Participants:
Series Code: BTLP
Program Code: BTLP000183S
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00:38 Hello and welcome once again to Behold the Lamb Presents.
00:42 I'm Chris Shelton, your host. 00:43 I want to thank you for joining us again today. 00:47 Today's message is entitled Unfit For Service. 00:51 How we often forget that the God of heaven, 00:53 the creator of the universe, 00:55 the savior of our souls is a sin-hating God, 00:59 a God who exercises divine justice, 01:03 and calls upon all to repent 01:05 and to turn away from their evil ways. 01:08 Yet many of us have sadly turned a deaf ear 01:11 from God's solemn warnings of reproof. 01:14 We sadly failed to realize 01:16 the importance of raising our children 01:18 in the admonition of the Lord even at a very young age, 01:22 and perhaps even worse, 01:24 overlook their sins and allow them to lead out 01:27 in responsible positions in the church 01:30 without trying to help them 01:32 correct the errors of their ways. 01:34 Just as in the days of priestly lie, 01:37 the blessing and protection of the Lord 01:41 was sadly taken away, 01:44 as symbolized by the Philistines 01:46 taking the Ark of the Covenant out of Shiloh 01:49 while leaving death and destruction in their path. 01:53 Thus Shiloh was left desolate from the grace, 01:56 the honor, and the protection of the Lord that they once had. 02:00 Unless we learn 02:01 from the mistakes of others in the past, 02:04 we will repeat the same events in our lives today, 02:09 for God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 02:12 So please join Pastor Kenny Shelton 02:15 as he shares this God-given message 02:18 Unfit For Service. 02:20 But first, let's listen to Sister Yvonne Shelton 02:24 as she sings Solid Rock from the 3ABN studio. 02:52 On Christ the solid Rock 02:56 I stand 02:59 All other ground 03:01 Is sinking sand 03:05 All other ground is sinking sand 03:19 My hope is built on nothing less 03:23 Than Jesus' blood 03:25 And righteousness 03:30 I dare not trust the sweetest frame 03:35 But wholly lean on Jesus' name 03:40 On Christ the solid Rock I stand 03:45 All other ground is sinking sand 03:50 All other ground is sinking sand 04:02 When darkness veils His lovely face 04:07 I rest on His unchanging 04:10 Grace 04:14 In every high and stormy gale 04:18 My anchor holds within the veil 04:24 On Christ the solid Rock I stand 04:28 All other ground is sinking sand 04:34 All other ground is sinking sand 04:44 His oath, His covenant, His blood, 04:46 His blood 04:49 Heals me 04:52 He then is all my hope and stay 05:00 When He shall come 05:04 With trumpet sound 05:06 Oh, may I then in Him be found 05:12 Rest in His righteousness alone 05:18 Faultless to stand 05:21 before His throne 05:28 All other ground is sinking sand 05:33 All other ground is sinking sand 05:39 On Christ the solid Rock I stand 05:44 On Christ the solid Rock I stand 05:48 All other ground is sinking sand 05:54 On Christ the solid Rock 05:59 I stand 06:15 Thank you for joining us once again here 06:16 at Behold the Lamb Ministries. 06:18 Again, our heartfelt thanks for each and every one of you 06:21 who view the programs who have, 06:24 you know, comments and questions 06:25 and you send for things and books 06:27 and so on and prayer requests. 06:29 And thank you for your support of the ministry 06:31 that helps get this message around the world. 06:34 Couldn't do it without you, thank you. 06:36 Now we realize the Holy Spirit's 06:38 behind all of it, 06:39 but thank you that you're willing to be used 06:41 of God. 06:42 And again, if you have things that we can help you with, 06:44 you know, feel free to call the ministry at any time. 06:46 We will do what we can do, 06:48 to make sure that you are equipped 06:50 to go into all the world 06:51 and to preach the gospel in your own way. 06:54 Thank you again. 06:55 Today's message is going to be one that 06:57 I think there's a lot of information 06:58 we want to cover as quickly as we can. 06:59 I invite you to get your Bible or even pencil and paper 07:02 and things out so that you can jot them down. 07:05 I would love to spend time reading every passage, 07:07 you know, but sometimes you just can hardly do that 07:09 because of the time issue. 07:12 And so jot them down 07:13 because I want you because the Bible, 07:15 you know, the Bible said we need to study 07:16 to show ourselves approved unto God, isn't that right? 07:19 And so we need to try the spirits 07:21 to see whether these things be so 07:23 because many who are in the pulpits today 07:26 should find themself another job. 07:28 Is that okay to say that? 07:30 They shouldn't be in the pulpit. 07:31 They shouldn't be 07:33 because they're not preaching the truth of God's Word. 07:35 If it's not the truth of God's Word, 07:36 it's a lie of the devil. 07:38 I just have to get that off my chest. 07:39 I hope it's all right with you. 07:41 We're going to talk about Unfit For Service today. 07:43 We've already agreed that we want to be fit for service. 07:46 And I'm going to pray right now before we start 07:49 because I think this is so important. 07:51 It has to do with our home, it has to do with the decisions 07:54 that we make and our influence. 07:56 So by the grace of God, 07:58 we want to have the right influence, 07:59 we want to have the right... 08:01 Be able to contact people and be 08:03 what God would have us to be. 08:04 So would you just, 08:05 where you can maybe you just want to, 08:07 you can just close your eyes or you can pray with me 08:09 or maybe you're driving down the road right now, 08:10 you're listening to a CD or home DVD, whatever. 08:14 You can't do it, but I'm going to kneel up here 08:16 and just have a prayer. 08:17 Let's pray. 08:19 Loving Father in heaven, we thank You 08:20 for the promise of sending the Holy Spirit. 08:23 Lord, we are in need today. 08:25 We know we can't even focus on the Scripture. 08:27 We can't understand Scripture 08:28 unless we ask for the abidance of the Holy Spirit. 08:31 Abide in our hearts and our minds right now. 08:34 Open them up we pray, take all the junk 08:37 that so easily beset us this week, throw it outside, 08:39 and may we just concentrate upon heaven and heavenly things 08:42 and how we may be better witnesses for thee 08:45 and that we might be fit for service 08:47 instead of unfit, in Jesus' name, amen. 08:52 You have your Bible, turn with me. 08:53 We want to read our scripture 08:55 which is found in 1 Samuel Chapter 3, 08:59 there's about four verses 09:01 I think that are just really heavy-duty, 09:03 and please hang on to every word. 09:05 It's very important that we look at all these words 09:08 because some of these things that we will read right here 09:11 really deal with us today. 09:13 Starting with verse 11, 1 Samuel 3:11, the Bible says, 09:17 "And the Lord said to Samuel, 09:18 Behold, I will do a thing," where? 09:21 "In Israel concerning," what? 09:24 "His house." 09:25 Notice this, "When I begin, I will also make an end." 09:29 Listen, when God says he's going to begin something 09:31 and he says, I'm going to make an end, 09:33 we better pay attention. 09:34 There's something here, it's very interesting here. 09:36 Now notice what he says, "In that day 09:40 that I will perform against Eli," verse 12, 09:42 "all things which I have spoken of concerning his house." 09:44 Again, when I begin, I will make what? 09:46 An end. 09:47 We're talking about in verse 11, 09:49 talking about the ears tingling, praise God. 09:51 Our ears need to tingle today, do they not? 09:54 Absolutely, verse 13, "For I have told him 09:56 that I will judge the house forever 09:59 for the iniquity which he knoweth," 10:01 keep that in mind, 10:03 "because his sons made them serve," what's it? 10:06 "Themselves vile, and he restrained them not." 10:09 Therefore, I have sworn into the house of Eli, 10:12 that the iniquity of Eli's house 10:14 shall not be purged with sacrifice 10:16 nor offering forever." 10:17 Eli was a high priest, was he not? 10:21 And usually, when something went wrong 10:22 the high priests could, 10:24 you know, could ask that God's blessing 10:26 and forgiveness would accompany a sacrifice 10:29 and things would be forgiven. 10:31 But because Eli knew what was going on, 10:35 because he should have done things 10:36 a little different made different decisions. 10:39 God said, not even the high priest 10:41 is going to be able to make a sacrifice here 10:43 or an offering because God would not hear Him. 10:46 Today, God's people's ears need to tingle, 10:49 and that verse 11 talks about, 10:51 because he said, I'm going to do that thing. 10:54 What is that thing? 10:56 Because I want you to think with me for a moment. 10:59 Have you ever wondered 11:02 how important that your influence is to others 11:08 and maybe just one decision that you made the impact 11:12 that it could have on countless other people. 11:16 This is heavy-duty because we are Christians 11:18 and Christian means you're Christ-like. 11:20 We are to represent Him in all that we say and do. 11:26 A high priest became unfit for service. 11:30 I don't know what you could go any higher 11:32 as it were in Israel than the high priest. 11:35 And when those at the top are unfit, 11:38 the people become unfit. 11:41 The children become unfit, our family becomes unfit. 11:46 Because of this, I'm gonna say one decision. 11:51 Look what it cost. 11:54 In one day, 11:56 because of this one man's decision... 12:02 30,000 people were killed. 12:07 In our area in Carbondale is what? 12:08 Twenty five thousand, twenty six thousand people 12:11 more than the people in Carbondale alone. 12:15 What caused the Holy Spirit to be withdrawn 12:19 from the sanctuary service or the church service? 12:23 If you knew the Holy Spirit is not present here, 12:25 why would you come? 12:27 Why would you want to come? 12:29 But because of one man and decision that he made, 12:33 30,000 were killed, 12:34 the Holy Spirit was withdrawn, 12:38 and God no longer talked to him. 12:45 So what really caused the death of the high priest 12:48 and two of the priests 12:51 that were doing service every day? 12:55 Because of this man's influence, and his, 12:58 we call it sin, his decision, the ark, 13:02 which contained the Ten Commandments 13:04 of God, right? 13:05 Which was in its place for over 300 years, 13:07 God allowed it to be taken by the Philistines. 13:12 That broke many hearts. 13:17 What caused God to be dishonored? 13:19 He was dishonored 13:20 because this man made one wrong decision 13:23 and we'll just leave it at that, one wrong decision. 13:27 What stopped many people 13:28 from going to religious services, 13:31 because of the choice that he made, 13:32 they stopped going to church. 13:34 There's a lot people stopped going to church today 13:36 because they don't like somebody there 13:37 or they're having difficulties with it, 13:39 or they don't like the pastor, 13:40 they don't like the messages, whatever it might be. 13:43 But here people stopped going to church 13:45 because they found no confidence 13:48 in the sanctuary services and those who were leading out. 13:53 The truth was brought under reproach. 13:57 We're talking about because the man-made, 13:58 we talk about one wrong decision. 14:02 There were thousands that were influenced 14:05 to do wrong by a decision that he made, 14:09 literally thousands maybe not so, 14:11 maybe with you, but maybe so. 14:14 But I know those in leadership, 14:15 oh, my, they're more responsible to God. 14:18 They're more accountable to God. 14:21 The Lord said to Samuel, 14:23 I'm going to do a thing in Israel. 14:27 We know Eli was a high priest, he was a judge of Israel. 14:31 We know that he was a man chosen of God. 14:33 So why did it end up the way it ended up? 14:36 He was to perform sacred duties. 14:40 Remember, God chose him. 14:42 He was to be an example. 14:43 He was to be a good influence on the tribe of Israel 14:47 and all the surrounding nations. 14:51 But something fell apart. 14:55 What made this man of God unfit? 15:01 Of course, his two sons unfit for service. 15:05 Again, Eli was appointed 15:06 to govern the people to lead them. 15:10 But interesting, how could he rule a nation? 15:14 How could he rule a people and govern Israel, 15:17 and yet did not rule his own household well? 15:22 Interesting. 15:24 Bible says that he's talking about 15:25 the duties of deacons or elders in the church. 15:29 1 Timothy 3:4 brings this out. 15:32 "One that ruleth his own house, 15:36 having his children in subjection 15:39 with all gravity," or honorable children, 15:45 honest children. 15:47 So if you can't rule as it were 15:50 your own personal house, 15:51 how are you going to rule or govern the house of God? 15:56 And sometimes we never look at that 15:57 when we are in, 15:58 you know, calling for while 16:00 we're going to elect officers for the year, 16:01 we just appoint somebody 16:03 because we can't get maybe somebody 16:04 and we just choose anyone to do it. 16:07 Regardless, should we not look at the Word of God? 16:10 I think we should. 16:12 Here's a man that knew 16:13 how to raise his children. 16:19 He knew what he should be doing in the service of God. 16:23 What happened? 16:25 Well, Eli was like many of us today. 16:28 My brother said many years ago, the older I get, 16:30 he said, I just like peace and quiet. 16:35 We live in a world 16:36 where that's kind of difficult, isn't it? 16:37 We just like peace and quiet. 16:39 Eli, the high priest liked peace and quiet. 16:42 He didn't like trouble. 16:44 He didn't like confrontation, he wanted ease. 16:48 And therefore, he would not try to correct 16:52 the evil that was around him. 16:55 Why would God choose him? 16:58 God must have seen something that maybe we are not seeing, 17:02 but he didn't want to correct the evil. 17:06 He realized that if he told his sons, 17:09 for instance, something that he wanted them to do 17:11 if they didn't want to do it, 17:13 they would cause trouble. 17:14 And he may have to correct them, 17:15 they're gonna rebel. 17:17 And he would have to punish them. 17:19 He didn't want to. 17:21 And so he decided to most generally to give them 17:24 whatever they wanted. 17:28 Patriarchs and Prophets, page 575 says this, 17:32 "Eli shrank from his duty 17:34 because it involved crossing the will of his sons, 17:38 and would make it necessary to punish and deny them." 17:41 So what did he do? 17:42 He just let them go. 17:44 Trying to push out of his mind the consequences 17:47 that would fall. 17:48 We mentioned some of the consequences, 17:50 did we not at the beginning here? 17:52 Because Eli didn't do it. 17:53 We can't just say, oh, we blame the children. 17:55 Children are really not to blame. 17:57 It's us as mom and dad. 18:03 Eli knew there would be consequences 18:06 if he didn't raise them in the admonition of the Lord, 18:08 but yet he didn't want to be bothered with them, 18:10 he didn't want to have to correct. 18:13 And so Eli then allowed his children 18:15 to control him. 18:17 Remember, we're not talking about the children 18:18 and they're at fault. 18:20 We as adults are at fault. 18:24 Eli was at fault, 18:25 the children, right, they were controlling him. 18:28 Dad became subject to the children. 18:31 Have you ever heard that? 18:33 Have you ever seen that? 18:34 You see it in public an awful lot. 18:35 The children tell parents what they're to do 18:37 and when they're to do it. 18:39 They get ready to go, and say, I'm ready to go, Mom, 18:41 we don't care where you are now, let's go. 18:45 But along with transgression comes a curse. 18:48 Now, remember, let's apply this to ourselves. 18:51 When we transgress we know better 18:53 and we go ahead and do something. 18:55 There's a curse that follows along 18:58 every time. 19:01 Now you say, well, how do we know that? 19:03 All you have to do is follow in the Word of God 19:06 the lives of these two sons. 19:09 And you'll see how many bad decisions 19:11 they made. 19:13 Their evil choices, how they hurt other people, 19:17 how they took advantage of the office of priest. 19:21 Four Testimonies, 651 said Eli was cursed. 19:26 The high priest was what? 19:28 "He was cursed by God." 19:29 Notice this, "Because he did not promptly 19:32 and decidedly restrain his wicked sons." 19:37 Interesting. Now, you don't want that. 19:38 I don't want that. 19:40 But God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, is He not? 19:43 And that will happen today. 19:46 There'll be a curse that we're resting 19:47 upon the parents who does not, 19:49 notice this, promptly and decidedly restrain 19:53 that which is wrong. 19:56 You might like easy times, the Bible said 20:00 there in Amos 6:1 is interesting. 20:02 It says, "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion." 20:07 Woe to them that what? 20:08 I kind of like to ease myself, I don't like trouble, 20:10 and I don't like confrontation. 20:14 I don't like to back away from it either. 20:17 It's going to come but notice to them 20:19 that there's a woe for those who, 20:21 you notice that, that are at ease in Zion. 20:24 Ease here, means that someone who's in the state 20:27 of self-indulgence 20:32 or basically don't worry about anything. 20:33 It's all okay. 20:35 We're not gonna try to change anything. 20:37 It's a dangerous condition to be in. 20:40 Very dangerous. 20:41 Now, remember, dangerous why? 20:43 Do you remember what we just said? 20:44 Because Eli didn't do his job, 30,000 people, 20:47 just talking about one battle here, 20:49 30,000 lives were lost right then that one day. 20:54 And we go deeper with not only that, 20:56 but the priest Eli died, and his two sons died. 21:00 I think was Phineas, his daughter, 21:03 when he heard news about the battle 21:04 and the ark was taken away, right? 21:06 She was pregnant, giving birth to a son, 21:08 and she died. 21:11 And the son's name was Ichabod, 21:12 the glory of the Lord has departed. 21:15 We don't want the glory of the Lord to depart 21:16 from this group or any other group. 21:20 This is something we should fear. 21:23 What was it that really what the Bible says here 21:26 in case we don't have time to go through all of it here, 21:28 that let's per Se, Phineas' wife, why she died? 21:32 First of all, he said, when she heard... 21:35 Now she already heard that her husband had died. 21:37 She had already heard that 21:38 her father-in-law had just died. 21:42 But she, the Bible says 21:43 when she heard that the ark was taken, she died. 21:48 When Eli, the high priest, 21:51 he knew his two sons were going to die. 21:54 Because he was told and warned in advance by God, 21:57 if you don't straighten it up, you're going to die. 22:01 They're going to die. 22:02 He would not listen 22:04 God gave him years to get it right. 22:08 But when Eli heard it, 22:09 he heard these two sons that died, 22:11 he was still okay. 22:12 But when he heard that the ark 22:14 had been taken by the Philistines, 22:15 what happened? 22:16 He fell over, he broke his neck and he died. 22:19 Interesting, the people were so concerned 22:22 about the ark or the Ten Commandments of God, 22:24 which most people today are not concerned about. 22:27 Well, they're done away with, 22:28 you don't have to worry about it. 22:30 Really? 22:32 Eli and his sons had a greater responsibility 22:36 than we call the average Joe. 22:38 Why? 22:40 Because they knew. 22:41 Interesting. 22:43 What does the Bible tell us in James 4:17? 22:45 Think with me for a moment. 22:47 The Bible says, "To him that 22:49 knoweth to do good and doeth it not, 22:53 to him it is sin. 22:56 We don't look around, say what do you know? 22:58 And what does he know whether if you know 23:02 to him that know of to do good, and you don't do it? 23:05 To Him it is sin. 23:09 They lacked good, moral, spiritual conduct. 23:14 They had wrong beliefs 23:15 because they were not corrected, 23:17 and it costs Israel, many died. 23:22 And the Holy Spirit of the living God 23:23 was withdrawn. 23:25 And listen, God still operates the same today. 23:29 God doesn't cover up sin in the church, 23:32 He holds the church responsible for open sin. 23:35 You know that, I know that. 23:37 God frowns upon it. 23:39 He can't bless, He can't do 23:41 what He wants to do for the people. 23:43 We need the Spirit of the Living God. 23:48 We can find this out. 23:50 We find one wrong course in one generation. 23:54 Take one generation, one wrong course 23:56 becomes an acceptable standard for the next. 24:01 What does that mean? 24:04 If we're not living up to the light 24:06 that God has given to us, 24:07 is that right y'all, the next generation sees that, 24:10 your children see how you're living. 24:12 And they always will never try to match 24:15 most generally never match 24:16 what by the grace of God where you have climbed, 24:18 they want a little bit lower, and it gets lower. 24:24 So the generation did what? 24:25 Mom and dad look and they become 24:27 acceptable standards for the next and usually, 24:29 it goes down, they fail to live up to the light. 24:34 Only worse. 24:38 God has commanded us to listen to His Word. 24:42 If not, the Bible is very plain, 24:44 He's going to hold us accountable. 24:47 He's going to hold those 24:48 who are in responsible positions 24:50 accountable. 24:53 God charged Eli, think about this. 24:57 God charged Eli 24:59 with honoring hymns his sons above him. 25:02 What does the Bible say about that? 25:04 In Exodus 20:3... 25:08 "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me?" 25:12 And He looked at Eli, He said Eli, 25:13 you know, he's a high priest, 25:15 you know what you should be doing? 25:18 And you're not doing it. 25:19 Therefore you honor your sons more than you honor Me. 25:22 Now, is God gonna keep silent? 25:24 Maybe we're doing that today, maybe you're doing it. 25:27 Maybe I'm doing it, 25:30 that we're honoring our children or our family 25:33 or we hold them in higher esteem 25:36 than we do God. 25:39 God is eventually going to step in, 25:42 and He's going to change things. 25:43 It might take a long time. 25:45 See, somebody saying, well, 25:47 why didn't God step in and stop things 25:48 when He sees this bad? 25:49 He usually gives us some time as you will know. 25:53 Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. 25:55 That means anything, isn't that right? 25:57 Anything that we put before God, 25:59 it can be anything before God is sin. 26:03 What is sin? 26:05 Bible says, 1 John 3:4, sin is the, 26:08 come on, transgression of what? 26:10 Of God's law. 26:12 Interesting. 26:13 Very few pastors will quote that, 1 John 3:4, 26:16 "Sin is the transgression of God's law," 26:18 because they get up in the pulpit and say 26:19 God's law is done away with. 26:21 So it's very difficult to say it's done away, 26:23 witness and say, oh, what is sins. 26:25 Oh, the only biblical definition of sin, 26:27 the transgression of God's law. 26:30 Pretty simple, I think, don't you believe? 26:34 God gave us the Ten Commandments 26:36 to be a wall of protection around us, right? 26:40 To help us. 26:42 The children of Israel, remember, 26:43 they had the little ribbon of blue around their garment, 26:45 you remember that? 26:47 That blue symbolized the law of God, 26:49 that we every day every step we take, 26:51 were to walk in the law of God. 26:54 That's a reminder maybe we need to sew 26:56 something like that on our garments 26:58 so that we don't forget who we belong to. 27:02 God gave us a law as principles. 27:06 Principles of expressing mercy, and goodness, 27:09 and love to one another. 27:13 It presents the character of God 27:14 which we desperately need to understand. 27:17 And you know what that law explains the whole duty of man. 27:21 How do we know that? 27:23 We always say because the Bible says so that's why. 27:25 What is the whole duty of man? 27:26 People will give you 27:28 all this run-around business all the time, 27:30 but the whole duty of man, 27:31 the Bible tells you exactly what it is 27:33 in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, 27:37 which we can't get away from this. 27:40 Notice Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 says, 27:44 what it does, it sums up this wise man, 27:47 his life, it tells how he searched. 27:51 You see, some of you may be going through that 27:52 you're searching for happiness. 27:54 You're searching for something out there 27:56 in the world. 27:59 You're looking for something you don't, 28:01 you don't know if it exists or not, 28:02 but every desire you want, you want it to be fulfilled. 28:06 Anything, everything that was available to man, 28:08 this man experienced. 28:12 And he said, let's hear the whole conclusion. 28:15 I kind of like that. 28:17 I like somebody who gives me the bottom line, 28:18 how about you? 28:19 Yeah, they'll runaround just a bit, 28:21 the whole duty of man, here's the conclusion. 28:24 He says, "Let us hear the conclusion 28:26 of the whole matter. 28:28 Fear God and do what? 28:30 Keep His commandments: 28:32 for this is the whole duty of man. 28:35 Now, how can you add anything to that 28:36 or how can you diminish anything 28:38 from the whole duty of man? 28:41 You can't, you wouldn't want to, 28:43 that's a conclusion of it. 28:46 But then he goes on and notice in the next verse, 28:50 and he says something like this, he says, 28:52 "For God shall bring every work into judgment, 28:56 with every secret thing, 28:57 whether it be good or whether it be evil." 29:01 We're going to have to meet, 29:02 aren't we, our Creator. 29:05 Every good thing or every evil thing, 29:07 every secret thing, whether it be good or evil. 29:11 And then notice, here we have a man 29:14 when you read about him, you think, wow. 29:16 Solomon what a man of God. 29:18 But look at Solomon after he searched, 29:21 and he looked as it were in the world 29:23 and for worldly things, 29:24 that it shattered his mind. 29:27 He was not the man that he started out to be. 29:31 Because he put his mind on other things than God. 29:33 Remember that? 29:36 He ended up with a shattered body, 29:38 shattered nerves. 29:40 Everything went completely 29:44 because he turned his back on God. 29:46 It was the result of sin. 29:49 You'll say well, how do you know the body? 29:51 How do you know? 29:52 You can tell many times not trying to be judgmental. 29:55 I mean, you can tell sometimes 29:56 some people have lived a hard life. 30:00 Are you with me? 30:03 Some things they've taken into their body and stuff, 30:04 you know what I'm talking? 30:06 It shows some time on, not every time 30:08 but it shows that their lives been very difficult 30:11 and with Solomon, 30:13 it showed on his face, 30:15 that he had violated nature's laws, 30:17 God's laws. 30:20 And he lost that chase for happiness. 30:25 And at the end of his life, 30:26 in case any of you are still looking for all this, 30:28 there's happiness out here in the world, 30:30 happiness apart from God, there cannot be. 30:34 There is no peace, 30:35 the Bible says, My God, to what? 30:37 The wicked, there's no peace. 30:42 And the very end, here's this wise man, 30:44 here's the wisest man right there 30:46 in the whole world. 30:48 He seemed to know everything. 30:49 He had everything. 30:53 And yet he wails, 30:55 he cries out as the end results, 30:59 Ecclesiastes 10:16-19. 31:02 He simply says all is vanity and vexation of what? 31:05 Of their spirit. 31:07 All is vanity and vexation, 31:08 you think you've got this in the world, 31:10 you've got a bank account, 31:11 you've got this, you've got that, 31:12 all is vanity and vexation of the Spirit without Christ. 31:21 Why has God given us these rules? 31:23 Why did He give Eli these rules, 31:25 and high priest, he knew all of these things, 31:27 and yet he refused to follow them. 31:29 And they're sure results. 31:30 It may not happen today, may not happen next week, 31:33 but it might happen 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 years down the line, 31:38 10 years, 20 years, God only knows. 31:41 Manuscript 58, 1897 says, 31:44 "God has given His law for the regulation 31:47 of the conduct of nations, 31:49 of families and individuals." 31:53 So notice how different maybe if we would abide by God's law, 31:58 for the conduct of our nations. 32:01 What if every nation of the world realize 32:03 the binding this of God's Ten Commandment law 32:06 and we abide by it, by His grace? 32:08 What a different world, 32:09 it'd be almost like a bit of heaven, would it not? 32:11 What if every family accepted that into the home? 32:15 A little bit of heaven on earth, 32:17 would it not be? 32:18 Individually we would accept that. 32:20 Our duty to God, our duty to our fellow man, 32:22 everybody would get along peace and harmony. 32:27 The law that people talks about had to exist 32:30 before the creation of man 32:31 or else how could Adam have sinned? 32:34 Please think along that with me for just a few moments. 32:38 Don't spend too much time on that. 32:40 But remember when sin came in, the Bible said in Genesis 2:17, 32:44 it says there, "In the day 32:45 that thou eatest you shall surely," what? 32:48 "Die." 32:50 That was the test. 32:51 God means business. 32:54 But He said the day you eat of that, 32:56 you shall surely die. 32:57 Well, Adam and Eve didn't die that day, did they? 33:00 Why didn't they die that day? 33:02 That seems to be what was going on here. 33:05 Praise God. 33:07 Before the foundation of the world, God had a plan. 33:10 Ain't that right? He knew man would sin. 33:13 He knew man needed help. 33:16 And therefore He put together, listen carefully, 33:18 the sanctuary, the sanctuary message 33:21 where there would be an animal sacrifice 33:23 until Jesus would come. 33:26 And as soon as man sinned, right, 33:28 we substituted with the animal sacrifice, 33:30 was one day be substituted by Jesus 33:33 dying on the cross. 33:34 Without shedding of blood is no remission of sin, 33:37 Jesus, the Lamb of God. 33:41 Hopefully, you're counting on that today. 33:44 Hebrews 9:12 says, 33:47 "It's neither by the blood of the goats or calves, 33:49 but by his own blood." 33:51 Don't you like that? 33:52 "He entered in once into the holy place, 33:55 having obtained eternal redemption for us." 33:58 Man, you've got good news here today. 34:00 I've got good news based on the Word of God, 34:03 being in the mess that we are and the world 34:05 is crumbling around us 34:06 as we're talking today. 34:08 It could change just like that overnight, 34:10 as it were in the next minute, we don't know. 34:14 Freedoms, everything is taken 34:16 and going more and more and more laws 34:18 are passed is going against man 34:19 because we see where it's headed. 34:23 But no, you know, we have good news. 34:26 Christ died for us 34:27 and obtained eternal redemption for us. 34:32 That's good news. 34:34 Little article Signs of the Time said this, 34:36 4-15. 34:38 This is written in 1886. 34:39 Listen carefully. 34:40 "After the fall," notice this, 34:42 "the principle of righteousness were unchanged. 34:46 Nothing was taken from the law, 34:48 not one of his holy precepts could be improved. 34:53 And as it existed from the beginning 34:55 and so it will continue to exist 34:57 throughout the ceaseless," what? 34:59 "Ages of eternity." 35:03 For those who speak a little bit bitter words 35:06 against the law of God and the testimony of God, 35:09 and so on, so forth. 35:11 Allow me to read a couple of passages of scripture 35:13 pretty quick and you jot them down 35:15 if you'd like because I'm gonna go quickly with them. 35:17 Psalms 119:152, the Bible said, "Concerning thy testimonies, 35:23 I have known of old 35:24 that thou hast founded them forever." 35:27 Right? 35:29 We're about testimonies, the law of God. 35:30 He said, I knew that they were founded forever 35:32 from the very beginning, they were there. 35:35 It seemed like that would help us 35:37 to help you know, future decisions. 35:41 2 Timothy, in the New Testament, 2:19 35:43 says, "The foundation of God standeth sure." 35:47 So what kind of foundation are you building on today? 35:50 And remember, heaven's going to be your home or hell. 35:52 Heaven or hell, may want a sermon title 35:55 if you think about heaven or hell, 35:57 where are you going to end up or has your life been like Eli, 36:02 and maybe your influence and your example, 36:05 which we know not maybe until eternity, 36:07 how the people that have been influenced for evil 36:09 because of things that we said or done? 36:13 Somehow, God's going to take all those things into account. 36:18 We need to make sure by the grace of God 36:20 that we've got our account settled in heaven. 36:23 It's very important, you realize you're thinking, 36:25 oh, well, 30,000 died, the ark was taken, 36:27 the Holy Spirit withdrawn. 36:29 You know, God didn't speak to his high priest 36:32 or his prophets during the time of right of Samuel. 36:36 He bypassed Eli 36:37 and He talked to the child, Samuel. 36:39 He talked to a 12-year-old. 36:44 Think about it. 36:47 Why wouldn't He talk to Eli? 36:48 Why wouldn't He talk to the high priest, 36:50 a man of experience and so on? 36:51 A man that He called 36:53 is because he didn't do what God asked him to do. 36:57 And He'll do the same to you and the same for me 36:59 because He's the same. 37:01 We may not see it, but sometimes we wonder 37:03 can I be just really blatant here. 37:06 We wonder sometimes 37:07 why maybe our children turn out the way they do. 37:10 I can't blame them. We have to blame ourselves. 37:13 I know they get older and of age, 37:15 they make their own choices and decisions. 37:18 But if Eli had bent the twig while he could have 37:22 things would have been different, did you get it? 37:27 Psalms 11:3 says, 37:29 "If that foundation be destroyed, 37:33 what can the righteous do?" 37:37 How many of us really have a good solid foundation? 37:41 Oh, it's easy to say, oh, yeah, 37:42 we'll have a good solid foundation. 37:43 Really? 37:45 Maybe we should question ourselves 37:47 more often. 37:49 So what must we do? 37:52 1 Timothy 6:19 that says, 37:54 "Laying up in store for them a good foundation 37:58 against the time to come." 38:01 I pray that you're laying a good foundation, 38:03 that you're digging it deep 38:05 in the Word of God like never before. 38:09 Get it below the frost line. 38:10 Is somebody's still with me? 38:12 Get it deep enough that the storm comes, 38:14 it's not going to crack up and crack the whole foundation 38:17 and the whole house falls down 38:20 or when things don't go your way. 38:22 It doesn't, everything fall apart. 38:27 We spend more time telling you the bad things 38:29 that are happening rather than counting our blessings. 38:33 You know that song says count your blessings 38:34 name them one by one. 38:36 If I spent more time counting my blessings 38:38 that God gives me 38:39 rather than to search real things 38:41 is not going my way. 38:42 How things would change in our life. 38:45 Praise Him in the good time, praise Him in the bad times. 38:49 He inhabits our praises. 38:52 Psalms 119:138. 38:54 He says, "Thy testimonies that thou has commanded 38:57 are righteous and very faithful." 39:01 These are being read because people are what? 39:03 Discrediting the testimonies of God, 39:07 they're disparaging saying, 39:08 oh, the law of God is done away with, right here 39:10 He says they're good. 39:12 They're righteous, they're faithful. 39:16 Psalms 119:160, 39:18 "The word is true from the beginning, 39:20 every one of thy righteous judgments 39:22 endureth forever." 39:24 Wow. 39:25 Hang on to those things 39:27 when you're in the midst of the storm. 39:28 There'll become a time that you will wish 39:30 and I will wish we had memorized all of these. 39:33 The Word of God will be taken as it were from you. 39:36 But you know, the devil can't take it. 39:38 Well, you got it memorized up here. 39:40 No, we spent too much time watching soap operas. 39:43 We spent too much time fooling around. 39:45 We're too much time partying, 39:47 been too much time worrying about holidays 39:49 rather than what? 39:50 Then God wants us to put His Word in our heart. 39:53 Hide the Word of God in our heart 39:54 that we might not what? 39:55 Sin against thee. 39:58 Hide the Word of God. 40:00 Spend time. 40:03 We've got to work at it. 40:05 We've got to put some effort into it. 40:07 We can't be like a friend of mine many years ago 40:09 that said he wanted to play the piano. 40:13 And he said, I believe I have faith 40:14 to believe that God will hear me, 40:16 I'm going to pray that God will just do a miracle. 40:20 And every day when I come down the steps, 40:24 I go sit at that piano, 40:25 I better not go there and sit down. 40:27 He said I'll just start blowing the keys 40:29 right off of that thing. 40:31 I said, don't you think 40:33 maybe you should practice a little bit 40:34 or try to work at it a little bit? 40:35 No, God's going to do it all for me. 40:38 That's what the world says today about the work 40:39 that God's going to do at all. 40:42 There's got to be an effort. 40:43 This man prayed for about 20 years. 40:45 He said every morning, he come down the steps, 40:47 sat down at the piano and he looked at it. 40:51 Okay, well, pray a little bit more, 40:52 my faith must be weak. 40:54 He died 40:56 and he never learned to play the piano, 40:57 because he would not practice, he would not work at it. 41:02 And God cannot recall 41:03 by bringing anything to your remembrance 41:05 that you haven't put in there. 41:07 Are you with me? 41:08 Oh, come on. 41:09 What good is a computer, Brother Mark? 41:11 What good is a computer 41:12 if it didn't have information in there to answer 41:14 what you've asked? 41:15 Okay. 41:17 Somebody has programmed it, ain't that right? 41:21 You've got to work at it, 41:23 put forth an efforts what God says, 41:24 then He'll bless your socks off. 41:28 Thy word is true from the beginning. 41:31 Isn't that right? 41:32 When somebody challenges it's not true. 41:34 It's true. The Bible says what? 41:36 From the beginning, doesn't matter 41:37 what some professor might say. 41:41 Somebody with, you know, 41:42 all kinds of stuff by their name on that. 41:43 The Bible says, this is what's so important. 41:46 Thy word is true from the beginning. 41:49 And all thy righteous judgment says 41:50 endureth forever. 41:56 The Psalmist said thy testimonies have I, 41:58 he's talking about I kept thy testimonies 42:01 and I love them exceedingly. 42:02 I wonder how many of us have said 42:04 we'd read the Word of God or the law of God, 42:05 we say we love those exceedingly. 42:07 I meditate on those day and night. 42:10 My tongue is going to speak of these things, 42:13 for all thy commandments are righteousness, 42:15 the Bible says. 42:17 How many of us really thank God for these truths. 42:20 Psalms 122:1, it says, notice this, 42:23 "I was glad when I came into the house of the Lord." 42:27 You know how many of us were glad 42:29 that we came in the house of the Lord today? 42:32 How many really thought about it, 42:34 we in one Sabbath, and oh, some will say oh, 42:37 its Friday already and tomorrow is a Sabbath. 42:39 Man, start preparing right now, 42:43 preparing your heart and your soul. 42:45 You want to bless people. 42:46 You want to bless the church, 42:47 you want to bless the cause of Christ. 42:49 Prepare all week long for coming here. 42:52 And the preparation, 42:53 my brother and sister is spending time with God. 42:56 Getting rid of things out of your life 42:58 that maybe needs not be there, confessing my sins. 43:02 I like to have prayer up here again to confess my sins 43:04 before God so He might use me in the pulpit. 43:09 It's sin. 43:11 Sin was found in Eli and God rejected him. 43:17 He withdrew His presence, how sad. 43:21 Let me encourage you, 43:23 those of you who are going through 43:24 maybe heavy trials and tribulations. 43:27 God gives us His law. 43:29 He gives us His precepts. 43:31 It's for our good. 43:34 It's for our well-being. 43:36 Its love and its mercy, 43:38 it's not a bunch of dos and don'ts. 43:39 Its love and mercy He gives us and power, 43:44 and if they are obeyed, then we find peace, 43:48 then we find happiness. 43:50 Then we find salvation that comes 43:53 from knowledge of serving God 43:55 and doing all that we know to do. 43:57 You realize that that's gonna be qualification for heaven, 44:00 that you and I must live up to all the light 44:03 that God has given me. 44:05 I cannot sidestep anything that I don't want to deal with. 44:09 Does that make sense? 44:11 God is so good to me, Brother Mark. 44:12 He's so good to me that when I tried to sidestep 44:15 some guys a little bit more difficult, 44:16 I walk a few more steps and he puts it right there 44:19 before me again. 44:20 Why? To be aggravating? 44:22 No, because He loves me and He knows 44:24 that heaven will never be my home 44:26 until victory is gained, 44:27 till I can hurdle that thing by the grace of God. 44:30 Isn't God good? 44:32 So sometimes you wonder 44:33 why you go through some of the same things 44:35 all the time. 44:36 Now, you know, because God wants it 44:39 may be out of your life for good, 44:41 so that He can spend eternity with you. 44:44 Why? 44:45 Because God is a personal friend, 44:47 God is a personal helper. 44:50 And in the heat, my brothers and sisters, 44:51 in the heat of conflict, 44:53 you can be sure God says the Lord God is your shade. 44:58 I like that. 44:59 Man, when the sun's beating down, 45:01 and the rains coming or snow, whatever it might be. 45:03 God said I'm your shade. 45:05 In other words, I'm going to be over you, 45:06 I'm going to take care of you. 45:08 I'm going to be your right hand. 45:12 He stands close to us, 45:15 so that all of our needs may be met in Him. 45:20 You know what assurance we have today of Christ? 45:23 Do you have that assurance in your life? 45:27 We need that. 45:29 Because of his two sons, 45:32 Hophni and Phineas, 45:35 Eli. 45:38 1 Samuel 3:1 say, 45:39 "The word of the Lord was precious." 45:42 We alluded to that. You remember? 45:44 "The word of the Lord was precious in those days, 45:47 there was no open vision." 45:49 Why? 45:50 Because sin had separated him from God, 45:53 did you get it? 45:55 In the days there should have been visioned, 45:57 Eli should have been there, Eli had been there before. 46:01 And now he was doing that which he, 46:03 you know, wasn't doing what God had asked him to do. 46:05 And so sin separated from God, 46:07 there was no open vision in those days, 46:10 because of Eli sin. 46:12 But he continued, notice this as his sons grew to manhood. 46:17 He let them continue to officiate in the sanctuary. 46:22 He knew what they were doing. 46:24 He knew the lives that they were living, 46:26 but he would not stop them. 46:27 To stop them mean, he had to correct them first. 46:29 And because they were the priests, 46:31 because they were opening sin, 46:33 they had to be put to death. 46:37 As a parent, you don't want to see that. 46:40 Yet he knew God had already prophesied through a man, 46:43 the Bible doesn't say who, 46:44 which man, a prophet came to him and say, 46:46 if you don't change this to begin, 46:47 this is what's going to happen. 46:49 But you need to make sure it's changed. 46:51 He wouldn't do it. 46:52 He knew that the sons were going to be killed. 46:56 He knew that the ark was going to be taken. 46:58 He knew that these things were going to happen, 47:00 but he continued down the same path. 47:02 You know what the end results? 47:04 Sin is the transgression of the law, 47:06 the penalty is death. 47:08 There's no doubt about it. 47:12 Eli chose, listen carefully, Eli chose family 47:17 over his responsibility to God 47:21 and the people. 47:24 Read that about the warning in 1 Samuel 2:27, 47:28 when it says there came a man of God. 47:32 What would happen if the changes are not made? 47:37 How about you today? How about me? 47:38 We need to take this very personal. 47:41 Maybe you've already raised them. 47:42 Maybe they're already gone. 47:43 Maybe they're adults and are grown-ups right now. 47:45 But where we realize we have done wrong, 47:47 we can ask for forgiveness. 47:49 We can redeem the time. 47:51 Because most of us will always look back and say, 47:53 I wish I'd done a different. 47:56 I guess I'm the only one. 48:00 I wished I had done it different. 48:01 And maybe it was not because we did not know like Eli. 48:06 But because we just didn't do it 48:08 because it was not tasteful. 48:10 We didn't like conflict, we didn't like to correct. 48:14 God says those that honor Me, I will honor. 48:21 I think we can find that 48:23 in Patriarchs and Prophets 581 says, 48:25 "God no longer communicated with Eli and his two sons." 48:30 May I ask you a question here quickly? 48:31 Don't have much time left, but notice. 48:35 If God's word lays down certain principles 48:40 for the conduct of his work and the leaders, 48:44 you know, not only but the leaders, 48:46 but the people, we fail to follow these instructions 48:51 and so we become guilty of open misconduct. 48:55 Why doesn't God just right then 48:57 and there remove them out of the way? 49:00 Most of us will say, "Well, I'm glad he didn't." 49:04 Maybe you've been in that position before. 49:08 Why didn't God just take him out of office? 49:10 Because you say, well, some people are still there 49:11 but didn't seem like things are wrong, wrong, wrong. 49:14 Why doesn't God? 49:15 Because most of us know seeds that are planted one day 49:19 doesn't produce a harvest the next day. 49:22 Does that make sense? 49:24 He doesn't always just take them out of the way 49:26 right then and right there. 49:28 He gives them time, 49:31 time for the seed to mature. 49:34 Example, how about Satan? 49:35 We don't know how long but what was it? 49:39 After sin right developed in there, 49:41 God gave him a lot of time 49:43 before He finally cast him out of heaven 49:45 because He want him, may I say it this way, 49:47 come to his senses. 49:48 Come on church, you're in this position too, 49:50 I'm in this position too. 49:52 You say, well, I've heard it many times before, 49:53 well that's too bad. 49:54 If we haven't done anything about it, 49:56 we need to start doing something about it 49:58 because there's maybe thousands that are dying today 50:00 because of our influence and decisions 50:02 that we have made or not made. 50:06 Think about it. 50:07 It requires time. 50:10 Judas, for instance, didn't Jesus choose Judas? 50:12 Did He know he was going to stab? 50:14 Absolutely, He knew. 50:15 But Judas chose his own way. 50:18 Though he was warned, he still chose his own way. 50:21 How about Saul? Remember King Saul? 50:23 Oh, wow. 50:25 He failed. 50:26 But he was not immediately replaced right then and there. 50:30 In fact, it was years before he was replaced. 50:32 And one good thing maybe it was 50:34 is because the one that was to follow him, 50:36 David needed more time to ripen to be used. 50:41 God knows, doesn't He? 50:42 Sometimes He leaves people in office 50:44 that shouldn't be in office for a long period of time, 50:47 and we can't quite all figure it out. 50:49 But God has it. 50:51 He has it down path. 50:53 He knows exactly why? 50:55 We're looking for peace and righteousness today. 51:00 Where did Eli go wrong? 51:01 Quickly, last four or five minutes? 51:03 How did Eli, where did he go wrong? 51:05 It cost Israel as we will know right thousands of life. 51:09 It cost many a defeat in battle. 51:11 The ark was taken we talked about. 51:12 Eli's life, his two sons bought a disgrace upon Israel. 51:18 The truth was brought into reproach. 51:21 Many lost respect for religious services. 51:24 First, notice this, first what should happen? 51:26 Remember it all spring back to this? 51:29 This is where it all took place right here, 51:31 first of all, is that Eli should have attempted what? 51:35 He should have attempted when his sons, 51:37 right, were little, you know, try to change them. 51:40 He should have tried mild measures with them. 51:44 Notice this, 51:45 if the mild measures did not work 51:48 according to Patriarchs and Prophets 578, 51:51 listen carefully, 51:52 he should have subdued the wrongs 51:55 by the severest means. 51:57 See, nobody wants to go there. 51:59 We don't want to do what God said 52:00 spare the rod spoil the child. 52:02 We don't want to go there. Why not? 52:03 The Bible says it. 52:05 But man's combined pass rules and regulations, 52:06 you can't do that because of abuse of man. 52:09 Following what the Word of God says. 52:11 Notice it, Mildly you try to get him to change. 52:14 If it doesn't, it says here Patriarchs and Prophets, 52:16 it said subdued the wrong by severest means. 52:21 We're held accountable for putting forth an effort. 52:23 Patriarchs and Prophets 578 says this, 52:26 "Those who have too little courage 52:27 to reprove wrong, listen carefully, 52:30 or who through indolence 52:32 or lack of interest make no eternal, 52:35 earnest effort to purify, listen to this, 52:38 the family or the church of God." 52:41 Leadership of the church has responsibility, 52:44 in the family you have responsibility. 52:46 Notice, "Are held accountable for the evil 52:48 that may result from their neglect of duty." 52:51 Listen carefully. 52:53 "We are just as responsible for evils 52:56 that we might have checked in others 53:00 by exercise of parental or pastoral authority, 53:04 as if we had done them ourself." 53:06 Did you get it? 53:08 You are held accountable 53:09 and I'm held accountable those things 53:10 that we know that's wrong, that we don't correct 53:13 because we just don't have the courage, 53:16 be the backbone in which to bring somebody. 53:20 You know that responsibility, bearing responsibility. 53:23 We don't want that. 53:26 We want to be where God can use us. 53:28 We want to be where God can use us 53:30 that we might be work for service. 53:34 Many pastors and teachers and leaders and, 53:37 you know, in the truth, 53:40 we've made the same mistakes, no doubt. 53:44 But we've heard it say it over and over. 53:45 I heard this excuses. 53:47 We think we have a better plan than God. 53:50 We read God's plan 53:51 but we've got a better plan than God. 53:52 We know better. 53:54 Well, they're too young to try to correct the wrong. 53:58 Let's wait till they get a little bit older, wrong, 54:01 twig's hard to bend. 54:03 Every act of disobedience left uncorrected 54:06 will become the stronger of the nature. 54:09 Friend, we have responsibility to God, 54:11 we want to be usable material. 54:14 We don't want to be unfit but fit service for God. 54:17 But in these things sometime 54:19 that kind of go against our grain, 54:21 we want to be pleasing in God's sight. 54:24 Just as accountable is anything else 54:26 that we talk about here right and wrongs. 54:29 May God help us to see the importance 54:32 of being fit vessels, 54:34 that the Spirit of God 54:36 can continue to work in this church, 54:37 in every other church 54:39 who holds the standard of righteousness. 54:41 We live in a time 54:43 where we need the Spirit of God. 54:44 We do not want the Spirit of God to leave. 54:47 We want to follow God's plan 54:49 and God's plan is always the best. 54:51 What's wrong with society today? 54:53 I can tell you, 54:54 its influence of an ill-regulated family, 54:58 which affects families, and governments, 55:01 and communities. 55:03 If the home was where God wanted it to be, 55:05 what a different world that we would live in? 55:07 May God help us today to see the importance 55:10 of following His plan 55:12 that we might be fit vessels, 55:14 and that we might not be unfit but fit for His service. 55:17 Let's pray, shall we? 55:19 Loving Father in heaven, thank You for Your mercy. 55:22 Thank You for Your warning that You give us. 55:24 Many of us can't go back and change 55:26 that which has been done 55:27 but, Lord, we can ask for divine grace, 55:30 that we may go forward and we may present 55:31 that which is be pleasing in Thy sight 55:33 that Your Spirit may be poured out 55:35 in abundance upon Your children. 55:37 Lord, we need that outpouring of the Spirit, 55:39 we need to be ready for the latter rain experience. 55:41 We need sin gone from our hearts, 55:42 into our lives, 55:44 and that we may fully rely upon You 55:45 and Your grace and Your mercy. 55:47 Bless us we pray to this end. 55:48 Thank You, Lord, that each one of us here 55:50 I know right now is so altering our life 55:52 that we may be presentable candidates for heaven. 55:55 We thank you in Jesus' name, amen. 55:59 Hello, friends, and welcome back. 56:01 As Christians and a Christian parent, 56:04 we are to correct iniquity 56:06 in our children through the grace of God, 56:08 and to help lead others and our children 56:10 in the ways of righteousness. 56:12 I want to encourage you to study the ways of Christ, 56:15 follow in His example. 56:17 Our goal must always be to win a soul 56:21 for the kingdom of heaven. 56:22 And this message has truly emphasized 56:25 how important it is to stand for truth, 56:28 to live out the truth in our lives 56:30 and in our homes. 56:31 And to share this truth from God's Word 56:35 with others as God Himself 56:37 opens the doors for us to do so. 56:39 We do not want to be one of those 56:42 who will be found unfit for service. 56:45 And unfit for service, 56:47 again, is the title of our message for today. 56:50 And if you would like to order a copy 56:51 of this message, 56:53 we would be more than happy to provide it for you. 56:55 It is available on DVD or CD for a love gift 56:59 of just $8 or more, that's $8 or more. 57:03 Our phone number 57:05 here in the United States is (618) 942-5044 57:09 that's Central Tim 57:11 or you may also mail in your request 57:13 to Behold the Lamb Ministries 57:15 at PO Box 2030, Herrin, Illinois 62948. 57:20 You may also email us 57:22 at Contact- @BeholdTheLambMinistries.com 57:26 or visit us on our website at BeholdTheLambMinistries.com. 57:30 And, friends, don't forget to hit that subscribe button 57:34 on our Behold the Lamb Ministries 57:36 YouTube channel and share, share, share 57:38 all of these important messages 57:40 that we update on a weekly basis. 57:43 As we close, I want to thank you again 57:45 for your prayers and your financial support 57:48 of Behold the Lamb Ministries. 57:50 And until next time, friends, 57:52 may our precious Lord continue to richly bless you and yours. |
Revised 2021-12-09