Participants:
Series Code: TDYFW
Program Code: TDYFW200030S
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00:02 I want to spend my life
00:08 Mending broken people 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:19 Removing pain 00:24 Lord, let my words 00:30 Heal a heart that hurts 00:35 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:46 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:09 Hello and welcome to Family Worship. 01:11 This is Friday night when we welcome the Sabbath, 01:14 and some people have some questions about, 01:15 "What's Sabbath? 01:17 What is that?" 01:18 We'll talk about that in a moment. 01:19 But my name is John Dinzey. 01:21 And I'm glad to be with you for this hour. 01:23 We have some other family members 01:24 that are here with us that I would like 01:25 to introduce at this time. 01:27 And to my right we have Jonathan Babb. 01:30 Welcome. 01:31 Tell us a little bit about what you do at 3ABN? 01:34 As many of the people here, I do several things, 01:37 but my primary job is to work on 01:40 and maintain the computers here that everybody uses, 01:42 that are very important. 01:44 That's right. 01:45 And sometimes those things, they say they're a headache. 01:48 One of those things, say, "Why doesn't it work?" 01:51 people ask. 01:52 Thank you so much for what you do at 3ABN 01:54 for the cause of God. 01:55 We have next to you, we have Kenny Poling. 01:57 Welcome. Tell us what you... Thank you. 01:59 Some of the things you do at 3ABN? 02:00 Well, my official role is an IT technician 02:05 for the engineering department. 02:07 So I keep the servers up and running. 02:11 I help with some automation, 02:13 scripting, and other things like that. 02:15 I also occasionally help with the computers 02:17 along with Jonathan, so. 02:19 Okay. Great. 02:20 Well, for some people, 02:22 we don't even know what a server is, 02:23 can you give us a little bit to understand, 02:26 what's a server? 02:27 Servers, basically, just another computer, 02:30 the only difference is 02:32 it's hosting things like the web 02:37 or just a database or whatever, just that... 02:41 And usually the computers that we use here 02:43 as the regular office workers, 02:48 they will connect to that server, 02:51 and that's where they get all our resources. 02:53 Okay. Very good. Thank you. 02:55 And we have your brother here, Kevin Poling. 02:58 Welcome. 02:59 Tell us some of the things you do at 3ABN? 03:01 I work in radio, so I edit the radio programs, 03:05 record them, and we get it ready for air. 03:08 And I also schedule promos between programs and make CDs, 03:12 and little of everything. 03:13 All right. 03:15 So there are some of the radio programs 03:16 that our viewers 03:20 and listeners are listening to. 03:23 You have edited some of those programs. 03:24 And when you're editing these radio programs, 03:27 what is it that you're looking for, 03:30 so that when the people listen, they know that 03:32 they have received something that is better having, 03:34 if you don't edit it, what happens? 03:36 What gets out there? Noise, huh? 03:39 Yeah, noise, various, 03:41 like gaps and stuff that people... 03:44 Like, if we had to stop 03:46 and start or do something like that, 03:47 you know, change it how we said something, 03:51 you know, I put in the new way of saying it. 03:52 I look for just the right format for things. 03:55 Make sure it's the right length and volume level 03:57 and things like that, too. 03:59 All right. Very good. 04:00 A lot of behind the scenes things take place 04:02 at 3ABN that help, keep the ministry running. 04:06 And by God's grace every day is, to me, 04:09 a miracle that we're on the air because, 04:12 you know, Satan does not want 3ABN to be on the air. 04:15 So every day is a miracle because God's Word 04:18 is being preached and brought to millions of people. 04:22 So we are grateful 04:24 for what God has done and for the prayers 04:26 that you offer for us. 04:27 We all need prayer. 04:29 Would you guys say that we need prayer? 04:30 Absolutely. Yes. 04:32 We all need prayer. That's right. 04:34 So let's begin. 04:36 Before we continue, 04:37 let's begin this part of the program with prayer. 04:39 And we ask you to join us 04:41 as we approach God's throne of grace. 04:43 Let's pray together. 04:45 Our loving Heavenly Father, 04:47 we come before You in Jesus' name. 04:50 And we want to thank You, 04:51 Lord, for bringing us to this moment in life 04:54 where we could be together to pray together 04:59 and to worship Your name and to study. 05:02 We ask You to guide our conversations, 05:05 we ask You to lead us in such a way that 05:09 You will bring to our remembrance things 05:11 that we need to share. 05:12 Bless us with Your Holy Spirit. 05:14 We pray that this will be a blessing to us, 05:16 and to all those that are joining us 05:18 in whatever part of this world they are. 05:23 We pray, Lord, that Your name may be glorified in us 05:26 and that they may see and hear Jesus in us. 05:29 May Your name be glorified, we ask in Jesus' name, amen. 05:32 Amen. 05:34 Well, we said, happy Sabbath to you. 05:39 Perhaps, we can just give a brief little thing 05:42 about what is the Sabbath? 05:44 Can you guys help us out? 05:46 What's the Sabbath? What is that? 05:48 How do people know what a Sabbath is? 05:50 It's a day of rest. 05:52 Particularly, when we refer to the Sabbath, 05:55 it's one that God has set aside for us 05:59 to have a weekly day, 06:01 to not only rest from our regular work, 06:03 but to also commune with Him and spend time with Him 06:06 as we would our father 06:08 or any other of our family members. 06:10 He just wants to spend time with us 06:12 and that Sabbath gives us that time. 06:16 Amen. Amen. 06:17 Anyone else would like to share something about the Sabbath? 06:21 And when we refer to the Sabbath, 06:22 we refer to the seventh day, Saturday. 06:26 That's right, the seventh day Saturday, 06:28 which the Sabbath. 06:29 And I'm going to go to two scriptures. 06:31 And once again, I'm going to read Genesis 1. 06:35 No, Chapter 2. Chapter 2. 06:37 And I'm going to read three verses. 06:39 And I'm going to ask Kevin Poling, 06:42 if you'll read Exodus 20:8-11, 06:44 after I read, Genesis 2:1-3. 06:49 Here we have, like, 06:51 seems like a summary of what God did as creating 06:54 and then it gives more details in Genesis Chapter 2, 06:58 after verse 3. 07:00 "Thus the heavens and the earth, 07:02 and all the host of them, were finished. 07:06 And on the seventh day," just now Jonathan mentioned, 07:10 "and on the seventh day God ended His work 07:14 which He had done, 07:15 and He rested on the seventh day 07:17 from all His work which He had done." 07:21 Now when it says, "He rested," doesn't mean He was tired, 07:23 it means He stopped doing the work He was doing. 07:26 "Then God blessed 07:28 the seventh day and sanctified it, 07:31 because in it He rested from all His work 07:34 which God had created and made." 07:37 Genesis 2:1-3. 07:40 So we see here that God from the beginning, 07:42 before there was any distinction of race, 07:47 as far as you talk about Chinese, 07:50 people from Spain, people from Afghanistan, 07:53 Dominican Republic, I'm from Dominican Republic, 07:56 Latin America, United States of America, 07:58 before there was any distinction God 08:00 set aside this day, sanctified it, made it holy. 08:05 So we've now... Any comment about that? 08:09 Let's go to Exodus 20:8-11, 08:12 and Brother Kevin will read that for us. 08:16 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 08:19 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 08:21 but the seventh day 08:23 is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. 08:25 In it you shall do no work, you, nor your son, 08:29 nor your daughter, nor your male servant, 08:31 nor your female servant, nor your cattle, 08:34 nor your stranger who is within your gates. 08:37 For in six days the Lord made the heavens 08:39 and the earth, the sea, 08:40 and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. 08:46 Therefore the Lord blessed 08:47 the Sabbath day and hallowed it." 08:49 Amen. Amen. 08:51 I praise the Lord for the Sabbath day, you know. 08:53 I know that, I don't know 08:55 if any of you are in this category, 08:57 I know that I have met people and I, 08:59 myself as well, 09:01 had not been for the seventh day Sabbath 09:04 wherein I understand that I must stop, work, and rest, 09:10 and make a more vital connection with the Lord. 09:13 You seek to be connected to the Lord all week. 09:16 But now, setting those things aside that perhaps 09:19 would grab our attention, center of focus, 09:22 to such a degree that we may not even think about God 09:25 because people get consumed in their work. 09:27 And some people work with their minds 09:29 and they have to be trying to figure things out, 09:31 like you guys in computers. 09:33 And some people work with their hands. 09:35 And so different things perhaps make us so busy 09:40 that we don't think much about God. 09:42 But the seventh day, God has set it aside 09:44 to have a moment of time with Him, 09:46 a sanctified, make it holy. 09:49 To me, the Sabbath has been a blessing throughout my life. 09:53 Anything you would like to add concerning 09:54 what we read or perhaps 09:55 how the Sabbath has been a blessing to you? 09:58 Well, I just love the time to focus on God 10:00 'cause, I mean, like I said, with the busy lives, 10:02 it's so easy to get wrapped up in everything. 10:04 And I mean, it's just the time to sit back 10:08 and I mean, to unwind it. 10:12 Like, for me it's, I have to focus 10:14 on something else to unwind. 10:15 So if I could focus on God, 10:17 not only am I filled with peace, 10:18 but I also get to release the stress 10:19 from the week 10:21 and just to be refreshed for the next week. 10:26 Amen. Amen. 10:27 Some people think that, 10:28 working in a ministry like ours, that, 10:30 "Oh, you're always doing God's work. 10:32 You're always..." 10:34 Which is true, 10:35 but you get caught up in ministerial work, 10:38 no differently than any other work that, 10:40 you know, yes, we may be working 10:42 on stuff involving God all day. 10:45 But that doesn't mean 10:47 we're spending any more quality time 10:49 with Him than anybody else. 10:51 So the Sabbath 10:52 is just as important for those of us 10:54 that work in ministry than those that don't. 10:58 That's right. That's right. 10:59 And at different stages in my life, 11:00 I have seen that the Sabbath, I look back and you say, 11:03 "Wow! 11:05 That was really good to be able to have that time 11:07 with God without any distractions." 11:11 And you said something interesting 11:12 which is very important, 11:15 and that is that we have this opportunity 11:19 to be with God in a more direct way 11:24 because really, life has many challenges, 11:27 many things that try to grab our attention. 11:30 And during the Sabbath day, 11:31 the enemy tries to lead your mind away 11:33 from focusing on God. 11:35 So we have to guard also those things. 11:38 But it's a blessing. 11:39 And we encourage you to experience the Sabbath. 11:42 And it's a wonderful time. 11:45 The Lord looks forward to that, I would say. 11:48 The Lord looks forward to that time with us. 11:50 Praise the Lord. 11:52 Yes, in ministry, we get involved in ministry 11:55 to such a degree that some people think, 11:58 "Oh, you guys are always," 11:59 but no, we have to focus on things 12:01 like the computers, that grab your attention, 12:05 right, trying to edit those programs. 12:07 Yes, thanks be to God for the seventh day. 12:11 I was going to say, you know, it's very interesting 12:12 that they have done experiments on people 12:16 to figure out there, and they have figured out, 12:19 I think they call it circadian rhythm, 12:22 where they have noticed that 12:23 there's a natural need for humans 12:27 to rest every seven days. 12:29 There's a natural need. 12:31 And if they don't do this, and if they persist in 12:35 or they continue working, and working, 12:37 and working, and working, and working without rest, 12:39 we can get sick. 12:41 So it is a blessing that the Lord has put in us 12:45 this desire for rest, 12:47 not only in the sense of stopping work, 12:49 but also in connecting with God. 12:52 This is something very much needed for us. 12:55 Well, our main topic that we want to discuss is faith 13:00 in the midst of trials, 13:03 fears, and what else? 13:08 Faith in the midst of trial, fear, and trials. 13:11 Faith, trials, and fears. 13:13 You know, we face many challenges in life. 13:16 And our faith is going to be tested 13:20 in one way or another. 13:22 What do you do 13:23 when you're facing problems, difficulties? 13:27 And we use the word trial to speak of an experience 13:32 that we are going through 13:33 where our faith is being tested, 13:37 to believe in God, to trust in God, 13:38 to bring us through that situation, 13:41 that difficulty trusting in Him. 13:45 And our faith is even going to be tested to find out, 13:48 "Are you going to serve God or serve the devil?" 13:52 So different phases of trial. 13:54 We're not going to focus so much on trials and fear. 13:59 We're going to talk about those things. 14:01 But my hope is that 14:04 we will leave our friends and family 14:07 that are listening with the understanding that 14:10 we should have faith in God, trust in God that 14:13 He is going to be with us no matter what. 14:17 Amen. 14:18 So we want to share some stories 14:19 and some scriptures that helped us 14:22 during the time of trials. 14:23 And we're going to look at some scriptures to show 14:27 how some of God's people face difficulties 14:30 and what they did during those times, 14:32 where they were facing trials and even fear. 14:36 You think of fear 14:38 and you look in the Bible and you say, 14:39 "Well, who faced fear? 14:40 Who had a life and death situation?" 14:43 Well, you can read the Book of Hebrews Chapter 11, 14:48 and you'll see many people 14:50 faced difficult life threatening situations 14:54 and what they did in those times. 14:55 And some people think, 14:57 I don't know if one of you is going to share this, 14:58 but here's the time 15:00 when Nebuchadnezzar set up the huge image, 15:04 and he said, 15:05 "We're going to play the instruments," 15:06 and they were told. 15:08 "We're going to play these instruments, 15:09 and everybody must," what? 15:11 "Bow down and worship the image." 15:14 And we have the scriptures tell us that 15:16 three people out of the, who knows how many, 15:19 hundreds of thousands, 15:21 they bow down and worship the image, 15:23 but three guys decided, I'm not gonna do that. 15:26 I'm not gonna do that. We don't know where Daniel was. 15:29 But we have Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 15:32 They decided not to bow down. 15:36 And what was the threat? 15:38 They're going to be thrown into a fiery furnace. 15:41 So their faith was tested. 15:45 And, of course, 15:47 when you're right before a furnace 15:48 that's burning, you have to ask yourself, 15:53 because the king even gave him another opportunity. 15:56 There's like, he had some interest in them. 16:00 They were good guys. They worked hard. 16:03 He appreciated what they did. 16:05 "I'm gonna give you another chance," 16:06 he says, "And we're gonna play these instruments again. 16:10 And if you do not bow down, we're gonna throw you 16:13 in the fiery furnace." 16:15 Basically, they say, 16:17 "Don't even worry about playing instruments, 16:19 we're not going to bow down." 16:21 And in the face of danger, 16:23 they chose to be faithful to God. 16:26 Question. Did God turn off the furnace? 16:29 No, He did not. No, He did not. 16:31 The furnace continued to burn. 16:34 And, in fact, it says in the Bible, 16:36 in the Book of Daniel, 16:38 that the king asked for it 16:39 to be burning seven times hotter. 16:44 Now, I don't know how they could do that. 16:46 But the Babylonians are experts on making fire. 16:49 So were the Romans by the way. 16:51 They were experts on making fire. 16:53 They just added more to intensify the heat. 16:58 And I know that everybody that's listening to me 17:02 has been burned at one time or another, 17:04 either to a stove, candle, or sunlight, 17:07 you have been burned. 17:09 And it does not feel good, does it? 17:11 Does not feel good at all. 17:12 So these guys in the midst of fear, 17:15 and God did not remove the furnace, 17:17 but He blessed them through it. 17:19 And the Bible says, 17:20 not even their clothing smelled like smoke. 17:25 I say, "Wow! 17:27 What a miracle that is!" 17:28 Because you've been at a fire, when you're having a... 17:33 Bonfire. 17:35 A bonfire, and you're singing songs, 17:37 when you get home, 17:38 you're like, "Oh, I smell like smoked wood." 17:42 And even when you go into places 17:44 where people are smoking, you, 17:45 and I've been in places, and you come out, 17:47 I was only there a minute to pay for the gasoline, 17:49 came out, "Wow, I already smell like smoke." 17:52 So this is something amazing that 17:55 they were able to testify, 17:56 not even their clothing smell like smoke. 17:58 The only thing that burned was what? 18:00 The ropes. The ropes. 18:01 The ropes that were binding them. 18:04 And so the Bible says that 18:06 there was somebody that showed up with them. 18:08 And I think this is something important to understand. 18:13 The king was able to see a fourth person. 18:16 And he says this fourth person is like one of the gods, 18:21 like the Son of God. 18:22 It's interesting to see that 18:24 because it's a message for us that 18:26 whenever you're going through trial, 18:30 Jesus is with you. 18:32 You may not see Him, but you may feel Him. 18:36 You may sense His presence in some way. 18:40 And so that's a marvelous experience to understand. 18:42 So let's hear about your stories. 18:44 How about Kevin? 18:46 My story is focused more on someone's faith interceding 18:51 for someone else. 18:53 I think of the centurion 18:55 that came to Jesus for a servant to be healed. 18:59 Yeah, that's in Matthew 8. 19:01 And I just tried... 19:03 That's interesting how his faith helped 19:05 his servant to be healed. 19:07 I mean, I don't know the relationship 19:08 between the servant. 19:09 I imagined it must have been close in some way 19:11 or maybe it was his favorite servant. 19:12 'Cause I mean, going through all the trouble 19:14 just for your servant, most people, you'd think, 19:16 "Why would somebody do that?" 19:18 And I'm just amazed that his faith allowed him 19:22 to feel that he get his servant healed. 19:24 I mean, even Jesus was amazed by the faith of a centurion. 19:28 I mean, it makes you wonder where he picked up the gospel 19:30 from because I mean, being a soldier, 19:32 you wouldn't, I mean, 19:34 unless you overheard it or maybe from somewhere, 19:36 I mean, be curious to know 19:37 where he originally came in contact with it too. 19:41 Great. 19:43 You know, it's good to read these stories 19:44 and ask questions in your mind. 19:46 How that he learned? He knew about Jesus. 19:49 I was actually listening to that as part of my devotion 19:54 this morning. 19:55 And this man said, "I did not even think myself 20:01 worthy to come before you." 20:03 And that's why he sent, 20:05 so I didn't even think myself worthy 20:06 to come before you. 20:07 He showed great faith in God in saying, 20:11 "Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 20:14 Just say the word." And Jesus... 20:16 This is one of the times 20:18 when Jesus was amazed, and said, 20:21 "I have not found so great faith, not in Israel, 20:25 because this man was not an Israelite, 20:26 but he had great faith in God. 20:29 Amazing. 20:31 Any comments about that story you guys want to bring up? 20:37 This is definitely one of great faith. 20:38 Yes. Yes. Amen. Amen. 20:40 How about, Kenny, anything, you'd like to share a story? 20:43 Well, I was... 20:45 You were going to share the story I shared? 20:46 Yeah, we want to talk about that. 20:48 But there is something that you did not bring up 20:50 that I wanted to also bring out. 20:51 Wonderful. 20:52 Specifically, was their answer that they gave. 20:56 They didn't just say, 20:57 "Oh, no, we're not going to do it." 20:59 They specifically said, starting in verse 17, 21:03 after saying, "We have no reason 21:06 to answer you in this matter." 21:09 Verse 17, it says, "If that is the case, 21:14 our God whom we serve is able to deliver us 21:17 from the burning fiery furnace, 21:19 and He will deliver us from your hand, oh, king." 21:22 See, they had faith in His power. 21:25 But the very next verse starts out with, 21:28 "But if not," you see, they knew, they knew that 21:33 God's power and faith in God 21:35 doesn't necessarily mean that you will not ever die 21:39 or go through trials. 21:41 They knew that sometimes God allows His people 21:46 to go through these things, 21:47 even terrible things, and even die horribly. 21:53 But they said, "But if not, 21:55 let it be known to you, 21:56 oh, king, that we do not serve your gods, 22:00 nor will we worship the golden image 22:03 which you have set up." 22:05 They decided, no matter what happens, 22:10 we will trust God, 22:12 we will not worship the other gods, 22:16 we will stand up for Him, 22:19 literally, in this case. 22:22 They knew that God may not actually save them 22:28 but they had faith that 22:31 even if they were to die, 22:36 God had the power, and God was the one that 22:39 they were supposed to give their lives for. 22:43 They loved Him that much, they honored Him that much. 22:48 They had that much faith. 22:50 Amen, amen. 22:51 What chapter of Daniel is that again? 22:53 That's Chapter 3. Chapter 3. 22:56 You know, as we think about that experience, 22:59 sometimes people look at the stories in the Bible 23:01 as just stories. 23:03 They're not just stories, they're not a story 23:06 that somebody came up with nuance, 23:07 these are real experiences they had. 23:09 And that's a very important point 23:11 that you brought up, 23:12 because it could have been that God said, 23:17 "You guys have been faithful, 23:19 the best testimony you could give, 23:22 is to face death, 23:25 knowing that you're not going to be rescued," 23:27 and they were willing to do that. 23:29 It's amazing that the declaration they made 23:33 "Even if God does not, we're not going bow down." 23:36 I don't know maybe somebody that is listening right now, 23:39 they may have to face a similar situation 23:42 where they are called upon to serve the devil 23:48 or do something that it contradicts their faith. 23:54 Are you willing to give up your life for the truth? 23:56 These guys were willing to do that. 23:58 And so how did they arrive at that experience, you think? 24:01 What did they do to be able to face this situation 24:08 and willing to die? 24:10 What made them do that, you think? 24:13 Their whole lives, they were, 24:16 you know, they were following God 24:18 their whole lives from a very young age 24:20 when they were first brought to Babylon. 24:22 And through they chose very young 24:26 to follow God no matter what. 24:29 And so they were, by that point specially, 24:33 they were well versed, so to speak in trusting God. 24:38 And, you know, they could have been 24:40 just as easily killed when they first got there 24:42 and refused to eat the king's food. 24:44 That's right. 24:46 So not that they wouldn't have been scared 24:49 facing the fiery furnace, who wouldn't that scared, 24:52 but they were building up their faith 24:55 from the very beginning to knowing to trust God 24:59 in all things they had seen as evidence 25:02 and knew to trust Him. 25:05 Amen. Amen. 25:06 They were willing to face death, 25:08 God had lead them through different experiences 25:10 is what I hear you saying, 25:12 and then it's true, I believe that, 25:14 I believe that God prepares you 25:19 for trials that are coming. 25:21 Different experiences we face 25:23 on a daily basis are preparing us 25:26 for our faith to be tested. 25:28 Every victory helps us 25:31 to be strengthened for another victory. 25:33 And that's a marvelous thing to understand. 25:36 I mean, even the defeats and the failures also teach us 25:38 too so that we learn that, 25:41 God is, felt like God's patient with us. 25:43 And even though we choose the wrong way, 25:46 often He uses that as a learning experience 25:48 to help us to understand that 25:50 God's way was better to begin with, 25:52 sometimes even leads us back 25:53 around to the original decision, 25:55 again, to where we know now 25:57 that where we actually went before, 26:00 it caused pain, it caused suffering, 26:02 it probably hurt other people, 26:05 and just overall was not as good as 26:08 what God wanted for us. 26:10 Now you said something interesting, 26:12 that sometimes you have to go back 26:14 to the original decision, 26:16 can you expound a little bit about that? 26:18 Well, in my experience, it's just I've seen, 26:20 it's where sometimes you get distracted 26:24 by whatever sin you happen to choose. 26:28 And frequently, you learn 26:31 all these wrong habits you start, 26:32 especially if you keep continuing down the road 26:34 of whatever you picked. 26:36 And so or even if you didn't necessarily choose it, 26:40 but fell into it and continued in it, 26:41 and choose to continue afterwards, 26:44 that you end up sometimes 26:46 the thing that you had to decide originally, 26:48 you still have to decide, you just, 26:52 I say I'm not sure exactly the best way to put it, 26:54 but it's just it seems like 26:56 you still have to choose to serve, 26:58 like if you were to choose to serve God or not, 27:01 that frequently start to come back 27:03 to the same choice to surrender to God, 27:05 even if it's a re-surrender. 27:08 You know, it is true. 27:12 I have seen that experience, 27:14 as well, where you face the trial, 27:17 perhaps you failed. 27:18 And it's like you have to face the same situation, 27:22 and you have to make a decision, 27:25 "Will I choose to fail or will I choose to trust God 27:28 for the victory?" 27:29 And that's one of the things to understand is that 27:31 we have to trust God for the victory. 27:33 Now we look at these three Hebrews, 27:36 sometimes they say the Hebrew worthies 27:40 and they faced this trial, their faith was tested. 27:44 But this is an important thing to understand that 27:49 we have to cross this obstacle, 27:53 if you want to call it, 27:55 of fear to trust God, no matter what. 28:00 Trust this challenge of fear, 28:03 to trust God, no matter what. 28:07 And so faith is, 28:10 I want to read that scripture that talks about what faith is. 28:14 And for that we need to go 28:17 to the Book of Hebrews Chapter 12, 28:22 if memory serves right. 28:25 And if somebody finds it first, 28:27 I think it's the first three verses. 28:29 Can you read that for us, please? 28:32 Hebrews Chapter 12, the definition of faith, 28:36 one of the definitions of faith. 28:39 Actually, it's Hebrews Chapter 11. 28:40 Eleven, yes. 28:45 How about, Kenny. All right. 28:48 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, 28:51 the evidence of things not seen. 28:54 For by it, 28:55 the elders obtained a good testimony. 28:58 By faith, we understand 29:00 that the worlds were framed by the word of God. 29:04 So that the things which are seen 29:07 or not made of things which are visible." 29:10 Amen. Amen. 29:11 So when you read this text, what is, 29:13 doesn't tell you their faith is. 29:17 It's evidence, it's substance, 29:20 it's something that gives us something we can hold on to, 29:26 to know that God who we can't hold on to, 29:31 is real, He's with us, 29:33 and He's doing all these things for us. 29:36 We have, I mean, typically, 29:40 when we look for evidence we see, 29:41 okay, the evidence 29:43 that this table in front of us 29:47 can hold the weight of what we have on, 29:50 it's that it's, you know, it is, 29:52 we can see it holding it. 29:54 We know how sturdy it is, we can touch it. 29:56 But, and there's several other things, 29:59 we have video evidence of things that have happened, 30:03 we have testimony of people that have heard things happen. 30:08 But evidence for something 30:10 that you can't see and can't hear, 30:13 that's harder to obtain, and that's where we have faith. 30:17 Amen. Amen. 30:19 It's interesting the way the Bible uses the words, 30:23 because it uses the word substance. 30:26 And when you define, 30:28 when you look at the definition for substance, 30:30 it talks about something physical, 30:33 matter, material, and so faith is that. 30:37 And so faith is something tangible, 30:42 if you want to say it that way, 30:43 that exists even though you can't see it. 30:47 Because it says faith is the evidence 30:49 of things unseen. 30:51 So we are trusting in God, 30:53 that it will rain, and it will rain. 30:58 I'm reminded of the story, I think it was Georgia, 31:04 where it had not rained for many, many weeks. 31:08 And they were desperate for rain. 31:11 And I had listened to the news before going to work 31:15 that the Christians had decided... 31:18 Actually it was either the mayor 31:21 or the governor had called Christians to come. 31:24 He couldn't call them inside, 31:26 but he says in front of the government building 31:29 to pray for rain, 31:31 and hundreds of Christians showed up. 31:34 But guess who else showed up? 31:36 Demonstrators, atheists, 31:39 that were saying God does not exist. 31:41 It's not going to rain. 31:42 So they were demonstrating. 31:44 And so the news interviewed both. 31:48 "No, it's not going to rain. God does not exist. 31:49 These people are wasting their time. 31:51 They're just fools, you know." 31:53 And then they interview 31:54 some of the people that were saying, 31:55 "Oh, yes, we're praying for rain, 31:57 and God is gonna bless with rain." 31:59 And they listened to, it was very short story. 32:02 So I left to work. 32:04 And then I got home at five thirty, six, 32:09 I think six, 32:10 and I tried to listen to the news 32:11 to see if they would report if it had rained in that area. 32:17 And you know what? They said nothing. 32:21 And so I said, "Oh, no, 32:22 I'm gonna have to stay awake till 10 o'clock at night 32:24 to watch the news to see if they report 32:27 that it rained there." 32:29 Because to me, 32:30 they were the atheists challenging God, 32:33 "It's not gonna rain." 32:34 So I listened to the 10 o'clock news 32:37 ended at 10.30. 32:39 And they said nothing. 32:40 I said, "Man," I said, 32:43 "Is God gonna let this opportunity pass?" 32:47 And sometimes God chooses to do that, 32:49 because there's enough evidence out there that He exists. 32:53 But I decided to listen to the next program, 32:56 which was a some kind of a news documentary 32:59 about something, 33:00 and they were talking about the Gulf War, 33:03 and what things were happening over there. 33:07 And he says, "When we come back, 33:08 we're going to show you 33:09 what the soldiers are doing etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. 33:12 Oh, and by the way, 33:14 and I say, "Wait a minute." 33:16 By the way, today, 33:18 Christians were praying for rain in Georgia. 33:22 And it's raining tonight in Georgia." 33:24 And I say, "Praise God. 33:26 Praise God." 33:27 So yes, faith is real. 33:31 I mean, believing in God, God is real, 33:33 and He makes wonderful things happen. 33:36 Jonathan, do you have a story you like to share? 33:37 I do. 33:39 As I was thinking about the topic, 33:42 and thinking of the many stories 33:45 in the Bible, 33:46 you know, I kind of realized, the Bible is filled, 33:50 overall theme of Bible, love. 33:52 That's, you know, every evidence of love 33:55 in the Bible. 33:56 But right alongside of it is examples of faith. 34:00 Every story in the Bible of every character 34:03 involves faith of some kind. 34:05 But one of the ones that stuck out to me 34:08 is the story of Abraham and Isaac. 34:11 Here, God... 34:13 And that's found in Genesis 22. 34:16 Genesis 22. 34:17 And the first verse of Genesis 22 says, 34:23 "Now it came to pass 34:24 after these things that God tested Abraham, 34:27 and said to him, 'Abraham,' 34:29 and he said, 'Here I am.'" 34:31 Verse 2, He says, 34:32 "Then He said, 'Take now your son, 34:35 your only son, Isaac, 34:37 whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, 34:40 and offer him there as a burnt offering 34:43 on one of the mountains of which I should tell you.'" 34:48 If God tells you that or anybody tells you that, 34:51 you first start like "Did I hear that right?" 34:54 I mean, being told 34:56 that you need to go and sacrifice 34:59 your only son, the son whom you love. 35:03 It doesn't make sense. Yeah. 35:05 And that was the child of promise. 35:08 If you know the context of Abraham and Isaac, 35:11 that was the child that God promised him 35:13 he would have, 35:15 when Sarah was, what, 90 years old at the time 35:18 when she had him, it was... 35:20 A miracle. 35:21 Yeah, so, you know, Isaac was a miracle 35:23 in the first place and now here, 35:25 God's asking him to go and sacrifice him. 35:28 But the Bible doesn't necessarily say, 35:32 you know, give all the details, but doesn't Abraham, 35:36 he may have complained or talked to God a little bit. 35:39 But in the end, Abraham went, he believed, 35:45 you know, we don't know 35:46 what was going through Abraham's mind, 35:47 we don't know if Abraham believed 35:49 that God was going to substitute 35:52 something else in the end. 35:54 But all we know is Abraham had the faith 35:57 and trust in God to proceed with it. 36:01 And even when Isaac asked, he said, "God will provide." 36:06 Amen. 36:07 And when you talk about the faith, 36:10 so Abraham there had incredible faith. 36:13 But even Isaac did. 36:15 There, once Isaac found out 36:17 there was evidence 36:19 that he was meant to be the offering. 36:22 Bible again doesn't say what was, 36:24 you know, what conversation may have taken place. 36:27 But clearly, Isaac didn't run away. 36:30 He didn't try and avoid it. 36:33 So Isaac had shared in Abraham's faith 36:37 and trust in God 36:38 that if "I'm meant to be sacrificed, 36:42 so be it." 36:43 That's, you know, to me, 36:45 that just seems an ultimate form 36:48 of faith and trust, 36:50 because, you know, it's one thing 36:52 with Daniel's friends and believing that, 36:55 "Okay, if I stand up, trust God, 36:57 I may be killed." 37:00 That's still very much a trial. Yes. 37:02 But in my mind, at least, this is worse. 37:06 Not giving your own life up, 37:09 but giving up somebody else's life, 37:12 your own son's life. 37:16 To me, I just, 37:18 how can you have more faith or trust in God than that? 37:21 And yet Abraham had a history of faith one moment, 37:25 and not faith the other. 37:27 But in Hebrews Abraham is one of my beloved. 37:31 That's right. That's right. 37:33 Praise the Lord. 37:35 That is a tremendous test of faith. 37:41 I looked up the verse while you were talking 37:44 and it's Hebrews Chapter 11. 37:48 Hebrews Chapter 11, speaks of this experience, 37:52 and tells us about the faith of Abraham. 37:56 And it says in Hebrews 11:17, 38:00 "By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, 38:06 offered up Isaac, 38:07 and he who had received the promises 38:10 offered up his only begotten son." 38:13 Isn't that interesting, the way it's expressed, 38:15 "Offered up his only begotten son, " 38:17 leads you to believe 38:18 that he sacrificed and notice how he speaks. 38:21 "Of whom it was said, 38:22 in Isaac your seed shall be called." 38:25 So here, Abraham, like you said, has this promise 38:28 that because God was talking to Abraham one day, 38:32 and Abraham said, "Lord, what are you going to give me? 38:35 I don't even have a child." 38:37 And the Lord promised him a child 38:38 and that promise was going to be fulfilled 38:43 through Isaac, 38:44 your seed is going to be as the stars in the heavens. 38:49 And now God is asking him to sacrifice 38:52 his only begotten son. 38:53 Would you mind reading the next verse there? 38:55 Yeah, it was, you know, 38:56 that gives us an insight into what Abraham was thinking. 39:00 So it says, in verse 19, it says, 39:02 "Concluding 39:03 that God was able to raise him up, 39:05 even from the dead, 39:07 from which he also received him in a figurative sense. 39:11 So, you know, Abraham, 39:13 he had faith 39:15 that either God was going to give him 39:18 another sacrifice there at the end. 39:19 Or, as this verse says, that, 39:23 if Isaac's meant to be the seed that, 39:26 He'll raise him up from the dead to fulfill that. 39:29 Amen. 39:30 That is tremendous faith. 39:32 That is tremendous faith. Praise the Lord. 39:34 These are wonderful experiences that we see in the Bible, 39:37 that help us to face life's challenges, 39:41 and help build our faith to trust God in situations, 39:46 difficult situations. 39:49 We have as well some stories, 39:51 perhaps even you want to share a personal story, 39:53 I'm trying to find one in my mind 39:55 to share at this point. 39:57 You know, it's very interesting, 39:58 we face many things in life, 40:01 and God is trying to teach us things, 40:05 by the experiences that we face so that we can trust Him. 40:09 And we have the past experiences 40:13 to build on, 40:14 you guys mentioned that these three Hebrew guys 40:17 that were thrown into the fiery furnace, 40:20 they had other experiences that help build up their faith. 40:24 Because the Bible does tell us in the Book of Jude, 40:26 that God will not allow us to go through something 40:30 that we cannot handle, I'm paraphrasing that. 40:33 He's not going to allow you to go through something 40:35 that we cannot handle. 40:36 Every single temptation that He allows us to face, 40:39 every single trial that He allows us to face 40:43 has been measured to the minuteness 40:46 so that it's not more than we can handle 40:50 by trusting in God, by trusting in God. 40:54 And the Bible tells us 40:55 that with God all things are possible. 40:59 And so this is something that we can rely on. 41:04 I'm trying to not share a story 41:05 that will take a long time. 41:07 Because I would like for you guys to have the opportunity 41:11 to also share some story. 41:13 But there was a time 41:17 when I was facing some difficult situation. 41:23 And really, there are many things 41:26 you face that the only answer is God, 41:29 you don't have a way to see this thing solved 41:34 other than God bringing a blessing. 41:37 And so, one of the things that happened to us 41:40 I remember that, 41:43 we put this to the Lord in prayer. 41:45 And our car was making... 41:49 It was not a life and death situation, 41:51 but it was a real situation of transportation for us. 41:54 Our car was having some serious struggle. 41:58 As a matter of fact, 41:59 we were thinking of using this car 42:01 to go on a trip to Wisconsin to see the family. 42:04 And the Lord was kind enough 42:07 to bless us in such a way 42:10 so that we did not have to face the problem on the road. 42:15 So I called my wife and I said, "Are you ready to go? 42:18 Are you packed?" 42:20 'Cause I was working. 42:21 I was working till... It's like a Friday afternoon. 42:24 I was working to 12 that day, so we had enough time. 42:26 And I said "Are you almost ready?" 42:28 And she goes, "I am not ready yet. 42:31 And I hope 42:34 that you're not thinking of coming right now 42:36 to pick me up." 42:38 I said "I'm going to go ahead and get gas 42:40 that will give you more time." 42:42 And so I went to get gas. 42:45 I purchased the gas in West Frankfort, 42:47 you guys know where that is. 42:49 So that's about 10 miles 42:50 to Thompsonville where we lived. 42:52 So when I went to Thompsonville, 42:54 filled up the tank, 42:55 because at that time the gasoline was very high 42:57 in Thompsonville. 42:59 So I filled up the tank. 43:01 And on the way back, 43:05 the car was having trouble going above 35 miles an hour 43:09 and I'm pressing the gas. 43:12 And it would just go 16, I mean, 36, 37 43:17 and I'm pressing the gas for the car 43:19 to be just going down the road, but it's not doing it. 43:23 And so I'm pressing the gas 43:25 and the car was not speeding up, 43:26 it was not speeding up, to make a long story short, 43:28 I filled up the tank in West Frankfort, 43:31 like I said it took me... 43:32 By the time I got to Thompsonville 43:34 I had consumed half a tank of gasoline. 43:37 And the car smelled like gasoline. 43:39 I took it to the mechanic. 43:41 And he says... 43:43 He opened the trunk and he goes, 43:45 I mean, to see the engine. 43:47 He goes, 43:48 "Oh, there's a strong smell of gasoline." 43:50 He says here, 43:51 "You have a serious engine problem." 43:53 And he told me why don't you go... 43:55 We don't do this type of work here. 43:56 Why don't you go to Benton, 43:58 there are some good mechanics over there. 43:59 And he gave the name and I went there. 44:01 And they were very busy. But they listened to it. 44:04 And he says "You have a serious engine problem." 44:07 And so we're too busy to even take a look at this. 44:10 "I'm sorry, 44:12 the next moment we can take a look at your car 44:14 is probably Wednesday or Thursday of next week." 44:17 And this was Friday, we needed to go. 44:18 So I said I'm going to try a third mechanic. 44:21 So I went to Ronnie Shelton, Danny's brother, 44:23 he was doing mechanic work at that time. 44:25 And, "Well, John, I have some bad news for you. 44:28 Your car has the death rattle, he says. 44:31 I suggest that you do not go anywhere with this car. 44:36 It's time for you to consider getting another car." 44:38 So this was the situation I was facing. 44:40 So we put this to the Lord in prayer. 44:42 We didn't have money at that time 44:44 to purchase another car. 44:46 So we brought it to the Lord in prayer 44:48 trusting that He has the solution. 44:50 And about three days later, two days later, 44:53 I can't remember exactly. 44:56 Somebody comes into my office 44:58 and gives us a car for free. 45:03 He didn't even know we needed a car. 45:06 He says, "We decided to give the car 45:09 to you and your family." 45:10 So it's like, "Praise God." 45:12 We had no idea how the Lord would solve it. 45:15 But He made a way for us. 45:17 So praise the Lord for that. 45:19 Any story you guys would like to share? 45:23 My story is a few years old. 45:27 In fact, it's still ongoing. 45:30 Back in 2009, I was around 16. 45:37 We had just come back from a big youth camp 45:41 for those who understand what it is, 45:43 it's Pathfinders. 45:44 It was a big international camporee 45:46 that we were all there. 45:48 Some of us on the way home though, 45:50 were feeling sick 45:51 because a bug had been going around. 45:56 Some of the other Illinois clubs 45:58 had spent some time with us and they had gotten sick. 46:00 So then some of us were sick now. 46:03 And I started feeling sick too. 46:04 So I was like "Okay, it's just that." 46:08 It didn't go away. 46:10 So I'm going through this, my stomach's hurting, 46:14 I'm just wondering, "Why am I constantly hurting? 46:19 Why can't I eat without pain? 46:21 Why can't I drink water without pain?" 46:24 Eventually, I get the ability to go to the doctor. 46:28 And he does a few tests on me. 46:33 I won't describe the tests 46:35 because we don't need to hear that. 46:37 But eventually, he tells me 46:40 you have Crohn's disease, which... 46:44 It's chronic, you can't really get rid of it. 46:46 It's an autoimmune disease. 46:48 It's just, it's gonna be there, you can only manage it, 46:51 you can do all this. 46:54 I did start feeling better. 46:56 I am feeling better now. 46:57 It's, but it's, you know, it's ongoing. 46:59 And one thing that that has taught me 47:03 through all this, 47:04 I did not expect this kind of thing 47:06 to happen to me. 47:07 I'm young. I'm not... 47:11 I haven't been here long. 47:14 And, you know, you expect that your younger years, 47:17 your late teens, your early 20s, 47:20 are going to be spent all just being perfectly healthy, 47:24 nothing can hit you down, nothing can get you. 47:28 And then this just hits you. 47:30 What do you do with it? 47:32 How do you handle being sick 47:37 when you're really not supposed to be sick? 47:40 And one thing that that has taught me 47:41 over this time 47:43 is God does allow you to go through things 47:45 sometimes to strengthen your character, 47:48 sometimes to strengthen your faith. 47:54 And that's exactly what this ended up doing. 47:57 Because what I realized was, 48:00 God doesn't just take away what is ailing you, 48:05 like the story of the fiery furnace, 48:09 He didn't just take it away from them. 48:13 What He did, is He was there with me, 48:17 and I could feel Him there with me. 48:19 I could feel, I felt like I could talk to Him. 48:23 I developed this relationship with Him 48:25 where I would just stop and talk and say, 48:28 "Hey, this is what's going on. 48:32 I mean, I know you know, but I need to say it." 48:35 And we kept talking. 48:39 He helped me to mature, 48:40 He helped me to grow closer to Him. 48:45 And that has molded my life. 48:49 And so faith is not something to take away your pain. 48:55 Faith isn't... 48:57 Faith and by extension grace 49:00 isn't something to make all of your worries go away, 49:03 all of your problems go away. 49:05 Faith is the hand of God. 49:07 Grace is the hand of God 49:09 that you can hold while you're going through it. 49:11 Amen. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. 49:14 So we ask 49:15 for your continued prayers for Kenny 49:17 as he continues this ongoing test of faith, 49:21 and anybody else? 49:25 I always like to go back to the story 49:28 of when we were traveling to... 49:29 It was another Pathfinder 49:31 that I do not remember which one it was at the time 49:33 but we are all... 49:34 It was just in one minivan going up to Chicago area. 49:38 And like a five and a half hour drive 49:40 from here. 49:41 And so we're heading and we hit this patch of rain 49:44 that I'm to this day 49:46 still haven't seen rain that heavy 49:48 and we could not see in front of the van 49:50 and we're on the interstate. 49:51 You know, we're probably going 10, 15 miles an hour 49:54 and just hoping we don't hit something. 49:56 And one of the staff members, 50:02 I believe it was Lorraine that was with us at that time. 50:05 She just, I heard and she said, "Lord Jesus, stop the rain, " 50:10 you know, and we had been praying and so, 50:12 I mean, there's this collective prayer 50:13 going out. 50:15 And it was the weirdest thing, 50:16 'cause we went under the overpass, 50:18 where the road was going over the interstate, 50:19 and on the other side of the overpass, 50:21 there was no rain, not even a drop falling. 50:23 Wow. Praise the Lord. 50:24 And to this day, that sticks out to my mind 50:26 of God's intervention. 50:27 I mean, some people might call it 50:28 coincidence and stuff. 50:30 But it's like, 50:31 when we're driving in this rain for probably 30 minutes, 50:34 and then it just suddenly stops after, 50:37 you know, well, we all prayed for it to stop. 50:39 I mean, to me, that's an answer to prayer. 50:41 Amen. Amen. 50:42 How about, Jonathan, 50:43 do you have a story you'd like to share? 50:45 As usual things like, 50:47 I can't think of any specific instance 50:49 at the moment. 50:50 But I know, 50:53 you know, there have been many instances 50:56 of God's revealing presence in my life. 51:02 Just going to college, you know, college isn't cheap. 51:07 That's right. 51:08 And I didn't know 51:11 how I was going to go through college. 51:14 But I did with the help of family members 51:16 and church and, you know, God, paving the way. 51:21 And there have been many times in my capacity here at 3ABN, 51:26 that we've had instances of God's revealing hand in, 51:32 especially when we have events, when we go to ASI or GYC, 51:37 or, you know, something on the road, 51:39 especially, 51:41 something always happens on the way. 51:45 The trucks seem to be magnets 51:47 for breaking down on the way there 51:48 or something like that. 51:50 The devil does all he can 51:51 to keep us from spreading God's word. 51:54 But God always steps in 51:55 and shows His hand and gets us on our way 51:59 where we need to be 52:00 and being able to broadcast on time when needed. 52:05 There's just been so many instances. 52:08 That's right. Praise the Lord. 52:10 There are many instances, you know, we can tell you, 52:15 I mean, given time, 52:16 stories will come to mind 52:18 of how the Lord did this or did that, 52:21 I mean, I remember a time, you know, 52:22 as you were telling your story about the rain. 52:25 I remember one time I was just driving in Chicago, 52:28 many years ago, I was single then. 52:30 And there's a thing called... 52:34 I forgot what they call this when your car is, 52:37 when it's raining, 52:38 and your car seems to be above the water... 52:40 Hydroplaning. 52:41 Hydroplaning, 52:43 so I was driving in the highway, 52:46 there were cars, I think on both sides. 52:48 But my car started hydroplaning 52:50 and heading towards a truck that all I could... 52:55 I just said, "Lord, help me!" 52:57 And the car went like this, 52:59 and suddenly when I say "Help me" it started, 53:01 it went back on the same lane that I was. 53:04 And I said, "Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord." 53:06 Because, you know, 53:08 sometimes the only thing you can do, 53:11 you can't bow, you can't kneel and pray, 53:13 but "Lord, help me." 53:15 You acknowledge God, 53:16 and ask Him to help you and He will help you. 53:18 I could tell you, you know, 53:21 other stories of situations that you say, 53:25 "Well, God did that," 53:26 you know, you think of another time 53:29 when we had another, 53:34 I guess these stories about cars 53:35 keep coming of mine. 53:38 You know, cars are frequently in our lives. 53:40 Frequently in our lives. 53:43 The interesting thing 53:44 is that I was on my way to Wisconsin, 53:48 and my car developed a problem that could happen to anyone, 53:54 it could happen to anyone. 53:57 And I was trying to get there at a certain time. 54:00 I wasn't speeding, but I was trying to get there 54:01 at a certain time. 54:03 And all of a sudden, it's nighttime, 54:05 the lights start going dim in the car. 54:09 And I said, "Oh, that's not a good thing." 54:15 And so, before you know it, 54:16 my car just literally died on the highway. 54:21 And I say, "Wow, this is the first time 54:23 that I have to face something like this. " 54:25 Do you know that within five minutes 54:30 a truck stops. 54:31 Now I don't know, they tell me that they do this, 54:35 but I haven't seen them before, and I haven't seen them after. 54:40 A truck stop, and so "Having some problems?" 54:45 "Yes, I am." 54:46 And he said, "What's the problem?" 54:48 "I don't know. My car just stopped." 54:50 And he looked at he says "I think you just need a jump." 54:53 He gave me a jump. 54:54 It was a truck from the city of Chicago. 54:57 He gave me a jump, the car started right up. 54:59 And he says, "There you go." 55:01 And I said, "How much do I owe for this?" 55:02 "No, no. It's a service of the city." 55:07 "Wow, I didn't know that." 55:08 "Yeah, so we just go around and see people 55:10 and we help them." 55:11 Apparently, it is, I don't know, 55:13 I never checked into it. 55:14 But I took it as a... 55:17 That's what they do. 55:19 I was able to make it all the way 55:21 to travel another hour and 15 minutes. 55:27 And the reason my car died is because the cable, 55:32 the belt that runs the generator had broken. 55:38 So your car's not going to get a charge. 55:40 So that's the reason, 55:42 and that could happen to anyone. 55:43 And whether your car is new or old, you know. 55:46 And so that's what happened. 55:47 And God blessed in such a way 55:49 that, you know, just when I needed that, 55:53 I mean, I literally had just opened the trunk, 55:56 the hood to figure out what's going on. 55:59 And I said, "Oh, no, the belt is not there." 56:02 And so I was trying to figure out 56:04 what do you do? 56:05 That was in the days 56:06 where you didn't have cell phones, what do you do? 56:08 And here comes this truck to help me out. 56:09 Praise God. Praise God. 56:10 I want to read this to you from Acts of the Apostles. 56:14 It's a book by Ellen G. White, page 576. 56:19 Notice, this is marvelous. 56:21 "Through trial, and persecution, the glory, 56:25 the character of God is revealed in His chosen ones. 56:30 The believers in Christ hated 56:32 and persecuted by the world 56:34 are educated and disciplined in the School of Christ. 56:38 On earth they walk in narrow paths, 56:41 they are purified in the furnace of affliction. 56:45 They follow Christ through sore conflicts, 56:47 they endure self-denial and experience 56:50 bitter disappointments, 56:52 but thus they learn the guilt and woe of sin, 56:55 and they look upon it with abhorrence. 56:58 Being partakers of Christ's sufferings, 57:01 they can look beyond the gloom 57:03 to the glory saying, 57:05 'I reckon that the sufferings 57:07 of this present time are not worthy 57:09 to be compared with the glory 57:11 which shall be revealed in us.'" 57:14 Acts of the Apostle, page 576. 57:18 Thank you for joining us. 57:19 I want to thank Jonathan, 57:20 Kenny, and Kevin for being with us. 57:23 And, of course, we want to thank you 57:24 for joining us. 57:26 And remember, give your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ, 57:28 and you will begin to have peace and happiness 57:30 that begins in this world and continues forever. 57:33 God bless you. |
Revised 2020-11-02