Hello, and welcome to
Foundation of our Faith.
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My name is John Dinzey
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and it's a
pleasure to be with you
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to study God's word together.
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Our speaker for this
series is a blessing so far,
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I'd heard him
in the last sermon.
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And my first time hearing
him and I'm looking forward
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for the sermon
that we have today.
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It is a message called
Access Granted, Access Granted.
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Our speaker is
Pastor Jaime Kowlessar
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and he is with us
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with this
message from God's word
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and we are blessed also to have
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Sister Sherice
Tomlin- Bloomfield
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that will be
singing in a moment.
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I would like to tell
you a little bit about
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Pastor Jaime Kowlessar,
he is a native of New York.
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And the Lord has
blessed his ministry
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as a highlight of
what God has done.
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Yeah, if my
memory serves me correct,
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the Lord brought him
through several churches
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including the
Ephesus Church in New York
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but the... church
prior to the one that he--
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Bethany in New York.
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He came in, there
were 27 people as members,
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but the Lord
blessed in such a way
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that about 300 people were there
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after he left the church.
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And the Lord
blessed his ministry.
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He is currently in Dallas
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serving in the City Temple
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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Dallas, Texas.
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And he will be sharing a message
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from God's word in a moment.
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We would like to invite you
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to pray before we
continue, so therefore we ask
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those that are
present to please stand,
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if you are able
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and those that are
joining us wherever you may be.
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We ask you to pause
and join us in prayer.
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We want God's blessings for you
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and we encourage
you to pray with us.
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Let us pray together.
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Our loving heavenly Father,
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we approach Your throne
of grace in Jesus' name.
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And Father, we ask you to
bless each and every person
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that is joining us
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whether here or
anywhere in the world.
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We pray that your Holy
Angels would draw near to them
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and that your Holy Spirit
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will illuminate
their minds as they hear
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Your words spoken through
your servant Pastor Kowlessar.
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We pray that You
will speak to our hearts,
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teach us, instruct
us, give us courage
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and help us Lord that
if a warning is needed
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in our lives to
help us understand
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that we must
walk the narrow way.
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We pray that your Holy Spirit
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will bring that
vividly to our attention.
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And we pray for
a blessing upon all
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and we ask it
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in the wonderful
name of Jesus, amen, amen.
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You may be seated.
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We're going to ask
Sister Sherice to come forward
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and bless us with a
song "The Lion and the Lamb"
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and shortly after
that you will hear
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the preaching of a God's word,
with Pastor Jaime Kowlessar.
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God bless you.
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Who is He
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Who's the mightiest of all?
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Who is He
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Creation trembles at His call?
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Who is He
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The lowly sacrifice,
who paid a victim's price
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His name is Jesus
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Jesus from the
Father's own right hand
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Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man
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Jesus who died and rose again
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Jesus, He's the Lion
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And the Lamb
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Who is He
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With the power none can tame?
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Who is He
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That every foe
would fear His name?
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Who is He
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Who was humbly led away
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To suffer that dark day
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His name is Jesus
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Jesus, from the
Father's own right hand
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Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man
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Jesus, who died and rose again
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Jesus, He's the Lion
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And the Lamb
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He's the Lion and the Lamb
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He's the Lamb that was slain
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He's the Lion that reigns
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My Savior and King both the same
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Who is He
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With the eyes
that burn like fire?
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Who is He, oh the
wonder He inspires
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Who is He, who
bore the guilt and shame
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For those who've gone astray
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His name is Jesus
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Jesus, from the
Father's own right hand
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Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man
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Jesus, who died and rose again
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Jesus, He's the Lion
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And He is Jesus
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from the Father's own right hand
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Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man
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Jesus, who died and rose again
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Jesus, He's the Lion
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And the Lamb
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He's the Lion and the Lamb
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He's the Lion and the Lamb
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Happy Sabbath.
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Happy Sabbath.
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Praise God for the Lion
and the Lamb, Jesus Christ.
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That He is a Lamb that is there
to comfort all of our needs
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and also He's a lion to
fight our battles, amen.
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And so we thank
God that we have--
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we have Him on our
sides to fight every enemy
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and every foe that
comes up against His children
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that He's a might warrior,
He's never lost a battle.
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I thank God for
this wonderful Sabbath,
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I want to say goodnight to those
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and greetings to them
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that are watching
us on the television.
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And I pray that they
will find blessing and comfort
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in our message for this evening.
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With that being said,
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I'd like to invite
you to take your Bibles
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and we'll go to
the Book of Mark 10,
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Mark 10:46-52.
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It's a popular story,
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I'm sure many of you
have read over and over,
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but I believe that we can draw
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some fresh water from this well,
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if you don't mind to
indulge with me this evening.
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Book of Mark 10:46-52
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and I'll read and
you'll be hearing.
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The word of God says,
"And they came to Jericho,
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and as he was leaving
Jericho with his disciples
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and a great multitude,
Bartimaeus, a blind beggar,
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the son of Timaeus, was
sitting by the roadside.
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And when he heard that
it was Jesus of Nazareth,
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he began to cry out and say,
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"Jesus, Son of
David, have mercy on me!"
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And many rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
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but he cried out all the more,
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"Son of David,
have mercy on me!"
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And Jesus stopped
and said, "Call him."
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And they called the
blind man, saying to him,
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"Take heart, rise,
he is calling you."
00:10:08.44\00:10:11.83
And throwing off his mantle
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he sprang up and came to Jesus.
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And Jesus said to him,
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"What do you want
me to do for you?"
00:10:17.65\00:10:20.07
And the blind man said to him,
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"Master, let me
receive my sight."
00:10:21.83\00:10:26.29
And Jesus said to him,
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"Go your way, your
faith has made you well."
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And immediately
he received his sight
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and followed Him on the way."
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With your prayers this evening,
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I want to talk to
you on a topic entitled
00:10:38.72\00:10:42.23
Access Granted.
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Pray with me please.
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God Almighty, we do
thank You for this moment.
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And we do thank
You for your word.
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We ask now Lord that
as I speak Your words,
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I pray that You
would show up and show out
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and that we would understand
that You have given us
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access to all
the wonderful things
00:11:02.05\00:11:04.39
that You have in store for us.
00:11:04.42\00:11:06.05
Hide me behind Your cross,
00:11:06.08\00:11:07.42
may I not be seen
but may You be lifted up.
00:11:07.45\00:11:10.05
And this we pray in
your name Jesus Christ, amen
00:11:10.08\00:11:13.95
There's nothing
worse in this life
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than going through
it feeling disconnected.
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I mean there's nothing worse
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than having a feeling
of emptiness, unfulfilled,
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without a reason or
purpose to live anymore.
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You see that's what
I had to find as being
00:11:30.35\00:11:33.08
what's known as disconnected.
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When you feel no
connection with yourself
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and no connection with God
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and then it's
hard to feel connected
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to anything else in this world
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because when you have
lost that connection what God,
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it's like you've lost all power.
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I remember reading a story
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and the story that
was written in the book
00:11:51.17\00:11:53.14
called Spiritual Fitness.
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And in that book the
story was about some gypsies
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who went to a
conference in the United States.
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You see these gypsies
were from the Middle East
00:12:01.41\00:12:03.45
and they were glad to
fly over to the States
00:12:03.48\00:12:05.76
for this conference.
00:12:05.79\00:12:06.88
And already these
gypsies were desert dwellers,
00:12:06.91\00:12:09.93
but at the conference
00:12:09.96\00:12:11.10
they stayed at a beautiful hotel
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and were blown
away by the furniture
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that was inside the room.
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They were blown away
by the queen size bed
00:12:16.91\00:12:19.68
and blown away by the chair
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and the television
that was inside their room.
00:12:21.61\00:12:24.35
But the most
fascinating part of the room
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was when they
went into the bathroom
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and they saw the faucet.
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And when they saw the
faucet their eyes lid up,
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because they saw that
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water was coming
out of this faucet.
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And so a light bulb went
off one of the gypsy's head
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and they said that if we could
take this faucet back home,
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it would make life
for us so much better
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and so believe it or
not they unscrewed the knobs
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and unscrewed the faucet head
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and took it
back to their desert.
00:12:51.71\00:12:53.66
And when they took
it back to their desert,
00:12:53.69\00:12:55.46
they called everybody
from the neighborhood and said,
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come and see what we have
brought home from the States.
00:12:58.28\00:13:01.72
And they put the knobs on a rock
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and a faucet on a rock as well
00:13:04.20\00:13:06.34
and then they
said, one, two, three
00:13:06.37\00:13:08.73
and when they turn the
knob guess what happened?
00:13:08.76\00:13:11.92
Absolutely no water came out
00:13:11.95\00:13:14.35
and so reason why I'm
telling you this story
00:13:14.38\00:13:16.90
is because the water in
the knobs or on the faucet,
00:13:16.93\00:13:20.77
it was not connected
to its natural resource.
00:13:20.80\00:13:23.94
And so when you are not
connected to your resource
00:13:23.97\00:13:27.01
that gives you power,
00:13:27.04\00:13:28.30
it leaves you
feeling disconnected.
00:13:28.33\00:13:30.87
And I guess what
I'm really trying to say
00:13:30.90\00:13:32.61
to you this evening
00:13:32.64\00:13:33.81
is that when you move
through life disconnected,
00:13:33.84\00:13:36.56
you don't have the resources
to make it in this world.
00:13:36.59\00:13:40.38
And that's the truth
for so many people today
00:13:40.41\00:13:43.23
that's in this
world that we live in.
00:13:43.26\00:13:45.04
They move from day to
day without the resources
00:13:45.07\00:13:48.34
needed to open doors
00:13:48.37\00:13:50.11
of opportunity for
them to have a better life.
00:13:50.14\00:13:53.19
Because people live without
the resource of insurance
00:13:53.22\00:13:56.47
which excludes them
from proper healthcare.
00:13:56.50\00:13:59.32
People live without the resource
00:13:59.35\00:14:01.08
of adequately funded schools
00:14:01.11\00:14:03.22
which excludes
them from a education
00:14:03.25\00:14:05.53
to make it fit for them
to survive in this world
00:14:05.56\00:14:08.91
that we live in right now.
00:14:08.94\00:14:10.92
And so I chose this text today,
00:14:10.95\00:14:12.74
because here I see a man
00:14:12.77\00:14:14.25
who was born without a resource.
00:14:14.28\00:14:16.65
Here I see a man
who was born blind
00:14:16.68\00:14:19.15
from day to day he
has entered this world.
00:14:19.18\00:14:21.47
And he has never
beheld the beauty
00:14:21.50\00:14:23.62
of the sun
rising or a full moon.
00:14:23.65\00:14:25.90
He has never saw his
mother or his father's face,
00:14:25.93\00:14:28.88
no employment, no
prospects for marriage,
00:14:28.91\00:14:31.36
no social honor,
00:14:31.39\00:14:32.66
he was if you will at the bottom
00:14:32.69\00:14:35.12
of the social
ladder of acceptance.
00:14:35.15\00:14:38.03
His world has foreclosed on him.
00:14:38.06\00:14:40.37
He has no icing dog.
00:14:40.40\00:14:42.30
He has no braille books
00:14:42.33\00:14:43.79
but he spends
his nights and days
00:14:43.82\00:14:45.94
begging on the money,
00:14:45.97\00:14:47.74
begging for money
on the street corner.
00:14:47.77\00:14:50.30
And the Bible tells us
that his name is Bartimaeus,
00:14:50.33\00:14:54.21
son of Timaeus.
00:14:54.24\00:14:55.70
And so one of
the distinct features
00:14:55.73\00:14:58.01
about the story is that
00:14:58.04\00:14:59.74
Mark goes out of
his way to name this man
00:14:59.77\00:15:02.62
and when you look at
different stories in the Bible.
00:15:02.65\00:15:05.18
It'll often just identifies
individual by their problems
00:15:05.21\00:15:08.35
but Mark feels like
00:15:08.38\00:15:09.61
it's important
that we know his name.
00:15:09.64\00:15:11.76
His name is Timaeus.
00:15:11.79\00:15:13.80
As a matter of fact
his full name is Bartimaeus
00:15:13.83\00:15:16.39
but we'll focus
on Timaeus right now.
00:15:16.42\00:15:18.73
When I looked up the word
00:15:18.76\00:15:19.88
and
etymologically broke it down,
00:15:19.91\00:15:21.88
in the Hebrew the
name Timaeus means
00:15:21.91\00:15:24.65
to be foul or
unclean in a religious sense,
00:15:24.68\00:15:28.16
unpresentable to God.
00:15:28.19\00:15:29.91
So the name Bartimaeus
in Hebrew bar means son
00:15:29.94\00:15:34.84
and so when we
break down the name
00:15:34.87\00:15:37.18
and look at what
it actually means,
00:15:37.21\00:15:39.25
it would be a better
definition to say that
00:15:39.28\00:15:41.80
Bartimaeus' name actually
means air of uncleanness.
00:15:41.83\00:15:46.09
His name means that
00:15:47.63\00:15:49.67
he's nothing of anything
of nature of anything good.
00:15:49.70\00:15:52.76
Not to mention to make it worse
00:15:52.79\00:15:55.12
is that Mark goes
out of his way to say
00:15:55.15\00:15:57.21
that he's blind.
00:15:57.24\00:15:58.59
So he is a man who is blind,
who has a air of uncleanness.
00:15:58.62\00:16:02.30
He is the son of
his father Timaeus
00:16:02.34\00:16:05.56
who is blind and unclean.
00:16:05.59\00:16:07.38
And so understanding this,
00:16:07.41\00:16:09.01
he is simply
known as the poor one.
00:16:09.04\00:16:11.46
The son of a unclean
man, the son of a pauper.
00:16:11.49\00:16:14.20
He inherits his daddy's dilemmas
00:16:14.23\00:16:16.67
and this daddy's trauma.
00:16:16.70\00:16:18.28
He inherits his daddy's name
00:16:18.31\00:16:20.08
because his daddy's name
is like hand-me-downs to him.
00:16:20.11\00:16:23.31
It is like, it is Velcro
00:16:23.34\00:16:24.89
and all the
negativity that has preceded him
00:16:24.92\00:16:28.06
is now stuck to him
00:16:28.09\00:16:29.63
and now it is stuck with
him for the rest of his life.
00:16:29.66\00:16:32.42
Mark doesn't
help his case either
00:16:33.62\00:16:36.68
because Mark
identifies him as a blind beggar
00:16:36.71\00:16:39.54
and so to make matters worse,
00:16:39.57\00:16:41.06
Mark just wants you to know
00:16:41.09\00:16:42.81
that he's the disconnected
from life's resources.
00:16:42.84\00:16:45.59
He is born disconnected
00:16:45.62\00:16:47.50
and because
according to history,
00:16:47.53\00:16:49.65
Jews believe that
blindness and poverty
00:16:49.68\00:16:53.10
was a direct result
of God's displeasure.
00:16:53.13\00:16:56.78
And so if you
were poor and blind
00:16:56.81\00:16:57.94
that meant God didn't love you.
00:16:57.97\00:16:59.58
If you were poor and
blind that meant that God
00:16:59.61\00:17:01.59
didn't want
anything to do with you.
00:17:01.62\00:17:03.14
As a matter of fact,
00:17:03.17\00:17:04.24
your situation is
a result of the fact
00:17:04.27\00:17:07.11
that God wants
nothing to do with you.
00:17:07.14\00:17:09.27
And if you would allow me
to hang out here homiletically
00:17:09.30\00:17:12.33
and write this idea
to the wheels for love.
00:17:12.36\00:17:14.82
We know and understand
that everybody in here
00:17:14.85\00:17:17.49
probably from
good grounded homes.
00:17:17.52\00:17:19.59
Good grounded stable situations,
00:17:19.62\00:17:21.83
names that only carry and
exude greatness and power.
00:17:21.86\00:17:25.50
You didn't inherit anything
bad that your parents have done
00:17:25.53\00:17:28.93
because you came
from good places.
00:17:28.96\00:17:30.86
People don't know
about what the past
00:17:30.89\00:17:33.59
or what people
have done before you
00:17:33.62\00:17:35.57
because when you say
your name, doors open up.
00:17:35.60\00:17:38.67
When people see
you, they begin to smile
00:17:38.70\00:17:41.30
but yet still there
are people that we know
00:17:41.33\00:17:44.16
and people that
we have seen that.
00:17:44.19\00:17:46.15
If we mention their name,
00:17:46.18\00:17:48.95
people are reminded
of who their parents are.
00:17:48.98\00:17:51.70
You see sometimes
you may not understand it
00:17:51.73\00:17:53.56
but it may not affect you
00:17:53.59\00:17:55.26
but maybe
something you have done
00:17:55.29\00:17:57.19
but it affects your children.
00:17:57.22\00:17:59.19
And when you get
ready to drive them up
00:17:59.22\00:18:00.97
to their universities,
00:18:01.00\00:18:02.70
Southwestern or Oakwood
or Loma Linda or Walla Walla
00:18:02.73\00:18:05.97
and the professor sees
your son or your daughter's name
00:18:06.00\00:18:09.37
and then say I know that
name, I remembered his daddy.
00:18:09.40\00:18:13.13
I remember his momma.
00:18:13.16\00:18:14.86
I remember the
things that they used to do
00:18:14.89\00:18:16.93
when we were in
college with them.
00:18:16.96\00:18:18.61
And now as a result of
what their parents had done,
00:18:18.64\00:18:22.01
the child is now
living with those effects.
00:18:22.04\00:18:25.08
You see that stuff is real.
00:18:25.11\00:18:26.70
It happens all the
time and here is Bartimaeus
00:18:26.73\00:18:29.79
who is living with his father
who is living with the name
00:18:29.82\00:18:33.63
that his father had
00:18:33.66\00:18:34.69
and now it is
passed down on to him
00:18:34.72\00:18:36.58
because the text reminds us
00:18:36.61\00:18:38.28
that people will use
the history of your heritage
00:18:38.31\00:18:39.52
to judge you in the present.
00:18:39.55\00:18:43.11
The text reminds us
that people will not forget
00:18:43.14\00:18:46.09
and they will do
everything in their power
00:18:46.12\00:18:47.85
to remind you of your past
00:18:47.88\00:18:50.77
and folk will always
take excerpts of your life
00:18:50.80\00:18:54.12
and judge your
entire existence upon that.
00:18:54.15\00:18:57.37
And so the Bible tells us
00:18:57.40\00:18:59.26
as we go further in the story
that Jesus is leaving Jericho
00:18:59.29\00:19:03.03
and His disciples are with them,
00:19:03.06\00:19:04.74
and a great
multitude is following Him.
00:19:04.77\00:19:07.25
And now allow me to remind you
00:19:07.28\00:19:08.83
about this place called Jericho.
00:19:08.86\00:19:10.77
Since you all
are Bible scholars,
00:19:10.80\00:19:12.97
you know and understand
that Jericho is a same place
00:19:13.00\00:19:15.98
that Jesus spoke about,
00:19:16.01\00:19:17.65
where a Samaritan
was lying by the roadside
00:19:17.68\00:19:20.70
and that some individuals
00:19:20.73\00:19:22.07
did not want to
help this Samaritan.
00:19:22.10\00:19:24.53
You see Jericho was not a place
00:19:24.56\00:19:26.49
that you wanted to
be in late at night.
00:19:26.52\00:19:28.73
Jericho if you
will, was a kind of place
00:19:28.76\00:19:31.22
if you were
riding on your donkey,
00:19:31.25\00:19:33.02
you had bet to be careful
00:19:33.05\00:19:34.21
'cause you might
get donkey jacked by
00:19:34.24\00:19:36.05
some of the
criminals over there.
00:19:36.08\00:19:37.69
And so that's what Jericho is.
00:19:37.72\00:19:39.57
And so here
Jesus is in the Jericho
00:19:39.60\00:19:42.07
and he is in a bad neighborhood.
00:19:42.10\00:19:44.93
And Jesus is there
and he's ministering
00:19:44.96\00:19:47.31
and I love the
ministry that Jesus had.
00:19:47.34\00:19:49.63
Because Jesus had a ministry
00:19:49.66\00:19:51.72
that was willing to hangout
with some bad folk in Jericho.
00:19:51.75\00:19:55.47
You see, Jesus is hanging
out with the people in Jericho
00:19:55.50\00:19:59.14
and Bartimaeus is there.
00:19:59.17\00:20:01.06
And that Jesus does not only go
00:20:01.09\00:20:02.54
or to find a
wealthy places of society,
00:20:02.57\00:20:05.57
but Jesus chooses to
visit some of the places
00:20:05.60\00:20:08.63
that none of us
would even go to.
00:20:08.67\00:20:10.43
And here is Jesus in Jericho
00:20:10.46\00:20:12.58
and blind Bartimaeus
heard that Jesus of Nazareth
00:20:12.61\00:20:16.45
was passing by and he cries out.
00:20:16.48\00:20:19.04
And Mark plays
around with words alignment,
00:20:19.07\00:20:21.43
he mentions Jesus of Nazareth.
00:20:21.46\00:20:23.48
Now because you
are full of aware
00:20:23.51\00:20:25.24
that Jesus was a popular name
00:20:25.27\00:20:27.19
that there were other people
claiming to be the Messiah.
00:20:27.22\00:20:30.04
As a matter of fact
when Jesus walked the earth,
00:20:30.07\00:20:32.62
the name Jesus was
a very popular name.
00:20:32.65\00:20:35.45
It was only because
of the life of Jesus
00:20:35.48\00:20:37.42
and where we live
and where in the society
00:20:37.45\00:20:39.33
that we live now that
people tend not to use
00:20:39.36\00:20:42.09
that name commonly
to name their children
00:20:42.12\00:20:44.35
but Jesus was a popular name.
00:20:44.38\00:20:46.37
Matter of fact, when
Pilate had Jesus in front of him
00:20:46.40\00:20:51.38
and Barabbas in
front of him as well.
00:20:51.41\00:20:53.36
The Greek
original manuscript says,
00:20:53.39\00:20:55.91
whether of the twain would
you wish for me to release?
00:20:55.94\00:20:58.71
Jesus of Nazareth
or Jesus Barabbas.
00:20:58.74\00:21:02.35
You see Jesus Barabbas
was his first name as well.
00:21:02.38\00:21:05.24
And so you understand that
when it says Jesus of Nazareth,
00:21:05.27\00:21:09.08
Mark is identifying
that this is the real deal,
00:21:09.11\00:21:12.48
the real macoy because
there was only one Jesus
00:21:12.51\00:21:16.17
that came from
Nazareth and so I love this.
00:21:16.20\00:21:18.97
And so Bartimaeus cries
out for Jesus of the Nazareth
00:21:19.00\00:21:23.72
as he was passing by to him.
00:21:23.75\00:21:25.56
Remember
Bartimaeus can't see him
00:21:25.59\00:21:28.17
and he can't confirm him
00:21:28.20\00:21:29.55
but he has to go
on the word of others
00:21:29.58\00:21:31.64
that he is in the neighborhood.
00:21:31.67\00:21:33.21
You see sometimes
you just got to believe
00:21:33.24\00:21:34.92
that God is present.
00:21:34.95\00:21:36.39
Look, I'm telling somebody
in this church right now,
00:21:36.42\00:21:39.12
or somebody that's
watching on television
00:21:39.15\00:21:41.33
that you don't have to see
God to know that God is near.
00:21:41.36\00:21:45.06
You just got to
look around and realize
00:21:45.09\00:21:46.96
that the
evidence of his existence
00:21:46.99\00:21:49.02
is not
predicated on whether or not
00:21:49.05\00:21:51.37
you can
physically touch or see God,
00:21:51.40\00:21:53.59
but the evidence is
knowing that when I look around
00:21:53.62\00:21:56.46
and I see my surroundings
00:21:56.49\00:21:58.36
and I understand that
I'm alive in here today
00:21:58.39\00:22:01.20
that there is a God
that is out there somewhere.
00:22:01.23\00:22:04.31
When I look around and
I hear people testifying
00:22:04.34\00:22:07.25
about the goodness of God,
00:22:07.28\00:22:09.08
when I hear songs of deliverance
00:22:09.11\00:22:10.78
and the word is
preached with power,
00:22:10.81\00:22:12.58
I just got to
keep telling myself,
00:22:12.61\00:22:14.59
I may not be where I want to be,
00:22:14.62\00:22:16.64
but I can praise God
anyway because I'm alive today.
00:22:16.67\00:22:20.42
I could take advantage of God
00:22:20.45\00:22:22.20
because now I can
worship Him in freedom,
00:22:22.23\00:22:24.62
in spirit and in truth.
00:22:24.65\00:22:26.29
It's evident that God
woke me up for a reason
00:22:26.32\00:22:29.07
and because God
woke me up this morning,
00:22:29.10\00:22:31.35
I'm gonna give Him praise
00:22:31.38\00:22:32.78
because God allowed
me to get home safely.
00:22:32.81\00:22:35.30
I'm gonna give Him praise
00:22:35.33\00:22:36.58
even if He doesn't
bless me with what I want.
00:22:36.61\00:22:39.51
I'm still gonna give God praise.
00:22:39.54\00:22:41.72
I'm gonna give God praise
even if I don't have no shoes
00:22:41.75\00:22:44.57
because I got two feet to
stand up on the ground with.
00:22:44.60\00:22:47.55
I'm gonna give God praise
00:22:47.58\00:22:49.33
even if I don't have
my legs to stand with,
00:22:49.36\00:22:52.09
but I can still wheel
myself in a wheelchair
00:22:52.12\00:22:54.62
that's still
enough to give God praise,
00:22:54.65\00:22:56.98
because you have
got to understand.
00:22:57.01\00:22:58.90
I'm not what you call
a circumstantial praiser.
00:22:58.93\00:23:02.64
No, I'm not a flakey praiser.
I'm not a feel good praiser.
00:23:02.67\00:23:07.02
But I'm a praiser in the morning
00:23:07.05\00:23:08.96
and a praiser in the evening.
00:23:08.99\00:23:10.68
I'm a praiser
when I'm on a mountain
00:23:10.71\00:23:12.78
and I'm a praiser
when I'm in the valley.
00:23:12.81\00:23:15.09
You see you don't
know what I've been through
00:23:15.12\00:23:17.09
because there's a
story behind my glory.
00:23:17.12\00:23:19.57
And when I give God praise,
00:23:19.60\00:23:21.28
I really don't
care who is around me
00:23:21.31\00:23:23.06
or who is judging me
because God understand
00:23:23.09\00:23:25.77
what I've been through
and how he has brought me out.
00:23:25.80\00:23:28.92
Because I've
been through the fire
00:23:28.95\00:23:30.65
and I've been through the flood.
00:23:30.68\00:23:32.15
But I've got a
whole lot to praise God.
00:23:32.18\00:23:34.36
As a matter of fact
00:23:34.39\00:23:35.42
I praise God in the midnight
00:23:35.45\00:23:37.11
because it brings
me into the sunlight.
00:23:37.14\00:23:39.36
Most of you are so smart
and you know this already
00:23:39.39\00:23:42.14
but I'm gonna
bless you with it anyway.
00:23:42.17\00:23:44.06
There is a difference
00:23:44.09\00:23:45.18
between a humming
bird and a nightingale.
00:23:45.21\00:23:47.50
You see a humming
bird only sing songs
00:23:47.53\00:23:50.40
during the day but
it sleeps at night.
00:23:50.43\00:23:53.06
But nightingale
sings its loudest song
00:23:53.09\00:23:55.70
when it is the dark.
00:23:55.73\00:23:57.21
When its pitch-black outside,
00:23:57.24\00:23:59.06
the nightingale lifts its
voice in a upward crescendo
00:23:59.09\00:24:02.73
and that it sings
highly when its at night.
00:24:02.76\00:24:05.69
But as I talk to a nightingale,
00:24:05.72\00:24:07.90
the nightingale
explained this to me.
00:24:07.93\00:24:09.93
Yes, because you
know Shakespeare says
00:24:09.96\00:24:11.76
there are sermons and
stones and good in everything.
00:24:11.79\00:24:14.59
You can find a
blessing in everything
00:24:14.62\00:24:16.38
so I'm having a
conversation with a nightingale.
00:24:16.41\00:24:19.06
And a nightingale told me
that I begin to sing louder
00:24:19.09\00:24:22.97
when I'm in
dangerous situations.
00:24:23.00\00:24:25.20
When I find
myself in urban areas
00:24:25.23\00:24:27.62
and I'm liable to lose my life,
00:24:27.65\00:24:29.75
I sing louder
00:24:29.78\00:24:30.98
because the enemy does
not like when I'm singing,
00:24:31.01\00:24:33.92
they think that I'm awake
and I'm awake and not sleeping
00:24:33.95\00:24:37.62
and so they move away from me.
00:24:37.65\00:24:39.46
And I said nightingale
thank you for that word
00:24:39.49\00:24:41.92
'cause I'm gonna bless the folks
00:24:41.95\00:24:43.10
over a day to dream with that.
00:24:43.13\00:24:44.81
God expects us to sing
when it's dark in our lives.
00:24:44.84\00:24:48.59
God expects us
to lift our voices
00:24:48.62\00:24:50.92
when we feel
like we're down. Why?
00:24:50.95\00:24:53.14
Because it keeps the
enemy far away from us
00:24:53.17\00:24:55.74
because that tells them that
00:24:55.77\00:24:56.92
we are in tune and on
pitch with our savior God.
00:24:56.95\00:25:00.58
And so I'm going
sing my praises to God
00:25:00.61\00:25:03.24
in the morning and in the night.
00:25:03.27\00:25:05.48
And so here is blind
Bartimaeus and it cries out,
00:25:05.51\00:25:08.65
son of David, have mercy on me.
00:25:08.68\00:25:11.64
Many rebuked him and told
him shut up, close your mouth.
00:25:11.67\00:25:15.48
Jesus don't want
nothing to do with you.
00:25:15.51\00:25:17.54
Can you imagine the
audacity of these folk?
00:25:17.57\00:25:20.58
These are people
who are following Jesus
00:25:20.61\00:25:23.03
but yet still
they had the audacity
00:25:23.06\00:25:25.24
to tell Bartimaeus to be quiet
00:25:25.27\00:25:27.78
because Jesus wants
nothing to do with you.
00:25:27.81\00:25:30.70
What we need to understand
from this part of the text
00:25:30.73\00:25:33.47
is that just because
we're on the same team
00:25:33.50\00:25:36.42
doesn't
necessarily make us teammates.
00:25:36.45\00:25:39.14
What do I mean by that?
00:25:39.17\00:25:40.46
Just because we
serve the same God
00:25:40.49\00:25:42.60
doesn't mean that
00:25:42.63\00:25:43.66
we are interested
in the same things.
00:25:43.69\00:25:46.12
Because isn't that
amazing that there are sometimes
00:25:46.15\00:25:49.03
in our lives that some of
the meanest folks that we will
00:25:49.06\00:25:51.69
ever meet are church folk.
00:25:51.72\00:25:54.06
Some of the most judgmental
and most critical folk
00:25:54.09\00:25:57.83
that you will
ever meet are people
00:25:57.86\00:25:59.76
right inside of the church.
00:25:59.79\00:26:01.89
And here are they telling just
blind Bartimaeus to be quiet,
00:26:01.92\00:26:07.37
God wants
nothing to do with you.
00:26:07.40\00:26:09.53
In other words you are too
low on the ladder of success.
00:26:09.56\00:26:13.13
Jesus has better people to heal.
00:26:13.16\00:26:15.36
Jesus has better
people to deal with.
00:26:15.39\00:26:17.63
Just sit down be blind
and stay in your position
00:26:17.66\00:26:21.12
and be glad that you are alive.
00:26:21.15\00:26:23.32
In other words
what they are saying
00:26:23.35\00:26:25.38
is that you need to be
quiet and leave Jesus alone
00:26:25.41\00:26:28.61
because He wants
nothing to do with people
00:26:28.64\00:26:31.22
who are on income
assistance by the government.
00:26:31.25\00:26:34.58
As a matter of fact be quiet
00:26:34.61\00:26:36.00
because Jesus has no time
for the folk down in Ferguson,
00:26:36.03\00:26:39.29
Missouri that are marching
for the rights of their son
00:26:39.32\00:26:42.16
that was shot blatantly.
00:26:42.19\00:26:43.67
Be quiet Jesus
because he has nothing to do
00:26:43.70\00:26:46.38
with the alcoholic or a
drug addict or a prisoner.
00:26:46.41\00:26:49.55
No, Jesus prefers
to serve the have gots
00:26:49.58\00:26:52.61
and look over the have nots.
00:26:52.64\00:26:55.00
But the God I
serve does not love--
00:26:55.03\00:26:57.70
does not show
impartiality to anybody,
00:26:57.73\00:27:00.73
He loves everybody.
00:27:00.76\00:27:02.22
And so what we
have done as a people
00:27:02.25\00:27:04.60
is that we have not accepted
all people as children of God,
00:27:04.63\00:27:07.98
whether good bad,
00:27:08.01\00:27:09.38
educated or
educated, uneducated,
00:27:09.41\00:27:11.82
female or male.
00:27:11.85\00:27:13.19
But we have become
respecter of purses,
00:27:13.22\00:27:15.59
preferring those who
flatter and reward us,
00:27:15.62\00:27:18.15
bloat it with our own conceal,
00:27:18.18\00:27:19.93
blinds of Bartimaeus
lying by the roadside
00:27:19.96\00:27:22.92
and corrupted by our own
desire for personal gain.
00:27:22.95\00:27:26.13
There is a perplexing
00:27:26.16\00:27:27.73
and pending
problem in our world.
00:27:27.76\00:27:29.88
We love to talk about
hunger and poverty in Africa.
00:27:29.91\00:27:33.62
But we have not done
anything to address the problem.
00:27:33.65\00:27:36.22
We love to talk
about the lack of fathers
00:27:36.25\00:27:38.48
not being visible in this world.
00:27:38.51\00:27:40.65
But have not started
00:27:40.68\00:27:41.84
mentorship programs
for our youth today.
00:27:41.87\00:27:44.21
We love to talk
about Danroy Henry,
00:27:44.24\00:27:46.68
Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis,
00:27:46.71\00:27:48.81
Michael Brown and
lastly Victor White
00:27:48.84\00:27:51.62
who they claim shot himself
00:27:51.65\00:27:53.32
while he was in the
back of a police car.
00:27:53.35\00:27:55.43
But we have not
been on the frontline
00:27:55.46\00:27:57.33
fighting for their rights.
00:27:57.36\00:27:58.90
There's young people
that are crossing the border
00:27:58.93\00:28:01.56
for a chance at a better life.
00:28:01.59\00:28:03.32
The countless girls
00:28:03.35\00:28:04.39
that are kidnapped
and sold into slavery.
00:28:04.42\00:28:06.72
The text also reminds
us by blind Bartimaeus
00:28:06.75\00:28:10.42
that it is a
responsibility upon the church
00:28:10.45\00:28:13.47
to have ministries
that reach to deaf,
00:28:13.50\00:28:15.79
to have ministries
that reach to mute.
00:28:15.82\00:28:17.88
They have
ministries that reach to blind.
00:28:17.91\00:28:19.99
We have
overlooked these individuals.
00:28:20.02\00:28:23.73
And we have told
them to be quiet.
00:28:23.76\00:28:26.32
We have told them that we
can't do anything for you.
00:28:26.35\00:28:29.57
We can't get
interpreters for you.
00:28:29.60\00:28:31.62
We can't get people to
learn sign language for you.
00:28:31.65\00:28:34.47
And these are
God's children as well.
00:28:34.50\00:28:38.01
And so in Exodus 2:23,
you see the Israelites,
00:28:39.93\00:28:43.26
the Bible says the Israelites
grown in their slavery
00:28:43.29\00:28:45.83
and cried out and
they cry for help was
00:28:45.86\00:28:47.99
because of their
slavery went up to God.
00:28:48.02\00:28:49.76
Exodus 3:7 says,
00:28:49.79\00:28:50.94
"Then the Lord told
him, "I have certainly seen
00:28:50.97\00:28:52.88
the oppression of
my people in Egypt.
00:28:52.91\00:28:54.71
I have heard
their cries of distress
00:28:54.74\00:28:56.58
and their harsh slave drivers.
00:28:56.61\00:28:58.31
Yes, I am aware
of their suffering."
00:28:58.34\00:28:59.93
There are
people crying out today
00:28:59.96\00:29:02.59
and they are looking for
us to hear their suffering.
00:29:02.62\00:29:05.14
There is still
racism in America.
00:29:05.17\00:29:07.47
There is still things
that we need to fight for.
00:29:07.50\00:29:10.12
There are still
undercurrents of challenges
00:29:10.15\00:29:12.68
against people
that we are indirectly,
00:29:12.71\00:29:15.29
may not directly call them
00:29:15.32\00:29:17.05
but we trick
them in a certain way.
00:29:17.08\00:29:19.17
We may not use the end word
00:29:19.20\00:29:20.68
but we treat
them as the end word.
00:29:20.71\00:29:22.76
I've learned the other day
00:29:22.79\00:29:23.86
that the I word is a bad
word in our society today
00:29:23.89\00:29:27.28
that if you call somebody
who is crossing the border,
00:29:27.31\00:29:30.47
a Latino or Hispanic person
00:29:30.50\00:29:32.44
and he legal that is just as bad
00:29:32.47\00:29:34.90
as calling the
African-American the end word.
00:29:34.93\00:29:37.42
And every time I
turn on the news,
00:29:38.76\00:29:40.18
I hear that word.
00:29:40.21\00:29:41.45
And God is calling us
00:29:41.48\00:29:42.71
to remember these people
that are crying out for help,
00:29:42.74\00:29:46.04
to remember these
people that are crying out
00:29:46.07\00:29:48.29
and not to tell them
to be quiet and sit down.
00:29:48.32\00:29:51.18
Because when we do that
00:29:51.21\00:29:52.60
when we tell people to be quiet,
00:29:52.63\00:29:54.36
we are daring to say that
00:29:54.39\00:29:56.14
we are turning the
church into a old boys club.
00:29:56.17\00:29:59.15
Therefore if you are
part of the old boys club,
00:29:59.18\00:30:01.88
then you can be a
part of our congregation.
00:30:01.91\00:30:04.17
And we have turn the church
into some crazy country club
00:30:04.20\00:30:07.60
and Jesus is our
country club president.
00:30:07.63\00:30:10.22
And our leaders
who was entertained
00:30:10.25\00:30:12.31
by our special
days our special rewards
00:30:12.34\00:30:14.88
and our special programs,
someone who is entertained
00:30:14.91\00:30:17.78
by our religious
shows but absolutely not,
00:30:17.81\00:30:21.07
God is not
moved by our programs,
00:30:21.10\00:30:23.26
He is moved by our praise.
00:30:23.29\00:30:25.01
The word tells us
00:30:25.04\00:30:26.07
that after the
people tell him to shut up,
00:30:26.10\00:30:27.93
he cries out louder and
louder and said son of David
00:30:27.96\00:30:32.28
and he refers to
God as the same title.
00:30:32.31\00:30:35.10
Don't ever let what people say
00:30:35.13\00:30:37.55
about you to change
what you say about your God.
00:30:37.58\00:30:41.50
And so he cries out
to the Son of David.
00:30:41.53\00:30:43.55
He says I'm gonna block out
00:30:43.58\00:30:44.77
all that chatter,
that background noise.
00:30:44.80\00:30:46.74
I'm gonna cry out Son of David.
00:30:46.77\00:30:48.81
You see I understand because
00:30:48.84\00:30:50.22
I need the Son
of David to cry out
00:30:50.25\00:30:52.65
and to help me get
through this situation.
00:30:52.68\00:30:55.06
Not only does he cry out more,
00:30:55.09\00:30:57.12
but he knows that
this is Jesus of Nazareth.
00:30:57.15\00:30:59.94
And so let's go back to what
00:30:59.97\00:31:01.25
we were talking about
from, he is from Jericho.
00:31:01.28\00:31:03.82
Jericho was a bad neighborhood
00:31:03.85\00:31:05.95
and then he says
Jesus of Nazareth.
00:31:05.98\00:31:08.21
What did Nathanael say
about Jesus of Nazareth?
00:31:08.24\00:31:11.45
Nathanael said, can anything
good come out of Nazareth.
00:31:11.48\00:31:15.38
So that meant that Nazareth
00:31:15.41\00:31:17.00
was not a good
neighborhood as well.
00:31:17.03\00:31:19.20
And so by Bartimaeus saying,
00:31:19.23\00:31:21.03
Jesus of Nazareth look
at me, you are in Jericho.
00:31:21.06\00:31:25.44
In other words look at this,
00:31:25.47\00:31:27.11
from a brother
to another brother
00:31:27.14\00:31:29.07
from a bad neighborhood.
00:31:29.10\00:31:30.59
You got to hook me up
because I'm crying out to you.
00:31:30.62\00:31:33.87
And so the beggar
refuses to give up
00:31:33.90\00:31:36.31
because he is unsatisfied
and the question remains today.
00:31:36.34\00:31:40.12
Are you
unsatisfied with your life?
00:31:40.15\00:31:43.07
How unsatisfied are
you with your relationship
00:31:43.10\00:31:46.05
with Jesus Christ?
00:31:46.08\00:31:47.24
Are you willing
to cry out to Him
00:31:47.27\00:31:49.17
and to call to Him and to say
00:31:49.20\00:31:51.18
God help me get over
my lethargic situation
00:31:51.21\00:31:54.63
from hanging out
in the same place
00:31:54.66\00:31:56.59
because I want
to know you better.
00:31:56.62\00:31:58.60
I want to pet for
you like David says,
00:31:58.63\00:32:01.24
"As the deer
panteth after the water."
00:32:01.27\00:32:03.56
In other words,
00:32:03.59\00:32:04.62
I want to crave
for you Jesus Christ.
00:32:04.65\00:32:07.79
I don't want shallow water.
00:32:07.82\00:32:08.85
I want the deep streams
of Your mercy and Your grace
00:32:08.88\00:32:12.64
and I'm your hunger
and thirst after it,
00:32:12.67\00:32:15.33
because after all the reason
why we have shallow Christians
00:32:15.36\00:32:19.23
is because we just are,
00:32:19.26\00:32:20.65
we are just
surfing the waves of God.
00:32:20.68\00:32:23.72
We are not deep sea
diving into the word of God
00:32:23.75\00:32:27.31
and so we end up shallow.
00:32:27.34\00:32:28.98
And so when we end up shallow,
any wave that comes our way,
00:32:29.01\00:32:32.55
it will blow us away and
drift us to the other side.
00:32:32.58\00:32:35.73
But when you're
deep-rooted in God,
00:32:35.76\00:32:37.85
when you're
deep-rooted in His word,
00:32:37.88\00:32:39.77
you can stand up no matter
what situation you are in.
00:32:39.80\00:32:43.54
Most of you are aware
of what palm trees are in.
00:32:43.57\00:32:46.50
Palm trees are very tall
00:32:46.53\00:32:48.10
and they're very
high and very beautiful.
00:32:48.13\00:32:50.26
And a palm tree
has a bendable trunk
00:32:50.29\00:32:52.95
and so that's why
palm trees in Florida
00:32:52.98\00:32:55.31
and in most places or in
Gulf or wherever it may be.
00:32:55.34\00:32:58.48
When the winds blow,
00:32:58.51\00:32:59.83
a palm tree can
simply bend to the side
00:32:59.86\00:33:02.64
and pop right back up.
00:33:02.67\00:33:04.19
It will bend to this
side and pop right back up.
00:33:04.22\00:33:07.22
That's because the palm tree
00:33:07.25\00:33:09.03
has a bendable trunk
that allows it to bend
00:33:09.06\00:33:12.41
when storms and
wind comes it way.
00:33:12.44\00:33:15.15
And so what I'm saying today
00:33:15.18\00:33:16.66
is that we got to be
like a palm tree that bends
00:33:16.69\00:33:19.89
and that's able
to pop right back up
00:33:19.92\00:33:22.12
when the enemy
comes in like a flood.
00:33:22.15\00:33:24.04
As a matter of fact,
00:33:24.07\00:33:25.10
what makes a palm
tree even more beautiful
00:33:25.13\00:33:27.48
is that they say
that the palm trees roots
00:33:27.51\00:33:30.30
are as deep as it is tall.
00:33:30.33\00:33:33.10
And so the palm
tree is able to survive
00:33:33.13\00:33:35.89
in adverse conditions
00:33:35.92\00:33:37.62
because its roots
taped into a well stream
00:33:37.65\00:33:40.66
that other trees can't tap into
00:33:40.69\00:33:42.74
that gives it power to stand up.
00:33:42.77\00:33:44.89
And all I'm saying
to you this evening
00:33:44.92\00:33:47.17
is that I am like a palm tree
00:33:47.20\00:33:48.72
that's planted by
the rivers of water
00:33:48.75\00:33:50.67
because I am
connected to a well stream
00:33:50.70\00:33:53.23
that gives me power
and strength to stand
00:33:53.26\00:33:55.78
even when storms come in my life
00:33:55.81\00:33:57.81
because I'm deep-rooted in God.
00:33:57.84\00:33:59.45
If I bend to the left I can say,
00:33:59.48\00:34:01.52
"No weapon formed
against me shall prosper."
00:34:01.55\00:34:04.15
If I bend to the
right I could say
00:34:04.18\00:34:06.27
"Greater is he that is in me
than he that is in the world."
00:34:06.30\00:34:09.65
And I'll always
pop right back up
00:34:09.68\00:34:11.79
because I'm deep-rooted
inside a word of God.
00:34:11.82\00:34:15.27
And so I'm loving this
text because it gets gooder.
00:34:15.30\00:34:17.82
And why I love it
00:34:17.85\00:34:18.88
because the gooder it
gets the better will I feel.
00:34:18.91\00:34:21.15
Yes, I made those words up.
00:34:21.18\00:34:22.69
I think I'm entitled to
that every now and then.
00:34:22.72\00:34:25.28
And so here Bartimaeus refuses
00:34:25.31\00:34:27.70
allow the crowd to
deter him or to give him up,
00:34:27.73\00:34:30.87
because the crowd
pronounce a judgment on him.
00:34:30.90\00:34:33.77
And analysis of
the verdict is that
00:34:33.80\00:34:36.05
because you are poor
you don't deserve to have
00:34:36.08\00:34:38.45
your request
even heard or granted.
00:34:38.48\00:34:41.75
Bartimaeus refuses to give up
00:34:41.78\00:34:43.87
and refuses to
take their verdict.
00:34:43.90\00:34:46.12
And so what I
love about the text
00:34:46.15\00:34:47.93
is that Bartimaeus
understands that look here,
00:34:47.96\00:34:51.08
God you can do this for me
00:34:51.11\00:34:52.95
God, yeah, I'm not going
to let anybody tell me to stop
00:34:52.98\00:34:55.61
because God I
want you to bless me.
00:34:55.64\00:34:58.08
And so I've been
reading this commentary
00:34:58.11\00:34:59.95
called Ched Myers.
00:34:59.98\00:35:01.25
And Ched Myers, the title of it
00:35:01.28\00:35:03.14
is a sociopolitical
commentary on the Book of Mark.
00:35:03.17\00:35:06.60
And what Ched Myers is saying
00:35:06.63\00:35:08.22
is that you can't read
Mark with a top down theology.
00:35:08.25\00:35:11.91
In other words you
can't look at the eyes
00:35:11.94\00:35:14.22
or the Book of mark
00:35:14.25\00:35:15.34
from somebody who is
outside looking into it.
00:35:15.37\00:35:18.45
When you read the Book of Mark,
00:35:18.48\00:35:20.63
you have to
read it from somebody
00:35:20.66\00:35:22.29
who is in the story
00:35:22.32\00:35:24.02
and that you are
looking for blessing.
00:35:24.05\00:35:26.31
And so that
means you have to look
00:35:26.34\00:35:28.24
at the Book of Mark
from a victim's eyes.
00:35:28.27\00:35:30.94
You have to look
at the Book of Mark
00:35:30.97\00:35:32.70
from the eyes of Bartimaeus
00:35:32.73\00:35:34.49
and understand why
his need was so important.
00:35:34.52\00:35:37.68
And so as Mark is saying,
00:35:37.71\00:35:39.40
and Mark is telling us
the story of Bartimaeus,
00:35:39.43\00:35:42.45
Bartimaeus is
crying out from the ground
00:35:42.48\00:35:44.98
and Bartimaeus
cries out to Jesus
00:35:45.01\00:35:47.70
and Jesus looks and
says I will part in you
00:35:47.73\00:35:50.96
because of what
you've been through.
00:35:50.99\00:35:52.62
Because I love that,
00:35:52.65\00:35:53.68
because when you
read the Bible like that,
00:35:53.71\00:35:55.99
you begin to read the Bible
00:35:56.02\00:35:57.72
from the place that you
are supposed to do it from.
00:35:57.75\00:36:00.15
And it's amazing how God
00:36:00.18\00:36:02.14
can speak to you
through situations
00:36:02.17\00:36:04.49
that where other people
00:36:04.52\00:36:05.61
are trying to
tell you the opposite.
00:36:05.64\00:36:07.73
And so here Jesus
hears a blind Bartimaeus
00:36:07.76\00:36:11.43
and he tells the
crowd to go and get him.
00:36:11.46\00:36:13.90
As a matter of fact,
00:36:13.93\00:36:14.96
I love it because you
notice earlier in the text
00:36:14.99\00:36:17.45
that this is the same
crowd that told him to be quiet
00:36:17.48\00:36:21.39
but now this crowd
00:36:21.42\00:36:22.72
Jesus uses them to
say bring him to me.
00:36:22.75\00:36:25.86
I love that because God
sometimes will use your enemies
00:36:25.89\00:36:29.47
to bring you in
the presence of God.
00:36:29.50\00:36:31.74
God will use the same
people that talked about you
00:36:31.77\00:36:34.51
to bring you into His presence.
00:36:34.54\00:36:36.24
As a matter of
fact I love to call it,
00:36:36.27\00:36:37.89
God can use your
haters as your transportation,
00:36:37.92\00:36:40.81
your haters as your elevators
00:36:40.84\00:36:42.67
so that you can
be at a better place.
00:36:42.70\00:36:44.78
You know I'm
vertically challenged
00:36:44.81\00:36:46.44
and I love the text,
one of my favorite text
00:36:46.47\00:36:48.59
is found in the Book
of Psalms where God says,
00:36:48.62\00:36:51.22
"I will make your
enemies your footstool."
00:36:51.25\00:36:53.83
Now what is a footstool?
A footstool is beautiful.
00:36:53.86\00:36:56.82
You see God says,
00:36:56.85\00:36:57.88
"I will make you
enemies your footstool."
00:36:57.91\00:37:00.53
Now being that I'm short
00:37:00.56\00:37:02.25
my wife and I have
footstools inside of our houses
00:37:02.28\00:37:05.42
and so we use
footstools to reach things
00:37:05.45\00:37:08.34
that we ordinarily
could not reach without that.
00:37:08.37\00:37:11.72
Because we have
things in cupboards
00:37:11.75\00:37:13.18
that we can get to,
00:37:13.21\00:37:14.39
so we put the
footstool down and we step on it
00:37:14.42\00:37:17.36
and we're able to
get to a higher place
00:37:17.39\00:37:19.38
so that we can reach
something and pull it down.
00:37:19.41\00:37:22.02
And so here God is
saying, I will make the people
00:37:22.05\00:37:24.83
that talk about
to your footstool,
00:37:24.86\00:37:26.82
so that you could be at
a higher place above them.
00:37:26.85\00:37:29.80
So you can be closer to
me and pull down my blesses
00:37:29.83\00:37:32.86
so that you can
have a wonderful life.
00:37:32.89\00:37:34.91
You're gonna get
that when you go home
00:37:34.94\00:37:36.48
and you think about when
you step on your footstool.
00:37:36.51\00:37:38.67
But I love it, God
says I will use your enemies
00:37:38.70\00:37:41.58
as your
footstool to elevate you.
00:37:41.61\00:37:43.90
And here the
text says in verse 50,
00:37:43.93\00:37:46.26
that "Bartimaeus
threw off his cloak,
00:37:46.29\00:37:48.93
got up and ran to Jesus.'
00:37:48.96\00:37:50.82
I love that.
00:37:50.85\00:37:51.98
He threw all of his cloak
00:37:52.01\00:37:53.34
or the mantle that was
identifying his problem
00:37:53.37\00:37:56.67
because in the Old Testament
or in the New Testament
00:37:56.70\00:37:59.52
that the cloak was identifying
you in your poor state.
00:37:59.55\00:38:03.03
Bartimaeus says
Jesus is calling me,
00:38:03.06\00:38:05.66
I got to let go off the thing
that is identifying my problem.
00:38:05.69\00:38:09.75
Because you can't move forward
if you are holding onto things
00:38:09.78\00:38:13.49
that yank you
back into your past.
00:38:13.52\00:38:15.78
As a matter of fact
you got to understand
00:38:15.81\00:38:18.02
that you have to let
go what you're holding to,
00:38:18.05\00:38:20.49
so that you can grab
whole of the blessing
00:38:20.52\00:38:22.82
God is trying to give you.
00:38:22.85\00:38:24.39
And so blind Bartimaeus
lets go off the one thing
00:38:24.42\00:38:28.25
that he only had in this
world to give it up for Jesus.
00:38:28.28\00:38:31.80
And I want to ask
the question tonight,
00:38:31.83\00:38:34.26
to anybody who is in here.
00:38:34.29\00:38:35.94
What are you holding on to
00:38:35.97\00:38:37.98
that you do not
want to let go off,
00:38:38.01\00:38:40.34
so that you can receive
what God wants to give you.
00:38:40.37\00:38:43.14
Maybe it's a relationship,
maybe it's a person,
00:38:43.17\00:38:46.36
maybe it is an
addiction to something,
00:38:46.39\00:38:48.75
in order to get the
blessing God has for you,
00:38:48.78\00:38:51.77
throw off that old cloak
00:38:51.80\00:38:53.31
and receive what God
is trying to give you.
00:38:53.34\00:38:55.95
But what's better about the text
00:38:55.98\00:38:57.80
is that the Bible says
00:38:57.83\00:38:59.15
that he sprang
up and ran to Jesus.
00:38:59.18\00:39:02.22
Now hold on, wait a
minute, pause for a second.
00:39:02.25\00:39:05.18
He ran to Jesus.
00:39:05.21\00:39:07.16
How in the world
could he run to Jesus?
00:39:07.19\00:39:10.48
The text does not say
00:39:10.51\00:39:11.82
that the people
brought him to Jesus
00:39:11.85\00:39:14.42
but he says he
ran to Jesus Christ.
00:39:14.45\00:39:17.22
Why do I love that?
00:39:17.25\00:39:18.28
Because sometimes you
got to be able to trust God
00:39:18.31\00:39:20.93
even when you can't trace Him.
00:39:20.96\00:39:22.78
He is blind and he
is running to Jesus.
00:39:22.81\00:39:25.46
That means he is following
or running to Jesus by faith.
00:39:25.49\00:39:29.62
He is hearing God
00:39:29.65\00:39:31.25
as though he is
listening to what he hears,
00:39:31.28\00:39:33.33
so that he could
get closer to God.
00:39:33.36\00:39:35.33
Friends, we got to be able
to run to Jesus and follow God
00:39:35.36\00:39:39.62
not based on the fact
because we are looking for Him,
00:39:39.65\00:39:42.46
but because we hear in His word
00:39:42.49\00:39:44.40
that He is near and
that we must follow Him.
00:39:44.43\00:39:47.31
And so here
Bartimaeus runs to Jesus
00:39:47.34\00:39:50.46
and he runs to
Jesus and Jesus says,
00:39:50.49\00:39:52.74
"What is it that
I can do for you?"
00:39:52.77\00:39:54.69
And while Jesus called
him, it's because Jesus realizes
00:39:54.72\00:39:58.40
that Bartimaeus sees
Him for who He really is.
00:39:58.43\00:40:01.86
And so the question of the
text is that we need to ask
00:40:01.89\00:40:05.33
who is really the
blind one in this passage?
00:40:05.36\00:40:09.19
Is Bartimaeus blind?
00:40:09.22\00:40:10.91
Or is it those that
were trying to shut him up?
00:40:10.94\00:40:14.00
You see that's
what Mark is doing,
00:40:14.03\00:40:15.76
Mark is trying to
paint a picture here
00:40:15.79\00:40:18.12
to show you that
it is not Bartimaeus
00:40:18.15\00:40:20.74
who is really the blind one
00:40:20.77\00:40:22.27
because Bartimaeus
sees and understand
00:40:22.30\00:40:25.38
who Jesus is in the first place.
00:40:25.41\00:40:28.02
But it is the
followers of Jesus,
00:40:28.05\00:40:30.11
the ones whose eyes are open,
00:40:30.14\00:40:32.12
the ones who
try to shut him out,
00:40:32.15\00:40:34.00
they are the blind ones to
those that are needing help.
00:40:34.03\00:40:38.21
And so here
Bartimaeus runs to Jesus.
00:40:38.24\00:40:41.30
He says Son of
David, have mercy on me.
00:40:41.33\00:40:44.29
Son of the Blessed
One, Son of the Living One,
00:40:44.32\00:40:47.11
I'm son of the rejected
00:40:47.14\00:40:49.00
but you Jesus are
Son of the Beloved.
00:40:49.03\00:40:51.23
I'm son of the downtrodden,
00:40:51.26\00:40:52.89
but you are Son of the Accepted.
00:40:52.92\00:40:55.71
I know you are the
truth, you are the Messiah,
00:40:55.74\00:40:57.08
You are the Living
One. Have mercy on me.
00:40:57.11\00:40:59.37
I've messed up a few times,
I've messed up a lot of times,
00:40:59.40\00:41:02.62
but please have mercy on me.
00:41:02.65\00:41:04.70
And then Jesus
says, "What do you want?"
00:41:04.73\00:41:07.27
He says, "All I
want is my vision,
00:41:07.30\00:41:09.38
I want to be able to see again."
00:41:09.41\00:41:10.79
Jesus says,
00:41:10.82\00:41:11.85
"It's because of your
faith that has made you hope,
00:41:11.88\00:41:14.83
it's because you
didn't give up on your faith.
00:41:14.86\00:41:17.45
Therefore I give you access
to God's unlimited weaponry
00:41:17.48\00:41:21.75
that's outside of this world.''
00:41:21.78\00:41:23.37
Because when you exercise
your faith and trust God
00:41:23.40\00:41:26.71
even when you can't trace Him,
00:41:26.74\00:41:28.59
God opens the door for you
that nobody in this world can.
00:41:28.62\00:41:32.74
Our faith is an admission ticket
00:41:32.77\00:41:35.29
to into the kindness of God
and we receive access granted.
00:41:35.32\00:41:39.88
I love that access granted.
00:41:39.91\00:41:42.15
I remember when I was
flying in over to Toronto
00:41:42.18\00:41:45.20
and I was late for my flight
00:41:45.23\00:41:47.18
and so as I'm rushing
to get out of the car.
00:41:47.21\00:41:49.64
And I'm juggling all my luggage,
00:41:49.67\00:41:51.70
there come a brother and wants
to have a conversation with me.
00:41:51.73\00:41:55.61
The brother says I
noticed that you are struggling
00:41:55.64\00:41:58.48
and then you got a
lot of luggage there.
00:41:58.51\00:42:00.52
And in my head I'm saying,
00:42:00.55\00:42:02.18
if you see me struggling
with all these luggage,
00:42:02.21\00:42:04.84
why are you gonna talk to me
00:42:04.87\00:42:06.26
and hold me back from
checking in to get my flight.
00:42:06.29\00:42:09.58
And so being the
Christian that I am,
00:42:09.61\00:42:12.03
I said, yes I
am, I'm struggling.
00:42:12.06\00:42:14.48
I need to get to Toronto
00:42:14.51\00:42:16.27
because I have a
preaching engagement over there.
00:42:16.30\00:42:19.03
And so he said, well, good luck.
00:42:19.06\00:42:20.73
I hope you make
it to your flight.
00:42:20.76\00:42:22.74
I said in my
head, I don't need luck,
00:42:22.77\00:42:24.60
I need grace right now.
00:42:24.63\00:42:25.87
I need God to do
something for me,
00:42:25.90\00:42:27.94
and so I finally got to check in
00:42:27.97\00:42:30.27
and put my bag in
and run to the gate
00:42:30.30\00:42:33.07
because I was on the
other end of the airport
00:42:33.10\00:42:35.87
only to discover that
I had missed the flight.
00:42:35.90\00:42:39.35
I had missed the
flight it had taken off.
00:42:39.38\00:42:41.34
I was about three minutes
late, they had closed the gate.
00:42:41.37\00:42:44.59
And now I'm on standby
00:42:44.62\00:42:46.35
and I'm sitting
down in the chair
00:42:46.38\00:42:48.35
and my name is last
on the standby list.
00:42:48.38\00:42:51.23
But then as I'm
looking at the kiosk,
00:42:51.26\00:42:54.34
I see a hand
that goes like this.
00:42:54.37\00:42:56.90
And I'm looking closer
00:42:56.93\00:42:58.03
and I realize that
it is the same brother
00:42:58.06\00:43:00.70
that was talking to me
outside of the airport,
00:43:00.73\00:43:03.35
now he's behind the desk
controlling the things for me.
00:43:03.38\00:43:06.92
And the brother
said, come on to the front
00:43:06.95\00:43:09.21
and I came up to the
desk and to the front
00:43:09.24\00:43:11.70
and he said, I noticed
that you missed your flight.
00:43:11.73\00:43:14.06
I said yeah, I did. You
were talking to me outside.
00:43:14.09\00:43:16.90
He said don't worry,
I'm gonna take care of you.
00:43:16.93\00:43:19.19
I'm gonna move you
00:43:19.22\00:43:20.25
from the bottom
of the standby list
00:43:20.28\00:43:22.19
on to the top of the standby
00:43:22.22\00:43:23.96
and I'm gonna get you on
this next flight to Toronto.
00:43:23.99\00:43:27.08
And so after we wait
for about three hours
00:43:27.11\00:43:29.83
the plane arrives and
I'm getting on the plane.
00:43:29.86\00:43:32.40
And as I'm walking on the plane,
00:43:32.43\00:43:34.50
I didn't even board
when I was supposed to.
00:43:34.53\00:43:36.99
I boarded late
because I wasn't listening
00:43:37.02\00:43:38.93
to what was going
on to the telecom.
00:43:38.96\00:43:40.94
Yes, I'm bad, I know it.
00:43:40.97\00:43:42.54
And so I'm boarding the plane
00:43:42.57\00:43:43.85
and I'm walking to
the back of the plane
00:43:43.88\00:43:45.85
and the stewardess says,
00:43:45.88\00:43:47.46
Mr. Kowlessar would you
like me to take your jacket
00:43:47.49\00:43:50.61
and I said wait a minute.
00:43:50.64\00:43:51.77
No, don't nobody take my jacket.
00:43:51.80\00:43:53.58
My jacket is my jacket.
00:43:53.61\00:43:55.31
And so when she's looked at me,
00:43:55.34\00:43:56.75
I said why do
you want my jacket?
00:43:56.78\00:43:58.70
She said we often do that
00:43:58.73\00:44:00.74
for our passengers
that are riding first class
00:44:00.77\00:44:03.98
because your seats says
1A, you are sitting over here
00:44:04.01\00:44:08.10
and then suddenly my countenance
00:44:08.13\00:44:09.83
and my face changed and I said,
00:44:09.86\00:44:11.69
it's about time
you took my jacket.
00:44:11.72\00:44:13.57
It's time for me to
sit down and so here I am
00:44:13.60\00:44:16.63
as I am sitting down
in first class on a plane,
00:44:16.66\00:44:20.18
because while somebody
00:44:20.21\00:44:22.15
that who I had formed a
little relationship with
00:44:22.18\00:44:25.03
had saw me in my distress
00:44:25.06\00:44:27.16
and decided to use their power
to give me access to something
00:44:27.19\00:44:31.24
that I did not
have in the first place.
00:44:31.27\00:44:33.64
Because what we
got to understand
00:44:33.67\00:44:35.32
that God's delays
are not His denials
00:44:35.35\00:44:38.22
and when you think God
is closing the door for you.
00:44:38.25\00:44:40.90
He opens up something
better and even greater for you
00:44:40.93\00:44:44.34
that you would never
thought or imagined or accepted.
00:44:44.37\00:44:47.38
That's why the Bible says,
00:44:47.41\00:44:48.70
eyes have not
seen, ear has not heard
00:44:48.73\00:44:51.26
nor has it entered
into the hearts of man,
00:44:51.29\00:44:54.73
the things that God
has prepared for him.
00:44:54.76\00:44:56.32
Now onto him that is able to do
00:44:56.35\00:44:59.11
exceedingly abundantly
00:44:59.14\00:45:01.09
above all that we
can think or imagine.
00:45:01.12\00:45:04.04
And so I'm in first class
00:45:04.07\00:45:05.68
but listen to the story
gets a whole lot better.
00:45:05.71\00:45:08.35
I'm in first class, I
missed the first flight.
00:45:08.38\00:45:10.84
I land in Toronto and
when I get to Toronto.
00:45:10.87\00:45:14.57
My person that was
supposed to pick me up said,
00:45:14.60\00:45:17.12
it's a good thing
that you were late
00:45:17.15\00:45:18.96
because if you have
got here any earlier,
00:45:18.99\00:45:21.31
the meal that I was
preparing for you was not ready
00:45:21.34\00:45:24.70
but now when you get there,
00:45:24.73\00:45:26.05
you're going to be able to
eat a good and healthy meal.
00:45:26.08\00:45:29.01
And I said,
hallelujah thank you Jesus
00:45:29.04\00:45:31.58
because sometimes
I don't understand
00:45:31.61\00:45:33.64
what God is doing,
00:45:33.67\00:45:34.82
but I do know He
is doing something.
00:45:34.85\00:45:37.36
And so you got
to trust and cry out
00:45:37.39\00:45:39.41
and keep your
relationship with God
00:45:39.44\00:45:41.49
because God will bump you up
00:45:41.52\00:45:43.43
and put you in from standby
to being standing next to Him
00:45:43.46\00:45:47.54
and bless you in
ways unimaginable.
00:45:47.57\00:45:50.06
And it's not because
my ticket was special,
00:45:50.09\00:45:52.66
it was not because my
ticket was another color.
00:45:52.69\00:45:55.32
It was not
because of anything I did,
00:45:55.35\00:45:57.53
but it was simply
because of a relationship
00:45:57.56\00:46:00.06
and a
conversation I had with the man
00:46:00.09\00:46:02.58
that gave me access granted.
00:46:02.61\00:46:05.04
And here is Bartimaeus,
00:46:05.07\00:46:06.81
Bartimaeus has
access granted why?
00:46:06.84\00:46:09.89
Because he had a
conversation with Jesus Christ
00:46:09.92\00:46:12.60
and because of that conversation
00:46:12.63\00:46:14.19
with Jesus Christ,
00:46:14.22\00:46:15.27
he was able to ask God
00:46:15.30\00:46:16.90
the wildest dreams of his heart,
00:46:16.93\00:46:19.00
as we begin to
wrap this sermon up.
00:46:19.03\00:46:21.40
I'm gonna close out with a story
00:46:21.43\00:46:22.93
of my three year old daughter.
00:46:22.96\00:46:24.59
My three old
daughter's name is Katelynn
00:46:24.62\00:46:27.10
and Katelynn loves to dance.
00:46:27.13\00:46:29.00
And Katelynn
always puts on the music
00:46:29.03\00:46:31.68
and she begins
to dance by herself.
00:46:31.71\00:46:33.95
And sometimes as I
am working on my sermon
00:46:33.98\00:46:37.27
or I'm working on
something that I'm doing
00:46:37.30\00:46:39.68
or I maybe busy reading at
the newspaper or a magazine.
00:46:39.71\00:46:43.31
Katelynn does this,
Katelynn puts on the music
00:46:43.34\00:46:46.59
and Katelynn runs
over to me and says daddy,
00:46:46.62\00:46:50.00
I want to dance
with you and here I am,
00:46:50.03\00:46:52.49
I'm sitting there
and I'm saying Katelynn,
00:46:52.52\00:46:54.49
I'm trying to do
something right now, I'm busy.
00:46:54.52\00:46:57.32
And she says, daddy, I
want to dance with you.
00:46:57.35\00:47:00.18
Why does Katelynn do that?
00:47:00.21\00:47:01.71
Because Katelynn understands
that because you are my daddy
00:47:01.74\00:47:04.98
and because I have a
relationship with you,
00:47:05.01\00:47:07.29
I could ask you
the dreams of my heart
00:47:07.32\00:47:09.66
and anything that
maybe outlandish and crazy,
00:47:09.69\00:47:12.58
but because you are my daddy,
00:47:12.61\00:47:14.62
I have know and I believe that
00:47:14.65\00:47:16.46
because this is
not a bad request,
00:47:16.49\00:47:18.37
you will grant it onto me.
00:47:18.40\00:47:20.26
And because I know
Katelynn is my daughter
00:47:20.29\00:47:22.54
and I'm a daddy that
wants to make her happy.
00:47:22.57\00:47:24.60
I close my books
00:47:24.63\00:47:25.96
and me and
Katelynn begin to dance
00:47:25.99\00:47:28.12
and we have a good old time.
00:47:28.15\00:47:29.77
And, friends, all I'm
saying to you tonight is that
00:47:29.80\00:47:32.71
when you have a relationship
with your daddy in heaven,
00:47:32.74\00:47:35.91
God our Father,
00:47:35.94\00:47:37.27
you could ask Him for
the desires of your heart.
00:47:37.30\00:47:39.86
He says, "Ask and it
shall be given to you,
00:47:39.89\00:47:42.12
seek and you will find,
00:47:42.15\00:47:43.65
knock and the door shall
be given opened on to you."
00:47:43.68\00:47:47.00
Any good gift comes down
from the father of lights.
00:47:47.03\00:47:50.10
And so if you wanted to
say God dance with me tonight
00:47:50.13\00:47:53.51
and God will dance with you.
00:47:53.54\00:47:55.19
God open up a door for me
00:47:55.22\00:47:56.96
because I can't open
this up for me myself
00:47:56.99\00:47:59.44
and God will open it for you.
00:47:59.47\00:48:01.18
If you want to say God,
00:48:01.21\00:48:02.80
just come and tabernacle with me
00:48:02.83\00:48:05.17
because he is your daddy
00:48:05.20\00:48:06.65
and because He have a
relationship with you,
00:48:06.68\00:48:09.03
He will give you access
granted to come into His room
00:48:09.06\00:48:13.08
and to invite Him
and to doing anything
00:48:13.11\00:48:15.94
that you would
like to do with Him.
00:48:15.97\00:48:17.75
And so here it
is a beautiful story
00:48:17.78\00:48:19.82
of a man who started
out on a street corner
00:48:19.85\00:48:22.57
who inherited
his father's trauma,
00:48:22.60\00:48:24.88
who inherited all
the bad in his life,
00:48:24.91\00:48:27.09
who people told him to
shut up and leave Jesus alone,
00:48:27.12\00:48:31.12
but yet still
Jesus overlook them
00:48:31.15\00:48:33.68
and said Bartimaeus come to me.
00:48:33.71\00:48:35.91
What is the
desires of your heart?
00:48:35.94\00:48:38.21
And I believe that somebody
00:48:38.24\00:48:40.24
whether
listening or here tonight.
00:48:40.27\00:48:42.41
There is a desire in your heart
00:48:42.44\00:48:44.41
to ask God to do
something for you.
00:48:44.44\00:48:46.96
You need healing from something,
00:48:46.99\00:48:49.04
you've been struggling
and you've been begging
00:48:49.07\00:48:50.80
and asking the wrong people
to give you the right healing.
00:48:50.83\00:48:54.34
But now God is saying,
you have access granted.
00:48:54.37\00:48:57.57
I'd die and when I die,
00:48:57.60\00:48:59.80
I split the veil
from top to bottom
00:48:59.83\00:49:02.44
and what the blood of
bulls and goats could not do,
00:49:02.47\00:49:05.70
I have done it
with my precious blood.
00:49:05.73\00:49:08.15
Now you can come boldly
before the throne of grace.
00:49:08.18\00:49:12.02
And you don't
need a man on earth
00:49:12.05\00:49:14.72
to standing between you and
I, you can bow right before me.
00:49:14.75\00:49:19.13
So tonight as you pray with me,
00:49:19.16\00:49:22.17
pray that you would have
that Holy Spirit confidence
00:49:22.20\00:49:28.72
to go before God and ask Him
for the desires of your heart.
00:49:28.75\00:49:33.13
And we're praying God
Almighty, we thank You so much
00:49:33.16\00:49:37.99
that You look
and that You see us
00:49:38.02\00:49:41.13
and that even Lord
as You are passing by,
00:49:41.16\00:49:43.88
we pray that You
would not overlook us.
00:49:43.91\00:49:46.36
We cry out to You
Jesus of Nazareth,
00:49:46.39\00:49:49.08
Son of David, the Beloved One.
00:49:49.11\00:49:51.69
We know who You are
and what You represent.
00:49:51.72\00:49:54.38
We know that You
are an Almighty God
00:49:54.41\00:49:56.43
with all power in Your hands.
00:49:56.46\00:49:58.15
And Lord, yes,
we have been blind,
00:49:58.18\00:50:00.82
we have been blind so long,
00:50:00.85\00:50:03.71
for such a long time
that we have not even seen
00:50:03.74\00:50:07.18
our spiritual
lethargic situations.
00:50:07.21\00:50:10.43
Yes, we are the
blind ones, Lord,
00:50:10.46\00:50:12.07
that need our eyes to be open.
00:50:12.10\00:50:14.03
And even as a church,
help us to open our eyes
00:50:14.06\00:50:17.64
and to see the suffering
of our brothers and sisters
00:50:17.67\00:50:21.07
and not to ignore them
or to tell them to be quiet,
00:50:21.10\00:50:24.61
but to invite them into
the presence of Jesus Christ,
00:50:24.64\00:50:27.75
to remember that
one day all of us Lord,
00:50:27.78\00:50:30.64
we weren't where
we are right now.
00:50:30.67\00:50:32.79
And we're not even
where we are supposed to be
00:50:32.82\00:50:35.42
that father God
Almighty that You can bring us
00:50:35.45\00:50:38.30
and that You can redeem
us from the pits of society,
00:50:38.33\00:50:42.00
from the
cesspools that we are in,
00:50:42.03\00:50:44.34
clean us up and open our eyes.
00:50:44.37\00:50:47.07
And so God I thank
You for access granted.
00:50:47.10\00:50:49.83
I thank You for
opening up these doors.
00:50:49.86\00:50:52.43
Bless us and
keep us, Lord, we pray
00:50:52.46\00:50:54.43
until we meet
again, amen and amen.
00:50:54.46\00:50:57.75
Praise the Lord,
pastor. Praise the Lord.
00:51:03.84\00:51:05.93
Praise the Lord.
00:51:05.96\00:51:07.63
Pastor as you were preaching
00:51:07.66\00:51:09.53
and you were talking
about blind Bartimaeus,
00:51:09.56\00:51:12.38
I was rejoicing in the
fact that the very first sight,
00:51:12.41\00:51:19.69
the very first thing
that blind Bartimaeus saw
00:51:19.72\00:51:22.09
was the face of Jesus Christ.
00:51:22.12\00:51:25.23
The face of Jesus
Christ, I praise the Lord.
00:51:25.26\00:51:27.60
I want to ask you pastor
because we heard you say,
00:51:27.63\00:51:31.11
I never heard that
illustration about the palm tree
00:51:31.14\00:51:34.03
and how it is deeply rooted.
00:51:34.06\00:51:36.62
And you said you were
deeply rooted in the Lord.
00:51:36.65\00:51:39.37
So I would like to ask
you this question because
00:51:39.40\00:51:42.39
some people maybe wondering
00:51:42.42\00:51:43.52
how do I get deeply rooted
like Pastor Kowlessar in God?
00:51:43.55\00:51:49.13
Can you give us
a moment of that?
00:51:49.16\00:51:53.76
It's the simple formula.
00:51:53.79\00:51:55.82
The simple formula is
through prayer and study
00:51:55.85\00:51:58.83
to constant connection
and communication with God.
00:51:58.86\00:52:02.60
And just always
practicing what you read.
00:52:02.63\00:52:05.97
You see it's almost
like, how I would say,
00:52:06.00\00:52:08.70
if you sit down in
church or in any setting
00:52:08.73\00:52:13.15
or matter of fact
if you go in some--
00:52:13.18\00:52:15.10
if you go to a music teacher.
00:52:15.13\00:52:16.86
The music teacher is showing you
00:52:16.89\00:52:18.64
how to play the piano
and showing you all the keys.
00:52:18.67\00:52:21.98
It's no good to you
unless you actually play it
00:52:22.01\00:52:25.13
and so sometimes
what happens is that
00:52:25.16\00:52:26.59
we read the word God
and we study the word of God
00:52:26.62\00:52:29.27
but we don't put into
practice the word of God.
00:52:29.30\00:52:31.82
And so by
practicing it and living it out
00:52:31.85\00:52:34.34
and reading and studying
it gets you ground deep-rooted
00:52:34.37\00:52:37.87
so that when situations come,
you won't even think about it
00:52:37.90\00:52:43.11
but text will come to your mind.
00:52:43.14\00:52:44.79
And you know how
to handle situations
00:52:44.82\00:52:47.11
and you'll understand that
00:52:47.14\00:52:48.95
I know that this war is
not against flesh and blood
00:52:48.98\00:52:51.60
but principalities and
power and rules of darkness.
00:52:51.63\00:52:54.48
And so I'm gonna
come out of character,
00:52:54.51\00:52:56.25
I'm going to stay
deep-rooted in my savior
00:52:56.28\00:52:58.66
because you can't pull me out
00:52:58.69\00:53:00.14
because that's
how deep my roots are.
00:53:00.17\00:53:01.40
Amen, praise the Lord.
00:53:01.43\00:53:02.97
I was born in
Dominican Republic,
00:53:03.00\00:53:04.63
so when you
gave the illustration
00:53:04.66\00:53:06.00
about the palm trees.
00:53:06.03\00:53:07.69
In Dominican Republic
we have many palm trees
00:53:07.72\00:53:09.75
and I've seen them
00:53:09.78\00:53:10.95
sway to the
left, sway to the right
00:53:10.98\00:53:14.38
but they remain steadfast
because they are deeply-rooted.
00:53:14.41\00:53:17.79
That's right.
00:53:17.82\00:53:18.85
And so the
blessing that we have is
00:53:18.88\00:53:22.27
that we can get
deeply-rooted in Jesus Christ
00:53:22.30\00:53:25.91
just like you said
00:53:25.94\00:53:27.09
and when trials
and tribulations come,
00:53:27.12\00:53:30.44
we turn to Jesus.
00:53:30.47\00:53:31.51
That's right. Those
source of our strength.
00:53:31.54\00:53:33.24
That's right, that's right.
00:53:33.27\00:53:34.31
And no matter
how far you've been,
00:53:34.34\00:53:36.18
you can pull right back up amen.
00:53:36.21\00:53:37.79
'Cause that's God
made that palm tree.
00:53:37.82\00:53:39.77
'Cause you're holding--
you're holding on to Jesus.
00:53:39.80\00:53:41.69
That's right. Amen.
00:53:41.72\00:53:43.39
Amen, praise the Lord.
00:53:43.42\00:53:44.92
Pastor, we have
about three minutes or so
00:53:44.95\00:53:48.05
and we would
like to get a glimpse
00:53:48.08\00:53:51.47
of what the next topic is,
00:53:51.50\00:53:53.98
A Little Prayer That
Made A Big Difference.
00:53:54.01\00:53:56.37
Oh, absolutely, I'm
excited about the next sermon.
00:53:56.40\00:54:00.32
We're gonna be looking
at the story of the father
00:54:00.35\00:54:03.66
who brought his
son to Jesus Christ
00:54:03.69\00:54:05.43
and he says, Lord I
believe but help my unbelief
00:54:05.46\00:54:09.76
and so that was a small prayer
00:54:09.79\00:54:12.02
but it made a big difference
because here his son was healed
00:54:12.05\00:54:15.41
and so we're gonna
break that story down
00:54:15.44\00:54:17.27
and look into it
and understand that,
00:54:17.30\00:54:19.61
you know, it's not in
the length of our prayers
00:54:19.64\00:54:22.41
or the verbs or syntax
00:54:22.44\00:54:25.43
or the predicates of subjects
00:54:25.46\00:54:27.08
but it's just in that
communicating with God
00:54:27.11\00:54:29.90
and God response to that.
00:54:29.93\00:54:31.94
And so here we're
gonna talk about our belief
00:54:31.97\00:54:33.78
but the part of
unbelief as well.
00:54:33.81\00:54:36.08
Amen, amen.
00:54:36.11\00:54:37.45
Well, pastor I would
like to praise the Lord
00:54:37.48\00:54:39.99
for this message that we heard
00:54:40.02\00:54:41.77
many things to look
at, many things to consider
00:54:41.80\00:54:44.60
and blind Bartimaeus--
00:54:44.63\00:54:48.66
it's beautiful to see how Jesus
completely changed his life.
00:54:48.69\00:54:53.60
You know, you mentioned
that he left that cloak behind
00:54:53.63\00:54:58.63
that identified
him with his past
00:54:58.66\00:55:01.24
and Jesus gave
him a new beginning.
00:55:01.27\00:55:04.98
Now he could see,
now he could appreciate
00:55:05.01\00:55:07.12
the beauties of the Lord
00:55:07.15\00:55:08.64
and appreciate
the wonderful things
00:55:08.67\00:55:10.45
the Lord has made.
00:55:10.48\00:55:11.81
And so he had access granted.
00:55:11.84\00:55:15.05
That's right. Access granted.
00:55:15.08\00:55:16.50
And when we come to the Lord,
00:55:16.53\00:55:19.04
we have this
access to the father
00:55:19.07\00:55:22.17
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
00:55:22.20\00:55:23.97
And as you were
preaching, it also made me think
00:55:24.00\00:55:28.11
about the wonderful blessing
that when the Lord Jesus comes,
00:55:28.14\00:55:31.66
we're going to
have access granted
00:55:31.69\00:55:34.60
to all the glories of heaven.
00:55:34.63\00:55:36.74
That's right,
that's right, that's right.
00:55:36.77\00:55:39.11
And so God is telling
us practice your access
00:55:39.14\00:55:44.08
that you have right now,
00:55:44.11\00:55:45.87
use it, I'm
giving everything to you.
00:55:45.90\00:55:49.89
When I come in glory,
you will see all those things
00:55:49.92\00:55:52.79
and I think that's the
problem sometimes with us that
00:55:52.82\00:55:55.51
we live in a society that's
based on empirical evidence
00:55:55.54\00:55:59.17
and the more we can touch
it as the more we believe in it
00:55:59.20\00:56:02.22
but air is there.
00:56:02.25\00:56:03.80
We don't see it
but we know it's there.
00:56:03.83\00:56:06.11
And so if we can
trust and believe that
00:56:06.14\00:56:07.80
we have air to breath
00:56:07.83\00:56:08.86
and we can trust
and believe in a God
00:56:08.89\00:56:10.55
who does show himself
00:56:10.59\00:56:12.01
but we have to
have the eyes to see it.
00:56:12.04\00:56:14.13
And so God is
saying here pray to me,
00:56:14.16\00:56:16.32
trust in me and believe in me
00:56:16.35\00:56:18.19
and if I've done
it for Bartimaeus,
00:56:18.22\00:56:20.26
I can surely do
it for you as well.
00:56:20.29\00:56:22.56
Amen, amen,
well, I praise the Lord
00:56:22.59\00:56:25.15
when we hear
Pastor Kowlessar preach.
00:56:25.18\00:56:27.62
We believe that he's
preaching from the heart
00:56:27.65\00:56:30.21
and we believe that he
believes what he preaches.
00:56:30.24\00:56:33.39
So I praise the Lord for that.
00:56:33.42\00:56:34.75
Well, brothers and sisters,
00:56:34.78\00:56:35.81
we thank you for being
with us during this hour.
00:56:35.84\00:56:38.59
This is the program
Foundation Of Our Faith.
00:56:38.62\00:56:42.99
This is the
program brought to you by
00:56:43.02\00:56:44.58
Dare to Dream to encourage you
00:56:44.61\00:56:47.17
and to build up your faith
in God's word, in Jesus Christ.
00:56:47.20\00:56:50.96
And so we want to encourage
you to continue to follow Jesus,
00:56:50.99\00:56:54.69
consider this
lesson of blind Bartimaeus
00:56:54.72\00:56:57.28
and you will find that
00:56:57.31\00:56:59.26
your strength is in Jesus Christ
00:56:59.29\00:57:01.49
and as you hear
that messages like these,
00:57:01.52\00:57:04.13
you will find
that you are becoming
00:57:04.16\00:57:06.33
more and more
deeply-rooted in Jesus Christ.
00:57:06.36\00:57:10.15
So we thank you for joining us.
00:57:10.18\00:57:11.53
We ask you to
pray for Dare to Dream
00:57:11.56\00:57:13.48
and support Dare to
Dream also with your finances,
00:57:13.51\00:57:16.91
so we can keep
bringing messages like these
00:57:16.94\00:57:19.07
and change lives
all over the world.
00:57:19.10\00:57:21.83
Thank you for joining us
and we'll see you next time
00:57:21.86\00:57:23.89
on Foundation Of Our Faith.
00:57:23.92\00:57:26.13