Welcome to Pathway to Life.
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I'm Ginnie Hakes, the pastor's
wife of the host church,
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Paradise Valley
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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in sunny Phoenix, Arizona.
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We're so glad that you've
tuned in to this 3ABN broadcast
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through whichever affiliate
that you've joined us tonight.
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We are going to be blessed
tonight by the presentation,
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both through music
and God's spoken word.
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We have Lyndon Carriger
who will be sharing his gift
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with piano and
voice, Just a Prayer Away.
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Then Elder Lomacang will
continue his series with,
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Can You Hear Me Now.
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Before the song, let's
begin with a word of prayer.
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Our gracious heavenly Father,
we want to thank You so much
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for the privilege of
being able to speak with You,
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that You are personally
involved in our lives.
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We thank You for
the gift of friendship,
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we thank You for
the gift of music,
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and that we are able
to open Your holy Word.
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We pray that You
open our hearts and minds
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to receive Your message and that
You change our hearts, oh God,
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and renew a new
spirit within us.
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These things we
pray in Your name.
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Amen.
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I know that there
are times in your life
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when the wheels
just seem to turn,
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and uncertainties about
your tomorrow seem to grow.
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One thing you should remember
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and you should always know:
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out of everyone who loves you,
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I love you the most.
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For I am just a prayer away.
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Call My name with your heart
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and I'll hear
every word you say.
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When you cry at night
I'll wipe your tears away.
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Just pray, my love,
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I'll be there right away.
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You don't ever have
to wonder about My love.
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Just put your trust
and your faith in My care;
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I will always be there
to hold you in My arms.
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When you're
afraid, don't you worry,
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because I'll
protect you from the storm.
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Out of everyone who loves you,
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I love you the most.
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I am just a prayer away.
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You can call My
name with your heart
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and I'll hear.
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For I am just a prayer away.
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You can call My
name with your heart
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and I will hear
every word you say.
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When you cry at night,
I'll wipe your tears away.
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But you must pray, my love,
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I'll be there right away.
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Amen. Thank you, Lyndon.
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Can we say amen again?
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Now you know every
night I come out here and say,
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"Can we say amen again?"
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It's kind of part of my DNA.
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I heard myself saying
it even before I said it.
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Thank you so much.
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Because God is
always just a prayer away.
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Tonight we're going to
talk about how powerful
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and transforming prayer is.
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So let us begin
by talking to God.
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Our loving Father in heaven,
we are so humbled to know
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that every time we open our
hearts, You search it before
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we even come into Your presence.
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And so Lord Jesus, tonight
come and speak to our hearts
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in a powerful
and meaningful way.
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And transform us that we
may understand that prayer
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is not an exercise, but
prayer is the connection
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that we have
with our almighty God.
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And we pray this in
Jesus' holy and precious name.
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Amen.
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Can You Hear Me Now?
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You may have heard
that phrase years ago
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from the Verizon guy
who is now the Sprint guy.
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It's amazing how things change.
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He has changed, but I have not.
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I still trust the Lord who
has given me the opportunity
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to speak to Him every day.
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I will tell you the story, but
it may take a little short time.
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My wife and I were
coming back from London
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when 2011 occurred.
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When that tragedy that day
that gripped the entire world.
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2001. Thank you
very much, Honey.
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That's why I always tell
her to sit on the front row.
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Love her dearly.
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She keeps me
from making mistakes.
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But on our way to
Canada I had a Verizon phone,
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she had a Sprint phone.
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And I said, "I cannot
wait till we land in Canada
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so I can call my sister."
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And my wife
always had difficulty
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getting a good signal.
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And I knew the
moment we would land
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I would get a
signal, she would not.
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But we landed in Canada,
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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I had turned on my
phone, I couldn't get a signal.
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She turned on
her's and got a signal.
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And she turned to this
Verizon customer and said,
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"Can you hear me now?"
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Humbling.
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Tonight we want to know
that God hears us when we pray.
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Am I right?
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Let begin with a very
powerful scripture in the Bible.
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Matthew, the converted tax
collector, gives us these words
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that will thrill our
hearts when we understand that
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the power behind this statement
is not Matthew, but Jesus.
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The Lord says...
Let's read this together.
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What could be
more life transforming
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than talking to God?
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What could be more life changing
than knowing that your prayers
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are not only heard by God, but
they are being answered by God?
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Can you imagine how
many prayers every moment
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of every day ascend
before the throne of God?
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And the evidence of His
majesty and His infinite might
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is the fact that He
can answer every prayer
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and not get the answer
mixed up with somebody else.
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From the prophets
of the Old Testament
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to the apostles
of the New Testament,
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they all knew that the
answer to the power behind
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what God had called
them to do was talking to God
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on a day by day basis.
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So tonight if you have any doubt
about the existence of God,
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I'd like to confer that you go
where the doubt does not exist.
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And to what am I referring?
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Listen to the words
of David the psalmist.
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Psalm 19:1-3, "The heavens
declare the glory of God."
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There are no
doubts among the stars.
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There is no
doubt among the stars,
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among the planets,
among the galaxies.
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Every night.
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And those of you
that live here in Phoenix,
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or if you live some
place where the stars are
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as beautiful as they
can be in the desert,
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you can go on any night
to a very isolated and dark
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and very
secluded place and look up
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and just have a
conversation with God.
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My wife and I, years ago when
we lived in northern California,
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we would have to
travel over the mountain tops.
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And when you're way
up north in California,
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in the forests, in the
Trinity Alps that we lived,
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it's quite dark.
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The city lights
are a long way away.
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And one evening we decided
to pull our four-wheel drive
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right off the road into a
dirt patch right to the edge.
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And we turned off the engine and
we laid on the hood of the car.
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Of the truck, laid on the hood.
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And the
windshield was our pillow.
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And we laid there and closed
our eyes for about two minutes,
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and then we opened our eyes.
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And it's like the
heavens started coming after us.
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And we were captured by
the reality that everywhere
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we looked, we saw
the handiwork of God.
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And when you pray,
you're talking to the One
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who does that for a living.
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That's what God does.
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One of the oldest
books in the Bible
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communicates
about the power of God.
00:12:46.33\00:12:48.63
Job 38:4-5
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The Lord asked Job a question
when Job was beside himself.
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The Lord paused Job in his
tracks and asked this question.
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If you read the chapters
after this, you'll see that God
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did not allow Job
to get off the hook.
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He stood him up as a man.
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The Lord said to Job...
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In other words, Job was acting
as though he knew a whole lot.
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And God says, "Where were you...
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...when I made the world?
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Tell me who measured it?"
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And He goes on,
"Who said to the ocean,
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'Go this far, but no farther'?"
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And Job, when you read the
whole account, it's amazing
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because Job said, "Okay, God."
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God said, "No,
no, I'm not done yet."
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And He kept on addressing Job
in the foolishness of his own
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moments of introvert sorrow.
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But when God was done with Job,
Job remembered and understood
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that God is an almighty God.
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And He is with us in our
best and our worst times.
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Now let me say probably a
startling statement tonight.
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I don't believe in prayer.
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I have never believed in prayer.
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I don't believe
that prayer works.
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You can breathe.
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I believe in God.
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And I believe that God works.
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You still don't know
what to do with that.
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It is not prayer
where the power is found.
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It is God where
the power is found.
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If you read the Bible, as
my wife and I do together,
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you'll discover
that on Mount Moriah
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when the false
prophets prayed all day long,
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they got zero response.
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Because it's not
prayer that was responding,
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but the God who is
eternal that was responding.
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They were praying.
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And many people know...
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We've traveled around the
world, we've seen people praying
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before idols, people
praying before gold and silver.
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We were in India where
they have millions of gods.
00:14:58.19\00:15:00.80
We went to Indian
temples where they say,
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"Take your shoes off."
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And it was amazing to us,
we were taking our shoes off
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in the temples where
there was no god at all.
00:15:08.87\00:15:12.74
Just something made of
gold and silver and concrete.
00:15:12.77\00:15:16.75
And they were bowing before
them with utmost reverence.
00:15:16.78\00:15:19.95
And then after that, we went to
an Adventist church on Sabbath.
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And they said,
"Take your shoes off."
00:15:23.62\00:15:25.65
And I said, "Really?"
00:15:26.39\00:15:28.22
They said, "If the Buddhists
can take off their shoes
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in the presence
of an unreal god,
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how much more should
you take off your shoes
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in the presence
of the Almighty God."
00:15:39.47\00:15:42.07
That's what the Lord said
to Moses, "Remove your sandals.
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For the ground upon
which you stand is..." What?
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"...holy ground."
00:15:49.04\00:15:51.01
So when you pray,
don't believe in prayer.
00:15:51.05\00:15:54.32
Believe in God.
00:15:54.35\00:15:55.68
Remember when they
were at Rhoda's house
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praying for Peter's deliverance?
00:15:58.15\00:15:59.99
And Peter got delivered, and
they said, "Shhh, we're praying.
00:16:00.52\00:16:03.26
Don't tell us he's
here. Shhh, we're praying."
00:16:03.29\00:16:05.79
They were more
involved in their prayer
00:16:06.26\00:16:08.30
than in believing that God
could answer their prayers.
00:16:08.33\00:16:11.23
And so tonight, we're
going to walk through a
00:16:11.27\00:16:13.17
twelve step exercise.
00:16:13.20\00:16:14.80
I'll call this, the
twelve steps to knowing that
00:16:14.84\00:16:17.31
your prayers can be heard.
00:16:17.34\00:16:18.67
But as you look at
this, very interesting to me,
00:16:18.71\00:16:21.08
this lady named Marilyn Adamson.
00:16:21.11\00:16:23.21
A few years ago I
discovered a story about her.
00:16:23.71\00:16:26.41
She was once a devout atheist
whose life was transformed.
00:16:26.45\00:16:30.72
And let me allow
her to tell her story.
00:16:30.75\00:16:33.12
Isn't that amazing?
00:16:55.11\00:16:56.44
Somebody commented
about her transforming life.
00:16:57.51\00:17:00.08
Amen?
00:17:33.31\00:17:34.65
Greatly rewarding.
00:17:34.68\00:17:36.02
So now she travels
all over the world.
00:17:36.05\00:17:38.32
And she's been invited
to many, many countries.
00:17:38.35\00:17:40.56
And she always goes
and she shares the story,
00:17:40.59\00:17:42.49
"How an Atheist Found God."
00:17:42.52\00:17:44.39
And the thing that made her
life, gave her the transforming
00:17:44.83\00:17:48.06
experience, was the
prayers being answered
00:17:48.10\00:17:51.03
in the life of her friend.
00:17:51.07\00:17:53.13
When you read
the story in detail,
00:17:53.37\00:17:55.14
you will see that day by day
they worked at the same place.
00:17:55.44\00:17:57.71
So they would meet for lunch.
00:17:57.74\00:17:59.07
And her friend would
say, "Oh man, I had an issue
00:17:59.17\00:18:01.04
and I prayed about it.
00:18:01.24\00:18:02.58
And let me tell you
how God answered that."
00:18:02.61\00:18:03.95
And she would do this,
and it irritated Marilyn
00:18:03.98\00:18:05.91
until she said, "You know what?
00:18:05.95\00:18:07.28
Either she's making this
up or He does really exist."
00:18:07.32\00:18:11.49
So she put her toe
in the pool of faith,
00:18:11.69\00:18:15.26
and she almost drowned.
00:18:15.29\00:18:17.19
Amen?
00:18:18.79\00:18:20.13
You can't put your foot on
faith and come out without being
00:18:20.26\00:18:23.90
soaked in the reality that God
is not a fictitious character.
00:18:23.93\00:18:27.77
Did you all receive a piece of
paper when you came in tonight?
00:18:28.50\00:18:32.47
Go ahead and write these
down, because these are the
00:18:32.57\00:18:34.21
twelve steps to answered prayer.
00:18:34.24\00:18:36.28
For those of you
that are watching,
00:18:36.75\00:18:38.08
we'll upload
this to our website.
00:18:38.11\00:18:39.55
The twelve steps
to answered prayer.
00:18:39.65\00:18:41.78
The first one is,
let's say this together...
00:18:41.82\00:18:44.19
What is it? Exercise faith.
00:18:44.22\00:18:47.06
Exercise faith.
00:18:47.16\00:18:49.09
Here's how the
writer of Hebrews says it.
00:18:49.12\00:18:51.53
Hebrews 11:6
00:18:52.29\00:18:53.63
Not seek Him... Have
you ever lost your car key?
00:19:10.18\00:19:12.65
Do you look for
them like, "Oh well."
00:19:14.45\00:19:16.38
When you start
looking under bottle caps,
00:19:18.29\00:19:21.19
and you start looking
places where your keys
00:19:22.26\00:19:24.43
couldn't even fit, that's
when you know you've lost it.
00:19:24.46\00:19:26.80
But you look
diligently. Am I right?
00:19:27.66\00:19:29.90
You start thinking,
"Where did I put that?"
00:19:30.20\00:19:32.43
You start looking in
the fridge, in the ice box,
00:19:34.44\00:19:37.84
And as you get older, they might
show up in some of those places.
00:19:38.67\00:19:41.68
Because that's what happens.
00:19:43.41\00:19:44.75
Matthew 17:20 Notice the Bible.
00:19:45.41\00:19:47.62
Speaking to His disciples.
00:19:49.22\00:19:50.55
We've had mountains in our
lives, as we've grown together.
00:20:10.61\00:20:13.51
We've had mountains.
00:20:13.54\00:20:15.28
And you know why we're here?
00:20:15.58\00:20:17.05
Because we prayed, and
God has moved our mountains.
00:20:17.08\00:20:20.22
God knows how to move mountains.
00:20:21.68\00:20:23.49
He made them.
00:20:23.52\00:20:24.85
If they get in the way
of His children, He says,
00:20:24.89\00:20:26.86
"Could you move aside?
00:20:26.96\00:20:28.29
My daughter, My son,
has a journey that they need
00:20:28.32\00:20:31.29
to make their appointment."
00:20:31.33\00:20:32.66
Amen?
00:20:32.69\00:20:34.03
I could tell you the
stories, but I've got to
00:20:34.06\00:20:35.76
walk you through
the twelve steps.
00:20:35.80\00:20:37.13
And at the end, I'm going
to tell you a powerful story.
00:20:37.17\00:20:39.67
As I've told you in one
of our past presentations,
00:20:39.70\00:20:42.17
the answers to
prayers in our lives have been
00:20:43.61\00:20:47.14
nothing short of magnificent.
00:20:47.18\00:20:50.15
And even sometimes
while we're praying,
00:20:51.15\00:20:53.08
God is answering those prayers.
00:20:53.11\00:20:55.02
So I know what it
means when He says,
00:20:55.12\00:20:56.85
"You'll say to
the mountain, 'Move.'"
00:20:56.89\00:20:58.22
And we've had some mountains.
00:20:58.25\00:20:59.59
We've had some mountains.
00:20:59.62\00:21:01.02
We had a mountain once
that was so great that I was
00:21:01.42\00:21:03.79
anticipating
leaving the ministry.
00:21:03.83\00:21:06.56
But we went to the
mountain, we went to Yosemite,
00:21:07.73\00:21:10.37
and prayed in the valley of
Yosemite on a Saturday evening.
00:21:11.10\00:21:14.27
We ended up there.
00:21:14.30\00:21:15.64
When Sunday morning came and
we walked out of our $29 cabin
00:21:16.10\00:21:19.71
and looked up at the
granite rock mountain,
00:21:20.14\00:21:23.24
God said, "That's who I am.
00:21:23.58\00:21:25.18
You go back down
hill, go back down the hill,
00:21:25.21\00:21:27.68
and I've got this."
00:21:27.72\00:21:29.05
And a week later
God turned a battle
00:21:29.65\00:21:32.05
into nothing
but a grain of sand.
00:21:32.09\00:21:34.29
I could tell you that
story one day, but I don't
00:21:35.42\00:21:37.09
have the time
to do it right now.
00:21:37.13\00:21:38.69
Jeremiah 32:27 What
a beautiful passage.
00:21:39.29\00:21:42.76
And what's the answer? No.
00:21:48.60\00:21:50.51
We're not talking
people that may have money.
00:21:51.21\00:21:53.44
We're talking about
God who never is broke.
00:21:53.64\00:21:57.45
Some of us pray like
we're praying to a paper God.
00:21:58.38\00:22:01.48
That's why you don't get...
00:22:01.95\00:22:03.28
You're expecting a
$1000 answer to a 10¢ prayer.
00:22:03.32\00:22:08.72
Formula number two.
00:22:13.86\00:22:15.23
Very important.
00:22:16.30\00:22:17.63
If you want your
prayers to be answered,
00:22:17.67\00:22:19.13
come on together,
abandon wicked ways.
00:22:19.17\00:22:22.57
There are some
people that live like devils
00:22:22.97\00:22:24.97
and want God to respond to them.
00:22:25.01\00:22:27.01
You've got to
understand, just like a parent,
00:22:28.34\00:22:30.78
if you have a child
that's unruly and your kid says,
00:22:30.81\00:22:33.25
"Give me the car keys."
00:22:33.28\00:22:34.78
Now in my house,
while I'm saying that
00:22:35.22\00:22:37.85
I'll be losing teeth.
00:22:37.89\00:22:39.45
That's the kind of home I was
raised in; a west Indian house.
00:22:40.96\00:22:43.56
You have to walk up to my
parents with a humble walk.
00:22:43.59\00:22:46.29
You don't even say, when
they would ask me something,
00:22:46.33\00:22:48.90
I can't even say, "Yes."
00:22:49.00\00:22:50.33
They'd say, "Yes,
who? Yes, dog. Yes, cat.
00:22:50.37\00:22:52.37
Who are you talking to?"
00:22:52.40\00:22:53.74
So if a parent would not
respond to an unruly child,
00:22:54.70\00:22:58.77
God does not give His
gifts to those who refuse
00:22:58.87\00:23:02.98
to walk humbly and
righteously before God.
00:23:03.01\00:23:06.68
You've got to
abandon your wicked ways
00:23:06.92\00:23:09.08
for God to respond
to the request you make.
00:23:09.28\00:23:11.55
Matter of fact, if you want
God to hear you when you talk,
00:23:11.69\00:23:15.36
you need to hear
Him when He talks.
00:23:15.39\00:23:17.33
Prerequisite.
00:23:17.99\00:23:19.33
Isaiah 55:7
00:23:19.36\00:23:20.93
Some people are
wicked in their minds.
00:23:26.30\00:23:28.60
They just can't
say anything right.
00:23:28.90\00:23:30.74
"Let him return to the Lord..."
00:23:31.24\00:23:32.81
Which presupposes that
he was once with the Lord.
00:23:32.84\00:23:36.28
I am a witness to
that tonight. Anybody else?
00:23:44.02\00:23:46.72
God does not just
pardon, He abundantly pardons.
00:23:46.99\00:23:50.56
Micah 11:7, He throws our
sins into the depths of the sea,
00:23:50.59\00:23:54.50
and He says, "Don't
go fishing, anybody."
00:23:54.60\00:23:57.50
Praise the Lord for His mercy.
00:23:58.60\00:24:00.84
Point number three. What is it?
00:24:01.50\00:24:03.54
~ Believe. - Believe.
00:24:03.64\00:24:05.57
Something that is missing today.
00:24:05.61\00:24:07.58
Because we live in
a world of evidence.
00:24:07.61\00:24:09.34
What an atheist
always looks for is evidence.
00:24:09.71\00:24:12.35
But when you ask an
atheist what's missing,
00:24:12.45\00:24:15.18
what evidence is missing
to prove that God exists,
00:24:15.22\00:24:17.89
they don't have any evidence.
00:24:17.92\00:24:19.29
And they say the
evidence is missing.
00:24:19.32\00:24:20.86
And we say, "What missing?"
00:24:20.89\00:24:22.22
And they don't
know what's missing.
00:24:22.26\00:24:23.59
What's missing is
you don't believe.
00:24:26.29\00:24:28.20
That's what's missing.
00:24:28.23\00:24:29.56
You've got to believe, and
then God rewards your belief.
00:24:29.66\00:24:33.54
It's like somebody
says, "Now, close your eyes."
00:24:34.00\00:24:36.34
Anybody ever do that to you?
00:24:36.37\00:24:37.71
"Now close your eyes.
00:24:37.74\00:24:39.24
Do you trust me?"
00:24:39.97\00:24:41.34
And when they ask
you that question,
00:24:41.54\00:24:42.94
if you don't really know
them, you say, "I don't know."
00:24:42.98\00:24:45.68
But if you know them
well, you'll close your eyes
00:24:45.91\00:24:48.15
without hesitation because
you've had experience with them.
00:24:48.18\00:24:50.82
You've got to believe.
00:24:51.29\00:24:52.62
The Word of God
says, Matthew 21:22...
00:24:52.65\00:24:56.02
You've got to believe.
00:25:04.00\00:25:05.33
But you've got to pray
in harmony with God's will.
00:25:05.37\00:25:07.24
Some people pray arbitrarily.
00:25:07.27\00:25:09.17
Some people pray, as
James says, we ask amiss
00:25:09.20\00:25:12.21
so that we will waste
it on unrighteous living.
00:25:12.24\00:25:14.94
We ask because we
just need to money.
00:25:14.98\00:25:16.85
"Lord, I'm going out
tonight. I need some money."
00:25:16.88\00:25:18.95
God says, "You ain't going out,
00:25:20.22\00:25:21.85
because I ain't
giving you nothing."
00:25:21.88\00:25:23.39
Not with that attitude.
00:25:24.72\00:25:26.09
You've got to pray
believing, but you have to
00:25:27.06\00:25:28.66
pray in harmony with God's will.
00:25:28.69\00:25:30.26
Mark 9:23
00:25:30.73\00:25:32.06
You're not believing in
belief, you're believing in God.
00:25:38.17\00:25:41.10
Some people believe in beliefs.
00:25:41.67\00:25:43.14
So they say, "Well, you
know, as long as you believe."
00:25:43.17\00:25:45.84
And I've had people
say, "Well I believe in God."
00:25:45.87\00:25:48.21
Well that may be a beginning,
but do you believe God?
00:25:48.71\00:25:52.71
Some people believe in God.
00:25:54.08\00:25:55.58
That's that watershed belief.
00:25:55.62\00:25:57.89
That's that paper
belief that will blow away
00:25:57.92\00:26:00.72
in a light breeze.
00:26:00.76\00:26:02.32
If you believe in God,
take it to the next level,
00:26:02.62\00:26:06.59
as the apostle Paul
says, "I believe God,
00:26:06.63\00:26:10.63
that it will be
just as it was told me."
00:26:11.10\00:26:14.44
That's how your faith
goes to the next level.
00:26:14.70\00:26:17.21
Somebody says,
"Who do you believe?"
00:26:17.24\00:26:18.74
Not, "Who do you believe
in?" but, "Who do you believe?"
00:26:19.34\00:26:22.78
I believe God.
00:26:22.81\00:26:24.15
Well how can you believe God?
00:26:24.18\00:26:25.51
I have enough evidence in my
life to know that God exists.
00:26:25.55\00:26:28.12
And that is answered prayer.
00:26:28.15\00:26:30.39
And then sometimes
God answers your prayer
00:26:31.09\00:26:33.66
before you pray it.
00:26:33.69\00:26:35.09
I could tell you of evidences
when God answers prayers
00:26:35.92\00:26:38.16
before we even pray it.
00:26:38.19\00:26:39.56
Because He says, "Before
you call, I will answer."
00:26:41.93\00:26:46.07
There you go.
That's your scripture.
00:26:46.10\00:26:47.60
Before you call.
00:26:47.64\00:26:48.97
He sees. God, like a parent.
00:26:49.00\00:26:51.34
I've seen a video, somebody sent
me a link to this on YouTube,
00:26:51.37\00:26:54.04
of an example of
our heavenly Father.
00:26:55.01\00:26:58.28
And the whole entire
clip, about three minutes long,
00:26:58.31\00:27:00.92
it was just dads
who saw a danger coming
00:27:00.95\00:27:05.02
and preempted
something that could have
00:27:05.05\00:27:06.76
wiped their child's life out.
00:27:06.79\00:27:08.92
There was a little boy on a bike
or a little, one of those little
00:27:09.49\00:27:13.33
carts that had gotten away,
00:27:13.36\00:27:14.90
and he was coming
down the hill fast.
00:27:14.93\00:27:16.73
But the father of the child
who was in the way of this cart
00:27:16.83\00:27:19.90
who didn't even know it
ran past that speeding cart and
00:27:19.93\00:27:23.41
grabbed his child
before that child was run over.
00:27:23.44\00:27:26.21
And there was another
dad sitting on the couch
00:27:27.91\00:27:29.88
on his laptop, and
the baby is right there.
00:27:29.91\00:27:32.08
And the baby falls and
is about to go head first,
00:27:32.11\00:27:34.35
and the dad grabs him
by his diaper and holds him
00:27:34.38\00:27:36.85
before he hits the ground.
00:27:36.89\00:27:38.45
If man could do that...
00:27:39.19\00:27:40.96
Are you listening to me now?
00:27:41.26\00:27:42.59
If man could do
that, what can God do?
00:27:42.62\00:27:46.53
If man could do
that, what can God do?
00:27:47.80\00:27:50.80
That's why I
like this third part.
00:27:50.83\00:27:52.33
When you pray,
together, don't waver.
00:27:52.67\00:27:56.24
Some people get on
their knees and pray,
00:27:56.54\00:27:58.51
and when they say, "Lord, I'm
putting my burdens in your hand.
00:27:58.54\00:28:01.54
Please take them away from me."
00:28:01.58\00:28:03.31
And then they get up
and take them right back.
00:28:03.35\00:28:05.58
"Lord, forgive me."
00:28:06.21\00:28:07.55
Then they walk
around like God has
00:28:07.58\00:28:08.92
never said, "You're forgiven."
00:28:08.95\00:28:10.49
"Lord, I'm so sorry."
00:28:11.25\00:28:12.69
Then they walk around like
they have to beat themselves
00:28:12.72\00:28:14.99
to the point where they
feel that they are now worthy
00:28:15.19\00:28:17.66
to accept God's forgiveness.
00:28:17.69\00:28:19.39
If you waver when you prayer,
00:28:19.79\00:28:21.66
notice what the
apostle James says.
00:28:21.70\00:28:24.03
James 1:6-7
00:28:24.07\00:28:25.80
And when you read
further, the Bible says,
00:28:42.92\00:28:44.89
"A double-minded man is
unstable in all his ways."
00:28:44.92\00:28:48.62
I mean, can you
imagine somebody that you need
00:28:48.89\00:28:51.29
in a critical moment, and you
say to them, "What shall we do?"
00:28:51.33\00:28:54.06
"Well let's do
this. No, let's do that.
00:28:54.10\00:28:55.43
Well, let's do that.
Well no, let's do that."
00:28:55.46\00:28:57.57
You say, "Would you
just get out of my way?"
00:28:57.60\00:28:59.30
Have you done that before?
00:29:00.07\00:29:01.40
No confession. But I have.
00:29:01.44\00:29:03.34
People that you
cannot rely on in a crunch.
00:29:04.97\00:29:07.64
"Lord, I trust
You. But I don't."
00:29:09.11\00:29:10.45
"I believe You,
but I don't know."
00:29:10.48\00:29:12.11
"Accept this,
help me take it away.
00:29:12.58\00:29:14.38
But I don't know if You can."
00:29:14.42\00:29:15.78
"Forgive me, Lord, if You will."
00:29:15.82\00:29:17.75
And we talk to God
like He's some kind of guy.
00:29:17.95\00:29:20.06
And the other thing
that vitally important...
00:29:20.09\00:29:21.86
Listen to this.
This is very important.
00:29:21.89\00:29:24.29
Sometimes we beg God
like He's a mean God.
00:29:25.16\00:29:29.56
"Lord, will You
please answer my prayer?"
00:29:29.86\00:29:33.80
You know what the Bible says?
00:29:34.67\00:29:36.00
"Whoever comes to Me, I
will in no wise cast out."
00:29:36.97\00:29:43.08
When you read the
stories in the Bible,
00:29:44.58\00:29:47.22
the Bible says in, I
believe, Psalm 34:17-18,
00:29:47.25\00:29:50.69
"He's near to
the broken-hearted,
00:29:50.72\00:29:53.39
and saves such as
have a contrite spirit."
00:29:53.49\00:29:56.93
When you're humble, God is
not the guy in a tower somewhere
00:29:56.96\00:30:00.50
with a gun and a scope
trying to shoot you down
00:30:00.53\00:30:02.73
because you did something wrong.
00:30:02.76\00:30:04.23
He loves us with
an everlasting love.
00:30:04.57\00:30:06.84
What kind of
love? Everlasting love.
00:30:06.87\00:30:09.54
Think about this.
00:30:10.27\00:30:11.61
Here's a picture
that you can hold onto.
00:30:11.64\00:30:13.31
You ever seen those cute little
dogs, they look like toy dogs?
00:30:13.34\00:30:16.44
We were so excited, we
went to a mall out here.
00:30:16.48\00:30:18.61
And we saw they have a
pet store out here in Phoenix.
00:30:18.91\00:30:22.48
Those things have been
outlawed in California.
00:30:22.78\00:30:25.22
And they don't
have them in Illinois.
00:30:25.25\00:30:26.86
But we saw this cute little pet
store and we just got enamored.
00:30:27.12\00:30:30.19
We walked up to the
glass, and they said,
00:30:30.23\00:30:31.86
"Do not tap on the glass."
00:30:31.89\00:30:33.23
And my wife was
about to, and I said,
00:30:33.26\00:30:34.60
"Honey, do not
tap on the glass."
00:30:34.63\00:30:36.16
Because they're
so cute, you want to
00:30:37.17\00:30:38.50
kind of get their attention.
00:30:38.53\00:30:39.87
And they like...
00:30:39.90\00:30:41.24
And you want to
take them all home.
00:30:41.27\00:30:42.60
I said, "Wouldn't it be
nice if we had like $100,000
00:30:42.64\00:30:44.67
we could take
all these dogs home?"
00:30:44.71\00:30:46.37
Because they're so cute.
00:30:46.74\00:30:48.08
Now, follow my story.
00:30:48.14\00:30:50.31
So you take home
these cute little Maltese,
00:30:50.35\00:30:52.58
and they're just like,
they just lay on your chest.
00:30:52.61\00:30:54.78
You let them climb in your bed.
00:30:54.82\00:30:56.48
I don't know how
you feel about that,
00:30:56.52\00:30:57.85
but I'm going to
argue with that point.
00:30:57.89\00:31:00.52
But some people do.
00:31:01.19\00:31:02.52
Some people their dogs
are like like a family member.
00:31:02.56\00:31:04.79
I know how that was.
00:31:04.83\00:31:06.16
When we lost our
dog in Weaverville,
00:31:06.19\00:31:07.60
when our dog got hit
right in front of us, our little
00:31:07.80\00:31:09.93
small Chow, we cried
like we lost a parent.
00:31:10.33\00:31:14.07
Every time I saw that piece
of hair in the house, I cried.
00:31:14.50\00:31:19.07
Couldn't go to work
without shedding a tear.
00:31:19.11\00:31:20.94
But now
imagine, follow my story,
00:31:21.24\00:31:22.98
just say that dog
did something terrible.
00:31:23.01\00:31:25.08
Like he wet on the carpet.
00:31:26.01\00:31:27.38
Little cute
little bundle of joy.
00:31:27.42\00:31:29.05
Would you take him to
the front door by his collar
00:31:29.58\00:31:32.12
and just kick him out the door?
00:31:32.15\00:31:33.66
You feel that, right?
00:31:35.59\00:31:37.19
It's like, oh, how
wicked can you get?
00:31:37.59\00:31:39.56
If we wouldn't do that to a dog,
00:31:40.86\00:31:43.00
would God do that to us?
00:31:43.93\00:31:45.67
No He wouldn't.
00:31:48.14\00:31:49.47
That's why my fifth
point, I had to use this baby.
00:31:51.31\00:31:53.94
It was so cute.
00:31:53.98\00:31:55.31
I just want to hold the baby.
00:31:55.34\00:31:57.08
I saw this on stock photo.
00:31:57.28\00:31:59.01
I said, I've got to
use that picture tonight.
00:31:59.05\00:32:01.15
The fifth point
is what, friends?
00:32:01.85\00:32:03.55
Come to Jesus.
00:32:03.59\00:32:06.12
Oh I love this
passage in Matthew 11:28-30.
00:32:06.15\00:32:09.06
It's a fitting text for
a little baby like that.
00:32:33.92\00:32:36.62
That's how God is.
00:32:37.25\00:32:38.59
He cradles us. "Come unto Me."
00:32:38.62\00:32:40.42
So when you're hurting,
the Father is not saying,
00:32:40.59\00:32:43.22
"I told you so."
00:32:43.93\00:32:45.43
He is saying, "Come unto
Me all you who are weary."
00:32:46.09\00:32:49.06
He understands our hurts.
00:32:49.10\00:32:50.93
He is touched by the
feelings of our weaknesses.
00:32:51.33\00:32:54.24
We do not have a high priest
that is not touched by the
00:32:54.27\00:32:57.01
feelings of our infirmities.
00:32:57.04\00:32:58.57
He understands. He
walked in our shoes.
00:32:58.61\00:33:01.38
So when you are in a pickle,
if you want to call it that,
00:33:01.41\00:33:04.38
don't feel, one of the
things, when you feel really bad
00:33:04.61\00:33:07.92
and really evil, the
devil says, "Now talk to God.
00:33:07.95\00:33:11.29
He don't want to hear you."
00:33:12.45\00:33:13.79
You know what, friends?
00:33:13.82\00:33:15.16
That's when He
wants to hear you.
00:33:15.19\00:33:16.52
Don't ever feel that
you're too bad to talk to God.
00:33:17.06\00:33:20.20
That's when He wants
to hear from His child.
00:33:20.23\00:33:22.43
That's why some kids hide
when they do something wrong.
00:33:22.86\00:33:25.40
That's why Adam and
Eve hid when they did.
00:33:25.43\00:33:27.40
We have the same
nature as our parents did.
00:33:27.44\00:33:29.80
Point number six, don't be what?
00:33:30.34\00:33:32.94
Don't be anxious.
00:33:33.34\00:33:34.91
My wife and I have
learned a principle.
00:33:34.94\00:33:36.28
Whenever you go to a store
and they're trying to get you
00:33:36.31\00:33:37.88
to buy
something, don't be anxious.
00:33:37.91\00:33:39.88
Here's how the Bible
says it. Philippians 4:6-7
00:33:39.91\00:33:42.85
We were in Best
Buy a few years ago.
00:34:04.57\00:34:07.28
And they showed us these
really, really nice televisions.
00:34:07.31\00:34:09.94
And they said, "You
want to take one home today?
00:34:09.98\00:34:12.48
We'll make it worth your while."
00:34:13.05\00:34:15.18
And they went to their
computer and worked out all the
00:34:15.22\00:34:16.65
financing and everything.
00:34:16.69\00:34:18.02
You know how a salesperson,
they are trained to get you
00:34:18.05\00:34:20.99
to take stuff home
that you don't really need.
00:34:21.02\00:34:22.96
And we've learned a way
to halt them in their tracks.
00:34:24.03\00:34:27.96
So here's what we said
as he's standing there,
00:34:28.30\00:34:30.30
"Come on, you
want to get it tonight?
00:34:30.33\00:34:31.67
We can load it up for
you. It will be very easy."
00:34:31.70\00:34:34.14
And we said, "You know,
we have to pray about it."
00:34:35.10\00:34:38.14
They were not
trained to respond to that.
00:34:38.77\00:34:40.71
"We have to pray about it."
00:34:41.74\00:34:43.08
And they said,
"But it might not..."
00:34:43.11\00:34:44.45
I said, "If we pray about
it and this is what God wants,
00:34:44.48\00:34:46.78
it will be here
when we come back."
00:34:46.82\00:34:48.35
And it's like it
unloads all their bullets.
00:34:48.98\00:34:51.49
They kind of put all their,
everything they were trained,
00:34:51.52\00:34:53.56
they put it
back in their pocket.
00:34:53.59\00:34:54.92
"Well, I'm not
selling anything tonight."
00:34:54.96\00:34:56.59
Be anxious for what? Nothing.
00:34:58.33\00:35:00.86
And this is very important
because some people have
00:35:00.90\00:35:02.66
gotten themselves
into irreversible hardship
00:35:02.70\00:35:05.87
by being anxious.
00:35:06.20\00:35:07.64
"Well honey,
this is the last one.
00:35:07.67\00:35:09.00
Nobody else will get it.
00:35:09.04\00:35:10.37
This is just for
us. God held it for us."
00:35:10.41\00:35:12.07
Be anxious for nothing.
00:35:12.11\00:35:14.41
That's right.
00:35:14.71\00:35:16.04
Next one, humble yourself.
00:35:16.08\00:35:18.31
Don't come to God, "You
know, God, I've got an issue."
00:35:19.28\00:35:21.72
Come to God's presence humbly.
00:35:23.08\00:35:25.52
Come to Him on your knees.
00:35:25.62\00:35:27.92
Come to God realizing
that He is God and you are not.
00:35:28.12\00:35:33.36
Humble yourself.
00:35:33.90\00:35:35.56
You know the
text. 2 Chronicles 7:14
00:35:35.60\00:35:38.63
This is an, if and then.
00:35:57.45\00:35:59.29
If...then.
00:35:59.59\00:36:01.36
God responds to our requests
sometimes conditionally.
00:36:01.69\00:36:06.33
If...then.
00:36:06.43\00:36:08.03
We've done that to people.
00:36:08.06\00:36:09.40
If you...then.
00:36:09.50\00:36:10.83
"If you could do
this, then you get the job."
00:36:10.87\00:36:12.57
"If you can handle
this, then I'll go ahead and
00:36:12.60\00:36:14.20
put it in your lap."
00:36:14.24\00:36:15.57
"If you are this way, then you
have the responsible position."
00:36:15.60\00:36:18.27
God is the very same way.
00:36:18.31\00:36:19.64
"If you humble
yourself and pray, seek My face,
00:36:19.67\00:36:22.21
turn from your wicked ways..."
00:36:22.24\00:36:23.81
And so many of us seek God's
hand before we seek God's heart.
00:36:23.85\00:36:29.75
But you know the text,
"Seek first the kingdom of God
00:36:32.12\00:36:34.09
and His righteousness,
and all these things
00:36:34.12\00:36:36.62
will be added to you."
00:36:36.66\00:36:38.06
Here's the way
that Peter says it.
00:36:38.09\00:36:39.53
1 Peter 5:6-7
00:36:39.56\00:36:41.26
This text also
adds another component.
00:36:55.18\00:36:57.65
Don't be boastful.
00:36:58.11\00:36:59.91
Some people
always want the position.
00:37:01.08\00:37:04.42
Some people always
want to be recognized.
00:37:04.69\00:37:07.16
Some people always
want to be in the mix.
00:37:07.46\00:37:09.76
If you don't push yourself...
00:37:10.26\00:37:12.53
There's so many
examples in the Bible.
00:37:12.56\00:37:14.36
Oh, his name.
00:37:14.46\00:37:15.80
When David was getting
older, what's the young...
00:37:15.83\00:37:18.53
There was one of the
son's of David that wanted
00:37:18.90\00:37:21.54
to take David's throne
before David even passed away.
00:37:21.57\00:37:25.91
And he decided to
go ahead, Absalom,
00:37:27.98\00:37:32.18
he decided to go
ahead and throw a feast
00:37:32.21\00:37:33.88
and get all his
homies together...
00:37:33.92\00:37:35.65
I'm serious.
00:37:36.99\00:37:38.32
...until David
found out about it.
00:37:38.35\00:37:40.76
Then went ahead
and anointed Solomon.
00:37:40.79\00:37:42.62
And Solomon said, "Go ahead
and get him, bring him here.
00:37:42.66\00:37:45.46
Let me see what
kind of spirit he has."
00:37:45.79\00:37:47.70
It wasn't Absalom.
00:37:48.03\00:37:49.36
"Let me see what
kind of spirit..."
00:37:50.47\00:37:51.80
We'll deal with this later.
00:37:51.83\00:37:53.17
"Let me see what
kind of spirit he has."
00:37:53.20\00:37:54.54
And he came with a
humble spirit before Solomon,
00:37:54.57\00:37:57.27
and Solomon spared his life.
00:37:57.47\00:37:58.91
If he was boastful
and proud and arrogant...
00:37:58.94\00:38:01.24
But you know the
rest of the story.
00:38:01.34\00:38:02.81
Later on he did get
boastful and proud and arrogant.
00:38:02.84\00:38:05.75
And Solomon had to, you know,
00:38:05.78\00:38:07.52
take him out of
the administration.
00:38:07.68\00:38:09.18
That's a nice way of saying it.
00:38:09.22\00:38:10.62
Point number
eight, together, seek God.
00:38:13.05\00:38:17.46
When you know that God cares
for you, don't be afraid of God.
00:38:17.56\00:38:19.79
The Bible says,
David the psalmist, 34:4...
00:38:19.83\00:38:23.97
One evening my wife and I
were sitting down praying.
00:38:30.24\00:38:33.01
We were sitting down reading
the Bible and we ran across a
00:38:33.84\00:38:36.31
text that brought us to tears.
00:38:36.34\00:38:39.28
The Bible says, "You
cried out to the Lord,
00:38:40.85\00:38:44.32
and He heard you
from His holy temple.
00:38:44.35\00:38:47.66
And He inclined His ear to you."
00:38:48.19\00:38:50.43
And we looked at
each other and said,
00:38:51.79\00:38:53.19
"You mean, when I call God,
and He's in His holy temple,
00:38:54.16\00:38:58.20
He says, 'Shhh.
00:38:58.23\00:38:59.67
I hear John.
00:39:00.90\00:39:02.24
What do you need, John?
00:39:02.90\00:39:04.24
I hear Angela.
Shhh, I hear Angela.'"
00:39:05.57\00:39:09.21
That blew us away.
00:39:09.24\00:39:11.41
That God, in the
busyness of being God,
00:39:11.91\00:39:16.45
He heard our cry and
He inclined His ear to us
00:39:16.48\00:39:20.52
from His holy temple.
00:39:20.56\00:39:22.22
It took us a while
to get over that one,
00:39:23.99\00:39:25.99
because we were emotional.
00:39:26.03\00:39:27.60
And we knew that
God loved us so much.
00:39:30.67\00:39:33.57
He loves us so much.
00:39:34.07\00:39:35.40
I love this
text, Jeremiah 29:13.
00:39:35.64\00:39:37.94
So many people don't search
for God will all their heart.
00:39:45.81\00:39:48.18
I've had some people
to say, "Well, you know,
00:39:48.22\00:39:50.22
I tried this religion thing.
00:39:50.32\00:39:52.05
And it's really not for me.
00:39:52.55\00:39:53.92
I mean, I know there are
people that really, you know,
00:39:54.22\00:39:56.02
they like the church, and
the music, and the doctrines,
00:39:56.06\00:39:58.13
and all, but it's
really not for me."
00:39:58.16\00:39:59.59
You know why it's not for you?
00:39:59.63\00:40:00.96
Because you haven't searched
for God with all your heart.
00:40:01.00\00:40:03.13
We've got compartments in
our lives that if we would
00:40:03.53\00:40:06.00
just let God get in
there, He'd clean it out
00:40:06.03\00:40:08.27
and put Himself in there.
00:40:08.30\00:40:09.64
And you'd say, "Well,
why didn't I do that sooner?"
00:40:09.67\00:40:12.31
I've had people that
wasted so much of their lives.
00:40:13.68\00:40:16.31
I remember there was a
man that was on his death bed.
00:40:16.34\00:40:18.91
His wife, I remember,
living up in the mountains
00:40:19.01\00:40:20.88
of northern California.
00:40:20.92\00:40:22.25
They're both deceased now.
00:40:22.28\00:40:23.62
But I remember that
she'd say, "Come to my house.
00:40:23.65\00:40:25.29
But when you come, don't
talk to my husband about God.
00:40:25.32\00:40:27.79
That's the best
way to shut him down
00:40:27.89\00:40:30.83
and have him put you out.
00:40:30.86\00:40:32.19
Don't tell him about God.
00:40:32.23\00:40:33.73
Don't even ask him about God."
00:40:33.76\00:40:35.46
But I said to him, "If
you ever need help, call me.
00:40:36.26\00:40:39.00
I'll be glad to help you out."
00:40:39.03\00:40:40.37
Well this mountain guy
that was well into his 70s,
00:40:40.44\00:40:44.01
he was stronger than this young
man from the city of New York.
00:40:44.04\00:40:47.31
And he called me
about 3:30 in the morning
00:40:47.41\00:40:49.08
in the midst of a rain storm.
00:40:49.11\00:40:50.68
And he said, "My
creek is being overrun.
00:40:51.01\00:40:53.11
I'm by myself, I can't
lift up these water pipes.
00:40:53.15\00:40:55.82
My land is being
flooded. Would you help me?"
00:40:55.85\00:40:57.82
So I don't know how to
dress for situations like that.
00:40:58.15\00:41:00.46
I'm from the city.
00:41:00.92\00:41:02.26
So I put on boots
that are not waterproof,
00:41:02.29\00:41:03.96
went out with
whatever I could find.
00:41:03.99\00:41:05.59
I was drenched by
the time the sun rose.
00:41:05.79\00:41:08.00
But together we were able
to get those long 20 foot pipes
00:41:08.03\00:41:11.40
out there, and his land
wasn't overrun with water.
00:41:11.43\00:41:14.20
Just about sunrise he
said, "Come in the house.
00:41:14.67\00:41:16.81
I'll make you a hot chocolate."
00:41:16.84\00:41:18.21
And we sat in his house and
watched a bear walk right by.
00:41:18.31\00:41:21.41
And we would talk; and any time
he'd ask for help, I'd be there.
00:41:22.58\00:41:25.55
But I would never
tell him about God.
00:41:26.45\00:41:28.12
And his wife said,
"My husband loves you."
00:41:28.15\00:41:30.35
And I thought to myself,
00:41:30.39\00:41:31.72
"Because I didn't
tell him about God.
00:41:31.75\00:41:33.09
I need to find a
moment to tell him about God."
00:41:33.32\00:41:35.86
Well she called me one day.
00:41:36.46\00:41:37.79
He had a surgery that went bad,
00:41:37.83\00:41:39.16
and the bile went
down into his lungs.
00:41:39.19\00:41:41.23
And he was airlifted to Redding.
00:41:41.26\00:41:42.60
And I was in
Weaverville 55 miles away.
00:41:42.63\00:41:44.90
And I got in my car and drove.
00:41:45.13\00:41:46.74
She said, "I don't
think he's going to make it."
00:41:46.77\00:41:48.10
And I drove, and I said, "Lord,
please give me a chance to
00:41:48.14\00:41:51.07
tell him about God."
00:41:51.11\00:41:52.51
And I got there,
and his lineman...
00:41:53.41\00:41:54.74
He had sons that were linemen.
00:41:54.78\00:41:56.11
These big guys
whose hands were like...
00:41:56.14\00:41:57.48
When they shake your
hand, they've got hydraulic
00:41:57.71\00:41:59.28
fluid in their veins.
00:41:59.31\00:42:00.65
Some of you guys have
those strong hand grips.
00:42:01.48\00:42:02.95
You know what I'm talking about.
00:42:02.98\00:42:04.32
The guys whose
hands are like stone.
00:42:04.35\00:42:06.05
And these big husky
guys, men of men, like men men,
00:42:06.52\00:42:10.19
standing around their dad's bed.
00:42:10.73\00:42:12.73
You know those supermen?
00:42:13.06\00:42:14.76
They're just like,
nothing hurts them.
00:42:14.80\00:42:16.43
And these big burly
guys around their dad,
00:42:17.10\00:42:18.87
and there he is with a
breathing thing over his face.
00:42:18.90\00:42:22.17
And I said, "Jim."
00:42:22.84\00:42:24.34
"Yes?"
00:42:25.14\00:42:26.54
I said, "Jim.
00:42:27.44\00:42:28.81
You know the
Lord loves you, Jim.
00:42:30.15\00:42:31.78
Can I talk to you about God?"
00:42:33.72\00:42:35.48
"Yeah.
00:42:37.49\00:42:38.82
I want to know about
God. Tell me about Him."
00:42:39.15\00:42:41.82
I said, "Jim,
there's never a moment
00:42:42.99\00:42:45.19
that God will
shut the door on you
00:42:45.93\00:42:47.70
unless you shut
the door on Him."
00:42:47.73\00:42:49.63
And his wife, before I
went into the room, she said,
00:42:50.00\00:42:51.67
"Please, please, please,
it's such a tender moment,
00:42:51.70\00:42:53.80
don't tell him about God."
00:42:53.84\00:42:55.17
I said, "Cleone, I'm sorry.
00:42:55.20\00:42:56.91
I'm going to talk
with him about God.
00:42:57.11\00:42:58.94
I respect you, but
I've got to tell him.
00:42:59.14\00:43:01.04
This is my last chance."
00:43:01.08\00:43:02.64
And we had about
15 to 20 minutes.
00:43:03.38\00:43:06.18
And I talked to him about
God and I walked him through.
00:43:06.88\00:43:08.45
I said, "Jim."
00:43:08.48\00:43:09.82
And all that I had, all
that God impressed me to do,
00:43:09.85\00:43:12.22
lead that man to Jesus.
00:43:12.82\00:43:14.59
That man on his death bed.
00:43:14.79\00:43:16.32
It's only
between... You don't...
00:43:16.56\00:43:17.93
That's not for you to decide.
00:43:18.03\00:43:19.76
That man gave his life to
the Lord, confessed of his sins.
00:43:20.36\00:43:22.53
And I said, "Jim, Jim."
00:43:22.56\00:43:24.77
And we talked and talked, I
don't remember all the words,
00:43:27.17\00:43:28.90
but I looked up and I saw
his son's, the men of men,
00:43:28.94\00:43:32.71
just crying.
00:43:32.74\00:43:34.08
And I did his funeral.
00:43:35.14\00:43:36.48
He died about a
day and a half later.
00:43:37.51\00:43:39.35
And I never forgot the story.
00:43:39.85\00:43:41.18
They did a video of his funeral.
00:43:41.22\00:43:42.55
And his daughter was in Alaska,
00:43:42.95\00:43:44.35
and I got a call
from her one day.
00:43:44.39\00:43:46.09
She said, "I've got to
talk to you." I said, "Okay."
00:43:46.12\00:43:48.02
She said, "I
don't know what it is.
00:43:48.06\00:43:49.39
My dad always
spoke so highly of you."
00:43:49.42\00:43:51.36
I said, "Really? He did?"
00:43:51.99\00:43:53.33
"Yeah, always highly of you.
00:43:53.36\00:43:54.83
But I don't know.
00:43:55.60\00:43:56.93
Did you not know that
my dad was very prejudice?
00:43:56.97\00:43:58.67
He didn't like
anybody that wasn't white."
00:43:58.70\00:44:00.54
"He didn't?"
00:44:00.94\00:44:02.27
"And he never told
me that you were not.
00:44:02.30\00:44:03.71
Race never came up."
00:44:04.71\00:44:06.04
She said, "When I saw the
video, I had to talk to you.
00:44:07.08\00:44:09.08
Because what
did you do to my dad
00:44:09.11\00:44:11.58
to make him like you so much?"
00:44:12.25\00:44:14.32
I said, "I just
lived out the life
00:44:15.08\00:44:16.89
that Jesus
wanted me to live out."
00:44:16.92\00:44:18.55
And she said, "I want to
thank you, because I heard that
00:44:19.52\00:44:21.49
before my dad
died he accepted Jesus.
00:44:21.52\00:44:24.03
I just want to
thank you for that."
00:44:24.06\00:44:25.83
And his wife was one of
our greatest supporters.
00:44:27.36\00:44:29.30
When we got ordained
in 1995, she drove over
00:44:29.33\00:44:32.43
almost 300 and
something miles with her family
00:44:32.47\00:44:34.67
to be at my ordination.
00:44:34.70\00:44:36.14
And so when you look
back, these things that God does
00:44:37.17\00:44:39.41
that humanity can
never do, these are moments
00:44:39.44\00:44:41.44
that God says to you, "If
you honor Me, I will honor you.
00:44:41.48\00:44:44.51
If you seek Me with all your
heart, you're going to find Me."
00:44:44.55\00:44:47.55
But so many people give just
portions of their heart to God.
00:44:47.95\00:44:51.52
Which takes me to
point number nine.
00:44:51.55\00:44:53.32
Matter of fact,
go to Isaiah 55:6.
00:44:53.36\00:44:56.12
And this is powerful,
because God is not going to
00:45:01.33\00:45:03.26
always be within your reach.
00:45:03.30\00:45:04.97
The best time to respond to
God is when you hear His voice
00:45:05.63\00:45:08.80
the first time.
00:45:09.10\00:45:10.61
Point number nine.
00:45:12.37\00:45:13.71
Together, keep the commandments.
00:45:15.01\00:45:17.95
Keep His commandments.
00:45:18.98\00:45:21.32
The Bible says in Proverbs
28:9 a very humbling passage.
00:45:21.52\00:45:25.59
People that say, "I
don't want God's commandments."
00:45:34.80\00:45:36.87
He says, "Well then
you're not talking to Me.
00:45:36.90\00:45:38.70
Because if you don't
want to keep My commandments,
00:45:39.17\00:45:40.84
I don't even want to
hear what you have to say."
00:45:40.87\00:45:42.67
Matter of fact, I
think it's Micah the prophet,
00:45:42.97\00:45:44.51
or one of the minor prophets,
said, "Because you have
00:45:44.54\00:45:47.51
ignored Me when I
called you, when calamity comes
00:45:47.54\00:45:50.38
I will laugh at your calamity.
00:45:50.41\00:45:52.48
Because you've ignored
Me, and now you want My help?
00:45:53.35\00:45:55.42
Let your own sin deliver you."
00:45:56.75\00:46:00.16
Brethren, let me make a
point very important here.
00:46:00.72\00:46:03.26
God is not a God that
we should trifle with.
00:46:03.46\00:46:05.99
He wants to bless us, but
we've got to do it His way.
00:46:07.13\00:46:09.63
Amen, somebody?
00:46:09.66\00:46:11.00
That's why 1 John 3:22...
00:46:11.47\00:46:13.17
Don't live like
God ain't watching.
00:46:23.14\00:46:24.78
Point number ten,
get rid of iniquity.
00:46:25.95\00:46:28.92
Get rid of iniquity.
00:46:29.38\00:46:31.79
You know what iniquity is?
00:46:31.82\00:46:33.15
That cherished sin
that you keep repeating
00:46:33.19\00:46:35.12
over and over and over again,
00:46:35.16\00:46:36.76
and think that now
because you're used to it
00:46:36.79\00:46:39.03
that it doesn't
matter to God any longer.
00:46:39.06\00:46:41.40
Don't ever fool yourself
into thinking that you can
00:46:41.43\00:46:43.80
repeat a sin over
and over and over again,
00:46:43.83\00:46:45.63
and all of a
sudden God accepts it.
00:46:45.67\00:46:47.80
Oh, that is the worse
thing you can think of.
00:46:48.20\00:46:50.41
The Bible says in Psalm 66:18...
00:46:50.51\00:46:52.84
If you've got hard-headed
kids, I don't want to ask you
00:47:10.89\00:47:13.09
to raise your hand, but somebody
here has hard-headed kids.
00:47:13.13\00:47:16.03
And they come to you all
arrogant and all loud, and
00:47:17.20\00:47:20.57
even if they grew up
they may be still that way,
00:47:20.77\00:47:23.30
and they come and
ask you something.
00:47:23.41\00:47:24.94
"I don't want to hear it."
00:47:25.11\00:47:26.44
You ever did that before?
00:47:26.47\00:47:27.81
"I don't want to hear
it. I don't want to hear it."
00:47:27.84\00:47:29.18
Because you know that
their lifestyle is so messed up
00:47:30.18\00:47:33.28
that they're not going to
ask you anything that is good.
00:47:33.31\00:47:37.32
They're going to ask
you for something to sustain
00:47:37.35\00:47:39.25
their habits or
keep them where they are.
00:47:39.29\00:47:41.52
They're not
asking for good things.
00:47:41.56\00:47:43.29
That's why we have to make sure
that when we are living a life
00:47:43.32\00:47:45.53
of constant sin, we have to say,
00:47:45.56\00:47:47.40
"Lord, why are
You not listening?"
00:47:47.43\00:47:48.86
He says, "Because your things
that you love more than Me
00:47:48.90\00:47:51.43
are between you and Me."
00:47:51.47\00:47:52.87
A prayer blocker
if ever I heard one.
00:47:53.54\00:47:56.37
Which is number eleven.
00:47:56.91\00:47:58.34
Say that together
with me. Honor God.
00:47:58.54\00:48:01.81
Honor God.
00:48:01.84\00:48:03.18
How did Daniel honor God?
00:48:03.21\00:48:04.85
Notice what Daniel did.
00:48:04.88\00:48:06.21
Daniel 6:10
00:48:06.38\00:48:07.85
"Now when Daniel knew
that the writing was signed..."
00:48:07.88\00:48:10.72
And that for those
who don't know this,
00:48:10.75\00:48:12.32
Daniel was forbidden to pray
to any God except the god of
00:48:12.52\00:48:16.99
the Medes and the Persians.
00:48:17.03\00:48:18.36
Don't hide your
connection to God.
00:48:27.60\00:48:30.37
Amen?
00:48:30.41\00:48:31.74
Too often Christians
modify their lives to make the
00:48:31.77\00:48:34.51
ungodly person comfortable.
00:48:34.54\00:48:36.24
We say, "We don't
want to offend them."
00:48:38.08\00:48:39.41
Well they offend me.
00:48:39.45\00:48:40.78
Blowing smoke in my face, and
I'm supposed to just suck it in.
00:48:42.22\00:48:45.09
I'm not talking about
being a bulldozer for Christ.
00:48:45.75\00:48:47.79
But I'm saying, don't be
ashamed of a God who loves you.
00:48:48.06\00:48:51.06
He opened his
window to Jerusalem.
00:48:51.46\00:48:53.26
He said, "If yall don't like
it, I'm going to pray anyhow."
00:48:53.29\00:48:55.33
Y'all bringing out the
Brooklyn in me. Be careful.
00:48:57.00\00:48:58.93
Right in front of his window
so they could see him praying.
00:49:04.27\00:49:07.41
In other words he says,
"Your law will never get me
00:49:07.44\00:49:10.48
to dishonor God."
00:49:10.51\00:49:11.98
You raise your children
to pray, God will bless them
00:49:21.39\00:49:25.03
when they pray
when they get older.
00:49:25.06\00:49:27.43
That's why the Bible
says, when we come to God...
00:49:29.16\00:49:31.43
And by the way, it may not
always be the most convenient,
00:49:31.53\00:49:34.30
but whenever you can, you should
kneel when you pray before God.
00:49:34.34\00:49:37.87
You got to... You
should kneel before the...
00:49:38.94\00:49:40.71
If we get invited
to some amazing event
00:49:40.74\00:49:45.55
that's put on by
some dignitary somewhere,
00:49:45.65\00:49:47.82
we follow every
protocol that they require.
00:49:47.92\00:49:50.89
But we come to God like
it doesn't really matter.
00:49:51.79\00:49:54.09
We just kind of say...
00:49:54.12\00:49:55.46
You know, we are
not humble before God.
00:49:55.49\00:49:57.63
I'm singing the song.
00:50:04.73\00:50:06.10
The Lord our God, our Maker.
00:50:06.53\00:50:08.94
Let me finish the lyrics.
00:50:08.97\00:50:10.57
Psalm 95:6-7
00:50:10.77\00:50:13.34
And then the last one.
00:50:13.38\00:50:15.24
Formula number twelve.
00:50:15.44\00:50:17.05
Pray for others.
00:50:17.08\00:50:18.41
Don't let your
prayer always be about you.
00:50:18.71\00:50:22.08
Pray for other people.
00:50:22.38\00:50:23.89
Don't let your prayer
be a constant grocery list.
00:50:23.99\00:50:26.59
"Me, me, me, me, me, Lord."
00:50:26.62\00:50:29.36
Pray for other people.
00:50:29.72\00:50:31.23
You know why you
should pray for them?
00:50:31.26\00:50:32.59
Notice what the Bible
points out in Numbers 21:7.
00:50:32.63\00:50:35.80
Moses prayed for
the Israelites when they
00:50:36.10\00:50:38.13
couldn't pray for themselves.
00:50:38.17\00:50:39.53
Sometimes you've got
to pray for people that
00:50:39.57\00:50:41.20
don't sense
their own need of God.
00:50:41.24\00:50:43.81
My sister is alive today,
and I believe one of the reasons
00:50:44.37\00:50:46.84
why is, every night
when I get on my knees
00:50:46.88\00:50:49.98
I pray for the Lord to give my
sister time to come back to Him.
00:50:50.01\00:50:53.62
She's in her 60s now.
00:50:54.62\00:50:55.95
And I can hear
her getting close.
00:50:55.98\00:50:58.15
But God is a patient God.
00:50:58.72\00:51:00.06
She was at the base of
the World Trade Center.
00:51:00.09\00:51:01.46
She should have been there
early enough for the building
00:51:01.49\00:51:04.29
to come down on her,
but God, because of prayer,
00:51:04.33\00:51:06.56
kept her home four hours longer.
00:51:06.66\00:51:09.16
And she's still alive
today with her kidneys replaced.
00:51:10.03\00:51:12.80
She lost both of
her kidneys, her teeth.
00:51:12.83\00:51:15.10
God has still kept her
alive and He put her back.
00:51:15.20\00:51:17.94
She looks new, but her hair
is a different color every week.
00:51:17.97\00:51:21.84
But I love my sister
anyhow. We talk every day.
00:51:22.84\00:51:25.41
She called me to say,
"Hey brother, how you doing?"
00:51:25.71\00:51:27.48
"I'm doing fine." "I
need some prayer," she said.
00:51:27.52\00:51:30.22
She said, "I need some
prayer because my retirement
00:51:30.32\00:51:31.85
hearing is coming up."
00:51:31.89\00:51:33.22
I said, "I already
started praying for you."
00:51:33.25\00:51:34.82
Amen, somebody.
00:51:34.86\00:51:36.19
And when you pray for somebody,
tell them you prayed for them.
00:51:36.22\00:51:39.63
And Job 42:10. A
powerful passage.
00:51:56.14\00:51:58.88
Why? Because he
prayed for his friends.
00:52:09.19\00:52:12.99
A couple more very
important passages.
00:52:13.46\00:52:15.36
James 5:16
00:52:15.40\00:52:16.80
You've got to also use
prayer as an opportunity
00:52:16.83\00:52:20.04
to mend the things that are
between you and somebody else.
00:52:20.07\00:52:23.41
Some people don't like
to mend their relationships.
00:52:23.84\00:52:25.97
They say, "Well she'll be
on that side of the church,
00:52:26.27\00:52:27.88
I'll be on this
side of the church."
00:52:27.91\00:52:29.38
Everybody worshiping the
same Lord in the same church,
00:52:29.74\00:52:32.65
but they're divided.
00:52:32.68\00:52:34.02
Look what James says. James 5:16
00:52:34.05\00:52:36.79
And finally,
there's one prayer that God
00:52:45.59\00:52:48.00
always answers immediately.
00:52:48.03\00:52:50.23
How many want immediate answers?
00:52:51.00\00:52:52.77
Here's what you need to pray.
00:52:53.20\00:52:54.60
Speaking about Peter
when he was about to drown.
00:52:54.94\00:52:57.87
I call that the three point
plan for national security.
00:53:05.31\00:53:08.88
"Lord, save me."
00:53:08.92\00:53:10.82
And what did the Lord do?
00:53:11.69\00:53:13.02
I've got to tell you one prayer
that God answered in our lives
00:53:21.80\00:53:24.97
before we go to
the song for tonight.
00:53:25.00\00:53:27.67
Can you hear me now?
00:53:27.70\00:53:29.14
My wife and I
live in Thompsonville.
00:53:29.64\00:53:31.74
We've been there
now more than 14 years.
00:53:31.77\00:53:34.24
But we lost our vehicle when we
moved from St. Louis, Missouri
00:53:34.34\00:53:37.31
in a terrible rollover accident.
00:53:37.75\00:53:39.55
Our vehicle was
totally destroyed.
00:53:39.81\00:53:41.78
God spared us with
five of us in the vehicle.
00:53:41.82\00:53:44.05
The vehicle was totaled.
00:53:44.09\00:53:45.55
My wife and I, our two nieces,
and her mother were there.
00:53:45.79\00:53:49.02
And God spared us.
00:53:49.06\00:53:50.39
We got out of the hospital about
three o'clock in the morning
00:53:50.43\00:53:53.19
with nothing but just bruises.
00:53:53.23\00:53:55.00
Not a single cut.
00:53:55.03\00:53:56.36
But we had no vehicle.
00:53:56.63\00:53:58.20
And I went and responded
to an invitation to sing and
00:53:58.30\00:54:03.77
work with Pastor
Batchelor in 2005.
00:54:03.81\00:54:06.78
And when I got there,
to make a long story short,
00:54:06.81\00:54:09.01
when I got there and I did
the introduction one night,
00:54:09.04\00:54:11.21
there was a lady
that was in the audience,
00:54:11.61\00:54:13.11
and she said afterwards,
she said, "God has told me
00:54:13.15\00:54:15.32
to bless you."
00:54:15.35\00:54:16.69
She said, "See that young man?"
00:54:17.35\00:54:18.85
She said, "This
is what God said.
00:54:18.89\00:54:20.22
'See that young man?
00:54:20.26\00:54:21.59
He's My servant. I
want you to bless him.'"
00:54:21.62\00:54:22.96
Well to make a long story short,
three days later she said to me,
00:54:23.53\00:54:26.56
"Meet me at the Nissan dealer."
00:54:27.30\00:54:29.16
"The Nissan dealer?"
00:54:30.87\00:54:32.20
She didn't even drive.
00:54:32.23\00:54:33.57
She said, "I'll be
there in a little bit.
00:54:33.60\00:54:34.94
Just wait there for me."
00:54:34.97\00:54:36.30
Because we lost our
vehicle, we had no vehicle.
00:54:36.81\00:54:38.91
We had a car that kept
getting stuck in the snow.
00:54:38.94\00:54:41.18
And she heard
about it, and she said,
00:54:41.71\00:54:43.11
"Meet me at the Nissan dealer."
00:54:43.14\00:54:44.48
I got there and the dealer said,
00:54:44.51\00:54:46.88
"There are two
vehicles. Pick one."
00:54:46.92\00:54:48.25
And I called my wife, I
said, "Honey, I don't know
00:54:48.28\00:54:49.65
what this is all about."
00:54:49.68\00:54:51.02
But she said, "Well pick one."
00:54:52.49\00:54:53.92
So the lady got there, real
quickly, the lady got there.
00:54:56.02\00:54:58.69
And she was there.
00:54:59.33\00:55:00.66
And she got there.
00:55:00.86\00:55:02.20
And I'm sitting in the office,
00:55:02.30\00:55:03.63
I'm wondering,
"What's up with this?"
00:55:03.67\00:55:05.00
And after about 15 or 20 minutes
she came out of the office.
00:55:05.03\00:55:07.64
She invited me in the office
at the dealership, and she
00:55:07.67\00:55:09.60
said like this,
"Here are the keys.
00:55:09.64\00:55:12.77
God told me to give this to you.
00:55:13.48\00:55:15.24
You don't owe me anything.
00:55:16.18\00:55:17.55
I'm going to pay
the note every month,
00:55:17.85\00:55:19.65
pay your insurance every month.
00:55:19.68\00:55:21.25
Pay your insurance for the year,
00:55:21.45\00:55:22.78
pay your
registration every year.
00:55:22.82\00:55:24.25
Just be faithful."
00:55:24.29\00:55:25.79
Now let me tell you
the kicker to the story.
00:55:27.22\00:55:28.89
I never saw that lady again.
00:55:32.79\00:55:34.13
She died about
three months later.
00:55:34.16\00:55:35.56
And she did
exactly what she said.
00:55:37.57\00:55:39.47
But let me tell you the hook.
00:55:40.24\00:55:41.67
About three weeks before
this happened, my wife and I
00:55:42.64\00:55:45.27
went to the Nissan
dealer on a Sunday afternoon.
00:55:45.31\00:55:47.81
Nobody was at the dealership,
they close on Sunday.
00:55:49.48\00:55:53.01
And we went to
that very same vehicle.
00:55:53.05\00:55:55.22
And my wife said, "Let's
pray, let's just pray and
00:55:55.48\00:55:57.42
ask God for this vehicle."
00:55:57.45\00:55:59.12
She said, "Put your
hand on top of mine."
00:56:00.39\00:56:02.32
And she said, "Lord Jesus,
I'm claiming this in Your name.
00:56:02.36\00:56:06.29
I don't know how we're
going to get it, but I want it
00:56:07.30\00:56:09.26
before General
Conference session in 2005."
00:56:09.30\00:56:12.23
Three weeks later a
lady who we never met,
00:56:13.34\00:56:17.01
who we never saw again, picked
out that same exact vehicle,
00:56:17.04\00:56:20.31
gave it to us free of charge.
00:56:20.41\00:56:22.14
We had it for four years.
00:56:22.18\00:56:23.51
And God provided
what we asked Him for.
00:56:23.55\00:56:26.72
What a friend we have in Jesus.
00:56:27.32\00:56:29.05
Unless you know that
God is your Friend...
00:56:30.69\00:56:32.52
Just sing the chorus.
00:56:33.19\00:56:34.52
What a friend we have in Jesus.
00:56:35.19\00:56:42.96
Think about it.
00:56:43.00\00:56:44.33
All our sins
and grieves to bear.
00:56:45.57\00:56:52.77
Oh, what a privilege to carry
00:56:53.94\00:57:03.85
everything to God in prayer.
00:57:06.25\00:57:12.49
I'm going to have this
song continue in just a moment.
00:57:12.69\00:57:15.53
You may be watching the
program from somewhere wondering
00:57:15.56\00:57:17.63
whether or not
God cares about you.
00:57:17.67\00:57:19.07
Tonight, as the
broadcast ends, trust God.
00:57:19.10\00:57:22.87
He loves you, He
wants to answer your prayer.
00:57:22.90\00:57:25.84
Put your life in
the hand of the Lord.
00:57:25.87\00:57:28.44