3ABN On the Road

Transformers

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Cory Jackson

Home

Series Code: OTR

Program Code: OTR000879


00:01 ¤ ¤
01:00 It is a pleasure to introduce our next speaker, Pr. Cory
01:05 Jackson. For those of you who were here the other morning you
01:08 heard me say it was only natural for me to introduce him because
01:13 he's my twin brother and I don't say that facetiously. Cory and I
01:18 started the ministry in Grand Rapids, Michigan together. We
01:21 were in different churches. The Lord just knit our hearts
01:25 together. In fact, it was Cory who shared with me. One day he
01:29 said, you know, you're like my twin brother because, he said,
01:32 we want the same thing. We love the Lord. We want to see people
01:36 saved and I want to tell that's a lot, it means a lot coming
01:39 from Cory because as you're going to find out a little bit
01:42 in this presentation. Cory was heading into being a part of the
01:46 black panthers and he wasn't keen on white people. He'll tell
01:50 you that himself. So then to call me his twin brother, you
01:54 know, that's an evidence of the Lord's transforming power. And
01:58 that's going to be Cory's message today, Transformers.
02:01 Now he currently is the pastor of the Detroit Northwest Church
02:05 as well as the Farmington Hills church in the Detroit area. He's
02:09 also the head of the Lazarus project which is a project for
02:14 at risk inner city kids in the Detroit area and I would ask you
02:19 to hold that up in prayer. Now it seems interesting to me that
02:23 every message we have heard so far has been about surrender and
02:27 the transforming power of Jesus Christ in His word. Now Cory is
02:31 going to tell us about transformers.
02:34 I love you Mark. I'm much more handsome than Pastor Howard.
02:43 The other twin, the younger twin always has to be the best
02:51 looking so I'm the best looking between the two of us. But it is
02:58 indeed a pleasure to be here with you today because Howard
03:03 and I have spent our time in the ministry together and we got
03:06 ordained together so I think that's what makes it special.
03:11 The other morning, I should say yesterday morning the message
03:17 was entitled Oh Oh I Should Have Had a V-8. Today is part 2 to
03:24 that, called Transformers. When I was a little boy I didn't grow
03:30 up as a Christian, but when I was a little boy, I used to love
03:34 this particular show. This particular show had a character
03:40 by the name of Optimus Prime and Optimus Prime was a good guy.
03:46 But then when danger came Optimus Prime and his team
03:53 transformed themselves to fight the bad guy. I used to love
03:58 Optimus Prime, but when he transformed into this superhero
04:03 fighting machine you could not tell that he was a truck anymore
04:07 because he had transformed himself to fight off the bad guy
04:12 I was just intrigued by this show because as the truck
04:17 transformed you could not notice anything about the body
04:21 of the truck. And brothers and sisters, I want to tell you
04:26 today it's like that with Christ When He transforms our hearts
04:30 and He transforms our lives there should be nothing at all
04:36 that reminds Him of our old sinful ways. Amen? So as we pray
04:41 together and as we talk about transformers it is my prayer
04:46 that you will see Christ as He wants you to see Him today, amen
04:51 Kneel with me. Our Father in heaven we thank you for this
05:01 time we've had together and this time is no exception to that.
05:06 We're on sacred ground because your presence is with us. And as
05:12 we gather together the Bible says where two or three are
05:16 gathered that you'll be in the midst. We believe you've been
05:19 with us in the singing and the testimonies and the message
05:23 that I've been preaching and even continuing on. So Lord this
05:28 time is about you and not me. This time is about how you
05:32 transform lives for the soul purpose of taking us home with
05:35 you. So we pray for your presence right now. Into your
05:40 hands, Lord, I commend my spirit and ask you Lord that it will be
05:45 your voice that will be heard today. In the mighty name of
05:48 Jesus we pray, Amen.
05:52 I love looking up words and so I looked up the word transformer
05:58 Now in the dictionary, the one I used, it had eight different
06:03 meanings. There are two that I want to share with you today.
06:08 The first one is to change in form, appearance or structure.
06:13 Mmm, I kind of like that one but it's not the cake for me. You
06:17 know you can change in form and appearance and structure. You
06:21 know little boys who grow up. When I was a little boy I
06:24 didn't have all this hair on my face and as I got older the
06:27 appearance has changed, the weight has went off somewhere.
06:32 You guys not supposed to laugh at me. So the appearance has
06:36 changed somewhat. But then I looked at the second definition
06:39 that I enjoy. It says to change in condition, nature or
06:45 character, in other words, converted. I said yeah that's
06:49 the definition that I like. Let me read it to you again. To
06:55 change in condition, nature or character. The second definition
07:01 fit exactly what the word of God teaches, expounds on and most of
07:06 all expects, and that is transformation.
07:11 When you look at the Bible it's filled with stories and
07:15 individuals who have been transformed. In Psalm 51 David
07:19 said create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me.
07:23 John chapter 3, Jesus talking to Nicodemus, He says you must be
07:29 born again. Luke 22:32 Jesus told Peter when thou art
07:32 converted strengthen your brethren. Acts 3:19
07:35 Peter starts preaching
07:36 repent and be converted. 1 John 1:9 simply says if we confess
07:40 our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
07:45 cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
07:47 So what we see is conversion, transformation. The question you
07:51 got to ask yourself, why is this necessary. Go with me in your
07:55 Bibles to Isaiah 64. Let's look at a couple scriptures that we
08:01 looked at yesterday as part of the review. Isaiah 64 and when
08:06 you're there please just say Amen. Isaiah 64. Isaiah the 64th
08:12 chapter in the Old Testament. Isaiah 64 verse 6 simply says
08:18 For we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness
08:23 are as filthy rags and we do all fade as a leaf and our
08:29 iniquities like the wind have taken us away. So the best that
08:34 you and I can give God is still filthy. No matter how much we
08:39 want to make it up the best we can give God without Him is
08:43 this sinful nature is filthiness Jeremiah 13, just one book over.
08:49 Jeremiah 13, Jeremiah 13 verse 23 and the reason of it is,
08:56 Jeremiah chapter 13 verse 23 the Bible says it this way. Can the
09:01 Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots. Then may
09:06 ye also do good that are accustomed to do what? Evil. So
09:12 we are accustomed to doing that which is wrong anyway. Now I
09:17 didn't eat lunch, not because it wasn't good, but I wanted to
09:22 have a clear mind as I preached. But I can imagine if there were
09:26 come hungry folks that had been waiting to get in line and I can
09:30 imagine someone was just going a little bit slow. Boy, if you
09:34 are hungry and in line and you see that it's to the last and
09:40 that person is scraping the last of your meal that you had
09:44 imagined being in line and you had waited for 20 minutes and
09:49 you see the person scraping it off and looking back, God bless
09:53 you and leaving. I hardly imagine in your mind what you
09:58 begin to think. I don't think you would utter words God bless
10:03 you do dear brother and sister. So in our condition we have a
10:08 tendency to think that which is what? Not good. And the reason
10:14 as Jeremiah 17 verse 9, the Bible says the heart is
10:20 deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know
10:24 it? So understanding that this is our condition, it must mean
10:31 that you and I need a what? Change. I need to let you know
10:35 as you go to Revelation 21, this is one of my favorite
10:39 subjects. My churches in Detroit know that I spend time talking
10:43 about transformation and living a converted life because it's
10:49 very important today. Amen? Revelation 21:27, the chapter
10:54 dealing with heaven, this new earth that we're all looking
11:00 forward to. But the last verse of 21 says: And there shall in
11:06 no wise enter into it anything that defiles, neither whatsoever
11:12 worketh abomination or maketh a lie, but they that are written
11:17 in the Lamb's book of life. So we have to understand that when
11:22 Christ comes to get us He has to change us from our what? Present
11:27 state. Are you with me so far? Because nothing that goes to
11:32 heaven will be defiled. Everything connected to God is
11:35 what? Holy. When God comes into a room it is holy. Holy Bible,
11:39 holy tithe, Holy Spirit, Holy angels. He's looking for the
11:43 holy people. Are you with me so far? So Christ came to the earth
11:48 not only to save sinners but to also transform their lives.
11:53 John 1:29 simply says: Behold the Lamb of God, which comes to
11:57 take away the S-I-N of the world not sins, but to take away that
12:02 sinful nature that we all have. He came to take it away because
12:06 in Genesis 3:15 the promise was that I will put enmity between
12:11 the woman and the enemy's seed. Got gave us a mechanism to hate
12:16 that which is what? Sinful. Are you with me so far? All I have
12:21 to do is mention a child who's been molested or a parent who's
12:25 been killed and instantly you'll probably hate the person, but
12:29 not necessarily sin. But God wants us to hate the sin.
12:32 He wants us to hate sin because sin separates us from God. Are
12:40 you with me so far? In Genesis 1:26 He said: Let us make man in
12:48 our image. Christ came to restore man back to God's image,
12:53 to reconcile man back to His image. His image is His
12:59 character. How do people truly know God exists? They'll see it
13:06 in you. They'll see how you live The greatest sermon that can be
13:12 preached is not from this pulpit but it's what's lived. Are you
13:17 with me so far? So let's look at this in Mark chapter 5. One
13:23 of my favorite, if not the most favorite chapter, not to take
13:30 away from John 3:16, but Mark chapter 5. It reveals to me the
13:36 plan of salvation. Because Christ helps a man who's a
13:43 demoniac. He helps a woman who has an issue of blood. He helps
13:47 a child who died. So for me the plan of salvation is revealed in
13:52 Mark chapter 5 when all three are helped. Mark chapter 5.
13:58 In chapter 4, Jesus has spent all day teaching parables,
14:04 teaching about the kingdom of God. He gets close to the end of
14:08 the chapter and He says let's cross over to the other side.
14:11 To the other side was about seven miles away. And you know
14:15 in the midst of Him crossing to the other side there's a storm
14:19 that came and Jesus is in the boat asleep. And the disciples
14:22 are so scared and they forgot that Jesus was in the boat and
14:26 and they wake the Master to try to rebuke Him; don't you care
14:30 that we live or die. Jesus awakes and tells the sea to be
14:34 still. What they did not understand was that Jesus had a
14:38 child on the other side that He had to tend to. Chapter 5 verse
14:43 1. And the Bible says: And they came unto the other side of the
14:47 sea into the country of the Gadarenes and He was come out
14:53 of the ship and immediately there met him out of the tombs
14:58 a man with an unclean spirit who had his dwelling among the tombs
15:03 and no man could bind him, no, not with chains because that he
15:09 had been often bound with fetters and chains and the
15:13 chains had been plucked asunder by him and the fetters broken
15:17 in pieces. Neither could any man tame him. And always night and
15:21 day he was in the mountains in the tombs crying and cutting
15:26 himself. Now I don't know about you. I'm from the city of
15:31 Chicago and it's not much that I have not seen. But I don't
15:35 know about you but being in a boat, crossed to the other side
15:40 and immediately you get out you see a man ahhhh! scream. Now
15:46 I don't know about you, I don't know what gun could help him to
15:52 scare him off. Screaming, hollering. The Bible says in
15:57 Luke that he was nude, naked. Now that really would scare me.
16:02 Not only is he screaming and hollering but he's naked.
16:10 I would be scared to death and as it was the disciples ran and
16:20 as soon as they touched shore I can imagine them brothers
16:23 racing, running. John, I'm going to get to the shore before you.
16:27 I got to get away from here. I don't know what's going on now.
16:30 We just survived a storm on the sea. Now we got a storm on land.
16:36 Well the church members fled when they say a crazy, deranged
16:42 man. But this man lived in a cave. This man was
16:50 uncontrollable. How do you know? Chains couldn't hold him on his
16:54 feet or on his arms. Now I used to be a juvenile probation
16:59 officer and we had "dangerous" kids we had to transport and we
17:05 had to shackle them from head to toe. Basically arms are shackled
17:09 to here and they'd walk like this. Now I've seen some of them
17:13 try to break that chain and you know you sit there laughing at
17:17 them because all they're doing is hurting themselves. Trying to
17:22 part that thing. But this guy, pow! Mmm! I would be scared to
17:26 death because the shackles were still on him but they were
17:32 broken. Screaming, cutting himself and most of all he's
17:39 possessed by demons. This man is a psychopath. Let me see you
17:45 vote him into your church. Let me see the pastor introduce him
17:52 to your congregation. Not only does he have the fetters on, but
17:58 he's naked before the church. You would probably kick the
18:04 pastor out. He's utterly dangerous and there's no mental
18:09 institution that can hold him. He's a danger to society. He's
18:16 the very ones that we don't want to deal with. Now we have a
18:20 church, one of my churches, is in the inner city of Detroit and
18:25 it's a place that most folk don't want to come down to.
18:30 It's a place with a lot of good folk. Let me say that. But those
18:34 who give Detroit a bad name... It's a place where there are good
18:38 folk but it's also a place with bad folk. And the place where
18:43 my church is it's one of the most violent precincts in all of
18:47 Detroit. When we go into church we go in as groups. When we
18:52 leave church we leave as a group Our air conditioners on top of
18:57 the roof, somebody came on top of the roof and stole them. Cars
19:02 have been stolen and so when you see somebody walking by you give
19:08 them that this may be the one. But all in all God has taken
19:14 care of His church and His people. But there's not too many
19:18 folk who want to come down to the inner city of Detroit and do
19:23 ministry because they are afraid of the atmosphere. So I can
19:27 understand what Jesus is dealing with right here when there are
19:31 those who are afraid of the very ones that's created just like
19:36 them. And they're afraid to come into contact with people.
19:40 So I can understand what Jesus is going through in this mind
19:47 frame because we in society get afraid of the inner city. So as
19:53 His disciples ran Jesus is here face to face with the demon and
20:00 verse 6 said that he ran to Jesus. Perhaps to lunge at him,
20:06 perhaps to attack, perhaps to put him a choke hold. I can
20:13 imagine Jesus being cool, calm and collected standing there as
20:18 he's running. And he gets to him and he just rrrr! stops and
20:25 Jesus looking at him not afraid one bit. The Bible says that the
20:33 man began to worship Him. And even in the midst of the worship
20:39 the devil does not want to let go. In verse 7 he says: And he
20:44 cried with a loud voice and said what have I to do with thee
20:49 Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God. I adjure thee by God that
20:54 that you do not torment me. Jesus simply tells the evil
21:00 spirit come on out, just come on out! Just come on out! And we
21:04 see, you read the rest of it where this evil spirit went into
21:11 the swine and all of a sudden, in verse 15, as Peter got the
21:16 courage to come back the Bible says in verse 15: And they come
21:24 the legion sitting, and clothed, in his right mind and they were
21:32 still what? It's amazing to me how we get afraid when
21:37 conversion has started. Amen. They were still afraid. Now look
21:41 at the picture; before he was naked, he was cutting himself,
21:46 he was screaming, but now the Bible says he's in his right
21:50 mind and Jesus just purchased him some clothes, just like that
21:53 he got clothes on and he's sitting with Jesus quiet. And
21:59 they're still afraid. Transformation with
22:06 Jesus happens as this man had a contact with Jesus and put
22:10 clothes back on his body. This man had a transformation with
22:13 Jesus. Didn't have to take no psycho medications,
22:17 psychotropic medications, but all he had to do was come in
22:20 contact and boom his mind came back. All he had to do was have
22:23 have contact with Jesus. He went from being nude, having nothing
22:26 to having clothes and having something. This man went
22:32 perhaps to hurt Jesus, to harm Jesus and he went from hurting
22:37 and harming to sitting and listening. Transformation.
22:41 You can't explain it. You can't explain how it happens. All we
22:46 can say is boom, Jesus takes care of us and that's it. The
22:50 woman with an issue of blood for 12 years; all of a sudden she
22:54 has a contact with Jesus and now she's smelling like Bath and
23:01 Body. Simply having a contact with Jesus. See 2 Corinthians
23:08 5:17 which was mentioned earlier It simply says: Therefore if any
23:12 man be in Christ, he is a new creation. What's passed away?
23:17 Old things are passed away. So see the problem that takes place
23:23 is we'll come to Jesus but we'll not give Jesus all of us. So
23:29 Jesus you got to take me how I am. You know the saying, how it
23:34 goes: Jesus excepts you how you are but He doesn't expect you to
23:40 stay that way. Amen? There's progress when it comes to Christ
23:44 He can't accept you as a cusser and then take you to the kingdom
23:50 and you cuss him out. He can't take you as being selfish and
23:55 keep you there. He can't take you as a racist to the kingdom
24:00 because then you'll think that we're supposed to be on
24:04 different sides of heaven. Are you with me so far? There's
24:10 no inner city in heaven. There's no suburbs in the kingdom.
24:18 We have a contact with Christ. He expects change to take place.
24:25 He expects what to take place? Because we are experiencing Him
24:31 daily. Are you with me so far? Romans chapter 6, Romans chapter
24:37 6. We're going to get a little deeper into it. Can I challenge
24:42 you today in your thinking. Romans chapter 6. Because I'm
24:46 pretty sure what Pastor Howard said about me about what
24:50 I did not like in terms of a certain people, AKA, Caucasians.
24:55 I'm pretty sure there are some who didn't like me as a black
24:59 person if we're honest with ourselves. But see
25:02 when transformation happens you got to _ which you did
25:05 not like. Amen. Because that's in the past. So I don't mind
25:08 telling you what I did not like and what I did not care for. I
25:12 don't mind at all because I'm not that way no more, at least
25:18 my hope. Romans chapter 6. This man had an experience with
25:25 Christ. An experience that changed his life. Romans chapter
25:31 6, familiar text, verse 4 says: Therefore we are buried with Him
25:35 by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the
25:39 dead by the glory of the Father even so we should walk in
25:43 newness of life. So that old life that kept Christ at a
25:48 distance cannot be walked with any more. Verse 5 says: For if
25:53 we have been united together in the likeness of His death, we
25:57 shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this,
26:02 that our old man is crucified with Him that the body of sin
26:07 might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve
26:10 sin. You with me so far? So when Christ comes into my life I
26:16 begin to lose that desire for sinful things. Are you with me
26:22 so far? Are you sure? You're answering mighty quick. You
26:27 don't know what's coming next from this point. Colossians,
26:32 Colossians chapter 3, Colossians chapter 3. The Bible says we
26:39 are to walk in newness of life That the old man is gone.
26:45 There's a new man. You walk different, talk different, you
26:50 act different. All those things are different about you. You
26:55 don't handle conflict the same way you used to. Colossians
27:00 chapter 3, verse 8. First start with verse 7. He's talking about
27:07 verses 5, 6 and verse 7: In the which you also walked some time,
27:14 when you lived in them. But now ye also put off all these: anger
27:20 wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
27:25 Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old
27:29 man with his deeds; and have put on the new man which is renewed
27:33 in knowledge after the image of Him that what? Created Him.
27:37 Verse 12 says: Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and
27:42 beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind,
27:47 meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and
27:52 forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against you;
27:56 even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. So the Bible begins
28:00 telling me how I need to start acting. Amen? He needs to show
28:05 me that things are different about me, that that old man that
28:09 quick-tempered man, that man that did not like Christ begins
28:12 to serve Christ and his heart becomes softened to Christ.
28:16 You know I told you yesterday that for some of you when I was
28:20 growing up... My mother's here and she raised my brother and I
28:24 to the best of her ability taking nothing away when my
28:27 father left. There's something about the inner city, there's
28:31 something about boys who don't have a father like with the
28:34 things they take on and as I grew up there were things that I
28:38 began to inherit that she did not teach me, my mother that is.
28:41 Negative things because my mother would love us and
28:43 sacrifice for us and do all those things because of an
28:46 element of my life that was missing and that was my father
28:49 and it made me grow angry. So then I started looking at the
28:53 ills of society, the woes in our community and how there were a
28:57 lot of mothers like my mother who didn't have a man around
29:02 and I began to get angry and I began subscribing to various
29:07 things that promoted my anger and encouraged my anger and even
29:11 got me to blame my anger. So as I got older I got into
29:17 college and this young boy coming from Chicago from this
29:20 all black community comes to Grand Rapids, Michigan where
29:24 the population of black folks is only 13 percent. And at the
29:27 college that I attended it was only 4 percent. You now I had
29:31 struggles. So a band of us would get together and we would talk
29:35 about things we'd want to do and so we began to talk about how
29:39 it would be essential for us to take out a white man because he
29:43 was the problem to all out woes and we just needed to the
29:47 opportunity. See we weren't dumb You know, we couldn't just go
29:52 out and devise a scheme because that's murder one. That's 25 to
29:58 life, but we had a just cause. Maybe we'll get manslaughter.
30:04 We were in college. During this time I started beginning to
30:08 study about what it means to be a black panther and what it
30:12 means to be a black Muslim and so all those things began to
30:17 increase and I could not wait to kill me a white man. I couldn't
30:22 wait. My wife can tell you the books I had, talk I had. I told
30:27 her our boy who's here now we would raise him to be another
30:31 Malcom X a militant supreme. My wife is like, no you got the
30:36 wrong lady. Praise the Lord. And I began to tell my mother
30:43 about me studying as a black pan... I didn't tell her
30:45 everything because you know mothers will try to shut things
30:48 down. They'll catch a Greyhound, they'll catch a ride somewhere
30:51 to stop the presses so I gave her as little as possible, I'm
30:54 thinking about becoming a Muslim and a black panther and my
30:57 mother said something to me that shook me. She says, son if you
31:01 do I'm scared you might lose your life. And in my mind I'm
31:05 thinking that's the whole purpose for the cause. So as I'm
31:10 going through this tirade of experience and figuring out who
31:14 I am and what I am and what I'm doing, my anger began to get
31:19 more increased. My temper more increased and my wife would tell
31:24 you that a stared white folks down in a minute and would not
31:28 take my eye off because I'm hoping that they'll say
31:31 something to me that I did
31:32 not like and without anything being said I was swinging and
31:38 commencing to hit and punch and hurt even stomp. Don't
31:44 worry. It'll never happen today. Amen. You guys are secure today.
31:51 But the Lord knew that there was something about me He had a
31:57 change. So long story short this man Rich Max came into my
32:02 life and he started telling me about this man named Jesus.
32:07 And unlike, Rich, I'm not serving no white Jesus.
32:11 Shakespeare
32:12 wrote the Bible anyway. That's what the Muslims were teaching
32:15 me. I'm not serving no white Jesus. He's for the white man.
32:19 I said Mohammad's for the black man and he just kept pouring it
32:23 on and long story short the Lord brought my wife and I to this
32:29 message. There was a struggle. It took them a year and a half
32:34 to deprogram me, to get me back on track to what God wanted
32:39 me. And when He did that I came up out of that water there was
32:44 an element of hate that began to dissolve. And it wasn't until I
32:48 went to the Black Hills Mission College with Pastor Torres that
32:52 I really understood this first angel's message; to every nation
32:56 kindred, tongue and people. Because I would express my
33:00 sentiment to him because he's Puerto Rican you see. And Puerto
33:05 Rican is close to black folk. But he was just light skinned.
33:09 So I knew he would understand my pain. See my grandfather's
33:13 Puerto Rican so I got one. We could start a revolution. I'm
33:19 in the church, you follow me now And He talked to me as many of
33:24 you know Him, He talked to me. And from that moment on I began
33:29 to see things differently. He says Cory Christ sees saints and
33:37 sinners. The devil sees color. And as he began to teach me and
33:45 teach me and teach me the wall began to be broken down. Then
33:49 when God put me in the Conference that I'm in I thought he was
33:54 playing a joke on me. The first person I brought to the church
34:01 was a white female named Dale Fitzpatrick. I said Lord you are
34:07 humorous. But it would not have happened if I had not had
34:12 contact with Christ, willing to give up my beliefs and give it
34:21 to Him. Let me move on. See, see back in Mark chapter 5, the
34:28 Bible says in verse 18, it says: And when he was come into the
34:33 ship he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that
34:39 he might be with him. This very demonic man said Lord let me be
34:44 with you now. I don't want to go nowhere. I just want to
34:48 be with you.
34:49 See when you give yourself to Jesus all you want to do is be
34:51 with Him. Amen. If your spouse walks out it don't bother you
34:55 that much but you still just want to be with Jesus because
34:59 that's the most important man in your life. I don't want to go
35:02 nowhere. But Jesus said no. Verse 19: Jesus suffered him
35:06 not, but saith unto him, go home to thy friends, and tell them
35:09 how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had
35:12 compassion on you.
35:13 And he departed, and began to publish or proclaim in
35:17 Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men
35:20 did marvel. See what you don't understand is when your life
35:24 becomes transformed God has to show off, He has to pray, He
35:27 has to get the kudos for it. He loves to do it. He loves to take
35:31 a sin loving, sin eating man and make him a Bible toting,
35:37 vegemeat eating individual. He loves to change them. He loves
35:41 for others to see them and to see transformation that takes place
35:46 so that when someone asks, Cory what happened. Jesus. What you
35:50 mean Jesus? I can't tell you that now. It's Jesus. It's all
35:54 it's Jesus. It's that man on Calvary. It's Jesus. That's all
35:58 you can say. Because all the books I've read, he broke that
36:01 thing down and kicked the door down and everything. It was him.
36:06 And this man went back home and can you imagine when he
36:11 walked in the city gates? They said Oh here comes crazy Bob.
36:16 Hide! Hide! I tell you hide! They're all behind the tree and
36:20 he's walking in with a new suit on, walking a certain way. He's
36:23 got a Bible in his hand. Spirit of Prophet in the other hand.
36:26 Just walking around with folks seeing Him. All hail to King
36:29 Jesus and talking about nothing about Christ and Christ
36:34 crucified. Nothing else but Jesus. So those who were once
36:39 afraid now can see Christ just a little bit better. And you
36:43 notice in Mark 7 when He came to the Decapolis there were
36:48 people waiting for Jesus to heal them. Because they had seen the
36:56 healing power of this man who goes nameless. 1 Peter chapter
37:01 2, 1 Peter chapter 2. Let me tell y'all something. The Lord
37:07 loves to brag. I know grandparents love to brag on
37:12 their grandchildren. As bad as their grand kids are they still
37:14 brag on them. You now in Grandma's eyes a grandbaby can
37:19 do no wrong. And they're just as bad and I don't know what.
37:24 That's all right. You get two grandparents together they
37:27 _ about their grandkids But they love to brag about
37:31 their grandkids. I don't care if they got snot nose, I don't care
37:33 if the boys stink, they still brag about grandbabies. Now if
37:38 you can brag about a grandchild what you think God will brag
37:45 about. Are you with me so far? 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 9
37:50 I'm won't read but verse 10 it's continuing from verse 9. It
37:54 says, Which in times past you were not a people, but now are people
37:58 of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained
38:02 mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and
38:06 pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the
38:08 soul; having your conduct honest (or honorable) among the
38:12 Gentiles; that where
38:13 they speak evil against you as evildoers, they may by your good
38:18 works, which they shall behold, glorify who? when they see you
38:23 living the life of a transformed Christian. Amen. My buddies
38:27 who a lot of them are in prison and the ones that's left they
38:32 see me they say maniac Jack did change. He's not the same
38:37 guy he used to be. There's something different about him.
38:39 And one of my partners said I... he said man you think this Jesus
38:44 thing is real. I said yeah. Can't you tell. Look at him. Now
38:49 I don't have to give a Bible study. But they're just watching
38:53 the life. I've never asked to be a preacher, never asked to be a
38:56 pastor, never asked any of those things but God says you got a
39:00 testimony to tell. And there's a transformation that has taken
39:05 place in your life that you have to share with others. The most
39:10 powerful and dangerous man or woman to the devil is a
39:14 transformed man or woman. You are a threat to his kingdom
39:18 because when they see you being transformed now they know that
39:23 there's a power higher, higher than yourself. The atheist will
39:28 will be transformed. All these people that don't serve Christ
39:34 they will be transformed just by seeing you live accordingly.
39:44 James chapter 4, how does this begin? James chapter 4 right
39:49 the book right after Hebrews. James chapter 4:
39:53 It says: Submit yourselves therefore to God, verse 7,
39:59 resist the devil and He will flee from you. Draw near to God,
40:02 and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners;
40:05 and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Submission
40:11 surrender, be willing, be willing to submit. Be honest
40:17 with yourself. Be honest of who you are. When you are a
40:23 converted Christian you don't go certain places any more. You
40:27 don't look at certain things on the TV. You don't engage in
40:33 certain conversations. You don't eat like you used to eat. You
40:37 don't talk how you used to talk. Everything that's on the boob
40:40 tube is not to your liking. When you've been transformed there's
40:49 no way you can be racist. There's no way you can be sexist
40:53 There's no way you can have anything negative about you.
40:57 There's no way that you can hold back your love from me because
41:01 from me because I'm a black man. There's no way, brothers and
41:05 sisters, we can be separated by this or that. There's no way
41:08 we shouldn't be able to worship together. There's no way we
41:11 shouldn't be able to serve God together. There's no way. If
41:15 it is it's a problem with your conversion process. Not his, but
41:20 yours in accepting it. Because how I can kiss a black man I can
41:25 kiss a white man. I won't kiss you on the lips, I promise. But
41:29 God is looking for individuals who would live converted lives
41:34 today. That old stuff, is sinful. That old stuff kept me
41:38 back. That old stuff kept me away from Christ. But this new
41:42 life draws me to. It just pulls me and pulls me and I can't help
41:46 it. As soon as I get close I stop cussing. As I get close I
41:50 stop smoking. As I get close I stop drinking. As I get close I
41:52 stop partying. As I get close I start eating right. As I get
41:55 close I stop cheating. As I get close I don't go to casinos, I
42:00 don't play lottery, I don't do any of that. As I get closer I'm
42:04 looking to be transformed. As I get closer I'm not racist. As I
42:08 get closer I'm not sexist. As I get closer I'm who He wants me
42:16 to be. Amen? I'm who He wants me to be. So when I see blacks
42:21 and whites and Asians and Hispanics worshipping together
42:24 it tells me that God is really glorified. They say the most
42:30 segregated times in America is when folk go to their churches.
42:33 Amen? So how does God get the glory when we are in our
42:39 separate huts. How are we so separate? I love soul food. You
42:45 may not love soul food. I love me some soul food. You may not
42:49 even know what that is. Come to my house. We'll tell you. We
42:56 separate ourselves and we become very prejudiced even among
43:03 ourselves. Are you with me so far? Ezekiel 36. See by
43:11 you surrendering you give God the authority to begin to
43:19 transform. As you surrender, you give Him the authority to start
43:24 transforming. As you surrender you give Him the authority to
43:29 start what? Transforming you. In surrendering you have to be
43:32 honest with yourself. I had to come to grips with who I was. I
43:38 had to come to grips of my likes and dislikes. I had to come to
43:43 grips that me being prejudiced would keep me out of the kingdom
43:47 I had to come to grips with it and God had to send me 2000
43:52 miles away from my queen to get me to see it in a valley.
43:56 Because when I went to Black Hills I told the person who was
44:00 supporting me, ain't no black folks in Black Hills so this
44:04 black boy ain't going. He says Cory you need to go. I said no.
44:07 I need some black folk because you know when black folk are
44:10 there I got someone I can lean on, get some soul food with the
44:13 some. When I got there my roommate had a machete on his
44:19 bed and he was a white boy. I called my wife. I said, baby
44:24 the Lord didn't send me down here to get chopped up. And this
44:28 brother and I became the best of friends. He's a missionary today
44:32 We had some very deep conversations. We both had to be
44:36 deprogrammed and so the Lord sent us together. Are you with
44:40 me so far?
44:41 So that's why I can call this shade of a colored man named
44:46 Pastor Howard my twin. Ezekiel 36 verse 26, are you there?
44:52 Verse 24 says For I will take you from among the heathen, and
44:56 gather you out of all countries and will bring you to your land.
44:59 Then I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean:
45:05 from all you what? Filthiness, and from all your idols, will I
45:09 cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit
45:12 I will put within you and I will take away the stony heart of
45:16 your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh and I will put
45:20 my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and
45:24 you shall keep me judgments and you shall do them. God says I'll
45:28 put a new heart in you. I'll give you a new spirit. I'll give
45:31 you a right frame of mind so that when you're thinking the
45:35 process of thinking is heavenly thinking and not earthly
45:38 thinking. I'll put a new heart in you so you can love now
45:41 unconditionally. You don't have to worry because of the way
45:44 somebody treats you or how they look or this or that. But you
45:48 love because I'm in you. Christ is looking for individuals today
45:53 brothers and sisters, who are transformed from the world into
45:58 His image today. He did it then, He will do it now. He took
46:04 Abraham who was a liar and a polygamist; He took Jacob who
46:09 was a deceiver; He took Moses who was a killer; He took David
46:15 a killer, a cheater and a liar; He took Solomon who had so many
46:21 women it's unheard of; He took Peter who was prejudiced yet
46:25 prideful all at the same time. He took James and John who had
46:30 bad tempers. He took a woman named Mary who would sleep
46:35 with anybody she could sleep with and yet be possessed by
46:40 demons. He took Paul who was a killer. What about you? What
46:45 about you? Will your name be added to the list of
46:48 transformers to complete the story. Have you had experience
46:53 with Him lately that you can say Lord keep transforming me. Now
46:58 it doesn't mean once He starts that it's over. It's a continual
47:02 process called sanctification so it's going to keep on going.
47:06 See I don't have a desire to drink and smoke and all that.
47:10 All that stuff is gone but it doesn't mean I'm perfect. It
47:13 means I'm striving to be perfect in Him. But I have to admit that
47:21 I was. I met a young man. He was part of the MS-13s. MS-13
47:27 is one of the most violent gangs in South America and they have
47:31 come to North America, specifically in LA and some of
47:36 the eastern coast towns. This young boy, 17, 18 years old
47:41 didn't even complete high school and way they kill you when they
47:47 do kill you, they chop you with a machete. Most violent gang in
47:52 the world today. But I had an opportunity to minister to this
47:57 young man. When I first met him he was hard core and I don't say
48:01 that hard core tough stuff. I used to be a probation officer.
48:05 I dealt with these kinds. I just wanted to get him to talk and
48:10 talk and minister and him listen to be preach the word and all of
48:15 a sudden one day I made an appeal for baptism and I looked
48:20 dead at him and I told him the Lord is calling your life, step
48:24 down. He tried to be cool and turn away but I kept staring
48:29 and the Lord was on him. He came down. The Lord let me baptize
48:34 him. I saw him this last summer. He says Pastor Jackson I'm out
48:38 to finish high school and I'm going to be a medical missionary
48:43 for Jesus. Don't you tell me God can't change a life. Now as you
48:46 close your eyes I want you to think about your own life. Don't
48:51 look at me. Look at yourself for a minute. I want you to think
48:54 about your own life right now. I want you to think about where
48:57 God has stopped in the transformation process in your
49:01 life. See we go to a certain point then we say God I'm good.
49:04 And we're stopped. But God has to keep going with you unless
49:07 some way He stopped with you that you have not let Him
49:11 overcome yet. I don't know. Maybe it's pornography. Maybe
49:15 it's having a bad mouth. Maybe it's having a bad habit. Maybe
49:19 it's smoking and nobody sees you I don't know, I don't care but
49:23 Christ does. You know that the transformation process has
49:30 stopped. You don't see Jesus the same anymore and you don't feel
49:34 way and you get easily intense with anger and it feels like oh
49:38 if I could just choke this person one time I'll do it.
49:42 And you see that you're fading from Him. Yes you once had
49:47 it and the old
49:49 man seemed to be gone but now he seems to have been
49:53 resurrected. And you want to tell Jesus today I need the
49:57 process to continue. I need the process to keep going because
50:02 I won't be there if the transformation is not complete.
50:08 Maybe you're like me, very prejudiced, hateful, despising,
50:15 mean. Because in Matthew chapter 7 many would say to Him at that
50:19 day, Lord I've done this, I've done that and He'll say I never
50:23 knew you. In other words, you don't even look like me. You
50:27 don't act like me, you don't talk like me. And I want to
50:32 challenge you today to be an example and I want you to just
50:37 come down so you can pray right here. You know that the process
50:42 has been slowed by you. And you're saying today to God, Lord
50:47 I need you to transform me like never before. I've stopped it.
50:53 Come down here. Don't sit there You know it better than I do.
50:57 If I can admit being racist to millions of people
51:01 what about you? God leads us today and He wants to continue
51:07 this process today. He doesn't care how old you are.
51:09 He wants you to come down. He wants you
51:13 to come down to His throne today and say Lord I've stopped it.
51:17 There's nothing wrong with His process, it's us y'all. Maybe
51:20 your like me. Is He done with me, of course not. Does He still
51:28 have a work to do? Yes He does. Am I willing to let Him do it?
51:34 I am. Will you come down? Will you be honest today.
51:41 Maybe you see yourself as the demoniac. There's help brothers
51:42 and sister's.
51:44 He says I want to give you a new heart today. I want to give you
51:48 a new spirit today. I don't want you to continue struggling like
51:52 you're struggling. I don't want you to continue asking me this
51:55 and that. I want you to believe that you can be a son of God,
52:00 that you can be a daughter of God. I don't want you to feel
52:04 depressed and angry. I don't want you to feel that way. I've
52:07 come to bring joy. I've come to bring life. I've come to bring
52:11 it more abundantly. Come down and let Him be your all in all.
52:15 No man or woman on this earth can make you as happy as Jesus
52:21 but we have to be honest. We have to be honest about who we
52:27 are, what we are. Don't allow your prejudices, don't allow
52:31 your dislikes, don't allow your own hereditary tendencies to
52:36 keep you from the joy of Jesus. God loves us too much, brothers
52:43 and sisters, to see us suffer. And for the rest of us, why
52:49 don't we kneel together as I pray. You're not here by
52:53 coincidence to this rally. You're here because God has a
52:57 work to do. And when there's work that needs to be
53:01 done. He wants to take you home. Heaven would not be the same if
53:07 you weren't there. See there's a seat that's only reserved for
53:10 you in heaven. Pastor Jackson can't fill your seat, Pastor
53:13 Howard, brother Dwight Hall, sister Debbie Young...
53:17 No one can fill that seat but you.
53:19 And even though He said He'd wipe all the tears away
53:21 that seat that's empty will always be a reminder to Him that you're
53:25 not there. See we may forget, but God will never forget His
53:29 children. And so there's a seat that's reserved that has your
53:34 name on it and nobody else can sit in that seat but you. No one
53:38 else can have that time but you. But He needs you to help Him
53:45 help you get there. Brothers and sisters it's only for you. Would
53:51 you stay faithful so that the seat can be filled and when we
53:57 all get to heaven what a joy it will be. Our Father in heaven,
54:03 we're so thankful for this rally We're so thankful for the word
54:09 of God that transforms lives and will forgive us. We're getting
54:13 to a point where we believe that we're ready to be translated.
54:18 Forgive us Lord for thinking that we've come to a point where
54:22 your services in our lives are no longer needed. Forgive us
54:26 Lord for we have strayed, but Father we're coming back to you
54:32 today. On this day, August 25th let it be a reminder to us of
54:36 plans that we plan to make, Lord. These are your people.
54:42 We are your children. So Lord we come to you on our knees
54:47 with sunken hearts and tears running down our faces knowing
54:52 that upon our getting up, Lord, you've already answered our
54:58 prayers. So as each one of us silently pray Lord help us to
55:05 tell you what we need and what you need from us is surrender.
55:10 But please Lord fell us with your Spirit, fill us with your
55:16 love and help our lives to follow you all the way.
55:21 Transform us in such a way that how we talk, how we live, how we
55:27 think will be different that you will bless us abundantly today.
55:31 Thank you again for Remnant Publications and 3ABN coming
55:36 together for this rally. Bless us and keep us and may this be
55:42 not a temporary fix but an eternal solution that takes
55:46 place. In Jesus' name, Amen.


Home

Revised 2018-04-11