Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: CSH
Program Code: CSH021328
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00:01 (MUSIC)
00:46 >>WELCOME TO SACRAMENTO CENTRAL SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. 00:50 WE'RE SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE TUNING IN. WHETHER THIS IS YOUR 00:53 FIRST TIME OR YOU TUNE IN EVERY WEEK IT DOESN'T MATTER. 00:56 WE'RE JUST GLAD THAT YOU ARE READY TO SING SOME SONGS WITH US 01:00 HERE AT SACRAMENTO CENTRAL SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH AND 01:04 IT'S EXCITING THAT WE GET SO MANY REQUESTS. 01:08 TODAY IS NO EXCEPTION. 01:10 WE'RE SINGING A FAVORITE AROUND THE PLANET SO PULL OUT YOUR 01:14 HYMNALS, IF YOU HAVE THOSE AT HOME, AND SING ALONG WITH US. 01:18 OUR FIRST REQUEST IS 'IN THE GARDEN' - #487 - AND SOME OF THE 01:25 PEOPLE THAT REQUESTED THIS SONG ARE KENYON, FELICIA, LINSAY, 01:29 CATHY, MAX, KEVIN, MEGAN, ILSE, AND KAREN IN AUSTRALIA. 01:34 WE HAVE A LOT OF VIEWERS IN AUSTRALIA. JIM, CHRIS AND TIM IN 01:37 CALIFORNIA, CAMILO IN COLOMBIA, BETINA IN DENMARK, KADIQUE AND 01:44 KAMISHA IN JAMAICA, MELVIN IN JAPAN, MAISIE AND KARL IN 01:48 MAURITIUS, CLINTON IN NICARAGUA, JOEL AND EVA IN NORWAY, RIMO AND 01:56 KADIANNA IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND JIM AND CHET IN WASHINGTON. 02:01 THERE WERE SO MANY MORE - I'M SORRY IF I DIDN'T READ YOUR NAME 02:04 BUT WE'RE GOING TO SING YOUR FAVORITE SONG. 02:06 #487 - AND WE'RE GOING TO DO ALL THREE STANZAS - 'IN THE GARDEN'. 02:11 (MUSIC) 05:30 >>I LOVE IT WHEN HANDERSON IS HERE BECAUSE HE PUTS SOME UMPH 05:34 INTO THOSE SONGS AND THAT'S A GOOD ONE. USUALLY YOU HEAR 05:37 THAT ONE AND YOU FEEL LIKE GOING TO SLEEP BUT THAT WAS WONDERFUL. 05:41 THANK YOU. IF YOU HAVE A FAVORITE REQUEST THAT YOU WOULD 05:46 LIKE TO SING WITH US ON AN UPCOMING PROGRAM, 05:49 IT'S SUPER SIMPLE. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GO TO OUR 05:52 WEBSITE AT 'SACCENTRAL.ORG', CLICK ON THE 'CONTACT US' LINK 05:56 AND YOU CAN SEND IN ANY REQUEST FROM THE ADVENTIST HYMNAL AND WE 06:00 WILL DO OUR BEST TO SING THAT FOR YOU. 06:04 AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK OUR WAY THROUGH THE HYMNAL 06:07 SINGING EVERY SONG THAT I DON'T KNOW AND TODAY IS NO EXCEPTION 06:12 BECAUSE NOBODY HERE HAD HEARD THIS SONG WHEN WE RAN THROUGH IT 06:17 BUT NOW EVERYBODY HERE KNOWS IT AND WE'RE ALL READY TO TEACH IT 06:21 TO YOU - AND THAT IS #60 - 'BLESSED JESUS AT THY WORD'. 06:27 IT'S ACTUALLY A VERY SIMPLE TUNE. 06:28 IT'S VERY PRETTY AND I AM ENJOYING THIS AND WE'RE HEARING 06:32 FROM MANY OF YOU THAT YOU ARE LIKING THIS AS WELL - LEARNING 06:36 THESE NEW SONGS THAT YOU'VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE. 06:40 THEY'RE IN HERE, WE MIGHT AS WELL LEARN THEM AND SING THEM 06:42 SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. 06:43 #60 - AND THIS IS FROM JOYCE IN NAIROBI, KENYA, JAMIE, JENNY, 06:48 JARED, VERN AND SANDIE IN NORTH CAROLINA. 06:51 AND WE'RE GOING TO SING ALL THREE STANZAS OF #60. 06:54 (MUSIC) 09:06 >>WASN'T THAT PRETTY? I'M GLAD TWO OF YOU KNEW THIS - 09:10 OR ACTUALLY MORE OF YOU - AND YOU WROTE IN WITH THAT ONE. 09:14 AND NEXT WEEK WE WILL CONTINUE SO YOU CAN START LEARNING THEM 09:16 AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. #61 IS NEXT WEEK'S SONG. 09:22 AT THIS TIME LET'S BOW OUR HEADS FOR PRAYER. 09:26 FATHER IN HEAVEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 09:28 WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR AND TO PRAISE YOU FOR AND WE 09:33 JUST THANK YOU FOR BRINGING US HERE TODAY, FOR GIVING US LIFE 09:39 AND HEALTH AND STRENGTH. THERE ARE MANY THAT DON'T HAVE 09:42 THAT AND I PRAY THAT YOU WILL BE WITH THEM AND HELP THEM TO SENSE 09:48 YOUR SPIRIT AND YOUR PRESENCE WITH THEM TODAY. 09:52 BE WITH OUR SPEAKER AS HE BRINGS US THE LESSON STUDY AND WE JUST 09:55 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BLESSING US WITH THE SABBATH. 09:58 IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. AT THIS TIME OUR LESSON STUDY IS 10:04 GOING TO BE BROUGHT TO US BY PASTOR HAROLD WHITE. 10:07 HE IS OUR ADMINISTRATIVE PASTOR HERE AT SACRAMENTO CENTRAL 10:10 SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH. >>THANK YOU DEBBIE AND MUSICIANS 10:17 AND GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE 10:22 JOINING US BY LIVE STREAMING AND SATELLITE, RADIO - 10:27 WHEREVER YOU'RE JOINING US TODAY. WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU'RE 10:29 ALL WITH US. WE HAVE A FREE OFFER TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION 10:33 THIS MORNING AND IT'S ENTITLED 'TEACH US TO PRAY' 10:36 BY NONE OTHER THAN DOUG BATCHELOR. 10:38 IT'S OFFER #717 AND YOU CAN GO TO - CALL 1-866-STUDY-MORE OR 10:46 1-866-788-3966 AND THIS LITTLE BOOKLET WILL TEACH YOU A LOT 10:55 ABOUT PRAYER - WHAT IS THE RIGHT SPIRIT TO HAVE WHEN WE PRAY, 10:58 UNDERSTAND WHAT TO AVOID WHEN PRAYING - THINGS LIKE THAT. 11:02 YOU'LL WANT TO GET THIS LITTLE BOOKLET FOR FURTHER STUDY 11:06 BECAUSE THAT'S OUR SUBJECT THIS MORNING. 11:08 WE'RE ON THE LESSON QUARTERLY 'REVIVAL AND REFORMATION' 11:11 FOR THIS QUARTER. WE'RE IN THE SECOND LESSON TODAY. 11:14 'REVIVAL AND REFORMATION' - THERE WAS A SONG OF YESTERYEAR - 11:18 BEFORE MY TIME. I THINK IT WAS LIKE - PEOPLE 11:20 LIKE FRANK SINATRA AND THOSE SANG THIS SONG. 11:24 IT WENT SOMETHING LIKE, LOVE AND MARRIAGE, LOVE AND MARRIAGE, GO 11:29 TOGETHER LIKE A HORSE AND CARRIAGE, YOU CAN'T HAVE ONE 11:32 WITHOUT THE OTHER. WELL, IT'S THE SAME THING WITH 11:35 REVIVAL AND REFORMATION. REVIVAL AND REFORMATION GO 11:38 TOGETHER LIKE A HORSE AND CARRIAGE. YOU CAN'T HAVE ONE, 11:41 IF IT'S GENUINE, WITHOUT HAVING THE OTHER ONE. 11:44 AND IF YOU HAVE REFORMATION THAT DOESN'T LEAD TO GENUINE REVIVAL, 11:50 IT TENDS TO GO IN THE DIRECTION OF DOGMATIC LEGALISM. 11:54 THAT'S - THAT DOESN'T SOUND GOOD. 11:56 AND REVIVAL THAT DOESN'T LEAD TO GENUINE REFORMATION TENDS TO BE 12:01 - TENDS TO LEAD TO KIND OF A LIBERAL EMOTIONALISM AND THAT'S 12:06 NOT GOOD EITHER. SO WE WANT TO AVOID THINGS 12:11 LIKE THAT. WE NEED REVIVAL AND REFORMATION. 12:16 #2 ENTITLED 'PRAYER, THE HEARTBEAT OF REVIVAL'. 12:22 IF YOU WOULD TAKE YOUR LESSON QUARTERLIES AND READ ALONG WITH 12:25 ME - MATTHEW 7:11 - FROM THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION, I WOULD 12:29 APPRECIATE YOUR HELP. "IF YOU THEN, BEING EVIL, KNOW 12:35 HOW TO GIVE GOOD GIFTS TO YOUR CHILDREN, HOW MUCH MORE WILL 12:39 YOUR FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN GIVE GOOD THINGS TO THOSE WHO 12:43 ASK HIM!" THAT'S GOOD, ISN'T IT? 'THE HEARTBEAT OF REVIVAL.' 12:49 THAT'S THE TITLE - 'THE HEARTBEAT OF REVIVAL'. 12:52 ANOTHER PLACE WE HAVE THE TERMINOLOGY FOR PRAYER THAT 12:56 SAYS, 'PRAYER IS THE KEY THAT UNLOCKS THE STOREHOUSE OF 13:00 HEAVEN.' HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THAT? 13:02 'PRAYER IS THE KEY THAT UNLOCKS THE STOREHOUSE OF HEAVEN.' 13:06 IF SOMEBODY HANDED YOU A KEY AND SAID, 'THIS IS TO THE BUILDING 13:08 DOWN AT 2513 MAIN STREET AND YOU HAVE FULL ACCESS TO THAT 13:16 BUILDING AND YOU CAN GO THERE ONCE A WEEK OR FIVE TIMES A WEEK 13:20 OR HOWEVER MANY TIMES YOU WANT TO AND ANYTHING IN THAT HOUSE IS 13:23 ALL YOURS. ONE ROOM IS FILLED WITH GOLD 13:26 BARS, ANOTHER ROOM IS FILLED WITH DIAMONDS, ANOTHER ROOM IS 13:29 FILLED WITH RUBIES, ANOTHER SAPPHIRES, ANOTHER ROOM IS - ALL 13:33 THE WALLS ARE DECKED OUT WITH SOME OF THE MOST FAMOUS AND 13:37 RITZY PAINTINGS BY THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS ARTISTS.' 13:43 AND YOU SAY, 'NO THANK YOU. I DON'T WANT THAT KEY.' 13:47 PEOPLE WOULD THINK YOU'RE NUTS, RIGHT? 13:49 WELL, THAT'S REALLY A FAINT PICTURE OF WHAT GOD HAS FOR US 13:55 AND IT REALLY COMES THROUGH PRAYER. 13:58 IF IT IS THE KEY THAT UNLOCKS THE STOREHOUSE OF HEAVEN, WE 14:01 SHOULD BE ANXIOUS TO LEARN ALL WE CAN ABOUT PRAYER. 14:06 THE OPENING PAGE BRINGS TO OUR MIND MANY PROPHETS AND 14:11 PATRIARCHS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND HOW PRAYER WAS SO IMPORTANT 14:16 TO THEM AND SOME OF THE AMAZING THINGS THAT HAPPENED BECAUSE 14:20 THEY WERE PRAYING MEN AND WOMEN. THEN, OF COURSE, IT GOES TO THE 14:24 NEW TESTAMENT AND HOW THE BOOK OF ACTS REVEALS AN OUTPOURING OF 14:28 GOD'S SPIRIT IN RESPONSE TO THEIR PRAYERS. 14:33 NOW, WITH ALL THESE EXAMPLES BEFORE US, ISN'T IT AMAZING 14:38 THAT WE DO NOT PRAY MORE? WELL, SOME OF YOU MIGHT SAY, 14:42 'WELL, I DO PRAY A LOT.' NOW, YOU DON'T NEED TO GIVE ME A 14:46 SHOW OF HANDS BUT I - IF I ASK THE QUESTION, 'HOW MANY OF YOU 14:50 PEOPLE - HOW MANY OF US HERE THIS MORNING - THINK YOU PRAY 14:55 ENOUGH?' PROBABLY NOT A LOT OF HANDS 14:59 WOULD GO UP. I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE HANDS - THAT 15:02 WOULD BE GOOD. IF I ASKED HOW MANY OF YOU THINK 15:05 YOU PRAY TOO MUCH, PROBABLY NOBODY WOULD RAISE THEIR HANDS. 15:09 IF I ASKED HOW MANY OF YOU THINK YOU DON'T PRAY ENOUGH, PROBABLY 15:12 A LOT OF HANDS WOULD GO UP. WHY DON'T WE PRAY? 15:16 IF IT IS THE KEY THAT OPENS THE STOREHOUSES OF HEAVENS, 15:18 WHY DON'T WE PRAY? 15:20 WELL, LET'S TRY TO ANSWER SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS THIS MORNING. 15:24 THE MEMORY TEXT IS CERTAINLY MUCH FOOD FOR THOUGHT IN REGARDS 15:27 TO PRAYER AS IT TALKS ABOUT WE HUMANS WHO ARE EVIL AND YET WE 15:32 KNOW HOW TO GIVE GOOD GIFTS TO OUR CHILDREN, THINK OF HOW GOD, 15:35 WHO ISN'T EVIL, LONGS TO GIVE US GOOD GIFTS. 15:40 BUT SOME OF YOU MAY BE THINKING, 'I DO ASK. 15:43 I ASK AND I ASK AND I ASK AND I DON'T GET WHAT I'M ASKING FOR.' 15:47 WELL, THERE MAY BE DIFFERENT REASONS FOR THAT AND WE WILL NO 15:52 DOUBT GET INTO SOME OF THEM THIS MORNING. 15:55 THIS LITTLE BOOKLET, I'M SURE, ALSO ANSWERS THINGS LIKE THAT. 15:59 BECAUSE I BELIEVE GOD'S WORD AND I BELIEVE HE WANTS TO GIVE US 16:02 GOOD THINGS. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT? 16:04 NOW AS WE MOVE TO SUNDAY'S LESSON, I BELIEVE IT IS A 16:06 WONDERFUL PLACE TO BEGIN FOR IT IS ENTITLED, 16:09 'PRAYER AND REVIVAL IN ACTS'. THE BOOK OF ACTS. 16:14 I'VE ALWAYS SAID WE COULD WRITE OUR OWN BOOK OF ACTS HERE AT 16:18 CENTRAL BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF WONDERFUL THINGS HAPPENING 16:20 RIGHT HERE. THE BOOK OF ACTS WAS ALL ABOUT 16:23 THE EARLY CHURCH. NO, WE COULDN'T SAY THAT WE 16:26 BAPTIZED THREE THOUSAND IN A DAY SO THERE'S A LITTLE DIFFERENCE. 16:31 AND THERE WAS AN AMAZING POURING OUT OF GOD'S SPIRIT BACK THEN 16:34 BUT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD, AS GLORIOUS AS THAT WAS, THE FINAL 16:40 OUTPOURING OF GOD'S SPIRIT WILL EVEN BE WHAT? 16:43 MORE GLORIOUS - EVEN GREATER. 16:46 WOW, WE SHOULD ALL BE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. 16:50 'ACTS OF THE APOSTLES' PAGE 55 SAYS, "NEAR THE CLOSE OF EARTH'S 16:54 HARVEST, A SPECIAL BESTOWAL OF SPIRITUAL GRACE IS PROMISED TO 16:59 PREPARE THE CHURCH FOR THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN. 17:02 NOW THE LESSON, IT POINTS OUT THAT IN ACTS 2, 3,000 PEOPLE 17:07 WERE ADDED TO THE CHURCH IN ONE DAY. 17:09 I WOULD LIKE TO ASK SOMEONE - I THINK THERE'S SOMEONE SITTING IN 17:12 OUR FRONT ROW WHO WANTS TO READ A TEXT THIS MORNING. 17:15 I THINK THAT'S YOU. YES, RIGHT? I HEARD THAT YOU DID. 17:18 WOULD YOU TURN TO ACTS 2, VERSE 1 - WE HAVE A MICROPHONE 17:22 SOMEPLACE - WHO HAS THE MICROPHONES? 17:24 OKAY, IF YOU COULD BRING THAT UP TO HER AND GIVE IT TO HER. 17:27 ACTS CHAPTER 2 - AND WHILE SHE'S LOOKING THAT UP, LET ME READ 17:30 ACTS 2:41 WHICH SAYS, "THEN THEY THAT GLADLY RECEIVED HIS WORD 17:35 WERE BAPTIZED: AND THE SAME DAY THERE WERE ADDED UNTO THEM ABOUT 17:39 THREE THOUSAND SOULS." SO THIS IS THE KIND OF THING 17:43 THAT WAS GOING ON IN THE EARLY CHURCH AND THAT'S WHY WE BEGIN 17:46 STUDYING IN THIS PART OF THE BIBLE. SO NOW WE'RE READY 17:50 FOR ACTS CHAPTER 2 AND VERSE 1. GO AHEAD. 17:54 >>"AND WHEN THE DAY OF PENTECOST WAS FULLY COME, THEY WERE ALL 17:59 WITH ONE ACCORD IN ONE PLACE." >>NOW A QUICK EXCERPT FROM 'ACTS 18:04 OF THE APOSTLES' AGAIN PAGE 36, "AS THE DISCIPLES WAITED FOR THE 18:08 FULFILLMENT OF THE PROMISE, THEY HUMBLED THEIR HEARTS IN TRUE 18:11 REPENTANCE AND CONFESSED THEIR UNBELIEF." 18:15 THEN IT SAYS, "THE DISCIPLES PRAYED WITH INTENSE EARNESTNESS 18:20 FOR A FITNESS TO MEET MEN AND, IN THEIR DAILY INTERCOURSE, TO 18:24 SPEAK WORDS THAT WOULD LEAD SINNERS TO CHRIST." 18:28 SO THESE EARLY PRAYER MEETINGS OF THE EARLY CHURCH WERE REALLY 18:33 QUITE UNIQUE COMPARED TO WHAT MAYBE WE MAY BE THINKING ABOUT - 18:36 SOME OF THE PRAYER MEETINGS OF OUR DAY. 18:38 THERE WAS AN EARNESTNESS TO PUT AWAY ALL SIN. 18:41 THAT WAS THE FIRST THING THEY PRAYED FOR. THE SECOND THING: 18:44 THAT GOD WOULD HELP THEM WITH HIS SPIRIT - GIVE THEM A FITNESS 18:48 TO TAKE THIS MESSAGE TO PEOPLE OUT THERE IN THEIR 18:51 EVERY DAY LIVING. SO THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE PRAYING FOR. 18:56 SOMETIMES I THINK WE PRAY FOR AN OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 18:59 AND THEN WE THINK, 'WELL, THAT MEANS THAT SOMEBODY'S GOING TO 19:02 FINISH THE WORK.' YOU KNOW, THE EVANGELISTS AND 19:05 THE PASTORS AND THE BIBLE WORKERS - WE PRAY FOR THE 19:08 OUTPOURING OF THE SPIRIT AND THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, 19:11 BUT WHEN WE PRAY FOR THE OUTPOURING OF THE SPIRIT, WE 19:14 NEED TO BE READY TO BE RECIPIENTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 19:18 AND THEN GOD LONGS TO USE US, DOESN'T HE? 19:21 THAT'S HOW THE WORK IS GOING TO BE FINISHED, BY GOD USING ALL OF 19:24 US TOGETHER. AFTER CHRIST WENT BACK TO HEAVEN 19:27 THEY OBEYED HIM AND GATHERED TOGETHER TO PRAY FOR THE HOLY 19:30 SPIRIT AS HE HAD PROMISED. IT SEEMS THAT THEY HAD JUST KIND 19:35 OF DROPPED EVERYTHING - ALL THAT THEY DID - THEY STOPPED EVEN 19:39 BEING INVOLVED IN WHAT THEIR LIVELIHOOD WAS ALL ABOUT. 19:43 NOW I SUSPECT THEY HAD THE IDEA THAT SINCE CHRIST DIED ON THE 19:48 CROSS - HE MADE THAT PERFECT SACRIFICE - SINCE HE AROSE FROM 19:51 THE GRAVE AND SINCE THEY SAW HIM GOING INTO HEAVEN, THEY PROBABLY 19:55 EXPECTED THAT JESUS WOULD COME BACK VERY SOON. 19:59 BECAUSE THINK ABOUT IT, THEY HAD BEEN WITH HIM EVERY DAY AND THEN 20:02 THEY SEE HIM TAKEN AWAY AND THEY BELIEVE NOW - REALLY BEGAN 20:06 BELIEVING HIS WORDS - THAT HE WOULD COME AGAIN AND THEY 20:09 THOUGHT, 'OH, OKAY, HE'LL BE COMING AGAIN VERY SOON.' 20:12 IT WASN'T UNTIL LATER - PROBABLY REALLY UNTIL PAUL - PAUL BEGAN 20:18 TO KIND OF GIVE US INSIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE BACK THEN - INSIGHTS 20:22 THAT IT WAS GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE LONGER THAN THEY 20:24 EXPECTED. EVEN THE MAN OF SIN MUST BE 20:26 REVEALED BEFORE JESUS COULD COME SO THERE WAS MUCH YET TO TAKE 20:30 PLACE. BUT THERE IS AN ELEMENT IN THIS 20:35 TIME PERIOD, AS THERE WAS AN ELEMENT IN THE BEGINNING OF OUR 20:38 CHURCH, THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUALLY REMIND OURSELVES 20:41 THEY BELIEVED IN THE IMMINENT RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST. 20:46 SHOULD WE BE BELIEVING IN THE IMMINENT RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST? 20:49 MORE SO THAN ANYONE HAS ON THE FACE OF THIS EARTH WE SHOULD BE 20:53 BELIEVING IT BECAUSE WE ARE VERY NEAR, ARE WE NOT? 20:56 I MEAN, WE MUST BELIEVE THAT. SO THAT SHOULD HELP US WITH OUR 21:01 PRAYER LIFE BECAUSE IF WE BELIEVE THAT WE CERTAINLY WOULD 21:04 SPEND MORE TIME IN PRAYER. YES THE WORLD IS DIFFERENT 21:07 TODAY. EVERYBODY IS WORKING HARD TO PUT 21:09 BREAD ON THEIR TABLE AND PAY THEIR MORTGAGE AND SO FORTH. 21:13 IT IS A DIFFERENT WORLD NO DOUBT. 21:17 SO I THOUGHT TO MYSELF ONE DAY IN A FORMER CHURCH, 'WELL, WHAT 21:26 I'M GOING TO DO - I'M GOING TO PUBLICIZE HAVING A PRAYER 21:30 MEETING DURING THE DAY.' NOW, I KNOW, EVERYBODY'S WORKING 21:32 AND THEY CAN'T COME BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF SENIOR CITIZENS IN THAT 21:36 PARTICULAR CHURCH AND THEY'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT WELL, THEY 21:39 CAN'T DO WHAT THEY USED TO. WELL, THEY WISH THEY COULD BE 21:41 MORE INVOLVED IN CHURCH THAN THEY USED TO - THEY USED TO BE 21:44 REALLY INVOLVED BUT NOW THEY CAN'T BE. 21:46 THEY CAN'T GO OUT TO PRAYER MEETING AT NIGHT BECAUSE THEY 21:47 DON'T DRIVE IN THE DARK AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 21:49 OKAY, SO I GAVE THEM PERFECT EXCUSE - NO EXCUSES - YOU CAN 21:52 COME TO PRAYER MEETING IN THE DAYTIME AND WE'LL JUST SPEND 21:55 MOST OF THIS TIME PRAYING. GUESS HOW MANY PEOPLE CAME? 22:00 MOST OF THE TIME ONE. ONE! 22:05 OH, I WAS SO DISAPPOINTED. I'D REALLY BUILT IT UP TOO. 22:09 I THOUGHT, 'WELL, THIS GIVES THEM A CHANCE.' 22:10 WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE FOR US TO PRAY? 22:14 WELL, PROBABLY A LITTLE PERSECUTION. 22:19 THE EARLY CHURCH HAD PERSECUTION, DIDN'T THEY? 22:23 EVEN OUR EARLY CHURCH HAD PERSECUTION BECAUSE A LOT OF 22:25 PEOPLE THOUGHT THEY WERE A BUNCH OF FANATICS. 22:28 SINCE JESUS DIDN'T COME IN 1844 YOU'RE A BUNCH OF KOOKS. 22:32 SO PERSECUTION WAS PRESENT BUT THEY WANTED THE WORK TO BE 22:38 FINISHED. THEY WANTED TO BE WITH CHRIST AGAIN. 22:42 THEY WANTED THAT MORE THAN ANYTHING. THINK ABOUT THAT. 22:45 THEY WANTED THAT MORE THAN ANYTHING. 22:47 CAN YOU SAY THAT YOU HAVE EVER BEEN IN THAT CONDITION? 22:50 WANTING JESUS TO COME MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD? 22:55 WOULDN'T THAT BE SOMETHING IF WE ALL HAD THAT FEELING? 22:58 I WANT JESUS TO COME MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD. 23:01 WHEW, WOULDN'T THAT TURN US UPSIDE DOWN IF WE REALLY 23:05 BELIEVED THAT? THE LESSON ASKS, 23:09 'ARE YOU TOO BUSY TO PRAY?' OH YES, WE'RE BUSY PEOPLE, BUT I 23:13 VENTURE TO GUESS NOBODY IN THIS SANCTUARY IS TOO BUSY TO PRAY 23:17 BECAUSE NOBODY IN THE SANCTUARY SEEMS TOO BUSY TO PLAY. 23:22 WE ALL HAVE TIME TO PLAY, DON'T WE? 23:25 JUST THINK, IF YOU HAD FOUR WORKING HOURS - FOUR WAKING 23:30 HOURS IN YOUR LIFE - AFTER YOU GOT DONE WITH YOUR WORK - AND 23:36 YOU JUST COMMITTED HALF OF THAT TO PRAYER, THINK OF WHAT WOULD 23:40 HAPPEN. EVEN IF YOU COMMITTED ONE-FOURTH 23:42 OF THAT TIME TO PRAYER, THINK OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. 23:46 WHEW, I BELIEVE WE WOULD UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THINGS 23:51 A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY. SO I DON'T THINK MOST OF US CAN 23:55 HONESTLY SAY THAT WE ARE TOO BUSY TO PRAY. 23:59 THE BETTER WAY TO SAY IT IS WE'RE TOO PREOCCUPIED TO PRAY, 24:02 RIGHT? TOO PREOCCUPIED. 24:05 THE DISCIPLES IN THE BOOK OF ACTS, ESPECIALLY THERE BEFORE 24:08 PENTECOST, GIVE TREMENDOUS SUPPORT TO THE IDEA OF THE 24:11 OPPOSITE OF THE CONCEPT 'LITTLE PRAYER, LITTLE POWER'. 24:17 THEY HAD MUCH PRAYER - DID THEY HAVE MUCH POWER? 24:21 YES, THEY HAD MUCH POWER - 3,000 SOULS BAPTIZED IN ONE DAY. 24:25 WOULDN'T THAT BE EXCITING HERE AT CENTRAL? 24:27 WE WOULDN'T HAVE ENOUGH ROBES. WE'D HAVE TO REUSE THEM. 24:34 ONE MORE THING BEFORE WE LEAVE SUNDAY. 24:36 THE EARLY CHURCH KNEW WHAT TO PRAY FOR. 24:37 THE DEPTH OF THEIR PRAYERS WERE IMPORTANT ISSUES. 24:41 SOMETIMES I THINK AFTER WE PRAY 'LORD, BLESS US WITH ENOUGH 24:44 MONEY TO GET THAT CAR I REALLY WANT' OR 'BLESS ME LORD, HELP ME 24:48 WITH MY TEST THAT'S COMING UP' - IF I'M A COLLEGE STUDENT OR 24:51 WHATEVER. AFTER WE PRAY FOR THOSE THINGS WE KIND OF BECOME 24:55 LOST FOR WORDS, MAYBE - I'M NOT SURE - I HOPE NOT. 24:58 THEIR ALL-CONSUMING NEED WAS THAT THEY BE FORGIVEN FOR SINS 25:02 AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE HELP FROM GOD TO TAKE THE GOSPEL 25:05 MESSAGE TO THOSE PEOPLE IN THE WORLD THAT NEEDED IT. 25:09 NOW THERE ARE ENOUGH ASPECTS TO THOSE KIND OF ISSUES THAT WOULD 25:14 KEEP US ON OUR KNEES FOR QUITE SOME TIME. 25:16 NOT TO SAY THAT WE HAVE TO BE ON OUR KNEES ALL THE TIME WHEN WE 25:18 PRAY, BECAUSE WE CAN GO ABOUT PRAYING WITHOUT CEASING, 25:22 CAN WE NOT? EVERYWHERE WE GO, EVERYTHING WE DO. 25:26 AS WE MOVE ON TO MONDAY'S LESSON, IT IS ENTITLED 25:29 'JESUS' PRAYER LIFE'. IF WE COULD CAPTURE THE PRAYER 25:33 LIFE OF JESUS AND MAKE IT - MAKE OURS MUCH LIKE HIS WAS, I THINK 25:40 WE WOULD REALLY HAVE SOMETHING. THE OPENING COMMENT FROM THE 25:43 LESSON SAYS, 'CHRIST WAS CONTINUALLY RECEIVING FROM THE 25:47 FATHER THAT HE MIGHT COMMUNICATE TO US.' 25:51 SOMETIMES I THINK WE THINK THIS ABOUT JESUS - THAT HE WAS JUST 25:55 AUTOMATICALLY FILLED WITH ALL GODLY WISDOM BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN 26:01 GOD IN HEAVEN BEFORE HE BECAME HUMAN - BUT NOT SO. 26:05 HE HAD TO LEARN AS A HUMAN BEING THE THINGS HE KNEW. 26:08 HE LEARNED THEM. GOD WAS ESPECIALLY HIS TEACHER, 26:13 OF COURSE, BUT GOD WANTS TO BE ESPECIALLY OUR TEACHER TOO - 26:18 JUST AS MUCH AS HE WAS WITH JESUS. HE HAD SUCH COMMUNICATION 26:22 WITH HIS FATHER, FIRST OF ALL, BECAUSE HE STUDIED HIS WORD A 26:26 LOT, BUT THEN ALSO THROUGH PRAYER. 26:28 HE TALKED TO THE FATHER, HE LISTENED TO HIS FATHER. 26:30 AND ONE COMMENT WE OFTEN READ ABOUT JESUS IN INSPIRED WRITING 26:37 IS THAT DIVINITY FLASHED THROUGH HIS HUMANITY. HAVE YOU EVER READ 26:42 THAT? 'DIVINITY FLASHED THROUGH HIS HUMANITY.' 26:45 I LIKE THAT PHRASE. AND ONE THING THAT'S ALWAYS KIND 26:49 OF INTERESTED ME IS THE STORIES IN THE BIBLE WHERE PEOPLE'S 26:52 FACES LIGHTED UP SO MUCH - LIKE MOSES WHEN HE CAME DOWN OFF THE 26:57 MOUNTAIN - HIS FACE WAS SO BRIGHT THE PEOPLE COULDN'T EVEN 27:00 LOOK AT IT. NONE OF YOU HAVE SEEN MY FACE 27:04 THAT BRIGHT, HAVE YOU? UNFORTUNATELY! 27:08 WOULDN'T IT BE A SHOCKER IF ALL OF A SUDDEN MY FACE WAS THAT 27:10 BRIGHT AND YOU HAD TO PUT A VEIL ON MY FACE JUST TO HEAR MY 27:14 VOICE? WOW, YOU KNOW WE SHOULD BE 27:18 PRAYING FOR THAT KIND OF THING TO HAPPEN. 27:20 WE SHOULD BE PRAYING FOR THAT KIND OF POWER TO HAPPEN. 27:22 THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO BE PRAYING FOR, YES. SO EVEN THE 27:27 DISCIPLES COMING DOWN FROM THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION 27:29 HAD FACES LIGHTED UP FROM THE GLORY OF GOD. 27:32 IF WE LOCK OURSELF IN OUR CLOSET AND SPEND THAT TIME WITH JESUS, 27:36 MAYBE OUR FACES WOULD LIGHTEN UP A LITTLE BIT TOO. 27:40 I'M THINKING ABOUT THAT. COULD WE HAVE THE DIVINITY FLASH 27:44 THROUGH OUR HUMANITY? YES WE CAN. GOD WANTS THAT. 27:47 BUT THE CONCEPT OF HEAVEN'S UNLIMITED HELP AND POWER THAT 27:51 JESUS RELIED UPON IS THE SAME KIND OF HELP AND POWER THAT 27:55 WE NEED TO RELY ON TODAY. NOW, COULD WE HAVE - SOMEBODY 28:01 LOOK UP MARK 1, VERSE 35 - SOMEBODY WANT TO LOOK THAT UP 28:05 FOR US THIS MORNING? RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU WANT TO 28:07 READ THAT FOR US. MARK 1, VERSE 35. 28:10 SOMEBODY WILLING TO DO THAT? OKAY, RIGHT HERE IN FRONT. 28:13 AND THEN SOMEBODY ELSE READ LUKE 5:16. SOMEBODY WANT TO BE 28:17 WILLING TO READ THAT - RAISE YOUR HAND - LUKE 5:16 - 28:21 BACK THERE, OKAY. RIGHT - WE'LL GET THAT BACK TO 28:24 YOU RIGHT AFTER THIS ONE. WHILE THEY'RE LOOKING UP THESE 28:27 TEXTS WE NEED TO REALIZE THAT THESE ARE VERY SIMPLE TEXTS THAT 28:30 TELL US A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THE PRAYER LIFE OF CHRIST. 28:33 OKAY, FIRST OF ALL, MARK 1:35. >>MARK 1:35, "NOW IN THE 28:38 MORNING, HAVING RISEN A LONG WHILE BEFORE DAYLIGHT, HE WENT 28:42 OUT AND DEPARTED TO A SOLITARY PLACE; AND THERE HE PRAYED." 28:46 >>THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NOW IF WE COULD PASS IT BACK TO 28:49 - LUKE CHAPTER 5, VERSE 16 - YOU GOT THAT ONE FOR US? 28:53 OKAY, THERE'S THE MICROPHONE. LUKE 5:16. 28:57 >>"AND HE WITHDREW HIMSELF INTO THE WILDERNESS, AND PRAYED." 29:03 >>THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO THESE VERY SHORT TEXTS 29:06 REMINDING US THAT JESUS DID SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN PRAYER. 29:12 HE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN PRAYER BY HIMSELF WITH HIS FATHER. 29:15 NOW YOU THINK ABOUT JESUS PRAYING. PICTURE HIM 29:18 IN YOUR MIND. I DON'T GET THE PICTURE OF HIM JUST DOING ALL 29:22 THE TALKING, RIGHT? HE LISTENED TO HIS FATHER. WHETHER 29:25 HE HEARD HIS FATHER'S VOICE AUDIBLY VERY OFTEN I DON'T KNOW. 29:29 HE DID HEAR IT A FEW TIMES, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE FATHER SAYS, 29:34 'THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.' 29:36 SO HE DID HEAR HIS VOICE AT TIMES. BUT WHETHER HE HEARD 29:39 HIS FATHER'S VOICE ALWAYS - WE KNEW - WE KNOW THAT HE KNEW 29:44 THAT HIS FATHER WAS ANXIOUS TO HEAR FROM HIM. 29:48 YEAH, HE WAS ANXIOUS FOR THE SON TO COME AND TALK WITH HIM AND 29:53 HE'S JUST AS ANXIOUS FOR US TO COME AND TALK WITH HIM. 29:57 I THINK THAT IS THE BIGGEST LESSON WE COULD GET OUT OF 30:01 MEDITATING ABOUT THE PRAYER LIFE OF CHRIST. 30:03 GOD IS READY TO HEAR US. IN FACT ISAIAH 65:24 SAYS THIS, 30:08 "...BEFORE THEY CALL, I WILL ANSWER; AND WHILE THEY ARE YET 30:11 SPEAKING, I WILL HEAR." FOR GOD IS ALWAYS READY TO HEAR 30:15 US. JESUS KNEW THAT AND THAT'S WHY 30:18 HE WAS ANXIOUS TO GO AND TALK WITH THE FATHER. 30:20 JESUS DIDN'T GO AND PRAY BECAUSE IT WAS SOMETHING HE SHOULD DO - 30:24 BECAUSE HE SAID, 'OKAY, I NEED TO SET A TIME FOR PRAYER NOW. 30:29 THIS IS SOMETHING I SHOULD DO EVERY DAY. 30:31 NO, IT'S SOMETHING HE WANTED TO DO VERY BADLY AND THAT'S WHAT I 30:35 WANT TO PRAY FOR MY OWN LIFE. LORD, GIVE ME THAT DESIRE THAT I 30:38 WANT TO TALK WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES. 30:40 WHEN AND WHERE IS THE BEST TIME THAT YOU LIKE TO TALK WITH GOD? 30:44 FOR ME, ONE OF MY FAVORITE TIMES IS OUT ON A WALK IN BEAUTIFUL 30:46 NATURE. I LOVE GOING OUT AND TALKING TO 30:48 GOD THAT WAY. AND I HAVE COMPOSED HUNDREDS OF 30:55 PRAYER SONGS WHILE I GO OUT AND WALK. NOW, YOU WOULDN'T WANT 30:58 TO HEAR THEM BECAUSE I DON'T - I'M NOT A SINGER. 31:02 BUT I BET I'VE COMPOSED SO MANY SONGS WE COULD HAVE A NEW CHURCH 31:05 HYMNAL. BUT THAT'S MY FAVORITE. 31:08 YOU HAVE YOUR OWN FAVORITE WAY TO CONVERSE WITH GOD. 31:11 THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT WE DO IT. 31:14 THE FATHER IS JUST AS ANXIOUS TO HEAR FROM US. 31:17 A TALE IS TOLD BUT THE THING IS WE MUST BELIEVE IT. 31:21 AND THIS IS A LITTLE STORY - I THINK I'VE SHARE THIS ONCE 31:24 BEFORE - MAYBE IN A SERMON, BUT THIS SMALL TOWN HAD BEEN 31:28 HISTORICALLY DRY. THAT MEANS, OF COURSE, THAT 31:31 THERE WAS NO LIQUOR SOLD IN THIS LITTLE TOWN. 31:35 BUT THEN A LOCAL BUSINESSMAN DECIDED TO BUILD A TAVERN. 31:39 WELL, A GROUP OF CHRISTIANS, THEY DIDN'T LIKE THAT IDEA. 31:42 THEY FORMED A LOCAL GROUP THERE AND IT CONCERNED - IT PLANNED AN 31:47 ALL-NIGHT PRAYER MEETING TO ASK GOD TO INTERVENE, RIGHT? 31:52 THEY PRAYED ALL NIGHT, 'PLEASE INTERVENE, GOD. 31:55 DON'T LET THIS TAVERN BE BUILT.' IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT SHORTLY 31:59 THEREAFTER LIGHTNING STRUCK THE BAR AND IT BURNED IT TO THE 32:02 GROUND. WELL, THE OWNER OF THE BAR SUED 32:06 THE CHURCH CLAIMING THAT THE PRAYERS OF THE CONGREGATION WERE 32:10 RESPONSIBLE. BUT THE CHURCH HIRED A LAWYER TO 32:13 ARGUE IN COURT THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE. 32:16 WELL, THE PRESIDING JUDGE, AFTER HIS INITIAL REVIEW OF THE CASE, 32:21 STATED THAT NO MATTER HOW THIS CASE COMES OUT, ONE THING IS 32:24 CLEAR: THE TAVERN OWNER BELIEVES IN PRAYER AND THE CHRISTIANS DO 32:29 NOT.' IS THAT - SOMETIMES WE PRAY AND 32:36 THEN WE DON'T BELIEVE WHAT WE PRAY. 32:39 WAS IT BECAUSE OF THEIR PRAYERS THAT THING WAS BURNED TO THE 32:43 GROUND? ABSOLUTELY! I BELIEVE THAT, BUT THEY DIDN'T. 32:47 OF COURSE IT WOULD HAVE COST THEM MONEY. 32:52 JESUS NEVER DID ANYTHING THAT WAS A WASTE OF TIME, RIGHT? 32:55 HE KNEW - NOT ONLY BELIEVED - HE KNEW HIS FATHER'S PRESENCE WAS 33:00 ALWAYS THERE AND HE EXPERIENCED HIS PRESENCE WHEN HE PRAYED. 33:05 NOW ONE MORE THING I THINK WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT. 33:08 WHEN CHRIST PRAYED, WE OFTEN THINK THAT HIS PRAYER LIFE - AND 33:13 THINK THAT WHENEVER HE PRAYED ONLY POSITIVE THINGS HAPPENED. 33:19 AND THAT'S, QUITE OFTEN THE CASE, BUT REMEMBER HIM PRAYING 33:23 THIS PRAYER? 'TAKE THIS CUP FROM ME. NEVERTHELESS THY WILL 33:27 BE DONE.' WAS THE CUP TAKEN FROM HIM? NO. DID HE PRAY FOR JUDAS? 33:32 HE PRAYED FOR JUDAS. DID JUDAS CONVERT? NO. 33:38 SO NOT ALWAYS GOOD THINGS HAPPENED WHEN JESUS PRAYED. 33:41 NOT ALWAYS GOOD THINGS - WHAT WE THINK ARE GOING TO BE GOOD 33:45 THINGS, HAPPEN WHEN WE PRAY. THAT SHOULDN'T STOP US 33:48 FROM PRAYING, RIGHT? LET'S MOVE ON TO TUESDAY'S LESSON ENTITLED, 33:53 'PRAYING TOGETHER.' SOMEONE READ MATTHEW 18, 33:59 VERSES 19 AND 20. WHO WOULD LIKE TO READ THAT? 34:02 MATTHEW THE 18TH CHAPTER - SOMEBODY WANT TO READ THAT THIS 34:05 MORNING? DON'T BE BASHFUL. OKAY, CHAPTER 18, VERSES 19 AND 20. 34:13 WE WILL FIND THAT IT WAS JESUS SPEAKING FOR IT'S THE RED LETTER 34:17 - IF YOU HAVE THE BIBLE IT'S IN RED LETTERING. 34:20 JESUS WAS GIVING US SOME IMPORTANT ADVICE IN REGARDS TO 34:24 PRAYING IN GROUPS. OKAY, PLEASE READ THAT FOR US. 34:27 >>"AGAIN I SAY TO YOU THAT IF TWO OF YOU AGREE ON EARTH 34:31 CONCERNING ANYTHING THAT THEY ASK, IT WILL BE DONE FOR THEM BY 34:35 MY FATHER IN HEAVEN. FOR WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE 34:39 GATHERED TOGETHER IN MY NAME, I AM THERE IN THE MIDST OF THEM." 34:43 >>OKAY, THANK YOU. I THINK THE QUOTE THAT I'VE 34:45 GIVEN THERE FROM CENTRAL ADVANCE IS IMPORTANT. 34:49 IT SAYS, 'THE PROMISE IS MADE ON CONDITION THAT THE UNITED 34:52 PRAYERS OF GOD'S PEOPLE ARE OFFERED AND IN ANSWER TO THESE 34:55 PRAYERS THERE MAY BE EXPECTED A POWER GREATER THAN THAT WHICH 34:58 COMES TO ANSWER TO A PRIVATE PRAYER. 35:01 THE POWER GIVEN WILL BE PROPORTIONATE TO THE UNITY OF 35:04 THE MEMBERS AND THEIR LOVE FOR GOD AND FOR ONE ANOTHER. 35:09 THAT'S INTERESTING, ISN'T IT? I THOUGHT - WHEN I READ THAT 35:11 QUOTE I THOUGHT OF A ROPE - A BIG, BIG ROPE BEING PULLED. 35:18 AND IT MAY BE PULLING A CAR OR SOMETHING VERY HEAVY AND THE 35:21 MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE PULLING ON THAT ROPE, THE BETTER - 35:25 THE MORE POWER YOU HAVE, RIGHT? THE MORE SUCCESS YOU'LL HAVE - 35:28 AND I THOUGHT THEN, THE ROPE IS KIND OF LIKE THE UNITY THAT MUST 35:36 EXIST BETWEEN GOD'S PEOPLE WHEN THEY PRAY BECAUSE THE ROPE IS, 35:41 YOU KNOW, TWINED TOGETHER, WOUND TOGETHER AND THE 35:44 MORE YOU WIND IT TOGETHER THE STRONGER IT IS. 35:47 IF A ROPE STARTS TO COME UNRAVELED WHAT HAPPENS? 35:51 IT GETS WEAK, FOR ONE THING, AND IT COULD BREAK. 35:54 SO A ROPE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE, THERE, FOR THAT. 36:00 THEN WE NEED TO MOVE ON TO WEDNESDAY ENTITLED, 'OUR 36:04 FREEDOM'. WEDNESDAY OPENS UP WITH ASKING 36:07 A COUPLE QUESTIONS. HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY 36:09 PRAYER IS SO VITAL? WHY DO WE HAVE TO ASK HIM FOR 36:12 THE HOLY SPIRIT? ISN'T HE WILLING TO GIVE THE 36:16 HOLY SPIRIT TO US? NOW THESE ARE GOOD QUESTIONS. 36:19 THE LESSON GIVES US GOOD RESPONSES BY SAYING THAT THE 36:22 ANSWER TO THESE QUESTIONS LIES IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF GOD'S 36:26 RESPECT TO OUR FREEDOM OF CHOICE. AND HOW TRUE THAT IS. 36:31 PRAYER IS ACTUALLY WHERE THE FREEDOM OF CHOICE IS PLAYED OUT, 36:33 ISN'T IT? AT LEAST TO BEGIN WITH. 36:37 IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO PRAY THEN YOU RECEIVE NO HELP. 36:40 IF YOU CHOOSE TO PRAY OR IF WE PRAY - CHOOSE TO PRAY A FAULTY 36:44 PRAYER, WE STILL RECEIVE NO HELP. 36:45 BUT IF WE CHOOSE TO PRAY RIGHTLY THEN WE CAN BEGIN TO EXPECT 36:49 HELP. SO IT'S - IT BEGINS WITH THE POWER OF CHOICE - 36:53 THE FREEDOM OF CHOICE. IF WE PRAY INTELLIGENTLY AND 36:56 HONESTLY THEN WE LAY EVERYTHING BEFORE GOD. 36:59 THE FIRST THING WE ARE LAYING BEFORE GOD IS OUR COMPLETE 37:05 INADEQUACY TO ANSWER OUR OWN PRAYERS - 37:08 TO MEET OUR OWN NEEDS - WE CAN'T DO IT. 37:10 THAT'S WHY WE'RE ASKING HIM. WE ARE TELLING HIM WE CANNOT 37:13 DO IT. WE ARE INADEQUATE AND WE ADMIT THAT. 37:17 THAT'S WHAT PRAYER ADMITS TO BEGIN WITH. 37:20 PRAYER SHOULD REMIND US OF THAT. ALSO, PRAYER SHOULD REMIND US 37:25 THAT IT ISN'T EVEN PRAYER - THE POWER ISN'T IN THE PRAYER. 37:30 NO, IT ISN'T IN THE PRAYER. I'M SURE I'VE SHARED THIS LITTLE 37:35 EXAMPLE WITH YOU BEFORE - MAYBE TOO - BUT IF YOU HAD A LITTLE 37:38 BOX HERE WITH SOME ELECTRICAL WIRES RUNNING FROM IT - A LITTLE 37:42 SWITCH INSIDE - AND THE WIRES RAN TO OUTSIDE OR SOMEPLACE ELSE 37:47 - TO A BLOCK OF DYNAMITE - WELL, PUSHING THE BUTTON IS KIND OF 37:56 LIKE PRAYING, BUT THE REAL POWER IS IN THE DYNAMITE, ISN'T IT? 38:01 THE RECIPIENT OF OUR PUSH. THE ELECTRICAL CURRENT GOES 38:04 THROUGH THE WIRE TO THE DYNAMITE AND OUR PRAYER GOES UP TO 38:08 THE REAL POWER. GOD IS THE REAL POWER. 38:11 THE PRAYER ISN'T THE POWER, GOD IS THE POWER. 38:13 BUT HE HAS UNLIMITED POWER. THINK ABOUT GOD, OUR CREATOR, 38:19 AND HIS UNLIMITED POWER. FOR EXAMPLE, A CAR TRAVELING A 38:22 HUNDRED MILES PER HOUR WOULD TAKE MORE THAN 29 MILLION YEARS 38:27 TO REACH THE NEAREST STAR. AND THERE ARE BETWEEN 100 38:31 BILLION AND 1 TRILLION STARS IN ONE SINGLE NORMAL GALAXY. 38:35 THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT WHEN WE THINK 38:39 ABOUT WHO WE'RE PRAYING TO. WE'RE PRAYING TO SOMEBODY WITH 38:42 UNLIMITED POWER, ARE WE NOT? ABSOLUTELY. MOVE ON TO 38:47 THURSDAY'S LESSON. IT'S ENTITLED 'EFFECTIVE PRAYER'. 38:51 AND THIS, PERHAPS, IS THE FAVORITE PART OF MY LESSON IN 38:55 SOME RESPECTS BECAUSE IT REMINDS ME OF ONE OF MY FAVORITE TEXTS. 39:01 AND SOMEBODY MIGHT READ THAT FOR US IF THEY'RE WILLING. 39:04 JAMES 5:16 - IS SOMEBODY WILLING TO READ THAT FOR US? 39:07 JAMES 5:16 - SOMEBODY WANT TO RAISE THEIR HAND - PLEASE READ 39:12 THAT FOR US? OKAY, WE'LL READ IT - 39:15 RIGHT HERE AGAIN. JAMES 5:16 - ESPECIALLY THE LAST 39:19 PART OF THIS VERSE IS A VERSE THAT I'VE ALWAYS LOVED. 39:23 JAMES - I LOVE THE BOOK OF JAMES IN ITS ENTIRETY. 39:26 IN FACT, JAMES WAS SUCH A PRACTICAL MAN, GIVING US 39:29 PRACTICAL, LOGICAL ADVICE AND JAMES 5:16 IS NO EXCEPTION TO 39:34 THIS. OKAY MIKE. 39:35 >>JAMES 5:16, "CONFESS YOUR TRESPASSES TO ONE ANOTHER, AND 39:41 PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER, THAT YOU MAY BE HEALED. 39:45 THE EFFECTIVE, FERVENT PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN AVAILS MUCH." 39:49 >>OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 39:51 THIS TEXT SAYS SO MUCH WITH SO FEW WORDS IT'S AMAZING. 39:55 AND WE WILL GET TO THAT IN JUST A MINUTE - WHY I BELIEVE IT'S 40:00 SUCH A GREAT TEXT - BUT WE CAN CONSIDER SOME OF THE POINTS, 40:04 FIRST OF ALL, MADE IN OUR LESSON. 40:07 THE LESSON FOCUSES ON SOME OF THE DIFFERENT WAYS OR METHODS 40:11 THAT PEOPLE HAVE CHOSEN TO PRAY THAT BRINGS THEM BLESSINGS. 40:15 SOME PEOPLE, AS IT POINTS OUT, LIKE TO OPEN THE BIBLE, READ 40:20 SOMETHING, AND THEN PRAY. AND, OF COURSE, THAT SHOULD BE A 40:23 FAVORITE WAY FOR MOST OF US. WE SHOULD INCLUDE THE BIBLE IN 40:26 OUR PRAYER LIFE, DON'T YOU THINK? BECAUSE THAT'S ONE WAY 40:30 GOD WILL SPEAK TO US AND, QUITE OFTEN HE SPEAKS TO US AND THEN 40:34 WE HAVE - WE CERTAINLY HAVE SOMETHING TO PRAY ABOUT 40:36 MANY TIMES. 'WOW, THAT IS AMAZING, LORD, I'VE FALLEN SHORT 40:39 IN THAT AND I NEED YOUR HELP, I NEED YOUR GRACE, I NEED YOUR 40:42 FORGIVENESS.' SO ON AND SO FORTH. SO THAT IS CERTAINLY 40:47 ONE OF THE MOST FAVORITE WAYS PEOPLE SHOULD PRAY. 40:50 AS I SAID, I ENJOY WALKING AND PRAYING AT THE SAME TIME. 40:54 YOU MAY HAVE YOUR VERY FAVORITE PLACES. 40:57 NOW, IS IT IMPORTANT FOR PRAYERS TO BE EFFECTIVE TO HAVE THOSE 41:01 SPECIAL PLACES AND METHODS? WELL, I BELIEVE IT IS IN 41:05 SOME RESPECTS. REMEMBER THE - IT'S THE FAMOUS 41:08 PSALMS - PSALM 46 - IT SAYS, 'BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD'? 41:13 SO YES, WE DO NEED THAT SPECIAL QUIET PLACE SOMETIMES. 41:17 WE CAN PRAY IN THE BUSY TRAFFIC OF THIS WORLD. WE CAN PRAY WHEN 41:21 WE'RE ALL CAUGHT UP IN STRESSFUL SITUATIONS, BUT SOME OF OUR MOST 41:27 IMPORTANT PRAYER TIMES WILL BE WHEN WE SEEK THAT EXCLUSION AND 41:31 IT'S JUST GOD AND US OR A FEW PEOPLE TOGETHER PRAYING FOR 41:35 WHATEVER WE NEED TO PRAY FOR. IT ISN'T IMPOSSIBLE TO PRAY 41:42 EFFECTIVE PRAYERS AMIDST CONFUSION. 41:46 BUT FOR OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH WE NEED THOSE SPECIAL TIMES. 41:49 ANOTHER CONCEPT BROUGHT OUT BY OUR LESSON IS THE IMPORTANCE OF 41:53 ADORATION AND PRAISE WHEN WE PRAY. 41:57 WHEN WE PRAISE GOD AND GIVE HIM OUR ADORATION WITH A GENUINE 42:00 HEART, IT TELLS HIM THAT WE BELIEVE AND WE TRUST IN HIM. 42:06 ALL WE KNOW - WE ALL KNOW HOW IMPORTANT FAITH IS TO GOD. 42:10 GOD - JESUS WHEN HE WAS HERE - HE LOVED TO POINT OUT HOW 42:15 IMPORTANT FAITH WAS. ONE TIME HE HAD THIS CENTURION 42:17 THAT CAME TO HIM AND SAID, 'YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO 42:20 COME TO MY HOUSE. JUST SPEAK BUT THE WORD. 42:22 I'M NOT WORTHY FOR YOU TO COME TO MY HOUSE. 42:24 SPEAK THE WORD AND MY SERVANT WILL BE HEALED.' 42:26 AND JESUS TURNED THAT ROMAN CENTURION AROUND TO THE PEOPLE 42:31 AND SAID, 'I HAVE NOT SEEN SUCH GREAT FAITH IN ALL OF ISRAEL.' 42:36 FIRST OF ALL, THAT'S GOT TO STING IF YOU'RE A CHILD OF - 42:39 PART OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. 'WHAT DO YOU MEAN A ROMAN 42:42 CENTURION HAS GREATER FAITH THAN ME? 42:44 I'VE BEEN IN THE TRUTH - I'VE BEEN IN THE WAY ALL MY LIFE. 42:48 AND MY FAITH IS BETTER THAN HIS, I'M SURE.' 42:53 BUT JESUS LOVED THAT MAN'S FAITH BECAUSE HE BELIEVED AND THAT'S 42:58 WHAT WE NEED TO DO SOON. FIRST OF ALL WE NEED TO BELIEVE. 43:03 WHEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM IT IS EASY TO CONCENTRATE ON THE 43:06 PROBLEM, RIGHT? AND GO TO GOD WITH THE PROBLEM 43:13 AND SKIP THE PART OF PRAISE. BUT JUST THINK OF IT. 43:17 IF YOU WENT TO GOD WITH PRAISE FIRST AND THEN ENDED WITH PRAISE 43:21 AGAIN, YOU'RE TELLING GOD, 'NOW THE STUFF IN THE MIDDLE I REALLY 43:25 BELIEVE BECAUSE I PRAISED YOU BEFORE I BEGAN, I PRAISED YOU AT 43:28 THE END. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT YOU HEAR 43:30 ME AND I REALLY BELIEVE YOU WANT TO ANSWER, ACCORDING TO YOUR 43:33 WILL, THAT WHICH IS BEST. SO PRAISE IS VERY IMPORTANT. 43:38 IT REMINDS US HOW MERCIFUL GOD HAS BEEN TO US. 43:45 I READ A QUOTATION ONCE THAT SAID, 'WE SHOULD PRESENT TO GOD 43:48 SOME OF THE PAST MERCIES THAT HE'S SHOWN US.' 43:53 IF WE HAVE A NEED OF HIS PRESENT MERCY, WE SHOULD PRESENT SOME OF 43:59 THOSE PAST MERCIES THAT HE'S SHOWN US. WHY? 44:03 WELL, I THINK IT DOES MORE FOR US THAN IT DOES FOR GOD. 44:06 CERTAINLY HE REMEMBERS THEM, BUT HE BRINGS TO OUR MINDS HOW GOD 44:10 WAS SO MERCIFUL TO US IN THE PAST THAT IT HELPS US HAVE FAITH 44:15 AND FAITH IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR PRAYERS TO BE ANSWERED. 44:19 SO I THINK THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT VERY FACT. 44:23 ANOTHER QUOTE SAYS 'WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR FOR THE PRESENT 44:25 AS LONG AS WE DON'T FORGET HOW GOD HAS LED US IN THE PAST.' 44:30 THERE AGAIN CREATES IN US AMAZING FAITH TO THINK BACK ON 44:36 HOW GOD HAS LED US IN THE PAST. THOSE ARE WONDERFUL THINGS TO 44:41 KEEP IN MIND WHEN IT COMES TO PRAISING GOD. 44:44 NOW, GETTING BACK TO OUR TEXT IN JAMES 5 - THE LAST SENTENCE 44:47 THERE - "THE EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN 44:51 AVAILETH MUCH." THAT'S WHAT WE WANT, ISN'T IT? 44:56 WE WANT MUCH TO AVAIL. THAT MEANS MUCH GOOD TO HAPPEN. 45:00 WHEN YOU PRAY TO GOD DON'T YOU WANT SOMETHING GOOD TO HAPPEN? 45:04 YOU WANT MUCH GOOD TO HAPPEN. SO THAT LITTLE SENTENCE IS LIKE 45:11 HOMILITATIONS - BEAUTIFUL TEXT - HOMILETICS IS THE ART OF 45:16 PREACHING. I TOOK A CLASS IN HOMILETICS WHEN I WAS IN 45:20 COLLEGE AND IN THAT CLASS ELDER FLOYD FRAZEE WAS - HE WAS HERE 45:26 ONE SABBATH AND PREACHED TO US AND WE ALL REALIZED WHAT A 45:29 WONDERFUL PREACHER HE WAS - AND HE WOULD TEACH US THE ART OF 45:34 PREACHING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A THEME. YOU SHOULDN'T JUST 45:36 THROW OUT BUCKSHOT BECAUSE PEOPLE GO HOME WOUNDED ALL OVER 45:39 THE PLACE AND THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY GOT. 45:41 BUT WE SHOULD HAVE A THEME AND THEN WE SHOULD HAVE SECTIONS TO 45:44 BACK UP THAT THEME AND SUPPORT THE THEME AND ILLUSTRATE THOSE 45:47 POINTS THAT WE MAKE AND SO FORTH. SO HE WAS TELLING - 45:50 AND THIS TEXT IS A THEME IN ITSELF - THE TEXT ITSELF. 45:56 I'LL GIVE YOU A QUICK HOMILETIC LESSON, OKAY? 46:03 'THE EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN AVAILETH MUCH.' 46:07 SECTION 1 OF THIS THEME WOULD HAVE TO DO WITH - IN ORDER FOR 46:13 PRAYER TO BE EFFECTIVE THERE ARE CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS. 46:17 AND YOU CAN GO THROUGH ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF PRAYER. 46:19 IN OTHER WORDS, FOR EXAMPLE, PSALM 66:28 SAYS, "IF I REGARD 46:23 INIQUITY IN MY HEART, THE LORD WILL NOT HEAR." RIGHT? 46:27 SO IN ORDER TO HAVE AN EFFECTIVE PRAYER, YOU BETTER NOT BE 46:30 REGARDING INIQUITY IN YOUR HEART. 46:32 AND YOU CAN GO THROUGH DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS OF EFFECTIVE PRAYER 46:35 IN SECTION #1. THAT'S A SECTION YOU CAN JUST GO 46:39 ON AND ON WITH FOR QUITE SOME TIME. 46:42 YOU GIVE ALL KINDS OF EXAMPLES AS YOU PREACH THE SERMON THAT 46:44 WAY. NOW THE SECOND SECTION OF THE 46:47 SERMON WOULD BE THIS: IN ORDER FOR PRAYER TO BE EFFECTIVE 46:50 IT MUST BE A FERVENT PRAYER. WHAT DOES FERVENT MEAN? 46:54 FERVENT MEANS TO BOIL OR TO BURN. 46:58 IT MUST COME FROM DEEP WITHIN US. 47:00 WE MUST REALLY MEAN WHAT WE ARE PRAYING. 47:02 WE MUST BELIEVE IT. WE MUST MEAN IT WITH ALL OF OUR 47:04 HEARTS. WE MUST REALLY BE INTO WHAT WE ARE PRAYING ABOUT. 47:08 THAT'S FERVENT PRAYER. FERVENT PRAYER IS NOT - DOES NOT 47:12 MEAN ELOQUENT PRAYER. IN FACT, WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT 47:16 SOMETIMES ELOQUENT PRAYER IS OUT OF PLACE. 47:19 FOR US TO TRY TO BE ELOQUENT WITH OUR PRAYERS IS NOT THE SAME 47:23 AS BEING FERVENT WITH OUR PRAYERS. 47:26 IF YOU'RE GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND YOUR CAR IS SLIDING OUT OF 47:29 CONTROL AND YOU CRY OUT 'LORD SAVE US!' THAT'S A FERVENT 47:34 PRAYER AND HE CAN HEAR THAT PRAYER AND MANY TIMES HE HAS 47:37 SAVED - I'VE HEARD HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF STORIES PROBABLY 47:41 OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SAVED WITH JUST THOSE SIMPLE KIND OF 47:44 PRAYERS BECAUSE THEY WERE FERVENT. AND WHEN WE PRAY IN OUR 47:48 DAILY LIFE THEY SHOULD BE FERVENT - FILLED WITH FEELING 47:51 AND EMOTION - REALLY MEANING WHAT WE'RE PRAYING FOR. 47:54 THE THIRD SECTION WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE THIS: ON AVAILING 47:58 MUCH PRAYER MUST COME FROM A RIGHTEOUS MAN. 48:02 THE EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN AVAILETH MUCH.' 48:05 THIS IS WHERE PEOPLE SAY, 'WELL, THAT LEAVES ME OUT BECAUSE I 48:09 KNOW I'M NOT RIGHTEOUS.' BUT THIS IS THE PERFECT SECTION 48:12 THAT YOU CAN LAY OUT THE CONCEPT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH. 48:17 RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH. WE ARE RIGHTEOUS ONLY BY FAITH 48:19 IN CHRIST WHO IS OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 48:23 HE LONGS TO COVER US WITH HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 48:26 LADIES, IT'S JUST AS SIMPLE AS A GENTLEMAN HELPING YOU WITH YOUR 48:32 COAT ON BECAUSE JESUS WANTS TO COVER US WITH HIS CLOAK - 48:37 ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. THAT'S HOW SIMPLE IT IS AND WE 48:41 MUST BELIEVE THAT. OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS BECOMES HIS 48:44 RIGHTEOUSNESS AND WE CAN PRAY, THEN, WITH ALL FAITH THAT HE 48:49 HEARS OUR PRAYERS BECAUSE HE'S LIVING IN US. 48:52 IT'S HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT COMES THROUGH. 48:54 NOW SOMETIMES WE KIND OF WAIVER BACK AND FORTH ON THAT POINT 48:58 BECAUSE WE READ OTHER SECTIONS OF THE BIBLE THAT SAYS, YOU 49:02 KNOW, 'IN ORDER TO BE SAVED CHRISTIANS YOU NEED TO FEED THE 49:05 HUNGRY, GO VISIT THE SICK, GO OVER TO THE PRISONS AND VISIT 49:09 PEOPLE IN PRISON. YOU SAY, MAN, I'M NOT DOING THAT 49:12 - I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY HOPE FOR ME.' 49:14 SO SOMETIMES WE DON'T LIVE UP TO ALL THAT WE KNOW WE SHOULD BE 49:17 LIVING UP TO BUT WE KEEP STRIVING TO DO THE BEST WE CAN. 49:22 HE - WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US 49:25 OUR SINS - WE KEEP GROWING IN GRACE. 49:27 WE CAN CLAIM HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. WE CAN'T BE LIKE THE LADY THAT 49:32 WENT TO VISIT HER FRIEND AND SHE TOOK ALONG HER ELECTRIC HEATER 49:38 AND SHE LEFT THE HEATER IN THE CAR. 49:40 AFTER A FEW DAYS, THE LADY SHE WAS VISITING SAID, 'WELL, WHY 49:44 DID YOU BRING THIS HEATER?' SHE SAID, 'WELL, IT'S THE ONLY 49:48 WAY I COULD KNOW THAT I HADN'T LEFT IT PLUGGED IN.' 49:53 SOMETIMES I DON'T KNOW - I THINK WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER WE'RE 49:56 PLUGGED IN OR NOT. 'WELL, YOU KNOW, I'VE SINNED AND 50:00 I'M NOT LIVING UP TO...' NO, IF YOU CONFESS YOUR SINS YOU 50:05 CAN KNOW THAT YOU'RE PLUGGED IN AGAIN TO JESUS AND HIS 50:08 RIGHTEOUSNESS. WE MUST KNOW THAT. BEFORE YOU BEGIN TO PRAY 50:13 YOU MUST KNOW THAT OR YOUR PRAYERS WILL BE A WASTE OF TIME. 50:17 IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE PRAYING THE PRAYER OF A 50:20 RIGHTEOUS MAN BECAUSE OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST COVERING 50:24 YOU, THEN DON'T EVEN PRAY BECAUSE IT WOULD BE A WASTE. 50:27 SO THAT'S THE THIRD SECTION. ISAIAH 61:10 SAYS, "I WILL 50:32 GREATLY REJOICE IN THE LORD, MY SOUL SHALL BE JOYFUL IN MY GOD; 50:36 FOR HE HAS CLOTHED ME WITH THE GARMENTS OF SALVATION, HE HAS 50:39 COVERED ME WITH THE ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS." 50:44 IN ORDER TO HAVE A GOOD PRAYER LIFE THAT WILL BRING ABOUT 50:47 REVIVAL AND REFORMATION, WHICH IS THIS LESSON'S - QUARTERLY - 50:51 WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT, WE HAVE TO HAVE A WORTHWHILE MISSION, OKAY? 50:58 WE HAVE TO HAVE A WORTHWHILE MISSION. LET ME GIVE YOU AN 51:01 EXAMPLE OF WHAT I MEAN BY THIS. BACK IN 1993 MISSOURI AND 51:07 MISSISSIPPI HAD GREAT FLOODS. IT WAS - IT RAINED AND RAINED 51:11 LIKE SOME OF THE FLOODS WE SEE IN DIFFERENT PLACES TODAY - 51:14 FLOOD, FLOOD, WATER GOING EVERYWHERE. 51:16 SO THE VOLUNTEERS WORKED AROUND THE CLOCK TO TRY AND BRING THE 51:23 SANDBAGS TO SHORE UP THE LEVEES THERE AND IN ONE AREA THEY WERE 51:28 JOINED BY A GROUP OF CONVICTS FROM A BOOT CAMP PRISON PROGRAM. 51:34 SO THESE PRISONERS WERE SENT OUT TO HELP WITH THE SANDBAGGING. 51:38 THE PRISONERS WERE THERE AND IF THEY UNDERSTOOD - THEY 51:43 UNDERSTOOD THAT IF ALL THEIR WORK, ALONG WITH THE VOLUNTEERS 51:47 FAILED, THE NEARBY LITTLE TOWN WOULD BE SWEPT AWAY TO 51:52 DESTRUCTION. WELL, THE CRIMINALS WORKED WITH 51:56 FURIOUS PASSION AND ENERGY. THEY ACTUALLY REFUSED TO SLEEP. 52:01 YOU KNOW, 'YOU NEED TO GO TAKE A BREAK.' 'NO, WE'VE GOT TO STAY 52:04 HERE. WE'VE GOT TO SAVE THIS TOWN.' THEY WORKED AND THEY 52:07 WORKED BRINGING THOSE SANDBAG BRIGADES. 52:10 THEY EVEN WOULDN'T TAKE ENOUGH TIME TO EAT HARDLY. 52:14 BUT THE LEVEE WENT AHEAD AND GAVE WAY AND THE TOWN WITH ITS 52:21 200 HOMES WAS SWEPT AWAY. WELL, THESE CONVICTS, THEY WEPT 52:29 OPENLY. THEY WEPT AND WEPT WITH FRUSTRATION AND COMPASSION. WHY? 52:36 THESE MEN WHO HAD DEALT IN DRUGS AND VIOLENCE AND DESTRUCTION, 52:42 THEY HAD BEEN GIVEN A MISSION AND ONCE - MAYBE SOME OF THEM - 52:48 IT HAD BEEN THE FIRST TIME THEY'D EVER HAD A MISSION IN 52:50 LIFE - AND THEY HAD THIS MISSION IN LIFE AND THEY PUT THEMSELVES 52:55 FULLY INTO IT AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, 'THAT'S HOW WE NEED TO 53:01 BE.' DO WE NOT HAVE A MISSION? 53:04 WE HAVE THE GREATEST MISSION IN ALL THE EARTH - TO TAKE THE LAST 53:09 MESSAGE OF SALVATION TO A DYING WORLD. 53:13 AND SO, IN ORDER TO PRAY FERVENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY AND 53:19 CLAIMING CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS, WE NEED TO REALIZE WE HAVE A 53:26 MISSION. WE HAVE A MISSION. 53:29 I JUST RECEIVED, YESTERDAY, THE LATEST MINISTRY MAGAZINE, BUT 53:35 THERE WAS A LITTLE THING - A LITTLE EXCERPT IN HERE ABOUT THE 53:38 POWER OF UNITED PRAYER. I THOUGHT, 'WOW, HOW APPLICABLE 53:41 TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS MORNING.' 53:44 LISTEN TO WHAT IT SAYS, 'WE ARE SEEING THE YOUNG AND OLD FALLING 53:48 IN LOVE WITH PRAYER AND EXPERIENCING REVIVAL AS THEY 53:51 EXPERIENCE UNITED PRAYER AT OUR ARME BIBLE CAMPS.' - 53:54 YOU'VE HEARD OF ARME? THEY'RE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE 53:56 REALLY IN LOVE WITH THE LORD. THESE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT 53:59 BELIEVE IN THE THREE ANGELS' MESSAGE. 54:01 YOU'VE HEARD OF ARME CAMP? THERE ARE A LOT OF WONDERFUL 54:03 YOUNG PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THESE. 54:06 THEY'RE NOT THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING AROUND ON CAMPUS 54:09 RAISING THEIR HANDS AND JUMPING TO THESE FLASH DANCES, YOU KNOW, 54:12 TO RAP MUSIC. WELL, I NEVER CALL IT RAP MUSIC, 54:17 I CALL IT RAP NOISE, I DON'T THINK IT'S REAL MUSIC. 54:20 BUT ANYWAY, IT'S NOT THOSE KIND OF YOUNG PEOPLE. 54:23 'WE HAVE OFTEN SEEN YOUNG PEOPLE COMING BACK TO THE PRAYER 54:25 MEETING ROOM SAYING, 'I CAN'T STAY AWAY. I'M ADDICTED 54:28 TO THIS PLACE.' ALISON, A 14-YEAR-OLD VISITOR TO THE 54:32 PRAYER ROOM ONE DAY, THEN SHE CAME BACK THE NEXT DAY AND SPENT 54:35 8 HOURS THERE. THIS IS HER TESTIMONY. 54:38 'I WAS RAISED A SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST AND I'VE ALWAYS 54:41 ATTENDED MEETINGS AND BIBLE CAMPS. 54:43 I GREW UP KNOWING OUR DOCTRINES AND PROFESSING TO HAVE A 54:45 RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD; HOWEVER, SOMETHING WAS ALWAYS MISSING. 54:49 IT WAS NEVER REAL FOR ME. AFTER COMING TO THE PRAYER 54:51 MEETING ROOM, I REALIZED WHY I HAD NO POWER IN MY LIFE. 54:54 I WAS MISSING PRAYER. I WAS MISSING A GENUINE AND 54:58 POWERFUL PRAYER LIFE.' IN ANOTHER PRAYER MEETING ROOM 55:03 AN INDIVIDUAL ANONYMOUSLY LEFT A WATCH AND A NOTE BEHIND THAT 55:08 READ, 'THIS WATCH IS NOT CONSIDERED LOST BUT SURRENDERED. 55:13 I SHOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED IT AND I CONFESS IT HAS BECOME AN 55:16 IDOL TO ME. I KNEW BETTER THAN TO HAVE 55:20 BOUGHT IT WHEN I DID AND I NO LONGER CAN KEEP IT. 55:22 GOD HAS REVEALED TO ME THAT IT IS ONLY ONE LAYER BETWEEN HIM 55:26 AND ME AND NOW I HAVE ONE LAYER LESS.' ISN'T THAT AMAZING? 55:32 PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING REVIVAL AND REFORMATION THROUGH THE 55:36 POWER OF UNITED PRAYER. THAT'S WHAT IT CLOSES WITH. 55:40 THAT IS OUR LESSON THIS MORNING, ISN'T IT? 55:42 REVIVAL AND REFORMATION THROUGH THE POWER OF PRAYER. 55:47 DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE PRAYING PEOPLE? AMEN! ALRIGHT. 55:52 WELL, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING, YOU WHO HAVE SHOWN 55:55 UP HERE IN SACRAMENTO SANCTUARY AND ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE JOINED 55:58 US FROM WHEREVER YOU HAVE JOINED US. MANY OF YOU I HAVE HAD THE 56:02 PRIVILEGE OF CONNECTING WITH YOU OVER THE INTERNET AND TELEPHONE 56:06 AND SO FORTH. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. 56:09 >>IF YOU'VE MISSED ANY OF OUR AMAZING FACTS PROGRAMS, VISIT 56:11 OUR WEBSITE AT 'AMAZINGFACTS.ORG'. 56:14 THERE YOU'LL FIND AN ARCHIVE OF ALL OUR TELEVISION AND RADIO 56:16 PROGRAMS INCLUDING AMAZING FACTS PRESENTS. ONE LOCATION. 56:20 SO MANY POSSIBILITIES. AMAZINGFACTS.ORG. 56:35 >>THROUGHOUT RECORDED HISTORY, TALES OF GHOSTS AND SPIRITS 56:39 COULD BE FOUND IN FOLKLORE IN NEARLY EVERY COUNTRY 56:42 AND CULTURE. EGYPTIANS BUILT PYRAMIDS TO HELP 56:46 GUIDE THE SPIRITS OF THEIR LEADERS. ROME SANCTIONED 56:50 HOLIDAYS TO HONOR AND APPEASE THE SPIRITS OF THEIR DEAD. 56:54 EVEN THE BIBLE TELLS OF A KING THAT USED A WITCH TO CONTACT THE 56:59 SPIRIT OF A DECEASED PROPHET. TODAY, ANCIENT FOLKLORE OF 57:03 SPIRITS AND APPARITIONS HAVE GONE FROM MERE SUPERSTITIONS 57:07 TO MAINSTREAM ENTERTAINMENT AND REALITY. SCIENTIFIC 57:12 ORGANIZATIONS INVESTIGATE STORIES OF HAUNTINGS AND 57:15 SIGHTINGS TRYING TO PROVE, ONCE AND FOR ALL, 57:18 THE EXISTENCE OF GHOSTS. EVEN WITH ALL THE NEW-FOUND 57:25 TECHNOLOGY AND CENTURIES OF STORIES ALL OVER THE WORLD, 57:29 THERE IS STILL NO CLEAR-CUT ANSWER. 57:34 SO HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT'S TRUE? WHY DO THESE STORIES PERSIST? 57:42 DOES IT EVEN MATTER? WE INVITE YOU TO LOOK INSIDE AND 57:49 FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF. VISIT 'GHOSTRUTH.COM'. 57:59 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2014-12-17