¤ ¤ 00:00:01.36\00:01:00.82 It is a pleasure to introduce our next speaker, Pr. Cory 00:01:00.86\00:01:05.03 Jackson. For those of you who were here the other morning you 00:01:05.09\00:01:08.73 heard me say it was only natural for me to introduce him because 00:01:08.76\00:01:13.70 he's my twin brother and I don't say that facetiously. Cory and I 00:01:13.74\00:01:18.67 started the ministry in Grand Rapids, Michigan together. We 00:01:18.71\00:01:21.84 were in different churches. The Lord just knit our hearts 00:01:21.88\00:01:25.65 together. In fact, it was Cory who shared with me. One day he 00:01:25.68\00:01:29.08 said, you know, you're like my twin brother because, he said, 00:01:29.12\00:01:32.62 we want the same thing. We love the Lord. We want to see people 00:01:32.65\00:01:36.73 saved and I want to tell that's a lot, it means a lot coming 00:01:36.79\00:01:39.83 from Cory because as you're going to find out a little bit 00:01:39.86\00:01:42.86 in this presentation. Cory was heading into being a part of the 00:01:42.90\00:01:46.37 black panthers and he wasn't keen on white people. He'll tell 00:01:46.40\00:01:50.54 you that himself. So then to call me his twin brother, you 00:01:50.57\00:01:54.71 know, that's an evidence of the Lord's transforming power. And 00:01:54.74\00:01:58.88 that's going to be Cory's message today, Transformers. 00:01:58.91\00:02:01.68 Now he currently is the pastor of the Detroit Northwest Church 00:02:01.72\00:02:05.62 as well as the Farmington Hills church in the Detroit area. He's 00:02:05.65\00:02:09.52 also the head of the Lazarus project which is a project for 00:02:09.56\00:02:14.63 at risk inner city kids in the Detroit area and I would ask you 00:02:14.66\00:02:19.67 to hold that up in prayer. Now it seems interesting to me that 00:02:19.70\00:02:23.84 every message we have heard so far has been about surrender and 00:02:23.87\00:02:27.64 the transforming power of Jesus Christ in His word. Now Cory is 00:02:27.68\00:02:31.41 going to tell us about transformers. 00:02:31.45\00:02:34.62 I love you Mark. I'm much more handsome than Pastor Howard. 00:02:34.68\00:02:43.02 The other twin, the younger twin always has to be the best 00:02:43.06\00:02:51.33 looking so I'm the best looking between the two of us. But it is 00:02:51.37\00:02:58.54 indeed a pleasure to be here with you today because Howard 00:02:58.57\00:03:03.24 and I have spent our time in the ministry together and we got 00:03:03.28\00:03:06.85 ordained together so I think that's what makes it special. 00:03:06.88\00:03:11.65 The other morning, I should say yesterday morning the message 00:03:11.69\00:03:17.76 was entitled Oh Oh I Should Have Had a V-8. Today is part 2 to 00:03:17.79\00:03:24.43 that, called Transformers. When I was a little boy I didn't grow 00:03:24.47\00:03:30.04 up as a Christian, but when I was a little boy, I used to love 00:03:30.07\00:03:34.18 this particular show. This particular show had a character 00:03:34.21\00:03:40.45 by the name of Optimus Prime and Optimus Prime was a good guy. 00:03:40.52\00:03:46.76 But then when danger came Optimus Prime and his team 00:03:46.79\00:03:53.06 transformed themselves to fight the bad guy. I used to love 00:03:53.09\00:03:58.33 Optimus Prime, but when he transformed into this superhero 00:03:58.37\00:04:03.57 fighting machine you could not tell that he was a truck anymore 00:04:03.61\00:04:07.88 because he had transformed himself to fight off the bad guy 00:04:07.91\00:04:12.15 I was just intrigued by this show because as the truck 00:04:12.18\00:04:17.22 transformed you could not notice anything about the body 00:04:17.29\00:04:21.59 of the truck. And brothers and sisters, I want to tell you 00:04:21.62\00:04:26.29 today it's like that with Christ When He transforms our hearts 00:04:26.33\00:04:30.43 and He transforms our lives there should be nothing at all 00:04:30.47\00:04:36.37 that reminds Him of our old sinful ways. Amen? So as we pray 00:04:36.40\00:04:41.34 together and as we talk about transformers it is my prayer 00:04:41.38\00:04:46.28 that you will see Christ as He wants you to see Him today, amen 00:04:46.31\00:04:51.12 Kneel with me. Our Father in heaven we thank you for this 00:04:51.15\00:05:01.36 time we've had together and this time is no exception to that. 00:05:01.40\00:05:06.94 We're on sacred ground because your presence is with us. And as 00:05:06.97\00:05:12.44 we gather together the Bible says where two or three are 00:05:12.47\00:05:16.31 gathered that you'll be in the midst. We believe you've been 00:05:16.34\00:05:19.71 with us in the singing and the testimonies and the message 00:05:19.75\00:05:23.95 that I've been preaching and even continuing on. So Lord this 00:05:23.99\00:05:28.12 time is about you and not me. This time is about how you 00:05:28.16\00:05:31.99 transform lives for the soul purpose of taking us home with 00:05:32.03\00:05:35.80 you. So we pray for your presence right now. Into your 00:05:35.83\00:05:40.67 hands, Lord, I commend my spirit and ask you Lord that it will be 00:05:40.70\00:05:45.74 your voice that will be heard today. In the mighty name of 00:05:45.77\00:05:48.64 Jesus we pray, Amen. 00:05:48.68\00:05:52.05 I love looking up words and so I looked up the word transformer 00:05:52.11\00:05:58.42 Now in the dictionary, the one I used, it had eight different 00:05:58.45\00:06:03.12 meanings. There are two that I want to share with you today. 00:06:03.16\00:06:08.20 The first one is to change in form, appearance or structure. 00:06:08.23\00:06:13.20 Mmm, I kind of like that one but it's not the cake for me. You 00:06:13.23\00:06:17.17 know you can change in form and appearance and structure. You 00:06:17.21\00:06:21.08 know little boys who grow up. When I was a little boy I 00:06:21.11\00:06:24.25 didn't have all this hair on my face and as I got older the 00:06:24.28\00:06:27.58 appearance has changed, the weight has went off somewhere. 00:06:27.62\00:06:31.95 You guys not supposed to laugh at me. So the appearance has 00:06:32.02\00:06:36.36 changed somewhat. But then I looked at the second definition 00:06:36.39\00:06:39.19 that I enjoy. It says to change in condition, nature or 00:06:39.49\00:06:45.13 character, in other words, converted. I said yeah that's 00:06:45.17\00:06:49.40 the definition that I like. Let me read it to you again. To 00:06:49.44\00:06:55.44 change in condition, nature or character. The second definition 00:06:55.51\00:07:01.18 fit exactly what the word of God teaches, expounds on and most of 00:07:01.22\00:07:06.86 all expects, and that is transformation. 00:07:06.89\00:07:11.46 When you look at the Bible it's filled with stories and 00:07:11.49\00:07:15.70 individuals who have been transformed. In Psalm 51 David 00:07:15.73\00:07:19.87 said create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me. 00:07:19.93\00:07:23.87 John chapter 3, Jesus talking to Nicodemus, He says you must be 00:07:23.91\00:07:29.11 born again. Luke 22:32 Jesus told Peter when thou art 00:07:29.14\00:07:32.08 converted strengthen your brethren. Acts 3:19 00:07:32.11\00:07:35.22 Peter starts preaching 00:07:35.25\00:07:36.82 repent and be converted. 1 John 1:9 simply says if we confess 00:07:36.85\00:07:40.82 our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to 00:07:40.86\00:07:44.99 cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 00:07:45.03\00:07:47.00 So what we see is conversion, transformation. The question you 00:07:47.06\00:07:51.67 got to ask yourself, why is this necessary. Go with me in your 00:07:51.73\00:07:55.74 Bibles to Isaiah 64. Let's look at a couple scriptures that we 00:07:55.77\00:08:01.04 looked at yesterday as part of the review. Isaiah 64 and when 00:08:01.08\00:08:06.18 you're there please just say Amen. Isaiah 64. Isaiah the 64th 00:08:06.21\00:08:12.29 chapter in the Old Testament. Isaiah 64 verse 6 simply says 00:08:12.32\00:08:18.03 For we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness 00:08:18.06\00:08:23.73 are as filthy rags and we do all fade as a leaf and our 00:08:23.77\00:08:29.87 iniquities like the wind have taken us away. So the best that 00:08:29.90\00:08:34.41 you and I can give God is still filthy. No matter how much we 00:08:34.44\00:08:39.08 want to make it up the best we can give God without Him is 00:08:39.11\00:08:43.65 this sinful nature is filthiness Jeremiah 13, just one book over. 00:08:43.69\00:08:49.89 Jeremiah 13, Jeremiah 13 verse 23 and the reason of it is, 00:08:49.92\00:08:56.87 Jeremiah chapter 13 verse 23 the Bible says it this way. Can the 00:08:56.90\00:09:01.57 Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots. Then may 00:09:01.60\00:09:06.71 ye also do good that are accustomed to do what? Evil. So 00:09:06.74\00:09:12.95 we are accustomed to doing that which is wrong anyway. Now I 00:09:12.98\00:09:17.79 didn't eat lunch, not because it wasn't good, but I wanted to 00:09:17.82\00:09:21.99 have a clear mind as I preached. But I can imagine if there were 00:09:22.02\00:09:26.29 come hungry folks that had been waiting to get in line and I can 00:09:26.33\00:09:30.73 imagine someone was just going a little bit slow. Boy, if you 00:09:30.77\00:09:34.90 are hungry and in line and you see that it's to the last and 00:09:34.94\00:09:40.04 that person is scraping the last of your meal that you had 00:09:40.08\00:09:44.51 imagined being in line and you had waited for 20 minutes and 00:09:44.55\00:09:49.22 you see the person scraping it off and looking back, God bless 00:09:49.25\00:09:53.86 you and leaving. I hardly imagine in your mind what you 00:09:53.89\00:09:58.09 begin to think. I don't think you would utter words God bless 00:09:58.13\00:10:03.13 you do dear brother and sister. So in our condition we have a 00:10:03.16\00:10:08.70 tendency to think that which is what? Not good. And the reason 00:10:08.74\00:10:14.24 as Jeremiah 17 verse 9, the Bible says the heart is 00:10:14.28\00:10:20.58 deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know 00:10:20.62\00:10:24.22 it? So understanding that this is our condition, it must mean 00:10:24.25\00:10:31.56 that you and I need a what? Change. I need to let you know 00:10:31.59\00:10:35.70 as you go to Revelation 21, this is one of my favorite 00:10:35.76\00:10:39.23 subjects. My churches in Detroit know that I spend time talking 00:10:39.27\00:10:43.41 about transformation and living a converted life because it's 00:10:43.44\00:10:49.74 very important today. Amen? Revelation 21:27, the chapter 00:10:49.78\00:10:54.65 dealing with heaven, this new earth that we're all looking 00:10:54.68\00:11:00.22 forward to. But the last verse of 21 says: And there shall in 00:11:00.26\00:11:06.90 no wise enter into it anything that defiles, neither whatsoever 00:11:06.93\00:11:11.97 worketh abomination or maketh a lie, but they that are written 00:11:12.00\00:11:17.21 in the Lamb's book of life. So we have to understand that when 00:11:17.24\00:11:22.44 Christ comes to get us He has to change us from our what? Present 00:11:22.48\00:11:27.65 state. Are you with me so far? Because nothing that goes to 00:11:27.68\00:11:32.15 heaven will be defiled. Everything connected to God is 00:11:32.19\00:11:35.42 what? Holy. When God comes into a room it is holy. Holy Bible, 00:11:35.49\00:11:39.49 holy tithe, Holy Spirit, Holy angels. He's looking for the 00:11:39.53\00:11:43.50 holy people. Are you with me so far? So Christ came to the earth 00:11:43.53\00:11:48.34 not only to save sinners but to also transform their lives. 00:11:48.37\00:11:53.07 John 1:29 simply says: Behold the Lamb of God, which comes to 00:11:53.11\00:11:57.55 take away the S-I-N of the world not sins, but to take away that 00:11:57.58\00:12:02.08 sinful nature that we all have. He came to take it away because 00:12:02.15\00:12:06.65 in Genesis 3:15 the promise was that I will put enmity between 00:12:06.69\00:12:11.13 the woman and the enemy's seed. Got gave us a mechanism to hate 00:12:11.16\00:12:16.43 that which is what? Sinful. Are you with me so far? All I have 00:12:16.46\00:12:20.97 to do is mention a child who's been molested or a parent who's 00:12:21.00\00:12:25.04 been killed and instantly you'll probably hate the person, but 00:12:25.07\00:12:29.08 not necessarily sin. But God wants us to hate the sin. 00:12:29.11\00:12:32.28 He wants us to hate sin because sin separates us from God. Are 00:12:32.31\00:12:40.19 you with me so far? In Genesis 1:26 He said: Let us make man in 00:12:40.22\00:12:48.06 our image. Christ came to restore man back to God's image, 00:12:48.10\00:12:53.50 to reconcile man back to His image. His image is His 00:12:53.54\00:12:59.44 character. How do people truly know God exists? They'll see it 00:12:59.47\00:13:06.21 in you. They'll see how you live The greatest sermon that can be 00:13:06.25\00:13:12.02 preached is not from this pulpit but it's what's lived. Are you 00:13:12.05\00:13:17.83 with me so far? So let's look at this in Mark chapter 5. One 00:13:17.86\00:13:23.03 of my favorite, if not the most favorite chapter, not to take 00:13:23.06\00:13:30.01 away from John 3:16, but Mark chapter 5. It reveals to me the 00:13:30.04\00:13:36.95 plan of salvation. Because Christ helps a man who's a 00:13:36.98\00:13:43.22 demoniac. He helps a woman who has an issue of blood. He helps 00:13:43.25\00:13:47.72 a child who died. So for me the plan of salvation is revealed in 00:13:47.76\00:13:52.19 Mark chapter 5 when all three are helped. Mark chapter 5. 00:13:52.23\00:13:58.13 In chapter 4, Jesus has spent all day teaching parables, 00:13:58.17\00:14:04.04 teaching about the kingdom of God. He gets close to the end of 00:14:04.07\00:14:08.44 the chapter and He says let's cross over to the other side. 00:14:08.48\00:14:11.01 To the other side was about seven miles away. And you know 00:14:11.05\00:14:15.82 in the midst of Him crossing to the other side there's a storm 00:14:15.85\00:14:19.65 that came and Jesus is in the boat asleep. And the disciples 00:14:19.69\00:14:22.06 are so scared and they forgot that Jesus was in the boat and 00:14:22.12\00:14:26.90 and they wake the Master to try to rebuke Him; don't you care 00:14:26.93\00:14:30.87 that we live or die. Jesus awakes and tells the sea to be 00:14:30.93\00:14:34.87 still. What they did not understand was that Jesus had a 00:14:34.90\00:14:38.77 child on the other side that He had to tend to. Chapter 5 verse 00:14:38.81\00:14:43.35 1. And the Bible says: And they came unto the other side of the 00:14:43.38\00:14:47.88 sea into the country of the Gadarenes and He was come out 00:14:47.92\00:14:53.02 of the ship and immediately there met him out of the tombs 00:14:53.05\00:14:58.06 a man with an unclean spirit who had his dwelling among the tombs 00:14:58.09\00:15:03.83 and no man could bind him, no, not with chains because that he 00:15:03.87\00:15:09.57 had been often bound with fetters and chains and the 00:15:09.60\00:15:13.94 chains had been plucked asunder by him and the fetters broken 00:15:13.98\00:15:17.91 in pieces. Neither could any man tame him. And always night and 00:15:17.95\00:15:21.65 day he was in the mountains in the tombs crying and cutting 00:15:21.68\00:15:26.19 himself. Now I don't know about you. I'm from the city of 00:15:26.25\00:15:31.03 Chicago and it's not much that I have not seen. But I don't 00:15:31.09\00:15:35.43 know about you but being in a boat, crossed to the other side 00:15:35.46\00:15:40.80 and immediately you get out you see a man ahhhh! scream. Now 00:15:40.84\00:15:46.54 I don't know about you, I don't know what gun could help him to 00:15:46.57\00:15:52.21 scare him off. Screaming, hollering. The Bible says in 00:15:52.25\00:15:57.19 Luke that he was nude, naked. Now that really would scare me. 00:15:57.22\00:16:02.12 Not only is he screaming and hollering but he's naked. 00:16:02.16\00:16:10.77 I would be scared to death and as it was the disciples ran and 00:16:10.80\00:16:20.68 as soon as they touched shore I can imagine them brothers 00:16:20.71\00:16:23.18 racing, running. John, I'm going to get to the shore before you. 00:16:23.21\00:16:24.55 I got to get away from here. I don't know what's going on now. 00:16:27.72\00:16:30.89 We just survived a storm on the sea. Now we got a storm on land. 00:16:30.92\00:16:36.59 Well the church members fled when they say a crazy, deranged 00:16:36.62\00:16:42.30 man. But this man lived in a cave. This man was 00:16:42.33\00:16:50.11 uncontrollable. How do you know? Chains couldn't hold him on his 00:16:50.14\00:16:54.14 feet or on his arms. Now I used to be a juvenile probation 00:16:54.18\00:16:59.81 officer and we had "dangerous" kids we had to transport and we 00:16:59.85\00:17:05.49 had to shackle them from head to toe. Basically arms are shackled 00:17:05.52\00:17:09.89 to here and they'd walk like this. Now I've seen some of them 00:17:09.92\00:17:13.83 try to break that chain and you know you sit there laughing at 00:17:13.86\00:17:17.37 them because all they're doing is hurting themselves. Trying to 00:17:17.40\00:17:22.30 part that thing. But this guy, pow! Mmm! I would be scared to 00:17:22.34\00:17:25.97 death because the shackles were still on him but they were 00:17:26.01\00:17:32.58 broken. Screaming, cutting himself and most of all he's 00:17:32.61\00:17:39.12 possessed by demons. This man is a psychopath. Let me see you 00:17:39.15\00:17:45.79 vote him into your church. Let me see the pastor introduce him 00:17:45.83\00:17:51.97 to your congregation. Not only does he have the fetters on, but 00:17:52.00\00:17:58.14 he's naked before the church. You would probably kick the 00:17:58.17\00:18:04.01 pastor out. He's utterly dangerous and there's no mental 00:18:04.05\00:18:09.82 institution that can hold him. He's a danger to society. He's 00:18:09.85\00:18:16.02 the very ones that we don't want to deal with. Now we have a 00:18:16.06\00:18:20.53 church, one of my churches, is in the inner city of Detroit and 00:18:20.56\00:18:24.97 it's a place that most folk don't want to come down to. 00:18:25.00\00:18:30.24 It's a place with a lot of good folk. Let me say that. But those 00:18:30.27\00:18:34.44 who give Detroit a bad name... It's a place where there are 00:18:34.48\00:18:38.05 good folk but it's also a place with bad folk. And the place 00:18:38.08\00:18:43.22 where my church is it's one of the most violent precincts in 00:18:43.25\00:18:47.69 all of Detroit. When we go into church we go in as groups. When 00:18:47.72\00:18:52.73 we leave church we leave as a group Our air conditioners on 00:18:52.79\00:18:57.53 top of the roof, somebody came on top of the roof and stole 00:18:57.57\00:19:02.77 them. Cars have been stolen and so when you see somebody walking 00:19:02.80\00:19:08.01 by you give them that this may be the one. But all in all God 00:19:08.04\00:19:14.02 has taken care of His church and His people. But there's not too 00:19:14.05\00:19:18.72 many folk who want to come down to the inner city of Detroit and 00:19:18.75\00:19:23.16 do ministry because they are afraid of the atmosphere. So I 00:19:23.19\00:19:27.03 can understand what Jesus is dealing with right here when 00:19:27.06\00:19:31.47 there are those who are afraid of the very ones that's created 00:19:31.50\00:19:35.97 just like them. And they're afraid to come into contact with 00:19:36.00\00:19:40.84 people. So I can understand what Jesus is going through in this 00:19:40.88\00:19:47.18 mind frame because we in society get afraid of the inner city. So 00:19:47.22\00:19:53.79 as His disciples ran Jesus is here face to face with the demon 00:19:53.82\00:20:00.66 and verse 6 said that he ran to Jesus. Perhaps to lunge at him, 00:20:00.70\00:20:06.94 perhaps to attack, perhaps to put him a choke hold. I can 00:20:06.97\00:20:13.11 imagine Jesus being cool, calm and collected standing there as 00:20:13.17\00:20:18.68 he's running. And he gets to him and he just rrrr! stops and 00:20:18.71\00:20:25.75 Jesus looking at him not afraid one bit. The Bible says that the 00:20:25.79\00:20:33.50 man began to worship Him. And even in the midst of the worship 00:20:33.53\00:20:39.50 the devil does not want to let go. In verse 7 he says: And he 00:20:39.53\00:20:44.67 cried with a loud voice and said what have I to do with thee 00:20:44.71\00:20:49.78 Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God. I adjure thee by God that 00:20:49.81\00:20:54.82 that you do not torment me. Jesus simply tells the evil 00:20:54.85\00:21:00.02 spirit come on out, just come on out! Just come on out! And we 00:21:00.06\00:21:04.86 see, you read the rest of it where this evil spirit went into 00:21:04.89\00:21:11.23 the swine and all of a sudden, in verse 15, as Peter got the 00:21:11.27\00:21:16.27 courage to come back the Bible says in verse 15: And they come 00:21:16.30\00:21:24.18 the legion sitting, and clothed, in his right mind and they were 00:21:24.21\00:21:32.05 still what? It's amazing to me how we get afraid when 00:21:32.09\00:21:37.13 conversion has started. Amen. They were still afraid. Now look 00:21:37.16\00:21:41.93 at the picture; before he was naked, he was cutting himself, 00:21:41.96\00:21:46.40 he was screaming, but now the Bible says he's in his right 00:21:46.43\00:21:50.04 mind and Jesus just purchased him some clothes, just like that 00:21:50.07\00:21:53.64 he got clothes on and he's sitting with Jesus quiet. And 00:21:53.68\00:21:59.45 they're still afraid. Transformation with 00:21:59.48\00:22:06.05 Jesus happens as this man had a contact with Jesus and put 00:22:06.09\00:22:09.96 clothes back on his body. This man had a transformation with 00:22:10.03\00:22:13.86 Jesus. Didn't have to take no psycho medications, 00:22:13.90\00:22:17.33 psychotropic medications, but all he had to do was come in 00:22:17.37\00:22:20.50 contact and boom his mind came back. All he had to do was have 00:22:20.54\00:22:23.71 have contact with Jesus. He went from being nude, having nothing 00:22:23.74\00:22:26.91 to having clothes and having something. This man went 00:22:26.94\00:22:32.61 perhaps to hurt Jesus, to harm Jesus and he went from hurting 00:22:32.65\00:22:37.15 and harming to sitting and listening. Transformation. 00:22:37.19\00:22:41.62 You can't explain it. You can't explain how it happens. All we 00:22:41.69\00:22:46.33 can say is boom, Jesus takes care of us and that's it. The 00:22:46.36\00:22:50.27 woman with an issue of blood for 12 years; all of a sudden she 00:22:50.30\00:22:54.27 has a contact with Jesus and now she's smelling like Bath and 00:22:54.30\00:23:01.38 Body. Simply having a contact with Jesus. See 2 Corinthians 00:23:01.41\00:23:08.42 5:17 which was mentioned earlier It simply says: Therefore if any 00:23:08.45\00:23:12.32 man be in Christ, he is a new creation. What's passed away? 00:23:12.35\00:23:17.49 Old things are passed away. So see the problem that takes place 00:23:17.53\00:23:23.77 is we'll come to Jesus but we'll not give Jesus all of us. So 00:23:23.80\00:23:29.74 Jesus you got to take me how I am. You know the saying, how it 00:23:29.80\00:23:34.54 goes: Jesus excepts you how you are but He doesn't expect you to 00:23:34.58\00:23:40.08 stay that way. Amen? There's progress when it comes to Christ 00:23:40.12\00:23:44.72 He can't accept you as a cusser and then take you to the kingdom 00:23:44.75\00:23:50.56 and you cuss him out. He can't take you as being selfish and 00:23:50.63\00:23:55.76 keep you there. He can't take you as a racist to the kingdom 00:23:55.80\00:24:00.94 because then you'll think that we're supposed to be on 00:24:00.97\00:24:04.31 different sides of heaven. Are you with me so far? There's 00:24:04.34\00:24:10.55 no inner city in heaven. There's no suburbs in the kingdom. 00:24:10.58\00:24:18.45 We have a contact with Christ. He expects change to take place. 00:24:18.49\00:24:25.19 He expects what to take place? Because we are experiencing Him 00:24:25.23\00:24:31.50 daily. Are you with me so far? Romans chapter 6, Romans chapter 00:24:31.53\00:24:37.81 6. We're going to get a little deeper into it. Can I challenge 00:24:37.84\00:24:42.64 you today in your thinking. Romans chapter 6. Because I'm 00:24:42.68\00:24:46.78 pretty sure what Pastor Howard said about me about what 00:24:46.82\00:24:50.82 I did not like in terms of a certain people, AKA, Caucasians. 00:24:50.85\00:24:55.26 I'm pretty sure there are some who didn't like me as a black 00:24:55.29\00:24:59.69 person if we're honest with ourselves. But see 00:24:59.73\00:25:02.06 when transformation happens you got to _ which you did 00:25:02.10\00:25:05.13 not like. Amen. Because that's in the past. So I don't mind 00:25:05.17\00:25:08.80 telling you what I did not like and what I did not care for. I 00:25:08.84\00:25:12.61 don't mind at all because I'm not that way no more, at least 00:25:12.64\00:25:18.65 my hope. Romans chapter 6. This man had an experience with 00:25:18.68\00:25:25.05 Christ. An experience that changed his life. Romans chapter 00:25:25.09\00:25:31.36 6, familiar text, verse 4 says: Therefore we are buried with Him 00:25:31.39\00:25:35.20 by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the 00:25:35.23\00:25:38.97 dead by the glory of the Father even so we should walk in 00:25:39.00\00:25:43.71 newness of life. So that old life that kept Christ at a 00:25:43.74\00:25:48.38 distance cannot be walked with any more. Verse 5 says: For if 00:25:48.41\00:25:53.42 we have been united together in the likeness of His death, we 00:25:53.45\00:25:57.72 shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, 00:25:57.75\00:26:01.99 that our old man is crucified with Him that the body of sin 00:26:02.02\00:26:07.03 might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve 00:26:07.06\00:26:10.83 sin. You with me so far? So when Christ comes into my life I 00:26:10.87\00:26:16.60 begin to lose that desire for sinful things. Are you with me 00:26:16.64\00:26:22.61 so far? Are you sure? You're answering mighty quick. You 00:26:22.64\00:26:27.72 don't know what's coming next from this point. Colossians, 00:26:27.78\00:26:32.79 Colossians chapter 3, Colossians chapter 3. The Bible says we 00:26:32.85\00:26:39.89 are to walk in newness of life That the old man is gone. 00:26:39.93\00:26:45.57 There's a new man. You walk different, talk different, you 00:26:45.60\00:26:50.44 act different. All those things are different about you. You 00:26:50.47\00:26:55.61 don't handle conflict the same way you used to. Colossians 00:26:55.64\00:27:00.72 chapter 3, verse 8. First start with verse 7. He's talking about 00:27:00.75\00:27:07.82 verses 5, 6 and verse 7: In the which you also walked some time, 00:27:07.86\00:27:14.73 when you lived in them. But now ye also put off all these: anger 00:27:14.76\00:27:20.34 wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 00:27:20.37\00:27:25.91 Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old 00:27:25.94\00:27:29.48 man with his deeds; and have put on the new man which is renewed 00:27:29.51\00:27:33.01 in knowledge after the image of Him that what? Created Him. 00:27:33.05\00:27:37.79 Verse 12 says: Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and 00:27:37.82\00:27:42.56 beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, 00:27:42.59\00:27:47.90 meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and 00:27:47.93\00:27:52.07 forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against you; 00:27:52.10\00:27:56.00 even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. So the Bible begins 00:27:56.04\00:28:00.71 telling me how I need to start acting. Amen? He needs to show 00:28:00.74\00:28:04.95 me that things are different about me, that that old man that 00:28:05.01\00:28:09.02 quick-tempered man, that man that did not like Christ begins 00:28:09.05\00:28:12.72 to serve Christ and his heart becomes softened to Christ. 00:28:12.75\00:28:16.52 You know I told you yesterday that for some of you when I was 00:28:16.59\00:28:20.43 growing up... My mother's here and she raised my brother and I 00:28:20.46\00:28:24.27 to the best of her ability taking nothing away when my 00:28:24.30\00:28:27.34 father left. There's something about the inner city, there's 00:28:27.37\00:28:31.44 something about boys who don't have a father like with the 00:28:31.47\00:28:34.48 things they take on and as I grew up there were things that I 00:28:34.54\00:28:37.98 began to inherit that she did not teach me, my mother that is. 00:28:38.01\00:28:41.45 Negative things because my mother would love us and 00:28:41.48\00:28:43.89 sacrifice for us and do all those things because of an 00:28:43.92\00:28:46.42 element of my life that was missing and that was my father 00:28:46.45\00:28:48.96 and it made me grow angry. So then I started looking at the 00:28:49.39\00:28:53.63 ills of society, the woes in our community and how there were a 00:28:53.66\00:28:57.87 lot of mothers like my mother who didn't have a man around 00:28:57.90\00:29:02.80 and I began to get angry and I began subscribing to various 00:29:02.84\00:29:07.24 things that promoted my anger and encouraged my anger and even 00:29:07.28\00:29:11.61 got me to blame my anger. So as I got older I got into 00:29:11.65\00:29:17.52 college and this young boy coming from Chicago from this 00:29:17.55\00:29:20.79 all black community comes to Grand Rapids, Michigan where 00:29:20.82\00:29:24.06 the population of black folks is only 13 percent. And at the 00:29:24.09\00:29:27.80 college that I attended it was only 4 percent. You now I had 00:29:27.83\00:29:31.83 struggles. So a band of us would get together and we would talk 00:29:31.87\00:29:35.80 about things we'd want to do and so we began to talk about how 00:29:35.84\00:29:39.84 it would be essential for us to take out a white man because he 00:29:39.87\00:29:43.85 was the problem to all out woes and we just needed to the 00:29:43.88\00:29:47.15 opportunity. See we weren't dumb You know, we couldn't just go 00:29:47.18\00:29:52.49 out and devise a scheme because that's murder one. That's 25 to 00:29:52.52\00:29:58.46 life, but we had a just cause. Maybe we'll get manslaughter. 00:29:58.49\00:30:04.27 We were in college. During this time I started beginning to 00:30:04.30\00:30:08.67 study about what it means to be a black panther and what it 00:30:08.70\00:30:12.87 means to be a black Muslim and so all those things began to 00:30:12.91\00:30:16.98 increase and I could not wait to kill me a white man. I couldn't 00:30:17.05\00:30:22.88 wait. My wife can tell you the books I had, talk I had. I told 00:30:22.92\00:30:27.32 her our boy who's here now we would raise him to be another 00:30:27.36\00:30:31.96 Malcom X a militant supreme. My wife is like, no you got the 00:30:31.99\00:30:36.53 wrong lady. Praise the Lord. And I began to tell my mother 00:30:36.56\00:30:43.91 about me studying as a black pan... I didn't tell her 00:30:43.94\00:30:45.94 everything because you know mothers will try to shut things 00:30:45.97\00:30:48.54 down. They'll catch a Greyhound, they'll catch a ride somewhere 00:30:48.58\00:30:51.68 to stop the presses so I gave her as little as possible, I'm 00:30:51.71\00:30:54.75 thinking about becoming a Muslim and a black panther and my 00:30:54.78\00:30:57.25 mother said something to me that shook me. She says, son if you 00:30:57.29\00:31:01.32 do I'm scared you might lose your life. And in my mind I'm 00:31:01.36\00:31:05.69 thinking that's the whole purpose for the cause. So as I'm 00:31:05.73\00:31:10.00 going through this tirade of experience and figuring out who 00:31:10.03\00:31:14.30 I am and what I am and what I'm doing, my anger began to get 00:31:14.37\00:31:19.84 more increased. My temper more increased and my wife would tell 00:31:19.87\00:31:24.61 you that a stared white folks down in a minute and would not 00:31:24.65\00:31:28.48 take my eye off because I'm hoping that they'll say 00:31:28.52\00:31:31.45 something to me that I did 00:31:31.49\00:31:32.82 not like and without anything being said I was swinging and 00:31:32.85\00:31:38.39 commencing to hit and punch and hurt even stomp. Don't 00:31:38.43\00:31:44.17 worry. It'll never happen today. Amen. You guys are secure today. 00:31:44.20\00:31:51.77 But the Lord knew that there was something about me He had a 00:31:51.81\00:31:57.71 change. So long story short this man Rich Max came into my 00:31:57.75\00:32:02.95 life and he started telling me about this man named Jesus. 00:32:02.98\00:32:07.02 And unlike, Rich, I'm not serving no white Jesus. 00:32:07.06\00:32:08.72 Shakespeare 00:32:11.09\00:32:12.43 wrote the Bible anyway. That's what the Muslims were teaching 00:32:12.46\00:32:15.83 me. I'm not serving no white Jesus. He's for the white man. 00:32:15.86\00:32:19.60 I said Mohammad's for the black man and he just kept pouring it 00:32:19.63\00:32:23.91 on and long story short the Lord brought my wife and I to this 00:32:23.94\00:32:29.01 message. There was a struggle. It took them a year and a half 00:32:29.04\00:32:33.98 to deprogram me, to get me back on track to what God wanted 00:32:34.02\00:32:39.52 me. And when He did that I came up out of that water there was 00:32:39.55\00:32:44.13 an element of hate that began to dissolve. And it wasn't until I 00:32:44.16\00:32:48.16 went to the Black Hills Mission College with Pastor Torres that 00:32:48.20\00:32:52.43 I really understood this first angel's message; to every nation 00:32:52.47\00:32:56.64 kindred, tongue and people. Because I would express my 00:32:56.67\00:33:00.58 sentiment to him because he's Puerto Rican you see. And Puerto 00:33:00.61\00:33:05.38 Rican is close to black folk. But he was just light skinned. 00:33:05.41\00:33:09.38 So I knew he would understand my pain. See my grandfather's 00:33:09.42\00:33:13.66 Puerto Rican so I got one. We could start a revolution. I'm 00:33:13.69\00:33:18.99 in the church, you follow me now And He talked to me as many of 00:33:19.03\00:33:24.20 you know Him, He talked to me. And from that moment on I began 00:33:24.23\00:33:29.50 to see things differently. He says Cory Christ sees saints and 00:33:29.54\00:33:37.11 sinners. The devil sees color. And as he began to teach me and 00:33:37.15\00:33:44.99 teach me and teach me the wall began to be broken down. Then 00:33:45.02\00:33:49.79 when God put me in the Conference that I'm in I thought 00:33:49.82\00:33:54.53 he was playing a joke on me. The first person I brought to the 00:33:54.56\00:34:01.14 church was a white female named Dale Fitzpatrick. I said Lord 00:34:01.17\00:34:07.71 you are humorous. But it would not have happened if I had not 00:34:07.74\00:34:12.85 had contact with Christ, willing to give up my beliefs and give 00:34:12.91\00:34:21.79 it to Him. Let me move on. See, see back in Mark chapter 5, the 00:34:21.82\00:34:28.03 Bible says in verse 18, it says: And when he was come into the 00:34:28.06\00:34:33.30 ship he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that 00:34:33.34\00:34:39.14 he might be with him. This very demonic man said Lord let me be 00:34:39.17\00:34:44.01 with you now. I don't want to go nowhere. I just want to 00:34:44.05\00:34:48.32 be with you. 00:34:48.35\00:34:49.68 See when you give yourself to Jesus all you want to do is be 00:34:49.72\00:34:51.75 with Him. Amen. If your spouse walks out it don't bother you 00:34:51.79\00:34:55.32 that much but you still just want to be with Jesus because 00:34:55.36\00:34:59.06 that's the most important man in your life. I don't want to go 00:34:59.09\00:35:02.76 nowhere. But Jesus said no. Verse 19: Jesus suffered him 00:35:02.80\00:35:06.03 not, but saith unto him, go home to thy friends, and tell them 00:35:06.07\00:35:09.17 how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had 00:35:09.20\00:35:11.97 compassion on you. 00:35:12.01\00:35:13.88 And he departed, and began to publish or proclaim in 00:35:13.91\00:35:17.35 Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men 00:35:17.38\00:35:20.62 did marvel. See what you don't understand is when your life 00:35:20.65\00:35:24.02 becomes transformed God has to show off, He has to pray, He 00:35:24.05\00:35:27.32 has to get the kudos for it. He loves to do it. He loves to take 00:35:27.36\00:35:31.33 a sin loving, sin eating man and make him a Bible toting, 00:35:31.36\00:35:37.17 vegemeat eating individual. He loves to change them. He loves 00:35:37.20\00:35:41.70 for others to see them and to see transformation that takes 00:35:41.74\00:35:46.14 place so that when someone asks, Cory what happened. Jesus. What 00:35:46.17\00:35:50.61 you mean Jesus? I can't tell you that now. It's Jesus. It's all 00:35:50.65\00:35:54.18 it's Jesus. It's that man on Calvary. It's Jesus. That's all 00:35:54.22\00:35:57.99 you can say. Because all the books I've read, he broke that 00:35:58.02\00:36:01.72 thing down and kicked the door down and everything. It was him. 00:36:01.76\00:36:06.06 And this man went back home and can you imagine when he 00:36:06.09\00:36:11.90 walked in the city gates? They said Oh here comes crazy Bob. 00:36:11.93\00:36:16.34 Hide! Hide! I tell you hide! They're all behind the tree and 00:36:16.37\00:36:20.01 he's walking in with a new suit on, walking a certain way. He's 00:36:20.04\00:36:23.65 got a Bible in his hand. Spirit of Prophet in the other hand. 00:36:23.68\00:36:26.48 Just walking around with folks seeing Him. All hail to King 00:36:26.51\00:36:29.78 Jesus and talking about nothing about Christ and Christ 00:36:29.82\00:36:34.46 crucified. Nothing else but Jesus. So those who were once 00:36:34.49\00:36:39.43 afraid now can see Christ just a little bit better. And you 00:36:39.46\00:36:43.83 notice in Mark 7 when He came to the Decapolis there were 00:36:43.87\00:36:48.17 people waiting for Jesus to heal them. Because they had seen the 00:36:48.20\00:36:56.04 healing power of this man who goes nameless. 1 Peter chapter 00:36:56.08\00:37:01.88 2, 1 Peter chapter 2. Let me tell y'all something. The Lord 00:37:01.92\00:37:07.66 loves to brag. I know grandparents love to brag on 00:37:07.69\00:37:12.23 their grandchildren. As bad as their grand kids are they still 00:37:12.26\00:37:14.53 brag on them. You now in Grandma's eyes a grandbaby can 00:37:14.56\00:37:19.67 do no wrong. And they're just as bad and I don't know what. 00:37:19.70\00:37:23.97 That's all right. You get two grandparents together they 00:37:24.01\00:37:27.88 _ about their grandkids But they love to brag about 00:37:27.94\00:37:31.75 their grandkids. I don't care if they got snot nose, I don't care 00:37:31.78\00:37:33.65 if the boys stink, they still brag about grandbabies. Now if 00:37:33.68\00:37:38.35 you can brag about a grandchild what you think God will brag 00:37:38.39\00:37:45.63 about. Are you with me so far? 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 9 00:37:45.66\00:37:50.17 I'm won't read but verse 10 it's continuing from verse 9. It 00:37:50.23\00:37:54.90 says, Which in times past you were not a people, but now are 00:37:54.94\00:37:58.57 people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have 00:37:58.61\00:38:02.21 obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and 00:38:02.24\00:38:05.98 pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the 00:38:06.01\00:38:08.65 soul; having your conduct honest (or honorable) among the 00:38:08.68\00:38:12.52 Gentiles; that where 00:38:12.55\00:38:13.89 they speak evil against you as evildoers, they may by your good 00:38:13.92\00:38:18.03 works, which they shall behold, glorify who? when they see you 00:38:18.06\00:38:23.26 living the life of a transformed Christian. Amen. My buddies 00:38:23.33\00:38:27.74 who a lot of them are in prison and the ones that's left they 00:38:27.77\00:38:32.47 see me they say maniac Jack did change. He's not the same 00:38:32.51\00:38:37.88 guy he used to be. There's something different about him. 00:38:37.91\00:38:39.51 And one of my partners said I... he said man you think this Jesus 00:38:39.55\00:38:41.88 thing is real. I said yeah. Can't you tell. Look at him. Now 00:38:44.65\00:38:49.36 I don't have to give a Bible study. But they're just watching 00:38:49.42\00:38:53.50 the life. I've never asked to be a preacher, never asked to be a 00:38:53.53\00:38:56.77 pastor, never asked any of those things but God says you got a 00:38:56.83\00:39:00.57 testimony to tell. And there's a transformation that has taken 00:39:00.60\00:39:05.27 place in your life that you have to share with others. The most 00:39:05.31\00:39:09.98 powerful and dangerous man or woman to the devil is a 00:39:10.01\00:39:14.32 transformed man or woman. You are a threat to his kingdom 00:39:14.35\00:39:18.45 because when they see you being transformed now they know that 00:39:18.49\00:39:23.76 there's a power higher, higher than yourself. The atheist will 00:39:23.79\00:39:28.53 will be transformed. All these people that don't serve Christ 00:39:28.56\00:39:34.70 they will be transformed just by seeing you live accordingly. 00:39:34.74\00:39:44.45 James chapter 4, how does this begin? James chapter 4 right 00:39:44.48\00:39:49.48 the book right after Hebrews. James chapter 4: 00:39:49.52\00:39:53.69 It says: Submit yourselves therefore to God, verse 7, 00:39:53.72\00:39:59.49 resist the devil and He will flee from you. Draw near to God, 00:39:59.53\00:40:02.66 and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; 00:40:02.70\00:40:05.77 and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Submission 00:40:05.80\00:40:11.21 surrender, be willing, be willing to submit. Be honest 00:40:11.24\00:40:17.48 with yourself. Be honest of who you are. When you are a 00:40:17.51\00:40:23.69 converted Christian you don't go certain places any more. You 00:40:23.75\00:40:27.66 don't look at certain things on the TV. You don't engage in 00:40:27.69\00:40:33.26 certain conversations. You don't eat like you used to eat. You 00:40:33.29\00:40:37.77 don't talk how you used to talk. Everything that's on the boob 00:40:37.80\00:40:40.54 tube is not to your liking. When you've been transformed there's 00:40:40.57\00:40:49.38 no way you can be racist. There's no way you can be sexist 00:40:49.41\00:40:53.62 There's no way you can have anything negative about you. 00:40:53.68\00:40:57.95 There's no way that you can hold back your love from me because 00:40:57.99\00:41:01.79 from me because I'm a black man. There's no way, brothers and 00:41:01.82\00:41:05.09 sisters, we can be separated by this or that. There's no way 00:41:05.13\00:41:08.13 we shouldn't be able to worship together. There's no way we 00:41:08.16\00:41:11.77 shouldn't be able to serve God together. There's no way. If 00:41:11.80\00:41:15.57 it is it's a problem with your conversion process. Not his, but 00:41:15.60\00:41:20.04 yours in accepting it. Because how I can kiss a black man I can 00:41:20.08\00:41:25.31 kiss a white man. I won't kiss you on the lips, I promise. But 00:41:25.38\00:41:29.65 God is looking for individuals who would live converted lives 00:41:29.68\00:41:34.26 today. That old stuff, is sinful. That old stuff kept me 00:41:34.29\00:41:38.23 back. That old stuff kept me away from Christ. But this new 00:41:38.29\00:41:42.16 life draws me to. It just pulls me and pulls me and I can't help 00:41:42.20\00:41:46.60 it. As soon as I get close I stop cussing. As I get close I 00:41:46.63\00:41:49.94 stop smoking. As I get close I stop drinking. As I get close I 00:41:50.01\00:41:52.14 stop partying. As I get close I start eating right. As I get 00:41:52.17\00:41:55.51 close I stop cheating. As I get close I don't go to casinos, I 00:41:55.54\00:42:00.35 don't play lottery, I don't do any of that. As I get closer I'm 00:42:00.38\00:42:04.29 looking to be transformed. As I get closer I'm not racist. As I 00:42:04.32\00:42:08.72 get closer I'm not sexist. As I get closer I'm who He wants me 00:42:08.76\00:42:16.46 to be. Amen? I'm who He wants me to be. So when I see blacks 00:42:16.50\00:42:21.47 and whites and Asians and Hispanics worshipping together 00:42:21.50\00:42:24.47 it tells me that God is really glorified. They say the most 00:42:24.51\00:42:30.45 segregated times in America is when folk go to their churches. 00:42:30.48\00:42:33.31 Amen? So how does God get the glory when we are in our 00:42:33.35\00:42:39.12 separate huts. How are we so separate? I love soul food. You 00:42:39.15\00:42:45.39 may not love soul food. I love me some soul food. You may not 00:42:45.43\00:42:49.03 even know what that is. Come to my house. We'll tell you. We 00:42:49.06\00:42:56.91 separate ourselves and we become very prejudiced even among 00:42:56.94\00:43:03.65 ourselves. Are you with me so far? Ezekiel 36. See by 00:43:03.68\00:43:11.62 you surrendering you give God the authority to begin to 00:43:11.65\00:43:19.49 transform. As you surrender, you give Him the authority to start 00:43:19.56\00:43:24.33 transforming. As you surrender you give Him the authority to 00:43:24.37\00:43:29.44 start what? Transforming you. In surrendering you have to be 00:43:29.47\00:43:32.51 honest with yourself. I had to come to grips with who I was. I 00:43:32.54\00:43:38.95 had to come to grips of my likes and dislikes. I had to come to 00:43:38.98\00:43:43.75 grips that me being prejudiced would keep me out of the kingdom 00:43:43.79\00:43:47.72 I had to come to grips with it and God had to send me 2000 00:43:47.76\00:43:52.19 miles away from my queen to get me to see it in a valley. 00:43:52.23\00:43:56.13 Because when I went to Black Hills I told the person who was 00:43:56.16\00:44:00.00 supporting me, ain't no black folks in Black Hills so this 00:44:00.04\00:44:04.01 black boy ain't going. He says Cory you need to go. I said no. 00:44:04.04\00:44:07.41 I need some black folk because you know when black folk are 00:44:07.44\00:44:10.45 there I got someone I can lean on, get some soul food with the 00:44:10.48\00:44:13.45 some. When I got there my roommate had a machete on his 00:44:13.48\00:44:19.02 bed and he was a white boy. I called my wife. I said, baby 00:44:19.05\00:44:24.33 the Lord didn't send me down here to get chopped up. And this 00:44:24.36\00:44:28.56 brother and I became the best of friends. He's a missionary today 00:44:28.60\00:44:32.77 We had some very deep conversations. We both had to be 00:44:32.80\00:44:36.30 deprogrammed and so the Lord sent us together. Are you with 00:44:36.34\00:44:40.48 me so far? 00:44:40.51\00:44:41.84 So that's why I can call this shade of a colored man named 00:44:41.88\00:44:46.75 Pastor Howard my twin. Ezekiel 36 verse 26, are you there? 00:44:46.78\00:44:52.25 Verse 24 says For I will take you from among the heathen, and 00:44:52.29\00:44:56.83 gather you out of all countries and will bring you to your land. 00:44:56.86\00:44:59.59 Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean: 00:44:59.63\00:45:05.07 from all you what? Filthiness, and from all your idols, will I 00:45:05.10\00:45:09.34 cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit 00:45:09.40\00:45:12.91 I will put within you and I will take away the stony heart of 00:45:12.94\00:45:16.54 your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh and I will put 00:45:16.58\00:45:20.52 my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and 00:45:20.55\00:45:24.85 you shall keep me judgments and you shall do them. God says I'll 00:45:24.89\00:45:28.62 put a new heart in you. I'll give you a new spirit. I'll give 00:45:28.66\00:45:31.96 you a right frame of mind so that when you're thinking the 00:45:31.99\00:45:35.06 process of thinking is heavenly thinking and not earthly 00:45:35.13\00:45:38.67 thinking. I'll put a new heart in you so you can love now 00:45:38.70\00:45:41.34 unconditionally. You don't have to worry because of the way 00:45:41.37\00:45:44.17 somebody treats you or how they look or this or that. But you 00:45:44.21\00:45:48.54 love because I'm in you. Christ is looking for individuals today 00:45:48.58\00:45:53.05 brothers and sisters, who are transformed from the world into 00:45:53.08\00:45:58.52 His image today. He did it then, He will do it now. He took 00:45:58.55\00:46:04.29 Abraham who was a liar and a polygamist; He took Jacob who 00:46:04.33\00:46:09.90 was a deceiver; He took Moses who was a killer; He took David 00:46:09.93\00:46:15.90 a killer, a cheater and a liar; He took Solomon who had so many 00:46:15.94\00:46:21.24 women it's unheard of; He took Peter who was prejudiced yet 00:46:21.28\00:46:25.81 prideful all at the same time. He took James and John who had 00:46:25.85\00:46:30.32 bad tempers. He took a woman named Mary who would sleep 00:46:30.35\00:46:35.42 with anybody she could sleep with and yet be possessed by 00:46:35.46\00:46:40.60 demons. He took Paul who was a killer. What about you? What 00:46:40.63\00:46:45.73 about you? Will your name be added to the list of 00:46:45.77\00:46:48.40 transformers to complete the story. Have you had experience 00:46:48.44\00:46:52.97 with Him lately that you can say Lord keep transforming me. Now 00:46:53.01\00:46:58.25 it doesn't mean once He starts that it's over. It's a continual 00:46:58.28\00:47:02.78 process called sanctification so it's going to keep on going. 00:47:02.82\00:47:06.76 See I don't have a desire to drink and smoke and all that. 00:47:06.82\00:47:10.36 All that stuff is gone but it doesn't mean I'm perfect. It 00:47:10.39\00:47:13.86 means I'm striving to be perfect in Him. But I have to admit that 00:47:13.90\00:47:21.74 I was. I met a young man. He was part of the MS-13s. MS-13 00:47:21.77\00:47:27.61 is one of the most violent gangs in South America and they have 00:47:27.64\00:47:28.98 come to North America, specifically in LA and some of 00:47:31.28\00:47:36.28 the eastern coast towns. This young boy, 17, 18 years old 00:47:36.32\00:47:41.26 didn't even complete high school and way they kill you when they 00:47:41.32\00:47:47.56 do kill you, they chop you with a machete. Most violent gang in 00:47:47.60\00:47:52.70 the world today. But I had an opportunity to minister to this 00:47:52.73\00:47:57.41 young man. When I first met him he was hard core and I don't say 00:47:57.44\00:48:01.11 that hard core tough stuff. I used to be a probation officer. 00:48:01.14\00:48:05.85 I dealt with these kinds. I just wanted to get him to talk and 00:48:05.88\00:48:10.89 talk and minister and him listen to be preach the word and all of 00:48:10.92\00:48:15.86 a sudden one day I made an appeal for baptism and I looked 00:48:15.89\00:48:20.20 dead at him and I told him the Lord is calling your life, step 00:48:20.23\00:48:24.63 down. He tried to be cool and turn away but I kept staring 00:48:24.67\00:48:29.14 and the Lord was on him. He came down. The Lord let me baptize 00:48:29.17\00:48:34.28 him. I saw him this last summer. He says Pastor Jackson I'm out 00:48:34.31\00:48:38.55 to finish high school and I'm going to be a medical missionary 00:48:38.58\00:48:43.49 for Jesus. Don't you tell me God can't change a life. Now as you 00:48:43.52\00:48:46.45 close your eyes I want you to think about your own life. Don't 00:48:46.49\00:48:51.36 look at me. Look at yourself for a minute. I want you to think 00:48:51.39\00:48:54.73 about your own life right now. I want you to think about where 00:48:54.76\00:48:57.80 God has stopped in the transformation process in your 00:48:57.83\00:49:01.54 life. See we go to a certain point then we say God I'm good. 00:49:01.57\00:49:04.57 And we're stopped. But God has to keep going with you unless 00:49:04.61\00:49:07.58 some way He stopped with you that you have not let Him 00:49:07.61\00:49:11.28 overcome yet. I don't know. Maybe it's pornography. Maybe 00:49:11.31\00:49:15.18 it's having a bad mouth. Maybe it's having a bad habit. Maybe 00:49:15.22\00:49:19.49 it's smoking and nobody sees you I don't know, I don't care but 00:49:19.52\00:49:23.76 Christ does. You know that the transformation process has 00:49:23.79\00:49:30.43 stopped. You don't see Jesus the same anymore and you don't feel 00:49:30.47\00:49:34.47 way and you get easily intense with anger and it feels like oh 00:49:34.50\00:49:38.47 if I could just choke this person one time I'll do it. 00:49:38.51\00:49:42.34 And you see that you're fading from Him. Yes you once had 00:49:42.41\00:49:47.38 it and the old 00:49:47.42\00:49:49.15 man seemed to be gone but now he seems to have been 00:49:49.18\00:49:53.46 resurrected. And you want to tell Jesus today I need the 00:49:53.52\00:49:57.96 process to continue. I need the process to keep going because 00:49:57.99\00:50:02.66 I won't be there if the transformation is not complete. 00:50:02.70\00:50:08.94 Maybe you're like me, very prejudiced, hateful, despising, 00:50:08.97\00:50:15.14 mean. Because in Matthew chapter 7 many would say to Him at that 00:50:15.18\00:50:19.31 day, Lord I've done this, I've done that and He'll say I never 00:50:19.35\00:50:23.52 knew you. In other words, you don't even look like me. You 00:50:23.55\00:50:27.76 don't act like me, you don't talk like me. And I want to 00:50:27.79\00:50:32.56 challenge you today to be an example and I want you to just 00:50:32.59\00:50:37.47 come down so you can pray right here. You know that the process 00:50:37.50\00:50:42.57 has been slowed by you. And you're saying today to God, Lord 00:50:42.60\00:50:47.74 I need you to transform me like never before. I've stopped it. 00:50:47.78\00:50:53.55 Come down here. Don't sit there You know it better than I do. 00:50:53.58\00:50:57.82 If I can admit being racist to millions of people 00:50:57.85\00:51:01.19 what about you? God leads us today and He wants to continue 00:51:01.22\00:51:06.96 this process today. He doesn't care how old you are. 00:51:07.00\00:51:09.36 He wants you to come down. He wants you 00:51:09.40\00:51:13.17 to come down to His throne today and say Lord I've stopped it. 00:51:13.20\00:51:17.81 There's nothing wrong with His process, it's us y'all. Maybe 00:51:17.84\00:51:20.64 your like me. Is He done with me, of course not. Does He still 00:51:20.68\00:51:28.48 have a work to do? Yes He does. Am I willing to let Him do it? 00:51:28.52\00:51:34.56 I am. Will you come down? Will you be honest today. 00:51:34.59\00:51:38.29 Maybe you see yourself as the demoniac. There's help brothers 00:51:41.50\00:51:42.83 and sister's. 00:51:42.86\00:51:44.70 He says I want to give you a new heart today. I want to give you 00:51:44.73\00:51:48.40 a new spirit today. I don't want you to continue struggling like 00:51:48.44\00:51:52.41 you're struggling. I don't want you to continue asking me this 00:51:52.44\00:51:55.64 and that. I want you to believe that you can be a son of God, 00:51:55.68\00:52:00.12 that you can be a daughter of God. I don't want you to feel 00:52:00.15\00:52:04.65 depressed and angry. I don't want you to feel that way. I've 00:52:04.69\00:52:06.99 come to bring joy. I've come to bring life. I've come to bring 00:52:07.02\00:52:11.13 it more abundantly. Come down and let Him be your all in all. 00:52:11.16\00:52:15.80 No man or woman on this earth can make you as happy as Jesus 00:52:15.83\00:52:21.64 but we have to be honest. We have to be honest about who we 00:52:21.67\00:52:27.58 are, what we are. Don't allow your prejudices, don't allow 00:52:27.61\00:52:31.65 your dislikes, don't allow your own hereditary tendencies to 00:52:31.68\00:52:36.85 keep you from the joy of Jesus. God loves us too much, brothers 00:52:36.89\00:52:43.32 and sisters, to see us suffer. And for the rest of us, why 00:52:43.36\00:52:49.53 don't we kneel together as I pray. You're not here by 00:52:49.56\00:52:53.47 coincidence to this rally. You're here because God has a 00:52:53.54\00:52:57.91 work to do. And when there's work that needs to be 00:52:57.94\00:53:01.68 done. He wants to take you home. Heaven would not be the same if 00:53:01.71\00:53:07.05 you weren't there. See there's a seat that's only reserved for 00:53:07.08\00:53:09.98 you in heaven. Pastor Jackson can't fill your seat, Pastor 00:53:10.02\00:53:13.72 Howard, brother Dwight Hall, sister Debbie Young... 00:53:13.96\00:53:15.99 No one can fill that seat but you. 00:53:17.79\00:53:19.13 And even though He said He'd wipe all the tears away 00:53:19.16\00:53:21.16 that seat that's empty will always be a reminder to Him that 00:53:21.20\00:53:25.83 you're not there. See we may forget, but God will never 00:53:25.87\00:53:29.90 forget His children. And so there's a seat that's reserved 00:53:29.94\00:53:34.41 that has your name on it and nobody else can sit in that seat 00:53:34.44\00:53:38.81 but you. No one else can have that time but you. But He needs 00:53:38.85\00:53:45.59 you to help Him help you get there. Brothers and sisters it's only for you. Would 00:53:45.62\00:53:51.43 you stay faithful so that the seat can be filled and when we 00:53:51.46\00:53:57.07 all get to heaven what a joy it will be. Our Father in heaven, 00:53:57.10\00:54:03.07 we're so thankful for this rally We're so thankful for the word 00:54:03.10\00:54:09.21 of God that transforms lives and will forgive us. We're getting 00:54:09.24\00:54:13.72 to a point where we believe that we're ready to be translated. 00:54:13.75\00:54:18.12 Forgive us Lord for thinking that we've come to a point where 00:54:18.15\00:54:22.52 your services in our lives are no longer needed. Forgive us 00:54:22.56\00:54:26.93 Lord for we have strayed, but Father we're coming back to you 00:54:26.96\00:54:32.50 today. On this day, August 25th let it be a reminder to us of 00:54:32.53\00:54:36.40 plans that we plan to make, Lord. These are your people. 00:54:36.44\00:54:42.44 We are your children. So Lord we come to you on our knees 00:54:42.48\00:54:47.58 with sunken hearts and tears running down our faces knowing 00:54:47.62\00:54:52.19 that upon our getting up, Lord, you've already answered our 00:54:52.25\00:54:58.46 prayers. So as each one of us silently pray Lord help us to 00:54:58.49\00:55:05.43 tell you what we need and what you need from us is surrender. 00:55:05.47\00:55:10.81 But please Lord fell us with your Spirit, fill us with your 00:55:10.84\00:55:16.11 love and help our lives to follow you all the way. 00:55:16.14\00:55:21.82 Transform us in such a way that how we talk, how we live, how we 00:55:21.85\00:55:27.26 think will be different that you will bless us abundantly today. 00:55:27.29\00:55:31.79 Thank you again for Remnant Publications and 3ABN coming 00:55:31.83\00:55:36.06 together for this rally. Bless us and keep us and may this be 00:55:36.10\00:55:42.04 not a temporary fix but an eternal solution that takes 00:55:42.10\00:55:46.68 place. In Jesus' name, Amen. 00:55:46.71\00:55:50.28