I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Removing pain
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Lord, let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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Hello, I'm
Shelley Quinn. J.D. Quinn.
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And we want to wish
you a happy Sabbath.
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Amen.
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And welcome you
to Family Worship.
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We are always blessed
to have this opportunity
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to welcome in
this Sabbath with you.
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And, honey,
we've got some family
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around the table.
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Why don't you introduce?
Well, I'd be happy to.
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This is my
buddy, Ryan over here.
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That's Ryan.
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Ryan, you always feel
comfortable with Ryan.
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Really!
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You know, you're
just a wonderful man,
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you know the word
inside and out and...
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I try, I try.
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You compliment, compliment.
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Praise the Lord.
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And then we have
Jason, we have Francine,
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we love Jason and Francine.
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We are in accounting
and we're with the kids.
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That's the two
responsibilities we have.
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Chief Financial
Officer and General Manager
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of 3ABN Kids Network.
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Yes. And this is fun.
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We're gonna have a
wonderful time today
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because this is a great topic.
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Yes it is.
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And who do we have at the piano?
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We have our precious
Summer boy at the piano.
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Yes.
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We always love you
when Summer's here.
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That's right.
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Well, we just want
to take this time first
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to thank you for your
prayers, and your love,
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and your
financial support of 3ABN.
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But our topic tonight,
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let me just start it
by reading the scripture
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1 Corinthians 10:12.
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And it's funny.
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I had a man call
me many years ago
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when I was first on 3ABN,
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and very busy but still
doing the ministry from home.
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This gentleman
called me and said,
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"Sister, are you aware
of 1 Corinthians 10:12?
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Therefore let him
who thinks he stands,
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take heed lest he fall."
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And I told him, "Oh, absolutely.
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I pray that scripture every
day and ask the Lord, you know,
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'Help me to examine
myself and make sure that,
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first, what I'm
teaching is true,
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but second that I really
am in relationship with You.'"
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And can you
think our topic tonight
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is keep a finger on
your spiritual pulse.
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Can you think of an
example in the Bible of someone
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who was a bit overconfident
and thought he would stand?
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Yet Jesus said to him,
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"Satan desires to
sift you like wheat,
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and when you've
returned, you know,
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encourage and feed my lambs.
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So Peter was overconfident.
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And just because
we are in ministry,
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just because you go
to church twice a week,
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we all have to take the counsel
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of 2 Corinthians 13:5,
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where Peter says,
"Examine yourselves."
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That's present tense.
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It means keep on
examining yourself.
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"As to whether you are in
the faith, test yourselves."
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And that also is present tense.
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Keep on testing.
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He said, "Do you
not know yourselves,
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that Jesus Christ is in you?
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Unless indeed you
are disqualified."
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So what Peter is
encouraging us to do
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is to make a
regular self examination.
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And not in a fearful way
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because, you know,
one good thing is that
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sometimes we feel like
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maybe we're not
grasping hold of God,
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strongly enough that
He's still holding on to us
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and that's the beautiful thing.
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And that's why we're gonna sing.
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What are we gonna sing, honey?
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Blessed Assurance.
And what number is that?
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I love Blessed Assurance.
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And in your
hymnal, it's number 649.
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Is that right?
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462.
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Well, if you have problem
with reading, then it's 462.
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But the words will also be
at the bottom of the screen.
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So sing along with us.
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Let's make a joyful noise.
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Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine
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O what a
foretaste of glory divine
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Heir of
salvation, purchase of God
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Born of His
Spirit, washed in His blood
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This is my
story, this is my song
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Praising my
Savior all the day long
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This is my
story, this is my song
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Praising my
Savior all the day long
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Perfect
submission, all is at rest
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I in my Savior
am happy and blessed
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Watching and
waiting, looking above
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Filled with His
goodness, lost in His love
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This is my
story, this is my song
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Praising my
Savior all the day long
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This is my
story, this is my song
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Praising my
Savior all the day long
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Amen. Thank you.
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One of my
favorites. I love that song.
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Amen. Me too.
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Thank you, Summer, so much.
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All right, let's
just kick this off.
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It's always good
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to sit around the
table and discuss the Bible.
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Yes.
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But I have a question.
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Can we get so busy doing things,
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good things in the name of God
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and find that we're actually
ignoring the greatest thing,
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and that is to
stay close to Jesus.
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Have you ever
had that experience?
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Absolutely.
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Many times, many times,
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especially when you're
in a daily relationship
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as it's supposed to be,
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you know, Paul
mentioned that he died daily.
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Yes.
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And so that means
that he had to learn,
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he had to be in a
surrendered state,
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every single day.
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And of course,
throughout that journey,
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the Lord's gonna bring
things to your attention
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that you weren't aware of.
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And sometimes,
it may be shocking,
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like, "Oh, what?
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Really that aspect of my life,
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that aspect of my relationship,
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I never really considered
that it was that important
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or that the Lord would want
to bring that to my attention
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or that that's something
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that He wants to fix in my life,
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that He wants to cleanse me of."
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What makes it even
more dangerous though
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is when you think
you're in that relationship
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and you are in that
saving relationship,
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and you hear
Christians say I'm saved,
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and they take
that particular concept
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and they run with it.
00:08:04.01\00:08:05.35
And they don't realize,
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they don't allow
Christ to show them.
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And a couple of
passages that come to mind.
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I'm thinking of, you
know, it's interesting
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'cause Christ began His ministry
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with making this point.
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And He would end His ministry
prior to being crucified,
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also making the same point.
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And I'm thinking
of Matthew 7:21-23.
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This is the Sermon on the Mount.
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So this is Christ
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beginning His
ministry, of course,
00:08:30.37\00:08:31.71
this will be His first ever
recorded sermon in scripture.
00:08:31.74\00:08:37.31
And notice what Jesus says here,
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and this is, again,
kind of asking the question,
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can we get so
busy doing good things
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which reiterating
what you would ask.
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That's perfect.
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In the name of
God that we forget
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to do the greatest thing
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maintain an intimate
relationship with the Lord.
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And it is possible, and
we see that it's possible,
00:08:51.19\00:08:54.00
and this kind of brings
in the question also is,
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is it possible that I think
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that I'm saved
when really I'm not.
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Is it possible that I
think everything's okay
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when really, you know what,
00:09:02.74\00:09:04.21
I need to do
some self-examination
00:09:04.24\00:09:06.01
and allow Christ to show me.
00:09:06.04\00:09:07.64
This group of people
that Christ is talking about
00:09:07.68\00:09:09.54
here in verses 21
through 23 of Matthew 7
00:09:09.58\00:09:13.45
is vitally important
00:09:13.48\00:09:14.85
because it shows us
00:09:14.88\00:09:16.35
the need of
surrendering to Christ daily,
00:09:16.38\00:09:19.59
so that He can show us.
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Notice this group
here, it says, of course,
00:09:20.99\00:09:22.32
it's Christ speaking, He says,
00:09:22.36\00:09:23.73
"Not everyone who
says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,'
00:09:23.76\00:09:25.56
shall enter the
kingdom of heaven,
00:09:25.59\00:09:27.23
but he who does
the will of my Father,"
00:09:27.26\00:09:29.00
which is in heaven.
00:09:29.03\00:09:30.37
And then he describes a
particular group of people
00:09:30.40\00:09:33.10
that respond to Him, He says,
00:09:33.13\00:09:34.47
"Many will say
to Me in that day,
00:09:34.50\00:09:35.84
'Lord, Lord,'
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have we not
prophesied in Your name,
00:09:37.24\00:09:38.57
cast out demons in Your name,
00:09:38.61\00:09:40.04
and done many
wonders in Your name?"
00:09:40.08\00:09:41.81
So this group of people saying,
00:09:41.84\00:09:43.18
"Hey, Jesus, wait a
second, you know me.
00:09:43.21\00:09:45.18
You know, I'm that person
that sit in church every week,
00:09:45.21\00:09:46.92
I paid my tithe,
00:09:46.95\00:09:48.28
that was a deacon
in the local church
00:09:48.32\00:09:49.65
or I was in altar,
00:09:49.68\00:09:51.02
I was involved in
this group and that group
00:09:51.05\00:09:52.65
and this small group study."
00:09:52.69\00:09:54.16
You know, these group of people,
00:09:54.19\00:09:56.02
they're recognizing that
they were fully convinced.
00:09:56.06\00:09:59.03
I'm in a saving
relationship with Jesus.
00:09:59.06\00:10:01.36
But notice what
Christ says in verse 23.
00:10:01.40\00:10:03.23
He says, "And then I
will declare to them,
00:10:03.26\00:10:04.67
I never knew you,'
00:10:04.70\00:10:06.27
depart from me, you
who practice lawlessness."
00:10:06.30\00:10:09.74
And I'm not
gonna read this text,
00:10:09.77\00:10:11.11
but I'm referencing also
00:10:11.14\00:10:13.14
the very last
kind of mini sermon
00:10:13.17\00:10:16.08
that Jesus would
give to His disciples
00:10:16.11\00:10:18.65
a top the Mount of Olives,
00:10:18.68\00:10:20.35
about a week before
He went to the cross.
00:10:20.38\00:10:23.62
In the end, we're talking
about the Olivet Discourse,
00:10:23.65\00:10:25.95
where Christ is sitting
atop the Mount of Olives,
00:10:25.99\00:10:27.66
He's come out of the temple,
00:10:27.69\00:10:29.02
He's having this private meeting
00:10:29.06\00:10:30.39
with His disciples.
00:10:30.43\00:10:31.76
Then He's pouring
through the signs of the times,
00:10:31.79\00:10:33.13
He's telling them
what to be aware of.
00:10:33.16\00:10:34.83
And then when we transition
00:10:34.86\00:10:36.20
from Matthew 24 into Matthew 25,
00:10:36.23\00:10:38.43
He starts to tell a
parable of these Ten Virgins.
00:10:38.47\00:10:42.17
And of course,
these Ten Virgins,
00:10:42.20\00:10:43.54
you have five
wise, five foolish,
00:10:43.57\00:10:45.84
they all have their lamps.
00:10:45.87\00:10:47.68
They've got
their lamps, you know,
00:10:47.71\00:10:49.18
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
00:10:49.21\00:10:50.85
and a light unto my path."
00:10:50.88\00:10:52.21
They have their lamps,
00:10:52.25\00:10:53.58
but five of them
were fully convinced
00:10:53.62\00:10:55.28
"I've got my lamp,
I'm going out in faith
00:10:55.32\00:10:57.65
to meet the bridegroom,"
but they lack the oil.
00:10:57.69\00:11:00.82
And it wasn't until
the midnight cry went out
00:11:00.86\00:11:03.29
that they realized, "Uh-oh,
I don't have enough oil."
00:11:03.32\00:11:05.69
And really at that point,
00:11:05.73\00:11:08.06
they should have had enough oil.
00:11:08.10\00:11:09.43
It was a little too late
at that point but nonetheless,
00:11:09.46\00:11:11.63
I think these
are biblical examples
00:11:11.67\00:11:13.23
that answer this
question, Shelley...
00:11:13.27\00:11:14.60
Absolutely.
00:11:14.64\00:11:15.97
That we can't be going
along in our relationship
00:11:16.00\00:11:19.27
and thinking that
everything's okay,
00:11:19.31\00:11:21.61
when everything's really not.
00:11:21.64\00:11:23.01
And that's where we have to...
00:11:23.04\00:11:24.38
I love the title of this.
00:11:24.41\00:11:25.81
Keep a finger on
our spiritual pulse
00:11:25.85\00:11:27.82
because if we're dying daily,
00:11:27.85\00:11:29.85
and we're in a daily
relationship with Jesus,
00:11:29.88\00:11:32.25
then that means
each and every day,
00:11:32.29\00:11:33.99
I'm in prayer saying
00:11:34.02\00:11:35.36
"Christ, not my
will but yours..."
00:11:35.39\00:11:37.73
Amen.
00:11:37.76\00:11:39.09
"Whatever it is,
that's in my life,
00:11:39.13\00:11:40.46
Lord, please help me surrender."
00:11:40.50\00:11:41.83
And I think we have
all experienced those times
00:11:41.86\00:11:45.77
when we get so busy doing good
00:11:45.80\00:11:48.00
that we're
forgetting the greatest thing.
00:11:48.04\00:11:50.11
So let's talk
about how do we know,
00:11:50.14\00:11:54.18
how do we keep a
finger on our spiritual pulse.
00:11:54.21\00:11:57.81
Now the very first
thing that comes to my mind
00:11:57.85\00:12:00.68
is check your priorities.
00:12:00.72\00:12:03.59
You know, because what we esteem
00:12:03.62\00:12:07.46
is what we spend our time on.
00:12:07.49\00:12:09.06
That's right.
00:12:09.09\00:12:10.86
So, Francine,
00:12:10.89\00:12:12.23
why don't you read Matthew 6:33,
00:12:12.26\00:12:17.17
Matthew 6:33.
00:12:17.20\00:12:19.83
"But seek ye first the kingdom
of God and His righteousness
00:12:19.87\00:12:23.24
and all these things
shall be added to you."
00:12:23.27\00:12:26.68
And it reminds me also,
sometimes, I'm thinking of
00:12:26.71\00:12:30.15
I know Jason's more
in the business world,
00:12:30.18\00:12:31.88
but every company
or even every school
00:12:31.91\00:12:34.48
that I've been to,
00:12:34.52\00:12:35.85
we always want a mission
or some kind of goal to set.
00:12:35.88\00:12:40.32
And when you do that,
00:12:40.36\00:12:43.36
everything hopefully that you do
00:12:43.39\00:12:44.99
in your company or the school
00:12:45.03\00:12:47.30
or whatever you're setting,
00:12:47.33\00:12:48.66
for example, in 3ABN,
goes toward that mission.
00:12:48.70\00:12:52.57
And so if you have that light
00:12:52.60\00:12:54.37
of what is your focus for Jesus,
00:12:54.40\00:12:57.81
then hopefully everything
that you do throughout the day
00:12:57.84\00:13:01.54
is going toward that goal.
00:13:01.58\00:13:03.11
Amen. That's right.
00:13:03.14\00:13:04.58
Amen. That's really good.
00:13:04.61\00:13:05.95
You would assume that
our chief purpose in life,
00:13:05.98\00:13:10.39
even for our existence
00:13:10.42\00:13:13.32
is seeking first
the Kingdom of God.
00:13:13.36\00:13:16.59
But how many times do...
00:13:16.62\00:13:19.16
Hey, we never point,
I never point fingers.
00:13:19.19\00:13:22.36
Because we've all
been through it all I think
00:13:22.40\00:13:25.13
but I mean, there are
days that I wake up late,
00:13:25.17\00:13:29.07
actually, today was one,
and you hit the floor running
00:13:29.10\00:13:33.61
and you go, go,
go, go and you think,
00:13:33.64\00:13:35.31
"Okay, Lord, I don't
have time for my devotional.
00:13:35.34\00:13:38.51
I've got to get
ready, get to work on time."
00:13:38.55\00:13:41.42
And then you get to work,
00:13:41.45\00:13:42.78
and of course,
we're very blessed here
00:13:42.82\00:13:44.19
'cause we get to start
our days with a devotional.
00:13:44.22\00:13:47.82
But guess what,
today wasn't a time
00:13:47.86\00:13:51.29
that we got to
start with a devotional.
00:13:51.33\00:13:54.20
And so all of a
sudden you find yourself
00:13:54.23\00:13:57.13
just into the rhythm of the day
00:13:57.17\00:13:59.80
and all the
things that are required,
00:13:59.83\00:14:02.67
and it's not till you get home
00:14:02.70\00:14:04.04
and you're going
"Oh, Lord, forgive me."
00:14:04.07\00:14:06.74
And you feel like
you're giving God leftovers.
00:14:06.78\00:14:09.84
Anybody ever been through that?
00:14:09.88\00:14:11.21
Absolutely.
00:14:11.25\00:14:12.58
And so it happens to everyone.
00:14:12.61\00:14:15.25
And there's
something even that I told J.D.
00:14:15.28\00:14:17.75
and particularly the
Lord's been bringing it
00:14:17.79\00:14:20.02
to my attention lately.
00:14:20.06\00:14:21.72
He's the most
important person on earth to me
00:14:21.76\00:14:25.23
yet I can get so busy working
00:14:25.26\00:14:28.50
that I'm robbing Him of time
00:14:28.53\00:14:31.10
and the Lord's been showing me
I need more balance in my life.
00:14:31.13\00:14:35.47
So when I say what we
esteem we spend time with,
00:14:35.50\00:14:39.64
there we can become
so intimate with someone
00:14:39.67\00:14:44.85
that you can think
00:14:44.88\00:14:46.21
"Oh, okay, I can
spend my time doing this
00:14:46.25\00:14:48.92
because this is secure."
00:14:48.95\00:14:51.25
Some people end up getting
a divorce because of that,
00:14:51.29\00:14:53.96
but also some people
00:14:53.99\00:14:55.32
who are like
these the Ten Virgins
00:14:55.36\00:14:58.43
who aren't
surrendered to the Lord.
00:14:58.46\00:14:59.83
Yeah, I think, you know,
00:14:59.86\00:15:01.96
this western American
culture that we live in
00:15:02.00\00:15:04.77
has kind of set us up
for defeat in that area.
00:15:04.80\00:15:08.30
Because in the culture
that we live in, you know,
00:15:08.34\00:15:13.81
trying to attempt to
achieve the American dream is...
00:15:13.84\00:15:18.28
Push yourself, work, work,
00:15:18.31\00:15:19.88
work hard, hard,
hard, as hard as you can,
00:15:19.91\00:15:22.62
to, you know, reach those goals,
00:15:22.65\00:15:24.72
you know, to be that
person you want to be.
00:15:24.75\00:15:26.65
And there's nothing
wrong with those things.
00:15:26.69\00:15:28.02
I think we all
should have goals,
00:15:28.06\00:15:29.39
we all should love our jobs.
00:15:29.42\00:15:30.76
And, you know, the Bible said
00:15:30.79\00:15:32.13
"You don't work, you don't eat."
00:15:32.16\00:15:33.50
And so we have to
work, working is important.
00:15:33.53\00:15:35.43
But I think in this
western American culture
00:15:35.46\00:15:37.30
that we live in, you know,
00:15:37.33\00:15:38.77
sometimes
talking about priorities,
00:15:38.80\00:15:40.84
we instead of seeking
first the Kingdom of God
00:15:40.87\00:15:43.61
at the top, you know,
it's kind of, you know,
00:15:43.64\00:15:46.24
it may be, you know,
00:15:46.27\00:15:47.61
family first or maybe
job first and then family
00:15:47.64\00:15:50.61
and then relationships
and then, you know,
00:15:50.65\00:15:52.81
church and the
mission of the church,
00:15:52.85\00:15:54.58
and God's work
and the Kingdom of God
00:15:54.62\00:15:56.02
kind of gets shoved
down at the bottom, you know,
00:15:56.05\00:15:58.32
if I have any time
left over in the week,
00:15:58.35\00:15:59.82
you know, I might
go to prayer meeting
00:15:59.85\00:16:01.19
if I feel okay or I
might go to church this week
00:16:01.22\00:16:04.16
if I feel like it,
if I'm not too tired.
00:16:04.19\00:16:06.09
And so just an
example, you know.
00:16:06.13\00:16:08.06
I think when we put
that list right side up,
00:16:08.10\00:16:11.33
and then we put Jesus first
and His mission and His kingdom
00:16:11.37\00:16:13.80
and the work of the church,
00:16:13.84\00:16:15.60
you know, in a
responsible perspective,
00:16:15.64\00:16:18.21
then everything else as
He said, it will be added,
00:16:18.24\00:16:20.81
everything else
will fall in line
00:16:20.84\00:16:22.54
as it's supposed to.
00:16:22.58\00:16:23.91
And I'm gonna take
it one step further
00:16:23.95\00:16:25.81
because I always
have Kingdom work first,
00:16:25.85\00:16:29.48
that's where he
gets ignored sometimes.
00:16:29.52\00:16:32.62
I think,
00:16:32.65\00:16:34.26
if you're gonna keep a
finger on your spiritual pulse,
00:16:34.29\00:16:37.49
they say prayer is
the breath of the soul.
00:16:37.53\00:16:39.59
Right.
00:16:39.63\00:16:40.96
I mean, if you're
not starting your day
00:16:41.00\00:16:42.53
in serious prayer,
and not just a list of,
00:16:42.56\00:16:47.60
you know, like you're
thinking he is running a casino
00:16:47.64\00:16:52.77
and you're on the slot machine,
00:16:52.81\00:16:54.14
"Lord, I need this, this,
00:16:54.18\00:16:55.51
and this today
or do this or that."
00:16:55.54\00:16:57.11
That's not what
I'm talking about.
00:16:57.15\00:16:58.48
If we're not seeking His face,
00:16:58.51\00:17:02.58
that intimate relationship,
00:17:02.62\00:17:05.82
I mean, to me that's when...
00:17:05.85\00:17:07.19
If your prayer
life is suffering,
00:17:07.22\00:17:10.03
let me tell you, your
spiritual pulse is weak.
00:17:10.06\00:17:13.06
So, J.D, why don't
you read Psalms 62:8?
00:17:13.09\00:17:18.30
Psalms 62, because as
we go through priorities,
00:17:18.33\00:17:21.54
and how do we stay
within the parameters
00:17:21.57\00:17:24.01
of the priorities
that we're setting
00:17:24.04\00:17:26.41
as a believing child of God,
00:17:26.44\00:17:29.21
and I believe that it
probably starts with prayer.
00:17:29.24\00:17:32.05
And when you think of prayer,
you think of David, okay,
00:17:32.08\00:17:35.18
'cause David was just...
00:17:35.22\00:17:37.62
How many books in David?
00:17:37.65\00:17:39.15
150?
00:17:39.19\00:17:40.52
In Psalms? How many Psalms?
00:17:40.56\00:17:42.09
Yes. Yeah.
00:17:42.12\00:17:43.46
So, I mean,
lots of prayer there.
00:17:43.49\00:17:45.53
Here in Psalms 62:8,
00:17:45.56\00:17:48.86
"Trust in Him," capital H,
00:17:48.90\00:17:51.00
"trust in Jesus at
all times, you people.
00:17:51.03\00:17:54.30
Pour out your heart before Him,
00:17:54.34\00:17:56.20
because God is
indeed a refuge for us."
00:17:56.24\00:17:59.81
Amen. Amen.
00:17:59.84\00:18:01.18
So what does it mean
00:18:01.21\00:18:02.54
to pour out your
heart before the Lord?
00:18:02.58\00:18:04.98
I would say to
give up everything.
00:18:05.01\00:18:07.12
Just to focus on Him.
00:18:07.15\00:18:09.75
You know, I
think of Matthew 7:24
00:18:09.78\00:18:13.86
talks about building
your life on the rock.
00:18:13.89\00:18:16.83
Amen.
00:18:16.86\00:18:18.19
And when we can do
that, that's when, you know,
00:18:18.23\00:18:20.63
we're grounded on
something that is solid.
00:18:20.66\00:18:23.70
And, you know,
we can move forward.
00:18:23.73\00:18:27.04
You know, I also look at...
00:18:27.07\00:18:29.50
In my life, I love analytics.
00:18:29.54\00:18:33.64
And I go through my whole day.
00:18:33.68\00:18:35.04
And at the end of the day,
00:18:35.08\00:18:36.41
I look at all the things
that I could have done better.
00:18:36.44\00:18:40.42
And I analyze those things.
00:18:40.45\00:18:42.88
And then I pray, I'm like,
00:18:42.92\00:18:44.59
"Okay, Lord, tomorrow help
me with those kind of things."
00:18:44.62\00:18:50.36
But I find that
when I step back,
00:18:50.39\00:18:54.13
that has
happened to me in that day
00:18:54.16\00:18:58.27
and those things that
I could have done better.
00:18:58.30\00:19:01.70
I ask the Lord, you know,
00:19:01.74\00:19:03.07
"Give me those attributes
or give me those things
00:19:03.10\00:19:05.11
that maybe I could
have done better with."
00:19:05.14\00:19:08.24
You know, so
sometimes stepping back
00:19:08.28\00:19:10.61
and searching your own
life, and all the activities
00:19:10.65\00:19:13.75
and all the things that
you've done in your life,
00:19:13.78\00:19:15.88
and then focusing
on Jesus and saying,
00:19:15.92\00:19:17.95
"Hey, you know, I
need to be on the rock.
00:19:17.99\00:19:20.99
I need to be focused on Jesus
00:19:21.02\00:19:22.59
and what He's done in my
life and all the attributes
00:19:22.62\00:19:25.83
that He can give
me to do better."
00:19:25.86\00:19:28.76
But I always and I always fall
00:19:28.80\00:19:32.47
when I think that I can do it.
00:19:32.50\00:19:36.07
And that's when Jesus...
00:19:36.10\00:19:37.44
You know, that's
what's so awesome with Jesus.
00:19:37.47\00:19:39.51
He will never force us
00:19:39.54\00:19:41.68
into doing something that, we...
00:19:41.71\00:19:45.01
You know, we want to do stuff,
but sometimes by letting go,
00:19:45.05\00:19:48.98
the Lord can take over.
00:19:49.02\00:19:50.95
But when I say "I can do it."
00:19:50.99\00:19:52.85
Right.
00:19:52.89\00:19:54.22
That's when the Lord said okay,
00:19:54.26\00:19:55.76
He backs off and
then He allows us to fall
00:19:55.79\00:20:00.16
and then we get up.
00:20:00.20\00:20:01.53
And as long as we
can stand on the rock
00:20:01.56\00:20:04.17
and realize that
we have messed up,
00:20:04.20\00:20:07.00
that's when we can go
00:20:07.04\00:20:08.37
to that next rung in that ladder
00:20:08.40\00:20:10.44
and climb to that next step
in a relationship with Jesus.
00:20:10.47\00:20:13.71
That's right.
00:20:13.74\00:20:15.08
If my people who
are called by my name
00:20:15.11\00:20:17.05
will humble themselves and pray.
00:20:17.08\00:20:20.12
But now, let me
ask you something
00:20:20.15\00:20:21.75
I recently...
00:20:21.78\00:20:23.12
Well, actually, today, I
was talking with someone,
00:20:23.15\00:20:25.42
and I told them, I just learned
00:20:25.45\00:20:27.32
that I'm going to
have to have surgery
00:20:27.36\00:20:29.62
on four vertebrae at
once, which is, I mean,
00:20:29.66\00:20:32.59
some serious major back surgery.
00:20:32.63\00:20:35.20
You know, what the
most interesting thing.
00:20:35.23\00:20:37.13
When I got the news,
part of it was expected,
00:20:37.17\00:20:41.27
the rest of it was not expected.
00:20:41.30\00:20:43.74
And it was like,
00:20:43.77\00:20:45.94
"Ah" and I just cocooned.
00:20:45.97\00:20:52.51
I became like a
recluse, and when I was...
00:20:52.55\00:20:55.38
I could pray for other people,
but I couldn't pray for myself.
00:20:55.42\00:20:59.49
Does that make sense?
00:20:59.52\00:21:00.86
You know, there are times
'cause we don't want to...
00:21:00.89\00:21:02.86
When we're sitting here,
00:21:02.89\00:21:04.39
I think pouring
out our heart to God,
00:21:04.43\00:21:07.93
He knows our fears,
00:21:07.96\00:21:09.30
He knows when we
don't want to do something.
00:21:09.33\00:21:11.80
And sometimes
even I'll say to Him,
00:21:11.83\00:21:13.70
"Lord, you got
to make me willing,
00:21:13.74\00:21:15.84
I'm willing to be made willing,
00:21:15.87\00:21:17.34
but I really
don't want to do this."
00:21:17.37\00:21:19.14
That's right.
00:21:19.17\00:21:20.51
But this was a
time when it was like,
00:21:20.54\00:21:23.24
I just kept saying,
00:21:23.28\00:21:26.55
"Lord, don't let
me make a mistake
00:21:26.58\00:21:27.95
here in the decision."
00:21:27.98\00:21:29.32
That's all I could say,
but I couldn't pray anymore.
00:21:29.35\00:21:32.15
There are times that we
become like a paralytic,
00:21:32.19\00:21:35.36
be paralytic.
00:21:35.39\00:21:37.26
And when we can't
pray for ourselves,
00:21:37.29\00:21:39.59
we need to go to others.
00:21:39.63\00:21:40.96
Oh, absolutely.
00:21:41.00\00:21:42.33
And say, "I need
a stretcher bearer."
00:21:42.36\00:21:45.03
And if you will pray for me
00:21:45.07\00:21:48.30
'cause sometimes, other people
00:21:48.34\00:21:50.71
when you've been
hit with some news,
00:21:50.74\00:21:52.57
maybe that is
just shocking to you,
00:21:52.61\00:21:54.88
you need somebody else
00:21:54.91\00:21:57.41
to help you get
to the throne of God.
00:21:57.45\00:21:59.38
That's true.
00:21:59.41\00:22:00.75
Someone just recently...
00:22:00.78\00:22:02.12
This is powerful on the
note you're talking about
00:22:02.15\00:22:03.55
because someone just
recently sent me a link
00:22:03.59\00:22:05.72
to an inter...
00:22:05.75\00:22:07.29
Well, it's kind of an interview
00:22:07.32\00:22:08.66
but more or less say
a testimony of a lady.
00:22:08.69\00:22:11.46
And in this
testimony, it's powerful.
00:22:11.49\00:22:15.20
Long story short,
00:22:15.23\00:22:16.56
this lady basically
ends up in the hospital
00:22:16.60\00:22:18.23
with a strong
bacteria in her bloodstream.
00:22:18.27\00:22:21.67
And she was on
the verge of dying
00:22:21.70\00:22:23.61
and she knew it.
00:22:23.64\00:22:25.01
And she was calling
everyone in her church,
00:22:25.04\00:22:27.81
everyone she knew,
00:22:27.84\00:22:29.18
"Please, please
send up a prayer for me,
00:22:29.21\00:22:30.85
please send up a prayer for me."
00:22:30.88\00:22:32.21
Even herself all night
long, laying in that bed
00:22:32.25\00:22:34.55
getting sicker and sicker,
praying, praying, praying,
00:22:34.58\00:22:36.25
praying the Lord.
00:22:36.28\00:22:37.62
Eventually this led her
00:22:37.65\00:22:38.99
to this kind of
this rock-bottom moment
00:22:39.02\00:22:42.32
where she was kind
of almost delirious,
00:22:42.36\00:22:44.39
but at the same time
calling out to the Lord saying,
00:22:44.43\00:22:46.36
"Lord, why
aren't You hearing me?
00:22:46.39\00:22:48.16
Why aren't You
answering my prayer?
00:22:48.20\00:22:49.53
Why aren't You answering?
00:22:49.56\00:22:50.90
Lord, I'm pleading, I'm
calling, I'm Your servant,
00:22:50.93\00:22:52.70
I'm asking You
to answer my prayer
00:22:52.73\00:22:54.50
but You're silent.
00:22:54.54\00:22:55.87
You're not hearing me,
You're not answering me."
00:22:55.90\00:22:57.84
And then she goes to this moment
00:22:57.87\00:22:59.21
where she believes
the Lord spoke to her,
00:22:59.24\00:23:01.44
told her, "I'm gonna heal you,
00:23:01.48\00:23:02.81
but it's not
because of your prayers.
00:23:02.84\00:23:04.65
It's because there's
another person praying for you.
00:23:04.68\00:23:06.68
I'm gonna heal you
00:23:06.72\00:23:08.05
because someone
else is praying for you.
00:23:08.08\00:23:09.42
Amen.
00:23:09.45\00:23:10.79
And through this experience,
00:23:10.82\00:23:12.15
this woman had a
revival like no other.
00:23:12.19\00:23:14.16
And I think sometimes
we have to keep in mind
00:23:14.19\00:23:16.59
that, you know,
00:23:16.62\00:23:17.96
there are people in the Bible,
there's examples in the Bible
00:23:17.99\00:23:19.89
were strong men
and women in the Lord,
00:23:19.93\00:23:22.50
you know, they found
themselves in circumstances
00:23:22.53\00:23:24.23
where they, I'm
sure they prayed.
00:23:24.27\00:23:25.60
I could imagine the many
years that Joseph spent in jail,
00:23:25.63\00:23:29.74
every single
day, "Lord, save me.
00:23:29.77\00:23:31.57
Lord, save me. Lord, save me."
00:23:31.61\00:23:33.51
You know, most of us
would probably give up
00:23:33.54\00:23:35.54
after a week or a
month or two months,
00:23:35.58\00:23:37.35
and he's in there for years.
00:23:37.38\00:23:38.88
And you can
imagine day in and day out,
00:23:38.91\00:23:40.25
"Lord, save me.
00:23:40.28\00:23:41.62
Lord, save me."
00:23:41.65\00:23:42.98
And he could have eventually,
you know, threw in the towel
00:23:43.02\00:23:44.35
and say, "Well, I
guess, the Lord's just...
00:23:44.39\00:23:45.75
He's given up on
me," but He didn't.
00:23:45.79\00:23:48.46
Think of Job, Job went through.
00:23:48.49\00:23:50.49
He could have easily get through
00:23:50.53\00:23:51.86
no throwing in
the towel, and said,
00:23:51.89\00:23:53.23
"You know what, the
Lord's not hearing me,
00:23:53.26\00:23:54.60
He's ignoring me, He's silent."
00:23:54.63\00:23:56.83
But he isn't. The
Lord hears our prayers.
00:23:56.87\00:23:58.50
But sometimes the
Lord will answer a prayer
00:23:58.53\00:24:01.27
through someone
else to reach us.
00:24:01.30\00:24:03.30
Let me piggyback.
00:24:03.34\00:24:05.07
Let's go back
to that Psalms 62:8
00:24:05.11\00:24:07.51
and follow the story
00:24:07.54\00:24:08.88
that you just told on that lady.
00:24:08.91\00:24:11.25
"Trust in him at all times,
trust in Jesus at all times.
00:24:11.28\00:24:15.28
Pour out your heart,"
00:24:15.32\00:24:16.99
the lady's pouring
out her heart before Him,
00:24:17.02\00:24:20.42
"and then God is the refuge."
00:24:20.46\00:24:22.19
That's right.
00:24:22.22\00:24:23.56
We don't have any
idea how, you know...
00:24:23.59\00:24:26.23
Great story and the tie in there
00:24:26.26\00:24:28.40
and that's what
we all need to do.
00:24:28.43\00:24:30.57
You know, trust
in Him at all times.
00:24:30.60\00:24:34.67
It doesn't get
any better than that
00:24:34.70\00:24:36.50
if you can understand the hope,
00:24:36.54\00:24:38.67
the eager expectation
of when you're going,
00:24:38.71\00:24:40.81
"Lord, I trust in You.
00:24:40.84\00:24:42.18
You're the one
that has the plan."
00:24:42.21\00:24:44.31
And you're the one
that's from the beginning.
00:24:44.35\00:24:46.11
Yeah.
00:24:46.15\00:24:47.48
But don't stop
pouring out your heart to Him
00:24:47.52\00:24:50.39
because now we're
cooperating with each other.
00:24:50.42\00:24:53.32
And then the
creator what He does best,
00:24:53.36\00:24:57.29
then recreates.
00:24:57.33\00:24:58.66
But, you know, and
we've got to remember
00:24:58.69\00:25:00.03
that pouring out our heart,
00:25:00.06\00:25:02.56
I mean, there's nothing wrong
00:25:02.60\00:25:03.93
with having showing
our emotions in prayer.
00:25:03.97\00:25:05.87
Now first of all,
00:25:05.90\00:25:07.24
God knows everything
we're thinking, right?
00:25:07.27\00:25:09.20
But I think that Psalms 27:8
is one of my favorite verses
00:25:09.24\00:25:13.21
because there was a
time that God was teaching me
00:25:13.24\00:25:16.31
to press into His presence
00:25:16.34\00:25:18.71
and, and like David,
00:25:18.75\00:25:20.42
what I heard was seek my face.
00:25:20.45\00:25:23.82
In Psalms 28:7, or Psalms 27:8,
00:25:23.85\00:25:29.32
David said to the Lord,
00:25:29.36\00:25:31.36
"When you said, 'Seek my face'"
00:25:31.39\00:25:34.40
this is God speaking to David.
00:25:34.43\00:25:36.90
"Seek my face."
00:25:36.93\00:25:39.20
He said, "My heart said to you,
00:25:39.23\00:25:41.57
'your face, Lord, I will seek.'"
00:25:41.60\00:25:43.97
And what that means is,
00:25:44.01\00:25:46.51
this is a complete
turning to the Lord in devotion,
00:25:46.54\00:25:50.88
not looking for
what God can do for you
00:25:50.91\00:25:55.58
but to get to know God.
00:25:55.62\00:25:57.22
That's right.
00:25:57.25\00:25:58.59
And, you know, for
me in one way that...
00:25:58.62\00:26:01.99
How do you seek His face?
00:26:02.02\00:26:03.73
What I would do is I would pray.
00:26:03.76\00:26:06.90
And then I'd say, now, Lord...
00:26:06.93\00:26:09.83
John 17:17 says that "You
sanctify me by Your word."
00:26:09.86\00:26:13.64
So sanctify me by this word.
00:26:13.67\00:26:15.84
Speak to me through your word."
00:26:15.87\00:26:17.21
And then I would read
00:26:17.24\00:26:18.71
and I pray over the
scripture to the Lord.
00:26:18.74\00:26:21.61
So seeking God's face is
to get to understand His love,
00:26:21.64\00:26:26.51
and His plan
better, don't you think?
00:26:26.55\00:26:27.88
That's right.
00:26:27.92\00:26:29.25
Also on that
same note, you know,
00:26:29.28\00:26:30.72
the face of the
Lord, I think, the Moses,
00:26:30.75\00:26:32.79
you know, Moses
wanted to see God.
00:26:32.82\00:26:34.16
Yeah. That's exactly...
00:26:34.19\00:26:35.52
He was able to see God's
body on a couple of accounts,
00:26:35.56\00:26:38.73
but he was never able to
look upon the face of God
00:26:38.76\00:26:40.73
because of God's glory.
00:26:40.76\00:26:42.56
And of course, the
glory within the face of God
00:26:42.60\00:26:44.47
would represent His
character, His righteousness.
00:26:44.50\00:26:46.94
And so when we seek God's face,
00:26:46.97\00:26:48.30
we're seeking His
perfect character,
00:26:48.34\00:26:50.01
His righteousness.
00:26:50.04\00:26:51.37
And I love what you said there,
we don't want to be seeking...
00:26:51.41\00:26:53.48
There's a song I sing,
00:26:53.51\00:26:54.84
you know, with all my
heart and in the lyrics it says,
00:26:54.88\00:26:57.65
"You faithfully supply my
need according to Your plan
00:26:57.68\00:27:00.52
so help me, Lord,
00:27:00.55\00:27:01.88
to seek your face
before I seek your hand."
00:27:01.92\00:27:03.92
Amen.
00:27:03.95\00:27:05.29
Because a lot of times
00:27:05.32\00:27:06.65
we're in this
constant perpetual state of
00:27:06.69\00:27:08.02
"Lord, give me,
give me, give me.
00:27:08.06\00:27:09.42
Lord, help me,
help me, help me."
00:27:09.46\00:27:11.06
And the Lord does
want to give to us
00:27:11.09\00:27:12.79
and He does want to help us.
00:27:12.83\00:27:14.30
But before He always provides,
00:27:14.33\00:27:16.63
the most important thing
is that we're transformed.
00:27:16.67\00:27:19.27
And so His face would be
of course that knowing factor,
00:27:19.30\00:27:22.50
that personal relationship.
00:27:22.54\00:27:23.87
But looking up
on the face of God,
00:27:23.91\00:27:26.27
seeking the face of God
is seeking His righteousness,
00:27:26.31\00:27:28.98
His perfect character.
00:27:29.01\00:27:30.35
And I think
praying with thanks...
00:27:30.38\00:27:32.21
I begin my prayer with
thanksgiving and praise.
00:27:32.25\00:27:35.82
Actually, I would say
50 percent to 70 percent
00:27:35.85\00:27:39.85
of my prayers,
thanksgiving and praise.
00:27:39.89\00:27:42.29
And I think that is bringing you
00:27:42.32\00:27:44.46
into where you're
really seeing the face of God.
00:27:44.49\00:27:47.96
You know, I've
actually experienced that
00:27:48.00\00:27:49.96
I had a pastor
where I was working with,
00:27:50.00\00:27:52.93
and we're going through...
00:27:52.97\00:27:54.80
Both of us we're
going through some trials.
00:27:54.84\00:27:56.64
And, you know, he told
me one morning he goes,
00:27:56.67\00:27:59.71
"You know, we just
need to praise God.
00:27:59.74\00:28:02.84
Spend a few
minutes just praising God."
00:28:02.88\00:28:05.21
And so I actually
started doing that.
00:28:05.25\00:28:06.95
It was amazing,
the transformation,
00:28:06.98\00:28:08.78
just in my own mind.
00:28:08.82\00:28:10.89
When, you know, I
started, you know...
00:28:10.92\00:28:12.99
And it's not like,
"Well, I praise the Lord."
00:28:13.02\00:28:15.22
But it's, you
know, outright saying,
00:28:15.26\00:28:18.19
I praise You, to
You be all the glory.
00:28:18.23\00:28:22.06
And to praise God in the
way that will give glory to Him,
00:28:22.10\00:28:26.03
which, you know,
we're denying ourselves,
00:28:26.07\00:28:27.64
we're denying anything,
00:28:27.67\00:28:29.14
but we're realizing
00:28:29.17\00:28:30.51
that without
Jesus, we're nothing.
00:28:30.54\00:28:32.64
But then when we focus,
and our mission is on Jesus,
00:28:32.67\00:28:38.01
and we start today
with just praising God.
00:28:38.05\00:28:42.12
And I can attest you
that when I did this,
00:28:42.15\00:28:46.12
and I did it for
about three to four minutes
00:28:46.15\00:28:48.19
while I was walking to work.
00:28:48.22\00:28:50.89
And I had this armor.
00:28:50.93\00:28:53.40
Amen.
00:28:53.43\00:28:54.76
It felt like that when
people were doing things
00:28:54.80\00:28:57.97
and saying things
and acting inappropriate,
00:28:58.00\00:29:02.17
it didn't bother me.
00:29:02.20\00:29:03.61
And, you know, you
get through the day...
00:29:03.64\00:29:05.07
And yeah, at the end of the day,
00:29:05.11\00:29:06.44
you felt like you've been,
00:29:06.47\00:29:07.84
you know, you
went through a war,
00:29:07.88\00:29:09.48
and you felt tired
and all that burden,
00:29:09.51\00:29:12.38
but you were able to
get through that day,
00:29:12.41\00:29:15.25
with that start of the
day of just praising God
00:29:15.28\00:29:18.42
for all that He has done for us,
00:29:18.45\00:29:20.29
and the glory that is His.
00:29:20.32\00:29:22.86
Well, you know,
when you're praising God
00:29:22.89\00:29:24.23
for His
faithfulness, for His mercy,
00:29:24.26\00:29:26.03
for His power, it's like,
00:29:26.06\00:29:27.83
suddenly you're remembering
who He really, really is.
00:29:27.86\00:29:30.67
That's right.
00:29:30.70\00:29:32.03
But also, one
thing that I praise God
00:29:32.07\00:29:34.04
and thank Him for all the time
00:29:34.07\00:29:35.90
is that salvation is a gift.
00:29:35.94\00:29:40.31
And, you know...
00:29:40.34\00:29:41.68
And I'm always telling
Him, "Lord, I thank you
00:29:41.71\00:29:43.28
because I know I
can never save myself."
00:29:43.31\00:29:46.18
That is for me growing up
00:29:46.21\00:29:49.02
in the pattern
in which I grew up.
00:29:49.05\00:29:53.46
I tried so hard to
save myself for 50 years,
00:29:53.49\00:29:55.92
and it was just...
00:29:55.96\00:29:57.29
I got so
discouraged from time to time.
00:29:57.33\00:29:59.83
But when I really
understood God's grace,
00:29:59.86\00:30:02.53
and that I don't
obey to be saved,
00:30:02.56\00:30:05.03
I obey because I am saved,
00:30:05.07\00:30:07.70
I obey because I love Him.
00:30:07.74\00:30:09.27
It's just...
00:30:09.30\00:30:10.64
It's how I
express my love to Him.
00:30:10.67\00:30:12.57
That made all the
difference in the world.
00:30:12.61\00:30:14.54
You know, this certainly
brings up 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
00:30:14.58\00:30:17.85
Yes, amen.
00:30:17.88\00:30:19.21
Because we are in
prayer, we go to Him,
00:30:19.25\00:30:20.58
we pour out our voices to Him,
00:30:20.62\00:30:23.35
you know, and 1
Thessalonians 5:17
00:30:23.39\00:30:25.75
is "Pray without
ceasing, but our love..."
00:30:25.79\00:30:27.66
You have to start
with 16, don't you?
00:30:27.69\00:30:29.62
Yeah.
00:30:29.66\00:30:32.53
Rejoice always,
00:30:32.56\00:30:33.90
as you were just
saying, you know.
00:30:33.93\00:30:35.26
I mean, I
remember when someone...
00:30:35.30\00:30:37.27
You mentioned that to me,
00:30:37.30\00:30:39.90
thanking Him and
praising and all things,
00:30:39.93\00:30:41.77
and I did the same thing.
00:30:41.80\00:30:43.37
And, boy, that was a aha moment.
00:30:43.41\00:30:46.04
That next whatever
and even to this day,
00:30:46.07\00:30:48.04
"Thank You, Jesus."
00:30:48.08\00:30:49.41
I don't know what's
coming but this is what threw me
00:30:49.44\00:30:52.65
because I never
really saw the end.
00:30:52.68\00:30:55.55
It's "Rejoice
always, pray without ceasing,
00:30:55.58\00:30:57.95
give thanks in all things."
00:30:57.99\00:31:00.36
I just always can't
think for all things,
00:31:00.39\00:31:02.49
you know, if it's in all things.
00:31:02.52\00:31:04.33
And man, that's
good times bad times.
00:31:04.36\00:31:06.16
And that's hard.
00:31:06.19\00:31:07.53
You bet it's hard.
00:31:07.56\00:31:08.90
I mean, when
you're in the hard times,
00:31:08.93\00:31:10.40
you know, I don't
feel like praising God...
00:31:10.43\00:31:12.90
Yeah. In those times.
00:31:12.93\00:31:14.27
But I find that when we do that
00:31:14.30\00:31:16.54
when we give up
ourselves and we're like,
00:31:16.57\00:31:19.04
"Okay, let's just
take that Bible verse
00:31:19.07\00:31:21.11
and let's put it to the test."
00:31:21.14\00:31:23.65
It's amazing how God
can transform our lives and,
00:31:23.68\00:31:28.78
you know, and protects us.
00:31:28.82\00:31:30.89
You know, I also
look at this also...
00:31:30.92\00:31:32.65
As I ask the question,
00:31:32.69\00:31:35.32
I like asking my question,
00:31:35.36\00:31:36.76
why, why do I
do the things I do?
00:31:36.79\00:31:40.23
You know, for what purpose?
00:31:40.26\00:31:41.60
What is...
00:31:41.63\00:31:42.96
You know, as we're talking about
00:31:43.00\00:31:44.40
what is your
mission, what's your goals.
00:31:44.43\00:31:46.67
And when I look at Jesus,
00:31:46.70\00:31:48.60
and I look at everything
that He has done for me,
00:31:48.64\00:31:52.41
it's all about relational.
00:31:52.44\00:31:53.78
Amen.
00:31:53.81\00:31:55.14
And I do it because number one,
I want to be closer to Jesus.
00:31:55.18\00:31:59.98
And I do that because I know
00:32:00.02\00:32:02.75
that there is nothing in my life
00:32:02.78\00:32:04.62
that's really good of myself.
00:32:04.65\00:32:06.05
Amen.
00:32:06.09\00:32:07.42
But it's all because of
what Jesus has did for me.
00:32:07.46\00:32:09.82
And He created me for a purpose.
00:32:09.86\00:32:13.53
And He created each
one of us for a purpose.
00:32:13.56\00:32:16.70
That's why, you know,
00:32:16.73\00:32:18.37
I look at the fruits
of the spirit saying,
00:32:18.40\00:32:20.64
"Okay, I need those attributes
00:32:20.67\00:32:22.84
because we're all
brothers and sisters,
00:32:22.87\00:32:25.84
and we need to treat everyone
00:32:25.87\00:32:27.81
with love and
respect and have patience."
00:32:27.84\00:32:30.31
And not, you know,
00:32:30.35\00:32:31.71
some people may
need more patience
00:32:31.75\00:32:33.65
than others and,
00:32:33.68\00:32:35.32
or I may need more
patience, you know, you know.
00:32:35.35\00:32:38.65
So it's...
00:32:38.69\00:32:40.02
And, you know, I'm
talking about myself
00:32:40.06\00:32:41.39
because I see a lot of things
00:32:41.42\00:32:43.36
that in my life I
need to improve on.
00:32:43.39\00:32:46.23
But I know that I'm doing this
00:32:46.26\00:32:48.66
because I want a
relationship with Jesus.
00:32:48.70\00:32:51.77
And the bonus, the goal,
00:32:51.80\00:32:54.64
the final thing is
being with Him for eternity.
00:32:54.67\00:32:57.44
Amen.
00:32:57.47\00:32:58.81
So if we're
checking our spiritual pulse,
00:32:58.84\00:33:03.14
we start by looking at
what are our priorities.
00:33:03.18\00:33:07.85
Sometimes we need
to reprioritize things.
00:33:07.88\00:33:11.69
And of course,
00:33:11.72\00:33:15.12
prayer should be one
of our top priorities.
00:33:15.16\00:33:17.93
If you love somebody,
you want to talk with them.
00:33:17.96\00:33:20.46
But now, prayer is more of a...
00:33:20.50\00:33:23.67
it's actually a
two way conversation
00:33:23.70\00:33:25.73
if you learn to
listen for His voice.
00:33:25.77\00:33:28.14
But how this God
primarily speak to us?
00:33:28.17\00:33:32.27
So I would put that
on our second, I mean...
00:33:32.31\00:33:37.15
Our third rink here
is reading God's word.
00:33:37.18\00:33:41.98
So you want to read
Matthew 4:4, Francine?
00:33:42.02\00:33:45.15
Yeah. Mathew
4:4. Let me get to it.
00:33:45.19\00:33:48.32
Let's see.
00:33:48.36\00:33:49.69
I like that Bible with you.
00:33:54.10\00:33:55.43
I like it. It's nice and big.
00:33:55.46\00:33:57.83
That's a big print.
00:33:57.87\00:33:59.20
"But He answered and said..."
00:33:59.23\00:34:00.94
Am I in the
right place? That's it.
00:34:00.97\00:34:02.80
Okay, "It is written,
00:34:02.84\00:34:04.44
Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:34:04.47\00:34:06.17
but by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God."
00:34:06.21\00:34:09.74
So what's going
on in this scene?
00:34:09.78\00:34:13.62
Well, Jesus is being tempted
by the devil of brethrens.
00:34:13.65\00:34:15.98
And by the devil. Yeah.
00:34:16.02\00:34:17.82
And so Jesus is applying
a primary example here to us
00:34:17.85\00:34:22.76
because He is our example.
00:34:22.79\00:34:24.26
Peter tells us
that He's our example,
00:34:24.29\00:34:26.76
that, you know,
00:34:26.80\00:34:28.13
where Jesus is
showing us here that
00:34:28.16\00:34:29.50
when the devil comes along,
00:34:29.53\00:34:31.23
and he brings that temptation,
00:34:31.27\00:34:33.64
that He like Himself,
00:34:33.67\00:34:35.57
we should also
follow in His steps
00:34:35.60\00:34:37.01
to defend ourselves
00:34:37.04\00:34:39.07
or to allow the
Word of God to defend us
00:34:39.11\00:34:41.18
and declaring the promises
00:34:41.21\00:34:42.88
and the powerful
words of the Word of God.
00:34:42.91\00:34:45.51
And so...
00:34:45.55\00:34:46.88
When He says
that, we live by this,
00:34:46.92\00:34:50.59
if the Bible is our
spiritual nourishment,
00:34:50.62\00:34:54.32
what kind of pulse do you have
00:34:54.36\00:34:55.72
if you're not doing some
kind of daily Bible study?
00:34:55.76\00:34:59.86
Probably not much of one
00:34:59.89\00:35:01.30
because you're
spiritually malnourished.
00:35:01.33\00:35:03.67
At least that's
the concept of it,
00:35:03.70\00:35:05.03
you know, we have to
feed on the Word of God.
00:35:05.07\00:35:07.80
I think of the sanctuary,
00:35:07.84\00:35:10.11
the sanctuary is
the perfect laid out
00:35:10.14\00:35:12.77
beautiful
blueprint plan of salvation.
00:35:12.81\00:35:15.48
And that table of showbread
was there for a purpose.
00:35:15.51\00:35:19.01
The priesthood would
eat on that bread daily,
00:35:19.05\00:35:23.79
and it was a part of
their daily experience
00:35:23.82\00:35:26.49
in the sanctuary.
00:35:26.52\00:35:27.96
And that is an example
to us that just as Christ
00:35:27.99\00:35:30.13
is the bread of life,
00:35:30.16\00:35:31.53
we should feast on
Him daily in His Word.
00:35:31.56\00:35:34.96
I think of also
Isaiah 8:20, which says
00:35:35.00\00:35:37.50
"And to the law
and to the prophets,"
00:35:37.53\00:35:39.33
if they speak, you know...
00:35:39.37\00:35:40.70
It should be that a
law and the testimony
00:35:40.74\00:35:42.07
if they speak not
according to this word,
00:35:42.10\00:35:44.27
it is because there
is no light in them,
00:35:44.31\00:35:45.71
there's heavy emphasis
placed on the importance
00:35:45.74\00:35:48.74
and significance of the
Word of God in our life.
00:35:48.78\00:35:51.15
Faith comes by hearing and
hearing by the Word of God.
00:35:51.18\00:35:55.28
So you have a daughter, Amanda.
00:35:55.32\00:35:59.12
And I know that
this is something
00:35:59.15\00:36:00.86
that you're
teaching and training her up
00:36:00.89\00:36:03.46
is to have this
daily Bible study.
00:36:03.49\00:36:06.03
And it's interesting
when she takes the time
00:36:06.06\00:36:08.26
and shows that interest
and she reads to us on a,
00:36:08.30\00:36:11.87
you know, and
she's getting excited.
00:36:11.90\00:36:14.04
I mean, that is again,
00:36:14.07\00:36:16.17
a little bit of the
fruit of the Spirit.
00:36:16.20\00:36:17.61
But, you know,
00:36:17.64\00:36:18.97
when I see the bread
coming in, we take that in
00:36:19.01\00:36:22.64
and it gives us the
nourishment that we need.
00:36:22.68\00:36:25.35
And I like how you said,
00:36:25.38\00:36:26.82
you know, daily check your pulse
00:36:26.85\00:36:28.48
because the blood is
giving all this nourishment
00:36:28.52\00:36:32.72
to the different
organs, every part of your body.
00:36:32.75\00:36:35.72
And just like the Holy Spirit
00:36:35.76\00:36:37.36
is giving all these
different attributes
00:36:37.39\00:36:40.30
of who God is,
00:36:40.33\00:36:41.73
and focusing on all
these little areas is
00:36:41.76\00:36:44.70
if you do spend time in prayer,
00:36:44.73\00:36:46.87
if you do try to
study God's Word,
00:36:46.90\00:36:49.47
all of these
things are again feeding
00:36:49.50\00:36:52.21
into what is going to
help you grow spiritually.
00:36:52.24\00:36:55.68
And so it just
reminds me again, about...
00:36:55.71\00:36:58.65
It's not just the body,
00:36:58.68\00:37:00.02
but that is a good
connection of an example
00:37:00.05\00:37:02.35
of who God is trying
to show His character.
00:37:02.38\00:37:05.75
Seems to me like
He's reminding us.
00:37:05.79\00:37:08.06
He says, "Yes,
being human beings,
00:37:08.09\00:37:10.26
we all need bread, we
all need food to sustain us.
00:37:10.29\00:37:14.86
But there's
something more important that
00:37:14.90\00:37:18.33
if you want to spend
00:37:18.37\00:37:21.20
a joy filled life for eternity,
00:37:21.24\00:37:26.47
well, then you might
pay attention to my words.
00:37:26.51\00:37:31.15
Amen.
00:37:31.18\00:37:32.51
And that's a...
00:37:32.55\00:37:37.09
That's heavy. You know what...
00:37:37.12\00:37:39.22
Because it's
stepping out in faith now.
00:37:39.25\00:37:41.99
You know, I mean,
00:37:42.02\00:37:43.36
I can see this
loaf of bread here
00:37:43.39\00:37:44.83
and I know boy, I
hear my stomach growling.
00:37:44.86\00:37:47.30
And I know about
take that and put it here.
00:37:47.33\00:37:49.66
That's just going to satisfy me.
00:37:49.70\00:37:51.87
But, boy, now you're
talking about eternity
00:37:51.90\00:37:54.57
and talking about a relationship
00:37:54.60\00:37:56.04
where I have love, joy, peace,
00:37:56.07\00:37:57.97
longsuffering instead, etcetera.
00:37:58.01\00:38:00.48
Wow! I do want that.
00:38:00.51\00:38:03.95
And so that means,
well, it's available to you.
00:38:03.98\00:38:07.32
That's right.
00:38:07.35\00:38:08.68
You know, I look at this verse,
00:38:08.72\00:38:10.15
and I see the bread as
substance for the body.
00:38:10.19\00:38:15.02
But when it really comes
down to the tug of war in life,
00:38:15.06\00:38:19.13
is all about the mind.
00:38:19.16\00:38:20.60
Amen.
00:38:20.63\00:38:21.96
You know, because the
devil wants to take your mind
00:38:22.00\00:38:24.07
and pollute it, but
Jesus says, "Take My words
00:38:24.10\00:38:27.44
because that's gonna
illuminate your minds."
00:38:27.47\00:38:30.44
And it's your
mind that, you know,
00:38:30.47\00:38:33.68
what you think is
what you're gonna do.
00:38:33.71\00:38:36.85
And so by focusing on
the words of the Bible,
00:38:36.88\00:38:41.45
as you were saying,
00:38:41.48\00:38:43.52
that's where we're
gonna get the strength,
00:38:43.55\00:38:45.05
we're gonna get the endurance,
00:38:45.09\00:38:46.65
and we're gonna
get the peace of mind
00:38:46.69\00:38:48.82
knowing that we're on that rock,
00:38:48.86\00:38:50.89
and we have that power
00:38:50.93\00:38:52.26
and the illumination
that God's before us.
00:38:52.29\00:38:55.56
That's right.
00:38:55.60\00:38:57.70
The heart in the
Bible is often reference
00:38:57.73\00:39:00.67
to the mind obviously not so,
00:39:00.70\00:39:02.64
you know, give your,
you know, love the Lord
00:39:02.67\00:39:04.94
with all your
heart, mind, and soul.
00:39:04.97\00:39:06.31
You're not obviously
the Bible's not talking
00:39:06.34\00:39:07.68
about your aortic
pump in your chest,
00:39:07.71\00:39:09.28
but it's often a
reference to the mind.
00:39:09.31\00:39:11.35
And so I think
of that scripture,
00:39:11.38\00:39:13.05
the Psalm is right.
00:39:13.08\00:39:14.42
David writes, you know,
00:39:14.45\00:39:15.78
"Thy word I had hid in my heart
00:39:15.82\00:39:17.22
that I might not
sin against You."
00:39:17.25\00:39:18.59
And so we're not...
00:39:18.62\00:39:19.95
It's important, as
you're stating that,
00:39:19.99\00:39:21.59
you know, Christ...
00:39:21.62\00:39:23.06
You know, let
this mind be in you.
00:39:23.09\00:39:25.09
So it's spiritual
nourishment for eternity,
00:39:25.13\00:39:28.83
but it is also
our defensive weapon.
00:39:28.86\00:39:30.80
I mean, this is the
sword of the Spirit.
00:39:30.83\00:39:32.43
The word is the
sword of the Spirit.
00:39:32.47\00:39:34.54
And that's how
we, it is written.
00:39:34.57\00:39:38.41
This is how we can
fend off the devil's rise.
00:39:38.44\00:39:43.11
And it's not an
offensive weapon,
00:39:43.14\00:39:46.25
it's a defensive weapon.
00:39:46.28\00:39:48.08
You put on the full armor of God
00:39:48.12\00:39:50.75
because you're
trying to be defended
00:39:50.79\00:39:52.35
from the devil's attacks.
00:39:52.39\00:39:54.26
And many people try to use
this as an offensive weapon.
00:39:54.29\00:39:57.23
But God never meant for us
00:39:57.26\00:39:58.59
to be used as an
offensive weapon,
00:39:58.63\00:39:59.96
but a defensive weapon.
00:40:00.00\00:40:01.53
Defending the devil. Okay.
00:40:01.56\00:40:03.43
Priorities, prayer, the Bible.
00:40:03.47\00:40:07.04
And I have to say,
00:40:07.07\00:40:08.77
if you go a day
without reading the Bible,
00:40:08.80\00:40:12.04
I mean, it's not like
00:40:12.07\00:40:13.41
God's up there
with His checklist
00:40:13.44\00:40:15.38
saying, "Uh-oh,
Ryan didn't read today,
00:40:15.41\00:40:18.75
put a little X by this day."
00:40:18.78\00:40:22.58
This is
practical and good advice.
00:40:22.62\00:40:27.99
And we want to be doers that
they would not hear us only.
00:40:28.02\00:40:31.23
This is for our eternal benefit.
00:40:31.26\00:40:34.93
But I think it is only as
we pray in getting the word
00:40:34.96\00:40:39.30
that we can really
be walking in surrender,
00:40:39.33\00:40:43.07
and boy that is,
00:40:43.10\00:40:44.97
you know, bottom line is
00:40:45.01\00:40:46.54
if you want to check
your spiritual pulse,
00:40:46.57\00:40:49.04
are you walking in spirits?
00:40:49.08\00:40:51.61
J.D, you want to read Luke 9:23?
00:40:51.65\00:40:54.22
Luke 9:23. Yes, sir.
00:40:54.25\00:40:57.19
Matthew, Mark,
Luke, here we are.
00:40:57.22\00:40:59.15
Luke, right here, 9:23, 9:23.
00:40:59.19\00:41:04.33
"And then He said to them all,
00:41:04.36\00:41:07.23
'If anyone
desires to come after Me,
00:41:07.26\00:41:10.90
let him deny himself,
00:41:10.93\00:41:12.37
take up his cross
daily, and follow Me.'
00:41:12.40\00:41:15.84
" Now walking in surrender.
00:41:15.87\00:41:17.91
You know, that scripture
has always been a powerful...
00:41:17.94\00:41:22.21
There is a book I
read a few years ago called
00:41:22.24\00:41:25.48
"Not a Fan."
00:41:25.51\00:41:28.25
And the whole
book is talking about
00:41:28.28\00:41:29.68
how there's a difference
between a fan and a follower.
00:41:29.72\00:41:33.49
And many of us
are fans of Jesus.
00:41:33.52\00:41:36.06
We know a lot about Him.
00:41:36.09\00:41:38.29
We're willing to
profess His name.
00:41:38.33\00:41:40.83
We're willing to tell
others that He's our Lord.
00:41:40.86\00:41:43.90
But really, the experience
00:41:43.93\00:41:45.67
that we're
experiencing in Christ
00:41:45.70\00:41:47.47
is more or less a fan experience
00:41:47.50\00:41:49.27
rather than a follower
00:41:49.30\00:41:50.64
because we're willing
to stand on the sidelines
00:41:50.67\00:41:52.11
and cheer for
Him from the stands.
00:41:52.14\00:41:54.31
But are we
willing to follow Him?
00:41:54.34\00:41:56.28
And that the key verse
00:41:56.31\00:41:58.55
throughout this
book that is built,
00:41:58.58\00:41:59.95
that this whole book
and the purpose of this book
00:41:59.98\00:42:02.05
is built on is Luke 9:23.
00:42:02.08\00:42:04.02
And I love how
Jesus starts with,
00:42:04.05\00:42:06.35
"If you desire to come after Me,
00:42:06.39\00:42:08.02
you have to do what first?"
00:42:08.06\00:42:09.56
Deny yourself.
00:42:09.59\00:42:11.39
When you learn to deny yourself,
00:42:11.43\00:42:13.29
then you prepare yourself
00:42:13.33\00:42:14.83
to be placed upon
the altar of sacrifice.
00:42:14.86\00:42:17.90
In other words,
00:42:17.93\00:42:19.27
pick up your instrument
of death and follow me
00:42:19.30\00:42:23.27
because when Christ was speaking
00:42:23.30\00:42:24.67
of taking up His cross,
00:42:24.71\00:42:26.24
He's not speaking of it
00:42:26.27\00:42:27.61
in the modern
western cultural sense of,
00:42:27.64\00:42:29.38
you know, we
look at a cross today,
00:42:29.41\00:42:30.75
and we just smile,
00:42:30.78\00:42:32.11
and it's just such a
great symbol of hope,
00:42:32.15\00:42:33.85
because of what we
see it in hindsight,
00:42:33.88\00:42:36.58
looking back.
00:42:36.62\00:42:37.95
But in His day to go
up to someone and say,
00:42:37.99\00:42:40.66
you know, take up your cross
00:42:40.69\00:42:42.26
would be like
us telling someone,
00:42:42.29\00:42:44.39
you know, stab
yourself in the chest
00:42:44.43\00:42:46.13
with a knife or, you know,
00:42:46.16\00:42:47.93
go grab a noose and,
00:42:47.96\00:42:49.30
you know, hang
yourself from a tree.
00:42:49.33\00:42:50.67
That's horrible
imagery, but nonetheless,
00:42:50.70\00:42:52.93
that's what Christ was saying.
00:42:52.97\00:42:54.30
Yeah, because
they knew in that day
00:42:54.34\00:42:55.94
when they said
pick up your cross,
00:42:55.97\00:42:57.31
if you picked up your cross,
00:42:57.34\00:42:58.67
you were gonna go be crucified.
00:42:58.71\00:43:00.41
So, you know,
this is when Paul says
00:43:00.44\00:43:02.14
"I die daily."
00:43:02.18\00:43:03.51
He's talking about
picking up this cross daily,
00:43:03.55\00:43:06.15
dying to self.
00:43:06.18\00:43:07.52
This isn't...
00:43:07.55\00:43:08.88
I remember once I was
in Roswell, New Mexico,
00:43:08.92\00:43:10.25
and I was doing this series,
00:43:10.29\00:43:11.72
and I was talking
about how Paul said,
00:43:11.75\00:43:14.32
"I'm crucified with Christ,
I'm crucified to the world,
00:43:14.36\00:43:17.06
the world to me,
picking up Your cross."
00:43:17.09\00:43:19.29
And this woman came to
me afterwards and said,
00:43:19.33\00:43:22.03
"Well, that's just the
harshest sermon I've ever heard.
00:43:22.06\00:43:26.53
All this dying to self
stuff, and being crucified."
00:43:26.57\00:43:30.77
And I said, "You know,
this is how, by dying to self,
00:43:30.81\00:43:35.38
we can only be
filled with the Holy Spirit
00:43:35.41\00:43:37.71
to that griever emptied himself.
00:43:37.75\00:43:40.42
So it's as Romans 8:13 says,
00:43:40.45\00:43:45.19
that if you live
according to the flesh,
00:43:45.22\00:43:46.92
what's gonna happen?
00:43:46.96\00:43:48.29
You die.
00:43:48.32\00:43:49.66
You're gonna die.
00:43:49.69\00:43:51.03
But if by the
power of the Holy Spirit,
00:43:51.06\00:43:55.26
you put to death the
mistakes of the flesh,
00:43:55.30\00:43:57.33
you're gonna live.
00:43:57.37\00:43:58.80
So let me say one point on that.
00:43:58.83\00:44:01.80
You and I can't put to
death the misdeeds of our flesh,
00:44:01.84\00:44:05.67
not by ourselves.
00:44:05.71\00:44:07.04
It's because Romans 8:13 says,
00:44:07.08\00:44:09.28
"If you, by the
power of the Holy Spirit
00:44:09.31\00:44:14.62
put to death
misdeeds of your flesh,"
00:44:14.65\00:44:16.99
you can't do it on your own.
00:44:17.02\00:44:18.85
And the Holy Spirit's
not gonna do it without you.
00:44:18.89\00:44:21.69
So that is where we...
00:44:21.72\00:44:24.49
When we talk about surrender
it's yielding to His leading.
00:44:24.53\00:44:29.50
And it's only
as we yield to Him,
00:44:29.53\00:44:34.40
and let Him lead,
00:44:34.44\00:44:36.04
that we can die to
our selfish desires.
00:44:36.07\00:44:38.97
And there's nothing
frightening about it
00:44:39.01\00:44:40.48
'cause God always
gives us some banner.
00:44:40.51\00:44:42.91
What were you gonna say?
00:44:42.94\00:44:44.51
Well, you know, I look at this
00:44:44.55\00:44:46.05
and there's what
I see in my life,
00:44:46.08\00:44:49.25
that there's no better place
00:44:49.28\00:44:50.62
than being where
God wants you to be.
00:44:50.65\00:44:52.22
Amen.
00:44:52.25\00:44:53.59
And when I find
myself wanting to do my will
00:44:53.62\00:44:57.13
or wanting to
go in my direction,
00:44:57.16\00:45:00.26
I found that the Lord
has a way of correcting that.
00:45:00.30\00:45:02.66
Yes. That's right.
00:45:02.70\00:45:04.03
And sometimes you
go through situations
00:45:04.07\00:45:07.30
in your life and
you're like, "Well, you know,
00:45:07.34\00:45:10.31
I thought I was going
in the right direction.
00:45:10.34\00:45:12.11
But when we look at what Jesus
is trying to do in our lives,
00:45:12.14\00:45:17.35
and we go in that
direction, and we follow Him,
00:45:17.38\00:45:21.48
we're in a perfect spot.
00:45:21.52\00:45:22.85
I know when Francine and I,
00:45:22.88\00:45:24.29
we had to leave Michigan
and we went to Washington,
00:45:24.32\00:45:28.56
you know, we left our family,
00:45:28.59\00:45:30.86
we left our jobs that we liked,
00:45:30.89\00:45:33.76
we left, you know,
all the things we had
00:45:33.80\00:45:36.63
what we called our dream home,
00:45:36.67\00:45:38.87
we left all that
00:45:38.90\00:45:41.04
because we knew that
the Lord was taking us
00:45:41.07\00:45:43.24
in another direction.
00:45:43.27\00:45:45.14
And I'm driving,
and it was interesting
00:45:45.17\00:45:47.28
because I had all...
00:45:47.31\00:45:48.81
You know, I had my
goals and Francine,
00:45:48.84\00:45:51.35
and we're at that
stage, you know, young people,
00:45:51.38\00:45:53.75
we were building our lives,
00:45:53.78\00:45:55.48
and we thought we
knew what was good for us.
00:45:55.52\00:45:59.05
And when we
realized after three years,
00:45:59.09\00:46:02.26
we didn't really
build relationships
00:46:02.29\00:46:04.19
with our neighbors,
00:46:04.23\00:46:05.56
you know, we were
doing all the right things.
00:46:05.59\00:46:07.56
You know, we were elders,
we were deacons, we were,
00:46:07.60\00:46:10.50
you know, doing
Sabbath School in our church,
00:46:10.53\00:46:12.33
we were involved in our church,
00:46:12.37\00:46:13.70
in the conference, you know,
00:46:13.74\00:46:15.07
we're doing all
these great things...
00:46:15.10\00:46:16.44
But spiritually.
00:46:16.47\00:46:17.81
But spiritually we
were draining ourselves,
00:46:17.84\00:46:19.87
but we weren't getting
connected with the Lord.
00:46:19.91\00:46:22.54
And we were doing
all these good things.
00:46:22.58\00:46:24.31
But until we realized
00:46:24.35\00:46:25.68
that the Lord has
something better for us,
00:46:25.71\00:46:28.72
and we need to focus on that,
00:46:28.75\00:46:30.15
and then move in that direction.
00:46:30.19\00:46:31.82
And when we did that,
we had an amazing joy.
00:46:31.85\00:46:35.22
We wouldn't have been
able to adopt our little girl
00:46:35.26\00:46:38.03
if we didn't go to
Washington, you know.
00:46:38.06\00:46:40.26
So there's a lot of things
when we're focusing on Jesus,
00:46:40.30\00:46:43.67
and we realize
that He's guiding us
00:46:43.70\00:46:46.43
in the direction,
00:46:46.47\00:46:47.80
even though we
have to give up so much,
00:46:47.84\00:46:50.61
there's so much more
00:46:50.64\00:46:52.11
that we don't
realize that He's giving us.
00:46:52.14\00:46:54.54
And there's so many
times that you wonder
00:46:54.58\00:46:56.75
if you had yielded
to God's will more often
00:46:56.78\00:47:00.58
and not be so driven
00:47:00.62\00:47:02.22
on what you
thought was the mission,
00:47:02.25\00:47:05.99
then you wonder
00:47:06.02\00:47:07.89
what other
blessings God had in store
00:47:07.92\00:47:09.72
that you could have
already been blessed with.
00:47:09.76\00:47:12.53
And, you know,
00:47:12.56\00:47:13.90
if you hadn't
focused on yourself first
00:47:13.93\00:47:16.23
or what you thought
the goal should have been.
00:47:16.26\00:47:19.17
Because I know that
I see it in tithing,
00:47:19.20\00:47:21.47
I see it with so many people,
00:47:21.50\00:47:22.84
there are so many people
00:47:22.87\00:47:24.21
that they think
they're doing what's right
00:47:24.24\00:47:25.84
and you want to
just say, hold back,
00:47:25.87\00:47:28.11
now that I'm a little
older, you think in your mind,
00:47:28.14\00:47:31.51
you could be preventing so much
00:47:31.55\00:47:33.52
and God wants to
do so much for you.
00:47:33.55\00:47:36.25
You always just want
to tell people sometimes,
00:47:36.28\00:47:39.65
and sometimes they
just have to learn it.
00:47:39.69\00:47:41.22
Again, it's that
relationship with Christ
00:47:41.26\00:47:43.49
when you get to that point.
00:47:43.53\00:47:44.86
And so I think that's why
we have to pray for each other,
00:47:44.89\00:47:48.13
is lifting each
other up, and those prayers
00:47:48.16\00:47:50.17
that you were
talking about earlier
00:47:50.20\00:47:52.07
is because we don't
know all these things
00:47:52.10\00:47:54.54
that God really has in store.
00:47:54.57\00:47:56.10
I think there's so much more
that God is waiting for us on.
00:47:56.14\00:47:59.67
Amen. Absolutely, absolutely.
00:47:59.71\00:48:01.51
You mentioned earlier that,
00:48:01.54\00:48:02.88
you know, we can't
do the work ourselves.
00:48:02.91\00:48:06.28
And, you know, it's hard to move
00:48:06.31\00:48:10.22
when you're nailed to a cross.
00:48:10.25\00:48:13.72
It's hard to be in control
when you're nailed to a cross.
00:48:13.76\00:48:17.93
When Jesus was
hanging on that cross,
00:48:17.96\00:48:19.43
He was completely vulnerable,
00:48:19.46\00:48:21.20
and in the
control of other people.
00:48:21.23\00:48:24.57
And when I read Luke 9:23,
00:48:24.60\00:48:26.57
when we deny ourselves
00:48:26.60\00:48:27.94
and we take up that
instrument of death,
00:48:27.97\00:48:30.04
when we hang ourselves
on a cross spiritually,
00:48:30.07\00:48:32.37
obviously, when we crucify self,
00:48:32.41\00:48:35.94
we at that moment are saying,
"Lord, I don't trust myself.
00:48:35.98\00:48:39.21
I'm nailed to this cross.
00:48:39.25\00:48:40.58
Lord, I don't...
00:48:40.62\00:48:41.95
I'm pining myself to this cross
00:48:41.98\00:48:43.32
because I don't trust myself
00:48:43.35\00:48:44.69
to act, to do, to
decide, to make choices
00:48:44.72\00:48:47.12
and what's best in my life,
00:48:47.16\00:48:48.49
Lord, not my will but Yours."
00:48:48.52\00:48:50.46
Yeah, but see,
00:48:50.49\00:48:51.83
we can't even do
that by ourselves,
00:48:51.86\00:48:53.19
if we ever gonna try to
nail ourselves to the cross,
00:48:53.23\00:48:55.53
we could get one
but then it's like,
00:48:55.56\00:48:57.93
"Oh, okay, how do I do this?"
00:48:57.97\00:48:59.90
So, we can't even deny self
00:48:59.93\00:49:03.61
without the Holy Spirit's help.
00:49:03.64\00:49:05.71
And that's why Paul
in Ephesians 5:18 says,
00:49:05.74\00:49:08.98
always be filled
with the Holy Spirit.
00:49:09.01\00:49:12.01
And I think, you know,
00:49:12.05\00:49:13.38
what we have to look
at is if we're walking
00:49:13.42\00:49:16.28
under the
influence of the Spirit,
00:49:16.32\00:49:19.49
the Word of God will
have control in our lives.
00:49:19.52\00:49:23.26
We will confess our known sins
00:49:23.29\00:49:26.93
and the Holy Spirit
will help us to recognize
00:49:26.96\00:49:29.86
when we're not pleasing to God,
00:49:29.90\00:49:32.40
we will die to self
according to His will,
00:49:32.43\00:49:35.67
but we're
depending upon His power.
00:49:35.70\00:49:37.97
You know, I used
to try to do this
00:49:38.01\00:49:39.71
under my own power and
it was so discouraging.
00:49:39.74\00:49:42.48
I actually walked away
from the Lord once and said,
00:49:42.51\00:49:46.21
shaking my little
finger in His face,
00:49:46.25\00:49:48.65
"You demand too much."
00:49:48.68\00:49:51.89
It was just impossible.
00:49:51.92\00:49:53.86
So in Luke 11:13
00:49:53.89\00:49:56.26
is probably one of
my favorite scriptures.
00:49:56.29\00:49:59.59
J.D, why don't
you read that one.
00:49:59.63\00:50:01.73
Luke 11:13.
00:50:01.76\00:50:04.40
"If you then, being evil,
00:50:04.43\00:50:06.13
know how to give good
gifts to your children,
00:50:06.17\00:50:08.24
how much more will
your heavenly Father
00:50:08.27\00:50:10.47
give the Holy Spirit
to those who ask him?"
00:50:10.51\00:50:13.24
Remember, you're
walking in surrender here.
00:50:13.27\00:50:15.78
So you're allowing
Him to be in charge.
00:50:15.81\00:50:18.58
And so, Him being in
charge, He's just saying,
00:50:18.61\00:50:21.38
"Listen, Quinn, I
want to give you things
00:50:21.42\00:50:23.02
that you'd never knew
that is even possible."
00:50:23.05\00:50:25.02
You know.
00:50:25.05\00:50:26.39
And, you know, when
you look in Luke 11,
00:50:26.42\00:50:28.66
this is where Jesus is saying,
00:50:28.69\00:50:31.66
ask and it'll be given to you,
00:50:31.69\00:50:34.36
seek and you will find,
00:50:34.40\00:50:36.10
knock and the door will be open.
00:50:36.13\00:50:37.87
These are linear verbs.
00:50:37.90\00:50:39.40
They are constant present tense.
00:50:39.43\00:50:42.27
So He's saying,
00:50:42.30\00:50:43.91
"Keep on
asking, keep on seeking,
00:50:43.94\00:50:47.11
keep on knocking."
00:50:47.14\00:50:49.41
But then He comes down
to this point where He says,
00:50:49.44\00:50:53.48
"Here's what I'm telling you.
00:50:53.52\00:50:56.15
You're evil,
00:50:56.18\00:50:57.52
you know how to give
good gifts to your kids,
00:50:57.55\00:50:59.05
but if you keep
on asking the Father
00:50:59.09\00:51:02.42
for the Holy Spirit,
00:51:02.46\00:51:04.63
how much more is
He gonna give you
00:51:04.66\00:51:06.36
that good gift, you know?
00:51:06.39\00:51:08.36
And here's what I want to say.
00:51:08.40\00:51:11.30
If you want to get a finger
00:51:11.33\00:51:12.90
on your spiritual
pulse, priorities,
00:51:12.93\00:51:17.37
check your priorities.
00:51:17.41\00:51:19.64
Are you praying in a way
that's a friend to friend
00:51:19.67\00:51:24.45
that you're praying to God,
00:51:24.48\00:51:26.65
pouring out your
heart before Him,
00:51:26.68\00:51:28.42
seeking His face?
00:51:28.45\00:51:30.22
Are you in His word
00:51:30.25\00:51:31.59
so that you can
let Him counsel you?
00:51:31.62\00:51:33.96
And are you
saying, praying every day,
00:51:33.99\00:51:37.56
"Lord, fill me
with your Holy Spirit."
00:51:37.59\00:51:40.86
And it's not just day by day,
sometimes, it's hour by hour.
00:51:40.90\00:51:44.30
That's right.
00:51:44.33\00:51:46.63
Isn't it? Yes.
00:51:46.67\00:51:48.30
'Cause I certainly know
00:51:48.34\00:51:49.67
that I have
started my days surrendered
00:51:49.70\00:51:53.41
and somehow you end up not.
00:51:53.44\00:51:54.84
Of course.
00:51:54.88\00:51:56.85
Let's read 2 Corinthians 3:18.
00:51:56.88\00:52:01.22
Francine, you
want to read that one?
00:52:01.25\00:52:03.79
All right.
00:52:03.82\00:52:05.15
So 2 Corinthians 3:18.
00:52:05.19\00:52:06.65
"But we all, with unveiled faces
00:52:06.69\00:52:09.56
beholding as in a
mirror the glory of the Lord,
00:52:09.59\00:52:13.19
are being
transformed in the same image
00:52:13.23\00:52:15.36
from the glory to glory
00:52:15.40\00:52:16.93
just as by the
Spirit of the Lord."
00:52:16.97\00:52:21.84
It's just saying it again.
00:52:21.87\00:52:23.20
Again, it's that mirror we
want to reflect who Christ is.
00:52:23.24\00:52:26.61
That's right.
00:52:26.64\00:52:27.98
So you don't
want them to see you,
00:52:28.01\00:52:29.38
you want them to see God.
00:52:29.41\00:52:31.51
That's what
Jesus was communicating
00:52:31.55\00:52:32.91
to Nicodemus in John 3.
00:52:32.95\00:52:35.48
I love how Mrs.
White, she says that
00:52:35.52\00:52:37.45
"No other place in
the Bible is the gospel
00:52:37.49\00:52:39.45
put on display more
clearly than in John 3."
00:52:39.49\00:52:42.29
And that conversation
between Jesus and Nicodemus.
00:52:42.32\00:52:45.03
Because Nicodemus is
thinking fleshly, earthly.
00:52:45.06\00:52:48.16
Jesus is...
00:52:48.20\00:52:49.53
Jesus is having a
vertical conversation
00:52:49.56\00:52:51.77
and Nicodemus's mind
is completely horizontal.
00:52:51.80\00:52:54.20
And Jesus says, "No,
it's a spiritual thing."
00:52:54.24\00:52:56.64
And if you look in that chapter,
00:52:56.67\00:52:58.94
and you look for the one thing
00:52:58.97\00:53:00.31
that Jesus tells
Nicodemus that we must do,
00:53:00.34\00:53:03.55
in order to hurry the
work of the Spirit in our life,
00:53:03.58\00:53:07.82
he references Numbers 21.
00:53:07.85\00:53:10.45
The story of Numbers 21.
00:53:10.49\00:53:11.82
He says,
00:53:11.85\00:53:13.19
"As Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness,
00:53:13.22\00:53:15.66
so shall also the
Son of Man be lifted up."
00:53:15.69\00:53:18.83
Jesus said, "I,
and if I am lifted up,
00:53:18.86\00:53:20.63
I will draw all
men unto myself."
00:53:20.66\00:53:22.76
You know, and sometimes we think
00:53:22.80\00:53:25.00
that us lifting up
Jesus, you know, that we're...
00:53:25.03\00:53:27.94
And it is important
that we uplift Jesus
00:53:27.97\00:53:29.77
for others to see but, you know,
00:53:29.80\00:53:31.47
we need to uplift
Jesus every single day
00:53:31.51\00:53:33.41
so we can see Him.
00:53:33.44\00:53:34.78
Amen. That's good.
00:53:34.81\00:53:36.81
And it's very
important that we understand
00:53:36.85\00:53:39.21
and by beholding
we become change.
00:53:39.25\00:53:41.15
If I'm keeping my attention
and my focus every single day
00:53:41.18\00:53:44.79
on the uplifted Savior,
00:53:44.82\00:53:46.15
and I'm beholding Christ
00:53:46.19\00:53:47.52
and the events that
transpired on Calvary
00:53:47.56\00:53:49.52
are in my mind, as
Mrs. White would say
00:53:49.56\00:53:52.19
"A thoughtful hour each
day on the life of Christ,
00:53:52.23\00:53:54.36
especially the closing ones."
00:53:54.40\00:53:56.16
When we put Christ in our view,
00:53:56.20\00:53:59.70
everything falls in
place where it should.
00:53:59.73\00:54:01.87
And the Holy Spirit takes us
00:54:01.90\00:54:03.24
from one level of His
character to the next.
00:54:03.27\00:54:05.51
But now we've got... I
just looked at the clock.
00:54:05.54\00:54:08.64
It's ticking away.
00:54:08.68\00:54:10.01
Yes, this is
probably one of the best ways
00:54:10.05\00:54:13.88
to check your spiritual pulse.
00:54:13.92\00:54:16.38
J.D, John 14:15,
what does Jesus say?
00:54:16.42\00:54:19.92
"Abide in me, and I am you,
00:54:19.95\00:54:22.72
as the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself,
00:54:22.76\00:54:25.49
unless it abides in the vine,
00:54:25.53\00:54:27.40
neither can you
unless you abide in Me.
00:54:27.43\00:54:30.33
I, Jesus Am the
vine, you are the branches
00:54:30.37\00:54:34.14
and who who abides
in Me and I in him,
00:54:34.17\00:54:37.01
bears much fruit for
without Me you can do nothing.
00:54:37.04\00:54:40.34
So that's John 15:4
and 5 that you read.
00:54:40.38\00:54:44.58
And John 14:15, Jesus said,
00:54:44.61\00:54:47.92
"If you love Me,
keep my commandments."
00:54:47.95\00:54:51.82
So and, you know,
we don't have time
00:54:51.85\00:54:53.46
but in that passage, John 14:15,
00:54:53.49\00:54:57.89
"If you love Me,
keep my commandments."
00:54:57.93\00:55:00.16
He's saying our
love is obedience,
00:55:00.20\00:55:02.50
I mean, our love is
evidence by our obedience.
00:55:02.53\00:55:05.47
But it goes on in
verses 15 through 17,
00:55:05.50\00:55:08.84
to say, "If you do this,
00:55:08.87\00:55:10.44
I'm gonna give
you the Holy Spirit
00:55:10.47\00:55:11.81
as you're helper."
00:55:11.84\00:55:13.17
So you got supernatural help.
00:55:13.21\00:55:14.54
And in verses 18 through 19,
00:55:14.58\00:55:16.04
He says, you're gonna
have a supernatural life.
00:55:16.08\00:55:18.61
And verse 20 through
25, supernatural union,
00:55:18.65\00:55:22.85
and 27 through 31,
00:55:22.88\00:55:24.69
you're gonna know
supernatural peace.
00:55:24.72\00:55:27.06
So if you want to keep a
finger in your spiritual pulse,
00:55:27.09\00:55:31.63
producing fruit,
what you just read,
00:55:31.66\00:55:34.83
what is He saying
in John 15:4 and 5?
00:55:34.86\00:55:37.87
What does it mean
to abide in Christ?
00:55:37.90\00:55:40.57
Be part of him,
00:55:40.60\00:55:42.04
be an extension
of him, you know.
00:55:42.07\00:55:44.74
And it's a
dwelling thing, isn't it?
00:55:44.77\00:55:46.17
Most certainly.
00:55:46.21\00:55:47.54
It's a settling thing.
00:55:47.58\00:55:48.91
It's basically
giving up your time
00:55:48.94\00:55:50.28
to have that
relationship with Him,
00:55:50.31\00:55:52.61
and it's through
prayer, reading His word,
00:55:52.65\00:55:54.85
you know, thinking on
all that He has done for us,
00:55:54.88\00:55:58.25
I mean, it's a full package.
00:55:58.29\00:56:00.29
Amen.
00:56:00.32\00:56:02.39
What I like is on John 15:7,
00:56:02.42\00:56:07.53
it says, "If you abide in
Me and My words abide in you,
00:56:07.56\00:56:11.03
you shall ask what you will
00:56:11.07\00:56:12.47
and it shall be given unto you."
00:56:12.50\00:56:14.04
I mean, that's amazing promise.
00:56:14.07\00:56:15.84
But it's not, you
know, what we want,
00:56:15.87\00:56:17.87
but it's what we
believe the Lord wants us to do
00:56:17.91\00:56:21.38
when He will give it to us
00:56:21.41\00:56:22.88
as long as
we're focusing on Him.
00:56:22.91\00:56:24.88
Praise the lord. Amen. Okay.
00:56:24.91\00:56:26.25
I think that I
should coming to Him
00:56:26.28\00:56:27.62
with an unveiled face.
00:56:27.65\00:56:28.98
That's right. Amen.
00:56:29.02\00:56:30.85
I can't believe
our time's all gone
00:56:30.89\00:56:32.49
'cause I know we can
really expound on this.
00:56:32.52\00:56:35.09
But let's just kind of recap.
00:56:35.12\00:56:37.43
If you want to keep a
finger on your spiritual pulse,
00:56:37.46\00:56:41.13
then we want to check
our priorities and see,
00:56:41.16\00:56:44.83
"Are we seeking God first?"
00:56:44.87\00:56:46.20
We want to make sure
we're staying in prayer
00:56:46.23\00:56:49.70
that that is a
persistent and regular prayer,
00:56:49.74\00:56:52.81
that we're reading God's word,
00:56:52.84\00:56:54.68
that we are
walking in surrender,
00:56:54.71\00:56:56.88
walking in
obedience, bearing fruit,
00:56:56.91\00:57:01.18
fruit of the spirit
and the fruit of activity,
00:57:01.22\00:57:04.12
and we will
become who we behold.
00:57:04.15\00:57:06.09
Amen.
00:57:06.12\00:57:07.49
I can't believe
our time's all gone.
00:57:07.52\00:57:09.32
We want to thank you
so much for joining us.
00:57:09.36\00:57:12.66
And our prayer for you
00:57:12.69\00:57:14.30
is that the grace of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
00:57:14.33\00:57:16.87
the love of the Father
00:57:16.90\00:57:18.23
and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit
00:57:18.27\00:57:20.17
will be with you
this Sabbath and always.
00:57:20.20\00:57:24.31
Happy Sabbath.
00:57:24.34\00:57:25.67