Are you ready for the Word? Yes.
00:00:24.57\00:00:27.11
The title of our
lesson today - our subject -
00:00:27.42\00:00:30.20
is: One More
Night With The Frogs.
00:00:30.30\00:00:34.39
One More Night With The Frogs.
00:00:34.69\00:00:38.96
Going to ask you to
turn with me if you will
00:00:39.26\00:00:41.57
to the book of Exodus
00:00:41.87\00:00:45.00
and we'll consider
a verse in chapter 4.
00:00:45.30\00:00:49.22
Exodus chapter 4 and
the verse will be 21.
00:00:49.72\00:00:54.10
And we'll read that after
we have talked to the Lord
00:00:54.30\00:00:58.23
in prayer. Exodus
chapter 4 verse 21.
00:00:58.43\00:01:01.91
Shall we pray.
00:01:02.21\00:01:03.38
Heavenly Father,
again we are so thankful for
00:01:03.68\00:01:06.05
the power of Your Word.
00:01:06.25\00:01:08.05
We are thankful for Jesus.
00:01:08.35\00:01:10.52
We are thankful for what
that Word does for our lives.
00:01:10.82\00:01:15.10
Father, we want to serve You.
00:01:15.40\00:01:18.44
We don't want to be
caught unawares and unprepared
00:01:18.74\00:01:22.72
when Jesus comes.
00:01:22.92\00:01:24.21
And so we beg you,
Lord, please... hear us.
00:01:25.27\00:01:31.24
Teach us.
00:01:31.54\00:01:33.94
Fill us with Your Spirit.
00:01:34.24\00:01:37.41
And we thank
you for Your promise
00:01:37.71\00:01:40.94
to answer the prayer of
faith. In Jesus' name, Amen.
00:01:41.24\00:01:46.25
One More Night With The Frogs.
00:01:46.55\00:01:52.15
I'm in the book of
Exodus. What book did I say?
00:01:53.52\00:01:55.39
Exodus chapter 4
and we want to read
00:01:55.69\00:02:00.80
verse 21. Exodus the 4th chapter
00:02:01.10\00:02:04.81
21st verse. The
Word of God says:
00:02:05.02\00:02:07.37
This statement about God
hardening Pharaoh's heart
00:02:35.00\00:02:40.20
appears 18 times
in the Word of God.
00:02:40.50\00:02:45.51
At first glance,
God's actions may seem
00:02:46.85\00:02:52.10
a little unfair or arbitrary
00:02:52.30\00:02:55.97
and maybe even a
little mean-spirited.
00:02:56.27\00:03:01.66
When you read the
Bible on the surface
00:03:01.96\00:03:05.76
these passages
might drive us to think
00:03:05.86\00:03:10.98
or have the
impression that God is sometimes
00:03:11.28\00:03:16.11
less than fair when
dealing with humanity.
00:03:16.31\00:03:20.79
It seems as though
00:03:22.23\00:03:24.09
God is a little
biased sometimes...
00:03:24.39\00:03:28.96
and Satan would
have us think that way.
00:03:29.26\00:03:31.97
I mean, you give a guy
00:03:32.28\00:03:37.90
a hard heart and
then you punish him
00:03:38.20\00:03:42.94
for having a hard heart.
00:03:43.14\00:03:46.29
It just seems a little unfair.
00:03:46.69\00:03:50.36
Why would you punish
Pharaoh for having a hard heart
00:03:50.66\00:03:55.22
when it was God who
gave him the hard heart?
00:03:55.52\00:04:00.95
Does that seem fair?
00:04:01.25\00:04:03.17
As a young Christian, I
used to wrestle with this.
00:04:04.92\00:04:08.31
It bothered me. It
irritated and confused me.
00:04:08.52\00:04:11.40
I didn't like the idea that God
would harden a person's heart
00:04:11.70\00:04:15.42
and then punish him
for having a hard heart.
00:04:15.72\00:04:18.29
And I said to
myself as a young child:
00:04:18.49\00:04:20.58
"Why would I want
to be serving a God
00:04:20.78\00:04:24.16
who may just wake up one day and
decide that He doesn't like me
00:04:24.46\00:04:27.32
and give me a hard
heart and then punish me
00:04:27.62\00:04:31.47
for having a hard heart? "
00:04:31.67\00:04:33.74
Didn't seem fair to me.
Didn't seem just or right.
00:04:34.04\00:04:38.04
Seemed just a
little biased to me.
00:04:39.60\00:04:43.50
And I said as a
child... I remember saying:
00:04:43.80\00:04:46.53
"Hey God... not cool! "
00:04:46.84\00:04:49.10
I heard someone make a
similar statement about Judas.
00:04:51.41\00:04:54.63
The statement was:
"Somebody had to betray Christ.
00:04:54.93\00:04:59.47
It just happened to be Judas. "
00:05:00.87\00:05:03.12
If it wasn't Judas, it
would have been somebody else...
00:05:03.52\00:05:07.12
so why are we
so hard on Judas? "
00:05:07.42\00:05:11.54
And I would like to answer
that question. In fact, I've
00:05:12.86\00:05:14.94
got a sermon that
answers that question.
00:05:15.14\00:05:16.68
Can't blame the
Lord... can't blame Judas...
00:05:17.89\00:05:20.03
but you really can.
00:05:20.33\00:05:23.29
We don't have time
to go into that today,
00:05:23.59\00:05:25.32
but God has an answer for all
of these questions I assure you.
00:05:25.42\00:05:29.10
In Exodus chapter 7 verse 3
00:05:30.85\00:05:33.43
we see this statement again.
00:05:33.73\00:05:35.80
I'm in Exodus
chapter 7 and verse 3.
00:05:36.00\00:05:38.92
Same statement:
00:05:39.42\00:05:41.27
So how do you harmonize this
hardening of Pharaoh's heart
00:05:52.63\00:05:58.62
with the God of
love that we know He is?
00:05:58.92\00:06:03.73
First off, ladies and gentlemen,
00:06:05.50\00:06:07.38
when you are dealing
with someone who has an
00:06:07.68\00:06:10.38
extraordinarily high
opinion of themselves,
00:06:10.58\00:06:13.79
when their senses
are so overcrowded
00:06:14.09\00:06:17.14
with their own
sense of self-worth,
00:06:17.34\00:06:19.76
many times you have to
resort to spectacular measures
00:06:20.06\00:06:25.46
and methodologies in
order to get their attention.
00:06:25.76\00:06:29.93
When you are dealing with people
who think a lot of themselves -
00:06:30.23\00:06:35.30
who are in love
with themselves -
00:06:35.60\00:06:37.60
who spend a lot of time
thinking about themselves
00:06:37.90\00:06:40.96
and doing favors for themselves
00:06:41.16\00:06:42.84
and who really love themselves -
00:06:43.14\00:06:45.88
in order to get their minds
off of themselves and onto God
00:06:46.18\00:06:51.46
you have to resort sometimes
to really drastic measures
00:06:51.76\00:06:56.23
to get them to hear
you. Are you listening to me?
00:06:56.54\00:06:58.91
When a person is
stuck on themselves,
00:07:00.52\00:07:03.43
it is difficult
to get them free.
00:07:03.73\00:07:07.03
The ancient kings...
the Pharaohs included...
00:07:07.53\00:07:10.80
thought of themselves as gods.
00:07:11.10\00:07:13.23
They held in their
hands the fates, the fortunes,
00:07:13.53\00:07:16.89
the futures of entire empires.
00:07:17.09\00:07:19.13
It was interesting
that these ancient kings
00:07:19.33\00:07:21.35
could control vast
portions of the then-known world
00:07:21.55\00:07:25.28
but many times could not
control their own passions.
00:07:25.58\00:07:28.92
There are so many
people like that today.
00:07:29.22\00:07:32.11
They have control of million
dollar corporations and empires
00:07:32.41\00:07:35.82
but cannot
control their own lives,
00:07:36.12\00:07:38.41
their own loves,
their own passions.
00:07:38.61\00:07:40.16
They stand as much in
need of a word from the Lord
00:07:40.46\00:07:43.90
as did the ancient kings.
00:07:44.00\00:07:45.60
So let's peek at some of
the personal correspondence
00:07:45.90\00:07:49.21
at one of these ancient
kings to get the mindset
00:07:49.51\00:07:53.11
of how these guys thought.
00:07:53.41\00:07:55.11
I'm in the book of II
Kings. What book did I say?
00:07:55.41\00:07:57.64
II Kings chapter 18.
We begin at verse 32.
00:07:57.94\00:08:02.72
I'm going to pick it up
mid-way through the verse.
00:08:02.92\00:08:04.72
This is a letter
that a certain king
00:08:10.32\00:08:12.89
wrote to king Hezekiah.
00:08:13.09\00:08:14.60
In fact, not only did
he write this to Hezekiah,
00:08:20.78\00:08:23.11
he published it
throughout the nation.
00:08:23.41\00:08:24.82
And so this particular
king is writing to Hezekiah
00:09:00.80\00:09:05.54
and all of God's people
00:09:05.74\00:09:07.77
and he is saying simply this:
00:09:08.08\00:09:09.73
"I go where I want to go.
00:09:10.03\00:09:12.21
I do what I want to do.
00:09:12.51\00:09:14.72
I take what I want to take.
00:09:15.02\00:09:17.09
No god has ever stopped me
from doing whatever I please
00:09:17.39\00:09:23.00
or purposed in my mind to do,
00:09:23.20\00:09:25.20
and your God will
not stop me either.
00:09:25.50\00:09:28.83
And don't believe
anybody including your king
00:09:29.13\00:09:33.36
who tells you that
your God can stop me
00:09:33.56\00:09:36.41
because no god ever has. "
00:09:36.62\00:09:39.48
"Now I don't know who
your God is, " he says,
00:09:39.78\00:09:42.48
"but if He's like
all of the other gods,
00:09:42.78\00:09:44.91
He's not going
to stop me either. "
00:09:45.21\00:09:47.49
Now what he didn't know
is that the God of Israel
00:09:47.79\00:09:50.42
was not like all
of the other gods.
00:09:50.72\00:09:52.57
You see, when you wave and
wag your finger in God's face
00:09:52.87\00:09:57.30
like that, you are
forcing God to respond.
00:09:57.50\00:10:01.20
You understand that?
00:10:01.51\00:10:02.62
When you make a
bold statement like that,
00:10:02.92\00:10:04.73
you are forcing
God to respond to you.
00:10:05.03\00:10:07.63
And so Hezekiah opened
that letter and he laid it out
00:10:07.93\00:10:10.48
before the Lord
and Hezekiah prayed.
00:10:10.68\00:10:12.41
And the priests prayed.
00:10:12.71\00:10:14.26
And they called on
God to protect them.
00:10:14.36\00:10:17.16
And God sent one
angel... how many angels?
00:10:17.46\00:10:20.84
One angel!
00:10:21.14\00:10:22.45
God sent one angel
00:10:22.75\00:10:24.73
and slew 185,000 of
Sennacherib's troops
00:10:24.93\00:10:29.68
in one night.
00:10:29.88\00:10:31.53
So he came in with a big army
00:10:31.83\00:10:33.72
and he left by himself.
00:10:33.92\00:10:35.89
Are you listening to me?
00:10:36.19\00:10:37.29
When you shake your
finger in the face of God,
00:10:37.59\00:10:42.44
you are forcing
God to respond...
00:10:42.74\00:10:45.38
and you are forcing
God to respond in a way
00:10:45.68\00:10:49.01
that gets your attention.
00:10:49.21\00:10:51.37
And so he came in
with an army of 185,000
00:10:51.67\00:10:55.41
and he left alone.
00:10:55.84\00:10:57.75
Sennacherib
returned to his house,
00:10:58.05\00:10:59.87
and while he was praying in
the temple of his heathen god
00:11:00.07\00:11:04.80
his own sons came in and
slew him... took his life.
00:11:05.10\00:11:09.69
Now God didn't make
those boys kill their father...
00:11:09.99\00:11:13.10
but He didn't stop it either.
00:11:13.40\00:11:15.80
You see, when you ask for
God to introduce Himself to you,
00:11:16.10\00:11:21.63
be prepared for
the introduction.
00:11:21.93\00:11:25.29
Well, Pharaoh was
cut from the same cloth
00:11:26.74\00:11:31.48
as Sennacherib.
00:11:31.68\00:11:33.35
Willful, belligerent, impudent,
00:11:33.65\00:11:37.66
proud, self-centered.
00:11:37.96\00:11:41.08
And James and Peter -
both in the New Testament - say
00:11:41.38\00:11:43.83
"God resisteth the proud. "
00:11:44.03\00:11:46.90
So when Moses said:
"Let my people go, "
00:11:47.98\00:11:51.63
we find Pharaoh's
response in Exodus chapter 5
00:11:51.93\00:11:56.48
and verse 2.
What book did I say?
00:11:56.79\00:11:58.08
Exodus chapter 5 and verse 2.
00:11:58.38\00:12:00.88
Let's look at
Pharaoh's response.
00:12:00.98\00:12:03.44
Um-hmm...
00:12:08.60\00:12:11.05
That, ladies and
gentlemen, is tough talk.
00:12:22.93\00:12:26.64
Amen?
00:12:26.94\00:12:28.37
Pharaoh sat on
his throne and said:
00:12:28.67\00:12:30.97
"Who is He? "
00:12:31.28\00:12:33.34
"Who is this God that I
should do what He says? "
00:12:33.64\00:12:36.84
"I don't know this God,
00:12:37.04\00:12:38.01
and I'm not going
to let the people go. "
00:12:38.15\00:12:40.18
Now you see, when you
stand in opposition to God,
00:12:40.48\00:12:43.39
when you put your
hand on your hip and say
00:12:43.69\00:12:46.16
"Who is God? "
00:12:46.36\00:12:47.65
God, then, has to
introduce Himself to you.
00:12:47.95\00:12:51.57
Are you listening to me?
00:12:51.68\00:12:52.74
He's got to insert
Himself into your life.
00:12:53.04\00:12:56.85
Pharaoh asked: "Who is God? "
00:12:57.15\00:13:00.02
And God at that
moment said: "You know,
00:13:00.32\00:13:02.15
I think I'd better go down
and introduce Myself to him. "
00:13:02.35\00:13:05.69
So you kind of
put God on notice.
00:13:06.00\00:13:09.49
You're kind of, as the young
people say, calling God out
00:13:09.79\00:13:13.55
when you say "Who is God? "
00:13:13.75\00:13:15.90
"Well, Pharaoh, I want
you to know who I am. "
00:13:16.20\00:13:19.77
The Bible says:
"I AM that I AM. "
00:13:20.07\00:13:23.88
That's who God is.
00:13:24.18\00:13:25.41
He is the almighty,
all powerful, everlasting,
00:13:25.71\00:13:28.41
eternal God who sets up
kings and takes them down.
00:13:28.71\00:13:32.90
Don't ask God for an
introduction, I say again,
00:13:35.04\00:13:37.46
unless you are
ready for the handshake.
00:13:37.76\00:13:40.47
And so, to really
understand what the hardening of
00:13:40.77\00:13:45.40
Pharaoh's heart is, we've
got to look at the nature of God
00:13:45.60\00:13:49.23
and the nature of Pharaoh.
00:13:49.53\00:13:50.85
Now I want you to
stick with me on this.
00:13:51.05\00:13:52.12
What is God like?
00:13:52.42\00:13:54.92
I John chapter 4 verse 8.
00:13:55.22\00:13:57.40
We've used that
text from night to night.
00:13:57.60\00:13:59.02
It's a good, strong
text. What is God like?
00:13:59.33\00:14:01.97
I John chapter 4 verse 8: let's
read it from the Word of God.
00:14:02.07\00:14:05.32
The Bible says:
00:14:05.52\00:14:06.59
Now it doesn't say God HAS love,
00:14:12.86\00:14:15.01
God SHOWS love, God GIVES love,
00:14:15.31\00:14:17.52
God DISPENSES love.
00:14:17.82\00:14:19.08
The Bible says "God IS love. "
00:14:19.38\00:14:23.07
Not God HAS
love... "God IS love. "
00:14:25.14\00:14:28.36
The only weapon that God has
in His arsenal for you and me
00:14:28.66\00:14:33.06
is love. That's all He has.
00:14:33.20\00:14:35.64
He has no other
weapon to fight with.
00:14:35.94\00:14:37.57
He has no other
tricks up His sleeve.
00:14:37.87\00:14:39.79
He has nothing else in His bag.
00:14:40.10\00:14:41.78
The only thing God has is love.
00:14:42.08\00:14:44.08
Malachi says: "He cannot lie. "
00:14:44.38\00:14:47.69
Titus says: "He
does not change. "
00:14:47.99\00:14:51.05
So God - when He
says He loves you -
00:14:51.35\00:14:53.92
He is telling the
truth, ladies and gentlemen.
00:14:54.22\00:14:55.82
When He says He loves
you, He cannot change.
00:14:56.12\00:14:58.77
It means He's always loved you.
00:14:59.07\00:15:00.74
He loves you now and
He always will love you.
00:15:01.04\00:15:03.98
God does not change.
00:15:04.28\00:15:06.02
I mean, being able to lie
00:15:06.32\00:15:10.94
is a pretty handy trick
00:15:11.25\00:15:14.46
if you want to deceive somebody.
00:15:14.76\00:15:17.11
Isn't it?
00:15:17.41\00:15:18.97
If I want to lead
you down the wrong path
00:15:19.27\00:15:21.44
and lead you astray,
00:15:21.74\00:15:23.53
the ability to lie
is a very useful weapon.
00:15:23.83\00:15:28.16
You know, look like a
dove when you're really a hawk.
00:15:28.57\00:15:32.73
Look like a sheep
when you're really a wolf.
00:15:33.03\00:15:36.41
Look like a goldfish
when you're really a piranha.
00:15:36.72\00:15:40.65
Pretty handy when you
want to suck somebody in...
00:15:40.95\00:15:43.77
being able to lie.
00:15:43.97\00:15:45.25
Satan has all of those weapons.
00:15:45.35\00:15:46.92
Satan can lie,
cheat, steal, embezzle,
00:15:47.22\00:15:50.05
coerce, subvert, pervert,
00:15:50.35\00:15:51.99
ridicule. Use
hate, malice, jealousy,
00:15:52.29\00:15:54.90
envy, revenge,
selfishness, racism, sexism.
00:15:55.20\00:15:58.33
Peer pressure,
classism, nationalism,
00:15:58.63\00:16:01.31
coercion,
embezzlement, and even death.
00:16:01.61\00:16:04.17
Satan has all of those,
and he uses all of them.
00:16:04.47\00:16:08.27
But all the Lord has is love.
00:16:08.57\00:16:11.48
He always has loved.
00:16:13.37\00:16:14.65
He loves us now;
He always will love.
00:16:14.95\00:16:17.86
The Bible says: "I have loved
you with an everlasting love
00:16:18.16\00:16:22.62
and with lovingkindness
I have drawn you. "
00:16:22.92\00:16:26.43
So in this corner
we've got someone like David.
00:16:26.73\00:16:31.53
Born in sin,
shaped in iniquity...
00:16:31.83\00:16:34.41
and yet God loved him.
00:16:34.71\00:16:36.88
Jeremiah
chapter 17 verse 9 says:
00:16:37.18\00:16:40.84
"Who can know it? "
00:16:49.70\00:16:51.78
So then when we come to God
we find that we're dealing with
00:16:52.08\00:16:55.56
a God of love. Regardless of
how we are, God still loves us.
00:16:55.76\00:16:59.79
Jehovah God, in dealing with man
00:17:01.58\00:17:04.16
has a tough time many times.
00:17:04.36\00:17:07.00
It's hard dealing with us.
00:17:07.21\00:17:09.47
But it's worse when
you're dealing with a king
00:17:09.77\00:17:13.23
who thinks he is your equal.
00:17:13.53\00:17:15.94
As Pharaoh sat on that throne,
00:17:16.24\00:17:19.77
in his mind
Pharaoh was equal to God.
00:17:20.07\00:17:25.19
Before God said: "I
will harden his heart, "
00:17:27.76\00:17:30.51
let's look at the kind of
heart Pharaoh already possessed.
00:17:30.81\00:17:35.31
When we read Exodus
chapter 3 and verse 19
00:17:35.61\00:17:40.98
we find out something
very, very interesting.
00:17:41.28\00:17:43.70
Now before God
sent Moses to Pharaoh
00:17:56.22\00:18:00.58
He told Moses this:
00:18:00.88\00:18:02.97
"I am sure that
regardless of what I do
00:18:03.07\00:18:07.41
and regardless of what you say
00:18:07.72\00:18:09.93
Pharaoh is not
going to let the people go
00:18:10.23\00:18:13.94
even by a mighty hand.
00:18:14.24\00:18:16.88
Even if I do great
and mighty wonders,
00:18:17.08\00:18:19.92
he's not going to let them go. "
00:18:20.12\00:18:21.49
And here's why God knew that.
00:18:21.79\00:18:23.61
The first time we meet Pharaoh
00:18:23.91\00:18:26.95
in Exodus chapter 1 verse 22...
00:18:27.25\00:18:28.94
you can just write that down,
we won't take time to read it...
00:18:29.14\00:18:30.99
the first time we meet
him he is sending an order
00:18:31.29\00:18:36.95
to kill all of the
male Hebrew children.
00:18:37.25\00:18:39.91
That's how we are
introduced to Pharaoh.
00:18:40.21\00:18:42.00
Pharaoh is writing an edict
00:18:42.30\00:18:43.89
and the edict says: "Drown
all of the male Hebrew babies
00:18:44.19\00:18:48.53
in the sea. "
00:18:48.73\00:18:49.76
Followed by an order that says:
00:18:50.07\00:18:52.31
"they're not going to get
the Sabbath off from work. "
00:18:52.61\00:18:55.23
So really what God is
saying is that Pharaoh's heart
00:18:55.53\00:19:01.47
is already hard.
00:19:01.67\00:19:03.26
For a person to pass an order
00:19:03.56\00:19:05.27
to take every male child
and drown them in the sea,
00:19:05.57\00:19:07.66
his heart is already hardened.
God had nothing to do with that.
00:19:07.86\00:19:10.03
That's the
condition of Pharaoh's heart.
00:19:10.34\00:19:12.34
God says: "I know this guy...
00:19:12.65\00:19:15.54
He's not going to do it
because his heart is hardened. "
00:19:15.84\00:19:19.33
And remember I said
all God has is love.
00:19:19.64\00:19:22.36
All God has is love.
00:19:22.66\00:19:24.29
And if love makes you hard,
00:19:24.59\00:19:28.13
then you're going to be hard
00:19:28.43\00:19:31.42
because all God has is love.
00:19:31.62\00:19:34.86
God can't deal with us
any other way than to love us.
00:19:35.16\00:19:39.41
And if loving us makes us mad,
00:19:39.71\00:19:42.32
makes you hard, well then
God's going to harden your heart
00:19:42.62\00:19:45.23
because God
can't change who He is.
00:19:45.43\00:19:46.99
Do you understand that?
00:19:47.19\00:19:48.26
If you don't like being loved,
00:19:48.36\00:19:50.65
then God's love is
going to harden you
00:19:50.95\00:19:53.63
because God can't
do anything but love.
00:19:53.83\00:19:56.74
Amen? That's all He can do!
00:19:57.04\00:19:59.16
That's all He
can do is love you.
00:19:59.46\00:20:01.26
It's determined by the
condition of your heart.
00:20:01.56\00:20:04.61
One sun in the sky.
00:20:05.11\00:20:07.14
You put a piece of
ice out in that sun
00:20:07.44\00:20:09.90
the ice melts.
00:20:10.20\00:20:11.56
You put a piece of
mud out in that sun
00:20:11.86\00:20:13.59
the mud hardens.
00:20:13.89\00:20:15.32
Is the sun the same?
00:20:15.53\00:20:16.76
Yes, the sun doesn't
change. What's the difference?
00:20:17.06\00:20:19.39
The material!
00:20:19.89\00:20:21.72
The same sun
hardens mud... melts ice.
00:20:22.02\00:20:26.53
Same sun.
00:20:26.83\00:20:27.86
It's that way
with God and Pharaoh.
00:20:28.17\00:20:30.71
All God did is love him.
00:20:31.01\00:20:32.90
But he didn't want to be
loved; he didn't want God...
00:20:33.20\00:20:35.80
so he hardened his own heart.
00:20:36.10\00:20:37.96
And God couldn't stop loving
him because all God can do is...
00:20:38.26\00:20:41.85
love. So to
resist the love of God
00:20:42.05\00:20:45.13
you've got to harden yourself.
Do you understand that?
00:20:45.43\00:20:47.90
And so every
time God came to him
00:20:48.20\00:20:50.39
closer to him
with an arm of love
00:20:50.59\00:20:52.66
all he did was harden his heart.
00:20:52.96\00:20:55.69
And God could only love him.
00:20:55.99\00:20:57.73
God can only love us.
00:20:58.03\00:20:59.39
And if love makes you
hard, then God is guilty
00:20:59.69\00:21:02.89
because all God
can do is love you.
00:21:03.19\00:21:05.68
So the problem is not love...
the problem is the heart.
00:21:05.98\00:21:10.85
And the text says:
"The heart is deceitful
00:21:11.15\00:21:13.45
and desperately
wicked. Who can know it? "
00:21:13.65\00:21:15.95
So depending on
how entrenched you are
00:21:16.25\00:21:18.40
on the throne of your own life,
00:21:18.60\00:21:19.94
that determines the
volume God has to use
00:21:20.24\00:21:23.06
to get your attention.
00:21:23.26\00:21:24.49
And in the life of Pharaoh
God had to speak very loud
00:21:24.79\00:21:29.77
to get his attention.
00:21:30.07\00:21:31.31
And so He began to send the
ten plagues. You know the story.
00:21:31.61\00:21:34.83
These ten plagues were targeted
to the gods of the Egyptians.
00:21:35.13\00:21:38.87
These weren't just random
acts that came from heaven.
00:21:39.17\00:21:42.11
God looked at the...
00:21:42.41\00:21:43.55
the God of heaven
looked at the gods - small g -
00:21:43.85\00:21:46.53
of the Egyptians, and
He targeted the plagues
00:21:46.73\00:21:49.80
toward those
gods of the Egyptians.
00:21:50.10\00:21:52.66
God not only wanted to
dismantle the Egyptian economy
00:21:52.96\00:21:56.81
He wanted them to
understand ten important lessons
00:21:57.11\00:22:01.23
that we need to
understand today.
00:22:01.53\00:22:02.66
First lesson:
there is only one God.
00:22:02.96\00:22:07.36
How many? One God.
00:22:07.66\00:22:09.17
That's a lesson we need to know.
00:22:09.47\00:22:11.29
You can't make a god
of your car, your wife,
00:22:11.59\00:22:14.60
your husband, your
job or anything else.
00:22:14.90\00:22:17.33
There's only one God,
and He deserves your worship.
00:22:17.63\00:22:20.91
Amen? And Amen.
00:22:21.21\00:22:22.59
Lesson number 2:
that one God has no equal
00:22:22.89\00:22:27.25
and certainly no superior.
00:22:27.55\00:22:28.96
Can you say Amen?
00:22:29.26\00:22:30.31
There is nothing
like the God we serve.
00:22:30.61\00:22:32.68
Amen? We serve a good God.
00:22:32.98\00:22:35.12
A great God, a
glorious God, a loving God.
00:22:35.42\00:22:38.24
And God has no
equal and no superior.
00:22:38.54\00:22:41.07
Number 3: that one
God who has no equal
00:22:41.37\00:22:46.46
demands and
deserves our worship.
00:22:46.76\00:22:51.03
Amen.
00:22:51.33\00:22:53.00
God demands and God
deserves our worship.
00:22:53.30\00:22:58.46
"It is a good thing, " the Bible
says, "to praise the Lord. "
00:22:58.56\00:23:03.19
"Blessed is he who
praises the Lord. "
00:23:03.49\00:23:06.68
Let me give you a
secret for healthy living.
00:23:06.88\00:23:08.35
When you get depressed,
00:23:08.85\00:23:10.97
you can praise your
way out of depression.
00:23:11.28\00:23:14.11
Amen? We are told
by inspired counsel
00:23:14.41\00:23:18.32
when you're feeling down and sad
00:23:18.52\00:23:20.17
and you think nobody
knows the trouble I've seen
00:23:20.37\00:23:22.59
and nobody loves
me and nobody cares
00:23:22.79\00:23:25.32
and I think I'm
just going to die,
00:23:25.52\00:23:27.39
that comes from Satan.
00:23:30.03\00:23:32.64
Ellen White, my
favorite author, says this:
00:23:34.07\00:23:36.99
"God never sends depression. "
00:23:37.29\00:23:41.36
Did you hear me?
00:23:41.66\00:23:43.22
"God never sends depression. "
00:23:43.53\00:23:48.10
Depression is
not in God's arsenal.
00:23:48.40\00:23:52.46
Depression is
Satan's ultimate weapon
00:23:52.76\00:23:56.40
to get you to
turn your back on God.
00:23:56.70\00:23:59.32
It is his atomic bomb.
00:23:59.62\00:24:02.61
If he can't wear you
out, if he can't rust you out,
00:24:02.91\00:24:06.02
if he can't gossip you out,
00:24:06.32\00:24:07.73
he will just depress you out.
00:24:08.03\00:24:09.54
Um-hmm. So on Sabbath
morning instead of getting up
00:24:11.25\00:24:14.58
and going to church
you lay there in bed
00:24:14.78\00:24:16.98
and you say: "You know what?
00:24:17.18\00:24:19.00
I don't feel like
going to church. "
00:24:19.30\00:24:22.15
And then you get a little
urging from the Holy Spirit
00:24:23.32\00:24:26.42
"you need to get
up and get dressed. "
00:24:26.72\00:24:27.80
And then depression will say:
"Nah. I'm going back to bed. "
00:24:28.00\00:24:32.16
And you stay
depressed till about 1 o'clock.
00:24:32.66\00:24:38.32
And at 1 o'clock
the depression leaves...
00:24:40.49\00:24:42.37
now you're up and ready to run!
00:24:42.57\00:24:44.06
But guess what? Church is over
00:24:44.36\00:24:47.90
and your blessing is gone.
00:24:48.20\00:24:52.12
Huh? So now what do you do?
00:24:52.42\00:24:54.91
You've got a whole Sabbath day.
00:24:55.12\00:24:56.37
You've got all this
energy 'cause you've been in bed
00:24:56.57\00:24:58.23
missing your
blessing, so you say: "Well,
00:24:58.33\00:24:59.95
maybe I'll go to a
restaurant and eat. "
00:25:00.15\00:25:02.12
Depression is
Satan's ultimate weapon
00:25:05.13\00:25:09.70
and it never
comes from God. Never!
00:25:10.00\00:25:12.14
So the moment you say:
"Nobody knows the trouble
00:25:12.34\00:25:14.51
I've seen, I'm the
only one left in Israel,
00:25:14.71\00:25:17.94
nobody's serving
the Lord but me, "
00:25:18.24\00:25:20.39
that is the devil speaking...
not the voice of God.
00:25:20.69\00:25:24.26
Amen? So you've got to fight it.
00:25:24.56\00:25:26.53
And she says: "Fight
depression like the plague. "
00:25:26.73\00:25:29.61
And one good way to
do it is to sing a hymn.
00:25:29.81\00:25:32.61
Find a hymn and sing
your way out of depression.
00:25:32.92\00:25:36.19
And if you can't sing,
00:25:36.50\00:25:38.66
go in the car
where nobody can hear you
00:25:38.96\00:25:41.32
or go in the shower
and close the bathroom door
00:25:41.52\00:25:43.86
and sing to Jesus.
00:25:44.06\00:25:45.14
And the Holy Spirit
will take your bad voice
00:25:45.34\00:25:47.35
and turn it into Nadia.
00:25:47.55\00:25:50.50
Amen?
00:25:53.56\00:25:55.03
Sing your way out of depression.
00:25:55.33\00:25:57.12
Lift up the name of Jesus
00:25:57.42\00:25:59.78
because God
deserves to be worshiped.
00:26:00.08\00:26:02.60
And listen, when you worship God
00:26:02.80\00:26:04.46
as you send it up,
God turns around and
00:26:04.76\00:26:06.86
sends it right back down to you
00:26:07.06\00:26:08.81
in the form of a blessing.
00:26:09.01\00:26:10.34
Number 4: this
God has all power.
00:26:12.21\00:26:16.96
This is something that they
needed to know, we need to know.
00:26:17.16\00:26:19.50
This God has all
power. Now that's important
00:26:19.80\00:26:21.77
because when you get in a fix
00:26:22.07\00:26:23.85
it's good to remember
00:26:24.15\00:26:25.72
God has all power.
00:26:25.92\00:26:26.93
His arm is not short
00:26:27.23\00:26:28.59
nor His ear heavy.
00:26:28.79\00:26:29.87
Any problem you have
00:26:30.18\00:26:31.44
God can handle
it. Amen? Any problem
00:26:31.64\00:26:34.61
and every problem you
have God can handle it.
00:26:34.91\00:26:37.56
Now, He is not necessarily
an instant-cocoa God.
00:26:37.76\00:26:40.81
You don't just mix it
up and have instant cocoa.
00:26:41.12\00:26:43.66
Sometimes you've got to
pray through and press through
00:26:43.86\00:26:46.00
and stay on it. You
may not get the answer
00:26:46.20\00:26:48.47
the first time you pray
or the second time you pray.
00:26:48.67\00:26:50.86
'Cause we're so accustomed
to instant... you know,
00:26:50.96\00:26:53.08
fast food.
00:26:53.28\00:26:55.80
Can I have fries with that?
00:26:57.81\00:27:00.05
No.
00:27:00.35\00:27:01.88
Sometimes you've got
to wait on God. Amen?
00:27:02.18\00:27:04.59
And persevere with
God and abide with Him.
00:27:04.79\00:27:07.42
But God has an answer to
every question that you ask!
00:27:07.62\00:27:11.23
So if you don't
get it the first time,
00:27:11.53\00:27:13.70
keep on asking - Amen? -
00:27:14.00\00:27:15.96
'cause the answer is coming.
00:27:16.27\00:27:17.72
Now, God has...
this God has all power.
00:27:18.02\00:27:21.56
Number 5: He was
trying to tell Pharaoh
00:27:21.86\00:27:23.98
"Your gods are not gods.
00:27:24.28\00:27:26.52
Those snakes and reptile and
things that you're praying to...
00:27:26.82\00:27:27.79
those are not God...
those are just creatures.
00:27:27.82\00:27:32.80
So, God has all power.
Your gods are not gods.
00:27:33.10\00:27:37.30
Number 6: your
gods have no power.
00:27:37.60\00:27:40.48
Praying to that snake or
praying to that alligator
00:27:40.78\00:27:44.12
or praying to that fly
is not going to save you.
00:27:44.42\00:27:48.51
You need to get your
eyes off the creatures
00:27:48.82\00:27:51.58
and on the Creator.
00:27:51.78\00:27:54.08
Number 7: when God speaks
00:27:54.38\00:27:58.13
we must obey.
00:27:58.43\00:28:01.31
Amen.
00:28:01.61\00:28:02.96
When God speaks,
His creatures must obey.
00:28:03.26\00:28:07.69
Ten things He
wanted them to know.
00:28:07.99\00:28:10.31
Number 8: when you
obey things go good.
00:28:10.61\00:28:15.29
Amen. Very simple: when
you obey, stuff goes good.
00:28:15.59\00:28:21.17
Praise the Lord.
00:28:21.47\00:28:23.35
When you do what God
says do things go well.
00:28:23.65\00:28:27.31
Amen.
00:28:27.61\00:28:28.93
Now they don't always go
easy but they do go well.
00:28:29.23\00:28:32.05
That's why God said:
"Prove me now herewith
00:28:32.35\00:28:34.33
saith the Lord of Hosts. "
When you obey things go well.
00:28:34.53\00:28:37.12
Number 9: when you
disobey things go bad.
00:28:37.42\00:28:41.43
Make sense? Yeah.
00:28:41.73\00:28:43.92
Obey and
live... disobey and die.
00:28:44.22\00:28:48.23
When you obey
God things go good.
00:28:48.53\00:28:51.71
When you disobey
God things go bad.
00:28:52.01\00:28:55.01
And number 10: God
takes care of His own.
00:28:56.76\00:29:02.50
Come on say Amen.
00:29:03.00\00:29:05.05
God takes care of His own.
00:29:05.35\00:29:07.30
You know, it's not in my notes.
00:29:07.50\00:29:08.52
Let me tell you a quick story.
00:29:08.55\00:29:09.59
I've got two but I'll tell
you one. Which one should I say?
00:29:09.79\00:29:11.61
I'll tell you this one.
I had a lady... her name
00:29:11.81\00:29:13.83
was Sister Miriam Inch.
00:29:14.04\00:29:15.50
Sr. Inch was in her
70s. She's from Jamaica.
00:29:15.80\00:29:18.72
Sweet little lady...
a member of my church.
00:29:19.02\00:29:21.47
She said: "When I lived
in Jamaica, I always slept
00:29:21.77\00:29:24.12
with my windows open because
I like a lot of fresh air
00:29:24.32\00:29:26.67
in my house. So
when I came to New York,
00:29:26.88\00:29:29.25
I like to have my windows
open so I asked for an apartment
00:29:29.45\00:29:32.02
on the top floor of my building
so I could sleep every night
00:29:32.22\00:29:34.59
with my windows open. "
00:29:34.79\00:29:35.91
She said: "When I go to sleep
at night, I'm the kind of person
00:29:36.11\00:29:38.22
that doesn't wake up to go
to the restroom or anything.
00:29:38.42\00:29:40.08
When I go to sleep I stay
asleep until that alarm clock
00:29:40.28\00:29:42.80
wakes me up in the morning
and I sleep very sound. "
00:29:43.00\00:29:45.26
She said: "One night I got
up in the middle of the night
00:29:45.46\00:29:49.79
and something said
'close the window. ' "
00:29:50.09\00:29:53.18
She said: "I was asleep
and you know how you get up and
00:29:55.07\00:29:57.23
you're half asleep.
Your eyes are kind of closed
00:29:57.43\00:29:58.89
and you're walking through
the room. You're kind of,
00:29:59.09\00:30:00.58
you know, you know where
the room is so you're not really
00:30:00.78\00:30:02.03
looking... you're just kind
of walking through the room. "
00:30:02.13\00:30:03.69
She said: "I
went to the windowsill
00:30:03.99\00:30:05.54
and the voice said
'close the window now. ' "
00:30:05.74\00:30:08.31
"So, " she said, "I put my
hands and I brought the window
00:30:08.61\00:30:11.93
down. " She said, "as
I brought the window down
00:30:12.13\00:30:15.83
I heard someone go AAH! "
00:30:15.93\00:30:18.57
She said: "A man was
climbing in my window. "
00:30:20.62\00:30:24.81
He had climbed up the fire
escape and was getting ready
00:30:25.96\00:30:28.47
to come into my bedroom. "
00:30:28.67\00:30:29.71
"And, " she said,
"when I heard him scream
00:30:29.91\00:30:31.61
I really just
jammed the window down. "
00:30:31.81\00:30:34.14
She said: "And he pulled
his hands out and he fell down
00:30:34.44\00:30:36.59
the fire escape and
he ran down the alley. "
00:30:36.79\00:30:38.24
And she told that
story in prayer meeting.
00:30:38.54\00:30:41.14
And people said:
"Boy, you sure were lucky! "
00:30:41.44\00:30:44.73
And I'm saying luck had
nothing to do with that.
00:30:47.83\00:30:52.20
That, ladies and
gentlemen, was a gift from God
00:30:52.50\00:30:57.49
because God
takes care of His own.
00:30:57.79\00:31:01.49
Amen?
00:31:01.99\00:31:03.23
Now let me tell you this
story. This is the last one.
00:31:03.53\00:31:05.36
I can tell it really fast.
00:31:05.46\00:31:07.04
I had a lady in my
church Sister Ina Richard.
00:31:07.55\00:31:11.70
She was 105 years old
00:31:12.00\00:31:13.55
and so she couldn't
come out to church so we
00:31:13.85\00:31:15.27
went to her house and had
a 105-year-old birthday party
00:31:15.47\00:31:18.32
for her. We had a cake
with 105 candles on it.
00:31:18.43\00:31:21.28
Almost set the place on fire!
00:31:21.48\00:31:22.57
And she told me this
story. She said: "Pastor,
00:31:25.09\00:31:27.46
55 years ago we were
poor and broke and we had no
00:31:27.76\00:31:30.53
money. None. Apartment
broke. No food, nothing. "
00:31:30.63\00:31:33.58
She said: "I had just
joined the Adventist church.
00:31:33.88\00:31:36.03
I lost my job;
husband lost his job
00:31:36.23\00:31:38.18
and we had no food
and we were worried
00:31:38.48\00:31:40.97
because nothing to eat.
And so she said: "I opened up
00:31:41.17\00:31:43.54
the window and I sat
myself in my rocking chair
00:31:43.74\00:31:46.41
and I just rocked and I said
'Lord, you're going to have to
00:31:46.62\00:31:48.86
do something
because we have no money
00:31:49.06\00:31:50.37
and we have no resources. "
00:31:50.57\00:31:52.65
Said: "I just rocked and prayed.
Just in the rocking chair.
00:31:52.85\00:31:54.90
Just rocking and praying. "
00:31:55.10\00:31:56.24
She said:
"Pastor, this is the truth.
00:31:56.54\00:31:57.88
There floated through my window
just as pretty as you please
00:31:58.08\00:32:01.01
a one dollar bill
00:32:01.21\00:32:04.01
that came down and floated,
landed right on the floor
00:32:04.31\00:32:06.43
in front of me. "
That's what she told me.
00:32:06.63\00:32:08.79
She said: "Now my husband
went upstairs on the roof
00:32:09.09\00:32:11.52
to find out who lost a dollar. "
00:32:11.72\00:32:13.21
She said: "While my
husband was on the roof
00:32:14.85\00:32:16.33
trying to find
out who lost a dollar,
00:32:16.53\00:32:17.73
I was heading to
the grocery store. "
00:32:17.93\00:32:19.45
She said: "Back in the 1940s,
00:32:20.52\00:32:22.85
1930s, a dollar
could buy you a lot. "
00:32:23.15\00:32:25.45
She said: "You
could get milk and bread
00:32:25.76\00:32:27.40
and some other things. "
And she said: "I came home
00:32:27.60\00:32:29.35
with an armful of stuff. My
husband was still up on the roof
00:32:29.45\00:32:31.34
trying to find out who
lost a dollar. " I said:
00:32:31.54\00:32:32.57
"That dollar came from Jesus. "
00:32:32.77\00:32:34.32
She said: "Don't look,
because it came from the Lord. "
00:32:38.98\00:32:41.81
My point is: God
takes care of His own.
00:32:43.36\00:32:47.58
Amen? Yes He does!
00:32:47.88\00:32:49.79
He does take care of His
own. Now those two stories
00:32:50.09\00:32:51.56
are not in my sermon, so
I've got to go a lot faster.
00:32:51.76\00:32:53.33
So these are the same lessons
that God is trying to teach us.
00:32:54.42\00:32:57.30
Ten very important lessons
God was trying to show Pharaoh.
00:32:57.61\00:32:59.93
There is one
God. God has no equal.
00:33:00.23\00:33:01.99
God has no
superior. God demands worship.
00:33:02.29\00:33:04.23
God has all power.
Your gods are not gods.
00:33:04.53\00:33:06.56
Your gods have no power.
00:33:06.86\00:33:08.08
When God speaks we must obey.
00:33:08.28\00:33:09.57
To obey means
things will go good.
00:33:09.87\00:33:11.74
To disobey means
things will go bad.
00:33:11.94\00:33:13.71
And God will take care of
His own. Can you say Amen?
00:33:13.91\00:33:16.81
These are the same lessons
that God would have us learn
00:33:18.30\00:33:21.02
3,300 years later...
things have not changed.
00:33:21.22\00:33:24.18
I Samuel chapter 15 verse 22.
00:33:24.48\00:33:26.84
Let's go to the Word of God.
00:33:26.95\00:33:27.98
I Samuel 15 is the
book I said and verse 22.
00:33:28.18\00:33:30.74
God wants us to know
that we have to listen,
00:33:46.19\00:33:49.59
we have to obey. It
is crucial to our walk
00:33:49.79\00:33:52.86
on this road to
glory. And so Pharaoh said:
00:33:53.06\00:33:56.53
"No! I don't
care who your God is.
00:33:56.73\00:34:00.86
I don't care what He said.
00:34:01.06\00:34:02.83
I, Pharaoh, a living god...
00:34:03.03\00:34:05.88
I'm saying no.
00:34:06.08\00:34:07.49
You're not going
to get any days off.
00:34:07.79\00:34:09.72
You're not going to be
allowed to go into the desert
00:34:10.02\00:34:12.27
and worship on Sabbath.
00:34:12.47\00:34:14.07
You're not going to
get three days of vacation.
00:34:14.38\00:34:16.88
You are not leaving the country.
00:34:17.18\00:34:18.92
Moreover, you are
not going to be allowed
00:34:19.12\00:34:22.18
to stop making bricks. In fact,
00:34:22.38\00:34:24.76
you're going to make your
bricks from now on without straw
00:34:24.96\00:34:27.92
and you'd better not
come short one brick. "
00:34:28.12\00:34:31.62
And God said: "I have
heard the cry of My people. "
00:34:31.92\00:34:37.28
And so God -
through Moses and Aaron -
00:34:37.58\00:34:41.16
began to dismantle
the Egyptian economy
00:34:41.36\00:34:44.51
and also to tear down
their idolatrous religion.
00:34:44.71\00:34:49.82
The plagues, I say
again, were aimed at
00:34:50.12\00:34:52.70
the things they
prized and worshiped.
00:34:52.90\00:34:55.72
They worshiped the Nile river,
00:34:56.03\00:34:58.01
and so God
turned the Nile to blood
00:34:58.31\00:35:00.56
and choked it with fish.
00:35:00.76\00:35:02.41
They worshiped lice,
interestingly enough,
00:35:02.71\00:35:05.52
and most scholars really
think that these were a kind of
00:35:05.72\00:35:09.16
stinging gnat or tick
00:35:09.36\00:35:12.41
that crept into
the eyes and ears.
00:35:12.61\00:35:14.72
Sometimes, you know, you get
ticks on you or gnats on you.
00:35:14.92\00:35:17.36
They had
billions of these things.
00:35:17.56\00:35:19.18
They worshiped
those, oddly enough.
00:35:19.28\00:35:21.32
There are some scholars
who say that this was really
00:35:21.62\00:35:24.45
the Egyptian dog fly.
They had this plague of flies.
00:35:24.65\00:35:28.81
And I did some study
on the Egyptian dog fly.
00:35:30.31\00:35:32.45
The Egyptian dog fly, they
say, is the most aggressive
00:35:32.75\00:35:36.49
and evil fly in the world.
00:35:36.59\00:35:37.83
You know, you have flies
and just kind of swat them
00:35:37.93\00:35:39.47
they run away. Not
the Egyptian dog fly.
00:35:39.57\00:35:41.42
The Egyptian dog
fly when you disturb it
00:35:41.72\00:35:43.86
acts like a bee...
it tries to bite you.
00:35:44.06\00:35:46.83
And interestingly
enough it goes for the eye.
00:35:47.13\00:35:49.36
This kind of fly... it
always aims for the eyes.
00:35:49.66\00:35:52.88
If you've ever
seen Egyptian art,
00:35:53.08\00:35:55.27
you'll notice that Egyptian art
00:35:55.47\00:35:58.56
there is a large mascara line
on the bottom and the top lid.
00:35:58.76\00:36:02.16
It's
characteristic of Egyptian art.
00:36:02.36\00:36:03.82
Those who are
Egyptian scholars notice that.
00:36:04.02\00:36:05.88
If you're looking at
a painting on a wall,
00:36:06.08\00:36:08.18
if it's Egyptian there's going
to be a heavy black outline
00:36:08.38\00:36:11.07
on the top of the eye
and the bottom of the eye.
00:36:11.18\00:36:12.81
That's
characteristic of Egyptian art.
00:36:13.01\00:36:14.66
Well most scholars think
that that was not decorative.
00:36:14.86\00:36:18.76
It was a protection
of tar and some other
00:36:18.97\00:36:23.61
sort of thing they put there to
keep the Egyptian dog fly away
00:36:23.81\00:36:27.24
because the Egyptian dog
fly always attacked the eyelid.
00:36:27.44\00:36:31.19
And so we see
this in Egyptian art.
00:36:31.49\00:36:33.80
Ezekiel chapter
18 verse 1 says this:
00:36:34.10\00:36:37.10
"I have no pleasure in
the death of the wicked, "
00:36:37.30\00:36:39.63
it says. "Therefore,
that you turn and live. "
00:36:39.83\00:36:43.80
And so God is
attacking the Egyptian economy.
00:36:44.10\00:36:47.87
He is also
attacking the Egyptian gods
00:36:48.07\00:36:50.34
trying to let them
know that God is a God
00:36:50.54\00:36:53.91
who needs to be
obeyed and followed.
00:36:54.12\00:36:56.01
And so Egypt absorbed
this unprecedented series
00:36:56.31\00:37:00.49
of catastrophes that
we call the ten plagues
00:37:00.69\00:37:03.36
because of their
cosmic insubordination.
00:37:03.56\00:37:06.96
And so it seems rather strange
00:37:07.26\00:37:09.63
in view of all of this
00:37:09.93\00:37:11.83
that the response we
find in Exodus chapter 8
00:37:12.13\00:37:16.13
verse 8 is given. I
want you to turn with me
00:37:16.24\00:37:18.90
because this is where the
title of the message comes from.
00:37:19.10\00:37:21.38
Exodus chapter 8 and verse 8.
00:37:21.68\00:37:25.91
The book is
Exodus chapter 8 verse 8.
00:37:26.21\00:37:30.05
We'll read down to verse 10.
00:37:30.35\00:37:32.71
Now Rodney come back to me
and we'll hold on that one.
00:37:52.03\00:37:54.13
Come back to me if
you will. Thank you.
00:37:54.44\00:37:55.75
This plague of frogs was
unprecedented and unknown.
00:37:57.37\00:38:02.33
We're not talking
about a couple of frogs.
00:38:02.63\00:38:06.64
Ladies and gentlemen,
we are talking about frogs.
00:38:06.94\00:38:10.39
Frogs in your bed.
00:38:10.69\00:38:12.92
Frogs in your cabinet.
00:38:13.22\00:38:15.83
Frogs in your closet.
00:38:15.92\00:38:18.09
Frogs in your bathroom.
00:38:18.39\00:38:20.53
Frogs in your kitchen.
00:38:20.83\00:38:22.95
Frogs in your shoes.
00:38:23.25\00:38:26.09
Frogs in your clothes.
00:38:26.39\00:38:28.42
You turn down the
covers at night to get in bed
00:38:28.73\00:38:30.81
the bed is crawling with frogs.
00:38:31.01\00:38:32.55
Open up your pantry to
get a little flour to make
00:38:32.85\00:38:35.43
bread... flour
crawling with frogs.
00:38:35.63\00:38:38.38
Everywhere you
turn... frogs, frogs, frogs.
00:38:38.68\00:38:42.94
Put your shoes on in
the morning... frogs.
00:38:44.88\00:38:48.89
Put your jacket on... frogs.
00:38:49.19\00:38:52.22
Big frogs, little
frogs, slimy frogs.
00:38:52.53\00:38:56.28
Croaking
frogs... frogs everywhere.
00:38:56.58\00:38:59.71
Sticky, gooey,
ooey, slimy frogs.
00:39:00.01\00:39:05.30
You go to sit down in a
chair to read the word...
00:39:08.16\00:39:10.99
chair crawling with frogs.
00:39:11.19\00:39:13.30
Nowhere you can go,
nowhere you can move
00:39:13.60\00:39:16.80
but that there
are frogs everywhere.
00:39:17.10\00:39:20.04
And even if you like frogs,
00:39:20.34\00:39:22.58
if you think one
little frog is cute,
00:39:22.79\00:39:25.54
one billion are not!
00:39:25.84\00:39:28.02
And this is the plague:
frogs in the dining room.
00:39:30.54\00:39:34.52
Frogs in your sugar.
00:39:34.82\00:39:36.59
Frogs in your french fries.
00:39:36.89\00:39:39.12
Frogs in the shower.
00:39:43.99\00:39:45.99
Surrounded by frogs.
00:39:47.87\00:39:50.40
Croaking frogs, hopping
frogs, big frogs, little frogs,
00:39:50.70\00:39:54.93
stinging frogs,
deadly dangerous frogs.
00:39:55.23\00:39:58.94
Everywhere you turn...
frogs in your vegemeat.
00:39:59.24\00:40:02.94
So Pharaoh's
answer... he's not interested.
00:40:11.03\00:40:15.33
Let's go back
to the Word of God.
00:40:15.53\00:40:16.55
Rodney let's pick
it back up. Thank you.
00:40:16.75\00:40:17.86
Now let's stop right
there. Bring it back, Rodney,
00:40:34.01\00:40:35.81
if you will. Thank you.
00:40:36.01\00:40:38.29
Moses said to
Pharaoh: "God wants to show you
00:40:39.60\00:40:44.18
His love. He's going to
give you a little break.
00:40:44.48\00:40:48.75
You name the hour
that the frogs leave.
00:40:49.25\00:40:55.22
God is going to show
you His power and His love.
00:40:55.52\00:41:00.28
You pick the time. "
00:41:00.58\00:41:02.16
Sound fair?
00:41:02.46\00:41:04.19
"God loves you. Pick the time
that you want the frogs to go,
00:41:04.49\00:41:08.19
and the moment you
say so they'll go. "
00:41:08.49\00:41:12.51
"If you say 'I
want them gone now, '
00:41:12.81\00:41:16.75
they'll be gone now. "
00:41:17.06\00:41:18.20
Now if your house
was crawling with frogs,
00:41:18.50\00:41:20.89
what would you say?
00:41:21.09\00:41:22.16
"I want them gone yesterday. "
00:41:22.46\00:41:24.60
So let's look at
Pharaoh's answer.
00:41:26.23\00:41:28.15
Let's look at it again.
00:41:28.35\00:41:29.71
Pharaoh said: "Tomorrow. "
00:41:36.29\00:41:38.79
So you want them tomorrow?
They'll be gone tomorrow.
00:41:46.81\00:41:50.31
But saying tomorrow
means you've got to spend
00:41:51.91\00:41:56.59
one more night with the frogs.
00:41:56.79\00:42:00.79
Huh? That's where
the title comes from.
00:42:02.45\00:42:05.27
One More Night With The Frogs.
00:42:05.57\00:42:08.26
Why would you say tomorrow?
00:42:08.56\00:42:11.88
Why not right now?
00:42:11.98\00:42:14.77
Well, there's a lot
of... there are many reasons
00:42:15.07\00:42:18.29
why he said tomorrow...
00:42:18.49\00:42:19.57
none the least of was he
was hoping that his magicians
00:42:19.88\00:42:22.90
could get rid of them today.
00:42:23.10\00:42:24.47
But they couldn't and
God saw that they couldn't.
00:42:24.78\00:42:28.96
So Pharaoh had to spend
one more night with the frogs.
00:42:29.46\00:42:35.40
I don't know what
was going on in his heart
00:42:36.97\00:42:40.59
but even to the
very end he refused
00:42:40.89\00:42:44.88
to acknowledge God.
00:42:45.09\00:42:46.78
He'd rather spend one
more night with the frogs
00:42:47.08\00:42:51.24
than accept God as God
00:42:51.54\00:42:55.08
and bow down to God.
00:42:55.38\00:42:58.04
Back in the spring of 1974
00:42:58.34\00:43:01.71
a 19-year-old heiress by
the name of Patty Hearst -
00:43:02.01\00:43:07.87
you may remember that name -
00:43:08.07\00:43:09.73
a self-styled millionairess
00:43:10.03\00:43:14.17
kind of a dilettante,
00:43:15.58\00:43:17.33
she was kidnapped by
field marshal Cinque Mtume
00:43:18.03\00:43:24.00
and members of
what was then called
00:43:24.20\00:43:27.03
the Symbionese Liberation Army.
00:43:27.33\00:43:30.88
She was taken from the campus
of the University of California
00:43:31.18\00:43:34.23
at Berkeley and
a series of famous
00:43:34.33\00:43:38.81
negotiations ensued.
00:43:39.01\00:43:41.46
Her family said that
they would pay $4,000,000
00:43:43.33\00:43:47.59
for her return.
00:43:47.89\00:43:49.13
And the Symbionese
Liberation Army said
00:43:50.60\00:43:54.51
if this money was not
paid she would be killed.
00:43:54.71\00:43:58.61
And for two
months nothing was heard
00:43:58.91\00:44:03.64
from or about Patty Hearst.
00:44:03.84\00:44:07.90
They money was not paid;
communication was cut off.
00:44:08.78\00:44:12.99
In April of that same year
00:44:13.29\00:44:17.10
the Symbionese
Liberation Army struck again.
00:44:17.41\00:44:21.39
They robbed a bank
called the Hibernia Bank
00:44:21.70\00:44:26.59
in San Francisco, California.
00:44:26.89\00:44:29.31
They shot two of the customers
00:44:29.81\00:44:34.05
and injured several others.
00:44:34.35\00:44:36.52
Caught on the bank's
video surveillance tape
00:44:36.83\00:44:41.58
was the image of a young woman
00:44:41.68\00:44:44.76
holding a rifle, and she
was part of the stick-up.
00:44:45.06\00:44:50.66
That young lady holding the gun
00:44:50.97\00:44:55.13
turned out to be
the same Patty Hearst
00:44:55.34\00:45:00.42
who had after two
months allegedly stopped being
00:45:00.72\00:45:06.12
a captive or a victim
00:45:06.33\00:45:08.35
and who actually had joined
00:45:08.65\00:45:11.49
the Symbionese Liberation Army
00:45:11.80\00:45:13.81
and was now calling
herself not Patty but Tania.
00:45:14.12\00:45:18.83
At her subsequent trial,
00:45:19.14\00:45:22.69
psychologists said that she was
suffering from a classic case
00:45:22.99\00:45:27.87
of what was being
called Stockholm syndrome.
00:45:28.07\00:45:32.61
Stockholm syndrome.
00:45:32.91\00:45:36.19
Stockholm syndrome is a
phenomenon that takes place
00:45:36.49\00:45:39.91
when a hostage
spends a lot of time
00:45:40.22\00:45:44.29
in close contact with the
person who has kidnapped her.
00:45:44.49\00:45:49.22
Through manipulation
and surrender of the will
00:45:50.67\00:45:54.47
this hostage so
identifies with the goals, aims,
00:45:54.97\00:46:00.88
and aspirations of her captors
00:46:01.08\00:46:04.06
that she adopts them
and becomes one with them.
00:46:04.36\00:46:09.61
In other words,
Stockholm syndrome is that thing
00:46:09.91\00:46:13.12
that when a
person gets kidnapped
00:46:13.32\00:46:15.82
and stays with the
kidnapper long enough
00:46:16.02\00:46:19.10
they become one
with the kidnapper.
00:46:19.30\00:46:22.94
Are you following me?
00:46:23.24\00:46:24.26
That's what
Stockholm syndrome is.
00:46:24.56\00:46:26.69
The captive
convinces him or herself
00:46:26.99\00:46:30.50
that the captor's cause is right
00:46:30.80\00:46:34.19
and should be joined.
00:46:34.39\00:46:36.26
So they embrace
and align themselves
00:46:36.56\00:46:39.81
with their captor. In
other words, they change ranks.
00:46:40.11\00:46:45.10
They become one with the captor.
00:46:45.40\00:46:47.35
My point is that we can live
00:46:47.66\00:46:53.23
in sin so long
00:46:53.53\00:46:55.80
that sin begins to lose
00:46:56.10\00:46:59.93
its sinful nature.
00:47:00.23\00:47:01.83
And we can suffer
a sort of spiritual
00:47:02.14\00:47:07.99
Stockholm syndrome
00:47:08.19\00:47:10.52
to the point that we
become so comfortable in sin,
00:47:10.83\00:47:15.24
so accustomed to sin,
00:47:15.54\00:47:17.71
so at peace with sin
00:47:18.01\00:47:20.23
that not only do we not hate sin
00:47:20.53\00:47:23.91
sin actually
loses its sinfulness.
00:47:24.21\00:47:28.25
Not only do we desire it,
00:47:28.56\00:47:31.66
it actually becomes something
that we cannot live without.
00:47:31.96\00:47:36.31
That's how dangerous
saying no to Jesus is
00:47:36.61\00:47:42.40
because we become
so at home with sin
00:47:42.70\00:47:46.03
that we develop a taste for it
00:47:46.33\00:47:49.14
and we cannot see
ourselves living without it.
00:47:49.34\00:47:52.77
When I first... my
wife and I first got married
00:47:53.07\00:47:56.11
she used to watch me
put in my contact lenses.
00:47:56.41\00:47:58.32
And she would say:
"Ooh, how can you do that?
00:47:58.62\00:48:01.30
How can you take your
hand and put your finger right
00:48:01.50\00:48:03.26
in your eye and do that? "
00:48:03.46\00:48:05.19
And it seems very natural to me.
00:48:05.49\00:48:06.88
When I first did
it, it seemed very odd
00:48:07.08\00:48:09.85
taking a little
piece of plastic or gel
00:48:10.15\00:48:12.72
and putting it in your eye.
00:48:12.82\00:48:13.97
Now after having done
it - oh, my goodness -
00:48:14.17\00:48:16.74
thirty years, no
problem... you just do it.
00:48:16.94\00:48:19.89
Natural.
00:48:20.19\00:48:21.65
That's the way sin is.
00:48:21.95\00:48:23.34
You do it enough you
develop Stockholm syndrome.
00:48:23.64\00:48:27.00
You get to where you like it
00:48:27.30\00:48:29.55
and then you get to the point
00:48:29.85\00:48:31.00
where you
cannot live without it.
00:48:31.21\00:48:32.97
I... I've never smoked.
00:48:33.27\00:48:36.23
The smell of cigarette
smoke just turns me off.
00:48:36.53\00:48:40.65
But I've had people
that I've wanted to baptize
00:48:40.95\00:48:44.16
who just couldn't see
giving up the cigarette.
00:48:44.36\00:48:47.01
And cigarette smoking is an
awful, ugly, evil habit to me.
00:48:47.31\00:48:51.87
But to those who
are addicted to it
00:48:51.97\00:48:54.58
it's part of their life.
00:48:54.78\00:48:56.50
It's tough giving
up cigarette smoking.
00:48:56.80\00:48:59.82
I've baptized drunks who
said one of the hardest things
00:49:00.12\00:49:04.49
for me was to put
down the wine bottle
00:49:04.69\00:49:06.76
and grab a hold of Jesus.
00:49:07.06\00:49:08.72
Now I've never had
an alcohol problem.
00:49:09.02\00:49:10.82
Only tasted liquor
once in my life as a child.
00:49:11.02\00:49:13.76
As a child snuck into my
father's closet and saw a little
00:49:14.06\00:49:16.43
vial of something and
took a big swig and...
00:49:16.63\00:49:18.50
threw up and
said: "not for me! "
00:49:18.80\00:49:20.53
Never did it again.
00:49:20.83\00:49:22.81
But there are those who
have problems with alcohol.
00:49:23.11\00:49:26.04
And it didn't
start out that way.
00:49:26.24\00:49:27.91
They started out with a
little sip or a little smoke.
00:49:28.11\00:49:30.66
They began to like
it, they began to love it,
00:49:30.96\00:49:33.06
they became addicted to it.
00:49:33.26\00:49:35.13
In my book - those
of you who read my book
00:49:35.43\00:49:37.49
I Will Fear No Evil - young lady
00:49:37.69\00:49:40.39
went to a party.
Fellow gave her a little rock.
00:49:40.59\00:49:45.40
He said "smoke this. "
00:49:45.70\00:49:47.79
She had never
smoked crack before.
00:49:48.09\00:49:49.95
One time... she was addicted.
00:49:50.25\00:49:53.05
One time.
00:49:53.35\00:49:55.59
And so one night
- it's Friday night,
00:49:55.89\00:49:58.45
she's going to church -
and she's out in an alley
00:49:58.65\00:50:01.92
trying to find drugs.
And she said: "I'm looking
00:50:02.12\00:50:04.30
into my life... I'm going
to church in about 3-4 hours
00:50:04.40\00:50:06.24
and here I am in an
alley trying to find drugs
00:50:06.44\00:50:08.84
to take care of a crack
habit that I shouldn't have
00:50:10.46\00:50:12.73
because I took
one little chance. "
00:50:12.93\00:50:15.56
You see how dangerous it
is to turn your back on Jesus
00:50:15.87\00:50:20.47
and to say "no" when
Christ is calling you?
00:50:20.77\00:50:22.91
You develop
Stockholm syndrome with sin.
00:50:23.21\00:50:26.12
You become accustomed to sin.
00:50:26.42\00:50:28.51
You get to like
sin. You get to love sin.
00:50:28.81\00:50:31.10
And sometimes even as you
are praying for the Lord to
00:50:31.30\00:50:33.71
deliver you you're
not even sure He can.
00:50:33.92\00:50:36.29
We become that
accustomed to sin.
00:50:38.39\00:50:41.96
People like Hitler, Stalin,
Pol Pot, Idi Amin, Mussolini:
00:50:43.12\00:50:47.69
these people who slaughtered
millions of people...
00:50:47.89\00:50:49.87
these were
somebody's child at one time.
00:50:50.08\00:50:52.64
Hitler didn't start out being
a murderer of 6,000,000 Jews.
00:50:54.06\00:50:57.67
He started out
as somebody's child.
00:50:57.97\00:50:59.35
Mussolini started
out as somebody's child.
00:50:59.65\00:51:02.83
Idi Amin...
somebody's little boy.
00:51:03.13\00:51:05.25
Pol Pot...
somebody's little boy.
00:51:05.55\00:51:07.70
But when the call for sin
came, they didn't say "no. "
00:51:08.00\00:51:12.40
They turned their back on Jesus
00:51:12.70\00:51:14.79
and opened their heart to sin.
00:51:14.99\00:51:16.42
And sin, ladies and
gentlemen, will take you further
00:51:16.72\00:51:18.62
than you want to
go and keep you longer
00:51:18.83\00:51:20.46
than you are prepared to stay.
00:51:20.67\00:51:21.85
It will destroy your life
00:51:22.15\00:51:23.74
if you make a habit
of saying "no" to Jesus.
00:51:24.04\00:51:27.30
Sin is not cute; sin is not hip;
00:51:27.60\00:51:29.86
sin is not
sexy; sin is not chic;
00:51:30.06\00:51:32.30
sin is not cool; sin is
not something to be desired.
00:51:32.50\00:51:38.10
Sin is a destroyer.
00:51:38.41\00:51:39.59
Sin, the Bible says, is death.
00:51:39.80\00:51:41.70
Why would anyone want to
spend even one more night
00:51:42.00\00:51:47.37
in sin when God is
saying you can be free
00:51:47.57\00:51:50.73
right now?
00:51:50.94\00:51:53.32
Why wait till tomorrow
when you can freedom right now?
00:51:53.62\00:51:58.95
When you can
have love right now?
00:51:59.25\00:52:02.38
When you can have joy right now?
00:52:02.68\00:52:05.32
Why would anybody want
to spend one more night
00:52:05.62\00:52:08.32
with the frogs when
you can be frog-free,
00:52:08.52\00:52:10.78
sin-free, right
here and right now?
00:52:10.99\00:52:13.86
All you've got to do is ask Him.
00:52:14.26\00:52:17.15
All you've got to do is want it.
00:52:17.45\00:52:19.24
All you've got to
do is open your arms
00:52:19.54\00:52:22.10
and accept the love of Christ
00:52:22.30\00:52:23.97
and the frogs of sin can be out
of your life this very second.
00:52:24.37\00:52:29.40
Ask God for deliverance...
deliverance is yours.
00:52:32.33\00:52:35.85
Ask God for
victory... victory is yours.
00:52:36.15\00:52:39.93
Ask God for joy... joy is yours.
00:52:40.03\00:52:43.73
Ask God for
peace... peace is yours.
00:52:44.04\00:52:48.10
Ask God for
deliverance from your past...
00:52:48.40\00:52:51.04
deliverance is yours.
00:52:51.34\00:52:53.20
You know, I am so
strong on the Lord.
00:52:53.50\00:52:58.04
I've seen the Lord do so much
00:52:58.34\00:53:00.55
with so little for so long
00:53:00.85\00:53:02.92
that I am convinced that
God can do anything with nothing
00:53:03.22\00:53:06.48
if you give your life to Him.
00:53:06.79\00:53:09.17
If you give Him what
He needs, what He wants.
00:53:09.47\00:53:12.01
And all He wants is you.
00:53:12.31\00:53:15.13
I had a fellow come to my church
00:53:15.43\00:53:17.81
wanting to serve the
Lord, hooked on smoke,
00:53:18.11\00:53:22.09
smoking three packs
of cigarettes a day.
00:53:22.40\00:53:25.58
I don't even know how
many cigarettes are in a pack.
00:53:25.79\00:53:27.00
Twenty? Twenty-one? How many?
00:53:27.20\00:53:28.99
He's smoking 60
cigarettes a day.
00:53:29.19\00:53:31.60
Through the power of God he
put the cigarette pack down.
00:53:31.90\00:53:35.35
Took a hold of Jesus;
became a deacon in the church.
00:53:35.55\00:53:40.05
Became an elder;
preached a meeting.
00:53:40.35\00:53:43.17
Baptized 20 people.
00:53:43.38\00:53:45.02
Led 20 people to the Lord.
00:53:45.32\00:53:46.47
Put down the
smoke... picked up Jesus.
00:53:46.97\00:53:50.84
I had a young
lady come to my church.
00:53:51.15\00:53:54.40
She was a prostitute,
00:53:56.33\00:53:59.87
a crack smoker,
00:54:01.56\00:54:04.40
and a heroin addict.
00:54:04.70\00:54:06.22
She was down to
about 100 pounds.
00:54:06.52\00:54:10.25
She looked like walking death.
00:54:11.61\00:54:14.84
When she got a hold of Jesus...
00:54:17.10\00:54:18.62
or better yet,
Jesus got a hold of her...
00:54:19.02\00:54:21.81
she stood up in
prayer meeting and she said:
00:54:22.11\00:54:26.74
"I'm 24 years of age
00:54:28.60\00:54:30.74
and I've slept with 5,000 men. "
00:54:32.23\00:54:35.07
And my church did
just what you're doing.
00:54:35.17\00:54:37.92
She said: "But
I'm new in Christ. "
00:54:41.36\00:54:45.18
She gave up crack,
she gave up heroin.
00:54:46.40\00:54:51.29
She did!
00:54:51.60\00:54:53.36
Tell you what Jesus did for her.
00:54:53.66\00:54:55.28
She began studying
with a fellow that she knew.
00:54:56.55\00:55:01.76
She led him to the Lord.
00:55:03.15\00:55:05.39
I baptized him.
00:55:05.69\00:55:07.71
I baptized them both.
00:55:08.01\00:55:09.99
She went from 100 pounds...
00:55:11.70\00:55:16.27
she put on a lot of weight
00:55:16.58\00:55:19.97
eating vegetarian food.
00:55:20.27\00:55:22.57
Went up to about 140.
00:55:22.87\00:55:25.01
Got pregnant. I
blessed their first child.
00:55:25.31\00:55:29.25
Um-hmm. Blessed
their second child.
00:55:29.55\00:55:32.88
Blessed their third child.
00:55:33.18\00:55:35.84
I blessed their fourth child,
00:55:36.14\00:55:38.52
and she was pregnant
when I left New York.
00:55:38.82\00:55:42.08
Five.
00:55:43.79\00:55:46.26
She put on
weight, she got a husband,
00:55:46.56\00:55:49.62
she got five
children, and she got Jesus.
00:55:49.92\00:55:52.41
Huh. Doesn't
matter what your past is.
00:55:52.71\00:55:56.49
Doesn't matter what you've done.
00:55:56.79\00:55:58.34
Doesn't matter
how long you did it.
00:55:58.64\00:56:00.03
When you come to the
Lord, sin has no hold over you
00:56:00.33\00:56:04.75
any more. Your past gets
washed in the blood of Christ
00:56:04.95\00:56:08.44
and all you've got is a
bright and glorious future.
00:56:08.64\00:56:12.21
And you can have it right now!
00:56:12.51\00:56:14.55
Why would anyone spend even
one more night with the frogs
00:56:14.85\00:56:19.28
when you can have Jesus now?
00:56:19.58\00:56:21.83
John 3:19. Let's go to
John 3:19. The book is John
00:56:22.13\00:56:26.75
chapter 3 verse 19:
00:56:26.95\00:56:28.75
Some people like
living with the frogs.
00:56:38.25\00:56:41.08
They like living in sin.
00:56:41.38\00:56:42.83
But that's not us,
brothers and sisters.
00:56:43.13\00:56:46.62
Our call is to be
children of light.
00:56:46.72\00:56:50.01
I want to ask you a question.
00:56:50.31\00:56:52.14
How many love Jesus?
00:56:52.44\00:56:53.84
You know, there's one
thing I've found about Satan.
00:56:56.31\00:56:59.33
Unless you keep
your home real tight,
00:56:59.63\00:57:04.07
sealed, he'll get in the cracks.
00:57:04.37\00:57:07.36
Have you noticed that?
00:57:07.56\00:57:08.68
Unless you try to keep him out
00:57:08.98\00:57:10.31
and make sure that you
are armored with Christ
00:57:10.51\00:57:13.04
Satan will get in the cracks.
00:57:13.24\00:57:14.36
And even those of us who
have walked with the Lord
00:57:14.66\00:57:16.21
for a long period of time
sometimes get a little lazy.
00:57:16.41\00:57:19.65
Huh?
00:57:19.95\00:57:21.28
So I want to talk to you first.
00:57:21.58\00:57:23.42
I want to talk to those of
us who are in the church...
00:57:23.73\00:57:25.70
who are members of the church.
00:57:26.00\00:57:27.30
Maybe you see areas of
your life where you need to
00:57:27.60\00:57:30.77
as they say in the
Army tidy up a little bit.
00:57:30.97\00:57:33.78
Police those areas.
00:57:33.98\00:57:35.06
Maybe you see areas where
you need to really stand strong
00:57:35.36\00:57:39.11
for the Lord, where you need
to make sure that everything
00:57:39.31\00:57:42.51
is as it should be so
that when Christ comes
00:57:42.71\00:57:44.63
you're ready for Him.
00:57:44.83\00:57:45.87
And if you want to
stand with me and say: "Lord,
00:57:46.07\00:57:47.88
please take care of those
areas of my life that sometimes
00:57:48.08\00:57:50.90
get a little dusty. I
want to sweep in the corners
00:57:51.10\00:57:53.46
of my life. I want to make
sure that everything is perfect
00:57:53.66\00:57:55.88
for the Lord. "
If that's your call,
00:57:55.99\00:57:57.97
then I want you
to stand with me.
00:57:58.17\00:57:59.35
Because I've got a second call.
00:57:59.65\00:58:01.34
I've got a second call because
there may be those of us here
00:58:01.64\00:58:04.57
today who have never really
given their heart to Jesus.
00:58:04.78\00:58:07.42
Who never really have.
00:58:07.73\00:58:09.33
And if you haven't, if you
are not a member of the church
00:58:09.53\00:58:13.47
and you want to
give your life to Jesus,
00:58:13.67\00:58:16.50
I'm going to ask you to
do something very special.
00:58:16.70\00:58:18.25
I'm going to ask you to
come down here and take my hand.
00:58:18.46\00:58:20.30
I'm going to step down on
the floor in just a minute.
00:58:20.50\00:58:22.13
I want you to do that. Now,
I want those who are standing
00:58:22.43\00:58:24.51
I want you to pray with me.
Just bow your heads and pray.
00:58:24.71\00:58:26.51
Want you just to pray.
00:58:26.81\00:58:27.90
And I want you to ask
God if there's somebody here
00:58:28.00\00:58:30.54
who needs to give
their life to the Lord
00:58:30.74\00:58:32.46
I want you to ask God to
give that person the courage
00:58:32.66\00:58:35.31
to come down
here and take my hand.
00:58:35.52\00:58:36.58
You're praying;
you're closing your eyes.
00:58:36.78\00:58:37.97
You're bowing your heads
and you're talking to Jesus.
00:58:38.17\00:58:39.91
Lord, please. It's
quiet. There's no music.
00:58:40.21\00:58:44.26
There's nothing being
said. It's God's call to you,
00:58:44.56\00:58:47.66
and if you feel God calling
you to give your life to Him,
00:58:47.86\00:58:51.20
just come on down
here and take my hand.
00:58:51.40\00:58:52.67
God bless you.
00:58:52.97\00:58:55.14