3ABN On the Road

Camp Kulaqua- Families Of Faith

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: James Rafferty

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Series Code: OTR

Program Code: OTR000672


01:00 We have a quite a number of young people here
01:04 from Souls, and they're going to be sharing with us
01:07 about their school and their program
01:09 and what's going on down there in Souls.
01:12 The first person that's going to be up here with us
01:14 this morning is, Rocky.
01:15 Rocky, how are you doing? I'm great.
01:17 Absolutely fantastic.
01:19 And as I was gonna say, absolutely,
01:21 you better be great, right?
01:23 And so Rocky, tell us, what is Souls?
01:25 Souls is a college of discipleship in evangelism.
01:30 It's a place where those who want to learn
01:32 the Bible and learn how to be effective
01:34 in both personal and public evangelism
01:36 can come to study.
01:38 Jesus said, if we know and follow Him
01:41 godly character, disciple making,
01:43 and evangelistic fruitfulness
01:45 will be in the natural and spontaneous result.
01:48 And at Souls we mentor our students to know
01:50 and follow Jesus. Amen.
01:52 So how long has Souls been around,
01:54 when did it get started?
01:55 It started in 1998.
01:58 In the mid 90s Joe Holloway,
01:59 the Publishing Director of the Florida Conference
02:02 realized that a school up in the Review and Herald
02:04 named George King Institute was effective
02:07 in training literature evangelism.
02:10 He felt that a school modeled after that sort
02:12 would be profitable for the Southern Union.
02:15 And where is it located, I mean,
02:17 is it close by here, Florida?
02:19 Not too far from here. Okay.
02:20 Actually it's 45 minutes east of Orlando, Florida.
02:24 Just off the Turnpike.
02:26 Okay. And what was the campus there.
02:27 Is it a trailer park with a bunch of rundown trailers
02:29 or what's the campus like there?
02:31 Well, last time I was there,
02:32 it was actually a very nice place. Okay.
02:34 A few days ago, it was a facility built
02:37 once upon a time to be a school.
02:39 So there is dormitory there, a cafeteria,
02:42 administration building, classrooms.
02:44 It's a beautiful setting.
02:45 There is places there for RVs
02:47 and the Florida Conference actually operates
02:50 it much like they do Camp Kulaqua.
02:52 It's a place where people come
02:53 and have meetings just like this.
02:54 Awesome, awesome.
02:56 So what makes Souls unique or different
02:59 from let's say any other
03:01 type of Bible school or college?
03:03 I think there are two or three things maybe
03:06 that I would like to point out that makes Souls
03:08 effective and unique.
03:11 One is in our school, you can come to school
03:13 therefore one year receive a pastoral degree
03:16 and a certificate in pastoral ministry.
03:18 Or two year associates degree in religion.
03:21 But during those school years we provide
03:24 two practicums, ten weeks long each time
03:28 and our teachers actually not only teach
03:30 in the classroom but they will come out in the field
03:33 and mentor the students there.
03:35 So if you come for one year you've received
03:38 two ten week practicums, if you come for two years
03:41 at Souls, you receive four.
03:43 Not only that but then when you graduate,
03:45 Souls diligently works to find full time employment
03:49 for you in the ministry. Awesome.
03:52 Some of our graduates are working as pastors,
03:54 we have some that are working as publishing leaders
03:57 in some of the conferences across North America.
04:00 Some are working as chaplains
04:01 and youth leaders in academies and colleges,
04:05 and some are working as Bible workers
04:07 holding evangelistic series and such. Amen.
04:09 So who are these people up here with on the podium?
04:12 This is some of our staff. I'm glad you asked.
04:15 To my far left is James Detrick
04:17 and his wife Sarah.
04:19 James is the Director of Souls.
04:20 He has his bachelor's degree
04:22 from Southern Adventist University.
04:24 Sarah is a graduate from South Western
04:26 Adventist University, also with a degree in religion.
04:30 Omar Rivera is just graduated
04:33 with his master's divinity from the Andrews University.
04:37 And we have other professors and teachers
04:39 that come in and teach us.
04:40 Well, in fact James, I believe you've come
04:41 three times now and taught a class
04:43 on Daniel and Revelations.
04:44 I have been there a couple of times indeed,
04:45 yes, and it has been a joy,
04:47 it has been a blessing to be there.
04:49 So lets, anything else you want
04:51 to share with us about Souls.
04:53 Just want to emphasis that there is anyone
04:55 listening today that is interested in learning
04:58 how to do effective Bible work
05:00 and public evangelism, log on to our website
05:03 it's soulscollege.com
05:05 give us a call, send us an email
05:07 we will be happy to answer your questions.
05:09 Okay, let me talk to couple of these folks
05:11 and see what they have to share.
05:12 Omar, come on up here and talk to us.
05:14 You just getting started with Souls, I understand?
05:18 That's right. Tell us a little bit about
05:20 your relationship with Souls
05:22 and what Souls has to offer?
05:23 Well, my relationship with Souls
05:25 is I will be teaching there, the Dean of Religion classes.
05:28 And the classes that we are offering right now
05:30 our classes that covers varieties areas
05:34 between New Testament, Old Testament,
05:36 and church management. Okay.
05:38 The student can be able to have a knowledge
05:41 and practical skills in church management
05:44 and souls management leadership,
05:47 as well as studies in academies field like,
05:50 Daniel, Revelation, history of Old Testament,
05:55 SDA history and so forth.
05:57 Okay, and how if a student comes to Souls,
06:00 are they just taking a year off
06:01 and doing something on the side,
06:03 that it's kind of a diversion from college or education,
06:06 or is Souls something that is accredited
06:09 and part of furthering your education.
06:11 Well, we have an aggressive program
06:13 that includes the combination of a practical and theory
06:17 together like Ellen White advised,
06:19 to any educational institution.
06:22 And as well when you finish the first
06:24 or second year whatever you choose, one of them,
06:26 you have the opportunity to transfer
06:28 most of the 90% of the classes
06:30 to any other accredited educational institution
06:34 in United States because we are affiliated
06:37 with Drake University too and that's why right now
06:42 it make us stronger than before.
06:44 Okay, so basically a young person is gonna be
06:46 able to take what they're learning here
06:48 and apply them to their continuing education
06:50 if they want to go further. Absolutely.
06:51 Or they can take what they're learning
06:52 and go right into the field of ministry
06:54 and working for God. Sure.
06:56 If you want to continue or they want to stop
06:58 the education right there, but most of them
07:00 they continue to study.
07:01 That's the best of both worlds. Sure.
07:03 Thank you, Omar. Appreciate that.
07:05 Who else do we have over here?
07:07 Crystal James, how are you doing?
07:09 Good. All right.
07:10 Thank you. So you are connected
07:12 with Souls and have actually attended there. Yes.
07:15 Why did you choose to attend Souls?
07:17 Well, James, I chose to attend Souls because
07:20 I was tired of running from God. Okay.
07:22 You know, the world has success
07:24 but I really wanted to be successful
07:26 in the eyes of God himself.
07:27 You know, like having the Godly character,
07:30 making disciples, and being evangelistically fruitful.
07:34 And wanting to do that Souls was the place for me to be.
07:37 He had been showing me in my life for a couple of years now
07:41 taking me stepby step patiently, amen,
07:44 God is patient and I just love that.
07:46 And He just showed me, Crystal,
07:49 this is where I want you at this time in your life
07:51 and I said, yes Lord, I'll follow you.
07:53 Amen, amen.
07:54 So you went through the program there? Yes.
07:57 and now what you are doing?
07:58 Well, I just got through my ten week practicum
08:01 doing Bible work at the Clermont Seventh-day
08:04 Adventist Church and James that was awesome.
08:06 It was phenomenal.
08:07 We got a chance to give over 25 Bible studies,
08:11 and for Bible study there was a church member
08:13 always there and I just really thank Souls
08:16 for teaching me that.
08:17 And also just God for guiding me and leading me
08:21 in the place where I needed to be whenever
08:23 was ready to bring others into His kingdom.
08:25 So when you're talking about when you do
08:27 Bible work you're going in to these homes
08:29 and doing Bible studies but you're also bringing Church
08:31 members with you and connecting them
08:33 to those Bible studies. Yes.
08:34 That is awesome because that's just what we need
08:36 as a church, isn't it? Yes.
08:37 We need to get involved in missionary work
08:39 and of course, we can be motivated
08:40 by these young people to do that.
08:42 So anything else you want to share with us, Crystal?
08:44 Well, I just want to tell everyone
08:47 that if you're ready to just let go
08:49 and let God work in your life
08:51 especially all the young people out there
08:53 that Souls is a great place for you to be.
08:56 If you're mission minded and you want to do God's will
08:58 and learn how you can be more effective
09:00 in evangelistic witnessing, amen,
09:03 then you should come on down to our school.
09:05 Amen, thank you, Crystal. Praise the Lord.
09:07 Miguel, come on up here.
09:08 I've know Miguel for a long time,
09:10 well, my long time but there are few sessions
09:12 and we become friends and God has really blessed
09:15 our friendship and I know He has been blessing
09:18 leading your life, Miguel.
09:19 You are a student that went through Souls,
09:22 you went through the whole experience.
09:23 So tell us about that experience at Souls?
09:26 Well, just to be completely honest
09:29 it was wonderful.
09:30 I mean, it was such a blessing to be there.
09:33 Just imagine a school that your main text book
09:36 is the Bible, is the word of God.
09:38 You come to class with your Bible in your hand
09:41 and also some other books that be a such blessing.
09:43 And then each class is focused on one thing,
09:47 the gospel of Jesus Christ.
09:48 Every single class is so gospel centered,
09:51 it's really been such a blessing.
09:52 And what it has done for me has taken me
09:55 from a dry, traditional relationship with Christ,
09:59 you know, grew up as Adventist.
10:01 And has turned it into an exciting vibrant growing
10:05 experience with Christ.
10:07 And I've begin to see how real Christ really is,
10:10 how real the gospel really is, so-- Amen.
10:14 It has been quite a blessing for me. Amen.
10:16 Now, did you go through the one year program
10:17 or you go to the two year program?
10:19 I went through the one year program. Okay.
10:20 And what you're doing now,
10:22 I mean, tell us you've gone through the program,
10:24 you've been blessed spiritually,
10:26 you've grown in the Lord,
10:27 you found a vibrant experience with God.
10:30 So what has that led to?
10:31 Well, when I finished there,
10:33 well, actually while I was still there,
10:35 I was doing a practicum, doing Bible work here
10:38 in Florida for a little bit and then now I'm working
10:41 in a Atlanta, Georgia finishing up
10:42 one year Bible work for Loganville SDA Church,
10:46 and that has been such a blessing doing that.
10:48 They also allowed me to do the evangelistic series
10:50 back in September
10:51 and has got 18 nice series.
10:53 The Lord really blessed with that.
10:55 We are able to put the series on DVDs
10:57 and now we're able to go into the community
10:59 and share those DVDs with people
11:00 who didn't get a chance to come out to the meetings.
11:03 And so thanks to Tori Jenkins,
11:05 I also have a website now and we're able to put
11:08 those DVDs on the website,
11:10 that you can view them straight
11:11 from your computer if you high speed Internet.
11:14 So a lot of people have been blessed
11:15 going to that website and there is other things
11:17 there also and just so you know,
11:19 that website is OneTrueGospel.com.
11:22 So please check it out and get your blessing.
11:24 OneTrueGospel.com. Amen.
11:27 So Miguel, you are about 19 years of age?
11:31 Twenty actually. Twenty, okay,
11:32 just turned twenty, gone through the twenty.
11:34 Okay and in the last year or so you've gone
11:38 from just kind of, you know, to a vibrant relationship
11:43 with the Lord and are doing evangelism
11:45 and Bible work, have a website,
11:48 have DVDs on the website and you are encouraging
11:50 everyone to access that website
11:52 in order to do evangelism, witness and share.
11:56 Praise the Lord, isn't that what we want
11:58 for our young people today, and we can have that,
12:01 we can actually get that experience for them
12:03 through this school, Souls.
12:06 And I love the acronym, I really,
12:08 really love the T-shirts too.
12:10 Every time I go down there
12:11 they give me another one of their T-shirts
12:13 and they've got hats now too
12:14 and I want to get one of those hats.
12:16 Anything else you want to share with us here?
12:19 Well, I just want to say that for any young person
12:21 that's out there right now,
12:22 if you are currently experiencing this gospel
12:24 and you're seeing how real God is,
12:26 please don't sit there and be ideal and just,
12:28 you know, let it fade away.
12:29 But come to Souls and learn how to relate
12:32 your experience to other people.
12:34 Or if you're somebody in search
12:36 of a closer experience, come to Souls
12:37 and they will most likely bring you
12:39 to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
12:41 And let me tell you it's a whole lot more
12:42 than what we've heard it to be.
12:44 The gospel is so powerful
12:46 so I would encourage you all to go.
12:48 Romans 1:16 says, well, I am not ashamed
12:50 of the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is the power of God
12:54 unto salvation and I've truly been learning
12:57 that the gospel has some amazing incredible power.
13:00 Miguel, Crystal, Omar, Rocky, James, and Sarah,
13:03 thank you so much for sharing this morning
13:05 those powerful testimonies.
13:07 I know there are people here and out there listening
13:09 who are going to be blessed
13:10 and encouraged to get a hold of you.
13:12 So be ready for the phones to ring.
13:15 God bless you.
13:19 Well, that is powerful to me and I've been affiliated
13:24 with Souls off and on for a few years
13:26 doing a Revelation, Daniel, Revelation intensive there.
13:29 But for those of you who maybe interested
13:31 in sponsoring a true missionary
13:34 to the country of America. America.
13:40 Now we do send missionaries overseas, don't we?
13:42 In fact, America is still the number one missionary
13:45 country in the world we're followed
13:47 close behind by South Korea.
13:49 I don't know if you knew that,
13:50 they are gaining on us.
13:52 They are preparing to be the number one missionary
13:55 country in the world, but America is still number one
13:58 But sometimes we forget about this country,
14:02 isn't that right?
14:03 Souls is an opportunity to send missionaries
14:07 to America and we need missionaries
14:10 right here in America.
14:11 And so I want to encourage you to get
14:13 hold of Souls college and that's what it is
14:16 that's the way you get hold of them SoulsCollege.com,
14:20 www.SoulsCollege.com Get on their website,
14:28 get hold of them,
14:30 allow them to be a part of encouraging the young
14:34 people that you know, the young people
14:35 in your life, to have a vibrant,
14:38 experience for the Lord to learn
14:40 how to do literature evangelism.
14:42 To learn how to do speaking evangelism.
14:45 To learn how to Bible work and to be part of a church
14:48 where young people can encourage and stir up
14:53 the older ones and the members to be a part of outreach
14:56 and witnessing and evangelism and sharing
14:58 and grow in that church to be strong
15:00 and spiritual in the Lord. Amen.
15:03 Amen. Amen.
15:04 Now we're going to have a special music,
15:10 so stay with us.
15:16 You know I'm so glad that we serve the Lord
15:18 that places us where He needs us to be,
15:22 and now where we wanna be.
15:26 And sometimes those two come together
15:28 in a beautiful way.
15:29 I don't know about you but I had one of those weeks
15:31 where I was really frustrated with where
15:33 God has placed me,
15:37 but it's when we give our lives over to Him
15:39 that He is able to use us in those places.
15:58 Don't ever stop working with me Lord
16:05 No matter how hard I push you away
16:12 I can see the tears streaming down your face
16:20 As I walk away again I need your love
16:29 And I need to feel your light inside me
16:33 I need to reach out for your hand that leads me home
16:41 And if I turn away, oh, Lord I pray today
16:49 Don't ever stop working with me Lord
16:56 So much temptation in this world
17:03 I can't count the times I've let you down
17:10 Forgive me Lord, I cry out once more
17:17 As you hang on that cross again
17:23 I need your love and I need to feel your light inside of me
17:31 I need to reach out for your hand that leads me home
17:39 And if I turn away, oh, Lord I pray today
17:46 Don't ever stop working with me Lord
17:52 I need your love
17:56 I need to feel your light inside of me
18:00 I need to reach out for your hand that leads me home
18:08 And if I turn away, oh, Lord I pray today
18:18 Don't ever stop working with me Lord
18:25 Don't ever stop working with me Lord
18:34 Don't ever stop working with me Lord.
18:46 Well, this is our Sabbath school lesson time,
18:48 we have about 40 minutes
18:50 and we're gonna get right into our lesson this morning.
18:52 We are in lesson 10 of our quarterly families of faith.
18:57 Families of faith. And we're just gonna follow
19:00 the lesson here this morning and move through it
19:03 point by point as we have opportunity.
19:06 And as we do that I'm just going to
19:07 ask you to pause with me for a moment
19:09 and let's just ask God to be here through His spirit,
19:12 in prayer. Father in heaven,
19:14 we wanna thank you for the testimonies
19:16 that been born this morning to your goodness
19:19 and power in working in our lives.
19:21 We want to thank you for the creators you give us
19:23 for the opportunities you have give us to come apart
19:26 and to enjoy nature and your creation.
19:30 Want to thank you, Father,
19:31 for this opportunity to open your word
19:33 and I wanna pray that you'll draw our minds away
19:36 from the distractions of the world of the weak of life
19:40 and that You will cause us to focus now on the lessons
19:43 that You would like us to learn,
19:45 as we open and study and look to Jesus Christ.
19:48 Our author and our finisher,
19:50 we pray this now in His wonderful name, amen. Amen.
19:55 Hebrews Chapter 12, I told you last night,
19:59 but I thought it was providential that I was here.
20:02 One of the reasons I feel that it's providential
20:03 that I'm here is because of Hebrews Chapter 12.
20:08 See, I felt impressed for this weekend to study
20:12 and share with you from Hebrews Chapter 12
20:14 and it wasn't until I got the quarterly, the lesson,
20:17 the outline because I was asked to do the quarterly
20:19 for this weekend.
20:20 It wasn't until I receive that quarterly
20:23 that I realize that the very theme that I was sharing
20:27 and studying and preparing was the very
20:28 same theme for the quarterly for this week,
20:31 Hebrews Chapter 12.
20:34 In the quarterly they quote parts of Hebrews 12:1 and 2.
20:37 I would like for us to read all of it
20:39 this morning, Hebrews 12:1 and 2.
20:41 Wherefore see we also are compassed,
20:46 surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses,
20:49 let us lay aside every weight,
20:52 and the sin which doth so easily beset us,
20:56 and let us run with patience the race
21:00 that is set before us. How?
21:03 Looking unto Jesus, who is the author
21:07 and the finisher of our faith.
21:10 Who for the joy that was set before Him
21:14 endured the cross, despising the shame,
21:17 and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God
21:21 What was the joy that was set before Jesus?
21:27 Yes, you this morning are the joy
21:30 that was set before Him.
21:31 If you think that it was joyful to hear those
21:34 testimonies and even experience
21:37 the testimonies this morning of Souls being
21:40 one of the Lord, can you imagine how God feels,
21:42 how Jesus feels?
21:43 He is so happy all heaven rejoices of a one sinner
21:47 that is saved.
21:48 I have to say, that's what motivates me.
21:50 Many times people will ask me, James,
21:54 how did you ever get to the place you're at.
21:55 I mean, you're on television,
21:57 you're doing ministry and evangelism.
22:00 And I always respond, well let me tell you
22:02 how I got here.
22:04 I woke up Thursday morning,
22:08 always tried to travel a day early
22:10 when I'm going to the east coast.
22:12 I woke up at 4 O'clock in the morning.
22:14 My alarms were set for 4.30 but I woke up
22:17 at 4 because that's when the Lord
22:18 wanted me to get up.
22:19 And there was a reason for that because living
22:21 in Eugene, Oregon it very rarely snows
22:23 but this morning it was snowing.
22:27 I didn't know that so I got outside.
22:29 It was snowing and I needed four wheel drive
22:32 to get to the airport.
22:33 When I got there got on the plane,
22:35 they deiced it twice.
22:39 Finally we left and we got into Salt Lake City,
22:42 well, we didn't get into Salt Lake City
22:43 we got to Salt Lake City.
22:45 We circled it a few times and we're running out
22:47 of fuel so they had to take us to Twin Falls, Idaho.
22:50 We landed there and refueled
22:51 got into Salt Lake City,
22:53 we had blizzard conditions there
22:54 for a while and by the time we landed
22:56 my plane was gone and so was every other connection
23:00 through every other city
23:01 that they could think of to Orlando.
23:04 So I had one of two options.
23:06 One, I could go standby on a 5 O'clock flight
23:09 to Orlando hoping I could get on,
23:12 or two since I had to get here by last night
23:15 I could leave at 12 O'clock that night fly all night
23:19 to Atlanta have a three hour level over there
23:22 and then leave at 7 O'clock from Atlanta
23:24 to here, getting here Friday morning.
23:28 You asking me how I got here,
23:29 you asking me many times how is that you get to,
23:33 to do television program.
23:34 So I'm telling the very basics
23:36 and that is it's by doing the little things,
23:38 it's by the little duties,
23:39 it's by just living life and reaching out.
23:44 So I'm sitting in the airport going this try,
23:47 you know how trials are.
23:49 Going through this trial and thinking to myself,
23:51 what am I going to do, what am I going to do.
23:54 And as I'm sitting there praying the peace of God
23:57 comes upon me and all of the sudden God just tells me,
24:02 James, it doesn't matter,
24:04 it doesn't matter just trust me for this, just trust me.
24:07 Just relax and trust me.
24:08 So I open up my Bible, open up my computer
24:10 and I start studying because that's what
24:11 I was going to do anyway.
24:12 When I got ther I was going to study.
24:14 So I said I'm just going to study,
24:15 I'm just going to trust that God is going to work
24:18 this out for me, and I decided to call
24:20 my airline travel agent and I called her
24:23 and talked to her and she said, James,
24:25 she said that they always have seats
24:26 available on airplanes.
24:28 Even though you're going standby and she said
24:30 I'm seeing this flight and I'm see that is oversold
24:33 but there are always seats in first class.
24:37 You need to go up to the counter and you need to
24:39 tell them that you know they have some seats
24:43 and you need to get a seat in first class.
24:46 I said okay, I left to the counter
24:49 told them my situation,
24:50 told them if they had said I could get on the plane,
24:52 told them I needed to get to this location
24:54 because I was going to be on television
25:01 all over the world.
25:04 And they said, well, just hold on just a second here.
25:06 Just hold on just a second,
25:07 let's see what we can do and in a few minutes
25:10 they produced for me a first class ticket.
25:15 And I was praising the Lord,
25:16 and I just started studying
25:17 and I just started praising God,
25:19 sitting in that airport I had a smile on my face.
25:21 Even though I got there at around 11.30
25:24 and my plane didn't leave until 5,
25:26 I was very, very happy.
25:28 I left there at 5 O'clock.
25:30 Do you believe in divine appointments? Yes.
25:32 I left there at 5 O'clock
25:34 I got into my first class seat
25:36 see next to another man who neither one of us were,
25:38 you know, the normal first class passengers
25:42 and we began to talk.
25:43 His name was David.
25:46 Ask me what I did.
25:47 Now, you know how that is for me.
25:50 I want to use that as an
25:52 opportunity to share about the Lord.
25:55 And normally in a situation like this
25:57 I'm tired maybe a little bit, you know, grumpy because,
26:00 you know, I've been sitting in airport
26:02 for hours but in this occasion I was happy.
26:05 And I believe that God was in control and he was.
26:07 Because David was a brand new Christian.
26:12 Had just started attending church with his daughter.
26:18 David asked me as we got our complimentary meals
26:25 if I would like to pray with him.
26:28 He said, you pray and I'll pray.
26:31 He said now I'm not really experienced
26:33 at praying, he is a geologist and basically atheist,
26:38 believing in evolution and yet he said,
26:41 I would like to pray too.
26:42 And so I prayed and he prayed
26:44 this simple earnest prayer.
26:46 David is part of the family of God. Amen.
26:51 David is not where I am, he's not where you are
26:53 but David has began this journey,
26:56 and as we sat there talking together
26:59 and sharing together I was just praising God
27:01 for this divine appointment.
27:03 I had been on cloud nine ever since. Amen. Even since.
27:07 Our lesson this morning is about
27:09 the family of God, the family of faith.
27:12 And friends sometimes we think about
27:14 family of God, we narrow it down don't we.
27:17 We think about perhaps Adventists or maybe just
27:21 Christians, but I believe the family of God
27:24 is all over this world, in every church,
27:28 in every religion and non religion.
27:30 I believe that God has his people every where.
27:33 And the Bible bears this out,
27:35 in fact when you read the Bible you find point
27:39 after, point after, point,
27:40 time after time you find that God is working
27:44 in the lives in the hearts of different individuals.
27:48 One of these experiences is found right here
27:51 in the first part of our lesson on Sunday.
27:53 Acts Chapter 10, let's just look there this morning.
27:56 Acts Chapter 10, here is a powerful story friends,
28:03 a powerful story of how God is working
28:06 in the life of a man who is part of the family of faith.
28:12 What is his name? Cornelius.
28:15 What does Cornelius do for a living?
28:19 He is a soldier, he is in the military, right.
28:23 Yes, he is a leader, he's in charge of others
28:28 but Cornelius is also a part of the family of faith.
28:35 Now this is challenging to say the least.
28:38 For Peter, for the Apostles,
28:40 for the disciples, they are challenged in many
28:44 ways to recognize that Cornelius,
28:49 a Roman soldier will be part of the family of faith.
28:54 You ever been challenged that way.
28:57 Now I have to tell you that
28:58 when I was talking with David,
29:01 he was drinking vodka tonic.
29:07 Do you think he is part of family of faith? Yes.
29:11 I can go back to my own experience,
29:13 I can go back to the time when I was converted.
29:16 When I accepted the Lord is my savior and was
29:19 still listening to rock and roll music,
29:21 going to church on the wrong day
29:24 and doing all kinds of other things.
29:26 But Jesus was still my savior.Amen.
29:28 I didn't understand, I hadn't grown,
29:32 I didn't have the lights that we all have
29:34 but Jesus was still my Savior. Amen.
29:37 Cornelius is in the army, the Roman army.
29:40 The Romans that were responsible
29:42 for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ,
29:44 is Cornelius part of family of faith. Yes.
29:46 Absolutely. Does Peter know that? Not yet.
29:52 It's going to take some supernatural experiences
29:57 for Peter to realize that that man
30:00 is part of the family of faith.
30:03 Is that what it takes for us?
30:04 Sometimes, sometimes that's what it takes.
30:11 But I believe, friends, this morning
30:12 that God wants to open our hearts and minds to help us
30:15 to recognize that He has his people out
30:17 there everywhere. Amen.
30:19 I was just in Thailand
30:20 just a few weeks ago at Mission College.
30:22 Mission College, Thailand,
30:25 700 plus students,
30:28 it is a Seventh-day Adventist institution.
30:31 They have 3ABN over there by the way.
30:33 High to Mission College if you're watching
30:35 this morning, no they won't be
30:36 because they're 15 hours ahead of us.
30:39 If they're watching this evening and 60%
30:42 of the students at Mission College are Buddhists.
30:48 Told it was a Mission College,
30:50 it lives up to its name. Amen. Amen.
30:52 Now these students, these Buddhist students
30:57 most of them are from Thailand.
31:01 The Thai people are a very unique people.
31:05 You heard about all of the controversy
31:08 that's taking place today, in our world today,
31:11 concerning those cartoons,
31:14 those Muslim cartoons.
31:16 We have the right to free speech,
31:19 we have the right to exercise our free speech
31:21 and we're going to print whatever we feel like
31:24 printing no matter what it causes,
31:27 no matter who it offends.
31:28 That is the mindset of the west isn't it?
31:31 Indeed we are moving forward in that way
31:33 and causing all kinds of death and problems
31:36 because of our rights.
31:38 But in Thailand there was a young man,
31:41 a rap singer, musician, very popular
31:45 who put together an album and in one of those albums
31:49 he used some words from the Qur'an
31:52 that offended the Muslims.
31:56 So this man when he found about this
31:59 publicly apologized, withdrew his song
32:04 and his album though
32:05 they had thousands, perhaps hundreds
32:07 of thousands of them duplicated,
32:10 withdrew it from the market at the personal
32:13 cost of much money.
32:16 Because he did not want to offend a religion
32:20 that was different from his.
32:22 That is the attitude,
32:24 that is the nature of the Thai people.
32:27 They are humble, likable, friendly people and God
32:32 is responsible for that. Amen.
32:35 Because whenever we see goodness,
32:36 whenever we see grace,
32:38 whenever we see that kind of an attitude
32:40 coming from anywhere we know that God is the source.
32:44 He is the author as well as the finisher.
32:48 I was privileged to be in Thailand,
32:49 I was privileged to share a Mission College
32:51 there and talk to those 700 students many of them
32:55 Buddhist students and the belief by faith that many
32:58 of them are part of the family.
33:00 They just perhaps haven't seen God, you know,
33:02 or known God have been introduced to him
33:04 and that was my responsibility
33:06 and as I did that my night for that week,
33:08 we made an appeal at the end of the week
33:11 we asked people if they wanted
33:12 to begin Bible studies.
33:14 If they would like to accept Christ as their savior,
33:16 if they would like to be baptized
33:18 and over 100 of those students responded
33:22 positively. Praise the Lord.
33:24 Every where you go, people are sitting next to you,
33:30 walking by you, rubbing shoulders with you
33:33 they are part of the family of faith.
33:37 Yes they are part of the family of God,
33:39 the family of faith.
33:40 And so Cornelius is part of the family of faith.
33:43 But what has to happen in order
33:45 for peter to recognize this.
33:46 Well, Peter is tired and hungry and it says there
33:50 in Acts Chapter 10 verse 9 that,
33:53 Peter went up to the house top to pray about
33:56 the sixth hour and he became very hungry verse 10 says.
34:00 He would have eaten but while they made ready
34:02 he fell into a trance, a vision and he saw heaven
34:07 open and he saw vessels descending like
34:10 a big sheet held up with the corners,
34:13 and in this vision there was all manner of four
34:18 footed beasts of the Earth, wild beasts,
34:20 and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
34:22 There were snakes, you know,
34:23 and reptiles and may be some monkeys in there,
34:25 all kinds of creatures, all kinds of creatures.
34:30 And a voice came to Peter,
34:32 rise up, Peter, kill and eat.
34:36 What do you think, would you do it?
34:40 I don't think there were any big franks on that sheet.
34:45 And so Peter says, no way, no way.
34:48 I'm not eating.
34:50 That is not my regular Loma Linda diet.
34:53 I'm not eating any of that stuff, Lord,
34:55 there is no way that I'm gonna touch that.
34:57 I've haven't anything verse 14 says,
34:59 that is common or unclean.
35:04 Now unclean of course is the food that the Bible
35:06 says we shouldn't eat because it wasn't made
35:08 to be eaten it was made to scavenge the Earth.
35:11 Common can be that food or it can be clean food
35:15 that is simply become defiled in some way.
35:19 So Peter saw all of this food on the sheets both
35:23 the unclean and the common, and the voice,
35:26 verse 15, spake to him again the second time
35:29 and said "what God hath cleansed,
35:35 that call not thou" what?
35:38 I think it's interesting that God doesn't say unclean.
35:42 When he interprets his dream to Peter,
35:44 see some people think that Jesus Christ
35:47 came to die on the cross in order to make pig clean.
35:53 Now the Bible doesn't say that anywhere that I know of.
35:56 Even in this verse that is not in the intend,
36:01 but Jesus did come to die on the cross
36:05 so that we could recognize that he is the savior of all
36:09 people 1 Timothy 4 verse 10.
36:12 Jesus said in John Chapter 12 and verse 32
36:16 if I be lifted up will draw all unto me.
36:21 And in John Chapter 10 he says I have many sheep
36:24 that are not of this folds,
36:25 then will I call and they will hear my voice
36:28 and hopefully they'll hear His voice through us,
36:31 amen. Amen.
36:32 And so Peter is confused, he is wondering here
36:37 God is saying that there are those in this context
36:40 the gentiles, he doesn't know that yet who are unclean,
36:43 who are common I should say.
36:45 Because of their association,
36:47 because of their lack of association,
36:48 because of their uncleanness of life
36:50 or whatever and God has come to cleanse them.
36:54 This was done three times and then the vessel was
36:56 received up into heaven and Peter was doubting
36:58 he was not understanding what it meant.
37:01 And as he was thinking about it,
37:06 there was a knock on the door.
37:08 Did you hear that?
37:09 Yes, there was a man that had come
37:13 that was sent by Cornelius to fetch
37:15 Peter to the house of Cornelius.
37:18 He was there at the door and Peter was thinking
37:21 about this, thinking about this, verse 19,
37:24 and as he thought about it,
37:27 the Spirit said unto him.
37:30 I really like that phrase right there don't you.
37:34 There are times when we rely too much
37:39 on the word of God itself
37:42 and become disconnected from the Spirits.
37:46 Now there are times when we can't go to the other
37:48 stream of course and we need to be careful,
37:51 we don't want to just go by the Spirit,
37:52 the Spirit, the Spirit and be contrary to God's word.
37:57 But there are times
37:58 when we can hedge ourselves into the word of God.
38:00 These were one of those times
38:02 when Peter need to be careful, careful.
38:04 Peter, don't just go by what you understand
38:07 God is saying, listen also to what, the Spirits.
38:12 Because there are times, friends,
38:14 when only the Spirit can direct us.
38:17 People ask me questions all the time, James,
38:20 what do you think I should do in this circumstance.
38:22 What is your counsel for this kind of a situation
38:25 and I have to tell them as I share with them
38:27 everything that I can think of concerning
38:30 what God has to say in His word I had to tell them
38:32 but ultimately in the end
38:35 only you can make that decision.
38:37 Only the Holy Spirit can tell you
38:38 what you need to do, amen. Amen.
38:41 The Holy Spirit has to be the final say,
38:44 the final words.
38:45 We have to have that unction.
38:48 1 John says, that unction from the holy one
38:52 who teaches us all things.
38:54 I'm so thankful that Peter had the unction,
38:56 because Jesus told them earlier in ministry,
38:59 Peter said, Jesus said to Peter,
39:00 the Holy Spirit has been teaching you Peter,
39:02 you remember that.
39:03 He was taught of the Holy Spirits
39:06 and it says that he listened.
39:09 Because the Holy Spirit told him there are three men
39:11 here that seek you arise,
39:14 therefore and go with them and don't have
39:17 a doubt about anything
39:19 I'm the one that sent them. Praise God.
39:21 Do you believe that the Holy Spirit can speak
39:26 to us as clearly and as simply
39:28 and as powerfully today as it did?
39:32 Yes, God's Holy Spirit can speak to us today,
39:37 it can communicate to us today.
39:38 And so Peter went with these men and he entered
39:43 into Caesarea says in verse 24.
39:46 Cornelius was waiting for them and Cornelius
39:50 had called together all of his kinsmen and near friends.
39:55 Cornelius wanted to share this experience with others,
39:59 so he called all of these people together.
40:03 They were all waiting for Peter.
40:07 Peter was there, powerfully led by
40:11 the Spirit of God, sharing there with Cornelius
40:16 one who was part of the family of faith
40:18 and opening up to them the word of God.
40:23 He confess, he was honest, he said,
40:25 you know, I thought that it was unlawful thing
40:28 for me who was a Jew, verse 28,
40:30 keep company with someone like you who is a gentile.
40:33 But God showed me, amen. Amen.
40:38 God showed me, it's so important for us today,
40:41 friends, to recognize that God
40:43 has His people everywhere.
40:45 Because there are times when we can be confined
40:49 and constricted by denominational boundaries.
40:54 We can be hindered and limited by the idea
40:59 that well we are the church.
41:02 You know, and I've heard that it has been said
41:04 and I like this phrase that we should consider
41:06 ourselves more the church of the Remnant
41:12 than the Remnant church.
41:14 See the church of the Remnant means
41:17 that we are part of a Remnant of people, amen,
41:21 that are all over the place.
41:24 And that when the time comes, that testing time,
41:27 there are going to be people from all different
41:30 walks of life who are gonna take their stand
41:32 for the truth, they are gonna stand with us.
41:35 Because they have in the times we live in,
41:40 in the months and years previous to the test,
41:42 they've been developing the character of Christ.
41:45 You see them, you see them everywhere you go.
41:47 You see people who are part of this family of faith
41:50 and they are developing the character
41:52 of Christ, you see the spirit of Christ in them and,
41:55 you know, those people are going to learn
41:56 in weeks and months
41:58 what it's taken us a lifetime to learn.
42:01 They are, but none of us, none of us are going to
42:06 get into heaven or gonna past the test,
42:10 are gonna endure this time just because we know
42:13 intellectually what the truth is.
42:15 Are you with me? Yes.
42:17 That's not it, that's not where it's at.
42:21 If we think that our acknowledgment,
42:23 our ascent to mental truth constitutes
42:26 righteousness, we are under a fearful delusion. Amen.
42:30 We must be grounded and founded on Jesus Christ.
42:36 Amen, amen. This is so significant.
42:40 I want to share with you a thought,
42:41 1 Corinthians Chapter 3,
42:43 Paul has a burden for this when he is talking
42:47 at a church in Corinthians
42:49 and we are not getting far off our lesson,
42:51 because the next part of our lesson here that
42:54 we're not getting off at all 1 Corinthians 2:2,
42:57 in other words what was the emphasis,
42:59 what was the focus of the early Christian church.
43:04 Acts 15, 1 Corinthians 2:2,
43:06 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5 tell us that
43:09 they believe, that they need to focus not on the militia,
43:13 not on the side issues but on Jesus.
43:16 Paul called it, I call it the Pauline pledge.
43:18 Paul said I would know nothing among you
43:20 but Jesus Christ and him crucified.
43:24 Prove all things but hold fast to those thing
43:25 which are good.
43:28 Acts Chapter 15 says, let's not put false tests
43:31 upon the new believers.
43:32 Friends, don't get side tracked
43:35 by false man made tests. Amen.
43:38 Get your focus on Jesus. Amen.
43:41 Get yourself on the foundation.
43:44 He is the test. Amen.
43:46 And so Paul here in 1 Corinthians again
43:48 is emphasizing the same basic truth.
43:50 1 Corinthians Chapter 3,
43:52 powerful, powerful insight.
43:55 He is dealing with a church that he raised up
43:57 in Corinthian, a very ungodly city and he is
44:00 concerned for them because this carnality
44:03 among them they're, they're slipping away
44:05 from the gospel of Jesus Christ.
44:07 And he says here in
44:08 1 Corinthians Chapter 3 and verse 11,
44:10 he says "for other foundation can no
44:13 man lay than that is laid"
44:15 and that foundation is Jesus Christ.
44:19 Jesus Christ is the foundation.
44:22 Now, friends, if you don't have a foundation
44:25 well, let me illustrate it this way.
44:27 Back at our ministry we have a home,
44:30 it has five bedrooms,
44:31 two and half bathrooms and a car port.
44:34 That home would be worth a lot of money
44:39 if only it had a foundation,
44:42 but it was built on railroad ties and sand.
44:45 It was built with the idea that Jesus is coming
44:48 soon and so that five bedroom,
44:51 two and half bathroom home with the car ports
44:54 is worth almost nothing.
44:58 It is actually deteriorating
45:00 to the place where you can't live in it.
45:02 Huge cracks are appearing in the walls and soon it
45:07 will not be safe to even walk into that home
45:10 because it has no foundation.
45:12 Now, friends, the Bible is telling us
45:15 that the foundation of our experience
45:19 of our religion needs to be who, Jesus Christ.
45:22 Twenty seven fundamental believes is good,
45:24 that's good but let me tell you this morning,
45:29 the devil believes
45:31 the seventh-day is the Sabbath. Amen.
45:33 The devil believes that Jesus is coming soon. Amen.
45:38 The devil believes that when you die you sleep.
45:44 So what's the difference between his faith and ours?
45:47 It better be Jesus. Amen.
45:50 It better be that we have a foundation underneath us.
45:53 Amen. Amen.
45:55 Paul says, this is the foundation.
45:59 Then he goes on verse 12.
46:01 Now if any man builds upon this foundation,
46:03 here it is, gold and silver and precious stones.
46:07 There are people in the world today,
46:10 I like to think that they're the Adventists
46:14 who are building upon the foundation of Jesus Christ,
46:17 gold and silver and precious stones.
46:21 See those are the qualities of truth
46:26 and understanding that last, that endure,
46:29 gold, silver and precious stones represent truth.
46:33 True understanding of the Bible of God's words.
46:37 And then it goes on to say wood,
46:41 hay, and stubble.
46:43 Now here we have in contrast of those things
46:46 that will endure the fire, that will endure the flame,
46:48 we have those things that will be burned up.
46:50 I believe this represents false doctrine,
46:53 false understanding,
46:54 false interpretation of God's words.
46:57 Follow me closely this morning,
46:58 there are those in the family of faith.
47:00 Are you with me?
47:02 That are building upon the foundation of Jesus Christ,
47:05 good doctrine, and there are those
47:07 in the family of faith that are building upon
47:11 a foundation of Jesus Christ false doctrine.
47:14 True or false? True.
47:19 Paul goes on, every man's work, verse 13,
47:23 shall be manifest for the day shall declare it,
47:25 because it will be revealed by, fire.
47:29 There is going to be test.
47:30 God has a test not a man made test a heaven bond test.
47:35 And it's going to test every man's work.
47:38 It will be revealed by fire,
47:41 and fire shall try
47:43 every man's work of what sort it is.
47:44 Is it good or bad, is it the gold or is it the wooden,
47:47 and hay and the stubble.
47:49 If any man's work abides which he's built there on,
47:53 he will receive rewards.
47:55 But if any man's work, verse 15, be burned up,
48:00 if you're teaching false doctrine,
48:02 if you believe in false doctrine and this time
48:04 of test comes and your doctrine is burned up.
48:08 You will suffer loss.
48:11 But, but he himself shall be, what's the word,
48:18 saved, yet as so by fire.
48:20 Now this is incredible, isn't it?
48:23 Think about this there are people in the world
48:26 today that are part of the family faith.
48:29 They don't believe the same way you believe
48:31 and what they believe isn't necessarily true
48:34 according to God's words.
48:35 It's wood and hay and it's stubble.
48:37 And there is a time coming when those
48:39 doctrines are going to be tested.
48:42 There is a time coming, friends,
48:44 when Jesus return is going to be eminent
48:47 and not one Christian believer is going to have
48:50 been ruptured from this Earth.
48:52 Are you with me?
48:54 There is a time coming when millions
48:56 of believers out there are going to realize
48:59 that they are here for the duration. Amen.
49:01 Are you with me?
49:02 They're going to realize that there is no such thing
49:05 as a secret pre-rapture or mid oppose
49:09 until Jesus comes.
49:11 Are you with me?
49:12 And it's going to be a terrible
49:13 ordeal to realize that.
49:14 They haven't prepared for that,
49:16 they weren't ready for that,
49:17 they weren't in their minds and hearts thinking
49:21 this is the way it was going to be.
49:23 It's going to be terrible ordeal but you know what,
49:25 they're still gonna be saved.
49:27 They're still gonna be saved if they have
49:30 Jesus Christ as their foundation. Amen.
49:34 Are you with me?
49:35 And we're going to be part of helping them
49:38 to get through the disappointment
49:40 and the grief and the struggle
49:43 of their disappointment theological expectations.
49:47 In that time, we who are part of this family
49:51 of faith and I'm not going to point at them and say,
49:52 yeah, I told you, I told you,
49:53 you should have believe it.
49:54 We're gonna say brother, sister,
49:55 let me share with you from God's words.
49:59 The truth, the gold, the silver,
50:00 the precious stones, let me encourage you,
50:02 let me confront you, it's okay.
50:04 You may not be ruptured out of here,
50:07 you may have to go through with us these
50:10 seven last plagues but God is going to keep
50:12 you and protect you, amen. Amen.
50:14 Let me share with you the promises
50:15 that I've been storing in my heart
50:17 and in my mind in preparation for these events.
50:20 We're going to have the privilege of encouraging
50:23 one another in the family of faith.
50:24 That's what Peter did, Peter didn't say I'm not
50:26 going to Cornelius, I'm not going to a Roman soldier,
50:29 I'm not going to go and share with him.
50:32 He listened to the Spirit of God
50:34 and he went to Cornelius and he testified.
50:37 Now you got to understand,
50:40 it wasn't easy for Peter to do this
50:42 and it may not be easy for you.
50:44 It wasn't easy for Peter to do this.
50:46 See Peter received a lot of flack from the
50:50 brethren for talking to these
50:53 non-Jewish people. Didn't he?
50:56 And he had to rehearse that vision
50:58 again and again, in order to convince the brethren
51:02 that the spirit had led him to do this.
51:05 You may go through some similar experiences. Amen.
51:08 You may have to go through a little bit of flack,
51:11 people may not understand why you're doing
51:13 what you're doing, but don't deny
51:15 the leading of the spirits.
51:17 God has a foundation, upon which many people
51:21 some of whom are not even Christians are building.
51:26 You know, there are many Muslims in the world
51:28 today who believe in Jesus Christ. Amen.
51:31 You know, we get a false understanding
51:34 of the Muslim faith from the news, from television.
51:39 We come to the conclusion that all these Muslims
51:42 in the world today, all one billion of them are all
51:44 terrorists, that's not true,
51:46 that's not true at all.
51:48 There are a small group, yes they are,
51:51 and they give a bad name to the rest.
51:52 But I've been to Muslim countries,
51:55 I've gone to Pakistan three times
51:56 and they are honest,
51:58 faithful Muslim people who believe,
52:01 who believe, who I pray with and share with
52:04 and I've talked with.
52:06 They're honest people in every religion,
52:09 in every walk of life
52:10 that are part of the family of faith.
52:15 And really we're encouraged aren't we
52:17 to be more compassionate, more understanding
52:21 of the family of faith.
52:22 When we look back at the experience of God's
52:25 people of old, this quarter we're looking at
52:28 the experience of Abraham and Sarah.
52:31 Abraham did a few things where he kind of fudged
52:34 the truth didn't he.
52:35 Sarah was told she was going to have a child
52:38 and she laughed.
52:40 She did, she laughed, she thought, you know,
52:43 there is no way, there is no way.
52:46 I mean, Abraham was 75 years old when he was
52:51 told he was going to have a child.
52:52 Seventy five, what do you think of that?
52:55 He was a 100 years old
52:57 when he actually had a son, took 25 years.
53:01 I know it usually takes nine months
53:02 but it took 25 years.
53:06 Why do you think it took Abraham 25 years?
53:10 Because that's how long it took for Abraham
53:12 to completely give up on himself
53:16 and begin to trust the Lord.
53:18 We talked about that last night didn't we.
53:20 You see, we many times doubt,
53:25 and even like Sarah and Abraham,
53:27 the lesson quarterly asked us this quarter,
53:29 do you think that we would do as well in their
53:32 position as they did or better than them.
53:34 I wonder, I wonder if we are not doing the same
53:37 thing that they did Abraham and Sarah did them,
53:39 that we're kind of laughing but that's why
53:41 we are still here because we are kind of snickering
53:43 we are kind of unbelieving or in
53:45 unbelief at the promises of God.
53:48 We read one last night, God promised us He said
53:51 that you can lay aside every weight and the sin
53:57 that's so easily entangles you.
53:59 You can do that, how?
54:02 By looking unto Jesus, the author
54:04 and the finisher of our faith.
54:08 Praise God. Amen. But I don't know.
54:11 Do you think we can do it?
54:13 Well, if we look at ourselves
54:15 that's what Sarah did,
54:17 we're gonna laugh at that promise.
54:19 If we look at ourselves that's what Abraham did,
54:23 we're gonna laugh at that promise
54:25 and it's going to take a while.
54:28 One year, two years, five years, ten years,
54:32 twenty years, twenty five years
54:36 and then it says here in Romans.
54:38 Let's look at the story here as Paul picks it up
54:41 in Roman's Chapter 4.
54:43 I love this, this is so powerful.
54:46 Romans Chapter 4 the family of faith,
54:51 verse 19 of Romans Chapter 4.
54:54 "And he," that is Abraham we're talking about here,
55:00 "being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body."
55:09 Now, let's just stop right here just for a second.
55:11 Abraham is 100 years old, okay.
55:17 He is 100 years old and God has told Abraham
55:20 you are going to have a child.
55:24 What would you think?
55:27 I think that any of us here that are 50 or over
55:30 would have a question about that,
55:33 and probably it's a good thing.
55:37 And Abraham has one of two conclusions
55:40 that he can come to at a 100 years of age.
55:42 He can say there is no way that I can have
55:45 a child, because as the verse says he was dead.
55:51 In other words, there is no way that he could
55:52 physically do it, okay.
55:55 And Sarah was too.
55:57 Or he can say well God said it and I believe it.
56:04 It took Abraham 25 years
56:06 to come to that second conclusion.
56:08 God said it and I believe it.
56:12 I wonder if we're doing better than Abraham today.
56:17 And so verse 21 says, this is so powerful,
56:21 he staggered not at the
56:24 promise of God through unbelief.
56:26 Oh yeah, well, then how come it took 25 years
56:30 if he didn't stagger.
56:33 What was the deal with Hagar if he wasn't staggering.
56:36 Friends, I love the word of God here,
56:39 because the word of God does what the gospel
56:42 has promised us it will do.
56:45 Love covers a multitude of sins,
56:49 God turns our defeats into victory
56:53 and He looks upon our lives as though
56:55 it was a life of uninterrupted victory.
56:59 Because of the blood of Jesus Christ.
57:02 And so Abraham here is revealed to us as one who
57:06 staggered not at the promises of God through
57:09 faith and he gave glory to God.
57:11 And really that's what the essence
57:12 of the everlasting gospel of the Third Angels message
57:16 is calling us to do, isn't it.
57:17 Fear God and give glory to Him. Amen.
57:25 He staggered not at the promises of God through
57:29 unbelief, but was strong in faith,
57:31 giving glory to God.
57:32 Here it is verse 21, "and being fully persuaded
57:38 that, what He, God had promised, He,
57:42 God was able also to perform."
57:47 Amen. Isn't that powerful? Amen.
57:49 I think this morning it's time for us to become
57:55 fully persuaded Amen.
57:58 Some of us are pretty much persuaded, right,
58:02 partially persuaded.
58:04 On the way, on the road of persuasion,
58:07 but God remember, as the finisher,
58:09 He started our persuasion of faith
58:12 and he is going to finish our persuasion of faith. Amen.
58:16 He is going to work in us in such a manner
58:19 that we will become fully persuaded.
58:22 Aren't there things in your life this morning,
58:24 friends, aren't there things in your life
58:29 that you're still struggling with.
58:31 Areas where you know you need to grow,
58:34 I want to give you some help this morning.
58:37 I want you to look at those areas
58:40 and I want you to remember
58:43 what God has done for you in the past.
58:46 I want you to remember those things that
58:48 you used to struggle with but you don't struggle with
58:50 anymore, even if it's only one.
58:53 I want you to remember how it was that
58:56 Jesus Christ gave you the victory.
58:59 I know how it was in my life because as a young man
59:02 I was raised at a very young age tasting alcohol.
59:08 My grandmother was an alcoholic,
59:10 my mother was an alcoholic.
59:11 I was an Aloteen, when my mom was in AA,
59:13 my dad was an alcoholic.
59:15 I just came from that background.
59:17 My grandfather ran a bar.
59:20 So in my system, in my heritage, in my culture,
59:24 it was inevitable for me and that's exactly
59:26 the way I went, drinking, drinking, drinking.
59:30 And yet when I gave my heart to the Lord,
59:34 He took it away.
59:35 He gave me the victory, He persuaded fully,
59:39 persuaded me but I didn't have to have that in my life.


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Revised 2014-12-17