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God has promised that
if we draw near to Him,

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He will draw near to us.
The Bible tells the story

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of the father longing to be
reunited with his ... son

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and of the father's joy when
his son finally returns home.

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This touching illustration
reveals God's desire to have

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us come close to Him.
Let's draw near to God

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and He will draw near to us.

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Good evening again, friends,
to our final presentation here

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in this Revive series called
"Joy Near"!

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Over the past three evenings,
we have gathered together

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and we have drawn near to God
and God has drawn near to us.

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We have humbled ourselves in His
sight and He has lifted us up.

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To audience here in
Forth Worth, welcome!

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Thank for coming out,
night after night,

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thank for being here tonight
and those of you who are

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joining us live via satellite to
our national and international

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audience, we want
to welcome you,

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thank you for being a part
of this Revive series.

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Even though the Revive
is finishing tonight,

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our prayer is that this
be the beginning

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of even a greater revival,
that the Holy Spirit will be

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pourred upon God's church,
that the church of God

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will go forth, clothed in
the righteousness of Jesus,

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to do the work that God
has called us to do,

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so Jesus can come and
we can all go home. Amin?

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Amin!

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Tonight, passing to Doug,
sermon is entitled

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"Hanging on a promise".
And once more, let's prepare

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our hearts by singing
our Revive song,

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"Revive Us, Lord". Please
stand, as John and Katie Lee

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sing this beautiful song.

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Amin! Remain standing
as we kneel on the platform

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and tonight our prayer will be
offered by pastor Jean Ross.

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Dear Father, which are in
Heaven, indeed it is a privilege

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for us to call You our Father.
You've adopted us into

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your family. You've clothed
us with your robe.

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You've made us sons are
daughters of the most high.

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Father, tonight, we ask that
you would draw close to us

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once more, as we draw
close to you.

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Fill our hearts with Your
spirit, cleanse us of self,

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let Jesus be seen
through us and in us.

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Revive us, Lord! We ask
this special blessing tonight

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on pass to Doug, that you
would be with him, once more

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giving the words to speak.
May speak with power,

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May his words touch our hearts.
May we be confident by

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Your spirit and may we go
forth being your ambassadors

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to a world that is dying
to see Jesus.

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Mold us Father, make us
into the kind of people

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that You would have us to be
and fill our hearts with prays

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for your goodness, for this
is our prayer in Jesus' name.

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Amin!

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You may be sitting.

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Thank you, pastor Ross,
John, Jamie, Kelly.

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For those of you who are here,
you know, but for our friends

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who are watching, we've
just had a very inspiring

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music programme and that
was a real blessing.

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You know, we are...
I want to welcome you again

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to this 05 Revive Drawing
Near programme.

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This is our last programme
in this presentation,

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but we're hoping that nobody
think that that means

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this is the end of the Revival.
We're hoping that this would

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mean new life and a new
experience with the Lord,

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for each of you acclaiming
the promise as we draw

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near to God,
He will draw near to us.

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And let's see...

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What's the time? I have
a question and I don't

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want to turn this upside down
when I look at, alright?

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You love when I do this to you,
don't you?

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Yes. So, I operate.

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The question is tell us
briefly, Doug Batchelor,

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amazing f..., what do you see
around the corner,

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what do you see in the light
of the closing moments

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of Earth's history, what
big thing is next?

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We've done all 5 Revive,
I know well enough,

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you're not going to set
back and retire,

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you're not going to relax.
Where your ahead of?

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I appreciate that question.
That wasn't on the list.

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I know. Never thought about it
just about one minute ago.

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Well, we're very excited
about anything we can do

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to multiply the gospel by
helping every member realize

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they have spiritual gifts and
their own ministers.

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I don't know about you, Danny,
but I just had my forth

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grandchild and I'm feeling
the aches and pains

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and I realize that the best
thing I can do in evangelism

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is make more evangelists.
And so we have a real burden

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to the amazing facts, not only
to do outreach and preach

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the gospel as we're doing,
and I know that's also

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a vision of 3ABN, but we want
to train people for evangelism

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and ministry. So, that's
the real passion we have.

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We're building a new college,
we're building the empower

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church programme and that's
of course with the regular

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broadcast going to India
this coming year

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and to stay really busy trying
to preach the gospel.

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We're excited about what
you're doing, about what God

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is allowing, how is allowing
this message to travel

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to the world and opening
up in places like China.

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Your ears will probably
really purk up, won' they

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from talking about those
type of things,

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to get the gospel
and do all the work.

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Thank you, Doug.
Here's a question.

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A protocol person says
if you bear a prodigal son

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or daughter and you want
to return home to the Lord,

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how do you know that you're
travelling on the road

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that will lead you there and
especially if you tried before

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and didn't make it.
What do you do to somebody

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that really wants to do
something, but they're

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kind of afraid where to go and
not knowing how to get truth?

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Good question. First of all,
thy word is truth.

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Follow Christ's word and
you know you're safe.

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The shortest distance between
two points is... what?

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Straight line. When I'm flying,
sometimes if I'm flying

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via far, I fix my eyes on
a point on the horizon

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and I fly towards it.
That's the best way to get

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to your destination.
Straight line.

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Sometimes, it's bad whether and
you got to fly by instrument.

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This is our map.
These are the instruments.

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Now when I fly by instrument,
you got something in the plane

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called the GPS. It uses
satellites up in the sky

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to help you find your position.
But if you only have one

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satellite, it can't tell you
where you are.

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It needs to triangulate
with at least three,

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more is even better. Comparing
Scripture with Scripture

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the more Scriptures you
have, the safer you are

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when you are on the right track.

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So, it's like if you're going
down the road and you see

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a sign that says you're
heading towards Interstate 10,

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but you don't see it for a long
time and you start worrying.

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The more signs you see,
the more secure you are.

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Make sure your life is guided
by the Scriptures.

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And if you have failed the first
time, you didn't make it,

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try, try again.

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Yeah, don't get discouraged.
There's so many stories in

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the Bible about great men
and women who they did

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slip and fall, they took
their eyes off Christ,

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but ask for God's mercy,
get back up again,

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fix your eyes on Jesus, lay
aside every way in the sin

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that thus so easily besets
you and run the race.

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If you stumble, get back up
and keep going. Amin!

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Ok, next question. Paul
wrote in I Timothy 4:4

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that we are afraid to protect
of any food if eaten

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with thankfulness. Why
wouldn't that include what

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some people's term is
"unclean" food?

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Well, let's read this together.
I Timothy 4:4.

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"For every creature of God is
good, and nothing to be"

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"refused, if it be received
with thanksgiving:"

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"For it is sanctified by
the word of God and prayer."

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First of all, Paul was talking
about the good creatures

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that are sanctified by
the word of God.

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You can't just pray over
anything and say

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"Now it's sanctified."

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It's not prayer only.
It's sanctified by the word.

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Otherwise you can do marijuana,
you can do all kinds of drugs,

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you can do...

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Most people don't eat
marijuana.

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No, but you can take it
in your body.

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but if you ate it,
that's good.

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Fashion's good for the soul,
yet hard on the reputation.

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You'll preach your way out
of this tonight.

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Of course the Bible specifies
some things as unclean.

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If you take the idea that all
you have to do is pray

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over something, how many
of you are parents?

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Or even grandparents?
If your children sit down

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for breakfast and they start
to assemble a banana split

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and just baptize it
in chocolate and caramel

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and they say
"This is my breakfast",

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you say "That's not a very
nutricious breakfast".

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"Don't worry, mum, dad, I'm
going to ask God to bless it."

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Is that how you operate?
You just pray over anything

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and then if becomes clean,
it becomes good?

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God is not mocked.
What a man sowed,

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he's going to reap. So
people abuse this Scripture

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and that's not what it's
saying. It's talking about

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things that had been
sacrificed to idols.

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You didn't need to worry
about it if you did not offer it

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to an idol. Pray over it.
We speak in clean on this.

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It's amazing when we're looking
to do health studies and

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CNN is doing programmes,
I think "Good morning, America",

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National Geographic's about
Adventist and their life span

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being longer than others
and of course we attribute

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that God knew what He was
talking about when He said

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"Don't eat pork,
among other things."

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So God's word is sure.

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Ok, says kindly just give
a few points and witnessing

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a searching soul who struggles
to believe God is loving

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and caring. They ask where
is God when so much

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starvation and deprivation
in our world, it says

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innocent babies and children
and diseases etc.

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So can we believe that
God love us?

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Good question. I heard
this many times.

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When people hear that God
is love and then they see

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so much evil in the world
and believing that God

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is all-powerful,
they think naturally

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Why doesn't God stop it?
If He is all-powerful

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and there is all this suffering
and innocent children

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and people, maybe He isn't
love. Why would He allow it?

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They don't understand
the great controversy,

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that there is a war, this
planet has been kidnapped

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by an enemy and when they
understand that God grieves

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more than anyone over
the suffering and misery

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in the world and the reason
He sent His Son is to save us

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and give us abundant life,
once they understand

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that there is a war ranging,
it makes a little easier

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for them to say
"God is love"

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and that's why He wants
to redeem us from the situation.

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The next question says,
just happened to be after this,

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since God knows the beginning
from the end, then why

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didn't He just stop Adam
and Eve from eating the fruit

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and He wouldn't have
to give us His Son

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and make a planet salvation.

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I had some relatives that
will remain nameless and

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when you went into their house,
they had a couple of children.

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Instead of teaching the children
not to touch things that were

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harmful or dangerous
or inappropiate to touch

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in the house, little ...
they had babyproofed their house

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so everything was out of
their reach.

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and they never learned
any self-control.

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and whenever those children
came over to visit a house

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that had been baby-proofed,
watch out, they just went

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bananas, so they grabbed
everything they could reach.

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God has taught us to love
by giving us freedom.

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In connection with that, how
many of you are parents?

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Ok, same group
the last time I asked...

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When you decided to have
children, were any of you living

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under the illusion that they
would always obey and be good?

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Yes...
No...

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And you still had them.

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How many of you entered
into that adventure knowing

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they might rebel and disobey?

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Why? You took a risk.

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Because you cannot have
real love without freedom.

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If God had forced Adam and Eve
to obey, that's not real love.

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If He didn't give them freedom
to make these choices

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and we sometimes have to learn
from the consequences

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of our choices. After this
terrible experiment with sin,

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and the world is redeemed
and recreated,

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00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:18,110
sin will never rise up again
through eternity,

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00:15:18,110 --> 00:15:21,590
because God has demonstrated
His love and His freedom.

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This one says "I have friends
and family who are not"

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00:15:25,710 --> 00:15:28,540
"Seventh-day Adventist,
they come from a variety"

240
00:15:28,580 --> 00:15:32,130
"of different denominations
or denomination backgrounds"

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00:15:32,130 --> 00:15:34,460
and it says "they're good
people, they're very active"

242
00:15:34,500 --> 00:15:36,950
"in their church, they're
sure that they love God"

243
00:15:37,410 --> 00:15:40,600
"Do you belive that only
Seventh-day Adventist"

244
00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:43,820
"believers will be in heaven?"

245
00:15:47,580 --> 00:15:49,680
You know, one of the things
that attracted me to

246
00:15:49,710 --> 00:15:51,580
the Seventh-day Adventist
Church, because I was part

247
00:15:51,620 --> 00:15:54,730
of one of these churches
whrn I first accepted Christ

248
00:15:54,730 --> 00:15:57,970
and I know from personal
experience that there are

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00:15:58,010 --> 00:16:02,770
spirit-filled godly loving
Christians in many different

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00:16:02,770 --> 00:16:04,810
denomination persuasions.
Amin?

251
00:16:04,810 --> 00:16:05,590
You believe that?

252
00:16:05,590 --> 00:16:06,310
Yes.

253
00:16:06,310 --> 00:16:07,920
I think when we get
to the kingdom,

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00:16:07,950 --> 00:16:11,400
we're going to find a whole lot
of people there from all

255
00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:15,370
different Christian persuasions
that lived up to the light that

256
00:16:15,410 --> 00:16:18,810
God gave them. Now,
I am a Seventh-day Adventist,

257
00:16:18,810 --> 00:16:22,590
because I have no choice.
Biblically, I am convinced

258
00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:25,990
it is the closest church, I am
not talking about the people

259
00:16:25,990 --> 00:16:29,340
I'm talking about the teachings,
biblically it is the closest

260
00:16:29,380 --> 00:16:31,430
church to the Bible and
my commitment is to Christ

261
00:16:31,430 --> 00:16:35,110
and His word. Nothing personal,
but I find a church closer,

262
00:16:35,140 --> 00:16:38,980
that's where I'm going.
It's not a family thing for me,

263
00:16:38,980 --> 00:16:42,220
it's not a heritage thing
or some clubber loyalty thing,

264
00:16:42,220 --> 00:16:45,180
it's a word thing.
There are good people

265
00:16:45,220 --> 00:16:47,810
in many churches and I believe
when Jesus comes back

266
00:16:47,900 --> 00:16:50,950
many of those sheep and other
... are going to come together

267
00:16:51,020 --> 00:16:53,440
and take a stand on the word,
and there will be

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00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:54,640
one fold and one shepherd.

269
00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:56,650
Here, David, keep
the commandments of God.

270
00:16:56,650 --> 00:16:58,510
- That's right.
- Got to have faith in Jesus.

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00:16:58,510 --> 00:17:00,750
Ok... It says...

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00:17:00,790 --> 00:17:03,500
I've noticed that .... list
further and further away

273
00:17:03,500 --> 00:17:08,890
Well, there is a good
reason for that.

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00:17:08,930 --> 00:17:10,600
In three years we'll just have
to be sitting on the floor...

275
00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:14,010
My next...
No, I'll just get glasses.

276
00:17:14,370 --> 00:17:17,420
My pride won't let me get
glasses, instead I just want

277
00:17:17,450 --> 00:17:20,240
to do this. My next
birthday, thank you.

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00:17:20,250 --> 00:17:24,380
My next birthday ...

279
00:17:24,420 --> 00:17:27,540
I feel like one of ...

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00:17:27,540 --> 00:17:29,670
Grand slem discount

281
00:17:29,670 --> 00:17:33,100
Yeah, that's right...

282
00:17:33,100 --> 00:17:35,780
You know what? My dream is
that I go and ask for

283
00:17:35,820 --> 00:17:38,400
sin citizen discount and they
won't give it to me,

284
00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:40,370
because they won't believe me.

285
00:17:41,980 --> 00:17:44,440
The Bible mentions giants
and I would like to know

286
00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:47,730
where they came from.
Did angels for that matter

287
00:17:47,730 --> 00:17:51,390
evil angels married earthly
women to produce giants

288
00:17:51,420 --> 00:17:54,640
on Earth? I haven't heard
that question before.

289
00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:56,130
You'd be surprised.
A lot of people believe...

290
00:17:56,130 --> 00:17:58,320
How many of you heard
this before? Hands...

291
00:17:58,330 --> 00:18:03,210
Genesis chapter 6, verse 1
"And it came to pass, when men"

292
00:18:03,210 --> 00:18:06,050
"began to multiply on the face
of the earth, and daughters"

293
00:18:06,050 --> 00:18:09,550
"were born unto them,
That the sons of God saw"

294
00:18:09,550 --> 00:18:12,240
"the daughters of men that
they were beautiful; and they"

295
00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:15,270
"took them wives of all whom
they chose. And the Lord said,"

296
00:18:15,270 --> 00:18:18,580
"My spirit shall not strive with
man forever, for he is indeed

297
00:18:18,610 --> 00:18:21,460
"flesh: yet his days will be
a hundred and twenty years."

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00:18:21,460 --> 00:18:25,720
"There were giants on the earth
in those days; and also"

299
00:18:25,750 --> 00:18:28,340
"afterward when the sons of God
came in unto the daughters"

300
00:18:28,370 --> 00:18:31,900
"of men, and they bore them
children; These were mighty men"

301
00:18:31,900 --> 00:18:33,570
"who were of old,
men of renown."

302
00:18:33,580 --> 00:18:34,580
The many who read this passage
where it says "the sons

303
00:18:34,580 --> 00:18:35,580
of God saw the daughters
of men and they thought

304
00:18:35,580 --> 00:18:41,160
"who were they? They
must be fallen angels,

305
00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:45,640
that had intimate relantions
with humans and the offspring

306
00:18:45,670 --> 00:18:50,390
were these giants. Other
churches teach that these sons

307
00:18:50,430 --> 00:18:54,070
of God were aliens, who had
intimate relations with humans.

308
00:18:54,070 --> 00:18:59,170
That's fairytales. It's very
simple if you read the Bible

309
00:18:59,210 --> 00:19:02,590
to know who the sons of God are.
After sin and the fall,

310
00:19:02,590 --> 00:19:06,110
Adam and Eve had two
principal sons, Cain and Abel.

311
00:19:06,110 --> 00:19:09,090
Cain killed Abel, God gave
Adam and Eve other son, Seth.

312
00:19:09,090 --> 00:19:12,870
In the image of his father,
Seth worshipped the true God,

313
00:19:12,870 --> 00:19:15,780
Cain turned his back on God
and went away from God,

314
00:19:15,790 --> 00:19:19,260
from the presence of the Lord.
The descendants of Cain were

315
00:19:19,260 --> 00:19:23,840
called "the sons of man".
Their treasure was this world.

316
00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:27,070
The sons of Seth were
the children of God,

317
00:19:27,110 --> 00:19:29,930
the sons of God. The Bible says,
I John, chapter 3, verse 1

318
00:19:29,930 --> 00:19:32,250
"Behold, what manner of love
the Father hath bestowed"

319
00:19:32,250 --> 00:19:34,310
"upon us, that we should be
called the sons of God."

320
00:19:34,340 --> 00:19:37,240
Isaiah refers to the same as
the sons and daughters of God.

321
00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:41,000
So, it simply means that
as long as they were distinct,

322
00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:43,850
God's people were godly,
but when they began to notice

323
00:19:43,850 --> 00:19:46,930
the daughters of Cain were,
good-looking, the sons of God

324
00:19:46,930 --> 00:19:49,700
were unequally yoked with
the daughters of men,

325
00:19:49,700 --> 00:19:52,360
the daughters of Cain, that's
when the earth was then filled

326
00:19:52,390 --> 00:19:54,330
with wickedness and it leads
in the same "my spirit will not"

327
00:19:54,330 --> 00:19:56,380
"strive with man, I'm going
to destroy the earth."

328
00:19:56,380 --> 00:19:59,210
Through intermarriage,
they lost their distinction.

329
00:19:59,210 --> 00:20:01,850
It has nothing to do with
aliens and fallen angels.

330
00:20:01,850 --> 00:20:04,740
Jesus is clear about angels.
They don't even marry

331
00:20:04,770 --> 00:20:06,940
each other,
whetherlong humans.

332
00:20:06,940 --> 00:20:09,810
I mean, there are all kinds
of teachings out there.

333
00:20:09,810 --> 00:20:12,750
So, now you might say
why would they have giants?

334
00:20:12,750 --> 00:20:15,740
It's a simple law genetics,
called genetic vitality.

335
00:20:15,740 --> 00:20:20,130
It is often true that you
get a superior breed,

336
00:20:20,130 --> 00:20:23,930
maybe even a bigger breed
through breeding a new

337
00:20:23,970 --> 00:20:26,350
genetic vitality. How many
of you are aware of that?

338
00:20:26,390 --> 00:20:28,050
just from any of you involved
...

339
00:20:28,050 --> 00:20:33,180
Somebody should tell my parents
that I didn't get very tall.

340
00:20:33,190 --> 00:20:36,570
What are you laughing at?

341
00:20:39,290 --> 00:20:41,790
I'm really much taller than
Danny, I'm just concentrated.

342
00:20:45,780 --> 00:20:48,880
You know what? If he won't mind
by using him as an example,

343
00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:53,740
John Loma's mother is Filipino,
his father is Afro-american

344
00:20:53,770 --> 00:20:57,200
His mum was like 4 feet tall,
he's a giant.

345
00:20:57,230 --> 00:20:59,480
Genetic vitality.

346
00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:04,740
Ok, one last question.
What should be the Christian's

347
00:21:04,770 --> 00:21:09,800
role in politics and how do
we balance faith in politics?

348
00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:13,660
Carefully. First of all,
remember as a Christian

349
00:21:13,690 --> 00:21:18,180
you are an ambassador, not
of some political party here,

350
00:21:18,180 --> 00:21:22,670
but of another kingdom. So,
your first political alligence

351
00:21:22,670 --> 00:21:25,460
is a representative of
Christ's kingdom.

352
00:21:25,460 --> 00:21:29,910
Now, in a culture where we have
freedom and we are able to be

353
00:21:29,950 --> 00:21:32,900
involved in voting policy,
Christian should,

354
00:21:32,930 --> 00:21:34,850
now you don't have to become
so preoccupied with it,

355
00:21:34,890 --> 00:21:37,140
you forget your first calling
for the kingdom of God,

356
00:21:37,140 --> 00:21:39,910
I know some Christians who get
so preoccupied with politics,

357
00:21:39,910 --> 00:21:42,110
that it's like their kingdom
is down here,

358
00:21:42,110 --> 00:21:45,290
but you should vote for
those things, I believe

359
00:21:45,290 --> 00:21:48,020
that are in support
of the priciples of Christ.

360
00:21:48,030 --> 00:21:49,890
If you're silent,
if the righteous are silent,

361
00:21:49,890 --> 00:21:52,190
then the only ones who
vote will be the wicked.

362
00:21:52,220 --> 00:21:55,040
Isn't that right? And so
there is a place for them.

363
00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:59,530
But you want to be bounced.
Politics are very volatile thing

364
00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:01,360
if you become so political,
you can't reach people

365
00:22:01,390 --> 00:22:02,370
from the other party.

366
00:22:04,670 --> 00:22:06,470
Thank you very much
you're getting the message.

367
00:22:06,470 --> 00:22:09,290
Before the offering,
we've got a special offer.

368
00:22:09,290 --> 00:22:11,090
We'd like to make
an offer to you.

369
00:22:11,090 --> 00:22:13,790
The gift book tonight,
every night we're giving away

370
00:22:13,830 --> 00:22:16,260
a gift book. If you've missed
it on a previous night,

371
00:22:16,260 --> 00:22:18,630
you can go to the website.
It is very simple

372
00:22:18,630 --> 00:22:23,640
O5revive.com and the offer
for tonight's book is

373
00:22:23,670 --> 00:22:25,940
something written by.. if
you're truly to see the King

374
00:22:25,980 --> 00:22:29,380
Seven Steps to Salvation and
it's based on the conversion

375
00:22:29,410 --> 00:22:32,670
of Isaiah as a platform of
understanding the new birth.

376
00:22:32,670 --> 00:22:36,350
It's offer #175. Free,
if you want to call in

377
00:22:36,350 --> 00:22:44,050
1-866-905-7384 and
request and it will be happy

378
00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:45,130
to send it to you.

379
00:22:45,130 --> 00:22:47,460
We are having an offering
tonight for those who are here

380
00:22:47,500 --> 00:22:49,820
in the hall, we have an envelope
that should be in your seat.

381
00:22:49,860 --> 00:22:52,180
Some of you who are watching
online, if you would like

382
00:22:52,220 --> 00:22:54,760
to help with the expenses,
you can make a donation

383
00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:58,540
there online. This has been
something of an amazing fact,

384
00:22:58,540 --> 00:23:01,160
since 3ABN have come together.
We've just stepped out in faith

385
00:23:01,170 --> 00:23:03,060
and we hope that if you believe
and you've been blessed

386
00:23:03,060 --> 00:23:06,450
that you'll support what's
happened and help us

387
00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:08,910
to continue doing this work.
Those who are gathering

388
00:23:08,940 --> 00:23:12,070
in your groups, their expenses
connected with your groups

389
00:23:12,100 --> 00:23:14,950
and may be preparing now
in your churches to receive

390
00:23:14,990 --> 00:23:16,680
an offering. We hope that
you'll support them.

391
00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:18,260
If anyone here doesn't
have an envelope,

392
00:23:18,290 --> 00:23:19,410
you can just hold your hand up.

393
00:23:19,410 --> 00:23:22,440
Please, whatever the offer is,
put it in the envelope.

394
00:23:22,470 --> 00:23:24,630
It makes it a little easier
for those collecting.

395
00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,300
As the ... come forward,
again we're going to be blessed

396
00:23:27,340 --> 00:23:29,880
by some music.
Tommy and Danny.

397
00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:32,960
And the song is
"Mending Broken People".

398
00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:36,080
About 20 years ago, when
we were just starting a new

399
00:23:36,120 --> 00:23:38,990
ministry called 3 Angels
Broadcasting Network,

400
00:23:38,990 --> 00:23:41,710
some people, literally there
was a knock on my door

401
00:23:41,710 --> 00:23:44,290
about 9 or 10 o'clock one night,
some folk that I knew said

402
00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:47,100
"we've heard the new song.
It reminds us of what you"

403
00:23:47,100 --> 00:23:50,460
"wanted to do in your ministry
and we thought you may want"

404
00:23:50,500 --> 00:23:53,310
"this and you want to sing it."
I think they might listen

405
00:23:53,340 --> 00:23:55,750
to the song and we've been
singing it off and on

406
00:23:55,780 --> 00:23:58,060
and used it as a theme song
for a number of years.

407
00:23:58,060 --> 00:24:00,120
"Mending Broken People"

408
00:24:11,300 --> 00:24:22,530
When I see my brother stumble
and hold hs dreams come...

409
00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:31,830
Let me be there
For I'm too frail

410
00:24:33,420 --> 00:24:40,020
And when I see his
heart breaking

411
00:24:40,020 --> 00:24:45,740
From a wrong term
piece taking

412
00:24:45,740 --> 00:24:54,800
Let me be there
For I remember well

413
00:24:55,940 --> 00:25:07,650
I want to spend my life
mending broken people

414
00:25:07,650 --> 00:25:18,490
I want to spend my whole life
removing pain

415
00:25:18,490 --> 00:25:30,550
Lord, let my words
Heal a heart that hurts

416
00:25:30,550 --> 00:25:42,710
I want to spend my life
mending broken people

417
00:25:49,620 --> 00:25:54,430
When I see a life that's
broken,

418
00:25:54,470 --> 00:26:01,140
Lord, give me words that
should be spoken,

419
00:26:01,140 --> 00:26:10,150
For I remember the pain

420
00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:16,360
And when I see
teardrops falling

421
00:26:16,360 --> 00:26:23,340
Lord, bring my ...
I call you

422
00:26:23,340 --> 00:26:33,390
Help me, restore
their faith in You

423
00:26:33,420 --> 00:26:44,940
I want to spend my life
mending broken people

424
00:26:44,970 --> 00:26:56,370
I want to spend my whole life
removing pain

425
00:26:56,370 --> 00:27:07,290
Lord, let my words
Heal a heart that hurts

426
00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:32,600
I want to spend my life
mending broken people

427
00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:36,040
Amin!

428
00:27:36,100 --> 00:27:40,330
Amin! Thank you very
much, Tommy and Danny.

429
00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:44,850
It's not fair that much talent
in one family, is it?

430
00:27:46,750 --> 00:27:48,490
Welcome again, if anyone
has just joined us

431
00:27:48,490 --> 00:27:52,500
watching on TV to the Drawing
Near 05 programme,

432
00:27:52,500 --> 00:27:56,820
05 Revive and tonight
I really want to focus

433
00:27:56,820 --> 00:28:00,170
on I think it is the axle
of the whole gospel.

434
00:28:00,170 --> 00:28:04,330
The cross is the axle upon
which the planet's

435
00:28:04,360 --> 00:28:10,160
salvation rotates. Everything
centers in the cross.

436
00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:13,450
Paul said "I am determined
to know nothing among you"

437
00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:16,040
"except Jesus Christ,
and Him crucified."

438
00:28:16,050 --> 00:28:18,790
I thought that it was very
appropriate that we fix

439
00:28:18,830 --> 00:28:21,960
our eyes on Christ and the cross
tonight in a special sense

440
00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:25,310
and that we all draw
near to God.

441
00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:29,270
What's the promise?
If we draw near to God,

442
00:28:29,270 --> 00:28:35,370
He might, He could, He may
He WILL draw near to us.

443
00:28:35,370 --> 00:28:38,840
Your watching, your
coming is an act

444
00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:42,220
of drawing near to God and
I trust that He will keep

445
00:28:42,260 --> 00:28:43,850
His promise and bless you.

446
00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:47,280
Would you pray with me
again as we direct

447
00:28:47,310 --> 00:28:48,780
our attention to the word?

448
00:28:48,780 --> 00:28:53,260
Dear Lord, this is our desire
through these programmes

449
00:28:53,260 --> 00:28:55,550
to both revive and to mend
broken people.

450
00:28:55,550 --> 00:28:59,660
Lord, we're all broken and
we know that Jesus is

451
00:28:59,700 --> 00:29:04,860
the answer to not only repair,
glue, but recreate our hearts.

452
00:29:04,900 --> 00:29:09,880
I pray Lord as we tonight
fix our eyes on Jesus.

453
00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:13,110
As we look to the cross,
we will be transformed

454
00:29:13,140 --> 00:29:17,490
by beholding His glory.
Please, be with me as I speak

455
00:29:17,490 --> 00:29:20,640
I pray that I will be emptied
of self and Christ can be seen

456
00:29:20,670 --> 00:29:24,160
and heard. In His name
we ask, Amin.

457
00:29:26,290 --> 00:29:30,440
We have been using different
stories in the Bible

458
00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:33,300
sort of a spring... to better
understand revival

459
00:29:33,330 --> 00:29:36,200
in the gospel, going back and
forth between the New

460
00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:38,750
and the Old Testament and
tonight we will be going

461
00:29:38,780 --> 00:29:42,710
to the New Testament and
it's the story that you find

462
00:29:42,750 --> 00:29:46,290
only in the gospel of Luke,
where the thieves were

463
00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:50,220
crucified with Christ
on the right and the left hand

464
00:29:50,250 --> 00:29:55,040
and one of them calls out
for salvation.

465
00:29:55,070 --> 00:29:58,390
Before we turn there,
I want to begin with verse ...

466
00:29:58,420 --> 00:30:01,360
Galatians,
chapter 2, verse 20:

467
00:30:01,790 --> 00:30:08,700
"I have been crucified with
Christ: it is no longer I who"

468
00:30:08,700 --> 00:30:12,760
"live, but Christ lives in me:
and the life that I now live"

469
00:30:12,790 --> 00:30:15,650
"in the flesh I live by
the faith of the Son of God,"

470
00:30:15,650 --> 00:30:19,330
"who loved me, and
He gave himself for me."

471
00:30:19,370 --> 00:30:22,790
"I have been crucified
with Christ."

472
00:30:22,830 --> 00:30:25,650
It's amazing you can mark
Christianity at all,

473
00:30:25,660 --> 00:30:30,080
because you would think
that would be a negative

474
00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:32,380
or antiproductive
marketing slogan.

475
00:30:32,380 --> 00:30:35,720
"Come, follow Jesus
and be crucified."

476
00:30:35,750 --> 00:30:38,820
And I think because of that
there are even some churches

477
00:30:38,830 --> 00:30:43,670
that are trying to change
the gospel's message

478
00:30:43,670 --> 00:30:47,830
and say "Come, follow Jesus and
be healthy, wealthy and wise."

479
00:30:47,860 --> 00:30:49,760
That's not really
the message of Christ.

480
00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:52,680
The message of Christ is
"if you will lose your life"

481
00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:54,660
"and be crucified with me,
you'll be born again,"

482
00:30:54,660 --> 00:30:57,430
"you'll live a new life,
but you've got to trust me."

483
00:30:57,430 --> 00:31:00,480
"You will have to deny
yourself."

484
00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:02,770
"Take up your cross and
follow me."

485
00:31:02,770 --> 00:31:06,450
That's when you really
begin to live.

486
00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:12,840
I remember hearing about
in 1973, Patrice Tamao,

487
00:31:12,850 --> 00:31:17,570
in the Dominican Republic,
on national television,

488
00:31:17,570 --> 00:31:22,720
willingly was crucified.
His goal was to stand

489
00:31:22,750 --> 00:31:28,820
on the cross for 48 hours
and they took three-six inches

490
00:31:28,860 --> 00:31:31,500
stainless steel nails and
they crucified him.

491
00:31:31,500 --> 00:31:35,780
It was supposed to be for
the unity of all mankind.

492
00:31:35,780 --> 00:31:38,240
I'm not sure how that
factored in.

493
00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:42,350
After about 18 hours,
some infection set in,

494
00:31:42,350 --> 00:31:44,690
the pain was unbearable
and they had him taken down.

495
00:31:46,350 --> 00:31:48,890
I've been to the Philippines
before where each year,

496
00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:51,560
especially during the Easter
season, they want to reenact

497
00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:53,970
the passion of Christ and
sometimes they go on the street

498
00:31:54,010 --> 00:31:57,000
they ... themselves and yes,
even in some islands,

499
00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:59,710
though the government
officially is opposed to this,

500
00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:05,060
they actually do go through
with crucifixion.

501
00:32:05,060 --> 00:32:06,010
Willingly.

502
00:32:06,010 --> 00:32:10,950
Is that what Jesus is asking
us to do?

503
00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:14,690
Well, you know, to better
understand what is meant

504
00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:17,720
by being crucified with Christ,
I think it's a good idea to look

505
00:32:17,750 --> 00:32:20,550
at the examples in the Bible
of those who were crucified

506
00:32:20,550 --> 00:32:24,040
with Christ. So turn with me
to the gospel of Luke,

507
00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:28,810
chapter 23. We'll begin
with verse 32.

508
00:32:28,820 --> 00:32:35,510
Luke, 23:32. It's telling us
about, of course,

509
00:32:35,540 --> 00:32:38,830
the crucifixion, when Jesus
was crucified for you and me.

510
00:32:38,830 --> 00:32:43,570
"And there were two other
criminals, led with him to be"

511
00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:47,230
"put to death. And when
they were come to the place,"

512
00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:50,130
"which is called Calvary,
there they crucified him,"

513
00:32:50,130 --> 00:32:52,580
"and the criminals,
one on the right hand,"

514
00:32:52,620 --> 00:32:54,320
"and the other on the left."

515
00:32:54,320 --> 00:32:59,980
It's stated almost without
comment. Evidently,

516
00:33:00,020 --> 00:33:02,310
it was such a common practice
in the Roman Empire

517
00:33:02,350 --> 00:33:05,360
that Luke just neededn't
to explain what happened,

518
00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:07,540
assuming that all the readers
back there would know,

519
00:33:07,580 --> 00:33:10,350
because it was a very common
form of execution

520
00:33:10,380 --> 00:33:13,480
in the Roman Empire, but it
seems like it's just stated

521
00:33:13,510 --> 00:33:16,920
as a matter of fact
they crucified Him

522
00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:20,400
between two criminals.
You can read in the book

523
00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:23,010
"Desire of Ages", it was
at the request of the priests

524
00:33:23,010 --> 00:33:26,040
that Jesus be crucified
right in the middle.

525
00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:29,930
In other prophecy, in Isaiah
said that "the Messiah will be"

526
00:33:29,970 --> 00:33:34,690
"numbered with
the transgressors for us."

527
00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:38,620
If I was going to entitle
the sermon today,

528
00:33:38,620 --> 00:33:40,710
I would call it
"Hanging on a promise",

529
00:33:40,710 --> 00:33:45,650
because one of those two
thieves finds everlasting life

530
00:33:45,650 --> 00:33:49,650
and that's what happens.
He must hang his faith

531
00:33:49,690 --> 00:33:52,870
on the promise in the world
of Christ.

532
00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:58,980
Crucified between two thieves.
The scene of the crucifixion

533
00:33:58,990 --> 00:34:04,120
was not pretty and you wonder
sometimes what angels must

534
00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:06,950
think, because the cross
is actually an instrument

535
00:34:06,980 --> 00:34:10,920
of torture and execution.
Can you imagine, for instance,

536
00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:15,680
a church that had as its logo
an electric chair?

537
00:34:15,720 --> 00:34:18,700
Or a syringe for a lethal
injection?

538
00:34:18,710 --> 00:34:21,510
The cross, when you think
about it, is not pretty,

539
00:34:21,510 --> 00:34:24,420
I meant it is a simple symbol
that we look at and it means

540
00:34:24,450 --> 00:34:27,990
so much, but we're never
told to wear the cross

541
00:34:28,020 --> 00:34:32,690
or to paint the cross,
we're told to bear the cross.

542
00:34:32,730 --> 00:34:36,420
The theme of the cross
is one of self-denial.

543
00:34:36,420 --> 00:34:38,300
The theme of the cross
is one of

544
00:34:38,330 --> 00:34:41,590
"God so loved the world, that
He gave his only begotten Son"

545
00:34:41,590 --> 00:34:44,550
and the Son gave himself.

546
00:34:44,550 --> 00:34:48,160
It's Jesus saying
"not my will will be done",

547
00:34:48,160 --> 00:34:50,660
willing to experience
separation from the Father

548
00:34:50,690 --> 00:34:52,860
that you and I might be saved.

549
00:34:52,860 --> 00:34:58,700
The cross is a place where
soldiers cursed and gambled,

550
00:34:58,730 --> 00:35:02,470
there was mocking, there
was blood, there was sweat,

551
00:35:02,500 --> 00:35:05,190
there were flies,
it wasn't pretty.

552
00:35:05,190 --> 00:35:09,100
It was ugly, because the cross
was a picture of a serpent

553
00:35:09,130 --> 00:35:11,900
on a ..., the cross
was a picture of sin

554
00:35:11,940 --> 00:35:15,880
and Jesus suffering for
the sins of the world.

555
00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:20,790
It's not supposed to be pretty,
because when you and I

556
00:35:20,820 --> 00:35:23,060
look at the cross, we should
see something about

557
00:35:23,060 --> 00:35:27,700
Christ is there in our place.
Keep in mind the reasons

558
00:35:27,730 --> 00:35:31,760
they had three crosses
prepared that day.

559
00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:33,930
It's because they had already
planned an execution,

560
00:35:33,930 --> 00:35:37,630
it just so happened.
Maybe the priest knew this.

561
00:35:37,630 --> 00:35:41,310
It just so happened that
the Romans had arrested

562
00:35:41,340 --> 00:35:44,980
three rebels, Barabas
being the leader

563
00:35:44,980 --> 00:35:48,630
and they had fashioned
their three crosses that day

564
00:35:48,670 --> 00:35:51,110
and they had scheduled
them execution.

565
00:35:51,140 --> 00:35:55,000
Pilate did not want to
execute Jesus.

566
00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:59,190
As a matter of fact, probably
while Barabas was standing there

567
00:35:59,200 --> 00:36:02,830
and Pilate was comparing
Christ to Barabas,

568
00:36:02,860 --> 00:36:06,410
the thieves, Barabas' partners
were there too and they

569
00:36:06,410 --> 00:36:10,100
may even heard when Pilate
said "I find no fault in Him."

570
00:36:10,100 --> 00:36:13,980
"Who do you want? It's my
custom to let one go free."

571
00:36:13,990 --> 00:36:16,320
"Who do you want?
You want Jesus who is called"

572
00:36:16,350 --> 00:36:18,390
"the Christ, he thought that
of course we do not want"

573
00:36:18,420 --> 00:36:21,140
"to crucify our Messiah or
do you want Barabas,"

574
00:36:21,180 --> 00:36:26,130
"obviously a hardened criminal,
a rebel, a murderer, a thief?"

575
00:36:26,170 --> 00:36:29,260
Under the inspiration of
the religious leaders

576
00:36:29,300 --> 00:36:33,750
and demons, they said
"Give us Barabas!"

577
00:36:33,750 --> 00:36:38,240
"Crucifiy Jesus!" Now,
when you think about that,

578
00:36:38,240 --> 00:36:43,050
Jesus did not die on His cross,
He took someone else's place.

579
00:36:43,050 --> 00:36:45,580
Do you know whose place
He took?

580
00:36:45,580 --> 00:36:52,320
Barabas', but more
specifically, yours, mine.

581
00:36:52,350 --> 00:36:56,160
He died on my cross.
You and I are Barabas.

582
00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:59,190
And those two thieves
that He died between,

583
00:36:59,230 --> 00:37:03,470
they were guilty of the Bible
says "rebellion, insurrection"

584
00:37:03,470 --> 00:37:06,240
"stealing and murder."

585
00:37:06,240 --> 00:37:09,770
And you and I are like those
two thieves.

586
00:37:09,780 --> 00:37:12,570
Jesus was crucified between
those two thieves,

587
00:37:12,570 --> 00:37:13,740
one on the right,
one on the left.

588
00:37:13,740 --> 00:37:17,440
It doesn't say, but I would
like to speculate that

589
00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:19,230
the one who is saved
is the one on the right,

590
00:37:19,270 --> 00:37:21,180
just because, you know,
the sheep on the right hand,

591
00:37:21,180 --> 00:37:22,870
the goats on the left.
I can't prove that,

592
00:37:22,870 --> 00:37:27,010
but you can't prove me wrong,
so I am going to say it.

593
00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:35,510
And like those thieves, we're
guilty of rebellion, in murder,

594
00:37:35,830 --> 00:37:38,110
I'm not just talking about
the blood of Christ,

595
00:37:38,110 --> 00:37:40,380
Jesus said that if you're angry
with your brother without cause,

596
00:37:40,410 --> 00:37:44,250
you're guilty of murder.
And thieves, I'm not even

597
00:37:44,290 --> 00:37:47,540
just talking about the tieds
and offerings of what God calls

598
00:37:47,540 --> 00:37:51,560
us robbers, if we're unfaithful,
but He's giving you talents,

599
00:37:51,560 --> 00:37:54,940
and ability and time and
we've squandered like that

600
00:37:54,970 --> 00:37:59,010
prodigal son. Those two thieves
represent all of mankind.

601
00:37:59,010 --> 00:38:02,950
One was saved and
one was not

602
00:38:02,980 --> 00:38:07,310
and they were both hopeless
to save themselves.

603
00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:14,630
Look at the comparisons here.
Both guilty of rebellion, murder

604
00:38:14,670 --> 00:38:17,260
and stealing, they could do
nothing to save themselves

605
00:38:17,260 --> 00:38:18,260
in hanging helpless and naked.
Both had an opportunity

606
00:38:18,260 --> 00:38:24,510
to be saved, because
they were right next to Jesus.

607
00:38:24,510 --> 00:38:26,720
Jesus was very closed
to them both,

608
00:38:26,750 --> 00:38:32,790
but one will be in the kingdom
and one will not.

609
00:38:32,790 --> 00:38:35,680
And everybody here,
everybody watching,

610
00:38:35,720 --> 00:38:39,620
you are going to follow
the example of one of the other.

611
00:38:39,620 --> 00:38:43,560
Let's get back to our story.
So Jesus is crucified between

612
00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:47,060
these two thieves. He dies
on a cross that really belonged

613
00:38:47,100 --> 00:38:49,020
to somebody else, that
they might go free.

614
00:38:49,020 --> 00:38:50,720
He treated places with Barabas.

615
00:38:50,720 --> 00:38:58,450
Back to Luke chapter 23,
it says here in verse 36,

616
00:38:58,450 --> 00:39:03,250
I'm sorry verse 34: "Jesus
said as they crucified Him,"

617
00:39:03,250 --> 00:39:07,580
"Father forgive them for they
do not know what they do."

618
00:39:07,580 --> 00:39:10,610
Now the thieves were watching
when Jesus said that

619
00:39:10,620 --> 00:39:14,340
and prayed that prayer and
the Roman soldiers that

620
00:39:14,380 --> 00:39:17,050
had probably participated
in crucifixions before,

621
00:39:17,090 --> 00:39:20,260
were used to the thieves riving
and fighting and wrestling

622
00:39:20,260 --> 00:39:24,150
and cursing as the painful
process of crucifixion

623
00:39:24,150 --> 00:39:31,850
was enacted. But instead
Jesus willingly complies,

624
00:39:31,850 --> 00:39:35,750
He does not resist, something
like Isaac laying down

625
00:39:35,790 --> 00:39:40,500
on the altar for Abraham.
And not only that, He offers

626
00:39:40,530 --> 00:39:47,300
a prayer on behalf of those
who were tormenting Him.

627
00:39:47,300 --> 00:39:50,590
And they probably were not
stainless steel sterilized

628
00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:56,360
nails. "Father, forgive them".
And even in the midst

629
00:39:56,360 --> 00:39:59,470
of his own suffering, one
of the thieves heard that

630
00:39:59,470 --> 00:40:03,090
and it registered that
is really unusual.

631
00:40:03,090 --> 00:40:07,870
One of the true test
of a Christian is the ability

632
00:40:07,900 --> 00:40:10,380
to love their enemies.
Let's face it,

633
00:40:10,420 --> 00:40:11,720
a lot of people who take
the name of Christ,

634
00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:14,210
don't even love their spouses.

635
00:40:14,250 --> 00:40:17,150
I think it's interesting
in the Bible it says

636
00:40:17,150 --> 00:40:18,470
"love your enemies and
love your neighbour."

637
00:40:18,470 --> 00:40:21,350
Someone brought to our
attention that it's often

638
00:40:21,380 --> 00:40:22,650
your neighbour that
becomes your enemy.

639
00:40:22,650 --> 00:40:25,760
Could be. That's why the Lord
said "you got to learn"

640
00:40:25,790 --> 00:40:32,660
"to love your ... brother,
even if it's your enemy."

641
00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:37,260
"And the people divided His
garments and cast lots"

642
00:40:37,260 --> 00:40:39,450
"and the people keep stood
looking on, but even"

643
00:40:40,290 --> 00:40:42,630
"the rulers with them sneared
said, He saved others"

644
00:40:42,630 --> 00:40:45,990
"Himself He cannot save, if He
is Christ, the chosen of God."

645
00:40:45,990 --> 00:40:49,390
These thieves were listening
as they heard them mocking.

646
00:40:49,390 --> 00:40:54,440
They saw the sign that Pilate
had nailed above His head.

647
00:40:54,440 --> 00:40:56,730
Often the offence of
the criminal was there put

648
00:40:56,730 --> 00:40:59,060
above the head when someone
was crucified and instead

649
00:40:59,100 --> 00:41:02,400
of saying "this person
is a murderer", "this person"

650
00:41:02,430 --> 00:41:05,350
"is a rebel, a thief", as they
had above thier heads

651
00:41:05,380 --> 00:41:10,040
the thieves, above Christ's
head "Jesus Christ"

652
00:41:10,070 --> 00:41:13,450
or "Jesus of Nazareth,
king of the Jews."

653
00:41:13,450 --> 00:41:17,900
Now, that really disturbed
the religious leaders.

654
00:41:17,900 --> 00:41:19,880
They said "Change that, Pilate,
don't put that up there."

655
00:41:19,880 --> 00:41:22,340
"That's been our problem all
along. He's claiming to be"

656
00:41:22,370 --> 00:41:23,990
"the king of the Jews.
Take it down."

657
00:41:23,990 --> 00:41:26,230
And finally Pilate developed
some backbone and he said

658
00:41:26,270 --> 00:41:27,460
"what I've written,
I've written."

659
00:41:27,460 --> 00:41:31,170
Amin!

660
00:41:31,170 --> 00:41:33,760
And here it goes on to say,
verse 39

661
00:41:33,760 --> 00:41:37,750
"Then one of the criminals,
who were hanged, meaning

662
00:41:37,780 --> 00:41:40,580
"crucified with them,
blasphemed Him saying,"

663
00:41:40,610 --> 00:41:46,270
"If you are the Christ,
save yourself and us."

664
00:41:46,270 --> 00:41:48,950
Now, to be fair, I should let
you know that when

665
00:41:48,950 --> 00:41:51,920
the crucifixion first happened,
Jesus was on the cross

666
00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:54,150
for seven hours.
Did you know that?

667
00:41:54,150 --> 00:41:58,960
That's interesting. Six hours
alive, one hour dead resting.

668
00:41:58,960 --> 00:42:04,190
Seven hours on the cross, from
the 3rd hour to the 9th hour.

669
00:42:04,220 --> 00:42:07,990
You can count it.
Then He gave up the ghost.

670
00:42:07,990 --> 00:42:12,260
One hour took for Joseph
to get permission from Pilate

671
00:42:12,290 --> 00:42:13,470
to take his body down.

672
00:42:16,320 --> 00:42:19,550
Six hours suffering for our
sins, one hour resting

673
00:42:19,580 --> 00:42:22,920
from His work of saving
mankind. Interesting.

674
00:42:22,950 --> 00:42:28,200
But, when He was first
crucified, Matthew tells us

675
00:42:28,210 --> 00:42:32,960
both thieves joined in
mocking around the cross.

676
00:42:32,960 --> 00:42:36,550
Sort of a combination of
pleading in mocking.

677
00:42:36,550 --> 00:42:37,780
You notice, even this thief
is saying

678
00:42:37,810 --> 00:42:39,570
"If you are the Christ,
save us."

679
00:42:39,570 --> 00:42:47,930
The problem is he said "if". You
cannot be saved with an "if".

680
00:42:47,930 --> 00:42:51,270
A father came to Jesus
one day and he said

681
00:42:51,270 --> 00:42:54,060
"Lord, if you can do anything,
help my son."

682
00:42:54,060 --> 00:42:56,950
And Jesus arrested him
right on the spot and said

683
00:42:56,950 --> 00:42:59,350
"If you believe all things
are possible, don't say if."

684
00:42:59,350 --> 00:43:04,020
The way that Jesus was able to
identify this counterfeit angel

685
00:43:04,020 --> 00:43:05,840
in the wilderness when
the Devil was tempting Him,

686
00:43:05,840 --> 00:43:07,950
is Satan said "if you're
the son of God,"

687
00:43:07,950 --> 00:43:12,960
"turn these stones into bread."
Jesus knew who he was.

688
00:43:12,960 --> 00:43:18,020
No angel would say "if".
They live by faith.

689
00:43:18,020 --> 00:43:21,610
When you come to Christ,
the Bible says

690
00:43:21,640 --> 00:43:24,380
"He that comes to God,
must believe that He is"

691
00:43:24,380 --> 00:43:28,050
"and He is the reward of them
the diligently seek Him."

692
00:43:28,170 --> 00:43:30,280
Draw near to God and He
will draw near to you.

693
00:43:30,280 --> 00:43:33,140
Dilligently seek Him.
You can't say "if".

694
00:43:33,140 --> 00:43:36,370
Everybody's got an "if".
Even Pilate and what is truth.

695
00:43:36,370 --> 00:43:40,280
We must overcome our doubts
and believe that Christ is

696
00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:41,390
who He says He is.

697
00:43:44,350 --> 00:43:47,730
And by the way, desperation
has a way of strengthening

698
00:43:47,760 --> 00:43:54,440
the faith. So, after this thief
says "if you are the Christ"

699
00:43:54,440 --> 00:43:59,480
"save yourself and us,"
the other answered rebuking Him.

700
00:43:59,480 --> 00:44:02,350
No, I can't help imagine that
there around the cross

701
00:44:02,350 --> 00:44:07,410
that day, as these thieves began
to enter into the dialogue,

702
00:44:07,410 --> 00:44:12,580
that the crown around
them grew silent.

703
00:44:12,590 --> 00:44:15,870
And you're not even sure if
most of the apostles heard this,

704
00:44:15,870 --> 00:44:18,620
because it's not in the other
gospels, it's only in Luke's

705
00:44:18,660 --> 00:44:21,240
gospel and it might be because
Luke interviewed Mary

706
00:44:21,240 --> 00:44:24,620
and Mary was at the foot
of the cross.

707
00:44:24,660 --> 00:44:28,820
And everybody grew quiet.
The Bible says the other

708
00:44:28,850 --> 00:44:35,160
apostles stood far off and
this thief, he answered

709
00:44:35,190 --> 00:44:40,080
his comrad, he rebuked him.
Evidently, there was some

710
00:44:40,120 --> 00:44:44,030
sarcasm in his voice, he says
"Do you not even fear God?"

711
00:44:44,030 --> 00:44:47,750
"See that you're under
the same condemnation?"

712
00:44:47,750 --> 00:44:50,470
Right that thief did not fear
man and there was nothing

713
00:44:50,470 --> 00:44:53,690
more that Man can do to him.
There is something very

714
00:44:53,720 --> 00:44:55,740
eliberating about being
crucified with Christ,

715
00:44:55,740 --> 00:44:59,060
because it means that you ..
the self and you do not care

716
00:44:59,090 --> 00:45:00,660
anymore of what people
think of you, all you care

717
00:45:00,700 --> 00:45:02,830
is what God think of you.
Amin!

718
00:45:02,830 --> 00:45:03,830
He didn't say "Aren't you
afraid of the crowd?",

719
00:45:03,830 --> 00:45:07,580
he said "Don't you fear God.
It's God you will stand for."

720
00:45:07,590 --> 00:45:11,130
The prophet said
"Prepare to meet your God"

721
00:45:11,130 --> 00:45:13,870
and here this thief is soon
going be standing before God,

722
00:45:13,870 --> 00:45:16,870
he said "Aren't you
afraid of God?"

723
00:45:16,880 --> 00:45:20,410
"Don't you have any reverence?"

724
00:45:20,410 --> 00:45:23,950
"We're getting what we deserve.
You are under the same"

725
00:45:23,980 --> 00:45:30,980
"condemnation? And we indeed
justly for we're receiving"

726
00:45:31,010 --> 00:45:33,830
"the due rewards for our deeds."

727
00:45:33,830 --> 00:45:37,670
You notice what's happening
here? He's confessing.

728
00:45:37,670 --> 00:45:44,780
He's repenting.
So often I've heard about

729
00:45:44,780 --> 00:45:49,630
bizarre of Russia. One day
I went to visit the prison.

730
00:45:49,630 --> 00:45:53,910
.... had the power to part
everybody in the prison

731
00:45:53,950 --> 00:45:58,100
and when his big self
filled with male prisoners,

732
00:45:58,100 --> 00:46:00,910
they saw ... passing by and
his wife ...robes,

733
00:46:00,910 --> 00:46:04,450
they all ran up and they went
to the bars and they said

734
00:46:04,480 --> 00:46:06,560
"Your highness I'm innocent,
I don't deserve this,"

735
00:46:06,560 --> 00:46:09,400
"I shouldn't be here,
I was falsely accused."

736
00:46:09,400 --> 00:46:12,280
defending themselves and ...
looked past all of these

737
00:46:12,310 --> 00:46:14,700
pleading criminals and there
was one man that was sort of

738
00:46:14,740 --> 00:46:19,450
sitting by himself in a corner
and he elbowed the guard,

739
00:46:19,490 --> 00:46:22,490
he said "Call that man over."
And the guard called over

740
00:46:22,490 --> 00:46:24,060
the man who was sitting
off by himself, he said:

741
00:46:24,100 --> 00:46:26,850
"Why are you here?"
He said "I stole a horse."

742
00:46:26,850 --> 00:46:30,730
And ... said to the guard
"Let that man out. I don't"

743
00:46:30,770 --> 00:46:34,690
"want him be in a bad influence
among all these innocent men."

744
00:46:38,920 --> 00:46:39,910
So often we say

745
00:46:39,940 --> 00:46:44,610
"I don't deserve what's
happening to him. I'm innocent,"

746
00:46:44,640 --> 00:46:47,320
God can't begin to work with
us until we acknowledge

747
00:46:47,360 --> 00:46:51,720
our guilt and repent. This man,
you'll notice, this thief, goes

748
00:46:51,720 --> 00:46:55,400
through all of the steps
of repentance.

749
00:46:55,400 --> 00:46:57,440
And if you are wondering what
are the steps of salvation

750
00:46:57,480 --> 00:46:59,730
and there are steps. It's
a free offer that we mentioned

751
00:46:59,730 --> 00:47:02,200
earlier, "Seven Steps to
Salvation to See the King".

752
00:47:02,200 --> 00:47:04,110
We'll send it to you.
We want you to know that,

753
00:47:04,150 --> 00:47:06,040
we want you to take
those steps.

754
00:47:06,040 --> 00:47:10,600
We're getting what we deserve.
We indeed justly, we're getting

755
00:47:10,630 --> 00:47:13,920
"the due reward for our deeds."
And by the way, everybody

756
00:47:13,950 --> 00:47:16,250
will ultimately get the due
reward for their deeds,

757
00:47:16,290 --> 00:47:18,170
isn't that what the Bible
teaches?

758
00:47:20,580 --> 00:47:23,570
I've periodically get greeded
by friends who say

759
00:47:23,570 --> 00:47:27,070
"Well, Doug,
how're things going?"

760
00:47:27,070 --> 00:47:32,390
And I say "better than
I deserve and I don't want"

761
00:47:32,420 --> 00:47:36,590
"what I deserve." I want
grace, not what I deserve.

762
00:47:36,590 --> 00:47:39,500
How about you?
You have two choices:

763
00:47:39,530 --> 00:47:42,050
you can be rewarded according
to your deeds or His deeds.

764
00:47:42,050 --> 00:47:48,040
I want to be rewarded according
to Christ's deeds, not mine.

765
00:47:48,050 --> 00:47:50,440
There's only two choices,
those two thieves,

766
00:47:50,440 --> 00:47:51,530
one on the right,
one on the left.

767
00:47:51,530 --> 00:47:56,200
"We indeed justly for we receive
the due reward for our deeds,"

768
00:47:56,200 --> 00:47:58,530
"but this man has done
nothing wrong."

769
00:47:58,540 --> 00:48:01,210
You heard Pilate say
"I find no fault in Him."

770
00:48:01,210 --> 00:48:03,810
He had heard about the ministry
of Christ, everybody had,

771
00:48:03,810 --> 00:48:06,750
all the way from Herod, Pilate
down to the poorest pauper,

772
00:48:06,750 --> 00:48:09,650
they all have heard about Jesus
and his ministry, this thief

773
00:48:09,690 --> 00:48:11,980
had heard and you read
in the book "Desire of Ages"

774
00:48:11,980 --> 00:48:15,130
he had been drawn towards
Christ, but because

775
00:48:15,160 --> 00:48:18,130
of the influence of evil
association, he fell deeper

776
00:48:18,130 --> 00:48:22,200
into his life of sin. Choose
your friends very carefully,

777
00:48:22,200 --> 00:48:24,300
because you often share
their destiny.

778
00:48:24,300 --> 00:48:30,520
My father used to say "If you
sleep with dogs, you get fleas."

779
00:48:30,520 --> 00:48:34,340
You've got to be careful who
you're hanging around with.

780
00:48:36,630 --> 00:48:38,540
"Then he said to Jesus,"

781
00:48:38,570 --> 00:48:43,030
"Lord, remember me, when you
come into your kingdom."

782
00:48:43,030 --> 00:48:47,290
That simple statement that
begins with the word "Lord"

783
00:48:48,140 --> 00:48:50,650
and ends with the word
"your kingdom."

784
00:48:50,660 --> 00:48:52,990
Something like a Lord's prayer,
isn't it?

785
00:48:53,030 --> 00:48:58,930
Everybody around the cross
was mocking Jesus that day

786
00:48:58,930 --> 00:49:02,800
to hear a thief of all things
look at Jesus and say

787
00:49:02,830 --> 00:49:04,650
"Lord, what faith that was.

788
00:49:04,650 --> 00:49:08,780
Let me go ahead and just
read this for you.

789
00:49:08,810 --> 00:49:11,910
"As soon as He said that, Jesus
said, I will surely say to you,"

790
00:49:11,950 --> 00:49:14,200
"today you will be with me
in paradise."

791
00:49:14,200 --> 00:49:17,480
Now, I need to address that
for a second, because

792
00:49:17,510 --> 00:49:20,770
some people read that and
because of the way the comma

793
00:49:20,810 --> 00:49:23,700
is placed in that verse, they
think that it means that

794
00:49:23,700 --> 00:49:27,480
that day that thief was
with Jesus in paradise.

795
00:49:27,480 --> 00:49:30,350
That's not what it means at all.
That's an example in the Bible

796
00:49:30,390 --> 00:49:33,090
where some of the translators,
not the Scriptures,

797
00:49:33,120 --> 00:49:35,000
but the translators of
the King James version,

798
00:49:35,040 --> 00:49:37,110
there is no punctuation
in the original,

799
00:49:37,110 --> 00:49:39,200
they misplaced
the punctuation there.

800
00:49:39,200 --> 00:49:41,530
The reason you know that is
because you go to the Gospel

801
00:49:41,560 --> 00:49:45,190
of John, chapter 21 and when
Mary is clinging to Jesus' feet,

802
00:49:45,190 --> 00:49:48,590
He says "Do not detain me,
for I have not yet ascended"

803
00:49:48,620 --> 00:49:50,920
"to my Father" and the Bible
says the Father is in paradise.

804
00:49:50,920 --> 00:49:54,350
So, if Christ did not go to be
with the Father Friday afternoon

805
00:49:54,390 --> 00:49:56,740
in paradise, how could
that thief be that day

806
00:49:56,770 --> 00:49:59,480
with Jesus in paradise?
Right?

807
00:49:59,480 --> 00:50:02,690
And the Bible says Christ
rose after three days

808
00:50:02,690 --> 00:50:05,190
and we don't even know if
that thief managed to die

809
00:50:05,220 --> 00:50:07,750
until sundown, because they
tried to accelerate his death

810
00:50:07,750 --> 00:50:10,170
and that's when the day
would have ended.

811
00:50:10,170 --> 00:50:12,420
So some people have built
a whole theology on

812
00:50:12,460 --> 00:50:14,800
as soon as you die, you go to
the Lord, because of this verse

813
00:50:14,800 --> 00:50:15,960
it doesn't say that at all.

814
00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:19,210
It makes a big difference
where you put the comma.

815
00:50:19,210 --> 00:50:22,360
I know we have a lot of friends
who are watching, that means

816
00:50:22,400 --> 00:50:24,720
not be aware of this, so let me
illustrate this with the story

817
00:50:24,750 --> 00:50:29,710
very quickly. Back in the days
of the telegraph and the steam

818
00:50:29,720 --> 00:50:33,950
chip, a man allowed his wife
to go to Paris for a vacation

819
00:50:33,950 --> 00:50:38,780
took months back then
and she would telegram him

820
00:50:38,790 --> 00:50:41,230
every now and then and at
one point she was shopping

821
00:50:41,270 --> 00:50:45,720
and she found a beautiful
minko or the equivalent

822
00:50:45,730 --> 00:50:50,490
and she ..., I almost said
emailed, she telegrammed

823
00:50:50,490 --> 00:50:54,060
her husband and you used
to have to pay for every letter.

824
00:50:54,060 --> 00:50:57,310
Do you remember Western Union?
You used to pay for every

825
00:50:57,340 --> 00:50:58,950
letter, it cost so much
every space.

826
00:50:58,980 --> 00:51:06,630
And she said "Found minko.
1000$. Would like to buy."

827
00:51:06,630 --> 00:51:11,130
He got the message and he
wrote back "No price too high."

828
00:51:11,130 --> 00:51:15,360
So, she went ahead and
she bought the minko.

829
00:51:15,360 --> 00:51:19,630
And when she steps off
the ship and he meets her,

830
00:51:19,670 --> 00:51:23,640
he sees this stunning minko
and after he greets her,

831
00:51:23,680 --> 00:51:26,850
he tries to ask her why
is it you bought the minko?

832
00:51:26,880 --> 00:51:28,760
Didn't you get my telegram?
She says "Yes, I got your"

833
00:51:28,790 --> 00:51:30,240
"telegram and it said
"No price too high."

834
00:51:30,270 --> 00:51:32,670
Thank you, dear,
you're so wonderful.

835
00:51:32,670 --> 00:51:37,360
And he said "No, it said,
price too high"

836
00:51:37,360 --> 00:51:40,090
Misplaced comma gives
a total different meaning.

837
00:51:40,090 --> 00:51:45,640
Now what does this verse mean?
Think about this for a second.

838
00:51:45,640 --> 00:51:50,620
That thief had said to Jesus
"Lord, remember me when"

839
00:51:47,640 --> 00:51:55,720
that day looked to Jesus
and said "Lord".

840
00:51:55,720 --> 00:51:57,780
What did Jesus look like
that day?

841
00:51:57,780 --> 00:51:59,170
Did he have a crown and
a royal robe?

842
00:51:59,170 --> 00:52:03,990
He had a crown of thorns and
his back had been threaded

843
00:52:04,030 --> 00:52:07,520
by a whip, he was virtually
naked, hanging there,

844
00:52:07,520 --> 00:52:13,220
cleavering. To call someone like
that, a "lord" and to apply

845
00:52:13,220 --> 00:52:17,220
them ahead a kingdom to
offer you, that took faith.

846
00:52:17,220 --> 00:52:22,350
And so, when Jesus saw
the incredible faith of this

847
00:52:22,350 --> 00:52:26,300
perishing thief, he turned him
and he said "I am telling you"

848
00:52:26,330 --> 00:52:29,950
"today". You got it? He said
"I am telling you today",

849
00:52:29,950 --> 00:52:32,550
today because you've spoken up
for me when no one else did.

850
00:52:32,550 --> 00:52:35,920
Today, because I don't look
like a king, I don't look like

851
00:52:35,920 --> 00:52:37,840
a lord, I don't look like
I've got a kingdom,

852
00:52:37,840 --> 00:52:40,760
today I'm making you a promise
and you can hang in faith

853
00:52:40,800 --> 00:52:43,710
with that promise "that you
will be with me in paradise."

854
00:52:43,710 --> 00:52:48,180
You got it? "Verily I say to you
today", I'm telling you now,

855
00:52:48,180 --> 00:52:49,990
"you will be with me in
paradise." He didn't go

856
00:52:49,960 --> 00:52:52,760
to paradise with Jesus that day,
because Jesus didn't even

857
00:52:52,780 --> 00:52:54,610
go to paradise that day.

858
00:52:54,650 --> 00:52:57,090
No, I'd like to say that
if you read the other verses

859
00:52:57,130 --> 00:53:00,980
it's very clear. He had not
yet ascended to His Father.

860
00:53:00,980 --> 00:53:05,240
Now, when you think about it,
this thief went through all

861
00:53:05,280 --> 00:53:10,290
of the steps of salvation.
He saw Jesus lifted up as

862
00:53:10,320 --> 00:53:13,330
the spotless lamb and he
believed. What is the first

863
00:53:13,370 --> 00:53:16,400
step in salvation?
We must see the Lord.

864
00:53:16,410 --> 00:53:22,220
Isaiah saw the Lord and that was
the beginning of his conversion.

865
00:53:22,220 --> 00:53:24,750
Christ said "if I am lifted up,
I will draw..."

866
00:53:24,820 --> 00:53:27,100
What brought about
the conversion of Paul?

867
00:53:27,100 --> 00:53:29,960
He saw the Lord. What brought
about the conversion

868
00:53:29,990 --> 00:53:34,720
of Zacharias? He saw the Lord.
And the repentance appeared.

869
00:53:34,720 --> 00:53:38,720
He saw the Lord. You see
Him in His goodness,

870
00:53:38,720 --> 00:53:40,710
and the goodness of God
helps us become aware

871
00:53:40,750 --> 00:53:42,520
of our own badness and
that leads to repentance.

872
00:53:42,520 --> 00:53:47,520
He repented and he publicly
confessed on the cross.

873
00:53:47,520 --> 00:53:52,590
He didn't ask for mercy.
Remember me, forgive me.

874
00:53:52,590 --> 00:53:56,600
He publicly testified, in spite
of all the mocking and ridicule

875
00:53:56,600 --> 00:53:59,190
around that cross, He didn't
care that was not popular

876
00:53:59,220 --> 00:54:01,710
to be a believer. Are you
willing to stand up for Christ

877
00:54:01,750 --> 00:54:07,530
when others are mocking? And
he was crucified with Christ.

878
00:54:07,530 --> 00:54:11,680
He definitely did take up his
cross and followed Christ

879
00:54:11,750 --> 00:54:16,030
and he was crucified with
Christ. What was it that

880
00:54:16,060 --> 00:54:19,000
brought about his faith
that day?

881
00:54:19,000 --> 00:54:22,720
How could he have that
kind of faith?

882
00:54:22,730 --> 00:54:24,140
Was it just blind desperate
faith?

883
00:54:24,140 --> 00:54:26,350
I believe there was evidence.
Of course, there was

884
00:54:26,380 --> 00:54:29,240
the statement of Pilate
"I found no fault in Him."

885
00:54:29,250 --> 00:54:31,970
He probably heard that,
he heard Jesus say

886
00:54:32,010 --> 00:54:36,170
"Father, forgive them",
he saw the sign above His head,

887
00:54:36,180 --> 00:54:41,660
"this is the King of the Jews"
and the evidence of what

888
00:54:41,700 --> 00:54:43,920
he had heard even maybe some
around the foot of the cross

889
00:54:43,920 --> 00:54:48,540
were recounting his wonderful
deeds that day, faith was born

890
00:54:48,580 --> 00:54:52,920
within him and the Holy Spirit
stirred his heart and he

891
00:54:52,950 --> 00:54:56,940
realized that he was hanging
just a few inches away from

892
00:54:56,980 --> 00:55:02,060
the dynamo of salvation.
And you what he did?

893
00:55:02,060 --> 00:55:06,840
He reached out in faith.
Jesus could not touch him

894
00:55:06,880 --> 00:55:09,210
with His hands and he could
not touch Jesus,

895
00:55:09,250 --> 00:55:12,800
but through the word
of his prayer,

896
00:55:12,840 --> 00:55:14,550
you've noticed neither of them
could touch each other,

897
00:55:14,550 --> 00:55:18,910
they were both separated
by their imprisonments.

898
00:55:18,910 --> 00:55:22,560
One asks, the other promises.
How are we saved?

899
00:55:22,560 --> 00:55:25,750
By the word. You ask,
you draw near to God

900
00:55:25,790 --> 00:55:29,970
with your prayers, He draws
near with His promise.

901
00:55:29,980 --> 00:55:34,480
and then he claimed it and
he hung his faith on that.

902
00:55:34,480 --> 00:55:38,350
If you would ever have
everlasting life, you need

903
00:55:38,390 --> 00:55:40,480
to take up your cross daily
and follow me,

904
00:55:40,510 --> 00:55:43,760
be willing to deny yourself.
It's not easy.

905
00:55:43,760 --> 00:55:46,630
and our crosses are all
a little different.

906
00:55:46,630 --> 00:55:53,080
I remember one time I was
buying some of my f.. clothing

907
00:55:53,080 --> 00:55:59,290
.... and I saw a man who was
wearing a big Christian T-shirt,

908
00:55:59,290 --> 00:56:02,470
very obvious Christian T-shirt
and I was always looking

909
00:56:02,500 --> 00:56:04,840
for some opportunity to talk
about the Lord,

910
00:56:04,840 --> 00:56:07,990
even when the housekeeper came
into my room, here in town,

911
00:56:08,020 --> 00:56:09,270
the other day and I said
"How are you doing?",

912
00:56:09,270 --> 00:56:11,280
she said "Blessed,
I kicked it on that."

913
00:56:11,280 --> 00:56:12,750
I said "Are you a Christian?"
"Yes."

914
00:56:12,790 --> 00:56:17,020
"Here I've got a DVD for you."
I gave her a final... a DVD.

915
00:56:17,050 --> 00:56:22,380
I'm always looking. I've got a
little radar looking for people

916
00:56:22,410 --> 00:56:24,790
who might be believers, but
who do not know the whole truth,

917
00:56:24,790 --> 00:56:26,810
they are just tocommiserate
with other believers.

918
00:56:27,560 --> 00:56:29,790
So, he's got a T-shirt. I said
"Oh, you're a Christian."

919
00:56:29,800 --> 00:56:34,980
"Yeah. It's always a T-shirt."
and somehow he let me know

920
00:56:35,010 --> 00:56:38,770
what he was doing in town.
He was carrying a cross

921
00:56:38,810 --> 00:56:40,640
around the country,
witnessing for Christ.

922
00:56:40,640 --> 00:56:43,960
He was a very energetic
excited believer,

923
00:56:43,960 --> 00:56:44,960
but I thought it was interesting
when he told me,

924
00:56:44,970 --> 00:56:46,710
he said "Yeah, I've been
doing this for years ago,"

925
00:56:46,710 --> 00:56:49,310
"cross country, different towns
and I witness for Christ"

926
00:56:49,320 --> 00:56:53,460
"and I give away tracks
and I carry a cross."

927
00:56:53,460 --> 00:56:56,560
He said "When I first started
doing it", I thought this was

928
00:56:56,600 --> 00:56:59,330
very interesting, "I wanted
to do it just like Christ,"

929
00:56:59,330 --> 00:57:03,100
"I got a wooden cross and
would drag it up the street,"

930
00:57:03,100 --> 00:57:05,060
He said he got lots of
attention, but the problem was

931
00:57:05,060 --> 00:57:09,610
"as I went down the pavement,
it actually sanded the base"

932
00:57:09,640 --> 00:57:13,910
"of the cross, it got
shorter and shorter."

933
00:57:13,940 --> 00:57:18,060
"So I made a wheel and I
had a little training wheel"

934
00:57:18,090 --> 00:57:21,070
"on the back of the cross
and it created less friction."

935
00:57:21,110 --> 00:57:24,720
"Then I started getting calluses
and occasionally even"

936
00:57:24,750 --> 00:57:29,690
"a splinter on my shoulder,
so I padded it."

937
00:57:31,260 --> 00:57:32,550
"By having been doing
this for so long,"

938
00:57:32,580 --> 00:57:35,650
"I found that I could get
an aluminum cross,"

939
00:57:35,680 --> 00:57:39,260
"that's much lighter, get the
same effect for advertising,"

940
00:57:39,260 --> 00:57:44,300
"but it wasn't very heavy
and I started to think"

941
00:57:44,300 --> 00:57:47,500
"Well, you know, that's
something like how"

942
00:57:47,540 --> 00:57:49,700
"some Christians want
to follow Jesus." They say

943
00:57:49,700 --> 00:57:52,240
"Lord, I am willing to take
up my cross and follow you."

944
00:57:52,240 --> 00:57:57,290
"Can I have one with a wheel
and a pad, made of aluminum?"

945
00:57:57,320 --> 00:58:01,150
That's not the way it always
works, is it?

946
00:58:01,930 --> 00:58:06,110
Some of you have crosses
and it might be cheerful

947
00:58:06,150 --> 00:58:09,550
in spite of the debilitating
health problems and pain.

948
00:58:09,550 --> 00:58:12,420
It's a cross. Paul said
"I've got a thorn in the side"

949
00:58:12,420 --> 00:58:13,660
"I pray to God He didn't
take it away."

950
00:58:13,730 --> 00:58:17,360
"My strength is made perfect
in weakness."

951
00:58:17,370 --> 00:58:19,610
Some of you ...your cross
might be the place where God

952
00:58:19,650 --> 00:58:23,080
has  put you to work. There
could be real trials there.

953
00:58:23,080 --> 00:58:26,830
Some people have crosses
in their family, but they've

954
00:58:26,870 --> 00:58:30,250
made a commitment to Jesus.

955
00:58:32,390 --> 00:58:36,920
All have different kind of
crosses. Some people die

956
00:58:36,960 --> 00:58:39,880
for their faiths still in
different parts of the world.

957
00:58:39,910 --> 00:58:43,850
I remember hearing about
a minister that was talking

958
00:58:43,890 --> 00:58:50,240
to a Christian friend and they
just completed the new church

959
00:58:50,240 --> 00:58:51,240
and passed to standing back
out in the l...

960
00:58:51,240 --> 00:58:54,170
and points up to the cross
and he says

961
00:58:54,210 --> 00:58:57,960
"That cross up there,
that cost $10,000."

962
00:58:57,960 --> 00:59:00,570
And his friend elbowed him
and he said "You got cheated."

963
00:59:00,570 --> 00:59:06,190
"There was a day when
Christians got them for free."

964
00:59:07,820 --> 00:59:10,730
That's right. There used to be
Christians that would accept

965
00:59:10,740 --> 00:59:14,200
Christ knowing that it might
cost them their lives.

966
00:59:14,200 --> 00:59:18,890
How much do you love Jesus?
Do you love Him so much

967
00:59:18,920 --> 00:59:22,030
that you would not only
be willing to die for Him,

968
00:59:22,030 --> 00:59:24,800
but will you deny yourself?

969
00:59:24,800 --> 00:59:26,890
Some people say "Well,
I think I love Jesus,"

970
00:59:26,900 --> 00:59:30,550
"I'd die for Him." In some
cases, it's easier to think

971
00:59:30,550 --> 00:59:33,010
about dying for Christ
than living for Him.

972
00:59:33,010 --> 00:59:37,200
As a matter of fact, in my
quiet moments, I've thought

973
00:59:37,230 --> 00:59:39,670
"Lord, it's sometimes very hard
following You and it might be"

974
00:59:39,700 --> 00:59:44,400
"easier if I just got killed
for my faith, suddenly."

975
00:59:44,400 --> 00:59:47,200
You've come up this fantasies
where someone puts a gun

976
00:59:47,200 --> 00:59:49,610
to me and says "if you
confess you believe in Jesus,"

977
00:59:49,610 --> 00:59:54,180
"I'm going to shoot you!" and
I thought what an easy way out.

978
00:59:54,220 --> 00:59:57,250
But the Lord said "No, Dug,
I'm not asking you right now"

979
00:59:57,250 --> 01:00:01,030
"to die for Me, I'd rather
have you live for Me."

980
01:00:01,030 --> 01:00:05,480
Deny yourself daily
and take up your cross.

981
01:00:05,480 --> 01:00:07,770
Crucifixion isn't only
about the nails,

982
01:00:07,870 --> 01:00:11,380
He had to bear his cross
to the place.

983
01:00:11,410 --> 01:00:15,240
There is a walk involved
in being a Christian.

984
01:00:15,240 --> 01:00:18,250
and taking up your cross
and following Christ

985
01:00:18,260 --> 01:00:21,320
means you follow Him
to your crucifixion.

986
01:00:21,320 --> 01:00:25,400
Those two thieves
represent all of humanity.

987
01:00:25,430 --> 01:00:28,340
Everybody wants to be saved,
but some don't believe.

988
01:00:28,340 --> 01:00:35,180
We're all guilty.
Only a crucified church

989
01:00:35,220 --> 01:00:39,000
can take a crucified saviour
to the world.

990
01:00:39,000 --> 01:00:43,970
Those who take the name of
Christ need to stop playing

991
01:00:44,000 --> 01:00:50,370
games and take the cross also,
be willing to deny ourselves.

992
01:00:50,370 --> 01:00:52,880
If nothing else but the cross
does for us, it helps us

993
01:00:52,910 --> 01:00:57,540
understand how lethal
sin really is.

994
01:00:57,540 --> 01:01:02,040
Sin is deadly and I can't
help wonder that if we

995
01:01:02,050 --> 01:01:05,600
could be transported back
to the sin of the cross

996
01:01:05,600 --> 01:01:08,940
and really see what Jesus
went through for us,

997
01:01:08,940 --> 01:01:12,570
the suffering, all the way
from the garden of Getsemani

998
01:01:12,570 --> 01:01:14,180
to the moment when He said
it was finished

999
01:01:14,180 --> 01:01:17,870
and know that everything
that He was experiencing,

1000
01:01:17,880 --> 01:01:22,970
He was doing in our place,
trading places with us.

1001
01:01:22,970 --> 01:01:27,450
I think it would be easier
for us to deny ourselves.

1002
01:01:27,450 --> 01:01:32,230
The little indulgences we think
we deserve, the compromises

1003
01:01:32,260 --> 01:01:35,490
with sin that we make,
realizing that each one of them

1004
01:01:35,490 --> 01:01:39,920
wounds Him. There is no
such thing as little sin

1005
01:01:39,920 --> 01:01:42,950
and if we are really going
to be Christians, then we need

1006
01:01:42,980 --> 01:01:44,930
to understand what it means,
to ask God to give us

1007
01:01:44,960 --> 01:01:47,360
the victory that we can be
a people who will deny

1008
01:01:47,460 --> 01:01:50,270
ourselves and take up
our cross and follow Him.

1009
01:01:50,270 --> 01:01:54,590
You noticed it says
"deny ourselves daily".

1010
01:01:54,590 --> 01:01:56,760
Paul said "I die daily."

1011
01:01:56,760 --> 01:02:02,390
Die thyself, but thank goodness,
you don't stay dead.

1012
01:02:02,430 --> 01:02:04,640
You die thyself, but then
you're born again.

1013
01:02:04,640 --> 01:02:07,420
The old person, the old man
is dead, they don't ...

1014
01:02:07,450 --> 01:02:10,390
a selfish person and you
believe it or not, it is really

1015
01:02:10,420 --> 01:02:12,620
eliberating when you come
to a place and you say

1016
01:02:12,620 --> 01:02:15,040
"I'm not going to live
for myself."

1017
01:02:15,040 --> 01:02:19,610
When I walk in with Christ and
I'd like to tell you right now,

1018
01:02:19,610 --> 01:02:22,100
I always remember to die
everyday, I know,

1019
01:02:22,100 --> 01:02:25,670
but I know that the days
that with the grace of the Lord

1020
01:02:25,710 --> 01:02:29,520
I'm able to deny myself and
be crucified with Christ,

1021
01:02:29,520 --> 01:02:32,500
it is a lot easier,
believe it or not.

1022
01:02:32,540 --> 01:02:37,390
The Bible says "He that
is dead, is freed from sin."

1023
01:02:37,390 --> 01:02:39,340
Romans, chapter 6.

1024
01:02:39,340 --> 01:02:40,960
Have you ever seen a dead
person, getting offended at

1025
01:02:41,000 --> 01:02:43,170
a funeral because of something
said during the service?

1026
01:02:43,180 --> 01:02:45,350
Sit up and say
"how dare you?"

1027
01:02:45,350 --> 01:02:47,040
They don't care about
what you say.

1028
01:02:47,080 --> 01:02:50,510
Dead people aren't offended.

1029
01:02:50,540 --> 01:02:53,970
I hear periodically there are
a few dishonest morticians

1030
01:02:53,970 --> 01:02:59,350
that might rob the jewelry
off the corpse.

1031
01:02:59,390 --> 01:03:03,880
Dead people never complain.

1032
01:03:03,910 --> 01:03:07,500
When the Lord says
"I want you to give,"

1033
01:03:07,500 --> 01:03:10,580
you say "Lord, it's your
money, I'm dead."

1034
01:03:10,620 --> 01:03:15,880
It's a lot easier. It's when
we're living for self,

1035
01:03:15,910 --> 01:03:18,960
that we have these struggles.

1036
01:03:18,960 --> 01:03:21,660
Let me share something
with you.

1037
01:03:21,690 --> 01:03:24,380
This is a quote many
of you have heard before.

1038
01:03:24,380 --> 01:03:27,330
I want to transport you
back to the sins of the cross.

1039
01:03:27,330 --> 01:03:31,630
"The spotless Son of God
hung upon the cross,"

1040
01:03:31,630 --> 01:03:36,760
"His flesh lacerated with
stripes, those hands so often"

1041
01:03:36,760 --> 01:03:39,230
"reached out in blessing,
nailed to the wooden bars;"

1042
01:03:39,230 --> 01:03:42,980
"those feet so tireless
on ministries of love,"

1043
01:03:42,980 --> 01:03:46,790
"spiked to the tree, that royal
head pierced by the crown"

1044
01:03:46,790 --> 01:03:50,170
"of thorns, those quivering lips
shaped to the cry of woe;"

1045
01:03:50,170 --> 01:03:54,340
"And all that He endured -
the blood drops that flowed"

1046
01:03:54,370 --> 01:03:57,080
"from His head, His hands,
His feet, the agony that"

1047
01:03:57,080 --> 01:03:59,760
"racked His frame, and
the unutterable anguish that"

1048
01:03:59,760 --> 01:04:03,050
"filled His soul at the hiding
of His Father's face"

1049
01:04:03,060 --> 01:04:06,280
"it speaks to each child
of humanity, declaring"

1050
01:04:06,280 --> 01:04:10,550
"It is for thee that the Son
of God consents to bear"

1051
01:04:10,580 --> 01:04:14,300
"the burden of guilt; for thee,
He spoils a domain of death,"

1052
01:04:14,300 --> 01:04:17,510
"and opens the gates of
Paradise. He who stilled"

1053
01:04:17,510 --> 01:04:20,100
"the angry waves and walked
the foam-capped billows,"

1054
01:04:20,100 --> 01:04:23,980
"who made devils tremble and
disease flee, who opened blind"

1055
01:04:23,980 --> 01:04:26,770
"eyes and called forth the dead
to life. He offers upon"

1056
01:04:26,810 --> 01:04:32,900
"the cross as a sacrifice,
and this from love to thee."

1057
01:04:32,940 --> 01:04:35,480
And if you can go back and
see that all that He's going

1058
01:04:35,510 --> 01:04:38,640
through, He's going
through for you.

1059
01:04:38,650 --> 01:04:40,610
You know, sometimes I think
we forget we see Jesus

1060
01:04:40,650 --> 01:04:44,780
die for the sins of the world
and we forget that really

1061
01:04:44,780 --> 01:04:50,760
what it means is He died
for me. He died for my sins.

1062
01:04:50,790 --> 01:04:53,600
It's not just general.
He would have gone through it

1063
01:04:53,640 --> 01:04:59,140
just for that one thief
and He would have gone

1064
01:04:59,170 --> 01:05:02,800
through it just for you.
Isn't that amazing,

1065
01:05:02,830 --> 01:05:05,150
if anything I've been trying
to essentuate this week,

1066
01:05:05,190 --> 01:05:08,920
how God uses humble means.
Who was it that called Him

1067
01:05:08,950 --> 01:05:11,250
"Lord" and "King"
at the crucifixion?

1068
01:05:11,250 --> 01:05:14,160
It wasn't Peter, James
and John.

1069
01:05:14,160 --> 01:05:16,460
There were cowering
from a distance.

1070
01:05:16,460 --> 01:05:20,040
John ultimately came closer
with Mary, but I don't believe

1071
01:05:20,070 --> 01:05:25,260
he ever spoke. It was a thief.
And you know what?

1072
01:05:25,260 --> 01:05:29,080
It makes you want to go "Yeah".
All the religious leaders

1073
01:05:29,120 --> 01:05:32,090
one reason they're crucifying
Jesus is because He claimed

1074
01:05:32,120 --> 01:05:34,680
that He had the power to
forgive sin and one last time,

1075
01:05:34,710 --> 01:05:36,990
they're on the cross,
they could nail His hands

1076
01:05:36,990 --> 01:05:40,180
to the cross, but they couldn't
keep the Savior from saving.

1077
01:05:40,180 --> 01:05:40,870
Amin.

1078
01:05:40,870 --> 01:05:44,820
Even though He was experiencing
agony and pain that you and I

1079
01:05:44,850 --> 01:05:47,190
cannot comprehend and
the separation from the Father,

1080
01:05:47,190 --> 01:05:50,110
His purpose for coming was
to seek and to save the lost,

1081
01:05:50,110 --> 01:05:52,970
and while He was there,
when He heard a sincere call

1082
01:05:53,010 --> 01:05:56,820
for help, He was able to put
aside all of His own anguish,

1083
01:05:56,860 --> 01:05:59,320
and think about someone
else. He didn't say

1084
01:05:59,350 --> 01:06:03,570
"Look, don't bother me.
Can't you see I'm busy?"

1085
01:06:03,600 --> 01:06:08,790
That was His business. And
even though His hands were

1086
01:06:08,820 --> 01:06:12,710
nailed to the cross, the Devil
couldn't keep Him from saving

1087
01:06:12,750 --> 01:06:15,680
and in front of everybody
listening, He promised him

1088
01:06:15,680 --> 01:06:23,300
forgiveness and Paradise.
He said "You will be with Me."

1089
01:06:23,330 --> 01:06:29,630
Now, even after we accept
Christ, a peace will come over

1090
01:06:29,630 --> 01:06:34,380
our souls and in many cases,
God reverses the bad decisions

1091
01:06:34,380 --> 01:06:37,360
that we've made, but you
must not count on that,

1092
01:06:37,360 --> 01:06:45,680
even though that thief heard
Jesus say "Today, I want to"

1093
01:06:45,720 --> 01:06:49,780
"promise you, you're going
to be with Me in Paradise."

1094
01:06:49,780 --> 01:06:53,100
I think, you know, there was
darkness around that cross at

1095
01:06:53,100 --> 01:06:54,800
that time, as a matter of fact,
you can read this in the book

1096
01:06:54,840 --> 01:06:57,900
"Desire of Ages", there was a
break in the clouds and a light

1097
01:06:57,940 --> 01:07:01,670
radiated down on the scene.
It was as though the approval

1098
01:07:01,710 --> 01:07:05,970
of the Father could not be held
back, affirmation of the promise

1099
01:07:05,970 --> 01:07:09,930
of Jesus and some beams of light
broke through and shone down

1100
01:07:09,930 --> 01:07:12,880
on that thief, confirming
the promise of Christ.

1101
01:07:12,880 --> 01:07:18,170
The nails didn't pop up, but
I believe a peace transformed

1102
01:07:18,200 --> 01:07:21,860
his expression. After you
accept Christ and you take up

1103
01:07:21,860 --> 01:07:24,200
your cross, it doesn't mean
all your circumstances are

1104
01:07:24,230 --> 01:07:27,930
going to instantly change.
Salvation is not about changing

1105
01:07:27,960 --> 01:07:31,270
all of your circumstances,
it's changing your attitude

1106
01:07:31,270 --> 01:07:34,280
about your circumstances.
It is the difference between

1107
01:07:34,310 --> 01:07:39,050
joy and misery. There is
a great peace that comes into

1108
01:07:39,080 --> 01:07:43,580
our hearts, that makes it so
much easier to follow Christ.

1109
01:07:43,580 --> 01:07:48,030
Paul said "I would rejoice
in my following."

1110
01:07:48,030 --> 01:07:53,790
but he didn't come down
right away.

1111
01:07:53,830 --> 01:07:57,270
He did still have to suffer.

1112
01:07:57,270 --> 01:08:01,840
I remember, I think it was
1998, here in Texas.

1113
01:08:01,870 --> 01:08:05,190
Anyone remembers the name
Karla Fey Tucker?

1114
01:08:05,230 --> 01:08:10,920
This gowl who was convicted
of a brutal murder

1115
01:08:10,920 --> 01:08:13,450
on accomplice with her
boyfriend in a brutal murder

1116
01:08:13,450 --> 01:08:18,760
was given the death sentence
and during the long period of

1117
01:08:18,800 --> 01:08:21,100
time that people typically are
in death row, she experienced,

1118
01:08:21,130 --> 01:08:23,140
she was on drugs when
she committed the murder,

1119
01:08:23,140 --> 01:08:27,980
she experienced the very obvious
and dramatic conversion.

1120
01:08:27,980 --> 01:08:30,860
Of course, a lot of people who
are imprisoned will articulate

1121
01:08:30,890 --> 01:08:33,650
that they had their heart
changed before the .....,

1122
01:08:33,650 --> 01:08:38,620
but when I heard the interviews
and saw some of the testimony,

1123
01:08:38,620 --> 01:08:42,590
I was convinced that she really
did have a conversion experience

1124
01:08:42,620 --> 01:08:44,990
and she knew the Lord. I know
only God knows the heart,

1125
01:08:45,020 --> 01:08:48,440
but it did impress me that way.
And then all these people

1126
01:08:48,470 --> 01:08:51,780
began to campaign for her
to get a pardon or to have

1127
01:08:51,810 --> 01:08:54,020
the sentence commuted to life,
but don't go through with

1128
01:08:54,050 --> 01:08:57,750
the death penalty and I'm
not making this statement

1129
01:08:57,750 --> 01:09:03,260
to take a stand on any
political view right now,

1130
01:09:03,260 --> 01:09:07,730
but when the courts reviewed
her case, they said because

1131
01:09:07,770 --> 01:09:10,090
a person professes Christ, it
doesn't automatically change

1132
01:09:10,120 --> 01:09:15,640
the circumstances and when
all the appeals were denied,

1133
01:09:15,640 --> 01:09:20,070
the camera crew was granted
one final interview and she

1134
01:09:20,110 --> 01:09:24,900
still had her peace. She said
"This is in God's hands."

1135
01:09:24,900 --> 01:09:28,750
and her final messages were
messages of encouragement

1136
01:09:28,750 --> 01:09:31,950
and love and support,
apologizing to the families

1137
01:09:31,980 --> 01:09:34,370
and encouraging everybody
and thanking everybody

1138
01:09:34,370 --> 01:09:37,560
and she said "Don't worry
about me, my next conscious"

1139
01:09:37,600 --> 01:09:40,060
"thought is going to be
the presence of the Lord."

1140
01:09:40,060 --> 01:09:40,750
Amin.

1141
01:09:40,750 --> 01:09:45,530
Her circumstances didn't change.
Now, it's important that if

1142
01:09:45,560 --> 01:09:47,220
we're going to talk about
the thief on the cross,

1143
01:09:47,220 --> 01:09:51,680
I also take a moment to warn
you about a very dangerous

1144
01:09:51,690 --> 01:09:53,140
mistake that many people make.

1145
01:09:53,140 --> 01:09:58,690
It's called "the eleventh
hour conversion."

1146
01:09:58,720 --> 01:10:04,100
There are many people
who in their hearts say

1147
01:10:04,130 --> 01:10:07,650
"I want to serve Jesus and I
know that the Bible is true"

1148
01:10:07,690 --> 01:10:11,480
"and I believe in the planet's
salvation, but the pull"

1149
01:10:11,520 --> 01:10:14,650
"of the world in sin is so
overwhelming that I'm going"

1150
01:10:14,690 --> 01:10:20,200
"to see if I can time this,
so that before I die,"

1151
01:10:20,290 --> 01:10:23,890
"I repent of my sins and give
my heart to the Lord."

1152
01:10:23,890 --> 01:10:28,870
That's a really dangerous
way we live.

1153
01:10:28,900 --> 01:10:34,120
It's been my experience of
people I know, who have gambled

1154
01:10:34,120 --> 01:10:36,200
that they would have some
eleventh hour conversion,

1155
01:10:36,200 --> 01:10:39,360
something happens in their life
or maybe they're not given

1156
01:10:39,360 --> 01:10:45,220
any warning, they die instantly
or because of their sickness

1157
01:10:45,220 --> 01:10:47,360
and the drugs they're given
for their sickness, they don't

1158
01:10:47,390 --> 01:10:50,590
even have the mental
capacity to repent.

1159
01:10:50,630 --> 01:10:53,790
It is a very dangerous thing
to presume on the mercy

1160
01:10:53,820 --> 01:10:57,030
of God and to gamble with
eternity and beyond that

1161
01:10:57,030 --> 01:11:00,780
why would you want to give
God the leftovers?

1162
01:11:00,780 --> 01:11:05,740
Everyday that you wait
to repent is one more

1163
01:11:05,770 --> 01:11:10,950
day to repent off and one
less day to repent in.

1164
01:11:10,950 --> 01:11:15,980
Someone asked a rabbi one time
what is the best time to repent.

1165
01:11:15,980 --> 01:11:18,300
The rabbi said
"The last day of your life".

1166
01:11:18,310 --> 01:11:22,380
And they said "What if you
don't know what day that is?"

1167
01:11:22,380 --> 01:11:25,640
He said "Exactly."

1168
01:11:25,640 --> 01:11:31,150
Today if you here this voice
do not harden your hearts.

1169
01:11:31,180 --> 01:11:36,560
The story of the thief on
the cross is a wonderful story,

1170
01:11:36,560 --> 01:11:41,920
because it's telling us that
he was able to simply look

1171
01:11:41,950 --> 01:11:46,720
to Christ. It didn't matter how
guilty he was at that moment.

1172
01:11:46,720 --> 01:11:53,550
He was convicted of his sin,
he saw Christ lifted up for him,

1173
01:11:53,580 --> 01:11:56,550
praying for the forgiveness
of others, he knew that

1174
01:11:56,580 --> 01:11:59,790
included him, seeing that
He was the King of the Jews,

1175
01:11:59,790 --> 01:12:03,140
maybe his mind had been stirred
with some things that he heard

1176
01:12:03,180 --> 01:12:05,030
as a good little boy in
Sabbath school.

1177
01:12:05,030 --> 01:12:08,350
They used to go to Sabbath
schools, you know.

1178
01:12:08,390 --> 01:12:13,320
They heard the prophecies of
Isaiah. He read in the Psalms

1179
01:12:13,320 --> 01:12:16,600
"they pierced my hands and my
feet, they divided my garments"

1180
01:12:16,600 --> 01:12:19,380
"among them" and the Holy Spirit
maybe illuminated his mind

1181
01:12:19,390 --> 01:12:23,830
and he realized that the mocking
around the cross and all these

1182
01:12:23,860 --> 01:12:27,730
things that I see, these things
were in the Scripture.

1183
01:12:27,760 --> 01:12:29,670
The Scriptures that he had
heard and read,

1184
01:12:29,670 --> 01:12:32,770
the Holy Spirit can bring
those things back, can he?

1185
01:12:32,770 --> 01:12:36,410
And he looked to Jesus
and he believed,

1186
01:12:36,440 --> 01:12:38,580
but it's not enough just
to look and believe.

1187
01:12:38,580 --> 01:12:47,240
He repented, he confessed,
he asked, he received.

1188
01:12:47,280 --> 01:12:50,290
I wonder what must have been
going through his mind,

1189
01:12:50,290 --> 01:12:52,870
as he hung there. Three
more hours went by

1190
01:12:52,450 --> 01:12:56,840
from the moment that he
accepted Christ and he

1191
01:12:56,880 --> 01:13:01,380
had the promise of Jesus that
he would be in Paradise.

1192
01:13:01,420 --> 01:13:07,260
He was there when
eventually some...

1193
01:13:07,290 --> 01:13:10,700
he saw the sky grow dark.
You know when Christ said

1194
01:13:10,700 --> 01:13:12,500
"It is finished.", there is
a great earthquake.

1195
01:13:12,500 --> 01:13:14,650
He felt his cross shaking,
he was being rattled

1196
01:13:14,690 --> 01:13:17,360
back and forth up there,
like a mast in a storm.

1197
01:13:17,970 --> 01:13:20,360
He felt that. He heard
the Roman soldiers at the foot

1198
01:13:20,400 --> 01:13:22,870
of the cross say "Surely,
this was the Son of God."

1199
01:13:22,870 --> 01:13:27,720
He was still alive
at that point.

1200
01:13:27,760 --> 01:13:30,120
Then evetually he sees a few
Roman soldiers coming.

1201
01:13:30,120 --> 01:13:35,110
They got some tools.
He knows what this means.

1202
01:13:35,140 --> 01:13:38,580
Sometimes they needed to
accelerate the death process

1203
01:13:38,580 --> 01:13:44,750
and they would take an iron
and a mallet, a bar,

1204
01:13:44,780 --> 01:13:48,480
they had a pedestal there
they would rest their feet on,

1205
01:13:48,510 --> 01:13:53,700
because you could not breath
without pushing down

1206
01:13:53,700 --> 01:13:57,830
and they would break their legs.
They didn't want the bodies

1207
01:13:57,870 --> 01:14:00,960
on the cross,
they're in Passover.

1208
01:14:00,960 --> 01:14:05,570
So, they went to the first
thief, on the left I'm going

1209
01:14:05,610 --> 01:14:10,050
to say, I don't know that,
but you can't prove me wrong,

1210
01:14:10,050 --> 01:14:13,950
and broke his legs and it wasn't
long after that he asphyxiated,

1211
01:14:13,960 --> 01:14:16,650
because he just can't...
your breathing is so shallow

1212
01:14:16,650 --> 01:14:22,510
that eventually you suffocate.
And then, they checked on Jesus

1213
01:14:22,540 --> 01:14:26,360
and they said
"It looks like He's dead."

1214
01:14:26,460 --> 01:14:30,420
"No need breaking his leg. Not
moving." And just to be sure,

1215
01:14:30,420 --> 01:14:32,850
because they also said "you
do not what to get in trouble"

1216
01:14:32,850 --> 01:14:36,130
"with Pilate", he took his sharp
Roman spear and he jabbed it

1217
01:14:36,160 --> 01:14:39,990
into the side of Christ.
John records that from His

1218
01:14:40,030 --> 01:14:42,850
side came two distinct flows,
one of water, one of blood,

1219
01:14:42,860 --> 01:14:46,590
They say the reason that
happens is when a person,

1220
01:14:46,630 --> 01:14:52,710
when their heart ruptures, the
fluid in the blood separates.

1221
01:14:52,710 --> 01:14:55,040
Christ died from a broken heart.

1222
01:14:55,060 --> 01:14:58,170
There in the pericardium,
he pierced His heart.

1223
01:14:58,180 --> 01:15:01,910
I heard a minister say one time
"Adam went to sleep,"

1224
01:15:01,950 --> 01:15:05,970
"God opened his side and
brought out his wife."

1225
01:15:05,970 --> 01:15:08,940
Christ went to sleep, God
opened His side and out came

1226
01:15:08,970 --> 01:15:14,240
the church. The church was
born and he saw that.

1227
01:15:14,240 --> 01:15:19,460
And then the soldiers came
to him and broke his legs.

1228
01:15:19,460 --> 01:15:24,310
I think it is a wonderful story
of salvation, friends,

1229
01:15:24,330 --> 01:15:29,170
at the cross. Everything
is about the cross.

1230
01:15:29,170 --> 01:15:32,470
At the cross, at the cross,
where I first saw the light.

1231
01:15:32,500 --> 01:15:34,000
When you see,
it's at the cross

1232
01:15:34,030 --> 01:15:38,760
you see the Devil's love for
power and it's at the cross

1233
01:15:38,760 --> 01:15:44,510
you see Christ's power of love.
It's the crucible in which

1234
01:15:44,540 --> 01:15:49,520
the planet's salvation is
demonstrated.

1235
01:15:49,550 --> 01:15:52,640
We should spend a thoughtful
hour every day contemplating

1236
01:15:52,680 --> 01:15:54,810
the sins of the cross, because
that's where you're going

1237
01:15:54,850 --> 01:15:57,580
to see the love of God for you.
Why do we love Him?

1238
01:15:57,590 --> 01:15:59,300
We cannot obey Him
unless we love Him.

1239
01:15:59,300 --> 01:16:01,140
Why do we love Him?
Because He first loved us.

1240
01:16:01,140 --> 01:16:03,840
Where do we see the love
of God best demonstrated?

1241
01:16:03,840 --> 01:16:10,640
At the cross.

1242
01:16:10,640 --> 01:16:14,210
And yes, it's not a pretty
scene, neither a sin.

1243
01:16:14,250 --> 01:16:18,430
God wants you to know how much
sin hurts Him and it hurts you.

1244
01:16:18,430 --> 01:16:21,710
Whenever you're tempted to
sin, instead of thinking about

1245
01:16:21,710 --> 01:16:25,450
that moment carrying pleasure,
whether it's the lust

1246
01:16:25,480 --> 01:16:27,610
of the flesh or the lust of
the eyes or the pride of life,

1247
01:16:27,640 --> 01:16:30,500
I want you to think
about the cross.

1248
01:16:30,500 --> 01:16:33,270
That's why Paul kept
the cross before him.

1249
01:16:33,270 --> 01:16:37,290
He knew that Jesus died
for him, on his cross.

1250
01:16:37,330 --> 01:16:40,050
You and I are Barabas.
He took his place.

1251
01:16:40,050 --> 01:16:42,540
He paid a debt that
He did not owe.

1252
01:16:42,540 --> 01:16:45,190
He took our weakness,
He gives us His strength.

1253
01:16:45,190 --> 01:16:48,990
He took our guilt and
He gives us His innocence.

1254
01:16:49,030 --> 01:16:53,680
He took our sin,
He gives us His purity.

1255
01:16:53,680 --> 01:17:00,760
He gives us a new heart
at the cross.

1256
01:17:00,800 --> 01:17:02,310
It's the goodness of God that
leads us to repentance.

1257
01:17:02,310 --> 01:17:04,340
Where do you see
the goodness of God?

1258
01:17:04,340 --> 01:17:06,520
At the cross.

1259
01:17:06,530 --> 01:17:10,130
I heard a story one time
about... in England years ago,

1260
01:17:10,130 --> 01:17:14,340
a policeman was walking
his beat and he heard one

1261
01:17:14,340 --> 01:17:18,670
of the little ... in town crying
at night, sitting on the steps

1262
01:17:18,670 --> 01:17:24,030
and he said "What's
the problem, little boy?"

1263
01:17:24,030 --> 01:17:28,170
He said "Well, I'm lost and I
don't know how to get home."

1264
01:17:28,210 --> 01:17:30,790
The policeman said "Well,
what's your address?"

1265
01:17:30,790 --> 01:17:36,200
He said "I don't know."
Six years old, he didn't know.

1266
01:17:36,230 --> 01:17:38,780
Before the time of telephone,
he started asking the little boy

1267
01:17:38,820 --> 01:17:43,520
from some landmarks and
he kept coming up with blanks.

1268
01:17:43,520 --> 01:17:46,320
Then, after a quite a while
interrogating the little boy,

1269
01:17:46,320 --> 01:17:51,380
who's just totally distracted
with grief, the policeman said

1270
01:17:51,380 --> 01:17:53,720
"Do you know where
the central chuch is?"

1271
01:17:53,720 --> 01:17:56,720
There was a very proeminent
church in town and on top

1272
01:17:56,760 --> 01:17:59,110
of the church there was
a big cross. He said

1273
01:17:59,150 --> 01:18:00,040
"Do you know where
the church is?"

1274
01:18:00,040 --> 01:18:02,010
"Do you where
that big cross is?"

1275
01:18:02,010 --> 01:18:04,090
Suddenly, the boy stopped
whimpering and he said

1276
01:18:04,120 --> 01:18:07,180
"Yes, yes. If you take me
to the cross,"

1277
01:18:07,210 --> 01:18:11,300
"I can find my way home."

1278
01:18:11,340 --> 01:18:13,420
That's how we're going to find
our way home, friends.

1279
01:18:13,420 --> 01:18:15,740
It's at the cross.

1280
01:18:15,740 --> 01:18:20,070
Do you think you can trust
the Lord? Do you love the Lord?

1281
01:18:20,080 --> 01:18:22,800
Would you like to commit
your love to Him today?

1282
01:18:22,800 --> 01:18:26,740
I want you to pray
as John sings.

1283
01:18:26,740 --> 01:18:29,150
I want you to pray about
making a decision tonight.

1284
01:18:29,160 --> 01:18:30,160
you who are watching.

1285
01:18:30,160 --> 01:18:31,860
This is for you,
those who are listening.

1286
01:18:31,870 --> 01:18:35,690
The Lord is speaking to you.
It's a very simple message

1287
01:18:35,720 --> 01:18:38,920
of the gospel. Are you willing
to take up your cross

1288
01:18:38,920 --> 01:18:41,720
and follow Jesus. Do you love
Him enough to deny yourself

1289
01:18:41,720 --> 01:18:43,550
and take up your cross?

1290
01:18:43,550 --> 01:19:00,360
My Jesus, I love thee
I know thou art mine;

1291
01:19:00,360 --> 01:19:15,090
for thee all the follies
of sin I resign.

1292
01:19:15,090 --> 01:19:29,650
My gracious Redeemer,
my Savior art thou;

1293
01:19:29,650 --> 01:19:46,270
if ever I loved thee,
my Jesus, 'tis now.

1294
01:19:46,270 --> 01:19:59,950
I love thee because thou
hast first loved me,

1295
01:19:59,950 --> 01:20:14,840
and purchased my pardon
on Calvary's tree;

1296
01:20:14,840 --> 01:20:30,030
I love thee for wearing
the thorns on thy brow;

1297
01:20:30,040 --> 01:20:46,070
if ever I loved thee,
my Jesus, 'tis now.

1298
01:20:46,070 --> 01:20:51,160
I heard a story a few years
ago from the Philippines.

1299
01:20:51,200 --> 01:20:55,610
A man was a jeepney driver,
that's the local taxi

1300
01:20:55,610 --> 01:21:00,870
and he had been drinking
and had an accident.

1301
01:21:00,900 --> 01:21:04,910
Several people were killed.
He was sentenced to life

1302
01:21:04,910 --> 01:21:08,730
in a very unpleasant prison.

1303
01:21:08,820 --> 01:21:13,690
We went to visit this prison
in Manilla, 10,000 prisoners.

1304
01:21:13,690 --> 01:21:17,310
It's interesting there. Those
who are sentenced to life,

1305
01:21:17,310 --> 01:21:19,850
they actually live in this one
big open community area,

1306
01:21:19,850 --> 01:21:22,630
they cook on fire and
do their crafts,

1307
01:21:22,660 --> 01:21:26,660
but they're all walled in.
It turned out this taxi driver

1308
01:21:26,660 --> 01:21:29,850
had a wife and children
that desperately needed him,

1309
01:21:29,850 --> 01:21:36,700
he also had a twin brother,
that was single.

1310
01:21:36,700 --> 01:21:39,860
And when his brother saw how
much his children and his wife

1311
01:21:39,860 --> 01:21:44,340
missed him, he went to visit.
His brother was an inmate.

1312
01:21:44,340 --> 01:21:51,410
And while in prison, he said
"I have no family."

1313
01:21:51,410 --> 01:21:55,620
"They really need you.
I would take your place."

1314
01:21:55,620 --> 01:21:59,870
They swapped visiting badges,
they swapped clothes,

1315
01:21:59,870 --> 01:22:02,520
the guilty brother went free,
the innocent brother took

1316
01:22:02,550 --> 01:22:07,470
his place. I don't know
how long that ruse lasted,

1317
01:22:07,480 --> 01:22:10,290
but it still tells the story,
doesn't it?

1318
01:22:10,290 --> 01:22:12,890
This is what Jesus has done
for us, He says

1319
01:22:12,920 --> 01:22:15,800
"I'm willing to give you what
I deserve and I'm going"

1320
01:22:15,840 --> 01:22:17,360
"to take what you deserve."

1321
01:22:17,360 --> 01:22:24,760
Would you like to accept
that gift to salvation?

1322
01:22:24,790 --> 01:22:29,340
I want to be something
a little different.

1323
01:22:29,340 --> 01:22:33,930
Before we have our prayer, I'd
like to make an appeal to you.

1324
01:22:33,930 --> 01:22:37,210
Everybody watching,
everybody listening,

1325
01:22:37,210 --> 01:22:39,270
you're involved in our
message today.

1326
01:22:39,270 --> 01:22:42,150
There are two choices,
there are two roads

1327
01:22:42,150 --> 01:22:45,810
the straight way, you take up
your cross and follow Jesus

1328
01:22:45,810 --> 01:22:50,910
or the wide way to destruction.
There are two thieves,

1329
01:22:50,940 --> 01:22:52,140
but thank goodness,
there were three crosses

1330
01:22:52,160 --> 01:22:55,180
on the hill that day.

1331
01:22:55,180 --> 01:22:58,820
When that thief believed and
he looked to Jesus and he said

1332
01:22:58,820 --> 01:23:02,680
"Lord, remember me.",
the Father then looked down

1333
01:23:02,680 --> 01:23:06,470
from Heaven and there were no
longer two thieves and one son,

1334
01:23:06,470 --> 01:23:09,500
there are now two sons.

1335
01:23:09,500 --> 01:23:16,120
Three crosses on the hill
that day, one died in sin,

1336
01:23:16,120 --> 01:23:22,370
one died to sin and
one died for sin.

1337
01:23:22,370 --> 01:23:26,040
You must choose.
Will you die in your sins

1338
01:23:26,070 --> 01:23:29,890
or will you die to sin,
because Jesus died for sin.

1339
01:23:29,930 --> 01:23:31,050
Those are the choices
we have.

1340
01:23:31,050 --> 01:23:35,420
Don't wait for some later date.
You cannot count on that

1341
01:23:35,460 --> 01:23:38,200
eleventh hour conversion,
Matthew Henry said

1342
01:23:38,230 --> 01:23:40,710
it's one of the biggest
mistakes that people make,

1343
01:23:40,750 --> 01:23:45,580
presuming, he said, "there is
only one deathbed conversion"

1344
01:23:45,610 --> 01:23:47,980
"in the Bible, so that no one
needs lose hope,"

1345
01:23:48,020 --> 01:23:53,480
"but there is only one,
so no one dare presume."

1346
01:23:53,480 --> 01:23:56,760
Today, if you hear this voice,
do not harden you.

1347
01:23:56,760 --> 01:24:00,100
I'd like to ask, those who are
watching, those who are here

1348
01:24:00,100 --> 01:24:02,740
With these ... seats it's not
very convenient to make

1349
01:24:02,780 --> 01:24:07,010
an altar ... with burials
and everything,

1350
01:24:07,040 --> 01:24:09,060
but if the Holy Spirit has
spoken to you today,

1351
01:24:09,090 --> 01:24:11,800
let me begin with a very
specific appeal.

1352
01:24:11,800 --> 01:24:15,560
Some of you have wandered
from the Lord and you want

1353
01:24:15,600 --> 01:24:19,080
to draw near to God and get
rebaptized or baptized

1354
01:24:19,120 --> 01:24:22,070
for the first time and you
recognize the Holy Spirit

1355
01:24:22,070 --> 01:24:23,070
speaking to you.

1356
01:24:23,070 --> 01:24:25,750
Would you like to stand in
his presence right now?

1357
01:24:25,750 --> 01:24:28,930
I know he's talking
I need a new beginning.

1358
01:24:28,970 --> 01:24:30,710
Some of you who are watching,
don't worry about the people

1359
01:24:30,710 --> 01:24:33,310
here. God is calling you now.
Do you hear His Holy Spirit?

1360
01:24:33,310 --> 01:24:35,330
Some of you have
never praised God,

1361
01:24:35,370 --> 01:24:36,790
some of you have never
made this decision,

1362
01:24:36,790 --> 01:24:41,020
some have been away, maybe
... , maybe the Holy Spirit

1363
01:24:41,020 --> 01:24:43,670
just say you need to really
get serious. Jesus is coming.

1364
01:24:43,670 --> 01:24:45,030
We're talking about eternal
life right now.

1365
01:24:45,060 --> 01:24:46,560
Stand in His presence.

1366
01:24:46,560 --> 01:24:48,700
Don't be afraid of what
the people might think,

1367
01:24:48,700 --> 01:24:50,340
the thing is what God thinks.
Amin?

1368
01:24:50,340 --> 01:24:52,040
Amin.
That's what matters.

1369
01:24:52,040 --> 01:24:54,160
Some of you are feeling
the battle going on

1370
01:24:54,200 --> 01:24:58,270
in your hearts. That battle
is between your devil

1371
01:24:58,310 --> 01:25:02,290
and your savior. There is only
right hand and the left hand.

1372
01:25:02,290 --> 01:25:04,170
What side of Christ do you
want to be on?

1373
01:25:04,170 --> 01:25:05,270
You're feeling Him calling you?

1374
01:25:05,270 --> 01:25:10,810
Stand now!
Amin!

1375
01:25:10,810 --> 01:25:13,390
Some in those groups are
churches that are watching.

1376
01:25:13,390 --> 01:25:19,980
You're hearing this call. Even
with the ..., you can stand.

1377
01:25:20,010 --> 01:25:23,590
Now, before we have prayer,
I'd like to open the appeal

1378
01:25:23,590 --> 01:25:28,420
a little wider. You have been
touched by the Holy Spirit

1379
01:25:28,420 --> 01:25:30,290
and you want to go all
the way to Jesus.

1380
01:25:30,330 --> 01:25:32,460
You want to take up your cross
and deny yourself.

1381
01:25:32,460 --> 01:25:36,120
There is some area in your life
where you know it might mean

1382
01:25:36,160 --> 01:25:38,050
cutting off a hand and
plucking out an eye,

1383
01:25:38,090 --> 01:25:40,040
but you're willing to follow
Jesus wherever it costs,

1384
01:25:40,080 --> 01:25:41,170
with His help.

1385
01:25:41,170 --> 01:25:45,270
Would you like to stand
and ask for prayer?

1386
01:25:45,300 --> 01:25:48,310
Amin!

1387
01:25:48,310 --> 01:25:52,910
Let's pray!

1388
01:25:52,910 --> 01:25:56,450
Loving Father in Heaven,
thank you for the message

1389
01:25:56,490 --> 01:26:02,280
of the cross, that You are able
to save under the uttermost

1390
01:26:02,280 --> 01:26:06,490
and even though it appeared
that this thief's life was

1391
01:26:06,530 --> 01:26:10,150
wasted in his circumstances
hopeless, when he called out

1392
01:26:10,150 --> 01:26:14,010
at that hour, You could save
him and promise him Paradise.

1393
01:26:14,040 --> 01:26:16,090
Lord, we want to lay claim
to that promise.

1394
01:26:16,090 --> 01:26:20,920
Please, forgive our sins.
We have rebelled, we have robbed

1395
01:26:20,960 --> 01:26:24,410
and we are guilty of
murdering You.

1396
01:26:24,410 --> 01:26:26,760
Lord, have mercy on us.

1397
01:26:26,760 --> 01:26:29,860
Remember us when
You come into Your kingdom.

1398
01:26:29,860 --> 01:26:33,910
Bless these people with revival,
fill them with Your spirit,

1399
01:26:33,910 --> 01:26:35,560
pour out Your spirit
on the church, Lord

1400
01:26:35,600 --> 01:26:39,230
and we pray this is not the end,
but the beginning of new life,

1401
01:26:39,230 --> 01:26:40,760
of new vitality among
your people.

1402
01:26:40,760 --> 01:26:45,520
We ask in Christ's name.
Amin.

1403
01:26:45,520 --> 01:26:47,860
Does that set your desire?
What do you think?

1404
01:26:47,860 --> 01:26:50,220
Would it be nice to go on with
you singing our Revive song

1405
01:26:50,220 --> 01:26:53,750
together? Let's bring our...
those who've been holding John,

1406
01:26:53,790 --> 01:26:58,140
you're leaving me behind,
I'm not a soloist.

1407
01:26:58,180 --> 01:26:59,940
You sing with me, ok?

1408
01:26:59,970 --> 01:27:08,760
Revive us, Lord,
Fill us with the Holy Spirit.

1409
01:27:08,760 --> 01:27:17,020
Revive us, Lord,
Heats and minds renew

1410
01:27:17,020 --> 01:27:25,440
Revive us, Lord, speak Your
Word so we can hear it

1411
01:27:25,440 --> 01:27:29,330
Revive us, Lord..

1412
01:27:42,250 --> 01:27:44,550
If you'd like today's free
offer, "To See The King",

1413
01:27:44,550 --> 01:27:50,950
set to call 1-866-905-REVIVE
and ask for offer #175.

1414
01:27:50,950 --> 01:27:57,890
Once again, 1-866-905-REVIVE
and ask for offer #175

1415
01:27:57,890 --> 01:28:01,540
Offer worth for US and Canadian
residents only.