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00:13 ♪♪♪ 00:23 ♪♪♪ 00:36 Shawn Brummund: Hello, friends, and welcome to another 00:37 edition of the "Sabbath School Study Hour." 00:39 My name is Pastor Shawn Brummund, and I'll be your host 00:41 today as we continue to study in a very enriching topic. 00:47 It's our last study in "Rest in Christ," and so I trust for 00:51 those of you who have been joining us from week to week 00:53 over the last three months have been enriched by this very 00:56 important topic and that you will be blessed, I know, as you 01:01 have decided to join us over the next hour as we continue to 01:04 study and worship the Lord. 01:06 And so we're in lesson number 13, which is the last lesson of 01:10 this quarterly, and it's entitled "The Ultimate Rest." 01:13 And so, if you have your Sabbath School quarterlies available, 01:16 make sure that you go and take advantage and grab 01:18 that right now. 01:20 And, of course, we're always going to be able to need our 01:22 Bible as we continue to study together and open 01:24 the Word as well. 01:26 Our pastor, our youth pastor, Pastor Luccas Rodor, will be our 01:30 teacher here today. 01:32 Before we invite our singers out though, I'd want to invite 01:35 everybody to--that is watching today to take advantage of our 01:38 free gift offer. 01:40 And so each and every time that we come together for study hour, 01:42 we'd like to give something that will continue to help you in 01:45 your study of the Word. 01:47 Now, this is one of my favorite reads. 01:48 It's entitled "Is Sunday Really Sacred?" 01:52 Very important question to ask in regards to Bible truth and 01:56 present truth and prophecy, for that matter, and so please take 02:00 advantage of this little booklet. 02:01 It's written by Joe Crews. 02:03 It's free offer number 150. 02:05 So if you do decide to dial in to the number that you could see 02:08 on the screen, it's 1-866-788-3966, and just ask for 02:14 free offer number 150, and we'll be glad to give that to you if 02:18 you're in North America, that is, in Canada or the U.S., 02:23 for that matter. 02:24 And also you can get a digital copy of this. 02:27 And so, if you'd like to download this on your computer 02:30 or on your phone, on your phone you just text the code "SH042," 02:35 and you want to be able to dial that to 40544. 02:42 And you can also see a website that's available there on the 02:46 screen as well if you want to download that on your computer. 02:49 Thank you, Pastor Rodor. 02:55 Luccas Rodor: Happy Sabbath. 02:57 It's good to see you all and to be here with you. 03:02 Just hearing that beautiful song takes me back to when I used to 03:08 go to church with my parents as a child, and that was one of 03:13 those songs that would always resound with me. 03:18 You know, I love that song, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness," and 03:20 that just reminds us that we have a faithful God. 03:23 We worship a faithful God. 03:26 Friends, today is the last Sabbath of this quarter. 03:31 We have the last lesson here of this quarter, and I don't know 03:35 about you, but it has been an extreme blessing to study the 03:39 subject of "Rest in Christ," right? 03:41 Just studying and learning more about how we can rest, truly 03:44 rest in God and in ways that transcend even just the Sabbath. 03:49 I mean, usually when you talk about rest, we--our mind jumps 03:53 straight to Sabbath, but "Rest in God," 03:57 it transcends even that. 03:58 It goes beyond just hours of the Sabbath, and if we understand 04:02 this correctly, "rest" in the Bible is our lifestyle. 04:08 It's a lifestyle of resting in God. 04:10 So this lesson has been just a blessing, and this week's lesson 04:14 has been just--it's just been this deep remembrance and 04:19 reaffirmation of everything that we've seen so far. 04:25 The lesson begins with the great controversy. 04:28 The lesson's teaching this week, it begins with an approach of 04:31 what has been going on in our world for 04:34 the last few millennia. 04:38 You see, friends, the entire universe has been immersed in a 04:42 moral conflict that has affected everyone, everyone in the 04:45 universe, the unfallen worlds, the angels, God. 04:50 Everyone has been affected by this great controversy, this 04:54 great conflict. 04:56 The infinite and the eternal God was also involved in this, by 05:02 this invasive force of evil. 05:05 You don't have to go very far to realize it to see it. 05:08 I mean, just turn on the news, and you see all the bad things 05:11 that are happening in the world: the wars, the political unrest, 05:14 the social unrest. 05:15 Just look at yourself. We don't have to go very far. 05:18 Just look within, and we see the results of this conflict in our 05:21 own lives. 05:27 The infinite and eternal God was involved by the invasive forces 05:32 of evil. 05:34 Doubt was cast. 05:37 Mistrust was sown. 05:38 Malice, deceit, a conflict of formidable proportions began, 05:44 and this, years ago, in the brilliant paradise of heaven. 05:50 The enemy we know, he employs the weapons that he wields with 05:54 extreme mastery, lies, and deceit. 05:57 I mean, when we study the book of Revelation and the lesson, it 06:00 mentions the subject, and we're going to get into it a little 06:03 bit more profoundly as we go through the different days of 06:05 this week's lesson, but Revelation itself reveals to us 06:09 that the tail of the dragon, what does it represent? 06:13 Lies, deceit. 06:17 The conflict began in paradise, in heaven, in God's paradise, 06:23 and then it was extended to our small planet. 06:27 You know, according to Jesus, the enemy--and this is a big 06:30 thing in our world today where several different voices try to 06:33 make our enemy sound as this impersonal force, as an energy, 06:38 as a myth, a legend, but according to Jesus, the enemy is 06:41 not a myth. 06:42 He's not a legend. 06:44 He's not an impersonal force. 06:45 In Luke 10, verse 18, we find Jesus saying that He saw-- 06:49 "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." 06:53 He saw him come down. 06:55 In the book of Revelation, the scene is no less dramatic. 06:58 Revelation 12, verse 7, a verse that we all know pretty much by 07:02 heart, "There was a war in heaven. 07:06 War broke out in heaven. 07:07 Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the 07:12 dragon and his angels also fought, but they did not 07:14 prevail, nor was their place found with them--or for them in 07:18 heaven any longer. 07:19 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called 07:23 the devil, and Satan--" curious that these words, they mean 07:28 literally "the accuser" and "the contender." 07:31 And that is really the best description for our enemy, the 07:33 one that accuses and the one that contends, the one that 07:36 fights-- "who deceives the whole world. 07:39 He was cast to the earth, and his angels 07:41 were cast down with him." 07:43 Friends, the satanic ideals that appeared for the first time in 07:47 heaven--mysteriously, you know, theology--and I've said this 07:50 here a few times before--theology recognizes 07:53 three great mysteries. 07:55 Of course, there are many. 07:56 There are many mysteries that we come to in the Bible, but in 07:59 theology, you'll find three classic mysteries: the mystery 08:02 of piety, the mystery of the incarnation, and the mystery 08:04 of iniquity. 08:06 These ideals that mysteriously were conceived in heaven, in the 08:09 heart of a powerful cherub, they didn't develop further 08:13 over there. 08:15 They moved. 08:16 They changed their zip code, and they came down to our world with 08:21 tragic consequences. 08:24 Revelation 12:10 and 12, say, "Then I heard a loud voice in 08:27 heaven saying, 'Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of 08:30 our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the 08:33 accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God, day 08:37 and night, has been cast down.'" And then, verse 12, "Therefore 08:40 rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them." 08:43 Good until that point, right? 08:45 But then look at this next part: "Woe to the inhabitants of the 08:48 earth and the sea. 08:49 For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because 08:53 he knows that his time is short." 08:56 Imagine John the revelator seeing all this and hearing 09:00 this, how clear it must've been at that time. 09:04 "Oh, so this is what's been going on." 09:08 All the imagery, all the signs, the symbols that he's seeing in 09:10 this vision being given to him. 09:13 This harrowing description indicates that our small world 09:18 became the center stage, the main place of a massive 09:22 deception. 09:24 The enemy's primary strategy and effort is to seduce, to deceive. 09:30 I mean, look at everything in our world, friends. 09:32 Look at media. 09:33 Look at society. 09:35 Look at what the ideals, the virtues are pushed down on human 09:38 beings. 09:40 Where's our self-worth? 09:43 To the world, it's in money. It's in things. 09:46 It's in diplomas perhaps, in a house, a car, 09:53 a bank account, fame. 10:00 In his efforts, no weapon is spared. 10:03 No scruples observed. 10:05 Each inhabitant of this planet is involved. 10:07 You're involved. 10:09 If there's something that you need to understand, friend, is 10:11 that, when it comes to this great controversy, when it comes 10:14 to this battle, there is no way for you to opt out. 10:17 We're all involved. 10:19 One way or the other, we are all involved. 10:21 There are no spectators here. 10:23 There's no audience here. 10:25 We're all involved. 10:27 We're all on the stage. 10:29 And that's why one of Jesus's greatest virtues and 10:32 capabilities in Scripture, you'll find Jesus, in the 10:35 gospels, having this great ability of removing people from 10:40 the audience and placing them on the stage or at least revealing 10:44 to them that they were on a stage, for them to think better, 10:47 for them to understand better, for them to know and see that 10:50 they were involved, that there's no way to opt out. 10:55 Deceit, lies, pain, all sorts of low blows, abuses and 10:59 mischaracterizations have made the human race personas of this 11:03 evil plot and object of Satan's evil wrath. 11:09 His motivation is personal. 11:11 Did you know that? 11:12 His motivation is personal. 11:15 The Bible tells us that he knows that his time is short. 11:19 He has little time. 11:21 He's desperate. 11:24 His aim has always been to cause God pain by destroying, 11:28 perverting, mocking, deriding, and dehumanizing 11:32 God's creatures. 11:35 "How long, O Lord?" 11:37 has been the prayer that rises up from distressed hearts that 11:41 hopefully await the final resolution of this great plot, 11:44 of this great drama. 11:46 So what we've done so far is create an environment to 11:50 understand the context of the lesson, right? 11:52 Here we have the problem. 11:54 The world has been immersed, submerged 11:57 into this great controversy. 11:58 All of us are affected at home, at work, at school, at church. 12:05 We are all affected 24/7. 12:08 There is no way, there is no moment, there is no place where, 12:11 in one way or the other, you are not affected by this great 12:15 controversy, by this great war. 12:18 In fact, you're here right now because of this great war. 12:20 You study your lesson to prepare yourself. 12:23 You read the Bible. You pray. 12:25 You witness. 12:28 That's part of this week's lesson too. 12:29 We are all here because we've been involved in this battle. 12:32 You, sitting down, me up here speaking, you at home, watching, 12:36 you are involved in this planet. 12:40 Sunday's lesson is beautiful. 12:42 It's entitled "A Vision of the End," and it emphasizes various 12:46 scenes of the great controversy. 12:48 Here we see the authors of the lesson going and emphasizing 12:51 various scenes of the great controversy. 12:54 In the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ--and never forget 12:56 this, all right? 12:58 The full name of the book, The Revelation of Jesus Christ--we 13:03 find the summary and the climax of the Bible as a whole. 13:07 Talvin White--in Revelation, all the books of the Bible 13:11 converge. 13:12 Everything makes sense, from the book of Revelation. 13:16 That's why the study of this book is so important. 13:18 That's why we emphasize it so much here at this church because 13:21 all the books of the Bible converge in Revelation. 13:25 It's there, after all, that the old serpent is finally unmasked 13:28 as the devil. 13:30 Chapter 12, verse 9, "So the great dragon was cast out, the 13:33 serpent of old, called the devil, who deceives the whole 13:36 world. 13:37 He was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with 13:39 him." 13:41 He is explicitly, openly, unmistakenly revealed and 13:45 exposed here. 13:47 Friends, this book of Revelation was written to be understood. 13:50 That's another big thing that we have to understand. 13:53 Most of the times, most of the people will say that they kind 13:55 of steer clear from Revelation. 13:58 Has anyone here ever gone through that experience? 14:01 Either you in your earlier days as a Christian or maybe right 14:05 now, if you're coming right now, or perhaps you've heard this 14:08 from someone else, but the book of Revelation can be kind of 14:10 scary to a lot of people. 14:13 It's not meant to be. 14:14 It's not supposed to be, but a lot of people kind of fear it, 14:18 but it was meant to be understood. 14:20 As we find in its very beginning in verse 3, chapter 1, verse 3, 14:23 "Blessed is he who reads and who hears the words of this 14:29 prophecy." 14:30 And this is in contrast to the book of Daniel that was told to 14:33 be sealed up until the time of the end. 14:35 You remember how, in Daniel, God tells him, "Look, Daniel, this 14:38 isn't for you. 14:39 You're not really going to understand it right now. 14:40 Seal up this book till the time of the end." 14:42 But in contrast to that, Revelation, the instruction we 14:46 find is "Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, 14:50 for the time is at hand." 14:52 This book was meant to be understood. 14:54 The word "revelation" itself, it's a Latin word "revelati," 14:59 but it comes from the Greek, the biblical Greek, "apocalypse" or 15:02 "apokalypsis," which means "to remove the veil of the future," 15:08 an exposition of the final events as an ending to the 15:11 conflict that has dragged on for so long. 15:15 The symbols of this book are extracted from the pages of the 15:19 Old Testament. 15:20 Almost entirely of the 404 verses of Revelation, do you 15:24 know how many contain direct or indirect references to the Old 15:30 Testament? 15:31 Two hundred and seventy-eight. 15:33 Of the 404 verses, 278 contain either direct or indirect 15:39 references or allusions to the Old Testament. 15:43 I'll give you an example. 15:45 In the chapters, in the scenes of chapter 4 and 5 of 15:47 Revelation, it's based entirely on the coronation of Israelite 15:51 kings. 15:53 You can find this more thoroughly if you want and if 15:56 you study Deuteronomy 17, or then, 2 Kings chapter 11. 15:58 You'll see that that is the wording that you find here in 16:01 Revelation chapter 4 and 5. 16:04 The curses of the covenant, you see that also. 16:07 You'll find that in Leviticus 26. 16:09 Those are the backdrop of the vision of the seven seals. 16:13 The 144,000 upon the sea of glass, singing the song of--who? 16:19 Moses and the Lamb. 16:20 They reflect Exodus chapter 15. 16:22 And after all, what is, friends, a sea of glass mingled with 16:27 fire, if not a reference to another Red Sea, indicating the 16:33 final victory in this new Exodus for God's people? 16:37 Do you see? 16:39 Do you see how you'll find the book of Revelation? 16:41 It's quoting the Old Testament. 16:44 It's in reference to the Old Testament. 16:45 That's why you got to know the Old Testament. 16:47 This is what the lesson is teaching us here on Monday. 16:50 The plagues of Revelation chapter 15 and 16, are a clear 16:55 reference to what other plagues you find in the Bible? 16:58 The plagues of Exodus. 16:59 The plagues in Egypt for God's overwhelming victory over 17:03 Pharaoh. 17:05 The scenes of Revelation chapter 16 through 18 are built upon the 17:08 historic victory of Cyrus and his armies, who dried up the 17:11 Euphrates in order to conquer Babylon. 17:14 The end-time Babylon will also fall. 17:17 Is there any doubt of that? 17:20 But now, by the actions of Jesus, for whom Cyrus was a 17:23 type, the trumpets, the locusts from the pit, Sodom, Egypt, 17:28 Mount Zion, Babylon, the Euphrates, the Battle of 17:32 Armageddon, all of these, all of this imagery, all of these 17:35 symbolisms are extracted from the history of Israel in the Old 17:38 Testament, and so to communicate His will and His plans for the 17:42 future of His people, God uses the language of the past. 17:46 In fact, friends, the prophecies of Revelation are built on the 17:49 biggest--or built upon the biggest events of sacred 17:52 history: the Creation, the flood, the Sabbath, the exodus, 17:58 the plagues, the covenant, the Babylonian exile. 18:01 The references, the use of these events are intended to edify our 18:08 faith based on God's redemptive acts of the past because here's 18:12 the thing: If I know that God has already done this and this 18:15 and this in the past, well, won't I know that He will also 18:19 do this and this and this and this in the future? 18:21 The same God that opened the Red Sea, the same God that made the 18:25 sun stop in the sky, the same God that made an ax head float 18:29 is the same God that will lead us through this period of time 18:33 that we're living in right now. 18:35 That is the crux of the book of Revelation. 18:38 It's to give you with absolute certainty that the same God that 18:42 led the children of Israel, that led the first century church, He 18:45 is the same today, right here, right now, and He can get you 18:49 through your Exodus also. 18:54 His interventions in the future will be similar to those of the 18:56 past. 18:58 That is the guarantee. 19:00 His power is never extinguished. 19:03 It's never over. 19:07 It never expires. 19:09 The great lesson, friends, of Revelation is that God punishes 19:12 the oppressor, and He frees the captive. 19:15 Nothing, absolutely nothing can stop Him from doing what He 19:18 intends to do--nothing. 19:22 What He has already done is the guarantee of what He is yet to 19:24 do, and that's why we can rest. 19:30 That is why we can rest the ultimate rest because our future 19:36 is in good hands. 19:37 Look at what the lesson says. 19:39 This is in the lesson of Sunday: "What followed from these 19:42 verses," Revelation 1:9, "are visions about the future of this 19:46 world. 19:48 An awesome panoramic view of history would be portrayed 19:50 before him, basically what's to us the history of the Christian 19:54 church but was to him yet the future." 19:56 It's talking about John. 19:58 "And, yet amid the trials and tribulations that would come, 20:01 John was shown how it all would end. 20:04 'Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven 20:06 and the first earth had passed away. 20:08 Also there was no more sea. 20:10 Then I, John, saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down 20:13 from heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her 20:15 husband.' The great apocalyptic vision John has recorded in 20:19 Revelation helped John confidently to rest in God's 20:22 provisions and promises." 20:25 And it could do the same for you. 20:27 It can do the same for us because I'll tell you, friends, 20:30 we're living some very dark days. 20:35 On Monday, "The Countdown." 20:38 The lesson continues on this day to go back through other events 20:41 of sacred history described in Matthew 24, and in the book of 20:44 Daniel. 20:46 And this provides more insight into how God dealt and deals 20:49 with the great controversy because this is a great 20:51 question: "How can I rest if I'm in this controversy? 20:54 How can I rest if there's wars, if people are divided, if people 20:57 seem to hate each other, if the worlds are already throwing up 21:00 its demons to say that things are not going well, how do I 21:04 rest?" 21:06 Look back. 21:08 That's what the lesson is doing on this day. 21:09 "On the Mount of Olives, Jesus answers His disciples' 21:12 question." 21:14 And I can imagine these men just terrified at the prospect of 21:17 what Jesus is talking about because they ask Him, Matthew 21:21 24, verse 3, they say, "When will these things be? 21:24 When will it come to pass? 21:25 And what will be the sign of Your coming and the end of age?" 21:29 Well, then Jesus provides a great apocalyptic exposition, 21:32 and that's the famous sermon that we find here in Matthew 24, 21:36 a timeline that covers the events of His days, all the way 21:40 down to the very consummation of time. 21:44 One thing that we have to keep in mind--and the reason why God 21:47 is doing this--is found in the truth revealed in Amos chapter 21:49 3, verse 7. 21:51 Again, it's a verse that a lot of us know by heart. 21:53 It says, "Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals 21:57 His secret to His servants, the prophets." 22:01 You see, friends, contrary to the pagan gods, to the mystery 22:04 religions, because that's how they operated--the MO of those 22:07 pagan gods is that they would act in secret. 22:10 No one knew what they were doing. 22:12 So contrary to them, the God of heaven, the only true God, He 22:16 reveals Himself. 22:18 He is transparent. 22:20 I mean, isn't that one of the great things in the world today, 22:21 the lack of transparency? 22:23 You never know what's going on in someone's mind. 22:25 You never know what's going on, be that your boss, your 22:27 employee, be that at church or churches. 22:30 You never know people. 22:31 It seems they're not transparent. 22:34 The God of the Bible is painfully transparent 22:36 sometimes--sometimes painfully. 22:39 Always transparent. 22:42 He lets us know what's going on. 22:45 You know, we frequently hear of "bearers of new light." 22:48 Have you ever been around someone like that, someone that 22:49 comes along with the most fantastical new idea or new 22:52 theory? 22:55 People trying to sell their ideas that usually go beyond the 22:59 clear, "Thus saith the Lord"? 23:02 This was also foretold by Jesus because, in Matthew 24:4-5, He 23:06 says, "See that you're not deceived. 23:08 Many will come in My name." 23:10 Friends, everything that we need to know is already revealed. 23:14 We don't need any weird, wacky theories. 23:19 We don't need any imaginations or fantastic calculations or 23:22 mental gymnastics. 23:24 We don't need people trying to tell us that Jesus is coming 23:28 back in five years, seven years. 23:30 He's coming back at the end of this--we don't need that. 23:32 Our church, more than any other, should know the dangers of that 23:35 kind of mentality. 23:37 Our great need is not to know fantastic speculations but to 23:41 accept, believe, and live what has been revealed in Scripture. 23:47 What we need to know, friends, doesn't involve imagination but 23:50 serious applied study. 23:52 That's why it's important to study. 23:54 And there's a reason for this. 23:56 The reason is that we're not meant to sit idly by, just 24:00 coming up with weird theories as to what happens next. 24:04 You know, usually when I encounter people that are like 24:06 that or, you know, groups that are like that, people that kind 24:10 of go around, you know, "Well, this is going to happen then. 24:12 This is going to--" it's kind of like, you know, they have their 24:14 crystal hat on their head, and usually I see that--when it 24:19 comes to groups like that, they're not doing a lot of 24:21 missionary work. 24:23 It's just a whole bunch of sitting around, talking about 24:25 weird theories that really you can't argue with because you 24:29 can't argue with the lack of logic. 24:33 But that's what I usually find. 24:35 They're not doing a whole lot of missionary work, and that's 24:37 precisely where the lesson leads us to because the very next day, 24:42 it's called "Marching Orders." 24:44 On Monday's lesson, it ends with "In this cosmic conflict, we are 24:47 more than just observers." 24:49 You're not just an observer or spectator. 24:52 "We are to be active participants in spreading the 24:54 gospel to the ends of the world, which means that we, too, will 24:58 face persecution." 25:02 "Marching Orders." 25:03 That's what Tuesday is all about. 25:05 Well, we learned that the depiction of the events given by 25:08 Jesus that will soon take place on this planet forbids us from 25:13 being idle, from being indifferent, or from being mere 25:17 curious spectators. 25:19 You can't. You cannot be a Christian. 25:21 Every Christian is born in the kingdom of God as an evangelist, 25:25 as a missionary. 25:27 So the question is "Have you been born in the kingdom of God, 25:30 in the kingdom of heaven?" 25:32 If you say, "Yes," praise the Lord but know that you should be 25:35 born as a missionary and as an evangelist, and if you 25:37 haven't--and I'm not saying that you have to go up and preach. 25:40 You don't have to do what, you know, preachers do. 25:42 Or maybe you don't have the gift of singing, or maybe--you know, 25:45 find your gift. 25:46 There are so many ways that God can use you to be an evangelist, 25:50 to be a missionary, but you need to be one. 25:57 Friends, the world has been consumed by the "audience 25:59 mentality," the mentality of the audience. 26:03 TV, Internet, sporting entertainment, all of these 26:07 things, they're extremely proficient teachers that educate 26:11 multitudes, multitudes, millions to only passively observe what 26:17 the few do. 26:20 You'll have hundreds of thousands of people seeing and 26:22 watching and observing and commenting and coming up with 26:24 theories as to what the 10 people or the 20 people on the 26:27 field are doing. 26:30 And that conditions these audience towards alienation. 26:33 So many of us have been educated to take on this audience 26:36 mind-set: distant, cold, alienated. 26:39 On the best of chances, people like that become fans. 26:44 The question is "What is God's plan for those who are living in 26:47 the times of the end? 26:49 What is God's plan for us living today? 26:53 For you? 26:54 Because he has one for you. 26:56 You're not meant to sit in the middle of nowhere, 26:58 doing nothing. 27:00 At this point in history, friends, we're not at the point 27:04 where we should be running off yet. 27:06 The cities need us. 27:07 People need us. 27:10 The world is dark. 27:11 The world is sad. The world is lonely. 27:15 The world is terrified, and billions perish. 27:23 We're called to be a light in the dark, but how can we be 27:27 a light if we're just spectating, just an audience? 27:33 Friends, God's Great Commission cannot become the great omission 27:38 in your life. 27:41 As Revelation 14 describes it, three angels' messages, as an 27:45 invitation to act, to jump into the action, to warn others, at 27:49 this point in history, as I've already said, our purpose our 27:52 marching orders are defined by God Himself. 27:57 According to Jesus, those living in Noah's time, in Noah's days, 28:00 they occupied themselves with the periphery of life, even 28:07 though they were living on the cusp of a great emergency. 28:11 Eating, drinking, buying, selling, marrying, and giving in 28:14 marriage--you know what's curious is that Jesus doesn't 28:17 mention the great sins of those times. 28:19 He's not talking about murderers, about drunkenness. 28:21 That's not what he's talking about. 28:23 He's talking about normal thing: eating, drinking, working, 28:26 planting, reaping, sowing, marrying. 28:31 Why? 28:33 Why does he mention these legitimate things? 28:35 What's the problem with these things? 28:37 You know what's the problem? Indifference. 28:40 Not recognizing what was truly important, especially 28:43 in the context of eternity. 28:46 The disciples of Jesus are taught by Him to establish 28:49 correct priorities. 28:51 We are challenged to relate to the world appropriately. 28:53 Friends, what's sinful here, it's not really practicing those 28:57 activities, eating, drinking. 28:58 You know, the world has always been bad. 29:01 It's always had sins. 29:03 It's not particularly worse than it's been 29:05 in any other point in time. 29:08 The world's always been bad, but what marks this time, what 29:12 characterizes the time that we live in is that people nowadays 29:15 are more indifferent. 29:17 They're cold. They're untouchable. 29:20 You know that the contrary to love, the opposite of love, 29:23 it's not really hatred. 29:26 It's indifference. 29:27 It's not caring. 29:32 And, friends, many, many today--and, look, preaching to 29:35 the choir here. 29:36 Many of us cannot live a life of ultimate rest--how could we--if 29:42 we're indifferent, if we don't care? 29:47 Sometimes it comes up. 29:49 We are like that sometimes as a mechanism of defense, a defense 29:51 mechanism. 29:53 We've been treated so badly, we've been deceived in the past, 29:55 we've been hurt so badly, but, friends, the disciples of Christ 29:59 don't look back. 30:01 They open themselves up to a world that is needing them. 30:06 We have the privilege of being used by God. 30:09 How should the disciples of Jesus relate to the world around 30:12 them in the last days? 30:14 Well, read Revelation 14:6-12. 30:16 Look at what it says: "Then I saw another angel flying in the 30:19 midst of heaven, having the eternal, the everlasting gospel 30:23 to preach to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation, 30:26 tribe, tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, 'Fear 30:30 God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has 30:33 come, and worship Him who made the heaven and the earth, the 30:36 sea and springs of water.' And another angel followed, saying, 30:38 'Babylon is fallen, is fallen, the great city, because she has 30:42 made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her 30:46 fornication.' Then a third angel followed them, saying with a 30:47 loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and his image, and 30:50 receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he 30:52 himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which 30:56 is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. 30:59 He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of 31:01 the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 31:04 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever, and 31:06 they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his 31:09 image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.' Here is the 31:12 patience of the saints. 31:14 Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the 31:15 faith of Jesus." 31:17 Is this the description, right here that I just read, is this 31:20 the description of a normal day-to-day event? 31:23 As a life just back to normal? 31:26 Life as always? 31:28 A walk in the park? 31:30 Something that can be just neglected and not considered 31:33 as relevant? 31:34 Or is this the description of urgency of a crisis, one that we 31:41 can participate in being instruments of salvation? 31:47 That's why this precedes--in the lesson, I love the structure of 31:50 this week's lesson because this right here precedes the next 31:54 topic, which is "Rest in Peace." 31:55 Only then can we understand this part: Throughout centuries, the 32:00 followers of Jesus have awaited his return as the flame that 32:03 burns in their hearts and as the final resolution of this great 32:07 drama of the great controversy. 32:09 For centuries we've been waiting for this. 32:10 We talk about it. We preach about it. 32:12 We pray about it. We read about it. 32:14 We study about it. 32:15 My dad--I'm a third generation Adventist. 32:18 My dad was believing this 50 years ago. 32:22 My grandpa--this has been taught for centuries. 32:30 This is the culmination of history, the fulfillment of the 32:34 glorious hope. 32:35 Now, here's the thing: This hope, it's not only ours. 32:38 It's not only yours. 32:39 You know who this hope belongs to the most? 32:42 God. 32:44 God wants this thing to end just as much or more--of course, more 32:48 than you do. 32:49 God wants to turn the page more than anyone else. 32:53 He wants to do away with this evil that installed itself into 32:56 His universe and, in particular, to our world. 33:00 Friends, the Second Coming of Jesus is God's final answer to 33:02 the problem of death. 33:04 This lesson on Wednesday makes a connection between the idea of 33:07 the eternal Gospel, the three angels' message, and one of the 33:10 great truths that has been obscured and buried by the 33:14 enemy's work of deception, which is the state of the dead. 33:19 The main text used here for the transition is Hebrews 11:13-16, 33:22 that says, "These all died in faith, not having received the 33:26 promises, but having seen them from afar--" they were witnesses 33:29 from far off-- "were assured of them, embraced them and 33:33 confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth. 33:36 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a 33:39 homeland. 33:41 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which 33:44 they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 33:47 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. 33:51 Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has 33:53 prepared a city for them." 33:55 Friends, we frequently see tombstones that have that 33:58 classic saying, "Rest in peace." 34:03 After all, the paradox is very evident. 34:06 Are the dead truly resting in peace in the grave, awaiting 34:10 Christ's return for the resurrection? 34:12 Or are they in heaven already or in hell already as is usually 34:17 preached by many in the world today? 34:22 You know, friends, it was pagan beliefs that introduced the idea 34:25 that the dead in death don't truly die, and that clearly 34:29 denies any kind of biblical teaching. 34:32 Otherwise, you wouldn't really have true death, would you? 34:34 Think about it: If you go to hell right after you die, I 34:39 mean, you're just talking about eternal life in hell, right? 34:44 In that case, you're not talking about death but eternal life in 34:46 hell or eternal life in heaven or a period of life in purgatory 34:51 if you go through some other options out there. 34:55 But in the Bible, the dead are truly resting, awaiting the 34:59 perfect morning when the dead in Him will rise first. 35:03 The beautiful text of Psalm 116:15, provides comfort to 35:07 those who will wait to see their loved ones, those who have had 35:10 their loved ones stolen from them, taken from them, by the 35:13 sleep of death. 35:14 Psalm 116:15, says, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the 35:18 death of His saints." 35:20 How can you say "precious is the death"? 35:23 Only in God. 35:25 The same thing in Revelation, "Blessed are they who have from 35:28 now died in the Lord." 35:31 How can you be blessed when you die? 35:33 Only in God because we find the truth in John chapter 11, if I'm 35:37 not mistaken, the story of Lazarus, what Jesus tells 35:42 Martha, "If you believe in Me, you will have eternal life. 35:47 You will never die." 35:49 Even those who die will not die. 35:51 What kind of logic is that? 35:54 It's only the logic that comes from God. 35:56 Friends, our hope regarding the resurrection is based on the 36:00 Resurrection of Jesus himself. 36:02 His Resurrection is, first of all, central. 36:04 Without it, everything else would be darkness and death. 36:07 Despair would have the final word, and the proclamation of 36:10 the Gospel would be madness. 36:12 Without the Resurrection of Jesus, it would be madness. 36:16 So it's central. 36:17 Second, it's comforting. 36:19 The Resurrection of Jesus is comforting. 36:21 Without it, the presence of death, in the presence of death, 36:23 we would see no meaning. 36:26 The apostle Paul affirms that Jesus is the firstfruits of 36:29 those who have fallen asleep. 36:32 That's in 1 Corinthians 15. 36:33 He is the pledge of all who sleep in Him, the certainty of 36:36 our trust. 36:38 He is the refuge and the fortress. 36:40 "Because I live, you will live also," Jesus says, in John 36:42 chapter 14. 36:44 "Because I live, you will live also." 36:49 So it's central, it's comforting, and it means power. 36:53 It was the Resurrection of Jesus that drove, that gave that first 36:55 impulse of the apostles to leave Jerusalem and to go to the end 36:59 of the world. 37:00 It's powerful. 37:02 Preaching the death and the Resurrection of Jesus is 37:03 powerful. 37:06 It constitutes a challenge. 37:08 It's central, it's comforting, it's powerful, and it 37:10 constitutes a challenge. 37:12 It gives us the task of telling the story. 37:15 This glorious event needs to awaken us, and it needs to 37:19 awaken the sense of urgency and sharing with others this living 37:23 hope that we possess. 37:25 Look at the comfort that we have since we know about Jesus's 37:28 Resurrection. 37:31 And, finally, Thursday's lesson, "Rejoice in the Lord Always." 37:35 I love this one. 37:36 One of the most recurrent exhortations that we'll find in 37:39 the Bible is the one to rejoice in God, to be grateful, to live 37:42 an attitude of gratitude. 37:45 An attitude of gratitude. 37:47 Philippians 4:4-6, says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. 37:50 Again, I will say, rejoice. 37:52 Let your gentleness be known to all men. 37:54 The Lord is at hand. 37:56 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and 37:58 supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known 38:02 to God." 38:03 Friends, what Paul is telling us here is to always rejoice in the 38:06 Lord. 38:09 In tribulations and trials, despite of the circumstances 38:11 that surround us during our pilgrimage, we have to rejoice. 38:14 Now, that's a hard teaching. 38:15 How do I rejoice? 38:18 How do I rejoice when bad things happen? 38:20 When relationships break, when I'm betrayed, when I am hurt, 38:26 how do I rejoice? 38:28 Is God speaking about a form of masochism? 38:31 "Thank you. I'm hurting. 38:32 Thank you. I love it." 38:33 No, the Bible does never tell us to rejoice or to give thanks 38:38 for all things. 38:40 You know what the Bible tells us? 38:41 To "Give thanks in all things, for that as the will of Jesus 38:45 Christ," of God and Jesus. 38:48 It's not for the things that happen, but you can rejoice in 38:50 the Lord always, and, again, say rejoice, even in the worst, most 38:54 harrowing experiences of life. 38:57 You know, according to psychologists and to 38:59 psychiatrists, anxiety is the great evil that plagues our 39:02 society today. 39:03 It's taking the place of depression, even. 39:07 After all, depression is always preceded, always preceded by 39:13 anxiety. 39:16 In this text in Philippians, the apostle is exhorting us, telling 39:20 us to rest in God. 39:22 Friends, "Where God leads, He provides," says this old 39:25 proverb. 39:26 His goodness, His love, His mercy, are infallible anchors, 39:29 and once I reflect these things, once I dwell on these things, 39:34 well, it's kind of hard to be sad. 39:36 It's hard to be in darkness if there's light around you, right? 39:40 It's hard to be sad when you surround yourself and fill 39:42 yourself with the joy of the Lord. 39:44 David was able to do it. 39:46 So can we. 39:50 Psalm 23, known as the gem, the gem of the Psalms, reveals that 39:57 our path is always in His presence, that the great God can 40:01 never be surprised. 40:02 He's never helpless to come to our need. 40:04 You know, friends, Psalm 23, is known as the nightingale of the 40:07 Psalms. 40:09 Why? 40:11 It's a very common bird in South America. 40:13 It's able to sing in more than 30 different tones and keys. 40:17 It also sings during the night where there's no more heat 40:21 or light. 40:23 It's said that its ballad is always a prelude, an invitation 40:27 to celebrate the dawn. 40:31 What a powerful symbol for the divine comfort that we have in 40:34 God. 40:35 Psalm 23, in Psalm 23, Jesus is introduced as the shepherd, the 40:39 guide, and the host. 40:41 As the shepherd, He provides, as the guide, He leads, and as the 40:45 host, He prepares a table in front of our enemies. 40:50 And, friends, He continues to prepare a table in the front 40:54 of our enemies. 40:59 You know, I'll end with this: One of my favorite realities of 41:08 Psalm 23, is that Psalm 23 is a perfect lesson on how to rest, 41:17 how to truly find the ultimate rest. 41:20 In Psalm 23, you see a shift a little bit in the literature. 41:26 Look at what it says, right? 41:27 Psalm 23, it says, "The Lord is my shepherd. 41:31 I shall not want. 41:32 He makes me to lie down in green pastures. 41:35 He leads me beside the still waters. 41:37 He restores my soul. 41:39 He leads me in the paths of righteousness 41:41 for His name's sake." 41:42 You see how the psalmist is referring to God? 41:44 These are all good events. 41:46 God is leading him and guiding him. 41:47 Life is good and marvelous. It's sunshines and roses. 41:51 You know, "He's leading me towards still waters. 41:54 He restores my soul. 41:56 He leads me in paths of righteousness." 41:59 Do you see how things here are comfortable? 42:01 At this point of the psalm, things are good, and he's 42:03 talking about God in the third person: "He leads me, 42:06 He takes me, He calls me." 42:08 He, He, He. 42:10 But when things get hard, when things get dark, he changes the 42:15 way that he refers to God: "Yea, though I walk through the valley 42:20 of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for--" "He is with 42:25 me" or "for You are with me"? 42:27 "For You are with me." 42:29 It becomes more personal. 42:31 "For You are with me. 42:36 Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 42:38 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 42:41 You anoint my head with oil. 42:42 My cup runs over. 42:44 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my 42:47 life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." 42:50 When things get tough, God gets closer. 42:55 That's how you rest. 42:57 That is the ultimate rest. 42:59 When things get tough, God gets closer. 43:04 My dear friend, I invite you to rest in God. 43:09 Rest in the Shepherd, He who is the pastor of the stars, who 43:14 sustains the worlds by the breadth of His hand, who has 43:19 become personally responsible for you and for me. 43:22 He invites us today and always to find rest, perfect, complete, 43:30 comforting rest amidst the trials, amidst the storms, 43:36 amidst the hurricanes of life. 43:39 Christians don't dwell in a land without storms. 43:43 Christians don't have houses in stormless lands, but with the 43:47 God that we have, we are invited to dwell in a land that has 43:52 storms that can never knock down our house that God has built up. 43:59 May God bless you. 44:00 I'd like to pray with you right now. 44:02 Please bow your heads. 44:03 Dear Lord, thank You so much for this lesson. 44:05 That was such a great inspiration on the reality that 44:08 we need to rest in You, Father. 44:10 Thank you so much for providing in Your Word, in the Bible, such 44:13 a beautiful understanding of the fact that we need to find 44:17 ultimate rest in You. 44:19 Thank You, Lord, for the various aspects of rest that we've 44:21 studied, but ultimately, Lord, help us understand that, when 44:24 things get tough, You get closer, and that is the only way 44:27 that we truly rest of having You close by. 44:31 Father, we want to hold on to You. 44:33 We want to hug You all the days of our life, and we want to 44:35 dwell in Your house forever. 44:39 Bless this church, Lord. 44:40 Bless not only the local church here of Granite Bay, but bless 44:43 the worldwide church. 44:45 Allow us to dwell on this land. 44:47 Allow us to understand the moment in time that we live in, 44:49 allow us to understand that You are instructing and guiding us 44:52 to be instruments. 44:55 We are under marching orders. 44:58 And, finally, Father, allow us to dwell in this land of storms 45:01 but with our eyes in heaven on you. 45:05 I thank you, and I asked you these things in the name of 45:08 Jesus Christ, amen and amen. 45:11 May God bless you, and have a happy Sabbath. 45:16 male announcer: Don't forget to request today's life-changing 45:18 free resource. 45:20 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail, you can 45:22 download a digital copy straight to your computer or mobile 45:25 device. 45:26 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, simply text 45:29 the keyword on your screen to 40544, or visit the web address 45:34 shown on your screen, and be sure to select that digital 45:37 download option on the request page. 45:39 It's now easier than ever for you to study God's Word with 45:42 Amazing Facts, wherever and whenever you want, and most 45:46 important to share it with others. 45:52 ♪♪♪ 45:54 announcer: "Amazing Facts Changed Lives." 45:58 ♪♪♪ 46:02 Nita: I'm Tlingit Indian from Sitka, Alaska. 46:06 My Tlingit name is Wishdashdiclaw. 46:10 It was a very depressing time for the people of Alaska. 46:13 A lot of alcohol abuse was taking place. 46:19 And, unfortunately, my mother got caught up in the alcohol. 46:25 It made myself and my siblings grow up in a pretty horrible 46:35 environment. 46:37 It was really hard to understand God. 46:41 It was really hard to understand what love was. 46:45 I ended up having a child in my 12th grade and leaving home when 46:55 I was 15 years old, but somehow, someway, we made it, 47:00 and I became a loner. 47:02 I became a hermit. 47:03 So I went up to the biggest marijuana county, to Humboldt 47:08 County, and started my new career. 47:13 Things weren't right though. 47:14 No matter how nice I kept thinking life was, living up on 47:18 top of the mountain, not having to worry about wearing clothing, 47:25 just waking up and watching the plants grow, searching still, 47:30 for more and more, I went to the post office, and I was standing 47:37 there by myself. 47:39 I looked down, and here was this--what is called handbill, a 47:43 postcard, and the letters on it grabbed my attention, and it 47:48 said, Revelations. 47:51 I'd never heard Revelation taught before, and I thought, 47:54 "Gosh, that would've been so good." 47:57 I looked at the time and the day, and I said, "Wow, that's 48:02 today." 48:04 And for six weeks, I sat there in the front seat of that 48:10 building and could not believe the things that I heard. 48:17 And I found this hunger that I had in my heart for decades, 48:22 being filled. 48:24 I was actually like a starving child, you know, wanting to get 48:28 in to learn more about Revelations. 48:31 And I chose to be baptized on April 3. 48:37 Even though I chose to serve God, I kept falling. 48:42 I was going to Bible studies all--four times a week and, 48:47 just, so hungry to learn as much as possible. 48:52 God, just, overnight had me studying the Word of God through 48:57 AFCOE, and the miracles that happened through AFCOE 49:02 is so incredible. 49:04 The only preacher I was listening to was Pastor Doug 49:07 Batchelor, who I didn't even call by his name. 49:11 I called him "the caveman." 49:13 And then here, all of a sudden, I'm sitting in front of him in 49:18 his classroom, learning from him. 49:22 On October 11, I sat there, though, in my room, saying, 49:28 "Lord, here I am, studying Your Word, but what am I doing here? 49:35 What do I need to do? 49:38 What is it You want me to do?" 49:40 And that night, about 1 in the morning, God spoke to me, and He 49:44 said, "I want you to write a note to Pastor Doug and tell him 49:48 what you do." 49:49 I sat there, and I says, "No, I'm not going to write it. 49:51 I'm not going to write a note." 49:53 And I said, "Okay," so I ripped off a piece of paper, and I 49:56 wrote on the note, and I said, "I'm an experienced fashion 50:00 designer. 50:01 I can sew anything. 50:03 I can make any patterns. 50:04 If there's any way that I can be of any service to you, God told 50:09 me to be bold and tell you." 50:11 And I walked up, and I handled him the note, and he didn't know 50:14 what it was, but he said, "Thank you," and four hours later, 50:17 I got a phone call from Amazing Facts. 50:20 Pastor Doug told me that I was an answer to their prayers. 50:24 They had been looking for a wardrobe stylist for their new 50:28 film that they're producing. 50:31 female: Action. Two, three-- 50:35 Nita: Amazing Facts has changed my life in the direction 50:38 that God wants me to go. 50:42 And now, out of all the knowledge that was taught to me, 50:46 I'm able to go out into this world and share the Gospel and 50:51 finish the work for Jesus Christ. 50:56 Doug Batchelor: Friends, it's because of God's blessing and 50:58 your support that thousands of others like Nita, have found 51:02 Jesus and everlasting life. 51:05 ♪♪♪ 51:15 ♪♪♪ 51:18 announcer: "Amazing Facts Changed Lives." 51:21 ♪♪♪ 51:27 Jason: We were going to church every other week. 51:30 About 19 years old, things really started to make sense 51:33 for me. 51:34 I started to go to church for myself, and the pastor wanted to 51:37 study with me. 51:38 Well, we came to this study about baptism, and I kind of 51:42 just shrugged, looked, put my head down, and I said, 51:44 "I'm not ready." 51:45 He looked me in the eye and said, "Jason, you'll never 51:50 make yourself ready. 51:52 This is something you have to do." 51:55 I put a lot of things behind me. 51:57 The drinking and smoking and all that stuff stopped. 51:59 All throughout the time, well, I've been learning about God. 52:02 It was just me and God. 52:04 It comes around up to about August, and I meet this girl. 52:09 I'm about two years in a relationship. 52:11 We're talking about marriage and everything. 52:13 We didn't pray. We didn't study together. 52:16 We were arguing a lot, but we were engaged. 52:21 I started drinking again, and that was a slow downward spiral 52:25 in the different things, and my devotional life started, really 52:28 weaseling away. 52:30 We broke up in 2008. 52:31 It was heavy for me because, again, being with somebody for 52:34 that long, it's almost like a divorce. 52:39 I started to fall back away even more. 52:42 I remember looking in the mirror, just looking at myself 52:44 and saying, "What are you doing? 52:47 How can you do this to God? 52:49 He's brought you so far." 52:52 And, you know, God really heard my cry. 52:55 ♪♪♪ 52:57 Jason: There was a testimony telling at my church, and there 53:01 was a call, and kids started getting up. 53:03 A bunch of high school kids started getting up for calls 53:04 of baptism. 53:06 I'm back doing the PA system at this time, and I feel, just, 53:09 like this urge. 53:10 Just, my heart just, like, ripping out of my chest. 53:13 And I just had this feeling just to go up. 53:16 I get up to the front, and I meet the pastor with open arms. 53:22 I realized that there is so much more to life than just living 53:25 life for myself. 53:27 And, you know, falling away, it's not a necessity, but God 53:31 can work through anything in the bad to make it the good. 53:36 That's a promise He makes. 53:38 ♪♪♪ 53:48 announcer: Together, we have spread the Gospel much farther 53:51 than ever before. 53:53 Thank you for your support. 54:01 ♪♪♪ 54:03 announcer: "Amazing Facts Changed Lives." 54:07 ♪♪♪ 54:11 female: Well, my conversion story is when I was in the 54:15 Philippines. 54:17 I just graduated as a nurse, and afterwards, I did not have any 54:22 religion, and one time I found myself inside a small church, 54:29 Catholic Church in Manila and before a big cross, and I was 54:34 kneeling before, and I could hear Jesus telling me to enter 54:40 the convent, save myself and also my family, and I said, 54:43 "Lord, I would like to follow You all the way." 54:47 At that point, I seemed to be happy externally, but because 54:52 inside the convent we don't read the Bible, we don't study about 54:56 the Word of God, we pray the rosaries, we also, at the same 55:01 time, study the lives of the saints and also our founders and 55:06 the encyclicals of the Pope and the Virgin Mary, and so I do not 55:11 know the truth, and I had this torture of conscience, the 55:15 guilty feelings that cannot be resolved, so I will confess to 55:19 the priests in the confessional box, 55:21 saying, "Father, forgive me. 55:24 Since my last confession was last week, since then, I have 55:28 committed the following sin, including the root cause, why am 55:32 I falling and falling in that same sin over and over again?" 55:38 And still, for 21 long years, I struggle and I struggle, 55:42 and I struggle. 55:45 I realized that I was totally empty. 55:48 I was totally helpless and hopeless and so depressed and so 55:52 desperate that I would like already to end my life. 55:58 I was working for five years as dean of the University of San 56:01 Agustin College of Nursing in Iloilo City, one of the islands 56:07 in the Philippines. 56:09 After five years, I received a commission from my parents to 56:14 help my sister who was being a battered woman. 56:18 This is one of the reasons why I came over to United States. 56:23 It is because my sister needs my help. 56:27 As I was working in the hospital in New York, my boss, Serafin, 56:31 he was so gracious enough to give me an invitation to the 56:35 "Millennium Prophecy." 56:37 As I was listening to Pastor Doug Batchelor's presentation, 56:41 my heart really was beating so fast, and my mind--I'm able to 56:46 grasp the truth that this is the truth that I've been longing to 56:53 hear all my life that I have been seeking for so long. 56:58 My personal relationship with Jesus, I can see Jesus as my 57:03 personal Savior. 57:05 He is not only the Savior of the whole world, but He is my 57:09 personal Savior. 57:11 He was the one who delivered me mightily from the depths of sin 57:17 from the miry clay. 57:18 Pastor Doug Batchelor has been used by the Lord in my 57:22 conversion. 57:24 The Amazing Facts, I owe to them. 57:27 The Lord really blessed this ministry, and I'm so proud that 57:32 I was able to attend this "Millennium Prophecy." 57:36 My life has never been the same. 57:39 It has given me that peace, the joy that never--I have never 57:45 tasted in my life, and now I'm set free to be able to work for 57:50 Him and to follow Him. 57:53 ♪♪♪ |
Revised 2021-09-18