Participants: Ruthie Jacobsen (Host), Pr. Roy Rugless
Series Code: IAA
Program Code: IAA000394
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00:01 There is a wonderful little story that comes out
00:03 of the United Kingdom, I think its Scotland. 00:06 You are gonna love it a sweet, sweet story, but 00:10 teaches such powerful principles, 00:13 life changing principles. We'll be right back. 00:41 Welcome to Issues and Answers. 00:44 The issue that I'd like for us to think about together 00:47 today is, have you read the little book try giving 00:51 yourself away, it's a good little book I think its out 00:55 to print now, but that is our theme for this program, 01:00 try giving yourself away. And I believe that comes 01:04 from the Lord himself. There is a text in scripture 01:07 that tells us the Lord has a big plan for us. In Psalm 80, 01:15 David is saying let your hand be upon the man 01:18 of your right hand, upon the son of man who made, 01:21 you made strong for yourself. God says I want 01:25 to make you strong because I have a plan for you. 01:29 I want you to do something for me, revive us then we 01:32 will not turn back from you revive us and we will 01:35 call upon your name. So, the Lord is saying, 01:38 I want you to cooperate with me, 01:39 I'm gonna put my hand on you but I want to revive you, 01:43 I want to give you strength and help because 01:46 I have something that I want you to do. 01:50 And then in that next chapter Verse 7 you called 01:54 on me in trouble and I delivered you. 01:57 God has a message that he wants you to give to others. 02:02 He has something that he wants you to do for him. 02:05 In Psalm 149 Verse 4 the Lord takes pleasure in 02:11 his people, he will beautify the humble with salvation. 02:16 I want to tell you a story about a humble little boy. 02:20 He was 8-years-old in his church and the deacon 02:26 was passing the offering basket and apparently it was 02:30 a large basket, when he came to this 8-year-old boy; 02:35 the boy tugged on his sleeve and he said put the basket 02:41 on the floor. And the deacon said that's strange, 02:46 I'm not gonna do that. But he couldn't for some 02:50 reason walk on and just ignore that request 02:54 and the little boy repeated it, please put the basket 02:57 on the floor. And the thought came to the Deacon well 03:01 he is not a bad boy, he is not gonna do something 03:04 bad here, so he wrestled with this strange request, 03:09 finally he put the basket on the floor. 03:13 The little boy stepped into the basket and he said 03:18 I am the offering. Amen. 03:20 I am the offering. That is our question to you, 03:26 to me and to each one of us God wants you and me to be 03:31 the offering. He wants us to give ourselves so 03:35 completely to him that we can be used for 03:39 whatever task he has for us, for his glory. 03:43 I want you to meet my special guest today, 03:46 my friend Pastor Roy Rugless. Thank you for being here. 03:49 Thank you for having me. And Roy you are Pastor 03:54 in Tennessee, Nashville. No, I Pastor in Athens, 03:58 Alabama, but I also have an administrative position 04:01 in Nashville, Tennessee. In Nashville, Tennessee, 04:02 okay, alright. But you live and Pastor in Athens Alabama, 04:07 correct. Is that North, South, East, 04:10 West where is that in Alabama? That is in the Northern 04:13 part of Alabama, west of Huntsville, 04:17 Alabama that's where we are. Okay, and you 04:19 but you also work with Pastors and Church members 04:22 in five states. Yes mam, cover five states. 04:25 Tell us where that is? Alabama, Mississippi, 04:29 Tennessee, Kentucky, and Northwest part of Florida, 04:33 I am all over the place. Wow. And I'm still pastoring 04:35 and is killing me. But it's a joy, it is, it is, 04:39 it's a joy, it's a joy. But you do have a message 04:43 of hope and it's about prayer and praying 04:46 for the Holy Spirit, yes. And the pastors in these 04:49 five states, yes, yes, are appreciating this, 04:52 yes they are, and the Lord is changing them. 04:54 Yes, they are. Yes they are. We talked about 04:57 that in another show that we did together of 05:01 Issues and Answers and you might just take a minute 05:05 to bring everybody up to speed that may not have 05:09 seen that the Lord is pouring out his Spirit, yes, he is. 05:13 I want to say though talking about that experience 05:18 those of you who work with us at our last telecast 05:20 we had an experience, where the Holy Sprit was 05:23 poured out upon the leaders of our Church. 05:25 We got all the pastors together and we experience 05:30 Pentecost, hearts were broken, 05:31 confessions were made, a repentance was done, 05:35 we praised the Lord, testimonies were given and 05:38 the Holy Spirit came, but Ruthie I want to share 05:40 something based on your theme of sacrifice. 05:44 We have a Latino contingent in our organization, 05:51 they are embryonic, just getting started and our 05:55 conference unfortunately does not, can I, can I interrupt 05:58 again, yes mam, when you were talking about 06:01 what happened and this was at Indian creek in Tennessee 06:03 yes in Tennessee, where the Holy Spirit just met 06:06 this group of pastors in a powerful way. 06:09 I want to ask you and that really is intrude with 06:12 what we are talking about today and that is why, 06:16 why do you think the Lord was there in that group 06:19 with the pastors, why was he there in power? 06:23 He was there in power because first of all the Lord 06:27 wants to do a special work in the world, that's right, 06:30 he wants men and women to be prepared for his 06:34 second coming, that's right. The only way that's 06:36 gonna happen is through the outpouring of the 06:39 Holy Spirit who God gives to give us power to go 06:43 out and tell people to get ready and also to get 06:46 ready ourselves, but we need to understand that 06:49 the people follow the leaders, that's right, 06:52 so the leaders now have to get on board so that 06:54 they could take it back their churches, that's right, 06:57 so that's what that was all about. And that's what, 06:58 why I believe the Lord met you in a very special 07:01 and powerful way with all of those pastors. Yes. 07:05 And church leaders, yes. Because he was saying 07:07 I want to equip you, I want to empower you the 07:11 pastors had an experience that they've never 07:13 experienced before in their lives. I have never 07:16 experienced anything like that, I mean there 07:17 is one thing to talk about the Holy Spirit is another 07:20 thing to experience him working in your life, but 07:24 to receive it in its fullness where you are just over 07:28 shadowed and you know this is God. 07:30 You know it's God. Yeah, It's almost like Moses 07:34 when he went upon Mount Sinai, he is in the presence 07:37 of God. This is like on the mount of transfiguration, 07:40 when the Holy Spirit came in the presence of God 07:44 came in and the disciples they just overwhelmed 07:47 and you know Roy, you can live your whole life, 07:51 you can live your whole life reading and hearing 07:54 what God is doing in the lives of other people that 07:57 you may miss it. You can live your whole life and 08:00 never really see God do something awesome, 08:03 that's right, that he wants to do in your life, 08:05 in your life. And I just want to appeal to all of us 08:08 let's ask the Lord what he wants to do for you, 08:12 for me. Yes, on a daily basis, yes, he wants to do 08:16 something to take us out of the ordinary. 08:19 I don't really think that God is very interested or very 08:24 impressed with what you and I can do without him. 08:27 Do you? I agree with you 1000%. I don't think, 08:32 he is very impressed with what you and I can do, 08:36 we are totally depending on him. Yes, yes, 08:39 but now let me take it a step further because 08:41 I want to get back to your theme of giving up 08:43 yourselves yes, yes, if you understand that the goal 08:47 of the gospel is to be like God that's the transformation 08:51 process where it's supposed to be coming like God. 08:54 God is love, I mean that's the bottom-line, 08:58 God is love. And encapsulated in his love is one 09:03 of giving, that's right, one of sacrifice, that's right, 09:06 you know the devil was amazed Ruthie after 09:10 he got kicked out of Heaven, he was amazed that God 09:15 would go to such lengths as to sacrifice his son 09:21 and for Christ to go to such lengths as to sacrifice 09:25 his life. So, that we could live the essence, 09:31 the essence of love is self sacrifice. That's right, 09:35 giving of ones self. Don't you think the angels 09:39 were amazed at Calvary oh yes, I was reading 09:44 a story where once the angels understood what Christ 09:50 was getting ready to do that they themselves 09:53 wanted to give themselves instead of letting Christ 09:57 give himself. They didn't want that to happen 09:59 to him. They didn't want that to happen to him. 10:00 But it also showed that spirit of love which is in 10:04 outgrowth of self sacrifice and it comes from the father. 10:06 That's who is. That's right, that's the mind blower, 10:10 that's right, God is a God who gives of himself and gives 10:14 himself, that's the mind blower and isn't it beautiful 10:18 when you see him working and transforming his people 10:22 to think of someone else first because we on this planet 10:28 are a bunch of selfish human beings who think of ourselves 10:32 first, I mean that is just the way we are. Ever since 10:34 the fall whether we like to admit it or not, 10:37 ever since the fall our minds have been worked 10:39 and twisted and now we have become very selfish 10:44 people. I think one of high attributes of Christianity 10:48 is the one of self sacrifice, now that's hard to do, 10:51 you know what it's easy to give of what is in abundance, 10:57 but it is very challenging to give up our necessity 11:01 and I'd like to suggest that one of the hallmarks of true 11:04 Christianity is being able to give up ones necessity. 11:08 But you know I want to take you back to Roy because 11:12 the little boy who stepped in the basket, his name was 11:17 Robert Moffat. And God saw the heart of that little 11:23 8-year-old boy and he said you want to be my offering, 11:29 you are offering yourself to me I'll take you, 11:33 I'll take you to the heart of Africa. I'll give you 11:37 William Livingston, I'll give you David Livingston 11:43 as your son-in-law, I will left the two of you change 11:47 the heart of Africa, I'll do something to show my love 11:51 to that huge continent. Here is a boy 11:55 8-years-old who gave himself, who said Lord I want 11:58 you to take me, I am the offering, isn't that 12:00 something. The Lord takes us, yes, 12:02 he is glad to see that here is a child who is serious, 12:07 he wants all of us, let me go back to the Bible, 12:10 you remember the widow with two mites, that's right, 12:12 there were people who had great sums of money, 12:16 that's right, who gave the offering and God was not, 12:20 Jesus was not impressed, that woman she only had 12:23 two mites but in that two mites was a whole living 12:27 her rent groceries all of that. She gave of herself 12:32 that's all she had. That's all she had 12:34 and God said she gave more than anybody else. 12:37 See God wants us, he wants our hearts when 12:41 he has our hearts then he has us. He wants us, 12:44 that's right. So, so that's one of the goals of Gospel 12:47 that we gonna be like God. We gonna have to give 12:51 like God and like you said because of sin we are so 12:54 selfish and self centered and so the transformation 12:57 process is to take us out of ourselves to be like God 13:01 to give of ourselves. But, we don't have the desire, 13:05 no or the ability, no, unless we go to his word, 13:10 unless we go to our knees and say Lord what does 13:13 this look like, what does this look like in my life, 13:16 I'll tell you a little story, okay, there was an elderly 13:20 gentlemen at the pharmacy, who discovered and he 13:25 was very embarrassed that he didn't have enough 13:27 money to get his medications. He thought the co-pay 13:31 was less and so he was standing there in bewilderment 13:37 wondering what he should do, if he should just leave 13:39 the medication there, but he knew he needed that 13:42 medication. There was a young man standing behind 13:46 him waiting and he heard the conversation between 13:50 the pharmacist and this elderly man and he said just a 13:55 minute he tapped him on the shoulder and he said 13:59 just a minute, he was a jogger, 14:00 he have been out jogging and he had just 14:01 stopped to get something cold to drink, but he ran out 14:05 to his car went to his place where he lived came back 14:08 with his wallet and he paid, the difference paid 14:11 for the medication for this man. 14:15 And so while he was waiting he was just 14:17 sitting there waiting when the man, 14:18 the jogger came back and he said okay let's get this. 14:21 So, he paid for the medications patted the guy 14:24 on the back, he said why would you do this? 14:27 He said you needed the medication and I am happy 14:32 to do that for you, he said are you a Christian? Wow. 14:37 He said well yes I am, where do you go to Church? 14:40 Come on, say sorry, where do you go to church 14:43 and do you know the man went to that Church found 14:47 the pastor and he said I want to tell you why I am here, 14:51 why I am here see that may not have been a big deal, 14:56 but when you are willing to be used, when you have gone 15:00 to the Lord in the morning and said to him just take me, 15:03 take me on an adventure with you, use me, yes. 15:08 Then the Lord says okay stay alert, 15:11 pay attention because I will take you to places where 15:15 I want to speak to somebody's heart, yes, yes. 15:19 Now, that only happens when we have the Holy Spirit 15:23 that's right, the Holy Spirit is the only one who can first 15:26 of all give us the desire and then empowers to do, 15:30 that's right. Let me go back to Indian Creek once. 15:34 Yes. We prayed for the Holy Spirit, we pray for the 15:36 outpouring and in the midst of our meeting we had a 15:42 Latino group of pastors as I mentioned earlier 15:46 who are just starting to do work in our conference, 15:50 Oh, yeah I am glad you got back to that. 15:51 Our conference does not have the funds to really 15:54 sustain the ministry like we want to or 15:55 we are able only to hire just the few pastors here 15:58 and there, but we want to do more, but because 16:01 of budget limitations we are not able let me tell you 16:03 something what happened with the Holy Spirit. 16:06 We got those Latino pastors together made a circle 16:12 around them. How many were they? 16:14 They had to be about maybe five or six Latino pastors 16:18 it's just the work has just started and they're 16:19 scattered all over the five states, scattered all over 16:21 the five states, we got those Latino Pastors together 16:27 they told us about their pay there are some of the 16:30 pastors who are working without pay, 16:33 there are some pastors who only can work part-time 16:37 they got to, see their Bible occasional and the bad 16:41 thing about it those who are not working for pay 16:43 those who are not only getting part time salary 16:45 have two or three churches as many churches 16:48 as full time people have and they're still out there 16:51 and they're praising the Lord, they're testifying 16:55 about his goodness, they're talking about how souls 16:57 are coming in, because they are seeing him work 16:59 but the thing about it here the other pastors 17:02 there who are getting full time salaries and these 17:05 guys who are not getting anything and they are 17:08 working as hard if not harder than the rest let me 17:12 tell you about the Holy Spirit let me tell you what 17:13 happened after they told a story, 17:16 they told a story about how they turn to build 17:18 a Church without money and all that kind 17:20 of stuff. After they told a story we got all the 17:23 Latino pastors together and we made a circle around 17:27 them, we laid hands on them, and we started 17:29 praying and let me tell you what happened, 17:31 you are not gonna believe this. Sure I will. But I 17:35 wanna hear. You know part of prayer is interceding for 17:41 others, that's right, that's right, selfishness thinks 17:45 about self when we pray sometime Lord I need this, 17:47 help me with this, give me that. But when you really 17:49 are doing true prayer, you are not, you are not before 17:53 you even ask for yourself you ask for others that's 17:56 real praying interceding for others. Ruthie, 17:59 that's right, we had an intersession prayer for the 18:03 Latino Pastors, we went around the circle, 18:06 the pastor was just crying out for the Lord to do 18:09 something to help them with the work I mean the 18:12 Holy Spirit was there but not this is, that goes back 18:14 to the Psalms. David did that too. 18:17 Yes, he said cry out to the Lord, cry out, cry out, but 18:20 this is the equinox of this whole experience in 18:24 the praying one of the pastors talking about sacrifice now. 18:29 He is praying this prayer, he says Lord I'm committing 18:33 half of my salary, I'm committing half of my salary 18:39 to help these pastors and then some of the other 18:42 pastor Lord I'm committing half of my salary I'm telling 18:46 you the Holy Spirit just came over and gave us 18:48 the spirit of sacrifice that the pastors were crying 18:52 out Lord I'm willing to give of what I have so that 18:56 this work could go forward. Is it you're talking 18:58 about the spirit of sacrifice that's what the Holy Spirit 19:00 will do, that's a miracle, that's a miracle, 19:01 that's what the Holy Spirit will do. Amen. 19:03 Because what is he trying to do, he is trying to give 19:05 us to be like God. And to change our hearts and God 19:08 is a sacrificial God who gave up himself as a matter 19:13 of fact, that's right, when you understand the story 19:17 not only the Christ died but apart of God left him 19:21 as well. How do you, how do you, how do you think 19:24 a pair would feel watching his son die or giving 19:28 of themselves that was part of God who died as well, 19:32 yes, yes, we serve a sacrificial God and if we are 19:36 supposed to be like God we also should be sacrificial, 19:40 we all should be giving and let me take you a step 19:43 further not only do we need to give our means but 19:48 we need to give up our time that's right, 19:51 we need to give up ourselves that's right, 19:53 whatever God asks us to do, none of what we have 19:58 belongs to us, the clothes that we have on our bags, 20:01 that's right. Does not belong to us, right, 20:04 it comes from God I told you true story, true story. 20:08 Well, the other one was true too. And that was powerful, 20:14 beautiful, okay let's have another true story, 20:17 I was, I was, I was a student at Oakwood college 20:21 and didn't have a lot of clothes, but I had a few 20:27 and there was a student a friend of mine who 20:30 came over and we were just talking, and he talked 20:32 about how he didn't have any clothes, 20:35 he had to wear the same clothes everyday 20:38 and now the Holy Spirit 20:39 telling go in your closet and give 20:45 him some of your clothes. Share what you have. 20:46 I told the Holy Spirit I can't do that, 20:49 I only have few to wear how in the world 20:51 and you know let's somebody 20:52 do this that has more than I have got, 20:55 there you go and some of the stuff that I had 20:56 was really nice stuff, Lord I can't do that, 20:59 the Holy Spirit says give him what you have. 21:04 The Holy Spirit broke me down and you know sometimes 21:08 Ruthie how we want to give stuff that's not that good, 21:11 which you didn't like anyway. That's our human nature, 21:15 let me tell you what he said, the Holy Spirit directed 21:17 give him your best suit, give him your best shirt, 21:23 give him your, Ruthie, that's sacrifice, 21:26 Ruthie there was something that went in me that says 21:29 no I can't do this, but there was something else 21:32 inside me that says if you want to be like God 21:34 this is how God is, God gave us his best Amen. 21:38 And I want to let you know that I got even 21:39 though it was a struggle I was just starting my Christian 21:44 journey I had just come into the church went 21:46 to Oakwood, and the Lord was teaching you something 21:48 big. He was sharing he was trying to transform me. 21:52 That's right, so that was my test and all of us are 21:54 going to be tested, we may not be tested 21:55 in the same way but we're all gonna be tested 21:58 and one of the test is giving Abraham, that's right, 22:02 that's right, his only son, but now Roy I love that 22:07 story and what when you gave this other student 22:12 the clothes what happened to him and to you. 22:16 Lord was rooting selfishness out of me. 22:19 That's right, he was rooting selfishness out of me 22:22 and I was able to minister to that, that man 22:25 and joy came over his face and he says man you 22:28 given me your best and he was very appreciative, 22:31 that's what the gospel is all about, that's right, 22:32 the gospel is all about touching others, 22:35 preaching others, but I believe that there 22:37 is another lesson in that, what's that when you 22:39 give yourself away, when you give yourself 22:42 to the Lord for whatever he has for you, 22:44 you cannot out give the Lord. Oh, he blesses 22:48 abundantly. And you know what he just to be 22:51 honest with you God really doesn't need 22:53 what we have, I'm gonna go back to tie an 22:55 offering, you know the Bible talks about how we are 22:58 supposed to return 10%, it doesn't belong to us, 23:01 it belongs to God and then give the offering, but, 23:05 but, but God doesn't need it. This God who leads, 23:10 who owns everything do you think he really needs 23:12 our money, no, no, no, no the reason, 23:15 one of the reason, he needs our hearts, 23:16 there you go, and one of the reasons he does that 23:19 he wants to provide funds for the gospel to go out, 23:23 but I think even more important he wants to 23:25 transform us, he wants to root out selfishness, 23:27 he wants to, the more we give, the more 23:30 unselfish we become, the more we give the more 23:32 unselfish. So, that eventually we become like him. 23:35 I got to tell you another story, I got so many 23:37 stories, go ahead, go ahead, I got to tell you 23:38 another story, good. I was telling you previously 23:41 about a lady who came who was not a member 23:44 of my Church, who came to my Church to my prayer 23:47 meeting and at testimonies, you always got to 23:51 have testimonies, testimonies are powerful, oh yes, 23:53 that's right, at testimony time in this economic time 23:56 she says she was only working, she was only 24:00 working part time I think she was working 30 hours 24:03 a week and then when the economy hit they 24:06 knocked her down to 15 hours a week and then 24:08 they let her go altogether and she said she 24:11 needed some medication, she didn't even have money 24:15 to go the pharmacy to get any medication at all. 24:18 She didn't even have any food to give her children 24:22 and as I am listening to her, my heart just bleeds, 24:26 my heart just bleeds. And I said this lady needs 24:30 some help, after prayer 24:32 meeting was over, after prayer meeting was over 24:35 I didn't have a lot of money, but I reached in my 24:37 wallet and everything that I had I pulled it out, 24:43 everything that I had I pulled it out, 24:46 and I gave it to her, I gave it to her and you know 24:50 what she says, she says I don't need it, she says 24:53 I am fine now, i didn't know 24:55 that did, but she says I'm fine now, 24:58 are you sure, I said I want you to have this. 24:59 She said I don't need it I'm fine now. 25:02 But before you say anything what the Lord was doing, 25:06 he was testing me again, testing me but you know what, 25:11 this time it wasn't a struggle, it wasn't a struggle, 25:15 I had no, I had no reservations it gets easier, 25:18 it gets easier, obedience prepares you for the next step. 25:22 I was willing I didn't think 25:24 of myself, I didn't think this is 25:26 everything that I have where is where is the next dollar 25:30 coming from that's growth, that's right, that's right, 25:33 and that's like Abraham on the mountain with Isaac. 25:37 The Lord was asking him to sacrifice because he was 25:40 testing Abraham's heart, yes, yes, let me say this 25:44 because our time is almost running out. 25:46 When you understand God, God is love, when you look 25:53 at his commandments his 10 commandments that 25:56 nothing more than love, the first four commandments 26:00 deal with love to God, that's right, last six commandments 26:03 deal with love to your fellow man, right. If we love God, 26:07 if we have true love we will love God and we will love 26:11 our fellow man. How do we love God, 26:14 we give ourselves back to him, that's right, 26:16 how do we love our fellow man we give ourselves 26:18 to our fellow men that's commandment keeping, 26:20 that's right, its not a list of thou shall not and what 26:26 you cannot do and prohibitions it's all about love, 26:29 that's right, and if we really understand love in his true 26:31 sense, love is nothing more than giving, 26:34 giving ourselves to God and giving 26:37 ourselves to our fellow men. 26:39 And no wonder he tells us that's fullness of joy, 26:43 oh wonderful, oh wonderful, fullness of joy, fullness 26:46 that's real happiness, that's right, Amen. 26:50 that's real happiness, I wish I had time to I got 26:53 another story but I know you are getting ready to rap 26:55 this thing up. Well, our time is about gone, but 26:58 I would like to say our viewers thank you so much 27:01 for allowing us to come into your homes and we just 27:04 want to say that we pray for you, we pray that these 27:10 programs will be a help in your lives as they are in ours. 27:14 We just pray that that God will show you daily how he 27:18 wants you to give yourself away, because he wants 27:22 to bring each one us to a deeper level of joy. Amen. 27:26 A deeper level of usefulness and understanding him 27:29 better and he tells us in Daniel 11:32 those who know 27:36 him intimately are privileged and he says 27:40 I'll make you strong and able to do bold and daring 27:43 things. So, if you are frightened, if you are afraid 27:46 to do some of these things. God will make you strong, 27:51 because he has a plan that is so big, so huge, 27:55 so much bigger than anything we could ever 27:58 imagine. So, daily let's begin the day by saying 28:01 dear God I just want to give myself to you, 28:05 I want to give myself to your plan and let 28:07 him surprise you, it's great. God bless you. |
Revised 2014-12-17