The Bible tells us, "In
the beginning was the Word,
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and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God."
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It says, "To receive with
meekness the implanted Word,
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which is able
to save your souls.
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And to be diligent to
present yourself approved to God
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rightly dividing
the Word of truth."
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Join us now for the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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Our study today is Stewardship
Motives of the Heart.
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Hello, and welcome to
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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I'm Jill Morikone,
and we're delighted
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that you have taken
time out of your day
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to open up the
Word of God with us
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and to share out of
the Sabbath school lesson.
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We are in the
first quarter 2018,
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we are in lesson
number four today's study,
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the quarterly this
quarter is Stewardship,
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Motives of the Heart.
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And if you don't have a copy,
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you can always go to the
website ABSG.Adventist.org,
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and you can get your own copy.
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That stands for
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AdultBibleStudyGuide
.Adventist.org.
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And we encourage
you to download that
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you can follow along
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as we study
together on the panel.
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We always like to encourage you
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to go visit your local
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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They will give you
one of these quarterlies
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and you can join the
class and you can study as well.
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It's my privilege to introduce
our panel to you at this time.
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We have Miss Mollie
Steenson, Pastor John Lomacang,
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Mr. Danny Shelton,
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it's a privilege to have you
on the Sabbath School Panel...
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Thank you. It's good to be here.
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For the first time.
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And then Sister Shelley Quinn.
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And what I appreciate
about each one of them is that
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they walk the talk.
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They are students of the Word,
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and they
practice what they preach,
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they live out the Word of God,
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exemplify it in
their daily lives.
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So I'm excited about
our study here today.
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We are on the fourth lesson
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which is escape
from the world's ways.
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Before we get into that,
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we always like to
open up in prayer.
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And, Mr. Danny, would
you pray for us here today?
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I will.
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Dear Lord, we thank
You for Your blessings
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and we thank You for
life, and health, and strength,
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and we thank You for
anointing of the Holy Spirit
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that we have felt here already.
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And we pray for
each of our viewers today
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that as we study these
lessons that we will really,
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ultimately look at ourselves,
and see where we need to be,
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and that's in Your presence.
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So we ask, again,
today for Your Holy Spirit
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upon all of those watching,
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those of us that are
in front of the camera
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so as behind the cameras
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that everything
that said and done
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will be done to Your
honor and to Your glory.
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In Jesus' name I pray.
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Amen. Amen.
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Now before we get into
actually the lesson on Sunday,
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the lesson opened up on Sabbath
with an interesting statement.
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It said, "Although
Satan failed with Jesus,
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he has succeeded
with everyone else."
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Now we know the Bible says what?
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All have sinned
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and fallen short
of the glory of God.
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But when I think about
that, "Satan failed with Jesus,
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he has succeeded
with everyone else."
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How do we escape from his snare?
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That's really what
we're talking about this week
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in our Sabbath School lesson.
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How do we escape
from the world's ways?
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The key is a relationship
with the Lord Jesus Christ.
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I remember when
I was a teenager,
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I thought she was old,
but she was probably only 15.
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Watch out. Oh.
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But now I'd say
she is very young.
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Oh, thank God.
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But at the time,
I thought she was,
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you know, as a teenager,
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you think anybody
over 25 is rather old.
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Absolutely.
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And so I thought she was old.
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She had gone prematurely
gray but her skin was very young
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and she wasn't that old at all,
but I thought she was older.
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And in class one
day, I remember she said,
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"If all I had
for following Jesus
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was a relationship
with Him in this life,
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I would follow Him."
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If there was no
hope of eternal life,
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if there was no hope
of something hereafter,
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if all I had was a
relationship with Him now,
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I would follow Him.
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And I remember, I
thought, "Not me."
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The only reason, at
that time in my life,
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the only reason I was
even having some semblance
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of a relationship
with God was the thought
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that maybe there's
something hereafter.
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But, you know the
truth, Miss Mollie,
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is that the peace, the joy,
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the experience of
being having an intimate walk
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with our father, our Abba God
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is like nothing else that
this world could ever give.
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So I want to encourage you,
this week we're talking about
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having a relationship
with the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Let's look at our memory text,
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Proverbs 11:4 and 28,
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we want to encourage you at home
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to read along with us
as we read here together.
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"Riches do not
profit in the day of wrath
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but righteousness
delivers from death.
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He who trust in
his riches will fall
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but the righteous will
flourish like foliage."
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On Sunday we look at our
relationship with Christ.
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I want to look at seven keys,
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different keys for protection
against the pull of the world.
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Or we know that
the pull of the world,
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the whole lesson is about
escape from the world's ways.
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And we know that the pull
of the world can be strong.
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So what is our
protection against that?
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How do we escape that?
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Before we get into those keys,
I want to just talk briefly
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about what it means to
have a relationship with Christ.
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First, He takes the
initiative, that means God does.
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Romans 5:8, "While
we were yet sinners,"
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that's you and me,
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"Christ died for us."
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And our response is we
respond to Him in love.
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Second, He draws us
to Himself in repentance.
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Romans 2:4, "The goodness of God
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leads us to repentance."
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So we're wandering far from God.
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He is the one wooing
us, drawing us back to Him.
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Three, He died for us
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so that we could
spend eternal life with Him.
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John 3:16,
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"God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son
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that whosoever believes
in Him should not perish
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but have everlasting life."
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We respond, He gives the offer.
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We respond by
believing Him, in Him,
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and accepting Him
as our personal Savior.
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Number four, He forgives
and cleanses us from sin.
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1 John 1:9, "If
we confess our sins,
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He is faithful and just
to forgive us of our sins
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and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness."
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We respond simply by accepting
His gift of forgiveness
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and allowing Him
to cleanse our hearts.
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He justifies us by His blood.
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Romans 5:9,
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"Having been
justified by His blood
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we shall be saved
from wrath through Him."
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We respond through faith,
by faith that justification,
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His righteous white
robe is applied to our lives.
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He talks to us and knows us.
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What does He say,
"My sheep hear my voice
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and they know me
and they follow me."
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We're gonna talk
about that this week.
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We know His
voice through the Word.
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We know His voice
through the Spirit.
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We know His
voice through prayer.
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And what an
incredible privilege is ours
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to have that
relationship with Him.
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But even if you woke
up one day and you said,
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"I accept Jesus
Christ as my Lord and Savior,
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I want Him in my life."
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There's always a daily battle.
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Satan comes against us
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and wants to pull us from Jesus.
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So what is our
protection against that?
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Here's the five keys.
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Number one is to
choose Jesus. Okay.
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Joshua 24:15,
what does that say?
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"Choose you this day
whom you will serve,"
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and then it ends with,
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"but as for me and my
house, we will serve the Lord."
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Amen. We are to choose Jesus.
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Choosing Jesus is not
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a once in a lifetime experience.
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It's not...
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I remember,
Mollie, you always say,
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"When I made Jesus
Christ the Lord of my life
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in the ladies lounge
in Decatur, Alabama."
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I've heard that
at a time or two,
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that's powerful testimony.
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But that does
not mean that then,
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from that moment on
you just go your merry way.
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It means every
morning when we wake up,
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we have to make a choice
that day to choose Jesus.
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Number two, we behold Jesus.
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2 Corinthians 3:18,
"We all, with open face
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beholding as in a
glass the glory of the Lord,
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are being
transformed into the same image
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from glory to glory."
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And if you think about that word
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for transformed is a
metamorphist in the Greek.
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And Greg likes nature.
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And sometime ago,
summertime, he said,
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"Oh, Jilly, come look."
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And underneath our port
railing was a little caterpillar
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and he was spinning his
cocoon and we watched him.
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And he was there.
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And then every
morning we'd go out
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and we'd look at
the cocoon, still there.
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Next morning,
cocoon, still there,
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next morning, and we kept going.
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And then on Sabbath,
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to me there has to be a
spiritual lesson in that.
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On Sabbath, Greg said,
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"Jilly, come quickly,
the cocoon is breaking open."
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And we went and looked at
it, and the butterfly emerged.
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That is the process
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that the Lord Jesus
does with you and me.
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We're just crawling in the mud.
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We are nothing but caterpillars
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in the muck, in the
mire, in the mud of sin.
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And Jesus by the power
of His Spirit changes us,
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and transforms us
from this to a butterfly.
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And that process
2 Corinthians 3:18
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takes place by beholding Jesus.
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That's right.
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Number three, we ask God to
put to death the old man of sin.
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Let's look at Romans 6.
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Romans 6,
00:10:01.86\00:10:06.27
we're going to
look at verses 6 and 7.
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Mollie, do you have them?
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Romans 6:6-7.
00:10:12.41\00:10:15.98
Roman 6:6-7, yes, I do.
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Just because I'm not there
yet, doesn't mean anything.
00:10:18.65\00:10:22.22
Romans 6:6-7,
00:10:22.25\00:10:25.05
"Knowing this that our
old man is crucified with Him
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that the body of
sin might be destroyed
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that henceforth we
should not serve sin,
00:10:33.63\00:10:36.90
for he that is
dead is freed from sin."
00:10:36.93\00:10:40.34
Yes, you see that.
00:10:40.37\00:10:41.70
Mine, I have New King James.
00:10:41.74\00:10:43.07
It says, "He who
has died," same thing,
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"has been freed from sin."
00:10:45.24\00:10:47.84
Now, I don't mean this in
any disrespectful fashion,
00:10:47.88\00:10:51.38
but if you've
ever been to a funeral,
00:10:51.41\00:10:53.58
and there's a
person who's passed away,
00:10:53.62\00:10:55.78
who's in the casket,
00:10:55.82\00:10:57.15
or you go to a gravesite,
00:10:57.19\00:10:58.52
and they're
already in the ground,
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you could never
tempt them with cigarettes.
00:11:00.66\00:11:02.16
That's right.
00:11:02.19\00:11:03.53
You could never
tempt them with alcohol.
00:11:03.56\00:11:05.26
You could never
tempt them to lust,
00:11:05.29\00:11:07.66
or if you got in
their face and got mad,
00:11:07.70\00:11:10.80
they wouldn't
respond back in anger.
00:11:10.83\00:11:12.80
And why is that?
00:11:12.83\00:11:14.17
'Cause they are
dead. 'Cause they are dead.
00:11:14.20\00:11:15.74
So this scripture
which is incredible to me
00:11:15.77\00:11:19.84
says that when the old
man, the old woman of Jill
00:11:19.87\00:11:23.01
who wants to get mad
when someone talks back to me,
00:11:23.04\00:11:26.08
or who wants to act out
in whatever fashion of sin
00:11:26.11\00:11:30.02
from the old life,
00:11:30.05\00:11:31.42
it says, "The old man of
sin is dead, is crucified."
00:11:31.45\00:11:36.49
Verse 11, "Likewise,
you also reckon yourselves
00:11:36.52\00:11:39.73
to be dead indeed to sin
00:11:39.76\00:11:42.06
but alive to God in
Christ Jesus our Lord."
00:11:42.10\00:11:46.84
Now initially when
I read that, I think,
00:11:46.87\00:11:48.94
"That's a little difficult.
00:11:48.97\00:11:50.31
How in the world am
I supposed to be dead
00:11:50.34\00:11:52.17
to the old life of
sin, and alive to Christ?"
00:11:52.21\00:11:55.21
There's another verse that
I think shed light on that.
00:11:55.24\00:11:57.11
And this is point number four.
00:11:57.15\00:11:58.71
Allow Christ and His
Spirit to live in you.
00:11:58.75\00:12:02.42
So first, we die to
the old person of sin,
00:12:02.45\00:12:05.49
then we allow Christ and
His Spirit to live in us.
00:12:05.52\00:12:09.02
Now, I want to look at
two scriptures for that.
00:12:09.06\00:12:10.96
The first one is one
chapter over, Romans 7.
00:12:10.99\00:12:15.20
Now, this is not an
original thought with me,
00:12:15.23\00:12:17.17
I first heard it
from Pastor John actually.
00:12:17.20\00:12:19.70
And I won't explain it
00:12:19.73\00:12:22.24
in the same
fashion, Pastor John,
00:12:22.27\00:12:23.77
but hopefully it
will be fairly clear.
00:12:23.81\00:12:26.01
Romans 7:20.
00:12:26.04\00:12:29.34
It says, "Now if I do
what I will not to do,
00:12:29.38\00:12:32.08
it is no longer I who do
it but sin that dwells in me."
00:12:32.11\00:12:37.05
Did you catch that?
00:12:37.09\00:12:38.65
If there is sin
going on in my life,
00:12:38.69\00:12:40.92
it's not me who is doing it,
00:12:40.96\00:12:43.29
it is sin that is
dwelling or resident in me.
00:12:43.32\00:12:46.53
In the Greek, the
word for dwell means
00:12:46.56\00:12:49.26
to inhabit
dwell, or make a home.
00:12:49.30\00:12:52.63
Almost as if sin comes
in and sets up residence
00:12:52.67\00:12:56.14
as it were inside of us.
00:12:56.17\00:12:57.81
It's not me who's doing it,
00:12:57.84\00:12:59.17
it's the sin
that's residing within me.
00:12:59.21\00:13:01.91
Now contrast that
with Galatians 2:20.
00:13:01.94\00:13:06.82
Galatians 2:20, it says,
00:13:06.85\00:13:09.45
"I have been
crucified with Christ.
00:13:09.48\00:13:12.39
It is no longer I who live
but Christ who lives in me."
00:13:12.42\00:13:17.76
It's the same phrasing,
00:13:17.79\00:13:19.36
it's not me who's doing
it, Christ is living in me.
00:13:19.39\00:13:23.13
In the other way, it
wasn't me who is doing it,
00:13:23.16\00:13:25.60
it's sin who is living in me.
00:13:25.63\00:13:28.57
So the difference is
00:13:28.60\00:13:29.97
allowing the Lord Jesus
Christ to come into our lives,
00:13:30.01\00:13:34.18
and to set up
residence as it were inside.
00:13:34.21\00:13:37.75
And when He lives in us,
it's not me gritting my teeth
00:13:37.78\00:13:41.95
and trying to put to
death the old man of sin,
00:13:41.98\00:13:44.42
it's God by the power of
His Spirit filling in me,
00:13:44.45\00:13:47.72
and He's the one
who does the work.
00:13:47.76\00:13:50.96
Finally the last
point, number five,
00:13:50.99\00:13:53.76
is to guard your
eyes and your ears.
00:13:53.80\00:13:57.83
You know, what we behold
00:13:57.87\00:14:01.17
the things we
look at, television,
00:14:01.20\00:14:03.14
the books we read,
the magazines we read,
00:14:03.17\00:14:05.34
the things I
listen to on the radio
00:14:05.37\00:14:08.14
have a decided
impact in my spiritual walk.
00:14:08.18\00:14:11.38
They either pull
me away from Jesus
00:14:11.41\00:14:14.25
back to the world's ways,
00:14:14.28\00:14:16.62
or they can focus me
heavenward looking at Jesus.
00:14:16.65\00:14:21.56
So as we talk Sunday
about relationship with Christ,
00:14:21.59\00:14:24.96
the pull of the world is strong.
00:14:24.99\00:14:26.80
But as we daily
make a choice for Jesus,
00:14:26.83\00:14:29.56
as we behold Jesus constantly,
00:14:29.60\00:14:33.27
as we ask God to put to
death the old man of sin,
00:14:33.30\00:14:35.97
and allow Him by
the power of His Spirit
00:14:36.00\00:14:38.44
to live inside of us.
00:14:38.47\00:14:40.91
And as we guard what we
look at and what we listen to,
00:14:40.94\00:14:44.98
that will be
the key in our walk,
00:14:45.01\00:14:47.95
in our journey with
the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:14:47.98\00:14:50.29
And, Mollie, you
have some more keys.
00:14:50.32\00:14:51.85
You're gonna talk
about the Word of God.
00:14:51.89\00:14:53.22
Going into the Word, you
know, the scripture says,
00:14:53.25\00:14:55.82
"Guard your heart
with all diligence."
00:14:55.86\00:14:58.83
I think, the
Amplified says vigilant,
00:14:58.86\00:15:01.13
"And above all that you guard
00:15:01.16\00:15:03.67
because out of it
flow the issues of life."
00:15:03.70\00:15:07.00
And that was so beautiful
the way you express that
00:15:07.04\00:15:10.21
to keep, to be able to keep
ourselves pure before the Lord.
00:15:10.24\00:15:14.24
Well, on Monday, we
look at in the Word.
00:15:14.28\00:15:18.08
And I want to repeat something
that you said a little earlier.
00:15:18.11\00:15:22.68
Satan failed
completely with Jesus,
00:15:22.72\00:15:26.62
but he hadn't failed
with a single one of us.
00:15:26.65\00:15:29.22
The scripture she
quoted, "For all have sinned
00:15:29.26\00:15:32.89
and come short of
the glory of God."
00:15:32.93\00:15:35.13
So my question is,
what makes the difference?
00:15:35.16\00:15:37.83
Because there's
got to be something
00:15:37.87\00:15:39.50
that makes the difference.
00:15:39.53\00:15:41.40
What did Jesus
use at every juncture
00:15:41.44\00:15:46.61
when tempted by Satan?
00:15:46.64\00:15:47.98
It is written. The word written.
00:15:48.01\00:15:49.34
See, it is written.
00:15:49.38\00:15:51.08
Do you know we
have got the same word?
00:15:51.11\00:15:53.75
We have got the word.
00:15:53.78\00:15:55.42
And just as Jesus,
do you think if you,
00:15:55.45\00:15:59.25
Jill, if you use God's
Word when Satan comes at you,
00:15:59.29\00:16:03.89
do you think he will be repelled
00:16:03.93\00:16:05.66
just assuredly as
when he came in Jesus?
00:16:05.69\00:16:08.56
Jesus repelled him.
00:16:08.60\00:16:09.93
See, it's the
power that's in the Word,
00:16:09.96\00:16:11.70
and that's what we're
looking at, in the Word.
00:16:11.73\00:16:15.20
Revelation 12:11, you
all know this scripture.
00:16:15.24\00:16:19.24
"And they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb,
00:16:19.27\00:16:23.18
and by the word
of their testimony,
00:16:23.21\00:16:25.48
and they did not love
their lives to the death."
00:16:25.51\00:16:28.65
And we've got this word.
00:16:28.68\00:16:30.29
This same word
within us is powerful.
00:16:30.32\00:16:36.66
For the word to do us any good,
00:16:36.69\00:16:40.06
it must come off
of this written page,
00:16:40.10\00:16:43.37
and is got to go somewhere.
00:16:43.40\00:16:44.73
Where is it got to go,
Shelley? In our hearts.
00:16:44.77\00:16:46.33
It's got to go into our hearts.
00:16:46.37\00:16:48.64
And, you know, when Hal
and I first got married,
00:16:48.67\00:16:54.11
somebody gave us one of
these big white family Bibles.
00:16:54.14\00:16:58.11
You know, where we
might have got it was
00:16:58.15\00:17:00.02
when we bought
furniture, it seems like,
00:17:00.05\00:17:02.35
the furniture company
gave us this big, it was huge.
00:17:02.38\00:17:07.32
And what you did
was that you wrote,
00:17:07.36\00:17:09.32
when you got married
00:17:09.36\00:17:10.69
you wrote your children's names,
00:17:10.73\00:17:12.06
you know, it was one of
those family heritage Bibles.
00:17:12.09\00:17:14.33
Do you think we
ever read that thing?
00:17:14.36\00:17:16.30
No, it didn't do us any
good, no good whatsoever.
00:17:16.33\00:17:20.70
But I remember, after I
made Jesus the Lord of my life,
00:17:20.74\00:17:24.67
I got this
little Cambridge Bible,
00:17:24.71\00:17:27.01
and, you know,
that thing is falling,
00:17:27.04\00:17:29.44
I kept it, it's falling apart.
00:17:29.48\00:17:31.75
Do you think that
Bible did me some good?
00:17:31.78\00:17:34.15
It's written
under, it's underlined.
00:17:34.18\00:17:36.55
Do you know I read that Bible...
00:17:36.58\00:17:38.75
Now this is back
when I was young,
00:17:38.79\00:17:40.22
I wish I still
had that same zeal,
00:17:40.26\00:17:43.63
the zeal of when you first made
Jesus the Lord of you house,
00:17:43.66\00:17:46.19
oh, that was fun.
00:17:46.23\00:17:47.56
All that zeal.
00:17:47.60\00:17:48.93
I read that Bible so diligently
00:17:48.96\00:17:50.87
that there are two
type of graphical errors
00:17:50.90\00:17:53.00
in that Bible,
00:17:53.03\00:17:54.37
and I've got them
both underlined in circles.
00:17:54.40\00:17:56.10
Of course, I was a
legal secretary back then,
00:17:56.14\00:17:58.21
and I had to do a
whole lot of proofing things.
00:17:58.24\00:18:01.74
But that Bible,
00:18:01.78\00:18:03.78
now that big one did me no good,
00:18:03.81\00:18:06.01
but that little Cambridge Bible,
00:18:06.05\00:18:07.62
oh, honey, that one changed...
00:18:07.65\00:18:09.25
Oh, and then I got
the amplified Bible.
00:18:09.28\00:18:11.29
It's falling, I've shown
you all my Amplified Bible,
00:18:11.32\00:18:13.79
the front cover's off
of it, it's falling apart,
00:18:13.82\00:18:16.62
it's underlined.
00:18:16.66\00:18:17.99
Those are the
Bibles that will do use.
00:18:18.03\00:18:20.96
That's the Word of God
that you hide in your heart
00:18:21.00\00:18:24.00
that will do you some good.
00:18:24.03\00:18:25.37
With that, 2 Timothy 2:15,
00:18:25.40\00:18:28.70
and I'm going to read it
out of the King James Version.
00:18:28.74\00:18:31.87
It says, "Study to show
thyself approved unto," whom?
00:18:31.91\00:18:36.58
God. "Unto God."
00:18:36.61\00:18:37.95
See, it doesn't matter to me.
00:18:37.98\00:18:39.91
It just doesn't matter.
00:18:39.95\00:18:41.78
What other
people may think of you,
00:18:41.82\00:18:43.45
study to show
yourself approved unto God.
00:18:43.49\00:18:46.99
And I tell my people
this in Sabbath school.
00:18:47.02\00:18:49.72
How many times have
you heard me say this,
00:18:49.76\00:18:51.73
"Today we have come
to learn God's Word,
00:18:51.76\00:18:54.96
to learn the
biblical principles."
00:18:55.00\00:18:56.77
If we go into a class,
00:18:56.80\00:18:58.43
if we listen to one of
Pastor Lomacang's sermons,
00:18:58.47\00:19:01.20
and all we take away
from it is knowledge.
00:19:01.24\00:19:04.87
We've learned some data.
00:19:04.91\00:19:06.57
That's not gonna
change your life.
00:19:06.61\00:19:08.24
We don't...
00:19:08.28\00:19:09.61
I don't teach a
Sabbath school class,
00:19:09.64\00:19:11.15
you don't preach a sermon,
00:19:11.18\00:19:12.58
so we can play
Bible trivia and win.
00:19:12.61\00:19:15.48
We take a Sabbath school class,
00:19:15.52\00:19:19.09
we want that word to go into us,
00:19:19.12\00:19:21.22
and to change us
into metamorphosis,
00:19:21.26\00:19:24.59
into that very
image and likeness of God.
00:19:24.63\00:19:27.40
You do that by hiding
that Word in your heart
00:19:27.43\00:19:30.37
and letting it change you.
00:19:30.40\00:19:32.43
Okay, in October 2017,
00:19:32.47\00:19:36.37
the world's population was
reported at 7.6 billion people.
00:19:36.40\00:19:41.98
Statistics show that
more than 6 billion Bibles
00:19:42.01\00:19:46.21
have been distributed worldwide.
00:19:46.25\00:19:48.48
According to
Guinness world records,
00:19:48.52\00:19:50.65
the Bible is the
bestselling book of all times.
00:19:50.69\00:19:54.49
And is reported
bestseller almost every year.
00:19:54.52\00:19:59.23
In the United States
alone, it is estimated
00:19:59.26\00:20:02.80
that around 25 million
Bibles are sold each year.
00:20:02.83\00:20:07.90
Now with those statistics,
it only stands to reason to me,
00:20:07.94\00:20:12.41
now you would think
00:20:12.44\00:20:14.08
that godliness
should be on the rise,
00:20:14.11\00:20:17.68
but is that what we find?
00:20:17.71\00:20:19.05
No.
00:20:19.08\00:20:20.42
No, the opposite
seems to be true.
00:20:20.45\00:20:21.92
Now, why would that be?
00:20:21.95\00:20:23.39
Because the Bibles
are sitting on the shelf,
00:20:23.42\00:20:27.86
laying on the coffee table,
00:20:27.89\00:20:29.82
on your
nightstand gathering dust.
00:20:29.86\00:20:31.86
It does you no good
unless you open it up, read it,
00:20:31.89\00:20:35.13
hide that Word in your heart.
00:20:35.16\00:20:36.87
You know what the Psalmist said,
00:20:36.90\00:20:38.23
"I hide God's Word in my heart."
00:20:38.27\00:20:40.17
Why?
00:20:40.20\00:20:41.54
"That I might
not sin against Him."
00:20:41.57\00:20:43.34
Okay, the Word of God
holds supreme authority
00:20:43.37\00:20:47.44
because of its author.
00:20:47.48\00:20:49.38
The Bible's authority
is inherent in every word.
00:20:49.41\00:20:54.95
Just as there is
no higher authority
00:20:54.98\00:20:57.79
in an earthly
kingdom than the king,
00:20:57.82\00:21:00.82
there is no higher authority
you and I can depend on
00:21:00.86\00:21:05.59
than the Word of God
because it's God's kingdom.
00:21:05.63\00:21:10.33
That's right.
00:21:10.37\00:21:11.70
The authority is timeless.
00:21:11.73\00:21:13.20
Now think about this.
00:21:13.23\00:21:14.57
I like that word timeless.
00:21:14.60\00:21:16.67
When we read Exodus 20:3,
00:21:16.71\00:21:21.01
"You shall have no
other gods before me."
00:21:21.04\00:21:24.35
That commandment
00:21:24.38\00:21:26.38
has the very same
force behind it today
00:21:26.41\00:21:30.75
that it had
00:21:30.79\00:21:32.12
when God first
spoke those words to Moses
00:21:32.15\00:21:35.52
on Mount Sinai more
than 3000 years ago.
00:21:35.56\00:21:39.59
Has the Word
lost any of its power?
00:21:39.63\00:21:41.36
No.
00:21:41.40\00:21:42.73
It's powerful
today as it ever were.
00:21:42.76\00:21:45.07
Its power is timeless.
00:21:45.10\00:21:47.47
In Matthew, Mark, and Luke,
00:21:47.50\00:21:51.77
we have the exact same passage.
00:21:51.81\00:21:55.11
The scripture says,
00:21:55.14\00:21:56.54
"Heaven and earth will pass away
00:21:56.58\00:21:59.91
but my words will
by no means pass away."
00:21:59.95\00:22:02.78
Do you know what it says
in the King James Version,
00:22:02.82\00:22:05.05
"Heaven and
earth would pass away
00:22:05.09\00:22:06.59
but my words by no
means shall pass away."
00:22:06.62\00:22:10.03
They will never pass away.
00:22:10.06\00:22:11.73
And in Psalms
119:89, "For ever oh, Lord,
00:22:11.76\00:22:16.73
your word is
settled in the heavens."
00:22:16.77\00:22:19.70
You know what that
settled word, that word means?
00:22:19.73\00:22:22.70
The Greek word for it is,
00:22:22.74\00:22:24.07
I don't do a lot of
Greek but I know this one.
00:22:24.11\00:22:26.14
That Greek word is natsab,
N-A-T-S-A-B, it's for settled.
00:22:26.17\00:22:30.88
It means to be established
as a fortress, a garrison,
00:22:30.91\00:22:34.95
or a tower.
00:22:34.98\00:22:36.58
In the heavenlies, God's Word
is established as a fortress.
00:22:36.62\00:22:41.62
Heaven and earth
is going to pass away,
00:22:41.66\00:22:43.56
God's Word will never pass away.
00:22:43.59\00:22:45.83
God's word is
settled in the heavenlies.
00:22:45.86\00:22:48.56
The Bible is a living
document of divine origin.
00:22:48.60\00:22:53.57
When we come to this
book with a sincere heart
00:22:53.60\00:22:57.27
and do what 1
Timothy 2:15 tells us to do,
00:22:57.31\00:23:01.44
it will changes
us, it will change us.
00:23:01.48\00:23:04.01
The scripture says,
00:23:04.05\00:23:05.78
"The entrance of
your word gives life,"
00:23:05.81\00:23:09.18
that's Psalms 119:130,
00:23:09.22\00:23:11.85
"The entrance of
your word gives light."
00:23:11.89\00:23:14.62
It gives understanding
through the darkness.
00:23:14.66\00:23:16.83
Think about all our
understanding to the simple.
00:23:16.86\00:23:20.06
Think about all the
darkness that is in your life.
00:23:20.10\00:23:23.60
Oh, none of us have arrived,
there's areas of darkness.
00:23:23.63\00:23:27.67
We take the light
of God's Word into us.
00:23:27.70\00:23:31.14
You know what
happens to that darkness?
00:23:31.17\00:23:33.54
It is dispelled,
and that's because,
00:23:33.58\00:23:37.68
that's because we come
to God with a sincere heart,
00:23:37.71\00:23:41.58
you know, every time...
00:23:41.62\00:23:42.95
Let me just
encourage you in this.
00:23:42.98\00:23:44.99
Every time before you
sit down to read God's Word
00:23:45.02\00:23:48.12
or to study God's Word,
00:23:48.16\00:23:49.82
open yourself up to God.
00:23:49.86\00:23:51.53
"Oh, God, here I come.
00:23:51.56\00:23:53.03
I present my heart before
You and I ask You, oh, God,
00:23:53.06\00:23:56.60
as I read this Word,
as I study this Word,
00:23:56.63\00:23:59.23
change made.
00:23:59.27\00:24:00.60
Don't let me be
reading this Word to say,
00:24:00.64\00:24:02.70
"Oh, how can
this word help Jill?"
00:24:02.74\00:24:05.04
No.
00:24:05.07\00:24:06.41
"How can this Word
help me, change me oh, God
00:24:06.44\00:24:08.91
into Your image and
into your likeness."
00:24:08.94\00:24:11.98
You know what Jesus
told the Jewish leaders?
00:24:12.01\00:24:15.22
"You search the
scriptures for you think,
00:24:15.25\00:24:18.49
you have eternal...
00:24:18.52\00:24:19.85
in them you have eternal life."
00:24:19.89\00:24:21.79
He goes on to say,
00:24:21.82\00:24:23.29
"And these are they
which testify of me."
00:24:23.32\00:24:26.39
"In the beginning was the
Word and the Word was with God,"
00:24:26.43\00:24:29.33
John 1:1.
00:24:29.36\00:24:30.70
"And the Word was God."
00:24:30.73\00:24:32.07
John 1:14, "And the Word became
flesh and dwelt among us."
00:24:32.10\00:24:36.44
You want to learn of
Jesus, go into those scriptures,
00:24:36.47\00:24:39.94
take that Word in you,
00:24:39.97\00:24:41.54
it will change you
into His very image,
00:24:41.58\00:24:43.75
and into His very likeness.
00:24:43.78\00:24:45.68
A prayer for all of us,
00:24:45.71\00:24:47.38
"Grant me grace
as I study your Word
00:24:47.42\00:24:50.92
to understand and apply
it to my everyday life."
00:24:50.95\00:24:54.46
Amen.
00:24:54.49\00:24:55.82
Wow, Mollie, you're on fire.
00:24:55.86\00:24:57.39
I'm supposed to follow that up.
00:24:57.43\00:25:00.26
I always appreciate you, Mollie,
00:25:00.30\00:25:01.63
because you are a
woman of the Word.
00:25:01.66\00:25:03.03
Thank you. Thank you so much.
00:25:03.06\00:25:04.40
Thank you, Jill.
00:25:04.43\00:25:05.77
We're talking
about communication also
00:25:05.80\00:25:07.64
on Tuesdays
lesson, The Life of Prayer.
00:25:07.67\00:25:12.27
I like statistics,
00:25:12.31\00:25:13.64
one of the things that
really throw me is statistics,
00:25:13.68\00:25:15.68
and sometimes I peek into that.
00:25:15.71\00:25:17.98
And I was glad
that you mentioned
00:25:18.01\00:25:19.48
about some statistics.
00:25:19.51\00:25:21.68
But prayer is simply
the art of communication.
00:25:21.72\00:25:25.09
That's what it is.
00:25:25.12\00:25:26.45
We all talk to
someone on a daily basis,
00:25:26.49\00:25:28.52
we all have cell phones.
00:25:28.56\00:25:30.19
And on that statistical note,
00:25:30.23\00:25:32.19
I decided to
look into cell phones,
00:25:32.23\00:25:35.33
not in the sense of buying them
or adding any features to them,
00:25:35.36\00:25:38.80
but just to find out how
many cell phones were sold
00:25:38.83\00:25:41.47
within a
particular period of time.
00:25:41.50\00:25:43.51
In 2007,
00:25:43.54\00:25:46.21
122 million cell
phones were sold.
00:25:46.24\00:25:49.54
That's world wide, that's 2007.
00:25:49.58\00:25:52.31
2016,
00:25:52.35\00:25:54.18
1.5 billion cell
phones were sold.
00:25:54.22\00:25:59.95
And it is estimated
that by the year 2020,
00:25:59.99\00:26:03.16
there'll be 2.87
billion cell phone users.
00:26:03.19\00:26:07.00
Now when you talk
about six billion people,
00:26:07.03\00:26:09.76
there are some people that,
00:26:09.80\00:26:11.17
now that's the
new cell phone users.
00:26:11.20\00:26:13.80
That's not taken
into consideration
00:26:13.84\00:26:16.77
phones that were resold
00:26:16.81\00:26:18.44
because some of
us buy a new phone
00:26:18.47\00:26:19.81
and sell somebody
else our old phone.
00:26:19.84\00:26:21.28
Some companies take
old phones and recycle them
00:26:21.31\00:26:23.95
and take them
to other countries.
00:26:23.98\00:26:25.85
That's just talking about where
statistics can be gathered.
00:26:25.88\00:26:30.02
You know, they don't go to,
00:26:30.05\00:26:31.39
and I'm not saying
this disrespectfully.
00:26:31.42\00:26:32.85
There are places in the world
that nobody walks up to a hut
00:26:32.89\00:26:35.42
and take a survey.
00:26:35.46\00:26:36.79
Sure.
00:26:36.83\00:26:38.16
This is based on
a national survey
00:26:38.19\00:26:39.53
which says to me
people want to communicate.
00:26:39.56\00:26:41.83
And the life of prayer
is a life of communication.
00:26:41.86\00:26:44.53
And so if you're
watching this program,
00:26:44.57\00:26:46.84
I want to begin with
a very important passage
00:26:46.87\00:26:50.17
to help you understand
what prayer really is.
00:26:50.21\00:26:53.11
The more you talk to
someone, the more you know them.
00:26:53.14\00:26:56.01
Amen. That's true.
00:26:56.04\00:26:57.38
John 17:3,
00:26:57.41\00:27:00.22
"And this is eternal
life that they may know you
00:27:00.25\00:27:05.25
the only true
God and Jesus Christ
00:27:05.29\00:27:08.16
whom you have sent
that they may know."
00:27:08.19\00:27:10.83
Now I heard a
statement years ago, it says,
00:27:10.86\00:27:14.20
"Don't expect a ten
thousand dollar answer,
00:27:14.23\00:27:17.53
Danny, to a ten cent prayer."
00:27:17.57\00:27:20.17
Okay.
00:27:20.20\00:27:21.54
We live in a ten
cent prayer world.
00:27:21.57\00:27:23.61
And, you know, statistically
our lives are like,
00:27:23.64\00:27:26.47
we're like in a
pressure cooker here.
00:27:26.51\00:27:28.14
We're always on
schedule for something.
00:27:28.18\00:27:30.38
Shelley doesn't
hesitate to tell us
00:27:30.41\00:27:31.75
what the new programmings are.
00:27:31.78\00:27:33.38
Give us schedules for
things that are coming up.
00:27:33.42\00:27:35.08
And Jill, and Mollie,
and Danny always has ideas.
00:27:35.12\00:27:37.52
Yeah.
00:27:37.55\00:27:38.89
And nothing wrong with that,
that's what we need to have.
00:27:38.92\00:27:40.92
God need to give us
inspiration to keep going.
00:27:40.96\00:27:43.53
But in our
desire to communicate,
00:27:43.56\00:27:45.16
we cannot forget to
communicate with the source
00:27:45.19\00:27:50.57
of the most, of the purest power
00:27:50.60\00:27:54.10
is the communication with God.
00:27:54.14\00:27:55.77
Amen.
00:27:55.80\00:27:57.14
A purest, most
unadulterated power
00:27:57.17\00:27:59.94
is communication with God.
00:27:59.97\00:28:01.78
And so if eternal
life is knowing Him,
00:28:01.81\00:28:04.05
then it makes sense
to communicate with Him
00:28:04.08\00:28:06.28
on a continual basis.
00:28:06.31\00:28:08.08
I read
statistics in, a statistic.
00:28:08.12\00:28:10.39
Here's another one,
00:28:10.42\00:28:11.85
that Satanist
pray six times a day.
00:28:11.89\00:28:15.49
Daniel prayed three times a day.
00:28:15.52\00:28:19.59
I think, Muslims pray
at least three times a day.
00:28:19.63\00:28:22.76
I think some people
say about five times a day.
00:28:22.80\00:28:26.13
How often do you pray...
00:28:26.17\00:28:28.80
Yes, it's good.
00:28:28.84\00:28:30.47
When you think
about communication.
00:28:30.51\00:28:32.14
My wife and I have
increased our prayer life
00:28:32.17\00:28:34.14
because we've discovered
that prayer really, really
00:28:34.18\00:28:38.01
is a viable connection with God.
00:28:38.05\00:28:40.55
But I must say something,
00:28:40.58\00:28:41.92
I don't believe
that prayer works,
00:28:41.95\00:28:43.62
I believe that God works.
00:28:43.65\00:28:44.99
Okay. Thank you.
00:28:45.02\00:28:46.35
Okay, because
people pray to trees,
00:28:46.39\00:28:48.42
people pray to crystals,
00:28:48.46\00:28:50.13
the Mount Carmel, the
showdown all the heathens
00:28:50.16\00:28:54.30
and the apostate
Israel leaders prayed
00:28:54.33\00:28:57.03
but nothing happened.
00:28:57.07\00:28:58.40
And Elijah prayed,
and boom, God answered.
00:28:58.43\00:29:01.77
I don't believe that
prayer works, God works.
00:29:01.80\00:29:03.81
Amen.
00:29:03.84\00:29:05.17
But a couple of avenues
on what is a prayer life.
00:29:05.21\00:29:07.21
Let's talk about the first one.
00:29:07.24\00:29:08.94
Luke 22:42,
00:29:08.98\00:29:10.61
first of all prayer is
submission to the will of God.
00:29:10.65\00:29:14.35
Submission to the will of God.
00:29:14.38\00:29:15.72
When you get a
call from someone,
00:29:15.75\00:29:17.15
it's always good to know that
there's a two way conversation.
00:29:17.19\00:29:20.72
I know that some of
you watching might say,
00:29:20.76\00:29:22.42
"There are some
people that I call,
00:29:22.46\00:29:23.79
the moment I say,
hello, I lose connection
00:29:23.83\00:29:26.56
'cause I listen to
the whole conversation,
00:29:26.59\00:29:29.03
and well, when they're
done, 'Well, talk to you later.'
00:29:29.06\00:29:31.40
Well, I haven't had a
chance to say anything."
00:29:31.43\00:29:33.37
Well, prayer is first
a communication with God,
00:29:33.40\00:29:38.41
but it is, in fact, a
submission to His will.
00:29:38.44\00:29:41.78
Who has Luke 22:42,
do you have it, Jill?
00:29:41.81\00:29:45.15
Luke 22:42, look at
the submission aspect.
00:29:45.18\00:29:47.32
22:42 saying,
00:29:47.35\00:29:49.68
"Father, if it is your
will take this cup away from me,
00:29:49.72\00:29:53.29
nevertheless not my
will but yours be done."
00:29:53.32\00:29:56.29
Okay. Jesus is the example.
00:29:56.32\00:29:58.73
If Jesus said,
Lord, not My will,
00:29:58.76\00:30:00.73
saying to His Father, not
My will but Yours be done.
00:30:00.76\00:30:02.86
Shouldn't we say the same thing.
00:30:02.90\00:30:04.60
Not My will but Yours be done.
00:30:04.63\00:30:07.64
That's most important
00:30:07.67\00:30:09.00
because if the
thing that we decide to do
00:30:09.04\00:30:11.91
is not in harmony
with the will of God,
00:30:11.94\00:30:13.48
it's not going to work.
00:30:13.51\00:30:15.08
But the only way to know
that it's gonna work is to say,
00:30:15.11\00:30:16.88
"Father, here are my plans."
00:30:16.91\00:30:20.12
And like any good idea
00:30:20.15\00:30:21.58
or like anything
that we're excited about.
00:30:21.62\00:30:23.65
I remember once coming up
with this fascinating idea
00:30:23.69\00:30:26.25
and I typed it down as
quickly as I possibly could.
00:30:26.29\00:30:28.92
Matter of fact,
let's use the illustration
00:30:28.96\00:30:30.29
of Lanny Wolfe.
00:30:30.33\00:30:31.66
You know when
we're writing songs.
00:30:31.69\00:30:34.33
And yeah, just, you
had the chorus, was it?
00:30:34.36\00:30:36.16
Yeah, I had a chorus
and music to song and...
00:30:36.20\00:30:40.00
We needed the
lyrics for the verses.
00:30:40.04\00:30:41.97
And I had started
saying, said, "Don't say a word.
00:30:42.00\00:30:45.01
You're gonna mess
with my thoughts."
00:30:45.04\00:30:46.37
And I think,
00:30:46.41\00:30:47.74
"How many time do our
words mess up God's thoughts."
00:30:47.78\00:30:50.95
God's thoughts.
00:30:50.98\00:30:52.31
Because He says, "My
thoughts are not your thoughts."
00:30:52.35\00:30:54.52
That's right. "My
ways are not your ways."
00:30:54.55\00:30:56.38
So sometimes you
come to the Lord and say,
00:30:56.42\00:30:58.02
"Lord, here's
what I want you to do."
00:30:58.05\00:30:59.39
He says, "Don't say anything
00:30:59.42\00:31:02.49
'cause that's not
what is in my mind."
00:31:02.52\00:31:04.69
Prayer says to us,
"First submit to My will."
00:31:04.73\00:31:08.33
The other one is Matthew 26:41.
00:31:08.36\00:31:12.40
And I'll read this
in the interest of time,
00:31:12.43\00:31:14.04
"Watch and pray, lest
you enter into temptation.
00:31:14.07\00:31:17.21
The spirit indeed is
willing, but the flesh is..."
00:31:17.24\00:31:19.34
Weak. Weak.
00:31:19.37\00:31:20.71
"The flesh is weak."
Prayer keeps the flesh strong.
00:31:20.74\00:31:24.58
Because prayer, and I
like the Apostle Paul,
00:31:24.61\00:31:28.92
I was thinking
about great preachers,
00:31:28.95\00:31:30.55
great singers, great musicians,
00:31:30.59\00:31:31.92
people that are
good at what they do,
00:31:31.95\00:31:33.39
and I came to the conclusion,
"They can still fall."
00:31:33.42\00:31:37.19
Because the flesh,
00:31:37.23\00:31:38.56
in the best day
the flesh is weak.
00:31:38.59\00:31:41.20
Yeah.
00:31:41.23\00:31:42.76
But Paul says, and the
acknowledgment I boast,
00:31:42.80\00:31:46.47
I would rather
boast in my infirmity
00:31:46.50\00:31:49.00
that the power of
Christ may rest upon me.
00:31:49.04\00:31:51.51
Prayer keeps the flesh strong
00:31:51.54\00:31:54.28
or more
specifically, prayer to our God.
00:31:54.31\00:31:58.21
He keeps the flesh strong,
00:31:58.25\00:31:59.85
for it is God
who is working in us.
00:31:59.88\00:32:01.98
The third thing,
Isaiah 55:6, "Seek the Lord."
00:32:02.02\00:32:07.69
Now, it doesn't make
sense to call somebody
00:32:07.72\00:32:10.63
after you bought something that
you shouldn't have purchased.
00:32:10.66\00:32:13.96
It makes sense
to call them first.
00:32:14.00\00:32:16.13
And my wife and I
have done that now.
00:32:16.16\00:32:18.47
She said to me, "Teach
me how to shop on Amazon."
00:32:18.50\00:32:22.40
'Cause I've saved
money by shopping on Amazon.
00:32:22.44\00:32:25.41
She said, "I have no clue
about shopping on Amazon."
00:32:25.44\00:32:27.21
So sometimes a package shows up,
00:32:27.24\00:32:28.58
she says, "What
did you get this time?
00:32:28.61\00:32:31.81
I wish you would
tell me what you buy."
00:32:31.85\00:32:33.18
And I said, "Okay, from
now on I'm gonna tell you,
00:32:33.21\00:32:34.98
but it's not any interest to you
00:32:35.02\00:32:36.35
because it's something
00:32:36.38\00:32:37.72
that you don't even
have an interest in."
00:32:37.75\00:32:39.09
She said, "But
to tell me anyway."
00:32:39.12\00:32:40.59
And so we do that
now, we tell each other,
00:32:40.62\00:32:42.86
well, now,
"Honey I bought this."
00:32:42.89\00:32:45.29
We have to do that while
the person is accessible.
00:32:45.33\00:32:48.53
And Isaiah said, "Our
prayer leads us to seek the Lord
00:32:48.56\00:32:51.53
while He may be found."
00:32:51.57\00:32:52.90
Now is there time that
He's not going to be found?
00:32:52.93\00:32:55.34
That's the supposition.
00:32:55.37\00:32:57.01
But I believe that
what that means is,
00:32:57.04\00:32:59.07
"It's good to seek
in before a decision
00:32:59.11\00:33:01.74
than to seek in after a decision
00:33:01.78\00:33:03.95
to try to get
him to reverse it."
00:33:03.98\00:33:06.01
When in fact sometimes
decisions leave with it
00:33:06.05\00:33:10.42
the results that
are often irreversible.
00:33:10.45\00:33:13.56
He forgives the sin
00:33:13.59\00:33:14.96
but the result
sometimes irreversible.
00:33:14.99\00:33:16.96
The other one, our
prayer should be regular.
00:33:16.99\00:33:20.46
Psalm 55:17, Psalm
55:17, The Bible says,
00:33:20.50\00:33:24.87
"Evening and
morning and at noon,
00:33:24.90\00:33:27.27
I will pray and cry aloud
and he shall hear my voice."
00:33:27.30\00:33:31.87
Regular prayer,
evening, morning and at noon
00:33:31.91\00:33:35.38
but if you pray,
you need faith to know
00:33:35.41\00:33:39.25
that who you are
playing to is on the other line.
00:33:39.28\00:33:41.88
Ain't that right?
00:33:41.92\00:33:43.25
It's impossible to please God
00:33:43.28\00:33:44.75
if we don't come
to Him through faith.
00:33:44.79\00:33:46.49
Because we have to
believe that He is.
00:33:46.52\00:33:48.56
And my wife have,
00:33:48.59\00:33:49.92
my wife and I have done
so much praying together.
00:33:49.96\00:33:51.96
Like sometimes
we'll make a phone call
00:33:51.99\00:33:53.33
to make a decision.
00:33:53.36\00:33:55.13
Like just a few days ago,
00:33:55.16\00:33:56.50
we made an
arrangement with somebody
00:33:56.53\00:33:57.93
to come here to 3ABN.
00:33:57.97\00:33:59.30
We said, "Oh, now that
we look at our calendar,
00:33:59.33\00:34:01.94
it's going to be chaos."
00:34:01.97\00:34:03.81
And our phone call was,
they're gonna buy their ticket.
00:34:03.84\00:34:05.87
Well, we knew that.
00:34:05.91\00:34:07.24
When they hang the phone up,
00:34:07.28\00:34:08.61
they're going to
buy their ticket.
00:34:08.64\00:34:09.98
We said, "Okay, before we
call them back, let's pray,
00:34:10.01\00:34:11.45
"Father, you know
this is not the right time.
00:34:11.48\00:34:13.38
Please move so that
person doesn't buy the ticket.
00:34:13.42\00:34:17.32
So we can reschedule."
00:34:17.35\00:34:18.69
We called them, I
texted him and they called.
00:34:18.72\00:34:21.62
They said, "You know what?
00:34:21.66\00:34:22.99
As soon as we hung up,
00:34:23.02\00:34:24.36
I got the strong impression
not to buy the ticket."
00:34:24.39\00:34:26.76
Thank you. Praise God.
00:34:26.80\00:34:28.13
That's awesome.
00:34:28.16\00:34:29.50
And she, and that
person even said, "That's God."
00:34:29.53\00:34:31.57
And we knew it is
because we prayed,
00:34:31.60\00:34:33.84
"Lord, we're gonna
make this phone call,
00:34:33.87\00:34:35.20
please impress that
person not to buy the ticket
00:34:35.24\00:34:37.27
because if they do,
00:34:37.31\00:34:39.21
then it's going to be a
very difficult situation."
00:34:39.24\00:34:41.41
And so when you
think about prayer,
00:34:41.44\00:34:43.61
for prayer to
mean something to God,
00:34:43.65\00:34:47.18
it has to mean something to us.
00:34:47.22\00:34:49.52
And for prayer to be,
00:34:49.55\00:34:52.25
be the instrument
to move God's heart.
00:34:52.29\00:34:55.19
As I said, "If we want
God to hear us when we speak,
00:34:55.22\00:35:00.50
prayer teaches us to
hear God when He speaks."
00:35:00.53\00:35:03.57
Amen. Amen.
00:35:03.60\00:35:04.93
Danny?
00:35:04.97\00:35:06.30
Amen. Thank you, John.
00:35:06.33\00:35:07.67
That's great,
and Jill and Mollie.
00:35:07.70\00:35:09.30
Mine is on the
life of wisdom Wednesday
00:35:09.34\00:35:12.47
and we learn about Solomon.
00:35:12.51\00:35:15.18
And I don't know about you
00:35:15.21\00:35:16.58
but I always think of
Solomon of such great wisdom.
00:35:16.61\00:35:20.05
One of the smartest men
00:35:20.08\00:35:21.85
probably that ever
lived on this earth
00:35:21.88\00:35:24.39
but the great consolation is,
00:35:24.42\00:35:26.65
and when I really
read and studied his life,
00:35:26.69\00:35:29.02
is he made some
really dumb decisions.
00:35:29.06\00:35:31.56
And I say that,
"I mean, you know,
00:35:31.59\00:35:32.96
he's a Bible
character and he's dead."
00:35:32.99\00:35:34.90
But that gives me consolation
00:35:34.93\00:35:37.13
that we can be, you
know, make dumb decisions
00:35:37.17\00:35:40.24
but still when we
come back to God...
00:35:40.27\00:35:41.77
Yes.
00:35:41.80\00:35:43.14
And ask Him for wisdom
that He will give it to us.
00:35:43.17\00:35:46.41
But we today and
nowadays it seems like
00:35:46.44\00:35:49.24
the world we judge
wisdom by human IQ.
00:35:49.28\00:35:53.58
Man writes a book
and then sets this co-op,
00:35:53.62\00:35:57.42
sets up a university and says,
00:35:57.45\00:35:59.69
"Jill, you come this university.
00:35:59.72\00:36:01.52
If you study everything
I've said in my humanness,
00:36:01.56\00:36:05.63
and you learn it,
and you do a good job,
00:36:05.66\00:36:08.50
I'm going to
give you a good grade
00:36:08.53\00:36:09.86
and you're smart.
00:36:09.90\00:36:11.23
I'm gonna give you Ph D.
00:36:11.27\00:36:12.60
I'm going to give you, you know,
00:36:12.63\00:36:13.97
from your masters
all way up, I'm going to,
00:36:14.00\00:36:15.34
you have a doctorate."
00:36:15.37\00:36:16.74
And yet it might not,
00:36:16.77\00:36:18.24
if I can use a country
term "amount to a hill of beans"
00:36:18.27\00:36:21.98
because one of the wisest people
00:36:22.01\00:36:25.01
I ever met was my father
here in eighth grade education.
00:36:25.05\00:36:28.55
And but he was wise
00:36:28.58\00:36:30.22
and we'll talk
about the difference
00:36:30.25\00:36:31.99
in wisdom, and
smart, being smart.
00:36:32.02\00:36:35.46
So there's a lot of
smart people on this earth
00:36:35.49\00:36:38.79
but what we
really need is wisdom.
00:36:38.83\00:36:41.63
And we only get that
wisdom from the Lord.
00:36:41.66\00:36:44.43
I think we can say that,
00:36:44.47\00:36:46.23
"Knowledge does
not equal wisdom."
00:36:46.27\00:36:48.07
You agree with
that? That's right.
00:36:48.10\00:36:49.44
That is true. It doesn't.
00:36:49.47\00:36:50.81
And for scripture
here, it starts out.
00:36:50.84\00:36:53.34
This is one of most
beautiful stories in the Bible
00:36:53.38\00:36:55.78
is found in the story
of Solomon's request to God
00:36:55.81\00:36:58.81
to give him above all things.
00:36:58.85\00:37:00.52
And it's in 1 Kings
3:9, this is New King James.
00:37:00.55\00:37:05.95
It says, "An understanding
heart to judge your people
00:37:05.99\00:37:09.12
that I may discern
between good and evil,
00:37:09.16\00:37:12.16
for who is able to judge
this great people of yours."
00:37:12.19\00:37:15.76
And so Solomon,
there were times that
00:37:15.80\00:37:18.67
he in his older years
maybe like most of us.
00:37:18.70\00:37:22.00
It seems like wisdom comes with
gray hair so to speak, John?
00:37:22.04\00:37:26.17
You're pretty wise, right?
00:37:26.21\00:37:27.54
It comes with...
00:37:27.58\00:37:28.91
We learn what not to do.
00:37:28.94\00:37:30.28
Well, we learn
from our mistakes.
00:37:30.31\00:37:32.35
So I put here all understanding,
00:37:32.38\00:37:34.92
all knowledge and understanding
come from the Lord.
00:37:34.95\00:37:37.22
Now you agree with that?
00:37:37.25\00:37:38.59
That's true.
00:37:38.62\00:37:39.95
All knowledge and understanding
come from the Lord.
00:37:39.99\00:37:42.36
But knowledge and
understanding only become wisdom
00:37:42.39\00:37:45.63
when we put it to spiritual use.
00:37:45.66\00:37:48.23
When we use
spiritual discernment.
00:37:48.26\00:37:49.60
That's right.
00:37:49.63\00:37:50.97
'Cause without
spiritual discernment,
00:37:51.00\00:37:52.50
it's just knowledge.
00:37:52.53\00:37:54.04
That's kind of like
having faith and not using it.
00:37:54.07\00:37:57.31
Oh, I know all about faith.
00:37:57.34\00:37:59.17
I've read about it,
I've read Hebrews 11.
00:37:59.21\00:38:01.88
I can tell you all about faith
but I've never really used it.
00:38:01.91\00:38:05.45
So what good does it do me?
00:38:05.48\00:38:07.18
So all of this
smartness and all the knowledge
00:38:07.22\00:38:11.29
that I have,
00:38:11.32\00:38:12.65
Mollie, even the understanding
does not really help me
00:38:12.69\00:38:17.76
to get where I want to get.
00:38:17.79\00:38:19.39
And that's that relationship
you're talking about
00:38:19.43\00:38:22.10
with the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:38:22.13\00:38:23.47
So what I have to learn to do is
00:38:23.50\00:38:25.43
find out what is true wisdom.
00:38:25.47\00:38:28.00
Because man, when we
look at the world today,
00:38:28.04\00:38:31.11
wisdom is different, you
know, is looked at differently
00:38:31.14\00:38:35.11
than what true wisdom really is.
00:38:35.14\00:38:36.95
But it's just like a preacher.
00:38:36.98\00:38:39.31
I hear people preach,
00:38:39.35\00:38:40.68
in fact yesterday someone
told me about this preacher.
00:38:40.72\00:38:43.75
Man, this is one,
it's a televangelist.
00:38:43.79\00:38:45.79
This guy is great, he is deep.
00:38:45.82\00:38:48.16
He is one of the best preachers
I've ever heard in my life.
00:38:48.19\00:38:52.16
And I said, "What
was the topic about?
00:38:52.19\00:38:55.33
And I said, they said,
00:38:55.36\00:38:56.90
"Don't you think
he's a great preacher?"
00:38:56.93\00:38:58.27
And I said, "No."
00:38:58.30\00:39:00.00
"Why not, I mean he's so
smart, he just knows the Bible,
00:39:00.04\00:39:03.67
he has so much wisdom."
00:39:03.71\00:39:05.41
And I said, "But he
didn't tell the truth."
00:39:05.44\00:39:08.48
So what you mean is
he had a great delivery.
00:39:08.51\00:39:11.98
Somebody is a great
communicator, a great deliver,
00:39:12.01\00:39:15.28
but a preacher without
telling the truth is nothing.
00:39:15.32\00:39:18.29
Right, there's nothing,
00:39:18.32\00:39:20.02
there's no wisdom in
being a great communicator
00:39:20.06\00:39:23.46
if you're not telling the truth.
00:39:23.49\00:39:25.29
And I'm talking about
preachers who talk about
00:39:25.33\00:39:27.30
keeping just
certain commandments of God,
00:39:27.33\00:39:28.90
and not all the
commandments of God,
00:39:28.93\00:39:30.73
and then when they
have an opportunity to say
00:39:30.77\00:39:33.17
how about this commandment.
00:39:33.20\00:39:34.54
Oh, well, that
one was done away,
00:39:34.57\00:39:36.24
they want to put
away these things.
00:39:36.27\00:39:37.94
So that's really not wisdom
00:39:37.97\00:39:40.31
because wisdom is
our spiritual discernment
00:39:40.34\00:39:44.41
for the
knowledge and understanding
00:39:44.45\00:39:46.08
that God gives us is
to put it into action.
00:39:46.11\00:39:47.72
That's right.
00:39:47.75\00:39:49.08
And so as preachers, as laymen,
00:39:49.12\00:39:51.62
as members of
the body of Christ,
00:39:51.65\00:39:54.39
we need to find out
what true wisdom is.
00:39:54.42\00:39:57.26
So Psalm 111:10 says,
"The fear of the Lord is" what?
00:39:57.29\00:40:02.40
You know it...
00:40:02.43\00:40:03.77
"Fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom."
00:40:03.80\00:40:06.74
Those of you at home know that.
00:40:06.77\00:40:08.30
Proverbs 9:10 says,
00:40:08.34\00:40:10.21
"The fear of the Lord
is the beginning of wisdom
00:40:10.24\00:40:12.41
and knowledge of the
Holy One is understanding."
00:40:12.44\00:40:15.21
That's right.
00:40:15.24\00:40:16.58
So now we're starting
to put things together.
00:40:16.61\00:40:18.61
You know, we talked
about earlier in 1 Kings
00:40:18.65\00:40:21.12
if you go to
Chapter 11, it tells of,
00:40:21.15\00:40:24.09
about some of
Solomon's really dumb decisions.
00:40:24.12\00:40:27.16
I figured this out, Shelley,
00:40:27.19\00:40:28.66
how can you be so
smart and be dumb enough
00:40:28.69\00:40:31.76
to have 700 wives and princesses
00:40:31.79\00:40:34.26
and 300 concubines.
00:40:34.30\00:40:35.63
That's right.
00:40:35.66\00:40:37.00
I mean honestly,
that's ridiculous.
00:40:37.03\00:40:38.53
I wouldn't be smart enough
00:40:38.57\00:40:39.90
to remember their
names of thousand,
00:40:39.93\00:40:42.07
he had over a thousand women.
00:40:42.10\00:40:44.31
So that's a dumb decision.
00:40:44.34\00:40:46.04
I don't think
anybody disagree with me.
00:40:46.07\00:40:48.38
I couldn't remember, I
don't know he was very smart,
00:40:48.41\00:40:51.38
maybe he did or maybe just said,
00:40:51.41\00:40:52.98
"Hey, darling or hey sweetheart,
00:40:53.01\00:40:54.55
just called them all honey or...
00:40:54.58\00:40:55.92
He gave name tags.
00:40:55.95\00:40:59.79
They must've worn name tags,
00:40:59.82\00:41:01.42
but ultimately his mistake was,
that in all of his smartness,
00:41:01.46\00:41:06.33
and all of his
knowledge and understanding
00:41:06.36\00:41:09.40
that he went for
the lust of the flesh.
00:41:09.43\00:41:12.00
Yes.
00:41:12.03\00:41:13.37
So what did he do that
took him down a wrong path.
00:41:13.40\00:41:16.60
God told him what
to do. That's right.
00:41:16.64\00:41:18.84
But he chose foreign women,
women who serve false gods,
00:41:18.87\00:41:24.58
and it just went
on and on and on.
00:41:24.61\00:41:27.08
And that, there is a result
00:41:27.12\00:41:28.95
what you become
you behold, right?
00:41:28.98\00:41:32.19
So what happened, so Solomon
not only chose all these women,
00:41:32.22\00:41:36.52
but he says he
loved these 700 women
00:41:36.56\00:41:40.30
and 300 concubines plus.
00:41:40.33\00:41:42.50
But I did a little bit of,
00:41:42.53\00:41:43.87
I looked into that to
research that a little bit.
00:41:43.90\00:41:46.13
And he didn't
actually love all these women,
00:41:46.17\00:41:49.60
he lusted after these women.
00:41:49.64\00:41:51.94
So really his lust
took him away from God.
00:41:51.97\00:41:56.64
So any wisdom he had was lost
00:41:56.68\00:41:58.91
because these women
and the lust for them.
00:41:58.95\00:42:01.22
He not only, get this,
00:42:01.25\00:42:03.65
Solomon not only went for
the women God told him not to,
00:42:03.69\00:42:08.69
but he actually caused
him to turn away from God
00:42:08.72\00:42:11.93
and actually became an enemy
of the law of God at times.
00:42:11.96\00:42:16.16
And that can happen to
each and every one of us.
00:42:16.20\00:42:19.30
So true wisdom,
00:42:19.33\00:42:21.07
the fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom.
00:42:21.10\00:42:24.91
Later in life Solomon
recognized his mistake.
00:42:24.94\00:42:27.94
So I want to
encourage you today,
00:42:27.98\00:42:29.68
it's not too late for you and me
00:42:29.71\00:42:31.98
to bring our mistakes to
God and to bring our lust.
00:42:32.01\00:42:36.35
Now, his obviously and
David had the same thing
00:42:36.38\00:42:39.85
his father had the same
thing with Bathsheba, you know,
00:42:39.89\00:42:42.66
so here Solomon.
00:42:42.69\00:42:44.53
Today, I don't
know what you call him
00:42:44.56\00:42:46.33
but it wouldn't
be very good names
00:42:46.36\00:42:47.80
probably most
people, they'd say,
00:42:47.83\00:42:49.16
"This guy, you know,
00:42:49.20\00:42:50.53
he's a
womanizer, he's whatever."
00:42:50.57\00:42:52.63
It was lust of the flesh
00:42:52.67\00:42:54.00
but I want to
tell you something,
00:42:54.04\00:42:55.37
lust of the flesh
doesn't have to be
00:42:55.40\00:42:56.87
just sexual lust of the flesh.
00:42:56.91\00:42:58.84
We can do, whether it's alcohol,
00:42:58.87\00:43:01.14
whether it's tobacco,
00:43:01.18\00:43:02.51
whether it's just
plain old selfishness.
00:43:02.54\00:43:03.98
That's right.
00:43:04.01\00:43:05.35
Because when we are
lusting, we're serving self.
00:43:05.38\00:43:07.42
That's right.
00:43:07.45\00:43:08.78
So we have, May
Chung used to say,
00:43:08.82\00:43:10.35
"We have a spiritual nature
and we have a physical nature,
00:43:10.39\00:43:13.86
so whichever one
you feed the most
00:43:13.89\00:43:16.36
is the one that grows."
00:43:16.39\00:43:17.73
Yes. That's right.
00:43:17.76\00:43:19.09
So with the beast inside of us,
00:43:19.13\00:43:21.06
the physical nature
or the spiritual nature.
00:43:21.10\00:43:23.77
So today it's my encouragement
00:43:23.80\00:43:25.87
and I've
rededicated my life to the Lord.
00:43:25.90\00:43:28.24
Said, "Lord, where my thoughts
00:43:28.27\00:43:30.24
and where does
wisdom come from?"
00:43:30.27\00:43:32.51
Understanding that
wisdom comes from God.
00:43:32.54\00:43:36.01
There's a lot of intelligence,
there's a lot of knowledge
00:43:36.04\00:43:39.05
you can gain from
reading other material.
00:43:39.08\00:43:42.52
But we have to place it
all and point it all to.
00:43:42.55\00:43:45.35
If it doesn't line
up with the Word of God,
00:43:45.39\00:43:47.22
we can't go for it.
00:43:47.26\00:43:48.62
I don't care what it is,
00:43:48.66\00:43:50.33
what it has to be
when my brother was,
00:43:50.36\00:43:51.96
this is way back in late
'50s, when my brother Tommy,
00:43:51.99\00:43:54.80
I remember his eighth grade
science class he made all A's.
00:43:54.83\00:43:58.57
But they had a
test and this test said,
00:43:58.60\00:44:02.17
man came, at that
time we were so simple,
00:44:02.20\00:44:04.37
"Man came from monkey."
00:44:04.41\00:44:05.87
Other words, it
was the evolution,
00:44:05.91\00:44:07.48
they were teaching
even back in the '50s.
00:44:07.51\00:44:09.78
So my brother asked my
mother, "What do I do?"
00:44:09.81\00:44:12.55
And she said, "Well,
you're not going to do that,
00:44:12.58\00:44:14.32
you're just going
to say God created us."
00:44:14.35\00:44:16.25
And he did it,
00:44:16.28\00:44:17.62
and actually got a
whipping from the school teacher
00:44:17.65\00:44:19.45
who was a Christian, who said,
00:44:19.49\00:44:22.09
"I hate to do this
'cause I'm a Christian
00:44:22.12\00:44:23.86
but we have to do.
00:44:23.89\00:44:25.46
This is what the textbook says.
00:44:25.49\00:44:27.43
We have to go by the textbook."
00:44:27.46\00:44:29.50
But I'm here to tell you today,
00:44:29.53\00:44:30.87
the only textbook that we
have to go by is the Bible.
00:44:30.90\00:44:32.80
Amen. That's right.
00:44:32.83\00:44:34.17
Because that is
the wisdom of the Lord.
00:44:34.20\00:44:36.50
So what's the
wisdom of the Lord?
00:44:36.54\00:44:38.77
The fear of the Lord.
00:44:38.81\00:44:40.28
Now what's that mean?
00:44:40.31\00:44:41.64
Does it mean, "Oh,
I'm just scared to death."
00:44:41.68\00:44:43.24
No, the fear means
respect law of God.
00:44:43.28\00:44:46.38
You look at Him as to
who He is and who we are.
00:44:46.41\00:44:49.98
Once we can
understand who we are,
00:44:50.02\00:44:51.69
that we're nothing, we
can do nothing of our own
00:44:51.72\00:44:55.92
but when we
come to Jesus we can,
00:44:55.96\00:44:58.33
I can do all
things through Christ
00:44:58.36\00:45:01.46
who strengthens me.
00:45:01.50\00:45:02.96
So I'm so thankful today that
we serve a God who loves us.
00:45:03.00\00:45:07.37
He's willing to,
00:45:07.40\00:45:08.74
when we confess our
sins as you already said,
00:45:08.77\00:45:11.27
"He's faithful and just
to forgive us from our sins,
00:45:11.31\00:45:13.88
to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness."
00:45:13.91\00:45:17.08
So wisdom, the
beginning of wisdom is what?
00:45:17.11\00:45:20.02
The fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom.
00:45:20.05\00:45:22.35
So let's pray and
ask God to give us wisdom
00:45:22.38\00:45:25.35
as we keep in touch and
in tune with His holy law.
00:45:25.39\00:45:28.96
Amen. Amen.
00:45:28.99\00:45:30.33
Shelley? Thank you, Brother.
00:45:30.36\00:45:31.79
You know, as we're talking about
00:45:31.83\00:45:34.06
escaping from the world's ways.
00:45:34.10\00:45:37.47
Jill, you spoke of relationship.
00:45:37.50\00:45:39.37
Mollie, you spoke of
relationship with Christ.
00:45:39.40\00:45:42.64
Mollie, the Word of God
and the power of the Word.
00:45:42.67\00:45:45.31
And, John, the
prayer and you, wisdom.
00:45:45.34\00:45:48.04
And my day is the Holy Spirit.
00:45:48.08\00:45:51.18
And I just want to say
this, "Without the Holy Spirit,
00:45:51.21\00:45:55.08
it's impossible to have a
relationship with Christ."
00:45:55.12\00:45:58.42
Without the Holy Spirit,
00:45:58.45\00:45:59.79
it's impossible to
understand the Word.
00:45:59.82\00:46:02.09
Without the Holy Spirit
00:46:02.12\00:46:03.93
we don't know
how we ought to pray.
00:46:03.96\00:46:05.86
And without the Holy Spirit,
there'll be no discernment.
00:46:05.89\00:46:08.46
So there's
certainly will be no wisdom.
00:46:08.50\00:46:11.80
And the great controversy,
our lesson brings out
00:46:11.83\00:46:14.60
that the great
controversy is very real.
00:46:14.64\00:46:16.91
There's two sides warring,
God's side and Satan's side.
00:46:16.94\00:46:22.11
And Satan in his unholy alliance
00:46:22.14\00:46:25.81
are trying to often lure you
through things of this world.
00:46:25.85\00:46:31.05
And as 1 John 215:16 says,
00:46:31.09\00:46:33.59
"Don't love the
things of this world
00:46:33.62\00:46:35.82
because the lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eyes
00:46:35.86\00:46:38.59
and the pride of life.
00:46:38.63\00:46:39.96
None of these
are from the Lord."
00:46:40.00\00:46:41.60
So Satan's trying to
pull you in one direction,
00:46:41.63\00:46:44.77
but the good news is that
00:46:44.80\00:46:46.70
God is wooing you with His love.
00:46:46.74\00:46:48.84
He has sent His Holy Spirit to
convict and convince us of sin
00:46:48.87\00:46:54.31
and He's drawing us to Jesus.
00:46:54.34\00:46:56.75
And I want to read
just a few things here
00:46:56.78\00:46:59.95
that I think are very
important and let me say why.
00:46:59.98\00:47:04.39
There is a little
controversy going on.
00:47:04.42\00:47:07.06
Is the Holy Spirit a person?
Is the Holy Spirit a force?
00:47:07.09\00:47:12.76
And typically people will quote
00:47:12.79\00:47:16.56
in the King James
Version, where it says,
00:47:16.60\00:47:19.03
"The spirit itself
maketh intercession for us."
00:47:19.07\00:47:24.07
And they'll say,
"See, it's an it."
00:47:24.11\00:47:26.27
Well, let me tell you,
00:47:26.31\00:47:27.64
Jesus always referred to
Him with the personal pronoun.
00:47:27.68\00:47:31.08
He, but you cannot prove
the Holy Spirit's personality
00:47:31.11\00:47:37.45
by the pronoun.
00:47:37.49\00:47:38.89
That's important to
note and here's why.
00:47:38.92\00:47:41.62
The word Spirit in
the Greek is pneuma.
00:47:41.66\00:47:44.36
That is neuter gender,
00:47:44.39\00:47:46.06
that means it's
neither he or she.
00:47:46.09\00:47:49.70
And Jesus said "The
Father God is Spirit."
00:47:49.73\00:47:55.20
That's also the word pneuma.
00:47:55.24\00:47:57.27
And he said, "And
those who worship Him
00:47:57.31\00:47:59.67
must worship in
Spirit and in truth."
00:47:59.71\00:48:02.01
So if Jesus said in John 4:26
00:48:02.04\00:48:04.15
that the Father is Spirit
and the Holy Spirit is Spirit,
00:48:04.18\00:48:08.68
you lose that argument
to say the Spirit is it.
00:48:08.72\00:48:13.19
So let's look at John 14:15-17
is where I'd like to begin
00:48:13.22\00:48:19.89
because Jesus came
to reveal and represent
00:48:19.93\00:48:26.77
the Father on earth.
00:48:26.80\00:48:28.17
But then the
Holy Spirit was sent
00:48:28.20\00:48:31.44
to reveal and
represent Jesus on earth.
00:48:31.47\00:48:34.31
And in John
14:15-17 Jesus says this,
00:48:34.34\00:48:38.38
"If you love me
keep My commandments,
00:48:38.41\00:48:40.65
and I will pray the Father
00:48:40.68\00:48:42.58
and He will give
you another helper."
00:48:42.62\00:48:46.45
That is in the
Greek allos parakletos.
00:48:46.49\00:48:50.26
And the only reason
I'm bringing this up,
00:48:50.29\00:48:51.96
Jesus was our parakletos.
00:48:51.99\00:48:53.90
The Messiah was the parakletos,
the helper, the advocate,
00:48:53.93\00:48:58.13
the one who stood by us.
00:48:58.17\00:49:00.00
But when Jesus said He was
going to give another helper.
00:49:00.04\00:49:04.11
The word allos
in the Greek means
00:49:04.14\00:49:06.17
one that's exactly identical to.
00:49:06.21\00:49:10.35
Not just, just here's a
pen, now I'm going to give you
00:49:10.38\00:49:14.15
another ballpoint pen
or another ballpoint pen.
00:49:14.18\00:49:17.12
It would be to say
it is exactly the same.
00:49:17.15\00:49:20.59
So he says that he may
abide with you forever.
00:49:20.62\00:49:23.59
The Spirit of truth
whom the world cannot receive
00:49:23.63\00:49:26.33
because it neither
sees him nor knows him
00:49:26.36\00:49:28.26
but you will know him,
for he dwells with you.
00:49:28.30\00:49:34.27
And then he goes on
in John 16:13, he says,
00:49:34.30\00:49:40.04
"When the Spirit
of truth has come,
00:49:40.08\00:49:42.18
He will guide
you into all truth."
00:49:42.21\00:49:45.71
And you can't,
you know what, Mollie,
00:49:45.75\00:49:47.75
it's so true when you're
reading the Word, John 17:17,
00:49:47.78\00:49:51.52
Jesus said, "Oh Lord,
sanctify them by the truth,
00:49:51.55\00:49:54.76
your Word is truth."
00:49:54.79\00:49:56.12
So when I'm opening that Word,
I'm praying, Lord, sanctify me.
00:49:56.16\00:50:01.46
Send Your Holy Spirit.
00:50:01.50\00:50:02.83
Let the Holy
Spirit be my teacher
00:50:02.86\00:50:05.87
and then
sanctify me by this Word.
00:50:05.90\00:50:08.57
So the Spirit Jesus said will
not speak on his own authority
00:50:08.60\00:50:12.67
but whatever he
hears, he will speak
00:50:12.71\00:50:16.88
and will tell
you things to come.
00:50:16.91\00:50:18.88
So I want us to
look very quickly.
00:50:18.91\00:50:20.55
We've got just a few minutes.
00:50:20.58\00:50:22.18
But let's just hit as
many scriptures as we can.
00:50:22.22\00:50:24.85
Jill, will you look
up Ezekiel 36:26-27.
00:50:24.89\00:50:31.26
Mollie, if you
will do John 16:7-9.
00:50:31.29\00:50:35.83
John, if you will do John 14:26
00:50:35.86\00:50:39.90
and then, Danny, I'm going
to have you do 1 Peter 1:2,
00:50:39.93\00:50:45.37
and I'm going to ask
you to hold your comments
00:50:45.41\00:50:47.14
because we want to...
00:50:47.18\00:50:48.51
I've got bunch
of more scriptures
00:50:48.54\00:50:49.88
if we can get them in.
00:50:49.91\00:50:51.25
But, Jill, let's look at what
God does for us to empower us,
00:50:51.28\00:50:56.45
to have this relationship,
00:50:56.48\00:50:57.95
and understand the
Word and have wisdom
00:50:57.99\00:51:00.72
and pray with him.
00:51:00.76\00:51:02.09
Jill, Ezekiel 36:26-27.
00:51:02.12\00:51:05.53
"I will give you a new heart
00:51:05.56\00:51:06.96
and put a new spirit within you.
00:51:07.00\00:51:09.13
I would take the
hardest stone out of your flesh
00:51:09.16\00:51:12.07
and give you a heart of flesh,
00:51:12.10\00:51:14.34
I will put my spirit within you
00:51:14.37\00:51:16.54
and cause you to
walk in my statutes
00:51:16.57\00:51:19.41
and you will keep my
judgments and do them."
00:51:19.44\00:51:22.24
How exciting, and this
is a new covenant promise
00:51:22.28\00:51:25.41
that God says, "Hey, I'm
going to circumcise your heart.
00:51:25.45\00:51:28.82
I'm going to take out
that and give you a new heart.
00:51:28.85\00:51:32.02
And He says, I'll put
My Spirit within you."
00:51:32.05\00:51:34.66
Because anything that
God commands us to do,
00:51:34.69\00:51:37.43
He is going to empower us to do.
00:51:37.46\00:51:39.03
Mollie, John 16:7-9.
00:51:39.06\00:51:42.26
"Nevertheless I
tell you the truth,
00:51:42.30\00:51:44.23
it is expedient
for you that I go away:
00:51:44.27\00:51:46.84
for if I go not away,
00:51:46.87\00:51:48.87
the Comforter
will not come unto you,
00:51:48.90\00:51:51.17
but if I depart, I
will send him unto you.
00:51:51.21\00:51:53.61
And when he is come,
he will reprove the world
00:51:53.64\00:51:56.91
of sin, and of righteousness,
and of judgment of sin
00:51:56.95\00:52:01.08
because they believe not on me."
00:52:01.12\00:52:03.32
You know, what
amazes me about this.
00:52:03.35\00:52:06.69
The one thing that
Jesus returned to heaven with
00:52:06.72\00:52:08.96
that He didn't have
when He came to earth
00:52:08.99\00:52:12.09
was a body.
00:52:12.13\00:52:13.56
Jesus took on,
00:52:13.60\00:52:15.36
He's not only perfectly
man and perfectly divine,
00:52:15.40\00:52:19.00
but He's perfectly human.
00:52:19.03\00:52:20.84
So once He took that body on,
00:52:20.87\00:52:23.27
He gave up His
ability to be omnipresent
00:52:23.30\00:52:27.28
to be at all
places at all times.
00:52:27.31\00:52:30.45
Now, it is the Holy Spirit,
00:52:30.48\00:52:32.81
the Spirit of the Father
and the Spirit of Christ.
00:52:32.85\00:52:35.42
And this is why He is
saying, "Hey, it's better Danny,
00:52:35.45\00:52:39.39
it's better John, that I go away
00:52:39.42\00:52:41.72
'cause then I
can send the Spirit.
00:52:41.76\00:52:43.76
And he's going to dwell in you,
00:52:43.79\00:52:45.53
he's going to
convict you of sin,
00:52:45.56\00:52:46.96
he's going to teach you."
00:52:47.00\00:52:48.43
John, would you
do John 14:26? Sure.
00:52:48.46\00:52:52.13
"But the helper, the Holy Spirit
00:52:52.17\00:52:53.87
whom the Father
will send in my name,
00:52:53.90\00:52:56.07
he will teach you all things
and bring to your remembrance,
00:52:56.10\00:52:59.64
all things that I have said."
00:52:59.67\00:53:02.04
So he is our teacher,
00:53:02.08\00:53:04.58
and in Philippians 2:13
God says, or Paul says that,
00:53:04.61\00:53:09.42
"God works in us to will
and to do His good purpose.
00:53:09.45\00:53:13.22
And the Holy
Spirit in Romans 8:13.
00:53:13.25\00:53:16.02
It says that,
00:53:16.06\00:53:17.39
"If we live according
to the flesh will die,
00:53:17.43\00:53:21.36
but if by the
power of the Holy Spirit,
00:53:21.40\00:53:26.47
we put to death the
misdeeds of our flesh."
00:53:26.50\00:53:29.37
We're going to live forever.
00:53:29.40\00:53:30.91
And that's two people there.
00:53:30.94\00:53:33.01
The Holy Spirit
can't crucify our flesh
00:53:33.04\00:53:36.11
without our permission.
00:53:36.14\00:53:37.48
He can't put to death
the misdeeds of our flesh,
00:53:37.51\00:53:39.81
lest we submit
and commit to him,
00:53:39.85\00:53:42.78
but we cannot change
ourselves without his power.
00:53:42.82\00:53:46.65
So it says, "If by the
power of the Holy Spirit,
00:53:46.69\00:53:49.89
if you cooperate, then
he will change your life.
00:53:49.92\00:53:54.40
Danny, read 1 Peter 1:2.
00:53:54.43\00:53:58.90
"Elect according
to the foreknowledge
00:53:58.93\00:54:00.90
of God the Father,
00:54:00.94\00:54:02.27
and
sanctification of the Spirit,
00:54:02.30\00:54:04.11
for obedience and sprinkling
of the blood of Jesus Christ."
00:54:04.14\00:54:07.71
So the Holy
Spirit sanctifies us.
00:54:07.74\00:54:12.21
As also 1 Corinthian 6:11 says
00:54:12.25\00:54:14.92
that the Holy
Spirit sanctifies us.
00:54:14.95\00:54:18.02
And then just jot
these down really quick,
00:54:18.05\00:54:20.09
I only have a minute left.
00:54:20.12\00:54:21.69
Romans 8:26 as we don't
know how we ought to pray,
00:54:21.72\00:54:25.33
but the Holy
Spirit makes intercessor.
00:54:25.36\00:54:27.66
He's helping us with our prayer.
00:54:27.70\00:54:30.60
Romans 5:5 says, "God
pours His love into our hearts
00:54:30.63\00:54:34.07
by the power of
the Holy Spirit."
00:54:34.10\00:54:35.80
But I have to read this
one to you, Ephesians 3:16-21.
00:54:35.84\00:54:41.31
Paul is praying
that God would grant you
00:54:41.34\00:54:44.21
according to the
riches of His glory.
00:54:44.25\00:54:46.25
To be strengthened with might
00:54:46.28\00:54:48.78
through His Spirit
in your inner being,
00:54:48.82\00:54:50.49
and might there,
00:54:50.52\00:54:51.85
that's dunamis
power of the Holy Spirit.
00:54:51.89\00:54:53.72
Why?
00:54:53.76\00:54:55.09
So that Christ can dwell
in your hearts through faith.
00:54:55.12\00:54:59.66
Christ dwells in
our hearts through faith
00:54:59.69\00:55:02.20
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
00:55:02.23\00:55:04.00
And the Holy Spirit
helps us to understand
00:55:04.03\00:55:06.40
how wide and
long and deep and high
00:55:06.43\00:55:09.60
the love of God is for us.
00:55:09.64\00:55:11.71
So without the Spirit,
00:55:11.74\00:55:13.78
we can't have the
personal relationship
00:55:13.81\00:55:15.68
with the Lord,
00:55:15.71\00:55:17.05
we can't
understand the Word of God.
00:55:17.08\00:55:19.11
Our prayers are
nothing without the Spirit,
00:55:19.15\00:55:21.85
and there is no wisdom
without the Holy Spirit of God.
00:55:21.88\00:55:25.62
Amen. Thank you
so much, Shelley.
00:55:25.65\00:55:27.86
What an incredible blessing,
00:55:27.89\00:55:29.39
the promise of the Holy Spirit,
the power of the Holy Spirit.
00:55:29.42\00:55:33.50
Mr. Danny,
00:55:33.53\00:55:34.86
the difference between
wisdom and being just smart.
00:55:34.90\00:55:38.77
And how true wisdom,
00:55:38.80\00:55:40.44
the fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom.
00:55:40.47\00:55:43.41
Pastor John, I wrote down,
prayer doesn't work, God works.
00:55:43.44\00:55:47.84
Praise the Lord for that.
00:55:47.88\00:55:49.51
And Miss Mollie, you
talked about the Bible,
00:55:49.54\00:55:51.21
the authority or the perpetuity
and the life changing power
00:55:51.25\00:55:54.62
of the Word of God.
00:55:54.65\00:55:55.98
We just have a few moments left.
00:55:56.02\00:55:57.85
I want to take just
a few seconds a piece.
00:55:57.89\00:55:59.75
Our title here is,
"Escape from the World's Ways."
00:55:59.79\00:56:03.32
So if you could
each take your title
00:56:03.36\00:56:05.93
and talk about how that pertains
00:56:05.96\00:56:07.83
to escaping
from the world's ways
00:56:07.86\00:56:09.73
like, Miss Mollie,
you have the Word of God.
00:56:09.76\00:56:11.67
How does the Word
of God help us escape
00:56:11.70\00:56:13.23
from the world's ways?
00:56:13.27\00:56:14.60
Changes us, and it
changes our perspective,
00:56:14.64\00:56:16.60
it changes the way we think.
00:56:16.64\00:56:17.97
We've been totally
programmed by the world
00:56:18.01\00:56:20.38
and here we make Jesus
Christ the Lord of our life.
00:56:20.41\00:56:22.84
Then through His
Word we get reprogrammed.
00:56:22.88\00:56:25.31
Amen. Pastor John?
00:56:25.35\00:56:26.68
And prayer to me is
the key in the morning
00:56:26.72\00:56:28.28
and the bolt at night.
00:56:28.32\00:56:29.95
Amen. Wonderful.
00:56:29.98\00:56:31.45
Wisdom is not
watching CNN or Fox.
00:56:31.49\00:56:34.02
It's sticking
to the Word of God.
00:56:34.06\00:56:36.79
Amen. That's powerful.
00:56:36.83\00:56:38.53
It is the Holy Spirit.
00:56:38.56\00:56:39.89
We need to pray daily to
be filled with the Holy Spirit
00:56:39.93\00:56:42.40
because He is the
one who will help us
00:56:42.43\00:56:44.80
put to death the
misdeeds of our flesh.
00:56:44.83\00:56:46.97
Amen.
00:56:47.00\00:56:48.34
Thank you so much,
Miss Mollie, Pastor John,
00:56:48.37\00:56:50.31
Mr. Danny, and Miss Shelley.
00:56:50.34\00:56:51.67
Thank you for
sharing from your heart
00:56:51.71\00:56:53.38
and from the Word of God.
00:56:53.41\00:56:54.74
And we thank you at
home for joining us.
00:56:54.78\00:56:56.91
We want to encourage you to
develop a personal relationship
00:56:56.95\00:57:00.92
with the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:57:00.95\00:57:02.28
I'm so glad we had this lesson.
00:57:02.32\00:57:03.92
The whole
quarterly is on stewardship,
00:57:03.95\00:57:06.35
but this lesson in a special way
00:57:06.39\00:57:07.99
pulls us back from that,
00:57:08.02\00:57:09.59
and says make Jesus
the Lord of your life.
00:57:09.62\00:57:12.03
Spend time in His
Word, spend time in prayer,
00:57:12.06\00:57:15.46
learn that He can
pour His wisdom into you.
00:57:15.50\00:57:18.67
And He does all of that
00:57:18.70\00:57:20.04
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
00:57:20.07\00:57:22.97
Next week we look
at Stewards After Eden.
00:57:23.00\00:57:27.18
Join us next time.
00:57:27.21\00:57:28.54
God bless you and keep you.
00:57:28.58\00:57:29.91