3ABN On the Road

Why The Doomsday Prophets Are Wrong

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Mark Finley

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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.


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Revised 2014-12-17