Participants: Lonnie Melashenko
Series Code: VOPS
Program Code: VOPS000009
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00:30 Hello, everyone.
00:31 "The nice thing about crime," someone said, 00:36 "is that it usually happens to someone else." 00:39 and However, rising crime statistics tell us more 00:41 and more that someone else is likely to be you. 00:47 We have been robbed. Victims of road rage. 00:51 Sued by someone we didn't even know. 00:54 See facts are crime's showing up in some surprising ways. 00:58 Enron, anthrax, shoe bombs, snipers. 01:02 No longer if we just kind of shrug our shoulders and say, 01:05 "Well, crime that something that happens to someone else." 01:08 Now, crime and violence is everywhere. 01:11 In fact it's big business, weaseling into politics 01:14 and government, infecting police departments 01:17 and even Washington D.C. Students bomb their schools, 01:22 kid's murder teachers and fellow classmates. 01:25 Even small children carry guns. 01:30 We've had in recent years cult murders, assassinations, 01:34 hijacking, jihad, terrorists, mailbox bombs, 01:39 Wall Street and government corruption, 01:41 reported every day in countries all over the world. 01:44 The question tonight is why all the lawlessness? 01:47 Whatever happened to right and wrong? 01:52 I received the Los Angeles Times when I'm at home 01:54 and sportswriter, the late Jim Murray, said 01:58 and I'm gonna paraphrase what he said. 02:00 He said, "Americans have bred a generation of rebels, 02:04 questioning, skeptical, challenging. 02:06 Children who imitate TV's role models. 02:08 Oh, come on, TV violence, Mom? 02:10 No, I'm just watching Rambo. Fathers cheat at work. 02:14 Both parents cheat on each other. 02:16 The children see it all 02:17 and the broken homes are leaving ugly scars. 02:20 And who's to instill a sense of right and wrong 02:22 if parents won't? 02:23 Says, Jim Murray. 02:24 I mean, schools can't teach morality. 02:26 We've outgrown the Bible's moral standard. 02:30 Well, I don't know but maybe Jim Murray is right. 02:34 But would you like to know how all of this snowballed, 02:37 especially in our 21st century modern society? 02:40 Now this may shock you, 02:41 but it actually started with preachers. 02:47 Of all people in one of the strangest developments 02:49 in the 20th century religious world, 02:51 we have watched this amazing spectacle 02:53 of churches adopting attitudes 02:56 that disregard God's boundaries calling it freedom. 03:03 Churches saying, well, God's laws no longer apply. 03:08 His commandments have been abolished, 03:10 they're no longer relevant and in fact, 03:12 they're impossible to keep. 03:15 Now this whole convoluted philosophy 03:17 got started a few years ago 03:18 and it catapulted in popularity with the publication of a book 03:22 when I was going to college Southern California book 03:25 by a certain Dr. Joseph Fletcher, 03:28 a book called "Situation Ethics." 03:32 Now he claimed to be a Christian psychologist 03:35 but Fletcher shocked the world when he announced, 03:38 hey, modern Christians. 03:41 You don't need rules, 03:42 you don't need laws to govern behavior. 03:44 You see, God wants us to be "love children." 03:48 Free love. 03:49 He gave us a brain so you decide 03:52 what's right for you, in your situation 03:53 depending on the situation, I'll decide for me. 03:56 But we'll just go out and do the "loving thing." 03:59 And in my era that exploded 04:02 in the Haight-Ashbury hippie era of the 1970s, 04:05 the drug culture of LSD and marijuana. 04:08 But you know what happened 04:10 is that preachers then got on the bandwagon 04:12 and they said, hey, Dr. Fletcher is right, 04:14 "it makes sense, we're not under the law, 04:16 Bible says, we're under grace," and the result? 04:20 Fletcher scored a real hit, because now all of a sudden 04:24 why have you figured it out long enough 04:25 adultery could for example, be okay for some people 04:30 depending on the situation. 04:31 You know you do your own thing, 04:32 meant that everybody was right, 04:35 drugs, the thief, the crook, the murderer. 04:39 And tens and tens of millions of Christians 04:41 for the past 50 years have bought into this. 04:45 In fact psychologists jumped on the bandwagon. 04:48 Have you heard of a gentleman by the name of Dr. Spock, 04:51 he wrote in his parenting manual, 04:52 and he said, "Moms, Dads, don't discipline your children. 04:56 Well, that will stifle their creativity and their freedom. 04:59 Just let them do their own thing." 05:01 Have you heard that expression? No. 05:04 But folks, do you know what? 05:07 This I submit is twisted thinking. 05:11 In fact Dr. Spock finally apologized 05:14 in "Redbook Magazine." 05:16 He realized, "oops, maybe we made a big mistake 05:20 and he confessed. 05:22 He said, I was wrong. 05:23 I have helped breed a whole generation of American rebels." 05:28 And I'm so glad that my fellow ministers 05:30 and other denominations priests and rabbi's and bishops, 05:33 they are now back pedaling too. 05:36 But "uh-oh, too late." 05:39 Because in 2003, 2004, we're reaping a bumper harvest 05:43 of broken homes and children out of control, 05:46 and crimes so violent that we shudder. 05:50 And the Voice of Prophecy speaks once again to us today, 05:54 in the words of Hosea, the prophet, 05:56 in chapter 8 and verse 7. 05:59 He predicted a last-day prophecy of our day 06:03 almost quoting sports-writer Jim Murray word for word. 06:06 He says, "They sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind." 06:14 You see, ladies and gentlemen, Dr. Fletcher forgot something. 06:19 He forgot human nature. 06:22 Because who determines 06:24 when a situation is right or wrong? 06:29 Isn't even the moral judgment of good people 06:32 often imperfect at times? 06:35 In fact the Bible says, we're not good judges at all. 06:37 Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way 06:41 that seems right to a man, but its end is," what? 06:45 "The way of death." 06:47 You see, Dr. Fletcher, you forgot something. 06:49 You forgot that even love does not tell you what to do. 06:56 Now, justice can. 06:57 Laws can. Rules can. 07:01 They come to our rescue and help us. 07:02 In fact, they're kind of like a roadmap. 07:05 They give us direction on how to express ourselves. 07:10 The human beings need a standard of right and wrong 07:13 that's outside of ourselves 07:15 and not just our own feelings and desires, 07:18 as the Apostle Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:3, 4. 07:22 You see folks, we don't get freedom 07:25 by throwing out the rules. 07:29 Couple of years ago Phil Draper and Jeannie 07:30 and our Voice of Prophecy Staff were doing a series of meetings 07:33 down in Caracas, Venezuela. 07:35 You've been watching them in the news 07:36 with all the problems and revelation so forth. 07:38 Well, their President Chavez, in order to get political votes 07:44 and get into the office where he now, 07:45 he made a campaign promise 07:47 and he said, folks, "If you will vote for me, 07:49 I'll give you brand new freedoms 07:51 you've never have enjoyed before. 07:53 In fact, I will remove all the traffic signs 07:56 and the stoplights in town." 07:59 No more rules and he did. 08:02 Can you imagine what the result is down there? 08:05 Absolute total chaos. He even went further than that. 08:09 For those who are not wealthy, didn't have money, he said, 08:12 well, you just go and rob from the rich. 08:14 Take what's you need. 08:16 You go down there, here is a picture, 08:18 they have bars on their windows, 08:20 15 stories high in all of the apartments. 08:24 You see whenever you removed standards of right and wrong, 08:28 whenever you suspend the rules, 08:30 whenever human beings have no laws 08:32 total license, chaos follows. 08:36 Friend, listen, you tell me. 08:38 Do we need rules down here in 2003, 2004? 08:41 Yes. Oh, what are the rules? 08:45 Who's to decide what's right and wrong? 08:50 Well, in God's prophetic word, the Bible. 08:53 God gave human beings a 10-word formula 08:59 for a crime-free society. 09:01 Just 10 words. 09:04 And had they always been followed, 09:05 even preachers like Billy Graham now admit 09:08 the crime would never have it existed. 09:11 Everyone would be safe and happy any place on Earth. 09:15 So right now let's hit the pause button 09:17 and rewind and go back in our Bibles 09:20 to when the wild-west shoot-em-up 09:22 bandito outlaw Israelites blasted their way 09:25 out of slavery in Egypt. 09:27 You know, the Bible says that they were so wild-eyed 09:30 and they were so criminal, 09:31 they didn't know their right hand from their left. 09:34 I mean, for 400 years remember 09:36 they have been caged up like slaves living like animals. 09:39 Total totalitarian terror reigned. 09:43 They were killing, they were raping, 09:44 they were stealing, they were embezzling. 09:45 They were immoral scam. 09:48 What a motley bunch when the dear Lord 09:50 came down to meet them at Sinai. 09:53 He had, had the thunder rolled its kettle drums 09:56 and lightning shook its fiery white lances, 09:58 and God said, "Okay, enough already. 10:00 You can't go on living like this 10:01 so I'm going you some rules 10:04 etched on stone with My own finger. 10:08 So, you can learn to get along with each other. 10:11 Are you listening, He said." 10:12 Notice what it says in Exodus 20:12, 10:14 He said now, "I am the Lord your God, 10:17 who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 10:18 out of the house of bondage." 10:20 I'm the One who opened up the Red Sea before you. 10:22 I'm your Deliverer. 10:23 I'm your Protector because I care about you, 10:27 you can trust Me. 10:28 These rules are going to be for your own good. 10:32 Kind of like buying a new car? 10:34 Haven't had too many those in my life time 10:35 I must assure you. 10:37 But whenever I bought a new car, 10:38 the two times in the glove compartment 10:41 is the owner's manual. 10:42 Now I'll tell you I've read it right through both times, 10:44 because it tells you what grade of motor oil for the engine, 10:46 the type of gasoline to run in the gas 10:50 thank for tip-top optimum performance. 10:54 Well, God says to the Israelites 10:56 and My divine law 10:58 is like the manufacturer's specifications, 11:01 so that you can live life in peace and safety. 11:05 It's very simple, very quick, clear, 11:08 reference point to know right from wrong. 11:11 Because what I'm gonna give you 11:12 is a reflection of what God is like. 11:15 I want you to be like God. So here, take a look. 11:18 And in Exodus 20, just to summarize quickly 11:21 you can look on the screen 11:22 and see the full text if you wish. 11:23 But number one God says, 11:24 "I guarantee that you'll be happiest 11:27 if you don't get confused about who to worship." 11:30 Exodus 20:3, "You shall have no other gods before me." 11:34 Number two, He says, 11:35 "Don't worship stuff, materialism." 11:40 Number three, "Don't swear." 11:43 Number four, "Don't forget to take time off with Me." 11:47 Number five, "Your family, they're holy." 11:50 Number six, "Life is sacred." Seven, "Marriage is holy." 11:56 Number eight, " The right for people our property." 11:58 That is holy. Number nine, "Truth is holy. 12:03 And finally number ten, "You got to have holy motives." 12:07 Well, as the people listen to this, 12:09 voice of voice of thunder there they were very impressed 12:12 and especially since it was just in ten words. 12:16 According the Jewish Mishnah and the Jewish Rabbi's, 12:20 the original Ten Commandments was in just ten words. 12:24 I mean compared to all the libraries of law books 12:26 that we have in our countries, awesome. 12:30 Well, this is great. 12:32 If that's God's will, just ten words, we'll do it. 12:37 God, of course, knowing how forgetful 12:38 we humans being tend to be, 12:40 not wanting to trust the frail memory of man, 12:43 He wrote those Ten Commandments down in stone. 12:47 Notice Exodus 31:18, "When the Lord finished 12:50 speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, 12:53 He gave him the two tables of the Testimony, 12:55 the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God." 12:59 Now what I'd like to point out right now 13:00 was it this was not the very first time 13:02 the God gave the Ten Commandments. 13:05 Many people they say, well, those are just for Jews. 13:07 Maybe it was the first time 13:08 that they received them in written form like this. 13:12 But those commandments existed from all eternity. 13:17 Long before Mount Sinai or even Adam and Eve, 13:20 Paul says they existed. 13:23 God's eternal, unchangeable standard of right 13:26 the basis of God's government in heaven. 13:29 In fact, did you know that the angels were governed 13:32 by those commandments? 13:34 They were given the choice either of following God's law 13:37 or just ignoring it and rebelling against it. 13:41 We're already talked in previous night and you know 13:43 that Satan and his angels chose situation ethics. 13:49 We'll do our own thing. 13:51 Thank you very much we'll make our own rules. 13:53 And this rebellion of course led to their expulsion 13:56 from heaven as it says in Revelation 12:7-9 13:59 it talks about "war broke out in heaven." 14:02 Why? 14:04 Because they chose not to remain loyal to God's law, 14:09 His commandments. 14:10 Notice Psalm 103:20, "Bless the Lord, ye His angels, 14:16 that excel in strength, that do His commandments." 14:22 You see, folks, the reason heaven 14:23 is a perfect place of perfect happiness 14:27 is because they don't have any law-breakers up there. 14:32 Adam and Eve had a knowledge of those 14:33 Ten Commandments in the Garden of Eden. 14:36 In fact, as long as they kept 14:37 the Ten Commandments law of God, 14:39 they obeyed it the Garden of Eden. 14:41 It was paradise for them perfect happiness, 14:44 perfect peace, perfect bliss. 14:47 And that's why when they sinned, 14:49 they broke that law 14:52 and they felt the emotions of shame and guilt. 14:56 In fact, you noticed very clearly 14:58 that when Cain, remember when he became angry, 15:00 killed his brother Abel, God asked him in Genesis 4:6,7. 15:05 God said, Cain. "Why are you angry? 15:10 Why has your countenance fallen? 15:12 If you do well, will you not be accepted? 15:15 And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door." 15:20 You see God's law of the sixth commandment, 15:22 "Thou shalt not kill" had to be in effect at the time 15:25 because Paul says in Romans 4:15, 15:27 "Where no law is, there is no transgression." 15:32 You see the Bible clearly says long, long, long 15:34 before Mt. Sinai's Ten Commandments 15:37 that God blessed Abraham because he obeyed the law. 15:42 Genesis 26:5 "Because Abraham obeyed 15:47 My voice and kept My charge, My Commandments, 15:49 My statutes and My laws." 15:52 So you see long before Sinai. 15:54 In fact, you recall the Old Testament 15:57 story of the young movie star Hunk, 15:59 we would say today, Joseph. 16:01 And he is almost affair with the original Madonna, 16:05 Potiphar's wife. 16:07 And how did Joseph's sensitive conscience lead him 16:10 to resist her sexual rendezvous temptation. 16:14 When he pushed her aside, 16:17 listen to what he said in Genesis 39:9. 16:21 "My master has withheld nothing from me except you, 16:26 because you are his wife. 16:28 How could I do such a wicked thing 16:30 and sin against God?" 16:33 Well, now how could Joseph know 16:35 adultery was wrong when the Ten Commandments 16:38 hadn't been written for another 500 years? 16:41 Because he already knew 16:43 of God's standard of right and wrong. 16:44 Amen, amen. 16:46 Long before Pharaoh placed the children of Israel 16:48 under bondage in Egypt, they knew God's Law. 16:52 But during slavery they forgot. 16:55 But the point is, our Bible tonight is consistent. 16:59 God's law has always been there 17:01 because His perfect laws govern His universe. 17:04 He's got laws of nature, laws of physics. 17:07 Aren't you glad you're not gonna 17:08 hit the ceiling here in two minutes 17:09 because you don't know of gravity will hold you down? 17:11 We know that this consistent laws of flight, 17:14 laws of astronomy, medicine, nuclear fission, 17:16 instinct pauses in 1 Corinthians 14, 17:19 "For God is not the author of confusion." 17:23 I'm so glad he says, 17:25 "Let all things be done decently and in order." 17:28 Amen. 17:29 You know folks, when you think about it, 17:30 no government, no society can exist without laws. 17:33 Even our kids can't go outside and play games 17:36 in the playground without some kind of rules. 17:39 So the Bible says in Romans 2:13 17:44 "For it is not those who hear the law 17:48 who are righteous in God's sight, 17:50 but it is those who obey the law 17:53 who will be declared," what? 17:55 "Righteous." That's Paul. 17:58 He's saying, in another words, 17:59 "Yes, it's important to know the rules 18:02 but it's more important to play by the rules." 18:06 If you want to win the Olympics spiritually, 18:08 God says follow the rules. 18:10 But He's saying, you got to do it 18:12 for the right reason or, you know, 18:13 what, you're just a legalist, you're Pharisee. 18:17 Don't keep them, Jesus says, 18:19 unless "If you love Me then keep my commandments." 18:24 In fact, you see love is the basis for the commandments. 18:27 Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus said. 18:30 "You shall love the Lord 18:31 your God with all of your heart, 18:33 with all of your soul, with all your mind. 18:35 This is the first and great commandment. 18:37 But the second is like it, 18:39 You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 18:41 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." 18:45 And you know every single Jew knew 18:47 exactly what Jesus was saying there. 18:49 Jesus was saying, you can boil the Ten Commandments 18:51 down to just two sections. 18:54 Number one, the first tells us how to love God 18:58 and that's found in the first four commandments of the ten. 19:01 The second section tells us how to love each other, 19:04 our fellow mankind. 19:06 That's defined in the last six. 19:08 In other words, 19:09 you have our vertical obligation to God, first. 19:13 Second, our horizontal relationships with each other. 19:17 Jut ten words. Ten Commands. 19:21 That's all you need, God says. 19:23 But do you know what man say and our attorney? 19:26 Well, thank you very much, God. 19:28 But we don't think ten is enough. 19:31 We'll try to come up with our own sets of laws 19:34 and estimates indicate lawyers and attorneys 19:37 and law schools have come up with-- 19:39 Can anybody guess how many laws we have? 19:42 Thirty five million laws 19:46 drafted by man the control behavior. 19:49 Has it worth. 19:51 Look at the mess. Look at our courts. 19:54 Folks, not God, just Ten Commandments, 19:58 in ten words He drafted a code of conduct 20:01 that covers all human behavior and I say tonight 20:04 only God could write such a law with no defects. 20:08 In fact Psalm 19:7, 11. 20:12 "The Law of the Lord is perfect 20:15 and in keeping them there is great" what? 20:18 "Reward." 20:19 That's because the Ten Commandments 20:21 are a perfect mirror of God Himself. 20:26 They're reflect Him, they reflect His character. 20:29 They are what I'd like to call codified love. 20:34 As theologian August Strong wrote, 20:38 "Law is only the transcript of God's nature." 20:44 And say, guess what's happening 20:46 in churches in the last 25 years? 20:51 Preachers are now saying, you listen to them on Sunday, 20:54 whether it's on radio or television. 20:56 Well, you know, I think we need the commandments 20:58 in fact more than ever. 21:00 Even Dr. Laura Schlessinger wrote a book call, 21:03 "The Ten Commandments." 21:04 It's on the best-seller list. 21:05 I was at NRB in-- or I was in Los Angeles, 21:10 I stood next to Dr. Laura, she stands about this high. 21:13 She was a Jew receiving this award from the NRB for her book 21:16 of the "Ten Commandments" bestseller. 21:18 You listen to radio and television evangelists 21:20 and they're all preaching about the Ten Commandments, 21:22 they're don't say any more, well, you know, 21:24 may be we're not under the law weren't-- they don't say that. 21:27 They're saying now we've misunderstood that text. 21:30 Even Billy Graham says, 21:31 Jesus did not come to do away with the law. 21:34 Billy Graham says, He came to make them 21:36 tougher than ever to keep. 21:38 Because any change in the Law of God, 21:41 you see, would make that law less than perfect. 21:44 But a perfect law never needs to be altered 21:48 because Jesus said in Matthew 5:17. 21:51 "Don't even think, don't even think 21:53 that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. 21:56 I did not come to destroy 21:58 but to fulfill" or fill them up to their full measure. 22:04 Luke 16:17 Jesus went on to say, 22:06 "it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away 22:10 than for one tittle of the Law to fail." 22:14 You see folks, 22:15 if Jesus could've done away with the law, 22:19 then they wouldn't be any more sin. 22:22 And Jesus wouldn't have to die on the cross. 22:25 In fact, His death would have been a meaningless charade. 22:29 You see, if there's no law, then Paul says there's no sin. 22:33 Hey, Jesus, didn't have to die. 22:35 No friend, Jesus didn't come to destroy the law, 22:39 He came to free us from the penalty of the law. 22:43 To free us from the slavery of breaking it, disobeying it. 22:48 Well, someone says, you know, law and the rules 22:50 kind of offence me and they restrict my happiness. 22:54 Oh, on the contrary, God intended His law 22:58 would guarantee freedom and safety everywhere. 23:02 I want you to think about it this way for a moment. 23:04 You know, if all of those terrorists on September 11, 23:07 if they were all born-again Christians 23:10 all obeying God's laws, 23:12 we would all be flying safely today. 23:15 Amen. 23:16 See God says in Deuteronomy 5:29, 23:20 "O that there were such an heart in them, 23:23 that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments 23:25 always, that it might be well with them, 23:28 and with their children," how long? 23:30 Forever. "Forever." 23:33 Think about it when you drive in the smoky mountains 23:35 or in the skyline drive in Lake Tahoe, 23:38 you folks in California. 23:39 Why do we build guardrails on bridges and mountain roads? 23:44 To restrict us, so we can't just go 23:45 right off there and enjoy that little flight mount. 23:48 They protect us from danger. 23:53 God gave His law like a guardrail 23:56 to protect us on the road of life. 23:58 Romans 3:20 says 24:00 Lon, "by the law is the knowledge of sin." 24:05 In Romans 7:7 he says, 24:06 "I would have not known sin except through the law. 24:10 For I would not have known covetousness 24:12 unless the law had said, 'You shall not covet.'" 24:16 What Paul saying is that law 24:20 is like this mirror I have up here, okay. 24:24 You see that? 24:25 This mirror perfectly reflects what God is like, 24:31 His perfect character. 24:34 Now each morning when I look in that mirror, 24:38 I don't always like myself. 24:41 In fact, I see my hair kind of askew 24:43 and beard there and face 24:46 kind of needs re-arranging and this mirror tells me, 24:48 "Lon, what you been doing, eating dirt?" 24:51 You need to get that sink over there Lon, 24:53 reach for the soap and water and the washcloth and hey, 24:56 come on clean up. 24:59 But then do I take this mirror 25:01 and try to clean myself with the mirror? 25:05 No, I don't rub this on my face or try to shave with it 25:07 or clean myself with the mirror. 25:09 Can applying this mirror to my face 25:12 and solve my cleansing problem? 25:14 Absolutely not. 25:15 This simply points me to the water and the soap. 25:20 Well, folks, it's exactly the same with God's law. 25:24 When Paul looked into that mirror, 25:27 Ouch! He said. 25:29 That mirror of the Ten Commandments, 25:31 it reflects God. 25:32 It reflects perfection. 25:34 A perfect standard shows us, "Paul, you got problems. 25:37 You got smudges. 25:38 You got sins, you look pretty bad. 25:39 I mean especially compared to God, 25:41 since this reflects Him." 25:43 But what's the solution? 25:45 If I really want to get cleaned up, I need soap. 25:49 I need forgiveness. 25:50 Well, I need to hurry and get to Calvary for the cleansing 25:52 through Jesus' blood, don't you agree? 25:54 Amen. 25:55 Obeying the Ten Commandments can't cleanse me. 25:59 They only tell me, "Lon, boy, you need soap and water." 26:03 Do you ever need the blood of Jesus Christ 26:05 to get you cleaned up? 26:06 Amen. 26:07 But you see, some Christians have gotten a little confused 26:09 about this over the decades and they say, "Well, hey, 26:12 why don't we just get rid of the law, 26:15 let's get rid of the mirror. 26:16 Let's do away with those Ten Commandments 26:18 and well, you won't be guilty of breaking them anymore." 26:21 That old law? Well, it's just too technical. 26:23 This mirror is too legalistic. 26:26 We're not under the law, 26:27 we are under grace, we don't need it. 26:28 So I just take this mirror and I'm gonna get rid of it. 26:34 I smashed it. 26:36 Now that doing away with the mirror, 26:39 does that clean up the problem of my face? 26:43 Does doing away with God's mirror solve our sin problem? 26:48 No. 26:49 Doesn't clean up our spiritual face. 26:52 But as we look in God's mirror, sure, 26:54 maybe we're not pleased with what we see 26:56 but that law is a guide, simply, 26:58 a guardrail to remind us we need to hurry 27:01 over to the cleansing blood of Calvary's cross. 27:03 We need Jesus' soap and water of salvation. 27:06 His blood that forgives, His power that has power, 27:12 power to change us and help Lonnie obey the law, 27:15 so I can start living a life of victory. 27:17 Happy, guilt-free. 27:20 And how does God do this miracle? 27:23 How does He do that? 27:27 Well, at the very gates of the Garden of Eden, 27:29 God instituted a graphic reminder 27:32 that disobeying brings death. 27:35 The wages of sin is what? Death. 27:38 Walking along beside Adam were two pets. 27:43 He'd named them. 27:45 And God one day says to Adam, 27:47 "Adam, I want you to take one of these pets." 27:49 "Well, okay, what for, God?" 27:51 "Well, Adam because you don't really understand 27:53 what sin does to you 27:55 and you certainly don't understand 27:56 what it's doing to me, Adam. 27:59 So I'm gonna show you. 28:01 Adam, where is the knife 28:02 that you were using to prune the garden this morning?" 28:05 Oh, Adam says, 28:06 "Here I just left it right over here." 28:09 Oh, says God, "Okay. 28:12 Adam, I want you to take that knife now 28:15 and I want you to prune that lamb's throat." 28:19 "What?" Adam says, "What do You mean? 28:23 God, why would you ask me to do this?" 28:24 Adam pleads, "No, please." 28:26 "Adam, I want you to take that knife 28:30 and prune that lamb's throat." 28:32 "Oh, please, God." 28:33 And he falls down there and he holds that little lamb 28:36 and finally he-- He does it and he slits its throat. 28:40 And in horror he and Eve watch there 28:43 and that innocent lamb is jumping around on that altar 28:45 and it's slain to show the sinner, 28:47 you see, what sin does, 28:49 it causes death to the heart of God. 28:54 And Adam is looking there. 28:55 God says, "Now Adam, take the other lamb." 29:01 "What for?" "For your wife, Adam." 29:06 Please and she kneels down beside 29:08 and they go through this horror again. 29:10 And Adam begins to understand God's holy law 29:14 that the innocent son of God 29:15 must die to pay for breaking God's law. 29:19 Christ, the Lamb of God, who would one day 29:21 take man's punishment and suffer His death. 29:25 You see, that law could not save anyone. 29:27 Never has, it never will. 29:29 Galatians 3:21 says, 29:32 "For if there had been a law given 29:35 which could have given life, truly righteousness 29:38 would have been by the law." 29:41 Folks, keeping the law does not bring cleansing. 29:45 Keeping laws does not forgive. 29:47 Only Christ's sacrifice on Calvary 29:49 pays the price for my sin. 29:52 Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, 29:55 but the gift of God is eternal life 29:57 through Jesus Christ, our Lord." 29:59 Praise the Lord. 30:00 You don't earn salvation by keeping the law. 30:03 Ephesians 2:8, 9, 30:04 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, 30:08 and that not of yourselves, 30:09 it is the gift of God, not of works, 30:11 lest anyone should boast." 30:15 Someone says tonight well, "Lon, 30:17 if then we're save my grace, 30:20 aren't we free to just go right and out and disobey that law?" 30:25 Never. 30:26 Paul wrote, Romans 6:1, 2 "What shall we say then? 30:32 Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 30:35 Certainly not! 30:37 How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" 30:41 I like The King James Version that one, 30:43 "Do we then make void the law through faith? 30:46 God forbid!" 30:47 Paul says "Yea, we establish the law!" 30:51 You see, the Good News of the Gospel's amazing grace 30:55 is that grace doesn't do away with God's law. 30:59 When He forgives me, He also gives me 31:02 the miracle power being born again 31:04 to start obeying and doing His well. 31:07 Amen. 31:08 I want to tell you about friend of mine by the name of Bill. 31:11 I went to college in the 1960s in and Riverside California 31:15 and Bill was in Christian college. 31:17 Bill was Hippie. 31:18 He was not a Christian before he came to our college, 31:20 he was when he came. 31:21 But he had been living in the 60s 31:23 in Hermosa Beach California working as a caricature artist 31:26 in Hollywood's Universal Studios. 31:28 And let me tell you Bill is one top-flight caricature artist 31:33 he made good money. 31:35 Most of his friends, unfortunately, 31:36 were on drugs or in jail, but not Bill. 31:38 He had lot of parties, he had good life. 31:41 Decide I do all my cleaning my apartment 31:43 I'll advertise for a maid 31:45 and he did put a advertisement the Hollywood Free Press. 31:48 Here came a young lady one day she wanted to work for him 31:50 if he would gonna pay good money. 31:52 And so we got this maid 31:53 and he put up a blackboard inside his front door 31:56 which told her what responsibilities were. 31:58 Monday, he wrote out the rules. 32:00 You got to do general cleanup, get this mess back in shape. 32:03 Tuesday, do my washing, 32:05 Wednesday, if I have any ironing you do that. 32:07 Thursday, cooking but Friday was general clean up again 32:10 get ready for the next big bash on the weekend. 32:13 Well this young lady came in kind of not too sure about 32:16 this character but she obeyed that rule list 32:18 because of the good money she was getting paid for. 32:21 Well, to make a long story short 32:22 Bill says that believe it or not, 32:25 this young lady I found out one day 32:26 as I was coming to from work 32:28 she's very attractive, never noticed that before. 32:30 We had a lot in common. 32:32 You know, what one day we fell in love 32:34 and I did something I thought I would never ever do 32:36 is a bachelor I ask her to marry me. 32:39 She said yes. 32:41 He says now she moves into this apartment with me. 32:43 He said Lon, what do you think happened to that blackboard 32:46 that list of rules up behind the front door 32:48 tells Monday it's this Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 32:51 straight into the trash can. 32:53 But he said guess what happened. 32:56 She was now doing all those rules. 32:59 In fact, she was doing more-- 33:00 she wasn't getting paid to do it now. 33:02 She was starching your shirts better than ever, 33:05 she was even helping wash the car 33:06 once in a while and doing the lawn 33:08 because all of those rules now were written where? 33:12 On her heart. 33:13 She did those things now because she loved him. 33:16 And God's word says it's identically the same 33:19 when we fall in love with Jesus. 33:21 Bible says when we accept Christ as Savior and Lord, 33:24 He takes His law and He writes it on our heart. 33:28 Hebrews 8:10 and on. 33:31 "I will put My laws in their mind 33:33 and write them on their hearts." 33:36 Mothers Days coming up. 33:39 We all love our mothers 33:40 and it is easy to do something real sweat, 33:43 real nice for someone you love, isn't it? 33:46 And friend, that's the only way I'll ever be able to obey. 33:51 Love has to motivate me 33:53 to want to love and obey His law. 33:56 In fact, that is the only way Jesus was able 33:58 to keep the Ten Commandments because of love. 34:01 John 15:10 Jesus says 34:03 "I have kept my Father's commandments 34:05 and abide in His love." 34:08 Amen. 34:09 See Jesus never demands Lon, you better keep that law. 34:14 No, He says, "Lon, if you love Me, 34:18 keep My commandments." 34:19 And He says "I'll help you love Me 34:21 and I'll help you keep them, too." 34:24 I want you to come with me in your imagination 34:26 to a garden outside of Old Jerusalem 34:30 2003 years ago or their abouts. 34:34 Jesus is praying there 34:36 I've been to that Garden of Gethsemane 34:37 it's not a Hollywood scene by the way 34:39 with every hair in place and cameras clicking. 34:42 Cypress trees wept heavy dew on His stricken form 34:46 and he clutches the ground as if to be kept from 34:49 separating from His Father in agony the Bible says 34:52 He sweat so hard it became great drops of blood 34:55 trickling down His face 34:58 He prayed "O my Father, if it is possible, 35:01 let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, 35:05 not as I will, but as You will." 35:08 I want to tell you the fate of the human race 35:11 hung in the balance 35:13 and the universe held its breath. 35:16 With this young Galilean just wipe the sweat 35:18 from His brow and say, well, let those wretches 35:21 suffer the consequence of their own sin 35:24 or would He carry the cross for you, for me? 35:30 Pay the price to pardon our sins. 35:32 Praise the Lord. 35:33 And let wicked men nail Him to a cross. 35:36 I want to tell you that awful crisis 35:38 when everything was at stake I'm so thankful 35:41 Jesus dipped His pen of love in the crimson ink 35:44 that drained like liquid love from His own veins 35:48 and He wrote pardoned across your record and mine. 35:52 Amen. On that old rugged cross. 35:54 Amazing grace, costly grace. 35:58 Folks, forgiveness cost something. 36:01 The infinite price God was willing to pay 36:03 to satisfy the claims of His broken law 36:06 and save guilty humans was the life 36:09 of His precious Son, Jesus Christ. 36:12 Do you see, God could no more ignore guilty man sins 36:19 but He couldn't change His law, 36:21 and that is why we needed a Savior. 36:24 Thank God He gave us Jesus to die as our substitute. 36:28 John 3:16 repeated with me "For God so loved the world, 36:33 that He gave His only begotten Son, 36:35 that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, 36:39 but have everlasting life." 36:40 Amen. 36:42 Now here's why this is so important tonight. 36:46 The Voice of Prophecy speaks again 36:48 through the Book of Revelation and it tells us God's people 36:53 ready to meet Jesus, ready to go home with Him 36:56 to spend eternity in that heavenly city, 36:59 God says something stunning about those people 37:01 just here the hedge of eternity 37:03 that you can know exactly who they are. 37:05 In fact, it says they stand out tonight they're identifiable. 37:09 here they are 37:11 "Here is the patience of the saints, 37:13 here are those who" what? 37:16 "Keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." 37:20 Amen. 37:21 By the way Revelation 14 paints the most spectacular 37:24 picture of the second coming of Jesus in all of the Bible. 37:27 We've tried to have an artist do this. 37:30 Revelation 14:14 says 37:31 "I looked, and behold, a white cloud, 37:34 and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, 37:37 having on His head a golden crown, 37:38 and in His hand a sharp sickle." 37:41 Which is metaphor for the harvest 37:43 the end of the world. 37:44 But I want you to notice. 37:45 It says God's people will be doing something 37:48 and it's gonna be making Satan furious 37:50 just before Jesus comes. 37:51 says 37:53 the "Dragon was enraged with the woman, 37:55 and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, 37:58 who keep the commandments of God 38:01 and have the testimony of Jesus." 38:04 There you have it, the blackboard. 38:07 God's law is written in their hearts. 38:12 The last book of the Bible says 38:14 God's people love their Creator, 38:16 they love their Redeemer so much that they want to do 38:19 all that He asks and His will is written on their hearts. 38:25 With outstretched arms tonight, 38:27 Jesus is inviting to you and to me. 38:30 Come, tonight I want to give you forgiveness. 38:34 Tonight I want to give you power to live to obey 38:36 and I want to wash away your sin. 38:39 Jesus said friend, if you really love Me, 38:43 will you keep My Commandments? 38:45 Revelation 22:17 Jesus said "And let him who thirsts come. 38:50 Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely." 38:56 It was 40 below zero in Borislav, Ukraine, 39:01 when I was their in 1992 with Jeannie and my parents, 39:04 Voice of Prophecy team conducting 39:06 the first Bible meetings ever 39:08 since the fall of the Soviet Union. 39:11 And I want to tell you was a thrill for me 39:12 to go back to my grandparents 39:14 came from and to see those people 39:16 who never heard about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 39:18 Thousands came out in the cold 39:20 40 below zero than wait for two hours here 39:21 my dad sing base Basso Profundo. 39:24 Dad used to sing base in the King's Heralds Quartet 39:26 if you saw the other night when I was one. 39:29 But from night to night there was a young man 39:33 who was coming I didn't know 39:34 that he could speak a little bit English 39:35 his name was Orrest 39:37 and he was a young retired soviet naval officer. 39:41 But one night he came up to me 39:42 and in very broken English I added long time listed 39:44 but he said he had been stationed 39:46 during the cold-war in Soviet sub off of Miami. 39:51 And he says we're out there in the depths of the Atlantic 39:54 playing cat-and-mouse with the U.S. Navy. 39:56 This was the real hunt for Red October. 40:00 He said I drank, I lived an immoral life 40:02 I carouse, I broke all of God's laws. 40:04 But as he came to our meetings he sat right about 40:06 where you are ma'am, every night. 40:07 He said I've been feeling strangely drawn 40:10 to accept this person you're calling Christ. 40:13 And when Orrest finally did 40:15 I'll tell you mysterious change completely overwhelmed him 40:19 because now he started to love spiritual things. 40:22 He loved to open his Bible and read it 40:24 he loved to sing hymns 40:25 no more carousing gave up his old way of life. 40:28 When I finally stood with him in the baptistery 40:31 and I raised my hand and I talked about who he was 40:34 and how I was taught to hate him 40:36 and he was taught to hate me by our government's 40:39 those red communist, you know. 40:41 When he was baptized I tell you 40:43 I could not keep the tears back. 40:44 What a thrill because from an enemy, 40:46 Orrest became not only my friend 40:48 he became my brother. 40:50 Amen. 40:51 God's law written on his heart. Amen. 40:54 He is over there tonight he may be watching. 40:56 Friend, this salvation can be yours, too. 40:59 Jesus not only wants to forgive you. 41:01 He wants to change you and give you power 41:04 to begin a brand new life that wins 41:06 and tonight He's inviting-- friend, 41:09 don't let anything hold you back. 41:12 Whether it's pleasure or money 41:15 or career don't let anything separate you from eternal life. 41:20 Jesus is calling for you, come He says, 41:23 I can change your life completely. 41:25 I not only want to forgive you and give you peace 41:28 but my grace and my power 41:31 and help you began keeping My law. 41:33 Amen. I'll do it for you He says. 41:35 You may feel weak, Jesus says I'm strong. 41:38 No matter what you've done in the past, 41:40 Jesus will forgive you. 41:43 He'll cleanse you, He will give you 41:45 His strength to live a brand new life. 41:49 Do you have a longing deep down in your soul 41:52 for the peace tonight that only Jesus can give? 41:57 As Joey and Phil sing the song quietly respond, 41:59 "Jesus, I'm coming, I'm coming right now." 42:12 The world will try to satisfy 42:18 That longing in your soul 42:23 You may search the wide world over 42:29 But you'll be just as before 42:34 You'll never find true satisfaction 42:40 Until you've found the Lord 42:45 For only Jesus can satisfy your soul 42:53 Satisfy your soul 42:56 Only Jesus Can satisfy 43:02 Your soul 43:06 And only He can change your heart 43:12 And make you whole 43:16 He'll give you peace you never knew 43:22 Sweet love and joy and Heaven too 43:27 For only Jesus can satisfy 43:34 Your soul 43:39 Before they sing the rest of that beautiful song, 43:41 I'd like to have us go to prayer for a moment, 43:43 if you bow your head with me. 43:45 Precious Savior, I want to thank You 43:47 for speaking to our hearts tonight 43:49 and teaching us about Your ten positive promises, 43:54 that they're given for victory in our lives. 43:57 Victory they can reshape our lives to serve you better 44:03 and all you ask is an honest response 44:05 and desired to do your will. 44:08 We want to invite you Lord would you come 44:10 and would you write those precepts 44:12 on our hearts beautiful mirror, 44:16 so we can reflect the picture of You. 44:20 Lord, we can do it that You promise to motivate us 44:24 to walk to obey all ten of Your commandments. 44:29 And Father, I'm sure that there are some tonight 44:31 have never understood this quite like this before 44:34 that obedience is not an option 44:37 it's a thrilling part of the Christian life. 44:41 For tonight by faith we would like 44:43 this brand new life, this new experience, 44:46 this miracle and having You reach down 44:50 and right Your law in our hearts. 44:54 This very moment friend, if you wish to invite Jesus 44:56 to come in and not only forgive your sins, 45:00 but to work this miracle in your heart, 45:02 so you can begin to love Jesus and love His holy law. 45:07 Would you join me in just reaching your hand 45:08 toward heaven and saying Lord, please help me. 45:10 Help me to open your mind your heart 45:14 the door of your heart this wonderful power 45:18 and then the row captains 45:19 will pass those containers down the rows just now 45:22 and I want you to take out the decision card 45:24 and mark your commitment for Jesus Christ tonight. 45:28 Well our heads are still bowed in this prayer. 45:32 If you need a pencil you can take. 45:33 One thank you row captains, 45:34 making sure those are passed down every row. 45:37 The first one I hope we can all checked this, 45:40 I invite Jesus into my life asking Him 45:42 to write His holy law of love on my heart. 45:47 And secondly many will want to choose the second one too. 45:50 By God's grace I lovingly choose 45:54 to obey Jesus and keep His commandments. 45:59 And number three, I need prayer for power to obey God's will. 46:05 I would check that when every day. 46:08 And number four maybe there's someone 46:10 would like some additional materials on this 46:11 we'll be happy to place that in your hands. 46:14 Just mark your decision, 46:17 the containers will come back down your row 46:19 you place that card in it as Joey sings again. 46:25 If you could have the fame and fortune 46:32 All the wealth you could obtain 46:37 Yet you have not Christ within 46:43 Your living here would be in vain 46:47 There'll come a time when death shall call you 46:54 Riches can not help you then 46:59 So come to Jesus for only He can satisfy 47:07 Satisfy your soul 47:09 Only Jesus can satisfy 47:16 Your soul 47:19 And only He can change your heart 47:25 And make you whole 47:29 He'll give you peace you never knew 47:35 Sweet love and joy and Heaven too 47:41 For only Jesus can satisfy 47:47 Your soul 47:50 He'll give you peace you never knew 47:56 Sweet love and joy and Heaven too 48:02 For only Jesus can satisfy 48:08 Your soul 48:14 Amen. Amen. 48:20 We want to continue this prayer for just a moment. 48:22 Lord, may angels be here now 48:25 right now beside us to guard us from Satan. 48:27 Bless each commitment and send us divine empowering 48:30 to love and obey You in Jesus name, amen. 48:35 Amen. 48:36 Be sure to stop by our Discover Bible, 48:38 stand tonight both sides and your downlink locations 48:41 and also people are really enjoying 48:43 the hospitality center. 48:44 Come on over, meet our staff 48:46 wherever you are into downlink locations 48:48 Friday night "Millions Fooled By A Myth." 48:53 We'll see you then. 48:55 Remember friend, as you go God really does love you. 49:00 Goodnight. |
Revised 2014-12-17