WEBVTT
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♪ theme music ♪
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(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,
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an in-depth, interactive study
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of the Word of God.
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I hope you're blessed with this series
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on Bible Prophecies and Stories
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for the Last Days.
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Today, we're going to look
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at Foundations for Prophecy,
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how God wants to reveal Himself to us
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and the story of three prophets
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and what that means for our lives today.
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So, we're glad that you joined us.
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And welcome, team, good to see you,
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say, "Hi," to each other.
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We're glad you're here.
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And we've got some remotes
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joining us, too; let's see who's with us.
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Rodney, great to have you back with us.
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Shaina, always good to have you with us.
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Alex, good to have you with us, too,
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as a remote team member.
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And we're glad you're here, too,
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because you are part
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of the great miracle of God.
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We're always happy to hear from you,
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our Hope Sabbath School members
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around the world.
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Marge, thanks for writing
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to us from California.
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She says, "Your show, Hope Sabbath School,
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has been a blessing to me since 2019,
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and I appreciate
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the in-depth, interactive approach
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to studying God's Word.
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Your teaching method helps me
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to better understand the Scriptures,
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and the Scripture songs are a great tool
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for hiding God's Word in my heart."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) "I'm also inspired
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by the team's testimonies,"
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well, Marge, maybe you'll hear
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a testimony from a team member
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in our study today.
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"May God continue to bless your ministry.
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I love you all, Marge."
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Well, Marge, thanks for writing to us,
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and we'd love to meet you in person.
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Jok, J-O-K, Jok Abraham writes to us
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from South Sudan, "Hello,
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Hope Sabbath School members."
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(Team) Hello!
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(Derek) "I am Jok Abraham
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writing from South Sudan.
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I've been enjoying Hope Sabbath School
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for the last five years,
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and it's helped me in my studies
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and to prepare to teach a class.
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Thank you for the great work
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you've been doing, and may God
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bless you as we prepare
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to meet Him in the skies.
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And I do purpose to meet
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each one of you on that day."
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Well, thank you, Jok Abraham,
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for writing to us from South Sudan.
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And isn't it exciting to realize
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he's replicating, multiplying impact,
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by teaching there in his community.
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Here's a handwritten note
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from South Dakota in the United States,
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and a donor writes and says, "God
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richly bless you for Hope Sabbath School.
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It is such a blessing to those of us
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whose first language is not English,"
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you know, we try to talk really clearly,
right,
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and help people to understand,
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"Or," the donor says, "maybe someone
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who has a challenge reading."
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You know, in Revelation, Puia,
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doesn't it talk about blessed are those
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who hear and those who read.
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(Puia) Yes.
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(Derek) So, when you read the Bible
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in our study today, maybe someone
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who has a challenge reading
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is blessed because he or she hears
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a clear word from God.
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"Hope this little gift
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makes a difference," and a donation
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of 50 dollars from South Dakota.
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Thank you, South Dakota,
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you know who you are,
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and it does make a difference.
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And I want to thank each one of you.
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This is a donor-supported ministry,
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and you can be part of the miracle, too.
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You can go to our website,
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hopetv.org/hopess,
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click on that yellow Donate button
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and say, "I want to be part
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of the miracle," or get the address
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and send us a note
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just like this donor did.
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Thank you for partnering with us.
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One last note, a beautiful note
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from Phyllis in Canada.
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Phyllis says, "I've been watching
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Hope Sabbath School (my favorite program)
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for I don't remember how long.
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I have," oh, listen, "I've had
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my unchurched sister-in-law
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watching with me when she stayed with me
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for a few months, and she loved it, too.
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I've also introduced it to a few friends,
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and they have become faithful members
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of Hope Sabbath School."
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Sounds like, is that what we
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call an evangelist? Right?
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"I have two daughters, and they have used
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your outline to teach interactive classes,
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so it's a family affair here in Canada!"
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(Team) Wonderful.
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(Derek) "I feel like I've gotten to know
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so many of the members over the years,
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and I'm always happy to see the return
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of a familiar face.
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The personal testimonies
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are a real blessing," we hear that
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over and over again, don't we,
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"and an encouragement to me
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and many others.
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May God continue to bless all of you
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who are working so hard
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to produce this program
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and spread God's love to the world."
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You know, I'm so thankful, Phyllis,
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that you put that last part.
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It's not just working hard
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to produce a program, but to share
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God's love with the world,
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that's what we really get excited about.
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Well, before we sing our theme song,
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which talks about the word of Christ
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dwelling in us, Colossians 3:16,
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I want to remind you about that free gift
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we have for this series because we're
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talking about Bible Prophecies
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and Stories for the Last Days,
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and, friend, you need protection
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and so do I, the protection that only God
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can give us as His redeemed children.
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So, we're offering a resource
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called Radical Protection,
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a digital copy of a book.
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Just go to our website, and you can
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download your free copy,
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hopetv.org/hopess, look for the free gift.
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You say, "Derek, I already did it."
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Well, then, tell someone else!
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Be a blessing to them.
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Do you know someone who is under attack,
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someone who is struggling
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because the enemy is trying to crush them?
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Tell them about the resource.
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They can get it free on our website.
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But right now, we want to sing
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an ancient text, actually,
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from Colossians, the letter that Paul
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wrote to Christians in Colossae.
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Colossians 3:16, it says, "Let the word
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of Christ dwell in you richly
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in all wisdom"; let's sing it together.
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♪ music ♪
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(Derek) While we were singing,
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I saw our remotes singing,
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Rodney and Alex and Shaina,
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and I thought about you,
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Hope Sabbath School member
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somewhere around the world,
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and you're singing, too,
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and hiding God's Word in your heart.
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That is an excellent preparation
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for the last days, for the Word
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to be in our hearts.
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So, let's pray that the Holy Spirit
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will guide us as we study about a God
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who loves to reveal Himself
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and His truth to us.
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Let's pray; Father in Heaven,
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we just want to thank You
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that we can study Your Word,
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that Scripture is not given
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a private interpretation, but holy men
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of God spoke as they were moved
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by the Holy Spirit, that Your Word
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is an inspired witness for us.
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And as we study about Foundations
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for Prophecy today, please guide
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each one of us wherever we are
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around the world,
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part of our Hope Sabbath School family.
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We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) Well, we want to talk together
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about a God who wants to reveal Himself
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to us and then look
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at some Bible characters who were called
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to be prophets.
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So, we're going to start in Genesis,
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chapter 3, which is actually a sad chapter
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about sin coming into our world
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through the tempter.
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But in this chapter, we'll also discover
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some glimmers of hope.
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And so, I want to look in Genesis,
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chapter 3, and begin with verse 21.
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And, Zandile, could you read that verse
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for us, Genesis 3:21?
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Again, now remember the context:
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God has created a perfect world.
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He has created Adam and then Eve
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to be a helpmeet.
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They've walked in the garden with Him,
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and they experienced
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intimate communion with Him.
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But they believed Satan's lie
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that they could somehow be like God,
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which was what the enemy wanted,
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to usurp the place of God.
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And now they are feeling naked,
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and they are separated from God
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because of sin, but there are
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some glimmers of hope
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that God doesn't stop wanting
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to reveal Himself.
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So, Genesis 3, let's look at verse 21,
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and then, Sophia, I'll ask you
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to read verse 24.
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(Zandile) And I'll be reading
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from the New King James Version,
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verse 21 says:
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(Derek) So, why did they need
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"tunics of skin to clothe them"?
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I thought it said in chapter 2
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that they were naked and unashamed.
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So, Joshua, why does God need to make
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tunics of skin for them?
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(Joshua) Well, because sin
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has entered the world,
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and it gets cold and they need
to be warmed.
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(Derek) Okay, even a climate change,
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you're suggesting possibly.
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Anybody else? Yes, Nicole.
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(Nicole) Well, they now realize
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and recognize their nakedness
and there's shame involved
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in that nakedness instead of the purity
that was there before sin.
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(Derek) ...a different kind
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of nakedness, isn't it?
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Because the nakedness before
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was beautiful, but now there's this sense
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that they have lost something.
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Alright, anybody else?
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Why tunics of skins?
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We alluded to this, Puia,
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in a previous study.
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I mean, He could have made them of grass.
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In fact, they tried to make them
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with fig leaves; doesn't it say that
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in the chapter?
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They tried to, "Woo! Let's get something
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to cover things up here."
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Why did God choose to use
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the skins of animals to cover them?
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(Puia) The text didn't clearly state,
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but it's very possible that God,
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right away, wanted them to see
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that there is going to be a sacrifice
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that will cover for their sins.
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There will be the death of Somebody,
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a Savior, who would come and die
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on their behalf.
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And by being covered, it's like they
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are covered from their shame,
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Someone who would save them
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from their shame and sin.
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(Derek) You know, I just want to speak
00:13:43.691 --> 00:13:45.593
to you, our Hope Sabbath School members.
00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:47.261
If you missed the previous study,
00:13:47.261 --> 00:13:49.227
actually Puia taught the study
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on understanding sacrifice,
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and that was so clear.
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You can go to our website,
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hopetv.org/hopess, watch
00:13:58.123 --> 00:13:59.132
the previous study,
00:13:59.132 --> 00:14:00.461
Understanding Sacrifice,
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or go to our YouTube channel,
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and you can watch it there.
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We're building one lesson upon another,
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and you're absolutely right, this isn't
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just, "Well, I'll make it of something."
00:14:12.950 --> 00:14:17.188
This was a lesson about the lamb
00:14:17.188 --> 00:14:18.977
that would die pointing forward
00:14:18.977 --> 00:14:20.218
to the Lamb of God, right?
00:14:20.218 --> 00:14:21.739
So, there was a glimmer of hope.
00:14:21.739 --> 00:14:23.570
Let's look at another glimmer of hope,
00:14:23.570 --> 00:14:27.686
Sophia, in Genesis 3, verse 24.
00:14:27.686 --> 00:14:28.849
(Sophia) I'll be reading
00:14:28.849 --> 00:14:30.484
from the New King James Version:
00:14:42.737 --> 00:14:44.255
(Derek) Shawn, how do you think
00:14:44.255 --> 00:14:45.773
that was a word of hope,
00:14:45.773 --> 00:14:48.523
to have cherubim guarding
00:14:48.523 --> 00:14:50.961
the entrance so they couldn't enter?
00:14:50.961 --> 00:14:52.266
(Shawn) Well, it reminds me
00:14:52.266 --> 00:14:53.778
of the Ark of the Covenant,
00:14:53.778 --> 00:14:55.893
which had the two cherubim,
00:14:55.893 --> 00:14:57.558
and what sat between the two
00:14:57.558 --> 00:15:00.196
cherubim but the presence of God?
00:15:00.196 --> 00:15:02.432
And so, I think God is still alluding
00:15:02.432 --> 00:15:04.984
to this reality, that, "Even though you
00:15:04.984 --> 00:15:06.019
are leaving the land
00:15:06.019 --> 00:15:07.787
that I prepared for you, the garden
00:15:07.787 --> 00:15:09.322
I made for you, My presence
00:15:09.322 --> 00:15:11.024
is still going to dwell with you
00:15:11.024 --> 00:15:12.409
in a way to call you back
00:15:12.409 --> 00:15:13.534
to where you belong."
00:15:13.534 --> 00:15:15.280
(Derek) And you're absolutely right,
00:15:15.280 --> 00:15:16.555
and after Rodney's comment
00:15:16.555 --> 00:15:17.647
and Shaina's comment,
00:15:17.647 --> 00:15:19.403
everybody wanting to comment on that
00:15:19.403 --> 00:15:21.255
(that's good), we'll discover that He
00:15:21.255 --> 00:15:23.281
actually gives a promise about, "I
00:15:23.281 --> 00:15:25.916
will never leave you or forsake you."
00:15:25.916 --> 00:15:28.454
But let's take Rodney's comment first.
00:15:28.454 --> 00:15:29.841
(Rodney) And as you mentioned
00:15:29.841 --> 00:15:31.269
the word promise there, Derek,
00:15:31.269 --> 00:15:32.747
I think there's a sequence here
00:15:32.747 --> 00:15:34.233
that leads up to what we are
00:15:34.233 --> 00:15:35.490
talking about here that is
00:15:35.490 --> 00:15:36.952
very, very important, and Puia
00:15:36.952 --> 00:15:40.512
alluded to it, which was in Genesis 3:15,
00:15:40.512 --> 00:15:42.628
even before Genesis 3:15, you can see
00:15:42.628 --> 00:15:45.040
that man, Adam and Eve, went awry,
00:15:45.040 --> 00:15:48.099
then God actually went to find them.
00:15:48.099 --> 00:15:49.861
That's the first beautiful thing
00:15:49.861 --> 00:15:51.771
that probably happened before chapter 3,
00:15:51.771 --> 00:15:53.825
but once we enter chapter 3,
00:15:53.825 --> 00:15:56.130
it then speaks to Genesis 3:15,
00:15:56.130 --> 00:15:57.946
which is now the promise
00:15:57.946 --> 00:16:02.050
of the Messiah, the One who is to come.
00:16:02.050 --> 00:16:04.366
And then now out of that promise,
00:16:04.366 --> 00:16:06.838
He provides the skin, and then He
00:16:06.838 --> 00:16:08.213
also provides the cherubim
00:16:08.213 --> 00:16:09.691
that remind them that He
00:16:09.691 --> 00:16:10.909
will always be with them.
00:16:10.909 --> 00:16:13.100
I know we said earlier that it is
00:16:13.100 --> 00:16:15.413
a very challenging chapter, but as you
00:16:15.413 --> 00:16:18.292
said, Derek, there are glimmers of hope
00:16:18.292 --> 00:16:20.629
for not just them, but also for us.
00:16:20.629 --> 00:16:22.722
(Derek) And I like what Rodney
00:16:22.722 --> 00:16:24.957
pointed out, and then I'll come to Shaina
00:16:24.957 --> 00:16:27.412
and Alex, and that is,
00:16:27.412 --> 00:16:30.261
in that same chapter 3 and verse 8,
00:16:30.261 --> 00:16:33.182
God comes looking for them in the garden.
00:16:33.182 --> 00:16:34.933
And then He calls out,
00:16:34.933 --> 00:16:37.819
"Adam, where are you?"
00:16:37.819 --> 00:16:39.928
Did He know where Adam was?
00:16:39.928 --> 00:16:42.674
Of course, but He's calling him
00:16:42.674 --> 00:16:47.763
to stay in relationship with Him. Alex.
00:16:47.763 --> 00:16:50.665
(Alex) I wanted to add along with that,
00:16:50.665 --> 00:16:52.981
the Garden of Eden was
00:16:52.981 --> 00:16:55.336
actually a sanctuary.
00:16:55.336 --> 00:16:57.255
You could see the Cherubim blocking
00:16:57.255 --> 00:17:00.622
the entrance, which is east.
00:17:00.622 --> 00:17:02.130
That's the exact same structure
00:17:02.130 --> 00:17:06.063
as the sanctuary, so even there
00:17:06.063 --> 00:17:09.778
early on, we can see that's why God
00:17:09.778 --> 00:17:11.614
showed the sanctuary model
00:17:11.614 --> 00:17:14.627
to His people, to say, "My ultimate goal
00:17:14.627 --> 00:17:17.196
is to bring you back into My presence."
00:17:17.196 --> 00:17:18.732
(Derek) Fantastic. And, Shaina,
00:17:18.732 --> 00:17:21.341
I didn't want to miss your comment, too.
00:17:21.341 --> 00:17:25.435
(Shaina) So, ultimately He used
00:17:25.435 --> 00:17:26.835
the cherubim to shield them
00:17:26.835 --> 00:17:28.457
from the garden because if we look
00:17:28.457 --> 00:17:32.482
at verse 22 in the same [chapter,
00:17:32.482 --> 00:17:36.967
Genesis 3], the Godhead, the Lord God
00:17:36.967 --> 00:17:42.620
said...if I can read verse 22
of chapter 3.
00:17:42.620 --> 00:17:44.200
(Derek) Genesis 3, and you'd like
00:17:44.200 --> 00:17:46.236
to read which verse?
00:17:46.236 --> 00:17:47.613
(Shaina) Verse 22.
00:17:47.613 --> 00:17:49.578
(Derek) Verse 22, okay.
00:17:49.578 --> 00:17:50.942
(Shaina) And I'll be reading
00:17:50.942 --> 00:17:54.119
from the New King James Version, it says:
00:18:10.184 --> 00:18:12.414
So, it's not that God didn't want them
00:18:12.414 --> 00:18:14.423
to live forever, but now they were
00:18:14.423 --> 00:18:17.080
in a state of being exposed.
00:18:17.080 --> 00:18:18.848
We mentioned that before, now they
00:18:18.848 --> 00:18:21.488
were naked; they were ashamed.
00:18:21.488 --> 00:18:23.713
And if He allowed them to stay
00:18:23.713 --> 00:18:26.044
in that place and they continued to eat
00:18:26.044 --> 00:18:28.073
of that Tree of Life that would cause
00:18:28.073 --> 00:18:30.157
them to live forever, then they
00:18:30.157 --> 00:18:32.079
would forever be living in the state
00:18:32.079 --> 00:18:35.325
of nakedness, of shame, of sin.
00:18:35.325 --> 00:18:37.536
And the God of love,
00:18:37.536 --> 00:18:40.326
who designed us to begin with, does not
00:18:40.326 --> 00:18:41.771
want that for us.
00:18:41.771 --> 00:18:43.462
(Derek) I struggle with that text;
00:18:43.462 --> 00:18:44.467
I have to be honest.
00:18:44.467 --> 00:18:45.899
Maybe you can explain it to me
00:18:45.899 --> 00:18:48.160
because the wages of sin is death.
00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:49.975
So, I don't know, maybe it would have
00:18:49.975 --> 00:18:53.249
just prolonged the dying longer
00:18:53.249 --> 00:18:56.534
by having access to that life-giving food?
00:18:56.534 --> 00:18:58.246
I don't know; I guess we'll ask that
00:18:58.246 --> 00:18:59.658
when we get there, too.
00:18:59.658 --> 00:19:02.027
But, for sure you would agree with me
00:19:02.027 --> 00:19:04.458
that in the garden, and I like the comment
00:19:04.458 --> 00:19:06.515
that Alex made about the cherubim,
00:19:06.515 --> 00:19:09.867
and Shawn also, that there is foreshadowed
00:19:09.867 --> 00:19:12.988
that God is not going to abandon us
00:19:12.988 --> 00:19:14.423
because of sin.
00:19:14.423 --> 00:19:17.108
In fact, He wants to draw near to us.
00:19:17.108 --> 00:19:18.500
Where is that text found?
00:19:18.500 --> 00:19:20.594
Does anyone know where He says,
00:19:20.594 --> 00:19:23.141
"I will never leave you or forsake you"?
00:19:23.141 --> 00:19:25.351
It's found in a couple of places.
00:19:25.351 --> 00:19:26.584
Joshua, do you remember?
00:19:26.584 --> 00:19:29.150
(Joshua) In the book of Joshua.
00:19:29.150 --> 00:19:30.805
(Derek) We thought you would like
00:19:30.805 --> 00:19:31.935
to read that because it
00:19:31.935 --> 00:19:32.943
has your name on it.
00:19:32.943 --> 00:19:34.019
And then it's repeated
00:19:34.019 --> 00:19:35.811
in the book of Hebrews, correct?
00:19:35.811 --> 00:19:37.382
But, Joshua, the book that bears
00:19:37.382 --> 00:19:40.999
your name, let's see what you read there
00:19:40.999 --> 00:19:42.475
in Joshua 1, verse 5.
00:19:42.475 --> 00:19:43.994
And then we say, "Was that
00:19:43.994 --> 00:19:47.426
just for him, or is that for all of us?"
00:19:47.426 --> 00:19:48.794
(Joshua) And I'll be reading
00:19:48.794 --> 00:19:50.369
from the New King James Version,
00:19:50.369 --> 00:19:51.341
and the Bible says:
00:20:03.155 --> 00:20:04.352
(Derek) So, someone says,
00:20:04.352 --> 00:20:05.549
well that was for Joshua,
00:20:05.549 --> 00:20:06.794
and Joshua says, "I'm glad
00:20:06.794 --> 00:20:08.082
my name's Joshua, you know,
00:20:08.082 --> 00:20:09.751
because that would be for me, too."
00:20:09.751 --> 00:20:12.079
How do I know that that promise
00:20:12.079 --> 00:20:16.133
is not just for this leader
00:20:16.133 --> 00:20:18.519
of the children of Israel? Kylynda?
00:20:18.519 --> 00:20:19.703
(Kylynda) I was thinking
00:20:19.703 --> 00:20:22.774
about multiple places this text is found,
00:20:22.774 --> 00:20:25.208
and I was reminded, when Jesus
00:20:25.208 --> 00:20:27.812
is leaving His disciples, He also gives
00:20:27.812 --> 00:20:29.221
the same promise, "I won't
00:20:29.221 --> 00:20:30.798
leave you or forsake you."
00:20:30.798 --> 00:20:32.320
And it's really a promise
00:20:32.320 --> 00:20:34.805
to all followers of Christ.
00:20:34.805 --> 00:20:36.761
He's saying, "As you go out in the world,
00:20:36.761 --> 00:20:38.131
I am there with you."
00:20:38.131 --> 00:20:40.250
(Derek) Did somebody find Hebrews?
00:20:40.250 --> 00:20:42.300
Yes, Shawn, how does it read?
00:20:42.300 --> 00:20:44.379
It's being quoted for us,
00:20:44.379 --> 00:20:46.280
not just about Joshua.
00:20:46.280 --> 00:20:47.998
(Shawn) Correct, and I'll be reading
00:20:47.998 --> 00:20:51.470
from Hebrews 13, verse 5, and this will be
00:20:51.470 --> 00:20:53.654
the English Standard Version:
00:21:01.838 --> 00:21:02.959
(that is, God)
00:21:07.538 --> 00:21:08.938
(Derek) So, the context there
00:21:08.938 --> 00:21:13.012
is learning to be content,
00:21:13.012 --> 00:21:14.404
but it affects every area
00:21:14.404 --> 00:21:15.801
of our lives, doesn't it?
00:21:15.801 --> 00:21:20.537
So, as the darkness of sin settles
00:21:20.537 --> 00:21:23.252
on the world, and sin and death,
00:21:23.252 --> 00:21:26.925
why is it an encouragement to know
00:21:26.925 --> 00:21:28.825
that God says, "I will never leave you
00:21:28.825 --> 00:21:30.860
or forsake you"? Scott?
00:21:30.860 --> 00:21:33.680
(Scott) I think about Jesus' experience
00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:35.866
on the cross; as He was experiencing
00:21:35.866 --> 00:21:37.834
the weight of sin Himself, He said,
00:21:37.834 --> 00:21:38.762
"My God, My God,
00:21:38.762 --> 00:21:40.788
why have You forsaken Me?"
00:21:40.788 --> 00:21:44.177
That's what sin does, right?
00:21:44.177 --> 00:21:46.036
Sin causes that...and as we
00:21:46.036 --> 00:21:47.666
go through our lives, sometimes,
00:21:47.666 --> 00:21:48.893
as we're impacted by sin,
00:21:48.893 --> 00:21:51.181
we feel abandoned.
00:21:51.181 --> 00:21:52.610
And we have to make a choice:
00:21:52.610 --> 00:21:54.769
Am I going to go by how I feel,
00:21:54.769 --> 00:21:57.388
or am I going to believe God's promise
00:21:57.388 --> 00:21:59.286
when He said, "I will never leave you."
00:21:59.286 --> 00:22:00.681
It doesn't matter if you feel
00:22:00.681 --> 00:22:02.155
like God has left you or not;
00:22:02.155 --> 00:22:03.551
He promised, and you can take
00:22:03.551 --> 00:22:05.032
that to the bank.
00:22:05.032 --> 00:22:06.798
(Derek) That's an English expression,
00:22:06.798 --> 00:22:08.468
which means, "You can count on it,"
00:22:08.468 --> 00:22:10.179
by the way, if people were wondering
00:22:10.179 --> 00:22:13.288
what it means to take it to the bank.
00:22:13.288 --> 00:22:16.139
But knowing that God has promised
00:22:16.139 --> 00:22:18.842
to never leave us or forsake us
00:22:18.842 --> 00:22:20.541
really does make a difference,
00:22:20.541 --> 00:22:22.626
doesn't it? Yes, Zandile.
00:22:22.626 --> 00:22:24.438
(Zandile) I was going to say that it's
00:22:24.438 --> 00:22:28.517
a recurring concept or theme in the Bible
00:22:28.517 --> 00:22:31.808
where from Genesis 1, He comes to them.
00:22:31.808 --> 00:22:33.474
Even though they had disobeyed,
00:22:33.474 --> 00:22:35.975
He shows that He cares; He looks for them.
00:22:35.975 --> 00:22:38.605
And throughout the Bible, God is
00:22:38.605 --> 00:22:40.031
still saying to us, "I will
00:22:40.031 --> 00:22:41.321
never leave you, and I will
00:22:41.321 --> 00:22:42.399
never forsake you."
00:22:42.399 --> 00:22:43.894
So, if He is repeating it,
00:22:43.894 --> 00:22:45.535
there should be some seriousness
00:22:45.535 --> 00:22:47.221
and some truth in it because He
00:22:47.221 --> 00:22:48.838
wouldn't be saying it if He
00:22:48.838 --> 00:22:50.123
does not mean it.
00:22:50.123 --> 00:22:52.079
(Derek) Alright, I saw some remote hands
00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:54.060
over there, I think Rodney and Alex,
00:22:54.060 --> 00:22:56.163
and then Puia, and then we'll move on
00:22:56.163 --> 00:22:58.317
to look at some young people
00:22:58.317 --> 00:23:00.418
who were called to speak for God
00:23:00.418 --> 00:23:03.188
because He doesn't want anyone to think
00:23:03.188 --> 00:23:06.831
He's left us or forsaken us. Rodney?
00:23:06.831 --> 00:23:08.543
(Rodney) I think we have seen so far
00:23:08.543 --> 00:23:11.212
in our discussion, all the way through
00:23:11.212 --> 00:23:12.686
God just being with His people.
00:23:12.686 --> 00:23:15.072
That was the intent with Adam and Eve
00:23:15.072 --> 00:23:18.430
when God made the coats of skin, right,
00:23:18.430 --> 00:23:20.328
or the clothing of skin.
00:23:20.328 --> 00:23:21.712
In other words, wherever they
00:23:21.712 --> 00:23:23.341
went in the garden, they were
00:23:23.341 --> 00:23:25.726
wearing clothes, so they were
00:23:25.726 --> 00:23:27.482
in God's clothing, if you will.
00:23:27.482 --> 00:23:28.983
So, wherever they went, it was
00:23:28.983 --> 00:23:30.808
a reminder for them, not only to cover
00:23:30.808 --> 00:23:32.486
their shame but also as a reminder
00:23:32.486 --> 00:23:34.752
to them that He's with them.
00:23:34.752 --> 00:23:37.154
You see it also in the desert when they
00:23:37.154 --> 00:23:41.592
were traveling from Egypt to Canaan.
00:23:41.592 --> 00:23:43.516
God said, "Make Me a sanctuary
00:23:43.516 --> 00:23:44.960
that I may dwell among you."
00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:46.246
And so He wanted
00:23:46.246 --> 00:23:47.735
to really commune with them.
00:23:47.735 --> 00:23:49.211
You see when Jesus came,
00:23:49.211 --> 00:23:50.685
He was with His disciples.
00:23:50.685 --> 00:23:51.739
All the way through,
00:23:51.739 --> 00:23:53.838
even to the very last chapter
00:23:53.838 --> 00:23:55.416
of the book of Revelation,
00:23:55.416 --> 00:23:57.468
it says, "Surely I am coming quickly."
00:23:57.468 --> 00:23:59.681
So, we just see a depiction
00:23:59.681 --> 00:24:01.545
that, no matter where or how far
00:24:01.545 --> 00:24:03.330
we have gone, Jesus wants
00:24:03.330 --> 00:24:06.183
to have an intimate relationship with us.
00:24:06.183 --> 00:24:08.056
(Derek) Alright, thank you for sharing.
00:24:08.056 --> 00:24:09.553
Alex, I think you had your hand
00:24:09.553 --> 00:24:10.885
raised, too; would you like
00:24:10.885 --> 00:24:11.683
to add to that?
00:24:11.683 --> 00:24:13.481
(Alex) Yes, and to go with the idea
00:24:13.481 --> 00:24:15.499
of hope, when people have hope,
00:24:15.499 --> 00:24:17.107
it will help them to push through
00:24:17.107 --> 00:24:18.647
even through difficult times.
00:24:18.647 --> 00:24:19.981
And I just want everyone,
00:24:19.981 --> 00:24:22.650
whoever is watching, to put your name
00:24:22.650 --> 00:24:25.729
in Joshua 1:5 where God said, "As I was
00:24:25.729 --> 00:24:28.226
with Moses, so I will be with," Joshua,
00:24:28.226 --> 00:24:30.738
and, "I will be with you, too."
00:24:30.738 --> 00:24:31.963
(Derek) Beautiful, I like
00:24:31.963 --> 00:24:34.801
that personalizing of the text,
00:24:34.801 --> 00:24:37.448
"As I was with Moses,
00:24:37.448 --> 00:24:40.352
I will be with...," Sophia, Nicole,
00:24:40.352 --> 00:24:42.252
put your name there and say,
00:24:42.252 --> 00:24:43.672
"Is that really true?"
00:24:43.672 --> 00:24:45.790
Well, Jesus is the same yesterday,
00:24:45.790 --> 00:24:48.378
today and forever, so His promise
00:24:48.378 --> 00:24:51.997
is not just for Joshua in ancient times,
00:24:51.997 --> 00:24:53.881
but it's for each one of us. Puia?
00:24:53.881 --> 00:24:55.733
(Puia) I like what Rodney said.
00:24:55.733 --> 00:24:56.941
I think this is the theme
00:24:56.941 --> 00:24:58.869
that we're seeing throughout Scripture,
00:24:58.869 --> 00:24:59.864
the presence of God.
00:24:59.864 --> 00:25:02.240
You know, when humanity fell into sin,
00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:04.309
we can look at that from different angles,
00:25:04.309 --> 00:25:07.601
but one of the main things we lost
00:25:07.601 --> 00:25:10.247
was that direct presence of God,
00:25:10.247 --> 00:25:12.483
that face-to-face relationship
00:25:12.483 --> 00:25:15.386
that humanity had.
00:25:15.386 --> 00:25:18.113
But even in verse 24, chapter 3
00:25:18.113 --> 00:25:19.740
of Genesis that we read, that God
00:25:19.740 --> 00:25:21.322
placed cherubim, you know,
00:25:21.322 --> 00:25:24.312
the word "placed" in the Hebrew language
00:25:24.312 --> 00:25:27.164
is the same word for "tabernacle."
00:25:27.164 --> 00:25:28.790
(Derek) Ah, so He "pitched" them.
00:25:28.790 --> 00:25:30.785
(Puia) He pitched the cherubim,
00:25:30.785 --> 00:25:33.155
like He tabernacled, He continued
00:25:33.155 --> 00:25:34.872
to show humanity that, "Even though
00:25:34.872 --> 00:25:37.051
you have fallen into sin, My presence
00:25:37.051 --> 00:25:38.539
will still be here."
00:25:38.539 --> 00:25:41.193
We will one day be united again,
00:25:41.193 --> 00:25:42.796
and that is so beautiful.
00:25:42.796 --> 00:25:43.865
(Derek) It really is.
00:25:43.865 --> 00:25:46.650
Well, let's look at a few individuals
00:25:46.650 --> 00:25:50.494
who were called to be prophets.
00:25:50.494 --> 00:25:51.956
And you say, "Well, Derek, I'm
00:25:51.956 --> 00:25:53.343
not called to be a prophet,"
00:25:53.343 --> 00:25:55.193
but we'll actually learn some lessons
00:25:55.193 --> 00:25:57.778
that will help us to know God
00:25:57.778 --> 00:25:59.381
wants to reveal Himself to us.
00:25:59.381 --> 00:26:02.383
So, let's go to 1 Samuel, chapter 1.
00:26:02.383 --> 00:26:04.117
Nicole, if you could read
00:26:04.117 --> 00:26:07.271
verses 27 and 28.
00:26:07.271 --> 00:26:09.653
And we're asking the question,
00:26:09.653 --> 00:26:11.759
how did the Lord prepare
00:26:11.759 --> 00:26:14.161
young Samuel to prophesy?
00:26:14.161 --> 00:26:17.014
And we'll see the preparation
00:26:17.014 --> 00:26:21.705
actually began even before he was born.
00:26:21.705 --> 00:26:23.570
(Nicole) The New International Version
00:26:23.570 --> 00:26:24.889
of 1 Samuel, chapter 1,
00:26:24.889 --> 00:26:26.907
verses 27 and 28, says:
00:26:40.694 --> 00:26:42.312
(Derek) And if you'd stay with us,
00:26:42.312 --> 00:26:44.315
Nicole, and read in chapter 2,
00:26:44.315 --> 00:26:47.140
verses 18 and 19, since you are
00:26:47.140 --> 00:26:49.359
also a mother, so you can understand
00:26:49.359 --> 00:26:51.961
a mother's prayers as Hannah,
00:26:51.961 --> 00:26:53.471
remember, that was her name,
00:26:53.471 --> 00:26:56.186
is praying for this child.
00:26:56.186 --> 00:26:57.281
(Nicole) And continuing
00:26:57.281 --> 00:26:59.448
in the New International Version, it says:
00:27:13.634 --> 00:27:14.776
(Derek) Now, let's think
00:27:14.776 --> 00:27:16.580
back about the garden and the robe
00:27:16.580 --> 00:27:19.233
that was made in the garden.
00:27:19.233 --> 00:27:21.783
So, I want to ask a question.
00:27:21.783 --> 00:27:23.864
Some of you are parents, too.
00:27:23.864 --> 00:27:24.865
What do you think was
00:27:24.865 --> 00:27:28.376
going through Hannah's mind -
00:27:28.376 --> 00:27:30.147
and we've got some parents here
00:27:30.147 --> 00:27:31.885
on our team - what was going
00:27:31.885 --> 00:27:34.528
through Hannah's mind as she made
00:27:34.528 --> 00:27:38.098
that covering, that robe,
00:27:38.098 --> 00:27:42.056
for her son, Samuel, every year?
00:27:42.056 --> 00:27:46.643
Anybody, what do you think? Yes, Scott.
00:27:46.643 --> 00:27:49.017
(Scott) I'm drawn to the description
00:27:49.017 --> 00:27:50.448
of his clothing, that it says
00:27:50.448 --> 00:27:51.848
he was wearing a linen ephod.
00:27:51.848 --> 00:27:53.214
Now, we don't know exactly
00:27:53.214 --> 00:27:54.405
what an ephod was, but it
00:27:54.405 --> 00:27:56.584
had to do with priestly ministry.
00:27:56.584 --> 00:27:59.574
And so, Hannah has lent him to the Lord,
00:27:59.574 --> 00:28:01.142
and now she is clothing him
00:28:01.142 --> 00:28:03.821
in the trappings for his service for God,
00:28:03.821 --> 00:28:06.506
so she is preparing him, from a young age,
00:28:06.506 --> 00:28:10.282
to serve God, to minister for God.
00:28:10.282 --> 00:28:13.679
(Derek) Alright, in a physical sense,
00:28:13.679 --> 00:28:16.025
you mean, by making this robe?
00:28:16.025 --> 00:28:18.436
I want to know, Nicole, what was
00:28:18.436 --> 00:28:20.196
going through her mind
00:28:20.196 --> 00:28:21.667
while she was making...
00:28:21.667 --> 00:28:24.033
What was she doing while she was
00:28:24.033 --> 00:28:27.302
weaving or sewing that garment?
00:28:27.302 --> 00:28:29.095
(Nicole) I can see her putting tears
00:28:29.095 --> 00:28:30.576
in that garment because her son
00:28:30.576 --> 00:28:32.709
is not with her, but also love, because
00:28:32.709 --> 00:28:34.570
she knows that her son is going to wear
00:28:34.570 --> 00:28:36.315
that garment and have a part of her
00:28:36.315 --> 00:28:38.598
with him every day that he is
ministering to God.
00:28:38.598 --> 00:28:40.215
(Derek) Would someone like to add
00:28:40.215 --> 00:28:42.909
another word besides tears and love?
00:28:42.909 --> 00:28:43.826
(Joshua) Gratitude.
00:28:43.826 --> 00:28:45.604
(Derek) Gratitude. I'm looking
00:28:45.604 --> 00:28:47.773
for one more word.
00:28:47.773 --> 00:28:48.837
(Sophia) Joy.
00:28:48.837 --> 00:28:49.649
(Kylynda) Care.
00:28:49.649 --> 00:28:51.864
(Derek) How about prayer?
00:28:51.864 --> 00:28:53.385
Because she prayed, you told us,
00:28:53.385 --> 00:28:54.864
at the beginning, right?
00:28:54.864 --> 00:28:56.165
Did she stop praying?
00:28:56.165 --> 00:28:57.900
Do we stop praying for our children,
00:28:57.900 --> 00:28:59.535
those of us who have children?
00:28:59.535 --> 00:29:02.341
She never stops praying that he
00:29:02.341 --> 00:29:08.388
will be covered, that he will understand
00:29:08.388 --> 00:29:10.619
the grace of God.
00:29:10.619 --> 00:29:12.826
And, by the way, if you read this book,
00:29:12.826 --> 00:29:14.637
there are some wicked things happening
00:29:14.637 --> 00:29:15.858
in the temple.
00:29:15.858 --> 00:29:18.378
It's a miracle that this young boy
00:29:18.378 --> 00:29:21.096
is remaining pure and true to God.
00:29:21.096 --> 00:29:22.899
Well, let's pick up the story.
00:29:22.899 --> 00:29:26.286
Sophia, if you could take us to chapter 3
00:29:26.286 --> 00:29:29.173
of 1 Samuel, and we're going to look
00:29:29.173 --> 00:29:31.762
at the first 10 verses.
00:29:31.762 --> 00:29:33.466
Now, some of you might say, "Derek,
00:29:33.466 --> 00:29:35.872
I know this story," but maybe you're
00:29:35.872 --> 00:29:37.782
going to hear this for the first time.
00:29:37.782 --> 00:29:40.500
Remember, people are listening.
00:29:40.500 --> 00:29:43.194
And I want you not just to tell us
00:29:43.194 --> 00:29:46.271
what happened, but what can we learn
00:29:46.271 --> 00:29:49.628
for our lives today that will help us
00:29:49.628 --> 00:29:53.955
to prepare for the last days, okay?
00:29:53.955 --> 00:29:56.131
Chapter 3, verses 1 through 10.
00:29:56.131 --> 00:29:57.303
(Sophia) I'll be reading
00:29:57.303 --> 00:29:59.171
from the New King James Version:
00:31:35.711 --> 00:31:36.930
(Derek) What do you learn
00:31:36.930 --> 00:31:37.700
from this story?
00:31:37.700 --> 00:31:39.299
It's a beautiful story, right?
00:31:39.299 --> 00:31:41.434
What lessons do you learn?
00:31:41.434 --> 00:31:42.431
I see Rodney, you're
00:31:42.431 --> 00:31:44.153
just kind of shaking your head.
00:31:44.153 --> 00:31:45.475
There's got to be something
00:31:45.475 --> 00:31:46.819
you're thinking while you're
00:31:46.819 --> 00:31:47.900
shaking your head.
00:31:47.900 --> 00:31:50.877
(Rodney) Derek, this story
is unbelievable.
00:31:50.877 --> 00:31:53.874
I'm just watching the progression
00:31:53.874 --> 00:31:58.868
of both Samuel and Eli.
00:31:58.868 --> 00:32:04.407
I see Samuel, here, trying to understand
00:32:04.407 --> 00:32:06.386
the voice of God, because the Bible says
00:32:06.386 --> 00:32:08.854
there that the voice of the Lord
00:32:08.854 --> 00:32:10.894
was rare in those days.
00:32:10.894 --> 00:32:13.146
And so, if he hears anything that is
00:32:13.146 --> 00:32:16.822
sounding like...I notice he goes to Eli.
00:32:16.822 --> 00:32:18.106
He didn't go anywhere else;
00:32:18.106 --> 00:32:19.765
he went to Eli, so he's expecting
00:32:19.765 --> 00:32:21.477
that Eli would have been the person.
00:32:21.477 --> 00:32:23.555
But I just like how Samuel is
00:32:23.555 --> 00:32:25.507
following the instructions of Eli.
00:32:25.507 --> 00:32:27.308
Now, Eli himself also went
00:32:27.308 --> 00:32:28.884
through a progression.
00:32:28.884 --> 00:32:30.350
If you notice, Eli himself
00:32:30.350 --> 00:32:32.177
didn't even know, but the third time
00:32:32.177 --> 00:32:34.433
he recognized that God was
00:32:34.433 --> 00:32:35.811
speaking to this young man
00:32:35.811 --> 00:32:37.285
and instructed him accordingly.
00:32:37.285 --> 00:32:40.756
So, I can see growth and development
00:32:40.756 --> 00:32:42.158
in these two characters
00:32:42.158 --> 00:32:43.575
being displayed here,
00:32:43.575 --> 00:32:44.654
and so it is with us.
00:32:44.654 --> 00:32:47.772
God wants us to grow with Him as well.
00:32:47.772 --> 00:32:49.215
(Derek) Okay, I see some hands
00:32:49.215 --> 00:32:52.594
in the studio, and then I see Alex,
00:32:52.594 --> 00:32:55.104
one of our remotes. Nicole.
00:32:55.104 --> 00:32:56.195
(Nicole) I'm taken
00:32:56.195 --> 00:32:58.640
by the obedience of this child.
00:32:58.640 --> 00:33:00.884
I have children, and it's hard
00:33:00.884 --> 00:33:02.458
to get them, sometimes, to listen
00:33:02.458 --> 00:33:03.512
to what you're saying.
00:33:03.512 --> 00:33:07.150
But in this case, it's refreshing to see
00:33:07.150 --> 00:33:09.235
that this child is able to be obedient.
00:33:09.235 --> 00:33:11.086
And when Eli tells him what to do,
00:33:11.086 --> 00:33:12.788
he does it; that's from the prayer
00:33:12.788 --> 00:33:16.091
of his mom saying that this child
00:33:16.091 --> 00:33:17.710
is going to be raised and do
00:33:17.710 --> 00:33:18.821
the service of God.
00:33:18.821 --> 00:33:20.391
And so, that is important for us
00:33:20.391 --> 00:33:21.674
as parents to know, we have
00:33:21.674 --> 00:33:23.342
to pray for our children to be able
00:33:23.342 --> 00:33:24.439
to hear God's voice.
00:33:24.439 --> 00:33:26.375
(Derek) So, Samuel, this little boy, is
00:33:26.375 --> 00:33:29.421
covered in prayer in more ways than one.
00:33:29.421 --> 00:33:31.423
He's got the little robe, right,
00:33:31.423 --> 00:33:34.994
but he's also covered in prayer. Alex?
00:33:34.994 --> 00:33:36.617
(Alex) And it's powerful, and if I
00:33:36.617 --> 00:33:38.703
were to sum this up, for me,
00:33:38.703 --> 00:33:41.099
it is the fact that God does not call
00:33:41.099 --> 00:33:42.914
the qualified, but he
00:33:42.914 --> 00:33:44.603
qualifies the called.
00:33:44.603 --> 00:33:46.872
This is a young boy, but as long as you're
00:33:46.872 --> 00:33:48.357
willing, whoever you are,
00:33:48.357 --> 00:33:50.193
or how old you are, doesn't matter;
00:33:50.193 --> 00:33:52.496
as long as you say, "Here am I, Lord,"
00:33:52.496 --> 00:33:53.945
He will work through you.
00:33:53.945 --> 00:33:55.236
(Derek) So, you don't have
00:33:55.236 --> 00:33:57.329
to be the high priest like Eli.
00:33:57.329 --> 00:34:02.214
Tragically, Eli's not listening,
00:34:02.214 --> 00:34:03.505
and, "The word of the Lord
00:34:03.505 --> 00:34:05.307
was rare in those days."
00:34:05.307 --> 00:34:07.475
A lesson you learned, Scott.
00:34:07.475 --> 00:34:09.711
(Scott) What really struck me is
00:34:09.711 --> 00:34:13.649
that it says that Samuel did not yet know
00:34:13.649 --> 00:34:15.391
the voice of the Lord.
00:34:15.391 --> 00:34:19.368
And what stood out to me is that God
00:34:19.368 --> 00:34:24.093
calls us before we are in a position
00:34:24.093 --> 00:34:25.394
to reach out to Him.
00:34:25.394 --> 00:34:27.730
We are not the one who initiates.
00:34:27.730 --> 00:34:29.498
Samuel didn't start this up.
00:34:29.498 --> 00:34:31.630
God was the One who took the initiative,
00:34:31.630 --> 00:34:33.435
and He initiated this call,
00:34:33.435 --> 00:34:35.223
and He spoke to him.
00:34:35.223 --> 00:34:36.572
(Derek) Do we have any idea
00:34:36.572 --> 00:34:39.174
how old Samuel was at this time?
00:34:39.174 --> 00:34:42.511
Does anybody know?
00:34:42.511 --> 00:34:44.868
Shawn, you've got a couple of little boys.
00:34:44.868 --> 00:34:47.743
Can you imagine the Lord God saying,
00:34:47.743 --> 00:34:48.821
"I'm going to choose
00:34:48.821 --> 00:34:51.257
little Michael," or Matthew?
00:34:51.257 --> 00:34:52.495
(Shawn) That'd be amazing.
00:34:52.500 --> 00:34:54.129
(Derek) Wouldn't it be?!
00:34:54.129 --> 00:34:56.285
But I appreciate what you said, Alex,
00:34:56.285 --> 00:34:57.753
and I would say to you,
00:34:57.753 --> 00:34:59.394
our Hope Sabbath School family,
00:34:59.394 --> 00:35:01.980
God wants to speak to us,
00:35:01.980 --> 00:35:03.381
if we're willing to listen.
00:35:03.381 --> 00:35:05.508
Could we also as parents bathe
00:35:05.508 --> 00:35:08.417
our children in prayer so that when God
00:35:08.417 --> 00:35:10.782
speaks to them, they'll listen,
00:35:10.782 --> 00:35:12.114
they'll recognize the voice,
00:35:12.114 --> 00:35:13.022
and they'll listen.
00:35:13.022 --> 00:35:14.042
It's quite amazing.
00:35:14.042 --> 00:35:15.527
Sophia, you had a thought.
00:35:15.527 --> 00:35:18.053
(Sophia) It says that He came and stood,
00:35:18.053 --> 00:35:19.848
He came to him just like He came
00:35:19.848 --> 00:35:21.433
to Adam and Eve in the garden;
00:35:21.433 --> 00:35:22.717
He found them.
00:35:22.717 --> 00:35:24.402
(Derek) I noticed that also,
00:35:24.402 --> 00:35:25.956
that in the first [three],
00:35:25.956 --> 00:35:27.943
it just says, "He called."
00:35:27.943 --> 00:35:29.165
Did you notice that?
00:35:29.165 --> 00:35:31.320
But the [fourth] time, it says,
"The Lord..."?
00:35:31.320 --> 00:35:34.699
(Derek, Team) "...came and stood"
00:35:34.699 --> 00:35:36.902
(Derek) ...and called the [fourth] time.
00:35:36.902 --> 00:35:38.787
So, what lesson can we learn
00:35:38.787 --> 00:35:40.045
for our lives from this?
00:35:40.045 --> 00:35:44.442
We're talking about a story here
00:35:44.442 --> 00:35:45.530
for the last days.
00:35:45.530 --> 00:35:47.686
What lesson, Puia, could I learn
00:35:47.686 --> 00:35:48.468
from this story?
00:35:48.468 --> 00:35:50.299
You say, "What a great story."
00:35:50.299 --> 00:35:51.504
What could I learn?
00:35:51.504 --> 00:35:53.709
(Puia) I think God, even to this day
00:35:53.709 --> 00:35:56.346
and in the last days, wants to continue
00:35:56.346 --> 00:35:58.921
to communicate with us, so I think
00:35:58.921 --> 00:36:02.144
the lesson, here, is to be willing,
00:36:02.144 --> 00:36:03.586
as Alex pointed out, to have
00:36:03.586 --> 00:36:06.883
a willing heart to say, "Here I am, Lord,"
00:36:06.883 --> 00:36:08.170
"Here I am, send me,"
00:36:08.170 --> 00:36:09.951
"Here I am, I'm listening."
00:36:09.951 --> 00:36:11.893
And I really love how Samuel responded,
00:36:11.893 --> 00:36:14.089
"Speak, Your servant hears."
00:36:14.089 --> 00:36:15.381
I think the lesson is there
00:36:15.381 --> 00:36:17.637
for us to continue to listen
00:36:17.637 --> 00:36:18.733
to the voice of God.
00:36:18.733 --> 00:36:20.844
Today, the Bible is the Word of God,
00:36:20.844 --> 00:36:23.407
that we can listen to His Word every day,
00:36:23.407 --> 00:36:26.398
and God will speak to our hearts.
00:36:26.398 --> 00:36:28.210
(Derek) Let's look at another prophet.
00:36:28.210 --> 00:36:29.410
Kylynda, if you'd take us
00:36:29.410 --> 00:36:31.089
to Isaiah the prophet.
00:36:31.089 --> 00:36:34.659
Now, this is several centuries later.
00:36:34.659 --> 00:36:38.620
This is about the eighth century B.C.,
00:36:38.620 --> 00:36:40.700
and God calls another prophet
00:36:40.700 --> 00:36:43.361
named Isaiah, and if you could read
00:36:43.361 --> 00:36:46.722
for us chapter 6 of the book -
00:36:46.722 --> 00:36:48.757
because this is where Isaiah
00:36:48.757 --> 00:36:51.310
actually tells us about his call -
00:36:51.310 --> 00:36:53.428
verses 1 through 5.
00:36:53.428 --> 00:36:54.647
(Kylynda) I'll be reading
00:36:54.647 --> 00:36:56.524
from the New King James Version:
00:37:44.195 --> 00:37:45.405
(Derek) What do you think
00:37:45.405 --> 00:37:47.131
about Isaiah's reaction
00:37:47.131 --> 00:37:49.101
to this revelation?
00:37:49.101 --> 00:37:52.745
Now, again, you know he obviously had
00:37:52.745 --> 00:37:56.196
a relationship with God, right,
00:37:56.196 --> 00:37:58.645
though I do think, Scott, you pointed out
00:37:58.645 --> 00:37:59.889
that we don't have to have
00:37:59.889 --> 00:38:01.321
everything together before God
00:38:01.321 --> 00:38:02.422
might come and call us.
00:38:02.422 --> 00:38:05.102
But he's a man seeking God,
00:38:05.102 --> 00:38:07.427
and yet this is a totally...
00:38:07.427 --> 00:38:09.773
What would you say?
00:38:09.773 --> 00:38:11.849
A more overwhelming revelation
00:38:11.849 --> 00:38:14.478
of God's presence and truth to him.
00:38:14.478 --> 00:38:15.308
What do you think
00:38:15.308 --> 00:38:16.734
about his reaction, Joshua?
00:38:16.734 --> 00:38:18.501
(Joshua) To me, he seemed intimidated
00:38:18.501 --> 00:38:20.811
and unworthy; he felt
00:38:20.811 --> 00:38:22.328
as though he was unworthy.
00:38:22.328 --> 00:38:23.029
(Derek) Okay.
00:38:23.029 --> 00:38:24.931
(Joshua) I know the following Scriptures
00:38:24.931 --> 00:38:27.671
seem to clarify that and what God did
00:38:27.671 --> 00:38:28.723
in order to prepare...
00:38:28.723 --> 00:38:30.203
(Derek) Okay, let's unpack
00:38:30.203 --> 00:38:35.319
the "intimidated"; that implies some fear?
00:38:35.319 --> 00:38:38.365
Do you think there was some fear there?
00:38:38.365 --> 00:38:39.791
(Joshua) The vision of what he
00:38:39.791 --> 00:38:41.932
was seeing? Yeah.
00:38:41.932 --> 00:38:43.565
(Derek) You know, it would be nice
00:38:43.565 --> 00:38:44.425
to think no fear,
00:38:44.425 --> 00:38:47.381
but any time even holy angels showed up,
00:38:47.381 --> 00:38:50.646
they had to say, "Fear not," right?
00:38:50.646 --> 00:38:52.506
"Fear not, I bring you glad tidings..."
00:38:52.506 --> 00:38:53.272
"Fear not," why?
00:38:53.272 --> 00:38:56.465
Because the glory of God
00:38:56.465 --> 00:38:58.715
is really overwhelming
00:38:58.715 --> 00:39:01.875
to sinful human beings. Yes, Puia.
00:39:01.875 --> 00:39:04.071
(Puia) I think this is a common theme
00:39:04.071 --> 00:39:05.071
we see in the Bible.
00:39:05.071 --> 00:39:07.180
Whenever someone gets close to God,
00:39:07.180 --> 00:39:10.405
they begin to see their own sinfulness.
00:39:10.405 --> 00:39:11.867
You know, the closer you are
00:39:11.867 --> 00:39:13.770
drawn to God, the more you
00:39:13.770 --> 00:39:15.968
see your failures.
00:39:15.968 --> 00:39:17.301
And yet, that's where we see
00:39:17.301 --> 00:39:19.761
the grace of God coming through also.
00:39:19.761 --> 00:39:21.480
(Derek) You speak about grace, Puia.
00:39:21.480 --> 00:39:23.457
I'd like you to read on, verses 6 and 7
00:39:23.457 --> 00:39:24.704
of the same chapter.
00:39:24.704 --> 00:39:26.036
The story doesn't end there,
00:39:26.036 --> 00:39:28.467
"Woe is me, I'm done, bye."
00:39:28.467 --> 00:39:30.914
Fortunately, the prophet continues
00:39:30.914 --> 00:39:34.968
to record the story, and what do we learn?
00:39:34.968 --> 00:39:36.236
(Puia) And I'll be reading
00:39:36.236 --> 00:39:37.980
from the New King James Version,
00:39:37.980 --> 00:39:39.813
Isaiah 6, verses 6 to 8:
00:39:59.400 --> 00:40:01.158
(Derek) Oh, hold verse 8; we're going
00:40:01.158 --> 00:40:03.230
going to read that in just a minute, okay?
00:40:03.230 --> 00:40:06.942
So, we've got a hot coal coming
00:40:06.942 --> 00:40:09.028
from an altar; there's
00:40:09.028 --> 00:40:12.275
some symbolism here, what is that?
00:40:12.275 --> 00:40:13.323
(Joshua) Purification.
00:40:13.323 --> 00:40:15.539
(Derek) Purification, and what's the altar
00:40:15.539 --> 00:40:18.264
it's coming from?
00:40:18.264 --> 00:40:20.633
It kind of reminds us of...?
00:40:20.633 --> 00:40:21.729
(Team) Burnt offering.
00:40:21.729 --> 00:40:27.558
(Derek) Burnt offering, of the sanctuary.
00:40:27.558 --> 00:40:30.010
Does anybody have an idea?
00:40:30.010 --> 00:40:33.896
Yes, Rodney, you're going to tell us
00:40:33.896 --> 00:40:36.410
where this burning coal came from,
00:40:36.410 --> 00:40:38.607
an altar of some kind.
00:40:38.607 --> 00:40:40.510
(Rodney) Yes, there's an intimation here
00:40:40.510 --> 00:40:42.322
that it is from the altar of incense
00:40:42.322 --> 00:40:44.174
where there is prayer,
00:40:44.174 --> 00:40:46.005
and back to Joshua's point
00:40:46.005 --> 00:40:48.929
around purification that takes place.
00:40:48.929 --> 00:40:51.347
It really just is a great symbolism
00:40:51.347 --> 00:40:54.751
that indicates that, "Well,
00:40:54.751 --> 00:40:56.815
you're now ready."
00:40:56.815 --> 00:40:58.432
God is saying, "I am purifying you
00:40:58.432 --> 00:41:00.190
of your sin, and now you are ready
00:41:00.190 --> 00:41:02.569
to represent Me to My people."
00:41:02.569 --> 00:41:05.328
(Derek) So, heavenly sanctuary, right,
00:41:05.328 --> 00:41:08.222
or earthly sanctuary - no.
00:41:08.222 --> 00:41:09.568
It's heavenly sanctuary
00:41:09.568 --> 00:41:11.856
this is coming from; it's a symbol.
00:41:11.856 --> 00:41:13.540
And, Puia, you wanted to read on,
00:41:13.540 --> 00:41:15.963
and we want you to read it for us,
00:41:15.963 --> 00:41:20.385
because what options does
00:41:20.385 --> 00:41:25.165
this young man, Isaiah, have
at this point?
00:41:25.165 --> 00:41:26.594
What are his options?
00:41:26.594 --> 00:41:27.658
(Puia) Say no to God.
00:41:27.658 --> 00:41:28.827
(Derek) He could say no.
00:41:28.827 --> 00:41:30.387
He could say, "This
00:41:30.387 --> 00:41:33.876
would be very difficult."
00:41:33.876 --> 00:41:35.425
"They've killed prophets before,
00:41:35.425 --> 00:41:38.999
and they'll kill prophets later.
00:41:38.999 --> 00:41:41.447
They might even kill me."
00:41:41.447 --> 00:41:44.308
Or, he says...let's see how he responds
00:41:44.308 --> 00:41:46.897
in Isaiah 6 and verse 8.
00:41:46.897 --> 00:41:48.304
(Puia) And I will be reading
00:41:48.304 --> 00:41:49.913
from the New King James Version:
00:42:01.261 --> 00:42:02.634
(Derek) So, we're not called
00:42:02.634 --> 00:42:03.407
to be prophets.
00:42:03.407 --> 00:42:04.769
Shaina, I'm going to ask you
00:42:04.769 --> 00:42:06.342
a question in just a minute here,
00:42:06.342 --> 00:42:08.135
because when we're called
00:42:08.135 --> 00:42:10.138
even to be on Hope Sabbath School,
00:42:10.138 --> 00:42:11.903
right - we're sharing the Word of God
00:42:11.903 --> 00:42:13.684
with the world - it would be easy
00:42:13.684 --> 00:42:17.378
for us to go, "I don't think so.
00:42:17.378 --> 00:42:19.313
Why don't You call someone else
00:42:19.313 --> 00:42:22.787
who's more...," more what?
00:42:22.787 --> 00:42:23.614
(Team) Qualified.
00:42:23.614 --> 00:42:27.093
(Derek) Qualified or talented or whatever.
00:42:27.093 --> 00:42:33.910
Shaina, when you joined the team,
00:42:33.910 --> 00:42:36.029
I don't think it was just my wife
00:42:36.029 --> 00:42:37.511
who asked you; I think God
00:42:37.511 --> 00:42:38.886
was inviting you, and you've
00:42:38.886 --> 00:42:40.952
been a great blessing
00:42:40.952 --> 00:42:43.687
to the Hope Sabbath School team.
00:42:43.687 --> 00:42:45.405
How did God interact with you
00:42:45.405 --> 00:42:49.222
when that invitation came?
00:42:49.222 --> 00:42:51.072
(Shaina) Well, I had to respond
00:42:51.072 --> 00:42:55.021
positively to His call as well,
00:42:55.021 --> 00:42:58.736
and I found that in reading His Word
00:42:58.736 --> 00:43:00.603
and spending more time in His Word
00:43:00.603 --> 00:43:03.887
and in communicating, I felt strengthened
00:43:03.887 --> 00:43:05.543
and more equipped.
00:43:05.543 --> 00:43:07.722
And as I continued to communicate
00:43:07.722 --> 00:43:11.315
with Him, the initial fear,
00:43:11.315 --> 00:43:14.774
because to be honest, I used to film
00:43:14.774 --> 00:43:17.048
in the studio regularly when I lived
00:43:17.048 --> 00:43:22.372
in the area, and in my brain,
00:43:22.372 --> 00:43:24.262
sitting there in the studio was like,
00:43:24.262 --> 00:43:26.762
"Oh, these cameras; I'm being
00:43:26.762 --> 00:43:27.858
viewed by the world."
00:43:27.858 --> 00:43:30.466
It was kind of an intimidating feeling,
00:43:30.466 --> 00:43:32.240
but as I said, as time went on,
00:43:32.240 --> 00:43:34.639
and I kept communicating with Him,
00:43:34.639 --> 00:43:37.240
and also being surrounded by believers
00:43:37.240 --> 00:43:42.913
who were equipped by Him as well,
00:43:42.913 --> 00:43:45.682
it started to become natural to me.
00:43:45.682 --> 00:43:47.330
And so, it's like, as we continue
00:43:47.330 --> 00:43:48.636
to communicate with Him
00:43:48.636 --> 00:43:50.778
and spend time in His Word,
00:43:50.778 --> 00:43:52.354
He will fuel us with the strength
00:43:52.354 --> 00:43:54.109
that we need in order to do
00:43:54.109 --> 00:43:55.453
what He called us to do.
00:43:55.453 --> 00:43:57.372
(Derek) And I want you to stay with us,
00:43:57.372 --> 00:43:58.729
Shaina, because some
00:43:58.729 --> 00:44:00.781
of our Hope Sabbath School family
00:44:00.781 --> 00:44:03.522
know that you faced a great crisis
00:44:03.522 --> 00:44:06.347
when you had an accident some years ago.
00:44:06.347 --> 00:44:09.413
Tell us about that, and that
00:44:09.413 --> 00:44:11.606
might have been a great way out,
00:44:11.606 --> 00:44:13.604
to say, "Well, I'm going through all
00:44:13.604 --> 00:44:15.178
of this difficulty; I don't think
00:44:15.178 --> 00:44:17.237
I can do this anymore."
00:44:17.237 --> 00:44:19.566
And yet, God called you to continue.
00:44:19.566 --> 00:44:21.468
Talk to us about that.
00:44:21.468 --> 00:44:23.704
(Shaina) It was about four years ago
00:44:23.704 --> 00:44:26.311
I underwent the greatest tragedy
00:44:26.311 --> 00:44:29.189
of my life so far.
00:44:29.189 --> 00:44:31.095
I was in a major car accident,
00:44:31.095 --> 00:44:34.467
was on life support for two days,
00:44:34.467 --> 00:44:37.252
and after I got off life support
00:44:37.252 --> 00:44:39.079
had short-term memory loss.
00:44:39.079 --> 00:44:42.393
So, meaning I would most likely be
00:44:42.393 --> 00:44:44.625
repeating the same things I said
00:44:44.625 --> 00:44:48.918
30 seconds ago in this conversation.
00:44:48.918 --> 00:44:50.392
Lots of prayers were sent up
00:44:50.392 --> 00:44:54.417
around the world for me, and I remember
00:44:54.417 --> 00:44:56.636
Pastor Derek's wife reaching
00:44:56.636 --> 00:44:59.333
back out to me after I felt better.
00:44:59.333 --> 00:45:03.311
And I was like, "I cannot not do this,
00:45:03.311 --> 00:45:08.524
because look at what He has done for me."
00:45:08.524 --> 00:45:11.027
I didn't have to have my memory restored.
00:45:11.027 --> 00:45:13.187
I didn't have to be walking.
00:45:13.187 --> 00:45:18.411
I didn't have to look
00:45:18.411 --> 00:45:22.319
like nothing happened to me basically.
00:45:22.319 --> 00:45:24.012
And people look at me today,
00:45:24.012 --> 00:45:25.388
and they would never be able
00:45:25.388 --> 00:45:27.962
to tell that I was in that state.
00:45:27.962 --> 00:45:34.504
And so, this is just like my gratitude,
00:45:34.504 --> 00:45:35.700
to say, "Thank You, God.
00:45:35.700 --> 00:45:39.601
You saved me from that physical death,
00:45:39.601 --> 00:45:42.517
and ultimately the spiritual death,"
00:45:42.517 --> 00:45:43.853
and it's like I can't...
00:45:43.853 --> 00:45:46.241
I don't even know if this is
00:45:46.241 --> 00:45:48.883
enough to say thanks.
00:45:48.883 --> 00:45:53.231
And so, it's very little that I can do
00:45:53.231 --> 00:45:55.417
to say thanks, and He continues
00:45:55.417 --> 00:46:00.972
to strengthen and equip me to do the work.
00:46:00.972 --> 00:46:02.274
(Derek) Thank you so much.
00:46:02.274 --> 00:46:03.919
It's a powerful testimony.
00:46:03.919 --> 00:46:05.511
Thank you so much for sharing it.
00:46:05.511 --> 00:46:07.636
And I guess, you say, "Well, Samuel,
00:46:07.636 --> 00:46:09.194
that was like a long time ago."
00:46:09.194 --> 00:46:11.836
Or, "Isaiah, that was a long time ago."
00:46:11.836 --> 00:46:13.818
But we have a choice to make.
00:46:13.818 --> 00:46:18.667
And Shaina said, "Here am I, use me,"
00:46:18.667 --> 00:46:19.878
right, "Use me."
00:46:19.878 --> 00:46:21.660
Oh, but Satan comes, and, I mean,
00:46:21.660 --> 00:46:23.489
we know God didn't cause the accident.
00:46:23.489 --> 00:46:24.539
You say, "Well, it was
00:46:24.539 --> 00:46:25.964
just someone's driving."
00:46:25.964 --> 00:46:27.751
But, ultimately the enemy is
00:46:27.751 --> 00:46:30.226
behind the chaos of this world.
00:46:30.226 --> 00:46:32.691
But God says, "We're not done."
00:46:32.691 --> 00:46:34.552
You know, the cherubim are still there,
00:46:34.552 --> 00:46:36.234
right, "My presence between them."
00:46:36.234 --> 00:46:38.374
"I've still got you covered."
00:46:38.374 --> 00:46:42.949
And Shaina's testimony today
00:46:42.949 --> 00:46:44.689
will be used by God
00:46:44.689 --> 00:46:47.335
to impact people around the world.
00:46:47.335 --> 00:46:49.588
Well, there's another young person
00:46:49.588 --> 00:46:51.285
that the Lord called;
00:46:51.285 --> 00:46:53.148
his name was Jeremiah.
00:46:53.148 --> 00:46:54.692
And, Alex, I'm going to ask you,
00:46:54.692 --> 00:46:57.162
you're a young man, God called you,
00:46:57.162 --> 00:46:59.017
and by the way, I'm going to give you
00:46:59.017 --> 00:47:00.565
an opportunity to share a little
00:47:00.565 --> 00:47:02.871
of your testimony, too.
00:47:02.871 --> 00:47:04.646
but I would like you to read the text
00:47:04.646 --> 00:47:06.071
for us first, if you would,
00:47:06.071 --> 00:47:08.957
from Jeremiah, chapter 1,
00:47:08.957 --> 00:47:11.246
verses 4 through 10.
00:47:11.246 --> 00:47:12.771
(Alex) Okay, and I'll be reading
00:47:12.771 --> 00:47:14.642
from the New King James,
00:47:14.642 --> 00:47:17.082
and starting at verse 4, it says:
00:48:16.131 --> 00:48:17.516
(Derek) Stay with us, Alex,
00:48:17.516 --> 00:48:19.541
because I want to give you an opportunity.
00:48:19.541 --> 00:48:22.982
You actually were called by God
00:48:22.982 --> 00:48:24.803
as a young man, too,
00:48:24.803 --> 00:48:26.605
and maybe Hope Sabbath School people
00:48:26.605 --> 00:48:28.657
watching go, "Well, he probably grew up,
00:48:28.657 --> 00:48:30.461
you know, a perfect child
00:48:30.461 --> 00:48:32.205
and never had any challenges,
00:48:32.205 --> 00:48:33.559
and he doesn't understand."
00:48:33.559 --> 00:48:35.648
But share with me a little,
00:48:35.648 --> 00:48:37.976
and with our Hope Sabbath School family,
00:48:37.976 --> 00:48:39.315
a little of your testimony.
00:48:39.315 --> 00:48:40.953
I remember some of the things
00:48:40.953 --> 00:48:42.261
that you were involved with
00:48:42.261 --> 00:48:44.556
and how God literally turned
00:48:44.556 --> 00:48:45.801
your life around.
00:48:45.801 --> 00:48:48.928
And He's called you now to proclaim
00:48:48.928 --> 00:48:51.102
to the nations the truth
00:48:51.102 --> 00:48:54.346
about His immeasurable love.
00:48:54.346 --> 00:48:57.585
(Alex) Yes, and it really touches me
00:48:57.585 --> 00:48:59.122
whenever I look back, because I
00:48:59.122 --> 00:49:01.551
really don't see myself whenever I share,
00:49:01.551 --> 00:49:03.895
and it's like, "That's not me."
00:49:03.895 --> 00:49:07.053
But that was me before, and, no,
00:49:07.053 --> 00:49:09.959
I didn't grow up fearing the Lord.
00:49:09.959 --> 00:49:13.535
I had friends that I shouldn't
00:49:13.535 --> 00:49:15.095
have been hanging around with.
00:49:15.095 --> 00:49:17.300
I had done things that I shouldn't
00:49:17.300 --> 00:49:18.394
have been doing.
00:49:18.394 --> 00:49:21.693
I was mostly, unfortunately,
00:49:21.693 --> 00:49:25.764
into a lot of violent sports,
00:49:25.764 --> 00:49:29.052
and because of that, it really numbed me
00:49:29.052 --> 00:49:31.787
into not caring for people,
00:49:31.787 --> 00:49:33.329
not caring for how people think,
00:49:33.329 --> 00:49:36.191
how people feel, what people say,
00:49:36.191 --> 00:49:38.026
and I had an anger problem.
00:49:38.026 --> 00:49:40.045
But I remember the Lord
00:49:40.045 --> 00:49:41.134
really convicting me
00:49:41.134 --> 00:49:42.598
and drawing me out of it.
00:49:42.598 --> 00:49:44.410
And one of the ways - because before I
00:49:44.410 --> 00:49:48.115
didn't believe in God - but one
of the ways
00:49:48.115 --> 00:49:50.789
He revealed to me that He was real
00:49:50.789 --> 00:49:52.587
was through Bible prophecy.
00:49:52.587 --> 00:49:55.026
I couldn't deny it, and I knew
00:49:55.026 --> 00:49:57.312
that I had to accept it.
00:49:57.312 --> 00:49:59.231
And that really led me to the Savior.
00:49:59.231 --> 00:50:01.316
And really looking at the cross
00:50:01.316 --> 00:50:03.802
and seeing that that was real,
00:50:03.802 --> 00:50:05.554
that really broke my heart.
00:50:05.554 --> 00:50:08.557
That pierced my heart, and it led me
00:50:08.557 --> 00:50:11.210
to see that I needed to change.
00:50:11.210 --> 00:50:13.679
And God, out of mercy, called me
00:50:13.679 --> 00:50:14.574
out of that world.
00:50:14.574 --> 00:50:19.101
I was stuck in a very embarrassing
and hard time,
00:50:19.101 --> 00:50:21.030
and I had to call out to God
00:50:21.030 --> 00:50:22.588
and say, "Lord, I don't know
00:50:22.588 --> 00:50:24.306
what You want from me,
00:50:24.306 --> 00:50:26.499
but now I want to give You my all.
00:50:26.499 --> 00:50:27.960
And I don't know the future,
00:50:27.960 --> 00:50:29.462
but I want to give You my all."
00:50:29.462 --> 00:50:32.017
And He called me out; He led me,
00:50:32.017 --> 00:50:34.132
He guided me, and I saw Him
00:50:34.132 --> 00:50:36.889
leading me into spreading His Word.
00:50:36.889 --> 00:50:38.528
And I've loved it ever since,
00:50:38.528 --> 00:50:40.650
and as I study His Word,
00:50:40.650 --> 00:50:42.561
He not only sanctified my lips
00:50:42.561 --> 00:50:45.237
but my mind, my heart, my actions
00:50:45.237 --> 00:50:46.758
to where, when people hear
00:50:46.758 --> 00:50:48.914
of my testimony, they say,
00:50:48.914 --> 00:50:50.489
"You don't look like that person
00:50:50.489 --> 00:50:52.685
that belongs in the streets
00:50:52.685 --> 00:50:54.294
or speaks that way."
00:50:54.294 --> 00:50:56.855
But, God is merciful, and I
00:50:56.855 --> 00:50:58.610
just praise God that His glory
00:50:58.610 --> 00:51:00.565
may be shown in my life.
00:51:00.565 --> 00:51:01.537
(Derek, Team) Amen!
00:51:01.537 --> 00:51:04.220
(Derek) Amen. I remember Alex
00:51:04.220 --> 00:51:05.068
sharing with me.
00:51:05.068 --> 00:51:06.521
It was actually in the middle
00:51:06.521 --> 00:51:09.368
of a mixed martial arts fight
00:51:09.368 --> 00:51:12.152
where he was actually really fighting
00:51:12.152 --> 00:51:15.304
for his life, that he heard
00:51:15.304 --> 00:51:16.423
the Lord speak to him.
00:51:16.423 --> 00:51:19.111
Alex, I'm remembering this story
00:51:19.111 --> 00:51:21.552
and how God delivered him through that.
00:51:21.552 --> 00:51:23.939
He actually knocked the person out,
00:51:23.939 --> 00:51:25.556
and people thought, "Wow, now he's
00:51:25.556 --> 00:51:26.763
really going to be famous
00:51:26.763 --> 00:51:28.924
and go into a career
00:51:28.924 --> 00:51:30.537
and make lots of money."
00:51:30.537 --> 00:51:32.831
But that day, he made the decision
00:51:32.831 --> 00:51:34.738
that he was finished
00:51:34.738 --> 00:51:37.593
with that violent activity.
00:51:37.593 --> 00:51:40.166
And so, God's turned him into a warrior
00:51:40.166 --> 00:51:41.870
for the Kingdom of Heaven.
00:51:41.870 --> 00:51:44.069
Someone ought to say, "Praise God."
00:51:44.069 --> 00:51:45.561
You say, "That's a miracle
00:51:45.561 --> 00:51:47.053
of God's grace."
00:51:47.053 --> 00:51:48.452
Now, I need to take us,
00:51:48.452 --> 00:51:49.960
to wrap up the story...
00:51:49.960 --> 00:51:53.443
I know you want to share, but one
00:51:53.443 --> 00:51:56.516
of the things I noticed as Alex
00:51:56.516 --> 00:52:00.707
was sharing was a spirit of humility.
00:52:00.707 --> 00:52:02.512
Did you notice that?
00:52:02.512 --> 00:52:05.698
I noticed it also with Shaina.
00:52:05.698 --> 00:52:08.184
And I want to just speak
00:52:08.184 --> 00:52:09.385
to you now and speak
00:52:09.385 --> 00:52:12.120
to our Hope Sabbath School family
00:52:12.120 --> 00:52:14.435
around the world, when God calls us,
00:52:14.435 --> 00:52:16.753
He may not call you to be a prophet
00:52:16.753 --> 00:52:19.545
who speaks of the future.
00:52:19.545 --> 00:52:22.968
Alex is a pastor now, a pastor!
00:52:22.968 --> 00:52:24.755
Someone say, "Praise God!"
00:52:24.755 --> 00:52:26.452
He's a pastor now.
00:52:26.452 --> 00:52:31.625
But, to stay humble when we see
00:52:31.625 --> 00:52:33.759
God work in miraculous ways
00:52:33.759 --> 00:52:35.613
(Rodney, I see your hand),
00:52:35.613 --> 00:52:39.878
so that all of the glory is deflected
00:52:39.878 --> 00:52:42.527
to God and not to us,
00:52:42.527 --> 00:52:44.140
because a testimony...
00:52:44.140 --> 00:52:45.571
Remember what Alex said?
00:52:45.571 --> 00:52:47.234
He shares his testimony, and people
00:52:47.234 --> 00:52:50.728
are like, "Is that the same person
00:52:50.728 --> 00:52:51.851
that I'm seeing here
00:52:51.851 --> 00:52:54.948
testifying about God?"
00:52:54.948 --> 00:52:57.250
How do we stay humble, Rodney,
00:52:57.250 --> 00:53:01.284
when we're prophesying
00:53:01.284 --> 00:53:04.868
of what God has done in our lives?
00:53:04.868 --> 00:53:06.635
(Rodney) One of the things I observed
00:53:06.635 --> 00:53:09.006
throughout our study, as we read
00:53:09.006 --> 00:53:12.239
the Scripture about Isaiah, Jeremiah,
00:53:12.239 --> 00:53:14.524
we listen to Shaina's story,
00:53:14.524 --> 00:53:18.204
we listen to Alex's story,
00:53:18.204 --> 00:53:22.436
I realize that God has a unique way
00:53:22.436 --> 00:53:24.278
of getting to each person.
00:53:24.278 --> 00:53:27.240
So, if you notice that their testimonies
00:53:27.240 --> 00:53:29.800
are not the same, but the end goal
00:53:29.800 --> 00:53:30.895
is the same, which is
00:53:30.895 --> 00:53:32.392
to draw closer to Jesus.
00:53:32.392 --> 00:53:34.540
And it is very, very important
00:53:34.540 --> 00:53:39.084
for all of us to remain in Jesus
00:53:39.084 --> 00:53:41.799
so that we can remain humble
00:53:41.799 --> 00:53:45.454
because if we don't, we will go awry.
00:53:45.454 --> 00:53:48.531
We will be off track, and so then we
00:53:48.531 --> 00:53:51.369
start to draw the attention to ourselves
00:53:51.369 --> 00:53:53.373
rather than Jesus.
00:53:53.373 --> 00:53:55.355
So, in order to attain that, we have
00:53:55.355 --> 00:53:57.572
to keep close to Him so that He
00:53:57.572 --> 00:53:59.246
can keep us aligned.
00:53:59.246 --> 00:54:02.348
(Derek) You know, one of the pitfalls
00:54:02.348 --> 00:54:08.553
that Lucifer fell into was exalting self.
00:54:08.553 --> 00:54:11.183
"I will," "I will,' "I will," if you read
00:54:11.183 --> 00:54:14.292
in Isaiah, chapter 14, exalting self.
00:54:14.292 --> 00:54:17.083
But the faithful servant of God
00:54:17.083 --> 00:54:19.201
is always deflecting all of the praise
00:54:19.201 --> 00:54:20.500
and glory to God.
00:54:20.500 --> 00:54:22.920
Now, I want to close with this thought.
00:54:22.920 --> 00:54:25.567
The Apostle Paul said, "God did something
00:54:25.567 --> 00:54:27.278
to me to keep me humble."
00:54:27.278 --> 00:54:29.413
I mean, he was talented, well educated,
00:54:29.413 --> 00:54:32.467
a great orator, but he said, "God allowed
00:54:32.467 --> 00:54:35.067
a thorn in the flesh to come to me."
00:54:35.067 --> 00:54:37.136
It's in 2 Corinthians; we don't need
00:54:37.136 --> 00:54:39.316
to read it, but you say, "What was that?"
00:54:39.316 --> 00:54:41.672
It doesn't really matter.
00:54:41.672 --> 00:54:42.880
Some say, "I think it was
00:54:42.880 --> 00:54:43.794
his poor eyesight."
00:54:43.794 --> 00:54:50.604
But has God taught any of you,
00:54:50.604 --> 00:54:52.521
reminded you, of the need
00:54:52.521 --> 00:54:54.300
to stay humble before Him
00:54:54.300 --> 00:54:56.290
by a thorn in your flesh,
00:54:56.290 --> 00:55:00.727
a challenge that you have?
00:55:00.727 --> 00:55:02.366
I see several hands.
00:55:02.366 --> 00:55:04.917
Anybody want to testify?
00:55:04.917 --> 00:55:08.019
Nicole, God sometimes allows things
00:55:08.019 --> 00:55:10.281
to come to us (He doesn't cause them)
00:55:10.281 --> 00:55:11.647
to keep [Him] saying,
00:55:11.647 --> 00:55:15.215
"Just trust Me completely, Nicole."
00:55:15.215 --> 00:55:16.613
How has He done that for you?
00:55:16.613 --> 00:55:18.307
(Nicole) Well, He's done it
00:55:18.307 --> 00:55:20.848
a few times for me, but I can remember
00:55:20.848 --> 00:55:22.275
distinctly when I was applying
00:55:22.275 --> 00:55:23.995
for medical school I did not do well
00:55:23.995 --> 00:55:25.748
on the entrance exams.
00:55:25.748 --> 00:55:28.078
And in my mind, I thought, "I have this.
00:55:28.078 --> 00:55:29.490
I've done well in college.
00:55:29.490 --> 00:55:31.568
This is nothing for me."
00:55:31.568 --> 00:55:34.402
And it reminded me that I have
00:55:34.402 --> 00:55:36.371
to look to God and be doing this
00:55:36.371 --> 00:55:38.504
for His glory and not for my own glory.
00:55:38.504 --> 00:55:40.385
And so, I had to step back, take a look
00:55:40.385 --> 00:55:43.191
at what my intentions were, and once I
00:55:43.191 --> 00:55:46.510
really dedicated my service to God,
00:55:46.510 --> 00:55:47.969
He then said, "Okay, I'm ready
00:55:47.969 --> 00:55:49.732
for you now to go to this next step."
00:55:49.732 --> 00:55:53.042
And I ended up doing well on my exams
and getting into medical school,
00:55:53.042 --> 00:55:55.100
but I had to go through a challenging time
00:55:55.100 --> 00:55:58.521
to really get to that place where I was
doing it for Him and not for me.
00:55:58.521 --> 00:55:59.866
(Derek) That's interesting.
00:55:59.866 --> 00:56:01.259
You're not a preacher, right?
00:56:01.259 --> 00:56:02.595
You're a physician.
00:56:02.595 --> 00:56:05.010
But whatever our occupation,
00:56:05.010 --> 00:56:06.593
I'm just talking to you now here
00:56:06.593 --> 00:56:07.614
wherever you are.
00:56:07.614 --> 00:56:09.643
You say, "Derek, well, I do this or that,"
00:56:09.643 --> 00:56:12.261
"I'm a teacher," or, "I'm an electrician,"
00:56:12.261 --> 00:56:16.798
or, you tell me what your profession is.
00:56:16.798 --> 00:56:22.005
God wants to use you just like He called
00:56:22.005 --> 00:56:24.761
Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah,
00:56:24.761 --> 00:56:27.946
just like He called Shaina and Alex.
00:56:27.946 --> 00:56:31.517
He wants to use us, Nicole.
00:56:31.517 --> 00:56:34.142
He wants to use us with the gifts
00:56:34.142 --> 00:56:35.925
He's given to us and the passion
00:56:35.925 --> 00:56:39.518
and love for Him to make a difference
00:56:39.518 --> 00:56:41.054
for the Kingdom of Heaven.
00:56:41.054 --> 00:56:42.445
Would you be willing to make
00:56:42.445 --> 00:56:44.293
that commitment today?
00:56:44.293 --> 00:56:45.899
Let's pray together.
00:56:45.899 --> 00:56:48.948
Father in Heaven, as Rodney reminded us,
00:56:48.948 --> 00:56:50.873
our stories are all different,
00:56:50.873 --> 00:56:53.452
and yet the call is the same,
00:56:53.452 --> 00:56:55.354
"Who will go and speak for Me?
00:56:55.354 --> 00:56:57.616
Who will tell the world the truth
00:56:57.616 --> 00:57:00.533
about a God who loves all of His children
00:57:00.533 --> 00:57:02.559
with an immeasurable and unfailing love?"
00:57:02.559 --> 00:57:05.543
God, I pray for each one watching today,
00:57:05.543 --> 00:57:07.871
that we could say in our place,
00:57:07.871 --> 00:57:11.466
"Lord, here I am, would You use me?"
00:57:11.466 --> 00:57:13.532
And may lives around us be blessed.
00:57:13.532 --> 00:57:16.420
We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
00:57:16.420 --> 00:57:17.488
(Team) Amen.
00:57:17.488 --> 00:57:18.951
(Derek) Thanks for joining us.
00:57:18.951 --> 00:57:20.949
You say, "What! Some amazing testimonies!"
00:57:20.949 --> 00:57:22.995
We'd love to hear your testimony
00:57:22.995 --> 00:57:25.281
because God is still working miracles
00:57:25.281 --> 00:57:26.762
in these last days.
00:57:26.762 --> 00:57:28.183
Go out and share that
00:57:28.183 --> 00:57:29.731
with those around you.
00:57:29.731 --> 00:57:53.655
♪ theme music ♪