Participants: Pr. Jim Gilley
Series Code: 09HC
Program Code: 09HC000008
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00:24 Welcome to 3ABN's Fall Camp Meeting,
00:27 Homecoming 2009. Featuring inspired messages 00:33 from your 3ABN Family. 00:39 Along with uplifting Christian music all to prepare 00:42 your heart for the coming of the Lord. 00:45 Its my privilege now to introduce my sister Tammy 01:03 and she is going to be singing a beautiful song. 01:04 "More than wonderful," right? 01:05 Okay, thank you Tammy. 01:06 You look pretty this morning. 01:07 Thank you. How am I doing? 01:08 Real good. Pretty good as a brother. Alright. 01:09 Can you think of anything else you want to say? 01:10 Well, that's enough right now. 01:11 Well, I got him going, let's just you know.. 01:12 That's, that's enough for now but I do 01:13 appreciate you and appreciate Bruce 01:14 and your dedication to this ministry and 01:15 most of all your dedication to the Lord. 01:16 Thank you, I appreciate you and love you too. 01:31 He promised us that He would be a counselor 01:38 A Mighty God and the Prince of Peace 01:45 He promised us that He would be a Father 01:53 And love us with a love that would not cease. 02:00 I tried Him and I found His promises are true 02:07 He is everything He said that He would be. 02:14 The finest words I know could not begin to tell 02:21 Just what Jesus really means to me. 02:30 For He's more wonderful than my mind can conceive 02:41 He's more wonderful than my heart can believe 02:48 He goes beyond my highest hopes and fondest dreams. 03:01 He's everything that my soul ever longed for 03:10 He is Everything He's promised and so much more 03:16 He is more than amazing, more than marvelous, 03:23 more than miraculous could ever be 03:30 He's more than wonderful, that's what Jesus is to me. 03:46 I stand amazed when I think the King of glory 03:52 would come to live within the heart of man. 04:00 And I marvel just to know He really loves me 04:07 When I think of who He is, and who I am. 04:16 For He is more wonderful than my mind can conceive 04:26 He's more wonderful than my heart can believe 04:33 He goes beyond my highest hopes and fondest dreams. 04:47 He's everything that my soul ever longed for 04:55 He is everything He's promised and so much more 05:02 He is more than amazing, more than marvelous, 05:09 More than miraculous could ever be 05:15 He is more than wonderful, that's what Jesus is to me. 05:29 He's everything that my soul ever longed for 05:38 He is everything He's promised and so much more 05:45 He is More than amazing, more than marvelous, 05:52 More than miraculous could ever be 05:58 He's more than wonderful, more than wonderful, 06:06 that's what Jesus is to me, to me. 06:34 Amen, thank you Tammy. 06:37 I would like to introduce our speaker, 06:39 which though you don't know him most of you do, 06:41 maybe some of our viewing audience 06:44 are not familiar with Elder Jim Gilley. 06:46 And I just want to say that I love Jim and Camilla 06:49 and their family and what a blessing 06:51 they have been and if you appreciate them 06:54 I would like to hear a hearty Amen 06:56 for them right now. Amen! 06:58 And they have been in ministry for many many years. 07:03 I won't spend a lot of time on the background 07:06 but Jim's heart and his love 07:07 and Camilla's for evangelism is for the saving of souls. 07:12 They have also, he spent many years in business. 07:14 He is a great administrator 07:16 and I just praise the Lord that God 07:18 has brought him here on his timing. 07:21 He has asked me to sing a song this morning 07:24 and the song that I will attempt to do with God's 07:26 help is one that always brings back and moves me 07:30 with compassion because when the Lord 07:32 impressed in 1984 to build a station 07:35 that would reach the world 07:37 with an undiluted three angels messages. 07:38 One that would counteract the counterfeit. 07:43 We used to go out, we just had a shell of 07:45 a building put up and we would go out 07:48 every Sabbath by faith we didn't have money 07:50 coming in that we knew of, never knew for sure. 07:54 We by faith said the Lord is going to turn this 07:57 building into something that's winning souls for him. 08:02 So we would go out and just be concrete 08:04 and rough shell, you could still see the 08:06 2X4s on the inside and look up and see the roof. 08:10 But we would go out every Sabbath when we were home 08:13 hold hands with a group of family 08:15 and people from local church 08:16 and area and once in while visitors coming by 08:19 and we would sing this song "holy ground." 08:23 I feel like today 3ABN is still holy ground. 08:53 As I walked through the door I sensed his presence 08:54 And I knew this was the place where love abounds 09:05 For this is the temple Jehovah God abides in 09:16 we are standing in your presence Lord On holy ground 09:29 We are standing on holy ground 09:42 And I know that there are angels all around 09:54 Let us praise, Let us praise our Jesus now 10:06 we are standing in his presence on holy ground. 10:28 In his presence there is joy beyond measure 10:38 And at his feet peace of mind can still be found 10:47 We need that don't we. 10:50 If you have a need, our God has the answer 11:02 Reach out and claim it for child you 11:07 are standing On holy ground 11:14 We are standing on holy ground 11:23 Thank you Jesus. 11:26 And I know, sing it with me you know it. 11:29 There are angels all around. 11:36 Let's shake the rafters. Let us praise Jesus now, 11:49 we are standing in his presence 11:55 On holy ground. 11:58 Why don't we stand on our feet and sing this. 12:01 We are standing on holy ground 12:11 And I know there are angels all around 12:22 Let us praise, let us praise Jesus now, 12:37 we are standing in his presence 12:43 we are standing in his presence 12:48 we are standing in his presence 12:57 On holy ground 13:03 How many of you feel that today you feel 13:05 the Holy Spirit here today? 13:06 God bless you can be seated. 13:16 We are standing in his presence 13:19 and this is truly holy ground. 13:23 My first time here at 3ABN I was at the worship, 13:29 where I met the staff and they sang that song 13:34 and I had some loafers on, 13:37 I usually wear loafers and I could not stay in them. 13:43 I slipped them off and stood bare footed 13:49 on holy ground and I believe that God 13:52 that has used this holy ground to reach 13:56 as many souls as he has ever reached any 13:59 other way throughout all of this world's history. 14:04 And I believe that with all of my heart. 14:06 Shall we bow our heads and pray. 14:08 Father in heaven lay some soul upon my heart 14:15 and love that soul through me. 14:19 And may we humbly do our part to win 14:24 that soul for thee. Amen. 14:27 Father we pray today that Jesus will be uplifted 14:31 in every way, in his name we ask it. Amen. 14:38 You have your Bibles, turn with me to Joshua 14:41 and you can keep your Bibles opened in Joshua, 14:44 if you have them, because we may be 14:46 looking at some other text but we will 14:48 come back from time time to the book 14:52 of Joshua, which is our main text for today. 14:55 And we are going to begin reading with verse 5, 14:58 Joshua the first chapter and verse 5. 15:02 No man shall be able to stand before 15:04 you all the days of your life. 15:05 These are the words of God Jehovah to Joshua 15:11 right after the death of Moses. 15:14 He says, as I was with Moses 15:16 so I will be with you. 15:18 I will not leave you nor forsake you. 15:22 Be strong and have good courage, 15:24 for to this people you should divide as an 15:27 inheritance the land which I swore 15:29 to the fathers to give them. 15:32 Only be strong and very courageous that you 15:35 may observe to do according to all the law 15:39 which Moses, my servant commanded you. 15:41 Do not turn from it, to the right hand 15:44 or to the left hand that you may prosper 15:47 wherever you go. 15:48 Verse 8, the book of the law shall not depart 15:51 from your mouth but you shall meditate in it day 15:55 and night that you may observe to do 15:59 according to all that is written in it. 16:02 For then you will make your way prosperous 16:07 and then you will have good success. 16:10 Have I not commanded you? 16:12 Be strong and of good courage. 16:15 Do not be afraid nor be dismayed 16:20 for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 16:27 We had just gone to the North American division 16:31 a few months before. 16:43 I had gone there as Vice President, 16:44 Camilla and I have been serving in 16:45 Arkansas, Louisiana, we I've been 16:46 the conference President. 16:47 Been an unfortunate situation, 16:48 the condominium in which we were living 16:49 and it was, there were three town houses 16:51 that were connected together. 16:53 The man in the middle had a fire. 16:57 He burned everything in his place, 17:01 which didn't bother us too bad but then it 17:04 burned our place and our neighbor on 17:05 the other side which bothered us tremendously 17:09 and it bothered us when he lost his too, 17:12 I'm only kidding. But he did set the fire, 17:15 accidental, but he and his inebriated condition. 17:21 It would not have happened had he been sober. 17:23 Lets put it that way. 17:25 It was a horrible situation. 17:29 You know God works sometimes miracles 17:31 out of things like that. 17:33 We saw so many miracles take place. 17:37 We did by the way; we salvaged a few things. 17:40 We salvaged some clothes 17:42 and we sent them to the cleaners to get 17:43 the smoke smell out. 17:45 And then when Camilla went to pick them up, 17:49 they said well we don't do the cleaning here, 17:52 we do it over at our other plant 17:54 and they said that plant burned. 17:59 So we were not supposed to have those clothes. 18:03 I'm assured of that. 18:06 Shortly after that the North American division 18:08 called us to come and 18:11 for me to serve as Vice President. 18:13 Well, I told Elder Schneider I will be 18:15 one of the cheapest moves you've ever had because 18:18 we don't have anything to move. 18:20 I salvaged one chair, other things that we 18:23 salvaged were somewhere else usually they were 18:29 in storage or at my office. 18:30 And so we went to North America 18:31 and we immediately enjoyed working with 18:34 Pastor Don Schneider, such a tremendous man. 18:37 If you ever have the opportunity 18:38 to work with Don Schneider you do it 18:41 because he is such a wonderful Christian man. 18:50 And we were there a few months 18:51 and they told us we want you to go to Bermuda 18:52 for the weekend and we want you to conduct 18:54 the constituency meeting there. 18:58 Now I had never been to Bermuda 19:00 and they said since you have never been 19:02 we want you to go. 19:03 See they didn't tell me how hard you work 19:06 when you go out like that and I pretty well 19:09 knew it wouldn't be just real easy but 19:11 this was a real assignment. 19:14 When you got there, we got there 19:16 on Thursday evening, Thursday afternoon 19:18 and we had a few minutes to look around. 19:20 Friday, we were pretty busy and Friday night 19:22 we spoke, Sabbath morning we spoke at least once 19:26 and then Sabbath afternoon, 19:27 Sabbath evening whisper time 19:29 and then the meeting actually began that 19:31 Saturday night and for the constituency 19:35 and then all day Sunday. 19:38 By the way you know preaching is not easy, 19:41 it's hard. I heard a preacher say that's right. 19:48 Sometimes the people of congregation said 19:50 listening to us it's not easy either you know. 19:56 And particularly sometimes, 20:00 but you know I was tired when we got 20:03 through with that meeting. 20:05 I was really tired and there have been sort of 20:07 a hurricane, sort of flooding over the island 20:10 and they had canceled some flights 20:12 and they called us and they said 20:14 now we are going to be flying tomorrow 20:15 but we did cancel some flights today 20:17 and you can stay an extra day if you would like, 20:20 we really need your seat 20:21 and I looked at Camilla and she said lets go home 20:25 and I said lets go home. 20:28 I have learned to say the same thing 20:30 that my wife says. 20:36 So we got on the plane on the next morning 20:39 and we flew to the New York city 20:41 but because of the weather our plane was late 20:43 and we missed our connection 20:45 from JFK down to Baltimore. 20:50 Now that leg of the trip was on one of these 20:53 little prop planes. So it was one of those 20:57 commuter aircraft and it was not 21:02 we missed the first one, 21:04 the second one was canceled, 21:06 something happened to the third one. 21:09 And then it was almost midnight 21:12 and they said for a little while we are going 21:14 to bus you down there. 21:17 We could already made it down there twice 21:18 in buses if we had gone earlier. 21:21 But, now they said we are going to bus you, 21:24 then they said no we have another flight going. 21:26 So, we got on that plane 21:28 and went out to the runway 21:29 before we did that. I told Camilla, 21:31 I said you know our daughter Amy 21:34 lives in the East Village. 21:35 They said that we can spend the night if 21:38 we want, they will take us out first thing 21:40 in the morning and why don't we 21:43 go see Amy, be a free trip. 21:46 She said lets go home. 21:51 So we started for home, got on that last plane. 21:55 Went out to the runway sat there, 21:58 it had been storming, 22:00 raining and then it quit and it cleared up. 22:06 And all of a sudden was a beautiful clear night. 22:14 We sat on the runway for a long time 22:15 before we were cleared to take off. 22:18 By the time we took off it was after midnight, 22:22 we were already in a whole new day 22:26 and as we flew out early morning September 11th. 22:34 We flew between the Statue of Liberty 22:39 and the Twin Towers. 22:42 Camilla was kind of dozing, 22:44 she had the window seat and I was looking out 22:48 and I never really honestly liked 22:51 the Twin Towers. 22:53 I was totally loyal to the Empire State Building. 23:00 When I was growing up the Empire State Building 23:03 was the tallest building in the world 23:05 and it really it was so symmetrical. 23:08 It was right there in the middle of Manhattan 23:10 and all the other buildings kind of 23:12 look like they were bowing down to it 23:14 and then all of a sudden these two ugly modern 23:17 looking towers went up down at the end 23:20 in Manhattan and it ruined the skyline 23:24 of the New York city, I thought. 23:27 You know something. 23:29 That night I nudged her and I said look 23:32 at there those towers are beautiful, 23:38 beautiful and they glistened in the night. 23:45 And it was the last night 23:48 anyone ever saw them. 23:50 That next morning, a phone call came, 23:55 turn on the television 23:57 and we did about the time to see that second plane 24:02 hit whether it was recorded or live 24:04 I never quite understood but we saw it. 24:09 And I said to Camilla, 24:12 life will never be the same again. I promise you, 24:18 it will never be like it has been 24:22 and it has not so far has it. 24:24 When you look at all the different impacts 24:26 that this has had, the economy 24:28 and the world wide political situation 24:31 and all of the different things 24:33 that came out of 9/11. 24:36 My friend it has really been a dramatic time. 24:39 We spent a lot of time in New York, 24:42 of course immediately concerned about 24:44 our daughter who was teaching 24:46 off in the South Bronx 24:48 and there was no transportation home. 24:50 She had to walk, I think it was like 8 miles 24:56 carrying her shoes. 24:59 Because they were, had lost their comfort, 25:04 walking back, she was almost within the shadows 25:08 of those Twin Towers where she lived 25:10 in the East Village. 25:12 Inside of the line that they had drawn 25:16 that only those who lived inside could go inside, 25:20 and there she was. She was going back 25:25 because her dog was there, 25:28 her little dog was back at that apartment. 25:32 You know we were concerned, 25:35 we couldn't reach her. 25:36 Cell phone service was out and there was just 25:40 really no way to be in touch. 25:42 Concerned about not only her safety 25:47 which we always are but how is she handling this? 25:51 The concern was strong. 25:56 Then we heard about the one night 25:58 there nearest in Washington DC and 26:00 then the plane that crashed down in Pennsylvania 26:04 and we knew that we were at war, 26:09 whether we really as a nation wanted 26:12 to be at war or not. 26:16 What a time? You know we are living in a day 26:19 when things of this nature are going 26:22 to become common in time. 26:25 We are living in a time when things are failing, 26:28 we listened last night as John talked about 26:30 the financial world and all the different crisis 26:33 of the financial world and every once in a while 26:35 we get a little ray of hope that maybe things 26:37 are going to be better. 26:39 But, we know deep with in our hearts folks 26:43 that we are headed for trouble times. 26:48 We are headed for a time that's gonna to test 26:52 every single one of us. 26:57 I really enjoy hearing Julia tell about 27:00 the work in Russia and we spend 27:02 a lot of time in the former Soviet Union. 27:04 Camilla and I did, some of it before 1991 27:07 or in the 1991 region before communism fell. 27:12 And we have seen first hand so much 27:16 of what happened as a result of the fall of 27:19 the communism and the impact that it had upon 27:21 the citizens of the country. 27:23 And I remember it very specifically, one lady, 27:27 she was a doctor, had just retired. 27:31 Had her retirement for the rest of her life 27:37 and then the retirement system failed. 27:42 There was no check in the mail. 27:47 You folks think about it, 27:50 how would that hit you? 27:53 You worked all your life, 27:55 you contributed to the social security, 27:57 you put your money there. 27:58 I remember when I got my social security card 28:01 I was like 12 years old and I went down because 28:04 I had a little job as a janitor 28:08 and they said you have to 28:09 have a social security card. 28:10 So, I went down to the social security office 28:12 to get a social security card. 28:14 Got the card and the lady told me clearly, 28:18 she said every time you work they take 28:22 some money out and they put it in a box. 28:29 I remember, your money, 28:34 boy blessed her heart. Who had ever told 28:36 her that I wonder, 28:38 does she really thought she was telling 28:41 and that money is yours for retirement. 28:45 And I started working, 12 years old as a janitor 28:51 few weeks later they fired me. 28:52 But, you know you win some and you lose some right. 28:59 But, at least I had a social security card now. 29:05 But, what happens if the check quits coming. 29:10 I remember this doctor, she had no income now 29:15 and she had this little place out in the country 29:21 but that's all she had, 29:22 just a small plotted land 29:25 and I said to her, how are you going 29:28 to make it? She said I don't know. 29:30 Now I preached on tithing 29:33 and I had talked about how if people 29:36 would tithe that God would honor their faith 29:38 and I believe it with all of my heart I believe that. 29:42 Some of those people had a very difficult 29:44 time accepting that, in fact I would say 29:47 that most of those who had not been Seventh-Day 29:50 Adventists for a long time or who were not yet 29:54 Adventists could not accept that at all. 29:57 But, this lady did and she came to me 30:02 and she said I don't know how but I am 30:04 going to be true to God and I am going to tithe. 30:08 Went back there the next year, 30:10 said how are you doing? She said I am doing well. 30:12 Next year how are you doing? I am doing fine. 30:17 And then she told me she said I prayed to God, 30:21 so I am going to start, 30:26 she said my daughter lost her job 30:27 we had my granddaughter, 30:28 my daughter and myself with no income whatsoever. 30:32 No way to make it, no savings nothing 30:36 and she said I had, I prayed 30:39 and said Lord give me a way of making ends meet 30:45 and she said a thought came to me 30:47 I believe it came from God, 30:48 he said grow flowers, in that little land, 30:54 now one of the most beautiful customs of 30:56 the people in Ukraine is giving of flowers, 31:01 if they go to eat with somebody or go to see 31:04 somebody they take them flowers, 31:08 its beautiful when you preach there they bring 31:10 you flowers and they give them to you, 31:15 you know the first time that they brought me 31:17 flowers I honestly I wasn't accustomed to that. 31:21 You took flowers to women but you didn't 31:23 bring flowers to an ugly old guy, 31:26 I mean you know and what are you 31:29 supposed to do with them. 31:31 You know and they bring all these flowers 31:37 but I soon began to see, it was a gesture of love 31:42 and what you did you would be preaching 31:43 and somebody bring you some flowers 31:45 so you take them and you hold them for a little bit 31:47 you don't have to hold them forever, 31:49 but you treat those flowers with love 31:51 and respect because they were 31:53 given out of love and respect. 31:56 And then I would lay them on usually a chair 32:01 and then others would come and you put them 32:04 on a chair and you know the amazing thing as 32:07 she said I don't care how bad the economy gets 32:12 people still buy flowers, she said my daughter, 32:17 my granddaughter and I have made more money 32:22 than I ever made as a physician, 32:25 physicians aren't paid like physicians are 32:29 here in the country, they are all the same 32:32 as just about anyone else but she said 32:36 I am doing better. God honored her faith 32:42 and you know that's what God does, 32:44 he honors faith and that is what he was telling 32:47 Joshua I will honor your faith, 32:52 I will honor it, I promise you 32:56 that I will honor faith. 32:59 There is something else that he honors 33:01 and that is courage he tells us be courageous 33:04 when you look at Joshua, Joshua had many 33:06 reasons to be afraid and God mentions 33:09 three times here right off four times total, 33:14 be strong and be of good courage, 33:19 why because Joshua was afraid, 33:23 you know God doesn't tell him fear not 33:25 if you are not afraid, 33:26 but fear is an emotion that God understands 33:30 but God will not and cannot work in fear. 33:34 Because fear focuses on self and fear focuses on Satan, 33:40 faith focuses on God and focuses away from self. 33:48 Moses is dead and you know something God 33:51 many times he wants to remove from us 33:54 anything that we are depended upon, 33:57 Joshua was depended upon Moses, 33:59 he had been the second man to Moses. 34:01 God had spoken directly to Moses, 34:05 God had given so much to Moses as revelation 34:10 and now Joshua is being told 34:14 you are now to be the leader. 34:18 Now they had been here before there are 34:20 standing in a raging river, you know 34:21 God doesn't ask them to go when the river is 34:24 low he asked him to go when its actually 34:27 at flood level, all the water is coming 34:31 out of the North and there's very, once 34:34 or twice in the whole year 34:36 when it is at flood level, 34:39 God doesn't always ask us to do something 34:42 when its easy, it was not going to be easy 34:45 to walk across the Jordan, 34:46 there were times when it would have been easy 34:48 to walk across it. 34:51 But, now it was at it's most difficult, 34:55 not only that but the children had been 34:57 there before, they had been there and 35:00 failed and God knows that they are there 35:07 and Joshua knows they can fail again. 35:10 They can simply turn around, 35:12 they can rebel, they can say we are not 35:14 strong enough, we cannot go forward, 35:16 he has got a whole brand new generation 35:18 now that have come along and he is the 35:21 only one who harkens back, 35:24 he and Caleb, back to the old generation. 35:29 Because they had shown their faith before 35:32 they were ready to go before you remember that, 35:36 but you see and they have reason 35:40 to be afraid because they are giants 35:44 across in that land there are always giants 35:48 where ever you go they are always giants 35:52 and I will tell you something, 35:53 God tells us that he will be with us, 35:58 Philippians 1st chapter Verse 6, being confident of 36:01 this very thing, that he who has begun a good 36:05 work in you will complete it 36:07 under the day of Jesus Christ. 36:09 Some of you are thinking about 36:11 the times that are to come, 36:12 things that are going to happen on this earth. 36:14 How am I going to be able to stand it, 36:17 the very same way that you handle these things 36:20 that you face everyday. 36:21 By trusting in Jesus Christ. Amen. 36:25 By putting your faith in him, 36:30 now there are four things that he says 36:33 here that he is going to give us 36:34 one of them is faith. Secondly, 36:37 courage, he tells us how to have it. 36:41 Thirdly, he talks to us about obedience, 36:44 because obedience and Bible study he says 36:47 here are the things in dependence upon him, 36:50 are those things that give us courage 36:54 and faith. Amen. Its not something, 36:57 courage is not something you build up on your own, 37:00 if you look at the real word confidence, 37:05 you look at that word it comes from 37:08 in the Latin 'Con' which means altogether, 37:11 and 'fidere' which is where we get 37:14 the 'fidence' part, 'fidera' which means 37:16 faith or trust. So it is altogether faith 37:20 and trust, not in ourselves but in God. 37:26 And trusting in him, 37:28 World War 2, some of you can remember 37:32 World War 2, some of you remember it 37:35 better than others because some of you 37:37 were actually involved in the battle, 37:40 I was talking to someone this week, 37:43 Charlie Clark and he was involved in World War 2. 37:49 And London was being bombed, 37:55 those people were knowing 37:59 that any moment a bomb can hit their home, 38:04 it could hit them and they could be 38:07 damaged as they went down the street, 38:08 they had to run for bomb shelters, 38:10 run to get down into the subways 38:14 and so forth to try to find protection, 38:18 there was a clock there. And the clock is still there, 38:22 it's called Big Ben, Benjamin Hal was 38:27 the director of public works when it was built 38:29 and he was so much wanted that clock, 38:32 that clock has something like 13 tons of metal in it 38:38 it's like a giant hammer that goes against 38:42 that bell and he wanted it, 38:45 he wanted it so badly that the crown 38:49 named it after him, Benjamin Hal was 38:52 his name and they named it Big Ben. 38:57 You know the text, the him that you hear 39:03 chimed every hour on the hour, 39:06 is a him entitled full of him, 39:13 full of God. The words to that him goes so 39:18 hour by hour, which is a great song 39:24 for a clock that chimes on the hour isn't it. 39:27 So, hour by hour be thou my guide, 39:32 kept by thy power no step will slide, 39:36 hour by hour be thou my guide. 39:44 And every hour the Londoners of that day 39:48 would listen to Big Ben and be reminded 39:54 that God was with them, they were trusting in him, 39:59 putting their confidence in him 40:04 which is where all of us must put our confidence, 40:11 you know this text is so clear 40:15 it says no man will be able to stand 40:17 before you, in other words no trouble, 40:19 no problem, nothing that you face 40:21 if you trust in him and most of us have had 40:27 plenty of opportunity to put our trust totally 40:33 and completely in the Lord. 40:35 So, I will be with you, I will not leave you 40:38 nor forsake you. Now that should give 40:41 each others faith, 40:44 he says I am not going to leave you, 40:46 you are not going to be by yourself, 40:48 I will be with you all the way no matter 40:51 what you're facing I am going to be with you. 40:55 That my friend should give us complete 40:59 faith in him shouldn't it. Amen. 41:02 And then he say be strong 41:05 and of good courage for this people 41:08 you shall divide as an inheritance the land 41:11 which I swore to their fathers be strong 41:16 and very courageous. 41:19 I, sometimes, we get the idea that confidence 41:23 is something we build up inside of us, 41:27 we got to get rid of that. 41:28 I remember one time I was flying 41:30 across country and right behind me 41:34 was a major league baseball player, 41:36 he was sitting between his two attorneys 41:41 and he was sitting there, 41:42 they were on their way to Los Angeles 41:44 to renegotiate his contract, 41:48 he had a little card in his hand 41:50 and he was telling them about all of his great 41:52 accomplishments in sports. 41:55 He would tell them how many hits he had, 41:57 he would tell them all these different things 41:59 and how valuable he was to the team 42:02 and finally when I heard so much I was 42:06 wishing for headphones, you know to drown it out. 42:11 I knew who he was and frankly 42:13 I never thought he was that good to be honest. 42:18 And finally he got up to go to the restroom 42:22 and he had been drinking a lot of coffee 42:25 and he was pretty jittery pretty nervous guy 42:28 I think maybe even without the coffee. 42:31 He got up to go to the restroom 42:32 and when he did I heard the one attorney say 42:34 to the other, man I will be so glad 42:37 when we get to LA, I am sick of hearing 42:39 this guy brag about himself. 42:43 And I was sitting alone in the seats 42:45 in front of him, I had my stuff kind of out, 42:48 I've been working and I have raised up 42:51 and looked back over and said and I will be too. 42:57 You see that's not confidence folks, 43:00 that's something else but it's certainly 43:03 not confidence, not the kind of confidence 43:05 that God wants us to have. 43:07 We were never intended to be depended 43:10 upon ourselves, we are to be totally 43:13 in connection with him and depended upon him 43:16 to be strong and courageous, 43:18 because he is who he is. Amen. 43:22 To be strong and courageous because 43:24 he is the one who will see us through. 43:30 As a ministry, Danny, I will tell you, 43:33 Danny's had battles from the day 43:35 this ministry began. 43:37 But, when I got here a lot of this was 43:39 brand new to me, 43:41 I mean I've been through a lot of battles 43:42 in my life believe me, but I have never been 43:46 anywhere where so much is totally depended upon 43:51 the Lord Jesus Christ as we are here, 43:54 completely. Folks, we won't even be around 43:57 two months from now without the help of 43:59 the Lord and without your standing with us. 44:02 It's that way all the time and has been, 44:04 Danny tells me from day one. 44:07 The Lord has never just filled the coffers 44:10 and said hey there is plenty here now 44:12 you can just sit back and relax, 44:14 it's never been that way. We live for month to month, 44:18 faith in him, depending upon him 44:22 and certainly not upon ourselves. Amen. 44:27 At all and he says I will be with you 44:30 I will never leave you and then the 44:33 next part of it, he says only be strong 44:36 that you may observe to do according to 44:39 all the law, which Moses my servant 44:41 commanded you, you know the amazing thing 44:44 is that somehow the devil has done 44:48 everything that he can to confuse people 44:51 about obedience, he either says you don't 44:56 need to obey at all and even makes 44:59 obedience legalism and says oh! 45:01 This is wrong, you shouldn't do that 45:04 or on the other hand he makes someone 45:06 so legalistic that they think that somehow 45:09 by be having obedience and observing 45:12 what God has told them to do, 45:13 that somehow they're going to earn their 45:15 own salvation and develop themselves in some way. 45:20 So the devil doesn't care which way 45:21 he gets you off, he just wants to get you off, 45:26 he just wants to get us in the ditch on 45:28 one side or a ditch on the other but let me 45:31 tell you I think we are spending more time 45:33 in the ditch and saying that God doesn't 45:35 want us to be, observe his law and be obedient 45:39 to him more time here then we are over there now. 45:44 So, one ditch or the other, 45:46 it seems to be one ditch more than the other now. 45:50 But, he still wants us to understand truth, 45:55 God does. You know my children, 45:58 I have got two, my oldest two children 46:01 are here and they have always told me 46:03 they were more obedient than the other, 46:05 the younger two, they say because you 46:09 punished us more, you disciplined us more 46:13 and sometimes I've said to them 46:15 please forgive me for being so rough on you 46:18 and they said oh no, that was right, 46:21 it was the other two that weren't rough 46:23 enough on you know. 46:28 But, never once when those children were 46:32 obedient did I ever say you know you are a legalist 46:39 because they were obeying out of love, 46:44 and respect and love go together. 46:47 You know if we love the Lord, 46:49 he says you are going to obey me and he says 46:51 if you obey its going to be so much 46:54 to your benefit to obey. 46:58 Now that doesn't mean that you earn 47:00 your way to heaven through obedience. No, 47:03 that's not it at all, but this love response 47:09 that we have causes us to want to be 47:13 in harmony with our Lord 47:16 and with our savior and then he tells us 47:19 the way to do this is through Bible study, 47:22 it says this book of the law 47:25 shall not depart from your mouth 47:27 but you shall meditate in it day and night, 47:31 that you may observe to do according to all 47:35 that is written in it for then 47:38 you will make your way prosperous 47:40 and then you will have good success, 47:45 meditate upon the word, take a text during the day 47:48 take it with you all day long, 47:51 memorize that, think about that text, 47:53 let that text be your theme text for the day. 47:55 Meditate upon it, you know they talk 47:58 about mediation today and this type of 48:01 mediation that the world talks about 48:03 you don't want to get involved with at all, 48:04 where you just kick your mind into neutral 48:06 and lie there and mediate. That's not it, 48:09 but God says meditate upon my word 48:12 and if we mediate upon his words, 48:15 nothing is more powerful than that, 48:19 because thy word have I hid in my heart 48:23 that I might not sin against thee. 48:28 You see we can depend upon our God, 48:32 we can't always depend upon 48:33 things of this world. 48:35 First Corinthians the 13th chapter says, 48:38 where there are prophecies they will fail 48:41 everything else is going to fail, 48:44 but then it tells us love never fails 48:48 and God is love and he loves you, 48:53 he cares for you and you can depend upon him, 48:58 I was down at a day church in 49:00 Chattanooga, Tennessee years ago. 49:04 I had gone to visit that church, 49:06 it was a church on another denomination, 49:08 on a college campus there, but so many 49:10 people have told me you just need to go 49:12 and and get acquainted with that church 49:15 and wonderful folks there. 49:16 And I went also it was an assignment, 49:20 it was at the seminary and there is an 49:22 assignment they would ask us to visit 49:24 different churches and make some notes 49:26 on that church, at the end of the service 49:29 that day they introduced a man by 49:32 the name of C.F. Yagle and they said 49:37 that he was there and that it was his 49:40 93rd birthday and they sang happy birthday 49:44 to him and then they mentioned that he had 49:48 written the song, no one ever cared 49:51 for me like Jesus I went down 49:55 and I waited and I said tell me about that song, 50:00 I waited till everybody else left 50:02 and there were a lot of people down 50:03 there but I didn't have any place to 50:06 have to be at a certain time, 50:09 and soon just the two of us were standing there. 50:12 And I said I love that song, 50:14 but I just wondered is there any particular 50:17 story behind that, why you wrote that song, 50:22 he said I was a minister in Florida, my wife left me, 50:29 it was hard during the depression, 50:31 he said the church couldn't pay me 50:34 a salary anymore, every once in a while 50:36 somebody would bring us a dozen eggs 50:38 or some vegetables or something, 50:40 but that's all we were receiving but 50:41 I kept preaching and she finally said 50:45 I cant handle this anymore 50:48 and she said I hear there is work in California 50:50 and I'm headed for California. 50:55 And I'll call you when I get there and she left, 50:59 she called him she said you've got to give up 51:01 this preaching thing, its too uncertain 51:05 and she said there are jobs here 51:08 you can get one so easily 51:12 and if you'll come she said I'll care for you, 51:16 if you come we can continue our marriage. 51:20 He said but I can't, I can't leave 51:23 because God has called me, 51:25 she said well I am not coming back, 51:28 but if you come I do care for you. 51:32 He said I hung up the phone went to the piano, 51:37 he said I sat down and I began to play 51:43 and then he said the words came to me 51:45 she said she cares, but no one ever cared 51:50 for me like Jesus. Amen. 51:54 And I wrote that song I said did she ever 51:56 come back and with tears flowing down his cheeks, 52:01 he looked at me and he said no, 52:03 she never came back but no one ever cared 52:09 for me like Jesus. Amen. 52:32 I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus, 52:38 Since I found in Him a friend so strong and true. 52:44 I would tell you how He's changed my life completely. 52:51 He did something that no other friend could do. 53:00 No one ever cared for me like Jesus. 53:12 There's no other friend so kind as He. 53:24 No one else could take the sin and darkness from me. 53:37 O, how much He cares for me. 53:45 how much He cares for me. He cares for me 53:53 Every day He comes to me with full assurance. 54:05 Now more and more I understand His words of love 54:18 But, I'll never know just why He came to save me, 54:29 Till someday I see His blessed face above. 54:40 No one ever cared for me quite like Jesus. 54:52 There's no other friend so kind as He. 55:04 No one else could take the sin and darkness from me. 55:17 O, how much He cares for me. 55:30 O, how much He cares for me. 55:56 Amen. Thank you John. 55:59 No one ever cared for you or for me like Jesus. 56:04 Amen. We must put our full complete 56:07 confidence in him. 56:10 Be strong, be courageous for the 56:12 crises is ahead, only through him. 56:16 We are not heroes, we are not brave 56:20 but he is and we must trust in him, 56:25 shall we pray. Father in heaven, 56:28 just thank you today that we do have 56:30 the assurance of life eternal through 56:32 Jesus Christ that we can seek eternity 56:36 and not in this moment because 56:40 we have our trust in Jesus. 56:43 O, Father I just pray that you bless each one 56:47 that's here and those that are watching by 56:50 television and listening by radio, 56:53 bless them Father we pray, 56:56 help them to put their faith 56:57 and confidence in you 57:00 and trust only in you Father, 57:03 in Jesus name. Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17