Participants: John and Angela Lomacang (Host), Dee Casper, Luis Capote, Lecia Marr-Bromley
Series Code: TDYFW
Program Code: TDYFW016034A
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00:01 I want to spend my life Spend my life
00:07 Mending broken people 00:12 I wanna spend my life 00:18 Removing pain 00:23 Lord, let my words Let my words 00:29 Heal a heart that hurts 00:34 I wanna spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:45 I wanna spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:07 Hello, and happy Sabbath 01:09 and welcome to 3ABN's Family Worship. 01:11 We are so thankful that we have this opportunity 01:15 to come into your home on the Sabbath 01:16 and have worship with you. 01:18 Good. 01:19 What an exciting thing to do, isn't it? 01:20 I think it's exciting, yes. 01:22 And, you know, as we hear back from you folks at home, 01:24 it sounds like many of you have been blessed by it too. 01:27 I know we are always blessed as we sit around this table. 01:30 And we have some 3ABN family with us. 01:32 To my left, is brother Greg 01:34 and his lovely wife, Jill Morikone. 01:37 Good to be here. 01:38 It's always a blessing to spend time with you 01:39 at family worship. 01:41 Oh, merci. 01:42 And then, of course, to my right, Pastor Kenny 01:44 and I'm Chris Shelton by the way. 01:45 That's the way. 01:46 And then over to our right is sister Mollie Steenson. 01:49 And, Mollie Steenson, 01:50 we are always on our best behavior 01:52 every time you're here. 01:53 That's right. We promise. 01:55 Just be yourself 01:56 which is usually really good behavior I must say. 02:01 Well, the Lord is good, the Lord is good. 02:03 Amen. 02:05 You know, today our theme is entitled, 'God is love.' 02:09 And as I was praying for something yesterday, 02:11 it just seemed like the Lord led me to this. 02:14 And there had been so many things going on 02:17 even in our own family and around the world. 02:20 Yes. That's true. 02:22 You know, around the world, 02:23 I had trouble even going to sleep last night 02:25 because there was an evangelist that put on our Facebook 02:28 about a war that has started in Uganda 02:30 and they took graphic pictures. 02:32 Oh, my. And I was just so heart broken. 02:34 Yeah. 02:36 And I laid there and I prayed for a few hours 02:38 and then you've got all these fires 02:40 and more earthquakes around the world 02:43 that is doing such terrible damage. 02:46 You have people that are fighting diseases 02:49 and loss of life everywhere we turn 02:51 and we realize 02:53 that as the time grows closer to Christ's second coming, 02:56 that these things are gonna continue to increase. 02:57 Yeah. Right. 02:59 So these promises... 03:01 And going back and reminding us that God is love... 03:04 Yes. Is essential. Yes, it is. 03:05 It's essential 03:07 because we are not gonna make it through 03:09 these dark days 03:10 and these dark hours without those promises. 03:12 I think we're together, 03:14 I know God's gonna do something good 03:16 and we're gonna bring some promises 03:17 that we can hold on to today. 03:19 Yeah, we can encourage the folks 03:20 that when these things happen, 03:21 we all know this, we're seeing in the world. 03:23 Oh, yeah. 03:24 It tells us that Christ is coming but Jesus said, 03:27 "Lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh, 03:31 " That has always given me encouragement and hope. 03:34 That's right. 03:35 And strength because I'm thinking, 03:36 "Oh, look at this. 03:38 Oh, Lord, what's going on?" 03:39 Jesus said, "Lift up your head, Kenny..." 03:41 Amen. "I'm coming soon. 03:42 I'm gonna cut this short in righteousness. 03:43 I'm gonna take you home to spend eternity." 03:45 So it's an encouraging thing. 03:47 It is and I'm thinking about we, who know, 03:50 like Danny is always saying, 03:51 "We've read the end of the book..." 03:53 Yeah. That's right. 03:54 "We know how things are going to wind up" 03:55 Yes. 03:57 But there are so many that don't. 03:58 That's right. 04:00 And so you have this wonderful opportunity here 04:02 as we do see things getting, 04:04 waxing worse and worse to share with those 04:08 that don't know the truth. 04:09 They don't have the truth as you do. 04:11 Share with them the good news 04:13 and the love of the Lord, Jesus Christ. 04:15 Yes, amen. Amen. That's it, Mollie. 04:17 God gives us, it's a responsibility. 04:18 Right. 04:20 You know, to know the Word of God, 04:21 to have that knowledge comes with a responsibility. 04:24 Absolutely. 04:26 So as we see the earthquakes and the fires 04:27 and the escalation of end time events. 04:29 Yes, it is. 04:30 That shows us that Jesus is coming soon. 04:32 Not only do I personally need to be more 04:35 in the Word of God and in prayer 04:37 but God calls each one us 04:38 to reach out to our brothers and sisters... 04:40 That's true. Yes, yes. 04:42 To our neighbors, to our family and to share the Word of God 04:44 where there's still time. 04:45 Oh, amen. Good point. 04:47 And hopefully, this will encourage people 04:48 to open the Word of God. 04:50 You know, my heart aches many times 04:51 because I meet so many Christians 04:54 that are not studiers. 04:55 True. 04:56 And I'm telling you, 04:58 we will be deceived as these things unfold, 05:01 as the scroll rolls away. 05:02 Yes. 05:04 If we're not studiers of the Word of God. 05:05 It's true. 05:06 Brother Greg, you had something, just woman hour... 05:08 You know... 05:09 I wanna hear it. Okay. Yes. 05:11 Well, I like this topic, 'God is love' 05:13 because, you know, satan is there to show 05:15 God as a tyrant in all of these terrible things. 05:18 So it's, you know, he takes what God truly is 05:21 and distorts it and makes God as the terrible person. 05:23 Oh, yes. 05:24 So studying, 'God is Love,' I like this topic. 05:26 Amen. It says, God is love. 05:28 He loves each one of us 05:29 that He sent His only begotten son. 05:30 So we're gonna dig into that a... 05:32 Yes. Good. Amen. 05:33 Little bit deeper and see 05:34 if we can prove that hypothesis for you. 05:36 Yeah, all right. 05:37 We wanna see if we can prove that. 05:39 Yes. Okay. 05:40 Good scientist likes to get in and prove a hypothesis. 05:41 That's right. Let's do that. 05:43 But before we do and you might have noticed 05:45 I didn't introduce the piano player. 05:47 We're running short of one person here today, 05:49 so we're gonna sing A cappella, just one song with you. 05:52 And, you know, this is a good, I worked at youth camps 05:56 and I've taught Sabbath school from every age to adult. 05:59 And this is a good one we used to, 06:01 even in our church school we sang this a lot. 06:04 As we were practicing before we came on air, 06:07 we were all doing our little hand motions 06:08 and we may do that, 06:10 so if you wanna do that with us, 06:11 the kids wanna do that, join in. 06:13 I'll try, I might mess it up. 06:14 That's okay. 06:16 I'm usually one behind, that's okay. 06:18 We may mess up a lot without that piano. 06:20 'His banner over me is love.' 06:23 Amen. 06:24 He brought me to His banqueting table, 06:28 His banner over me is love. 06:32 He brought me to His banqueting table, 06:36 His banner over me is love. 06:40 He brought me to His banqueting table, 06:44 His banner over me is love. 06:48 His banner over me is love. 06:54 He lifted me up into heavenly places, 06:58 His banner over me is love. 07:02 He lifted me up into heavenly places, 07:06 His banner over me is love. 07:10 He lifted me up into heavenly places, 07:14 His banner over me is love. 07:18 His banner over me is love. 07:24 Jesus is the rock of my salvation, 07:29 His banner over me is love. 07:33 Jesus is the rock of my salvation, 07:36 His banner over me is love. 07:41 Jesus is the rock of my salvation, 07:44 His banner over me is love. 07:48 His banner over me is love. 07:54 Yes, it is. 07:55 Praise the Lord. Amen. 07:56 I like that one. Amen. 07:58 Pastor Kenny, would you lead us in prayer? 07:59 Yes. 08:01 All right, for those of you who are viewing or listening, 08:03 let's pray together, shall we? 08:05 Merciful Father in heaven, we thank you 08:06 for thy beginning hours of the Sabbath. 08:09 We thank you for your love. 08:11 We thank you for being with us, providing all of our needs. 08:15 And, Lord, as we come together as one big family, 08:17 we pray that your Holy Spirit will lead, guide, 08:20 reign in each of our hearts and lives. 08:22 Open our minds and our ears and our hearts 08:24 as we study your Word, the subject, God Is Love. 08:28 It's a subject that many people do not understand 08:31 as simple as it may sound. 08:32 We pray your Holy Spirit 08:34 now will illuminate these beautiful truths 08:36 that we may all fall in love with Jesus again. 08:39 We thank you for hearing, for answering prayer 08:41 and thank you for every viewer, 08:43 thank you for every person who's watching, 08:44 every person who wants to really know more 08:47 about 'God Is Love,' 08:49 may our hearts be in tune now and may we hear Jesus speak. 08:52 In His name we pray and for His sake, Amen. 08:54 Amen. Amen. 08:56 His banner over me is love. Beautiful. 08:58 I'm gonna read just a little paragraph 09:01 that comes from a compilation entitled, 09:03 'Christ Triumphant.' 09:05 And it actually encapsulates Isaiah 57:15, 09:11 Habakkuk 3:6 and James 1:17. 09:14 See if you can pick out those pieces of scripture. 09:17 It reads, "His nature, His law is love. 09:22 It ever has been and ever will be 09:25 the high and lofty one that inhabited eternity, 09:28 whose ways are everlasting, changeth not. 09:32 With Him is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." 09:36 Amen. 09:37 So we have one that is the same yesterday, 09:40 today and forever. 09:42 And it says here that even His law is love. 09:45 Yeah. 09:47 So, folks, what do you think? 09:48 What do you think? 09:49 Do you know what I looked up those three scriptures, 09:51 when I was going through and reading it 09:52 and in the scripture in Isaiah, 09:55 if I can just read just a little more than that. 09:57 Yes. Sure. That really spoke to me. 09:59 The scripture from Isaiah, you read here, 10:01 "The high and lofty one that inhabits eternity, 10:03 " That's from the Isaiah scripture. 10:05 Yes. But if you look at Isaiah 57. 10:08 It says verse 15 and it says what you had just read, 10:11 that says, "The high and lofty one 10:13 who inhabits eternity, 10:14 whose name is Holy, 10:16 I dwell in the high and holy place..." 10:19 But I love the next part. 10:20 Who does He dwell with? 10:22 "With him who has a contrite and a humble spirit..." 10:27 Yes. 10:28 "To revive the spirit of the humble 10:30 and revive the heart of the contrite one." 10:32 So to me this is, God wants to dwell with us 10:36 but if I'm full in myself, in my pride, 10:40 arrogance, selfishness, 10:42 self sufficiency, how can I receive God? 10:46 Yes. How can I receive who He is? 10:49 So I loved that 10:51 because it connected God being high and lifted up and, 10:54 like the vision Isaiah had... 10:55 Yes, that's right. 10:56 Of God high and on the throne, lifted up. 10:58 Him being high and holy with us as humble children. 11:02 Amen. Suppliance. Yes. 11:03 Dependent on our father. I liked that connection. 11:05 Oh, yeah, awesome. Beautiful thinking. 11:07 I think as we rightly divide the Word of God, 11:09 God is calling us back... 11:10 Yes. To being a humble people. 11:12 Yes. 11:13 A contrite heart to be earnest... 11:15 Amen. Forthright, sincere. 11:18 Oh, yes. 11:19 Pleading with God. Amen. 11:21 That's what He's looking for, a broken heart. 11:22 Yeah, that's it. 11:24 Broken with the sin of this world and change. 11:26 You know, and I think also with what you just read, 11:29 that's one reason 11:30 we have so many different interpretations 11:32 because we're not reading in the spirit. 11:35 We're not reading with a humble contrite heart, 11:38 we're just kind of reading to just be reading 11:41 and maybe gleaning things 11:43 and making it sound like something 11:44 in one place and something else in another 11:46 rather than letting the Bible work together as a whole. 11:49 Yes. 11:51 I jotted down three things 11:52 I thought at least was interesting to me 11:53 as I read through and maybe simple to some 11:57 but it hit a note for me. 11:59 And I jotted them down 'cause we say, God is love. 12:03 I'm glad He just didn't leave it there... 12:04 Yeah. 12:06 Words 'cause a lot of times when words are spoken, 12:08 people don't pay attention to them and so I jotted down. 12:11 He wanted us to know, "He loves us." 12:15 Amen. You know, God is love. 12:17 He wants us to know that He loves us 12:20 and then so He wanted to, what did He do? 12:21 He wanted to demonstrate. Yeah. 12:24 That kind of His love, 12:25 His character so that would be holy, 12:28 just and good and mercy and so on and so forth 12:30 and then that wasn't quite enough. 12:33 He was willing to come down here to this earth, 12:36 so that we would believe, another opportunity because, 12:40 you know, message can be sent from heaven to earth 12:42 as it's been through prophets 12:43 and so on, so forth, the Word, people read it. 12:46 But He said, "I know they're gonna read it, 12:47 but many, there's things they need to know, 12:50 they need to know. 12:52 I need to demonstrate it for them 12:53 so they can understand it 12:55 and then over that, I'm gonna send Jesus. 12:57 Jesus is going to come down and die on the cross, 12:59 so they can understand what love is about." 13:01 Amen. 13:02 Let me just add this to what he just said 13:04 and see what you guys think. 13:05 And this is part of, it's in that same book, 13:08 Christ Triumphant, 13:10 because as we look back in the Old Testament, 13:14 many times people say, "Well, you know, 13:16 Christ must not have been a part of the Old Testament." 13:19 It reads so differently, you know, 13:21 than what they feel like the New Testament reads. 13:24 But listen to this paragraph, Spirit of Prophecy. 13:28 I'll just, I'll back up, 13:29 I'll read a little bit more even, 13:30 it says, "Every manifestation of creative power, 13:33 " we know that Christ was there, 13:34 the Word was in the beginning with God. 13:36 "The Holy Spirit was there 13:38 as an expression of His infinite love." 13:40 Yeah. 13:41 It never changes, He will... 13:43 As we begin to study that, 13:45 He will never ever stop loving you. 13:47 Amen. 13:49 Even if we don't make it to the kingdom. 13:50 That's right. He's never gonna forget us. 13:53 Ain't that deep? That is deep. 13:55 Yeah, it is. Wow. That is deep. 13:57 "The sovereignty of God involves fullness of blessing 14:01 to all created beings. 14:03 The history, the history..." 14:05 The Old and the New Testament history. 14:07 Yes. 14:08 "Of the great conflict between good and evil 14:10 from the time it first began in heaven." 14:13 See we're... 14:15 This even goes back. Oh, yeah. 14:16 Because this war started in heaven. 14:19 "To the final overthrow of rebellion 14:22 and the total eradication of sin 14:25 is also a demonstration of God's unchanging love." 14:30 Praise the Lord. Yes. 14:31 We don't often think of it that way, Sister Mollie. 14:34 It's true. 14:36 You know, I was thinking, 14:37 the scripture is so full of God is Love. 14:42 Oh, yeah. 14:43 And I'll read 1 John 4:9-11, 14:48 let me just read those. 14:50 And then I want to look at it 14:51 from maybe from another perspective. 14:54 "This is how God showed His love among us. 14:57 He sent His one and only Son into the world, 15:00 that we might live through Him. 15:02 This is love. 15:04 Not that we loved God, 15:06 but that He loved us and sent His son 15:08 as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 15:10 Amen. 15:11 "Dear friends, since God so loved us, 15:14 we also ought to love one another." 15:17 And do you all recall some years ago, 15:21 that Dwight Nelson 15:23 did spring camp meeting for 3ABN. 15:26 I do. Okay. 15:27 The title of his, one of his sermons 15:30 and I think he carried this thing 15:32 throughout the camp meeting, was the 11th commandment. 15:35 Yeah. 15:36 Remember that, the 11th commandment. 15:38 Oh, yeah. I do, I do. Okay. 15:39 That's John 13:34-35, a new commandment. 15:44 And if He's given us a new commandment however, 15:47 if you read the Word of God, 15:48 there's a whole lot of commandments in there. 15:49 Oh, mercy, yes. 15:51 But he labelled this one the 11th, 15:53 "A new commandment I give to you..." 15:56 And this is Jesus speaking. Wow. 15:58 Now He's given them a new commandment 16:00 and who's He speaking to? 16:01 He's speaking to the select of the elect, is He not? 16:04 He's talking to, to His disciples. 16:08 That's who He's talking to and it's right before, 16:12 He's giving them His parting words, 16:15 right before He's gonna go to the cross 16:18 and He's even trying to tell them 16:19 that He's going to the cross 16:21 but they just can't quite get this. 16:22 But He says, "I'm gonna give you a new commandment." 16:25 And it was simply this, "That you love one another. 16:28 As I have loved you, that you also love one another. 16:32 By this will..." 16:33 All men... 16:34 "All men know that you're my disciples, 16:36 if you love one another." 16:38 So we're here these guys that hung out with Him 16:40 or would you love to have their opportunity... 16:42 Oh, merci. 16:44 To be around Him, 16:45 to experience this love we're talking about today. 16:48 Yeah. 16:50 Firsthand right from Him and He's saying to them, 16:53 "Guys, I want you all to love each other." 16:55 Yes. Yeah. 16:56 To be imitators, what does the scripture say? 16:58 "The imitators of God as dear children." 17:02 Amen. So as a dear child. 17:03 Beautiful. Yes. That's right. 17:05 Oh, wow. 17:06 You know, it's incredible to me because Jesus, like you said, 17:08 calls us to love each other and, you know what? 17:11 If he said, "Okay, outwardly keep the commandments." 17:14 I could do that maybe, outwardly, 17:16 in my own strength, right? 17:18 I'm not talking the spirit or the commandments, 17:20 I could never do that but the outwardly, okay, 17:22 I won't go out and physically murder someone. 17:25 I won't steal, I won't like... 17:27 But can I love someone 17:30 as Jesus calls us to love each other? 17:32 No. Absolutely not. 17:34 So to me what God calls us to do 17:37 only can be done through the anointing 17:39 and power of His Holy Spirit. 17:41 Through Him, pouring His love and life into me 17:44 and transforming us so that we can... 17:45 That's true. Yes. 17:47 In turn love someone else, 17:48 'cause what He called them to do is really supernatural. 17:51 To love other people is supernatural. 17:53 Yes, it is. 17:54 But God can implant within us His love. 17:56 Amen. 17:58 Even as that, "We'd love our enemies, 17:59 to do good to those who despitefully use us, 18:03 who persecute us." 18:04 And I know we did a study on who is my neighbor 18:07 and after that... 18:09 Oh, yeah. Yeah, looking out. 18:10 After that, it was unbelievable 18:12 because it really affects our salvation. 18:15 How we treat the least of these my brother 18:17 and we do it unto Christ. 18:19 And that doesn't matter where we are, 18:22 what store or what someone's done to us, 18:25 that person that doesn't smell good, 18:27 doesn't look good, that's, you know, 18:29 just maybe not even quite out there 18:31 and you're passing by. 18:33 How do you treat that person? We're called to love. 18:35 Yes. Yeah. To love. 18:36 And you can't love it if you don't have it. 18:38 No. That's it. 18:39 You got to fill up the cup. 18:41 You can't do it on your own. 18:42 This writer says, "The love abroad of God..." 18:44 Is what? Shed abroad. 18:46 "Shed abroad in our heart by the Holy Spirit 18:47 which is given unto us." 18:49 So we're without excuse. Amen. 18:51 The God has placed His love in our, 18:53 it's what we do with it, how we use it 18:55 and if we're obedient to His commandments. 18:57 Have you heard a lot of excuses 18:59 of why somebody is not your neighbor? 19:00 Well, I don't, you know... 19:02 Yes, I have. 19:03 But, you know, what I read in 'Spirit of Prophecy' 19:05 is very interesting. 19:06 It says, "Every person who has a need 19:08 is your neighbor." 19:10 That's right. 19:11 And that's every person in the world... 19:12 Yeah. Is our neighbor. 19:14 So it's not just next door we're talking about, 19:15 it's around the world, to have that. 19:16 And there's something I wanna read 19:18 I thought was interesting, 19:19 what was just been talked about here. 19:22 The very first thing it said, 19:23 "If you talk about love and I thought 19:25 how interesting it is, how deep it can go. 19:27 And I thought love is..." 19:29 I found in Desire of Ages, page 117 said this, 19:31 "He," talking about Jesus, 19:33 "Jesus took the nature of man 19:36 with the possibility of yielding to temptation." 19:38 Yeah. 19:40 Now again you can talk about the love of God 19:41 and you did a lot of passage and thing, 19:44 then you can get a little deeper into it 19:46 when you talk about what really is love. 19:48 Correct. 19:49 To say how Jesus loved us, think about this, 19:53 He took the nature of fallen nature of man. 19:57 And what did He do? 19:58 He's like, with the possibility of sinning, 20:00 with the possibility of never going back again. 20:03 That's right. 20:04 He gave the sceptres back to His Father 20:07 and He came down here and I get goose bumps 20:10 when I think about that to say, look what He did. 20:13 That is just such what love that is for each of us... 20:17 Who were His enemies, 20:20 who, you know, despitefully used Him 20:22 but to me that just shows what love really, really is. 20:25 Yeah. 20:26 You know, it says, "Heaven came down 20:28 and glory filled my soul." 20:30 You know. He laid aside. 20:31 Yes. All of that. 20:33 All of His regalness. 20:37 He laid it all aside and it says, 20:39 "That man is created 20:41 a little lower than the angels." 20:43 And so He didn't just come down one step... 20:45 Yeah. 20:46 He came down two steps, 20:49 He came down to our level so He could lift us up to Him, 20:52 that is love. 20:54 Yes. Amen. That's love. 20:55 And I, you know, we can't even imagine. 20:57 Yeah. 20:58 While He had the possibility of living, to be omnipresent. 21:03 Oh, but to think about it, we'll get to find out someday. 21:07 Yes. Oh, Hallelujah. 21:09 Yeah, look at now... 21:10 But right now we're seeing through a glass darkly. 21:12 So we're trying to piece this together and say, 21:14 "Well, God gave that up." 21:16 You know, I think the only way we can fully relate to it is 21:19 how many of us are willing to die for someone 21:22 that we don't really know. 21:24 Yeah, wow. 21:25 That, you know... 21:26 For someone that's an enemy. Yes. 21:28 Right. 21:29 'Cause while we didn't even love Him, 21:30 He cried and died for us. Yes. Yes. 21:32 You know, even on the cross He's saying, 21:33 "Father, forgive them." 21:35 That is love. 21:36 That is the same God in the New Testament 21:39 that we can find if we search in the Old Testament, 21:42 the same one. 21:44 And so this is all, He's trying to eradicate 21:46 all of these things to put us back... 21:48 Amen. 21:49 In proper perspective 21:51 and what you said that what the eleventh commandment. 21:54 Remind me of what Christ said, where He hung, you know, 21:57 the first four, to love thy neighbor as thy... 22:00 Or to love the Lord thy God with all your heart 22:03 and thy neighbor as thyself, 22:04 so the first four and the last six. 22:06 Amen. That's right. Hangs all ten on there. 22:08 And it brings us back to I Corinthians, 22:11 I love this, 13. 22:12 Amen. Oh, my. You've gotta go there. 22:14 That's where I've got my Bible put to. 22:15 All right. So I Corinthians 13. 22:17 Yeah. 22:18 And we can go through every one of these 22:20 if we want to because the first one says, 22:23 "Though I speak with the tongues 22:24 of men and of angels." 22:27 We have no idea. 22:29 I mean, have you ever heard angels speak? 22:31 Not that I'm aware of. That's true. 22:33 Not that I'm aware and if they did, 22:34 they spoke English. 22:37 All right. 22:38 But we don't know the language, "But if we have not charity..." 22:41 Which we realize that means love, 22:43 if we have not love, 22:45 "I become as a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal." 22:49 We're just a noise maker. 22:50 My. 22:52 So with everything we're talking about here 22:54 whether it be the eleventh commandment 22:55 or all the commandments hanging on love. 22:57 If we are just keeping it out of, 23:00 thus sayeth the Lord and we're just hammering on it 23:02 and it's just the way, like you said, 23:04 I can maybe do this on my own 23:06 without the love of God, we're just making noise. 23:08 That's right. Amen. 23:10 We're not filled with the Spirit of God. 23:11 No. 23:12 What other one is in there, this is full of a lot of... 23:14 Oh, is this... 23:15 Yeah, sure. Amen. 23:17 My favorite part is, I don't know 23:19 if you wanna jump that far... 23:20 Let's... We will jump. 23:21 But verses 4-8 is my favorite part 23:23 of I Corinthians 13. 23:24 Come on, walk us through it. 23:26 I have this seven character, 23:27 I have written in the margin of my Bible, 23:29 the seven characteristics of love. 23:30 Yes. 23:31 And the eight attitudes that are foreign to love 23:34 'cause you notice it says, love is this. 23:36 That's the characteristics of love. 23:38 And then love is not or love does not do these things. 23:41 Yes. That's right. 23:43 And those were like the attitudes 23:44 that are foreign to love 23:45 and I remember taking this and I need to do this again, 23:48 'cause it's been a little while since I did this 23:50 but I took every day, a different attribute. 23:53 Okay. 23:54 And so say the first one of verse 4, 23:56 "Love suffers long." 23:57 Wow. 23:58 So I would say in the morning, "God, give me your patience." 24:01 Yes. 24:02 "Enable me to suffer long even if it's actually suffering, 24:06 even if there's pain." 24:08 Mercy. 24:09 "Help me today in the situations 24:11 that I'm facing, to walk this out." 24:13 Amen. 24:15 You know, and I can't do that of my own but, Lord Jesus, 24:18 give me that and then the next day, it is kind. 24:21 It suffers long and is kind. Yes, it is, yeah. 24:23 "Oh, Father, give me your kindness." 24:24 Amen. 24:26 "For my neighbors, for those you come in contact with, 24:28 for those you talk with on the phone." 24:30 Amen. "Give me your kindness." 24:31 Love does not envy. 24:33 Now that's an attitude foreign to love. 24:34 Yes, come on, come on. Yeah. 24:36 Love does not envy, 24:37 envy is an attitude foreign to love. 24:39 Love does not pride in itself, 24:42 so pride is an attitude foreign to love. 24:44 Yes. Yes. 24:46 Love is not puffed up, that's pride again. 24:48 Does not behave rudely. 24:50 That's foreign to love. Have mercy. 24:53 Thinks no evil. Right. 24:55 How many times as you go throughout the day 24:56 and this situation arises... 24:58 Oh, we judge each other. 24:59 And instantly I think... 25:00 Oh, be careful, man. "Oh, they must have done this." 25:02 You don't know that. No. No, you don't. 25:04 No, that is evil surmising. Evil surmising. 25:07 Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. 25:09 Oh, my. Yes. 25:10 So I don't wanna mean to hog the time and keep going. 25:12 No, keep going, go on. Love thinks no evil. 25:15 Does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth 25:19 and I think it does not rejoice in iniquity, 25:21 not only false doctrines and false teachings 25:23 but it doesn't rejoice 25:25 when my brothers and sisters stumble. 25:27 You know, you don't rejoice and see an iniquity 25:29 in some one else. 25:30 No, no, that's right. It rejoices in the truth. 25:33 Bears all things. 25:34 These are those characteristics of love. 25:36 Believes all things. 25:38 Hopes all things and endures all things, love never fails. 25:43 Wow. That's deep. 25:45 Yeah, that's real deep. 25:47 You know, Brother Greg, one of the passages 25:50 was I John 4:16, I think it was on... 25:53 Just saying, "God is love." 25:55 And you're thinking, "God is love. 25:56 How does that reveal? 25:58 How do we..." 25:59 And I jotted some of it down, it said, 26:01 "All that man needs to know or can know of God is revealed 26:05 through Jesus Christ." 26:07 Yeah, amen. 26:08 Everything that we need to know about God has been revealed 26:11 through Jesus Christ 26:13 because that's who He came to represent on this earth. 26:15 And I think reflex. 26:16 Yes, and I think what she just walked us through... 26:19 Yes. Is what Christ reflected. 26:20 Amen. 26:21 You know, as you're sitting here, 26:23 I mean, there's no better lesson 26:24 that we could give anybody than right here. 26:28 If every family would adopt these principles. 26:31 Yes. Oh, wow. 26:32 What a different world we would have. 26:34 What a different world, it would not be the same. 26:37 But can't we really just decide, maybe, Greg, 26:40 you can help me and, Mollie, anybody wants to come in. 26:42 Can we just really decide, okay, I've read them, 26:45 I've got them now. 26:46 No, no, it's a Word. 26:48 I've got it and it's gonna work, 26:49 I don't have to worry about it anymore 26:50 because I'm just gonna implement these in my life 26:53 and it's gonna work, will it? 26:54 You pray about it. I am listening to Jill. 26:57 I can remember when everyday, I would read this, 27:01 only it would be, 27:03 Mollie suffers long and is kind. 27:06 Mollie doesn't envy. 27:08 I would personalize this to myself 27:11 to put it and during that time, 27:13 yeah, I walked more closely to this. 27:15 Amen. 27:17 But when you get away from the Word, 27:19 then it becomes dimmer. 27:21 That's why it's vitally important for us 27:22 to stay in this Word, Greg. 27:24 That's right. 27:25 All the time and whatever you are, 27:28 you're in in the Word. 27:29 That's the part that is going to be emanating from you. 27:32 That's right. 27:33 And so I was just thinking and I don't want to just say, 27:36 "Oh, God, I'm gonna start doing that again. 27:38 It's got by the power of your Spirit." 27:40 Yes, yes. 27:41 "Please quicken me and enable me 27:42 to spend the time in the Word 27:44 as you have shown me in the past to do." 27:46 Yeah, I like studying the life of Christ, 27:49 while He was here on this earth too 27:50 because even if... 27:52 'Cause He wasn't treated always the best. 27:55 Was He? Or was He? No. He wasn't. 27:57 Seems like He got crucified. 27:58 Yeah, that's exactly. 28:00 You know, and yet He loved. 28:01 He did. Yeah. 28:02 To the very end. To the very end. 28:05 And the same people over and over again 28:08 because sometimes, you know, we're hurt, 28:09 but, man, when you're hurt by somebody 28:10 over and over and over again, it's hard. 28:14 That's when to me is 28:16 when the rubber hits the road for me like, 28:17 "Oh, God, I don't really want to love them." 28:20 Yes. And that's hard. 28:22 Being honest. 28:23 When it gets to the point but, you know, 28:24 when you study Christ, again like Mollie said, 28:27 He was crucified. 28:29 That's, you know, He was killed. 28:31 Yeah, is it important for like... 28:32 It's come to the point like fruits of the Spirit, 28:35 we're talking about love, we're talking about all these, 28:37 you know, as I went over there and I've said it many times, 28:40 I keep saying, I went over the fruits of the Spirit 28:43 and I failed every one of the test. 28:44 Oh, yeah, me too. Me too. 28:45 I mean, when I looked at it, I never gloried and said, 28:47 "Oh, I've got this one. 28:48 I've got..." 28:49 Everyone I looked at was with a heart with tears. 28:52 I failed and I realized 28:54 as I read the Spirit of Prophecy, 28:55 as I read the Word of God, if I fail in one aspect of it, 29:00 heaven will never be my home. 29:02 You know, I'm saying, "Oh, Lord, 29:03 I failed in everyone miserable." 29:05 But the good news is we come to Him, 29:07 we recognize first that what? 29:09 We failed miserably. That's right. 29:10 That's right. 29:11 I'm just going to accept and I'm going to do it. 29:13 No, I failed miserably on all of these 29:14 but I want these in my life. 29:16 Amen. 29:17 I want them growing inside of me, 29:18 I want to grow every day and I want to be like you 29:22 and I guarantee He'll work some tremendous miracles. 29:24 Go ahead. 29:26 Well, I wanna just add on to that 29:27 because that goes back then to me to the love of God 29:30 because, okay, so I'm failing, 29:32 I know I am, you know, as we're studying this already, 29:34 I'm convicted, you know. 29:35 And so that's where then I can reach out to God and say, 29:38 "You know, you love me 29:39 even though I'm just a miserable sinner." 29:40 Yes. 29:42 I don't have to worry that, "Okay, God's given up on me 29:44 because I failed Him multiple times." 29:46 You know, I know that people fail me multiple times 29:48 but when I'm failing God... 29:49 Yes. 29:50 I know that God still loves me and you know that's great hope 29:52 because you said, good news. 29:53 You know, the good thing... 29:54 We need hope. 29:56 Yeah, maybe talked about this one time 29:58 before about how interesting it is. 30:00 And this is exactly, 30:01 at least to me it's a good example, 30:03 is that Christ, He understood His disciples. 30:06 Yeah. 30:07 Judas, we talked about before, right? 30:09 He knew he was a traitor, He knew what he was going do 30:11 but notice what 'Desire of Ages' says, 30:14 it says that, "Jesus purposely kept Judas 30:17 close by His side, 30:19 so he could counteract the damage that he was doing, 30:22 plus give him opportunity 30:24 to repent and turn back to Him." 30:28 Jesus would not let him go, knowing what he was doing, 30:31 how the end result, the whole business 30:33 but He wouldn't let him go. 30:35 Amen. That's beautiful. 30:36 Now that's real love, 'cause we have the tendency, 30:38 we know somebody is gonna pull a shenanigan... 30:39 We wanna throw him out. 30:40 We throw him out before they throw us out. 30:43 Or you wanna expose it. 30:44 Thank you. Right? 30:45 You wanna say, "Okay, 30:47 everybody see what Judas is doing, 30:48 I want you all to know what Judas is doing." 30:50 That's the human... That's a human, right? 30:51 Yes, yes. That's right. That's right. 30:52 Right. That's human. 30:54 Go ahead. 30:55 I'm just thinking of the scripture 30:56 based on what you said is that, 30:58 love does something, covers, love covers. 31:01 Love covers what? 31:02 The multitude of sin. Yes. 31:04 Okay, if love covers, what is the opposite of love? 31:07 So it would be the accuser of the brethren 31:09 is what I think. 31:10 Yes, it would. 31:11 If love covers... Wow. 31:13 And that means not that you cover it up to hide it... 31:17 No, no, that's different. But you pray. 31:19 Cover it with prayer and then as the accuser of the brethren, 31:22 it goes around exposing. 31:23 Oh, yes. 31:25 So if you're in a situation 31:26 where somebody's always wanting to tell you, 31:28 like this a little titbit gossip. 31:30 Oh, no, no. 31:31 To uncover people's nakedness. 31:33 Yes. Yes. Their sinfulness. 31:35 Then you recognize what camp you're falling into. 31:37 Are you falling into the camp of, 31:39 God is love and love covers the multitude of sin 31:43 or is the accuser of the brethren 31:45 that goes about exposing everything they can expose? 31:48 Isn't that clear? 31:50 One of two camps, this is gonna fall into. 31:51 Isn't that clear? 31:52 I mean, you've made this so clear 31:54 and the Bible is so clear on that issue 31:55 and yet when someone comes up with some juicy gossip, 31:58 that's like we can't just... 31:59 We can't say, no. 32:01 We can't say, we wanted to, yeah, what was that? 32:04 I know... Oh, let's... 32:05 Yes, yes. We know when we're doing it. 32:07 It's wrong to even listen. 32:09 I'm telling you this and we'll pray about it. 32:10 We know that it's wrong but yet we go ahead 32:12 because we love the juicy gossip, 32:14 which is the devil. 32:15 That's absolutely right. Which is the enemy side. 32:17 So, you know, God help us, one thing we do, 32:20 wanna try to do is when someone comes up 32:21 and says something, 32:23 now this may not work for those of you at home. 32:24 It helps to, it works in my life. 32:27 They'll come and they'll say, 32:28 "Well, did you hear about so-and-so?" 32:29 I said, "You know what? 32:31 I really love brother so-and-so or sister, 32:32 they are such a sweet person." 32:34 I've heard him do this. And that'll stop them. 32:35 You know what? 32:36 I said, "They're such a person, they... Well, they don't do." 32:38 I said, "Everything I've seen them do is good. 32:40 My relationship with them is good 32:41 and we love that person, we want them in the kingdom." 32:43 Pretty soon, they're about to face, 32:45 they're somewhere else. 32:46 They're looking for somebody else to talk to. 32:48 That will lend an ear. 32:49 If you don't lend an ear, there can't be any gossip, 32:50 so be careful. 32:52 The scripture says, "We are to guard our heart 32:53 with all vigilance and above all that we guard, 32:56 for out of it flow, the issues of life." 33:00 What are the two ways that things can get into your heart? 33:02 Yes. 33:03 Now think about this, there's only two ways 33:05 things can get into your heart. 33:07 What you see and what you hear. 33:09 And there scripture that tells you 33:11 to put a guard over your ears and guard over your eyes. 33:12 Amen, yes. Lord, have mercy. 33:14 So when somebody comes to, and what they're doing is 33:17 they're dumping garbage into you 33:20 and once you hear something, 33:22 even if you know it's not the truth, 33:23 you still have to deal with it. 33:25 That's right. That's right. 33:26 And so guard your heart. Seriously. 33:27 Don't let your heart become a garbage dump for gossip 33:32 and for goodness sakes, when it comes on television, 33:34 if you're not watching 3ABN, turn that channel. 33:37 Thank you. Thank you, I did it, all right. 33:39 I got it now. 33:41 But you know, one thing I love 33:42 about all these attributes of love 33:43 is that we don't have to acquire these on our own 33:47 and the way I learned this was, I was in my 20s 33:50 and I had a neighbor 33:51 and she was not very kind, she... 33:54 You mentioned earlier, 33:55 somebody comes up to you several times, 33:57 how hard it is... 33:58 It is. 34:00 And it was that way in my heart and I thought, 34:01 "Lord, I don't like her." 34:04 Well, now. 34:05 I don't like her but I knew that that was wrong. 34:07 Yeah. That's right. 34:08 And so I made it a matter of prayer 34:11 with these beautiful promises in the Word of God, 34:14 that God is a God of love 34:16 and we're to love our neighbors 34:18 and I said, "Lord, I don't have it, 34:21 I don't have it with her anymore." 34:23 I said, "Father, will you give it to me? 34:26 Give me your love." 34:28 Yes. 34:29 That's where it made a difference. 34:30 Amen. 34:32 Everything I tried was useless. 34:34 If I try all these things that you're talking about 34:36 with the enemy versus with Christ. 34:39 You know, my mind is always gonna go, 34:41 "I heard, I thought..." 34:42 But when Christ comes in, 34:43 He's such a wonderful physician. 34:46 Amen. 34:47 He changes our thought patterns 34:49 and He can give you His love for your enemies. 34:53 So how did it work out? 34:55 It ended up... 34:56 I wanna get to the bottom of this thing. 34:58 Everything turned around. 34:59 I knew it would. Everything. 35:01 I knew it would. You know why? 35:02 And I was able to love her 35:04 and I was able to help her and her son. 35:06 You said because the Bible has told you that... 35:08 It was because of Christ. 35:09 Christ Object Lesson, 147 said, 35:12 "God stands behind every promise 35:14 that He ever made" 35:15 Amen. Man, I love that. 35:16 I mean, the Bible's clear on, spirit prophecy is clear, 35:18 every promise He stands behind. 35:19 Yes, we just have to learn to claim them. 35:21 Amen. Claim them and go for it, yeah. 35:23 Amen. It's so exciting to me. 35:24 The Word of God is so powerful. It is. 35:27 Because the promises in the Word, 35:29 we can call those things 35:31 that are not as though they already are. 35:33 Amen. 35:34 And so even if I read this and I say, 35:36 "God, I don't possess this love" 35:37 Yeah. 35:39 "But I'm claiming this promise right here over my life." 35:42 You think about, in the Hebrews 4:12, 35:44 the "Word of God is living, alive, 35:46 quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword 35:49 and it pierces even to the dividing asunder 35:52 of the joints and marrow and soul and spirit 35:54 and is a discern of the thoughts 35:55 and intents of the heart." 35:57 And I think the Word of God has that life giving power. 36:02 So the same power when God, Jesus at the beginning said, 36:06 "Let there be light. 36:09 Instantly the light appeared, 36:10 the same power that spoke the world into existence 36:13 and there are the plants and animals 36:15 and air and all of that is right here... 36:18 Amen. 36:19 In front of us, the same power. 36:21 So when you and I 36:24 claim the promises from the word of God, 36:27 that same power is at work in our hearts and lives 36:30 to change us. 36:31 So like you said, "God give me that love. 36:33 Claim those promises 36:35 and God can change us by the power of spirit. 36:37 You got to plug in. Amen. 36:38 Take time to plug in. 36:40 Desire of Ages, I think page 22 talks about to know God 36:46 is to love God, think about it. 36:49 What is only by love is love awakened. 36:52 That's right. Right. 36:53 It is, somebody shows you that kind of love, 36:55 it awakens something inside you, 36:57 you didn't may be know even existed. 36:58 But to know him, 37:00 that's why plenty of people don't know God. 37:01 They don't know that kind of love. 37:03 But then you say what? 37:05 Look to Jesus. Amen. 37:06 Wow, there is that kind of love, 37:07 'cause that's God in the flesh. 37:09 Amen. It's wonderful. Go ahead. 37:11 I believe it's the Desire of Ages too, 37:12 I know it's very near the front, 37:14 I wish I had my Desire of Ages 'cause I know where to find it, 37:17 where it says, if there is a law of heaven and earth, 37:20 the law of the universe, what is that? 37:22 Self sacrificing love. 37:24 Self sacrificing love, which only Christ, you know, 37:27 he is the one that has given us that example. 37:30 He is the epitome of self sacrificing love. 37:32 Amen. 37:34 God's law is a law of love in Romans 13:10. 37:39 It's a law of love. 37:41 Everything is governed by what? Love. 37:44 As we look at in that, that framework of love, 37:49 it's no longer dos and don'ts. 37:50 That's right. 37:52 You know, as we came up especially like on Sabbath, 37:54 you know, lot of times, you know, 37:56 I can't wait for sundown 'cause I'm going to go here, 37:58 I'm going to do that, you know, we don't realize seriously 38:03 until we really are plugged in. 38:06 And the older I became, the more I was just like. 38:08 Even in college I was just so happy 38:11 for Sabbath to get here, 38:13 because I, no matter how much pressure I have, 38:14 I put it away. 38:16 Thank you. Put it aside. 38:17 Amen. 38:19 You know, God promises if we put him first, 38:20 he's going to add all these other things unto us. 38:23 And so I claimed that even back then, 38:26 and it's just beautiful as we plug in 38:29 how these things begin to change 38:30 and suddenly it's not thou shalt not it's, 38:33 I love you so much, please don't do this, 38:35 it's going to hurt you. 38:37 We begin to see it in the right light... 38:39 Right. You know. 38:41 Amen, wow. 38:42 To me that's just very, very positive... 38:43 It is. 38:45 When we look from scriptures Spirit of Prophecy 38:46 and we just study, it helps me to realize. 38:49 Again you say, we talk about before about Calvary. 38:52 How do we really know 38:54 because the world that we live in 38:55 is everything is love, love, love. 38:57 We went to all this time, love, love, love. 39:00 The world doesn't know what love is. 39:01 If you don't know God, 39:03 if you're not born again Christian, 39:04 you don't know what love really is, 39:06 is really all about. 39:07 And so as we study it, we look at Calvary. 39:10 Calvary proves 39:11 what real true love is all about, 39:13 so that's why we need to study those closing moments, 39:16 that's why we need to study Calvary, 39:18 because then we can learn what real love is 39:20 and you mentioned self sacrifice. 39:21 Self sacrifice. 39:23 Everything has to do, 39:24 this work will not be finished Sister Mollie 39:26 until they're self sacrificing going on. 39:29 That's in those who are at home, 39:30 those who are giving to the calls 39:31 to get this gospel around the world. 39:33 Yeah. 39:34 We give a little here, we think we give our share, 39:36 but it will not close until it's self sacrifice. 39:39 Selfless we just give, you know, give, 39:42 they say give till it huts 39:44 that God will bless and so we live, 39:45 but you can only do that if you have the love of Christ. 39:48 In fact, when you read scripture you realize, 39:50 you can't even have a healthy life 39:53 especially spiritual life unless you know God, 39:55 unless you know about love. 39:57 That's right. You just can't have it. 39:59 You know, I looked up some of the attributes 40:02 or names of God. 40:03 I thought that would tie right in with the love of God 40:07 and I kind of wanted to maybe put a little spin on this... 40:10 Okay. 40:11 I only looked up the Omni words concerning God. 40:15 There is a list this long that define who God is. 40:18 But I just did the Omni. 40:20 Omnipotent, somebody tell me what Omnipotent means? 40:24 Infinite power, all power. 40:26 Omniscient, perfect knowledge. 40:29 Omnipresent, everywhere all the time. 40:32 Now think of this. 40:33 Would you want an omnipotent God, 40:36 one who possesses infinite power 40:38 or an omniscient God, 40:40 perfect complete knowledge or an omnipresent God, 40:44 one that's everywhere all the time who isn't love. 40:47 Think about it. 40:48 Would you want a God that has all of these, 40:51 these are just three of the attributes 40:53 but he's not full of love. 40:55 How would you respond to an omnipotent, omniscient, 40:59 omnipresent God who had evil at working in him. 41:02 What would this world be? 41:04 Terrifying. I think it would be terrifying. 41:07 Yeah, sure would. I think it would be terrifying. 41:08 So we can thank God for him being a God of love. 41:13 Then I would be worshiping... 41:14 And he's not just love God, God is love. 41:17 That's right, that goes deep. 41:18 Yeah, it does. 41:19 I think we taste. 41:21 Yeah. You know that terror. 41:22 We see that, you know, 41:24 as we talked in the very beginning 41:26 some of these things that are happening, 41:27 stabbings and people running cars 41:30 into other people 41:32 because of ISIS and this Muslim conflict 41:35 that we seem to be going through here 41:37 in the whole world, it's not just the US 41:39 but we're feeling it here more than we used to. 41:42 And so we are getting a taste 41:44 of what a dictator without love would be like. 41:48 Can you imagine? 41:49 Yeah, I mean what people saw on the internet, 41:52 what little we saw on the news of good people 41:57 being beheaded of men 42:00 and all those children taken as slaves. 42:03 We don't realize just like I mentioned 42:06 that war that has brought you know, 42:08 broke out in Africa and those pictures just broke, 42:12 I thought how horrific. 42:15 Yeah. 42:17 You know, and here we are, we're separated for a time. 42:20 But we're also told that 42:21 there is coming a time of trouble 42:23 that we can't even imagine, 42:24 so you look at these things and we're going to taste 42:27 what it would be like without God's presence. 42:30 We're going to taste that. 42:32 I would never ever, I don't want that... 42:33 Just like in the news where they... 42:35 And I'm not trying to criticize or judge these young people, 42:38 they may be 18 and 16, but you know, 42:40 they just couldn't take care of their newborn baby, 42:43 so they put it in the trash. 42:46 And you know, and they might justify 42:48 and you might say... 42:49 My thought is if Christ is a head of our home, 42:54 if he is a center of our joy and happiness, 42:56 we can never do that, 42:58 you know, again not trying to be judgmental 42:59 but it shows that one spirit or the other is leading. 43:03 The enemy says, go ahead and get rid of. 43:04 Jesus says keep it. 43:06 I found something over here I thought was interesting. 43:08 This is the Counsels on Steward, it says here, 43:11 "He has linked us to Himself by all these tokens, 43:15 " talking about heaven and earth." 43:16 Everything in heaven and earth, 43:17 he's linked us together with each. 43:19 "He watches over us with more tenderness 43:21 than does a mother over an afflicted child." 43:25 Amen. Wow. 43:26 You can't hardly get a mother away from the child 43:27 that's sick. 43:29 She's is right there until they get well, 43:30 and that's how his eye is on us. 43:33 And I thought this gives me encouragement 43:35 to know that his eyes on the spirit, 43:38 and I know that he's watching me. 43:40 And we just heard on the news recently 43:42 to where this baby, was it a car accident? 43:45 And the baby was thrown like 30 feet in the air 43:48 and it was during this 43:49 and they didn't know where the baby was, 43:51 so they went out looking for the baby 43:53 and when they got to the baby it was still in the car seat, 43:56 had just a little scratch here 43:57 and it was just so happy to see. 43:59 Just it wasn't smiling and haven't they said, 44:01 we couldn't find it because he wasn't screaming, 44:03 he wasn't crying, he's just... 44:04 That had to be an angel. Yeah. 44:05 Had to be an angel. 44:07 Itty-bitty old scratch and he was just gooey and gung, 44:08 and I said, oh how... 44:09 What a miracle. 44:11 And even on the news they say, oh, 44:12 there must have been some kind of divine intervention 44:14 and something must have... 44:16 God is intervening for his people. 44:17 God to give an opportunity to show his love. 44:19 People could see that God's taking care of us. 44:21 He does. That's exactly, yeah. 44:22 You know, you just see that I was thinking 44:23 what you've mentioned at the beginning sweetheart 44:25 about how Satan wants to misrepresent 44:27 the character of God. 44:29 And you'll see these wars and these pestilence and famine 44:33 and difficulty and Satan wants us to think 44:37 God caused that. 44:39 You know how when you have a tornado come through 44:40 and the insurance says that was an act of God. 44:44 Oh, I can understand it. That was not an act of God. 44:46 But Satan has so twisted God's character 44:51 that when we see something and not everybody 44:54 but many times you say, "Oh, God allowed that? 44:59 Oh, God did that?" 45:01 Instead of putting the blame 45:03 where it belongs verily on Satan. 45:06 He is the father of lies. 45:07 He originated all of that sin and suffering 45:11 and sickness and death and pain and all of that stuff, 45:14 and thinking that God is the love. 45:17 Amen. Yeah, God is love. 45:19 Isn't that one of the reasons Christ came. 45:21 Yes. 45:22 When the disciples said, 45:24 you know, would you show us the Father? 45:27 And you know, you can just almost feel the tears 45:29 well up in his eyes 45:31 when he says, "Have I not been with you?" 45:33 Yeah. 45:34 Long enough that you've not seen. 45:36 Seen me. 45:37 Well, I think it shows that God of love 45:39 that he's let this great controversy, 45:41 this good and evil work itself out 45:42 because you get... 45:43 He's trying to eradicate it. 45:45 Do you know that, and like Mollie mentioned, 45:46 like Danny has mentioned we know the end of the book. 45:47 Yes. So you know Christ has won. 45:49 But yeah, lot of times people ask that question, 45:51 well, a good love, he would just stopped it all 45:54 and that would have been it 45:55 but that's not because we have choice. 45:57 Amen. 45:58 It has to work itself out so that is God is showing 46:00 that love by allowing that. 46:02 Yes. Very good, yes. 46:03 I just have to jump in on that too because I remember... 46:08 You know, God shows himself to be love 46:11 even in those trying times. 46:13 I'm thinking about when my mom died. 46:15 Yep, well. 46:18 She had been on life support 46:20 and on a tube and it's a long story 46:22 but anyway they had pumped her body 46:25 so full of prednisone that when they put her, 46:27 they took her off 46:28 and put her on a breathing tube, 46:29 in a eating tube that her tummy just split open and they said, 46:34 there is nothing we can do. 46:36 And I remember going in taking the kids with me 46:40 and we read the 23 Psalms to her 46:42 and we stayed in the room 46:44 and as she was losing consciousness 46:48 we began to sing. 46:50 Amen. Amen. 46:52 And it was as if I kid you not, 46:54 the Spirit of God was there 46:56 and I felt like if I just did this, 46:59 there would be an angel that would just touch the hand. 47:03 He was so close, people going by for hours, 47:06 they felt the difference in that room in the hospital 47:10 and they told us about it. 47:11 And we sang for hours 47:13 because every time we stop singing, 47:16 her breathing became very labored 47:19 but once we sang she would clam down 47:22 and it was just so peaceful, 47:25 and afterwards I know that the dead know not anything 47:28 so I'm not advocating that in any form or fashion 47:31 that I would be driving around 47:33 and I would just start falling, I want my mom. 47:37 And for some reason I'd go out to the graveyard 47:40 and every time I went there, I had a peace, 47:43 and I thought I don't understand this, 47:45 why am I getting peace here, she doesn't know anything. 47:48 And after about three or four times doing this 47:50 I was at my morning devotion, 47:53 and I was reading where the angel of the Lord 47:56 stands guard of the grave of those that are his children, 48:00 and all of a sudden 48:01 as if the Holy Spirit spoke to my spirit and said, 48:04 this is why you have a peace 48:08 when you go out there was the presence of the angel. 48:09 Praise God. 48:11 So I'm looking forward to see my mom at some day. 48:12 Amen. 48:14 Because that was it, it was a love 48:17 in a time of great sorrow. 48:19 And it was a peace like the Bible says 48:21 that passes all understanding, we don't understand God's love. 48:24 No. 48:26 We don't understand how when, you know, they're crucifying, 48:28 he can say, Father, forgive, we don't understand that. 48:32 So it's his love and his mercy, it's beyond our understanding, 48:36 his peace that passes all understanding. 48:39 So through those times he promises, 48:41 it's like that poem two footprints in them. 48:44 That's right. 48:45 And when you see the one he's carrying us. 48:48 You know, I think about Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. 48:50 Even he was saying, 48:51 Father, I really didn't want to go through 48:53 but your will be done. 48:54 Yes. 48:56 You know, that was a hard trying time 48:57 for Jesus here going to the Garden of Gethsemane. 48:59 And I like what Luke says, 49:01 that an angel of the Lord came and strengthened him. 49:05 Amen. Yes. 49:06 Great. 49:08 So we will go through times of trouble in this earth. 49:12 But God is there like you're saying, 49:13 to strengthen us. 49:15 And that's love there too, isn't it? 49:16 Yes. Yes, it is. 49:18 How hosted the martyrs sing 49:20 as they were being burned to death... 49:21 Yeah. You're right. On the stake. 49:23 God gave them the strength. 49:24 Whenever the pain was too great, 49:27 he stepped in and he took it. 49:29 Amen. 49:30 So whenever alone we may die. 49:33 That's correct. 49:34 But we're never, we're never without this love 49:36 that we're talking. 49:38 And we have that great hope of eternal life. 49:39 Yes, amen. 49:40 It's great. It's exciting. 49:42 It sure is. 49:43 I remember that story of, and I can't remember 49:45 so may be I shouldn't repeat it, 49:46 whether it was Huss or Jerome, 49:48 it was one of the ones who was martyred. 49:50 And one of the founders 49:52 you could say at the beginning of the protestant reformation. 49:54 And I remember the story of him holding his hand out, 49:56 do you remember that to the candle? 49:58 He was in jail, and he knew, and he knew 50:03 probably I'm going to be burned at the stake 50:05 and I don't know if I can handle it. 50:08 And so we put his hand out and then he jumped back, 50:11 I can't take it. It was too hard. 50:12 And then at that point it seems like 50:14 he might have said no he recanted 50:16 and then he said no, no matter what, 50:19 I'm going with Jesus and then when died 50:22 and he was burned at the stake, he sang. 50:25 And you think somehow God and his mercy gave him grace. 50:30 Yes. Gave him strength. 50:32 He does. 50:33 I mean, we can't ask him 50:34 but in heaven I want to ask him. 50:36 Yeah. Yes. 50:37 What that was like? What do you experience? 50:39 But that's just the love of God reaching at that moment. 50:43 Like you say the stoning of Stephen, 50:45 but just different ones that martyred. 50:46 You know, Father, forgive them you know, 50:48 what many of them recount it, they don't know what they're, 50:51 you know, they don't know what they're doing. 50:52 It's love of God. 50:54 It has to be 50:55 because someone hit you with a stone, 50:57 if there is a stone around you go, 50:58 if you're not converted you're going to pick it up 51:00 and going to go land him, right one on pretty good. 51:03 I'd get one in both hands. Good. 51:06 And there might be a time when you'd think you know, 51:10 if I confess this sin he'll be faithful 51:12 and just to forgive me. 51:13 That's right. 51:15 No, I'm not advocating that or anything. 51:16 No, that's right. 51:18 Christ within the hope of glory isn't that, 51:20 what it's all about. 51:21 Amen. 51:22 And that's all I know of myself 51:24 and some of that may be at home, 51:25 we need Christ within 51:27 and then he helps us to love the unlovely again 51:30 as been mentioned here, 51:31 that can grow in us and I think that's something 51:33 you kind of brought back to each one, 51:35 we need to be praying for that... 51:36 Yes. 51:37 That we can love the way that Christ love, 51:40 then once again you know, our mission for us, 51:42 Spirit of Prophecy, once again 51:44 unless we love people the way Christ loved people 51:47 heaven will never be our home. 51:49 I said, man, I failed again. 51:51 Yeah. 51:52 You know, but I say now, I need to go back to him. 51:55 Amen. 51:56 Maybe counting too much on myself looking to me 51:59 and my feelings and my emotions 52:00 rather than say let Christ in 52:02 because he loves everybody just the same, 52:05 no respecter of persons. 52:06 I have to learn all those lessons 52:08 and I'm still learning them. 52:10 Praise God for that, but for that love that we need 52:12 which again you talk about the basis of everything. 52:15 Amen. 52:16 One of the greatest expressions of God's love 52:20 one of them is 1 John 1:9 52:23 where Kenny like you were saying, we failed. 52:26 And we do fail and we realize 52:28 I'm not living where I should be living, 52:30 but we can't come before our heavenly Father 52:34 and confess our sins, repent turn from it. 52:37 If we confess our sins he's faithful 52:40 and just to forgive us. 52:41 Forgive us. 52:43 And then he goes one step further, 52:44 Kenny, then he cleanses us. 52:45 Yes. 52:47 And if we're cleansed from all sin, 52:48 what does that make us. 52:49 If you're cleansed from all unrighteousness, 52:51 then you're the righteousness of God in Christ. 52:53 That's right. 52:55 You're covered by that blood and that's the pure love of God 52:59 that would take us rank even sinners 53:01 that we can be even in our best of times 53:05 and he'll forgive us and he'll cleanse us, 53:07 and he'll stand us back up. 53:09 And the word we don't like to use sometime 53:12 because it frightens most people at that moment, 53:15 you're perfect... 53:16 At that moment. At that moment. 53:17 Now you may go, you know, but that moment 53:19 because we have to believe that we're 53:21 because he said, all sin is forgiven, 53:23 if everything is eradicated out of the life, 53:25 we're new creature in Christ at that moment. 53:26 Amen. 53:28 We stand perfect 53:29 because we stand in Christ Jesus, he's perfect. 53:31 That's right, he is. 53:32 But a few minutes later we may mess up again 53:35 but hey, there is no end to his grace and mercy. 53:37 Amen. 53:38 Thank Lord. Thank the Lord. 53:39 Amen. 53:41 1 John 2:5 says, "But who so keepeth his word", 53:44 and when you were talking 53:45 you're giving different portions of the scripture, 53:48 all of this works together as one. 53:50 It's not just love, love, love, without knowledge, 53:54 without repentance, without humbleness, obedience. 53:57 "But whoso keepeth his word..." 54:00 Thank you. 54:01 "In him verily is the love of God perfected: 54:04 hereby know..." 54:06 it is 1 John 2:5. 54:11 "Hereby know we that we are in him." 54:15 And I like Romans 8:39 it says, "Nor height nor depth, 54:19 or any other creature 54:21 shall be able to separate us from the love of God 54:25 which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 54:28 We may burn at the stake. 54:29 We don't know what we're going to, 54:31 what's going to happen. 54:32 But those ashes are those 54:34 whatever parts are going to be left, 54:36 he's never gonna forsake us. 54:37 Amen. 54:38 When that trumpet sounds... 54:40 Oh, glory. That's right. 54:41 Look out. 54:42 There's going to be graves that are opened up. 54:44 There would be some shouting going on. 54:45 And there is going to be shouting. 54:47 Amen. We're starting to feel it. 54:48 Wow, it will pierce the dead. 54:50 He will not forget his children, 54:52 though we have to ask him into our hearts. 54:54 Amen. 54:55 We have to want him there, 54:57 we have to want the love and then he says, 54:59 I want to give it to you, it's a free gift. 55:00 Amen. 55:02 So the thing is to just start right now. 55:03 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, 55:05 and know my thoughts: 55:07 See if there be any evil way in me, 55:09 and lead me in the path that's everlasting.' 55:10 Amen. 55:11 We can have a cleansing 55:15 and heart purification 55:19 that will put us in that relationship 55:21 with the Lord even now. 55:24 Oh, glory. 55:25 Because someone you know may say, 55:26 well, I don't have God's love in my heart. 55:28 I know that right now 55:29 but you can start right now, right? 55:30 Amen. 55:32 God give me your love... 55:33 Amen. Because I need it. 55:35 Talk to the people there, we got a couple minutes left 55:36 because somebody is listening now. 55:37 I needed it in my life. 55:39 So you can become discourage and say, 55:40 well, I don't have God's love, forget it. 55:42 But no, God says you can start right now, start fresh. 55:45 Say God, give me your love, and that's the thing 55:46 because there are people that like you said 55:49 are unlovable it seems like, but God loves them. 55:51 Yes. So I have to love him too. 55:53 Isn't that part of what the Sabbath is all about, 55:56 we come together and worship. 55:58 We're starting afresh, we're eating a fresh food, 56:01 fresh bread, the bread of life. 56:02 Oh, yes. 56:03 So as brother Greg just said, you can do it right now. 56:06 Amen. 56:08 You can ask Jesus into your heart. 56:09 You can reexamine many scriptures, 56:12 just type the word love in a search engine 56:16 for the Bible and pull them up 56:18 because they'll refresh the wonderful promises. 56:21 The whole Bible will come up. 56:23 There is no Bible is going to come up 56:24 that is just love on one page to the other 56:27 if you really just look forward. 56:28 And Sister Jill, 56:29 a closing thought one minute left. 56:31 Love is not an attribute of God, 56:33 it is his essence, 56:34 it is his character who he is his love. 56:37 Amen, praise the Lord. 56:39 So we know that there are several out there right now. 56:41 I think they're making decision. 56:43 We have to believe that by faith. 56:44 Yes. 56:45 They've fallen away or maybe they've never come to Christ. 56:47 Here is the time to do it. That's right. 56:49 We're going to invite you to pray, 56:50 we're going to pray for you right now in closing. 56:52 Honey, you want to have a closing prayer? 56:53 Sure. 56:54 Let's pray because somebody is going to accept Jesus. 56:56 Okay. Amen. 56:57 Heavenly Father, as we close this time together, 57:00 we thank you for reminding us of your love. 57:02 Yes. 57:04 And Father, I just pray that 57:05 those who are listening at home, 57:07 who are studying with us, 57:09 that they will reach heaven with their prayers. 57:12 And so Father fill us with that love. 57:14 Fill us with the love for our neighbors, 57:17 please forgive us for we have failed thee over and over 57:20 and help us to dig into the attributes of love 57:24 in 1 Corinthians 13 to find out what it's all about 57:28 and to know you and to draw to taste 57:31 a little bit of the heaven each and everyday. 57:33 We pray this in Jesus' name. 57:35 Thank you, Lord. 57:36 Amen. Amen. |
Revised 2017-01-05