Participants: Mark Finley
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000965
|
01:01 For God is the kingdom and the power and the glory
01:06 forever. We look forward to that day, don't we, Amen, 01:10 when seeing the suffering and sickness are over, 01:13 when war and worry and want are no more, 01:16 when disease and disaster and death 01:19 are a thing of the past. We look forward to that day 01:22 when Jesus will come again. My wife and I are 01:26 delighted to be back in Chicago. 01:29 We lived here from 1979 to 1985. At that time, 01:35 your conference president was one of my students 01:38 when I was teaching for Andrews University; 01:40 it shows you how old he is getting. 01:45 When I came in the door today, you know, 01:46 it's really wonderful to be around for a while. 01:50 I love having that in ministry for 40 years, 01:53 you know, love it, I walked in the door today 01:57 and I saw couple of gentlemen from Pakistan 02:00 that attendant my meetings in Karachi, Pakistan 02:05 that there you are, they attended in Karachi 02:08 and were with us at the great Baptism we had there 02:11 in Karachi, Pakistan back in the late 80's. 02:15 Then I walked a little further and I saw some folks 02:18 that were with me in my meetings in the former 02:20 Soviet Union and then I walked a little further 02:24 and I saw some folks that were with us in our 02:26 meetings in Poland, in Gdansk, and I spoke to them, 02:30 the little polish I know Jendouba and you know 02:34 I had a wonderful time. I am speaking people from 02:36 all over the world that attended our meetings 02:38 in the last 40 years in different places 02:41 in the world. I even met a few people from Chicago here. 02:45 How many of you attended our meetings 02:47 either from 1979 to 1985, you attended personally, 02:53 your father attended your mother attended, 02:55 your sister attended your brother attended, 02:58 your uncle attended, your aunt attended, 02:59 somebody you know attended our meetings from 1979 to 03:03 1985 where here, can you see your hands? Wonderful. 03:07 How many of you attended one of our net events? 03:10 Net 95, Net 96, our recent meetings in Orlando, 03:15 well I'm among friends today. 03:18 Thank you, so much for participating and 03:21 sharing in our experience today. 03:25 This morning I have changed my topic and I was going to 03:27 speak about Empowered by the Spirit 03:29 as I have been thinking and praying. 03:32 I am going to speak this morning about coming 03:34 to Jesus and this afternoon going for Jesus. 03:38 My topic this morning; why the Doomsday Prophets 03:43 are wrong? Why the Doomsday Prophets 03:47 are wrong? Let's pray. 03:48 Father in Heaven, we thank you we can come on this 03:52 Sabbath hour at Wheaton College. 03:56 We sense that this is no ordinary meeting. 03:59 But, this is a moment of destiny and Lord 04:03 I pray as the word of God is preached as Jesus has 04:05 uplifted that your Spirit would be here, 04:09 ever weaving our hearts, ever convicting our minds, 04:14 ever drawing closure to you in Christ name Amen. Amen. 04:19 Have you ever personally experienced 04:23 a very severe earthquake? My wife and I, 04:29 were sleeping in our Thousand Oaks, 04:31 California home, January 17, 1994 and the entire house 04:39 began to shake. I had read about this California 04:44 earthquakes, but coming from the East Coast 04:47 I had never experience what, and as the house was 04:51 shaking as things were tumbling off the addresses, 04:55 as we leaped out of bed and quickly got on of few 05:00 clothes and headed out to the street and got our son 05:03 who was with us at home at that time 05:05 and other girls at the school, 05:06 as we raised out into the street we experienced our 05:10 first earthquake, the very famous 05:13 Los Angeles Northridge earthquake. 05:17 Reading about that earthquake later, 05:19 I read a report by a cardiologist by the name 05:23 of Dr. Robert Kloner and Dr. Kloner described 05:28 that one hundred peopled died of heart attacks 05:33 during the earthquake. He researched 05:36 why they might have died of heart attacks 05:39 and what stimulated that heart attack 05:43 and he said this, 'fear can cause 05:46 a sudden cardiac arrest' 05:48 In many cases, the terrorized brain triggers 05:52 the release of the mix of potent chemicals 05:55 that causes the heart to contact so fiercely 05:58 it never relaxes again. Fear is a deadly word 06:05 and there is a lot of fear around today. 06:09 If you look at the future, it can be scary. 06:12 America is in the midst of an economic crunch. 06:16 We have experienced stock market melt down. 06:19 We experienced our housing collapse. 06:22 We have experienced a vicious credit crisis. 06:26 CNN Corporation, talking about the Doomsday 06:30 that we were facing economically said this, 06:34 it said it's been a jaw-dropping, 06:36 stomach turning ride. Home prices on the average 06:41 have fallen 20 percent since 19, since 2006. 06:47 Unemployment is arising; it's at a whooping 7 percent. 06:52 The national debt is at 10.5 trillion in rising. 06:59 In fact, our debt increases at 07:02 3.3 billion every single day. 07:07 We are facing very traumatic times. 07:12 Six out of ten Americans believe that were headed 07:16 in spite of all the economic stimulus packages. 07:20 They believe were headed into some very difficult, 07:24 in fact they would use the word, we are headed into 07:27 an Economic Depression. More houses are on the 07:30 market than ever before, more houses being foreclosed 07:34 upon, and the Governments owns 58,000 houses in sales, 07:38 can't sale them and doesn't know what to do them. 07:42 The economic predictions of the 07:45 Doomsday Prophets are bad news. 07:50 Every time you read the paper more layoffs, 07:53 more housing for closures, more companies going into 07:58 bankruptcy, you look at the great carmakers in our 08:01 world GM, Chrysler serious economic problems. 08:06 So, you look all around you today and it is bad news, 08:10 bad news, bad news, and more bad news. 08:13 But the Bible is not a book of bad news, 08:16 it's a book of good news, Amen, and I would like to 08:19 suggest you this morning that the Doomsday Prophets 08:23 are wrong. That the greatest days are not behind us 08:29 but they are ahead. Amen. Seventh-day Adventist 08:33 are not Doomsdayers, we are people of good news. 08:37 We believe in the good news of Jesus. 08:40 The good news of the Gospel, the Christ died for us, 08:43 the good news of Jesus I praise the ministry 08:45 that he is living for us and he can change our lives. 08:48 We believe in the good news, 08:50 the hope of the coming of our Lord. 08:53 We are people not a bad news, 08:56 but we are people of good news. 08:59 And the reason that doomsday Prophets are wrong is 09:02 because they are looking in the wrong place. 09:04 They are looking a lay offs. 09:05 They are looking at a stock market that's shaky. 09:08 They are looking at a housing crunch. 09:10 They are looking at a crisis credit crunch. 09:12 They are looking at what is going on around us, 09:15 rather than focusing their eyes upon what's going on 09:18 above us. Amen. I invite you take your Bibles 09:20 and turn to Hebrews the 12th Chapter. 09:24 Hebrews chapter 12, we are looking at Hebrews 12 09:29 verse 2, Hebrews 12 and verse 2. 09:34 The Bible says looking on to Jesus. Looking on to whom? 09:40 Looking on to whom? Jesus. If you look around you, 09:45 if you look where they are looking you will be 09:48 terrorized with fear and the Bible says Luke 21:26 09:53 men's heart's failing for what, fear, at looking upon 09:57 those things that are coming upon the earth. 10:00 That is literally true. People's hearts 10:02 are failing with fear. They are seized with fear. 10:06 They can't make their house payments seized with fear, 10:09 they have lost their job seized with fear. 10:12 But we are not looking around us, 10:15 we are looking above us. We are look, what look, 10:18 we are not looking its what's happening 10:20 to the world the Bible says Hebrews 12, verse 2 10:24 looking under who, looking on to Jesus. 10:28 The author and finisher of our faith, 10:31 who for the joy that was set before him endured 10:34 the cross, despising the shame, 10:37 and set down at the right hand of the God. 10:39 Looking unto Jesus, Weymouth's translation 10:43 puts it this way. Looking unto Jesus, 10:46 the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy 10:49 that was set before him; at King James Version Weymouth 10:53 says simply fixing our gaze upon Jesus, 10:58 simply fixing our gaze upon Jesus. 11:02 Eugene Peterson message Bible says, 11:04 keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. 11:08 The Amplified Bible says looking all away from all 11:12 that would distract you from Jesus. 11:15 Now, The Amplified Bible really catches the meaning 11:18 of this word, 'Looking'. The word 'Looking', 11:21 in the original language is only used here in 11:24 Hebrews 12:2 in one of the place in the New Testament. 11:29 The word is AforwnteV, and that Greek word AforwnteV, 11:34 is a fascinating word. It means looking away from 11:38 to something else. It's not only the idea of looking to, 11:42 but it's the idea of looking away from. 11:44 It's the idea of looking away from everything 11:47 that distracts you. It's the idea of looking away from 11:49 the things that are happening around you. 11:52 It's the idea to literally it means this. 11:55 This phrase looking to Jesus means to look away from 11:58 other objects to one, only one and look at 12:02 that one with a strong or intend gates. 12:06 What does it mean to look to Jesus? 12:11 It is the backward look, the upward look, 12:15 and the forward look. I want to spend sometime with you, 12:20 meditating on, looking to Jesus, looking to Jesus, 12:25 the backward look, the upward look, 12:28 and the forward look. Looking backward 12:31 to the lamb that dies, looking upwards 12:36 to the Christ that lives, looking forward to 12:40 the King that comes, looking on to Jesus. 12:45 The backward look, the upward look, 12:47 the forward look transforms your life. 12:51 The backward look, the upward look, 12:53 the forward look, gives you peace 12:57 and hope and courage. First the backward look, 13:01 take your Bible please and turn, 13:03 the Hebrews the second chapter the 9th verse, 13:07 we look backward, backward to the Christ, 13:10 who hangs upon the cross, backward to the nails 13:15 that are driven through his hands, 13:18 backward to the kind of thrones 13:19 that placed upon his head. 13:22 Christianity always begins with the backward look. 13:26 You will never understand the upward look 13:28 or the forward look unless you understand 13:31 the backward look. What do we see 13:33 when we look backward to the cross? 13:36 What difference does the cross make to Chicago 13:39 in 2009? How can, what Christ did 2000 years ago? 13:48 So, far from here in a place called Jerusalem on a hill 13:53 called Calvary, on a mountain called Golgotha, 13:57 why does that make a lick of difference to you 14:01 and to me today and it does the backward look? 14:06 Hebrews Chapter 2, verse 9, but we see, 14:11 who do we see Jesus, we see Jesus who is made a little 14:16 lower than the angels for the suffering death crowned 14:19 with glory and honor that by the grace of God might 14:23 taste death for everyone. We look backward, 14:28 backward to the cross of Christ 14:31 and what do we see there, we see the eternal God, 14:35 the son of God suffering, agonizing, and dying, 14:38 what do we see there? We see Jesus redeeming us 14:41 from the guilt and shame of sin. What do we see there 14:44 when we see the son of God hanging on the cross? 14:46 We see the divine substitute dying in our behalf. 14:50 We see the just dying for the unjust. 14:52 We see the righteous one dying for unrighteous ones. 14:56 We see the pure one dying for the impure ones. 14:59 We see the innocent one dying for the guilty ones. 15:02 We see that he was reckoned with our curse 15:07 so that we can be granted eternal life. 15:09 We see Jesus setting us free from guilt, 15:12 so we can be counted innocent and righteous before God. 15:15 What do we see when we see the kind of thrones upon 15:18 his head and the blood running down his face? 15:20 What do you hear when we hear Jesus say, 15:23 My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me? 15:26 What do we experience when we come to the cross 15:29 we have a clear view of how much he loves us. 15:31 There is nothing like this in any other religion 15:34 in the world, nothing like this in Islam, 15:37 nothing like this in Hinduism, 15:39 nothing like this in Confucianism. 15:41 Here is God tabernacling in human flash, 15:44 here is god living a righteous life, 15:48 an innocent life, a pure life, here is God, 15:51 it is son dying on a cross called Calvary. 15:54 So, we can go free, so our guilt can be gone, 15:57 so our shame can be gone. We have a clear view of 16:01 how much he loves us. Amen. God loves you so much 16:06 that Christ would rather go into the grave 16:09 and experience the condemnation 16:11 and guilt of the second death and never come out 16:15 if necessary, so that you could be in glory. Amen. 16:19 There is nothing like this in any religious 16:21 literature of the world. Somebody said it's too 16:25 good to be true. It's too good not to be true. 16:30 Are you experiencing today 16:33 the shame and guilt of a sinful past? 16:38 Do you look back over this week and see where you have 16:41 failed and do you say God, I have come to the 16:46 convocation in Chicago, but I really don't feel 16:51 very worthy and if you really ask me, 16:55 do you believe that you will be saved 17:00 I would have to say no. Because the guilt and shame 17:04 of my past failures and I see myself even today in all 17:09 my weakness and my shame and I see myself at times 17:13 as a dick an elder, a dick as the Sabbath school teacher 17:17 and I see myself pretending to be a Christian, 17:20 but when I go home and I yell at the kids 17:22 I feel so unclean. When I go home and sit before some 17:26 of those TV programs I feel so guilty. 17:30 There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from a 17:34 Emmanuel's veins, and sinners plunge we need 17:38 that flood loose all their guilty stains, 17:43 looking on to Jesus. We look back to the cross 17:49 and we looked at his wounded hands and we look at his 17:52 thorn pierced brow and we hear Jesus saying to us, 17:57 my child forgiveness flows from the cross. Amen. 18:01 My child grace flows from the cross. 18:04 My child mercy flows from the cross. 18:08 My child whatever you have done, whatever guilt 18:12 and shame you have experienced, 18:15 however weak you feel, you can know 18:20 that my forgiveness is yours today. 18:25 Looking to Jesus we will once condemn 18:30 but now we are pardoned. Looking to Jesus we sense 18:35 the words of the old hymn are true. 18:38 He giveth more grace, I love that him. 18:41 He giveth more grace as the burdens grow greater. 18:45 He sendeth more strength as the labors increase. 18:48 To added afflictions He addeth His mercy. 18:51 To multiplied trials He multiplies His grace. 18:55 His love has no limit. His grace has no measure. 18:59 His power has no boundary known on to man. 19:03 For out of the infinite riches in Jesus, 19:06 he giveth, and giveth, and giveth again. Amen. 19:11 When we have exhausted the store of our endurance. 19:15 When our strength has failed or the day is half done, 19:21 when we reach the end of our hoarded resources, 19:24 our father's forgiving has only began, 19:29 He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again. 19:31 Lilly and her husband were missionaries in India 19:33 in the 1940's. We just came from India. 19:36 Last Sabbath, I was preaching in Chennai. 19:40 It was over for 100 degrees, the humidity in the 90's, 19:44 you didn't have to preach in that outdoor Amphitheatre 19:48 or Auditorium at a school yard to sweat, 19:50 you just get out of the van and you began to sweat. 19:54 It was hot, hotter than hot, it was steamy. In 1940's, 20:02 Lilly and her husband were missionaries to India. 20:06 Lilly had come from America, 20:07 this is her first experience in the mission field 20:10 and it seemed for the first six months 20:11 all she had was dysentery. The spicy hot Indian food 20:15 could did not settled well under her stomach 20:19 and it felt her stomach was rolling like a waves of the 20:21 sea all the time. She was, didn't adapt to the culture. 20:28 The orneriest were oppressive. 20:31 The heat was stifling. The food was spicy. 20:34 She was far away from home. She had no friends 20:38 and she was physically, mentally, 20:40 emotionally exhausted. Have you ever come 20:44 to a place in your life, no, where you are physically, 20:48 mentally, emotionally exhaust? 20:52 She didn't even want to get out of the bed. 20:54 She was so depressed. One day, 20:57 a friend in America not knowing 21:01 what Lillian was going through listened in the 21:05 1940's the first time to a song that had just came out. 21:12 He giveth and giveth and giveth again, amen, 21:15 and Lillian's friend in America was particularly 21:19 impressed with this verse. He giveth more grace as the 21:23 burden scroll greater. He sendeth more strength 21:26 as the labors increase. To added affliction 21:29 he adds his mercy. To multiply trails 21:31 he multiples peace. Not knowing what Lillian, 21:35 was going through in India, her friend brought a copy 21:39 of the old 45 RPM record. Do you remember those 45 RPMs? 21:44 Yes. Anybody remember them here? 21:47 Yes. Yes, you people with gray hair 21:48 and no hair raise their hand. 21:52 And so, you know that we had the needle 21:55 and you put it on the old 45 RPM. 21:58 I know those of you with your Ipods will have to ask 22:02 your parents what that old 45 with flat platter that 22:07 I am talking about means, your parents will explain 22:09 to it. It's an old man's illustration. 22:12 So, the friend of the Lillian's sends the RPM 22:15 record to Lillian. He giveth more grace than 22:20 burdens grow greater. Giveth more grace 22:23 when a trails added afflictions. 22:27 Lillian took the record out and you know remember 22:31 sometime when those old records were scratched, 22:34 yes, they have said the same phrase over 22:36 and over and over and over again. Lillian puts the 22:43 record on. She is so depressed and it scratched 22:50 and the phrase that keeps coming back is he giveth, 22:54 and giveth, and giveth, and giveth, and giveth, 22:58 and giveth, and giveth, and giveth, and giveth, 23:02 and Lillian throws up her hands and said okay God 23:04 I give up. I give up God. You giveth more grace 23:10 when the burdens are greater. 23:14 You giveth more grace when the trails are large. 23:19 God and the grace that flows from Calvary cross, 23:24 may I find pardon, may I find release and the grace 23:28 that flows from Calvary's cross and the God that gives 23:33 but never holds His grace back lift the burden 23:36 off my shoulder. Is there somebody here today, 23:41 your finances had gone sour? 23:44 Is there somebody here today, you are out of work 23:47 and you do not know how to make, 23:48 you gonna make that car payment 23:49 or that house payment? You have got a house to sell 23:52 and it doesn't look good? Is there somebody here today, 23:57 maybe you are feeling condemned? 23:59 Maybe your life is filled with guilt? 24:02 Is there somebody here today, 24:03 you just wandered up, wandered into this 24:06 auditorium, you are sitting way up in the balcony, 24:08 you are sitting in backyard, don't even want to come 24:11 because you felt unworthy when you heard the voice of 24:14 Jesus speaking to you, he giveth, giveth, 24:16 and giveth, and giveth again. 24:18 And you look backward to that cross and grace flows 24:20 from that cross and there is forgiveness 24:23 that yours today and there is mercy that yours today. 24:26 And there is new power that yours today. 24:28 The backward look leads us to a Christ who died on the 24:34 cross and if the father give the Jesus. 24:38 With Jesus he freely gives us, Romans 8:32, 24:42 he freely gives us all things looking to the cross, 24:48 we find grace and mercy and pardon. But we 24:51 look from the backward look to the upward look 24:56 if you have your Bible please take it and 24:59 turn to Hebrews 12, verse 2. 25:03 The Christ who died on Calvary's cross is no longer 25:09 in his grace we look not only backward 25:13 to the cross to find pardon and peace 25:16 and a God that gives liberally but we look upward. 25:22 I have stood in the lines in Red Square. 25:28 And I have stood gazing at the tomb of the founder 25:34 of the communism Lenin who is embalmed 25:37 in a glass coffin in Red Square. 25:41 I have stood in Tiananmen Square in China 25:45 and notice the Muslim of Chairman Mao. 25:49 I have visit the dome with a rock where 25:54 Mohammad supposedly spent his last movements 25:58 but the tomb of Jesus Christ is empty. 26:03 Jesus is alive and the upward look leads me 26:08 not simply to an example of a righteous virtuous 26:12 life but the upward look leads me to experience 26:17 the living Christ who is trans, who is first born 26:22 at the tomb alive. Hebrew chapter 12 26:25 verse 2, looking on to Jesus the author and finisher 26:30 of our faith who for the joy that was set before 26:33 him endured the cross despising the same 26:39 and he has sat down at the right hand 26:43 of the throne of God. Looking to Jesus we see him 26:49 sitting up on the throne he is the living lord 26:53 who still in control of the universe. 26:57 Our lives may be out of control but he is in control, 27:01 over families may be out of control but he is in control. 27:05 Amen. Our church may be out of control 27:07 but he is in control. Society may be out of control, 27:11 the world may be out of control but Jesus Christ 27:14 still sits on the throne. He is still sovereign God 27:18 he is still in control of the universe. 27:21 He is the one who makes intersection for us 27:24 he presents his righteousness at our behalf. 27:27 He watches over us with an eye that never sleeps. 27:30 He is ready to hear our confession grant us 27:32 pardon strengthen us for duty comfort us trail, 27:35 guide us in perplexity hold us up in temptation 27:39 and he is willing to persuade our lives safely 27:43 until we return home because he is the author 27:45 and finisher of our faith and he has not forgotten us. 27:48 Amen. Being confidence Philippians 1:6 of this very 27:52 thing that he that has began a what? Good work 27:56 in you will do what? Finish it until the day 27:58 of the Jesus Christ. How many of you know today 28:01 that Jesus has at least begun something in you, 28:03 as he began something in you. Amen. 28:06 If you know that Christ is still in your heart 28:09 with his holly Spirit. if you know that he is began 28:11 something in you. You can have absolute confidence 28:15 that he will never let you go and the Christ 28:18 that began something in you will finish it 28:21 to his glory. We would never alone, 28:23 we would never forgotten, we never without friend. 28:26 Would you, going through your darkest movements 28:29 when up seems down and down seems up 28:32 when those financial crisis is out crushing out 28:34 of your life when then are problems with your children 28:37 that you cannot understand or explain. 28:39 When that tumor breast has metastasized 28:43 and spread to lungs spread to back and the oncologist 28:47 says there is no hope. Jesus is still upon 28:54 the throne. Jesus still cares for you; 28:57 the upward look lures us to see Jesus, 29:03 the Christ that dies still lives. Most, most of you 29:06 are aware that for years I spend time traveling 29:11 to Eastern Europe those years in hungry Poland, 29:17 Yugoslavia. Those years in Romania, 29:23 those years in Russia traveling into the dark Russian 29:28 nights those years change my life. 29:31 I met with Adventist Christians that went through 29:36 incredible trails in their life. People that forged, 29:41 whose faith was forged in the crucible of trail, 29:44 when I first met many of this Adventist leaders 29:48 we had no relationship. They knew me as just 29:52 coming to the country and so they were very guarded. 29:56 But, you know, I've been going to the former 29:58 Soviet Union now since, about 83, 25 years. So, 30:04 we have developed a bond of trust. 30:06 I have traveled extensively through out of the former 30:12 Soviet Union through out all of this Eastern Europe 30:14 and developed relationships with man and women 30:19 who have then imprisoned for their faith. 30:23 And I remember interviewing Elder Mikhail Kulakov, 30:31 who has become such a dear and close friend 30:35 in confidant. At one time, Elder Kulakov was 21, 30:43 his brother 23, his father was an Adventist pastor. 30:49 Elder Kulakov was the head of the Seventh-day Adventist 30:52 who worked in Soviet Union. 30:55 His father was an Adventist pastor. 30:57 Kulakov was a pastor and his brother was a pastor. 31:00 At one time, elder Kulakov was arrested 31:04 and sentenced to prison for five years for giving 31:07 a Bible study. His brother was sentenced to prison 31:13 and his father was in prison. 31:15 So, his mother was alone at home with her husband 31:18 in one prison and both of her sons in another prison 31:22 for many years. We were very cautious in telling 31:28 this particular story but we have return it now 31:31 in a book on elder Kulakov's live so I feel much more 31:34 comfortable because its public knowledge. 31:38 When elder Kulakov was in prison he was in a dark 31:43 damp cell, and I said to him tell me the feeling 31:47 I want to experience your feelings in that cell. 31:49 And he said I was always hungry. One thing I remember 31:52 is he is being hungry all the time I never get 31:54 over the hunger. The second thing I remember 31:57 it that was cold. Have you ever being cold and hungry 32:02 and you can't get over being hungry and cold, 32:05 and he said Mark I was always cold and always 32:07 hungry in those days we used code language. 32:13 Now the soviet Government the communist 32:18 Government allowed relatives of the prisoners 32:24 to send in small parcels of food, you might get 32:29 a tooth brush, you might get a tooth paste 32:31 you might get a few eggs and elder Kulakov wrote 32:36 to his mother and she said, he said mother 32:39 the next time you send in food for me next time you do. 32:45 Would you please send a lighters its so cold here. 32:50 The word lighter comes from Psalm 119 verse 32:53 105 the word is a Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, 32:57 and it what? a light unto my path. The word lighter 33:00 was a cold word for Bible and every one of our 33:03 Adventist Christians knew that. When his mother 33:06 got the letter that for the next food parcel 33:09 she would send him a lighter. She knew that 33:12 he wanted her to hide a small New Testament 33:16 in the flour because they also sent in flour 33:20 they had the ability to cook a few things. 33:24 On little fire outside they would make and so she 33:29 wrapped a small Russian New Testament in a plastic bag 33:36 and covered with flower when the package came 33:40 sometimes the sensors would be careless 33:43 and just look at the first four, five inches in large 33:47 sack and let the rest can throw. 33:49 On this occasion the sensor took the bag 33:52 and turned it up side down just to be cruel. 33:55 We can imagine what happens with flower that's 33:57 all with that place and the food is there on the table 34:01 and the Bible came out, and the sensor saw it. 34:05 He opened the plastic bag took the Bible 34:07 and throw it down when he throw it down it hit 34:10 its on spine and it was windy day outside 34:13 and he hit it on a, on a cement curve and hit the spine 34:17 he had broke the Bible it was an older Bible and the 34:19 pages went everywhere. The sensor was so angry 34:23 that he began running around like a front seat man 34:26 to pick up the pages. When he did Elder Kulakov 34:31 quietly picked up one page and put in his pocket 34:35 and he said to me mark. I read that page over 34:39 and over and over and over again for the years 34:45 and it encouraged my heart, I said elder 34:47 you got to tell me what page did you get? 34:50 He said take your Bible and turn to Romans Chapter 8, 34:54 Romans chapter 8, verse 31 and onwards, 34:58 what then shall we say to this things if God 35:02 is for us who can be against us. Amen. 35:06 And he said in that Russian prison I kept saying 35:09 if God is for me who can be against me. 35:11 God sits on his throne Jesus intercedes for me, 35:16 verse 32. He who didn't spare his own son 35:19 but delivered him up for a soul, 35:21 how shall he not with him. Freely give us all things, 35:28 verse 35 who shall separate us from the love of Christ? 35:31 Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine 35:35 or nakedness or parallel or the sword? 35:39 Verse 37, yet, it all these things we are more than 35:43 conquerors through him that loved us. 35:45 Jesus Christ is alive and pastor Mikhail Kulakov, 35:49 looked beyond the dingy dark damp prison cell. 35:53 He looked beyond the problems of his life, 35:55 he looked beyond the burdens of this life, 35:57 he looked beyond that which was around him. 35:59 He looked beyond the loneliness, 36:01 he looked beyond the hunger. 36:03 He looked beyond the cold; he saw Jesus sitting 36:06 on his throne there was new hope in his heart, 36:09 new encouragement in his mind. 36:11 There was a new smile on his face because 36:14 in spite what happened around him Jesus was 36:18 on his throne. What you going through 36:21 Jesus is still on the throne. What you going through? 36:26 Look back to the cross pardon and peace are yours. 36:30 What you going through look out Jesus Christ is alive. 36:37 He ministers at the throne of God, he knows you 36:40 every need, he knows your hard aches, 36:43 he knows your disappointments grace is on the way, 36:47 power is on the way; strength is on the way. 36:53 In the backward look I look to the dying lamb 36:56 and the upward look I look to the living priest. 36:58 In the forward look I look to the coming king 37:01 Titus Chapter 2. Titus the second chapter, 37:08 Oh, the Bible comes that one grand and glorious 37:10 climax Jesus Christ is coming again. Seventh-day 37:13 Adventist is the most hopeful people in the world 37:15 because we believe they were on the verge of eternity. 37:18 We believe that the Christ had left will come. 37:23 In Titus Chapter 2, and we look there Titus Chapter 2, 37:29 looking forward Titus second chapter verse 13, 37:37 Titus chapter 2 verse 13 the second coming of Christ 37:41 is the greatest hope of all the ages. 37:47 We look there in Titus 2, verse 13 looking 37:52 for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing 37:56 of our great God and save your Jesus Christ. 37:59 We are looking for the blessed hope 38:03 we are not like the preferable ostrich that stick 38:07 our head in the sand. We see the sorrow the 38:11 sickness of the world but we believe Jesus is coming 38:14 and its going to be defeated. We are not like ostriches 38:17 Jesus stick their head in the sand. We see the disease 38:19 disaster in dead but we believe Jesus is going 38:22 to come and its going to be defeated 38:23 we are not like ostriches that stick our head 38:26 in the sand. We see that the property that barrow 38:28 the pollution but we believe there is an ultimate 38:31 solution Jesus is going to come we see Jesus. 38:36 Preparing to stream down the top of the sky 38:39 in our minds that we see the glorious hope 38:43 of the coming of Christ that lifts our Spirit 38:46 that encourages our hearts that transforms 38:49 our lives because we believe that also our wife 38:53 may die with cancer though our husband 38:56 may die with heart attack. We believe 38:58 that we have not said goodbye for the 39:00 last time Jesus is coming. We believe that all those 39:04 things on earth look paralyse in traumatic. 39:08 Jesus is coming again, our hearts beat 39:11 with the urgency Christ is coming again in the most 39:15 traumatic times it's the most difficult times the most 39:18 oppressive times. Our eyes are not fixed on some 39:23 one word Government is coming you know 39:25 seventh-day Adventist have their eyes fixed 39:27 on time charts to try to get a little figured out 39:30 they have all figured out in their head. 39:33 I am not looking just sometimes short I am looking 39:35 to a Heaven where Jesus is going to come. 39:38 The coming of Christ we don't really know 39:41 how every single thing is going to work out in an 39:45 events their maybe something that surprise us. 39:50 I am more interested in my heart being ready for the 39:53 coming of Jesus than I am figuring out every 39:59 I am more interested in getting Chicago ready 40:02 for the coming of Jesus, amen, that I am, 40:05 that I am of the every event. Some Adventist churches 40:10 are debating over here splitting events than you 40:15 can't tell anyway. And they argue back and 40:21 forth about them, amen, thinking that the arguments 40:25 are sanctified arguments. I pray to God that 40:30 churches in Chicago be on their knees seeking for the 40:33 inns feeling at a Holy Spirit to reach Chicago 40:34 for Jesus Christ, amen, rather than hear splinting 40:38 theological events and arguing among ourselves 40:40 there is work that God wants to do in our hearts. 40:44 Amen. Before he can do something with us to 40:47 the community, the problem is not God's decided to 40:52 reach Chicago the problem rest often inner our hearts. 41:00 Where there is bitterness 41:02 where there is lack of forgiveness. 41:05 Amen. Where the church board becomes more of a 41:10 battle field than a mission driven passionate body 41:18 of believers to reach a city for Christ. 41:23 And God pour out his Holy Spirit in abundant ways 41:31 through us unless he does something to us. 41:39 And they be the mission field that needs to be reach 41:43 to my heart. And may be mission field that needs to be 41:46 reaches your heart. Maybe God is calling us to deeper 41:52 experience with him. Amen. May be their attitudes inside, 41:57 may be there are habits inside. 42:04 In the early 1990's one of the most horrible events 42:12 in the history of world occured the genocide 42:15 in Rwanda, in that genocide 42:21 Hutus battling against Tutsi a million people were 42:25 killed in less then nine months. When the Genocide 42:29 began there were three hundred eighty thousand Adventists, 42:33 Seventh-day Adventist in Rwanda. 42:35 When it ended 100 thousand were died 42:37 in six months a hundred Adventist were slain 42:41 not because there are Adventist but there were 42:43 part of the minority tribe. After in recent years 42:48 I have traveled to Rwanda on number of occasions 42:50 speaking in large stadiums there are trails 42:54 going on right now in Rwanda, trying to killers. 42:57 As we traveled there I talked to my host the 43:04 union president Amon Rugerinyange. I said 43:07 pastor Rugerinyange did anybody 43:09 of that you know die in the Genocide. 43:12 He said Pastor Mark I was out preaching the day 43:15 that the radio announcement came cut down the tall trees. 43:18 And when the radio announcement came, 43:20 cut dow the tall trees tens of thousands of militias, 43:23 largely young people machetes runs on the streets 43:25 killing every Tutsi they could see. 43:26 The killing was so great that the bodies staged up 43:29 in streets and dogs came and ate them 43:30 the killing was so great that they throw thousands of 43:33 bodies into river and the river was covered with 43:35 bodies. Pastor Rugerinyange was out preaching 43:37 as union president then Militia came into the 43:40 church flood out his wife, his three children 43:42 grand children and kill them outside the church that day. 43:45 I talked to the union that the conference president, 43:47 that; do you lose anybody? He said yes I did. 43:49 I said whom did you loose? He said I lost my wife 43:51 and my seven children. I talked to my driver; did you 43:54 lose anybody? I lost 47 members in the family 43:57 and I am the only one that survived. As I talked to them, 44:01 pastor Amon Rugerinyange said to me, he said, Mark 44:04 I want you to meet a woman. And when you meet her, 44:07 your life will be changed forever. 44:09 Her name is Adel Salfo. And so we got in the truck 44:14 we went on this rough road in the back country outside 44:19 of Kigali, in Rwanda. And pastor 44:22 Rugerinyange told me the story as we went. 44:24 This woman had been with her husband 44:27 when the killers came and she held his hand 44:31 as they put a machete and split his head open 44:34 and they hit him in the neck and they murdered him. 44:37 She was there. And pastor 44:40 Amon Rugerinyange said, Mark I believe she 44:42 will tell you the story. As I walked into her 44:46 house I saw a picture of her Pastor 44:49 Seventh-Day Adventist pastor husband on the wall 44:52 and in respect I simply walked over and stood and 44:56 looked at the picture and I thought about 45:00 what it would like if I am holding my wife's hand. 45:04 And somebody ran to me in the horror that 45:07 she would go through as they split my head open 45:08 with machete. As we sat down, we made 45:11 small talk for a while and Mrs. Salfo came in the room 45:15 and I broached the subject very carefully. 45:16 I said Sister Salfo; I understand you were with your 45:23 husband when the militia hacked him to death 45:26 it may be very difficult to talk about it. 45:29 But would you like to share it with me. 45:31 She has began to cry and she said Pastor I will share it. 45:34 She said we got word that militia was coming 45:37 closure and closure to our village we fled with 45 others 45:42 to catholic church in the basement we thought it will be 45:45 hiding place and they may go by the church. 45:46 As we were in the basement the militia came in 45:51 with machetes they began to hack and hack and 45:55 hack actually there were 60 people in the room 45:57 45 were killed immediately. She said I held 46:02 my husband's hand and somebody came and just 46:04 hit with the machete and I in he blood from his 46:06 heads scrapple over me. She said it was 46:09 horrible pastor and then the person took the machete 46:13 and hit me on the head she pulled back 46:15 her beautiful black hair and I was so stunted 46:18 that they began here and went down over ahead. 46:20 She said pastor they then hit me in my wrist trying 46:24 to chop out my wrist. She held up wrist, 46:26 it was just flapping around. She said pastor then 46:29 they hit me on the shoulder and she pulled down her dress 46:31 a little bit to show her scar on the shoulder. 46:33 She said they left me for dead and my body lay 46:39 among the dead bodies for three days. 46:41 At the end of three days, the militia had moved on. 46:48 So, she said villagers came to bury the dead. 46:53 Somebody before they buried me felt my pulse 46:58 and I still had a pulse. So, they took me. 47:01 I was unconscious. They began to nurse me back, 47:04 Pastor I was in and out of hospitals for three years. 47:09 By this time, the forces from outside of Rwanda 47:16 that were in the Congo fought their way back, 47:18 liberated the country, and they built 18 prisoners 47:22 for the murderers and they put 180,000 people 47:25 in prison. Ms. Salfo took three years 47:28 to get back to health, but by now there was 47:31 stability in the country and she said to me Pastor Mark, 47:33 I have to make a decision whether I am going bitter 47:37 angry old woman or not. And she said I made 47:41 a decision that my husband's death would not be in vain. 47:47 I had the assurance beating in my heart 47:50 that Jesus Christ was coming again 47:52 and that the thing that my husband would want 47:55 would me to go the minister to the killers. 48:00 So, pastor there is a prison not far from this village 48:03 and I became the mother of that prison; 48:05 I would go in and bring blankets into the prison 48:08 because of the cold nights. I would go in and 48:11 bring food to the prison. I began studying the 48:13 Bible with the prisoners, these were killers. 48:15 One day pastor I was in the prison, a 48:17 young man fell at my feet and he began to 48:20 kiss my feet and I looked at his face 48:22 and he said do you remember me and she said 48:24 I wish I could get that face out of my head, mind. 48:26 It was the young man in his early 20s that 48:28 took the machete and chopped my husband's head 48:30 in the half. He was the young man I never 48:32 knew he was in that prison. I never 48:34 thought that I would see him again. 48:35 He was the young man that took the machete and 48:37 put the scar on my head and gave me such pain 48:39 and he said would you forgive me. 48:41 And she said I picked him up and I hugged him. 48:44 And I said I will forgive you pastor I studied 48:47 the Bible with in for six months. 48:49 Pastor he stood up before the whole prison 48:51 and we assembled all the prisoners in the prison yard 48:54 the day of his baptism and he confessed his sin. 48:56 Pastor we baptized him, now pastor he got amnesty, 49:03 after few years and was let out of the prison. 49:05 But here is the problem his father and mother were 49:07 killed genocide, he had no place to live. 49:09 Pastor I adopted him as my son, would you like 49:16 to meet my heart was beating full deeps of 49:21 perspiration stood on my head I looked at the pastor's 49:23 picture who this man has killed. 49:25 I thought a killer was gonna walk through the door 49:28 and who was walked through the door. 49:30 A gentle smile on his face a sparkle on his eyes 49:35 Amon Rugerinyange's rather Ms. Salfo walked over 49:41 and put her arms around him and she said let 49:45 me introduce to my adopted son. She said one day when 49:49 Jesus comes, one day comes all the suffering 49:53 will be worth at all. One day the Jesus comes 49:55 all the hard ache will be worth it all. 49:57 One day the Jesus comes all the burdens will be 50:00 worth it all. One day when Jesus comes 50:02 the past will be gone. She said what inspires me 50:07 is the forward look. Jesus is coming again, 50:13 Amen. Is there something in your heart right 50:16 now that needs to be dealt with 50:18 have you harboring some bitterness. 50:21 Is there some sins secretly in your life? 50:24 If God can transform Adel Salfo, if 50:27 God can take that woman and take any bitterness 50:30 any anger out of heart, God can do miracles 50:33 in your life. The backward look leads 50:37 to the cross and forgiveness. The upward look 50:40 leads you to receive the power the living 50:42 Christ that is here. The forward look leads you to 50:45 put a aside anything that people being ready 50:47 for the coming of Jesus. There is nothing 50:49 we were clinging to as we bow head to pray. 50:57 Is there somebody here today that you just want 51:00 to left your head and say Lord I need the forgiveness. 51:02 I need the forgiveness that you only can give. 51:06 Lord I need that forgiveness; I need that freedom from 51:10 guilt. Lord I have kind to let my religious 51:14 experience slit. God I have been careless with 51:21 my experience but there is grace that flows 51:25 from the cross, there is mercy and forgiveness 51:28 that flows from the cross. Lord I lift my hand just now, 51:30 and I say Lord grant me your forgiveness and mercy 51:34 and I want this day to be a day of new beginnings for 51:36 me would you just raise your hand. 51:38 Will you make it plain and specific this first appeal 51:41 somebody that drifted away. 51:43 Somebody have some guilt in their life, 51:45 somebody that needs God's forgiveness and grace 51:48 and your saying I can't live this auditorium 51:50 without lifting my hand and saying God grant 51:52 me your grace just lift your hand. 51:57 You may put your hand out is there somebody 51:59 going through some burden some struggle 52:03 financial burden, burden with your children, 52:06 burden in your health and you sense the Christ is 52:10 a living Christ and you need that upward look today 52:13 and you want to say Jesus I lay my burden at 52:16 your feet but I believe by faith today 52:20 at this movement that your giving the comfort and 52:23 strength and I am laying that burden down for Jesus 52:26 would you just lift your hand. Some burden you need 52:29 to lift down. Now, you are not lifting your hand and 52:32 saying well I hope Jesus may sometime in 52:35 future to live me from the burden. 52:37 Now, your saying I believe right now Christ is 52:40 giving peace I believe right now Christ 52:42 is lifting that burden. I believe right now 52:45 Christ is giving me new courage. 52:49 Jesus sees your hand he knows your heart 52:50 and you put your hand down. If there is somebody 52:54 here that Jesus sends there is a work to be done 52:57 in you yet. There are still things you claim 53:01 to attitudes, there are still adverts that claim to 53:04 and you say God I want to be part of an army of workers 53:11 that comes out into Chicago, out into greater Chicago 53:14 land to witness for you but God I know 53:18 that I need some cleansing with in and I want to 53:22 cry out with David, create with in me a 53:25 clean heart oh! God. 53:26 We knew with in the right Spirit. 53:29 I want to say with David, Lord whatever you 53:32 need to do in me do it. If you want to say 53:37 Jesus, whatever work that needs to be done in 53:39 need I want to do it. Would you just life your hands. 53:42 Jesus thank you for the cross, thank you 53:48 that in Jesus our guilt has gone 53:55 that in Christ there is no condemnation. 53:58 That he gives us, and giveth, and giveth, and giveth again. 54:02 Thank you that the backward look leads us to 54:07 peace thank you that the upward look reminds us 54:12 that you still alive. You still sit on your throne 54:15 you still there for us in the up's 54:19 and downs of life, we look upward away from 54:23 all that around us to the Christ that has not yet 54:27 left his throne and Father when the journey is long 54:31 the roads rough help us look to the future 54:35 grant to us sense that the blessed hope is just around 54:40 the corner that Jesus is coming, and coming again. 54:44 We praise you for that do you work of cleansing 54:48 inwards we pray in Christ name. Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17