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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 in the middle
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of a series of lessons
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that is blessing our lives,
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Ezra and Nehemiah, ancient books
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with practical lessons for today.
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This week's topic is
Trials, Tribulations, and Lists,
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and I'm excited because Stephanie
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is going to be teaching today.
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And actually this is relevant
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for our lives today
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because we're going to face
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trials and tribulations
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as followers of Jesus today.
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We will learn that God
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can work blessings through them.
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We're always happy to hear from you,
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our Hope Sabbath School family.
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By the way, if you're just joining us,
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and you've missed any in this series,
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you can go to hopetv.org; you can look
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for Hope Sabbath School there.
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You can look at all of the past programs.
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You can even download our awesome app.
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It's Hope Channel, and you
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can find other programs.
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Awesome. Hope Channel.
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Go to your App store and download it.
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Here are some folks
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watching from Australia.
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Garry writes to us, and he says,
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"I grew up in the church
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in Adelaide, South Australia,
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but as a teenager I left church
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and did some really stupid things.
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I've always heard Jesus
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knocking at my heart's door,
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and in the bad times, I've always turned
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to the things of this world.
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But 30-odd years later,
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I have opened the door to Jesus."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) "He's been knocking all that time.
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I love Him with all my heart,
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and I love to serve Him.
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Watching Hope Sabbath School each week,
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which I only recently discovered,
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brings joy to my heart,
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and it's great to share the gospel
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through a study of God's Word." Amen?
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) You see, what I love
about these emails
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(I want to thank you for writing to us,
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sshope@hopetv.org),
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is we don't know about lives
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that are being changed
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all around the world
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unless you send an email to us, right?
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Garry's testimony is amazing.
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"May our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
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dwell in your hearts forever.
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Keep up the awesome work
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for our awesome God."
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Well, Garry, thanks for writing to us.
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What an amazing testimony,
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and I know no prayer for you
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or for anyone of us is ever wasted.
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David writes from Papua New Guinea.
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Thanks for writing to us, David.
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"I'm from Papua New Guinea.
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Thank God for this program,
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for hearing you share
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God's message of love."
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That's what it is, isn't it?
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The immeasurable and unfailing
love of God.
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"I'm so blessed I cannot
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miss out on one program.
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Your sharing helps me prepare
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for my personal Bible study.
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Thank you so much.
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May God continue to touch many
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through this wonderful program."
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Well, David, thanks for writing.
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Papua New Guinea, that's a world away,
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but I just thank God
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that we've got Hope Sabbath School members
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right there in your country,
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and may God bless you.
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Maybe you'll think of starting
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an interactive Bible study yourself.
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Here's a note from a donor
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in North Carolina in the United States,
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"Hope Sabbath School is truly
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a wonderful blessing all over the world.
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May God bless you,"
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and a gift for a hundred dollars.
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Thanks for partnering with us.
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We're a donor-supported ministry,
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and we're thankful to you
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in North Carolina
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But to each one, thanks for being part
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of this great miracle of God.
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Oh, this is an amazing testimony
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from a South African
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named Craig living in Italy.
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We're an international group, aren't we?
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"Dear Hope Sabbath School team,
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I'm South African born of British parents,
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and I've been living in Italy
for 20 years.
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Around six years ago,
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the Lord called me
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out of the darkness I was living in
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and showed me His truth."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) Miracles are happening
around the world.
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"I asked Him to do so,"
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maybe that was the key.
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"I eventually became a baptized
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Seventh-day Adventist Christian
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and will often use
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your Hope Sabbath School presentation
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to enhance my study of the Word of God.
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I enjoy the interactive discussion
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of the Word of God,
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and I also appreciate
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the different experience
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that each member shares.
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It gives me strength to know
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that I'm not the only one
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facing daily battles
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that need to be overcome
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in the strength of Jesus."
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Well, this is a good [email]
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for today's lesson, isn't it?
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"May the Lord Jesus continue
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to bless your ministry, Craig from Italy."
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Craig, thanks for writing to us.
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A great testimony, we're glad
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you're a witness there
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in that beautiful country,
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though originally from South Africa
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from British parents, international,
indeed.
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One last note, from Pardon
in Zimbabwe,
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"Greetings in the name of Jesus."
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(Team) Greetings.
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(Derek) Lots of Hope Sabbath School
members,
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by the way, in Zimbabwe.
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"My name is Pardon.
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I just want to thank
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the entire Hope Channel team
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for your tireless efforts.
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I am drawn to Jesus by your discussions."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) That's it, isn't it?
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"I love the Scripture songs."
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Well, I've got good news for you, Pardon,
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we're going to sing our theme song
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right now from Psalm 25.
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"May God alone, who has the keys
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of the grave and death,
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uphold you with His
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victorious right hand."
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I can tell that you know
the Bible, Pardon,
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and we're going to sing
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a Scripture song right now,
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before Stephanie leads us
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in our Bible study,
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Trials, Tribulations and Lists,
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good news for our lives today.
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But first our song,
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"To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul."
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Let's sing it together.
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♪ music ♪
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(Derek) Amen. Well, Stephanie,
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lead us in prayer as we begin our study.
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(Stephanie) Let's pray.
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Dear Heavenly Father, Lord,
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thank You so much for Your Word
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and that we can study
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of prophecies today,
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those that have been fulfilled
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and Your faithfulness
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throughout the recent
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or the past history of our world.
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May we leave our lesson today knowing
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that we can fully trust You
with our future.
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In Jesus' name. Amen.
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(Derek, Team) Amen.
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(Stephanie) I'll just be honest,
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when I saw the title
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to our lesson study today, I thought,
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"Wow, this might be a little gloomy,"
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but I believe we're
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going to take a journey.
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We're taking a journey
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with these Jewish exiles
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who have been taken into captivity,
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but a prophecy has been written,
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and we'll take a look at that,
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that they would be going back
to Jerusalem.
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They have challenges along the way,
which we'll see,
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but we're going to walk
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on this journey with them.
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And also I'd like us
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to think about how that journey
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really applies to us today
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because we're in captivity,
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but God is going to take us
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through the challenges
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that we will face in day-to-day life
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And where is our destination?
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(Nicole) Heaven.
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(Stephanie) The new Jerusalem.
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So they went to Jerusalem;
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we're going to the New Jerusalem.
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Let's open up and look
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at Daniel, chapter 4, verse 17;
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Malaina, if you would start our study.
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We're going to look at an important truth
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that Daniel wanted to share
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with Nebuchadnezzar.
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Daniel, chapter 4, verse 17.
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(Malaina) I'll be reading
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from the New King James Version:
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(Stephanie) All right,
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so what's the important truth
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that you see? Brittany.
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(Brittany) The Most High rules.
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(Stephanie) The Most High rules.
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Why is that important?
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(Derek) Otherwise, we're just in chaos,
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you know, survival of the fittest,
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like we've been told by some people.
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But, actually, the amazing thing
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about the Bible and the book
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of Daniel in particular
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is that He gives evidence through prophecy
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that the Most High does rule.
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He's not just saying it.
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(Stephanie) Amen. Let's look at that
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in Daniel, chapter 2, verse 39.
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Nicole, if you would take us there
and read.
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We want to see what prophecy,
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first of all, was given,
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and then its fulfillment
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that took place in 539 B.C.
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(Nicole) The New King James Version
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of Daniel 2:39 says:
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(Stephanie) So, what is the prophecy?
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Who is he talking to?
Let me ask you that.
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(Stephanie, Team) King Nebuchadnezzar.
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(Stephanie) King Nebuchadnezzar
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is the king of Babylon, okay,
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and he's telling King Nebuchadnezzar
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that some other kingdoms
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will rise after him.
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(Derek) It might be helpful, Stephanie,
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to know that he'd had a dream,
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and then he couldn't remember it,
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about this metal man with a head of gold,
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chest and arms of silver,
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belly of brass, legs of iron,
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feet of iron and clay,
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and then a rock that comes
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and smashes the image.
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And God gave -
again, the Most High rules -
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God gave that same dream to Daniel
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and the interpretation of the dream.
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(Stephanie) Amen. You have to read
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that story on your own,
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but that is powerful, Daniel,
chapter 2. Jason.
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(Jason) And it's interesting to me,
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talking about this idea of ruling
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because Nebuchadnezzar is an earthly ruler
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and the idea at the time is,
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if you're an earthly ruler,
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you want to hang onto power
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as long as you can for your people
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as long as you can.
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So God is kind of showing here
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who the ultimate Ruler really is
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and in this story, that God
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is taking care of things
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and letting Nebuchadnezzar know,
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"Yes, you've been a ruler,
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but there are things
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that are going to happen,
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and your rule is temporary;
it's not eternal."
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(Stephanie) So, was that prophecy
fulfilled?
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(Team) Yes.
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(Stephanie) Okay, let's turn
to Daniel, chapter 5,
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and we're not going to read
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the entire chapter of Daniel, chapter 5,
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but could someone summarize,
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what is the setting?
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What is taking place at the very beginning
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of Daniel, chapter 5?
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Who can help me out? Travis.
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(Travis) This would be
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the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar.
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He's throwing a party
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for all of his leaders within the city.
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And they're getting drunk,
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and they bring a bunch of the vessels
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that were captured from the temple of God
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back in Jerusalem,
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that Nebuchadnezzar had brought.
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And they started drinking wine
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and getting drunk, using those vessels,
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and worshiping, also, idols
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of gold and of silver and bronze gods.
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That was the context
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of the feast going on.
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(Stephanie) Yes, and then what happens
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in the midst of this?
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What happens? John, what happens?
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(John) In the middle of their debauchery,
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a bloodless hand appears
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and begins to write a message on the wall.
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(Stephanie) What does that do to the king?
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Can you imagine what would happen
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if you saw just a hand
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writing on the wall?
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What would that do for you?
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What did it do to the king?
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(Derek) It terrified him.
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(Stephanie) He was shocked.
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(Derek) His knees were striking together.
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(Stephanie) That's right,
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and the queen said, "Don't be scared.
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Don't be fearful; there is someone
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who can interpret this."
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By the way, he had already tried,
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his astrologers and those, to interpret.
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All right, so then what takes place?
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That's when Daniel shows up, right?
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(Derek) It may be helpful to know,
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you know, "You've been weighed
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in the balance and found wanting."
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I mean, this is a message of judgment
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against the kingdom of Babylon
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because it wasn't just an ordinary party.
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It was mocking the authority
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of the Most High God.
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(Stephanie) That's right,
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and I would actually like to take a look
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at Daniel's response,
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and we can start in verse 17
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of Daniel, chapter 5.
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Brittany, if you would read that for us,
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Daniel, chapter 5, verses 17 through 30.
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Let's notice what Daniel's response is.
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(Brittany) I'll be reading
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from the New King James Version,
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Daniel, chapter 5, verses 17 through 30:
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(Stephanie) What took place there?
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Fulfillment of prophecy.
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Go ahead, Nicole, what were you
going to say?
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(Nicole) I was actually going to say
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it's interesting that Daniel
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begins with telling him,
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"These are the things that you knew.
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You knew what was going on
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with your father," or, "your grandfather,"
in this case.
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"And even with that knowledge,
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you still decided to live the life
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that you wanted to live.
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And so I'm just letting you know
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that God is the Most High.
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He's still in control,
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and the prophecy that I'm telling you now
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is what's being fulfilled."
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So, it's just, God always
gives us a chance.
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He lets us know what we're getting into
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before we actually even get into it.
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(Stephanie) So, after the fulfillment
of that prophecy,
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we know that Jeremiah
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also had a prophecy.
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And that was also fulfilled
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after the collapse of Babylon, right?
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Let's turn to Ezra, Ezra, chapter 1,
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and we'll look at Ezra, chapter 1,
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verses 1 through 11, and, Evelyn,
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would you read that for us?
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Let's take a look at the prophecy
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of Jeremiah that was fulfilled
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after the fall of Babylon.
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(Evelyn) I am reading
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from the New Living Translation,
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Ezra, chapter 1, verses 1 to 11:
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(Stephanie) Wow, is that amazing?
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What took place there,
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besides a large miracle?
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Can you tell me, what was
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the prophecy that was fulfilled? Travis.
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(Travis) After 70 years of captivity,
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God had promised that He would restore
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and rebuild Jerusalem,
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and He uses King Cyrus to do it.
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And he's a pagan king,
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but He works on his heart,
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and the Holy Spirit inspires him
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to move forward with the decree
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and go and restore and rebuild Jerusalem.
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(Stephanie) John, did you have
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anything else to add to that?
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(John) It's fascinating that King Cyrus
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knows that he's fulfilling prophecy,
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like he knows that he's
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an instrument in God's hands
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to restore God's people.
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(Stephanie) Harold.
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(Harold) I just wanted to add
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that actually the name of Cyrus
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is mentioned in Isaiah,
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chapter 45, I believe.
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So, who knows, maybe somebody
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read it to him, or he read it himself,
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and he realized, "Wow,
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actually God called me
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for this greater work to do."
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(Stephanie) So, again we see
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the Most High rules over the world.
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As we consider the fact
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that the Jewish exiles
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were leaving Babylon,
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I'd like us to consider
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the number of the individuals
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who returned to Jerusalem.
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And we're talking about the returning
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to Judah with Zerubbabel,
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and so we'll look in Ezra 2, verse 64,
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and, Jason, if you would read that for us,
Ezra 2, verse 64.
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How many of those exiles
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returned from Babylon?
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(Jason) I'll be reading
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from the New King James Version,
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Ezra, chapter 2, verse 64:
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(Stephanie) Is that a large group
of individuals?
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(Travis) Yes and no.
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(Stephanie) Yes and no, okay,
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somebody talk to me about that.
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We hear yes; for us we think
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that's a lot of people,
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but why would we say no? Travis.
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(Travis) It's only a remnant.
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it's only a remnant
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of the children of Israel
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who were led into captivity.
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(Stephanie) Gladys.
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(Gladys) Those who were taken
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were larger than that.
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So, like Travis said,
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it was just a smaller portion
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of those that left.
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(Stephanie) Adison.
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(Adison) There were a number of them
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who didn't want to leave Babylon.
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So there are more that...
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(Stephanie) Why do you think
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many of them decided to stay in Babylon?
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Why do you think?
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Brittany and then Gladys,
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and we'll go back to Jason.
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(Brittany) They got comfortable there.
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They had land; they had possessions.
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They didn't want to go start
all over again.
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(Gladys) I think others were officials,
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and they decided that that's
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where God wanted them to be.
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(Stephanie) It's possible
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that some were officials,
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and God kept them there. Jason?
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(Jason) It kind of reminds me
of the Exodus
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when the children of Israel
were leaving Egypt,
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you know, going to the Promised Land.
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And most of them felt like
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they wanted to go back to Egypt
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because the trials that they
were experiencing
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weren't complementary to their liking.
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So, therefore, they wanted to go back.
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They were just pretty much murmuring
and complaining.
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So this, fast forward, and it
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could have been their thought process.
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In going back to Jerusalem,
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it would have been somewhat similar
to that,
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so they just wanted to stay.
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(Stephanie) Yes, Adison.
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(Adison) There were some
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new generations, of course,
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who had never lived in Jerusalem.
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They were born in the land of exile.
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They were born in Babylon,
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and so they were comfortable
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with what they knew.
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This was their home,
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and this was where they were born.
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(Stephanie) And certainly there
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would be some trials on the way back.
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That was not going to be an easy journey,
by any means.
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So, as we think about that,
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staying in Babylon,
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how can we apply that to our lives today?
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Are we comfortable
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in our status quo? Gladys.
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(Gladys) There was a time
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when I was asking God,
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when I graduated from college,
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where He wanted me to be,
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and I said, "Wherever You lead me."
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And He led me to a place,
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and I said, "I don't want to be there,"
-
because I was like, I'm a secondary ed;
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I don't know anything about little kids.
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And God kept saying,
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"This is where I want you to be,"
and I said, "No."
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And the trials and tribulations
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that were in the place
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where God did not send me
-
were greater than the place, I guess,
-
that God wanted me to be.
-
So, sometimes in our lives,
-
we choose what is comfortable,
-
what we think is comfortable for us,
-
instead of where God is leading us
-
because we don't want to face the unknown,
-
and maybe we're just afraid
-
of where God is leading us.
-
(Stephanie) So God had a work
for you to do,
-
and you asked Him, "Lord, show me."
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And He showed you, and you said,
-
"Nope, not that option."
Is that real?
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(Team) Yes.
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(Stephanie) We run into that, don't we?
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So, have you ever had an opportunity,
-
God's given you an opportunity,
to work for Him?
-
What was the impact on your life
-
when you went and did it,
-
and then even now, as a result
-
of making that choice? Alex?
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(Alex) I think of a couple of years ago
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I had been praying for the chance
-
to give a Bible study to somebody,
-
and I'd never done it before.
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Then God gave me an opportunity
with a coworker.
-
I was nervous, and I
-
almost kind of didn't want to do it
-
once I had the opportunity,
-
but I did follow through with it.
-
I reached out to some people
-
who had given Bible studies before,
-
and I learned how to do it.
-
And it was such a blessing to me;
-
it was a blessing to the two people
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that were baptized because of it.
-
And it's given me the desire
-
to share more in the future after that.
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(Stephanie) So that changed the direction
-
of maybe what you thought
-
your possibilities were.
-
There may be someone...
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You may be watching and thinking,
-
"I could never give a Bible study,"
-
but we have just seen through Alex
-
that God can use us
-
to do those Bible studies.
-
Thank you for sharing, Alex. Travis.
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(Travis) I remember one time,
-
this was quite a few years ago now,
-
but the very first time
-
I went on a mission trip to Guyana,
-
I remember sleeping
-
in the jungles of Guyana.
-
And it was an interesting experience.
-
I didn't know anybody there,
-
and I left there a changed person.
-
I was like, "Wow."
-
I came back home, and I had
-
a business and all these things.
-
And I'm like, "Lord, what am I doing?"
-
There are so many people out there
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who need to know about Jesus,
who need help,
-
and I need to get the things
-
straight in my life.
-
And it was just a life-changing experience
for me.
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(Stephanie) So, Travis, would you say
-
that was pivotal in your direction
for your future?
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(Travis) Oh, yeah, it weighed
-
on my mind all the time.
-
I couldn't get that out of my head,
-
and so I would say that definitely had
-
a huge impact on my making
-
a 180-degree turn to serve Jesus.
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(Stephanie) Jason.
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(Jason) My wife and I, we like
to travel a lot,
-
and so the best souvenir
-
I ever got was from Bermuda.
-
I ran into an actual monument of a guy
-
by the name of Johnny Barnes.
-
And Johnny Barnes was
-
a very loving individual.
-
He would actually go about a roundabout
-
or a circle in a nearby town in Bermuda,
-
and he would tell people
-
that he loved them, that God loved them.
-
He would do this, and he was 96 years old.
-
He's passed away now,
-
but when he was doing it,
-
he was 96 years old, and he
-
would just tell people he loved them.
-
So, when I saw that,
-
it touched my heart so much
-
that I was jogging one day,
-
and we have roundabouts or circles here
-
in the United States.
-
And I was like, "God, I would like
-
to go out there and do
-
what Johnny Barnes did."
-
Nonetheless, God answered
-
because I asked God, I need a sign.
-
So God showed me a sign
-
that was just lying on the ground
-
when I was jogging,
-
and I picked it up, and I wrote,
"God loves you."
-
And, therefore, it started
-
the journey to minister
-
on a roundabout, a circle,
-
showing the sign to people on Sundays,
-
telling them that God loves them.
-
And the impact was amazing.
-
I mean, it was a hot day
-
this first time I did it.
-
They came out of their car
-
and gave me a water bottle.
-
I was giving them literature,
-
telling them God loves them,
-
and just sharing the love of God.
-
It really touched me in a special way.
-
Now I know what the love of God
-
feels like, in that manner.
-
(Stephanie) What's interesting to me
-
is that Jason was inspired
-
by someone else who had inspired him.
-
And so, every time that we are impacted,
-
and that impact, we'll go out
-
and share it with other people, right?
-
Other people are impacted by that.
-
(Derek) What I'm hearing,
-
tying back into why so many exiles
-
decided that they didn't want to go home,
-
the real problem was
-
that they were disonnected
-
from a personal relationship with God
-
because when you're connected,
-
God can direct your steps.
-
And then you get greater joy
-
because you see how real God is
and how He works.
-
But when you're disconnected,
-
you just think about conserving assets
-
and maybe looking better
-
than the people around you.
-
(Stephanie) Thank you for sharing that.
-
Let's move on to Ezra, chapter 8,
-
and we'll look in verse 15 to start with.
-
There were some trials
-
and tribulations along the way,
-
and we want to take a look
-
at what that was in this chapter,
-
Ezra, chapter 8, verse 15.
-
Alex, if you would prepare to read that.
-
We'll take a look at the challenge,
-
and then how it was handled by Ezra,
-
all right, Ezra, chapter 8, verse 15.
-
(Alex) Sure, and I'll be reading
-
from the King James Version:
-
(Stephanie) What was the challenge?
-
(Team) No Levites.
-
(Stephanie) No Levites,
-
no priests, religious leaders. Brittany.
-
(Brittany) I was going to say
no spiritual vision
-
because the Bible says
-
where there is no vision, the people
fall or they fail,
-
and so they needed that leadership.
-
(Stephanie) Adison.
-
(Adison) The Levites were the ones
-
that God had commissioned
-
to be a part of the service
-
of the temple, the sanctuary,
-
and so they needed to be there,
-
but there was a lack of them.
-
And Ezra's got this dilemma, "Where can I
-
find these priests and these Levites?"
-
(Stephanie) Let's see what Ezra does.
-
Let's go to verses 16 to 20
-
in the same chapter, Ezra 8:16-20,
-
and, John, would you read that for us?
-
(John) All right, lots of good names here.
-
Reading from the New King James Version,
it says:
-
(Stephanie) So how did Ezra
-
decide to meet this challenge?
-
What did you see?
-
What did he do here in these few verses?
Evelyn?
-
(Evelyn) He sends out men of discernment.
-
So I figure these men have a talent
-
to minister, to probably ask for help.
-
They were sent to ask help to the Levites.
-
And, thankfully, the Levites
-
were able to send some people
-
to minister to the temple.
-
(Stephanie) Men of understanding
again, right? Travis.
-
(Travis) It's interesting
-
that as he searched through the people,
-
he didn't find...because they were
-
going to rebuild the temple,
-
so you need people who are eligible
to work in the temple.
-
If you go there and rebuild the temple,
-
and you have nobody to work inside,
you've got a problem.
-
So he's looking for eligible people,
-
qualified individuals who can be there
-
and sends qualified people,
as she mentioned,
-
just to go and find religious leaders
-
to perform the duties within the temple.
-
(Stephanie) Thank you. Jason.
-
(Jason) He also uses
-
this sort of Jewish social network
-
that they have there.
-
He finds the leaders
-
who might know people,
-
and he works with what he has
-
to connect himself to find
-
these Levites wherever they are.
-
(Stephanie) So he didn't just leave
-
without Levites, right?
-
He went and recruited appropriately.
-
(Derek) I think there's a principle, too,
Stephanie,
-
that was kind of alluded to here.
-
You know, you cannot
-
do everything by yourself.
-
So he's delegating some responsibility
-
to some people of understanding,
some leaders,
-
asking them to talk to Iddo,
-
"And you talk and network with this,
-
and let them talk to others,"
like Jason said.
-
God is not going to just use one person;
-
otherwise, we'd just have
-
Hope Sabbath School with one,
-
but we have a team.
-
And I think that he recognized that,
-
and the Bible talks about, you know,
-
in a multitude of counselors
there's safety.
-
So he trusts that God
-
is not just leading one person.
-
(Stephanie) Amen. Thank you
-
for bringing that out.
-
Let's continue on in verses 21 through 23,
-
and, Harold, if you
-
would read that for us,
-
Ezra, chapter 8, verses 21 through 23,
-
and see what else Ezra
-
is going to encourage the people to do.
-
(Harold) And I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version:
-
(Stephanie) Amen. So they did what?
-
They fasted and they prayed.
-
Why did they fast and pray?
It's in the text.
-
Why did they fast and pray? Jason.
-
(Jason) They wanted to prepare themselves
for this journey.
-
This wasn't just a little bit of a trip.
-
This was a spiritual direction
-
that they were taking,
-
and they wanted to make sure
-
that when they were doing this
-
that they themselves were prepared
-
in their relationship with God
-
to follow His plan.
-
(Stephanie) Prepared in the relationship
with God.
-
Thank you. Gladys?
-
(Gladys) The text says, "That we
-
might humble ourselves before God."
-
They wanted to have the right spirit.
-
They wanted to be in that connection
-
with a humble heart to accept the task
-
that God had given them.
-
(Stephanie) To be connected. Derek?
-
(Derek) I'm going to share something
-
that may sound a little controversial,
-
but it doesn't say he fasted and prayed,
-
and then he was ashamed
-
to ask for an escort.
-
And I see Ezra quite different
from Nehemiah.
-
When Nehemiah was asked,
-
"What do you want?"
-
what's the first thing he did?
-
(Team Member) He prayed.
-
(Derek) He says, "I prayed
to the Lord my God,
-
and then I said, 'I need this, this,
-
this, this, this, this and this.'"
-
And if you read the chapter,
-
you go, "Wow, that was bold."
-
Here it says that Ezra the priest
-
was ashamed to ask for an escort,
-
and later it says he fasted and prayed.
-
And I'm just putting a plea in,
-
maybe we'll get a few emails,
-
but I'm putting a plea in,
-
that when God gives us an opportunity,
-
that we should pray
-
because we might be more bold.
-
I'm typically not that bold,
-
but I think when the Holy Spirit helps us,
-
we can be more bold.
-
Maybe he should have
-
fasted and prayed before he declined
-
or was ashamed to ask for an escort.
-
You know what I'm saying?
-
And maybe if he had fasted and prayed,
-
God would have said, "No, I'm going
-
to touch the heart of the king,
-
and he'll give you everything
that you need."
-
(Stephanie) But he did proclaim
-
a fast, though, in verse 21,
-
prior to "for I was ashamed."
-
(Derek) That's a good point,
-
and then he fasted and prayed.
-
Yeah, so I don't know.
-
It doesn't say, though,
-
like with Nehemiah, "I prayed,
and then..."
-
(Stephanie) "And then I followed
-
the leading of my God."
-
(Derek) What do you think?
-
(Stephanie) Travis.
-
(Travis) I think it's important
-
to understand he was ashamed
-
because of what he had
-
already told the king,
-
"I told him that my God
-
was going to bless those
-
who walk righteously,
-
and He was going to curse those
-
who do not walk righteously."
-
So the reason he was ashamed
-
wasn't because he was, you know,
-
not walking with God.
-
I think the reason is
-
he had set God on a pedestal,
-
and he didn't want to take Him down.
-
"No, my God will take care of us,
-
and I will show you," and that was
the reason he was...
-
That's my feeling on this.
-
(Derek) But all of the fulfillments
of prophecy,
-
God can use pagan kings
-
to provide for His people, so...
-
I think the lesson for all of us
-
is that God uses imperfect people,
-
and, you know, I don't know
-
what should have been done there,
-
but Nehemiah certainly
-
was much more bold,
-
and he was also a person of faith.
-
And he didn't believe
-
he wasn't trusting God in that.
-
He believed that God was working
-
in touching the heart of the king.
-
(Stephanie) Amen. And I'm thankful
-
that you brought that out, the difference,
-
because God works...He can make
-
all things work together for good,
-
whether it was right or wrong
-
for Nehemiah and Ezra,
-
still God worked, and He could take
human beings
-
and make something beautiful
come out of that.
-
So here's my question,
-
why do you think fasting and prayer
-
is an appropriate response
-
when you're facing a decision? Brittany.
-
(Brittany) When you're fasting,
-
whether it's from water or food,
-
you realize that you really need God.
-
You aren't dependent on other things.
-
You realize how weak you are
-
and how strong He is.
-
And so it gives you an opportunity
-
to recognize, "God, I can't
-
make this journey on my own."
-
In their case, "God, we can't go back
-
and do all that You're calling us to do
-
without Your help.
-
We need You; our full dependence
is on You."
-
(Stephanie) Adison.
-
(Adison) I just have a quick story.
-
Several years ago I went
-
on a survival trip for about three days.
-
And we had pretty much no food or water,
-
a little bit of water but not much.
-
And I remember spending time
-
reading my Bible, praying to God,
-
and I just felt more of my need,
-
maybe because I was empty
-
of all, like, what Brittany was saying.
-
But I just felt that I could have
-
a unique experience with God
-
that would hopefully draw me
-
closer to Him and bring me
-
into a better connection with Him...
-
(Stephanie) Gladys, and after Gladys'
comment,
-
I would like you to share with me
-
a time when you fasted and prayed,
-
and you saw God work
-
in a miraculous way. Gladys.
-
(Gladys) When you fast and pray,
-
it clears your mind.
-
You're not focused on your physical needs.
-
You're more connected
-
in a spiritual connection with God.
-
It just clears your mind for God
-
to really speak to you.
-
(Stephanie) All right. Testimonies.
Nicole.
-
(Nicole) It wasn't quite a testimony,
-
but I just wanted to bring something up
-
because I think we're focusing
on food and water,
-
but you can fast from other things.
-
I think that you can fast
-
from things that take up time
-
in your day, like media.
-
Because people who have medical issues
-
that can't actually fast
from food and water,
-
there's nothing less to say
-
that I'm going to give something up
-
that I use on a regular basis
-
to then get closer to Christ.
-
And I've done that;
-
I've actually fasted from my cellphone,
-
and it was an interesting experience.
-
(Stephanie) Thank you, Nicole.
-
That is a very good point
-
because the whole purpose
-
of fasting and prayer
-
is that we focus on God.
-
And the things that take up our time,
-
we now spend time with God
-
to know His will. Jason.
-
(Jason) My first deployment
-
on an aircraft carrier in the navy,
-
I was appointed leadership
-
of facilitating a Bible study.
-
The Bible study leader left
-
and went to another command,
-
and I felt very inadequate
-
because he brought a large crowd.
-
He was a man of God, and I felt little,
-
to fill those shoes he had.
-
So the one thing that came to mind
-
was, "Some things come
-
with prayer and fasting."
-
It kept on echoing in my head,
-
so I took God on that offer, and I fasted,
-
and did He come through!
-
It was amazing; I mean, people
-
that I've never met came
-
to the Bible studies.
-
People were actually repenting of sins,
-
drawing closer to Christ.
-
I was just blown away.
-
It really felt like, if I can explain,
-
it was like the Day of Pentecost,
-
you know, without the tongues,
-
but people were actually coming;
God was adding.
-
At night I would just be in awe,
-
just thanking God because I knew
-
it was Him and it wasn't me.
-
(Stephanie) Amen. Thank you.
-
(Gladys) I wanted to share the second part
-
of the story I shared earlier.
-
It was through a whole year
that God took me
-
through that back and forth with Him,
-
telling me to go, and I didn't want to go.
-
And it was through fasting and prayer
-
that I finally...He humbled me
-
and said, "You have to do what I say
-
because it will be the best."
-
And it has been a great journey with Him,
-
just trusting that where He said, "Go,"
-
it is the best way to be.
-
And I wouldn't be happier
-
than to be placed where He wants me to be.
-
And it was through fasting and prayer
-
that that conviction came,
-
that it is better to be within His will
-
than outside of His will.
-
(Stephanie) Amen. Are there
-
any Bible promises that come to your mind
-
that remind you that God is with you
-
through the challenges,
-
through the decisions
-
that you have to make? Alex.
-
(Alex) I think of the wonderful promise
in Isaiah 41:10.
-
(Stephanie) Would you like
to read that for us?
-
(Alex) Sure.
-
(Stephanie) Isaiah, chapter 41, verse 10.
-
And we're talking about promises
-
of God's faithfulness, right,
-
in trials and challenges.
-
(Alex) I'll be reading
-
from the King James Version:
-
(Stephanie) Amen. Very good.
-
Thank you for sharing. Any other? Nicole.
-
(Nicole) Matthew 24, it doesn't talk
-
about holding you up.
-
It just says, "If you will endure,
you will be saved."
-
It just talks about enduring,
-
and there are trials and tribulations,
-
but if you would just hold fast
and endure,
-
the Lord says that He will save us,
and that's in Matthew 24.
-
(Stephanie) What causes us
-
to claim these promises?
-
Why would we claim the promises of God?
-
Tell me, Gladys.
-
(Gladys) Because of the Giver;
God is the Giver,
-
so we trust in Him.
-
We know that He is the Ruler of the earth.
-
He's the One who created us,
-
and if we have that connection with Him,
-
we know that He's faithful.
-
(Stephanie) That's right, and He loves us
-
and wants to do the very best
-
for our lives, right?
-
He has a plan. Travis.
-
(Travis) The Bible says
-
that God cannot lie.
-
And Psalm, chapter 50, verse 15,
-
if I could read that...
-
(Stephanie) Sure, Psalm, chapter 50,
-
verse 15, you said?
-
(Travis) Verse 15, and I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version; it says:
-
God doesn't lie; we can claim
these promises.
-
(Stephanie) So, call upon the Lord,
-
and He will deliver you,
-
"and you will glorify Me."
-
So, here again, it's not
-
just, "I received a blessing,"
-
but I also give the blessing as a result.
-
We're talking about the Jewish exiles
-
who have come out of Babylon, right?
-
They've gone through challenges,
-
and now at this point we're going
-
to move to them actually residing
in Jerusalem.
-
So let's turn to Nehemiah,
-
Nehemiah, chapter 11, and we'll
-
look at verses 1 and 2.
-
Nehemiah, chapter 11, verses 1 and 2,
-
and let's consider what they are doing
-
in these two verses.
-
Who would be able to read for us?
-
Brittany, you have that?
-
Okay, great, Nehemiah, chapter 11,
verses 1 and 2.
-
(Brittany) I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version,
-
Nehemiah, chapter 11, verses 1 and 2:
-
(Stephanie) What were the people doing,
-
and what were they doing it for?
-
Can you tell me? What's taking place here?
-
They are...? Casting lots.
-
Why are they casting lots?
-
(Brittany) The city's not big enough
-
for everyone to live there.
-
(Stephanie) All right, so they're casting
lots on who should live
-
in Jerusalem, right?
-
(Derek) Actually, I'm not sure
that's the reason
-
because they actually would prefer
-
not to live there.
-
And if you've traveled in the Holy Land,
-
there are some really nice places
-
to live besides on Mount Zion.
-
So, it's actually the lot,
-
not saying, "Oh, I've got..."
-
They would rather live somewhere else.
-
They're casting lots, and one
-
out of ten will live there.
-
And then they actually bless them.
-
You know, it was like, "Bless you
-
for being willing to do that."
-
It's a question why;
-
certainly Jerusalem would be a first place
-
to come under attack, right?
-
There may have been other challenges
-
of living in a congested, urban setting.
-
But back to the question of why the lots,
-
if you look in the Old Testament,
-
that was a way that God had shown them
-
to prayerfully ask for His direction.
-
An example, of course,
-
when Achan steals things,
-
and he's identified as the one
-
who stole from Jericho.
-
It wasn't, like, "Well,
-
that's a coincidence," no.
-
They prayed and asked God to point out.
-
So they were asking God
-
to show who should be there,
-
but I don't think they wanted
-
to all live in that city.
-
They would rather live
-
out in the countryside.
-
(Stephanie) I would agree,
-
and we have evidence that it
-
might have been more difficult in the city
-
than it is out in the countryside.
-
You have more challenges in the city.
-
You needed to have inhabitants, though,
in the city.
-
We think about it today.
-
Is it easier sometimes
-
to be out in the country,
-
away from some of the challenges
-
that the cities present to us?
-
I think so. Travis.
-
(Travis) They were rebuilding
the community,
-
and so, rebuilding a community,
-
like you said, is going
to face challenges.
-
But Jerusalem, the whole system
-
needed to be reestablished and rebuilt.
-
And so, they were just choosing
-
who's going to be here
-
to rebuild the community
-
and make this work.
-
(Stephanie) So they were casting lots
-
to understand God's will.
-
How do we, today, know the will of God?
-
(John) Through His Word.
-
(Stephanie) Through His Word.
-
Okay, that's definitely...
-
Anything that...Wherever God leads us,
-
it will not be contradictory
-
to His Word, right,
-
the principles in His Word.
-
What else? Brittany.
-
(Brittany) Prayer, like she said,
and fasting.
-
And also the Bible talks
-
about a multitude of counselors.
-
And so, looking to godly people
-
who have maybe made
-
similar decisions as you,
-
and you're praying about it,
-
and you can seek their counsel as well.
-
(Stephanie) All right. Nicole.
-
(Nicole) Well, Brittany said it all.
-
(Derek) I had a student, Stephanie,
-
one time who said,
-
"I'm going to put a sock..."
-
He was trying to decide
-
what to do for the summer...
-
"I'm going to put a sock on my dresser,
-
and if it's wet, I go to...,"
-
you choose the state.
-
"And if it's dry, I go here."
-
And I said, "How did you determine that?
-
Have you sought counsel
from your parents?"
-
You know, I mean...I do think
-
the Bible does say that God...
-
"I will teach you and instruct
you the way,"
-
but He's spoken in His Word,
so there are principles.
-
But then it also says,
-
"Listen to counsel, receive instruction,
-
that you may be wise."
-
And he was like, "No
-
I haven't talked to them
-
because I already know
-
what they'll tell me."
-
Sometimes I think we
-
maybe do silly things,
-
when the clear guidance of God
-
is already before us,
-
or godly family members
-
or spiritual leaders can provide
-
wise counsel for us.
-
(Stephanie) It's already been revealed,
-
and we may be saying, "I don't
-
want that answer, God."
-
But, praise the Lord,
-
He continued to work in that circumstance
-
for you, Gladys. Travis.
-
(Travis) The one thing that I want to say
-
is we can be very sure
-
that God wants us to know His will.
-
We can be very sure
-
that He wants us to know His will.
-
(Stephanie) And I think I could
-
take that a step further.
-
Not only does He want us to know His will,
-
but He is willing to show us His will.
-
We don't have to be in confusion
-
or in a state of questioning.
-
Did I see a hand?
-
(Derek) I'm reminded of a 70-year-old man
-
praying because he was invited
-
to go and hold some evangelistic meetings.
-
"Oh, Lord, please show me
-
if this is what You want me to do."
-
And he said the Spirit of God said,
-
"I've already told you,
-
I want you all to go," to the world
-
and to preach the gospel.
-
It's like, "Why are you asking for a sign?
-
I've already told you."
-
And he went, by the way,
-
and God blessed him in an amazing way.
-
But it may be that the counsel
is already there.
-
(Stephanie) Amen. And I do want to mention
-
on that note that we need
-
to know the Word of God.
-
"I don't know where God's
leading me," you may say,
-
"I don't know where God's leading me;
-
He hasn't shown me,"
-
but we have to be in His Word;
He will teach us.
-
Over and over again I've noticed
-
that when I've gone to the Word of God,
-
even if I'm studying
-
something totally different,
-
a totally different topic,
-
He reveals His plan for our lives.
-
Are we willing to listen?
-
Are we willing to listen? Gladys.
-
(Gladys) I think that God
-
reaches us in a way
-
that we personally can understand.
-
The way that He reaches somebody else
-
doesn't necessarily mean
-
that I'm going to understand
-
if He talks to me that way.
-
So I think that God reaches us
-
in an individual way
-
that we will understand.
-
(Stephanie) That's really important.
-
God knows our language.
-
He knows the language,
-
and He knows how to reach us.
-
Can you think of other Bible characters
-
who followed God's will
-
even though it may not
-
have been the most comfortable? Nicole.
-
(Nicole) I always think of Joseph.
-
He had a very difficult time,
-
but even in the end he said,
-
"You might have sold me into slavery,
-
but God sent me here for this purpose."
-
So, throughout his entire life,
-
when he was in prison,
-
when he was having all these issues,
-
he still was following and knew
-
that God had a plan for his life
-
and had a will for him, and so I
think of him.
-
(Derek) Amen.
-
(Stephanie) Harold.
-
(Harold) Jeremiah, he was
-
called to be a prophet
-
to the people of Israel.
-
And actually he did endure
lots of hardships.
-
They put him in prison;
-
they treated him badly.
-
I mean, these are his own people,
-
and yet he waited on the Lord
-
for His guidance and His help.
-
(Stephanie) Was there ever a time
-
that you left your comfort zone
-
to go and do God's work? Evelyn.
-
(Evelyn) Well, yes. This past semester
-
I was studying at Southern Adventist
University,
-
and I had a test coming up;
-
I wanted to study for it.
-
And Travis comes up to me, inviting me
-
to come to Hope Sabbath School.
-
And my initial reaction was, "No,
-
I need to stay here and study."
-
And God seriously made it clear to me
-
that this was a place He wanted me to come
-
because soon afterwards my professor said,
-
"Evelyn, I'll pay for your flight
-
for you to go there.
-
And, you know what, you
-
live ten minutes away; you have to go."
-
I left my familiar; I wanted
-
to stay there and study,
-
and I said, "Okay, God, I'm going
-
to step out and do Hope Sabbath School."
-
And I got the best grade on that exam
when I got back.
-
So it was truly just God saying,
-
"Evelyn, trust Me;
-
this is going to work out for you."
-
(Stephanie) Thank you for sharing.
-
We are all on a journey, aren't we?
-
And our destination is where?
-
(Stephanie, Team) The New Jerusalem.
-
(Stephanie) And God is going
to bring us step by step
-
through whatever challenges we face,
-
but we can know that He is faithful,
-
He loves us, and He will
-
walk that path with us.
-
Aren't you excited?
-
(Team) Amen.
-
(Stephanie) The prophecies
-
that have been fulfilled
-
will be fulfilled again for us.
-
Thank you for studying.
-
(Derek) Amen. Thank you so much.
-
What a great study, and thank you
-
for being with us
-
on Hope Sabbath School today.
-
Trials and tribulations are part of life
-
on this broken planet,
-
but that assurance, "Fear not,"
-
like Alex mentioned from Isaiah 41:10,
-
"I am with you," the Lord says.
-
"I will strengthen you, I will help you,
-
I will uphold you."
-
Well, then, we would say
-
with the prophet Paul,
-
"If God is for us, who can be against us?"
-
Whatever trial or tribulation
you're facing today,
-
invite the Lord to be your strength
-
and your Deliverer.
-
Let's pray; Father in Heaven,
-
we thank You that, whatever trial
-
or tribulation we may face,
-
You've said, "I'll be with you always,
-
even to the end of the age."
-
We do not need to be afraid
-
but to trust wholly in You.
-
May we do that even this day
-
and rejoice and be glad in You.
-
in Jesus' name. Amen.
-
(Team) Amen.
-
(Derek) Thanks for joining us
-
for Hope Sabbath School today.
-
Trials and tribulations are part of life,
-
but the Lord is right there by our side.
-
Someone needs to know that.
-
Go and share that good news with them.
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♪ theme music ♪