Participants:
Series Code: SCM
Program Code: SCM230010S
00:00 [MUSIC]
00:02 >> We set our sights on the compelling stories. The 12 00:06 miners profits test 00:09 profits missed Rich was and filled with true is as relevant 00:14 today as it was then 00:17 I can find. Come next. 00:19 Joining us now, 00:20 3 ABN for an in-depth study 00:25 in the Minors. 00:31 >> Good Morning. 00:33 3. A B and can't meeting attendees. 00:38 How are you doing this morning? 00:40 Praise the Lord we got is given some powerful messages so far. 00:45 Can't mean I don't think he's going to stop now because our 00:47 need is great. The need for the hour is great. 00:51 It's my privilege to welcome you and introduce the first 00:54 speaker of the hour this morning, Pastor Steve Walberg, 00:57 who is the white horse media speaker and director. But he's 01:02 also a long-time friend, personal friend of mine. 01:06 I met Steve back in 1992. We attended together and state 01:11 in a home that he had rented there. My wife and my 6 weeks 01:14 and wholesome were with us and the number of other people we 01:17 attended together. The West Point's School of Evangelism 01:21 was a 10 day event put on by Donna. Margie, Great Mark in T 01:25 Finley with there. Ken Cox was there's a as a teacher, George 01:30 Van Damme and was there says going back quite a ways. 01:34 Steve was a pastor that time and he had a burden, got to put 01:37 his heart to do evangelism. So we've got the training 01:40 together. We've got a free set of slides of Angeles sticks, 01:44 lights, 01:46 and we went out to our of Angeles and we've got to keep 01:48 the slides. If we did at least one of Anzac series every year 01:51 for the next 3 years, which we all did so 01:54 recently went through a difficult time in my life. 01:58 And Steve invited me up to his place. He lives in a northern 02:02 Idaho. That's where some ministry as a priest Lake area 02:06 and February of 2020. And that was a turning point in my life. 02:10 So Steve is a true friend and brother in the Lord. We're 02:14 going to pray for him this morning. And then we're going 02:16 to have some special music by Celestin Dickens. I call in 02:20 Love. And then where the next what you're going to hear is 02:23 the voice of Pastor Steve Waugh Burke. He's going to be sharing 02:26 the branch from the book of Zephyr. Nia, Let's Pray 02:30 Together. Father, having thank you again, so much for this 02:32 opportunity to be at 3 being can't be. Thank you for all of 02:35 the messages you giving us. 02:37 Father continue to pour your spirit out upon a set up on the 02:41 speakers so that our hearts coming it with happened. 02:43 We pray in Jesus name, amen. 02:47 [MUSIC] 02:52 [MUSIC] 02:57 [MUSIC] 03:02 [MUSIC] 03:07 >> Some call you prove it. 03:11 Some homes, too. 03:13 Some good. Same. 03:19 Some call them can raise e some thought he was doing. And yeah, 03:29 [MUSIC] 03:34 [MUSIC] 03:36 I come and see, 03:39 I love them all to do this. I call 03:47 I come in and healing. 03:51 He's the one who's to home. But we still don't lie to me 03:56 like 04:04 >> some call it a mystery. Howard, with all the plays, 04:10 some feel this in Tucson, they could not. 04:19 [MUSIC] 04:26 I come and see. 04:29 I love them all like to I'm coming, too. 04:41 He's the one who was speaking when we still live team. 04:47 I. 04:57 >> To. 05:02 [MUSIC] 05:05 >> I I put them on like donkey some playing and I need 05:16 I love them too. 05:20 He's the one who was filled with hope when we still live to 05:24 media. 05:27 [MUSIC] 05:32 [MUSIC] 05:37 [MUSIC] 05:39 [MUSIC] 05:45 I love you, mom like to 05:52 [MUSIC] 05:57 he's the one who was with when we start lot to me I. 06:04 [MUSIC] 06:09 [MUSIC] 06:14 [MUSIC] 06:18 >> He gives them. 06:22 [MUSIC] 06:42 >> Well, good morning. 06:45 Good to be here at 3ABN. 06:47 praise the Lord Time. Thank you for that song and thank my good 06:51 friend James rapper T for introducing Me and I'm not a 06:54 habit of correcting James, but I believe he said my Texas 06:57 friends fun. I a it's really Thacker. I a 07:05 chance the good friend for a long time. He walked out. 07:07 I told him that if it all you can correct. Just to clarify 07:11 that 07:14 anyway, it's great to be here and left 3 ABN have the just 07:17 the privilege again to be here with you can't meeting 2023, 07:22 this is exciting. So if you have your Bible open up to 07:26 Zachariah 07:29 Chapter 3, 07:31 my topic is about the branch. 07:35 James. And I have also had some interesting discussions about 07:37 artificial intelligence. 07:40 And I'll just let you know that I did not consult. I as I 07:43 prepared for this talk. 07:47 I have consulted heavenly intelligence, 07:50 not artificial intelligence. 07:53 So is that a second 07:59 Zachariah 08:02 chapter 3, 08:05 the last part of verse 8. 08:08 I'll read this and then we'll pray, 08:11 says, behold, 08:14 I will bring forth 08:16 my servant the branch. 08:20 So let's pray. 08:25 Heavenly father, but a privilege. It is to be here 08:29 again at 3ABN, 08:31 such a wonderful group 08:34 followers of Jesus. 08:36 And I pray that you'll continue to bless this camp meeting. 08:39 Bless all the speakers, the music, the people 08:42 and Lord Guide Me Guide My Mind. My heart. Everything I 08:46 say on or you may my words 08:50 be guided by the Holy Spirit. 08:54 Made this message. Be a blessing 08:57 to your people around the world 08:59 in Jesus name. We pray. Amen. 09:04 Okay. Are you ready? 09:06 Get your Bibles. 09:09 Okay. SEC Araya, 3 verse 8. Again, the last part says 09:13 behold, 09:15 I will bring forth 09:17 my servant the branch. 09:22 I thought a lot about this first hand just to start out. 09:26 It was given approximately 500 BC by the Prophet 09:32 500 years or so before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. 09:38 This verse is very clearly and we can see this from also other 09:42 vs is a prediction about the coming of Jesus. He is the 09:49 branch. Now. We know that for different reasons. If you go to 09:53 the book of Jeremiah 09:55 Chapter, 23, 09:58 this makes this very, very clear. 10:01 Jeremiah 23 verse 5 starts out with the same word that we read 10:07 in second, right? Is that correct? Says behold. 10:10 And here in 10:12 Jeremiah, 10:14 23 verse 5, the prophet said, behold 10:17 the days, come says the Lord, 10:20 but I will raise to David a righteous and what that next 10:24 word. 10:26 A righteous branch 10:28 and King show rain and prosper and shall execute judgment and 10:33 justice in the year in his days. Judah shall be saved. 10:38 And Israel shelled well safely. 10:40 And this is his name whereby he shall be called. And what's 10:45 that mean? 10:47 The Lord, our righteousness. Now, this is a clear reference 10:52 to Jesus. And again in this first, he's called the brand a 10:55 branch, a righteous branch. So second Ryan says I will 11:00 bring forth the branch. And in this first, he's called a 11:03 righteous France whose name is also the Lord, our 11:07 righteousness. 11:08 Now, if you look at a righteous and righteousness, 11:13 those words are really rooted in the first part of the word, 11:17 which is right, 11:19 right? 11:21 Righteous righteousness. Ah, everything that Jesus says 11:25 is right. 11:26 He is good. He is true. He is loving. He is faithful and all 11:31 that he does is right. 11:34 And this is all part of the battle that we're in between 11:36 God and the Devil. 11:38 Satan says that God is not right. He's not good, 11:43 but he is. He's always good. He's always right. And Jesus is 11:49 right. You know that he does not only in 11:52 he's like in heaven, but his life on earth. 11:55 And as we'll get to in a little bit, also in what he says, 11:59 even his words, his words were true. And right now, why does 12:05 the bible refer to Jesus as as a branch 12:09 as the righteous branch? I thought about that quite a 12:13 bit. 12:14 I know something about branches. I've got a lot of 12:17 branches in my backyard in North Idaho. I grew up in Los 12:21 Angeles 12:22 where things are very different from North Idaho. I've been in 12:26 Idaho with my family now for about 14 years. And I have to 12:30 embark on 12:33 journey and a task to create an orchard in my backyard. 12:38 Didn't have an orchard in in the Hollywood Hills, but now 12:42 have one in Idaho. I love fruit. And so I've become 12:48 someone that has just really gotten into my fruit trees I 12:51 planted. I've got paired paired trees, peach trees, a few apple 12:56 trees, a number of plum trees and some cherry trees. 13:02 And as I've been working with my trees, obviously you have to 13:08 work with the branches, 13:10 right branches are very much a part of the tree. And one thing 13:13 that I've learned, that's very obvious. But it's very 13:15 important as we get into this bible study 13:20 is that branches are connected to trees. 13:25 That's pretty obvious, right? You have a tree. And then the 13:30 the life-giving sap 13:34 flows from that from the roots, through the tree, through the 13:39 branches. 13:41 And if it's a good branch, if it doesn't get cut off in my 13:44 printing process, 13:46 which happens once or twice a year, if it's a good branch, 13:50 it will eventually bear fruit, 13:52 right? Good fruit. So the life flows 13:58 through the tree 14:00 through the branch 14:02 eventually into into the fruit. 14:05 Now, as I let's go back to Zach Araya, as I pondered this 14:09 talking 14:10 continue to just meditate, actually recently decided to 14:13 read the whole book of Zechariah like Get the whole 14:16 context of the branch. I went through Chapter 1, 2, 3, 14:19 4, all the way to the end. And one thing that struck me in 14:24 Chapter 4 14:26 and I have concluded that the branch, 14:29 the reference to Jesus as the branch actually refers to an 14:33 olive branch. 14:36 And the reason why I conclude that is because in Chapter 4, 14:40 it talks about in Verse 11 12 14:43 the prophet had this addition of these 2 trees 14:47 and a candlestick and golden pipes. And if you look at first 14:51 11 SEC arrive for 11, 14:54 then I answered and said to him, what are these 2 and what 14:58 kind of those trees, 14:59 olive trees 15:01 up on the right side of the candlestick and up on the left 15:04 side thereof and I answered again and said to him, what be 15:07 these 2 all live in what the next word 15:10 branches, right? So we have and all of tree and an olive branch 15:14 and olive branches which through the 2 golden pipes 15:21 empty the gold and oil out of themselves. 15:25 So we have all the trees with olive branches and then through 15:30 from the tree. Through the branches comes wet, 15:35 the oil. 15:36 >> And it's called Golden Oil, the golden oil. And then the 15:41 golden oil goes through the golden. 15:44 >> Pipes and eventually becomes the power 15:49 of the lamp stand so that the lamp stands can give light. 15:53 Now we know from other versus if you go back to verse 6, 15:58 it explains what the gold and oil represents. 16:04 At the end of verse 6, 16:06 the Lord said to Sarah Bubble, 16:09 he said not by might 16:12 nor by power, 16:14 but by 16:16 my spirit says the Lord of hosts. So when you put all 16:21 these pieces together, I've concluded that 16:24 the father, our heavenly father is this is an analogy is like 16:29 the tree 16:31 and Jesus is the branch, 16:36 the olive branch 16:37 and through the branch comes the oil, which represents the 16:42 holy spirit. 16:44 We have the father and the son and the holy spirit. 16:49 And then the Holy Spirit ultimately is 16:54 God's plan is that it goes through the golden pipes 16:59 and then it comes to eliminate 17:03 and to give light to the candlestick, 17:07 which represents God's people. 17:09 The church, 17:10 the light, 17:12 the word of God is a light and we are to become light. So we 17:16 have the oil comes from the father through the sun to God's 17:21 people. Now, it's also very interesting when you continue 17:24 to put some pieces together, turn to John Chapter 15 verse 5 17:30 and John, 15 verse 5 17:33 Jesus informs. That's 17:36 that he's not the only branch. 17:40 Yeah, 17:43 I don't mind those highs 17:47 in John, 15 17:49 verse 5. Jesus said I am the vine 17:53 and you are what 17:55 you are. The branches the branches, right? He that abides 17:59 in me and I in him. So the idea of the branch, the branch is 18:04 connected to the tree 18:06 and here the branch is connected to the vine. 18:09 I am the vine. 18:11 Jesus is the source, the center and you are the branches. 18:15 He that abides in me, which has to do with connection. And I in 18:19 him the same brings forth much fruit for without me. How much 18:23 can you do 18:25 right? How much we can do without me? Jesus said you can 18:29 do nothing. 18:31 So we have my understanding is that we have our father in have 18:35 in Jesus Christ, the son. It's really I could say he's 18:40 the big branch 18:42 and then he's the Channel 4, the Holy Spirit, the golden oil 18:46 to come to us. And we are the little branch since we are. 18:52 The little branch is connected to the big branch 18:56 and God's goal is that the Holy Spirit? Gold in oil 19:03 flow into our lives. 19:06 We all need oil, don't we? 19:08 I've been informed just somebody. Let me know that 19:12 there's a real sense of earnestness here at Camp 19:15 meeting this year 19:16 that people are earnestly praying, praying for the holy 19:19 spirit. For more of the holy spirit so that we have we have 19:23 life we need. We need power. We need oil. We need to go 19:28 beyond just going through the motions. 19:32 We need to have something really happening inside of our 19:34 lives 19:36 and what happened. What's what needs to happen is that oil? 19:41 We need the Holy Spirit. 19:44 Turn to chapter 16 in the book of John 19:47 John 16 19:50 verse 13, 19:53 John 16, 13 19:57 Jesus said, however, 19:59 when he 20:01 the spirit of truth 20:04 is come, 20:06 what will he do? 20:08 He will guide you into all truth. 20:14 This verse 20:16 means a lot to me. 20:19 I don't have time to go into all the details. 20:23 I became a Christian. 20:26 I became a 7th day Adventist in 1979 20:30 and the first few few years of my Christian life where we're 20:33 very good. I was very happy. I was thrilled to be a believe 20:38 are thrilled to have discovered. The Bible 20:41 discovered Jesus 20:43 discovered to discover the message of the 3 Angels in the 20:47 book of Revelation 20:49 Chapter 14 verse 6 to 12. 20:52 But as time went on about 7 years later, by the time I 20:57 the year 1986, came along, my life was a mess. 21:02 I was in a deep spiritual battle. 21:07 When a person becomes a Christian, it doesn't mean the 21:09 battles go away. 21:12 Tech sometimes to get worse. Sometimes 21:17 when Jesus was baptized 21:19 in the New Testament, then he went into the wilderness after 21:22 his baptism. And then there was the battle 21:26 with between him and the devil. 21:28 And after I became Christian 7 years later in 1986, I landed 21:32 in San Francisco area. I was passed during 2 churches and 21:36 and the battle was on 21:38 and I was confused. I was having 21:41 problems inside my head. I was sad. 21:45 There were just the devil was working on me and my Christian 21:48 experience with suffering. 21:50 When I first became a Christian, everything was 21:52 really good. I felt connected. But afterwards I felt like I 21:56 was very distant from God. I felt far away from him. 21:59 I was supposed to pastor to churches. I would read the 22:02 Bible and it was like a it was very far away. 22:06 And I just felt like I was in 22:10 in darkness 22:11 and I was struggling. And I remember I was actually living 22:15 just south of San Francisco in a little 22:17 in up in an apartment 22:20 in a town called Pacifica 22:22 right on the edge of a cliff looking over the Pacific Ocean. 22:26 And one night I got on my knees and I prayed a very earnest 22:31 prayer. 22:32 I turned off the lights. I prayed in the dark 22:35 and I don't remember exactly what I said. But it was 22:38 something like this act of God. I am struggling emotionally. 22:42 I'm confused. I can't seem to connect with you. I don't know 22:46 why. 22:47 I don't know what's happening. And Lord, if you don't do 22:51 something in my life and help me, 22:54 I don't think I can continue to be the pastor because how can I 22:58 stand in front of a church to churches and teach the Bible 23:02 and talk to my my church members about being connected 23:05 with you. And I don't feel like I'm connected to you. 23:09 So I just thought, Lord, you've got to do something if you 23:11 don't. I'm I just don't think I can continue to do this. 23:17 And it was at that at that moment when I prayed that 23:20 prayer in very sincere earnestness, this little voice, 23:25 that was an audible voice. But it was like the still small 23:28 voice speaking to my conscience. And the little 23:31 voice was very distinct. And this is what it said. 23:34 It said Pray for the spirit of truth to guide you into all 23:40 truth. 23:41 And it was a quote from this verse John, 16, 13. However, 23:46 when he the spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into 23:49 all truth. 23:51 And that thought came to me, pray for the spirit of truth. 23:56 And I wrestled with that. 23:58 I decided all right, OK, Lord, 24:03 and maybe that'll help me. So I started doing that. 24:07 And I also remember when I decided I'm going to pray for 24:10 the Holy Spirit. I remember right during that period. 24:14 At one point, it was almost like I had this mental picture 24:18 of all of these little faces that we're staring at me 24:22 inside my head. And they were gritty gritting their teeth 24:27 and they were looking at me and they were saying now 24:30 don't do that 24:32 anything. But that don't pray for the holy spirit. And I look 24:37 at this army of these faces. This is just kind of a mental 24:42 picture looking at me and telling me, don't pray for the 24:46 Holy spirit. And I remember looking back at them and saying 24:50 that's what I'm going to do. 24:52 I'm going to pray for the Holy Spirit. 24:55 So I started doing that. 24:57 I started praying for the spirit of truth. Just like it 24:59 says when he the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you 25:03 into all truth. I started praying for the oil 25:06 for the golden oil to come to me through the branch, through 25:10 Jesus, 25:12 from the father, 25:14 down to little me 25:16 in my apartment 25:18 south of San Francisco. 25:21 And it's been a long journey. 25:23 It's been a long journey. I've been through many ups and 25:25 downs and ins and outs and back and forth as a as a Christian. 25:30 It's been about 44 years since I first became a Christian in 25:34 1979 since 1986, when I first started praying for the Holy 25:39 Spirit, 25:40 it has now been 37 years. 25:44 37 years that I've been praying almost every day 25:49 for more of the spirit of truth to guide me into all truth. 25:54 And I tell you, if I if I were to give you one suggestion in 25:58 your life, 25:59 one suggestion from Edu, if you're struggling, if you're 26:02 confused, if you're battling, 26:05 if you feel like you're not as close to God as you want to be, 26:09 my one suggestion that there's nothing more valuable and more 26:13 important than you can do in your life and opening your 26:17 mouth and praying to God and asking him to give you the 26:21 spirit of truth to guide you into all truth 26:25 to make this a habit, 26:27 pray for the holy spirit. And the more I did that little 26:31 by little, the confusion began to go away. Little by little. 26:35 I began to see where my own steps had wandered away from 26:39 God's pure path. For my life. I began to see hidden depths of 26:44 pride inside me that I had never seen before. 26:48 That had to had been separating me from God, a hidden parts of 26:52 self-defense in pride and and different things in my 26:57 character. And the Lord started showing them to me one by one. 27:02 And I just 27:03 I thought, okay, Lord and little by little there was a 27:07 verse in Psalms. I read that said before I was afflicted, 27:10 I went astray. But now I keep your word and I thought, 27:13 Lord, have I been going astray? Is that why I'm afflicted with 27:18 my emotional turmoil 27:21 and little by little the word of God came back alive to me. 27:26 Little by little Bible verses just jumped out at me. Little 27:30 by little my conscience became more sensitive 27:34 and the path of truth became clearer. 27:37 And I saw the path and I kept on going step by step. And this 27:42 has been such such a wonderful thing. 27:45 Now. I'm happily married. I wasn't married in 1986. 27:49 I have 2 beautiful children. My son just a Christian texted 27:53 me yesterday or we were texting back and forth that he just 27:56 arrived back from from his first year of college. He's 27:58 home for the summer. He made it home safely. Looking forward to 28:03 leaving, camp meeting on Monday or Sunday and going back and 28:07 see my family and that the Lord has just been so good to me. 28:11 He has blessed. My life is blessed whitehorse media. 28:14 He's blessed my family. He's given me some of that for trees 28:17 in my backyard. I live up in the mountains. And I just, 28:21 you know, I'm as happy as a Christian. 28:24 I'm so thankful. And it's because of the oil that he's 28:28 come through the branch, 28:31 the golden oil that has changed my life. Praise God now got 28:35 other versus show. You go to back to John and look at 28:38 Chapter 8. 28:44 We are in an incredible battle 28:49 going on behind the scenes in the invisible world and it is 28:52 intense 28:54 and it's not going to go away until Jesus comes. 28:58 It's going to get 29:00 more intense. 29:03 John Chapter 8 verse. 44 Jesus was talking to a group of 29:09 people 29:11 and he said you are of your father, the devil 29:14 and the less of your father you will do. 29:17 He was a murderer from the beginning and he abode not in 29:20 the truth 29:22 because there's no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, 29:25 he speaks of his own 29:27 for he is a liar and the father of it. 29:31 And because I tell you the truth, 29:34 you believe me not. 29:36 So here is a battle between Jesus and the religious leaders 29:41 and the issue has to do with truth 29:43 truth and lies and Jesus is essentially saying to them, 29:47 he said you, you are following lives. You are being led by 29:53 your father by the devil. And I'm telling you the truth, 29:57 but you don't believe me 29:59 now. I've concluded from this verse and many other versus 30:02 that 30:03 we're in a battle and the battle between truth and air 30:06 between God and Satan 30:08 is being fought on many fronts, 30:11 many friends, it's it's being fought in the area of Bible 30:14 doctrines. 30:16 No question about it. Talk trends are an issue 30:21 revelation. 14 12 says here's the patience of the Saints 30:25 here. Are they that keep the Commandments of God and the 30:28 faith of Jesus? Some people focus on the Commandments, 30:31 but neglect Jesus. Some people focus on Jesus, but they 30:35 neglect the commandments. 30:37 That revelation 14, 12 says here's the patience of the 30:40 Saints here. They that keep the Commandments of God and the 30:44 faith of Jesus. They put the ball together. 30:48 That's truth, Bible truth. 30:50 But the battle also has to do with that, 30:54 not just doctrines, but with what we say 30:57 with our words that come out of our mouths every day 31:01 that spring from our hearts. Just a cut quick, a few verses 31:05 in Luke 9.33, 31:08 it's interesting 31:10 that win. 31:12 Peter was on the mound with Jesus, 31:15 the mount of the Transfiguration it. Peter made 31:18 a statement. Any said, Lord, it's good for us to be here. 31:21 Should we build 3 tense one for you. One for Moses and one for 31:25 Elijah 31:26 and in look 9.33, it says that Peter did not know what he was 31:31 saying 31:34 in first Timothy One for 7. It talks about people who want 31:38 to be teachers of the law, it says, but they neither know 31:41 what they're saying nor what they so confidently affirm 31:46 in that. The 26 0st, 33 31:49 Jesus told his disciples that did that time. 31:52 They were all going to run away 31:54 from him during the final crisis of his life. 31:58 And Peter said that he told Jesus he said, though, 32:01 everybody else run away. I never will, though they deny 32:06 you. I won't. 32:08 I won't. 32:10 So not only did people sometimes say and they don't 32:13 know what they say, what they're saying. 32:16 But sometimes what they say is just flat out wrong. 32:19 Peter didn't know himself. He said I won't betray you. 32:22 I won't. 32:24 But then he did. 32:26 He did 32:29 turn to Matthew 5 years. 37 32:33 Matthew, 5.37, 32:39 the battle between truth and the air 32:43 is in the realm of doctrine, Bible doctrines. 32:47 And it also has a lot to do with what we say. 32:53 Just like Jesus told those religious leaders. He said, 32:57 I'm telling you the truth 33:00 and you don't believe me. 33:04 Matthew 5 33:06 verse 37 33:09 Jesus said, Let your Communication 33:13 B. Yes, some people see ye 33:16 and ye, which means yes, yes 33:20 or nay. Nay, which means a no, no 33:23 for whatsoever is more than these 33:28 from what? 33:30 Yes, some some Bible say comes evil and other Bible say are of 33:35 the evil one. 33:37 So Jesus is really 33:41 trying to restrict s 33:43 in our speech 33:45 2 telling the truth. 33:48 So he says let your yes be yes and your no, no, 33:53 because whatever is more than that 33:57 is of the evil one. 34:00 Now, he doesn't mean that we should only say yes and no and 34:03 not see anything else. 34:05 What he means is that we should be very 34:11 and guarded about our speech. 34:13 We need to put a check 34:16 on our lips 34:18 and what we speak and what we write, 34:21 what we post. 34:24 We live in an age of social media fury 34:28 where there's comments under YouTube videos and Facebook 34:32 page and said people are tweeting and texting and so 34:37 many times I look at tweets or texts or posts 34:41 and I think oh, my, 34:44 we need to be careful what we say. 34:48 And I've learned through the holy spirit as I've prayed for 34:51 the Holy Spirit all these years, God has really impressed 34:55 me. Steve Walberg be very careful 34:59 what you preach. 35:01 Be careful what you say. Be careful what you post. 35:06 Be careful what I say to my family and what I say to you. 35:13 I want to read to you a quote that has been 35:16 very powerful in my life. It's kind of been like an 35:20 operating system, you know, think of the computer. And 35:23 there's an operating system that's always running in the 35:25 background. There's a quote that I read in the book. 35:28 Thoughts from the Mount. A blessing said number of years 35:30 ago that has become like an operating system 35:34 in the back of my head. 35:36 This is from Page 67. I read a few sentences page. 67, 68 69. 35:43 It says in its commenting on this verse, this is thoughts 35:47 from the Mount of Blessings explaining the sermon on the 35:50 Mount, which is also called the Mount the sermon that Jesus 35:53 gave where he gave the blessings in Matthew 5, where 35:56 he said blessed are the poor in Spirit. Blessed are the pure in 35:59 heart. So this book is a comment on 36:01 this. These chapters and especially this verse 36:05 about you're yes, yes and no, no. So that's what it says on 36:08 page 67. 36:10 It says Jesus teaches that the exact truth 36:14 should be the law of speech. 36:18 Let your speech be. Yes, yes, no, no. And whatever is more 36:22 than this is of the evil one. 36:26 Listen to this. If these words of Christ were heeded, 36:31 they would check 36:34 the utterance of evil surmising 36:37 and unkind criticism 36:40 4 in commenting upon the actions and the motives of 36:44 another who can be certain of speaking the exact truth. 36:50 So when I read that, I thought, Lord, I need to comment a lot 36:53 less 36:55 on the motives and the actions of others. 36:59 And don't you think that would be good for all of us 37:02 to be more careful about what we say 37:05 about other people? 37:10 It says who can be certain of speaking the exact truth, 37:14 how often pride 37:16 passion, 37:18 personal resentment, 37:20 color. The impression given 37:24 everything Christians do should be as transparent as the 37:28 sunlight. 37:29 Truth is of God deception and every one of its myriad forms 37:34 is of Satan. 37:36 Listen to this. And who ever in any way 37:41 departs 37:43 from the straight line of truth 37:48 is betraying himself 37:50 into the power 37:52 of the wicked want. 37:55 In other words, if if the things that we say about this 37:59 or that or this person or that person or this issue or that 38:04 issue, if the things that we say in the sight of God 38:10 departing from the straight line of truth, 38:16 we are betraying ourselves just like Judas who betrayed Jesus 38:21 with a kiss. 38:24 We are betraying ourselves 38:27 into the power 38:29 of the weekend. One. 38:31 Wow. 38:34 When I read this and I thought about my talk today, I 38:38 I thought about 38:40 a very tragic news story 38:43 that's been on the news a lot for the last 2 weeks. Maybe 38:46 you've heard about a young 18 year-old boy 38:50 named Cameron Rock Roberts. 38:54 Have you heard that story? It's just it's been repeated so 38:58 many times. Evidently what happened was he had just 39:01 graduate graduated from high school 39:04 in Louisiana, 39:05 and he was with a group of his friends and they they had 39:09 rented. 39:11 I have a little well was kind of like a it was a cruise boat. 39:15 But it was a small boat that looked like a pirate ship. 39:18 And they were, you know, taking a cruise out in the Bahamas 39:23 with a bunch of their friends just celebrating. 39:26 And it was it was night and they were near Little Island 39:31 called Apple 39:32 and 39:35 some of them were drunk. 39:36 And evidently some of the kids on the on the little on this 39:41 boat, the ship. 39:42 I dared this 18 year-old teenager to jump into the water 39:48 at night 39:50 and then they would throw him a life preserver and pull him 39:54 out. 39:56 And I must have been a battle in his head but said some of 40:00 his friends said, talk to it, don't do it, 40:03 but he decided to do it. So he jumped. 40:07 He jumped into the water and some people took that video of 40:10 him in the water. And one of these videos has been watched 40:14 like over 10 million times 40:16 and they it looked like there. He was swimming back to the 40:20 over to the buoy. And it looked like there was some kind of 40:23 shadowy form underneath the water near him. And there were 40:27 a lot of sharks in that water 40:30 and and first and then he's 40:33 started going away from the movie. 40:37 That was it. 40:39 They never saw him again. 40:41 They search for his body for look for him for 2 days and 40:44 finally gave off, gave up the search. 40:47 And so that boy died. 40:49 He died because he he jumped 40:52 into the water into the shark-infested water. 40:56 And it's I thought about that. There's a parallel to me. 40:59 I think I'm thinking about the statement 41:02 that we can jump 41:04 2 conclusions 41:09 that we really don't know what where 41:12 jumping, too, 41:14 like Peter, he didn't know what he was saying. 41:19 And and there's so much going on in the world these days. 41:21 People jump to conclusions about this or that or the other 41:24 thing and their words are not checked. And if we like it says 41:29 here, 41:30 it says whoever in any way departs from the straight line 41:33 of truth is betraying himself into the power of the week. 41:36 And one just like that boy jumped off that 41:44 into the shark infested waters. 41:47 If we jump 41:49 to conclusions and say things that we really don't know if 41:55 they're right or not, 41:57 we are jumping into the shark infested 42:02 waters of the devil, 42:04 the power of the wicked one. And then it says yet it is not 42:08 a light or any easy thing to speak. The exact truth, 42:12 it's not easy. 42:16 And how often that says we cannot speak the truth 42:21 unless we know the truth. 42:24 So there's a whole lot of things that faces all the 42:26 times. And if we don't have a full or accurate understanding 42:31 of what we have to do with 42:33 what we we shouldn't comment on what we don't know. 42:39 We cannot speak the truth 42:41 unless we know the truth and how often preconceived 42:45 opinions, 42:47 mental bias, 42:49 imperfect knowledge, 42:52 errors of judgment 42:54 prevent right understanding of matters with which we have to 42:57 do. 42:59 We cannot speak the truth unless our mines are 43:04 continually guided by him. Who is truth? 43:11 We've got to be connected to the branch. 43:15 We have to have the gold and oil of the Holy spirit guiding 43:19 our minds, the spirit of truth to guide us into all truth. 43:24 And if we're not being guided by the truth, by the word of 43:27 God and by the Holy Spirit and by Jesus Christ, 43:31 we cannot know the truth and we cannot speak the truth. 43:37 We can not speak the truth unless our minds are 43:39 continually guided by him who is truth. 43:44 And then finally says here in speech as in life, 43:48 the followers of Christ will be simple, straightforward and 43:52 true 43:54 for they are preparing for the fellowship of those holy ones 43:58 in whose mouth was found. No guile. 44:03 And that is a quote from 44:07 the book of Revelation, which I will 44:10 quote before I'm dead. 44:13 Go back to Zach Araya, chapter 3, 44:21 back to the branch chapter. 44:25 And as I've read these verses and I've read Mount of 44:27 Blessings and that since I've been praying for the spirit of 44:30 truth since 1986 44:33 and and there's many times when I I'll say something and then 44:37 that little voice will speak to my mind and say, are you sure 44:41 about that? 44:43 What you just said 44:47 and the Lord has spanked my conscience many times 44:52 and he says still working with me. I heard somebody once 44:57 say God's not going to take us out of the oven, half-baked. 45:01 He's going to bake us. He's going to work with this. 45:05 He's going to mold. That's in fashion us. And my point is 45:09 that the holy spirit is going deep, 45:12 deeper and deeper and deeper. Jesus is the way and the truth 45:15 and the life. His word is the truth. The Holy Spirit is the 45:19 truth. 45:20 Those people were being led by the devil. He said your father 45:24 is the devil and you're not speaking the truth. He's a liar 45:28 and the father of lies. And I'm telling you the truth. And why 45:31 do you believe me? 45:33 The battle is going on all around us and inside of us in 45:37 every home, in every heart, in every city, in every social 45:41 media platform, 45:43 every doctrinal discussion, 45:46 the winds are blowing. 45:49 The battle is on 45:50 and the battle is between 45:53 Jesus and the devil 45:56 between truth and the error between right and wrong. 46:02 And if we get on the wrong side and if we say things that 46:06 aren't right, and if we jump to conclusions like that, boy 46:09 jumped into the water, 46:11 we can end up on the side of the devil and not even know it 46:17 very dangerous. 46:19 We need to put a check. 46:22 There's a verse in songs that says said a watch 46:26 O Lord 46:28 on my mouth. 46:30 Keep the door of my lips. 46:34 Keep the door of my lips. God help me to be careful 46:38 about what I say and the branches mention. Is that 46:41 correct? 3 verse 46:45 at the end of verse 9. 46:49 The Lord says in the context of the branch, 46:53 I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 47:01 One day 47:03 was the day 47:05 when the truth 47:08 personified 47:10 hung on a cross. 47:12 He was surrounded by people that were saying things that 47:15 were not right 47:17 and Jesus was faithful. He was pure. He was true. 47:22 He never spoke one lie and there he was hanging up on a 47:27 cross on that day 47:29 and praise the Lord. The good news is that in spite of all 47:33 the lies and misinformation and things that we've said 47:39 and done 47:40 throughout our lives, all of us 47:44 one time or another. 47:46 The good news. It's that on one day, 47:50 the son of God, the branch, 47:53 the simplest one Christ, our righteousness 47:58 paid the price. 48:02 The one who is right, 48:04 pay the price for those who have done wrong 48:08 for those who haven't spoken the truth, those who haven't 48:12 kept the Commandments of God, 48:14 those who have 48:16 had idols and other gods and dishonored their parents and 48:20 haven't loved God or their neighbor as themselves. 48:24 That's why Jesus died. 48:27 I will remove the sin of that land in one day. 48:33 I have to go to Zachariah 48:35 13. 48:36 First one, 48:43 13 verse one. 48:46 I love this verse. 48:49 Is that correct? 13 1 says in that day 48:53 there should be a fountain opened 48:56 to the House of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem 49:00 for sin and 4 and clean this 49:07 praise God. 49:09 There is a fountain 49:12 that has been opened 49:14 as a result of Jesus Christ dying on the cross for our sins 49:21 for your son for mind. So when I began to pray for the Holy 49:24 spirit in 1986, I pray God, please help me. Get me out of 49:29 this crisis said I'm in. 49:32 I'm going to do what you've said. 49:35 Pray for the spirit of truth to guide 49:38 to guide you into all truth. The more I did that the more I 49:42 started seeing the error 49:44 and the mistakes and the wanderings and the eye, 49:49 the hidden sins in my own life. 49:54 But I had never seen before. You know, you first become a 49:57 Christian. God shows you the big things 50:00 which you give those things up. But then as time goes on, 50:03 he's he refines like tuning a guitar, you know, tuning a 50:08 piano and he goes deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper. 50:12 Any shows you things you never thought you would you'd ever 50:15 see. 50:17 And then every point we have a choice to make a mic enough. 50:19 Follow what the holy spirit showing me. I can to let God 50:22 purify my character, purify my life peer 5, my words. 50:28 And the the good news is that when we get convicted 50:33 that we've done wrong, we need to realize that there's a 50:37 fountain 50:38 that's been opened 50:41 force in and for uncleanness 50:44 and that's the fountain of forgiveness and cleansing 50:49 through Jesus and through the blood that he shed on the 50:53 cross. 50:54 And that fountain is open to all of us. 50:58 It's here at 3ABN 51:02 in that day, there will be a fountain open. 51:05 So as you pray during this camp meeting 51:09 and as you keep praying when you leave camp meeting, 51:12 pray, God show me my my mistakes 51:16 and show me the Fountain. 51:18 Show me that cleansing showing your heart that you love me. 51:22 Still no matter what I've done, you still love me 51:27 and you want to cleanse me and wash me 51:30 from all of my sense so I can be cleaned before the Lord 51:35 Revelation Chapter 14 51:39 revelation. 14 is the chapter 51:44 that was quoted in mount a blessings 51:52 talking about a group called the 144,000 51:55 and chapter 14 verse 4. It says the these aren't they which 51:59 were not to filed with women 52:01 which ladies don't get upset about that. It's the the Women 52:06 of Babylon, 52:08 the false churches and false doctrines. 52:11 They're not to filed with women for their virgins. These are 52:15 they which followed the lamb wherever he goes, 52:18 they're connected to Jesus. 52:20 These were redeemed from among men being the first-fruits 2 52:24 got into the land and in their mouth 52:27 was found. Know what 52:30 no guile or deceit or a deception in their mouths for 52:34 they are without fault 52:37 before the throne of God. 52:41 God is preparing a people. 52:46 He's preparing you and he's preparing me. He's preparing 52:50 people around this world 52:53 to be cleansed from Sen 52:58 clans from evil. 53:00 And part of that has to do with what we say 53:04 says in their mouth. 53:07 That's down. No deception. 53:09 They are without fault before the throne of God. 53:12 God is trying to develop the people, 53:16 speak the truth, 53:19 not just about doctrines, 53:22 but about 53:23 anything that comes our way during the course of the day. 53:29 And so we need to put our we need to put our 53:33 lips in check 53:35 and think Lord, before we 53:38 like Peter, he just spoke 53:45 and that boy just jumped 53:49 and before, you know, when something comes our way and we 53:52 get into a discussion 53:55 or whatever it is, 53:58 don't just don't just talk 54:02 about whatever happens to come in your head 54:08 before you speak 54:11 and say less. 54:13 God gave us 2 years and one mouth for a reason. 54:18 He wants us to listen more than we talk. 54:22 Somebody wrote that we need to talk less and pray more. 54:26 Roberts says you see in the multitude of words said he's 54:30 not absent. 54:34 A wise man holds his time. 54:37 A wise man is careful 54:39 about what he sense. 54:42 It's as if even a fool. If he holds his tongue is considered 54:46 winds. He said that the book of Proverbs 54:51 Cleese, he asked, he says God is in heaven and you are honor. 54:54 So let your words be few. 54:57 We need to have well chosen careful words 55:03 before we speak. 55:04 Back to our original text. 55:08 Zechariah 55:11 chapter 3 55:23 says here now Joshan with the high priest. You and your 55:27 fellows that sit before you for. They are men wondered that 55:32 if God can develop people in this world who follow the lamb 55:36 wherever he goes and who put their words in check and who 55:40 only speak the truth, 55:42 who the who truth, where where for them 55:45 truth is the exact a lot of speech. 55:48 Then these people are going to be wondered at 55:52 the universe will look at them and co amazing. 55:56 Look what God has done 55:59 for behold, I will bring forth my servant the branch 56:04 and that is Jesus Christ. 56:08 Jesus lived his life connected to the father 56:14 and through the branch comes, the branch is connected to the 56:18 tree and through the branch comes the oil, 56:22 the golden oil 56:24 of the Holy Spirit. 56:26 And the spirit is the spirit of truth, 56:29 guiding us into all truth. 56:32 And God wants us to be little branches 56:37 connected to Jesus. The big branch 56:41 connected to the father, 56:43 the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit. 56:47 So the golden oil of truth flows into our lives 56:52 and also comes out of our mouse. 56:55 That is God's plan. 56:56 He wants us to get ready 56:59 for the last battle 57:02 between truth and they're between right and wrong. 57:06 So we can be ready 57:09 to go to heaven 57:11 to be with Jesus 57:12 [MUSIC] 57:17 [MUSIC] 57:22 [MUSIC] 57:27 [MUSIC] 57:32 [MUSIC] |
Revised 2023-06-15