:27.77
that come to my mind
00:13:27.80\00:13:30.51
that I always ask
myself the question,
00:13:30.54\00:13:33.04
"Are there
conditions in the world today
00:13:33.07\00:13:36.58
that we are not being fulfilled
50 years ago, 75 years ago?"
00:13:36.61\00:13:42.88
And I think there were a
few and I would like to discuss
00:13:42.92\00:13:45.65
one or two of them with you.
00:13:45.69\00:13:47.66
In Revelation
11:18 the Bible describes
00:13:47.69\00:13:52.89
a condition of things
00:13:52.93\00:13:54.33
that at least for
my reading of the text
00:13:54.36\00:13:57.17
could not be
substantiated 100 years ago.
00:13:57.20\00:14:02.67
But when I read it today
00:14:02.70\00:14:04.04
the text almost
leaps off the page.
00:14:04.07\00:14:06.14
It's like
reading modern newspaper.
00:14:06.17\00:14:08.88
It says, "The
nations were angry,"
00:14:08.91\00:14:11.05
"and Your wrath has come,
00:14:11.08\00:14:14.85
and the time of the dead,
that they should be judged,
00:14:14.88\00:14:16.85
" obviously the
second coming of Christ.
00:14:16.89\00:14:19.45
"That You should reward
Your servants the prophets
00:14:19.49\00:14:21.89
and the saints,
00:14:21.92\00:14:23.53
and those who fear
Your name, small and great,
00:14:23.56\00:14:25.69
" obviously Christ is
coming to give out His rewards,
00:14:25.73\00:14:27.40
second coming.
00:14:27.43\00:14:29.26
"And should destroy
those who destroy the earth."
00:14:29.30\00:14:33.57
There are two or three
aspects of that passage.
00:14:33.60\00:14:37.54
Never before in
history has the human race
00:14:37.57\00:14:39.84
have the capacity
to destroy itself.
00:14:39.87\00:14:42.04
In 1945 Charles
Uray one of the inventors
00:14:42.08\00:14:46.15
of the splitter-- one
of the men that worked,
00:14:46.18\00:14:49.38
scientists worked on
the splitting of the atom
00:14:49.42\00:14:51.62
said "I'm standing on a place
00:14:51.65\00:14:54.99
where the end of
the world began."
00:14:55.02\00:14:57.36
When he looked over
the situation that happened
00:14:57.39\00:15:00.63
in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
00:15:00.66\00:15:02.06
when the Americans
dropped the bomb there
00:15:02.10\00:15:03.60
and he said "I write
this to frighten you.
00:15:03.63\00:15:05.23
All scientist I
know are frightened men.
00:15:05.27\00:15:07.50
Frighten for their
lives, frighten for your lives."
00:15:07.54\00:15:09.24
So never before in
history have we had the capacity
00:15:09.27\00:15:13.34
for nuclear weaponry
to destroy the world.
00:15:13.38\00:15:15.74
And when you look
at the nations today
00:15:15.78\00:15:17.38
that are getting
nuclear weaponry,
00:15:17.41\00:15:18.78
some of the rogue states
and we think of terrorism.
00:15:18.81\00:15:21.72
And what if terrorist
00:15:21.75\00:15:24.45
were able to in
someway get nuclear secrets
00:15:24.49\00:15:28.09
which are so much more easy
to get and the material today--
00:15:28.12\00:15:31.13
Absolutely.
00:15:31.16\00:15:32.49
I mean, very-- I think we
are in a very scary situation
00:15:32.53\00:15:34.96
if we didn't know
Christ, if we didn't know
00:15:35.00\00:15:36.53
the end game of the
second coming of Jesus.
00:15:36.56\00:15:38.47
So I think this
is a new dynamic.
00:15:38.50\00:15:40.84
This text also that says
00:15:40.87\00:15:42.57
"Should destroy those
who destroy the earth."
00:15:42.60\00:15:44.24
Some translations
say "Corrupt the earth."
00:15:44.27\00:15:46.88
And as we are
taping this program
00:15:46.91\00:15:50.01
there is a conference
in Paris on climate change
00:15:50.05\00:15:53.85
and I know there is argument
00:15:53.88\00:15:55.22
scientifically
either way on that question.
00:15:55.25\00:15:57.22
But there is no
doubt about the fact
00:15:57.25\00:15:59.52
that we are polluting our earth,
00:15:59.55\00:16:00.89
that we are
corrupting our earth,
00:16:00.92\00:16:02.26
the atmospheric pollution
00:16:02.29\00:16:03.66
so forth is global
warming is taking place.
00:16:03.69\00:16:06.59
So comment on
some of those things
00:16:06.63\00:16:09.00
this whole idea of
mankind and nuclear destruction
00:16:09.03\00:16:12.53
and the whole idea of
the corruption of the earth,
00:16:12.57\00:16:14.80
the pollution.
00:16:14.84\00:16:16.17
What do you see going on there?
00:16:16.20\00:16:17.54
I think we tend to think
00:16:17.57\00:16:18.91
of cataclysmic
destruction like a bomb
00:16:18.94\00:16:21.21
but there is this slow
and in serious destruction
00:16:21.24\00:16:23.98
that is happening.
00:16:24.01\00:16:25.35
Also I was looking at something
just the other day in China
00:16:25.38\00:16:29.68
they were talking about--
they had temperature inversion
00:16:29.72\00:16:31.95
and the air was at level red.
00:16:31.99\00:16:34.52
You really couldn't
see across the street
00:16:34.56\00:16:36.46
and they were saying,
00:16:36.49\00:16:37.83
"If you are sick,
if you are infirmed,
00:16:37.86\00:16:39.19
if you are very young, very old
just stay home and stay still
00:16:39.23\00:16:41.30
and stay quiet and do not move.
00:16:41.33\00:16:42.73
So even the air that is
supposed to keep you alive
00:16:42.76\00:16:45.73
it can kill you given
certain atmospheric conditions.
00:16:45.77\00:16:49.70
You've got
fracking in this country.
00:16:49.74\00:16:51.61
I'll tell you
something, on my street
00:16:51.64\00:16:53.68
a house is not there now
that was there last week.
00:16:53.71\00:16:58.91
If you come to my house now
there was a dip in the street
00:16:58.95\00:17:01.78
that is precipitous that I
say, the street just goes down.
00:17:01.82\00:17:05.55
Well, they are
mining under the street
00:17:05.59\00:17:07.26
and street is cracking
and it's very, very dangerous.
00:17:07.29\00:17:11.46
You got to drive
very, very slowly.
00:17:11.49\00:17:12.83
So we are doing some things
00:17:12.86\00:17:14.56
whether you believe
in global warming or not
00:17:14.60\00:17:16.43
I know there are
strong signs on both sides.
00:17:16.46\00:17:18.90
The fact is that earth is not
as clean, it's not as pristine,
00:17:18.93\00:17:21.90
it's not as pure as it once was.
00:17:21.94\00:17:24.54
And it is through
mankind's activity.
00:17:24.57\00:17:26.88
The streams, the water,
00:17:26.91\00:17:28.54
even the ocean is
not like it should be.
00:17:28.58\00:17:30.98
So we are indeed
destroying the earth.
00:17:31.01\00:17:32.88
And I f God doesn't come back
00:17:32.91\00:17:34.25
and rest us we
will destroy ourselves.
00:17:34.28\00:17:36.55
Well, and then when
you look in South America
00:17:36.58\00:17:38.75
where they are
deforesting such large areas
00:17:38.79\00:17:42.16
and that has a lot to--
00:17:42.19\00:17:44.59
attributes a lot
to the climate change.
00:17:44.63\00:17:47.23
And then even for
farming we see how depleted
00:17:47.26\00:17:53.50
the minerals and the
things from the earth had become
00:17:53.54\00:17:56.67
because we haven't
been stewards of the earth.
00:17:56.71\00:18:00.31
And I just think that, you know,
00:18:00.34\00:18:02.11
the Bible says
the earth will wax old
00:18:02.14\00:18:06.18
and it is waxing old.
00:18:06.21\00:18:08.12
It's just at that point
where it is not going to be
00:18:08.15\00:18:11.69
with population growth
00:18:11.72\00:18:13.19
and with the way we
handle our resources
00:18:13.22\00:18:15.92
there is gonna come that time
00:18:15.96\00:18:17.29
when it's no
longer sustainable to us.
00:18:17.33\00:18:19.69
We see in our world
the nuclear capacity,
00:18:19.73\00:18:23.37
we see environmental pollution,
we see global warming,
00:18:23.40\00:18:26.84
we see widespread
hunger and famine,
00:18:26.87\00:18:29.84
we see as we look
out over the world
00:18:29.87\00:18:32.01
unprecedented natural disasters
00:18:32.04\00:18:34.48
and we see the human
population of greed actually
00:18:34.51\00:18:39.25
and we see population growth.
00:18:39.28\00:18:42.28
I was attending a
meeting in Dublin, Ireland
00:18:42.32\00:18:45.25
and I left the meeting
00:18:45.29\00:18:46.62
and there were two scientists
that attended my meeting.
00:18:46.65\00:18:48.79
They had just
come from a meeting
00:18:48.82\00:18:50.56
on the sustainability
of life on planet earth.
00:18:50.59\00:18:54.23
And a meeting of
scientists and they said to me
00:18:54.26\00:18:57.17
that more, more scientists
are coming to the conclusion
00:18:57.20\00:19:00.30
that to sustain
life 50 years from now,
00:19:00.34\00:19:03.27
75 years from
now on planet earth
00:19:03.30\00:19:05.11
is becoming more fragile thing.
00:19:05.14\00:19:07.41
Because of the acts of man
we are doing to the planet.
00:19:07.44\00:19:12.31
And then you look at that
00:19:12.35\00:19:13.68
and you reference
that earlier C.A.,
00:19:13.72\00:19:15.48
with the moral decline that's
taking place in our world.
00:19:15.52\00:19:18.42
And so we are living in a world
that is increasingly insecure,
00:19:18.45\00:19:22.62
a world that is increasingly
a fragmented peoples
00:19:22.66\00:19:26.49
or barriers between peoples,
00:19:26.53\00:19:28.06
a world that is
00:19:28.10\00:19:29.43
and you look at the
economy of the world,
00:19:29.46\00:19:31.73
the national debt,
00:19:31.77\00:19:33.10
the national
debt of American what,
00:19:33.13\00:19:34.60
$19 trillion now in approaching.
00:19:34.64\00:19:38.17
So these are concerning things
00:19:38.21\00:19:39.74
but what hopeful
signs do you see.
00:19:39.77\00:19:42.81
Suppose could be
little depressing
00:19:42.84\00:19:44.58
but what hopeful
signs do you see?
00:19:44.61\00:19:47.78
You know, if you look,
approach it from another angle,
00:19:47.82\00:19:51.99
if you look at the words of
Ellen White in "Desire of Ages"
00:19:52.02\00:19:55.69
when Christ came
as a baby in Bethlehem
00:19:55.72\00:19:58.39
there was an
aligning of certain events.
00:19:58.43\00:20:02.03
The earth was
positioned for that coming
00:20:02.06\00:20:05.23
speaking one language generally.
00:20:05.27\00:20:07.50
You had the Roman pieces
across that part of the world.
00:20:07.54\00:20:11.94
Those kinds of things
are in place right now.
00:20:11.97\00:20:15.38
Fifty years ago a 3ABN a hope
channel, LLBN could not exist.
00:20:15.41\00:20:20.88
So technology has opened the way
00:20:20.92\00:20:23.45
as much as
technology has destroyed.
00:20:23.49\00:20:25.49
I was watching something on CNN
the other night, 13-year-olds
00:20:25.52\00:20:30.06
and the
internet and social media
00:20:30.09\00:20:34.06
and the kinds of ways
they talk to each other
00:20:34.10\00:20:36.06
and the kinds of
things they send to each other
00:20:36.10\00:20:37.67
and the kinds of
pictures they send to each other
00:20:37.70\00:20:39.70
just really
disturbing for 13-year-olds
00:20:39.73\00:20:42.20
to talk that way, to
use that kind of language
00:20:42.24\00:20:44.27
to involve themselves in that
kind of nudity and vulgarity.
00:20:44.31\00:20:47.91
And yet on the
other side that same media
00:20:47.94\00:20:51.11
can be used for the gospel.
00:20:51.15\00:20:53.11
We can get the
gospel out further
00:20:53.15\00:20:54.55
faster than ever before.
00:20:54.58\00:20:56.12
You began it when you
began your nets, you know,
00:20:56.15\00:20:58.99
brand new way to get
the gospel to the world.
00:20:59.02\00:21:00.82
So there is this aligning
of things that enables us
00:21:00.86\00:21:04.96
to get the gospel from
this studio to Australia
00:21:04.99\00:21:07.86
in a matter of seconds.
00:21:07.90\00:21:09.23
To Russia in a
matter of seconds.
00:21:09.26\00:21:11.20
So there is this
setting up of things
00:21:11.23\00:21:14.40
to move the
gospel further and faster
00:21:14.44\00:21:16.14
than ever before
and that's a God thing
00:21:16.17\00:21:17.77
and I think it's
part of God's desire,
00:21:17.81\00:21:20.08
His angst dare I say to
get the gospel to every men,
00:21:20.11\00:21:23.51
women, boy and girl.
00:21:23.55\00:21:24.88
So what's the most hopeful sign
you see of the coming of Jesus?
00:21:24.91\00:21:28.28
The most hopeful sign I
see of the coming of Jesus,
00:21:28.32\00:21:33.69
I think that people-- you know,
00:21:33.72\00:21:36.69
very much like Solomon.
00:21:36.73\00:21:38.06
Solomon tried
everything he could
00:21:38.09\00:21:41.80
to fill the emptiness of
his soul with philosophies,
00:21:41.83\00:21:47.00
with art, with
anything that he could
00:21:47.04\00:21:50.47
and he had that emptiness.
00:21:50.51\00:21:52.61
And I see that
there are a lot of people
00:21:52.64\00:21:55.28
who have tried everything
and they have that emptiness
00:21:55.31\00:21:59.88
and it seems to me
that more than ever before
00:21:59.91\00:22:03.72
people are seeking
something that is real,
00:22:03.75\00:22:09.92
something that for
satisfaction beyond themselves
00:22:09.96\00:22:14.60
and it almost sounds
like I'm saying something
00:22:14.63\00:22:17.60
just opposite of what
you are saying but it's true.
00:22:17.63\00:22:20.54
I see some of
what we would consider
00:22:20.57\00:22:22.70
some of the worst of
the worst of individuals
00:22:22.74\00:22:24.87
who have fallen
so far down the line
00:22:24.91\00:22:28.18
but I believe that God is,
what's making me feel hopeful
00:22:28.21\00:22:34.52
is that God is
waking up His church.
00:22:34.55\00:22:37.25
We have been Laodicean Church.
00:22:37.29\00:22:39.72
We have sat back
and left evangelism
00:22:39.75\00:22:43.83
to people like you, Mark Finley,
00:22:43.86\00:22:46.66
rather than making evangelism
a lifestyle personal witness
00:22:46.70\00:22:52.73
and I see that people
are beginning to wake up
00:22:52.77\00:22:56.84
and we see young
people like the GYC,
00:22:56.87\00:23:00.98
we see people who
are eager to do missions.
00:23:01.01\00:23:05.81
And I believe that as
God wakes up His people
00:23:05.85\00:23:10.69
to understand that the law
of life demands reproduction,
00:23:10.72\00:23:15.49
if we can understand
that the way in which
00:23:15.52\00:23:19.43
we will grow
personally is as we share Christ
00:23:19.46\00:23:22.56
then we can be reaching some
of these very hungry people.
00:23:22.60\00:23:26.23
And I see that happening.
00:23:26.27\00:23:28.77
It's something that, you know,
00:23:28.80\00:23:31.24
when you said that you
feel it here and it's different.
00:23:31.27\00:23:34.84
I see that God is
waking up His people
00:23:34.88\00:23:37.65
and that makes me
feel very hopeful.
00:23:37.68\00:23:39.68
Mark, I wanting to say,
it's very difficult to talk
00:23:39.71\00:23:42.85
about the second coming
without eluding to Matthew 24
00:23:42.88\00:23:46.25
but when the Bible says in 14,
00:23:46.29\00:23:48.06
"This gospel of the kingdom
00:23:48.09\00:23:49.42
shall be
preached to all the world"
00:23:49.46\00:23:50.79
it's a prophecy but
it's also a promise.
00:23:50.83\00:23:52.69
The gospel is gonna be
and so if you believe in God,
00:23:52.73\00:23:55.80
if you see in God-- our
mutual friend Dedrick Blue
00:23:55.83\00:23:58.87
I heard him say something like
00:23:58.90\00:24:00.24
"I've seen God do so much
with so little for so long,
00:24:00.27\00:24:02.24
I can believe He can
do anything with nothing."
00:24:02.27\00:24:05.54
When you tested
God and tried God
00:24:05.57\00:24:08.08
and you know God
is true to His word
00:24:08.11\00:24:10.31
and when you read a
promise like that it says,
00:24:10.35\00:24:13.21
"God is gonna do
whatever is necessary
00:24:13.25\00:24:15.75
to get the gospel out."
00:24:15.78\00:24:17.22
And if we would just assist Him,
00:24:17.25\00:24:19.22
just stay out of the way
00:24:19.25\00:24:20.59
not oppose Him on a
system is gonna be done.
00:24:20.62\00:24:23.19
There are so many people
00:24:23.22\00:24:25.26
and people are
taking risk for the gospel.
00:24:25.29\00:24:26.80
Again I'll tell you real quick
and I got to be very careful.
00:24:26.83\00:24:29.06
I have a friend,
actually he's my wife's friend.
00:24:29.10\00:24:33.13
His sister-in-law is in
a Middle Eastern country
00:24:33.17\00:24:39.47
and married to a diplomat.
00:24:39.51\00:24:42.21
They are-- they are
getting Bibles into the country.
00:24:42.24\00:24:46.72
They are
getting into the palace.
00:24:46.75\00:24:49.88
They are watching
3ABN on their computers.
00:24:49.92\00:24:54.42
The maid staff, the
butlers, the attendants
00:24:54.46\00:24:57.86
and since this person
has a diplomatic passport
00:24:57.89\00:25:01.30
his luggage is not searched.
00:25:01.33\00:25:02.86
So when he comes west he
fills his luggage with Bibles
00:25:02.90\00:25:06.17
and he goes back
home and he distributes--
00:25:06.20\00:25:08.47
well, he is taking a risk.
00:25:08.50\00:25:09.84
He is taking risk for the Lord.
00:25:09.87\00:25:11.37
But one of the signs
I think of the last days
00:25:11.41\00:25:14.78
and this resonancy that
the earth is going through
00:25:14.81\00:25:17.48
is that people are beginning
00:25:17.51\00:25:18.85
to take a risk
for their faith again.
00:25:18.88\00:25:20.52
It's not just a leisure
sport and never has been.
00:25:20.55\00:25:24.02
It's something they are
putting their lives on it.
00:25:24.05\00:25:26.09
Your friend and I almost called
and I don't want to do that
00:25:26.12\00:25:28.82
but she is taking a risk.
00:25:28.86\00:25:30.56
So people again are saying,
00:25:30.59\00:25:31.93
"Lord, I trust you enough
you to risk something for You.
00:25:31.96\00:25:34.40
I'm not gonna
just sit on the couch
00:25:34.43\00:25:35.76
and play passive anymore.
00:25:35.80\00:25:38.53
I'm gonna get in the
game and I'm gonna take."
00:25:38.57\00:25:40.64
I think that is the sign that
something is about to happen.
00:25:40.67\00:25:43.67
Something is
germinating, something is moving
00:25:43.71\00:25:45.87
and Christ is
coming very, very soon.
00:25:45.91\00:25:47.61
You know, these are
really hopeful signs.
00:25:47.64\00:25:49.28
When you look at technology
and the fact that television,
00:25:49.31\00:25:54.88
radio, internet,
tweets, Facebook pages,
00:25:54.92\00:26:01.19
you begin to look at
these things live streaming.
00:26:01.22\00:26:05.29
The gospel is leaping
geographical barriers.
00:26:05.33\00:26:08.26
It can't be blocked
00:26:08.30\00:26:11.07
by dysphonic
authoritarian regimes.
00:26:11.10\00:26:13.70
Yes.
00:26:13.74\00:26:15.07
I would tell you
an interesting story.
00:26:15.10\00:26:16.60
In 1954 Nikita Khrushchev
00:26:16.64\00:26:20.38
walked on to the
stage in Kiev, Ukraine
00:26:20.41\00:26:24.68
of the Cultural Palace
00:26:24.71\00:26:26.31
that was dedicated to communism.
00:26:26.35\00:26:28.38
And as he stood on that stage
00:26:28.42\00:26:29.85
he gave a speech on dialectic
materialism and humanism.
00:26:29.88\00:26:33.32
It was in the hide
of the Soviet empire
00:26:33.36\00:26:34.96
during the
industrial, military machine.
00:26:34.99\00:26:37.83
And Khrushchev said,
00:26:37.86\00:26:39.83
"Within 50 years
there will be no Christians
00:26:39.86\00:26:43.97
within the Soviet Union."
00:26:44.00\00:26:45.87
Then he smiled and he
said, "There will be one left.
00:26:45.90\00:26:50.64
And when that one left dies
00:26:50.67\00:26:52.04
we will stuff
them like an animal
00:26:52.07\00:26:54.64
and we want to know
00:26:54.68\00:26:57.05
and we will put them in a museum
00:26:57.08\00:26:58.58
because future
generations will want to know
00:26:58.61\00:27:01.08
what the extinct species
of Christians looked like."
00:27:01.12\00:27:05.42
So he said, "When
the last Christian dies
00:27:05.45\00:27:07.29
we just stuff
him like an animal,
00:27:07.32\00:27:08.79
put him in a museum, we
will mark extinct species."
00:27:08.82\00:27:11.93
It's 1954.
00:27:11.96\00:27:14.80
About 50 years later in 2004
00:27:14.83\00:27:19.03
I walked on to that
same stage opened the Bible--
00:27:19.07\00:27:24.61
now this is interesting.
00:27:24.64\00:27:26.34
The Soviet-- we
had camera people,
00:27:26.37\00:27:30.45
we sent the message
up the Soviet satellites
00:27:30.48\00:27:34.48
across the time zones
of the former Soviet Union.
00:27:34.52\00:27:38.85
If you are a totalitarian state
00:27:38.89\00:27:41.59
you have to control
by mass communication.
00:27:41.62\00:27:47.23
So the Soviet government
in the days of communism
00:27:47.26\00:27:49.93
had the most sophisticated
mass communication system.
00:27:49.96\00:27:53.34
You subsidize televisions,
you subsidize radios
00:27:53.37\00:27:57.44
and that system was used
to communicate the gospel
00:27:57.47\00:28:00.61
to tens of thousands.
00:28:00.64\00:28:02.34
To me one of the greatest
signs of the coming of Christ
00:28:02.38\00:28:06.01
is the ability to so
quickly get the gospel out.
00:28:06.05\00:28:10.05
I can take out my cell phone,
00:28:10.09\00:28:12.65
my iPhone any place in the world
00:28:12.69\00:28:14.86
and I can watch
Christian television.
00:28:14.89\00:28:17.19
I can get Christian messages.
00:28:17.23\00:28:18.86
I can log in and
get Bible studies
00:28:18.89\00:28:21.83
and anybody in
the world can do that.
00:28:21.86\00:28:23.97
People can sit
on their computer.
00:28:24.00\00:28:26.10
We are living in
an information age
00:28:26.13\00:28:28.64
where people can no
longer be restricted, enclosed.
00:28:28.67\00:28:32.71
I think this is God's doing.
00:28:32.74\00:28:34.54
All right. God's doing.
00:28:34.58\00:28:35.91
God has opened up amazing doors
and I think at the same time
00:28:35.94\00:28:39.95
there is a hunger in
the hearts of people.
00:28:39.98\00:28:42.58
There is this God
shaped vacuum in the hearts.
00:28:42.62\00:28:46.05
One of my favorite
text is Ecclesiastes 3:11.
00:28:46.09\00:28:52.09
He is pretty talking.
00:28:52.13\00:28:53.46
And then it is
just an amazing passage
00:28:53.50\00:28:57.00
because it tells me that
in every, in every individual,
00:28:57.03\00:29:04.97
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says,
00:29:05.01\00:29:06.88
"He has made everything
beautiful in its time.
00:29:06.91\00:29:09.58
Also He has put
eternity in their hearts."
00:29:09.61\00:29:12.68
So every human
being has this longing,
00:29:12.71\00:29:15.42
this longing for eternity.
00:29:15.45\00:29:17.02
So do we see things today
that we didn't see before?
00:29:17.05\00:29:19.72
We sure do. Yes, we do.
00:29:19.75\00:29:21.09
We see the threat
of nuclear disaster,
00:29:21.12\00:29:23.19
we see the capacity for
the world destroy itself,
00:29:23.22\00:29:27.03
we see wide spread
hunger and famines,
00:29:27.06\00:29:30.27
we see moral depravity
in the world and insecurity
00:29:30.30\00:29:33.87
but we see
technology spreading the gospel.
00:29:33.90\00:29:36.64
We see God's people
rising to the challenge.
00:29:36.67\00:29:39.21
We see this emptiness of heart.
00:29:39.24\00:29:41.14
If all this is true
00:29:41.18\00:29:42.51
why didn't Christ
come a thousand years ago?
00:29:42.54\00:29:44.35
Is Jesus waiting for more
earthquakes, more famines,
00:29:44.38\00:29:46.41
more wars, what's
Jesus waiting for?
00:29:46.45\00:29:49.32
You know, one of my
favorite promises is 2 Peter 3:9
00:29:49.35\00:29:53.42
and what Peter says is
00:29:53.46\00:29:57.06
"The Lord is not slack
concerning His promise,
00:29:57.09\00:29:59.43
as some count slackness,
00:29:59.46\00:30:03.73
but is longsuffering toward us,
00:30:03.77\00:30:05.97
not willing that
any should perish
00:30:06.00\00:30:08.60
but that all should
come to repentance."
00:30:08.64\00:30:11.47
And I believe what
is the Lord waiting for?
00:30:11.51\00:30:15.08
He could finish this work?
00:30:15.11\00:30:17.38
But I believe that He
is waiting for a people
00:30:17.41\00:30:22.02
who are willing
to open their hearts
00:30:22.05\00:30:25.12
and be filled
with His divine love.
00:30:25.15\00:30:28.02
1 Thessalonians 3:12, 13
00:30:28.06\00:30:30.06
is one of my
favorite passages that says,
00:30:30.09\00:30:33.16
when Paul says, may the Lord
00:30:33.19\00:30:35.46
cause you to
increase and abound love
00:30:35.50\00:30:39.57
so that He may perfect you
00:30:39.60\00:30:42.40
in holiness of
the coming of our Lord
00:30:42.44\00:30:44.34
and Savior Jesus Christ.
00:30:44.37\00:30:46.17
So I believe what God has
been waiting for is for a people
00:30:46.21\00:30:51.51
that will open their hearts
00:30:51.55\00:30:54.62
except that
divine essence His love
00:30:54.65\00:30:57.95
and have that
concern to understand.
00:30:57.99\00:31:03.22
God wants all men to be saved
00:31:03.26\00:31:05.86
and it is only as
we grow in His love
00:31:05.89\00:31:08.86
that He is giving
us the opportunity
00:31:08.90\00:31:13.07
not to perfect ourselves
00:31:13.10\00:31:17.11
but to be perfected by
Him the divine perfection
00:31:17.14\00:31:23.51
so that we will become involved
00:31:23.55\00:31:26.75
and we develop the
character of Christ
00:31:26.78\00:31:29.38
as we reach out for others.
00:31:29.42\00:31:31.42
And I think that
that's what, you know,
00:31:31.45\00:31:33.56
He wants all men
to come to repentance
00:31:33.59\00:31:36.52
and He wants us to
have that same heart
00:31:36.56\00:31:41.60
where we are looking out saying,
00:31:41.63\00:31:43.53
we want all men to
come to repentance.
00:31:43.57\00:31:46.17
That leads to
really two questions, C.A.
00:31:46.20\00:31:48.30
First question is
the Christian church
00:31:48.34\00:31:50.27
has been going out 2,000 years,
00:31:50.31\00:31:51.64
hasn't God had a
people like that before?
00:31:51.67\00:31:54.44
God has always had a people.
00:31:54.48\00:31:57.55
Sometimes they were in
the rocks and the mountains,
00:31:57.58\00:31:59.41
sometimes they have been
persecuted by the church,
00:31:59.45\00:32:02.52
sometimes they
were very much scattered
00:32:02.55\00:32:04.92
but there's
always been a people.
00:32:04.95\00:32:06.69
And I think to harmonize
some things that you both said,
00:32:06.72\00:32:08.82
I see this parallel with
the first coming of Christ.
00:32:08.86\00:32:11.43
There is this
mechanism or these mechanisms
00:32:11.46\00:32:15.76
that God has put in
place to get the gospel out
00:32:15.80\00:32:18.83
but there is also
a hunger for Christ.
00:32:18.87\00:32:22.40
You know, if you
have a beautiful banquet
00:32:22.44\00:32:24.47
but everybody is already
eaten their food sits there
00:32:24.51\00:32:27.64
but there is this
hunger and there is this food
00:32:27.68\00:32:31.15
and God has put in the mechanism
00:32:31.18\00:32:33.38
so get the food from the
table to the mouths of those
00:32:33.42\00:32:36.55
who are hungering
for righteousness sake.
00:32:36.58\00:32:39.75
So more than ever
before, we have the ability,
00:32:39.79\00:32:44.36
if we have the willingness,
we have the ability,
00:32:44.39\00:32:46.06
technologically
to get the gospel
00:32:46.09\00:32:47.96
where it needs to go
00:32:48.00\00:32:49.33
and we are
finding as the gospel got
00:32:49.36\00:32:51.93
that there are
millions and millions of people
00:32:51.97\00:32:53.60
who are looking for the gospel
or looking for Jesus Christ.
00:32:53.64\00:32:56.60
And if we as Shelley
has-- we could develop that,
00:32:56.64\00:33:00.18
you know, you get me kind of
excited in this kind of thing.
00:33:00.21\00:33:03.14
You get to Book of Isaiah which
is one of my favorite books.
00:33:03.18\00:33:05.91
I see in Isaiah
almost a schizophrenic God
00:33:05.95\00:33:09.88
because He wants so badly
for His people to be saved.
00:33:09.92\00:33:12.55
He wants so badly for
them to listen and to hear.
00:33:12.59\00:33:15.49
You have God saying things like,
00:33:15.52\00:33:17.89
okay, I'm done with you.
00:33:17.93\00:33:20.70
When you call
I'm not gonna hear.
00:33:20.73\00:33:22.83
When you call in
your pan I'm gonna laugh.
00:33:22.86\00:33:24.93
Find another god, I just can't.
00:33:24.97\00:33:26.94
I've tried to bless
you. I've tried to curse you.
00:33:26.97\00:33:28.57
I've tried to spank you.
I've tried to praise you.
00:33:28.60\00:33:30.07
I patted you on your back.
00:33:30.11\00:33:31.44
I have done everything I can,
00:33:31.47\00:33:32.91
I don't know what
else to do, so I quit.
00:33:32.94\00:33:35.28
Oh, by the way, I love you.
00:33:35.31\00:33:37.08
You know, so He just want
and I see that in God today
00:33:37.11\00:33:40.88
that He just wants so
badly that He will use anybody,
00:33:40.92\00:33:44.59
at anytime, at any place
00:33:44.62\00:33:46.02
who will say I'm
willing to be used.
00:33:46.05\00:33:47.49
He took a Danny Shelton.
00:33:47.52\00:33:49.96
High school educated guy,
00:33:49.99\00:33:51.83
knows nothing about television,
00:33:51.86\00:33:53.23
certainly is not
00:33:53.26\00:33:54.66
an
electronically sophisticated God
00:33:54.70\00:33:56.46
but just has a willingness.
00:33:56.50\00:33:57.83
So God says, "I'll use him."
00:33:57.87\00:33:59.30
Takes Mark
Finley, "I'll use him."
00:33:59.33\00:34:01.44
Or Shelley
Quinn, I'll take anybody
00:34:01.47\00:34:03.57
because I want the
world to be warned,
00:34:03.61\00:34:05.07
I want the world to be safe.
00:34:05.11\00:34:06.44
So you not to be educated,
00:34:06.47\00:34:07.81
you are not to be totally smart,
00:34:07.84\00:34:09.18
you are not to be
particularly eloquent,
00:34:09.21\00:34:10.55
you just got to
want to do His will.
00:34:10.58\00:34:12.08
And if you want to do
His will He will use you
00:34:12.11\00:34:14.08
and He will do
marvelous and wonderful things
00:34:14.12\00:34:16.92
through you, to you,
for you, and with you
00:34:16.95\00:34:18.85
that you could
not do by yourself.
00:34:18.89\00:34:20.39
Let me interpret
what you just said.
00:34:20.42\00:34:23.09
Oh, yeah, that was a mouthful.
00:34:23.12\00:34:25.69
Still in for His mark.
00:34:25.73\00:34:27.16
If I understand what
you are saying is this,
00:34:27.20\00:34:29.76
that down through the centuries
God has always had a people.
00:34:29.80\00:34:32.10
Yes.
00:34:32.13\00:34:33.47
He's always had a people
they have been committed to Him,
00:34:33.50\00:34:35.74
that have served Him,
00:34:35.77\00:34:37.17
that have been all out for God
00:34:37.21\00:34:39.11
but He is longing for a--
00:34:39.14\00:34:42.71
for His church as a
corporate whole to a number
00:34:42.74\00:34:46.92
known only to God to
have a group of people
00:34:46.95\00:34:50.15
that will demonstrate
His love before waiting world
00:34:50.19\00:34:52.45
that are watching universe
00:34:52.49\00:34:53.99
who are totally
sold out for God.
00:34:54.02\00:34:55.66
Yes.
00:34:55.69\00:34:57.03
So in the final generation
of this earth's history
00:34:57.06\00:35:00.60
the living
Christ will be manifest
00:35:00.63\00:35:02.36
in the heart's of people
00:35:02.40\00:35:04.00
who has come to the cross
00:35:04.03\00:35:06.10
not some legalistic
type of perfectionism
00:35:06.13\00:35:10.71
but their hearts will
be broken over Calvary
00:35:10.74\00:35:13.88
and God would demonstrate
not through one or two
00:35:13.91\00:35:17.18
but through a group of people
00:35:17.21\00:35:19.28
that number is
only known to God.
00:35:19.31\00:35:20.65
Yes.
00:35:20.68\00:35:22.02
And through a group of
people before the whole universe
00:35:22.05\00:35:24.79
of His love on earth
00:35:24.82\00:35:26.15
and it kind of leads me,
Shelley, to something you said,
00:35:26.19\00:35:28.69
I wish you would unpack
that for us a little bit.
00:35:28.72\00:35:30.66
Wish you define
that a little bit more.
00:35:30.69\00:35:33.23
You talked about
being perfected in holiness
00:35:33.26\00:35:36.77
and that can be misunderstood
by a lot of people.
00:35:36.80\00:35:41.14
You know, I-- What
do you mean by that?
00:35:41.17\00:35:42.97
All right.
00:35:43.00\00:35:44.34
Well, the wonderful thing
is, here's what I believe again,
00:35:44.37\00:35:48.74
1 Thessalonians 3:12, 13
it is God is doing the action,
00:35:48.78\00:35:54.42
Paul says, "And
the Lord make you
00:35:54.45\00:35:57.79
to increase and abound in love"
00:35:57.82\00:36:00.46
so that he may perfect
you in holiness of the coming
00:36:00.49\00:36:04.93
of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.
00:36:04.96\00:36:07.26
Romans 5:5 says that God
pours His love into our heart
00:36:07.30\00:36:11.43
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
00:36:11.47\00:36:13.70
God is love.
00:36:13.74\00:36:15.07
The essence of His spirit,
00:36:15.10\00:36:16.50
the essence of
His being is love.
00:36:16.54\00:36:19.51
I believe that God is waiting
for us to surrender to consent
00:36:19.54\00:36:24.75
to allow Him to
have His way with us
00:36:24.78\00:36:27.35
but as He pours His
love into our hearts
00:36:27.38\00:36:32.02
divine love consumes sin.
00:36:32.05\00:36:36.19
I believe this is
why no one can stand
00:36:36.22\00:36:38.49
in the presence of the Lord
00:36:38.53\00:36:39.86
seeing face to face is
because this divine love
00:36:39.89\00:36:43.97
totally separates God from sin.
00:36:44.00\00:36:48.30
It establishes His holiness.
00:36:48.34\00:36:51.74
Divine love
establishes His holiness.
00:36:51.77\00:36:54.78
And the way the Bible
says, you know, I mean,
00:36:54.81\00:36:57.41
throughout the Bible the
promises in Thessalonians
00:36:57.45\00:37:01.55
and in Hebrews it
says that, God is faithful.
00:37:01.58\00:37:04.89
He is the one that's
going to establish us, you know,
00:37:04.92\00:37:08.99
body, soul and spirit
00:37:09.02\00:37:10.56
but as this love is
poured into our hearts
00:37:10.59\00:37:13.83
then two things happen
00:37:13.86\00:37:15.76
Number one, we-- Jesus said,
00:37:15.80\00:37:19.30
if you love me
obey my commandments.
00:37:19.33\00:37:21.60
We out of love our obedience
flows in a natural way.
00:37:21.64\00:37:28.21
And so this
perfects us in holiness
00:37:28.24\00:37:31.81
because it's separating us,
00:37:31.85\00:37:33.82
the sanctification
process separates us from sin.
00:37:33.85\00:37:37.85
But then we by His power
00:37:37.89\00:37:40.76
can love Him
with all of our heart,
00:37:40.79\00:37:42.12
soul, mind and strength
00:37:42.16\00:37:43.69
and love one
another as we love ourselves
00:37:43.73\00:37:46.49
only by the power of
God's love within us.
00:37:46.53\00:37:50.03
So it's just
divine love consumed sin
00:37:50.07\00:37:55.67
and when we are filled
with His essence of His being
00:37:55.70\00:38:00.18
that's how we establish
as Christ character in us,
00:38:00.21\00:38:03.04
it's this divine love.
00:38:03.08\00:38:04.41
It's not some, you
know, sappy little thing
00:38:04.45\00:38:07.68
it's something that makes us
stand up and become like God.
00:38:07.72\00:38:13.15
And, Mark, as you pick
up that mind of Christ,
00:38:13.19\00:38:16.69
that character of Christ
00:38:16.73\00:38:18.06
you also pick up
the burdens of Christ.
00:38:18.09\00:38:20.36
And of course
the burden of Christ
00:38:20.40\00:38:21.73
is to see men and women saved.
00:38:21.76\00:38:23.30
So it's no longer work to go to
your next on neighbor and say,
00:38:23.33\00:38:26.17
"Listen, I see you
having some trouble.
00:38:26.20\00:38:28.44
Let me pray with you." Amen.
00:38:28.47\00:38:30.24
"You know, let's
study the Word of God.
00:38:30.27\00:38:31.94
There is something in here,
doesn't answer in here for you.
00:38:31.97\00:38:34.41
It's not worth
to do that anymore.
00:38:34.44\00:38:35.88
It's something
you want to do that.
00:38:35.91\00:38:37.25
Your law-- you almost
have to be kept from doing it
00:38:37.28\00:38:39.55
because it's
part of your nature.
00:38:39.58\00:38:40.92
It's part of who you are
00:38:40.95\00:38:42.28
because it's part
of who Christ is."
00:38:42.32\00:38:43.85
You know, when I thought
about this whole topic of Christ
00:38:43.89\00:38:49.56
and the return of
Jesus in the last generation
00:38:49.59\00:38:52.29
so forth I wrestled with it.
00:38:52.33\00:38:54.73
There are some things
that really made sense to me
00:38:54.76\00:38:57.37
and let me try them out to you.
00:38:57.40\00:38:59.07
You know, when you
look at Jesus, John 8:29,
00:38:59.10\00:39:01.60
"I do always those
things that please him."
00:39:01.64\00:39:04.61
Hebrews 10:7 "Lo, I come
in the volume of the book
00:39:04.64\00:39:07.44
it is written of me,
to do thy will, O God."
00:39:07.48\00:39:10.18
Matthew 26:39, "Not my
will, but thy will be done."
00:39:10.21\00:39:15.25
So what is the
essence of Christian
00:39:15.28\00:39:17.35
if want to use the
word perfection or maturity?
00:39:17.39\00:39:21.19
What is the essence
of Christian maturity?
00:39:21.22\00:39:23.63
It's an undivided heart.
00:39:23.66\00:39:25.86
A heart that says
"God, I'm totally Yours."
00:39:25.89\00:39:28.86
So what God is looking for
00:39:28.90\00:39:30.67
is people with
an undivided heart.
00:39:30.70\00:39:33.27
So as our hearts are undivided.
00:39:33.30\00:39:35.97
When our hearts are undivided
00:39:36.00\00:39:38.27
the living
Christ through His love
00:39:38.31\00:39:40.34
as Shelley has
mentioned enters into our life
00:39:40.38\00:39:42.81
and that love
begins to transform us.
00:39:42.84\00:39:45.91
So there we come to Christ
00:39:45.95\00:39:48.32
and through the
course of Calvary
00:39:48.35\00:39:50.72
His spirit leads us to Calvary.
00:39:50.75\00:39:52.79
His spirit breaks our hearts.
00:39:52.82\00:39:54.22
We repent at anything
that separates us from Him
00:39:54.26\00:39:57.39
and we say, "Lord, I don't
want to do anything in my life
00:39:57.43\00:39:59.56
that separates me from You.
00:39:59.59\00:40:01.00
I want to have
an undivided heart.
00:40:01.03\00:40:02.36
A heart of complete royalty."
00:40:02.40\00:40:04.13
When we come to Him
with those undivided hearts
00:40:04.17\00:40:06.50
He counts us perfect
through Jesus Christ.
00:40:06.53\00:40:08.67
Absolutely. Yeah.
00:40:08.70\00:40:10.04
Our perfection
is always in Jesus,
00:40:10.07\00:40:11.41
it's never in ourselves.
00:40:11.44\00:40:12.77
Absolutely. Correct.
00:40:12.81\00:40:14.14
So He counts us as
perfect through Christ
00:40:14.18\00:40:15.51
the one who live
the perfect life for us.
00:40:15.54\00:40:17.55
Then He begins to work in us
because our heart is undivided
00:40:17.58\00:40:21.78
and to reveal to us
plagues, spots in our character
00:40:21.82\00:40:25.25
that have helped
that develop within us
00:40:25.29\00:40:29.02
so that we are
becoming more like Him.
00:40:29.06\00:40:31.79
And as God has
that kind of people
00:40:31.83\00:40:33.50
with an undivided heart
00:40:33.53\00:40:35.00
His spirit is poured
out on them in the last days
00:40:35.03\00:40:38.13
through later rain power
00:40:38.17\00:40:40.07
and the gospel goes to the
ends of the rapidly and quickly.
00:40:40.10\00:40:44.54
Now if somebody said
to you but personally,
00:40:44.57\00:40:49.74
"How do I prepare
for the coming of Jesus
00:40:49.78\00:40:52.31
and how-- help
me through a process
00:40:52.35\00:40:56.48
of total absolute
commitment to Christ?"
00:40:56.52\00:41:00.66
There's a few who
are watching that says,
00:41:00.69\00:41:02.06
"You know, I
sense that we are living
00:41:02.09\00:41:04.69
in unique of earth's history.
00:41:04.73\00:41:06.06
I sense that
Jesus is coming soon
00:41:06.09\00:41:07.46
and I really want
to be used of Christ.
00:41:07.50\00:41:09.90
But, you know, sometimes
I have this divided heart.
00:41:09.93\00:41:13.20
Sometimes I'm more of for
God and sometimes I'm not.
00:41:13.23\00:41:16.81
Sometimes I'm on the
mountain top of victory
00:41:16.84\00:41:19.84
but sometime I'm in
the valley of defeat.
00:41:19.87\00:41:22.24
How can I move from
the valley of defeat
00:41:22.28\00:41:24.08
to the mountain top of victory?
00:41:24.11\00:41:25.75
How can I move
from the Christian
00:41:25.78\00:41:28.05
who is struggling,
failing, falling down stumbling?
00:41:28.08\00:41:34.42
How can I live the life
that God wants me to live?
00:41:34.46\00:41:38.19
I know I want to live that
00:41:38.23\00:41:39.79
but I'm afraid
I'm not there yet?"
00:41:39.83\00:41:43.73
Let's see if I can get to
where I want to get in a hurry.
00:41:43.77\00:41:47.10
There's a verse in Romans 6:16,
00:41:47.14\00:41:53.68
here's something that
we don't always recognize.
00:41:53.71\00:41:57.25
We are Paul says,
slaves to whom we obey.
00:41:57.28\00:42:01.88
In Romans 6:16 he says,
"Do you not know that to whom
00:42:01.92\00:42:06.65
you present
yourselves slaves to obey,
00:42:06.69\00:42:09.16
you are that one's
slaves whom you obey,
00:42:09.19\00:42:11.53
whether of sin leading to death,
00:42:11.56\00:42:14.00
or of obedience
leading to righteousness?"
00:42:14.03\00:42:18.30
For some reason there has
been even within our own church
00:42:18.33\00:42:24.71
there have been
times where it's been like,
00:42:24.74\00:42:27.51
okay, you've got to
work out your own salvation
00:42:27.54\00:42:30.35
and they forget
00:42:30.38\00:42:31.71
but not without God's
power to will and to do in you.
00:42:31.75\00:42:35.48
There are times when
they are so much focused
00:42:35.52\00:42:37.62
on what we can do
00:42:37.65\00:42:39.02
then there's other people
00:42:39.05\00:42:40.62
who are focused so much on grace
00:42:40.66\00:42:43.79
and we don't
have to do anything,
00:42:43.83\00:42:45.53
there has to be this
blend and I believe that
00:42:45.56\00:42:48.00
and Ellen White has said this
"That righteousness by faith
00:42:48.03\00:42:50.37
will be one of
the last messages."
00:42:50.40\00:42:52.90
I see that we are
coming to that righteousness
00:42:52.93\00:42:55.94
by faith message
00:42:55.97\00:42:57.37
where people are
beginning to understand that
00:42:57.41\00:43:00.41
it is only as God imparts
00:43:00.44\00:43:03.55
and imputes Christ
righteousness to us
00:43:03.58\00:43:07.02
that we can even
stand before holy God
00:43:07.05\00:43:10.09
because the best we can do
00:43:10.12\00:43:12.12
is filthy rags
before Him, right.
00:43:12.15\00:43:15.16
But when we would understand,
if I could speak to anyone
00:43:15.19\00:43:18.89
that's watching
today what I would say is,
00:43:18.93\00:43:20.83
if we can
understand that the only way
00:43:20.86\00:43:24.93
we can even obey
is by God's grace.
00:43:24.97\00:43:27.84
It is only as you
open your heart to God
00:43:27.87\00:43:30.84
and let Him by His grace
00:43:30.87\00:43:33.64
give us the gift of
Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit
00:43:33.68\00:43:36.54
and the word that then we can
00:43:36.58\00:43:40.82
even though it's
righteousness by faith
00:43:40.85\00:43:42.48
obedience leads
to righteousness.
00:43:42.52\00:43:44.55
He puts the desire in us to obey
00:43:44.59\00:43:47.72
and I think that
something that for me,
00:43:47.76\00:43:50.19
Mark, as I study the word
00:43:50.23\00:43:52.49
there's times when I'm reading
00:43:52.53\00:43:53.86
and I don't know how many times
00:43:53.90\00:43:55.23
I may have read this passage
00:43:55.26\00:43:56.60
but now I'm
reading a passage again
00:43:56.63\00:43:58.20
and suddenly it's like,
00:43:58.23\00:43:59.63
"Ah, Lord, I'm doing something
that totally displeases you
00:43:59.67\00:44:03.61
and I'm just now seeing this."
00:44:03.64\00:44:06.21
I rejoice in recognizing my sin.
00:44:06.24\00:44:09.14
Even though God
gives me that godly sorrow
00:44:09.18\00:44:11.01
because that's
that step of repentance
00:44:11.05\00:44:14.22
and then He leads me along
00:44:14.25\00:44:17.12
as He works in
me to willing to do.
00:44:17.15\00:44:19.12
Am I making sense with my--
00:44:19.15\00:44:20.86
Yeah. Yeah.
00:44:20.89\00:44:22.22
Okay, He leads me along
00:44:22.26\00:44:24.43
and it's all
righteousness by faith
00:44:24.46\00:44:26.56
but it's God working
in me to cause me to obey.
00:44:26.59\00:44:29.56
Yeah.
00:44:29.60\00:44:30.93
And I think
obedience is a beautiful word
00:44:30.97\00:44:34.27
as long as we don't
feel like this is something
00:44:34.30\00:44:37.37
that is going to save us.
00:44:37.41\00:44:39.81
It is we obey
because we are saved.
00:44:39.84\00:44:43.04
So I would say that a
relationship with the word,
00:44:43.08\00:44:47.75
in prayer
00:44:47.78\00:44:49.78
and I'm not talking
about 10 minutes of prayer.
00:44:49.82\00:44:52.62
When God changed my
life it's when He called me
00:44:52.65\00:44:54.82
to pray an hour a day.
00:44:54.86\00:44:56.52
When we spend
significant time with the Lord,
00:44:56.56\00:44:59.59
learning to listen
for His still small voice,
00:44:59.63\00:45:02.46
learning to follow
the leading in the spirit
00:45:02.50\00:45:05.47
which always follows His word
00:45:05.50\00:45:08.30
that's how to me we
prepare for His coming.
00:45:08.34\00:45:11.57
That's really helpful, Shelley.
00:45:11.61\00:45:12.97
C.A., if somebody comes
to your office and says,
00:45:13.01\00:45:16.14
"Pastor, I'm
struggling as a Christian.
00:45:16.18\00:45:18.88
I sense Jesus is
coming soon. Pastor, help me."
00:45:18.91\00:45:22.18
Two things, one I
want to go to Ephesians 2:8
00:45:22.22\00:45:28.96
"For by grace you have
been saved through faith,
00:45:28.99\00:45:31.53
and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God."
00:45:31.56\00:45:33.36
So there is a
gift waiting for you.
00:45:33.40\00:45:35.33
There's a present there for you.
00:45:35.36\00:45:36.93
It's under the tree,
there is a present for you.
00:45:36.97\00:45:39.20
You just got to get.
00:45:39.23\00:45:40.57
"Not of works, lest
anyone should boast."
00:45:40.60\00:45:42.27
So you don't have to strive.
00:45:42.30\00:45:43.84
"For we are His workmanship,
00:45:43.87\00:45:46.01
created in Christ
Jesus for good works,
00:45:46.04\00:45:49.58
which God prepared beforehand
that we should walk in them."
00:45:49.61\00:45:52.65
Then I would add
to that Romans 12:1
00:45:52.68\00:45:57.89
"I beseech you
therefore, brethren,
00:45:57.92\00:45:59.25
by the mercies of God,
00:45:59.29\00:46:00.66
that you present your bodies"
and I want to stop right there.
00:46:00.69\00:46:04.13
Present your bodies that means
to put yourself in a position
00:46:04.16\00:46:08.60
where God will work with
you for you to and through.
00:46:08.63\00:46:11.13
It may mean you have to
turn off your television set.
00:46:11.17\00:46:13.54
It may mean you have to
00:46:13.57\00:46:15.47
may be separate
yourselves from friends.
00:46:15.50\00:46:17.31
But if you want it God
wants it more than you do.
00:46:17.34\00:46:21.11
So just present yourself to Him.
00:46:21.14\00:46:22.94
Spend the time in prayer.
Spend the time in Bible study.
00:46:22.98\00:46:26.01
Present yourselves so
that you are in a position
00:46:26.05\00:46:28.58
for God to do what
He wants to do for you
00:46:28.62\00:46:31.22
with you, to
you, and through you.
00:46:31.25\00:46:32.92
And I've got to add
one thing that I left out
00:46:32.95\00:46:34.92
some most important thing.
00:46:34.96\00:46:36.29
Its Luke 9:23 Jesus said,
"Ask and it will be given,
00:46:36.32\00:46:40.40
seek and you will find,
00:46:40.43\00:46:41.76
knock and the
door will be opened."
00:46:41.80\00:46:43.20
Then He goes on to
explain what we are asking for
00:46:43.23\00:46:47.14
and in the Greek these
are present imperative,
00:46:47.17\00:46:49.80
there are linear
verbs, it's keep on asking,
00:46:49.84\00:46:52.27
keep on seeking, keep
on knocking and He says,
00:46:52.31\00:46:55.44
if you being evil know
00:46:55.48\00:46:56.81
how to give good
gifts to you children
00:46:56.85\00:46:58.55
how much will the heavenly
Father give the Holy Spirit
00:46:58.58\00:47:02.48
to those who ask.
00:47:02.52\00:47:03.85
So to me I think that the most
important activity of the day
00:47:03.89\00:47:08.09
is when you
first wake up to pray,
00:47:08.12\00:47:11.26
to be filled afresh
with the Holy Spirit
00:47:11.29\00:47:13.43
because that is how
God works in us to will
00:47:13.46\00:47:15.93
and to do His good pleasure.
00:47:15.96\00:47:17.83
And, you know, I think
if you pray that every day
00:47:17.87\00:47:20.47
I know that when God
had me praying a hour a day
00:47:20.50\00:47:23.34
it was and I'm ashamed to say
00:47:23.37\00:47:27.04
that I don't do
that every day now
00:47:27.08\00:47:28.54
but I did it for 12 years
every day at least an hour.
00:47:28.58\00:47:32.51
But you get to that
point where you recognize
00:47:32.55\00:47:36.02
God's plan of salvation
00:47:36.05\00:47:38.25
is absolute total
dependence upon Him.
00:47:38.29\00:47:41.26
And if we can recognize that
00:47:41.29\00:47:44.16
that's where we
quit the striving.
00:47:44.19\00:47:45.63
Yes.
00:47:45.66\00:47:47.00
It's that idea and I
used to tell my husband,
00:47:47.03\00:47:49.40
"Just
surrender. Just surrender."
00:47:49.43\00:47:50.87
He was like,
"What does that mean?"
00:47:50.90\00:47:52.43
Just give God consent to
work in your life, to lead.
00:47:52.47\00:47:58.27
Present yourself before.
And present yourself before.
00:47:58.31\00:48:01.94
Yeah. Yeah.
00:48:01.98\00:48:03.61
Really well said.
00:48:03.65\00:48:04.98
Preparation for the
coming of Christ as you
00:48:05.01\00:48:08.22
so well put it simply
means it's not complicated,
00:48:08.25\00:48:12.05
it's not rocket
scientists, science,
00:48:12.09\00:48:14.82
it simply means
"Lord I'm Yours."
00:48:14.86\00:48:17.53
Yes. Yes. "Lord, I'm Yours."
00:48:17.56\00:48:21.36
As I come to Christ even
the desire to come to Christ
00:48:21.40\00:48:25.83
is prompted by the Holy Spirit.
00:48:25.87\00:48:27.90
Amen.
00:48:27.94\00:48:29.27
So there are people
watching our program right now
00:48:29.30\00:48:33.24
that have that desire
00:48:33.27\00:48:36.14
and God is moving in your heart.
00:48:36.18\00:48:38.65
You sense that there may
be something in your life
00:48:38.68\00:48:41.88
out of harmony with God's will
00:48:41.92\00:48:44.49
that very
conviction, that very desire
00:48:44.52\00:48:48.69
that you have that
something may not be right
00:48:48.72\00:48:51.43
in your life
00:48:51.46\00:48:52.79
that desire is given by Jesus.
00:48:52.83\00:48:54.56
Yes. Amen.
00:48:54.60\00:48:55.93
So we don't even come to
Christ without the Holy Spirit.
00:48:55.96\00:48:58.63
The Bible says in Romans 2,
00:48:58.67\00:49:00.00
it is the goodness of God
that leads us to repentance.
00:49:00.04\00:49:03.20
So the Holy Spirit leads us
00:49:03.24\00:49:05.84
and then we
must make the choice.
00:49:05.87\00:49:08.88
We cannot do it without God
00:49:08.91\00:49:11.85
but God will not
do it without us.
00:49:11.88\00:49:15.15
Amen.
00:49:15.18\00:49:16.52
We come to Jesus under
the impulse of the Holy Spirit
00:49:16.55\00:49:20.72
and we say, Lord, I'm Yours.
00:49:20.76\00:49:23.32
You have pointed out
this specific thing in my life
00:49:23.36\00:49:26.76
I surrender it to You now.
00:49:26.80\00:49:29.03
Once we make that
choice to surrender that thing
00:49:29.06\00:49:33.17
that God points
on it our life to God
00:49:33.20\00:49:35.60
He begins to work in us.
00:49:35.64\00:49:37.67
Amen.
00:49:37.71\00:49:39.04
He beings to
transform our lives.
00:49:39.07\00:49:41.21
I love Philippians Chapter
2, Philippians the 2 Chapter
00:49:41.24\00:49:47.45
where the Bible
talks about the fact
00:49:47.48\00:49:49.45
that as we come to Christ
00:49:49.48\00:49:51.59
as we give our lives to Him,
00:49:51.62\00:49:53.59
He works in us in amazing ways.
00:49:53.62\00:49:56.56
In Philippians 2:13,
00:49:56.59\00:50:01.00
"It is God who
works in you both"
00:50:01.03\00:50:04.03
I love the word both.
00:50:04.07\00:50:05.63
"It is God who works in you both
00:50:05.67\00:50:07.50
to will and to do
his good pleasure."
00:50:07.54\00:50:10.37
Yes.
00:50:10.41\00:50:11.74
So it's God that
works in our hearts.
00:50:11.77\00:50:14.41
We come to Him. We
surrender our life to Him.
00:50:14.44\00:50:17.61
He begins to work in us
to transform us by His grace.
00:50:17.65\00:50:22.08
And you say, "But I'm
not everything I want to be.
00:50:22.12\00:50:24.45
I want to be so
much more for Christ."
00:50:24.49\00:50:27.56
Look at 1 John 2 and 3.
00:50:27.59\00:50:30.83
1 John Chapter 3,
00:50:30.86\00:50:33.06
here is one of I think
the most encouraging passages
00:50:33.09\00:50:36.67
in all the Bible.
00:50:36.70\00:50:38.03
In 1 John Chapter 3
the Bible puts it this way.
00:50:38.07\00:50:42.64
1 John 3:1, 2,
00:50:42.67\00:50:44.87
"Behold what manner of love
00:50:44.91\00:50:47.18
the Father has bestowed upon us,
00:50:47.21\00:50:49.91
that we should be
called children of God!"
00:50:49.94\00:50:52.81
When you come to Jesus Christ
He accepts you as His child.
00:50:52.85\00:50:56.62
Amen. You are led
by the Holy Spirit.
00:50:56.65\00:50:59.05
You surrender
your life to Christ.
00:50:59.09\00:51:01.09
You may not be
everything you want to be
00:51:01.12\00:51:03.26
but you are a child of God.
00:51:03.29\00:51:04.63
But look, "Behold
what manner of love
00:51:04.66\00:51:06.33
the Father has bestowed on us,
00:51:06.36\00:51:07.73
that we might be
called children of God!
00:51:07.76\00:51:09.83
Therefore the
world does not know us,
00:51:09.86\00:51:12.30
because it did not know Him."
00:51:12.33\00:51:14.17
Now notice the next verse.
00:51:14.20\00:51:15.97
"Beloved, now we
are children of God,
00:51:16.00\00:51:18.94
" what is the
word there, "Beloved."
00:51:18.97\00:51:20.31
What? What is it?
00:51:20.34\00:51:21.68
"Beloved, now we
are children of God."
00:51:21.71\00:51:24.55
So immediately
when we come to Christ
00:51:24.58\00:51:27.52
we surrender our life to Him.
00:51:27.55\00:51:29.58
We say, "Lord, all I
want my life is to please You.
00:51:29.62\00:51:32.55
"Beloved, now we
are children of God,
00:51:32.59\00:51:34.69
and it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be,
00:51:34.72\00:51:39.49
but we know that
when He is revealed,
00:51:39.53\00:51:41.73
we shall be like Him, for
we shall see Him as He is."
00:51:41.76\00:51:44.63
Glory to God. Amen. Amen.
00:51:44.67\00:51:47.04
Here is the incredible
good news, coming to Jesus,
00:51:47.07\00:51:52.77
He accepts us as His children.
00:51:52.81\00:51:56.61
We are His children. We
are justified by His grace.
00:51:56.64\00:52:00.72
We are surrounded
by His righteousness
00:52:00.75\00:52:04.45
and He beings to work in us
00:52:04.49\00:52:06.55
revealing to us things
that are not in harmony
00:52:06.59\00:52:08.79
with His character.
00:52:08.82\00:52:10.19
Revealing to us things
00:52:10.23\00:52:11.56
that are out of
harmony with His will
00:52:11.59\00:52:14.56
and we say, Jesus, I
surrender that thing to you.
00:52:14.60\00:52:18.13
He works in us by His power.
00:52:18.17\00:52:20.34
You may not be what
you want to be right now
00:52:20.37\00:52:24.51
but in Christ and through Christ
00:52:24.54\00:52:25.97
and because of Christ
00:52:26.01\00:52:27.34
one day you will be like Him
00:52:27.38\00:52:30.95
filled with His love and grace.
00:52:30.98\00:52:33.25
We need to go to news break
right now, so let's do that.
00:52:33.28\00:52:35.58