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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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We are studying about[br]two great men of God,
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Ezra and Nehemiah, one a priest,
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another a government official
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and lessons that we
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will apply to our lives today.
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Our topic today: Facing Opposition.
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It wasn't just back then,
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but every woman of God,
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every man of God, who's willing
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to be available to God today
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will face opposition.
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How do we deal with that
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in a way that makes us stronger
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and closer to God and even a blessing
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in the midst of the opposition?
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That's what we'll look at.
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We're glad you joined us
0:00:58.228,0:00:59.378
for Hope Sabbath School.
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What a great series,
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and I'm glad that you're with us.
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How many of you here
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have experienced opposition
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at some point in your life?
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Yeah, right, but what Jesus says
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is when you suffer[br]for righteousness' sake,
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so we're talking about opposition
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because we're doing what God[br]wants us to do
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and not because we're
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just doing our own thing.
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We believe that we are
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going to learn some lessons today.
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We're glad you're with us.
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Oh, I forgot to tell you
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about our awesome app.
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I should open up my phone here,
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go to the Hope Channel app.
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You can go right there;
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you can choose whatever show.
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Here's Hope Sabbath School.
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There's one of my favorite participants,[br]Travis, right there,
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and there's Heide right there[br]on the screen.
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Heide, you're right here today.
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So, right there you can get
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lots of powerful insights.
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You can choose different languages,
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if you'd like to listen
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in other languages.
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Lots of other Bible-based programming
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besides Hope Sabbath School.
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Go to the App Store or to Google Play.
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You can download the free[br]Hope Channel app;
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it really is amazing.
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We had a simple one
0:02:04.715,0:02:06.994
that we built a little while back that was
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in 150 countries around the world.
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This one is, like, turbo, okay?
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It's, like, super-awesome.
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So, if you haven't downloaded it,[br]get our new app.
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And talking about reaching
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different parts of the world,
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this is our first email
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from the island of Ukerewe,
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which is the largest inland island
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on the continent of Africa.
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Yes, it's in Lake Victoria.
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The country is Tanzania,
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and Baraka writes to us.
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He says, "I'm 43 years old,
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living on the island of Ukerewe,
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and I am following
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Hope Sabbath School every day."
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(Team) Amen!
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(Derek) By the way, I looked up Ukerewe
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because I didn't know anything about it.
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It is also a sanctuary for albinos
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because in some cultures[br]they're persecuted
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because they're albino,
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and that apparently is a refuge,
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the island of Ukerewe.
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"Be blessed, everyone in the class,[br]really blessed.
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God bless us all. Amen."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) Well, Baraka, thanks for writing.
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We really are excited to know -
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we're going to go Google
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on our phones or computers
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and find the island of Ukerewe,
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which is your home.
0:03:28.266,0:03:31.130
Cynthia writes to us from Michigan
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in the United States of America.
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Wait, Jason, aren't you from Michigan?
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Would you like to wave to Cynthia?
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"I am not a Seventh-day Adventist[br]Christian,
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but I enjoy your programs on Hope Channel,
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especially Hope Sabbath School."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) "Your teaching
0:03:48.092,0:03:50.291
is directly from the Bible."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) That's it, right?
0:03:53.586,0:03:55.441
"Where I previously lived,
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I attended a Baptist church.
0:03:57.244,0:03:59.325
There are only a few differences,
0:03:59.325,0:04:00.783
but I am pleased to see
0:04:00.783,0:04:03.036
that we all worship the same God,
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and we love Him and Jesus Christ[br]our Savior."
0:04:06.130,0:04:07.084
(Team) Amen.
0:04:07.084,0:04:08.428
(Derek) "Actually, I watch
0:04:08.428,0:04:10.055
a few Christian programs;
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it's very uplifting that the Word of God
0:04:13.274,0:04:16.159
is still being broadcast on television."
0:04:16.159,0:04:17.250
(Team) Amen.
0:04:17.250,0:04:19.075
(Derek) "We can make good choices
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about what we watch," writes Cynthia,
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and we would agree, right?
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(Team) Amen. Yes.
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(Derek) And I'm so glad
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that you wrote to us, Cynthia,[br]from Michigan,
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and you're right; we can choose,
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and we're glad you're part
0:04:29.533,0:04:31.161
of our Hope Sabbath School family.
0:04:31.161,0:04:34.114
Here's a note from some donors, a couple.
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They say, "We're celebrating
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the continued blessings from the Lord."
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This is from the state of South Dakota.
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"We wish to share a small portion[br]with you.
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You and all of the Hope[br]Sabbath School team
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are a large part of our lives.
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We start each Sabbath
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watching Hope Sabbath School."
0:04:51.915,0:04:52.910
(Team) Amen!
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(Derek) "Thank you for all you've done
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and continue to do.
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May we glorify the Lord
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until His soon return,"
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and a gift of 2,000 dollars
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to help the ministry
0:05:03.834,0:05:06.033
of Bible-based programming
0:05:06.033,0:05:07.373
for the world, right?
0:05:07.373,0:05:09.841
And thank you, a donor-supported ministry;
0:05:09.841,0:05:12.005
we appreciate each one
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who partners with us.
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Justina writes a short note
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to us from the Bahamas,
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and Justina says, "Thank you, team,
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for your continuous explanation
0:05:23.510,0:05:26.505
and exploration of the Word of God."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) "God is using Hope Sabbath School
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to bring much light to the viewers."
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And we say praise God, right?
0:05:35.219,0:05:37.061
One last note...Oh, I was excited
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to receive this one
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from a pastor in Nebraska
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in the United States of America.
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Pastor Doyle writes to us;
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Doyle is his first name.
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"I am a senior pastor,
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Bible and Sunday school teacher,
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and I look forward to watching
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Hope Sabbath School every day."
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(Team) Amen!
0:05:58.408,0:05:59.766
(Derek) "I thoroughly enjoy
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the straightforward, interactive,[br]no-nonsense teaching of the Bible.
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I love the perspectives of the team.
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I pray the Lord's continued blessings
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and success on you.
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I live in Omaha; I've been
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searching religious programming
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for the unadulterated gospel.
0:06:18.417,0:06:20.721
I've grown weary of programs.
0:06:20.721,0:06:21.983
While searching, though,
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I came across Hope Sabbath School,
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and the Holy Spirit
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quickened my desire to watch."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) "I was so impressed
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with the clear, concise teachings
0:06:31.128,0:06:32.894
and the interactive discussion.
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I'm a Baptist pastor, and my joy
0:06:35.881,0:06:38.054
is teaching the Word of God.
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My preaching style is didactic,
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so you know while watching
0:06:42.292,0:06:46.068
Hope Sabbath School, I'm in heaven.
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I now watch Hope Sabbath School
0:06:47.820,0:06:51.374
six days a week, and I'm[br]looking forward to it.
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May God continue to pour out His blessings
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on you and the Hope Sabbath School team."
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God bless you, Pastor.
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Thank you for writing to us from Nebraska.
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Isn't it exciting, from an island[br]in Lake Victoria
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to a pastor in Nebraska,
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God is touching hearts.
0:07:11.349,0:07:12.785
We'd love to hear from you
0:07:12.785,0:07:15.283
wherever you live on planet Earth.
0:07:15.283,0:07:16.856
I suppose we could get an email
0:07:16.856,0:07:18.539
from off the planet, too,
0:07:18.539,0:07:22.447
but sshope@hopetv.org.
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It really brings us joy, doesn't it?
0:07:24.533,0:07:27.225
We're all volunteers; you're donating.
0:07:27.225,0:07:29.563
I was a volunteer for seven years,
0:07:29.563,0:07:31.286
and then they made me the president
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of the global television network.
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But we come here together
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because we believe in the mission. Amen?
0:07:38.225,0:07:40.116
And we're glad you're part of it, too.
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Right now we need your help to sing.
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We're going to sing our theme song[br]from Psalm 25.
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"To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
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O my God, I trust in You."
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Let's sing it together.
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♪ music ♪
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(Derek) Three thousand years ago
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the psalmist sang that;
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it was a different tune,
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but I'm sure some day he'll say,
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"I know the words to that song,"
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written by the Holy Spirit,
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and we just found another tune.
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But it's beautiful, isn't it?
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I think it would have been
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a good song for Ezra and Nehemiah,
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"Let not my enemies triumph over me,"
0:09:33.029,0:09:34.839
because they were facing opposition.
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We want to study about that
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and what it would mean for us
0:09:38.411,0:09:39.966
as women of God/men of God
0:09:39.966,0:09:41.855
in the last days of Earth's history,
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trying to be faithful
0:09:42.868,0:09:44.682
to what God's called us to do,
0:09:44.682,0:09:47.502
answering His call or His appeal
0:09:47.502,0:09:50.156
and experiencing some opposition.
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Let's pray; Father in Heaven,
0:09:52.034,0:09:53.951
lessons for us today from Your Word.
0:09:53.951,0:09:55.991
Be our Teacher by Your Holy Spirit.
0:09:55.991,0:09:57.565
And we thank You and praise You.
0:09:57.565,0:09:58.932
In Jesus' name. Amen.
0:09:58.932,0:10:00.146
(Team) Amen.
0:10:00.146,0:10:01.811
(Derek) Well, we're going to start
0:10:01.811,0:10:03.937
at Ezra, chapter 4,
0:10:03.937,0:10:07.995
as Ezra and the wave...
0:10:07.995,0:10:09.416
Is this the first wave
0:10:09.416,0:10:11.504
of exiles returning, Ezra?
0:10:11.504,0:10:14.422
First wave? Yes or no. No.
0:10:14.422,0:10:18.177
First wave was Zerubbabel, right, in 538,
0:10:18.177,0:10:20.105
and now we're in 457
0:10:20.105,0:10:21.474
or thereabouts, right?
0:10:21.474,0:10:23.405
So that's about 80 years or so.
0:10:23.405,0:10:25.297
Second wave going back,
0:10:25.297,0:10:27.148
and there's been some opposition
0:10:27.148,0:10:28.417
in the first wave;
0:10:28.417,0:10:30.040
now we're in the second wave,
0:10:30.040,0:10:33.287
Ezra going back, chapter 4, verses 1 to 5.
0:10:33.287,0:10:35.048
Liza, would you begin our study?
0:10:35.048,0:10:38.741
And why do you think the Jewish exiles
0:10:38.741,0:10:40.841
who return to Jerusalem
0:10:40.841,0:10:43.230
refuse to allow other people
0:10:43.230,0:10:45.663
to help them rebuild the temple?
0:10:45.663,0:10:46.744
(Liza) I'll be reading
0:10:46.744,0:10:48.278
from the New King James Version:
0:11:52.106,0:11:54.187
(Derek) So Ezra is actually writing
0:11:54.187,0:11:56.232
history about something that happened
0:11:56.232,0:11:58.262
when Zerubbabel brought the first wave
0:11:58.262,0:11:59.927
of exiles back, right?
0:11:59.927,0:12:01.496
And when they come back,
0:12:01.496,0:12:02.975
apparently some local people
0:12:02.975,0:12:04.350
said, "We'll help you."
0:12:04.350,0:12:05.761
First thing they wanted to do
0:12:05.761,0:12:07.317
was to rebuild the temple.
0:12:07.317,0:12:08.325
Later they are going
0:12:08.325,0:12:10.705
to rebuild the walls, right[br](first the temple).
0:12:10.705,0:12:15.174
Why does Zerubbabel, Jeshua, or Joshua,
0:12:15.174,0:12:16.407
and those who came back,
0:12:16.407,0:12:18.755
why did they refuse help?
0:12:18.755,0:12:20.177
You say, "I thought we'd need
0:12:20.177,0:12:22.137
all the help we could get." Heide?
0:12:22.137,0:12:23.279
(Heide) I was wondering
0:12:23.279,0:12:24.747
the same thing when I read it.
0:12:24.747,0:12:26.585
I was like, "What? What in the world?"
0:12:26.585,0:12:28.039
It sounds like they're saying,
0:12:28.039,0:12:29.291
"We worship the same God,
0:12:29.291,0:12:31.908
and we want to come and help you."
0:12:31.908,0:12:33.956
Why would they reject him?
0:12:33.956,0:12:35.536
Reject them, I'm sorry.
0:12:35.536,0:12:36.930
So I inquired a little more,
0:12:36.930,0:12:38.789
and I found from an author
0:12:38.789,0:12:42.337
that she mentioned that they had
0:12:42.337,0:12:45.391
already fallen into disobedience
0:12:45.391,0:12:47.201
as a result of mixing
0:12:47.201,0:12:51.636
with surrounding countries and tribes,
0:12:51.636,0:12:53.032
and that had led them
0:12:53.032,0:12:57.498
into a state of apostasy and disobedience.
0:12:57.498,0:13:00.238
And they were trying to avoid doing that,
0:13:00.238,0:13:02.358
that there was actually wisdom in this,
0:13:02.358,0:13:05.906
that they saw this as a ploy of the enemy
0:13:05.906,0:13:08.980
to lead them away from obedience to God,
0:13:08.980,0:13:10.082
which is what got them
0:13:10.082,0:13:12.300
into that position to start with,
0:13:12.300,0:13:15.718
"and we want to do everything we can[br]to avoid that."
0:13:15.718,0:13:17.301
And then the way that they react
0:13:17.301,0:13:18.856
shows that they were right.
0:13:18.859,0:13:20.135
(Derek) Ah, that's right.
0:13:20.135,0:13:21.261
Even if you didn't know
0:13:21.261,0:13:22.426
all of that background,
0:13:22.426,0:13:23.987
which is quite interesting;
0:13:23.987,0:13:26.002
that's the "rest of the story."
0:13:26.002,0:13:28.564
All you need to do is read how they react
0:13:28.564,0:13:31.262
in the next few verses, right? Puia?
0:13:31.262,0:13:33.024
(Puia) From the description
0:13:33.024,0:13:34.848
of their name itself here,
0:13:34.848,0:13:39.098
Ezra used "adversaries;"[br]they can't be friends.
0:13:39.098,0:13:40.221
(Derek) But he may not
0:13:40.221,0:13:41.939
have known that immediately, right?
0:13:41.939,0:13:44.713
It may have taken a little time[br]to see that,
0:13:44.713,0:13:47.411
but you've got here,
0:13:47.411,0:13:50.231
as soon as they don't get their way,
0:13:50.231,0:13:52.047
they show their true colors.
0:13:52.047,0:13:53.922
(Marcus) They discourage, and then they
0:13:53.922,0:13:56.236
try to bring trouble to them[br]as they're building.
0:13:56.236,0:13:58.360
(Derek) They hire counselors
0:13:58.360,0:14:02.201
against them to frustrate them.
0:14:02.201,0:14:04.361
So they're using deception.
0:14:04.361,0:14:05.760
They're not coming, saying,
0:14:05.760,0:14:07.050
"We're your enemies.
0:14:07.050,0:14:08.626
We've gone into apostasy,
0:14:08.626,0:14:12.192
and we're trying to hinder your work."
0:14:12.192,0:14:14.661
Does that strategy of deception
0:14:14.661,0:14:18.507
remind you of anybody else? Stephanie.
0:14:18.507,0:14:20.114
(Stephanie) In the Garden of Eden
0:14:20.114,0:14:21.088
with Adam and Eve
0:14:21.088,0:14:24.783
when Satan came to deceive.
0:14:24.783,0:14:26.561
(Derek) And says, "Eat this fruit;
0:14:26.561,0:14:27.964
it will kill you, and it will
0:14:27.964,0:14:31.452
cause misery to all of your descendants."
0:14:31.452,0:14:34.163
That would have been the truth, right?
0:14:34.163,0:14:35.564
"But you'll be like God.
0:14:35.564,0:14:36.824
You'll be wise like God.
0:14:36.824,0:14:38.567
Your eyes will be opened."
0:14:38.567,0:14:40.250
Can you think of any other times
0:14:40.250,0:14:42.517
that Satan....This is deception,
0:14:42.517,0:14:43.910
and the real enemy, again,
0:14:43.910,0:14:45.184
is not these people
0:14:45.184,0:14:48.166
but Satan and his kingdom behind.
0:14:48.166,0:14:49.678
Can you think of other times
0:14:49.678,0:14:53.117
when Satan uses deception
0:14:53.117,0:14:55.425
to try to lead people astray? Gladys?
0:14:55.425,0:14:56.927
(Gladys) I think of Solomon
0:14:56.927,0:14:58.417
when he was being king.
0:14:58.417,0:15:00.335
God had already promised him
0:15:00.335,0:15:01.586
that he will be wise
0:15:01.586,0:15:03.079
and that He will be with him.
0:15:03.079,0:15:05.045
And yet he married all these women
0:15:05.045,0:15:07.033
because he was afraid that these kingdoms
0:15:07.033,0:15:09.015
will reunite against him.
0:15:09.015,0:15:10.456
He tried to do it his way,
0:15:10.456,0:15:12.455
so it was kind of like the devil
0:15:12.455,0:15:14.484
trying to influence what God
0:15:14.484,0:15:17.858
had already prescribed to be good,[br]for something evil.
0:15:17.858,0:15:20.295
So he aligned himself with these women
0:15:20.295,0:15:23.398
that, at the end, just departed his heart
0:15:23.398,0:15:24.905
from the plan of God.
0:15:24.905,0:15:26.788
(Derek) And maybe the enemy said
0:15:26.788,0:15:28.707
to Solomon, "Build some temples
0:15:28.707,0:15:32.119
just to keep your wives happy."
0:15:32.119,0:15:33.561
He's not saying, "And you can
0:15:33.561,0:15:35.411
commit apostasy, too,
0:15:35.411,0:15:37.276
and you can worship false gods."
0:15:37.276,0:15:38.622
But you're absolutely right,
0:15:38.622,0:15:40.105
it did turn his heart away.
0:15:40.105,0:15:41.158
That's an example.
0:15:41.158,0:15:42.995
Someone else, another example. Pedro?
0:15:42.995,0:15:44.212
(Pedro) I would say Jesus
0:15:44.212,0:15:45.622
when He was tempted by Satan.
0:15:45.622,0:15:47.786
He didn't come, like, "Oh, I'm Satan.
0:15:47.786,0:15:50.042
You're in my territory; get out of here."
0:15:50.042,0:15:52.472
No, no, "Make some bread[br]out of this rock."
0:15:52.472,0:15:54.242
And we can see this here
0:15:54.242,0:15:57.167
that they're trying to trick them
0:15:57.167,0:15:58.626
because if they helped,
0:15:58.626,0:16:00.493
it would also give them the opportunity
0:16:00.493,0:16:01.964
to say, "Well, since we built,
0:16:01.964,0:16:04.220
we want to bring our gods[br]into your temple now."
0:16:04.220,0:16:06.145
(Derek) Ah, "We helped build the temple,
0:16:06.145,0:16:09.485
so we want a room for our gods."[br]Okay, Travis?
0:16:09.487,0:16:11.092
(Travis) I think of Balaam.
0:16:11.092,0:16:17.174
You know, the story where he gets paid
0:16:17.174,0:16:23.590
to go and trick or cast a spell for money.
0:16:23.590,0:16:25.285
And that's just how Satan works.
0:16:25.285,0:16:27.433
He wants to make things look attractive,
0:16:27.433,0:16:30.636
but yet their's deception in it.
0:16:30.636,0:16:33.366
(Derek) So, how can we avoid
0:16:33.366,0:16:34.801
that kind of deception?
0:16:34.801,0:16:36.084
We're talking about wanting
0:16:36.084,0:16:39.407
to, in this day, be faithful to God.
0:16:39.407,0:16:41.588
We're going to experience opposition.
0:16:41.588,0:16:45.779
How can we be alert, Jason, when people
0:16:45.779,0:16:48.702
seem to be friendly and helpful,
0:16:48.702,0:16:50.790
but there's actually deception at work?
0:16:50.790,0:16:52.579
(Jason) Thinking of Pedro's reference
0:16:52.579,0:16:53.650
to Jesus' temptations,
0:16:53.650,0:16:55.477
Jesus responded with, "It is written."
0:16:55.477,0:16:57.013
He went right back to Scripture.
0:16:57.013,0:16:58.262
So, knowing the Scriptures
0:16:58.262,0:17:00.414
and being able quote the Scriptures
0:17:00.414,0:17:02.777
is a very powerful tool against deception.
0:17:02.787,0:17:05.147
(Derek) Okay. Anybody else? Yes, Gladys?
0:17:05.147,0:17:07.449
(Gladys) I wouldn't say just quote[br]the Scripture,
0:17:07.449,0:17:09.255
but having that relationship with God
0:17:09.255,0:17:11.696
when the Word is living in you.
0:17:11.696,0:17:12.837
Then you will be able
0:17:12.837,0:17:14.618
to recognize any counterfeit.
0:17:14.618,0:17:16.512
Because somebody who works in a bank,
0:17:16.512,0:17:19.402
they don't study every counterfeit money[br]that comes out.
0:17:19.402,0:17:20.824
They just spend time
0:17:20.824,0:17:23.453
recognizing and knowing the real money,
0:17:23.453,0:17:24.721
so when counterfeit comes,
0:17:24.721,0:17:26.139
they recognize it right away.
0:17:26.139,0:17:28.572
So should we, when we study[br]the Word of God,
0:17:28.572,0:17:31.457
it becomes part of our daily lives.
0:17:31.457,0:17:33.376
So, when something like that comes,
0:17:33.376,0:17:35.013
it will be easier to recognize.
0:17:35.013,0:17:37.053
(Derek) So let's look at another aspect,
0:17:37.053,0:17:39.238
another attempt at deception
0:17:39.238,0:17:41.694
in Ezra, chapter 5, with someone
0:17:41.694,0:17:44.601
by the name of Tattenai, governor
0:17:44.601,0:17:47.219
of the region beyond the Euphrates.
0:17:47.219,0:17:48.802
Puia, if you could take us
0:17:48.802,0:17:50.586
to Ezra, chapter 5,
0:17:50.586,0:17:51.717
let's hear the story
0:17:51.717,0:17:54.125
in verses 8 through 17.
0:17:54.125,0:17:57.643
Now, this is kind of an official
0:17:57.643,0:18:01.105
wanting to use deception
0:18:01.105,0:18:03.362
to hinder the work of God.
0:18:03.362,0:18:04.629
(Puia) And I'll be reading
0:18:04.629,0:18:06.162
from the New King James Version,
0:18:06.162,0:18:09.203
Ezra, chapter 5, verses 8 through 17:
0:20:18.747,0:20:21.991
(Derek) Why is he writing this letter?
0:20:21.991,0:20:24.525
He has no connection with the building
0:20:24.525,0:20:27.255
of the house of God.
0:20:27.255,0:20:28.714
(Stephanie) Stir up trouble.
0:20:28.714,0:20:30.754
(Derek) What's he trying to do, Stephanie?
0:20:30.754,0:20:32.116
(Stephanie) Stir up trouble.
0:20:32.116,0:20:33.560
(Derek) Is he hoping that they
0:20:33.560,0:20:35.176
won't be able to find the record,
0:20:35.176,0:20:38.139
or check the records and see
0:20:38.139,0:20:40.676
if it's actually what they're saying?
0:20:40.676,0:20:42.319
(Marcus) Right, yeah, he's trying
0:20:42.319,0:20:43.729
to hinder the work as well.
0:20:43.729,0:20:45.352
He's a government official,
0:20:45.352,0:20:47.853
but he's, like, on the other side[br]of the river.
0:20:47.853,0:20:49.757
And so he's trying to kind of spy
0:20:49.757,0:20:51.378
and say, "As an official,
0:20:51.378,0:20:52.547
what are you doing here,
0:20:52.547,0:20:54.233
and why are you building here?
0:20:54.233,0:20:56.419
Who has given you authority[br]to build here?"
0:20:56.419,0:20:58.293
And sometimes when we face opposition,
0:20:58.293,0:21:00.607
it's hard to come back and stand and say,
0:21:00.607,0:21:03.487
"By the word of our God,
0:21:03.487,0:21:05.639
we are here doing His work."
0:21:05.639,0:21:07.447
That's not always easy to say,
0:21:07.447,0:21:09.477
especially in the face of somebody
0:21:09.477,0:21:11.475
who may be in authority over us.
0:21:11.475,0:21:13.243
(Derek) So, how do you think
0:21:13.243,0:21:16.680
that the people of God responded
0:21:16.680,0:21:21.263
to that letter that was sent back[br]to the king? Panic?
0:21:21.263,0:21:22.254
(Travis) Prayer.
0:21:22.254,0:21:24.316
(Derek) Prayer, "Okay, Lord,
0:21:24.316,0:21:26.784
You guided, You worked miraculously
0:21:26.784,0:21:29.979
to convince the king to make the decree.
0:21:29.979,0:21:33.118
You need to work miraculously
0:21:33.118,0:21:35.757
in this deceptive work that this governor
0:21:35.757,0:21:37.049
is trying to accomplish."
0:21:37.049,0:21:38.718
Let's see what happens.
0:21:38.718,0:21:40.267
Laurel, could you read for us
0:21:40.267,0:21:43.829
in chapter 6, verses 11 and 12.
0:21:43.829,0:21:46.313
Actually, King Darius sends
0:21:46.313,0:21:49.514
a warning back to this governor
0:21:49.514,0:21:53.066
in chapter 6 of Ezra, verses 11 and 12.
0:21:53.066,0:21:54.328
(Laurel) I'll be reading
0:21:54.328,0:21:56.185
from the New American Standard Bible:
0:22:33.338,0:22:35.297
(Derek) What's the takeaway lesson?
0:22:35.297,0:22:38.653
(Heide) That backfired.
0:22:38.653,0:22:40.613
(Derek) For those of you who didn't hear,
0:22:40.613,0:22:43.548
Heide said, "That kind of sneaky plot
0:22:43.548,0:22:46.116
of Tattenai backfired."
0:22:46.127,0:22:47.757
And the king basically said,
0:22:47.757,0:22:50.157
"Anyone who opposes what I have ordered,
0:22:50.157,0:22:52.299
let a timber be pulled out of his house,
0:22:52.299,0:22:55.014
made into a gallows or hanged, mine says.
0:22:55.014,0:22:57.397
Yours says "impaled on it,
0:22:57.397,0:22:59.360
and his house turned into a heap."
0:22:59.360,0:23:03.021
In other words, God is able to use, again,
0:23:03.021,0:23:08.889
a, can I call him a pagan monarch?
0:23:08.889,0:23:10.665
And yet somehow God's at work
0:23:10.665,0:23:13.386
in that man's heart, right,
0:23:13.386,0:23:17.166
to hinder the deceptions
0:23:17.166,0:23:20.954
and the plotting of the enemy. Puia?
0:23:20.954,0:23:22.976
(Puia) I'm reminded of a verse[br]in Proverbs.
0:23:22.976,0:23:24.549
I forgot where, but the principle
0:23:24.549,0:23:26.993
is there that says that when you try
0:23:26.993,0:23:29.235
to set a trap for someone,
0:23:29.235,0:23:30.348
it comes back to you.
0:23:30.348,0:23:32.560
(Derek) You can become caught[br]in your own trap?
0:23:32.560,0:23:34.332
(Puia) Yeah, caught in your own trap.
0:23:34.332,0:23:37.289
So I think what this person here,[br]the governor, is trying to do
0:23:37.289,0:23:39.007
is set a trap for the people of God,
0:23:39.007,0:23:41.589
intentionally tried to set a trap.
0:23:41.589,0:23:44.285
And that can backfire, like Heide said.
0:23:44.285,0:23:45.825
So we can learn the lesson there
0:23:45.825,0:23:50.268
that, even today, if someone
0:23:50.268,0:23:53.701
is trying to set a trap,
0:23:53.701,0:23:56.145
they better make sure that they are
0:23:56.145,0:23:57.833
doing it for the right reason.
0:23:57.833,0:23:59.248
(Derek) And we don't rejoice
0:23:59.248,0:24:01.357
that he got caught in his own trap,
0:24:01.357,0:24:03.253
but we do rejoice that God
0:24:03.253,0:24:05.435
delivered His people, right?
0:24:05.435,0:24:06.597
(Travis) This reminds me
0:24:06.597,0:24:09.166
of the story of Mordecai and Haman;[br]it really does.
0:24:09.166,0:24:10.192
(Derek) Oh, yes.
0:24:10.192,0:24:12.180
(Travis) I mean, there's such a direct...
0:24:12.180,0:24:14.110
(Derek) And actually that's happening...
0:24:14.110,0:24:15.632
(Travis) In the same time, yeah.
0:24:15.632,0:24:17.012
(Derek) ...same time period.
0:24:17.012,0:24:18.587
(Travis) The same thing happens,
0:24:18.587,0:24:20.489
only it turns out really bad for Haman.
0:24:20.489,0:24:22.625
(Derek) He really is hanged on the gallows
0:24:22.625,0:24:24.150
he prepared to hang
0:24:24.150,0:24:27.454
one of God's ambassadors, right,[br]Mordecai.
0:24:27.457,0:24:30.331
So, yeah, there are some powerful lessons.
0:24:30.331,0:24:32.504
Well, in the midst of these oppositions,
0:24:32.504,0:24:35.589
tricks, traps, scheming,
0:24:35.589,0:24:37.832
God sends some prophets
0:24:37.832,0:24:39.772
to encourage His people.
0:24:39.772,0:24:42.696
So let's look in Ezra, chapter 5,
0:24:42.696,0:24:45.019
the first two verses,
0:24:45.019,0:24:47.181
and we'll see what message
0:24:47.181,0:24:49.748
these prophets bring.
0:24:49.748,0:24:54.148
Ezra, chapter 5, Jason, first two verses,
0:24:54.148,0:24:57.391
are these prophets, whose names[br]you recognize?
0:24:57.391,0:24:59.285
Let's see what they say.
0:24:59.285,0:25:00.549
(Jason) I'll be reading
0:25:00.549,0:25:02.112
from the New King James Version,
0:25:02.112,0:25:04.797
Ezra, chapter 5, verses 1 and 2:
0:25:35.120,0:25:37.590
(Derek) Now, it doesn't tell them,[br]exactly, here,
0:25:37.590,0:25:38.968
what they prophesied,
0:25:38.968,0:25:43.470
but what was the response to the prophecy?
0:25:43.470,0:25:46.556
"Go to work," "Let's go and build," right?
0:25:46.556,0:25:48.370
So the prophecy must have been
0:25:48.370,0:25:50.642
somewhat related to, "No weapon
0:25:50.642,0:25:53.842
that's fashioned against you[br]will prosper," right?
0:25:53.842,0:25:55.133
"You need to keep doing
0:25:55.133,0:25:56.699
what God has asked you to do."
0:25:56.699,0:25:58.074
(Travis) It's amazing to me,
0:25:58.074,0:25:59.694
as we finish reading in verse 2,
0:25:59.694,0:26:02.038
that the prophets of God[br]were there helping them.
0:26:02.038,0:26:04.753
You know, being a messenger
0:26:04.753,0:26:06.342
doesn't mean just being a voice.
0:26:06.342,0:26:08.391
It means getting your hands dirty as well,
0:26:08.391,0:26:10.684
getting in there and being involved[br]in the work.
0:26:10.684,0:26:11.924
(Derek) So, helping them,
0:26:11.924,0:26:13.328
not just by prophesying,
0:26:13.328,0:26:15.230
but actually construction?
0:26:15.230,0:26:17.162
(Travis) Right, laboring.
0:26:17.162,0:26:18.207
(Derek) Yes, Marcus.
0:26:18.207,0:26:20.325
(Marcus) And also encouragement.
0:26:20.325,0:26:22.034
The biggest thing is that they were
0:26:22.034,0:26:23.963
raised up at a time when God
0:26:23.963,0:26:25.639
knew and saw that His people
0:26:25.639,0:26:27.944
were kind of depressed, kind of low,
0:26:27.944,0:26:30.414
that outside forces were trying
0:26:30.414,0:26:32.700
to stop them from completing the work.
0:26:32.700,0:26:34.157
And also, too, they were
0:26:34.157,0:26:36.312
kind of a little bit resting[br]on their laurels.
0:26:36.312,0:26:37.898
So God is like, "Come on,
0:26:37.898,0:26:39.997
get back to work, get back to work."
0:26:39.997,0:26:42.051
That's kind of what they're saying, too.
0:26:42.051,0:26:44.842
(Derek) Do you recognize those names,[br]Haggai and Zechariah?
0:26:44.842,0:26:45.562
(Team) Yes.
0:26:45.562,0:26:47.092
(Derek) So, let's go to the book
0:26:47.092,0:26:49.002
that bears Haggai's name, chapter 1,
0:26:49.002,0:26:50.515
and we'll read there
0:26:50.515,0:26:52.885
a specific message from God
0:26:52.885,0:26:56.999
that was delivered to Zerubbabel[br]by the prophet.
0:26:56.999,0:26:58.692
Travis, would you read,
0:26:58.692,0:27:00.581
starting in chapter 1,
0:27:00.581,0:27:02.381
verses 1 through 11.
0:27:02.381,0:27:03.995
What's the message that God
0:27:03.995,0:27:06.732
brings to Zerubbabel?
0:27:06.732,0:27:08.065
(Travis) And I'll be reading
0:27:08.065,0:27:09.674
from the New King James Version:
0:28:52.053,0:28:55.310
(Derek) What's the Lord saying[br]through the prophet?
0:28:55.310,0:28:57.718
In one sentence, yes, Puia.
0:28:57.718,0:28:59.720
(Puia) The lack of prosperity[br]in their land
0:28:59.720,0:29:01.434
is because they have been neglecting
0:29:01.434,0:29:03.671
to put God's interests first.
0:29:03.671,0:29:05.114
(Derek) So, put God first.
0:29:05.114,0:29:07.169
"Seek first the Kingdom," Jesus said,
0:29:07.169,0:29:08.747
and the other things you need...?
0:29:08.747,0:29:10.231
(Team) Shall be added unto you.
0:29:10.231,0:29:11.610
(Derek) Will be added to you.
0:29:11.610,0:29:13.490
So basically, and that's why we know
0:29:13.490,0:29:15.078
they got up and started building,
0:29:15.078,0:29:18.096
he was saying, "That's what you need[br]to be doing."
0:29:18.107,0:29:19.857
Well, let's see how they responded,
0:29:19.857,0:29:21.062
at least according
0:29:21.062,0:29:23.289
to Prophet Haggai's report.
0:29:23.289,0:29:25.248
Marcus, could you continue reading
0:29:25.248,0:29:27.276
in Haggai, chapter 1,
0:29:27.276,0:29:30.193
verses 12 through 15?
0:29:30.193,0:29:31.865
(Marcus) Sure, and I'll be reading
0:29:31.865,0:29:33.280
from the King James Version:
0:30:25.041,0:30:26.300
(Derek) In other words,
0:30:26.300,0:30:27.700
when they determined -
0:30:27.700,0:30:30.119
this is an important life principle -
0:30:30.124,0:30:32.608
when they determined that they would obey
0:30:32.608,0:30:34.819
what God asked them to do,
0:30:34.819,0:30:37.578
what did God do for them?
0:30:37.578,0:30:39.667
He what? He stirred up?
0:30:39.667,0:30:40.622
What does that mean,
0:30:40.622,0:30:42.034
"stirred up their spirits"?
0:30:42.044,0:30:43.249
(Gladys) Encouraged them.
0:30:43.249,0:30:44.915
(Derek) He encouraged them, right?
0:30:44.915,0:30:46.291
He gave them a...?
0:30:46.291,0:30:47.407
(Marcus) Renewed vigor.
0:30:47.407,0:30:49.130
(Derek) A renewed vigor, thank you,
0:30:49.141,0:30:50.477
to say, "You know what?
0:30:50.477,0:30:52.570
With God, we can do this.
0:30:52.570,0:30:53.923
We're going to do what God
0:30:53.923,0:30:55.357
has asked us to do."
0:30:55.357,0:30:56.699
But it was a response
0:30:56.699,0:30:59.954
to a word of...I don't know
0:30:59.954,0:31:01.401
if "rebuke" is the right word,
0:31:01.401,0:31:03.297
but it was like, "Hey, you're
0:31:03.297,0:31:05.574
a little bit distracted building
0:31:05.574,0:31:10.386
your condominiums here," right,
0:31:10.386,0:31:12.666
"while My house is in ruins."
0:31:12.666,0:31:13.966
And that's not just saying,
0:31:13.966,0:31:15.442
"I want My house before yours."
0:31:15.442,0:31:16.751
It's saying, "What's your
0:31:16.751,0:31:18.819
top priority in life?"
0:31:18.819,0:31:21.908
Can you think of a time in your life
0:31:21.908,0:31:23.347
when God sent a Word
0:31:23.347,0:31:26.099
to you through a prophet,
0:31:26.099,0:31:27.723
and probably it will be a prophet
0:31:27.723,0:31:29.834
who has written something down, right -
0:31:29.834,0:31:31.819
God could still call a person to give you
0:31:31.819,0:31:33.797
a prophetic Word, too, I suppose -
0:31:33.797,0:31:35.820
but when God kind of redirected
0:31:35.820,0:31:39.315
your course through His Word,
0:31:39.315,0:31:40.768
and as you look back
0:31:40.768,0:31:42.094
you thank Him for that.
0:31:42.094,0:31:45.908
Anybody, can you think[br]about a time? Billy.
0:31:45.908,0:31:47.889
(Billy) So, as you know, it was like
0:31:47.889,0:31:49.676
the recent elections that happened
0:31:49.676,0:31:51.724
in the United States...
0:31:51.724,0:31:53.434
(Derek) We're evergreen here,
0:31:53.434,0:31:55.401
so we don't know about recent elections,
0:31:55.401,0:31:57.501
but go ahead and share your story.
0:31:57.501,0:31:58.895
(Billy) So, my personal story
0:31:58.895,0:32:00.065
is that I was struggling
0:32:00.065,0:32:01.618
with the person who got elected,
0:32:01.618,0:32:04.342
and I felt sometimes a resentment.
0:32:04.342,0:32:07.609
And then God sent me a Word in Matthew 5,
0:32:07.609,0:32:09.582
talking about loving your enemies.
0:32:09.582,0:32:11.869
And that was very radical,
0:32:11.869,0:32:13.128
because it was somebody
0:32:13.128,0:32:15.374
that I felt like was going
0:32:15.374,0:32:17.499
the opposite direction in terms
0:32:17.499,0:32:19.379
of encouraging hate,
0:32:19.379,0:32:20.571
and now God is asking me
0:32:20.571,0:32:22.657
to add that person to my prayer list.
0:32:22.657,0:32:24.324
(Derek) So, if a person is watching
0:32:24.324,0:32:26.810
from Venezuela or they're watching
0:32:26.810,0:32:29.936
from the continent of Africa,
0:32:29.936,0:32:31.917
they're going to apply that
0:32:31.917,0:32:33.349
to their own situation.
0:32:33.357,0:32:36.344
What if a leader comes into power
0:32:36.344,0:32:39.428
that I don't like, you know?
0:32:39.428,0:32:41.389
I may live in Thailand or I may live,
0:32:41.389,0:32:43.510
just, you know, they may have a new king,
0:32:43.510,0:32:46.703
or they may have a new president[br]or prime minister,
0:32:46.703,0:32:49.509
and you're saying that the Spirit of God
0:32:49.509,0:32:52.782
said to you, "You need to pray[br]for that person."
0:32:52.782,0:32:54.425
(Billy) Especially in Matthew 5,
0:32:54.425,0:32:55.639
talking about, you know,
0:32:55.639,0:32:57.315
we need to pray for our enemies.
0:32:57.315,0:32:58.611
(Derek) "Love your enemies,
0:32:58.611,0:33:00.230
bless those who curse you," yeah.
0:33:00.230,0:33:01.297
(Billy) Exactly, so...
0:33:01.297,0:33:02.532
(Derek) Do good to those
0:33:02.532,0:33:04.186
who spitefully use you, right?
0:33:04.186,0:33:10.085
So, okay, that was a lesson[br]that you learned
0:33:10.085,0:33:12.389
in that experience. Gladys?
0:33:12.389,0:33:14.385
(Gladys) Yes, a while ago
0:33:14.385,0:33:17.501
I was called to teach kindergarten,
0:33:17.501,0:33:20.142
and I was teaching upper graders,
0:33:20.142,0:33:23.195
and I didn't feel like I could do it.
0:33:23.195,0:33:24.806
And I cried and fought with God.
0:33:24.806,0:33:26.894
I was saying, "I don't want to do it."
0:33:26.894,0:33:29.504
But God kept insisting in my heart
0:33:29.504,0:33:32.171
that that's where He wanted me to be.
0:33:32.171,0:33:35.108
And the words of Jeremiah 33:3
0:33:35.108,0:33:36.408
gave me encouragement
0:33:36.408,0:33:38.043
where He said, "Call unto Me,
0:33:38.043,0:33:39.966
and I will answer, and I will show you
0:33:39.966,0:33:41.064
great and mighty things
0:33:41.064,0:33:42.337
that you don't know."
0:33:42.337,0:33:43.718
And those words just,
0:33:43.718,0:33:45.729
like, changed my heart
0:33:45.729,0:33:47.395
in a position that now
0:33:47.395,0:33:49.729
I wouldn't see myself, you know...
0:33:49.729,0:33:51.498
I look back and say, "Wow."
0:33:51.498,0:33:53.017
God really made a change,
0:33:53.017,0:33:54.510
not only in my life
0:33:54.510,0:33:56.866
but the direction that I was going."
0:33:56.877,0:34:00.775
(Derek) That's one of my wife's[br]favorite passages
0:34:00.775,0:34:04.088
from Jeremiah, by the way, Jeremiah 33:3.
0:34:04.088,0:34:07.036
And for those of you watching the program
0:34:07.036,0:34:10.395
or those on the team that couldn't see,
0:34:10.395,0:34:14.482
Gladys did not read that; it's inside.
0:34:14.482,0:34:17.333
She quoted it, "Call to Me,
0:34:17.333,0:34:19.504
and I will answer you,
0:34:19.504,0:34:21.284
and show you great and mighty things,
0:34:21.284,0:34:22.856
which you do not know."
0:34:22.856,0:34:25.511
So, that Word was in her heart.
0:34:25.511,0:34:26.777
Now, the question is,
0:34:26.777,0:34:29.280
just to help with the story,
0:34:29.280,0:34:30.752
did you know that Word
0:34:30.752,0:34:32.946
before He brought it to your remembrance?
0:34:32.946,0:34:34.102
(Gladys) Of course.
0:34:34.102,0:34:36.654
(Derek) Why do you say, "Of course"?
0:34:36.654,0:34:39.245
Was that useful that that Word was in her?
0:34:39.245,0:34:40.479
(Gladys, Team) Yes.
0:34:40.479,0:34:41.838
(Derek) Absolutely, right,
0:34:41.838,0:34:44.241
because the Holy Spirit
0:34:44.241,0:34:46.282
brought it to her remembrance, Abigail,
0:34:46.282,0:34:47.624
you're absolutely right.
0:34:47.624,0:34:49.782
If it's not there, He can't
0:34:49.782,0:34:52.187
bring it to your remembrance, all right?
0:34:52.187,0:34:54.893
So that became a Word to you,[br]an encouraging Word.
0:34:54.893,0:34:56.227
Someone else, where God
0:34:56.227,0:34:57.598
brought a Word to you?
0:34:57.598,0:34:59.993
You didn't have the live prophet,
0:34:59.993,0:35:01.631
Jeremiah, because he sleeps
0:35:01.631,0:35:03.594
until the Resurrection Day, right?
0:35:03.594,0:35:06.256
But through the written testimony[br]of Jeremiah,
0:35:06.256,0:35:09.156
that Word came to you. Okay, Travis?
0:35:09.156,0:35:10.339
(Travis) Through my walk
0:35:10.339,0:35:12.919
coming back to God,
0:35:12.919,0:35:15.077
you know, sometimes you stumble and fall,
0:35:15.077,0:35:16.141
and you make mistakes.
0:35:16.141,0:35:17.769
And I would always be reminded,
0:35:17.769,0:35:19.464
the Holy Spirit would bring
0:35:19.464,0:35:22.267
1 John, chapter 2, verse 1.
0:35:22.267,0:35:23.444
"My [brethren], I write
0:35:23.444,0:35:25.445
these things to you that you[br]may not sin."
0:35:25.445,0:35:26.915
"My little children," he says,
0:35:26.915,0:35:27.976
"that you may not sin,
0:35:27.976,0:35:30.823
but if you do, you have an Advocate[br]with the Father."
0:35:30.823,0:35:33.528
(Derek) And that's Jesus Christ[br]the righteous One, right?
0:35:33.528,0:35:35.343
(Travis) Jesus Christ the righteous.
0:35:35.343,0:35:36.888
And then it would just remind me
0:35:36.888,0:35:37.968
that I need to go back
0:35:37.968,0:35:39.208
to the foot of the cross,
0:35:39.208,0:35:41.435
and then another verse would come[br]into my head,
0:35:41.435,0:35:43.057
"Thy word have I hid in my heart,
0:35:43.057,0:35:44.752
that I might not sin against Thee."
0:35:44.752,0:35:46.872
And the Holy Spirit's encouraged me,
0:35:46.872,0:35:49.487
"Hide the Word of God in your heart.
0:35:49.487,0:35:51.378
Hide the Word of God in your heart,"...
0:35:51.378,0:35:52.874
(Derek) And right before 1 John
0:35:52.874,0:35:54.003
about, "I pray that you
0:35:54.003,0:35:55.580
would not sin, little children,"
0:35:55.580,0:35:57.894
right before that, in chapter 1, says,
0:35:57.894,0:35:59.536
"If we confess our sins..."
0:35:59.536,0:36:00.697
(Team) He is faithful...
0:36:00.697,0:36:03.481
(Derek) "He is faithful and just[br]to forgive us, and to..."?
0:36:03.481,0:36:04.515
(Team) Cleanse us.
0:36:04.515,0:36:06.708
(Derek) "Cleanse us from all[br]unrighteousness."
0:36:06.708,0:36:08.581
So that word comes as an encouragement.
0:36:08.581,0:36:10.436
And apparently Zerubbabel
0:36:10.436,0:36:12.860
and Joshua the high priest and others
0:36:12.860,0:36:14.709
needed a little encouragement,
0:36:14.709,0:36:16.280
and God sent the prophets.
0:36:16.280,0:36:18.543
The lesson that I'm learning is,
0:36:18.543,0:36:20.211
if we listen to the prophets
0:36:20.211,0:36:29.361
during the times of ease and calm times,
0:36:29.361,0:36:32.178
then when we really need that Word,
0:36:32.178,0:36:34.335
the Holy Spirit will bring it back to us.
0:36:34.335,0:36:37.646
Well, we're going to hyperspace[br]to Nehemiah now;
0:36:37.646,0:36:40.112
we're around 444 B.C.,
0:36:40.112,0:36:41.336
and we're going to go
0:36:41.336,0:36:43.234
to chapter 4 of Nehemiah.
0:36:43.234,0:36:45.013
All the way through Nehemiah,
0:36:45.013,0:36:46.827
he's going to experience opposition,
0:36:46.827,0:36:50.920
but I'd like to look specifically[br]at chapter 4
0:36:50.920,0:36:54.907
and see how he responded[br]to the opposition
0:36:54.907,0:36:56.463
while he clearly knew
0:36:56.463,0:36:58.461
he was doing the work of God.
0:36:58.461,0:36:59.709
Stephanie, could you read
0:36:59.709,0:37:01.957
the first three verses for us,
0:37:01.957,0:37:04.675
and then I'll have someone else
0:37:04.675,0:37:06.043
continue from verse 4.
0:37:06.043,0:37:07.911
(Stephanie) All right, and I'm reading
0:37:07.911,0:37:09.331
from the King James Version:
0:37:54.896,0:37:56.369
(Derek) These enemies,
0:37:56.369,0:37:57.910
what are they doing?
0:37:57.910,0:37:58.978
(Team) Mocking.
0:37:58.978,0:38:01.816
(Derek) They're mocking; is that all?
0:38:01.816,0:38:03.453
(Stephanie) Trying to discourage.
0:38:03.453,0:38:05.981
(Derek) Yeah, they're trying[br]to discourage, trying to...?
0:38:05.981,0:38:07.495
(Team Member) Undermine.
0:38:07.495,0:38:11.508
(Derek) Undermine, intimidate, right?
0:38:11.508,0:38:15.828
Let's see, Heide, how Nehemiah responds,
0:38:15.828,0:38:19.590
verses 4 and 5 of chapter 4.
0:38:19.590,0:38:20.785
(Heide) I'll be reading
0:38:20.785,0:38:22.955
from the New King James Version,[br]and it says:
0:38:40.838,0:38:41.942
(Derek) In other words,
0:38:41.942,0:38:42.852
to use the language
0:38:42.852,0:38:46.415
of our earlier conversation,[br]let them be...?
0:38:46.415,0:38:48.120
(Gladys) Caught in their own trap.
0:38:48.120,0:38:50.395
(Derek) Caught in their own trap, right?
0:38:50.399,0:38:52.544
"We're doing what You wanted us to do."
0:38:52.544,0:38:56.814
But notice again, intimidation, mocking,
0:38:56.814,0:38:59.298
and what's Nehemiah's first response?
0:38:59.298,0:39:00.992
(Team) Prayer.
0:39:00.992,0:39:04.608
(Derek) Right? Call out to God.
0:39:04.608,0:39:08.909
Next verse, Travis, could you[br]read verse 6?
0:39:08.909,0:39:10.280
(Travis) And I'll be reading
0:39:10.280,0:39:11.822
from the New King James Version:
0:39:20.388,0:39:22.382
(Derek) God gave them encouragement,
0:39:22.382,0:39:24.286
and they said, "We're not going to worry
0:39:24.286,0:39:26.250
about these people opposing us;
0:39:26.250,0:39:28.494
they'll be caught in their own trap.
0:39:28.494,0:39:30.853
And they continued to make progress.
0:39:30.853,0:39:33.555
Billy, could you read verses 7 and 8?
0:39:33.555,0:39:37.470
We're still in Nehemiah, chapter 4,[br]verses 7 and 8.
0:39:37.470,0:39:38.879
(Billy) Sure, I'll be reading
0:39:38.879,0:39:40.270
from the King James Version:
0:40:08.223,0:40:09.986
(Derek) All right, so, did you notice
0:40:09.986,0:40:11.823
that the number of people
0:40:11.823,0:40:13.550
in opposition increased again?
0:40:13.550,0:40:14.706
(Team) Yes.
0:40:14.706,0:40:16.195
(Derek) Now we've got all kinds
0:40:16.195,0:40:18.403
of other people being added to the list.
0:40:18.403,0:40:20.100
It was two, then it's three;
0:40:20.100,0:40:21.338
how many is it now?
0:40:21.338,0:40:24.715
And these represent groups[br]of people, right?
0:40:24.715,0:40:28.471
And verse 9, what did you notice?
0:40:28.471,0:40:29.524
What's the first thing
0:40:29.524,0:40:31.256
that Nehemiah does?
0:40:31.256,0:40:32.368
(Team) Pray!
0:40:32.368,0:40:34.711
(Derek) You got it now, right?
0:40:34.711,0:40:35.922
The first thing he does -
0:40:35.922,0:40:38.829
he prays to God, and...?
0:40:38.829,0:40:40.842
(Stephanie) Set a watch.
0:40:40.842,0:40:42.731
(Derek) Help me with that, unpack that.
0:40:42.731,0:40:44.087
(Heide) I pray, but I can't,
0:40:44.087,0:40:45.557
if I have an exam, say, "Lord,
0:40:45.557,0:40:47.290
help me to get an A," and not study.
0:40:47.290,0:40:48.823
They also did their part.
0:40:48.823,0:40:50.799
(Derek) I hope every student in the world
0:40:50.799,0:40:53.035
just heard what Heide said.
0:40:53.035,0:40:53.931
Is it good to pray
0:40:53.931,0:40:55.696
if you're getting ready for an exam?
0:40:55.696,0:40:56.443
(Team) Yes.
0:40:56.443,0:40:57.800
(Derek) Is it good to study?
0:40:57.800,0:40:59.032
(Team) Yes.
0:40:59.032,0:41:00.893
(Derek) Applying it to Nehemiah.
0:41:00.893,0:41:02.519
He's under attack; in fact,
0:41:02.519,0:41:05.108
they're actually conspiring to do what?
0:41:05.108,0:41:09.147
To attack and create confusion,[br]my Bible says.
0:41:09.147,0:41:10.397
So, good to pray?
0:41:10.397,0:41:11.690
(Team) Yes.
0:41:11.690,0:41:14.419
(Derek) Good to set watch-people[br]on the wall?
0:41:14.419,0:41:15.390
(Team) Yes.
0:41:15.390,0:41:17.685
(Derek) Absolutely, as we see
0:41:17.685,0:41:21.832
the wisdom of this leader responding.
0:41:21.832,0:41:23.135
They also, though, had
0:41:23.135,0:41:25.203
some internal opposition.
0:41:25.203,0:41:28.266
Look in verse 12; Liza, could you read
0:41:28.266,0:41:31.691
chapter 4 of Nehemiah and verse 12?
0:41:31.691,0:41:32.863
(Liza) I'll be reading
0:41:32.863,0:41:34.544
from the New King James Version:
0:41:44.691,0:41:49.816
(Derek) What?! What was the little -
0:41:49.816,0:41:51.026
what would we call this?
0:41:51.026,0:41:55.930
Like a mantra, right, a little -[br]what's the word?
0:41:55.930,0:41:59.295
A little anthem or, you know?
0:41:59.295,0:42:01.645
It's like, what do you call that
0:42:01.645,0:42:04.635
when you keep flashing the same message?
0:42:04.635,0:42:05.908
(Team Member) Repetition.
0:42:05.908,0:42:08.271
(Derek) Yeah, it's propaganda;
0:42:08.271,0:42:10.525
that's the word I was thinking,[br]propaganda.
0:42:10.525,0:42:11.839
What's the propaganda?
0:42:11.839,0:42:13.839
(Marcus) "They're going to come upon you."
0:42:13.839,0:42:17.449
(Derek) Yeah, "Whatever place you turn,
0:42:17.449,0:42:18.744
they'll be upon us."
0:42:18.744,0:42:20.230
"Whatever place you turn,
0:42:20.230,0:42:21.595
they'll be upon us."
0:42:21.595,0:42:23.318
"Whatever place...," how many times?
0:42:23.318,0:42:24.185
(Team) Ten times.
0:42:24.185,0:42:27.169
(Derek) "Whatever place you turn..."
0:42:27.169,0:42:31.093
These are not the people out there.
0:42:31.093,0:42:32.586
These are the people...?
0:42:32.586,0:42:33.735
(Gladys) Inside.
0:42:33.735,0:42:36.814
(Derek) In here. Lesson? Travis?
0:42:36.814,0:42:38.153
(Travis) I was just thinking
0:42:38.153,0:42:39.368
of Caleb and Joshua.
0:42:39.368,0:42:40.582
When they came back,
0:42:40.582,0:42:42.906
there were 10 people that said,
0:42:42.906,0:42:44.366
"There are giants in the land;
0:42:44.366,0:42:46.245
we'll never be able to go and take it."
0:42:46.245,0:42:47.586
"We'll never...," you know?
0:42:47.586,0:42:49.228
I'm sure there's no correlation,
0:42:49.228,0:42:51.055
but it just seems funny that people
0:42:51.055,0:42:52.771
from the inside, their own people...
0:42:52.771,0:42:54.024
(Derek) And there were 10.
0:42:54.024,0:42:55.750
(Travis) Yeah, 10 discouraging them.
0:42:55.750,0:42:57.635
(Derek) That's propaganda, too, right?
0:42:57.635,0:42:59.305
It was negative propaganda
0:42:59.305,0:43:00.953
over and over again.
0:43:00.953,0:43:02.377
It's almost like having,
0:43:02.377,0:43:05.397
today we might say you have[br]like a megaphone,
0:43:05.397,0:43:06.714
and you're just shouting
0:43:06.714,0:43:08.866
over the workplace, "It's[br]going to fall down,"
0:43:08.866,0:43:10.113
"It's going to fall down,"
0:43:10.113,0:43:11.503
"It's going to fall down."
0:43:11.503,0:43:13.146
How do you handle
0:43:13.146,0:43:15.780
that kind of propaganda,
0:43:15.780,0:43:18.409
which is deliberately intended
0:43:18.409,0:43:21.271
to hinder what God wants you to do?
0:43:21.271,0:43:22.584
What's the word?!
0:43:22.584,0:43:25.515
(Team) Pray!
0:43:25.515,0:43:27.081
(Derek) Pray and then what?
0:43:27.081,0:43:28.361
(Team) Do the work.
0:43:28.361,0:43:29.641
(Derek) Do the work?
0:43:29.641,0:43:30.782
(Team) Move forward.
0:43:30.782,0:43:32.214
(Derek) Get earplugs?
0:43:32.214,0:43:37.913
Noise-cancelling headphones?
0:43:37.913,0:43:41.828
You do whatever you need to do,[br]having prayed,
0:43:41.828,0:43:43.559
to keep the work going, right?
0:43:43.559,0:43:44.408
(Team) Yes.
0:43:44.408,0:43:46.376
(Derek) Does that make sense?
0:43:46.376,0:43:49.996
What are you thinking about this situation
0:43:49.996,0:43:52.484
from a human perspective, Abigail?
0:43:52.484,0:43:54.805
(Abigail) That's it's really...
0:43:54.805,0:43:58.664
In some point, it's supposed to be[br]so discouraging,
0:43:58.664,0:44:01.814
but it also tells us the importance
0:44:01.814,0:44:05.313
of being in constant communication[br]with God,
0:44:05.313,0:44:07.574
to ask Him to empower us
0:44:07.574,0:44:10.442
and give us the zeal to go ahead
0:44:10.442,0:44:12.672
and do what He has called us to do.
0:44:12.672,0:44:15.016
Because, regardless if we want it or not,
0:44:15.016,0:44:16.597
we're going to have opposition
0:44:16.597,0:44:18.640
coming from all sorts of directions.
0:44:18.640,0:44:22.428
And sometimes the strongest ones[br]are from within.
0:44:22.428,0:44:24.557
So we have to be constantly praying.
0:44:24.557,0:44:26.352
(Derek) I guess we should be praying,
0:44:26.352,0:44:28.023
and, you know, that somehow,
0:44:28.023,0:44:30.105
by the grace of God, that the enemies
0:44:30.105,0:44:31.741
either from without or within,
0:44:31.741,0:44:32.880
would look and say,
0:44:32.880,0:44:34.755
"We just don't understand these people.
0:44:34.755,0:44:37.778
They're unstoppable," right?
0:44:37.778,0:44:39.348
"They're just so focused
0:44:39.348,0:44:41.435
on what God has asked them to do
0:44:41.435,0:44:43.929
that nothing we're doing
0:44:43.929,0:44:46.400
is slowing them down." Marcus?
0:44:46.400,0:44:48.309
(Marcus) But then that would also point
0:44:48.309,0:44:52.761
to that there is not just a human element[br]at work here.
0:44:52.761,0:44:54.851
And, of course, we come to that conclusion
0:44:54.851,0:44:56.015
later on in the chapter.
0:44:56.015,0:44:57.418
They come to that conclusion,
0:44:57.418,0:44:59.940
but that God was within the work
0:44:59.940,0:45:02.271
and with the work the whole entire time.
0:45:02.271,0:45:03.353
(Derek) So, let's keep
0:45:03.353,0:45:04.384
going in the chapter.
0:45:04.384,0:45:05.919
We're still in chapter 4.
0:45:05.919,0:45:07.476
This is ancient history,
0:45:07.476,0:45:10.162
but it's also modern lessons for us,
0:45:10.162,0:45:12.009
and, Stephanie, could you read
0:45:12.009,0:45:14.657
verses 13 through 18 of chapter 4
0:45:14.657,0:45:16.448
and see how Nehemiah
0:45:16.448,0:45:18.339
responds to the opposition.
0:45:18.339,0:45:19.809
As Abigail has mentioned,
0:45:19.809,0:45:22.219
it's both external and internal.
0:45:22.219,0:45:24.579
Let's see how this leader of God responds.
0:45:24.579,0:45:26.511
(Stephanie) The King James Version says:
0:46:57.676,0:47:01.250
(Derek) Wow, that's pretty intense, right?
0:47:01.250,0:47:02.901
You have a tool in one hand
0:47:02.901,0:47:06.903
and a sword in the other hand.
0:47:06.903,0:47:10.757
What would that look like today? Liza?
0:47:10.757,0:47:12.511
(Liza) I think that's a good lesson
0:47:12.511,0:47:13.598
in that, in everything
0:47:13.598,0:47:15.063
that God does in our lives,
0:47:15.063,0:47:17.229
we have to be on offense and defense,
0:47:17.229,0:47:18.785
just to use a sports metaphor.
0:47:18.785,0:47:20.073
Like, we're moving forward
0:47:20.073,0:47:20.921
to do God's work,
0:47:20.921,0:47:22.575
but at all times we're alert,
0:47:22.575,0:47:24.037
we're on our toes,
0:47:24.037,0:47:25.399
we're not letting the enemy
0:47:25.399,0:47:26.354
catch us off guard,
0:47:26.354,0:47:28.865
so we're always offense and defense[br]at all times.
0:47:28.865,0:47:30.107
(Derek) All right. Travis?
0:47:30.107,0:47:32.680
(Travis) The Bible is the sword, right,[br]it's our sword,
0:47:32.680,0:47:34.212
so we can work diligently
0:47:34.212,0:47:36.731
but keep the sword in our hand, right?
0:47:36.731,0:47:37.782
The sword of truth.
0:47:37.782,0:47:40.568
(Derek) So you would see that this...
0:47:40.568,0:47:42.317
You don't want us all to be, like,
0:47:42.317,0:47:44.368
having weapons and whatnot.
0:47:44.368,0:47:46.913
You think the spiritual weapon...
0:47:46.913,0:47:48.406
But they actually did have
0:47:48.406,0:47:51.106
spears and swords because they were
0:47:51.106,0:47:53.119
saying, "You come to kill
0:47:53.119,0:47:54.692
our wives and our children,
0:47:54.692,0:47:59.801
and we're going to defend ourselves."
0:47:59.801,0:48:01.464
Of course, whether they
0:48:01.464,0:48:03.025
would have needed to or not,
0:48:03.025,0:48:04.275
God could have done...
0:48:04.275,0:48:05.898
He could have had an angel
0:48:05.898,0:48:07.339
fly over the enemy.
0:48:07.339,0:48:10.052
But they were sending a visual message
0:48:10.052,0:48:13.252
that, "We're not coming down," right?
0:48:13.252,0:48:14.496
Puia, could you read on
0:48:14.496,0:48:17.444
for us verses 19 to 23.
0:48:17.444,0:48:20.734
It's actually quite an epic drama,[br]isn't it,
0:48:20.734,0:48:23.124
with all kinds of scheming and traps.
0:48:23.124,0:48:25.701
And the people of God are saying,
0:48:25.701,0:48:27.164
"No, we're going to keep doing
0:48:27.164,0:48:28.466
what God's asked us to do."
0:48:28.466,0:48:31.554
Nehemiah, chapter 4, verses 19 to 23.
0:48:31.554,0:48:33.165
(Puia) All right, I'll be reading
0:48:33.165,0:48:34.686
from the New King James Version:
0:49:21.384,0:49:26.092
(Derek) No nap times, no personal days.
0:49:26.092,0:49:27.659
They only took their clothes off
0:49:27.659,0:49:28.881
when they got so dirty
0:49:28.881,0:49:32.024
they needed to wash them.
0:49:32.024,0:49:35.109
So, you mentioned that earlier, Travis,
0:49:35.109,0:49:37.010
about servant leadership.
0:49:37.010,0:49:38.793
What do you see here?
0:49:38.793,0:49:40.976
(Travis) Something really stood out to me,
0:49:40.976,0:49:42.963
"The work is great and extensive,
0:49:42.963,0:49:44.427
and we're separated."
0:49:44.427,0:49:45.493
The harvest is great,
0:49:45.493,0:49:46.874
and the laborers are few.
0:49:46.874,0:49:47.889
We've all been called
0:49:47.889,0:49:50.144
into this harvest work for souls,
0:49:50.144,0:49:53.560
and we need to get back[br]on the wall, right?
0:49:53.560,0:49:56.559
Labor together; we'll face opposition,
0:49:56.559,0:49:58.358
but stay focused on our mission,
0:49:58.358,0:50:00.635
keep the sword of the Spirit[br]in our hands
0:50:00.635,0:50:01.999
and focus on Jesus,
0:50:01.999,0:50:03.709
the promises of Jesus.
0:50:03.709,0:50:05.278
(Derek) So, I'm going to give you
0:50:05.278,0:50:06.207
a chance to think.
0:50:06.207,0:50:08.856
That was 2,400-and-some years ago.
0:50:08.856,0:50:11.878
I'd like you think about your own life,
0:50:11.878,0:50:15.826
a time when God sent you on a mission,
0:50:15.826,0:50:16.958
and you experienced
0:50:16.958,0:50:18.837
some intense opposition,
0:50:18.837,0:50:21.901
which you may not have particularly liked,
0:50:21.901,0:50:24.897
either from external or internal sources.
0:50:24.897,0:50:26.467
And yet, as you look back,
0:50:26.467,0:50:28.649
you see how God was with you.
0:50:28.649,0:50:29.775
Puia, you're smiling.
0:50:29.775,0:50:32.261
Do you have a story that you could share?
0:50:32.261,0:50:34.221
(Puia) I do. In the previous study
0:50:34.221,0:50:36.526
I quickly mentioned about a movement
0:50:36.526,0:50:39.078
that I started with some of my friends
0:50:39.078,0:50:40.283
here in the United States
0:50:40.283,0:50:43.692
for my fellow Mizo young people.
0:50:43.692,0:50:45.975
God had put a burden on my heart
0:50:45.975,0:50:47.705
to do something, a ministry
0:50:47.705,0:50:48.989
or a movement of some kind
0:50:48.989,0:50:50.966
for my fellow Mizo young people
0:50:50.966,0:50:52.252
because we're all scattered
0:50:52.252,0:50:53.483
across the United States,
0:50:53.483,0:50:55.724
and we're in different parts[br]of the conferences
0:50:55.724,0:50:56.686
and different parts
0:50:56.686,0:50:58.819
of the division itself.
0:50:58.819,0:51:00.349
(Derek) So let me just...
0:51:00.349,0:51:02.217
because some people...You say "Mizo."
0:51:02.217,0:51:05.687
Mizoram is a territory in Northeast India
0:51:05.687,0:51:08.141
and Western Myanmar,
0:51:08.141,0:51:10.702
And there are Mizo people...
0:51:10.702,0:51:12.248
(Puia) Who have immigrated here.
0:51:12.248,0:51:13.298
(Derek) ...come here.
0:51:13.298,0:51:14.698
And God has put on your heart
0:51:14.698,0:51:16.732
a special burden to miinister
0:51:16.732,0:51:18.352
to these young people.
0:51:18.352,0:51:20.390
(Puia) Yes, because immigrants
0:51:20.390,0:51:22.587
face an extra layer of challenge
0:51:22.587,0:51:24.472
when it comes to living
0:51:24.472,0:51:26.068
and settling here.
0:51:26.068,0:51:28.226
And so, I prayed about it,
0:51:28.226,0:51:30.530
and I talked to different pastors,
0:51:30.530,0:51:32.175
different youth leaders
0:51:32.175,0:51:33.786
and different churches.
0:51:33.786,0:51:35.441
And we had a meeting
0:51:35.441,0:51:37.652
where we talked about plans
0:51:37.652,0:51:40.294
to start a federation
0:51:40.294,0:51:43.740
so that we can organize events
0:51:43.740,0:51:45.248
like a spiritual retreat
0:51:45.248,0:51:46.932
where we can bring in our youth
0:51:46.932,0:51:48.489
and teach them about the Bible
0:51:48.489,0:51:50.427
and train them for mission work
0:51:50.427,0:51:51.471
and things like that.
0:51:51.471,0:51:53.260
(Derek) Would you have those meetings
0:51:53.260,0:51:54.280
in the Mizo language?
0:51:54.280,0:51:55.353
(Puia) Mizo language.
0:51:55.353,0:51:56.753
(Derek) Okay. Does that sound
0:51:56.753,0:51:58.442
like something God might ask
0:51:58.442,0:52:01.427
a young leader who speaks Mizo to do?
0:52:01.430,0:52:02.314
(Team) Yes.
0:52:02.314,0:52:04.523
(Derek) Okay. Why would anyone
0:52:04.523,0:52:09.289
want to oppose something like that,[br]do you think?
0:52:09.289,0:52:10.639
We don't want to be negative
0:52:10.639,0:52:12.048
because sometimes people say,
0:52:12.048,0:52:13.929
"Well, that's too complicated,"
0:52:13.929,0:52:15.329
or, "You'll never build it."
0:52:15.329,0:52:16.378
"If you stand on it,
0:52:16.378,0:52:20.002
the wall will fall down,"
0:52:20.002,0:52:22.928
or, "You might offend someone." Abigail?
0:52:22.928,0:52:25.089
(Abigail) I'm thinking, the reason
0:52:25.089,0:52:26.586
why someone would oppose that
0:52:26.586,0:52:28.763
is because you are doing this
0:52:28.763,0:52:31.364
to draw many youth to God
0:52:31.364,0:52:33.272
and to uplift the name of God.
0:52:33.272,0:52:38.225
And the enemy will put that negativity
0:52:38.225,0:52:39.760
in somebody's heart
0:52:39.760,0:52:41.849
to stop that from happening.
0:52:41.849,0:52:43.403
And they may discourage you
0:52:43.403,0:52:44.789
and tell you, "This is never
0:52:44.789,0:52:46.610
going to actually be successful."
0:52:46.610,0:52:48.934
But if you keep pushing
0:52:48.934,0:52:52.325
and you allow God to be your sword,
0:52:52.325,0:52:54.457
then you are going to be able to achieve
0:52:54.457,0:52:58.176
even greater things for His namesake,[br]for His glory.
0:52:58.176,0:53:00.140
(Derek) I'm going to come to Liza's point
0:53:00.140,0:53:01.204
and then back to Puia.
0:53:01.204,0:53:03.025
Is it possible someone might oppose it
0:53:03.025,0:53:04.593
because they think, "I wish
0:53:04.593,0:53:05.934
I'd thought of that,"
0:53:05.934,0:53:08.603
"Wish that it was my idea,"[br]is that possible?
0:53:08.603,0:53:09.527
(Team) Yes.
0:53:09.527,0:53:11.947
(Derek) Or, "Well, you're not doing it
0:53:11.947,0:53:14.960
for this group of people, for my group,
0:53:14.960,0:53:18.036
how come he's doing it for his group?"
0:53:18.036,0:53:20.177
There are lots of reasons, right? Liza?
0:53:20.177,0:53:21.679
(Liza) I was going to say that,
0:53:21.679,0:53:23.535
that it probably is jealousy or envy,
0:53:23.535,0:53:24.637
like, "Oh," you know,
0:53:24.637,0:53:26.479
"look at that person; they're willing.
0:53:26.479,0:53:27.708
I could have done that,
0:53:27.708,0:53:29.187
but I probably was not willing
0:53:29.187,0:53:31.174
or did not accept God's call in my life."
0:53:31.174,0:53:32.409
And so we see that a lot
0:53:32.409,0:53:33.975
with these types of oppositions,
0:53:33.975,0:53:35.072
especially from within.
0:53:35.072,0:53:36.423
It's those people who,
0:53:36.423,0:53:37.718
their hearts are hardened,
0:53:37.718,0:53:38.988
they didn't follow through
0:53:38.988,0:53:40.342
what God had called them to,
0:53:40.342,0:53:42.351
and when someone else[br]picks up that mantle,
0:53:42.351,0:53:44.520
it's that jealousy of, "Why them?"
0:53:44.520,0:53:46.116
And they try to discourage that.
0:53:46.116,0:53:47.281
(Derek) So we don't know
0:53:47.281,0:53:48.678
what it is in this situation,
0:53:48.678,0:53:50.277
but there may be a lot of things.
0:53:50.277,0:53:51.533
I want to give you the end
0:53:51.533,0:53:52.554
of Nehemiah's story,
0:53:52.554,0:53:54.151
and then we're going to come back
0:53:54.151,0:53:56.289
to the end of the Mizo story, okay?
0:53:56.289,0:54:00.470
Nehemiah 6, verses 15 and 16,
0:54:00.470,0:54:06.374
Gladys, could you read that for us,[br]Nehemiah 6:15-16?
0:54:06.374,0:54:07.862
(Gladys) Nehemiah, I'm reading
0:54:07.862,0:54:09.879
from the New International Version,
0:54:09.879,0:54:14.916
Nehemiah, chapter 6, verses 15 and 16:
0:54:35.252,0:54:36.148
(Team) Amen.
0:54:36.148,0:54:37.718
(Derek) My Bible says, "This work
0:54:37.718,0:54:38.716
was done by our God,"
0:54:38.716,0:54:40.245
and yet someone would say, "Yes,
0:54:40.245,0:54:42.434
but He used hands, too,"
0:54:42.434,0:54:45.789
including hands of prophets, right?
0:54:45.789,0:54:51.734
Fifty-two days to get the work done.
0:54:51.734,0:54:55.218
Rest of the Mizo story.
0:54:55.218,0:54:57.977
Maybe it's still happening, you see.
0:54:57.977,0:55:00.112
(Puia) So, most of the leaders
0:55:00.112,0:55:01.775
that I work with in this context,
0:55:01.775,0:55:03.171
they all loved the idea,
0:55:03.171,0:55:05.633
and we were planning to have a convention
0:55:05.633,0:55:06.669
where we brought all
0:55:06.669,0:55:08.013
the young people together,
0:55:08.013,0:55:10.002
but there came a few oppositions
0:55:10.002,0:55:11.950
from a few elders,
0:55:11.950,0:55:13.732
citing that I was too young,
0:55:13.732,0:55:16.607
inexperienced, without the knowledge
0:55:16.607,0:55:19.602
of working with different age groups,
0:55:19.602,0:55:21.472
and that in the past they have tried,
0:55:21.472,0:55:24.446
and it never worked because the problem[br]was always...
0:55:24.446,0:55:26.489
(Derek) Has anybody ever heard that line?
0:55:26.489,0:55:27.881
"We tried it once," you know,
0:55:27.881,0:55:29.579
"30 years ago, and it didn't work."
0:55:29.579,0:55:31.081
We don't want to be negative,
0:55:31.081,0:55:33.563
but these are some of the messages[br]that could come.
0:55:33.563,0:55:36.656
(Puia) Right, but to make[br]the long story short,
0:55:36.656,0:55:38.237
I think the situation brought me
0:55:38.237,0:55:40.182
to my knees so many times.
0:55:40.182,0:55:41.867
Sometimes I could never sleep...
0:55:41.867,0:55:43.008
(Derek) Is that good?
0:55:43.008,0:55:45.215
(Puia) Yeah, sometimes I wasn't[br]able to sleep,
0:55:45.215,0:55:47.471
like, I would stay up the whole night
0:55:47.471,0:55:48.792
pondering about this
0:55:48.792,0:55:50.410
and with the burden on my heart,
0:55:50.410,0:55:52.946
thinking that God really put this[br]on my heart.
0:55:52.946,0:55:55.709
But in the end, everything came around,
0:55:55.709,0:55:57.169
and people came out.
0:55:57.169,0:55:58.434
And the people who did not
0:55:58.434,0:55:59.530
support me at first,
0:55:59.530,0:56:02.572
they spread lies and rumors.
0:56:02.572,0:56:05.986
I mean, it was bad, but in the end,
0:56:05.986,0:56:08.505
with the results that the movement
0:56:08.505,0:56:11.432
produced in the lives of our young people,
0:56:11.432,0:56:12.719
people were able to see,
0:56:12.719,0:56:14.866
"Oh, maybe this actually[br]is a good movement."
0:56:14.866,0:56:16.375
And now we're in the next stage
0:56:16.375,0:56:18.983
of transferring the leadership[br]this summer and then...
0:56:18.983,0:56:20.853
(Derek) Did you have a group that met?
0:56:20.853,0:56:21.608
(Puia) Yes.
0:56:21.608,0:56:23.202
(Derek) How many came together?
0:56:23.202,0:56:24.262
(Puia) Over 300, yeah.
0:56:24.262,0:56:25.947
(Derek) Three hundred young people.
0:56:25.947,0:56:28.699
(Puia) And now we're planning[br]to send back, if possible,
0:56:28.699,0:56:30.798
student missionaries back to our country.
0:56:30.798,0:56:33.227
So, that's the next stage of our goals.
0:56:33.227,0:56:37.904
(Derek) And the wall was built in 52 days!
0:56:37.904,0:56:39.941
But not without opposition.
0:56:39.941,0:56:42.600
So, what's the lesson for our lives?
0:56:42.600,0:56:44.386
The lesson is, God does not
0:56:44.386,0:56:47.895
always ask us to do the easy work.
0:56:47.895,0:56:51.268
He asks us to do His work.
0:56:51.268,0:56:54.066
The harvest is not always easy,
0:56:54.066,0:56:56.707
but it is great, and the laborers are few.
0:56:56.707,0:56:58.256
And He's calling us to be part
0:56:58.256,0:56:59.873
of that harvest work.
0:56:59.873,0:57:02.104
And I pray the testimonies[br]we've heard today
0:57:02.104,0:57:05.169
will inspire us to say, "Lord,
0:57:05.169,0:57:06.693
if it's what You asked me to do,
0:57:06.693,0:57:07.712
You will empower me;
0:57:07.712,0:57:09.260
Your hand will be with me
0:57:09.260,0:57:11.142
to accomplish the work for Your glory."
0:57:11.142,0:57:12.617
Let's pray that can happen
0:57:12.617,0:57:13.926
in our circle of influence.
0:57:13.926,0:57:16.892
Father in Heaven, thank You so much
0:57:16.892,0:57:19.999
for this inspired testimony
0:57:19.999,0:57:22.068
that we've heard from Ezra and Nehemiah
0:57:22.068,0:57:23.789
and the modern testimonies
0:57:23.789,0:57:25.389
we've heard from our group.
0:57:25.389,0:57:27.617
Thank You, God, that You guide us
0:57:27.617,0:57:29.580
even through opposition
0:57:29.580,0:57:30.915
from without and within
0:57:30.915,0:57:32.416
to accomplish Your work
0:57:32.416,0:57:34.509
for Your glory alone, we thank You.
0:57:34.509,0:57:37.292
May we be willing servants
0:57:37.292,0:57:38.951
to follow wherever You lead.
0:57:38.951,0:57:40.771
In Jesus' name. Amen.
0:57:40.771,0:57:41.776
(Team) Amen.
0:57:41.776,0:57:43.189
(Derek) Thanks for joining us
0:57:43.189,0:57:44.464
for Hope Sabbath School.
0:57:44.464,0:57:45.764
There may be a special work
0:57:45.764,0:57:47.049
God's calling you to do.
0:57:47.049,0:57:49.016
It may not be easy, but He'll give you
0:57:49.016,0:57:51.156
the power and the wisdom to do it.
0:57:51.156,0:57:52.725
And when angels sing,
0:57:52.725,0:57:54.402
you be sure to give Him the glory.
0:57:54.402,0:57:56.871
And right now, go out and be a blessing
0:57:56.871,0:57:58.083
to those around you.
0:57:58.083,0:58:28.965
♪ theme music ♪