Participants: John Lomacang & John Stanton
Series Code: HCL
Program Code: HCL100005
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00:01 Hello, friends.
00:03 Grab your Bible and friend and sit back 00:04 as we explore God's word together 00:06 on this edition of "House Calls." 00:22 Well, welcome again friends. 00:24 We are so thankful that you've decided 00:25 to join us here on "House Calls" this morning 00:27 and with me in the studio is Pastor C.A. Murray. 00:30 Good to be here. 00:31 Yes, it's great to have you here C.A. 00:33 I am Pastor John Stanton, 00:34 and I am usually here with you. 00:35 We are so thankful that you have decided 00:37 to join us today. 00:38 And we have an exciting program 00:40 that we've kind of put together 00:42 here on a unique topic, say Lord and Savior. 00:46 What are the differences in the words, 00:49 because we see them use throughout scripture, 00:51 but rarely I think people talk about that, 00:53 but we are going to get into that today-- 00:54 Yeah, people tend to think, they are interchangeable, 00:56 they actually are not. That's right. 00:57 They are quite different. They are very much different. 01:00 And I think we'll discover that today. 01:01 That's right, Lord and Savior, 01:03 so He is both, and so we praise the Lord 01:05 for being able to talk about that subject today, 01:07 but you know, we always want to make sure 01:09 we start of the program with a word of prayer 01:11 and so Pastor Murray would we lead us into that. 01:14 Glad to do so. 01:15 Gracious Father, we do thank You 01:16 and praise You for this opportunity 01:18 to talk about our best friend Christ Jesus. Amen. 01:20 The one who we want to be both Lord, 01:23 and Savior of our lives. 01:25 For His only in being both of those things 01:27 that we can experience true 01:29 restoration and salvation, so bless us this day, 01:31 and those who hear that they might know 01:33 and understand your will for their lives 01:36 and that we may be use as instruments 01:37 to lift up the name of Jesus 01:39 and we thank you in Christ name, amen. Amen. 01:42 Well, you know, we involve you in our program 01:46 from week to week, 01:47 and you are very big part of that 01:48 in your questions. 01:50 And we want to make sure that we get to a couple questions 01:52 here today in the program. 01:54 Let me, let you know how you can send 01:55 those questions to us. 01:57 You can mail us a letter, we still accept letters. 01:59 You can call into the call centre, 02:01 they actually will take down your question, 02:03 forward that to our email address 02:05 for House Calls or you can email us directly 02:08 at housecalls@3abn.org that's housecalls@3abn.org. 02:13 Please send us your questions, they are very important, 02:15 we enjoy them very, very, much and I know that we've got 02:18 several good ones today. Yeah. 02:20 Pastor Murray, you want to start 02:21 this of with the question. 02:22 All right, this is a question that comes to us from Jamaica, 02:27 and they have a question on 02:30 Romans Chapter 14 verses 5 and 6, 02:33 asking that we explain that. 02:35 She says I am an Adventist, I was discussing the Sabbath 02:37 with one of my Catholic co-workers 02:39 and this text came up in as part of their discussion, 02:43 so she wants a little help 02:45 with Romans Chapter 14 verse 5 and 6. 02:48 And my Bible for some reason 02:51 is opened to the book of Matthew 02:52 so I am going over to Romans 02:55 as quick as I possibly can, Romans Chapter 14. 03:00 This is, you know, this text has been 03:01 used to say something that it doesn't say 03:03 for a long time-- Yeah, yeah. 03:05 So I think that's a good question-- 03:06 I remember years ago, someone sort of 03:08 dropped this text on me, we were having discussion. 03:10 But here its, Romans Chapter 14 verse 5, 03:13 "One man esteemeth one day above another, 03:16 another esteemeth every day alike. 03:18 Let every man be fully persuaded 03:20 in his own mind. 03:21 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord 03:24 and he that regardeth not the day 03:26 to the Lord he doth not regard it. 03:29 He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, 03:31 for he giveth thanks, and he that eateth 03:33 not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks." 03:38 This text is used to defend not keeping Sabbath. 03:44 They will say, well, that's your day, this is mine. 03:46 Bible says I regard one day, you regard another day. 03:50 It's all depends on what we want. 03:53 Well, there are couple of problems with that, 03:54 John, as you well know. 03:56 One, the Sabbath was not left to man to accept or reject. 04:03 The Sabbath is a commandment of God 04:05 as important as all the commandments of God. 04:08 So the question is not what you like or what I like. 04:12 The question is what does God like. 04:14 What has God set up apart? What does God sanctify? 04:18 What does God called us or joined us to keep? 04:21 When it comes to the rules, concepts, laws of God, 04:29 our thought on it, I'm gonna use it, 04:32 it sounds like very raw speech, 04:33 but really don't count, you know, they don't count. 04:37 God has said, remember this day, keep this day, 04:41 I've sanctified this day, I've blessed this day, 04:45 and I'm calling you to worship Me on that day, 04:48 and I promise a special blessing if you will do that. 04:51 It's not left up to our judgment, 04:53 just like adultery is not left up to our judgment, 04:58 fornication is not left up to our judgment, 05:00 adoring your parents is not left up to our judgment, 05:02 covetous is not left up to our judgment. 05:05 These things are things that are called to us by God. 05:09 This text is speaking about, 05:11 there were number practices in New Testament. 05:13 Some people would fast on particular days. 05:15 Some people would keep from doing 05:17 certain things on those days, others would not, 05:20 would not accept those days. 05:21 That was something that, let say, 05:23 John, I am saying next Thursday, 05:25 I just feel call of God to fast. 05:27 Well, that's my day. 05:28 Now that doesn't mean, you have to fast, 05:31 that's a day that I've picked for fast. 05:33 I am regarding that particular day 05:34 that is not a prescription for you, 05:36 that's something I've worked out with my God. Yeah. 05:39 You may pick, okay, I will do it next Saturday, 05:41 that's your day, that's the day you're gonna regard. 05:43 Those are days that are left up to our choosing, 05:46 but the day that God has called holy 05:48 is not left up to our choosing. 05:50 That has been designated by God. 05:52 And so this is not talking about the Sabbath. Right. 05:55 This is talking about other kinds of religious obligations 05:57 and institutions set up by man 05:59 for their own spiritual strength and walk with God. 06:03 Yeah, you know, and the Sabbath 06:04 doesn't even appear once in here. No. 06:06 So we can note that. No. 06:07 There is no word, Sabbath, isn't even here. 06:09 The other thing, I like what you said there 06:11 about the commandments, our opinion doesn't really matter 06:14 when it comes to the commandments. 06:15 Our opinion is--our opinion is we follow the Lord 06:19 in what He says. Yes. 06:21 And it's interesting at the beginning 06:23 of this whole passage 'cause you got a back up 06:25 to kind of find the context, it says in verse 1, 06:28 "Receive one who is weak in the faith, 06:30 but not to disputes over doubtful things." 06:33 And I think when it comes to eating, 06:36 that something that's a matter of conscience, 06:38 but when it comes to the commandments, 06:40 those aren't doubtful things, 06:41 those are commands, yes, those are suggestions. 06:44 And so I think it falls in line 06:48 that as we consider what God would have us do in life. 06:51 He would lead us and guide us. 06:53 The commandments is where we start. Precisely. 06:55 And that's why Jesus kept saying, 06:56 "Keep My commandments if you love Me" 06:59 and so that's where we begin. 07:01 And another interesting thing is He says that 07:03 it's His day, not ours. Not ours, yes. 07:05 We've heard this over and over again. 07:06 I have, I observe Wednesday or I observe Friday 07:12 as our Muslim friends do. 07:14 I observe Sunday as many of our Christians friends do. 07:17 But it's not the day that we pick, 07:19 it's really about what the Lord picks. 07:21 He picked after creation the seventh-day. 07:24 Yeah, yeah, very powerful. 07:26 And then--and we will come to this 07:28 in another questions later. 07:29 We always have to remember, 07:30 John, as you well know context. 07:33 You can't just rip a text out of its context 07:35 and then try to make up location. 07:37 You've got it, there is always a context, 07:39 where is he going with this. 07:40 You know, where he is coming from, 07:42 coming and going. 07:43 Where he is coming, where he is going 07:45 with this particular thing, and of course, Sabbath, 07:47 as a day is, is not mentioned here. 07:49 So we are not dealing with the Sabbath discussion. 07:52 We are dealing with as we said, 07:54 ancillary things, auxiliary things, 07:56 doubtful things that could be a matter of opinion. 07:59 Sabbath as we've said 08:01 so clearly is not a matter of opinion. 08:03 That is something that comes down from God 08:05 for man's benefit, yeah, yeah. 08:07 You know what's interesting, 08:08 it just hit me and I will just, 08:09 I will say this 'cause this could go with any subject 08:11 that people study in the word of God. 08:14 God's word came to us not by accident. 08:17 It's not one book, it's made up of 66 books 08:20 by many different authors and it was put together, 08:23 I believe with very lot of attention to deep study 08:28 and to God's leading in which books 08:31 made up the canon of scripture. Yes. 08:34 And if a book that they read, and there are many books 08:36 that did not make the canon of scripture. 08:38 If there are any books, it seem to be out of harmony 08:41 with the teachings of the broad scope 08:44 of teachings of the church, 08:46 of Paul's writings, of the Apostles, 08:49 it was not included. Precisely. 08:51 Why don't we do that with any topic 08:55 'cause if you take and I am answering the question 08:58 about taking something out of context. 08:59 If you take a verse out of context 09:02 and you make up your mind about what it saying. 09:05 But then that verse if you make up, 09:07 if you conclude that is out of harmony 09:09 with any of the rest of the word. Yeah. 09:12 You must then denounce so to speak that position, 09:16 because it doesn't fit with scripture. 09:19 So if God was so careful in putting together 09:21 the canon of scripture. 09:23 Why aren't we more careful in putting together 09:25 the truth of God's word to make sure it 09:28 harmonizes with all the scripture, 09:31 and we know, we can pick any subject 09:32 and talk about, anyone of them 09:35 where of course--Prophet Isaiah says, 09:37 "Here a little, there a little, 09:38 line upon line, precept upon precept." 09:41 You know very carefully 09:43 gaining knowledge from the word 09:45 and that is the method of Bible study. 09:47 Yeah, yeah! You know it is so easy 09:50 to rip things out of context as this program being taped, 09:52 the Olympics are on. 09:53 And my wife and I was sitting watching other night, 09:55 I'll say, you know, it really be cool 09:56 to be wearing those speed skates. 09:58 Now I can claim Philippians say, 10:01 I can do all things through Christ. 10:03 Well, I can be a ski free skate, 10:05 I don't think so. It's not going to fly. 10:08 I am trying to get the image 10:09 of C.A. going around on speed skate. 10:12 Let me add a little, little tight pant, that uniform. 10:14 It's not going to fly, it just not. 10:16 You know so there is a context for that, 10:19 you know, He is talking about sacrificial things, 10:20 things that pertain unto salvation. 10:22 Not just anything you want that comes to your mind. 10:24 So we--you know I don't say, 10:26 there are five questions, John, 10:27 before you make application of text as who said it, 10:31 what did it say, what did it mean. 10:33 Let, I give you to make a statement like 10:35 that guys out to lunch, well, is he either gone 10:39 from his desk at lunch or he is kind of office rocker 10:42 which is another, you know, so what did it say, 10:44 but also what did it mean. 10:45 Then what did those who hear him, 10:49 what did they interpret from it. 10:51 Then you can make application, 10:52 and you've got always ask at least those five questions 10:54 before you can say this is what the text means 10:56 or this is how I apply it. 10:59 So this does not mean Sabbath, 11:01 it means something else 11:02 and should not be applied to Sabbath, 11:04 because Sabbath was not the intended 11:05 burden of this particular text, yeah. 11:06 Yeah, very good. Thank you, thank you. 11:09 Here is a questions, I'm gonna read 11:10 actually a couple of them 11:11 'cause they kind of go together, 11:13 and we can go back and forth here a little bit 11:15 on this 'cause this is a question 11:16 that has been asked before, 11:17 but it's been sometimes since we've answered it. 11:21 This question comes from Denise. 11:23 Thank you, Denise. 11:24 She says, I understand that 11:25 there are three different views 11:26 regarding the second coming of our Lord. 11:29 First, I understand the time was shortened 11:30 to five months and because of the elect say, 11:35 to save them Matthew 24 expresses that, 11:37 you know, the shortening of the end of time. 11:41 And there is, of course, people who literally interpret 11:44 five months prophetically to try and arrive it 11:46 at what time that would be. 11:48 Second, some churches explain 11:50 as this end time period as seven years. 11:54 Three and half for the system, 11:57 the false system to be set up three and half years 11:59 for the ruler ship of the antichrist. 12:02 Third is the belief that three and half years was 12:07 Christ prophetic time, three and half days, 12:11 prophetic time three and half years 12:12 with this time that Christ ruled on 12:15 or came down in His first advent 12:16 to teach His disciples and to save the world 12:19 and then, of course, the last three and half years 12:21 being, you know, post-cross and that working out 234 A.D. 12:28 which you've heard teachers express, 12:30 preachers here on 3ABN for a quite sometime, 12:33 and so they apply that to Christ for its advent, 12:36 not the end of time. 12:37 And she is saying that, you know, 12:38 all these different views, you know, what is it. 12:41 And then here is a second question 12:43 that comes in from someone else. 12:44 Does a rapture take place pre-trib or post-trib? 12:48 So I'll throw that in there too, 12:50 because what that means is pre-tribulation, 12:52 just Christ come before the tribulation 12:54 to take His church or does He come 12:56 after the tribulation, is that an appearing of Christ, 12:59 the second time to then take us home to live with Him 13:03 for the thousand year period. 13:05 And so let's talk a little bit about this 13:07 because it seems to be, there seems to be 13:09 a lot of confusions about this, you know. 13:11 The first thing he mentioned is this 13:12 three and half year period 13:13 if you turn to Daniel Chapter 9. 13:21 You're gonna find the passage 13:22 that is used here to express this three and half year 13:31 or actually a seven year last week of prophecy. 13:36 Let's see here. 13:44 Well, I make sure I get out of 7 and get over to 13:46 I am supposed to be. Here we go. 13:49 Okay, it says in verse 23 of Daniel 9, 13:55 "I have come to tell you." 13:56 This is the angels speaking to Daniel, 13:58 "For you are greatly beloved, 14:00 therefore consider the matter, 14:01 and understand the vision." 14:02 And this is the vision of the 2300 days 14:05 that was previously given to Daniel 14:07 in Chapter 8 verses 13 and 14. 14:11 And then we have--it seems like another time prophecy 14:14 that goes on from here which is known 14:16 as the seventy-week prophecy. 14:18 Seventy-weeks is seventy time seven 490 years 14:21 in prophetic time. 14:24 And he talks about how that prophetic time goes on here 14:27 and it seems to clearly pertain to, 14:28 if you look in verse 24. 14:31 "It pertains to Daniel's people 14:32 who are the Jews" Correct. 14:35 And so this is the time that they have to 14:39 that are set aside determined, it says, 14:42 "That are to finish transgression 14:44 making end of sins, reconciliation for iniquity, 14:47 bring in everlasting righteousness, 14:48 seal up the vision and prophecy, 14:50 anoint the Most Holy." 14:52 We can't miss those words, we can't pass those quickly. 14:55 Anoint Him the Most Holy is 14:57 anointing Jesus Christ for His work. 15:01 And then he says that this time period in verse 25, 15:03 "Begins at the command to restore 15:05 and build Jerusalem until, Messiah the Prince, 15:09 takes up the largest portion of this time 15:11 which is seven weeks and sixty two weeks 15:14 which totaled sixty-nine. Right. 15:16 Now, we're not gonna spend all our time 15:18 going in every detail of this 15:19 but I just want to give you 15:20 general recap of this teaching. 15:24 And so from the time of this command, 15:26 restore and rebuilt Jerusalem 15:29 which indicated in Ezra Chapter 6 and 7. 15:33 It indicates Artaxerxes has been 15:36 involved in that commands. 15:37 So you must take his commands 457 B.C. 15:41 Count forward then to this time which means 15:44 the Messiah would need to arrive on the scene 15:47 at the year A.D. 27. 15:51 And we know clearly from other scriptures 15:53 that he, in fact does, Luke 3 tells us 15:56 in the--I believe is the fifteen year, 16:00 I don't want to misquote, so look at it really fast. 16:03 Luke Chapter 3, "Fifteenth year 16:10 of the of the reign of Tiberius Caesar" 16:12 If you read on, it says, "Jesus was Baptized 16:15 or anointed for His work, 16:16 precisely, by the Holy Spirit." 16:18 And if you take a look at Tiberius Caesar reign, 16:21 although he took over sole supremacy in 14 A.D. 16:25 He actually co-ruled with his brother in 12 A.D. Correct. 16:28 So you can forward 15 years, 27 A.D. 16:31 fits perfectly right on time, 16:33 Jesus came 483 years out of the 490 16:37 right after it was to begin. 16:39 Now I said, a lot there, so you have to rewind the tape 16:41 if you are taping. 16:44 And so much of that is, is accepted. 16:47 When we go, we pick up verse 26 in Daniel 9. 16:50 You've got threescore and two weeks 16:52 and then you've got seven so. 16:55 The sixty-nine weeks is pretty much 16:58 universally accepted. 16:59 It's the last week 17:00 where we run into problems. There you go. 17:01 Where there is sort of division. 17:03 And I think that's where, 17:06 her question actually is coming from. Right. 17:08 What do we do with that last seven days. 17:12 How do we adjust the appose and the problem is 17:15 that there are some theologians 17:18 and they are into manordect I dare say, 17:20 who take that seven days 17:22 and remove it that seven days, 17:24 at last we can remove it from the others 17:28 and bring it way down to the end of time, 17:30 and that's where we have the problem. 17:33 Rather than putting in as part of the seventy weeks, 17:35 somehow they yank that out of context 17:38 and toss it way down to the end of time 17:41 and it confuses people, 17:42 because it doesn't really fit there, 17:44 it's part of the seventy-week period. 17:45 Right, and its decree so-called 17:48 a Gap Theory. A Gap Theory. 17:49 You know, they take the time at 483 years, 17:54 cut it off, take that last seven 17:55 and put it at the end of time. Right. 17:57 And they apply it to, not Jesus Christ, 18:00 but they apply it to the antichrist. 18:03 Yes, yeah, yeah. 18:04 Now, I will say that there is an enemy 18:07 that is mentioned here in this passage, 18:10 but here we talked about this here 18:11 a few minutes ago, Pastor Murray. 18:14 Context, context, context. Oh, yes. 18:16 This is a Messianic prophecy. 18:20 It is the prophecy of the Messiah. 18:22 He is appearing on the scene and His work, 18:25 what He is doing, what He is establishing 18:28 as part of His kingdom, the beginning of His taking 18:32 back of His kingdom until He come, 18:34 comes and gets the saint of that time-- 18:36 And that's crucial, John, 18:37 to the understanding of this prophecy, 18:40 this passage, it's about the Messiah. Yes. 18:43 Not about Satan, not about the antichrist, 18:46 not about end time, but the inauguration 18:49 of his Messiahship and the work 18:51 that was going to be spread 18:52 from the Jewish community to the world. 18:53 And pastor, as you well know that, 18:55 that understanding is crucial to work in your way 18:58 through this particular prophecy. 18:59 Absolutely. Yeah. 19:00 So let's look at a couple things here. 19:01 If you look at verse 26, you've already mentioned 19:04 about the sixty-two weeks after though sixty-two weeks 19:07 that's seven plus sixty-two by the way. 19:10 So this is in the-we are now in the 483rd year 19:12 after that it says, 19:15 "The Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself." 19:19 So here we are already in the last week 19:22 and who is he talking about? Messiah still. 19:24 The Messiah being cut off, 19:25 not about antichrist, but the Messiah. 19:27 So we got to be staying with this Messiah 19:31 mindset here as we go through this. 19:33 "And the people of the prince who is to come 19:36 shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. 19:39 The end of it shall be with a flood, 19:41 until the end of the war desolations are determined." 19:44 So it indicates here that as the Messiah is cut off, 19:48 there is also going to be some kind of judgment 19:50 from this prince that comes to destroy the city 19:52 and destroy the sanctuary. 19:53 Well, we know that happened in history, 19:56 back very much in this time. 19:59 Going on verse 27, "Then he shall confirm a covenant 20:04 with many for one week" 20:06 Now there is the big word with only two letters. 20:11 Who is he? Who is he? 20:13 Who is she? 20:16 And this is where the diversions occurs, 20:20 precisely, between various teachers of this prophecy. 20:25 And as we've already said, praise the Lord, 20:27 hopefully we are looking at the minority of them, 20:28 but it is growing that he applies to the antichrist, 20:33 but here remember, who is this prophecy about? 20:35 It's a prophecy about the Messiah, 20:37 the anointed one. 20:38 The he there should be capitalized, 20:41 because it pertains to Messiah. 20:43 "He shall confirm a covenant with many for one week. 20:47 But in the middle of the week He shall bring 20:49 an end to sacrifice and offering. 20:50 And on the wing of abominations 20:51 shall be one who makes desolate, 20:54 Even until the consummation, which is determined, 20:56 is poured out on the desolate." 20:58 So there is an enemy that's opposing his work here 21:01 to confirm the covenant. 21:04 Who would be the enemy 21:05 that would oppose the work of Christ 21:06 to confirm the covenant 21:08 that He promised to Abraham way back when 21:11 who would be the enemy? 21:12 None other, but Satan himself and his army, 21:16 whoever he chooses to do his work. Yeah. 21:19 And so, and the other thing here too, 21:22 who will bring an end to sacrifice and offering. 21:25 You know, it's funny, how we--the Bible puts 21:30 so many he's, you've got to kind of 21:32 keep your he straight, so reckon you went through this. 21:34 But up into this point he is talking about Jesus 21:37 that confirm the covenant talking about Jesus. 21:40 Causing and sacrifices simply is an illusion 21:44 to the death of Christ which once that happen, 21:47 the daily sacrificial system was not effect anymore. 21:51 It wasn't any good. 21:52 Once Christ made that ultimate sacrifice 21:54 which is the burden of the Book of Hebrews 21:57 almost totally, at least of the first third 21:59 that we have a better sacrifice. 22:01 We have a truer sacrifice, a more complete sacrifice 22:04 when Christ gave His life for us. 22:07 The sacrificial system came to its end. 22:09 Now who would oppose that, of course, 22:11 that would be the enemy, that would be the Satan. 22:13 But it's work in your way through the he's, 22:16 you know, that sort of keeps you on track with this thing. 22:18 Yeah, very much so. 22:20 And so He brings, it says, 22:23 this end to sacrifice and offering, 22:25 and some now would say, okay, 22:26 this is the antichrist which they believe it is. 22:29 This is the antichrist somehow in the Middle East 22:32 or even in the holy land ceasing or putting at end 22:36 to any sacrifices that are being made there, 22:38 so they believe, okay. 22:39 Then at some point here the Jewish system 22:41 is going to reinitiate or is going to initiate 22:44 it's sacrificial system again. 22:46 And the antichrist will oppose that 22:48 bring and end to it. 22:49 That's not what it is saying. Not at all. 22:52 The symbol there that we find, it's not a symbol, 22:54 it's a literal act how God tore in the-through the veil, 23:01 between the most holy and the holy place. 23:04 He tore it from not bottom to top, 23:06 but top to bottom showing that, 23:09 that sacrificial system had ended. 23:12 And from what we understand here, 23:13 I know, it doesn't say so much from scripture, 23:16 but legend tells us that the lamb got away. 23:20 Because that lamb could no longer be sacrifice here 23:23 because Christ was the lamb being sacrificed. 23:26 And so this is what this prophecy is talking about 23:28 and so be careful I would say with anybody 23:30 that takes the seven years pertaining to Christ 23:33 and puts them at the end of time 23:35 pertaining to the antichrist, 23:36 because what in effect they are doing pastor is, 23:40 they are substituting Christ for the antichrist. 23:46 They are fulfilling what the antichrist 23:48 wants to do anyway. 23:49 He wants to assume the work of Christ. 23:51 They are helping him do it 23:52 by saying this pertains to 23:54 not Christ but the antichrist 23:56 Yeah, when you lead in your very first scripture, 24:00 seventy-weeks are determined. 24:01 We are talking about a block of time 24:04 that is not to be segmented and sort of moved around 24:07 like chess pieces on the board. 24:08 You're dealing with a block of time 24:10 and all of this is going to take place 24:11 within this block of time. 24:13 It's just showing you the difference segments 24:15 of the block of time but it's a package, 24:17 it's a package deal. 24:18 So that when you get to verse 27, 24:21 it all is part of what starts off in verse 24. Yeah, yeah. 24:24 And here is another way we know that this cannot be 24:26 taken from--the seven years can't be taken from there 24:30 and put at the end of time. 24:31 Here is the way we know, because this 490 year period 24:33 is part of the 2300 days or years of prophecy. Yes, yes. 24:38 It's the beginning of it marks the larger time 24:41 period of 2300 years and if you--so that means 24:45 the 490 has to encompass or be encompass within the 2300. 24:50 Right, you can't take in tack around to back end. 24:52 And if you tack it on the end 24:53 you just completely obliterated 24:55 proper hermeneutics per say, prophetic hermeneutics here. 24:58 Very true. And it just does not work. 25:00 So now to answer the question that was asked 25:03 and we got there over the long way, didn't we? 25:06 To answer this question, is there three and half years, 25:10 and three and half years at the end of time 25:11 we have to say no. No. 25:13 There clearly is no seven year period of tribulation, 25:17 three and half years the start of the antichrist, 25:19 then manifesting himself 25:20 in three and half years of tyranny per say. 25:23 What we have to say here is that the scripture 25:25 seems very clear that Christ comes, 25:27 Jesus comes visibly, audibly, 25:31 every one will know it and He will take His church 25:35 at that point and the resurrected saints 25:37 and living saints at the same time 25:39 to His heavenly kingdom to live and reign with Him 25:41 for a thousand years, Revelation Chapter 20. Yeah. 25:44 And there is before that time, a tribulation. 25:49 So one answer to one of the question is, 25:52 Christ, the rapture of the church. 25:54 And I use rapture not in the secret rapture term. 25:57 I see rapture in the catching up of the saints, yes, 25:59 to meet the Lord in the air occurs 26:02 after the tribulation, it's post-tribulation, not pre. 26:05 There is no evidence of pre-tribulation 26:07 that I can find, although that many of that espouses 26:10 other thing we were just talking about do. 26:13 But it's post-tribulation, 26:15 the church will go through that period of time, 26:18 and the Christ will deliver His church. 26:19 And I don't think there is any evidence, 26:21 pastor, that throughout scripture 26:23 that the church doesn't experience hard times 26:25 at the end. No, no, no. 26:28 You know, Daniel as a prophetic book 26:30 is-prophecy take some work, but it's not that tough 26:35 if you allow the Bible to explain itself. 26:39 If you allow the Bible to open itself for you 26:44 and not make assumptions. 26:45 When you sort of put in these kinds of things, 26:47 that's why this person is confused, 26:49 because they have been listening to some theology 26:51 that has really twisted this particular text. 26:54 But if you follow step after step, 26:56 you will find particularly the Book of Daniel. 26:58 Revelation is more of a challenge, yeah, 27:00 but Daniel will explain himself very logically 27:04 and very sequentially. 27:06 It becomes non-secular when you take things 27:08 and move things around and sort of twist things up. 27:11 But if you follow the Bible 27:12 as it's opening itself to you, 27:13 you will find that Daniel particularly 27:15 opens this stuff very nicely and does a really nice job 27:18 of walking you through what Daniel, 27:20 and the angle is trying to show you. Yeah, yeah. 27:22 The last thing I may say on this too is that the reason 27:25 why this 2300 years, 490 years gets a "bad rap" 27:31 it's because it's identified during this great 27:33 awakening period of the mid-nineteen century, 27:35 the eighteen hundreds. 27:37 As people were being converted and changed 27:40 by the power of this message 27:42 how, when Christ did not return in 1844. 27:47 They didn't just, they threw out everything 27:51 with regard to that prophecy, 27:52 not just the misinterpretation 27:54 of what the fulfillment was. Yes. 27:56 The fulfillment was misinterpreted. 27:59 They believe that the cleansing of the sanctuary 28:01 was the return of Jesus Christ to the earth, 28:03 the sanctuary was the earth. 28:05 And because He didn't come, they said, 28:06 O all these numbers and things, 28:08 no they are misinterpreted, let's throw it out. 28:11 We've got it wrong. 28:12 But they had it very right, 28:14 but the event it pointed to was very wrong. Yeah. 28:17 And that event, the cleansing of the sanctuary 28:19 had more to do with Christ high priestly ministry 28:22 in the heavenly sanctuary. Precisely. 28:25 Not Christ returning to an earthly sanctuary. 28:28 And if you want to understand that little bit better, 28:29 just read Hebrews 7, 8, 9, and 10, 28:33 and you're gonna find, it replete with language 28:36 on Christ, the high priest, the heavenly sanctuary, 28:39 not the one in the earth, 28:40 the one on the earth was a copy 28:41 of the heavenly. Precisely. 28:43 That's what this prophecy is pointing to, 28:46 and to miss that is a incredible disservice 28:48 to theology in general. Yes. 28:51 As it's the bases of our understanding 28:52 of the plan of salvation. 28:53 I love answering this question,I don't know, 28:55 we've got to get to our bottom of our show, 28:57 but answering question is so important so far 28:59 because that's where the people are. Yeah. 29:02 All of this really, when you attack and I use that term 29:05 attack Daniel 9, Daniel Chapter 9. 29:07 You really got to do 8 and 9, 29:09 and you've got to pick up 8:14 which introduces 29:12 2300 days and then you work your way through. 29:16 Daniel needs to be studied, 29:17 studied as a whole to try to just pull something out 29:20 and say this is it. 29:21 You really got to look at context 29:23 when you look into Daniel. 29:24 So Daniel, the burden of Daniel 9, 29:27 really begins in Daniel 8 and to a lesser extent, 29:30 but also Daniel 7. 29:32 So you can't really have one without the other. 29:35 Yeah, and I like the point you are making there, 29:37 because most don't realize that this vision 29:39 that Daniel received and the interpretation of 29:41 it was one vision. Precisely. 29:44 The 2300 days or years, prophetic days 29:48 was a single vision given to Daniel 29:50 about the end of time. 29:52 So even when the angel comes back in 9 to explain it, 29:55 he is talking about the original vision 29:57 of the 2300 years. Yes. 29:59 People don't realize that either, 30:00 they think it's a totally different prophecy. 30:02 But this is the same one that's why Daniel is so key 30:05 and so important in our understanding of prophecy. 30:08 Precisely, yeah. Praise the Lord. 30:09 Bible study is so exciting. 30:12 Really quick, Elaine writes, 30:15 she is--could you help me understand necessity 30:20 of attending church wherever possible 30:23 I realize the sickness isolation 30:25 those kinds of things, may not be able to 30:29 attend She is talking about Hebrew, of course, 10:25. 30:34 Some believe camping out with unbelievers, 30:36 attending birthday parties et cetera, 30:38 fall under the idea of doing good on Sabbath. 30:42 You know, it's lawful to do good on Sabbath, 30:43 Christ said in Matthew Chapter 12. 30:46 Can you help me with this 30:47 to gain some balance in this manner? 30:50 Obviously she is dealing with some people 30:53 whose definition of that which is acceptable 30:55 on Sabbath is very broad. Right. 31:00 You can go to birthday party, 31:01 you can be with friends, you can camp out, 31:03 you can do all kinds of things on Sabbath 31:05 in lieu of attending church 31:07 and all these kinds of stuff is acceptable too. 31:11 And I guess they are hitting her 31:12 with Matthew Chapter 12, 31:15 and I'm going to try to get that real fast. 31:19 And they are saying it's lawful to do good on Sabbath 31:21 and these things are good. 31:24 So I guess that the crux is, 31:26 pastor, the definition of good. 31:28 Well, the definition again comes on the context 31:32 of the chapter that we're dealing with 31:35 in Matthew Chapter 12. 31:37 They are accosting Christ for a couple of things: 31:39 One, His disciples went to through a field, 31:43 plucks a maize of corn and ate the raw corn. 31:47 The second thing was a healing 31:49 that He did on the Sabbath 31:51 and, of course they-- I'll use the term 31:53 modern palace got on his case about the healing. 31:57 And, of course, his answer was, 31:58 it's lawful to do good on the Sabbath. 32:00 Well, again look, rest of the context because 32:02 Christ says, hey, if your sheep falls in a ditch, 32:05 your ox falls in the ditch. 32:07 You are not going to leave him there saying 32:08 it's Sabbath, can't help that poor dumb animal out. 32:11 You go and you get the animal out. 32:15 And so I healed. 32:16 It's lawful to do good on the Sabbath. 32:18 Well, what's the context for good? 32:20 Good is lifting the burdens and life lightening the load 32:23 of fellow human beings. 32:25 I don't think, going to a birthday party, 32:26 falls in that category. 32:28 Yeah. I really don't. 32:29 I remember one Sabbath, on the Friday night, 32:31 my first elder's house burned, 32:34 almost burned to the ground. 32:36 And so we cancelled church service, 32:40 went home, changed our clothes, 32:42 cooked some food, and help him dig out, 32:45 you know, Sabbath afternoon. 32:48 Help him recover what he could, 32:50 and I and we prayed and we sang and neighbors came 32:52 and they saw that, and were very impressed. 32:56 I think that was an acceptable Sabbath activity, 32:59 because it was an emergency situation. 33:01 We were helping lift the load 33:03 of someone who was really in trouble. 33:05 You know, that's acceptable. 33:07 Going to a birthday party 33:08 doesn't fall in the category for me. 33:09 You know, when I was a young Christian, 33:12 really trying to find out what does it 33:14 mean to observe the Sabbath. 33:15 What activities can I and cannot do, 33:17 and you know, you are fallen 33:19 to this trap of do's and don'ts, I want the list. 33:21 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Makes it is. 33:22 Just give me list. And there really is no list. 33:26 Then you have to, you have to come up with 33:29 you got to experiment a bit, if I say. 33:31 Experiment a bit as far as observing 33:34 personal observing of the Sabbath of the holy day. 33:37 And I remember for time there 33:39 at the very beginning, one of the activities 33:41 that I chose to try to do. 33:42 I say, do you know what? 33:44 My friends are asking me, it's a weekend. 33:46 There is a basketball tournament down at the beach. 33:49 And I'm gonna go with my friends 33:50 and play on this three on three tournament 33:53 and you know, its not anything 33:55 that's overtly wrong but, you know, 33:57 what I can witness to my friends little bit, 33:59 or be in conversion the car, 34:01 I'll get down there, all have, 34:03 good sportsmanship and you know what, 34:05 I did it that day. 34:07 And afterward I felt guilty, and here is why? 34:11 Because I didn't spend time with the Lord 34:14 like I thought I was going to. 34:16 I didn't witness as I thought I was going to. 34:19 I got cut off in the competition 34:21 of the whole thing, and I really found out that, 34:24 that activity was not conducive to my relationship, 34:27 improving my relationship with Jesus. 34:30 And so I asked myself all the time now days 34:33 whenever it comes to an event. 34:35 Can this activity help me in furthering 34:38 my relationship with Jesus, 34:40 and sharing and help the others, 34:42 improve their relationship with Christ, 34:44 lifting burden would be one of those things. 34:47 And if I cannot, if I cannot 34:48 do this activity with Jesus, I excluded. 34:52 And it's fairly become, 34:53 fairly simple for me these things now. 34:55 And so I would say anybody who is looking for the list, 35:00 if you have any question about it 35:01 and you decide to do something, if you are 35:03 finding uncomfortableness in what you did. 35:06 God doesn't condemn you for that 35:07 but He is saying learn from that. 35:10 And then take it off your list, 35:11 if you want a list and move forward 35:14 and do things that are much more 35:16 conducive to your relationship. 35:18 Much more better than the a list is to 35:21 develop a working relationship with Christ 35:23 because that will-- it's really a case-by-case basis 35:27 but it's informed by your love of 35:30 and your work with Jesus. 35:31 There are some things, that perhaps 35:34 now as a pastor of the church 35:36 who has grown in the Lord that maybe when you 35:38 first came in and you said, that's not so bad, 35:40 including what you just did. 35:41 Now that's not even a question 35:43 because your relationship with God 35:45 informs what you're gonna do, 35:47 and there is this kind of impression, 35:50 it's called discernment, as you walk with the Lord, 35:53 as you hear something the spirit is saying, 35:56 you know, not going to fly. 35:58 No way you can massage it, no way you can spin it, 36:00 that's not a correct Sabbath activity. 36:02 And the closer you walk with the Lord, 36:05 the louder that becomes. 36:06 If you put on your shorts and sneaker now 36:09 on the Sabbath morning. 36:10 You couldn't even get out of the door, 36:12 you know, you just couldn't 36:13 because the spirit will be hitting you 36:14 so hard because you know, that's not acceptable. 36:17 And one of the things that she alluded to, 36:19 that's why the Lord says 'Forsake not the assembling 36:21 of yourselves together." 36:22 There is accountability factor and, of course, 36:25 if you are in church on Sabbath day, 36:27 no question that's the right thing to do 36:28 because the Bible asked you to do that. 36:30 Once you start skipping church for whatever reason 36:32 you really need to question, 36:34 why you are doing it and does that activity 36:37 bring you closer to God, 36:38 give you better knowledge of God, 36:39 increase your walk with the Lord. 36:40 Yeah, amen. 36:43 In fact, Isaiah 58 mentions about 36:47 keep from doing your own pleasure on my holy day. 36:50 You know, it's something I want so badly 36:52 or is it something that the Lord will want, 36:54 He will be with me. 36:55 Thank you very much for your questions again. 36:57 Please send the questions into housecalls@3abn.org 37:01 that's our email address set up specifically 37:03 for this questions housecalls@3abn.org. 37:07 or send mail directly to us at 3ABN 37:11 or the other option would be call the call centre 37:13 and I know they take some of those questions as well. 37:15 So thank you very much for sending those in. 37:18 Pastor Murray, we have a topic that is 37:22 we could really dive deeply into 37:24 and this is the topic involving 37:26 the titles that Jesus had mostly walk, 37:29 He was here of Savior and Lord. 37:33 What do those things mean, are they are the same? 37:36 Does we hear frequently, someone will say, well, 37:38 Jesus is my Lord and my Savior. 37:40 And it's almost as if it just kind of 37:41 that's the whole title together. 37:45 But what we want to do is 37:46 differentiate a little bit here 37:47 for a while, what those titles mean. 37:51 And then, of course, maybe if the program 37:53 goes to a second program, 37:55 we can talk a little bit more about 37:56 what it means to make Him our Lord 37:59 because that's really where we want to go here. 38:02 Jesus is mostly known for being our Savior, 38:04 the Savior of the world. 38:05 In fact, we'll start off with one text 38:07 from Matthew Chapter 1. 38:11 Matthew Chapter 1 verse, I think its 21, yeah 21, 38:18 speaking of, it's a prophetic verse. 38:21 "She will bring forth a Son, 38:24 and you shall call His name Jesus." 38:27 Speaking of Mary. Bringing forth Jesus. 38:30 "For He will save His people from their sins." 38:34 There we find in essence, the essence or the meaning 38:39 of Jesus being our Savior. 38:41 He will save us from our sins. 38:43 He will take the penalty that is meant for us. 38:46 He will bare that on the cross. 38:47 He will bare our sins, and He will save us 38:50 rather than allow us to go to destruction. 38:53 That is the essence of the meaning of Savior. 38:55 Yeah, you know, Jesus is Savior, John, 38:58 because of His volitional act. 39:00 It really has nothing to do with us. 39:03 Yeah. The Savior part is His. 39:05 We're gonna talk about the Lord in a minute, 39:07 but He is the Savior of the world. 39:08 When He went to the cross, 39:10 He became de facto Savior of the world. 39:13 Now whether we accept it or apply it, 39:15 that's the next part, 39:17 but He is the Savior of the world. 39:20 No man cometh to the father but by me. 39:22 He said, He is Savior. 39:26 Whether you accept it or not, that's on you. 39:28 Yeah. But He is our Savior. 39:31 No one else has done that, no one else could do it, 39:33 no one else will ever do it. 39:34 His sacrifice was sufficient once 39:36 and for all time again the burden 39:38 of the Book of Hebrews, He is undoubtly, 39:41 unquestionably Savior of the world. 39:44 You know, you put that much better than I. 39:46 I actually have some of my sermon that I gave recently 39:49 on the Sabbath, it kind of helps, 39:50 pull some thought together, 39:51 but I did not share that aspect in it, 39:54 but I like the way you are putting that 39:55 because there is no ifs, ands, 39:57 buts about it, He is the Savior. 39:59 He is the Savior, right. That's Him. 40:00 I mean, whether I accept it or not. 40:03 And that's key because that's not the same 40:07 with the title Lord. Precisely. 40:09 Not at all. No. 40:10 He is not everybody's Lord, 40:12 but He is everybody's Savior. 40:13 Yeah, just like, He is everybody's creator. 40:16 No one else did it without Him. 40:19 Colossians says, "Was not anything made that was made." 40:22 Whether you accept it or not, 40:23 whether you like it or not, whether you're scientist 40:25 who believes it or not, that doesn't change the fact. 40:27 He is the creator, and He is Savior. 40:30 Can't unalterable, unchangeable, irresistible, 40:33 He is it, yeah. Yeah. I like it. 40:35 You know, and here is another aspect, 40:37 that's the de facto part. 40:38 You can say, I like that word even. 40:41 But as we re-transition now to those who apply 40:44 who accept Him as their Savior. 40:47 Now staying on the subject of Savior here for moment. 40:50 To accept Him as their Savior, 40:52 we can save then that, that fact has now been applied 40:55 to them for a benefit, receiving the benefit 40:57 of salvation through our Savior Jesus Christ, 41:02 and what He has done for Him. 41:04 And I mentioned that because there is a tie here 41:06 that we cannot dismiss to justification. 41:11 We talk about sanctification and Lord 41:13 here in just a minute, but there is a tie here 41:15 to justification and Christ being our Savior, 41:19 and let's march through that a little bit, 41:20 because this justification is a big word 41:23 and so may struggled with it, but what does that mean? 41:26 Yeah, you know, it's funny. 41:29 And my mind goes back to this, 41:30 years ago when I first came out of school, 41:33 I had a--you know, when you first graduate from school, 41:36 the credit card companies jump on you 41:38 to give you this credit cards. 41:39 I was so afraid of getting credit card there. 41:42 I wouldn't use the card, you know, I just had it. 41:45 There was an account open for me that I wouldn't use, 41:48 you know, there was the-- I had credit but I was-- 41:50 I wouldn't avail myself. 41:53 And I think about that with Christ as Savior 41:55 and justification experience. 41:58 Once we come to Christ, there is this account open. 42:03 There is credit for you. 42:06 But you got to accept it, you know, 42:07 Christ said, hey, you are okay. 42:10 You're gonna walk into that, 42:11 you're gonna use that, or you're gonna kind of 42:13 stay on the outside, just kind of looking in. 42:15 He is our Savior and when we come to Him, 42:19 immediately we get credit. 42:22 We get credit for something 42:24 that we have not yet attained. 42:26 He just says, from now on since you love me, 42:29 I'm gonna look at you as though you are perfect. 42:32 I'm gonna look at you in a sinless state, 42:35 not because I'm looking a perfect person, 42:38 I'm kind looking through 42:39 my own blood stain glasses dare I say, 42:42 and when I look through the blood of Christ, 42:44 I see you as perfect. 42:46 I'm giving you my life, the perfect life I live, 42:48 precisely, as your own. 42:50 And that's why there is this imagery of the covering, 42:52 being covered with the righteous robe, 42:55 the garment of Christ, because when we are covered 42:58 even though we are stained inside, 43:00 the Father sees Christ in our life. 43:03 That John, really is 43:04 a mind blowing reality, it really is. 43:08 There you are with your striped shirt on, you know, 43:12 and Christ says I'm not going to see you, John, 43:14 with your striped shirt on. Right. 43:16 I'm gonna see you with a perfectly white robe, 43:19 because I chose to. 43:20 Is not that I--I can see you like this, 43:24 but I choose to see you another way 43:26 that--and there is nothing you've done to merit that. 43:30 It's, the Father saying, since Christ has done this, 43:34 from now on that's going to color dare I say. 43:37 Everything I see about you, so I'm going to look at you 43:40 as though you are perfect. 43:42 I'm going to treat you as though you are perfect. 43:45 I'm going to adopt you as a child of mine 43:48 and give you all the benefits 43:50 that accrue from that adoption, 43:53 and you deserve absolutely none of it. 43:56 But I am doing it because my son Jesus 43:59 has sacrificed His blood for you. 44:00 That just kind of knocks you out, man, 44:03 it's just marvelous. You can do it. 44:04 You can do anything with it. 44:06 All you yon can do is just say, I accept it, 44:08 I want that. Yeah. 44:09 You know, and it a couple of verses come into mind. 44:13 Isaiah Chapter 1 talks about our sins maybe-- 44:21 what is the word here, reddish crimson, 44:23 yes, he will be his world. 44:25 There will be stain, they will be like-- 44:27 Like scarlet, but I'm going to make him white, yeah. 44:29 But I'm make him white as snow, 44:31 and so that imagery there is, 44:32 is the way God looks at us, and that's a wonderful 44:35 thing when you accept Christ as your Savior, 44:37 yeah, to be justified 44:39 and that's the word I am using here. 44:42 One text is from Romans Chapter 3 verse 25. 44:47 Actually starting with verse 23. 44:48 Let's back up a little bit. 44:50 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." 44:53 In other words, we cannot do anything 44:55 to earn this salvation. 44:58 Verse 24, "Being justified" there is the word 45:01 justification is just an extension of that word 45:04 "justified freely buy his grace 45:06 through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 45:09 whom God set forth as a propitiation 45:11 by his blood through faith" 45:14 and that's the key word there 45:15 "Through faith to demonstrate his righteousness 45:17 because in his forbearance 45:19 God had past over the sins that were 45:23 previously committed to demonstrate 45:26 at the present time His righteousness, 45:28 that He might be just and the justifier 45:31 of the one who has faith in Jesus." 45:34 Here is this perfect gracious gift 45:38 that God has given to us to pass over our sins 45:42 if we had never sinned to be our Savior, 45:44 to have taken that penalty of sin on Himself 45:48 and to die that eternal separation 45:50 that we would have do experience, 45:52 had we not had the Savior? 45:54 It's just an amazing thought and, you know, what 45:57 one of the things that I have to mention here 46:00 when we read like Ephesians 2:8, 46:04 talking about by grace we've been saved 46:06 through faith, it's a gift of God. 46:08 Not of works, let's anyone boast. 46:11 When we talk about that verse, 46:12 that's typical what people think of as grace. 46:16 But there is actually several, 46:17 there is a couple aspects of grace. 46:19 Very true. That's saving grace. 46:22 That's the grace, none of the grace you can earn, 46:25 but that's the grace that saves you, 46:26 that justifies you which is what are talking about here. 46:30 And we're gonna transition here into, 46:33 not just the saving aspect of grace, 46:35 but a living and powering aspect of grace. 46:40 Of grace, really. Yes, yes. 46:42 You've mentioned the word and it jumped out of it 46:44 because it, if we continue to read verse 27, he says, 46:48 "Where is boasting then, you know, 46:50 when you look at the salvation process, 46:52 we really have nothing to sort of 46:54 thump our chest about. 46:56 And I am tapping on microphone, 46:57 I know my--the director and guys are going to 46:59 get upset, because you are not supposed to do that. 47:01 But what can you pound your chest about. 47:05 It begins with Jesus, it goes on all you can do, 47:10 is humbly say, Lord I praise you and I thank you. 47:14 You know God is saying because of what Christ 47:16 has done, you are not going to die, 47:21 not only are you not going to die, you're gonna live. 47:25 Not only are you going to live, 47:26 you are going to live victoriously. 47:29 You are going to be adopted into the family 47:32 with all the right and privileges thereof. 47:35 And have opened for you a line of credit 47:38 that you cannot overdraw. 47:40 Anytime you need strength, come and get it, 47:43 it's waiting there for you. Why? 47:46 Simply because you accept Christ. 47:49 It's marvelous, the initiative of God 47:53 to begin this act and all we have to do is stop fighting, 47:57 and all of these are ours. 47:59 Yeah. Yeah. 48:00 And this is the part of the free grace that we get, 48:03 and I see free grace not in that Christ 48:07 did it really easily and it was all free to Him, 48:09 I mean, it cost Christ everything. 48:11 It cost the Father everything 48:13 to give that to us, but it's free 48:14 and that we cannot earn it. 48:17 And there is, but there is a salvation aspect here 48:22 that I want to transition to here that, 48:25 that is the other part of His title. 48:28 He is Savior, He saved us from our sins but-- 48:32 and He has justified us 48:33 freely as we've been talking about. 48:34 But then we get to a sanctification aspect, 48:37 the growth in Christ. Oh, yes. 48:39 The living day by day with Him, 48:41 because you see when He saves you and when you, 48:45 as a public expression of that salvation 48:47 are baptized into Him. 48:50 Christ also takes that symbol of baptism. 48:54 Going down to the oak, 48:55 letting the old man die and coming back in, 48:57 we did a recent program on that. 48:59 And then He says, I want to now fill you with My spirit. 49:04 So that you may walk in that salvation experience, 49:07 that saving that Christ as your Savior experience. 49:10 And this is the beginning of making Jesus, 49:13 your Lord and so this is the aspect, 49:17 I guess we didn't talk 49:18 a little bit about what Lord means. 49:21 And you go back, you know, 49:22 typically when I think of Lord, 49:23 I think of the English, 49:26 you know, you go back to that. 49:27 You see these old programs, you know, 49:29 the knights and all the other things and 49:31 stuff that, you know, you grew up 49:33 with the Lords since stuff that are 49:35 over there in England. Lord's small L. 49:37 Yeah, Lord's small L, absolutely, I forget that. 49:40 But the word Lord is very much the same. 49:45 Because Lord, there is authority in the household, 49:49 authority of the family. 49:51 He is in charge of all His resources? 49:54 And that's what Jesus is as He has 49:57 purchased back our redemption. 49:59 He has purchased us back. 50:00 Once we accept Him as our Savior, 50:02 the only place to go is to take the next step 50:06 and accept Him as the Lord of our life, 50:08 because we-- as being as part of His kingdom, 50:11 it is His resources, it is His spirit leading 50:14 and guiding us, Him providing for all of our needs. 50:18 We need to begin to think of Him as Lord, 50:20 not just our Savior. Very, very true. 50:23 And I like the illusion. 50:27 Sanctification, justification, Lord, 50:30 I've stepped in the mud and my shoes are muddy. 50:35 I need you to look at me 50:37 as though my shoes are not muddy, 50:39 while you are cleaning them, justification. 50:44 Now, Lord, I need you 50:45 to clean my shoes, sanctification. 50:49 But also I want you to direct my path, 50:52 so that I don't step in anymore mud, Lord. 50:55 Yeah. Lead me in the right way. 50:58 I am willing to say wherever you lead, I will follow. 51:02 Now I am making you Lord of my life. 51:04 And if You say go here, I go. 51:06 If you say make a left, I make a left. 51:08 I am making You Lord of my life. 51:10 I am surrendering to You because I know 51:12 if I take my own path, I am in mud up to my neck, 51:16 but if I will follow you, I can kind of be mud free. 51:20 So the key aspect you are saying 51:21 then of Lordship is leadership. 51:23 Precisely, yeah. 51:24 Which we have to connect to discipleship. 51:27 Oh, yes. 51:28 You can't get away from that. 51:30 It's it's--everybody wants Jesus to clean up the mess. 51:33 Nobody wants to live a messy life, 51:38 but the next step is ordering your life, 51:41 so that you cannot create any new messes, 51:44 so that you can live above that kind of life, 51:48 so that you can be free, so that sin does not have 51:51 dominion which you points it out 51:52 in your message over you anymore. 51:54 Yeah. Yeah. 51:55 There are very popular verse, First John 1:9, 51:57 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful 51:59 and just to forgive us our sins." 52:01 There is the Savior's aspect. 52:03 He has brought back or He is just in declaring you 52:09 righteous even though you are not. 52:12 But also then He cleanse us from all unrighteousness, 52:16 that's the washing, continually washing 52:18 think that's the leadership aspect of Lord, 52:21 that's the discipleship part and there is a lot we 52:24 say about discipleship, but really that's making 52:27 Jesus the decision maker in your life. 52:30 And I think that it is an aspect 52:32 that is difficult for us to do. 52:34 I mean, come on, who doesn't want to 52:36 avoid fires of hell, who doesn't want to 52:39 live in eternal bliss, who doesn't want to 52:42 experience those things, but I would ask the question. 52:46 Who wants to give up their life, as they know it. 52:51 You know, that's not, 52:52 that's not an easy thing necessarily 52:54 and that's why it requires the saving part first 52:57 because it-- our mind has to be transformed 52:59 to want to give our lives to Jesus for what He has done. 53:02 Then we've got to make the decision, 53:04 and it's a day by day taking up of our cross of dying 53:07 to remain in that decision to make Him our Lord. 53:11 Yes, and a number of things that accrue from that 53:13 including what we talked about little bit earlier. 53:15 As you walk with the Lord, you guess spread 53:17 the discernment as you surrender to Him. 53:20 The line between right and wrong also become clear, 53:24 so that, John Stanton, in this year, 53:27 is not the John Stanton of 10 years ago 53:29 and the idea of putting on short 53:30 and sneakers and playing basketball on Sabbath, 53:32 does not even occur you, because you are 53:33 much further along that road, 53:35 that's not even a temptation any more. 53:36 Because you are being sanctified, 53:38 your life has been cleansed. 53:39 I will take a quick start, 53:40 my mother used to come and visit me. 53:42 Now we are talking about your mom 53:43 just before we came on air. 53:45 One of the things that aggravate me 53:47 about my mother is that she is a compulsive cleaner. 53:49 When my mother would come to particularly 53:51 when I was single before I got married, 53:53 I was pasturing but I was single. 53:55 I would clean before she came to house, 53:57 because I know my mother's tendency, 53:59 and she get in, take off her coat and begin, 54:03 finding stuff to clean, you know, 54:04 it would kind of aggravate me because I said, 54:06 "I've already cleaned that mom." 54:07 She said like, "No, you didn't." 54:08 That's, that's not clean. 54:09 I was gonna say you clean it, 54:10 and she would clean behind the refrigerator, 54:13 she would clean the receiver of the phone, 54:14 she would clean under the toaster, you know, 54:16 she all these little places that 54:17 it didn't occurred me to catch. 54:20 And that's what the Holy Spirit does. 54:21 Once that comes into your life, it's like my mom, 54:24 clean, clean, clean, clean, 54:26 and you think that's pretty clean, 54:27 Holy Spirit, no, no, its not that clean. 54:29 Let me share you this; and the longer 54:31 you are with Him that sanctifying process 54:33 you see more and more that needs to be clean, 54:35 but you are actually getting better, 54:36 I say better and drawing closer to the Lord 54:39 through that cleaning process. 54:40 So He is faithful and just to forgive 54:44 and then He starts cleansing, and it never stops. 54:47 It continues till you close your eye. 54:48 You know, an amazing thing about that too is, 54:50 this is where both aspects are working together, 54:52 because during the entire cleaning process, 54:55 you are saved because of His Savior, yes, 54:58 experience, salvation experience. 55:00 But He is also cleaning you up. 55:02 And He is so patient, you can make mistakes 55:07 and it's not, oh, I am saved one moment 55:09 and I am not saved the next moment. 55:10 He doesn't do it, it doesn't knock you off, 55:12 the salvation platform there in the middle of the ocean. 55:16 He keeps saving you everyday. 55:20 But you grow and there is latitude for that 55:23 growth experience that He gives you 55:25 and it's the trend of the life 55:26 where you're heading. 55:27 I can't tell you how many people as pastor that I've 55:30 talked to that have said, I think I have committed 55:32 the unpardonable sin. 55:33 No, I've discourage the Lord for the last time. 55:37 He want forgive me and I point usually to the text 55:39 where Jesus says, you know, how often, 55:41 should you forgive, the disciple asked to me. 55:43 He said, I don't say seven times 55:45 but seventy times seven. 55:47 If Jesus told them that how many times 55:49 does Jesus forgive us. Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes. 55:51 And this is His grace. 55:53 This is what makes me fall in love with Jesus 55:56 initially because He saved me from sin, 55:58 but now because I'm a wreck and He is so patient. 56:05 He saves you immediately from the power of sin 56:07 then He works on saving from the presence of sin. 56:10 It saved and being saved. 56:12 Saved while you are being saved. 56:14 It's a marvelous thing and it is the initiative 56:16 of our loving Heavenly Father. 56:18 I think to that it's an aspect of preaching 56:22 that is missed today. 56:24 In Christianity at large, Lot of people talked about 56:28 how, you know, I got saved 56:31 which is really the justification experience, 56:33 but I am being saved as well and it's those that are 56:37 being saved while they got saved that are saved. 56:40 Yes, yes, yes. Very true. 56:44 And the constant needing to remember that 56:47 and stay connected I think is really, really a key. 56:50 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 56:51 This is a exciting study and I am sure your church 56:54 or preacher appreciated when you brought 56:57 that to them, because it's something that we need to 56:58 bring up every so often just to remind ourselves 57:01 of our status and standing in Christ Jesus. 57:03 Yeah. Yeah. 57:05 You know, it's such an exciting thing 57:07 to think about to that the Lord is so patient. 57:09 He has saved us but He is also continuing to save us 57:12 every day from our own self. 57:14 And I hope that maybe this has sparked some fire, 57:17 some interest in your own life 57:19 and your own experience with Jesus. 57:21 And that you can from this point 57:23 forward begin to make Jesus not just your Savior, 57:26 but the Lord of your life as well. 57:28 Trust Him today. |
Revised 2014-12-17