Participants: John Lomacang
Series Code: 12HC
Program Code: 12HC000005
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00:48 Hello friends and welcome to 3ABN Fall Camp Meeting
00:52 here in Thompsonville/ West Frankfort, Illinois, 00:55 here at the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:57 We have been blessed already. If you missed the last message, 01:00 you've got to get a copy of it. 01:02 Cherie Peters really shared a wonderful, relevant message 01:05 about the forgiveness of God. 01:07 And we're going to continue all day long. 01:08 So if you're not too far away and you can drive to get here 01:11 we'd like to encourage you because the weekend is 01:13 building up. More meetings this afternoon, 01:16 tonight, and also tomorrow is going to be a blessed 01:18 Sabbath day. Can the people of God say "Amen" to that? Amen! 01:21 And so this morning the message is entitled 01:24 Baligamy... the man with two gods. 01:26 And I happen to be the presenter and the one who's going to bring 01:29 this message. But before we do anything 01:31 we're going to have some music by one of our favorites: 01:35 Jimmy Rhodes. He's going to play a Camp Meeting medley. 01:38 But before he does that let's bow our heads 01:41 and ask the presence of God to continue with us. 01:44 Heavenly Father, we thank you for Your blessing. 01:46 We know that we can never be disappointed 01:49 when we turn to you, Father, and ask for You to empower us 01:54 to do Your will. 01:56 So come near to us now, Father, and open our hearts. 01:58 Empower our minds. Give us clarity 02:02 that Jesus may be heard and His will may be done in us. 02:06 In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. 02:09 Let's welcome Jimmy Rhodes with a hearty "Amen. " 02:11 Can you say "Amen" to that? Amen. 06:31 Amen! 06:34 Can we say "Amen" again? Amen! 06:37 I think I met Jimmy before. 06:38 Have you ever heard of the guy that's the one man band? 06:42 Boy, that's amazing. 06:43 On that last piece he had to think trumpet note, 06:46 keyboard note, and bass note at the same time. 06:49 I think you need three brains for that. 06:51 But praise the Lord... what a wonderful blessing. 06:54 Let's bow our heads. Father in heaven, 06:55 this is Your message. Bring it to life 06:58 and use it to intend Your purpose to be accomplished. 07:02 In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. 07:04 You know, when I put this message together I was 07:06 struggling about the title. 07:07 It is: Baligamy, the man with two gods. 07:10 But I also was tempted to entitle this sermon 07:13 Dumb and Dumber. 07:15 And you'll discover why a little later on. 07:17 If you've watched football before, you'll discover that 07:20 football is pretty entertaining but it gets intense 07:22 when the home team is at the two-yard line 07:26 and there are just a few seconds left in the game. 07:29 The defense really bulks up to make sure 07:32 that the home team does not get that winning touchdown. 07:36 Now brothers and sisters, whether we know it or not 07:38 we are using that illustration to indicate that we are 07:41 the home team. We're at the two-yard line 07:44 and there are just a few seconds left in this game called life. 07:48 And Satan is bulking up to keep the people of God 07:51 from making it in for that final touchdown. 07:54 But God is on our side. Can you say "Amen" to that? 07:56 Amen! And we are excited that God is going to carry us in. 07:59 But the battles are intensifying 08:01 as we stand on the border of the Promised Land. 08:04 If you have your Bibles, go with me to Deuteronomy 08:06 this morning. Deuteronomy chapter 10 08:08 is the verse we're going to use as our springboard 08:11 but Numbers chapter 22 08:13 is where our story is going to come from. 08:16 The entire illustration for the message this morning 08:20 entitled Baligamy... the man with two gods. 08:24 Deuteronomy chapter 10 and verse 12 reads as follows 08:27 and I'm reading the New King James version. 08:30 The Word of the Lord says: "And now Israel 08:34 what does the Lord God require of you 08:39 but to fear the Lord your God? 08:43 To walk in all His ways and to love Him. 08:46 To serve the Lord your God... " With how much of your heart? 08:49 All. "with all your heart and with all your soul. " 08:55 There is never a more opportune time 08:58 to attack the people of God than on the day before they plan 09:02 to enter the Promised Land. 09:04 Such was the story recorded here in the book of Numbers 09:08 chapter 22. The journey that they took 09:12 was only supposed to be eleven days long... 09:15 but it became a forty-year nightmare. 09:19 From Egypt to Canaan was only supposed to be eleven days 09:25 but it became a 40-year wandering. 09:28 What God never intended 09:30 became the experience of the people of God. 09:33 I don't want to be in this earth any longer than I have to be 09:35 here. What do you say? Amen! 09:37 But for many reasons that are outlined in this story 09:40 for whatever reason we are on this earth 09:43 much longer than God intended. 09:45 When you look at the journey of Israel 09:47 it went through three phases. 09:48 The first phase was revival: 09:50 from Egypt to Mt. Sinai where God established 09:55 principles of revival for 40+ days. 09:57 They went from revival to rebellion for the next 38 years. 10:02 And I looked at this. Thirty-eight years 10:05 three months and 10 days. 10:09 But just before they entered the Promised Land 10:11 God went through one more step: 10:13 and that was the step of reformation. 10:15 And that's where Satan attacked 10:17 with greater intensity the people of God. 10:20 God never intended for it to take so long 10:22 for the children of Israel to enter the Promised Land. 10:25 And God never intended for them to have all the battles that 10:28 they had. They had more battles 10:30 than God ever envisioned that they would have. 10:33 Eleven days... forty years. 10:36 Quite a bit more battles than God ever intended. 10:39 But the good news is armies great and small attacked 10:42 the people of God, but when the battle was over 10:44 the headlines read: ISRAEL PREVAILED. 10:48 On 28 separate occasions you find the Bible gives the 10:51 name of the nation that Israel defeated. 10:54 But before we get into the message today 10:56 I want to say this: I want to make it very, very clear 10:59 that the power to prevail was not in Israel... 11:02 it was in the God of Israel. Amen. 11:04 The power for us to win our battles is not in us - 11:08 not in our strategies, not in our plans - 11:11 it always lies in the power of God. 11:15 By the time you get to Numbers chapter 21 11:18 the Amorites notice that nation after nation was falling 11:23 when they attempted to bring down the children of Israel 11:26 and all of a sudden they got very concerned. 11:28 In Numbers 21 verse 24 you read these short words: 11:32 "Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword. " 11:37 Now sometimes when you read the Bible you've got to look up 11:39 those phrases because they never appear in the Bible arbitrarily. 11:43 Any time you find a phrase repeated 35 times 11:47 there's a reason behind it. 11:49 So I did the research, Monte, and I looked up the phrase 11:52 "edge of the sword. " And I discovered that 11:54 the edge of the sword is the sharpest part of the weapon. 11:59 The edge of the sword is the strongest part of the weapon. 12:04 So today we've got the edge of the sword. 12:07 As a matter of fact, we've got something sharper 12:09 than the edge of the sword. Hebrews tells us in 4:12 12:12 that "the Word of God is quick and powerful 12:15 and sharper than ANY two-edged sword. " 12:18 So the battle that they... So the weapon that they used 12:22 is not as powerful as the weapon that God has given to us. 12:25 What do you say? Amen. 12:27 They stood firmly in the Word of God 12:29 and today we stand firm in the Word of God. 12:31 So it's not enough just to have on the whole armor of God 12:35 because the armor of God includes the most powerful 12:39 weapon... and that is the Word of God and prayer. 12:44 So in these last days we've got to have on the entire armor 12:47 but we have to be skillful in our use of the Word of God. 12:50 And then even after that we've got to keep praying. 12:52 What do you say? Amen! 12:54 From the time that Israel left Sinai 12:56 Satan employed whatever means he could 12:59 to keep them from entering the Promised Land. 13:02 Go with me to Numbers chapter 22 13:04 and look at the story as it unfolds. 13:06 It is amazing how patient the devil really is. 13:11 He waits his turn. 13:14 He lays his trap. 13:16 Outside of my window just a few days ago... 13:18 outside of our window I should say because I'm not 13:20 the only one that lives there... 13:22 But I said to my wife: "Honey, look at that spider. " 13:25 A HUGE spider... and he was just patiently spinning his web 13:30 planning his breakfast menu, 13:32 his dinner menu, his lunch menu. 13:35 And she says: "Go knock it down. " 13:37 I said: "No, he's my friend. 13:38 He's going to eat the mosquitoes and the flies. " 13:42 That's the kind of guy you want on your side, what do you say? 13:44 And so I looked at that and I realized 13:47 you know, the Bible talks about "the snare of the fowler. " 13:51 Satan spins his web and the bird doesn't know 13:54 until it flies into the snare of the fowler 13:57 and is caught and becomes a victim of the fowler. 14:01 But it takes time to spin a web. 14:03 And when you read the story of the children of Israel 14:05 at the border of the Promised Land 14:08 it took time for Satan to plan strategically how he was 14:12 going to attack them right at the border of the Promised Land. 14:15 And he sought to employ somebody 14:18 that was employed by God already. 14:21 Follow this very carefully. 14:22 Numbers chapter 22 verses 1 to 3. 14:26 The Bible says: "Then the children of Israel 14:28 moved and camped in the plains of Moab 14:33 on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho. 14:38 Now Balak the son of Zippor 14:42 saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 14:46 And Moab was exceedingly... " What's the next word? 14:50 Afraid. "afraid of the people because they were many. 14:54 And Moab was sick with dread 14:57 because of the children of Israel. " 15:00 Let me tell you something, brethren: 15:02 the devil ought to be afraid of the people of God. 15:04 What do you say? If the devil's not afraid of us, 15:06 then we are not standing where God wants us to stand. 15:09 The children of Israel were only powerful 15:12 as they were faithful because God does not empower 15:15 those that are not faithful. 15:17 So as long as they were faithful they had the power of God. 15:20 Whenever they were not faithful they had no power. 15:22 God did not work through lives that were not determined 15:26 to be faithful. 15:27 When you read Numbers chapter 22 and verse 4 15:29 you will discover that Balak the king of Moab was 15:32 so afraid of the kingdom that he possessed being destroyed 15:36 by the people of God 15:38 that he looks for someone to curse the people of God. 15:44 The question is: Who does he find? 15:46 Satan always finds someone will- ing to curse the people of God. 15:52 Look at verses 5 to 6. 15:56 "Then he sent messengers to Balaam 16:00 the son of Beor, at Pethor, 16:03 which is near the river in the land of the sons 16:06 of his people to call him. 16:11 And he said: 'Look, a people has come 16:15 from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth 16:18 and are settling next to me. 16:21 Therefore, please come at once. 16:24 Curse this people for me 16:27 for they are too mighty for me. 16:29 Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them 16:33 out of the land. 16:35 For I know he whom you bless is blessed 16:39 and he whom you curse is cursed. ' " 16:44 You know sometimes... and this is a solemn warning 16:47 to those who are in positions of leadership... 16:50 God only gives His leaders the ability and the privilege 16:54 to bless His people. God never gives 16:57 those that He chooses the ability or the blessing 17:01 or the power to curse His people. 17:03 Am I right? 17:04 So whenever God gives us the responsibility 17:07 what Balaam remembered but had chosen to forget 17:10 that's why he was on Balak's list... that's why 17:13 Balak sent him a text message. 17:14 He said: "There's somebody that's willing to sell out. " 17:18 But Balaam knew that God made a promise with His own people. 17:22 And He said: "I will bless those who bless you 17:24 and I will curse those who curse you. " 17:27 And this blessing continued with the people of God 17:29 no matter where they went. 17:31 So even though Balaam appeared to be 17:35 powerful, he was only powerful when he was obedient 17:40 to the will of God. 17:42 We are only powerful, we are only blessed 17:45 when we are obedient to the will of God. 17:49 God never blesses us when we step outside of the 17:52 will of God. But... for some reason... 17:55 Balak sends and calls for Balaam. 17:59 Look at verse 7 in chapter 22. 18:06 Disobedience always has a price. 18:09 "So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian 18:14 departed with... " What? "the diviner's fee 18:19 in their hands. 18:21 And they came to Balaam and spoke to him 18:23 the words of Balak. " I saw that phrase "divier's fee" 18:27 and I came to the conclusion there is no such thing as 18:30 sin without a price. 18:32 Any time somebody's offering you money be careful 18:35 because they know that you wouldn't do what they're asking 18:38 you to do for free. 18:40 Any time someone offers you a price be careful 18:44 because they hope and they are perceiving that you can be 18:47 bought. But what God needs today is people that cannot be bought. 18:51 What do you say? Amen! People that are true to God 18:53 no matter what the price... 18:55 because we are standing at the border of the Promised Land 18:59 and once again Satan is looking for somebody to buy. 19:02 So they stand there with this diviner's fee 19:04 and Balaam knew the answer before he asked God 19:06 the question. And they came to Balaam asking him 19:09 "Now Balak has a concern and he wants you to help him. " 19:11 And notice what Balaam responds by doing. 19:16 He knew what God's answer was before he would ask God 19:19 but notice what he decides to do. 19:22 Verse 8: 19:24 "And he said to them: 'Lodge here tonight 19:29 and I'll bring back word to you as the Lord speaks to me. ' 19:35 So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. " 19:38 Now you know, if God says something is wrong 19:40 on Tuesday it's going to be wrong on Wednesday. 19:42 What do you think? You don't need a good night's rest 19:45 to decide whether or not God is going to change His mind 19:48 overnight. God is the same yesterday, today, and how long? 19:51 Forever. And I can look back at my life and one of the reasons 19:54 why I ended up where I was... 19:55 You see, in the church I attended we had what we called 19:58 shared sin. Let me explain what that is. 20:02 We had a 1,200 member church and there were a lot of young 20:05 people in our church including myself - including me - 20:08 that we shared sin. We partied together 20:10 after the Sabbath ended. 20:12 We partied together on Friday night. 20:14 So we covered each other's sins. 20:16 So we couldn't tell on each other because we were all 20:18 in the very same camp. 20:20 Satan found somebody that he could use. 20:22 But praise the Lord, where I was 20:25 I am no longer there. What do you say? Amen. 20:28 Shared sin... partakers of sin. 20:31 Balaam knew what the answer was before he even asked 20:35 God the question. 20:37 He knew what God's requirements were, 20:40 but he saw the money that they brought with them 20:42 when Balak sent his representatives. 20:46 He looked at the check and said: "I could use that money 20:49 so stay overnight and let me see if God's 20:52 going to change His mind. " 20:55 He said: "Man, what could I do with that money! " 20:57 Now some people say that money doesn't buy happiness. 21:00 I often say: "Give me a chance to decide that myself. " 21:04 Amen? Now money doesn't buy happiness 21:07 but I'd like to have more of it than I have right now. 21:10 Come on, you can say "Amen" to that 21:12 'cause you're in the same boat. 21:14 It doesn't buy happiness but it sure makes gettin' happy 21:16 a lot easier than when you're poor. 21:19 So Balaam looked at that check. 21:21 And they... I'm sure they showed him the check and said: 21:23 "Now Balaam, check this out... 21:25 check this out. " 21:27 And Balaam said: "I know it's not right, but let me just 21:30 talk to God and see if God changes His mind 21:32 because God probably knows that I need that money. " 21:35 And so he spent the night asking for God's permission. 21:40 And verse 9 is very interesting to me 21:44 because he goes to talk to God and look what God says. 21:48 "Then God came to Balaam and said: 21:52 'Who are these men with you? ' 21:55 Now I want to suggest to you God knew who these men were. 21:59 So God was not asking for information. 22:01 It was intended to arouse Balaam to the danger 22:03 of the path that he was about to travel. 22:06 In other words, the Lord is saying to him: 22:08 "The people that you're hanging out with should tell you 22:11 that you're headed in the wrong direction. " 22:13 How many of you remember hearing that from your parents 22:15 when you were young? 22:17 "Who are those people you're hanging out with? " 22:18 I remember my mom used to always say to me: 22:20 "Who are you going with? " 22:21 "Who... why are you always hanging out with the bad guys 22:24 in the community? " Company does determine our destiny. 22:30 The people that we hang out with does influence our decisions. 22:34 And so God is saying to Balaam: "Now you're My prophet 22:36 but they're not. Why is it that you're considering 22:40 hanging out with this group? Who are these guys 22:42 that you're with? " 22:44 And Balaam somehow ignored that. 22:46 And instead of Balaam understanding the reason 22:48 for the question, you look at verses 10 and 11. 22:50 You read that on your own. Balaam decides to give God 22:52 information as though God needs information. 22:55 "Now Lord, let me tell You who they are. 22:57 This guy's name is Sam; that guy's name is Jeff. " 23:01 God doesn't need that information. 23:02 God knows exactly who they are. Amen? Amen. 23:04 God doesn't ask for information. 23:06 You notice in the Bible, whenever God asks a question 23:08 like He said: "Adam, where are you? " 23:10 God didn't need a GPS to find Adam. He knew exactly 23:13 where Adam was. 23:14 He was waiting for Adam to come out and confess 23:16 "Lord, it's me. It's me, it's me, oh Lord... 23:18 standing in the need of prayer. " 23:20 Adam, instead of confessing, well you know what he did. 23:22 He blamed his wife. 23:24 And so Balaam finds himself in the same position 23:27 and instead of remembering what Adam had done 23:29 and others after Adam... 23:31 God does not need information. God knows it all. 23:38 So when God asks "Where you goin? " 23:40 He's not asking for location... He's alerting us to the danger 23:43 that lies ahead. When God asks us "What are we doing? " 23:46 He's not asking for the description 23:48 but He's warning us of the consequences of our act. 23:51 My mother used to ask me that question. 23:53 Whenever I'd say to her: "Mama, could I do this? " 23:55 and she'd say: "Say that again. " 23:56 "Mama, can I? " "Say that again. " 23:58 "Mama, can I? " "Say that again. " 24:00 Have you heard that before? "Say that again. " 24:02 And she'd ask me the same question over and over and over 24:04 again until I realized what I was asking for. 24:07 "Say that again. " 24:08 "Mama, could I? " "Say that again. " 24:11 And God answered Balaam only to reinforce 24:15 what Balaam chose to forget. 24:18 Look at verse 12. 24:24 "And God said to Balaam: 'You shall not go with them. 24:29 You shall not curse the people 24:33 for they are blessed. ' " 24:36 I want you to keep the title in your mind: 24:38 The man with two gods. 24:41 But look at Balaam's response. 24:43 Verse 13: "So Balaam rose in the morning 24:49 and said to the princes of Balak: 24:52 'Go back to your land 24:54 for God has refused to give me permission 24:58 to go with you. ' " Did you get that? 25:02 "See, I'd go... but God said not to go. " 25:05 I've used that line 100 times or more growing up. 25:09 Come on... anybody else? 25:11 "I want to go but my mom said I can't go. " 25:13 "I mean, I'd go but... you know... 25:15 if I go I'm getting in trouble. " 25:17 The same line that we used as children Balaam comes and says 25:22 to those that were sent by Balak 25:25 "I would go but the Lord has refused to give me permission 25:28 to go with you. " And the reason why God refuses 25:31 to give us permission, brothers and sisters, 25:33 is He sees the end of a thing before we see the beginning 25:36 of it. He sees way down the highway before we even 25:41 get into the car. He sees way around the corner 25:44 before we even make a turn. 25:45 He sees the end of the party before the party even begins. 25:48 He sees us sprawled out, drunk somewhere, 25:51 before we take the first sip. 25:52 He sees us addicted before we try the first marijuana drag. 25:57 He sees the life falling apart from sexually-transmitted 26:01 diseases before we even decide who to go with. 26:04 God always sees the end from the beginning. 26:07 Don't ask God for permission 26:08 for things that we know that God does not support. Amen. 26:15 I believe more people would choose God if God 26:17 simply agreed with them. And Balaam was hoping that God 26:20 would agree with him so he asked for God's permission. 26:24 And so they go back and they tell Balak that 26:26 "Well you know, good attempt. We showed him the check 26:29 but he's not coming. " 26:31 And Balak does not take no for an answer. 26:35 He simply increases the bribe. 26:37 He says: "Well maybe that check wasn't good enough. " 26:40 And so he writes a larger check. 26:42 And... But he said: "Now next time you go, tell Balaam 26:45 I'll deposit it in his account down in the Cayman Islands. 26:49 Nobody would know. It'll be just between him and me 26:52 but it's going to be a huge check. 26:54 And by the way, when you go back 26:57 let's sweeten the pot. Let's send people that are 27:00 more important than these guys. These guys are novices. 27:02 Let's pull out all the stops. Let's send people that really 27:05 impress. Let's send them in limousines, and maybe Balaam 27:09 needs to see somebody roll up in a Maserati. 27:12 Let's put him in a Maserati. 27:13 Let's give him those expensive suits. 27:15 Let's invite Balaam to a really expensive dinner tonight. 27:20 Let's pull out all the stops: best music, best band. 27:23 Let's give him everything that he really wants. 27:25 I think there's a way... " And the reason why they sent 27:28 them back is because Balaam didn't say a "no" 27:32 that really meant no. 27:34 He kind of says: "God... You know, yeah I'd do it 27:37 but God is not going to give me permission. " 27:40 That's why the Bible says we should let our yes be yes 27:43 and our no be what? No. 27:44 In other words, say no and mean it! 27:47 "I'd go with you on Sabbath 27:50 but God said don't do it. " 27:54 "See, I'd wear those earrings but you know the Bible says 27:59 I'm not supposed to. " 28:01 "I'd go to that concert with you but the Bible says... " 28:05 You know brethren, we need a constitution 28:07 that even if the Bible didn't say it we wouldn't do it 28:10 because we stand before God as those who want to represent 28:13 God in all we do. Amen! 28:15 There are some people that if they don't find the 28:16 Word of God saying you shouldn't do it... 28:18 Like there are some people that say: "God's Word 28:20 doesn't say you can't smoke marijuana. Show me the verse. " 28:23 Have you heard that before? 28:25 "God's Word doesn't say we should not... " 28:26 "You know, as a matter of fact, Jesus turned the water 28:29 into wine. I mean, that's evidence enough 28:30 that I can drink. " "Show me where God's Word says 28:34 thus and so. " And when you can't find it 28:36 they say: "See, I told you. " 28:38 And nowadays we've got people doing all kinds of things. 28:40 And even Adventists doing all kinds of things 28:42 because they believe that God's Word doesn't really just 28:46 say it that way. 28:47 We ought to be like the Hebrews: 28:49 "Even if God doesn't deliver us we've made up our minds 28:52 that we're not going to bow. " Can you say "Amen" to that? 28:54 Amen. We need people like Joseph: "How can I do this great 28:58 wickedness and sin against God? " 29:00 He had a constitution that did not need him to go back 29:03 and say "Now honey, you look good. 29:05 Wait till I come back. I'll check the Bible. " 29:07 Did you get the story? 29:09 'Cause Potiphar's wife laid a trap for him. 29:11 And if you study on how she dressed... 29:14 That's why, gentlemen, you can't stand up and negotiate 29:17 with women when they're dressed a certain way. 29:20 Amen somebody? Amen! 29:22 You've got to say: "You know I've got to go. " 29:24 And don't walk away like this. 29:28 You'd better run for your life. You'd better do an Elijah 29:32 'cause God can find you. But you can't stand around, 29:34 you cannot compromise with sin. You can't say: "Well, you know, 29:38 sunset. See, it's almost sunset. If it wasn't sunset 29:40 I'd have been with you right now... I'd of been hanging out 29:41 with you right now but it's sunset so I've got to go home 29:44 and get ready for the Sabbath. " Those who were Jews 29:47 cared more about the sunset and the Sabbath 29:49 than they did about representing Jesus. 29:52 We can't be like that. We've got to be moral; 29:55 we've got to be firm... even if we can't find the text 29:58 and verse that says that we shouldn't specifically 30:02 do thus and so. 30:04 And so Balak ups the ante. Verse 15: 30:11 "Then Balak again... " See, you've got to get that word 30:14 again... "sent princes more numerous and more 30:20 honorable than they. " You've got to get this in your head. 30:22 You've got to see this thing coming together. 30:24 Here is Balaam sitting at home and he hears in the distance... 30:28 he hears a processional coming. 30:31 And in those days they didn't have quiet 30:35 cars with rubber wheels. They had chariots. 30:39 They had horses. And I could imagine he could say... 30:42 Have you been sitting in a house and a car goes by? Whuuummm. 30:46 And you say: "What was that? " 30:48 I could see Balaam sitting in his house: "What's that noise? 30:52 Sounds like thunder in the distance. What's that noise? " 30:56 And he could see a path of dust 30:58 being led by a trail of white horses, 31:02 golden chariots, and princes dressed to kill. 31:07 And when they pulled up in front of Balaam's house 31:11 they were escorted out of their chariots. 31:13 Somebody opened the chariot door 31:16 for them to get out and Balaam said: 31:18 "Hey, honey, look... look at this. 31:21 They're in front of our house. 31:23 I wonder if this is Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes? 31:27 They're knocking on our door. Do you think we hit the lottery? " 31:31 They're in front of Balaam's house. 31:34 And then he sees what really gets his attention 31:37 because he remembered that when they came last time 31:39 they took a check out of their pocket but this time 31:42 they have four guys carrying a treasure chest, 31:46 hardly able to carry it because it's so heavy 31:49 with reward for Balaam. 31:53 The Bible says that Balak again 31:56 sent princes more numerous and more honorable 32:01 than they. 32:04 Be careful because flattery is the door to deception. 32:08 You see, Balaam felt honored that Balak would recognize his 32:11 importance by sending princes 32:14 more numerous and more honorable. 32:19 And so the story continues to unfold. Verse 17: 32:26 Balak appeals again. 32:29 "For I will certainly honor you greatly. " 32:32 They bring the message from Balak... they're reading 32:34 the e-mails. "For I will certainly honor you greatly 32:38 and I will do whatever you say to me. " 32:41 See, last time it was a check with a certain amount. 32:43 Now he says: "Whatever you want you've got it. " 32:45 "Whatever you want you've got it. " 32:47 And I think that's the problem sometimes: 32:49 there seems to be no limit. 32:50 You know, when the devil presents sin before you... 32:52 He did that to Jesus. He showed him all the kingdoms 32:56 of the earth and their glory. 32:57 And there are those here... many people that I was 32:59 raised with... that are selling out for the earth, the kingdoms, 33:02 and its glory. I'd rather be relatively unknown now 33:05 and be known in the kingdom. What about you? Amen! 33:08 "Whatever you say to me, whatever you want, 33:12 I promise I'll do it. 33:14 Therefore, please come and curse this people 33:19 for me. " And when you read verse 18 33:21 Balaam makes it sound like he can't be bought. 33:24 He said: "Even if you filled the entire house with silver 33:27 and gold I'm not going to go. 33:30 I promise I'm not... Even if you filled this house 33:32 with silver and gold I refuse to go. 33:35 But stay overnight... let me see what God says. " 33:39 Did you get that? 33:41 "I don't care how much you give me I cannot be bought 33:44 but stay overnight... let me see what God says. " 33:46 That's where Balak found a kink in his armor. 33:49 You see, if we won't disobey God for a small salary 33:53 don't disobey God for a large salary. 33:58 Because no matter the price the wages of sin is still death. 34:03 I remember working at an insurance company in New York. 34:05 I think I've shared this story before, but if you forgot it 34:07 I'm going to remind you. 34:08 I was... That's when they began to change over 34:10 and start people working on Saturdays. 34:13 But when they began that I was working downtown Manhattan. 34:15 That's when I lived in New York before I got married. 34:17 And they started bi-monthly... every... 34:22 bi-weekly... every two weeks. And so my turn came up 34:25 to work, and I worked for an insurance company. 34:28 And they said: "Well tomorrow you should come in at 9 o'clock 34:32 and 9 to 5 on Saturday. " 34:34 And I said: "I'm not coming in. " They said: "Well you're 34:36 scheduled to come in. " I said: "I'm not coming in. " 34:37 I told my supervisor on Friday "I'm not coming in. " 34:40 Can somebody give me an "Amen" to that? 34:42 Amen. I'm not going to sit home and say: "Now should I go? " 34:46 I mean, there are some folks that would work on Sabbath 34:49 because they get double salary. 34:52 I know some of them. 34:54 "Why'd you work on the Sabbath when you're not in the 34:57 medical field? When you're not in a position where God 35:00 can support that decision? Why would you? " 35:02 "Well you know I get time and a half! " 35:04 "I get double time. " 35:06 The price is still the same. 35:09 So I decided not to go in and I didn't show up. 35:12 And when they went to work... people that went to work 35:14 said: "John didn't show up. " And I got a call on Monday 35:16 morning into the office. He said "Now how come you didn't come? " 35:18 I said: "I told you on Friday I wasn't coming. " 35:20 He said: "Well you're scheduled for two more weeks. 35:23 In two more weeks you're scheduled again. " 35:25 You know what I said? "I'm not coming. " Amen. 35:29 So I worked for... I only had two more weeks 35:31 left at that job by the way. I want you to know that. 35:34 Because when I didn't show up the second Sabbath 35:36 they called me back on that Monday morning 35:37 and I saw it on the desk. 35:39 Back then they really did give pink slips. 35:41 Nowadays I don't know what the color of the slips are 35:44 'cause I don't get those slips any more. Amen somebody. 35:46 Amen. But they gave a pink slip 35:49 and he said: "Now John, two weeks ago I told you 35:52 and so, you know, I regrettably... 35:55 I do this with regret but we're going to have to let you go. " 35:58 And I said: "That's fine. No problem; I'm OK with that. " 36:01 I left that company, walked three blocks to Chase Manhattan 36:05 and got a job and started the next day. 36:07 Amen. See, sometimes God allows you to be faced with 36:11 a test to see whether or not you can be bought. 36:14 Balaam was in a position where he said: "No matter how much 36:17 money you give me I cannot be bought, but WAIT 36:19 overnight and see what God says the next day. " 36:24 "And the Lord said... " You've got to get this 36:27 because if you don't get this passage - 36:28 verse 20- you can think that somehow God was joining Balaam 36:31 in his rebellion. "The Lord said: 'Now Balaam 36:33 don't go. But unless they come and call you... 36:35 Don't go unless they come and call you. ' " 36:38 It's like a parent saying to a child: "Now you know 36:40 you shouldn't be going with your friends... 36:42 but if they call, you go. " 36:45 Like saying: "You want to go? Go. 36:47 But don't go unless they call you. Go. 36:49 But you shouldn't be going... but go. 36:52 If they call, you go. " 36:53 So God is testing Balaam to see whether or not 36:56 he's more willing to obey God than to give in to the price 36:59 that Balak has set. So what did Balaam do? 37:02 When morning came Balaam didn't tell them at all 37:05 about the conversation that he had with God. 37:07 He got up in the morning... Look at verse 21: 37:09 "So Balaam rose in the morning... " 37:11 And the phrase in the morning means he rose early. 37:14 He got up really early. You know why? 37:16 Because he saw dollar signs. 37:19 "He got up really early, saddled his donkey, 37:23 and went with the princes of Moab. " 37:28 Now I don't know about you but I could imagine 37:30 while he's traveling in his head he could hear God talking. 37:33 Have you ever been in your way to sin and you can still hear 37:35 God's voice in your head? 37:37 Anybody? 37:38 Here you are in the club, music is kicking, 37:41 and you say: "Man, Dwight, I shouldn't be here 37:43 but this is really cool. You know, this is hip. " 37:45 One Friday night I was disc jockeying at the 37:47 World Trade Center... the old World Trade Center. 37:49 Obviously not in the new ones yet because they're not 37:51 completed. I was on the 44th floor, Cherie, 37:53 and on the Windows of the World disc jockeying 2 turntables, 37:58 mixing back and forth and partying hard. 38:00 The atmosphere was hot; the atmosphere was good. 38:03 I mean I was into it. 38:05 And my girlfriend shows up. Angie, the woman I married. 38:09 And there she is at the counter saying: "You know 38:11 you shouldn't be here... it's the Sabbath. " 38:14 And I'm thinking... you know, 38:16 "I'll be at church tomorrow. Would you just leave? 38:19 I'll be at church tomorrow. Would you just LEAVE! " 38:23 And she's there rebuking me with all get out. 38:25 And I'm: "How'd you find out where I was? " 38:27 I learned... I learned as a married man 38:30 your wife will always find out where you are. 38:35 Women have something that men don't possess. 38:38 A woman could be in the next room and her husband 38:40 can't find her. "Honey, where are you? " 38:42 But her husband could be in Saudi Arabia on the 14th floor 38:45 in room 1406 and she'll show up in two minutes. 38:48 "What are you doing here? " 38:50 So Balaam's on his way 38:52 with the princes of Moab and he could hear in his head... 38:55 And when she left I remember telling her 38:58 "Just leave... just leave. " And I remember her leaving 39:00 and when I was shooing her out 39:03 one of my speakers began to smoke. 39:05 And I thought: "Boy, God could have burned this thing down. " 39:08 You know what? I didn't get it then. 39:10 I got this just about a year ago. 39:12 It dawned on me when I told that story 39:14 I remembered that night. 39:16 I had to open up the back of the speakers. 39:18 And if you're electronic at all, you understand this 39:20 terminology. I had to bypass the crossover - 39:24 that limited the pressure on the speaker itself - 39:27 because the crossover began to smoke. 39:30 And I didn't think about it until I told this story 39:32 about a year and a half ago and God was saying to me: 39:34 "See, I could have burned that speaker down. " 39:38 But God sometimes allows us to move forward 39:40 in our own rebellion 39:42 to realize that the road we choose is never as blessed 39:44 as the road that God chooses. 39:46 So here it is. Balaam now, he gets in his Maserati. 39:49 His Maserati is called a donkey by the way. 39:53 And he is following the princes of Moab 39:55 and the most ridiculous thing begins to happen. 39:57 You see the story begin to unfold. 39:58 I'll just give it to you in nutshells. 40:00 In verse 23 the donkey sees the Lord and runs into a field. 40:04 And what is Balaam's response? He hits the donkey. 40:07 He kicks the car. He bangs the dashboard. 40:11 Then the donkey again crushes Balaam's foot 40:14 against a wall. What's Balaam's response? 40:16 He hits the donkey. He gets upset 40:18 and shakes the steering wheel. 40:20 And the third attempt: the donkey sees the Lord 40:22 and lies down under Balaam. And what does Balaam do? 40:26 He hits the donkey and gets upset 40:29 and throws a tantrum. 40:30 And he doesn't realize that after 3 mysterious encounters 40:33 it should dawn on the sensible mind that these events 40:36 are not coincidental. 40:42 William Cowper said: "God moves in mysterious ways. " 40:46 You know, sometimes our plans fail because God is trying to 40:49 spare us from that which is not for our good. 40:52 Sometimes God allows us to get injured to prevent 40:54 the greater evil. Sometimes God causes the engine to die 41:00 to prevent a fatal accident. 41:01 Sometimes God allows the plane not to move. 41:03 I was in the Marion airport I think it was last year 41:05 or maybe year before last and I was supposed to be in Miami, 41:09 Florida, to preach for a men's ministries weekend 41:12 and I scheduled to fly out of Marion 41:16 because I was kind of tired of driving back and forth 41:18 to St. Louis. It's a long drive. 41:21 And so I decided to go ahead and take the plane out of Marion. 41:23 And I got on the plane... 41:24 And I wasn't crazy about that plane. When I saw it 41:26 in front of the terminal I thought: "Man, this is a 41:28 little plane. I don't fly in planes like this often. " 41:31 And I got in the seat... My wife and I prayed 41:34 before I got on the plane. And my wife prayed this prayer: 41:37 "Lord if it's not Your intention for John to be on this plane 41:43 don't let the plane go anywhere. " 41:45 Well now what even made it more scary was 41:49 I was in the co-pilot's seat. 41:51 You've got to understand how things happen in the Midwest. 41:54 I was in... The pilot said: "Come on up front 41:57 and sit with me. " And I'm thinking: 41:59 "How do they know I'm not a terrorist? " 42:01 I'm in the right seat and the pilot in the left. 42:04 He starts up the plane 42:07 and opens the window. Checks all the - you know - the 42:11 whatever they call that... the list that you go through. 42:14 Pre-flight checklist. 42:16 And then he reaches down and releases the brake 42:19 and then "roarrrr" throttles up... 42:22 and the plane doesn't move. 42:24 And he looks at me and kind of like was embarrassing. 42:27 "Don't worry, I got it. " And he reaches down again 42:29 and this time he pulls really hard. 42:33 The plane doesn't move. 42:35 And he does it a third time and a fourth time. 42:38 And then it really gets embarrassing. 42:39 And he says to the passengers: "We have a just slight problem. 42:43 Just get off the plane. We'll check it out and 42:45 you can get back on board. " Well I want to tell you this: 42:47 God did not allow those brakes to be released 42:49 because He answered my wife's prayer. 42:51 Amen somebody? He knew something that we didn't know. 42:54 My wife prayed. She said: "You know, when I was driving 42:57 away from the terminal I prayed that prayer again. " 42:59 "Lord, if You don't want John to be on this plane 43:02 don't allow that plane to go anywhere. " 43:04 I want to tell you this story: when I got off the plane 43:06 and decided "Well you know what? 43:08 I'm just going to go ahead and drive to St. Louis 43:10 and I'll leave the next day. " 43:12 You know, when I got off the plane and left the airport 43:15 then the plane left. 43:17 It was not God's intention for me to be on that plane 43:22 because God knew for whatever reason 43:24 the devil probably thought that "I can bring this down. 43:27 I just need to get John in that seat. 43:29 I need to be in a situation... " 43:31 And the weather wasn't that great and I'm crazy about 43:33 weather anyway. And so I was so glad that God 43:35 decided to block. You see, some- times God blocks our intention 43:39 for our greatest blessing... 43:42 because the only thing worse than disappointment 43:44 is destruction. 43:45 So here is Balaam on his way now. 43:47 And when you read verses 20 to 30 43:49 or 28 to 30, this is where I decided I could have 43:53 named the sermon Dumb and Dumber. 43:55 Because it goes from the mysterious to the ridiculous. 43:59 Because this is where now the donkey doesn't just act 44:02 but the donkey does what donkeys don't do: 44:05 he begins to talk. 44:08 Here it is. I'm not going to read it, I'm just going to 44:10 break it down. The donkey talks to Balaam. 44:12 That's ridiculous, isn't it? 44:14 But even more ridiculous Balaam talks back. 44:18 It never dawns on this idiot 44:20 that there are no other reports of talking animals 44:23 in the community. The donkey talks to Balaam. 44:26 Balaam talks back. 44:28 Then the dumb speaks to the dumber. 44:33 The dumb animal speaks to a dumber prophet. 44:37 They are full swing in a conversation 44:40 and it doesn't dawn on Balaam that he's in a situation 44:42 that has never been documented before. 44:44 Conversation... God's prophet has a conversation 44:48 with a dumb animal. 44:50 Who's dumber is the question. 44:52 You know, I've talked to animals before and some of you have - 44:54 you've talked to your cats and dogs - 44:55 but I have never had an animal talk back to me. 44:57 Anybody else? It doesn't dawn on Balaam 45:00 until his eyes are opened that he realized that he was 45:04 resisting the attempts of God. And Balaam finally saw 45:07 that no one could be blamed for his troubles but himself. 45:11 He finally sees that where he is and where he is intended to be 45:13 is where God never intended for him to be. 45:17 The man with two gods. Caught between the God 45:19 that called him and the god that he's pursuing. 45:21 The god of money and the God of heaven. 45:24 Caught between two gods. 45:25 And you know if you look at the story of salvation 45:27 that's exactly what the story of salvation often is. 45:29 When you look at the rich young ruler... 45:31 The Lord said to the rich young ruler: "There's only 45:32 one thing you lack. " And most of us 45:35 in our journey to salvation 45:38 are battling day in and day out with one god or the other. 45:41 Am I telling the truth? Yes. 45:44 In every one of us there's a Balaam. 45:47 One god or the other. 45:50 But as I wind up, the question is: "How can we tell 45:53 that Balaam was torn between two gods? " 45:55 Point one... you want to get this: 45:58 God allowed Balaam to follow his own course 46:01 because Balaam was determined. 46:04 Evidence that we are caught between two gods: 46:07 when we determine to follow our own course 46:10 no matter what God's Word says 46:12 we are torn between two gods. 46:15 When I was a disc jockey I remember that very well. 46:18 I had gone to a church once and I might just tell you. 46:21 I was a young man... I was in my teenage years 46:23 and I went to a church because I figured if I could 46:25 find a church that would still allow me to be a disc jockey 46:28 I'd join that church. 46:30 And so I went to a Nazarene church, and I remember very well 46:32 I went and I asked the Nazarene pastor 46:35 you know to tell me about the Sabbath. And as a teenager 46:37 he invited me to stand up out of my seat, 46:39 walked me through the halls up the steps 46:41 across the hallway down the steps and he told me 46:44 never to come back to his church again. 46:46 And I went to a Catholic priest... 46:48 And so I went to a Pentecostal preacher and asked him 46:50 the same question, and he sat me in his office and left me 46:53 sitting there for more than two hours. 46:55 Then I went to a Catholic priest and he was the only one 46:57 that told me the truth. And I was trying to find a place 46:59 to worship where I could still belong to the world. 47:02 But God did not allow me to be caught between two gods. 47:06 Balaam was caught between two gods. 47:08 Whenever we are determined to follow our own course 47:10 no matter what God's Word says, we are caught between 47:13 two gods. That's point number one. 47:15 The second point: Balaam made his own decision 47:19 but he sought God's approval. 47:22 Don't miss that one. 47:23 When we make sinful decisions and claim divine approval 47:28 we are torn between two gods. 47:30 Now get this: because God allows it 47:33 does not mean that God sanctions it. 47:35 There are some people that say: "Well if God didn't want me 47:37 to smoke He wouldn't make tobacco. " 47:42 "If God didn't want us to drink beer He wouldn't make barley. " 47:47 God allows us to use what is for our good 47:51 sometimes to our destruction. 47:53 Because God allows it doesn't mean that God sanctions it. 47:56 There are those people that would date other people 47:58 that are not in the faith and that person will be 48:00 leading them down a path. And you know they'll think 48:02 in all their mind they think "Well I could convert that 48:04 individual. Give me time... I'll change their heart. " 48:06 But if you don't like the person the way they are when you 48:08 find them, chances are they're going to be that way 48:10 for a long time. 48:13 He made his own decisions but he sought God's approval. 48:16 There are those people that look in the Bible 48:17 and I don't want to harp on anything... but there are 48:20 those individuals that are searching the Bible nowadays 48:22 in the Adventist church trying to find scriptures to support 48:25 wearing tiny earrings. 48:27 Tell me "duck. " All right? 48:29 Before you throw something tell me when to duck. 48:32 There are those... I kid you not... 48:36 Something's got to be wrong when you have a movie entitled 48:38 "Seventh-gay Adventists. " 48:41 Something's got to be wrong to think that you can be gay 48:43 exercising, living that lifestyle 48:46 and still be a practicing Seventh-day Adventist Christian. 48:49 Something's wrong. Somebody's got to be making 48:51 their own decision but looking for divine approval somewhere. 48:57 The third evidence that you are caught between two gods 49:00 is Balaam's desires and inclinations were more important 49:04 than God's Word. Have you noticed over and over 49:07 something I keep repeating? God's Word. 49:09 I believe that God's Word is a reliable book. Amen. 49:13 If we simply read God's Word, 49:15 we'll never have to ask questions about whether or not 49:18 we should or should not. I remember Elder C. D. Brooks 49:20 said: "If you've gotta ask a question, that means 49:22 you're not converted. " Some people say: 49:24 "Now what's wrong with dancing? " 49:27 He says: "When you are converted you won't ask those questions. " 49:30 "Now what's wrong with this or what's wrong? " 49:32 Whenever we are reading the Word of God, we'll have 49:34 less questions about "What's wrong with... " 49:38 and more desire to support what God's Word says 49:41 is right with it. Amen. Amen? 49:44 The other thing is: 49:48 Balaam spoke as though God did not choose him. 49:51 He was a prophet. 49:52 Today there are so many that have chosen 49:54 to lead that speak as though they are not chosen. 50:01 One of the reasons I'm keeping my eyes on the Lord is 50:04 because the church right now is going through a lot of 50:05 struggles, a lot of battles, a lot of issues. 50:08 I'm not going to get caught up in the struggles and the 50:10 battles and the issues. Anybody else? 50:12 Amen! Because if you get caught in one camp or the other 50:15 you know right now one of the hotbed issues 50:16 is whether or not to ordain or not to ordain. 50:19 Let me put it this way: 50:22 if you've got a mouth, you ought to open your mouth 50:26 and use it to proclaim the ministry of God. 50:28 What do you say? Now whether God chooses to 50:30 ordain Cherie Peters or not He still uses her 50:34 to proclaim the good news of His salvation. What do you say? 50:37 Amen! So I'm not going to get caught up in that camp. 50:42 I was looking recently on the Internet 50:46 and sometimes you've got to be careful where you look 50:48 on the Internet. Am I right? Amen. 50:51 You know, some people spend time on Facebook and fail to 50:54 realize that one day we're going to have to face the Book. 50:56 And then we get all these friends that connect to our 50:59 Facebook page. And I tell you what: 51:01 if you look at the friends that you have sometimes 51:03 they can get you more discouraged than if you spend 51:05 more time looking at the Word of God. Amen. 51:08 And then friends write e-mails. 51:09 And then there are those who are spending their time 51:12 searching out whether or not another person is living right, 51:14 another person is doing what they should do. 51:15 Brothers and sisters, I don't have time for that. 51:17 I've got to study God's Word and determine whether or not 51:20 I'm doing what God has called me to do 51:22 rather than becoming a police in somebody else's life. Amen! 51:26 Balaam spent more of his time determining his own course, 51:29 his own way, his own ideas, his own ideology. 51:32 And for many years that's the camp that I was in... 51:35 caught between two gods. 51:37 A room filled with records, a room filled with albums, 51:40 a room filled with pool sticks and boom boxes 51:43 and living my life on a different road all together. 51:46 Not really concerned about whether or not I was living 51:49 to the pleasing call of God on my life. 51:51 And there even are some times... and I want to confess... 51:54 there are even some times when we would sit down 51:57 and look at the things that the world has to offer. 51:58 I've told you this story. 52:00 We sometimes look at the things that the world offers 52:02 and we think: "Now you know, if I go out there, maybe I could 52:04 be a lot better off financially. " 52:06 But finances is not the best blessing 52:08 because you cannot buy your way to the kingdom. Amen. 52:11 You've got to serve God because what God has in store for us 52:14 is far greater than anything that money can buy. 52:18 Sometimes I'd sit down and look up at the stars 52:22 and I'm one of those guys that likes astronomy. 52:25 I'm one of those guys that likes to look up at the stars 52:27 and sometimes go beyond the things that I have 52:29 and look at what God has in store. 52:31 And there are some nights that I look at the stars 52:33 and I say: "If God can create that 52:34 I can only imagine what God has in store for me. " 52:39 And then I'll look at the things of the earth 52:41 and then that song all of a sudden comes into my mind 52:43 "And the things of earth will grow strangely dim 52:46 in the light of His glory and grace. " 52:49 Let me encourage you: the blessings that God has in store 52:52 for us are far greater than any blessing that we can ever 52:56 experience on this tiny little speck called planet earth. 53:02 Amen. 53:03 My wife and I have decided 53:05 that come what may we're going to make up our minds 53:07 and that's why we study our Bibles. 53:09 That's why we read our Bibles. 53:11 You know, we have to always be continuing to filter 53:14 our lives and filter the things that come into our home. 53:17 I remember that we... just a few weeks ago 53:19 turned on our television. And we have DISH Network 53:23 and we were thumbing through the channels 53:24 and we noticed that we didn't order this; 53:27 all of a sudden HBO showed up. 53:29 I said: "HBO? Doesn't that stand for Hell's Box Office? " 53:34 And then... And then I said: "HBO? We've got HBO. " 53:39 And then we kept going further. "Cinemax. 53:41 Isn't that Sin to the Max? " 53:43 I'm thinking: "Why is that in our house? " 53:46 We've got to filter our lives because no matter how long 53:50 we are Christians sometimes Satan chooses the timing 53:54 to re-insert himself into our lives. Amen? 53:57 So we've got to always filter our lives. 53:58 Don't be like Balaam thinking that" Hey, maybe there's 54:00 something in it. " Because as long as you stand 54:02 in front of sin and compromise with sin 54:06 you'll discover that there's always a price 54:08 to going in the wrong direction. 54:11 The fourth evidence that you're caught between two gods - 54:14 and this one to me is the most powerful one - 54:15 Balaam prayed for answers that he already knew 54:20 what the answers would be. 54:22 You know sometimes we pray: "Lord, I need this job. " 54:24 And God... They get up off their knees and then somebody calls 54:27 them to work on Sabbath and they come and say: 54:30 "Pastor, I got a job! " "Well where'd you get a job? " 54:33 "I'll be back to prayer meeting but I'll be working on Sabbath 54:35 from now on. And I'll be back. I haven't forgotten the church. " 54:38 God does not answer that kind of prayer. What do you say? 54:41 Amen! So when you pray for an answer opposite to what 54:44 God's Word already supports 54:46 you are caught between two gods. 54:50 You've got to be familiar with what God's Word says 54:53 before you ask God 54:56 to decide to join you in your rebellious thought, 54:59 in your journey, in your decision to follow 55:02 the wrong course. And so the question is: 55:05 which one was torn between two gods? 55:08 An obedient donkey or a disobedient prophet? 55:12 Which one was torn between two gods? 55:15 A donkey that sat when God said "sit" 55:18 or a prophet that refused to stand when God said "stand? " 55:23 Which one was torn between two gods? 55:28 A donkey that stopped when man said "go" 55:32 or a man that kept going when God said to stop? 55:37 Which one was torn between two gods? 55:40 At the border of the Promised Land 55:42 Balaam was torn between two gods. 55:46 Church: once again we are at the border of the Promised Land 55:50 and this is too late of an hour 55:52 for us to be battling between two gods. 55:54 So you've got to examine your life. 55:56 Camp Meeting is the place where we challenge you 55:58 to go back and examine the kind of life you live. 56:00 To see whether or not there are any gods in your life 56:03 that you are choosing through. 56:04 There are some Monday to Friday gods. 56:07 Then there are Sabbath gods. 56:09 And so we live one way during the week 56:10 and come to church on Sabbath. And the reason why 56:12 we're so off and not able to get anything from the message 56:15 is because we spend so much time in that god's camp 56:18 that this God's camp doesn't even measure 56:20 when we come to church. Which god are you torn between? 56:24 The god of music and of fashion? 56:27 The god of entertainment? 56:28 The god of prestige and fame and notoriety? 56:31 Which god are we still torn between? 56:35 Don't forget the words of Moses and he said: 56:38 "And now Israel, what does your Lord God require of you 56:42 but to fear the Lord your God? 56:43 To walk in all His ways and to love Him. 56:46 To serve the Lord your God with all your heart 56:50 and with all your soul. " 56:53 I don't want to be caught between two gods. 56:55 I want to serve God and Him alone. What do you say? 56:57 Amen! Those of you who are watching and listening to the 56:59 program, the hour is too late. 57:02 What other god may be in your home that's taking your 57:04 allegiance from God, let us cast off that god 57:08 and put on the armor of light. 57:10 Let's make our decision to serve God and Him alone. 57:12 For when He comes I want to meet my God 57:15 in peace... my God in obedience. |
Revised 2014-12-17