Participants:
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP181222A
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01:52 Hey, boys and girls, nice to see all of you.
01:55 I know you're expecting me to show up 01:57 right there in front of you, but look at that, 01:59 they brought this beautiful chair, 02:02 and I get to sit down right here. 02:07 Oh, merry Christmas to you almost. 02:10 It's a beautiful Sabbath before Christmas. 02:14 Good to see you. 02:15 Do we have any visitors who are here? 02:16 Do we have any visitors who... 02:18 Oh, I see a visitor. 02:19 Welcome. Welcome. 02:21 Any visitors on this side? 02:23 Welcome. Welcome. 02:26 Where are those little girls of mine? 02:27 Where are they sitting? 02:29 Oh, there is Ella right there. 02:31 You can't see here, but I can see here. 02:34 And is Izzy here? 02:36 No, Izzy is back in there. 02:37 All right. 02:39 Nice to have you all. 02:41 So Benji could hardly wait. 02:46 "Reuben, you're not going to believe this, 02:48 you're not going to believe this, Reuben. 02:50 Yo, Reuben, where are you? 02:54 Yo, Benji, I'm over here." 02:56 Benji and Reuben were cousins. 02:59 Benji came running up to Reuben. 03:02 "You're not going to believe this, 03:03 but our dads talked to our moms 03:04 and our moms gave us permission! 03:07 We get to go out with our dads tonight. 03:09 All night long!" 03:13 You see, Reuben and Benji were sons of shepherds. 03:19 And what does a shepherd do? 03:20 What kind of animals does a shepherd lead? 03:22 Let me hear the sound of animals a shepherd leads. 03:24 What kind of sounds? 03:26 Baa, baa, 03:29 baa, baa! 03:33 Oh, you are a perfect flock. 03:35 That's lovely. 03:38 Okay. Okay. 03:39 We got it. 03:42 All right, so Benji and Reuben 03:46 cannot believe that Mommy actually said yes, 03:48 both moms said yes 03:49 because their dads were brothers 03:51 so that made the dad the uncle of the other boy. 03:53 "We get to go out tonight," 03:55 and Mother made a most wonderful stay out 03:57 all night with your daddy, 03:59 supper she packed it in a little cloth, 04:02 she gave it to Benji. 04:03 "Now, Benji, don't you eat it 04:05 before you get out there to the fields with the sheep." 04:06 "Reuben, don't you eat this 04:08 before you get out to the fields with the sheep 04:09 and be sure and help Daddy pick up the wood 04:11 so that we have a big... 04:12 so that you will have a big fire 04:14 tonight and mommy... 04:15 and the other mommy will be back here 04:18 praying for you." 04:22 Have you ever stayed up all night with your dad? 04:25 Yes! Yes. 04:26 In his work? 04:28 Oh! In his work? 04:31 These dads were professional shepherds. 04:34 They knew what to do. 04:35 They had their sheepdog... 04:37 what is the sound that a sheepdog makes, please? 04:39 What's the sound of a sheepdog makes? 04:41 Baa! 04:42 No, that would be the sheep. 04:44 Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof! 04:50 So the fathers have their favorite sheepdogs 04:53 with them, they have their favorite two little boys, 04:55 Benji and Reuben, and everybody went, and... 05:00 All the sheep are hurrying out the gate of the fold 05:03 out into the rolling hillside, outside the town. 05:10 "Go, go, go, go!" 05:12 Benji and Reuben went out. 05:14 They finally found their spot, oldest son is going down. 05:18 "Quick, quick, boys, 05:19 I need you to stop everything right now, 05:20 pick up all the firewood you can find. 05:22 We need old gnarly branches. 05:24 Bring them all here 05:26 because we need a fire that will burn all night 05:27 to keep the wolves away, to keep any robbers away, 05:30 we need a bright light tonight." 05:32 And so the boys, 05:33 Benji and Reuben began to pick up pieces of stick, 05:35 stick, stick, pow, pow, pow. 05:37 "Father. Father." 05:38 The two fathers leaned over. 05:41 They had a little bit of flint. 05:44 And soon there was a wonderful campfire. 05:50 As the sun set, 05:51 the campfire burst into flames and the two boys 05:56 and their dads just sat around, 05:58 and they ate the sandwiches mother had made for them, 06:00 and they're thinking... 06:02 the boys are thinking, 06:03 "It doesn't get any better than this." 06:07 And when the supper was through, and now it's dark, 06:10 and you can see the little twinkling stars 06:12 all over the sky when the supper was through, 06:16 Benji said, "Hey, Reuben, isn't this something? 06:20 Think of all the boys back in the village 06:21 who don't get to come out and be shepherds for a night. 06:24 We get to be shepherds tonight." 06:27 And before you know it, the father started talking. 06:31 And Benji and Reuben, 06:33 whenever they would hear their dads talk 06:35 about the coming King, 06:37 there was something different about their daddies. 06:40 They took on a little more serious... 06:42 a serious kind of expression, more earnest. 06:47 And the two daddies are talking, "You know what, 06:49 this is as bad as I've ever seen this nation. 06:52 I've never seen trouble like this before. 06:54 And it just makes you wonder, 06:56 do you think the Messiah is about to come? 06:58 Maybe the Messiah is coming sooner than we thought." 07:02 And the little boys, as they listen to father talk, 07:05 like a grown-up father talks, they leaned back, 07:08 and Benji said, "You know, Reuben, 07:10 I can just imagine when the King comes, 07:12 he'll be a Jew, just like you and me, 07:14 and when the King comes, 07:16 our hated enemy soldiers will be gone 07:19 because the King will be on that giant white stallion, 07:22 and He will rule the world, and we will be rulers with Him. 07:27 Oh! 07:29 Reuben, can you imagine what that will be like?" 07:33 "Yeah, Benji, I sort of can. 07:36 I sort of can." 07:40 And before Reuben knew it, he was sound asleep. 07:43 And Benji tried to keep his eyes open 07:44 to listen to dad as they talk, 07:46 but pretty soon Benji's head went down, 07:47 the fire was warm, 07:49 there would be a little pop in the fire, 07:50 and there would be a shower of orange sparks 07:53 flowing up to heaven. 07:55 Soon both boys... 08:05 The fathers' low voices seem to get farther and farther away 08:09 as the two boys spent their first night 08:11 all night out shepherding the sheep. 08:16 When all of a sudden, 08:18 there was an explosion so bright 08:22 and so loud that little Benji and Reuben 08:26 flat on that rocky hillside, 08:28 when that explosion burst like thunder, 08:31 those two little boys just lifted off the ground 08:34 just like this into the air, and while they're in the air, 08:37 it's as if they were having the same nightmare, 08:40 while in the air, they both screamed, "Daddy!" 08:49 And when their eyes opened, their daddies were hovering, 08:54 they are hovering, 08:56 they are looking, and there is this "Oh, 08:59 Benji, Benji, Benji, 09:01 can you see it? Can you see Him?" 09:04 A fiery warrior soldier 09:10 standing and looking down at them. 09:13 They're hiding. 09:15 It's so bright they can hardly see his face. 09:17 But they hear his voice. 09:20 "Shepherd boys, don't be afraid. 09:24 For I bring you good tidings of great joy 09:27 which will be to all people, 09:30 for unto you is born this day in the city of David, 09:34 a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, 09:37 and this will be a sign and to you, 09:40 you will see a baby wrapped in cloth, 09:44 lying in a box of cow feed, and when you see Him, 09:48 that will be the new King." 09:52 Slowly, their eyes are adjusting, 09:54 they hear the words, 09:56 but before their eyes could adjust even further, 09:58 there is another boom and all heavens are on fire. 10:02 Ten thousand angels, all of them singing. 10:07 Do you know what they sang? 10:09 "Glory to God." Say it with me. 10:11 "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, 10:16 goodwill to all people." 10:23 And then as if somebody hit a switch... 10:27 it's black! 10:29 Their eyes are so... 10:30 Have you ever looked at a bright light, 10:32 and then the light went out, and you're in the dark, 10:33 and your eyes can't see anything? 10:34 They couldn't see a thing. 10:36 "Benji." "Reuben, are you near?" 10:37 "Benji." "Daddy, daddy, daddy! 10:39 Are you here?" 10:40 Daddy can't see either. 10:41 And their eyes slowly adjusted. 10:44 The echo of music gets further and further away. 10:48 And when their eyes adjust and their ears adjust, 10:50 do you know what all four of those... 10:54 those legs did eight legs, four bodies, 10:56 do you know what they all did at the same time? 10:59 They started running as fast as they can run. 11:02 Do they have flashlights? No. 11:03 Do they have a torch? No. Do they have any light at all? 11:05 No, they're just running. "Get back to the village. 11:07 Get back to the village. Get back to the village." 11:09 "But oh, I hit a rock!" "Keep going, keep going." 11:11 They enter the open village gate, 11:13 "I know there's only one place there 11:14 where there would be manger, there would a manger, 11:16 and a stable in the back cave." 11:17 And they went to their place as they round the last corner. 11:26 "Benji, look at that. 11:28 Look, over there by the manger, the box of cow feed." 11:33 There was a man standing there. 11:35 There was an exhausted young woman 11:37 leaning against the wall. 11:38 And in the little box of cow feed 11:40 was a tiny little brand new baby. 11:46 Oh! 11:50 Do you think Benji and Reuben kept that story to themselves? 11:54 No. 11:55 As they went back to their sheep that night 11:56 as they saw anybody that bumped into wide awake, they yelled, 11:59 "Guess what, the King's been born, 12:01 the King has come! 12:03 We just saw Him and worshipped Him." 12:08 Oh, I love that story of Benji and Reuben. 12:10 You know what I think? 12:12 I think that when those boys grew up, 12:13 because they weren't much older than that baby, 12:16 I think those two boys 12:17 became followers of that little baby 12:20 whose name became Jesus and who became the Messiah. 12:25 I like to think that Jesus knew them, 12:27 the boys that were at His birth. 12:30 And whenever He'd spot them in a crowd, He'd wink at them, 12:33 He'd nod at them, 12:34 and they would stare back at Him, 12:36 "This is our King." 12:39 In fact, you know what I'd like to think, 12:40 I'd like to think you boys and girls when you grow up, 12:42 you will get to know the same Jesus, 12:45 you become disciples, 12:47 you become followers of His, 12:48 and you become warriors for His kingdom. 12:51 Oh, that's what I think 12:52 because the news is even better, 12:54 He not only came the first time, 12:55 He's coming again soon. 12:56 How many want to say, "Thank You, Jesus, 12:58 You are coming again soon?" 13:00 Put your hand up if you want to say 13:02 thank You, Jesus, You are coming again soon. 13:07 That's what Christmas is about. 13:09 He came once and He's coming again. 13:12 Now do I have a microphone up here? 13:13 I don't know that I do. 13:15 Is there anybody down there where the microphone is? 13:17 Who's got the microphone down there? Dan? 13:19 All right, no, you stay... 13:20 Okay, somebody down there, would you like to pray? 13:25 Would you like to pray? 13:28 Do I see any hands? 13:30 Oh, I see so many hands, 13:31 but you got to be close to the... 13:32 you got to be close to Dan Agnate. 13:34 Okay, little boy with your hand up 13:35 and your curly hair, Samuel. 13:36 Would you stand up, Samuel, please, 13:38 and would you thank Jesus for coming again? 13:40 Samuel, you can go ahead and stand, 13:42 go ahead stand on your feet. 13:43 Yeah, you. 13:45 And Mr. Agnate is going to give you 13:47 a microphone right now. 13:49 In fact, you can stay seated right there. 13:50 Let's close our eyes with Samuel as he thanks Jesus 13:53 for the promise that our King is coming again. 13:58 All right, the little sissy right here... 14:01 Okay, right, there you go. 14:04 Dear, Jesus, please help us to have a good day. 14:09 Please help us to have a wonderful Sabbath, 14:12 please help us to stay connected to You. 14:15 Amen. Amen. 14:16 What a beautiful prayer. And, boys or girls, I have... 14:18 we have a gift for you, don't leave, 14:20 we have a gift for you. 14:21 Now where are Jesus' helpers here? 14:23 Where are the ladies? I see Claudia there. 14:25 Where's another one? Lelani. 14:26 Where's Diane? 14:28 Is there anybody on this side over here? 14:30 Claudia, is there anybody on this side over here? 14:32 We have Joanne. 14:33 She's not here. Okay. Okay. 14:35 So everybody sitting on this side, 14:37 I hate to do this to you, 14:38 but you got to go this way to get a present. 14:40 Go right down. 14:42 A merry Christmas to you this next week 14:43 and a blessed Christmas Sabbath. 14:46 So glad you were in church today. 18:17 Amen and amen. That was beautiful. 18:19 Eric Lofgren, Kenneth Logan, Flugelhorn in Oregon, 18:26 a perfect Christmas combination. 18:29 Such a plaintive melody. 18:31 Thank you for that, Jonah. 18:34 I need to tell you, 18:35 I've been looking forward to this moment 18:38 ever since I crashed and burned on that ice skating rink 18:41 three weeks ago tomorrow. 18:43 In many ways, in all honesty, 18:45 it seems like it's been three months. 18:47 I mean, it's just like, wow. 18:50 I don't know what there is about boys and men, 18:52 I guess it's just... 18:53 we're just this way, 18:55 but you know how men love showing off 18:56 their scars to each other. 18:59 Oh, I got them right here, 19:01 the 47 staples that they pulled out yesterday. 19:04 I said to the girl, 19:06 "Would you mind keeping these for me?" 19:08 she said, "Keeping them?" 19:09 I said, "Listen, I paid for them. 19:12 I want them." 19:14 So I got these 47 little metal staples 19:18 that they punch into you. 19:20 Women don't do that, do they? 19:22 They don't say, "Hey, look at my scar, 19:23 you've ever seen this?" 19:25 But I want to make sure 19:27 that this is not just a guy thing. 19:29 I want this to be a God thing. 19:32 There's no question in my mind. 19:35 And because of your therapeutic and loving intercessions, 19:40 I'm able to be vertical right now three weeks later. 19:44 I got some pictures I want to show you. 19:46 I have a story, a short story I want to relate. 19:50 But I want to make sure 19:51 right here at the beginning that it's clear 19:54 that we have gathered to praise God today. 19:56 Amen. 19:58 And I've gathered to thank you today 20:00 for the way you have interceded, 20:01 and it has been such an awesome blessing 20:05 for my own soul. 20:07 Yeah, but, Dwight, come on, I mean please. 20:09 How are you going to get something spiritual 20:12 out of you messing up in that Notre Dame Rice... 20:15 I mean ice rink. 20:17 Here's how I planned to do it. 20:19 In my humble opinion, 20:22 what we're going to share is all about synchronicity. 20:25 Let me put the word on the screen for you. 20:26 We don't use the word a lot. 20:28 I've been using it a lot 20:29 since I've gotten into you and I, 20:30 there's baptism, 20:32 the daily Baptism of the Holy Spirit. 20:33 But you see that word synchronicity, 20:35 I can agree that reading the word 20:38 doesn't just pump your pulse 20:40 because if you go online, 20:42 you get a definition you see up there on the screen. 20:44 This is synchronicity. 20:46 The simultaneous occurrences of events 20:48 that appear significantly related 20:49 but have no discernible cause or connection. 20:52 There's something strange about this. 20:55 It's like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. 20:57 You remember? They come back into the house. 20:59 "Somebody has been eating my porridge. 21:01 Somebody sat in my... 21:03 Somebody slept in my bed." 21:05 The fingerprints of somebody is all over the crime scene. 21:08 That's the Goldilocks' factor. 21:11 And that's synchronicity. 21:12 And by the way, 21:14 synchronicity is always after the fact 21:17 because if it's before the fact, 21:19 it's not synchronicity at all. 21:20 It's just ipso facto, 21:21 another little piece of reality that you witnessed. 21:25 When it happens afterwards that you begin to realize, 21:29 "Somebody has his fingerprints 21:32 all over what I've just gone through." 21:35 That's where the difference is made. 21:40 And it turns out that his fingerprints 21:41 are all over this humble testimony. 21:43 So December 2, 21:45 that would be 3 weeks from tomorrow, 21:46 our pastor's family's field trip day in Michiana. 21:52 So that's our pastoral staff here pioneer, 21:54 take all our kids, take the families, 21:57 go down to the India Gardens 21:59 and enjoy a delectable Indian buffet. 22:02 And then head over to the Compton Family Ice Arena 22:05 on the campus of Notre Dame 22:07 for 2 hours of family ice skating 22:08 from 3:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon. 22:09 So that's exactly what we did. 22:12 What could be more fun? 22:13 How could you have a more wonderful time? 22:15 So cutting to the chase, 22:17 we're about 45 minutes into our skate. 22:20 A bunch of us passes, and kids and spouses are on the ice. 22:23 And a bunch of us passes, 22:24 and kids and spouses are not on the ice. 22:26 And in fact, I said to Karen 22:27 as we were driving down the South Bend. 22:29 I said, "You know, love, 22:30 you need to strap on some skates 22:32 and just enjoy a little time with me out on the ice." 22:35 And you know, just in an instant, 22:37 she replied, she says, 22:38 "I am not doing that. 22:40 Sure as anything, I'd fall on that ice, 22:41 break my hip, 22:43 and we have the whole family coming in, 22:44 and that would be just awful, 22:46 so I'm not going on on that ice." 22:50 I tell you the truth. 22:51 That's exactly what she said. 22:53 "I'll break my hip. 22:54 You go, Dwight." 22:59 Okay. 23:00 So here's a picture of me out on the ice, 23:01 kind of lollygagging around. 23:03 Now what's wrong with that? 23:04 Not a real pretty form. 23:05 But, you know, you're just starting out. 23:07 And by the way, look in the background. 23:08 You see those green... 23:09 Those are green plastic walkers. 23:11 That's what they give the children so the children 23:13 put on their skates. 23:14 You get inside that little shield 23:16 and you stand up. 23:18 You will never fall. You just stand. 23:19 So I took one of them. 23:21 "Man, this is great." 23:22 Once I got my sea legs, I said, "Man, I don't need this stuff. 23:24 This is baby stuff." 23:26 I used to have ice skates as a boy growing up in Japan, 23:29 so I'm just going to be fine skating around the rink. 23:32 And so that's the first picture of me lollygagging around. 23:34 We actually have another picture of me 23:36 picking up a little bit speed. 23:38 Let's see if we can put that out. 23:44 Yeah, it is me. 23:46 You thought I was Apolo Ohno. 23:47 No, oh, no. 23:49 That's Dwight, Dwight on the ice. 23:51 I was just going around and having my... 23:54 I had some friends... 23:56 We had some friends come over to visit us, and they said "No, 23:57 Dwight, if you tell this story, 23:58 you got to do this with Photoshop." 24:02 I thank you for the idea. 24:03 It worked. 24:05 But anyway, 24:09 I'm not sure of actually what happened next. 24:13 I didn't hit anybody. 24:15 Nobody hit me. 24:19 But the next split second, I know, 24:22 is that I'm suddenly flat on my back, stunned, 24:24 I'm staring at the ceiling of the Compton Ice Arena, 24:28 and I'm saying, "Now what?" 24:31 These little Notre Dame students are skating around 24:33 with a red cross on them. 24:34 And boy, two of those guys 24:36 came skating right over, "You okay, sir? 24:37 You okay, sir?" 24:39 They reached down and touched my arm, "How's your arm?" 24:40 "Ah!" I said, "Don't touch that. 24:42 Don't touch that. Fire." 24:44 "Okay, well, we're going to get you off this ice. 24:45 How's this leg?" "Oh, don't touch this leg. 24:48 It's fire." 24:51 It's just instant pain. 24:53 I said, "There's no way I'm getting out of here." 24:54 They said, "We'll get some big guys." 24:56 Coming at us, there's a bunch of big guys. 24:57 Some of the pastors came over. 24:58 And they just did what those big guys do, 25:00 just got to pick you up 25:01 and just drag you off of that ice. 25:03 Put you down on a bench. 25:06 The Notre Dame Security 25:07 were the first people to arrive. 25:08 They went through a series of questions. 25:10 "How are you? What's your name? 25:11 What you doing?" 25:12 You know, all that. 25:14 And then, of course, I had a bunch of pastors 25:15 on the team who are just wisecracking the whole time. 25:19 I don't get mad. I just get even. 25:23 Anyway, so then they said, "Well, 25:25 we have to call the Notre Dame Fire Department Team." 25:26 So the Notre Dame Fire Department Team, 25:28 they come, they ask the whole thing, 25:30 very professional, very kind. 25:32 And they come, and they say, "No, no, no." 25:34 And Karen, my Karen, and Christine, 25:37 Jose's pediatrician wife are both saying, 25:40 "He's not going home. 25:41 He's not going to the car. 25:42 You will call an ambulance." 25:45 And I finally agreed. 25:46 With this pain, there's no way I could make it, 25:48 there's a long flight of stairs up to the parking lot. 25:51 So anyway, they called the ambulance. 25:56 And a little girl, security girl there, 25:57 Jose, chaplain. 25:59 Jose turns to her and he says, "Listen, 26:00 we have a motto in the Pioneer staff, 26:03 'Go big or go home,' 26:05 So would you mind getting the Notre Dame fighting band, 26:08 marching band, 26:10 to play as we put him in the ambulance?" 26:13 And she didn't miss a beat. 26:14 She was cool on her feet. 26:16 She just looked back and then she said, 26:17 "No, it's Sunday. They don't work on Sunday." 26:21 Anyway, there's a picture of me going into the ambulance, 26:27 they're South Bend ambulance. 26:29 Luckily, this wonderful trauma center named 26:32 South Bend Memorial Hospital is just two miles away. 26:34 So that's where we headed. 26:36 Great ER team met us, 26:37 little young ER nurse turns out. 26:39 When she was little, 26:41 her aunt brought her to the Pioneer Memorial Church 26:42 on the campus of Andrews University. 26:44 So she'd been here. 26:46 Doc comes walking in and he said, "Man!" 26:49 He said, "We're going to get an X-ray, buddy." 26:52 The little X-ray tech comes in. 26:54 She says, "All right, 26:55 now I need to roll you over onto this little gurney 26:57 and we'll take you down, take some pictures." 26:58 "Oh!" 27:00 Anyway, she gets me down into that little room, 27:02 and it's a dark little room, and she says, 27:04 "I'm going to get this board under you. 27:06 Can you..." 27:09 And for some reason... 27:10 Because of the fiery pain here, 27:12 I just ran a 10K that morning 27:13 and I got shin splint cramps in the good leg. 27:17 So this leg is cramping. 27:18 This leg is hot on fire. 27:20 And I'm crying for Karen. 27:22 "Send me my wife, please." 27:25 She says, "No, but I got a friend 27:26 in the next room over." 27:27 So she gets a friend. 27:29 They came over and said, "All right, 27:30 now it's not going to feel good. 27:32 One, two, three!" 27:33 And then they hold you up there and snap, snap, snap, snap. 27:37 Back in the ER room, 27:39 the doctor comes walking with the X-ray, 27:41 he says, "I got bad news, buddy. 27:42 You have fractured both your shoulder 27:44 and your hip. 27:46 We'll be doing surgery first thing in the morning 27:48 on the hip, and after that, 27:50 we'll do surgery on the shoulder." 27:52 I said, "Oh, great. 27:53 Yep." 27:54 So that's what happened. 27:56 Hip surgery was on Monday morning, 27:57 shoulder surgery on Wednesday morning. 27:59 I got the pictures to prove it. 28:01 I'll put them up on the screen for you. 28:02 This is the hip implant. 28:04 You see it there, three titanium pieces. 28:07 You see that long titanium piece? 28:08 They drilled the morrow out of the bone 28:11 so that they can get it down into the bone. 28:13 You see the fracture head of the femur, 28:15 that's a big screw that goes through the top. 28:17 That's a little screw to keep the titanium plate in place in, 28:19 so about three pieces there. 28:21 Two days later, they went in for the shoulder. 28:23 I'll show you a picture there. 28:25 There is the shoulder, shoulder with 16 pieces, 28:28 1 plate, and 15 screws. 28:29 Let's get one more picture of the shoulder. 28:31 So that's what's happening on the shoulder. 28:34 I mean, these guys are professionals. 28:36 They know exactly what they're doing. 28:37 But you add that up, total, exclusive of tax and delivery, 28:41 19 pieces of hardware permanently in my body 28:44 until Jesus comes. 28:46 And Karen and I've been trying to figure out 28:48 where on ascend to heaven do these pieces disappear. 28:51 I don't know. 28:53 They surely won't go all the way to heaven. 28:56 And then of course yesterday, 28:58 the 47 staples which I have right here, 28:59 but I want to give a word of tribute 29:01 'cause the story is over now. 29:02 A word of tribute, 29:04 first of the surgeon Dr. Joel Post. 29:06 He's with the ortho group, 29:08 trauma group's there at Memorial. 29:09 He was young. 29:10 I'm guessing 32-33 years of age. 29:12 Extremely conversant, knowledgeable, 29:13 and I'm vertical right now 29:14 because of his God-given skills. 29:17 Just a top-notch doc. 29:19 He did both surgeries, Monday morning and back again, 29:22 Wednesday. 29:24 Anesthesiologist Calhoun and Graham, 29:27 they came in and said, 29:28 "We're doing a nerve block on the second one. 29:31 Your arm would be numb for 12 hours, 29:33 but it will help us, and it will help you." 29:35 Great team. 29:37 Four days and four nights in a hospital 29:39 is nobody's picnic. 29:41 Not the patients 29:42 nor the nursing staff, trust me. 29:46 And on an ortho floor, 29:48 but the team that was absolutely incredible, 29:49 I want to show you a picture of my night nurse. 29:52 Schimony is her name. 29:54 She's a nurse practitioner and a registered nurse, 29:57 and she's smiling. 30:00 She was that way all the way through. 30:03 I'm telling you, smart, compassionate, 30:05 when you hit the button... 30:06 "Do you mind emptying this, please?" 30:08 I mean, you have to do stuff like that, 30:09 and they do it with a smile. 30:11 They first measure it, but then do it with a smile. 30:15 But when I say a word of tribute to the children 30:17 and the students 30:19 who sent their handcrafted cards 30:20 to the hospital and to the church 30:22 and to the house, 30:24 you don't know what those little cards did, 30:26 just looking at one after the other 30:28 and your little scribbly handwriting, 30:33 what a blessing it is to belong to this parish 30:35 for all of us. 30:36 And these kids are our future. 30:38 You saw them just a moment ago. 30:40 They are the life of this parish. 30:42 I have two little friends. 30:43 They live down the end of our street, 30:44 Sophie and Fiorella. 30:47 They're worshippers here at Pioneer 30:48 and they're students, 30:50 and they sent me a little Christmas artwork. 30:51 I'll put it on the screen for you. 30:52 It's a Christmas ball and it says Jeremiah 30:17. 30:55 And in the words under it, 30:57 "For I will restore health to you, 30:59 and I will heal you of your wounds, 31:02 says the Lord." 31:03 And that's sitting on my desk at home. 31:08 And all of you who sent cards, and phone calls, left messages, 31:14 you do not understand the effect, 31:17 the therapeutic positive effect 31:20 of that sort of response that you give. 31:24 And you say, "Well, I just do this for everybody." 31:26 I know you do it for everybody, 31:27 but the fact that you do it all... 31:30 It's always so easy to say, "Well, he'll find it. 31:33 She'll know that we're all praying for her." 31:36 But when people go out of the way to say, 31:38 "I'm praying for you," you'll never forget it. 31:42 It just blesses your soul. 31:45 Well, it isn't over yet. I need to say that. 31:47 There's a grueling PT rehab program 31:49 that soon kicks into gear 31:50 that doctor gave the orders yesterday. 31:53 But you know what, the God who got us this far, 31:55 Karen and me, 31:56 the God who got us this far will get us all the way. 31:59 If you just keep praying, 32:01 and I'll do the exercises for you. 32:05 I want to give one more word of tribute, 32:07 and that is to my wife. 32:15 There aren't many men blessed as much as I am. 32:22 And I know I have a beautiful wife. 32:25 I have a wife who's a professional nurse. 32:29 She does it for a living. 32:32 And when you get to sleep with your nurse, 32:38 I know just the right kind of groan 32:39 that will get her out of bed 32:41 and right around the other side. 32:43 She is such a sweetheart. 32:45 And I am so blessed, so loved. 32:49 I thank God for you. 32:51 I couldn't have made it. 32:53 I couldn't have made it without her. 33:06 But most of all, I want to say thank you to God. 33:09 There is no question that synchronicity 33:11 is all over this thing. 33:12 He said, "Dwight, I haven't heard 33:14 one bit of synchronicity. 33:15 Synchronicity, synchronicity." 33:16 I haven't heard a bit now. 33:18 Let me just give you one if you want, 33:19 a huge one to begin with. 33:21 The force with which I landed 33:22 on that ice is absolutely unbelievable. 33:25 Folks, nobody touched me and I touched nobody. 33:30 Two nights ago, in the dark, 33:34 I'm in bed 'cause I can't sleep. 33:37 I'm looking at the ceiling and God said, "Hey, guess what, 33:40 Dwight, that wasn't an accident. 33:46 That was on purpose. 33:49 That was an attack. 33:52 You need to understand. 33:54 You're not just a little lollygagging human being 33:58 making his way through life." 34:04 The fact that you can go from standing up, 34:06 there's nothing in between, and it's just like... 34:11 And when I realized that, I said, "My Lord..." 34:18 There's a promise I've marked for years in my Bible. 34:21 Psalms 140:7, 34:23 "And the Lord will shield my head in battle." 34:28 That was this huge synchronicity. 34:30 Do understand? 34:32 Not a hair on my head touched that ice. 34:34 Somehow I landed on that ice and my head is up. 34:38 My head is up, 34:40 not leaning back on the ice, it's up. 34:44 We have a friend in Spokane, 34:47 church school teacher when we started the ministry 34:49 together at New Oregon. 34:51 He said, "Hey, listen, 34:52 we just had a story in the newspaper 34:54 a few weeks ago. 34:55 'Accomplished skater from Canada 34:57 now living in Spokane, Washington, 34:59 she went out on the new skating venue...'" 35:02 They were making these down back over in Chicago other day. 35:05 They're doing these little... 35:07 You know, you just wander around the city 35:08 with ice skates on. 35:10 I'm telling you all, if you're over 30, forget it. 35:14 If you're over 30, forget it. 35:16 Anyway, this woman, experienced skater, went down, 35:19 hit her head. 35:21 They rushed her to the hospital. 35:22 The CT scan already has black spots on it. 35:25 According to the news report, her brain was dying. 35:27 She's dead in two days. She's dead in two days. 35:30 She's just skating, having a good day, 35:32 she hit her head, it's over. 35:37 Synchronicity number one, 35:40 somebody kept my head 35:41 from bouncing off of that concrete. 35:46 And I praise Him, somebody in mercy. 35:51 Synchronicity number two, 35:53 a top team of ortho specialists two miles away 35:55 South Bend Memorial. 35:56 Man, wow! 35:59 Synchronicity number three, 36:00 if you get to pick one time on the calendar 36:02 when you'll be able to be out of the pulpit for recovery, 36:04 there was only one slot available, 36:05 and God said, 36:07 "This would be the one you'd pick, Dwight. 36:09 This would be it. 36:10 This is it." 36:13 "Yeah, but come on, Dwight. 36:14 I know how this works. 36:15 Why didn't God just keep you off the ice 36:17 in the first place?" 36:19 Well, you'll have to ask Him because, number one, 36:23 we live in a free choice world 36:24 and I chose to enjoy some skating 36:26 three weeks ago tomorrow. 36:28 And I was having a great time. 36:32 Number two, we know that all things work together 36:33 for good to those who love God. 36:35 Not all things are good but He causes all things 36:38 to work together for good to those who love God 36:40 and are called according to His purpose. 36:41 And number three, guess what, it is from me, 36:44 some lessons in life can only be learned through adversity. 36:49 Yeah, I'm an impatient man in the very core of my being. 36:52 Those who live with me or work with me know that. 36:56 I don't like to sit around and wait for anybody. 36:59 And now I'm forced to just wait, 37:03 go slow, can't drive. 37:10 And I'll tell you one thing, I'll be vulnerable now. 37:14 I've had a lack of empathy for those who suffer. 37:18 "Why don't you just suck it up? 37:20 Get over it. 37:23 You're okay." 37:37 And now I realize you can't suck it up, 37:41 and you're not okay, and the pain is there. 37:46 Just live with it. 37:50 So I just thought of this this morning. 37:52 I've put it on the screen for you. 37:54 "The trials of life..." 37:55 This is Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing. 37:56 "Is this choice, the trials of life 37:58 are God's workmen to remove the impurities 37:59 and roughness from our character. 38:01 Their hewing, squaring, chiseling..." 38:03 That's what they do. 38:04 You know what the nurse said to me? 38:05 "You know why this surgery is so painful for you 38:07 'cause they're in there chopping on you, 38:08 they're with their hammer and a mallet. 38:10 And they're just chopping a hole, they're sawing, 38:13 they have to wear hazmat, gear 38:15 so they won't get in their faces. 38:16 It's all over the room as these saws are just..." 38:21 She said, "That's why you're sore. 38:22 They've been pounding on you." 38:25 There it is right there. 38:27 "They're hewing," life's trials, 38:29 "hewing, squaring, chiseling, 38:30 their burnishing polishing is a painful process. 38:33 It is hard to be pressed down to the grinding wheel. 38:38 But the stone is brought forth 38:39 prepared to fill its place in the heavenly temple." 38:41 Keep reading. 38:43 "Upon no useless material does the master bestow such careful, 38:46 thorough work." 38:47 You're going through something bad right now in your life, 38:49 something that you just cannot believe is happening to you, 38:52 I'm telling you what, sister, I'm telling you what, bro, 38:55 this is no use, 38:57 this bit of material that God is dealing with. 38:58 You are precious to Him, 39:00 and your nose is to that grindstone, 39:02 and it's grinding on you to polish you. 39:07 And you come out of this thing smelling like a rose, you will. 39:13 "Only His precious stones are polished 39:15 after the similitude of a palace." 39:19 So synchronicity in my testimony, absolutely, 39:21 but let me close with this. 39:23 There are 10 instances of divine synchronicity 39:24 in the Christmas story. 39:26 I'm going to fly through these because you'll recognize them, 39:28 so we don't have to unpack them. 39:30 The first one you will not recognize, 39:31 they're 10 instances of divine synchronicity... 39:33 And by the way, 39:35 divine fingerprints and you may be thinking, 39:39 "I wonder if this is 39:40 what I'm going through right now. 39:41 I wonder if divine fingerprints are all over me right now," 39:44 I want you to hold that thought. 39:47 The synchronicity number one from the Christmas story, 39:49 no one ever comments on this. 39:50 This is in Luke 1. 39:52 So I'll read it and you're hearing. 39:53 Luke 1. 39:55 We're picking up in Luke 1:39. 39:56 Gabriel has just appeared to Mary. 39:58 Luke 1:39. 39:59 "And at that time Mary got ready and hurried." 40:01 She just learned from Gabriel that she's going to be pregnant 40:03 an implanted baby by Almighty God Himself. 40:07 Angel mentioned to Mary, "You know, 40:09 your cousin Elizabeth is already six months pregnant, 40:11 you didn't know that, didn't you? 40:13 There's no social media back then, 40:14 nobody knew anything." 40:16 So Mary now is hurrying, 40:17 there's only one person on earth 40:19 that would possibly understand 40:21 what she's going through and that has to be Elizabeth. 40:23 She goes flying to Elizabeth, 40:25 "And at the time Mary got ready and hurried 40:26 to a town in the hill country of Judea." 40:28 Verse 40, "And when she entered Zachariah's home 40:31 and greeted Elizabeth. 40:33 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby, 40:35 the fetus leaped in her womb and Elizabeth rather was filled 40:39 with the Holy Spirit. 40:41 And in a loud voice Elizabeth exclaimed, 40:43 'Blessed are you among woman, 40:45 and blessed is the child you will bear! 40:47 But why am I so favored, 40:48 that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 40:51 As soon as the sound of your greeting 40:52 reached my ears, 40:53 the baby in my womb leap for joy.'" 40:56 Oh, Mary. 40:57 "'Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord 40:59 would fulfill his promises to her!'" 41:01 Do understand what Elizabeth has just done? 41:03 It's a moment of divine synchronicity. 41:05 Mary has needed to hear what she has just said. 41:08 Elizabeth has no clue that Mary is pregnant. 41:11 There's no social, there's nothing. 41:13 She walks to the door, and the Holy Spirit says, 41:16 "The Messiah is in your cousin." 41:19 She speaks because Mary ever since Gabriel 41:22 was there has been finding this thought, 41:24 "It cannot be. 41:25 How could I possibly become pregnant? 41:28 I know no man." 41:30 She needed the synchronicity of that split second timing 41:35 to say, "You're bearing my Lord, 41:40 my Lord." 41:42 Synchronicity number one, 41:43 divine fingerprints all over with no causal connection, 41:47 no causal connection, but somebody very much at work. 41:50 Synchronicity number two, three, four, and five. 41:52 These are the four dreams of Joseph 41:54 because when Mary comes back 41:55 after three months with Elizabeth, 41:57 Mary now looks like she's pregnant. 42:01 And Joseph takes one look at her, 42:03 "I wondered where you were and now I see 42:06 what you've been doing." 42:08 And he makes up his mind, "I'll do this quietly, 42:10 but I'm getting rid of that girl." 42:12 His mind is made up, he goes to sleep. 42:14 Boom! There's a dream. 42:15 Synchronicity number one for Joseph. 42:18 "No, no, no, no, no, we put that baby there. 42:22 That's our baby, you stay with her." 42:26 Synchronicity number two in Joseph's dream. 42:29 "Get up! Get up! Get out! 42:31 The king has heard about the birth. 42:33 He'll kill your baby. 42:34 Get away now Egypt." 42:36 Synchronicity number three in Egypt, dream again, 42:40 "You can leave now. Go home! 42:41 It's safe! All is clear." 42:43 Synchronicity number four, 42:45 "We'll then now go to Bethlehem 42:46 because I'm of the tribe of David." 42:47 "No, not Bethlehem. 42:49 Wrong, Herod. 42:51 Go Nazareth, go Galilee." 42:54 Four synchronicities. 42:58 And Joseph is led by the God of the universe. 43:02 As an average old Joe 43:05 who trusted in his Heavenly Father. 43:08 Okay, so there is synchronicity number five. 43:09 Let's go to synchronicity number six, Desire of Ages. 43:11 If the shepherds out in the field, 43:13 we relive the story a moment ago. 43:14 On the screen Desire of Ages, "Through the silent hours, 43:18 the shepherds keeping watch by night, 43:20 talked together of the promised Savior, 43:23 and prayed for the coming of the King to David's throne." 43:26 As Pastor Ben, noted last Sabbath 43:28 in our children celebration for Christmas, 43:30 why a bunch of ragtag shepherds 43:33 get the VIP announcement 43:35 because they're the only ones watching 43:37 and waiting for the coming King. 43:40 So that will go to whoever is with synchronicity 43:42 will show up right there then and they did. 43:45 Ellen White in Desire of Ages 43:46 desires describes that is the most spectacular picture 43:49 ever be held by human eyes. 43:52 And a bunch of ragtag shepherds got the honor. 43:56 Because they were watching and waiting. 43:58 Synchronicities number seven and eight. 44:00 Joseph and Mary, the Christ child 44:02 a few days later headed to Jerusalem 44:03 as soon as they walk into the temple, 44:05 a holy man, an old man named Simeon 44:07 comes racing up to them and snatches that baby. 44:10 What is this a baby snatcher or what? 44:11 Snatches that baby out of Mary's arms. 44:13 He says, "I have lived for this." 44:16 And he lifts that baby up, 44:17 "Now I can die in peace, 44:19 I have seen the coming of the Lord's Messiah." 44:22 Boy, did Joseph and Mary need that? 44:24 Everything is gone raw and rotten for them. 44:27 Nobody to welcome the king but a holy man steps forward. 44:31 Synchronicity number seven. 44:33 And then number eight a little old lady named Anna 44:35 come shuffling over 44:37 because she sees the four of them, 44:38 Simeon and the three in the holy family. 44:40 And she starts with a loud voice proclaiming, 44:42 "This is the promised of God!" 44:45 Synchronicity, no causal connection, 44:48 but it is connected. 44:51 That baby is the baby that's been promised. 44:55 Wow! Two more. 44:56 I'll sit down. 44:57 Synchronicities number 9 and 10. 45:00 Yeah, I guess I'm sitting here. 45:03 I come to think of it. 45:05 I can go through lunch. 45:07 All right, Matthew, Matthew. 45:09 Come on, let's go to our homily text today 45:13 Matthew Chapter 2, Matthew Chapter 2. 45:17 And we'll end with these two synchronicities. 45:20 We got a beautiful piece of music coming, 45:22 don't you go anywhere. 45:23 I'll tell you what that music means to me 45:24 in just a moment. 45:27 Matthew Chapter 2, let's pick it up in verse 9. 45:29 And then Herod called the... 45:30 No, this is verse 9. 45:32 And after they heard the king, he said, "Hey, listen. 45:33 Hey, fellows, when you find the baby, 45:34 get back to me right away, 45:36 I want to go and worship him just like you." 45:38 Wink, wink, wink, wink, wink. 45:40 They think he's serious. 45:42 So, "After," verse 9, "they heard from the king, 45:45 they went on their way," the Medjay, 45:48 "and the star that they had seen 45:50 when it rose and went ahead of them 45:52 until it stopped over the place where the child was." 45:55 Now read verse 10 45:56 because this is an astounding line 45:58 that's just tossed into the Christmas story 46:00 until you remember synchronicity. 46:03 Verse 10, "And when they saw the star," 46:05 they are on this nocturnal mission the search. 46:08 "And when they saw the star, they were," what? 46:11 They were absolutely beside themselves. 46:14 Do you know why? 46:16 Because they have no assurance in proof 46:19 that the star would yet appear once they arrive in Jerusalem. 46:21 I mean, this is the capital of the people 46:23 to whom the king is being sent. 46:24 But they're crestfallen, 46:26 they're heartbroken because not a soul in the city 46:29 gives a rip about any coming King. 46:32 And they pick up the innuendos, 46:33 they know that they're considered pagans, 46:35 they read the whole sordid reality, 46:39 and they're sick on the death. 46:41 And they're wondering if we go and search beyond this, 46:45 will the star even return? 46:47 So when the star appears in the sky 46:49 where they saw at last, they are absolutely over joyed. 46:56 We have not followed cunningly devised fables. 47:00 Almighty God has been leading us. 47:05 Divine fingerprints all over. 47:06 Now here comes the last one, verse 11, 47:08 "And on coming to the house, 47:10 they saw the child with his mother Mary, 47:12 and they bowed down and worshiped the Christ. 47:16 And then they opened their treasures 47:17 and presented him with gifts of gold, 47:18 and frankincense and myrrh. 47:21 And having been warned in a dream 47:22 not to go back to Herod, 47:24 they returned to their country by another route." 47:27 They worship the king with three gifts. 47:30 Gold is the coinage of kings, 47:32 frankincense is the smoke of gods. 47:35 You burn to the gods frankincense 47:38 and myrrh is the aroma of death. 47:41 There three gifts 47:43 are a powerful symbolism of a divine king come to earth, 47:49 who will die as a human, 47:51 as a sacrifice for the rebel race. 47:55 And we often stop it right there. 47:59 But there is more that synchronicity 48:01 is actually a down payment, 48:06 a financial sponsorship 48:08 from the father of the child. 48:13 So when they flee in the middle of the night with nothing 48:17 but the cloaks on their back, and they get to Egypt. 48:24 The largest of those Medjay, the gold, 48:27 their frankincense and myrrh were advance, 48:30 emergency funding for the unanticipated flight 48:34 of immigrant refugees 48:36 who seek help in a foreign land. 48:44 Who now have the treasures of the Medjay's to cash out. 48:49 You know, Joseph can set up that little carpenter shop 48:51 this time in Nazareth. 48:54 Wow! 48:55 You see the God of synchronicity, 48:58 it's God that you and I love and worship, 49:01 It's God of Jesus, the God of Joseph, 49:03 the God of Mary, the God of you, 49:05 the God of me, the God of synchronicity, 49:08 I need you to catch this line, you go home with it. 49:11 "He is the God who is always prepared." 49:16 Always! 49:18 Always prepared! 49:19 Flat on your back in an ice skating rink, 49:22 He's already ready, 49:23 flat on your back because of the crisis 49:25 it's just your marriage, it's just your job, 49:27 it's just your education, 49:29 that's just your finances flat on the back 49:32 and absolutely convinced you can't walk away 49:35 from this one, 49:36 the God who is always prepared 49:39 has already been prepared for you. 49:42 He's been watching you for weeks, 49:44 He's been watching you for months, 49:46 He's known this was coming, 49:48 He's known all about it, some of you, 49:50 He's been watching this for years, 49:52 you had no clue this was coming to you. 49:54 But He has been prepared for years 49:57 for when this will dawn upon you, 49:59 and the crisis breaks, 50:00 and you are sure that there is no way out, 50:03 there will be a nail scarred hand 50:05 that reaches to that door and opens a door 50:08 that can't be opened in no other ways 50:10 but through adversity 50:12 because for Joseph's dream 50:14 there must first be Joseph slave hood. 50:18 And for Jesus Christ mission 50:20 there must first be His crucifixion. 50:24 The dream of Joseph, the dream of Jesus, 50:27 the door held open by a God 50:29 who has been waiting for you all these years. 50:32 Synchronicity means, He's always been faithful, 50:37 He's always been faithful. 50:40 Little Sara Groves wrote a song "He's always been faithful." 50:43 And I've been listening to that song 50:44 wearing out my little YouTube track on my phone. 50:48 "He's always been faithful." 50:52 I want you to close your eyes. Now I want you to listen. 50:56 As these three friends of mine sing Sara Groves' great piece. 51:01 I'll close my eyes too. 51:04 I know, I'll get tears in them. 51:07 But I need you to know, 51:10 He will always be faithful to you, 51:13 He will always be faithful to you. 51:16 Close your eyes now. 51:17 Sinegugu Katenga, she's going to sing, 51:20 Stephen Zork's going to play the keyboard, piano, 51:24 Jamison Moris on his cello. 51:28 Sara Groves song, "He's always been faithful." 51:42 Morning by morning 51:46 I wake up to find 51:49 The power and comfort 51:53 Of God's hand in mine 51:58 Season by season 52:01 I watch Him, amazed 52:05 In awe of the mystery 52:09 Of His perfect ways 52:14 All I have need of, 52:17 His hand will provide 52:21 He's always been faithful to me. 52:34 I can't remember 52:38 A trial or a pain 52:41 He did not recycle 52:45 To bring me gain 52:49 I can't remember 52:53 One single regret 52:57 In serving God only, 53:00 And trusting His hand 53:05 All I have need of, 53:08 His hand will provide 53:12 He's always been faithful to me. 53:46 This is my anthem, 53:50 This is my song 53:54 The theme of the stories 53:58 I've heard for so long 54:02 God has been faithful, 54:06 He will be again 54:09 His loving compassion, 54:13 It knows no end 54:18 All I have need of, 54:21 His hand will provide 54:25 He's always been faithful, 54:34 He's always been faithful 54:43 He's always been faithful 54:48 To me. 55:10 Amen. 55:20 Oh, God that's the truth. 55:22 We believe this Christmas worship 55:29 for that truth 55:33 brightly shining within our souls. 55:37 You've always been faithful. 55:41 There is never been a time when You are not prepared, 55:46 and You did not do well, and so we trust You. 55:51 Whatever the New Year brings, we have no idea. 55:57 But we know it will bring You and with You, 56:01 we can go anywhere with the faithful, faithful God 56:07 we can do anything. 56:11 And so in the name of the Lord Jesus 56:14 became that baby for us, our King, 56:19 our Lord, our Savior 56:23 in the name of the Lord Jesus sent us forth into the year 56:28 that awaits us that all the people say 56:35 amen and amen. 56:58 Before you go, let me take an extra moment 57:00 to share with you an opportunity 57:01 to get into the Bible in a fresh new way. 57:04 All across the world more and more people 57:05 are hearing the call to examine scriptures for themselves. 57:09 If you felt drawn to learn more about God's Word, 57:11 but you don't know where to start 57:13 or you're just looking for more in-depth examination 57:15 of Bible truths, 57:16 then I have something right here that I believe 57:18 you're going to enjoy. 57:20 I want to send a series of guides to get you started. 57:22 This once is entitled "Why Does God Allow Suffering?" 57:25 This guide begins with a story 57:27 and an introduction of the subject 57:28 then to a series of focused questions, 57:30 you'll be learning portions of the Bible 57:32 you may never have known before, 57:33 and when you're through, 57:34 you'll be able to share with others 57:36 some of these inspiring Bible truths. 57:38 So just call our toll-free number, 57:39 it's on the screen 877, 57:41 the two words, HIS-WILL. 57:43 Our friendly operators are standing by 57:44 to send these study guides to you. 57:46 Once again, that's 877-HIS-WILL, 57:49 call that number. 57:51 And then again, 57:52 join me next week right here 57:54 at the same time New Perceptions. |
Revised 2019-02-04