Participants: John Lomacang (Host), Dr. Dedrick Blue
Series Code: FDOF
Program Code: FDOF000028A
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00:20 Hello, friends, welcome to the 3ABN Worship Center.
00:23 As we continue our series on Foundation of Our Faith 00:27 from the Dare to Dream Network. 00:30 We've been blessed tremendously by the messages that, thus far, 00:33 Dr. Dedrick Blue Blue have preached from his heart. 00:37 Beginning our series with the coming super storm, 00:39 then our eyes were opened when we heard him 00:43 proliferate and articulate the challenge 00:46 that the church has faced within, 00:48 with a subservient movement entitled Holy Laughter, 00:53 then, Drapetomania, 00:56 a title that has eluded me in annunciation, 00:59 but the message was very, very clear. 01:01 And the final one, "They Shall Hunger No More." 01:05 Stay tune as the Lord once again empowers 01:08 His servant to communicate a message born in the word, 01:12 anointed by the Holy Spirit. 01:14 Now if you're tuning in for the first time, 01:16 Dr. Dedrick Blue has been a pastor now 01:18 in ministry for 30 years. 01:20 Pastor, teacher, college administrator 01:22 and surely he has a passion for many areas of ministry 01:26 including inner-city ministry. 01:29 He's currently the dean of the school of religion 01:32 at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama. 01:35 And so, if there is a young man or a young person 01:37 who wants to go down and learn about religion, 01:40 I believe that he will be an individual 01:43 that will direct your life 01:45 on to the anointing of God's Holy Spirit. 01:48 Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, 01:51 and spent a lot of time in New York City, 01:53 married 33 years, three grown children, 01:56 and he loves the Lord 01:57 and he sure does love to preach, 01:59 and we are thankful for that. 02:01 Also our minister of music, 02:03 Che Chin King has warmed our hearts. 02:07 Can you say amen to that? 02:08 We have been blessed by the instrument 02:11 that God has given to her, 02:13 and even the willing hearts to use that instrument 02:16 to the glory of the Lord. 02:18 She's from Stockbridge, Georgia, 02:20 a mother of two, a wife of one, and loves Jesus, loves to sing 02:26 and she's gonna bless our hearts 02:27 with the song entitled "My Father's heart." 02:30 After this song of ministry, the next voice 02:33 that you'll hear will be that of Dr. Dedrick Blue. 02:50 Let everything that breathes 02:55 Praise You 02:59 The earth, the sky, the sea 03:04 Praise You 03:08 Just as nature shows to us 03:12 Your blessing 03:17 Soon I find my heart confessing 03:30 My love is not my own 03:36 It all belongs to You 03:41 And after all You've done 03:44 The least that I can do 03:51 Is live my life in every part 03:58 Only to please my Father's heart 04:13 Love is all You need to heal us 04:22 Flowing from the Heavens 04:26 Jesus 04:30 And with one voice we'll sing together 04:39 And this will be our song forever 04:53 My love is not my own 04:59 It all belongs to You 05:04 And after all You've done 05:07 The least that I can do 05:13 Is live my life in every part 05:21 Only to please my Father's 05:28 Heart 06:03 My love is not my own 06:10 It all belongs to You 06:14 And after all You've done 06:18 The least that I can do 06:25 Is live my life in every part 06:33 Only to please my Father's heart 06:44 Only to please 06:47 My Father's heart... 07:11 What an absolutely beautiful song. 07:14 To know that indeed, 07:17 Lord, my heart does belong to you. 07:20 And the only thing that I ever want do in life 07:23 is just to please my father. 07:24 Amen. 07:26 You know, if you ever stop and think about your life 07:31 and think about all the times 07:33 when you chose not to please God. 07:37 And chose to do those things 07:39 which were absolutely contrary to His will. 07:43 You soon discovered that the things that you thought 07:46 were gonna bring you joy and peace and happiness 07:49 only brought you misery and sorrow. 07:53 It's so much easy just to do what God asks, 07:56 because God is always looking out 07:57 for your best interest. 07:59 You know, I remember just growing up 08:01 and walking down the street, and you know, 08:04 having my friends with me. 08:07 You always feel safe when you had your friends with you. 08:09 You know, I mean everybody has had their high school chums 08:12 or their school kids where they play around. 08:16 When you have your boys with you, you just feel good, 08:19 you know, or your girls, you know. 08:22 You know, I had my boys with me. 08:25 You just feel good, right? 08:26 Because you know that there is somebody 08:28 who is always there, who has your back. 08:31 But the good news about Jesus is that Jesus is always there, 08:35 He always has your back, He never leaves you, 08:39 He never forsakes you, He never turns His back on you, 08:43 He never abandons you, 08:44 just because you make a mistake. 08:47 He's a friend that sticks closer than a brother. 08:50 Amen. Amen. 08:51 And so, Lord, because You've done all that, 08:54 my heart belongs to you. 08:56 Thank you so very much Sister King. 08:59 Well, we've been enjoying, exploring the Word of God. 09:04 Talking about the last days in which we live, 09:07 and how the devil is preparing his troops to attack 09:10 and destroy the people of God. 09:12 We talked about how the devil has infiltrated the church 09:16 with dark and nefarious movements 09:19 that are seeking to undermine the viability 09:21 and the vitality of God's church. 09:23 We also explored a little bit about 09:28 how demons enter into our life personally. 09:31 But I want to let you know 09:33 that I don't want to leave you in the doldrums. 09:36 I do want to give you some keys and some solutions. 09:39 But I also want to point you 09:40 to the victory that is ours and Jesus, 09:43 because we are not here to glorify the devil. 09:47 The devil does the good job at his own self-promotion. 09:51 We don't need to promote him. 09:53 What we do need to promote is Jesus Christ as our Lord 09:56 and as our Savior. 09:58 So tonight, let's just bow our heads 10:00 and have a word of pray as we approach the Lord. 10:04 Our Father in heaven, right now as we open 10:07 Your word once again, we ask and pray, 10:11 that You would open our hearts 10:13 to be receptive to the moving of Your spirit. 10:16 May the words of my mouth and the meditations 10:19 of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight. 10:23 Oh, Lord, our strength and our redeemer 10:25 in Jesus' name. 10:26 Amen. 10:31 Well, in Revelation 7, 10:34 we looked at the first verses there 10:37 where John saw an angel, 10:43 and he heard a voice saying, 10:45 "Hurt not the earth nor the sea, 10:47 nor the trees, until the servants of God 10:51 are sealed in their foreheads." 10:55 We talked about how God has angel 10:58 standing on the four corners of the earth 11:00 holding back the winds until we're sealed. 11:05 But I like to take you on the other side. 11:08 And show you something in Revelation 7, 11:11 the same chapter. 11:13 For Revelation 7 doesn't just talk about the coming storm, 11:17 but it also talks about the impending victory. 11:20 For here in Revelation 7, we also see 11:24 one of the grandest scenes in all of scripture. 11:27 For we are permitted 11:29 to see on the other side of the conflict, 11:32 and we are able to see the triumphal march 11:35 of the redeemed of the ages. 11:37 We see those who are sealed with the seal of living God. 11:43 The mark of God's possession, the stamp of His character, 11:47 they're settled into the truth of God. 11:50 They've not wavered, they've not faltered, 11:52 they've not given up, they've not given out, 11:55 they've not given in, they've been bold and unabashed 11:59 and unashamed, and unafraid, 12:01 and they've stood for the gospel 12:02 of the Jesus Christ, for they have understood, 12:04 it is the power of God unto salvation 12:08 to everyone that believes. 12:11 They've been through the time of trouble 12:12 such as there never was since there was a nation, 12:16 and they've overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. 12:20 They've overcome the dragon, 12:22 the beast and the false prophet, 12:24 and they've washed their robes and made them white 12:28 in the blood of the Lamb. 12:30 Now, they stand on Mount Zion with the Lamb. 12:33 It is a great multitude says John 12:36 which no man can number 12:38 from every nation and kindred and tribe and people, 12:42 they're all there with Jesus. 12:44 I want to be there too. 12:46 If I understand it, Moses will be there. 12:49 Moses will be there. 12:52 David the king, Solomon, the wise, Daniel, the faithful, 12:59 Hanna, the mother, Samson, the strong, 13:03 Mary, the blessed virgin, they will all be there. 13:06 All the superstars 13:08 of sacred scripture will be there, 13:10 and there will also be some people there, 13:13 who didn't have big names 13:14 and we never knew their names like, 13:17 the little boy with five loaves and two fishes, 13:19 he will be there too. 13:21 A woman with an issue of blood and we never knew her name, 13:24 and she will be there too, or man who laid beside 13:28 the pool of Bethesda for 38 years. 13:31 We never knew his name, but he will be there too. 13:35 All of them will be there along with the superstars 13:39 like big mouth Peter, and doubting Thomas, 13:44 and little Zacchaeus, and John the beloved, 13:48 and Apollos the preacher, and Paul the Apostle, 13:52 and Dorcas the resurrected, and Azaya and Jeremiah, 13:57 and Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nehemiah, 14:00 and all the iah's they all be there. 14:03 With palms in the hands, crying with the loud voice, 14:07 saying salvation to our God, which sits on the throne. 14:11 What a grand scene. 14:13 Now, you know, I know some people say, well, you know, 14:17 "Heaven will be nice, quiet and serene place." Right. 14:22 And I'm sure it'll be. 14:24 I'm looking forward to being there and sitting down 14:27 by the throne of God, 14:29 and putting my feet in the crystal river, 14:33 you know, and laying up underneath my own mango tree. 14:37 I'm looking forward to that, right? 14:39 But I'm also looking forward to being there 14:41 when the saints of God go marching in 14:43 and when they sing the shout of triumphal joy. 14:47 I want to be in that number. 14:50 It's gonna be a grand scene, a magnanimous occasion. 14:54 A home coming celebration, when the saints go marching in, 14:58 I want to be in that number. 15:01 But then towards the end of the chapter in Revelation 7, 15:06 there is a strange byline to this dramatic scene. 15:12 A peculiar epilogue for it says 15:15 of this multitude in Revelation 7:16-17, 15:20 it says this, 15:22 "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore, 15:29 neither shall the sun light on them, nor heat. 15:31 For the lamb, 15:33 which is in the midst of the throne 15:34 shall feed them, and shall lead them 15:37 to fountains of living waters. 15:40 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, 15:43 they shall hunger no more." 15:48 What a strange passage that is, they shall hunger no more. 15:52 What an enigmatic freeze, they shall hunger no more. 15:57 What does it mean, they shall hunger no more. 15:59 But you know, I have three adult children now, 16:05 and I have to be honest with you, 16:07 I'm so glad that they are adults. 16:11 I'll tell you why, 16:13 because I had the three eatingest children 16:17 you ever want to see in your life. 16:21 Both my sons, they're about 6' 3" 6' 4", 16:24 they are tall guys. 16:26 Both of them weigh about 225, 230 pounds. 16:29 And both of them can eat like horses. 16:34 But if you think if they could eat, 16:35 you should've seen my daughter. 16:37 My daughter was 4' 11", and she could out eat them. 16:43 And so, when I would come home at night expecting 16:47 to have a lovely meal prepared for me, 16:49 after being out working all day in the hot sun, 16:52 slaving on behalf of the Lord in this cause, 16:55 and I come home to empty the pot, 16:56 the pot would be empty. 17:00 So when I read about the stats, when it says, 17:02 "they shall hunger no more." 17:05 I thought to myself, does that mean, when I get to heaven, 17:09 I'll never have to go to the grocery store. 17:11 Does that mean I get to keep more of my money in my pocket, 17:13 because God is just gonna feed them, 17:15 and I won't have to feed them no more. 17:17 They will hunger no more, and I shouted... 17:23 they shall hunger no more. 17:25 But then I looked at this thing, 17:26 and I began to ask myself, 17:28 what is the meaning behind this text. 17:32 What does hunger mean in the Bible? 17:37 Well, first of all, what does hunger mean? 17:39 Every normal person knows what hunger is, 17:42 it's kind of hard to describe. 17:43 But it's that sensation that we associate 17:46 when the stomach is empty. 17:48 But the doctors will go into even greater detail than this. 17:51 Hunger is a feeling that we experience 17:56 when the glycogen level 17:58 of the liver falls below at certain threshold. 18:02 Sound deep, don't I? 18:04 Usually followed by desire to eat, 18:08 the usually unpleasant feelings originate in the hypothalamus 18:12 and it's released through receptors in the liver. 18:15 Although the average nourished human 18:17 can survive for weeks without food intake. 18:19 The sensation of hunger typically begins 18:23 several hours after eating. 18:26 And when hunger occurs, 18:27 there are contractions in your stomach, 18:29 we call those hunger pains. 18:32 They usually last for about 35 to 40 minutes, 18:35 and if you can make it past that, 18:36 then you won't be hungry anymore. 18:40 That's just the sensation of hunger, 18:43 but then there is real hunger. 18:46 Real hunger occurs 18:48 when you haven't eaten for several days 18:49 or several weeks. 18:51 And after several days or several weeks, 18:54 then you begin to die. 18:56 Right now, there are 854 million people 19:00 across the world who are hungry right now. 19:04 And that is up every year. 19:06 Each day there are 16,000 children 19:12 who die of hunger in the world. 19:15 One child dies every five seconds of hunger. 19:19 So hunger is real, and hunger is deadly, 19:24 but hunger can occur over more than 19:29 just the lack of adequate nutrition. 19:32 Hunger can also speak to other lacks in our lives. 19:37 The holes in our existence, 19:40 the gnawing pain that we have for something more. 19:44 So when we speak of hunger in the metaphorical sense, 19:48 we talk about want and desire, and passion, and lust, 19:53 and a drive toward satisfaction. 19:58 And it's to realization that there is something 20:01 that is missing in my life. 20:06 You see, hunger is the gap between your need 20:12 or your perceived need 20:14 and the satisfaction of that need. 20:18 I heard one saying, it went like this, 20:22 I didn't originate this, but it's interesting. 20:25 Talking about the hunger in the paradox of our times, 20:28 it says, "We have taller buildings, 20:33 but shorter tempers. 20:36 We have wider freeways, but narrow viewpoints. 20:42 We buy more, but we enjoy it less. 20:44 We have bigger houses, but broken homes. 20:49 We have more knowledge, but less judgment. 20:52 We have more experts, but certainly more problems. 20:56 More medicines, but less wellness. 21:00 We have multiplied our possessions, 21:03 but we have reduced our value. 21:07 We have higher incomes, but lower morals. 21:10 We have money in the wallet, but poverty of spirit. 21:14 And churches are empty, and souls are empty. 21:20 There is a poverty of spirit in our hearts. 21:25 Too often we discover that when we get what we want, 21:28 we don't actually have what we need, 21:30 and there is the stock reality in the inescapable truth, 21:33 that we are in the midst of plenty, 21:35 but we are still starving, something is missing. 21:38 Something is inadequate inside of us. 21:42 There is a churning in the pit of our belly 21:45 that longs for and yearns 21:48 for something greater and something more. 21:51 You know, I had a friend, his name was Eddie Deevanoodi, 21:57 I'll never forget Eddie. 21:58 Eddie looked like he was a healthy child, 22:00 and we would go out and play. 22:02 And one day, we were out playing, 22:03 and Eddie was running 22:05 and he just all of a sudden collapsed. 22:06 He just fell down and collapsed. 22:09 They took Eddie to the hospital, 22:11 found out Eddie had a broken leg. 22:14 You know why Eddie's leg broke. 22:17 Because Eddie had been eating, 22:19 but Eddie had only been eating Twinkies and coke. 22:23 And so even though he looked like he was robust, 22:28 his body was still literally starving. 22:32 That doesn't it sound like the condition of the world 22:35 in which we're in today. 22:37 People appear to be healthy and happy, 22:42 but inside they are actually starving. 22:45 I want to propose you today that this starvation 22:49 is the result of not necessarily things 22:52 that we have consciously done, 22:54 but it is the result of the world 22:57 in which we find ourselves. 23:00 And the world in which we find ourselves 23:01 is the world that is encased in sin. 23:04 If you live in a world that is encased in sin, 23:06 there's always a gap between your perceived need 23:10 and the satisfaction of that need. 23:12 No matter what you do, no matter what you get, 23:15 you're never quite happy. 23:17 And sometimes it's not your fault, 23:20 maybe you grew up at a home 23:21 where your parents were too busy 23:23 and they didn't have time to show you love, 23:25 so you grew up with an emptiness inside of you, 23:27 are yearning for love. 23:29 And the first thing that happens, 23:30 some person comes along and starts whisper in your ear, 23:34 "Baby, you so fine, you blow my mind." 23:36 And put their hot cheesy breath on top of you, 23:38 the next thing you know, you run off with them, 23:41 because you're trying to satisfy 23:44 a longing in your heart. 23:46 There's a hunger that's there. 23:48 Maybe you have very little capacity to love it all, 23:52 because you were rejected and abused as a child. 23:55 Now you cannot show vulnerability. 23:59 So you end up rejecting people before they reject you. 24:03 You keep the distance and you keep the wall, 24:05 but inside of yourself, you long for relationship, 24:10 you want something more, there's a hunger inside of you. 24:15 Maybe you're lonely and you want a friend. 24:17 Maybe there's a dream that you had, 24:19 but you stopped dreaming and stop believing 24:21 and maybe you undermine your own success, 24:25 because you have to bring defeat out of every victory. 24:29 Maybe you find a way to talk yourself out 24:32 of that degree or talk yourself out of that promotional, 24:36 talk yourself out of that victory. 24:38 Maybe you feel like you're stuck in neutral, 24:41 like you're weighed down and that you are powerless. 24:46 But when you all add it up, the end of the day, 24:51 there is something that is out there 24:53 that you desired to attain, but you can't reach it. 24:57 You're grasping, but you can't get to it. 25:00 You wanted and you desire, 25:02 but there is a gap between your perceive need 25:05 and the satisfaction. 25:06 It kind of reminds me of the old song, right. 25:09 By the rolling stones, 25:10 I can't get no satisfaction though I try. 25:14 Though I try, though I try, though I try. 25:19 The gap. 25:22 You know, when I was at Christian school, 25:24 and I won't mention the name of the school 25:25 'cause I don't want to characterize the school, 25:27 but it was a Christian University, 25:30 that I was attending. 25:31 I received a phone call one night 25:33 from a friend of mine, he said "Dedrick. 25:36 I said, "Yeah." "I need your help." 25:38 He said, "I have been studying with a young man 25:41 who I'm trying to bring to Christ, 25:45 and he refuses to accept Jesus Christ. 25:48 He says he doesn't want to study anymore. 25:51 And he doesn't want to pray anymore, 25:54 because he says, he has prayed for years, 25:56 and God refuses to answer his prayers." 25:59 And so he said, "Because God doesn't answer his prayers, 26:03 he now prays to Satan, 26:05 and Satan answers his prayers." 26:10 He said, "I've tried everything, so he said, 26:13 will you talk to him?" 26:14 I talk to the young man and we had a conversation. 26:17 And, you know, what happened? 26:18 Shortly after I talk to the young man, 26:20 I started receiving phone calls, 26:23 from the Satanist who he had been praying with. 26:27 Now they didn't know that I was praying with him, 26:30 because he didn't tell them, I didn't tell them, 26:33 and my friend didn't tell them. 26:34 But don't you know that Satan has power, he does have power. 26:37 These people started calling me at my house, 26:40 and threatening me and telling me that, 26:42 if I didn't leave this young man alone, 26:44 that they were gonna kill me, and kill my wife, 26:47 and kill my child. 26:50 And I thought to myself, why in the world 26:54 would someone go there than go to God, 26:58 because somewhere he felt a sense of disappointment 27:04 that God had let him down. 27:07 The hunger, pop star, Katy Perry, 27:12 she grew up in a Christian home. 27:14 We talk to Katy Perry, she would tell you, she said, 27:17 "My parents were traveling evangelist. 27:23 And when I was a child, I wanted to grow up 27:25 to be the next Amy Grant, 27:27 and I prayed and prayed and prayed, 27:29 and ask God to make me the next Amy Grant." 27:32 But when he didn't do it, she said, 27:35 "I sold my soul to the devil, 27:38 because the devil gives me what I want." 27:44 The gap, the hunger. 27:47 Now in a next few minutes, 27:49 I just want to help you to understand 27:51 how Satan works in this gap. 27:53 I want to show you from the Bible, 27:56 just for few moments, 27:57 what he did with Jesus, 28:00 and how it is the key to understanding 28:04 how Satan seeks to exploit us in our weaknesses. 28:08 In Matthew 4, Matthew 4, 28:11 you're familiar with this passage scripture. 28:13 Says this, beginning with verse 1, it says, 28:18 "Then Jesus was let up of the spirit 28:19 into the wilderness. 28:23 To be tempted of the devil, and when he had fasted 40 days 28:27 and 40 nights, afterwards he was a hungered." 28:31 When I read that, I said, you know, 28:32 I hate to disagree with the Bible, 28:34 but it says Jesus didn't eat for 40 days and 40 nights, 28:37 afterwards he was hungered. 28:38 If I don't eat for 40 minutes afterwards I'm starving, 28:41 I'm ready to hurt somebody, right. 28:42 It say, He hadn't eaten for 40 days and 40 nights, 28:45 and afterwards he was a hungered, right? 28:49 It is at the time, when Jesus is at his weakest, 28:52 that the devil makes his play. 28:55 The tempter comes to him, and says this, 28:57 "If you are the Son of God, 29:01 command these stones to be made to bread. 29:04 Now I'm going to unfold for you 29:07 the three fold strategy of the devil. 29:10 It is the same strategy he uses every time 29:15 in every situation no matter what, 29:18 and when you see it, 29:19 you'll recognize it immediately. 29:21 And once you see it, 29:23 you'll never be able to forget it. 29:25 Look at what he does. 29:27 The first thing he says this, "He comes to Jesus, 29:29 when he's hungry, and he says to Jesus, 29:31 you're hungry, you have a need." 29:37 You have a need. 29:39 So what the devil does? 29:41 He says, "Jesus, after all you're only human. 29:48 That's all right to indulge and to give in, 29:52 you can't expect to be perfect all the time. 29:56 After all Jesus, you have hormones, 29:59 and your hormones are talking. 30:01 You have knees and your knees are pressing. 30:03 It's all right Jesus, 30:05 don't worry about what others will think. 30:08 Don't concern yourself what others want you to do. 30:12 Jesus, you just do you. 30:15 Just a little bit of indulgence won't kill you, 30:18 after all, Jesus, you need to take a break, 30:21 you need a little bit of freedom. 30:23 You're trying to take care of everybody else. 30:25 You need to take care of yourself first." 30:29 "How can you save the world of Jesus, 30:31 if you can't save yourself?" 30:33 If you don't know how to take care of you, 30:35 you're no good fit. 30:36 After all, like Whitney Houston said, 30:38 Jesus, the greatest love of all is inside of you. 30:43 "You have a need," 30:46 that's the first lie that the devil says. 30:48 "You have a need." Indulge it. 30:53 But then he says this, "The devil take it them up 30:57 into the holy city 30:58 and sets him on the pinnacle of the temple." 31:01 And he said to him, "If you be the Son of God, 31:04 catch yourself down." 31:07 For it is written that he shall give 31:08 his angels charge over you, concern you, 31:11 in all your ways and they shall bad you up 31:13 less you dash your foot against the stone. 31:16 Notice the devil says this, first he says, 31:18 "You have a need," but then secondly he says, 31:22 "God won't take care of your need." 31:26 He said, "Look hear Jesus, where are you? 31:29 Where are you? 31:30 You're out here in the middle of nowhere." 31:33 If God really cared about you, 31:34 do you think He will leave you out here in this desert. 31:38 And who you're doing this for anyway? 31:40 You're doing this for God. 31:42 God cares about you. 31:44 Well, Jesus, if God cares about you, 31:46 then go ahead and prove it. 31:48 You say he cares, prove it, Jesus, go on and jump. 31:52 If you jump, he delivers you, that's gonna prove it, 31:54 but you don't really believe it, 31:55 because you know that God doesn't take care of you. 31:59 If you believed it, you would jump. 32:00 Jump, Jesus, jump. 32:03 So he says, first of all, you have a need. 32:06 Secondly, God will not take care of your need. 32:10 Now I want to point this out to you. 32:12 Whenever you talk to someone 32:15 who has turned their back on God, 32:17 it is you who should believe it because they don't believe 32:21 that God will take care of their needs. 32:26 They believe that God has failed them. 32:29 I prayed for my mother, and my mother died. 32:32 I ask you to intervene behalf of my children, 32:35 and they still went away. 32:38 I needed some money to pay my mortgage and it didn't come. 32:42 God does not take care of my needs. 32:46 So first you have a need. 32:47 Secondly, God won't take care of your needs. 32:49 But then thirdly, listen to this, 32:52 the devil takes him up to an exceeding high mountain, 32:55 and shows him all the kingdoms of the world 32:57 and the glory of them. 32:58 And said on to him, "All this things, I'll give you, 33:02 if you fall down and worship me." 33:05 In other words, "I'll supply your needs. 33:08 You have a need, God won't give it you, 33:11 I will supply your need. 33:14 All these things I'll give you if you would just worship me. 33:17 Now you know something. 33:18 The devil always operates the same way. 33:21 He convinces you that you have a need 33:24 that God doesn't take care of it, and he will supply it. 33:28 And you know the devil has ability to take care 33:32 of some of these things, after all he's called 33:33 'the prince of this world'. 33:36 He does have some authority and some territory. 33:38 He's the prince of this world. 33:41 You know, and as a prince of this world, 33:43 he exercises that authority to make sure 33:47 that he can appear to supply your needs. 33:51 Let me give you an example. 33:53 I once knew a young man, 33:55 who was struggling with a serious drug addiction. 33:59 And every time he got clean, somebody would come to him 34:03 and give him more drugs. 34:08 And usually if you get drugs, you have to pay for them, 34:14 but people would just come and give him drugs for free. 34:20 Now I've been to my doctor's office, 34:21 and my doctor won't even give me drugs for free... 34:26 the pharmacy. 34:27 But these people were giving him drugs for free, 34:30 because the devil will tell you that you have a need, 34:34 and then he says, "I'll supply it." 34:38 I'm gonna let you know today. 34:40 If you find yourself continually confronted 34:42 with the same sin and the same temptation 34:45 and it comes too easily, 34:46 then you better believe that somewhere in the back 34:48 of that the devil is behind that saying to you, 34:52 I'll supply your needs. 34:56 I knew another man, 34:59 who reported of sexual addiction, 35:02 and he felt compelled to go out daily 35:03 and find himself a new sexual partner. 35:07 Sometimes he would get up in the morning, 35:09 and he would go out 35:10 and he would always find a new sexual partner. 35:12 Sometimes he would find two or three in the same day. 35:21 Now listen to this. 35:23 I know people who've been looking for 10 years, 35:26 20 years, 30 years for mate, you know. 35:30 They've done everything they thought, 35:31 they knew how to do to get a mate. 35:33 They got their hair fixed, they got their job, 35:35 they have the house, they have everything, 35:37 and they still can't find the mate. 35:38 And yet this man has more sexual partners 35:41 than he knows what to do with. 35:44 When I finally had a chance to talk with him, 35:47 the man was lying on his deathbed. 35:52 And all he could do on his deathbed 35:54 is have the fainting memory. 35:59 A failing twisted body parts 36:03 that he thought was going to bring him pleasure. 36:05 But now only brought him pain and regret. 36:09 Yeah, the devil says, "You have a need." 36:12 The devil says, "I'll supply that need." 36:15 But it always comes with the price. 36:19 It doesn't come free. 36:23 There're people right now, 36:24 who are in marital relationships 36:27 and you are not happy, 36:29 and you find yourself in extramarital affairs, 36:31 because the devil says to you, 36:33 "Listen, you're only human, come on now." 36:37 God doesn't expect you to be perfect all the time, 36:42 after all if God was gonna take care of your need, 36:46 He would have given you the right wife 36:48 or the right husband. 36:50 And because God didn't do it, 36:53 I'm gonna take care of your needs. 36:57 There're people right who are working on a job, 37:00 and if you're working on a job, 37:03 some of us are overworked and underpaid. 37:05 Isn't that truth? 37:06 Go on and tell the truth, right, overworked underpaid. 37:10 And it's so easy to be on the job, 37:12 and the devil comes to you and says, 37:14 "Oh, man, you have a need, you need more money. 37:20 God's not taking care of your needs. 37:23 I'll take care of your needs. 37:25 All you have to do is this or do that. 37:29 But it always comes with a price. 37:31 You want to know how people slide down the slippery slope 37:35 to demon possession. 37:37 It is at the moment of compromise, 37:40 is at the time of the gap between our perceived need 37:44 and our satisfaction. 37:46 That's when the devil slips in there 37:48 with his pernicious lies. 37:51 But I love what the Bible says in Isaiah 55:2, 37:54 for the Bible says this, "Why will you spend money 37:57 for that which is not bread, 37:59 and labor for that which does not satisfy." 38:03 You want to know what satisfies the things 38:05 of this world can never satisfy. 38:07 Human beings can never satisfy you. 38:10 There is only one thing that can satisfy you, 38:13 and that is the relationship 38:15 with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 38:18 He will supply all of your needs according to His riches 38:23 and glory by Christ Jesus. 38:25 Only Jesus can fill the emptiness of our lives. 38:29 Only Jesus can fill the vacuum of our hearts. 38:35 They shall hunger no more. 38:37 You see, there's good news in the Bible for the hungry. 38:41 The good news is that Jesus is the bread of life. 38:46 There's good news for those who are malnourished. 38:49 Jesus can supply all of your needs. 38:52 From the Book of Revelation, it says, 38:53 "They shall hunger no more." 38:56 Now, I've been hungry sometime like you have, 39:01 and my hunger has led me to chase silly dreams 39:05 and shooting stars. 39:07 Running nowhere fast, 39:10 gorging myself on the empty calories of this world. 39:14 And you know, I'm gonna tell you 39:15 something about people in the church, 39:18 'cause people in the church sometimes think that 39:20 they are above this, but they are not. 39:25 Especially people in certain churches, 39:27 certain erudite churches like our church. 39:29 You know, we're erudite people. 39:33 So we do things like chase titles, 39:38 chase positions, chase degrees. 39:44 So that now we think that we are more 39:48 because we have more. 39:53 So I have some fiends who went and got a degree, 39:57 and they got a doctor degree, 39:59 and now they make everybody call them doctor. 40:02 I was talking to one person, 40:04 and I called them by their fist name, 40:05 and said, that was doctor, doctor. 40:08 And I say, "Oh, my goodness." 40:10 So he said to me, "You have to call me doctor." 40:12 I said, "Well, listen, when my mother named me, 40:14 she named me Dedrick, it's okay to call me Dedrick. 40:18 The only time somebody has to call me doctor 40:19 is when I go to get a mortgage loan, 40:21 or I go to the bank. 40:22 The banker better call me doctor, 40:23 then I'm hoping I can get a better interest rate. 40:28 But other than that, you see, we get caught up in it too, 40:31 thinking that those things will satisfy us. 40:35 Sometimes we think 40:37 that our religion will satisfy us. 40:41 So that if I go to church on the right day 40:44 and eat the right food, and sing the right song, 40:47 and pray the right prayer, 40:49 then I too will be able to get to heaven. 40:54 But the reality is this. 40:57 There is no salvation in veggie burger, 41:01 and there is no grace in soya cheese. 41:05 But the fact of the matter is, 41:07 there is not salvation by diet, 41:09 it's salvation by grace. 41:13 But we reach after those things 41:16 that we think will satisfy the longing in of our hearts. 41:20 But at the end of the day, it is empty calories, 41:23 only Jesus can satisfy. 41:27 There are people out there, 41:28 who have run from place to place, 41:30 they slept in all the beds, 41:32 they read all the books, they watched all the TV, 41:35 they've visited all the doctors, 41:37 they watch opera and Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil, 41:41 and Jerry and Maury, and Steve and Judge Mathis 41:45 trying to find the answers to life's perplexing dilemmas. 41:51 But in the end, 41:54 the only thing that can satisfy is relationship with Jesus. 41:58 The good news is that there is hope 42:00 in the word of God. 42:02 There is joy for the sealed of God. 42:05 And there is the privilege for the redeemed of God. 42:08 For the promise says in Revelation, 42:10 "They shall hunger no more." 42:15 Hallelujah, right? Now, what does this mean? 42:18 Have you ever been to someone's house for dinner? 42:22 And you sit down to eat, 42:24 and they start bringing the food out, 42:26 and they'll put it on the table and you look, 42:29 and you keep waiting for them to bring more. 42:32 But that's all there is. 42:34 These little teeny tiny 42:37 microscopic dishes, 42:41 you know, with nothing in it, right, 42:44 so you're afraid to eat. 42:46 You're afraid to eat because you're afraid 42:48 that the food is gonna run out, right. 42:50 So you get a little bit of this, 42:52 and just a little bit of that, 42:54 because you don't want the food to run out. 42:57 Well, I have got news for you, good news, right. 42:59 When it says, "They shall hunger no more." 43:01 Listen, the bread of heaven never runs out. 43:05 That dish is never empty. It's always full. 43:09 There's always a fresh supply. 43:11 You know, there's an old song that says, 43:13 "Though millions have come, there's still room for one. 43:17 There is room at the cross for you. 43:20 They shall hunger no more." 43:24 From the Mount of Blessings, page 21. 43:26 Listen to what this author says, 43:28 "Our Lord himself has given the command 43:33 be filled with the spirit." 43:35 Oh, I love that. 43:38 Because when I'm empty, 43:40 God is there to fill me with His presence. 43:44 You know, right now, 43:45 I happen to be in Huntsville, Alabama, 43:47 and my wife is in New York, 43:48 and we're doing this commuting thing 43:50 until we can workout the situation, 43:51 the housing situation back and forth. 43:54 And so, we're going back and forth, 43:55 and sometimes I'm sitting there 43:57 in that little old apartment and I feel little lonely. 44:01 But when I get on my knees, 44:03 and I start to pray to the Lord, 44:04 guess what happens? 44:05 The Holy Spirit comes and satisfies my needs, right. 44:09 We're never alone with God. 44:11 He says, "Be filled with the Spirit of God." 44:14 The Spirit of God is able to supply all of your needs 44:18 and to fill your life with meaning and purpose. 44:22 If you come to Christ, He won't leave you hungry. 44:25 He'll satisfy your needs. 44:26 He'll associate your souls. 44:28 He'll fill your life, He'll nourish your experience, 44:32 and He is not skimpy with the portions. 44:35 Hallelujah. 44:37 You know, one day my wife and I, 44:40 we went to a restaurant, right. 44:42 And we went in and sat down, and we looked at the menu, 44:45 and there really wasn't much there 44:46 that we could eat. 44:48 So we asked, well, 44:49 do you have any vegetarian dishes 44:52 on your menu? 44:53 And the waiter dropped his head and said, 44:55 "No, but let me see what I can do." 44:57 And he went back in the kitchen. 45:00 And then a few minutes later, out came the chef, 45:05 and when the chef found out that we were vegetarian, 45:09 the chef was overjoyed and delighted. 45:13 He said, "What would you like for me to make for you?" 45:15 Said we don't know. 45:17 He said, "Just let me handle it." 45:18 He said, "I'll make something special for you." 45:21 And so we sat there, 45:23 and a few minutes later the waiter brought out a dish. 45:25 Oh, this is great. 45:27 We ate that, and a few minutes later, 45:29 he brought out another dish, and we started eating on that. 45:33 Then a few minutes later, he brought out another dish, 45:35 and we started eating on that. 45:37 And he brought out another dish, 45:39 and we started eating on that. 45:40 And just when we thought that it was over, 45:44 he brought out another dish, 45:47 and we started eating on that, right. 45:49 And then all of a sudden, the chef came out, 45:53 and we saw him standing in the door, 45:56 peeking over us eating, 45:57 with the biggest smile on his face. 45:59 Then we came to understand that it was chef's greatest joy 46:06 that we would be filled, that we would hunger no more. 46:12 Here's what the Bible says, John 16:24, 46:16 Jesus says, 46:17 "Hitherto, you have asked nothing in my name." 46:21 Right. 46:22 He said, 46:23 "Ask and you may receive that your joy may be full." 46:28 Don't you understand that Jesus wants to fill us? 46:31 Jesus has been in the kitchen 46:33 cooking up blessings just for you. 46:37 He has been working in and out just for you. 46:39 Listen, Jesus could hand us the standard menu 46:43 and just said, "Select from this." 46:45 But instead, he is my personal savior. 46:51 He cooks up a blessing that is just for me, 46:57 nobody else, right. 47:00 He goes out of his way 47:01 because he wants me to feel understood, 47:04 and validated, and appreciated, and loved. 47:08 He understands that there is a gap 47:10 between my desired need and my satisfaction. 47:13 And so he says, 47:14 "I'm the one that can satisfy him." 47:17 So, Christ, He keeps bringing out 47:20 new surprise after new surprise. 47:22 Isn't that good, right? 47:23 New blessing after new blessing. 47:25 And then after He gets finished blessing you, 47:27 He brings out more grace and more mercy, 47:32 and more love and more hope, and more joy and more peace, 47:38 and more faith, 47:39 more and more, and more and more, 47:42 more deliverance, more salvation, 47:45 more victory, more praise, thank you Jesus. 47:50 You've been so good to me, 47:52 I can't even begin to eat it all. 47:54 That's why John says in John 1:16, 47:58 "And of his fullness, 48:01 we have received grace for grace." 48:06 Oh, I love what the Psalmist says 48:07 in Psalms 34:8-10, it says this, 48:10 "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! 48:15 Blessed is the man that trusteth in him. 48:18 Oh, fear the Lord, ye his saints: 48:20 for there is no want to them that fear him. 48:26 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: 48:29 but they that seek the Lord 48:33 shall not want for any good thing." 48:36 Oh, that means usually have it, right? 48:38 And so the Bible says, "They shall hunger no more." 48:43 Listen, no more desperate housewives, 48:48 no more hungry husbands, no more abandoned children, 48:53 no more rich people with poverty of spirit. 48:57 No more poor people, who only rich and grace, 49:00 no more lonely days or sleepless nights, 49:04 no more looking for and longing for, 49:07 no more weeping and no more wailing. 49:11 No more running from life and running into sin, 49:15 no more hiding. 49:18 But then, I shall know even as also I am known. 49:23 For then, my faith will be made strong, 49:27 then all of my questions will be answered. 49:32 All of my hopes fulfilled, and all of my fears gone 49:36 and all of my dreams turned into a reality 49:41 for "They shall hunger no more." 49:44 And on that day, 49:45 I want to sit at the welcome table, 49:50 I want to be there with Moses, and Daniel, and David, 49:55 and Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. 49:59 I want to be there with Azaya and Jeremiah, and Nehemiah, 50:03 and Zechariah, and Zephaniah, 50:06 and Amaziah, and Obadiah and all the iah's. 50:10 I want to be there at the welcome table 50:13 when we shall hunger no more. 50:15 I want to be there with Fanny Crosby, 50:18 as she sings the song, 50:21 "Blessed assurance Jesus is mine." 50:24 And I want to be there 50:25 when Bacchus Bach plays his Bach cantata 50:28 joyful, joyful, we adore thee, 50:31 I want to be there. 50:32 I want to be there also when the mighty clouds of joy 50:36 begin to walk on the mighty clouds of joy. 50:39 I want to be there, 50:40 when the Dixie Hummingbirds are starting to hum, 50:42 I want to be there 50:44 when the my side drummers they start to drum 50:46 and then my side is jump up and down 50:48 and praise the Lord. 50:50 I want to be there 50:51 to know that from this moment on, 50:54 I'll never again worry about anything, 50:59 for there shall be no gap 51:01 between my perceived need and my satisfaction. 51:05 But the final thing I will say to you is this. 51:09 You don't have to wait to get to heaven 51:12 to experience heaven now. 51:16 God at this very moment wants to supply your needs. 51:21 And if you're sitting at home right now, 51:23 and you've got yourself in the middle of some mess, 51:26 in the middle of some destructive relationship, 51:29 we invite you to call our prayer line, 51:31 and talk to one of our counselors, 51:33 they will pray with you and they will pray you through. 51:37 They will point you to the Word of God, 51:39 and help you to understand that there is victory, 51:42 that there is salvation and power in the name of Jesus. 51:46 If you find yourself at this moment 51:48 surrounded by darkness, 51:50 know that God is able to defeat the forces of the enemy, 51:53 and no weapon formed against you shall prosper. 51:56 No one understand that the Spirit of God 51:59 is waiting and knocking at your door 52:03 urging you to respond. 52:06 And so take the opportunity today 52:08 to let Jesus be first in your life, 52:11 to satisfy your needs, 52:14 and to give you the peace, and the victory 52:17 that you have been longing for your entire life. 52:21 Let's pray. 52:22 Our Father in heaven, 52:25 Lord, we've often chased after things 52:28 that don't satisfy. 52:31 Run in the wrong directions looking for blessings. 52:36 When all the time the blessings are there through Jesus. 52:40 The devil always will say to us, 52:41 "You have a need, 52:43 God won't take care of your need, 52:45 I will supply your need, 52:47 but it's a lie that always comes with a price." 52:50 But salvation with Jesus is free, 52:54 for He has already paid the price. 52:58 Now, Lord, may we walk in that salvation and victory 53:02 in Jesus' name. 53:04 Amen. 53:12 Can we say amen? 53:13 Amen. 53:14 We shall hunger no more. 53:16 Are you still hungry? Are you still hungry? 53:21 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, 53:23 for they shall be felt. 53:25 Thank you, Pastor Dr. Blue. 53:27 What encouraging words can you give to our audience 53:30 as we wind down this wonderful series 53:33 on what you have shared with us looking forward? 53:37 Well, what I would like to share with you is this. 53:41 That we talked a little bit 53:42 about the coming Global Super Storm 53:47 and the emergence of satanic forces 53:49 that are in this world. 53:51 No one understand that those satanic forces are real. 53:54 They are not metaphorical, 53:56 they're not figments of our imagination 53:58 and cannot be explained 53:59 simply by scientific paranormal research. 54:03 The devil is real, 54:05 and he wants to destroy each and everyone of us. 54:08 But also understand 54:09 that he is not just working out there in the world, 54:12 he is also working in the church. 54:15 To undermine the church through false doctrine, 54:18 but also to make us complacent in the church 54:23 so that we don't rise to be the holy warriors 54:26 that God is calling us to be in these last days. 54:30 The devil does have power, but God has all power. 54:35 The devil does have a message, 54:36 but we have our message as well. 54:39 It is found in Revelation, 54:40 "And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven 54:44 having the everlasting gospel..." 54:46 Amen. 54:47 "To preach to them that dwell on the earth, 54:49 to every nation and kindred and tongue and people 54:52 saying with the loud voice, 54:53 "Fear God..." 54:55 That's right. 54:56 "Give glory to him now." 54:57 While probation still lingers 55:01 and while the door of mercy is still open. 55:03 And while the angels are still holding back 55:05 to winds of strife, 55:07 fear Him and give glory to Him now, 55:09 for soon the hour of his judgment has come. 55:12 But before that happens, it's not too late. 55:15 You can still make it in. 55:17 God still has the place for you. 55:19 And then there is no sin that God cannot forgive. 55:22 There is no chain that God cannot brake. 55:26 There is no pressure upon you that God cannot relieve. 55:29 There is no way blocked that God cannot open. 55:32 He is a mighty, a powerful and an almighty God. 55:36 And that we would but trust him, 55:37 He will deliver us. 55:40 Wow. 55:41 I don't think he is empty by far. 55:42 Can you say amen? 55:44 Amen. Wow. 55:45 What do we follow that up with? 55:47 You just encouraged me to the point 55:49 where I have a whole lot more sermon material. 55:50 I know Pastor C.A has taken notes. 55:52 We always do that. 55:54 But now as you go back to Oakwood University-- 55:56 Yes, sir. 55:58 You have a lot of young people 55:59 that you're faced with on a daily basis. 56:01 Yes. 56:02 What can you say to our young folk in particular today? 56:05 I would say to the young people, 56:07 you must come to understand, 56:09 that at this junction in earth's history, 56:12 you don't have time, 56:14 there are really only two roads and you must make a decision. 56:18 What appears to be the tinsel of this world 56:21 cannot be compared to the glory that God has revealed to us. 56:25 And God wants to use you now 56:27 in your youth to be a holy warrior for Him. 56:30 If you try Him and trust Him now, 56:33 He will take you places 56:35 where you have never thought you would go. 56:37 And do things with you 56:38 that you never dreamed were possible. 56:40 He will exalt you 56:42 if you humble yourself before Him. 56:43 And He will use you in mighty ways 56:46 to shake the very foundations of hell 56:49 to build the kingdom of God. 56:50 That's right. That's right. 56:52 And so with those words in mind, once again, 56:54 I want to thank you for reminding us 56:56 that this is not our last time by God's grace, 56:59 that we will have you grace the stage. 57:01 Not only of Dare to Dream, but the ministry of 3ABN, 57:04 can we all say amen to that? 57:06 This food has been given to us, 57:08 courtesy of the Lord Jesus on high 57:11 through a servant whose heart is not only willing, 57:14 but you can see there's a whole lot more there. 57:15 So on behalf of Dr. Dedrick Blue, 57:18 Chelauna King, Dr. Yvonne Lewis, 57:20 and the 3ABN staff here. 57:22 And Dare to Dream, 57:23 we want to thank you for tuning in. 57:24 Remember, there's only one foundation of faith 57:27 and His name is Jesus. 57:29 God bless you. 57:31 Amen. |
Revised 2016-05-09