Participants: Kenny Shelton, Pastor
Series Code: POF
Program Code: POF000012A
|
00:26 Hello, and welcome to Pillars of Faith
00:29 and this is a second night, 00:30 our second sitting with Pastor Kenny Shelton 00:33 of Behold the Lamp Ministries, 00:35 and we are so very, very please to have him here with us. 00:38 One of the things that I find refreshing about Pastor Kenny 00:42 is the passion that he brings to his preaching. 00:45 He brings a love for Christ, 00:47 he brings years of experience in the word 00:50 and that translate into, 00:52 translates rather into a passionate experience 00:54 with Christ, 00:56 that he brings every time he steps into the sacred desk. 00:59 And so we expect from him, 01:02 for you today a passionate message, 01:04 a one that has been bathed and baked dare I say in prayer. 01:08 My name is CA Murray, 01:09 and I welcome you to a night number two 01:11 of this series of Vessel for the Refiner is the title, 01:16 and tonight message is filled with the sprit. 01:19 When I look at the Vessel for the Refiner, 01:21 so many things come to mind. 01:22 One, a vessel is something that holds things 01:25 and we are a vessel for the presence 01:28 and power of God through his Holy Spirit. 01:30 And then of course, a refiner is something that shapes 01:33 and mold and polishes a vessel 01:35 or a stone or a rock or a diamond. 01:37 So you kind of have an idea where pastor is going, 01:40 because he is talking about us as vessels of honor for Christ, 01:44 and then the molding process 01:46 that Christ takes each of us through 01:48 as he fits us for service in this world 01:52 as he prepare us for a higher citizenship in the world 01:55 which is to come. 01:56 And so tonight's message filled with the spirit, 01:58 kind of speaks for itself, 02:00 that God sprit is waiting to fill us, 02:02 so that God can use us 02:04 to do great and mighty things for him. 02:08 Pastor Kenny is a good friend, a good player, 02:12 a good basketball player 02:13 and just a fun person to be around. 02:15 He loves the Lord, he's a funny guy 02:18 and yet when it's time to get serious 02:19 about the things of God, 02:20 you find that he was very, very ultra serious 02:23 about preaching Christ word and his doctrine 02:26 and preparing the people for the second coming 02:28 of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 02:30 So I accept no less than a great blessing 02:33 from Pastor Kenny Shelton today. 02:35 Will you join me now in prayer? 02:37 And then the next voice that you hear 02:39 will be our friend Pastor Kenny Shelton. 02:41 Father God, we do thank You and praise You for Your spirit. 02:47 We thank You for Your word, which is a lamp unto our feet, 02:51 a light unto our path and a powerful, powerful, 02:55 powerful agency to prepare us to meet the challenges 02:59 that we face and to give a word for the Lord. 03:03 And now Father as we look into that word, 03:06 and as we draw forth from that word, 03:08 I ask that You'd bless the man of God, 03:11 as You have called him to speak, 03:13 anoint his lips, anoint his heart. 03:16 Bless him, so that he may bless us. 03:20 Use him, so that he a may be a vessel of honor, 03:23 instruct him so that he may instruct us 03:27 in ways of righteousness. 03:29 And we dedicate all that we are and all that we have to You 03:33 and ask You to bless this sitting today 03:36 as we hear a word from the Lord. 03:39 And we thank you dear Father, in Jesus name amen and Amen. 03:43 And now Pastor Kenny Shelton hear ye him. 03:50 Thank you, brother. It's all right. 03:54 Praise the Lord. 03:56 It is good to be with you wonderful Pillars Of Faith. 03:59 You know, how's your faith? 04:01 Have we prayed tonight that it's good 04:03 and it certainly built and up in Jesus Christ. 04:05 We're glad you're spending this time with us, you know, 04:08 spending time in the word 04:10 is drawing closer to Jesus, why? 04:12 Because as Christians we believe 04:14 that Jesus is coming soon. 04:16 And that we need to be ready for His coming. 04:18 You know, the Bible talks about faith, 04:20 you know, Pillars of Faith. 04:21 Faith, faith cometh by what? 04:23 Come on church, by hearing, right? 04:25 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word. 04:28 So we're so glad 04:29 that's you're going to spend this time with us. 04:32 Before we have prayer, 04:33 I want to make sure you get your Bible out, 04:34 pencil and paper because I say, 04:36 sometime I go pretty quick, and it's always good. 04:39 Don't take the preacher, just look what he says, 04:41 check him out. 04:43 Check out the evangelist, check out anybody 04:45 that's presenting the word of God. 04:47 We want to make sure that we are on target. 04:50 So I appreciate for the CA, and, you know, 04:52 and his prayer, but I'd to like just pray one more time 04:55 and I need a prayer, I need this time with God, 04:58 so I hope you allow me to do that. 04:59 And some of you may be at home in comfy 05:02 and some of may be here, 05:03 you may want to kneel with me as I pray. 05:06 Let's pray, shall we? 05:10 Our kind loving heavenly Father, 05:11 it is a privilege that we can come boldly to the throne, 05:15 and find help in our time of need, 05:17 and Father you know 05:18 that I'm soliciting the power of thy Holy Sprit 05:22 to come near, to open my heart, 05:24 my mind that I may hear Your sweet voice. 05:27 And may relate that which you have 05:28 for each and everyone of us. 05:30 I know you want us in the kingdom. 05:33 We're here as in preparation. 05:35 So we pray as Your Holy Spirit opens our hearts 05:37 and our minds and our tongues, 05:39 that we may hear exactly what we need to hear 05:42 and then respond to Your calling. 05:45 We thank You, we praise You for all that You've done, 05:48 thank You for Calvary. 05:49 Now I ask you to forgive me of any sin, 05:52 anything in my heart and life it needs not be there. 05:54 I want to be covered with Your blood, 05:56 I want to hear Your voice and I thank You in advance, 05:58 may each one of Your children hear 06:00 and respond in Jesus name, amen. 06:05 Isn't it wonderful we can go to the Lord in prayer? 06:07 You know, I like that's a song, 06:09 you know we take it to the Lord, 06:10 our burdens to the Lord 06:12 and we can just leave them there. 06:14 We're gonna be talking about filled with the spirit. 06:17 What does it mean to be a filled with a spirit 06:18 of the living God? 06:20 And do we really need that in our Christian walk? 06:23 Do we really need to be filled with the spirit? 06:26 And then how much of the spirit do we really need? 06:28 Some people say, "Well, I just little spirit here, 06:29 little spirit there." 06:30 How much, do we need to be filled completely 06:32 with the spirit of the living God? 06:35 We talked about in our first time 06:37 that we've come together. 06:38 We realize that it's not just emotion, 06:41 it's not just feelings 06:42 but it's a commitment to Jesus Christ 06:44 that His people need, that the church needs today. 06:50 We realize that we need to surrender our will 06:53 to Jesus Christ. 06:55 We realize that we need to live by every word 06:57 that proceeds out of the mouth of God. 07:00 We realize we need to be doing His will 07:03 because if we want to be filled with the spirit, 07:05 these things make a difference. 07:07 We need to be walking by faith and certainly not by sight. 07:12 We need to have unquestionable confidence 07:15 in the word of God. 07:17 Too often we read it, 07:18 we come up with the all kind of questions 07:20 and all kind of, challenging God. 07:22 It's okay to have good questions, 07:23 but never challenge His authority, 07:25 never challenge what the word of God has said. 07:27 And we need to have the assurance of His love. 07:29 So I pray as we're studying together here, 07:31 you have that assurance 07:33 that He loves you with an everlasting love. 07:35 If you doubt that, just think for a moment about Calvary 07:38 if you will, and I think you'll change your mind. 07:41 I think about Calvary and I thank God for it. 07:44 Bible said it is the time that we live in, 07:47 that we need to be careful 07:49 that we don't grieve the Spirit of God. 07:50 There's a lot of ways 07:52 in which to grieve the spirit of God. 07:55 Ephesians 4:30 talks about that, 07:57 "And grieve not the Spirit of God 08:00 whereby ye are sealed..." 08:02 Very good, "Until the day of redemption." 08:04 So we have to be very, very careful 08:06 that we're not going about grieving the Spirit of God. 08:10 And you say, "What does that mean?" 08:12 You realize there is millions 08:13 that are grieving the Spirit of God today. 08:18 Grieve here means distress. 08:21 You can distress the Spirit of God. 08:24 He's talking to, grieve here means to be sad. 08:28 It means to be heavy. It means to be sorrowful. 08:32 So we need not grieve the Spirit of God, 08:34 the Holy Spirit of God. 08:36 God is wooing us into a relationship 08:37 by the power of the Holy Spirit to fill us with His spirit 08:40 and many are rejecting that. 08:44 Please don't be one of those rejecting. 08:46 The Bible says, "Because you're sealed 08:48 into the day of redemption." 08:50 I liked that being sealed, 08:51 because that means He is going to stamp us. 08:54 He's going to preserve us, 08:55 that's what it's talking about here. 08:58 He's going to keep us, you know, it's a security. 09:02 Isn't that wonderful? 09:03 He's securing us into His family. 09:06 He's going to take care of us, seal us. 09:10 See there's a warning here in these verses, 09:13 "That the Holy Spirit will not compel man 09:18 to take a certain course of action." 09:20 You know, a lot of times people say, 09:21 just tell me what to do, and just make me do it. 09:23 Holy Spirit does not operate that way. 09:26 The Holy Spirit comes to us and love and in concern 09:29 and tries to woo us into relationship. 09:32 You know, we're free moral agents, 09:34 God's given us that to be able to, you know, 09:36 make decisions to weigh the evidence all out 09:39 and then by the grace of God 09:41 to be able to make the right choice. 09:43 And He does believe, you know, you see scripture, 09:46 you see here that at when sufficient evidence 09:49 is given then it's left to us 09:54 to decide what course of action we're going to take. 09:57 Do you ever read scripture and try to really weigh it out? 10:00 The balance scripture, it's very, very important 10:03 that we balance scripture and find out what truth is, 10:05 line upon line, precept upon precept. 10:08 Never forget I had a man that called not to long ago, 10:11 and he was very angry 10:13 because I was using that passage of scripture 10:15 to find out what truth is that we just, 10:17 we study the Bible. 10:19 We do it what? 10:20 Line upon line, precept upon precept, 10:22 here a little and there a little in the Book of Isaiah. 10:24 Do you remember that? 10:25 And so that was the only thing, 10:27 point I was trying to make from that one passage, 10:28 and it was another pastor of another faith, 10:31 another denomination. 10:32 And oh my, he was just so upset. Why? 10:34 You don't know, what I always taking about. 10:35 I said we're only trying to prove one point, 10:37 this is how we prove what is truth 10:39 from the word of God. 10:41 We take all the Bible writers 10:42 and we look at what have they say on the subject 10:44 and then we can balance it out to find out what truth is. 10:49 He said, "No, you have no right, 10:50 you don't know what's going on 10:52 in that whole chapter in the whole verse." 10:53 And I said, "You know, I do, I've read it." 10:55 But just trying to make one little point here. 10:57 He said, "That's a problem with all you folks 10:59 here on this station as it were, you just, 11:01 you know, you're preaching this and you're doing this, 11:02 and you don't know what you're talking about, 11:04 blah, blah and so on and so forth. 11:05 So I listen him rattle for a little while 11:07 and then, you know, 11:08 then we began to have a pretty good discussion 11:10 but his bottom-line was, 11:12 it was kind of interesting because he said, 11:13 you know, bottom-line is he said, 11:15 "I hope that you're a good swimmer." 11:19 And I said, "I beg your pardon." 11:21 "Said I hope that you're a good swimmer." 11:23 Now I said, "What do you mean by that?" 11:25 He said, "Because you're going to be swimming 11:26 in hell fire for eternity." 11:29 I said, "Well, who put you in charge of this? 11:32 Who made you judge? I read the Bible." 11:33 He said, "Well, I can judge." 11:35 I said, "You have no right to judge, 11:36 I've no right to judge." 11:39 And so he is making judge, 11:40 he's setting himself in the place of God. 11:43 Then I said, "Well, we need to understand 11:44 what the truth is even about hell." 11:46 And the truths of God's word, 11:48 but what happen was the truths of the God's word 11:50 inflamed this man. 11:52 That he set himself up as judge and, you know, 11:54 and he condemned and he past sentence. 11:56 We need be very careful of that, 11:58 we need to weigh the evidence out 11:59 in the light of what? 12:01 Of God's word here. 12:04 Many people put a lot of effort, 12:06 you know, lot of effort into a certain things 12:09 and lot of people say, what if I put enough effort, 12:10 enough work and assure that I'm gonna gain victory. 12:13 Oh friend, remember it's not our efforts 12:16 that bring victory, 12:18 it's not our efforts that what bring victory 12:21 but it's seeing God behind the promise. 12:24 Do you see God behind the promises? 12:26 Or you trying to just work your way and they say, 12:28 "Well, you folks always try to work your way in?" 12:30 You can't get to heaven by works, you know that. 12:32 But, you know, if you make it to heaven you will have, right? 12:35 Sure, think about it. 12:37 Do you see God behind the promises 12:39 the he's made to us? 12:41 Believing and trusting in him. 12:43 Book of Isaiah 41:13, just simply says, 12:47 "Fear not I will be, I will help you." 12:50 Fear not, I will help you. 12:51 That is a promise I sense God behind that promise, 12:54 and when I'm in need, He will help me. 12:57 And I trust that he will. 12:59 I hope you're on this wavelength. 13:01 Do you know what it really means to be filled 13:02 with the Spirit? 13:04 I've heard people say, oh, I'm filled with the Spirit 13:06 and of course, they give... 13:07 you know, they're speaking in tongues, 13:09 they're doing whatever they're doing. 13:10 I'm filled with the spirit, there's a evidence of being, 13:12 what does it really mean? 13:13 Because, you know, Galatians even Galatians 5:16 says 13:16 we need to know what, 13:17 "We need to be walking in the spirit." 13:20 Wow, I need to walk in the spirit. 13:21 Well, I can certainly agree with that. 13:24 In Galatians 5:25, it talks about, 13:27 I need to live in the Spirit. 13:29 So I also believe that, we're to sow in the Spirit. 13:34 Galatians 6:8 says, "So we're sowing in the spirit, 13:37 we're living in the spirit, we're walking in the spirit." 13:40 This is what we should be and we're doing these things, 13:43 we're going to be filled with the spirit. 13:46 Interesting there's a... 13:47 in this quote I'm getting to read, 13:49 there is a, there is a question 13:51 and then there is an answer to that. 13:54 Now notice, to me it's powerful. 13:56 In little magazine called The Review and Herald, 13:58 maybe new to some of you, not to others. 14:02 Six and ten, this is written in 1900 to 1902. 14:06 But notice truth is truth, once a truth is always truth, 14:09 never changes. 14:10 Here's what it says, 14:12 "Are we seeking for his fullness?" 14:15 Are we seeking, we're talking about holiness, 14:18 we're talking about righteousness by faith. 14:19 I think we've missed the boat on this subject 14:22 and I don't want us to miss the boat. 14:23 It may cost us eternity. 14:26 We need to look at a little bit closer, 14:29 notice out this article. 14:31 Start it says, "Are we seeking for His fullness?" 14:34 Number one, are you seeking for the fullness? 14:36 Are you seeking for the Spirit of the living God. 14:39 Notice it says, "Ever pressing toward the mark..." 14:43 Notice this, "Set before us." 14:45 And now notice this mark that set before us. 14:49 The perfection of His character. 14:52 Wow. Are you seeking for fullness? 14:55 Notice, are you pressing toward the mark 14:57 that set before us. 14:59 Which is, what is that mark set before us? 15:01 The perfection of His character. 15:04 Notice this, this gets heavy, 15:06 "When the Lord's people reach this mark, 15:10 filled with the Spirit, 15:12 they will be complete in Christ. 15:16 There must come a time..." 15:17 It says, "Here that we, if by faith you reach this mark 15:21 we'll be filled with the Spirit, 15:22 we'll be complete in Him." 15:24 Isn't what Colossians 2:10 15:25 talks about being complete in Jesus Christ? 15:28 You know, these things that we really need to examine 15:31 and really need to look at here. 15:32 What's it mean to be complete in Christ? 15:36 To really be complete in Him. 15:38 I hope this question is answered 15:40 as we go along on in our study here. 15:42 You know the passage of scripture 15:44 I know is heavy duty, 15:45 but we need to look at some of them, 15:47 maybe look at it, we've read them dozens of time, 15:49 but now we look at it, 15:50 we're gonna study it just a little bit. 15:52 1 John 3:8, the Bible says this, 15:57 "He that committeth sin is of the devil..." 16:00 Well, that's sin problems. 16:03 What does the Bible said, 16:04 "he that committeth sin 16:06 is of the devil, for the devil..." 16:08 Does what? "He sinneth from the beginning. 16:12 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, 16:16 that he might destroy the works of the devil." 16:19 You've read that many times, but have you really thought 16:22 about what it's really saying here? 16:25 "He that committeth sin is of the devil." 16:28 What does that mean? 16:30 Well, I'm not the devil, I'm a born again Christian, amen. 16:32 But what if, let's say for instance, 16:34 you lose your patience, your temper 16:35 and you say something you shouldn't say, 16:36 you use languages you shouldn't. 16:38 At that moment, at that point in time 16:40 who really is your leader? 16:42 Who are you really fastened to? 16:43 Who has the hold of your hand at that point in time? 16:46 What do we say? 16:47 Would it be the Holy Spirit, would it be Jesus, 16:49 would it be God or would it be the enemy. 16:53 When we commit sin, 16:55 we've have come to the point I think lot of times 16:57 that we make excuses for our temper, 17:00 for our lack of patience or whatever it might be, 17:03 we justify because somebody made us to do it. 17:07 You know better than that, I know better than that. 17:10 We know the devil's sin from beginning. 17:12 Jesus came to this life 17:13 but we realize when we're doing the wrong thing, 17:15 when we are breaking God's commandments, 17:17 breaking God's law, it's the what? 17:20 Oh, why, the devil? 17:24 But I see something little different 17:26 in this passage, it gives us hope. 17:28 Maybe gives us some encouragement, 17:30 I hope it does to you. 17:31 See John's speaking to us here and he shows us 17:34 that we are going to be brought into direct contact 17:38 with the real living powerful God. 17:42 Isn't that beautiful? 17:44 A real leaving powerful God, how wonderful that is? 17:50 And what is he doing? 17:54 What must man do to meet God's requirement? 18:00 Little book called Mount of Blessings, and boy, 18:02 I'm telling is that a good little book. 18:04 Some of you never heard about it, 18:05 others, you have it, it's got a bunch of dust on it. 18:07 How about getting it off dust, open it up start reading it. 18:11 Mount of Blessings 91, this right here is challenging 18:15 because we are talking about holiness again, 18:17 we're righteous by faith, 18:18 we're talking about being what God wants us to be. 18:20 So we can really fill us with His spirit. 18:22 Do we really believe that God's people today 18:24 are really filled with the spirit 18:27 of the living God? 18:28 Does our life really show that we're there? 18:31 Not that we're going to go around, 18:32 trying to judge with that, but is it, 18:34 is it really on your mind, 18:36 really on your heart that you really want to be like Jesus? 18:38 You want to really repopulate heaven. 18:42 We talk about true godliness. 18:45 I've heard sermon after sermon 18:46 about true godliness is what we need. 18:47 Absolutely, we'll talk more about that too. 18:50 Mount of Blessing 91 says this, 18:52 "True godliness does not begin." 18:56 Okay, church stay with me. 18:58 "True godliness does not..." 19:02 Did you get it? 19:03 "Does not begin until..." 19:05 True godliness does not began 19:09 until all compromise with sin, 19:13 is that an end." 19:16 We say what? 19:18 True godliness, oh yeah, 19:20 we want true godliness in church, 19:21 true godliness, being true to God, 19:23 being what he would have us to be, 19:25 doesn't begin until all comprise with sin 19:28 is that at end. 19:30 Is it really at end in your life or in my life? 19:33 Then how can I be true to God? True godliness. 19:38 Again I'll share few passage of scripture and I do this, 19:42 I'm not trying to challenge you with it, 19:43 but I want you to get into the word. 19:44 I want you to look at it here because, 19:46 again the subject is being brushed 19:47 over and over and over to were it, 19:50 it's like it doesn't matter but it does, 19:51 it's life and death issue. 19:54 Book of Proverbs 25:4 comes to light here it says, 19:59 "Take away the dross from the silver 20:02 and there shall come forth a vessel for the refiner." 20:06 Did you notice that? 20:08 That's the title of the whole series here. 20:10 A vessel for the refiner, Proverb 25 says that, 20:14 "Take away the dross 20:17 and there shall come forth a vessel for the refinery." 20:20 The dross has to go. How do we define really dross? 20:25 Oh, you say well, it's bad stuff, a dross is defined. 20:27 In fact the Bible defines it in Psalms 119:119. 20:31 Here's what it says, 20:33 "All the wicked of the earth are like dross." 20:36 Are what? 20:38 All the wicked of the earth are like dross. 20:41 And then it's a get a little bit deeper 20:42 when we, when we really think about it. 20:44 The wicked then are like dross, 20:46 that means the wicked are in backslidden condition 20:49 they're sliding away from God, 20:51 they're doing their own little thing. 20:54 They love the world more than they love God. 20:57 They're disobeying, they're not following what God says, 20:59 they're not following God's plan, 21:02 but it's interesting, dross... 21:04 In fact, if you read it in some translations of the Bible, 21:07 they said dross is dung. 21:09 And I think some of you get the point. 21:13 We don't want that in our life, the dross has to go, 21:16 the sin has to go, the wrong things have to go 21:18 because Jesus makes it so clear. 21:21 I love it because it's clear, Ephesians 5:27, 21:24 how often have you read it? 21:26 Says that he might present it to himself what? 21:30 A glorious church, not having spot, 21:33 think about it. 21:34 How many times have we read it and we just say, 21:36 "Yeah, he's coming after a church." 21:38 Who is the church? The people are the church. 21:41 He's coming back after not a building, 21:42 He's coming back after a people. 21:44 And these people it says what? 21:46 Not having a spot, not having a defect, 21:50 not having a stain, 21:52 it's exactly the way that's translated, did you get it? 21:54 Not having a spot, not having a stain or even a wrinkle. 21:58 That simply wrinkle is just like a little fold. 22:02 That's who He is coming after. 22:05 How is your life, how's my life? 22:07 Or any such thing but it shall be holy, 22:11 His people without blemish. 22:13 It should be sacred it means here. 22:16 Without blemish, 22:17 means it's faultless, unblemished. 22:21 Now I look at my own life, 22:23 and I say, Lord, I need some help. 22:25 I need lots of help here, and you know what? 22:28 Listen, friend, don't get discouraged, 22:30 don't let this discourage and say, oh, there's no hope. 22:32 Yes, the way to find help and to get help 22:36 is to first realize that you need help. 22:39 Won't you say, "Oh, I need some more help. 22:41 God says, "Good, that's workable. 22:43 I can do something here." 22:45 But when you say, "I'm all right, we're doing good." 22:47 Everything is fine in the church, 22:48 everybody's doing good and well in the church, 22:50 that's not true somebody come on. 22:54 Time to step up to the plate, 22:55 it's time to call sin by its right name. 22:57 It's time to take the axe 22:58 to the root of this thing called sin 23:00 and get rid of it by the grace of God. 23:04 No spot, no defect, no stain, no fold. 23:08 So the vessel we've been taking about, 23:11 that vessel then would be all of us here. 23:14 The vessel, a vessel of honor. 23:17 All of us, we must be clean as what it's saying here. 23:21 Notice, we must, this vessel must be clean 23:25 in order to be filled with the Holy Spirit. 23:27 The Holy Spirit cannot fill a dirty vessel. 23:33 Oh, we're filled with the Holy Spirit and we go out 23:34 and we're like we're filled with a devil. 23:36 That doesn't work, that's realistically, look at it, 23:39 try to balance it with scripture here. 23:43 You must be clean to be filled with the Spirit of God. 23:46 Doesn't this somehow indicate just early in our studies, 23:50 we're doing five of them, 23:51 but early in our studies here as we're looking at it, 23:55 it indicates that we must be overcomers. 23:58 Why is in the Book of Revelation over and over 24:00 it says, you now, he that overcometh 24:02 will I grant to sit with me on the throne. 24:05 He that overcometh. 24:08 Interesting words, overcome sin entirely. 24:14 Notice, by the grace of God when we overcome sin 24:18 by the grace of God, then we become, 24:20 look out now a vessel of honor. 24:23 You cannot be a vessel of honor, 24:25 meat for the master, read 2 Timothy 2:21. 24:31 "Until we are clean..." 24:33 Unless we're cleaned up. 24:35 "That we give everything to Jesus." 24:38 You know, these verses to consider 24:41 and I'm more considered, 24:42 this is a verse that everybody read. 24:46 Now I'll be honest with you upfront, 24:48 I heard a pastor, 24:50 I mean, little while ago, not too long ago. 24:52 He read this verse 24:55 and then he went on to make excuses for this. 24:59 And I just can't stand it, 25:00 you know, if I'm guilty, I'm guilty 25:02 just lay it, lay it on me. 25:05 Don't make excuses. 25:06 He read this passage 25:08 and I've heard it over and over, and over 25:10 by many people when they read Matthew 5:48. 25:15 Well, Jesus said, Jesus said! Must be something to it. 25:19 Jesus said, "Be thou perfect..." 25:21 You remember, be perfect as your Father 25:23 which art in heaven is what? 25:24 It's perfect. 25:26 Now you can dismiss that if you want to. 25:28 I can't, I mean was it just, 25:33 doesn't the Holy Spirit went inspiring 25:34 these Bible writers to put down? 25:36 I believe so. 25:37 Do we believe that God was on target? 25:39 I believe so. 25:41 What Jesus have said it, 25:42 it can't be accomplished in our life... 25:46 And so I thought, well... 25:49 I've heard people say well, that what's it says, 25:50 but that's not what it means, aren't you... 25:52 Listen, you don't set yourself up as God 25:54 and I don't set myself up as God, 25:56 that we can say what is inspired what is not, 25:58 what should be there or maybe it's been changed, 26:00 we don't do that. 26:03 So I considered this and I said, you know, 26:05 why don't you read Spirit of Prophecy? 26:07 That's clear to me, what he is saying, 26:08 we strive by the grace of God, 26:10 we have divinity and humanity working together. 26:13 That's beautiful. 26:15 Was Jesus fully human or was He not? 26:18 Was He fully divine, was He not? 26:21 How did He gain the victory? Just like me, just like you. 26:26 Well, how do you do it? 26:27 How do you live that perfect life? 26:29 You say it's not possible, did He not? 26:31 If he had an edge, then He cannot be my redeemer. 26:34 He cannot be my example, I hope that make sense to you. 26:37 I have to check it out, I have to try to balance it. 26:42 I found little quote, it's in the Manuscript 34, 1899, 26:46 this was written listen carefully, 26:48 this is in regard to this passage of scripture. 26:50 When the pastors says, 26:52 that what it says in the word of God, 26:53 that's not what it means it says, 26:54 "We need to grow up, and we need to be mature..." 26:57 Let me tell you, being growing up 26:59 and being mature is two different things 27:01 than gaining victory over sin. 27:04 Hopefully we'll have time to discuss that. 27:06 And I realize it's a process, 27:08 I'm not trying to be difficult about Him, 27:10 I'm not trying to say, "Oh, I'm there, 27:11 I'm arrived, everything, everybody needs to. 27:12 I want us to look at it. 27:14 It helped to change my life and my direction 27:17 and I thank God for it. 27:18 I want to share with you Manuscript 34, 1899 says, 27:22 "The Lord requires perfection from His redeemed family. 27:28 He calls for perfection in character building..." 27:32 This building needs some work, 27:35 man, this building need some work. 27:39 Now see if you look around and say 27:40 that's not what it means, 27:41 and that not, well, I don't really need any work, 27:43 you are in trouble. 27:45 I can honestly say I look and say 27:47 "Oh, Lord I need some help, please don't leave me. 27:50 I'm in a mess. 27:51 Please stay close, please teach me." 27:53 I pray everyday, it doesn't make you good, 27:55 bad or ugly or any better than anybody else. 27:57 But I say God, help me to know what truth is. 28:01 Help me to proclaim the truth. 28:03 Help me to live the truth. Help me to love the truth. 28:07 Nothing else matters, does it? 28:11 Jesus is truth. 28:15 And I thought maybe that's not enough 28:16 for some people there but I just have to read, 28:20 I know some of you don't like it, 28:21 these all reading. 28:23 The Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 28:24 I just have to do this, you know. 28:27 And those of you who will get upset, 28:29 bless your heart, you've to love me anyway, 28:30 come on we have to love each other. 28:32 We'll go and make a kingdom. 28:33 This is directly what I read in Matthew 5, 28:37 we'll talk about 5:48, "Be ye therefore perfect, 28:39 even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." 28:42 Jesus was speaking. 28:43 Again He knows what He is taking about here. 28:45 Now just let me read this and you contemplate as I did. 28:50 We let know one say from the pulpit 28:54 whether he be minister evangelist 28:57 or whatever it is or being in high position, it doesn't... 28:59 You being in high position doesn't make you anything. 29:01 If somebody is in high position he may indicate, 29:03 that's bothering, you need to get out may be. 29:08 Think with me. 29:12 The word therefore we're talking about, 29:15 be ye therefore. 29:17 "The word "therefore" implies a conclusion, 29:20 an inference of what has gone before." 29:23 Jesus, it's on page 76. 29:25 "Jesus has been describing to His hearers 29:28 the unfailing mercy and love of God." 29:30 Oh, I like that. 29:32 "He bids them therefore to be perfect. 29:36 Because your heavenly Father 29:37 "is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil." 29:40 It rains on the just and the unjust. 29:43 We have a heavenly father that's kind to the evil ones, 29:47 but notice article go on, 29:50 "Because He has stooped to lift you up, 29:54 therefore, said Jesus, 29:55 you may become like Him in character." 29:58 You may what? 30:00 You may be come like Him in character 30:03 and stand without fault 30:05 in the presence of men and angels. 30:07 That's pretty heavy duty. 30:09 I can't fight that, I'm saying, Lord, help me. 30:12 This is powerful. 30:14 Please, I'm going to have to read some more. 30:15 It says, "The conditions of eternal life under grace." 30:20 The conditions of what? 30:22 "Of eternal life under grace 30:24 are just what they were in Eden, 30:28 perfect righteousness, harmony with God, 30:32 perfect conformity to the principles of his law. 30:35 The standard of character presented in the Old Testament 30:39 is the same that is presented in the New Testament. 30:42 This standard is not one to which, "notice," 30:46 this standard is not one to which we cannot attain. 30:52 In every command or injunction that God gives, 30:55 there is a promise." 30:56 Wow! 30:58 "The most positive, underline," notice, 31:02 "God has made provision that we may become 31:05 like unto Him and He will accomplish this for us 31:09 or for all who do not interpose 31:12 a perverse will and thus frustrate His grace." 31:15 How interesting. 31:17 Did you notice the last? 31:19 God has made provisions 31:21 that we all may become like Him. 31:24 We either accept it as truth, inspired or we do not. 31:28 This is what you're challenged with, 31:30 this is what I'm challenged with here. 31:32 He's made provisions that we may be like Jesus 31:38 and He will accomplish it. 31:39 Notice, remember, He says you'll fulfill His purpose. 31:42 I've begun a good work in you and I will finish the work. 31:44 He can't finish the work if you don't let Him do it. 31:47 If we don't frustrate His plans, 31:49 what it says here, 31:51 He will bring it, you'll bear fruit, 31:52 we can be like Jesus. 31:54 How beautiful, how awesome, 31:56 a thought that is at least in my mind? 32:00 John 17, the Bible says, verse 23, 32:03 Jesus said, remember, I in them. 32:06 Jesus said I want to be with them, 32:09 I want to be in them. 32:10 That's our only hope, 32:12 that's our only encouragement in this world. 32:17 He said, Thou in me 32:18 that they may be made perfect in one. 32:22 It's always about the word perfect. 32:24 And some of you say I know and you'll try to give me 32:26 another translation of what perfect means. 32:27 We'll look at that in a moment. Let's be realistic about it. 32:30 Are we trying to escape reality? 32:33 We're trying to say, God said something 32:34 but He really didn't mean. 32:36 I don't think you would do that. 32:39 Jesus said, I in them. 32:41 If He is in us then we may be like Him. 32:45 As God was in Christ, 32:49 Manuscript 1:11, 1903, it says this, 32:52 "Through the working of the Holy Spirit." 32:54 Praise God for the Holy Spirit, Lord fill me with Thy Spirit. 33:00 "Through the working of the Holy Spirit 33:01 upon the human mind," that's our mind, 33:04 man is made complete in Jesus Christ. 33:08 This unity is the most convincing proof 33:12 to the world of the majesty, the virtue of Christ 33:16 and His power to take away sin." 33:19 Wow! 33:22 Isn't that beautiful? 33:24 When you really lay it out and you think about it, 33:27 it's convincing proof that Jesus Christ 33:31 through the power of the Holy Spirit 33:33 living inside of us, transforms us, 33:35 changes us, the things I once love I now hate, 33:39 and the things that I hated, I now love. 33:40 I didn't like to go to church, now I like to go to church, 33:43 I didn't like to read the Word of God, 33:44 I'd love to read the Word of God, 33:46 I'm excited about hearing the Word of God, 33:48 I'm excited about, you know, singing songs, 33:50 I'm excited about praying, 33:51 I'm excited about my worship time. 33:55 You take the alcoholic, drug-addict and the prostitutes 33:58 and run in the streets, 34:01 they give their life to Jesus Christ, 34:03 they become a changed individual. 34:05 It testifies to the power of God, 34:08 they certainly take away sin, give us victory in our life. 34:13 I like what Paul says. 34:14 Paul makes it real clear in Hebrew 6:1, He said, 34:18 let us go on, notice this, let us go onto to what? 34:23 To perfection, let us go on to perfection. 34:26 That means complete in every part. 34:29 Yeah, dissect it if you want to. 34:31 Absolutely, look at it closely, let us go onto perfection. 34:36 Let's go onto be complete in every part. 34:39 As James 1:4 tells us, 34:41 "That ye may be perfect and entire, 34:44 wanting nothing." 34:46 That makes it real clear at least in my mind. 34:49 I don't know about you but notice what it says. 34:51 Now remember, if you're getting a little bit antsy 34:53 and you're getting a little bit upset, 34:54 you're overhearing the same thing 34:55 over and over, maybe there's something 34:57 you need to give to Jesus Christ. 35:03 Don't fight what God has in His Word, we submit, 35:07 you submit to God, and devil's what? 35:09 Devil's gonna flee from you. 35:12 People say, "Well, I just have such a hard time, 35:13 I just have a difficult time. 35:15 I just can't seem to gain the victory." 35:16 No, because you're fighting too hard. 35:19 When you fight, that's how difficult it is, 35:21 you say it's difficult, difficult 35:23 because you're fighting. 35:24 Once you submit, it becomes easy 35:27 as it were in Jesus Christ. 35:29 Sure he's doing it for you, you don't have to, 35:31 he's doing it for you. 35:34 You may be perfect, it says here. 35:37 I believe the verse is so close to the end of time 35:41 that we need to be weeping 35:43 between the porch and the altar. 35:45 We need to be praying for our church, 35:46 we need to be praying for our family, 35:48 we need to be praying for the lost, 35:50 we don't have a moment to waste. 35:53 Why is that we're wasting precious time, 35:55 why is it that we are just, you know, 35:56 dilly dallying around 35:58 like we're gonna live forever? 36:02 I would really think, I've come to conclusion 36:05 to live forever in this mess, in this world, 36:07 I don't want to do. 36:09 Is that okay? 36:11 Some of you might want to, I don't want to 36:13 because the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, 36:15 we invite the Holy Spirit in, 36:17 I'm seeing more and more every day of my life, 36:21 I'm seeing things, 36:22 not that, were always so good 36:24 and so perfect. 36:25 It's I don't want to be a part of. 36:29 I don't want to be a part of, I'm trying to get my mind, 36:31 my heart set upon heaven, upon heavenly things. 36:36 And my heart is sad and grieved 36:37 when I see things going on with our youth 36:39 and our young people, right, 36:41 things that we're doing things, the way we're coming to church, 36:43 way we dress, the way we eat, the way we talk. 36:48 We are to repopulate heaven, we need to be filled 36:50 with the Spirit of the living God 36:52 so that we become... 36:53 There's no longer I but Christ, not my mind but His mind, 36:57 Lord, I need that. 36:58 Probation is closing. 37:00 Many are just wrapped up in the world 37:02 and all these things of the world. 37:05 It just seems to be different, my brothers and sisters. 37:09 The older I get, it just seems like 37:11 the world is just growing cold, it's heartless. 37:18 No one seems to be interested in the cause of Christ, 37:23 there's very few all. 37:25 We know the Holy Spirit is being withdrawn. 37:29 No one seems to be interested, they're too busy 37:31 they can't meet once a week for a Bible study. 37:35 And as soon as you mention Jesus, 37:37 "Oh, I go to church." 37:39 They may go one or two days out of a year. 37:41 Oh, I don't want to get involved, 37:43 I don't have time. 37:44 We're going to soccer and football and basketball 37:47 and everything else but they don't have time. 37:50 See, that's not all where you're aggravated. 37:52 I feel sad in my heart 37:55 because that's what the Bible talks about, 37:57 being wrapped up in the world 37:58 and the things of the world like there's no tomorrow. 38:01 Listen, I find probation closes. 38:03 And it can close maybe in just... 38:05 Let's talk about this for a moment, 38:06 just maybe in three different ways. 38:09 You say probation closes in three different ways, 38:10 what do you mean? 38:12 Different people, we didn't realized that. 38:13 When a person dies, probation closes for them. 38:18 That makes sense? When you die, probation closes. 38:22 Two, the Holy Spirit, right, 38:24 if we commit the unpardonable sin, 38:27 the Holy Spirit is withdrawn 38:31 and you could say probation ends 38:33 because we've rejected the Spirit of God. 38:36 And some of you need be careful 38:37 about rejection of the Holy Spirit 38:39 and say it doesn't exist. 38:43 Three, we realize the close of probation 38:47 for this world is going to happen 38:48 one of these days, for the whole world, 38:50 probation is going to close 38:52 just before the seven last plagues are poured out. 38:56 We must prepare, we must be ready to repopulate heaven. 39:02 What does God require of us? 39:04 There is no, you say, Oh, 39:05 He doesn't require anything from me. 39:07 Yes, the Bible is clear, 39:08 Bible says, having done all to stand, 39:11 having done everything that you know. 39:14 I look at my own life 39:15 and I want you to examine yours, 39:17 my brothers and my sisters, 39:19 God has given you a lot of truth, 39:21 has He not? 39:23 You came out of darkness into a marvelous light 39:25 and all these things, 39:27 we have to look at it day by day. 39:28 Are we living by the grace of God, 39:32 living up to all the light that He has given us? 39:36 If not, we're in trouble. 39:38 Are you still with me? 39:41 We must, by the grace of God, 39:42 live up to every ray of light that He gives. 39:45 If not, it's going to prove our ruin. 39:48 We cannot sidestep anything 39:50 that God has said we should be doing. 39:54 When I look at the plan of salvation, which I marvel, 39:57 I marvel over the plan of salvation. 40:00 I know it's just a little dappy, 40:02 my mind just can't fathom. 40:05 I want to and I know, through the eternal ages, 40:07 I'm going to learn more and more 40:08 about the plan of salvation but it thrills my heart. 40:12 But I know as I study 40:13 a little bit about the plan of salvation, 40:15 to me, it involves a complete recovery, 40:22 a complete rescue 40:24 from the power of the enemy or sin. 40:26 Does that make sense? 40:29 The plan of salvation does what? 40:32 Embraces the thought of a complete rescue, 40:35 complete recovery from the power of the enemy and sin. 40:39 That's what Jesus was manifested 40:41 in the flesh to do, to put an end to sin. 40:44 So as we use the word perfect 40:48 and we use the word complete and perfection, 40:51 you realize every one of those, you may look at for yourself, 40:55 I challenge you to do it. 40:56 I don't want you to miss out anything. 40:59 And really could you go so far a wrong to at least listen 41:02 to what's being said and at least weigh it out. 41:06 It's not asking you to do something 41:08 that's may be unscriptural 41:09 but just to be more like Jesus 41:12 and more like those who will repopulate heaven 41:15 by the grace of God. 41:16 Are we still looking at our self? 41:19 But when you use these terms, these words, perfect, 41:21 complete and perfection, it has the meaning, listen, church, 41:25 it has the meaning of living without sin, without sinning. 41:30 Wow! 41:32 As 1 John 3:8 tells us, 41:35 Jesus came to destroy what? 41:38 The works of the devil. 41:40 He came to do away with sin. 41:44 If we're cling to it, we're gonna be done away with. 41:47 We need to be confessing those things, 41:48 we need to be covered with the blood of Jesus Christ. 41:51 It's a frightening thought to me, 41:53 it's frightening to think 41:56 we have the opportunity to confess our sins, 41:58 to be covered by the blood 42:00 and heaven can be our home 42:02 or just dilly dallying around, say, well, 42:05 I pray once a week or every month 42:06 or whatever you take... 42:07 Every moment, the Holy Spirit will impress your heart 42:10 and your mind every moment 42:11 that you're getting off track if you ask him to. 42:16 Ask the Holy Spirit in prayer, 42:17 I want to be filled with the Spirit 42:18 to bring conviction when I'm getting off track. 42:22 And the Spirit will say, Kenny, you're getting off track here. 42:24 Say, "Thank You, Lord. 42:26 I don't wanna get off track. 42:28 Thank You for reminding me." 42:31 Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. 42:34 He came to destroy the deeds of the devil, 42:37 He came to destroy the acts of the devil, 42:39 He came to do away with the doings of the devil, 42:41 He came to do away with the labor of... 42:44 That labor that the enemy was doing. 42:45 Praise God, the works of the devil, 42:47 He came to destroy. 42:50 It's clear to me as I read scripture 42:52 that Christ's character is to be my character. 42:57 I don't know how else, how else to look at it. 43:00 I don't know how else to evaluate it 43:02 based up on the Word of God, not what man says 43:05 because man is so fickle. 43:07 Man, oh, man, we talk about 43:10 these pillars of faith, you know. 43:15 Some of them, I have a difficult time 43:17 even recognizing anymore. 43:19 I'm not trying to be critical, I'm not trying to hurt anyone, 43:22 I have a difficult time, 43:24 some of them don't recognize those pillars 43:27 which we are not to remove the peg 43:30 or a pin of these 43:33 because they will collapse 43:35 and many are removing the pegs and the pin. 43:40 The truth that this movement was raised up on 43:43 is being changed and we're sitting by idly, 43:46 Lord, forgive us for sitting by idly, 43:48 I'm as guilty as anybody but I've told God, 43:51 I'm not going to sit idly by anymore. 43:55 Now there's something I don't like, this truth, 43:56 I'm gonna talk about it, vindicate character of God, 44:01 Christ's character is to be our character and I do, 44:05 I know this, some people say, oh, 44:08 you know what I just don't mean like that. 44:11 Some people, who are some people? 44:15 There's always some people, some people say, 44:17 and if you're one of those, bless your heart, 44:19 maybe you didn't know or maybe you know 44:20 and you just want to move on. 44:24 They say some these little verses 44:26 that we've been reading here are, 44:27 they'll say, well, that means 44:29 to live a life that's consecrated. 44:30 Praise God, that's good. 44:33 They'll say what it means, perfect, 44:34 it means we're going to be matured 44:36 and we're gonna grow up, yeah, that's good too. 44:39 It means to be dedicated, that's true for life 44:42 but there is more. 44:44 What if we're missing it, what if we're missing it? 44:46 In Adventism, we say, you know, be careful with this, 44:49 the best I get. 44:50 The world basically is missing 44:53 a great blessing of the Seventh-day Sabbath. 44:57 And since it's such a great blessing to us, 44:58 we want to share with other people, notice that, 45:03 means of salvation and we're working our way... 45:07 God said, remember it, we remember Him. 45:12 It's a relationship, time away from the world, 45:15 time with Him and so enjoy that and we thank God for it 45:19 and it has made us happy 45:20 and we want to make others happy 45:21 but they don't want to hear it. 45:26 People say, well, that means dedicated life. 45:30 Let me give you an example, in Romans 6:18, 45:35 we read maybe in other parts we did in verse 16, I think, 45:39 but let's read Romans 6:18, Bible says, 45:41 "Being made free from sin, 45:44 you become the servants of righteousness." 45:47 Don't you like it? I do. 45:49 You're made free, you can't be the servants of righteousness 45:53 while you're bound up in sin. 45:55 I want that to make sense. 45:58 Does it make sense to you? 45:59 It won't make sense to me, I can't be a servant of Jesus, 46:02 I can't be righteous, 46:04 I can't be counted as righteous 46:07 if I'm all my bound up in sin. 46:09 You got to be free from that. 46:10 You realize a person 46:12 who's bound up in sin is miserable, 46:14 running around, hiding in, lying in, 46:17 doing all things they shouldn't be doing 46:18 in bondage. 46:21 See, Paul writes to the Corinthians, 46:24 in II Corinthians 10:5, this is very, very important, 46:26 our time is really coming down but notice this, 46:29 II Corinthians 10:5, 46:30 all familiar passage or scriptures 46:32 but it's still good, notice, it says, 46:33 "Casting down the imaginations, 46:36 every high thing that exalted itself above," 46:39 notice, "against the knowledge of God," 46:43 here key, "bringing into captivity 46:46 every thought to the obedience of Christ." 46:49 So now we're getting down to this nitty-gritty here, 46:51 it's not just, you know, actions and deeds 46:54 and all the need to be, you know, 46:55 what Jesus would have us to be doing 46:57 but it's even bringing our thoughts into captivity, 47:00 controlling by the grace of God the thoughts 47:02 because that's where sin begins, is where? 47:05 In the mind, thought process, found something on this 47:11 in Three Testimonies 8:3, remember, we're talking about 47:14 being filled with the Spirit of God, 47:16 something different has to take place, 47:18 your life must be different than it is right now, 47:21 you think right now today that you, that I, 47:23 like we are right now, 47:25 that we can repopulate heaven. 47:31 Or in your own mind as you do self-examination you'd say, 47:34 "Woo, this is, 47:35 this is not gonna go over very well in heaven." 47:37 Then why not give it to Jesus now? 47:38 Why don't I give it to Jesus now? 47:40 It's not gonna repopulate heaven, 47:42 it's not gonna go on up there, 47:43 we need to get rid of it down here, 47:44 here's the time. 47:46 Three Testimonies 8:3 tells us this, 47:49 when you come to this position, 47:52 when you come to this position of what? 47:55 Casting down, see, all of this, when you came to the what? 47:59 To bring even your thoughts 48:03 into subjection to the will of God, 48:05 notice what happens, when you come to this position, 48:07 your thoughts, your thoughts will be pure, 48:11 they will be chased, they will be elevated 48:13 and your actions pure and sinless. 48:17 Wow. 48:19 When we really follow Him, 48:23 here's what really begins in the mind. 48:27 Jesus said, as a man thinketh what? 48:29 In his heart, so is he. 48:33 Sin, it comes in to the mind and it plays out in the mind 48:36 before it plays out maybe in actions 48:40 and the Bible is clear on that. 48:41 The Spirit of prophecy is clear on that. 48:45 When we come to this position 48:47 submitting it all to Jesus Christ, 48:49 you see, through the Holy Spirit, 48:51 our thoughts will become pure, our thoughts will be chaste, 48:55 our thoughts will be elevated toward heaven, 48:58 our actions will be pure and sinless. 49:01 What do you do with it? What I do with it? 49:05 And then I'll tell you this, my brothers and sisters, 49:07 at that point, then we may present our bodies, 49:11 a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, 49:17 which is your reasonable service. 49:20 How many times you've read that Romans 12:1? 49:24 "We may present our bodies, a living sacrifice, 49:28 holy and acceptable." 49:31 It's our reasonable service. 49:36 Colossians 4:12, notice couple lines here, it says, 49:40 "That ye may stand perfect 49:43 and complete in all the will of God." 49:46 How much? How much? 49:47 You may stand complete, you may stand perfect 49:50 in all the will of God. 49:51 That's what the Bible said. 49:53 To try to go against that, 49:55 we're fighting against something, 49:56 I'll tell you, it's going to come back to bite us. 49:59 I want you to notice this right here, 50:01 this may blow you plum out of the water, 50:02 if you haven't read it in a while 50:04 or maybe you never have 50:05 because I know it lines up with Scripture. 50:08 Five Testimonies 2:16, notice how clear, it says, 50:12 now is the time to prepare, notice this, 50:15 talking about the seal of God. 50:17 Now is the time prepare but seal of God, Revelation 7, 50:20 you remember reading there. 50:21 Notice, notice, the seal of God will never be placed up 50:26 on the forehead of an impure man or woman. 50:30 Somebody say with it me, the seal of God, 50:33 you must have that, 50:34 you're not gonna enter the portals of glory. 50:36 The seal of God will never be placed upon a man or a woman 50:41 of an impure man or woman, 50:43 it will never be placed upon the forehead 50:46 of an ambitious, that means for gain, 50:49 that means for fame, that means for power, 50:51 that means for wealth, world loving man or woman. 50:57 The seal of God cannot be 50:59 put up on a world loving man or woman, 51:01 it's not going to happen. 51:03 It will never be placed up on the forehead of a man or woman 51:07 of false tongues and deceitful hearts, 51:12 cheating, deceptive, false, liars, 51:18 dishonest, rumor carriers, backbiters, cannibals, 51:23 can never be placed, 51:25 the seal of God on your forehead 51:27 or on your mind. 51:30 Notice the bottom line in this article, 51:33 all, no exceptions, my brothers and sisters, 51:37 all who receive the seal 51:40 must be without spot before God. 51:45 Candidates for heaven, that puts me in my place. 51:49 Could it be any clear? 51:52 I need some help, I don't know about you, 51:55 I need some help 51:58 but I'm thankful to be able to read, 52:00 be able to study and say, Oh, I see to repopulate heaven 52:05 means there needs to be some changes, 52:07 this is my hour of probation, this is it, 52:10 however long, however short, 52:11 this is my hour to become like Jesus, 52:15 to live up to every ray of light 52:18 that God has given to me." 52:20 You'll say, well, some of them didn't live... 52:22 God is just, he's fair and he's good. 52:25 He just requires of you and me what we understand as truth. 52:30 And then I'll read here quickly as time is running out, 52:32 Five Testimonies 2:14, again he's talking about 52:36 none of us will receive the seal 52:37 of the living of God, notice, 52:40 while our characters have one spot 52:43 or stain upon them. 52:47 No one will receive the seal of the living God 52:51 if there be one spot or one stain upon them. 52:55 It is left to us to remedy the defects of our character 52:59 to cleanse the soul temple from every defilement, 53:04 then, then the latter rain will fall up on us 53:09 as the early rain fell up on the disciples 53:12 at the day of Pentecost. 53:13 Did you know we're praying for the latter rain? 53:15 We want the latter rain to fall. 53:16 Oh, God, help me with the latter rain, 53:18 equip us ready, prepare us, purify us. 53:22 But notice function of the latter rain here, 53:25 it says here, cleansing the soul temple 53:28 from every defilement, not one spot, 53:31 not one stain upon it, then the latter rain, it says, 53:35 will fall up on us as the early rain, 53:38 then, then I hope, I could say it 53:42 again and again and again. 53:43 I hope it makes sense, then the latter rain. 53:46 Latter rain cannot fall. 53:49 Let me just read Christ Object Lessons 3:16 says this, 53:53 Christ, oh, He died for our sin, 53:56 praise God, that's good. 53:58 Let's praise God without the shedding of blood, 53:59 no remission of sin but notice 54:01 Christ Object Lessons 3:16 says this, 54:03 "Christ's righteousness 54:04 will not cover one cherished sin." 54:09 Christ's what? 54:11 His righteousness will not cover 54:13 one cherished sin, 54:15 simply means, one that I won't give up, 54:18 one that I say is impossible to give up 54:19 when the Bible said 54:20 all things are possible through Him. 54:22 To say we can't gain victory in our life is 54:24 to say that the God of this universe is not able. 54:26 No, no one would say that. 54:28 Surely we would not say that. 54:30 He is able, remember one truth hangs upon another truth. 54:35 We cannot afford to reject one ray of light, 54:39 one impression of the Holy Spirit 54:41 if disregarded we know today 54:45 will not be as strong tomorrow 54:47 and not as strong the next day and so on. 54:49 Let me give you a quick example 54:50 of how this truth hangs upon the other. 54:52 The Bible over and over testifies 54:55 that Jesus would be born, is that true? 54:57 It says He would live a perfect life, 54:59 it's said He would die for our sins, 55:01 He would rise again, He would return to heaven, 55:05 He would come back for the redeemed, 55:07 that's put in a nutshell. 55:10 But, no, notice, 55:11 if these prophecies were rejected 55:15 the way then was being prepared to reject the forerunner, 55:18 which was John the Baptist. 55:21 You see, the Jews had it, people had it, 55:22 they could read it that Jesus would come, 55:24 He will live, He would die, and what, 55:26 they rejected that so as they rejected that, 55:28 they rejected John, 55:29 and when he came giving the truth, 55:31 don't be caught rejecting what is truth, 55:32 I don't want to be caught. 55:35 They rejected the forerunner and then if they rejected John, 55:39 then they were to prepared to reject Jesus when he came. 55:41 Does that make sense? 55:43 The majority rejected Jesus Christ 55:46 and then they were not, then they were not prepared 55:48 to receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. 55:52 One truth hangs upon another. 55:56 It's not only by resistance 55:59 but neglect that the soul is destroyed. 56:03 Just have a little over a minute 56:04 and I want to pray for you 56:06 and I want you to be praying for me. 56:08 This is light that God is giving His last day people. 56:11 How desperately when you say, oh, Lord, 56:13 I thank you for that light. 56:15 But you know what, I'm just a failure on my own 56:18 but I need you to help me and he'll say, good. 56:21 I'll be glad to help you, I'll give you the victory 56:23 because I promised you. 56:24 He said, remember I said, 56:26 you are more then conquerors through Jesus Christ. 56:29 Some of you today, you've made that decision. 56:31 I really want to follow him, 56:32 I really want to be ready when Jesus comes. 56:35 I don't want to miss it. 56:36 If I missed heaven, I've missed my purpose for being here. 56:40 There's no heaven after this, then what are we doing here? 56:44 We're not going to see Jesus. 56:45 Let's just kneel quickly as we have a prayer for you. 56:48 Merciful Father in heaven, we thank You for Your love. 56:51 We thank You for Your precious truth of God's Word. 56:54 We thank You that You're reminding us, 56:55 we're preparing for heaven to be like Jesus. 56:58 We can't do it on our own, we're failures, we're weak, 57:01 we're vacillating but as we commit our will to Thee, 57:03 we commit our lives to You each and every day 57:05 and confess our sins, 57:06 You're faithful and just to forgive us. 57:08 Pray that You'll put that in our hearts and in our minds, 57:10 in our lives that You're coming soon 57:11 and we need to be ready and thank You 57:13 for the decisions made in Jesus name. 57:15 Amen. 57:17 So, so glad you stayed with us during this time 57:19 with Pillars of Truth and don't forget 57:22 we're going to coming back with a third part. 57:23 You won't want to miss that. 57:25 We'll see you next time. |
Revised 2016-09-06