Participants: Tim Riesenberger
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000986
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01:01 It's my pleasure to introduce our speaker this
01:03 morning, Dr. Tim Riesenberger. 01:05 I first became acquainted with Tim Riesenberger 01:08 when we were both at Weimar. He was attending the 01:11 college there. We didn't become close friends 01:14 until we were both medical students at Loma Linda. 01:18 Currently, Tim Riesenberger is passing emergency 01:21 medicine in the Seattle, Washington area. 01:24 And the thing that I appreciate the most about 01:27 Tim Riesenberger is his commitment to serving 01:29 Christ, where ever he is. Now his marketplace 01:31 happens to be the emergency medicine 01:34 department, but he also serves Christ in many 01:37 other ways. He is quite active in short-term 01:41 mission trips doing medical missionary work 01:43 in foreign countries and he also travels all over the 01:46 world speaking to young people as an evangelist 01:50 and a revivalist and he has personally brought 01:53 hundreds maybe thousands of people to the Lord. 01:56 I pray that you will be blessed by his a sermon 01:59 today entitled, The Truth that Transforms the World. 02:10 Like the woman at the well I was seeking 02:18 For things that could not satisfy; 02:27 But then I heard my Savior speaking: 02:35 "Draw from my well that never shall run dry. " 02:45 Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up, Lord! 02:54 Come and quench this thirsting of my soul; 03:03 Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more 03:14 Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole! 03:26 There are millions in this world who are craving 03:34 The pleasures earthly things afford; 03:43 But none can match the wondrous treasures 03:52 That I find in Jesus Christ my Lord. 04:01 Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up, Lord! 04:11 Come and quench this thirsting of my soul; 04:20 Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more 04:33 Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole! 04:44 Jus, fill my cup Lord, I lift it up, Lord! 04:54 Come and quench this thirsting of my soul; 05:03 Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more 05:16 Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole! 05:28 Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole! 05:56 Good morning ASI, good morning. 05:59 Thank you John for that beautiful song and 06:01 thank you Tim for that introduction. 06:05 It's my joy to be here this morning and of course 06:09 we are all here to see one person that's Jesus Christ. 06:12 And Him lift it up in the marketplace and in our lives. 06:16 So, before I begin, I would like to ask Him 06:19 to be with us one more time, please bow your 06:21 heads as I kneel in prayer. 06:27 Loving father in heaven, what a joy it is to be here 06:31 with your people, with your children? 06:34 Lord we ask that you would be present not 06:37 only among us, but within us. I ask that you would 06:41 hide me behind the cross of Jesus Christ for in his 06:45 name we pray, Amen. I have a question to 06:49 begin, does God love you? Yes, yes Amen. 06:57 Does God love his son Jesus? Well, yes. 07:01 Does God love the angels that surround 07:03 his throne? Sure. Does God love his church 07:07 here on earth? Yes. Does God love the people 07:11 who don't know him yet? Yes. Does God love the 07:15 people who do know about him, but if chosen 07:18 not to follow him? Yes. Does God love those 07:23 that are lost? Yes. Does God love the evil angels? 07:29 Yes. Does God love Satan? Yes. 07:33 You know it's interesting as I go through the 07:34 cycle of questions; we start out yes, yes, 07:38 and then yes. Maybe I am not sure; probably 07:47 the second question is also simple. 07:49 If God loves you, why? Think about that for a 07:55 moment. I am going to share with you how my 07:59 life was transformed by a text message. 08:02 It sounds little strange, doesn't it? Many of you 08:05 use cell phones everyday and saying your life is 08:08 changed by text messages like saying my life was 08:11 changed by a forwarded e- mail, but it was. 08:16 I was at a time when I was going to meet 08:19 with my boss. Now this wasn't for an interview, 08:22 this was my boss saying, Dr. Riesenberger I need 08:25 to meet with you sometime. That's usually not good 08:29 by the way. It's usually fairly distressing in fact, 08:34 so I asked my friends to pray for me and one 08:37 friend sent me a text message. 08:39 They said I am praying that God will give you the 08:41 words that you need to speak at the right time. 08:46 I am claiming Luke Chapter 12 for you. 08:49 Whatever happens I'm proud of you, very sweet, 08:54 nice text message, but it bothered me to know it 08:59 because what was said was whatever happens, 09:03 whatever right. I am proud of you, 09:07 now whatever could include being fired, 09:09 could it not? And I can tell you I worked 09:13 full-time during the summer's part-time, 09:16 during the school year since I was 15, and I have 09:19 never been fired from any job. 09:23 They said whatever happens I'll be proud 09:25 of you, I wouldn't be proud of myself if I was fired. 09:30 What happened to Dr. Riesenberger? 09:31 Oh, you know he was fired. Certainly, the 09:35 people at my job know that I am a Christian, 09:38 they know that I am an Adventist, they know that 09:40 I go to church on that funny day. 09:44 They know I eat funny, vegetarian. 09:48 What kind of witness would that be if I were fired? 09:53 So, I struggled with that for a long time and the 09:55 Lord brought me to a message that has 09:59 transformed my life. Turn with me in your 10:00 Bibles to II Samuel Chapter 14. 10:04 II Samuel Chapter 14 and verse 25, II Samuel 14 10:14 and verse 25, Now in all Israel there was no one 10:18 who was praised as much as Absalom for his good looks. 10:22 From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head 10:25 there was no blemish in him. Now, to say there 10:30 was no blemish in him from head to toe in 10:33 another word for saying he was perfect. 10:37 But, perfection does not always extend to the inside. 10:42 Keep your Bibles opened to this area; we are gonna 10:44 be reading through this story quickly. 10:47 Chapter 15 verses 1-6, we find Absalom at the 10:52 gate of the city. There are men lined up to talk 10:57 to the King about a suit, about a complaint. 11:01 And Absalom says to them look, your case is 11:03 good and right; but there is no deputy of the king 11:07 to hear you. Moreover Absalom would say, Oh, 11:10 that I were made judge in the land, and everyone 11:14 who has any suit or cause would come to me; then 11:17 I would give him justice. Now who was Absalom? 11:22 Yes, David's son. So, he was the prince. 11:27 Absalom was encouraging people to come to him 11:30 rather than to the King. And in verse 6, we read 11:34 what the result of this behavior was that 11:37 Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel, 11:43 but it gets worse. Drop down to verses 10 11:46 through 12 and we find that Absalom has 11:49 proclaimed himself King. Absalom reigns in 11:53 Hebron, it says in verse 10. Verse 12 we find, 11:56 Then Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, 11:59 David's counselor from his city from Giloh while 12:02 he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy grew 12:06 strong, for the people increased continually 12:10 with Absalom. Now who is Ahithophel, that's kind 12:14 of a funny name isn't' it? Is there anyone know 12:16 who he was? Certainly, he was a counselor of 12:21 David, we read that from the text, but he was a 12:24 Bathsheba's grandfather. If you doubt it, II Samuel 12:28 11:3 and II Samuel 24:34, that will give you those 12:33 insights. Now how do you think Ahithophel felt 12:36 about David at this point? Can you imagine your 12:40 grandson-in-law is assassinated by the King? 12:45 He sweeps with your granddaughter, 12:48 impregnates her, lies about it in front of 12:51 everybody and what punishment does the 12:53 king receive? Nothing that you can see! 12:58 Ahithophel was waiting to even the score with 13:02 the house of David and he found this opportunity 13:05 with the rebellion of Absalom, but it gets worse. 13:09 Go to Chapter 16 and verse 11, you will find 13:13 that David is fleeing for his life from Jerusalem 13:16 because his son has marched into the city 13:19 to take it over. David doesn't stay to fight for 13:24 the city; he does not want to see Jerusalem devoted 13:26 to bloodshed. And as he is fleeing a guy comes 13:30 out of the city, he throws rocks at him and says 13:31 that's right you better run. God is getting you back 13:35 from all the bloodshed that you committed to the 13:38 house of Saul, and did David do that? 13:42 Did David commit sin against the household of Saul? 13:47 Remember what David did in the cave of 13:49 Adullam, when Saul went in there David was next 13:52 to him, could have just killed him immediately 13:55 and what did he do? He took the hem of his robe 13:59 and cut it off and even that caused David's 14:02 conscience to bother him. When Saul was asleep 14:05 at his feet, his servant next to David said look 14:09 I'll strike him once, I won't have to strike 14:11 him again and David says don't touch the Lord is 14:14 anointed. David never at anytime did any wrong 14:19 against the house of Saul. These were false 14:22 acquisitions, but listen to what David says in 14:24 verse 11. David said to Abishai and to all his 14:28 servants, See how my son who came from my 14:31 own body is seeking my life. How much more 14:35 now may this Benjamite? Let him alone, and let 14:37 him curse; for so the LORD has ordered him. 14:41 So, we find here that Absalom is seeking to kill 14:44 his own father, it gets worse. Let's take a look 14:49 at verses 20 through 22 of the same chapter. 14:52 II Samuel 16 verses 20-22, and Absalom said 14:59 to Ahithophel, give advice as to what we 15:02 should do. Absalom has set up his kingdom now 15:05 in Jerusalem and he asks his closest counselor 15:07 what his first move should be? Ahithophel 15:10 tells him to sleep with his father's wives on top 15:14 of the house. You don't get worse than what 15:18 Absalom was doing. We are told by inspired 15:21 council that Absalom by doing this added to his 15:25 sins of rebellion and murder the sin of incest. 15:33 Now we come to the scene of the battle in 15:35 chapter 18. David has mustered his forces and 15:40 who has the larger army. Do you know? 15:44 Absalom by a long shot were told by inspiration 15:49 that Absalom's force is so out numbered David's, 15:53 that compared to his army David's men were a 15:56 little handful. Ellen White says the odds were totally 16:00 against David and if not God and his intervention 16:06 David would be lost and all of his men. 16:10 David divides his company in chapter 18 16:12 verses 1-5, he divides them into three groups 16:15 and he gives them one final order as they march out. 16:20 What is that order? He says, deal gently for 16:27 my sake, with whom? With the young man 16:30 Absalom. And did he whisper this in the 16:33 general's ears? No it says that every single 16:37 person heard as he gave orders about Absalom. 16:43 So, the armies meet together in the wood of 16:45 Ephraim, the battle commences and David's 16:48 forces are victorious. Absalom sees that it 16:51 cause his loss and he goes to flee, but he gets 16:54 caught by his hair in a tree and the mule 16:59 continues to move and he is there dangling in 17:01 midair. A soldier finds him and doesn't kill him; 17:08 he comes to the General and says I saw Absalom 17:11 hanging in a tree. Joab in verse 11 of chapter 18 17:16 says, you just saw him, why don't you kill him, 17:18 I would have awarded you. And in verse 12, 17:21 we understand the seriousness of the 17:24 command of King David. The soldiers says to Joab 17:28 though you have given me a thousand pieces of 17:31 silver, I wouldn't have touched Absalom because 17:34 you heard the king as he spoke in our presence, 17:39 beware lest any of you touch the young man 17:43 Absalom. Joab says, whatever I can't talk with 17:47 you, he goes gets his men stabs not one not two, but 17:52 three spears into the heart of Absalom and while he 17:55 is there in cardiogenic shock, he surrounded by 17:58 ten guys beaten up, killed, thrown in a pit lot of 18:01 rocks on top of him, the end of Absalom. 18:05 But there is still one more thing that you need to do. 18:08 Who is waiting in the city to find out the 18:11 results of the battle? David. They send a 18:15 messenger. Take a look, verse 28 the messenger 18:19 says all is well, he bowed down his face to the 18:23 earth before the king, and said, blessed be the 18:25 LORD your God, who has delivered up the men 18:27 who raised their hand against my lord the king. 18:30 The king's first question is not, wow where there 18:35 many casualties. His first comment was not 18:38 Praise the Lord, who has delivered me from 18:40 my enemies. What is his first question? 18:45 Is the young man Absalom safe? 18:49 The messenger gives him a very vague response. 18:52 So, the next messenger comes, the next 18:55 messenger in verse 31, there is good news, 18:57 my lord the king, for the LORD has avenged 18:59 you this day of all those who rose against you. 19:04 Does David say yeah the first guy said that thank 19:06 you for risking your life for me? Does he say 19:10 praise God, who has delivered me from the 19:12 mouth of the line in the bear and now from 19:15 this rebellion? Do you realize his question 19:18 is the same? The same words are used, 19:23 he says is the young man Absalom safe? 19:27 This message is given a different response, 19:31 he says may all the enemies of my Lord the 19:35 king and all who raise against you to do you 19:38 harm be like that young man is. 19:42 So, now David knows that Absalom is dead. 19:48 I want you to look very carefully at verse 33, 19:55 then the king was deeply moved, and he went 19:57 up to the chamber over the gate and wept. 19:59 And as he went, he said O my son Absalom, 20:04 my son, my son Absalom if only I had 20:08 died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son. 20:18 A simple question for you did David love Absalom 20:23 because Absalom was a loyal subject of his 20:25 kingdom. Do you realize the war that killed 20:31 more United States citizens than all of our 20:34 worse combined or was it the civil war? 20:39 That is what Absalom did to the nation of Israel, 20:43 so that wasn't the reason. So, perhaps David loved 20:46 Absalom because he was in affection of his son. 20:52 He is trying to kill his own father, going against 20:57 even natural affection, so that wasn't the reason. 21:01 Perhaps David loved Absalom because 21:04 Absalom had a pure heart and a moral character. 21:10 Friends you don't get worse than incest times ten. 21:15 That wasn't the reason that David loved Absalom. 21:18 And so I ask you a simple question why did 21:23 David love Absalom? Because wicked though 21:27 he was, he was after all David' son. 21:34 And at that moment God spoke to my mind, 21:37 three words that I will never forget as 21:39 long as I live. And it wasn't like fire was on the 21:42 sky or the sealing, I didn't hear a voice, I didn't go 21:45 over to the closet and open it up, see if someone 21:47 was there. I say though that God spoke to me 21:51 because a new thought entered my mind and it 21:57 went something like this, Tim I don't love you 22:00 because you are a doctor and you save people's 22:03 lives everyday. Tim I don't love you because 22:07 you dedicate a week out of every month to my 22:10 cause. I don't love you because you share your 22:14 testimony, I don't love you for all the good 22:17 things that you do though it makes me happy. 22:20 I don't love you because you are a Christian and 22:22 I don't love you because you are an Adventist. 22:26 These things please me, but it is not why I love you? 22:31 Tim I love you and here are the three words, 22:36 because you are mine. And at that moment, 22:41 I fell to my knees and I cried more than I have 22:44 cried in my whole life. Because I saw God at 22:48 last and don't get me wrong, it wasn't like 22:51 I didn't know God love me, of course I knew God 22:53 love me. Jesus loves me, this I know right. 22:57 For the Bible tells me so, but I can tell you 23:01 understanding why he love me has 23:05 transformed my life. And I wanna share with 23:08 you that I have seen this truth in my entire 23:13 professional career and not understood until 23:18 that moment. Come with me to the emergency 23:20 department, Dr Riesenberger we have a level one 23:24 trauma that will arrive in five minutes. 23:29 The patient is a 15-year-old male, 23:32 who was T-boned at highway speeds. 23:35 His left side was crushed by the accident, he is not 23:39 breathing, his heart is not beating, all other 23:43 passengers were thrown clear and no 23:45 one else is injured. The paramedics are trying 23:48 to intubate the patient and CPR is in progress, 23:54 five minutes. So I stood up, I called for x-ray, 23:59 I called for neurosurgeon, I called for trauma, 24:02 I called for four units of blood, O negative, 24:05 I called for a chest tube a central line and we 24:09 prepare as this young man will struggle for his life. 24:14 The paramedics wheeled him and they are doing 24:15 CPR and every time they compress I hear a crunch, 24:18 crunch, crunch with each compression. 24:22 They throw him down on the gurney in front of me, 24:25 I quickly grab the endotracheal tube, I snake 24:28 it through the bloody chords of his trachea. 24:33 I turn on the ventilator and a red column of 24:35 blood goes up and down out of the tube. 24:39 I realize his lung is crushed by bleeding and 24:42 it needs to be re-inflated, so I slap some iodine on 24:45 his chest quickly inserted chest tube and as I insert 24:48 that chest tube a liter of blood comes out, 24:52 two liters, three liters, and at that moment 24:57 I stepped away because I know that this young 25:01 man will die. Someone catches the look on my 25:05 face and they say no, why, why wasn't it me? 25:13 That drove today instead of him and who was that? 25:21 That was his father, and that young man died. 25:26 Come with me to the emergency department, 25:29 the nurse pats me on the shoulder, 25:31 Dr. Riesenberger we need an order for an IV for 25:34 medications, for fluids, we have an 8-year-old 25:36 girl who is vomiting out in the waiting room, 25:38 I said okay. Here is the order, and I see this little 25:43 girl wheeled back to the room, she is apparently 25:47 8 years old, but she looks like she is probably 4. 25:50 She is very small wasted away, she has no hair, 25:56 and she is vomiting uncontrollably from the 25:59 chemotherapy for her cancer. She vomits up 26:03 her lunch, then she vomits up clear, then she 26:05 vomits up yellow, then she vomits up green. 26:09 And as she begins to vomit up blood and we 26:13 can't stop it. I hear a cry in the corner of the room 26:18 why? Why wasn't it me that had the cancer 26:25 instead of her, who was that? That was her 26:30 mother. And I can tell you story, after story, 26:33 after story. Gunshot wound to the chest; 26:39 we are giving blood, more blood, cross 26:41 clamping the aorta, CPR directly on the heart 26:45 injecting epinephrine into the cardiac chamber. 26:51 I keep calling for more blood; we are up to about 26:53 40 units of blood. And the blood bank calls from 26:57 overhead and said Dr. Riesenberger, there is 27:00 no 'O negative' blood in this hospital, you have 27:03 used it all. Immediately someone pushes their 27:06 way through lays down on the gurney next to the 27:09 trauma victim and says I have O negative take all 27:16 that you need, who was it? It's his father. 27:24 Were these parents Christians would you say? 27:29 Not necessarily they could have been, in this 27:31 case not one of them. But, they understand the 27:37 truth that transforms the world of why God 27:42 loves you and I? You see a glimpse of that love, 27:48 when a parent is holding their dieing child and they 27:52 are slipping away from their grasp. And you say 27:56 Tim that's too much, that's too, that's too 27:58 amazing, that's crazy love. God can't love me 28:03 that much because you don't understand, 28:05 Tim I have done so many things that are against 28:08 God, I am such a hypocrite, you don't know my story. 28:16 In fact I am pretty sure by this time; I've committed 28:20 the unpardonable sin. Do you want to know when 28:25 the unpardonable sin occurs? I can tell you 28:28 right now, come back to me. We gonna go to the ER 28:32 again, I get a call Dr. Riesenberger, 28:36 we have a 7-month-old baby in full arrest. 28:40 He was put down to sleep by his grandmother 28:44 earlier tonight on his stomach, don't do that by 28:46 the way and he was found to be blue and not 28:51 breathing shortly afterwards. 28:54 Medics are trying to intubate the child, 28:56 he will come in five minutes. I called for 28:59 pediatrics, I called for x- ray, I pulled out a dose 29:03 of epinephrine and atropine. I charge up the 29:06 defibrillator and we prepared for the arrival 29:09 of this baby. They are bringing him in and they 29:12 are doing compressions on his little chest. 29:15 I managed to snake a little straw like tube into 29:19 his vocal cords and I turn on the ventilator and 29:23 I start breathing for him. I turned on my monitor 29:27 and I see a big flat line or perhaps it's not flat 29:34 maybe there is a little ventricular fibrillation. 29:37 Shock him, boom nothing, we gave him 29:41 epinephrine, we gave him atropine, we gave him 29:44 fluids, we shock him several more times and 29:48 we begin to fight the battle for this child's life. 29:52 Ten minutes go by, twenty minutes go by, 29:54 thirty minutes go by, and at 30 minutes something 29:59 always happens. I hear footsteps behind me and 30:02 I already know who it is? I don't even need to turn 30:04 around. Those footsteps stopped right behind me 30:08 and they wait for a moment, after that 30:11 moment I feel a touch on my shoulder and I turned 30:16 around and who was it? Its one of the parents at 30:21 this point, the father in this case, and he said 30:25 Dr. Riesenberger, I appreciate everything 30:28 you have done for my boy Johnny, but I have 30:34 been watching him for the last 30 minutes, I haven't 30:39 seen him take a breath on his own except with your 30:42 machine and I have been watching your monitor up 30:46 on the screen and I see that flat line and I watch 30:50 ER at home and I know that's not good. 30:53 And so at this point, I need to know something 30:56 from you, in your professional opinion. 31:00 Is there any hope, they all ask the same question. 31:07 And if I turn to him and say Mr. Johnson you know 31:09 before you arrived I saw Johnny breath a little bit 31:12 on his own before you made it into the room, 31:16 I saw a little activity from his heart. I think we still 31:21 have a small chance that he will live again, 31:25 what do you think he would say. Go keep going 31:29 why are you talking to me? Take care of my son, 31:34 but that's not what I said. I said Mr. Johnson, 31:40 you are right. Even if you were to see your son's 31:45 heartbeat right now and he would to start 31:48 breathing on his own right now. His brain is 31:53 gone, there is no hope. That is when the 32:03 unpardonable sin occurs. Do you understand, 32:10 what do you think the parents tell me when I tell 32:13 them there is no more hope. We will shock him 32:16 again, did I say that? Why don't you poke him a few 32:20 more times? Why don't you put a couple more 32:23 tubes in him, so he can suffer before he dies 32:26 anyway? Do you think anyone says that? 32:30 Not one has ever told me to do that. What do you 32:36 think they say? They all say the same thing, 32:40 they cry as they mourn the loss of their child 32:47 and then they ask me please can you stop, 32:52 can you turn your machine off? Can you 32:55 take the needles away and pull the tubes out, 32:59 so that we can say goodbye to our Johnny. 33:05 And you know what I do, I do just that. 33:10 I turn off the machine, I pull out the tubes, 33:13 I tell the nurses to clear out the needles, 33:16 time of death 2:34 a. m. give the Johnson's time 33:22 with their son. I walk out of the room, 33:26 I pull the curtain and he dies. 33:30 That is when the unpardonable sin occurs. 33:38 When God looks into your soul and he knows 33:42 that whether he sends you blessing or affliction. 33:47 Whether he sends you council from someone 33:49 or directly from his spirit that there is no turning 33:54 back, there is no hope. God does what any loving 34:01 parent would do? And he let's you go because 34:07 who of any parent would want the last moments of 34:12 their child to be suffering in pain, he let you go. 34:23 As I consider the patient's that I have seen, 34:27 as I consider them in the light of the love of God. 34:32 I understand God now in a new way, in a different way. 34:38 God says in II Peter Chapter 3 verse 9, II Peter 34:44 Chapter 3 verse 9, God is not slack concerning his 34:51 promise as some men count slackness, but his 34:53 long suffering to us were not willing that, 34:58 how many? Any should perish about that, oh, oh, 35:04 should come to repentance. I understand now why in 35:10 Matthew 18:12 the God leaves the 99 in the 35:14 wilderness and goes after the one that's lost. 35:20 I have asked this question to many audiences 35:24 and I have seen parents who have up to, I think 35:26 14 kids was the largest and I told them, I said 13 35:31 of your children are fine, one is in critical condition 35:35 in the ICU, where are you gonna be right now? 35:40 In the ICU. God of all the worlds that he has 35:45 created his focused on one and that is our world 35:54 because his children are in danger. 35:57 All of his efforts are focused here though he 36:00 loves all his children he is right, where every 36:04 single parent would be? I understand, let me tame 36:10 at this way perhaps I walked over to this 36:16 mother of this child that just passed away and 36:19 as she and her husband are mourning the loss of 36:23 Johnny, I go over and place my hand on their 36:27 shoulder and I say Mrs. Johnson I am so sorry 36:31 you have lost your son, but I see that you are very 36:33 young and in fact you have a couple other 36:35 children there already, so that should be okay. 36:40 Then I really would lose my job or I get slap too. 36:46 And in fact perhaps I could say that you are 36:50 still young you could have another child and 36:51 call him Johnny, how would that be? 36:57 It wouldn't be the same, would it? In fact are there 36:59 any twins in the audience? What if I told your parents 37:07 that one of you was killed in a car accident, but it 37:10 was okay because the other twin survived, 37:14 would it make any difference to your parents? 37:18 Not a bit. Because yes God is creator but some 37:25 of us occasionally think of him as creator of a 37:28 science project. You know you make a little 37:31 clay pot, it doesn't work out so you smash it and 37:34 start all over again, I am sorry it's not that way. 37:39 God can't make another you, every child is unique 37:48 and special in fact I will illustrate it to you in a 37:52 way you will never forget. How many of us want to 37:56 come up in the resurrection? The first resurrection, 38:01 right, right you remember what happens? 38:04 You want to come up in the first resurrection 38:06 because that's the resurrection 38:07 of the just, right. So, when you rise 38:11 from the grave, I already know what's you are 38:14 gonna do first? You are not gonna go look for 38:17 the lion and the lamb playing, you are not 38:19 gonna look for your angel, you are not even 38:21 gonna look for the Jesus first. You know who you 38:23 are gonna look for first when you rise from the 38:25 grave, you are gonna look for your kids. 38:30 And if you have ten kids, you are gonna count 38:36 every one of them that comes up with you. 38:40 8, 9, let's see 6, 7, 8, 9 and if you are missing 38:47 one, even one you are gonna go directly to God 38:57 in the throne room that is gonna be your first test. 38:59 This is not go pick a fruit off the tree of life, it's 39:03 gonna go straight to God's throne room and 39:07 you are gonna have a question for him, 39:08 could you know that? And that question will 39:11 only have one word in it and what will it be? 39:16 Why? You will bring your children and say 39:21 why? And I don't know what God will tell you, 39:25 but I believe he will take you by the hand, he will 39:27 walk you through the streets of gold and show 39:29 you empty mansion after empty mansion after 39:31 empty mansion, say why? There is no reason why? 39:37 I did all I could to save your son because he is 39:43 mine as well and you will mourn. You see God does 39:50 not wipe away the tears until after the second 39:52 resurrection, did you know that? 39:55 You will mourn during those 1000 years as you 39:59 look through the books and you read why your 40:04 child is not there? But there is one who will 40:07 mourn more than all of us combined and who is that? 40:13 That is God, because he is a great father of us all. 40:23 I am gonna come to my point of Satan. 40:27 Remember, I asked if God love Satan. 40:30 Do you have a better insight now? 40:32 Do you understand why of course God love Satan 40:38 because he is the great father of us all. 40:42 But, there is a difference between you and Satan. 40:47 Turn with me to Mathew 25, Mathew chapter 25 40:50 verse 34 we are in the great judgment day. 40:55 On the right hand are the sheep, left hand are the 41:00 goats, right. Matthew chapter 25 verse 34, 41:05 God says Come, you blessed of My Father; 41:10 inherit the kingdom prepared for you since 41:14 when? From the foundation of the world, then God 41:18 says to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, 41:20 you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared 41:22 for, it doesn't say you. It does not say you. 41:31 What does it say? Do you notice the difference? 41:36 How many people were designed to be lost? 41:40 Zero, God wants to save how many? All. 41:48 How many of your kids do you wanna save? All. 41:53 Don't you understand God wants his children 41:57 there more than anything else and he is not willing 42:02 to quit until he has them all or until there is no 42:07 more hope. But, what's the difference? 42:11 Who was designed for the lake of fire? 42:14 The devil and his angels, do you see that there is a 42:18 difference here? Is the devil a sinner? 42:23 are you a sinner? Sure, but what's the difference. 42:26 Desire of Ages page 761, you can write this down 42:31 look it up later, Desire of Ages 761, But even as a 42:37 sinner, man was in a different position from 42:41 that of Satan. Lucifer in heaven sinned in the light 42:46 of God's glory. To him as to know other created 42:51 being was given a revelation of God's love. 42:55 Understanding the character of God, 42:58 knowing His goodness, Satan chose to follow his 43:02 own selfish, independent will. 43:06 This choice was final. Why was the choice final 43:12 for Satan, well the next sentence, This choice was 43:16 final. There was no more that God could do to save him. 43:23 Do you see the unpardonable sin? 43:27 What more is God can do to save him? 43:28 There is no more. Now why is that? Why is it 43:34 that God could do no more to save Satan? 43:38 Well, I will ask you a question, what is the only 43:40 thing that brings you to repentance? 43:43 Yes, Romans 2:4 that's right. Romans chapter 2 43:47 verse 4, or do you despise the goodness and the 43:52 riches of His grace, not knowing that the 43:57 goodness of God leads you to repentance. 44:03 Now I am gonna ask you a question how much of 44:05 God's goodness did Satan know? Okay, if God is 44:10 here where was Satan? He is right next to him. 44:16 You are not getting any closer to God. 44:21 Satan knew God's goodness and he chose anyway. 44:29 There was no more that God could do to save him? 44:34 That's why the devil and his angels are lost 44:38 because God has exhausted every resource. 44:43 There is nothing more that God can show to 44:46 Satan and his angels that will convince them, 44:49 but now I am gonna finish the rest of the quote. 44:52 This choice was final, there was no more that 44:56 God could do to save him, but man was deceived. 45:02 His mind was darkened by Satan's sophistry, 45:05 the height and depth of the love of God, he did 45:09 not know. For him there was hope in the 45:13 knowledge of God's love by beholding his 45:17 character he might be drawn back to God. 45:22 That is the difference between you and I and Satan. 45:27 I did not know the love of God, I did not know that 45:33 God loved me as those parents love their child 45:38 that slipping through their fingers. 45:41 I didn't understand the height and the depth 45:45 of his great love for me, I was deceived. 45:50 Have any of you ever woken up in the middle 45:51 of the night out of a dead sleep and it's pitch black 45:54 and you don't know where you are? 45:56 Has that ever happened to you? That's happened 45:59 to me several times especially during residency. 46:01 God bless you Tim Arakawa. I wake up in the middle 46:05 of the night; I don't know where I am because its 46:09 pitch dark in fact you don't even know which 46:11 side of the bed your head is on, is that on the 46:13 left side or the right side, but what happens when 46:16 someone cracks open the door? A little light comes 46:19 in and what you immediately know? 46:22 Everything, God has cracked the door of my 46:29 heart and I know where I am. 46:34 And I know at last who he is? I see his love not 46:41 only in my life, but I see his love even as I am 46:45 facing death. In fact you sometimes see love of 46:49 parents a lot clearer when the time is critical, 46:56 but can you imagine we come back into the ER. 46:59 I have just pronounced this child dead, the father 47:03 and mother have requested that I turn off 47:06 the machine and I walk over to the mother and 47:10 I looked her in the eyes as I say you turn it off. 47:15 What would she say? I can't do it, I can't do it 47:23 because that's my son, and I can tell you that is 47:30 the same with God. You see God is the only 47:35 being in the universe that can truly give or 47:37 take away life. You realize that and when 47:41 he knows that there is no more hope for you, 47:46 he himself must let you die. He himself must allow 47:52 you to sink into oblivion. And you know I am not 47:58 exactly sure what he is going to say at that 48:01 moment, but I know it's not gonna be well you 48:05 got what you deserved. That's not what is going 48:08 to be. In fact I have an idea Ezekiel chapter 33 48:11 verse 11 gives us some insight. Ezekiel chapter 48:16 33 and verse 11, as my soul lives says the Lord, 48:22 I have no pleasure in the death of the righteous, 48:28 is it the good people, the death of who, the wicked. 48:34 Now you tell me, you understand probation 48:36 right, what happens when a wicked person dies? 48:40 They are lost, do you realize that. God is saying 48:45 I have no pleasure in the death of the lost, but that 48:52 the wicked turn from his wicked way, turn he, 48:55 turn he, for why should you die, O house of Israel? 49:02 God is not happy to see people lost, God is not 49:06 happy to see someone reap the results of their sins. 49:13 Hosea chapter 11 verse 8, Hosea chapter 11 verse 8 49:18 shows the inter-conflict of the heart of God as he 49:23 reaches over to turn off the ventilator so to speak. 49:30 Hosea chapter 11 verse 8 says, How can I give you 49:34 up, O Ephraim? I can't do it. 49:41 Can you see the heart of God as the heart of a 49:46 father, as the heart of a mother struggling to let 49:52 go of their most precious earthly treasure. 49:59 Consider this for a moment, I don't know 50:03 what God will say, but you know sometimes 50:07 when I pronounced especially a child 50:10 and I walk out of the room and I pull the 50:12 curtain you know what I do sometimes? 50:15 I wait by the curtain and I listen, and I have heard 50:21 a dozens if not may be hundreds of times, 50:24 I listen to what their final words 50:27 are as that child dies. And it goes something 50:32 like this, and I believe that God will be the same. 50:38 I am not exactly sure what words to use, 50:40 but I can tell you the words that those parents 50:43 have used through the years. 50:47 They say goodbye our little treasure, mummy 50:52 and daddy love you so much, sissy is gonna miss 50:56 you, we are gonna miss all the things that you put 50:59 on the refrigerator, we are gonna miss your little 51:02 smile and all the joy that you brought to our home. 51:09 The doctors and nurses tried so hard, but now it's 51:12 too late, go to sleep little one, rest in peace 51:19 but God will have to say 51:22 rest forever, and you will die. 51:28 But, God will mourn as one mourns for his only child. 51:35 People who often ask me, what would happened 51:37 Tim if Eve goes and eats the fruit in the Garden of 51:42 Eden? She comes to Adam she says look 51:45 here's the fruit, take some. I am good thanks, 51:50 no, but what happened? Of course Adam is 51:54 making the decision for the human race right. 51:57 So, Eve is kind a left there, now I don't know 52:00 exactly what would happen? It seems to hint 52:04 in patriots and prophets that God who created Eve 52:07 could supply her place, what does that mean? 52:10 I don't know. But people question, but what 52:13 would happen to Eve? Do you know, I know what 52:16 happened to Eve? Eve would face the 52:19 consequences of sin, she would die and Jesus 52:23 would come to save her because he would die, 52:27 we were told in Desire of Ages. Jesus would come 52:30 to the cross to die that even one might be saved 52:37 in his Kingdom. Do you realize that? 52:41 One, but I know that, that's true for each one 52:46 of you, each one of you as parents would lay your 52:48 lives down without even thinking for what? 52:53 Of your children. Consider for a moment, 53:00 God's most touching illustration in Isaiah. 53:05 Isaiah 49, Isaiah 49 verses 14 through 16, 53:13 Isaiah 49:14-16, But Zion said, The LORD 53:21 has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me. 53:24 Have you ever felt that way? Have you felt like 53:26 your prayer just bounce off the sealing? 53:29 I felt that way before. And then God answers, 53:34 he says, Can a woman forget her nursing child 53:38 that she should not have compassion on the son of 53:40 her womb? Yes, they may forget, but I will not 53:47 forget you. Behold I have graven you, where? 53:53 On the palms of my hands and your walls are 53:56 ever before me. You know if you understand 53:57 another language, I encourage you to read 53:59 the Bible in that language. In Spanish it says, 54:02 What does it make 54:05 you think of? 54:07 doesn't it? It's like the little things your child 54:10 writes and you put on refrigerator and this is big 54:12 scribble, but if anyone tries to tell you that, 54:15 that's not you, you will argue with them no that's 54:17 me, right there. See that little line that's my hair, 54:20 yes it is. You treasure those things. 54:26 But I am gonna share something with you that 54:29 you will never forget. Because after the 54:32 thousand years God will wipe away the tears from 54:34 your eyes, how does he do that? I don't know, 54:37 how does he cause those memories to go to the 54:39 land of forgetfulness? I don't know, but he 54:44 does because you are gonna be happy after 54:46 the thousand years, but consider this when the 54:51 heavens pass away one thing remains of sin 54:58 and what is that? And where are we written? 55:04 God can't forget, God can't forget, don't you 55:12 see? Where is every human being written, 55:17 on the palms of his hands. He can't forget and have 55:23 you known a parent that's lost a child, I don't care 55:27 how well adjusted they are, I don't care how 55:29 Christian they are, they are never the same, 55:30 true or not? God will not be the same if even one 55:38 of you is not there, even one. Because you are 55:44 forever written on the palms of his hands, 55:48 the one thing that sin will leave behind is the 55:52 memory of the children he has lost. 56:00 Consider that for a moment, consider the 56:03 heart of God and when you do something will 56:09 change. Isaiah 43 verses 1 and 2 is where I will 56:13 close, Isaiah 43 verses 1 and 2, But now, thus 56:19 says the LORD, who created you, place your 56:21 name here, O Jacob And He who formed you, 56:25 O Israel, Fear not, for I have redeemed you; 56:28 I have called you by your name; here's the three 56:30 words, You are Mine. And when that happens 56:39 verse two will take place in your life. 56:41 When you pass through the waters, I'll be with 56:43 you; And through the rivers, they shall not 56:44 overflow you. When you walk through the fire, 56:46 you shall not be burned nor shall the 56:48 flame scorch you. You are invincible when 56:52 you know this because no matter what 56:54 happens something doesn't change and that is 56:58 what God thinks of you because you are mine. |
Revised 2014-12-17