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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 coming to the close
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of a very practical series of studies
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based on the words of Jesus,
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Ministering to "the Least of These":
to Those in Need,
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our topic today, To Love Mercy,
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and that is so aligned
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with the heart of our loving God.
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I pray you'll be blessed,
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and it's good to be together
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and study, isn't it?
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And I'm excited because one of our team,
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Puia, is going to be teaching today.
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And it's so exciting,
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not only to have some members
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of our team who teach,
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but to know that thousands
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of people around the world
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are downloading our outline, and you're
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having an in-depth, interactive class
where you live.
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We would love to hear from you,
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what people are learning
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about the Word of God,
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what you're learning about sharing
the Word of God.
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You can write to us at sshope@hopetv.org,
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and we would be happy to hear
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what God's doing in you and through you.
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Here are just a few emails
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we've received recently.
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One from Chipo in Zimbabwe,
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Chipo writes, "Hi, everybody."
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(Team) Hi!
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(Derek) "My name's Chipo,
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I'm a 17-year-old girl
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learning at a high school in Zimbabwe,
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the same school where one of your team,
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Simiso, went to school."
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Wow, we all know Simiso.
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He's not with us today, Chipo,
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but we're glad that you're studying there.
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"I look forward to watching
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Hope Sabbath School programs
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because they encourage me
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to read the Bible more
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and to memorize Bible verses,
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which I often struggle with
when I'm alone.
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Thanks to your program,
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I enjoy contributing
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during my own Sabbath School class
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and proving to my classmates
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that we shouldn't be embarrassed
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when we know more Bible verses
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than we do about the latest movie
or popular song."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) That's powerful.
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"Your testimonies give me
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great assurance that I serve
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a living and powerful God."
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(Team) Amen!
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(Derek) Well, you just encouraged us
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for our study today, Chipo.
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Thanks for writing to us from Zimbabwe.
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And you're right, the Word of God
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is more powerful than modern movies
or popular songs.
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Kodiah writes from Jamaica.
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Anyone from Jamaica here?
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All right, Nicole, Jamaican heritage
anyway, right?
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"My name's Kodiah; I'm writing
from Jamaica.
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I recently got introduced
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to Hope Sabbath School.
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I was so amazed and refreshed
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that there was a program
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that I could watch that would help me
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to further understand the Bible."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) "With the introduction
of this program,
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I can now understand better
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and make application to my own life.
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I'm thrilled to share with my husband
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because we do Sabbath School together.
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We can now have a more in-depth discussion
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and the program will help both of us
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to know how to understand the Word of God.
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This platform," writes Kodiah,
"is remarkable,"
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and I'm looking forward
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to the ones in the future.
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Thank you, and God bless you all."
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Well, Kodiah, I'm impressed that you're...
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She's already encouraged
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her husband to watch, too.
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And you know someone,
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you're watching today
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wherever you are around the world,
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you know someone who will be blessed
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by a study of God's Word.
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The Holy Spirit's the One
who changes hearts,
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but we can invite people
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to be blessed through His Word.
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Manuel writes from Angola,
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and he says, "I've been watching
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this program for seven years.
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Now, I'm a member of Hope Sabbath School.
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This program has been changing my life.
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I understand the Scriptures well
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through Hope Sabbath School."
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Well, his main language in Angola
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is not English, is it?
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There are probably some tribal languages
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and Portuguese, right, in Angola.
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So we're just glad, Manuel, that you're
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part of our Hope Sabbath School family.
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Let's see, I have another note here.
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I think I mixed them all up; that's it?
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Oh, no, here are two more in my Bible.
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Here's one from a donor in Arizona
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in the United States.
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Treva, you're from Arizona, aren't you?
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Well, say a little wave to a family there.
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This person writes, "My faith,"
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they mention a mainline church,
"of 60 years
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has been void for a long time.
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I didn't know what was missing,
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and one day I found Hope Sabbath School,
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and I know now what I was missing.
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I was missing the Word of God."
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Is it possible to go to church each week
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and not hear the Word of God?
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"I realized it was God's Word,
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reading, studying, savoring;
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that's what was lacking in my life.
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A couple of years of regular watching
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has inspired me to seek out
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a personal Bible study group,
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which I have now found."
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And this donor sent a gift of 25 dollars
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to Hope Sabbath School.
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And, you know, we're all
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part of the miracle,
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so thank you for helping
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this donor-supported ministry.
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One last note, from Randy in Ohio
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in the United States,
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"Thank you for blessing us
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through the weekly Bible study.
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It's been a tough year for me.
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I was rushed to the hospital
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and later diagnosed
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with dead bowel syndrome
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and had emergency surgery.
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I'm still experiencing the effects
of that surgery.
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Then in November I was
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to have cataract surgery on my right eye
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because of a retina detachment
a year earlier.
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It was great; the next day
I was able to see.
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Then in December it became necessary
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to have surgery on the other eye,
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and during that surgery
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something went terribly wrong.
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Instead of a 10- or 15-minute surgery,
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it took an hour and a half.
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This surgery left me blind
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in my left eye, hopefully temporarily.
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So far, I've gained only 50 percent
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of my vision in my left eye,
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haven't been able to drive
or go to church,
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but I've been able to watch
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Hope Sabbath School."
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(Team) Amen!
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(Derek) Well, I want to tell you,
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those who wait on the Lord, I believe,
will renew their strength.
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And we want to be praying
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for continued healing for you, Randy.
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It's obviously a challenge, isn't it?
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But, you know, when we
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hide the Word in our hearts,
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even if we lose some sight,
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we still have the Word within us.
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And that's why we sing Scripture songs
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as theme songs for this series.
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For this series on "The Least of These,"
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we've got a beautiful text
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from 2 Thessalonians 3, verses 5 and 16,
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"Now may the Lord direct your hearts
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into the love of God."
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Let's sing together.
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♪ music ♪
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(Derek) Well, I'm excited
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as we study together today
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that we can direct our hearts
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into the love of God
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and to love mercy as He does.
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Puia, why don't you lead us in prayer
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as we begin our study?
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(Puia) Shall we pray?
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Our dear, loving heavenly Father,
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we come to You in the name of Jesus.
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Lord, we thank You for this opportunity
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that You have given to us today
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to study Your Word once again.
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Lord, we pray that You will be with us,
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that You speak to us
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through the Holy Spirit.
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Lord, I pray, not only
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for the Hope Sabbath School team members
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here in the studio,
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but I pray also for all
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the Hope Sabbath School members
around the world,
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whenever it is that they're
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watching this episode,
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or wherever it is that they're
watching this from.
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Lord, I pray that You will be
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with them as well.
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We thank You for Your love, and we
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pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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(Derek, Team) Amen.
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(Puia) All right, we are
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on a series of studies on the topic
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of Ministering to Those in Need,
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"The Least of These,"
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according to the teachings of Jesus,
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and today we are on lesson number 12.
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And the title of our study
is To Love Mercy.
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I want to start our study
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by reading Micah, chapter 6, verse 8.
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Jonathan, can you please read for us
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Micah, chapter 6, verse 8,
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and here we will find
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the call of God for mankind, all right?
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In this verse, we will be able to see
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what God requires of us as mankind.
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(Jonathan) Micah 6, verse 8,
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all right, I'll be reading
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from the New Living Translation:
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(Puia) Amen. So here in this verse,
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what is God requiring of us as mankind,
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or people, in your version?
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Anything that stands...
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(Stephanie) To do justly.
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(Puia) To do justly.
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(Evelyn) Walk humbly with God.
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(Puia) Walk humbly with Him, and...?
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(Team) Love mercy.
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(Puia) Love mercy, which is the title
of our study today.
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This is what God is asking of mankind,
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every one of us, all right?
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And, as we have seen in our study,
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in this series of studies,
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we have seen time and time again,
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that the Bible is filled
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with descriptions of God's concern
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for the poor and the oppressed people.
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And also the call is for His people
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to stand for those people.
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(Derek) That's right.
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(Puia) Yet, despite all this attention,
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it is not enough; we still live
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in a sinful world, right?
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We still see sins and evils around us,
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and those are most often portrayed -
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we can see them through poverty,
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difficulties, hardship, sickness, pain,
and so many more.
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And today we will study what it means
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to have mercy, to love mercy,
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amidst these troubles in the time
that we live in.
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So let's continue our study
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by reading Matthew, chapter 6,
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verses 25 through 33.
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Adison, if you can read for us
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Matthew, chapter 6,
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starting from verse 25
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down through verse 33.
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(Adison) For sure, and I'm reading
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from the King James Version:
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(Puia) Amen. So, what is Jesus
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telling us here in this verse
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that we just read, anything?
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(Patricia) He doesn't want us to worry.
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I notice that the word "worry"
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or "worrying" is here at least four times.
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He's saying, instead of worrying,
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we should just have faith
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that He will provide for us what we need.
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(Puia) So we can find assurance that God
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is going to take care
of us, right? Evelyn?
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(Evelyn) I think what the Lord
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is trying to tell us is that many times
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we prioritize the material things
in our lives,
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our treasures or how we're
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going to prosper in life.
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And God is telling us,
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"You don't need to worry about that
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if you seek Me first,
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because I will provide for you,"
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that, "I should be your priority."
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That's what the Lord is telling us.
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(Puia) So how should this assurance
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that we have in God
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change our priorities in life?
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What should we prioritize first,
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as you said? Yes, Treva.
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(Treva) Our focus should really be
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on those who are in need
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because we know we have a Master,
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and He's going to take care of us.
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So, if we have our focus on others,
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we won't be concerned about,
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"What am I going to wear?"
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"How am I going to eat?"
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"How am I going to pay my bills?"
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because our focus is on helping others.
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We put on focus on that, God will bless.
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(Puia) Amen. Yes, Travis.
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(Travis) I think, too, in the context
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of what we're studying
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is that it's easy in life today to say,
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"Well, I would go do that,
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but I need this job,"
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or, "I would go do this, but I need to..."
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And God is saying, "I'll take care
of your needs."
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You know, "Go ahead and do these things."
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We often use our jobs
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and the necessities we need in life
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as an excuse not to go and help the poor
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or to do that kind of thing.
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(Puia) So the next question is,
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then why is showing mercy to those in need
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important for followers of Jesus?
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But before we answer that, I want us
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to go to Luke, chapter 6, verse 36.
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And, Pedro, if you can read for us
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Luke, chapter 6, verse 36.
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And, after reading this verse,
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we will answer the question,
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why is showing mercy to those in need
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important for followers of Christ?
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(Pedro) I'll be reading
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from the New King James Version,
Luke 6:36:
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(Puia) All right, so what should be
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the reason why this is important,
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showing mercy to those in need?
Yes, Jonathan?
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(Jonathan) To reflect the beauty
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of who Christ is and how He
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reflects God's compassion and mercy.
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(Puia) Yes, Travis?
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(Travis) We can't pay God back
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for anything He's done; we can't.
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I mean, the bill that He's paid for us,
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there's nothing we can do.
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There is one thing we can do,
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and we can extend the same mercy
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that He's extended to us, to others.
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That's the one thing
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that we can do for God.
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(Derek) I honestly believe, Puia,
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that that brings joy to the heart of God.
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It's not like, "You ought to do that
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because I expect it."
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I think even as parents,
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when we see our children
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acting in a beautiful way,
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we experience joy.
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I think it brings joy to the heart of God
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when He sees His mercy
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extended through us.
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(Puia) So, can we say that, in life,
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food, clothes, money, they're important,
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but they're not the most important,
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or they're not the priorities
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that we should have in life?
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Can we say that?
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(Derek, Team) Sure. Yes.
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(Puia) But that means
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that God called us to a higher standard
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than that of the world,
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and that may bring us
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into situations sometimes
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where our relationship
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with those in power,
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that may change our relationship
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with those people who are oppressing
other people, right?
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So, how should we respond
as Christians,
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if we are in situations
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where our convictions
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from the Word of God
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may not be in line with the policies
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of the government or people in power?
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Let us read Acts, chapter 5, verse 29,
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to give us an idea
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of how the people of God,
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or at least the disciples of Jesus,
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dealt with situations like that
in the past.
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After reading this, we will
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answer that question again.
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So, Treva, if you can read for us,
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Acts, chapter 5, verse 29.
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(Treva) Acts, chapter 5, verse 29,
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and I'll be reading from the New
King James translation:
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(Puia) Before talking about that verse,
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should we obey the government?
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First let's answer that question.
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Is government important
in our lives? Yes.
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(Derek) There are other Bible texts
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that tell us we should, right?
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(Nicole) And Jesus did; He's our example.
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(Evelyn) Give to Caesar
what belongs to Caesar.
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(Puia) Yes. So then the next question is:
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What if the policies of the government
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or people in power
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come in conflict with the teachings
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of God? Yes, Adison.
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(Adison) I think of the example of Daniel.
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I mean, he had one
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of the highest positions in Babylon,
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and he did the very best job
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he could possibly do.
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The only time when he
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would go against the decrees
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or the laws of the land,
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if it was going to conflict
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with being obedient to the Law of God
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and following his conscience.
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And he was even willing
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to go to the den of the lions
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because he chose rather
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to obey God rather than man.
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(Puia) Yes. Stephanie, yes.
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(Stephanie) When I think about Daniel,
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and I think about how Jesus responded,
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it wasn't defiantly;
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it was with a humble spirit.
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And I think we need to keep that in mind,
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that, even though there
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might be a conflict,
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when we deal with that conflict,
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we humbly follow God,
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and we don't go to the lower plane
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and be mean and rough
without the Spirit.
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(Derek) We may also have the choice,
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unlike some prisoners of war
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who didn't have the choice to leave.
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We may have the choice to say,
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"I think I'm going to emigrate
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to another country,"
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because I'm thinking of friends
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who, at certain times,
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lived in parts of Europe,
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where there was no religious freedom,
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and they chose to move
to another country
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where there was religious freedom
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because they wanted their children
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to be able to study the Bible
and to honor God.
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So I don't think we always have
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to get into, like, a fierce conflict.
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We may say, "That's the way
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they're choosing to be here,
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but that's not the way
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I've chosen to live."
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Daniel, especially in his young life,
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didn't have that choice;
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he was a prisoner of war.
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But we may choose, "It would be better
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to live in this setting
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than to stay there."
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(Puia) Yes, looking at Daniel
that you mentioned,
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looking at his story,
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he stood up for people, right?
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Isn't that what God calls us to,
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standing up for people,
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even if the policies or the rules
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that the government or people in power
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have put in place are to oppress
other people? Yes, Travis.
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(Travis) I like what everyone is saying
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because this brings something to my mind.
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When we're faced with this kind of thing,
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we can go out and protest
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and make all kinds of...
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But, you know, Daniel prayed,
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so maybe we should "pray-test"
instead of protest.
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Instead of making a big deal,
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we can go to God with this,
with the problem.
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(Puia) Yes, Pedro.
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(Pedro) This is also, I think,
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a time of witnessing,
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and we're witnessing with a humble heart.
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You know, we're not trying
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to impose what we believe.
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We're trying to share
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the light of Christ,
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and we do that humbly.
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(Puia) Amen. Jonathan?
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(Jonathan) I'm thinking,
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it's kind of how the Kingdom of God is,
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dances in a totally different way
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than the kingdoms of this world.
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Rather than by force, it's by appealing
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to these leaders' hearts
-
and demonstrating a way of peace.
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We're working for them, but we're
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also standing up for truth
and for the poor.
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So it's, yeah, "Seek ye first
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the Kingdom of God,"
-
goes about life in a different way
and appeals to people.
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(Puia) Amen. Can anyone share
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an experience or a time
-
when God gave you the courage
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or the power to honor Him
-
in a potentially compromising situation?
Treva?
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(Treva) As a teacher,
-
I am constantly faced with issues
-
of having to do things on the Sabbath.
-
And recently I just received
-
a special certification,
-
but at the time I didn't know
-
the training for that
-
would take place over the Sabbath.
-
And I got wise counsel and prayed to God,
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"What should I do?
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How should I handle this?"
-
And He did give me the courage
and the strength.
-
And someone said it's a witnessing tool
-
to share my faith and humble myself.
-
And it all worked out
-
because she understood in the end
-
about faith and honoring that,
-
and accommodations were made for me.
-
So, as we mentioned, it doesn't have
-
to be a protest and be aggressive.
-
You can humble yourself
-
and share your faith
-
and witness at the same time.
-
And God will bless, and He gave me
the courage
-
because I was pretty nervous.
-
I thought I would have to pay back
-
the funding for that training,
-
but God blessed in the end.
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(Derek, Team) Amen.
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(Derek) Beautiful.
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(Puia) Amen. Let us continue our study
-
by reading James, chapter 2,
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verses 15 and 16, and, Gary,
-
if you can read for us
-
James, chapter 2, verses 15 and 16.
-
And we will answer the question then,
-
what are we called to do as Christians
-
in terms of helping those in need?
-
Is knowing the facts
-
that people need help,
-
enough or not? Gary.
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(Gary) Okay, I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version,
James 2:15-16:
-
(Puia) What can we learn from this verse?
Yes, Gary.
-
(Gary) We have to put our actions
-
where our words are, right?
-
So, if you see someone with a need,
-
and you say, "Okay, this is
-
the way you should go,"
-
well, do something about it.
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(Puia) Yes. Adison?
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(Adison) I was just going
-
to re-echo what he was saying.
-
As Christians, we have a privilege
-
to translate those words into actions.
-
and those powerful words of Jesus,
-
that counsel He gives us
-
in His Holy Word, we can
-
create actions out of those
and make a difference.
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(Puia) I like what you said about that
-
by using the word "privilege."
-
It is an opportunity, right? Yes, Travis.
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(Travis) This verse just reminds me, like,
-
you're a man who doesn't own a car,
-
and you tell somebody,
-
"Yeah, just take my car,"
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but you just don't have one.
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You're promising something
-
that you don't have; it's, like, empty.
-
(Puia) All right, so let's get
practical now, right?
-
So, what are the ways
-
that we can show mercy?
-
What are the ways that we can
-
put our words into action?
-
Let's answer that question
-
by first reading Leviticus.
-
Let's go to the Old Testament.
-
Let's look at some principles
-
that God gave back in the Old Testament.
-
Leviticus, chapter 25, verses 35 to 37,
-
and, Nicole, if you can please read for us
-
Leviticus, chapter 25, verses 35 to 37.
-
And we will look at the principles
-
that God gave to His people
-
in the Old Testament.
-
(Nicole) Leviticus 25, verses
35 through 37,
-
the New International Version says:
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(Puia) Wow. So, what stands out for you
-
from that verse? Yes, Pedro.
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(Pedro) There are two things
-
that stand out for me here.
-
First of all, taking care of our brethren.
-
Sometimes in a church environment,
-
we want to help others
-
outside of the church, which is important,
-
but we forgot to check
-
if our family members in our church
-
are being cared for.
-
And one of the things,
-
and that's the principle
-
I always took from this here,
-
we should not take profit
-
off of each other.
-
If we can help without expecting
anything in return,
-
without trying to get something from them,
-
you know, if somebody is struggling.
-
(Puia) Yes, Gladys?
-
(Gladys) Yes, what got my attention
-
was where it says, treat them
-
as a foreigner or a stranger.
-
And in a previous lesson
-
we talked about how to treat
-
the stranger in our midst,
-
that if you have a vineyard or a field,
-
leave out - don't pick up everything,
-
just leave something for the stranger,
and the foreigner.
-
So that is interesting that it's saying...
-
It's thinking about the people that come,
-
that are just part of our family,
like Pedro said,
-
about in our own churches
-
that may be hungry,
-
and we may not know.
-
So, providing for the people
in-house as well.
-
(Puia) Amen, amen. So, what principle
-
can we take from this verse
-
that God gave to His people?
-
What would be one principle
-
that we can take away in terms of helping
-
those in need? Yes, Jonathan?
-
(Jonathan) It reminds of the verse
-
where Christ says, "What good is it
-
if you give to those
-
who give back to you?"
-
I mean, living this way changes you
-
from, "How do I calculate
-
in order to get something for myself," no.
-
This is about being a blessing
-
to this person who has no relation to you
-
and may actually be hurting you
in some way,
-
but your goal is to think
about their needs
-
and to prioritize them.
-
(Puia) Yes, Derek.
-
(Derek) It's quite counter-cultural,
-
because, some people, if there is
shortage of food,
-
they put the price up
-
so they can make more money.
-
And the Bible is saying, "Don't do that.
-
Don't take advantage of someone."
-
And what I was thinking of
-
was the simple principle of Jesus,
to treat them
-
the way you would like to be treated.
-
And if you say, "Well,
-
if I was in that situation,
-
I would appreciate some mercy,"
-
then show mercy to them.
-
(Puia) Yes. Nancy, can you read for us
-
1 Timothy, chapter 6, verses 17 to 19?
-
Let's jump now to the New Testament.
-
We have looked at the principles
-
from the Old Testament.
-
Let's go now to the New Testament
-
and see what are the principles
-
that God gave to us,
-
1 Timothy, chapter 6, verses 17 to 19,
17 to 19.
-
(Nancy) Okay, and I'm reading
-
from the New King James Version:
-
(Puia) So, what does this verse
-
tell us about generosity
-
towards those in need? Anyone?
-
(Derek) Puia, when it was
-
talking about storing up,
-
I thought of the exact opposite,
-
which is the fellow that kept building
a bigger barn
-
and storing up for himself.
-
And here it's saying store up
by giving away.
-
Store up what?
-
Well, you're storing treasure in Heaven
-
where thieves can't break in and steal
-
and moth can't eat or rust corrupt, right?
-
But that's kind of strange
-
that, by giving to those in need,
-
we're actually storing up treasure.
-
(Puia) Amen. Yes, isn't it interesting,
-
like, as you have mentioned,
-
that's counter-cultural, once again.
-
Both in the Old Testament
-
and in the New Testament
-
we find principles in the Scripture
-
of God inviting us to reach out to people.
-
If you are rich, share your blessings.
-
So here we can say for this section,
-
that one way, out of the many ways,
-
one way to show mercy to those in need,
-
to put our words into action,
-
is to be generous. Amen?
-
So the next question is:
-
What are some ways to be generous
-
besides giving money or donating
-
to a certain cause? Gladys?
-
(Gladys) Our time, that's
-
the most precious thing that we have,
-
and we only have 24 hours a day.
-
Sometimes we say, "I'm too busy,"
-
you know, "I cannot do it."
-
And like Travis said, sometimes
-
with our jobs, we say,
-
"I'm too busy with my job,"
-
or, "I have ten kids," or "five kids
to take care of,"
-
and we put helping others aside.
-
But giving our time, that is a way
-
that we can prioritize
-
doing the work of God.
-
(Puia) So, besides money, sharing time
-
is one way of being generous. Yes, Pedro?
-
(Pedro) Sharing your skills also.
-
We have many talents.
-
At my church, I like to help people
-
with things I do; I like to fix cars;
-
I like to do handy-work at homes.
-
And I make myself available
-
to do those things
-
because sometimes people
-
don't know how to do it.
-
They don't have the money
-
to be able to fix things
-
that are very expensive,
-
which, for people who are skilled,
have no cost.
-
(Puia) So, skills. Yes, Travis.
-
(Travis) I think prayer.
-
(Puia) Prayer.
-
(Travis) You know, prayer is a huge tool.
-
And, as a matter of fact,
-
I don't remember where the verse is,
-
but I remember it saying in a verse
-
that not to intercede
-
for somebody in prayer is a sin.
-
Like, God says, "You need
-
to pray for them,"
-
We need to pray for people,
-
and I think prayer is a huge thing.
-
(Puia) Prayer. Yes, Treva.
-
(Treva) Education is very valuable
-
in terms of, how can you
-
possibly help any community
-
unless you know about that community?
-
One of the first things
-
we did in my church,
-
because we wanted to do more
-
in our little/small community,
-
is I went to the city
-
and got a needs assessment.
-
And in that needs assessment,
-
oh, the information was so valuable
-
because then we can pinpoint
-
what exactly the people need
-
and what agencies we can
-
work with to help them.
-
And so, education about your community
is priceless.
-
(Puia) Amen. So, that is an example
-
of how God impressed you
-
to reach out to others and show mercy.
-
Can anyone share an experience
-
when someone came to you
-
and someone showed you mercy
-
or through a generous spirit?
-
It could be time or money,
-
any experience where you felt blessed
-
by someone else? Yes, Travis.
-
(Travis) When I was
-
just starting business, 20 years old,
-
I had a truck break down,
-
and I was building my first house.
-
And he was such a nice man.
-
He knew my truck broke down,
-
and he took me down to the auto lot,
-
and he bought me a truck.
-
I had to pay for it,
-
but it would come out of the house.
-
And I felt embarrassed
-
because I'm building his house,
-
but I built him a home.
-
His name was Rick, and he's
passed away now,
-
and I never got to go back and thank him,
-
but for years I thought
-
about how generous he was
-
to do that for me.
-
It was my first home,
-
and it launched my career
-
as a home builder,
-
and it was just an amazing thing.
-
And I still remember to this day.
-
(Puia) That reminds me of a saying
-
that goes, "No man is an island," right?
-
We all need help; we can't survive alone.
-
We are created to be people of community.
-
We function best as human beings,
-
as mankind, when we work together
-
and help together, right?
-
So let's conclude this part of our study
-
by saying that one major way
-
that we can show mercy,
-
that we can put our words into action,
-
is by being generous.
-
It could be through money
-
or through time, through skills,
-
through prayer, through education.
-
But let's take it to the next level
-
and find another way how we can
-
put these words into practice.
-
Let's read Matthew, chapter 5, verse 9,
-
and we will find another way
-
of how we can show mercy to others.
-
Stephanie, can you read for us
-
Matthew, chapter 5, verse 9?
-
(Stephanie) Sure, and I'll be reading
-
from the King James Version:
-
(Puia) Amen. Before we unpack that,
-
let's continue reading,
-
Isaiah, chapter 52, verse 7.
-
Let's go back to the Old Testament,
-
and after reading this,
-
we will unpack those two verses.
-
Gary, can you kindly read for us
-
Isaiah, chapter 52, verse 7?
-
(Gary) Okay, and I'll be reading
-
from the New King James Version:
-
(Puia) So let's unpack those two verses.
-
What word stood out for you
-
in terms of showing mercy to others?
Yes, Jonathan?
-
(Jonathan) I just think
-
about how, in our world,
-
there is so much contention
-
over different issues in various areas
-
where people just aren't able
-
to listen to each other
-
or are more prone to look at and can
-
point out the problems of other people.
-
And I take this as a calling,
-
to say, as followers of Christ,
-
it's our responsibility to reach out
-
and to try to be the voice
of the other side
-
or to listen and seek to understand
-
and to build bridges of trust,
-
so that you can say, "Okay, there's
-
something good about this other person.
-
They're coming from their own context."
-
(Puia) Yes. From those two verses,
-
one word that summarizes
what you just said?
-
(Team) Peace.
-
(Puia) Peace, right? Peacemaking.
Yes, Stephanie.
-
(Stephanie) I guess what came to my mind
-
was Romans 5, verse 1,
-
where it says, well, if we can
go there and read that.
-
(Puia) Yes, you want to read that?
-
(Stephanie) Sure, Romans, chapter 5...
-
(Puia) Just give us time to go there.
-
Romans, chapter 5, verse 1.
-
(Stephanie) And it also talks about peace.
-
(Puia) Okay, making peace.
-
(Stephanie) Yes, and I'll be reading
-
from the King James Version:
-
And I took the view that this peacemaking
-
is bringing people to Jesus
-
to have that connection
-
and find that peace with Him.
-
Just like in Isaiah 52:7,
-
publishing peace and sharing
-
the gospel with those.
-
(Puia) Right. Wasn't the whole ministry
of Jesus,
-
the fact that He came to this earth,
-
to make peace, right,
-
to reconcile mankind with God?
-
So, from these two verses,
-
I believe we can learn
-
that if we are children of God,
-
if we are followers of Christ,
-
we are called to be peacemakers.
Yes, Derek.
-
(Derek) In the beatitude,
-
it just caught my attention, Puia,
-
you would think it would say,
-
"Blessed is the one that the peacemaker
-
helps to find peace," but it doesn't.
-
It says, "Blessed is the peacemaker."
-
So, what that tells me, Puia,
-
is that when we join God
-
in what He's doing, we're blessed.
-
Now, I believe that,
-
let's say there's contention,
-
and you help people to find peace,
-
or someone is separated from God,
-
and you help them find peace with God,
-
I believe they're blessed,
-
but this is saying you're blessed,
as the peacemaker,
-
when you join the Prince of Peace
-
in what He's doing.
-
(Puia) Yes. So, in bringing
-
that back to the title of our study,
-
how does your ministry
-
to others as a peacemaker
-
demonstrate your love for mercy?
-
How do the words "mercy"
-
and "peacemaking" go together?
Yes, Nicole.
-
(Nicole) If you look at the definition
of the word "mercy,"
-
it's compassion and forgiveness
-
for someone that you could harm.
-
They're under your authority,
-
and you could actually harm them.
-
And so, if you're bringing peace,
-
you're actually showing mercy
-
because you are taking away the ability
-
to be able to harm them
-
and actually putting them in a place
-
where they can have life.
-
So that's how I think the two
kind of relate.
-
(Puia) Yes, so you can't
-
separate the two, right?
-
Making peace and having mercy
go hand-in-hand.
-
Can anyone share an experience
-
where God gave you the opportunity
-
to be the peacemaker?
-
And any experience
-
that you have had of making peace?
-
It could be between two of your friends,
-
or it could be between two countries
-
or two schools or two institutions.
-
Have you had any experience? Yes, Nancy.
-
(Nancy) With my children.
-
I have two sons, and I found
-
that what's helpful is to listen to them.
-
People want to be heard,
-
and when you hear their perspective,
-
you understand more
-
where they're coming from.
-
And then they come to a place
-
where they can reconcile.
-
(Puia) Yes, so it starts
-
with the family. Gladys?
-
(Gladys) Yes, recently in my school,
-
there was some situation
-
with a teacher and another teacher.
-
One teacher thought that the other teacher
-
had said something about her,
-
and she was very defensive.
-
And it was just like the Lord
-
just said, "Just ask."
-
I said, "Have you talked to her?"
-
It was just a simple, "Have you
talked to her?
-
Ask her exactly...," you know,
-
because sometimes people
-
just are afraid to go straight on
-
and say, "Hey, I heard this;
is this true?"
-
So it was so simple, but at the same time
-
so profound to me, because the Lord
-
was just, like, speaking to me as well.
-
When I have a situation,
-
do I go first to the person
-
and say, "Hey, can we work this out?"
-
So it was just an amazing experience,
-
not only for her and the other teacher,
-
but it was also for me,
-
being able to ask the question
-
and solve the situation.
-
(Puia) Amen. God puts us in situations
-
and places where we
-
can be peacemakers, right?
-
And so we have looked at one way
-
of showing mercy or having mercy
-
by being generous, right?
-
And the next that we just looked at
-
is by being peacemakers.
-
Now let's go further into our lesson
-
and study another way
-
of having mercy or loving mercy.
-
Let us read Psalm number 146 and verse 9,
-
and, Jonathan, can you
-
please read for us Psalm 146, verse 9?
-
(Jonathan) All right, I'll be reading
-
from the New Living Translation:
-
(Puia) All right, before we unpack that,
-
let us read Isaiah, chapter 58,
-
verses 6 and 7, and, Treva,
-
if you can read for us
-
Isaiah 58, verses 6 and 7.
-
We will look at these two verses
-
and answer the question,
-
what other ways can we
-
show mercy to others?
-
Isaiah 58, verses 6 and 7.
-
(Treva) And I'll be reading
-
from the New King James translation,
-
starting with verse 6:
-
(Puia) So, looking at those two verses
-
that we just read,
-
what stands out for you?
-
Travis, I see you smiling.
-
(Travis) I've studied
-
this whole chapter a lot,
-
and there are multiple meanings
-
in this thing for me...First...
-
(Puia) But in the context
of our study today.
-
(Travis) In the context of our study today
-
is there are people in this world
-
who don't know Jesus,
-
and when it talks about, that we
-
should clothe somebody,
-
many are not clothed
-
with the righteousness of Christ.
-
When people are hungry,
-
Jesus says, "I am the bread of life."
-
We need to bring them the bread of life.
-
It's not just physical food,
-
but we can bring them spiritual food.
-
And at the end, it says,
-
"Don't hide yourself from your own flesh."
-
We, as Christians, need to be open;
-
we're just sinners, just like
everybody else,
-
and to hide yourself
-
from who you are to people,
-
it's basically lying.
-
(Puia) Yes, thank you. Nicole.
-
(Nicole) While I agree
with what Travis said,
-
you have to also look at the people
who have needs.
-
There are people who are hungry;
-
there are people who need shelter.
-
And just as Jesus did, He met
the physical needs
-
of the individuals He came
in contact with,
-
and then He also blessed them spiritually.
-
So sometimes we have
-
to reach people where they are
-
in order to get their attention,
-
and then we can bring them Jesus
-
and let them know, "Listen,
because of Jesus,
-
I was able to help you."
-
And that may be able to reach someone
-
in a way that we couldn't reach them
any other way.
-
(Puia) These are people
-
who need help. Yes, Gladys?
-
(Gladys) I was thinking
-
in the same vein as Nicole,
-
that sometime we just, like,
-
say to the people, "I'm going
to pray for you."
-
And we have the resources
-
or know the connections
-
or have somebody that can help them,
-
but we just say, "We're going
to pray for you,"
-
and we don't get involved personally.
-
So I think that the text
-
is basically telling us,
-
"Just go out there and do your part,
-
do what you can do, and God will provide."
-
(Puia) Yes. Patricia.
-
(Patricia) I noticed that the first text
that we read
-
says the Lord watches over those people,
-
but then the second text
-
is telling us, "You need to do it,"
I thought...
-
(Puia) So can we say that God is asking us
-
to stand up for those people,
-
to be the voice for the voiceless, right?
-
To stand up for the unjustice
-
that we see around us. Yes, Derek.
-
(Derek) I heard a story, Puia,
just this weekend,
-
and I won't share all of the details,
-
but it was a family
-
that saw another family,
-
that it was in great need.
-
The family had suffered
-
some trauma in an accident,
-
and this other family said,
-
"You know, our house just happens
-
to be a handicap-accessible house.
-
We have ramps; we have wide doors."
-
Now, that could just be a coincidence,
-
or it could be that even ahead of time,
-
God provided, and so then he
-
brought this family in need,
-
who would need wide doors and ramps.
-
You know what I'm saying?
-
So I think, when we just pray,
-
"God, I want to be open
-
to love mercy like You do today,"
-
that He might say, "I have someone
-
that needs exactly..." -
-
back to what Pedro said,
-
it may be a skill, or it may be a home
-
that has wide doors and ramps -
-
"...and I'm going to lead someone
-
so that you can show My love to them."
-
(Puia) Yes. God loves everyone,
-
but He wants to use us as His instrument
-
and His hands and feet. Yes, Nancy.
-
(Nancy) I have friends who have
-
three children of their own,
-
but then I believe they were
-
thinking about adopting,
-
and God actually showed the mom a vision.
-
She was out in the summertime,
-
and she saw in the clouds
-
a formation of the word "joy."
-
She thought, "Am I seeing things?
-
It seems to say 'joy.'"
-
And they went to a service,
-
and they were singing a song
-
that had the word joy in it a lot.
-
And then they just kept running
-
into situations with the word "joy."
-
It turns out that the little girl
-
that they were to adopt,
-
her name has "joy" in it.
-
And she's just this little Asian girl
-
with Down syndrome,
-
and she's just precious.
-
Now, you would think that that...
-
Okay, they adopted one,
-
but they also adopted two more children.
-
By the time...They had already
adopted one,
-
and then they adopted this one.
-
And then the husband had a dream,
-
and in the dream he dreamt
-
that he was in a courthouse,
-
and he and all of his family,
a big, big famiiy,
-
were on one side, and on the other side
-
was this little boy,
-
this little Asian boy,
-
and he was all by himself.
-
And the judge asked him
-
if he was willing to adopt him.
-
And he thought, "I already have
-
my three children and two others."
-
And then the Spirit of God spoke to him,
-
"But this boy has no one."
-
And they adopted him, too.
-
And these children, the little boy,
-
is one of my son's very dear friends.
-
And I just really admire this family.
-
They've given so generously.
-
Exactly, this is what God calls us to be,
-
to give, to give extravagantly
-
like He gives to us.
-
(Puia) Amen. So let's look
-
at the ministry of Jesus.
-
Looking at His time
-
while he was here on earth,
-
when do we see Jesus
-
standing up for people
-
who didn't have a voice
-
or people, those who need His help?
-
Is there any story or chapter
-
or something that you have read
-
comes to mind of when Jesus
-
stood up for someone
-
who didn't have a voice? Yes, Treva.
-
(Treva) I think is a very subtle example;
-
I think it's in, maybe, Luke,
-
I believe, chapter 14,
-
but the woman that came in,
-
and she used her tears
-
to wash Jesus' feet.
-
She had that expensive oil,
-
anointed His head.
-
And Judas was like, "Wait a minute,
so wasteful.
-
She could have used that money
for the poor."
-
And we know, at the time,
-
Judas was not being sincere
-
because he was the one
-
that kept the money bag
-
and doing some cheating there
with the money.
-
And so Jesus said, "Leave her alone.
-
She has done a good thing."
-
So I think that's a very subtle example
-
where Jesus was like, "Wait a minute.
-
This woman is doing a good thing.
-
Do not fault her for doing that."
-
(Puia) Yes, thank you. Yes, Nicole.
-
(Nicole) In Luke, same book,
-
when He raised the widow's son.
-
You know, the widow, she had no one else.
-
All she had was her son.
-
Her son passed away.
-
She was very, very sad,
-
and He went and took compassion on her
-
and did not want her to be alone.
-
And so He actually raised
-
her son from the dead.
-
So that's Him looking out for widows
and children.
-
(Puia) Yes. Yes, Stephanie.
-
(Stephanie) I was thinking
-
of when the mothers
-
brought their children to Jesus
-
for Him to bless them,
-
and His disciples were, you know,
-
"Don't bother the Savior."
-
And He said, "No, bring them here,"
-
and He blessed each one of them.
-
(Puia) Amen. Yes, Pedro.
-
(Pedro) It's interesting
-
that, even during the suffering of Christ,
-
you know, He was on the cross,
-
He remembered His mother.
-
And He cared for her and said,
-
"John, take care of My mother."
-
He's dying on the cross for our sins,
-
but He looked down, and He remembered
-
that His mother was there.
-
(Puia) Yes. Gary.
-
(Gary) I can't remember which feeding,
-
but it was...I believe, the gospel said
-
that Jesus had compassion on the multitude
-
that was following Him
-
for X number of days,
-
and He fed them all.
-
(Puia) So throughout the ministry
of Jesus,
-
we find Him standing up for people,
-
standing up for the oppressed,
-
standing up for people
-
who are outcasts, right?
-
Jesus was always the voice
for the voiceless.
-
And that's why His teachings
-
were so radical for His time.
-
Now, let's come our day and age today
-
in modern times; who comes to your mind
-
as someone who stands up
-
and speaks for the voiceless
-
or people who are oppressed?
-
It could be from outside of the Bible
-
outside of the Christian literature.
-
Anybody come to mind as an example,
-
who fights for the rights of people?
Yes, Derek.
-
(Derek) I'm just thinking
-
that we probably wouldn't know their name
-
because that's not why they're doing it.
-
So they're in the inner city
-
closest to where we live,
-
and they're getting out there,
-
and they're maybe running the food pantry,
-
like Treva talked about in your home area,
-
and they're not being interviewed
on national TV,
-
but they are, indeed,
-
extending the love of God
-
in a very tangible way.
-
Maybe we should ask "the least of these,"
-
and they would tell us who they are.
-
They say, "Oh, it's Susan," "It's John,"
-
"It's that person that comes,"
-
you know, "late at night."
-
That story I heard of an elderly lady
-
who decided she would have a ministry
-
to women who were on the streets,
and would come
-
and put her arms around them.
-
Now, you talk about different talents,
-
that's not a talent that God would ask
-
Gary or Jonathan to do, you know,
-
but this mother, this loving, godly woman,
-
could go out there and put her arms
-
around these young women
-
who were in such a dangerous setting.
-
We may never know their names,
-
but Jesus knows their names.
-
(Puia) Amen. So, someone,
-
let's say a Hope Sabbath School member
-
from another part of the world
-
is watching this episode
-
and is wondering, "Yes, I'm convicted
-
that I need to show mercy,
-
that I need to love mercy,
-
but what can I do now?"
-
"How can my love for mercy expand?"
-
What if someone is asking that question,
-
how would you respond? Yes, Nicole.
-
(Nicole) I would say the first thing
to do is pray
-
and ask the Spirit to lead you
-
and guide you in the way
that you should go
-
to be able to show mercy to someone.
-
Because I think on our own,
-
we are not capable, really,
-
of showing true mercy
-
because that's just not our character.
-
But with the Holy Spirit
-
and with Christ in our lives,
-
I think we then are led
-
to where we can actually show mercy.
-
And then we ask the Lord to give us
-
the strength to be merciful to that person
-
that we come in contact with.
-
(Puia) Yes. Yes, Gladys?
-
(Gladys) Just like Pastor Derek
was saying,
-
just making ourselves available.
-
It's not just praying
-
but also making ourselves available.
-
Like, "God, lead us to the person
-
or to the people that we need
-
to be serving every day."
-
(Puia) Yes. Adison, anything else
come to mind?
-
(Adison) I specifically am from Canada,
-
and I'm just thinking
-
about my home church right now,
-
growing up there, and it's always had
-
a special place in my heart.
-
And so I just want to re-echo the things
-
that have been said here today
-
to my home church back home
in Canada.
-
I just want you to continue, each of you,
-
to show mercy to others.
-
Pray for a willing spirit, and allow God
-
to use you in a powerful way.
-
(Puia) Amen. Pedro.
-
(Pedro) We see that relationship
-
is key for this to happen
-
because if we don't know the people,
-
how can you help them?
-
So, get to know...In prayer,
-
ask God to put people in your life
-
that you will be able to impact.
-
If we don't have the relationship
-
to meet with them on a personal level,
-
you will never know.
-
(Puia) Amen. Gary?
-
(Gary) Pray for an understanding
-
of how God has been merciful
to yourself, to you,
-
because, without a true appreciation
-
for what God is doing
-
or what He has done for you,
-
you can't be spurred on to do anything,
-
even if people are around you
that need it.
-
But when you ask God to open your eyes
-
to see how much He has blessed you,
-
and been a blessing in your life,
-
you'd want to share that.
-
(Puia) Those are all good points.
-
To add my personal point of view,
-
I think, in my personal experience,
-
when it comes to having mercy
towards others,
-
what has helped me is education,
-
you know, reading and exploring,
-
knowing the facts, being informed
-
about what is happening around the world,
-
and also traveling.
-
You know, traveling really helps.
-
It's one thing to see someone in need
-
through a TV screen,
-
but it's a whole other experience
-
when you're actually on the ground,
-
seeing the people in need.
-
You know, you could visit
a refugee center,
-
or visit a refugee camp somewhere,
-
or even a refugee resettlement
-
here in the United States.
-
We can go to the grounds,
and by traveling,
-
I believe we can really find
practical needs
-
that we can help people with.
-
Now, let's conclude our study.
-
So, we have looked at the fact
-
that God wants us to be merciful,
-
and we can be merciful
-
by being generous, right,
-
being the peacemakers
-
and standing up for people in need.
-
(Derek) What a great study.
-
You know, I'm just reminded
-
of what Jesus said.
-
And Jesus says it simply but powerfully,
-
He says, "Be merciful,
-
just as your Father
-
in Heaven is merciful."
-
Let's pray that that could happen,
-
and, you're right, Nicole,
it is a miracle,
-
but it can happen by the power
-
of the Holy Spirit.
-
Let's pray; Father in Heaven,
-
we're just so thankful
-
that You are a merciful God,
-
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
-
that You love mercy
-
and that You want to show Your mercy
-
in us and through us.
-
We just want to be available,
-
not just to talk about mercy,
-
but to act mercifully.
-
May those around us be blessed,
-
and may joy come to Your heart.
-
We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
-
(Team) Amen.
-
(Derek) What a challenging study;
thank you, Puia.
-
Thank you for being with us.
-
Don't just go out and talk mercy,
-
go out and be merciful.
-
Be a blessing to those around you.
-
♪ theme music ♪