Participants: Hall Steenson
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000399
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00:31 Hello and I am Hal Steenson and I invite
00:33 you to join us today on Faith Chapel as we 00:36 study God's word together. 00:39 I encourage you to get your Bibles and join us 00:41 as we look at the word of God and try to 00:44 understand from God's heart and God's point 00:46 of view what he's speaking to our hearts 00:48 here today. But before we do that let's pray. 00:50 Okay. Father, we thank you for the opportunity 00:53 today to share your word. Lord, 00:56 we thank you for the opportunity to share 00:58 Jesus because when we share your word, 01:00 it is sharing Jesus. And Father, we ask 01:02 today that we just be Lord able to communicate 01:05 and minister not only to Your heart which is 01:08 first and foremost. But by touching Your people 01:11 we'll also know that we are touching You. And we 01:14 give You praise for it in Jesus name. Amen. 01:19 You know I like to set goals in my life. 01:22 I set short term goals, I set long term goals. 01:24 And I have kind of a melancholic personality 01:27 to where I make a list of things do through 01:29 the day. And if I don't make and I start over 01:30 my list tomorrow and everything, 01:31 but there is one thing that I know I don't 01:33 have to make a list for and that's heading 01:37 toward home. I believe that heaven was not 01:40 only or is not only my destination but it was 01:43 my origin from the heart of God that I would 01:45 be with the Lord some day. And that as I 01:48 continue to do God's word and do God's will 01:51 then I am accomplishing the title of this message 01:54 today which is Pressing Toward The Mark. 01:57 I want you to get your Bible if you will turn 01:59 with me in Philippians the third chapter we're 02:00 gonna look at the 13th through the 15th verse 02:03 as our foundation of scriptures, 02:05 set up their foundation and we'll build on it is 02:08 God so desires, okay. Philippians 3:13, 02:11 says, "Brethren, I count not myself to have 02:14 apprehended: but this one thing I do, 02:16 forgetting those things which are behind, 02:18 and reaching forth unto those things which are 02:20 before, I press toward the mark for the prize 02:23 of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 02:25 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, 02:27 be thus minded: and if any thing ye be otherwise 02:32 minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. 02:37 Now, it is amazing that so many of us think 02:39 what Paul is saying, oh forget all those bad 02:42 things that happened to you and get your 02:44 new vision, new sight. This is not exactly 02:46 what he is saying, Paul wrote most of the 02:50 New Testimony. Also man of God, 02:52 we know Paul got in a lot of realizing, 02:54 he's the only one didn't have any rocks, 02:55 he lived through it, he got through it, 02:57 awesome man of God. Paul accomplished so much 02:59 and did so many things what he is saying here 03:02 don't just forget the things that were bad in 03:04 your past. But don't look back to the things 03:07 that were good and hang all your hopes on the 03:09 things of the past. When I first got born 03:12 again I went to a little prayer meeting, 03:13 I'll never forget it, awesome, awesome 03:15 conversion when I first came into the kingdom 03:17 of God. Molly tells people I came in on the high 03:19 side of Christianity. I came into as, at a prayer 03:23 meeting and people were there when we were 03:25 praying and then the God that was in charge 03:27 of it said okay we gonna have a time of sharing. 03:29 And we're gonna share a Testimony, 03:31 anybody got a Testimony and thought oh I am 03:32 ready for this, yes, yes, yes. And He said; 03:34 now if your Testimony is over a week old you 03:36 can't share it. And God did a pre training on 03:40 me, He did a little pruning on me. 03:42 We should have a new testimony every day not 03:44 about the good things that happened nor the 03:46 bad things that happened but this is the 03:48 day that the Lord has made and I'll rejoice and 03:50 be glad in it. Now if we gonna Press Toward 03:52 The Mark of the prize of high calling Christ Jesus, 03:55 then let's look at some principles which would 03:57 help us get over the past live for today with 04:00 hope for the future. First, number 1, 04:04 live for the future realizing God has the 04:06 power to change it alone. Be futuristic, 04:11 remember Christians are eternal beings. 04:15 I'd like to amplify this, John 16:13, 04:18 it says, "But when He, the Spirit of truth, 04:21 the truth giving spirit comes, 04:24 He will guide you into all truth, the whole truth, 04:26 full truths for He will not speak his own message; 04:30 on His authority. But He will tell whatever He 04:33 hears from the Father, He will give the message 04:35 that has been given to Him. And He will announce 04:37 and declare to you the things that are to come 04:42 that will happen in the future. Now I'd like to 04:44 amplified Bible, some people don't realize it 04:46 but the amplified is a literal translation of the 04:49 word of God with amplification is a little 04:52 wordy sometimes it but I like it because it helps 04:54 me understand a lot of what's being said. 04:57 We got to live our lives totally and completely 05:01 without thought for ourselves in the sense, 05:03 of this what, give me that and give me this 05:05 on my never ending shopping list, 05:06 that's not the way it works with God. 05:08 And here's a beautiful illustration of this. 05:12 In 1904, William Borden heir to the Borden 05:14 Dairy estate, wealthy estate. 05:17 Graduated from the Chicago high school a 05:19 millionaire when he graduated. 05:21 His parents gave him a trip around the world 05:24 traveling through Asia, and through the Middle 05:27 East and Europe. And gave Borden a burden, 05:30 how like that gave Borden a burden for the world's 05:33 hurting people, riding home he said, 05:35 I am going to give my life to prepare for the 05:37 mission field. When he made this decision, 05:40 he wrote in the back of his Bible two words, 05:44 no reserves. Turning down the high paying 05:47 job offers after graduating from Yale 05:49 University, he entered two more words in his 05:51 Bible, no retreats. Completing studies at 05:57 Princeton Seminary. Borden sailed for China 06:00 to work with the Muslim stopping first at Egypt 06:03 for some preparations, while there he was 06:08 stricken with cerebral meningitis and died 06:10 within a month, a waste you say, 06:13 not in God's plan. In his Bible underneath the 06:16 words no reserves and no retreats, 06:20 Borden had written the words, no regrets. 06:25 What we have to do is burn all of our plows, 06:28 I call it the Elisha principle, when Elijah 06:30 called Elisha he said wait, I'll go burn my 06:32 plows and follow you. He got rid of his past, 06:35 there was no going back, there was no retreat, 06:38 he wasn't gonna be able to do anything 06:40 that he did before; this is burning your plows 06:42 for Jesus. Listen to this scripture, 06:45 read it with me. Luke 9:62, it says, 06:49 "And Jesus said unto him, No man, 06:51 having put his hand to the plow and looking 06:54 back is fit for the kingdom of God." 06:58 Now once again let me reiterate that, 07:00 that doesn't mean just for the things that 07:02 you have done wrong or the failures but you 07:05 can't build the rest of your life on the things 07:07 that you did that were tremendous in the 07:09 kingdom of God if they really and truly belonged 07:12 to God. And if you given God the praise for Him. 07:15 Let me share this statement with you. 07:18 Living for the future involves spiritual vision 07:20 and wisdom that causes us not to dwell in 07:24 the now circumstances if they are not joyous. 07:29 Future vision means that men, 07:31 I am looking out here because I know the 07:33 right now that my life is a vapor but I know 07:36 that heaven is my home. And that I will be 07:39 with Him eternally. Future vision will also 07:44 allow us overcome what I referred to as the 07:47 death of the vision. Now this is important 07:49 because I am, I believe that I am speaking 07:50 to lot of hearts right here, right here today, 07:53 that there are so many of you right here 07:54 that really truly God has given you a 07:57 futuristic vision. MGM studio, 07:59 Paramount Pictures, they did not produce 08:01 this for you, God gave this to you. 08:04 And yet it has not taken place yet. 08:07 And it's not come to full fruition and as matter 08:09 of fact it looks as if that vision is dead. 08:13 Stop and think about this for a minute, 08:15 your vision, your personal life, 08:17 your personal vow. Right now you maybe in 08:20 the death of a vision but I am telling you, 08:22 you are right where every saint of God that 08:25 has ever done great things for God has been. 08:29 Abraham when he put Isaac on the altar. 08:34 God said Abraham; your seed is going to be as 08:36 the sands of the sea and the stars of the sky. 08:39 And he was about to put a dagger through 08:41 Isaac's heart. That's the death of the vision 08:44 until the God provided the ram in the bush. 08:46 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery 08:50 furnace, that was the death of the vision until 08:52 the fourth man came into the fire, 08:55 Joseph who was thrown in the pit. 08:57 And then he went to Potiphar's house, 09:00 went to prison and he went to the palace. 09:03 When he had a promise that his brothers 09:05 and sisters in palace gonna bow down to him. 09:09 And twenty two years later that promise was 09:12 fulfilled. And what I am telling you if you don't 09:15 really think, else here's I say hear it today. 09:17 You might be sitting down on your couch, 09:18 you might be leaning back in it a little easy 09:20 chair. And you feel like now it's all washed up, 09:23 it's all gone, our vision is dead, and dried up. 09:26 I am telling you before a vision can come to pass. 09:30 Paul and Silas has to be in jail with no hope of 09:33 escape, when the earthquake comes. 09:35 When the earthquake comes and sets them 09:37 free Jesus on the cross. 09:39 When God resurrects Him from the dead, 09:42 what appears to be the death of the vision is 09:45 actually God allowing you to see, hey son, 09:49 hey daughter, I just want you to know this 09:52 is my vision and without me you can't do it 09:55 and you've been trying to do it on your own. 09:57 Now allow me to do it through you, 09:59 do you hear what I said, do you hear what? 10:00 I feel that the spirit of the God just spoke 10:01 to you there. In the movie The Lion King, 10:07 is a greatest example of getting over our past 10:09 that I have ever really seen in something that 10:12 would be, I guess called a movie a Disney Movie. 10:16 But The Lion King felt like he was instrumental 10:18 in his father, the King of the beast being killed. 10:21 And he was telling the monkey, he said, 10:23 I just can't do it, I can't get over my past. 10:26 It's like everything just weighs over me in 10:28 the past. And the monkey said, 10:30 oh you can't go over your past hey. 10:31 And then he took his stick and he swung at 10:33 him and he hit him in the head, 10:35 he almost knocked him off his feet. 10:37 And the young lion cub said, 10:38 hey what did you do to that? 10:41 And the monkey said, what difference does 10:43 it make, it's in the past. You can't do 10:46 anything about it. And then the monkey took 10:49 the stick and swung it at again and this time 10:52 the young lion cub ducked down. 10:54 And the monkey said see, 10:57 you might not be able to change the past but 11:00 you can learn from it. How was a Disney 11:04 cartoon could be? Remember, live for the 11:06 future and learn from the past. 11:09 The second step toward the high calling is never 11:14 mark anything rush in pursuit of God. 11:16 Always listen before you leave, 11:19 now who are we gonna listen to? 11:20 Well we need to get some wise counsel on this; 11:22 we need to get people who has done this. 11:23 No, first thing you do as you listen to God. 11:26 According to the word of God, 11:27 in Matthew 15 verse 22 and 23, 11:31 read this with me as I share it with you okay. 11:33 "And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out 11:36 of the same coast, and cried unto him saying, 11:38 Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; 11:41 my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 11:44 But he answered her, what? He answered her, 11:47 not a word. And his disciples came and 11:51 besought him, saying, Send her away; 11:52 for she crieth after us." You know what the 11:56 beautiful part of this is? He didn't answered 11:58 her, He was ignoring her. Some people come 12:01 to us and bow we got this ready answer, 12:04 we got this, I mean this little cookie cutter 12:07 answer that we use for every little question 12:09 that comes instead of realizing that every 12:11 person that comes to us might ask us the 12:13 same question we need to answer in a different 12:15 way, the different attitude and a different 12:17 heart. You know what he was doing? 12:19 He was waiting on an in, what I would call the 12:23 silence of love, God. Can you imagine the Son 12:27 of God? God what do I say to her, 12:30 Lord give me wisdom in what to say? 12:32 You know the word of God says Jesus grew 12:34 and waxed in wisdom, he was a man just like 12:36 us, and what he did was he waited on the 12:41 mountain of God. And what we are to do, 12:42 is we to have the mount of Christ and the word 12:45 of God says that we have the mind of Christ. 12:48 Well, if we have the mind of Christ, 12:50 I would challenge you, why don't we use it 12:52 according to John 8 chapter and the 4th, 5th, 12:55 and 6th verses it says, they say unto him, 12:57 master, this woman was taken in adultery in 12:59 the very act, it wasn't heresay. 13:02 And now Moses now in the law command said 13:04 that she should be stoned but what's sayest 13:06 thou? This they said unto him, 13:08 tempting him that they might have to accuse him. 13:13 But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger 13:16 wrote on the ground, as though he heard 13:18 them not. I have heard a lot of sermons as well 13:21 where Jesus probably wrote their sins in the 13:23 ground. And Jesus all the stuff that he wrote. 13:27 I don't know what he wrote but I know this 13:32 He was sitting there getting the mind of God. 13:36 And then He looked up and he said woman 13:39 where are your accusers? And He let her go. 13:45 And I believe that we as Christians men and 13:48 women of God, leaders and layette that if we 13:50 would get the mind of Christ. 13:52 And I am not talking about the brains, 13:54 now the brains. And sometimes we fail to 13:57 understand it and if I say it, it might offend 13:59 somebody but the brains of Jesus and the 14:01 mind of Christ were two different things. 14:06 What we need to do is get out of our brains 14:08 and get into our heart and get into our mind 14:10 of Christ, is where it is, we renew our mind 14:12 according to the word of God. 14:13 And get the heart of God on the matter and 14:15 then only and only then will things happen and 14:17 we'll be able to get over the past by hearing 14:19 from God about what to do concerning the 14:22 future. Let the Holy Spirit be your guide 14:26 and allow Him to prompt you in whatever 14:28 manner He so desires. A powerful scripture 14:31 here, powerful scripture, listen to this, okay, 14:34 now our statements that I've got here not 14:36 for scripture. I have got four statements here 14:38 that I want to share with you and want them 14:39 on the screen and where you can see them. 14:41 Here's how we get the mount of Christ, 14:43 here how we get the word of God, 14:45 here's how we hear the word of God. 14:46 Number one, God speaks through his word, 14:51 creating an inward witness. 14:53 In other words it seems good to you through 14:56 the word of God. Now number one through the 14:57 word of God. He's not going to ride on the 15:00 heaven on a white horse non roll a scroll, 15:01 number one. Number two, God speaks to the 15:04 voice of your spirit, two then agree as touching 15:08 anything on earth. He speaks to your inward man, 15:11 the hidden man of the heart. 15:13 Number three, By supernatural, 15:16 signs wonders, appearances- prophesy, 15:18 word of knowledge and gifts of the Holy Spirit. 15:20 These do not happen as frequently as number 15:23 one. And number four, the last thing is the 15:26 audible voice of God. I would not doubt saints 15:30 of God, those of you that are watching, 15:32 I would not doubt for one movement that there 15:34 are not some of you out there or possibly many 15:36 of you out there that have heard the audible 15:40 voice of God. But the vast majority of us on 15:44 hearing the voice of God and getting the mind 15:46 to Christ comes through studying His word. 15:50 Something that might not been a great deal to 15:52 you before all of a sudden when you get the 15:54 mind of Christ. You get into His word a scripture 15:56 that might not mean anything before you read 15:58 this all of a sudden it comes alive, 16:00 it jumps of the page, it grabs your heart. 16:05 And you hold on to that word. 16:07 Thank God for signs and wonders. 16:09 Thank God for the voice speaking through our 16:11 spirit, we don't just need the mighty wind of the 16:13 Holy Spirit. Sometimes we need the general 16:15 bread and cheeses, thank God for all that we 16:17 bore for God. But that's not the majority of the 16:20 way it happens. And see when I say and others 16:23 say, and some people have a tough time 16:24 understanding it, is when I say that God speaks 16:26 to me. I am not saying God spoke to me audibly, 16:29 God didn't appear to me but God words speaks. 16:34 God word, you know the blood of evil cries out 16:37 for vengeance but the blood of Jesus cries out 16:39 it speaks. It cries out for mercy, so when 16:42 I say that God to spoke to me or the word 16:45 spoke to me. It means that it spoke to my 16:47 inward witness I just knew that I knew. 16:51 Remember this, common old saying, 16:55 Fools rush in where a wise man fear to tread. 17:01 The third thing is to recognize your mistakes 17:04 and rise above them. Recognize your mistakes 17:08 and rise above them. Peter missed it as is big 17:11 as Texas but he got over it. In Mark 14:72, 17:15 he says, "And the second time the cock crew. 17:17 And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus 17:19 said unto him, Before the cock crowed thrice, 17:22 thou shalt deny me twice, thou shalt deny me 17:26 thrice. I always get them mixed up, 17:27 four goes two times, you gonna drive me three 17:29 time. And when he thought thereon, 17:31 he wept. Most of our mistakes are made 17:35 when we give our priorities out of order. 17:38 Word of God tells us and you know in 17:40 Matthew 6:33 says, seek first the kingdom of 17:42 God and that all these things would be added 17:45 unto you. Okay so you have made a mistake. 17:48 God's not gonna crash you. 17:50 God is not gonna kick you out of the family 17:53 because you made so mistake. 17:54 What you need to do, is you need to repent, 17:57 not just ask for forgiveness and forgiveness 17:58 and repentance is just different things. 18:00 When you ask forgiveness, God forgives 18:02 you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. 18:04 And then when you repent, you turn around 18:06 and do it anymore. And there's a key to it, 18:10 sometimes we make mistakes, 18:12 oh we think we made a mistake we have 18:13 actually done the right thing. If we hear the 18:16 man to God on it, let's listen to this. 18:19 There is well know brand of soap, 18:20 I won't call its name but you gonna know who 18:22 it is? That has two uncommon qualities, 18:25 it's known as the soap that floats. 18:28 And it's the oldest of the best sellers but it 18:31 wasn't always that way. Years ago this soap 18:35 was just another brand among many. 18:37 Then a factory foreman blunder by leaving a 18:39 batch of new soaped unwatched in a cooking 18:42 vat during the lunch hour. His lunch was 18:45 delayed and the soap overcooked, 18:47 rather than report the mistake and run the risk 18:50 of dismissal, the foreman decided to make the 18:52 best of it. He shifted out this new batch anyway, 18:55 it seems to clean just as well although it was 18:59 now much lighter. The result surprised every one, 19:03 rather than complaints the company was deluged 19:06 with orders for this floating soap. 19:09 The foremen was not fired but was promoted 19:12 when he cooperated with the company chemists 19:14 to revise and modify the old formula for the soap 19:18 that floats. Blessing sometimes come from 19:21 blunders, it's often possible to make something 19:24 better out of something bad, that's the way God 19:26 works with us. We don't often do right the first 19:29 time but He is always ready to salvage the 19:32 situation no matter how bad we make it. 19:37 we just say hey God, I messed up and He'll say 19:41 come on, come here, let me put my arms around 19:43 you, let me love on you, let me let you know that 19:47 according to my word, all things work together 19:50 for the good of those that love God to them 19:52 that are called according to His purpose. 19:56 Remember, if you're gonna fail, fail forward. 20:00 If the enemy throws you lemons make lemonade. 20:04 If he throws you a monkey wrench use it to 20:06 tighten some loose nuts and bolts in your life. 20:09 The thing next, fourth thing is realize God has 20:11 already forgiven you through the Cross and 20:14 should you sin, you ask Him and He'll forgive and 20:17 cleanse you from all of your unrighteousness 20:20 not just some of your unrighteousness. 20:24 Now I hear and see it quite often and through 20:27 the years, well I am just a sinner saved by grace. 20:29 I don't want to offend anyone but I was a sinner 20:34 and then I was saved by grace through faith. 20:38 And now I am the unrighteousness of God in 20:39 Christ Jesus, you think you're holy, 20:43 that's not what I am saying, righteousness 20:45 simply means to be in right standing with God. 20:51 And if we confess our sins His faith and just to 20:53 forgive our sins and cleanse us from all 20:55 unrighteousness. So if we are forgiven of all 20:57 unrighteousness that means we are righteous 20:59 and that simply means in right standing with God. 21:03 If our sin I don't need a new savior, 21:06 already have one that He shed His blood for me. 21:08 I just need to recognize that, that blood will 21:11 continue to cleanse me. When we consider 21:14 the fact that Jesus not only died for the sins 21:16 of those before He went to the Cross the sins 21:19 of those. When he went to the Cross, 21:22 not only just for the sins before when we were 21:24 born again but every sin that you or I will ever 21:30 commit it. Then we are getting to the magnitude 21:33 of it. He who no knew sin became sin, 21:38 He became sin, he didn't even take it on, 21:40 He became sin that we might be made the 21:42 righteousness of God. Mark the 16th chapter 21:45 starting with the first verse, this section of 21:48 scripture is a very powerful scripture that 21:50 changed this old country boy's life. 21:53 And first verse says when the Sabbath was 21:55 passed, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother 21:57 of James in Salome had brought sweet spices 22:00 that they might come and anoint Him, 22:02 the body of Jesus. And very early in the 22:04 morning the first day of the week, 22:05 they came unto the sepulcher at the rising 22:06 of the sun and they said among themselves, 22:08 who shall roll away the stones from the door 22:10 of the sepulcher. And when they looked they 22:14 saw that the stone was rolled away for it was 22:17 very great. And entering into the sepulcher they 22:21 saw a young man sitting on the right side 22:24 clothed in a long white garments and they were 22:26 afraid. You know, I love the people when 22:28 they tell me, oh, pastor Hal I see angels, 22:30 I say, were you scared? Well no. 22:33 On every occasion, every angel that appeared 22:35 to somebody said be not afraid. 22:38 If I saw an angel I would have probably on my 22:39 knees and probably be knocking. 22:41 And he said under them be not afraid it you seek 22:43 Jesus of Nazareth which was crucified, 22:47 He is risen, He's not here, behold the place 22:50 where they have laid them. 22:51 Now I want you to read this scripture right here 22:53 with me because this is the power of this verse 22:56 in the love and the mercy of Christ to get us 22:59 over the things that we have done wrong and 23:01 the mistakes we have made. 23:02 Mark 16:7, read it with me here. 23:05 "But go your way, tell his disciples, 23:08 if you are in the Bible underline this, and Peter, 23:12 and Peter, and Peter, go your way and tell 23:15 your disciples and Peter that he goeth before 23:17 you into Galilee and there shall ye see him, 23:21 as he said unto you." How do you picture 23:25 that, oh, I was thinking if I am not, 23:29 If I am not wrong then wasn't Peter one of 23:31 His disciples? So why would Jesus tell, 23:35 these ladies go tell these disciples and Peter. 23:39 Because Peter had stood in the crowd where 23:41 others had fled when he was being flogged 23:43 when he was being beaten, the strip flesh 23:46 from his bone, Peter had stood there and 23:48 denied him and denied him, and then he cursed 23:52 and denied Him. And Peter was feeling like 23:55 punch come, how could, how could this happen? 23:58 How could I have done this? And the love of 24:01 Jesus says hey, sure, he or she's made a mistake 24:08 but you go tell John, you go tell Susanne, 24:14 you go tell Bill, you go tell Deedee, 24:17 whoever it is, okay, you missed it, yes, 24:20 come on, tell them all but sure, make sure 24:24 you tell Peter. And that's what God is saying 24:27 to you today, hey you might have missed it, 24:29 as big as Texas like Peter did, but God is 24:32 waiting there to pour in His love and to pour 24:34 in His spirit into your life. Remember, God 24:39 has forgiven you, maybe all you need to do 24:44 is just forgive yourself. Be proud of your heritage. 24:52 My daddy always told me mom, this mom and 24:54 dad always told her the only thing that you have 24:56 got son, the only thing that you really have 24:58 in this life outside of Jesus Christ is a good 25:00 name. Well, our name in the Lord is a powerful 25:06 heritage too. I had a lot of trouble when I 25:10 first started reading the New Testament because 25:12 they told me to start out with Matthew. 25:14 And I started out with Matthew and I got into 25:16 the he begot, he begot this and begot that and 25:19 everything that I forgot what he begot and 25:21 I forgot what she begot and they begot. 25:23 And it really got confusing to me until something 25:26 happened, something dropped down into my 25:29 heart and said, you know it's not so much 25:32 that if you pronounce these things with the 25:35 right enunciation, pronunciation, 25:38 the right manner or whatever it is. 25:40 As much as it is that you realize that this is 25:44 your lineage, this is your heritage, 25:47 Hal, this is where you came from. 25:51 That you are out of the loins of the men and 25:53 the women in the heritage of God almighty 25:55 in Jesus Christ. And then I found 2 26:00 Corinthians 5:17 says therefore if any man be 26:04 in Christ he's a new creature old things are 26:05 passed away and behold all things have become 26:07 new. Now, this might shock some of you but 26:13 for those of you that didn't know it before I 26:15 got born again, before I made Jesus Christ Lord 26:16 of my life, I was 6 foot 6, blond headed and 26:18 blue eye, that's absurd isn't it? 26:23 See it wasn't my body that became a new 26:24 creature before I got born again I had the 26:28 IQ of Albert Einstein when we all know that's 26:33 not so, and the reason why because it 26:36 wasn't my man that got born again. 26:40 The Paul said the I pray that you be 26:42 preserve blameless body, soul and spirit. 26:43 This is according to the seventh fundamental 26:47 of our denomination about mind, body and 26:49 spirit, that God comes in and joins Himself 26:53 according to the First Corinthians 6:17, 26:55 He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit, one 26:58 spirit with God is what one literal translation 27:01 says, I joined myself to the Lord, 27:05 I am not somebody because of what I am, 27:08 I am somebody because of whose I am. 27:11 The last thing is there that nothing that can 27:13 happen in the future that love will not be able 27:16 to cover, or be able to conquer, 27:18 we know that we passed from death to life 27:22 because we love the brethren. 27:25 Do you love the brethren? 27:27 Are you living in the past? 27:28 Trust God in this upcoming near, 27:30 stop living in the past, don't die on the 27:32 operating table, understand that God loves 27:34 you. And He will get you through this year. 27:36 He's waiting there at home and you might be 27:38 around at second base or the third base but 27:40 He is saying come on son, come on daughter, 27:42 you can make it, run, I'll be there with you, 27:45 I am waiting with arms wide open. 27:47 Don't be discouraged, don't down that operating 27:50 table. Forget the past, live for the future and 27:53 live it for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. |
Revised 2014-12-17