Participants:
Series Code: WHO
Program Code: WHO210061S
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00:28 Hello and welcome 3ABN Worship Hour.
00:30 This is a privilege to be able to come into your home, 00:34 to be able to study God's Word together. 00:35 I hope you're happy as I am today. 00:38 We're going to be looking at a subject 00:39 that I pray that will be a blessing to you 00:41 because of the world that we live in today, 00:44 it seems almost that there is no hope. 00:46 Where do you go, you know, if you don't have Jesus? 00:49 You know where's the world going? 00:51 Where is the world heading? 00:52 We pray today 00:54 because we're going to be looking 00:55 if it wasn't for the lighthouse, you know? 00:57 What is the lighthouse? 00:58 We pray that we'll discuss that today 01:00 and the importance of shining a light 01:02 in the darkness of this world. 01:04 And we pray there'll be a real blessing to you. 01:05 So be sure and stay tuned that 01:07 I believe God's going to, got something special for you. 01:10 Now, always before we study 01:12 the Word together, we pray, don't we? 01:14 I know you're getting in the habit of that. 01:16 My name is Kenny Shelton. 01:17 And again, I'm glad to be with you today. 01:19 I'm going to kneel up here and have prayer. 01:21 And I just, I'm praying that you will kneel and pray 01:24 where you can with me right now. 01:25 Let's pray, shall we? 01:29 Our gracious heavenly Father, 01:30 we thank You again for the privilege of prayer. 01:33 Thank You that we can call You our Father. 01:34 We come to You 01:36 because we have need of a Savior. 01:38 We come to Thee, because we need help. 01:40 We pray in a very special way that 01:42 the anointing of Thy Holy Spirit 01:43 will be upon these hours 01:45 that we spend together and study of Your Word. 01:48 Lord, how we need direction, 01:49 how we need the light to shine on the gospel, 01:52 the truth in this day and hour, 01:54 the history that we're living in, 01:55 how we need You. 01:56 We pray that 01:58 You would forgive us now of any sin, 01:59 anything in our heart and life that needs not be there. 02:02 Lord, we're praying for 02:03 each and every viewer, every listener. 02:04 Everyone who comes in contact with this message, 02:07 may it be a real blessing and draw them to Jesus Christ. 02:10 Thank You for hearing. Thank You for answering prayer. 02:13 Thank You that You promise to be with us 02:14 and send Your Holy Spirit in Jesus' name. 02:16 Amen. 02:19 Again, if it wasn't for the lighthouse, 02:21 now, I always encourage people to make sure 02:23 you have a pencil and paper and a Bible 02:26 and jot some of these things down. 02:27 Some of the graphics will be up there. 02:29 And every once in a while, 02:30 I go back a little bit later on, 02:32 just add a little something, 02:33 and I'll try to tell you in advance. 02:35 It's not on the screen, but just jot it down anyway, 02:36 because I believe that 02:37 we need to study to show ourselves 02:39 approved unto God. 02:40 So that means put things down, listen to it maybe now watch, 02:43 but then go back and study every word 02:46 because every word is important, right? 02:48 That comes out of the mouth of God. 02:50 Lighthouse. 02:51 You ever think about a lighthouse, 02:53 the importance of light houses, they're still important today. 02:55 And they certainly, 02:56 they have been over the centuries. 02:58 A lighthouse symphony dictionary says 03:00 it's a structure containing 03:02 a beacon of light that shines out, 03:05 you know, it goes out, so it helps ships. 03:08 So as they're coming around that they're not in danger. 03:10 They don't run into the rocks 03:12 or they're not running into shore. 03:14 And many thousands have been lost 03:17 because something happened to that light. 03:20 I want you to think today when we talk about 03:22 the lighthouse that you think, 03:24 if you will with me spiritual, the spiritual lighthouse 03:28 and how important that light is. 03:31 You know, some of the first lighthouses, 03:33 I mean, really, you know, somebody had to sit down, 03:36 just start thinking, how are we going to warn 03:38 these ships that are sailing by? 03:40 How are we going today 03:41 to warn those out in the world that you know, 03:44 this world is just we're passing through it. 03:46 There's a lot of dangers there. 03:48 If the light is not shining on it 03:50 what's maybe might happen to us. 03:52 But some of those early lighthouses, 03:53 they were, you know, they were put upon a hill, 03:56 they were controlled by fires, you know, on hilltops. 04:00 They warned the vessels of the coming danger. 04:02 But over time, the signals and the power began to change. 04:07 They began to burn coal and then they had oil lamps, 04:11 and still, you know, that was good, 04:13 but it wasn't good enough in real time of darkness, 04:16 in time of a storm, in time of danger 04:19 and many ships were still wrecking, 04:22 but that lamp power began to increase over time. 04:25 And by, you know, 1820s, 04:29 all of a sudden they already had lights 04:31 that could shine for many nautical miles out 04:33 that the ships could see 04:35 so that they didn't, you know, 04:36 run into the land or run into the rocks. 04:39 Think please again spiritually today 04:41 of all the rocks out there the enemy has, 04:44 all the storms of life 04:45 that's coming your way and my way. 04:47 And do we have a light that's shining? 04:49 See, we need it. 04:51 We understand, prop to me, this is a present truth 04:53 because of what's taking place in the world today. 04:56 We need the light more than ever, 05:00 I think is Daniel, wouldn't Daniel 12:4, 05:02 I believe that's on our screen, 05:04 but it says knowledge is going to increase. 05:06 So here in these last days 05:07 that we're living in, knowledge will increase 05:11 just as it did with the lighthouse, you know, 05:13 knowledge increased. 05:14 And all of a sudden, the light could 05:16 really go out to the world 05:17 and many millions of lives were spared. 05:21 Now how about you today? 05:23 Is that light shining in darkness? 05:25 Is it shining in your home? 05:26 Is it shining right in your ministry? 05:28 Is it shining in your own personal life? 05:30 Where, as it were, allow me to say it, 05:32 where millions may be saved 05:34 by the example that you set, the words that you speak. 05:38 I love the Bible. 05:39 The passage of scripture that say the Lord is my light 05:42 and my salvation and whom shall I fear. 05:46 So I'm in, I want you to encourage you today 05:48 that He is our light. 05:50 He is shining and we need to pay attention 05:52 to what's going on. 05:54 One of my favorite songs. 05:55 I don't know about you, I have a lot of them. 05:56 Every time I talk about my favorite song, 05:58 it seemed like it changes and I don't know 06:01 why it changes necessarily, but it does 06:03 because it's right at the present time 06:06 and going through. 06:08 But I like that song, 06:09 there's a lighthouse on the hillside. 06:11 It's one, again, it just, it has such a meaning to it. 06:14 And I just, I want to go 06:15 with just a few lines of that with you today, 06:17 because it tells of the struggles 06:19 that each one of us are going through. 06:21 Isn't it interesting look around and see, 06:23 they don't look like 06:24 they're going through any struggles. 06:25 All their life just looks like it's so good. 06:27 Everything's going good. 06:28 Everybody has their test and their trials 06:30 and their struggles. 06:32 You know, we need to be looking to Jesus, don't we? 06:33 For sure. 06:35 But it tells, this song tells about the struggles of life, 06:37 the dangers of things 06:39 that are happening in their lives. 06:41 Sometime we just don't see clear enough. 06:43 We just, we make wrong choices, wrong decision, 06:45 where we're tested 06:47 just like a drop of a hat they say, 06:48 and all of a sudden it's oh my, 06:50 we made a wrong choice and we shipwreck. 06:53 Yeah. 06:54 Our boat burst as it were into maybe flames 06:57 and it's destroyed, and many lives 06:59 are destroyed with that. 07:01 Maybe it's because we weren't seeking that light. 07:04 I ask you today, are you seeking that light? 07:06 If you're not seeking the light 07:08 and you don't have the light shining, you're going to crash. 07:10 There's no doubt about that. 07:11 Now all the confusion in the world, 07:13 I look around, I say, man, there's confusion. 07:15 There's voices here and voices over there. 07:17 Some saying, there's some saying something different. 07:20 There's all kinds of fear. 07:21 There's all kinds of questions 07:24 that people are asking right now. 07:27 And they're asking a lot about is, 07:28 what does the future hold? 07:30 And maybe who holds the future? 07:33 One person said the other day I wonder where we're headed. 07:37 Where are you headed? Where am I headed today? 07:39 What's happening? What's going on? 07:41 And I've heard other people say, you know, 07:42 I really like to do the right thing. 07:46 I'd really like to do the right thing, 07:48 but I'd really like to, 07:50 you know, do what God wants me to do 07:52 But I've often said many times you remember God's sheep, 07:55 what they do? 07:56 They hear his voice and they follow. 07:58 And then the enemy has what? 07:59 That he has goats, 08:01 because goats always say but, okay, now we got that. 08:03 We don't want to be a goat. We want to be sheep, do we not? 08:06 Absolutely. 08:07 And so, and I've heard people say every time, 08:09 you know, I've got people 08:10 that's pulling me in so many different directions. 08:14 Have you ever had that to happen in your life? 08:17 Well, I don't know about you, but, but I have, 08:20 they're just pulling and pulling and pulling 08:22 in different directions. 08:23 You don't know the husband to say one thing, 08:24 maybe the wife's saying another, 08:26 you know, the mother-in-law, whatever. 08:28 Somebody is just pulling you 08:29 in so many different directions. 08:30 You're afraid to make the right choice and decision. 08:33 I believe this with all my heart, 08:34 we need to make a choice. 08:35 We need to make a decision quickly 08:37 because I believe that Jesus is coming. 08:39 We need to make it work our relationship with Him. 08:43 Maybe it's worth reading a few lines of this song. 08:46 And if you don't mind, I'm going to do that because, 08:49 notice how it says 08:51 there's a lighthouse on the hillside. 08:53 Now, remember spiritually thinking all of this, 08:56 that overlooks life of sea. 08:59 When I'm tossed, 09:00 it sends out a light that shines in darkness notice 09:03 that I might see. 09:05 And the light that shines in darkness 09:07 now will safely lead me home. 09:11 If it wasn't for the lighthouse, 09:12 my ship would sail no more. 09:15 Just with those thoughts in mind 09:17 and what maybe you're going through today. 09:19 Please just ask the Holy Spirit to come in and help. 09:22 That light that shines where? It shines in darkness. 09:25 This world is dark. 09:27 We need a light now that shines so we can be led safely home. 09:31 And if it wasn't for that lighthouse, 09:33 oh, my, that ship would sail no more. 09:35 Second verse says something like this. 09:37 Everybody who lives around us as tear that lighthouse down. 09:42 Are you hearing today? 09:44 We don't need to follow the Word of God, 09:45 because I believe the lighthouse 09:46 certainly is the Word of God. 09:48 There's no doubt about it, right? 09:49 Jesus is the light we'll see that as we go, 09:50 but they say, tear that old lighthouse down, 09:52 we don't need to pay it. 09:53 Because those big ships, 09:55 they don't sail this way anymore. 09:57 Ain't no use in standing around. 10:00 I like this. 10:01 It says, and then my mind goes back 10:04 to that stormy night, 10:05 when, just in time, what? 10:07 Just in time I saw the light, has that happened to you 10:10 just before, maybe you made a big mistake 10:12 and the Holy Spirit began to work 10:14 and you realize it was a wrong decision 10:16 you were getting ready to make. 10:17 And the Holy Spirit brought you back to center said, 10:20 oh, I saw that light, that old light from that 10:22 old lighthouse that stands up on the hill. 10:26 Now, if you just allow me, notice, I like the chorus of it 10:29 because having that lighthouse shining that light 10:33 in the path that we need so desperately today. 10:36 What will we do? We need to thank God for that. 10:38 Notice and I thank God for that lighthouse. 10:41 Why? Because I owe my life to Him. 10:45 For Jesus is that lighthouse. And from the what? 10:49 The rocks of sin, 10:51 he has shown the light around me 10:54 that I might clearly see. 10:56 Notice the word, if it wasn't for the lighthouse, 11:01 tell me where would this ship be. 11:04 My, my, that certainly helps us to think, 11:07 where would this ship be? 11:08 Where would your life be today? 11:10 Where would I be today 11:11 if it wasn't for that old lighthouse? 11:12 It wasn't for Jesus 11:14 shining the light on the rocks of sin 11:15 so that we might make intelligent choices. 11:17 We know, and at least we should know. 11:19 And again, there's always people 11:21 who are tuning in, 11:22 they're watching maybe for the very first time. 11:24 And they say this is all new to them. 11:26 And sometime 11:27 because we've heard it may be over and over, 11:29 sometimes we say, oh, well, you know, let's go, 11:31 there's somebody tuning in 11:32 we realize maybe by the hundreds 11:34 and thousands says, you know what? 11:35 I don't know who this lighthouse is. 11:37 I don't know about this light that's shining in darkness, 11:41 but you know, very simply 11:43 we go to the Word of God, and Jesus is that lighthouse. 11:47 John 8:12. 11:49 Notice what the Bible says in John 8:12, 11:52 very simple words from Jesus.` 11:54 The Bible says, "Then spoke Jesus again 11:57 unto them saying, 11:59 'I am the light of the," what? 12:01 "I am the light of the world: 12:02 he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, 12:06 but shall have the Light of life." 12:09 You talk about powerful, powerful, powerful words. 12:13 Now just think about with me again. 12:15 What does it say? Jesus says I am the what? 12:18 I am the light of the world. Who's the light? 12:22 Jesus is, if you follow Me, 12:24 you're not going to walk in what? 12:26 Good. 12:27 You're not going to walk in darkness if you follow Him. 12:30 There's no excuse for where, well we made this mistake. 12:32 We did. 12:34 He said, I'm going to shine that light 12:35 on your path if you follow Him. 12:36 And then the next passage of scripture, 12:38 I mean, really shines more light 12:40 upon this is John 1:4-5. 12:43 John 1:4-5, and it reads like this. 12:49 "In Him was Life," 12:51 notice what it says, "in him was," what? 12:53 "Was life, and the life was the light of men." 12:55 Verse 5, "And the light shineth," 12:57 here again, "in darkness 12:59 and the darkness comprehended it not." 13:03 Now, what does that mean? 13:04 What could that possibly mean to us? 13:07 Could it be that Jesus 13:08 as we say is the light of the world. 13:09 No doubt about it. 13:11 He came into this world and what? 13:12 The world received Him not. They comprehended it not. 13:15 Same as with what's going on in the world today. 13:17 We see craziness that's going on. 13:20 I'm going to say craziness again. 13:22 Some of us are not getting it 13:23 that's going on in the world today 13:25 because they're rejecting Jesus Christ. 13:27 They're rejecting His Word 13:29 and they're wanting to go their own way. 13:31 Jesus said, I want to be that lighthouse. 13:32 I want to shine light on the things 13:34 that are going on. 13:36 Shouldn't we pay attention to that? 13:37 I believe so. So I will say this. 13:40 If we ever needed light, 13:43 think with me, if we ever needed what? 13:46 Light. 13:48 I'm talking about certainly spiritual light today, 13:50 it's now. 13:51 Prophecy convinces me, 13:54 I'm sure it does you also that just before Jesus come, 13:57 there's going to be some great issues 13:59 that will be taking place. 14:01 There's going to be some challenges 14:03 that's going to be take place in your life personally 14:06 and in the church. 14:08 Big challenges, circumstances are going to come about. 14:13 Every person is going to be 14:15 tested of his loyalty to God. 14:19 Do you really, are you really loyal to God? 14:21 Am I really loyal to God 14:22 or am I just one of those talkers? 14:25 He talks about, 14:27 we're blown about by every wind of doctrine. 14:28 I said so often that is too much wind 14:31 as it were in the church, 14:33 too much wind in the Christian life, 14:35 rather than sound doctrines. 14:36 You see the Word of God that we need to guide our steps. 14:42 The Word does tell us we went over. 14:45 He is the light. 14:47 If we follow Him, we will not walk where? 14:50 I said, we'll not walk in darkness. 14:53 Too many people are walking around stumbling, 14:55 falling all over themselves they say, 14:56 all over the things of the world 14:58 and say, well, I just didn't see it. 15:00 Didn't see the rocks. 15:01 You didn't see the sand, you know. 15:02 Maybe we're not asking God to shine that light upon it. 15:06 Let me ask you just a simple question, 15:08 I ask myself this a lot. 15:11 Is what does Jesus want for me? 15:15 I always say, well, 15:16 He doesn't need anything from me. 15:17 True. 15:19 But really you ask the question, 15:20 what Lord, what do You want in my life? 15:22 Where would You have me to be? 15:23 What would You have me to be doing? 15:26 I would say, why monkey around 15:28 and be in the wrong place and not be doing 15:30 what God would have you to do 15:31 and to be right now to be a blessing. 15:34 Now, again, everybody doesn't have to be preachers, 15:35 they don't have to be evangelists. 15:37 They don't have to be, 15:38 but just go about doing what God would have you to do. 15:41 So many areas of life that He will say to you, 15:44 well done thou good and faithful servant, 15:46 if you follow His plan, But you know, 15:49 sometime we still ask ourselves, 15:51 what does He want? 15:52 Most of all, I don't know about you. 15:54 I'm simple minded. I say that a lot. 15:55 And most of you, if you watch me, you know that, 15:58 but sometimes I'd like to say, and I have over the years, 16:01 I've said to Him, Lord, what would You have me to do? 16:03 Just say yes or no. 16:05 Have you ever done that? No. 16:08 I think I have. I know I have. 16:10 Just say yes or no. I've got this in my heart. 16:13 I know you understand, 16:15 you're in the mind and so on and so, yes or no. 16:17 No, it doesn't happen. Sometime it didn't happen. 16:20 And then sometime I like to say, Lord, 16:22 just make a list and put, do and don'ts, 16:25 just get down to the little nitty-gritty. 16:28 You want me to do this? 16:30 You don't want me to do that? 16:31 And I say, well, he said, well, you know, Kenny, 16:33 I've done that in the Ten Commandments. 16:35 Oh, that covers pretty much everything. 16:37 Well that's pretty good too. 16:38 Lord, I guess I might've missed that. 16:41 But wait, can God, is He really guiding? 16:44 Does He care enough for me 16:45 that He can guide me personally in details? 16:50 Sometime I can be a detailed person, 16:51 other times I just, I don't know, 16:53 have to get over that and get on with the program. 16:56 The details of life, 16:57 God cares about the details of your life. 17:01 And I'm challenged. 17:02 I don't know about you, but I'm challenged many times 17:04 when I begin to think of how big that God is. 17:08 Sometime I know in the nighttime, 17:10 you go out in the clear night 17:11 and you just look up into the starry heavens, 17:13 I just get overwhelmed with it. 17:16 And it comes back, you know, how big is God? 17:18 How big and wide His vast domain. 17:22 And yet all of this out here that 17:23 He cares for someone like me, who knows me so well. 17:29 Oh, what kind of a God that we serve? 17:31 So I'm challenging. 17:32 I look up at the vastness of space 17:34 and I'm thinking, oh, wow, my faith is challenged. 17:39 When I consider this now just consider this. 17:41 I'll make a couple of points here. 17:43 But consider this point that 17:46 the nearest star to earth 17:49 is 25 billion miles away. 17:53 Now somebody, the nearest start to what? 17:56 To earth is 25 billion miles away. 18:00 That's a long way. 18:03 Know how big is God? 18:04 How big is the universe? 18:05 Old questions that are asked over and over. 18:10 And I look and I think about it. 18:12 God said, He's going to bless you. 18:13 Remember Abraham as the stars 18:15 in the sand of the sea there in Genesis 22, 18:18 which is not on the screen, but just read that. 18:21 Keep in mind this again, 18:23 we're going to talk about little, 18:25 the vastness of God, 18:26 how big God is and how He rules 18:29 and how He is the lighthouse and how He's shining the light. 18:33 And He's going to shine it on your pathway 18:35 and that He does care for you. 18:37 I love this because we talk about the stars. 18:38 Remember that if you think about stars are basically, 18:40 they have, they're a super large 18:42 and then kind of the medium and then smaller stars. 18:44 But these are awesome. 18:47 Billions and trillions 18:48 and we'll go into it a little bit more 18:50 and see the vastness as you can't really count them. 18:52 But I like this. 18:53 This is not on the screen either, 18:54 but please jot it down. 18:56 I wished I'd had time to put it on, 18:57 but Psalms 147:4. 19:02 Not on the screen, but notice this. 19:04 I say, how wonderful... 19:06 How wonderful God is? 19:09 What do you mean? 19:11 Psalms 147:4 says 19:12 he telleth the number of the stars. 19:16 He telleth what? 19:17 The number of the stars, 19:18 the number of which most of us 19:20 cannot even read, let alone know about it. 19:24 He calleth them all by their name. 19:28 God created them. 19:30 He put them up there and told them to stay in space 19:31 and they'll stay there as long as God says to stay. 19:35 Even they obey Him, not like us sometime. 19:40 So astronomers estimate that there are at least, 19:44 pay attention to this, so my head, 19:46 but at least go to Google, 19:48 some of these other places and look. 19:49 There are at least and they're trying to guess 19:53 how many stars there are in the universe, somebody. 19:58 When there's no end, God is still creating, 20:02 but they say, well, 10 to the 26 power. 20:06 What does that mean, 10 to the 26 power? 20:08 I don't know. 20:09 I have trouble with two and two, 20:11 but notice that means you have a number 20:14 and then you have 26 zeros. 20:16 Well, we don't, 20:18 we're not used to using those kinds of figures. 20:20 That is about, that's about 20:21 a hundred million billion, billion stars, they say, 20:27 oh, they're not even close, but they're making it, 20:30 we say guesstimate and not solve it all. 20:34 And so the stars you take about 20:36 one of those stars that God's put up there. 20:37 How big is God? 20:39 How big is His stars? 20:40 Oh, you think about it here. 20:42 The diameter now of the largest star, right? 20:47 Think about it here is 155,000 times 20:52 the circumference of it, 20:53 155,000 times bigger than this earth 20:57 or the circumference of the earth. 20:59 Did you get it? 21:00 The circumference of the earth, 21:03 large, large star, 155,000 times. 21:09 That's just a star. 21:11 Awesome. How big is God? 21:14 Wow. 21:15 So we know they can't number the stars, 21:17 but it's good to think about, 21:18 because I'm thinking today about that lighthouse. 21:20 I'm thinking about the vastness of God. 21:23 I'm thinking about 21:24 how these things can be so much. 21:26 We talk about light years. 21:27 We talk about all this stuff that mind boggles us, 21:29 and yet God cares about you and He cares about me. 21:34 Why would He care about me 21:36 when He has all this other stuff 21:38 to take care off? 21:42 How could He do that? 21:45 Notice, if a person could count, 21:47 let's just get more food for thought, 21:48 it mind boggles me, 21:49 but maybe you're doing well with it. 21:52 If a person could count, 21:53 we talk about 10 numbers per second, 21:57 it would take at least, notice this, 21:59 it would take at least 22:01 a thousand million billion years 22:05 just to count to 22:06 the 10th to the 26 power. 22:12 Did you see how many years that would take? 22:17 Millions and billions of years just to count. 22:21 How can we possibly put that in our minds? 22:26 It's a vastness. 22:27 It's so far beyond how big God is. 22:30 You think He can't take care of you? 22:31 You think He can't take care of me? 22:33 You think He's not concerned? 22:35 He said, I know all the stars is up there. 22:37 And again, the astronomers of today, 22:39 listen, the astronomers of today, 22:41 they say, they say they can view, 22:46 few of their instruments about 46 billion, 22:50 oh, wow, billion light years 22:53 away from this earth. 22:54 I can't comprehend 46 billion light years. 22:59 What does that mean? You say, what am I getting? 23:01 You know, and I know that light travels about 23:03 186,000 miles, right? 23:07 A second. Oh, my. 23:10 Think about it. 23:11 So if I just would take, 23:14 let's say one year of this 46 billion 23:19 that we able to observe out there just, 23:22 again, one year of it, 23:24 that would be about 6 trillion miles a year 23:30 that light travels. 23:31 See, that's way too much for some to say, 23:33 Boeing going out, going out, going out. 23:38 And somehow this earth seems to be somewhat, 23:40 maybe the center of something 23:44 that the universe is centered around. 23:47 I think that's very at least interesting to me. 23:51 And I think of the billions and trillions 23:53 and whatever stars and I love 1 Corinthians 15:41. 23:57 Again, it's not on the screen, 23:58 but 1 Corinthians 15:41, jot it down. 24:00 It says one star different from another stars in glory. 24:05 Remember not any two stars are exactly alike 24:10 just like no two snowflakes are like. 24:12 How can that be? 24:16 Except God said it in His Word and I believe it, 24:18 just like there's no two people that's exactly alike. 24:21 You may say identical twins, 24:22 da-da, goes on, but still not alike. 24:25 That's how big God is yet 24:27 He's big enough to live in your heart, 24:29 small enough to live in your heart, 24:31 big enough to rule the universe 24:33 because my Bible tells me 24:34 the heavens declare the glory of God. 24:37 If we ever need to be 24:38 looking out my brother and sisters, 24:39 I believe don't you believe it's now 24:42 in this mess that we're living in. 24:44 Don't you realize this earth is crumbling 24:46 before our very eyes 24:47 and most us are going up blindly. 24:51 Sheep led to a slaughter because somebody said, 24:55 it's going to be good. 24:57 Somebody said, don't worry about it. 24:59 And I'm not trying to point this 25:00 to any person that, well, it's not in the pipeline. 25:02 We don't have to worry about it. 25:06 Prophecy is been there for a long time 25:08 pointing to what's going to take place 25:10 rather than say it right now. 25:11 It can happen just like that. 25:13 And so we need to be ready for this. 25:16 I mean, you think about the sun 25:18 is moving around a center of the Milky Way Galaxy. 25:21 What? 25:23 The sun is moving around the galaxy. 25:24 You notice the Milky Way Galaxy. 25:26 It's a gigantic orbit 25:28 that's so big that it would require 25:32 2 million centuries to complete going 25:37 and that's at a speed of 600,000 miles an hour. 25:42 Traveling 600,000 miles an hour. 25:45 It would take what? 25:46 Oh, my, 2 million centuries to make the complete circle. 25:50 How big is God you see? 25:53 How wonderful that He is. 25:55 And it's all under His watchful eye. 25:57 As He says, I, I see you as I watch see the sparrows. 26:01 And I know that you, you know, 26:04 and I let you know this, I care for you. 26:06 I love you with an everlasting love. 26:09 I want this to be an encouragement 26:11 because everything that I read and things I see going on 26:13 in the world today, it's not an encouragement. 26:17 It's not an encouragement at all. 26:19 And so we need to be looking in the Word of God. 26:23 And I think of God's personal care for me. 26:27 Can I say it like this, in our humanist it's like, 26:32 it's almost too good to be true. 26:34 It's not, but it's almost like 26:36 it's too good to be really true. 26:37 It's almost unbelievable. 26:40 See, I know who holds the universe. 26:44 I know who holds the future because the Word of God makes 26:47 it clear in Acts 17:28. 26:52 Notice with me in scripture, Acts 17:28 when it says this, 26:57 "For, in him," we do what? I love it. 26:59 "For in Him we live, and we move, 27:01 and we have our," what? 27:03 "And our being," oh, my, 27:07 "as certain also of your poets have said, 27:09 'For we are also His offspring.'" 27:12 Think about that. 27:14 It's in Him that we live and move and have our being. 27:16 Those of you who will not accept Him, 27:17 those who've given 27:19 God no credit, you don't want to, 27:20 you just go say, I'm living my own life. 27:21 I'm doing my own thing. I make my own way out there. 27:23 It's in Him you live and you move 27:25 and you have your being, you can't do it without God. 27:27 There is no life outside of God even though you deny it. 27:32 Wouldn't be time today to turn around and say, 27:33 God, I want to give you praise in our uncertain world. 27:39 And I say that, and you can underline it, 27:41 underscore it all you want, 27:45 which I've often said in my life, 27:46 a lot of things I blew up in my face. 27:49 Do you ever say that? Yeah. 27:51 A lot of things in my life had blown up in my face. 27:53 And so I'm saying the world is what? 27:55 Is blowing up in our face right in front of us right now. 27:58 And then the question keeps coming back. 28:00 Who's in charge? 28:01 Who really is in charge, 28:03 you know, and you're like you know the answer. 28:04 There's millions that don't know the answer. 28:07 Somebody needs to hear the good news. 28:08 Somebody needs to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, 28:11 but they come back and they say, 28:12 who's in charge of this nation? 28:14 Is it God or is it man? Is man in charge? 28:16 Who's really in charge now? 28:18 And then we ask our self the question, 28:19 why are some in the positions out ruling 28:23 and they're in power 28:25 and it doesn't seem that they should be. 28:28 And how should we accept that. 28:31 That's all over the world. 28:33 Well, God shines light on this. 28:34 And I think it will be good 28:35 because the lighthouse is shining a light. 28:37 God's still in the business. 28:39 And we need to keep our eyes and ears open 28:41 so that God can shine some light upon us. 28:43 In His Word now, again, 28:45 this is something that maybe is older to some of you, 28:47 but it's going to be new for many. 28:49 It's going to be new. Remember that. 28:52 And therefore we should be 28:53 working for those who maybe didn't understand, 28:55 because they're still saying, I still heard, 28:56 said right now many times, 28:58 well, we're not sure how this, you know, 29:00 this is rigged and this is blah, blah, 29:01 what's going on? 29:03 Listen, God sets them up and God takes them down. 29:06 We challenged with that faith in believing our scripture. 29:09 And we're going to read a passage of scripture. 29:11 Now I want to do in Daniel 4:17. 29:14 Daniel 4:17. 29:16 I want you to read this with me 29:17 because this may help you 29:19 when you're fighting it and say, 29:20 I don't understand why things are working 29:22 the way they are today. 29:23 It seems to be its maybe to you, 29:25 maybe it's backwards. 29:27 Daniel 4:17. 29:28 Notice it starts out this way. It says. 29:30 "This matter is by the decree of the watchers." 29:33 I got to stop here for just a moment. 29:35 So some will say, I don't know who, 29:37 who's the watcher? 29:40 We're going to go and read it. 29:41 But notice what it says, who is the watcher? 29:43 The watcher is what? The watcher is the angels. 29:47 Think about the angels. 29:49 These are the angels. 29:50 These are the watchers. 29:52 These are the heavenly messenger. 29:53 These are the holy ones the Bible said 29:56 who watches the affairs of man's life. 30:00 So notice how now let's read on, shall we? 30:02 It said, "And the demand by the word of the holy ones: 30:06 to the intent that the living may know," what? 30:09 To the living. 30:10 "The living may know that the most High ruleth 30:13 in the kingdom of men 30:14 and giveth to whomsoever He will." 30:17 And notice this, 30:19 "And setteth up over it the basest of men." 30:21 What do you see there in that passage of scripture? 30:24 God said I want the living to know that's you. 30:26 If you're alive, right? 30:28 You got ears, you're hearing, you're seeing that God 30:30 sets them up and God takes them down. 30:32 He giveth to who He will, 30:34 even if you don't agree with it, 30:35 maybe I don't agree with it. 30:37 There it is. 30:38 So therefore, if God says it, 30:39 then I need to accept that and say, God, not my will, 30:41 but Thine be done. 30:43 So it makes it very clear to us that the living may know. 30:46 And then Daniel 4:32 30:49 kind of reiterates again the same passage. 30:51 I'm going to read it 30:52 because I think maybe it will help us. 30:54 It says it again in the Word of God, 30:56 "And they shall drive thee from men, 30:59 and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: 31:02 they shall make thee to eat grass as," 31:04 notice this, "of an ox, 31:06 seven times shall pass over thee, 31:09 until thou knowest that the most High ruleth 31:11 in the kingdom of men 31:13 and giveth that to whomsoever He will." 31:17 Now, to me, that becomes very clear passage 31:20 of scripture again here. 31:22 Who is it talking about? 31:23 Well, we know it's talking about battle 31:25 and we know he's talking about King Nebuchadnezzar. 31:29 And here we see that Daniel, God wants the living to know 31:34 that God rules in the universe. 31:36 So I'm saying today this should be 31:37 an encouragement to us, 31:40 encouragement that God still sits on the throne. 31:42 He's still there. 31:44 He's dealing with Babylon, the greatest kingdom, 31:47 you know, at that time of the world, 31:48 maybe ever. 31:50 And He's dealing with the powerful king here 31:53 and notice He's dealing, 31:54 notice that not just with those, 31:56 but He's dealing with nations today 31:58 and kingdoms of who accepts 32:01 His plan and who rejects His plan. 32:04 Remember a kingdom is in power 32:06 and it stays in power as long as they honor God. 32:09 And as soon as we turn our back on God 32:10 and throw Him out, God gives mercy 32:14 and grace in time, 32:15 but eventually God is going to let them go their own way. 32:18 And I think we've come to that point here. 32:20 May I be so bold to say in America, 32:22 we've come to that point to where God's going 32:24 to let us have our own way. 32:27 And that's not going to be very good at all. 32:29 And the nation is going to fall. 32:32 It has all through the Bible. Why not this one? 32:37 Because God wants us to know the Most High ruleth. 32:40 It's not those who are in power. 32:42 And those who are in power 32:43 sometimes they take all the credit, 32:45 all the praise for what? 32:46 For what's going on in the world 32:48 like they've done something, 32:50 not realizing that God as it were, 32:52 looking at me carefully, 32:53 sets them in that position and He can reach there 32:56 and just take them out just as quick. 32:58 Too many have said in the past, 32:59 I, I, I, and all of a sudden it was no longer them 33:03 as King Nebuchadnezzar I remember had to eat grass 33:06 for seven years out in the field. 33:09 You don't want that to happen, 33:13 but we need to make sure we stay focused on God's Word. 33:15 The Most High ruleth, He's working out a plan, 33:18 His plan for he people and this nation. 33:22 May I give you just a few examples 33:24 as we go along here for today. 33:26 You think about Abraham. 33:28 You know, I've thought about Abraham. 33:30 You know, we hear about him a lot 33:31 and called of God, there's no doubt about it. 33:34 But notice, the call of Abraham, 33:35 we can see a series of events that took place 33:39 that demonstrated how much, you know, 33:42 how God is working in the affairs of men. 33:44 We've seen all kinds of miracles that took place. 33:45 A lot of things that 33:47 we didn't understand that took place. 33:48 But notice the Bible's very clear 33:50 in Romans 11:33. 33:52 Romans 11:33. 33:54 It just comes out bold and clear. 33:57 It reads this way. 33:58 Notice, Romans 11:33, 34:00 "O the depth of riches both of the wisdom 34:04 and the knowledge of God! 34:05 How unsearchable are His judgments 34:08 and His ways past finding out!" 34:12 So you may be trying to find out 34:13 the ways of God, that's too high for you. 34:16 The wisdom and knowledge of God, 34:17 way too much for us today. 34:19 Let's just trust Him. 34:20 What do you say? Let's just trust Him. 34:22 It doesn't seem like it's going your way right now. 34:24 It seems like it's falling apart. 34:26 You may have lost your job. 34:27 You may not have, you don't know about a house. 34:28 You don't know where you're going to live next, 34:30 May your marriage is falling apart, 34:31 you know, your church and whatever, 34:33 there's nothing there. 34:36 And you're now you're reaching out and say, God what? 34:40 Remember, He has a plan for you. 34:41 He has a plan for me. 34:43 His ways are past finding out. 34:45 Millions of ways to work it out 34:47 that you and I look around and say, 34:48 well, I thought of everything. 34:49 Oh, you haven't scratched the surface 34:51 when it comes to God. 34:53 In fact, he even tells us that 34:54 his thoughts are so much higher than I, 34:57 our thoughts there in Isaiah 55. 35:00 Remember that. 35:01 So we come to the point we ask ourselves the question. 35:03 Now I want you to stay with it. We ask our self a question. 35:07 Why then does God 35:13 let evil continue? 35:15 I've heard that question so often from people. 35:18 Why is there evil in the world 35:19 and why does God just allow it to continue? 35:24 Let's remember, shall we not be good to force to go over, 35:26 if we will, if you were with me in Romans 13:1. 35:30 Romans 13:1 points out some things 35:33 that many people neglect 35:34 and they don't want to really talk about. 35:36 And if they don't like the issue, 35:38 then you know, let's, let's throw it out. 35:40 Let's get rid of it and know that 35:41 the Bible is the rule. 35:42 This is the lighthouse is shining on us. 35:44 Romans 13:1. 35:46 It says, "Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. 35:50 For there is no power but God," but then notice how it goes on, 35:55 "the powers that be are ordained of God, 35:59 or they are ordered of God." 36:02 The powers that be are ordered of God. 36:06 God has set powers things in this, right, 36:08 this world that we live in that is to protect 36:11 and to try to keep, you know, 36:12 we've created crime or whatever things bad down. 36:16 And so we have to have respect 36:18 where we can, because God has set that up to, 36:21 to protect His people. 36:23 And sometime we want to remove all of those things. 36:25 And when you remove those things, it gets worse. 36:28 We understand that. 36:30 I'd like to read an article if I might do it, 36:32 Review and Herald, this is 10-1-1895. 36:36 Now stay with me. 36:38 This is but a big paragraph here, 36:40 but every word is so important. 36:42 Review and Herald 10-1-1895. 36:46 I liked that where it puts the center. 36:47 I like it God before puts me in my place. 36:50 I don't know if it does you or not, 36:52 but it does me, and notice here, 36:53 it says, here talking about the rulers of the world, 36:55 rulers are God's servants. 36:58 Please keep that in mind. Rulers are what? 36:59 Rulers are God's servants 37:01 and they are to serve their time. 37:03 Notice this as his apprentices. 37:06 It is for their good, 37:08 for their faithful to follow the plain what? 37:11 Thus saith the Lord. 37:12 This is what God asks all of us to do. 37:14 And the rulers of the world 37:16 just simply follow a thus saith the Lord, 37:19 says keeping the way of the Lord 37:20 and to do justice and judgment. 37:23 What do we see in the world today? 37:24 Is there justice? 37:25 Is there a judgment in the world? 37:27 Absolutely. 37:28 But notice this, are we doing right? 37:29 Are we following God's plan? 37:31 They are to exercise their powers, 37:33 talking about the rulers of the land 37:35 without partiality and without hypocrisy, 37:38 notice this, refusing to be bought or sold. 37:42 Man, how many of our leaders today, 37:43 we're not trying to judge any or pick, 37:45 hand-pick or whatever it might be, 37:46 but you know, are many of them being bought 37:48 and many of them being sold today for a vote, 37:51 scorning all kinds of bribes. 37:55 I could go into that, I'm not going to, 37:57 and standing in moral independence 37:59 and dignity before God. 38:02 All need to keep eternity in view. 38:06 See if everyone else would keep eternity in view, 38:09 every decision that we make, 38:10 maybe we'd make some different decisions. 38:14 You see God permits evil to run its course, 38:18 and certainly provide an example of how foolish 38:21 it is to go against God 38:23 and God's plan, right principle. 38:26 If you know anyone who's ever beaten God, 38:29 then why don't we go against Him for? 38:31 We can't beat God. 38:32 I've already said, 38:34 if you can't beat Him, join Him. 38:35 So I'm inviting you today. 38:36 If you've been going against God, 38:38 you just join Him today. 38:39 Let me give you an example. 38:41 You remember when the Hebrews, yeah they were fleeing Egypt. 38:45 And then, of course, it seemed like 38:46 they were being overtaken 38:48 and all of them were going to be killed. 38:49 Here God intervened. 38:50 Remember, He lets, you know, evil go to a certain extent, 38:54 but there's times that God intervenes 38:56 and why is He intervene? 38:58 Well, He intervened this time 38:59 so all of God's people weren't stamped out. 39:01 They were all destroyed. 39:03 They were His chosen ones 39:05 to give the message to the world. 39:07 Are you one of God's chosen today 39:08 to give a message to the world? 39:11 Maybe we just give a quick bottom line. 39:13 I like bottom lines is whether 39:15 God ordains or whether God just simply He permits 39:19 or whether God, you know, again, 39:21 intervenes and ordains, whatever, we know this. 39:25 Patriarchs or Prophets and Kings, 39:27 I want you to notice this with me, 39:29 it's just a line, 536, it says this. 39:32 Prophets and Kings, 536. 39:34 It says, "The complicated play of human events 39:38 is under divine control." 39:39 What is it? 39:41 The complicated play of human events 39:43 is under divine control. 39:45 This should encourage us. 39:46 It's already said in the Word of God. 39:48 Examples are given over and over and over that 39:50 God is in charge and He brings His will to pass. 39:53 We need to join God's side here. 39:55 So what's going on in the world today, 39:58 all the people, all the billions of people 39:59 on this planet, 40:00 but it's still complicated to man, 40:02 but it's not complicated with God. 40:05 All of these events are under His divine control. 40:08 See, I can rest assure today. 40:10 You can rest assure today that God is in control of your life 40:14 if you allow Him or you can go your own way but, 40:16 man, there's a price to pay. 40:19 There's always a price to pay, 40:20 to go against what God has said in His Word. 40:23 Just as He's telling us here 40:24 about our leaders of our country today, 40:26 our country needs to be successful. 40:28 All the world needs to be successful. 40:30 It will not be as long as we go against God's Word. 40:34 Another couple of lines very, very, 40:35 I think is good for us today, Prophets and Kings, 535. 40:39 Prophets and King, 535, says this, notice this, 40:43 "And an overruling purpose 40:45 has manifestly been at work throughout the ages." 40:48 So notice what an overruling power 40:52 has been at work. 40:54 So God does what? God has a plan. 40:56 It's going to go according to His plan, 40:58 we can either fit in or we can choose not to, 41:01 but God overrules where it's necessary. 41:05 That means He's in charge. Praise God. 41:08 We as a people, can I use it, maybe use the government? 41:12 Those who are in control of the government. 41:14 If they would just do their job. 41:16 If we would just do our job that he's asked us to do 41:19 and the government, 41:20 the job is just simply to protect the people 41:22 and to build its people. 41:25 Do we see that happening today? 41:26 As there seem to be tearing down 41:28 is to provide opportunity for, 41:30 to fulfill the Creator's purpose for us. 41:35 Do you see that happening in your life or my life today? 41:40 Not only for us as individuals, but for other nations 41:44 or to let them follow God's plan for them. 41:47 God would bless all nations because He's close by. 41:51 He's never failing. 41:53 Acts 17:27 tells how close that God is. 41:57 So I want to read this to you. 41:58 And I want you to notice Acts 17:27. 42:01 It says, "That they should seek the Lord," notice this, 42:04 "if happily they might feel after Him, 42:07 and they might find him, 42:09 though He be not far from every one of us." 42:14 Oh, I hope that's an encouragement to you. 42:16 Notice, He's not far if you seek after Him. 42:19 If you want Him to be in charge of your life, 42:21 He's going to be there. 42:22 Praise God. Why? 42:24 Because He's not far from you. 42:26 When you're in trouble, He's not far from you. 42:28 When you think you're away from God, 42:30 He doesn't see you, He's still not far from you. 42:33 He's just one little voice, cry away. 42:36 Why don't we do that today? 42:38 Why don't we invite Him to come back in? 42:39 Because the Bible goes in a little more in depth. 42:41 And I like, I think it's John 5:39. 42:45 The Bible simply says we need to search something. 42:48 There's what? 42:49 "Search the scriptures, 42:50 for in them you think you have, good, 42:52 eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me." 42:57 Praise God. Think about it. 42:58 Search the scripture. 43:00 How many of us are really searching 43:01 the scriptures on a daily basis? 43:03 Oh, I know you hear that all the time. 43:04 Oh, you hear it over and over and over. 43:06 But you know what? 43:07 It is still is the right answer. 43:09 Search the scriptures. That means dig in. 43:12 That means keep looking over and over. 43:14 Make it a habit every day. 43:15 Not just on the Sabbath or any other day, 43:17 just every day of our life 43:18 we need to be searching the scriptures. 43:20 And they are they which testified Jesus Christ. 43:23 You want your life to change? 43:25 Are you tired of what you're going through? 43:27 You're looking for a change. 43:29 You really need one. 43:30 I tell you, He is the way out. 43:32 He has a specific plan just for you and for me, 43:35 we need to make sure we follow that. 43:37 I like the Book of Jeremiah. 43:38 Jeremiah the prophet is to me is a very powerful 43:43 and he pins these words for us. 43:45 Jeremiah 29:13, just notice carefully. 43:49 Jeremiah 29:13 says, 43:51 "And ye shall seek me," notice this, 43:53 "and find Me, when you shall do," what? 43:55 "When you shall search for me with all your heart." 43:59 Powerful, all people read and say, oh, this is not true. 44:02 Oh, it is true. 44:04 And when you seek Me, how many are seeking God today? 44:07 If you do, you're going to find Him, 44:09 but we need to be searching for Him with what? 44:11 Not a divided heart, not as a separate, right? 44:15 But all come to, searcheth Me 44:16 with all your heart is what the Bible says. 44:19 You're going to find Him. 44:22 I say that there's hope for this world. 44:25 There's hope because Jesus is the lighthouse. 44:30 Listen, if our nation is not strong today 44:34 and as a people, 44:35 sometime we are weak and vacillating. 44:40 May I just throw this out to you 44:41 and you accept it if you'd like, 44:42 or you can throw it out. 44:44 Could it be the reason that 44:46 we have not fulfilled God's purpose for us? 44:50 Because He has a direct purpose for us. 44:51 Remember, everything's detailed out 44:55 and we become weak and vacillating 44:56 and we fold and, 44:58 you know, we are not strong as a people anymore. 45:00 We're falling apart. 45:01 Everybody's going in different directions. 45:05 Believe this, that God blesses us 45:09 according to how closely we stick to His principles. 45:14 I'm going to need to repeat that. 45:16 But notice, because you're wanting to 45:17 know maybe why something's 45:18 going haywire in your life or this country would say 45:20 something's not right with it. 45:23 God blesses us accordingly of how closely 45:27 we stick to His principles of His Word. 45:32 The destiny, notice, 45:33 there's a destiny of this country, 45:35 the destiny of the world, notice this, 45:37 is determined by the choices that people make. 45:41 We understand that 45:42 or the leaders of the country make. 45:45 And I mentioned this, they alluded to it before, 45:47 a nation will stay just as strong 45:50 and stay strong as long as 45:52 they follow Jesus Christ's plan. 45:54 If they refuse to do it, they will fall. 45:57 And we're looking at it right now. 45:59 It seems that we are right refusing the leadership of God 46:02 in this country and in this world. 46:05 Is soon to crumble, is soon to fall. 46:08 You can't figure it out, 46:09 go to God's Word, go to prophecy. 46:11 You see it's falling apart before our very eyes. 46:14 We need help. 46:17 People refuse to give Him glory. 46:19 And He says, give Him glory. 46:21 Not giving the three angels' message 46:23 to the world as a warning before Jesus comes. 46:28 People are going their separate ways. 46:30 Now's the time to come to Him while there's still time. 46:35 A book I love is a Great Controversy. 46:37 Some, many of you have the Great Controversy. 46:39 I'm sure and you can go to this. 46:41 And I think we should. 46:42 There's a page 584 that reads like this, 46:47 Great Controversy, page 584. 46:49 Pay attention please to every word 46:51 because it's important. 46:53 Now remember just a couple of them here, 46:54 but it says, "Men who refuse to submit 46:58 to the government of God, 47:00 whole, they're wholly unfit to govern themselves." 47:04 Is that not interesting? 47:06 Men who refuse to submit to the government of God, 47:08 they are wholly unfit to govern themselves. 47:11 We see a lot of that going on in the world today. 47:15 Remember, God sends out a light that we might see. 47:20 If you're walking in darkness, 47:21 thank God is the light of the world 47:23 we understand that. 47:25 When the nation that 47:26 we've talked about becomes proud. 47:28 When a nation becomes overbearing, 47:31 when the nation begins to oppress other people. 47:35 The peoples of its, you know, 47:36 its borders and begin to make insane, 47:41 may I say insane request 47:43 and pass may I say again, insane laws. 47:48 It's going to fall. 47:50 We are there, we are past there. 47:54 And I want to encourage you not to go, 47:56 oh, throw up your hands. 47:57 If you do throw them up to Jesus, 47:59 invite Him to come in because we become too proud. 48:02 We begin to oppress other people. 48:05 Put demands on him that God doesn't put on us. 48:09 You think God's not measuring His people. 48:11 I want to encourage you today, He is. 48:14 Before He comes back, He will measure His people. 48:16 He knows exactly what's going on. 48:18 Little book, Education, page 178, jot it down. 48:22 So you can go back and look. Education, page 178. 48:25 These are strong words for God's people, 48:28 for anyone who wants to read them. 48:29 Notice today, it says today, 48:32 "Today men and nations are being." 48:34 What? 48:35 "Are measured by the plummet in the hand of Him 48:37 who makes no mistake. 48:40 All are by their own choice deciding," what? 48:43 "Their destiny, God is overruling all 48:47 for the accomplishment of His purposes." 48:51 I pray that that will be a blessing to you. 48:52 I pray it's going to be an encouragement to you. 48:55 Do you remember reading Zachariah? 48:57 I think you did Zachariah 2:1, it talks about here, it says, 49:01 Zachariah said, I envision, I lifted up my eyes. 49:04 And again, I looked and behold a man 49:06 with a measuring line in his hand. 49:10 Wow. 49:11 That's probably, I don't know 49:13 if that's on your screen or not, 49:14 but anyway, jot that down. 49:16 This just tells us once again, we're on the right track. 49:18 God is measuring His people. 49:21 That means His eye is on us 49:23 and He sees what direction we're going 49:24 and what the leadership is doing 49:26 and what we're doing as a people. 49:27 And there comes a time that God says that is enough. 49:32 I'm thankful. 49:34 He says I'm overruling all 49:35 for the accomplishments of His purpose. 49:37 Let me tell you, 49:38 what is the accomplishment of His purpose? 49:40 Remember He came to seek and save that which was lost. 49:42 And that was you and that was me. 49:44 All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. 49:48 Oh, dear friend, today, 49:49 He opens His arms wide to you and He opens and wide to me 49:52 and He says, come on in. 49:53 I'm shining light on the pathway. 49:55 Don't look to the right. Don't look to the left. 49:56 Don't worry about what Joe Blow is doing over here. 49:58 Don't worry about what the preacher's doing 50:00 or don't worry about the elders over here. 50:01 Don't worry about what this perfect. 50:03 Keep your eyes upon Jesus Christ. 50:05 He's measuring His people right now. 50:08 Everything that I see, I don't know about you, 50:10 but in this, in the world that I live, 50:12 it is an agitation. 50:14 It's not a good thing to be in. 50:15 If you ever got up some morning and you felt kind of agitated. 50:18 No. Sure, did not. 50:20 No, I don't get agitated. Really? 50:23 Been agitated in whatever somebody says, 50:25 it's just not right. 50:26 It just doesn't feel right. It doesn't go right. 50:30 This world is in agitation right now in everything. 50:32 Nation, Bible says going to rise against nation 50:35 and kingdom against kingdom. 50:38 The rulers of this world are focusing 50:42 I believe with all my heart on the events 50:43 and they see things that are transpiring, 50:45 maybe better than some religious people. 50:48 Maybe they're not religious at all, 50:50 but they sense that something big 50:52 is about to happen. 50:54 And they're beginning to prepare 50:56 for that big something. 50:58 Are you prepared for the big something, 51:00 the coming of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our Savior? 51:03 Why is it that men is in leadership, their hearts, 51:06 and maybe ours too, should be failing them 51:08 for fear of what's coming upon this world. 51:12 In Luke Chapter 21, not on there, 51:13 but just looking it up, 51:15 men's heart are failing them for what? 51:17 For fear of those things that are coming upon this world. 51:21 And you and I just walk along like, oh, this is it. 51:25 If it wasn't for the lighthouse, 51:27 where would this old ship be? 51:28 This old ship was not going to be able to sail anymore. 51:31 If it wasn't for Jesus Christ, 51:33 I wouldn't know which way to walk. 51:34 There'd be no direction, 51:35 you stumbling around in darkness. 51:37 You don't need to do that. 51:38 I don't need to do that today because of Jesus Christ. 51:42 Instead of our hearts failing us 51:43 for fear as it were, 51:44 what's coming upon this world and we should, 51:48 the Book of Jeremiah makes it pretty clear here. 51:52 Jeremiah 30:7. 51:56 The Bible is very clear, it says alas. 51:58 It starts out, "Alas! 52:00 for the day is great, so that none is like it: 52:05 it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, 52:08 but he shall be," what? 52:09 Good. "He shall be saved out of it." 52:12 The time of Jacob's trouble. We all talk about it. 52:15 You should if you're staying in the Word of God 52:16 at the time of Jacob's trouble, 52:18 the time that's faces this world 52:19 that we've never seen before. 52:21 We can't take what we just been through 52:22 for a year and a half as it were. 52:24 And there's very few little restrictions 52:26 as there were, that's going to change 52:28 and it's going to change quickly. 52:30 There's no doubt about it. 52:32 And are we really ready by the grace of God? 52:36 God said there's time 52:38 when you see these things taking place. 52:40 When you understand it, let me say that old lighthouse 52:42 is still shining light on the pathway. 52:45 It's still standing on the hill. 52:48 Thank God for that lighthouse because Jesus says it, 52:51 when you see these things start coming to pass, 52:53 we're to lift up our heads we understand. 52:55 But also in the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah, the prophet of God. 52:57 Man, what a man of God, 52:59 to be able to pin the things down 53:01 that he did under inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 53:04 He said when you see these things, 53:05 notice Isaiah 26:20. 53:08 Isaiah 26:20. 53:10 Let's read that together, shall we? 53:11 Notice it says, come my what? 53:14 "Come, My people, enter thou into the chambers 53:17 and shut the door about thee: 53:20 hide thyself as it were for a little moment, 53:23 until the indignation be past, overpast." 53:27 Are you doing that today? Am I doing that today? 53:30 What an invitation that God says, come. 53:33 Come, My people. 53:35 The only ones that's going to come to Him is His people. 53:38 Come to Me, enter into the chamber, 53:40 shut the door, hide thy self until 53:42 it's is going to be just a little moment, 53:43 it's going to be over with. 53:45 We need to be faithful to the end. 53:47 He that's faithful to the end will receive the crown of life, 53:51 he that overcometh will I 53:52 grant to sit with Me on the throne. 53:56 Sound like we're headed for a real mess. 53:59 How's your life? Is it hidden with Christ? 54:03 Do we really see 54:05 what's taking place in the world today? 54:09 I mean what's roaring upon this world right now, 54:12 some people don't hear it. 54:14 They don't see it. They don't understand it. 54:18 Have we made the Lord our refuge and our strength? 54:23 Is He the one that we rely upon right now? 54:27 Is He the most high in our life. 54:32 He says no evil will befall thee, 54:36 neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 54:41 What a beautiful promise that is. 54:42 But we have to claim it in faith and believe. 54:47 And I just say today, everything is going to perish 54:50 in this world that's not built 54:51 upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. 54:54 Oh, friend, the light is still shining in the Word of God. 54:59 We have a sure foundation. 55:03 The Bible is very clear, it standeth sure. 55:06 It says it has this seal. 55:07 He knoweth them that are His, 55:10 everyone that nameth the name of Christ 55:13 depart from an iniquity. 55:14 You think today is the day that we should depart 55:16 from the iniquity, 55:18 we should give our life to Jesus Christ. 55:19 I do. 55:20 I want to have a prayer for you. 55:22 I know you're making the decision 55:23 right now for Christ 55:24 because I know the Holy Spirit has taken a message 55:26 that I always make 55:27 and will present it very clear in your heart 55:29 and in your mind. 55:32 And you're making that choice right now that 55:33 I want Jesus as my Lord and Savior 55:36 because the day is at hand. 55:38 There's only a brief time left. 55:43 Oh, we have so many lessons to learn 55:45 and so many to unlearn. 55:50 We have a real character to develop. 55:53 The baby is not been developed for heaven. 55:55 There's work that needs to be done. 55:59 Jesus invites us work for the night is coming. 56:03 Are you working? 56:04 Have you made that decision right now? 56:06 Let me pray for you. 56:07 Maybe we'll have time for another word, 56:08 but I want to pray right now. 56:10 Would you make that decision, and I want you to hang on 56:11 to that decision. 56:13 I don't want you to lose it right now. 56:14 He is that lighthouse. He's the light. 56:15 Just keep your eye upon Him. 56:17 He's going to see you through. Let's pray, shall we? 56:20 Merciful heavenly Father, 56:21 we thank You that You are the lighthouse. 56:24 Thank You for the Word of God, 56:25 that shine so brightly upon our pathway, 56:27 that none of us need to get off. 56:30 We can see those who rocks of sin. 56:32 We can understand now that 56:35 the enemy is not playing games any longer. 56:37 He's playing life and death issues. 56:38 And so, Lord, I pray that 56:40 Thy Holy Spirit now will come near 56:42 those who have made that choice for You right now. 56:43 Maybe they've never made it before, but they are right now. 56:46 Lord, I'm not sure what's happening, 56:47 what's taking place, 56:49 but I believe that You're there and I accept you into my heart, 56:51 into my life. 56:52 Not for just for today, but for eternity. 56:55 Thank You for that decision, Lord, that they've made. 56:57 Thank You for the power of Thy Holy Spirit. 56:59 Thank You for loving us in Jesus' name. 57:01 Amen. 57:04 So those of you who have made that choice 57:05 and that decision right now, 57:07 you may want to call somebody 57:08 and say, hey, I need some extra prayer. 57:09 I've made that choice. 57:11 I made that decision to follow Jesus, 57:12 and I want to follow Him until He shall come. 57:14 And I want to spend eternity with Him. 57:17 I know that you're going to do that right now. 57:18 We need to be praying. We need to be inviting. 57:21 We need to be calling people. 57:22 Thank you so much for joining us today. 57:24 May the Holy Spirit of the living God 57:25 come close to you, 57:27 live in your heart and your mind? 57:28 Thank you for joining us on 3ABN Worship Hour. |
Revised 2021-09-13