I want to spend my life 00:00:01.86\00:00:07.54 Mending broken people 00:00:07.57\00:00:12.57 I want to spend my life 00:00:12.61\00:00:18.88 Removing pain 00:00:18.91\00:00:23.95 Lord, let my words 00:00:23.99\00:00:30.13 Heal a heart that hurts 00:00:30.16\00:00:34.63 I want to spend my life 00:00:34.66\00:00:40.64 Mending broken people 00:00:40.67\00:00:45.84 I want to spend my life 00:00:45.87\00:00:51.41 Mending broken people 00:00:51.45\00:00:54.28 Hello, friends, 00:01:07.53\00:01:08.86 and welcome to Friday Evening Family Worship. 00:01:08.90\00:01:11.07 And as you know, I have my Tonto with me, 00:01:11.10\00:01:13.80 my wife, my wife Angela. 00:01:13.84\00:01:15.60 Oh, fine. 00:01:15.64\00:01:18.14 The Lone Ranger, some of the people, probably, 00:01:18.17\00:01:20.01 are too young to know who that is 00:01:20.04\00:01:21.54 but we're just hoping that somebody just caught that, 00:01:21.58\00:01:24.51 that symbolic reference. 00:01:24.55\00:01:26.18 Good to have you with me, honey. 00:01:26.21\00:01:27.55 Yeah. Good to be here. 00:01:27.58\00:01:28.92 Happy Sabbath. That's right. 00:01:28.95\00:01:30.29 I'm John Lomacang, and my wife is Angela. 00:01:30.32\00:01:32.45 And we have hosted Family Worship before, 00:01:32.49\00:01:34.92 but we are so pleased to come in to your home 00:01:34.96\00:01:38.39 to begin the Sabbath with you. 00:01:38.43\00:01:40.13 And we have a dynamic topic tonight. 00:01:40.16\00:01:43.20 It is leaving the past in the past, 00:01:43.23\00:01:45.63 how to get past those things 00:01:45.67\00:01:47.90 that have been carried in your life, 00:01:47.94\00:01:49.94 maybe for a year or five years, 00:01:49.97\00:01:51.94 or in some cases, for decades, 00:01:51.97\00:01:54.54 in some of your lives. 00:01:54.58\00:01:55.91 We know that there is complete freedom in Jesus 00:01:55.94\00:01:57.48 and we're gonna just talk about that tonight, 00:01:57.51\00:01:59.51 with the Word of God, and with our, 00:01:59.55\00:02:01.38 with our illustrious panel. 00:02:01.42\00:02:02.78 So, honey, there is somebody who just tuned, 00:02:02.82\00:02:04.92 don't know what you do for 3ABN. 00:02:04.95\00:02:06.29 Why don't you let them know? 00:02:06.32\00:02:07.66 Okay, well, I work for 3ABN Radio, 00:02:07.69\00:02:09.66 production assistant. 00:02:09.69\00:02:11.39 And I've been there over 10 years, I believe, yeah. 00:02:11.43\00:02:15.16 And it's a job that never thought I would do, 00:02:15.20\00:02:17.53 but I love my job. 00:02:17.57\00:02:19.33 I have great people I work with, great boss. 00:02:19.37\00:02:21.77 And so I'm truly blessed to be working at 3ABN Radio. 00:02:21.80\00:02:25.57 And I thank God for the opportunity, 00:02:25.61\00:02:27.64 as well as Danny Shelton and the staff here at 3ABN. 00:02:27.68\00:02:31.45 And we have some people. 00:02:31.48\00:02:32.81 Oh, we have couple people to my left. 00:02:32.85\00:02:36.05 Tell us who you are and what you do here at 3ABN? 00:02:36.08\00:02:38.65 My name is Eric and I'm one of the broadcast engineers 00:02:38.69\00:02:42.72 here at 3ABN. 00:02:42.76\00:02:44.39 I come from about 20 years of aerospace background. 00:02:44.43\00:02:48.93 And about three years ago, 00:02:48.96\00:02:50.90 I got a call from the Lord to come work here. 00:02:50.93\00:02:53.23 And me and my wife have been here 00:02:53.27\00:02:55.34 and we have definitely been blessed. 00:02:55.37\00:02:57.57 Amen. 00:02:57.61\00:02:58.94 Marilyn? 00:02:58.97\00:03:00.31 And I'm Marilyn and I work in the call center. 00:03:00.34\00:03:03.24 I'm the assistant manager. 00:03:03.28\00:03:04.91 And we've been here about two years. 00:03:04.95\00:03:06.45 And we're very blessed to be here and we enjoy it. 00:03:06.48\00:03:08.98 Okay. 00:03:09.02\00:03:10.35 Wonderful couple. 00:03:10.39\00:03:11.72 We have the older people to my right. 00:03:11.75\00:03:13.62 Actually no, the younger people to my right. 00:03:13.66\00:03:15.59 Let's start with this gentleman to the far right. 00:03:15.62\00:03:18.09 He has this incredible smile, 00:03:18.13\00:03:19.46 always busy, he's got great talents. 00:03:19.49\00:03:21.13 But tell us who you are and what you do you for 3ABN? 00:03:21.16\00:03:22.96 Actually, not for 3ABN alone, but about your ministry. 00:03:23.00\00:03:26.03 Sure. 00:03:26.07\00:03:27.40 My name is Ryan St. Hillaire 00:03:27.44\00:03:29.07 and I am the director of a ministry 00:03:29.10\00:03:32.21 called Unseen Media Group 00:03:32.24\00:03:33.68 and we work here, together with 3ABN 00:03:33.71\00:03:37.41 and we do training programs for young people 00:03:37.45\00:03:40.52 that are interested in learning media, 00:03:40.55\00:03:44.02 film, TV production skills, 00:03:44.05\00:03:46.42 as well as evangelism side by side. 00:03:46.45\00:03:49.32 Good to have you here, Ryan. You've been with us before. 00:03:49.36\00:03:51.19 Good to have you back. Thank you. 00:03:51.23\00:03:52.56 But we have somebody we have not had before. 00:03:52.59\00:03:54.86 And tell us who you are and what you do? 00:03:54.90\00:03:56.40 My name is Mayri and I work here at 3ABN. 00:03:56.43\00:04:00.10 It's been almost three years since I've been here 00:04:00.14\00:04:03.10 and mainly work in production, camera, makeup, 00:04:03.14\00:04:06.37 and whatever else is needed. 00:04:06.41\00:04:08.21 So, yeah... 00:04:08.24\00:04:09.58 And Mayri is bilingual? Yes. 00:04:09.61\00:04:11.11 Yeah, she has a Santa Biblia two-versioned Bible. 00:04:11.15\00:04:14.62 We're glad to have to here, Mayri. 00:04:14.65\00:04:16.22 Mayri's sometimes either behind the camera 00:04:16.25\00:04:18.15 or in front the camera. 00:04:18.19\00:04:19.52 She's either doing makeup, or so many, many skills, 00:04:19.55\00:04:22.36 and each of these persons at the table, 00:04:22.39\00:04:24.26 nobody at 3ABN does one thing. 00:04:24.29\00:04:26.59 If you only do one thing, 00:04:26.63\00:04:27.96 then you probably shouldn't come here 00:04:28.00\00:04:29.80 because we are people of multiple talents and abilities. 00:04:29.83\00:04:33.23 We got to sing some songs, and accompanying us 00:04:33.27\00:04:36.10 on the piano today is Summer Boyd 00:04:36.14\00:04:39.64 and we're gonna sing some songs from the hymnal 00:04:39.67\00:04:42.14 starting with the first one, 00:04:42.18\00:04:43.75 which we try to shape them around our program, 00:04:43.78\00:04:46.18 we're talking about the needs in each of our lives. 00:04:46.21\00:04:48.52 And the first one is I need Thee every hour, 00:04:48.55\00:04:51.15 the first and the last stanza. 00:04:51.19\00:04:52.82 I need Thee every hour. 00:04:59.13\00:05:03.20 Most gracious Lord, 00:05:03.23\00:05:07.34 No tender voice like Thine 00:05:07.37\00:05:11.34 can peace afford. 00:05:11.37\00:05:15.81 I need Thee, O I need Thee 00:05:15.84\00:05:20.45 Every hour I need Thee! 00:05:20.48\00:05:24.09 O bless me now 00:05:24.12\00:05:26.45 My Savior I come to Thee. 00:05:26.49\00:05:31.69 Last stanza. 00:05:31.73\00:05:33.50 I need Thee every hour. 00:05:33.53\00:05:37.37 Teach me Thy will. 00:05:37.40\00:05:41.67 And Thy rich promises 00:05:41.70\00:05:45.44 In me fulfill. 00:05:45.47\00:05:49.81 I need Thee, O I need Thee 00:05:49.84\00:05:54.72 Every hour I need Thee! 00:05:54.75\00:05:58.25 O bless me now, My Savior 00:05:58.29\00:06:02.52 I come to Thee 00:06:02.56\00:06:07.96 Amen. Amen. 00:06:08.00\00:06:09.46 Do we need Jesus? Yes, we do. 00:06:09.50\00:06:11.23 How frequently? 00:06:11.27\00:06:12.70 Frequently, everyday. 00:06:12.73\00:06:14.10 Every hour. 00:06:14.14\00:06:15.47 Every moment of every day as the song writer 00:06:15.50\00:06:18.27 put so wonderfully, every hour. 00:06:18.31\00:06:20.48 And when we have Him, each hour of our day, 00:06:20.51\00:06:23.41 moments, seconds, events, 00:06:23.45\00:06:26.31 it becomes a blessed assurance 00:06:26.35\00:06:28.02 that we are not in our day by ourselves, 00:06:28.05\00:06:31.02 462, Blessed assurance. 00:06:31.05\00:06:33.29 Many of you know that song very well. 00:06:33.32\00:06:34.92 Some of you probably know it by heart. 00:06:34.96\00:06:37.23 But we're gonna sing the first and last stanza, 00:06:37.26\00:06:38.99 462, Blessed assurance. 00:06:39.03\00:06:40.70 Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! 00:06:43.73\00:06:49.60 O, what a foretaste of glory divine! 00:06:49.64\00:06:55.61 Heir of salvation, purchase of God 00:06:55.64\00:07:01.72 Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood 00:07:01.75\00:07:07.66 This is my story, this is my song 00:07:07.69\00:07:13.29 Praising my Savior all the day long 00:07:13.33\00:07:19.03 This is my story, this is my song 00:07:19.07\00:07:25.01 Praising my Savior all the day long 00:07:25.04\00:07:29.91 Perfect submission, all is at rest 00:07:29.94\00:07:31.88 Perfect submission 00:07:31.91\00:07:34.62 All is at rest 00:07:34.65\00:07:37.85 I in my savior am happy and blest 00:07:37.89\00:07:44.03 Watching and waiting, looking above 00:07:44.06\00:07:49.73 Filled with His goodness, lost in His love 00:07:49.76\00:07:55.80 This is my story, this is my song 00:07:55.84\00:08:01.78 Praising my Savior all the day long 00:08:01.81\00:08:07.92 This is my story, this is my song 00:08:07.95\00:08:13.92 Praising my Savior all the day long. 00:08:13.96\00:08:20.80 Amen. 00:08:20.83\00:08:22.76 You know, if you stay on the ground level 00:08:22.80\00:08:24.27 in your Christian experience all the time, 00:08:24.30\00:08:26.84 you really never get to that goal. 00:08:26.87\00:08:29.00 And for those of you who've been Christians 00:08:29.04\00:08:31.04 for any length of time, may be even a year, 00:08:31.07\00:08:32.74 you know that you begin in one place 00:08:32.77\00:08:35.04 and you continue climbing, going higher and higher 00:08:35.08\00:08:37.35 toward the goal that Christ has for you, 00:08:37.38\00:08:39.98 which fits perfectly into this song, 00:08:40.02\00:08:41.72 I'm pressing on the upward way or higher ground, 00:08:41.75\00:08:44.09 as some of you know it, 00:08:44.12\00:08:45.45 625, we're gonna sing the first and last stanza. 00:08:45.49\00:08:48.32 And I like to... 00:08:48.36\00:08:49.69 As the title, I'm pressing on the upward way. 00:08:49.72\00:08:51.73 Amen. Okay. 00:08:51.76\00:08:53.09 I'm the pressing on the upward way 00:08:56.63\00:09:01.00 New heights I'm gaining every day 00:09:01.04\00:09:05.71 Still praying as I onward bound 00:09:05.74\00:09:09.91 Lord, plant my feet on higher ground 00:09:09.94\00:09:14.85 Lord, lift me up, and I shall stand 00:09:14.88\00:09:18.99 by faith, On heaven's tableland 00:09:19.02\00:09:23.32 A higher plane than I have found 00:09:23.36\00:09:27.66 Lord, plant my feet on higher ground 00:09:27.70\00:09:32.93 I want to scale the utmost height 00:09:32.97\00:09:37.54 And catch a gleam of glory bright 00:09:37.57\00:09:41.88 But still I'll pray till heaven I've found 00:09:41.91\00:09:46.15 Lord, lead me on to higher ground 00:09:46.18\00:09:51.05 Lord, lift me up, and I shall stand 00:09:51.09\00:09:55.32 by faith, On heaven's tableland 00:09:55.36\00:09:59.73 A higher plane than I have found 00:09:59.76\00:10:04.10 Lord, plant my feet on higher ground. 00:10:04.13\00:10:10.91 Amen. Wow, higher. 00:10:10.94\00:10:13.01 Are we any further in our walk with the Lord... 00:10:13.04\00:10:15.88 Absolutely. 00:10:15.91\00:10:17.25 Than when we first started? Eric? 00:10:17.28\00:10:18.61 Absolutely. 00:10:18.65\00:10:19.98 It's been a long road, but it's been a blessed road. 00:10:20.02\00:10:21.88 And one of the big praises I have for the Lord is 00:10:21.92\00:10:24.49 when I look back to where I was 20, 30 years ago 00:10:24.52\00:10:27.36 in New York City. 00:10:27.39\00:10:28.72 It's a huge blessing to see how far I've come 00:10:28.76\00:10:31.56 and I look forward to seeing where I go in the future. 00:10:31.59\00:10:35.50 I know as long as I keep my eyes on the Lord, 00:10:35.53\00:10:37.53 He's gonna lead me where I need to go. 00:10:37.57\00:10:38.90 And that's my main focus. Keep my eyes on Him. 00:10:38.93\00:10:41.00 That's right. 00:10:41.04\00:10:42.37 Before we get into our lesson, we're gonna have a prayer. 00:10:42.40\00:10:44.41 Ryan, would you have a prayer for us? 00:10:44.44\00:10:45.77 We're gonna open the Word of God 00:10:45.81\00:10:47.14 and we always believe it's a blessing 00:10:47.18\00:10:48.98 to have the Spirit of God lead us in prayer. 00:10:49.01\00:10:51.58 Let's pray. 00:10:51.61\00:10:53.05 Dear Heavenly Father, our God, 00:10:53.08\00:10:54.92 I just want to thank you for this opportunity 00:10:54.95\00:10:57.09 that You've given us to open your Word 00:10:57.12\00:10:59.65 and to spend some time 00:10:59.69\00:11:01.12 allowing You to speak to our hearts and our minds. 00:11:01.16\00:11:03.46 And I ask that You be present with us, 00:11:03.49\00:11:05.49 that your Holy Spirit would guide 00:11:05.53\00:11:07.40 all that we talk about and that this discussion 00:11:07.43\00:11:11.57 may be able to be blessing to us 00:11:11.60\00:11:13.27 and to many other people as well. 00:11:13.30\00:11:15.27 Thank you, God, for this opportunity again. 00:11:15.30\00:11:17.77 Be with us, in Jesus name we pray. 00:11:17.81\00:11:19.91 Amen. Amen. 00:11:19.94\00:11:21.54 Thank you, Ryan, thank you. 00:11:21.58\00:11:23.45 Now for those of you that are joining us. 00:11:23.48\00:11:25.15 And I know you have a Bible in a house. 00:11:25.18\00:11:27.48 I'd like to invite you to take your Bible 00:11:27.52\00:11:29.22 and we're gonna begin with a story. 00:11:29.25\00:11:30.92 Once again, repeating the title of our devotional is 00:11:30.95\00:11:35.82 "leaving the past in the past." 00:11:35.86\00:11:38.83 In other words, how to get past 00:11:38.86\00:11:41.03 the things that may be, 00:11:41.06\00:11:42.70 as I used the proverbial expression, 00:11:42.73\00:11:44.80 in your trailer truck. 00:11:44.83\00:11:46.67 A lot of us live our lives and when we're born 00:11:46.70\00:11:48.80 we have a little, we have a little red cart 00:11:48.84\00:11:52.34 that we carry with us. 00:11:52.37\00:11:53.71 You know, you ever see the little red wagons, 00:11:53.74\00:11:56.04 little kids love little red wagons. 00:11:56.08\00:11:57.95 But I would say, emotionally, 00:11:57.98\00:11:59.71 some of us go from the red wagon, 00:11:59.75\00:12:01.75 when we're little kids 00:12:01.78\00:12:03.59 to a double long trailer truck with our emotions, 00:12:03.62\00:12:06.25 our experiences, our hurts, our pains, 00:12:06.29\00:12:08.79 our failures, our successes, 00:12:08.82\00:12:11.23 and they intermingle to create within us 00:12:11.26\00:12:13.19 some kind of a storm that 00:12:13.23\00:12:14.56 in some cases we cannot get past our past. 00:12:14.60\00:12:17.60 We're gonna begin with a story today 00:12:17.63\00:12:18.97 that just I believe lays the foundation 00:12:19.00\00:12:21.14 to help us see how the Lord desires 00:12:21.17\00:12:23.71 for every one of us to get past our past. 00:12:23.74\00:12:25.87 And, honey, I'm gonna have you start with the story. 00:12:25.91\00:12:28.94 It's in John 5. 00:12:28.98\00:12:30.58 It's a very familiar story. 00:12:30.61\00:12:32.45 We're gonna look verses 5, 6 and 7. 00:12:32.48\00:12:36.62 And then we're gonna go back 00:12:36.65\00:12:37.99 and kind of analyze these to see 00:12:38.02\00:12:40.26 what the story is telling us. 00:12:40.29\00:12:42.16 It's a very familiar, a very familiar story, 00:12:42.19\00:12:44.83 one that we know very well, okay. 00:12:44.86\00:12:47.00 All right, John 5:5 says, 00:12:47.03\00:12:49.96 "Now a certain man was there, 00:12:50.00\00:12:53.03 who had an infirmity 38 years. 00:12:53.07\00:12:56.40 When Jesus saw him lying there, 00:12:56.44\00:12:59.14 and knew that he already had been 00:12:59.17\00:13:01.54 in that condition a long time, 00:13:01.58\00:13:04.58 He said to him, 00:13:04.61\00:13:06.18 'Do you want to be made well?' 00:13:06.21\00:13:09.15 The sick man answered Him, 00:13:09.18\00:13:11.39 'Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool 00:13:11.42\00:13:15.06 when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, 00:13:15.09\00:13:19.79 another steps down before me.' 00:13:19.83\00:13:23.77 Jesus said to him, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk.' 00:13:23.80\00:13:29.70 " And verse nine. 00:13:29.74\00:13:31.27 And verse nine. 00:13:31.31\00:13:32.74 "And immediately, the man was made well, 00:13:32.77\00:13:36.24 took up his bed, and walked. 00:13:36.28\00:13:39.08 And that day was the Sabbath." 00:13:39.11\00:13:41.68 Wow. 00:13:41.72\00:13:43.05 How fitting a story that... Yes. 00:13:43.08\00:13:45.05 As we talk about Family Worship, 00:13:45.09\00:13:46.42 the Sabbath is beginning. 00:13:46.45\00:13:47.79 Who doesn't want to leave their burdens of the week 00:13:47.82\00:13:49.86 behind them before the Sabbath comes? 00:13:49.89\00:13:51.49 That's right. Amen. 00:13:51.53\00:13:52.86 Because the Sabbath is a day of... 00:13:52.89\00:13:54.23 Rest. Okay. 00:13:54.26\00:13:55.60 And so we're gonna talk about how to do that, 00:13:55.63\00:13:57.47 not just what happened this week, 00:13:57.50\00:13:59.17 but more specifically, we're gonna dig deeply 00:13:59.20\00:14:00.97 into the fiber of your character and understand 00:14:01.00\00:14:03.84 that there are some of you carrying things 00:14:03.87\00:14:05.34 that have been around too long, now let's... 00:14:05.37\00:14:07.58 How many years, Mayri, was this man in that condition? 00:14:07.61\00:14:11.25 Thirty-eight. 00:14:11.28\00:14:12.61 Wow. That's long time. 00:14:12.65\00:14:13.98 Yeah. That's a long time. 00:14:14.02\00:14:15.35 I mean, just... 00:14:15.38\00:14:16.72 Do you know of people... 00:14:16.75\00:14:18.09 Let's not name any names. 00:14:18.12\00:14:19.45 But in some cases, there are people that we know 00:14:19.49\00:14:22.12 that just seems like, is he ever gone change 00:14:22.16\00:14:24.26 or is she ever gonna get past that. 00:14:24.29\00:14:26.06 And they carry these things along. 00:14:26.09\00:14:28.66 And that 38 years is a long time. 00:14:28.70\00:14:31.37 And what was he doing? 00:14:31.40\00:14:32.73 Let's go through that story again. 00:14:32.77\00:14:34.10 What was he doing? 00:14:34.14\00:14:35.80 According to verse 6. 00:14:35.84\00:14:38.71 He was laying there, by the pool. 00:14:38.74\00:14:41.78 He was just laying there, just... 00:14:41.81\00:14:44.75 He wasn't doing anything. 00:14:44.78\00:14:46.35 He wasn't going anywhere. 00:14:46.38\00:14:48.92 What I think is interesting about this story every time 00:14:48.95\00:14:52.05 I read this, right here, this, 00:14:52.09\00:14:54.39 the question that Jesus asks him, 00:14:54.42\00:14:56.42 "wilt thou be made whole?" 00:14:56.46\00:14:58.69 And it seems like a silly question. 00:14:58.73\00:15:00.30 You see a guy that's sick, 00:15:00.33\00:15:01.66 that's laying there at the side of the pool, 00:15:01.70\00:15:03.70 and somebody is gonna come and ask him, 00:15:03.73\00:15:05.50 "Do you want to made better?" 00:15:05.53\00:15:07.67 It seems like, you know, duh, that's a stupid question. 00:15:07.70\00:15:10.87 But as soon as Jesus answers or asks him that question, 00:15:10.91\00:15:15.38 his response is, listen to my problem, 00:15:15.41\00:15:18.88 take a moment and listen to my problem, 00:15:18.91\00:15:20.62 listen to my situation, why I'm here, 00:15:20.65\00:15:22.72 I want to tell you my story. 00:15:22.75\00:15:24.19 And he is trying to get sympathy from Jesus. 00:15:24.22\00:15:28.82 But then Jesus responds, and He tells him, 00:15:28.86\00:15:31.43 hey, rise up, take up your bed and walk. 00:15:31.46\00:15:35.00 He calls him to action. 00:15:35.03\00:15:36.53 And when he follows that, 00:15:36.56\00:15:38.17 then he's made well and he is healed. 00:15:38.20\00:15:41.27 It's funny, because what Ryan said is right. 00:15:41.30\00:15:43.00 He made an excuse, he said, 00:15:43.04\00:15:44.84 I try to get into the pool, but when I go, 00:15:44.87\00:15:47.18 someone always gets in before me. 00:15:47.21\00:15:48.91 So he's making excuses, like Ryan said. 00:15:48.94\00:15:51.91 And it sounds to me like, 00:15:51.95\00:15:53.28 he has just given up, he is pretty much. 00:15:53.31\00:15:55.62 And Jesus said, really, I think knew 00:15:55.65\00:15:57.99 He needed to ask him that question, 00:15:58.02\00:15:59.65 because by, you know, what we read, 00:15:59.69\00:16:01.69 been there for 38 years, and he's just laying there. 00:16:01.72\00:16:03.83 That sounds to me like he just gave up 00:16:03.86\00:16:05.53 and he's like, forget it. 00:16:05.56\00:16:06.90 There's no hope. 00:16:06.93\00:16:08.26 Well, In Desire of Ages, I have the remnant Bible. 00:16:08.30\00:16:11.70 And it says about verse 8. 00:16:11.73\00:16:13.70 "Jesus had given the lame man no assurance of divine help. 00:16:13.74\00:16:18.27 The man might have stopped to doubt 00:16:18.31\00:16:22.44 and lost his one chance of healing, 00:16:22.48\00:16:25.91 but he believed Christ's word. 00:16:25.95\00:16:28.48 And in acting upon it, he received strength." 00:16:28.52\00:16:31.59 Wow. 00:16:31.62\00:16:32.95 Acted upon it. 00:16:32.99\00:16:34.32 So, say that again. 00:16:34.36\00:16:35.69 He acted upon it. He did something. 00:16:35.72\00:16:37.06 That's the cool part is that 00:16:37.09\00:16:38.43 he didn't stay there in that place, 00:16:38.46\00:16:39.96 yes, he started, you know, 00:16:40.00\00:16:42.36 complaining and talking about his problem, 00:16:42.40\00:16:43.93 but he didn't stay there. 00:16:43.97\00:16:45.30 When Jesus gave him the command, he followed it. 00:16:45.33\00:16:48.00 And it's interesting because, you know, 00:16:48.04\00:16:50.41 some of us fall into that place where we just want to get 00:16:50.44\00:16:52.57 other people's compassion and their pity. 00:16:52.61\00:16:55.61 We want attention and we'd rather have a pity party 00:16:55.64\00:16:58.21 and than no party at all. 00:16:58.25\00:16:59.58 Yeah. 00:16:59.61\00:17:00.95 You know. That's a good one. 00:17:00.98\00:17:02.32 And so, we are always trying to play our little violin, 00:17:02.35\00:17:05.99 trying to get sympathy, and some people, 00:17:06.02\00:17:08.66 some of us just stay there. 00:17:08.69\00:17:10.03 But in this story, you know, he didn't stay there. 00:17:10.06\00:17:12.26 He followed Jesus' words. 00:17:12.29\00:17:14.13 He responded to it. 00:17:14.16\00:17:15.63 And as a result, he got the healing that he really wanted. 00:17:15.66\00:17:18.87 Yeah, Marilyn, anything on that one? 00:17:18.90\00:17:21.14 Well, I agree with what Ryan said. 00:17:21.17\00:17:23.74 Sometimes we do want that pity party. 00:17:23.77\00:17:26.24 But can you imagine if we got past that 00:17:26.27\00:17:29.84 feeling sorry for ourselves? 00:17:29.88\00:17:31.88 How great it would be if we just allowed our self 00:17:31.91\00:17:35.42 to move forward and not stay in the same situation? 00:17:35.45\00:17:39.32 It's kind of like flowing water or still water. 00:17:39.35\00:17:43.19 Still water, if it stays there too long, 00:17:43.22\00:17:44.93 it becomes stagnant and polluted. 00:17:44.96\00:17:47.23 You have to keep moving. 00:17:47.26\00:17:49.16 And Christ said, I'm the water, keep moving with me. 00:17:49.20\00:17:51.80 Yeah. That's right. 00:17:51.83\00:17:53.23 And so the great question, I would say, 00:17:53.27\00:17:55.97 the million dollar question, or the life changing question, 00:17:56.00\00:17:59.11 is do you want to be made well. 00:17:59.14\00:18:02.01 That's a question we want to ask you because, 00:18:02.04\00:18:04.05 you know, this man had his... 00:18:04.08\00:18:06.65 I put together what I call symptoms. 00:18:06.68\00:18:09.58 He had symptoms of a 38-year burden. 00:18:09.62\00:18:13.76 And there are some people that might think, 00:18:13.79\00:18:15.56 I've heard people as, you know, I'm a pastor, 00:18:15.59\00:18:17.16 I've heard people say, you know, 00:18:17.19\00:18:18.59 sometimes testimonies we have either at communion service 00:18:18.63\00:18:22.06 or they're people that will come to church and say, 00:18:22.10\00:18:24.37 they would repeat what happened when they were a kid. 00:18:24.40\00:18:26.57 And I will look at them and I'm thinking, 00:18:26.60\00:18:28.00 you've got to at least be 40, maybe 50, maybe 60, 00:18:28.04\00:18:32.11 you've got to be well up in years 00:18:32.14\00:18:34.21 and you're still telling me what happened when you were, 00:18:34.24\00:18:37.45 you know, when was that. 00:18:37.48\00:18:41.95 Listen to this. I'll put this down. 00:18:41.98\00:18:43.32 They blame others for their inability to get better. 00:18:43.35\00:18:46.19 There's a guy that always gets in front of me 00:18:46.22\00:18:47.86 every time I try to get to the pool. 00:18:47.89\00:18:50.36 It's always somebody else's fault. 00:18:50.39\00:18:52.46 And then they repeat the same sob story. 00:18:52.49\00:18:54.13 I think you talked about that, over and over and over again. 00:18:54.16\00:18:57.50 Always telling me that 'poor me' stories. 00:18:57.53\00:18:59.43 I like the way that Ryan illustrated, the violin. 00:18:59.47\00:19:01.44 Could you come to my pity party? 00:19:01.47\00:19:04.24 Make excuses for lack of progress. 00:19:04.27\00:19:05.87 I just can't do it. 00:19:05.91\00:19:07.38 Mayri brought that out. 00:19:07.41\00:19:08.74 He just, okay, Lord, here's my story, 00:19:08.78\00:19:11.01 this is really what's happening in my life, 00:19:11.05\00:19:12.71 and if you understand this, 00:19:12.75\00:19:14.08 you'll know exactly why I'm still sitting here, 00:19:14.12\00:19:16.42 stuck in the emotional pool, lying on the bed of failure. 00:19:16.45\00:19:19.45 But then Jesus comes and says you can do something about it. 00:19:19.49\00:19:23.46 What else? 00:19:23.49\00:19:24.99 Let's look at another one because 00:19:25.03\00:19:26.36 verse 8 and 9 is a key verse in that... 00:19:26.39\00:19:29.13 What happened? 00:19:29.16\00:19:30.67 When did he get past his infirmities? 00:19:30.70\00:19:34.10 When he listened to Jesus 00:19:34.14\00:19:35.50 and he took up his bed and walked. 00:19:35.54\00:19:38.41 Yeah, it says immediately. 00:19:38.44\00:19:40.84 Immediately, as he responded to that, 00:19:40.88\00:19:42.84 immediately, the man was made whole 00:19:42.88\00:19:45.01 and took up his bed and he walked. 00:19:45.05\00:19:47.02 There is a quote that says, before His biddings, 00:19:47.05\00:19:49.82 God biddings, are enablings. 00:19:49.85\00:19:51.45 With His command comes the power to do that. 00:19:51.49\00:19:54.59 And it's just awesome, you know, 00:19:54.62\00:19:56.06 'cause like I was saying, he had given up. 00:19:56.09\00:19:57.43 He was just laying there. 00:19:57.46\00:19:58.79 He was just making all these excuses about 00:19:58.83\00:20:00.56 how he can't overcome the past and just, 00:20:00.60\00:20:02.76 you know, all these reasons why he can't. 00:20:02.80\00:20:04.13 And then Jesus just said, get up, 00:20:04.17\00:20:06.13 take up your bed and walk. 00:20:06.17\00:20:08.04 And then, you know, obviously, you know, 00:20:08.07\00:20:09.67 he's been sick, he can't do that, 00:20:09.70\00:20:11.67 but God, you know, he took that step, 00:20:11.71\00:20:14.58 he started getting up. And he believed God. 00:20:14.61\00:20:16.91 And then he got the power to get up 00:20:16.95\00:20:19.78 and he was made well. 00:20:19.81\00:20:21.15 One of the things that I noticed 00:20:21.18\00:20:22.52 about people that haven't given it to the Lord is that 00:20:22.55\00:20:25.35 the end result it's always bitterness. 00:20:25.39\00:20:27.36 Yeah. 00:20:27.39\00:20:28.72 They're really, really bitter. 00:20:28.76\00:20:30.09 And some of them are loving people and kind people, 00:20:30.13\00:20:32.43 but there is a bitterness in there 00:20:32.46\00:20:33.80 that kind of eats away at them. 00:20:33.83\00:20:35.63 And just by that example, 00:20:35.66\00:20:37.70 we should all know, give it to the Lord. 00:20:37.73\00:20:39.43 He'll take it. 00:20:39.47\00:20:40.80 Have you met somebody 00:20:40.84\00:20:42.17 that was bitter and loving at the same time? 00:20:42.20\00:20:43.54 Wow. 00:20:43.57\00:20:45.34 Usually goes back and forth, 00:20:45.37\00:20:46.71 but the bitterness is there, yeah. 00:20:46.74\00:20:48.71 But on the front. Yeah. 00:20:48.74\00:20:50.15 And then sometimes it goes... Say that again. 00:20:50.18\00:20:52.71 Sometimes they have a lot of pain, 00:20:52.75\00:20:54.22 but they don't know how to get rid of that pain it seems. 00:20:54.25\00:20:57.02 Well, what do people with a lot of pain usually do? 00:20:57.05\00:20:59.59 Hurt other people. Right. 00:20:59.62\00:21:01.76 Or they're always talking about their pain. 00:21:01.79\00:21:04.29 That's the thing. 00:21:04.33\00:21:05.66 And I think an interesting point 00:21:05.69\00:21:07.50 in what we're talking about is 00:21:07.53\00:21:09.43 the man responded to Jesus' command. 00:21:09.46\00:21:12.30 You know, he was struggling on his own 00:21:12.33\00:21:13.90 for so many years to overcome this problem, 00:21:13.94\00:21:16.67 the only way that he knew how to. 00:21:16.71\00:21:18.47 And I think a lot of times in life when, you know, 00:21:18.51\00:21:20.78 I've experiences, I've had things 00:21:20.81\00:21:22.38 that I've wrestled with for years, 00:21:22.41\00:21:24.38 trying to find my own way to overcome them, 00:21:24.41\00:21:26.51 trying to be strong enough, trying to be, you know, 00:21:26.55\00:21:29.98 powerful enough to not go back 00:21:30.02\00:21:31.52 and doing the things that I keep falling in. 00:21:31.55\00:21:34.59 And Jesus is saying to us 00:21:34.62\00:21:37.46 through this and through, you know, His word. 00:21:37.49\00:21:39.96 If you give me your whole heart and you follow the direction 00:21:40.00\00:21:43.73 that I'm leading you in 00:21:43.77\00:21:45.10 and stop trying to fight this thing on your own, 00:21:45.13\00:21:47.57 He'll give us the healing that we want. 00:21:47.60\00:21:49.00 Amen. 00:21:49.04\00:21:50.37 You know, and I think it's important to remember that 00:21:50.41\00:21:52.84 as we move in collaboration with the command of Christ, 00:21:52.87\00:21:56.75 that's when healing is found. 00:21:56.78\00:21:58.38 It's not just about moving, 00:21:58.41\00:22:00.12 but it's about moving in the direction 00:22:00.15\00:22:01.68 that He leads us in. 00:22:01.72\00:22:04.05 And I've been on the opposite end of gossip. 00:22:04.09\00:22:07.29 I think a lot of us have been there. 00:22:07.32\00:22:09.22 And it's some kind of like 00:22:09.26\00:22:10.83 a character assassination sort of gossip. 00:22:10.86\00:22:14.23 And I found that the individual who actually called me, 00:22:14.26\00:22:17.17 five years later, he apologized because he became a Christian. 00:22:17.20\00:22:20.40 And to this day, I don't know 00:22:20.44\00:22:21.84 how he found my phone number or anything. 00:22:21.87\00:22:23.24 But I guess it was in him so much 00:22:23.27\00:22:24.71 that he had to find my phone number and he apologized. 00:22:24.74\00:22:27.01 He left the voice message on my phone. 00:22:27.04\00:22:29.14 And the thing that's interesting about it is, 00:22:29.18\00:22:32.51 he was gossiping, he told me, 00:22:32.55\00:22:33.95 because he was so upset with himself inside, 00:22:33.98\00:22:38.82 he had to bring some else down that he respected 00:22:38.85\00:22:41.92 so that could feel better about himself. 00:22:41.96\00:22:43.99 And he held on to this for a long period of time. 00:22:44.03\00:22:46.80 And he finally became a Christian, 00:22:46.83\00:22:48.40 not our denomination with another denomination, 00:22:48.43\00:22:50.53 gave his heart to the Lord. 00:22:50.57\00:22:51.90 And he obviously repented about it. 00:22:51.93\00:22:53.67 Praise the Lord. Yeah. 00:22:53.70\00:22:55.04 That's cool. 00:22:55.07\00:22:56.40 So there is a way to get past the past. 00:22:56.44\00:22:57.77 Yes. Yeah. 00:22:57.81\00:22:59.14 And usually, when you get past the past, 00:22:59.17\00:23:00.51 you realize, I have to go over the road 00:23:00.54\00:23:01.88 and try to ask for reconciliation from those 00:23:01.91\00:23:04.78 that I've hurt along the way. 00:23:04.81\00:23:06.25 Now we know it's impossible to cover all the ground, 00:23:06.28\00:23:08.65 but the Lord sometimes bring conviction to us 00:23:08.68\00:23:11.19 as to who we need to go to and fix that. 00:23:11.22\00:23:14.66 You know the Lord says, 00:23:14.69\00:23:16.02 leave your sacrifice at the altar, 00:23:16.06\00:23:17.39 go fix it, and then come back. 00:23:17.43\00:23:19.46 Before you come back and worship. 00:23:19.49\00:23:20.96 Exactly, because some of would rather just say, 00:23:21.00\00:23:23.33 Lord, you deal with it. 00:23:23.37\00:23:24.73 He says, no, no, leave your sacrifice here, 00:23:24.77\00:23:27.54 go fix it, and then come back. 00:23:27.57\00:23:29.20 Amen, Amen. 00:23:29.24\00:23:30.84 Look at I Corinthians 13:11, let's look at this, 00:23:30.87\00:23:34.18 because this is another text that talks about 00:23:34.21\00:23:38.11 what happens when you become an adult. 00:23:38.15\00:23:41.68 Sometimes people are ageing chronologically, 00:23:41.72\00:23:44.69 but they are still infants mentally. 00:23:44.72\00:23:47.76 This is a very powerful text here. 00:23:47.79\00:23:51.19 Let me see, maybe I'll have Marilyn. 00:23:51.23\00:23:53.43 I want you to read that. I Corinthians 13:11. 00:23:53.46\00:23:55.96 This is a very interesting observation that Paul makes. 00:23:56.00\00:23:59.13 "When I was a child, I spake as a child, 00:23:59.17\00:24:02.40 I understood as a child, I thought as a child, 00:24:02.44\00:24:05.67 but when I became a man, I put away childish things." 00:24:05.71\00:24:08.84 Well, look at the all the patterns, 00:24:08.88\00:24:10.78 look at what happens. 00:24:10.81\00:24:12.48 What are some of the things, 00:24:12.51\00:24:13.85 when I was child, how did I speak? 00:24:13.88\00:24:15.45 As a child. 00:24:15.48\00:24:16.82 And then what else, understood, and then what else, thought. 00:24:16.85\00:24:20.72 So look at the three patterns. 00:24:20.76\00:24:23.79 Some people are adults but speak as children, 00:24:23.83\00:24:26.43 you see what's the connection here? 00:24:26.46\00:24:27.80 They have to put away their childish things. 00:24:27.83\00:24:30.40 What else do they... 00:24:30.43\00:24:31.77 What else still stays with them, 00:24:31.80\00:24:33.13 not only the way they speak, but what else? 00:24:33.17\00:24:35.30 The way they understand and think. 00:24:35.34\00:24:37.14 The way they understand 00:24:37.17\00:24:38.51 and then also the way they think. 00:24:38.54\00:24:42.14 And I'm, kind of, being the point guy here, 00:24:42.18\00:24:47.22 the way they think, the way they understand. 00:24:47.25\00:24:49.55 So if I say something to you 00:24:49.58\00:24:52.02 and you hear it through the window 00:24:52.05\00:24:53.42 of your childhood experiences, you might misunderstand me. 00:24:53.46\00:24:56.93 Oh, easily. Okay. 00:24:56.96\00:24:58.79 Yeah, I could say, why did he say that to me? 00:24:58.83\00:25:02.23 And it's something innocent. 00:25:02.26\00:25:04.20 That has happened to us in ministry, hasn't it? 00:25:04.23\00:25:06.97 Total misunderstanding, and we're like, 00:25:07.00\00:25:09.40 where did they get that from? 00:25:09.44\00:25:10.97 You know, so we could relate, can't we? 00:25:11.01\00:25:14.74 Oh, have you ever had that happen to you, 00:25:14.78\00:25:17.25 somebody's upset with you, why, what did I say. 00:25:17.28\00:25:21.12 And they say you walked right past me and I know you saw me. 00:25:21.15\00:25:24.55 Something like that. Yeah. 00:25:24.59\00:25:26.35 I know you saw me, but you always do that 00:25:26.39\00:25:28.66 and you're just like, it goes from, 00:25:28.69\00:25:30.26 first, it goes from, first of all, I didn't see you, 00:25:30.29\00:25:32.59 to you always you do that, and you feel defenseless. 00:25:32.63\00:25:36.53 I wasn't even thinking about that? 00:25:36.56\00:25:38.50 But many years ago, 00:25:38.53\00:25:39.87 that happened to me in New York, 00:25:39.90\00:25:41.24 well, New York, yeah, 00:25:41.27\00:25:42.60 and because I have tunnel vision, 00:25:42.64\00:25:45.54 sometimes I'm just like, 00:25:45.57\00:25:46.91 I don't see people, when I'm focused. 00:25:46.94\00:25:50.08 And I was on the bus and when I'm on a bus 00:25:50.11\00:25:53.58 I'm just focusing what I need to do. 00:25:53.62\00:25:56.62 I didn't see my friend sitting there. 00:25:56.65\00:25:59.15 And she says to me, 00:25:59.19\00:26:01.19 the next couple of weeks later, so what was going on, 00:26:01.22\00:26:04.06 she said, Angie, you never said hi to me on the bus. 00:26:04.09\00:26:07.10 I said, I didn't even see you. And I honestly didn't. 00:26:07.13\00:26:11.00 So I told her I'm so sorry. 00:26:11.03\00:26:13.30 I really was, because sometimes 00:26:13.34\00:26:15.74 I could get so focused in something. 00:26:15.77\00:26:18.17 And that's what happens, you know, so go ahead... 00:26:18.21\00:26:22.24 I kind of look at this verse 11 00:26:22.28\00:26:25.61 as a challenge too, because it says, 00:26:25.65\00:26:28.02 when I became a man, I put away childish things. 00:26:28.05\00:26:30.95 In other words, if you don't put away childish things, 00:26:30.99\00:26:33.36 you're not gonna be a man. 00:26:33.39\00:26:35.39 So it's kind of a challenge to men and women 00:26:35.42\00:26:37.73 that you have to put it away to grow up. 00:26:37.76\00:26:39.89 Yeah. 00:26:39.93\00:26:41.26 That's a very good point. 00:26:41.30\00:26:42.63 You got to grow up somewhere along the way. 00:26:42.66\00:26:44.00 Right, Right. 00:26:44.03\00:26:45.37 And, but the other thing that... 00:26:45.40\00:26:47.10 I mean, there's so much in this one verse, 00:26:47.14\00:26:48.84 I have to put my preachers mind to rest, 00:26:48.87\00:26:51.01 because it just becomes, it's an extrajudicial text. 00:26:51.04\00:26:56.48 You have to stop thinking the way you did 00:26:56.51\00:26:58.98 when you were little. 00:26:59.01\00:27:01.95 That's why some parents... 00:27:01.98\00:27:04.42 We were raised with... 00:27:04.45\00:27:06.76 Maybe some of you had. 00:27:06.79\00:27:08.12 What do parents say to their children, 00:27:08.16\00:27:09.86 children are to be seen and what? 00:27:09.89\00:27:12.23 Not heard. 00:27:12.26\00:27:14.36 Have you ever had that, in some homes, 00:27:14.40\00:27:17.40 it's more of a point of don't say anything. 00:27:17.43\00:27:21.34 There's adult speaking, shut up, go to your room. 00:27:21.37\00:27:23.87 What happens is sometimes children grow up 00:27:23.91\00:27:25.74 with this inability to communicate. 00:27:25.77\00:27:27.18 Yeah. 00:27:27.21\00:27:28.54 And they're in a big crowd and they're like, 00:27:28.58\00:27:29.91 they want to say something and they just can't, you know. 00:27:29.94\00:27:34.85 And they are still living there understanding as a child, 00:27:34.88\00:27:38.95 they're thinking as a child, and then they speak as a child, 00:27:38.99\00:27:42.62 and then they got this, can I, can I say something. 00:27:42.66\00:27:46.09 You know, they're like afraid to break into the moment, 00:27:46.13\00:27:49.23 whereas the other kids on the other side say, 00:27:49.26\00:27:51.33 they break, you know, they need training, 00:27:51.37\00:27:53.03 they break right into adults' conversation. 00:27:53.07\00:27:54.84 So you're saying that parents play a part too 00:27:54.87\00:27:56.87 in how the child develops when it comes to this. 00:27:56.91\00:28:00.58 Well, what do you guys think? 00:28:00.61\00:28:01.94 I believe so. 00:28:01.98\00:28:03.98 I believe so. 00:28:04.01\00:28:05.35 Wow, so in order to be able to be effective... 00:28:05.38\00:28:08.88 Now this is not a whole counseling program, 00:28:08.92\00:28:10.92 but in order to be effective, 00:28:10.95\00:28:12.29 there are some things we have to do. 00:28:12.32\00:28:13.66 Let's look at Philippians. 00:28:13.69\00:28:15.02 There are some things we have to do because, 00:28:15.06\00:28:16.39 you know, if your past, 00:28:16.42\00:28:18.33 if you take ownership of what you are, 00:28:18.36\00:28:21.36 then you don't have to be stay there. 00:28:21.40\00:28:22.76 You have to realize that there's a better place to be, 00:28:22.80\00:28:26.63 than when you were six years old 00:28:26.67\00:28:29.14 or eight years old, or a teenager. 00:28:29.17\00:28:31.31 And if you're an adult, 20, 30, 40, 50, 00:28:31.34\00:28:34.58 there's something that 00:28:34.61\00:28:35.94 the Lord sees that you may not see. 00:28:35.98\00:28:37.31 And let's see. 00:28:37.35\00:28:38.68 Would like to read Philippians 3: 13-14? 00:28:38.71\00:28:40.52 I can read. Okay, Mayri. 00:28:40.55\00:28:41.88 "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, 00:28:41.92\00:28:45.12 but this one thing I do, forgetting those things 00:28:45.15\00:28:47.82 which are behind and reaching forth 00:28:47.86\00:28:50.36 on to those things which are before. 00:28:50.39\00:28:52.93 I press toward the mark 00:28:52.96\00:28:54.33 for the prize of the high calling of God 00:28:54.36\00:28:56.46 in Christ Jesus." 00:28:56.50\00:28:57.83 Okay, so interpretation. 00:28:57.87\00:29:00.27 Stop looking to the past and press forward, 00:29:00.30\00:29:05.27 looking to God, He's ahead of us 00:29:05.31\00:29:07.04 and He wants us to look to Him and not keep looking back. 00:29:07.08\00:29:10.75 Okay. 00:29:10.78\00:29:12.91 Just to kind of qualify this a little bit, 00:29:12.95\00:29:17.02 for me, in my experience, 00:29:17.05\00:29:18.45 I realized there are two things that we really 00:29:18.49\00:29:21.12 tend to drag with us from the past into the present. 00:29:21.16\00:29:24.49 And those are, number one, 00:29:24.53\00:29:28.13 things that we've done that have either hurt ourselves 00:29:28.16\00:29:30.67 or other people, you know, 00:29:30.70\00:29:32.43 we carry the guilt with us, the shame with us, 00:29:32.47\00:29:34.54 whatever else may be associated with that. 00:29:34.57\00:29:37.24 Or things that other people have done to hurt us. 00:29:37.27\00:29:40.58 And we tend to drag those things along with us 00:29:40.61\00:29:44.51 our entire lives sometimes 00:29:44.55\00:29:46.58 and we continue to think about them, 00:29:46.61\00:29:49.48 allow them to control us, allow them to effect us 00:29:49.52\00:29:52.15 in different ways 00:29:52.19\00:29:53.56 and forgetting about those things. 00:29:53.59\00:29:58.59 You know, when we're reading here in Philippians, 00:29:58.63\00:30:00.43 it says we're forgetting about the past and moving forward. 00:30:00.46\00:30:03.43 That doesn't mean ignoring what has happened in the past. 00:30:03.47\00:30:06.63 Right. 00:30:06.67\00:30:08.04 That means taking those things, making them right, 00:30:08.07\00:30:11.37 allowing God to heal us, 00:30:11.41\00:30:12.97 and then moving forward 00:30:13.01\00:30:14.48 and not continuing to drag those things 00:30:14.51\00:30:16.75 behind us in the dirt. 00:30:16.78\00:30:18.11 You know... That's right, 00:30:18.15\00:30:19.48 'cause you can't change what you've done in the past, 00:30:19.51\00:30:21.52 you can't change that. Yeah... 00:30:21.55\00:30:23.05 But you could ask for forgiveness, 00:30:23.08\00:30:25.59 you can ask the person for forgiveness. 00:30:25.62\00:30:27.89 You can ask, of course, the Lord. 00:30:27.92\00:30:30.26 And you can't tell somebody 00:30:30.29\00:30:31.63 who's been struggling with the hurt. 00:30:31.66\00:30:33.83 You know, if something has happened 00:30:33.86\00:30:35.30 to them in the past that has hurt them, 00:30:35.33\00:30:36.67 you can't tell them just forget about that, 00:30:36.70\00:30:39.10 you'll get over it. 00:30:39.13\00:30:40.90 You know, just move on, that's old, it's, 00:30:40.94\00:30:42.80 you know, past or whatever 00:30:42.84\00:30:44.27 because, 00:30:44.31\00:30:46.21 you know, it may be in the past but it still hurts. 00:30:46.24\00:30:49.84 It's like, you know, if I decide 00:30:49.88\00:30:51.85 I'm gonna go and punch somebody and knock him out, 00:30:51.88\00:30:54.38 and they get a bruise from it, 00:30:54.42\00:30:56.02 and they're willing to forgive me, 00:30:56.05\00:30:58.59 they still have the evidence, 00:30:58.62\00:30:59.95 they still have the bruise that they're carrying with them 00:30:59.99\00:31:02.12 and they have to deal with that. 00:31:02.16\00:31:04.09 You know, they may have forgiven, 00:31:04.13\00:31:06.76 they may have left that behind, 00:31:06.80\00:31:08.53 but they still have to deal with the consequences 00:31:08.56\00:31:10.47 of what the past has done to them. 00:31:10.50\00:31:12.30 Okay. 00:31:12.33\00:31:13.67 And we have to press forward with the right goals. 00:31:13.70\00:31:15.04 Okay. 00:31:15.07\00:31:16.40 Because I know a lot of people, 00:31:16.44\00:31:18.67 they use other goals like their career achievements 00:31:18.71\00:31:21.38 and things like that as a supplement. 00:31:21.41\00:31:23.81 And this says in verse 14, 00:31:23.85\00:31:25.88 I press forward the goal for the prize 00:31:25.91\00:31:29.75 of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 00:31:29.78\00:31:33.29 So it's saying press forward with a goal towards Christ. 00:31:33.32\00:31:35.62 That's how the healing comes... Amen. 00:31:35.66\00:31:37.63 The advancements in your career and the making money 00:31:37.66\00:31:40.30 and things like that, those don't heal that wound. 00:31:40.33\00:31:42.70 They don't take away the bitterness. 00:31:42.73\00:31:44.07 It's only Christ 00:31:44.10\00:31:45.43 that can take away the bitterness. 00:31:45.47\00:31:46.80 Something what helped me 00:31:46.84\00:31:49.17 the way thinking about a certain way 00:31:49.20\00:31:50.87 I would think about, 00:31:50.91\00:31:52.71 you know, like, we talk about bitterness, 00:31:52.74\00:31:54.31 resentment, hurts from the past, 00:31:54.34\00:31:55.91 or things like that, 00:31:55.94\00:31:57.28 I think of it, literally, 00:31:57.31\00:31:58.65 like you're carrying around, a garbage bag. 00:31:58.68\00:32:00.75 Yeah. 00:32:00.78\00:32:02.12 It weighs you down and it stinks, 00:32:02.15\00:32:03.49 everybody else can smell it. 00:32:03.52\00:32:04.95 And... 00:32:04.99\00:32:07.19 Yeah, and you don't want to live like that, 00:32:07.22\00:32:08.86 nobody wants to live like that. 00:32:08.89\00:32:10.23 And I know none of us are guiltless, 00:32:10.26\00:32:11.59 we've experienced that at some point, 00:32:11.63\00:32:13.56 but you know, with God helping us 00:32:13.60\00:32:15.50 to press forward and leave our burdens, 00:32:15.53\00:32:17.97 you know, at the cross and just be healed from that, 00:32:18.00\00:32:20.90 and you know, when you think about that way, 00:32:20.94\00:32:22.27 it's like, "Ooh...yeah, that's really..." 00:32:22.30\00:32:23.81 Wow! 00:32:23.84\00:32:25.17 That opens a whole picture in my head, 00:32:25.21\00:32:26.61 your attitude stands. 00:32:26.64\00:32:28.38 Because you're carrying on your past. 00:32:28.41\00:32:29.88 Why do you... Well, Pastor, do you think 00:32:29.91\00:32:31.45 that taking ownership 00:32:31.48\00:32:34.42 can help you to move forward as well? 00:32:34.45\00:32:36.22 Of course. 00:32:36.25\00:32:37.59 That's a very good thing, 00:32:37.62\00:32:38.95 you know, unless you recognize where you are, 00:32:38.99\00:32:42.32 you cannot recognize 00:32:42.36\00:32:43.69 that you need to be someplace else. 00:32:43.73\00:32:46.56 Forgetting those... 00:32:46.59\00:32:47.93 That's a very good point because... 00:32:47.96\00:32:49.30 Taking ownership. 00:32:49.33\00:32:50.67 The story with a man at the pool, 00:32:50.70\00:32:53.10 he recognized where he was. 00:32:53.13\00:32:56.40 It had been 38 years with this infirmity, 00:32:56.44\00:32:58.67 he recognized, "Here I am." 00:32:58.71\00:33:00.78 I always, in the story, 00:33:00.81\00:33:02.14 the thing that always gets me is, 00:33:02.18\00:33:03.51 the Lord said take up your bed, 00:33:03.55\00:33:06.31 fold up that mat of excuses, 00:33:06.35\00:33:08.52 or may be his bed was such so identified with him 00:33:08.55\00:33:11.25 that people when they saw him walking there, 00:33:11.29\00:33:13.39 I recognize that bed but I don't recognize that guy. 00:33:13.42\00:33:17.09 And so, but yes, 00:33:17.13\00:33:18.63 taking ownership... 00:33:18.66\00:33:20.00 Yes. 00:33:20.03\00:33:21.36 I think Ryan talked about that, taking ownership. 00:33:21.40\00:33:24.67 But something I want to amplify is that, 00:33:24.70\00:33:27.20 okay, you may hit somebody 00:33:27.24\00:33:29.24 and they'll have that, the evidence of it, 00:33:29.27\00:33:32.17 but that sometimes that scar will heal, 00:33:32.21\00:33:35.11 but the emotional pain could go a lot deeper, 00:33:35.14\00:33:38.28 or like it, 00:33:38.31\00:33:39.65 like you've seen those terrible doggie commercials. 00:33:39.68\00:33:42.35 You know where they... 00:33:42.38\00:33:43.72 you know, dogs have been abused. 00:33:43.75\00:33:45.09 Oh, yes. Yes. 00:33:45.12\00:33:46.45 Oh, yes. 00:33:46.49\00:33:47.82 It's the hardest thing to look. 00:33:47.86\00:33:49.19 And they have two little puppy, two little dogs, 00:33:49.22\00:33:51.53 so of course you feel bad. 00:33:51.56\00:33:52.89 I'll be thanking... 00:33:52.93\00:33:54.26 Can I add something-- Sure. 00:33:54.30\00:33:55.63 to what Mayri said? 00:33:55.66\00:33:57.00 The perfume of life, 00:33:57.03\00:33:58.37 sometimes, we use the perfume of life 00:33:58.40\00:34:00.24 to cover up that garbage bag, to hide it away, 00:34:00.27\00:34:03.24 but the garbage bag is still there. 00:34:03.27\00:34:04.61 Yes. 00:34:04.64\00:34:05.97 And then, like you said a lot of people, 00:34:06.01\00:34:08.38 they carry that 00:34:08.41\00:34:09.74 and they're the little shaking dog on the inside 00:34:09.78\00:34:12.31 and I found, to my life also, 00:34:12.35\00:34:14.02 that it's only through Jesus Christ 00:34:14.05\00:34:16.32 that can heal that wound in there, yeah. 00:34:16.35\00:34:19.19 What direction does this text tell us we can go, 00:34:19.22\00:34:21.96 when we... Up. 00:34:21.99\00:34:23.32 Forward. Forward. 00:34:23.36\00:34:24.69 Go forward. 00:34:24.73\00:34:26.06 Go upward, go... Pressing on the upward way... 00:34:26.09\00:34:27.70 Exactly, for reaching forward, pressing upward. 00:34:27.73\00:34:31.10 You see, isn't that wonderful? 00:34:31.13\00:34:32.67 Rather than reaching backward, pressing downward. 00:34:32.70\00:34:35.04 You see, some people... Oh, yes. 00:34:35.07\00:34:37.34 Years ago, my wife knows this, 00:34:37.37\00:34:38.94 I always talked about the rearview mirror, 00:34:38.97\00:34:40.98 it's smaller than the windshield. 00:34:41.01\00:34:43.48 And so the reason for that, as the Lord says, 00:34:43.51\00:34:46.48 look at the road, drive, go forward. 00:34:46.51\00:34:49.22 He said it to the Israelites in Exodus 14, 00:34:49.25\00:34:51.49 "Go forward." 00:34:51.52\00:34:52.85 And so what we're saying to many of you 00:34:52.89\00:34:54.92 that are watching the program or if you are in this category, 00:34:54.96\00:34:58.16 we're saying the Lord's future is better than your past. 00:34:58.19\00:35:02.76 Amen. 00:35:02.80\00:35:04.13 Trade your downward spiral for the upward call. 00:35:04.17\00:35:07.17 That's right. 00:35:07.20\00:35:08.54 Trade your reverse gear for a forward gear. 00:35:08.57\00:35:11.91 Don't stand on your failures. 00:35:11.94\00:35:13.41 Failures press toward the goals the Lord has for you. 00:35:13.44\00:35:16.38 It's like a big weight lifted when you let go. 00:35:16.41\00:35:20.72 Have you ever had people say that? 00:35:20.75\00:35:22.55 It's like a weight lifted. 00:35:22.58\00:35:23.92 I said that. 00:35:23.95\00:35:25.92 It's, if you take a deep breath and you go... 00:35:25.95\00:35:27.46 Yes. Finally. 00:35:27.49\00:35:29.19 When you finally give it to him, 00:35:29.22\00:35:31.09 when you finally give it to him. 00:35:31.13\00:35:32.46 Yes. 00:35:32.49\00:35:33.83 What usually prevents a person from dealing with an issue? 00:35:33.86\00:35:36.43 They are not honest with themselves. 00:35:36.46\00:35:37.80 Yeah. Okay, that's one... 00:35:37.83\00:35:39.17 They deny it 00:35:39.20\00:35:40.54 and until you're honest with yourself, 00:35:40.57\00:35:41.90 you don't reach out for that healing 00:35:41.94\00:35:43.57 and you know, God, 00:35:43.61\00:35:44.97 Christ reaches out with his hand 00:35:45.01\00:35:46.34 and you say "Well, I'm just fine. 00:35:46.37\00:35:47.71 I don't need to take your hand. 00:35:47.74\00:35:49.41 I'm doing just well, everything, I'm making money, 00:35:49.44\00:35:51.48 everything's going great, my career is just fine, 00:35:51.51\00:35:53.42 I don't need to reach out." 00:35:53.45\00:35:54.78 And inside you need to reach out 00:35:54.82\00:35:56.69 and you have to acknowledge 00:35:56.72\00:35:58.05 that there problem exists, to do that. 00:35:58.09\00:36:00.39 What else prevents us from going forward sometime? 00:36:00.42\00:36:02.36 I was gonna say fear. 00:36:02.39\00:36:04.19 I know, for me, with struggles that I've had, 00:36:04.23\00:36:06.70 sometimes, 00:36:06.73\00:36:08.06 yeah, you don't just either don't want to face it 00:36:08.10\00:36:09.80 or may be you're just so used to living that way 00:36:09.83\00:36:13.13 that the thought of not living like that, 00:36:13.17\00:36:14.64 it's like what am I gonna do with myself, 00:36:14.67\00:36:16.30 I don't have anything to think about, 00:36:16.34\00:36:18.21 you know whatever but, you know sometimes, 00:36:18.24\00:36:20.38 fear is definitely a huge factor. 00:36:20.41\00:36:21.91 They are... 00:36:21.94\00:36:23.28 And I think we also get in our comfort zone, 00:36:23.31\00:36:26.18 you know, its hard to get out of, 00:36:26.21\00:36:28.65 step out beyond what's around you. 00:36:28.68\00:36:32.89 And once you do that, you realize it's not as fearful 00:36:32.92\00:36:35.89 but you have to be willing to accept God's help. 00:36:35.92\00:36:39.83 Okay, what else? 00:36:39.86\00:36:41.20 Anything you could think of, hon? 00:36:41.23\00:36:43.77 Well, look at the familiar places, 00:36:43.80\00:36:45.77 I think, that I'm gonna combine what Mayri said 00:36:45.80\00:36:47.34 and what Marylin said, fear. 00:36:47.37\00:36:49.57 Fear says to you, you can't, you can't get past us. 00:36:49.60\00:36:52.57 What you're gonna do 00:36:52.61\00:36:53.94 when you stop thinking in that way? 00:36:53.98\00:36:55.64 What you're gonna say to people 00:36:55.68\00:36:57.65 when they say you how you're doing? 00:36:57.68\00:36:59.01 In the past, you used to say you, 00:36:59.05\00:37:00.65 you could tell them all your war stories, 00:37:00.68\00:37:02.02 but now you got to lay them down. 00:37:02.05\00:37:04.09 And what you're gonna say now? 00:37:04.12\00:37:05.72 And the fear of getting away from those, 00:37:05.75\00:37:09.02 the familiar place, the place that surrounds you... 00:37:09.06\00:37:11.76 Which is not true, 00:37:11.79\00:37:13.36 those are lies that Satan tells us... 00:37:13.40\00:37:15.16 Of course. Yeah. 00:37:15.20\00:37:16.53 Because we're so familiar with those things, 00:37:16.56\00:37:18.47 so comfortable 00:37:18.50\00:37:19.83 telling our war stories and our, 00:37:19.87\00:37:21.54 you know, starting our different 00:37:21.57\00:37:23.10 pity parties here and there 00:37:23.14\00:37:24.47 and we're wondering who am I gonna be, 00:37:24.51\00:37:27.14 if I'm not telling these stories anymore, 00:37:27.18\00:37:28.94 we don't realize that 00:37:28.98\00:37:30.31 God has a better story to write for us. 00:37:30.35\00:37:31.68 Amen. 00:37:31.71\00:37:33.05 He has more incredible things that he can give us 00:37:33.08\00:37:34.75 that can be our stories for the future. 00:37:34.78\00:37:36.52 Amen. 00:37:36.55\00:37:37.89 And you know sometimes, 00:37:37.92\00:37:39.45 the devil is so creative at keeping us in those places 00:37:39.49\00:37:42.56 and makes us feel like, what we've got right now 00:37:42.59\00:37:44.69 is the most valuable thing that we can have 00:37:44.73\00:37:46.86 and we're afraid to let go off it, 00:37:46.90\00:37:49.00 but God has something so much better for us. 00:37:49.03\00:37:51.13 So our thoughts are all road blocked, 00:37:51.17\00:37:52.77 look at Jeremiah. 00:37:52.80\00:37:54.14 Let me see, who hasn't read yet? 00:37:54.17\00:37:57.04 Eric, look at Jeremiah 29: 11, this is something else, 00:37:57.07\00:38:00.08 because you know, when you think about thoughts, 00:38:00.11\00:38:01.81 I think what Marylin and Mayri said 00:38:01.84\00:38:03.91 and what we're talking about here 00:38:03.95\00:38:05.51 and sometimes your thoughts is the greatest roadblock, 00:38:05.55\00:38:07.68 so what we're gonna suggest in this text 00:38:07.72\00:38:09.62 is get rid of your thoughts and accept the thoughts 00:38:09.65\00:38:11.85 that Jesus has for you. 00:38:11.89\00:38:13.46 So try to replace the way you think. 00:38:13.49\00:38:16.12 Jeremiah 29:11, you have that, Eric? 00:38:16.16\00:38:19.03 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, 00:38:19.06\00:38:21.56 says the Lord, 00:38:21.60\00:38:22.93 thoughts of peace and not of evil, 00:38:22.96\00:38:25.47 to give you a future and a hope." 00:38:25.50\00:38:27.74 Wow. Amen. 00:38:27.77\00:38:29.20 I know the thoughts. 00:38:29.24\00:38:30.57 And see, 00:38:30.61\00:38:31.94 in some occasions 00:38:31.97\00:38:33.31 Jesus would say to those who were in the crowd, 00:38:33.34\00:38:35.84 mostly religious leaders, he says, 00:38:35.88\00:38:38.15 "Why think ye so," 00:38:38.18\00:38:39.65 I mean why are you thinking like that, 00:38:39.68\00:38:41.18 and sometimes, 00:38:41.22\00:38:42.55 can you ever look at people sometimes, 00:38:42.58\00:38:43.92 in a close communication 00:38:43.95\00:38:46.86 and you're saying something 00:38:46.89\00:38:48.36 and they're going like, 00:38:48.39\00:38:51.66 they say don't think that. 00:38:51.69\00:38:53.03 Right. 00:38:53.06\00:38:54.66 Do you ever feel like saying that sometimes? 00:38:54.70\00:38:56.03 Exactly. 00:38:56.06\00:38:57.40 Can you help me? 00:38:57.43\00:38:59.30 Why are you thinking like that, 00:38:59.33\00:39:00.67 just come in and give me a hand, 00:39:00.70\00:39:02.04 they don't say a single word 00:39:02.07\00:39:03.41 because you could see their facial encounter... 00:39:03.44\00:39:05.44 Right. 00:39:05.47\00:39:06.81 Starts developing, I know, what they are thinking. 00:39:06.84\00:39:08.98 Yeah. 00:39:09.01\00:39:10.35 Can you lend some money? 00:39:10.38\00:39:13.42 Go ahead. 00:39:13.45\00:39:14.78 I had a verse that goes along with what 00:39:14.82\00:39:16.45 this last verse we've read Isaiah 55, 00:39:16.48\00:39:19.62 and I guess start with verse 7, 00:39:19.65\00:39:21.92 "Let the wicked forsake his way, 00:39:21.96\00:39:23.29 and the unrighteous man his thoughts. 00:39:23.32\00:39:25.56 Let him return to the Lord, 00:39:25.59\00:39:27.60 and He will have mercy on him. 00:39:27.63\00:39:28.96 And to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. 00:39:29.00\00:39:30.77 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, 00:39:30.80\00:39:33.00 neither are your ways My ways," says the Lord. 00:39:33.03\00:39:35.40 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 00:39:35.44\00:39:37.67 so are My ways higher than your ways, 00:39:37.71\00:39:39.74 and My thoughts than your thoughts." 00:39:39.77\00:39:41.11 Wow. 00:39:41.14\00:39:42.48 I'm so glad 00:39:42.51\00:39:43.85 God doesn't think the way that we do. 00:39:43.88\00:39:45.58 Because if he did, I'd be in a lot... 00:39:45.61\00:39:47.35 All of us, to all of us. You know, John, 00:39:47.38\00:39:49.05 they have a thing called some... 00:39:49.08\00:39:50.95 Also I was in the military in the past 00:39:50.99\00:39:53.09 and they have this thing called PTSD, 00:39:53.12\00:39:56.12 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. 00:39:56.16\00:39:58.59 It's when you have an experience with the past 00:39:58.63\00:40:00.40 that you can't get rid of, it's a disorder. 00:40:00.43\00:40:03.87 And Christ Jesus is the great physician, 00:40:03.90\00:40:06.90 He can heal that. 00:40:06.94\00:40:08.40 And we need to keep that in mind. 00:40:08.44\00:40:10.21 You know, it's amazing 00:40:10.24\00:40:11.57 that they often refer to that... 00:40:11.61\00:40:12.94 I've heard that a lot in the military terms, 00:40:12.97\00:40:15.01 but is it something everybody has? 00:40:15.04\00:40:16.68 I mean... It's something... 00:40:16.71\00:40:18.05 Who face traumatic experiences 00:40:18.08\00:40:20.28 and they can't get that traumatic experience 00:40:20.32\00:40:22.72 out of their heart, out of their mind, 00:40:22.75\00:40:24.75 and it's a burden, 00:40:24.79\00:40:26.19 it's a weight on them through their entire lives. 00:40:26.22\00:40:27.56 Wow. 00:40:27.59\00:40:28.92 And there is coping mechanisms for that, 00:40:28.96\00:40:30.79 but I submit that the greatest coping mechanism 00:40:30.83\00:40:33.70 is the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:40:33.73\00:40:35.06 Yes. Yeah. 00:40:35.10\00:40:36.43 It's worth, it works, He works. 00:40:36.46\00:40:37.80 God is the main healer. 00:40:37.83\00:40:39.87 And He also gives us other, 00:40:39.90\00:40:41.40 you know, doctors and counselors 00:40:41.44\00:40:43.84 and even, thinking of that, 00:40:43.87\00:40:45.27 I think of, like, therapy animals. 00:40:45.31\00:40:47.61 You know, that's really cool, 00:40:47.64\00:40:48.98 just how that's used by God 00:40:49.01\00:40:50.51 is the one that we need to go to 00:40:50.55\00:40:52.01 and he will show us the way to find healing. 00:40:52.05\00:40:54.22 Amplify the therapy animals. 00:40:54.25\00:40:55.58 Somebody might not know what you mean by that. 00:40:55.62\00:40:56.95 Oh, just like having either like a dog, 00:40:56.99\00:40:59.65 like a service dog 00:40:59.69\00:41:01.02 or, you know, a cat or they use different animal, 00:41:01.06\00:41:03.49 horses sometimes just to, 00:41:03.53\00:41:05.56 you know, it helps clam the person down a lot of times 00:41:05.59\00:41:08.10 and just having like a companion there with you, 00:41:08.13\00:41:11.53 just to help with, 00:41:11.57\00:41:13.34 you know, keeping you stable and emotionally. 00:41:13.37\00:41:16.64 Now when we think about 00:41:16.67\00:41:19.01 where we are and where God wants us to be. 00:41:19.04\00:41:20.94 Do you think that when you were born, honey, 00:41:20.98\00:41:22.81 the Lord, He knew what you had... 00:41:22.84\00:41:24.18 Of course, He knew all of us. 00:41:24.21\00:41:26.88 He has a plan for each life. I always say that to people. 00:41:26.92\00:41:30.09 The Lord has a plan for you. 00:41:30.12\00:41:31.69 Jeremiah. Let's go to Jeremiah. 00:41:31.72\00:41:33.05 I want you to read this one. Jeremiah 1:5. 00:41:33.09\00:41:35.19 It's in our syllabus, 00:41:35.22\00:41:36.56 but we could go ahead and look at this together 00:41:36.59\00:41:39.03 because a lot of times people don't realize that 00:41:39.06\00:41:42.56 before you are born, 00:41:42.60\00:41:44.97 the circumstances of your birth, 00:41:45.00\00:41:46.63 and I think I'm a classic example of that 00:41:46.67\00:41:48.67 having been abandoned by my mom and dad 00:41:48.70\00:41:50.47 at three months old. 00:41:50.51\00:41:52.07 Somebody once told me, they said, John, 00:41:52.11\00:41:54.04 according to your past experiences 00:41:54.08\00:41:56.18 you should be a train wreck 00:41:56.21\00:41:58.11 or you should be mentally, you know, confused. 00:41:58.15\00:42:01.58 And I literally hadn't gone to the place in my youth years, 00:42:01.62\00:42:06.19 when they were turbulent experiences, like, 00:42:06.22\00:42:08.72 the one who was giving me, 00:42:08.76\00:42:10.29 the lady that was raising me died 00:42:10.33\00:42:11.99 when I was only 12 years old. 00:42:12.03\00:42:14.06 And the man that was raising me 00:42:14.10\00:42:15.43 kind of just loss his perspective, 00:42:15.46\00:42:16.80 he just... 00:42:16.83\00:42:18.17 My wife has died, 00:42:18.20\00:42:19.53 people marry at 30 something years. 00:42:19.57\00:42:21.00 I don't have any more future, I'm done. 00:42:21.04\00:42:23.10 And I just kind a got to the place where it says, 00:42:23.14\00:42:24.61 either I'm gonna fail, I'm gonna sink, 00:42:24.64\00:42:26.37 or I'm gonna make it. 00:42:26.41\00:42:27.74 And but this text, 00:42:27.78\00:42:29.11 I didn't know this text at that time, 00:42:29.14\00:42:30.48 but Jeremiah 1:5. Look at that. 00:42:30.51\00:42:31.85 I think you should read it. 00:42:31.88\00:42:33.21 Okay. Because of your situation. 00:42:33.25\00:42:35.15 All right, let me read it. Yeah. 00:42:35.18\00:42:37.05 "Before I formed you in the womb, 00:42:37.09\00:42:41.06 I knew you." 00:42:41.09\00:42:42.82 Ain't that powerful? Powerful. 00:42:42.86\00:42:45.26 "Before you were born, I sanctified you, 00:42:45.29\00:42:49.60 I ordained you a prophet to the nations." 00:42:49.63\00:42:52.83 Another word for prophet is preacher. 00:42:52.87\00:42:54.97 You know, just speaking... 00:42:55.00\00:42:56.34 That's why I said you should read this. 00:42:56.37\00:42:58.61 Wow, that's a powerful text. 00:42:58.64\00:43:00.28 I mean, that's a powerful text. It is. 00:43:00.31\00:43:02.31 "Before I formed you in your mother." 00:43:02.34\00:43:04.08 And, you know, honey, you know the story very well. 00:43:04.11\00:43:06.78 When I finally met my mom, 00:43:06.82\00:43:08.72 you know she said to me, she said, "If I raised you, 00:43:08.75\00:43:11.29 you wouldn't be what you are today." 00:43:11.32\00:43:14.02 So the Lord saw in some of our instances, 00:43:14.06\00:43:16.42 and so there is a point to have at the story, 00:43:16.46\00:43:18.43 because some people may say, I was abandoned by my mom. 00:43:18.46\00:43:20.83 Yeah. 00:43:20.86\00:43:22.20 My dad left me, 00:43:22.23\00:43:23.57 I don't know who my parents are. 00:43:23.60\00:43:24.97 And they put that trailer truck behind them 00:43:25.00\00:43:26.80 and they dragged and they... 00:43:26.84\00:43:28.44 And some people they never meet who their folks are. 00:43:28.47\00:43:31.57 And so I'm saying, 00:43:31.61\00:43:33.54 who your folks are should not hinder 00:43:33.58\00:43:38.38 who your God is. 00:43:38.41\00:43:39.75 Amen. 00:43:39.78\00:43:41.12 See. Amen. 00:43:41.15\00:43:42.48 So does this apply to everyone? 00:43:42.52\00:43:44.19 Oh, it sure it does. 00:43:44.22\00:43:46.05 The Lord has a... Well, Jeremiah 29:11, right? 00:43:46.09\00:43:49.32 Does he have a future and hope for you? 00:43:49.36\00:43:50.76 It's right. 00:43:50.79\00:43:52.13 All of us. Yeah. 00:43:52.16\00:43:53.50 So, he says before I formed you. 00:43:53.53\00:43:55.06 So if you're thinking about that thought, 00:43:55.10\00:43:56.83 very importantly, today, 00:43:56.87\00:43:58.20 if you're thinking about that thought, 00:43:58.23\00:43:59.57 the Lord had a plan for my wife, 00:43:59.60\00:44:01.60 for me, for Mayri, for Ryan, 00:44:01.64\00:44:03.17 for Eric, for Marylin, before we were born. 00:44:03.20\00:44:05.84 So we're not here at 3ABN. 00:44:05.87\00:44:08.14 Are we here coincidentally? No. 00:44:08.18\00:44:10.31 Does the Lord know you're gonna be here, 00:44:10.35\00:44:11.68 aerospace man. 00:44:11.71\00:44:13.05 He knew, I didn't know it, but He knew. 00:44:13.08\00:44:15.72 Yeah. 00:44:15.75\00:44:17.09 And Ryan, this was... 00:44:17.12\00:44:18.89 His media name is amazing. 00:44:18.92\00:44:20.76 This was unseen by you. 00:44:20.79\00:44:22.39 Yeah. 00:44:22.42\00:44:24.13 Yes, it was. 00:44:24.16\00:44:25.49 Unseen Media, Unseen Media executive. 00:44:25.53\00:44:27.63 Yeah, but God knew. But God knew. 00:44:27.66\00:44:29.66 Mayri, what about you ending up here? 00:44:29.70\00:44:32.00 Oh, yeah, that's quiet a story. 00:44:32.03\00:44:34.04 I definitely don't have a doubt that it was God's doing, yeah. 00:44:34.07\00:44:37.51 I wouldn't have chosen to be here, yeah. 00:44:37.54\00:44:40.38 Honey, what about you? 00:44:40.41\00:44:41.74 I would never pick the Mid-West to live. 00:44:41.78\00:44:44.45 I actually wouldn't. 00:44:44.48\00:44:45.81 We always say that 00:44:45.85\00:44:47.18 because we lived in California for so many years 00:44:47.22\00:44:49.25 and then we move to the Mid-West. 00:44:49.28\00:44:51.99 We moved to Missouri, 00:44:52.02\00:44:54.96 and I'm like, 00:44:54.99\00:44:56.32 I want to go back to California. 00:44:56.36\00:44:58.56 But I know the Lord put us here. 00:44:58.59\00:45:01.06 I know that beyond a shadow of a doubt. 00:45:01.10\00:45:02.76 Don't you? 00:45:02.80\00:45:04.13 And what you're doing now, 00:45:04.17\00:45:05.50 would you have ever thought of doing 00:45:05.53\00:45:06.87 what you're doing now? No, never. 00:45:06.90\00:45:08.24 What are you doing now again? 00:45:08.27\00:45:09.60 Edit, right, audio editor, I edit. 00:45:09.64\00:45:13.24 I never thought I would be an audio editor 00:45:13.27\00:45:15.21 in a million years. 00:45:15.24\00:45:16.58 So I know that's God. 00:45:16.61\00:45:18.01 I never liked that. 00:45:18.05\00:45:19.95 I had no desire to do that. 00:45:19.98\00:45:22.58 Should I tell them the story? Go ahead. 00:45:22.62\00:45:23.95 I used to try to... 00:45:23.99\00:45:25.32 I used to try to tell her about audio editing 00:45:25.35\00:45:26.96 when we lived in California. 00:45:26.99\00:45:28.69 Honey, look at my computer. 00:45:28.72\00:45:30.39 A WAV file. 00:45:30.43\00:45:31.76 You know what a WAV file was for my wife? 00:45:31.79\00:45:34.86 A wave file. Bye. 00:45:34.90\00:45:37.00 But now she's like, she could look at a WAV file, 00:45:37.03\00:45:40.00 God has not only... 00:45:40.04\00:45:41.37 But here's what He does, He doesn't only call us. 00:45:41.40\00:45:44.37 What else does He do? 00:45:44.41\00:45:46.11 He doesn't just call us. 00:45:46.14\00:45:47.48 What else does He... Qualifies. 00:45:47.51\00:45:48.84 He qualifies us. 00:45:48.88\00:45:50.61 Marylin, 00:45:50.65\00:45:52.81 did you know you're gonna be here? 00:45:52.85\00:45:54.22 No. Assistant manager. 00:45:54.25\00:45:55.58 No, not at all. And I agree with you. 00:45:55.62\00:45:58.92 This is not coming form the East Coast 00:45:58.95\00:46:01.92 and the Northwest. 00:46:01.96\00:46:03.56 This is a different environment. 00:46:03.59\00:46:05.86 And I think, I tell everyone this. 00:46:05.89\00:46:08.90 I don't think it was for Eric. 00:46:08.93\00:46:10.47 I think the Lord brought us here for me. 00:46:10.50\00:46:12.67 Wow. 00:46:12.70\00:46:14.17 So, using Eric. 00:46:14.20\00:46:18.27 Now we want to know more about that story. 00:46:18.31\00:46:19.87 Yeah. 00:46:19.91\00:46:21.24 Well, I've just received so many blessings 00:46:21.28\00:46:23.35 from being here and growing in my spiritual walk. 00:46:23.38\00:46:26.45 And... 00:46:26.48\00:46:29.45 just the growth that I've received coming here, 00:46:29.48\00:46:33.02 I think it was more so for me than. 00:46:33.05\00:46:35.92 She is a different person. 00:46:35.96\00:46:37.96 She is definitely a different person. 00:46:37.99\00:46:39.46 She has absolutely grown her spiritual walk. 00:46:39.49\00:46:42.53 And I want to say I'm proud of Marylin, 00:46:42.56\00:46:44.93 but it was Jesus working through Marylin that did it. 00:46:44.97\00:46:47.87 Yes. So, yes. 00:46:47.90\00:46:49.74 It's awesome. 00:46:49.77\00:46:51.24 You know, the text I want you to read, Marylin, 00:46:51.27\00:46:53.01 is Ephesians 5:10 'cause this fits you. 00:46:53.04\00:46:55.81 I mean, after you just told me that. 00:46:55.84\00:46:57.45 Ephesians 5:10 00:46:57.48\00:46:58.81 it's under our point number seven. 00:46:58.85\00:47:03.02 You know, 00:47:03.05\00:47:04.39 but Ephesians 5:10 is the text there 00:47:04.42\00:47:06.82 and of our syllabus, point number seven. 00:47:06.86\00:47:08.52 Okay, 00:47:08.56\00:47:09.89 "For we are his workmanship, 00:47:09.92\00:47:12.06 created in Christ Jesus for good works, 00:47:12.09\00:47:14.63 which God prepared before hand that we should walk in them." 00:47:14.66\00:47:18.33 Okay. 00:47:18.37\00:47:19.70 So did you know you were gonna be walking in 00:47:19.73\00:47:21.54 before you got here? 00:47:21.57\00:47:22.90 I didn't, but now I do. 00:47:22.94\00:47:24.64 He knew. But the Lord knew. 00:47:24.67\00:47:26.01 Yes He did. He knew. That's right. 00:47:26.04\00:47:27.84 Oh, I have a question I want to throw in here. 00:47:27.88\00:47:31.25 Okay. 00:47:31.28\00:47:32.61 Change the direction a little bit 00:47:32.65\00:47:33.98 but we're talking about how God is always with us. 00:47:34.02\00:47:36.38 And we're giving stories 00:47:36.42\00:47:38.02 that how God has led us in the past, 00:47:38.05\00:47:39.59 bring us to the point where we are right now. 00:47:39.62\00:47:43.56 And we don't realize that until we look back 00:47:43.59\00:47:46.13 and we can see God's hand. 00:47:46.16\00:47:48.70 But I think one of the reasons 00:47:48.73\00:47:50.73 why a lot of people drag their past 00:47:50.77\00:47:54.10 with them many times 00:47:54.14\00:47:55.70 is because we ask the question, 00:47:55.74\00:47:58.24 well, where was God when... 00:47:58.27\00:48:01.51 And then fill in the blank. 00:48:01.54\00:48:03.31 You know because we all go through experiences 00:48:03.35\00:48:05.31 where it's like why would God have allowed me 00:48:05.35\00:48:08.52 to go through this or that or whatever that may be. 00:48:08.55\00:48:13.92 And, you know, 00:48:13.96\00:48:15.46 if God really is with us every step of the way... 00:48:15.49\00:48:19.16 Can I speak on that? Sure. 00:48:19.19\00:48:21.03 Because one of my favorite stories. 00:48:21.06\00:48:23.37 And I mean it's in the top three stories 00:48:23.40\00:48:26.23 in the Bible is the story of Joseph 00:48:26.27\00:48:28.80 where God allowed him. 00:48:28.84\00:48:30.74 He didn't make him go to prison. 00:48:30.77\00:48:32.54 He allowed him to go to prison, suffer what he went through, 00:48:32.57\00:48:36.08 slavery in prison 00:48:36.11\00:48:37.45 so that he could save Israel in the end. 00:48:37.48\00:48:39.61 And at the time, 00:48:39.65\00:48:41.08 Joseph didn't know that was his purpose 00:48:41.12\00:48:43.75 but God took a bad circumstance 00:48:43.79\00:48:46.19 and allowed it to play its course 00:48:46.22\00:48:47.82 so that He could do the greater good. 00:48:47.86\00:48:49.39 So sometimes we end up in a situation, 00:48:49.42\00:48:52.23 we're like, I didn't bring this upon myself, 00:48:52.26\00:48:54.23 why Lord, why are you doing this? 00:48:54.26\00:48:56.10 Like you said, 00:48:56.13\00:48:57.47 and it is because God has a greater role for us. 00:48:57.50\00:48:59.33 We just have to be faithful 00:48:59.37\00:49:01.17 so that we can fulfill that role. 00:49:01.20\00:49:03.00 Some of us fall away during that. 00:49:03.04\00:49:04.97 If we stand with it, stand faithful, 00:49:05.01\00:49:06.68 and keep our eyes on the Lord, it reveals itself in the end. 00:49:06.71\00:49:09.71 You know, Joseph became... 00:49:09.74\00:49:12.25 Yeah, I love Joseph. 00:49:12.28\00:49:13.62 And you have a sermon from pits to palaces. 00:49:13.65\00:49:15.88 Wow. And that's about Joseph. 00:49:15.92\00:49:17.69 And he's my favorite character, 00:49:17.72\00:49:19.05 one of my favorite in the Bible. 00:49:19.09\00:49:20.96 What happened when we read the end of the story... 00:49:20.99\00:49:22.92 Oh! We cried. 00:49:22.96\00:49:24.59 Oh, we when... 00:49:24.63\00:49:25.96 we were reading in Genesis when he died. 00:49:25.99\00:49:28.10 Oh, I said Joseph. 00:49:28.13\00:49:29.46 We were driving to Paradise, California in the car 00:49:29.50\00:49:31.63 and Angie was reading Genesis and she said... 00:49:31.67\00:49:34.20 And I said, you okay, honey? 00:49:34.24\00:49:35.57 She said, oh, I just look forward 00:49:35.60\00:49:36.94 to meeting Joseph, 00:49:36.97\00:49:38.31 what a life, what a story. 00:49:38.34\00:49:39.67 And she was shedding tears. 00:49:39.71\00:49:41.18 And so, 00:49:41.21\00:49:43.21 like, there is another man in my life, Joseph. 00:49:43.24\00:49:47.02 Coming from Paradise or going to Paradise? 00:49:47.05\00:49:48.68 Going to paradise. 00:49:48.72\00:49:50.85 To Paradise, California to be specific. 00:49:50.89\00:49:53.36 But that's true and thank you for that example, 00:49:53.39\00:49:55.69 because, as Ryan pointed out, and that's a very good question 00:49:55.72\00:49:58.86 because there's somebody watching the program 00:49:58.89\00:50:00.33 that might say, well, where was God? 00:50:00.36\00:50:01.70 Yeah. 00:50:01.73\00:50:03.06 Where was God in my, 00:50:03.10\00:50:04.43 where was God in my betrayal, my family betrayal. 00:50:04.47\00:50:06.87 That's how it started out. 00:50:06.90\00:50:08.37 Where is God in my sibling jealousy. 00:50:08.40\00:50:10.67 Yeah. Look at all the components. 00:50:10.71\00:50:12.07 What else can you see in the story of Joseph? 00:50:12.11\00:50:13.91 Sibling jealousy, sibling rivalry, 00:50:13.94\00:50:16.81 family betrayal... 00:50:16.85\00:50:18.61 Attempted murder. 00:50:18.65\00:50:19.98 Attempted murder, falsely accused, 00:50:20.02\00:50:21.35 what else attempted... 00:50:21.38\00:50:22.72 Attempted murder. 00:50:22.75\00:50:24.09 What else? 00:50:24.12\00:50:26.35 That's it. 00:50:26.39\00:50:27.72 No, there is more. Feelings of abandonment. 00:50:27.76\00:50:30.29 Abandonment. That's right. 00:50:30.33\00:50:32.49 Why's this happening to me, 00:50:32.53\00:50:33.90 what have I done to bring this on myself. 00:50:33.93\00:50:36.67 All right. Yeah. 00:50:36.70\00:50:38.03 When you do all the right things 00:50:38.07\00:50:39.40 and all the wrong things happened to you. 00:50:39.43\00:50:41.64 Why do bad things happen to good people, 00:50:41.67\00:50:44.74 what else? 00:50:44.77\00:50:46.11 Such an honest man, remember... 00:50:46.14\00:50:49.24 Was that Potiphar's wife? That's right. 00:50:49.28\00:50:51.38 He was in a situation 00:50:51.41\00:50:52.75 where the devil wanted to take him even further down. 00:50:52.78\00:50:54.15 Yes. Tried to break him. 00:50:54.18\00:50:55.75 Tried to break him, 00:50:55.78\00:50:57.12 tried to get him to compromise his moral stand 00:50:57.15\00:50:58.69 with Potiphar's wife. 00:50:58.72\00:51:00.06 And he said... What did he say? 00:51:00.09\00:51:02.22 How can I do this great wickedness 00:51:02.26\00:51:03.59 and sin against God. 00:51:03.63\00:51:04.96 Right. 00:51:04.99\00:51:06.33 So he recognized at that point God was with him. 00:51:06.36\00:51:09.76 Yeah, just one more thing, 00:51:09.80\00:51:11.13 just to drive this a little bit deeper 00:51:11.17\00:51:12.50 because we talk about God uses these experiences 00:51:12.53\00:51:15.84 to bring about his purposes, right? 00:51:15.87\00:51:19.11 And somebody may be thinking, well, 00:51:19.14\00:51:20.84 does that mean that each of us are slaves to God's purpose? 00:51:20.88\00:51:24.71 Does that mean that we can only do 00:51:24.75\00:51:26.85 what God wants us to do? 00:51:26.88\00:51:28.25 We can't do what we want to do. 00:51:28.28\00:51:30.69 And it's a different way of thinking 00:51:30.72\00:51:32.05 but I have had people ask that question before. 00:51:32.09\00:51:34.42 And-- 00:51:34.46\00:51:35.79 I kind of have an answer but I want to... 00:51:35.82\00:51:38.49 We can do what we will, it's our choice. 00:51:38.53\00:51:42.80 But the difference is the great majority of times 00:51:42.83\00:51:45.87 if not always if we don't do God's will, 00:51:45.90\00:51:48.47 we fall away to some degree, 00:51:48.50\00:51:50.27 especially when we're faced with this great trial, 00:51:50.31\00:51:52.84 if we don't keep our eyes on the Lord 00:51:52.87\00:51:54.88 and have him lead us through that trail 00:51:54.91\00:51:56.44 to the greater success 00:51:56.48\00:51:57.81 and to the greater glory of God, 00:51:57.85\00:51:59.35 we fall away in the bad direction. 00:51:59.38\00:52:01.75 So we have a choice 00:52:01.78\00:52:03.12 whether to go in God's direction 00:52:03.15\00:52:04.49 or the bad direction. 00:52:04.52\00:52:05.85 That's what it sums up to in the end. 00:52:05.89\00:52:07.66 Sometimes we don't realize that that is what the choice is. 00:52:07.69\00:52:09.32 Right. 00:52:09.36\00:52:10.69 I think a lot of times we look at God's purpose 00:52:10.73\00:52:12.66 and we look at surrender to God as something that's scary, 00:52:12.69\00:52:15.43 like, what's gonna happen if I give up everything 00:52:15.46\00:52:18.23 and I surrender myself to God's purpose. 00:52:18.27\00:52:19.87 I don't want to give up this and that 00:52:19.90\00:52:21.87 and all these things that I love right now. 00:52:21.90\00:52:24.27 And we don't realize 00:52:24.31\00:52:25.64 that God wants to give us is actually something 00:52:25.67\00:52:28.04 that is gonna give us some more of fulfillment, 00:52:28.08\00:52:30.15 more peace, more happiness. 00:52:30.18\00:52:32.35 And that's an experience that because a lot of us, 00:52:32.38\00:52:37.09 we don't have that experience 00:52:37.12\00:52:38.45 and we don't share that experience 00:52:38.49\00:52:39.82 with other people, 00:52:39.85\00:52:41.19 we stay back in the pity party zone, 00:52:41.22\00:52:43.99 we're not passing these things on. 00:52:44.03\00:52:45.36 And so when we talk about surrender to God, 00:52:45.39\00:52:47.40 it becomes a scary thing 00:52:47.43\00:52:48.76 when really it's the most incredible experience 00:52:48.80\00:52:51.90 that you could ever have in your life because... 00:52:51.93\00:52:53.27 Amen. 00:52:53.30\00:52:54.64 You get taken to a place 00:52:54.67\00:52:56.00 where you get to see God working on your behalf 00:52:56.04\00:52:57.64 on a day to day basis, working miracles, doing things, 00:52:57.67\00:53:00.68 accomplishing things for you and for the people 00:53:00.71\00:53:03.51 that you never could have done by yourself. 00:53:03.55\00:53:06.01 And there is nothing more incredible. 00:53:06.05\00:53:08.12 Now there is a text I want to read 00:53:08.15\00:53:09.48 because a lot of times people think that 00:53:09.52\00:53:11.02 I'm ashamed about what happened to me. 00:53:11.05\00:53:12.92 Honey, I want you to read this since you gave me the last one, 00:53:12.95\00:53:14.92 2 Timothy 1:12. 00:53:14.96\00:53:16.56 This text is powerful 00:53:16.59\00:53:17.93 because a lot of times people said, I'm so ashamed, 00:53:17.96\00:53:21.26 they take on such burden of what they went through, 00:53:21.30\00:53:24.13 they forget the blessing of God. 00:53:24.17\00:53:26.57 And so get rid of the shame because the text shows you... 00:53:26.60\00:53:30.87 2 Timothy 1: 12. 00:53:30.91\00:53:32.47 This is a beautiful passage. 00:53:32.51\00:53:34.11 "For this reason, 00:53:34.14\00:53:35.68 I also suffer these things, nevertheless, 00:53:35.71\00:53:38.88 I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed 00:53:38.91\00:53:43.02 and I am persuaded that he is able to keep 00:53:43.05\00:53:46.22 what I have committed to him until that day." 00:53:46.25\00:53:49.72 Wow, isn't that powerful? Powerful. 00:53:49.76\00:53:51.79 Shame, people go through shame, 00:53:51.83\00:53:54.06 they said, oh, 00:53:54.10\00:53:55.43 I feel so ashamed to talk about this. 00:53:55.46\00:53:58.43 The Lord may have allowed you, Job, Joseph, 00:53:58.47\00:54:02.10 how many other characters in the Bible do we find 00:54:02.14\00:54:04.04 that have gone through difficulties? 00:54:04.07\00:54:05.41 Job. Job. 00:54:05.44\00:54:06.88 Pastor C.D. Brooks said if the devil only knew 00:54:06.91\00:54:09.44 how many people would be encouraged 00:54:09.48\00:54:10.98 by the story of Job, 00:54:11.01\00:54:12.35 he we would have left Job alone. 00:54:12.38\00:54:13.72 Yes. 00:54:13.75\00:54:16.05 It thought that to be true. 00:54:16.08\00:54:18.25 I want to get another one in there. 00:54:18.29\00:54:19.85 Mayri, Isaiah 61:1-3. 00:54:19.89\00:54:24.63 Isaiah 61: 1-3. 00:54:24.66\00:54:26.19 Because we're talking about 00:54:26.23\00:54:27.66 not only just getting past the past, 00:54:27.70\00:54:29.33 but what does Lord have in store for you. 00:54:29.36\00:54:31.07 If you're committed to him, he'll keep it. 00:54:31.10\00:54:33.07 Don't be ashamed about what you've been through, 00:54:33.10\00:54:34.70 but if you commit your present and your future to him, 00:54:34.74\00:54:36.97 He will be able to keep it. 00:54:37.01\00:54:38.34 Isaiah 61: 1-3, 00:54:38.37\00:54:40.94 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, 00:54:40.98\00:54:43.38 because the Lord has anointed me 00:54:43.41\00:54:45.35 to preach good tidings unto the meek, 00:54:45.38\00:54:47.88 He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, 00:54:47.92\00:54:50.35 to proclaim liberty to the captives, 00:54:50.39\00:54:52.85 and the opening of the prison to them that are bound 00:54:52.89\00:54:55.59 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, 00:54:55.62\00:54:57.59 and the day of vengeance of our God 00:54:57.63\00:54:58.99 to comfort all that mourn 00:54:59.03\00:55:01.23 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, 00:55:01.26\00:55:03.20 to give unto them beauty for ashes, 00:55:03.23\00:55:05.63 the oil of joy for mourning, 00:55:05.67\00:55:07.80 the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness 00:55:07.84\00:55:10.81 that they might be called trees of righteousness, 00:55:10.84\00:55:13.04 the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified." 00:55:13.07\00:55:16.24 There is so much in that passage. 00:55:16.28\00:55:17.61 One of the things that I want to bring out, 00:55:17.65\00:55:18.98 not only does God take away the past 00:55:19.01\00:55:20.55 and give you beauty, 00:55:20.58\00:55:21.92 but he says let me deal, 00:55:21.95\00:55:23.28 let me be the one 00:55:23.32\00:55:24.65 to take care of those who did wrong to you. 00:55:24.69\00:55:26.02 Amen. 00:55:26.05\00:55:27.39 The vengeance, 00:55:27.42\00:55:28.76 the day of vengeance of our God. 00:55:28.79\00:55:30.46 He says, let Me fight that battle. 00:55:30.49\00:55:33.09 I'll take away your ashes and give you beauty, 00:55:33.13\00:55:36.03 I'll give oil. 00:55:36.06\00:55:37.40 Ain't that wonderful? Let's trade. 00:55:37.43\00:55:38.77 Let's trade. Excellent trade. 00:55:38.80\00:55:40.14 And He doesn't minimize our pain. 00:55:40.17\00:55:41.50 And we definitely don't want anyone just think that, 00:55:41.54\00:55:43.47 you know, whatever you've gone through is like, 00:55:43.51\00:55:44.84 oh, that's not a big deal, just get over it. 00:55:44.87\00:55:46.24 Exactly. 00:55:46.27\00:55:47.61 God knows our pain and He knows how deep it can be, 00:55:47.64\00:55:49.98 but he wants us... 00:55:50.01\00:55:51.35 He doesn't want us to live in that 00:55:51.38\00:55:52.71 for the rest of our lives. 00:55:52.75\00:55:54.52 Anything else, Eric? 00:55:54.55\00:55:55.88 I've never met anyone that regretted coming to Jesus. 00:55:55.92\00:55:58.62 Never. Wow. 00:55:58.65\00:55:59.99 Never, of all the people... 00:56:00.02\00:56:01.36 And I like to talk to people a lot. 00:56:01.39\00:56:03.22 And I've never heard anyone saying I regret it. 00:56:03.26\00:56:06.26 That's what I have to say about that. 00:56:06.29\00:56:07.96 Anything, honey? 00:56:08.00\00:56:09.60 No, God is faithful. That's all I know. 00:56:09.63\00:56:11.70 He's faithful. 00:56:11.73\00:56:13.07 So whatever you are going through, 00:56:13.10\00:56:14.60 or me or you, any of us here, 00:56:14.64\00:56:16.47 He's faithful to take us through it. 00:56:16.50\00:56:18.94 Remember what you always say? 00:56:18.97\00:56:20.64 You're going through... That's right. 00:56:20.68\00:56:22.54 If you're going through it, keep going through it, 00:56:22.58\00:56:25.38 and come out the other end 00:56:25.41\00:56:26.75 into the plan that God has for you. 00:56:26.78\00:56:28.18 I want to kind of bring our time together, 00:56:28.22\00:56:30.85 wind it up on this text Romans 8:38-39. 00:56:30.89\00:56:34.06 This is a commitment text that says to you 00:56:34.09\00:56:36.46 it's not where you are but where God can keep you. 00:56:36.49\00:56:39.43 You have to persuaded though, 00:56:39.46\00:56:40.80 he says, "For I am persuaded, 00:56:40.83\00:56:42.76 that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, 00:56:42.80\00:56:46.27 nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, 00:56:46.30\00:56:49.54 nor depth, nor any other created thing, 00:56:49.57\00:56:52.17 shall be able to separate us from the love of God, 00:56:52.21\00:56:55.98 which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 00:56:56.01\00:56:57.81 Amen. 00:56:57.85\00:56:59.18 Wow, did this program go too quickly? 00:56:59.21\00:57:00.88 Yes. Very fast. Very quickly. 00:57:00.92\00:57:02.58 So can we get past our past? Yes. 00:57:02.62\00:57:05.09 Through whom? Through Christ Jesus. 00:57:05.12\00:57:07.79 Friends, I tell you. 00:57:07.82\00:57:09.16 There's goal out there that God has for every one of us. 00:57:09.19\00:57:11.86 We've seen it, 00:57:11.89\00:57:13.23 it's continuing to unfold in all of our lives. 00:57:13.26\00:57:16.40 We want to say to you that God has a goal for you. 00:57:16.43\00:57:18.50 Amen. 00:57:18.53\00:57:19.87 An upward call, a forward motion. 00:57:19.90\00:57:22.14 He wants to take you off of your bed 00:57:22.17\00:57:23.71 and give you the ability to walk in his freedom. 00:57:23.74\00:57:26.21 So trust the Lord with your life 00:57:26.24\00:57:27.81 and the day is going to come 00:57:27.84\00:57:29.18 when you'll see the God that delivered you 00:57:29.21\00:57:31.41 and you'll glorify Him. 00:57:31.45\00:57:32.78 God be with you till we see you again. 00:57:32.81\00:57:34.98 Happy Sabbath. Amen. 00:57:35.02\00:57:36.35