Participants: Pr. John Carter
Series Code: CR
Program Code: CR001119
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00:08 From Arcadia, California the Carter Report Presents,
00:11 "The Living Word" around the world. 00:18 The Carter Report is 00:19 a self supporting ministry with a global mission. 00:23 We believe that the most important thing 00:25 that we can do in this tremendous hour 00:27 is to tell people about the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:31 Because Jesus said "I am the way, 00:33 the truth, and the life." 00:35 We do not believe that this is business as usual. 00:39 We believe that we are living in the closing hours, 00:43 in the history of this world. 00:44 Bless your heart friend. 00:46 Look at the signs that are being fulfilled 00:48 almost every day. 00:50 The signs of the times are shouting at us 00:53 and they're saying Jesus is coming soon. 00:56 I want you to be my partner in global mission. 01:00 I want you to be my partner 01:02 in helping to tell the world about 01:03 the coming of Jesus. 01:05 I want you to be my partner in the preaching 01:08 of the distinctive truths of the Three Angels' messages. 01:13 Please, check us out at 01:16 the new Carter Report website, cartereport.org. 01:20 We have a special section 01:22 whereby you can ask questions 01:25 and I will give you the answers 01:27 from the living word of the living God. 01:30 That is the cartereport.org. 01:35 My friend, we want you to join us in the mission 01:39 to preach the gospel in China, in India, in Australia, 01:45 in Africa, in the United States of America, 01:49 wherever people are lost 01:51 and wherever people need to hear 01:53 the good news that Jesus saves. 01:57 Please check us out, 01:58 the new Carter Report website, cartereport.org. 02:03 I want to hear from you today. 02:19 This is just one of the greatest of all subjects. 02:22 The topic today is "The Gratitude Attitude," 02:27 the gratitude attitude. 02:30 I'm going to tell you how your life 02:33 can be turned around by an attitude of gratitude. 02:39 We have with us today from the Disney family, 02:42 a very beautiful person, 02:43 she sung for us before, Melissa Disney. 02:47 And as somebody said to me 02:49 she is going to really do a duet today. 02:51 And when she comes up you gonna find out why. 02:54 So we're so glad to have from the Disney family, 02:57 where they're famous around the world, Melissa Disney. 03:17 O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder 03:26 Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made 03:35 I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder 03:43 Thy power throughout the universe displayed 03:52 Then sings my soul, My Savior God to thee 04:02 How great Thou art, how great thou art 04:11 Then sings my soul, My Savior God to thee 04:21 How great Thou art, how great thou art 04:39 When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation 04:47 And take me home- what joy shall fill my heart 04:56 Then I shall bow in humble adoration 05:05 And then proclaim my God, how great thou art 05:14 Then sings my soul, My Savior God to thee 05:23 How great thou art, how great thou art 05:33 Then sings my soul, My Savior God to thee 05:43 How great thou art, how great thou art 05:52 Then sings my soul, My Savior God to thee 06:03 How great thou art, how great thou art 06:12 Then sings my soul, My Savior God to thee 06:23 How great thou art, how great thou art 06:37 How great thou art, how great thou art 07:03 A woman, a friend of mine was dying of her awful sickness. 07:07 Some of you know of whom I'm speaking. 07:11 And the time came when she was facing death. 07:15 She didn't think she would last through the night. 07:19 And in the depths of her darkness 07:22 she prayed and she said God, 07:26 medication doesn't seem to be working over normal procedures 07:32 and she started to open herself up to God and say, 07:36 God, I--I want You to forgive me for all of my sins. 07:42 And then she said, I want to pray for the people 07:46 who've sinned against me. 07:47 The people that I feel have hurt me 07:50 and she started to pray a prayer of forgiveness 07:54 for people who would hurt her. 07:57 And then she said, 07:58 she made up her mind there on her death bed, 08:03 but she didn't die, 08:07 that she would develop an attitude of gratitude, 08:10 or the gratitude attitude. 08:15 And she started to thank God for all the good things 08:19 that were happening to her. 08:21 Could you imagine? 08:23 She started to thank God for all the good things 08:26 that had happened in the past. 08:29 She told me personally, 08:31 I interviewed her and talked to her. 08:33 She told me, from that moment onward 08:36 she started to get better. 08:40 I want you to know 08:41 there is a tremendous positive healing force 08:46 if you have, what we've got written over here 08:51 on these blackboards, if you have a gratitude attitude. 09:00 Here in this great country the United States, 09:02 we celebrate a beautiful day, it's called Thanksgiving. 09:05 And it is a day when we try to develop 09:09 an attitude of gratitude. 09:11 I want you to take your Bibles and turn to a text 09:14 that I think is one of the most wonderful texts in the Bible. 09:18 In fact it is the high point, 09:21 some would say of all the sacred scripture. 09:24 It is Romans Chapter 8 and verse 28 and onwards. 09:30 And the great Jewish scholar, 09:33 St. Paul writes these words 09:35 under inspiration of God, Romans 8. 09:38 You folks doing okay here today? Yes. 09:40 Is everybody happy here today? Yes. 09:42 I want you to do something before we go any further. 09:45 Would you hold up your Bible now? 09:48 Want the world to see the Bibles, 09:49 and say, this is my Bible. 09:52 This is my Bible. This is God's word. 09:54 This is God's word. 09:57 God is going to bless me here today. 09:59 God is going to bless me here today. 10:01 I'm going to ask God to open up my heart. 10:05 I'm going to ask God to open up my heart. 10:07 So I can listen to His voice. 10:09 So I can listen to His voice. 10:11 And His word is going to make me a better person. 10:17 And His word is going to make me a better person. 10:20 And His word is going to give me everlasting life. 10:26 And His word is going to give me everlasting life. 10:28 I now open my heart. I now open my heart. 10:31 To receive God's word. To receive God's word. 10:33 In Jesus name. In Jesus name. 10:36 Amen. Amen. 10:37 And amen, thank you. 10:38 Would you please notice Romans Chapter 8, verse 28. 10:42 Paul says, "And we know good thing 10:45 to know something and to be absolutely certain of it. 10:49 "And we know that in all things 10:51 God works for the good of those who love him, 10:55 who have been called according to his purpose." 10:58 That's one reason we can have the gratitude attitude. 11:02 "For those God foreknew he also predestined 11:06 to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, 11:09 that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 11:13 Also those he predestined, he also called, 11:18 those he called, he also justified, 11:22 those he justified, he also glorified. 11:26 What, then, shall we say in response to this?" 11:31 Say it with me. 11:32 "If God is for us, who can be against us? 11:37 He who did not spare his own Son, 11:40 but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, 11:43 along with him, graciously give us all things?" 11:47 These are reasons for this attitude, 11:50 the gratitude attitude. 11:52 "Who will bring any charge against those 11:55 whom God has chosen? 11:57 It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? 12:03 Christ Jesus, who died more than that, 12:05 who was raised to life is at the right hand of God 12:08 and is also interceding for us. 12:12 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? 12:14 Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine 12:20 or nakedness or danger or sword? 12:25 As it is written, 'For your sake 12:28 we face death all day long, 12:30 we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' 12:33 No, in all these things" What does it say my, friend. 12:36 "We are more than conquerors through him 12:41 who loved us. 12:42 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, 12:46 neither angels nor demons, 12:49 neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 12:52 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, 12:57 will be able to separate us from the love of God 13:01 that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 13:05 Amen. Hallelujah, praise God. 13:10 And this tells us why we gonna have our gratitude attitude. 13:17 This tells us why our souls can be filled with 13:20 thankfulness and joy and peace and happiness 13:26 and how we can go home to the Kingdom of God 13:29 laughing and singing as we go. 13:32 Listen to me, such an attitude 13:37 which is largely missing in today's world, 13:41 such an attitude is possible only to the soul 13:46 that knows the reality of God 13:49 and the meaningfulness of human existence. 13:53 Listen to this tremendous statement 13:56 which is not original with me. 14:01 This is the great choice 14:04 and this is the great divide between gratitude and despair, 14:11 hope and hopelessness, life and death, 14:15 the great choice that divides all of humanity 14:18 and that divides the church. 14:22 "Am I meaningless clot 14:27 of coincidental molecules" 14:30 as Richard Dawkins teaches. 14:33 "Or am I a child of God, of infinite worth." 14:40 Am I just a mass of molecules that arrived 14:45 on the earth by chance 14:47 or am I like the pilgrim father's taught, 14:51 am I a child of God made in the image of God 14:55 with a glorious destiny. 14:59 See, if a person that is-- 15:04 that he is the product of blind chance 15:08 and that nothing really counts. 15:10 How can he have the gratitude attitude? 15:13 Therefore I say to you 15:17 we're children of a God of infinite worth. 15:21 Therefore, be thankful, 15:23 be grateful, have confidence seeing 15:27 and rejoice and today and everyday 15:30 by the grace of God, let us have the gratitude attitude. 15:37 Like--yeah I'm enjoying this today, thank you. 15:40 It's nice to get a little feedback 15:43 even if it's from some person who is going like this. 15:50 Like the early American founders who were not atheist, 15:57 not atheistic evolutionist. 16:02 They were not people who had taught themselves 16:06 that there is no God 16:07 and had killed every bright dream in their minds. 16:13 The early Americans had the gratitude attitude 16:16 like so many people in other countries around the world. 16:20 But this country was founded by not by atheist 16:24 and not by communist. 16:25 It was founded by people who had a resolute faith in God. 16:30 And thus they set aside a whole day 16:32 for the express purpose of showing 16:34 gratitude and thankfulness to God. 16:37 We are not unique in this. 16:38 Canada has a day of gratitude and some other countries, 16:43 but I think Americans just loves this day 16:47 because to them it's the best day in the year. 16:51 The Puritans came over here in that tiny little boat 16:55 which was called what, the Mayflower. 17:00 They came to this country seeking religious liberty. 17:05 They came to this country because of the persecutions 17:09 that they found in Great Britain and in the rest of Europe. 17:13 They came here because they were Bible Christians, 17:16 they believed in salvation by grace alone. 17:20 They were Christians who believed in soul of Christ 17:22 is only Christ, soul of scripture only scripture, 17:26 only grace and only faith. 17:29 And when they came here it was not easy. 17:33 They had a dreadful winter. 17:35 And many of the early Americans died 17:37 because of the severity of that winter. 17:40 But in 1621 after good harvest 17:44 they had a celebration at Plymouth in Massachusetts. 17:48 They had been helped by the Indians 17:50 who provided seeds and taught them how to fish. 17:55 And thus, and this was later made into something 17:59 even bigger and better by that great man Abraham Lincoln. 18:05 In the midst of the bloody war, he proclaimed 18:09 that there would be a day in which 18:11 we would give thanks to God, 18:14 and that every person would try to develop 18:17 a spirit of thankfulness or as we call it today 18:20 an attitude of thankfulness, 18:23 an attitude of gratitude to almighty God. 18:26 Why should we be thankful? 18:31 I would like to suggest there are many reasons. 18:34 The text Romans 8:28 says with God life has meaning. 18:42 I believe this with all my soul that life has meaning. 18:46 I could not go on for another day 18:49 if I did not believe in the infinite providence of God. 18:53 I'm going to tell Pastor Venegas, a story now, 18:56 some of you have heard this story. 18:59 But I'm going to tell him the story. 19:01 After we had run a campaign in Russia, 19:03 we came back via London. 19:05 It's a huge city, one of the greatest cities in the world. 19:09 And Beverley has always been 19:10 a fan of Princess Dye. 19:13 She was a remarkable young woman, 19:16 would have made a great queen 19:18 but we know the tragic end. 19:22 But down at Kensington Palace, 19:23 where she used to live on occasions 19:26 they were celebrating her life and Beverley said 19:30 let's go down to Kensington Palace, 19:33 because there were thousands of people bringing flowers. 19:38 This was ten years after her death. 19:40 So we went down to Kensington Palace, 19:42 and Javier and Suzy Piraino came with us. 19:46 And they went inside the museum, 19:49 because inside the palace. 19:52 But I've just been running a campaign 19:55 preaching every night and after 19:59 you've done this night after night after night, 20:02 you got to have some quite. 20:05 You can't just keep up the pressure. 20:08 They said come inside. 20:11 I said no I-- I don't want to go inside 20:12 another palace or another museum. 20:15 I've seen so many palaces and museums. 20:17 I don't want to see another crown. 20:20 And so I went around the back of the palace 20:23 and I sat down under a tree all by myself, 20:28 all by myself alone in splendid isolation 20:35 until I heard my name called Pastor John Carter. 20:42 Oh, goodness, and a couple came to me. 20:48 Not only did they come to me 20:50 but they came and embraced me and they kissed me. 20:54 They said, we came to London to see you. 20:59 I said nobody knows I'm here. 21:03 Somebody knew, the Lord knew. 21:07 They said we've watched your television program. 21:11 This is why we continue here, 21:12 this is why we do this work. 21:14 They said we were atheists living in England. 21:18 Our television set broke down, 21:20 something broke down and the only channel 21:23 we could get was 3ABN. 21:28 They said we could not look at anything else 21:31 but 3ABN and we saw you week after week after week. 21:37 And we gave our lives to Christ and we were baptized 21:41 and we joined the church. 21:44 Isn't this amazing? 21:47 They said we have relatives in Australia 21:54 and somehow somebody had heard 21:58 that you might be passing through England 22:03 on your way home to the United States, 22:05 you might be passing through England. 22:07 And so we prayed that God would help us to meet you. 22:15 So we have been they said 22:17 and they thought this was not true. 22:20 They said we've been much in prayer 22:21 and the Lord impressed us to come to London today. 22:26 We don't live in London, we live a hundred miles 22:29 outside of London and my family-- 22:31 we were all praying 22:32 because we're all believers like you are. 22:35 And therefore we travel up on the train today 22:38 and we came to London 22:40 and we felt moved to go to Kensington Palace. 22:46 Now, we felt mpressed to go to Kensington Palace 22:52 not at eight in the morning, not at 10 o'clock at night, 22:55 not at three in the afternoon 22:57 but 11 o'clock this morning and here you are. 23:04 I say to the unbeliever listen carefully, 23:08 what chance is there of that happening. 23:11 We've go 65 million people in England alone, 23:15 there are 365 days in the year, 23:19 and there are 24 hours in the day 23:25 and there are literally hundreds of thousands of places, 23:29 maybe millions of places where you could meet in England 23:33 besides under a tree at the back of Kensington Palace. 23:39 The chance of that happening my friend, 23:42 is not in a thousand billion. 23:44 It is evidence that in all things God works 23:48 for the good of His people. Amen. 23:50 This is evidence that there is a God in heaven, praise God. 23:54 Can you say Hallelujah? Hallelujah. 23:56 That is why, you and I ought to have a gratitude attitude, 24:01 because God knows about us and He loves us 24:04 and He has a plan for us. Amen. 24:07 I just received a message from Pastor Harold Hawker. 24:10 There's a man, he is a knight of the British order. 24:16 He is so and so in the Solomon Islands. 24:20 I don't meet too many knights 24:23 but he came to our meetings 24:24 and he came to our meetings listen to this, 24:28 he came to the meetings carried as a cripple 24:33 because he could not walk. 24:37 And one night during the appeal for people 24:40 to come down to front as 10,000 out of 35,000 people 24:47 would come down the front. 24:49 He raised his hand unable to walk 24:52 and I read the story of the woman who reached 24:55 at the finger the trembling finger of faith 24:59 and Christ said your faith has healed you, 25:02 go in peace. 25:03 And he said, well if it had happened to that woman 25:06 it can happen to me. 25:08 I won't tell you his name 25:09 but sir so and so said I will put my faith in Christ 25:14 and he rose up and he walked 25:17 and he has been walking every since. 25:21 Now, we would tell you we're not faith healers. 25:25 I am not a faith healer 25:27 but I believe in a God who can heal, you see. 25:32 And they have got moral faith at in those places 25:35 than they have here in the churches in North America. 25:42 Because all things worked together for good, 25:46 because God has a plan and a purpose for every life, 25:50 for your life and my life. 25:52 We need to have in our souls the gratitude attitude. 25:59 Can you say, amen? 26:01 Amen. Yes. 26:04 We can be thankful because God supplies our needs. 26:09 Come over here to Matthew Chapter 6: 25 and onwards. 26:13 God supplies our needs sometimes in spite of us. 26:18 Matthew Chapter 6:25 to 30 the words of our blessed Lord. 26:25 Matthew 6:25 and onwards. 26:28 "Therefore I tell you, " Jesus said 26:31 "do not worry about your life, 26:34 what you will eat or drink, or about your body, 26:38 what you will wear. 26:41 Is not life more important than food, 26:44 and the body more important than clothes? 26:48 Look at the birds of the air. " We'll stop for a moment. 26:53 Last night I called out to Beverley 26:55 at 10 o'clock at night. 26:56 I said, listen that amazing bird singing outside the window. 27:00 She said it's on the computer. Okay. 27:04 I'm telling you folks, 27:06 it's hard to have attitude of gratitude 27:09 all the time but, okay. 27:11 "Look at the birds of the air, 27:13 they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, 27:17 and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. 27:20 Are you not much more valuable than they? 27:25 Who of you by worrying can add 27:26 a single hour to his life?" 27:30 And then "Why do you worry about clothes? 27:34 See how the lilies of the field grow. 27:37 They do not labor or spin. 27:39 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon 27:41 in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 27:46 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, 27:48 which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, 27:52 will he not much more clothe you, 27:55 O you of little faith?" 27:57 Because of the certainty of the fact 27:59 that God supplies our needs, 28:01 we need to have the gratitude attitude. 28:05 He gives us food, He gives us clothing, 28:09 He gives us a roof over our heads, 28:12 He gives us family and friends, 28:15 and He gives us the church of the living God. 28:19 Now a person who's got a testimony, 28:21 she told me about it. That touched my heart. 28:24 I've never heard it before is Susan Piraino. 28:27 I am going to ask her to come. 28:31 She told me this story happened sometime ago 28:34 but it just sort of touched me and amazed me. 28:39 Good morning, Susan. 28:41 Good morning, Pastor Carter. 28:42 How are you this morning? 28:44 I am doing fine, thank you. 28:45 Have you have gratitude attitude. 28:49 I definitely do. Now tell me why? 28:52 Well, as most importantly church know, 28:54 we came to know the gospel 28:57 through your ministry in the Shrine Auditorium. 28:59 Javier and I attended every night 29:01 and I was out of the church and Javier was not a Christian. 29:04 So after the meetings 29:07 we were baptized into your church 29:09 and we started attending. 29:10 And of course like most couples 29:12 we were very much in debt 29:14 and I wasn't working so Javier was the only working person. 29:18 And we learned about tithing, 29:21 we hadn't been doing that. 29:23 And so we thought we need to do this. 29:26 But I was doing it backwards. 29:28 I was paying the bills and then at the end 29:30 seeing if I had anything leftover for the tithing. 29:33 And we didn't seem to go anywhere. 29:36 Our finances were very, very limited. 29:38 And finally I thought, I kept reading and studying 29:42 I heard a sermon that you preached on giving 29:44 to the Lord and putting God first. 29:47 And I thought, you know, what are we doing this backwards. 29:49 I need to pay the tithe first and then pay the bills. 29:53 So I started to do that and it came up 29:56 where one day I was paying the bills, 29:58 I did the tithe check first 30:01 but I didn't have enough for our car insurance 30:03 which I'll never forget was $221. 30:06 but I thought, I'll let Xavier know, 30:08 he can work extra hours 30:09 and when he makes the money 30:10 then I will pay it and we'll pay the fine. 30:13 So, I did that and I didn't send the bill, the payment. 30:17 So I went to the post office box the next day. 30:20 And I got the mail and I look through it. 30:22 And I was about to throw it away and I thought wait, 30:24 this looks like a check. 30:25 So I opened it up and sure enough, 30:28 it was a letter from our insurance company 30:30 back when the boys were born, 30:32 which have been three or four years before that. 30:35 We had over paid some money 30:37 and there was a check for $222. 30:42 It was a dollar more than my insurance need. 30:44 Hallelujah. Read us a text. 30:47 So this text really comes to heart. 30:50 It says, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, 30:53 that there may be food in my house. 30:55 Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, 30:58 and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven 31:01 and pour out so much blessing 31:03 that you will not have room enough for it." 31:05 And I'm a testament to this text 31:08 because God proved to me that He did open the gates. 31:12 And ever since then, our income has never been, 31:16 you know, huge but all our bills have been paid, 31:19 we got out of debt. 31:21 We put our kids in the academy, 31:22 which we didn't know we could do. 31:24 And God continues to bless us and provide all our needs. 31:28 Thank God. Thank God Susan. 31:30 Wonderful testimony. 31:32 Why we can have an attitude of gratitude. 31:36 Now very special person in this church 31:39 is Mr. Jose Sulgatti he is a very dear friend of mine. 31:44 I'm going to ask him now to come. 31:48 I don't know a harder working person, 31:51 I don't know a better family. 31:53 And I don't know a better builder, 31:57 he builds the best houses. 32:00 You've got always the gratitude attitude. 32:05 Tell me some things why you were grateful my brother? 32:09 Pastor Carter, there are many scene 32:12 for what reason I need to say, 32:13 "Lord, obey to God," 32:15 because He blessed me everyday, everyday. 32:19 But you know something two years, 32:21 two and half years ago I had been in the worse, 32:24 very hard time in my life. 32:27 The recession. 32:28 The recession time, for 14 months 32:31 I couldn't work any days, any day. 32:34 You know very well the situation 32:36 because you were very close to me. 32:37 Praying for me, many people in the church 32:40 were praying for me also. 32:42 You know, but I remember slightly Pastor Carter, 32:45 was very hard time, but I never, 32:47 never I forgot God's promises. 32:51 You know what, because I knew God 32:55 "He loved me," I say to myself. 32:57 Because He sent His son to, 33:00 to go the cross and die for me for one reason, 33:04 because He loved me, He never leaved me alone. 33:07 For that reason Pastor Carter, I'm very happy. 33:10 Thank you, thank you God for every scene. 33:13 Every scene is good for me. 33:14 It doesn't matter what is the problem, 33:16 I know the solution is coming soon. 33:18 And from that hard time, 33:20 I learnt a lot scene, God love. 33:23 Pastor Carter, thank you for this opportunity 33:26 to be my real testimony. 33:28 God bless you my brother. God bless you. 33:39 Just a special man with a special relationship with God. 33:44 You know folks it's easy to, 33:48 easy to have faith in God 33:51 when everything is easy, isn't it? 33:53 But when things are falling apart 33:55 and the recession is knocked at your business. 33:59 But I want you to know, 34:00 we gonna have this gratitude attitude, 34:03 because God always comes through. 34:05 We can be grateful because of Christ and the Gospel. 34:09 I want you to come over now to 34:11 John Chapter 3 in verse 16. 34:14 Now you shouldn't have to turn to that text. 34:16 We gonna turn to it just because we're gonna turn to it. 34:20 Come over here to John Chapter 3 and verse 16, 34:24 John Chapter 3, verse 16. 34:28 This is the greatest text in all the Bible. 34:31 John Chapter 3, verse 16, you say it with me together, 34:37 "For God so loved the world 34:40 that he gave his one and only Son, 34:42 that whoever believes in him 34:44 shall not perish but have everlasting life." 34:48 My friend you and I can be glad 34:51 as Mr. Sulgatti said that we've got a Father 34:55 who send His Son. 34:58 God knows about us. 34:59 You'll have a down days. 35:01 You wonder what is going to happen. 35:03 Now for the folks watching the telecast 35:05 in other parts of the world 35:07 and we've a great audience around the world. 35:09 But here in America, it's been tough, 35:13 but God has supplied our needs 35:16 and as Jose told to he supplied our needs, 35:19 because we've got a Father 35:21 and He has send His Son and His Son died for us 35:24 and if His Son died for us He's going to see us through. 35:28 Now I want you to come over now to another text 35:30 that talks about the Gospel. 35:32 I want you to come over here to 35:33 Luke, Chapter 15, verses 1 and 2. 35:38 Luke, Chapter 15 and verses 1 and 2. 35:43 You got it Luke, Chapter 15, verses 1 and 2, 35:45 "Now the tax collectors and sinners 35:48 were all gathering around to hear him. 35:51 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered. 35:55 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."' 35:58 And Jesus said to the Pharisees 36:01 you're wrong on everything, 36:02 but on this you're right. 36:05 This man does receive signet. 36:08 That's the gospel and then Jesus told three stories 36:12 to illustrate the glory of the gospel in verses 3 and 4. 36:18 "Then Jesus told them this parable, 36:20 suppose one of you has a hundred sheep 36:22 and loses one of them. 36:24 Does he not leave the ninety and nine in the open country 36:29 and go after the lost sheep until he finds it" 36:32 And when he finds it, 36:33 "he joyfully puts it on his shoulders." 36:36 This tells me that God loves us 36:38 and that Jesus is the good shepherd 36:41 and He's searching for us. 36:43 This tells us why we can be thankful. 36:45 I want you to come down a little bit further, 36:48 come down to verse 8, 36:50 "Or suppose a woman has 36:53 ten silver coins and loses one. 36:59 Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house, 37:03 and search carefully until she finds it? 37:05 And when she finds it she calls her friend 37:08 sand neighbors together and says, 37:09 Rejoice with me, I have found my lost coin. 37:14 In the same way I tell you, 37:16 there is rejoicing in the presence of 37:19 the angels of God over one sinner who repents." 37:24 This tells me, He loves me, 37:26 He cares for me, He is searching for me 37:29 and then Jesus tells a story of the lost boy. 37:33 I want you to notice this. 37:35 Verse 11, Jesus continued, 37:37 "There was a man who had two sons. 37:40 The younger one said to his father, 37:42 Father give me my share of the estate. 37:45 So, he divided his property between them. 37:47 You know the story. 37:50 We call him the prodigal son. 37:53 He's the waster, he goes out 37:55 and he spends his father's wealth, 37:58 he spends it on harlots and alcohol and tobacco, 38:04 cocaine, and everything and then he's right down 38:08 at the bottom of the pit, but he comes to himself. 38:12 You know the story, and when he goes home, 38:15 he's moved by the spirit of God to go home. 38:18 And the old father is standing there 38:21 at the gate and is looking down 38:23 the road looking for the boy, 38:26 and the boy covered with the filth of the pig pen. 38:32 Wonders is my father going to kick me up. 38:36 But when his father sees the boy coming, 38:38 the Bible tells me the father runs down the road, 38:42 grabs the boy, and he hugs him, 38:44 he doesn't kick him, he kisses him. 38:48 And then they have a tremendous party 38:50 and they kill the fattened calf 38:52 and the father says rejoice 38:54 because my son was dead, 38:58 I want you to know, I was that boy. 39:04 You know, what we're talking about, 39:07 but we've a father and the father loves us 39:12 and I want you to know today 39:14 that we're gonna have an attitude of gratitude, 39:17 the gratitude attitude, because of the father. 39:23 Because of forgiveness. 39:26 We can thank God for the welcome home. 39:29 We thank God for the restoration. 39:32 We can thank God for the robe and the party. 39:36 We can thank God for the gospel, 39:40 which is a good news of God. 39:44 Now, I've got some folks here today in this church 39:47 and I love them so much. 39:50 And I'm going to ask them to come up to front 39:53 and tell me why they've got a gratitude attitude 39:58 and why they can give thanks to God. 40:01 Going to ask Alan De Leon to come up. 40:05 Alan, welcome Alan to church folks. 40:08 We're glad to have Alan in church today. 40:11 What do you-- Alan, tell me 40:14 what are you thankful about? 40:17 I'm thankful for the fact that God has guided me 40:19 throughout my life in all decisions big and small. 40:22 He is always constant and I can always 40:25 count on Him for anything no matter what it is. 40:27 I know that in recent months 40:30 that God has been doing a special work for you. 40:35 Do you feel the love of the Savior? 40:37 I always, and I'm always reminded of it 40:40 and its always constant everyday 40:42 I wakeup and I just see all of the ways 40:44 that He blesses me and He continues to bless me 40:47 and it's hard to ignore 40:48 and which is why I'm so thankful for Him 40:50 because He does everything for me. 40:53 And we're thankful to God for you. 40:54 God bless you Alan. 40:56 We're glad you're a member of our church. 40:59 Another special member of our church is Sydney Wexler. 41:04 The wonderful parents, the great little brother 41:08 by the name of Benjamin, not doing too bad this memory. 41:12 Okay, hello Sydney. 41:15 Hello Pastor Carter, Happy Sabbath. 41:16 Oh, Happy Sabbath, you look really cute today. 41:20 Tell me have you got a gratitude attitude 41:24 and why are you so thankful. 41:27 Yes, very much so Pastor Carter. 41:29 There are so many ways that God has blessed me in my life. 41:32 The first thing that comes to my mind is my school, 41:34 because I go to a Christian school that offers 41:37 such unique classical education. 41:40 I'm also thankful for my friends who are always by my side 41:44 and always want to help and support me. 41:47 I'm also thankful that God has given me my family, 41:50 my friends, this wonderful church 41:52 and the salvation that I have through faith in Jesus Christ. 41:55 Oh that's great, would you like, would like a kiss. 41:59 You're not too much into kisses. 42:01 Well, I'm gonna give you just a, just a-- 42:03 you're ready for it. 42:04 Okay, you're waiting for it. 42:06 Okay, she doesn't usually like too may kiss, 42:08 but you're ready for it and here it comes. 42:11 Thank you Sydney. Thank you sweetie. 42:14 It's really, really good. 42:17 Another great family is the Molina family with Maylink, 42:21 just great folks Leilani. 42:23 What a pretty name? Come up Leilani, Leilani Molina. 42:28 Hmmm, come over here sweetie pie. 42:32 How are you? 42:33 I am good, thank you Pastor Carter. 42:34 Are you thankful today? Yes, I am. 42:37 There's many reasons that I'm thankful to the Lord for. 42:40 But one of the main reasons is 42:41 for my family and friends, 42:42 because they're always there for me 42:44 and they can always deal with me in anything 42:47 that I need and I'm also thankful for my good health 42:51 and a good school that I go to. 42:54 I'm thankful to have a home 42:55 where I can always feel secure 42:57 and at home and just to have a roof over my head 43:01 and food on the table everyday is a huge blessing. 43:04 But above everything else I'm grateful to have 43:07 the Lord as my Savior and just to know 43:11 that He is always there for me no matter 43:13 what is the greatest blessing I can ask for. 43:15 You're a blessing to us now, get to ready for it, 43:18 you're ready for. 43:19 Where do you-- which side you wanted on, 43:21 this side because its easiest for me, 43:23 then I don't have go around the other side. 43:24 You're ready? Okay, you're ready now. 43:27 God bless you Leilani. God bless you sweetie. 43:31 Yeah what beautiful, beautiful young people. 43:34 Fine young man in our church is David Mercado. 43:40 David, we're proud of you, just proud of you. 43:46 David, welcome to church. Tell me are you thankful? 43:50 Yes for the peace I have in my Lord 43:52 and Savior Jesus Christ, having the assurance 43:55 that no matter what I go through 43:56 He'll never fail me and I can truly say in everything 43:59 that I've gone through whether bad or good, 44:01 He's always been by my side. 44:03 That's a great testimony, David. 44:06 We're proud of you and we thank you. 44:08 We're glad you're a member of this church. 44:14 We're gonna part a little bit now 44:15 from the young people of the church. 44:17 But I want you to welcome 44:18 a special guest Pastor James Venegas. 44:28 Now Pastor Venegas, we're glad that you're with us 44:30 from the land down under. 44:33 Tell us have you got the gratitude attitude, 44:37 what are you grateful for? 44:39 Absolutely Pastor Carter, my gratitude of attitude 44:42 is because God has called me to serve Him amongst people. 44:47 But also that He sustain me through the toughest times 44:49 in my life in particular, having lost my father 44:53 a few years ago very dark time 44:56 just when I started to study theology at college. 45:00 It did threatened to drown me, 45:01 there were times where things were so tough 45:03 that I would just cry myself to sleep, 45:06 my wife knows this. 45:08 I lost confidence that God would bring me back on track 45:12 and yet through door God was always there 45:14 and from the deepest part of my soul, 45:16 I'm just so thankful that He has sustained me 45:18 and now I can help other people 45:20 going through similar things that I went through. 45:23 We're thankful to God for you 45:25 and we want to thank you for traveling 45:28 all that distance that 8000 miles 45:31 and coming to visit us at our church 45:33 and we hope we gonna see much more of you. 45:36 God bless you, my brother. Thank you, thank you. 45:44 Now we have Mathew Cruz. 45:47 Now he comes from just a great family. 45:50 He's got his grandmother there Jonnie, 45:53 and she is routing for him today. 45:58 Good morning, Mathew. Good morning. 46:01 How you're doing this morning? Good. 46:05 Now what are you thankful for? 46:08 Well, Pastor Carter, 46:09 well, I'm thankful for is my loving church family. 46:12 The reason why is because they encourage me 46:15 to come to church and encourage me reading my Bible. 46:20 Well, I'm just thankful 46:22 I have such a fine young man in our church, 46:25 I really am and you've got just the nice 46:28 beautiful little sister her name is Arlene 46:31 and she's here today 46:33 with your mom and your grandparents, 46:36 so we're proud to have you as a member of our church. 46:41 God bless you, Mathew. 46:49 Now we want the congregation to take their Bibles 46:52 and turn to Psalm 107 verses 1 to 15. 46:58 Psalm 107 verses 1 to 15. 47:01 Now we're gonna do something different, 47:04 we're gonna do something different. 47:05 Psalm 107, we're going to do 47:08 what the early Christians used to do in this great land. 47:12 When they read the scripture you know what they did? 47:14 They stood up when they read. 47:16 So we're going to have to do 47:19 little bit of work with these cameras. 47:22 We want you all to stand up now? 47:25 Stand up we're gonna read together 47:28 every verse Psalm 107 down to verse 15. 47:36 You folks ready to go. 47:39 Did you enjoy this table? 47:41 Mrs. Eunice Fletcher prepare this. 47:43 This is the thanksgiving table, 47:46 is that a beautiful symbol of the gospel 47:50 or our blessed Lord. 47:52 Here we go, all together 47:54 "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, 47:58 his love endures forever. 48:01 Let the redeemed of the Lord say this-- 48:04 those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, 48:07 those he gathered from the lands, 48:09 from east and west, from north and south. 48:13 Some wandered in desert wastelands, 48:15 finding no way to a city where they could settle. 48:19 They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. 48:24 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, 48:27 and he delivered them from their distress. 48:30 He led them by a straight way to a city 48:33 where they could settle. 48:35 Let them give thanks to the Lord 48:38 for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, 48:44 for he satisfies the thirsty 48:46 and fills the hungry with good things. 48:50 Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, 48:53 prisoners suffering in iron chains, 48:56 for they had rebelled against the words of God 48:59 and despised the counsel of the Most High. 49:03 So he subjected them to bitter labor, 49:07 they stumbled, and there was no one to help. 49:11 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, 49:14 and he saved them from their distress. 49:18 He brought them out of darkness 49:20 and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains." 49:25 Together now. 49:27 "Let them give thanks to the Lord 49:30 for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men..." 49:40 May the Lord bless us. 49:41 As together we give thanks to the Lord. Amen. 49:47 Let us kneel now as we pray. 49:50 Have you been blessed today? Yes. 49:54 Have you all got this gratitude attitude now? 49:57 Amen. Okay, that gratitude attitude 50:00 is got to last longer than the close of the sermon. 50:04 So when go out of the doors today 50:06 and when mother [50:05] plays the Greg pipe organ 50:09 and you disperse take with you an attitude 50:14 of gratitude and let us give thanks, let us pray. 50:18 Our Father, we thank you today 50:21 for the greatness of who you are. 50:27 We thank you that you are a God 50:28 of indefinite capacity and love and mercy. 50:33 We thank you that this man receive sinners 50:36 and goes to eat with them. 50:38 We thank you that you came down 50:40 looking for the lost sheep, 50:42 and the lost coin, and the lost boy. 50:47 We thank you that God so love the world 50:49 that He gave His only Son. 50:51 We thank you our Father we're hoping Xavier and Suzy 50:56 when they couldn't pay the insurance on the car 50:59 and the check came because you fulfill 51:02 the promise of Malachi Chapter 3 51:05 which is given to all those who pay their tithes to God. 51:10 We thank you for our brother Hosea 51:14 during the time of darkness and almost despair, 51:17 You kept him at his family 51:19 and now sun is starting to shine again 51:23 and the work has opened up. 51:25 We thank you for the young people 51:27 and the children who in their hearts 51:32 have got an attitude of thankfulness to God 51:35 for parents and loved ones, 51:39 for Jesus most of all, 51:41 for good schools and for this blessed church. 51:46 Our Father, on our knees today we thank you. 51:54 How many today will raise a hand and a heart and say, 52:02 I thank you Lord. 52:05 Can you raise your hand and say today, 52:07 I thank you Lord. 52:11 I thank you that today 52:12 I have this gratitude attitude 52:18 because of all the good things. 52:21 We raise a hand and a heart, hands and hearts to you. 52:28 We praise you today, we thank you, 52:32 we bless you, we give you glory, 52:38 in Jesus precious name. Amen. 52:45 Like most of us I'm thankful for many things. 52:49 Family, friends, work that I love, 52:53 but today I'd like to talk to you 52:54 about God's precious promises and for some specific ones. 53:00 Nearly 20 years ago I developed 53:02 a very debilitating health problem 53:05 for which the doctors have never been 53:07 able to find a cause or a killer. 53:10 And over these years I've studied prayer 53:13 and promises from the Bible such as Mark 11:24 which says 53:19 "Therefore I tell you, 53:21 whatever you ask for in prayer, 53:24 believe that you have received it, 53:27 and it will be yours." 53:29 Now I have prayed, I have believed 53:32 but this promise still hasn't been fulfilled in my life. 53:37 Now I know many of you who are here 53:39 and also watching this telecast 53:41 have had unanswered prayers. 53:44 Many of us had prayed for loved once 53:46 to be healed only to see them pass away. 53:51 I've learned many lessons during these years. 53:54 I'd like to share just 53:55 a couple with you this morning. 53:57 Firstly for the Christian God's know is only seemingly 54:04 so rather it is God's delay. 54:08 Some years ago I came upon a wonderful quote 54:11 which I wrote in my Bible 54:12 and it says "Delays in God's promises 54:16 do not weaken the strength of the divine promise." 54:21 When God's promised 54:22 to physically heal seems to be no, 54:25 it is but a delay. 54:27 Sometimes it's a short delay in this life, 54:29 other times it's delayed until the second coming. 54:34 Ultimately every promise to God's children 54:37 of restoration will be fulfilled at Christ return. 54:42 The second lesson I've learned is to be thankful 54:46 for the spiritual promises that God has fulfilled 54:50 in my life during this difficult years. 54:53 Jeremiah 29:12 "I will listen to you." 54:57 And of course this is God speaking. 54:59 Isaiah 66:13 "I will comfort you". 55:03 Isaiah 41:10 "I will strengthen you". 55:07 And John 14:27 "I will give you peace." 55:12 Now these promises are for the benefit 55:14 all they ask spiritual health, a spiritual lives. 55:19 And as long as we trust God, 55:21 He will always readily fulfill them. 55:25 He's done it for me and for millions of others. 55:29 And so today lets thank our heavenly Father 55:32 for His glorious promises, 55:34 thy will never fail while our lives are in His hands. 55:40 Happy Thanksgiving. Amen. 55:45 How precious did that grace appear 55:55 The hour I first believed 56:06 Through many dangers, toils and snares 56:17 I have already come 56:27 'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far 56:38 And grace will lead me home 56:48 When we've been there ten thousand years 56:59 Bright shining as the sun 57:09 We've no less days to sing God's praise 57:20 Than when we'd first begun 57:30 We've no less days to sing God's praise 57:43 Than when we'd first begun |
Revised 2014-12-17