Welcome to Bible
Prophecy Exposed.
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We've been digging up the past
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now we're looking to the future
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and we're just glad that
you're with us this evening.
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Boy, it's been
an exciting series
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and as we gone
further and further
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with Pastor Louis Torres
it's been exciting to me.
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I am just glad that
you can be part of it
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and all of you are here
and let's just ask the Lord
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to bless us as we again have
a very important study today.
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Let's just bow our
heads and pray together.
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Father in heaven,
today we're indeed grateful
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that as we are
digging up the future,
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as we're looking
at Bible prophecy
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that You've
promised to be with us.
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You've said that
your words are spirit
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and that they are life
and so we ask Your Holy Spirit
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to be with us today
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and be with our
speaker Pastor Torres
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as he opens the word
to us and we thank You
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and we come on the
our power name of Jesus,
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our master and our
king, amen and amen.
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We're delighted again to
have another special number
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and Chris Albrecht is
going to be playing for us,
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"He Giveth More Grace."
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Thank you so much, Chris.
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My wife a former
concert violinist Carol
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said to me that her favorite
instrument was the trumpet.
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And certainly I
can understand why now.
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This evening we are going
to be studying the subject
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God's grace for the millions.
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But I like you to join me
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with added word of
prayer as we begin.
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Our father, as we
study Your holy word
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we thank You for it.
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You've promised Your spirit
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to quicken our minds
and impress our hearts.
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We asked you to do
that for us just now
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in Jesus name, amen.
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In the year 1794
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the dungeons of France and Paris
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in particular were filled
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with people
destined for the guillotines.
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One particular night, an old man
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was cast into the guillotine--
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into the dungeons
destined for the guillotines
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and as he stumbled
through the dark dungeons
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he tripped over a sleeping form.
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As he was about to rise
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he caught the
face of the individual
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who was dead asleep
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and it turn out
to be his own son.
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Not wishing to awaken him
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he thought next to
his son as he sat there
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what could he do
to deliver his boy
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from the terrible
fate that awaited him.
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He sat there all night long
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and just before
dawn it struck him
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and he thought I got it.
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He and I have the same name
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and so when the soldiers came in
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and they called for Pear
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he responded,
here I'm John Pear.
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Come with us.
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And so he went
with the soldiers,
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they came to the registry
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and there a soldier
read his name again,
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John Pear age 37.
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Well the old man
said the name was correct,
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the age is incorrect 73.
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Oh, the
soldiers had done mistake
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and scratched out
37 changed it to 73
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and the old man was
taken to the guillotines
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where he lost his life.
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Later on that morning,
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the young man as he awakened
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he wondered why his
name had not been called
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and finally
somebody came close to him
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and said last night an old
man was sitting next to you,
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he was thrown in here last night
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and I see sat all
night long finally
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when your name was called
he responded in your place.
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That young man wondered
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who in the world
would take his place.
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And he did not know until
July 28th of that same year
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Robespierre himself,
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the leader of
the reign of terror
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was cast to the guillotines
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and all the
prisoners were set free
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and when the young
man arrived at home
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is when he discovered
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who took his
place, his own father.
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And my friends, 2,000 years ago
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when your name and my name
were called, Jesus responded.
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what do you say? Amen.
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Tonight as we
consider this subject of grace,
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perhaps I can ask you a question
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if I would to
ask you the question
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what is grace what
is to that most people
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give as a definition?
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Why most people
say unmerited favor.
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Well, that sounds
like a wonderful definition
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but let's consider that.
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If I told you that
I am giving you a gift
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and you ask me what is it I--
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and I say
something you don't deserve.
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Have I told you
what it is? Yes or no?
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Well the answer
of course is, no.
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Just because you give a
nice definition to something
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it doesn't mean you really
have given the definition.
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What is grace?
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Is it just
something you don't deserve?
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Well, true we don't
deserve but what is it?
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If you ask me what is the
gift something you don't deserve
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or what is it
something you don't deserve.
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I still I'm not
telling what is it is.
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So what is grace?
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The scripture says in
the Book of Ephesians 2:8.
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Ephesians 2:8
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"For by grace have you
been saved through faith
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and that not of yourselves
it is the gift of God"
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Now notice the Bible says,
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by grace have you been saved
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and not of yourselves
it is the gift of God.
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Let's consider that.
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God says that what saves
us is something called grace.
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And people just say
it's unmerited favor.
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But it still does not
tell us exactly what it is
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and therefore we must go
into the Bible to discover
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what this
wonderful word really means.
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So let's-- let's
look at another text
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in the Book of Acts 4:33.
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Acts 4:33
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notice what it says
there, as you look at it.
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Acts 4:33 notice
in the screen it says
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"And with great power
gave the apostles witness
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of the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus
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and great grace
was upon them all."
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Now let's consider that text,
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notice it says that they
were able to give great witness
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because they had great power.
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But what was it that
gave him the great power.
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Well, it says great
grace was upon them all.
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So, let's consider that,
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if great power was upon them all
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then what gave
them the great power?
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Great grace.
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Suppose they
only have little grace
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then how much power
would they have had?
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Little power.
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And so, they had great power
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because God had
given them great grace.
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Now its-- it's
easy to understand
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why Paul then
said in Romans 1:16
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notice what it says.
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Romans1:16 the scripture says
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"I am not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ
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for it is the power," The what?
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"It is the power of
God unto salvation."
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Notice here, the
gospel has power,
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the gospel is power.
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So, the word here in the Greek,
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by the way power is actually
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comes from what we
have to they as dynamite
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and in the Greek is Dunamis.
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So, the gospel
is dynamite power.
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Isn't that amazing? Amen.
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And so you find then that grace
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is not
something that is abstract
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but something that is real.
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God gives real power.
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God provides
something called grace.
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Paul himself
understood the price of grace
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when he said in
1 Corinthians 15:10
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notice what he says,
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"But by the
grace of God" by what?
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"By the grace of
God I am what I am
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and his grace
was bestowed upon me"
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that was bestowed upon me
pardon me "was not in vain,
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but I labored more
abundantly than they all.
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Yet not I, but" what does it say
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"the grace of God
which was with me."
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In other words, Paul says
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I am when I am and
the reason I am when I am
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is because I have received grace
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and that grace has enabled me
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to preach with far more
power the good news of salvation
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and that's why I am what I am
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because God's grace has
done wonderful things for me.
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When you think of grace then
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you think then of
something that God provides
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that you and I do not have.
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In other words, the human agent
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is not able to change himself,
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he cannot
accomplish things for God
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without the power of God in him
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and if a person is
going to become godly
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then that person needs
that which comes from without
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and somehow
mysteriously enters within
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and enables him to do that
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which otherwise
in his own strength
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he could never accomplish.
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And so, God then
provides mysterious power
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to take a human
being and enable him
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to accomplish
great things for God.
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Isn't that good news? Amen.
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So, the divine
grace is God's power.
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But let me say this to you
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grace also has
with it forgiveness
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and so it has
the power to forgive
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and the power to
enable the individual
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to live in harmony with that
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which he had to be forgiven for.
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In other words,
as a sinner you and I
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constantly sin against God.
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We're told in the
scriptures that all have sin
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and come short
of the glory of God.
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Now since we have sin
in order to escape from sin
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we cannot do it by ourselves
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and so God then
must provide something
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that you and I don't have
and that is called forgiveness
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and power to over come.
00:16:07.78\00:16:11.42
Now if God only
provided forgiveness
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as a lot of people
think grace simply means
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then you and I would
have to be confessing,
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confessing,
confessing, confessing,
00:16:20.33\00:16:22.14
confessing all through eternity.
00:16:22.17\00:16:25.61
But I'm here to
tell you tonight,
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that there is good news,
we are not stuck in a mud.
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By God's grace you
do not have to continue
00:16:31.77\00:16:35.76
the process of just confessing,
confessing, confessing.
00:16:35.79\00:16:39.15
God is able through
His grace to give you power
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so that you can live
above that which we call sin
00:16:43.28\00:16:47.43
and that is good news.
00:16:47.46\00:16:49.18
That's why Paul says,
00:16:49.21\00:16:50.56
I am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ.
00:16:50.59\00:16:53.84
Just think of it
if Paul had preached
00:16:53.87\00:16:56.88
and Paul had never seen
the drunkard become sober.
00:16:56.91\00:17:03.31
If Paul had preached
and he had never seen
00:17:03.34\00:17:07.19
the wife beater
become a loving husband.
00:17:07.22\00:17:11.87
If Paul had preached and
he had never seen the liar,
00:17:11.90\00:17:15.14
become truthful.
00:17:15.17\00:17:16.62
If Paul had preached
00:17:16.65\00:17:18.25
and the sinner
had not become a saint
00:17:18.28\00:17:20.50
then Paul could
have been ashamed.
00:17:20.53\00:17:23.94
But Paul says, I am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ
00:17:23.97\00:17:28.68
because it is the
power of God unto salvation.
00:17:28.71\00:17:32.29
And you well now can understand
00:17:32.32\00:17:35.16
why Paul was so excited
by this thing called grace.
00:17:35.19\00:17:38.29
But listen I hear a
lot of people talking
00:17:38.32\00:17:42.75
about the grace of God
00:17:42.78\00:17:44.80
and I hear things
like this on the radio
00:17:44.83\00:17:47.43
and on television
preachers will say,
00:17:47.46\00:17:51.55
we are under the
dispensation of grace here
00:17:51.58\00:17:56.75
and the people
in the Old Testament
00:17:56.78\00:17:58.71
live by the law.
00:17:58.74\00:18:00.37
And so in the Old Testament
people were saved by the law,
00:18:00.40\00:18:03.34
in the New Testament
people are saved by grace.
00:18:03.37\00:18:06.96
And in fact, they quoted
a statement that simply says
00:18:06.99\00:18:10.92
that grace and truth
came by Jesus Christ.
00:18:10.95\00:18:13.80
So, the assumption
is that grace appeared
00:18:13.83\00:18:16.85
when Christ
appeared on this earth.
00:18:16.88\00:18:19.17
But listen that
is not exactly true
00:18:19.20\00:18:22.74
I'll tell you why,
00:18:22.77\00:18:24.36
because there are scripture
that help us to understand
00:18:24.39\00:18:27.23
that grace is not just
all of a sudden appeared
00:18:27.26\00:18:30.40
when Jesus Christ
came to this earth.
00:18:30.43\00:18:32.66
Let me show you a
few texts that will help
00:18:32.69\00:18:34.91
underscore what
I have just said.
00:18:34.94\00:18:36.74
If we were to
read in the scriptures
00:18:36.77\00:18:40.18
notice Ephesians 3:20
00:18:40.21\00:18:42.19
"Now unto him that
is able to do exceeding
00:18:42.22\00:18:44.16
abundantly above all
that we ask or think,
00:18:44.19\00:18:47.13
according to the
power that worketh in us.
00:18:47.16\00:18:51.06
The Grace-- the power of God,
00:18:51.09\00:18:53.33
which cooperates
with the will of man
00:18:53.36\00:18:55.24
for the eradication of
all sinful tendencies."
00:18:55.27\00:18:59.04
In other words, man
has always been a sinner
00:18:59.07\00:19:02.12
and since man has
always been a sinner
00:19:02.15\00:19:04.17
since the fall of mankind
he has always needed grace.
00:19:04.20\00:19:10.32
Let me show you from the
Book of Timothy what it says.
00:19:10.35\00:19:15.92
I'm gonna skip
the slide right now
00:19:15.95\00:19:17.49
because I have
already expressed that
00:19:17.52\00:19:19.89
but let me just share
with you from 2 Timothy 1:9.
00:19:19.92\00:19:25.62
Notice what it
says, "Who hath saved us,
00:19:25.65\00:19:30.28
and called us
with an holy calling,
00:19:30.31\00:19:34.13
not according to our works,
00:19:34.16\00:19:37.33
but according to his
own purpose and grace"
00:19:37.36\00:19:42.51
And notice it says
that the Lord has saved us
00:19:42.54\00:19:45.75
and called us
with a holy calling
00:19:45.78\00:19:48.27
not according to our works
00:19:48.30\00:19:50.20
but accordingly to
His own purpose and grace
00:19:50.23\00:19:53.47
now notice the
next part of this text
00:19:53.50\00:19:55.98
"Which was given
unto us in Christ Jesus"
00:19:56.01\00:20:00.42
and what are the next few
words "before the world began."
00:20:00.45\00:20:06.27
So, when was grace given to us?
00:20:06.30\00:20:08.92
Well, it says there
before the world began.
00:20:08.95\00:20:13.77
Obviously grace is something
that comes from the Lord
00:20:13.80\00:20:17.11
and the Lord always
existed and therefore
00:20:17.14\00:20:19.79
He always provided
that wonderful thing
00:20:19.82\00:20:22.86
called grace for mans needs.
00:20:22.89\00:20:26.51
Paul further states,
00:20:31.19\00:20:33.28
"Let us therefore come
boldly unto the throne of grace,
00:20:33.31\00:20:37.49
that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help" when?
00:20:37.52\00:20:42.53
"In time of need."
00:20:42.56\00:20:45.09
Can you see now tonight
00:20:45.12\00:20:48.25
as we consider
this statement today
00:20:48.28\00:20:51.98
that the scriptures
underscore the reality
00:20:52.01\00:20:55.00
that mankind isn't
capable in his own strength
00:20:55.03\00:20:59.59
to accomplish that
which God desires for him.
00:20:59.62\00:21:03.99
And because man is
weak God then provides
00:21:04.02\00:21:07.80
that wonderful
thing called grace.
00:21:07.83\00:21:10.43
And the scripture
says, to help when?
00:21:10.46\00:21:13.99
In time of need.
00:21:14.02\00:21:15.21
Have you ever been in need?
00:21:15.24\00:21:17.44
Have you ever had
conflicts in your heart?
00:21:17.47\00:21:19.81
Have you ever had
challenges in your life
00:21:19.84\00:21:22.03
where you felt that
you needed something beyond
00:21:22.06\00:21:24.52
what you could muster
up in your own strength?
00:21:24.55\00:21:27.11
And the answer
is of course, yes.
00:21:27.14\00:21:28.74
All of us have and
that's why God provides
00:21:28.77\00:21:31.89
this wonderful
mysterious thing called grace.
00:21:31.92\00:21:35.92
And it was given to us
before the world began.
00:21:35.95\00:21:41.09
Speaking about
grace I want you to notice
00:21:41.12\00:21:43.48
that the scripture
says even Noah found grace.
00:21:43.51\00:21:48.43
Now notice it
doesn't say anything
00:21:48.46\00:21:52.30
other than what Noah needed.
00:21:52.33\00:21:55.25
See, when Noah
lived in his time,
00:21:55.28\00:21:58.09
Noah was
surrounded the Bible says
00:21:58.12\00:22:00.80
with wickedness and
fact that the Bible says that
00:22:00.83\00:22:04.07
there was so much wickedness
00:22:04.10\00:22:05.64
that God finally had
to act and bring an end
00:22:05.67\00:22:10.49
to the wickedness of
that antediluvian people.
00:22:10.52\00:22:13.95
But listen the Bible says,
that God gave to Noah grace.
00:22:13.98\00:22:21.34
What did Noah need grace for?
00:22:21.37\00:22:23.65
Well, Noah
needed the grace of God
00:22:23.68\00:22:26.65
the power of God to
resist the tide of temptation
00:22:26.68\00:22:31.27
that was present in his day.
00:22:31.30\00:22:33.52
Noah needed the
grace of God to enable him
00:22:33.55\00:22:35.88
to live in
harmony with God's will
00:22:35.91\00:22:37.84
and the Bible says
that Noah also needed grace,
00:22:37.87\00:22:41.42
you know, that to obey.
00:22:41.45\00:22:43.00
And so by faith the
Bible says Noah obeyed.
00:22:43.03\00:22:49.08
God enabled them through faith
00:22:49.11\00:22:52.04
as we read in the Ephesians 2:8
00:22:52.07\00:22:54.03
for Noah to receive
the grace that he needed
00:22:54.06\00:22:56.82
in honor for him
to be true to God,
00:22:56.85\00:22:59.55
build an ark and
finally land on a dry shore
00:22:59.58\00:23:04.84
after the tremendous
flood that hit the earth.
00:23:04.87\00:23:08.03
Noah needed the grace.
00:23:08.06\00:23:09.62
Now, the question is
this, when did Noah live?
00:23:09.65\00:23:12.77
Well, Noah lived
back almost 2,000 years
00:23:12.80\00:23:17.93
after creation or
about 4,000 years ago.
00:23:17.96\00:23:22.00
Did Noah need grace? Yes.
00:23:22.03\00:23:23.94
Did God provide it? The
answer is absolutely so.
00:23:23.97\00:23:27.04
God provided grace.
00:23:27.07\00:23:28.77
Now we think of another
time of earth's history.
00:23:28.80\00:23:31.88
It was a time for God's people
00:23:31.91\00:23:34.33
to be brought out of
the bondage of Egypt.
00:23:34.36\00:23:38.23
When God decided to bring
those people out of Egypt,
00:23:38.26\00:23:42.26
God had to
provide for those people
00:23:42.29\00:23:45.48
the enabling
power for them to obey
00:23:45.51\00:23:48.84
and by faith to do all
00:23:48.87\00:23:50.69
that we read
about in the scriptures
00:23:50.72\00:23:52.47
concerning what God
accomplished for them
00:23:52.50\00:23:54.76
during the wilderness.
00:23:54.79\00:23:55.82
But I want you to
notice something interesting
00:23:55.85\00:23:57.31
in the Book of Jeremiah 31:2,
00:23:57.34\00:24:01.22
Jeremiah 31:2 notice
what the scripture says.
00:24:01.25\00:24:05.22
"Thus saith the Lord,
00:24:05.25\00:24:07.09
the people which were
left of the sword found"
00:24:07.12\00:24:11.29
what did they find?
00:24:11.32\00:24:12.68
"Found grace"
00:24:12.71\00:24:15.06
but where did
they find that grace?
00:24:15.09\00:24:17.40
While it says, "They found grace
00:24:17.43\00:24:20.40
in the wilderness even Israel,
00:24:20.43\00:24:22.96
when I went to
cause him to rest."
00:24:22.99\00:24:25.18
So, do you see my friends,
no one has ever been saved
00:24:25.21\00:24:31.44
or shall ever be saved
apart from the grace of God.
00:24:31.47\00:24:36.25
The people in the Old
Testament needed God's grace
00:24:36.28\00:24:39.38
and the people
in the New Testament
00:24:39.41\00:24:41.12
needed the God's grace.
00:24:41.15\00:24:42.53
And what do you suppose today,
00:24:42.56\00:24:44.33
do you and I need
God's grace today?
00:24:44.36\00:24:46.67
What's the
answer? Of course, amen.
00:24:46.70\00:24:49.76
And aren't you
thankful that God is willing
00:24:49.79\00:24:53.53
to provide for you
that thing called grace.
00:24:53.56\00:24:57.35
I am so thankful for that.
00:24:57.38\00:24:59.19
But listen let's continue
00:24:59.22\00:25:02.18
why is it then
that God provides grace?
00:25:02.21\00:25:06.81
Well, the Lord
says, He provides grace
00:25:06.84\00:25:09.66
because its
something called sin.
00:25:09.69\00:25:12.89
In fact, in the Bible
in the Book of Romans 5:20
00:25:12.92\00:25:18.13
notice that it says,
00:25:18.16\00:25:19.43
"Moreover where the law entered,
00:25:19.46\00:25:24.52
that the offence might abound.
00:25:24.55\00:25:27.67
But where sin abounded,
grace did much more abound."
00:25:27.70\00:25:34.21
Think of it, it says then
00:25:34.24\00:25:37.14
that where sin abounded
grace did much more abound.
00:25:37.17\00:25:43.27
Where there is sin
God then provides what?
00:25:43.30\00:25:46.84
Grace.
00:25:46.87\00:25:50.33
You and I as sinners then
need that wonderful element
00:25:50.36\00:25:56.73
that mysterious
power that somehow
00:25:56.76\00:25:59.59
enters into the
human fiber and enables us
00:25:59.62\00:26:03.95
to accomplish what we
could never accomplish
00:26:03.98\00:26:07.92
in our own strength.
00:26:07.95\00:26:09.34
God provides that
thing called grace.
00:26:09.37\00:26:12.45
And so Paul says
where sin abounded--
00:26:12.48\00:26:16.06
where there is a lot of sin
grace does much more abound.
00:26:16.09\00:26:20.72
In other words grace is
far more powerful than sin.
00:26:20.75\00:26:24.41
Praise the Lord for that.
00:26:24.44\00:26:26.77
Good news what do you say?
00:26:26.80\00:26:29.19
But the question
is this, what is sin?
00:26:29.22\00:26:32.17
According to the scriptures
00:26:32.20\00:26:33.91
sin is the
transgression of the Lord God.
00:26:33.94\00:26:38.11
Notice what it
says, in the book of John,
00:26:38.14\00:26:41.78
1 John 3:4, 1 John 3:4.
00:26:41.81\00:26:46.91
Notice it says there
00:26:46.94\00:26:49.45
"Whosoever committed sin
transgresseth also the law
00:26:49.48\00:26:53.73
for sin is the
transgression of the law."
00:26:53.76\00:26:58.11
Now consider
that, the Bible says
00:26:58.14\00:27:02.32
then that when you and I sin,
00:27:02.35\00:27:05.66
you and I are
transgressing the law of God
00:27:05.69\00:27:09.52
but what does it
mean to transgress?
00:27:09.55\00:27:12.00
What does it actually mean?
00:27:12.03\00:27:14.19
Well, when you and
I do something wrong
00:27:14.22\00:27:19.97
in actuality what we doing
is violating the law of God.
00:27:20.00\00:27:25.10
Let me give you some
example in the scriptures.
00:27:25.13\00:27:29.44
If we were to turn
to the Book of Genesis
00:27:29.47\00:27:32.19
and read to them occasion
00:27:32.22\00:27:35.29
where Adam and Eve were tempted.
00:27:35.32\00:27:38.51
In the Book of
Genesis Chapter 3,
00:27:38.54\00:27:40.96
I want you to notice
something very interesting.
00:27:40.99\00:27:43.30
The scripture says
in chapter 3 verse 1
00:27:43.33\00:27:46.56
if you're with
me in Genesis 3:1.
00:27:46.59\00:27:49.56
"Now the serpent was more subtle
00:27:49.59\00:27:53.29
than any beast of the field
which the Lord God had made.
00:27:53.32\00:27:56.83
And he said unto the woman,
00:27:56.86\00:27:58.21
Yea, hath God
said, Ye shall not eat
00:27:58.24\00:28:02.07
of every tree of the garden?"
00:28:02.10\00:28:03.69
Notice it's in a situation
that God really say that.
00:28:03.72\00:28:07.99
Really God didn't
mean that in other words.
00:28:08.02\00:28:10.45
Well, the woman said
aren't you the serpent
00:28:10.48\00:28:12.84
"We may eat of the fruit
of the trees of the garden
00:28:12.87\00:28:15.43
but of the fruit of the tree
00:28:15.46\00:28:18.05
which is in mist of
the garden God have said"
00:28:18.08\00:28:20.83
Notice what it says.
00:28:20.86\00:28:21.91
"You shall not eat of it,
00:28:21.94\00:28:22.97
neither shall you
touch it, lest you die."
00:28:23.00\00:28:24.83
There is a question,
did this woman understand
00:28:24.86\00:28:27.78
whether she part
took of the fruit
00:28:27.81\00:28:30.69
that she would die?
00:28:30.72\00:28:31.90
The answer of course is, yes.
00:28:31.93\00:28:33.81
Now notice then it says
00:28:33.84\00:28:35.28
the serpent said unto the woman,
00:28:35.31\00:28:36.84
"You shall not surely die.
00:28:36.87\00:28:40.18
For God does know that
in the day you eat thereof,
00:28:40.21\00:28:42.70
then your eyes shall be opened,
00:28:42.73\00:28:44.38
and you shall be as
gods, knowing good and evil."
00:28:44.41\00:28:49.22
Then it says,
"When the woman saw
00:28:49.25\00:28:51.09
that the tree was good for food,
00:28:51.12\00:28:52.92
and that it was
pleasant to the eyes,
00:28:52.95\00:28:55.64
and a tree to be
desired to make one wise,
00:28:55.67\00:28:58.95
she took of the
fruit thereof, and did eat,
00:28:58.98\00:29:02.98
and gave also unto
her husband with her
00:29:03.01\00:29:06.50
and he did eat also."
00:29:06.53\00:29:09.09
Now let's consider this,
00:29:09.12\00:29:11.46
I want you to know
there's something interesting
00:29:11.49\00:29:13.19
number one, we already
know that the woman understood
00:29:13.22\00:29:17.59
that if she violate
what God said she would die.
00:29:17.62\00:29:21.05
Today we call that suicide
00:29:21.08\00:29:23.26
and so there is a
scripture that tells us
00:29:23.29\00:29:27.38
a list of rules or commandments
that God has given to us
00:29:27.41\00:29:32.15
concerning how we are to
behave from reference to our God
00:29:32.18\00:29:35.73
and in reference to mankind.
00:29:35.76\00:29:37.80
And one of those
commandments says,
00:29:37.83\00:29:39.30
"Thou shalt not kill."
00:29:39.33\00:29:42.76
But I want you to notice
something also the Bible says
00:29:42.79\00:29:45.56
that this woman saw that
the tree was good for food
00:29:45.59\00:29:48.34
and it was pleasant to the
eyes and tree to be desire.
00:29:48.37\00:29:51.49
Now what
commandment covers that?
00:29:51.52\00:29:53.89
Well the scripture
says, "Thou shalt not covet."
00:29:53.92\00:29:57.44
In other words,
Eve was violating
00:29:57.47\00:29:59.88
not just one commandment
00:29:59.91\00:30:01.74
now we discover she is
violating two commandments.
00:30:01.77\00:30:04.51
Thou shalt not covet.
00:30:04.54\00:30:06.09
But wait a minute, did
the tree belong to her?
00:30:06.12\00:30:08.90
Did the fruit belong to her?
00:30:08.93\00:30:10.09
And the answer of course is, no.
00:30:10.12\00:30:12.70
Who did the tree belong
to? Well, it belonged to God.
00:30:12.73\00:30:15.15
And what the God
say? Don't take it.
00:30:15.18\00:30:19.06
Did eve take something
that didn't belong to her?
00:30:19.09\00:30:21.93
What's the
answer? Of course she did.
00:30:21.96\00:30:24.53
What do we call that today
when somebody takes something
00:30:24.56\00:30:27.05
that doesn't belong to them?
00:30:27.08\00:30:29.23
Well, it's called stealing.
00:30:29.26\00:30:31.06
Is there a commandment
in the Ten Commandments
00:30:31.09\00:30:33.17
that addresses that issue?
00:30:33.20\00:30:34.91
The answer of course is what?
00:30:34.94\00:30:36.88
Yes, God says
"Thou shalt not steal."
00:30:36.91\00:30:41.14
So we see now that
there are three commandments
00:30:41.17\00:30:43.38
that have been violated
00:30:43.41\00:30:44.74
but then that
the devil insinuated
00:30:44.77\00:30:46.76
you shall be as God so that
the idea was pleasing to her.
00:30:46.79\00:30:51.19
And what is the
first commandment
00:30:51.22\00:30:53.12
of the Ten Commandments?
00:30:53.15\00:30:54.59
Thou shalt have how
many? No other God before God.
00:30:54.62\00:30:59.31
So let's me ask you question,
00:30:59.34\00:31:01.23
when Eve's sin what
was she actually doing?
00:31:01.26\00:31:04.45
She was actually violating
the commandments of God.
00:31:04.48\00:31:10.29
Now, we're told if you break one
00:31:10.32\00:31:14.46
you break how many?
00:31:14.49\00:31:16.08
You break them all.
00:31:16.11\00:31:17.62
So in reality Eve
sin and the Bible says,
00:31:17.65\00:31:23.56
sin is the
transgression of what?
00:31:23.59\00:31:26.40
Of love of God.
00:31:26.43\00:31:28.15
Can you see now
why the Bible reveals
00:31:28.18\00:31:32.57
what really took place?
00:31:32.60\00:31:33.69
A lot of people think
00:31:33.72\00:31:34.75
well, all Eve did
was just took that fruit
00:31:34.78\00:31:36.98
and boy, she suffered
tremendous for just that fruit.
00:31:37.01\00:31:40.25
The reality is
this there is far more
00:31:40.28\00:31:44.10
at stake here
than just the fruit.
00:31:44.13\00:31:47.22
There was a
violation of the transcript
00:31:47.25\00:31:49.27
of the character of God.
00:31:49.30\00:31:51.00
God had made man and woman,
00:31:51.03\00:31:53.56
perfect able to live forever
in relationship with Him.
00:31:53.59\00:31:58.96
But when man chose
to become a God himself
00:31:58.99\00:32:02.82
which God have
said you should not do
00:32:02.85\00:32:05.81
man then fell into transgression
00:32:05.84\00:32:07.95
and become what we
call today a sinner.
00:32:07.98\00:32:11.05
And that's why
you and I then inherit
00:32:11.08\00:32:14.21
the natural
tendencies of our forefather's
00:32:14.24\00:32:17.20
and that's why
somebody usually says
00:32:17.23\00:32:19.96
I can't help it, my
dad had a bad temper.
00:32:19.99\00:32:22.88
And so we inherit
tendencies and those tendencies
00:32:26.73\00:32:31.72
have the ability of leading
us into what is called sin.
00:32:31.75\00:32:38.44
Sin then is a
transgression of God's holy law.
00:32:38.47\00:32:42.12
But listen now you see then
00:32:42.15\00:32:45.31
that the law was present
there in the Garden of Eden
00:32:45.34\00:32:48.42
and the law has
always been present
00:32:48.45\00:32:50.52
and that's why when
man fell God provided
00:32:50.55\00:32:53.68
that wonderful
thing called grace.
00:32:53.71\00:32:55.84
God forgave man and
also gave him the ability
00:32:55.87\00:32:59.69
to come back into
harmony with His perfect law.
00:32:59.72\00:33:03.54
And that grace was
provided through Jesus Christ.
00:33:03.57\00:33:07.88
Man has always needed the
grace of God after the fall
00:33:07.91\00:33:11.50
and man shall always
need the grace of God
00:33:11.53\00:33:14.20
until the day
that Jesus comes back.
00:33:14.23\00:33:17.20
It is through God's
grace His keeping power
00:33:17.23\00:33:20.11
that you and I can live
in harmony with God's will.
00:33:20.14\00:33:24.07
Well, listen, the
Bible clearly says
00:33:24.10\00:33:28.23
that the law then helps
us to understand what sin is.
00:33:28.26\00:33:31.88
Paul wrote in Roman 7:7
"What shall we say then?
00:33:31.91\00:33:36.39
Is the law sin? God forbid.
00:33:36.42\00:33:40.73
Nay, I had not
known sin, but by the law
00:33:40.76\00:33:44.02
for I had not known lust"
Which is what Eve did, correct.
00:33:44.05\00:33:49.01
"I would not have known lust,
except the law had said" what?
00:33:49.04\00:33:53.06
"Thou shalt not covet."
00:33:53.09\00:33:54.61
You see, Paul
clearly understands
00:33:54.64\00:33:57.84
that Eve herself
lusted after the fruit
00:33:57.87\00:34:01.19
and therefore committed
sin or violated the law
00:34:01.22\00:34:04.46
and Paul himself says, I
would not have understood
00:34:04.49\00:34:07.57
that lusting was bad
unless there was a commandment
00:34:07.60\00:34:10.28
that said thou shalt not covet.
00:34:10.31\00:34:14.23
Paul wrote often
times about this Great War
00:34:14.26\00:34:20.01
that takes place in the
flesh because of the tendency
00:34:20.04\00:34:23.08
to the desires of the heart.
00:34:23.11\00:34:25.30
But he also brings
to light the reality
00:34:25.33\00:34:28.73
that man doesn't have
to be stuck in the mud.
00:34:28.76\00:34:32.68
I remember when I was a
young boy in New York City,
00:34:32.71\00:34:35.05
growing up in New
York sitting in class
00:34:35.08\00:34:37.48
and the teacher
making a statement
00:34:37.51\00:34:40.59
which kind of made me feel like
00:34:40.62\00:34:42.49
I was locked
into a certain mode.
00:34:42.52\00:34:46.09
He said this, he
said psychiatrists
00:34:46.12\00:34:49.13
and psychologists
have just concluded
00:34:49.16\00:34:50.86
that if you happen to be
born of a Puerto Rican family
00:34:50.89\00:34:54.36
and your father
happened to be drinker
00:34:54.39\00:34:57.95
and he carry the
switchblade in his back pocket
00:34:57.98\00:35:01.16
that you will also be the same.
00:35:01.19\00:35:05.92
Well, you then realize
it but it so happen that
00:35:05.95\00:35:09.14
I was a Puerto
Rican and number two,
00:35:09.17\00:35:12.10
that my dad was a
drinker who abounded the family
00:35:12.13\00:35:15.96
and I tell you about that later
00:35:15.99\00:35:18.22
and also that he
happen to be fighter
00:35:18.25\00:35:20.86
and did carry a knife around.
00:35:20.89\00:35:22.68
And I taught to myself
00:35:22.71\00:35:23.93
when the professor
said that I am stuck.
00:35:23.96\00:35:26.61
And in fact it was
that kind of thinking
00:35:29.62\00:35:33.38
that let me later on
into getting into gangs
00:35:33.41\00:35:36.94
and fighting et cetera.
00:35:36.97\00:35:38.45
I thought well,
if this is the way
00:35:38.48\00:35:41.44
I am gonna have to
live for the rest of my life
00:35:41.47\00:35:43.15
I better make the best of it.
00:35:43.18\00:35:46.47
My friends, God provides grace.
00:35:46.50\00:35:50.11
What does He provide? Grace.
00:35:50.14\00:35:52.72
To get us out of those moles
00:35:52.75\00:35:55.70
that mankind and
sin has set for us.
00:35:55.73\00:36:00.13
And He provides grace
so that we can overcome
00:36:00.16\00:36:03.38
that terrible thing called Sin.
00:36:03.41\00:36:05.38
And so Paul very
plainly makes it clear
00:36:05.41\00:36:09.24
that God's grace is an antidote
for that thing called sin.
00:36:09.27\00:36:15.41
Now, let's consider
what the law really is.
00:36:15.44\00:36:18.37
According to the scriptures
00:36:18.40\00:36:19.81
I am just gonna
show you a few text here
00:36:19.84\00:36:21.65
and the
scriptures so you can see.
00:36:21.68\00:36:23.21
It says that "The
Law of God is perfect."
00:36:23.24\00:36:25.57
Psalms 19:7
00:36:25.60\00:36:27.69
In fact it says
that the Law of the Lord
00:36:27.72\00:36:29.10
is perfect converting the sole.
00:36:29.13\00:36:32.00
It also says in Romans 7:12
00:36:32.03\00:36:34.73
"It is Holy, Just and Good."
00:36:34.76\00:36:38.89
It's it is the
Law of Righteousness
00:36:38.92\00:36:41.04
Psalms 119:172
00:36:41.07\00:36:43.67
and same chapter
verse 42, it says
00:36:43.70\00:36:47.67
it is Truth and of
course Jesus himself said
00:36:47.70\00:36:51.26
I have not come to
destroy the law or the prophets.
00:36:51.29\00:36:54.22
By the way, Jesus was
actually referring to Psalms 119
00:36:54.25\00:36:59.08
which is the
longest Psalm in the Bible
00:36:59.11\00:37:02.00
and that Psalm is divided up
00:37:02.03\00:37:04.00
into the 22 letters
of the Hebrew alphabet.
00:37:04.03\00:37:07.79
Each eight verses
begin with the first letter,
00:37:07.82\00:37:12.30
the second
letter, the third letter,
00:37:12.33\00:37:13.68
the fourth letter.
00:37:13.71\00:37:14.74
If you have a Bible you
could look at it right there
00:37:14.77\00:37:17.09
and you can see
all the Hebrew alphabet
00:37:17.12\00:37:20.29
beginning with each
eighth or ninth verse.
00:37:20.32\00:37:24.34
So you have eight
verses then nine to sixteen
00:37:24.37\00:37:27.84
and then seventeenth and on.
00:37:27.87\00:37:29.20
Each one has the
letter and when Jesus said,
00:37:29.23\00:37:32.39
"Not one jot or
tittle shall be removed
00:37:32.42\00:37:34.72
from the law to
all be fulfilled."
00:37:34.75\00:37:36.49
He was actually
referring to the jot
00:37:36.52\00:37:38.89
is the smallest
letter in the Hebrew alphabet
00:37:38.92\00:37:42.66
and the tittle
is an action mark.
00:37:42.69\00:37:45.32
And what Jesus was saying was
00:37:45.35\00:37:47.12
that not one of the smallest
letter in the Hebrew alphabet
00:37:47.15\00:37:51.51
nor one action
mark will be removed
00:37:51.54\00:37:54.60
from the law
till law be fulfilled.
00:37:54.63\00:37:56.29
So here is the question,
00:37:56.32\00:37:57.78
when will this
law come to an end?
00:37:57.81\00:37:59.86
Obviously the law
cannot come to an end
00:37:59.89\00:38:02.02
because Jesus himself
referring to Psalms 119
00:38:02.05\00:38:05.49
tells us that not the letter jot
00:38:05.52\00:38:08.00
nor the punctuation action mark
00:38:08.03\00:38:11.42
will be removed
until all be fulfilled.
00:38:11.45\00:38:14.24
Well, that should
help us to understand
00:38:14.27\00:38:17.30
the role that the law plays.
00:38:17.33\00:38:19.73
In fact, let me give you
another illustration here.
00:38:19.76\00:38:24.48
The Bible says, "They that
forsake the law praise" who?
00:38:24.51\00:38:28.48
Praise not pardon
me, "praise the wicked
00:38:28.51\00:38:31.15
but such as keep the
law contend with them."
00:38:31.18\00:38:33.93
In other words, if I am
a person that turns away
00:38:33.96\00:38:40.65
from the law then
I will do wickedness.
00:38:40.68\00:38:45.16
But if I keep the law I would
contend against wickedness.
00:38:45.19\00:38:51.75
Not too long ago
there was a certain judge
00:38:51.78\00:38:54.37
in the southern part of America
00:38:54.40\00:38:56.21
that wanted to put
the Ten Commandments up
00:38:56.24\00:38:58.96
in the walls of his chambers.
00:38:58.99\00:39:01.38
And that began to
become the great controversy
00:39:01.41\00:39:04.18
in North America
over the Ten Commandments
00:39:04.21\00:39:06.46
and still its today.
00:39:06.49\00:39:09.01
But let me ask you a question.
00:39:09.04\00:39:11.59
If everyone in this
town in Wichita, Kansas
00:39:11.62\00:39:15.76
were to keep just
the letter of the law
00:39:15.79\00:39:18.49
what kind of
city would you have?
00:39:18.52\00:39:22.56
You wouldn't have to
have a police department.
00:39:22.59\00:39:24.73
You wouldn't
have to have an army.
00:39:24.76\00:39:26.67
You wouldn't have
to have a government.
00:39:26.70\00:39:28.65
In other words, you
would have perfect citizens
00:39:28.68\00:39:31.21
and I am just talking
about just the letter of the law
00:39:31.24\00:39:34.44
you wouldn't have locksmiths,
00:39:34.47\00:39:36.08
you wouldn't have to
have locks on your doors.
00:39:36.11\00:39:38.56
You would be living in
what? In heaven, on earth.
00:39:38.59\00:39:43.93
Just by keeping the
what? The letter of the law.
00:39:43.96\00:39:47.84
But it is possible for us even
to keep the letter of the law.
00:39:47.87\00:39:51.32
Where is the answer? No.
00:39:51.35\00:39:53.21
So the Bible says
00:39:53.24\00:39:54.65
that you and I need
that thing called grace.
00:39:54.68\00:39:58.78
The law of God is like a mirror
00:39:58.81\00:40:01.26
many of you have
gone to the mirror
00:40:01.29\00:40:05.01
before you came to the meetings.
00:40:05.04\00:40:07.35
You went and look there to
see if your hair was in place,
00:40:07.38\00:40:10.78
you also wanted to make sure
00:40:10.81\00:40:12.16
that your face was clean
or that you added sometime
00:40:12.19\00:40:14.84
to your face to make
yourself more attractive.
00:40:14.87\00:40:17.69
But anyway
whichever the case maybe
00:40:17.72\00:40:19.68
the mirror simply serves
00:40:19.71\00:40:21.63
to help you to see
what you look like.
00:40:21.66\00:40:24.69
Now, you obviously don't
take the mirror off the wall
00:40:24.72\00:40:27.76
if you discover
that your face is dirty
00:40:27.79\00:40:29.63
and decide to try to
clean yourself with the mirror.
00:40:29.66\00:40:32.00
That's not the
place of the mirror,
00:40:32.03\00:40:34.23
the mirror simply
reveals what you are like
00:40:34.26\00:40:37.28
but if you want cleansing
you have to go to the water.
00:40:37.31\00:40:40.69
And so it is with the sinner.
00:40:40.72\00:40:42.63
When he see's himself
00:40:42.66\00:40:44.51
in contradiction
of the law of God
00:40:44.54\00:40:46.83
and recognize his
deformity where must he go?
00:40:46.86\00:40:51.02
He must go to the water
of life to find cleansing.
00:40:51.05\00:40:54.52
And so the law
simply reveals sin
00:40:54.55\00:40:58.65
and it doesn't provide power.
00:40:58.68\00:41:03.58
That's why the
Bible says it is the grace
00:41:03.61\00:41:06.31
that gives you the
power to come into harmony
00:41:06.34\00:41:09.84
with the law of God.
00:41:09.87\00:41:12.23
So the law
actually points out sin
00:41:12.26\00:41:15.14
that's the
function of God's law.
00:41:15.17\00:41:18.68
Now, the Bible says
then Paul again writing,
00:41:18.71\00:41:24.28
he was having a
struggle in his life.
00:41:27.31\00:41:31.37
And some commentators
believe that the struggle
00:41:31.40\00:41:33.71
was that some how
he had eye problem's
00:41:33.74\00:41:37.02
physically eye problems.
00:41:37.05\00:41:39.44
And he wanted God to
remove this impediment
00:41:39.47\00:41:43.18
so that he could
be more effective
00:41:43.21\00:41:45.44
and he asked God to remove it
00:41:45.47\00:41:47.62
but finally the
Lord said to him,
00:41:47.65\00:41:50.28
my grace, my what?
00:41:50.31\00:41:53.01
"My grace is
sufficient for thee."
00:41:53.04\00:41:56.51
Now, I want you to
notice what it says there.
00:41:56.54\00:41:59.70
Notice that it first says,
My grace is sufficient for you
00:41:59.73\00:42:03.26
then it says for My strength,
00:42:03.29\00:42:05.31
notice, first he says
my grace and then he says
00:42:05.34\00:42:08.35
"my strength is
made perfect in weakness.
00:42:08.38\00:42:13.03
Then it says
"Most gladly therefore
00:42:13.06\00:42:15.26
will I rather
glory in my infirmities,
00:42:15.29\00:42:17.45
that the power of
Christ may rest upon me."
00:42:17.48\00:42:21.09
There you have it, you see
00:42:21.12\00:42:23.05
it says grace,
straight, and power.
00:42:23.08\00:42:27.77
Three words they
are just marvelous
00:42:27.80\00:42:29.99
which helps us to understand
that Paul had this infirmity
00:42:30.02\00:42:34.69
and he wanted it to be removed
00:42:34.72\00:42:36.83
but God said to him
it's all right Paul,
00:42:36.86\00:42:40.14
My grace My power
sufficient for you
00:42:40.17\00:42:43.88
and Paul then was satisfy.
00:42:43.91\00:42:46.27
That God will give him the grace
00:42:46.30\00:42:47.96
to live with his infirmities.
00:42:47.99\00:42:49.74
There's some of you out there
00:42:49.77\00:42:51.31
who may be
thinking to yourselves
00:42:51.34\00:42:53.15
oh, why was I born this way?
00:42:53.18\00:42:55.76
I'm handicapped or I have
this problem why why oh, God.
00:42:55.79\00:42:59.73
Why don't You remove it?
00:42:59.76\00:43:02.01
I think friends that
often times God permits things
00:43:02.04\00:43:07.66
to take place so that it
could be a witness to others
00:43:07.69\00:43:12.22
as to what the grace of
God can do in a human being.
00:43:12.25\00:43:16.45
In other words, I
remember one time in Romania,
00:43:16.48\00:43:21.31
a man who used to come
to my series of meetings.
00:43:21.34\00:43:24.86
There are rough 4,000
people in the audience
00:43:24.89\00:43:27.84
and this particular man
had several fingers missing.
00:43:27.87\00:43:32.35
So he had three
fingers in one hand
00:43:32.38\00:43:34.41
and these two fingers
were missing in this hand.
00:43:34.44\00:43:36.42
So he had three fingers here
00:43:36.45\00:43:38.11
and there are
these three fingers.
00:43:38.14\00:43:39.23
So, he had these
three and these three.
00:43:39.26\00:43:43.97
And so he came in a motorcycle
00:43:44.00\00:43:49.60
and this man
had no legs as well.
00:43:49.63\00:43:52.12
So he had
several fingers missing,
00:43:52.15\00:43:54.58
no legs but he rode a motorcycle
00:43:54.61\00:43:57.00
and he came with his motorcycle
00:43:57.03\00:43:58.48
and back of his
motorcycle he had a wheelchair.
00:43:58.51\00:44:01.22
So he would come
and stop at the meeting
00:44:01.25\00:44:03.74
yank out his
wheelchair put it down
00:44:03.77\00:44:06.32
pick himself up put
himself in the wheelchair
00:44:06.35\00:44:08.54
and roll himself
into the auditorium.
00:44:08.57\00:44:11.07
The wonderful thing is that
this man was carver as well.
00:44:11.10\00:44:14.31
And such a carver that
people from all over Europe
00:44:14.34\00:44:18.01
would come and visit
him just by his works.
00:44:18.04\00:44:21.13
And I asked him how
do you accomplish that?
00:44:21.16\00:44:23.04
He said by God's grace.
00:44:23.07\00:44:25.31
By what? By God's grace.
00:44:25.34\00:44:28.45
A wonderful
testimony of the power of God
00:44:28.48\00:44:31.34
to enable people in
this sin filled world,
00:44:31.37\00:44:35.51
with all the
problem that it brings
00:44:35.54\00:44:37.36
that God provides us
strength and fortitude
00:44:37.39\00:44:42.31
to be able to deal
with the challenges of life
00:44:42.34\00:44:44.91
and over come where
we need over coming.
00:44:44.94\00:44:47.53
So the grace of God.
00:44:47.56\00:44:51.39
Paul says my grace
is sufficient for you.
00:44:51.42\00:44:54.75
Now, let me -- let me give you
00:44:54.78\00:44:56.59
some practical-- a
practical illustration
00:44:56.62\00:45:00.62
concerning a thing called grace.
00:45:00.65\00:45:03.62
I was born in Puerto
Rico back in the times
00:45:03.65\00:45:09.93
when it was very, very
difficult in Puerto Rican
00:45:09.96\00:45:11.98
to live and my
mother who was very poor
00:45:12.01\00:45:14.76
moved from her home town
to San Juan to find work.
00:45:14.79\00:45:18.71
My dad who I
discover later on was not poor
00:45:18.74\00:45:22.95
but just went on
drinking left his home town
00:45:22.98\00:45:25.84
and went to San
Juan also and my mother
00:45:25.87\00:45:28.05
and dad met together there.
00:45:28.08\00:45:30.33
After six children
I was the number five,
00:45:30.36\00:45:34.28
then there was a
little girl that came along
00:45:34.31\00:45:35.74
but when I was six months old
00:45:35.77\00:45:37.55
my dad decided to do something
00:45:37.58\00:45:43.11
about his
relationship with my mother
00:45:43.14\00:45:45.17
and here's what happened.
00:45:45.20\00:45:46.66
One day, my mother was
walking out in the streets
00:45:46.69\00:45:49.59
and she had a
girlfriend and her girlfriend
00:45:49.62\00:45:53.10
happened to be
without a place to stay.
00:45:53.13\00:45:55.73
So mother then invited
that woman to move in with our--
00:45:55.76\00:45:59.63
with us and we have
only have little shanty.
00:45:59.66\00:46:02.40
In fact not too long ago,
00:46:02.43\00:46:03.71
I met a man who was
a sailor in Puerto Rico
00:46:03.74\00:46:06.47
when I was born
00:46:06.50\00:46:08.16
and when I was about
five years old pardon me
00:46:08.19\00:46:10.43
and he says that
he had never seen
00:46:10.46\00:46:12.96
such a poor
place in all his life
00:46:12.99\00:46:15.51
as he saw there in Puerto Rico.
00:46:15.54\00:46:16.90
The place was called El Fanguito
00:46:16.93\00:46:18.62
which means
literally the mud place.
00:46:18.65\00:46:21.35
And so all we had
was a little shanty
00:46:21.38\00:46:24.64
and that where-- where we lived.
00:46:24.67\00:46:26.82
Well, that
woman moved in with us
00:46:26.85\00:46:30.81
and I don't
know how long it took
00:46:30.84\00:46:33.13
but before long
my dad and that woman
00:46:33.16\00:46:36.37
ran off together.
00:46:36.40\00:46:38.43
And so my mother was devastated.
00:46:38.46\00:46:42.22
Here she had done a
favor for her friend,
00:46:42.25\00:46:45.37
took her in out of the street,
00:46:45.40\00:46:47.46
out of the elements
and woman repays my mother
00:46:47.49\00:46:52.11
with running
off with her husband
00:46:52.14\00:46:53.71
and leaving her
00:46:53.74\00:46:54.95
with six children
to raise by herself.
00:46:54.98\00:46:57.64
It punched my mother
into greatest despair
00:46:57.67\00:47:00.35
and I remember from
the time I was a little boy
00:47:00.38\00:47:05.01
and from the
time I could remember,
00:47:05.04\00:47:07.14
my mother whenever something
bad took place in the home,
00:47:07.17\00:47:11.17
she will always
think of that woman
00:47:11.20\00:47:13.51
and she would say God curse
that woman wherever she is.
00:47:13.54\00:47:19.09
Well, you can
understand my mother's feelings.
00:47:19.12\00:47:20.81
Well, finally my
little sister died
00:47:20.84\00:47:25.27
who my mother adored.
00:47:25.30\00:47:27.14
She always wanted a girl,
00:47:27.17\00:47:29.69
and every time she
tried she had a boy.
00:47:29.72\00:47:31.87
Finally she had a
girl and she was delighted
00:47:31.90\00:47:33.69
that she had a girl
and then our little sister
00:47:33.72\00:47:36.25
because of our
poorest condition dies.
00:47:36.28\00:47:38.93
And I remember my
mother with a heart tears
00:47:38.96\00:47:40.93
again thinking of that
woman and saying God curse her.
00:47:40.96\00:47:45.11
Finally, my mother got together
00:47:45.14\00:47:47.60
with another man
and another child
00:47:47.63\00:47:49.73
came along what do you
suppose it was another boy.
00:47:49.76\00:47:52.43
And so now were six boys
00:47:52.46\00:47:54.88
but my stepfather
decided to move us to New York
00:47:54.91\00:47:57.73
because they had
heard so much about,
00:47:57.76\00:48:00.01
the land of good in plenty.
00:48:00.04\00:48:01.93
People would say
that you could find gold--
00:48:01.96\00:48:04.08
money in the streets
of all that New York.
00:48:04.11\00:48:06.19
And so my mother
and my stepfather
00:48:06.22\00:48:08.84
moved to New York but
they could only afford
00:48:08.87\00:48:10.77
to take three of us boys.
00:48:10.80\00:48:12.30
So we went to New York
City with mother and step dad.
00:48:12.33\00:48:15.70
He set us up in one of those
small one room efficiencies
00:48:15.73\00:48:19.34
and then he went back
to Puerto Rico to work
00:48:19.37\00:48:21.84
to get the other
three boys to come
00:48:21.87\00:48:24.10
but unfortunately
after several months
00:48:24.13\00:48:27.71
my mother received a telegram
00:48:27.74\00:48:30.25
and the telegram simply
said your husband is dead.
00:48:30.28\00:48:36.59
We don't know what happened
00:48:36.62\00:48:38.44
we just know
that he passed away.
00:48:38.47\00:48:41.19
It again plunged my dear
mother and to great disperse
00:48:41.22\00:48:44.88
because three
boys across the ocean,
00:48:44.91\00:48:50.03
no husband, she
couldn't speak English
00:48:50.06\00:48:52.89
and three boys they're with her.
00:48:52.92\00:48:55.87
And I remember
mother weeping again
00:48:55.90\00:48:58.16
and I remember my dear mother
00:48:58.19\00:48:59.77
remembering
that woman and saying
00:48:59.80\00:49:01.31
God curse that
woman wherever she is.
00:49:01.34\00:49:05.32
Now she find no
rest to her soul.
00:49:05.35\00:49:08.20
Trouble her
consciously oh, God curse her.
00:49:08.23\00:49:12.57
Well, mother
00:49:12.60\00:49:19.78
I don't know how
she worked it out
00:49:19.81\00:49:21.21
but finally she got
a job in the factory
00:49:21.24\00:49:26.11
we have to take
care of each other
00:49:26.14\00:49:27.91
and she got
enough money to bring one
00:49:27.94\00:49:30.75
and then the other and
finally we are all together.
00:49:30.78\00:49:33.33
This is the
picture of five of us
00:49:33.36\00:49:35.26
with my mother
back in New York City
00:49:35.29\00:49:38.15
in Brooklyn, New York.
00:49:38.18\00:49:40.32
And so now we were together
00:49:40.35\00:49:42.97
and mother begins to
rise us in the gallows
00:49:43.00\00:49:45.67
because all she
could afford was gallows.
00:49:45.70\00:49:47.84
Well, she moves
then to another place
00:49:47.87\00:49:50.79
and another gallows
and finally she got sick.
00:49:50.82\00:49:57.28
She was told by the physician
00:50:00.46\00:50:01.88
that she had
cancer and in those days
00:50:01.91\00:50:03.57
of course there was
no remedy for cancer
00:50:03.60\00:50:06.25
rather than just try to cut
off some parts from your body.
00:50:06.28\00:50:09.27
Mother again I
remember her weeping.
00:50:11.68\00:50:16.58
She prayed Oh, God,
don't take my life now.
00:50:16.61\00:50:19.94
Not for me but for my boys.
00:50:19.97\00:50:22.60
Lord, if I'm taken
they will have no one.
00:50:22.63\00:50:25.72
Please let me live
until they are old enough
00:50:25.75\00:50:28.70
to take care of themselves.
00:50:28.73\00:50:30.35
Oh, God, and then she
would say but curse that woman.
00:50:30.38\00:50:37.26
While she's praying
on the one hand for mercy
00:50:37.29\00:50:39.46
she also remembering
that the terrible woman
00:50:39.49\00:50:41.91
that did what she did to her.
00:50:41.94\00:50:43.89
God curse that woman.
00:50:43.92\00:50:45.21
Well, while mother
was sick a woman showed up
00:50:45.24\00:50:51.25
to help nurse my
mother back to health.
00:50:51.28\00:50:54.22
We didn't know who
she was to begin with
00:50:54.25\00:50:56.61
her name was Lolita.
00:50:56.64\00:50:57.90
This is her and
Lolita spends time
00:50:57.93\00:51:01.93
with my mother in the bedside
00:51:01.96\00:51:04.20
helping her to
get back into health.
00:51:04.23\00:51:07.05
The lady disappeared.
00:51:07.08\00:51:09.90
Later on I
discovered who this Lolita was,
00:51:09.93\00:51:13.03
this Lolita was
a wife of my dad's.
00:51:13.06\00:51:17.42
But here is the strange thing
00:51:17.45\00:51:19.44
my father
without woman number two,
00:51:19.47\00:51:22.86
had left Puerto
Rico and went to Chicago.
00:51:22.89\00:51:26.59
There in Chicago he
left that woman number two
00:51:26.62\00:51:29.77
and found woman number three
00:51:29.80\00:51:31.78
and that woman
number three was Lolita.
00:51:31.81\00:51:34.38
Lolita by God's
grace heard a problem
00:51:34.41\00:51:38.14
called a voice of
prophecy and began to study
00:51:38.17\00:51:41.28
the Word of God the grace of God
00:51:41.31\00:51:43.15
began to change her
and through her influence
00:51:43.18\00:51:45.68
my dad also began to
study the Word of God
00:51:45.71\00:51:48.45
and here is grace
God's wonderful grace
00:51:48.48\00:51:51.70
began to make marvelous
changes in my dad's life
00:51:51.73\00:51:55.48
and my dad and
Lolita became converted
00:51:55.51\00:51:57.76
they were
baptized and then decided
00:51:57.79\00:52:00.43
that they were go back
to New York to reach us.
00:52:00.46\00:52:03.72
Well, finally God's
grace began to change my life
00:52:07.18\00:52:12.19
I was in show
business at that time
00:52:12.22\00:52:13.97
and I'll tell you more about it
and I performed for eight years
00:52:14.00\00:52:16.91
in show business
and the last group
00:52:16.94\00:52:18.79
I was performing was
Bill Haley and the Comets,
00:52:18.82\00:52:21.42
the fame father
of rock and roll.
00:52:21.45\00:52:23.76
But I left show business
because of the grace of God
00:52:23.79\00:52:29.06
as God's grace
began to work in my heart
00:52:29.09\00:52:31.35
I could see then that
God had wonderful power
00:52:31.38\00:52:35.12
and through His
power by His grace
00:52:35.15\00:52:38.09
I was able to
leave the formal life
00:52:38.12\00:52:40.73
and take up a
new walk in Christ.
00:52:40.76\00:52:43.87
Then my youngest
brother and my other brothers
00:52:43.90\00:52:47.05
and to make a long
story short, my mother herself
00:52:47.08\00:52:50.71
was transformed
by the grace of God.
00:52:50.74\00:52:53.39
By the time then I
was in show business
00:52:53.42\00:52:55.95
mother was into--
into spiritualism.
00:52:55.98\00:53:00.09
She had all sorts of
idols and statues and things
00:53:00.12\00:53:02.48
around our house
and at the same time
00:53:02.51\00:53:03.92
she would pray to the saints.
00:53:03.95\00:53:06.15
Mother was quite involved
00:53:06.18\00:53:08.21
in a lot of kind
of interesting things.
00:53:08.24\00:53:11.50
Well, finally
when the grace of God
00:53:11.53\00:53:14.74
began to work in our heart
00:53:14.77\00:53:16.41
my mother then gave
up all those things,
00:53:16.44\00:53:19.48
accepted Christ and
decided to follow His ways.
00:53:19.51\00:53:24.06
Well, here's what happens.
00:53:24.09\00:53:27.63
I become a preacher
00:53:27.66\00:53:29.32
and I'm asked to go to
Chicago to preach in Chicago
00:53:29.35\00:53:33.27
and my brother then
also my oldest brother
00:53:33.30\00:53:36.79
who became a minister
moved to Chicago as well.
00:53:36.82\00:53:39.54
Well, I was visiting
there my brother said
00:53:39.57\00:53:41.63
that I got a idea,
because I discovered
00:53:41.66\00:53:44.27
that while he
was knocking on doors
00:53:44.30\00:53:47.48
he came and across guess what?
00:53:47.51\00:53:49.14
Woman number two.
00:53:49.17\00:53:51.56
And so he taught it
would be a great idea
00:53:51.59\00:53:53.98
to get that woman to
come and listen to me preach.
00:53:54.01\00:53:56.88
Then he had
another idea he thought
00:53:56.91\00:53:59.30
why don't we invite
mother to come hear you preach?
00:53:59.33\00:54:02.61
And so, he and I
worked it together
00:54:02.64\00:54:05.97
we paid the trip
for mother to come
00:54:06.00\00:54:08.15
to hear me preach in Spanish
00:54:08.18\00:54:09.68
because my mother had
never heard me speak in Spanish.
00:54:09.71\00:54:12.36
And so when she
arrived my wife and I
00:54:12.39\00:54:15.41
and she were
together with my brother.
00:54:15.44\00:54:17.52
My brother took us to the church
00:54:17.55\00:54:18.89
dropped us off in the foyer
and said I'll be right back.
00:54:18.92\00:54:21.36
You see, he did not tell
my mother what he was up to.
00:54:21.39\00:54:25.51
And so he takes off
00:54:25.54\00:54:28.96
and we're waiting
there in the foyer
00:54:28.99\00:54:30.78
and people are
coming in and finally,
00:54:30.81\00:54:33.88
finally the door
opens and my mother
00:54:33.91\00:54:36.08
who was looking down
at the floor looks up
00:54:36.11\00:54:39.57
and the door opens,
00:54:39.60\00:54:40.96
as the door opens and
walks lady number two.
00:54:40.99\00:54:46.47
And when she
entered that door she froze
00:54:46.50\00:54:51.25
because even though
35 years had transpired
00:54:51.28\00:54:56.41
she merely recognized my mother
00:54:56.44\00:54:58.42
and mother
immediately recognize her.
00:54:58.45\00:55:02.60
And I wondered then
what mother would do
00:55:02.63\00:55:04.82
after so many years of suffering
00:55:04.85\00:55:08.03
as a result of the treasury
00:55:08.06\00:55:10.36
that she
suffered from her friend.
00:55:10.39\00:55:12.96
I wonder what mother would do
00:55:12.99\00:55:15.24
and I'll never
forget my friends,
00:55:15.27\00:55:16.75
as I stood there
watching this episode,
00:55:16.78\00:55:18.91
this woman frozen, turned pale
00:55:18.94\00:55:22.35
and my mother looking at her.
00:55:22.38\00:55:25.24
I remember what happened,
her cheeks began to quiver,
00:55:25.27\00:55:29.70
tears began to
come down her face.
00:55:29.73\00:55:32.26
And mother open up
her arms and walk forward
00:55:32.29\00:55:35.69
and grabbed that
woman and kissed her.
00:55:35.72\00:55:39.55
Oh, friends,
listen, the grace of God
00:55:39.58\00:55:43.10
is able to accomplish that.
00:55:43.13\00:55:44.37
What do you saying?
00:55:44.40\00:55:45.76
Then we discovered
that they were two girls
00:55:45.79\00:55:48.47
actually one girl that was
born out of that relationship
00:55:48.50\00:55:52.10
and you can understand
00:55:52.13\00:55:54.03
now mother might
have felt embittered
00:55:54.06\00:55:57.42
because what he wanted
from dad of a girl, a daughter
00:55:57.45\00:56:03.24
was given to another woman.
00:56:03.27\00:56:05.14
And I wonder how
mother would feel.
00:56:05.17\00:56:07.38
Well, we had a wedding
00:56:07.41\00:56:08.77
and my brother again
invites the whole clad.
00:56:08.80\00:56:11.71
Lady number two,
lady number three
00:56:11.74\00:56:13.36
and lady number one.
00:56:13.39\00:56:15.18
And they all come together
and the wonderful thing is
00:56:15.21\00:56:20.71
then I saw my mother
walking with my half sister
00:56:20.74\00:56:25.38
hand in hand as
mother and daughter.
00:56:25.41\00:56:29.37
My friends, only the grace
of God can do that for you.
00:56:29.40\00:56:32.18
What do you say?
00:56:32.21\00:56:33.66
Listen, you have
bitterness in your heart
00:56:33.69\00:56:38.34
as somebody betrayed you,
00:56:38.37\00:56:42.28
as somebody done
something wrong to you,
00:56:42.31\00:56:44.64
have you been unable to forgive?
00:56:44.67\00:56:47.38
Listen, the grace of
God is sufficient for you.
00:56:47.41\00:56:52.28
God can give you
strength and power
00:56:52.31\00:56:56.51
to overcome whatever
sin you're dealing with.
00:56:56.54\00:56:59.92
How many of you
here would like to say
00:56:59.95\00:57:02.00
oh God, I want that grace,
give me that wonderful grace.
00:57:02.03\00:57:06.71
Let us pray.
00:57:06.74\00:57:08.07
Our Father, we thank You
00:57:08.10\00:57:11.06
for this miraculous
wonderful mysterious power
00:57:11.09\00:57:13.86
that you provide Your grace.
00:57:13.89\00:57:15.93
Oh, help us we pray
in Jesus name, amen.
00:57:15.96\00:57:19.54