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IONA Missions

Dunamis 2005

Alistair Huong

How Long?

It is good to see all of your smiling faces this Sabbath evening.

And it is a privilege, and it is a great joy to be here with you.

I grew up here in Loma Linda and In the years that I have lived here there has never been something like This This is a recent development you've heard it already I don't need to explain it anymore something great is happening and Tonight we can be a part of it And tonight as we study the Bible, I pray that you will put all distractions out of your mind.

It is better to have them off and tucked away if your friend next to you is the type that will nudge you and talk to you, tell them to keep their comments to themselves tonight.

And if you are easily distracted, pray now that the Lord will keep you awake.

And for my sake, as we open the word, I invite you to bow your heads just 1 more time as we pray Father in heaven this evening we ask for dunamis We ask that your spirit will fill us empower us and Change us that we may be the final generation.

Bless us this evening we pray in Jesus' name.

Return your Bibles with me to Numbers chapter 13.

Numbers chapter 13 beginning in verse 26.

The children of Israel have been taken out of captivity in Egypt and they had gone through the wilderness and now they are at the border of Canaan.

Just a few days journey and they will be in the promised land.

There they stood waiting eagerly anticipating thinking, what is just over that border?

And so they got together, 12 men, leaders from each tribe of Israel, gathered them together and sent them as spies into the land to see what this land was like what was God having in store for them and we pick up the story in verse 26 of numbers 13 when the spies are returning it says and they went and came to Moses excuse me let's begin in verse 23 and they came unto the brook of Eshcol and cut down from thence a branch with 1 cluster of grapes and they buried between 2 upon a staff, and they brought of the pomegranates and of the figs.

The place was called the brook Eshkol because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence, and they returned from searching the land after 40 days and they went and came to Moses and to Aaron and to all the congregation of the children of Israel and to the wilderness of Paran and to Kadesh and brought back word unto them and showed unto all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land.

And verse 27, words that should thrill our souls with hope.

It says, And they told him and said, We came unto the land with which thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey and this is a fruit of it." The land of Canaan.

More lush, more fruitful, more abundant than their wildest imagination.

It was better than they could have even imagined in the farthest quarters of their minds, and God had this in store for them.

And not only did God promise them by words only.

The grapes were there, the pomegranates were there, the figs were there, the spies saw it with their own 24 eyes.

It was better than anything, anything they have ever seen.

And there they were on the border of Canaan land.

Can you smell those grapes coming over the border of Canaan?

Can you close your eyes and just feel the figs between your teeth?

The pomegranate juice squirting in your mouth.

Just a couple days more journey and we will be there.

Just like the spies came back, God sent us a prophet Ellen White who brought back the grapes from Canaan.

She saw in vision, you can read in early writings, heaven.

Oh that I had wings like a dove, she said, that I could fly away and be at rest.

Can you hear the birds singing over the Jordan?

But friends, as good as this story sounds, it doesn't end there.

Verse 28, nevertheless, these are the spies continuing to speak, nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land and the cities are walled and very great and moreover we saw the children of Anak there the Malakites dwell in the land of the south and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites dwell in the mountains and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and by the coast of Jordan." Now who are these people again?

These were the leaders of Israel, the leaders from each tribe.

They were planting doubt in the mind of the congregation.

Influential, reputable people within the Church of God planting doubts.

It is too hard to be ready for Jesus to come.

Our church population to the world population.

Jesus didn't really mean what he said when he said, I'll come back for you.

The second coming is Jesus coming to our heart the influential reputable leaders of the church planting doubts in the mind but Caleb speaks in verse 30 and Caleb stilled the people before Moses and said, let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it.

Caleb stood up, but the men that went up with him said, we be not able to go up against the people for they are stronger than we.

With opposition comes an entrenchment in their error and in their folly.

Notice what they say in verse 32, And they brought up an evil report of the land, which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land through which we have gone to searcheth is the land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof.

And all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature now wait a minute They just brought back the fruit the grapes and the pomegranates and the figs and they were lush and beautiful and delicious and big and What do they say?

This is a land that eats up its inhabitants and in the same breath they say that giants dwell in the land.

Sometimes when we are opposed, opposed and we know that we're wrong because somebody is is is threatening our pride, we become entrenched in our position and we go further than what we would say otherwise.

Leaders within the movement entrenched in position so far as to lie about the clear facts that they have seen with their own eyes and rebellion began Rebellion began within the people of God, within just a small handful of influential men and women.

In this case just men, but in our day today, perhaps, perhaps some of us fall into that category.

Perhaps some of us here tonight have been guilty of causing rebellion in the land.

Numbers 14 verse 1, and the congregation, notice the result of the 10 men upon the congregation, the congregation lifted up their voice and cried and the people wept that night And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron and the whole congregation said unto them Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt or would God that we had died in this wilderness?

And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land to fall by the sword that our wives and our children should be praying were it not better for us to return unto Egypt and they said 1 to another let us make a captain let us return into Egypt the congregation although they have seen the fact although they have seen the evidence of the goodness of the land, although they had the promise of God's Word, although they had the evidence of God's leading in the past, they believed the false reports.

And this should teach us something about human nature.

Human nature naturally grasps, naturally is inclined towards negativity.

We are naturally unable to see beyond the simple facts that are before us and look to the grander scheme of things in the big picture.

Human nature, frail and weak as it is, exhibited here although they were on the border of the grandest dream that they have ever had the whole congregation murmured against Moses and against Caleb and against Joshua not only that the congregation they forgot they forgot the plain leading of God they forgot the plagues of Egypt They forgot the crossing through the Red Sea.

They forgot looking back and seeing Pharaoh's armies drowned in the waters which through they just passed.

They forgot the leading when God gave them sweet water out of the bitter water of Mara.

They forgot the daily raining down of manna.

They forgot the withholding of the manna once a week on the Sabbath day.

Were it not better for us in Egypt, they said.

They remembered the onions and the leeks and the anchovies and they remember the food of Egypt They remember the amusements of Egypt.

They remember the pagan practices of Egypt They remember the.

Immortality and immodesty of Egypt They remember the fun times that they had in Egypt.

They remembered the friends that they had in Egypt.

They remembered living life without the law of God in Egypt.

And brothers and sisters today, although we have evidence from the word of God what he has prepared for us, although we have the pen of inspiration through the prophetic ministry of Ellen White, showing us what is in store for us in the future, we think that this world has so much good for us that we remember this world and we forget God.

But we forget the slavery that sin has in our lives.

Sin in the life is bondage and God is leading us, guiding us, showing us a better land where the shackles of sin will never bind his people again.

They forgot the leading of God, but they remembered the sin of Egypt.

But then in verse 6, notice what happens.

And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh were of them that searched the land rent their clothes and they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel saying the land which we pass through to search it is an exceeding good land if the Lord delight in us then he will give it bring us into this land and give it us a land which flows with milk and honey only rebel not ye against the Lord neither fear ye the people of the land for they are bred for us their defenses departed from them and the Lord is with us fear them not and the congregation bade stone them with stone and the glory the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel While the whole congregation was running in the way of rebellion, as they were running away from the plain evidences of God, 2 men stood up, 2 young men, Men by the name of Joshua and Caleb they stood up and said no stop what you are doing God Promised us this land and if he delight in us, He will give us this land.

Dennis Priebe

Will the Great Controversy End Soon?

After listening to the musical presentation, can you tell the difference between the music of heaven and the music of earth?

And I ask only 1 question, is it absolutely necessary to use the music of earth to win and soften the hearts of our young people.

This morning we're going to take a lightning trip through the most dramatic verses in the Bible and guess where we're going to find those verses?

Please turn to Revelation chapter 12 with me.

Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels.

And the devil And the dragon fought in his angels and prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the devil and Satan which deceived the whole world.

He was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him." Can you believe that text?

The last place in the universe you would ever expect to read a verse like that.

And there appeared another wonder in heaven and behold a great red dragon having 7 heads and 10 horns and 7 crowns upon his heads.

And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth.

And the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

And she brought forth a man-child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and her child was caught up unto God and to his throne.

Not only was there war, but a third of heaven's inhabitants followed the rebel.

And then the war came down to this earth and the war was fought over the person of the 1 who came into this earth from God's throne.

And the attempt was made to destroy him and it failed and he was caught back up to heaven.

Now look at verse 6, And the woman fled into the wilderness where she hath a place prepared of God that they should feed her there a thousand 203 score days.

Do you begin to see the sweep of this chapter of Revelation?

We are now into the Middle Ages, in which God's people are fleeing for their lives.

And there was an attempt to destroy them, but there was a place prepared by God for the faithful ones.

And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man-child.

And to the woman were given 2 wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the face of the serpent, and the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood." This is an all-out attempt.

He had failed with Jesus Christ and he now attempts to destroy this church completely from the face of the earth.

The desolate places, they nourished God's church during this time.

And now we come down to verse 16, And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

God preserved his church when it looked like the church was going under.

And now we come to our time and the dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Thirteenth chapter of the same book, verse 11, And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had 2 horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon, and he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed.

And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven and the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast which had the wound by a sword and did live, and he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, and that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Again the last battle, an all-out attempt to destroy from the face of this earth those who are faithful to God.

And then we come to chapter 14 and we look over in verse 15.

And another angel came out of the temple crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, thrust in thy sickle and reap for the time is come for thee to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped." There we have the solution, the end to the story that began way back with the war in heaven came down to this earth and God finishing up the whole process.

Go back to chapter 12 with me again And look with me at verse 10, And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ.

For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night, and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death." That's the song of victory.

That's the praise that will come from God's people and it will only come from those described in chapter 14 and verse 12.

Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." There you have a lightning trip through the great controversy, all compacted into 3 chapters in 1 book of the Bible.

The most dramatic story that has ever been told or will ever be told for all eternity, all in a few short verses.

Now let's examine that battle more carefully.

Let's go back to the beginning of the great controversy.

From the beginning of the whole fight, Satan said that God's law was unfair.

He challenged God's law as being the enemy of peace.

He said the Creator demands self-sacrifice, the Creator demands self-denial, but he himself practices no self-denial.

Sin, Satan claimed, was because of God's law.

God gave a law that was impractical, unrealistic, and unfair to created beings.

Now how could God demonstrate that his law was right, was a law of love, was a law that was good?

Once the great controversy broke out in heaven, the stability of the divine government depended on someone coming into the picture who would demonstrate that the law is truly a beautiful thing, is truly something to be loved.

Turn with me now to the beginning of the battle on this earth in Genesis chapter 3.

When Satan is cast out of heaven immediately he begins his attack on the new created beings.

Genesis chapter 3 beginning with verse 4, and the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die.

For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as God's knowing good and evil.

Eve would suffer no harm from disobeying God.

And notice also in Satan's argument that unalloyed goodness is not really desirable.

What is desirable is a mixture of good and evil, a balance of good and evil.

A few places, just a few places in Scripture, the veil is drawn back and we begin to see the great controversy beyond the sphere of our Earth's existence.

And in the book of Job we have 1 of the most dramatic examples of that in the entire Bible in the very first chapter.

Beginning with verse 6, Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.

And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou?

Then Satan answered the Lord and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, 1 that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for naught?

Hast not thou made an hedge about him and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side?

Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face." Has that argument been repeated down through history?

God, the only reason they serve you is to get some benefits.

They want to have a nice life on this earth, and then they want to have eternal life, they would not serve you if you weren't handing out rewards." That's the basic argument that he has continued all down through history.

And here we have a perfect example of it.

Are we aware how nearly Satan came to winning this great controversy?

How many people survived the destruction of the earth during the flood?

And Then when God brought his people into the promised land, how many of them came back from captivity?

Thank goodness that we don't have to depend solely upon the faithfulness of those whom God has chosen to represent him.

We have promises, promises based on God's Word not on man's activities and the best 1 we have is Genesis 3.15.

Genesis 3.15, when the human race seemed on the verge of destruction, God stepped into the picture with this verse.

Genesis chapter 3 verse 15, And I, God, will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed.

It, it, her seed, shall bruise thy head, Satan, and thou, Satan, shalt bruise his heel." There will be a war, but the war will not end in defeat for God.

That's the promise, And that is the promise of the entire Bible.

The controversy begun in heaven would continue on earth.

Chester Clark

Abraham: Father of the Faithful in the Last Generation

Happy to see so many of you back here this afternoon.

I just want to say a word of appreciation and thanks and encouragement to those of you who worked so hard to organize this weekend.

You know, I know it's a thrill and it's an encouragement and inspiration when once a year or twice a year you have a convocation and people come together and you have speakers come in and the house is full and people are smiling and blessed.

But I know that there's the rest of the year too and I know sometimes it can seem like, it can seem just like hard work and you wonder, you wonder if it's worth it all And I just want to encourage you all here at Restoration and Dunamis and your campus program, I just want to encourage you to keep up the good work.

You know, sometimes We look at the big scale and we think, what impact are we making?

What change are we making on the thousands?

But by God's grace we can make an impact on 1 life, right?

It's that way in evangelism, it's that way in revival.

We need to make an impact 1 person at a time.

And don't give up if the going gets hard.

I'm very blessed to see how God is using you.

I'm happy to be part of a worldwide work.

I'm happy to see the work that is happening all around the world.

Tomorrow morning I believe it is, I'm going to share with you briefly just from my experiences last week in Norway about how God is working in Norway and in Sweden.

I believe God is trying to finish His work and cut it short in righteousness.

And I'm just so happy to be able to be a part of God's work in this last day of Earth's history.

Before we begin our subject for this afternoon, I'd like to just bow our heads and ask an additional word of prayer.

Father, today we just are thrilled as we turn to your word and as we see it has answers and instruction for us living in these last days of Earth's history And today we just realized once again that unless your spirit guides us The word cannot have an effect upon our hearts We need that miracle of conversion.

We need to not only be hearers of the Word, but doers as well.

And so today we come confessing our need and inviting you to fill that need with your Holy Spirit.

Today I want to share with you about Abraham, father of the faithful.

Very few studies in the Bible have inspired me so much as the study I've recently been doing into the life of Abraham.

Now I wish that we could spend, well, I wish we could spend a week or 2 just talking about Abraham, the father of the faithful in the last generation.

But I'm going to try to condense everything that I've been studying and presenting in a week-long series into 1 hour.

What time are we supposed to be finished here this afternoon?

Well, by God's grace, I hope that what we share here will be a blessing.

You know, we often talk about Father Abraham, and when we were maybe in Sabbath school, we would sing about Father Abraham, right?

We talk about Abraham, the Father of the Faithful.

What does it mean to be the Father of the Faithful?

I want to just look with you at our Bibles in John chapter 8 at an interchange that Jesus had with the Pharisees and here we find what it really means to be sons and daughters of Abraham.

You know, I've often thought of that song Father Abraham had many sons and I felt that it's just sort of trite and trivial and not very meaningful.

But after this study, after I have come to understand more of what it means to be the son of Abraham, that song suddenly took on new meaning.

Not that it's become my favorite song or anything.

But I believe that we ought to be the sons and daughters of Abraham.

Let's look in John chapter 8 and verse 32.

Jesus says, "...and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall..." what?

"...make you free." Now these were fighting words to the Pharisees.

"...they answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man.

Now, these were very proud religious leaders.

I suppose you have to forgive them, but they didn't know Jewish history very well, did they?

Abraham's seed had been in bondage for 400 years.

So claiming to be the children of Abraham did not prove that they were not in bondage.

And here they say, we've never been in bondage to any man.

Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin is the...

...Servant of sin, And the servant abideth not in the house forever, but the Son abideth forever.

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Series

Dunamis 2005

Abraham: Father of the Faithful in the Last Generation

Transcript

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

Abraham: Father of the End-time Faithful

Father Abraham: Building Altars

46m

Talking Points 2nd Quarter 2022 Genesis: The Creation

06 The Roots of Abraham

29m

Plenary

Father Abraham

53m

Abraham: Father of the End-time Faithful

Father Abraham: Always Giving

40m

The Whole Truth

Faith or Works?

1h 4m

Father Abraham

54m

Norman McNulty Weekend

02 The Prophetic Destiny of Adventism

42m

God's Love Stories (Noon Meetings)

2. Ten Camels

34m

Entertaining Strangers

40m

Talking Points 4th Quarter 2024: Themes in the Gospel of John

07 Blessed Are Those Who Believe

32m

Sound Doctrine