Are the people who
inhabit planet earth
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alone in this vast universe?
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Are there other
intelligent beings
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with whom humans
have made contact?
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From cave drawings to
renaissance art and paintings,
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from grainy
photographs to pop culture,
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communicating with
beings from beyond planet earth
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has intrigued our imagination.
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S.E.T.I. is the
acronym for our search
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for
extraterrestrial intelligence.
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It is a modern high tech attempt
to answer this age old question.
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Are we alone in the cosmos?
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S.E.T.I.s most
famous radio telescope
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is the Arecibo
observatory in Puerto Rico.
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At 305 meters, it is the
largest focusing dish on earth.
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While this dish does much
more than just listens for ETs.
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This is one of
its ongoing functions.
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It is constantly receiving
data that is analyzed to see
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if we can
detect intelligent life
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beyond our blue orb.
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But are we listening
to the wrong signals?
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What if other life forms
aren't using radio waves?
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What if beings from beyond,
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simply prefer face
to face communication?
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Stay tuned as we
explore one area of planet earth
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that has experienced extensive,
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personal contact
with extraterrestrials.
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Hello, I am Charles Byrd.
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In 1960, astronomer Frank
Drake from Cornell University
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performed the first
modern S.E.T.I. experiment.
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S.E.T.I. the search for
extraterrestrial intelligence
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has to date spent an estimated
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$160 million
listening, listening.
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But perhaps Dr. Drake and
the many talented scientists,
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who have continued to
probe the recesses of space,
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could have saved a lot of money
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by going straight to
the source of wisdom.
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Join us as we travel
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to an approximately 60
by 90 mile patch of earth,
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that has recorded at least
18 extraterrestrial encounters,
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surrounding the
life of one man. Levi?
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Thanks, Charles.
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I'm on Mount Zion,
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just outside the
golden gate here in Jerusalem
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because this hill is the
epicenter of a single life
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that was powerfully impacted by
intelligent beings from beyond.
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Beings that were not unfamiliar
to the Jewish culture.
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They were called from earliest
times angels or messengers.
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From about 5 BC to 31 AD,
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one man's whole life
seemed to have revolved
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around beings from another place
and perhaps another dimension.
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And the Jews knew
Him by the name Yeshua.
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And Christians
know Him as Jesus.
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And two angel
visits on this very hill
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actually
foreshadowed the life of Christ.
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The first
happened in about 1891 BC.
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At God's direct command
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Abraham was climbing this
very hill to offer a sacrifice.
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The land of Canaan
was dotted with altars
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Abraham had used to
make sacrifices to his God,
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so and this was unusual.
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On that day, however
climbing this hill with him
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was his precious son.
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What the boy didn't
know at the time was
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that God has asked his father
to offer him as a sacrifice.
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And for three days,
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Abraham's heart
had been deeply pained,
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as he traveled to
the appointed place.
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His son was a bright lad.
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On the way up this hill,
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he noticed that they
had the wood and the fire
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for the sacrifice, but
they had forgotten the lamb.
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When he queried his father,
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Abraham's pained response was
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"My son, God
will provide himself
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a lamb for a burnt offering."
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Muslims believe
that boy was Ishmael.
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Jews and
Christians say it was Isaac.
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Now today, I don't
want to argue that point
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and so lose sight of
something far more important.
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You see, Abraham's answer
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"My son, God
will provide himself
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a lamb for a burnt
offering" was prophetic.
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For as the knife was raised
to slay his child of promise,
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the angel cried
out, "Abraham, Abraham,
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lay not thine
hand upon the lad."
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In a wave of relief,
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Abraham's gaze is directed
to a ram caught in a thicket
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and quickly
taking the new victim,
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he offers it instead of his son.
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In his joy and gratitude,
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Abraham gave a new
name to the sacred spot
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"Jehovah Jireh" which
means "The Lord will see to it."
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That is to say,
"The Lord will provide."
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But there was another
extraterrestrial visitant
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who also appeared
on this holy hill.
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Andrea? That's true, Levi.
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And we even know this
one's name, "Gabriel."
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God's prophetic timetable
knows no haste or delay.
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And the God of Creation
was about to provide the lamb.
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In the fall of 6 B.C.,
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one of the priests by the name
of Zacharias is chosen by Lot,
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to say prayers for the people
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before the altar of incense
in the Holy Place of the temple,
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which was
located inside this gate.
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Zacharias has indeed
been praying for the people
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including one person in
particular, his barren wife.
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Of course, it's too late for her
to bear a child due to her age,
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but he prayed that
the Lord might bring
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comfort to her heart.
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Then suddenly the
angel Gabriel appears
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and the angel said unto him,
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"Fear not, Zacharias,
for thy prayer is heard,
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and thy wife
Elisabeth shall bear thee a son,
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and thou shalt
call his name John.
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And thou shalt
have joy and gladness,
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and many shall
rejoice at this birth.
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For he shall be great
in the sight of the Lord,
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and shall drink
neither wine nor strong drink,
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and he shall be
filled with the Holy Ghost,
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even from his mother's womb.
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And many of the
children of the Israel
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shall he turn to
the Lord their God.
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And he shall go before him
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in the spirit and
power of the Elias,
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to turn the hearts of
the fathers to the children,
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and the disobedient to
the wisdom of the just,
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to make ready a people
prepared for the Lord."
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The question in this verse is,
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who is the he
and who is the him?
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The Bible is not
so hard to understand
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if you check out the context.
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The context tells us, that
the "he" is Zacharias son, John.
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But who is the 'him?'
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The him is none
other than the promised
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and long looked for Messiah.
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This passage Luke 1:17
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has universally been understood
to be a messianic passage.
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In 6 B.C., Andrea,
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the Jewish people
were into Roman governance
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and longed to be delivered.
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And they saw in these
words to Zacharias by the angel,
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a fulfillment of
Daniel's prophecies
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which actually predicted
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the very year
Messiah would appear.
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At John's birth, Zacharias
also made a startling prophecy
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along with the
prophetic word of Gabriel.
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A clearly
established Zacharias's son
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would be the
forerunner of the Messiah.
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What Zacharias saw
right here on the mountain
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was a being from beyond us?
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Coming and talking to human kind
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about what is arguably the
most important event in history.
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This being not
only was from beyond us,
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but also brought us knowledge
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of what would
happen in the future.
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For approximately six months
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after talking to
Zacharias in the temple,
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Gabriel showed up some 70 miles
North in Nazareth of Galilee
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where he spoke
with the young virgin.
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Steven picks up the story.
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Thanks, Andrea.
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The ancient city of
Nazareth is estimated to have
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as few as 500 residents
during the time of Christ.
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In December 2009,
archeologists unveiled
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what could be the remains of
the first dwelling in Nazareth
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that can be dated
back to the time of Jesus.
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The dig has revealed,
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they were simple
folk living spurned lives.
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Since this is
the first structure
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from that time
period to be excavated
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in Jesus' hometown,
there is still much to learn.
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But based on the urban
sprawl here in Nazareth,
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there probably won't be much
of that in the immediate future.
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But what we do know from
reported eyewitness accounts
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is that Gabriel came to
the biblical city of Nazareth.
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This visitor from
beyond our realm found Mary
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and gave her the stunning news
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that she was gonna be
the mother of the Messiah.
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I can't imagine what it would
have been like to see an angel.
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Tradition says Mary
came to the well for water,
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when Gabriel showed up
with a startling announcement.
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Notice how involved in
this event the angel is?
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The angel named her baby Jesus.
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Gabriel also told Mary
that her child will be holy
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and that he would be
the Son of the Highest
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and the Son of God.
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While we don't
know the exact spot
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where Gabriel and Mary
talked, we could be sure that
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something otherworldly
took place here in Nazareth,
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that made a huge
impact on our world's history.
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And don't forget the other angel
visit right here in Nazareth,
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that corroborated Mary's story.
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When Joseph, Mary's fiancée
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found out that
she was with child,
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he was gonna
call off the wedding.
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After all, we all know
how babies are conceived.
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And even for Joseph,
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it was hard to imagine the story
Mary told about seeing an angel,
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but once again a celestial
visitor shows up telling him.
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"Joseph, thou son of David,
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fear not to take
unto thee Mary thy wife,
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for that which is conceived
in her is of the Holy Ghost."
00:10:49.41\00:10:54.26
And once again, the
angel confirms to Joseph
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the name given to Mary.
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"Thou shall call his name Jesus,
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for he shall save his
people from their sins."
00:11:01.58\00:11:04.87
Joseph not only
was the father figure
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to this implausible
child, Emmanuel, God with us.
00:11:06.53\00:11:10.93
He also had two
other angel visits.
00:11:10.96\00:11:13.91
The first was in Bethlehem,
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when an angel woke him up
in the night and told him,
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"Take the young
child and his mother
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and flee into
Egypt and be thou there
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until I bring thee word,
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for Herod will seek the
young child to destroy him."
00:11:25.97\00:11:29.27
The second was in Egypt.
00:11:29.30\00:11:30.93
After the death of Herod,
00:11:30.96\00:11:32.33
when the angel again appeared
to Joseph in a dream and said,
00:11:32.36\00:11:35.26
"Arise, and take the
young child and his mother,
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and go into the land of Israel,
00:11:38.55\00:11:40.20
for they are dead which
sought the young child's life."
00:11:40.23\00:11:43.61
But before Joseph had
these last two encounters,
00:11:43.64\00:11:46.36
there was a mass
extraterrestrial encounter
00:11:46.39\00:11:49.01
that intersects this story,
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which I'm sure,
greatly encouraged
00:11:50.47\00:11:52.07
the faith of Joseph and Mary.
00:11:52.10\00:11:55.02
Ah, yes. The
shepherd story in Bethlehem.
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Most people who have
heard of the birth of Jesus,
00:11:58.50\00:12:01.33
know the shepherd story.
00:12:01.36\00:12:02.96
The shepherds,
minding their own business,
00:12:02.99\00:12:05.24
watching their
flocks in the field by night
00:12:05.27\00:12:07.57
are startled by a
visitor from beyond.
00:12:07.60\00:12:11.74
First, they see a great
light so bright they are all,
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but put into a complete panic.
00:12:14.99\00:12:17.16
And the angels said unto them.
00:12:17.19\00:12:19.62
"Fear not, for, behold,
00:12:19.65\00:12:21.47
I bring you good
tidings of great joy,
00:12:21.50\00:12:25.01
which shall be to all people.
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For unto to you is born this day
in the city of David a Savior,
00:12:27.63\00:12:32.17
which is the Christ the Lord.
00:12:32.20\00:12:34.38
And this shall
be a sign unto you.
00:12:34.41\00:12:36.47
Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes,
00:12:36.50\00:12:40.46
lying in a manger."
00:12:40.49\00:12:42.70
Here, we have
something called triangulation.
00:12:42.73\00:12:45.33
If you were laying out
a foundation for a house,
00:12:45.36\00:12:47.47
you would want to make sure that
00:12:47.50\00:12:48.87
corners were
square or at 90 degrees.
00:12:48.90\00:12:52.41
To do that, you would
add a triangular measurement.
00:12:52.44\00:12:55.36
Once the distance between
two opposing corners is equal,
00:12:55.39\00:12:59.42
you know you've
found the true 90 degrees,
00:12:59.45\00:13:01.24
and you're ready to build
your home properly squared.
00:13:01.27\00:13:04.29
Well, Mary could
have just made up a story
00:13:04.32\00:13:06.48
about her virgin pregnancy
and in fact most things she did.
00:13:06.51\00:13:10.43
But then comes another
person, Joseph, saying,
00:13:10.46\00:13:13.27
"An angel told him
Mary's story is true."
00:13:13.30\00:13:16.61
This helps us
consider Mary's story,
00:13:16.64\00:13:18.69
but does not
necessarily make us believe.
00:13:18.72\00:13:21.66
It still might not
square with reality.
00:13:21.69\00:13:25.19
After all, it could be
00:13:25.22\00:13:26.59
that Joseph is
simply co-dependent
00:13:26.62\00:13:28.24
and can't stand the
thought of living without Mary.
00:13:28.27\00:13:31.19
He could join her in the
fraud, people do that sometimes,
00:13:31.22\00:13:34.18
just like
Sapphira did with Ananias,
00:13:34.21\00:13:36.07
like Adam did with Eve.
00:13:36.10\00:13:38.50
But then, along
comes a group of shepherds
00:13:38.53\00:13:40.42
who all see an angel
00:13:40.45\00:13:42.13
telling them the same
thing Joseph was told.
00:13:42.16\00:13:44.87
A Savior is born.
You'll find Him in Bethlehem.
00:13:44.90\00:13:48.09
He'll be in a barn,
in a feeding trough,
00:13:48.12\00:13:50.29
wrapped in strips of cloth.
00:13:50.32\00:13:52.26
And if that weren't enough,
00:13:52.29\00:13:54.07
there then appears a great
multitude of angels praising God
00:13:54.10\00:13:57.41
for this
wonderful gift to mankind.
00:13:57.44\00:14:00.01
Suddenly, this
story is squaring up
00:14:00.04\00:14:02.82
as a truth
worthy of consideration.
00:14:02.85\00:14:05.75
For the shepherds
receiving an angel message
00:14:05.78\00:14:07.89
and then seeing
a multitude of them
00:14:07.92\00:14:09.98
would have had nothing
to do with Joseph and Mary.
00:14:10.01\00:14:12.88
They would have no knowledge of
00:14:12.91\00:14:14.28
or vested interest in
Mary's claim of a virgin birth.
00:14:14.31\00:14:17.76
But there's one
more consideration,
00:14:17.79\00:14:19.64
this story maybe squaring
because one author made it up,
00:14:19.67\00:14:23.22
made up the whole thing.
00:14:23.25\00:14:25.06
Perhaps, the disciples of Jesus
00:14:25.09\00:14:26.84
got together and contrived
this complete fairytale.
00:14:26.87\00:14:31.38
That's a possibility.
00:14:31.41\00:14:33.41
But as a former police officer,
00:14:33.44\00:14:34.96
the evidence here tells me
it is completely improbable,
00:14:34.99\00:14:38.38
that the 11 disciples
would be willing to die
00:14:38.41\00:14:40.59
a modest death for
their own made up story.
00:14:40.62\00:14:43.67
It's also unlikely
that many hundreds,
00:14:43.70\00:14:46.15
perhaps thousands of people
00:14:46.18\00:14:47.68
who lived during
the time of Jesus,
00:14:47.71\00:14:49.73
folks who met Him and knew Him,
00:14:49.76\00:14:51.73
would allow themselves to
be martyred, run out of town,
00:14:51.76\00:14:55.39
or be in anyway abused
just to maintain a known lie.
00:14:55.42\00:14:59.76
And besides all this,
00:14:59.79\00:15:01.60
there are 12 more
times that angel encounters,
00:15:01.63\00:15:04.44
intersect the life of
Jesus and those around him.
00:15:04.47\00:15:07.58
Well, way beyond
mere triangulation.
00:15:07.61\00:15:10.49
Each encounter now simply gives
00:15:10.52\00:15:12.62
added evidence
to a profound truth.
00:15:12.65\00:15:15.71
We are not alone and
the child Jesus knew it.
00:15:15.74\00:15:20.33
Indeed, Jesus
could not have grown up
00:15:20.36\00:15:22.96
without hearing the
stories that how an angel
00:15:22.99\00:15:25.51
talked with mommy and
told her He was coming.
00:15:25.54\00:15:28.49
How an angel told
daddy to marry mommy
00:15:28.52\00:15:31.37
and then sent them to Egypt.
00:15:31.40\00:15:33.68
His bedtime stories must have
included the story of Zacharias,
00:15:33.71\00:15:38.49
the shepherds and the angel
who sent them home from Egypt,
00:15:38.52\00:15:43.26
but are all alien
encounters positive.
00:15:43.29\00:15:47.79
Arguably, the world's
most famous scientist,
00:15:47.82\00:15:50.55
Steven Hawking, has weighed
in the subject of aliens,
00:15:50.58\00:15:54.74
in his Discovery channel
program into the universe.
00:15:54.77\00:15:58.36
He questions the
wisdom of our trying
00:15:58.39\00:16:00.45
to contact beings from beyond,
00:16:00.48\00:16:02.75
suggesting that they
might not be friendly at all.
00:16:02.78\00:16:06.13
According to the
teachings of Jesus
00:16:12.65\00:16:14.44
and other Bible authors,
00:16:14.47\00:16:15.89
there are indeed
evil alien beings,
00:16:15.92\00:16:18.39
who are seeking contact with us.
00:16:18.42\00:16:20.80
Jesus had sent His
disciples out two by two.
00:16:20.83\00:16:24.01
They were to go ahead of Jesus
00:16:24.04\00:16:25.44
into every city and
place He would come.
00:16:25.47\00:16:28.14
And Jesus gave them
important instructions
00:16:28.17\00:16:30.25
as to how to carry
out their ministry.
00:16:30.28\00:16:33.03
He also gave them
power over something
00:16:33.06\00:16:34.87
he called unclean spirits.
00:16:34.90\00:16:37.67
These spirit beings are
actually a group of angels
00:16:37.70\00:16:40.24
that chose to rebel
against God's kingdom.
00:16:40.27\00:16:43.31
They chose to be the
avowed enemies of God.
00:16:43.34\00:16:46.61
In Revelation 12:7-9,
00:16:46.64\00:16:49.38
Jesus pulls back the
dark curtain of past history.
00:16:49.41\00:16:53.05
He tells us
there was war in heaven
00:16:53.08\00:16:55.63
that Satan and his
angels were cast out.
00:16:55.66\00:16:59.13
These alien
beings are here on earth,
00:16:59.16\00:17:01.09
tempting to sin and
causing destruction,
00:17:01.12\00:17:03.62
and suffering, and pain.
00:17:03.65\00:17:05.98
So Jesus did not send
His disciples out to face
00:17:06.01\00:17:09.28
these most powerful beings
without divine power over them.
00:17:09.31\00:17:13.72
And when the disciples returned,
00:17:13.75\00:17:15.13
they were excited to report
00:17:15.16\00:17:16.80
"Lord even the
devils are subject unto us
00:17:16.83\00:17:19.27
through thy name."
00:17:19.30\00:17:20.97
This was Jesus'
response to the disciples
00:17:21.00\00:17:22.97
concerning evil alien beings,
00:17:23.00\00:17:25.57
"I beheld Satan as
lightning fall from heaven."
00:17:25.60\00:17:29.59
Jesus, the
overarching messenger of heaven
00:17:29.62\00:17:32.79
or Michael had already
defeated Satan in heaven.
00:17:32.82\00:17:36.58
Now, He had come to do battle
00:17:36.61\00:17:38.08
with the fallen
angels here on earth.
00:17:38.11\00:17:41.96
In Matthew 8:28,
Jesus met two men
00:17:41.99\00:17:44.59
who were possessed with devils
along the shores of Gennesaret.
00:17:44.62\00:17:48.15
These evil aliens had
taken possession of the bodies
00:17:48.18\00:17:51.30
and minds of these men.
00:17:51.33\00:17:53.28
The demon spoke to Jesus
through the mouths of the man.
00:17:53.31\00:17:56.35
"What have we to do with
thee, Jesus, thou Son of God?
00:17:56.38\00:17:59.97
art thou come hither to
torment us before the time?"
00:18:00.00\00:18:03.68
They knew who Jesus was.
00:18:03.71\00:18:06.67
Jesus sent those
demons into a herd of pigs,
00:18:06.70\00:18:09.03
who ran violently down
the steep bank into the lake
00:18:09.06\00:18:11.89
and died in the water.
00:18:11.92\00:18:14.64
It was in the
synagogue in Capernaum
00:18:14.67\00:18:16.96
that Jesus again faced a
man possessed by an evil spirit.
00:18:16.99\00:18:20.79
It was Sabbath and
Jesus was teaching the people.
00:18:20.82\00:18:23.55
They were amazed
at His doctrines.
00:18:23.58\00:18:25.88
Jesus' sermon was interrupted
00:18:25.91\00:18:27.58
as the man cried out
with a loud voice saying,
00:18:27.61\00:18:30.41
"Let us alone, what
have we to do with thee,
00:18:30.44\00:18:32.97
thou Jesus of Nazareth.
00:18:33.00\00:18:34.98
Art thou come to destroy us?
00:18:35.01\00:18:37.85
I know thee who thou
art, the Holy one of God.
00:18:37.88\00:18:41.71
And Jesus rebuked him, saying,
00:18:41.74\00:18:44.04
Hold thy peace,
and come out of him.
00:18:44.07\00:18:47.33
And when the devil had
00:18:47.36\00:18:48.73
thrown him in the
midst, he came out."
00:18:48.76\00:18:51.54
But these evil aliens
also came after Jesus directly.
00:18:51.57\00:18:57.19
Jesus did not
simply encounter humans
00:18:57.22\00:18:58.96
with alien beings
possessing their bodies.
00:18:58.99\00:19:01.75
Jesus was personally accosted
by a shape-shifter himself.
00:19:01.78\00:19:06.01
As Jesus was
baptized the Holy Spirit
00:19:06.04\00:19:08.08
directed Him to the wilderness.
00:19:08.11\00:19:10.03
There is a whole lot of
nothing there, I tell you.
00:19:10.06\00:19:13.85
After being in the wasteland
for 40 days without any food,
00:19:13.88\00:19:17.37
Satan himself came to Jesus.
00:19:17.40\00:19:19.80
But not as an evil marches
00:19:19.83\00:19:21.20
being as seen in the
modern movies of today,
00:19:21.23\00:19:23.92
but as an angel of light,
00:19:23.95\00:19:25.83
pretending to be a faithful
messenger from God Himself,
00:19:25.86\00:19:29.18
but this dark angel was
still doing what he does best.
00:19:29.21\00:19:32.37
He questions the truth
seeking to enlist our doubts
00:19:32.40\00:19:35.46
thus affecting our choice
to step out of God's will.
00:19:35.49\00:19:38.96
Being familiar with
the truth of the Bible,
00:19:38.99\00:19:41.16
Jesus compared the
words of this angel of light
00:19:41.19\00:19:44.42
against the truth
already revealed by God.
00:19:44.45\00:19:47.15
At each temptation
Jesus quoted from the Bible
00:19:47.18\00:19:49.33
as His only defense
00:19:49.36\00:19:50.92
against the
suggestions of his arch enemy.
00:19:50.95\00:19:54.78
The lens of scripture
helps bring into focus
00:19:54.81\00:19:57.62
who was really talking to him.
00:19:57.65\00:19:59.34
In spite of Satan's appearance
00:19:59.37\00:20:00.87
Jesus could tell
who he really was.
00:20:00.90\00:20:03.46
Satan and his minions are
still in the acting business.
00:20:03.49\00:20:06.45
At times, they
impersonate our dead loved ones.
00:20:06.48\00:20:09.14
They also appear as
new age spirit guides.
00:20:09.17\00:20:12.85
2 Corinthians 11:14 says,
00:20:12.88\00:20:15.31
"And no marvel,
for Satan himself
00:20:15.34\00:20:17.56
is transformed
into an angel of light.
00:20:17.59\00:20:20.21
It is not surprising, then,
00:20:20.24\00:20:21.61
if his servants
masquerade as servants
00:20:21.64\00:20:23.36
or ministers of righteousness."
00:20:23.39\00:20:25.46
Come here, check this out.
00:20:25.49\00:20:26.86
Now this stone
is a mere reminder
00:20:34.06\00:20:35.53
of our Savior's
conflict with Satan.
00:20:35.56\00:20:37.84
According to Luke 4:9,
00:20:37.87\00:20:39.63
Satan transported Jesus to one
of the pinnacles of the temple.
00:20:39.66\00:20:43.24
This word 'pinnacle' comes
from the Greek word 'pterugion.'
00:20:43.27\00:20:46.01
It means the wing or
any pointed extremity
00:20:46.04\00:20:48.38
and what's
commonly used to refer
00:20:48.41\00:20:49.91
to turret like structures.
00:20:49.94\00:20:52.09
This stone has
led many to believe
00:20:52.12\00:20:53.90
the southwest
corner of the temple mount
00:20:53.93\00:20:55.93
is the same place where
Jesus was taken by Satan,
00:20:55.96\00:20:58.71
encouraging him to jump off
00:20:58.74\00:21:00.11
because the
angels will protect Him.
00:21:00.14\00:21:02.32
From the lofty height above,
00:21:02.35\00:21:03.80
priests would
blow their trumpets
00:21:03.83\00:21:05.20
calling the people of the city
00:21:05.23\00:21:06.60
to come to the
temple and worship.
00:21:06.63\00:21:08.59
We know this,
thanks to this inscription.
00:21:08.62\00:21:11.72
Many people who use
this walkway to come
00:21:11.75\00:21:13.35
to the temple from David's city,
00:21:13.38\00:21:15.13
would've been able to
see those two figures.
00:21:15.16\00:21:17.66
I'm sure Satan made jumping
off this spot and floating down
00:21:17.69\00:21:20.37
in the view of the
people seems appealing,
00:21:20.40\00:21:23.16
tempting Jesus to announce
00:21:23.19\00:21:24.56
that he was the
Messiah by miraculous show
00:21:24.59\00:21:27.24
and protected by
the very angels of God.
00:21:27.27\00:21:30.69
But that was not the
time and that was not the way.
00:21:30.72\00:21:34.87
The path for Jesus
to become the Messiah
00:21:34.90\00:21:37.66
was through a
tomb, not a palace.
00:21:37.69\00:21:40.65
It was on a cross, not a throne.
00:21:40.68\00:21:44.12
The pathway laid out for
Christ to be our Messiah,
00:21:44.15\00:21:46.95
our Savior was to death to self,
00:21:46.98\00:21:50.07
in an olive garden
within the view of the temple.
00:21:50.10\00:21:53.37
And not surprisingly,
this story also contains
00:21:53.40\00:21:56.53
an encounter with an angel.
00:21:56.56\00:21:59.73
It was Passover
time in Jerusalem
00:21:59.76\00:22:01.79
with many programs in the city.
00:22:01.82\00:22:04.04
Jesus had just celebrated
00:22:04.07\00:22:05.51
the Passover meal
with His disciples.
00:22:05.54\00:22:08.02
Judas, one of His
disciples went on betrayal
00:22:08.05\00:22:10.92
had left to meet
with the priests.
00:22:10.95\00:22:13.82
Jesus then went to
the garden of Gethsemane.
00:22:13.85\00:22:16.90
He knew that He was about to
die for the sins of the world.
00:22:16.93\00:22:21.01
He knew His own people
were going to turn him over
00:22:21.04\00:22:23.51
to the Romans for crucifixion.
00:22:23.54\00:22:26.15
Everything inside his
human heart was saying 'no.'
00:22:26.18\00:22:30.77
Self was doing battle
00:22:30.80\00:22:32.77
with the
established will of His Father.
00:22:32.80\00:22:36.42
You can be assured
that Satan was there too,
00:22:36.45\00:22:38.93
whispering
thoughts into His heart.
00:22:38.96\00:22:41.42
Why go through with this?
00:22:41.45\00:22:43.26
No one cares
about what You're doing.
00:22:43.29\00:22:45.19
Even Your own disciples
won't pray with you or for You.
00:22:45.22\00:22:48.73
You are alone.
00:22:48.76\00:22:51.40
But Jesus exercised
the one thing He possessed,
00:22:51.43\00:22:55.81
the one thing we
possess as human beings,
00:22:55.84\00:22:59.13
the power of choice.
00:22:59.16\00:23:02.02
He chose to surrender
those satanic thoughts to God.
00:23:02.05\00:23:05.43
He chose to surrender His
will to His heavenly Father.
00:23:05.46\00:23:09.28
Over and over, He prayed.
00:23:09.31\00:23:11.96
"Father, if thou be willing,
remove this cup from me,
00:23:11.99\00:23:16.50
nevertheless not my
will, but thine, be done."
00:23:16.53\00:23:21.82
Not what I want,
but what you want.
00:23:21.85\00:23:25.65
His mental agony was
snuffing out His life.
00:23:25.68\00:23:29.38
He would have died right there
in the garden among the trees,
00:23:29.41\00:23:32.79
but that would not
have fulfilled prophecy.
00:23:32.82\00:23:36.39
So God sent an angel.
00:23:36.42\00:23:39.22
In my minds eye, I can see
00:23:39.25\00:23:40.88
the angel getting
down on the ground
00:23:40.91\00:23:42.98
and getting into the
tear-stained face of Jesus,
00:23:43.01\00:23:46.25
taking Christ's shaking
hands and trembling heart
00:23:46.28\00:23:49.60
at his own other worldly hands,
00:23:49.63\00:23:52.35
strengthening Him
to fulfill His destiny.
00:23:52.38\00:23:56.81
When Jesus realized
that there was no other way,
00:23:56.84\00:23:59.41
but through death, self waged
one last tumultuous battle.
00:23:59.44\00:24:04.76
There was
thunder in the Holy Land.
00:24:04.79\00:24:07.57
In the spirit realm,
the clash of wills exploded.
00:24:07.60\00:24:11.37
He began to suffer hematidrosis.
00:24:11.40\00:24:14.26
Jesus' pores opened up and blood
began to drip from His flesh.
00:24:14.29\00:24:19.78
I don't believe the
cross was the greatest event
00:24:19.81\00:24:22.06
that happened outside
the walls of Jerusalem.
00:24:22.09\00:24:25.02
For the cross was
just the culmination
00:24:25.05\00:24:27.24
of what had already happened
right there in the garden.
00:24:27.27\00:24:32.08
It is indeed holy ground.
00:24:32.11\00:24:35.08
We too, can stand on
holy ground every time
00:24:40.54\00:24:43.66
we chose like Christ to
surrender our will to God.
00:24:43.69\00:24:48.56
When we are going
through our Gethsemane,
00:24:48.59\00:24:51.20
oppressed by Satan, when
we are doing battle with self,
00:24:51.23\00:24:55.17
God's faithful
angels will come and help us
00:24:55.20\00:24:59.13
just as they did Jesus.
00:24:59.16\00:25:01.66
For "Are they not
all ministering spirits,
00:25:01.69\00:25:05.15
sent forth to minister for them
00:25:05.18\00:25:07.23
who shall be
heirs of salvation?"
00:25:07.26\00:25:10.47
And why should
this be such a surprise?
00:25:10.50\00:25:13.10
For angels visited
father Abraham in his tent.
00:25:13.13\00:25:16.77
They came to
Lot's home in Sodom,
00:25:16.80\00:25:18.70
escorting him and
his family to safety.
00:25:18.73\00:25:22.72
God, His Son and the
angels are all ministering
00:25:22.75\00:25:26.04
to those who are
afflicted, suffering in sinful.
00:25:26.07\00:25:30.12
And friend, if you give yourself
to God for the same work,
00:25:30.15\00:25:34.31
if you will use His gifts
of time, talent, and money
00:25:34.34\00:25:38.29
for the purpose of saving souls,
00:25:38.32\00:25:40.60
you will enter into
partnership with the angels.
00:25:40.63\00:25:44.43
Your heart will pulse
in sympathy with theirs.
00:25:44.46\00:25:47.47
Your character
will become like theirs.
00:25:47.50\00:25:50.62
And like Jesus, you'll be
no stranger to heavenly beings.
00:25:50.65\00:25:56.50
Of course, if time would permit,
00:25:56.53\00:25:58.08
there is so much more
Jesus taught about angels,
00:25:58.11\00:26:01.28
but here is a brief summary.
00:26:01.31\00:26:03.64
Jesus taught us that
angels are real beings
00:26:03.67\00:26:06.28
who have
constant contact with God.
00:26:06.31\00:26:08.99
That they care about us,
especially, the children.
00:26:09.02\00:26:12.49
That they
rejoice in our victories,
00:26:12.52\00:26:14.79
that they will come with Jesus,
when He returns to get us.
00:26:14.82\00:26:18.86
Jesus pulls back the
curtain of history telling us
00:26:18.89\00:26:21.65
that many of the angels
00:26:21.68\00:26:23.36
who used to be in
heaven have fallen.
00:26:23.39\00:26:26.28
And He clearly teaches
that when it is safe to do so,
00:26:26.31\00:26:29.32
the devil and all his minions
will ultimately be destroyed.
00:26:29.35\00:26:34.27
So are we alone in the universe.
00:26:34.30\00:26:38.14
No, my friend,
according to Jesus,
00:26:38.17\00:26:41.45
we are not alone.
00:26:41.48\00:26:43.10