King Charles II once
stood before a group of scholars
00:00:31.89\00:00:37.00
at a meeting of the
Royal Society of England.
00:00:37.03\00:00:39.14
And he proposed this
question to his August assembly,
00:00:39.17\00:00:42.62
"Gentlemen, if I place
upon these weigh scales
00:00:42.65\00:00:47.95
a pail of water
weighing in all 10 pounds
00:00:47.98\00:00:51.69
and then I place in
this water five live fish,
00:00:51.72\00:00:56.57
each weighing one pound.
00:00:56.60\00:00:59.00
Why is it the scales still
remain at precisely ten pounds?
00:00:59.03\00:01:04.44
Well, the wise men
heatedly debated the matter,
00:01:04.47\00:01:06.70
trying to solve
the king's question.
00:01:06.73\00:01:08.77
One suggested,
"Well, your Highness,
00:01:08.80\00:01:11.05
fish have a great
number of air sacs
00:01:11.08\00:01:12.87
which buoy them up and
perhaps this is the answer."
00:01:12.90\00:01:16.09
And another muttered something
about a theoretical vacuum
00:01:16.12\00:01:19.99
and others propounded theories
of "ungravitating gravitation."
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And finally the king's voice
just silenced their discussion,
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he said, "Gentlemen,
gentlemen, you're all mistaken.
00:01:26.48\00:01:30.79
When one places
five one-pound fish
00:01:30.82\00:01:34.58
in a pail of water
weighing ten pounds,
00:01:34.61\00:01:37.38
the scales must
necessarily read 15 pounds.
00:01:37.41\00:01:41.79
Your failure to answer my
question discloses the fact
00:01:41.82\00:01:44.69
that you place too much
confidence in me, your king."
00:01:44.72\00:01:49.65
Well, you know,
ladies and gentlemen
00:01:49.68\00:01:51.78
all too often we
tend to accept statements
00:01:51.81\00:01:55.59
without asking
the right questions.
00:01:55.62\00:01:58.13
In fact millions today accept
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what someone else has told them,
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without personally analyzing
the facts for themselves.
00:02:02.98\00:02:06.85
And this is probably more
true in the realm of religion
00:02:06.88\00:02:10.16
than anywhere else.
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For example, let
me ask you a question.
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What happens to a
person when he dies?
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Nine out of ten
people will reply
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what they have been told.
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Well, if you're
good you go to heaven.
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And if you're not so good
you might go to another place.
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But what about the dead?
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Ladies and gentlemen
tonight we find ourselves
00:02:33.94\00:02:36.43
in a psychic
Cinerama about the dead.
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Television is full of
it. "Beyond and Back."
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Movies about life after death.
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Chilling thrillers
like "The Sixth Sense"
00:02:44.86\00:02:47.48
which got six Oscar nominations.
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Harrison Ford
and Michelle Pfeiffer
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in "What Lies Beneath."
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Or one of the most viewed
programs on the Syfy Channel,
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"Crossing Over
with John Edwards."
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A psychic who claims to be able
to communicate with the dead
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and relay messages
to grieving relatives.
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In fact even the
soaps are into it.
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Tune in tomorrow for
the "Days of Our Lives"
00:03:12.33\00:03:15.37
when psychics will tell
you what your lost loved one
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is trying to communicate.
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Spirit medium James Van Praagh
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communicates with
the dead on television.
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In fact his book is
entitled, "Talking to Heaven:
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A Medium's Message
of Life after Death."
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Folks, we're having a
veritable explosion of life
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after death phenomena.
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In fact it is so popular,
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I personally pulled this
out of the Los Angeles Times
00:03:39.94\00:03:42.41
one day headlines
in the second section.
00:03:42.44\00:03:47.71
"Contacting the Dead?
It's Become a Lively Business."
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And let me quote, the
gentleman who write says,
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"After 12 years of
not hearing from my dad,
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I was starting to get worried.
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I mean, just
because he's been dead
00:04:01.54\00:04:02.93
the whole time doesn't
mean he can't stay in touch.
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With so many talented
psychics running around,
00:04:06.31\00:04:08.92
including several who have
their own television shows,
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the lines of communication
should be wide open.
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You know, as well
as I do the televisions
00:04:16.07\00:04:18.44
"Entertainment Tonight"
has attempted to contact
00:04:18.47\00:04:21.77
actor Robert Blake's slain wife.
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And people are even trying now
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after death
contacts with psychic dogs.
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Now what is death? Is
it as final as it seems?
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Or is there something beyond
this vale of tearful good-byes?
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Believe it or not
my wife Jeannie enjoys
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an unusual pastime
even here in Carolina
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she's gone to look at
some of the cemeteries.
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She likes visiting and looking
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at the epitaphs of
the old tombstones.
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Well, a number of years ago
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there was an
epitaph on a tombstone
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that was a little bit
different it said this,
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"Stop, my friend, as you go by.
00:05:03.72\00:05:07.29
As you are now, so once was I.
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As I am now, you soon shall be.
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So prepare
yourself to follow me."
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Well, someone with
clever poetry gift,
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piece of chalk at
this little sub epitaph,
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"To follow you I'm not content.
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Until I know
which way you went."
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Amen, amen.
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Well, today more than ever
00:05:34.38\00:05:37.35
people believe
in life after death.
00:05:37.38\00:05:39.06
I was gonna bring an
article I forgot to bring,
00:05:39.09\00:05:40.71
it's USA Today, we all
know about that magazine.
00:05:40.74\00:05:43.76
USA Today just recently reported
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that one out of three
Americans believe that they have
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personally communicated
with a dead loved one.
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You see the idea that the dead
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are not truly dead is what leads
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men and women to pound
on the door of the unseen
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and try to
communicate with the dead.
00:06:00.21\00:06:02.36
In fact you can't
go to the supermarket
00:06:02.39\00:06:04.46
to checkout counter
00:06:04.49\00:06:05.52
with all the
tabloids there claming,
00:06:05.55\00:06:07.84
"Elvis is talking
with Priscilla again."
00:06:07.87\00:06:11.48
Or, Jackie Onassis or John-John
00:06:11.51\00:06:13.43
or someone is
trying to get through.
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All of the psychic movements
are built on one concept
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that the dead aren't dead,
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therefore they are
able to transmit messages.
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Now I'd like to submit
tonight that this theory
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that the dead are actually alive
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in some other form
and in some other place
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that is either true
or it's untrue, right?
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It cannot be both.
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Tonight we're going to
test the Bible's formula
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for
re-discovering truth to the max
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comparing
Scripture with Scripture
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as the Bible says,
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here a little
and there a little.
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Let's examine the
evidence and then decide.
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Are the dead really alive?
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If this claim is true,
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it is the
grandest and sweetest truth
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that ever could come
to a mourning loved one.
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But if it's not true,
then it's a shameless fraud
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promoted in the name of
life's tenderest memories,
00:07:06.90\00:07:10.65
even in the name of religion.
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Now what I want
to share tonight,
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I want to say in
the tenderest sympathy.
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Because all of us
know of a mound somewhere
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that guards the form of someone
who was once dear to you.
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So to begin I want you
to read from the screen,
00:07:25.36\00:07:28.08
this passage from Job 14:14.
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This is the question
we're raising tonight
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all together out loud.
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"If a man dies,
shall he live again?
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All the days of my hard service
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I will wait,
till my change comes."
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What do those words mean?
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Well, I want to share a
Bible principle with you
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for the clearest and best
Bible answer on any subject,
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it's always best to go back
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to the very
beginning in the scripture
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what Bible scholars call
"the law of first mention,"
00:08:01.84\00:08:06.95
So let's turn to
the only dependable
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source of information
about the other side of death.
00:08:08.43\00:08:12.69
Way back in the
beginning in the Garden of Eden,
00:08:12.72\00:08:14.89
when God made Adam and Eve,
what were the conditions there?
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Well, the
conditions were the terms
00:08:19.93\00:08:22.14
Adam and Eve "Go for it!
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It's yours.
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Garden of Eden
obey and live forever."
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Notice this is Genesis 2:16, 17.
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"And the Lord God
commanded the man, saying,
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'Of every tree of the
garden you may freely eat of it.
00:08:36.24\00:08:40.66
But of the tree of the knowledge
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of good and evil
you shall not eat of it,
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for in the day
that you eat of it,
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what did God say?
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You shall surely
die." ' Who said that?
00:08:50.90\00:08:55.81
Did he tell the
truth? Yes, he did.
00:08:55.84\00:08:58.52
But billions and billions of men
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and women don't believe that.
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They believe no, you live on.
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God said, "You
will," what? "Die."
00:09:05.14\00:09:08.48
Now stay with me now,
because notice what happens
00:09:08.51\00:09:10.41
in the next
passage Genesis 3:1-4.
00:09:10.44\00:09:15.30
"Now the
serpent was more cunning
00:09:15.33\00:09:19.32
than any beast of the field
which the Lord God had made.
00:09:19.35\00:09:22.13
And he said to the
woman, now can snakes talk?
00:09:22.16\00:09:26.73
All right, who was this? Satan.
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Satan, already masquerading
through the supernatural.
00:09:28.80\00:09:33.14
Notice the sneer
to he says, "Yeah."
00:09:33.17\00:09:38.68
Eve did God say,
Has God said indeed,
00:09:38.71\00:09:41.99
"You shall not eat of every tree
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of the fruit of the garden?
00:09:44.14\00:09:45.44
And the woman
said to the serpent,
00:09:45.47\00:09:47.95
Oh, we may eat the fruit
of the garden of the trees
00:09:47.98\00:09:50.31
but of the fruit of the tree
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which is in the
midst of the garden,
00:09:51.97\00:09:54.64
God says, 'You
shall not eat of it,
00:09:54.67\00:09:57.02
nor shall you touch
it, lest you,"' what?
00:09:57.05\00:10:00.01
"Die." Did she have it correct?
00:10:00.04\00:10:02.48
Yes, clear as a bell.
00:10:02.51\00:10:05.01
Then the serpent
said to the woman,
00:10:05.04\00:10:07.62
"You will not surely die."
00:10:07.65\00:10:11.26
Subtle but direct contradiction.
00:10:11.29\00:10:14.72
In fact it's Satan's first lie
on earth recorded in the Bible
00:10:14.75\00:10:18.41
and men and women have
been believing it ever since.
00:10:18.44\00:10:22.53
God said, "Don't
disobey you will die."
00:10:22.56\00:10:26.86
Satan said, "Oh, no,
don't worry, be happy.
00:10:26.89\00:10:30.84
You don't really die."
00:10:30.87\00:10:33.57
But what
actually in fact happened.
00:10:33.60\00:10:37.31
Notice this Genesis 3:22, 23.
00:10:37.34\00:10:41.02
"Then the Lord God said,
'Behold, the man has become
00:10:41.05\00:10:44.97
like one of Us, to
know good and evil.
00:10:45.00\00:10:47.23
And now, lest
he put out his hand
00:10:47.26\00:10:49.43
and take also of
the tree of life,
00:10:49.46\00:10:51.67
and eat, and live forever'
00:10:51.70\00:10:53.80
therefore the Lord God sent
him out of the Garden of Eden
00:10:53.83\00:10:56.84
to till the ground
from which he was taken."
00:10:56.87\00:11:00.97
So death not life
came upon humankind.
00:11:01.00\00:11:05.72
Notice Genesis 3:24,
"So He drove out the man,
00:11:05.75\00:11:10.26
and He placed cherubim
00:11:10.29\00:11:11.73
at the east of
the Garden of Eden,
00:11:11.76\00:11:13.60
and a flaming sword
which turned every way,
00:11:13.63\00:11:16.35
to guard the way
to the tree of life."
00:11:16.38\00:11:20.18
Because they chose to
separate themselves from God,
00:11:20.21\00:11:24.61
the source of life
and the tree of life,
00:11:24.64\00:11:27.62
the punishment was not
more life, it was death.
00:11:27.65\00:11:32.80
Genesis 3:19 God said,
okay, "In the sweat of your face
00:11:32.83\00:11:37.34
you shall eat bread till
you return to the ground,
00:11:37.37\00:11:42.35
for out of it you were taken,
00:11:42.38\00:11:44.38
For dust you are, and
to dust you shall return."
00:11:44.41\00:11:50.97
Now ladies and gentlemen
00:11:51.00\00:11:52.03
it is crystal clear
from Genesis to Revelation,
00:11:52.06\00:11:55.03
it's consistent in the Bible
that the wages of sin is dust.
00:11:55.06\00:12:01.28
But Satan said in
Genesis 3:5, verse 5,
00:12:01.31\00:12:05.07
"Your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God,
00:12:05.10\00:12:12.11
knowing good and evil."
00:12:12.14\00:12:13.97
You won't die.
00:12:14.00\00:12:16.13
Maybe something like
transmigration of the soul.
00:12:16.16\00:12:18.89
Reincarnation or nirvana
or some sort of new awareness
00:12:18.92\00:12:22.02
or Hollywood says,
"You become an angel."
00:12:22.05\00:12:26.30
Now ladies and gentlemen
00:12:26.33\00:12:27.37
please we're not
playing games tonight.
00:12:27.40\00:12:30.37
Friend, you want truth
on this subject, don't you?
00:12:30.40\00:12:32.76
Amen.
00:12:32.79\00:12:33.82
I want you to
read this next with me
00:12:33.85\00:12:35.65
because I believe
it is the clearest text
00:12:35.68\00:12:37.61
in all of the
Bible on the subject.
00:12:37.64\00:12:39.55
Ecclesiastes 9:5.
00:12:39.58\00:12:41.32
I want to hear all of
those young people out there.
00:12:41.35\00:12:43.29
Read with me all together.
00:12:43.32\00:12:44.74
"For the living
know that they will die
00:12:44.77\00:12:48.35
but the dead know, "how much?
00:12:48.38\00:12:49.97
"Nothing."
00:12:50.00\00:12:52.14
Ninety five percent
of our Christian friends
00:12:52.17\00:12:54.99
were never taught this.
00:12:55.02\00:12:57.41
You were taught the
dead know everything.
00:12:57.44\00:13:02.69
That they're up
there watching you quarrel
00:13:02.72\00:13:04.86
over the money they left behind.
00:13:04.89\00:13:08.66
Do you know where
that concept came from?
00:13:08.69\00:13:11.62
It came from Plato and Aristotle
00:13:11.65\00:13:14.89
and was
introduced into Christendom
00:13:14.92\00:13:16.70
during the
apostasy of the Dark Ages,
00:13:16.73\00:13:18.87
there's not a word in
the Bible that tells you
00:13:18.90\00:13:21.34
that you go to
heaven or hell at death.
00:13:21.37\00:13:25.45
I know this is stunning,
00:13:25.48\00:13:27.54
but you're here
because you're sincere.
00:13:27.57\00:13:30.23
Verse by verse let's
continue. Someone says, Lonnie.
00:13:30.26\00:13:33.97
Lonnie, "My
mother died a Christian.
00:13:34.00\00:13:36.65
Isn't she an angel now?"
00:13:36.68\00:13:39.57
Well, friend to die a
Christian is the only way to die
00:13:39.60\00:13:41.76
but she's not an angel.
00:13:41.79\00:13:43.72
Because listen,
the dead know how much?
00:13:43.75\00:13:46.92
Nothing. Nothing.
00:13:46.95\00:13:48.41
Notice the rest of the text
verses 5 and 6 in Ecclesiastes,
00:13:48.44\00:13:52.38
"...and they
have no more reward,
00:13:52.41\00:13:55.40
for the memory
of them is," what?
00:13:55.43\00:13:57.23
"Forgotten.
00:13:57.26\00:13:58.29
Also their love, their hatred,
00:13:58.32\00:13:59.88
and their envy have now, " what?
00:13:59.91\00:14:01.96
"Perished, Nevermore
will they have a share
00:14:01.99\00:14:04.10
in anything done under the sun."
00:14:04.13\00:14:07.70
By the way let me insert
a little parenthesis here
00:14:07.73\00:14:10.30
not try to take a crack
00:14:10.33\00:14:11.48
at anybody's particular
translation of the Bible.
00:14:11.51\00:14:13.70
But this is why a paraphrase
00:14:13.73\00:14:16.86
is a little bit dangerous
to try to teach Bible truth.
00:14:16.89\00:14:20.47
You see a paraphrase
as much as I like them
00:14:20.50\00:14:23.14
for devotional
reason and so easy to read.
00:14:23.17\00:14:25.80
That is just one man's opinion
00:14:25.83\00:14:28.17
of what he thinks
the Bible might say.
00:14:28.20\00:14:31.70
This is the text
that we just read
00:14:31.73\00:14:33.84
that Mr. Kenneth
Taylor in his "Living Bible"
00:14:33.87\00:14:37.64
he put an asterisk
00:14:37.67\00:14:39.34
at the bottom of
the page for that text.
00:14:39.37\00:14:41.56
And he said, you know,
"Solomon must have been
00:14:41.59\00:14:43.69
discouraged or ill
when he wrote this,
00:14:43.72\00:14:45.54
"because it does not
agree with my Baptist theology.
00:14:45.57\00:14:50.24
Now folks, I want to know
what the Bible says, don't you?
00:14:50.27\00:14:53.87
Amen. Praise the Lord.
00:14:53.90\00:14:55.11
The Bible says the
dead know how much?
00:14:55.14\00:14:57.11
Nothing.
00:14:57.14\00:14:58.17
Folks they are
not moving the shoes
00:14:58.20\00:15:00.14
around in Aunt Sue's
closet who died 45 years ago,
00:15:00.17\00:15:04.93
they're not doing that.
00:15:04.96\00:15:06.72
They're not setting the
clock on the mantel at the hour
00:15:06.75\00:15:10.10
that Uncle Harry
died 46 years ago.
00:15:10.13\00:15:14.79
Bible says they
have nothing to do
00:15:14.82\00:15:16.59
with anything
done under the sun.
00:15:16.62\00:15:19.46
Psalm 115:17 David says,
00:15:19.49\00:15:22.34
"The dead do
not praise the Lord,
00:15:22.37\00:15:25.53
n`or any who go
down into silence."
00:15:25.56\00:15:29.05
The Psalmist says
again in Psalm 146:4,
00:15:29.08\00:15:32.50
"His breath goeth forth,
he returneth to his earth,
00:15:32.53\00:15:37.02
in that very day
his thoughts," what?
00:15:37.05\00:15:40.62
"Perish."
00:15:40.65\00:15:43.12
You say my Lonnie,
that's a strong statement.
00:15:43.15\00:15:47.81
But now I want to
turn to Ecclesiastes 12,
00:15:47.84\00:15:50.52
where I believe we
read the clearest verse
00:15:50.55\00:15:52.81
in all of the
Bible on this subject.
00:15:52.84\00:15:54.83
But I want you to
notice that Solomon
00:15:54.86\00:15:57.21
the wise man is
talking poetically.
00:15:57.24\00:15:59.99
Now he is the one who
gave us all of the proverbs.
00:16:00.02\00:16:02.60
He is a very brilliant person,
wisest man who ever lived.
00:16:02.63\00:16:05.08
And he's talking in
poetry about our life span
00:16:05.11\00:16:08.53
begins from childhood
goes on to teenage youth
00:16:08.56\00:16:11.88
finally it's a senior citizen.
00:16:11.91\00:16:13.68
I want you to notice in
Ecclesiastes 12:1 he says,
00:16:13.71\00:16:16.51
"Remember now your Creator
in the days of your youth,
00:16:16.54\00:16:21.13
before the difficult
days come when in the day
00:16:21.16\00:16:25.69
when the keepers
of the house tremble,"
00:16:25.72\00:16:28.78
and see this, "and
strong men bow down,
00:16:28.81\00:16:33.26
and when the grinders
cease because they are few,"
00:16:33.29\00:16:37.02
see the teeth are
following out now.
00:16:37.05\00:16:39.02
"And those that look
out the windows grow dim,
00:16:39.05\00:16:42.19
" isn't beautiful?
00:16:42.22\00:16:43.46
See he is
growing older and older
00:16:43.49\00:16:44.93
and he says, "and desire fails.
00:16:44.96\00:16:47.50
And for man goes
to his eternal home,
00:16:47.53\00:16:51.89
and mourners go
about the streets."
00:16:51.92\00:16:53.84
See he's dying now.
00:16:53.87\00:16:55.82
But now comes one
of the plainest verses
00:16:55.85\00:16:57.57
in all of the Bible.
00:16:57.60\00:16:58.71
I want you to repeat it
out loud with me, everyone.
00:16:58.74\00:17:01.42
"Then the dust will
return to the earth as it was,
00:17:01.45\00:17:06.72
and the spirit will
return to God who gave it."
00:17:06.75\00:17:11.39
You say, what Lonnie
00:17:11.42\00:17:12.45
that's exactly
what I thought it said.
00:17:12.48\00:17:14.73
The spirit returns to God see.
00:17:14.76\00:17:19.03
May I say kindly that is
not what you think it says.
00:17:19.06\00:17:24.58
This isn't talking about
Christians or good people.
00:17:24.61\00:17:29.81
This is saying all
spirits return to God
00:17:29.84\00:17:32.99
whether it's good or bad
or wicked or evil or Judas or
00:17:33.02\00:17:36.39
and you haven't
been taught that.
00:17:36.42\00:17:38.75
You have been taught
Christians go to heaven
00:17:38.78\00:17:41.11
and others go to
some other place.
00:17:41.14\00:17:43.94
You see how shallow
and misled we've been?
00:17:43.97\00:17:47.53
Notice, "Then shall the
dust return to the earth,
00:17:47.56\00:17:52.30
" that's the body.
00:17:52.33\00:17:54.27
"And the spirit return to God."
00:17:54.30\00:17:59.23
Now this word spirit,
00:17:59.26\00:18:01.20
you don't have to be a
Greek and Hebrew scholar
00:18:01.23\00:18:02.90
but let me tell a
little bit about it.
00:18:02.93\00:18:04.77
This word spirit means
00:18:04.80\00:18:07.46
simply wind or breath,
00:18:07.49\00:18:13.78
ruach.
00:18:13.81\00:18:15.63
It's the word in the
Hebrew which simply means air.
00:18:15.66\00:18:18.77
In the New Testament
it's translated pneuma
00:18:18.80\00:18:21.44
from which we get
our word pneumonia.
00:18:21.47\00:18:23.71
Okay or pneumatic tires
00:18:23.74\00:18:25.64
which is talking about
air in our tires or wind.
00:18:25.67\00:18:29.57
That's simply the spark
of life that goes back to God
00:18:29.60\00:18:33.33
whether you are saint
or a sinner or your dog
00:18:33.36\00:18:35.52
or your
brother's fish that's died.
00:18:35.55\00:18:37.96
This is not something you
see that can sing that goes back
00:18:37.99\00:18:41.73
because the vocal
chords are in the grave.
00:18:41.76\00:18:43.98
It's not something that can love
00:18:44.01\00:18:45.22
because the
heart is in the grave.
00:18:45.25\00:18:47.17
It simply the "spark
of life" that goes back.
00:18:47.20\00:18:52.37
I know that your
minds are whirling.
00:18:52.40\00:18:55.40
But hold on,
00:18:55.43\00:18:56.46
couple more scriptures
will help clear it up.
00:18:56.49\00:18:58.20
Let's go back
again to the beginning
00:18:58.23\00:19:00.26
and let's see how God
created us in the first place.
00:19:00.29\00:19:03.89
In Genesis 2:7 it says,
"And the Lord God formed man
00:19:03.92\00:19:11.87
from the dust of the ground,
00:19:11.90\00:19:13.58
and breathed into
his nostrils" the what?
00:19:13.61\00:19:18.63
Ruach.
00:19:18.66\00:19:19.74
"See the breath of life,
and man became a living being."
00:19:19.77\00:19:25.46
It doesn't say
he was given a soul,
00:19:25.49\00:19:28.41
it says, he became a
soul, he became a person.
00:19:28.44\00:19:32.38
Now watch carefully Genesis 2:7.
00:19:32.41\00:19:35.20
"The Lord God
formed man from the dust."
00:19:35.23\00:19:38.46
Can you see him there?
00:19:38.49\00:19:40.20
He's shaping him here
and it's got it all made,
00:19:40.23\00:19:42.79
perfect in every part.
00:19:42.82\00:19:43.93
In fact it looks
like he's sleeping there
00:19:43.96\00:19:46.11
on a little tuft of grass.
00:19:46.14\00:19:48.50
He is complete in every part,
he has a brain in his head,
00:19:48.53\00:19:51.44
but it isn't
thinking, he has a body,
00:19:51.47\00:19:53.40
but it isn't moving, he
has a heart in his chest,
00:19:53.43\00:19:55.73
but isn't beating, he
even has blood in his veins,
00:19:55.76\00:19:57.75
but it isn't not flowing yet.
00:19:57.78\00:20:00.64
He's ready to
live, he's ready to love,
00:20:00.67\00:20:02.15
he's ready to act
but he isn't living,
00:20:02.18\00:20:04.83
he's isn't loving,
he isn't acting yet.
00:20:04.86\00:20:07.90
"The Lord God formed man
and breathed into his nostrils
00:20:07.93\00:20:13.90
the ruach, the wind
or that spark of life
00:20:13.93\00:20:17.82
and man became a living,
loving, acting individual."
00:20:17.85\00:20:23.19
Now when he dies,
the two simply separate.
00:20:23.22\00:20:28.01
The body becomes dust again
00:20:28.04\00:20:31.13
and that spark of
life goes back to God
00:20:31.16\00:20:34.22
whether you are
saint or a sinner.
00:20:34.25\00:20:36.30
And ladies and
gentlemen that is the only thing
00:20:36.33\00:20:38.58
that the Bible teaches
from Genesis to Revelation.
00:20:38.61\00:20:42.87
Anything else is
from the Dark Ages.
00:20:42.90\00:20:46.81
I want you to
consider little equation
00:20:46.84\00:20:48.37
my young friends here tonight.
00:20:48.40\00:20:49.58
A mathematical
equation something like this.
00:20:49.61\00:20:52.26
Body + Breath = A Living Person.
00:20:52.29\00:20:59.76
Amen.
00:20:59.79\00:21:00.83
Now at death you simply
subtract the Living Person
00:21:00.86\00:21:08.02
take away the Breath,
we've just got a Corpse.
00:21:08.05\00:21:14.89
I want to illustrate that
00:21:14.92\00:21:15.95
with little different
here tonight with this light.
00:21:15.98\00:21:20.04
When you take a lamp,
00:21:20.07\00:21:22.72
there is a filament
in there in a bulb, okay.
00:21:22.75\00:21:25.93
When you unite that bulb in
that filament with electricity
00:21:25.96\00:21:31.59
and you turn the switch
on, suddenly you have light.
00:21:31.62\00:21:38.30
Where did this light come from?
00:21:38.33\00:21:41.20
Did it just now
come down from heaven?
00:21:41.23\00:21:44.13
Come from a hot place.
00:21:44.16\00:21:46.42
Now where does
that light come from?
00:21:46.45\00:21:49.58
The intelligent
union of that filament
00:21:49.61\00:21:52.61
and the electricity
running through this cord here.
00:21:52.64\00:21:55.71
Now when you
disconnect the electric power
00:21:55.74\00:22:00.19
from that light bulb,
00:22:00.22\00:22:03.26
say where did
that light just go?
00:22:03.29\00:22:05.95
Where did the light go?
00:22:05.98\00:22:09.44
It didn't go
anywhere. It went out we say.
00:22:09.47\00:22:14.46
It just cease to
exist because you don't have
00:22:14.49\00:22:16.98
those two
elements together anymore.
00:22:17.01\00:22:19.46
The light just ceases to exist.
00:22:19.49\00:22:22.03
When the Lord God formed man
and breathe into his nostrils
00:22:22.06\00:22:26.52
he became a light, a person.
00:22:26.55\00:22:32.22
When the light
goes out and he dies,
00:22:32.25\00:22:36.21
those two key
elements are simply separated
00:22:36.24\00:22:38.44
until the resurrection,
00:22:38.47\00:22:39.69
when all will be restored again.
00:22:39.72\00:22:42.28
In fact Psalm
146:3, 4 King David says,
00:22:42.31\00:22:47.35
"Do not put
your trust in princes
00:22:47.38\00:22:49.22
or in a son of man,
in whom there is no help.
00:22:49.25\00:22:52.23
His spirit departs,
he returns to his earth,
00:22:52.26\00:22:56.32
in that very day his
plans or his thoughts perish."
00:22:56.35\00:23:01.45
His breath leaves, the
body returns to the earth.
00:23:01.48\00:23:05.17
And any
consciousness, any part of man
00:23:05.20\00:23:07.81
that's conscious
perishes, goes out.
00:23:07.84\00:23:11.18
In fact David makes it
quite clear in Psalm 115:17,
00:23:11.21\00:23:15.54
"The dead praise not the Lord,
00:23:15.57\00:23:18.30
nor any who go
down into silence."
00:23:18.33\00:23:22.58
Well, someone
says but then Lonnie,
00:23:22.61\00:23:25.20
where are we when we die?
00:23:25.23\00:23:28.46
Let's look at
Job again 14:12, 13.
00:23:28.49\00:23:33.33
"So man lies down
and does not rise.
00:23:33.36\00:23:38.11
Till the heavens are no
more, they will not awake
00:23:38.14\00:23:41.52
nor be roused from their sleep.
00:23:41.55\00:23:43.73
Oh, that You would
hide me in the grave,
00:23:43.76\00:23:46.08
that You would conceal
me until Your wrath is past,
00:23:46.11\00:23:48.73
that You would appoint me
a set time, and remember me!"
00:23:48.76\00:23:53.75
And it's clear as a
bell from God's Word,
00:23:53.78\00:23:56.25
man dies, he
lies down in the grave
00:23:56.28\00:23:58.18
and he doesn't rise
again until Resurrection Day.
00:23:58.21\00:24:02.33
Job 14:15 he
says, "You shall call,
00:24:02.36\00:24:06.33
oh, I will answer You."
00:24:06.36\00:24:09.35
Job tells us in Chapter 17:13.
00:24:09.38\00:24:13.29
"If I wait, the
grave is mine house.
00:24:13.32\00:24:17.06
I have made my
bed in the darkness."
00:24:17.09\00:24:20.14
Oh, but friend on
Resurrection morning,
00:24:20.17\00:24:22.20
Jesus says, Revelation 1:18,
00:24:22.23\00:24:25.55
"I am He who
lives, and was dead,
00:24:25.58\00:24:29.03
and behold, I am
alive for evermore.
00:24:29.06\00:24:30.99
And I have the keys
of Hades and of Death."
00:24:31.02\00:24:35.65
You see, friend, our only
hope for the future is Jesus.
00:24:35.68\00:24:40.51
The coming day
of the resurrection.
00:24:40.54\00:24:42.91
In fact Paul, the Apostle says,
if there is no resurrection,
00:24:42.94\00:24:47.06
there is no future,
there is no hope for anyone.
00:24:47.09\00:24:51.03
1 Corinthians
15:16-18, Paul says,
00:24:51.06\00:24:55.78
"For if the dead do not
rise, then Christ is not risen,
00:24:55.81\00:25:00.94
And if Christ is not
risen, your faith is futile,
00:25:00.97\00:25:04.00
you are still in your sins!
00:25:04.03\00:25:05.70
Then also those who have fallen
asleep in Jesus have perished."
00:25:05.73\00:25:12.12
Have you noticed
in our study so far
00:25:12.15\00:25:14.21
that the Bible writers
repeatedly use the term
00:25:14.24\00:25:17.87
"sleep" in talking about death?
00:25:17.90\00:25:21.71
Psalm 13:3, David
wrote: "Consider and hear me,
00:25:21.74\00:25:26.65
O Lord, lest I
sleep the sleep of death."
00:25:26.68\00:25:31.04
See David was afraid of sleeping
00:25:31.07\00:25:32.82
the sleep of death, and
maybe nobody waking him up.
00:25:32.85\00:25:36.49
Daniel says
that the dead wake up
00:25:36.52\00:25:40.41
at the second coming of Jesus.
00:25:40.44\00:25:42.23
Daniel 12:2 he
says, "And many of those
00:25:42.26\00:25:45.60
who sleep in the
dust of the earth
00:25:45.63\00:25:47.83
shall awake, some
to everlasting life,
00:25:47.86\00:25:50.92
some to shame and
everlasting contempt."
00:25:50.95\00:25:55.36
In fact Jesus
Himself called death a sleep.
00:25:55.39\00:26:01.86
You may remember that one
day Jesus and His disciples,
00:26:01.89\00:26:04.07
they got an
urgent cell phone call,
00:26:04.10\00:26:06.85
Jesus, Lazarus, your
friend, he is ill, he is dying,
00:26:06.88\00:26:10.12
come quick and come at once.
00:26:10.15\00:26:12.15
But, you know, the
Bible is interesting there
00:26:12.18\00:26:13.42
in the Book of John that Jesus,
instead of making a sick call,
00:26:13.45\00:26:16.80
He intentionally stayed right
where He was for two more days
00:26:16.83\00:26:20.45
and Lazarus his
good friend died.
00:26:20.48\00:26:22.88
The two sisters had to bury him.
00:26:22.91\00:26:25.12
Well, the disciples
were absolutely shocked.
00:26:25.15\00:26:27.93
Why would Jesus
dilly-dally for two days
00:26:27.96\00:26:30.46
before going to visit
some of His best friends,
00:26:30.49\00:26:32.90
going to the funeral?
00:26:32.93\00:26:34.56
Notice in John 11:11 it says,
00:26:34.59\00:26:36.01
then Jesus said "Our
friend Lazarus," what?
00:26:36.04\00:26:41.34
"Sleeps, but I go
that I may wake him up."
00:26:41.37\00:26:46.65
What did Jesus
call death? Sleep.
00:26:46.68\00:26:50.18
You see the point? He
didn't call death a reward.
00:26:50.21\00:26:54.24
He didn't call
death a punishment.
00:26:54.27\00:26:56.32
He simply called it a sleep.
00:26:56.35\00:26:59.42
Now the disciples were grown men
00:26:59.45\00:27:01.34
and they were also
ministers, pastors.
00:27:01.37\00:27:03.86
I know when a person is
sick in the hospital in ICU
00:27:03.89\00:27:07.24
and they're sleeping, I
don't go and wake up them
00:27:07.27\00:27:09.88
because that's the best
thing they need is some rest.
00:27:09.91\00:27:12.22
So they were very
puzzled about this.
00:27:12.25\00:27:14.29
In John 11:12, 13, 14, 15
says, "Then His disciples said,
00:27:14.32\00:27:18.48
'Lord, if he sleeps
he will get well!'...
00:27:18.51\00:27:23.29
Then Jesus said to
them plainly,"' What?
00:27:23.32\00:27:26.37
"Lazarus is dead.
00:27:26.40\00:27:29.11
And I am glad for your sakes
00:27:29.14\00:27:31.41
that I was not
there, that you may believe.
00:27:31.44\00:27:34.18
Nevertheless let us go to him."
00:27:34.21\00:27:36.49
You know the story
they went to Bethany.
00:27:36.52\00:27:38.64
Martha hears
that Jesus is coming,
00:27:38.67\00:27:40.46
comes running out to meet Him.
00:27:40.49\00:27:41.91
It says there
in verse 21 and 22.
00:27:41.94\00:27:44.13
"Oh, Lord, Lord,
if You had been here,
00:27:44.16\00:27:46.29
my brother would not have died,"
00:27:46.32\00:27:49.34
Jesus said to her, 'Your
brother will rise again.'
00:27:49.37\00:27:55.48
" Now I want you
to notice carefully
00:27:55.51\00:27:56.86
Martha's response in verse 24.
00:27:56.89\00:27:59.05
Oh, Lord, "I know
that he will rise again
00:27:59.08\00:28:02.64
in the
resurrection at the last day."
00:28:02.67\00:28:06.65
But Jesus was about to give
00:28:06.68\00:28:07.97
a dramatic
preview of that event.
00:28:08.00\00:28:11.36
And He said, 'Martha,
00:28:11.39\00:28:13.48
"I am the
resurrection and the life.
00:28:13.51\00:28:17.84
Roll away the stone."
00:28:17.87\00:28:20.29
Martha objected
and said, verse 39,
00:28:20.32\00:28:22.63
"But, Lord, by this
time there is a bad odor,
00:28:22.66\00:28:25.91
he's been dead there four days."
00:28:25.94\00:28:28.82
Roll away the stone.
They rolled away the stone.
00:28:28.85\00:28:32.44
And Jesus, the
Bible says He wept
00:28:32.47\00:28:35.59
but then He called
out with a loud voice,
00:28:35.62\00:28:37.86
"Lazarus, come forth."
00:28:37.89\00:28:42.20
He didn't say, friend,
Lazarus up there in heaven
00:28:42.23\00:28:45.64
by My Father and the
angels, I'm very sorry,
00:28:45.67\00:28:48.32
your family wants you down here
00:28:48.35\00:28:50.10
to crawl into
this old body again,
00:28:50.13\00:28:51.47
you got to have to come.
00:28:51.50\00:28:53.11
He didn't say come down.
00:28:53.14\00:28:54.98
He did not say,
Lazarus, down there
00:28:55.01\00:28:56.84
in the other place come on up.
00:28:56.87\00:28:58.85
He simply said,
Lazarus, come out.
00:28:58.88\00:29:03.62
Because Lazarus
hadn't gone anywhere,
00:29:03.65\00:29:05.55
but what a day of rejoicing
00:29:05.58\00:29:06.99
for those three
friends in Bethany.
00:29:07.02\00:29:09.57
But friends, that was
only a little small preview
00:29:09.60\00:29:12.99
of the glorious excitement
when Jesus comes and He opens
00:29:13.02\00:29:16.04
all of the graves of
His other friends forever.
00:29:16.07\00:29:19.72
Amen.
00:29:19.75\00:29:21.01
I've told you before that
just a couple of summers ago,
00:29:21.04\00:29:23.60
Jeannie and I were
with Voice of Prophecy team,
00:29:23.63\00:29:25.21
we're in Thessaloniki
over in Macedonia in Greece.
00:29:25.24\00:29:30.34
It was July, 2001 and
that's what Paul wrote
00:29:30.37\00:29:32.85
to those early
Thessalonian Christians,
00:29:32.88\00:29:34.67
in fact that's
one of the first books
00:29:34.70\00:29:35.82
in the New
Testament that was written.
00:29:35.85\00:29:38.20
They needed some comfort
00:29:38.23\00:29:39.84
because some of their
brand new converts had died
00:29:39.87\00:29:43.79
and somehow they
got the impression
00:29:43.82\00:29:45.15
that Jesus was gonna comeback
00:29:45.18\00:29:46.81
in their lifetime
before anybody died.
00:29:46.84\00:29:49.35
So now they were so
concerned and sad, now what?
00:29:49.38\00:29:53.45
Paul comforts them by
saying in 1 Thessalonians 4:13.
00:29:53.48\00:29:58.60
"But I do not want you
to be ignorant, brethren,
00:29:58.63\00:30:01.21
concerning those
who have fallen asleep,
00:30:01.24\00:30:03.36
lest you sorrow as
others who have no hope."
00:30:03.39\00:30:07.64
Listen, Paul says.
00:30:07.67\00:30:08.86
Here's what Jesus does at
the second coming, verse 16.
00:30:08.89\00:30:12.88
"For the Lord
Himself will descend
00:30:12.91\00:30:15.25
from heaven with a shout,
00:30:15.28\00:30:17.39
with the voice of the archangel,
00:30:17.42\00:30:18.88
and with the trumpet of God.
00:30:18.91\00:30:20.23
And the dead in
Christ will rise first."
00:30:20.26\00:30:25.29
How will that take place?
00:30:25.32\00:30:26.76
Well, over in 1
Corinthians 15:51, 52, 54,
00:30:26.79\00:30:30.20
he says, "Behold,
I'll show you a mystery.
00:30:30.23\00:30:32.75
We shall not all sleep,
00:30:32.78\00:30:35.10
but we shall all be
changed in a moment,
00:30:35.13\00:30:38.03
in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trumpet.
00:30:38.06\00:30:40.90
For the trumpet will sound
and the dead will be raised
00:30:40.93\00:30:43.75
incorruptible, and
we shall be changed.
00:30:43.78\00:30:47.30
So when this corruptible
has put on incorruption,
00:30:47.33\00:30:51.69
and this mortal
has put on immortality,
00:30:51.72\00:30:54.83
then shall be brought to
pass the saying that is written:
00:30:54.86\00:30:58.34
'Death is
swallowed up in victory.'"
00:30:58.37\00:31:03.17
You know, Jesus
had told his disciples
00:31:03.20\00:31:06.60
that one day everyone
would be raised from the grave.
00:31:06.63\00:31:11.87
John 5:28, 29,
"Marvel not at this,
00:31:11.90\00:31:16.85
for the hour is coming in
which all who are in the graves
00:31:16.88\00:31:20.49
will hear his
voice and come forth,
00:31:20.52\00:31:23.28
those who have done good,
to the resurrection of life,
00:31:23.31\00:31:27.23
and those who have done evil,
00:31:27.26\00:31:28.91
to the
resurrection of condemnation."
00:31:28.94\00:31:31.95
Now we'll talk about
those two separate resurrections
00:31:31.98\00:31:34.66
a week from Friday
night and don't miss that.
00:31:34.69\00:31:37.48
But may I have
your eyes for a moment.
00:31:37.51\00:31:40.89
I want you to put
on you thinking caps,
00:31:40.92\00:31:43.97
just kind of forget
what you've been taught
00:31:44.00\00:31:47.00
about any particular theory
or concept just remove yourself
00:31:47.03\00:31:50.51
but I want you to just ask
and answer three questions.
00:31:50.54\00:31:55.23
Number one, do
you folks here tonight
00:31:55.26\00:31:57.36
believe in the resurrection?
00:31:57.39\00:32:00.97
Of course if you're a Christian,
00:32:01.00\00:32:03.24
it's our only hope.
00:32:03.27\00:32:05.17
My question.
00:32:05.20\00:32:06.88
Why would we need resurrection
00:32:06.91\00:32:10.25
if we've already gone
through our reward at death?
00:32:10.28\00:32:15.32
If we go to heaven at death,
do we need to comeback down
00:32:15.35\00:32:20.17
and crawl in our body
and be raised up again?
00:32:20.20\00:32:24.48
Folks, that is driving thinking
people out of the church.
00:32:24.51\00:32:29.83
Just raising some questions
here, so you're thinking.
00:32:29.86\00:32:32.22
A second question.
00:32:32.25\00:32:33.96
Do you folks
believe in the judgment?
00:32:33.99\00:32:36.37
Yes.
00:32:36.40\00:32:37.68
Of course, Bible speaks,
00:32:37.71\00:32:39.29
we talked about at
the Last Day Judgment,
00:32:39.32\00:32:42.02
Great White Throne Judgment.
00:32:42.05\00:32:43.52
You know, I'm so glad
00:32:43.55\00:32:44.58
that Jesus has something
to do with the judgment.
00:32:44.61\00:32:47.32
I don't know about
you but I'm gonna need
00:32:47.35\00:32:48.73
a lot of mercy in the judgment.
00:32:48.76\00:32:50.48
How about you? Amen.
00:32:50.51\00:32:52.40
But listen.
00:32:52.43\00:32:54.06
Why would we need a
judgment in the last day
00:32:54.09\00:32:59.39
if we've already gone
to our reward at death?
00:32:59.42\00:33:02.93
Aren't we already judged?
00:33:02.96\00:33:06.08
Does God need to send
an imp of hell down there
00:33:06.11\00:33:08.89
in the last day of the judgment,
00:33:08.92\00:33:10.25
down to the hot place,
tap someone on the shoulder
00:33:10.28\00:33:12.75
who's been
burning for 460 years,
00:33:12.78\00:33:15.75
12 months, 9 days and 2 hours.
00:33:15.78\00:33:18.49
To tap him on
the shoulder and say,
00:33:18.52\00:33:21.35
friend, you ought to
come up to the judgment bar
00:33:21.38\00:33:23.64
to see whether you
ought to be here or not?
00:33:23.67\00:33:28.15
Folks, that makes
mockery of the Bible.
00:33:28.18\00:33:31.01
And it's why intelligent people
00:33:31.04\00:33:32.59
are leaving the
church by the thousands.
00:33:32.62\00:33:36.11
But you see the
dedicated Christian
00:33:36.14\00:33:37.44
will get down on their
knees with their Bible open
00:33:37.47\00:33:39.97
and they will study this out,
00:33:40.00\00:33:41.11
to go to our
discover Bible text.
00:33:41.14\00:33:42.97
They'll get that lesson
that's given out tonight
00:33:43.00\00:33:45.10
and you won't walk out
angrily, no matter how sweet
00:33:45.13\00:33:48.07
the idea of momma up
there looking down on us.
00:33:48.10\00:33:52.84
Folks, isn't the
reason for the last judgment
00:33:52.87\00:33:56.85
to determine what
our rewards will be?
00:33:56.88\00:33:59.52
Amen.
00:33:59.55\00:34:01.34
Question number three,
I'm just asking questions.
00:34:01.37\00:34:04.99
Do you folks here tonight
00:34:05.02\00:34:06.08
believe in the second
coming of Jesus Christ?
00:34:06.11\00:34:08.33
Amen. Amen.
00:34:08.36\00:34:10.19
Now I'm going to repeat a text
00:34:10.22\00:34:12.57
that you all know
if you're Christians
00:34:12.60\00:34:14.05
and I don't want
you to repeat it,
00:34:14.08\00:34:15.63
I don't want you to
whisper out loud, okay.
00:34:15.66\00:34:18.51
Because you've said it so many
times, you may have missed it.
00:34:18.54\00:34:21.85
In John 14:1-3 Jesus said,
00:34:21.88\00:34:24.87
"Let not your
hearts be troubled,
00:34:24.90\00:34:27.32
you believe in
God, believe also in Me.
00:34:27.35\00:34:30.27
In My Father's
house are many mansions,
00:34:30.30\00:34:33.76
if it were not so,
I would have told you.
00:34:33.79\00:34:37.19
I go to prepare a place for you.
00:34:37.22\00:34:41.50
And if I go and
prepare a place for you,
00:34:41.53\00:34:44.46
I will come again to
receive you on to Myself
00:34:44.49\00:34:50.21
that where I am,
there yee may be also."
00:34:50.24\00:34:56.01
Amen.
00:34:56.04\00:34:57.28
The only reason
Jesus is coming back
00:34:57.31\00:34:59.98
is because He does not
have one of us with Him tonight.
00:35:00.01\00:35:04.74
Some of us have
repeated that text for 30 years
00:35:04.77\00:35:06.87
and we haven't
seen it until now.
00:35:06.90\00:35:08.89
Remember, "Line upon
line, precept upon precept."
00:35:08.92\00:35:12.95
Revelation 22:12
says, "And behold,
00:35:12.98\00:35:16.40
I am coming quickly,
and My reward is with Me,
00:35:16.43\00:35:22.69
to give every one
according to his work."
00:35:22.72\00:35:25.87
You see everyone's
reward is at the resurrection.
00:35:25.90\00:35:29.94
We sleep until the
resurrection morning.
00:35:29.97\00:35:33.13
Jesus said in Luke
14:14 write this text down,
00:35:33.16\00:35:36.94
"Thou shalt be recompensed
00:35:36.97\00:35:39.31
at the
resurrection of the just."
00:35:39.34\00:35:42.68
Everybody you see
is gonna be rewarded
00:35:42.71\00:35:45.15
at the same time, not at death.
00:35:45.18\00:35:49.25
That loved one who may
have died a few years ago
00:35:49.28\00:35:51.75
in a tragic
automobile crash, a Christian.
00:35:51.78\00:35:55.62
Jesus will wake
him up. You know what?
00:35:55.65\00:35:58.39
His thoughts will pick up
right where they left off.
00:35:58.42\00:36:01.54
And he'll reach for the wheel.
00:36:01.57\00:36:03.71
See there's no sense
00:36:03.74\00:36:04.77
of the passing
of time and death.
00:36:04.80\00:36:07.47
This is the most
thrilling message of the Bible
00:36:07.50\00:36:10.35
to bring comfort
that you can possibly find
00:36:10.38\00:36:12.33
and it takes away
the sting of death.
00:36:12.36\00:36:15.00
Now we're ready to
answer some questions.
00:36:17.81\00:36:20.10
Someone says, "Lonnie,
it sounds so reasonable,
00:36:20.13\00:36:22.33
it sounds so clear.
00:36:22.36\00:36:23.39
But didn't Jesus
Himself promise the thief
00:36:23.42\00:36:28.02
that he would be with Him
in Paradise that very day?
00:36:28.05\00:36:33.22
That's our next text.
00:36:33.25\00:36:35.35
You know and you remember that
00:36:35.38\00:36:36.47
Jesus was crucified
between two thieves.
00:36:36.50\00:36:39.19
They cursed Jesus,
"If You're the Son of God,
00:36:39.22\00:36:42.21
deliver Yourself and us."
00:36:42.24\00:36:44.23
But you remember
that one of those
00:36:44.26\00:36:45.31
two thieves repented,
00:36:45.34\00:36:46.37
didn't he and he
called out for salvation."
00:36:46.40\00:36:48.51
In Luke 23:42 and on,
"Then he said to Jesus,
00:36:48.54\00:36:55.42
'Lord, would you remember me
00:36:55.45\00:37:00.47
when I die?
00:37:00.50\00:37:02.66
Notice what he said.
00:37:02.69\00:37:05.06
He said, "Lord remember me
when you come in Your kingdom,
00:37:05.09\00:37:09.94
the thief had it right.
00:37:09.97\00:37:12.15
And Jesus said to him,
"Assuredly or verily, verily,
00:37:12.18\00:37:15.91
I say to you, today,
00:37:15.94\00:37:19.22
you will be with me in Paradise.
00:37:19.25\00:37:23.15
You say, "That's
what I thought it said.
00:37:23.18\00:37:26.75
And I can
understand you've been taught
00:37:26.78\00:37:30.57
that the thief was
promised paradise that very day.
00:37:30.60\00:37:36.45
Was he?
00:37:36.48\00:37:38.42
Does this one verse
contradict every other verse
00:37:38.45\00:37:41.83
that we've laid out tonight
the clear ones from the Bible.
00:37:41.86\00:37:44.25
Remember, if one verse
and scriptures we're studying
00:37:44.28\00:37:46.76
kind of gets out of line
with the plain Bible teaching,
00:37:46.79\00:37:49.35
there might be something wrong
00:37:49.38\00:37:50.77
with our interpretation
of that verse, is that fair?
00:37:50.80\00:37:54.00
Did Jesus mean that very day
00:37:54.03\00:37:57.12
He and the thief
would be in paradise?
00:37:57.15\00:38:00.68
I'm going to make some
very serious statements,
00:38:00.71\00:38:02.88
then you'll decide
whether or not I'm right.
00:38:02.91\00:38:06.77
By the way it's
a fascinating story
00:38:06.80\00:38:08.32
how we got our Bible.
00:38:08.35\00:38:10.42
When I went to
college I'd first started out
00:38:10.45\00:38:12.29
I was gonna take dentistry
00:38:12.32\00:38:13.35
but I went into theology
and I was amazed to discover
00:38:13.38\00:38:15.74
that in the
original Greek manuscripts
00:38:15.77\00:38:17.37
we require to trans-- you know,
00:38:17.40\00:38:19.42
to translate
from them in English.
00:38:19.45\00:38:21.63
In those earliest manuscripts
they did not used punctuation,
00:38:21.66\00:38:26.28
they did not have
spaces between words.
00:38:26.31\00:38:28.32
All the words ran together.
00:38:28.35\00:38:29.45
In fact, in the
earliest manuscripts
00:38:29.48\00:38:30.74
the words go this way,
00:38:30.77\00:38:31.83
they write this
way and then, you know,
00:38:31.86\00:38:33.19
we start at one side of the page
00:38:33.22\00:38:34.30
we read and go back this side.
00:38:34.33\00:38:35.64
They, you read this
way in the early Greek.
00:38:35.67\00:38:38.32
They were no paragraphs,
00:38:38.35\00:38:39.57
they were no commas, no periods.
00:38:39.60\00:38:41.55
In fact you'll
find out that it wasn't
00:38:41.58\00:38:43.48
till the 13th century
in the University of Paris
00:38:43.51\00:38:46.35
that
punctuation marks were added
00:38:46.38\00:38:47.82
to make it easier
to read and I'm so glad
00:38:47.85\00:38:49.44
that Robert
Stephanos did it one day
00:38:49.47\00:38:51.81
when he was
riding on horse back.
00:38:51.84\00:38:53.68
Imagine how he got
to fill the periods
00:38:53.71\00:38:55.19
and commas in the wrong place.
00:38:55.22\00:38:59.83
But they weren't any of those
00:38:59.86\00:39:00.89
in the original
manuscripts none.
00:39:00.92\00:39:03.51
Now, occasionally we
know after studying now
00:39:03.54\00:39:06.86
that a comma happen to get
in the wrong side of a word.
00:39:06.89\00:39:11.21
But you see
that's why God gave us
00:39:11.24\00:39:13.06
a plan to detect
any irregularities.
00:39:13.09\00:39:15.56
We compare
scripture with scripture,
00:39:15.59\00:39:17.60
Isaiah 28:10 says,
"Precept upon precept,
00:39:17.63\00:39:20.66
line upon line, here a
little, there a little."
00:39:20.69\00:39:22.93
To make sure we get it right.
00:39:22.96\00:39:24.14
And we happened to know
that for example in Acts 19,
00:39:24.17\00:39:27.33
a comma got on the
wrong side of the word there,
00:39:27.36\00:39:31.26
out of place in
the King James Version.
00:39:31.29\00:39:33.00
He's talking about
Paul healing people,
00:39:33.03\00:39:35.26
but it says this in verse 12.
00:39:35.29\00:39:37.14
They brought unto
the sick handkerchiefs.
00:39:37.17\00:39:41.09
Well,
handkerchiefs don't get sick.
00:39:41.12\00:39:43.44
Brought unto the
sick handkerchiefs comma,
00:39:43.47\00:39:46.15
but that's no
problem we know the comma
00:39:46.18\00:39:47.59
got on the wrong
side of the word there.
00:39:47.62\00:39:49.66
It should be they
brought unto the sick,
00:39:49.69\00:39:51.92
handkerchiefs
blessed by the Apostle Paul
00:39:51.95\00:39:53.73
and people have touched
them got well and so forth.
00:39:53.76\00:39:56.11
Now my question is.
00:39:56.14\00:39:57.97
Could the comma have
gotten on the wrong side
00:39:58.00\00:40:00.17
of this word
today in this passage
00:40:00.20\00:40:02.80
when Jesus promised the
thief he would go to paradise?
00:40:02.83\00:40:08.95
Take the sentence like this.
00:40:08.98\00:40:12.59
Johnny says, the
teacher is a fool.
00:40:12.62\00:40:16.17
Now if I move
the comma this way,
00:40:16.20\00:40:18.93
Johnny, says the
teacher, is a fool.
00:40:18.96\00:40:26.05
Changes the entire meaning
of that sentence doesn't it?
00:40:26.08\00:40:28.81
Look what happens to
the meaning of this text
00:40:28.84\00:40:30.26
if you simply move the comma
where it should be Luke 23:43.
00:40:30.29\00:40:35.09
"And Jesus said
unto him the thief,
00:40:35.12\00:40:37.96
assuredly, I say unto you today.
00:40:37.99\00:40:41.66
You will be
with me in Paradise."
00:40:41.69\00:40:46.05
I say unto you today when
everything looks hopeless,
00:40:46.08\00:40:48.84
I tell you today
when my own disciples
00:40:48.87\00:40:50.62
have forsaken me and fled
00:40:50.65\00:40:52.28
when it doesn't look
like I have a Kingdom,
00:40:52.31\00:40:53.70
I promise, I
make the promise today
00:40:53.73\00:40:56.63
you will be with me in paradise.
00:40:56.66\00:40:58.98
How do I know this is right?
00:40:59.01\00:41:01.80
Because folks the
thief didn't die that day.
00:41:01.83\00:41:07.09
That's why Jesus Himself
by His own admission said,
00:41:07.12\00:41:11.41
He didn't go to
paradise until three days later.
00:41:11.44\00:41:14.50
How could He have possibly been
00:41:14.53\00:41:15.73
with the thief in
paradise on that Friday?
00:41:15.76\00:41:18.87
I want you to hold on
because there is an answer,
00:41:18.90\00:41:20.38
I made some very bold statements
00:41:20.41\00:41:21.91
and let's examine them
from the evidence, okay.
00:41:21.94\00:41:24.53
Folks the Bible
plainly says that the Jews
00:41:24.56\00:41:27.42
would never permit a
victim of crucifixion
00:41:27.45\00:41:30.66
to remain on the
cross on the Sabbath
00:41:30.69\00:41:33.00
especially a high
holy day like Passover
00:41:33.03\00:41:35.00
and so they
would break their legs
00:41:35.03\00:41:37.58
so they couldn't escape,
00:41:37.61\00:41:38.76
they would haul them
off to the dump Gehenna
00:41:38.79\00:41:41.14
and then they
would drag them back
00:41:41.17\00:41:42.30
and put them on the
cross after the weekend.
00:41:42.33\00:41:44.02
In fact Josephus
the historian says
00:41:44.05\00:41:45.85
that the thieves
lived for three weeks
00:41:45.88\00:41:48.22
until the birds
finally finished them off.
00:41:48.25\00:41:51.25
Now what is your Bible say?
00:41:51.28\00:41:52.46
John 19:31-33 it
says, "Therefore,
00:41:52.49\00:41:55.65
because it was
the Preparation Day,
00:41:55.68\00:41:58.30
that the bodies
should not remain
00:41:58.33\00:41:59.92
on the cross on the Sabbath
00:41:59.95\00:42:01.27
for that Sabbath was a high day,
00:42:01.30\00:42:03.25
the Jews asked Pilate that
their legs might be broken,
00:42:03.28\00:42:06.88
and that they
might be taken away."
00:42:06.91\00:42:08.55
See?
00:42:08.58\00:42:09.61
To the dump, so
they wouldn't escape.
00:42:09.64\00:42:12.85
Then it says the soldiers came
00:42:12.88\00:42:14.21
and broke the legs of the first
00:42:14.24\00:42:15.86
and the other who
was crucified with Him.
00:42:15.89\00:42:17.79
But when they came to Jesus
00:42:17.82\00:42:19.16
and saw that He
was already dead,
00:42:19.19\00:42:21.16
they did not break His legs."
00:42:21.19\00:42:24.19
You see folks, you don't die
00:42:24.22\00:42:25.77
from crucifixion
in just three hours.
00:42:25.80\00:42:28.92
But Jesus did die
not from the nails,
00:42:28.95\00:42:33.00
Jesus died of a broken heart.
00:42:33.03\00:42:35.80
He died because
of my sins, your sins
00:42:35.83\00:42:39.11
but the thieves
didn't die that day.
00:42:39.14\00:42:41.51
So how could he
possibly have gone
00:42:41.54\00:42:42.85
to heaven to be with Jesus?
00:42:42.88\00:42:46.03
Now the next
scripture settles it.
00:42:46.06\00:42:48.53
Three days later,
on Sunday morning,
00:42:48.56\00:42:51.78
three days later,
00:42:51.81\00:42:52.84
we read these words
every Easter in John 20.
00:42:52.87\00:42:55.96
"Mary stood outside
by the tomb weeping,
00:42:55.99\00:42:58.18
and as she wept
she saw two angels,
00:42:58.21\00:43:02.61
"and she turns
around and remembers
00:43:02.64\00:43:03.78
she sees the gardener
standing there it says,
00:43:03.81\00:43:06.68
and did not know
that it was Jesus.
00:43:06.71\00:43:08.73
Jesus said to her,
''Woman, why are you weeping?
00:43:08.76\00:43:12.97
Whom are you seeking?"
00:43:13.00\00:43:14.04
She recognized, was ready
to through her arms around Him.
00:43:14.07\00:43:16.82
But He said, "touch me not."
00:43:16.85\00:43:19.83
Or if some translations
say, "Do not cling to me
00:43:19.86\00:43:22.80
for I've not yet
ascended to my father."
00:43:22.83\00:43:27.15
Well, the father
lives in paradise,
00:43:27.18\00:43:30.47
three days later
on Sunday morning,
00:43:30.50\00:43:32.41
Jesus, by His own admission,
00:43:32.44\00:43:33.83
stated He had not yet
ascended to His Father.
00:43:33.86\00:43:36.36
How could He have been
there with the thief on Friday?
00:43:36.39\00:43:40.56
See, friend, listen,
00:43:40.59\00:43:41.89
the next scripture
is absolutely thrilling.
00:43:41.92\00:43:44.21
The good news of the
gospel is the glorious climax
00:43:44.24\00:43:47.06
and grand finale of the
second coming of Jesus Christ,
00:43:47.09\00:43:50.05
1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.
00:43:50.08\00:43:52.55
"For the Lord
Himself will descend
00:43:52.58\00:43:54.43
from heaven with a shout,
00:43:54.46\00:43:55.83
with the voice of the archangel,
00:43:55.86\00:43:57.42
and with the trumpet of God.
00:43:57.45\00:43:58.57
And the dead in
Christ will rise first."
00:43:58.60\00:44:00.76
Right where you put them.
00:44:00.79\00:44:03.24
Then it says, "We who are alive
00:44:03.27\00:44:04.62
and remain shall be
caught up together with them
00:44:04.65\00:44:06.63
in the clouds to
meet the Lord in the air
00:44:06.66\00:44:09.13
and thus we shall
always be with the Lord."
00:44:09.16\00:44:12.44
Amen. Listen,
can I have your eyes?
00:44:12.47\00:44:15.33
Tongue cannot tell
it, pen cannot portray it,
00:44:15.36\00:44:18.10
the hope that this
brings to the human heart
00:44:18.13\00:44:20.39
when the Lord Jesus comes down
through these Eastern skies,
00:44:20.42\00:44:23.29
past constellations of
unnumbered universe systems,
00:44:23.32\00:44:26.56
down to a planet
that spat on Him,
00:44:26.59\00:44:28.47
but one that He couldn't forget.
00:44:28.50\00:44:30.70
And as He nears the earth,
00:44:30.73\00:44:31.76
He shouts with a
voice of thunder,
00:44:31.79\00:44:33.68
"Awake! Awake!
00:44:33.71\00:44:36.19
Ye that sleep in
the dust of the earth!
00:44:36.22\00:44:37.75
Arise to everlasting life!
And your dead too will live."
00:44:37.78\00:44:43.05
All at the same time
they all receive immortality,
00:44:43.08\00:44:46.69
just like Jesus.
00:44:46.72\00:44:47.87
Sinless,
deathless, glorified forever.
00:44:47.90\00:44:50.63
Friend, that is the
Bible, pure and simple.
00:44:50.66\00:44:53.95
And it's our only safeguard
00:44:53.98\00:44:55.63
against
spiritualism and the occult,
00:44:55.66\00:44:57.81
purported miracles,
and prime time soaps.
00:44:57.84\00:45:01.28
And today's kaleidoscope
of the psychic Cinerama
00:45:01.31\00:45:03.85
masquerading all around us.
00:45:03.88\00:45:05.94
"Arise to everlasting life!"
00:45:05.97\00:45:07.61
The voice of
Jesus breaks every tomb
00:45:07.64\00:45:10.30
and your loved ones come
forth with eternal youth.
00:45:10.33\00:45:13.33
Folks, no news at all,
the Bible is more thrilling
00:45:13.36\00:45:16.25
because that day
is not far distant.
00:45:16.28\00:45:19.88
Tonight I would
like to have you pray
00:45:19.91\00:45:21.20
the same prayers the thief did.
00:45:21.23\00:45:23.08
"Lord, would you remember me
00:45:23.11\00:45:24.33
when You come
into Your kingdom."
00:45:24.36\00:45:25.82
Would you repeat that with me?
00:45:25.85\00:45:27.21
"Lord, remember me when
You come into your kingdom."
00:45:27.24\00:45:30.90
Friend, eternal life
is yours if you want it
00:45:30.93\00:45:33.67
because He that has
the son has eternal life.
00:45:33.70\00:45:37.31
Amen.
00:45:37.34\00:45:38.77
A very meaningful
symbol was sculptured
00:45:38.80\00:45:41.71
on an old English tombstone.
00:45:41.74\00:45:44.16
There carved in the granite
is the representation of a door.
00:45:44.19\00:45:48.27
And in the door there is a
lock and in the lock, a key.
00:45:48.30\00:45:52.29
Holding the key is
the hand of an angel.
00:45:52.32\00:45:54.88
And his other hand is
held up to shade his eyes
00:45:54.91\00:45:56.96
and he's steadily
gazing upward toward heaven.
00:45:56.99\00:46:00.17
And beneath the engraving
00:46:00.20\00:46:01.42
are these
profound words sculpted,
00:46:01.45\00:46:05.40
"Till He Come."
00:46:05.43\00:46:09.25
The message is clear.
00:46:09.28\00:46:11.06
When Jesus comes the
angel will throw the--
00:46:11.09\00:46:14.08
turn the key, open wide the door
00:46:14.11\00:46:17.92
and our loved
ones will be united.
00:46:17.95\00:46:20.31
Listen as Joey and
Benny fill to sing.
00:46:20.34\00:46:24.19
Because He lives
00:46:27.29\00:46:32.14
I can face tomorrow
00:46:32.17\00:46:38.12
Because He lives
00:46:38.15\00:46:41.98
All fear is gone
00:46:42.01\00:46:46.96
Because I know, I know
00:46:46.99\00:46:52.53
He holds the future
00:46:52.56\00:46:56.78
And life is worth the living
00:46:56.81\00:47:01.31
Just because He lives
00:47:01.34\00:47:07.14
And life is worth the living
00:47:07.17\00:47:11.87
Just because
00:47:11.90\00:47:15.09
He lives
00:47:15.12\00:47:22.06
I want to thank
you for coming tonight.
00:47:22.09\00:47:23.49
Remember Friday night,
00:47:23.52\00:47:25.28
important message
"The Elijah Message."
00:47:25.31\00:47:28.35
Tonight, we'd like to meet
you at our hospitality centre.
00:47:28.38\00:47:30.91
Remember as we go friend,
God really does love you.
00:47:30.94\00:47:37.50
Good night.
00:47:37.53\00:47:38.56