Hi, I am Wintley Phipps,
and welcome to our program
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Perfecting Me,
Becoming More Like Jesus.
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I'm so glad you've joined us.
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My guests today on our program
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are Pastor Rick Mercer
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of Morganton
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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in North Carolina,
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Pastor Georges Fleurimond,
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pastor of the West Park
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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and Mrs. Adly Campos,
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Speaker and President
of Wellbeing International.
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You'll hear from
them a little later.
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There is a
question that has haunted
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every man or woman
who has ever lived.
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It is a question
that has haunted me
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and I know it is a
question that has haunted you.
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It is a
question that has haunted
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all who seek to serve
the Lord and live for God.
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Frankly, it is one of the
most profound questions of life,
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and a question
that must be answered
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if we're ever going
to become more like Jesus
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and become people of
Christ-like character.
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The Apostle Paul
faced this question head-on
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because it is a
question that can decide
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and determine our character
and our eternal destiny.
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The question can be
found in Romans 7:15,
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where Paul says,
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"There is something
I do not understand.
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The very thing I hate that I do.
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It is the law at work in me.
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Although I want to do good,
evil is right there with me,
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what a wretched man I am.
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Who will free me from my
life dominated by sin and death?
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The very moment
I needed to prove
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that I was strong I
proved that I was weak."
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The question that
haunts every human being
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is why do I do
the things I hate?
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Whatever evil
we can't stop doing
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is a threat to our
fitness for heaven.
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Today on Perfecting Me,
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we will address this
character defect head-on.
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And I'll show you what
I believe is the best way
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to conquer any habit
that seeks to compromise
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and destroy the character
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God is seeking to restore in us.
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I know you're going
to enjoy this program,
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so stay with us.
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Are you one of those
people who in your quite moments
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admit to yourself these facts?
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I hate being nasty
but sometimes I am.
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I hate being
malicious but sometimes I am.
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I hate being
unkind but sometimes I am.
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I hate being cruel
but I sometimes am.
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I hate being
depressed but I sometimes am.
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I hate to be at
gossip but I do it.
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I hate smoking but I do it.
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I hate drinking
liquor but I do it.
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I hate
pornography but I watch it.
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I hate the club life but I go.
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I hate hooking up
with strangers online
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but I do it.
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Why is it that the
very thing I hate I do.
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I hate being
angry but I often am.
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I hate being arrogant but I am.
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I hate stealing but I do.
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I hate being stubborn but I am.
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I hate swearing but I do.
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I hate losing my
temper so easily but I do.
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I hate being
ungrateful but I am.
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I hate watching evil but I do.
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I hate selfishness and
being selfish but I am.
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I hate being worried and anxious
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but I am.
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I do not understand, says Paul,
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the very things I hate I do.
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It's a law that's living in me.
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It's a truth I cannot escape.
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When I want to do what is
good, evil is present with me.
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When I want to do what is good,
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every sinful memory
is like a ball and chain
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hanging around my neck
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and these memories are shackles,
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I just can't
seem to get rid off.
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How is it that the very
thing we hate to do we do.
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And how can we get
the strength of character
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we need to live
Christ-like lives,
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especially when we're tempted.
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Why is it that even
those of us who go to church
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and give ourselves to the Lord
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seem to still do the very things
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we hate to do,
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the very things
we know will bring us
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embarrassment and shame.
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We can't seem to find
the strength of character
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to stop and walk away from it.
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If you ask the psychologist
to answer that question,
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they will explain this
problem in behavioral terms.
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They will explain
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that the power
that drives us to do
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what we hate is the
result of habits we develop
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and the addictive behaviors
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we acquired by
pattern and repetition.
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The psychologists see's
the answer to the problem
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as unlearning learned behavior.
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Their answer
doesn't work very well.
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Many leave
therapy and go right back
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to doing the
very thing they hated.
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Behavioral solutions do
not have the best track record
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and that's why we
can't stay on a diet
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for more than 20 seconds.
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Our best intentions
are no match for our habits
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and addictive behavior.
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The
psychiatrists on the other hand
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look's at the problem
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and focuses on his or her remedy
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on a pharmaceutical
or a medical solution.
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They
acknowledge the neurological
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realities of addiction
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and to them the
way you fix the problem
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of doing the very thing you hate
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is through a prescription.
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But prescriptive solutions
do not work well either.
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They haven't
invented a prescription yet
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that can successfully block lust
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and temptation, rage and anger.
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They haven't
invented a prescription yet
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that can keep you from lying
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and make you want
to do the right thing.
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To fix this problem
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the psychologist
gives you a plan,
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the psychiatrist
gives you a pill,
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and then both of
them give you a bill.
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The psychologist
focuses on a mental remedy,
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the psychiatrist focuses on
a prescriptive medical remedy.
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But I want you to
know the only power
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to break a bad habit
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is through hourly secret prayer.
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I want you to watch this video
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from our friends at the 700 Club
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about breaking bad
habits through prayer
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and being prayed for
by those who love us.
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I remember as a
young kid liked sharing
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some of my passion and dreams
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and just kind of getting
almost like a blank stare like,
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"Do you really
think you could do that?"
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Jed Lindstrom's
dad never told him
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the words he needed to
hear that he believed in him
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and loved him for who he was.
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My dad was very verbally abusive
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and borderline
physically abusive as well.
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Jed's parents
divorced when he was nine
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and he went to live
with his mother Donna.
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It was already hard
on Jed but made worse
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when his father
disappeared from his life.
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I saw a little boy
that was devastated,
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in tears, crying.
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And of course I'm
there holding him,
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crying right along with him.
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I was praying
constantly like, Lord, help us.
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Lord, help us.
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Just screaming
out for his guidance.
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Hurt and angry, Jed had
already made his decision.
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I'm not going to
let anybody love me,
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I'm not going to let anybody
take care of me, I got this.
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Jed started
lashing out at his mom
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and rebelling
against anyone in authority.
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As a teenager he was
drawn to the kids who used drugs
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and lived by their own rules.
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I just wanted anything
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where I could
thrive as a person.
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And so that kind
of gave me that place
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where I could fit in
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while I get all these
guys and girls around,
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and we can hang
out and we could party,
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and we can do whatever we want.
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By the time he was 18,
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Jed was caught in
a world of addiction,
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theft, and drug deals.
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One of our main
slogans which is pretty big
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in the drug world is,
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"I'm down for whatever
and I'll die doing it."
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That was my mentality.
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The level of crimes
started getting really high.
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I mean, obviously
I've a conscience,
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so I'm constantly knowing
that what I am doing is wrong,
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it probably doesn't matter.
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Over the years, he bounced
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between crack
houses, jail, and rehab.
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His mom often
drove to the streets
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looking for her son,
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at times pulling him
out of the crack houses
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where she found
him, and she prayed.
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I was praying constantly.
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I was wailing,
wailing, and crying,
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and calling out to
the Lord to save my child,
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a child that I've
never ever thought
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would have gone down this road.
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But Jed couldn't
see past his anger.
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Every time I get
brought back home by the police,
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I'd sit in my room
and my mom would pray,
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and I remember hearing her.
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I'd be like, "Mom, shut up!"
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You know, like, you
know, "Mom, be quite,
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I don't want to hear that,
I don't want to hear that."
00:10:05.33\00:10:08.87
As drug addiction took
complete control over his life,
00:10:08.90\00:10:12.37
Jed decided he had
nothing to live for.
00:10:12.41\00:10:15.48
Sooner or later I knew
that it was going to end,
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I was either going to get clean
or I was going to die that way.
00:10:17.51\00:10:21.52
But I was enjoying the
high, I was enjoying the escape.
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Like if I died, they
figured I was buried,
00:10:24.92\00:10:27.22
and life is done.
00:10:27.26\00:10:29.92
So I figured I
might as well party it up,
00:10:29.96\00:10:31.49
might as well, you know,
live the way I want to live.
00:10:31.53\00:10:36.00
There were times
even his mom lost hope.
00:10:36.03\00:10:39.23
And one time I just
laid in bed and I said,
00:10:39.27\00:10:42.80
"Is this going to be the call
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where he didn't
make it this time,"
00:10:45.84\00:10:48.11
and I would be
planning his funeral.
00:10:48.14\00:10:50.78
That's pretty scary as a parent.
00:10:55.05\00:10:59.32
But that didn't
keep her from praying
00:10:59.35\00:11:01.19
and trying to reach her son.
00:11:01.22\00:11:02.92
Mom would pick me
up and she'd be like,
00:11:04.93\00:11:06.26
"I don't want to
see you die this way."
00:11:06.29\00:11:08.73
Finally I think it all
just kind of came in on me like,
00:11:08.76\00:11:13.97
may be living is worth it,
may be living life is worth it.
00:11:14.00\00:11:19.81
At 24 years old Jed was homeless
00:11:19.84\00:11:21.81
and had a warrant
out for his arrest.
00:11:21.84\00:11:23.95
Some friends gave
him a place to stay,
00:11:23.98\00:11:26.25
and one Sunday
they took him to church.
00:11:26.28\00:11:29.88
They did a call for communion.
00:11:29.92\00:11:31.92
And I just heard a voice
say, "Go up there. Go up there."
00:11:31.95\00:11:35.79
And I remember walking up there
00:11:35.82\00:11:37.16
and that was one
of the first times
00:11:37.19\00:11:38.53
I really could feel
the presence of God.
00:11:38.56\00:11:42.53
Next morning I called my mom
00:11:42.56\00:11:43.90
and I said I'm
done living like this.
00:11:43.93\00:11:46.50
His mom picked him up and
took him to the county jail
00:11:46.53\00:11:49.17
where he turned himself in.
00:11:49.20\00:11:51.57
In his cell, he found a Bible.
00:11:51.61\00:11:53.88
So I went to
the Bible right away
00:11:53.91\00:11:55.44
and I literally
opened up the Bible
00:11:55.48\00:11:57.61
and I got on my knees
and I just began to, like,
00:11:57.65\00:12:00.28
weep.
00:12:00.32\00:12:01.78
And I remember
looking in the mirror
00:12:01.82\00:12:03.15
just before I got
them, I was, like,
00:12:03.18\00:12:04.99
looking at my eyes.
00:12:05.02\00:12:06.35
I'm like, you
know, I got to change.
00:12:06.39\00:12:09.42
I just said, "God
my life is yours."
00:12:09.46\00:12:12.13
It was like the hatred was gone,
00:12:12.16\00:12:14.26
the anger was gone.
00:12:14.30\00:12:16.16
I felt like the weight of
all that junk was off of me.
00:12:16.20\00:12:19.97
God radically
began to change my heart.
00:12:20.00\00:12:25.07
Jed was
convicted of four felonies
00:12:25.11\00:12:27.08
and faced a
mandatory three years sentence.
00:12:27.11\00:12:29.74
Donna prayed that
instead of giving him jail time,
00:12:29.78\00:12:32.38
the judge would show
mercy and send him to rehab.
00:12:32.41\00:12:35.52
We were in the courtroom,
and I was just interceding,
00:12:35.55\00:12:39.99
praying, praying, praying,
and finally the judge said,
00:12:40.02\00:12:44.33
"I don't even know
why I'm saying this
00:12:44.36\00:12:45.69
but Jed will go
to Teen Challenge."
00:12:45.73\00:12:50.37
And I was like "Whoa!"
00:12:50.40\00:12:52.57
I wanted to just get
up and shout and scream.
00:12:52.60\00:12:55.74
You know, that was
like a complete miracle.
00:12:55.77\00:12:58.67
I mean it felt like
I had another chance.
00:12:58.71\00:13:01.31
Jed completed the program
and got over his addictions.
00:13:01.34\00:13:04.51
And after
finishing Bible College,
00:13:04.55\00:13:06.21
he went on to lead
00:13:06.25\00:13:07.58
an international
mission organization.
00:13:07.62\00:13:09.68
And now with his wife
Erica and six children,
00:13:09.72\00:13:12.25
he has everything to live for.
00:13:12.29\00:13:14.96
So God has, you know,
radically restored my life,
00:13:14.99\00:13:19.03
given me a family,
given me beautiful children,
00:13:19.06\00:13:22.10
gave me a hope,
and like the Word says
00:13:22.13\00:13:23.77
it gave me hope and a future,
something to look forward to.
00:13:23.80\00:13:27.60
Don't worry about your son
or daughter has to do this,
00:13:27.64\00:13:31.34
this, and this, and this.
00:13:31.37\00:13:33.58
Pray and let go off it.
00:13:33.61\00:13:35.34
Pray and let go off it,
just watch how God unfolds.
00:13:35.38\00:13:39.91
Joining us again are my
guests Pastor Rick Mercer,
00:13:43.92\00:13:47.02
Adly Campos, and
Pastor Georges Fleurimond.
00:13:47.06\00:13:50.96
Thank you so much
for being with me today.
00:13:50.99\00:13:53.60
We're addressing
an important topic,
00:13:53.63\00:13:56.87
one that I believe
is a revolutionary idea
00:13:56.90\00:14:02.90
that we're going to
be putting forward today.
00:14:02.94\00:14:06.34
Habits or I
should say bad habits
00:14:06.37\00:14:09.74
are plaguing every
element of American society
00:14:09.78\00:14:13.92
and really around the world.
00:14:13.95\00:14:16.85
Bad habits can
be found everywhere,
00:14:16.89\00:14:20.49
forgive me for
saying it, from our house,
00:14:20.52\00:14:24.36
your house, my house,
00:14:24.39\00:14:26.90
the White House,
and even in the prisons.
00:14:26.93\00:14:31.73
I want to ask Adly,
00:14:31.77\00:14:33.44
what are some of
the bad habits you feel
00:14:33.47\00:14:36.81
that are dominating
00:14:36.84\00:14:38.97
and having a field
day in our society today?
00:14:39.01\00:14:45.91
I want to mention
first of all that yes,
00:14:45.95\00:14:50.05
we have just too many
bad habits surrounding us.
00:14:50.09\00:14:55.36
The ones that
we need to struggle
00:14:55.39\00:14:57.56
with each and everyday,
and one that I am finding
00:14:57.59\00:15:01.90
very, very often is
the battle of pornography.
00:15:01.93\00:15:07.17
Yes.
00:15:07.20\00:15:08.54
It's invading the homes,
it's destroying children,
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it's destroying homes,
it's destroying churches,
00:15:11.64\00:15:14.68
it's destroying the nation.
00:15:14.71\00:15:16.95
So pornography would
be one of the first ones
00:15:16.98\00:15:19.88
that I would need to
mention, pornography.
00:15:19.91\00:15:22.95
Another one is
selfishness, self-centeredness,
00:15:22.98\00:15:26.59
everything has to be around us,
what we want, when we want it,
00:15:26.62\00:15:32.23
and how we want it.
00:15:32.26\00:15:34.00
And that really interferes
in being able to reflect
00:15:34.03\00:15:39.30
God's character
in each one of us.
00:15:39.33\00:15:43.27
Yeah, and the
devil uses these habits
00:15:43.30\00:15:46.24
to hold us in bondage.
00:15:46.27\00:15:48.48
And the very thing we
need to break those habits,
00:15:48.51\00:15:52.61
which is really the
character of Christ in us,
00:15:52.65\00:15:56.48
he seems to keep from us.
00:15:56.52\00:15:58.55
Pastor Rick, you've
been very open about
00:15:58.59\00:16:02.82
some of the habits
that the devil has used
00:16:02.86\00:16:05.56
to keep you in bondage
00:16:05.59\00:16:07.23
and how a
relationship with Christ,
00:16:07.26\00:16:10.67
and the mind of Christ,
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and the
character of Christ in you
00:16:13.10\00:16:15.30
has helped you to
break some of those habits.
00:16:15.34\00:16:18.37
Can you tell us about that?
00:16:18.41\00:16:20.81
Yes, yes, I was a slave
to, became a slave to drugs,
00:16:20.84\00:16:27.78
alcohol, lust, and tobacco.
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They had a complete
hold on my life to the point
00:16:32.05\00:16:35.52
that they pretty well controlled
00:16:35.56\00:16:37.23
my day-to-day activities.
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I was a certified
public accountant and farmer
00:16:39.76\00:16:42.70
and, you know, I didn't set out
00:16:42.73\00:16:44.50
to become a slave
to all those things.
00:16:44.53\00:16:46.23
But over a period of
time, each one of them
00:16:46.27\00:16:49.30
took a grip on my life
00:16:49.34\00:16:50.74
and to where all I wanted to
do was beat my compulsive habit.
00:16:50.77\00:16:56.95
You know, I tell a story
00:16:56.98\00:16:58.41
because frankly
there are some habits
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that some of us
can't even tell about.
00:17:02.28\00:17:06.39
You know, we don't
want to tell a soul about.
00:17:06.42\00:17:09.26
And I'll tell a funny
story, it's a funny story,
00:17:09.29\00:17:11.46
it's not a true
story, but it's a funny story
00:17:11.49\00:17:13.36
about a pastor
who was supposed to be
00:17:13.40\00:17:15.93
in church one day
00:17:15.96\00:17:17.30
and instead he
was out playing golf,
00:17:17.33\00:17:21.37
and he was supposed be
at the pulpit preaching
00:17:21.40\00:17:23.30
but he was playing golf.
00:17:23.34\00:17:24.81
And according to the story,
00:17:24.84\00:17:27.54
the angels
reported him to the Lord,
00:17:27.58\00:17:29.94
you know, and the
Lord smiled on His throne
00:17:29.98\00:17:32.88
and said, "I'll tell you
what, give him a hole in one."
00:17:32.91\00:17:36.69
And the angels
protested, you know,
00:17:36.72\00:17:38.59
"Why would we do
that, he is not faithful,
00:17:38.62\00:17:40.42
he is not where
he is supposed to be.
00:17:40.46\00:17:42.19
Why would we give
him a hole in one?"
00:17:42.22\00:17:44.43
And the Lord smiled and
said, "Because that way,
00:17:44.46\00:17:47.36
he won't be able
to tell anybody."
00:17:47.40\00:17:49.53
And there are some habits
we dare not tell anybody about.
00:17:54.20\00:18:01.14
And really there
are some miracles
00:18:01.18\00:18:04.75
and some deliverances
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we can't even
tell anybody about.
00:18:06.65\00:18:10.12
You know it is so
miraculous and so wonderful.
00:18:10.15\00:18:13.09
But, Pastor Fleurimond,
00:18:13.12\00:18:15.06
what are some of the
effective disciplines
00:18:15.09\00:18:17.46
that you have seen in
your life and in others
00:18:17.49\00:18:20.00
that have helped
to have the character
00:18:20.03\00:18:23.26
to break the habits
that are in front of us?
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Well, definitely,
there are few disciplines.
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Prayer, meditating
on God's word, fasting,
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I learned in my personal
life that fasting is very,
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it's a positive way of
breaking bad habits, addictions.
00:18:39.68\00:18:45.89
Or even in cases like mine,
00:18:45.92\00:18:48.52
I didn't necessarily have a
great experience growing up,
00:18:48.56\00:18:53.73
but I wasn't
quite like Jesus Christ.
00:18:53.76\00:18:56.97
And so I've learned
that meditating on His word,
00:18:57.00\00:19:00.20
and praying and
fasting allows me
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to become more like Him.
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Yes, and the
scripture encourages us
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to do several things.
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One is keep our
minds stayed on Christ.
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On Him.
00:19:13.25\00:19:14.58
That is a constant communion
00:19:14.62\00:19:17.59
as what the
servant of God calls,
00:19:17.62\00:19:19.45
unbroken
communion with the Father.
00:19:19.49\00:19:23.86
And Jesus practiced that,
00:19:23.89\00:19:26.59
Jesus Himself practiced a life
of unbroken communion with God.
00:19:26.63\00:19:31.20
Pastor Rick, we need the mind
of Christ to break bad habits.
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Amen.
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And how do we put
on the mind of Christ?
00:19:36.77\00:19:41.04
Yeah, by filling
your life with Christ.
00:19:41.08\00:19:43.71
One of the things
that happened to me
00:19:43.75\00:19:46.18
is someone come
up to me and asked me
00:19:46.21\00:19:49.25
if I would like to
study the Bible, right
00:19:49.28\00:19:51.49
when I was in
the mess of my life.
00:19:51.52\00:19:53.72
And I said yes.
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It was, I know it was
because I've been prayed for
00:19:57.86\00:20:00.70
that I did say yes.
00:20:00.73\00:20:02.06
But I began to just
spend time in the word of God,
00:20:02.10\00:20:05.40
spend time
talking to God in prayer.
00:20:05.43\00:20:08.50
And as I did that, I noticed
00:20:08.54\00:20:10.51
it was almost like a
light at the end of the tunnel,
00:20:10.54\00:20:13.68
that there could be
another life out there.
00:20:13.71\00:20:16.21
And I remember talking
to God about it and said,
00:20:16.24\00:20:18.35
"Well, Lord, the only
time that I feel like that
00:20:18.38\00:20:21.78
I'm filling this empty
spot that's deep inside of me
00:20:21.82\00:20:25.15
is when I'm reading
the Bible or with You."
00:20:25.19\00:20:28.42
I said, "I can't
do this all the time,
00:20:28.46\00:20:30.03
I've got to get out and
work and make a living."
00:20:30.06\00:20:33.46
And so God put it on my heart
00:20:33.50\00:20:36.60
to just fix my mind
on Him during the day.
00:20:36.63\00:20:40.70
Isaiah 26:3 says,
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"I will keep
him in perfect peace
00:20:42.47\00:20:44.24
whose mind is stayed me."
00:20:44.27\00:20:46.71
Hebrews 12:1-2, talks about,
"It's time to lay aside that
00:20:46.74\00:20:51.51
sin that so easily
besets us by looking to Jesus,
00:20:51.55\00:20:55.82
the author and
finisher of our faith."
00:20:55.85\00:20:57.89
And so I found
that the more time
00:20:57.92\00:21:00.29
that I spend in a given day
meditating on the Word of God,
00:21:00.32\00:21:04.63
being in a state
of prayer to God,
00:21:04.66\00:21:06.80
the better my life was.
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And what happened is though sins
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that had a grip on my life
00:21:11.27\00:21:12.67
that had total
control over my life,
00:21:12.70\00:21:15.10
as I filled my life with Jesus,
they lost their hold on me.
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Praise God, praise God.
00:21:18.84\00:21:20.54
Pastor, in order to
have the mind of Christ,
00:21:20.58\00:21:24.15
the mind of Christ,
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we need to start
early in the morning,
00:21:26.11\00:21:29.05
consecrate yourself,
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consecrate your
thoughts, consecrate your plans.
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Ask Him to take control
of every thing about you
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and your plans.
00:21:41.00\00:21:42.33
When you give
your mind to the Lord
00:21:42.36\00:21:44.53
early in the
morning and of course,
00:21:44.57\00:21:46.84
continue through out
the day, it will be easier,
00:21:46.87\00:21:50.94
a lot easier to gain a
victory over bad habits.
00:21:50.97\00:21:55.51
And imagine we've
got to do that everyday.
00:21:55.54\00:22:00.55
And, you know,
I've a little mantra,
00:22:00.58\00:22:04.12
all day, every day, no excuses.
00:22:04.15\00:22:08.16
That's right.
00:22:08.19\00:22:09.56
You cannot give
yourself excuses from that life
00:22:09.59\00:22:14.60
because, isn't that interesting
00:22:14.63\00:22:16.33
that every loss
in our own lives,
00:22:16.36\00:22:21.70
and in the world,
on the wall street,
00:22:21.74\00:22:25.27
in corporations,
00:22:25.31\00:22:26.91
every loss can be traced
back to a deficit of character.
00:22:26.94\00:22:32.18
Wow.
00:22:32.21\00:22:34.02
Every single
loss in our own lives
00:22:34.05\00:22:38.32
and in the world around us,
00:22:38.35\00:22:40.42
we can trace back to
a deficit of character.
00:22:40.46\00:22:43.56
So I want to ask
one last question
00:22:43.59\00:22:46.16
in terms of character.
00:22:46.19\00:22:47.86
How does character you
think affect our destiny
00:22:47.90\00:22:53.03
and connect those
if you don't mind,
00:22:53.07\00:22:55.17
habit, character, destiny.
00:22:55.20\00:22:59.84
Either of you chime in on that.
00:22:59.87\00:23:01.84
Well, in my case,
00:23:04.51\00:23:06.72
I was a certified
public accountant.
00:23:06.75\00:23:09.72
I had a lot of
people that depended on me,
00:23:09.75\00:23:12.69
they looked up to me.
00:23:12.72\00:23:14.62
But as sin got a hold of my life
00:23:14.66\00:23:18.96
and I became the
character of the world,
00:23:18.99\00:23:23.77
I lost who I was
and I lost credibility,
00:23:23.80\00:23:28.97
you know, with my clients.
00:23:29.00\00:23:30.91
And so it really had a
huge negative effect on my life,
00:23:30.94\00:23:37.15
when I was a
slave to these sins.
00:23:37.18\00:23:38.78
Yeah.
00:23:38.81\00:23:40.15
Pastor
Fleurimond, before we leave...
00:23:40.18\00:23:42.18
Go ahead you were
going to say something, Adly.
00:23:42.22\00:23:44.45
I would add that we need
00:23:44.49\00:23:47.06
to constantly keep our minds set
00:23:47.09\00:23:50.16
on those habits
that we want to overcome
00:23:50.19\00:23:55.90
by replacing them
with the correct habits.
00:23:55.93\00:23:59.33
Every time you want to
get rid of something bad,
00:23:59.37\00:24:02.44
we need to replace
it with something good.
00:24:02.47\00:24:04.37
And when we replace those habits
00:24:04.41\00:24:06.91
that harm our character,
00:24:06.94\00:24:09.41
that have a
conclusion in our destiny
00:24:09.44\00:24:12.88
because everything we do
00:24:12.91\00:24:14.42
and say has something
to do with our destiny.
00:24:14.45\00:24:18.72
We harvest what we sow,
00:24:18.75\00:24:21.22
and if we want to
have a good harvest
00:24:21.26\00:24:24.33
of good habits,
00:24:24.36\00:24:25.69
we must replace the bad
habits with good habits.
00:24:25.73\00:24:28.70
Yes.
00:24:28.73\00:24:30.07
Pastor
Fleurimond, what would you say
00:24:30.10\00:24:31.43
to someone out there
who is listening today,
00:24:31.47\00:24:34.17
who is struggling with a habit,
00:24:34.20\00:24:36.91
and realize they don't
have the strength of character
00:24:36.94\00:24:40.24
on their own to
break those habits,
00:24:40.28\00:24:42.44
what would you
say to encourage them?
00:24:42.48\00:24:45.51
Well, I would tell them that
the word of God is very clear,
00:24:45.55\00:24:49.38
"That in our weakness,
00:24:49.42\00:24:50.79
God's strength is made perfect."
00:24:50.82\00:24:52.52
Amen.
00:24:52.55\00:24:53.89
And so I think that
when we're looking at
00:24:53.92\00:24:55.99
the deficiencies in character,
00:24:56.02\00:24:58.33
if we strive to
be more like Christ,
00:24:58.36\00:25:00.66
we're able to put
on God's character,
00:25:00.70\00:25:03.90
Jesus' character,
00:25:03.93\00:25:07.24
Jesus has the
perfect character, you know.
00:25:07.27\00:25:10.11
And I think that going
back to what Rick and Mrs. Adly
00:25:10.14\00:25:13.94
were saying earlier that
to be perfected in character,
00:25:13.98\00:25:18.88
you know, the word perfect,
00:25:18.91\00:25:20.25
I was actually doing
a series in my church.
00:25:20.28\00:25:22.42
But one of the words that
00:25:22.45\00:25:24.19
stuck out to me
was "perfection."
00:25:24.22\00:25:26.02
And it has in essence a
meaning of being filled.
00:25:26.05\00:25:30.39
Right, we're out of time,
but I really appreciate you
00:25:30.43\00:25:33.50
so much focusing on that.
00:25:33.53\00:25:35.00
And just remember,
being victorious over habit
00:25:35.03\00:25:38.33
is the will of God
for everyone's life.
00:25:38.37\00:25:41.40
Amen. God bless you.
00:25:41.44\00:25:43.04
Amen.
00:25:43.07\00:25:44.41
There is a
symbiotic relationship
00:25:48.71\00:25:50.75
between the eyes and the mind.
00:25:50.78\00:25:52.91
The eye needs the mind
and the mind needs the eye.
00:25:52.95\00:25:56.75
I believe the only
answer to the problem
00:25:56.79\00:25:58.65
of continually
doing what we hate
00:25:58.69\00:26:01.32
begins with the
understanding, as Paul says,
00:26:01.36\00:26:04.13
that with the
mind we serve the Lord.
00:26:04.16\00:26:07.73
And our only hope to stop doing
00:26:07.76\00:26:09.90
what we hate is
to keep our minds
00:26:09.93\00:26:12.80
in constant hourly
communion with God.
00:26:12.83\00:26:16.94
But is that really possible?
00:26:16.97\00:26:19.27
I will tell you
what is impossible.
00:26:19.31\00:26:22.28
You will never have
the strength of character
00:26:22.31\00:26:25.11
to break free from any
habit, any habit you hate
00:26:25.15\00:26:29.45
until you learn
the power of constant,
00:26:29.48\00:26:32.45
continual,
unbroken, hourly prayer.
00:26:32.49\00:26:36.69
But you may ask,
"In this modern world,
00:26:36.73\00:26:38.96
how can we ever
really practically do that?"
00:26:38.99\00:26:43.13
Constant unbroken
prayer with God is possible.
00:26:43.16\00:26:46.57
That's why 1 Thessalonians 5:17
says, "Pray without ceasing."
00:26:46.60\00:26:53.01
Is that really possible?
00:26:53.04\00:26:55.34
God has given to us
the ability to think
00:26:55.38\00:26:58.81
while we do most anything.
00:26:58.85\00:27:00.92
We can walk and
think, we can run and think,
00:27:00.95\00:27:04.32
we can eat and think,
we can watch and think,
00:27:04.35\00:27:07.76
we can hear and think.
00:27:07.79\00:27:10.53
And because we can
think while we do anything,
00:27:10.56\00:27:12.96
that means we can also pray
00:27:12.99\00:27:18.63
while we do almost anything.
00:27:18.67\00:27:22.97
That's why the
scripture says in Luke 21:36,
00:27:23.00\00:27:26.41
"Pray always, that ye
may be accounted worthy
00:27:26.44\00:27:31.31
to escape all these
things that shall come to pass
00:27:31.35\00:27:35.38
and stand
before the Son of man."
00:27:35.42\00:27:37.89
With our minds we
can train ourselves
00:27:37.92\00:27:41.12
to unbroken prayer.
00:27:41.16\00:27:42.86
I'm Wintley Phipps, and remember
00:27:42.89\00:27:44.89
to be a Christian
means to be Christ like.
00:27:44.93\00:27:49.40