Participants: Ron Halvorsen
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000858
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01:00 You know, when I sing for Ron as I have,
01:02 as I have in his churches, in his crusades around 01:06 the country, its always easy to know what to sing 01:09 about because he always preaches about Jesus. 01:15 A couple of months ago, I was singing for 01:16 Mark Finley in Melbourne, Australia and I asked him 01:19 what's your subject tonight, he goes 666. 01:25 Yes, that's a little hard one to match but 01:26 you know I want to tell you something I don't care 01:29 what Ron is preaching about 666, stay the dead 01:34 whatever, he always is preaching about Jesus. 01:40 And so folks I hope that this will be an emphasis 01:42 in a message to us tonight that everything that 01:46 we should do in life, whether its plumbing 01:49 or driving a truck or farming, people should 01:53 look at us and always be able to tell that 01:56 we are about Jesus, our theme of, in life is Jesus. 02:20 A little boy is crying for affection. 02:27 A little girl needs a hand to hold. 02:35 And oh, how he loves those little children 02:42 How he longs to be a friend to young and old. 02:51 His tender spirit welcomes all who seek Him. 02:57 His giving heart asks little in return. 03:05 And I have found his promises faithful. 03:12 I seek to live my life that I may learn 03:19 To be like Jesus, To be like Jesus. 03:34 To be the one I was created to be. 03:47 To be like Jesus, To be like Jesus. 04:00 May all who see my life find Him in me. 04:20 When I received His supreme salvation 04:26 His perfect love filled my earthly soul. 04:34 And I became a new creation. 04:39 My brokenness He made completely whole. 04:46 And through the darkness of this 04:48 world I've been commissioned 04:51 To be a light that shines for Him alone. 04:59 Surrounded by His infinite mercy, 05:06 May my life always be known 05:12 To be like Jesus, To be like Jesus. 05:29 To be the one I was created to be. 05:42 To be like Jesus, To be like Jesus. 05:58 My only earthly goals fulfilled 06:05 When I'm centered in His will. 06:12 May all who see my heart find Him in me. 06:47 Amen. Amen. 07:04 Behind every great son is a great mother 07:08 I know his mother and, a beautiful woman, 07:13 lovely son, he was one of our students at 07:16 South Western while I was Pastor at that church 07:20 and he blessed my life but when God moves 07:23 in spontaneously when it just comes that's 07:26 when you hear great music and that's when you hear 07:29 great sermons when it comes from the heart, 07:34 Jesus unique son of God. Let's bow our heads 07:38 in a word of prayer as we seek his presence. 07:40 Gracious Father, who art in Heaven, 07:42 I thank you for the possibilities of what 07:45 you want to do for us here tonight. 07:49 People have come expectantly hoping, 07:53 but you will move in someway in their own 07:55 personal lives, that you'll move in in someway 07:57 in their own personal needs, that you'll touch 08:00 them in the area they need to be touched, 08:02 that you'll heal them in the ill area they need 08:04 to be healed that you'll save them for the 08:09 kingdom of God. And so tonight, 08:12 we wanna focus on you, we wanna be brought 08:14 again into your presence, we want a snapshot 08:17 of Jesus Christ, in his name, Amen. 08:22 Have you ever wished that you had a 08:24 snapshot of Jesus, to be carried your wallet. 08:28 I mean someone com up and say well Jesus, 08:31 I never and he say oh, oh let me introduce you, 08:34 pull it out and it's like me with my grand kids. 08:37 I will have it on the cell phone my four 08:39 grand kids looking at me. But, wouldn't it be nice 08:42 just to take a snapshot of Jesus and be able 08:44 to show someone what he was like and to see 08:48 his features, to see who he really was 08:50 and I got stirred in that direction some months ago 08:54 and I wrote a series on that snapshots of the 08:56 Savior and we did a Hope Channel special of eight 09:02 meetings on the snapshots. 09:04 I wanna incorporate some of those into what 09:06 we were talking about this camp meeting. 09:08 Especially, about the uniqueness of 09:09 Jesus Christ, you know today we find a 09:12 culture in crises. We find a culture in 09:18 search of meaning, a culture tottering on the 09:22 brink of disaster, I mean like a great ship 09:24 adrift in a stormy sea without a rudder. 09:27 Post modern man, all kids of questions, 09:33 few answers. Post modern man all kids of needs, 09:39 no solutions, a culture in need of a destiny, 09:44 a culture in need of purpose. 09:45 A culture in need of Christ. 09:50 It's like the prophetic word of God said because 09:52 that when they knew God that glorified him 09:54 not as God. Neither gave thanks, 09:57 but became vain in their reasoning 09:58 and in their foolish hearts was dark in professing 10:02 themselves wise, they became foolish. 10:04 Romans 1:21 through 23 that's our culture. 10:09 Post modern man is trying desperately to 10:12 avoid an encounter with Jesus Christ of history. 10:16 But, it's amazing isn't it? I mean millions upon 10:19 millions upon millions of people everywhere 10:21 around the world they're still talking about 10:23 Jesus Christ even in post modern Christian era. 10:28 In spite of secularism, humanism, modernism, 10:31 determinism, atheism, agnosticism 10:34 and other isms we're still taking 10:36 about Jesus Christ. There are still many 10:38 who respect him and honor him and 10:41 who love him, amazing isn't it? Jesus Christ 10:43 is still the center of this world. 10:46 The center of our universe, bookstores 10:50 are libraries auditoriums are galleries 10:53 and rims of music are all written about 10:55 Jesus Christ to give honor, to give glory 10:58 to Jesus Christ. We talk about him, 11:00 we sing about him, we honor him. 11:02 Television programs, whole stations, 11:05 like our own 3ABN, about Jesus Christ 11:10 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 11:12 I mean at this very moment somewhere in this world, 11:15 someone is talking about Jesus besides 11:18 Ron Halvorsen at the Oklahoma Camp Meeting. 11:22 Now, what other figure in history has been 11:24 so honored as Jesus Christ the Savior? 11:27 I mean what figure in history has been 11:30 so revered, philosophies, political schemes, 11:33 religious movements have been arrayed against him. 11:36 Have tried to defeat him, enemies have tried 11:38 to defeat him. But, Jesus still remains 11:40 unvanquished, undefeated, 11:42 he is unconquerable, amen. There is no one 11:47 anywhere that's foolish enough to say that 11:50 he does not impact our culture even today. 11:53 He is real Jesus Christ, he is the 11:56 Messiah Jesus Christ, and in spite of all this, 11:59 there is still a misconception 12:00 about Jesus. There are still myths being written 12:04 about him, surrounding him. I mean he's been 12:06 attacked on every hand, in every possible way, 12:09 the skeptic says Jesus Christ is 12:11 wishful thinking, he is a myth. Some try to say 12:16 that he is an iconoclastic Jew. 12:18 Who lived in time pass, some have even said 12:21 that he's a revolutionary, I mean even to say 12:25 he was just a human being, an attack not only 12:28 on the person of Christ but on the supernatural, 12:32 on the power of this Jesus that he 12:34 become incarnate, that, that was a miracle 12:36 that Mary received the seed of God, 12:39 when she bore forth this son Jesus Christ. 12:44 So, we need to look at him, we need to get 12:47 a snapshot of him, of the real Jesus Christ. 12:50 Jesus Christ is the unique son of God. 12:53 There is the historical Jesus and there is 12:55 the biblical Jesus. And if ever a culture needed 12:58 Christ it's this culture now, can you say amen? 13:01 Amen, no question Jesus was real, not like 13:05 the artists try to portray him, not like 13:07 the sculpture, I mean has tried to portray him, 13:11 like that particular sculpture, there on that 13:13 mountain a mile and half above the city of 13:16 Rio de Janeiro, Christ Redeemer statue. 13:21 One thousand three hundred tones, 13:23 its positioned on a mountain, a mile 13:26 and half above the city. 13:27 The famous Christ Redeemer statue it's not 13:30 like that though. Looking closer, 13:34 see this statue with Jesus with blind eyes. 13:39 But, you say Ron Halvorsen, 13:40 all sculptures, all art has blind eyes. 13:46 But, you see the artist intended them 13:48 to be blind. He didn't even put pupils 13:50 there to suggest this statue, 13:52 that this Jesus Christ had eyes to see, 13:55 blind eyes, a Savior with blind eyes who never 13:58 sees this falling, hurting people at his feet. 14:02 Sinning, hurting, dying human beings. 14:06 But, secondly if you notice that great statue, 14:10 there's a Valentine's heart on the outside 14:12 of the cloak, a stony heart trying to portray 14:17 Jesus with blind eyes, trying to portray 14:20 Jesus Christ with a stony heart, 14:22 a Valentine's stony heart on the outside 14:26 of the cloak. What kind of redeemer, 14:30 what kind of Jesus is this? Heart made of stone, 14:35 held together not with passion and compassion, 14:38 but held together with concrete and mortar, 14:40 what kind of redeemer is this, with blind eyes 14:43 and a stony heart that's not the Christ 14:45 of the scripture. That's not the Christ 14:47 of the Bible. Listen to me this bronze Galilean 14:50 who had been officiated or authenticated 14:53 by the eyewitnesses, Peter the fisherman, 14:55 Matthew the tax collector, 14:57 Luke the doctor, Mark the teenager. 14:59 In fact they write with pens dipped in the red 15:02 blood ink of Calvary. The pens of inspiration 15:05 and write the words of the life of Jesus Christ. 15:10 Biographies about Jesus written a few years 15:12 after the resurrection confirm the fact that 15:15 historically he lived, historically he walked 15:17 the face of the earth, historically he died 15:20 on the Roman cross and rose from Joseph 15:23 of Arimathea's grave. Three send out the gospels 15:28 and the gospel of John, Paul writing his letters 15:31 proceed the gospels with eyewitnesses 15:33 to Damascus and the road encounter. 15:36 At least seven secular sources substantiate 15:41 that Jesus was real, that he lived 15:44 and he walked the hills of Galilee. 15:45 That he was real, he touched lame legs 15:47 and men walked. That he was real, 15:49 he touched blind eyes and men saw. 15:51 That this Jesus had power as no one else 15:54 in history. That Jesus Christ was unique 15:56 in history. Amen. But, he was also unique 16:03 in his duty, he was Jesus the unique son of God. 16:07 If you have your Bibles I want you to turn 16:09 with me to Second Corinthians and let's read 16:12 the word of God together tonight 16:14 and see the uniqueness of this Jesus. 16:16 That's Second Corinthians and I want you to notice 16:19 here in the 4th chapter and verses 4 through 6. 16:29 That's the 4th chapter and verses 4 through 6, 16:35 whose minds that God of this age has blinded, 16:39 who do not believe, lest the light of the Gospel 16:42 of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, 16:45 should shine unto them. For we do not preach 16:48 ourselves, but Jesus Christ, the Lord, 16:50 and ourselves your bondservants for 16:53 Jesus sake. For it is the God who commanded light 16:57 to shine out of darkness, who has shone 17:00 in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge 17:02 of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 17:06 And then we read later on we read in the book 17:10 of Philippians I want you to notice here 17:12 in the book of Philippians the word of God notice 17:16 what the Bible says in the book of Philippians 17:19 chapter 2 and verses and 9 and 10, 17:22 it's substantiates this unique Jesus, 17:25 it substantiates the unique Christ. 17:27 Notice here in verse 9 and 10 of the 2nd chapter 17:30 of the epistle to Philippians, 17:32 notice what he says. Therefore God also has 17:36 highly exalted Him and given Him a name 17:38 which is above every name, that at the name 17:41 of Jesus every knee should bow, 17:42 of those in heaven, and of those on earth, 17:45 and of those under the earth, 17:47 and that every tongue should confess 17:49 Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of 17:52 God the Father." Amen. Bible tells us Jesus Christ 17:56 is unique son of God. He was more than just 17:58 a good man, he was more than just a 18:00 religious leader, he was more than just a 18:03 historical person, he was more than just 18:05 a son of Mary. He was more than just a 18:07 Jewish leader, he was the son of God, 18:10 now this unique, there's four ways in which 18:12 he was unique, he was unique in his origin Jesus. 18:15 He was unique in his name Jesus, 18:17 he was unique in his salvation Jesus, 18:20 and he was unique in his promise. 18:22 First of all, he is unique in his origin, 18:25 there never was another in history. 18:27 Then never was another was a human child 18:30 but at the same time a divine son never. 18:34 Then there was another who was wounded 18:36 by Satan yet at the same time crushed 18:39 Satan under his heal never, there never 18:42 was another who walked the earth before 18:44 he was born, never. There never was another 18:47 who wrote the law with his own finger 18:49 and yet 2000 years later would come under 18:52 the dictates of that holy law never. 18:54 There never was another who saved himself, 18:57 who could not save but could not save others 19:00 but could not save himself, never. 19:03 There never was another who was King of glory 19:05 and yet wore no earthly crown, but a crown 19:08 of thorns never. Then never was another 19:10 who was the Lord of the Sabbath yet at the 19:12 same time was called and accused as being 19:15 a Sabbath breaker, never. There never was another 19:17 who was called the truth and yet at the same 19:20 time called the liar, a hypocrite, an imposter, 19:24 never. Jesus is unique, who was as old as 19:27 his heavenly Father, ages older then his 19:30 earthly mother, never. Then never was another 19:32 for he was the Creator, he was the creature 19:35 and the servant and the Savior, 19:37 there was never one like Jesus Christ. 19:40 Amen. He is unique in his origin Jesus. 19:45 Colossians tells us, for by him are all things 19:48 created that were created. Ephesians 3:9 19:51 speaking of this Jesus says, that he created 19:54 all things, or all things, excuse me, 19:57 were created by Jesus Christ. 20:01 It is from him Jesus who poured forth 20:05 all the seas and the lakes and the rivers out 20:09 of the crystal chalice of eternity and yet 20:11 on a cross he tries I thirst. Jesus uniquely 20:17 the living water. Cries out I thirst, 20:21 it was Jesus who spoke and the green grass 20:23 sprout and the little flowers blossomed 20:25 and the pine tree pointed finger to the sky 20:27 and the oaks spread out his arms 20:29 and lakes curdled down in the hurdles 20:30 of the ground and rivers ran down to the sea. 20:35 It was Jesus Christ the unique Creator. 20:38 That we have all things that we enjoy, 20:41 he is inclusive, inclusive in his origin. 20:44 And because of the unique origin 20:46 brother and sister, he is the sum and solution 20:49 of all man kind's paradoxes, because 20:51 of his unique origin. He is the end of all 20:54 mystery Jesus Christ, because of His 20:56 unique origin, he is the reason and the 20:58 explanation of all man's uniqueness. 21:04 He is the only one from eternity 21:08 who was incarnated, born of a virgin. 21:14 His birth place with dictated by 21:16 imperial senses. His birth place was predicted 21:20 by the divine prophecy. Jesus, He is truly unique, 21:24 He is unique in His origin, Jesus. 21:26 His origin is different then anyone else. 21:30 You can talk all you want about being like 21:32 Christ but you'll never be like Christ. 21:35 You will always have an earthly daddy. 21:40 He is unique in his origin. But secondly, 21:45 this Jesus Christ is unique in his name. 21:50 Jesus name hold forever beauty, the name of Jesus. 21:54 I mean it holds variety, it holds proportion, 21:56 it holds perfection, it holds power. 21:58 Emmanuel, God with us. 22:05 From the incarnation when Christ came through 22:07 the back door of eternity and came down 22:10 into this world and was born in Bethlehem's 22:12 manger and lay in Bethlehem's manger. 22:14 For that moment on, the poor could never say 22:16 God you don't understand poverty, 22:18 from that moment on the sick could never say 22:20 to God you don't understand sickness. 22:23 From that day on the dying could never say 22:24 to God you don't understand dying, 22:26 because he suffered for us, he became poor 22:30 for us and he died for us, hallelujah. Amen. 22:35 Jesus is unique, he is the Emmanuel, 22:40 God is no longer distant, he is not a God confined 22:44 with temple or to a church. He is here with us, 22:50 and wherever we walk he is there with us. 22:53 Jesus is unique by the way he's with you 22:57 when you walk and he's with you when you fall. 23:00 Never forgot that, heard someone reprimanding 23:05 her son, told him you better not go there son 23:08 because Jesus won't go with you. 23:11 Why don't you teach them to love Jesus so much 23:13 he's not gonna wanna go there. 23:16 But, my Bible says if I, if I make my bed in hell 23:19 thou art there, if I ascend to heaven 23:21 thou art there. You can never hide from him. 23:27 He is the omnipresent you know as a teenager 23:31 when I came to Christ people didn't have 23:33 to preach to me about this what you wear, 23:35 what you do, I mean it was natural because 23:38 you see I wanted, I didn't wanna bring Jesus 23:41 there. But, he would have followed me 23:44 into the gates of hell. A girl came to my office 23:47 when I was a pastor at a college church, 23:49 I knew she was having a tough time, 23:51 she must have broke up with her boyfriend, 23:52 I figured that out. And she was trying 23:54 and telling how terrible it was and I was 23:56 thanking God because I knew the boy. 24:03 And she said, my prayers don't go beyond 24:05 the ceiling. And so what do you think God's 24:09 confined above the ceiling. 24:11 Crawl under your bed, he will crawl under 24:13 with you. If I make my bed in hell, 24:16 thou, he is unique with us, he is omnipresent 24:19 with us. He is everywhere with us, 24:21 when I go out boating, my fishing, 24:23 he is there with me. I took my boy when 24:26 he was little, fishing. And if you have a son, 24:29 you got to do that father listen to me. 24:32 I have two children they're both preachers, 24:35 my boy Ronnie and my girl Diane, 24:38 I know how that will set with some of you, 24:39 but that's alright. 24:44 Take them fishing and I took my grandson fishing 24:46 we weren't catching anything, 24:48 my son he is a pastor of a large church, 24:51 one of the largest churches in America 24:53 and kind of you know very spiritual person, 24:55 very deep theologian, very deep thinking 24:58 person, was sitting in a boat and my little 25:00 grandson his little lips quivering, he wants to 25:02 catch a fishy, he is not catching, he has this 25:04 bobber out there and pappies is the number 25:06 one fisherman one that river, now I'm saying 25:08 that humbly. It's true when I go out my boat 25:12 they follow me, but anyway I say well lets 25:16 pray about it. My son looked at me with 25:19 that theological look dad, like God must have more 25:26 important things to do, I said I don't think so, 25:29 I think this is important to God 25:31 for this little boy, and I said lets pray, 25:33 so my grandson he always listens his 25:35 pappies and so he bows his head and 25:37 we're praying, I said Lord, help Ronnie to catch 25:41 his fish and we opened our eyes just 25:43 then a bobble went down, a big fish jumped 25:45 out of the water and I looked at my son. 25:49 I got more pleasure from that fish looking 25:52 at my son. Omnipresent in the boat, 25:55 omnipresent at work, omnipresent when 25:59 you're hurting at home all alone, 26:01 omnipresent when you've gone through that 26:03 terrible divorce and you're hurting deep. 26:07 God's omnipresent, Emmanuel, God with us. 26:13 He is unique in his name, I mean he is God's 26:17 eternal purpose consummated, 26:19 he is love's eternal dream dramatized. 26:22 He is justice married to mercy. 26:25 He is creator wedded to his creation. 26:27 Then is none, he is always the unlike 26:29 Jesus Christ. Even the name Emmanuel describes 26:34 it the unlikeness and so I went to the 26:37 alphabet to try to find his name. 26:38 I look for his name in his office it was 26:40 everywhere, he is the Alpha and the Adam 26:43 and the advocate and the anointed 26:45 and the author of faith and he is the A man 26:48 of salvation and he is the ancient of days. 26:52 I went to the alphabet to find his name, 26:53 because it's his name he says, 26:55 and I went to alphabet and I found the beginning 26:57 and the begotten and beloved and the branch 27:00 and the bridegroom, the brighten morning star 27:02 and the bread of life. I went to the alphabet 27:06 to find his name Jesus, he was everywhere, 27:08 for he is the creator, the counselor, 27:10 the comforter, the child, he is the cornerstone, 27:14 he is the deliverer and the day star 27:16 and the desire of nations and he is the 27:18 divine son of God, can you say amen 27:21 in Oklahoma? Amen. 27:22 I went to alphabet to find his name Jesus, 27:25 he was everywhere this Jesus. 27:27 He is the faithful, he is the Emmanuel the elect, 27:31 the eternal, the everlasting one. 27:33 He is the faithful and the father 27:35 and the friend and he is the faithful witness. 27:38 I went to the alphabet to find his name, 27:40 he is the good shepherd and governor 27:41 and the guide and the glorious Lord. 27:43 He is the husband man and the help 27:45 and the holy one, home of salvation, 27:48 end of all things. He is our heavenly 27:51 high priest, amen. I went to the alphabet 27:54 to find his name Jesus He is everywhere, 27:56 for He is the immortal one, the invincible one, 27:58 the invisible one. He is the judge and the just 28:01 and the Jesus and Jehovah. 28:02 He is the King of glory and the King of Israel. 28:05 He is the King of kings and he is. 28:07 I went to the alphabet to find his name 28:09 He is everywhere Jesus, He is the light 28:11 and the life and love and the lion and the lamb. 28:14 And the law giver, amen. 28:20 He is the mediator and the master, 28:25 and the mighty God and he is our Messiah. Amen. 28:31 I went to the alphabet to find his name, 28:33 he is everywhere, he is the omega, 28:36 the only begotten, the offering, the offerer, 28:39 the Passover, the potentate, the prophet, 28:41 the propitiation. He is the priest and 28:43 he is the physician, he is to all people 28:46 all things Jesus. He is the righteousness 28:48 and the Rabbi and the ransom and the rest 28:50 and root of Jesse and the rose of Sharon 28:52 and the resurrection in a life. Amen. 28:56 I went to the alphabet to find his name, 28:58 he is the ruler and redeemer and he is the 29:02 rock of ages. He is the stone and the shepherd 29:06 and the son of God and the savior. 29:07 He is the truth in the tabernacle 29:09 and the testator. He is the witness 29:11 and the word and the way, 29:13 he is the wisdom of God and he is the wonderful. 29:15 He is all the way forever, amen. 29:19 Oh! You people here, I have at least five days 29:23 this week to stir your heart. 29:25 Get you moving saying amen once in a while, 29:30 get excited. Someone came to me, 29:34 he said I knew you 30 years ago, you still seen 29:37 to have that enthusiasm, I say I'm still saved. 29:42 Hasn't changed, and by the way let me set 29:45 you in with a clue. I'm not more saved now, 29:50 then I was as a gang banger at 17 years old 29:52 when I first gave my life to Christ. Amen. 29:55 Now I'm living a little better, but I'm not 29:58 more saved. Friend, don't you see that, 30:04 salvation is a free gift. And by the way you don't 30:07 have to pay the payments, just enjoy the house. 30:13 And I've enjoyed it for these 50 some years. 30:16 And listen to me I told to my wife the other day 30:19 I said honey if I die before the Lord come, 30:20 I want you to put a pulpit in the casket 30:22 because I'm coming up preaching, I'm coming up 30:27 preaching. The name above every name, 30:34 he was the perfect son of God. 30:38 We humans born in sin so much bad in the best 30:41 of us and so much good in the worst of us. 30:43 It behoves any of us to judge the rest of us. 30:48 History show us how short we've fallen, 30:51 for 1000 of years man has tried perfect, 30:55 being perfectible, we tried to go con God 30:59 with our with, and our charm, and our culture, 31:01 and our religion, and our rules, and our standards 31:03 and by the way it's whoever you're talking to. 31:06 Some think if the dress isn't long enough 31:08 you're not going to heaven, some think well 31:09 if it's short enough you're not what. 31:15 We play a religious game, we pray and 31:19 we promised him. We pleaded with him, 31:21 we prostrate ourselves before him but 31:23 we failed him. History has shown our failure, 31:28 even the holiest of our heroes, 31:30 I mean the prophets, and the priests, 31:32 and the patriarchs and the apostles, 31:33 they have failed us. Some of the stories 31:39 from the Holy Scriptures are more like adventures 31:41 from Sinbad the sailor come on now, 31:44 be honest. In fact I wanna talk about the 31:47 somethings the prophets called out and 31:49 cried out to God. Their doubts, and our God 31:53 handled it. But, they failed us, 31:59 Adam look at him, adorned in fig leaves, 32:05 stained lips, hiding behind the tree. 32:08 Not so perfect, I mean there's Noah, 32:12 master boat builder but not a master of his 32:14 own habits, lies drunken naked before his son. 32:17 As it was in the days of Noah, 32:18 so shall it be in the coming of the Son of Man. 32:21 If you're looking for perfect people 32:23 when he comes wake up and smell the roses. 32:25 Work in the inner cities where I work, 32:28 take yourself out of your little comfortable, 32:30 comfort zones come down into the cities 32:33 and work where I work and given myself 32:35 as a missionary for these 50 years to Christ 32:38 in the cities of America. Let's so poke in our 32:42 heroes Moses, hey when the Jews talk about 32:45 perfection they pointed to Moses. Moses? 32:47 Throwing down his staff in a temper tantrum, 32:50 receiver of the law, breaker of the law. 32:55 Saw God's back and by the way he did a few 32:58 things behind God's back, come on now 33:00 that's Moses. And there was Aaron, 33:07 he was the right hand man of Moses 33:09 remember Aaron? If he's so perfect what 33:13 he is doing, aerobics before the golden calf 33:17 at the foot of Mount Sinai, not so holy, 33:20 not so perfect. In need of a Savior, 33:25 in need of a God, in need of salvation. 33:30 Look around you, look at these pages of scripture, 33:33 David, a man after God's own heart, 33:37 giant slayer, songwriter, poet. 33:44 But, there's disgrace, he did a few things 33:50 behind God's back. Listen to me, 33:56 we talk about these things and sweet little 33:59 air conditioned churches where little people 34:02 talk about big theology. Suddenly your Sally 34:06 theologians who sit around blowing bubbles 34:09 about nothing. Hey, when it comes right down 34:12 to it I'm gonna tell you what it's all about. 34:13 Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells 34:18 me so. That's what it's about, making mountains 34:23 out of mold hills. Samson, swooning on 34:26 Delilah's couch, drunk with wine perfume 34:29 so he's thinking if she leaves the room. 34:31 Oh she's getting into something more 34:33 comfortable, she is saying where did I put 34:35 those scissors. He was a judge in Israel, 34:42 not so perfect. You see this book is not for 34:45 perfect people, this book is about hurting people. 34:48 This book is for people who are hurting inside, 34:50 people who are falling, people who are making 34:53 a mess, people who need to be covered 34:55 and loved and cared for and. 35:05 You see they were to their generation 35:06 what you and I are to our generation. 35:10 The Old Testament ends in failure, 35:13 prophets can't save the people, 35:15 Moses can't for sure. 35:21 A priest cannot minister the sacrifice to save 35:24 the people. The patriarchs can get out of bondage 35:26 of slavery, but they cannot get us out of 35:28 bondage of sin, you see then he enters Jesus, 35:31 he comes, there's uniqueness in his origin. 35:33 There's uniqueness in his name, 35:34 there's uniqueness in his salvation. 35:40 They must be a crib before there's a cross, 35:46 the only way he could save us, 35:49 was to come close to us. He could not save us 35:53 from the far reaches of heaven. 35:55 He could not relate to that, he had to come 35:58 into the world as we came into this world. 36:00 He had to be tempted as we're tempted. 36:02 He had to feel pain as we feel pain, 36:05 he has to suffer and be killed. 36:10 As we the sons of Adam have, for generation. 36:16 He comes not because we are worthy of his love 36:19 or his care. But, because we need it, 36:24 that's why he comes not because I deserve it. 36:30 But Lord I've done all these things and make 36:31 you a list, check it twice like he's Santa Claus. 36:38 God is not Santa Claus. 36:43 Comes to planet rebellion, he comes to 36:46 wicked hearts, he comes to cool minds wherever 36:49 you are in your life he comes to you, 36:51 whether you're on the hills of East Texas 36:54 or whether you're here in Oklahoma, 36:57 Oklahoma is just a suburb of Texas isn't 37:00 or is it the other way around, 37:01 I've been trying to get that straight. 37:05 It's the other way around okay. 37:10 He enters into our rebellion, 37:12 I mean even after a generation stripped 37:14 him naked, he enters to save us to die, 37:16 he enters and what are we do? We strip him 37:19 naked and then we lacerated the 37:20 incarnated flesh. And we place a crown of 37:23 thorns on his, you say I didn't do that, 37:25 you did every sin present on the hill that 37:27 day is present here in Oklahoma camp meeting. 37:42 It's my sin that put him there, 37:45 It was my sin that he died for. 37:49 And your sin he died for. 37:51 And when ever I think of that, 37:53 if I was the only sin in the world or I had 37:55 committed the only sin in the world he would 37:56 have come and died, I can't fathom that, 37:58 I've spent all my life trying to 38:00 understand that for me. 38:08 I tried to understand that for, 38:11 he places his live around us, 38:14 he places his heart around us, to protect us, 38:17 even in the judgment. J.C. Massee I don't know 38:21 if you've ever heard about him but he was one 38:22 of those great southern preachers, 38:24 you know in the old days they used to preach. 38:26 Come on in, may I make a suggestion, 38:28 come on nowadays. Sounds like a pop 38:31 psychology class, come on. You're good, 38:34 I'm good, you know we like bubbling 38:36 brooks happy little, but some of the days 38:40 they scorched the earth when they preached. 38:43 Put up the big tents and preach in the big tents 38:46 I used to do that, shows how old I am. 38:49 I had saw dust in my veins. I'm going back 38:54 to Brooklyn, this sermon preaching in a big 38:56 tent in Brooklyn. I made the full circle from 39:00 Brooklyn to Brooklyn. Anyway he used to preach 39:05 in those big tents and they come out 39:08 and hear him preach and they used to love 39:10 to hear him preach and J.C. Massee. 39:12 His mother used to come and she was so proud 39:14 of her preacher son. By the way, 39:16 I remember the first time I heard my boy preach, 39:18 that was in Lincoln, Nebraska, I was up in the 39:20 balcony of church and he was preaching my boy. 39:22 And I almost fell out of the balcony. 39:25 Come on, I mean there is a holy pride I mean 39:29 you know that's my sin I'm sorry but. 39:34 Then I would hear my daughter preach, 39:36 that's quite another thing too, 39:38 she has a little fire of her daddy in her. 39:41 But, I was so proud, Sister Massee is so proud 39:44 of her son he is preaching caught up 39:45 in the spirit one day and he says my mother 39:47 has a sin, oh and everybody looks 39:50 and isn't it amazing? I mean if you talk about 39:56 something good about someone known, 39:58 the moment you find something bad 40:00 you think something bad, you stop 40:03 and they're all looking at her and 40:04 she's flipped out in her seat and she looks up 40:06 at the son and she says yeah, my mother 40:07 had a sin, pride, pride that time she's under 40:11 the chair. And everybody's Sister 40:14 Massee sweet little southern belle, pride. 40:20 And then he laughed, he said my momma had pride 40:24 that she had the whitest sheets in South Georgia. 40:29 And said in fact there was law in our house 40:31 that said you never went to the feather bed 40:34 with the whitest sheets in South Georgia 40:36 till you had a bath and wearing clean pajamas 40:39 that was the law of the Medes and Persians 40:40 in that house. One day JC was playing out 40:44 by the barn you know where the eves 40:46 of barn and it was raining and water 40:49 and mother was milking the cow, I don't know 40:51 how they do it, but I get mine in the 40:54 grocery store. I thought chocolate 40:57 milk for years came from chocolate cows, 40:59 I mean I didn't know the difference. 41:01 First time I saw a cow in the rough was 41:03 I was 17 years old. So, you know what 41:06 I know about it, and so JC said he was playing 41:09 in a mud puddle, isn't it that what kids 41:12 come on now, especially with that new sneakers. 41:16 I mean they find every mud puddle in the 41:18 neighborhood. These playing in a mud 41:21 and splashing over and he goes in the barn 41:23 and he says mom I have to go to house to do 41:25 what little boys have to do when they go 41:26 to house and she said, you go JC but you remember 41:29 you come right back. And he knew what that meant, 41:35 no such thing as a time out, I give you a break. 41:39 Time out son as he rips a wall off 41:42 or calls 911 on you. 41:49 So, JC took care of what he had to take care 41:53 in the house and he's walking by 41:54 and there in the bedroom was the big 41:56 feathered bed, the white sheets in 41:59 South Georgia. A voice comes says JC, 42:04 wouldn't it be nice to climb up on the bed 42:07 and take a dive into the feather bed. 42:09 You know what voice that is, come on now. 42:12 come on, you don't have to a theologian 42:14 or a rocket scientist. Then the other voice came 42:18 back said naughty, naughty JC remember 42:20 what mama said. And so we went by 42:22 and got as far as the back door and reached 42:25 for the door knob and the voice kept just 42:26 one little dive, boy ran back as fast 42:29 and he could got, got up on the bed stead, 42:32 he took a dive, mud flying everywhere. 42:38 Isn't it the way it happens, 42:40 come on remember before you knew Jesus, 42:42 you went from one dive to another dive, 42:44 to another dive come on. 42:47 Just one dive so comes back, 42:48 he does a back dive. And he's having fun man, 42:51 don't let anybody tell you sin is not fun 42:53 for a while. Come on, it's true even the 42:57 Bible tells you that. And he's splashing 43:01 and he's diving and he's tumbling 43:03 and just then he looks and momma's standing 43:06 in the door way. The fun is over, 43:13 she has the look in the eye, did your mother 43:15 have that look in the eye? 43:16 My momma had the look. And she had a switch 43:23 in her hand and judgment in her eye. 43:28 White sheets dirty, muddy, whitest sheets 43:31 in South Georgia and so he does the first thing 43:34 he tries to cover it. 43:38 No way, can't cover it, 43:43 so he does the second best thing he builds up 43:46 the tears, did you do that when you were a kid? 43:48 My boy was great at it. When he was a little boy 43:52 he would cry harder before he got it. 43:57 Don't hit me, everybody in the neighborhood 43:59 thought I was a child abuser, 44:00 don't hit me daddy, don't, please dad, 44:04 you know come on, tears burst like a dam. 44:13 So, he's having the tears flowing just then 44:15 he hears the noise at the window, 44:16 he looks and his big brother is sitting 44:18 on a horse looking in the window. 44:22 And the big brother sees mom with the switch 44:24 and she sees and he sees the muddy sheets 44:29 he throws open with window 44:30 and he says wait mom, stop, don't do it. 44:32 He crawls off wet and coming back 44:35 from the irritation, he's sopping wet, 44:38 he crawls through the window into the bedroom. 44:43 He runs over to JC and he lays over JC. 44:48 JC scrunch now, there is no word scrunch 44:51 there should be. He's scrunch under 44:55 his big brother, he waited for the switch. 45:04 Nothing happened, he then looked out from 45:08 under his big brother he notice momma 45:10 was standing there with the switch at her side 45:13 and the tear in her eye. She said to him, 45:16 you big lug, get him and get out of here. 45:19 He said he, my big bother picked me up, 45:22 he didn't run for the door, he ran for the 45:23 window, on the horse, boom to the barn. 45:30 We all dirtied the sheets in one way or another. 45:36 For all have sinned and come short of 45:39 the glory of God. Amen. But, God so loved 45:44 the world that he gave his son that 45:48 whosoever believes in Him should not perish 45:50 but have everlasting, He gave himself fully 45:56 and the value of the gift is always in the love 46:00 of the giver. No one cares for us like Jesus, 46:07 no one else cared quite like Him 46:14 and so he's unique in His salvation. 46:18 But, also Jesus Christ is unique in His promise, 46:25 He is unique in His promise. I'm with you, 46:32 I'm with you as long as you do right. 46:36 Come on I'm with you, I'm with you only 46:40 when you dress like you should do, 46:42 no I'm with you always, always. 46:48 When Moses said, here I am, send Aaron. 46:57 When Samson whispered to Delilah, 46:59 when Saul rode against David, when David schemed 47:03 against Uriah, God didn't give up. 47:05 When Peter denied him, and John and James 47:07 fought for a position, when Judas kissed 47:09 the kiss of death, when Pilate washed it, 47:11 God did not give up. You see listen carefully, 47:14 forget everything, listen now. 47:16 He would give up on his own son before 47:19 he'd give up on you. Amen. 47:23 For God so loved the world, 47:29 he gave and the value of the gift is in the love 47:36 of the giver. When I was living at Keene, 47:41 well before Keene, I was pastoring a church 47:46 and my little girl she was just, 47:49 she's 6 foot now she was, my boy is 6' 7" now 47:53 so you know, but anyway they were just 47:55 little ones, we have the law in our house, 47:57 it was for our Medes and Persians, 47:58 when daddy is in his office studying the word 48:00 of God you're not to come there, 48:01 you're not to disturb him as to law. 48:05 He will play with you when he comes out, 48:06 he will spend all the time you need. 48:09 But, when he is in his office, 48:12 writing, studying, praying. One day I left the 48:15 door open just a crack and I heard a noise 48:18 of door and I looke and there was my little 48:19 Diane looking in through the crack in the door. 48:21 Beautiful blue eyes sparkling and beautiful 48:25 blonde hair freckled in the sunlight 48:28 and these little things have such a look 48:33 on a face. I said Diane, and she remembered 48:38 the law, so she started to run, 48:41 I said stop and she stop and in those days 48:43 they stopped. Now you read books on it, 48:49 you can't stop them, even throw a book at them 48:51 they don't stop. I mean the book you're 48:54 reading about it, I said honey, come here, 48:57 she came as far as the door. 48:58 She remembered the law, law said, 49:02 she pushed opened the door. 49:03 And there was that invisible line, 49:06 I said honey, come in, you see what sin had bond, 49:08 grace did much more to bond, 49:10 she bonded in, amen. And she stood before me 49:13 she says daddy, I have gift for you, a gift, 49:16 hey now the law went out of the window 49:18 come on now. I said a gift honey? She says, 49:21 yeah daddy, I have a gift for you, 49:23 I said, oh tell me what is it. 49:26 And she said guess, guess. 49:31 So, she wanted to play the game, 49:33 I could play the game. I said honey, 49:35 is it a new boat and she laughed and giggled 49:36 and her eyes sparkled, no daddy. 49:38 So, I guessed the normal things I would like 49:40 to have and I couldn't have. 49:42 And she laughed and played the game, 49:44 but I was getting impatient and finally 49:45 I said, no, I can't stand, give me the gift. 49:48 You know how you talk to kids, 49:49 you have another language. 49:54 Come on, you don't speak in tongues to your kids, 50:00 it's another language. And she said, 50:07 and she took it out and it was a lamp made 50:12 of noodles, a noodle lamp. I took my best 50:17 Kmart painting off the wall and I put up a 50:24 noodle lamp. People come in my office 50:27 and look at the noodle lamp. 50:32 The value of the gift is in the love of the giver. 50:42 God so loved the world, 50:50 God would give up on his only Son, 50:54 I have good news for you tonight. 50:58 God would give up on His only Son before 51:02 He would give up on you, or me. 51:08 And he made a promise, He made a promise, 51:14 think of the majesty of that miracle. 51:18 The first Adam was wounded in the side 51:21 and there came forth eve His bride, 51:26 the second Adam was wounded in his sided 51:27 at Calvary and there come forth a new Eve, 51:30 the church of Jesus Christ. Amen. 51:37 I'm with you always, I'm with you always. 51:48 It turns his embryo in a womb of a woman. 51:54 He is dead now, but he's alive, he's alive, alive. 52:06 I was holding a meeting in San Bernardino, 52:08 California just a few years ago. Lord poured 52:11 out his spirit there in San Bernardino. 52:13 San Bernardino is one of the toughest 52:15 cites in America. Crime rate per capita 52:17 is the worst in that city. The worst gangs ever 52:19 came out of there, hells angels came out of there, 52:22 it was born in San Bernardino and 52:23 and Satan worship by the way. 52:26 Center of Satan worship started there in 52:28 San Bernardino, California. So, God sent me there 52:31 in San Bernardino just a few years ago, 52:36 of course all the ministers were skeptical, 52:38 I had to go almost a year trying to prove 52:40 to the Adventist ministers you could hold 52:41 evangelism still, that's amazing isn't it? 52:45 You can't do that here brother Ron Halvorsen 52:48 we're in post modern age. You know we're trying 52:51 to figure out the post modernism. 52:53 We're trying to figure out the problem 52:54 when Jesus has the solution. 52:58 They spent more time on trying to find 53:00 a program to reach them by that time 53:02 they're lost. They go to their graves 53:05 without Christ, I'm amazed at that stupidity. 53:09 So I, we went to orange, the orange center 53:15 there in San Bernardino and the Lord blessed 53:19 the opening night, we had over 3900 people. 53:22 We baptized in that meeting over 300 people, 53:28 but anyway I was preaching one night, 53:30 I shared the conversion from the gangs to Jesus 53:32 and there were two gangs there that night 53:35 and it was amazing what God did, 53:36 we baptized lawyers and doctors and we baptized 53:39 gang bangers and the homeless and they all come 53:42 to the same pool, I baptized them in the 53:44 Loma Linda swimming pool on Saturday afternoon, 53:46 that was a new day. And this gang banger 53:51 came down, he was 27 years old he spend 53:55 14 years incarcerated of his 27 years. 54:00 He had all the gang tattoos you know 54:02 and you see what's happening today the 54:04 music is trying to ghettoize our children. 54:07 I thankful to God when he got me out 54:09 of the ghetto, they're trying to bring them back 54:11 to the ghetto. All this tattooing, 54:14 all this stuff to try to imprison their mind 54:16 and their soul, anyway this kid come down, 54:20 not a kid he's 27 years old and 54:24 he cried on my shoulder, people are leaving 54:27 the auditorium, they didn't know what God 54:29 was doing that night you never know what 54:30 God is doing. If you only knew what God 54:34 was doing some times in those meetings, 54:37 he's weeping on my shoulder. 54:40 I led him to Christ there by that platform 54:43 that night. Came back every night, every night. 54:49 Scars, tattoos, every night. I was sure glad 54:55 some saint didn't sit next to him there at 54:57 that meeting. I will tell you. It's amazing 55:04 what they say and what they do in the 55:07 name of Christ, a gang banger came. 55:12 So, he came to my Bible class, my baptism class, 55:15 we were planning on baptizing them in the pool 55:17 with the others on Saturday. 55:21 On Thursday night he was standing on the porch, 55:26 by the way I was gonna have a wedding 55:27 on Friday night and a baptism on Saturday night. 55:30 You have to do that a lot nowadays, 55:33 have the wedding and then the baptism. 55:35 We had the wedding all planned, he had the little 55:37 18-month-old baby. She was standing on one 55:41 side of porch, he was on the other and car came 55:44 around the corner boom, blew him away, 55:46 killed him right there. I got word that 55:50 Friday night and I stood up and told the people 55:53 about this young gang banger and his plans 55:56 to be baptized and now he's dead. 56:00 I took up an offering that night to bury 56:02 the young man and got $ 5000 to bury him 56:06 that night. I buried him in the sweetest, prettiest 56:11 cemetery in Loma Linda. Because when 56:14 he comes up in a resurrection I want the 56:16 saints to see what a sinner looks like 56:18 transformed by the grace of God. Amen. 56:22 You people I don't know, I hope I didn't 56:24 waste my time. 56:29 You know what a miraculous thing that is? 56:31 Do you know what a changed life is? 56:35 Do you know what that is for that boy, 56:37 the only hope he ever had, I am with you. 56:47 I shed tears for him. I let him know before 56:52 he died, before that night he was killed, 56:55 I let him know that God lived in the hood, 56:59 that God roams the street of the hood. 57:02 That God died for gang bangers, 57:06 and he received Christ and he'll be received again. 57:14 I'm with you always. Listen to me carefully 57:18 when times get hard and they will, look to Jesus. 57:25 He'd listen to me, when people don't listen 57:28 to you and don't really care, look to Jesus. 57:36 When tears come and won't stop, look to Jesus. 57:45 When you fall down and you fail and you mess up, 57:52 look to Jesus. 'Cause He does not have 57:56 blind eyes, but does he have a stony heart. 58:02 Father, which art in heaven, I thank you 58:03 for that truth tonight. 58:10 Oh! God, be real to everyone here, 58:14 may they feel your softness. 58:18 May they see your smile, may they know 58:22 your tenderness and your forgiveness. 58:29 And may they love you more, 58:31 now then they ever did before, 58:35 everyday you get sweeter, amen. 58:44 Remember you leave this place but 58:47 you never leave the presence of God. |
Revised 2014-12-17