Participants:
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP190126A
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00:10 [ Organ plays ] 00:15 [ Organ stops ] 00:19 >> ♪ Precious Lord, take my hand ♪ 00:27 ♪ Bring thy child home at last ♪ 00:34 ♪ Where the strife and the pain all are past ♪ ♪ I have dreamed a great dream ♪ 00:59 ♪ That Thy love shall rule our land ♪ ♪ Precious Lord, precious Lord, 01:19 take my hand ♪ ♪ For that day when all flesh ♪ ♪ Joins the glory Thou hast 01:42 planned ♪ ♪ Precious Lord, precious Lord, take my hand ♪ 02:02 >> ♪ Take ♪ >> ♪ Take ♪ >> ♪ Take my hand ♪ 02:19 >> Let's pray. Dear heavenly Father, You have brought us through another week 02:24 to a beautiful Sabbath, and we just want to praise You for that because it's only possible 02:29 through Your grace and through Your mercy. Now, we may be near at home -- 02:34 we may be far at home or near right here in the church, but we just ask that You join our 02:40 hearts together during this worship as we praise Your name. In Jesus' name, amen. 02:45 Good morning, and happy Sabbath. I just invite you to stand and 02:50 join us as we sing hymn 340, "Jesus Saves." 02:55 [ "Jesus Saves" begins ] 03:11 [ Congregation sings ] 04:18 Amen. You may be seated. I don't know about you, but 04:23 sometimes I find myself at a loss of words, especially when it comes to describing how great 04:29 God is or what He's done for me. I sometimes am like, "God is good!" 04:35 And then I'm trying to think, "God is really, really good," and I'm just stuck on that He is 04:40 just so good because it's just so indescribable. There's nothing else that I can 04:45 say about all that He does. So this morning, as we continue in song and praise, I just 04:51 invite you to reflect on how great and good our God is, and will be probably told to you 04:58 through the songs that we're about to sing. So, join us as we sing 05:02 "Indescribable." [ "Indescribable" begins ] 05:15 [ Congregation sings ] 08:56 [ "Total Praise" begins ] 09:17 [ Congregation sings ] 13:34 [ Applause ] Amen. 13:36 Amen. 13:38 What more can you say after that? He is the source of our 13:42 strength. He will carry us through, even when feel like we can't carry 13:48 on because He loves us so much. His love is so deep, so wide. It's amazing, so join us as we 13:56 continue singing "Amazing." [ "Amazed" begins ] 14:14 [ Congregation sings ] 15:59 At this time, I would just invite you to stand. 16:03 Also, if you have a prayer request or a burden on your 16:06 heart, I invite you to come forward to bring them forward 16:09 to the foot of the cross -- to the source of our strength. 16:24 [ Congregation sings ] 19:00 >> ♪ My Lord, what a mornin' ♪ 19:10 ♪ My Lord, what a mornin' ♪ ♪ Oh, my Lord, what a mornin' ♪ ♪ When the stars begin to fall ♪ 19:41 ♪ When the stars begin to fall ♪ ♪ My Lord, what a mornin' ♪ ♪ My Lord, what a mornin' ♪ 20:17 ♪ Oh, my Lord, what a mornin' ♪ ♪ When the stars begin to fall ♪ ♪ Mmm ♪ 20:49 ♪ Mmm ♪ ♪ Mmm ♪ ♪ Mmm ♪ 21:05 >> ♪ Done quit all my worldly ways ♪ ♪ Gonna join that heavenly 21:15 band ♪ >> ♪ My worldly ways ♪ >> ♪ Done quit all my worldly 21:22 ways ♪ ♪ Gonna join that heavenly band ♪ 21:33 ♪ Oh, my Lord, what a mornin' ♪ ♪ Oh, my Lord, what a mornin' ♪ ♪ Oh, my Lord, what a mornin' ♪ 22:15 ♪ When the stars begin to fall ♪ ♪ When the stars ♪ ♪ Begin ♪ 22:40 ♪ To fall ♪ 23:01 >> My Lord, what a morning, when the stars begin to fall. How close are we? 23:08 How do we know? We just know...we are near. We are nearing home. 23:18 And so that hope that ignites us compels us to hear Your word. Let it be clear today, I pray in 23:27 Jesus' name, amen. 23:28 Imagine the letter that you are about to read was actually 23:32 dictated to, addressed to America. 23:37 Mm-hmm. I'm talking about the 23:40 United States of America, its people, its politicians, its 23:45 president. We're gonna read the letter. 23:50 We'll have to make a slight adaptation at the beginning, you 23:52 understand, in order for it to be a letter to America. 23:57 "Will it really fit, Dwight?" Why I think it might. 24:00 You consider it. 24:02 Open your bible to Revelation 3, the bible's last book. And there we find the bible's 24:08 last letter. We're gonna read that letter. We'll change the opening. 24:13 Uh, red letter words -- that means Jesus is dictating this letter. 24:17 He dictated it to a church long ago called Laodicea. Makes you wonder, though, if He 24:22 really had America in mind when He dictated these words. Read it in your bible, 24:27 Revelation 3:14. "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write" -- 24:32 Okay. Stop it right there. Here's where we change it. Let's change it on the screen, 24:36 please. 24:37 "And to the angel of the church of the nation of America write, 24:42 'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the 24:46 Beginning of the creation of God." 24:47 "I am the beginning, and I am the Amen, I'm the end, and I'm 24:51 everything in between, so I know you, and I'm speaking to you 24:54 right now. Listen to me." 24:56 "I know," verse 18, "your works, that you are neither cold nor 25:00 hot. I could wish you were cold or 25:02 hot. So then, because you are 25:03 lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my 25:06 mouth. Because you say, 'I am rich, 25:09 I have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' -- and do not 25:12 know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and 25:15 naked -- I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the 25:18 fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be 25:22 clothed, that the shame of your nakedness might not be revealed; 25:25 and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 25:29 "For," verse 19, "as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. 25:33 Therefore be zealous and repent.'" 25:36 There they are -- seven stunning parallels between Laodicea and America, and I want you to 25:42 scribble them down. I'm gonna run through them fast. You got a study guide in your 25:46 worship bulletin today. Let's go. Pull it out, please, right now, 25:50 and thank you, ushers, because this would be the moment when we ask are there any here who 25:54 didn't get a bulletin when you came in? You just hurried in 'cause it 25:57 was so cold out there. Put your hand up, and our friendly ushers will get 26:01 those -- get those study guides to you. And while they're doing that -- 26:04 I see them in the balcony already at work -- I'm gonna talk to you that are watching on 26:08 our live stream right now, watching on television. You can get that same study 26:11 guide. 26:12 You see the website at the bottom -- www.newperceptions.tv? 26:17 Go to that website. You're looking for a little 26:19 series that's just begun called "The Last Letter." 26:22 Title of this one -- "Wretched (Last Letter for America)." 26:26 And you come to that, click on "study guide," and you'll have 26:29 the same one. This is a keeper. 26:31 You're gonna want the quotations if for nothing else. 26:33 All right. Can't wait for the ushers to 26:36 keep going, so we're gonna plunge in right now. 26:38 Seven stunning parallels between Laodicea and America. 26:41 Parallel number one -- write it down -- wealth. 26:44 Wealth. Laodicea became one of the 26:48 greatest centers of finance in the Roman empire. 26:51 Ranko Stefanovic, in his commentary on Romans -- his 26:54 words on the screen. 27:04 End quote. 27:05 Laodicea boasted a huge bank exchange. Laodicea was known for a large 27:10 cache of gold. Is there another nation on the planet that backs its currency 27:15 or once did with gold? I wonder. Laodicea. 27:19 It was said of Cicero, the famous Roman statesman, that whenever he would travel to 27:23 Asia, he would stop by Laodicea to get letters of credit. He just needed those credit 27:27 cards, 'cause they provided the backing for it. Oh, Laodicea. 27:33 No need to talk about America's wealth. I'd sound like I'm boasting. 27:36 But I went to CNBC just to get another factoid that you probably haven't heard before. 27:40 Here it is. Do you know how many millionaires there are in the 27:43 world today? Right now, how many millionaires on this planet? 27:46 Here's the answer -- 36 million millionaires, people who earn over or are worth over 27:52 $1 million. And the US leads that -- 15.3 million people in this 27:57 country, in America, are worth $1 million or more, followed by Japan, the UK, and China. 28:06 Am I boasting about this? No, but Laodicea was. And so does America, by the way. 28:10 Or maybe not so much by the people as it does by the politicians and presidents, and 28:14 the numbers speak for themselves. Seven stunning parallels. 28:17 Parallel number one is wealth. Jot it down. Parallel number two is health. 28:21 Health. Healthcare was a big deal in ancient Laodicea. 28:26 In fact, Laodicea boasted -- by the way, that's a word you're gonna get used to in Laodicea 28:30 and America. Whenever you talk about them, "boast, boast," because it's 28:33 just they're big on themselves. Laodicea boasted one of the leading health resorts in Europe 28:39 and Asia. Over the Greco-Roman world, they would come to these lukewarm 28:44 baths and mineral springs. Visitors from everywhere. Oh, by the way, they had a 28:49 well-known school of medicine there that was situated in the temple of Carou dedicated to 28:54 the Greek god of medicine, Asclepius, who was a messiah kind of healer. 29:01 Adjoining the school of medicine -- very interesting -- there was industry for the 29:06 manufacture of a unique eye medicine called collyrium made from the renown Phrygian stone 29:13 inside the temple. And it's called Phrygian powder. Sounds like the Jesus who sent 29:18 this letter to Laodicea knew everything about them in advance. 29:22 Sounds like maybe He even knows everything about America in advance. 29:27 Health was a big deal in Laodicea, and it certainly increasingly is in the 29:31 United States. I've traveled all over the world and had to be admitted in two 29:34 foreign hospitals. I'm not great evaluator of healthcare, but I can tell you 29:41 this -- I am very grateful for the healthcare and the medical community in my own country 29:45 because of the last 10 weeks. Very grateful. Parallel number three. 29:50 First one was wealth. Second one was health. Parallel number three is self. 29:55 Write it down. Because of their wealth, Laodicean citizens were noted in 30:00 the empire for their isolationist self-dependence or independence from everyone. 30:05 "Oh, we don't need you. We can live on our own." Tacitus, the great historian, 30:11 marveled at the chutzpah of the Laodiceans when, in 61 AD, they were struck by this devastating 30:17 earthquake, and when the imperial treasury offered to fund their rebuilding, they 30:21 said, "Nah, you keep your money. We got enough. 30:24 We have need of nothing." Heard those words before? "I have need of nothing. 30:33 We'll make ourselves great again without your help." Wow. 30:39 Laodicea and America. Here comes parallel number four -- fashion. 30:43 Oh, you're gonna like this one. Fashion. Laodicea was situated and 30:46 surrounded by a lush, rich farming district -- green grass where flocks of sheep produce 30:53 the most valuable and unusual wool. Now, listen to this. 30:56 I'm gonna put it on the screen for you. Roy Allen Anderson, in his book 31:00 "Unfolding the Revelation," he observes -- see it on the screen -- "Valuable wool was 31:05 produced in the valley," surrounding Laodicea, "soft in texture, glossy black in color, 31:10 but tinged as it were with violet. Black garments were worn almost 31:15 exclusively by the Laodiceans as evidence of their wealth." End quote. 31:21 The wealthy in the other nations would wear white, but the Laodiceans say, "Not us. 31:26 We wear black." Fashionistas. That's what they were. 31:32 And in a country on Earth, is there one more preoccupied with its dress and appearance than 31:36 America? Give me a break. Who are the hottest fashion 31:41 numbers in this little town and village? You're looking at them behind 31:45 me. The students at Andrews University. 31:47 You want to talk about being up on fashion, whew, from footgear to headgear -- the latest. 31:52 Something wrong with that? No, I'm not complaining. I'm just telling you that 31:57 Laodicea and America are amazingly, stunningly parallel. Wow. 32:06 Parallel number five -- divided. These quit rhyming, didn't they? 32:12 Parallel number five -- divided. 32:14 Listen. Laodicea's very drinking water -- the only source of 32:17 water, poor guys, that they had access to was a nauseating blend of cold and hot that produced 32:25 this half-and-half great for health treatments but horrible for ingestion kind of water, but 32:30 you still have to drink it because that's all we got. Let's talk about the divided 32:36 states of America. The blue states and the red states. 32:41 Uh-huh. The black lives and the white lives. 32:45 The rich people and the poor people. Divided to the core people. 32:48 I could write a little hip-hop right there with that first stanza. 32:51 Come on. Choir was already feeling it. Parallel number five -- divided. 32:59 Oh, are we divided to the core. Parallel number six -- only seven of these. 33:03 Here comes parallel number six -- haughty. 33:05 You know, it's one thing to be self-dependent, independent, but 33:08 it's pushing the envelope when you're proud of it. 33:11 You got a problem with that? The Achilles heel of Laodicea 33:16 was its boastful pride and were proud of it. 33:19 Jacques Doukhan, in his book "Secrets of Revelation," 33:21 comments -- Doukhan on the screen... 33:34 End quote. Welcome to America. 33:37 Well, pardon me. Was that Laodicea? 33:39 Seven stunning parallels. America to the core, which is 33:44 why, like Laodicea, America can also be called a people 33:51 judged. Write it down. 33:54 Parallel number seven. Jot it down -- judged. 33:56 A people judged. That's what Laodicea means in 33:58 the Greek. But America, why would America 34:01 be judged? Well, I'll tell you why. 34:03 Read verse 17. Jesus speaking. 34:17 That's why. 34:18 Whoa. Laodicea, a people judged. America? 34:26 I came across one of the boldest depictions of this country in relation to God that I have ever 34:32 read from over a century ago. I got to put it on the screen for you. 34:35 You'll take the quotation home, but let me put it on the screen for you. 34:37 "The Lord has done more" -- this is Ellen White. 34:48 Period. 34:52 Now, I know we represent close to 100 nations here at Andrews University. 34:56 That's a pretty un-PC kind of statement to make when we got this many flags flying around 35:04 our courtyard, but your argument's not with me. What's that sentence again? 35:17 But before we dislocate our elbows trying to pat ourselves on the back, let us remember 35:21 that to whom much is given -- how does it go? To whom much is given, much is 35:26 required. The God who has blessed America to the max -- hold onto your 35:35 pew -- is the God who is gonna judge America to the max. To the max. 35:47 If it's blessed to be -- If it's blessed to be honored by God to the max, whew, I'm not sure 35:54 about being judged by God to the max. I know what you're saying. 35:57 "I don't know about that, Dwight. I really don't know about that. 36:00 I don't think America's that bad. I don't even know why you're 36:02 bringing up judgment in connection with America. I saw God bless America." 36:07 You know what I say to what you said? I say, "Amen and amen." 36:11 But guess what? Too late. Oh, I know we sing 36:16 ♪ God bless America ♪ ♪ Land... ♪ We sing it all the time. 36:22 It's practically the second national anthem in the United States. 36:29 But I'm wondering, mnh-mnh... I need to remind you that while we're singing that beautiful 36:34 song "God Bless America," we are the one nation -- we are the one nation that, with impunity, 36:43 is destroying unborn lives by the tens of thousands every single year. 36:49 Gone, throw them in the garbage. We don't need them anymore. Do you think that with that 36:57 wanton destruction of human life we are gonna be given a get out of judgement free card on the 37:02 day when we have this rendezvous with the Judge of the Universe and says, "What were you 37:07 thinking?" ♪ God bless America ♪ Are you serious? 37:16 For that? And we're the nation that, with impunity, is experimenting with 37:24 and exporting to the world our advocacy of unbridled sex? Well, through our entertainment 37:33 empire here in this country, we sell to the nations our debased and fallen culture. 37:38 Do you think this nation will not have a rendezvous with a day of judgement and stand before 37:43 the Judge Almighty and answer, "Why did you live this way?" America does naked well. 37:52 Well, Laodicea did naked well. "You're naked," Jesus said. Well, America does naked well. 37:57 We're getting more naked by the day. Sex is the number-one import in 38:03 the United States. Facebook, the American megabillion icon, now offers -- 38:09 jot it down -- 58 -- some say 63 -- gender options that you can choose from. 38:15 What are you? Well, give me a list. Facebook now offers 58 choices, 38:20 and this is from Facebook's... headquarters what you're gonna see on the screen right now. 38:29 Facebook says we've got even more. "Last year" -- This is directly 38:33 quoting from their website. 39:13 Is this our contribution to the human race? 39:19 ♪ God bless America ♪ we sing. And we're the nation that, with 39:26 impunity, turns our backs on the poor, the powerless, the stranger that is within our 39:31 gates, and you think this nation won't have to answer before the creator of the universe on 39:36 judgement day? Think again. Just think again. 39:39 You can call them immigrants. You can call them whatever you will, but Jesus identifies with 39:44 the very people we are rejecting. Jesus said, "I was naked and you 39:47 didn't clothe me. I was hungry and you didn't feed me. 39:50 I was thirsty and you didn't give me a drink. I was even in prison and you 39:53 didn't visit me. You just kept reminding me of my prison record." 40:00 ♪ God bless America ♪ Yeah, right. 40:11 The only answer we will hear will be the words the drunken 40:15 King Belshazzar heard on the night of his destruction -- 40:18 "Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin." You have been weighed in the 40:22 balances's nation, and you have been found wanting, and it's 40:26 curtains tonight. Adios. 40:30 Oh, my. I hear the tread, America, of an approaching God, and what shall 40:38 we say when He arrives? Hmm. The night is soon to come, when 40:47 over America the beautiful will be pronounced those bitter words of doom -- "You have been 40:53 weighed in the balances, and you have been found wanting, and it's over. 41:00 Goodbye. Unless -- Unless America repents. 41:09 I'm serious. And that's not such a preposterous notion, by the way, 41:13 America repenting. After all, there was a wicked city with a wicked people in it 41:18 named Nineveh with a wicked king who ruled the city. One day, a man sent by God had a 41:24 message to those Ninevites -- 40 days, and this city will be destroyed by Almighty God, and 41:29 you are dust, do you understand that? And in 40 days less, from the 41:34 king on the thrown to the slave in the marketplace, the entire city repents of its rebellion 41:41 and the God of heaven, of mercy, forgives them their rebellion, writes a new chapter, gives them 41:48 hope again. It's not impossible for America. It's not too late for America to 41:52 repent. Babylon did. When that mighty king 41:57 Nebuchadnezzar, brooding in his insanity after seven years repented to the God of heaven 42:03 and confessed that the God of heaven is the great God of the universe, when Babylon repented, 42:08 God spared Babylon of its demise for awhile, until the grandson Belshazzar mocked God 42:19 to His face. Probation was up. "You're dead tonight, buddy. 42:25 See ya." 42:30 Babylon repented. Why can't America repent? Sodom and Gomorrah...repented 42:36 not, and their tragic history is a morality tale for the likes of this nation of which we sing, 42:43 "God bless America." But you know what, folks? That is a song to late to sing. 42:50 For 2 1/2 centuries, He's been blessing America, and look what He's got. 42:56 There's only one song to sing now, and I wish somebody would write it -- "God Save America." 43:05 Don't bless us anymore. It'll only drive us further into our frenzied insanity. 43:11 Save us. 43:16 Not the blessing of God we need. It's His salvation, for unless He saves us, we're as doomed as 43:20 Babel, we're as doomed as Babylon, we're as doomed as Sodom and Gomorrah. 43:24 I mean, what have we done to an entire generation? And it was done by adults. 43:27 The children didn't come up with this. The adults have done it, and 43:30 they've told them, "This is how you think now, and we're gonna give you 58 options of how you 43:34 can behave." The kids didn't come up with that. 43:40 Some special-interest adult said, "This is what we need." We got it now. 43:50 You don't think we're gonna stand with our rendezvous with destiny before the Judge of the 43:56 Universe? I tell you what, if you're an adult listening to me right now 44:02 and you're purveying what is gonna take down our children, Jesus said it well, "it would 44:10 be better for a millstone to be tied around your neck and to be thrown into the ocean than for 44:16 you to live with that." The words of Christ. The red letter words of Christ, 44:24 verse 17. 44:39 Laodicea, a people judged. America, a people judged. So, what hope is there for this 44:46 nation? The truth is -- I'll just tell you what the truth is right now. 44:49 The truth for America, whether you're an American Jew or an American Muslim or an American 44:53 Hindu or an American Christian or an American Adventist or an American atheist, the only hope 44:59 we have, the last great hope for America is Jesus Christ. It's the only hope we have. 45:08 Jesus, called the Christ. Act 4:12. Does this get it or what? 45:27 There is no other hope left for America. There's no other savior that's 45:33 gonna come riding on a white stallion and deliver us politically, economically, 45:38 morally, socially, or spiritually. We have only one hope left, and 45:43 His name is Jesus. And if we spit in His face as they did 2,000 years ago on the 45:49 day of judgment, you'll see the video when you spit in the face of the King of Kings and Lord of 45:57 Lords. "I blessed you for 2 1/2 centuries, and is this what I 46:03 get?" "America, America, God shed His grace on thee." 46:17 Jesus once spent two days -- you might remember this story -- two days with half-pagan 46:22 Samaritans. I mean, they were kind of a mongrel religious faith -- half 46:25 pagan, half believer. He spent two days with them, and when the two days were up, the 46:29 Samaritans came to the woman at the well, because that's how He got invited to that village. 46:33 He first met with her. They came to that woman at the well. 46:36 John 4:42 on the screen. 46:38 Look what they said to that woman. 46:39 "They said to the woman at the well, 'We no longer believe just 46:43 because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we 46:46 know that this Man really is the Savior of the world.'" 46:50 I find that confession absolutely remarkable. You know why? 46:54 They've had only two days with Jesus, and in two days, they believe Him to be the savior of 46:59 the human race. Apparently, it doesn't take a lot of time for God to turn a 47:04 village around, and not even a nation. "How much time will we need for 47:10 America," God asks? No, the question to ask is how much time does America have? 47:21 We're running out of time. When I see events like this, I'm saying, "Oh, boy. 47:27 This is calvary all over again, and you know how calvary ends. It ends with the death." 47:34 But it's happening all over again. I'm talking about when the 47:38 Pharisees and the Sadducees, the religious leaders of Israel were currying the favor of the 47:44 despised Roman governor Pilate. They hated him. 47:50 But they were currying his favor in order to secure power and influence for their own 47:54 political ambitions, even so, I fear, that there are religious leaders in America who are 47:59 attempting to parley with the president in order to secure for themselves power to change times 48:04 and laws for their own misguided and terribly mistaken agenda. I'm seeing it coming all over 48:15 again. Swallow your morals, hide your spiritual convictions, and 48:22 pretend you're just like him. 48:30 The good news is they can be stopped. That's the point. 48:36 They can be held in check a little longer. 48:44 The very liberties that this nation was founded upon are the liberties that desperately need 48:50 to be championed today. Listen, the word can get out. The word can get out. 48:56 Jon Meacham -- Karen gave me this book last year. I think it was for Valentine's. 48:59 It's a wonderful book. Finished it last year. Jon Meacham, historian, in his 49:03 inspiring book "The Soul of America: the Battle for Our Better Angels" quotes -- you're 49:08 gonna like this -- quotes the English writer, jurist, and member of Parliament in England 49:13 James Bryce. He wrote a book called "The American Commonwealth" in 1888. 49:18 Jon Meacham now is quoting James Bryce. 49:23 The words are on the screen for you. 49:24 "'A bold President'" -- Now, this is James Bryce, the 49:27 Britisher who's looking at the political system in the 49:29 United States and says, "Hey, this could happen." 49:32 Watch this. "'A bold President who knew 49:34 himself to be supported by a majority in the country'" -- 49:38 that's the key. "I got the support. 49:41 I got the support." "'A bold President who knew 49:44 himself to be supported by a majority in the country, might 49:46 be tempted to override the law, and deprive the minority of the 49:50 protection which the law affords it.'" 49:53 America jurisprudence protects the minority. You cannot be destroyed because 49:58 the majority doesn't want you. Not in this land. The minorities are free to 50:03 follow their consciences. You're safe in America. In another country, you're gone. 50:10 James Bryce came over here turn of the 19th century, and he says, "You know what? 50:15 You let somebody in power who has the majority, stuff could happen." 50:22 He goes on. 50:23 "James Bryce wrote, 'He,'" the president, "'might be a tyrant." 50:27 Now, this is preaching. "'He might be a tyrant, not 50:31 against the masses, but with the masses.'" 50:35 In other words, he sees with his support by the majority a 50:39 permission to enact that which is beyond the constitution and 50:43 the law. 50:44 But he has the majority. 50:49 And I don't know about you, but the masses in America can be as irrational and fickle and 50:56 utterly susceptible to groupthink as any nation on Earth. 51:00 Social media. 51:05 I wrote on my blog this week, the 4th Watch, these words on 51:07 the screen. "The warp speed with which the 51:10 faceless social media crowd" -- I said mob maybe, huh? 51:15 "The warp speed with which the faceless social media crowd can 51:19 serve as judge, jury, and executioner is breathtaking! 51:23 'Don't confuse me with the facts -- my mind is made up' 51:27 seems to be the prevailing 'cry de jour'" -- the cry of the 51:29 day -- " among these anonymous commentators. 51:31 And even when the press" -- as it did last week -- "sheepishly 51:35 withdraws yesterday's hue and cry 24 hours later, there is no 51:39 abatement, no disavowal that appears among the purveyors of 51:42 social media pronouncements. In other words, the 'people'" -- 51:45 this is what they think -- "the 'people' have spoken -- so be 51:48 it. But the people (like the press) 51:50 can be wrong, dreadfully wrong. And therein lies my concern." 51:54 End quote. 51:57 Just because social media purveys it does not anoint it as correct. 52:09 So, you get the right president with the right majority, James Bryce is saying, "Look 52:15 out." [ Inhales sharply ] But the good news is social 52:20 media cuts both ways. It's now time for a generation within the Seventh-Day Adventist 52:24 Church to rise up, a generation that can see the range of social media and begin to communicate 52:30 through social media, championing the very religious liberties and eternal principles 52:35 through which America might yet be saved. We're not asking God to bless 52:39 America. We need God to save America. That's all the time we got left. 52:43 Save America. We got to reach the thought leaders. 52:47 We got to reach the though leaders of our little communities, our counties, our 52:50 states, our nation. And I know of no more influential and attractive and 52:59 compelling magazine to do just that...than this one right here. It's been around for decades. 53:06 It's called Liberty magazine. Ever see this magazine? From the county commission to 53:13 the Supreme Court, thought leaders in America are turning to this magazine. 53:18 You say, "You can't prove it." Just read what's inside of it. You can prove it. 53:22 Read the letters. You can prove it. This little magazine, six times 53:29 a year -- $6 a subscription. For 100 bucks, you could send 16 thought leaders in America -- 53:35 You say, "Dwight, I don't know a single name. I wouldn't know who to recommend 53:38 to get this." We -- There are data banks filled with men and women who, 53:42 in sincerity, are reaching out. "Is there another view to all of this? 53:46 Is there another voice that we might hear?" It's called Liberty magazine. 53:50 If you value your freedom and honoring your conscience and dedicating your day of worship 54:00 to God, and you want to be honored by the authorities in America for that freedom and 54:06 that liberty, just send this. 54:09 You can give it to your neighbors. 54:10 Give it to anybody you want. But we need to send it to the 54:13 top leaders, the thought leaders of Berrien County, Michigan, 54:16 America. 54:21 Inside your little worship bulletin today is something that 54:24 looks like this. This is for Liberty magazine. 54:28 If you open it up and just turn it out like this, it makes a 54:31 little -- you see a little tear-off here. 54:33 It's an envelope. 54:35 Listen, folks. We can sit here and say, "Well, not my problem." 54:39 Are you serious? It's not your problem? Well, whose is it, then? 54:44 It's America's problem, and you're an American. 54:50 Put $100 in a tithe envelope, just mark it "religious liberty" the next Sabbath, the next, the 54:53 next, the next. It's fine. You can put it in. 54:55 You have $100 bill in your wallet today. Just slip it in. 54:58 16 thought leaders automatically will receive this impressive advocate for religious freedom. 55:09 You don't have to know their names. You just know the times. 55:13 That's all you have to know. Just know the times. There's one more way to respond 55:18 to America's deep spiritual need, and that is we must pray for America. 55:22 I wonder what the heart of Jesus is for America. You don't have to wonder at all. 55:25 Do you remember that moment when Jesus looked out over Jerusalem and began to cry? 55:31 I want to put the words of Jesus on the screen for you. You want to know the heart of 55:35 Jesus for America? It says, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem" -- Why don't we read 55:38 it, "America, America, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to 55:41 her!" Keep reading. "How often I've wanted to gather 55:44 your children together, America, as a hen gathers her chicks, as a mother gathers her children 55:48 under her wings, you were not willing! How often I have longed. 55:53 Now look. Your nation is left to you desolate..." 55:58 Keep going. "...for I say to you, you shall see me no more till you say, 56:04 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.' That's the next time you're 56:11 gonna see me, America. I'll be here." Oh, by the way, He said that to 56:17 Laodicea. "Oh, He did not, Dwight." Yes, He did. 56:20 I'll end with this. Look at verse 19. Look at verse 19. 56:23 To Laodicea and America. "As many as I love" -- There are only two letters that have Him 56:27 describing His love. It'd be Philadelphia and Laodicea." 56:30 "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and 56:35 repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock." 56:38 We'll unpack that another time, but do you know what it means to stand at the door? 56:41 [ Knocking ] "I'm here. I'm already here. 56:46 I'm at the door now." 56:53 If He loves this country this deeply, then we must pray not God bless America. 56:56 Here's the prayer to pray -- God save America, and let me help You. 57:00 Amen. God save America, and let me help You. 57:05 Amen. God save America, and let me help You. 57:11 Amen. 57:15 >> I want to take an extra moment to thank you for joining 57:17 us in worship today. It's by the continued support 57:19 from viewers like you that we're able to bring this program. 57:22 Today I want to invite you, though, to share with us how 57:25 this ministry has blessed you. I get inspiring notes, e-mails, 57:29 from viewers literally all over the world telling me, "Look, 57:31 Dwight, God has been blessing me this way, He's been doing this." 57:34 I would love to hear from you, as well. 57:35 Just visit our website. You know it -- 57:37 newperceptions.tv -- and click on the "contact" link at the top 57:41 of the page. Send me a note. 57:43 Let me know what God has been doing right now in your life. 57:47 Once again, thank you for being with us today. 57:49 I hope you join us right here next time, and until then, 57:52 may the God of grace journey with you every step of the way. 57:59 ♪♪ ♪♪ 58:18 ♪♪ |
Revised 2019-02-07