Participants:
Series Code: BTLP
Program Code: BTLP000091A
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00:40 Hello and welcome to Behold the Lamb Presents.
00:42 I'm Chris Shelton, your host, 00:44 and I'm so thankful and grateful 00:46 that you have chosen to take this time to study with us. 00:50 Pastor Kenny has prepared a message that is entitled 00:53 "What is a historic Adventist." 00:57 What is a historic Christian? 00:59 You know, many times over the years, 01:00 we begin to equate certain terminology 01:03 with red flags that go up 01:04 and we wonder what it is exactly. 01:07 Today, I truly believe you're going to find out 01:09 just what that word historic means 01:13 when it is used in conjunction with Adventism 01:16 or any other Christian 01:18 when we call ourselves historic. 01:20 But before we do that, 01:21 we are so blessed to go to the 3ABN Worship Center 01:24 and we're going to listen to a song 01:26 sung by Rudy Micelli and it is entitled, 01:29 "I Will Live For You." 01:53 I was lost in darkness 01:57 Never knowing where to turn 02:02 I thought I had all the answers 02:06 But I had so much to learn 02:11 Like a child, I had gone astray 02:16 Trying to make it on my own 02:21 Like a father, You embraced me 02:26 And You showed the way back home 02:30 And now that I know 02:34 The truth that you proclaim 02:40 I will keep trusting You to fill me up 02:46 Til only You remain 02:49 And I will not rest until my every word 02:55 Brings glory to your name 02:59 In all that I am, all that I do 03:03 I live for You 03:24 Only You could save me 03:28 From the debt I had to pay 03:34 And now I want to tell the world 03:38 The difference You have made 03:43 You have changed the way I live and love 03:48 And made my heart brand new 03:53 Now that we are joined together 03:57 I know I'm nothing without You 04:01 And now that I know 04:05 The truth that you proclaim 04:11 I will keep trusting You to fill me up 04:17 Til only You remain 04:21 And I will not rest until my every word 04:27 Brings glory to your name 04:30 In all that I am, in all that I do 04:35 I live for You 04:40 Now that I know 04:43 The truth that you proclaim 04:50 Lord, I will keep trusting You to fill me up 04:55 Til only You remain 04:59 And I will not rest until my every word 05:05 Brings glory to Your name 05:09 In all that I am, in all that I do 05:13 I live for You 05:19 In all that I am, in all that I do 05:26 I live for You 05:44 Here I am I live for You 06:01 Thank you for joining us once again, Behold the Lamb. 06:03 We really appreciate you, we really appreciate your love, 06:05 your support, the questions that you have, 06:08 you know, from week to week 06:09 we really enjoy those cards and those letters. 06:10 Keep coming... 06:12 You know, send those things in. 06:13 We do our best to get back. 06:14 We realize sometimes it takes quite a bit of time, 06:16 seems like we get sidetracked on some issues. 06:18 But you are important, we want you to know that 06:20 and we praise God for you. 06:22 Now today is very, very... 06:23 To me, it's an interesting subject 06:25 because I've heard it talked about for many years. 06:27 We'll go into it a little bit deeper as we go. 06:29 But, you know, what is, sermon title, 06:31 what is a historic Adventist? 06:34 And I want to put Christian on that, but you'll see why... 06:38 As we study, why I use the word Adventist on there and historic 06:41 because some people look at it with distain. 06:44 It's almost like it's a bad ugly word 06:47 and I'm going to try to figure out 06:48 is it really a bad word, 06:50 is it really something that pertains to us 06:51 and if it's good, then let's accept it. 06:54 If not, then we're going to throw it out. 06:56 Before we get into study, 06:57 we always pray and I'm going invite you 06:58 to pray with me. 07:00 I'm going to kneel up here. 07:02 There would be those who will be listening by CD, 07:04 they'd be watching around the world 07:05 and sometime you can kneel, but also you can pray. 07:08 So let's pray together, shall we? 07:13 Merciful God in heaven, 07:14 You know today we need Your help once again. 07:17 So we come to our Father in heaven who loves us 07:19 with an everlasting love, 07:21 one who's promised to be with us and to help us, 07:23 to sustain us and so we ask for divine favor right now 07:26 as we open the precious book called the Bible. 07:30 We pray Your Holy Spirit will come alive 07:32 to each and every one of us. 07:34 May we realize there's a message in it for us, 07:36 all of these beautiful truths, 07:37 they're for us and for our children. 07:39 Bless us now we pray 07:41 with the power of Thy Holy Spirit. 07:43 Bless every aspect of it and take some, I would say, 07:46 the jumbled up mess I'm about to make and I pray 07:48 You straighten it out by the power of the Holy Spirit 07:51 that Your precious people will hear 07:52 only that which they need to hear. 07:54 Bless us now we pray to this 07:55 and we're going to thank You in advance in Jesus' name. 07:57 Amen. 08:01 Again, those of you who have your Bible, you know, 08:03 and those of you who are sitting around in 08:04 that Your chair, it's nice to have a pencil 08:05 and jot some things down, then you can go back. 08:08 And I always say see if the preacher is telling you 08:09 the truth or not. 08:11 I always like to check everything I hear, 08:12 I always listen my ear and I say, 08:14 "Oh, is that truth based upon..." What? 08:15 "Based upon the Word of God." 08:17 So what is a historic Adventist? 08:22 What does that really mean to you or to me? 08:25 You know, if you say historic, 08:27 that's really not a bad word to me, 08:29 but I know in Adventism it's become a bad word, 08:32 it's like it's a group way over here somewhere 08:34 and they're not going along with the main group. 08:37 But what has happened? 08:38 Who has cut off this little word called historic 08:41 and does it really apply to us today? 08:44 It's very interesting. 08:45 If I say historic, 08:46 what does that word remind you of? 08:49 Could it be just history? 08:51 Simple word would be history, 08:53 and history is simply just 08:55 something that's established by history. 08:58 So far, historic is not too bad. 09:01 Historic then is something that is established by history, 09:05 it's evidence of fact. 09:08 Think about that. 09:10 It's evidence of facts, so it can't be all bad. 09:13 And so we're going to look at it. 09:15 Where did this word historic come in? 09:18 Where did it... 09:19 Well, I think maybe it'd be interesting 09:22 when you say historic or historical position. 09:25 You know, in the religious world, 09:26 we realize there's really three interpretations of 09:30 when you talk about Bible prophecy, 09:32 Revelation and the Book of Daniel 09:35 and many in the world... 09:36 And let's try to make it just as short and simple as we can. 09:39 Many of the faiths of the world today 09:42 believe that, as it were the Book of Daniel, 09:45 all of Revelation has already taken place 09:48 so it doesn't matter anymore you see. 09:51 And then you have a group of people who are... 09:54 They call themselves futurist. 09:56 They believe that the Book of Revelation 09:58 as it were is going to be down the road some time, 10:01 maybe a little bit has been fulfilled 10:02 but the majority of it has been, you know, 10:05 will be fulfilled in a future time. 10:07 And then you have the historic Adventist 10:11 as it were Christians, historic... 10:13 What does it simply mean? 10:15 They believe in the fulfillment of prophecy, 10:18 especially of Revelation and it extends, notice that, 10:21 through the Christian era until Jesus comes. 10:24 Think about which one you might want to belong to 10:27 'cause Adventism belongs to a certain one, 10:30 historic position would simply mean that what? 10:32 You simply believe that the prophecy as it extends 10:37 through the Christian era 10:38 and all the way till Jesus comes. 10:40 Does that make sense? 10:41 Prophecies being fulfilled, right? 10:43 Not all of it, 10:45 and will continue till Jesus comes. 10:47 That's a pretty good... 10:48 And you use history that bears fact to prophecy 10:52 and so on and so forth. 10:54 Seventh-day Adventists have applied the term historic, 10:59 historicism, they've applied that to the use of, 11:03 for instance, a day, year Bible principle. 11:06 Say, we know, the 2,300 days to give you an example, 11:09 2,300 days, 2,300 day years, we'd look at the proverb. 11:13 That's talking about the Adventist 11:15 has used this word in. 11:17 As denomination we have used this word, 11:20 but now it seems to be again a little bit taboo 11:23 and I'm trying to figure out why it would be. 11:25 Seventh-day Adventists or historians 11:28 tell me that they use history, we understand that, 11:31 to interpret the prophecies of both Daniel and Revelation. 11:36 We use that position, we believe that. 11:40 In fact, in the very beginning, there was an Adventism, 11:42 there was a group called the Research Committee, 11:47 and later they called the Committee 11:50 on Bible study and research. 11:52 So they kind of change their name of the group 11:55 that come together to study the prophecies 11:57 and kind of lay it out where maybe we could 11:59 all kind of understand it and go, but you know what? 12:02 In the early stages of this committee, 12:06 I call it the older committee, interesting, 12:09 there was given this adjective historical. 12:13 So this group in Adventism 12:16 started with this word of historical 12:19 because they found so much 12:21 that had taken place in history. 12:24 If we look at the life of Christ 12:26 and study the life of Christ, 12:27 say for an example, do we not use His history? 12:31 We go back to where He was born and, you know, 12:33 so on and so forth, and when He was born and so, 12:36 we look at this... 12:37 So Adventist then has used this term, 12:41 you know, for many years, 12:42 I think 1938 was when some of these committees 12:45 were established. 12:46 So somehow, we've used these words, 12:48 but something has happened 12:50 to turn things around a little bit 12:52 and to identify certain ones and say, 12:54 well, they're not with us. 12:56 Is it possible that maybe we have missed something 12:59 along the line? 13:01 Is it possible? 13:02 So my question then comes back then, 13:05 what is a historic Adventist? 13:08 What is a historic Christian? 13:10 What does it really mean to be one? 13:12 And if someone came to you today and say, 13:14 "Well, you're a historic Christian." 13:16 Well, some people get all up in arms. 13:18 "Well, I'm not." 13:21 Well, are you or aren't you because you're going to use 13:23 the one form or the other where it's talking about 13:25 three main forms of Bible interpretation. 13:29 You're going to be using the one that what? 13:31 That's already been fulfilled. 13:33 You're going to use the one that says, 13:34 "Oh, it's going to be... 13:36 It's in the future yet." 13:37 Or you're going to be grabbing a hold of one that says, 13:39 "I believe that it's been being fulfilled 13:41 from the beginning of time and will last until Jesus comes 13:45 so we can use history to go with the Bible 13:47 to prove what is true." 13:49 You'll have to choose one of those. 13:51 That's basically the three main ones. 13:53 What are we talking about when we say historic? 13:57 And I'm not trying to leave anyone else out today, 13:59 but I know in Adventism we have to look at the words 14:01 that we understand that are used in... 14:04 A historic Seventh-day... 14:06 People are writing articles all the time. 14:07 "I'm a historic Seventh-day Adventist." 14:09 And some people look them and say, "Can you believe that? 14:12 Can you believe that?" 14:14 Well, why not? 14:17 You know, we look at the facts in historic Adventism, 14:19 we understand now already that the word historic 14:22 came from the movement to begin with. 14:25 So what has changed that we no longer 14:27 maybe can say that? 14:30 Something must have changed. 14:32 I've heard these words for many, many years. 14:35 I heard them strong in the '70s, 14:38 strong in the '80s, 14:40 and strong till the middle of the '90s 14:42 and then it seemed to kind of taper off just a little bit. 14:46 The movement was not as strong and you didn't hear 14:48 so much about, you know, the historic question. 14:52 I heard it loud and clear 14:55 and then it seemed to quite down 14:57 as something been lost sight of. 14:59 See, I'm a believer we live in a time where the truth, 15:02 there's still truths that we have, right? 15:04 We've got to get the dust off of them, 15:06 raise them back up because somebody puts down 15:09 certain group or certain words, 15:11 is it something we really should 15:13 or does it bear fact to something that we need 15:16 here in these last days? 15:18 Could we just say, 15:20 "Oh, well, the historic Adventist... 15:21 It's just another teaching, you know, 15:23 that we really don't want to deal with anymore"? 15:26 It's a teaching that some to have seem to overdue, 15:29 you know, something overdone, you know, something overcooked, 15:31 it doesn't taste very well. 15:33 It might be a nice word, but have we overcooked it? 15:36 And maybe we have it, you know, because there... 15:39 Or is it a teaching or is it a word 15:42 that has no biblical backing? 15:45 I think maybe that it just might have. 15:47 Let's examine... 15:49 I'm gonna call it. 15:50 Let's examine this subject or some will say 15:52 let's examine this word. 15:54 See what God has to say about it. 15:57 And remember, some of you 15:59 may have never heard this before. 16:02 You may have heard it and then you thought, 16:04 "Well, you know, I don't know. 16:07 I haven't come to any conclusion 16:09 about it yet." 16:10 This is what some might say. 16:11 "Well, we heard it, but we're not sure. 16:13 I haven't come to any kind of conclusion." 16:14 Or some again I mention come to look at this word historic 16:20 and with distain that if you call yourself 16:23 historic Adventist or Christian, 16:26 it's a naughty word 16:27 and we should not use that word, historic. 16:30 Well, let's see. 16:31 So where does a person start? 16:34 Where do you start with a study like this? 16:37 Is it something that maybe we need to be remember 16:42 or is it something that maybe we need to discuss 16:45 especially at the end of time? 16:47 See, we're going to be 16:48 with one group or another group, 16:50 or we're going to be a part of this 16:51 or we're going to be a part of that, 16:52 we're going to take our stand for something. 16:55 Well, they say if you don't take a stand for something, 16:57 what you do? 16:58 Fall for everything. 16:59 And we don't want to do that. 17:01 We got to take a stand here on these issues. 17:02 And I would say, at least in my opinion, 17:04 a good start would be with what God tells us 17:07 in His Word in Jeremiah 6:16. 17:11 Jeremiah 6:16. 17:14 Here's, I think, a good beginning for us 17:17 to look at this issue because number one, 17:20 I've heard over and over and over 17:23 and some people mention the word, it's... 17:25 Again, I can't say it enough, it's like it's with distain, 17:28 if the person belongs to... 17:30 If they call themselves historic, 17:32 we don't want anything to do with them. 17:34 We need to wake up. 17:36 See how it was originated and does it apply today. 17:39 The Bible says this, Jeremiah 6:16. 17:43 It says, "Stand ye in the ways, 17:46 and see, and ask for the old..." What? 17:50 Good. 17:52 "Ask for the old paths, where is the good way, 17:55 and walk therein..." 17:56 Do you notice what the Bible says here? 17:58 We need to ask for what? 18:01 The old paths, 18:02 and when I start thinking about old paths, 18:04 I start thinking about history. 18:07 I start thinking about the beginning. 18:09 Isn't creation, could we call it, 18:12 something to do with history? 18:14 Historical? Is it not? 18:16 We go back to the beginning and we find creation days, 18:19 one, two, three, four, five, six. 18:20 So we go back in history and to recount what is true. 18:24 So maybe it's not so bad so far when we look at it. 18:28 God says, I'm looking for a people 18:30 who's going to go back on that old path 18:32 where it was started, 18:34 instead of new paths 18:36 that some people are carving out now. 18:37 Some people are cutting new paths 18:39 that they call new truth and they're not truths. 18:42 They're truth and error mixed together. 18:45 They're taking people and confusing us 18:47 in these last days to get us off track. 18:51 Another example in Isaiah 58:12. 18:55 One of the most familiar passages, 18:57 it should be to Adventist and to all Christians, 19:00 Isaiah 58:12. 19:03 Notice what the Bible said." 19:04 And they that shall be of thee shall..." What? 19:09 Build what kind of new places? 19:11 "The old waste places..." 19:14 Why have they become waste? 19:16 Because people have been covering them over 19:19 with traditions and we think this is true 19:21 and let's get rid of, you know, 19:23 that which is the old ways places. 19:25 "Thou shalt raise up the foundations of many..." 19:27 What? 19:29 "Generations. 19:30 thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach..." 19:33 Notice the words. 19:34 "The restorer of paths to dwell in." 19:39 Did you notice that? 19:41 We read in Jeremiah, did we not? 19:43 That God is calling a distinct people 19:46 to go back and to occupy the old paths. 19:50 Isaiah says right here 19:52 we need to be called a people who is restoring the what? 19:56 The paths to dwell in. 19:58 It's a path, you know. 20:00 When we're going someplace, 20:01 there's a heavy thick brush all around, 20:03 we have the tendency to go where it looks like 20:05 maybe even a deer might have went, you know, 20:07 it's something that animals have walked through. 20:10 We like to have a path, 20:12 we feel a little bit more confident 20:14 when there's a path. 20:15 We feel a little bit more confident 20:16 that somebody has been down there before me. 20:19 It's not lead me in a bad place, 20:20 it's opening something up to me. 20:23 God said, "I need you to go down that old path. 20:26 The path that used to be open wide. 20:28 The teachings that used to be so clear and so right." 20:30 The man has come in now and all of a sudden, 20:32 there's a lot of vinery, there's a lot of greenery, 20:36 there's a lot of shrubs that's growing up now 20:38 and covering the path, 20:39 and I'm not sure which way to go. 20:42 You know, there's lot of times down 20:43 that how sometime when you're not bush hogging, 20:47 you know, cleaning the property, 20:48 you know, away, 20:50 all of a sudden the path that you used to do 20:51 your four-wheeling on, when you go to a certain place, 20:53 you look as though, "Oh, I don't know if it's... 20:55 This looks less like maybe we went this way maybe, 20:58 you know..." 20:59 We become undecided and we take a path 21:02 and sometimes that leads in the wrong direction. 21:04 We need to know a clear path to travel, the old path... 21:09 Isaiah says that we need to do that. 21:11 I'm going to read something else. 21:13 This is from Review and Herald, October 13, 1891. 21:17 Listen carefully. 21:18 It's reading, but listen carefully 21:20 how this gels with what we've been talking about. 21:22 Here we just mentioned about 21:24 "Here are they that..." Do what? 21:26 "Shall be of thee shall build the old waste places." 21:28 There's going to be a group of people 21:30 who have a specific message to give to the world, 21:32 they're going to restore 21:33 that which has been taken away 21:35 you see, that which is they say, 21:37 "Well, we no longer have to remember 21:39 the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 21:40 We no longer have to remember to keep the seventh day holy." 21:43 God said people are going to come by and say, 21:44 "Hey, this is the truth." 21:46 This is the old path. Let's get back to it." 21:48 Notice. 21:50 "Here are given the characteristics 21:51 of those who shall be reformers, 21:54 who will bear the banner of the third angel's message, 21:58 those who avow themselves 21:59 to God's commandment-keeping people." 22:02 You know, how many of us really have avowed ourselves to say, 22:04 I want to be a part 22:05 of God's commandment-keeping people? 22:08 See, if you don't, 22:09 you're saying then I want to be a part of, 22:11 you know, those who don't keep the commandments of God. 22:14 You either have to get on one side or the other. 22:15 We either say, "Yes, we understand all 10 22:18 and by God's grace, we want to keep those." 22:20 Or you're saying, "I don't want to." 22:22 Or you're saying, 22:23 "I want to keep eight or nine of them." 22:25 That's still not sufficient. 22:26 So He's calling us back to remind us of this notice. 22:30 "We need to be earnestly engaged, 22:32 in the sight of all the universe, 22:34 in building up the old waste places..." 22:37 Now here's a question. 22:39 Who is it that calls them to be repairers of the breach? 22:44 "Oh, the church called me to be a repairer of the breach. 22:47 Well, Mr. Jones said 22:48 I need to be a repairer of the breach." 22:50 No, it's God that calls you and me 22:52 to be repairers of the breach. 22:54 It is God that calls us. 22:57 Isn't that wonderful to know that God has called you? 22:58 Isn't it wonderful to know 23:00 that God trust you enough, Mary? 23:02 God trusts you enough, Brother Mark. 23:03 And He said, I'm calling them to be repairers of the breach, 23:07 to bring back that which was the original 23:10 that has been covered by these traditions of man. 23:12 Oh, I'm telling you, 23:14 we've got to get back to that right now. 23:16 But remember, what I'm talking about here, 23:18 this has to do with historic, the historic part. 23:23 How did we start out? 23:25 What were the truths that we started out with? 23:28 If we don't want to be part of the historic part 23:31 then that means what? 23:32 That means some things maybe have changed. 23:33 Who changed them? 23:35 Who changed our teachings? 23:36 God is calling us right here now 23:38 to get back to the way He set it up 23:41 in the beginning in this movement. 23:43 I think that makes sense to me to return. 23:47 To return, I like that it. 23:49 You know, it said, "Who is it that calls them 23:51 repairers of the breach, 23:52 restorers of the paths to dwell in? 23:54 It is God." Notice. 23:55 "Their names are registered in heaven 23:58 as reformers, restorers, 24:00 and raising the foundations of many generations." 24:03 I love that. 24:04 That's what I want to be called. 24:06 I know that's what you want to be called. 24:07 Don't you want to be called a restorer? 24:09 Where we set things back. 24:11 There's people who do furniture, 24:14 they restore it into the what? 24:16 Supposedly the original, the way that it was. 24:19 Oh, they're a good restorer. 24:21 We should be referred to as restorers, 24:24 we're restoring the full gospel message 24:26 that was given to us in the beginning 24:29 and we're talking about history here, 24:31 we're talking about being historic. 24:34 Interesting. 24:35 If it says... 24:37 Think this over. 24:38 If it says we need to return, what does that mean to you? 24:44 If it says, return, that means I must have departed. 24:47 If it says, return, that must have mean, 24:48 I've got off the path. 24:51 I must be going in the wrong direction 24:52 because the Bible says, we got to return 24:57 back to the way that it was. 24:59 We've got to return. 25:01 Is it possible? 25:02 My thought again. 25:04 Is it possible that God would have us to climb 25:07 higher than ever before by faith? 25:10 Is it possible that God wants us to go farther 25:12 than we've ever went before in our walk with Him? 25:16 Is it possible God wants us to understand more 25:18 in these last days than any other group 25:20 has ever understood before because we're in the last days? 25:24 Somebody say yes. 25:26 Yes. 25:27 He wants us by faith to go higher, 25:30 He wants us by faith, you see, to go farther. 25:34 He wants us by faith to go deeper than we ever had 25:36 in the Word of God, 25:38 the message of the three angels, 25:39 the gospel given to the world, the truth of God's Word, 25:43 dig deep is what the Bible says. 25:46 And how shallow diggers we are sometime. 25:50 And God would say, you need to go deep right now, 25:53 deeper than any group that has gone in the past. 25:57 Listen, we may make mistakes, we may fail as human beings, 26:01 but I'll tell you this, God's Word, 26:03 His truth never fails. 26:06 The truth never fails. 26:08 Truth is truth, it stays the same 26:10 even though we look at it today and say, 26:12 "Well, it seems like these things 26:13 that we were taught in the beginning." 26:15 I've been around a long time. 26:16 I've seen a lot of things happen in Adventism. 26:18 I don't know about you. 26:20 I know some others been in a long time, 26:22 and it saddens my heart many times 26:24 for people to say, it's not like it used to be. 26:28 My thought is why not? 26:30 What has changed? 26:32 If it's not like it used to be, then who's changed what? 26:38 Does that make sense to anybody? 26:42 If it was right in the beginning, 26:45 this is what you were taught 26:47 when you accepted the responsibility 26:49 of being called of God, to be a restorer, 26:51 in other words, bring these truths back 26:53 to the forefront 26:54 where the devil has tried to put them down. 26:57 And now they say, "Well, it's just not the same. 26:59 We don't hear that old story anymore. 27:02 We don't hear those messages anymore." 27:04 Why not? 27:06 What is wrong? 27:07 Has the enemy come in and deceived us to the point 27:10 where it doesn't matter? 27:11 No, it does matter, you know it matters. 27:15 We need to be praying about what these old paths are. 27:18 Does that make sense? 27:20 If we don't know the old paths... 27:21 I'll mention a few of them in just a moment and they'll be 27:24 just as simple as they can be, but these are the old paths, 27:26 these are what was given to us 27:28 in the very beginning of this movement. 27:30 This has been our job description, 27:32 and I think we've lost the job description. 27:34 God have mercy on us. 27:36 Let's pray, church, what God say... 27:39 What are these old paths? 27:42 What is that old path that God wants me to return to? 27:46 Will He give us the answer if we cry out, 27:48 "God, I want to know what they are. 27:51 I want to know what it's about?" 27:54 Or do we care enough to ask? 27:58 Simple thing we can do is just ask, 28:01 even if you don't want to ask, tell God, "I don't want to ask, 28:04 I really don't want to know, but I know I should do it." 28:08 Watch what God will do. 28:09 At least, do it, ask God what is it. 28:12 Do we really care enough about this path that we are on? 28:16 The Book of Isaiah... 28:18 I was talking about the old passage, I can't do it. 28:21 Isaiah, just jot it down, 2:3, 28:24 because I look at the paths and I recognize that 28:27 there is a good path and then there is an evil path. 28:30 The evil path looks somewhat like the good path. 28:33 We have to be very careful. 28:35 Isaiah 2:3 talks about, 28:36 it just simply says 28:37 walk in the path, the righteous path. 28:40 Walk in the right path. 28:43 Just get that down. Then there is a bad path. 28:45 Isaiah 59:8. 28:48 Isaiah 59:8. 28:51 You know what that path is called? 28:53 It's called the crooked path. 28:56 See, we are counseled to walk in the what? 28:59 The straight path, and then the Bible said, 29:01 "Be careful, Kenny, that's not the straight path. 29:04 That's the crooked path." 29:05 You know, how it's winding you back and forth 29:06 and pretty soon you become confused, 29:08 you don't know if it's north, south, east, or west. 29:10 You become so confused, 29:12 you can't find your way out of it. 29:14 We get that way as we get older some time. 29:17 Before my mother passed away and my stepdad Earl, 29:21 she called one time and she said, 29:23 "Well, I'll tell you. We've had a big day." 29:24 I said, "What did you do, mom?" 29:25 She said, "Oh, we went to Walmart 29:27 and we got turned around. 29:28 We couldn't find our way out." 29:30 Okay, it's all right. 29:32 You're not there yet but maybe one of these days you will be. 29:37 They got turned around. 29:38 See, that sounds ridiculous and... 29:40 No, it can happen. 29:42 On that path, we're not talking about them... 29:44 The crooked path that the devil has, 29:47 there's a straight path. 29:49 "Oh, that's too easy. That's not a challenge. 29:51 I'll take the crooked path. 29:52 I'll make it there before you will." 29:54 No. 29:56 That crooked path will go like this 29:57 and looks like it's going this way, 29:59 before you know, it is so far out there, 30:01 you never get back. 30:03 That's what the Bible said, Isaiah 59:8, 30:05 "Beware of that crooked path." 30:07 And then you say, "Well, how about the straight path? 30:09 Does it really say it?" 30:11 Hebrews 12:13 said, "We need to stay on the straight path." 30:16 This is returning, 30:18 this is historic that we're talking about here. 30:22 We just need to ask God if you really are interested 30:25 in being on the right path. 30:27 Sad part today is many of us, we don't care 30:30 whether we stay on the right path or not, 30:32 just as some kind of a façade, some kind of... 30:34 Well, people think we're on the right path... 30:36 If you got to know that you're on the right path, 30:39 you've got to have assurance that you're on the right path. 30:42 You can't be guessing around and say, "Well, 30:44 they're on the right path and they're on the right path. 30:46 They're going to different direction than you are, 30:48 they're going to a different direction than these, 30:49 a different direction than you are." 30:51 Somebody is not on the right path. 30:53 Does that make sense? 30:55 Think about it with me. 30:58 Everybody is not on the right path. 31:02 The Bible said what? Narrow and straight is what? 31:04 Somebody help me. 31:05 It's the gate that leads to eternal life. 31:07 Narrow and what? 31:09 Straight is the gate that leads to eternal life. 31:12 And few there in the travel. 31:14 Broad and wide is a path that leads to destruction 31:17 and many therein. 31:20 You see, God is telling, He's warning, few. 31:23 So many... 31:26 That's as far as it goes. 31:28 Unless we don't care enough about to pray. 31:30 Lord, I want that old path. 31:32 I want to understand 31:34 what a historic Adventist is all about. 31:36 I want to know if we teach the same things today 31:38 that was brought to us by God in this movement. 31:41 If not, something's wrong. 31:45 We have to ask God to help... 31:46 The little book, that devotional, 31:47 "This Day With God." 31:49 I'm sure some of you have and you've read it. 31:50 Beautiful book. 31:52 "This Day With God," page 194 says this. 31:55 "There is not a single instance..." 31:58 A single what? 32:00 "In which God has hidden His face 32:02 from the supplication of His people. 32:07 When every other resource failed 32:10 He was a present help in every emergency." 32:14 Not one time when you ask in faith 32:16 believing has God ever let us down. 32:18 He's our ever... 32:20 When we've tried everything else, 32:21 we've tried everybody else, we've tried every church, 32:24 we've tried every preacher, we've tried everything. 32:27 You just go back and you try God, 32:30 He will not fail you. 32:32 He is our present help in every emergency. 32:36 These are emergency times, Brother Mark. I believe it. 32:41 The sirens are sounding. 32:44 When I hear a siren going off in town, 32:49 what does that do? 32:51 That makes your heart race just a little bit 32:52 because you know there's a fire, 32:54 you know there's an ambush, 32:55 somebody may have passed away, 32:56 somebody is in the process of it, 32:58 it means there's some danger. 33:02 We're in emergency times. 33:04 In fact, Psalms 46:1, notice what the Bible said. 33:08 You said, "Well, you're just talking about it." 33:09 No. the Bible said... 33:11 Here's the principles of God's Word. 33:13 Psalms 46:1. God is our refuge and our what? 33:18 Our strength. 33:19 Notice this, a very present help in trouble. 33:23 Is that what we just talked about? 33:25 The Bible says, "He's our present help 33:28 in time of trouble." 33:30 When you have trouble, He's your helper. 33:32 When you're in trouble, He's going to be there. 33:34 When you have trouble, He's the one that can help you. 33:37 You don't have to call Mr. Smith or... 33:38 It's okay to have people to pray, 33:40 but I'm telling you, the first one you call, 33:41 dial 911, is heaven. 33:44 That's who you call because God will be there 33:46 because He's my ever present help, 33:48 that means He's right there. He's right on time. 33:50 He knows exactly what's happened 33:52 before it happens 33:53 and He's just waiting on me and you to say, 33:55 "Oh, God, I need some help." 33:57 And He's never turned you down, He's never turned me down. 33:59 It may not work out the way you want it to or I want it to, 34:02 but God had a better plan than me and you 34:04 ever can ever have. 34:06 Psalm 37:40. Quickly. 34:08 Psalm 37:40. Notice. 34:11 "And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them." 34:13 See, I love that. 34:15 He's going to help and then He's going to deliver them. 34:17 "He shall deliver them from the wicked, 34:20 and save them, because they trust in him." 34:24 How is He going to work? How is He going to deliver you? 34:26 Because you trust in Him. 34:28 Say, you're trusting in the stock market? 34:30 Are you trusting in your neighbor? 34:31 Are you trusting in your landlord? 34:32 Are you trusting in the pastor or you trusting in, 34:34 don't trust... 34:35 Trust in God is what it is. 34:37 He's going to keep us from the wicked the Bible said, 34:40 He's going to save us because we trust in Him. 34:44 We can be sure... What's the point? 34:47 We can be sure that God is leading a people. 34:50 Who's part of this people? 34:51 Have we criticize and condemn some of them 34:54 who are God's people and we shut them out 34:57 and we shouldn't have 34:58 because we don't understand the issues? 35:01 Is it possible? 35:03 Sure, it is. 35:04 Many have been shut out. 35:07 People think 35:09 or they associate with the word, 35:11 this is what they are. 35:15 I don't have a problem and I know other people... 35:18 Might write letters and... Just go ahead. 35:20 Just have your day with it. 35:23 I want to believe in what I've studied here 35:27 that I want to be a historic Christian 35:30 historic Adventist. 35:35 He's leading us, 35:37 He's leading all of us on a path 35:41 and I believe the path is high above this world, 35:43 we need something beyond this world. 35:44 This is a mess we're in. And what is it? 35:48 It's an old path, it's a historic path of truth 35:52 of what He's given to us 35:54 as we read in the Spirit of Prophecy 35:56 that we need to keep these for the past 50 years, 35:58 these truths that God has given us 36:00 not a peg or pin is to be removed from these truths, 36:02 but somebody has been tampering with them. 36:05 Somebody has been messing with them. 36:09 But we have to know the difference. 36:13 We have to know the difference 36:14 'cause we know the enemy is going to work. 36:15 Where's he going to work? 36:17 We say, "Always in the church, is it not?" 36:22 He doesn't have to work real hard 36:23 for those who don't believe in keeping the commandments, 36:25 right? 36:31 But he's angry at those, Revelation 12:17... 36:34 What? 36:36 That keep the commandments of God 36:37 and have the testimony of Jesus Spirit of Prophecy. 36:39 Why? 36:40 Because he's exposed, 36:43 the enemy is exposed and his plan 36:45 to get rid of me and you. 36:48 Now what it says? 36:50 "Dragon was wroth with the woman 36:51 and went to make war with the remnant of her seed 36:53 who keep the commandments of God." 36:56 Oh, it's so simple, isn't it? 37:00 To be historic, get back to the past of righteousness, 37:07 get back to the historic truth of God's Word. 37:12 I've said over and over, you know it, truth is truth, 37:15 it never changes, it never waters down, 37:19 it never compromises. 37:21 You and I compromise truth sometimes. 37:23 God have mercy on our souls. 37:24 We should never compromise truth. 37:26 There's never a time to compromise truth. 37:28 There's never a time to say, 37:29 "Well, I did this wrong because I..." 37:33 No excuse. Why? 37:36 Because I have all of heaven on my side, 37:37 you have all of heaven on your side. 37:40 All of heaven will be empty 37:41 to help you in your time of need. 37:43 Think about it. 37:44 If that's what it takes to make sure you don't fall, 37:47 that you don't go against what God has said in his Word, 37:49 He'll empty heaven and bring it down to you and me. 37:51 That's awesome. 37:53 I'm not worth heaven coming down, 37:54 but I thank God that it did. 37:57 Heaven came down and glory filled my soul. 38:00 Heaven came down in the form of Jesus Christ 38:03 that we can be happy today. 38:05 We have to get back to what Jude 3:3 talks about 38:11 in the Word of God. 38:12 We've got to get back to these truths. 38:14 We need to learn to contend for the faith 38:17 once it get delivered to the saints. 38:19 Does that make sense? 38:21 I need to contend for it, I need to fight for it. 38:24 See, I need to stand for it, I need not back up. 38:28 See, people will back up today and compromise 38:30 and make sure everybody likes them 38:31 and loves them, whatever. 38:33 God's saying right now, 38:34 "You, Kenny, contend for the faith that I gave you." 38:38 This is what it's about. We've got to contend. 38:42 You know, if there is war, let there be war. 38:46 So what is the old historic pathway? 38:49 What are few of the teachings 38:52 of those who call themselves historic? 38:56 It's very simple. Now let's... 38:57 Again, people have ousted 39:00 and maybe there's other reasons why they have, 39:04 maybe because, you know, we can go extremes in any way, 39:06 we have to be balanced as Christians, 39:08 balanced in the Word, 39:09 balanced on the Spirit of Prophecy, 39:11 but sometimes we get off on a kick over here, historic. 39:13 And then we start including some other things 39:15 that are not in harmony with the Bible 39:17 and pretty soon everybody's labeled as. 39:20 But here are some teachings 39:22 of historic Christians should be 39:25 or historic Seventh-day Adventists, 39:27 say if you have a problem with it 39:28 or say you want to line up with it, 39:30 maybe you won't think a lot different 39:31 than you once did. 39:33 What is the old historic pathway? 39:36 A few of the teachings. 39:39 Historic pathway is truth about, 39:42 number one, the law of God. 39:45 Historic position... 39:47 A person who calls them historic Seventh-day Adventists 39:49 as one of their teachings is the law of God 39:53 and the binding of God's Ten Commandments. 39:56 It's the teaching of God His gift to His people, 40:00 it's about the love of God that He has for us, 40:03 His plan to protect us 40:05 as that's expressed in His commandments 40:08 and especially as we read there in Isaiah 58 40:11 that we talk about the seventh-day Sabbath, 40:13 which the papacy has covered up 40:15 and the Protestant world has covered up. 40:17 Nobody wants to uncover it, it's going to be inconvenient, 40:21 they can't go out and party 40:22 and have their big days on the Sabbath, 40:24 they can't go out and dance and smoke and drink... 40:26 Woo! Can anybody get me off of this? 40:33 Busiest days is Friday night and Sabbath, 40:38 everything going on on those days. 40:43 Think about it. 40:45 Big auctions and things they talk about, 40:47 selling houses and selling property. 40:49 Saturday it is. 40:52 You don't think the devil has a hand in. 40:54 I know he has a hand in it. 40:55 God said don't do those kind of things on his day. 40:59 Yeah. So part of the historic... 41:01 So if I say here's historic position, 41:04 if you have a problem with it, throw it out. 41:06 If you don't, so you know what? 41:07 Maybe I've got a little this, 41:09 and this is the way that Adventism, right? 41:11 Looks at Daniel and Revelation and the way it's interpreted 41:15 from the historical position. 41:17 And if you agree with Daniel and Revelation, the teachings, 41:19 then you going to say, 41:20 maybe I've got a little that in me. 41:23 The law of God, I believe that's one of the teachings, 41:25 there's no doubt about it. 41:28 The old past would certainly include... 41:30 I wish I had time to go into but I don't know, 41:32 giving of the three angels' message. 41:36 Historic Adventism is given the three angels' message. 41:38 Well, I'm a part of that so far. 41:43 Historic Adventism is giving of the sanctuary message. 41:48 Man, I'm a part of that. 41:50 I believe in the sanctuary message, 41:52 aren't you? 41:54 Somebody need to shout, we need to shout 41:55 because of the sanctuary, right? 41:57 The earthly sanctuary is a pattern of that 41:59 which is in heaven, it points us to what? 42:02 Jesus is our mediator. 42:04 It points to Him in the most holy place, 42:06 it's pointing to Him saying He's my what? 42:08 He's my sacrifice. Think about it. 42:13 How wonderful that is to know 42:14 that Jesus in the most holy place... 42:16 And we're in the judgment hour and He's pleading our cases 42:19 and it starts with a dead righteous 42:20 and goes to the living righteous 42:22 and once your name comes up and every name has come up, 42:26 it's all over, probation will close, 42:27 Jesus will come. 42:29 Well, it could be in that hour. Somebody needs to wake up. 42:33 Historic Adventism we'll be preaching, 42:35 we're in the hour of God's judgment 42:37 and we have been since 1844, that's a long time. 42:40 A lot longer than 120 years, 42:42 that you see before the flood came. 42:45 You think God's not having mercy? 42:46 'Cause He knows when this wraps up, 42:47 that's going to be all zeroed. 42:49 That means your children are going to get in with you 42:50 or they're not, 42:52 that means you're, you know... All of us. 42:54 Grandkids, you know, children, 42:56 whatever, it might be ourselves. 42:58 This is what the urgency about historic Adventism, 43:03 the heavenly sanctuary, the state of the dead, 43:07 historic Adventism proclaims the state of the dead 43:09 because we... 43:11 Hold on. Why we proclaim that? 43:12 Because we need to know what happens when you die, 43:14 because the enemy is going to use spiritualism 43:17 to deceive you in the last days 43:18 if you don't know the difference. 43:20 You say it doesn't matter, I know it matters. 43:23 It's okay to say it like that. 43:25 I get excited about it, but I know it because of why? 43:28 The majority of the world, Brother Mark, 43:29 the Bible say will be deceived on this teaching 43:32 and you can plead and you can beg 43:34 and people still look at it and say, "No, 43:35 my momma said or my daddy said..." 43:37 God says. 43:41 What do you think, these people saying, "Well, 43:42 I've seen so and so, they came back from the grave." 43:45 All they saw was another dirty old devil. 43:48 They didn't see their loved one. 43:49 The Bible says clearly, 43:51 they never return to their house 43:52 after they die, 43:53 they never return to their house. 43:55 We've got to know these things so you're not deceived. 43:57 That's my plea, that's my... 43:58 oh, please listen, study it all out, 44:01 understand it's tough. 44:04 People have a hard time accepting that 44:05 than they do the seventh-day Sabbath. 44:10 And if that's what you've been taught all your life, 44:12 still say, "Oh, God, what is... 44:15 Is this the truth or is it not? I want to know." 44:17 Let me just lay a thing over on the counter 44:19 and just let me talk to me about it 44:22 because I want to know, 44:23 what good is it for any of us to believe a lie. 44:28 What good? Make us feel a little better? 44:31 Maybe 'cause we're prideful and we don't want to change. 44:35 If we want to get to heaven, we have to be submissive 44:38 to the Spirit of the Living God in every area of life 44:41 and remember it can't be both ways. 44:44 It can't be, well, this group here is God give it, 44:46 this group over... 44:48 It either is or it isn't. 44:50 They're either teaching about truth 44:51 or they're teaching the lies of the devil. 44:52 Let's get down to it. 44:54 The historic Adventist 44:56 are going to be preaching the truth, 44:57 they're going to be preaching about the Spirit of Prophecy, 45:00 the judgment hour message, and of course, all the truths. 45:02 But see these specific truths here in these last days 45:06 is what historic Advents will be preaching and teaching. 45:10 Now I think probably in here every one of you, 45:14 I would say, probably believe 45:15 in what we're talking about here. 45:18 These messages we just talked about, 45:20 most of us understand the Sabbath, 45:22 most of us understand the state of the dead, 45:24 we understand the judgment hour, 45:25 we understand the seventh-day Sabbath, see. 45:29 Maybe you got a little historic and you didn't know. 45:34 Yeah, I'm not ashamed of it. 45:37 Would these little teachings that we just talked about, 45:39 just a few of them, would these be considered 45:41 as present truth? 45:43 Absolutely they would. 45:45 Meaning, they must be given now, not later. 45:49 We're way behind in giving this message. 45:52 We don't need to be giving something 45:53 that's new, and startling, and shocking, 45:56 and we can't back it up really with the Word of God 45:58 because we project one thing and pretty soon 46:01 because we projected this, I have to project this 46:03 in order to make this work and make that work. 46:05 I've got to project something else. 46:07 God's Word was never written that way. 46:10 He's written it in a clear concise way 46:13 where we can study line upon line 46:14 and precept upon precept, 46:16 hear a little and get the truth. 46:17 Praise God for that. 46:20 But every time I hear different people who come out 46:22 with new magazine 46:23 that come out with another article, 46:24 new and startling, new truth. 46:26 Well, maybe it's new to you, maybe you just found it out, 46:29 but you know what? 46:30 It needs to harmonize with what's found in the Bible 46:32 from the very beginning to the very end. 46:34 If it doesn't harmonize with that, 46:35 it's a starling message the enemy gives you 46:37 to lure you away. 46:39 You know that. 46:42 1 Peter 2:21, the Bible says... 46:44 1 Peter 2:21, 22. 46:47 The Bible said, 46:49 "For even hereunto were ye called: 46:51 because Christ suffered..." 46:53 1 Peter 2:21, 22. 46:56 "For us, leaving us an example, 46:58 that we should follow in his steps." 47:01 Man, how beautiful that is. 47:02 He's given us the example that we what? 47:05 That we follow in His step. 47:07 Well, how is it we can say we're following in His steps 47:10 and then reject His very life 47:12 and reject the very message that He stood for? 47:15 How can we say we're following in His step? 47:16 We can't. 47:18 We can't, unless we're following in His footstep, 47:21 His sheep hears His voice. 47:22 Does that make sense? Verse 22. Notice, it says... 47:25 Because we follow Him because He did no sin. 47:27 Did you notice that? 1 Peter 2:21,22. 47:29 "Neither was guile found in his mouth." 47:32 2 Peter 1:12. 47:34 Quickly, move along. Seven, eight minutes. Come on. 47:36 2 Peter 1:12 said, we must be established 47:39 in present truth. 47:42 We must be established, foundation, 47:44 we must be building on what we call present truth, 47:47 the things that we just talked about plus. 47:50 Yeah. 47:53 Do you think that, you know... 47:55 I believe that God is behind His truth, 47:58 He is truth, He's behind it, is He not? Yes. 48:00 He's behind, He's there for His historical truths 48:03 that He's given to the saints. 48:06 I think He's mindful of these beautiful truths. 48:10 And I'm mindful in my mind too 48:13 that these truths that He has given us 48:14 will endure into all generations 48:16 because the Bible says so. 48:18 You think it doesn't say that? 48:20 Psalms 117: 2, it becomes very, very clear, 48:23 "The truth of the Lord endureth forever." 48:27 The truth of the Lord does what? 48:29 It endureth forever and ever. 48:31 How beautiful. 48:33 The old paths, my brothers and sisters, 48:34 must be walked on again. 48:37 The path is the only way to victory. 48:40 The only way for this church to be victorious 48:42 is get back to that old paths 48:44 because that's what the Word of God says. 48:46 Get back to the historical position 48:49 of interpreting Bible prophecy so we know what truth is. 48:52 If you do the other two main, you're going to be off. 48:55 You're never going to come to pass. 48:58 Are we walking in those old paths today? 49:00 Are we teaching all the old truths? 49:02 Well, I am sure of this, 49:04 the end of the path has not come just yet 49:07 but it will. 49:09 But somehow, if you're on the right path, 49:11 at some point in time, 49:12 it's going to seem like the devil is going to hit you 49:14 with all the hell. 49:16 Are you still with me? 49:17 The family's going to turn on, 49:18 your friends are going to turn on you, 49:20 everybody's going to say you're out of your mind. 49:22 I can only say, stay on the right path 49:24 because it is the right path, 49:26 that path leads to home, it leads to salvation. 49:29 Notice that Jesus has travel that path before us. 49:31 Notice that. 49:33 And His sheep hear His voice and they do what? 49:34 Follow Him. 49:36 Are you possibly today... 49:37 There's something I want to read to you before I close, 49:39 I've got to do it and Lord have mercy. 49:41 How possibly... 49:42 Could you possibly... 49:44 That you are historic 49:45 and you did not know that in your belief 49:47 and you never knew it before? 49:49 Because the other people told you, 49:51 "Oh, taboo. 49:52 You don't want to be in that group." 49:53 Really? 49:55 This group was proclaiming the real three angels' message, 49:56 the real truth of God's Word. 49:59 Friends, it's described here, 50:00 I bought a Book of Second Testimonies. 50:02 Find the page real quickly. 50:03 And many of you have read this before, 50:05 but if you haven't, 50:06 I'm going to do it fast as I can get through it. 50:09 This is God's people traveling to the new earth. 50:12 This was just a dream. You remember that dream? 50:15 Yeah, I think it starts 294. Yeah. 50:18 Volume two, page two. It says impressive dream. 50:20 Here we go quickly as I can't... 50:22 Notice this. 50:23 It says it has got God's people 50:24 as they walk toward the pathway, 50:26 your life's going to change, 50:27 everything is going have to drop off here. 50:28 This is in 1868. Notice this. 50:31 "I dreamed of being..." 50:32 Notice, "With a large body of people. 50:35 A portion of this assembly 50:36 started out prepared for a journey. 50:39 We were heavily loaded with wagons. 50:41 And as we journeyed, the road seemed to ascend. 50:43 On one side of the road was a deep precipice. 50:46 On the other side was a high, smooth, white wall, 50:48 like a hard finish upon plastered rooms. 50:51 As we journeyed on, 50:52 the road grew narrower and steeper. 50:54 In some places seem so narrow that we concluded 50:56 that we could no longer travel with loaded wagons." 50:58 Notice this is our way toward heaven. 51:00 Do we get it? 51:01 Notice this. 51:03 "We then loosed them from the horses, 51:04 took a portion of the luggage from the wagon 51:06 and placed it on the horses, and journeyed on horseback. 51:09 As we progressed, the path still grew narrower." 51:12 Notice. 51:13 "We were obliged to press close to the wall, 51:15 to save ourselves from falling off the narrow road 51:18 down the street precipice." 51:19 Notice. 51:20 "As we did this, the luggage on the horses 51:22 pressed against the wall and caused us 51:24 to sway toward the precipice. 51:26 We feared we should fall 51:27 and be dashed to pieces on the rocks. 51:29 We then cut the luggage from the horses 51:31 and it fell over the precipice. 51:32 We continued on horseback, greatly fearing, 51:35 that as we get to narrower places in the road, 51:38 we should lose our balances and fall. 51:41 At such times a hand seem to take the bridle 51:43 and to guide us over the perilous way. 51:45 As the path..." 51:46 Notice this. 51:48 "Grew more narrow, 51:49 we decide that we can no longer 51:51 go with safety on horseback. 51:53 We left the horses and we went on foot, 51:55 in single file, 51:56 one following the footsteps of another. 51:58 At this point small cords were let down 52:00 from the top of the pure white wall. 52:03 These we eagerly grasped as to aid us 52:05 in keeping our balance. 52:06 As we traveled, the cords moved along with us. 52:09 The path finally became..." Notice this. 52:11 "So narrow that we concluded that we could travel 52:14 more safely without our shoes, 52:16 so we slipped them off from our feet 52:18 and went on some distance without them. 52:20 Soon we decided that 52:21 we could not travel in safety anymore 52:23 unless we take off for our stockings." 52:25 Notice this. 52:26 "These were removed, 52:27 and we journeyed on with bare feet. 52:29 We then thought of those 52:30 who had not accustomed themselves 52:32 to privation and hardships. 52:34 Where were they now? 52:36 They were not in this company. 52:38 At every change there were some that themselves 52:40 who couldn't endure the hardship and they remained. 52:43 Privations of the way only made these more eager 52:45 to press to the end. 52:46 Our danger of falling from the pathway increased. 52:49 We pressed close to the white wall, 52:50 yet we could not place our feet fully on the path, 52:53 it was too narrow. 52:54 Then we suspended 52:55 nearly our whole weight on the cords, 52:57 exclaiming, 'Who holds from above!' 52:59 We have hold from above! 53:01 The same words were uttered by all the company 53:03 in the narrow pathway. 53:04 As we heard the sounds of mirth and revelry 53:07 seemed to come from the abyss below, 53:09 we shuddered. 53:10 We heard profane oaths, vulgar jest, low, vile songs. 53:14 We heard the war song and the dance song. 53:17 We heard instruments of music and loud laughter, 53:19 mingled with cursing and cries of anguish 53:21 and bitter wailing, and there were none..." 53:25 Notice that. 53:27 "Wanted to keep us on the narrow pathway, 53:29 difficult pathway. 53:30 I noticed that the beautiful white..." 53:32 Notice this. "Wall was stained with blood. 53:36 It caused a feeling of regret to see the wall thus stained. 53:39 This feeling, however, 53:40 lasted for a moment as I thought 53:42 that it was all it should be. 53:44 Those who were following after will know that others 53:46 have passed the narrow, difficult way before them, 53:50 and will conclude that if others were able to pass on, 53:53 pursue on, they could do the same. 53:55 As the blood shall be pressed upon their aching feet, 53:58 they will not faint or become discouraged. 54:00 At length, 54:01 we came to a large chasm as our faith ended." 54:03 We don't have time to finish it all, 54:05 but notice what the bottom line is here. 54:07 Everything in their lives toward heaven 54:09 became wounded till finally they had to... 54:11 They couldn't have anything, they had to hang on that cord. 54:14 Who holds that? 54:16 That's Jesus was the cord, right? 54:17 And then they could swing over on into to glory land. 54:20 Every earthly support, 54:22 every earthly thing had to be taken from them. 54:25 And you know what? The end result would say what? 54:28 Heaven is cheap enough. 54:30 We might look up today and say, "Who holds the cord?" 54:32 Let me say, God holds that cord. 54:34 When you seem like you're hanging, 54:35 there's nothing else there, 54:37 your feet's not really touching, 54:38 you're stretched all you can be stretched, 54:40 we need not fear because God holds that cord, 54:43 and she said that thing was vividly in my memory 54:45 and it'll always be. 54:47 May God help each and every one of us 54:49 to understand the pathway to heaven, 54:51 to be a historic Adventist, to preach and teach 54:53 exactly what God has given us to preach and teach 54:56 and live that life. 54:57 God bless you. 54:58 We look forward to spending some time with you 55:00 in the very near future. 55:03 Hello and welcome back, friends. 55:05 I hope that really stirred your heart. 55:08 I hope it gave you food to think about 55:11 because many times, we look at something, 55:13 a word or a color, or this or that, 55:16 and we prejudge it 55:17 before we know anything about it. 55:19 I believe that Pastor Kenny, 55:21 through the aid of the Holy Spirit, 55:23 made it very, very clear. 55:25 I've always said, 55:27 if we want to know what truth is, 55:28 go back to beginning of the Bible, 55:30 see how God said that, and you will know. 55:33 I would like in closing just to reiterate 55:36 one of the passages that Pastor Kenny spoke on 55:39 during this message 55:41 and that is found in Isaiah 58:12. 55:45 If you've got your Bibles, read it along with me. 55:48 "And they that shall be of thee..." 55:51 Who are they? 55:52 You're a child of God, You're part of His church. 55:55 It's talking to you. 55:57 "And they that shall be of thee shall build up 55:59 the old waste places." 56:01 Remember, there's nothing new under the sun. 56:04 "Thou shalt raise up the foundation..." 56:07 You know, if you're building something, 56:09 you have to have a solid foundation. 56:12 Without a solid foundation, our faith, 56:15 anything that we build will crumble. 56:17 We must have a solid foundation. 56:20 "Of many generations, and thou shalt be called..." 56:23 And brothers and sisters, I hope you made this pledge 56:25 with Pastor Kenny that you will be called 56:29 the repairer of the breach, 56:30 the restorer of paths to dwell in. 56:34 He made it very clear. 56:35 There's only two paths. 56:37 There's that straight and narrow 56:39 and there's a big wide one. 56:42 The big wide one... 56:44 And as he was reading it there at the end 56:45 where he was talking about all the sounds 56:47 and that prophetic messages that was given, 56:50 the Spirit of Prophecy, 56:51 all the laughter and the music and everything, 56:55 that's the big wide path. 56:57 That's what the enemy has so diluted our minds 57:00 to think is right. 57:01 We think we can have anything, we can believe any way, 57:05 we can do something that's really not in Scripture 57:08 and still be safe. 57:09 It's not the truth. 57:10 We are to worship God in spirit and in truth. 57:14 And, brothers and sisters, 57:16 if you would like to have this message 57:17 to share with a friend, to look over it again, 57:20 we hope you'll write us and it'll be available to you 57:23 for just the love gift of $8 of more. 57:26 You may call us at 618-942-5044, 57:31 or write to Behold the Lamb Ministries 57:33 at PO Box 2030 57:35 Herrin, Illinois 62948. 57:40 Visit us on our website, www.BeholdTheLambMinistries.com 57:45 or send me an email. 57:46 I'd love to hear from you. 57:48 That is BeholdTheLambMinistries @yahoo.com 57:51 Until next time, my friends, may our precious Lord 57:54 continue to richly bless you and yours. |
Revised 2018-11-26