There is a wonderful
little story that comes out
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of the United
Kingdom, I think its Scotland.
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You are gonna love i
a sweet, sweet story,
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but teaches such powerful
principles, life changing
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principles. We'll be right back.
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Welcome to Issues and
Answers. The issue that
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I'd like for us to
think about together today is,
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have you read the
little book try giving yourself
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away, it's a good
little book I think its out to
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print now, but that is
our theme for this program,
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try giving yourself
away. And I believe that comes
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from the Lord himself.
There is a text in scripture
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that tells us the
Lord has a big plan for us.
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In Psalm 80, David is
saying let your hand be
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upon the man of your
right hand, upon the son
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of man who made, you
made strong for yourself.
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God says I want to
make you strong because
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I have a plan for
you. I want you to do
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something for me,
revive us then we will not
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turn back from you
revive us and we will call
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upon your name.
So, the Lord is saying,
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I want you to
cooperate with me, I'm gonna
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put my hand on you
but I want to revive you,
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I want to give you
strength and help because
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I have something
that I want you to do.
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And then in that next
chapter Verse 7 you called
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on me in trouble and I
delivered you. God has a
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message that he wants
you to give to others.
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He has something that
he wants you to do for
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him. In Psalm 149 Verse
4 the Lord takes pleasure
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in his people, he will
beautify the humble with
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salvation. I want to
tell you a story about a
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humble little boy. He
was 8-years-old in his church
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and the deacon was
passing the offering
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basket and apparently
it was a large basket,
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when he came to this
8-year-old boy; the boy
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tugged on his sleeve
and he said put the basket
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on the floor. And the
deacon said that's strange,
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I'm not gonna do that.
But he couldn't for some
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reason walk on and
just ignore that request and
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the little boy repeated
it, please put the basket
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on the floor. And
the thought came to the
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Deacon well he is not a bad boy,
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he is not gonna do
something bad here,
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so he wrestled with this
strange request, finally he
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put the basket on
the floor. The little boy
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stepped into the
basket and he said I am the
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offering. Amen.
I am the offering.
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That is our question
to you, to me and to each
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one of us God wants
you and me to be the
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offering. He wants
us to give ourselves so
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completely to him that
we can be used for whatever
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task he has for us, for
his glory. I want you to
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meet my special guest
today, my friend Pastor
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Roy Rugless. Thank you
for being here. Thank you
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for having me. And Roy
you are Pastor in Tennessee,
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Nashville. No, I
Pastor in Athens, Alabama,
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but I also have an
administrative position in
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Nashville, Tennessee.
In Nashville, Tennessee,
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okay, alright. But you
live and Pastor in Athens
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Alabama, correct. Is
that North, South, East,
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West where is that in
Alabama? That is in the
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Northern part of
Alabama, west of Huntsville,
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Alabama that's where
we are. Okay, and you
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but you also work
with Pastors and Church
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members in five states.
Yes mam, cover five states.
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Tell us where that
is? Alabama, Mississippi,
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Tennessee, Kentucky, and
Northwest part of Florida,
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I am all over the place.
Wow. And I'm still pasturing
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and is killing me. But
it's a joy, it is, it is,
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it's a joy, it's a joy.
But you do have a message
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of hope and it's about
prayer and praying for the
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Holy Spirit, yes. And
the pastors in these five
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states, yes, yes,
are appreciating this,
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yes they are, and the
Lord is changing them.
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Yes, they are. Yes
they are. We talked about
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that in another show
that we did together of
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Issues and Answers
and you might just take
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a minute to bring
everybody up to speed
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that may not have seen
that the Lord is pouring
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out his Spirit, yes, he
is. I want to say though
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talking about that
experience those of you
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who work with us at
our last telecast we had
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an experience, where
the Holy Sprit was poured
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out upon the leaders
of our Church. We got all
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the pastors together
and we experience Pentecost,
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hearts were broken,
confessions were made,
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a repentance was
done, we praised the Lord,
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testimonies were given
and the Holy Spirit came,
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but Ruthie I want to
share something based on
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your theme of
sacrifice. We have a Latino
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contingent in our
organization, they are
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embryonic, just
getting started and our
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conference
unfortunately does not, can I,
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can I interrupt
again, yes mam, when you were
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talking about what
happened and this was at Indian
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creek in Tennessee yes
in Tennessee, where the
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Holy Spirit just met
this group of pastors in a
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powerful way. I want
to ask you and that really
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is intrude with what
we are talking about today
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and that is why, why
do you think the Lord was
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there in that
group with the pastors,
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why was he there in
power? He was there in
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power because first
of all the Lord wants to
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do a special work in
the world, that's right,
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he wants men and
women to be prepared for
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his second coming,
that's right. The only way
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that's gonna happen
is through the outpouring
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of the Holy Spirit
who God gives to give us
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power to go out and
tell people to get ready and
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also to get ready
ourselves, but we need to
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understand that the
people follow the leaders,
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that's right, so the
leaders now have to get
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on board so that they
could take it back their
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churches, that's
right, so that's what that was
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all about. And
that's what, why I believe
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the Lord met you in a
very special and powerful
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way with all of those
pastors. Yes. And church
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leaders, yes. Because
he was saying I want to
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equip you, I want to
empower you the pastors
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had an experience
that they've never
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experienced before in
their lives. I have never
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experienced anything
like that, I mean there is
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one thing to talk about
the Holy Spirit is another
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thing to experience
him working in your life,
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but to receive it in
its fullness where you are
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just over shadowed
and you know this is God.
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You know it's God.
Yeah, It's almost like Moses
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when he went upon
Mount Sinai, he is in the
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presence of God. This
is like on the mount of
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transfiguration,
when the Holy Spirit came
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in the presence of God
came in and the disciples
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they just
overwhelmed and you know Roy,
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you can live your
whole life, you can live your
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whole life reading
and hearing what God is
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doing in the lives of
other people that you may
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miss it. You can live
your whole life and never
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really see God do
something awesome,
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that's right, that he
wants to do in your life,
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in your life. And I
just want to appeal to all
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of us let's ask the
Lord what he wants to do
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for you, for me. Yes,
on a daily basis, yes,
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he wants to do
something to take us out
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of the ordinary. I
don't really think that God is
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very interested or
very impressed with what you
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and I can do without
him. Do you? I agree with
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you 1000%. I don't
think, he is very impressed with
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what you and I can do,
we are totally depending on
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him. Yes, yes, but
now let me take it a step
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further because I want
to get back to your theme
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of giving up
yourselves yes, yes, if you
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understand that the
goal of the gospel is to
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be like God that's
the transformation process
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where it's supposed
to be coming like God.
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God is love, I mean
that's the bottom-line,
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God is love. And
encapsulated in his love
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is one of giving,
that's right, one of sacrifice,
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that's right, you
know the devil was amazed
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Ruthie after he got
kicked out of Heaven,
00:09:09.03\00:09:12.68
he was amazed that
God would go to such
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lengths as to sacrifice
his son and for Christ to
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go to such lengths as to
sacrifice his life. So, that
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we could live the essence,
the essence of love is self
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sacrifice. That's
right, giving of ones self.
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Don't you think the
angels were amazed at Calvary
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oh yes, I was reading
a story where once the
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angels understood what
Christ was getting ready to
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do that they themselves
wanted to give themselves
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instead of letting
Christ give himself. They didn't
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want that to happen
to him. They didn't want
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that to happen to him.
But it also showed that
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spirit of love which is in
outgrowth of self sacrifice
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and it comes from the
father. That's who is.
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That's right, that's the
mind blower, that's right,
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God is a God who gives of
himself and gives himself,
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that's the mind blower
and isn't it beautiful when
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you see him working
and transforming his people
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to think of someone
else first because we on
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this planet are a
bunch of selfish human beings
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who think of ourselves
first, I mean that is just the
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way we are. Ever since
the fall whether we like
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to admit it or not,
ever since the fall our minds
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have been worked and
twisted and now we have
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become very selfish
people. I think one of the high
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attributes of Christianity
is the one of self sacrifice,
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now that's hard to do,
you know what it's easy
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to give of what is in
abundance, but it is very
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challenging to give
up our necessity and I'd
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to suggest that one
of the hallmarks of true
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Christianity is being
able to give up ones necessity.
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But you know I want
to take you back to Roy
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because the little
boy who stepped in the
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basket, his name was
Robert Moffat. And God
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saw the heart of that
little 8-year-old boy and
00:11:21.98\00:11:25.56
he said you want to
be my offering, you are
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offering yourself to me
I'll take you, I'll take
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you to the heart of
Africa. I'll give you William
00:11:33.77\00:11:38.51
Livingston, I'll give
you David Livingston as
00:11:41.34\00:11:43.75
your son-in-law, I will
left the two of you change
00:11:43.78\00:11:47.98
the heart of Africa,
I'll do something to show my
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love to that huge
continent. Here is a
00:11:51.28\00:11:54.57
boy 8-years-old who
gave himself, who said Lord
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I want you to take
me, I am the offering,
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isn't that something.
The Lord takes us, yes,
00:12:00.34\00:12:02.74
he is glad to see
that here is a child who is
00:12:03.19\00:12:06.70
serious, he wants all of
us, let me go back to the
00:12:06.83\00:12:09.30
Bible, you remember
the widow with two mites,
00:12:09.48\00:12:11.55
that's right, there were
people who had great sums
00:12:11.77\00:12:15.76
of money, that's right,
who gave the offering and
00:12:15.81\00:12:19.01
God was not, Jesus was
not impressed, that woman
00:12:19.09\00:12:22.61
she only had two
mites but in that two mites
00:12:23.45\00:12:26.01
was a whole living her
rent groceries all of that.
00:12:26.05\00:12:29.65
She gave of
herself that's all she had.
00:12:30.32\00:12:32.74
That's all she had
and God said she gave more
00:12:32.89\00:12:36.14
than anybody else.
See God wants us, he wants
00:12:36.24\00:12:39.78
our hearts when he
has our hearts then he has
00:12:39.92\00:12:43.36
us. He wants us, that's
right. So, so that's one of
00:12:43.42\00:12:46.61
the goals of Gospel
that we gonna be like God.
00:12:46.72\00:12:49.69
We gonna have to
give like God and like you
00:12:50.28\00:12:52.02
said because of sin we
are so selfish and self
00:12:52.12\00:12:55.14
centered and so the
transformation process is
00:12:55.37\00:12:58.24
to take us out of
ourselves to be like God to give
00:12:58.35\00:13:02.65
of ourselves. But, we
don't have the desire,
00:13:02.94\00:13:05.25
no or the ability, no,
unless we go to his word,
00:13:05.35\00:13:09.58
unless we go to our
knees and say Lord what does
00:13:10.17\00:13:13.15
this look like, what does
this look like in my life,
00:13:13.24\00:13:16.41
I'll tell you a little story,
okay, there was an elderly
00:13:17.00\00:13:20.51
gentlemen at the
pharmacy, who discovered and
00:13:20.67\00:13:25.00
he was very embarrassed
that he didn't have enough
00:13:25.03\00:13:27.61
money to get his
medications. He thought the
00:13:27.78\00:13:31.19
co-pay was less and so
he was standing there in
00:13:31.28\00:13:35.60
bewilderment
wondering what he should do,
00:13:36.09\00:13:38.30
if he should just
leave the medication there,
00:13:38.62\00:13:40.51
but he knew he
needed that medication.
00:13:40.66\00:13:42.94
There was a young
man standing behind him
00:13:43.86\00:13:46.68
waiting and he heard
the conversation between
00:13:46.84\00:13:50.17
the pharmacist and
this elderly man and he said
00:13:50.27\00:13:54.99
just a minute he
tapped him on the shoulder and
00:13:55.29\00:13:57.63
he said just a
minute, he was a jogger,
00:13:57.68\00:13:59.57
he have been out
jogging and he had just
00:13:59.76\00:14:01.78
stopped to get
something cold to drink,
00:14:01.96\00:14:03.45
but he ran out to
his car went to his place
00:14:04.15\00:14:07.13
where he lived came
back with his wallet and he
00:14:07.16\00:14:09.76
paid, the difference paid
for the medication for this
00:14:09.87\00:14:12.77
man. And so while he was
waiting he was just sitting
00:14:12.95\00:14:17.12
there waiting when the
man, the jogger came back
00:14:17.17\00:14:19.77
and he said okay let's
get this. So, he paid for the
00:14:19.80\00:14:22.88
medications patted the
guy on the back, he said
00:14:22.94\00:14:26.20
why would you do
this? He said you needed the
00:14:26.57\00:14:29.50
medication and I am
happy to do that for you,
00:14:29.71\00:14:33.61
he said are you a
Christian? Wow. He said well yes
00:14:33.78\00:14:38.04
I am, where do you
go to Church? Come on,
00:14:38.08\00:14:40.41
say sorry, where do you
go to church and do you know
00:14:41.51\00:14:44.49
the man went to that
Church found the pastor
00:14:45.10\00:14:47.64
and he said I want to
tell you why I am here,
00:14:48.46\00:14:50.96
why I am here see that
may not have been a big
00:14:51.84\00:14:55.18
deal, but when you are
willing to be used, when you
00:14:55.34\00:14:59.65
have gone to the Lord in
the morning and said to him
00:14:59.68\00:15:02.33
just take me, take me
on an adventure with you,
00:15:02.70\00:15:06.38
use me, yes. Then the
Lord says okay stay alert,
00:15:07.25\00:15:11.01
pay attention because
I will take you to places
00:15:11.99\00:15:14.91
where I want to speak
to somebody's heart, yes,
00:15:15.38\00:15:18.16
yes. Now, that only
happens when we have the
00:15:18.45\00:15:22.96
Holy Spirit that's right,
the Holy Spirit is the only
00:15:23.22\00:15:25.87
one who can first of all
give us the desire and then
00:15:25.95\00:15:29.06
empowers to do, that's
right. Let me go back to
00:15:29.46\00:15:31.28
Indian Creek once.
Yes. We prayed for the
00:15:31.38\00:15:34.76
Holy Spirit, we pray for
the outpouring and in the
00:15:35.07\00:15:39.15
midst of our meeting
we had a Latino group of
00:15:39.18\00:15:43.18
pastors as I
mentioned earlier who are just
00:15:43.44\00:15:47.48
starting to do work in
our conference, Oh, yeah
00:15:47.64\00:15:49.32
I am glad you got back
to that. Our conference
00:15:49.35\00:15:52.03
does not have the
funds to really sustain the
00:15:52.06\00:15:54.64
ministry like we want to
or we are able only to hire
00:15:54.68\00:15:57.02
just the few pastors
here and there, but we want to
00:15:57.14\00:16:00.37
do more, but because of
budget limitations we are
00:16:00.46\00:16:02.38
not able let me tell
you something what happened
00:16:02.43\00:16:04.11
with the Holy Spirit.
We got those Latino pastors
00:16:04.25\00:16:08.27
together made a
circle around them. How many
00:16:08.33\00:16:12.57
were they? They had to
be about maybe five or six
00:16:12.63\00:16:16.67
Latino pastors it's just
the work has just started and
00:16:16.84\00:16:19.26
they're scattered
all over the five states,
00:16:19.29\00:16:20.94
scattered all over the
five states, we got those
00:16:20.97\00:16:25.20
Latino Pastors together
they told us about their
00:16:25.35\00:16:28.56
pay there are some
of the pastors who are
00:16:28.63\00:16:31.00
working without pay,
there are some pastors who
00:16:31.11\00:16:33.87
only can work part-time
they got to, see their Bible
00:16:34.01\00:16:37.62
occasional and the bad
thing about it those who are
00:16:37.71\00:16:42.04
not working for pay
those who are not only getting
00:16:42.10\00:16:44.69
part time salary have
two or three churches as many
00:16:44.80\00:16:48.20
churches as full time
people have and they're
00:16:48.37\00:16:50.80
still out there and
they're praising the Lord,
00:16:50.96\00:16:54.05
they're testifying
about his goodness, they're
00:16:54.51\00:16:56.17
talking about how souls
are coming in, because they
00:16:56.32\00:16:58.56
are seeing him work but
the thing about it here the
00:16:58.60\00:17:01.18
other pastors there
who are getting full time
00:17:01.25\00:17:03.75
salaries and these
guys who are not getting
00:17:03.85\00:17:06.68
anything and they are
working as hard if not
00:17:06.89\00:17:10.14
harder than the rest
let me tell you about the
00:17:10.29\00:17:12.54
Holy Spirit let me
tell you what happened after
00:17:12.57\00:17:14.65
they told a story, they
told a story about how they
00:17:14.75\00:17:17.89
turn to build a Church
without money and all that
00:17:17.92\00:17:20.50
kind of stuff. After they
told a story we got all the
00:17:20.75\00:17:22.98
Latino pastors together
and we made a circle around
00:17:23.08\00:17:26.25
them, we laid hands on
them, and we started praying
00:17:26.33\00:17:29.29
and let me tell you
what happened, you are not
00:17:29.48\00:17:31.54
gonna believe this. Sure
I will. But I wanna hear.
00:17:31.57\00:17:35.70
You know part of prayer
is interceding for others,
00:17:36.56\00:17:41.80
that's right, that's
right, selfishness thinks about
00:17:42.05\00:17:44.82
self when we pray
sometime Lord I need this,
00:17:45.10\00:17:47.10
help me with this,
give me that. But when you
00:17:47.35\00:17:49.62
really are doing
true prayer, you are not,
00:17:49.75\00:17:52.53
you are not before you
even ask for yourself you
00:17:52.56\00:17:54.88
ask for others that's
real praying interceding for
00:17:55.08\00:17:58.24
others. Ruthie, that's
right, we had an intersession
00:17:58.38\00:18:01.41
prayer for the Latino
Pastors, we went around
00:18:01.70\00:18:05.57
the circle, the pastor
was just crying out for the
00:18:05.61\00:18:08.80
Lord to do something
to help them with the work
00:18:08.89\00:18:11.17
I mean the Holy Spirit
was there but not this is,
00:18:11.80\00:18:13.84
that goes back to the
Psalms. David did that too.
00:18:14.42\00:18:17.14
Yes, he said cry out
to the Lord, cry out,
00:18:17.43\00:18:19.88
cry out, but this is
the equinox of this whole
00:18:20.36\00:18:22.67
experience in the praying
one of the pastors talking
00:18:22.79\00:18:27.57
about sacrifice now.
He is praying this prayer,
00:18:27.61\00:18:30.91
he says Lord I'm
committing half of my
00:18:31.08\00:18:35.58
salary, I'm committing
half of my salary to help
00:18:35.84\00:18:39.88
these pastors and then
some of the other pastor
00:18:40.03\00:18:42.70
Lord I'm committing
half of my salary I'm telling
00:18:42.89\00:18:46.65
you the Holy Spirit
just came over and gave us
00:18:46.70\00:18:48.75
the spirit of sacrifice
that the pastors were crying
00:18:48.93\00:18:52.42
out Lord I'm willing to
give of what I have so that
00:18:52.45\00:18:56.16
this work could go forward.
Is it you're talking about
00:18:56.26\00:18:58.12
the spirit of sacrifice
that's what the Holy Spirit
00:18:58.15\00:19:00.43
will do, that's a
miracle, that's a miracle,
00:19:00.47\00:19:01.87
that's what the Holy
Spirit will do. Amen.
00:19:01.90\00:19:03.08
Because what is he
trying to do, he is trying
00:19:03.11\00:19:04.75
to give us to be like
God. And to change our
00:19:04.78\00:19:07.25
hearts and God is a
sacrificial God who gave up
00:19:07.31\00:19:11.72
himself as a matter of
fact, that's right, when you
00:19:12.08\00:19:14.47
understand the story
not only the Christ died but
00:19:14.65\00:19:20.04
apart of God left
him as well. How do you,
00:19:20.45\00:19:23.86
how do you, how do you
think a pair would feel
00:19:24.02\00:19:26.31
watching his son die or
giving of themselves that
00:19:26.77\00:19:29.69
was part of God who
died as well, yes, yes,
00:19:29.75\00:19:33.49
we serve a sacrificial
God and if we are supposed
00:19:33.71\00:19:36.68
to be like God we
also should be sacrificial,
00:19:36.72\00:19:40.27
we all should be
giving and let me take you a
00:19:40.69\00:19:43.03
step further not only do
we need to give our means
00:19:43.28\00:19:47.00
but we need to give
up our time that's right,
00:19:48.07\00:19:50.33
we need to give up
ourselves that's right,
00:19:51.04\00:19:53.58
whatever God asks us
to do, none of what we
00:19:54.04\00:19:58.06
have belongs to us,
the clothes that we have on
00:19:58.21\00:20:00.54
our bags, that's
right. Does not belong to us,
00:20:00.64\00:20:03.55
right, it comes from
God I told you true story,
00:20:04.39\00:20:07.13
true story. Well, the
other one was true too.
00:20:07.95\00:20:10.01
And that was powerful,
beautiful, okay let's have
00:20:16.55\00:20:17.52
another true story, I
was, I was, I was a student
00:20:17.53\00:20:18.53
at Oakwood college
and didn't have a lot of
00:20:18.56\00:20:23.31
clothes, but I had a
few and there was a student
00:20:23.54\00:20:27.90
a friend of mine who
came over and we were just
00:20:29.16\00:20:30.71
talking, and he talked
about how he didn't have
00:20:30.83\00:20:34.25
any clothes, he had
to wear the same clothes
00:20:34.28\00:20:36.49
everyday and now the
Holy Spirit telling go in your
00:20:36.53\00:20:41.08
closet and give him
some of your clothes.
00:20:41.28\00:20:44.12
Share what you have.
I told the Holy Spirit
00:20:44.20\00:20:46.47
I can't do that, I only
have few to wear how in the
00:20:47.01\00:20:50.91
world and you know
let's somebody do this that
00:20:50.94\00:20:53.24
has more than I have
got, there you go and some
00:20:53.42\00:20:55.90
of the stuff that I
had was really nice stuff,
00:20:55.99\00:20:57.98
Lord I can't do that,
the Holy Spirit says give him
00:20:58.77\00:21:01.59
what you have. The
Holy Spirit broke me down
00:21:01.76\00:21:06.05
and you know
sometimes Ruthie how we want to
00:21:07.23\00:21:09.01
give stuff that's not that
good, which you didn't like
00:21:09.05\00:21:11.60
anyway. That's our
human nature, let me tell you
00:21:11.65\00:21:15.62
what he said, the Holy
Spirit directed give him your
00:21:15.69\00:21:18.59
best suit, give him your
best shirt, give him your,
00:21:18.73\00:21:24.14
Ruthie, that's sacrifice,
Ruthie there was something
00:21:25.26\00:21:27.44
that went in me that
says no I can't do this,
00:21:27.47\00:21:30.34
but there was something
else inside me that says
00:21:31.55\00:21:33.76
if you want to be like
God this is how God is,
00:21:33.86\00:21:35.82
God gave us his best
Amen. And I want to let
00:21:36.10\00:21:38.42
you know that I got
even though it was a struggle
00:21:38.55\00:21:40.52
I was just starting my
Christian journey I had just
00:21:41.67\00:21:45.45
come into the church
went to Oakwood, and the
00:21:45.55\00:21:47.52
Lord was teaching
you something big. He was
00:21:47.68\00:21:49.58
sharing he was trying to
transform me. That's right,
00:21:49.64\00:21:52.76
so that was my test and
all of us are going to be
00:21:52.85\00:21:54.39
tested, we may not be
tested in the same way but
00:21:54.62\00:21:57.19
we're all gonna be
tested and one of the test is
00:21:57.60\00:21:59.82
giving Abraham, that's
right, that's right, his only
00:22:00.15\00:22:04.08
son, but now Roy I love
that story and what when
00:22:04.35\00:22:09.86
you gave this other
student the clothes what
00:22:09.92\00:22:13.36
happened to him and
to you. Lord was rooting
00:22:13.39\00:22:17.07
selfishness out of
me. That's right, he was
00:22:17.45\00:22:19.99
rooting selfishness
out of me and I was able to
00:22:20.17\00:22:22.55
minister to that,
that man and joy came over
00:22:22.69\00:22:26.47
his face and he says
man you given me your
00:22:27.08\00:22:29.22
best and he was very
appreciative, that's what
00:22:29.39\00:22:31.73
the gospel is all
about, that's right, the gospel
00:22:31.76\00:22:33.47
is all about touching
others, preaching others,
00:22:33.67\00:22:36.22
but I believe that there
is another lesson in that,
00:22:36.58\00:22:38.62
what's that when
you give yourself away,
00:22:38.83\00:22:41.18
when you give yourself
to the Lord for whatever
00:22:41.46\00:22:43.36
he has for you, you
cannot out give the Lord.
00:22:43.60\00:22:47.35
Oh, he blesses
abundantly. And you know what
00:22:47.54\00:22:50.05
he just to be honest
with you God really doesn't
00:22:50.31\00:22:53.14
need what we have,
I'm gonna go back to tie
00:22:53.31\00:22:55.23
an offering, you know
the Bible talks about how
00:22:55.30\00:22:57.99
we are supposed to
return 10%, it doesn't belong
00:22:58.32\00:23:00.95
to us, it belongs to God
and then give the offering,
00:23:00.99\00:23:05.16
but, but, but God
doesn't need it. This God who
00:23:05.62\00:23:09.15
leads, who owns everything
do you think he really
00:23:09.36\00:23:11.96
needs our money, no,
no, no, no the reason,
00:23:12.17\00:23:15.37
one of the reason,
he needs our hearts,
00:23:15.50\00:23:17.05
there you go, and one
of the reasons he does that
00:23:17.35\00:23:19.15
he wants to provide
funds for the gospel to go
00:23:20.08\00:23:22.64
out, but I think even
more important he wants to
00:23:22.67\00:23:25.04
transform us, he wants
to root out selfishness,
00:23:25.36\00:23:27.84
he wants to, the more
we give, the more unselfish
00:23:28.06\00:23:30.72
we become, the more we
give the more unselfish.
00:23:30.81\00:23:33.33
So, that eventually we
become like him. I got to
00:23:33.62\00:23:35.93
tell you another
story, I got so many stories,
00:23:35.96\00:23:37.39
go ahead, go ahead, I
got to tell you another
00:23:37.64\00:23:38.61
story, good. I was
telling you previously about
00:23:38.71\00:23:42.17
a lady who came who
was not a member of my
00:23:42.47\00:23:44.71
Church, who came to
my Church to my prayer
00:23:45.06\00:23:47.76
meeting and at
testimonies, you always got to
00:23:47.91\00:23:51.31
have testimonies,
testimonies are powerful,
00:23:51.38\00:23:53.38
oh yes, that's right,
at testimony time in this
00:23:53.41\00:23:55.79
economic time she
says she was only working,
00:23:56.02\00:23:59.42
she was only working
part time I think she was
00:23:59.93\00:24:02.04
working 30 hours a
week and then when the
00:24:02.15\00:24:04.38
economy hit they
knocked her down to 15 hours
00:24:04.53\00:24:07.74
a week and then they
let her go altogether and
00:24:07.83\00:24:11.23
she said she needed
some medication, she didn't
00:24:11.41\00:24:15.09
even have money to
go the pharmacy to get
00:24:15.13\00:24:17.04
any medication at all.
She didn't even have any
00:24:17.22\00:24:19.59
food to give her
children and as I am listening
00:24:20.04\00:24:23.79
to her, my heart
just bleeds, my heart just
00:24:24.03\00:24:27.34
bleeds. And I said
this lady needs some help,
00:24:27.61\00:24:31.14
after prayer meeting was
over, after prayer meeting
00:24:32.01\00:24:34.96
was over I didn't
have a lot of money, but I
00:24:35.07\00:24:36.91
reached in my wallet
and everything that I had I
00:24:37.03\00:24:42.85
pulled it out, everything
that I had I pulled it out,
00:24:43.22\00:24:46.64
and I gave it to her, I
gave it to her and you know
00:24:47.61\00:24:50.97
what she says, she says
I don't need it, she says
00:24:51.01\00:24:53.91
I am fine now, i
didn't know that did, but she
00:24:54.04\00:24:57.05
says I'm fine now, are
you sure, I said I want
00:24:57.14\00:24:58.83
you to have this. She
said I don't need it I'm fine
00:24:58.90\00:25:02.05
now. But before you
say anything what the Lord
00:25:02.16\00:25:05.31
was doing, he
was testing me again,
00:25:05.37\00:25:08.90
testing me but you know
what, this time it wasn't
00:25:09.52\00:25:12.29
a struggle, it
wasn't a struggle, I had no,
00:25:12.32\00:25:15.75
I had no reservations it
gets easier, it gets easier,
00:25:16.15\00:25:19.77
obedience prepares
you for the next step.
00:25:19.93\00:25:22.51
I was willing I didn't
think of myself, I didn't think
00:25:22.77\00:25:26.51
this is everything that I
have where is where is the
00:25:26.67\00:25:29.01
next dollar coming from
that's growth, that's right,
00:25:29.19\00:25:32.12
that's right, and
that's like Abraham on the
00:25:32.72\00:25:34.57
mountain with Isaac.
The Lord was asking him to
00:25:34.66\00:25:38.74
sacrifice because he
was testing Abraham's heart,
00:25:38.90\00:25:41.59
yes, yes, let me say this
because our time is almost
00:25:41.84\00:25:44.62
running out. When
you understand God,
00:25:44.79\00:25:47.68
God is love, when you
look at his commandments
00:25:49.23\00:25:54.64
his 10 commandments
that nothing more than
00:25:55.34\00:25:57.70
love, the first four
commandments deal with
00:25:57.84\00:26:00.57
love to God, that's
right, last six commandments
00:26:00.87\00:26:03.30
deal with love to
your fellow man, right.
00:26:03.73\00:26:05.44
If we love God, if we
have true love we will love
00:26:05.51\00:26:10.01
God and we will
love our fellow man.
00:26:10.27\00:26:12.29
How do we love God,
we give ourselves back to
00:26:12.61\00:26:15.25
him, that's right, how
do we love our fellow man
00:26:15.42\00:26:17.32
we give ourselves to
our fellow men that's
00:26:17.66\00:26:19.50
commandment
keeping, that's right,
00:26:19.54\00:26:20.98
its not a list of
thou shall not and what you
00:26:21.01\00:26:24.74
cannot do and prohibitions
it's all about love,
00:26:24.79\00:26:29.19
that's right, and if we
really understand love in
00:26:29.26\00:26:30.78
his true sense, love is
nothing more than giving,
00:26:30.89\00:26:34.28
giving ourselves to
God and giving ourselves to
00:26:34.86\00:26:37.92
our fellow men. And no
wonder he tells us that's
00:26:37.95\00:26:41.34
fullness of joy, oh
wonderful, oh wonderful,
00:26:41.45\00:26:45.93
fullness of joy,
fullness that's real happiness,
00:26:46.10\00:26:49.19
that's right, Amen.
That's real happiness,
00:26:49.79\00:26:52.15
I wish I had time to I
got another story but I know
00:26:52.88\00:26:54.82
you are getting
ready to rap this thing up.
00:26:54.97\00:26:56.14
Well, our time is about
gone, but I would like to
00:26:56.30\00:26:58.81
say our viewers thank
you so much for allowing
00:26:58.92\00:27:01.92
us to come into your
homes and we just want
00:27:02.05\00:27:04.76
to say that we pray
for you, we pray that these
00:27:04.82\00:27:09.92
programs will be a help
in your lives as they are
00:27:10.06\00:27:13.22
in ours. We just pray
that that God will show you
00:27:13.28\00:27:16.72
daily how he wants
you to give yourself away,
00:27:17.54\00:27:21.28
because he wants to
bring each one us to a deeper
00:27:21.79\00:27:24.64
level of joy. Amen. A
deeper level of usefulness
00:27:24.78\00:27:28.07
and understanding him
better and he tells us
00:27:28.69\00:27:31.65
in Daniel 11:32 those
who know him intimately are
00:27:31.79\00:27:38.99
privileged and he says
I'll make you strong and able
00:27:39.10\00:27:41.99
to do bold and daring
things. So, if you are
00:27:42.05\00:27:44.38
frightened, if you are
afraid to do some of these
00:27:44.55\00:27:47.28
things. God will make
you strong, because he
00:27:47.47\00:27:51.31
has a plan that is
so big, so huge, so much
00:27:51.37\00:27:55.56
bigger than anything
we could ever imagine.
00:27:55.61\00:27:57.96
So, daily let's begin
the day by saying dear God
00:27:58.68\00:28:02.01
I just want to
give myself to you,
00:28:02.85\00:28:04.46
I want to give myself
to your plan and let him
00:28:05.04\00:28:07.81
surprise you, it's
great. God bless you.
00:28:08.01\00:28:11.10