Participants:
Series Code: WHO
Program Code: WHO210042S
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00:26 Hello, friends, welcome to the 3ABN Worship Hour.
00:29 I'm Pastor John Lomacang, and I have the privilege 00:32 and responsibility of bringing the Word of God to you today. 00:36 I'd like you to bow your heads with me 00:38 as we consider the topic "Eternal Flame." 00:42 How important and how imperative 00:45 is it for us to maintain 00:47 and even to begin if you haven't done so, 00:49 thus far, a relationship 00:52 with the unchanging Word of God, 00:54 we'll find out, 00:55 but let's first go to the Lord in prayer. 00:57 Loving Father in heaven, 00:59 we thank You that You have sustained us, 01:01 You have directed us, You have enlightened us 01:06 through Your all-powerful word. 01:10 As we take the time to consider 01:11 its relevance to our lives as Christians. 01:14 And even if we're not a Christian, 01:16 the relevance of leading us to You 01:19 through the written and living Word, 01:21 we pray that Your Holy Spirit will speak and guide 01:25 those who hear and those who listen. 01:28 In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 01:33 Eternal flame. 01:35 I want to begin with a passage in the Book of Psalm 119:105. 01:40 It's a very short passage, but it's extremely potent. 01:44 Listen to the words of David the patriarch, 01:46 he says, "Your word is a lamp unto my feet 01:51 and a light on to my path." 01:55 According to what David just said, 01:58 there should never be a time that 02:00 the journey before you is one that is obscure 02:04 or in the darkness. 02:05 When we follow God's Word, 02:07 we will discover that it is, in fact, an eternal flame. 02:12 By the 1960s, 02:14 during the time of the 35th president 02:16 John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 02:19 he was assassinated November 22nd, 02:22 1963 at 12:30 PM. 02:25 Central time in Dallas, Texas, 02:28 while riding in an open motorcade 02:31 in Dealey Plaza. 02:33 It was a tragic event. 02:35 I was a very young boy and I emphasize very young boy 02:39 not understanding what was going on, 02:40 but I never forgot hearing the cries of my mother 02:44 as she vacuumed the carpet 02:46 and there on the black and white television, 02:49 she stopped the vacuum and just stood there. 02:51 And I heard her muttering through her voice. 02:54 Kennedy was shot. 02:56 Kennedy was shot. 02:59 What a tragic day it was for the country of America, 03:02 for this great nation was shaken to its core 03:04 by his untimely death. 03:07 Following that though, two days later 03:10 on November 24th, 1963, 03:13 his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy requested 03:16 something unusual about the place 03:18 where her husband was going to be buried. 03:20 She said, "I would like to have there an eternal flame." 03:25 And the question is, why would she suggest that? 03:28 While I discovered further, 03:29 that that side of his burial place 03:31 became chosen because President Kennedy 03:35 and his friend architect, 03:37 John Carl Warnecke had visited that place. 03:41 And this was in March of that year in 1963. 03:44 And Kennedy said, 03:46 "If ever I was going to be buried, 03:48 this place is," 03:50 and I quote, "a peaceful atmosphere 03:53 and a wonderful location." 03:55 Never knowing that between March and November, 03:58 his life would be snuffed out untimely. 04:02 But I asked the question, 04:04 I asked the question, what makes the flame eternal? 04:07 And I did some homework. 04:09 The flame was built to withstand rain and wind 04:13 that eternal flame that you just saw in the picture. 04:16 That is what John Kennedy 04:17 talked about this eternal flame. 04:19 His wife suggested, let's put an eternal flame 04:22 so that the light of my husband's life 04:24 will never go out. 04:26 According to the Presidential Library, 04:29 it's referred to as eternal, because quote, 04:33 "There is a constantly flashing spark 04:36 near the tip of the nozzle," 04:38 because of this if the flame is extinguished, 04:41 it reignites almost instantaneously. 04:44 In other words, if the rain is coming down 04:46 and the wind is blowing heavily, 04:48 it can blow it out. 04:49 But the clicking 04:51 of the ignition switch never stops. 04:53 So you really never see the flame going out. 04:56 That's what makes the flame eternal. 04:58 And I read that story, I said, "Wow, 05:00 what an analogy for the Word of God? 05:03 You see God's Word is an eternal flame. 05:06 It is built to withstand 05:09 the extinguishing winds and rains of its adversaries. 05:13 It is connected to the constantly 05:15 flashing flicker 05:17 of the power of the Holy Spirit. 05:18 Every attempt to extinguish 05:20 its flame has resulted in an instant re-ignition. 05:25 Friends, think about that. 05:27 God's Word will never be denied. 05:30 Its flame will never be extinguished. 05:33 It will never go out. 05:34 Even though atheists deny it, agnostics doubt it, 05:38 and sinners disagree with it, that flame still burns. 05:42 Some call it a fable, some call it fiction, 05:45 some call it a fabrication, 05:46 but the Word of God still burns. 05:50 God's Word is endless, everlasting and eternal. 05:54 That is why it continues to burn. 05:57 But listen to how Isaiah the prophet 06:00 describes the Word of God in Isaiah 40:8. 06:04 This is what he says about God's Word. 06:06 He says, "The grass withers, the flower fades, 06:10 but the Word of God stands forever." 06:15 God's Word will never go out. 06:17 Kings and prelates, 06:20 people that have hated God's Word, 06:22 people that have disagreed with God's Word 06:24 have made attempts through the centuries to get rid of it. 06:27 But God's Word is an eternal flame. 06:31 Praise the Lord for that. 06:33 On that note, God's Word is unchanging, 06:35 undeniable, and unequivocal. 06:38 And today in our day above all the books 06:42 that have ever been written, 06:44 the Word of God still stands firmly. 06:47 When you follow the power of God's Word, 06:49 you can't help but to go to the day of Pentecost. 06:51 What made the day of Pentecost so powerful? 06:54 It was the proclamation of the Word of God 06:57 by a converted fisherman named Peter. 07:01 As Dr. Luke records the events of the day of Pentecost, 07:04 listen to what he says about the power of God's Word. 07:08 In Acts 4:31, 07:11 he says these words to us today. 07:13 "And when they had prayed, the place where 07:16 they were assembled together was shaken, 07:20 and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, 07:24 and they spoke the Word of God with boldness." 07:28 They spoke the Word of God with boldness. 07:29 How? 07:31 Because there's power in the Word of God. 07:33 There is dunamis in the Word of God. 07:35 It is a constant ignition 07:37 between heaven and earth flaming the heart 07:40 of the proclaimer 07:42 and igniting the lives of those that listen. 07:44 And when you study the New Testament church, 07:46 you find something very interesting. 07:48 Twelve times in the Book of Acts, 07:50 the success of the early church is described. 07:53 And every time it is described, 07:56 it is linked to the preaching of the Word. 08:00 Every time, you think about that, 08:02 how powerful is God's Word? 08:04 Every time the Word of God was proclaimed, 08:07 the church continued to grow, 08:09 but every attempt to neutralize the Word of God failed. 08:12 Look at Acts 12:24, 08:14 when they tried to neutralize God's Word, 08:17 look what Dr. Luke wrote. 08:19 He said, "But the Word of God grew and multiplied." 08:25 Well, here's the question. 08:27 If the Word of God was needed 08:28 for the inauguration of the church, 08:30 how much more is the Word of God 08:32 needed as we prepare 08:34 for the coronation of the church? 08:36 If the Word of God was needed 08:37 in the beginning of Christianity, 08:39 how much more is it needed 08:41 as we come down to the latter days 08:44 of the Christian Church? 08:46 It is needed now more than ever before. 08:49 Here's the reason why? 08:51 Effective discipleship begins 08:53 with a relationship to the living Word, 08:57 but we cannot be connected to the living Word 08:59 and be disconnected from the written Word. 09:03 Look at John 1:1, if you're going to be 09:05 connected to the living Word Christ, 09:07 you got to be connected to the written Word, His Bible. 09:10 The Bible says in John 1:1, these powerful words, 09:14 "In the beginning was the Word, 09:17 and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." 09:22 If the Word of God was in the beginning, 09:24 let me make a suggestion. 09:25 If the Word of God is in the beginning 09:27 of your walk with Christ and you keep it there, 09:31 your walk with Christ will never become boring. 09:35 It will never grow dim. 09:37 It will never lose its power. 09:40 In the beginning was the Word, 09:42 but it's going to be there in the very end also. 09:44 Look at Revelation 19:13, 09:48 the Apostle John writes these powerful words 09:51 concerning the Word of God. 09:53 Describing the second coming of Jesus, 09:56 he says, "He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, 10:00 and His name is called The Word of God." 10:05 Notice that, in the beginning the Word, 10:08 in the end the Word, 10:10 all the way through from the creation of humanity 10:13 to the recreation of the perfect world, 10:16 the Word of God is needed. 10:18 You think about the life of Christ. 10:20 When He was in the wilderness of temptation, 10:22 He faced every temptation with the phrase, 10:25 it is written, it is written, it is written. 10:29 And then when the disciples 10:30 went forth to proclaim the reason 10:32 why they proclaimed the Word of God, unerringly, 10:35 undiluted, and with passion and conviction is John 17:17. 10:40 The Bible says, 10:41 and these are the words of Christ. 10:42 He says, "Sanctify them by your truth. 10:46 Your word is truth." 10:49 Well, how much do we need truth in these last days? 10:52 We live in a day and age 10:53 where people make up theories 10:56 that are not connected to God's Word. 10:58 People have doctrines and ideas 11:00 that are not found in God's Word. 11:02 Christianity has been diluted. 11:04 It has been redesigned. 11:06 It has been made fashionable rather than biblical, 11:10 more than ever before. 11:12 We need to follow the words of Christ, 11:13 sanctify them. 11:15 What does that mean? That means make them holy. 11:17 Sanctify them by your truth, your word is truth. 11:22 Now more than ever before, we need the application 11:27 and adherence to the Word of God, 11:29 because we are in a battle against biblical erosion. 11:34 Look at Revelation 12:17. 11:37 Why is the devil angry? 11:39 The Bible says, "And the dragon 11:40 was enraged with the woman, 11:42 and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, 11:46 who keep the commandments of God 11:48 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." 11:51 He's angry, he's upset. 11:54 He doesn't want God's Word to be stood upon. 11:57 He doesn't want God's Word to be 11:58 the defense of the church and so he's angry. 12:01 In God's Word, you find instruction for daily living. 12:05 In God's Word, you find the Ten Commandments of God. 12:09 And unlike the experience in the Garden of Eden, 12:11 the devil comes back again and finds that this time 12:15 the woman has a different attitude. 12:16 She's standing on the unerring Word of God. 12:20 Think about the power of the church. 12:22 The power of the church 12:24 is when we put on the whole armor of God, 12:27 but the weapon of the church 12:29 is when we fight with the living Word of God. 12:32 Let me repeat that again. 12:35 The armor or the uniform of the church 12:37 is when we put on the whole armor of God. 12:40 But the weapon of the church 12:41 is when we use the living Word of God. 12:45 The writer of Hebrews 4:12 says it this way, 12:50 listen to these powerful words. 12:52 He said, "The Word of God is living and powerful, 12:56 and sharper than any two-edged sword, 13:00 piercing even 13:01 to the division of soul and spirit, 13:03 and of joints and marrow, 13:05 and is a discerner of the thoughts 13:08 and intents of the heart." 13:11 I read that and I thought to myself, 13:12 wow, what a powerful book. 13:14 Here's the point. 13:15 When we are reading the Word of God, 13:17 the Word of God is reading us. 13:19 Isn't that powerful? 13:21 It is a discerner of the thoughts 13:23 and intents of the hearts. 13:24 It is sharper than any two-edged sword. 13:27 It can cut away error and it can surgically remove 13:31 those things from our lives that does not need to be there. 13:33 That's how powerful God's Word is. 13:36 It pierces the issues of our lives. 13:38 It divides us from the things 13:41 that should not be in our walk with Christ. 13:43 And it even decides and knows 13:46 what we're going to do before we do it. 13:49 It discerns our thoughts and intentions. 13:52 I like what the astronomer Galileo said 13:54 about God's Word. 13:55 He says, this is powerful. 13:56 He says, "The Bible shows us the way to go to heaven, 14:00 not just the way the heavens go." 14:03 He was a man that had a wonderful relationship 14:05 with the stars of the heavens, 14:07 but he said, "When I read the Bible, 14:09 I can find my way to heaven. 14:11 But when I look at the stars, 14:12 I simply see how the heavens go. 14:14 I don't want to just know how the heavens go, 14:16 I want to know how to go to heaven." 14:19 In these last days, friends, the Word of God is needed. 14:22 I have become very moved by the ideology, 14:26 but the conviction has come to me 14:28 that the church today needs to get back 14:31 to the simplicity of the Word of God. 14:33 Let me say that again. 14:35 The church needs to get back to the simplicity 14:38 and the power of the Word of God, 14:40 because there's so many things 14:42 that have entered into the Christian experience. 14:44 We have music on one side, drama on the other, 14:47 community outreach on one side, helping the poor on the other, 14:51 building buildings, doing missionary work. 14:54 The Word of God could get so caught up in doing things 14:58 and forgetting that 15:00 the most important power of the Christian life 15:02 is not what we do for the Lord, 15:05 but what the Lord is able to do within us. 15:07 And only by His Word are the works 15:10 in the Christian's life accomplished. 15:12 How much more do we need the Word of God? 15:15 Galileo said it well, the Bible shows us 15:19 not only the way that the heavens go, 15:21 but the Bible shows us the way to go to heaven. 15:24 Why is that so necessary? 15:26 In these last days, friends, 15:27 we are living in critical times. 15:29 We are not in a turf war, 15:31 we are not in a drug war or not even in a political war. 15:34 We are not in a competition for the new world order. 15:37 It is a battle for the human mind, 15:40 a struggle for the human heart. 15:43 We are in a combat against darkness 15:46 and we are soldiers of the light. 15:48 We preach to the spiritually dead 15:50 that are marching to Christless graves. 15:52 And we use God's Word to do it. 15:55 We are physicians to those that are affected 15:57 by the terminal illness of sin, 15:59 and we use the Word of God to diagnose their condition. 16:02 And the only reliable weapon in this war is the efficacious, 16:08 all powerful, undiluted Word of God. 16:12 I like surveys. 16:14 And in 2018, April 25th, 2018, 16:18 the New York Times did a survey 16:20 and they asked the question about Bibles. 16:23 And they said, "Do you believe in God's Word?" 16:25 It was under the article. 16:27 Most Americans believe in a higher power, 16:30 but not always in the God of the Bible. 16:33 Listen to the statistics. 16:35 Out of 4,729 people polled, 16:39 they were asked the question. 16:40 Do you believe in God or not? 16:43 Now 80% said yes, but let's break that down. 16:47 Fifty six percent believe in God 16:50 as described in the Bible, 16:53 but 24% believe in 16:54 some other higher power or spiritual force. 16:58 So the 80% doesn't mean they all believe in God. 17:01 Some said, I believe in God, 17:02 just like the Bible describes Him. 17:05 But 24% said, "I believe that 17:07 there is a higher power out there somewhere." 17:09 That's why sometimes you hear people say 17:12 the universe or mother nature. 17:15 Friends, the universe is not in control of anything. 17:17 God is in control. 17:18 Mother nature doesn't call the shots, 17:20 God call the shots. 17:21 By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made. 17:25 And if the Word of the Lord was used to make the heavens, 17:29 the Word of God can be used to make you. 17:32 Now let's look at the rest of the survey. 17:35 What about the other 20% of people? 17:38 Well, 19% of them said, 17:40 "No, they do not believe in God, 17:42 or they do not believe in God at all." 17:44 But let's break that... Let's break that down. 17:47 Nine percent said, 17:49 "They believe in a higher power, 17:51 but do believe in some higher power 17:53 or spiritual force." 17:56 Ten percent said, 17:58 "They do not believe in any higher power 18:00 or spiritual force." 18:02 Let me repeat that one more time. 18:05 Nine percent said, "I believe in God, 18:06 but I do not believe 18:08 in some higher power or spiritual force." 18:10 So the question I had to ask myself is then 18:11 what God do you believe in? 18:13 If you believe in some higher power 18:15 of some spiritual force, but not the God of the Bible, 18:18 what power can you possibly believe in? 18:21 So the 10% said, 18:22 "I don't believe in any higher power 18:24 or any spiritual force at all." 18:27 Now, why is that tragic? 18:29 Because the Apostle Paul raised the curtains 18:32 on the last days and he describes a pandemic 18:35 that has become a worldwide concern. 18:37 And this pandemic is something that has affected Christianity. 18:42 Listen to what he says. 18:43 2 Timothy 4:3-4. 18:46 These are powerful sobering words. 18:49 He says, "For the time will come..." 18:51 And I like to say, "The time has come 18:53 when they will not endure sound doctrine, 18:56 but according to their own desires or lusts, 18:59 because they have itching ears, 19:01 they will heap up for themselves teachers 19:05 and they will turn their ears away 19:08 from the truth and be turned aside to fables." 19:12 Has that happened? 19:14 It surely has happened. 19:16 You can't find a secret rapture in God's Word. 19:19 When Jesus comes, it's going to be audible, 19:22 visible and earth shattering fables. 19:25 You can't find a hell in the Bible 19:27 where people are going to be burning eternally forever 19:29 and ever and ever and ever without rest. 19:32 They're going to burn until everything 19:34 that can be consumed is consumed. 19:37 And the Bible says they will be ashes 19:39 under the soles of our feet in Malachi Chapter 4. 19:42 These are fables. Where did they come from? 19:45 Fables that are gifts from the dark ages. 19:48 When the Word of God was muted, 19:50 when the Word of God was taken from the common man, 19:53 that's the best way to introduce fables. 19:56 But today it's even more diabolical than that. 19:59 We have the Word of God today. 20:01 We can buy a Bible at any store, Walmart, 20:03 any local convenience store, 20:06 almost every place you go, you can find a Bible. 20:09 So what's the problem? 20:11 Men are willingly ignorant. 20:13 Entertainment has taken 20:14 the place of the study of God's Word. 20:16 And we live in the day and age 20:17 where people would rather make up their minds 20:19 about what they believe based on a movie 20:22 rather than studying God's Word. 20:24 I mean, years ago 20:25 when The Ten Commandment movie came out with 20:27 Cecil B. DeMilles. 20:29 And we looked at the Moses' character 20:31 there with Yul Brynner as the Pharaoh. 20:34 People thought that that was an actual depiction 20:36 of how it happened in God's Word, 20:38 but that's not. 20:40 But people would rather look at movies. 20:42 Then when Noah, a movie came out 20:44 not too many years ago about the flood. 20:46 They made it look like Noah was angry with God, 20:48 but that's not what the Bible teaches. 20:51 When you think about the movie, The Passion of the Christ, 20:54 Mel Gibson depicts it as though Christ 20:57 had been beaten to death. 20:59 But when you read the Bible, 21:00 Jesus died for your sin and mine. 21:02 He said, "I have power to lay down my life 21:05 and to take it again." 21:06 But once again, fables are being developed 21:08 because people are not reading God's Word. 21:11 They would prefer to look to movies 21:13 to understand what they believe. 21:15 And that's creating a misconception 21:17 about the Word of God. 21:19 And that's why I say, 21:20 if the Bible does not endorse it, 21:22 don't preach it. 21:23 If the Word of God is not its origin, 21:26 leave it where you found it. 21:27 Do not trade scriptural clarity for intellectual vagueness. 21:32 Allow the Word of God to be your guide. 21:35 Allow the Word of God to be your teacher. 21:37 Do not allow the Word of God 21:40 to have a question mark where God has put a period. 21:44 Some people say, "If you love Me, 21:46 keep My commandments? 21:49 Should we keep the commandments? 21:50 No, Jesus didn't put a question mark. 21:52 He says, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." 21:55 No question mark there. 21:56 Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy." 21:58 But people put a question mark, 21:59 should we keep the Sabbath holy? 22:01 God's Word didn't put a question mark there. 22:03 Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy. 22:05 But once again, 22:06 in this age of developing fables, 22:09 men have veered away from God's Word. 22:12 That's why I'm saying, 22:13 this is the hour to come back to God's Word. 22:16 And why is it so important? 22:18 Friends, think about it, 22:19 the first attack and the last attack on humanity 22:23 and on the Christian Church is going to be the same. 22:26 It was started by questioning what God said. 22:29 Serpent said to Eve, has God said, 22:32 and to the Christian Church today, 22:33 think about it. 22:35 Has God said that He changed the day? 22:37 Think about it. 22:39 Has God's Word said that men will never die. 22:42 They'll burn eternally never to go out. 22:46 Has God's Word says that sinners receive immortal life. 22:49 We have to trace our beliefs back to God's Word. 22:53 Satan rejected the truth 22:55 and the authority of God's Word in heaven. 22:57 Then he led Eve to doubt 22:59 the truth of God's Word in the beginning. 23:01 He's seeking to do the same thing again. 23:06 That's why when we think about God's Word, 23:09 we have to consider 23:10 what our position should be about God's Word. 23:13 Where should we stand 23:15 when it comes to relating to God's Word 23:17 and what kind of attitude 23:19 should we have toward God's Word? 23:21 I think about the story of David 23:23 and Saul, King Saul and David, 23:25 and they were facing the opposition 23:28 a great battle against Israel, 23:31 and then Saul seeking to be of help to young. 23:34 David said these words in 1 Samuel 17:38-39. 23:39 Saul gave David his armor, but look what the Bible says. 23:43 "So Saul clothed David with his armor, 23:47 and he put a bronze helmet on his head, 23:51 he also clothed him with a coat of mail." 23:54 That's a metal coat. 23:56 Verse 39, "David fastened his sword," 24:00 that is Saul's sword, 24:01 "to his armor," that is Saul's armor, 24:03 "and he tried to walk, for he had not tested them. 24:08 And David said to Saul, 'I cannot walk with these, 24:12 for I have not tested them.'" 24:16 And what did David do the Bible says, 24:17 "So David took them off." 24:21 What a powerful analogy 24:24 about the untested doctrines of our day. 24:27 You see Saul gave David his armor. 24:31 It was Saul's armor, not David's armor. 24:33 It was Saul's sword, not David's sword. 24:37 It was Saul's coat of mail, not David's coat of mail. 24:42 What's the lesson here? 24:44 Don't try to walk in your Christian life 24:47 with somebody else's armor. 24:49 Get used to using your sword. 24:51 Don't look for victory with somebody else's sword. 24:54 But even more than that, even more powerful 24:56 than the sword and the armor is if you have not tested 25:00 what you are wearing, if you have not tested 25:04 what you are believing by God's Word, 25:06 do what David did. 25:09 He took it off. 25:10 I would say these are the days 25:12 to take off the error and put on the light, 25:15 to take off the lies and embrace the truth, 25:18 to take off the fables and begin to embrace 25:21 the unerring truths of God's Word. 25:23 If it has not been tested 25:25 and proven by the Bible, take it off. 25:29 Here's what the Apostle Paul says 25:31 in 1 Thessalonians 5:21. 25:35 Look at what he said. 25:37 He said, "Test all things, hold fast what is good?" 25:43 Test all things, hold fast what is good? 25:48 When we preach the Word of God, 25:51 we've got to test what we believe 25:53 based on God's Word 25:55 and let God's Word have the final say. 25:57 Don't file down God's Word to believe what you believe. 26:02 But if you have to abandon your own ideologies, 26:05 your own philosophies, even the things 26:08 you may have learned by your church doctrines 26:10 or your minister or where you worship. 26:13 If you have to abandon those things, 26:15 you'll never go wrong 26:17 when you embrace the unerring Word of God. 26:20 I remember years ago, when I was preaching in 26:23 one of my churches in California. 26:25 I was giving a Revelation seminar. 26:28 And on the opening night, 26:30 a wonderful couple walked in, a Spanish couple. 26:33 I never forgot the couple's name 26:34 was Helen and Thomas. 26:36 We say Thomas, but she said, "This is my husband Thomas." 26:40 And she says, "I came to the Revelation seminar 26:42 because my husband does not want to go to church, 26:45 but he is interested in the Book of Revelation." 26:48 So, I invited him to come and there he is stood 26:51 just kind of uninterested, 26:53 kind of slouching, seeming not to even care. 26:56 And he came in and he registered. 26:58 He got his book. 27:00 He got his very first lesson about the Revelation seminars. 27:03 And he sat there from night to night, 27:05 seeming disinterested. 27:07 But when the Word of God 27:09 was being preached, a seed was being sawn. 27:11 Another seed was being sawn. Another seed was being sawn. 27:16 Speed, fast forward to six weeks later. 27:18 Yes, we used to have 27:20 evangelistic series six weeks long. 27:22 Times have changed tremendously. 27:24 At the end of six weeks and I made an appeal for people 27:27 to give their lives to Christ and to embrace the things 27:30 that were taught from God's Word, 27:32 Thomas stood up and it was to his wife's shock 27:37 that he stood up. 27:39 She came to me and she said, 27:40 "Pastor, pastor, my husband stood up. 27:42 I'm concerned." 27:44 And I said, "Helen, why are you concerned?" 27:46 She said, "Because he wants to join your church." 27:49 I said, "No, he's joining God's church." 27:51 He's made his decisions 27:53 based on what God's Word has said. 27:55 He's not joining Pastor John's church. 27:57 I just preach here. But this is God's church. 27:59 If it's in God's Word, Helen, 28:01 you have absolutely nothing to worry about. 28:04 Well, Thomas or Thomas took another step. 28:07 He said, "I want to get baptized." 28:08 That really concerned her because she said, 28:11 "I've been a Christian all my life. 28:13 And I don't believe that 28:14 God is going to judge me for just one thing." 28:17 I said, "What one thing are you talking about?" 28:20 And she said to me, 28:22 "Do we really have to remember the Sabbath to keep it holy?" 28:25 I said, "Well, Helen, it's one of the Ten Commandments." 28:27 She said, "But do we have to remember it?" 28:29 I said, "If I was answering you, 28:32 I would say, maybe you have an option, 28:33 but I can only answer what God's Word says." 28:36 He says, "Remember the Sabbath day 28:38 to keep it holy." 28:39 Well, it was a Friday evening, 28:41 I was getting my baptismal certificates all filled out. 28:44 And my wife came into my office 28:46 and I didn't take long with Helen on the phone. 28:49 I said, "Your husband 28:50 has decided to put his baptism off 28:52 for one more week 28:53 because he wants to wait for you." 28:55 And she said, "But I love the Lord." 28:56 And I said, "This is the reason why God is revealing to you 29:00 from His Word, 29:02 those things He wants you to remember." 29:04 And I prayed with her and I said, 29:06 "Let me pray with you. 29:08 Father, teach me to love You this much." 29:10 And we prayed and hung up the phone. 29:13 Well, when I hung up the phone, 29:14 I began to fill out her baptismal certificate. 29:17 And my wife asked me, she said, "Did she say yes?" 29:20 I said, "No, she didn't say yes, 29:21 but she's going to." 29:23 And she said, "Well, how do you know that?" 29:24 I said, "Here's what she said." 29:26 She said, "I love the Lord and I want to follow his Word." 29:29 And I said, "There's no way that 29:30 she can really love the Lord 29:32 and not make a decision about following his Word." 29:35 That was Friday evening, Sabbath morning came 29:37 and I cut my Sabbath school class short 29:39 to get all the baptismal candidates ready. 29:41 We had about 27 baptisms 29:43 that Sabbath morning and I had to meet with them. 29:46 I had all the baptismal certificates in my Bible, 29:49 tucked away in my Bible. 29:51 Well, when my class was done, 29:53 Thomas had his bag ready for the baptism. 29:55 And his wife came to me. 29:57 She said, "Pastor, pastor," I said, "What?" 29:59 She says, "I've got to tell you something." 30:01 I said, "What?" She said what? 30:02 Sorry. I said what. 30:04 She says, "I made my decision to give my life to the Lord. 30:07 I'm going to be baptized with my husband." 30:09 I said, "I know." 30:11 And I took out her baptismal certificate. 30:14 She smiled and I smiled. 30:15 Here's what the Lord showed me. 30:18 When you truly love the Lord, His Word will not offend you. 30:22 When you truly have given your life to Christ, 30:25 you will give your life to His Word. 30:27 It is impossible to be connected 30:29 or say you are connected to the living Word 30:32 without being connected to the written Word. 30:34 Well, I went back to California, 30:36 my wife and I did on a few occasions. 30:37 And guess what? 30:39 That couple is still in the church 30:41 some 25 years later. 30:43 They're still in the Lord serving God 30:46 in that very same church there in Northern California, 30:49 in the conference there, and my heart is thrilled. 30:52 Every time I see them, I never forgot that story. 30:56 Now, why is that story important? 30:58 Isaiah 55:11, listen to what 31:00 Isaiah the prophet says about the power of God's Word. 31:03 He says, "So shall My word be that 31:07 goes forth from My mouth, it shall not return to Me void, 31:13 but it shall accomplish what I please, 31:16 and it shall prosper in the thing 31:18 for which I sent it." 31:21 He is saying, friends, God's Word, 31:23 when we sow with God's Word, it will not return to Him void. 31:27 God's Word is like a check 31:29 that doesn't need your signature 31:31 because God has already signed it. 31:33 It's like a credit card with no limit. 31:35 It is like taking hold of a supply 31:37 that never runs dry. 31:40 It is like embracing the power that never is unplugged. 31:44 The Word of God is living and powerful. 31:47 That's what happens when your life is connected. 31:49 It transforms your life. 31:51 And that's why I say this, 31:52 and I say this humbly and very sober-minded. 31:55 Worship without Bible based truth is a deception. 32:00 Let me repeat myself. 32:02 Worship without Bible based doctrines is a deception 32:07 because you can never be saved by the song you sing. 32:11 You can never be saved 32:13 by the feeling you get when you worship. 32:16 The Lord says, 32:17 "We shall not live by bread alone, 32:19 but by every word that proceeds 32:22 from the mouth of God," Matthew 4:4. 32:25 Worship that is based on man's word 32:27 cannot replace God's Word. 32:30 Look at the words of John the Apostle 32:32 in John 4:23-24. 32:34 What does he say to the Christian today? 32:36 He says, "But the hour is coming, and now is, 32:41 when the true worshiper," notice what kind of worshiper, 32:45 "will worship the Father in spirit and truth, 32:49 for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 32:53 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him," 32:57 look at the next word, 32:59 "must worship in spirit and truth." 33:03 Notice He didn't say should worship 33:05 in spirit and truth. 33:06 He said, must worship in spirit and truth. 33:09 So what is our commission? 2 Timothy 4:2. 33:13 Here's our commission. This is why I preach the Word. 33:16 Paul the Apostle said to Timothy, 33:18 his young protege. 33:19 He said, "Preach the word! 33:21 Be ready in season and out of season. 33:24 Convince, rebuke, exhort, 33:26 with all longsuffering and teaching." 33:30 But something's happened in modern worship. 33:33 The emphasis is placed on experience and not on truth. 33:37 So let's talk about it. 33:38 Let's talk about the most powerful weapon 33:40 on earth, the Bible. 33:42 It can outlast any onslaught and transform any life, 33:45 the Bible. 33:46 It can humble the exalted and educate the simple. 33:49 That's what God's Word can do. 33:51 It is a light in the darkness and a pathway to the lost. 33:54 It can encourage the weak and comfort the weary. 33:58 If you are hungry, it will feed you. 34:01 If you are thirsty, it will soothe you. 34:03 I speak of nothing other than the Holy Bible, 34:06 the book of truth. 34:07 This book reveals the mind of God, 34:09 the state of man and the way of salvation. 34:12 It reveals the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers. 34:16 Its precepts are binding. 34:18 Its history is true 34:19 and its decisions are immutable. 34:22 Listen carefully, read it to be wise. 34:24 Believe it, to be saved 34:26 and practice the Bible to be holy. 34:28 It contains light to direct you, 34:30 food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. 34:34 God's Word is the Traveler's map 34:36 and the Christian charter, 34:38 it cannot lie, but it can detect one. 34:41 It has no pulse and yet it is the living Word. 34:44 In the Bible, paradise is restored. 34:47 Heaven is open and the gates of hell 34:49 are permanently closed. 34:51 Christ is its grand theme. 34:53 Our good its design 34:55 and the glory of God is its end. 34:58 Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully. 35:01 In it is a mind of wealth, 35:03 a paradise of glory and a river of pleasure. 35:06 It will reward your labor and condemn all 35:10 who trifle with its sacred contents. 35:13 Paul turned the world upside down with it. 35:16 Elijah called down fire through it 35:18 and God created the world by it. 35:21 It can't be stopped, prevented, denied, or destroyed. 35:24 That's how powerful God's Word is. 35:26 It will outlast any novel and outlive any show. 35:30 It is divine, dynamic, didactic 35:32 and delightful at the very same time. 35:35 It is a conundrum to the proud and a solution to the humble. 35:38 It can open and close your eyes at the same time. 35:41 It can confuse the scoffer but enlighten the seeker. 35:45 The book, the book of books, 35:46 the book of life, the book of God, 35:48 the Bible, the Revelation of God to man, 35:51 but it comes with a warning. 35:52 Listen carefully, 35:54 "This book will keep you from sin 35:56 or sin will keep you from this book." 35:59 Reading and confessing 36:00 the Bible will terrify the devil, 36:02 stupefied the rebellious, 36:04 mystify the world, pacify the critics, 36:07 ratify the covenant, edify the church, 36:09 magnify the word and glorify the Lord. 36:12 And, friends, let me take a breath 36:14 and say this. 36:15 It is still the number one best seller of all time. 36:19 Amen. Praise the Lord. 36:22 What a powerful book. 36:25 That's why the Prophet Amos 36:28 reaches out with a word of warning 36:30 to this modern generation. 36:33 And he says to this modern generation, 36:35 you are standing on thin ice. 36:39 When we push aside God's Word, 36:41 we are going out in a torrential downpour 36:44 without the proper covering. 36:46 These are not the days 36:48 where the battlement of hell is light. 36:51 The devil is pulling out every armament 36:54 he can to keep us from studying 36:57 the unerring powerful Word of God. 37:00 And the only way 37:01 to keep the flame burning is to do 37:05 what Amos the prophet says because, friends, 37:08 as sure as I'm preaching this message, 37:10 there is a famine coming on the world. 37:13 While the world is ignoring God where the day is going to come 37:16 when the Word of God will not be found. 37:19 Listen to what Amos the prophet says? 37:22 In Amos 8:11-12, 37:27 he said, "Behold, the days are coming, 37:29 says the Lord God, 37:30 'That I will send a famine on the land, 37:35 not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, 37:39 but of hearing the words of the Lord." 37:42 And verse 12, 37:43 "They shall wander from sea to sea 37:46 and from north to east, they shall run to and fro, 37:51 seeking the word of the Lord, 37:55 but shall not find it." 37:58 Think about it. 37:59 Have you ever lost your car keys? 38:01 Well, losing God's Word is a lot worse. 38:04 When you cannot find God's Word, 38:05 you will not find eternal life. 38:07 When you cannot find God's Word, 38:09 the light in your life will be permanently shut off. 38:12 When you cannot find God's Word, 38:14 there'll be no way to understand. 38:15 It's like ripping out a GPS from your car 38:18 and being in a community that you've never been in. 38:21 No one to call, no map to look at, 38:24 no directions from anyone. 38:26 That's how powerful God's Word is. 38:28 That is how much we need to embrace God's Word. 38:32 Don't let it drop because the famine is coming. 38:35 The famine. What is a famine? 38:37 I decided some people say, 38:38 well, it's just a scarcity of food, 38:40 but it's a lot deeper than that. 38:42 I looked up the definition and listen to what I found. 38:45 A famine is a widespread scarcity of food 38:49 caused by several factors, 38:51 including crop failure and population unbalanced. 38:56 Meaning when there's not enough food 38:58 for the population, a famine is going to ensue 39:02 and then malnutrition is going to come. 39:04 This phenomenon is usually accompanied 39:07 or followed by regional malnutrition 39:10 and increased casualties. 39:12 Think about that again. 39:13 When there's not enough food to feed the population, 39:16 the result is population unbalanced, 39:20 regional malnutrition, and increased casualties. 39:24 Increased casualties. Now think about it that way. 39:28 If there's not enough food, will there be casualties? 39:31 The answer is yes, 39:33 but let me make the statement today. 39:34 God's Word contains enough food 39:38 for every man, woman, boy, 39:41 and girl on this planet. 39:44 When you read God's Word, there will never be a point 39:47 where it has no more food remaining in it. 39:50 Every day God's Word becomes more and more nourishing. 39:53 It will empower your life, it will transform your life. 39:57 It'll let you put down the temporal things 40:00 and get excited about the eternal things. 40:03 That's what God Word does. 40:05 And the Apostle Paul makes it clear that 40:08 the only way to prevent famine is to feed on God's Word. 40:14 When I have breakfast in the morning, 40:15 my wife says to me, "Did you have your vitamins?" 40:18 I said, "My vitamins." 40:20 She said, "Yeah, did you get your vitamins yet? 40:22 I said, "No." 40:23 And my vitamins are right there on the table. 40:24 You know, she says, 40:26 "Now take your over 50 vitamins." 40:28 So I take my over 50 vitamin. 40:30 She said, " Don't forget to take vitamin D." 40:32 I take the vitamin. 40:34 She's now, "Take a vitamin B," 40:36 and she said, "Now go ahead and take it. 40:37 Don't just put on the table." 40:39 And I thought to myself, man, that's probably 40:42 what God is doing to us every day. 40:43 He says, "Are you reading My Word? 40:45 Are you taking your spiritual vitamins?" 40:48 What is He saying? 40:49 You see, unless we ingest God's Word, 40:52 it will never work. 40:54 Here's how the Apostle Paul verifies that. 40:56 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 40:59 we can't just look at God's Word, 41:01 we have to ingest that. 41:02 Here's what he says, 41:03 "For this reason we also thank God 41:07 without ceasing, 41:08 because when you receive the word of God, 41:10 which you heard from us, 41:12 you welcomed it not as the word of men, 41:15 but as it is in truth, the word of God, 41:18 which also effectively works in you who believe." 41:23 Yeah, I could see my wife right now. 41:25 She calls me sometimes during the day she said, 41:27 "How do you feel?" I said, "I'm a little tired." 41:29 She said, "Did you take your vitamins?" 41:31 And I could look right across the kitchen 41:33 and see my vitamins on the plate. 41:34 I get busy in the morning. 41:36 I get all task driven and task oriented. 41:39 She said, "Did you have breakfast yet?" 41:41 She says, "It's like 11:15." 41:43 I said, "No, I didn't have breakfast." 41:44 She said, "Are you going to eat breakfast now 41:46 or wait till I come home for lunch." 41:48 And I want to be very candid and confess sometimes 41:50 I wait too late and I'm tired. 41:53 Friends, that's what happens when we don't eat God's Word, 41:55 when we don't allow God's Word 41:56 to become a part of our morning diet. 41:59 That's why it's called daily bread. 42:01 When you wake up in the morning, 42:02 try to get that daily bread. 42:05 Try to expose yourself to the living Word of God. 42:07 It will nourish your life. 42:09 And the passage says it effectively works 42:12 in those who believe. 42:14 What is Paul saying? 42:16 Don't just read God's Word, believe God's Word. 42:19 Don't just recite it as you're going through 42:22 a particular exercise. 42:23 Allow what you've just read to begin to permeate 42:26 your thought patterns, highlight. 42:28 My wife and I have our highlight is highlighted. 42:31 Do whatever you can, 42:33 but don't allow God's Word to just go by. 42:35 Because if you think about it, when you open God's Word, 42:39 you are opening your mind to the eternal one. 42:42 You are opening your mind to the omnipotent one. 42:45 You are opening your thoughts to the omniscient one, 42:48 the all powerful, all knowing, all existent God. 42:52 And He's speaking to you, 42:53 but you'll only see the difference 42:56 if you allow the Word of God to come in, 42:58 it effectively works in those who believe. 43:03 But now think of it this way. 43:05 I've gone to homes where I've seen people, 43:06 they have this gigantic family Bible on the kitchen 43:09 or in the dining room table, actually the living room table, 43:13 open to the Book of Psalms right there, 43:15 and I go back again and it's still the same page. 43:17 And I go back again, it's still the same page. 43:18 And I think to myself, 43:20 are they reading that same page over and over and over again? 43:24 And I'll never forget what somebody once said to me. 43:26 They said, "An open Bible does not fear the devil." 43:30 A Bible that is put in our hearts 43:32 is the only thing that the devil is concerned about. 43:34 He's not concerned about Bibles on the living room table 43:38 or Bibles on pretty stands in the corner of our house. 43:41 He's only concerned about the Bible that's in our heart. 43:44 That's why David, the Psalmist says 43:45 "Thy word have I hid in my heart 43:48 that I might not sin against thee?" 43:50 Are you hiding God's Word in your heart? 43:53 Are you content for God's Word just to be on the shelf? 43:57 Are you one of those that have 15 Bibles, 43:59 but you don't know where five of them are. 44:02 Friends, this is the time to get back to God's Word, 44:04 that eternal Word. 44:05 It will ignite your life, 44:07 but it will only make a difference 44:09 if you are allowing yourself to ingest it, chew it up. 44:13 That's why the Bible tells us if you hunger and thirst. 44:17 Let me say those words again. 44:19 If you hunger and thirst 44:23 after righteousness in God's Word, 44:26 you will be filled. 44:27 You cannot be filled 44:28 if you're not hungry for eternal things. 44:30 You'll have those temporary things 44:32 and they'll lose their impact quickly. 44:35 They'll lose their hold on your life quickly. 44:38 When the new phone comes out, you'll toss away the old one, 44:42 but I wanna say something, the Bible never grows old. 44:45 And the life that is taking in God's living everlasting, 44:50 never dying word, never dies. 44:53 Years ago somebody said to me, "How many Bibles do you have?" 44:56 And I said, "Well, I think I've lost count 44:57 maybe about six." 44:59 And they said, "Can I see your Bibles?" 45:01 And I'll be honest with you. 45:03 The reason I have my Bible in the case 45:05 is if I don't have a case, my Bible will fall apart. 45:08 And I never forgot what an older person in 45:10 one of my churches in California said to me, 45:13 he said, "Pastor, a Bible that's falling apart 45:16 belongs to a person whose life is not. 45:20 I'll repeat that again. 45:21 Is your Bible falling apart from continuous use? 45:24 Is your Bible's pages frayed 45:26 because of continually turning them? 45:28 Are you so familiar with your Bible 45:31 that you can see your hand prints 45:33 or are the edges of your page is dirty 45:35 because you are always handling it. 45:38 That's what happens. 45:39 I know an older pastor 45:41 in one of the churches I pastored. 45:42 He's now resting in Jesus, but I remember visiting him 45:46 and I was so impacted by what I saw. 45:49 He opened his Bible and I can see highlights 45:51 of all descriptions, every location. 45:55 And I asked him, "How many times 45:56 have you read your Bible through?" 45:59 And I was shocked when he said, "I've lost count." 46:01 I said, five times, 10 times. 46:04 He said, "Young man, I've lost count." 46:07 But I was moved that day 46:08 when he called me to the foyer of the church 46:10 there in Fairfield, California. 46:13 And he reached up and he took, uh, 46:15 there was a torch made out of some kind of metal. 46:19 And as he was leaving the church 46:21 and putting that church in my hand, 46:23 he says, I'm passing you the torch. 46:25 I want you to keep the torch burning in this church. 46:28 And six and a half years later in that church, 46:30 it was jam packed every Sabbath morning, 46:33 people were growing and thriving in the Lord. 46:34 Why? 46:36 Because by God's grace, 46:37 we kept the Word of God burning in our church. 46:40 You see, friends, famine will only occur 46:42 if you're looking for what God is not giving. 46:45 Waiting for what God is not sending, 46:47 and praying for what God is not answering. 46:50 The world today is selling what God is not manufacturing 46:53 and supporting what God is not endorsing, 46:56 Christianity today has become a concoction of confusion. 46:59 We are living in the days of merging Christianity, 47:03 but the challenge is, common interests 47:06 are not a bad thing, 47:07 but never allow a common interest 47:10 to result in the abandonment of scriptural truth. 47:13 Today, people are deciding to go ahead and join together, 47:17 denominationally to feed the hungry. 47:19 That's okay. 47:21 Or to clothe the naked, that's okay. 47:23 Or to help people build up their community, 47:25 that's just fine. 47:26 But never allow common interest 47:29 to result in abandoning scriptural truth. 47:33 And there is a push today 47:34 for the merging of Christianity, 47:38 but we should never abandon 47:40 the truth of God for the basis of unity. 47:44 God's Word must be loved above ecumenical unity. 47:50 Common outreaches should not require 47:52 the abandonment of God's Word. 47:54 Providing shelter should not result 47:56 in the dilution of God's truth. 47:59 And working together 48:00 with other clergy should not lead us 48:02 to doctrinal desertion. 48:04 Here's what the Apostle Paul says 48:06 in 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11. 48:10 These are the words. 48:11 He talks about how much we must love the truth 48:14 to prevent ecumenical malnourishment. 48:17 Listen to what he says. 48:19 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11. 48:22 He says, "And with all unrighteous deception 48:26 among those who perish," why? 48:29 "Because they did not receive the love of the truth, 48:33 that they might be saved. 48:34 And for this reason God will send them 48:38 strong delusion 48:40 that they should believe the lie." 48:45 Why is that so powerful? 48:46 Why are those words so sobering? 48:49 Because Satan knows that 48:51 the Lord will not return until the gospel 48:54 is being preached in all the world. 48:55 He said, Matthew 24:14, 48:57 "When that gospel is proclaimed," 48:59 he says, "then the end will come." 49:02 Well, no wonder, no wonder the enemy tries to stop us 49:06 from reading God's Word. 49:08 An empty car can go nowhere and empty life has no mission, 49:12 but a life filled with the never dying, 49:15 ever powerful Word of God 49:17 has nothing but mission and has a lot of places to go. 49:21 The Lord filled His disciples with His Word. 49:24 And then He says, go and proclaim 49:26 this never dying truth to a dying world. 49:30 And, friends, they turned the world upside down 49:33 in 34 short years. 49:37 If we keep planting the Word of God, 49:39 there will be no crop failure. 49:41 If there's no crop failure, 49:43 there will be no congregational malnutrition. 49:46 And no congregational malnutrition, 49:49 there will be no increased casualties. 49:52 Friends, today, let's get back to our commission. 49:54 The three angels' messages is our commission. 49:57 The restoration of the Sabbath truth 49:59 is a part of that commission. 50:01 The accuracy of the second advent of Christ 50:04 as taught in scripture is a part of our commission. 50:07 And most importantly, 50:09 lifting up Jesus and His righteousness 50:12 by faith is our undying commission. 50:17 But it all comes back to that everlasting eternal flame. 50:22 Is God's Word igniting your life today? 50:24 Is God's Word making a difference 50:27 in your heart today? 50:29 I'm going to invite my good friend, Tim, 50:31 to come and play a song that is so significant. 50:35 He's going to play and sing that song, 50:37 I need thee every hour. 50:39 Now, why is that so significant? 50:40 You know, friends, when you are in God's Word, 50:42 something happens in your life. 50:44 Not only are you in 50:46 an intimate connection with Jesus, 50:48 but you find that your need of Christ 50:50 will continue to increase. 50:52 As he plays listen, when you find Christ, 50:57 you understand your need. 50:59 When you understand your need, 51:01 you have a never broken connection 51:03 with the living and written Word of God. 51:10 I need Thee every hour 51:16 Most gracious Lord 51:21 No tender voice like Thine 51:27 Can peace afford 51:34 I need Thee, O I need Thee 51:41 Every hour I need Thee 51:47 Oh, bless me now, my Savior 51:54 I come to Thee 52:03 I need Thee every hour 52:08 Teach me Thy perfect will 52:13 And Thy rich promises in me 52:20 Oh Lord, fulfill 52:25 I need Thee, O I need thee 52:32 Every hour 52:36 I need Thee 52:39 Oh, bless me now 52:43 My Savior 52:46 I come to 52:54 Thee 53:01 As Tim continues to play, 53:05 I want you to think about your need of Christ today. 53:08 He's waiting and hoping that 53:10 someone would say, I need a change in my life. 53:15 Number of years ago, a young man came to me 53:17 in my office at church, 53:19 and he looked disheveled, he looked confused, 53:21 he looked quite frustrated. 53:23 His face was red. 53:25 And I was wondering, is he upset? 53:26 Or what is the situation? 53:28 And he sat on my couch 53:30 and then tears began to flow from his eyes. 53:32 He said, "Pastor, this morning, 53:34 I went to wake up my daughter for school. 53:38 And I saw her laying on her bed reading her Bible." 53:42 And it was at that moment 53:44 that I walked away and I said to myself, 53:47 "I need what my daughter has." 53:52 He said, "That's why I'm here today." 53:53 He said, "My life is a mess. It's falling apart. 53:56 I can't hold down a really good job. 53:57 I'm struggling with this and that. 53:59 He talked about all the things in his life 54:01 that was pulling him down. 54:03 He said, "I need what my daughter has." 54:06 She wakes up in the morning and reads the Word. 54:08 And I didn't know how much she was connected 54:10 until I saw her this morning. 54:13 And I said, "You want to get into God's Word?" 54:14 He said, "Yes, I do." 54:16 Well, friends, you may want to do 54:17 the same in your life. 54:19 God is waiting for you this morning. 54:21 How much do you need Him? 54:23 And when you embrace Him, you will embrace His Word. 54:26 When you find Him, 54:28 you will find His ever nourishing, 54:31 never dying sharper than any two-edged sword, 54:36 halogen light, divine holiness God's Word. 54:41 But my wife and I travel. 54:44 I always think about 54:45 how much God's Word has opened those doors. 54:49 God's Word takes us from one place to the next, 54:51 from one country to the next, from one city to the next. 54:55 And I think would I be here 54:57 if I wasn't preaching God's Word 54:58 and I could conclude the answer is absolutely not. 55:01 You see, the world was created by God's Word. 55:04 Lives are transformed through God's Word. 55:07 And Jesus will not come again until we proclaim God's Word. 55:13 When I travel, I carry three things with me. 55:17 I don't want to call the Lord a thing. 55:19 I don't want to call my wife a thing, 55:21 but listen to what I mean. 55:23 "We've traveled together. 55:26 My Bible and I, through all kinds of weather 55:30 with smile or with sigh, 55:32 in sorrow or sunshine, in tempest or calm, 55:36 thy friendship unchanging my lamp and my psalm. 55:41 We've traveled together, my Bible and I, 55:44 when life has grown weary and death was even nigh, 55:47 but all through the darkness of mist and of wrong, 55:51 I've found there a solace, a prayer and a song. 55:55 So now who shall part us my Bible and I? 55:59 Shall "isms" or "schisms" or "new lights" who try? 56:04 Shall shadow for substance, or stone for good bread, 56:07 supplant thy sound wisdom, and give folly instead? 56:11 Oh, no, my dear Bible, exponent of light! 56:16 Thou sword of the spirit will put error to flight! 56:19 And still through life's journey, 56:21 until my last sigh, 56:25 we'll travel together, my Bible and I. 56:30 Friends, my commitment is to the eternal flame. 56:34 Is your commitment to the eternal flame? 56:37 God is calling you today to put down the temporal 56:41 and pick up the eternal. 56:43 To keep that flame burning eternally, 56:45 we have to be connected 56:47 to the ever igniting power of God's Holy Spirit, 56:51 so that any attempt to extinguish 56:53 it will result in an instant re-ignition. 56:57 My fellow brethren, let it be said of us. 57:01 Psalm 119:105, "Let it be said of us. 57:04 'Your word is a lamp unto my feet 57:08 and a light unto my path." 57:10 That is my prayer for you. 57:12 The eternal flame, we're going to see 57:14 the eternal flame one day face-to-face. 57:17 Let us become familiar with Him as His Word lightens our lives. 57:22 God bless you, my brothers and sisters. 57:24 May the Word of God strengthen you 57:26 until we see you again. |
Revised 2021-04-02