Participants: Lemuel Vega
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000406
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00:30 Hello my friend, wherever you are
00:32 in the world today I would like to welcome you 00:34 to 3ABN and a special program 00:37 called Faith Chapel. So today we're 00:39 going to go through the Bible a little bit 00:42 and I would like to tell you the topic. 00:45 It's gonna be about Freedom and Forgiveness. 00:48 We certainly all want freedom in this war 00:51 torn world that we live. 00:53 There's terrorist attacks and all kinds of 00:55 despair and so we want freedom. 00:57 The freedom that I'm speaking about, 01:00 is freedom to empower you with the ability to 01:03 say no to those things that you don't want to do, 01:06 that so easily beset us, we know 01:09 we shouldn't do this, but we continue to do it. 01:11 Freedom from within, offers 01:14 freedom for our world without. 01:17 Forgiveness, the power that Jesus upon 01:22 the Cross of Calvary offered for you and I, 01:24 for forgiveness that we can be forgiven. 01:27 Whatever happened yesterday in our life. 01:30 We can find a peace and that forgiveness. 01:33 That's what I wanna share with you today. 01:35 This is certainly what we all desire, 01:38 in these days in which we live. 01:41 The last moments of our Earth's history. 01:44 How many those are we don't know, 01:47 but Jesus is coming back. 01:50 May we bow our heads and have 01:53 prayer in your home, wherever you are, 01:55 together. Our Dear Heavenly Father, I want 01:58 to say thank you for this awesome privilege Lord to, 02:01 to come again once before your throne Lord 02:03 and ask for words of hope and encouragement, 02:06 bless our minds, bless our time here 02:09 together Lord, for we are seeking a better way, 02:12 looking forward to a better day 02:15 and I know without a shadow of a doubt 02:17 that as we're willing to surrender our will 02:21 and our heart and our life unto you. 02:22 You will take that tangled mess. 02:23 You offer that freedom that the world knows 02:25 nothing about and that forgiveness 02:28 that brings about peace, joy and meaning. 02:32 We ask for your presence now 02:35 in Jesus name to your honor and glory we pray. 02:38 Amen. I would like to go 02:42 to Ezekiel chapter 33, Ezekiel chapter 33, 02:47 that's always, it's always a hard book for me 02:49 to find in the Bible. I wasn't very familiar 02:51 with all the chapters and I'm still not, 02:54 so if you have your Bible beside you today 02:56 please pick it up, because I'm not gonna go 02:58 so fast that you can't follow along. 02:59 Ezekiel 33:11. I like to share with you 03:06 something that's going to set the stage 03:08 for our, our, a relationship with Jesus Christ. 03:11 It will be the beginning. In verse 11 it says, 03:16 Say unto them, you and I As I live, saith the Lord 03:21 God, I have no pleasure in the death 03:26 of the wicked. So those of us that are 03:30 seeking forgiveness, if, if we choose 03:33 not to serve God and we, we perish, 03:36 and we are not in the Kingdom of heaven. 03:42 God says right here that I have no pleasure 03:43 in the death of the wicked, 03:44 but that the wicked. Me, my friend, 03:48 might turn from his way and live, 03:53 turn ye, from your evil ways. 03:56 Jesus Christ is appealing to us, 04:01 sinners in this world to turn from the evil 04:06 and the sin in our world, to turn and that we 04:09 may came unto him in repentance, 04:11 that we may realize our dreadful state 04:14 and say Lord, I need your help. 04:17 That was Ezekiel 33. Let's go over a couple of 04:21 chapters to Ezekiel 36. Ezekiel chapter 36:26, 04:30 36: 26, We just read about that he 04:37 has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, 04:39 to turn from our evil way, 04:41 and I want to tell you the promise that God 04:43 is going to do for you today my friend 04:47 as he has done for me. 04:49 Verse 26 A new heart, that's what we 04:54 want to get fixed with the drugs 04:57 and the alcohol, the immoral lifestyle, 04:59 the fast cars and all the money in the world 05:02 cannot buy us a new heart. Jesus Christ says, 05:09 A new heart also will I give you, 05:11 and a new spirit, a spirit of peace, tranquility, 05:16 willingness to serve our master and our creator. 05:21 I will put within you a new spirit will I 05:25 put within you and I will take 05:27 way the stoning heart. He will take away 05:30 that heart of no care, I don't care about 05:33 my neighbor, I don't care about the wars 05:35 as long as I've got bread to eat today. 05:37 I don't care about what's going on. 05:40 The disaster of 9/11 people say they 05:43 flew their flag for a little bit in our country. 05:45 It was a tragedy, but soon they forgot. 05:49 We become callous with the News media playing all 05:54 the doom and the gloom and he says I will 05:56 take away the stony heart out of your flesh 05:59 and I will give you a heart of flesh. 06:01 And I will put my spirit within you 06:05 and cause you to walk in My statutes 06:09 and you shall keep my judgments and do them. 06:13 So Jesus Christ is saying that you shall dwell 06:17 in the land that I gave to your fathers 06:19 and you shall be my people and I will be your God. 06:22 There is a way to come back. 06:24 We fail, humanity fail in the Garden of Eden 06:29 and God the Almighty providence He sent 06:34 his son Jesus to make our way back 06:39 that we and He shall be my people 06:43 and He says I will be your God. 06:45 So we have to come to that point in our life 06:49 where we're willing to surrender the garbage 06:51 that so easily beset us, and he will take us. 06:54 Let's go to Luke that was the Old Testament. 06:57 Let's go to Luke in the New Testament. 06:58 Some people they feel that the Old Testament 07:01 is for the old times and the New Testament is 07:03 now for today, but I say the Bible is all 07:05 one and it goes from the beginning. 07:07 In the beginning God created the heaven 07:08 and the earth until the end when he comes back 07:10 to receive us home to his kingdom. 07:12 Luke 15. I would like to go Luke 15:1-7. 07:17 Then drew near unto him all the publicans 07:23 and sinners for to hear him. 07:25 This was a gathering and so they drew near 07:28 to Jesus to hear him and the Pharisees 07:31 and the scribes, the big Christian leaders 07:33 of that day. They murmured saying, 07:37 This man receiveth sinners. 07:39 They thought that they wanted a special council 07:41 with God, that they had a special inn with 07:44 the creator of the universe. God receives sinners. 07:48 The people, the common people of the land 07:51 and he spake this parable unto them saying. 07:55 Red letters in my Bible, "What man of you, 07:59 having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, 08:03 doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness?" 08:09 How many of you have a hundred sheep in the 08:11 country where you live and one is missing tonight 08:14 and it's raining and it's dark and gloomy 08:18 and there is canyons and there's crevasses and 08:20 there's wolves and coyotes. 08:21 Perhaps, bear is wild animals and would you not 08:26 leave the ones secure and go looking for 08:29 that one lost sheep. That one lost soul. 08:34 Jesus was willing to come unto this world 08:37 to save you my friend and me. 08:42 to save you my friend and me. 08:43 And I'm so grateful. If you lose one of them, 08:49 doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, 08:51 and go after that which is lost, until he find it, 08:54 tirelessly. He doesn't get tired, he continues to 08:57 seek until he finds it. And when he hath found it, 09:02 he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing, 09:05 he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing, 09:08 and when he cometh home, he didn't beat that 09:11 sheep, he didn't condemn that sheep. 09:13 He went seeking for that sheep and I'm sure 09:15 he bound its wounds up and mended the broken leg 09:18 perhaps and he put it upon his shoulders it says 09:21 and when he has found it he layeth it 09:24 on his shoulders, rejoicing not 09:26 grumbling and murmuring. 09:28 Some times in society we want to go 09:30 and help some person and we says oh man 09:32 I had to help him and I had to do this and I 09:34 had to do that. Trying out of goodness of our heart 09:37 to help somebody. But then so often 09:41 I find myself tired at the end of the day and murmur 09:46 and complain. And I have to go to God, 09:49 I don't have to, I choose to go to God 09:50 and ask him for that forgiveness 09:52 in my life today Lord. So don't be 09:55 discouraged whatever it is in your life, 09:57 here it is at the end of the day he came, 10:00 he had been tired, he sought, he found 10:02 that lost sheep and he came rejoicing. 10:05 And when he cometh home, he calleth together 10:07 his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, 10:09 Rejoice with me. He says he called 10:12 a gathering for I have found my sheep which 10:15 was lost and as Jesus is looking today 10:17 throughout the world. He's looking to those 10:20 of us who are lost. We have lost our way 10:24 on a gloomy foggy night. We can't find our way, 10:28 he is seeking you, no matter what the depths 10:33 of despair that you maybe facing. 10:35 He is looking for you. May you call out 10:40 to him that he can hear your call and he 10:43 will be there. I guarantee you, I say unto you 10:47 that likewise joy shall be in heaven over 10:50 how many sinners, if you have your Bible with me 10:53 today. I say unto you that likewise joy shall be 10:56 in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, 11:00 more than over ninety and nine just persons, 11:03 which need no repentance. 11:05 My friend that is for you, and for me. 11:09 Sick and ready to die in a hospital room some 11:13 almost 12 years ago. I called out to the 11:16 creator of the universe and I said 11:18 Dear Jesus please help me. 11:22 I wanna quit, but I can't, I had a desire 11:25 for change in my life and I called unto the King 11:28 of the universe and he has been true and 11:31 faithful each and everyday since then. 11:34 He will do for you what the doctors of our 11:38 land cannot do. He will do for you what the 11:41 judges of our world cannot do, or the 11:43 King of your land, they cannot legislate morality, 11:48 they cannot legislate a change of a heart, 11:51 but Jesus Christ says I say unto you that 11:55 likewise joy shall be in heaven over one 11:56 sinner that repenteth. Repenting is a turning away, 12:01 realizing our need for our Savior. 12:04 He is blessing, after blessing, after blessing. 12:07 I would like to turn now if we could to Luke 15 12:14 and look at verses 10 through 24. 12:18 Likewise I say unto you, there is joy in the 12:21 presence of the angels of God over one sinner 12:24 that repenteth. We have just heard that over 12:26 here in this parable, now he is saying it 12:29 in another parable, so it's very important to 12:31 him that it's repeated twice right next to each other. 12:35 Let's look at verse 11 says 12:44 and he said a certain man had two sons. 12:45 Now this is a different parable. 12:47 And a certain man had two sons and the 12:50 younger of them said to his father, 12:51 give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. 12:55 And he divided them his living. 12:59 And not many days after the younger son 13:01 gathered together all together, 13:03 and took his journey into a far country. 13:06 Why did he wanna go into a far country, 13:08 because usually when we do things wrong 13:10 we wanna like leave town, we wanna go 13:13 where people don't know us, the drugs and 13:15 the sex and the alcohol, we wanna leave town 13:17 and go some place else and he took all his piles 13:20 of money, maybe bags of gold and camels 13:23 whatever it maybe on that day. 13:27 And there wasted his substance with 13:30 riotous living. And when he had spent all, 13:35 he has spent all, it was all gone. 13:39 He wasted all his financial abilities. 13:43 They were exhausted, they were gone 13:46 and when he had spent all there arose 13:49 a mighty famine in that land and he began 13:51 to be in want. He wanted now, 13:54 he was probably buying for everybody. 13:56 Have you ever done that, have you ever bought 13:59 things for people because you want them to 14:01 like you. You want to be a part of their group. 14:03 You want to fit in. I have, wasted much money in 14:08 those lines. And he went and joined himself 14:11 to a citizen of that country, a regular 14:14 common working person of that country, 14:16 a citizen and he sent him into his fields 14:18 to feed swine and he would fain have filled 14:22 his belly with the husks that the swine 14:25 did eat. So what he was feeding to the pigs. 14:27 He was, he was fain, he was as just soon 14:30 been able to eat that himself. 14:32 And no man gave unto him. 14:35 He had all his friends I'm sure and no one gave 14:39 unto him a morsel of food to eat. 14:42 And, when he came to himself, 12 years ago 14:46 I came to myself and I said God I need your help 14:49 and this man when he came to himself 14:52 he said how many hired servants of my fathers 14:55 have bread enough to and to spare, 14:57 and I perish with hunger. I will arise 15:01 and go to my father, and will say unto him, 15:03 Father, I have sinned against heaven, 15:07 and before thee. So he had a plan 15:10 that he was gonna home unto his father 15:12 I'm sorry, I have sinned against heaven 15:15 and against you my father. My earthly father, 15:19 and with that plan in mind he began to make 15:22 his journey I don't know if he gave it two weeks 15:24 notice or a one day notice. 15:25 He began to go home with a plan 15:28 And I'm no more worthy to be called thy son, 15:30 make me as one of thy hired servants. 15:33 And he arose, and came to his father, 15:37 so he traveled to his father. 15:38 I'm sure this time he didn't have no bags of gold, 15:41 no camel, no donkeys, no bicycles, 15:43 and no automobiles. Check this out my friend 15:48 this is what Jesus does for you and me. 15:50 He is waiting for you to say that you need help. 15:56 But when he was yet a great way off, 16:00 his father saw him, his father had to be 16:04 watching for him each and every day, 16:07 each and every moment God is waiting for you 16:10 to call unto him, his phone is never busy, 16:13 never will put you on hold, never a call waiting. 16:17 You will have a direct access to the King of 16:20 the universe. But when he was yet a great way 16:26 off his father saw him and had compassion, 16:29 and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 16:33 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned 16:36 against heaven, and in thy sight, so he didn't come 16:38 home and say what he come home and what he meant 16:41 to come home and say and I'm no more worthy to 16:43 be called thy son. So he came home with that repenteth, 16:46 that humble heart, but the father said to his 16:51 servants, bring forth the best robe, 16:56 bring forth the best robe and put it on him; 17:01 and he put a ring on his hand, and shoes 17:05 on his feet. He probably came home 17:08 with no shoes on his feet. 17:10 God will accept us in our degradation, 17:15 in our mental illnesses, in our depression, 17:19 you know, whatever it is the problems that 17:21 have so beat us down God takes us just as 17:25 we are and he is waiting for us. 17:27 He has compassion on us and he sees us 17:29 a long way off and he is looking for you today 17:33 my friend and for me each and every day. 17:38 It's a daily growing relationship with 17:41 Jesus Christ. Remember Peter the Apostle Peter, 17:46 he was walking towards Jesus on the water says if 17:50 it's really you Lord call me and the Lord called 17:53 him and he got out of the boat and he began to 17:55 walk, and for whatever reason he took 17:57 his eyes off of Jesus. 17:59 Whatever reason you have taken your eyes of the 18:01 Jesus maybe you have never had a personal relationship 18:04 with Jesus, but Peter said, save me. 18:07 As he was sinking in that waves of the tempest 18:12 and Jesus reached down and saved him 18:16 and that's what been offered today 18:21 for you and for I, but we have to 18:24 be willing to ask, because Jesus never forces. 18:28 He doesn't forces way on us, 18:30 he doesn't intrude on our time, 18:31 he doesn't barge in, the devil and ways of the 18:34 world inundate us and bombard us 18:37 to keep us so busy we're going 90 miles 18:40 an hour and going nowhere. 18:41 And we find ourselves just because 18:44 our car is running and it's speedometer says 18:46 60 miles an hour or 70, we don't even look 18:49 out the window. We are stuck in the mud, 18:51 the wheels are spinning and the speedometer 18:53 says we are going somewhere. 18:54 We think we are on our way, 18:56 but until the tank runs out of gas sometimes 18:59 we don't stop and get out, look around 19:01 and then at that point we call unto God. 19:04 But he is willing to take us just as we are. 19:08 Not to leave us that way, but take us 19:12 as and remake us, and shape us and mold us 19:14 and create in us a new heart. 19:17 And the father said for this was son, 19:19 for this my son was dead and he is alive again. 19:24 He was lost and he is found and they begin 19:28 to come together as a family together, 19:32 and Jesus, my sister is looking for you, 19:36 my brother Jesus is looking for you 19:39 that we can be together in relationship with Jesus 19:43 as a family haven't he turn to starts today. 19:46 It starts on this earth as we make a decision 19:49 for Jesus. There is no way in the world 19:51 that we're gonna be ready to meet him in the 19:52 calls of glory, unless we are willing today 19:56 to say please help me. Then he begins 19:59 to perfect our character day-by-day and 20:02 he that is, to began a good work in us 20:05 will finish it. We can trust him with that. 20:08 I guarantee you. I would like to go to 20:13 Luke 16 verse 13, right across the page in my Bible. 20:17 It is in red letters. No servant can serve 20:21 two masters for either he will hate the one, 20:23 and love the other; or else he will hold 20:25 to the one, and despise the other. 20:27 You cannot serve God and mammon. 20:29 We can't have one foot in the world 20:31 and the other foot in church and besides 20:33 church is not enough to get us to heaven. 20:35 It's a personal heart rendering to Jesus Christ, 20:38 there is not a big church on the hill, 20:40 that is all ready to go to heaven. 20:42 It is individuals that he is taking to the 20:44 kingdom of heaven, on judgment day 20:46 you my friend and myself will be standing 20:49 individually before the creator of the universe 20:51 and the books will be opened. 20:53 We can't rely on a preacher to take us to heaven. 20:56 There is nobody that can forgive our sins 20:58 on this earth besides the creator and 21:00 the universe. The Jesus Christ, 21:02 the one who shed his blood, and died for us. 21:04 If that personal relationship and its starts today 21:09 that he prepares our heart, and our mind 21:11 and our life for service for him. 21:13 You can't look back or fix or take care 21:17 of whatever happened yesterday. 21:18 We can ask him for that forgiveness 21:20 and then it starts a new chapter in our life 21:23 today and then tomorrow. 21:27 I would like to go to Ephesians 4, 21:30 Ephesians 4, it's in the New Testament 21:33 there in the back, I always had a hard time 21:35 to finding Ephesians, Ephesians 4 21:39 and I would like to look at 27 to 32,. 27 to 32. 21:45 The Bible says, neither give place to the devil. 21:51 Let him that stole steal no more, but rather 21:55 let him labor working with his hands, 21:56 the thing which is good that he may have 21:59 to give to him that needeth. 22:00 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of 22:04 your mouth, but that which is good 22:06 to the use of edifying that it may minister 22:10 grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the 22:14 Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed 22:16 unto the day of redemption. You my friend with 22:19 the beginning walk with Jesus Christ, 22:21 God takes you. He now has control of your life, 22:25 'cause you were willing to surrender unto him 22:27 and you are beginning, that sealing process 22:29 is beginning to point your life. 22:31 He loves you and he will do the work in you 22:34 that we could not do on ourselves. 22:36 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, 22:38 and clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, 22:41 with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, 22:46 tenderhearted, forgiving one another, 22:48 even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. 22:51 My brother and my sister, I tell you that that 22:55 is impossible by worldly standards to forgive, 22:59 we don't do that. We got the anger and the 23:03 malice and evil speaking, but God changes 23:07 the heart and makes it so that we can forgive 23:10 and be kind one to another. Amen. 23:14 Tenderhearted, forgiving one another, 23:17 even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you. 23:20 We even got problems in our big churches 23:23 of the world today. I don't like him 23:25 because he did this or he did that. 23:27 Brothers and sisters, that's got to stop 23:29 and the only way that can stop is if 23:31 we're willing to surrender to Jesus Christ. 23:35 I would like to turnover to Philippians 1:6. 1:6 23:40 is a promise and I don't want, ever want you 23:42 to forget it, "being confident as you are 23:45 willing to surrender to Jesus Christ today. 23:47 You are saying Lord I need your help, 23:49 as Peter in the water in the tempest in the raging 23:51 sea says save me. As you ask Jesus for 23:55 helping your life today, being confident 23:58 of this very thing, that he which has begun a 24:01 good work in you, in me will perform it 24:05 until the day of Jesus Christ. 24:07 Meaning that you are gonna be ready to 24:08 meet him in the clouds of glory 24:10 each and every day as you are willing to 24:12 surrender and renew your life unto Jesus Christ. 24:15 Philippians 4 had just right in the same, 24:18 right across, Philippians chapter 4 verse 4. 24:25 Rejoice in the Lord always and I say Rejoice. 24:29 Let your moderation be known unto all men. 24:32 The Lord is at hand. My friend today 24:37 is a day of decision for you. 24:41 The devil wants you to put it off till tomorrow. 24:44 Today is your beginning. The Lord is at hand, 24:48 he is here to help, he is out seeking the lost. 24:51 Now as the prodigal son come home and 24:53 said I'm no longer worthy to be 24:55 called your son, may put a robe on him. 25:01 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing 25:05 by prayer and supplication with 25:08 Thanksgiving let your requests be known 25:11 unto God. And the peace of God, 25:15 which passes all understanding shall keep 25:19 our hearts, shall keep your hearts 25:26 and minds through Christ Jesus. 25:29 Here it is, finally, brethren, whatsoever things 25:34 are true, whatsoever things are honest, 25:36 whatsoever things are just, 25:38 whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever 25:41 things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good 25:43 report; if there be any virtue, 25:46 and if there be any praise, think on 25:48 these things. Shut your secular TV off, 25:51 leave your radio off, when you go down 25:53 the highway, there is no value in that 25:56 garbage that they want to sell us, 25:57 entertainment, that takes away from our, 26:00 our relationship with Jesus. It says, 26:02 if its lovely, if its good report, if there 26:04 is any virtue, if there is any praise, 26:05 think on these things. Look at the butterflies 26:08 flying in your country. Look at the little bees 26:11 or the little dandelions, look at the creation 26:14 that God has made and that will lift your heart 26:16 and mind to the creator. Leave the world off. 26:19 Be careful with Christian rock. 26:23 Christian rap, Christian this, Christian that, 26:26 just because it says Christian, try it 26:30 by the love of God. Philippians 4:13 is a 26:33 great promise, its carried me many many miles 26:36 and for you too my friend please don't 26:39 ever forget it. Highlight it in your Bible. 26:41 I can do all things through Christ 26:45 which strengthens me. 26:47 You too my friend can do all things 26:49 through Christ who strengthens you. 26:51 Verse 19 but my God just supply all your need 26:55 according to his riches in glory. 27:02 Now unto God and our Father be glory 27:05 forever and ever, Amen. 27:06 Verse 23,. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 27:12 be with you all. Amen. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 27:20 be with you all. Amen. He's went to heaven 27:25 to prepare a mansion for you and for I, 27:27 my friend. And he is coming back again one day 27:30 I feel very, very soon, look at the turbulent times 27:33 in which we live, soon and very soon 27:37 we shall see the King and we will be ready 27:41 to meet him in the clouds of glory. 27:43 Those streets paved with gold. 27:45 I tell you my friend I look forward 27:48 to seeing you on that great day 27:50 when Jesus Christ comes back. 27:52 God bless you and we love you, 27:54 don't give up, look back. |
Revised 2014-12-17