Welcome to Faith Chapel, 00:00:30.98\00:00:32.46 I'm Tom Waters with Restoration International. 00:00:32.47\00:00:36.30 Today, I wanna with you about a very special day 00:00:36.31\00:00:40.75 that I had with the Lord. I have many 00:00:40.76\00:00:43.48 special days with the Lord now, 00:00:43.49\00:00:45.06 but this one particularly stood out of my mind 00:00:45.07\00:00:48.22 as a day of learning that we really can be with 00:00:48.23\00:00:52.59 the Lord and He wants to be with us. 00:00:52.60\00:00:55.02 He wants to be at our right side. 00:00:55.03\00:00:57.09 He wants to direct us through the day. 00:00:57.10\00:00:59.50 One evening as I was kneeling by my bed, 00:00:59.51\00:01:04.58 closing the day in prayer to my Lord. 00:01:04.59\00:01:08.28 I was praying, sharing all the things that 00:01:08.29\00:01:11.51 were on my mind and then I was listening. 00:01:11.52\00:01:14.45 You know communication, 00:01:14.46\00:01:16.50 if you think about it, is a two way process, 00:01:16.51\00:01:19.23 if it's effective communication, 00:01:19.24\00:01:20.83 it isn't just one person doing all the talking. 00:01:20.84\00:01:23.04 The Lord really does wanna commune 00:01:23.05\00:01:25.72 with our hearts and He wants us to be 00:01:25.73\00:01:27.58 still and know that He is God. 00:01:27.59\00:01:30.37 And so at the end of my sharing with 00:01:30.38\00:01:33.47 the Lord if you will, I said Lord you know, 00:01:33.48\00:01:37.26 is there anything you have for me 00:01:37.27\00:01:38.62 and this thought came to my mind 00:01:38.63\00:01:40.30 and I wrote it down. It was a challenge 00:01:40.31\00:01:42.82 from the Lord, I want you to know that's 00:01:42.83\00:01:46.11 the thought that came through. 00:01:46.12\00:01:47.16 I want you to know that I'm with you all 00:01:47.17\00:01:49.73 through the day tomorrow. 00:01:49.74\00:01:52.48 So here's the Lord preparing me 00:01:52.49\00:01:55.64 as I'm closing the day that tomorrow is going 00:01:55.65\00:01:59.16 to be a special day that I can know that 00:01:59.17\00:02:02.15 he is with me through the entire day. 00:02:02.16\00:02:05.73 So I said Lord when you wake me in the 00:02:05.74\00:02:08.93 morning will you remind me that you are with me. 00:02:08.94\00:02:13.87 Do you believe Christ wants this kind of 00:02:13.88\00:02:17.22 personal connection with His people. 00:02:17.23\00:02:19.15 Now I hope, hope you do it today, 00:02:19.16\00:02:21.48 I hope that no matter where you find yourself, 00:02:21.49\00:02:24.15 that even now the spirit of the Lord will 00:02:24.16\00:02:27.26 come to you. Will impress upon your 00:02:27.27\00:02:30.41 heart that He loves you with an everlasting 00:02:30.42\00:02:33.13 love and because of that He is drawing 00:02:33.14\00:02:36.27 you to Him with loving kindness. 00:02:36.28\00:02:39.12 The Lord wants to have a personal connection 00:02:39.13\00:02:42.44 with us. He wants to guide us all through 00:02:42.45\00:02:45.14 the day. So the next morning, 00:02:45.15\00:02:49.68 the Lord woke me up. You know its interesting 00:02:49.69\00:02:52.45 in Isaiah 15 in the fourth verse. It says, 00:02:52.46\00:02:55.26 He wakeneth me morning by morning. 00:02:55.27\00:02:57.72 Is he waking you morning by morning, 00:02:57.73\00:03:00.32 He wants to be. He wants to be a part 00:03:00.33\00:03:02.40 of our lives from the beginning of the new 00:03:02.41\00:03:05.34 day until we close it. It says, He wakeneth 00:03:05.35\00:03:08.08 me morning by morning, He wakeneth my ear 00:03:08.09\00:03:10.35 to hear as the learned. Are you waking up with 00:03:10.36\00:03:14.83 the Lord and when you wake up, 00:03:14.84\00:03:17.65 are you waking up with an ear that's ready 00:03:17.66\00:03:20.13 to hear. Lord, what would you have me 00:03:20.14\00:03:21.93 to do today? What do you have for me in this 00:03:21.94\00:03:25.09 new day? Well, the Lord woke me. 00:03:25.10\00:03:29.38 And not only did He wake me, but He did 00:03:29.39\00:03:32.61 just what I asked Him to do in His mercy. 00:03:32.62\00:03:35.84 He reminded me, He reminded me of my 00:03:35.85\00:03:39.67 prayer the night before. Now He was waking me, 00:03:39.68\00:03:43.71 He said He would. He was reminding me, 00:03:43.72\00:03:48.00 now what do I have to do. Oh here's the 00:03:48.01\00:03:52.08 part that we have to face and that is, 00:03:52.09\00:03:55.65 what will we do with the choice that God 00:03:55.66\00:03:59.35 gives us. That's the part that we have. 00:03:59.36\00:04:02.46 He's done his part. He is, He's waken 00:04:02.47\00:04:06.31 us in the morning, He's called to us, 00:04:06.32\00:04:09.59 He's reminded us that He wants to be there 00:04:09.60\00:04:12.72 with us and now the choice is up to me. 00:04:12.73\00:04:16.37 I have a choice, by faith to accept His 00:04:16.38\00:04:18.77 offer that He is bringing to me 00:04:18.78\00:04:21.50 or I have a choice that I can rollover 00:04:21.51\00:04:24.45 in my bed and say I'm tired. 00:04:24.46\00:04:28.44 It doesn't seem so important to be with 00:04:28.45\00:04:33.45 you as it did last night when I closed the day. 00:04:33.46\00:04:36.94 Now we might not say that in reality the way 00:04:36.95\00:04:40.52 I just said it. But the question is, 00:04:40.53\00:04:44.53 are we really saying it in our response. 00:04:44.54\00:04:48.40 Are we saying to the Lord as we rollover 00:04:48.41\00:04:51.31 and turn our back to Him that I don't really 00:04:51.32\00:04:54.15 want to have you guiding me through 00:04:54.16\00:04:55.70 the day. I don't really wanna do it your way. 00:04:55.71\00:04:58.44 I wanna start this day by doing it my way. 00:04:58.45\00:05:00.93 And the way I wanna do it my way is to 00:05:00.94\00:05:02.62 stay in bed right now, because I don't 00:05:02.63\00:05:03.85 feel like getting up and having communion 00:05:03.86\00:05:06.63 with you. I hope that's not the case. 00:05:06.64\00:05:09.25 Let's go back there again to chapter 50 00:05:09.26\00:05:12.91 of Isaiah in verses four and five, it says, 00:05:12.92\00:05:15.86 He wakeneth me morning by morning, 00:05:15.87\00:05:17.41 He wakeneth my ear to hear as the learned 00:05:17.42\00:05:19.84 and the verse five says, And I was not rebellious, 00:05:19.85\00:05:24.71 neither turned away back. Oh what a blessing. 00:05:24.72\00:05:29.50 Let's take the practical application of that now 00:05:29.51\00:05:31.95 He's waken us, are we gonna turn our back 00:05:31.96\00:05:33.59 on Him? Physically, spiritually, are we 00:05:33.60\00:05:36.46 gonna turn our back or we gonna be responding 00:05:36.47\00:05:40.32 to His awakening and saying yes Lord, 00:05:40.33\00:05:43.00 I wanna be with you today. 00:05:43.01\00:05:44.69 Well I remembered my prayer, 00:05:44.70\00:05:46.46 I remembered that I ask Him to remind me. 00:05:46.47\00:05:49.78 And I have remembered this day I was going to 00:05:49.79\00:05:51.42 be with Christ. This day was not going 00:05:51.43\00:05:53.81 to be just the day of doing things my way. 00:05:53.82\00:05:56.93 It was gonna be a day with Christ. 00:05:56.94\00:05:59.61 So, I was aware of His presence, 00:05:59.62\00:06:02.44 I was aware of His call and I began my 00:06:02.45\00:06:05.56 day on my knees with the Lord. 00:06:05.57\00:06:08.30 And I went through my prayer time with 00:06:08.31\00:06:11.26 the Lord and I like to pray and what I call 00:06:11.27\00:06:13.65 gospel order. I found it will be very meaningful. 00:06:13.66\00:06:16.77 That means that the first thing I need to 00:06:16.78\00:06:18.53 pray about is my personal need of a 00:06:18.54\00:06:21.70 leaving connection to Christ. 00:06:21.71\00:06:23.80 I need a new heart, I need a spirit put 00:06:23.81\00:06:27.27 within me, I need to take, the Lord to take 00:06:27.28\00:06:30.67 out this stony heart out of my flesh and 00:06:30.68\00:06:32.60 give me a new heart, a clean heart and that's 00:06:32.61\00:06:35.91 where I start with my prayers in the morning, 00:06:35.92\00:06:37.88 because I know that without Him I'm not 00:06:37.89\00:06:41.41 gonna have a very good day, because 00:06:41.42\00:06:43.35 self's way does not work. Have you found 00:06:43.36\00:06:46.46 that to be the case. My way doesn't work, 00:06:46.47\00:06:49.01 but when I surrendered myself to God 00:06:49.02\00:06:51.06 and I enter into His way, so I opened myself up, 00:06:51.07\00:06:56.38 began to pray, then I like to pray for my wife, 00:06:56.39\00:07:00.73 for my children. I call it gospel order 00:07:00.74\00:07:02.99 because its first the individual, myself to God 00:07:03.00\00:07:06.54 and then its my marriage, then its 00:07:06.55\00:07:08.57 my family, then its my wider circle. 00:07:08.58\00:07:11.75 And so I finished praying and making 00:07:11.76\00:07:13.93 my needs known to God and I said Lord, 00:07:13.94\00:07:17.08 is there anything this morning that 00:07:17.09\00:07:18.79 you wanna put on my heart and it was 00:07:18.80\00:07:21.11 interesting the Lord brought three families 00:07:21.12\00:07:24.99 especially to my mind. And I began to pray 00:07:25.00\00:07:28.55 for those three families. A friend 00:07:28.56\00:07:32.37 of mine has requested that, that I would make 00:07:32.38\00:07:35.92 him more accountable as a Christian. 00:07:35.93\00:07:37.46 Would I be willing to do that to give him 00:07:37.47\00:07:39.06 a call once in a while and I said you know 00:07:39.07\00:07:41.29 I'm happy to do that if the Lord puts 00:07:41.30\00:07:43.19 that in my heart. I wanna do it if its 00:07:43.20\00:07:45.98 God's will and so, this morning that came to 00:07:45.99\00:07:49.95 my mind so clearly and I began to pray for him 00:07:49.96\00:07:52.93 and then I wanted to be able to follow through 00:07:52.94\00:07:55.78 and have that, that positive spiritual 00:07:55.79\00:07:58.13 accountability. It reminded me of 00:07:58.14\00:08:01.39 another family. Family that was 00:08:01.40\00:08:03.64 going through a particularly difficult 00:08:03.65\00:08:06.28 struggle in their experience and I 00:08:06.29\00:08:08.95 began to pray for them. Praying that God would 00:08:08.96\00:08:11.80 come near to them in His presence through Christ 00:08:11.81\00:08:14.86 and through the Holy Spirit, that He would 00:08:14.87\00:08:16.85 meet their particular needs and they too 00:08:16.86\00:08:19.84 could be aware that this day they could be 00:08:19.85\00:08:23.23 with Christ. And so I was praying there 00:08:23.24\00:08:26.38 that beautiful morning with the Lord and 00:08:26.39\00:08:28.85 I said Lord, I just, I have given myself to you. 00:08:28.86\00:08:32.41 I just wanna know that you're with me. 00:08:32.42\00:08:34.58 I wanna be aware of your presence through 00:08:34.59\00:08:36.87 the day. I wanna be in your will all through 00:08:36.88\00:08:40.52 the day. And this thought came to my mind, 00:08:40.53\00:08:43.69 a beautiful thought, I will be at thy right hand. 00:08:43.70\00:08:49.08 Oh! What a thrilling thought, I will be at thy. 00:08:49.09\00:08:52.05 The Lord is saying I will be at thy right hand, 00:08:52.06\00:08:55.33 what an encouragement. 00:08:55.34\00:08:57.23 I remember the words of David in Psalm 16 00:08:57.24\00:09:00.77 verse 8 where David says there, I have set 00:09:00.78\00:09:05.25 the Lord always before me, because He is at 00:09:05.26\00:09:09.23 my right hand, I shall not be moved. 00:09:09.24\00:09:12.77 What a promise. These words are for us 00:09:12.78\00:09:16.88 and this was very personal to me on 00:09:16.89\00:09:19.32 this day with Christ. I knew that He was 00:09:19.33\00:09:23.95 going to make me aware of his presence. 00:09:23.96\00:09:26.16 He was gonna be at my right hand 00:09:26.17\00:09:28.27 and therefore because He is at my right hand. 00:09:28.28\00:09:31.28 I don't have to be moved. What does 00:09:31.29\00:09:32.88 that mean? I don't have to be moved by 00:09:32.89\00:09:35.16 my selfishness, I don't have to be moved by 00:09:35.17\00:09:37.92 wanting to do things my way. 00:09:37.93\00:09:40.18 I don't have to be moved by the 00:09:40.19\00:09:41.53 temptations that the devil is gonna throw 00:09:41.54\00:09:44.36 at me because I have my savior 00:09:44.37\00:09:47.95 who is willing to be at my right hand. 00:09:47.96\00:09:51.84 This is the whole purpose of communion 00:09:51.85\00:09:54.43 with God friends. This is the whole reason 00:09:54.44\00:09:57.64 for our quiet time in the morning. 00:09:57.65\00:09:59.23 This is why God wants to waken us 00:09:59.24\00:10:01.21 morning by morning to be with Him. 00:10:01.22\00:10:03.71 So that we can be set in our minds, 00:10:03.72\00:10:07.05 that we can know that He is at our right 00:10:07.06\00:10:09.54 hand and knowing and consciously aware 00:10:09.55\00:10:12.51 that as he is with us, then we don't have 00:10:12.52\00:10:14.21 to be moved. This is the whole purpose for 00:10:14.22\00:10:17.21 our time. It isn't just, that we take our Bibles 00:10:17.22\00:10:20.24 and we have time, so we can say well 00:10:20.25\00:10:22.44 I read my Bible today or I had a prayer today. 00:10:22.45\00:10:25.83 The whole reason for communion with God 00:10:25.84\00:10:28.07 through His word and through prayer 00:10:28.08\00:10:30.04 is to connect our souls in a vital living 00:10:30.05\00:10:35.09 connection with Jesus Christ and to know that 00:10:35.10\00:10:39.00 He is going to be with us. And I shall not be 00:10:39.01\00:10:43.40 moved. You see a living Christian, 00:10:43.41\00:10:45.39 this is a living Christian, communion with Christ, 00:10:45.40\00:10:49.07 heeding the call of spirit and living in 00:10:49.08\00:10:52.80 His will by His power. The other, the 00:10:52.81\00:10:57.88 professed Christian has no real communion 00:10:57.89\00:11:00.67 with Christ. Not really tuned in or responsive 00:11:00.68\00:11:05.16 to the call of the spirit and he is managing 00:11:05.17\00:11:07.38 my life in myself doing it my way 00:11:07.39\00:11:10.92 and this is the Bible calls a form of Godliness. 00:11:10.93\00:11:14.17 Looks like Godliness to many people, 00:11:14.18\00:11:16.45 but it's a form of Godliness that denies 00:11:16.46\00:11:18.81 the very power of the gospel. 00:11:18.82\00:11:20.76 And we're told that we should turn away 00:11:20.77\00:11:23.48 from that kind of Godliness to the 00:11:23.49\00:11:26.12 living power of Jesus Christ. 00:11:26.13\00:11:28.46 Well that morning as I went upstairs for 00:11:28.47\00:11:33.79 my room. I went upstairs I was about 00:11:33.80\00:11:36.44 to return down stairs I got a drink of water, 00:11:36.45\00:11:40.31 I was just ready to head back down the 00:11:40.32\00:11:42.16 stairs to my room where my desk is 00:11:42.17\00:11:45.17 and the Lord gave me this thought. 00:11:45.18\00:11:47.36 Remember He is gonna be at my right hand. 00:11:47.37\00:11:49.70 I don't need to be moved. The Lord gave 00:11:49.71\00:11:52.44 me this thought, go over and give your 00:11:52.45\00:11:54.05 wife a kiss. And let her know how much 00:11:54.06\00:11:57.45 you appreciate her. Now shall hear a 00:11:57.46\00:12:00.47 behind this thing, this is the way walking. 00:12:00.48\00:12:04.04 Do you think that God wants to communicate 00:12:04.05\00:12:06.84 with us personally in real life situations? 00:12:06.85\00:12:11.11 That he wants us to take His word and 00:12:11.12\00:12:13.60 bring it into our practical daily lives. 00:12:13.61\00:12:15.83 You see God knew the need of my wife 00:12:15.84\00:12:19.77 at that moment. And as I was headed back 00:12:19.78\00:12:22.65 down stairs to go to my desk, the Lord said, 00:12:22.66\00:12:25.51 go over and give your wife a kiss. 00:12:25.52\00:12:28.50 Let her know how much you appreciate her. 00:12:28.51\00:12:30.74 My first instantaneous response was I have 00:12:30.75\00:12:34.57 things I need to do. But the Lord 00:12:34.58\00:12:36.98 reminded me again as I ask Him to do that 00:12:36.99\00:12:40.09 this day was going to be with Christ. 00:12:40.10\00:12:42.75 I was going to stay with Him and so 00:12:42.76\00:12:44.81 I went over. I yielded myself and the power 00:12:44.82\00:12:48.59 of God worked in me to go over and not 00:12:48.60\00:12:51.61 that it's difficulty to give my wife a kiss, 00:12:51.62\00:12:53.34 but its difficult when I'm focused on doing 00:12:53.35\00:12:55.28 something else. But isn't that the struggle 00:12:55.29\00:12:58.26 we have in the Christian life. 00:12:58.27\00:12:59.72 Isn't that the struggle we have daily, 00:12:59.73\00:13:01.91 whether it's my will or thy will be done, 00:13:01.92\00:13:04.62 in the intensity of real life and so 00:13:04.63\00:13:07.12 I yielded myself. I went over to give 00:13:07.13\00:13:10.34 my wife a kiss. She lit up, she said how 00:13:10.35\00:13:14.44 did you know I needed that. I said well, 00:13:14.45\00:13:18.59 the Lord knew, the Lord knew what you needed 00:13:18.60\00:13:21.24 and I was willing because I love you 00:13:21.25\00:13:24.19 and I wanna serve the Lord. 00:13:24.20\00:13:25.65 The Lord knew what you needed and 00:13:25.66\00:13:27.26 I was willing to do what the Lord was 00:13:27.27\00:13:29.64 asking me to do. So how was it with you today. 00:13:29.65\00:13:33.63 Are you experiencing this kind of walk with 00:13:33.64\00:13:36.95 Jesus Christ where you are being guided 00:13:36.96\00:13:40.38 and governed as you go to his word, 00:13:40.39\00:13:42.89 to make the word come alive in Jesus Christ? 00:13:42.90\00:13:45.45 He wants to be our Savior all through 00:13:45.46\00:13:48.53 the day. He wants to be our Lord all 00:13:48.54\00:13:50.94 through the day. He wants to instruct us 00:13:50.95\00:13:52.98 and teach us in the way that we should go. 00:13:52.99\00:13:54.94 He wants to guide us through our day. 00:13:54.95\00:13:57.66 Are we really letting him do that? 00:13:57.67\00:14:00.06 You know, it was interesting, the first 00:14:00.07\00:14:03.33 major plan change for my day came from 00:14:03.34\00:14:06.49 the Lord when I came up for breakfast, 00:14:06.50\00:14:08.89 there I was coming up to the breakfast table, 00:14:08.90\00:14:12.05 I really enjoy breakfast. Coming to the breakfast 00:14:12.06\00:14:15.34 table and I had one of those gentle promptings 00:14:15.35\00:14:18.93 from the Lord. Just gently calling to me 00:14:18.94\00:14:22.17 that I needed to just eat lightly that day 00:14:22.18\00:14:26.20 and just have fruit. Oh I was looking forward 00:14:26.21\00:14:30.73 to a big breakfast. I like to breakfast 00:14:30.74\00:14:33.56 like a king. And I enjoy it so much, 00:14:33.57\00:14:36.76 but you know we have just returned not long 00:14:36.77\00:14:41.18 before from a series of meetings and I realized 00:14:41.19\00:14:45.12 that my throat was not quite what it should 00:14:45.13\00:14:47.66 and you know the Lord was calling to 00:14:47.67\00:14:51.04 me just to eat more lightly. What am I 00:14:51.05\00:14:53.30 gonna do now? He reminded me again that 00:14:53.31\00:14:56.85 He is gonna be at my right hand, so I don't 00:14:56.86\00:14:58.99 need to be moved, so now will I trust him 00:14:59.00\00:15:01.66 enough. This is the question that each 00:15:01.67\00:15:03.85 one of us faces. Will we trust God enough 00:15:03.86\00:15:07.21 to go beyond what I think is best. 00:15:07.22\00:15:09.96 What I wanna do, what self wants to do. 00:15:09.97\00:15:12.62 Do I trust God enough this day with Christ, 00:15:12.63\00:15:16.87 that was what I was going to have this day 00:15:16.88\00:15:19.08 with Christ and I said yes Lord, I'm willing. 00:15:19.09\00:15:22.82 I wanna do your will all through the day, 00:15:22.83\00:15:24.98 because I know you have my best good in mind, 00:15:24.99\00:15:27.73 you have my best health in mind. 00:15:27.74\00:15:30.19 He says I, whether you'd prosper and 00:15:30.20\00:15:32.62 be in health, even as thy soul will prosper. 00:15:32.63\00:15:35.29 So I went to the table and I had the meal 00:15:35.30\00:15:40.25 with my family, not as a martyr. 00:15:40.26\00:15:42.91 Oh poor me, I can't eat today because the 00:15:42.92\00:15:46.68 Lord told me that I, you know I just need to 00:15:46.69\00:15:49.64 give my body a little break and eat lightly. 00:15:49.65\00:15:51.68 So well I'm gonna do what the Lord tells 00:15:51.69\00:15:54.22 me to do. It's really too bad. 00:15:54.23\00:15:56.69 You know I went to the table, I was a joy 00:15:56.70\00:16:00.37 and an inspiration and an encouragement 00:16:00.38\00:16:02.71 to my family, doing what God was asking 00:16:02.72\00:16:05.02 me to do. Because I wanted to have Jesus 00:16:05.03\00:16:09.04 as my companion throughout the day, 00:16:09.05\00:16:12.16 going about my father's will. 00:16:12.17\00:16:15.73 Well I'll tell you. Christianity as far 00:16:15.74\00:16:19.77 as I'm concerned practically speaking 00:16:19.78\00:16:22.41 is living in the present will of Jesus Christ. 00:16:22.42\00:16:28.31 Christianity, think about this, is living 00:16:28.32\00:16:32.20 in the present will of Jesus Christ. 00:16:32.21\00:16:35.41 Not just this morning, not just yesterday, 00:16:35.42\00:16:38.77 but presently in this moment and not only 00:16:38.78\00:16:41.81 is it living in the present will of 00:16:41.82\00:16:44.02 Jesus Christ. It is living in the will of 00:16:44.03\00:16:46.66 Jesus Christ by the present power of 00:16:46.67\00:16:49.92 Jesus Christ. And that's what makes the 00:16:49.93\00:16:52.75 difference. It's not enough to just be 00:16:52.76\00:16:55.71 willing to be in His will in the present moment, 00:16:55.72\00:17:00.07 we need a power outside of ourselves, 00:17:00.08\00:17:02.71 that power is Jesus Christ through His 00:17:02.72\00:17:05.56 Holy Spirit he says I will never leave thee 00:17:05.57\00:17:08.87 nor forsake thee. If we want him to be 00:17:08.88\00:17:11.16 that power, if we choose Him to be that power. 00:17:11.17\00:17:14.45 We can have his will worked out in my life 00:17:14.46\00:17:18.56 with the power of Jesus Christ present 00:17:18.57\00:17:22.62 an alive in us. You know I went on through 00:17:22.63\00:17:26.74 that day. Later that afternoon I got a call, 00:17:26.75\00:17:30.25 a very important phone call from someone 00:17:30.26\00:17:33.27 that I had been praying for, for many years. 00:17:33.28\00:17:37.70 Praying for the Holy Spirit to break through 00:17:37.71\00:17:41.54 to that young man's heart. It was my 00:17:41.55\00:17:43.61 nephew and I had been praying and praying 00:17:43.62\00:17:47.17 for God to break through. Lo and behold 00:17:47.18\00:17:50.40 on this day that I had committed myself 00:17:50.41\00:17:53.11 in a special way. This day from the morning 00:17:53.12\00:17:57.20 to the night I had committed myself to 00:17:57.21\00:17:59.24 stay in a present will of Jesus Christ under 00:17:59.25\00:18:03.38 His divine power and guidance. 00:18:03.39\00:18:05.67 This day God made a divine appointment 00:18:05.68\00:18:09.15 with my nephew. He called me on the phone. 00:18:09.16\00:18:13.01 He had recognized like never before, 00:18:13.02\00:18:16.59 his need of a savior. He said, uncle Tom, 00:18:16.60\00:18:19.94 there is no one else I, I know that I can turn to. 00:18:19.95\00:18:22.52 He said can you help me? Can you help me now? 00:18:22.53\00:18:28.17 I want you to stop for a moment friends 00:18:28.94\00:18:30.97 and think if there is someone you've been 00:18:30.98\00:18:33.98 praying for and they call you on the phone. 00:18:33.99\00:18:36.79 Are you going to be in a position in this 00:18:36.80\00:18:40.27 present moment to help them in the 00:18:40.28\00:18:43.98 strength of Jesus Christ? Are you going 00:18:43.99\00:18:45.97 to be able to give them a life changing 00:18:45.98\00:18:49.39 connection to Jesus Christ? Because only 00:18:49.40\00:18:51.79 as we are in that connection, only as 00:18:51.80\00:18:54.08 we are living and alive in Jesus Christ, 00:18:54.09\00:18:56.74 can we give that experience and 00:18:56.75\00:18:59.60 encourage someone else to take it up. 00:18:59.61\00:19:01.53 It can't be yesterday's experience. 00:19:01.54\00:19:03.70 It can't be living in self and saying well here 00:19:03.71\00:19:06.26 I've got a couple of Bible texts for you. 00:19:06.27\00:19:07.99 I mean they don't really have any 00:19:08.00\00:19:09.62 impact in my life, but boy they're really good, 00:19:09.63\00:19:12.20 you know that's God word. No friends, 00:19:12.21\00:19:14.62 it needs to be in the present experience 00:19:14.63\00:19:18.54 that Jesus has for us. And I began to share 00:19:18.55\00:19:22.61 with him my experience in Jesus. 00:19:22.62\00:19:26.40 I began to experience, share the experience 00:19:26.41\00:19:29.54 of my surrender and what God was asking 00:19:29.55\00:19:32.34 me to do. And that God would be at 00:19:32.35\00:19:34.46 His right hand if he was willing to give himself 00:19:34.47\00:19:37.15 vulnerably to God, that God would be there 00:19:37.16\00:19:40.40 for him. Would be a pleasant experience 00:19:40.41\00:19:43.14 for him. And then he asked me, do you have 00:19:43.15\00:19:46.63 a book? You know I have a Bible. 00:19:46.64\00:19:48.86 Do you have any book that will be helpful 00:19:48.87\00:19:50.53 to me? And immediately the Lord brought that 00:19:50.54\00:19:53.31 special precious book, Steps to Christ. 00:19:53.32\00:19:57.56 Oh! What a beautiful book that is and how simple. 00:19:57.57\00:20:01.06 And the Lord brought that book to mind and I, 00:20:01.07\00:20:03.78 I shared that with him, and said I will send 00:20:03.79\00:20:06.96 you a copy of this book, so you can have it to 00:20:06.97\00:20:09.93 along with your Bible study. And he said, 00:20:09.94\00:20:13.26 uncle Tom could you, could you mark the 00:20:13.27\00:20:15.85 book for me. Mark the things in it that are 00:20:15.86\00:20:19.00 special to you that I might be able to turn 00:20:19.01\00:20:21.51 to and I can get the encouragement that 00:20:21.52\00:20:23.40 God has given you. Would you do that 00:20:23.41\00:20:25.45 for me uncle Tom? And I said yes. 00:20:25.46\00:20:28.59 I'd be happy to do that. Well we had prayer 00:20:28.60\00:20:31.88 together. I got off the phone and I was so 00:20:31.89\00:20:34.34 excited, what an opportunity I had been 00:20:34.35\00:20:36.66 prayer for years for this young man. 00:20:36.67\00:20:39.60 I got off the phone, I got the little book 00:20:39.61\00:20:43.59 Steps to Christ that I was gonna give to him. 00:20:43.60\00:20:45.83 A brand new one, I have a few I like to 00:20:45.84\00:20:48.12 share and I, I got the book and I sat down 00:20:48.13\00:20:51.01 and I was opening it up and I was, I was 00:20:51.02\00:20:53.56 gonna mark some special passages and 00:20:53.57\00:20:56.22 as I just began the thought came to me 00:20:56.23\00:20:59.36 from my ever present Lord, who said that 00:20:59.37\00:21:02.34 he was gonna be at my right hand, 00:21:02.35\00:21:04.51 so that I didn't have to be moved. 00:21:04.52\00:21:06.56 He called my heart, the spirit called to me 00:21:06.57\00:21:08.90 and said mark the whole book. 00:21:08.91\00:21:12.33 Now obvious he didn't mean to mark every 00:21:12.34\00:21:15.10 word in the book, but you know go from 00:21:15.11\00:21:17.01 the front book, to the end of the book 00:21:17.02\00:21:19.44 and mark the passages that are so special 00:21:19.45\00:21:23.07 and so powerful in the book. 00:21:23.08\00:21:24.56 And I have to honest with you. I said Lord, 00:21:24.57\00:21:29.41 that will take a long time. Isn't our 00:21:29.42\00:21:33.22 humanity weak and doesn't it come to the 00:21:33.23\00:21:36.10 surface so quickly. Lord, that will take 00:21:36.11\00:21:38.85 a long time. And the tender reprove from 00:21:38.86\00:21:42.95 the Lord that came to me quietly was, 00:21:42.96\00:21:45.29 you've been praying for him for a longtime 00:21:45.30\00:21:50.59 it will be worth it and he will be blessed. 00:21:50.60\00:21:54.77 And I said Lord, thank you, I'm sorry, 00:21:54.78\00:21:58.10 I want to do this and so I sat down 00:21:58.11\00:22:01.09 and what would have been a long chore 00:22:01.10\00:22:03.05 in the wrong spirit became a joy and 00:22:03.06\00:22:06.16 rejoicing in the right spirit. And I'll tell 00:22:06.17\00:22:09.01 you what a blessing as I went through 00:22:09.02\00:22:11.26 and I highlighted the powerful words of that 00:22:11.27\00:22:14.69 book in many places. One of the things that 00:22:14.70\00:22:17.26 I highlighted, I came across these words. 00:22:17.27\00:22:19.46 It says, take me Lord, take me as wholly Thine. 00:22:19.47\00:22:23.50 I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me this 00:22:23.51\00:22:27.68 today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let 00:22:27.69\00:22:32.63 all of my work be wrought in Thee. 00:22:32.64\00:22:34.73 That's taken from the Steps of Christ page 70. 00:22:34.74\00:22:38.19 Take me as wholly Thine, and this is what 00:22:38.20\00:22:41.36 struck me. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. 00:22:41.37\00:22:46.20 This friends is what God is asking us to do, 00:22:46.21\00:22:50.84 to have this day with Christ. 00:22:50.85\00:22:53.46 To be willing to lay my plans, it's not wrong 00:22:53.47\00:22:56.61 to make plans, but to lay those plans as 00:22:56.62\00:23:00.30 we come to Him morning by morning to say Lord 00:23:00.31\00:23:02.67 these are my plans I've made them perfectly, 00:23:02.68\00:23:05.10 I've made them with my understanding limited 00:23:05.11\00:23:09.35 as it is from what I see. But Lord you take 00:23:09.36\00:23:11.84 these plans and I laid him at Thy feet. 00:23:11.85\00:23:15.10 I'm wholly Thine. If you need to change 00:23:15.11\00:23:18.21 my plans Lord, you can change my plans 00:23:18.22\00:23:20.75 and that's what God is actually doing. 00:23:20.76\00:23:22.42 Changing my plans in that situation, 00:23:22.43\00:23:25.95 he was asking me to highlight the portions 00:23:25.96\00:23:30.48 of that whole book and oh what a blessing 00:23:30.49\00:23:34.02 it was. You see this is the real Christian life. 00:23:34.03\00:23:40.33 This is the of kind of day, these are the 00:23:40.34\00:23:44.64 kinds of days that we can be experiencing 00:23:44.65\00:23:49.18 with Christ over and over and over again. 00:23:49.19\00:23:52.90 When Jesus was here on this earth. 00:23:52.91\00:23:55.63 He said I always do those things that 00:23:55.64\00:23:58.04 please my heavenly father. Oh! I'll tell you 00:23:58.05\00:24:02.09 to be a Christian has become the greatest 00:24:02.10\00:24:05.44 joy of my life. I love being a Christian 00:24:05.45\00:24:10.87 because I love communion and 00:24:10.88\00:24:14.24 the life changing, the life keeping power 00:24:14.25\00:24:17.68 that comes from being with Jesus Christ 00:24:17.69\00:24:20.47 through the Holy Spirit. That experience takes 00:24:20.48\00:24:24.05 Christianity or so called Christianity from a 00:24:24.06\00:24:27.75 dry formality, from a rule, the rules of dos 00:24:27.76\00:24:30.90 and don'ts and it begins to write in 00:24:30.91\00:24:33.23 our hearts the law of God. I delight to do 00:24:33.24\00:24:37.65 thy will, oh! My God. Yea thy law is within 00:24:37.66\00:24:42.12 my heart. This is the experience that Jeremiah 00:24:42.13\00:24:46.18 had when he said, I found thy word 00:24:46.19\00:24:48.07 and I did eat it; and thy word became 00:24:48.08\00:24:49.95 unto me the joy and rejoicing of my soul. 00:24:49.96\00:24:54.79 It means that we take the word of God. 00:24:54.80\00:24:57.88 This is the word that was made flesh 00:24:57.89\00:25:00.91 and dwelt among us. This is the word that comes 00:25:00.92\00:25:03.61 alive in Jesus Christ. We take that word 00:25:03.62\00:25:06.72 and it becomes a part of us as we allow Jesus 00:25:06.73\00:25:11.25 to have full control of us. Do you wanna have 00:25:11.26\00:25:14.37 that difference today? Do you wanna experience 00:25:14.38\00:25:17.10 that in Jesus Christ? If you do, you can have 00:25:17.11\00:25:22.21 this day with Jesus. Not just this day, 00:25:22.22\00:25:26.63 but you can have everyday in Jesus. 00:25:26.64\00:25:29.71 Imagine, if you'll take this day, wherever 00:25:29.72\00:25:34.37 you find yourself in this day. 00:25:34.38\00:25:36.16 And you will open yourself up to Jesus. 00:25:36.17\00:25:39.89 Whatever your perplexity, come to 00:25:39.90\00:25:42.28 Him in living faith, believing that He 00:25:42.29\00:25:44.10 will do in you, what you cannot do for yourself. 00:25:44.11\00:25:47.22 That He has the answer to every perplexity, 00:25:47.23\00:25:49.60 you can live with day as you wholeheartedly 00:25:49.61\00:25:54.25 give yourself to God. You can live this day 00:25:54.26\00:25:57.20 with Jesus. And you'll wanna live tomorrow 00:25:57.21\00:26:00.61 with Him I can assure you. 00:26:00.62\00:26:02.30 You see, the results of living this day with 00:26:02.31\00:26:06.20 Christ are like what Psalm 16:11 says, 00:26:06.21\00:26:09.09 Thou will show me the path of life, 00:26:09.10\00:26:11.55 in thy presence is fulness of joy, 00:26:11.56\00:26:14.63 and at thy right hand there are pleasures 00:26:14.64\00:26:17.37 forever more. The pleasures that are 00:26:17.38\00:26:20.11 forever more are what we experience with 00:26:20.12\00:26:23.11 Jesus at our right hand. The devil wants 00:26:23.12\00:26:26.13 us to think if you surrender yourself 00:26:26.14\00:26:28.41 to Lord. You're not going have any fun anymore. 00:26:28.42\00:26:30.58 No, the devil is a task master. 00:26:30.59\00:26:34.20 The Lord is joy ever more. 00:26:34.21\00:26:38.55 He brings us the fulness of joy. 00:26:38.56\00:26:41.05 It says here at thy right hand there are 00:26:41.06\00:26:43.38 pleasures for evermore. If you aren't experiencing 00:26:43.39\00:26:47.72 those pleasures or if you wanna experience 00:26:47.73\00:26:49.53 them more. Let this day be with Jesus Christ. 00:26:49.54\00:26:53.45 Let's go to our heavenly Father right now 00:26:53.46\00:26:55.65 as we pray. Father, we come to you, 00:26:55.66\00:26:58.34 because we need Jesus Christ. 00:26:58.35\00:27:00.59 We need Him as our savior. 00:27:00.60\00:27:02.16 We need Him as our Lord, we need Him 00:27:02.17\00:27:04.81 as our master, we need Him at our right hand, 00:27:04.82\00:27:07.64 we need Him through the Holy Spirit to be 00:27:07.65\00:27:10.00 to us what we cannot be for ourselves, 00:27:10.01\00:27:12.66 we need the power. The life changing 00:27:12.67\00:27:15.81 transforming power of Jesus Christ to be 00:27:15.82\00:27:18.27 living vibrant Christians. Lord, we want this day 00:27:18.28\00:27:22.48 to be with the Jesus. In His name we pray, amen. 00:27:22.49\00:27:27.11 Oh! What a privilege we have to call God 00:27:27.12\00:27:32.06 our heavenly Father. To call Jesus our Lord 00:27:32.07\00:27:35.55 and master, our friend. He is the 00:27:35.56\00:27:37.56 friend of sinners and wherever you find 00:27:37.57\00:27:39.95 yourself today, He wants you to give Him 00:27:39.96\00:27:43.63 your heart. He wants in this day and everyday 00:27:43.64\00:27:48.22 to be a day with Christ, because a day with 00:27:48.23\00:27:51.24 Christ is a day of pleasure 00:27:51.25\00:27:53.85 forever more. God bless. 00:27:53.86\00:27:56.26