Participants:
Series Code: AFDB
Program Code: AFDB000180S
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00:02 - [Announcer] This presentation is brought to you
00:03 by the friends of the Amazing Facts Ministry. 00:07 (cheerful music) 00:10 - It's the most read book in the world, 00:12 selling close to 4 billion copies over the past 50 years. 00:16 The Bible is an amazing book, unlike any other. 00:20 Although it was written over a period of around 1500 years, 00:23 by 40 different people, on three continents, 00:26 the Bible maintains incredible harmony 00:29 throughout its 66 books. 00:31 A long list of Bible predictions have come to pass 00:34 that confirm the scriptures are divinely inspired, 00:37 but none are more dramatically fulfilled 00:39 than 125 prophecies about the Messiah 00:43 that were fulfilled to perfection in the life of Jesus. 00:46 Various Old Testament books predict with great precision, 00:50 the place of his birth, 00:51 his trial, 00:52 the manner of his crucifixion, 00:53 the timing of his resurrection, 00:55 and many other aspects of his life. 00:58 One thing is for certain, 00:59 that dozens of prophecies and predictions about his life 01:02 could never have happened by chance alone. 01:05 Jesus is the Bible central figure, 01:08 but who is he? 01:09 And how is your life affected by his? 01:12 Join me now, as we take a closer look 01:15 at this hero of Revelation. 01:21 Today's lesson is dealing with the wonders of the word. 01:26 The story upon which the study is based 01:29 is found in the book of Luke chapter 24. 01:32 And if you begin reading at verse 13, 01:35 it tells us about these disciples, 01:37 that the day of the crucifixion, 01:39 they're very discouraged. 01:41 They're walking from Jerusalem 01:43 down to a town called Emmaus, 01:45 not the day of the crucifixion, sorry, 01:46 it was Sunday afternoon, following the crucifixion, 01:50 and they're very discouraged, 01:52 and they're on their way down to this town, 01:54 seven miles away, 01:56 and they're talking about, 01:57 they're just a great disappointment. 02:00 They thought that Jesus was the Messiah, 02:02 and here, he's died, 02:03 and they saw him die on a cross, 02:05 and they thought he was gonna be the one 02:06 to deliver Israel from the Romans. 02:09 And words are not adequate 02:11 to describe how shocked and devastated they are. 02:15 But as they're walking down the road, 02:17 as it often happened in those days, 02:18 there was someone else, 02:19 the trail intersected, and they joined him. 02:22 There's just the three of them walking down the road, 02:24 some stranger. 02:26 And they politely invite him to walk with them, 02:29 and they're talking about what happened, 02:32 and Jesus' crucifixion and the betrayal, 02:34 and what the Romans did. 02:35 and what the priest did. 02:38 And this stranger, 02:40 who's Jesus, but they don't recognize him. 02:43 He says, "What manner of communication is this 02:45 "you have with one another as you walk and are sad?" 02:49 Jesus does not want us to have a sad walk. 02:51 Can you say, amen? 02:52 - [Congregation] Amen. 02:54 - He's resurrected, the gospel is good news. 02:56 We're on our way to a feast. 02:58 And they say, "What do you mean, 03:00 "what manner of communication? 03:01 "Of course, we're sad. 03:02 "Are you a stranger in Jerusalem? 03:03 "Haven't you heard what happened?" 03:04 Of course Jesus knows what happened. 03:06 He was a very epicenter of what happened. 03:09 But he humors them and he says, 03:10 "What things?" 03:12 God asks questions, not 'cause he doesn't know, 03:14 but he wants us to think, right? 03:16 God said to Adam, "Where are you?" 03:17 You think God misplaced Adam? 03:19 He knew where he was. 03:21 He wanted him to think about where he was. 03:24 And they said, 03:25 "Well, the thing concerning Jesus of Nazareth, 03:26 "who was a prophet, 03:27 "mighty in word and deed before God and the people, 03:29 "and how our rulers crucified him. 03:30 "And we thought he was the one 03:32 "that was gonna redeem Israel." 03:35 And Jesus, "Oh, fools and slow of heart 03:37 "to believe all the prophets have spoken. 03:39 "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things 03:41 "and entered into his glory?" 03:43 And then beginning at Moses, Genesis, 03:45 and all the prophets, 03:47 he expound unto them in all the scriptures, 03:50 the things concerning himself. 03:52 And while Jesus was showing them all the prophecies 03:56 that pointed to his first coming, 03:57 proving he was the Messiah, 03:59 hope began to revive within them, 04:01 and pretty soon their hearts were on fire, 04:02 and said, "Yes, yes, this makes sense. 04:04 "Of course it was supposed to happen." 04:07 How much I would pay to hear that sermon 04:09 where Jesus went from Genesis to Malachi, 04:13 expounding the scriptures, 04:14 wouldn't that be a tape to listen to? 04:18 And then they came to a fork in the road 04:21 and he made like he was gonna keep on going, 04:23 and they said, "No, no, no, 04:24 "it's getting late, you stay with us." 04:27 You've heard that song, 04:28 "Abide With Me Fast Falls the Eventide?" 04:30 It's based on his verse. 04:32 So he came in and they asked this stranger and said, 04:35 "Would you like to have the blessing?" 04:37 He said, "Sure." 04:39 So he threw back his hood 04:41 and he stretched out two nail-pierced hands. 04:44 And he said, (speaking in a foreign language). 04:49 It's the only Jewish prayer I remember, 04:50 over the bread. 04:53 And they saw his hands, 04:54 and it says their eyes were open and they knew him. 04:59 And he vanished. 05:02 Now they're filled with joy. 05:04 Their eyes were open and they knew him. 05:06 When did that happen? 05:07 When he broke and blessed the bread. 05:10 You must know him. 05:11 When does it happen? 05:13 When he blesses and breaks the bread, 05:14 that bread is the word of God. 05:18 The holy Bible contained in the new and the old Testament 05:21 is the sacred word of God. 05:23 This is an anvil 05:24 that has worn out many hammers of criticism. 05:27 A lot of the critics that said 05:28 that they would get rid of the Bible, 05:30 they're gone, but the Bible is still here. 05:33 The reason that the Bible is still here is very simple. 05:35 It works. 05:37 It has proven itself over the millennia 05:40 that it does not fail, it works as the word of God. 05:43 These prophecies are accurate. 05:45 It's a valuation of humanity, 05:47 how to save man from his sin, 05:49 teaching us how to get along with each other. 05:52 The Bible addresses everything from marriage to finances, 05:55 and the principles work. 05:58 All scripture is given by inspiration of God 06:01 and is profitable, all of it. 06:04 People say, "Well, the Bible's been translated 06:06 "and retranslated, 06:07 "and how do we know it's the same?" 06:09 In the 1948, 06:10 some shepherds boys found these caves 06:13 that contained scrolls that dated back 06:16 from before the time of Jesus, 06:18 better known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. 06:20 And they found out that the scrolls in there, 06:22 like the scroll of Isaiah, 06:24 I've seen it several times in Israel. 06:27 What's in that scroll 2,000 years old is the same, 06:31 of course it's in Hebrew, 06:32 but it's the same words as what I have in my Bible today, 06:35 I had my guide, who was trained in the ancient Hebrew. 06:38 I said, read that to me. 06:39 I pointed to a place on the scroll, 06:41 said, "Read that to me." 06:42 He looked at it, 06:43 and he started to quote the story 06:45 'cause he's reading from right to left. 06:47 He started to quote the story 06:48 about Hezekiah being surrounded 06:50 by the Assyrians and Sennacherib, 06:53 and it's just like in my Bible, I know my Bible. 06:55 I recognized it. 06:57 God has preserved the word of God in a miraculous way. 07:00 They were so careful when they copied the scriptures, 07:02 that if they made a mistake, they tear up the whole scroll. 07:05 And so it is the most carefully documented book in history. 07:09 I believe it is accurate and it has not changed. 07:12 To whom does Jesus say the scriptures 07:15 and the prophecies reveal? 07:18 You read there in Luke 24:27, 07:21 it says, "Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, 07:23 "he expound it unto them in all the scriptures 07:26 "the things concerning himself." 07:29 It's all revealing Jesus. 07:32 The reason that we study the prophecies is 07:34 they all talk about Christ. 07:36 First words in revelation, 07:37 the revelation of Jesus Christ. 07:39 If you wanna know Jesus better, 07:41 you can also do that studying prophecy. 07:44 John 5:39, Jesus said, 07:47 "Search the scriptures 07:48 "for these are they that testify of me?" 07:52 And you can read, 07:53 I just gave this to you in Revelation 1:1. 07:55 It is the revelation of Jesus Christ. 07:57 The scriptures are all about Jesus. 07:59 The stories in the Bible are often allegories of Christ. 08:03 You have the story of Joseph, 08:04 he's betrayed by his own brothers. 08:08 He's sold to the pagans for a price of a slave. 08:10 Jesus was betrayed by Judas. 08:12 It was Judah that sold Joseph, 08:14 that suggested selling Joseph. 08:17 They sold him for silver. 08:18 Jesus is sold for silver. 08:20 Joseph forgives his brother and he saves them 08:23 in spite of what they've done. 08:25 Jesus is willing to forgive and to save, 08:27 in spite of the fact that we crucified him. 08:30 King David is walking up the Mount of Olives, 08:32 weeping over Jerusalem. 08:33 Jesus is on the Mount of Olives, 08:35 weeping over Jerusalem. 08:37 Samson stretches out his arms 08:39 and lays down his life to save God's people 08:41 from their enemies. 08:42 Jesus stretched out his arms 08:44 that he might save us from our enemies. 08:46 The Bible says Samson killed more by his death 08:48 than he did by his life. 08:50 Jesus did more to defeat the devil by his death 08:53 than even by his life, 08:54 through the sacrifice of Christ. 08:57 Children of Israel are fighting in the wilderness 08:59 against the Amalekites. 09:00 Moses stands on a hill, 09:02 stretches out his arms. 09:04 And when they can see Moses with his arms stretched out, 09:06 they get the victory. 09:08 His arms go down, 'cause he's tired, 09:09 they start losing. 09:11 They lift up his arms again, they get the victory. 09:13 When we see Christ as before the father, 09:15 interceding with his nail-pierce hands for us, 09:18 we get the victory. 09:19 All these Bible stories, 09:20 everything from Jonah, 09:22 sleeping in a boat like Jesus was sleeping in a boat, 09:25 all through the Bible, it's telling us about Christ. 09:28 It's one of my favorite subjects 09:29 to see Christ in all the Bible. 09:32 Who helps us to understand the Bible? 09:35 You read in John 16:13, 09:37 "When he, the spirit of truth has come, 09:40 "he will guide you into all truth." 09:44 And again, you can read here. 09:45 It says in John 14:26, 09:47 "But the helper, the Holy Spirit, 09:49 "he will teach you all things." 09:51 You might say, 09:53 "But I read it and I don't understand it." 09:54 Keep reading. 09:55 It'll get clear. 09:56 Are you aware that when you were born, 09:59 you didn't speak English very well. 10:01 (congregation laughing) 10:03 So did you stop listening to English 10:04 because you couldn't speak it? 10:06 No, your parents kept talking to you 10:08 and pretty soon you picked it up 10:09 and now hopefully you understand. 10:11 Well, don't feel bad when you first read the Bible, 10:14 you don't understand it all. 10:16 Fortunately the Bible's written in a way 10:18 where I think everybody can get something out of it. 10:21 And the more you read it, 10:22 the more you'll understand it. 10:23 And it's like a mind that gets deeper, and deeper, 10:25 and you find more treasure all the time. 10:28 Read your Bible's friends. 10:30 What must I do to be certain 10:32 that the Holy Spirit is guiding me in my Bible study? 10:37 Answer, 10:38 so I say to you, 10:39 ask, and it will be given you. 10:42 Now since God is the author, 10:44 you would say, "All right, Lord, 10:46 "will you help me understand?" 10:47 Will he help you, if you ask him? 10:49 - [Congregation] Amen. 10:49 - The Bible promises, 10:50 if you read here in Luke 11:13, 10:53 "If you then being evil, 10:54 "know how to give good gifts to your children, 10:57 "how much more will your father in heaven 10:59 "give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" 11:02 And then John 7:17, 11:04 "If anyone is willing." 11:06 When you read the word, 11:07 do it with a willing heart. 11:08 "If you're willing to do his will, 11:09 "he shall know concerning the doctrine, 11:11 "whether it is from God." 11:14 So pray for wisdom when you study the word, 11:16 and he will open things up. 11:18 I can't tell you how many times... 11:21 Now, I'll tell you what my practice is, first. 11:23 Is every morning I wake up, 11:25 I do most of my Bible study, 11:27 actually on my computer now, 11:28 'cause I can access different resources very quickly. 11:31 I am always reading through the Bible. 11:33 And as I'm reading through the Bible, 11:35 I always pray first. 11:35 I knee there in my office. 11:37 I pray, say, 11:37 "God, help me to understand." 11:39 As I study, it's uncanny. 11:41 I'm always reading through the Bible, 11:42 whatever my segment was 11:44 that I was to read that morning. 11:46 Something happens during that day 11:48 where I needed that bit of advice. 11:51 I needed that guidance, 11:52 or someone else needed it 11:54 and God gave it to me so I could share it with him. 11:56 I wouldn't have known that. 11:58 And you gotta keep reading it 11:59 because we don't retain everything we read. 12:03 It's like that little boy asked his grandfather. 12:07 He said, "Grandpa, have you memorized the whole Bible?" 12:10 He says, "No, not at all." 12:11 He says, "But you read it all the time. 12:12 "Why do you keep reading it?" 12:15 He said, "I'll tell you why." 12:17 He said that, 12:18 see the coal basket there by the stove. 12:20 "Yeah." 12:21 He said, "I want you to run to the creek, 12:22 "fill the basket up with some water and bring it to me." 12:25 A seven-year-old wondered how that was gonna work out. 12:27 But he went down obediently 12:29 and he scooped up some water from the creek 12:30 and he tried to run back. 12:31 But as soon as he got to his grandfather, 12:34 basket was, all the water had run out. 12:37 He said, "You gotta go quicker." 12:39 So he went down, 12:40 he tried to scoop up some more water in the basket, 12:42 came back again, it was gone. 12:45 He said, "Try it one more time." 12:47 So he took the coal basket, 12:49 and he went down to the creek 12:50 and he scooped it up and he ran as quick as he could. 12:52 And he set it down, it was all seeping out. 12:54 And he said, "I can't do it. 12:55 "It just runs out." 12:56 He says, "That's right, 12:57 "it does run out." 12:58 He said, "But have you noticed what happened to the basket?" 13:01 He said, "Yeah, it's clean now." 13:04 He says, "It may be going through, 13:06 "but it's doing a cleansing." 13:08 He says, "I keep reading God's word. 13:09 "Not because I expect to contain it all, 13:11 "but it has an ongoing cleansing aspect to it." 13:15 And so as you're reading the word, 13:17 it's changing you from day to day, 13:20 doesn't mean you're gonna retain it all, 13:21 but it has a sanctifying influence. 13:24 (soothing music) 13:25 Don't go anywhere, friends, 13:26 we'll be back in just a moment 13:28 with the rest of today's presentation. 13:30 No, the Bible never says that Eve ate an apple, 13:34 nor does it say that three wise men came 13:37 to see Jesus in the manger. 13:39 Neither does the Bible say that God made a devil. 13:43 So how well do you know your Bible? 13:45 And what does it really say about heaven and hell, 13:48 the origin of the devil, 13:49 and the second coming of Jesus? 13:52 There are so many common misunderstandings 13:54 about the word of God. 13:56 That's why Amazing Facts wants to send you 13:58 a special, free resource called "The Hidden Truth" magazine. 14:03 It'll expose some of the most common misconceptions 14:05 about the Bible. 14:06 It's packed with colorful graphics, 14:08 fascinating facts, and compelling Bible truths 14:11 that present seven of the most misunderstood Bible subjects 14:15 in a direct and captivating way. 14:17 I guarantee it'll become 14:18 one of your favorite witnessing tools. 14:21 To get your free copy, 14:22 call the phone number on the screen 14:24 and ask for offer number 832, 14:26 or visit the web address. 14:28 And after you read this incredible resource, 14:30 be sure and share it with a friend. 14:32 Let's return now to today's presentation 14:35 and learn some more amazing facts from the word of God. 14:40 What method of Bible study do the scriptures recommend? 14:43 Answer, 14:45 "For precept must be upon precept, 14:48 "line upon line, 14:50 "here little, there a little." 14:52 You compare scripture with scripture, 14:54 is how you learn these things. 14:56 And it's kind of like, 14:59 how many of you got a GPS? 15:00 Some of you have one on your phone? 15:03 I used to have one in my plane. 15:05 And you realize when you go outside 15:06 and you begin to use a GPS, 15:08 the way it is able to tell your location 15:11 is using these satellites. 15:13 Sometimes they use towers to do it. 15:15 And it's something called triangulation. 15:18 Now, when I would first turn on my GPS, 15:21 as I would take off with my plane, 15:22 I'd get a little message on my GPS. 15:24 And it would say, "One satellite located, 15:27 "not adequate to fix position." 15:29 I'd wait and it would send out the signals 15:31 and then say, "Two satellites." 15:33 I could figure out that I was there, 15:35 but I couldn't tell how high or low, 15:38 and It'd say, "Three satellites, 15:39 "we can now fix your position." 15:41 If you know geometry, you know how that works. 15:43 And then as I got more satellites, 15:44 it would not only tell me where I am on the map, 15:47 but more satellites would tell me how high or low I was. 15:51 So now they actually have cockpits in planes 15:55 where it's an artificial screen goes on, 15:58 you could have total white out conditions in the weather. 16:01 You put this picture goes up on the inside of your cockpit 16:04 and it comes in, 16:05 you come in for landing 16:06 and you are flying a virtual screen. 16:09 The GPS is so accurate within four feet of where you are. 16:12 It can land you on the runway using satellite technology 16:17 because it's got a multitude of satellites 16:19 that are giving you a pinpoint position. 16:21 If you want to know what truth is, 16:23 don't take one verse and build a (indistinct). 16:26 I've seen people do that, haven't you? 16:28 Try and build a whole church, 16:29 that's been built on one verse. 16:31 Now I believe that every word of God is inspired. 16:34 Sometimes one verse can be misunderstood 16:36 if you take it by itself. 16:37 It's like someone takes that verse 16:39 where it says Judas went out and hung himself. 16:41 Then they get another verse where Jesus said, 16:42 "Go thou and do likewise." 16:44 Well you put those two together, 16:45 you can make it sound like we're all being told 16:46 to go hang ourselves. 16:48 And that's the way some people study the Bible, 16:50 but you need, 16:51 Jesus said, "When two or three witnesses, 16:53 "let this all be established." 16:56 So precept must be upon precept. 16:58 And again it says, 16:58 "But the Holy Spirit..." 17:01 Which teaches comparing spiritual things with spiritual, 17:05 make sure you read things in their context. 17:08 Again, 2nd Peter 1:20, 17:10 "No prophecy as of any private interpretation." 17:15 You've probably seen Bible studies before 17:16 where everyone kind of goes around. 17:18 They say, "Well, what is this verse say to you?" 17:20 "Well, here's how I feel about this verse." 17:22 How do you feel about... 17:23 Well, I feel this way. 17:24 Okay well, that's true for you 17:26 and this is true for me. 17:27 That's not how God wants us to study the Bible. 17:29 You realize there is absolute truth. 17:32 And if you wanna know what absolute truth is, 17:34 God's word has the answer to that. 17:37 According to Jesus, where do we find the truth? 17:41 Jesus said, "I am the way, 17:44 "the truth, 17:45 "and the life." 17:47 And again, John 17:17, "Your word is truth." 17:52 I've got some beautiful quotes from some historians 17:55 and famous people regarding the word of God 17:58 that I thought you might enjoy. 18:01 Gypsy Smith said, 18:02 "What makes the difference 18:04 "is not how many times you've been through the Bible, 18:06 "but how many times has the Bible been through you." 18:12 Someone else said, 18:12 "A Bible that is falling apart 18:14 "usually belongs to a person who is not falling apart." 18:18 John Bunyan said, 18:20 "Read the Bible and read it again, 18:23 "and do not despair of help 18:25 "to understand something of the will 18:27 "and the mind of God 18:28 "as they are fast, locked up from you. 18:31 "Neither trouble yourself, 18:32 "though you may not have commentaries or expositions, 18:35 "pray and read, 18:36 "read and pray. 18:38 "for a little from God 18:39 "is better than a great deal from man." 18:43 Someone else said, 18:44 "The Bible is like a telescope." 18:46 Telescope doesn't do you any good 18:48 if you look at a telescope, 18:50 but you see wonders and worlds of far 18:52 when you look through a telescope. 18:54 For the believer, 18:56 this becomes the telescope that provides your worldview. 18:59 When you see everything from the Bible, 19:01 see, you can't be happy 19:03 unless you know something about where did I come from? 19:06 What am I doing here? 19:08 And where am I going? 19:09 Those are the big questions in life. 19:11 The Bible answers those questions. 19:14 It helps us develop a worldview of where we came from, 19:17 what we're doing here, 19:19 and where we're going. 19:20 Abraham Lincoln said, 19:21 "I believe the Bible is the best gift 19:22 "that God has ever given to man. 19:25 "All the good from the savior of the world 19:27 "is communicated to us through this book." 19:31 George Mueller said, 19:32 "The vigor of our spiritual life 19:35 "will be in exact proportion 19:36 "to the place held by the Bible 19:39 "in our thoughts and in our life." 19:41 The vigor of our spiritual life 19:43 will be in proportion to the high place of the Bible 19:46 in our lives. 19:48 What warnings regarding the Bible are given in scripture? 19:52 What warnings regarding Bible study, I'm sorry, 19:54 are given in the scriptures? 19:56 Answer, 19:57 2nd Timothy 2:15. 19:59 It said, "Be diligent to present yourself 20:02 "approved to God, rightly dividing the word of truth." 20:06 Now, the reason I'm emphasizing this 20:08 is because I think all of us know 20:11 that Christianity is the most divided religion 20:14 in the world. 20:16 You don't have as many different divisions in Judaism, 20:18 or Islam as you have, 20:19 or Buddhism as you have in Christianity. 20:21 There are more different teachings and divisions, 20:24 this was never God's plan. 20:25 Do you know why there are so many different ideas? 20:28 Because a lot of people 20:29 are not reading the whole word of God. 20:32 And it also tells us, 20:33 "In all of his epistles, 20:35 "there are some things that are hard to understand 20:38 "which those who are untaught and unstable 20:40 "twist to their own destruction, 20:42 "as they do the rest of the scriptures." 20:45 In the last days, we especially need to know, 20:47 because is Satan going to impersonate Christ? 20:50 Then Jesus say they'll be false Christs and false prophets. 20:53 Do you think those false Christs 20:54 are gonna quote from the Bible? 20:57 They are. 20:58 And they may misquote. 20:59 And most people will not spot it. 21:02 It's like so many people think, 21:03 "God helps those that help themselves." 21:05 Is in the Bible. 21:06 It's not in the Bible. 21:07 It's Benjamin Franklin. 21:08 There's a lot of people that, 21:10 they think they know the Bible 21:11 and they don't really study it. 21:13 And they're gonna be sitting ducks for the devil, 21:15 in the last days. 21:17 I heard that a tourist was visiting Yellowstone 21:21 and they got signs everywhere. 21:23 It says, "Please do not feed the bears." 21:25 And this man who was there for the first time, 21:28 he saw this line of cars coming in, 21:30 the bears were coming up to the windows. 21:32 And this may have been several years ago. 21:34 And the tourists were feeding the bears, 21:36 they had snacks and cookies and things they had. 21:38 And the cute little black beers would come up 21:40 and they'd stick something through the window 21:41 and they'd eat it. 21:42 And then they'd snap a bunch of pictures. 21:44 This man walked over to a park ranger 21:46 and he said, "You got signs everywhere, 21:47 "it says don't feed the bears, 21:49 "but it looks like the tourists are ignoring the signs 21:51 "and feeding the bears." 21:52 And he says, "Yeah, it's very dangerous for one thing, 21:54 "'cause sometimes the bears become ugly. 21:57 "They expect to be fed. 21:59 "And if you don't feed them, 21:59 "they'll try and take it." 22:01 So the other thing 22:02 is that they don't learn to feed themselves. 22:04 And when winter comes says, 22:07 "We go around with a forklift 22:08 "and we pick up the frozen bodies of the bears that starved 22:12 "because they got so used to the snacks 22:14 "that the tourist gave them, 22:15 "they did not know how to feed themselves good bear food." 22:19 And that's what's happening in the world today, 22:20 is we're so used to just getting a little dessert every week 22:25 from the preacher. 22:26 People are not studying the Bible for themselves 22:28 in their home. 22:30 You cannot survive on a snack once a week 22:33 that the pastor gives you. 22:34 We need to learn to feed ourselves, amen. 22:37 Read our Bibles. 22:40 What happened when Jesus explained the scriptures 22:42 to the two discouraged disciples 22:44 on the road to Emmaus? 22:46 They said, "Did not our hearts burn." 22:49 We all want that heavenly heartburn, don't we? 22:51 "Did not our hearts burn within us 22:53 "while he talked with us on the road, 22:55 "and while he opened the scriptures to us." 22:57 I've heard sermons many times before 22:59 where I'm hearing the preacher. 23:01 And I say, 23:02 "You know, I don't think it's the preacher anymore. 23:03 "I think God is speaking to me through those words." 23:06 And you can feel this resonating heartburn, 23:09 the Spirit is going, 23:10 "Yes, yes, that's true." 23:13 Sometimes it's conviction, 23:14 but if you love the truth, you're happy for it. 23:18 And that's what God wants us to experience. 23:22 And then question 16. 23:25 After these two disciples knew that Jesus was alive 23:28 and heard him explain the prophecies. 23:30 What did they do? 23:31 Once the word of God is open to you, 23:33 it's like when I was up in the cave, 23:35 and I was praying and said, 23:35 "Lord, this is good news. 23:37 "I just feel like I should tell people." 23:39 The first thing you wanna do is tell others. 23:41 And even though the sun had gone down 23:43 and it was dark, 23:45 and they were hungry, 23:47 they dropped what they were doing, 23:48 and they went all the way back, seven miles, 23:50 back to Jerusalem 23:52 to tell their friends in the upper room, 23:53 the good news that Jesus was alive. 23:56 They could not keep them to themselves. 23:59 Well friends, 24:00 it's more important now 24:01 than it ever has been 24:04 that we acquaint ourselves with the word of God, 24:07 because I believe we're living in the last days. 24:10 You know, several years ago, 24:11 John, and Angie, and I, 24:12 had been involved in evangelism. 24:14 We worked together and we were doing some meetings 24:17 in Northern California. 24:19 And I was speaking at a seminar like this in Redding, 24:22 but I needed to be speaking the next morning 24:25 in Crescent city. 24:26 I said, "Well, we're in the plane. 24:28 "We'll fly over there." 24:29 It's a long drive, 24:30 it's a short flight. 24:33 So John and Angie reluctantly got in an airplane with me 24:37 and we took off and we began to fly. 24:40 And I've made trips like that across Mendocino Forest 24:43 and Trinity Alps many times. 24:44 And I thought, "No problem." 24:46 Along the way you get up there, 24:48 and all you see is a sea of trees. 24:49 There's no roads, there's no railroad track, 24:51 there's no towns. 24:52 (indistinct) It's a sea of trees. 24:55 And I'm following what I thought was my VOR radio. 24:58 But the radio was out at Crescent City 25:00 and I realized, "Oh, I don't know where I'm at." 25:03 And I pull out a map, 25:04 and there's no landmarks, 25:05 and I'm trying to keep them calm. 25:07 I said, "You know, I think the radio's out at Crescent city 25:10 "and I've been following this false signal. 25:12 "And I don't know where I am." 25:14 Hadn't been watching my compass. 25:16 So I said, "Well, I know that it's at the end of this river. 25:19 'So you guys just hang tight. 25:21 "I'll fly under the cloud." 25:22 Some fog had come in on the coast and I said, 25:24 "I'll go underneath the fog. 25:26 "I'll fly up this canyon, at the end of the canyon, 25:28 "it'll be Crescent City we'll land." 25:30 So I drop down below the clouds and I'm flying. 25:33 You got mountains on one side, mountain... 25:35 This is very dangerous, 25:36 don't do this. 25:37 Mountains on one side, mountains, 25:39 clouds above you. 25:42 And I looked back and I saw Angie was sleeping. 25:44 I said, "Well, I'm glad Angie could relax." 25:46 And John's clinging to his arm rest. 25:47 He said, "She fainted." 25:49 (congregation laughing) 25:51 It's true. 25:53 I got to the end of the mountains. 25:54 All of a sudden I got nothing under me but ocean. 25:57 And we're heading to Japan, 25:58 which I wanted to see, 25:59 but I didn't have enough gas. 26:02 And I realized, 26:03 "Oh man, I gotta go back up through the clouds." 26:05 So I pulled up and all of a sudden everything's white. 26:10 You don't know, 26:11 you can't see anything. 26:12 You can't see out your window. 26:14 And I thought, "I'll just pull up through the clouds." 26:16 And it was taken a long time to get up through the clouds. 26:18 And I thought, "I better look at my instruments." 26:20 I looked at my instruments and it said, 26:22 "You are turning and you are going down." 26:26 I thought, I didn't feel like I'm turning. 26:28 So I feel like I'm doing okay, 26:30 but they drill it in you 26:31 when you take your flight training, 26:32 trust your instruments. 26:36 And so I said, ah, I turned it, 26:38 and I pulled back, 26:39 and I gave it the gas, 26:40 and I fought the, 26:41 and it felt now like I was turning, 26:43 but the instrument said, 26:44 "Now you're level and you're climbing." 26:46 And I just stayed on that course. 26:48 I came up out of the clouds 26:49 and there was a mountain just to the left 26:51 that we would've hit. 26:53 If I had not resisted the urge to follow my feeling 26:56 and follow my instruments. 26:58 Friends, only way we're gonna get out of this alive 27:00 is by following the word of God. 27:01 That is our instrument, amen? 27:03 (soothing music) 27:07 - [Announcer] Don't forget 27:09 to request today's life-changing free resource. 27:11 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail, 27:13 you can download a digital copy straight to your computer 27:16 or mobile device. 27:17 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, 27:20 simply text the keyword on your screen to 40544, 27:24 or visit the web address shown on your screen, 27:27 and be sure to select the digital download option 27:29 on the request page. 27:30 It's now easier than ever for you to study God's word 27:34 with amazing facts, 27:35 wherever and whenever you want. 27:37 And most important, to share it with others. 27:44 And thank you for your continued support. 27:47 As we take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world, 27:50 we hope you'll join us next week. 27:51 As we delve deep into the word of God 27:54 to explore more amazing facts. 27:57 (soothing music) 28:21 This presentation was brought to you 28:23 by the Friends of the Amazing Facts Ministry. |
Revised 2022-09-27