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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie | Greg Laurie - Your Password To Unlocking Revelation | February 17, 2026
- ♪ this is the day, the day when life begins. ♪
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- ♪ this is the day, the day when life begins. ♪♪
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- Greg laurie: we're starting a brand-new series in the book
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- Of revelation.
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- The title of my message is "your password to unlocking the book
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- Of revelation."
- 00:00:29.294 --> 00:00:30.662
- Speaking of passwords, do you ever forget your password?
- 00:00:30.662 --> 00:00:34.600
- I'm forgetting my passwords all the time, and i have to reset
- 00:00:34.600 --> 00:00:40.339
- Them, and reset them, and i was on an ipad recently and i got
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- The wrong code and i was locked out for a period of time.
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- Have you ever been locked out of anything?
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- You know, i read that the most commonly used passwords are, get
- 00:00:49.415 --> 00:00:53.185
- Ready for this imaginative choice, "123456."
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- Hey, if you want someone to hack your stuff, definitely use
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- "123456" as your password.
- 00:01:02.995 --> 00:01:06.331
- Another popular password that's hacked in less than a second
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- Is "11111."
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- And then finally, people will put in the word "password" as
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- Their password.
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- Also, the names of people's pets are popular as well.
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- Did you hear about this guy who can't get into his
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- Bitcoin account?
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- Apparently he has 220 million in bitcoin, but he can't remember
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- His password.
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- His name is stephan thomas, he was given 7,002 bitcoins for
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- Some work that he did some time ago, and at the time, the value
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- Was a few dollars each, so he wrote the password down on a
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- Piece of paper, not thinking it was all that important, but now
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- That bitcoin is worth $220 million.
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- He had ten opportunities to use a password and he's used up
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- Eight of them and he only has two left.
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- Wow, that's a lot of money to be sitting in an account that he
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- May lose access to.
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- Listen to this, i know the password to unlocking the book
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- Of revelation, or we might call it the "golden key" or the
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- "encryption key."
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- And actually, it's hanging on the front door of the first
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- Chapter, and we're gonna make sense of this book and try to
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- Get a handle on all of these things we hear about,
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- Like armageddon.
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- What is that?
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- The rapture, the second coming, same event, or are they
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- Two events?
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- The millennium, what does that even mean?
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- The 144,000, who are they?
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- The antichrist, the mark of the beast, all these things we hear
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- About, they're all found here in the book of revelation, and
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- We're going to find that golden key together, that encryption
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- Key, and i'll share with you in just few moments.
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- And i think we're all very aware of the fact that our world is in
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- Turmoil right now.
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- There's a sense of fear in the air.
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- This is due, in part, to this global pandemic that was
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- Supposed to have come and gone, but it just seems to go on and
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- On with new strains of the virus with no real end in sight at
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- The moment.
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- It's caused a global economic shutdown.
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- It's affected people all around the world.
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- Meanwhile, back at home, we see our cities in turmoil.
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- We see the murder rate up dramatically.
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- We see all the things that are going on and it causes us to
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- Wonder, "are these signs of the times?
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- Are these the things the bible told us to be looking for,
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- Letting us know that christ is coming back?"
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- The answer is, "yes, they are."
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- And as we see these signs happening, we understand that
- 00:03:46.291 --> 00:03:49.328
- They're almost like dominoes, you know?
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- If you take a lot of dominoes and stack them closely together,
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- When the first domino goes, all the others follow in
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- Rapid succession.
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- That's what the last day's events are like, the first
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- Domino falls and the others come after.
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- Let me give you a big picture of how i see the end-times events.
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- I believe the next event on the prophetic calendar will be the
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- Rapture of the church.
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- The rapture of the church is that event when christ comes for
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- His church and we're caught up to meet him in a moment, in the
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- Twinkling of an eye.
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- That could happen at any time.
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- Following that will probably be the invasion of magog
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- Against israel.
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- It could be right after that or a little bit after that, but it
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- Seems like it will be in close proximity to that event called
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- "the rapture."
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- Also after the rapture, that coming world leader emerges on
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- The scene called "the antichrist," also known as
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- "the beast."
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- He effectively inaugurates a seven-year period called "the
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- Great tribulation" period.
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- When antichrist first comes on the scene, he seems like
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- A good guy.
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- He seems like a man of peace, a man with economic solutions,
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- A man who fixes things.
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- But at the halfway point of the seven-year tribulation,
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- Antichrist shows his true colors and commits what is called by
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- Jesus in matthew 24, "the abomination of desolation."
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- He has the jewish temple rebuilt and he erects an image of
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- Himself in it and commands people to worship him.
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- Now, there's a series of cataclysmic judgments that fall
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- On the earth for the remainder of the tribulation period, and
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- Everything culminates in a massive series of battles
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- Called "armageddon."
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- Armageddon is from the root word, "megiddo", "har megiddo".
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- So it's basically talking about where the final wars of mankind
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- Will be fought and they'll be fought in israel.
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- Then christ comes back in the second coming, it's a separate
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- Event from the rapture.
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- In the rapture, he comes for his church, and the second coming,
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- He returns with his church.
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- After this, we have what is called the "millennium."
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- The millennium means "a thousand."
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- The word "millennium" means "a thousand," and it's the
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- 1000-year reign of christ.
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- And then, heaven and earth become one as the new jerusalem
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- Comes down from heaven as a bride adorned for her husband.
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- Amazing things are going to happen, but the first domino has
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- Not yet fallen.
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- The rapture has not yet taken place, but we know these things
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- Because we believe in the book.
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- Listen to this, christians know things that non-christians do
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- Not know.
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- We know that god is good and man is bad.
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- Now, people often have that reversed.
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- They think man is good and god is bad, and this is often
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- Expressed in a question along the lines of, "how could a god
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- Of love allow this and that?"
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- Where, in effect, i'm putting myself in the position to
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- Judge god.
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- I'm challenging the fact that god is loving because i don't
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- Agree with it.
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- Listen, who are you?
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- When did you become the moral center of the universe?
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- Here's the bottom line, man is not good.
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- Man is bad, bad to the bone.
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- He's utterly sinful.
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- All of us are, but god is good.
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- But because we know man is bad and god is good, we know that
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- Man is not gonna solve these problems, but we know ultimately
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- God will resolve these things, and we know god is in control.
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- Yes, folks, i do believe we're in the last days.
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- I do believe we're in the end-times and it's important
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- That we understand what's happening around us.
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- In romans chapter 13, the apostle paul writes,
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- "understanding the present time, the hour has come for us to wake
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- Up from our slumber because our salvation is nearer than when we
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- First believed.
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- The night is nearly over."
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- Yes, we need to understand the times we're living in, and
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- There's no better book to explain all of that to us than
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- The book of revelation, the last book of the new testament.
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- The word "revelation" means "the unveiling" because it is god's
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- Desire to unveil, or to reveal.
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- God does not want to conceal these things from you.
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- He wants to reveal these things to us, and bible prophecy is not
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- Given to scare us, it's given to prepare us.
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- So what does it reveal?
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- Well, when we come to the book of revelation, it's like the
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- Veil is taken away, and i see the spirit world, the spirit
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- World of angels and demons and god and satan.
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- The world of heaven and of hell and the world that shows us what
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- Is coming, as well.
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- Yes, i will learn about the antichrist and his henchmen in
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- The book of revelation, but the primary focus of revelation is
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- Not antichrist, it's jesus christ.
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- Don't waste your time trying to figure out who antichrist is,
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- Give your attention to who jesus christ is because he is
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- The very center of the book of revelation, and he's the very
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- Center of bible prophecy, in general.
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- Revelation 19:10 says, "the essence of prophecy is to give a
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- Clear witness for jesus."
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- Jesus is the centerpiece and the star and focus of the book
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- Of revelation.
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- And should he not be the centerpiece and star of your
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- Life, and my life, as well?
- 00:09:40.579 --> 00:09:43.181
- You know, sometimes we can get so caught up in the study of
- 00:09:43.181 --> 00:09:46.751
- Eschatology, which is a word that refers to last day's
- 00:09:46.751 --> 00:09:51.189
- Events, and so forth, that we can't see the forest for
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- The trees.
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- Listen to this, bible prophecy is not given to inflate our
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- Brains, it's given to enlarge our hearts.
- 00:09:59.798 --> 00:10:03.501
- Understand, the book revelation was written to believers who
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- Were suffering.
- 00:10:07.305 --> 00:10:08.640
- In fact, it was written by a believer who was suffering,
- 00:10:08.640 --> 00:10:12.377
- Banished to the island of patmos.
- 00:10:12.377 --> 00:10:14.846
- I'm talking about the apostle john.
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- Church tradition tells us that they tried to boil him in a pot
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- Of oil and they were unsuccessful, so he was banished
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- To this island where the lord gave him this unveiling, this
- 00:10:26.191 --> 00:10:29.761
- Revelation of things to come.
- 00:10:29.761 --> 00:10:31.663
- It's sort of like john was put in a spiritual time-machine and
- 00:10:31.663 --> 00:10:35.600
- Catapulted into the future.
- 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:37.535
- I don't think it was a delorean, but the idea is, he saw the
- 00:10:37.535 --> 00:10:41.539
- Future because he entered into the eternal realm.
- 00:10:41.539 --> 00:10:46.011
- And so, as we look at this book, we need to understand that it
- 00:10:46.011 --> 00:10:48.947
- Was meant to be read aloud and give encouragement to
- 00:10:48.947 --> 00:10:53.918
- The believers.
- 00:10:53.918 --> 00:10:55.320
- See, in the first century, they didn't walk around
- 00:10:55.320 --> 00:10:56.655
- With their own bibles like we have today.
- 00:10:56.655 --> 00:10:58.590
- So they would read aloud the truths of god, and also, this is
- 00:10:58.590 --> 00:11:03.495
- Something that will be an encouragement to you and i.
- 00:11:03.495 --> 00:11:06.831
- Now, i mentioned earlier in my introduction that i have the
- 00:11:06.831 --> 00:11:11.302
- Password, or the encryption key, or the golden key, if you will,
- 00:11:11.302 --> 00:11:15.607
- For unlocking the book of revelation.
- 00:11:15.607 --> 00:11:18.309
- It's in revelation chapter 1, verse 19 when john writes,
- 00:11:18.309 --> 00:11:23.448
- "write the things that you have seen, the things which are and
- 00:11:23.448 --> 00:11:27.986
- The things that will take place after this."
- 00:11:27.986 --> 00:11:31.356
- There's three sections to the book of revelation.
- 00:11:31.356 --> 00:11:34.693
- Number one, the things that you have seen.
- 00:11:34.693 --> 00:11:37.562
- This is what is being written about here in chapter 1.
- 00:11:37.562 --> 00:11:41.533
- The resurrected and glorified christ with all power in heaven
- 00:11:41.533 --> 00:11:45.570
- And earth, the revealed jesus who is in complete control of
- 00:11:45.570 --> 00:11:49.941
- All that is about to happen.
- 00:11:49.941 --> 00:11:51.743
- Then there are the things which are.
- 00:11:51.743 --> 00:11:53.912
- This is a reference to the seven churches in chapters 2 to 3 that
- 00:11:53.912 --> 00:11:58.883
- We'll look at where we'll get sort of a flyover, or
- 00:11:58.883 --> 00:12:02.153
- A chronological look at the church from the early church to
- 00:12:02.153 --> 00:12:06.091
- The present day.
- 00:12:06.091 --> 00:12:07.425
- And finally, number three, the things that will happen after
- 00:12:07.425 --> 00:12:11.830
- These things.
- 00:12:11.830 --> 00:12:13.298
- After what things?
- 00:12:13.298 --> 00:12:14.632
- After the church has caught up to meet the lord and what is
- 00:12:14.632 --> 00:12:17.736
- Called the rapture.
- 00:12:17.736 --> 00:12:19.137
- We're now living in the "things which are" category.
- 00:12:19.137 --> 00:12:22.674
- Let's read, now, revelation chapter 1, i'm gonna read verses
- 00:12:22.674 --> 00:12:26.144
- 1 to 8 out loud because there's a blessing attached to doing
- 00:12:26.144 --> 00:12:30.348
- That, isn't there?
- 00:12:30.348 --> 00:12:31.716
- Don't you want to be blessed?
- 00:12:31.716 --> 00:12:33.051
- Read along with me.
- 00:12:33.051 --> 00:12:34.385
- "the revelation of jesus christ, which god gave him to show his
- 00:12:34.385 --> 00:12:37.856
- Servants things which must shortly take place.
- 00:12:37.856 --> 00:12:41.593
- And he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant john,
- 00:12:41.593 --> 00:12:45.263
- Who bore witness to the word of god and to the testimony of
- 00:12:45.263 --> 00:12:48.666
- Jesus christ of all the things he saw.
- 00:12:48.666 --> 00:12:51.736
- Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this
- 00:12:51.736 --> 00:12:54.906
- Prophecy and keeps the things that are written in it, for the
- 00:12:54.906 --> 00:12:58.209
- Time is near.
- 00:12:58.209 --> 00:12:59.544
- John, to the seven churches who are in asia: grace to you in
- 00:12:59.544 --> 00:13:03.348
- Peace from him who was, who is, and who is to come, and from the
- 00:13:03.348 --> 00:13:07.485
- Seven spirits who are before us throne, and from jesus christ
- 00:13:07.485 --> 00:13:11.122
- The faithful witness, the first born from the dead, and the
- 00:13:11.122 --> 00:13:14.926
- Ruler over the kings of the earth.
- 00:13:14.926 --> 00:13:17.295
- And has made us kings and priests to god our father, to
- 00:13:17.295 --> 00:13:21.699
- Him be glory and dominion forever and ever, amen.
- 00:13:21.699 --> 00:13:25.537
- Behold, he is coming with clouds, and every eye will see
- 00:13:25.537 --> 00:13:29.541
- Him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth
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- Will mourn because of him.
- 00:13:34.345 --> 00:13:35.980
- Even so, amen."
- 00:13:35.980 --> 00:13:37.515
- Finally, verse 8, jesus speaking, "'i am the alpha and
- 00:13:37.515 --> 00:13:40.985
- The omega, the beginning and the end,' says the lord, 'who is,
- 00:13:40.985 --> 00:13:45.256
- Who was, and who is to come, the almighty.'"
- 00:13:45.256 --> 00:13:48.860
- So here's what we learned from what we have just read.
- 00:13:48.860 --> 00:13:51.329
- Number one, revelation reveals that the events of the end-times
- 00:13:51.329 --> 00:13:55.633
- Are closely linked together.
- 00:13:55.633 --> 00:13:58.837
- Verse 1 says these events will shortly take place, or another
- 00:13:58.837 --> 00:14:03.842
- Translation, "what must speedily happen."
- 00:14:03.842 --> 00:14:06.845
- We might say, "well, wait, this was written 2000-years-ago," but
- 00:14:06.845 --> 00:14:10.081
- This is not referring to soonness but the quickness of
- 00:14:10.081 --> 00:14:13.351
- Execution once there is a beginning.
- 00:14:13.351 --> 00:14:15.820
- Remember, i said it's like dominoes closely linked
- 00:14:15.820 --> 00:14:18.623
- Together, the idea is, when the first one falls, the others
- 00:14:18.623 --> 00:14:22.293
- Follow in rapid succession.
- 00:14:22.293 --> 00:14:24.863
- This is something that, once it begins, will not stop.
- 00:14:24.863 --> 00:14:28.566
- It will go quickly.
- 00:14:28.566 --> 00:14:30.101
- The whole machinery of human history will be slipped into
- 00:14:30.101 --> 00:14:34.205
- High gear to run its fatal course into judgment.
- 00:14:34.205 --> 00:14:39.310
- Number two, revelation is from jesus christ, revealing himself
- 00:14:39.310 --> 00:14:44.315
- To us.
- 00:14:44.315 --> 00:14:45.650
- After all, who's a better source on jesus than jesus?
- 00:14:45.650 --> 00:14:50.421
- This is the lord himself, revealing himself to each of us.
- 00:14:50.421 --> 00:14:54.525
- Remember the story of those two discouraged disciples on the
- 00:14:54.525 --> 00:14:57.795
- Road to emmaus after he had been crucified, and christ himself
- 00:14:57.795 --> 00:15:02.400
- Joined them, but they didn't know jesus was walking
- 00:15:02.400 --> 00:15:05.937
- With them.
- 00:15:05.937 --> 00:15:07.272
- And we read that he showed them all the things in the old
- 00:15:07.272 --> 00:15:09.841
- Testament about himself.
- 00:15:09.841 --> 00:15:12.777
- So that's what we have here in revelation.
- 00:15:12.777 --> 00:15:14.846
- He's described in verse 5 as "jesus christ, the
- 00:15:14.846 --> 00:15:18.216
- Faithful witness."
- 00:15:18.216 --> 00:15:20.018
- If the book of revelation is nothing else, it's a portrait of
- 00:15:20.018 --> 00:15:23.988
- Jesus, a selfie of god, if you will, and he's presented as
- 00:15:23.988 --> 00:15:29.227
- "the faithful witness."
- 00:15:29.227 --> 00:15:31.396
- He's a faithful witness, and man, we need a faithful witness
- 00:15:31.396 --> 00:15:34.532
- Right now.
- 00:15:34.532 --> 00:15:35.867
- We need a trustworthy source.
- 00:15:35.867 --> 00:15:38.002
- People are coming unhinged with all the crazy conspiracy
- 00:15:38.002 --> 00:15:43.241
- Theories that are out there online, and all these fanciful,
- 00:15:43.241 --> 00:15:47.178
- Weird ideas about what's going on.
- 00:15:47.178 --> 00:15:49.247
- And sometimes, they take bible truths and hijack them and
- 00:15:49.247 --> 00:15:53.384
- Attach other things to them, and we need to distance ourselves
- 00:15:53.384 --> 00:15:57.188
- From all of this and with a clear-headed way of approaching
- 00:15:57.188 --> 00:16:00.558
- This, see what the bible says about our future.
- 00:16:00.558 --> 00:16:04.595
- And we have no better source to help us with that than the true
- 00:16:04.595 --> 00:16:08.333
- And faithful witness, jesus christ.
- 00:16:08.333 --> 00:16:11.402
- He always speaks the truth to us, but he always does it
- 00:16:11.402 --> 00:16:14.739
- In love.
- 00:16:14.739 --> 00:16:16.074
- What a contrast to the fickle love of our culture today.
- 00:16:16.074 --> 00:16:19.978
- Our world loves you when you're young and beautiful.
- 00:16:19.978 --> 00:16:22.947
- In contrast, god loves the plain and aging.
- 00:16:22.947 --> 00:16:26.584
- Our world loves the famous celebrity and breathlessly
- 00:16:26.584 --> 00:16:30.088
- Follows their every move on social media.
- 00:16:30.088 --> 00:16:33.992
- In contrast, god loves the unknown nobody.
- 00:16:33.992 --> 00:16:37.829
- Our world loves the rich and powerful, god loves the poor and
- 00:16:37.829 --> 00:16:42.233
- The weak.
- 00:16:42.233 --> 00:16:43.634
- God loves all people, he loves ordinary people like you and me,
- 00:16:43.634 --> 00:16:48.439
- And you are loved, and because you're loved, he cleanses you of
- 00:16:48.439 --> 00:16:52.510
- Your sins.
- 00:16:52.510 --> 00:16:54.045
- Look at verse 5, "he washed us from our sins in his own blood."
- 00:16:54.045 --> 00:16:58.816
- I want you to notice the past tense of that verse.
- 00:16:58.816 --> 00:17:02.153
- In other words, this has already been done.
- 00:17:02.153 --> 00:17:04.155
- If you're a christian, god has forgiven you for all the wrongs
- 00:17:04.155 --> 00:17:08.126
- That you have done because he loved you, he cleansed you.
- 00:17:08.126 --> 00:17:12.263
- John 3:16 says, "for god so loved the world, he gave his
- 00:17:12.263 --> 00:17:16.334
- Only begotten son and whoever believes in him should not
- 00:17:16.334 --> 00:17:19.804
- Perish but have everlasting life."
- 00:17:19.804 --> 00:17:22.840
- We also learned from what we just read that when christ
- 00:17:22.840 --> 00:17:25.610
- Returns, all the world will know.
- 00:17:25.610 --> 00:17:28.446
- Everyone will know when jesus comes back again, and what we
- 00:17:28.446 --> 00:17:31.949
- Call the "second coming," jesus said, "as the lightning shines
- 00:17:31.949 --> 00:17:36.020
- From the east of the west, so will the coming of the son of
- 00:17:36.020 --> 00:17:38.956
- Man be."
- 00:17:38.956 --> 00:17:40.291
- Have you ever seen a lightning storm?
- 00:17:40.291 --> 00:17:41.626
- Kind of hard to miss, right?
- 00:17:41.626 --> 00:17:43.027
- Lights up the sky, that's what the second coming will be like.
- 00:17:43.027 --> 00:17:46.798
- In verse 7 of revelation 1 says, "every eye will see him, even
- 00:17:46.798 --> 00:17:52.770
- Those who pierced him."
- 00:17:52.770 --> 00:17:54.972
- So christ is gonna return again in an open way.
- 00:17:54.972 --> 00:17:59.644
- Also, we discover here that revelation gives us the only
- 00:17:59.644 --> 00:18:04.115
- Description of jesus christ, and it's largely symbolic.
- 00:18:04.115 --> 00:18:09.620
- You know, it's amazing to me that in all the things written
- 00:18:09.620 --> 00:18:12.256
- About jesus, four gospels, all the epistles, could not someone
- 00:18:12.256 --> 00:18:17.095
- Have described what he looked like?
- 00:18:17.095 --> 00:18:19.330
- I mean, we do know certain things about certain bible
- 00:18:19.330 --> 00:18:22.066
- Characters, but we know nothing about the physical appearance
- 00:18:22.066 --> 00:18:26.204
- Of jesus.
- 00:18:26.204 --> 00:18:27.538
- Was he tall?
- 00:18:27.538 --> 00:18:28.906
- Was he short?
- 00:18:28.906 --> 00:18:30.274
- Was his hair dark?
- 00:18:30.274 --> 00:18:31.609
- Was his hair light-colored?
- 00:18:31.609 --> 00:18:32.944
- I can tell you this much, he most likely does not look like
- 00:18:32.944 --> 00:18:35.413
- The more familiar portrayal of him in a lot of the older
- 00:18:35.413 --> 00:18:39.717
- Religious art, with brownish-blonde hair, no, not
- 00:18:39.717 --> 00:18:44.589
- At all.
- 00:18:44.589 --> 00:18:45.957
- I'm sure his skin was dark.
- 00:18:45.957 --> 00:18:47.291
- I think his hair was dark.
- 00:18:47.291 --> 00:18:48.626
- He was semitic, but that's not important.
- 00:18:48.626 --> 00:18:50.795
- If it was important, god would have given us a physical
- 00:18:50.795 --> 00:18:54.031
- Description of him.
- 00:18:54.031 --> 00:18:55.366
- But here is the only description of jesus found in the bible,
- 00:18:55.366 --> 00:18:58.669
- Again, it is largely symbolic.
- 00:18:58.669 --> 00:19:01.005
- Revelation 1:14, "his head and his hair were white like wool
- 00:19:01.005 --> 00:19:05.476
- And white like snow.
- 00:19:05.476 --> 00:19:08.713
- His eyes are like a flame of fire.
- 00:19:08.713 --> 00:19:11.449
- His feet like fine brass as if refined in a furnace, and his
- 00:19:11.449 --> 00:19:15.319
- Voice is as a sound of many waters."
- 00:19:15.319 --> 00:19:19.056
- It mentions his eyes being a flame of fire that can be
- 00:19:19.056 --> 00:19:22.260
- Literally translated, "his eyes shot fire."
- 00:19:22.260 --> 00:19:26.030
- So it appears that jesus is indignant about something.
- 00:19:26.030 --> 00:19:29.867
- There's something he's seen that he's not pleased with.
- 00:19:29.867 --> 00:19:33.404
- He sees and knows everything.
- 00:19:33.404 --> 00:19:35.473
- The bible says, "everything is open for the one with whom we
- 00:19:35.473 --> 00:19:39.010
- Have to do."
- 00:19:39.010 --> 00:19:40.678
- You probably used to think your mother had eyes on the back of
- 00:19:40.678 --> 00:19:43.781
- Her head, right?
- 00:19:43.781 --> 00:19:45.149
- She saw everything.
- 00:19:45.149 --> 00:19:46.484
- Jesus sees everything.
- 00:19:46.484 --> 00:19:47.852
- He's aware of everything.
- 00:19:47.852 --> 00:19:50.421
- You know, when you meet someone, you look into their eyes, and
- 00:19:50.421 --> 00:19:54.091
- When a person doesn't want to make eye contact, that's usually
- 00:19:54.091 --> 00:19:56.594
- Maybe an indication of something not being quite right, but jesus
- 00:19:56.594 --> 00:20:01.299
- Is looking at us.
- 00:20:01.299 --> 00:20:02.667
- We read in the bible that jesus looked at matthew and said,
- 00:20:02.667 --> 00:20:05.970
- "follow me."
- 00:20:05.970 --> 00:20:07.305
- We also read that jesus looked at peter after his denial.
- 00:20:07.305 --> 00:20:10.408
- He's looking at us, he's looking at you and his eyes are filled
- 00:20:10.408 --> 00:20:15.046
- With fire.
- 00:20:15.046 --> 00:20:16.781
- Also, as he looks at us, he's telling us something that's very
- 00:20:16.781 --> 00:20:20.818
- Important, and this is my final point.
- 00:20:20.818 --> 00:20:23.721
- The book of revelation tells me to not be afraid.
- 00:20:23.721 --> 00:20:27.024
- The book of revelation tells me not to be afraid.
- 00:20:27.091 --> 00:20:29.427
- I know i've said some things that might alarm someone.
- 00:20:29.427 --> 00:20:32.296
- "oh wow, what is the mark of the beast?
- 00:20:32.296 --> 00:20:34.832
- And when is the antichrist gonna show up?
- 00:20:34.832 --> 00:20:36.901
- And will i have to go through this great tribulation period?"
- 00:20:36.901 --> 00:20:40.104
- Here we have this important word in the first chapter of this
- 00:20:40.104 --> 00:20:44.342
- Great book, "don't be afraid," verse 17.
- 00:20:44.342 --> 00:20:47.445
- "'don't be afraid,' says jesus.
- 00:20:47.445 --> 00:20:49.180
- 'i'm the first and the last.
- 00:20:49.180 --> 00:20:50.648
- I'm he who lives and was dead, and behold, i'm alive
- 00:20:50.648 --> 00:20:53.451
- Forevermore, and i have the keys of hades and death.'"
- 00:20:53.451 --> 00:20:57.555
- Don't be afraid.
- 00:20:57.555 --> 00:20:59.223
- Jesus said, "when you see these things begin to happen, freak
- 00:20:59.223 --> 00:21:02.693
- Out because you're dead!"
- 00:21:02.693 --> 00:21:04.061
- No, he didn't say that, did he?
- 00:21:04.061 --> 00:21:06.297
- He says, "when you see these things begin to happen, look up,
- 00:21:06.297 --> 00:21:09.700
- For your redemption draws near."
- 00:21:09.700 --> 00:21:12.103
- Don't be afraid.
- 00:21:12.103 --> 00:21:13.471
- See, the problem is, we're afraid of the wrong things and
- 00:21:13.471 --> 00:21:17.074
- We're not showing the proper fear of god.
- 00:21:17.074 --> 00:21:20.711
- We're afraid of going to the dentist, or being audited, or
- 00:21:20.711 --> 00:21:25.216
- Someone giving us a hard time, but we don't reverence and
- 00:21:25.216 --> 00:21:28.519
- Fear god.
- 00:21:28.519 --> 00:21:29.887
- The bible says, "the fear of god is the beginning of wisdom."
- 00:21:29.887 --> 00:21:34.058
- Now, when the bible tells us to "fear god," it doesn't mean be
- 00:21:34.058 --> 00:21:37.194
- Afraid of god.
- 00:21:37.194 --> 00:21:38.529
- It means they have reverence for god, have a sense of awe about
- 00:21:38.529 --> 00:21:43.634
- God, have respect for god.
- 00:21:43.634 --> 00:21:47.571
- In fact, the remarkable thing about fearing god is that, when
- 00:21:47.571 --> 00:21:50.141
- You fear god, you fear nothing else.
- 00:21:50.141 --> 00:21:53.010
- But on the other hand, if you do not fear god, you fear
- 00:21:53.010 --> 00:21:55.846
- Everything else.
- 00:21:55.846 --> 00:21:57.548
- Are you paralyzed with fear right now about things that can
- 00:21:57.548 --> 00:22:00.017
- Happen if your life is cut short?
- 00:22:00.017 --> 00:22:02.186
- If you get the coronavirus, or if some other thing happens?
- 00:22:02.186 --> 00:22:06.190
- Listen, don't be afraid, fear god!
- 00:22:06.190 --> 00:22:08.826
- And when you fear god, you'll have a confidence in him because
- 00:22:08.826 --> 00:22:12.063
- You're trusting in him.
- 00:22:12.063 --> 00:22:13.998
- David said, "the lord is the strength of my life, of whom
- 00:22:13.998 --> 00:22:18.169
- Then shall i be afraid?"
- 00:22:18.169 --> 00:22:20.771
- When we say, "the lord is the strength of my life," we can
- 00:22:20.771 --> 00:22:23.574
- Then say, "of whom then shall i be afraid?"
- 00:22:23.574 --> 00:22:26.444
- Is the lord the strength of your life, right now?
- 00:22:26.444 --> 00:22:29.447
- If so, don't be afraid.
- 00:22:29.447 --> 00:22:32.717
- But as nonbelievers, i'll tell you what you should be afraid
- 00:22:32.717 --> 00:22:36.287
- Of, you should be afraid of death, and you should be afraid
- 00:22:36.287 --> 00:22:40.291
- Of judgment.
- 00:22:40.291 --> 00:22:41.826
- And these are things that are coming, but if you put your
- 00:22:41.826 --> 00:22:44.395
- Faith in jesus, you do not have to be afraid.
- 00:22:44.395 --> 00:22:47.832
- Don't run from god, run to god, because listen, jesus is coming
- 00:22:47.832 --> 00:22:52.937
- Back again.
- 00:22:52.937 --> 00:22:54.472
- Yes, one day he'll return as king of kings and lord of lords,
- 00:22:54.472 --> 00:22:58.642
- Wearing that crown.
- 00:22:58.642 --> 00:23:00.778
- But before he'd wear that crown when he returns, he would wear
- 00:23:00.778 --> 00:23:04.048
- A crown of thorns, or he would die on the cross for our sin and
- 00:23:04.048 --> 00:23:08.686
- Suffer and die in our place because, as i said earlier,
- 00:23:08.686 --> 00:23:12.990
- We're all sinners separated from god, but we can be forgiven of
- 00:23:12.990 --> 00:23:17.995
- Our sin and know him in a personal way.
- 00:23:17.995 --> 00:23:27.271
- Greg: maybe god has spoken to your heart and you have seen
- 00:23:31.475 --> 00:23:36.046
- Your need for jesus christ.
- 00:23:36.046 --> 00:23:38.249
- Jesus christ is the son of god who came from heaven to
- 00:23:38.249 --> 00:23:42.420
- This earth.
- 00:23:42.420 --> 00:23:43.754
- He was born in a manger, he died in a cross, he rose again
- 00:23:43.754 --> 00:23:48.125
- From the dead, why?
- 00:23:48.125 --> 00:23:49.493
- Because he loves you and he wants a relationship with you.
- 00:23:49.493 --> 00:23:52.696
- Listen, i'm not talking about religion.
- 00:23:52.696 --> 00:23:55.065
- I don't wanna be a religious person, i don't think you wanna
- 00:23:55.065 --> 00:23:57.701
- Be one, either.
- 00:23:57.701 --> 00:23:59.069
- I'm talking about relationship with god.
- 00:23:59.069 --> 00:24:02.473
- Jesus, who died and rose again, stands at the door of your life
- 00:24:02.473 --> 00:24:06.677
- And he knocks, and he says if you'll hear his voice and open
- 00:24:06.677 --> 00:24:10.114
- The door, he will come in.
- 00:24:10.114 --> 00:24:11.682
- Question, have you asked jesus christ to come and live
- 00:24:11.682 --> 00:24:15.386
- Inside of you?
- 00:24:15.386 --> 00:24:16.754
- You might say, "well, i think so.
- 00:24:16.754 --> 00:24:18.088
- I'm not sure."
- 00:24:18.088 --> 00:24:19.423
- Hey, if someone moved into your house in the middle
- 00:24:19.423 --> 00:24:20.825
- Of the night, do you think you would be aware of it?
- 00:24:20.825 --> 00:24:23.227
- I'm sure you would.
- 00:24:23.227 --> 00:24:24.728
- And in the same way, if christ has come to live inside of you,
- 00:24:24.728 --> 00:24:27.898
- You will know.
- 00:24:27.898 --> 00:24:29.266
- And if you don't know, maybe he has not come in, yet.
- 00:24:29.266 --> 00:24:32.736
- He's just a prayer away.
- 00:24:32.736 --> 00:24:34.672
- All you need to do is say, "jesus, i want this relationship
- 00:24:34.672 --> 00:24:38.108
- With you.
- 00:24:38.108 --> 00:24:39.477
- I want you to forgive me of my sin.
- 00:24:39.477 --> 00:24:40.945
- I wanna go to heaven when i die."
- 00:24:40.945 --> 00:24:42.913
- Would you like to do that?
- 00:24:42.913 --> 00:24:44.315
- Would you like christ to come into your life?
- 00:24:44.315 --> 00:24:46.917
- If so, why don't you just pray this simple prayer with me?
- 00:24:46.917 --> 00:24:50.020
- You can pray it out loud, or you can pray it in the quietness of
- 00:24:50.020 --> 00:24:53.591
- Your heart, but this is a prayer where you're asking jesus christ
- 00:24:53.591 --> 00:24:57.428
- To be your savior and lord.
- 00:24:57.428 --> 00:24:59.196
- Pray this with me now, "lord jesus, i know that i'm a sinner,
- 00:24:59.196 --> 00:25:03.901
- But i know that you're the savior who died on the cross for
- 00:25:03.901 --> 00:25:08.005
- My sin and rose again from the dead.
- 00:25:08.005 --> 00:25:10.274
- Now come into my life.
- 00:25:10.274 --> 00:25:13.177
- I choose to follow you from this moment forward.
- 00:25:13.177 --> 00:25:17.515
- Thank you for hearing this prayer and answering this prayer
- 00:25:17.515 --> 00:25:21.452
- In jesus's name, amen."
- 00:25:21.452 --> 00:25:24.221
- Did you just pray that prayer with me?
- 00:25:24.221 --> 00:25:26.657
- If so, i want you to know, in the authority of scripture, that
- 00:25:26.657 --> 00:25:29.660
- Christ himself has come to live inside of you and i would love
- 00:25:29.660 --> 00:25:33.264
- To send to you, at no charge,
- 00:25:33.264 --> 00:25:34.965
- Something called "the new believer's bible."
- 00:25:34.965 --> 00:25:38.269
- It's a very friendly translation of the new testament you'll find
- 00:25:38.269 --> 00:25:41.739
- Very understandable, and it's filled with hundreds of notes
- 00:25:41.739 --> 00:25:45.309
- That i wrote that will encourage you in this commitment you've
- 00:25:45.309 --> 00:25:48.846
- Just made to follow jesus.
- 00:25:48.846 --> 00:25:50.848
- Let me send that to you at no charge.
- 00:25:50.848 --> 00:25:53.150
- And let me be the first to say to you, congratulations and
- 00:25:53.150 --> 00:25:57.087
- Welcome to the family of god.
- 00:25:57.087 --> 00:25:59.323
- Greg: you know, we say to a new believer, "start reading the
- 00:26:00.491 --> 00:26:04.028
- Bible," but they don't know where to start, do they?
- 00:26:04.028 --> 00:26:07.097
- So, we have a special edition of the bible called
- 00:26:07.097 --> 00:26:11.001
- The new believer's bible.
- 00:26:11.001 --> 00:26:12.970
- I wrote thousands of notes for it, and i sort of see it as what
- 00:26:12.970 --> 00:26:17.608
- I would do if i was sitting down with a person over a cup of
- 00:26:17.608 --> 00:26:20.678
- Coffee and explaining the basics of the christian life to them.
- 00:26:20.678 --> 00:26:25.516
- There's over 10 million copies of this bible in print, but
- 00:26:25.516 --> 00:26:29.286
- Here's the exciting news:
- 00:26:29.286 --> 00:26:31.255
- We have personally given out 700,000 of these at no charge to
- 00:26:31.255 --> 00:26:36.460
- People to help them in their spiritual journey.
- 00:26:36.460 --> 00:26:40.431
- So we need your help to keep doing this.
- 00:26:40.431 --> 00:26:43.367
- So, let's invest in the spiritual future of people that
- 00:26:43.367 --> 00:26:47.371
- Are going to come to christ, who will get a copy of
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- The new believer's bible for themselves.
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- Thank you for your financial support.
- 00:26:52.576 --> 00:26:54.612
- Together we can change lives.
- 00:26:54.612 --> 00:26:57.514
- Female announcer: jesus says that "where two or three are
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- Gathered in my name, there i am in the midst of them."
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- We are all different.
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- We have different interests, different personalities,
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- Different upbringings, and different ways we do life.
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- But here we have a deep connection and you are
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- Welcome here.
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- This is harvest.
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