¤ ¤
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¤ I want to spend my
life mending broken people ¤
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¤ I want to spend
my life removing pain ¤
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¤ Lord let my words
heal a heart that hurts ¤
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¤ I want to spend my
life mending broken people ¤
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¤ ¤
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Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
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I'm J.D. Quinn.
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And we welcome you to 3ABN
Today. We have an incredible
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topic today. One of my favorites
And I just want to say this,
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the everlasting gospel, the
eternal gospel can be found in
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Revelation 13:8, the Lamb who
was slain from the foundation of
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the world. And the goal of the
plan of redemption we find in
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2 Corinthians 5:21 that God
made Him who knew no sin, Jesus
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Christ, to be sin that we might
become the righteousness of God
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in Christ Jesus. I think
that is so exciting because
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righteousness by faith is the
only kind of righteousness that
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there is. Isn't
that what Isaiah said?
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That's what exactly.
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Isaiah 64:6. The best Shelley
Quinn can do is like filthy rags
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before the Lord. But when
He looks at me He sees the
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righteousness of
Christ. Hallelujah. Well we have
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three distinguished guests with
us today. Let me introduce them.
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Honey, you want
to introduce them?
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Well I certainly can. This is
very sophisticated right here.
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I always like talking with
doctors. My mother wanted me to
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be a doctor. That's about as
close as we got. Doctor, well
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I'm going to say, Bob,
Dr. Bob Hunsacker, welcome.
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Thank you. Good to be here.
We appreciate our time here.
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Dr. Brian Schwartz, Welcome.
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Good morning. Thank you.
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Amen, amen. And Dee Casper.
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Howdy. Good to be here.
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I just love it. Yeah,
that word makes sense.
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That's exactly right.
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You know it's exciting.
You've all been at 3ABN before.
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Dr. Hunsaker and Dr. Schwartz
serve with ASI. They serve on
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AMEN board. I mean these guys
are incredible. We're here today
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to talk about the 1888 Message
Study Committee and Bob, you are
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the president (Yes, Uh-huh).
Brian what is your position with
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I chair the board.
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You chair the board. And then
we've got down here Dee Casper
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who's no...He is no stranger.
If you've ever watched Raw
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Questions and Relevant Answers
you've seen Dee Casper at his
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best. And Dee, you are the
director for CORE Evangelism.
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Yes, that's right.
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Tell us a little bit about CORE.
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So CORE is basically a
nine-month discipleship and
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evangelism training program
that's giving young people kind
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of a strong foundational
core experience with Jesus for
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themselves. It's kind of a
conversion and retention program
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teaching young people how to see
themselves and God is a healthy
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light through the lens of the
1888 message. And then we have a
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second semester version of our
program called Track Two for a
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more mature age demographic
like 21 and over. And so um...
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So I'd have to be
in the second program.
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That's right. So
there's activities
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for everyone but our burden
is to disciple people and give
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them the message of the
everlasting gospel and Christ
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our righteousness and to empower
them to share that with other
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people...(indistinct)
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Welcome back. We're going to get
deep into the 1888 message today
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and why it is so relevant for
all of us but first, we know you
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love music. Who's
going to do our music today?
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Well it's going to be a trumpet
solo, a trumpet solo. 'Tis So
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Sweet Melody by Carl Dorve.
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¤ ¤ Trumpet and Piano
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¤ ¤ Piano alone
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¤ ¤ Trumpet Variation and Piano
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¤ ¤ Trumpet
Variation and Piano Variation
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That was just absolutely amazing
and I'm sorry that I don't know
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who was accompanying him but
anyway thank you for both the
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piano and the
trumpet. That was fantastic...
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It was beautiful. Okay if you're
just joining us our special
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guests are Dr. Robert
Hunsaker, Dr. Brian Schwartz and
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Dee Casper. And they are here
today because they are with the
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1888 Message Study Committee
and we're here to talk about
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something really important.
First of all, why is the message
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that came forth from much study
in the Adventist movement in
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1888, why is that so important?
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That's a great question Shelley.
I think the thing to remember is
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God's always taking opportunity
to communicate to His people.
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Throughout salvation history,
throughout Adventist history,
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God has picked out individuals
to communicate to us to help us
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advance as a corporate church
and as individuals. So in 1888,
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a very significant communication
we could say came from God to
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our church. It involved a lot of
really important points but it
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was identified at that time
by those who were there as the
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beginning of the latter rain and
the loud cry of the third angel.
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(Amen) So that tells us we had
this unique opportunity, this
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unique privilege of beginning to
experience the outpouring of the
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Holy Spirit in this message
of Christ's righteousness and
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uplifting Him in a way that
we hadn't appreciated in our
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history for a significant period
of time. So we always need to
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remember that this is that
beginning of the latter rain
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and God has much, much
more for us. But that was the
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beginning of it.
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And you know of we don't
understand what God showed those
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who began the 1888 message,
we are never going to have
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assurance of salvation, ever.
And it's something that when we
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talk about righteousness
by faith Dee what do you think
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is...Some people are reluctant
to accept it. Why do you
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think so?
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I think in our human
flesh our tendency is to own our
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experiences. We want to get
ourselves out of the problems
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that we've made. There's still
sabotage. We don't feel that
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we're good enough or worthy
enough or I've got to do these
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things to get myself out of this
mess. You know the immediate
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response in Adam and Eve in
the midst of their conflict when
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they fell was to fix their
problem, to have the fig leaves
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and many of our approaches
at righteousness are the same.
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It's a fig leaf solution. But
the true solution that God gave
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in the garden was the death
of someone else covering their
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shame and nakedness and
providing righteousness for them
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And so I think
that's the main point.
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Amen. You know I think
that what...I grew up in a New
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Testament church. We didn't talk
about grace. I knew about Jesus
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Christ. But we didn't talk about
grace, we didn't talk about
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righteousness by faith. And as I
began to study and I studied my
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way out of that church into a
church all they talked about was
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grace, but they made it sound
like grace was a license to sin.
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And I knew that didn't line up
with the scriptures. So as I was
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studying I believe in
righteousness by faith
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but I came to 1 John 3:7
that said, Only he who practices
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righteousness is righteous.
Wait a minute, we're made
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righteous by faith but
that righteousness changes our
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experience so that we walk
in obedience. Talk about the
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message.
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I think one of the critical
points of the 1888 message is
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that it was meant to move us
from a sense of obedience from
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obligation merely; I'm obligated
to do this, to a sense of loving
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God's character and wanting to
emulate for those around us. So
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one of my favorite authors says
those who keep the commandments
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of God from a sense of
obligation merely because we're
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required to do so do not obey.
So the 1888 message was meant
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to create in our hearts a
love for Jesus that produces
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obedience. It produces following
Him, not because we have to but
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because we love Him, we love His
character, we love His law and
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we see that's the best way
for all of us to live. So it's a
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change in motivation. No more am
I concerned about protecting my
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own salvation, getting to heaven
myself. Now I'm concerned about
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Christ's righteousness,
uplifting Him, His character and
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that Jesus receives His reward
before and above I receive my
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reward. It's His reward
that I care about, not mine.
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Amen. So I think you've got a
picture of the 1888 committee.
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Do you want to share that?
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This is a picture in our history
This is the event in October/
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November of 1888. We can put
that graphic up on the...This is
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just again...Most people thought
this was another just general
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business meeting conference.
But this is where the Lord
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communicated to us this very,
very special message of the
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righteousness of Christ and it
was meant to uplift the Savior,
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Ellen White tells us, in a
unique and pivotal way that we
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hadn't experienced before. And
that appreciation, that love for
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what God was doing for us would
be manifest in obedience to all
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the commandments of God (Amen)
not from a sense of obligation
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but a sense of love and
appreciation, a change in
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motivation.
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And this is something that I
love about you guys when you all
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get together for business
meetings you do more studying
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than you do business don't you.
(That's right) So what are some
00:14:19.59\00:14:23.49
of the unique points,
Brian, of the 1888 message.
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So for me personally, the things
that I resonated with especially
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is the aspect that God is
pursuing us. I grew up feeling
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like I first of all had to get
my life in order before He could
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possible accept me. But I
realized eventually that that
00:14:44.15\00:14:47.78
was a hopeless endeavor. But
God is pursuing us and He will
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pursue us to the very end, He
will never let us go The story
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of good shepherd who leaves the
99 and goes out into the night
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to pursue His lost sheep That is
very unique. And another aspect
00:14:58.76\00:15:05.00
that I think we've already
touched on but the messengers
00:15:05.03\00:15:08.30
Jones, Waggoner, and
Ellen White really brought
00:15:08.34\00:15:12.34
together the cleansing of
the sanctuary with the message
00:15:12.37\00:15:14.81
of righteousness by faith.
00:15:14.84\00:15:16.21
They saw that this would
produce a people that do keep
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the commandments of God, that
do have real righteousness, the
00:15:19.71\00:15:23.42
righteousness of Christ by faith
And another aspect that really
00:15:23.45\00:15:26.79
resonates is the faith of Jesus.
Anytime we shift the focus to
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what we have to do, if I'm
looking at my faith to produce
00:15:32.66\00:15:35.60
righteousness that's a weak and
untested faith. But the faith of
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Jesus has never failed. The
faith of Jesus has what stood
00:15:40.40\00:15:43.81
every test and it's come through
successful and He has conquered
00:15:43.84\00:15:47.11
sin in the flesh, the very
same flesh that we have He has
00:15:47.14\00:15:51.81
already encountered and He
conquered this flesh and He can
00:15:51.85\00:15:55.18
do the same thing in my
life and each of our lives.
00:15:55.22\00:15:58.35
Now I used to read Philippians
2:12 that says, Work out your
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own salvation with fear and
trembling. Boy, I did. My knees
00:16:02.16\00:16:05.93
would be knocking. I'd just
be trying so hard to be this
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perfect little girl and I
remember once I walked away from
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God. I told Him, I can't be what
you want me to be. There's no
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use trying. And He chased
me down with His love. But I'll
00:16:15.87\00:16:20.94
never forget, I'm reading
Philippians 2:12. There were no
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verses, there were no chapters.
You can't separate Philippians
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2:12 from Philippians 2:13. Work
out your own salvation but not
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in your own strength...For it is
God who works in you to will and
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to do His good pleasure. (That's
right) I think that...So tell us
00:16:39.89\00:16:43.30
a little about Jones and
Waggoner. Who were they? Tell us
00:16:43.33\00:16:48.14
about this message.
00:16:48.17\00:16:49.57
So E.J. Waggoner was an
individual whose dad had been an
00:16:49.60\00:16:53.17
Adventist pastor and he'd grown
up sort of I guess you could say
00:16:53.21\00:16:56.51
nominal Adventist. But he had
a conversion experience during a
00:16:56.54\00:17:01.25
meeting in 1882 where the
speaker was speaking and he had
00:17:01.28\00:17:05.45
a vision of Christ's
crucified for him. Something
00:17:05.49\00:17:07.99
unique he'd never
00:17:08.02\00:17:09.36
had before. And he said from
that moment on I determined that
00:17:09.39\00:17:12.43
whether I was studying the
Bible or I was doing evangelism,
00:17:12.46\00:17:15.20
whatever I was doing, I wanted
Christ and Him crucified to be
00:17:15.23\00:17:17.70
the center of my ministry.
(Amen!) A.T. Jones was a convert
00:17:17.73\00:17:21.47
He'd been in the Army. He was
a super high student of history
00:17:21.50\00:17:24.61
and he came in the 1880s to
the Adventist church became an
00:17:24.64\00:17:29.04
active minister and God selected
these two young men as they were
00:17:29.08\00:17:33.68
the responsive ones, the ones
that were studying and willing
00:17:33.72\00:17:35.88
to begin this latter
rain message to our church.
00:17:35.92\00:17:39.12
One of the emphases of
the 1888 message though was an
00:17:39.15\00:17:43.22
understanding of what God
has done for us before we ever
00:17:43.26\00:17:45.89
believe or acknowledge Him. For
example: In John chapter four we
00:17:45.93\00:17:50.57
have the story of the woman at
the well. And she goes back and
00:17:50.60\00:17:53.37
tells other people in the
village and then they say, Now
00:17:53.40\00:17:56.20
we believe, not just because of
you, but we believe because of
00:17:56.24\00:17:59.44
we've seen that Jesus is the
Christ, the Savior of the whole
00:17:59.47\00:18:03.21
world. So they saw that even
before they'd responded, Jesus
00:18:03.24\00:18:07.15
was already their Savior. In
1 Timothy 4:10 it says God is
00:18:07.18\00:18:11.79
the Savior not just of the
believer but of the whole world.
00:18:11.82\00:18:13.96
And 2 Corinthians chapter five
says God has reconciled not just
00:18:13.99\00:18:18.66
the believer but the whole world
to Himself. (Amen) So as we
00:18:18.69\00:18:21.46
appreciate what God has already
done for us, before we were
00:18:21.50\00:18:24.97
searching for Him, before we
believed in Him, before we even
00:18:25.00\00:18:27.47
heard about Him. God awakens in
us a response of appreciation.
00:18:27.50\00:18:30.57
And that's really sort of the
foundation of the 1888 message.
00:18:30.61\00:18:32.97
What has God done for you before
you ever heard about Him or
00:18:33.01\00:18:35.64
appreciated Him?
00:18:35.68\00:18:37.01
While we were yet
sinners, Paul says.
00:18:37.05\00:18:38.45
Yeah, amen, exactly.
00:18:38.48\00:18:39.81
He demonstrated His
love by sending excellence.
00:18:39.85\00:18:43.65
One thing about Jones and
Waggoner I really like, because
00:18:43.69\00:18:45.82
it was actually a
blended ministry. Wagonner was a
00:18:45.85\00:18:49.32
physician. Jones was a pastor.
And so we had the two working
00:18:49.36\00:18:52.39
together in ministry fully
engaged. And I really like what
00:18:52.43\00:18:56.36
Bob just said, that the emphasis
of this message is that God is
00:18:56.40\00:19:00.50
pursuing us. Everything we
do is in response to Him. And so
00:19:00.54\00:19:05.54
whether we love Him because
He first loved us. That's the
00:19:05.57\00:19:09.58
goodness of God that is drawing
us and leading us to repentance.
00:19:09.61\00:19:12.65
Um, He is the Savior of the
whole world but because of that
00:19:12.68\00:19:16.99
fact I can experience salvation.
He has justified me but I
00:19:17.02\00:19:22.12
experience justification in a
response, justification by faith
00:19:22.16\00:19:25.53
in response to what He
has already done. I have faith
00:19:25.56\00:19:29.56
because it's just responding to
the faith He's already had in me
00:19:29.60\00:19:32.73
(Amen!) All of those are
gospel aspects that make God the
00:19:32.77\00:19:37.04
initiator of our salvation
and it just frees me to respond
00:19:37.07\00:19:41.38
instead of feeling like, Oh I'm
not good enough, or I have to
00:19:41.41\00:19:43.71
crank up my willpower so that
I can be good enough to meet the
00:19:43.75\00:19:48.15
law or to meet the standard.
Totally different emphasis that
00:19:48.18\00:19:51.22
gives me peace and assurance.
00:19:51.25\00:19:53.46
I think Dee hit on it. You know,
I grew up in a performance-based
00:19:53.49\00:20:00.60
religion. And I felt like I had
to be such a good little girl
00:20:00.63\00:20:05.90
and I was a Sunday
School teacher and I went off to
00:20:05.93\00:20:10.71
college, they called me Miss
Goody Two Shoes. But I could
00:20:10.74\00:20:14.81
never be good enough. And if
that's what you think God's plan
00:20:14.84\00:20:20.05
of salvation is, it's very
discouraging. Very discouraging
00:20:20.08\00:20:25.05
isn't it?
00:20:25.09\00:20:26.42
Futility is kind of the word
that comes to mind. And I've
00:20:26.45\00:20:29.02
seen this with many of our young
people. I've been to like 35 of
00:20:29.06\00:20:31.16
our academies and many of them,
they find themselves, they know
00:20:31.19\00:20:34.53
what the standard is. They know
what they need to be at the end
00:20:34.56\00:20:37.00
of the assembly line. And they
look at where they currently are
00:20:37.03\00:20:40.40
with their best attempts at
trying to get there and they
00:20:40.44\00:20:43.44
realize that you know if God's
just going to ask things of me
00:20:43.47\00:20:46.31
that He knows I can't do,
why follow him. Kind of what
00:20:46.34\00:20:49.38
your experience which you
alluded to. And so they just
00:20:49.41\00:20:51.88
either, I'm not going to be good
enough, I'm a loser, I might as
00:20:51.91\00:20:54.35
well, quit. Or, God is
unreasonable. And what I found
00:20:54.38\00:20:58.02
that this message does for that
demographic is it helps them to
00:20:58.05\00:21:00.96
recognize that...young people
don't mind having a standard,
00:21:00.99\00:21:03.93
they don't mind having
accountability and so forth.
00:21:03.96\00:21:06.90
What they struggle with is the
fact that it doesn't make sense.
00:21:06.93\00:21:09.06
You're saying I need to be
something and there's no clear
00:21:09.10\00:21:12.30
path to success. What I found is
in the 1888 message, there's a
00:21:12.33\00:21:16.10
clear path to success that
God declares you righteous while
00:21:16.14\00:21:21.54
He's making you righteous.
(Amen!) He's doing this amazing
00:21:21.58\00:21:23.91
transformative work of standing
in your stead and transforming
00:21:23.95\00:21:27.55
you. And most of our young
people don't know that and I've
00:21:27.58\00:21:30.65
even found that many of our
adults don't fully understand
00:21:30.69\00:21:33.49
these principles. They kind of
wrestle with that same tension
00:21:33.52\00:21:35.86
inside as well of knowing what
I should be then, but I'm not
00:21:35.89\00:21:39.56
that now, so where do we stand?
And this message brings this
00:21:39.59\00:21:44.67
perfect balance of acceptance
and accountability. And this was
00:21:44.70\00:21:48.97
kind of a big point also with
the 1888 message was the kind of
00:21:49.00\00:21:51.91
union of the law and the gospel.
They're not at war with one
00:21:51.94\00:21:55.61
another. They bring this perfect
whole of showing us what the
00:21:55.64\00:21:58.65
standard is. Ellen White has a
statement in The Faith I Live By
00:21:58.68\00:22:01.62
p.111. She says: What is
justification by faith? It's the
00:22:01.65\00:22:05.29
work of God in laying the glory
of man in the dust and doing for
00:22:05.32\00:22:09.89
man that which he does not in
his power to do for himself. And
00:22:09.92\00:22:13.36
when men see their nothingness
they're prepared to be clothed
00:22:13.40\00:22:16.67
with the righteousness of Christ
And so I think when the message
00:22:16.70\00:22:19.47
is done right you recognize what
you don't bring to the table but
00:22:19.50\00:22:22.70
you also recognize that God
longs to supply for that need
00:22:22.74\00:22:26.31
and to make you into
what He longs for you to be.
00:22:26.34\00:22:28.61
Amen. And you know you think
about clear back to Abraham the
00:22:28.64\00:22:32.88
father of us all, when God
told Abraham follow me, Abraham
00:22:32.91\00:22:39.25
believed God and the Bible
says God credited it to him as
00:22:39.29\00:22:44.99
righteousness. Well then
God is constantly having these
00:22:45.03\00:22:49.26
encounters with Abraham and when
God actually has this vision,
00:22:49.30\00:22:57.61
when He puts Abraham in a deep
sleep it's still all we've heard
00:22:57.64\00:23:02.08
of is righteousness by faith,
righteousness by faith, and then
00:23:02.11\00:23:06.25
suddenly God comes back and the
third time he reiterates it He
00:23:06.28\00:23:12.22
talks about obedience and
the reason this covenant was...
00:23:12.25\00:23:17.59
I mean He knew. Abraham was
walking in obedience because He
00:23:17.63\00:23:22.16
loved God, because he saw Jesus'
day, he knew what was going to
00:23:22.20\00:23:26.60
happen. But when God brought
Abraham to that point where now
00:23:26.63\00:23:33.41
He's going to renew the covenant
with Isaac, what did He say?
00:23:33.44\00:23:37.08
I'm renewing this covenant with
you because your father obeyed
00:23:37.11\00:23:42.95
all of my commandments. Wait!
He was made righteous by faith.
00:23:42.98\00:23:47.42
But he obeyed. Can I tell you
real quickly, I don't mean to do
00:23:47.46\00:23:52.13
all the talking. Exodus 31:13
of all things. As I was studying
00:23:52.16\00:23:57.50
out a couple of years before
I became an Adventist, I was
00:23:57.53\00:24:01.97
studying the sanctuary and
I came to understand Whew! the
00:24:02.00\00:24:06.81
commandments are eternal,
the 10 commandments and I got to
00:24:06.84\00:24:11.15
Exodus 31:13 because the only
commandment I wasn't keeping was
00:24:11.18\00:24:15.45
the Sabbath. When I got to
Exodus 31:13 where God...I knew
00:24:15.48\00:24:21.29
the Sabbath was a memorial. I
mean I was studying, understood
00:24:21.32\00:24:24.69
it as a memorial of creation,
a memorial of redemption but it
00:24:24.73\00:24:29.60
was when God said this is a sign
that I am the one who sanctifies
00:24:29.63\00:24:34.60
you. Do you know out of pride
I think, we all try to sanctify
00:24:34.64\00:24:41.14
ourself. Only God can sanctify
you. And only God can set you
00:24:41.18\00:24:47.78
apart and empower you. So I say
that even grace is by obedience.
00:24:47.82\00:24:52.19
So let's look at how did Ellen
White accept this message, this
00:24:52.22\00:24:58.59
1888 message? You've
got a beautiful quote.
00:24:58.63\00:25:02.20
Yeah. Her endorsements are
literally in the hundreds. So we
00:25:02.23\00:25:06.07
don't have time for all those
obviously but here's one we can
00:25:06.10\00:25:08.37
read here that's probably one
of the most familiar where she
00:25:08.40\00:25:10.94
talks about the Lord in 1888
sent us, as she describes it,
00:25:10.97\00:25:13.98
a most precious message.
00:25:14.01\00:25:16.11
She doesn't use that for any
other time in Adventist history
00:25:16.14\00:25:19.01
but she says this message
was the most precious message.
00:25:19.05\00:25:21.92
Let's read that.
00:25:21.95\00:25:23.28
The Lord in His great mercy sent
[us] a most precious message to
00:25:23.32\00:25:27.22
His people through Elders
Waggoner and Jones. Now she's
00:25:27.26\00:25:30.49
going to get to the message.
What was it about, what was the
00:25:30.53\00:25:32.69
content of it? This message was
to bring more prominently before
00:25:32.73\00:25:36.16
not just the Adventist
church but the whole world, the
00:25:36.20\00:25:39.67
uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice
for the sins of the, again not
00:25:39.70\00:25:43.44
just the Adventists, not just
for believers but the sacrifice
00:25:43.47\00:25:46.37
for the sins of the whole world.
So Jesus on the cross didn't
00:25:46.41\00:25:49.68
just pay the sins for the
believers but for the sins of
00:25:49.71\00:25:52.21
the whole world. So when
we do evangelism, when you do
00:25:52.25\00:25:55.65
evangelism at CORE, we
interact with our neighbors,
00:25:55.68\00:25:57.19
we're not telling
00:25:57.22\00:25:58.55
them, if you do this, then
God will do this for you. We're
00:25:58.59\00:26:02.02
telling them God has already
done something incredible for
00:26:02.06\00:26:04.49
you. In fact, you're living
today based on the sacrifice of
00:26:04.53\00:26:07.36
Christ. So now all you're doing
is responding with gratitude and
00:26:07.40\00:26:10.13
appreciation for what God
has already done for you, not a
00:26:10.17\00:26:13.00
grasping for personal security
that you don't currently have.
00:26:13.03\00:26:15.50
(Oh man) I think
there's a huge difference there.
00:26:15.54\00:26:17.01
Multiple voices...that quote.
00:26:17.04\00:26:20.81
It presented justification
through faith in the Surety;
00:26:20.84\00:26:23.75
meaning Jesus. This is
what you were referring to.
00:26:23.78\00:26:26.31
Now let's stop there.
What is justification?
00:26:26.35\00:26:29.08
It's the setting right or
the changing of the heart of the
00:26:29.12\00:26:32.32
individual from self-interest
to other-centeredness.
00:26:32.35\00:26:35.02
Yeah...I mean what he does,
justification by faith, it's
00:26:35.06\00:26:40.30
that God as our judge looks down
and He says, okay, He's paid the
00:26:40.33\00:26:44.73
penalty so He covers our sin and
we are legally justified before
00:26:44.77\00:26:51.57
Him. And you know when it
says that... (cleaned) cleaned.
00:26:51.61\00:26:56.24
He changes our heart, exactly.
00:26:56.28\00:26:57.61
He changes our heart and we're
free from the penalty of sin.
00:26:57.65\00:26:59.98
But when she talks about
the surety, that's one of my
00:27:00.02\00:27:03.59
favorite verses. Hebrews 7:22
That Christ is the surety, the
00:27:03.62\00:27:10.36
guarantor of the covenant. You
know what, all of God's promises
00:27:10.39\00:27:15.26
He's the guarantor from God to
us all of God's promises are yes
00:27:15.30\00:27:18.90
and amen in Christ Jesus. But
He's also the surety from us to
00:27:18.93\00:27:25.11
God because He's working in
us to will and to do His good
00:27:25.14\00:27:28.24
pleasure. Okay, keep going.
00:27:28.28\00:27:29.84
it invited the people to receive
the righteousness of Christ,
00:27:29.88\00:27:34.48
and then we might say what's
the tangible revelation of that
00:27:34.52\00:27:39.49
righteousness?...which is made
manifest in obedience to all the
00:27:39.52\00:27:41.62
commandments of God. And that
was what Dee's point was I think
00:27:41.66\00:27:44.13
a second ago. So there's a
production in our life not of a
00:27:44.16\00:27:48.63
grasping again for personal
security but an appreciation of
00:27:48.66\00:27:51.53
what God has already done
for us and our response. Not a
00:27:51.57\00:27:54.64
desire for reward, not a fear of
punishment but an appreciation
00:27:54.67\00:27:57.47
for the goodness of God and
His love for me that produces I
00:27:57.51\00:28:01.61
don't want to say automatically
but almost automatically a life
00:28:01.64\00:28:04.55
of obedience.
00:28:04.58\00:28:05.91
It did, it did.
00:28:05.95\00:28:08.15
You know if you have the
opportunity to live long enough
00:28:08.18\00:28:10.55
kind of somewhat being involved
just enough to think that you're
00:28:10.59\00:28:17.83
okay, if you have the
opportunity to live long
00:28:17.86\00:28:20.30
enough then you get to live back
to see the things that kind of
00:28:20.33\00:28:23.70
happened. Why did that happen?
I didn't deserve that. So He's
00:28:23.73\00:28:28.40
always been there, He's always
been working it's just that we
00:28:28.44\00:28:33.04
just didn't connect those dots.
00:28:33.07\00:28:35.71
Multiple voices. Yeah,
that's right, exactly...
00:28:35.74\00:28:37.08
Even before we became Christians
or Adventists or whatever we
00:28:37.11\00:28:39.51
could have been an atheist but
God was working, God was working
00:28:39.55\00:28:43.12
He was pursuing
us the whole time.
00:28:43.15\00:28:45.89
Praise the Lord. Every single
person on this planet He's
00:28:45.92\00:28:48.62
pursuing full throttle 100
percent with His love. (Amen)
00:28:48.66\00:28:51.33
When we believe it's just
our awareness of that fact. We
00:28:51.36\00:28:54.80
become aware of it. It doesn't
activate anything in God, it's
00:28:54.83\00:28:57.37
just our response
and appreciation to Him.
00:28:57.40\00:29:00.00
I've been saved you
know rather He saved me.
00:29:00.04\00:29:03.44
Oh, He was my Savior.
Now I just recognize it.
00:29:03.47\00:29:06.01
And so she closes the quote
by kind of showing some of the
00:29:06.04\00:29:10.25
historical context of why it was
so needed. And so the very last
00:29:10.28\00:29:14.55
part of the quote it says: Many
have lost sight of Jesus. They
00:29:14.58\00:29:17.59
needed to have their eyes
directed to His divine person,
00:29:17.62\00:29:21.79
His merits, and His changeless
love for the human family...
00:29:21.82\00:29:25.56
And so the purpose of the
1888 message was to show the
00:29:25.59\00:29:27.96
sufficiency of Jesus and the
insufficiency of human attempts.
00:29:28.00\00:29:32.43
And to help us understand this
is part of the Laodicean message
00:29:32.47\00:29:36.74
She would also say later that
the Laodicean message isn't just
00:29:36.77\00:29:39.34
that you're a sleepy Christian
or that you're lax in lifestyle.
00:29:39.37\00:29:42.14
You're not who you think you are
at every aspect of your being.
00:29:42.18\00:29:45.68
And the call to the Laodicean
church was you think you think
00:29:45.71\00:29:49.45
that you have everything but
you really have nothing and your
00:29:49.48\00:29:52.42
answer's found in my provision,
my white raiment, gold tried in
00:29:52.45\00:29:56.89
the fire, a faith that works
by love, we're told later in
00:29:56.93\00:30:00.53
Galatians and then lastly
the eye salve, the spiritual
00:30:00.56\00:30:02.73
discernment to recognize
our true condition. So the 1888
00:30:02.76\00:30:05.90
message was also meant to bring
before us an understanding of
00:30:05.93\00:30:09.10
our insufficiency. Not to put us
in the pit of despondency but to
00:30:09.14\00:30:12.87
help us recognize that you
desperately need a righteousness
00:30:12.91\00:30:16.85
that you cannot create. But
that righteousness is freely
00:30:16.88\00:30:19.91
available to you in Christ. So
it brings out kind of a theme of
00:30:19.95\00:30:24.65
Romans 5 that you don't just
need the death of Jesus. You
00:30:24.69\00:30:27.46
also need the life of Jesus.
We are reconciled by His death
00:30:27.49\00:30:31.69
but we're saved by His
life. Romans 5 and verse 10.
00:30:31.73\00:30:34.96
And so that's another aspect of
this message that was meant to
00:30:35.00\00:30:37.57
be brought before the people.
00:30:37.60\00:30:38.93
And it is a message that lifts
up Jesus, because he is our all
00:30:38.97\00:30:44.11
in all.
00:30:44.14\00:30:45.47
Let me ask, take two minutes.
Two minutes. What were the
00:30:45.51\00:30:50.11
"the Adventists"
thinking before then?
00:30:50.15\00:30:53.85
That's a good point J.D.
So Ellen White gives a lot of
00:30:53.88\00:30:58.22
sort of quotes about where
at. One of the things she says,
00:30:58.25\00:31:02.06
We've preached the law, the law,
the law, till we're as dry as
00:31:02.09\00:31:04.33
the hills of Gilboa. She
says we've emphasized the
00:31:04.36\00:31:07.36
commandments of God but
the faith of Jesus had been
00:31:07.40\00:31:11.33
"strangely neglected." The faith
of Jesus is a metaphor in a
00:31:11.37\00:31:14.37
sense for righteousness by faith
We'd strangely neglected that.
00:31:14.40\00:31:17.51
So we were sort of in this
position where we were using
00:31:17.54\00:31:20.64
argumentative discourses. So
we were theologically going into
00:31:20.68\00:31:27.52
towns and debating the local
Baptist or Presbyterian whatever
00:31:27.55\00:31:30.52
minister to show them that they
were wrong and we were right
00:31:30.55\00:31:33.69
doctrinally. But what
that produced in us was an
00:31:33.72\00:31:37.79
appreciation for true facts but
not the truth as it is in Jesus.
00:31:37.83\00:31:41.40
We can have the truth, but not
have the truth as it is in Jesus
00:31:41.43\00:31:45.37
And the 1888 message was to
reframe truth in a raw sense
00:31:45.40\00:31:50.31
to the truth as it is in Jesus.
So taking the Sabbath from
00:31:50.34\00:31:54.28
obligation to keep the right
day to a rejoicing experience in
00:31:54.31\00:31:58.21
Jesus. So that's the truth
and the truth as it is in Jesus.
00:31:58.25\00:32:00.02
So we were sort of in that
mold and God said I need to send
00:32:00.05\00:32:03.49
these people a most precious
message about Jesus to awaken
00:32:03.52\00:32:06.72
in their hearts a love and
appreciation for me. That's
00:32:06.76\00:32:09.22
fundamentally what God was
trying to do for us and prepare
00:32:09.26\00:32:10.79
us as the rest of that quote was
saying for the second coming.
00:32:10.83\00:32:13.66
Don't forget, in our history
at this time, there was a Sunday
00:32:13.70\00:32:16.97
bill in front of the congress.
So God's saying here's a Sunday
00:32:17.00\00:32:21.70
bill before congress. I need to
prepare my people to meet this
00:32:21.74\00:32:24.74
event and bring in the second
coming. That was possible in
00:32:24.77\00:32:27.41
1880s and 1890s.
00:32:27.44\00:32:29.18
So the world was ripe for the
second coming but God's people
00:32:29.21\00:32:31.88
were not yet prepared.
00:32:31.91\00:32:33.28
Thanks, Brian. I think that's
such a critical point because
00:32:33.31\00:32:36.15
that helps us frame this 1888
message in terms of the whole
00:32:36.18\00:32:40.42
great controversy and what God
was trying to do at that era.
00:32:40.46\00:32:42.56
So let's go back to that quote
and show Ellen White will frame
00:32:42.59\00:32:44.69
for us what the 1888 message
was accomplishing or meant to
00:32:44.73\00:32:47.86
accomplish in
that era. So she said:
00:32:47.90\00:32:50.47
This is the message that
God commanded to be given to the
00:32:50.50\00:32:53.13
world. This is a reference to
Matthew 24:14 that this gospel
00:32:53.17\00:32:55.97
of the kingdom is to be preached
in all the world, then the end
00:32:56.00\00:32:58.37
shall come. So she's identifying
that Matthew 24:14 text with
00:32:58.41\00:33:02.38
the 1888 message
of Jones and Waggoner.
00:33:02.41\00:33:04.85
So this is work of evangelism
(exactly) to tell about
00:33:04.88\00:33:08.68
righteousness of Christ.
00:33:08.72\00:33:10.05
Yes, critical point yes.
So it goes on there then.
00:33:10.09\00:33:12.42
It says: It is the third angel's
message. So Jones and Waggoner's
00:33:12.45\00:33:15.92
1888 message is the
third angel's which is to be
00:33:15.96\00:33:18.86
proclaimed with a loud voice...
That's a reference to the angel
00:33:18.89\00:33:22.83
of Revelation 18, the fourth
angel, which we don't talk about
00:33:22.86\00:33:25.90
as much. And another critical
point it is...attended with the
00:33:25.93\00:33:28.94
outpouring of His Spirit in a
large measure...which we'd also
00:33:28.97\00:33:31.17
call the latter rain. So God's
saying through his prophet,
00:33:31.21\00:33:35.48
saying listen this is the
message, give it to the world.
00:33:35.51\00:33:37.41
This is the third angel's
message it's the fourth angel's
00:33:37.45\00:33:40.18
message it's the beginning
of the latter rain. And so that
00:33:40.22\00:33:43.72
should call our attention saying
this is significant. I need to
00:33:43.75\00:33:46.09
pay attention to this, I need
to process this, I need to study
00:33:46.12\00:33:48.76
this so I can share it.
00:33:48.79\00:33:50.29
For some of our viewers that may
not know what latter rain is:
00:33:50.33\00:33:56.03
The outpouring Holy Spirit
is referred to as the early rain
00:33:56.06\00:34:00.30
and the latter rain, the second
one. And you know when we become
00:34:00.34\00:34:04.57
Christians what happens? We are
born again, we are filled with
00:34:04.61\00:34:08.34
the Holy Spirit but then what
happens is some people begin to
00:34:08.38\00:34:14.88
rely on themselves again.
And you know all false religions
00:34:14.92\00:34:22.22
are religions of work but
what happens...Paul told the
00:34:22.26\00:34:28.96
Galatians when they started
getting away from the true
00:34:29.00\00:34:31.27
gospel he said, You foolish
Galatians, this is Galatians 3:3
00:34:31.30\00:34:36.64
Having begun in the Spirit are
you now trying to perfect it in
00:34:36.67\00:34:41.58
the flesh? Oh Lord, deliver us
from trying to perfect it in the
00:34:41.61\00:34:45.71
flesh. But then he says, those
of you who are trying to do this
00:34:45.75\00:34:49.95
to work through the law, he's
referring to the old covenant
00:34:49.98\00:34:54.19
law at that point, not the
10 commandments. Even if you're
00:34:54.22\00:34:57.06
trying to keep the commandments
in your own strength, he says
00:34:57.09\00:34:59.86
you become estranged from Christ
But we do...You made a comment
00:34:59.89\00:35:06.57
during the song, I think that
you said we all have a little
00:35:06.60\00:35:11.87
subtle legalism.
What do you mean?
00:35:11.91\00:35:13.24
Yeah, as a human being, since
the fall of Adam and Eve, we are
00:35:13.27\00:35:17.55
really born self-centered. I
would equate legalism as wanting
00:35:17.58\00:35:22.48
to do my own will as opposed
to doing God's will. And so you
00:35:22.52\00:35:27.02
mentioned the covenants but
I can work out my own salvation
00:35:27.06\00:35:30.79
trying to do the things that
satisfy me just like trying to
00:35:30.83\00:35:35.76
keep God's law, trying to keep
the Sabbath, trying to pay a
00:35:35.80\00:35:39.53
faithful tithe. If I'm doing
those who that I can earn God's
00:35:39.57\00:35:44.84
favor, if I can make myself feel
good toward God that is a form
00:35:44.87\00:35:48.81
of legalism. (Amen) If I'm doing
those because I have appreciated
00:35:48.84\00:35:51.51
what He has already done for
me and I want to spend time with
00:35:51.55\00:35:55.75
Jesus the Sabbath is going
to become a delight. And we've
00:35:55.78\00:35:59.92
presented the Sabbath as Seventh
day Adventists often as well not
00:35:59.95\00:36:03.56
one single thing is going to
change, it's God's law and it's
00:36:03.59\00:36:06.29
still in effect so you have to
keep it. But the Sabbath as the
00:36:06.33\00:36:10.33
1888 messengers presented it,
it becomes the actual sign of
00:36:10.37\00:36:13.97
righteousness by faith. The sign
of legalism is Sunday worship.
00:36:14.00\00:36:19.14
Keeping man's law as opposed to
appreciating God's law. And so
00:36:19.17\00:36:26.58
all of us, there's a battle with
self so there's a battle to root
00:36:26.61\00:36:29.95
out the legalism that we have
and to rely purely upon Christ
00:36:29.98\00:36:33.69
and His righteousness.
That's what this is all about.
00:36:33.72\00:36:36.32
And if as Romans 8 Paul said
that if God gave us His Son how
00:36:36.36\00:36:42.10
much more will He do all things
for us. So Dee how did the
00:36:42.13\00:36:46.60
1888...You grew up, we don't
have time to go into your whole
00:36:46.63\00:36:51.07
story but tell us how the 1888
message impacted your heart when
00:36:51.11\00:36:55.98
you learned it.
00:36:56.01\00:36:57.35
So it was the love of God
that won me before I knew the
00:36:57.38\00:37:00.68
Adventist message and then I
stumbled across 3ABN some years
00:37:00.72\00:37:04.79
and was hearing things I knew
were true but I was wondering
00:37:04.82\00:37:08.72
it wasn't aired on 3ABN, it
wasn't showing that. I was just
00:37:08.76\00:37:11.63
trying to find my introduction
to the Adventist message and
00:37:11.66\00:37:13.66
church and the way that I was
hearing. I was trying to make
00:37:13.70\00:37:18.00
sense of what you're saying is
true but where's the thing that
00:37:18.03\00:37:19.37
won me. And there were a
few instances in my life where I
00:37:19.40\00:37:22.04
encountered threads of this
message and I realized that I
00:37:22.07\00:37:26.51
cannot only embrace what I found
to be true but also embrace the
00:37:26.54\00:37:31.01
fact that there's a God in
heaven who is head over heels in
00:37:31.05\00:37:33.11
love with me pursuing
(Amen) And that perfect union
00:37:33.15\00:37:35.92
of truth and God's
00:37:35.95\00:37:37.32
true character of love, when
I saw those I realized that my
00:37:37.35\00:37:42.16
life can never look the same and
I committed my life to the fact
00:37:42.19\00:37:44.19
that I'm never going to commit
the sin of not preaching that
00:37:44.23\00:37:47.20
message ever again. I knew that
this had to define anything else
00:37:47.23\00:37:50.93
I would share for
the rest of my ministry.
00:37:50.97\00:37:53.34
Joe Waggoner's experience.
00:37:53.37\00:37:54.87
Exactly it was very much like
that you know in a sense of I
00:37:54.90\00:37:57.97
never felt that God was against
me. I was just trying to figure
00:37:58.01\00:38:00.21
out how to put the experiential
understanding of God's love for
00:38:00.24\00:38:05.61
me with the theological
structure of Adventism.
00:38:05.65\00:38:07.52
And when those two came together
it was just an explosion that
00:38:07.55\00:38:10.42
made perfect sense. (Amen)
00:38:10.45\00:38:11.89
And you know, as you said Brian
when Jesus said if you love me
00:38:11.92\00:38:17.33
keep my commandments. What he's
saying is, because you love me
00:38:17.36\00:38:21.80
you're going to walk...you know
you're going to walk with God
00:38:21.83\00:38:27.24
like Enoch walked with
God. Like Moses walked with God.
00:38:27.27\00:38:30.31
He will write His
law on our hearts.
00:38:30.34\00:38:32.34
We will delight to do the will
of God. So how did it impact you
00:38:32.37\00:38:39.08
when you really
started studying this message?
00:38:39.11\00:38:41.95
Well I grew up a fourth
generation Seventh-day Adventist
00:38:41.98\00:38:45.35
but steeped in the idea that
I still had to do something,
00:38:45.39\00:38:49.12
enough to earn God's favor. And
growing up on the conservative
00:38:49.16\00:38:54.40
side, going to a conservative
academy. I got involved with...
00:38:54.43\00:38:57.90
When I went to academy, to
boarding school academy, I said
00:38:57.93\00:39:02.04
all right, Lord, this is
the year I'm going to finally be
00:39:02.07\00:39:04.74
perfect. I became a Sabbath
School teacher, I got involved
00:39:04.77\00:39:08.51
with studies. And it just took
a few months to realize this is
00:39:08.54\00:39:12.11
never going to happen. I do not
have what it takes. So while a
00:39:12.15\00:39:16.75
student at Andrews I actually
left in my mind for about a year
00:39:16.79\00:39:20.62
being an Adventist. Told my
parents, I don't believe this
00:39:20.66\00:39:24.33
any more. It wasn't that I gave
up on the doctrines. I still was
00:39:24.36\00:39:27.23
a vegetarian, I still was
living the lifestyle but I just
00:39:27.26\00:39:30.83
believed that deep inside
I didn't have what it took, I
00:39:30.87\00:39:34.04
didn't have as much will power
as you guys did and also I was
00:39:34.07\00:39:37.57
starting to see that there were
a whole lot of other Adventists
00:39:37.61\00:39:40.58
that didn't have the will power
and they were going through the
00:39:40.61\00:39:42.41
motions and I'm just not
somebody who can do that. I'm
00:39:42.44\00:39:44.41
either all in or all out. But
in the very end of my first year
00:39:44.45\00:39:50.72
in medical school God...Really
I had what was a personal vision
00:39:50.75\00:39:54.42
to me. I could see Jesus coming
in the clouds and people saying
00:39:54.46\00:39:57.69
praise the Lord Jesus is coming.
And I woke up inside of my bed
00:39:57.73\00:40:01.36
and I could still see this
vision and I realized that I was
00:40:01.40\00:40:05.70
lost. I knelt down right then
and there and said all right
00:40:05.73\00:40:07.27
Lord, I am going to begin
studying the Bible. I'm going
00:40:07.30\00:40:10.27
begin reading and surprisingly
I began reading Christ's Object
00:40:10.31\00:40:13.84
Lessons but I also told Him
but I'm not going to become a
00:40:13.88\00:40:16.34
Seventh-day Adventist. And so
it began about a year and a half
00:40:16.38\00:40:20.32
struggle to study everything.
I studied with Mormons and
00:40:20.35\00:40:23.69
Nazarene's and Jehovah's
Witnesses and little by little
00:40:23.72\00:40:27.12
realized that I knew all the
doctrines but I didn't have the
00:40:27.16\00:40:31.03
appreciation that Dee mentioned
and that was where I first heard
00:40:31.06\00:40:34.10
this message. It was a message
about agape. That just clicked
00:40:34.13\00:40:38.30
in my mind...God is pursuing me.
The cross shows us that Jesus
00:40:38.33\00:40:41.60
me more that He even loves
Himself. In fact, He'd even
00:40:41.64\00:40:45.37
rather not exist than for
me to be lost. That's the same
00:40:45.41\00:40:50.08
experience that once you couple
the doctrines that we have with
00:40:50.11\00:40:52.38
the message of Christ that's
the only thing that has kept me
00:40:52.41\00:40:56.05
engaged in Adventism.
00:40:56.08\00:40:58.35
You know when you put the
infinity lens as so many camera
00:40:58.39\00:41:04.09
buffs do you get the infinity
focus. Did you know God's plan
00:41:04.13\00:41:08.40
has always been salvation by
grace and righteousness by faith
00:41:08.43\00:41:12.73
Even as you go through...and I
want to prove something to you.
00:41:12.77\00:41:15.94
Here, in Hebrews, this is
New Testament, this is the faith
00:41:15.97\00:41:22.34
chapter, Hebrews 11:7 says: By
faith Noah being divinely warned
00:41:22.38\00:41:28.08
of things not yet seen moved
with Godly fear, so he's walking
00:41:28.12\00:41:32.45
in obedience, prepared an ark
for the saving of his household.
00:41:32.49\00:41:35.49
And he's preaching for 120 years
But because he accepted God's
00:41:35.52\00:41:41.63
message it say that his actions
he condemned the world. Get this
00:41:41.66\00:41:47.04
He became the heir of
righteousness which is
00:41:47.07\00:41:52.24
according to faith. Noah
was righteous by faith. (I know)
00:41:52.27\00:41:57.11
I love that chapter because even
Samson's in that chapter. Samson
00:41:57.15\00:42:02.45
who loved failure after failure
after failure but ultimately he
00:42:02.48\00:42:06.55
conquered by faith and when
God writes the history that's
00:42:06.59\00:42:09.42
written in the faith.
00:42:09.46\00:42:10.79
You know what, I love what
James Rafferty says. He says
00:42:10.83\00:42:14.70
Hebrews 11 is a picture of
what God thinks of us after the
00:42:14.73\00:42:19.87
investigative judgment.
00:42:19.90\00:42:23.00
So how did it impact you?
00:42:23.04\00:42:25.07
Well I think I was a
member of one of God's toughest
00:42:25.11\00:42:27.48
demographic groups to reach. So
I was an Adventist and I think
00:42:27.51\00:42:32.58
you'd probably describe me as a
cultural Adventist. I still went
00:42:32.61\00:42:35.28
to church and I wasn't way out
there taking drugs or whatever.
00:42:35.32\00:42:39.25
But I was a basic cultural
Adventist (a Laodicean). I was
00:42:39.29\00:42:44.69
one of God's toughest
demographic groups. I think I'd
00:42:44.73\00:42:46.06
be better off as an atheist
or someone _. My need would
00:42:46.09\00:42:47.90
be obvious. But my mom invited
me to a series of meetings.
00:42:47.93\00:42:52.20
And I was like oh they're just
meetings, I don't want to go.
00:42:52.23\00:42:55.64
I'd upset my mom. And I went and
I heard some presentations on
00:42:55.67\00:42:58.97
the character and the goodness
of God, number one. And number
00:42:59.01\00:43:02.41
two something about our history
where people were saying you
00:43:02.44\00:43:04.81
know what, Jesus could have come
in our past. He could have come
00:43:04.85\00:43:07.95
in our past but we weren't ready
we weren't willing. I'd never
00:43:07.98\00:43:11.89
heard that before. I'd always
heard Jesus is coming soon but
00:43:11.92\00:43:13.76
it's in the future. But he
was saying Jesus could have come
00:43:13.79\00:43:16.12
and between the beauty of God's
character and the understanding
00:43:16.16\00:43:20.53
of our history, it put together
why we're still here. And I said
00:43:20.56\00:43:21.93
you know I need to keep studying
this why we're still here. And I
00:43:21.96\00:43:24.03
said you know I need to keep
studying this and understand
00:43:24.07\00:43:26.03
this so I can share that so
we don't keep having a delay in
00:43:26.07\00:43:28.30
Christ coming back. Time at
it to be active and studying and
00:43:28.74\00:43:32.07
thinking and understanding so we
can move this second coming as
00:43:32.11\00:43:35.08
fast as possible.
00:43:35.11\00:43:36.44
And we can have assurance of
salvation; 1 John 5:10-13 says
00:43:36.48\00:43:40.92
that he who has Jesus has
salvation, he who does not
00:43:40.95\00:43:46.22
does not. But we don't want to
just tease you with all of this.
00:43:46.25\00:43:51.59
We want to tell you where
you can get all these wonderful
00:43:51.63\00:43:56.26
resources that are on the
internet. So let's talk about...
00:43:56.30\00:43:59.97
I don't know if you brought a
video graphic of this but tell
00:44:00.00\00:44:05.44
us about your website because
J.D. went to your website last
00:44:05.47\00:44:09.28
night. He was super impressed.
00:44:09.31\00:44:12.71
Well our name is the
1888 Message Study Committee
00:44:12.75\00:44:17.12
(1880) 1888 Message Study
Committee. So this defines
00:44:17.15\00:44:19.05
what our ministry is. It takes
study ministry and a propagation
00:44:19.09\00:44:22.49
sharing ministry. So
on our website is a lot of
00:44:22.52\00:44:25.49
material by A.T. Jones
00:44:25.53\00:44:26.86
and E.J. Waggoner, Ellen White's
endorsements and clarifications
00:44:26.90\00:44:30.77
of their messages and study
materials from others that have
00:44:30.80\00:44:34.04
synthesized these messages
into sort of...because they were
00:44:34.07\00:44:36.60
voluminous authors so it's
needed to synthesize down and
00:44:36.64\00:44:39.47
boil down what they were
saying at incredible points to
00:44:39.51\00:44:43.85
understand those. So our
website has a lot of Jones and
00:44:43.88\00:44:45.38
Waggoner's material, a lot
of material from others who have
00:44:45.41\00:44:48.05
studied this out both in terms
of history and the message. We
00:44:48.08\00:44:50.42
have seminars that we sponsor
on weekends, seminars. We have a
00:44:50.45\00:44:54.16
national conference. This
year we're at Southern Adventist
00:44:54.19\00:44:57.23
University, July 20-23. So we'd
love to have anybody come join
00:44:57.26\00:45:01.56
us to study the 1888 message
July 20-13 at Southern Adventist
00:45:01.60\00:45:05.57
University.
00:45:05.60\00:45:07.00
Wonderful, wonderful.
00:45:07.04\00:45:08.37
And then the application of that
message is programs like CORE
00:45:08.40\00:45:11.77
where people take...okay,
here's the message, here's the
00:45:11.81\00:45:15.11
motivation we all want to
experience. Now let's share that
00:45:15.14\00:45:17.71
along with the others.
00:45:17.75\00:45:19.08
Yeah, and so that's what we're
doing is as a school, we're just
00:45:19.11\00:45:23.75
kind of training young people
and adults alike to kind of
00:45:23.79\00:45:26.25
better understand this message.
And the beautiful thing is kind
00:45:26.29\00:45:29.16
of our tag line is it's a life
transforming experience. It's
00:45:29.19\00:45:31.99
not just a place where you
learn information. It's actually
00:45:32.03\00:45:35.50
changing your life. I've got a
student who grew up in a kind of
00:45:35.53\00:45:37.70
really conservative church
background, really wholesome kid
00:45:37.73\00:45:40.70
but just never thought he
would be good enough, just never
00:45:40.74\00:45:42.94
really understood it. And as
he was reading through...we went
00:45:42.97\00:45:45.91
through the three angels'
messages with Christ at the
00:45:45.94\00:45:47.78
center in one of our classes and
then he went through Jones and
00:45:47.81\00:45:51.55
Waggoner's book, Lessons on
Faith, and then we went through
00:45:51.58\00:45:53.95
A.T. Jones's 1893 General
Conference sermons and as he
00:45:53.98\00:45:57.59
read those for the first time in
his life he finally got it. God
00:45:57.62\00:46:00.59
actually loves me, that Christ's
righteousness stands in my stead
00:46:00.62\00:46:05.03
and I can have assurance now.
And so we're training people to
00:46:05.06\00:46:08.76
take this message and use it in
active evangelism, which is who
00:46:08.80\00:46:13.00
W.W. Prescott, someone
we haven't mentioned yet was
00:46:13.03\00:46:14.90
championing in Ellen White's
day He was someone who was an
00:46:14.94\00:46:17.54
opposer of the message initially
and then became some who kind of
00:46:17.57\00:46:21.08
not redefined but certainly came
up with a different way of doing
00:46:21.11\00:46:26.45
evangelism. Instead of just
giving the facts, he would show
00:46:26.48\00:46:29.02
Jesus at the heart of every
teaching and Ellen White gave a
00:46:29.05\00:46:31.49
resounding endorsement to that
model. The Armadale sermons that
00:46:31.52\00:46:35.29
he preached. There were kind of
the most famous ones. You need
00:46:35.32\00:46:38.43
to search A-r-m-a-d-a-l-e,
Armadale sermons, W.W. Prescott
00:46:38.46\00:46:41.20
You can find a PDF for free, the
1888 (two voices). They have it
00:46:41.23\00:46:46.17
at their store as well. The
way he did evangelism is the way
00:46:46.20\00:46:49.37
that we do evangelism and it
works. It not only revives our
00:46:49.40\00:46:53.21
members but it also inspires
and wins the souls of people who
00:46:53.24\00:46:56.78
don't know this message. And so
it's incredibly powerful as an
00:46:56.81\00:47:00.52
in reach and an out
reach tool. It works.
00:47:00.55\00:47:03.89
Amen. You know when we were
talking about the early rain and
00:47:03.92\00:47:06.96
the latter rain...I'll tell the
story. I've shared it before but
00:47:06.99\00:47:10.69
it's worth telling. The early
rain is when we receive the Holy
00:47:10.73\00:47:15.26
Spirit, when we're born again.
And we receive the Holy Spirit
00:47:15.30\00:47:19.73
and we are empowered. When God
said my grace is sufficient for
00:47:19.77\00:47:25.51
you, my strength is made perfect
in your weakness, He empowers us
00:47:25.54\00:47:30.81
He works in us to will and to
do I can't even obey except by
00:47:30.85\00:47:35.52
grace. You know I can't even
love the Lord my God with all my
00:47:35.55\00:47:38.95
heart, soul, mind, and strength
except by grace. Romans 5:5 says
00:47:38.99\00:47:44.53
He pours His love into us and
it's by the power of the Holy
00:47:44.56\00:47:48.83
Spirit that I can respond in
the kind of love that God wants.
00:47:48.86\00:47:55.80
But here's a quick story. We
were in Texas. We'd just moved
00:47:55.84\00:48:00.68
to central Texas. Five year
drought. Walking around the farm
00:48:00.71\00:48:06.68
I'm not kidding you there were
cracks that are six inches wide
00:48:06.72\00:48:10.69
in that dirt. I mean the ground
was as hard as a rock. And all
00:48:10.72\00:48:15.72
the locals were praying for rain
I joined my voice to the chorus
00:48:15.76\00:48:21.56
of the locals praying for
rain. One night came a thunder
00:48:21.60\00:48:28.57
storm like you would not believe
Gully washer is what they called
00:48:28.60\00:48:31.87
it in Texas. And Oh I was so
excited. I got up and I looked
00:48:31.91\00:48:37.41
out the window. You couldn't
even see two feet out the window
00:48:37.45\00:48:40.72
it was raining so hard. The next
morning I got up and went out
00:48:40.75\00:48:45.42
and guess what? The ground
was just as hard as it had been.
00:48:45.45\00:48:51.39
It was so hard that that
gully washer just [swept away]
00:48:51.43\00:48:58.67
and then the Spirit of the Lord
impressed this thought on me.
00:48:58.70\00:49:01.44
So it shall be at the time
of the latter rain. Those whose
00:49:01.47\00:49:06.71
hearts had not been softened by
the early rain, the latter rain
00:49:06.74\00:49:11.45
come when God pours out
His Spirit and you know that's
00:49:11.48\00:49:15.02
what's going to get us ready for
these last days. That's why this
00:49:15.05\00:49:18.12
message is so important is
because we need to be ready for
00:49:18.15\00:49:22.22
the last days. We need the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit
00:49:22.26\00:49:25.89
so that the latter rain can make
it through these last days and
00:49:25.93\00:49:32.10
if we don't understand it that
we...God made Him who knew no
00:49:32.13\00:49:38.34
sin to be sin for us that we
might become the righteousness
00:49:38.37\00:49:42.01
of God in Christ Jesus.
We're going to miss it all.
00:49:42.04\00:49:47.18
Absolutely. (Yeah) We're at a
time now when God wants to pour
00:49:47.22\00:49:49.68
out the latter rain just as He
did in the 1880s and 90s. This
00:49:49.72\00:49:55.62
is the time to be studying
the message. I'm convinced that
00:49:55.66\00:49:57.66
Seventh-day Adventists are
called to be giving this message
00:49:57.69\00:50:01.06
to the whole world to prepare
them for His very soon second
00:50:01.10\00:50:03.47
coming.
00:50:03.50\00:50:04.83
Amen. Before we go to pray, Dee
look in the camera and talk to
00:50:04.87\00:50:08.37
somebody at home that's saying
What!? Righteous by faith?
00:50:08.40\00:50:12.34
I'm fully convinced that this
is a message that can radically
00:50:12.37\00:50:15.94
change your life. I would
encourage you, take the time to
00:50:15.98\00:50:18.61
study it for yourself. There's
great resources that have been
00:50:18.65\00:50:22.62
made. Prescott's Armadale
sermons give you a great example
00:50:22.65\00:50:25.55
for evangelism. Jones and
Waggoner have a book called
00:50:25.59\00:50:27.99
Lessons on Faith and another
book called Living by Faith are
00:50:28.02\00:50:30.86
compilations that were put
together. Jones has an amazing
00:50:30.89\00:50:33.40
book called The Consecrated
Way to Christian Perfection that
00:50:33.43\00:50:35.90
kind of explains the journey
and how God makes us righteous.
00:50:35.93\00:50:39.50
Waggoner has another great book
called The Everlasting Covenant
00:50:39.53\00:50:42.00
that radically changed my life.
There's gorgeous gospel content
00:50:42.04\00:50:46.04
in there. And just do the
research. There's another book
00:50:46.07\00:50:51.08
called Return of the Latter
Rain Vol. 1 by Ron Duffield that
00:50:51.11\00:50:53.75
gives you the whole historical
background of what happened
00:50:53.78\00:50:56.85
leading into the
General Conference session in
00:50:56.89\00:50:59.25
Minneapolis and afterward.
And what type of revival was
00:50:59.29\00:51:01.42
brought to the church as a
result. The latter rain was
00:51:01.46\00:51:04.19
beginning to fall in 1889, 90,
91, 92, 93. God wants to do it
00:51:04.23\00:51:09.20
again. He desperately needs us
to see this message, to preach
00:51:09.23\00:51:12.13
this message and to receive it
for ourselves. When that happens
00:51:12.17\00:51:15.10
we're going home. (Amen)
00:51:15.14\00:51:16.47
And I guarantee you when
it happens your life will be
00:51:16.50\00:51:21.81
changed because it brings joy to
your heart when you understand
00:51:21.84\00:51:26.25
God's true plan of salvation.
Well we're going to be back in
00:51:26.28\00:51:29.12
just a moment for closing
comment but first we know that
00:51:29.15\00:51:33.36
you want to hear how you can get
in touch with these wonderful
00:51:33.39\00:51:37.23
people. The 1888 Study Message
is just their website. It's how
00:51:37.26\00:51:43.40
you can contact them if you
want them to come do a seminar
00:51:43.43\00:51:46.27
Here's the information you need:
00:51:46.30\00:51:48.97
If you would like to contact
or know more about 1888 Message
00:51:49.00\00:51:53.74
Study Committee you can
do so in the following ways:
00:51:53.78\00:51:56.31
You can write to them
at 8784 Valley View Drive,
00:51:56.34\00:52:00.72
Berrien Springs, MI 49103. You
can call them at (269)473-1888
00:52:00.75\00:52:10.23
That's (269)473-1888. You
can visit their website at
00:52:10.26\00:52:18.93
1888msc.org. That's
1888msc.org. You can also send
00:52:18.97\00:52:27.78
them an email
at info@1888msc.org
00:52:27.81\00:52:34.02