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00:07 ♪♪♪ 00:12 ♪♪♪ 00:22 ♪♪♪ 00:36 Doug Batchelor: Hi friends, want to welcome you to our 00:38 "Sabbath School Study Hour." 00:40 And it is such a joy to be able to come together with you each 00:42 week like this, and especially now during this global pandemic. 00:48 We've just seen that our online students, 00:50 the number of them has gone through the roof, if you will. 00:53 And it's just a wonderful opportunity to be able to gather 00:56 with you, and you might be watching this lesson on the day 00:59 it is presented 'cause we are streaming this live, 01:02 on one of the various satellite networks, 01:04 or on Facebook, or YouTube, or one of the 01:07 other delivery platforms. 01:09 You may be watching it the same day the rest of the country 01:12 normally studies the lesson, after it's been edited and 01:16 added the closed captioning. 01:17 But whatever the format or the time, 01:19 we're just so thankful that we can come together with you and 01:22 study the Word of God. 01:24 And it is a blessing. 01:25 You know, today's sort of special because we're coming to 01:28 the end of our quarter that we've been dealing with on the 01:31 subject of making friends for God, 01:34 and sharing your faith, and witnessing. 01:36 And we do have a free offer we want to tell you about, 01:39 and that offer is a book written by yours truly called 01:42 "12 Steps to Revival." 01:44 We all know that before the Lord comes, 01:47 God's people earnestly need to experience revival. 01:51 We need to return to the faith that was once 01:54 delivered to the saints. 01:55 And as you go through this book, it'll give you some of the keys 01:58 so you can experience a personal revival. 02:01 And if followed, we think it'll bleed out into 02:04 the churches as well. 02:05 It is free for you. 02:06 If you'd like a copy of this book, 02:08 you can simply call the number 866 if you're in North America, 02:12 866-788-3966. 02:15 That's 866-STUDY-MORE, and you can get it, 02:20 you can download it by texting, and this would be I suppose 02:24 anywhere in the world you can go online and download this, 02:26 text "SH001" to 40544 and get your copy of the book 02:36 "12 Steps to Revival." 02:37 Don't just get it, then read it, and you might even pass the link 02:40 onto your friends and they will also be blessed in turn as well. 02:45 Well, you know, before we get into our lesson study for today, 02:48 I think we're going to be blessed right now by some 02:50 special music by one of our members here, 02:53 Emma Quedzuweit. 02:56 ♪ I need thee every hour, ♪ 03:02 ♪ most gracious Lord. ♪ 03:07 ♪ No tender voice like thine can peace afford. ♪ 03:18 ♪ I need thee, O I need thee. ♪ 03:24 ♪ Every hour I need thee. ♪ 03:30 ♪ O bless me now, my Savior, I come unto thee. ♪ 03:42 ♪ I need thee every hour, stay thou nearby. ♪ 03:52 ♪ Temptations lose their ♪ 03:57 ♪ power when thou art nigh. ♪ 04:04 ♪ I need thee, O I need thee. ♪ 04:11 ♪ Every hour I need thee. ♪ 04:17 ♪ O bless me now, my Savior, ♪ 04:22 ♪ I come to thee. ♪ 04:30 ♪ I need thee every hour, in joy or pain. ♪ 04:41 ♪ Come quickly and abide, or life is vain. ♪ 04:53 ♪ I need thee, O I need thee. ♪ 05:00 ♪ Every hour I need thee. ♪ 05:05 ♪ O bless me now, my Savior, ♪ 05:11 ♪ I come to thee. ♪ 05:18 ♪ I need thee every hour, teach me thy will, ♪ 05:29 ♪ and thy rich promises in me fulfill. ♪ 05:41 ♪ I need thee, O I need thee. ♪ 05:48 ♪ Every hour I need thee. ♪ 05:54 ♪ O bless me now, my Savior, ♪ 06:00 ♪ I come to thee. ♪♪ 06:13 Doug: Thank you, Emma. 06:14 I need thee every hour. 06:15 She has such a beautiful voice. 06:17 By the way, Emma is the daughter of one of our pastors here at 06:20 Granite Bay, we call him "Pastor John Q" 'cause some people can't 06:24 say Quedzuweit. 06:25 And his wife Cathy, and just so glad she's sharing 06:27 her gifts with us. 06:29 You know, before we dive into the lesson, 06:30 and that's our last lesson in the quarterly talking about 06:33 making friends for God, thought we'd give you a little preview 06:36 of what's coming up. 06:38 So, for our next quarter, we're going to be studying the 06:41 subject of education. 06:42 All of life is about education. 06:44 And so, about the importance of getting that knowledge and an 06:48 education that not only benefits us here in this life, 06:50 but education that you actually take with you from this life 06:55 on into eternity. 06:57 And so, very important study. 07:00 By the way, you can go to the Sabbath School 07:03 study guides online. 07:05 And usually once the studies begin, 07:08 they post the lesson so you can actually download them from week 07:11 to week, study them right online. 07:13 Or if you're in an area where you have a neighborhood 07:15 Seventh-day Adventist Church, we invite you to go there, 07:18 ask them for a copy. 07:19 And some of you are not where you have a local Seventh-day 07:23 Adventist Church. 07:25 We have a number of people who are watching right now, 07:27 you are part of the online Granite Bay membership. 07:31 We want to welcome you as well, and it's so exciting. 07:33 We hear people that are way out in the outback of Australia, 07:36 or they're up in the Yukon of Canada, 07:38 and there's no local church, but they do have satellite internet. 07:42 And so, they are some of our online members. 07:45 If you're in that group where you do not have a local 07:47 Adventist church that you can attend, 07:49 you'd like to know, "How do I become part of the Granite Bay 07:52 Hilltop Seventh-day Adventist Church?" 07:55 then you can just go to granitebaysda.org. 08:00 Say, "What do I do to become one of your online members?" 08:02 And we'd love to welcome you as a family and like 08:06 to be your pastor. 08:08 If you don't have anywhere you can attend, 08:10 then do that. 08:11 All right, well, we're going to get into our lesson. 08:13 The lesson today is the last in our quarter on making friends 08:17 with God, it's lesson number 13, and the subject is 08:20 "A Step in Faith." 08:23 Now, we have a memory verse. 08:25 Memory verse comes through us from Philippians chapter 2, 08:29 verse 5 to 7, one of the great passages in the Bible. 08:33 "Let this mind be in you." 08:36 He says, "Let it be in you," welcome it. 08:39 "Which was also in Christ Jesus, who being the form of God, 08:43 being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be 08:47 equal with God, but He made Himself of no reputation, 08:50 taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the 08:55 likeness of men." 08:57 Christ laid aside His divinity when He came into this world. 09:01 People wonder sometimes when Jesus said in Matthew 24, 09:06 speaking of the Second Coming, "No man knows the day or the 09:09 hour, not even the Son, but the Father only," they thought, 09:12 "How could Jesus be God the Son and not know all things 09:16 including the date of His return?" 09:19 Well, when Christ was on earth, as it says here in Philippians, 09:21 He laid aside His divinity. 09:24 He made Himself of no reputation. 09:26 He came in the form of a man. 09:28 And when Jesus was a baby, He did not have all of the 09:31 knowledge of the Library of Congress swirling around 09:35 in His head. 09:36 He had to learn to walk, and talk, 09:38 and eat just like other children. 09:40 And the only way that He had supernatural enlightenment is 09:43 the way that you and I have it as revealed from the Father 09:46 in the Spirit. 09:47 So, He lived as a man among man, guided and Spirit-filled to show 09:52 us how to live. 09:54 You know, there's a beautiful quote as we enter into the 09:56 lesson, and it's from the book "Desire of Ages." 10:00 By the way, it's page 131. 10:02 I'd like to share that with you. 10:04 "Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until 10:07 the redeemed shall stand with the redeemer 10:11 before the throne of God. 10:13 Then as the glories of the eternal home burst upon our 10:15 enraptured senses, we shall remember that Jesus left all of 10:20 this for us, that He not only became an exile from the 10:25 heavenly courts, but for us He took the risk of failure and 10:30 eternal loss when He came to this world. 10:33 There were times He was tempted to believe that He would not 10:37 succeed, that He could lose it all. 10:40 He took that risk of eternal failure. 10:43 Then we will cast our crowns at His feet and raise the song, 10:46 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power 10:50 in riches, and wisdom, and strength, 10:52 and honor, and glory, and blessing.'" 10:54 Quoting there from Revelation 5, verse 12. 10:56 Once we get to heaven, we will understand the sacrifice and the 11:01 commitment that Jesus made, when we see all the glories. 11:05 Right now, we don't appreciate what it was for Him, 11:07 the condescension of Christ to leave the glories of heaven and 11:11 come to our world to save us. 11:14 And we'll probably wish at that point that we had served 11:16 Him better here in this life. 11:19 Now, being a Christian requires a total commitment. 11:24 Jesus said that, "Whoever's going to come after Me 11:27 must deny himself daily, take up his cross." 11:31 Cross meant you are crucified with Christ, 11:34 that you are to deny yourself, that we're to all pray that 11:38 prayer that Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, 11:41 "Lord, not my will, but thy will be done." 11:44 And that's the biggest battle that anybody really faces, 11:47 it's a total consecration. 11:49 You've probably heard that story before about the chicken and the 11:55 pig on the farm, obviously a parable. 11:58 And they were talking to each other, 12:00 and the chicken said to the pig, "You know, 12:03 that farmer has been so good to us, 12:05 he feeds us so well." 12:07 And the pig says, "You know, you're right." 12:08 He says, "Every day like clockwork, 12:10 he feeds us until we can't eat anymore. 12:11 He's been so good." 12:13 And the chicken says, "We ought to do something nice 12:15 for the farmer." 12:17 And the pig said, "Well, what do you have in mind?" 12:19 He said, "I think he'd really appreciate it if we would 12:22 provide for him a bacon and eggs breakfast." 12:27 And the pig thought about that for a minute and he said, 12:30 "Well, for you, that's a contribution. 12:33 But for me, it's total commitment." 12:36 And that's what it means to be a Christian. 12:38 We put our lives on the line, it is a total commitment. 12:42 So, the love that Jesus offers us the Bible tells us 12:46 is a self-sacrificing love. 12:48 And you can also read there in Philippians chapter 2, 12:52 verse 5, I'm going to read a little farther this time. 12:54 And it says, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ 12:58 Jesus, who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery 13:03 to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, 13:06 taking the form of a bondservant." 13:09 He came as a servant. 13:10 He said, "I'm your Lord and Master, 13:12 but I come unto you as one that serves." 13:15 "Made Himself of no reputation in the form of a bondservant, 13:18 and coming in the likeness of men. 13:22 And being obedient to the point of death, 13:26 even the death of the cross. 13:28 Therefore, because He humbled Himself the most, 13:31 God has highly exalted Him and given Him a name that is above 13:38 every name, and that at the name of Jesus, 13:40 every knee should bow of those in heaven, 13:43 of those on earth, and those under the earth, 13:46 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ 13:50 is Lord to the glory of the Father." 13:52 You know, Christ, who made Himself the lowest, 13:56 will be exalted the highest. 13:59 You probably heard it said before that he that humbles 14:01 himself will be exalted, and he that exalts himself 14:05 will be humbled. 14:06 The one who humbled himself the most in the universe is Jesus, 14:12 He will be exalted the highest. 14:13 The one who exalted himself the highest, 14:16 the devil, will be humbled the most. 14:18 And following that great White Throne Judgement, 14:21 Satan is going to be judged. 14:24 And all the sins that he has caused the world and all who 14:28 have ever lived to commit, he will embrace and pay the penalty 14:32 for those sins. 14:33 The Bible tells us that--God tells us in Ezekiel, 14:36 "I will bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, 14:39 and it will devour thee. 14:40 And I will bring thee to ashes on the earth in the sight of 14:42 them that behold thee." 14:44 In the sight of all. 14:46 Satan, who wanted to be worshipped as God, 14:48 is going to be humbled and cast into the lake of fire. 14:50 And it says, "He will burn day and night forever and ever," 14:53 there meaning until he is forever gone. 14:56 And, "But he who sinned the most will suffer the longest." 14:59 But Jesus, who humbled Himself the most, 15:02 is going to be exalted the highest." 15:04 And so, you see this incredible reversal of fortunes. 15:07 And this was evident at the cross. 15:09 There at the cross, you see the devil's love of power. 15:12 And there at the cross, you see Christ's power of love. 15:15 There at the cross, you see Jesus the king humbling Himself 15:20 even to the point of the cross. 15:22 Being stripped, crown of thrones, 15:25 humiliated, spit upon, derided by His people, 15:27 and the devil was heaping all of that on Him. 15:32 Well, all of that now is going to come back on the devil in the 15:35 end, and Jesus is going to be at the right hand of the Father. 15:39 And so, this is something that we will share in 15:42 in one way or another. 15:44 That's right, all of us. 15:45 If we choose to follow Jesus, if we deny ourselves now, 15:48 we will be exalted with Him then. 15:51 The Bible teaches he that humbles himself will be exalted. 15:54 It says that if we're willing to suffer with Him now, 15:59 we will share in His glory in the future. 16:02 He that seeks to save his life will lose it. 16:05 If you live for yourself, put yourself first like the devil 16:09 did, you lose everything. 16:11 But if you put Christ first, you get everything. 16:15 That's why the Bible says it's more blessed 16:16 to give than receive. 16:18 And the first and most important thing that 16:19 we give is our hearts. 16:21 It is more blessed to give your life than to live for yourself. 16:25 If you give your life, then you get the blessings. 16:28 And the greatest blessings come in giving and serving others. 16:32 So Jesus, who was equal with God from all eternity, 16:37 made himself of no reputation. 16:38 Now, some people wonder because it tells us that everything is 16:43 going to be done to the glory of the Father that somehow 16:47 Jesus has lesser glory. 16:50 God the Father, the Son, God the Spirit are all omniscient, 16:57 they're omnipotent, and God the Father and the Spirit anyway 17:01 are omnipresent. 17:02 Christ is omnipresent through God the Spirit. 17:05 Jesus took on the form of a human that He keeps. 17:08 He retains that even after his resurrection. 17:10 But they're all equal, the differences are in the 17:16 roles that they share. 17:18 But Jesus, you know, some people say Jesus is not fully God, 17:21 that he was begotten, meaning that at some point in the remote 17:25 ancient recesses of time, that there was just the Father, 17:29 and He brought forth Jesus, He begot Him in some way. 17:32 Well, that will mean that He brought Him into existence. 17:34 That means He was created, and that would mean that Jesus did 17:38 not create all things because He was created by someone else. 17:41 And so, as a result of that, then you're 17:45 denying the Trinity truth. 17:46 But you can read here in that book, 17:48 "Desire of Ages," "In Christ is life original, 17:51 unborrowed, underived." 17:54 And that's "Desire of Ages" 530. 17:56 Yeah, life is original in Him. 17:57 He did not receive it from the Father. 18:01 Christ is the creator. 18:02 All things that were made were made by him. 18:04 And so, just giving us a picture of what Jesus sacrificed 18:08 when He came to this earth. 18:11 And you look at the commitment, talking about sacrifice, 18:14 there's several examples in the Bible of people who were willing 18:17 to walk away that they might serve God. 18:19 Every Jew looks back to Abraham as the one who went out 18:24 by faith, not knowing where he went. 18:26 'Cause God called him, he walked away from a very comfortable 18:30 life in Ur of the Chaldees, where he had great wealth. 18:34 And as a result of that, he was then honored by God. 18:38 But he became a stranger and a pilgrim because he looked 18:42 for an eternal city. 18:44 And then you read about Moses, and this is in 18:46 Hebrews 11, verse 24. 18:49 "By faith Moses, when he became of age, 18:52 he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 18:55 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of 18:58 God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 19:02 esteeming the reproaches of Christ's greater riches than 19:05 the treasures in Egypt, for he looked to the reward. 19:10 He looked beyond to the ultimate eternal reward. 19:12 Jesus looked to the reward when He came to our world. 19:15 You know what that reward was? 19:17 Jesus wasn't saying, "Oh, I'm going to sacrifice everything to 19:19 come to this world so I can have a golden crown and live 19:23 on golden streets." 19:24 The joy that was set before Jesus was our salvation. 19:29 Jesus endured all the suffering on the cross and the living 19:32 among men for 33 and a half years so that he could have us 19:37 with him in the kingdom. 19:39 That was the joy that was set before Him. 19:41 Moses walked away from--I remember years ago going 19:46 to Cairo, Egypt. 19:47 And I understand they've just completely rebuilt the 19:50 Cairo Museum. 19:52 I want to go someday and see the new museum. 19:54 But it was rather primitive when we went, 19:56 but we saw the treasures of King Tut. 19:58 Now, King Tut was a rather poor king in Egypt. 20:01 I mean, you look at the pyramids that were built and they were 20:06 just so massive. 20:08 King Tut was built in a tomb carved underground. 20:10 It was comparatively small. 20:12 It was ridiculously small compared to the massive 20:16 monuments and tombs that were built by the Pharaohs. 20:21 And well, Tut was a pharaoh, but he died probably at 19, 20:25 and so didn't have much, but they found his treasures 20:29 undisturbed after over 3,000 years. 20:32 And you look at the gilded, staggering, 20:37 splendid treasures of King Tut there at the 20:40 Cairo Museum, gold everywhere. 20:44 And Moses lived during a time in Egypt where he could've 20:46 had much more of that. 20:48 It was the richest kingdom in the world bar none at that time, 20:51 and the greatest prestige and power and architecture unrivaled 20:58 by any other empire. 21:01 And Moses walked away from all of that to follow the south end 21:04 of northbound sheep. 21:06 And he humbled himself like that, 21:08 and God then said he was willing to do that because he was 21:12 looking for his treasures in heaven. 21:14 If we're going to follow the Lord and be His witnesses, 21:18 the most important step is that step of total commitment 21:21 that we make. 21:23 Once we are crucified with Christ, 21:25 we are not afraid of anything. 21:27 I know that you might feel some natural fear for witnessing, 21:30 but when you're really dead to self, 21:33 you're not so much worried about what people think of you. 21:35 You're more interested in what they think of God. 21:38 And you're--you become more bold. 21:40 You know, there's several times in the Bible the apostles prayed 21:43 for the Holy Spirit, and in their prayer for the 21:46 Holy Spirit, they specifically prayed for boldness. 21:48 You can read about that in Acts chapter 4, 21:52 and you can read about it when Paul talks about 21:55 the armor of God. 21:56 He says, "And pray for me that I might be bold." 21:59 And so, I think one of the things that we need to remember 22:01 is, Christians, make that complete commitment. 22:05 Don't be afraid to try. 22:07 I think I'd rather do something wrong than succeed at doing 22:10 nothing very well. 22:11 And so, take a risk, step out in faith, 22:14 and be willing to share your faith with others. 22:17 All right, so under the section called--we were just looking at 22:21 Jesus's self-sacrificing love. 22:22 Under the section called "Commitment's Call," 22:25 let's look at some verses here. 22:27 In Matthew 9:9, you can see how people were willing to walk away 22:31 and follow Jesus. 22:33 "Jesus passed by from there and he saw a man named Matthew 22:36 sitting at the tax office. 22:38 And He said to him, 'Follow Me.' 22:40 So, he arose and followed Him." 22:43 It sounds like he walked away from the cash register. 22:45 Maybe there's others, or he had some attendants that 22:48 were helping him. 22:50 But he heard the call of Jesus, and this publican who'd just 22:52 become tired and empty of the life of the publican, 22:58 he walked away from all of that and was willing to follow Jesus. 23:01 So, he arose and he followed Him. 23:03 And then you can look in Matthew 8, 23:06 verse 21, "Another one of His disciples said, 23:09 'Lord, let me first go bury my Father.'" 23:12 And Jesus said, 23:14 "Look, if you're going to follow Me, 23:15 it's got to be priority right now." 23:17 He said, "Follow me," meaning follow me now. 23:21 "Let the dead bury their own dead." 23:23 Now, He wasn't saying this man could not go to his 23:25 father's funeral. 23:26 The way this is understood in the Hebrew, 23:28 it's actually written in Greek, but in the Hebrew culture, 23:30 when a person's parents were aging, 23:32 they'd say, "I need to stay and bury my father or bury my 23:35 mother," because they had become weak. 23:40 And he said, "Look, I want to follow you, 23:41 but you know, I need to take care of this or that." 23:43 You know, as important as it is to honor your father and your 23:45 mother, Jesus said, "Whoever doesn't love Me more than 23:49 father, mother, husband, wife, children, 23:51 houses, lands is not worthy of Me." 23:53 And I know it sounds pretty harsh, 23:55 but he says serving Jesus needs to be numero uno, 24:00 as they say. 24:01 Seek ye first the kingdom of God. 24:03 It's got to be the priority." 24:05 He said, "Let the dead bury the dead, 24:07 but you follow Me." 24:08 Now, what did Christ mean when He said, 24:10 "Let the dead bury the dead"? 24:11 I used to read that and, in my mind, 24:14 I would conjure up these images of zombies conducting funerals, 24:16 the dead burying the dead. 24:18 But He's talking about those who do not have Christ, 24:22 do not have life, those who are dead in trespasses and sins. 24:25 He said, "Look, let lost people who are not following Me take 24:27 care of those things, but you follow Me." 24:30 And every now and then, I'll get a question and someone will say, 24:36 "Pastor Doug, you know, I work--I work at a hospital, 24:40 and there's people that need service, 24:43 they need treatment every day. 24:46 And so, on the Sabbath Day, 24:48 someone needs to take care of them." 24:50 And I say, "Well, are you ever able to trade your schedules?" 24:54 If you're a nurse or you're a doctor and you're working 24:56 in a hospital, those people do need care, 24:58 are there people there that do not keep the Sabbath? 25:00 "Oh yeah." 25:02 I said, "Let the dead bury the dead." 25:05 Hopefully, that's not a good--such a good analogy 25:08 for a hospital, but you get the point. 25:10 If people aren't serving the Lord and they don't know Him, 25:13 let them work on Sabbath, say, "Look, 25:15 I'll take your place on Sunday," and trade with them. 25:18 But you don't want to be missing all of your time with God. 25:20 Another person, Mark chapter 1, verse 16, 25:23 it says, "He walked by the Sea of Galilee and He saw 25:26 Simon and Andrew his brother casting the net into the sea, 25:30 for they were fishermen. 25:31 And Jesus said to them, 'Follow Me and I will make you 25:35 become fishers of men.'" 25:37 Now, you might be thinking, 25:38 "How do they know to follow Him?" 25:40 Well, this is taking place, notice Jesus is baptized in 25:43 the Jordan down by the northern part of the Dead Sea. 25:47 Many of the disciples--Peter, James, 25:50 John, Andrew--they were all witnesses of his baptism. 25:53 They had met Jesus at some point. 25:55 They had heard John the Baptist say, 25:57 "This is the Son of God. 25:59 This is the Lamb of God that takes way the sin of the world." 26:01 So, they knew who Jesus was. 26:02 So, when they saw Him later and He walked by them and said, 26:05 "Follow Me," they understood that what His commitment was, 26:10 He is the Messiah. 26:12 And they walked away from their nets and they followed Him. 26:16 "Immediately left their nets and they followed Him. 26:19 And when He had gone a little farther, 26:21 He saw there James the son of Zebedee, 26:24 and John his brother. 26:25 They were in their boat mending their nets. 26:27 And immediately, He called them and they left their father 26:31 Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, 26:34 and they went after Him." 26:36 Some people, some family members would not understand 26:40 putting God first like this. 26:42 I used to wonder, when Uriah came home from the battle, 26:47 the battle was still going on with the Ammonites, 26:50 and David asked for a report on the battle, 26:53 David couldn't understand why Uriah did not go home 26:56 to see Bathsheba, who was one of the most beautiful women 27:00 in the land. 27:01 And David even was mystified, he said, 27:04 "Look, I brought you home from the battle, 27:06 I'm giving you a couple days R&R. 27:08 How can you slept at the gate with my servants, 27:09 you didn't go home? 27:11 I even offered you a catered meal." 27:13 Remember, David was trying to get him to go home and sleep 27:16 with his wife because Bathsheba was now pregnant with David's 27:17 baby, and he was trying to get a--create a coverup. 27:22 And Uriah gave the most remarkable answer. 27:25 He said, "The ark of God and my Lord's commanders, 27:29 Joab and the soldiers are out in the field dwelling in tents. 27:34 So, will I go home, and eat and drink and sleep with my wife?" 27:38 Said, "I'll not do this thing. 27:41 I'm going to make God's battle and God's kingdom my priority." 27:44 And you wonder, "How many wives would understand that logic?" 27:48 "What? 27:50 You were right up the street?" 27:51 You see, the Bible tells us that David could see Uriah's house 27:54 from his house, that's how they got in trouble. 27:56 "You were right up the street and you did not 27:59 come home and see me?" 28:00 But he had--he had a concept if the battle wasn't won, 28:04 it won't be a good example for my men of putting 28:06 God's kingdom first. 28:08 Zebedee could've said, "What are you boys doing? 28:10 I'm your aging father. 28:12 You're going to leave me here with the servants 28:13 and follow Jesus?" 28:15 You know what this tells us, friends? 28:17 That there is a priority in seeking first God's kingdom 28:21 that should go above every other earthly priority. 28:26 Now, you know, I think that a lot of people might use that as 28:29 an excuse to not take care of their families and their spouse 28:32 and stuff, but you know, you need to--you need to also take 28:36 care of your family, you need to love them, 28:38 that's part of God's commandment. 28:39 But when He calls us is what I'm talking about. 28:42 When God calls us to follow Him, you shouldn't have any family 28:46 member interrupt that call, is that clear? 28:48 When God calls us to follow him, this is what we're talking 28:51 about, not neglecting our families. 28:53 And so, you read on here, there's another one, 28:56 Mark chapter 10, verse 28: 28:58 "Then Peter began to say to him, 28:59 'See, we have left all and followed You.' 29:03 And Jesus answered and said, 'I tell you that there's no one 29:08 who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, 29:11 or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for My sake and the 29:15 gospel's who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time 29:19 houses, and brothers, and sisters, 29:21 and mothers, and children, and lands with persecutions. 29:25 And in the age to come, eternal life. 29:28 But many who are first will be last, 29:32 and the last will be first.'" 29:34 You know, friends, this is reminding us that it 29:37 costs something to follow Jesus. 29:39 But Jesus said it pays more than it costs. 29:43 Will you have to make sacrifices to follow Jesus? 29:47 Yes, you sometimes--it may cost you houses and lands, 29:51 but He says, "You're going to get more houses and lands." 29:53 Not only in heaven, but in this life. 29:56 You know, when I followed the Lord, 29:59 both my mother and my father for different reasons thought 30:03 that I had lost it. 30:04 And they kind of wrote me off as crazy. 30:07 And they thought I'd become a fanatic. 30:09 And I'm sure from their perspective, I had. 30:12 But you know, there's a Psalm in the Bible, 30:14 it says, "If your father and mother forsake you, 30:17 the Lord will take you up." 30:19 And when I made a decision to follow the Lord first in the 30:22 little town where I was baptized, 30:24 Covelo, said there was all of these old saints in the church. 30:28 They all adopted me. 30:30 And all of a sudden, I had more fathers, 30:32 and mothers, and grandmothers, and grandfathers than I could 30:35 shake a stick at. 30:36 Now, eventually my mother and father kind of reconciled with 30:38 me, but at first there it was tough, 30:41 the whole family just thought, "Doug has gone crazy." 30:44 And I think they liked it better when I was using drugs and 30:48 living in the mountains and being a hippie. 30:50 But when I became a Christian, I think maybe they 30:53 were convicted by it. 30:54 But you end up getting more. 30:56 And when you become a Christian, all of a sudden you get this 30:58 family, this whole church, this household of mothers, 31:02 and fathers, and brothers, and sisters that often are willing 31:05 to share their houses and lands. 31:07 And yeah, a lot of these people would take us home for dinner 31:10 and share their homes. 31:13 But not everybody that Jesus followed accepted. 31:17 We've got that sad story of the rich young ruler. 31:22 You can look at Mark chapter 10, verse 21 and 22. 31:25 This young man came to Jesus, he said, 31:28 "Good master, what good thing should I do that I might have 31:31 everlasting life?' 31:33 And Jesus said, 'Why do you call Me good? 31:35 None is good but one, and that is God. 31:37 But if you would enter into life, 31:38 keep the commandments.' 31:40 He said, 'Which ones?'" 31:41 And then Jesus began to recite the commandments on the second 31:44 table of stone, talking about love for your fellow man. 31:47 Said, "You know, honor your father and mother, 31:50 do not kill, do not steal, do not commit adultery." 31:52 And he said, "Oh, every Jewish boy had those memorized." 31:56 He said, "Lord, all these I've kept from my youth up." 31:58 Well, he thought he'd been keeping them. 32:00 Jesus said, "Really?" 32:01 Said, "Okay, do you want to follow Me? 32:03 You want treasure in heaven? 32:04 Here you go. 32:06 Go sell everything you have, give it to the poor, 32:07 follow Me, and you'll have treasure in heaven." 32:10 Oh, when he heard that, he suddenly, 32:12 his whole expression changed. 32:15 And you know, the Bible says if you read this in Mark 32:16 chapter 10, Jesus, this is verse 21, "Jesus, 32:20 looking at him, loved him and said, 32:24 'One thing you lack.'" 32:25 There's only one thing in making a total commitment. 32:28 "Go your way, sell whatever you have, 32:30 give to the poor. 32:32 You'll have treasure in heaven. 32:33 Take up your cross and follow Me." 32:35 One thing is a complete surrender. 32:36 When you surrender your heart, that one thing, 32:39 God gets your refrigerator when He gets your heart. 32:42 God gets your closet when He gets your heart. 32:45 God gets your bank book when He gets your heart. 32:47 Now, sometimes we look at all the externals and think, 32:51 "Oh, I've got to change this and this and this." 32:52 And really what you need is a change of heart. 32:54 That's the one thing. 32:55 But his heart was set on his riches. 32:58 And it says, "He went away grieved, 33:01 for he had great possessions." 33:03 Think about that. 33:04 People think, "If I only had great possessions, 33:06 I'd be happy." 33:07 The Bible record is he walked away from Jesus with his 33:09 great possessions, but grieved, unhappy. 33:12 He didn't follow. 33:14 You know, there would be--we don't even know his name. 33:16 You know, his name could be Stanley, 33:19 and there could be a book in the Bible called the book--the 33:21 gospel according to Stanley 'cause Jesus asked him to follow 33:24 just like the apostles, but he didn't. 33:28 We hear about Matthew, Mark, Luke, 33:30 John, and Andrew, Peter, and the others who walked away 33:35 and they followed Jesus. 33:36 But unfortunately, some say no. 33:38 And you would hope he repented later, 33:40 but there's no record of that. 33:42 So, then we look at people who they weren't even 33:45 really looking for God. 33:47 And God, He didn't just call them, 33:48 He kind of really arrested their attention, 33:52 and that would be like the case of the Apostle Paul. 33:55 Look in Acts chapter 9, you can find when he had his road 33:59 to Damascus experience here. 34:01 "And as he journeyed, then he came near Damascus." 34:05 He's on his way to Damascus to arrest men and women who 34:09 had--these are Jews who had turned to Christ. 34:12 He's harassing the church. 34:15 And he confesses later in his testimony that he would imprison 34:19 them and when they were executed, 34:22 doesn't just say Steven, he says, 34:23 "When they were executed," it happened many times, 34:26 "I would bear witness against him." 34:28 So, Paul basically was involved in rounding people up and having 34:32 them either imprisoned, maybe tortured to give up their faith, 34:35 or executed. 34:36 And he's on his way to Damascus to continue this 34:39 vicious attack on Christianity. 34:43 He was rabid. 34:44 Paul was a fanatic about destroying Christianity. 34:48 I think it's 'cause he had been fighting his conscience 34:50 about following Jesus. 34:52 And in order to fight his conscience, 34:54 he had to be even more passionate about persecuting. 34:56 And while he's on his way, as he got over the hill and you could 35:01 see Damascus down below, suddenly a light shone around 35:05 him from heaven. 35:06 It says brighter than the sun when he shares his testimony. 35:10 And he fell to the ground. 35:12 He could've been riding a horse. 35:14 And he heard a voice saying to him, 35:16 "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" 35:21 And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" 35:23 He knew it was a divine voice, so he said, "Lord." 35:25 And he said, "I am Jesus who you are persecuting," the very one 35:31 he'd been fighting to eradicate his followers. 35:34 "I am Jesus who you are persecuting. 35:36 It is hard for you to kick against a goad." 35:39 See, goad was a sharp stick that they often used when following 35:42 oxen to drive them as they pull the cart or pull the plow. 35:45 And sometimes, the oxen would kick the sharp stick and 35:48 they would cut themselves. 35:50 And Jesus Is just saying, "You're just hurting yourself 35:53 by fighting against your conscience." 35:56 Says, "Is it hard for you to kick against the goads?" 35:58 So, he trembling and astonished, he said, 36:02 "Lord, what do you want me to do?" 36:04 Now, Jesus could've said, "Here's what I want you to do. 36:07 I want you to go down into Damascus, 36:11 and I want you to go up to the street, 36:13 and I want you to knock on the door of the church, 36:15 and I want you to baptize yourself." 36:16 And He didn't do that. 36:18 He said, "I am not going to tell you everything I want you to do 36:20 'cause this is extraordinary for Me to talk to you personally. 36:24 Usually, I speak to you through people." 36:26 It's rare when God speaks to us in person. 36:29 It's even rare when He speaks to us through angels. 36:32 Typically, God speaks to us, yes, 36:33 through people. 36:35 God said, "Go into the town and it will be told you 36:39 what you must do." 36:40 So, then you read a little later in Acts chapter 10 that God 36:44 then appears to one of the disciples in Damascus 36:46 whose name was Ananias. 36:49 And he said, Ananias, "Here I am, Lord." 36:52 He said, "I got a mission for you. 36:53 I want you to go to Straight Street. 36:55 There is someone staying in the house there, 36:58 and his name is Saul, and I want you to baptize him because he's 37:02 praying and I see him praying." 37:04 He's repented of his sins." 37:05 And Ananias is going, "Uh Lord, that's the hitman who's been 37:09 sent to Damascus to arrest us. 37:11 Why would I want to do that?" 37:13 He said, "Don't worry about it, he's my chosen vessel. 37:17 He's been converted. 37:18 He's now on our side." 37:20 Says, "Go down there and go, doubting nothing, 37:22 for I have sent him." 37:24 And so, Ananias goes and he baptizes Paul. 37:28 And you notice what God says to Ananias, 37:32 He actually uses the word, He says, 37:34 "Arise therefore, and go." 37:37 And he says, "Lord, what do you want me to do?" 37:40 Paul, God says to Paul, "Arise and go." 37:44 He says to Ananias, "Arise therefore, and go." 37:47 Now, does that sound familiar? 37:50 God says to Jonah, Jonah chapter 1, 37:52 first verses, "The Word of the Lord came to Jonah the son 37:54 of Amittai, saying, 'Arise and go.'" 37:59 When Jesus ascended to heaven, He said, 'Go therefore.'" 38:02 So, here we are, friends, we've spent 13 months studying, 38:10 a quarter of the year, studying our Sabbath school quarterly. 38:14 Wasn't that fun? 38:15 Well, what do we do about what we've studied? 38:18 Is it just going to be head knowledge, 38:20 or does it become heart knowledge until we put it 38:22 into action? 38:23 You know what the Lord is saying to every one of us as 38:25 I've shared these things with you. 38:27 "Now arise and go." 38:29 And if we do not arise and go, what happens? 38:31 What happened to Jonah when he made no effort to share his 38:34 faith with anybody? 38:36 He didn't want to go tell the Ninevites. 38:38 Says he ran the other way. 38:41 And can you run from God? 38:43 How did it work for Paul to run from God? 38:44 Didn't work very well. 38:46 God had to strike him down, struck him with blindness. 38:49 How did it work for Jonah to run from the call 38:52 to share his faith? 38:54 It didn't work very well. 38:55 You know, he ended up in a storm, 38:57 then he ended up in a whale at the bottom of the ocean. 39:00 Then he ended up in Nineveh before it was over. 39:03 And you can read in Acts 9:26, going back to Paul, 39:07 and it says, "When Saul came to Jerusalem, 39:11 he tried to join the disciples, but they were afraid of him, 39:14 and they did not believe he was a disciple. 39:16 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. 39:20 And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, 39:23 and that he had spoken to him, how he had preached boldly in 39:27 Damascus in the name of Jesus." 39:28 They said there's evidence that Paul has been 39:30 dramatically converted. 39:32 He had already started to preach boldly. 39:34 We talked about boldness a minute ago. 39:36 "In the name of Jesus." 39:38 And Acts chapter 13, verse 2 and 3, 39:42 "As they ministered and fasted together, 39:44 the Holy Spirit said, "'Now, separate to me Barnabas and Saul 39:49 for the work that I've called them to do.' 39:51 And having fasted and prayed, they laid hands on them 39:55 and sent them away." 39:57 This is talking about when somebody was, 39:59 you know, ordained or commissioned for a special work. 40:02 And this is a place where you see both Barnabas and Saul, 40:04 who ends up becoming Paul, they're sent out 40:08 to do missionary work. 40:10 So, he goes from being, you know, 40:12 an adversary to the church to being an advocate. 40:15 He goes from being a menace to being a missionary. 40:20 This is one of the most dramatic 180s that you see anywhere 40:23 in history is what happened to the Apostle Paul. 40:26 And so, then he set out, and Paul goes and he starts 40:29 to share Christ. 40:30 He walked away from his comfortable life as a Pharisee. 40:34 Read in Romans 1:1, now you look and you see this in Paul's 40:38 letter several times. 40:40 "Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, 40:43 called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God." 40:47 He was separated. 40:49 God says, "I have set you apart for a special mission." 40:51 And this is something for each believer that we have. 40:55 You look in Galatians chapter 1, verse 15, 40:58 "But when it please God who separated me from my mother's 41:02 womb," kind of like what Jeremiah said, 41:05 "I've called you from your mother's womb." 41:08 "He separated me from my mother's womb and called me 41:11 through His grace to reveal His Son in me, 41:13 that I might preach Him among the Gentiles 41:16 to reveal His Son in me." 41:17 Now, what God did for Paul, is that just unique for Paul? 41:20 He may not get your attention, friends, 41:23 through lightning on the road to Damascus. 41:25 He may not strike you down like that. 41:27 You may not hear a voice like Jonah did, 41:29 but every believer is separated by God for the purpose 41:34 of showing forth the Son in their lives. 41:37 This is what he said. 41:39 "To reveal His Son in me." 41:40 God wants to reveal His Son in you, 41:42 that's what a Christian is. 41:44 You've sung that song before, "Live out thy life within me, 41:48 oh Jesus King of kings." 41:50 "That I might preach Him among the Gentiles, 41:53 and I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood." 41:57 He says, "The Holy Spirit called me." 41:59 2 Timothy 1, verse 11: "To which I was appointed a preacher, 42:04 an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles." 42:07 Paul was given a special work, 42:09 he was separated from the Pharisees for the Gentiles. 42:12 It's kind of interesting that Peter also, 42:15 he was called to do a special work among the Gentiles, 42:17 he was called from the fishermen to reach the Gentiles. 42:21 And you can read in Acts chapter 28, 42:25 verse 28, "'And therefore let it be known to you that salvation 42:29 of God has been sent to the Gentiles, 42:32 and they will hear it.' 42:34 And when He said these words, 42:36 the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves. 42:38 And Paul dwelt there," speaking of in Rome, 42:42 "two whole years." 42:44 And he said he was in a rented house, 42:46 "And he received all who came with him, 42:49 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which 42:52 concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, 42:55 no one forbidding him." 42:57 This was one of the most productive times for Paul 42:58 when he was a prisoner, think about that. 43:02 The Roman guard, he's a prisoner, 43:04 he's kind of under house arrest, he's got a rented home. 43:06 People come and go to see him. 43:08 They bring him food, and he's able to give Bible studies and 43:11 do work, and he kind of does it as a slave or as a prisoner. 43:17 Sort of a picture of each of us. 43:20 Said, "Look, I am a slave of God. 43:23 I am a prisoner of God. 43:25 And I'm going to be doing His work." 43:28 And so, we're willing, willing to be servants. 43:31 And you can read in 2 Timothy 4, verse 5 through 8, 43:36 these were some of the last words that Paul wrote, 43:38 "But you be watchful in all things, 43:41 endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, 43:43 fulfill your ministry." 43:45 What was topmost in Paul's mind talking to Timothy? 43:47 Sharing the gospel, doing the work of an evangelist. 43:51 "Fulfill your ministry, for I am already being poured out as 43:55 a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 43:58 I fought the good fight, I have finished the race, 44:01 I have kept the faith. 44:03 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, 44:05 which the Lord the righteous judge will 44:08 give to me on that day. 44:10 And not to me only, but to all who have loved His appearing." 44:13 You know, that's one thing about Seventh-day Adventists, 44:16 it's not that we just believe that Jesus is coming again. 44:19 Many Christians believe He's coming again. 44:21 It says we--for those who look for His coming. 44:26 The Bible calls it the blessed hope. 44:28 And Paul says all those who love His appearing. 44:33 Adventists, the people in the last generation of all people, 44:36 should love His appearing. 44:38 Don't ever be apologetic about being an Adventist and talking 44:40 about the Advent or the Second Coming, 44:42 because especially the people who live when the Lord is 44:45 at the door ought to be excited about the imminence 44:48 of Jesus coming, amen? 44:50 I think I heard an echo out there online somewhere, 44:53 said amen. 44:55 And then the demands of love. 44:56 2 Corinthians 5:14: "For the love of Christ 45:00 compels us because we judge thus that if one died for all, 45:05 then all died." 45:06 Because He died for us, we die to self, 45:09 and we're willing to go out there and share the gospel. 45:11 And in 1 Corinthians 9:16, "Yes, woe to me if I preach 45:16 not the gospel." 45:17 He felt the message all pent up within him. 45:20 I read this in Jeremiah this week, 45:22 he says, "I cannot restrain it. 45:24 I cannot hold back. 45:25 I must share the Word of the Lord." 45:27 1 Corinthians 13, verse 4: "Love suffers long, 45:32 it is kind. 45:34 It does not envy, it does not parade itself, 45:36 it is not puffed up. 45:38 And so, we are to be meek and humble in the way that we share, 45:41 but we want to share." 45:43 Matthew 10, verse 37, and I read this a little earlier, 45:48 "He that loves father and mother more than Me 45:51 is not worthy of Me. 45:52 He who loves son or daughter more than Me 45:54 is not worthy of Me. 45:56 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me 45:59 is not worthy of Me." 46:00 A service of God and following Jesus needs 46:03 to have the priority. 46:05 And then, you know, when you get to the end here and you read 46:08 in John chapter 21, Jesus helps us identify that love 46:11 must be the spring of action. 46:13 He's talking to Peter. 46:14 And Peter we know had denied Jesus three times publicly. 46:18 And He, Christ, you know, was reminding Peter, 46:22 "You said in front of the disciples at the Last Supper, 46:24 'Though all of these should forsake thee, 46:27 I will never forsake thee.'" 46:28 And so, because of that, it says, "When they had eaten 46:32 breakfast," John 21:15, "Jesus said to Simon Peter, 46:36 'Simon son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?'" 46:40 It's interesting, he emphasizes son of Jonah 'cause Jonah 46:42 ran from proclaiming the Lord. 46:44 "Do you love Me more than these?" 46:47 He said, "Yes, Lord, you know I love you." 46:49 He would not compare himself with the apostle, 46:51 he said, "You know I love You." 46:53 Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." 46:54 Then He said to him again a second time, 46:58 "Simon son of Jonah, do you love Me?" 47:02 And he said, "Lord, You know I love You." 47:05 And He said to him, "Tend My sheep." 47:10 Verse 17, He said the third time, 47:12 "Simon son of Jonah, do you love Me?" 47:14 Peter was grieved because he said it the third time. 47:17 Said, "Are You doubting my answer?" 47:19 "Do you love Me?" 47:21 He said, "Lord, You know all things. 47:25 You know that I love you." 47:27 Jesus said, "Feed my lambs. 47:29 Feed my sheep. 47:30 So, assuredly I say to you, when you were younger, 47:33 you girded yourself, you walked where you wish. 47:35 But when you're old, you will stretch forth your hands and 47:38 another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." 47:41 This He spoke signifying by what death He would glorify God. 47:45 And when He spoke these things, He said, 47:48 "Follow Me." 47:50 So, those are the words that Jesus said to Peter in the 47:52 beginning, "Follow Me and I will make you a fisher of men." 47:54 Oh, there is that night when Peter denied the Lord. 47:57 And Jesus said, "Follow Me," and He gave him another chance 48:01 to profess his love and to follow Him. 48:04 And then finally, you've got love's commitment. 48:07 Look in the 1 chapter of Revelation verse 9. 48:11 "I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation in 48:15 the kingdom and the patience of Jesus, 48:18 was on the island that is called Patmos." 48:20 He says, "I was a prisoner for the Word of God and the 48:22 testimony of Jesus Christ." 48:24 They were not afraid to suffer for Christ. 48:26 And you can read again in Acts 9:16, 48:31 God said that he told Paul, "I will show Him how many things he 48:36 must suffer for My name's sake." 48:38 And then John, 1 John 3, verse 16 and 18, 48:42 "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. 48:47 And we also want to lay down our lives for the brethren. 48:50 But whoever has this world's goods and sees his brother 48:53 in need and shuts up his heart from him, 48:55 how does the love of God abide in him? 48:57 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, 49:01 but in deed and in truth." 49:03 Now, Jesus said, "If you know these things, 49:05 you're happy if you do them." 49:08 Friends, I hope that we can put this into practice. 49:10 Want to thank you for joining us in our study today, 49:12 and we're looking forward to studying our new quarterly on 49:16 education in the quarter to come. 49:18 Don't forget about the free offer, 49:20 we'll send it to you. 49:21 You can either text or call, 49:22 or ask for "12 Steps to Revival." 49:25 And just call 866-STUDY-MORE and this will be yours. 49:30 Well, and of course, you can download this book by going 49:34 to amazingfacts.org. 49:37 God bless you, friends, 49:38 we're out of time for today's study. 49:39 Lord willing, we'll do it again next week. 49:44 male announcer: Don't forget to request today's life-changing 49:46 free resource. 49:47 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail, 49:50 you can download a digital copy straight to your computer 49:52 or mobile device. 49:54 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, 49:56 simply text the key word on your screen to 40544, 50:00 or visit the web address shown on your screen. 50:03 And be sure to select the digital download option 50:05 on the request page. 50:07 It's now easier than ever for you to study God's Word with 50:10 "Amazing Facts" wherever and whenever you want, 50:13 and most important to share it with others. 50:19 ♪♪♪ 50:29 Doug: What can be more irresistible than a kitten? 50:31 These guys might look cute now, but some of their ancestors 50:34 have grown into man eaters. 50:37 [roaring] 50:41 We're here in a lion park in South Africa now, 50:43 where we can view these creatures in relative safety, 50:45 but there's a reason they're known as the king of beasts. 50:48 So, what is it that people find so enchanting and frightening 50:52 about lions? 50:53 Is it their speed, their claws, their sharp teeth, 50:56 or all of the above? 50:58 Might also be some of the stories about man eating lions, 51:00 like in 1898 right here in Africa, 51:04 they were building a bridge over the Tsavo River in Kenya, 51:07 and two brother lions terrorized the construction process, 51:11 eating 135 workers. 51:15 Did you know lions are mentioned in the Bible over 100 times? 51:19 And you can find them all the way from Genesis to Revelation. 51:22 It's usually in reference to their ferocity and how 51:25 dangerous they are. 51:27 Of course, Samson killed a lion with his bare hands. 51:29 David killed a lion. 51:30 There are man eating lions in the Bible. 51:32 The way that they punished criminals was by throwing them 51:35 in the lion's den. 51:37 And early Christians were even fed to lions. 51:39 But amazingly, as the Bible mentions, 51:42 not all lions are to be feared. 51:44 There have been a few friendly lions in history. 51:46 For example, in the 1950s, a couple, 51:50 Georges and Margaret Westbeau, who lived up at a ranch near 51:53 Seattle, Washington, adopted an abandoned lion cub. 51:57 They named it Little Tyke 'cause they felt sorry for it. 52:00 But they discovered as they tried to feed her, 52:03 she refused to eat any meat at all. 52:06 They were concerned, thinking there was no hope for this 52:09 little lioness to survive, and everybody told them the same 52:12 because we know in the wild, lions survive on almost 52:15 entirely meat diet. 52:17 Then someone showed the Westbeau that verse in the Bible 52:20 that talks about in heaven, the animals are vegetarians, 52:23 and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 52:26 That encouraged them, and so they began to feed Little Tyke 52:30 a purely vegetarian diet. 52:32 Not only did she survive, she thrived, 52:35 growing into a lion that was over 352 pounds and 52:39 over 10 feet long. 52:41 In fact, zoologists that examined Little Tyke when she 52:44 was full grown said they have never seen such perfect specimen 52:47 of a lioness in their life, a pure vegetarian. 52:52 You know, when we hear incredible stories about that 52:54 of Little Tyke, it reminds us that God's original plan was 52:57 to make a world of total peace. 53:00 It describes it here in the Bible in Isaiah chapter 11, 53:03 verse 6, "The wolf also will dwell with the lamb, 53:06 the leopard will lie down with the young goat, 53:08 the calf and the young lion and the fatling together. 53:11 And a little child will lead them." 53:13 Nothing is going to hurt and destroy in the new heavens 53:17 and the new earth that God is going to create. 53:19 Wouldn't you like to live in a kingdom where there's perfect 53:21 peace, where there's no more death or killing or pain? 53:24 God says that He wants you in that kingdom. 53:27 The Lamb of God made it possible for you to have an encounter 53:31 with the Lion of the tribe of Judah. 53:34 Wouldn't you like to meet Him today? 53:36 ♪♪♪ 53:46 male announcer: Amazing Facts, 53:48 changed lives. 53:54 Diamond Garcia: Hi, my name is Diamond Garcia, 53:56 and I am from the beautiful islands of Hawaii. 53:58 I was raised in a very dysfunctional family, 54:02 like most families. 54:03 Being in that environment, I would lie, 54:06 cheat, steal, rob houses, cheat in school and tests, 54:10 and lie to teachers, and getting into fights, 54:13 and all kinds of stuff. 54:15 One day, I was asked to take this little box of something, 54:19 and I had to walk down the road and give it to someone, 54:22 and they would give me money and I'd walk back home. 54:24 And I later realized I was dealing drugs. 54:29 Growing up in that environment, I thought that, 54:31 you know, being an adult was a life of drinking and smoking and 54:34 partying, and that's just adults did. 54:38 When I looked at my family and saw the road that they were 54:41 going down, getting arrested, getting beaten up, 54:44 coming home drunk and puking all over the floor, 54:47 I just didn't want that for myself. 54:51 Growing up, I had a grandma who was baptized as a Christian in 54:54 her 20s, but then she wasn't a real practicing Christian. 54:57 And so, one day, I was at her house, 55:00 and there was a box of various books. 55:02 And I went to the bottom of that box and found a book called 55:04 "The Great Controversy." 55:06 And I picked it up and I said, "This is interesting." 55:08 And I opened to the first page of that book and it said, 55:11 "If thou hadst known." 55:13 I had no clue what it meant, and so I said, 55:16 "You know what? 55:18 Forget this." 55:19 I put the book down, I just walked away, did my thing. 55:21 But then something told me, "You know, 55:22 Diamond, go back to that book." 55:24 And so, I went back to the book, picked it up, 55:26 went to the last two chapters, and I read it. 55:30 And I said to my grandmother, I said, 55:32 "What church is this from? 55:34 I want to go to that church." 55:35 So, she brought me down to the local church, 55:37 and then I walk in from the backdoor. 55:39 And the piano's off-key, people are off-key, 55:42 it's like, "Man, this is really kind of--I don't want 55:45 to be here." 55:46 And I got to the front of the church, 55:48 and I sat down, I was listening to the sermon and the whole 55:51 service, it was so boring to me. 55:53 But then someone gives me this set of DVDs and it was called 55:56 "The Prophecy Code." 56:00 It was through watching Doug Batchelor explain 56:02 the truths found in the Bible that really brought me to Christ 56:05 and brought me to realize that, you know what? 56:08 There is a life better than my family's life. 56:12 My second week at church on Sabbath, 56:14 there was one person there, he basically told me, 56:17 "Hey Diamond, do you want to make some money?" 56:19 And I said, "Sure." 56:21 I said, "What do you do?" 56:22 He says, "Well, I'm a colporteur. 56:24 We go door to door and we sell Christian books." 56:26 I said, "Oh, okay. 56:28 Well, that sounds interesting. 56:29 I do want to make some money, too." 56:31 And so he said, "Okay, well, why don't you come with me?" 56:33 We drove out to the neighborhood, 56:35 parked the car, and that night was just raining, 56:38 it was pouring and pouring, it could not stop raining. 56:41 He prayed, he said, "God, this is Diamond's first night. 56:44 If it's Your will, stop the rain so we can go knocking on doors." 56:47 And as soon as he said amen, the rain just stopped. 56:50 I was just thinking in my head, "Is this guy a prophet or what? 56:54 I mean, he just prayed and asked God and it happened." 56:58 And so I was so--I was so happy, I grabbed the books and I went 57:01 to the first door. 57:02 And the first door I went to, the person gave me 50 bucks. 57:04 That night was actually a big night for me because it was 57:08 where I saw God's power work in stopping the rain and people 57:11 actually giving me lots of money. 57:14 I then became a colporteur or a canvasser, 57:16 and I save money to pay for my way through academy. 57:19 And when my church began to see how God was using me, 57:23 they immediately recognized that it was God's Spirit moving 57:26 and they put me, you know, preaching, 57:28 and teaching, and sharing my faith. 57:30 And I've been engaged in ministry for the past six to 57:32 seven years now, and God has taken me all over the world on 57:34 multiple continents, sharing my testimony, 57:37 how God has brought me out of darkness into 57:39 his marvelous light. 57:41 It's a total contrast as to how I was before. 57:44 And now, you know, it's a total contrast. 57:47 My name is Diamond, and Amazing Facts 57:50 has helped to change my life. 57:52 ♪♪♪ 58:02 ♪♪♪ 58:12 ♪♪♪ |
Revised 2020-09-21