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, friends, and welcome
to Friday Night Family Worship
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happy Sabbath.
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Can we all say happy Sabbath?
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Happy Sabbath.
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Man, it's from us to
you, from our family to yours.
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Yeah.
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Now I usually wear a jacket,
my wife came up with this theme
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and I actually
like it, I feel lighter.
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Yeah, me too.
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And we are feeling blue.
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We're feeling light blue.
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And so sometimes I leave
the decisions up to my wife
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about what I wear,
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but most of the time
I make my own decisions.
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And that's what we're talking
about tonight, decisions,
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decisions, decisions.
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Oh boy.
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At the very outset,
let me make it very clear,
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we're going to
give you some decisions
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and guidance from the Bible.
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But indelibly,
we're gonna also talk
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about some not so good decisions
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we've made and some
great decisions we've made
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and some decisions
we wish we did make.
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And so we're going to
share some of our experiences,
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the ones that we know
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won't cause a
firestorm around the world.
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But decisions is what everybody
does every moment of every day.
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And when you
are facing decisions
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that can make your life amazing,
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make your life horrendous,
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can be the difference
between getting that house
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or losing that house,
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the person you choose to marry,
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or the person you
wish you never married.
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Everything in life
is about decisions.
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Yeah.
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So we decided our
program is called Decisions,
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Decisions, Decisions.
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Yeah.
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You don't need a Bible.
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But if you have one,
that's going to be a blessing.
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We're going to have prayer
and dive into this, Honey,
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because I am excited
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about Decisions,
Decisions, Decisions.
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And I wanna say
at the very outset,
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I'm so glad I decided
to marry this young lady.
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Oh honey... And going on.
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I feel the
same. Praise the Lord.
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Yeah, best decision I made.
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Well, first one
is serving the Lord.
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I would think so.
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Next one is my
husband. That's right.
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The Lord knew I
needed a wife from England.
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I want to say, He
didn't see anybody in America
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that I was supposed to marry.
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So He sent her from England.
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And the Lord made
the decision for me.
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So we'll stick with
us for the best decisions
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that are yet to come
from the Word of God.
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But, Honey, would
you begin with prayer?
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Sure.
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Let's bow our heads.
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Our Father in heaven,
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the privilege is ours
come in before Your presence.
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And we give You so much
praise, all of our praise,
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every praise goes to you.
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And, Lord, we are
grateful for this worship
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that we're going to be talking
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about, this family
worship about decisions.
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We know that, yes,
people do make decisions,
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sometimes not
good, sometimes good.
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But the best
decision is to serve You
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and to follow You.
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And as Joshua 24 says,
"As for me and my house,
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we will serve the Lord."
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And I pray that will
be the choice of everyone
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that is watching today.
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And we invite Your Holy
Spirit to come into our midst
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to lead and
guide in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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And very quickly, even though
our panel said happy Sabbath,
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right across from
me is the incomparable,
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undeniable only one
version, Dee Hilderbrand.
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Good to you have here, Dee.
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As my mother
would say amen to that
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'cause there's only one of me.
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Good to have you here.
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Great to be here.
Thank you so much.
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Yeah, you becoming a regular.
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We can't... Yeah.
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You know, Dee has great energy.
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She really
knows how to interact.
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And matter of fact, Dee said,
when you were visiting Arizona,
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someone said to you,
what do they like to watch?
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Was it?
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Oh, they liked Family Worship.
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Yeah, they really
liked Family Worship.
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So I had several
people comment about that.
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So they enjoy, our
viewers love Family Worship.
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And so, we're kind of
all together as a family,
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it's wonderful.
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Right. Well, we pick
topics that affect our lives
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and affects their lives.
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How to make it
practical and relevant.
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It's not about
prophecy and all that,
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it's about practical things
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that make family
worship relevant.
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Donald Owen,
Donald, Bible worker,
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our head Bible
worker at our church,
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and he also work
in pastoral department
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is sometimes you
do floor directing.
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Used to.
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Used to.
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Yeah, I'm in
pastoral mostly now.
00:05:08.97\00:05:10.31
But thank you for making
the decision to having me.
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I'm glad to have you.
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And Ricky Carter, Mr. Graphics
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animator, he
works for Dare to Dream.
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Great Christian man
and wonderful husband,
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and I'm so appreciative
that you're here at 3ABN,
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and anything else that
you may want our audience
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to know about you.
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Oh, I'm just happy to be here.
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Yeah.
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And let's get
right into the program.
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Okay, we have a lot to cover.
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Yeah, we sure do
have a lot to cover.
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So I'm just gonna go
ahead and dive into...
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I wanna begin with a question,
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because I heard
Dr. Subodh Pandit,
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a gentleman that I
really appreciate very much,
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you may not have
ever heard about him.
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He's a Seventh-day Adventist
who has done a 25 year research
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on all the religions, the
major religions of the world.
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And I love one of
the questions he asked.
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He says, when is a bad
decision a good decision,
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and a good
decision a bad decision.
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And I thought
when is a bad decision
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a good decision,
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and a good
decision a bad decision.
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It was a quandary for me
until I heard what he said.
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He said a bad
decision is a good decision,
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when it could have
been a worse decision,
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or it could have
been the worse decision.
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So a bad decision is
not the worse or the worse.
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And so he says when
could a good decision
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be a bad decision?
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I thought when
could a good decision
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be a bad decision?
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He said, when a good decision
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could have been
a better decision
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or the best decision.
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So try to put that together
in your head as you think
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about that good decisions,
better decisions and best,
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bad, worse and the worse.
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Good, better, best.
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So let's dive in
and put the question,
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what does the
Bible direct us to do
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when faced with a decision?
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And we're gonna walk
through that question
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in various ways tonight.
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So let's begin by
going to James 1:5,
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and I'm gonna start with
Dee across the river here.
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James 1:5.
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Outside there.
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Yeah.
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If and I'm reading
out of New King James.
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"If any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask of God,
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and who gives to all
liberally and without reproach,
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and it will be given to him."
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So what's the
first thing we're told?
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To go, turn to the Lord.
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Yeah.
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And that, to me,
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I divide my life
up into two areas.
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When I decided to
give my life to the Lord,
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and life before I
gave myself to the Lord.
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And the good
decisions, the bad decisions,
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and the best decision I
ever made was turning my life
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over to the Lord.
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And everything before then
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might not have
been a bad decision,
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but it wasn't a good one either.
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But it wasn't the worst,
but it sure wasn't the best.
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No.
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And after that, I haven't
always made the best decision
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but by turning to the Lord,
yes, if any of you lack wisdom.
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I've always admired Solomon.
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And I pray that to
Lord give me wisdom.
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That's the most important thing.
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You know,
Solomon, we admire Solomon
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till he lost his mind
and he regained it again.
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Because Solomon, the
reason why he's able to give us
00:08:14.29\00:08:16.46
so much wisdom is
because I tell you,
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anybody that finds
himself with 1000 women
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to learn something from.
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But he lost his wisdom.
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Yeah.
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But I love that this says
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that God gives to all liberally.
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Exactly.
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Generously. Generously.
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Yes, yeah.
00:08:36.71\00:08:38.05
And without reproach.
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How many times have we said,
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I didn't ask
you about this Lord.
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We found out it's like, oh,
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I should have come
to you first, Lord.
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So He doesn't reproach us.
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He gives us wisdom.
00:08:50.69\00:08:52.26
Right.
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Grace.
00:08:53.66\00:08:55.00
Liberally.
00:08:55.03\00:08:56.36
And just go ahead and
just read Philippians 4:6,
00:08:56.40\00:08:57.73
because that kind
of goes along with it.
00:08:57.77\00:08:59.23
This kind of encourages
you while you're asking
00:08:59.27\00:09:02.24
God to give you wisdom.
00:09:02.27\00:09:03.61
There's something else that
you need to do after you ask.
00:09:03.64\00:09:05.54
This played into my life greatly
00:09:05.57\00:09:07.41
after I lost David
00:09:07.44\00:09:08.78
because you know,
when there's two of you,
00:09:08.81\00:09:11.01
when you have a spouse,
00:09:11.05\00:09:12.95
you can lean on
each other a little bit.
00:09:12.98\00:09:14.98
You may not always be
as dependent on the Lord
00:09:15.02\00:09:17.82
as you should be.
00:09:17.85\00:09:19.19
But when you are
alone, Philippians 4:6,
00:09:19.22\00:09:23.59
"Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer
00:09:23.63\00:09:27.76
and supplication
with thanksgiving,
00:09:27.80\00:09:29.73
let your
requests be known to God."
00:09:29.76\00:09:32.57
So I had no one to
lean on but God after that.
00:09:32.60\00:09:37.41
And I, as long as I
leaned on Him, I wasn't anxious.
00:09:37.44\00:09:42.64
And He showed me
over and over again.
00:09:42.68\00:09:45.41
He was there.
00:09:45.45\00:09:46.78
I liked it.
00:09:46.82\00:09:48.15
I was gonna talk about
that idea of wisdom too.
00:09:48.18\00:09:49.52
In Proverbs 4:6,
it says that wisdom,
00:09:49.55\00:09:52.39
wisdom will preserve us.
00:09:52.42\00:09:53.89
Yes.
00:09:53.92\00:09:55.26
So I really liked that,
that wisdom will preserve us.
00:09:55.29\00:09:57.59
So you know, where
do we get wisdom from?
00:09:57.63\00:10:00.20
Where did it come from?
00:10:00.23\00:10:01.56
I mean, God is with
me, so we need His wisdom.
00:10:01.60\00:10:04.70
And I was
thinking of Isaiah 1:18,
00:10:04.73\00:10:06.23
kind of goes along
with the same thought.
00:10:06.27\00:10:07.97
He said, "Come, let
us reason together."
00:10:08.00\00:10:10.17
And He wants to reason with us.
00:10:10.21\00:10:11.54
Amen. Amen.
00:10:11.57\00:10:12.91
Yeah. That's right.
00:10:12.94\00:10:14.28
He wants to talk
it out. Right, right.
00:10:14.31\00:10:15.64
Exactly. Yeah.
00:10:15.68\00:10:17.01
And I've always said to people,
if you have a conversation
00:10:17.05\00:10:18.45
with God, do when
no one else is around,
00:10:18.48\00:10:21.32
so that people don't think
you're talking to yourself.
00:10:21.35\00:10:23.28
But there are
times when I'm driving.
00:10:23.32\00:10:24.85
Oh, yeah.
00:10:24.89\00:10:26.22
I would have an open
conversation with God.
00:10:26.25\00:10:28.92
And sometimes I'd say God,
00:10:28.96\00:10:30.29
this is not about
me, this is about you.
00:10:30.33\00:10:32.43
I remember once I was
just so adamant about something
00:10:32.46\00:10:34.76
that had happened that was
just totally ridiculousness.
00:10:34.80\00:10:37.93
I said, Lord, this is
about honoring Your glory.
00:10:37.97\00:10:41.00
This is about
vindicating Your character,
00:10:41.04\00:10:43.37
send Your Holy
Spirit ahead of me
00:10:43.41\00:10:44.87
so that will be
easy when I get there.
00:10:44.91\00:10:47.18
It was amazing.
00:10:47.21\00:10:48.84
When I got to where I was going,
00:10:48.88\00:10:50.61
the pastor who had
been so recalcitrant
00:10:50.65\00:10:52.71
and headstrong the day
before was like a kitten
00:10:52.75\00:10:55.58
when I got there and
I said, thank you Lord.
00:10:55.62\00:10:57.65
Amen.
00:10:57.69\00:10:59.02
So make the decision to
ask God to go before you.
00:10:59.05\00:11:02.82
I love the first four words
there hidden in Philippians,
00:11:02.86\00:11:06.66
be anxious for nothing.
00:11:06.70\00:11:09.06
You know, there are times
when we're worried about thing
00:11:09.10\00:11:13.44
that we're stressed about it.
00:11:13.47\00:11:15.34
And God says, Hey,
00:11:15.37\00:11:17.07
don't be anxious,
don't be worried about.
00:11:17.11\00:11:18.51
And then he goes on to
say, but in everything by prayer
00:11:18.54\00:11:21.61
and supplication
with thanksgiving,
00:11:21.64\00:11:23.21
let your request
be made known to God.
00:11:23.24\00:11:25.31
So through prayer,
00:11:25.35\00:11:27.42
through humbly
presenting our requests
00:11:27.45\00:11:31.35
or challenge, we
can present it to God.
00:11:31.39\00:11:34.16
And this is part of where
I can see here this verse,
00:11:34.19\00:11:36.69
this is part of
the a biblical process
00:11:36.73\00:11:39.79
of what we should
do when we're faced
00:11:39.83\00:11:42.53
with any kind of
decision or challenge.
00:11:42.56\00:11:44.47
Got a little process here.
00:11:44.50\00:11:45.83
Yeah.
00:11:45.87\00:11:47.20
Even do you see
where that word everything?
00:11:47.24\00:11:49.30
Yes.
00:11:49.34\00:11:50.67
See, we, most of us are very...
00:11:50.71\00:11:53.54
It's easy to take all
those big things, oh, Lord.
00:11:53.58\00:11:56.34
We know we've got to
make the right decisions,
00:11:56.38\00:11:58.71
spouse or buying a
house or something.
00:11:58.75\00:12:01.18
The little
things is what can make
00:12:01.22\00:12:05.15
a difference in our life.
00:12:05.19\00:12:07.32
Those little things.
00:12:07.36\00:12:08.69
And sometimes we don't think
00:12:08.72\00:12:10.06
that we need to take
little things to the Lord.
00:12:10.09\00:12:12.59
And often I've taken
little things to the Lord.
00:12:12.63\00:12:16.16
And maybe ideas
or thoughts came up,
00:12:16.20\00:12:18.53
but He allows us to
make certain decisions.
00:12:18.57\00:12:22.30
But we've
discussed them with Him.
00:12:22.34\00:12:24.67
And I think He
brings thoughts to our minds
00:12:24.71\00:12:26.68
that we make better decisions
even on those little things,
00:12:26.71\00:12:30.18
and then we're
ready for the big things.
00:12:30.21\00:12:31.58
Even when I go
shopping, I do that.
00:12:31.61\00:12:33.28
I'll say, Lord, help me to
get a good deal, a good sale.
00:12:33.31\00:12:36.79
I'll pray about even
shopping or a grocery store
00:12:36.82\00:12:39.19
or something like that.
00:12:39.22\00:12:40.56
I'll pray and asks
the Lord, please help me
00:12:40.59\00:12:42.62
with these little things.
00:12:42.66\00:12:44.23
Help me find the
right... The right.
00:12:44.26\00:12:45.59
Yeah.
00:12:45.63\00:12:46.96
We find what I'm
supposed to for the right price.
00:12:47.00\00:12:48.43
Groceries, whatever.
00:12:48.46\00:12:49.83
Sometimes I ask Him
for wisdom not to impulse.
00:12:49.86\00:12:53.20
Right.
00:12:53.23\00:12:55.07
You noticed, and I don't know
00:12:55.10\00:12:56.44
if you've
experienced any of this,
00:12:56.47\00:12:57.81
but nowadays, isn't it strange
00:12:57.84\00:12:59.74
how every time you look
at something that's on sale,
00:12:59.77\00:13:02.28
the sale is going to end today.
00:13:02.31\00:13:04.05
Last day of the sale.
00:13:04.08\00:13:05.41
So we'd be anxious,
00:13:05.45\00:13:06.78
they want you to
be anxious and get,
00:13:06.82\00:13:08.15
well, I don't know if
it's gonna be there tomorrow
00:13:08.18\00:13:09.68
was last one.
00:13:09.72\00:13:11.79
And we've found a way to
disarm salespeople by saying
00:13:11.82\00:13:14.79
every decision we make
we pray about it first.
00:13:14.82\00:13:17.23
They're not been
trained to respond to that one.
00:13:17.26\00:13:20.40
But I want to add verse
7, Honey, read verse 7 here,
00:13:20.43\00:13:22.70
because after we,
00:13:22.73\00:13:24.07
after let your
requests be made known to God,
00:13:24.10\00:13:25.93
something happens.
00:13:25.97\00:13:27.30
Verse 7.
00:13:27.34\00:13:28.77
Philippians 4:7,
"And the peace of God,
00:13:28.80\00:13:31.67
which surpasses
all understanding,
00:13:31.71\00:13:34.68
will guard your hearts and minds
00:13:34.71\00:13:36.71
through Christ Jesus."
00:13:36.75\00:13:38.08
So you have peace. Right.
00:13:38.11\00:13:39.85
You have a peace about it. Yes.
00:13:39.88\00:13:42.08
Because the
opposite of anxious is peace.
00:13:42.12\00:13:44.32
Okay, I prayed about it.
00:13:44.35\00:13:46.55
Yeah, leave it alone.
00:13:46.59\00:13:47.92
It's in God's hands.
00:13:47.96\00:13:49.29
You have peace, right?
00:13:49.32\00:13:50.66
And I've made some, you know,
remember when I was dealing
00:13:50.69\00:13:53.16
with books situation?
00:13:53.19\00:13:55.43
Angie said, we have a deadline,
what are we going to do?
00:13:55.46\00:13:57.50
I said, I'm not even worrying
about, it is God's problem.
00:13:57.53\00:14:00.57
It's His
message, it's His problem.
00:14:00.60\00:14:02.40
And I got a call the next day.
00:14:02.44\00:14:04.31
And somebody said,
00:14:04.34\00:14:05.77
there's something happened today
00:14:05.81\00:14:07.14
and the stock market
exploded and went up.
00:14:07.18\00:14:10.25
And the Lord told
us that you had a need.
00:14:10.28\00:14:12.85
And it was one we're getting out
00:14:12.88\00:14:14.22
three angels' messages booklet.
00:14:14.25\00:14:15.58
And they said, The Lord
told us you needed this amount.
00:14:15.62\00:14:18.29
Yeah. We were
immediately in tears.
00:14:18.32\00:14:20.19
We said, "That amount."
00:14:20.22\00:14:21.79
That's the amount we
needed, so the Lord told us.
00:14:21.82\00:14:24.56
And so we're sending you a check
00:14:24.59\00:14:26.03
for this amount for 3ABN
to get those booklets out.
00:14:26.06\00:14:28.76
Amen.
00:14:28.80\00:14:30.13
Because she said,
"What are you going to do?
00:14:30.17\00:14:31.50
You have a deadline."
00:14:31.53\00:14:32.87
I said, "I'm not
even worrying about it.
00:14:32.90\00:14:34.24
I'm putting it in
God's hands." Amen.
00:14:34.27\00:14:35.87
And next day he came through
and I was just blown away.
00:14:35.90\00:14:38.84
He's on time God.
00:14:38.87\00:14:40.21
On time God. Amen.
00:14:40.24\00:14:41.58
There's so many times
when I've just said, okay,
00:14:41.61\00:14:43.71
I prayed about this.
00:14:43.75\00:14:45.08
I'm gonna let it
and I let it lay,
00:14:45.11\00:14:47.82
and God took care of it.
00:14:47.85\00:14:49.35
And I saved myself from
all that worry and stress,
00:14:49.38\00:14:53.05
and that's on little things.
00:14:53.09\00:14:55.12
You know, I think sometimes
we can stress ourselves out
00:14:55.16\00:14:57.53
on little things more, even
more so than the big things.
00:14:57.56\00:15:00.86
Yeah.
00:15:00.90\00:15:02.23
So how many times do
we take it back though,
00:15:02.26\00:15:04.17
on the big things?
00:15:04.20\00:15:06.07
Especially if it's our children.
00:15:06.10\00:15:07.44
Right.
00:15:07.47\00:15:08.80
Parents struggles
so much with that.
00:15:08.84\00:15:11.17
Here's my child. Yeah.
00:15:11.21\00:15:12.94
Oh, whoops, I took him back.
00:15:12.97\00:15:15.08
Let's go to number two.
00:15:17.01\00:15:18.35
I'm gonna have Donald read
the question for number two,
00:15:18.38\00:15:20.25
because this is
really interesting.
00:15:20.28\00:15:22.38
You know,
sometimes God says, okay,
00:15:22.42\00:15:24.05
ask me, I'll help
you make decisions.
00:15:24.09\00:15:27.62
But we have to understand
00:15:27.66\00:15:28.99
that there are
other components to this.
00:15:29.02\00:15:31.06
Read the second
question there, Don.
00:15:31.09\00:15:32.43
Says, what does the
Bible reveal as a hindrance
00:15:32.46\00:15:36.03
for getting divine guidance?
00:15:36.06\00:15:38.83
That's a big question there.
00:15:38.87\00:15:40.37
Actually, something that came
to my mind when reading this.
00:15:40.40\00:15:43.57
I know we get this scripture
from Psalm, but Proverbs 29:23.
00:15:43.61\00:15:48.81
Okay.
00:15:48.84\00:15:50.18
Kind of spoke to me.
00:15:50.21\00:15:51.55
Let's go there.
00:15:51.58\00:15:52.91
Yeah, you know,
there's something
00:15:52.95\00:15:54.28
that can get in the way.
00:15:54.32\00:15:56.45
I think we all may
struggle with this.
00:15:56.48\00:15:58.69
I'm pretty sure we all do.
00:15:58.72\00:16:00.19
Pride.
00:16:00.22\00:16:01.56
29:23, says in
there, so I can find it.
00:16:01.59\00:16:05.99
Oh, yeah.
00:16:06.03\00:16:07.56
"A man's pride
shall bring him low,
00:16:07.60\00:16:10.23
but honor shall
uphold the humble in spirit."
00:16:10.27\00:16:13.50
So I think one thing I see
00:16:13.54\00:16:14.87
that hinders us
from divine guidance
00:16:14.90\00:16:16.57
is that we have
pride in the way,
00:16:16.60\00:16:19.41
you know, and I was thinking
on that and more in depth,
00:16:19.44\00:16:21.68
and it's sometimes
for us, like for myself,
00:16:21.71\00:16:24.58
we have brokenness
inside of ourselves.
00:16:24.61\00:16:26.11
And worse, we
don't want to come to God
00:16:26.15\00:16:27.78
and let Him heal us.
00:16:27.82\00:16:29.15
It's like we can handle
or manage us on our own.
00:16:29.18\00:16:31.45
And that's where
that pride comes in,
00:16:31.49\00:16:32.82
you know, we don't
want Him to come and fix us
00:16:32.85\00:16:34.62
or heal us that we
can do of ourselves,
00:16:34.66\00:16:37.09
or we can lean on other
folks to help us to heal.
00:16:37.13\00:16:40.33
So for myself,
I've had that struggle.
00:16:40.36\00:16:43.73
And I just talked
to an individual on one
00:16:43.77\00:16:45.30
of our prayer lines.
00:16:45.33\00:16:46.84
And she was going
through a struggle,
00:16:46.87\00:16:48.20
a real big
struggle with her co-worker
00:16:48.24\00:16:50.04
and just realize that
she's repeating the same thing,
00:16:50.07\00:16:52.97
and it's a bit of
pride was in the way.
00:16:53.01\00:16:55.34
And, you know, then
you got to pull down
00:16:55.38\00:16:56.71
those blinders to see
00:16:56.75\00:16:58.08
that you've got to let
God take that pride away.
00:16:58.11\00:16:59.61
So it can
hinder, it'll hinder us
00:16:59.65\00:17:01.08
from getting divine guidance.
00:17:01.12\00:17:03.12
But look at, read
that text, Psalm 66:18,
00:17:03.15\00:17:05.92
because one of these
this, this hindrance.
00:17:05.95\00:17:08.56
Right. Psalm 66:18.
00:17:08.59\00:17:10.93
It says there, "If I
regard iniquity in my heart,
00:17:10.96\00:17:15.56
the Lord will not hear."
00:17:15.60\00:17:17.47
Wow.
00:17:17.50\00:17:18.87
So is that a condition
that God won't hear us?
00:17:18.90\00:17:22.77
Yeah.
00:17:22.80\00:17:24.14
Because iniquity places
a block between me and God.
00:17:24.17\00:17:29.41
What is iniquity?
00:17:29.44\00:17:30.95
A cherished sin,
something we refuse to let go.
00:17:30.98\00:17:33.75
The dark like sin. Yeah.
00:17:33.78\00:17:35.35
And so, it's like,
you're like the little kid
00:17:35.38\00:17:37.22
that is holding on to
his little teddy bear,
00:17:37.25\00:17:39.72
when his dad has a
huge teddy bear behind him.
00:17:39.75\00:17:41.92
And he says, give
me your teddy bear.
00:17:41.96\00:17:43.49
No, no, no.
00:17:43.53\00:17:44.93
He only know, if you
just give me that little one,
00:17:44.96\00:17:47.13
I'll give you a huge one.
00:17:47.16\00:17:48.50
That could be our iniquity,
the things we refuse to let go.
00:17:48.53\00:17:51.33
Also trying to
tell God, how to answer.
00:17:51.37\00:17:55.94
Yeah.
00:17:55.97\00:17:57.31
This is I want wisdom, I want,
I'm praying for a decision.
00:17:57.34\00:18:01.24
But this is a
decision that You should make.
00:18:01.28\00:18:04.05
This is what you
should make happen.
00:18:04.08\00:18:06.01
Okay, this is what I want, Lord.
00:18:06.05\00:18:07.38
Yeah, this is quite the box.
00:18:07.42\00:18:08.75
Yeah.
00:18:08.78\00:18:10.12
In reading this text,
one of the first thing
00:18:10.15\00:18:11.79
that came to my
mind is that when praying
00:18:11.82\00:18:16.56
before I want to make a request,
00:18:16.59\00:18:19.49
or before we
make a request of God,
00:18:19.53\00:18:22.30
we should ask Him to
forgive us of our sins.
00:18:22.33\00:18:25.90
That's right.
00:18:25.93\00:18:27.27
Bring to mind any unknown
sin that we haven't confessed.
00:18:27.30\00:18:31.54
And because I know I
don't want to have anything
00:18:31.57\00:18:35.34
that's going to impede me
00:18:35.38\00:18:38.01
from the Lord
hearing my request.
00:18:38.05\00:18:40.55
I think it's important that
we, in bringing our requests
00:18:40.58\00:18:43.12
before the Lord is
that we ask for forgiveness.
00:18:43.15\00:18:45.39
Yeah.
00:18:45.42\00:18:46.76
I have something
really major going on.
00:18:46.79\00:18:49.36
I'm going to come
before the Lord with praise
00:18:49.39\00:18:51.43
and thanksgiving.
00:18:51.46\00:18:52.79
Yes, then, exactly.
00:18:52.83\00:18:54.63
Lord, is there
anything blocking us?
00:18:54.66\00:18:56.83
Is there anything I need
to fix or change in my life?
00:18:56.87\00:19:00.37
My request is going
to be last in the prayer.
00:19:00.40\00:19:05.61
Amen.
00:19:05.64\00:19:06.98
Okay. Make it right.
00:19:07.01\00:19:08.34
That's right. Let's
go to number three there.
00:19:08.38\00:19:10.58
Number three, how
important are our motives
00:19:10.61\00:19:13.92
in getting answers from God?
00:19:13.95\00:19:17.72
James 4:3 says,
00:19:17.75\00:19:21.39
"You ask and do not receive
00:19:21.42\00:19:24.33
because you ask amiss,
00:19:24.36\00:19:27.60
that you may spend,
spend it on your pleasures."
00:19:27.63\00:19:33.17
So I don't think that
this question is saying
00:19:33.20\00:19:36.17
that you can't ask
God for a new house
00:19:36.20\00:19:39.97
or for a new car, you know?
00:19:40.01\00:19:43.01
If you're asking it, though,
because you want to keep up
00:19:43.04\00:19:45.81
with the Joneses, let's say.
00:19:45.85\00:19:47.35
Right.
00:19:47.38\00:19:48.88
That's, that's
where it's talking
00:19:48.92\00:19:50.69
about he has the issue here.
00:19:50.72\00:19:52.49
So you want to make sure
that you're asking something
00:19:52.52\00:19:56.66
that's according with Scripture,
00:19:56.69\00:20:00.23
and you don't want to ask a miss
00:20:00.26\00:20:01.63
or though the word there is not
quite right, that word amiss.
00:20:01.66\00:20:07.34
That motive.
00:20:07.37\00:20:08.90
Assess your motives.
00:20:08.94\00:20:11.04
Because if you ask
Him for the wrong motives,
00:20:11.07\00:20:12.91
it's like asking the
parents, can I borrow the keys?
00:20:12.94\00:20:18.11
Really?
00:20:18.15\00:20:19.48
Are you really
asking me that question?
00:20:19.51\00:20:21.62
Because I know you worried
00:20:21.65\00:20:23.18
about the
neighbor's kid who has a car?
00:20:23.22\00:20:25.12
I told you not yet.
00:20:25.15\00:20:26.82
So the motives
are very important
00:20:26.86\00:20:28.46
when it comes to
making decisions.
00:20:28.49\00:20:29.86
What are your motives?
00:20:29.89\00:20:31.23
Are your motives in
harmony with God's will?
00:20:31.26\00:20:33.90
Because if they are not,
00:20:33.93\00:20:35.90
then you could ask all day long,
00:20:35.93\00:20:38.03
like a sky that's brass,
00:20:38.07\00:20:39.90
you're not going
to get any answers.
00:20:39.93\00:20:41.67
God is not going
to give us anything
00:20:41.70\00:20:43.34
that's going to hinder
us just because we ask.
00:20:43.37\00:20:46.14
And He knows our
motives, because He knows
00:20:46.17\00:20:48.34
the thoughts and
intents of our heart.
00:20:48.38\00:20:50.25
And He also knows what's
going to happen in the future.
00:20:50.28\00:20:52.11
Because I know one time
when I needed a job very much,
00:20:52.15\00:20:57.49
it was after I was a Christian,
00:20:57.52\00:20:58.95
and Dave and I
were in a new place.
00:20:58.99\00:21:01.66
And I got this job.
00:21:01.69\00:21:03.29
And then something happened.
00:21:03.32\00:21:04.66
And I lost a job
and I didn't understand.
00:21:04.69\00:21:07.86
And then later I ran into the...
00:21:07.90\00:21:10.00
I went back to work at the same
place because of my attitude.
00:21:10.03\00:21:14.64
When I got fired,
they hired me back again
00:21:14.67\00:21:17.07
in a different position.
00:21:17.11\00:21:18.47
And way down the
line, when David got cancer,
00:21:18.51\00:21:21.94
all of a sudden, it
all fell into place.
00:21:21.98\00:21:24.15
It all made sense.
00:21:24.18\00:21:25.81
It was the perfect plan.
00:21:25.85\00:21:28.85
But when you
can't see the plans,
00:21:28.88\00:21:31.62
and you don't understand
and you can't see His hand,
00:21:31.65\00:21:34.29
trust God's
hearts that His love.
00:21:34.32\00:21:36.79
So we, sometimes
00:21:36.83\00:21:38.19
when we're trying
to make decisions,
00:21:38.23\00:21:40.23
sometimes it does, His
answer doesn't make sense to us,
00:21:40.26\00:21:45.27
but we've got it.
00:21:45.30\00:21:46.63
That's where that trust
and relationship comes from.
00:21:46.67\00:21:49.74
If you ask Him for a
decision, accept His decision.
00:21:49.77\00:21:53.38
That's right.
00:21:53.41\00:21:54.74
What we're
talking about here says
00:21:54.78\00:21:56.24
that you may spend
it on your pleasures,
00:21:56.28\00:21:59.98
your pleasures, you know,
as it, is it, was it profiting,
00:22:00.02\00:22:02.88
does it profit the gospel,
does it profit with God's Word
00:22:02.92\00:22:05.59
is in getting the gospel
00:22:05.62\00:22:06.96
or does it profit
yourself personally?
00:22:06.99\00:22:08.69
You know, it's hard because we,
00:22:08.72\00:22:10.13
you know, a lot of people
ask, what is God's will for me?
00:22:10.16\00:22:12.99
A lot of people want to
know that what is God's will
00:22:13.03\00:22:15.13
and like you said,
should line up with Scripture,
00:22:15.16\00:22:17.30
we should be able to
find where lies in Scripture.
00:22:17.33\00:22:19.13
So I think that
spending on your own pleasure
00:22:19.17\00:22:21.30
and there's so much
that can be said there.
00:22:21.34\00:22:23.67
But the closer
that relationship comes,
00:22:23.71\00:22:26.04
the more your
desires are what God desires.
00:22:26.07\00:22:29.04
Exactly, exactly.
00:22:29.08\00:22:31.01
You come into reading
these things reminds us
00:22:31.05\00:22:34.12
to check them.
00:22:34.15\00:22:36.28
Has my motives changed?
00:22:36.32\00:22:38.25
Why am I?
00:22:38.29\00:22:39.62
How am I asking?
00:22:39.65\00:22:40.99
So these biblical
scriptures that we're reading,
00:22:41.02\00:22:44.89
gets us to think about
our relationship with Him.
00:22:44.93\00:22:48.40
That's right. That's right.
00:22:48.43\00:22:49.76
That's why number four
is really important, Honey,
00:22:49.80\00:22:51.80
it's your turn, Babe.
00:22:51.83\00:22:53.37
How does the
Bible give assurance
00:22:53.40\00:22:55.40
that God is
interested in our decisions?
00:22:55.44\00:22:59.31
Psalm 32:8.
00:22:59.34\00:23:01.54
I like this.
00:23:01.58\00:23:02.91
"I will instruct
you and teach you
00:23:02.94\00:23:05.98
in the way you should go.
00:23:06.01\00:23:07.95
I will guide you with my eye."
00:23:07.98\00:23:09.98
It's like that
search light, right?
00:23:10.02\00:23:11.89
Right beam, remember,
00:23:11.92\00:23:13.25
we used to have
one on top of our car.
00:23:13.29\00:23:15.06
We could see anything,
you know, a real bright.
00:23:15.09\00:23:18.69
It was very bright light.
00:23:18.73\00:23:20.40
I mean, like the
million candle watt Yeah.
00:23:20.43\00:23:24.03
It was a handheld one
and when it was like dark,
00:23:24.07\00:23:26.10
I put it out or
we go visiting people
00:23:26.13\00:23:28.30
that are on a dark road.
00:23:28.34\00:23:30.34
Okay, that's the house
00:23:30.37\00:23:31.71
they probably think
the police were out.
00:23:31.74\00:23:33.07
Yeah.
00:23:33.11\00:23:34.44
You know, I
could yell to myself,
00:23:34.48\00:23:35.81
well, come outside,
but it was very bright.
00:23:35.84\00:23:37.95
And what I like
about that, notice,
00:23:37.98\00:23:40.28
whose eyes is God
gonna use to guide us?
00:23:40.32\00:23:43.72
His eye.
00:23:43.75\00:23:45.42
That search light,
that search is the heart.
00:23:45.45\00:23:47.09
He sees.
00:23:47.12\00:23:48.46
He sees.
00:23:48.49\00:23:49.82
You know, this is such a
wonderful promise to think
00:23:49.86\00:23:51.69
that God, the
Creator of the universe,
00:23:51.73\00:23:56.97
I mean, He's got more
than a few things to do,
00:23:57.00\00:24:01.60
okay, that He's doing,
00:24:01.64\00:24:02.97
but Yet he finds time
00:24:03.00\00:24:05.27
and is interested in us
00:24:05.31\00:24:08.91
that He's
willing to instruct us.
00:24:08.94\00:24:12.11
What a wonderful God we serve.
00:24:12.15\00:24:14.22
Can we see, can God's
eyes see over the horizon?
00:24:14.25\00:24:17.65
You better believe it.
00:24:17.69\00:24:19.05
Plus He also wants was
for a benefit for our best.
00:24:19.09\00:24:22.02
You know, I think
about in Psalm 139:23-24,
00:24:22.06\00:24:25.53
it says, "Search me O
God and know my heart.
00:24:25.56\00:24:27.73
Try me know my thoughts,
00:24:27.76\00:24:29.10
see if there be
any wicked way in me
00:24:29.13\00:24:30.47
and leave me in
the way everlasting."
00:24:30.50\00:24:31.83
So His guiding and instruction
00:24:31.87\00:24:34.04
is to get you to go
on a way everlasting.
00:24:34.07\00:24:36.07
That's what He wants.
00:24:36.10\00:24:37.44
He wants to see in that way.
00:24:37.47\00:24:38.81
Yeah, I remember
years ago in New York City,
00:24:38.84\00:24:40.58
just before I was a pastor.
00:24:40.61\00:24:41.94
I worked at Bank of America
00:24:41.98\00:24:43.75
on Broad Street
in Wall Street area.
00:24:43.78\00:24:45.91
And there was this game
called Three-card Monte.
00:24:45.95\00:24:49.08
I don't know if
you ever saw this
00:24:49.12\00:24:50.45
where they have
three cards flipping.
00:24:50.49\00:24:51.92
Yes.
00:24:51.95\00:24:53.36
And this is back in the day.
00:24:53.39\00:24:55.09
It was always, it was very
popular around payday Friday
00:24:55.12\00:24:59.43
and people put down $20
or $40 was instant gambling,
00:24:59.46\00:25:03.43
but you had to just
follow the red card.
00:25:03.47\00:25:05.43
And these guys were very
quick with sleight of hand.
00:25:05.47\00:25:07.87
And you think I could tell
you how many times I've lost
00:25:07.90\00:25:11.14
but I thought man like I
got, I gotta see what he did.
00:25:11.17\00:25:14.08
When I learned it, I realize
you can't see what he did.
00:25:14.11\00:25:18.48
And that's how life is.
00:25:18.51\00:25:20.08
We don't have the kind
of eyes to see as God does.
00:25:20.12\00:25:23.85
We're looking at the
fastness of his hand,
00:25:23.89\00:25:26.19
God would look
straight through the card.
00:25:26.22\00:25:28.89
Yeah, I can tell, you
don't have to turn it over,
00:25:28.92\00:25:30.79
I know exactly what it is.
00:25:30.83\00:25:32.16
God is not into gambling.
00:25:32.19\00:25:33.53
That's not what I'm saying.
00:25:33.56\00:25:34.90
But God has eyes
that we will never have.
00:25:34.93\00:25:37.60
And that's why Isaiah 58:11,
Honey, read that one also.
00:25:37.63\00:25:41.57
"The Lord will
guide you continually
00:25:41.60\00:25:44.04
and satisfy your soul in drought
00:25:44.07\00:25:47.78
and strengthen your bones.
00:25:47.81\00:25:50.11
You shall be
like a watered garden,
00:25:50.15\00:25:52.78
and like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail."
00:25:52.81\00:25:56.79
Amen.
00:25:56.82\00:25:58.15
That's a wonderful promise.
00:25:58.19\00:25:59.72
So when God is guiding,
will there ever be abundance?
00:25:59.75\00:26:01.72
They'll always be...
00:26:01.76\00:26:03.09
Oh, He loves us.
00:26:03.12\00:26:04.46
Things will always be met.
00:26:04.49\00:26:05.83
I think about when we
even first came to 3ABN
00:26:05.86\00:26:07.26
before we came here,
like I said we only had,
00:26:07.30\00:26:09.60
had $10 to get from here
to Indiana back and forth,
00:26:09.63\00:26:12.97
that was it.
00:26:13.00\00:26:14.44
For gas, that was it.
00:26:14.47\00:26:16.50
I was like there's no
way we're gonna get back,
00:26:16.54\00:26:17.87
but the Lord
supply but you know,
00:26:17.91\00:26:20.21
when we surrender our
lives to Him and as you said,
00:26:20.24\00:26:22.58
Dee, earlier, you
know, your best decision
00:26:22.61\00:26:24.05
was to give your life to Lord.
00:26:24.08\00:26:25.65
He's gonna just
bless you abundantly
00:26:25.68\00:26:28.65
you know, now we're
completely out of debt,
00:26:28.68\00:26:30.65
I mean, for most part.
00:26:30.69\00:26:32.02
I still have school loans,
but anyways mostly out of debt.
00:26:32.05\00:26:34.42
And we got our house is sold.
00:26:34.46\00:26:36.62
So everything is just
God is blessing us to bloom
00:26:36.66\00:26:39.16
because we're, you
know, busy doing His work,
00:26:39.19\00:26:41.86
what He's called us to do,
and just, God will do that.
00:26:41.90\00:26:45.30
He loves you first, He wants to,
00:26:45.33\00:26:48.10
His love wants to give
you the best life possible.
00:26:48.14\00:26:52.17
We only have to submit to it.
00:26:52.21\00:26:54.21
And then keep asking Him,
00:26:54.24\00:26:55.61
what those decisions
are for that best life.
00:26:55.64\00:26:58.98
That's right.
00:26:59.01\00:27:00.35
I want to throw
the next one to Ricky
00:27:00.38\00:27:01.72
because we talked
about this prior to it
00:27:01.75\00:27:03.62
and I thought you had a really
good angle on number five.
00:27:03.65\00:27:04.99
Oh, yeah.
00:27:05.02\00:27:06.35
Number five.
00:27:06.39\00:27:07.72
In what way does the
Bible show that decisions
00:27:07.76\00:27:10.79
and obedience are connected?
00:27:10.83\00:27:14.36
The scripture here
is Psalms 119:10-11,
00:27:14.40\00:27:20.14
"With my whole
heart, I have sought you,
00:27:20.17\00:27:24.07
oh, let me not wander
from Your commandments!
00:27:24.11\00:27:28.51
Your word I have
hidden in my heart
00:27:28.54\00:27:30.95
that I might not
sin against You."
00:27:30.98\00:27:33.85
And the other text
there's, we have here as well.
00:27:33.88\00:27:36.58
Psalms 119:105,
00:27:36.62\00:27:38.85
"Your word is a lamp to my
feet and a light to my path."
00:27:38.89\00:27:42.96
Yes. And one other text.
00:27:42.99\00:27:44.89
Psalms 119:133,
00:27:44.93\00:27:48.30
"Direct my steps by Your word,
00:27:48.33\00:27:52.37
and let no iniquity
have dominion over me."
00:27:52.40\00:27:55.64
Beautiful.
00:27:55.67\00:27:57.84
When I was going
through this question,
00:27:57.87\00:28:00.08
I was thinking about,
00:28:00.11\00:28:01.91
there's some
situations that people may have,
00:28:01.94\00:28:06.38
Christians may have
which they may wonder,
00:28:06.41\00:28:08.72
okay, should I
do a certain thing?
00:28:08.75\00:28:12.25
How should I handle
a certain situation?
00:28:12.29\00:28:15.39
Especially with what
is God's Word saying?
00:28:15.42\00:28:20.70
And that's where I
think is what's interesting
00:28:20.73\00:28:23.63
about it is that when God's Word
00:28:23.67\00:28:25.47
gives clear instruction
00:28:25.50\00:28:27.57
on how we should
handle a situation,
00:28:27.60\00:28:29.97
there really
shouldn't be any guesswork.
00:28:30.01\00:28:31.47
For example,
someone may be wondering,
00:28:31.51\00:28:34.68
well, should I?
00:28:34.71\00:28:36.34
Should I return
tithe considering
00:28:36.38\00:28:39.71
my financial situation?
00:28:39.75\00:28:42.35
Well, first of all, I
want to encourage this person.
00:28:42.38\00:28:44.72
Yes.
00:28:44.75\00:28:46.09
You should always return tithes.
00:28:46.12\00:28:47.46
Okay. Amen.
00:28:47.49\00:28:49.29
Malachi 3:10 says,
"God says to prove him..."
00:28:49.32\00:28:53.73
That's right. "He
says to test him." Yes.
00:28:53.76\00:28:57.13
Or another
version says to try Him.
00:28:57.17\00:29:00.07
And when you do this,
He promises, God can't lie.
00:29:00.10\00:29:04.64
Amen.
00:29:04.67\00:29:06.01
He promises that He will open up
00:29:06.04\00:29:08.24
the windows of heaven,
00:29:08.28\00:29:10.15
and pour out a blessing
00:29:10.18\00:29:11.71
that you won't have
room enough to receive it.
00:29:11.75\00:29:15.02
So here's God's Word giving us
00:29:15.05\00:29:18.45
the instructions
on what we should do.
00:29:18.49\00:29:20.79
And, you know,
I think about this
00:29:20.82\00:29:22.89
and where we are to be
obedient to God's Word.
00:29:22.92\00:29:26.96
And when we
are, we'll be blessed
00:29:27.00\00:29:30.60
the Scripture says here.
00:29:30.63\00:29:32.23
And you go further
on, if you read it,
00:29:32.27\00:29:34.30
when you don't
return, you'll be cursed.
00:29:34.34\00:29:38.37
You don't want to be cursed.
00:29:38.41\00:29:39.84
No, no.
00:29:39.87\00:29:41.64
The Ten Commandments to me
is my commandments of freedom.
00:29:41.68\00:29:45.91
Yeah.
00:29:45.95\00:29:47.28
So when you talk about how
do you handle the situation.
00:29:47.32\00:29:50.52
If I have to handle a situation
by telling someone a lie,
00:29:50.55\00:29:56.12
that's sin against the
Lord, not against them,
00:29:56.16\00:29:58.76
because the
commandments tell me not to lie.
00:29:58.79\00:30:02.43
I have freedom
because I don't lie.
00:30:02.46\00:30:06.57
If I don't covet something, oh,
the freedom I have from that.
00:30:06.60\00:30:11.41
And when you,
00:30:11.44\00:30:12.77
when you don't
follow God's commandments,
00:30:12.81\00:30:16.58
it binds you some way.
00:30:16.61\00:30:19.05
And then also it
takes away your freedom.
00:30:19.08\00:30:21.35
And it also puts
something between you and Him.
00:30:21.38\00:30:23.22
Yes.
00:30:23.25\00:30:24.59
So that you don't
have all this freedom,
00:30:24.62\00:30:26.29
you don't have all
this richness of life.
00:30:26.32\00:30:29.32
It just takes so much from you.
00:30:29.36\00:30:32.06
And yet people look
at Him just the opposite.
00:30:32.09\00:30:35.13
And yet, with your
whole heart use you, you.
00:30:35.16\00:30:40.77
It's just your obedience
00:30:40.80\00:30:42.54
and His love and
joy and happiness
00:30:42.57\00:30:46.74
and in what He gives to
you is just overwhelming.
00:30:46.78\00:30:51.01
That's why I go to Him
with questions, asking,
00:30:51.05\00:30:55.18
what is the
decision I should make?
00:30:55.22\00:30:57.72
Yeah. I think
that enriches my life.
00:30:57.75\00:31:00.36
And listen, I was
gonna say that I think
00:31:00.39\00:31:02.99
that when you're
talking about that, you know,
00:31:03.02\00:31:05.13
just talking to
an individual today
00:31:05.16\00:31:06.63
that they brought some
people in their apartment.
00:31:06.66\00:31:08.43
I asked myself, well,
00:31:08.46\00:31:09.80
did you tell the
landlord about that?
00:31:09.83\00:31:11.17
No, they don't know.
00:31:11.20\00:31:12.53
You're kind of keeping it hidden
00:31:12.57\00:31:13.90
and their
conscience was not at peace
00:31:13.94\00:31:15.27
that I couldn't sleep.
00:31:15.30\00:31:16.64
I was bothered all
night. I'm not feeling at peace.
00:31:16.67\00:31:18.27
I'm like...
00:31:18.31\00:31:19.64
And if they get caught,
they might get thrown out
00:31:19.67\00:31:21.08
and they'd be homeless.
00:31:21.11\00:31:22.44
So, you know, I think
that there's something
00:31:22.48\00:31:23.81
that's bothering us.
00:31:23.85\00:31:25.18
There's something we're
dying, we're not trusting
00:31:25.21\00:31:26.55
there's
something, there's a problem.
00:31:26.58\00:31:27.92
We need to check that
with what the Word says,
00:31:27.95\00:31:29.28
because we're not at peace.
00:31:29.32\00:31:30.65
We should be at peace
with this when we're doing
00:31:30.69\00:31:32.05
what God's Word says.
00:31:32.09\00:31:33.42
I'm going to read
the number six here.
00:31:33.46\00:31:35.06
Okay.
00:31:35.09\00:31:36.42
Why is consulting
those of spiritual experience
00:31:36.46\00:31:39.89
a blessing in making decisions?
00:31:39.93\00:31:42.70
Proverbs 11:14,
00:31:42.73\00:31:44.67
"Where there is no
counsel, the people fall.
00:31:44.70\00:31:49.00
But in the
multitude of counselors,
00:31:49.04\00:31:52.14
there is safety."
00:31:52.17\00:31:53.91
This is really
interesting, because I remember,
00:31:53.94\00:31:56.21
the Bible's
talking about Jeroboam.
00:31:56.24\00:31:58.51
He says he made priests
of the lowest of the people.
00:31:58.55\00:32:02.08
And because Jeroboam received
counsel from men of experience,
00:32:02.12\00:32:05.25
and he didn't want.
00:32:05.29\00:32:06.86
He didn't want it.
00:32:06.89\00:32:08.22
So he chose men
of no experience,
00:32:08.26\00:32:10.66
he chose the younger men.
00:32:10.69\00:32:12.33
And the Bible
says, he made priests
00:32:12.36\00:32:13.70
to the lowest of the people.
00:32:13.73\00:32:15.06
And his fault, the people
that counseled and they said,
00:32:15.10\00:32:17.80
now your father did this.
00:32:17.83\00:32:19.17
But if you would do this,
00:32:19.20\00:32:20.54
if you would be
nice to the people,
00:32:20.57\00:32:23.00
they would really serve you.
00:32:23.04\00:32:24.71
Jeroboam said, I'm
not going to be nice.
00:32:24.74\00:32:26.34
I'm going to make doubly hard,
00:32:26.37\00:32:28.81
and the young
folk agree with him.
00:32:28.84\00:32:30.45
Yeah.
00:32:30.48\00:32:31.81
Be careful.
00:32:31.85\00:32:33.18
And I'm not saying this,
00:32:33.21\00:32:34.55
because young
people don't have wisdom.
00:32:34.58\00:32:36.99
But let me make a point
that I think is factual.
00:32:37.02\00:32:40.86
Well, I'll just tell a story.
00:32:40.89\00:32:42.22
Okay.
00:32:42.26\00:32:43.59
We were in New Guinea,
00:32:43.63\00:32:44.96
you know, the story I'm telling.
00:32:44.99\00:32:46.33
I love it.
00:32:46.36\00:32:47.70
And there was a gentleman,
00:32:47.73\00:32:49.06
older gentleman sitting
in the center of a circle.
00:32:49.10\00:32:50.43
And I'd never seen this before.
00:32:50.47\00:32:51.80
And then they had rings
around the different circles
00:32:51.83\00:32:53.97
about four other circles.
00:32:54.00\00:32:55.57
And I noticed that
the closer the ring,
00:32:55.60\00:32:59.81
people sat at
different distances,
00:32:59.84\00:33:02.11
and I asked, what is that?
00:33:02.14\00:33:03.85
And one of the people standing
by said, "Oh, you have to earn
00:33:03.88\00:33:07.05
the right to sit
close to the older person.
00:33:07.08\00:33:12.09
If you earn that by respect
and by receiving his counsel."
00:33:12.12\00:33:16.52
And so I noticed
on the outer circle
00:33:16.56\00:33:18.66
was all the young people,
00:33:18.69\00:33:20.16
they had to earn the
right because he said,
00:33:20.20\00:33:22.16
he is the head of the village.
00:33:22.20\00:33:23.87
He is the one that's a head
of the wisdom of this village,
00:33:23.90\00:33:26.03
you have to earn the right.
00:33:26.07\00:33:27.47
And I thought to myself, wow.
00:33:27.50\00:33:29.70
And so many people
sometimes think I asked a girl
00:33:29.74\00:33:34.68
that's a
teenager who didn't want
00:33:34.71\00:33:37.38
to listen to her mother.
00:33:37.41\00:33:39.05
But she want her little
sister to listen to her.
00:33:39.08\00:33:41.78
I said, "Is your
seven year old sister
00:33:41.82\00:33:43.42
wiser than you?"
00:33:43.45\00:33:44.79
She said, "No."
00:33:44.82\00:33:46.15
I said, "What makes
you think you're wiser
00:33:46.19\00:33:47.52
than your mother?"
00:33:47.56\00:33:48.89
She said, "Oh."
00:33:48.92\00:33:51.36
So experience is
a huge teacher, can,
00:33:51.39\00:33:53.73
let me just ask you,
Dee, are there decisions
00:33:53.76\00:33:55.60
you made in your life that
you could give a young lady
00:33:55.63\00:33:57.77
good guidance?
00:33:57.80\00:33:59.13
Oh, there's decisions I made
00:33:59.17\00:34:00.50
that I should have
asked an older person about.
00:34:00.54\00:34:02.74
And I would have
made better decisions.
00:34:02.77\00:34:04.74
Let me bring this
really home close to home
00:34:04.77\00:34:07.18
that happens on a daily basis.
00:34:07.21\00:34:08.64
You're talking about spouses.
00:34:08.68\00:34:10.55
How many people
have we met ran into
00:34:10.58\00:34:14.42
that after they ended up
divorced, said, why didn't you?
00:34:14.45\00:34:18.95
You know, your
friends go to you and say,
00:34:18.99\00:34:21.36
well, we knew
there was a problem.
00:34:21.39\00:34:22.72
Well, why didn't you tell me?
00:34:22.76\00:34:24.09
We did.
00:34:24.13\00:34:25.76
You would not listen.
00:34:25.79\00:34:29.06
So how many couples do you know
00:34:29.10\00:34:31.20
that people saw these red flags,
00:34:31.23\00:34:34.84
tried to warn them and
they didn't want to listen
00:34:34.87\00:34:37.81
and then they end
up in so much pain.
00:34:37.84\00:34:41.28
So much unnecessary.
00:34:41.31\00:34:42.98
So realistically,
listening to your friends,
00:34:43.01\00:34:46.15
listening to your parents,
checking with your pastor,
00:34:46.18\00:34:49.42
when you start dating someone
00:34:49.45\00:34:51.95
is when you should
be asking questions
00:34:51.99\00:34:53.96
not after you
fall in love with them.
00:34:53.99\00:34:55.86
Exactly.
00:34:55.89\00:34:57.23
And even about work
or movie be, when...
00:34:57.26\00:35:02.23
Yes, you need to
make your own decision,
00:35:02.26\00:35:03.97
you need to go
to the Lord with it.
00:35:04.00\00:35:05.90
But sometimes you need
to ask people their opinion.
00:35:05.93\00:35:09.70
And then take that
opinion to the Lord
00:35:09.74\00:35:12.04
and see if it brings
you peace or understanding.
00:35:12.07\00:35:16.54
When we put our
will above God's,
00:35:16.58\00:35:21.15
there is a price to pay
and it's not a happy one.
00:35:21.18\00:35:24.99
Wow.
00:35:25.02\00:35:26.35
You know, there's some
times in life when you,
00:35:26.39\00:35:29.22
you're gonna have a challenge.
00:35:29.26\00:35:30.59
And you, you,
you there's a desire,
00:35:30.63\00:35:33.76
we want to talk to
somebody about that,
00:35:33.80\00:35:36.80
that challenge or a
decision that you want to make.
00:35:36.83\00:35:39.40
And God allows that, I mean,
00:35:39.43\00:35:42.50
especially good to talk to
someone that's God fearing.
00:35:42.54\00:35:45.71
And yes.
00:35:45.74\00:35:47.08
That's really important.
00:35:47.11\00:35:48.44
Who you choose.
00:35:48.48\00:35:49.81
Yeah, I mean, you,
we can get the decisions
00:35:49.84\00:35:51.41
from the Word of God, we
already established that.
00:35:51.45\00:35:54.58
But in gospel God has
put, placed God fearing people
00:35:54.62\00:35:58.45
around us to help us to get
the answers for our challenges.
00:35:58.49\00:36:03.73
Scripturally I
can think of a few.
00:36:03.76\00:36:06.59
I think about Moses.
00:36:06.63\00:36:08.30
You know, Moses
had Jethro to go,
00:36:08.33\00:36:10.57
a God fearing man, Jethro.
00:36:10.60\00:36:13.10
Timothy, he had
a God fearing man
00:36:13.13\00:36:15.40
that he went to,
00:36:15.44\00:36:16.77
which was Paul,
and then Nicodemus,
00:36:16.81\00:36:19.81
a God fearing man, Jesus, right?
00:36:19.84\00:36:24.71
So perfect
examples there in Scripture.
00:36:24.75\00:36:26.65
People of experience,
it makes a difference.
00:36:26.68\00:36:28.72
And so, young folk, if you think
00:36:28.75\00:36:30.09
that somehow you
have enough wisdom
00:36:30.12\00:36:31.69
to overlook
your parent's wisdom.
00:36:31.72\00:36:33.49
And let me just make a point.
00:36:33.52\00:36:34.86
Not all parents
make the best decisions.
00:36:34.89\00:36:36.42
Right.
00:36:36.46\00:36:37.79
But when it comes to
the basic things of life,
00:36:37.83\00:36:39.53
because it could be
a spiritual decision
00:36:39.56\00:36:41.03
where I know the young lady,
00:36:41.06\00:36:42.40
remember, we were in New Guinea.
00:36:42.43\00:36:44.53
And this young
lady she just hit 20.
00:36:44.57\00:36:47.50
And she was making the
decision a couple years earlier
00:36:47.54\00:36:51.34
about giving her life to Christ.
00:36:51.37\00:36:52.71
And her parents said, "No,
you cannot be baptized yet."
00:36:52.74\00:36:56.08
And so, she was struggling
00:36:56.11\00:36:57.81
and she came to
both of us in tears.
00:36:57.85\00:36:59.38
She says, "I asked my
parents, could I get baptized?
00:36:59.41\00:37:01.92
And they told me no."
00:37:01.95\00:37:03.59
I asked first,
"How old are you?"
00:37:03.62\00:37:05.42
She says, "I'm 20".
00:37:05.45\00:37:07.16
I said, "It's now your decision.
00:37:07.19\00:37:09.16
You have to make the
decision before the Lord."
00:37:09.19\00:37:11.29
So while the pastor
was baptizing people,
00:37:11.33\00:37:13.56
we're so glad your family
is rejoicing with you today.
00:37:13.60\00:37:16.33
We're so glad your parents
are rejoicing with you today.
00:37:16.36\00:37:18.70
She looked up at us
to kind of like say,
00:37:18.73\00:37:20.90
my parents don't even know.
00:37:20.94\00:37:22.60
But I'm giving
my life to the Lord
00:37:22.64\00:37:23.97
because it's my decision.
00:37:24.01\00:37:25.81
So on those spiritual notes,
00:37:25.84\00:37:27.51
when God is guiding a
heart to make a godly decision,
00:37:27.54\00:37:31.15
the Word of God will
confirm what needs to be done.
00:37:31.18\00:37:33.58
And in those cases,
00:37:33.62\00:37:35.08
don't allow
people to override that.
00:37:35.12\00:37:37.39
And some people put
their lives on the line.
00:37:37.42\00:37:39.25
I remember when we were
about to join Heritage Singers.
00:37:39.29\00:37:41.96
Oh, yeah.
00:37:41.99\00:37:43.32
And my mother said
opportunity knock once.
00:37:43.36\00:37:46.06
Go.
00:37:46.09\00:37:47.43
Because I said,
"What should I do, Mom?
00:37:47.46\00:37:48.96
I don't want to
leave. I don't want to go."
00:37:49.00\00:37:50.93
She said, "Angie,
opportunity knock once.
00:37:50.97\00:37:53.54
Go.
00:37:53.57\00:37:54.90
And from that word go,
00:37:54.94\00:37:56.81
our life has
never been the same.
00:37:56.84\00:37:58.64
I listened to my godly mother.
00:37:58.67\00:38:00.84
If we had ignored her advice...
00:38:00.88\00:38:02.44
Yes, yes.
00:38:02.48\00:38:03.81
We would, aren't we?
00:38:03.85\00:38:05.18
I don't think
anything that has happened
00:38:05.21\00:38:06.61
from that point on
would have ever happened.
00:38:06.65\00:38:09.35
But that was a
scary decision for you.
00:38:09.38\00:38:11.05
You were
stepping out with no idea
00:38:11.09\00:38:14.12
of not being able to achieve it.
00:38:14.16\00:38:15.49
Not even married a year yet.
00:38:15.52\00:38:16.86
Yeah, we don't.
00:38:16.89\00:38:18.23
You would not see the future.
00:38:18.26\00:38:19.59
No. But a godly woman...
00:38:19.63\00:38:20.96
Yes. My mother.
00:38:21.00\00:38:22.33
Told you to jump.
00:38:22.36\00:38:23.70
Yes.
00:38:23.73\00:38:25.07
Go and we're going to California
00:38:25.10\00:38:26.43
is like another country.
00:38:26.47\00:38:28.00
You know, we're
coming from the east coast.
00:38:28.04\00:38:29.84
We're coming from,
we're in Florida at the time.
00:38:29.87\00:38:32.47
And when she said go
00:38:32.51\00:38:34.21
and the old lady
around us, how she said.
00:38:34.24\00:38:36.61
Oh, yes, because
I just rebuilt my...
00:38:36.64\00:38:39.65
I had an old Toyota
Corolla 1976, station wagon.
00:38:39.68\00:38:44.39
And I blown the engine
not too long before that.
00:38:44.42\00:38:46.89
And I rebuilt the entire engine
00:38:46.92\00:38:50.03
by buying a
Chilton's auto manual.
00:38:50.06\00:38:53.46
Young folk, don't
even think about that.
00:38:53.50\00:38:55.36
But it was an auto manual
00:38:55.40\00:38:56.73
that was so written to
guide you detail by detail
00:38:56.77\00:39:00.30
how to rebuild an engine.
00:39:00.34\00:39:01.67
I've never done that before.
00:39:01.70\00:39:03.10
So I bought this book.
00:39:03.14\00:39:04.47
And I thought,
man, my engine's blown.
00:39:04.51\00:39:06.71
So it told me what
to do, how to do it.
00:39:06.74\00:39:09.38
I literally put a
piece of tape on everything.
00:39:09.41\00:39:11.68
I took off that engine
to put where it came from.
00:39:11.71\00:39:14.32
This is the second screw on
the left side of the engine.
00:39:14.35\00:39:17.82
And my friend and I
took the whole engine out
00:39:17.85\00:39:20.46
and when Angie came
by to look at the car,
00:39:20.49\00:39:22.06
she said, "Where's the engine?"
00:39:22.09\00:39:23.43
I said, "It's everywhere."
00:39:23.46\00:39:25.49
And it was.
00:39:25.53\00:39:26.86
And it was everywhere.
00:39:26.90\00:39:28.66
And then I bought the rings
because I blew the on the rings
00:39:28.70\00:39:31.30
a piston rings and
the timing chain was stuck
00:39:31.33\00:39:34.24
and I'd buy a new timing chain.
00:39:34.27\00:39:36.10
Finally put it back together
two weeks and two days later.
00:39:36.14\00:39:39.44
And that engine started.
00:39:39.47\00:39:42.48
And I thought, God
gave me two lessons.
00:39:42.51\00:39:44.88
He said, "If your
life seems to be in pieces,
00:39:44.91\00:39:49.05
follow the book.
00:39:49.08\00:39:51.45
And then that is when the family
00:39:51.49\00:39:53.49
was doubting us
because now we have to take
00:39:53.52\00:39:55.09
that same car and drive
3028 miles from Central Florida
00:39:55.12\00:39:59.39
to Northern
California to Placerville
00:39:59.43\00:40:01.43
to join the Heritage Singers.
00:40:01.46\00:40:03.06
And everybody said,
here's my phone number
00:40:03.10\00:40:04.43
just in case it breaks down.
00:40:04.47\00:40:06.80
Old Southern black lady
said, "If God could take Moses
00:40:06.84\00:40:11.21
through a desert
with one slipper,
00:40:11.24\00:40:13.74
He can take you all
the way to California.
00:40:13.78\00:40:15.61
Amen.
00:40:15.64\00:40:16.98
And we had no air
conditioning, it was July.
00:40:17.01\00:40:18.75
Can you imagine
driving highway 10
00:40:18.78\00:40:20.12
and you know route 10.
00:40:20.15\00:40:21.48
Oh, yeah.
00:40:21.52\00:40:22.85
It's hot from
Florida to California
00:40:22.88\00:40:25.12
through Arizona through Texas.
00:40:25.15\00:40:26.49
Yeah.
00:40:26.52\00:40:27.86
The only way you
got air condition
00:40:27.89\00:40:29.22
with driving fast.
00:40:29.26\00:40:30.59
The air blowing up.
00:40:30.63\00:40:31.96
But you ask the right
person the right question.
00:40:31.99\00:40:35.36
When you ask the wrong
person, the wrong question,
00:40:35.40\00:40:38.30
you get the wrong answer.
00:40:38.33\00:40:39.67
And people do that today.
00:40:39.70\00:40:41.04
That's why you
start with the Lord.
00:40:41.07\00:40:43.37
Beautiful scripture
it goes along as you guys
00:40:43.41\00:40:44.74
are talking about.
00:40:44.77\00:40:46.11
Yeah, Proverbs 27:9.
00:40:46.14\00:40:47.48
Okay.
00:40:47.51\00:40:48.84
The key in there, it
says, ointment and perfume, yes,
00:40:48.88\00:40:52.05
it's Proverbs 27:9, "Ointment
and perfume rejoice the heart:
00:40:52.08\00:40:56.85
so doth the
sweetness of a man's friend
00:40:56.89\00:40:58.92
by hearty counsel."
00:40:58.95\00:41:00.86
Amen. Wonderful.
00:41:00.89\00:41:02.22
You know, yeah,
I'm just thinking back
00:41:02.26\00:41:04.16
when I was young,
00:41:04.19\00:41:05.53
I made a lot of stupid mistakes,
00:41:05.56\00:41:07.40
dumb mistakes.
00:41:07.43\00:41:08.76
Join the crowds.
00:41:08.80\00:41:10.13
But I'm just thinking
what if I had somebody
00:41:10.17\00:41:11.93
that could counsel me.
00:41:11.97\00:41:13.47
I'm just thinking
about the young people
00:41:13.50\00:41:14.84
that might be
watching right now.
00:41:14.87\00:41:16.20
I'm thinking
about you out there.
00:41:16.24\00:41:17.57
You know, we're
talking about young people.
00:41:17.61\00:41:19.27
Find a good mentor.
00:41:19.31\00:41:20.64
We talked about godly people,
find some in your community,
00:41:20.68\00:41:22.81
a good, also I mean
church or whoever it is
00:41:22.84\00:41:25.51
that you can
trust that you can talk
00:41:25.55\00:41:27.45
to because you need
that hearty counsel.
00:41:27.48\00:41:29.12
I didn't have it.
00:41:29.15\00:41:30.49
I wish I did.
00:41:30.52\00:41:31.85
And I would have made a
lot more better decisions
00:41:31.89\00:41:33.89
had I had that counsel,
00:41:33.92\00:41:35.26
so I want to just
encourage somebody
00:41:35.29\00:41:36.62
that you will be rejoicing,
you'll rejoice your heart
00:41:36.66\00:41:39.36
'cause you have wisdom.
00:41:39.39\00:41:40.73
Sometimes you have good
counsel and you don't listen.
00:41:40.76\00:41:42.40
Right, right. Well...
00:41:42.43\00:41:43.77
Few times as a teenager, I
wouldn't listen to my mother.
00:41:43.80\00:41:45.40
My mother said,
boys and books don't mix.
00:41:45.43\00:41:47.40
Oh, yeah, Mom.
00:41:47.44\00:41:48.77
You know, I would just
wouldn't listen sometimes.
00:41:48.80\00:41:51.27
But I was the boy.
00:41:51.31\00:41:53.78
I was just kidding.
00:41:53.81\00:41:55.54
Behave.
00:41:55.58\00:41:57.45
Boys and books don't mix.
00:41:57.48\00:41:58.81
I'm like you.
00:41:58.85\00:42:00.18
I wish I had
had a godly counsel.
00:42:00.22\00:42:04.22
And maybe I could
have done something sooner.
00:42:04.25\00:42:07.56
You would make
different decisions.
00:42:07.59\00:42:10.19
God in His time,
He brought me out.
00:42:10.23\00:42:13.63
He makes all things
beautiful in His time.
00:42:13.66\00:42:15.70
Donald, let's
go to number seven.
00:42:15.73\00:42:17.07
Okay.
00:42:17.10\00:42:18.43
Read that question.
Let's walk through that.
00:42:18.47\00:42:19.80
How else does the Bible indicate
00:42:19.83\00:42:21.40
that we should
recognize God's guidance?
00:42:21.44\00:42:25.41
See, Proverbs 23:26.
00:42:25.44\00:42:28.68
This is the New
King James Version.
00:42:28.71\00:42:30.71
"My son," while it's
kind of intimate, is it?
00:42:30.75\00:42:33.21
"My son, give me your heart,
00:42:33.25\00:42:35.58
and let your
eyes observe my ways."
00:42:35.62\00:42:38.35
Amen.
00:42:38.39\00:42:39.72
Wow, observe my ways.
00:42:39.75\00:42:41.09
Then we got
Ecclesiastes 8:5 says,
00:42:41.12\00:42:45.96
"He who keeps his command
will experience nothing harmful.
00:42:45.99\00:42:51.00
And a wise man's heart discerns
both time and judgment."
00:42:51.03\00:42:54.84
Wow.
00:42:54.87\00:42:56.20
I like that.
00:42:56.24\00:42:57.57
When the time is right,
and what decision to make.
00:42:57.61\00:42:59.97
That's about a wise man's heart.
00:43:00.01\00:43:01.48
And the heart gets wise
because God is the one speaking
00:43:01.51\00:43:03.95
and you're the one listening.
00:43:03.98\00:43:05.31
Yeah, we had something incident
happened over the weekend.
00:43:05.35\00:43:08.08
And last weekend, I was
talking to this individual,
00:43:08.12\00:43:11.65
this individual got upset.
00:43:11.69\00:43:13.02
And it was just real negative.
00:43:13.05\00:43:14.42
And everything was really heavy.
00:43:14.46\00:43:15.79
It was so amazing
because God how He works,
00:43:15.82\00:43:17.33
He shows that He
loves and cares for you.
00:43:17.36\00:43:19.23
He had somebody I hadn't talked
00:43:19.26\00:43:20.60
to in months
call me out the blue.
00:43:20.63\00:43:21.96
And this
individual Tony said, "Donald,
00:43:22.00\00:43:23.37
I'm so thankful for your wife,
00:43:23.40\00:43:25.17
you and Janelle,
you just, you made it,
00:43:25.20\00:43:27.04
you inspired me."
00:43:27.07\00:43:28.57
He said, "You
inspired me so much.
00:43:28.60\00:43:29.94
I just want to
call and thank you."
00:43:29.97\00:43:32.44
Here I just had this
whole negative tirade
00:43:32.47\00:43:34.31
of this individual and
then this person calls and like,
00:43:34.34\00:43:37.28
Janelle just
looked over me in tears.
00:43:37.31\00:43:38.71
She said you realize
what God just did for you.
00:43:38.75\00:43:40.62
Right.
00:43:40.65\00:43:41.98
Somebody was dogging you
and somebody else called you
00:43:42.02\00:43:43.99
and encouraged you.
00:43:44.02\00:43:45.45
Oh, man.
00:43:45.49\00:43:47.12
What a wonderful God we serve.
00:43:47.16\00:43:48.49
We confirm that you
were on the right path.
00:43:48.52\00:43:49.86
We confirm that you were
doing what God called you for.
00:43:49.89\00:43:52.89
Yeah, not to
quit, not to give in.
00:43:52.93\00:43:55.06
So that you kept
making a good decision
00:43:55.10\00:43:57.20
in following and doing
what God led you to do.
00:43:57.23\00:43:59.93
God cares.
00:43:59.97\00:44:01.30
Right, right. It's amazing.
00:44:01.34\00:44:02.67
And sometimes just
the word in due season.
00:44:02.70\00:44:04.04
Right.
00:44:04.07\00:44:05.41
Because we've
received emails that way too.
00:44:05.44\00:44:06.78
I mean, when you,
00:44:06.81\00:44:08.14
when you are a
public personality
00:44:08.18\00:44:10.38
as we are here, we
live in a fishbowl.
00:44:10.41\00:44:12.88
And there are
things that I preach about
00:44:12.91\00:44:14.78
that people hear one way
and the other person hears
00:44:14.82\00:44:16.52
the way I intended,
00:44:16.55\00:44:17.89
the other person hears
00:44:17.92\00:44:19.25
what I didn't say or put what I,
00:44:19.29\00:44:21.16
what they thought I said
and it just gets all mixed up.
00:44:21.19\00:44:23.76
And I respect all the
emails that come through.
00:44:23.79\00:44:26.86
And I say well, I got to go back
00:44:26.90\00:44:28.26
and listen to
that, did I say that.
00:44:28.30\00:44:30.00
And sometimes I go back
and say, I did say that.
00:44:30.03\00:44:32.57
And sometimes I
say I didn't say that.
00:44:32.60\00:44:33.94
How did they get that from that?
00:44:33.97\00:44:35.30
And sometimes you get an email
where people will simply say,
00:44:35.34\00:44:39.61
"We want you to
change your entire program.
00:44:39.64\00:44:41.68
We want you to
get rid of that set.
00:44:41.71\00:44:43.08
We want you to do."
00:44:43.11\00:44:44.45
And I'm thinking,
00:44:44.48\00:44:46.45
I'm thinking what actually
is going through their mind
00:44:46.48\00:44:48.55
did that sermon
activate all those thoughts?
00:44:48.58\00:44:52.09
And you feel so
crushed and like maybe an hour
00:44:52.12\00:44:55.32
and a half later
somebody calls me and say,
00:44:55.36\00:44:56.69
Pastor Lomacang, I
needed to hear word
00:44:56.73\00:44:59.26
from the Lord and this Sabbath
your sermon opened my eyes.
00:44:59.29\00:45:01.60
Thank you.
00:45:01.63\00:45:02.96
And I'd say,
Lord is saying this,
00:45:03.00\00:45:04.33
don't worry about it,
00:45:04.37\00:45:05.70
I understand what it feels like.
00:45:05.73\00:45:07.07
Direction of the storm.
00:45:07.10\00:45:09.84
So many that's our
sermon direction of the storm.
00:45:09.87\00:45:12.34
Direction.
00:45:12.37\00:45:13.71
So many people
need that direction.
00:45:13.74\00:45:15.94
Following God's
decision, following His advice.
00:45:15.98\00:45:19.98
He is stronger than Satan.
00:45:20.02\00:45:22.05
Satan is very busy.
00:45:22.08\00:45:23.99
He is going to be
trying to take you down.
00:45:24.02\00:45:25.99
Yeah.
00:45:26.02\00:45:27.36
But when you
lean up on the Lord,
00:45:27.39\00:45:29.42
and you give Him your heart
and you let your eyes observe
00:45:29.46\00:45:32.76
what the Lord does
and your ears hear,
00:45:32.79\00:45:35.36
then he's going
to overcome Satan.
00:45:35.40\00:45:37.60
Yes.
00:45:37.63\00:45:38.97
That's right.
00:45:39.00\00:45:40.34
It goes right into Romans 8:20.
00:45:40.37\00:45:41.70
Okay, pretty good segue.
00:45:41.74\00:45:43.07
Go ahead, Donald.
00:45:43.10\00:45:44.44
We know that all
things work together for good
00:45:44.47\00:45:46.94
to those who love God,
00:45:46.98\00:45:49.14
to those who are called
according to His purpose.
00:45:49.18\00:45:51.21
Amen.
00:45:51.25\00:45:52.58
Perfectly, we're just talking
00:45:52.61\00:45:53.95
about, it's amazing how it
tied right down, it's beautiful.
00:45:53.98\00:45:55.32
You know, sometimes
people think that that saying
00:45:55.35\00:45:57.35
that everything is good.
00:45:57.39\00:46:00.09
There's bad
things that happened.
00:46:00.12\00:46:01.62
But God takes it
and works it around,
00:46:01.66\00:46:04.99
Satan does his worse.
00:46:05.03\00:46:06.96
And God is, not that
everything that happens is good,
00:46:07.00\00:46:10.23
is that God takes it
uses it to His good purpose
00:46:10.27\00:46:14.64
when Satan meant it evil.
00:46:14.67\00:46:16.37
Your thinking make me
think of the story of Joseph.
00:46:16.40\00:46:18.81
Boy, you want to talk about...
00:46:18.84\00:46:20.31
Evil.
00:46:20.34\00:46:21.74
Anyways, you know,
00:46:21.78\00:46:23.11
his brothers
threw him in to slavery.
00:46:23.14\00:46:25.45
And of course,
he gets in prison,
00:46:25.48\00:46:27.02
all the stuff just fast forward.
00:46:27.05\00:46:28.82
Genesis 50:20
said, what you meant,
00:46:28.85\00:46:30.69
"What they meant for
evil, God meant for good."
00:46:30.72\00:46:32.49
So God used that to
deliver His own family,
00:46:32.52\00:46:36.09
they were starved.
00:46:36.12\00:46:37.46
And so God, I
mean, that's incredible.
00:46:37.49\00:46:38.99
You just, you look back,
00:46:39.03\00:46:40.36
and you see how God
maybe lead your life,
00:46:40.40\00:46:41.96
and can use you
to impress somebody
00:46:42.00\00:46:43.67
or to inspire to
encourage somebody else.
00:46:43.70\00:46:45.73
That's right.
00:46:45.77\00:46:47.10
Anything, Ricky?
00:46:47.14\00:46:48.50
I was thinking about the wheat
and tares when you mentioned,
00:46:48.54\00:46:52.77
the, how Satan is
the one that did that.
00:46:52.81\00:46:57.58
And we have a perfect example
with the wheat and the tares.
00:46:57.61\00:47:00.52
It's the when Jesus
says, well, who did this
00:47:00.55\00:47:02.85
and says it's an
enemy that did this.
00:47:02.88\00:47:06.55
And so no matter what challenge
that we can kind of go through,
00:47:06.59\00:47:12.19
if we, we could
bring it on ourselves.
00:47:12.23\00:47:16.46
There's times when
Satan is actively doing it.
00:47:16.50\00:47:20.84
Sometimes, though,
there's a challenge
00:47:20.87\00:47:22.37
that we come to in our life,
and the Lord leads us into it.
00:47:22.40\00:47:26.37
I think about the
Red Sea, you know.
00:47:26.41\00:47:30.11
The Israelites
didn't go wandering
00:47:30.15\00:47:32.05
to the Red Sea by themselves.
00:47:32.08\00:47:33.42
God led them there.
00:47:33.45\00:47:36.22
But even
through that experience,
00:47:36.25\00:47:37.59
you know, God definitely
worked that out for good.
00:47:37.62\00:47:39.65
Because He had an answer.
00:47:39.69\00:47:41.02
Right.
00:47:41.06\00:47:42.39
He had a plan.
00:47:42.42\00:47:43.76
Number eight, Dee?
00:47:43.79\00:47:45.13
Oh, number eight.
00:47:45.16\00:47:46.49
Oh, I love this one.
00:47:46.53\00:47:47.86
Good question.
00:47:47.90\00:47:49.23
What is one of
the best guidelines
00:47:49.26\00:47:51.03
in making a timely decision?
00:47:51.07\00:47:53.13
And in Psalms, I love
Psalms, I love Proverbs,
00:47:53.17\00:47:55.60
they're just...
00:47:55.64\00:47:57.04
Psalms 90:12, "So
teach us to number our days
00:47:57.07\00:48:01.64
that we may gain
a heart of wisdom."
00:48:01.68\00:48:05.78
What does that mean to you, Dee?
00:48:05.81\00:48:07.65
That means that praise the Lord,
00:48:07.68\00:48:10.42
I am wiser than I was
when I became a Christian.
00:48:10.45\00:48:14.29
I sometimes can
already know God's decisions
00:48:14.32\00:48:18.69
because I know His Word.
00:48:18.73\00:48:20.73
He's led me in the past.
00:48:20.76\00:48:22.50
So I already know how
to make the right decision,
00:48:22.53\00:48:26.43
the best
decision through His Word,
00:48:26.47\00:48:30.24
and I also being wiser
in His way number our days
00:48:30.27\00:48:35.18
that we gain a heart of wisdom.
00:48:35.21\00:48:37.88
We don't fight against
the bad stuff so much anymore.
00:48:37.91\00:48:41.92
I embrace the
good decisions now.
00:48:43.99\00:48:46.15
I want them and I don't
look backwards at the bad ones.
00:48:46.19\00:48:50.46
And I don't see how
close I can walk away.
00:48:50.49\00:48:55.16
How can I still
be close to the Lord
00:48:55.20\00:48:56.87
but how far away can I get?
00:48:56.90\00:48:59.87
But we learned from
our mistakes, don't we?
00:48:59.90\00:49:02.00
Our choices? Yes.
00:49:02.04\00:49:03.37
Her decisions she
never wanted to share.
00:49:03.41\00:49:05.27
He always say,
don't say mistakes.
00:49:05.31\00:49:07.91
You know, when you hit
the wrong key on the keyboard
00:49:07.94\00:49:09.68
or wrong color in the
font, that's a mistake.
00:49:09.71\00:49:12.08
But when you make an
intentional left decision,
00:49:12.11\00:49:14.08
left turn or you
choose the wrong flight
00:49:14.12\00:49:16.79
or you make impactful decisions,
00:49:16.82\00:49:20.06
say I made the wrong decision.
00:49:20.09\00:49:22.56
Mistakes are things
that are incidental,
00:49:22.59\00:49:24.59
decisions are I chose that.
00:49:24.63\00:49:26.33
Okay, Honey, speak to them.
00:49:26.36\00:49:27.70
But a heart of wisdom.
00:49:27.73\00:49:29.06
Yes.
00:49:29.10\00:49:30.43
A heart of wisdom get you
go in the right decisions.
00:49:30.47\00:49:31.90
Yes. Okay.
00:49:31.93\00:49:33.34
Remember Joel your
Mollie's little girl.
00:49:33.37\00:49:34.70
Oh, yeah.
00:49:34.74\00:49:36.07
Please tell this story.
00:49:36.10\00:49:37.44
I absolutely love it.
00:49:37.47\00:49:38.81
A good friend of mine.
00:49:38.84\00:49:40.18
We were visiting in
California at the time.
00:49:40.21\00:49:41.54
Yes.
00:49:41.58\00:49:42.91
And I was visiting with him.
00:49:42.94\00:49:44.28
Actually, I was
working on my second CD.
00:49:44.31\00:49:45.65
And I was visiting at his house.
00:49:45.68\00:49:47.02
So he said, let's
just go have some lunch.
00:49:47.05\00:49:48.38
And he, his wife and
he and their daughter,
00:49:48.42\00:49:50.39
a little girl at the time.
00:49:50.42\00:49:52.52
We went to a
restaurant and mom said,
00:49:52.55\00:49:54.69
"Do you want some dinner?"
00:49:54.72\00:49:56.06
She said, "No.
00:49:56.09\00:49:57.66
I want dessert."
00:49:57.69\00:49:59.36
She said, "You got to wait.
00:49:59.39\00:50:00.93
We're gonna all
have dessert together."
00:50:00.96\00:50:02.83
So no, I want it now.
00:50:02.86\00:50:04.53
She said, "No,
you don't get it now.
00:50:04.57\00:50:06.20
You get it when we
all have dessert together.
00:50:06.23\00:50:08.00
So you don't
want any dinner?" No.
00:50:08.04\00:50:11.11
Okay, so we all got our
meal and she's sitting there
00:50:11.14\00:50:13.27
and watching us all
eating, she said, Mommy,
00:50:13.31\00:50:16.95
I made a bad decision.
00:50:16.98\00:50:19.61
I'm hungry. It was so cute.
00:50:19.65\00:50:22.02
And I bet that was beautiful,
the mother didn't give in,
00:50:22.05\00:50:25.32
the teaching
that made you right.
00:50:25.35\00:50:26.92
She said, "You did
what?" "I made a bad decision?"
00:50:26.96\00:50:30.33
She's going on four
years old, five years old.
00:50:30.36\00:50:32.69
And I thought, wow,
what an amazing thing.
00:50:32.73\00:50:35.80
In fact she had learned.
00:50:35.83\00:50:37.47
She knew how to say that.
00:50:37.50\00:50:39.63
She had learned from
her parents to understand
00:50:39.67\00:50:42.64
the difference
between a good decision
00:50:42.67\00:50:44.27
and a bad decision.
00:50:44.31\00:50:45.64
But Mommy, I
made a bad decision.
00:50:45.67\00:50:47.98
But I'm glad she's now
growing with the word mistakes.
00:50:48.01\00:50:50.11
Honey, read number nine for us.
00:50:50.15\00:50:51.98
Okay.
00:50:52.01\00:50:53.35
How do we know that God
is interested in choices
00:50:53.38\00:50:57.12
that affect our destiny?
00:50:57.15\00:50:59.15
Psalm 37:23, "The steps
of a good man are ordered
00:50:59.19\00:51:04.39
by the Lord, and he
delights in his ways."
00:51:04.43\00:51:07.76
It's ordered. That's right.
00:51:07.80\00:51:10.47
Good man or woman.
00:51:10.50\00:51:11.87
Good man. That's right.
00:51:11.90\00:51:13.23
And what's it saying is
when the Lord is guiding you,
00:51:13.27\00:51:14.87
and you know the
Lord is guiding you.
00:51:14.90\00:51:16.24
Yes.
00:51:16.27\00:51:17.61
And you know
that these are steps
00:51:17.64\00:51:18.97
that God is telling you to make.
00:51:19.01\00:51:20.34
You say, I am
happy to walk that way.
00:51:20.38\00:51:23.01
Amen.
00:51:23.04\00:51:24.38
I'm glad that God
is guiding me that way.
00:51:24.41\00:51:26.82
That's why it says...
00:51:26.85\00:51:28.18
Choose you this day
whom you will serve.
00:51:28.22\00:51:30.59
The gods of Baal, for me
and my, you now, what it says?
00:51:30.62\00:51:33.39
Go on the right or the left?
00:51:33.42\00:51:34.99
You hear a voice behind you see,
00:51:35.02\00:51:36.36
this is the way walk in it.
00:51:36.39\00:51:37.99
And so when you know
that God is guiding, you say,
00:51:38.03\00:51:40.13
I'm glad to go that route.
00:51:40.16\00:51:41.50
Amen.
00:51:41.53\00:51:42.86
The danger comes in
when some people know
00:51:42.90\00:51:44.23
that this is God's way.
00:51:44.27\00:51:45.60
And they don't
want to go that way.
00:51:45.63\00:51:46.97
They don't delight.
00:51:47.00\00:51:48.34
But he put before you two roads.
00:51:48.37\00:51:50.51
Life and blessings.
00:51:50.54\00:51:51.87
That's
encouraging somebody to say...
00:51:51.91\00:51:53.31
Choose life.
00:51:53.34\00:51:55.24
Making decisions.
00:51:55.28\00:51:56.61
Yes, yes.
00:51:56.64\00:51:57.98
There's a good
scripture in 2 Chronicles 7:14.
00:51:58.01\00:52:00.48
Oh, yeah.
00:52:00.52\00:52:01.85
That's a good one. Yes.
00:52:01.88\00:52:03.22
It says, "If my people
which are called by my name
00:52:03.25\00:52:04.99
shall humble themselves
and pray and seek my face
00:52:05.02\00:52:08.62
and turn from their wicked ways.
00:52:08.66\00:52:11.36
Then will I hear from heaven
and will forgive their sin
00:52:11.39\00:52:14.33
and will heal their land."
00:52:14.36\00:52:15.86
Amen. I thought
that's the destiny.
00:52:15.90\00:52:18.57
See, destiny will change
00:52:18.60\00:52:19.93
if we make the
decision to listen.
00:52:19.97\00:52:21.30
What's the first word?
00:52:21.34\00:52:22.67
Yeah. Yeah, if.
00:52:22.70\00:52:24.04
Yeah, the little word if.
00:52:24.07\00:52:27.54
But you end up he
delights in his way.
00:52:27.58\00:52:31.01
I have such joy in my
life that I never would have,
00:52:31.05\00:52:35.68
that I never had before Jesus.
00:52:35.72\00:52:38.12
Amen.
00:52:38.15\00:52:39.65
And it doesn't
mean my life is perfect.
00:52:39.69\00:52:42.49
But there's joy
and delight in my life.
00:52:42.52\00:52:45.03
And even if I make a
mistake, He forgives me.
00:52:45.06\00:52:48.80
So I could not imagine
00:52:48.83\00:52:50.80
going back to the
life before Jesus.
00:52:50.83\00:52:52.70
No.
00:52:52.73\00:52:54.07
It was dark and painful and...
00:52:54.10\00:52:56.64
Right.
00:52:56.67\00:52:58.31
Now you have delighted.
00:52:58.34\00:52:59.67
I'm pleased and delighted.
00:52:59.71\00:53:01.04
Yeah, peace in your heart.
00:53:01.08\00:53:02.41
Thankful to, you know,
years ago, of course, you know,
00:53:02.44\00:53:03.78
when you're in the dating scene,
00:53:03.81\00:53:05.61
you're not sure what to decide.
00:53:05.65\00:53:07.65
As far as what a good
virtuous woman looks like,
00:53:07.68\00:53:10.12
because you're
not you don't really,
00:53:10.15\00:53:11.49
you're learning.
00:53:11.52\00:53:12.85
But anyways
there's women I dated
00:53:12.89\00:53:14.26
in the past horrible decisions,
00:53:14.29\00:53:15.76
horrible decisions.
00:53:15.79\00:53:17.73
But the Lord did bring
it a young lady in my life.
00:53:17.76\00:53:21.16
And I told my mom,
said, mom, this is the one,
00:53:21.20\00:53:24.27
she's the right one.
00:53:24.30\00:53:25.73
So you say about
every girl you go and meet.
00:53:25.77\00:53:27.60
I'm like, "No, I'm telling
you, Mom, this is the one."
00:53:27.64\00:53:30.24
And it turned
out she was the one
00:53:30.27\00:53:31.61
and she's the one in a
sense brought me to the Lord.
00:53:31.64\00:53:33.71
But then interesting enough
that God had used me to bring
00:53:33.74\00:53:37.01
her back to
Seventh-day Adventism.
00:53:37.05\00:53:38.41
So making the right
decision is just incredible
00:53:38.45\00:53:41.78
how God will definitely...
00:53:41.82\00:53:43.92
I don't know
just how He does it,
00:53:43.95\00:53:45.29
it's just incredible to.
00:53:45.32\00:53:46.65
Neither my husband and I
00:53:46.69\00:53:48.02
were Christians when we married.
00:53:48.06\00:53:49.39
We were both way
out there in the world.
00:53:49.42\00:53:51.99
That he had an
Adventist background
00:53:52.03\00:53:54.86
and an Adventist mother.
00:53:54.90\00:53:56.93
Yeah.
00:53:56.97\00:53:58.30
And when it was
time, that God wooed us...
00:53:58.33\00:54:00.87
Right. Amen.
00:54:00.90\00:54:02.24
To go down the right path.
00:54:02.27\00:54:03.74
And both y'all came back?
00:54:03.77\00:54:05.61
Absolutely.
00:54:05.64\00:54:07.08
So God is
interested in our destiny.
00:54:07.11\00:54:09.31
I want you to read
Isaiah 30:21, Ricky,
00:54:09.34\00:54:11.98
because this shows you that God
is interested in your destiny.
00:54:12.01\00:54:16.28
Absolutely.
00:54:16.32\00:54:17.65
Look at this.
This is a powerful.
00:54:17.69\00:54:19.02
I love this. Yes.
00:54:19.05\00:54:20.39
"Your ears shall hear
a word behind you saying,
00:54:20.42\00:54:23.93
this is the way walk in it.
00:54:23.96\00:54:27.33
Whenever you turn
to the right hand,
00:54:27.36\00:54:29.50
or whenever you
turn to the left."
00:54:29.53\00:54:31.50
Isn't that powerful?
00:54:31.53\00:54:33.47
God is saying, you
think I'm not concerned
00:54:33.50\00:54:34.97
about your destiny.
00:54:35.00\00:54:36.34
I'm gonna tell
you which way to go.
00:54:36.37\00:54:37.71
I am going to tell
you which way to walk,
00:54:37.74\00:54:39.71
and no better person
because we live in a life,
00:54:39.74\00:54:42.58
this world is like a maze.
00:54:42.61\00:54:44.51
There was a place in Vacaville,
California called a Maze.
00:54:44.55\00:54:47.72
And we went to one in
Hawaii, you remember that?
00:54:47.75\00:54:50.25
We went to this maze in Hawaii?
00:54:50.29\00:54:51.72
Who would do that to themselves
to put yourselves in a maze?
00:54:51.75\00:54:55.22
Well, life is like a maze.
00:54:55.26\00:54:57.03
So the whole thing is you have
to find your way in this maze
00:54:57.06\00:54:59.29
and out of the maze.
00:54:59.33\00:55:00.66
Some people that got in there
00:55:00.70\00:55:02.03
got frustrated
and yelled to help
00:55:02.06\00:55:03.53
because they
couldn't find their way out,
00:55:03.57\00:55:04.90
and some people
just walked straight
00:55:04.93\00:55:06.27
through the bushes there,
00:55:06.30\00:55:07.64
of course because
they were frustrated.
00:55:07.67\00:55:09.37
You get all beat up.
00:55:09.40\00:55:10.74
Yes, yes, scratch.
00:55:10.77\00:55:12.24
And we made our way
out of this maze in Hawaii.
00:55:12.27\00:55:14.28
Yeah, we did, we did.
00:55:14.31\00:55:15.68
Get all the hints and say, okay.
00:55:15.71\00:55:17.55
There's a little bit
map, little bit guidance.
00:55:17.58\00:55:19.71
But it doesn't
show you how to get up,
00:55:19.75\00:55:21.08
it's just little clues.
00:55:21.12\00:55:22.68
We followed clues and
we made it out here beside.
00:55:22.72\00:55:25.45
But life is like a maze.
00:55:25.49\00:55:27.49
Your last question has diverse
in it that I have at home.
00:55:27.52\00:55:32.06
It's one I'd love forever.
00:55:32.09\00:55:33.73
Okay, I'll let you read, Dee.
00:55:33.76\00:55:35.10
Read that. Dee.
00:55:35.13\00:55:36.46
Oh, you can read it, I just...
00:55:36.50\00:55:37.83
No, you read it.
00:55:37.87\00:55:39.20
It's what way, in what way
does God make it simple for us
00:55:39.23\00:55:41.60
to lean on Him?
00:55:41.64\00:55:43.61
And Proverbs again,
00:55:43.64\00:55:45.24
Proverbs 3:5-6,
00:55:45.27\00:55:49.68
"Trust in the Lord,
with all your heart,
00:55:49.71\00:55:52.91
and lean not on
your own understanding.
00:55:52.95\00:55:57.15
In all your
ways acknowledge Him,
00:55:57.19\00:56:00.16
and He shall direct your path."
00:56:00.19\00:56:02.79
Amen.
00:56:02.82\00:56:04.16
Decisions, decisions.
00:56:04.19\00:56:05.86
From the moment I
started trusting Him,
00:56:05.89\00:56:08.43
from the moment
I started saying,
00:56:08.46\00:56:10.13
Lord, what is Your decision?
00:56:10.17\00:56:12.50
Life changed.
00:56:12.53\00:56:13.87
Life changed.
00:56:13.90\00:56:15.24
You know, and of course,
right now I have a short prayer
00:56:15.27\00:56:16.77
because I know there's somebody
watching they probably said,
00:56:16.81\00:56:19.67
while I'm faced with a
critical, critical decision,
00:56:19.71\00:56:21.31
I don't often do this.
00:56:21.34\00:56:22.68
But I'm impressed to
have a word of prayer.
00:56:22.71\00:56:24.18
Let's just do that
before the program ends.
00:56:24.21\00:56:25.98
Loving Father in heaven,
00:56:26.01\00:56:27.35
there's somebody
watching this program tonight
00:56:27.38\00:56:28.85
that's faced with
a critical decision.
00:56:28.88\00:56:30.85
It could be medical, financial,
relational, I don't know.
00:56:30.89\00:56:33.29
But, Lord, You impressed
me to pray for them right now.
00:56:33.32\00:56:35.99
That they'll
listen to Your voice
00:56:36.02\00:56:37.36
because every decision
can have a major impact.
00:56:37.39\00:56:39.53
That's right.
00:56:39.56\00:56:40.90
Give them wisdom
and may these scriptures
00:56:40.93\00:56:42.26
we shared with them,
00:56:42.30\00:56:43.63
open their minds and
eyes to say, I'm listening
00:56:43.67\00:56:46.63
for that voice, Lord,
tell me to go left or right.
00:56:46.67\00:56:49.30
I can't make the next
step without Your guidance.
00:56:49.34\00:56:51.91
May their hearts sense
that they can trust You
00:56:51.94\00:56:54.44
and know that You will.
00:56:54.48\00:56:55.81
They won't lean on
their own understanding.
00:56:55.84\00:56:57.71
They'll acknowledge
00:56:57.75\00:56:59.08
You and You will
direct their paths.
00:56:59.11\00:57:00.72
So give them the
ear to hear, Father,
00:57:00.75\00:57:02.45
that this next
decision they make
00:57:02.48\00:57:04.45
will bring them into abundance
00:57:04.49\00:57:06.45
and bring
comfort to their hearts.
00:57:06.49\00:57:08.82
We pray in Jesus' name.
00:57:08.86\00:57:10.49
Amen.
00:57:10.53\00:57:11.96
Well, friends,
thank you for joining,
00:57:11.99\00:57:14.16
decisions, decisions.
00:57:14.20\00:57:15.70
I'm glad that we made a decision
00:57:15.73\00:57:17.30
at end of the program.
00:57:17.33\00:57:18.67
Yes, all of you.
00:57:18.70\00:57:20.04
And we always enjoy
coming into your home,
00:57:20.07\00:57:21.70
especially on Friday evening.
00:57:21.74\00:57:23.20
We want to say
happy Sabbath again.
00:57:23.24\00:57:25.27
Happy Sabbath.
00:57:25.31\00:57:26.64
And, friends, next decision
that we're asking you to make
00:57:26.68\00:57:29.74
is invite the Lord to make
the Sabbath a blessed Sabbath.
00:57:29.78\00:57:32.71
And until we see
again, God bless you.
00:57:32.75\00:57:35.22