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Have you ever spent time
thinking about what the real price of freedom is
Every year on November 11, here in Canada, we have a
special day of remembrance where we celebrate those veterans who
have died fighting for someone's freedom. On remembrance
day we recognize the heavy cost of the freedom we enjoy in this country
The sad part of the whole equation is freedom
only exists as a liberation from an external
oppression. If there were no oppression from some outside force,
then there would be no need to defend against the opposing force.
And, likewise, if there were no need to fight, there would be
no death in defending freedom. So, in essence,
the death of our soldiers comes only because some renegade
power has chosen to oppress us or one of our allied friends.
There is nothing new about war. In fact, there have been
oppressions from nearly the beginning of time. But where did
the concept of a warring oppressor and the need for defenders really
start? Why don't we listen to international speaker Doug Batchelor
as he relates the story of the original antagonist and then the ultimate
price paid for our freedom today. -- Strait
is the gate and narrow is the way. You've heard that before? And few
there be to find it. It's not that it can't be found,
but for some reason a lot us sort of think in a herd mentality.
And we just go down the broad road with everybody else.
Is it easier to be saved
or lost? Well, first I want to make it clear that good
and bad comes to everybody in life.
There are struggles for everyone. We are not talking about is life hard or
easy, because life is difficult, and there are problems,
that Jesus said, Matthew 5:45 - He makes
His sun rise on the evil and the good, He sends
the rain on the just and the unjust.
Job, when trials came into his life and he was a perfect and upright man,
it says Shall we indeed accept good from the Lord, and shall we not accept adversity?
You will have good and you will have adversity in your life.
Everybody is going to have some trials, but people are
wondering 'Is it easier to be saved or lost?'
A lot of folks get discouraged. They think 'I'd like to be a Christian, but it's so hard.
There are trials, there are struggles that come
Acts 14:22 - Paul said : We must through many
tribulations enter the kingdom of God. - You notice
and this today is not popular because the - the church at large
many evangelical churches teach that God loves us too much to
allow us to suffer tribulation, that if you have faith you are going to be healthy and you are going to be wealthy
and you're going to be wise and you won't have any problems, and if you do, you just don't have enough faith.
And because the Lord loves us, the great tribulation the Bible talks about, we won't
experience that, we will all be caught up. If you don't have faith you're left behind
We'll be caught up before the tribulation, of course,
that's not what the Bible teaches us.
Paul said: It is through - now that's a difference
being saved from it and being saved through it. Was Noah saved from the flood or
through the flood? Was Daniel saved from the
Lion's den or through it? How about Shadrach, Meshac and Abed-Nego?
Did God, because He loved them save them from the furnace?
I will go with you.' But He doesn't promise
that He's going to save us from trouble. Paul said it is through tribulation we enter
the kingdom of God. Jesus said 'He that endures to the end
will be saved.' Christ said Mark 13:13 - You
will be hated by all for My name's sake, But he who endures
to the end shall be saved.' There is endurance that is involved.
And John 16:33 - These things I have spoken
to you, that you might have peace. In the world
you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
And so the Lord is making very clear that believers will have
tribulation, but cheer up. Unbelievers have tribulation too.
Life is tough. How many of you have
had trials in your life. Anyone trial free?
Now when I look at the trials some people go through I think 'I don't have any problems.'
You know, after I come back from one of these trips to India,
or Africa, and you see the shanties and the
people sleeping on the street and just living from hand to mouth, and I
think about how, you know, a flat tire ruins my day,
and in perspective I think 'well, it's really not
that bad.' And someone says 'Oh I had trials this week, I had a flat
tire.' Did you have a spare? -- Yeah, but I had to change my tire.
And so you know, in our way of thinking,
those are trials. Now most of us don't have, but some of us have
more serious trials. We've got a terminal disease or someone we love
has a terminal disease, or we're going through terrible health problems, or even
may have tremendous financial reverses and struggles and stress, and
someone you love is lost. There's all kinds of trials.
But if you live long enough, you're going to have problems. So the question
is not 'Do the saved have problems and the lost don't?'
Or 'Do the lost have problems and the saved don't?' Everybody's got problems.
But is it easier to be saved
than lost? Is it easier to win or to lose?
Well, how many of you like losing?
Jesus asked this question.
Matthew 16:26 - What profit is it if
a man gains the whole world and loses his own
soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
I remember reading back during the stock market
crash in - was it 1928 -
over 1928 - some people overnight lost their fortunes and
it was, I guess, fairly common, day after day, people
were - these people who had great wealth lost it all and they were jumping
from the windows because they thought that it all
because they had lost their earthly treasure, they lost everything, and they killed themselves.
believing their lives had no meaning.
There was a man in the news - a very wealthy
man in charge of an energy company that was indicted
and
the day after the indictment he drove his car - it was by
himself - very quickly into a concrete abutment, and at first they couldn't
say what it was, but they suspect it was suicide.
He was waiting to turn himself over to the authorities and to be imprisoned.
And he had a spirit of life. he had lived and was very successful, very
popular, very famous, wealthy man, killed himself.
so losing can be hard.
Some people take it pretty hard. Matthew 13:45
Matthew 13:45 The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,
and when he has found one pearl of great price, he goes
and sells all that he has to get it because that's profitable.
Willing to sacrifice everything for that which lasts forever.
Now probably one of the bet analogies if you are trying to decide is
it easier to be saved or lost is from the story of Israel
and the exodus. My question would be 'Is it easier to be
a slave or to be free?' Some people would say
of course it's easier to be free. Is it? Do you know how you get freedom?
Does freedom ever come easy? You know
why we have what freedom we have left? Because a lot of people died
for it, and they spilt their blood and they sacrificed
their lives so yes, we want to be free, but
freedom costs a lot.
And as we are willing to sacrifice our freedoms, one by one I think we forget
what slavery is. There is a whole nation of slaves,
called the Israelites, and after being saved from
their slavery, they forgot how hard it was and they wanted to go back to Egypt.
It's amazing. Oh man, this going through the wilderness with God is tough,
I wish I was back in Egypt. And they forgot back in Egypt
they were serving a king that hates them, they were working for his glory
they're not getting paid - listen to how Moses described
it - Deuteronomy 26:6 - But the
Egyptians mistreated us, afflicted us, and
laid hard bondage on us. Then
we cried out to the Lord God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and looked upon
our affliction and our labour and our oppression,
so the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand, with an outstretched
arm, with great terror and signs and wonders, and power of God
and he has brought us to this place and given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey
So which is easier, being a slave
of the Pharaoh, or being a servant of God?
Wouldn't you think - I mean if you could look at the two options, wouldn't you
think it would be easier - Well I'm going to the promised land.
But why did they keep wanting to go back? They said 'Going
through the wilderness is hard. They had hope
God fed them from Heaven, they got hungry before they cried for bread,
He gave them water out of a rock - they got thirsty before they got the water,
they were attacked by their enemies - He gave them
victory over their enemies the Amalekites
so they did have struggles in the wilderness, but they won in every case. God took care of
them. And they were on their way to a land that was theirs,
to freedom, but in the transition - it was hard.
Is it harder to be enslaved to the devil
or to serve Jesus? I would like to tell you that the
Bible I think is pretty clear, it is much harder, at least from my perspective
to be a slave to the devil, than to be a servant of God.
I spent years
enslaved - people are enslaved by their habits and
their addictions and their problems and then when you are finally set free,
I know a man
he attends here every now and then - alcoholic for years,
and oh it must be 25 years ago God gave him victory over alcohol,
but he struggled with that slavery for so long that
he can't stop praising Jesus for setting him free. You talk to him - even though it's been years
because he hasn't forgotten what it was like. If you
know what slavery is, there is no question
it's easier to fight for your freedom. And their might be a fight.
But it is worth it as opposed to being a slave.
Now that applies to patriotism as well as Christianity.
Jesus said, and this was our memory verse - our scripture reading - Matthew
Matthew 11:28 - Come to Me, all you who are heavy laden
and I will give you rest. - as opposed to the
serving the Pharaoh with rigor. - Take my yoke upon you
Jesus doesn't say there is no service involved. A yoke is an instrument of
burden - Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me
for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is
light" - as compared to what? Now there is a question.
Jesus says 'My yoke is easy, My burden is light. His yoke compared
to whose yoke? There are only two masters.
Jesus said you are with me or you are against me - it's my yoke or the devil's yoke.
It's My service or his service. And Jesus tells us
My yoke is easy as compared to his. - He didn't say there aren't trials. It is easy
compared to the devil. My burden in light compared to the devil.
And it's either going to be one or the other. Proverbs 13:15
Proverbs 13:15 Good understanding gains favour,
but the way of the transgressor is hard.
Is it easier to be saved, or to be lost? The way of the
transgressor is hard.
You may not know it right away, for there are pleasures of sin for a season, but
you stay in the way of the transgressor and it's going to be tough.
The way is hard. Ecclesiastics 8:12 - now this is Solomon's
observation also - Though a sinner does evil a hundred times,
and his days are prolonged, - oh, he's been sinning
nothing bad happened, looks like things are going okay,
I mean they ask this question in the Book of Job, and Job says 'Haven't you ever noticed
that sometimes you'll see sinners and it looks like their kids are healthy and their flocks are
breeding and their crops are full and
it seems like everything's fine and they're prospering,
but it doesn't stay that way. Though a sinner does evil
a hundred times and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know
it will be well with those who fear God who fear before Him
it will not be well with the wicked, nor will He prolong
his days, which are a shadow, because he does not fear before God.
You know, in the end of Ecclesiastics he says 'Let's hear the conclusion of the whole matter.'
Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of
man for God will bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good
or evil. He said in the end you're gonna be better
if you fear God and keep His commandments.
All right. Is it easier to be rich than poor? Now, don't misunderstand, this is
not really a statement on prosperity, but I just want to give you
an illustration. Some people think if you can choose between being rich
and being poor you think 'Oh man, I'd much rather have money.' I think most of us
would say that. But is that where happiness comes from?
Notice Mark 10:20-27
This rich young ruler comes to Jesus - he falls down on his knees
he says 'Lord, what must I do to have eternal life,' and Jesus said 'Why
do you call me good? There is no one good but one, and that's God. But if you would enter
into life, keep the commandments.' He says 'Which ones?' And Jesus begins to
recite the Ten Commandments that apply between man's relationship with his fellow man.
'So Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.'
And Jesus looking at him loved him, and he said
"One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have
and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; you want treasure, you will have it.
You'll have treasure that thieves can't steal. You'll have treasure that will last forever.
Unload, take up your cross and follow me.' He was inviting him to be
an apostle - like Peter and James and John, forsook their nets and
followed Him. Matthew forsook his cash register and followed
Jesus. He says to this young man who he loved
"You've got a lot of potential, but you're going to have to liquidate if you're going to follow
me, because your riches are going to be a distraction.'
But he was sad at this word,
and he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Now here's a question. When he went away, did he
still have great possessions? But was he happy?
he was sad. He was sorrowful.
A man's life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses. See,
one reason it's hard for us to be saved, or
it seems like it, is because we are trying to save the wrong thing.
We are thinking our treasures are down here, we are not
calculating the treasure that lasts forever. Jesus looked around and He said to the
disciples, "How hard it is - notice who is having a hard time -
the rich! How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God.
And the disciples were astonished at His words, and Jesus
answered and said to them again - Just in case you misunderstand, Children, how hard it is
for those who trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God.
It is easier - notice the words hard and easier - it's
easier for a camel to go through they eye of a needle that for a rich man to enter the
kingdom of heaven.' And they were startled and said 'Who then can be saved?'
and He said, well, 'With men it is impossible,
but with God, all things are possible. Now
riches are not a curse in and of themselves. Proverbs has
both sides of the equation here. It says in Proverbs 10:22
The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow
with it. - With the blessing of God you can have riches as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
and Job, and you can be blessed.
Proverbs 11:28 - He who trusts in his riches will
fall. There is one who makes himself rich and yet he has nothing
and there is one who makes himself poor and yet has great riches. This rich young ruler,
if he had made himself poor for Christ he would have had great riches,
but instead he held on to his earthly riches and he made himself poor, and he was sad.
And then Solomon says in Ecclesiastics 5:12
The abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep.
So here you've got a man who is sad and he can't sleep. Why? He is worried about his stuff.
If you don't have anything you can sleep like a baby because you don't have to worry about a thief breaking in.
He has nothing to steal.
We used to sing a song when I was a hippy.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
(laughter) Kris Kristofferson told the truth there.
You don't have much - and I've been there before - you don't worry about
will they steal my stuff, because you don't have anything. There's a peace there. So who
has peace? Isaiah 48:22
Isaiah 48:22 - There is no peace says the Lord
for the wicked. I saw a bumper sticker one time
and it said 'N-O God
N-O peace. No God, No Peace. And then
underneath it said K-N-O-W God,
K-N-O-W peace.
If you have no God you have no peace, but if you know God, you will know
or experience peace. There is no peace to the wicked
Isaiah 47:18
I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will
restore comforts to him and to his mouners. I create the fruit of the lips;
Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,' says the Lord, 'I will
heal him.' But the wicked are like the troubled sea, it cannot rest.
whose waters cast up mire and dirt. "There is no peace" says my God
"for the wicked." So you see, you've got it at least twice there.]
"for the wicked." So you see, you've got it at least twice there. You remember
when Paul was running from God? He's fighting Christians, he's fighting
his conscience really. Finally Jesus appears to him. You remember what Jesus said to Paul?
He said I am Jesus who you are persecuting. Is it hard
for you to kick against the goats, you know
you probably don't see it very much it's more common in other countries that when
the poor people are kind of moving their oxen or cattle along, they'll have a
sharp prod - it might have one or two prongs on the end of it,
and now they use electric hot-shots to move the cows and they jump pretty good when you
touch them. But they had these poking sticks,
and sometimes the horse or the cow or whatever it was would kick against the prod and it would just
cut themselves because it was sharp, and
if they would just go the way that the owner was directing them it would be easy, but
they are kicking against the goats - I think it says kicking against the (inaudible)
and this is what Paul was doing as he was fighting God
and Jesus said 'How is it going, Paul?' He was
miserable. He said 'Isn't it hard?'
He said 'Isn't it hard fighting your conscience and fighting
the Lord and serving the devil?' and finally Paul surrendered and
when he fell in love with Jesus, well the world was never the same.
He said 'Woe unto me if I preach not Christ.'
There is no peace for the wicked. Now there are battles in life.
And sometimes we struggle.
And look at the terminology that is used.
Ephesians 6:12 - For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, and powers, the rulers of darkness of this age,
against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. - There are
titanic battles with the devil that you are going to fight,
The Bible says 'We need to put on armour." When do you put on armour, for there's a war.
1 Corinthians 9:26 - Therefore I run thus;
not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
But I discipline my body to bring it into subjection lest when I preach to
others I myself should be disqualified or be a cast-away. Paul said there are
struggles - there is effort involved. There is no question. here are some of the words that are
used. We wore, wrestle, fight,
run strife, press on, labour. Now those
who say you know they preach a Christianity where there is no effort involved, they are lying to people.
But do you know what? It's tough to be a real Christian,
It's a lot tougher to be lost.
And sometimes it is so hard to hold on
we feel like in our own strength we just can't do it.
I remember when I was very young, my father taught me to water ski
and
right out of our back door - my dad had a home on the bay of Biscayne
Bay we had a ski boat and he took me out I was only 8 years old, and I remember
early in the morning the water was like glass. Before we went to school he would wake us up - I hated it.
He would wake us up extra early 'Come on, we're going to go skiing.'
He'd take us out the water was all glassy - it was before he went to work, before we went to school.
and I remember he was trying to teach me to ski
and I would see my brothers get up - they were all older, and they'd ski
two skis, and my father put me in the water and he'd put
the lifebelt on me - it was just a belt back then - they didn't have the whole vest thing.
and he said 'put your knees up aim your ski tips up'
put the rope on and he said 'now hang on.' He thought well the rope's gonna pop
out of my hands when he tries to pull me up. He said 'Don't let go. Hang on.'
That was the last thing he said 'Hang on.' So as soon as I started going up
my skis parted like that and I went forward.
But I hung on.
And I can hold my breath
pretty well, and my father had gunned the boat and he told my brother to watch me
Now my brother's the spotter. My brother didn't say anything to my father like Doug is down.
He thought this would be interesting so he's just watching and I'm holding on
and my dad is going like you would go when you're pulling a skier,
and I - I guess I have a pretty good grip because I held on and it was going faster and faster
and all these bubbles and roars going by me and water's going in my ears
and up my nose and around behind my eyeballs,
and I'm trying to hang on and I was doing - I was like a torpedo
I'm going underneath the water and up above the water and
finally, when I realized my bathing suit was around my knees I let go of the rope
I couldn't hold on anymore - my knuckles were so sore
and - but you know
when the Lord is telling us to hold on it's different than you
holding on with your strength - He is holding on to you..
You can read about this hear. Can we trust
Jesus? John 6:37 - All that the FAther
gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me
I will by no means cast out. John 6:39
John 6:39 - This is the will of hte Father who sent Me, that all
He has given Me, I should lose nothing - He'll hang on to you - but I'll raise
it up the last day. Philippians 1:6
...being confident of this very thing that He who has begun a good work in you will complete
it - will perform it - until the day of Jesus Christ;
Hebrews 12:2 - Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher - notice the
words of completion there - He will complete it. He is the author
and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before
Him endured the cross. -- Would you let go of something you paid so much
you gave your life to save? God is going to do everything He can do to hang
on to you. He is on your side if you are willing
to be willing. And if you just come to the Lord
and you tell Him, you say "Lord, I have given you my life, do whatever you've got to do to change me"
He will work in your life. He works out your salvation.
2 Timothy 1:12 - For this is the reason I suffer these things;
nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom U
have believed and I am persuaded that He is able to keep
what I have committed to Him until that Day. - Do you believe
that if you commit your life to Jesus He is able to save you?
Would He give all that He gave for you to be saved if it wasn't
possible for you to be saved? Of course it is friends, don't let the devil make
you think that Christian life is a hard life. Serving him is the hard life.
Serving Jesus - He says my burden is easy. My yoke is easy
my burden is light. Do you believe that?
♪
Have you been inspired by this week's message?
Praise the Lord that He is holding on to us and seeking out salvation.
As you continue to study this topic, why not read this little
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♪ Come the Fount of Every blessing
♪ to my heart to sing Thy
♪ grace Streams of mercy
♪ never ceasing
♪ Call for songs of loudest praise
♪
♪ Teach me ever to adore
♪ Thee. May your (inaudible)
♪ goodness true. While the
♪ (inaudible)
♪ Fills my heart with joy
♪ and love.
♪ Here
♪ I raise my Ebenezer
♪ Here there by Thy
♪ great help I've come
♪ and I hope by Thy good pleasure
♪ Safely to arrive at home
♪
For more infomation >> [CC] My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic - School Of Friendship (Finnish) - Duration: 2:25. 
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