Participants: Richard O'Ffill, Kathy Matthews
Series Code: TAH
Program Code: TAH000156
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00:32 Welcome to Thinking About Home,
00:34 I'm Kathy Matthews and I'm glad you're with 00:35 us. Today we're, our guest is Richard O'Ffill 00:39 from the Florida Conference of Seventh-day 00:41 Adventists and we're going to be discussing 00:44 how to look back without going backwards. 00:46 And Dick, I'm glad that you're here again today. 00:50 I'm glad to be here always. 00:51 And I'm gonna start out talking to you about 00:54 your type A personality that people have told 00:56 me about. I should, I should. You know, 00:59 that was kind of a, that was kind of a fast start 01:02 up. You know that reminds me you know, 01:04 here I must tell our viewers that Kathy starts 01:07 right off, she said I hear you're a type A 01:08 personality. And you know, that's kind of fast 01:11 could you work up to that? No, can't you see 01:13 you already; yeah you can see already that he 01:15 is. This reminds me of a, before I answer that 01:18 this reminds me of a, of a made up story of a 01:21 fellow that had build his house on the median 01:24 strip of the Interstate, you know sometimes 01:27 they're real wide and there's lots of trees, 01:30 so he build his house in there and he was talking 01:33 about, do you know this is a true story. 01:38 And so, he's talking with a buddy of his and 01:42 he says, how do you like living on this big wide 01:44 ministry because I love it the only problem I 01:46 have is just I have to be going 60 miles an hour 01:48 when I come out of my drive. 01:50 And so, that's what you did, you say 01:52 you know welcome to Thinking About Home. 01:54 Yes. Dick, I hear you have a type A personality. 01:57 Let's give them a little background in case 01:59 somebody you know hasn't been watching 02:00 the rest of this series that we're talking about, 02:05 about our families obviously and about our 02:06 children and particularly our grown up children 02:10 and maybe those who are a heartache to us. 02:14 And you know, we've mentioned on some of the 02:18 other programs of how I prayed that one day, 02:23 Lord keep your mansions just, just save our 02:26 children. And I'm sure that all of those who are 02:30 watching feel as, as you and I do that what 02:34 we want from heaven is the joy of having 02:36 our children with us. This is everything, 02:38 but of course we've never been parents like 02:41 this before you know, I've never been here 02:43 before as a grandparent and as a, and as a 02:46 father of grown children. And I've kind of 02:49 confessed and I said, you know it didn't turn 02:51 out all right. You know, it's not about my 02:53 children who have been all ministers and Bible 02:55 workers. We're talking about a son who was 02:58 an alcoholic and you noticed I said was. 03:01 Yes. See, this story has a happy ending. Right. 03:03 And I can tell it because it has a happy ending, 03:06 but I'm telling it because there are those who 03:08 are watching now, who are right in the middle 03:10 of it and it's not happy, it's very painful. 03:13 And you and I were talking among ourselves 03:16 that sometimes when we laugh in this program 03:18 it's not because it's funny. Yeah right. 03:20 It's really sad, but we have a hope. 03:22 See, so we're, we're saying oh! God we have 03:25 hope, we're gonna press on, but anyway. 03:28 It's we're not really making a lot of it. 03:29 No, we're not because it's awful, it's awful. 03:33 I think I may have said this before, 03:36 when I get to heaven notice I didn't say if. 03:39 When, when, it's a surety, it's a surety and 03:42 you ask me what it was like? I can say it was 03:44 a nightmare. You know to watch your boy do 03:47 crack is a nightmare, but I thank Jesus forever 03:52 because in this suffering I got to know Him. Yes. 03:55 I got to know Him like; I don't think I could 03:57 have ever known him. And you and Betty as 03:58 well closer. Oh! Yes, our marriage got closer 04:01 together. And the pain, but as our children goes 04:06 through these things Kathy, you know we can't 04:09 change them, but God can change them. 04:12 It took ten years to set my boy free from his 04:15 alcoholism and drug addiction. But he didn't 04:17 come to the victory in the end without you; 04:19 I mean you were a part of it. Well, but I had 04:21 to be praying see. In other words, 04:24 this is an important point too and that is that 04:27 that as we pray the God saves our children. 04:29 We have to be praying that He saves us too 04:31 because we are part of the problem or we can 04:33 very easily be part of the problem. 04:35 Anyway back to your original question and I 04:38 wasn't trying to avoid it. No. Because it has a 04:40 bearing. Which one? Type A personality. 04:43 The type A personality. Okay. 04:44 And of course the title of this program is, 04:47 is how to look back without going backwards 04:50 and I don't need to tell you that to be able to 04:53 drive in a car you have to have a rear view 04:54 mirror. And so, cars these days they have one 04:57 up in the middle there. Not in some countries, 05:00 I'm sorry. I don't know you know, 05:01 well anyway maybe the countries where you've 05:02 been, whether it's all about bullock carts and. 05:05 No. Anyway, so the cars got a mirror on either 05:08 side and it's got one in the middle and if we're 05:10 gonna go safely forward we have to be kind of 05:13 looking backward at the same time. 05:15 Otherwise, it could put our forward movement 05:17 in danger. And I think as parents while we're 05:21 going forward we've got to be looking backwards, 05:25 how to kind of help us go forward? 05:28 You mean to learn about ourselves. 05:29 Well, and I'm gonna talk about this, 05:31 I'm working up to this type A personality so. 05:33 Okay, alright. Anyway, are you ready for it? 05:35 'Cause this is looking backwards. 05:36 They're waiting for it; I promised them this. 05:39 You know fortunately this is in the commercial 05:41 a television program and we need to say, 05:42 and I tell you about that after the break. Right. 05:45 Anyway, one Sunday, Betty and I were doing 05:51 our Sunday morning routine where you read 05:53 the Sunday paper you know, big thick paper. 05:57 And comes with all these ads and that's what 05:59 we just do that on Sunday morning and we 06:01 work around the house and all, but she kind 06:03 of goes through this routine. So, on this 06:06 particular Sunday one of these little ads was 06:09 from a furniture company and they were 06:12 advertising kitchen tables. Now, we had 06:15 raised our family you know, when I say that 06:18 I don't mean 30 years, but surely 15 or 20 06:20 years we've had the same kitchen table. 06:23 And I want to tell you, it was getting to be 06:25 pretty old, it was kind of trimmed in chrome, 06:27 and the chrome was getting a little you know 06:29 worn and what have you, little rusty. 06:31 So, they were advertising, I don't know if you've 06:34 seen these tables before that have white tile 06:37 on the top. Yes, yes I've a lot thing very much. 06:39 And they're kind of trimmed the natural wood 06:40 and they trimmed it like really pretty. 06:41 And we looked at that, we oh! That's really 06:44 pretty you know, and let's go look at that. 06:46 It was gonna be I'm not putting in a commercial; 06:48 it was going be at Wards, in all my life Wards. 06:51 So, we said, hey when the store's open this 06:53 was Sunday, so they weren't open till noon, 06:55 let's go to Wards and look at the table. 06:58 Watch this, Betty says, how do I do, how do 07:02 I live with? Now, how do these men live with 07:04 these women all this years because see we 07:06 men, we men, we men we want to go buy a 07:11 table. See, I wanted to go buy go to Wards 07:14 I liked it; I could see the picture I wasn't blind, 07:16 so I wanted to buy the table. You know, 07:18 what she says? Oh! While we're added lets 07:20 stop at Rhodes on the way down and see if 07:22 they've got one. And then as long as we're 07:24 looking the tables we can go to rooms to go 07:28 and I'm thinking oh! No, in other words I don't 07:31 want to go out and spend the rest of my life 07:34 buying kitchen table. I don't relate to this real 07:37 well you say we men. Now, Tom would be 07:40 shopping at each one like Betty. Well, say 07:42 okay. I think it's this type A personality that 07:44 we're talking about. Well, no anyway women 07:47 are shoppers, women are shoppers and well 07:50 maybe, maybe I leave it there. Good. 07:52 But anyway she was going to shop and so 07:55 what could I say because I just wanted to go 07:57 buy a table. So, anyway after lunch we got 08:02 a little bit delayed and Andre was living with 08:04 us in those days remember I told you how 08:06 we raised a granddaughter for five years? 08:08 And when grandparents are raising 08:10 grandchildren that is a sad story. 08:14 Those five years were wonderful years 08:16 because God gave me and Betty a chance 08:18 to be parents again, you know when you're 08:20 young you don't know how to be a parent, 08:21 but when you've been around a while I think 08:23 we did a better the second time. 08:26 Anyway, yeah you back to the story now. 08:28 So, it was a little bit late when we left and 08:31 of course the stores were not gonna be 08:32 open till 10 O'clock on Sunday, 08:34 I wanted to get it over I didn't want to spend 08:35 the week buying a kitchen table. 08:38 So, this was back in the, in the days when 08:41 the children could be in their car seats and 08:42 still be upfront, you know they don't allow 08:44 that anymore. So, anyway Betty was going 08:48 to drive I'm gonna sit in the back seat, 08:50 so she is gonna be with the baby and I'm 08:52 gonna be in the back seat and away we go. 08:55 We stopped at Rhodes that was the first thing 08:57 we came to. I actually liked the Rhodes table 09:01 I think better than the picture the Wards picture, 09:04 so I said lets get it. And she said, 09:07 no let's go into Wards and see what. 09:09 I wanna get it over with, so anyway 09:12 you know the time is going by and I want to 09:14 get all of my life and. It's only a day. 09:18 See, anyway I should be like you just so relaxed 09:21 and now, but remember let's not get ahead 09:24 of the story. Okay. Anyway, anyway we go 09:27 up to Wards, I saw the Wards table I liked 09:30 the Rhodes better. I said let's go back to Rhodes 09:33 and get it. She said, listen lets move on rooms 09:36 to go you know, see what they've got? 09:38 Right, but now I'm watching the clock 'cause 09:41 I don't wanna be shopping for tables all week 09:43 long. So, anyway Betty is driving I'm in the 09:46 back so we pull out into the traffic in order 09:49 to go back to where we're going so we kind 09:51 of pull out we cross over to the left lane and 09:54 we have to get in a turn way. 09:56 And of course, when you're in a hurry what 09:57 happens, lights are always on red. 10:00 So, just as we turn around we're getting way 10:01 to go back light goes red. I'm looking at 10:03 my watch and I'm getting nervous. 10:06 And we're sitting there, I'm thinking myself 10:08 oh! I was just hurry up. Suddenly the light 10:10 goes green; you know when I say suddenly 10:12 five minutes later, ten minutes later, 10:13 half an hour later. And so the light goes green, 10:16 but the. It takes ten minutes later. 10:18 The traffic doesn't move. You know, 10:19 how it will do that sometimes? 10:21 And so, when the traffic didn't move I said 10:22 to Betty toot the horn. And here's the punch 10:26 line, she says to me just as calm as you 10:28 please I'm not a type A personality there's 10:31 where we go. In other words I'm saying toot 10:35 the horn she says, do you know that hit me 10:38 like a ton of bricks, if she had slapped me in 10:41 the face, if she had punch me in the nose it 10:45 wouldn't have been as bad. I considered that 10:47 an insult. Remember, I told you in another 10:50 programs how when I get mad I don't throw 10:52 stuff, I don't cuss, sometimes I even keep 10:55 smiling. And so, I was there I was smiling 10:58 kind of you know, but I'm thinking. 11:00 And does it look like a really good smile. 11:03 And I'm thinking why have you insulted me 11:05 so bad? I thought this is not a psychology class. 11:09 So, you don't like being called a type A 11:10 personality. Well, maybe in a psychology class, 11:12 but not when you're shopping for tables, 11:15 I thought she was in, I thought she was calling 11:18 me names; I kind of reacted that way. 11:20 And it was kind of like remember when we used 11:21 to get teeter-totter when we were kids. 11:23 It was like she jumped off the teeter-totter 11:25 I got boom and I thought hey, 11:28 we've got to level this thing up; I've got to 11:30 say something to get back at her. 11:33 And they're crazy what the hard, but you know 11:35 when you think of what anger does? 11:37 Anger is a destroyer, it's a destroyer. 11:40 So, I'm gonna think that something I can say 11:43 to put you know, you know sort to get back 11:46 at her. Why did you say that? But when we 11:48 I thought, I'm thinking by that time we're going 11:51 down the street. And in all reality, really I'm 11:53 sorry I've interrupted you again, 11:54 but this happens a lot. This happens to people 11:58 on a regular basis and they don't single it 12:00 out like you have and thought it through like 12:03 you've done? Well, see that's a title of our 12:04 program how to look back without going 12:07 backward you see. I think as I go through 12:09 life I had better look back. See this story it'll 12:12 end up alright, but I had to be aware of what 12:16 was going. Remember that little diddy, 12:18 to err is human. Oh! Yes. To forgive divine. 12:21 Now, I like yours. You like the way I spin it. 12:23 Well, I like that of course because that's 12:26 the true, and the best way to look at. 12:28 But I spin it a little different. Yes. 12:29 To err is human not to admit it is dumb. 12:32 That sounds like a Richard O'Ffill. 12:34 And so, and so I think that that in our lives 12:38 we need to look back, we need to look back 12:41 and see where we went wrong? 12:42 See, this is a story I'm telling on myself. 12:45 Right. Now, if I were to ask the viewing 12:46 audience, if I'm your, if I'm the only type A 12:49 personality who has ever done this I think I 12:51 get some hands going up on them, 12:53 but anyway I'm telling this story on myself 12:55 because we need to analyze ourselves like, 12:57 you know we count our money when we do 12:59 business, and we're doing an audit of our 13:01 business, we audit our plans. Listen, 13:03 our homes don't break up overnight. No. 13:06 Life is cause and effect. We will count our 13:09 money and we'll wonder why we got a divorce? 13:13 When it was happening all the time? 13:15 It was happening all the time, but we're not 13:17 gonna count, we don't wanna look, 13:19 I wanna count my money, I wanna make sure 13:21 my car gets it's oil changed, but I don't talk 13:23 to be about my, about my wife or about me 13:26 and my kids see, when that's really over? 13:28 Man as you get a new car. This is our 13:30 character though; don't talk to me about my 13:31 character. Well, that's about. The very thing, 13:34 well you've talked about what we want to 13:36 do is like our children to have, save our 13:38 children. And that's right, but. 13:40 But it's our character. And that's the only thing 13:41 we can change but, but I think we're saying 13:44 sometimes we're more interested in our cars, 13:46 in our boats, in our houses then we are in 13:48 our character, in our homes. Right, now 13:51 you were turning off. Well, and so I'm going, 13:53 I'm going down the road and I met and I'm 13:54 not cussing or swearing I just think I've got 13:58 to say something you know. And of course 14:00 you know when you're mad what you say is 14:01 no good. What we say well usually when we're 14:04 mad or usually you know complicated things. 14:07 Is that striking while the iron is hot or is that 14:09 something else? Not easy, oh! Yeah, well when, 14:12 if you wanna talk about that of her just a 14:14 minute, shall we break into that story for a 14:16 minute? Have you heard the expression 14:17 strike when the iron is hot? Yes. I say don't. 14:20 And I say that when the iron is hot when you, 14:23 when you mark it or bend it, it stays bend. 14:27 You could do permanent damage. 14:28 We do permanent damage. We're saying 14:29 something when you're angry. So, what we've 14:30 say when we're angry or when someone else 14:32 is angry you can't take back, but the problem 14:36 is when we're not angry we don't care. 14:39 And so, really if we're gonna solve problems 14:42 and share and actually teach each other we 14:45 should do it when there is a good will because 14:47 a person persuaded against their will is of 14:49 the same opinion still. And so, and so no 14:52 I don't believe in striking when the iron 14:54 is hot I think we ought to wait until we cool off 14:58 and if it was still important enough to care 15:00 then pray. Then speak about it. 15:01 Then speak about it, so I'm going on the 15:03 highway and I'm thinking to myself I got to 15:08 say something and then, then I start this little 15:11 debate with myself. And remember she said 15:15 I'm a type A personality, and so it occurred 15:19 to me I kind of ask myself what is it true, 15:23 for what true? So, you're looking back now. 15:25 No, I'm looking in my own history, 15:26 but I'm looking back. Well, it's a too much she 15:28 said, where I suppose if you can talk about 15:32 personality types. I guess you would have 15:34 to say I'm type A personality. And then I 15:37 said to myself then why are you mad? 15:40 Do you think you've said that to yourself or 15:42 you maybe that was the Holy Spirit running 15:44 that thought to you? You know me I'm a 15:46 little sensitive to saying God told me this, 15:49 God told me that. Well maybe. But I do believe 15:50 the Holy Spirit impresses, I do believe that that 15:54 the Holy Spirit was really impressing my heart. 15:57 He was making me think seriously because I was 16:00 obviously on the wrong track, I was about to 16:02 say something that didn't need to be. 16:04 I don't know what it would have been? 16:06 But it didn't need to be said. 16:08 And so, the Holy Spirit was pressing my heart 16:10 and I'm learning something from this. 16:13 And I'm asking myself the question, are you 16:17 type A personality? Yes, I probably 16:19 am if you're gonna saying that. 16:21 Why are you mad? And then I got to thinking 16:23 to myself I thought you know, I'm praying 16:27 that Jesus will, will change me. I wanna be like 16:32 Him, I really do. And then it occurred to me 16:37 then how is he gonna get through to you? 16:43 And then I thought well maybe Lord You 16:44 maybe You could speak a voice from heaven 16:46 maybe. See, in other words you want to tell 16:47 me something, tell it to me from the cloud. 16:51 You don't want to accept it any other way, 16:53 no still small voices. No, maybe a dream or 16:56 vision or even if you need to a donkey and then 17:00 it occurred to me what about your wife? 17:02 Oh! No, Lord no. A dream or a vision or a 17:06 voice from heaven or a donkey, but I don't 17:08 want my wife telling me anything. 17:12 And then I realize that that if I'm really sincere 17:16 about God working in my life and really 17:19 impressing me I have to be listening. 17:22 To your wife occasionally. Or from wherever 17:24 the voice comes. Right. From wherever the 17:27 voice comes because the issue is not who said 17:30 it to me? The issue is, is it true. 17:35 And so, one day I was walking across the 17:39 grounds at one of the big Florida hospitals 17:42 and there were some fellows that are working 17:45 on the lawn and we started talking and one of 17:49 them said, something I'll never forget, 17:52 Pastor O'Ffill he said we ought to listen to 17:55 our enemies because they'll tell us things 17:59 about ourselves that our friends won't tell us. 18:04 And I think there was lots of wisdom to that. 18:08 Makes me think of a scripture though that 18:09 says: Precious are the wounds of a friend; 18:14 but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. 18:18 How do you gonna work that one in. 18:20 I'm not going to try, no because, because, 18:23 because I think to be honest with myself I 18:25 should be listening to the voice of God from 18:29 wherever it comes. Right. And the issue is 18:31 not are you my friend or are you my enemy 18:34 and what you said. Because obviously, 18:36 obviously friends like I in sharpen friends like 18:39 you said, but you used the word deceitful 18:42 to be specific. In other words, you see maybe, 18:44 maybe my friends would try to deceive me or 18:46 my enemies rather would try to deceive me, 18:48 but I guess when I, when I want to say. 18:50 Sometimes there can be some truth, 18:51 that said and you can listen to it. And that's 18:53 the point see they can just be really blunt, 18:56 and so, and so when I preach about this 18:59 particular subject I will say, the next time 19:02 somebody puts you down I throw the 19:05 congregation. Embrace it. No, ask yourself a 19:08 question. Is it true, is it true, is it true? 19:12 And I would say that to our viewers because 19:15 you know, this society is very sensitive. 19:18 You can't walking on egg shells. 19:20 Yeah don't put me down man I got to look 19:21 out for number one you know, you can't 19:23 abuse me and so, and so if I've got a shield 19:27 around me all the time that's going to justify 19:29 everything I do then how can I ever change? 19:33 We need to look at ourselves. I think we need 19:35 to look at ourselves and I'm thoroughly 19:37 convinced that that if I'm on the wrong road 19:42 I'm gonna be stay on that wrong road until 19:46 I admit I'm wrong. And I know we men are 19:50 real sensitive about this, I think we've 19:51 mentioned this in another program we don't 19:53 want to admit we're wrong, we want to 19:55 justify ourselves, but we're really dumb, 19:58 to err is human, do we make mistakes? 20:00 Do I make mistakes? You bet I do, 20:03 but not to admit it that's, that's not smart. 20:07 And so, I think that I guess the point here 20:09 is because we're talking about being, 20:11 about parents, big parents and grandparents. 20:14 And our children you know they're grown. 20:17 You know, for the purposes of what we're 20:18 talking about now. What are we gonna do? 20:23 I think we've said in another programs, 20:25 we've said well we shouldn't just beat 20:27 ourselves to death and just say you know, 20:29 it was my fault and I'm to blame and I think 20:33 the point is, look back I must, but start going 20:37 backward I must not. Right, right. 20:42 Now, this brings up the question to of how 20:44 often shall we look back? Because we're pretty 20:47 soon start going in the direction where we're 20:49 looking. Right. So, if everyday. 20:51 In spite beholding we become changed, 20:53 we become changed. So, if everyday I'm 20:55 thinking of yesterday, last year, ten years 20:58 ago and misery. I think and I'll start, 21:01 I won't be able to get on with my life, 21:03 but I do think that I need to look back. 21:08 I hate to say, well about the thing now I 21:10 don't know what happened and I hope they 21:12 don't arrest me, hope you don't call the 21:14 police when I'm about to say. 21:16 For some funny reasons, funny, 21:18 some weird reason, one day my kids must 21:20 have been all cutting up, they were just you 21:22 know sort of middle size. I lined them up on 21:26 the wall and gave them all the spanking at 21:28 the same time, I hate myself for that and 21:33 you know, and I might say here that I have 21:37 actually asked my grown children to forgive 21:40 me for some of these obvious, right, 21:42 crazy things and say, oh! I feel so bad about it. 21:47 Oh! That's okay, daddy that's okay, 21:49 but see I have to get it out of my head. 21:50 Right. I have to say, oh! That is how I feel 21:53 now, that was really crazy. I can't live my 21:57 life again, but there is one thing if I could 22:00 that I leave out. And so, I ask them, 22:05 whenever I think back of something that was 22:08 really, a sin of omission or of commission in 22:11 raising children I'll say to my kids, 22:14 you know I feel sorry about that. Now, you 22:17 could say, well how long you're gonna do 22:19 that? Rest of my life. I'm sorry that I spanked 22:22 them all at one time and it wasn't like till there 22:25 was a, you know broken bones or anything, 22:27 I was mad, I was mad. And when I'm 85 I'll 22:32 still be sorry. Kathy, I'm sorry for every 22:35 mistake I had ever made. I think of my father 22:39 when you were said 85 and at the age of 85 22:42 there was 12 of us and at the age of 85 22:45 he was still saying I'm sorry, I'm sorry for the 22:48 things. And long since I had forgiven him, 22:51 but some had not. Well, and see now some 22:54 maybe could, could disagree and say, 22:58 well why think about it anymore. 23:00 Well, see I think we can look back without 23:02 because when he was saying that he wasn't 23:03 going backwards he was showing through 23:06 repentance you see, even the Apostle Paul 23:08 he would never retell the stories, 23:11 but how you say oh! I'm chief of sinners. 23:14 Right, right, and remembering that, 23:17 but that spurred him on. Well, of course it did. 23:18 And Peter too. And he would say forgetting 23:20 those things now that doesn't mean that he 23:22 didn't learn from them. And he says, 23:24 forget the past or you would better learn 23:27 from the past, you had better not forget 23:29 everything in the past or you'll keep doing it. 23:32 Right. And so, that's, that's where I made 23:36 in my life I do look back and because I want 23:40 to grow, I want to grow and I'm glad we have 23:43 a heavenly Father that's on our side. Amen. 23:47 Did I ever tell you the story, when I was in 23:48 the seminary? I got a D in an examination 23:56 and a C in the seminary is an F, and I got a 23:58 D that's below and F, and so the teacher 24:02 instead of giving me a D he writes on the 24:06 exam he says, Dick, what's wrong, 24:08 come and talk to me. And so, I went on and 24:12 he said, what's wrong didn't you understand? 24:14 'Cause there was only one question and I 24:18 said no, I didn't understand, but I 24:19 understand now. And he said go do it again. 24:23 He gave you another chance. 24:24 He gave me another chance, and I never 24:26 forgotten that I've even when I was a 24:27 teacher I would do that. Now, I'm not going to 24:30 give you the privilege of getting F and I think 24:33 that about God I think what a wonderful God, 24:37 who doesn't hold our past against us. 24:39 And sometimes when I make a big mistake 24:42 in my life then I tell God I'll say, let's do that 24:46 again. Yeah. Because I know that in Christ 24:49 we can be more than conquerors that if 24:51 we confess our sins he is faithful and just 24:53 to forgive. Amen. But anyway, I have a text 24:56 that before we get on further in the program, 24:58 time goes so fast that it's so important 25:02 because sometimes we think well, in the past 25:04 you know all the bad things I've done, 25:07 I'm responsible, God holds me responsible for 25:10 all I've done and he's gonna hold it against 25:12 me and I heard a person preach his sermon 25:16 not long ago and I went found this text and I 25:18 would like to share it with you and with our, 25:21 with our viewing audience. It's in a Ezekiel 25:23 18 verse 20, listen to this. The soul that 25:26 sinneth, it shall die. Listen to this: 25:29 The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father; 25:32 neither shall the father bear the iniquity of 25:34 the son: the righteousness of the 25:36 righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness 25:39 of the wicked shall be on him. But if the wicked 25:42 shall turn from all his sins that he hath 25:44 committed, and keep all my statutes, 25:47 and do that which is lawful and right, 25:49 he shall surely live, he shall not die. 25:52 All his transgressions that he hath committed, 25:55 they shall not be mentioned unto him: 25:57 and his righteousness that he hath done he 26:00 shall live. And this first part is so important, 26:05 the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, 26:08 neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the 26:10 son. Amen. Though I might have been have 26:13 contributed to whatever the mistake was of 26:17 my children that in the final out at the end 26:21 God sees us who we are, He'll see us 26:24 individuals. And so, I think we can look back, 26:27 we can learn from the past. Not so that we 26:29 can go backwards, but so that we can go 26:31 forward. Yes, we need to ask for forgiveness 26:33 and learn from our mistakes. Everyday don't 26:36 you think so? Absolutely. And I try to 26:37 do this in my own, in my own devotional life. 26:40 When I begin a day I don't begin a day by 26:43 looking forward, but by looking back because 26:45 I don't, I want to do better than I did 26:47 yesterday. Amen. That whether we eat or 26:49 drink or whatever we do we do it to the 26:51 glory of God, glory of God. I'd like to come up, 26:56 I mean I would like to say those scripture again 26:58 that I've been saying and that is let us not 27:01 be weary. Oh! Yes, in well doing, amen, 27:04 for in due season we shall reap, if we faint 27:07 not. And that's a little scripture song and I 27:10 enjoy it, but every time we talk about things 27:12 like this it makes me think of it because we 27:13 can get so weary. We get tired, 27:16 we get tired. Yes, but we need to learn and 27:18 go forward. But God never gets tired. 27:20 See that's the nice thing. Thank God for that. 27:21 You get tired He never gets tired and He 27:24 renews our strength and so things get 27:26 really heavy we get discourage, but he wants 27:28 us to press on towards the mark. Amen and 27:31 I want to remember to tell you to press on 27:37 toward the mark as well and as we go out 27:40 pray for us as we're praying for you. 27:42 Heavenly Father, we're thankful that you 27:45 give us a new start everyday, and as we 27:48 look to the past that we have the confidence 27:50 that if we confess our wrongs that you're 27:53 faithful and just to forgive. 27:55 And it is in that Day of Judgment that we 27:56 stand before You as our heavenly Father. |
Revised 2014-12-17