Welcome to Faith
Chapel. My name is Steve Nelson.
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Our message today is
titled, Trust His Heart.
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How do you know
you can trust God?
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Through the message
today I believe we will see
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that God is trustworthy.
But before we begin,
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let us start
with a word of prayer.
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Our heavenly
Father, Lord, we thank you
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for the opportunity we
have to see from your word
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how we can trust you.
And Father, I just pray
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as we spend this time together
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that you will show us
and lead us by your spirit,
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Father, that we will know
that You are a trustworthy God.
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We thank You in the
name of Your dear Son. Amen.
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Proverbs 3
verse 5 and 6 gives us
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these interesting texts.
It says, Trust in the LORD
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with all thine heart;
and lean not unto thine
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own understanding. In
all thy ways acknowledge him,
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and he shall direct thy
paths. But how do you know
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you can trust
someone? I believe the trust
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is the cornerstone of
our relationship with God.
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Without Trust how
you will be able to give
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yourself completely
to Him? How do you know
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when the difficult times come
that He will be there for you.
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That He will be the
one who will bring us
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through those difficult
times. But it's not just
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our relationship with God,
we have difficulty in trusting
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our friends and our
close family members around us.
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How do we know the
people who we depend upon
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will be there for
us when we need them?
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An interesting survey was done
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in the American
Sociological Review,
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and the survey said
that circles of close friends
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and family are
shrinking for most Americans.
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And nearly one
quarter of those who responded
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to this survey said
there was no one in whom
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they could confide. No
one, its very interesting.
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In the world that we live today,
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with all the
relationships that we have
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and how we've learned
to develop relationships,
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one fourth of
those who surveyed said
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they had no one in
whom they could trust.
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Proverbs tells
us there is a friend
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that sticketh
closer than a brother.
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I believe there is
someone that we can trust.
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But how do you
know, how do you know
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you can trust God?
Psalms 37:5 says this,
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Commit thy way unto the
LORD; trust also in him;
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and he shall bring it to
pass. The Bible is telling us
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that we can commit ourselves
to God and when we do so,
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we trust in Him that
He will bring it to pass.
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It takes away from us the
need to be able, have to worry
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about how we're going
to deal with our life.
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Let me tell you, illustrate
from a story what I mean.
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A number of months
ago, my wife and I took
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a trip to Norway.
We flew out of Memphis,
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Tennessee, and we
went down to the airport.
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We got there in plenty of time,
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it was a hot
afternoon and we had to struggle
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with bringing our
suitcases into the airport
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and going through the
security and all those things
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that I find to be
very annoying actually.
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But we went through
security and we got down
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to the terminals
where we were going to wait
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for our flight. And
we had plenty of time,
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it's an international
flight, so they tell you
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to be there several hours early.
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Well as we sat
there, we had been there
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about half-hour
and all of a sudden
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an announcement
came over the PA system,
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and it says, the
flight has been delayed.
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Now I don't know
about you, but one thing
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I dislike more than
anything else is to hear
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the flight has been
delayed. Well we sat there,
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and not long after
that, another announcement
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came on and they said,
the flight is now going
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to be delayed for
an X amount of time,
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I think it was two
hours. But, the airline was
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very cordial and
very polite and they said,
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we're gonna
offer you meal vouchers
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so that you can have
a meal while you wait.
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So, we went and
took our meal voucher
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and we walked
through the airport,
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found a nice
little place to sit-down,
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and we had a nice
little vegetarian meal
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there and as we
came back, we noticed
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the time and it was
still over an hour-and-half
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before the flight
was scheduled to leave.
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Well then there came
another announcement,
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and the announcement said
the flight has been canceled.
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And I watched as a mad
scurry of rush of people
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just quickly headed towards the,
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out towards the
terminal and they told them
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that you need to go
back toward the agent is
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that you checked in
and when you do that,
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they will reassign your flight.
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And we set down and
we watched and we waited
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and I had perfect
peace. Normally I would
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have been the type of
person, I would have been
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stressing about
this, because we only had
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a short window of
time that we were supposed
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to get to our
destination in Norway.
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Well as I watched
the people go back,
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my wife and I slowly walked
back through the terminal.
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As we got to the security exit,
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I noticed the security
guard was standing there
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and he is kind of
directing people and he said,
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where can I direct
you, how can help you?
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I said well the flight we
were on was just canceled.
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He said, well you go out
here through the terminal,
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you make a left and you will see
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someone there at the
counter who can help you.
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And as I walked out
through the terminal
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I saw a long line of
people over here to the right,
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but he told us
to go to the left.
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And so we walked over to
the left and there was a,
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just a short line
right here to left.
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There was an agent
standing here and there
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was a woman in
front of us and the woman
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she asked us and she
says how can help you?
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And we says well I was on
a fight that was canceled.
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She says oh well you have
to go to this line over here.
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We knew what she
was gonna say to us,
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but she walked up
to us and she said
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well how can I help
you? And my wife and I said,
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well we were on flight to Norway
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that was canceled and
they told us to come here,
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and she looked at us and
said well you can stay here.
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You see what I mean,
when you have a problem
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and a difficulty,
God is there to take care
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of that problem for you.
It doesn't mean that he will
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always work it out in
the way that you think,
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but he always
does take care of you.
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As we stood in line, it
was only a few more moments,
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we got to the
counter, and the ticket agent
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there tried
disparately to try to get us
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on another flight
that would get us to
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our destination in
time. She went through try
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and going to
different locations,
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going from to
different continents,
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just to try and get us to
where we could get to Norway
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in the specified time.
Finally, after what seemed
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like an eternity
probably is only half-hour
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she was able to
get us on a flight.
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The Airline then did
something rather unique,
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they give us ticket vouchers
for the meals the next day,
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they provided
our hotel that night,
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and they provided
a show to the hotel.
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As we, we were on the show,
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I was talking with the
gentleman there and he told us
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he had stayed in all of
the, this chain of hotels
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in this area and he
said, this is the nicest one
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of all of these hotels.
I believe that God takes
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care of your needs. See,
normally I would have been
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the person who would been there,
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hurrying
through life, stressing,
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trying to figure out how
are we gonna make this happen?
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But, when you trust God,
he opens the way for you.
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James 2:23 says
this, Abraham believed God,
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and it was imputed
unto him for righteousness:
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and he was
called a Friend of God.
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Abraham believed
God, but his faith in God
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was not always
perfect. You see Abraham
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was called the
father, the faithful,
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but Abraham had not
always been faithful.
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He had great
faith, don't get me wrong
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Abraham's faith was
strong, but there were times
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that even Abraham's
faith in God tended to waiver.
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God called Abraham
out of his homeland
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and he called him to a new place
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where he was going to
live and he left in faith,
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knowing and believing
that God will take care of him.
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Not knowing where he
would go, but that God would
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take care of him. And
then, God promises Abraham
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that he would make him
the father of a great nation.
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That through him all the seeds
of the earth will be blessed
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and in Genesis
chapter 21, verses 1 and 2,
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God gives him this
promise and he tells him that,
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the Lord said I have visited
Sarah as he said he would,
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and the Lord did unto
Sarah as he had spoken.
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For Sarah
conceived, and bare Abraham
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a son in his old
age, and at the set time
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of which God had
spoken. Abraham had not always
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followed God's will
though, he had lacked faith
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when it came to the
child of this promise.
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He had lacked the faith
that God would do for him
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what God had said he
would. But, here in his old age,
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God proved that he was faithful,
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he proved that
he was trustworthy.
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And God told him he
would do and he did it,
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even though Abraham
had tired in his own way,
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he had taken a wife that
God had not told him to do.
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And when his faith
stumbled, God still proved that
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he was faithful, even
though Abraham's faith
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was not as strong
as it should have been.
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Inspiration tells us
not that now God brought
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to Abraham a test.
See, even though Abraham
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had been faithful in
certain areas of his life.
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When he failed the test
to believe that God would do
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when he told him to do,
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God brought the
test back around.
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And in Genesis
chapter 22 verse 2
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we see this important
text. God tells Abraham,
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take thy son,
thine only son Isaac,
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whom thou lovest, and get
thee into the land of Moriah;
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and offer him there for
a burnt offering upon one
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of the mountains
which I will show thee of.
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This was a fear
test for Abraham,
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it was a tremendous heart ache.
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Now here he is, in his old age,
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with the odor of
youth is passed away,
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his vigor and his
manhood are nearly gone,
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and his feet are
faltering towards the grave.
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And here, in these very
last moments of his life,
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God brings to him
this test. And the only one
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that he could lean on,
the only one that he could
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have faith in was
God, and it was God who
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brought him a test.
You see it was in obedience
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to faith that Abraham
had forsaken his country.
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It was an
obedience to God that he done
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what God had asked.
He might have thought,
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you know I've already
been faithful to you God.
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I've left my home,
I've left my family,
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why are you still
testing me? From the books,
00:10:31.76\00:10:36.45
Patriarchs and
Prophets, the author gives us
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a magnificent account of
the struggle that Abraham
00:10:38.51\00:10:41.31
had to endure. Abraham, after
he heard this word from God,
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Satan was at hand,
he was there to suggest
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that maybe he had been deceived.
00:10:49.48\00:10:50.91
The divine law
certainly wouldn't require him
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to take the life of his
son, for God's law said,
00:10:54.24\00:10:56.65
thou shalt not kill.
And God will not require him
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to do what had been
forbidden. Abraham goes outside
00:11:00.48\00:11:03.99
of his tent, and he goes
up and he looks into the calm,
00:11:04.00\00:11:06.87
unclouded skies and
he remembers the promise
00:11:06.88\00:11:10.42
that was made to
him all those years ago,
00:11:10.43\00:11:12.22
your seed would be as
numerable and numerable
00:11:12.23\00:11:15.65
as the stars.
How will this promise
00:11:15.66\00:11:19.07
be fulfilled he thought if
he had to give his son Isaac.
00:11:19.08\00:11:23.40
Abraham was tempted to
believe that he might be
00:11:25.58\00:11:27.74
under a delusion,
we're told. In doubt,
00:11:27.75\00:11:30.22
in anguish, he bows
to the earth and he prays
00:11:30.23\00:11:32.92
as he's never prayed
before. And he pleads with God
00:11:32.93\00:11:37.19
somehow to give him
another conformation
00:11:37.20\00:11:40.48
that this command was truly
a duty that he had to perform.
00:11:40.49\00:11:44.33
He remembered the
time that the angels
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had visit him when
he had gone to Sodom
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and he goes out to the
spot, the very spot where
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he had met with the
angels and he stands there
00:11:50.66\00:11:52.86
and he waits, hoping to
see, to receive another message
00:11:52.87\00:11:56.80
to confirm that this was
truly what God wanted him to do.
00:11:56.81\00:12:00.37
He had no message
came. The author says,
00:12:01.23\00:12:03.85
the darkness
seem to shut him in,
00:12:03.86\00:12:05.48
but the command of
God was sound in his ears,
00:12:06.49\00:12:08.89
take thy son, thine
only son whom the lovest.
00:12:08.90\00:12:13.30
He knew the
command must be obeyed
00:12:14.42\00:12:17.08
and he dare not to
delay. Daylight was approaching
00:12:17.09\00:12:20.52
and he knew he had
to be on his journey.
00:12:20.53\00:12:22.27
My question for
you is, do you delay
00:12:23.30\00:12:25.73
when God gives you a command?
It's an important question,
00:12:25.74\00:12:29.60
it's not something that
you can just pass over lightly.
00:12:29.61\00:12:31.92
When God tells you, he
wants you to do something,
00:12:31.93\00:12:35.30
do you follow him? It
reaches down into the very core
00:12:35.31\00:12:40.24
of our relationship
with God and ask us to prove
00:12:40.25\00:12:42.83
our hearts and say,
Father, do I really trust You?
00:12:42.84\00:12:46.59
Do I really believe
You? Or do I only follow You
00:12:46.60\00:12:49.91
when it's convenient
for me? Am I only gonna do
00:12:49.92\00:12:52.75
what you ask me to do,
when I can see the way clearly,
00:12:52.76\00:12:55.68
when I know the path is straight
00:12:55.69\00:12:58.04
and then will I follow.
But how will you follow God
00:12:58.05\00:13:01.18
when the more difficult time
comes if you don't trust Him?
00:13:01.19\00:13:05.56
I believe it's only by
knowing God that you can learn
00:13:07.74\00:13:11.22
to trust Him.
It's who you trust,
00:13:11.23\00:13:13.13
it's who you
follow. If you trust God,
00:13:13.14\00:13:14.88
you're gonna follow
Him, if you trust Satan,
00:13:14.89\00:13:17.05
you're gonna follow
Him. It's a very clear,
00:13:17.06\00:13:19.55
clear
understanding that we must have,
00:13:20.46\00:13:22.43
we need to know
that we can trust God.
00:13:22.44\00:13:25.02
In the book
Patriarchs and Prophets
00:13:26.18\00:13:27.90
this quote is
given, That he might reach
00:13:27.91\00:13:29.99
the highest
standard, the highest standard,
00:13:30.00\00:13:33.00
God subject him
to the closest test
00:13:33.01\00:13:36.61
which man was
ever called to endure.
00:13:36.62\00:13:40.43
It was not that
God is arbitrary,
00:13:41.89\00:13:43.57
because we know God is
not. God needed to show Abraham
00:13:43.58\00:13:48.14
that he could trust
him. He needed to know
00:13:48.15\00:13:52.29
that he could depend
upon him. But, what is God
00:13:52.30\00:13:55.94
calling you to
endure today? Other tests
00:13:55.95\00:13:58.29
and trails in your life
that God has brought you
00:13:58.30\00:14:00.90
through that are
testing your faith.
00:14:00.91\00:14:02.59
And if so, how do you
know that you can trust God?
00:14:02.60\00:14:06.12
Abraham returns to his
tent, and he goes to the place
00:14:06.80\00:14:10.11
where he sees Isaac
sleeping there, and he looks
00:14:10.12\00:14:12.82
at his son laying,
sleeping this deep sleep
00:14:12.83\00:14:15.80
and he looks on the
face of his dear son
00:14:15.81\00:14:17.98
and he turns away
trembling. He goes to Sarah,
00:14:17.99\00:14:21.35
and he goes to her side,
where she is also sleeping.
00:14:21.36\00:14:23.88
Should he awaken
her, should he tell her
00:14:23.89\00:14:26.76
what he has to do?
She needs to embrace her
00:14:26.77\00:14:30.68
child one more time he
thinks. But, he also knows
00:14:30.69\00:14:34.98
a mother's heart, and
he knows how difficult
00:14:35.67\00:14:38.38
it would be for her to be able
to give up her son's life too.
00:14:38.39\00:14:43.61
He longs to unburden
himself, he longs to be able to
00:14:43.62\00:14:46.77
share with her this
terrible responsibility,
00:14:46.78\00:14:50.24
but he was restrains
himself. Isaac was her pride
00:14:50.25\00:14:54.83
and her joy, and her
life was bound up in him.
00:14:54.84\00:14:58.27
Where do you turn when
you have to trust somebody
00:14:58.28\00:15:05.09
My wife and I have a
dog who is 16 years old now.
00:15:05.10\00:15:09.44
She has been with us many years,
00:15:10.73\00:15:11.84
she is a very
precious dog, her name is Lisa.
00:15:11.85\00:15:13.70
And Lisa over the past
for years has been suffering
00:15:14.44\00:15:17.95
a lot of physical problems.
And in the last year or so,
00:15:17.96\00:15:22.35
she started having
seizures. And very time she has
00:15:22.36\00:15:26.52
a seizure, she
will come and she will
00:15:26.53\00:15:28.32
stand right beside us,
because she wants to be
00:15:28.33\00:15:31.53
right next to
the ones she trusts.
00:15:31.54\00:15:34.05
She wants to be right
close, and she will put her head
00:15:34.06\00:15:36.55
right next to my leg and
she will just stand there
00:15:36.56\00:15:39.46
as if she is saying,
please make it all right,
00:15:39.47\00:15:42.43
make it go away. She
knows that she can trust us.
00:15:42.44\00:15:47.22
Psalms 56 verse 3 says
this, What time I am afraid,
00:15:48.02\00:15:53.01
I will trust in thee.
It was a three day journey
00:15:53.02\00:15:59.38
to the mountain,
where God had called him,
00:15:59.39\00:16:01.18
three day was the
sufficient amount of time
00:16:01.19\00:16:03.85
for Abraham to think
about what has been going
00:16:03.86\00:16:07.19
through his mind,
what God had said,
00:16:07.20\00:16:08.77
take thy son, thine only
son. And now he takes Isaac,
00:16:08.78\00:16:14.81
he leaves the servants
behind, then he takes Isaac
00:16:14.82\00:16:17.48
and they go and proceed
toward the mountain of God.
00:16:17.49\00:16:20.20
They stood on the
spot where the sacrifice
00:16:21.95\00:16:23.77
was to be given.
Isaac turns to his father
00:16:23.78\00:16:27.29
and he says father, we
have the fire and the wood,
00:16:27.30\00:16:30.14
but where is the lamb?
I imagine Abraham's voice
00:16:31.06\00:16:34.58
quivers as he says,
son God will provide
00:16:34.59\00:16:39.64
Himself a lamb
for a burnt offering.
00:16:39.65\00:16:42.73
Little did he
understand or comprehend
00:16:43.63\00:16:45.36
the true meaning of those words,
00:16:45.37\00:16:46.79
God will provide Himself a lamb.
00:16:46.80\00:16:50.49
I wonder how it is
possible for Isaac to be able to
00:16:52.88\00:16:55.17
trust his
father? You know I know
00:16:55.18\00:16:58.68
that often times people
that I meet have difficulty
00:16:58.69\00:17:04.49
in times in trusting others,
because of the relationships
00:17:04.50\00:17:08.26
that they have
had in growing up.
00:17:08.27\00:17:10.19
Not long ago, my wife and
I, counseled with a young lady,
00:17:11.65\00:17:14.57
we'll call her Joannie.
And as Joannie sat with us,
00:17:14.58\00:17:19.33
she tried to tell us
the story of her life,
00:17:19.34\00:17:22.28
but she couldn't, it
was too painful for her,
00:17:22.29\00:17:25.87
it was too
difficulty, the words just
00:17:25.88\00:17:27.70
wouldn't come out,
only tears would flow
00:17:27.71\00:17:30.05
and Joannie
would just cry and sob.
00:17:30.06\00:17:32.59
It took us over two
hours just to be able to
00:17:33.56\00:17:36.06
understand a
little bit of her story
00:17:36.07\00:17:37.63
that Joannie had been
abused. And as a child,
00:17:37.64\00:17:40.63
Joannie had
suffered extreme difficult
00:17:40.64\00:17:44.04
and heart aches and
abuse. We prayed with her,
00:17:44.05\00:17:49.51
we spent time with her
and counseled with her.
00:17:49.52\00:17:51.57
And over a period of time,
Joannie started to be able to
00:17:52.85\00:17:56.42
open up and
started to see that maybe
00:17:56.43\00:17:58.78
she could trust God.
So much that she came
00:17:58.79\00:18:01.65
to the point where she
decided that she really
00:18:01.66\00:18:03.57
wanted to reach out in
faith and ask God to heal her
00:18:03.58\00:18:06.78
of her past hurts and
pains. We had anointing service
00:18:06.79\00:18:11.04
for Joannie and after
the anointing service,
00:18:11.05\00:18:13.95
several days later,
we got an email from her
00:18:13.96\00:18:16.90
and she told us she says
her life has been changed.
00:18:16.91\00:18:20.10
The Holy Spirit had
come in and he had removed
00:18:20.11\00:18:22.66
those scars and the
pains of all those years,
00:18:22.67\00:18:25.62
and now she is a new
creature in Jesus Christ,
00:18:25.63\00:18:28.30
thankful to the Holy Spirit.
Only a father's heart could
00:18:28.31\00:18:35.05
truly understand
the internal struggle
00:18:35.06\00:18:36.85
that Abraham had to endure.
The indescribable anguish,
00:18:36.86\00:18:41.05
so great that it
nearly crushed his own heart.
00:18:41.06\00:18:43.78
As Abraham bound his son
and lay him upon the alter,
00:18:45.47\00:18:48.94
he must have hoped,
he must have thought
00:18:48.95\00:18:50.80
there was still another way.
Perhaps this was only a test?
00:18:50.81\00:18:55.34
How would he tell
Sarah that he took the life
00:18:55.88\00:18:58.23
of their only son?
Well he knew that the knife
00:18:58.24\00:19:02.06
that would pierce her son,
would also pierce her heart
00:19:02.07\00:19:06.07
when it took his life.
But, greater then all this,
00:19:06.08\00:19:10.17
greater then all this
doubts and his worries
00:19:10.18\00:19:12.31
and his fears was his
trust and his faith in the one
00:19:12.32\00:19:15.97
that had called
him to the place.
00:19:15.98\00:19:18.80
The book Patriarchs and Prophets
00:19:21.03\00:19:22.35
tells us that even now he
did not murmur against God.
00:19:22.36\00:19:25.04
Even now, going through all
of this he was strengthened,
00:19:25.05\00:19:28.27
he strengthened his
soul by dwelling upon
00:19:28.28\00:19:30.97
the evidences of the Lord's
goodness and faithfulness.
00:19:30.98\00:19:35.29
He believed that the God who
gave life could give it again.
00:19:36.08\00:19:39.52
And no one but God
could understand the sacrifice
00:19:40.59\00:19:43.48
that this father had to endure.
00:19:43.49\00:19:45.54
It's interesting to
think and contemplate
00:19:46.65\00:19:48.41
that he strengthened
himself and believing
00:19:48.42\00:19:52.02
and recalling the
evidences of God's goodness.
00:19:52.03\00:19:54.91
When you're going
through a difficult time,
00:19:54.92\00:19:56.69
sometimes it's
hard to remember how God
00:19:56.70\00:19:58.74
has been faithful
to you in the past.
00:19:58.75\00:20:00.37
It's hard to recount how he has
00:20:00.38\00:20:02.27
taken care of you in the
past. But, these are very times
00:20:02.28\00:20:05.58
that you need to go
back and recount and recall
00:20:05.59\00:20:08.21
what it is that
God has done for you.
00:20:08.22\00:20:10.49
These are the times
that you strengthen yourself
00:20:10.94\00:20:13.57
as David did in
the Lord, you remember
00:20:13.58\00:20:15.75
the goodness of
God and his mercies.
00:20:15.76\00:20:18.02
You see, I believe that
to know the truth about God,
00:20:20.14\00:20:25.74
to know the truth
about how you can trust God,
00:20:25.75\00:20:28.59
you have to know God as
Abraham did. Proverbs 29 says,
00:20:30.01\00:20:35.77
he putteth his trust in
the Lord, shall be safe.
00:20:35.78\00:20:40.87
If you put your trust
in God, God has promised
00:20:41.71\00:20:44.77
you that you will
be safe. Abraham knew,
00:20:44.78\00:20:48.24
he believed and he
followed God's voice.
00:20:48.25\00:20:50.95
How is that with
you? Do you believe,
00:20:50.96\00:20:53.92
do you know God's
voice? When he calls you,
00:20:53.93\00:20:58.11
do you hear his voice?
When a difficult time comes,
00:20:58.12\00:21:01.83
do you trust him
because you know him.
00:21:01.84\00:21:04.31
Slowly the Bible
tells us, he raises a knife
00:21:04.32\00:21:09.62
and he is about
to take Isaac life,
00:21:10.51\00:21:12.45
when suddenly a voice,
a voice, the same voice
00:21:12.46\00:21:15.84
that will judge the
wicked. The same voice that
00:21:15.85\00:21:17.85
will call the
righteous back from the dead.
00:21:17.86\00:21:19.81
The same voice that
will proclaim his love
00:21:19.82\00:21:22.35
for you
throughout eternity it says,
00:21:22.36\00:21:24.31
take not the life of
your son. Genesis 22:12 says,
00:21:24.32\00:21:30.63
Lay not thine hand upon
the lad, neither do thou
00:21:30.64\00:21:33.52
anything unto him:
for now I know that thou
00:21:33.53\00:21:37.58
fearest God, seeing thou
hast not withheld thy son,
00:21:37.59\00:21:41.33
thine only son from
me. The Bible states
00:21:41.34\00:21:46.09
that Abraham called
the name of this place,
00:21:46.10\00:21:48.07
Jehovah-jireh. Only
once, only once in God's
00:21:48.08\00:21:53.47
word is that name
ever spoken. And only once
00:21:53.48\00:21:57.05
did God offer his
son to bear our sins
00:21:57.06\00:22:00.79
in His own body on
the tree. Jehovah-jireh,
00:22:00.80\00:22:04.06
this solemn,
endearing term has been used
00:22:04.07\00:22:06.57
by many to name and
claim the blessings of God.
00:22:06.58\00:22:09.59
But when we do this,
when we take this name
00:22:09.60\00:22:12.65
and we pervert its
meaning, we diminish
00:22:12.66\00:22:14.71
the pure and holy purpose
of what Jehovah-jireh means.
00:22:14.72\00:22:18.83
Jehovah-jireh is the God
who emptied the storehouse
00:22:18.84\00:22:22.50
of Heaven, and gave
Heaven's richest gift
00:22:22.51\00:22:25.20
in the life of
his own son Jesus.
00:22:25.21\00:22:27.46
Jesus, who was the lamb
slain from the foundation
00:22:27.47\00:22:30.44
of the earth.
Jesus, in him God provided
00:22:30.45\00:22:33.71
himself a lamb,
which would takeaway
00:22:33.72\00:22:37.30
the sins of the
world. Abraham, I believe,
00:22:37.31\00:22:40.08
will never again be able
to look at the sacrificial
00:22:40.09\00:22:42.22
lamb without
thinking of the infinite price
00:22:42.23\00:22:44.88
that God paid for
sin. God withheld Abraham
00:22:44.89\00:22:48.27
from taking Isaac's
life, but he did not withhold
00:22:48.28\00:22:52.00
His only son to save this world,
00:22:52.01\00:22:54.99
the one lost
sheep. We, who on this
00:22:55.00\00:22:58.54
fallen rebellion
planet, for whom Jesus died,
00:22:58.55\00:23:01.46
that we being dead to sins,
should live unto righteousness
00:23:01.47\00:23:05.23
by whose stripes we are healed.
00:23:05.24\00:23:08.30
Psalm 36:7 says it like
this, How excellent is thy
00:23:08.31\00:23:13.51
loving kindness, O
God! Therefore the children
00:23:13.52\00:23:16.35
of men put their trust
under the shadow of thy wings.
00:23:16.36\00:23:20.51
We are told that
the angelic host watched
00:23:21.56\00:23:24.46
in wonder and
amazement, this unfolding
00:23:24.47\00:23:26.86
of this trial of
faith. In their minds,
00:23:26.87\00:23:29.55
in the minds of the
angels the plan of redemption
00:23:29.56\00:23:31.52
became clearer and
shone brighter, lighting up
00:23:31.53\00:23:34.41
the path to the
cross. Jehovah-jireh
00:23:34.42\00:23:37.35
is the God who took
upon himself a responsibility
00:23:37.36\00:23:41.38
for your and my
salvation. Jesus stands at the
00:23:41.39\00:23:46.01
turning point of
eternity, he's waiting
00:23:46.02\00:23:49.26
for one word from His
Father that this was not
00:23:49.27\00:23:52.71
His cup to bear.
The unfathomable burden
00:23:52.72\00:23:55.57
of the sins of
humanity is nearly crushing out
00:23:55.58\00:23:58.02
the very life from
His soul and He hasn't yet
00:23:58.03\00:24:00.98
been to the cross. He
hasn't yet experienced
00:24:00.99\00:24:03.67
the pain from the crown
of thorns as they are pushed
00:24:03.68\00:24:06.41
ruthlessly into His
brow, or suffered the beatings
00:24:06.42\00:24:09.33
and the nails, that were driven
00:24:09.34\00:24:10.93
through his hands
and feet. As Jesus falls
00:24:10.94\00:24:14.36
to the ground,
large drops of blood fall
00:24:14.37\00:24:18.77
from His face. He
clings to the cold,
00:24:18.78\00:24:21.88
dark earth as
if somehow, somehow
00:24:21.89\00:24:24.80
it can keep Him from being
torn from His Father's love.
00:24:24.81\00:24:28.47
He feels the separation
that is caused by the sins
00:24:29.27\00:24:32.72
that you and I have
committed and a vast,
00:24:32.73\00:24:34.71
dark gulf begins to separate
Him from His Father's love.
00:24:34.72\00:24:39.20
He now realizes
the wrath that God
00:24:40.05\00:24:42.59
has against those who
reject His call to mercy.
00:24:42.60\00:24:46.82
At this pivotal point, at
this pivotal point and time,
00:24:46.83\00:24:50.10
with all of our destinies
hanging in the balance,
00:24:50.11\00:24:52.54
He decides to take the penalty
and to die in your place.
00:24:52.55\00:24:57.21
He knows He loves us so
much that, if necessary,
00:24:58.13\00:25:02.20
He will choose to be
forever separated from the One
00:25:02.21\00:25:06.07
with whom He has
never been apart.
00:25:06.08\00:25:07.97
All this, all this, so you
and I could have the opportunity
00:25:07.98\00:25:13.29
to have eternal
life. He could have called
00:25:13.30\00:25:16.16
ten thousand
angels, but He doesn't.
00:25:16.17\00:25:18.48
In order to save those who have
no power to save themselves,
00:25:19.15\00:25:22.96
He stood in our place so
that one day we could stand
00:25:23.62\00:25:27.12
with Him in His. He was wounded
00:25:27.13\00:25:30.89
for our
transgressions, he was bruised
00:25:30.90\00:25:33.43
for our
iniquities: the chastisement of
00:25:33.44\00:25:35.61
our peace was upon
him; and with his stripes
00:25:35.62\00:25:38.82
we are healed.
Jesus took our stripes,
00:25:38.83\00:25:43.67
so we could be
healed by His stripes.
00:25:43.68\00:25:47.40
Jehovah-jireh is the
God who provided himself
00:25:47.41\00:25:52.68
to be our sacrifice. The
God who provided himself,
00:25:54.79\00:25:59.75
the God who gave his
own life for you is the one
00:25:59.76\00:26:03.53
you can trust. The
question you must ask,
00:26:03.54\00:26:07.63
the question I must ask is this.
00:26:07.64\00:26:09.22
Will we receive his
love? Will we allow it to shine
00:26:09.23\00:26:13.13
into the darkest
corners of our hearts and minds?
00:26:13.14\00:26:15.50
And will I
allow Him to redeem me
00:26:15.51\00:26:17.66
from the curse and power of sin?
00:26:17.67\00:26:20.06
I believe that
those who will go through
00:26:21.28\00:26:22.82
the end of time
and who will stand
00:26:22.83\00:26:24.64
before the universe and angels,
00:26:24.65\00:26:26.17
testifying of
God's power to save.
00:26:26.18\00:26:28.59
Even the chief of
sinners will know Jesus
00:26:28.60\00:26:31.76
as a personal savior
and a trusted friend.
00:26:31.77\00:26:34.84
He will not only
be the God they serve,
00:26:34.85\00:26:38.24
he will be the
one they love so much
00:26:38.25\00:26:40.92
that they will be willing to
lay down their lives for him.
00:26:40.93\00:26:44.54
John 15:13 says it
like this, Greater love
00:26:44.55\00:26:49.67
hath no man than
this, than a man to
00:26:49.68\00:26:53.78
lay down his
life for his friends.
00:26:53.79\00:26:55.89
The one who laid
down his life for you,
00:26:57.91\00:26:59.65
is a God you can
trust. Trust his heart
00:26:59.66\00:27:05.02
when storms will
sail you. Trust his heart
00:27:05.03\00:27:09.18
when others fail
you. Trust his heart
00:27:09.19\00:27:12.73
though dark days
gather. Trust his heart
00:27:12.74\00:27:16.39
when nothing seems to
matter. Trust his heart,
00:27:16.40\00:27:20.29
for he is
faithful. Trust his heart
00:27:20.30\00:27:23.86
for God is able. Jehovah-jireh
00:27:23.87\00:27:29.31
is the God who
says, Trust in the Lord
00:27:29.32\00:27:32.65
with all thy heart and lean not
unto thine own understanding.
00:27:32.66\00:27:36.81
In all thy ways acknowledge him,
00:27:36.82\00:27:39.41
and he shall direct thy
paths. God wants to direct you
00:27:39.42\00:27:44.55
to his heart of infinite
love. Today, God is calling you
00:27:44.56\00:27:48.91
to place all your
hopes, your plans,
00:27:49.65\00:27:51.62
your dreams in him,
won't you trust him today?
00:27:51.63\00:27:54.86