Participants:
Series Code: SCM
Program Code: SCM250004S
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00:01 The hour is urgent, as darkness is dispelled by the light of
00:06 God's Word. 00:08 A new day begins. 00:10 Jesus, the light of the world is shining. 00:13 Prepare your hearts to proclaim the final cry. 00:17 This is 3ABN Summer Camp Meeting. 00:24 Welcome, welcome, welcome. 00:25 So glad you're here with us for 3ABN Summer Camp Meeting. 00:29 This is June 5, 2025. 00:33 And we are preparing to proclaim the loud cry. 00:36 Isn't that right? 00:37 And so far so good. 00:39 God has been blessing. 00:41 We have had two meetings last evening. 00:44 And how, what did you think? 00:48 Powerful messages coming from the Word of God. 00:51 One verse after another. 00:52 One Bible verse after another. 00:54 Helping us to prepare to proclaim the loud cry. 00:57 So thankful for that. 00:58 My name is Pastor James Rafferty. 01:00 I am 3ABN Director of Discipleship. 01:04 And following me is going to be Pastor John Dinzey. 01:08 Pastor John Dinzey, how do you describe him? 01:11 He is, I guess the best word to describe Pastor John Dinzey 01:14 would be humble, reliable, responsible, enduring. 01:20 He's been at 3ABN with his wife, Idalia, since 1989. 01:27 Now, there might be a few people here who weren't born in 01:29 1989, but that's a long time, isn't it? 01:33 And he is the Network General Manager for the Latino, 3ABN 01:40 Latino. 01:41 And he is going to be focusing on Reconciled and Restored a 01:46 Personal Relationship. 01:48 That's the title of the message he's going to be bringing. 01:50 Now before he comes on, we're going to have a special music 01:53 with Celestine Dickens. 01:56 No one ever cared for me like Jesus, and she's going to be 01:59 accompanied by her daughter Farrah Barry-Isaacs on the 02:02 piano. 02:06 is the voice of Pastor John. 02:26 I 02:46 would love to tell you what I think of Jesus Since I found in 02:55 him a friend so strong and true I would tell you how we changed 03:06 my life completely. 03:12 He did something that no other friend could do. 03:21 No one ever cared for me like Jesus. 03:29 There's no other friend so kind as He. 03:37 No one else could take the sin and darkness from me. 03:47 Oh, how much He cares for me. 03:55 Oh, how much He cares for me. 04:09 All my life was full of sin when Jesus found me. 04:18 All my heart was full of misery and woe. 04:26 Jesus placed His loving, strong arms around me. 04:36 And He led me in the way that I should go. 04:44 No one ever cared for me like Jesus. 04:52 There's no other friend so kind as He. 05:01 No one else could take the sin and darkness from me. 05:10 Oh, how much He cares for me. 05:18 Oh, how much He cares. 05:27 Oh, how much He cares for me. 05:54 Amen. 05:55 Praise the Lord. 05:57 Thank you very much. 05:59 God is good. 06:01 Amen. 06:04 We're glad that you're here for 3ABN Camp Meeting. 06:08 And I am always blessed during 3ABN Camp Meeting. 06:12 God does something marvelous and uses frail human beings to 06:18 communicate a message from heaven that we all need. 06:23 Amen. 06:25 Amen. 06:26 Before we begin, I'd like to go to the Lord in prayer. 06:29 And I invite you to join me in prayer there where you are. 06:32 I'm going to kneel and ask for the Lord's blessing to bless 06:35 us. 06:39 Our loving Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for your 06:45 excellent mercy. 06:48 We thank you for your love that is beyond comparison. 06:52 And we thank you that you have given us the privilege to hear 06:57 a message from you. 06:59 For this is what we plead for. 07:01 We ask for a message from heaven. 07:06 We ask for the outpouring of your Holy Spirit. 07:09 Speak to everyone here and everyone wherever they may be. 07:14 May they hear you and may they be drawn closer to you. 07:20 I place myself in your hands, Lord. 07:23 May your name be honored and glorified in Jesus' holy and 07:27 blessed name. 07:29 Amen. 07:30 Amen. 07:31 Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. 07:38 He came to this world to rescue people from the claws of the 07:45 devil. 07:46 And today he still does the same through people like you 07:52 and me. 07:54 Praise the Lord. 07:57 During his ministry, he told a parable that is a parable that 08:05 illustrates God's incredible love for us. 08:08 It's found in Luke chapter 15. 08:12 If you join me in Luke chapter 15, I'm going to begin reading 08:15 in verse 11. 08:18 Luke 15 verse 11. 08:21 Then he said, A certain man had two sons, and the younger of 08:27 them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of 08:33 goods that falls to me. 08:36 So he divided to them his livelihood. 08:39 There appears to be no protest from the father. 08:43 He's not saying, wait a minute, I'm still alive, son. 08:47 Are you wishing me to be dead? 08:52 But the Bible says that he divided his goods among them. 08:57 So both received their inheritance while the father 09:00 was still living. 09:03 Then something interesting in verse 13. 09:07 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all 09:14 together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his 09:19 possessions with prodigal living. 09:22 This is the New King James Version. 09:25 I like the King James Version. 09:26 It says riotous living. 09:29 But prodigal means just that, that you waste money 09:34 extravagantly. 09:35 Like you don't care where it came from and what happens to 09:40 it. 09:42 And it's good the way it is stated in some sense, because 09:46 he went to a far country. 09:49 And you may think, well, maybe he didn't want to embarrass his 09:52 father by going to the local community. 09:55 But he went to a far country. 09:57 Now keep that in mind as we continue reading. 10:01 And it says in verse 14, but when he has spent all there 10:07 arose a severe famine in that land and he began to be in 10:13 want. 10:16 He went and joined himself to a citizen of that country and 10:21 sent him into his fields to feed swine. 10:26 Has anybody ever fed swine here? 10:29 They eat a lot of yucky stuff. 10:34 Sometimes things that are dying or dead. 10:39 And they eat sloppy yucky stuff. 10:44 And I've heard of people that take a little pig and wash them 10:49 up, clean them up. 10:50 I don't know, maybe even put perfume on them. 10:52 But what does he do the moment he gets the opportunity? 10:58 Runs back into that yucky stuff and begins to eat. 11:04 Now, when he had money, the prodigal son, he appeared to 11:09 have many friends. 11:11 You know, that's what happens when people have goods. 11:14 Sometimes they have friends that normally would not be 11:18 friends if they had nothing. 11:22 And so it says when he has spent all, this is very 11:27 interesting because, you know, he's looking at the amount he 11:31 has. 11:36 smaller and smaller and basically spent his last dime. 11:43 And then he began to be in want. 11:47 And it's interesting that Jesus says he joined himself to a man 11:53 in that country and he took a job feeding swine. 11:57 That's one of the most detestable things for a Jew to 12:01 do. 12:03 But there he was feeding swine. 12:08 Now, I know somebody that works with pigs in this area. 12:16 And sometimes when we visit him and he has not had a chance to 12:21 take a shower, you notice that. 12:28 And in fact, a couple of days ago, I gave him a hug and I 12:32 noticed that he had not taken a shower. 12:37 You seem to get used to it, you know, you seem to get used to 12:39 the stench. 12:40 And this is why I caution you. 12:44 I exhort you that you can get used to a sinful way of living. 12:52 You can. 12:53 And time passes and you seem to go further and further away 12:58 from the Lord. 13:00 And it's almost like warning after warning comes to you and 13:07 you still linger in sin. 13:11 And it's only when the devil begins to slap you around, drag 13:17 you through the ground, bring you pain and suffering that you 13:23 seem to realize I was not suffering like this when I was 13:28 with Jesus. 13:31 So this man began to be in want. 13:34 And notice what the Bible continues to tell us in verse 13:38 17. 13:39 Actually, we're 16 and he would have gladly have filled his 13:46 stomach with the pods that the swine ate and no one gave him 13:53 anything. 13:55 Wow. 13:56 It gives a hint that he asked, Hey, can you give me some of 14:00 that? 14:02 No. 14:04 He would have loved to have some nourishment, but here 14:09 nobody gave him anything. 14:11 And then verse 17, But when he came to himself, he said, How 14:18 many of my father's hired servants have bread enough to 14:23 spare? 14:24 And I perish with hunger. 14:28 Wow. 14:29 That was his condition. 14:31 That was the condition. 14:33 And that is the condition of people that don't have Jesus. 14:40 Eventually, they realized I am not happy. 14:47 I don't have peace. 14:50 And it can be people with lots and lots of money. 14:55 Two years ago, I read a news article. 14:59 And there was this man that was extremely rich. 15:06 But for some reason that is unknown, he killed himself. 15:15 And the people that knew him said, It's unbelievable. 15:20 He had everything that anyone could hope for. 15:23 He was such a good person. 15:26 But he did not have Jesus. 15:31 And when you don't have Jesus, you can have all the goods of 15:35 the world and not be happy. 15:39 And I praise the Lord that there are people that the Lord 15:43 has blessed with goods, but they have Jesus and are happy. 15:49 And the Lord guides them how to use their funds, not only for 15:52 themselves and their family, but to also help others and 15:57 help spread the gospel. 15:58 Would you say amen to that? 16:02 Let's continue reading. 16:04 He made his plan. 16:06 He decided to prepare a speech so that when he talked to his 16:13 father, he could appeal to his mercy so that he could be 16:18 accepted. 16:19 Notice Luke 15, 20. 16:22 And he rose and came to his father. 16:27 We'll stop there for a moment. 16:29 He arose and went where? 16:31 To his father. 16:33 It's interesting that the Bible tells us about a mother's love. 16:39 In this case, it's talking about a father's love. 16:42 It doesn't include the mother for some reason, but this is 16:45 talking about our Heavenly Father. 16:48 And the Bible tells us that God so loved the world that he gave 16:53 all. 16:54 He gave his only begotten son. 16:57 The whosoever believeth in him will not perish, but have 17:03 everlasting life. 17:07 How many here want everlasting life? 17:12 Praise the Lord. 17:14 Praise the Lord. 17:16 And so the father's love is on display here. 17:19 But remember, it just says he arose and went to his father. 17:24 Where was he before? 17:25 In a far away place. 17:31 Enough time to say on his way, well, I think I'll stop here. 17:36 No, he was determined to go back to the father. 17:42 Whatever appeared to him as something more interesting, 17:46 something more lovely, he did not care anymore. 17:50 He wanted to return home. 17:53 And there's something about home that appeals to the human 17:56 heart. 17:57 And for us as humans, home is where God is. 18:05 So he arose, went to his father, the text says. 18:09 But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and 18:17 had compassion. 18:19 And ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 18:24 Praise the Lord. 18:26 I have seen some video trying to illustrate this. 18:30 You know, it's like the father saw him a great way off. 18:36 We don't know how he was dressed, but he must have even 18:40 sold the clothing that he had when he left. 18:44 He appeared in rags, filthy. 18:47 He had been traveling. 18:51 But somehow mothers and fathers can tell the form of their 18:55 children, the way they walk. 18:57 He was a great way off. 18:59 And the father didn't say, oh, there he comes. 19:02 I'm just going to wait here to see what he has to say. 19:08 And as the son that he saw, he knew. 19:12 He knew my son has been suffering. 19:18 My son has been suffering. 19:20 And I don't know if anyone is here that can identify with the 19:23 prodigal son. 19:25 And you have been suffering because you don't have that 19:29 peace in your heart. 19:31 Could be somebody listening to me on radio, social media, 19:35 3ABN, TV, cable networks. 19:40 Whatever the case may be, the father yearns for you to return 19:46 so that he can embrace you. 19:49 As this father embraced his son, the father still loves 19:56 you. 20:01 committed. 20:07 Saw him a great way off. 20:10 Ran and hugged him and kissed him no matter how filthy and 20:18 smelly he was. 20:22 Because love looks beyond the exterior. 20:28 And God wants to do that for us here. 20:33 Meet us a great way off. 20:34 So the very first step you take, the father has already 20:38 been working in your heart to draw you to him through the 20:44 marvelous working of the Holy Spirit. 20:47 Because it is written in Romans 2,4 that the goodness of God 20:50 leads us to repentance. 20:53 Amen. 20:54 Has anybody here been away from the Lord for a year, two, 21:01 three, five, fifteen, twenty and then returned to the Lord? 21:04 Anybody here? 21:06 Praise the Lord. 21:07 Several of you. 21:09 And you are still with the Lord. 21:12 Praise the Lord. 21:13 And I saw some hands go up that have white hair knowing and 21:19 letting us know that they have made the best decision 21:23 possible. 21:29 Praise the Lord. 21:30 So in verse 21, the son had prepared his speech. 21:35 The father didn't even wait for that speech. 21:37 But then in verse 21, and the son said to him, Father, I have 21:45 sinned against heaven and in your sight, and I'm no longer 21:51 worthy to be called your son. 21:55 What does the father say? 21:57 Verse 22. 21:59 But the father said to his servants, Bring out the best 22:02 robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and sandals 22:06 on his feet. 22:07 What? 22:08 He doesn't have sandals on his feet? 22:11 Yes. 22:17 be merry. 22:19 For this my son was dead and is alive again. 22:23 He was lost and is found and they began to be merry. 22:30 Praise the Lord. 22:33 Praise the Lord. 22:36 What a marvelous picture of God's love for you and for me. 22:43 And I ask today, are there any prodigal sons and daughters 22:48 here that would like to come back to the father that loves 22:54 you with a love that you cannot even imagine? 22:59 I read to you from the desire of ages. 23:04 Page 587. 23:07 Notice these wonderful words. 23:10 In every age there is given to men their day of light and 23:15 privilege, a probationary time in which they may become 23:20 reconciled to God. 23:24 But there is a limit to this grace. 23:28 Mercy may plead for years and be slighted and rejected. 23:34 But there comes a time when mercy makes her last plea. 23:39 The heart becomes so hardened that it ceases to respond to 23:48 the Spirit of God. 23:50 Then the sweet winning voice entreats the sinner no longer 23:57 and reproves and warnings cease. 24:02 Why do they cease? 24:03 Because the heart has become so hardened that it will never 24:08 respond. 24:11 And so I want to make an appeal right now. 24:16 Has the Lord been speaking to you today, last night after you 24:21 heard those powerful messages that changes need to be made in 24:27 your life so that you can be prepared to proclaim the final 24:35 cry? 24:37 Is there something that hinders you from 100% surrender? 24:44 Something. 24:46 The Bible says that we should lay aside the sin that doth so 24:52 easily beset us. 24:54 As if someone, as if everyone has something that has a hold 24:59 of them and it doesn't seem easy to give it up. 25:04 It seems to be easy to do it again and again and again. 25:10 But Paul is exhorting us, actually the Lord, through Paul 25:14 saying let us lay aside. 25:16 It's a personal decision. 25:20 So I want to ask. 25:21 Is there anyone here that wants to tell the Lord, Lord, I'm 25:26 ready to come back to Jesus? 25:29 Praise the Lord. 25:30 I invite you to come forward. 25:31 All those that are willing, would you stand? 25:34 Come forward to Jesus. 25:37 Because he's calling us to 100% surrender. 25:42 Who wants to come back to the Lord? 25:44 Who wants to say to the Lord, Lord, I can identify with the 25:48 prodigal son. 25:49 And I want to come back. 25:52 Would you meet me a great way off? 25:54 Yes, you can come. 25:56 You can come. 25:57 Come forward, all those that are willing. 25:58 We're going to have prayer. 26:00 You see, the title for the message I've been given is 26:06 Reconciled and Restored. 26:11 And up close and personal relationship, which is what we 26:14 need, every one of us. 26:16 Yes, come forward. 26:18 Tell the world, tell the Lord, I'm ready to come back, Lord. 26:25 I'm ready to leave the world behind and give you 100%. 26:32 Yes, come forward. 26:33 A little closer, a little closer. 26:37 I'm not that mean. 26:41 God is good, isn't he? 26:43 And you know, the wonderful thing is that when we come to 26:48 the Lord, He meets us a great way off. 26:55 Praise the Lord. 26:57 A great way off. 26:58 Hugs us, kisses us, grabs, you know, it's a hugs, hug the neck 27:03 type of hug. 27:05 Praise the Lord. 27:08 Heaven is paying attention to what you will decide today, 27:13 right now. 27:15 What will you do? 27:17 The opportunities presented to you. 27:20 Will you come back to the Lord? 27:23 Will you give Him 100%? 27:26 Praise the Lord for these decisions. 27:30 The Lord promises to forgive us for our sins and to cleanse us 27:36 from all unrighteousness. 27:38 Isn't that marvelous? 27:40 Yes, continue to come. 27:42 The door of mercy is still open for us and God is asking us to 27:47 make a full commitment. 27:49 Praise the Lord. 27:51 Anyone else who would like to join this wonderful group of 27:54 God's children to say, Lord, I want to leave that sin that 28:00 does so easily beset me. 28:02 Someone else is out there struggling with a, do I do it 28:06 or not? 28:08 But you know, it is the Lord appealing to you and this is an 28:12 opportunity He is giving you. 28:16 We will pray when one more person comes. 28:19 Somebody that is here that you know the Lord is calling you 28:24 and He has given you hints, messages, praise the Lord, that 28:30 tell you it's time, my son, it's time, my daughter, to give 28:36 all, to give all and not hold anything back. 28:41 Praise the Lord for these decisions. 28:44 We are ready to pray. 28:45 Now, I want to ask, perhaps there are people that have 28:49 difficulty walking or standing. 28:51 Is there anyone else that by lifting your hand would like to 28:53 say, I join that group as well? 28:55 Anyone else? 28:57 Praise the Lord. 28:59 Let's pray together. 29:02 Our loving Heavenly Father, glory be to Your name. 29:08 We pray that as we have read, You will do, Lord. 29:11 Meet them a great way off. 29:13 Help them. 29:15 Bless them to feel Your warm embrace. 29:19 Letting them know You accept them. 29:22 You forgive them. 29:24 And You will cleanse them with the blood of the Lamb, Jesus 29:28 Christ. 29:29 Thank You, Lord, for hearing our prayer. 29:32 And Lord, they have said they want to leave the sin that does 29:39 so easily beset them. 29:40 Bless them with victory through Jesus Christ. 29:46 And we pray for complete cleansing in the name of our 29:50 Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 29:52 Amen and amen. 29:55 Praise the Lord. 29:56 You may be seated, but please continue to listen because we 30:02 need to talk about what happens next. 30:05 Because once you come to Jesus, things happen that are 30:11 wonderful. 30:13 The Holy Spirit begins to speak to your heart, helping you to 30:19 move one step after another closer and closer to Jesus. 30:27 And He begins to fill you with peace. 30:29 And the closer you come to Jesus, the greater is your 30:34 peace. 30:35 Your confidence that the Lord is with you. 30:38 He will never leave you nor forsake you. 30:41 Amen. 30:43 John 6 37 says that He who comes to me, Jesus says, I will 30:48 in no wise what? 30:50 Cast out. 30:51 So anyone that comes to Jesus is accepted no matter what they 30:57 have done. 30:58 What a wonderful Savior. 31:00 What a wonderful Lord. 31:01 And Jesus died on the cross to save the worst of sinners. 31:10 I ask, is the worst of sinners here? 31:17 Is He here? 31:18 Is she here? 31:19 Is the worst of sinners? 31:21 If you are here, would you raise your hand if you are the 31:22 worst of sinners? 31:27 Praise God that you are here. 31:28 Because He wants to talk to you and let you know. 31:31 You can be forgiven. 31:34 You can be accepted. 31:37 You know, in John 15 7, the Bible tells us, I say to you 31:41 that likewise, there will be more joy in heaven. 31:46 Over one sinner who repents than over 99 just persons who 31:52 need no repentance. 31:55 Praise the Lord. 32:02 here? 32:03 Yes, great joy in heaven. 32:06 Such as we do not know. 32:11 Because heaven rejoices with a pure joy that we will soon be 32:19 there to experience that. 32:22 So the question is, now that you have been reconciled and 32:27 restored, how do we maintain an up close and personal 32:34 relationship with God? 32:36 How do we do that? 32:38 We have a little bit of time to talk about that. 32:41 We won't get through the whole thing. 32:44 But most of you know these elements. 32:49 You know, before I continue, I want to tell you this story 32:53 that happened to my wife and I. 32:56 It was during the time of COVID, COVID was in the middle 32:59 of COVID. 33:08 So we were driving and on this particular day we did not pack 33:13 a lunch. 33:15 And there are certain restaurants that have food of 33:20 different countries and we enjoy that from time to time. 33:23 So there in Chicago we looked at the GPS and found a 33:28 restaurant and said, let's go there. 33:30 We were hungry. 33:32 It was about 2 p.m. 33:33 And we found the restaurant. 33:35 We parked the vehicle. 33:36 Went to the door. 33:39 It was 2 p.m. 33:40 Went to the door. 33:41 Tried to open it. 33:43 It was locked. 33:46 And we started looking at the time. 33:48 Yeah, they're open. 33:49 Some restaurants closed from 2 to 3, whatever the case may be. 33:53 But the schedule says they were supposed to be open. 33:57 But they were closed. 33:58 Door was locked. 34:00 We started to step back and the door opened. 34:03 And the person said, may we help you? 34:05 Yes, we would like to eat. 34:07 We are hungry. 34:09 And he says, have you been vaccinated? 34:15 Do you have your card? 34:20 Last night at midnight it came into effect that we are not 34:25 supposed to allow anyone in without the vaccination. 34:31 I'm not going to talk here about whether it's good or bad 34:34 to be vaccinated. 34:35 But I said, my wife and I already had COVID. 34:39 We have all the antibodies we need. 34:44 But that was not good enough. 34:47 But do you have a vaccination card? 34:49 We said, no, I'm sorry. 34:52 I can't let you in. 34:54 What? 34:57 So sorry. 34:59 And he closed the door. 35:00 We were shocked. 35:03 But please understand that the Lord is letting us know 35:08 something. 35:10 A lot of the elements that are going to happen during the 35:15 Sunday law, we saw them during COVID. 35:20 The Lord is letting us know things are getting ready to 35:23 wrap up and close. 35:27 Soon. 35:29 And very soon. 35:32 So we need to be ready. 35:34 Let's take a look at some things that help us. 35:37 Joshua 23, 11 tells us, therefore take careful heed to 35:44 yourselves that you love the Lord your God. 35:51 That's one of the steps to being close to the Lord. 35:56 Take careful heed that you love the Lord your God. 36:02 That's priority. 36:04 Because there's faith, there's hope, but the greatest of these 36:08 is love. 36:11 So if you love the Lord your God with all your heart, you 36:16 have taken a step that brings you close to the Lord. 36:23 Love the Lord your God. 36:24 That's a decision. 36:25 Well, how do you love the Lord your God? 36:28 You make a decision, learn about him, consider what great 36:33 things he has done for you. 36:37 Think about these things and your love for the Lord will 36:41 grow. 36:43 A thankful heart is a heart that is drawn close to the 36:48 Lord. 36:56 words. 36:57 Jesus said to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all 37:02 your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 37:07 This is the first and great commandment. 37:11 Do you love the Lord your God with all your soul, all your 37:16 mind, all your strength? 37:19 This is the first and great commandment. 37:22 Do I really love the Lord? 37:25 Because Satan will present other things so that you can 37:31 love those things more than the Lord. 37:35 It could be anything. 37:37 It could even be a person that could say to you, give up that 37:42 Bible, give up that Jesus, and come with me. 37:51 Many a men and women have left the Lord because they thought 37:58 they found the love of their life. 38:02 Only to suffer down the line because that love they thought 38:08 was not really love. 38:12 And they suffer greatly. 38:16 So, above all things, love the Lord your God with all your 38:21 heart. 38:22 Amen? 38:23 Amen. 38:30 part of this walking close to the Lord. 38:33 So, Jesus answered and said to them, have faith in God. 38:43 Yes, have faith in God. 38:50 Look at your history. 38:52 God has been good to you. 38:55 Have faith in him. 38:57 And believe his promises. 39:01 Have faith in God. 39:06 And your faith will grow as you exercise your faith. 39:13 I remember receiving a call one day. 39:17 And the lady said, I'm 80 something years old and I don't 39:23 have enough faith. 39:25 My heart sank. 39:27 I felt sorrow that she had reached that age. 39:31 I don't know how long she had been at church. 39:32 It could be that it was recent, but she says, I don't have 39:36 enough faith. 39:39 Brothers and sisters, to every person is given a measure of 39:44 faith. 39:45 Trust in the Lord's promises. 39:49 Believe in the Lord with all your heart. 39:54 Don't let anyone shake you from loving the Lord or believing in 39:59 the Lord. 40:00 Have faith in God. 40:02 James chapter 1, beginning in verse 5. 40:08 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all 40:14 liberally and without reproach. 40:16 And it will be given to him and to her. 40:22 But let him ask in faith with no doubting. 40:26 For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and 40:30 tossed by the wind. 40:32 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything 40:37 from the Lord. 40:38 So does the Lord require for us to have faith, to believe in 40:42 him? 40:43 Yes. 40:44 Trust him. 40:46 He loves you. 40:47 He will not let anything happen to you that is not for your own 40:53 good. 40:56 So when you give yourself to the Lord, wonderful things 41:00 happen. 41:07 about them. 41:08 They fear him and delivers them. 41:10 So the Lord is going to deliver you from a lot of horrible, 41:13 horrible things. 41:14 And has delivered you. 41:17 Some people said amen. 41:19 Is that true? 41:21 Yes, praise the Lord. 41:23 Question, has anybody been delivered from death? 41:27 Death, some accident, something was going to happen, some 41:30 disease? 41:31 And the Lord delivered you? 41:32 Let's see all your hands up at the same time. 41:33 Let's see. 41:34 Praise the Lord. 41:35 Praise the Lord. 41:37 Yes. 41:38 Have faith in God. 41:40 Trust him with all your heart. 41:42 Lean not upon your own understanding. 41:44 In all your ways acknowledge him. 41:46 He will direct your path. 41:48 Praise the Lord. 41:52 You know it says in Mark 923 that Jesus said to somebody 41:56 that came to him, Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. 42:01 We can pray that. 42:02 Lord, help my unbelief. 42:04 And Jesus said to that man, all things are possible to them 42:10 that believe. 42:12 So is it good to believe? 42:14 Praise the Lord. 42:15 Let's believe in our wonderful Lord. 42:19 In 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 9, just in case you did not know 42:23 it, this applies to you and to me. 42:25 You that have given yourself to the Lord, but ye are a chosen 42:32 generation, a royal priesthood and holy nation, a peculiar 42:39 people, that you shall show forth the praises of him who 42:44 hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 42:49 Yes, the Lord has marvelous light. 42:52 And the Lord has called us out of darkness. 42:57 The world and the things in the world are darkness. 43:02 They may appear to bring you some joy, some emotion, some 43:09 thrill, some good times, accordingly, according to what 43:14 some people say, but really they are a deception of the 43:20 real joy that God can give his children. 43:25 Greater joy has he who loves the Lord than he who does not. 43:29 In 1 Peter chapter 2 we go to verse 10, which in time past 43:34 were not a people, but are now the people of God, which had 43:40 not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 43:45 Praise God for his mercy. 43:46 Would you say amen? 43:48 Amen. 43:49 1 Peter 2, 11, 44:04 So what does fleshly lust do? 44:08 War against the soul. 44:10 And we are told to abstain. 44:13 Why is he saying that? 44:14 Because it is possible through Jesus Christ to abstain from 44:20 fleshly lust. 44:21 It's possible. 44:23 Jesus has shown to us, as you heard last night, Jesus did not 44:28 come to show us what God can do as he is tempted. 44:32 Jesus came to show us in human flesh what a human being can do 44:38 by trusting in God completely. 44:44 And by God's grace we can be victorious. 44:48 Amen to that? 44:49 Amen to that. 44:50 Now please understand that these fleshly things war 44:53 against the soul, trying to draw you away from the Lord, 44:57 but let us remain with the Lord. 45:00 That's why we should love the Lord with all of our heart, all 45:03 of our strength, all of our soul. 45:06 Amen? 45:07 Amen. 45:08 Luke 9, 23, I think most of you know this. 45:10 Then he said to them all, If anyone desires to come after 45:18 me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and 45:25 follow me. 45:27 Praise the Lord. 45:28 We can talk about this verse for a long, long time. 45:33 If anyone, that includes everyone, wants to come after 45:37 me, what is that person supposed to do? 45:41 Deny himself. 45:44 How do we deny ourselves? 45:46 Remember that Jesus said in John 15, 5, I don't know if 45:49 we'll have time to read that. 45:51 Without me, you can do nothing. 45:54 So we need the help of the Lord to even deny ourselves. 45:58 Because when it says deny yourself, it's talking about 46:02 that fleshly lust, that war against the soul. 46:07 And Jesus says that if anyone desires to come after me, let 46:12 him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 46:19 Warning. 46:21 If you are carrying someone else's cross, drop it 46:26 immediately. 46:28 Don't carry someone else's cross. 46:30 Carry your cross. 46:32 And even in carrying the cross, the Lord helps us along the 46:37 way. 46:38 What is that cross for? 46:43 It is to crucify self. 46:47 And when things come along the way, we're taking the cross, 46:53 denying ourselves through the strength that Jesus gives us. 46:59 Deny yourselves. 47:00 It is a choice you make that the Lord gives you strength to 47:05 do, praise the Lord. 47:06 So we learn from this that self must die daily. 47:13 Self must die daily. 47:16 Every single day when you wake up, by God's grace, die to 47:24 self. 47:26 And follow Jesus. 47:28 And so this leads us to the next verse. 47:34 Galatians 2 verse 20. 47:38 I have been crucified with Christ. 47:44 It is no longer I who live, but Christ. 47:50 Christ lives in me. 47:53 And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith 47:59 in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. 48:07 Praise the Lord. 48:09 I have been crucified with Christ. 48:12 Self must die daily. 48:15 And Satan is going to try to push those buttons of things 48:21 you used to do in the past. 48:24 Do that again. 48:25 You know you like it. 48:27 You enjoy it. 48:28 Do it again. 48:30 God will forgive you. 48:31 Go ahead. 48:33 Whatever it is that he tells us, we must say by the grace of 48:38 the Lord, I have been crucified with Christ. 48:42 It is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me. 48:49 Thus Christ live in you. 48:54 Ask yourself then, does Christ live in me? 48:57 If you have given yourself to him, Christ lives in you. 49:06 Because the Bible tells us that he stands at the door and 49:09 knocks. 49:10 And if we open the door, what does he do? 49:13 Come in. 49:15 Let us open that door daily to Jesus. 49:18 Would you say amen to that? 49:20 I think we're going to have to read these next verses quickly 49:23 and do very little comment. 49:27 Are you ready? 49:28 John 15, beginning in verse 1. 49:30 Jesus says, I am the true vine, and my father is the 49:36 vinedresser. 49:37 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. 49:42 And every branch that bears fruit, he prunes that it may 49:46 bear more fruit. 49:48 You are already clean, because of the word which I have spoken 49:53 to you. 49:54 Abide in me, and I in you. 49:58 As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in 50:03 the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 50:09 I am the vine, you are the branches. 50:13 He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for 50:19 without me you can do nothing. 50:23 Question, how many have discovered that without Jesus 50:26 you can do nothing? 50:28 I have discovered that myself. 50:31 And I thank Jesus that he says abide in me. 50:37 And you know it's interesting that Jesus uses the vine as an 50:41 illustration of himself. 50:42 Why didn't he say a mighty cedar or setter? 50:46 Why didn't he say a great oak? 50:52 Jesus on earth as a human being depended on the father. 50:57 This is why he uses I am the vine. 51:00 And you are the branches. 51:02 When a branch is connected to the vine, what does it do? 51:05 What is it supposed to do? 51:08 Bear fruit. 51:15 bear fruit. 51:18 The Lord shows us things along the way. 51:24 Oh brothers and sisters, what great things await you and me 51:30 as we draw closer to the Lord. 51:33 He wants us to abide in him. 51:35 This abiding is talking about continual abiding in him. 51:41 Connected. 51:42 That's why he says you are the branches. 51:44 You are connected to Jesus. 51:46 And we really need a vital connection with Jesus. 51:50 There are things in this world that are happening. 51:55 That are and will test the faith of every person in the 52:00 world. 52:04 take up your cross daily and follow me. 52:07 If we have our eyes on Jesus, we will not be shaken. 52:14 We will stand firm because our trust will be in him and not in 52:17 ourselves. 52:19 Are you ready for Psalm 16 11? 52:22 Psalm 16 11 says you will show me the path of life. 52:31 In your presence is fullness of joy. 52:36 At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 52:41 Praise the Lord. 52:43 This abiding in Jesus brings us this experience. 52:49 Because in the presence of the Lord there is what kind of joy? 52:56 Fullness of joy. 53:00 And if in the presence of the Lord is fullness of joy, 53:05 everything else is a deception. 53:09 Everything else is a deception. 53:11 So let us come to the presence of the Lord. 53:17 As often as we have the opportunity. 53:20 And every day you and I have opportunity. 53:26 What we make of our day is our choice. 53:31 Yes we have some responsibilities. 53:33 Oh we have to go to work. 53:35 Oh we have to go to school. 53:38 Oh we have this to do and that to do. 53:40 But we can stay in the presence of the Lord wherever we are. 53:47 Wherever we are. 53:49 Wherever we are. 53:51 And quickly this experience of being in the presence of the 53:59 Lord has to do with things we haven't talked about. 54:02 And one of them is prayer. 54:07 What great blessing is prayer. 54:12 And if you are just praying as I have said in other times. 54:17 Thank you Lord for giving me this day of life. 54:20 Thank you for this breakfast that we are about to eat. 54:24 Thank you for this lunch we are about to eat. 54:28 Thank you for this supper or dinner that we are about to 54:30 eat. 54:31 And that's your prayer life. 54:33 You are in danger. 54:35 We need more prayer. 54:38 We need more prayer, more time with the Lord. 54:43 Because every wind of doctrine is blowing. 54:47 The devil is preparing great deceptions to deceive God's 54:51 people. 54:52 And we need to study God's word. 54:56 So prayer and the study of God's word are vital. 55:00 They are priority for God's people to stay close to him. 55:06 When you open the Bible. 55:09 You have an audience with the King of Kings and Lord of 55:13 Lords. 55:13 Open it with reverence, understanding. 55:17 You are reading words of life. 55:21 Words that are living words. 55:25 Words that give you courage. 55:27 Give you hope. 55:29 Give you understanding. 55:30 And make you wise unto salvation. 55:34 So our time is wrapping up. 55:36 I have to cut short. 55:39 So I ask again. 55:42 How many are willing to surrender 100% to the Lord? 55:46 Would you stand this time? 55:49 I know there are some that cannot stand. 55:51 But I ask you to raise your hand if you cannot stand. 55:54 How many are willing to surrender 100% to the Lord? 56:00 Oh Lord, God of heaven. 56:02 Take a look at all these wonderful souls. 56:05 They have said 100% surrender. 56:09 Praise the Lord. 56:10 Your decision has been written in heaven along your name. 56:17 Because that's what God does. 56:19 Keeps a record of our decisions. 56:21 Yes. 56:23 Praise the Lord for your decisions. 56:25 Let's pray together. 56:27 Our loving Heavenly Father. 56:29 Behold your children Lord. 56:32 Who have said 100% surrender is what they want. 56:37 Bless them. 56:39 Keep them. 56:40 And bless them with victory through Jesus Christ. 56:44 And give them victory over the sin that does so easily besets 56:48 them. 56:50 Heavenly Father, I join them in complete surrender to you. 56:54 And I pray that in us you will work that marvelous work that 57:00 you have started. 57:01 And that you have promised to complete. 57:05 Thank you Lord that we can trust in you. 57:07 And that we can have the blessing of the fullness of joy 57:12 in your presence. 57:14 We ask you Heavenly Father to bless each and every one here. 57:17 And all those that have made a decision wherever they are. 57:22 Bless them with your joy. 57:23 Bless them with your peace. 57:24 And bless them with your forgiveness. 57:27 Thank you for the blood of the lamb that cleanses us from all 57:31 sin. 57:32 In the holy and blessed name of Jesus. 57:34 Amen. 57:35 And amen. 57:36 Praise the Lord. |
Revised 2025-06-05