I want to spend my life
00:00:01.36\00:00:07.37
Mending broken people
00:00:07.40\00:00:12.51
I want to spend my life
00:00:12.54\00:00:18.51
Removing pain
00:00:18.55\00:00:23.62
Lord, let my words
00:00:23.65\00:00:29.76
Heal a heart that hurts
00:00:29.79\00:00:34.26
I want to spend my life
00:00:34.30\00:00:40.04
Mending broken people
00:00:40.07\00:00:45.57
I want to spend my life
00:00:45.61\00:00:51.15
Mending broken people
00:00:51.18\00:00:55.68
Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn,
00:01:10.97\00:01:12.70
and we want to
welcome you once again
00:01:12.73\00:01:15.47
to 3ABN Family Worship.
00:01:15.50\00:01:17.21
Happy Sabbath.
00:01:17.24\00:01:18.57
You know, I have to say
00:01:18.61\00:01:19.94
I'm just a
little out of the sorts
00:01:19.97\00:01:21.31
because I'm used to
doing Family Worship
00:01:21.34\00:01:23.01
with my precious
husband next to me,
00:01:23.04\00:01:26.05
and he's a little
under the weather today.
00:01:26.08\00:01:27.85
So I've got the job all alone
but let me introduce the family
00:01:27.88\00:01:34.59
'cause by no means, am I alone.
00:01:34.62\00:01:37.73
I have my brother and
sister here to my left.
00:01:37.76\00:01:41.76
Almost said right, but,
John Dinzey and Idalia Dinzey,
00:01:41.80\00:01:45.00
we're so glad that you can come.
00:01:45.03\00:01:46.74
And I'll be calling you Tita
00:01:46.77\00:01:48.64
because that's what
I'm used to calling you.
00:01:48.67\00:01:51.04
And then here we have Tim Parton
00:01:51.07\00:01:53.38
and dear Brother Jason Bradley.
00:01:53.41\00:01:55.74
And we're so glad
that you guys are here
00:01:55.78\00:01:58.31
so that I won't be alone.
00:01:58.35\00:01:59.68
Well, we're glad to be here,
00:01:59.71\00:02:01.05
I am at least if it
comes behalf of myself.
00:02:01.08\00:02:03.18
It's always a
pleasure to be with you.
00:02:03.22\00:02:04.55
I love your smile. I
love your heart for the Lord.
00:02:04.59\00:02:06.55
I love your
knowledge of the Word.
00:02:06.59\00:02:07.92
Amen.
00:02:07.96\00:02:09.29
And so I'm honored
to be here with you.
00:02:09.32\00:02:10.69
Thank you, You
know, it's always just fun
00:02:10.73\00:02:13.40
to open up the Bible and
study the Bible together,
00:02:13.43\00:02:16.10
but let me ask you
a question at home,
00:02:16.13\00:02:20.37
have you ever just
wished you could start over?
00:02:20.40\00:02:24.17
I mean, I look
back to my BC days
00:02:24.21\00:02:27.61
and I remember how
many times I thought,
00:02:27.64\00:02:29.38
"Oh, I wished I
could start over.
00:02:29.41\00:02:30.91
I wished I hadn't done that."
00:02:30.95\00:02:32.85
And when I say
BC, before Christ.
00:02:32.88\00:02:34.78
You know, I went to
church for many years
00:02:34.82\00:02:37.49
but I weren't a Christian.
00:02:37.52\00:02:39.15
I never really learned
about heart conversion.
00:02:39.19\00:02:43.19
And so sometimes,
00:02:43.22\00:02:45.89
people feel like
either they're too bad
00:02:45.93\00:02:49.10
for the Lord to accept
them or they feel like,
00:02:49.13\00:02:52.30
if they have been a Christian
and they made a mistake,
00:02:52.33\00:02:55.44
they feel like,
"Oops, this is it."
00:02:55.47\00:02:58.37
But I want to
tell you something,
00:02:58.41\00:03:00.11
God is the God
of new beginnings,
00:03:00.14\00:03:02.71
and that's what we're going
to be talking about tonight.
00:03:02.74\00:03:05.25
The God of new beginnings.
00:03:05.28\00:03:08.15
So, Johnny, you
want to open in prayer?
00:03:08.18\00:03:10.45
Sure.
00:03:10.49\00:03:11.82
Let's go to the Lord in prayer.
00:03:11.85\00:03:14.06
Our loving heavenly Father,
00:03:14.09\00:03:15.92
we are grateful to
You Lord for Your kindness
00:03:15.96\00:03:18.23
and Your mercy to us.
00:03:18.26\00:03:19.73
We thank You that You
are the God of new beginnings
00:03:19.76\00:03:23.16
and that at
anytime we can come to You,
00:03:23.20\00:03:26.20
and You will not turn us away.
00:03:26.23\00:03:28.34
We ask Lord that
You will be with us
00:03:28.37\00:03:29.97
as we worship together.
00:03:30.01\00:03:31.81
And as a family,
we are gathered here
00:03:31.84\00:03:34.74
and all around the
world with our family members
00:03:34.78\00:03:37.61
wherever they may be.
00:03:37.65\00:03:38.98
We pray for Your
blessing upon all
00:03:39.01\00:03:40.72
and we ask Lord
00:03:40.75\00:03:42.08
that Your
children will be uplifted,
00:03:42.12\00:03:45.49
to Your throne of
grace as we share together.
00:03:45.52\00:03:47.69
In Jesus holy and
blessed name, amen.
00:03:47.72\00:03:50.46
Amen. Amen.
00:03:50.49\00:03:52.59
If you know somebody
00:03:52.63\00:03:55.26
that is feeling
separated from the Lord
00:03:55.30\00:03:59.40
or just feeling down
and out in the mouth,
00:03:59.43\00:04:02.50
please call them and tell them
00:04:02.54\00:04:04.41
you've got to watch this program
00:04:04.44\00:04:07.01
because God's got a
better plan for your life
00:04:07.04\00:04:09.51
than the one you're living,
00:04:09.54\00:04:10.88
and we're going to look at that.
00:04:10.91\00:04:12.25
So our sweet Brother Tim
has moved over to the piano,
00:04:12.28\00:04:17.35
and we're going
to sing something
00:04:17.39\00:04:18.72
that most of you know.
00:04:18.75\00:04:20.66
If you want to follow along,
00:04:20.69\00:04:22.42
the words will be on the screen,
00:04:22.46\00:04:25.09
but you can also find it,
00:04:25.13\00:04:26.49
its hymn number 190
00:04:26.53\00:04:28.36
in the
Seventh-day Adventist hymnal,
00:04:28.40\00:04:30.37
"Jesus loves me."
00:04:30.40\00:04:32.63
Jesus loves me this I know
00:04:37.07\00:04:41.21
For the Bible tells me so
00:04:41.24\00:04:45.11
Little ones to Him belong
00:04:45.15\00:04:49.02
They are weak but He is strong
00:04:49.05\00:04:53.22
Yes, Jesus loves
me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
00:04:53.25\00:05:00.86
Yes, Jesus loves me!
00:05:00.90\00:05:04.27
The Bible tells me so
00:05:04.30\00:05:08.77
Jesus loves me!
00:05:08.80\00:05:10.97
He who died
00:05:11.01\00:05:12.81
Heaven's gate to open wide
00:05:12.84\00:05:16.75
He will wash away my sin
00:05:16.78\00:05:20.65
Let His little child come in
00:05:20.68\00:05:24.95
Yes, Jesus loves me!
00:05:24.99\00:05:28.59
Yes, Jesus loves
me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
00:05:28.62\00:05:36.03
The Bible tells me so
00:05:36.06\00:05:40.60
Jesus, take this heart of mine
00:05:40.64\00:05:44.54
Make it pure and holy Thine
00:05:44.57\00:05:48.64
On the cross, You died for me
00:05:48.68\00:05:52.68
I will love and live for Thee
00:05:52.71\00:05:56.69
Yes, Jesus loves me!
00:05:56.72\00:06:00.59
Yes, Jesus loves
me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
00:06:00.62\00:06:07.86
The Bible tells me so
00:06:07.90\00:06:12.60
Amen.
00:06:12.63\00:06:13.97
Amen. Amen.
00:06:14.00\00:06:15.34
I think I was doing
a holy dance to that.
00:06:15.37\00:06:18.51
I love that song.
00:06:18.54\00:06:20.04
It reminds me of
when I was a little girl.
00:06:20.08\00:06:21.41
Resonate you.
00:06:21.44\00:06:22.78
Yes. Yes.
00:06:22.81\00:06:24.15
And the lyrics to
the song are beautiful,
00:06:24.18\00:06:27.82
but let me ask
you this question.
00:06:27.85\00:06:30.69
How do we know
that God loves us?
00:06:30.72\00:06:32.45
How do we know?
that Jesus loves us?
00:06:32.49\00:06:36.93
The Bible says because...
00:06:36.96\00:06:39.66
We love Him
because He first loved us.
00:06:39.69\00:06:41.66
Amen.
00:06:41.70\00:06:43.47
So He had a plan all along.
00:06:43.50\00:06:46.33
You know, it's like
going into a restaurant.
00:06:46.37\00:06:47.94
I would never go to a restaurant
00:06:47.97\00:06:49.80
that didn't have any food,
00:06:49.84\00:06:53.51
you know, it's like
any kind of a business
00:06:53.54\00:06:56.41
that didn't have any product
00:06:56.44\00:06:58.51
that you were there for,
00:06:58.55\00:06:59.88
you know, and you just kind
of had to wait around for a...
00:06:59.91\00:07:02.75
especially for a
restaurant, you know?
00:07:02.78\00:07:05.15
I'm just saying God
had a plan before it was...
00:07:05.19\00:07:08.19
And a smorgasbord.
00:07:08.22\00:07:09.56
And a smorgasbord,
exactly right, right.
00:07:09.59\00:07:11.79
And so we love Him
because He first loved us,
00:07:11.83\00:07:14.40
we had no capacity.
00:07:14.43\00:07:15.90
But how do we know He loves us?
00:07:15.93\00:07:17.90
Well, when you look...
00:07:17.93\00:07:19.27
Oh, okay. All right.
00:07:19.30\00:07:20.64
Well, when you
look at John 3:16,
00:07:20.67\00:07:22.74
"For God so loved the world
00:07:22.77\00:07:25.04
that He gave His
only begotten Son,
00:07:25.07\00:07:26.57
that whosoever believeth
in Him shall not perish
00:07:26.61\00:07:29.31
but have everlasting life."
00:07:29.34\00:07:31.05
I mean God gave
His only begotten Son
00:07:31.08\00:07:34.62
so that we could have
a second chance at life.
00:07:34.65\00:07:37.95
That's the
ultimate love right there.
00:07:37.99\00:07:40.26
And when you think
about it, Romans 5:8 says
00:07:40.29\00:07:43.73
that God demonstrated his life
00:07:43.76\00:07:47.30
and that He sent
Christ to die for us,
00:07:47.33\00:07:49.76
to take our place
while we were yet sinners.
00:07:49.80\00:07:54.47
So think about that.
00:07:54.50\00:07:55.84
It isn't that...
00:07:55.87\00:07:57.21
You've got to
get your act together
00:07:57.24\00:07:59.97
to come to the Lord.
00:08:00.01\00:08:01.34
In fact, you can't
get your act together
00:08:01.38\00:08:02.84
without coming
to the Lord, can we?
00:08:02.88\00:08:05.88
The Bible says
00:08:05.91\00:08:07.25
that no man can
change his heart,
00:08:07.28\00:08:10.85
no more than an
Ethiopian can change his skin
00:08:10.89\00:08:13.46
and a leopard
can change its spots.
00:08:13.49\00:08:15.89
So we've got to be
fully dependent upon Him.
00:08:15.92\00:08:20.50
Have you ever had
a time in your life
00:08:20.53\00:08:21.96
where you looked and thought
00:08:22.00\00:08:23.80
"Man, I wished I
could start over?"
00:08:23.83\00:08:26.63
Yes. Yeah.
00:08:26.67\00:08:28.00
It's in the morning...
"I better go back to bed.
00:08:28.04\00:08:31.11
I better go back to bed,"
00:08:31.14\00:08:32.47
'cause I get up on
the other side of the bed.
00:08:32.51\00:08:33.84
Exactly.
00:08:33.88\00:08:35.21
My mother used
to make me do that
00:08:35.24\00:08:36.58
when I was a little girl.
00:08:36.61\00:08:37.95
Seriously?
00:08:37.98\00:08:39.31
If I ever woke up
cranky, she'd say,
00:08:39.35\00:08:40.68
"You got up on the
wrong side of the bed.
00:08:40.72\00:08:42.05
Go back to bed."
00:08:42.08\00:08:43.42
And I go get out
on the other side...
00:08:43.45\00:08:47.32
Right.
00:08:47.36\00:08:49.46
You know, your question
is very important question.
00:08:49.49\00:08:53.53
But looking at John
3:16, it's not Noah saying it,
00:08:53.56\00:08:58.67
it's not Adam saying it,
it's not Peter, it's Jesus.
00:08:58.70\00:09:02.17
Amen.
00:09:02.20\00:09:03.54
And when you consider
00:09:03.57\00:09:05.04
that Jesus is
the one saying that,
00:09:05.07\00:09:06.64
He has
firsthand knowledge to say
00:09:06.68\00:09:10.41
"For God so loved the world
00:09:10.45\00:09:12.21
that He gave His
only begotten Son,"
00:09:12.25\00:09:14.08
Him, "that
whosoever believes in Him
00:09:14.12\00:09:16.25
should not perish but
have everlasting life."
00:09:16.28\00:09:18.29
It's a message
that should be studied
00:09:18.32\00:09:20.99
not only today but
throughout eternity.
00:09:21.02\00:09:23.06
And, you know, for me,
00:09:23.09\00:09:24.43
did you all grow up
really understanding
00:09:24.46\00:09:26.26
that God loved you?
00:09:26.29\00:09:28.23
I had a very, very
hard... Upbringing?
00:09:28.26\00:09:32.93
Time or, yeah,
00:09:32.97\00:09:34.57
upbringing being in a
domestic violent home,
00:09:34.60\00:09:40.01
it was very hard to see
that there was any love for us,
00:09:40.04\00:09:43.85
you know, for my mother
00:09:43.88\00:09:45.68
or whatever experiences
we experience as kids.
00:09:45.71\00:09:49.02
And so it wasn't until, like,
you're out of that environment
00:09:49.05\00:09:52.15
and you are learning to "live."
00:09:52.19\00:09:54.79
You're like, "Oh, it's safe.
00:09:54.82\00:09:56.46
My mom is not on the
floor bleeding, you know?
00:09:56.49\00:09:59.39
So, yeah. Yeah, I know that.
00:09:59.43\00:10:01.33
It's just different things
00:10:01.36\00:10:02.90
that affects, it builds up,
00:10:02.93\00:10:08.14
or just smears God's love.
00:10:08.17\00:10:10.94
Yeah.
00:10:10.97\00:10:12.31
When you're a child, you know,
it depends on the environment
00:10:12.34\00:10:15.74
that we choose
to raise our kids.
00:10:15.78\00:10:18.88
For example, we
wanted an environment
00:10:18.91\00:10:20.85
that they can be themselves
and it was a safe zone.
00:10:20.88\00:10:25.65
And my kids, I tell them,
00:10:25.69\00:10:27.02
"You're blessed
because you have a father,
00:10:27.06\00:10:28.39
I didn't have a father.
00:10:28.42\00:10:29.86
You know, he's just
my biological father,
00:10:29.89\00:10:33.93
but he was never
a father, you know?"
00:10:33.96\00:10:36.26
So my kids,
00:10:36.30\00:10:38.27
it's easier to show
them that God loves you
00:10:38.30\00:10:43.07
because of the
example Christ in my husband,
00:10:43.10\00:10:47.34
for being a godly man
00:10:47.38\00:10:49.11
that we can identify
what love is in a home,
00:10:49.14\00:10:52.01
you know?
00:10:52.05\00:10:53.38
And a home is something
that God blessed and ordained.
00:10:53.42\00:10:58.05
Yeah, you know,
00:10:58.09\00:10:59.42
not only is it
what's modeled in the home,
00:10:59.45\00:11:01.79
sometimes it's
what's said from the pulpit
00:11:01.82\00:11:04.79
because I grew up...
00:11:04.83\00:11:06.16
I had a love affair with Jesus
but I was scared of the Father,
00:11:06.19\00:11:09.50
and all I ever
heard, you know...
00:11:09.53\00:11:11.73
What I was taught is
that there was a different God
00:11:11.77\00:11:14.70
in the Old Testament
00:11:14.74\00:11:16.07
and He was different in the new.
00:11:16.10\00:11:18.27
And you know,
00:11:18.31\00:11:19.64
now I know
that's absolutely wrong.
00:11:19.67\00:11:21.51
God is the same
yesterday, today, and forever.
00:11:21.54\00:11:24.45
And when you see that...
00:11:24.48\00:11:25.81
But I remember
once that I got so upset
00:11:25.85\00:11:29.12
with God that I
shook my fist in His face
00:11:29.15\00:11:32.15
and I turned and walked away.
00:11:32.19\00:11:34.12
And then once you do
that, you feel like...
00:11:34.16\00:11:36.79
"What did I just do?"
00:11:36.83\00:11:38.16
"Now what do I do?" You know?
00:11:38.19\00:11:40.30
And He loved me
enough to chase me down.
00:11:40.33\00:11:43.47
But I just want
you to know, at home,
00:11:43.50\00:11:46.10
if you don't
know the love of God,
00:11:46.13\00:11:49.14
we're going to look at how God
00:11:49.17\00:11:50.74
is the God of new beginnings.
00:11:50.77\00:11:52.34
We've heard your
story a several times.
00:11:52.37\00:11:54.14
He certainly gave
you a new beginning.
00:11:54.18\00:11:55.78
Absolutely.
00:11:55.81\00:11:57.15
I know, for me, He
gave me a new beginning.
00:11:57.18\00:12:00.28
And I don't know
much about your childhood
00:12:00.32\00:12:03.42
other than you grew
up in a musical family.
00:12:03.45\00:12:05.52
Right, yeah.
00:12:05.55\00:12:06.89
But did you know
how much God loved you?
00:12:06.92\00:12:09.22
You know, I just don't think
00:12:09.26\00:12:10.59
that any of us
can really grasp that,
00:12:10.63\00:12:12.96
I mean, because
I grew up in church
00:12:12.99\00:12:16.56
and I was just understood,
but only as you get older...
00:12:16.60\00:12:22.10
only as I got older
00:12:22.14\00:12:24.24
and do things
that are just stupid,
00:12:24.27\00:12:27.11
you know, and things that,
you know, you don't mean...
00:12:27.14\00:12:30.75
They're not necessarily
sinful but I guess they're sin
00:12:30.78\00:12:34.95
if they turn
against God in any way,
00:12:34.98\00:12:39.25
just even in
the slightest thing.
00:12:39.29\00:12:40.76
I look back and think
"Man, I was just dumb,
00:12:40.79\00:12:42.79
why did I do that?"
00:12:42.82\00:12:44.16
And yet knowing...
00:12:44.19\00:12:45.99
God allows U-turn, you
know, and so you just...
00:12:46.03\00:12:47.93
Amen.
00:12:47.96\00:12:49.30
He more than
allows, He creates it.
00:12:49.33\00:12:51.63
Right, exactly, exactly.
00:12:51.67\00:12:53.47
He wants you to. He grants us.
00:12:53.50\00:12:55.04
Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
00:12:55.07\00:12:56.40
So you know, I don't
think any of us can grasp,
00:12:56.44\00:12:59.64
even if we are
raised in a functional home
00:12:59.67\00:13:03.08
or in an atmosphere of
love, there's just no way to...
00:13:03.11\00:13:06.85
God's love is just on a...
00:13:06.88\00:13:08.22
Right.
00:13:08.25\00:13:09.58
It's a supernatural
level that we can't even grasp.
00:13:09.62\00:13:12.42
And it takes us a life,
and we will spend eternity.
00:13:12.45\00:13:14.96
Amen.
00:13:14.99\00:13:16.32
All the things
that He will show us,
00:13:16.36\00:13:17.69
I believe, in the eternity,
00:13:17.73\00:13:19.06
the films and the movies
that He will be showing us
00:13:19.09\00:13:21.16
of where He loved us
and we didn't even see it.
00:13:21.20\00:13:24.20
Yeah. Amen.
00:13:24.23\00:13:25.57
And so that's...
00:13:25.60\00:13:27.37
I'm blessed to be a part of it.
00:13:27.40\00:13:28.74
Well, I grew up
in a Christian home
00:13:28.77\00:13:34.54
going to church,
and I don't know...
00:13:34.58\00:13:37.21
I don't
remember where I heard it
00:13:37.25\00:13:38.91
but I knew that God
was good, God is love.
00:13:38.95\00:13:41.88
I understood that.
00:13:41.92\00:13:43.45
And I used to
tell other little kids,
00:13:43.49\00:13:47.82
"God is good.
God is really good.
00:13:47.86\00:13:50.83
And He created
all the good things,
00:13:50.86\00:13:52.39
you know, the
butterflies, and the flowers,
00:13:52.43\00:13:54.50
and all the fruits,
God created those things.
00:13:54.53\00:13:56.43
But the bad things like
the bees that sting you,
00:13:56.46\00:14:00.17
the devil created those."
00:14:00.20\00:14:02.07
I didn't know that.
00:14:02.10\00:14:03.44
And I used to say,
"The ants, you know..."
00:14:03.47\00:14:04.87
Because in Dominican Republic,
we have ants that bite you.
00:14:04.91\00:14:08.28
It was a shock to me to
come to the US and ants are...
00:14:08.31\00:14:10.85
And I was, you know,
getting ants of off me
00:14:10.88\00:14:12.98
thinking they're
going to bite me,
00:14:13.01\00:14:14.35
but they didn't bite me.
00:14:14.38\00:14:17.85
In Chicago, they didn't bite us,
00:14:17.89\00:14:19.22
I said, "What's
wrong with these ants?
00:14:19.25\00:14:20.59
They don't bite."
00:14:20.62\00:14:22.12
But anyway, that
was my concept of God.
00:14:22.16\00:14:24.29
And I don't remember hearing
it in a sermon or reading,
00:14:24.33\00:14:26.80
maybe my parents told
me, but for some reason,
00:14:26.83\00:14:29.26
I knew that God was good,
00:14:29.30\00:14:31.17
and I thank the Lord for that.
00:14:31.20\00:14:32.53
I wanted to share also
that when we are children
00:14:32.57\00:14:36.34
we are in a routine, you know?
00:14:36.37\00:14:39.41
We go to church and
it's my mom and my dad's...
00:14:39.44\00:14:43.11
If you have a dad at
home, it's your parent's God.
00:14:43.14\00:14:48.08
Yes, you're right.
00:14:48.12\00:14:49.45
When it comes to developing
a relationship with God,
00:14:49.48\00:14:52.49
I mean it's a
teeter totter, you know?
00:14:52.52\00:14:55.46
As you mature, you
know, you're 10-12 years old,
00:14:55.49\00:14:59.06
you're understanding more,
then you become a teenager,
00:14:59.09\00:15:02.60
and sometimes,
you're too rebellious,
00:15:02.63\00:15:05.07
you know, and feeling
bad, you pray at night,
00:15:05.10\00:15:07.90
"I'm sorry, Lord," and
you carry on and carry up.
00:15:07.94\00:15:10.57
But as you mature,
just like Tim was saying,
00:15:10.61\00:15:14.04
my love for God
today is more greater,
00:15:14.08\00:15:18.91
bigger than it
was, say, 10-20 years.
00:15:18.95\00:15:21.58
Amen.
00:15:21.62\00:15:23.35
But there may be somebody
00:15:23.39\00:15:24.72
who is joining us
for worship tonight,
00:15:24.75\00:15:26.89
and maybe you
don't even know God,
00:15:26.92\00:15:29.22
and you say,
00:15:29.26\00:15:30.59
"How can I know He really
is the God of new beginnings?
00:15:30.63\00:15:33.53
How can I know
that this is His pain?
00:15:33.56\00:15:35.33
You say he loves me.
00:15:35.36\00:15:36.70
How can I know that
00:15:36.73\00:15:38.07
because I am just mired in sin?"
00:15:38.10\00:15:40.84
Let's look at Ephesians 2.
00:15:40.87\00:15:44.24
Tim, would you
take Ephesians 2:1-3?
00:15:44.27\00:15:47.04
This is one of my
favorite passages,
00:15:47.08\00:15:50.08
Ephesians 2:1-3.
00:15:50.11\00:15:52.95
And let's look and see
if these scriptures tell us
00:15:52.98\00:15:58.09
that God is the
God of new beginnings.
00:15:58.12\00:16:02.12
"And you He made alive,
00:16:02.16\00:16:04.63
who were dead in
trespasses and sins..."
00:16:04.66\00:16:06.86
Whoo! That's a new beginning.
00:16:06.90\00:16:08.23
Right.
00:16:08.26\00:16:09.60
"In which you once walked
00:16:09.63\00:16:10.97
according to the
course of this world,
00:16:11.00\00:16:12.93
according to the prince
of the power of the air,
00:16:12.97\00:16:16.20
the spirit who now works
in the sons of disobedience,
00:16:16.24\00:16:20.01
among whom also we all
once conducted ourselves
00:16:20.04\00:16:22.71
in the lusts of our flesh,
00:16:22.74\00:16:24.71
fulfilling the desires of
the flesh and of the mind,
00:16:24.75\00:16:27.72
and were by
nature children of wrath,
00:16:27.75\00:16:30.42
just as the others."
00:16:30.45\00:16:31.79
So here what's Paul saying,
00:16:31.82\00:16:33.66
He's saying,
"Hey, we were all there.
00:16:33.69\00:16:36.66
We were all children of
wrath, sons of disobedience.
00:16:36.69\00:16:40.83
We've all been through that."
00:16:40.86\00:16:43.26
And, you know, what hurts
me is when you find somebody
00:16:43.30\00:16:45.90
that's grown up in church
00:16:45.93\00:16:48.00
and they think, "Well, I
don't commit any of the...
00:16:48.04\00:16:52.64
You know, I don't break
any of the 10 Commandments,"
00:16:52.67\00:16:55.08
so they don't have
a real love for Jesus
00:16:55.11\00:16:57.71
'cause they don't recognize
their need of a savior.
00:16:57.75\00:17:00.58
But here he says "We were
dead in our trespasses and sin.
00:17:00.62\00:17:04.82
Yes.
00:17:04.85\00:17:06.19
And what did God do
00:17:06.22\00:17:07.56
by sending His Son to die for us
00:17:07.59\00:17:09.46
while we were yet
sinners, He made us alive.
00:17:09.49\00:17:14.33
Why don't...
00:17:14.36\00:17:15.70
Jay, would you
read Ephesians 2:4-7.
00:17:15.73\00:17:18.27
Sure. This is the Ephesians 2.
00:17:18.30\00:17:21.57
"But God, who is rich in mercy
00:17:21.60\00:17:23.91
because of His great
love with which He loved us,
00:17:23.94\00:17:27.08
even when we were
dead in trespasses,
00:17:27.11\00:17:29.41
made us alive
together with Christ,
00:17:29.44\00:17:31.91
by grace you have been saved,
and raised us up together,
00:17:31.95\00:17:36.22
and made us sit together
00:17:36.25\00:17:37.59
in the heavenly
places in Christ Jesus,
00:17:37.62\00:17:40.52
that in the ages to come,
00:17:40.56\00:17:41.89
He might show
the exceeding riches
00:17:41.92\00:17:43.99
of His grace in His kindness
toward us in Christ Jesus."
00:17:44.03\00:17:47.66
So do you know that great love?
00:17:47.70\00:17:51.53
Where you dead in trespasses?
00:17:51.57\00:17:52.90
Oh, yeah. Absolutely.
00:17:52.93\00:17:54.27
Do you feel like
you're alive in Christ?
00:17:54.30\00:17:56.17
I sure do.
00:17:56.20\00:17:57.54
God is the God of
new beginnings, isn't He?
00:17:57.57\00:18:00.08
When you're born again,
00:18:00.11\00:18:02.08
I mean, that's what
the Scripture calls it,
00:18:02.11\00:18:03.75
being born again that,
00:18:03.78\00:18:06.92
you know, how many people
00:18:06.95\00:18:10.35
look back on
their life and think,
00:18:10.39\00:18:12.09
"Oh, I'd like a do over,"
00:18:12.12\00:18:13.99
but you can
have a new beginning.
00:18:14.02\00:18:17.13
Okay, Tita, would you
read Chapter 2 verses 8-10.
00:18:17.16\00:18:21.50
Eight through ten, "For by grace
00:18:21.53\00:18:23.70
you have been
saved through faith,
00:18:23.73\00:18:26.70
and that not of yourselves,
00:18:26.74\00:18:29.30
it is the gift of
God, not of works,
00:18:29.34\00:18:32.71
lest anyone should boast.
00:18:32.74\00:18:34.64
For we are His workmanship,
00:18:34.68\00:18:37.21
created in Christ
Jesus for good works,
00:18:37.25\00:18:40.42
which God prepared beforehand
that we should walk in them."
00:18:40.45\00:18:45.22
Okay, so let's make sure
we look at one point here.
00:18:45.25\00:18:49.69
By grace we're
saved, it's a gift.
00:18:49.72\00:18:53.26
Yes, amen.
00:18:53.29\00:18:54.63
But does that mean that we're
not going to do good works?
00:18:54.66\00:18:57.23
Oh. No, we do good words.
00:18:57.27\00:19:00.90
What does the Scripture say?
00:19:00.94\00:19:02.97
Well.
00:19:03.00\00:19:04.34
That we were created...
00:19:04.37\00:19:06.31
Created for good
works, expound on that?
00:19:06.34\00:19:10.21
It's a marvelous thing,
you know, that God can take us,
00:19:10.25\00:19:14.82
that we were
once enemies broken.
00:19:14.85\00:19:21.12
Not only subject to death,
00:19:21.16\00:19:22.49
but we had a
death penalty on us.
00:19:22.52\00:19:25.26
But this verse says
00:19:25.29\00:19:26.63
that God is rich
in mercy and I...
00:19:26.66\00:19:29.56
Thinking about that word rich
00:19:29.60\00:19:30.93
is that he's not
going to run out of mercy.
00:19:30.97\00:19:33.03
Nice. That's good.
00:19:33.07\00:19:34.80
He's rich in mercy,
00:19:34.84\00:19:36.17
He's not like, oh,
I ran out of mercy,
00:19:36.20\00:19:37.54
sorry, sorry.
00:19:37.57\00:19:38.91
Wow.
00:19:38.94\00:19:40.28
No, He's rich in mercy
00:19:40.31\00:19:41.64
and He extends
the invitation to all,
00:19:41.68\00:19:44.08
and we were
created for good works
00:19:44.11\00:19:46.45
so, when we give
ourselves to Christ
00:19:46.48\00:19:51.35
and we respond to His love,
00:19:51.39\00:19:55.39
we do that which
He created us for,
00:19:55.42\00:19:59.66
we do good works.
00:19:59.69\00:20:01.10
And we do it ourself, do we?
00:20:01.13\00:20:03.80
It's what God's
working in us to will and to do
00:20:03.83\00:20:08.04
but, you know, it's
just like Romans 8:28, 29,
00:20:08.07\00:20:11.51
so many people
will quote Romans 8:28,
00:20:11.54\00:20:15.28
"That all things
work together for good
00:20:15.31\00:20:17.25
for those who love the Lord,
00:20:17.28\00:20:18.61
and are called
according to His purpose,"
00:20:18.65\00:20:20.12
and they stop there.
00:20:20.15\00:20:22.28
That's true.
00:20:22.32\00:20:24.02
But you can't separate
Romans 8:28 from Romans 8:29
00:20:24.05\00:20:27.59
because what the scripture says
00:20:27.62\00:20:30.99
is that he works
all things together,
00:20:31.03\00:20:33.46
and it goes on to say
00:20:33.50\00:20:34.83
to conform us to
the image of Jesus,
00:20:34.86\00:20:38.73
so that's part of
His plan is good works.
00:20:38.77\00:20:41.70
Christ came to destroy the works
00:20:41.74\00:20:43.71
of the devil.
00:20:43.74\00:20:45.07
He came to save us and to,
00:20:45.11\00:20:47.68
you know, He
accepts us just as we are
00:20:47.71\00:20:49.91
but He loves us too much
to leave us that way, right?
00:20:49.94\00:20:54.05
Hallelujah for that.
00:20:54.08\00:20:55.42
But, you know,
00:20:55.45\00:20:56.79
one of my other
favorite scriptures
00:20:56.82\00:20:58.42
when we think about
new beginnings is that
00:20:58.45\00:21:01.02
God is a covenant keeping God
00:21:01.06\00:21:03.19
and one of his covenant promises
00:21:03.22\00:21:05.89
for the new covenant
00:21:05.93\00:21:07.33
is found in Ezekiel 36:26, 27.
00:21:07.36\00:21:13.00
Who would like to
read Ezekiel 36:26, 27?
00:21:13.03\00:21:18.57
I'll read it. Okay.
00:21:18.61\00:21:20.71
Based on promise of new covenant
00:21:20.74\00:21:24.11
ultimately
fulfilled in Christ...
00:21:24.15\00:21:26.18
I'm reading the top part here.
00:21:26.21\00:21:27.78
Okay, yeah, let's get into 26,"
00:21:27.82\00:21:30.02
I will give you a new heart
00:21:30.05\00:21:31.49
and put a new
spirit within you..."
00:21:31.52\00:21:33.62
Who's talking here?
00:21:33.66\00:21:35.76
This is God, He's
giving us a promise.
00:21:35.79\00:21:38.63
Amen.
00:21:38.66\00:21:40.03
"I will take the heart of stone,
00:21:40.06\00:21:42.06
that old hardened heart,
00:21:42.10\00:21:43.93
out of your flesh and
give you a heart of flesh,
00:21:43.97\00:21:47.20
sensitive and
responsive to the God's touch,
00:21:47.24\00:21:52.74
so we can live in obedience
00:21:52.77\00:21:54.44
I will put My spirit within you
00:21:54.48\00:21:56.85
and cause you to
walk in My statutes,
00:21:56.88\00:21:59.61
and you will keep My
judgments, and do them."
00:21:59.65\00:22:02.52
You know, this is something
00:22:02.55\00:22:03.89
that I think I was
talking to you earlier, Tim,
00:22:03.92\00:22:06.86
sometimes
people will say Johnny,
00:22:06.89\00:22:10.69
"Oh, Lord, help me
to do such and such."
00:22:10.73\00:22:14.30
And we can't change
ourselves, so what we knew...
00:22:14.33\00:22:17.90
What is our part in
cooperating with God?
00:22:17.93\00:22:21.47
It's all about
yielding to His will, right?
00:22:21.50\00:22:25.74
Right.
00:22:25.77\00:22:27.11
And then we say to Him
00:22:27.14\00:22:28.48
as Acts 5:31, 32
talks about that,
00:22:28.51\00:22:31.68
God grants us repentance,
00:22:31.71\00:22:34.58
He's the one
that turns us around.
00:22:34.62\00:22:36.95
So if you want a new beginning
and you don't know the Lord,
00:22:36.99\00:22:40.86
all you've got to do is say
00:22:40.89\00:22:42.22
"Lord, I'm a sinner
and I need a savior,
00:22:42.26\00:22:46.19
and oh, Jesus
come into my heart."
00:22:46.23\00:22:49.03
And the way he does that,
00:22:49.06\00:22:50.40
you know, fill me with
Your Holy Spirit so that...
00:22:50.43\00:22:53.84
Christ in Ephesians 3:16-20,
00:22:53.87\00:22:56.91
it says Christ lives
in our heart by faith,
00:22:56.94\00:23:00.18
through the Holy Spirit
and then what he does is,
00:23:00.21\00:23:03.85
He gives you a new heart,
00:23:03.88\00:23:05.45
it's God's work and
it's such a beautiful thing
00:23:05.48\00:23:11.02
when you're born
again to follow Him and...
00:23:11.05\00:23:16.49
You want, I mean, He gives you,
00:23:16.52\00:23:19.59
you know, when the Bible says
00:23:19.63\00:23:21.20
that He will give you
the desires of your heart,
00:23:21.23\00:23:24.00
you know, what He does first?
00:23:24.03\00:23:25.70
When you are in love with Him,
00:23:25.73\00:23:27.07
His desires become your desires
00:23:27.10\00:23:28.84
so then you're
praying according to the Lord.
00:23:28.87\00:23:30.64
That's right.
00:23:30.67\00:23:32.01
But, you know,
wanted to share was that,
00:23:32.04\00:23:34.58
we need to invite
God to do the work in us.
00:23:34.61\00:23:38.71
Absolutely
00:23:38.75\00:23:40.08
You know, that is the...
00:23:40.12\00:23:41.45
We need to acknowledge
00:23:41.48\00:23:42.82
and recognize the
need of the Savior.
00:23:42.85\00:23:44.65
And give Him permission
to come into our lives
00:23:44.69\00:23:47.22
and to fill us
with His Holy Spirit,
00:23:47.26\00:23:49.29
and to do the
work that He Has begun,
00:23:49.32\00:23:51.89
to give Him the
permission to finish it in us.
00:23:51.93\00:23:54.00
Amen.
00:23:54.03\00:23:55.36
You know, and as
we surrender to Him
00:23:55.40\00:23:57.63
and we start being
our self-sufficient,
00:23:57.67\00:24:01.17
independent selves, right?
00:24:01.20\00:24:03.91
We acknowledge that
God is the great God
00:24:03.94\00:24:05.74
of the universe
00:24:05.77\00:24:07.11
and with Him all
things are possible.
00:24:07.14\00:24:08.58
Right. Amen and amen.
00:24:08.61\00:24:09.94
There is that great line
00:24:09.98\00:24:11.85
that a lot of
people think in the Bible
00:24:11.88\00:24:13.25
God helps those
who help themselves,
00:24:13.28\00:24:16.18
but God helps those
who get out of the way.
00:24:16.22\00:24:19.75
Love themselves and but,
00:24:19.79\00:24:21.52
yeah, it's the new
heart that He gives you
00:24:21.56\00:24:23.83
and then with that new heart
00:24:23.86\00:24:26.09
come those new
desires to follow Him,
00:24:26.13\00:24:28.20
so it's God's doing.
00:24:28.23\00:24:30.47
So we all agree
that each one of us
00:24:30.50\00:24:33.17
has had a new beginning.
00:24:33.20\00:24:34.54
That's right. Amen.
00:24:34.57\00:24:35.90
I mean, every one
of us been born again,
00:24:35.94\00:24:37.27
that was a new beginning.
00:24:37.31\00:24:39.21
But what happens
after you're born again
00:24:39.24\00:24:43.14
if you sinned, maybe
even deliberately sin,
00:24:43.18\00:24:48.08
can you have another beginning?
00:24:48.12\00:24:50.79
Does God give second chances?
00:24:50.82\00:24:53.96
Thank you, Jesus.
00:24:53.99\00:24:55.32
Yeah, you can look at
the story of the Israelites
00:24:55.36\00:24:57.33
and see He gives second...
00:24:57.36\00:24:59.09
How many chances?
00:24:59.13\00:25:00.46
Second, third, and fourth.
00:25:00.50\00:25:01.96
Yeah, that's right.
00:25:02.00\00:25:03.33
I can look in my life and say,
00:25:03.37\00:25:04.70
"Thank you, Lord"
because, you know,
00:25:04.73\00:25:08.64
I started smoking
when I was probably
00:25:08.67\00:25:10.34
four years old, right?
00:25:10.37\00:25:12.31
So it was interesting, it was,
00:25:12.34\00:25:16.08
you know, something different
but I was the official,
00:25:16.11\00:25:19.81
you know, go turn on my cigar
or my cigarette in the family,
00:25:19.85\00:25:23.35
so I would go and they're
like, "Now don't you inhale" or,
00:25:23.39\00:25:27.72
you know, I don't
know how you say it
00:25:27.76\00:25:29.09
when you put your mouth on that.
00:25:29.12\00:25:30.46
Inhale.
00:25:30.49\00:25:31.83
Okay, inhale it
00:25:31.86\00:25:33.19
so, you know, I
started feeling so important.
00:25:33.23\00:25:37.47
Anyway, so praise the Lord
that the Lord did not allow me
00:25:37.50\00:25:42.10
to fall into the
funny things because when,
00:25:42.14\00:25:45.71
then when in my teen
years I learned to do the chains
00:25:45.74\00:25:48.21
and, you know,
blowing through my nose
00:25:48.24\00:25:49.71
and all these cool things.
00:25:49.74\00:25:51.48
I'm like wow!
00:25:51.51\00:25:53.58
It's like a dragon,
00:25:53.62\00:25:54.95
you know, so then
when I tried marijuana,
00:25:54.98\00:25:57.92
it's like, "Oh, my goodness."
00:25:57.95\00:26:00.16
Thank you, Jesus,
that passion was not in me
00:26:00.19\00:26:03.39
to continue
using all these things.
00:26:03.43\00:26:07.30
Tita!
00:26:07.33\00:26:10.40
We have to start family worship,
00:26:10.43\00:26:12.57
you know too much
family information, right?
00:26:12.60\00:26:15.97
No, that's the
beauty of knowing,
00:26:16.00\00:26:18.54
you know,
because a lot of people
00:26:18.57\00:26:20.08
watch us and believe,
00:26:20.11\00:26:22.24
well, we've got
our act together.
00:26:22.28\00:26:24.11
Baloney, we're people,
00:26:24.15\00:26:26.48
we're real and that's
what God uses real people,
00:26:26.51\00:26:30.02
He loves His people.
00:26:30.05\00:26:31.39
You look through
the Bible and you check
00:26:31.42\00:26:32.75
all of the
characters that God used
00:26:32.79\00:26:34.39
in the Word of God,
00:26:34.42\00:26:36.26
every one of them were flawed.
00:26:36.29\00:26:37.99
There were no
stained glass saints
00:26:38.03\00:26:39.36
in the Word of God.
00:26:39.39\00:26:40.73
And, you know,
something that's interesting,
00:26:40.76\00:26:42.10
God called me to
full time ministry,
00:26:42.13\00:26:43.90
He told me to be
transparent because like you,
00:26:43.93\00:26:46.60
I grew up in a
very dysfunctional home
00:26:46.63\00:26:49.14
and you never,
00:26:49.17\00:26:50.61
I mean, you never
mentioned it in public,
00:26:50.64\00:26:53.61
but God told me
to be transparent
00:26:53.64\00:26:57.88
and you know something,
00:26:57.91\00:26:59.25
there's one sermon or one
topic I've never preached on
00:26:59.28\00:27:02.48
and that's anger
00:27:02.52\00:27:03.85
'cause I've got a
fuse that's this long,
00:27:03.89\00:27:06.15
it takes a lot to make me angry.
00:27:06.19\00:27:09.06
Bragger
00:27:09.09\00:27:10.66
Well, no, God gave that to me,
you know, it just takes a gift.
00:27:10.69\00:27:15.80
It is a gift, I realized that.
00:27:15.83\00:27:18.23
So I don't preach
on that because...
00:27:18.27\00:27:21.77
But everything I'm preaching on
00:27:21.80\00:27:23.20
is because it's
what God changed,
00:27:23.24\00:27:26.41
yeah, you know,
how He changed me,
00:27:26.44\00:27:29.44
and I do think that
that's what makes it...
00:27:29.48\00:27:34.22
How God can...
00:27:34.25\00:27:35.58
It gives it power,
00:27:35.62\00:27:36.95
when you can say,
hey, here's what I was,
00:27:36.99\00:27:39.59
I was a mess but
here's what God did.
00:27:39.62\00:27:41.46
That's how we know He
can give a new beginning
00:27:41.49\00:27:43.16
is because we needed it before.
00:27:43.19\00:27:44.53
Amen.
00:27:44.56\00:27:45.89
And He takes it
from us, you know,
00:27:45.93\00:27:47.43
I didn't want to
become a drug addict,
00:27:47.46\00:27:49.90
I didn't want to become...
00:27:49.93\00:27:51.33
And I felt so bad,
00:27:51.37\00:27:52.90
eventually when
I was mature enough
00:27:52.93\00:27:54.74
and I realized what God has...
00:27:54.77\00:27:58.07
That's why I say
the love for God grows
00:27:58.11\00:28:01.51
as you mature and
as you accept it too
00:28:01.54\00:28:04.41
because sometimes
we reject God's love.
00:28:04.45\00:28:06.88
Oh, absolutely.
00:28:06.92\00:28:08.25
We're in such a
mess that is like,
00:28:08.28\00:28:09.62
no, no, no, forget it,
00:28:09.65\00:28:10.99
you know, God is
not going to love me.
00:28:11.02\00:28:12.35
I give up, it's just
too much up and down.
00:28:12.39\00:28:14.56
So one day I'm good,
the next day I'm terrible,
00:28:14.59\00:28:16.86
the third day I'm worse
so, you know, I better...
00:28:16.89\00:28:20.10
It's easier to give up than...
00:28:20.13\00:28:23.00
Go ahead, I'm sorry.
00:28:23.03\00:28:24.37
Than just surrender to God
00:28:24.40\00:28:25.93
and ask Him to
take this from you.
00:28:25.97\00:28:28.74
What I was going to say
00:28:28.77\00:28:30.11
is that I'm looking
at this through the...
00:28:30.14\00:28:32.47
As a child, a
little, a young little girl,
00:28:32.51\00:28:35.64
a little boy that,
00:28:35.68\00:28:39.18
you know, the
kids go through stages.
00:28:39.21\00:28:40.65
Right.
00:28:40.68\00:28:42.02
The parents are
doing everything for them,
00:28:42.05\00:28:43.62
they need to eat you
and feed them and all this
00:28:43.65\00:28:45.19
but eventually,
00:28:45.22\00:28:46.55
the child learns
how to take that spoon
00:28:46.59\00:28:48.42
and grab out a little
and put it in his mouth.
00:28:48.46\00:28:51.26
Of course, they make a mess
but they're happy to be doing,
00:28:51.29\00:28:54.36
and they say these
words "I'll do it myself."
00:28:54.40\00:28:58.57
Oh, yeah.
00:28:58.60\00:28:59.93
And see and as Christians also
00:28:59.97\00:29:01.60
we can sometimes
get to the point where
00:29:01.64\00:29:04.27
"I can handle this,
Lord, I can do this myself."
00:29:04.31\00:29:06.31
And we try to do it
ourselves and we fail,
00:29:06.34\00:29:10.21
so we're always
going to need the Lord,
00:29:10.25\00:29:12.41
we're always
going to need the Lord
00:29:12.45\00:29:13.78
so that He can
enable us to do those things
00:29:13.82\00:29:17.85
He wants us to do so
that we can be happy.
00:29:17.89\00:29:20.09
Everything that
God wants us to do
00:29:20.12\00:29:21.89
is so that we can be happy.
00:29:21.92\00:29:23.26
Amen.
00:29:23.29\00:29:24.63
You know, He doesn't do anything
00:29:24.66\00:29:25.99
to take happiness from us,
00:29:26.03\00:29:28.40
is to bring us
happiness and unfortunately
00:29:28.43\00:29:31.73
some of us have been
deceived by the devil to think
00:29:31.77\00:29:34.90
that the bad
things bring us happiness,
00:29:34.94\00:29:38.21
but just about every individual,
00:29:38.24\00:29:40.58
every individual will tell you.
00:29:40.61\00:29:42.91
They come to their senses,
00:29:42.94\00:29:44.28
okay, that
they're not really happy.
00:29:44.31\00:29:46.05
They enjoy
something for a moment
00:29:46.08\00:29:48.42
but then
afterwards they're like,
00:29:48.45\00:29:49.92
"Oh, man, why did I do that?"
00:29:49.95\00:29:51.92
And they don't
feel good about it.
00:29:51.95\00:29:53.59
They're not really happy,
00:29:53.62\00:29:55.06
it's when you come to the Lord
00:29:55.09\00:29:56.42
that you begin to understand
what is true happiness,
00:29:56.46\00:29:59.39
what is true joy,
00:29:59.43\00:30:00.76
you know, and so
as a little child
00:30:00.80\00:30:03.26
we come to the point...
00:30:03.30\00:30:04.77
I was always
thinking about faith
00:30:04.80\00:30:06.13
because you
mentioned something that,
00:30:06.17\00:30:07.90
by faith that we're saved.
00:30:07.94\00:30:09.87
And this thing about...
00:30:09.90\00:30:11.24
I remember talking to a...
00:30:11.27\00:30:12.61
A lady called and she said,
"I really want more of faith."
00:30:12.64\00:30:16.08
She was an elderly lady,
00:30:16.11\00:30:18.25
"I just need more faith."
00:30:18.28\00:30:21.95
But it's just like a child also,
00:30:21.98\00:30:24.39
a child learns to
trust the parents,
00:30:24.42\00:30:26.96
well how do they do that?
00:30:26.99\00:30:29.72
Well, because
they were with them,
00:30:29.76\00:30:31.89
they spend time with them
00:30:31.93\00:30:34.50
and, you know, even
when you spank a child,
00:30:34.53\00:30:37.77
which they don't do
that today in these days.
00:30:37.80\00:30:40.84
When you spank a child,
00:30:40.87\00:30:42.40
they don't say,
"Oh, man, I was spanked,
00:30:42.44\00:30:43.91
I'm leaving this house."
00:30:43.94\00:30:45.67
Why does the child stay
there because they know,
00:30:45.71\00:30:48.34
"Oh, they feed me
here, they love me here,
00:30:48.38\00:30:50.01
they hug me here,
they do things for me,
00:30:50.05\00:30:52.98
they care for me, they hug me,
00:30:53.01\00:30:55.28
they learned that they are loved
00:30:55.32\00:30:57.35
and so,
00:30:57.39\00:30:58.95
of course, they are
not able to go on their own
00:30:58.99\00:31:01.62
but anyway,
00:31:01.66\00:31:03.12
faith grows by exercise,
00:31:03.16\00:31:06.66
by the time we
spend with the Lord.
00:31:06.70\00:31:08.33
You want more faith,
spend time with the Lord.
00:31:08.36\00:31:10.93
Spend time with the Lord.
00:31:10.97\00:31:12.30
Yeah, I think developing
that relationship is important,
00:31:12.33\00:31:14.27
you know, Tita,
00:31:14.30\00:31:15.64
you had mentioned
earlier about routines
00:31:15.67\00:31:17.64
and how we get so
caught up in our routines
00:31:17.67\00:31:19.67
and everything like that but...
00:31:19.71\00:31:21.24
And then we try
00:31:21.28\00:31:22.88
and have a
relationship with Christ.
00:31:22.91\00:31:26.08
But through our
parents' relationship
00:31:26.11\00:31:28.02
or through our
grandparents relationship
00:31:28.05\00:31:30.35
but, you know, our
character is not transferable
00:31:30.39\00:31:32.75
and the Bible says, "Oh, taste
and see that the Lord is good."
00:31:32.79\00:31:35.46
You can't taste and
see that the Lord is good,
00:31:35.49\00:31:37.86
if you don't get in
the Word and to have that
00:31:37.89\00:31:41.23
and develop that relationship
with Him for yourself,
00:31:41.26\00:31:44.93
and think about
some of the experiences
00:31:44.97\00:31:46.90
that you've been delivered from
00:31:46.94\00:31:48.30
and things that
you've gone through.
00:31:48.34\00:31:49.84
Amen.
00:31:49.87\00:31:51.21
You know I have to say
this because when you said
00:31:51.24\00:31:52.57
that taste and see, some
people are out there going,
00:31:52.61\00:31:54.88
"What do you
mean, taste and see?"
00:31:54.91\00:31:57.58
But the ancient Hebrews...
00:31:57.61\00:32:00.15
This was a verbal language,
00:32:00.18\00:32:02.05
it was all about action
00:32:02.08\00:32:04.12
and they did everything
by their senses, what you...
00:32:04.15\00:32:07.46
I mean, they experienced God.
00:32:07.49\00:32:09.92
I remember when we
were at the Western Wall
00:32:09.96\00:32:12.66
in Jerusalem and J.D.
00:32:12.69\00:32:15.36
went in with,
00:32:15.40\00:32:17.00
you know, they
separate the men and the women,
00:32:17.03\00:32:19.57
it was welcoming in the Sabbath.
00:32:19.60\00:32:22.30
And he came out just in tears,
00:32:22.34\00:32:25.57
and he was talking
about this Jewish family,
00:32:25.61\00:32:28.64
that there was probably
like four or five generations
00:32:28.68\00:32:31.65
and he said
this very elderly man
00:32:31.68\00:32:33.68
with a very long
beard, white beard
00:32:33.72\00:32:36.42
opened up
00:32:36.45\00:32:37.89
as they were
welcoming in the Sabbath,
00:32:37.92\00:32:39.62
he opened up something first
00:32:39.65\00:32:41.49
that they could smell
some kind of incense perfume
00:32:41.52\00:32:45.03
and was passing it,
00:32:45.06\00:32:46.39
they pass it from
generation to generation.
00:32:46.43\00:32:48.96
There was a
little three year old
00:32:49.00\00:32:50.93
and then he opened up a box
00:32:50.97\00:32:53.13
and they had him taste it
00:32:53.17\00:32:54.94
because they wanted him
to associate with the Lord,
00:32:54.97\00:32:58.31
I mean, they used their senses.
00:32:58.34\00:33:00.68
Sometimes I think we
don't use ours enough,
00:33:00.71\00:33:03.75
but let me go
back to my question.
00:33:03.78\00:33:05.98
So let's say we've
all been born again.
00:33:06.01\00:33:09.28
What happens if perhaps
00:33:09.32\00:33:12.59
we have sinned
either through omission,
00:33:12.62\00:33:17.56
by not doing something
we knew we should have done
00:33:17.59\00:33:20.80
or by co-mission if
we've done something?
00:33:20.83\00:33:23.87
How can we know
00:33:23.90\00:33:26.33
that God is going to
give us another chance?
00:33:26.37\00:33:30.01
To me, it's 1 John 1:9.
00:33:30.04\00:33:31.74
Yeah. Right.
00:33:31.77\00:33:33.34
That's what I was
thinking. Which says what?
00:33:33.38\00:33:35.38
"If we confess our sins,
00:33:35.41\00:33:36.85
He is faithful and
just to forgive our sins
00:33:36.88\00:33:40.02
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness."
00:33:40.05\00:33:42.55
So He doesn't
always just forgive us,
00:33:42.58\00:33:45.62
He cleanses us from
how much unrighteousness?
00:33:45.65\00:33:49.89
All. All.
00:33:49.92\00:33:51.26
1 John 1:9.
00:33:51.29\00:33:53.06
And you know, you
guys are both fathers
00:33:53.09\00:33:56.23
and, of course, you're a mother
but as a father if your son...
00:33:56.26\00:34:01.47
You both have two sons.
00:34:01.50\00:34:02.84
If your son has done something
really stupid, or hurtful,
00:34:02.87\00:34:07.44
or maybe even mean spirited,
00:34:07.48\00:34:10.48
but suddenly they
come to you in contrition
00:34:10.51\00:34:13.62
and say, "Daddy, I recognize
how wrong I was, I'm sorry."
00:34:13.65\00:34:19.82
I will never forget the
phone call I received...
00:34:19.85\00:34:21.96
My son lives in
Florida, I have a 16-year-old
00:34:21.99\00:34:25.36
and he called me and told
me that he had done something
00:34:25.39\00:34:29.93
that he said, "Dad, I know
00:34:29.96\00:34:31.30
you'll never look at me the same
00:34:31.33\00:34:32.67
and I know you
will be ashamed of me."
00:34:32.70\00:34:35.97
And what an honor
00:34:36.00\00:34:38.34
that he would even come to me,
00:34:38.37\00:34:40.81
you know, the verse 8 of 1 John
says, "Admit you're a sinner."
00:34:40.84\00:34:46.01
And if you don't
admit you're a sinner,
00:34:46.05\00:34:47.42
then you're a liar
because we've all sinned.
00:34:47.45\00:34:50.25
And so I told my
son, "Are you kidding me.
00:34:50.29\00:34:53.69
I'm so proud to be
your father right now
00:34:53.72\00:34:58.59
because you're
admitting the situation,
00:34:58.63\00:35:02.66
and I'm not
glad that you did it.
00:35:02.70\00:35:04.70
I'm not glad that
you had to experience it,
00:35:04.73\00:35:07.17
but, you know, maybe God
can use that in your future."
00:35:07.20\00:35:10.84
But the fact that
God wants us to get,
00:35:10.87\00:35:14.94
you know, like you, like
I said, He allows U-turns,
00:35:14.98\00:35:17.65
He longs for U-turns,
00:35:17.68\00:35:19.51
He wants you to
come back in repentance.
00:35:19.55\00:35:22.25
So that's my experience
of that being a father.
00:35:22.28\00:35:24.72
So, Johnny, what does
Lamentations 3:22 say?
00:35:24.75\00:35:29.26
'Cause you were
saying a while ago
00:35:29.29\00:35:31.83
that God is rich in mercy.
00:35:31.86\00:35:36.87
Yes.
00:35:36.90\00:35:38.23
He never runs out of mercy,
00:35:38.27\00:35:39.97
so what does
Lamentations 3:22, 23 say?
00:35:40.00\00:35:46.17
Well, I have it here
00:35:46.21\00:35:48.44
and Lamentations 3:22, 23
00:35:48.48\00:35:51.88
has a wonderful
message for us and it says,
00:35:51.91\00:35:54.75
"It is through
the Lord's mercies
00:35:54.78\00:35:58.59
we are not consumed,
00:35:58.62\00:36:00.06
because His
compassions fail not.
00:36:00.09\00:36:04.49
They are new every morning,
great is your faithfulness."
00:36:04.53\00:36:09.13
His compassions
are new every morning.
00:36:09.16\00:36:13.13
You know, I remember
when the Lord was teaching me
00:36:13.17\00:36:15.30
to press into His presence,
00:36:15.34\00:36:17.71
and I've written a
book about that experience
00:36:17.74\00:36:20.28
and what it was all about.
00:36:20.31\00:36:22.04
But as, you know,
00:36:22.08\00:36:24.81
when He first called me to it,
00:36:24.85\00:36:27.55
I'm saying, "Lord,
00:36:27.58\00:36:29.35
how can I walk so closely to You
00:36:29.38\00:36:32.29
that I feel Your heart."
00:36:32.32\00:36:33.66
And then I wake up one day
and find that I've backslide.
00:36:33.69\00:36:37.06
Essentially what He
impressed on my mind was pray...
00:36:37.09\00:36:40.56
I'm going, "How
can I prevent this?"
00:36:40.60\00:36:42.73
Pray an hour a day
00:36:42.76\00:36:44.10
and you won't
ever backslide again,
00:36:44.13\00:36:46.90
and I'm thinking,
00:36:46.94\00:36:48.27
well, well, you
know, because, I mean,
00:36:48.30\00:36:52.51
if you spend an hour
with God every day in prayer.
00:36:52.54\00:36:55.74
Even if you mess up
by the end of that day,
00:36:55.78\00:37:00.12
the next morning you get up
00:37:00.15\00:37:01.48
and spend an hour
in prayer with Him,
00:37:01.52\00:37:03.32
you're right back on track.
00:37:03.35\00:37:04.69
See, it's probably more,
00:37:04.72\00:37:06.86
and I don't do
that every day now,
00:37:06.89\00:37:08.39
but the point
I'm making is that,
00:37:08.42\00:37:12.39
it's God who's calling us
00:37:12.43\00:37:15.60
to Him in every day.
00:37:15.63\00:37:19.53
I don't care what you've done,
00:37:19.57\00:37:21.17
you may be sitting there saying,
00:37:21.20\00:37:23.61
you know, I used to go to church
00:37:23.64\00:37:25.61
but I got a divorce,
00:37:25.64\00:37:27.68
then I got messed up
with the wrong crowd,
00:37:27.71\00:37:30.55
maybe you're doing
drugs and you think,
00:37:30.58\00:37:33.08
I already accepted
Christ as my savior,
00:37:33.11\00:37:35.18
I'm a mess now.
00:37:35.22\00:37:37.19
Let me tell you something,
00:37:37.22\00:37:38.55
His compassions
are new every morning.
00:37:38.59\00:37:42.16
God is the God of new beginnings
00:37:42.19\00:37:46.19
and to me the one verse,
00:37:46.23\00:37:51.20
I'm going to ask you to read it,
00:37:51.23\00:37:53.34
Micah 7:7-9
00:37:53.37\00:37:57.27
'cause I really want
to spend a little time.
00:37:57.31\00:38:01.11
If there's ever a passage,
00:38:01.14\00:38:03.35
if you're
feeling down in the mouth
00:38:03.38\00:38:05.91
and that God
can't bring you back up,
00:38:05.95\00:38:09.32
listen to what Micah says.
00:38:09.35\00:38:12.62
This is Micah 7:7-9.
00:38:12.65\00:38:17.13
"Therefore I
will look to the Lord,
00:38:17.16\00:38:19.59
I will wait for the
God of my salvation,
00:38:19.63\00:38:23.16
my God will hear me.
00:38:23.20\00:38:25.73
Do not rejoice
over me, my enemy.
00:38:25.77\00:38:28.64
When I fall I will
arise, when I sit in darkness,
00:38:28.67\00:38:32.61
the Lord will be a light to me.
00:38:32.64\00:38:36.81
I will bear the
indignation of the Lord,
00:38:36.85\00:38:40.28
because I have
sinned against Him,
00:38:40.32\00:38:43.02
until He pleads my case
and executes justice for me.
00:38:43.05\00:38:47.86
He will bring me
forth to the light,
00:38:47.89\00:38:50.96
I will see His righteousness."
00:38:50.99\00:38:53.09
Amen and Amen.
00:38:53.13\00:38:54.46
Don't you love that?
00:38:54.50\00:38:55.83
Wonderful.
00:38:55.86\00:38:57.20
Do not rejoice
over me, my enemy.
00:38:57.23\00:39:00.20
When I fall I will rise
because where am I looking to?
00:39:00.24\00:39:06.17
The God of my salvation. Amen.
00:39:06.21\00:39:09.34
What I like, of
course, we've all been there
00:39:09.38\00:39:12.61
when you feel like
you're sitting in darkness,
00:39:12.65\00:39:16.12
and then suddenly
you get into Scripture
00:39:16.15\00:39:20.19
and God is a light to you
00:39:20.22\00:39:21.56
or you hear something
on the TV or the radio,
00:39:21.59\00:39:24.79
and all of a sudden
it's like, yes, Lord.
00:39:24.83\00:39:29.30
You're breathing in fresh air,
00:39:29.33\00:39:31.80
and so He's shining His
light into your darkness,
00:39:31.83\00:39:34.57
but look at verse 9.
00:39:34.60\00:39:37.64
"I will bear the
indignation of the Lord,
00:39:37.67\00:39:40.38
because I have
sinned against Him."
00:39:40.41\00:39:42.28
Yeah.
00:39:42.31\00:39:43.65
You know, when you were talking
00:39:43.68\00:39:45.01
about spanking kids a while ago,
00:39:45.05\00:39:47.15
God will discipline us.
00:39:47.18\00:39:48.62
Amen.
00:39:48.65\00:39:49.98
And sometimes we
need to accept that,
00:39:50.02\00:39:52.89
you know, I even
pray for his discipline.
00:39:52.92\00:39:55.99
And some people go, oh!
00:39:56.02\00:39:57.69
And I say hey...
00:39:57.73\00:39:59.06
You're thanking for them.
00:39:59.09\00:40:00.43
As long as I'm praying for
it, I'm expecting it and then,
00:40:00.46\00:40:03.20
because usually
the way God starts us.
00:40:03.23\00:40:05.73
No, no, child,
that soft little voice,
00:40:05.77\00:40:09.27
no, no, child
and you know, okay,
00:40:09.30\00:40:11.37
I shouldn't be
going in this way.
00:40:11.41\00:40:13.48
You keep on going
00:40:13.51\00:40:14.84
and its gets a
little bit louder,
00:40:14.88\00:40:16.41
a little bit louder
00:40:16.44\00:40:18.08
and then you know,
00:40:18.11\00:40:19.78
I'm resisting the Holy Spirit.
00:40:19.81\00:40:22.05
That's right. But
you keep on going.
00:40:22.08\00:40:25.49
You gonna...
00:40:25.52\00:40:26.86
Drawing in His mercy.
00:40:26.89\00:40:28.22
In His mercy, He is
going to discipline us
00:40:28.26\00:40:32.03
because He says in Hebrews,
00:40:32.06\00:40:34.10
the writer says that
00:40:34.13\00:40:35.46
"God disciplines
those whom He loves."
00:40:35.50\00:40:39.83
But it doesn't mean, look
at the rest of that verse.
00:40:39.87\00:40:43.67
He says, "I will bear
the indignation my Lord
00:40:43.71\00:40:47.48
because I have
sinned against Him,
00:40:47.51\00:40:49.48
until He pleads my case."
00:40:49.51\00:40:51.95
Who is he talking about here?
00:40:51.98\00:40:53.31
Who's pleading our case?
00:40:53.35\00:40:54.68
Jesus. Jesus!
00:40:54.72\00:40:56.82
Our intercessor.
00:40:56.85\00:40:58.19
Yeah. Amen.
00:40:58.22\00:40:59.55
Standing at the right hand.
00:40:59.59\00:41:00.92
Praise the Lord. Yes, yes.
00:41:00.96\00:41:02.29
And executes justice for me.
00:41:02.32\00:41:04.76
He will bring me
forth to the light.
00:41:04.79\00:41:07.16
I'm gonna see
His righteousness..
00:41:07.20\00:41:10.27
You talk about
the life in verse,
00:41:10.30\00:41:12.17
that's just...
00:41:12.20\00:41:14.24
That's glorious.
00:41:14.27\00:41:17.04
This is where you begin to taste
00:41:17.07\00:41:19.04
and see it what He's like,
00:41:19.07\00:41:21.04
because I'm
looking at the first verse
00:41:21.08\00:41:23.31
that we read,
00:41:23.35\00:41:24.68
that Idalia mentioned verse 7,
00:41:24.71\00:41:26.25
"Therefore I
will look to the Lord,
00:41:26.28\00:41:29.72
I will wait for the
God of my salvation,
00:41:29.75\00:41:32.75
my God will hear me."
00:41:32.79\00:41:34.22
A lot of positive
statements there...
00:41:34.26\00:41:35.82
Yeah.
00:41:35.86\00:41:37.19
Where he has the
confidence, the trust,
00:41:37.23\00:41:41.13
he knows God loves him, right?
00:41:41.16\00:41:43.13
And he says, I
will look to the Lord.
00:41:43.16\00:41:46.33
I will go to the
God of my salvation.
00:41:46.37\00:41:48.54
He will hear me.
00:41:48.57\00:41:49.97
he has no doubt, He will hear.
00:41:50.01\00:41:52.91
He will plead my case.
00:41:52.94\00:41:54.28
A lot of
wonderful statements here
00:41:54.31\00:41:56.44
of someone that
understands God is a loving God.
00:41:56.48\00:41:59.81
He's gonna give
you a new beginning.
00:41:59.85\00:42:01.85
Go to the Lord, He
will plead my case.
00:42:01.88\00:42:04.29
And He knows he's not alone,
00:42:04.32\00:42:06.05
so that's the
experience we need.
00:42:06.09\00:42:08.26
These are all
messages for us for today...
00:42:08.29\00:42:10.76
Amen. Yeah, yeah.
00:42:10.79\00:42:12.99
To understand
00:42:13.03\00:42:14.36
that we can go through the Lord
00:42:14.40\00:42:15.96
and He will hear
us, He will hear us.
00:42:16.00\00:42:20.94
That's an excellent point. Yeah.
00:42:20.97\00:42:23.44
And like where he
says, will, will, will, like,
00:42:23.47\00:42:28.28
I will look to the Lord.
00:42:28.31\00:42:29.68
I will wait for the
God of my salvation.
00:42:29.71\00:42:32.68
My God will hear me
like you were saying.
00:42:32.71\00:42:35.85
It's not, I'll try to...
00:42:35.88\00:42:38.52
It's not I'll try to look
at, you know, to the Lord,
00:42:38.55\00:42:42.29
I'll try to wait for
the God of my salvation.
00:42:42.32\00:42:45.29
He's like, like you're
saying, he's confident in it,
00:42:45.33\00:42:47.90
I will do this,
like, that is awesome.
00:42:47.93\00:42:50.40
To me that almost indicates
00:42:50.43\00:42:51.77
that he had been
through this process
00:42:51.80\00:42:53.94
a few times before.
00:42:53.97\00:42:55.30
He knows. So
been there, done that.
00:42:55.34\00:42:57.41
Believe me, I've
got a testimony here.
00:42:57.44\00:42:59.91
This is what you need
to do, go to the Father,
00:42:59.94\00:43:02.91
trust in Him and
He'll help, you will relax.
00:43:02.94\00:43:06.35
You know, 2 Corinthians.
00:43:06.38\00:43:08.12
Excuse me, 2 Corinthians 5:17
00:43:08.15\00:43:11.32
says that "When
we are in Christ,
00:43:11.35\00:43:13.49
we are new
creations, the old is gone,
00:43:13.52\00:43:16.39
the new has come."
00:43:16.42\00:43:17.76
That's right. Well,
let me ask you this.
00:43:17.79\00:43:20.43
How often does the
old rear its ugly head?
00:43:20.46\00:43:25.30
Well, I know, I
know your question,
00:43:25.33\00:43:28.04
I understand your
question but the verse says,
00:43:28.07\00:43:32.24
"The old is passed away.
00:43:32.27\00:43:34.08
Our past sins
have been forgiven."
00:43:34.11\00:43:35.91
God forgives us
and He won't say,
00:43:35.94\00:43:38.08
hey remember what you did,
00:43:38.11\00:43:39.65
you know.
00:43:39.68\00:43:41.02
He forgives us,
00:43:41.05\00:43:42.38
and we are
forgiven and cleansed.
00:43:42.42\00:43:44.32
But you're talking about
that the things we used to do
00:43:44.35\00:43:47.09
before we try to do again.
00:43:47.12\00:43:49.72
That's what you're referring
to and that's a good question.
00:43:49.76\00:43:53.60
You know, my thought is this,
00:43:53.63\00:43:56.70
and God showed me this
00:43:56.73\00:43:58.07
as I began to make
affirmations from scripture,
00:43:58.10\00:44:02.27
praying the scripture back.
00:44:02.30\00:44:03.67
I mean, God totally
changed my life in 2000 when...
00:44:03.71\00:44:07.71
Well, that was before
2000, I think that was '95.
00:44:07.74\00:44:10.65
When He taught me
to pray the scripture.
00:44:10.68\00:44:12.71
But I'm praying and
saying, "Oh, Father,
00:44:12.75\00:44:14.88
thank You that You made me a
new creation in Christ Jesus.
00:44:14.92\00:44:18.12
Thank You that the old
is gone and new is coming."
00:44:18.15\00:44:21.12
The next thing I
knew, I'm just sobbing.
00:44:21.16\00:44:23.32
You know what? Lord.
00:44:23.36\00:44:25.53
Well, I don't feel
like the old is gone.
00:44:25.56\00:44:29.63
If it were not for
scriptures, I mean,
00:44:29.66\00:44:32.00
we feel like we
fail the Lord, do we not?
00:44:32.03\00:44:34.57
Many times.
00:44:34.60\00:44:35.94
Many times,
00:44:35.97\00:44:37.31
but you see what the Bible says
00:44:37.34\00:44:41.74
is that God is the God
00:44:41.78\00:44:43.11
who gives life to the
dead and He cause things
00:44:43.14\00:44:45.85
that are not
00:44:45.88\00:44:47.68
as though they already were.
00:44:47.72\00:44:49.78
So we just have to by
faith accept we're new creation.
00:44:49.82\00:44:54.06
That's right.
00:44:54.09\00:44:55.42
And we can go back
to Lamentations 3:22
00:44:55.46\00:44:58.33
and we can say, Oh, Lord,
the old reared its ugly head,
00:44:58.36\00:45:03.97
but thank You that Your
mercies are new every morning.
00:45:04.00\00:45:06.47
Thank You for Your faithfulness,
00:45:06.50\00:45:08.54
as Lamentations
3:22 and 23 says.
00:45:08.57\00:45:12.24
And, Lord, just
as 1 John 1:9 says,
00:45:12.27\00:45:15.14
"I'm confessing
my sin before You,
00:45:15.18\00:45:17.55
thank You that You're faithful
00:45:17.58\00:45:19.38
and just to
forgive me of my sin.
00:45:19.41\00:45:21.92
And thank You that my
enemies can't rejoice over me
00:45:21.95\00:45:26.72
because when I
fall, I will arise."
00:45:26.76\00:45:28.69
Lord, it's You
that's bringing me up.
00:45:28.72\00:45:31.23
Amen.
00:45:31.26\00:45:32.59
You know, but if it were
not for these kind of promises.
00:45:32.63\00:45:36.70
See, we look to
ourself sometimes
00:45:36.73\00:45:38.60
instead of looking to the Lord.
00:45:38.63\00:45:40.50
That's right. That is right.
00:45:40.54\00:45:42.20
What I wanted to share was that,
00:45:42.24\00:45:43.67
you know, we will pray this,
00:45:43.71\00:45:46.27
and we will read it
00:45:46.31\00:45:47.64
and then when you
get up from that prayer,
00:45:47.68\00:45:51.45
you take three
steps and you're feeling,
00:45:51.48\00:45:54.82
uh, why do I do that.
00:45:54.85\00:45:56.95
And then you are,
you know, like the bugs,
00:45:56.99\00:45:59.55
you go back and you
are nibbling on stuff
00:45:59.59\00:46:03.02
that the Lord
has taken from you,
00:46:03.06\00:46:05.19
He's forgiven you,
00:46:05.23\00:46:06.56
leave it at the
foot of the cross,
00:46:06.59\00:46:08.70
but we pick it up
and we go with it.
00:46:08.73\00:46:11.03
Amen.
00:46:11.07\00:46:12.40
This is the thing of the nature,
00:46:12.43\00:46:14.60
you know, you're
talking about the old nature
00:46:14.64\00:46:16.24
tries to come back again.
00:46:16.27\00:46:17.97
The devil tries
to press the buttons
00:46:18.01\00:46:20.74
to make things
happen for us to choose
00:46:20.78\00:46:25.41
to do the bad things
00:46:25.45\00:46:26.78
that what we used
to do in the past.
00:46:26.82\00:46:29.02
He doesn't just try
to push the buttons,
00:46:29.05\00:46:30.49
he is pushing
those buttons all along.
00:46:30.52\00:46:34.52
But thanks be to God,
who gives us the victory.
00:46:34.56\00:46:37.13
We have a choice to make
00:46:37.16\00:46:39.33
and, you know,
00:46:39.36\00:46:41.13
when I was in high
school I used to see...
00:46:41.16\00:46:44.27
There was somebody,
00:46:44.30\00:46:45.63
he wore these shirts
with some degree of frequency
00:46:45.67\00:46:48.70
that devil made me do it.
00:46:48.74\00:46:51.11
You're walking on the
hallway, there is a guy.
00:46:51.14\00:46:52.64
I went to public
school by the way,
00:46:52.67\00:46:54.01
it wasn't a Christian school.
00:46:54.04\00:46:55.38
Ah, Christian high school.
00:46:55.41\00:46:56.75
Anyway, I see
the guy, he's like,
00:46:56.78\00:46:58.65
"The devil made me do it."
00:46:58.68\00:47:00.02
But that's a fallacy,
00:47:00.05\00:47:01.38
that's a misunderstanding
that people have.
00:47:01.42\00:47:03.75
The devil cannot
make you do anything.
00:47:03.79\00:47:06.76
Thanks be to God for
that, we have a choice.
00:47:06.79\00:47:09.89
Unfortunately we
make the wrong choices
00:47:09.92\00:47:11.63
and we'd go back to that,
00:47:11.66\00:47:13.26
we make a
decision to do those things
00:47:13.29\00:47:15.83
the old like you say,
00:47:15.86\00:47:17.87
wants to come back,
but we have a choice.
00:47:17.90\00:47:20.27
And when we take
our eyes off Jesus
00:47:20.30\00:47:22.60
is when we choose
to do those things.
00:47:22.64\00:47:25.24
But it's a battle too,
00:47:25.27\00:47:26.88
because you don't want to do it
00:47:26.91\00:47:28.74
and you are
moving away a little bit
00:47:28.78\00:47:30.58
and you are doing,
00:47:30.61\00:47:31.95
you know, this
tugging and pulling
00:47:31.98\00:47:35.52
and you're like, Lord,
00:47:35.55\00:47:36.89
I mean it's happened to
me at even in my age to say,
00:47:36.92\00:47:40.99
something will
come up from the past,
00:47:41.02\00:47:42.59
it's like oh,
00:47:42.62\00:47:43.99
and I start thinking about that,
00:47:44.03\00:47:46.59
and it's like, oh, Lord,
00:47:46.63\00:47:47.96
I don't want to go there,
00:47:48.00\00:47:49.33
you know, please
save me from myself,
00:47:49.36\00:47:51.07
you know, so I mean
00:47:51.10\00:47:52.77
I can identify with the people
00:47:52.80\00:47:54.40
who have that
tug of war going on,
00:47:54.44\00:47:57.54
you know, when the
past wants to come up.
00:47:57.57\00:47:59.37
So, you know, for the people
who are watching that are in,
00:47:59.41\00:48:03.88
I'm just gonna
go to the extreme,
00:48:03.91\00:48:05.78
you know, crack houses,
if somebody's come upon.
00:48:05.81\00:48:08.12
While you taken it out, yeah.
00:48:08.15\00:48:09.92
Somebody's just pass through
and flip into the channels
00:48:09.95\00:48:12.22
and had stopped and,
00:48:12.25\00:48:13.79
you know, you're in a situation
00:48:13.82\00:48:15.22
where you can't get out of this.
00:48:15.26\00:48:16.96
I mean this, you're in deep
00:48:16.99\00:48:18.89
and it's not just some of us
00:48:18.93\00:48:20.56
who have been
Christians our lives
00:48:20.60\00:48:21.93
and we've fallen back into,
00:48:21.96\00:48:23.30
you know, the things that maybe
00:48:23.33\00:48:24.67
we don't want to enter
in but we're talking...
00:48:24.70\00:48:26.37
And they might
argue Johnny's point
00:48:26.40\00:48:27.74
that it's a choice
00:48:27.77\00:48:29.10
because at that
time they are slaves.
00:48:29.14\00:48:30.94
Right, exactly, and furthermore,
00:48:30.97\00:48:32.91
if they, even if they do
turn their life over to Christ
00:48:32.94\00:48:35.31
or for this new beginning.
00:48:35.34\00:48:37.91
This is their lifestyle,
this is their living, this is,
00:48:37.95\00:48:40.98
you know, how they
are paying the bills.
00:48:41.02\00:48:44.75
You know, and so
it's difficult for me
00:48:44.79\00:48:46.99
to answer that question
00:48:47.02\00:48:48.36
or how do I get a new
beginning out of that,
00:48:48.39\00:48:51.53
but I do know that
even in this choice
00:48:51.56\00:48:53.50
like Johnny is saying,
00:48:53.53\00:48:54.90
you know, there's a sacrifice
00:48:54.93\00:48:57.03
for when we
decide to follow Christ
00:48:57.07\00:48:59.63
for that to be
able to follow in Him
00:48:59.67\00:49:02.00
in that new beginning,
00:49:02.04\00:49:03.81
we've got to not go
back to those things.
00:49:03.84\00:49:07.24
We've got to make and say, okay,
00:49:07.28\00:49:08.91
I'm going to just
give up my old life,
00:49:08.94\00:49:11.81
you know, and I know this,
00:49:11.85\00:49:14.25
I can't imagine the sacrifice
00:49:14.28\00:49:16.75
because I was not
raised in a situation
00:49:16.79\00:49:18.95
where I, you know had...
00:49:18.99\00:49:20.92
Praying it up.
00:49:20.96\00:49:22.29
I just need...
00:49:22.32\00:49:23.66
Go and expound on this.
00:49:23.69\00:49:25.03
No, what I'm thinking is,
00:49:25.06\00:49:27.16
you know, you had
mentioned God in the U-turn.
00:49:27.20\00:49:30.00
Yeah.
00:49:30.03\00:49:31.37
It's not just that God
wants us to make a U-turn.
00:49:31.40\00:49:34.24
If He sees us
00:49:34.27\00:49:36.10
and we're heading
off of the precipice,
00:49:36.14\00:49:38.47
we're getting
ready to go overhead.
00:49:38.51\00:49:40.08
Look at what Acts 5
00:49:40.11\00:49:42.58
and we're going
to look at verses 31
00:49:42.61\00:49:47.85
and 32 of Acts Chapter 5
00:49:47.88\00:49:51.39
because there probably
00:49:51.42\00:49:52.75
is someone
listening to us right now
00:49:52.79\00:49:56.02
around the world
00:49:56.06\00:49:57.39
who's got this
addict, addictive personality.
00:49:57.43\00:50:02.13
I mean, they are
addictive to a substance.
00:50:02.16\00:50:03.97
We've all got an
addiction to something.
00:50:04.00\00:50:07.07
And it's hard to break a habit,
00:50:07.10\00:50:08.57
but he is
talking about Jesus here,
00:50:08.60\00:50:11.64
and it says, Him,
talking about Jesus..
00:50:11.67\00:50:15.31
What verse are you
in? I'm sorry, Acts 5:31.
00:50:15.34\00:50:18.35
Thank you.
00:50:18.38\00:50:19.71
"Him God has
exalted to his right hand
00:50:19.75\00:50:25.15
to be Prince and Savior,"
00:50:25.19\00:50:26.86
so you have a Savior.
00:50:26.89\00:50:29.16
But listen then what he says,
00:50:29.19\00:50:31.73
and we, oh...
00:50:31.76\00:50:33.83
In verse, "To be
Prince and Savior,
00:50:33.86\00:50:36.83
to give repentance
and forgiveness of sin."
00:50:36.87\00:50:42.64
See, I want to encourage you.
00:50:42.67\00:50:45.87
All habit of sin
is difficult to break
00:50:45.91\00:50:50.11
but how often do you...
00:50:50.15\00:50:51.48
I mean, I pray this all the time
00:50:51.51\00:50:53.05
after the Lord
showed me the scripture.
00:50:53.08\00:50:55.62
How often do you
pray for repentance?
00:50:55.65\00:50:59.15
See, I mean, we
asked to confess...
00:50:59.19\00:51:02.56
I mean, we confess our
sin, but I always said,
00:51:02.59\00:51:05.89
"Lord, grant me
repentance, turn me around."
00:51:05.93\00:51:11.50
It's a gift.
00:51:11.53\00:51:12.87
Turn, yeah, it is
repentance is a gift from God.
00:51:12.90\00:51:17.17
We can't do it on our own,
00:51:17.21\00:51:19.64
but when someone who
might be in a crack house.
00:51:19.67\00:51:25.25
Let me tell you something.
00:51:25.28\00:51:26.61
I was shocked to learn this.
00:51:26.65\00:51:29.08
Did you know that
being clean and sober
00:51:29.12\00:51:33.82
is one half of the
first step to recovery?
00:51:33.86\00:51:40.26
I learned that
from Cheri Peters.
00:51:40.30\00:51:42.30
We were doing a
program with a live audience,
00:51:42.33\00:51:45.23
and somebody stood up and said,
00:51:45.27\00:51:47.64
"My husband was clean
and sober for 18 months
00:51:47.67\00:51:50.97
and he's down the toilet again."
00:51:51.01\00:51:55.11
And they were so disappointed.
00:51:55.14\00:51:56.48
She just looked at
him and said, "Hey,
00:51:56.51\00:51:58.61
that's one half of the
first step to recovery.
00:51:58.65\00:52:02.08
You've got to let God
00:52:02.12\00:52:04.72
cleanse you from the inside out.
00:52:04.75\00:52:06.72
He's the God of new beginnings."
00:52:06.76\00:52:08.79
Amen. Right, yeah.
00:52:08.82\00:52:10.16
He's the one that
will change your desires
00:52:10.19\00:52:14.50
and what you have
to do is you think
00:52:14.53\00:52:16.13
about how you've been
programmed through life.
00:52:16.16\00:52:19.70
If you've been
programmed to think
00:52:19.73\00:52:21.94
you're not worth anything,
00:52:21.97\00:52:24.24
I wished I had never
given birth to you, you know.
00:52:24.27\00:52:27.94
Let me tell you the truth.
00:52:27.98\00:52:29.31
You are worth
nothing less than the price
00:52:29.34\00:52:33.35
that God paid for you...
00:52:33.38\00:52:34.72
Right, wonderful.
00:52:34.75\00:52:36.08
With the precious blood
of His Son Jesus Christ.
00:52:36.12\00:52:38.95
So God puts great value on you,
00:52:38.99\00:52:41.26
but you can learn that
and you can be going along,
00:52:41.29\00:52:46.59
and you know when you
talked about the sacrifices.
00:52:46.63\00:52:48.66
Yeah, you,
00:52:48.70\00:52:50.03
really if you're
coming out of that lifestyle,
00:52:50.07\00:52:52.67
the Bible says,
00:52:52.70\00:52:54.30
"Bad company
corrupts good morals."
00:52:54.34\00:52:58.47
So sometimes it means,
00:52:58.51\00:52:59.84
you got to make a
complete break with your past.
00:52:59.87\00:53:02.44
But let's say
you're coming along,
00:53:02.48\00:53:04.91
and all of a
sudden the next thing,
00:53:04.95\00:53:06.41
you know, you've
been clean and sober
00:53:06.45\00:53:07.78
for six months
and you do it again.
00:53:07.82\00:53:11.25
That's when you say,
00:53:11.29\00:53:12.62
do not rejoice over me my enemy.
00:53:12.65\00:53:14.66
Right, fall, I will arise.
00:53:14.69\00:53:16.22
"When I fall, I
will arise," Micah 7.
00:53:16.26\00:53:20.73
That's the song right
there, you need to write it.
00:53:20.76\00:53:22.36
That is a song.
00:53:22.40\00:53:23.97
Yeah, that is a song.
00:53:24.00\00:53:25.37
Yeah.
00:53:25.40\00:53:26.74
There is a song
that talks about that,
00:53:26.77\00:53:28.30
run if you want to run...
00:53:28.34\00:53:29.67
It talk a little
bit, when I fall down,
00:53:29.70\00:53:31.71
I'm going to try to get up
00:53:31.74\00:53:33.07
because I didn't
start out that way
00:53:33.11\00:53:34.44
you know, but it's the idea
of I will rise is just powerful.
00:53:34.48\00:53:37.35
And those things like
00:53:37.38\00:53:38.71
when you start
thinking about the sacrifices
00:53:38.75\00:53:40.65
that you make
when you come to Lord,
00:53:40.68\00:53:42.48
they're really not sacrifices.
00:53:42.52\00:53:44.29
They are at first. Yeah.
00:53:44.32\00:53:45.99
When you really
think about it, it's yes,
00:53:46.02\00:53:48.29
you're going to get
out of your comfort zone
00:53:48.32\00:53:51.19
but you had to get
comfortable in that zone
00:53:51.23\00:53:53.80
that you were in
any way at some point,
00:53:53.83\00:53:56.10
but what you've given up, okay,
00:53:56.13\00:53:57.80
let's take a
look at premarital sex
00:53:57.83\00:53:59.70
and promiscuity, right?
00:53:59.73\00:54:01.07
So you're promiscuous
00:54:01.10\00:54:03.14
and now you're at
a risk for AIDS for,
00:54:03.17\00:54:05.24
you know, all kinds of
STDs and things like that.
00:54:05.27\00:54:08.04
So okay, so you've got to give,
you've got to give that up.
00:54:08.08\00:54:11.05
Say, you know,
I don't want AIDS,
00:54:11.08\00:54:12.88
I don't want,
00:54:12.91\00:54:14.25
you know, these
different diseases
00:54:14.28\00:54:15.62
or say drugs, right?
00:54:15.65\00:54:16.99
So now you're giving
up the potential overdose,
00:54:17.02\00:54:20.36
you know, let's say alcohol,
00:54:20.39\00:54:22.32
now you're giving up
the potential alcohol
00:54:22.36\00:54:24.43
poisoning or damage to
your liver or your organs.
00:54:24.46\00:54:28.86
Let's say, thou shalt not steal,
00:54:28.90\00:54:30.80
so you're...
00:54:30.83\00:54:32.17
Okay, you're not going to steal,
00:54:32.20\00:54:33.54
you're giving up a
potential prison sentence.
00:54:33.57\00:54:35.34
Okay, now,
00:54:35.37\00:54:37.14
you know, you're talking about
thou shalt not commit adultery.
00:54:37.17\00:54:40.48
So you are saying
there are greater blessings.
00:54:40.51\00:54:41.84
Absolutely, it's
all for our benefit
00:54:41.88\00:54:43.45
so what we're saying no to...
00:54:43.48\00:54:45.05
For our good.
00:54:45.08\00:54:46.41
Is and what we're giving
up is just death over here
00:54:46.45\00:54:51.65
and stepping
into life, you know,
00:54:51.69\00:54:53.56
so that's,
00:54:53.59\00:54:55.02
that's one of those
things like I used to have.
00:54:55.06\00:54:56.83
I used to struggle with
drugs and stuff like that
00:54:56.86\00:54:59.49
as I've talked about before,
00:54:59.53\00:55:01.60
and stepping out of that
00:55:01.63\00:55:03.63
is like so much
better on this side,
00:55:03.67\00:55:06.40
you know, I don't
have to spend any money
00:55:06.43\00:55:08.27
on that stuff
anymore, I don't have,
00:55:08.30\00:55:10.01
you know, I'm not dealing
with those types of things,
00:55:10.04\00:55:12.74
I'm not putting myself
in messed up situations
00:55:12.77\00:55:16.18
and things like that, so I mean,
00:55:16.21\00:55:18.08
you're really
stepping into blessings,
00:55:18.11\00:55:20.85
you know, we can
block our own blessings.
00:55:20.88\00:55:23.25
So it's nice to give
those things up, absolutely.
00:55:23.28\00:55:26.92
Take a risk.
00:55:26.96\00:55:28.29
You know, I think
it's Ecclesiastes 3:11,
00:55:28.32\00:55:30.53
you might
double check me on that
00:55:30.56\00:55:31.89
but, let's look at it.
00:55:31.93\00:55:33.80
While you're looking it up,
00:55:33.83\00:55:35.16
I just like to
quote it really quick.
00:55:35.20\00:55:36.53
You know, we're
talking about people
00:55:36.56\00:55:38.00
that were sinners,
00:55:38.03\00:55:40.20
they were sinners
00:55:40.24\00:55:41.57
and anybody in drug addiction
whatever habit you have,
00:55:41.60\00:55:45.27
you know, when you
give your life to the Lord
00:55:45.31\00:55:47.18
in 1 John 3:1,
00:55:47.21\00:55:48.54
it says, "Behold
what manner of love
00:55:48.58\00:55:50.45
God has bestowed upon us."
00:55:50.48\00:55:52.45
You're children of God,
00:55:52.48\00:55:54.35
you can go from
being an enemy of God
00:55:54.38\00:55:56.48
to a child of God.
00:55:56.52\00:55:57.85
Because He is the
God of new beginnings.
00:55:57.89\00:55:59.42
That's right. All right.
00:55:59.45\00:56:00.79
so listen to
this, Ecclesiastes 3:11,
00:56:00.82\00:56:05.29
"He has made
everything beautiful in its time
00:56:05.33\00:56:09.00
and He will make
you beautiful too."
00:56:09.03\00:56:11.73
Because when we were
singing Jesus loves me.
00:56:11.77\00:56:13.74
Let me tell you
something, Jesus loves you too.
00:56:13.77\00:56:15.84
Amen.
00:56:15.87\00:56:17.21
And then He says,
00:56:17.24\00:56:18.57
"Also,
00:56:18.61\00:56:19.94
He has put
eternity in their hearts."
00:56:19.97\00:56:26.01
Every one of us is born
00:56:26.05\00:56:30.69
to be loved by
God and to love God.
00:56:30.72\00:56:34.02
And when we don't...
00:56:34.06\00:56:36.86
I mean, God puts
eternity, He wants,
00:56:36.89\00:56:39.33
we were born to
spend eternity with Him.
00:56:39.36\00:56:42.83
But when we
don't connect with Him,
00:56:42.86\00:56:47.54
it's that God shaped hole that
00:56:47.57\00:56:49.20
then you're
talking about the sex,
00:56:49.24\00:56:52.71
or the drugs, or this or that,
00:56:52.74\00:56:56.31
but let me tell you.
00:56:56.34\00:56:58.08
There's times that
we need a new beginning
00:56:58.11\00:57:01.68
because we're gossipers.
00:57:01.72\00:57:04.29
We need a new beginning
00:57:04.32\00:57:06.49
because we love
to spread rumors.
00:57:06.52\00:57:08.69
We need a new beginning.
00:57:08.72\00:57:10.06
We can't, we're all sinners.
00:57:10.09\00:57:12.63
Aren't we? Absolutely.
00:57:12.66\00:57:14.00
Our time is all gone.
00:57:14.03\00:57:15.36
I can't believe, I just looked
at the clock and saw that.
00:57:15.40\00:57:17.63
Tim, thank you so much.
00:57:17.67\00:57:19.33
Jay, thank you for being here.
00:57:19.37\00:57:22.47
And, oh, we love
you Tita and Johnny.
00:57:22.50\00:57:25.57
It is such a blessing.
00:57:25.61\00:57:27.38
We want to thank
each one of you at home
00:57:27.41\00:57:29.61
as well for joining us this day,
00:57:29.64\00:57:32.41
and our prayer for you
00:57:32.45\00:57:33.78
is that the grace of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
00:57:33.82\00:57:36.28
the love of the Father,
00:57:36.32\00:57:37.65
and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit
00:57:37.69\00:57:39.32
will be with you always.
00:57:39.35\00:57:40.99