I want to spend my life
00:00:02.03\00:00:07.84
Mending broken people
00:00:07.87\00:00:12.57
I want to spend my life
00:00:12.61\00:00:19.11
Removing pain
00:00:19.15\00:00:24.09
Lord, let my words
00:00:24.12\00:00:30.26
Heal a heart that hurts
00:00:30.29\00:00:34.80
I want to spend my life
00:00:34.83\00:00:40.50
Mending broken people
00:00:40.54\00:00:46.07
I want to spend my life
00:00:46.11\00:00:51.51
Mending broken people
00:00:51.55\00:00:55.08
Hello and welcome to 3ABN Today,
00:01:09.33\00:01:11.53
it's family worship time.
00:01:11.57\00:01:12.90
Always like this.
Enjoy it, don't you, Yvonne?
00:01:12.93\00:01:14.67
I do too. It's
such a special time.
00:01:14.70\00:01:17.47
It is, and we're
in a special time
00:01:17.51\00:01:19.01
of the season, you
know, getting close to
00:01:19.04\00:01:20.54
what we call the
Christmas season.
00:01:20.58\00:01:21.98
We'll talk more about
that in just a little bit.
00:01:22.01\00:01:24.45
But we have some
family on with us today.
00:01:24.48\00:01:26.92
We do.
00:01:26.95\00:01:28.28
Maybe I'll let you
start with the introduction.
00:01:28.32\00:01:29.92
Sure.
00:01:29.95\00:01:31.29
So I'm really
excited because we have
00:01:31.32\00:01:34.02
my nephew, Jordan Adams with us,
00:01:34.06\00:01:37.16
and I'm so happy for Jordan
00:01:37.19\00:01:39.69
because he just
recently got baptized
00:01:39.73\00:01:42.76
and has given his life to Jesus,
00:01:42.80\00:01:44.40
so he's a babe in Christ.
00:01:44.43\00:01:45.90
And he's just wonderful.
00:01:45.93\00:01:48.24
Where are you from
Jordan? From Upstate New York.
00:01:48.27\00:01:50.71
All right. You
came all the way here.
00:01:50.74\00:01:52.57
So we're glad that you did.
00:01:52.61\00:01:54.24
You want to be baptized?
That's when you're serious.
00:01:54.28\00:01:56.24
You travel that 12
hours, whatever, coming here.
00:01:56.28\00:01:58.81
That's great. Fourteen.
00:01:58.85\00:02:00.18
Fourteen? Okay. All right.
00:02:00.22\00:02:02.42
And then look who else,
00:02:02.45\00:02:03.79
it's all dressed in
matching colors over here.
00:02:03.82\00:02:06.55
Brother Kenny and Sister Chris,
00:02:06.59\00:02:08.09
good to have you
guys on here today.
00:02:08.12\00:02:09.96
Always good to be
in family worship,
00:02:09.99\00:02:12.06
be able to study
00:02:12.09\00:02:13.43
the Word
together, talk together.
00:02:13.46\00:02:14.96
Just come together
with one another and,
00:02:15.00\00:02:17.30
of course, in Jesus so...
00:02:17.33\00:02:18.73
Yeah. It's a fun
time that we're in.
00:02:18.77\00:02:22.00
And I pray that
00:02:22.04\00:02:23.37
we'll utilize it for
His honor and for His glory.
00:02:23.41\00:02:25.74
Thank you for
sharing your time with us.
00:02:25.77\00:02:28.34
We know time is
most valuable commodity
00:02:28.38\00:02:30.41
we have
especially as we get older.
00:02:30.45\00:02:32.35
So we want to thank you
for your love and your prayers
00:02:32.38\00:02:35.02
and financial support of 3ABN
00:02:35.05\00:02:37.22
as we continue to
take this great gospel
00:02:37.25\00:02:39.49
of the kingdom
into all the world,
00:02:39.52\00:02:41.32
but we would,
00:02:41.36\00:02:43.06
it'd be a miss,
we'd be, is it remiss.
00:02:43.09\00:02:45.09
Remiss.
00:02:45.13\00:02:46.46
Be remiss not to talk about
the greatest gift ever given.
00:02:46.49\00:02:50.60
Yeah. Since it's
the season, right?
00:02:50.63\00:02:52.37
That's right.
00:02:52.40\00:02:53.74
Here's why I
turn it over to Yvonne
00:02:53.77\00:02:56.00
because she has it.
00:02:56.04\00:02:57.37
So what's our title today?
00:02:57.41\00:02:58.74
The true meaning
of Christmas. Okay.
00:02:58.77\00:03:00.94
You know, there's so many people
00:03:00.98\00:03:02.31
who get so caught up
00:03:02.34\00:03:04.01
into the
commercialization of Christmas
00:03:04.05\00:03:07.72
that they forget what
Christmas is really about.
00:03:07.75\00:03:10.99
So that's what we
want to talk about,
00:03:11.02\00:03:12.55
share some memories
and ideas about Christmas,
00:03:12.59\00:03:15.52
talk about the
original Christmas story
00:03:15.56\00:03:18.43
and hope that you
will kind of join in
00:03:18.46\00:03:21.50
and you think about the
true meaning of Christmas,
00:03:21.53\00:03:24.57
what it really means to you.
00:03:24.60\00:03:25.93
Amen.
00:03:25.97\00:03:27.30
So I'd like for
us to start with,
00:03:27.34\00:03:31.17
with actually with a prayer
00:03:31.21\00:03:32.91
and then reading Luke 2
00:03:32.94\00:03:35.58
where the story of Christmas is.
00:03:35.61\00:03:37.41
And I think, Jordan,
00:03:37.45\00:03:38.78
if you would read that
for us, that would be great.
00:03:38.81\00:03:40.82
Pastor Kenny,
would you pray for us?
00:03:40.85\00:03:42.45
Absolutely. Let's pray.
00:03:42.48\00:03:44.42
Loving Father in heaven,
truly we come to You this day.
00:03:44.45\00:03:47.26
We give You praise, give
You honor, give You glory.
00:03:47.29\00:03:50.19
Thank You for loving
us. Thank You for Calvary.
00:03:50.23\00:03:52.93
Thank You for that
blood that flowed so freely.
00:03:52.96\00:03:54.56
Amen.
00:03:54.60\00:03:55.93
Lord during this
time of the season,
00:03:55.96\00:03:57.90
time of the year
that may our minds
00:03:57.93\00:03:59.87
and heart to be stayed upon you,
00:03:59.90\00:04:01.40
and the great sacrifice
was made on our behalf.
00:04:01.44\00:04:03.91
May we share that love
with those around about us.
00:04:03.94\00:04:07.08
We pray that the message
00:04:07.11\00:04:08.44
will go to all the world
that Jesus is soon to come
00:04:08.48\00:04:11.41
and we need to be ready.
00:04:11.45\00:04:13.18
We ask that You would bless
00:04:13.21\00:04:14.55
in a very special
way each one here.
00:04:14.58\00:04:17.29
The anointing of Thy Holy Spirit
00:04:17.32\00:04:18.65
upon every little
heart and every little mind.
00:04:18.69\00:04:20.16
Amen.
00:04:20.19\00:04:21.52
Again, it may
bring honor and glory
00:04:21.56\00:04:22.89
to You and to You alone.
00:04:22.92\00:04:24.49
Thank you for the viewers.
Thank you for the listeners.
00:04:24.53\00:04:26.66
Thank you for the supporters.
00:04:26.70\00:04:28.50
Lord, we realize
that couldn't go forward
00:04:28.53\00:04:30.77
until we come together shoulder
to shoulder to do our part.
00:04:30.80\00:04:34.07
We pray during the
season we will do our part.
00:04:34.10\00:04:36.71
First of all is to praise You,
00:04:36.74\00:04:38.07
give You honor
and give You glory.
00:04:38.11\00:04:39.44
Thank You for this opportunity.
00:04:39.47\00:04:40.81
Thank You again
for this privilege.
00:04:40.84\00:04:42.21
And we're going to give
You praise as You bless every
00:04:42.24\00:04:44.71
aspect of this program today.
00:04:44.75\00:04:46.72
We turn it over to
you in Jesus' name,
00:04:46.75\00:04:48.52
we pray and for His sake, amen.
00:04:48.55\00:04:50.12
Amen. Amen.
00:04:50.15\00:04:51.72
Maybe we should start off
by just saying now we realize
00:04:51.75\00:04:54.72
because I have to say this
00:04:54.76\00:04:56.09
because we've been doing
this for 30 some odd years
00:04:56.12\00:04:59.16
and so people are
going to write and say,
00:04:59.19\00:05:01.40
"Don't you know
Christmas is not December 25th?"
00:05:01.43\00:05:04.13
You know what? We do know that.
00:05:04.17\00:05:05.83
And we absolutely
do know that Jesus
00:05:05.87\00:05:08.24
was not born on December 25th.
00:05:08.27\00:05:10.54
Now, if you know
when He was born tell us
00:05:10.57\00:05:12.54
because you're probably
the only person on earth
00:05:12.57\00:05:14.64
who does know exactly
when He was and that's the time
00:05:14.68\00:05:17.65
we would
celebrate but we don't know.
00:05:17.68\00:05:19.78
We know the season and the time.
00:05:19.81\00:05:21.72
So we take this not
00:05:21.75\00:05:23.72
as we're trying to
teach you about any dates
00:05:23.75\00:05:26.45
or when Christ was born.
00:05:26.49\00:05:28.16
But more
importantly about the sacrifice
00:05:28.19\00:05:30.83
of a perfect Godhead
00:05:30.86\00:05:32.66
making a plan for sinful man
00:05:32.69\00:05:35.53
and saying let's
put in place away,
00:05:35.56\00:05:39.10
that though man falls and Satan
00:05:39.13\00:05:41.80
was loose to this
earth, though man falls,
00:05:41.84\00:05:44.37
there's a way
he can be redeemed.
00:05:44.41\00:05:46.34
And that, of course,
00:05:46.37\00:05:47.71
was by the shed
blood of Jesus Christ.
00:05:47.74\00:05:49.68
In coming to earth, born in a...
00:05:49.71\00:05:52.18
The Bible says, in
a manger and wrapped
00:05:52.21\00:05:54.92
in swaddling clothes
00:05:54.95\00:05:56.28
and you know, the story
00:05:56.32\00:05:57.85
behind the end and very boring.
00:05:57.89\00:06:00.09
And what we would call
00:06:00.12\00:06:01.46
a very poor situation, at least,
00:06:01.49\00:06:03.36
wasn't in nice hotels,
00:06:03.39\00:06:04.73
it didn't come
with a lot of fanfare.
00:06:04.76\00:06:07.56
Now, of course,
the wise men knew it
00:06:07.60\00:06:09.16
and they saw the, you know,
00:06:09.20\00:06:10.53
the angels and those
leading to where He was born.
00:06:10.57\00:06:13.57
But as far as the earth
knew, is quiet all around people
00:06:13.60\00:06:16.24
didn't know, it's
just somebody being born,
00:06:16.27\00:06:18.31
another baby in
this time in a stable,
00:06:18.34\00:06:20.78
in a manger, out behind an inn.
00:06:20.81\00:06:22.88
But so the beauty of
what we want to talk about
00:06:22.91\00:06:26.15
when people are open
during this time of year
00:06:26.18\00:06:29.48
to hear about the
Lord Jesus Christ,
00:06:29.52\00:06:31.72
let's take
advantage of that time.
00:06:31.75\00:06:33.66
And let's talk about it.
00:06:33.69\00:06:35.16
Not so much the date,
but what really happened.
00:06:35.19\00:06:37.56
Right.
00:06:37.59\00:06:38.93
The greatest gift ever given,
00:06:38.96\00:06:40.56
as we said, is for
the salvation of man,
00:06:40.60\00:06:43.03
because He not only
was born on this earth,
00:06:43.06\00:06:45.23
but lived a sinless life,
then gave His life willingly,
00:06:45.27\00:06:49.80
so that you and I
00:06:49.84\00:06:51.17
now have an
advocate to go to the Father,
00:06:51.21\00:06:54.08
when it's time and
we fall, and we fail,
00:06:54.11\00:06:56.81
which we do every day, really.
00:06:56.85\00:06:58.51
So that's why Paul
says, "I die daily."
00:06:58.55\00:07:01.52
Because all of us do that.
00:07:01.55\00:07:03.15
So that's what we
want to talk about today.
00:07:03.18\00:07:05.65
And we're so glad
to have Jordan with us.
00:07:05.69\00:07:07.89
And I know each of us
here have our own testimony.
00:07:07.92\00:07:10.56
So have wherever you want to go.
00:07:10.59\00:07:12.69
What Jordan was going to
read for us the Christmas story,
00:07:12.73\00:07:16.53
found in Luke 2:1-20.
00:07:16.56\00:07:19.83
So let's take a look at that.
00:07:19.87\00:07:22.17
Luke 2:1-20.
00:07:22.20\00:07:27.11
Everybody ready?
00:07:27.14\00:07:28.48
Yes. Yes.
00:07:28.51\00:07:29.84
"And it came to
pass in those days
00:07:29.88\00:07:31.21
that a decree went
out from Caesar Augustus
00:07:31.25\00:07:33.45
that all the world
should be registered.
00:07:33.48\00:07:35.58
This census first took place
00:07:35.62\00:07:36.95
while Quirinius
was governing Syria.
00:07:36.99\00:07:39.92
So all went out
to be registered,
00:07:39.95\00:07:41.82
everyone to his own city.
00:07:41.86\00:07:43.79
Joseph also
went up from Galilee,
00:07:43.83\00:07:45.99
out of the city of
Nazareth, into Judea,
00:07:46.03\00:07:48.26
to the city of David,
which is called Bethlehem,
00:07:48.30\00:07:51.00
because he was of the
house of the lineage of David,
00:07:51.03\00:07:54.10
to be registered with
Mary, his betrothed wife,
00:07:54.14\00:07:56.87
who was with child.
00:07:56.91\00:07:58.41
So it was, that
while they were there,
00:07:58.44\00:08:00.51
the days were completed
for her to be delivered.
00:08:00.54\00:08:02.91
And she brought
forth her firstborn Son,
00:08:02.94\00:08:05.05
and wrapped Him
in swaddling clothes,
00:08:05.08\00:08:06.92
and laid Him in a manger,
00:08:06.95\00:08:08.28
because there was no
room for them in the inn.
00:08:08.32\00:08:10.95
Now there were in the
same country shepherds
00:08:10.99\00:08:13.42
living out in the fields,
00:08:13.46\00:08:14.79
keeping watch over
their flock by night.
00:08:14.82\00:08:16.36
And behold,
00:08:16.39\00:08:17.73
an angel of the
Lord stood before them,
00:08:17.76\00:08:19.13
and the glory of the
Lord shone around them,
00:08:19.16\00:08:21.73
and they were greatly afraid.
00:08:21.76\00:08:23.40
Then the angel said to them,
'Do not be afraid, for behold,
00:08:23.43\00:08:26.37
I bring you good
tidings of great joy
00:08:26.40\00:08:28.54
which will be to all people.
00:08:28.57\00:08:30.41
For there is born to you
00:08:30.44\00:08:31.81
this day in the
city of David a Savior,
00:08:31.84\00:08:33.91
who is Christ the Lord.
00:08:33.94\00:08:35.61
And this will
be the sign to you:
00:08:35.64\00:08:37.41
You will find a Babe wrapped
00:08:37.45\00:08:39.08
in swaddling
clothes, lying in a manger.
00:08:39.11\00:08:41.72
And suddenly there was
00:08:41.75\00:08:44.55
with the angel a multitude
00:08:44.59\00:08:46.59
of the heavenly
host praising God
00:08:46.62\00:08:48.39
and saying: 'Glory
to God in the highest,
00:08:48.42\00:08:50.93
and on earth peace,
goodwill toward men!'
00:08:50.96\00:08:54.36
So it was, when the angels
00:08:54.40\00:08:55.76
had gone away
from them into heaven,
00:08:55.80\00:08:57.63
that the shepherds
said to one another,
00:08:57.67\00:08:59.43
'Let us now go to Bethlehem
00:08:59.47\00:09:01.27
and see this thing
that has come to pass,
00:09:01.30\00:09:03.71
which the Lord
has made known to us.'
00:09:03.74\00:09:05.64
And they came with haste
and found Mary and Joseph,
00:09:05.67\00:09:09.31
and the Babe lying in a manger.
00:09:09.34\00:09:11.21
Now when they had seen Him,
00:09:11.25\00:09:12.75
they made
widely known the saying
00:09:12.78\00:09:14.85
which was told to
them concerning the Child.
00:09:14.88\00:09:19.55
And all those who heard
it marveled at the things
00:09:19.59\00:09:23.06
which were told to
them by the shepherds.
00:09:23.09\00:09:26.73
But Mary kept all these things,
pondered them in her heart.
00:09:26.76\00:09:30.33
Then the shepherds returned,
00:09:30.37\00:09:31.70
glorifying and praising
God for all the things that
00:09:31.73\00:09:34.10
they had heard and
seen, as it was told to them."
00:09:34.14\00:09:37.07
Amen. Thank you.
00:09:37.11\00:09:38.71
Amen.
00:09:38.74\00:09:40.38
That's such a beautiful
story to me and the way.
00:09:40.41\00:09:44.48
Well, I have, you
know, I love acronyms, right?
00:09:44.51\00:09:47.58
So, I have an acronym
for the word Christmas.
00:09:47.62\00:09:51.49
All right.
00:09:51.52\00:09:52.85
So C, the C in Christmas
00:09:52.89\00:09:56.96
is for Christ,
00:09:56.99\00:09:59.19
because you can't have
Christmas without Christ.
00:09:59.23\00:10:01.20
That is the
foundation of it all.
00:10:01.23\00:10:04.20
He is the
foundation. Matthew 1:16-17.
00:10:04.23\00:10:08.07
The first time we
see the word Christ
00:10:08.10\00:10:10.01
in the Bible is in Matthew 1:16.
00:10:10.04\00:10:13.61
And the word Christ comes
00:10:13.64\00:10:14.98
from the Greek
word translated Christos
00:10:15.01\00:10:17.95
which means anointed one.
00:10:17.98\00:10:20.82
But, you know, Satan
has taken and you see it,
00:10:20.85\00:10:24.85
sometimes in popular media,
00:10:24.89\00:10:26.76
he will take the word, the name,
00:10:26.79\00:10:30.63
and use it blasphemously.
00:10:30.66\00:10:33.09
And so we see,
00:10:33.13\00:10:34.96
instead of Christ's
name being uplifted,
00:10:35.00\00:10:38.43
in media, we see it blasphemed.
00:10:38.47\00:10:41.10
And so, always
Satan has a counterfeit,
00:10:41.14\00:10:44.94
always he has the negative
00:10:44.97\00:10:47.38
and God has the positive,
00:10:47.41\00:10:48.84
always God is sovereign.
00:10:48.88\00:10:53.75
And so, what
Satan means for ill,
00:10:53.78\00:10:58.69
you know, we know that
00:10:58.72\00:11:00.06
Christ is the
foundation for Christmas.
00:11:00.09\00:11:04.16
So C is for
Christ, H is for hope.
00:11:04.19\00:11:08.56
Colossians 1:26-27,
00:11:08.60\00:11:11.00
"Christ in us,
the hope of glory."
00:11:11.03\00:11:13.84
So, the hope is, that we have is
00:11:13.87\00:11:18.41
by the Spirit of the Living God
00:11:18.44\00:11:20.44
and it's that we are transformed
00:11:20.48\00:11:22.91
into His image,
into the image of Christ.
00:11:22.94\00:11:26.68
So that is the hope of glory.
00:11:26.72\00:11:28.28
Then the R is
royalty. All right.
00:11:28.32\00:11:31.45
These are things that,
00:11:31.49\00:11:32.82
you know, that we can
associate with Christmas
00:11:32.85\00:11:34.76
like each of
these different letters.
00:11:34.79\00:11:36.49
So royalty.
00:11:36.52\00:11:38.36
Jesus is King of
kings and Lord of lords.
00:11:38.39\00:11:41.70
Right? Revelation 19:16.
00:11:41.73\00:11:44.20
And then I as for Immanuel.
00:11:44.23\00:11:46.70
Immanuel, meaning God with us.
00:11:46.74\00:11:49.00
Amen.
00:11:49.04\00:11:50.37
And so when He came to earth,
00:11:50.41\00:11:53.58
He came to show
us really the Father
00:11:53.61\00:11:56.48
and how to live and how we can,
00:11:56.51\00:12:00.95
how we can live out our
lives to bring glory to God.
00:12:00.98\00:12:04.29
Amen.
00:12:04.32\00:12:05.65
And then S is for
shepherds, Luke 2:8,
00:12:05.69\00:12:08.89
which you just read about.
00:12:08.92\00:12:10.26
The shepherds were
watching over their flock,
00:12:10.29\00:12:12.89
they were low in status,
00:12:12.93\00:12:14.26
and Jesus actually
is the Great Shepherd.
00:12:14.30\00:12:17.73
So He identified with
the lowly and He identified
00:12:17.77\00:12:21.84
as King of kings
and Lord of lords, so.
00:12:21.87\00:12:25.74
And then T is for thanks.
00:12:25.77\00:12:28.31
We should be thankful
for the ultimate gift.
00:12:28.34\00:12:31.88
John 3:16, "For
God so loved the world
00:12:31.91\00:12:34.38
that He gave His
only begotten Son,
00:12:34.42\00:12:36.69
that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish
00:12:36.72\00:12:38.82
but have everlasting life."
00:12:38.85\00:12:40.26
So we should give thanks to God.
00:12:40.29\00:12:42.52
And then M is for
music because Christmas,
00:12:42.56\00:12:46.46
you can't have Christmas
without Christmas carols
00:12:46.49\00:12:48.40
and music, right?
00:12:48.43\00:12:49.76
And then A is for angels.
00:12:49.80\00:12:53.20
Because again, in Luke,
00:12:53.23\00:12:54.84
we see that an angel,
first an angel appeared.
00:12:54.87\00:12:59.81
And then the whole sky lit up
00:12:59.84\00:13:02.14
with angels and the
glory of God saying,
00:13:02.18\00:13:04.71
"Glory to God in the highest."
00:13:04.75\00:13:06.55
And then the S in
Christmas is for sharing.
00:13:06.58\00:13:09.95
Matthew 20:18-20,
00:13:09.98\00:13:12.62
where we have
the great commission
00:13:12.65\00:13:14.42
where Jesus tells
us to, to teach, to go
00:13:14.46\00:13:18.26
and observe all
things that we were taught
00:13:18.29\00:13:20.70
and so baptizing them
in the name of the Father,
00:13:20.73\00:13:24.57
the Son and the Holy Spirit.
00:13:24.60\00:13:25.93
So... That's good.
00:13:25.97\00:13:27.67
The S, sharing is a good.
00:13:27.70\00:13:29.54
Christmas is a
great time for sharing,
00:13:29.57\00:13:31.57
not only the
gifts with each other,
00:13:31.61\00:13:34.48
but the gospel.
00:13:34.51\00:13:35.84
Amen.
00:13:35.88\00:13:37.21
So that's my little
acronym on Christmas.
00:13:37.25\00:13:39.91
That's good. Praise the Lord.
00:13:39.95\00:13:42.08
So we might have
some Christmas memories,
00:13:42.12\00:13:45.15
things that
come into mind about.
00:13:45.19\00:13:47.66
I know you guys have
00:13:47.69\00:13:49.02
some really
interesting things that
00:13:49.06\00:13:51.19
happened to you as children.
00:13:51.23\00:13:52.63
Not necessarily
Christmas, but...
00:13:52.66\00:13:54.36
Okay. Yeah, let's talk about it.
00:13:54.40\00:13:56.63
I'm on here.
00:13:56.67\00:13:58.00
Let's hear from Chris
first. What do you got?
00:13:58.03\00:14:00.30
I was so looking
forward to your story.
00:14:00.34\00:14:04.67
You know, I...
00:14:04.71\00:14:06.54
It's hard to go
back and really think,
00:14:06.57\00:14:08.71
I'll tell you the time
00:14:08.74\00:14:10.08
that Christmas
really changed for me.
00:14:10.11\00:14:11.45
Well.
00:14:11.48\00:14:12.81
Because we realized that
a lot of Christmas things
00:14:12.85\00:14:15.48
have really become commercial,
00:14:15.52\00:14:17.29
you can go back and
question its origin.
00:14:17.32\00:14:20.79
And so I had a lot of struggling
00:14:20.82\00:14:24.03
over Christmas spiritually.
00:14:24.06\00:14:25.83
And the thing that helped me
00:14:25.86\00:14:27.20
to balance it is
our Spirit of Prophecy
00:14:27.23\00:14:29.23
that God has given us.
00:14:29.26\00:14:30.60
So that helped me to balance it.
00:14:30.63\00:14:32.10
So I would take, I
took all of the things
00:14:32.13\00:14:35.57
that pertain to the
world out of the house
00:14:35.60\00:14:38.21
and I put the things
that pertain to Christ
00:14:38.24\00:14:41.81
and the gift that
was given in the house.
00:14:41.84\00:14:45.21
And I can remember sitting
down in front of the fireplace
00:14:45.25\00:14:48.38
and reading the
story of Christ's birth
00:14:48.42\00:14:50.55
as we just did here with Jordan.
00:14:50.59\00:14:52.92
And, you know, just
making it much more holy,
00:14:52.95\00:14:56.52
much more centered
on that great gift.
00:14:56.56\00:15:01.60
That gift that
had it not been given,
00:15:01.63\00:15:04.27
we would not have,
can I say it this way?
00:15:04.30\00:15:07.00
A ticket out of here,
00:15:07.04\00:15:08.37
we would not have a
salvation, you know, seriously.
00:15:08.40\00:15:11.97
So that is when it
really changed for me,
00:15:12.01\00:15:14.98
that's when it
really felt different.
00:15:15.01\00:15:17.91
And I felt closer
to Christ that way
00:15:17.95\00:15:20.38
because we become
so commercialized,
00:15:20.42\00:15:22.62
you know, even if we go visit
00:15:22.65\00:15:24.35
at other people's
houses and it's just,
00:15:24.39\00:15:26.96
it's not the same atmosphere,
00:15:26.99\00:15:28.39
but when you can
control as a parent,
00:15:28.42\00:15:30.59
that atmosphere in your home,
00:15:30.63\00:15:33.33
it really makes a
tremendous difference.
00:15:33.36\00:15:35.80
Yeah. Amen.
00:15:35.83\00:15:37.17
Praise the Lord.
00:15:37.20\00:15:38.53
All right, how
about you, Yvonne?
00:15:38.57\00:15:40.47
What memories? Yeah.
00:15:40.50\00:15:42.60
Wow, you know, I think for me,
00:15:42.64\00:15:45.64
my favorite
memories are the music
00:15:45.67\00:15:50.48
and my grandmother
conducting the choir
00:15:50.51\00:15:54.65
with the Messiah every year.
00:15:54.68\00:15:56.45
I just, I love Handel's Messiah
00:15:56.48\00:15:59.09
and then family
because we all...
00:15:59.12\00:16:04.19
When I was really little,
00:16:04.23\00:16:05.56
we all lived in
the same complex.
00:16:05.59\00:16:07.30
So my grandmother
and uncles and aunts,
00:16:07.33\00:16:10.13
we all lived in the
same building complex.
00:16:10.17\00:16:13.80
So it was great
because I could just go around
00:16:13.84\00:16:15.80
the corner seeing my cousins,
00:16:15.84\00:16:17.37
my grandmother and
then my parents singing,
00:16:17.41\00:16:20.61
and they had a quartet.
00:16:20.64\00:16:22.14
And so I would sit
in on their rehearsals.
00:16:22.18\00:16:24.88
And so Christmas
for me represents family
00:16:24.91\00:16:29.62
and getting together and,
00:16:29.65\00:16:31.85
you know, spending time together
00:16:31.89\00:16:33.79
and I love the gifts
when I was little too.
00:16:33.82\00:16:36.22
You know, I still love
them, I won't say that on air.
00:16:36.26\00:16:38.83
But what a
blessing to have a family
00:16:38.86\00:16:42.63
that would celebrate together
00:16:42.66\00:16:45.40
and be together for Christmas.
00:16:45.43\00:16:47.50
All right. How about Jordan?
00:16:47.54\00:16:52.44
I don't have a
favorite Christmas memory.
00:16:52.47\00:16:54.78
But I do agree with Aunt Ivy.
00:16:54.81\00:16:57.48
I see Christmas
as a time to gather
00:16:57.51\00:16:59.15
with family and just be thankful
00:16:59.18\00:17:01.05
for making it through a year.
00:17:01.08\00:17:03.39
A lot of people,
they lose family members
00:17:03.42\00:17:05.62
around Christmas
and Thanksgiving.
00:17:05.65\00:17:07.56
There's a lot of
sadness going on.
00:17:07.59\00:17:08.92
Oh, my.
00:17:08.96\00:17:10.29
Along with the devil,
he puts so much pressure
00:17:10.33\00:17:11.93
on these parents
to buy gifts and...
00:17:11.96\00:17:13.86
It's true.
00:17:13.90\00:17:15.23
It just shouldn't be like that.
00:17:15.26\00:17:16.60
It should be just a
humbling, gathering of family
00:17:16.63\00:17:20.00
and focus on the
Lord 'cause like Jill...
00:17:20.04\00:17:23.54
Chris. Chris.
00:17:23.57\00:17:25.47
Like Chris said, that ticket
00:17:25.51\00:17:27.64
to get out of
here, God gave His Son.
00:17:27.68\00:17:29.98
That's the
greatest gift ever, so.
00:17:30.01\00:17:31.35
Amen. That's good.
00:17:31.38\00:17:33.48
It's good. Absolutely.
00:17:33.52\00:17:35.15
That's good. Praise the Lord.
00:17:35.18\00:17:36.52
Well, Kenny and I, you know,
00:17:36.55\00:17:38.19
we didn't probably
almost speak this together.
00:17:38.22\00:17:41.22
But we didn't look,
00:17:41.26\00:17:42.59
we don't have Christmas memories
00:17:42.62\00:17:43.96
of great gifts.
00:17:43.99\00:17:45.56
After our dad was
disabled in with heart attack,
00:17:45.59\00:17:47.63
we were young.
00:17:47.66\00:17:49.00
Christmas wasn't about the gifts
00:17:49.03\00:17:50.77
but we do, I
have great memories of
00:17:50.80\00:17:52.87
and he can speak for
himself but family together.
00:17:52.90\00:17:55.80
We always
together and had good meal.
00:17:55.84\00:17:58.11
And, you know, good food to eat,
00:17:58.14\00:18:01.24
and aunts and uncles
would come to in the afternoon
00:18:01.28\00:18:03.98
and visit with us.
00:18:04.01\00:18:05.35
And, you know, Thanksgiving
and Christmas a lot.
00:18:05.38\00:18:08.72
It was a lot of family stuff.
00:18:08.75\00:18:11.45
But we always, of course,
00:18:11.49\00:18:13.19
knew the reason for the season.
00:18:13.22\00:18:15.49
Our folks
wouldn't leave that out.
00:18:15.52\00:18:17.23
That was the main part.
00:18:17.26\00:18:18.83
And so, but as
far as gifts goes,
00:18:18.86\00:18:21.00
I mean, we were, Kenny was like,
00:18:21.03\00:18:23.10
I don't know,
00:18:23.13\00:18:24.47
maybe a sophomore
junior in high school,
00:18:24.50\00:18:25.83
and I was eighth grade.
00:18:25.87\00:18:27.20
He's four years older,
00:18:27.24\00:18:28.57
he may have been a
senior and I'm freshmen.
00:18:28.60\00:18:30.24
So we decided that, you know,
we had seven in our family.
00:18:30.27\00:18:34.74
So our folks said one,
00:18:34.78\00:18:36.34
well, we can't really
afford to buy any gifts.
00:18:36.38\00:18:38.51
So tell you what we do.
00:18:38.55\00:18:39.88
We'll put
everybody's name in the hat.
00:18:39.91\00:18:41.48
We'll draw hat.
00:18:41.52\00:18:42.85
You draw a name
00:18:42.88\00:18:44.22
and then you get
that person a gift.
00:18:44.25\00:18:45.99
Then they get
whoever's name they draw.
00:18:46.02\00:18:48.09
Yeah. So that's good enough.
00:18:48.12\00:18:49.56
So you got probably a
senior in high school,
00:18:49.59\00:18:51.66
maybe freshmen and
we don't have any money.
00:18:51.69\00:18:53.96
We're working part time
00:18:54.00\00:18:55.33
just to do whatever get
close to things we can do.
00:18:55.36\00:18:58.07
And Kenny and I
draw each other's name.
00:18:58.10\00:19:00.54
All right.
00:19:00.57\00:19:01.90
So, am I telling the
truth? We shook hands.
00:19:01.94\00:19:04.37
He said, "Merry
Christmas, Brother."
00:19:04.41\00:19:06.51
So we didn't have to
get any gifts to each other.
00:19:06.54\00:19:08.18
Yeah.
00:19:08.21\00:19:09.54
But that was a greatest gift
00:19:09.58\00:19:10.91
we could do that times not
have to be pressured to buy
00:19:10.95\00:19:12.95
something when
we're trying to get by
00:19:12.98\00:19:14.88
so we just traded and
that was enough Christmas.
00:19:14.92\00:19:17.72
And it was brilliant.
00:19:17.75\00:19:19.95
Really, I felt
good about it, right?
00:19:19.99\00:19:22.79
It was equal, right? Oh, yeah.
00:19:22.82\00:19:25.33
Somebody didn't
buy something big
00:19:25.36\00:19:26.70
and you
couldn't afford anything.
00:19:26.73\00:19:28.06
Yeah.
00:19:28.10\00:19:29.43
We shook hands, and say,
"Hey, you know, happy holidays.
00:19:29.46\00:19:30.80
All good?" And it was settled.
00:19:30.83\00:19:32.63
I don't think we probably
thought about it again really.
00:19:32.67\00:19:34.04
No.
00:19:34.07\00:19:35.40
We did our part, rest
of them maybe scrimping
00:19:35.44\00:19:37.51
or taking soda bottles
00:19:37.54\00:19:38.87
and putting them
in for the two cents
00:19:38.91\00:19:40.58
or the penny you get
so you can buy something.
00:19:40.61\00:19:42.51
We just shake hands.
00:19:42.54\00:19:43.88
I kind of feel like that today.
00:19:43.91\00:19:45.41
Maybe I want to
shake a lot of hands.
00:19:45.45\00:19:47.98
Shake a lot of
hands, save a lot of time.
00:19:48.02\00:19:50.72
Save a lot of money
too. Save a lot of money.
00:19:50.75\00:19:53.59
But yeah, but sometimes
00:19:53.62\00:19:54.96
it's good
certainly to give a gift
00:19:54.99\00:19:56.32
and appreciation for that means
00:19:56.36\00:19:58.79
something to you,
but you know to me
00:19:58.83\00:20:00.26
sometimes just a handshake
00:20:00.30\00:20:02.23
or somebody said
let's have prayer together
00:20:02.26\00:20:04.07
sometimes thank God
for one another that
00:20:04.10\00:20:05.90
we're still here
for another season.
00:20:05.93\00:20:07.34
Yeah.
00:20:07.37\00:20:08.70
You know, that's what
I'm thinking about Christmas
00:20:08.74\00:20:10.11
here that we've, you
know, season time is, you know,
00:20:10.14\00:20:13.14
again all focusing on
Christ but He's given us another
00:20:13.17\00:20:15.81
I think you
mentioned it another year.
00:20:15.84\00:20:17.65
Yeah.
00:20:17.68\00:20:19.01
He's blessed us that we
have a roof over our head.
00:20:19.05\00:20:20.88
We have what we need.
00:20:20.92\00:20:22.52
I feel like it's just this
should be the all season long.
00:20:22.55\00:20:27.36
Shouldn't be we take one day
and all sudden we're cordial,
00:20:27.39\00:20:30.23
and we love
everybody and we praise Him.
00:20:30.26\00:20:33.36
To me every day it would be
just wonderful at least to me,
00:20:33.40\00:20:36.56
it's just.
00:20:36.60\00:20:37.93
That's what
heaven would be like.
00:20:37.97\00:20:39.30
That's right. That's right.
00:20:39.33\00:20:40.70
So we need to get
used to it down here.
00:20:40.74\00:20:42.10
Isn't that right?
Getting used to it here.
00:20:42.14\00:20:43.47
Yeah, just practicing.
00:20:43.51\00:20:44.84
Yeah, and praising that
you mentioned, what was it?
00:20:44.87\00:20:47.04
The Handel's Messiah? Yes.
00:20:47.08\00:20:48.61
That where you say
hallelujah, hallelujah?
00:20:48.64\00:20:50.28
Yeah. The Hallelujah chorus.
00:20:50.31\00:20:52.75
Yeah, I think
when I was in chorus
00:20:52.78\00:20:54.12
we sang it and
Danny part of it too,
00:20:54.15\00:20:56.02
at every year that was a song.
00:20:56.05\00:20:57.39
Yeah. When they'd
say, "Hallelujah."
00:20:57.42\00:20:59.25
I mean, you know,
make you want to shout.
00:20:59.29\00:21:00.62
Yeah.
00:21:00.66\00:21:01.99
Even then, you know,
00:21:02.02\00:21:03.36
you are 14, 15, I
got big goosebumps.
00:21:03.39\00:21:04.73
I think it raised my
shirt up a little bit, you know,
00:21:04.76\00:21:06.13
just think hallelujah,
that you can say hallelujah
00:21:06.16\00:21:08.63
to the King of
kings and Lord of lords.
00:21:08.66\00:21:11.07
Again, let's not leave
Him out of anything this year.
00:21:11.10\00:21:14.20
Let's put Him
right in the very center,
00:21:14.24\00:21:16.40
every time everything you do,
00:21:16.44\00:21:17.77
everything you give,
everything we receive.
00:21:17.81\00:21:19.47
Yeah.
00:21:19.51\00:21:20.84
All the praise goes back to Him.
00:21:20.88\00:21:22.41
And that's a good thought,
00:21:22.44\00:21:24.08
because as I was
preparing this morning,
00:21:24.11\00:21:25.88
kind of looking
over some things,
00:21:25.91\00:21:27.28
I was going back and rereading.
00:21:27.32\00:21:29.18
And if it, you know,
00:21:29.22\00:21:30.55
if we center it
on Christ's birthday,
00:21:30.59\00:21:32.25
we need to be
focused in on giving Him
00:21:32.29\00:21:35.09
the greatest gift at this time.
00:21:35.12\00:21:37.33
You know, Spirit
of Prophecy says,
00:21:37.36\00:21:39.19
"If we would do that,
00:21:39.23\00:21:40.56
then the coffers would be
full in the service of God,"
00:21:40.60\00:21:43.87
because there's so many people,
00:21:43.90\00:21:45.77
as you mentioned, again,
00:21:45.80\00:21:47.14
that are
hurting, that need help.
00:21:47.17\00:21:49.50
And they need not
only physical help,
00:21:49.54\00:21:51.61
but spiritual help, you know,
00:21:51.64\00:21:53.74
and how often have we said that
00:21:53.78\00:21:55.78
the gospel is free, praise God,
00:21:55.81\00:21:58.11
but it takes
finances to get it out.
00:21:58.15\00:22:01.18
So this is the time of year
00:22:01.22\00:22:02.68
that we as we're
giving back to God
00:22:02.72\00:22:04.72
that we know that
we are storing up souls
00:22:04.75\00:22:07.66
for the kingdom of heaven,
00:22:07.69\00:22:09.02
because when people
donate their gifts, you know,
00:22:09.06\00:22:11.49
when you give it
back to the church,
00:22:11.53\00:22:13.26
you give it back to
3ABN or whomever it may be,
00:22:13.29\00:22:16.30
you know, you are putting it in
00:22:16.33\00:22:17.93
for the salvation of souls.
00:22:17.97\00:22:19.70
And what better gift could
you give this time of year?
00:22:19.73\00:22:22.37
Seriously.
00:22:22.40\00:22:23.74
When you think about
00:22:23.77\00:22:25.11
we won't know
this side of eternity
00:22:25.14\00:22:26.47
until we're in the
kingdom and the Lord places
00:22:26.51\00:22:29.18
those crowns upon
our head and you say,
00:22:29.21\00:22:31.11
what's this star
for, Lord, you know?
00:22:31.15\00:22:33.28
That may have been
this gift you gave 3ABN
00:22:33.31\00:22:36.32
and this person came in
00:22:36.35\00:22:38.12
because of that, you
know, it's a beautiful thing,
00:22:38.15\00:22:41.22
we cannot outgive God.
00:22:41.26\00:22:42.59
That's right.
00:22:42.62\00:22:43.96
And when you mentioned music,
00:22:43.99\00:22:46.66
what my grandma didn't
take me to see the Messiah,
00:22:46.70\00:22:51.27
Handel's Messiah.
00:22:51.30\00:22:52.93
But a lot of times,
00:22:52.97\00:22:54.30
we would drive around in the car
00:22:54.34\00:22:55.67
and look at lights and
she would sing and that,
00:22:55.70\00:22:58.34
those were happy memories
00:22:58.37\00:23:00.18
because my grandmother sang,
00:23:00.21\00:23:01.54
my mother used to sing
and, but I can remember
00:23:01.58\00:23:04.58
just singing in the
car with my grandma.
00:23:04.61\00:23:06.85
And it was such a blessed
time to be with my grandma.
00:23:06.88\00:23:09.28
I spent a lot of
time with my grandparents,
00:23:09.32\00:23:11.05
they raised me
for several years.
00:23:11.09\00:23:12.75
So, you know, those
were warm memories too.
00:23:12.79\00:23:15.82
One of the things
00:23:15.86\00:23:17.19
I'm really thankful for
and memories that we have.
00:23:17.23\00:23:19.96
And some of the
older folk will understand
00:23:20.00\00:23:22.66
what I'm saying here.
00:23:22.70\00:23:24.03
But we were raised in an era,
you know, after the war babies
00:23:24.07\00:23:29.00
what they call us?
00:23:29.04\00:23:30.37
Baby Boomers.
00:23:30.41\00:23:31.87
Baby Boomers, but
in our grade schools
00:23:31.91\00:23:35.08
and our community in
which we lived in the era in
00:23:35.11\00:23:39.71
which we were growing up.
00:23:39.75\00:23:42.62
The whole world
wasn't politically crazy.
00:23:42.65\00:23:45.35
I mean, right
now. Oh, have mercy.
00:23:45.39\00:23:47.72
And I'm telling you both parties
00:23:47.76\00:23:49.52
and all parties
00:23:49.56\00:23:50.89
that I find out
except Jesus' party,
00:23:50.93\00:23:53.03
I always tell people
00:23:53.06\00:23:54.40
I'm just remember
that Jesus' party,
00:23:54.43\00:23:55.76
that's the only
one to last forever.
00:23:55.80\00:23:57.47
But I mean, for the young people
00:23:57.50\00:23:59.23
growing up today,
this is a crazy world.
00:23:59.27\00:24:02.07
There are things that happening
00:24:02.10\00:24:03.57
you never dreamed would happen
00:24:03.61\00:24:06.01
and what in the world
should the Lord tarry?
00:24:06.04\00:24:08.51
How are these
kids going to be saved?
00:24:08.54\00:24:10.55
Because the devil is
just worse and worse.
00:24:10.58\00:24:12.21
That's why we have to
00:24:12.25\00:24:13.58
get the gospel
out now while we can.
00:24:13.62\00:24:15.05
So, when I look back,
00:24:15.08\00:24:16.65
it is great to look back
and remember time, you know,
00:24:16.69\00:24:19.25
we went to join a grade school
00:24:19.29\00:24:20.96
and you know,
around Christmas time
00:24:20.99\00:24:22.72
and everybody get
together we'd sing.
00:24:22.76\00:24:24.36
We'd go you know,
whether it was in the fall,
00:24:24.39\00:24:28.46
I won't get into the holidays
00:24:28.50\00:24:29.90
because you change
things you don't do,
00:24:29.93\00:24:31.60
but we would go
like trick or treating,
00:24:31.63\00:24:34.10
now I'm not saying this to say,
00:24:34.14\00:24:35.47
"Oh no, don't go
trick or treating."
00:24:35.50\00:24:36.84
But we would go for blocks,
we'd go the other side of town
00:24:36.87\00:24:40.11
like we didn't know anybody,
00:24:40.14\00:24:41.48
we go door to door,
nobody ever got hurt.
00:24:41.51\00:24:43.01
Nobody got poisoned. Nobody did.
00:24:43.04\00:24:44.95
People didn't even,
00:24:44.98\00:24:46.31
oh let's say,
"Who are you guys?"
00:24:46.35\00:24:47.68
Would raise
their mask and there's,
00:24:47.72\00:24:49.08
oh, they didn't even know us.
00:24:49.12\00:24:50.75
We're just there
to get, you know,
00:24:50.79\00:24:52.22
but it was a time in
which you could do things.
00:24:52.25\00:24:55.12
And yeah, there's
always been crime.
00:24:55.16\00:24:56.66
There's always
been crazy people,
00:24:56.69\00:24:58.33
but it didn't seem like
00:24:58.36\00:24:59.69
the whole world was upside down.
00:24:59.73\00:25:01.26
So right now we need Jesus
00:25:01.30\00:25:03.06
more than ever
before the gift that
00:25:03.10\00:25:04.73
He gave us, the
gift of salvation
00:25:04.77\00:25:08.20
and the gift of
now of the opportunity
00:25:08.24\00:25:11.41
of being able to
tell the world about Jesus
00:25:11.44\00:25:14.21
and His saving power.
00:25:14.24\00:25:15.78
The world's never needed
it more than we need it now.
00:25:15.81\00:25:19.61
We've never
needed Jesus more than
00:25:19.65\00:25:21.58
we need Jesus right now.
00:25:21.62\00:25:23.89
And it's up to you and me
to take advantage of this time.
00:25:23.92\00:25:26.96
Because we're not always,
00:25:26.99\00:25:28.32
3ABN may not always be
able to be on the airwaves.
00:25:28.36\00:25:30.66
That's right.
00:25:30.69\00:25:32.03
But when we're off,
00:25:32.06\00:25:33.40
should the Lord let that happen,
00:25:33.43\00:25:35.36
then we don't need to be on.
00:25:35.40\00:25:36.73
We are close
enough to second coming,
00:25:36.77\00:25:38.10
God's got it all
figured out. Yeah.
00:25:38.13\00:25:39.50
But as long as He allows us,
00:25:39.53\00:25:41.24
we continue to share
that great gift of salvation,
00:25:41.27\00:25:45.01
the greatest gift ever
given to a lost and dying world.
00:25:45.04\00:25:48.24
So thank you for
joining with us as we do that.
00:25:48.28\00:25:51.91
But yeah, I mean,
growing up in an era
00:25:51.95\00:25:54.05
and I like love growing
up little community like
00:25:54.08\00:25:56.89
West Frankfort, Illinois,
00:25:56.92\00:25:58.49
we didn't have
all the people say,
00:25:58.52\00:26:00.09
"Oh, you didn't have
all the city lights."
00:26:00.12\00:26:01.69
No, but it didn't
have all the crime
00:26:01.72\00:26:03.22
and all the
things going on either.
00:26:03.26\00:26:05.19
But today is the
day of salvation.
00:26:05.23\00:26:07.73
So, I'm so
thankful for you, Jordan,
00:26:07.76\00:26:10.67
and you have a number of
folk you can tell us about
00:26:10.70\00:26:12.90
some nieces and
nephews, family, friends.
00:26:12.93\00:26:15.64
Yvonne's been
giving Bible studies
00:26:15.67\00:26:17.31
for what last year
or so, maybe longer.
00:26:17.34\00:26:20.48
And we've just had
a number of baptisms,
00:26:20.51\00:26:23.75
because you
were sharing the gift
00:26:23.78\00:26:26.21
that the Lord gave you,
00:26:26.25\00:26:28.48
with your family
and with friends.
00:26:28.52\00:26:30.52
And I mean, taking it seriously
00:26:30.55\00:26:32.05
for hours at a time for
literally this past year.
00:26:32.09\00:26:35.76
And people like you.
00:26:35.79\00:26:37.16
And we're so
thankful for you, Jordan.
00:26:37.19\00:26:39.23
What really made you,
00:26:39.26\00:26:40.63
you're growing up in New York,
00:26:40.66\00:26:42.00
you really don't have that
00:26:42.03\00:26:43.37
much of a
Christian background, right?
00:26:43.40\00:26:44.83
No, actually I did.
00:26:44.87\00:26:46.57
I was always grown up
00:26:46.60\00:26:47.94
in Seventh-day Adventist
as a little kid in the church,
00:26:47.97\00:26:50.71
Sabbath School, some like that.
00:26:50.74\00:26:53.11
But I feel like the devil,
00:26:53.14\00:26:58.75
he used that as a way for me
to go away from it, you know,
00:26:58.78\00:27:04.55
make the Sabbath a
burden as I was a kid.
00:27:04.59\00:27:07.46
And now as you know,
after church, you go to church,
00:27:07.49\00:27:09.46
you want to go outside and play.
00:27:09.49\00:27:12.19
I didn't understand what
the Sabbath was as a kid,
00:27:12.23\00:27:14.46
so it kind of became a burden.
00:27:14.50\00:27:15.83
And as I grew up,
00:27:15.86\00:27:17.20
I didn't really use myself
to the Sabbath like the Lord
00:27:17.23\00:27:20.70
would want me to.
00:27:20.74\00:27:22.20
So you know,
growing up in New York,
00:27:22.24\00:27:25.91
there's so many traps out there.
00:27:25.94\00:27:27.71
So many traps.
00:27:27.74\00:27:29.08
And when you're living
00:27:29.11\00:27:31.85
a double life, you feel it.
00:27:31.88\00:27:35.82
I don't want to be one foot here
00:27:35.85\00:27:38.62
and one foot here,
00:27:38.65\00:27:39.99
want our both
feet with the Lord.
00:27:40.02\00:27:41.36
Amen. That's good.
00:27:41.39\00:27:43.12
When you straddle the
fence, you can get hurt.
00:27:43.16\00:27:44.73
Yeah. Yeah.
00:27:44.76\00:27:46.16
I've gotten hurt.
Yeah, a lot of splinters.
00:27:46.19\00:27:49.16
That's right. Yeah.
00:27:49.20\00:27:50.53
And we've all done
it. We've all done it.
00:27:50.57\00:27:52.20
Maybe not in the same
way, but we've all done it.
00:27:52.23\00:27:54.77
But we're thankful for a God
00:27:54.80\00:27:56.67
who's a forgiving
God and a loving God.
00:27:56.71\00:27:58.91
Yes. And, yeah.
00:27:58.94\00:28:00.68
So we're blessed
for your testimony.
00:28:00.71\00:28:03.75
So what really got you
coming to the Bible studies?
00:28:03.78\00:28:08.88
It was my idea to
start the Bible studies.
00:28:08.92\00:28:10.69
It was his idea.
00:28:10.72\00:28:12.05
'Cause we didn't
have church, Upstate.
00:28:12.09\00:28:13.82
And my brothers and sisters,
00:28:13.86\00:28:15.96
they weren't really
taking it seriously,
00:28:15.99\00:28:18.49
you know, they
have their families
00:28:18.53\00:28:19.86
or whatever, you
know, it's just me.
00:28:19.89\00:28:21.90
So, I've always had
the Holy Spirit within me,
00:28:21.93\00:28:25.93
I felt like, but I wanted more.
00:28:25.97\00:28:27.97
Okay.
00:28:28.00\00:28:29.34
I was trying to go to different
00:28:29.37\00:28:30.71
Seventh-day
Adventist churches Upstate,
00:28:30.74\00:28:32.27
but I wasn't really feeling it.
00:28:32.31\00:28:34.01
So I contacted my aunt,
00:28:34.04\00:28:35.84
nobody that knows a
word better than my aunt.
00:28:35.88\00:28:37.81
Well, praise the Lord.
00:28:37.85\00:28:40.05
So I asked her if we
could do a Bible study,
00:28:40.08\00:28:42.58
trying to keep that as
like church a little bit.
00:28:42.62\00:28:45.05
That was my church for a while,
00:28:45.09\00:28:46.42
for a couple of
months, you know?
00:28:46.45\00:28:48.02
And I learned a lot. Amen.
00:28:48.06\00:28:50.13
Yeah. Praise the Lord.
00:28:50.16\00:28:51.49
Amen. Oh, yeah.
00:28:51.53\00:28:52.86
It was Jordan's
idea to start it.
00:28:52.89\00:28:55.83
And then he got
00:28:55.86\00:28:57.20
some of the other
young family members
00:28:57.23\00:28:59.23
to come and join.
00:28:59.27\00:29:00.60
And he's been
faithfully supporting it.
00:29:00.64\00:29:05.74
And so and with COVID, it
was an easier thing to do.
00:29:05.77\00:29:09.24
Because services were
cancelled in churches,
00:29:09.28\00:29:12.28
so we could have it
during Sabbath hours.
00:29:12.31\00:29:16.38
You know, and that
was really good too.
00:29:16.42\00:29:18.29
Amen.
00:29:18.32\00:29:20.26
Awesome. Even
opened it on Sabbath.
00:29:20.29\00:29:22.29
Yeah. I loved doing that.
00:29:22.32\00:29:24.53
I mean, that, what
you're talking about here is,
00:29:24.56\00:29:26.80
is truly
evangelism that's working out,
00:29:26.83\00:29:30.57
because you made
yourself available for sure.
00:29:30.60\00:29:33.13
You had a need.
00:29:33.17\00:29:34.90
You knew how to reach
out, but you didn't stop there.
00:29:34.94\00:29:38.34
See, if all of
our church members
00:29:38.37\00:29:39.84
would do that, all of,
00:29:39.87\00:29:41.21
including
ourselves, what did he do?
00:29:41.24\00:29:43.11
He didn't say, I
mean, just give me studies.
00:29:43.14\00:29:45.21
He started inviting other people
00:29:45.25\00:29:47.58
in the church.
00:29:47.62\00:29:48.95
That's what we have to
do for the cause of Christ
00:29:48.98\00:29:50.99
is invite other
people to come in,
00:29:51.02\00:29:53.22
because you're getting fed.
00:29:53.25\00:29:54.66
Yes.
00:29:54.69\00:29:56.02
And when you get
down that Bible study,
00:29:56.06\00:29:57.39
you got those
spiritual goosebumps,
00:29:57.43\00:29:58.76
you're excited
00:29:58.79\00:30:00.13
what's going on is changing you.
00:30:00.16\00:30:01.60
You can sense it. Yes.
00:30:01.63\00:30:03.33
And you got,
you have loved ones,
00:30:03.37\00:30:05.40
you think if this
not changes take place,
00:30:05.43\00:30:06.97
heaven may not be their home.
00:30:07.00\00:30:08.34
Right.
00:30:08.37\00:30:09.70
And you love them
enough that you reached out.
00:30:09.74\00:30:11.51
You love them enough,
you spend all the time,
00:30:11.54\00:30:14.24
Danny loved the
gospel and you enough,
00:30:14.28\00:30:17.08
he was separated
from you for hours
00:30:17.11\00:30:19.11
at a time on the
phone as I well know.
00:30:19.15\00:30:21.52
But it take, it
takes that, you know,
00:30:21.55\00:30:24.99
giving Bible
studies and all of this.
00:30:25.02\00:30:26.79
Sometime we just
have to back away
00:30:26.82\00:30:28.72
and let the other one take,
00:30:28.76\00:30:30.09
you know what God
instructs them to do.
00:30:30.13\00:30:31.59
So I think that's
a beautiful thing.
00:30:31.63\00:30:33.16
And a good
illustration of evangelism
00:30:33.19\00:30:34.96
and how it can spread
00:30:35.00\00:30:36.33
and it did spread
and continues to spread.
00:30:36.36\00:30:38.53
Praise the Lord.
00:30:38.57\00:30:39.90
And you know,
you don't have to be,
00:30:39.93\00:30:41.27
and this is important,
00:30:41.30\00:30:42.64
I think, for our
viewers and listeners to know.
00:30:42.67\00:30:44.51
You don't have to be
some kind of Bible scholar
00:30:44.54\00:30:46.81
to share the
Bible with your family.
00:30:46.84\00:30:49.41
There's so many Bible studies
that are online that you can
00:30:49.44\00:30:53.38
because we would
just follow online
00:30:53.42\00:30:56.22
the Bible studies
00:30:56.25\00:30:57.59
and with the
Word and then you can,
00:30:57.62\00:30:59.95
they can ask questions.
00:30:59.99\00:31:01.32
But don't feel as though
you can't give a Bible study
00:31:01.36\00:31:04.96
because you can.
00:31:04.99\00:31:06.49
Amazing Facts has
great Bible studies,
00:31:06.53\00:31:09.40
where we're putting out,
00:31:09.43\00:31:10.83
3ABN's going to have
some really great ones.
00:31:10.87\00:31:13.34
And we have study guides
00:31:13.37\00:31:15.04
that go along with
Salvation in Symbols and Signs.
00:31:15.07\00:31:17.14
So there are resources
out there that you can use to,
00:31:17.17\00:31:21.24
to study.
00:31:21.28\00:31:22.61
So don't feel like you
just have to know everything
00:31:22.64\00:31:25.48
before you give a Bible study.
00:31:25.51\00:31:27.48
Just be willing to share
what Jesus has done for you.
00:31:27.52\00:31:32.12
Start there. Amen.
00:31:32.15\00:31:33.49
Start there.
00:31:33.52\00:31:34.86
What is Jesus
done for you, Jordan?
00:31:34.89\00:31:37.96
Jesus has done a
lot for me. Amen.
00:31:37.99\00:31:43.77
Living in New York
00:31:43.80\00:31:45.13
without a father
and a mother, it's hard.
00:31:45.17\00:31:48.94
But I don't go without for long.
00:31:48.97\00:31:52.57
I never go without actually on.
00:31:52.61\00:31:55.68
He opens doors, so many
doors, job opportunities.
00:31:55.71\00:31:58.65
Amen.
00:31:58.68\00:32:00.58
I know, I've been out of
work for months with bills due.
00:32:00.62\00:32:05.35
And I just put my faith in Him
and He always works out a way
00:32:05.39\00:32:08.96
somehow, every single time.
00:32:08.99\00:32:11.09
Amen.
00:32:11.13\00:32:12.46
And like me and my aunt,
00:32:12.49\00:32:13.83
we're talking
about the other day,
00:32:13.86\00:32:15.20
it might be last minute to us.
00:32:15.23\00:32:16.90
But He's showing us that
00:32:16.93\00:32:18.87
I'm the one who did
that, nobody else can do that.
00:32:18.90\00:32:21.67
God's always on time. Oh, yeah.
00:32:21.70\00:32:23.54
He's always on
time. Praise the Lord.
00:32:23.57\00:32:24.91
That's great.
00:32:24.94\00:32:26.27
Brother, the gift of
sharing and that's it.
00:32:26.31\00:32:28.21
If you would ask Jordan
00:32:28.24\00:32:29.58
and all these
other young folk that
00:32:29.61\00:32:31.05
just recently baptized
00:32:31.08\00:32:32.55
because of the
gift that you gave him.
00:32:32.58\00:32:34.42
If your aunt had given
you 500 or even 1,000 dollars
00:32:34.45\00:32:39.22
and said, "Hey,
have a good Christmas."
00:32:39.25\00:32:41.36
And we'll talk to you next year.
00:32:41.39\00:32:44.29
Would you rather have that
00:32:44.33\00:32:45.66
or the time
that she's given you?
00:32:45.69\00:32:47.03
The time she's given me.
The time she's given you.
00:32:47.06\00:32:48.63
So that's a valuable,
as I mentioned earlier
00:32:48.66\00:32:51.80
in the program, you know,
00:32:51.83\00:32:53.17
time is the greatest gift
00:32:53.20\00:32:54.80
that we have
left as we get older,
00:32:54.84\00:32:57.74
especially you say,
"Well, this time is important.
00:32:57.77\00:32:59.87
What am I going to do with it?"
00:32:59.91\00:33:01.41
So you could have just said,
"Hey, you know, it's easier.
00:33:01.44\00:33:03.68
Let me just give
him 1,000 dollars
00:33:03.71\00:33:05.41
and wish him good
time and leave it alone."
00:33:05.45\00:33:09.78
But you didn't.
00:33:09.82\00:33:11.15
She takes hours
and hours and hours.
00:33:11.19\00:33:13.15
Sometimes they're on
as much as three hours,
00:33:13.19\00:33:16.49
two to three
hours for Bible studies.
00:33:16.52\00:33:20.30
And I'm happy about it. Yeah.
00:33:20.33\00:33:24.47
Because we see the results.
00:33:24.50\00:33:26.33
But here's what's important,
00:33:26.37\00:33:27.70
even if you
didn't see the results,
00:33:27.74\00:33:30.21
the results are there
and you planted the seed.
00:33:30.24\00:33:33.58
And so the Holy
Spirit does the nurturing,
00:33:33.61\00:33:35.78
we can't coerce
anyone or force anybody say,
00:33:35.81\00:33:38.81
"Okay, here it is.
00:33:38.85\00:33:40.18
Now it's time to
be baptized." No.
00:33:40.22\00:33:42.08
All you do is you plant the seed
00:33:42.12\00:33:43.59
and leave the rest
up to the Holy Spirit.
00:33:43.62\00:33:46.45
And I wanted to talk
just for a few minutes about
00:33:46.49\00:33:48.89
I maybe told us a time
00:33:48.92\00:33:50.76
or two over the last some years,
00:33:50.79\00:33:53.33
but talking about gifts
00:33:53.36\00:33:55.26
and people giving
and sharing gifts.
00:33:55.30\00:33:58.63
To me that has made a
huge impact later in my life
00:33:58.67\00:34:03.04
because I didn't
really realize that
00:34:03.07\00:34:05.04
the gift earlier in our life.
00:34:05.07\00:34:07.48
But Kenny and I, we grew up
00:34:07.51\00:34:09.58
on 812 West Worden Street
in West Frankfort, Illinois,
00:34:09.61\00:34:12.15
that old house is still there.
00:34:12.18\00:34:14.05
And so we're on Worden Street,
00:34:14.08\00:34:15.98
the next street to the
south was St. Louis Street,
00:34:16.02\00:34:18.75
and, you know, and I
think on the south side
00:34:18.79\00:34:21.26
was Lindell
Street and so you go out
00:34:21.29\00:34:23.83
to Main Street a
couple blocks later,
00:34:23.86\00:34:26.66
but so we were there
00:34:26.70\00:34:28.10
and so here's a block
street going this way.
00:34:28.13\00:34:31.57
There's a houses
out by the streets
00:34:31.60\00:34:33.57
and they have backyards
00:34:33.60\00:34:35.10
and then you have
an alley in between
00:34:35.14\00:34:36.64
and in the alley
you set your barrels
00:34:36.67\00:34:38.81
and that's the trash barrels.
00:34:38.84\00:34:40.18
So about once a
week the garbage truck
00:34:40.21\00:34:42.61
would come and they'd pick up.
00:34:42.64\00:34:43.98
We didn't have
00:34:44.01\00:34:45.35
those nice
McNeilus trucks back then.
00:34:45.38\00:34:46.75
We just had guys picking them up
00:34:46.78\00:34:48.25
and throwing them
in the back of a truck,
00:34:48.28\00:34:49.95
where steaks are bad
00:34:49.98\00:34:51.45
and getting rid of
the garbage, you know.
00:34:51.49\00:34:55.26
So what we found out
our neighbor behind us,
00:34:55.29\00:34:58.19
Pete Golio, he had three sons
00:34:58.23\00:35:00.33
and I think it's Pete
Jr. and Mike and Richard
00:35:00.36\00:35:02.70
and I haven't talked to them,
00:35:02.73\00:35:04.07
I actually just
reached out today
00:35:04.10\00:35:05.90
to talk to them and to
see if we could maybe start
00:35:05.93\00:35:09.90
some conversation together.
00:35:09.94\00:35:11.27
Wanted to tell them a
story about their father.
00:35:11.31\00:35:13.98
And so, anyway, and Kenny and I,
00:35:14.01\00:35:17.58
he, Pete was, I
think, a coal miner.
00:35:17.61\00:35:19.71
And so they
lived, the three boys
00:35:19.75\00:35:23.22
and mom and dad they lived,
00:35:23.25\00:35:24.62
which go financially better than
00:35:24.65\00:35:26.19
we did after
our dad was disabled
00:35:26.22\00:35:28.46
with a heart
condition because we really
00:35:28.49\00:35:30.29
didn't have an income coming in.
00:35:30.33\00:35:32.09
So we all had to
work a little bit
00:35:32.13\00:35:33.50
and help out with that.
00:35:33.53\00:35:35.00
But first, I don't
know who found it first,
00:35:35.03\00:35:37.27
but one evening may
be taken out the garbage.
00:35:37.30\00:35:40.37
We happened to
look in the neighbors
00:35:40.40\00:35:42.10
right across the
alley was the Golio's barrel
00:35:42.14\00:35:46.11
and we saw things in there.
00:35:46.14\00:35:47.88
And it's like,
oh, there looks like
00:35:47.91\00:35:49.24
there's a truck there.
00:35:49.28\00:35:50.61
But it's got
maybe a wheel missing.
00:35:50.65\00:35:52.51
A little truck, you know,
00:35:52.55\00:35:53.88
you're 7, 8, 10, 11
years old, whatever.
00:35:53.92\00:35:56.32
So you're like,
"Well, that's nice."
00:35:56.35\00:35:59.05
We can take
that and play with it
00:35:59.09\00:36:00.96
because we really
didn't have many toys,
00:36:00.99\00:36:02.86
you know, so
well, we'll fix that.
00:36:02.89\00:36:04.69
You know, and Brother Ronnie,
00:36:04.73\00:36:06.06
he's always, you know, he
was like a little MacGyver
00:36:06.09\00:36:08.56
before there was a MacGyver,
he was there fixing things,
00:36:08.60\00:36:11.47
and whatever it
is, he could fix it.
00:36:11.50\00:36:13.54
So we would discover that
00:36:13.57\00:36:16.07
the Golio's
sometimes threw things away
00:36:16.10\00:36:18.61
from their boys
00:36:18.64\00:36:19.97
and that they
were through with them.
00:36:20.01\00:36:22.08
So we said, hey, this,
you know, it's not stealing.
00:36:22.11\00:36:24.25
But we'd wait
till just about dark.
00:36:24.28\00:36:25.68
Well...
00:36:25.71\00:36:27.05
Because we didn't want them
00:36:27.08\00:36:28.42
looking out the
window as they could see us.
00:36:28.45\00:36:30.05
Then we go, turn the barrel over
00:36:30.09\00:36:32.45
and then start
digging through it.
00:36:32.49\00:36:34.42
Take all the garbage
out to find maybe a toy,
00:36:34.46\00:36:37.26
something we
could use in the house.
00:36:37.29\00:36:40.30
And then we put it all
back in place and raise it up.
00:36:40.33\00:36:43.37
So now we had
little collection of toys.
00:36:43.40\00:36:45.93
But one thing
that we noticed that
00:36:45.97\00:36:47.87
I noticed over the years,
00:36:47.90\00:36:49.67
some of these toys,
Chris, were like brand new.
00:36:49.70\00:36:52.67
Yes. And it's
like, wow, these kids.
00:36:52.71\00:36:55.58
I don't know why
they're throwing away,
00:36:55.61\00:36:57.01
and their folks let
them throw away really nice.
00:36:57.05\00:36:59.28
I mean, semi-truck and
trailer all the wheels on,
00:36:59.31\00:37:02.82
thing worked.
00:37:02.85\00:37:04.25
Cap guns maybe.
00:37:04.29\00:37:05.75
Yeah, I got little touchy,
we might hear that story later.
00:37:05.79\00:37:10.26
Whatever, but that they had.
00:37:10.29\00:37:14.00
So these toys were really nice.
00:37:14.03\00:37:16.43
And like, man, so we, you know,
00:37:16.46\00:37:18.77
other friends
come over our relatives
00:37:18.80\00:37:20.17
or cousins come
00:37:20.20\00:37:21.54
we had some decent
little toys we could play with.
00:37:21.57\00:37:24.37
Nobody knew we were getting them
00:37:24.41\00:37:26.04
out of the barrel from
our neighbor's throwaways.
00:37:26.07\00:37:29.78
So I'm going to fast forward
close to 50 years, 40 at least.
00:37:29.81\00:37:34.78
Yeah, I'd say 50 years
has been 10 or 12 years ago,
00:37:34.82\00:37:39.12
or maybe a little
longer even I don't know.
00:37:39.15\00:37:41.69
But I'm in to, I
think as JC Penney,
00:37:41.72\00:37:45.86
JC Penney's or
Macy's down in Carbondale.
00:37:45.89\00:37:48.90
I'm walking through
and I recognize Mr. Golio.
00:37:48.93\00:37:52.50
Got to be late
80s or 90s by then
00:37:52.53\00:37:55.27
and so I see him
and I say, "Mr. Golio."
00:37:55.30\00:37:59.31
And he looks at me
says, "Hey, Shelton."
00:37:59.34\00:38:02.08
Now, he had to do that
00:38:02.11\00:38:03.45
because there's many of
us, I knew he wouldn't know.
00:38:03.48\00:38:05.45
And in so many
years how you gonna know.
00:38:05.48\00:38:07.92
He knew I was a Shelton,
so you know, "Hey, Shelton."
00:38:07.95\00:38:11.95
I said, "Mr.
Golio, how are you doing?"
00:38:11.99\00:38:14.06
"I'm doing okay. How you doing?"
00:38:14.09\00:38:16.29
I said, "It's
really good to see you."
00:38:16.32\00:38:18.19
"Yeah, you too," he says.
00:38:18.23\00:38:19.89
So I say, "Hey, I got
a confession to make."
00:38:19.93\00:38:22.10
All right.
00:38:22.13\00:38:23.47
I said I want to
make a confession.
00:38:23.50\00:38:24.90
He said, "Oh,
really?" I said, "Yeah."
00:38:24.93\00:38:26.77
I said, "I want to tell you that
00:38:26.80\00:38:28.54
when we were kids,
you know, you knew I said,
00:38:28.57\00:38:31.21
you probably
knew the neighborhood.
00:38:31.24\00:38:32.57
My dad was hard worker
00:38:32.61\00:38:33.94
till he was
disabled with a heart attack.
00:38:33.98\00:38:35.78
And we had a rough go."
00:38:35.81\00:38:37.15
And I said, "We
used to go to the barrel,
00:38:37.18\00:38:40.18
trash barrel behind
00:38:40.22\00:38:41.68
when you guys
would throw things out."
00:38:41.72\00:38:43.75
And I said, "You
probably don't have any."
00:38:43.79\00:38:45.95
I said, "You
probably don't have any idea
00:38:45.99\00:38:47.56
how many little
toys and stuff that
00:38:47.59\00:38:49.36
we were able to
get because your kids
00:38:49.39\00:38:51.46
threw things out that
we thought was great."
00:38:51.49\00:38:53.86
So I said, "We didn't really
feel like we were stealing.
00:38:53.90\00:38:56.46
You had put it in your trash.
00:38:56.50\00:38:58.43
So we took it out."
00:38:58.47\00:39:00.67
And I said, "But I wanted
to confess that to you anyway,
00:39:00.70\00:39:02.84
since I'd, you
know, been 50 years."
00:39:02.87\00:39:04.67
Yeah.
00:39:04.71\00:39:06.04
He looked at me
just like this Jordan.
00:39:06.07\00:39:07.84
And he said,
"That was no accident."
00:39:07.88\00:39:10.25
See. I knew it.
00:39:10.28\00:39:11.75
All right. I had a feeling.
00:39:11.78\00:39:13.28
No accident at all. Awesome.
00:39:13.31\00:39:14.65
Brand new toys?
That's no accident.
00:39:14.68\00:39:16.42
No, it wasn't, yeah.
00:39:16.45\00:39:17.79
He said, "You
guys were good boys.
00:39:17.82\00:39:19.79
Your parents
were great parents."
00:39:19.82\00:39:21.56
And he said, "We knew
you didn't have anything."
00:39:21.59\00:39:22.92
That's right.
00:39:22.96\00:39:24.29
"So my wife and I made sure that
00:39:24.33\00:39:26.59
we put some nice things
because we saw you sometimes."
00:39:26.63\00:39:30.43
You know, we
didn't want him to...
00:39:30.47\00:39:31.80
We didn't wait till
dark looking over time.
00:39:31.83\00:39:33.94
Man, we got to.
00:39:33.97\00:39:35.30
Right, Danny, most of the time
I was going in the daylight.
00:39:35.34\00:39:40.28
Probably saw us
out there so. Yeah.
00:39:40.31\00:39:42.71
But he says, "You know,
00:39:42.74\00:39:44.15
I knew you guys
and I knew your dad
00:39:44.18\00:39:46.92
was a hard worker
and your family's good.
00:39:46.95\00:39:48.88
But my wife and I did that
00:39:48.92\00:39:50.59
we just wanted,
we wanted to help."
00:39:50.62\00:39:53.32
And literally I broke
up. It just choked me up.
00:39:53.36\00:39:57.36
Because I said, "What a gift."
00:39:57.39\00:39:59.56
He said, "Oh, yeah,
we did that to help."
00:39:59.59\00:40:02.63
Now 50 years later,
he'd never told anybody.
00:40:02.66\00:40:05.50
He didn't go say, "Hey,
00:40:05.53\00:40:06.87
look what I did,
I help these four,
00:40:06.90\00:40:08.70
four kids out.
00:40:08.74\00:40:10.07
I did this." He
didn't even tell us.
00:40:10.11\00:40:12.37
And if I hadn't
seen him there. Yeah.
00:40:12.41\00:40:15.41
If I hadn't seen him
there, I would never know.
00:40:15.44\00:40:18.01
But, yeah, that's true giving.
That's giving when you care.
00:40:18.05\00:40:22.08
And maybe he didn't
get in the newspapers
00:40:22.12\00:40:24.25
and he didn't get
all this attention.
00:40:24.29\00:40:26.35
But the Lord knows
and saw a heart of people
00:40:26.39\00:40:28.62
who cared and had compassion
00:40:28.66\00:40:30.83
for those less
fortunate than themselves.
00:40:30.86\00:40:33.96
And I thought what
a gift maybe the best
00:40:34.00\00:40:36.26
and it wasn't just on Christmas
00:40:36.30\00:40:37.63
but if I look
back at gifts given,
00:40:37.67\00:40:39.63
we can't really name big gifts
00:40:39.67\00:40:41.90
that our folks gave
us, we didn't have it,
00:40:41.94\00:40:43.71
but they did give a lot of love.
00:40:43.74\00:40:45.37
They did give us
the Christian upbringing
00:40:45.41\00:40:47.58
which is most important to us,
00:40:47.61\00:40:49.88
but to think
about people around us
00:40:49.91\00:40:52.98
and saw the need
and was willing to give
00:40:53.01\00:40:55.92
and to share.
00:40:55.95\00:40:57.29
I mean it still to this day
I can hardly tell that without,
00:40:57.32\00:41:01.52
you know, getting weakened.
00:41:01.56\00:41:03.02
What a great guy.
00:41:03.06\00:41:05.59
They weren't
they were Christians
00:41:05.63\00:41:07.83
I'm sure, but not say
00:41:07.86\00:41:09.26
the same denomination
as us, they didn't care.
00:41:09.30\00:41:12.20
We weren't the same, you know,
economic status at that point.
00:41:12.23\00:41:15.54
They didn't care.
He just wanted to help.
00:41:15.57\00:41:17.51
That's good. Amen.
00:41:17.54\00:41:18.87
And so that's the way that
00:41:18.91\00:41:20.24
you can share
the gospel, His gift,
00:41:20.28\00:41:22.41
And he sure didn't
do it for attention
00:41:22.44\00:41:24.45
or to say look at
me when I'm doing.
00:41:24.48\00:41:26.72
Didn't find out for 50 years.
00:41:26.75\00:41:28.25
Remember where he put
that beautiful basketball goal?
00:41:28.28\00:41:31.22
Yeah.
00:41:31.25\00:41:32.59
I thought about
for years that he made,
00:41:32.62\00:41:34.46
that he made, was it,
you know big steel pole.
00:41:34.49\00:41:36.83
We would put something
two or three pieces of wood
00:41:36.86\00:41:39.46
and tack it to a tree
00:41:39.49\00:41:40.86
find some kind of
old goal or something,
00:41:40.90\00:41:42.63
you know, the
breakdown where net, you know,
00:41:42.66\00:41:45.33
you couldn't even
tell you swished one,
00:41:45.37\00:41:46.70
you know, what I mean?
00:41:46.74\00:41:48.07
And then we have
basketball was so cheap that
00:41:48.10\00:41:50.07
you blow it up
00:41:50.11\00:41:51.44
and it would go through the rim.
00:41:51.47\00:41:52.84
This will be...
00:41:52.87\00:41:54.21
And so, he's seen all
that and I'm to this day
00:41:54.24\00:41:56.48
I'm a believer
he's never mentioned it.
00:41:56.51\00:41:58.41
They took what he
made for his boys.
00:41:58.45\00:42:00.08
Yeah.
00:42:00.12\00:42:01.45
And he put it right,
00:42:01.48\00:42:02.82
what 30 feet maybe
from the alley right
00:42:02.85\00:42:05.39
closer to our house
basically to me than was to his,
00:42:05.42\00:42:09.36
so and the net he let it.
00:42:09.39\00:42:11.29
We played anytime
we wanted to go there
00:42:11.33\00:42:12.66
and play and shoot.
00:42:12.69\00:42:14.03
We never had to ask,
he never said anything.
00:42:14.06\00:42:16.43
The neighbors
would give us permission
00:42:16.46\00:42:18.40
to climb the tree
and eat the free apples.
00:42:18.43\00:42:20.20
And the Mulberry's?
00:42:20.24\00:42:21.57
Yeah, the next door neighbor,
00:42:21.60\00:42:22.94
the Mulberry's
on the other side.
00:42:22.97\00:42:24.31
They say you boys go
ahead and climb those trees
00:42:24.34\00:42:25.67
anytime you want
on their property.
00:42:25.71\00:42:27.04
Most people, some
people won't do that.
00:42:27.08\00:42:28.41
Yeah, right. But
people allow that.
00:42:28.44\00:42:31.51
And so that to me,
that's a gift from God
00:42:31.55\00:42:34.35
in a sweet nature
that these people had.
00:42:34.38\00:42:38.22
I didn't realize at the time.
00:42:38.25\00:42:39.99
I really didn't
realize how sweet they were.
00:42:40.02\00:42:41.36
Me neither.
00:42:41.39\00:42:42.72
What you can appreciate
this. But we get snow some time.
00:42:42.76\00:42:46.23
And we go out
and shovel the snow.
00:42:46.26\00:42:48.43
And then when
you play on it that
00:42:48.46\00:42:50.37
made it all
muddy mess up the yard.
00:42:50.40\00:42:52.20
But he never
complained. He never complained.
00:42:52.23\00:42:53.57
We didn't think about it
00:42:53.60\00:42:54.94
because all we want to
do is get rid of the snow.
00:42:54.97\00:42:56.77
And we'd have gloves on
00:42:56.81\00:42:58.14
out there playing
in the cold weather
00:42:58.17\00:43:00.44
but never once did he say,
00:43:00.48\00:43:01.88
"Hey, don't mess up my
yard or don't whatever."
00:43:01.91\00:43:04.28
They knew it, they can see
00:43:04.31\00:43:05.65
this is right out the back door.
00:43:05.68\00:43:07.18
You know what great people.
00:43:07.22\00:43:08.55
We made that I understood it
00:43:08.58\00:43:09.92
at coal mines
made it out of steel
00:43:09.95\00:43:11.29
or what have he
and put it up there
00:43:11.32\00:43:12.65
and let us use it.
00:43:12.69\00:43:14.02
But that's just
the kind of people
00:43:14.06\00:43:15.72
that I'm saying that care
when the Lord blesses them.
00:43:15.76\00:43:20.26
They said, "You know
what, let's help somebody else."
00:43:20.30\00:43:22.76
Compassion.
00:43:22.80\00:43:24.13
And we should have
that for people too.
00:43:24.17\00:43:25.83
Amen.
00:43:25.87\00:43:27.20
Passion, not only for the lost,
00:43:27.24\00:43:28.57
but physically where
we're able to do things,
00:43:28.60\00:43:31.01
and to help people.
00:43:31.04\00:43:32.37
And it's affected me
00:43:32.41\00:43:33.74
the rest of my life that
00:43:33.78\00:43:36.44
I see myself and
probably shouldn't admit it
00:43:36.48\00:43:39.51
but I'm kind of
for the underdog.
00:43:39.55\00:43:41.35
You've probably
seen that sometimes.
00:43:41.38\00:43:43.45
So I've always kind
of had a heart that way
00:43:43.49\00:43:45.69
because it felt like, you know,
00:43:45.72\00:43:47.06
you can't help
00:43:47.09\00:43:48.42
but you got to feel
like you were there.
00:43:48.46\00:43:49.79
And you said, hey,
00:43:49.82\00:43:51.16
somebody helped
me when I need it.
00:43:51.19\00:43:52.53
So we've been
privileged from time to time
00:43:52.56\00:43:54.60
to help people a
little bit here and there.
00:43:54.63\00:43:57.30
And they don't know,
00:43:57.33\00:43:58.67
we're not going
to say who it was.
00:43:58.70\00:44:00.04
But I'm just saying
00:44:00.07\00:44:01.40
maybe you want to think about it
00:44:01.44\00:44:02.77
this season of the year.
00:44:02.80\00:44:04.14
Maybe there's somebody that
00:44:04.17\00:44:05.51
needs help around you
that you could help but yet,
00:44:05.54\00:44:07.64
they don't have
to know about it.
00:44:07.68\00:44:09.01
It's just going to give the gift
00:44:09.04\00:44:10.91
because the Lord
has blessed you so much.
00:44:10.95\00:44:13.08
You want to share
with somebody else.
00:44:13.11\00:44:15.22
So I would suggest
each of you pray about that.
00:44:15.25\00:44:17.25
I assure you the Lord
00:44:17.29\00:44:18.79
will bring somebody to mind
00:44:18.82\00:44:20.19
and put them in your path that
00:44:20.22\00:44:21.72
you can show them
without getting any credit,
00:44:21.76\00:44:24.33
without getting
any attention about it.
00:44:24.36\00:44:26.59
Just say you know what?
00:44:26.63\00:44:27.96
I want to do this
and want to help out.
00:44:28.00\00:44:29.50
Beautiful.
00:44:29.53\00:44:30.87
You know, I was reminded
00:44:30.90\00:44:32.23
early this morning
about another story,
00:44:32.27\00:44:34.27
about another great gift
00:44:34.30\00:44:36.00
and about someone else
that was for the underdog
00:44:36.04\00:44:38.84
and I don't know that if
it's a true story or not.
00:44:38.87\00:44:42.41
But I looked it up
online and I found it
00:44:42.44\00:44:44.41
because I don't
remember it really well.
00:44:44.45\00:44:46.82
And I still may not recite it,
00:44:46.85\00:44:49.12
you know, just as exactly right.
00:44:49.15\00:44:51.32
But there was
this mother and a son
00:44:51.35\00:44:54.39
and they were going
to go to the church.
00:44:54.42\00:44:56.52
And I don't know if
it was around Christmas,
00:44:56.56\00:44:58.69
but I do know that
00:44:58.73\00:45:00.06
they were gonna be
talking about Christ.
00:45:00.10\00:45:02.00
And they wanted their daddy,
00:45:02.03\00:45:03.43
her husband to
come along with her.
00:45:03.47\00:45:06.07
And he said, "This
doesn't make sense.
00:45:06.10\00:45:07.90
It's ridiculous.
00:45:07.94\00:45:09.44
Why would a God, a true
God in heaven lower Himself
00:45:09.47\00:45:15.28
to the point that He
would be born as a man?
00:45:15.31\00:45:17.85
It doesn't make sense."
He said, "I'm not going."
00:45:17.88\00:45:21.25
So he went into
his house and later on,
00:45:21.28\00:45:24.02
I don't know if
it was in the evening
00:45:24.05\00:45:25.39
or that day, but a
snow storm came about
00:45:25.42\00:45:28.66
and it started
getting really, really cold,
00:45:28.69\00:45:30.83
and it was really snowing heavy.
00:45:30.86\00:45:33.13
And he started
hearing this thump.
00:45:33.16\00:45:35.23
And he heard it again, thump.
00:45:35.26\00:45:36.60
And he looked out and
he couldn't see anything.
00:45:36.63\00:45:38.23
And he heard another thump.
00:45:38.27\00:45:39.63
And he went outside.
00:45:39.67\00:45:41.54
And he saw these geese
00:45:41.57\00:45:42.90
and he thought
those geese are lost.
00:45:42.94\00:45:44.61
They don't know
what they're doing.
00:45:44.64\00:45:46.21
And it's so cold out there.
00:45:46.24\00:45:48.38
And he watched
them for a few hours.
00:45:48.41\00:45:50.45
He thought, they're
not going to make it.
00:45:50.48\00:45:51.91
It's just too cold.
00:45:51.95\00:45:53.35
You know, the
temperature kept dropping,
00:45:53.38\00:45:55.68
he thought, I've
got to help these geese.
00:45:55.72\00:45:57.79
Well, so he went
and he got some food.
00:45:57.82\00:46:00.22
And he thought,
I got a good idea.
00:46:00.26\00:46:02.72
I'm going to
put them in my barn.
00:46:02.76\00:46:04.53
You know, maybe they
were thumping on the house
00:46:04.56\00:46:06.26
because they saw the
light inside the house.
00:46:06.29\00:46:07.93
He thought I'm going
to put them in the barn.
00:46:07.96\00:46:09.30
He went and open his barn.
00:46:09.33\00:46:10.67
He tried to lure them in
00:46:10.70\00:46:12.17
with some food and
they wouldn't come.
00:46:12.20\00:46:14.14
And so then he thought,
00:46:14.17\00:46:15.57
"Okay, I'll get behind them
and I'll just shoot them in."
00:46:15.60\00:46:18.17
I'll just, you know,
00:46:18.21\00:46:19.54
he said all that
did was scared them.
00:46:19.57\00:46:21.14
It just scared them.
00:46:21.18\00:46:22.51
They would they still
wouldn't go in the barn.
00:46:22.54\00:46:24.38
He thought what in
the world am I gonna do?
00:46:24.41\00:46:26.41
If I was just a goose,
I could save these geese.
00:46:26.45\00:46:30.75
You know, well, you
know why? I've some geese.
00:46:30.79\00:46:34.09
He thought, I've got some geese,
00:46:34.12\00:46:36.29
I'll go get one of mine.
00:46:36.32\00:46:37.83
So he went in the
barn, he got one his,
00:46:37.86\00:46:39.53
he went around the back of them.
00:46:39.56\00:46:41.53
And he let his goose loose.
00:46:41.56\00:46:44.57
His goose flew
through the wild geese.
00:46:44.60\00:46:47.57
And as he, his
goose flew through,
00:46:47.60\00:46:49.90
then the other geese followed
00:46:49.94\00:46:52.57
and they all went into the barn.
00:46:52.61\00:46:55.41
And then he got, he
stopped and he thought.
00:46:55.44\00:46:58.51
That's it. That's it.
00:46:58.55\00:47:02.08
God became a man,
we call Him Immanuel,
00:47:02.12\00:47:06.45
God with us,
00:47:06.49\00:47:09.16
because He needed to
reach us where we were.
00:47:09.19\00:47:13.03
Yeah. He loved us so much.
00:47:13.06\00:47:15.50
He didn't want to scare us.
00:47:15.53\00:47:18.00
He knew He couldn't lure us in.
00:47:18.03\00:47:20.47
But if He became one
of us, if He relate to us,
00:47:20.50\00:47:24.07
He experienced
everything we're going to.
00:47:24.11\00:47:27.48
So He was our example.
00:47:27.51\00:47:30.11
And what a gift was
given in Jesus Christ.
00:47:30.15\00:47:34.22
Yeah. That's beautiful.
00:47:34.25\00:47:36.95
If we were down to
zero, we could just go out.
00:47:36.99\00:47:39.22
I know. Right
there, we can go out.
00:47:39.25\00:47:41.69
But we still got a few minutes.
00:47:41.72\00:47:43.36
Lord is so good.
00:47:43.39\00:47:45.09
I mean, think
about it. Think about it.
00:47:45.13\00:47:47.76
You know, we go
through so many things.
00:47:47.80\00:47:49.80
You've been through things.
00:47:49.83\00:47:51.17
I've been through
things. I lost my parents early.
00:47:51.20\00:47:54.00
I know you lost
your parents early in.
00:47:54.04\00:47:57.44
But we have someone that
has gone through everything.
00:47:57.47\00:48:00.84
He knows our every
emotion that we have.
00:48:00.88\00:48:02.54
That's right.
00:48:02.58\00:48:03.91
And He loves us beyond all love.
00:48:03.95\00:48:06.48
And we can go to Him freely.
00:48:06.51\00:48:09.15
And you know,
just for an example.
00:48:09.18\00:48:12.25
Yesterday, I
wasn't feeling real well.
00:48:12.29\00:48:14.72
And I thought, Lord,
00:48:14.76\00:48:16.09
we've got this
program coming on.
00:48:16.12\00:48:19.49
And I don't want to
go and not feel well,
00:48:19.53\00:48:21.60
I thought what is wrong?
00:48:21.63\00:48:23.37
And I kept thinking
about it through the day.
00:48:23.40\00:48:25.27
And I finally when I
asked Him, "What is wrong?
00:48:25.30\00:48:28.04
What is the problem?"
00:48:28.07\00:48:29.94
And then He told
me, and I thought, well,
00:48:29.97\00:48:33.07
and you guys
don't laugh, you know,
00:48:33.11\00:48:34.51
I carry my little medicine bag.
00:48:34.54\00:48:35.88
So I grabbed it and
started doctoring myself.
00:48:35.91\00:48:39.61
I thought, why didn't
I think of this stuff?
00:48:39.65\00:48:40.98
With natural stuff I must say.
00:48:41.02\00:48:42.48
Yes, with natural
stuff. God's pharmacy.
00:48:42.52\00:48:46.25
And so anyway, I thought,
00:48:46.29\00:48:49.92
why didn't I think
about this earlier?
00:48:49.96\00:48:52.69
Because you didn't ask.
00:48:52.73\00:48:54.60
And the thought came to me
00:48:54.63\00:48:56.06
you had not
because you ask it not.
00:48:56.10\00:48:58.63
Come on. Beautiful.
00:48:58.67\00:49:00.94
Many times in this world,
00:49:00.97\00:49:02.80
we have not because we ask not.
00:49:02.84\00:49:06.94
Maybe it's pride.
00:49:06.98\00:49:08.74
Maybe it's, I don't want to
00:49:08.78\00:49:10.45
let go of the
things of this world.
00:49:10.48\00:49:12.55
I've often said
even on these programs,
00:49:12.58\00:49:14.85
you know, my
daddy always told me,
00:49:14.88\00:49:16.22
he's my stepdad actually.
00:49:16.25\00:49:18.92
He said, "If we don't
let go the dross here,
00:49:18.95\00:49:21.66
someday it's
going to be burned off."
00:49:21.69\00:49:24.23
And as you brought out earlier,
these are times like we have
00:49:24.26\00:49:28.46
never in our
lifetime experienced.
00:49:28.50\00:49:32.43
But we know through the Bible,
that it's gonna get worse.
00:49:32.47\00:49:37.87
And you know,
God, only God knows
00:49:37.91\00:49:39.87
when that'll happen.
00:49:39.91\00:49:41.24
He may be, He's holding
back the winds of strife.
00:49:41.28\00:49:43.65
He's holding it back
till His people are sealed.
00:49:43.68\00:49:48.28
We have not because we ask not.
00:49:48.32\00:49:50.72
We want to be saved.
00:49:50.75\00:49:52.09
We want to be sealed.
00:49:52.12\00:49:53.46
We need to ask.
00:49:53.49\00:49:54.82
He is there. Amen.
00:49:54.86\00:49:56.19
He has done everything He
can continually towards us.
00:49:56.22\00:49:58.33
Jordan did that too, didn't he?
00:49:58.36\00:49:59.69
He asked. Yes.
00:49:59.73\00:50:01.20
If you could help give studies.
00:50:01.23\00:50:02.56
Yes. Yes.
00:50:02.60\00:50:04.43
Praise God. Amen.
00:50:04.47\00:50:06.97
That's so beautiful. Yeah.
00:50:07.00\00:50:08.60
You know, we really need to,
00:50:08.64\00:50:13.44
as Kenny said earlier, each day,
00:50:13.48\00:50:16.01
we should really be
thinking about how good God is.
00:50:16.04\00:50:19.95
What He's done for us.
00:50:19.98\00:50:21.45
The sacrifices that He's
made, not just for Christmas.
00:50:21.48\00:50:24.05
No.
00:50:24.09\00:50:25.42
This is, Jesus is
the greatest gift.
00:50:25.45\00:50:26.79
Amen.
00:50:26.82\00:50:28.16
Not just for
Christmas, but every single day.
00:50:28.19\00:50:31.66
And I think, you know,
00:50:31.69\00:50:33.03
we tend to take
the Lord for granted.
00:50:33.06\00:50:35.60
We tend to take
for granted the things
00:50:35.63\00:50:39.83
that He does for
us every single day.
00:50:39.87\00:50:42.80
And I just want to challenge you
00:50:42.84\00:50:44.74
in the upcoming year, to
really think about Jesus.
00:50:44.77\00:50:48.01
To imagine that He's
walking with you that
00:50:48.04\00:50:50.41
He's talking with you,
00:50:50.45\00:50:52.08
that He's with you all the time,
00:50:52.11\00:50:54.05
so that you get a
sense of His presence.
00:50:54.08\00:50:57.52
Because I think
if we just go about
00:50:57.55\00:51:00.36
our regular
activities in our business,
00:51:00.39\00:51:03.29
and we don't think about Jesus,
00:51:03.32\00:51:05.79
we miss so much in
the course of that day.
00:51:05.83\00:51:09.36
Hey, Jordan, there's,
you're what, 24, 25 years old?
00:51:09.40\00:51:13.03
Twenty four, yeah. Young man.
00:51:13.07\00:51:15.27
There are people at
home, there's young people
00:51:15.30\00:51:17.01
may be watching this program
they didn't even intend to.
00:51:17.04\00:51:20.18
They turned it
on. They see us here.
00:51:20.21\00:51:23.65
And I believe
that's by divine direction.
00:51:23.68\00:51:27.02
So I don't
know, they'll point to
00:51:27.05\00:51:28.42
which camera one
of these cameras,
00:51:28.45\00:51:29.92
maybe you could
look in the camera,
00:51:29.95\00:51:31.65
talk to somebody
that's maybe your age
00:51:31.69\00:51:33.86
or a little
younger, a little older,
00:51:33.89\00:51:35.32
that's out there,
what we say floundering
00:51:35.36\00:51:37.66
around not sure what
they should do in life,
00:51:37.69\00:51:40.33
they're not happy,
they don't have peace.
00:51:40.36\00:51:42.40
What would you say to them?
00:51:42.43\00:51:44.50
Well, I've been there.
00:51:44.53\00:51:47.40
So I know what it
feels like to not have peace,
00:51:47.44\00:51:49.84
and to yearn for
that peace so much.
00:51:49.87\00:51:54.01
This world is
so short, you know,
00:51:54.04\00:51:58.45
the things are in heaven
00:51:58.48\00:52:00.52
can't even equate to
a crumb on this earth.
00:52:00.55\00:52:03.89
So I would advise you to just
00:52:03.92\00:52:07.16
ask the Lord to come
00:52:07.19\00:52:11.29
into your heart.
00:52:11.33\00:52:13.93
And to open your eyes
really because I feel like
00:52:13.96\00:52:17.17
so much of us of my
age and younger are lost.
00:52:17.20\00:52:20.60
They put value
00:52:20.64\00:52:21.97
in these materialistic things
and it's just not worth it.
00:52:22.00\00:52:25.94
It's not worth your soul.
00:52:25.97\00:52:28.38
So God loves you.
He loves all of us.
00:52:28.41\00:52:32.11
And He wants you
to, to step towards Him.
00:52:32.15\00:52:36.95
Come towards Him
and walk with Him.
00:52:36.99\00:52:39.75
Amen. It's good.
00:52:39.79\00:52:41.69
Thank you so much.
00:52:41.72\00:52:43.06
We just have
about four minutes left,
00:52:43.09\00:52:44.56
we'll have a
prayer before we close,
00:52:44.59\00:52:46.90
maybe Brother Kenny,
you do the same thing.
00:52:46.93\00:52:48.60
There's a bunch of older folk
00:52:48.63\00:52:50.00
looking in the camera now
not to say that you're old.
00:52:50.03\00:52:52.30
No. But, you know...
00:52:52.33\00:52:53.94
You said older. Older, yeah.
00:52:53.97\00:52:56.30
A bunch of older folks watching,
00:52:56.34\00:52:57.77
he's talking to a
lot of the young folk,
00:52:57.81\00:52:59.71
maybe you could
look in the camera
00:52:59.74\00:53:01.08
and talk to some
people, any age today,
00:53:01.11\00:53:03.65
that especially
older folk that have gone
00:53:03.68\00:53:05.88
without the
Lord all these years,
00:53:05.91\00:53:08.15
and now they're
in the sunset years,
00:53:08.18\00:53:09.78
maybe they're going through
physical things, you know,
00:53:09.82\00:53:12.09
emotional things.
00:53:12.12\00:53:13.46
They've just lost a husband,
wife or son or daughter.
00:53:13.49\00:53:16.09
They're setting home.
00:53:16.12\00:53:17.46
They didn't intend
to watch this program,
00:53:17.49\00:53:19.03
but they're tuning in right now.
00:53:19.06\00:53:20.70
What would you say to them?
00:53:20.73\00:53:22.06
Yeah, you know, the Bible says,
00:53:22.10\00:53:23.67
"Today is the day of salvation."
00:53:23.70\00:53:25.70
And really it is.
00:53:25.73\00:53:27.34
You can't afford to
put it off any longer.
00:53:27.37\00:53:29.27
I can't afford to put it off.
00:53:29.30\00:53:30.97
Every day, you
know, as Christians,
00:53:31.01\00:53:33.24
we rededicate our
life, you know, to Jesus,
00:53:33.27\00:53:37.35
because we sense
His coming is soon.
00:53:37.38\00:53:41.12
We sense the
things of this earth
00:53:41.15\00:53:42.78
has grown strangely dim,
the more that we behold Him.
00:53:42.82\00:53:46.62
I don't see
anything in this life
00:53:46.65\00:53:48.42
that's worth giving up heaven.
00:53:48.46\00:53:50.79
That's right. But
we're all going to.
00:53:50.83\00:53:52.46
There's choices
that you're making.
00:53:52.49\00:53:53.83
You've grown older.
00:53:53.86\00:53:55.20
You think you're going to
live forever in this world?
00:53:55.23\00:53:56.73
You're not, you know?
00:53:56.77\00:53:58.93
Again people call it scare tact.
00:53:58.97\00:54:00.64
It's not. It's reality.
00:54:00.67\00:54:02.77
You're here today.
00:54:02.80\00:54:04.17
Maybe as a Spirit
speaks to you right now,
00:54:04.21\00:54:06.34
it may be your last time
that the Spirit will speak.
00:54:06.37\00:54:09.94
And so I
encourage you right now,
00:54:09.98\00:54:11.31
if you feel that in your spirit,
00:54:11.35\00:54:13.52
and Jesus is just
accept Him right now,
00:54:13.55\00:54:16.35
accept Him into your heart
00:54:16.38\00:54:17.72
and set Him into
your life and say,
00:54:17.75\00:54:19.35
"You know what, Lord, I
want heaven to be my home."
00:54:19.39\00:54:22.19
And you know
what He would tell you
00:54:22.22\00:54:23.56
if He could
speak audibly to you.
00:54:23.59\00:54:24.96
"That's exactly what I want.
00:54:24.99\00:54:26.43
That's why I came
down to this world.
00:54:26.46\00:54:27.83
That's why I was
born in the manger.
00:54:27.86\00:54:29.60
That's why I
would self sacrifice
00:54:29.63\00:54:31.23
every step of the way.
00:54:31.27\00:54:32.77
I didn't do it for
Me, I did it for you."
00:54:32.80\00:54:35.84
And it's easy to me, it's easy
to return that kind of love.
00:54:35.87\00:54:39.67
So please today
by the grace of God
00:54:39.71\00:54:41.54
just accept Him right now.
00:54:41.58\00:54:42.91
Just bow your heads,
ask for forgiveness of sin.
00:54:42.94\00:54:44.81
Say I want to be a
part of the family of God.
00:54:44.85\00:54:46.18
You know why?
00:54:46.21\00:54:47.55
Because all of us 3ABN
00:54:47.58\00:54:48.92
would love to
spend eternity with You.
00:54:48.95\00:54:50.69
Please just make that,
let's make that a date,
00:54:50.72\00:54:52.55
shall we that all of us to
be around the throne of God.
00:54:52.59\00:54:56.16
Yeah, tree of
life. All right, good.
00:54:56.19\00:54:58.33
Yeah, absolutely. Thank you.
00:54:58.36\00:54:59.86
You know, the ultimate gift.
00:54:59.89\00:55:03.10
The ultimate
gift is Jesus. Amen.
00:55:03.13\00:55:06.00
And John 3:16, "For
God so loved the world
00:55:06.03\00:55:10.04
that He gave His
only begotten Son,
00:55:10.07\00:55:13.58
that whosoever believeth in Him
00:55:13.61\00:55:15.41
should not perish but
have everlasting life."
00:55:15.44\00:55:18.51
God gave us the
ultimate gift. Amen.
00:55:18.55\00:55:22.85
And so what we have to do
now, we're given the gift.
00:55:22.88\00:55:27.09
It's, you can
accept the gift or not.
00:55:27.12\00:55:30.23
That's right.
00:55:30.26\00:55:31.59
If you don't accept the gift,
00:55:31.63\00:55:33.50
you don't get the
benefits of the gift.
00:55:33.53\00:55:34.86
That's right. That's right.
00:55:34.90\00:55:36.23
But if you accept that gift,
00:55:36.26\00:55:37.60
your life will
never ever be the same.
00:55:37.63\00:55:40.70
I think Jordan
can attest to that.
00:55:40.74\00:55:42.74
Yeah.
00:55:42.77\00:55:44.11
That your life
is so different now.
00:55:44.14\00:55:45.67
Amen. You're so
much more peaceful.
00:55:45.71\00:55:47.78
Yeah. All right.
00:55:47.81\00:55:49.14
Yes. Yes.
00:55:49.18\00:55:50.75
It's a daily work though. It is.
00:55:50.78\00:55:52.31
That's right.
00:55:52.35\00:55:53.68
You don't just get to the
finish line when you start.
00:55:53.72\00:55:55.75
That's right. You gonna grow.
00:55:55.78\00:55:57.75
That's right. That's good.
00:55:57.79\00:55:59.12
That's good.
00:55:59.15\00:56:00.49
We had a friend
who used to play,
00:56:00.52\00:56:02.49
was friend with my dad,
00:56:02.52\00:56:04.46
our dad, and
played music with him.
00:56:04.49\00:56:07.13
And he never
really accepted the Lord,
00:56:07.16\00:56:09.46
my dad quit the
country clubs and all that,
00:56:09.50\00:56:12.43
this man came over,
and we grew up with him,
00:56:12.47\00:56:14.60
loved him at the house
00:56:14.64\00:56:16.14
and played instruments
in my dad's country band,
00:56:16.17\00:56:20.18
and he never accepted Jesus.
00:56:20.21\00:56:22.14
So even after
my dad died in '74,
00:56:22.18\00:56:24.78
this man would come to my house
00:56:24.81\00:56:27.25
when I was married
and in my 20s and 30s.
00:56:27.28\00:56:30.72
And he would come
and just visit him
00:56:30.75\00:56:32.59
and talk about the old days.
00:56:32.62\00:56:34.26
And so I asked him, "Why
don't you become Christian?"
00:56:34.29\00:56:37.43
And he said, "Well,
00:56:37.46\00:56:38.93
I just think it's
all a pipe dream."
00:56:38.96\00:56:40.30
So he said,
00:56:40.33\00:56:41.66
"What are you going to do Danny,
00:56:41.70\00:56:43.03
if you get to
the end of the line,
00:56:43.06\00:56:44.40
and you find
there's nothing there
00:56:44.43\00:56:47.47
and that all of this,
you've done has been in vain?"
00:56:47.50\00:56:50.07
"So let me switch that around.
00:56:50.11\00:56:51.84
What if you get to
the end of the line
00:56:51.87\00:56:54.81
and you find out
you've missed everything?"
00:56:54.84\00:56:56.38
That's right.
00:56:56.41\00:56:57.75
So there's no advantage in
not accepting Jesus Christ,
00:56:57.78\00:57:03.08
but there's every
advantage in the world
00:57:03.12\00:57:04.62
to accept His
free gift of salvation
00:57:04.65\00:57:07.92
over a fallen man.
00:57:07.96\00:57:09.29
And so, you know,
I wasn't with him.
00:57:09.32\00:57:11.09
I talked to him.
00:57:11.13\00:57:12.46
I wish I was there to
hospital when he died.
00:57:12.49\00:57:14.16
We were on a
trip and we came back.
00:57:14.20\00:57:15.86
But I'm hoping that we
see, meet at the tree of life.
00:57:15.90\00:57:18.50
Amen.
00:57:18.53\00:57:19.87
And we also hope that with you
for each and every one of you,
00:57:19.90\00:57:22.14
I know many of you are
lonely this time of year,
00:57:22.17\00:57:24.34
but know that Jesus loves you.
00:57:24.37\00:57:26.34
We love you. But
it's time for the day.
00:57:26.37\00:57:28.64
I hate to say it, but
until we see you next time,
00:57:28.68\00:57:30.88
may the Lord richly
bless you abundantly
00:57:30.91\00:57:32.88
more than you
could ever ask or think.
00:57:32.91\00:57:34.78
Amen.
00:57:34.82\00:57:36.15