Participants:
Series Code: WHO
Program Code: WHO210077S
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00:29 Hello, friends, welcome to 3ABN Worship Hour.
00:32 I'm Pastor John Lomacang, I want to just say to you, 00:35 welcome to 2022. 00:39 The Lord has put on my heart a message I believe that 00:41 will encourage you as we step into the unknown. 00:46 But before we dive into the message, 00:49 allow me to invite the Lord's presence to be with us 00:52 so we can hear what the Spirit says to your heart and to mine. 00:56 Father in heaven, we thank You, 00:58 You have delivered us safely from 2021 01:03 and now that we step into 2022, 01:07 we pray that our hearts and minds can be recommitted 01:10 to You that You can calibrate our thoughts, 01:13 our intentions that our desires 01:16 and Your desires would be merged. 01:18 Lord, consume anything that is not a part of Your plan 01:23 and give us the courage to face what tomorrow brings 01:27 whether we are aware of it or not. 01:30 Help us to place complete trust in You 01:32 as You guide us through this unknown year, 01:36 we ask in Jesus' name. 01:39 Amen. 01:41 Once again, welcome to 2022, the year of the unknown, 01:46 the year of the unknown and the possibilities, 01:50 the year of challenges and blessings. 01:54 And I begin by saying this year is unlike any other 01:58 because you've never lived it before. 02:01 Its pages are clear. 02:03 There's nothing written about your thoughts, actions, 02:07 deeds, or words, 02:08 and God has given you a clean slate 02:11 to begin a new walk with Him a journey into the unknown. 02:16 What has 2021 taught us? 02:18 2021 gave us 365 days to live our lives, 02:23 365 days to plan for our future. 02:27 2021 allowed us to inventory where we have been, 02:32 what we have done, how we have failed, 02:35 and how we have succeeded. 02:37 Now that we step into this brand new unsalted year, 02:41 God is saying to us, 02:42 give me complete control because eye have not seen, 02:47 ear has not heard, 02:49 neither has it entered into the hearts of men, 02:52 the things that God has prepared for those 02:55 that love Him. 02:57 Friends, let me encourage you, 02:58 2021 brought us with a lot of disappointments 03:02 and a lot of plans that we wish never came to fruition, 03:06 but this year doesn't have to be the same. 03:08 This year will present to us unlimited opportunities. 03:12 And let me also say all of those opportunities 03:15 presented by God will come to fruition by God's plan. 03:21 So as we look back on the failures and success, 03:23 remember that 2022 now gives us 03:26 the privilege to get rid of the old 03:30 and begin to make room for the new. 03:34 A number of years ago I read a story about 03:36 how the New Year was celebrated in the older times of Italy. 03:42 I don't know if it's done still to this day 03:44 but I was impressed by the story. 03:46 Let me share that with you. 03:48 Come with me to New Year's Eve in Italy. 03:52 As midnight on New Year's Eve approached, 03:54 the streets are cleared. 03:56 Picture this with me. There is no traffic. 03:59 There are no pedestrians, even the police take cover. 04:05 Suddenly, at the stroke of midnight, 04:07 the windows of the houses are swung wide open 04:11 and to the sound of laughter, 04:13 music, and fireworks, 04:15 each member of the family begins 04:18 to throw something out of the window. 04:20 Now you see why everyone including 04:22 the police took cover. 04:24 Some throw out old garments, 04:26 some throw out hated furniture that plaid couch 04:29 that you just couldn't get rid of. 04:31 Others throw out personal possessions that remind them 04:36 of something they want to forget about their past 04:39 that they were determined to remove from their lives. 04:43 So the question is, 04:44 if that custom was celebrated in your family, 04:48 here's the question, what would you throw out? 04:51 What would you get rid of as you step into 2022? 04:54 What in your life have you been yearning to get rid 04:57 of that you've been praying for God to remove 05:00 that you are saying, Lord, don't allow me to take 05:03 that into a brand new year, 05:05 I want to get rid of the old and begin to make room 05:09 for the new. 05:10 So 2022 is giving you the opportunity 05:13 to get rid of the old and make room for the new. 05:18 A number of times I meet young people 05:20 and I put out this paradoxical question 05:23 that I posed to you today? 05:24 How do we get to where we're going, 05:27 when we don't know where we're going? 05:30 And I love to stand back and watch the young folk 05:33 just try to figure the answer out, 05:35 how do we get to where we're going, 05:38 when we really don't know where we're going? 05:41 And I respond after I see them in a quandary 05:44 after their thoughts hit a wall. 05:45 I say, commit the unknown future to the known God. 05:49 Why? 05:51 Because God says to us, 05:52 I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, 05:56 plans to prosper you and plans not to harm you 06:00 to give you a future and a hope. 06:02 And 2022 may just be the year 06:05 when the plans that God has for your life come to fruition, 06:09 maybe it's advancing your education, 06:11 maybe it's getting married for those of you 06:13 who are single, 06:14 maybe it's moving from where you are, 06:16 to where you know God has been saying to you, 06:18 that's what I desire for you. 06:20 Whatever the year may be, 06:22 this is the year to commit the unknown future 06:26 to the known God. 06:28 When we look back at the children of Israel, 06:30 we have to come to the conclusion 06:31 that they didn't know where they were going either. 06:34 And Paul the Apostle records 06:36 the journey of Israel and is filled with lessons 06:39 as we face the unknown, 06:41 but one thing he says to us that I want to convey to you 06:44 is found in 1 Corinthians 10:11. 06:47 Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul, 06:49 when he looks at the life of the children of Israel, 06:52 when he looks at their journey in the wilderness 06:54 and records all the things that they faced, 06:57 the challenges that confronted them, 06:59 the blessings they received, 07:01 even the curses and the loss of valuable possessions 07:04 and even some of their loved ones. 07:06 He says these words to you in 2022, 07:08 he says in 1 Corinthians 10:11. 07:11 "Now all these things happened to them as examples," 07:17 look at their lives, compared with your life, 07:21 "and they were written for our admonition, 07:24 upon whom the ends of the ages have come." 07:28 There's a lot in the Bible about the children of Israel, 07:31 there's a lot about the things that they desired. 07:33 The Lord brought them out of Egypt in a single day, 07:36 but it took Him 40 years to bring Egypt out of them. 07:41 Are you one of those individuals 07:42 that the Lord has been wrestling with for many, 07:43 many years, maybe even decades? 07:46 You know, the way that you were raised was right, 07:49 you know that what your mom 07:50 and dad taught you was scriptural, 07:52 but you've been wrestling because you desire 07:54 so much of where you come from, 07:56 that you've been hesitant to go where God is leading you. 08:00 And you've stuck in the rut of, I'm going nowhere fast. 08:04 Well, look at the life of the Israelites, 08:06 a journey that should have taken 08:08 just a short period of time, 08:09 extended to a 40-year journey, 08:11 because it took one day to get Israel out of Egypt, 08:15 but it took 40 years to get Egypt out of Israel. 08:19 So the question to you as you enter this new year, 08:21 what in your life is still there? 08:23 What putrid behavior is still funking up your life 08:28 and causing you to feel 08:30 less than what God intends for you to be? 08:32 What are you facing that you're refusing to give to God? 08:35 What habit? What practice? 08:37 What desire are you going back to? 08:39 Are you fighting with cigarettes, 08:41 with alcohol, with immorality? 08:43 What are you fighting with? 08:44 Are you fighting with whether or not 08:46 to honor God's holy Sabbath? 08:47 Are you fighting with whether or not you believe 08:50 that God exists 08:51 or you're falling for the atheistic lie 08:53 that there is no God? 08:54 What are you fighting with? 08:56 Remember, the Israelites face many of the same things 08:59 but they learned the very hard way 09:01 that it is only by trusting God with your day-by-day walk, 09:05 that you will ever get to the destination 09:07 that God foresees is in your blessed future. 09:11 Consider the picture as I walk you through some 09:13 of the journey of the Israelites, 09:16 from the land of Egypt to the land of Canaan, 09:18 at the Red Sea when pursued by the army 09:22 of the Egyptians. 09:23 The Egyptian army was extinguished 09:27 like the flame of the tip of a candle. 09:29 How? By the power of God's hand. 09:32 And, friends, you must understand 09:34 that the enemy will pursue you all the days of your life 09:37 but as God stepped to the plate 09:39 and fought the battle for the Israelites, 09:41 he is willing to fight the battle for you. 09:43 He said to them in Exodus 14, 09:45 stand still and see the salvation 09:48 of the Lord for the enemy that you see today 09:51 you'll see no more forever. 09:53 You got enemies in your past? Commit your past to God. 09:56 Commit your present to God. 09:58 Allow the Lord to fight your battles for you. 10:01 When they traveled that road, 10:02 the same road that became the highway of deliverance 10:05 for Israel was the way of death for the armies of Pharaoh. 10:09 It was the same road but the question is, 10:12 whose army are you in? 10:14 Let me encourage you, get into the Lord's army. 10:16 If you're on the right road, but in the wrong army, 10:18 the same results could happen to you 10:20 that happened to Pharaoh's army, 10:22 you could be on the same road as the Israelites 10:25 but your destination is not the same. 10:27 You're moving down the way of death, 10:28 when they were moving down the way of the Promised Land. 10:31 Slavery in Egypt was terrible. 10:33 It had tragic memories for the children of Israel 10:36 but on the other side of the Jordan, 10:40 the past began to lose its impact on their minds. 10:45 And through one of Israel's greatest journeys, today, 10:48 God wants to teach us a lesson, 10:50 He wants to teach us a vivid lesson. 10:52 I'm gonna break it down to three categories, 10:55 the timing of their journey, the location of their journey, 10:58 and the challenges of their journey. 11:00 The timing, the location, and the challenges. 11:04 The timing of the story was from the wilderness 11:07 to the Promised Land, 11:09 a journey intended to take just a few months, 11:12 extended to more than four decades. 11:14 The location of the story, the crossing of the Jordan. 11:18 In that crossing, 11:20 angry voices challenged them at the Exodus, 11:23 the army of the Egyptians desired nothing more 11:26 than to crush these 11:28 who are being delivered by the mighty hand of God. 11:31 The angry voices were silenced though 11:34 when they got to the Jordan. 11:35 However, in their journey, gravestones dotted 11:39 the wilderness journey. 11:41 Those who chose not to obey God, 11:43 He freed them on no conditions, 11:46 but there were conditions to go into the Promised Land. 11:49 Past failures and victories merged at the border 11:52 of the Promised Land. 11:55 Yet they failed to completely trust God. 11:58 However, they knew in their journey, 12:00 and God put this in their heart, 12:02 God gave them a last push, a final hill, 12:06 a grand finale. 12:08 In that desert, they learned that God in the midst 12:11 of all their trials, all their challenges, 12:14 He could still give them the desire to push 12:16 to go on to that final hill 12:19 to go forward to that grand finale. 12:22 And after 40 years, Joshua and Caleb of the men 12:25 that were 20 years old and older, 12:27 entered into the Promised Land. 12:28 Why? Because they trusted God. 12:30 Today, God is saying to you, He wants you to be a Joshua, 12:33 He wants you to be a Caleb, and who were they? 12:37 When the false reports came back 12:38 from the leaders of Israel, 12:40 when the men that God had commissioned 12:42 to give direction to the 12 tribes of Israel, 12:45 decided not to embrace God's promises, 12:48 they brought back a false report. 12:52 However, Joshua and Caleb kept trusting the Lord. 12:55 When the 10 leaders decided that the Giants were too great, 12:59 and the Amalekites, the Hittites, the Jebusites, 13:02 the Amorites, all of those who dwelt in the Promised Land 13:05 that they were going to inherit. 13:07 When they looked at the people, they had a faint heart, 13:10 but Joshua and Caleb didn't look at the people, 13:13 they looked at the God that had given them the promise. 13:17 You see, the people may be big, 13:18 the trials may be big, 13:20 the challenges of your past may step over into 2022 with you, 13:25 but they're not bigger than your God. 13:27 Never allow your challenges to appear bigger than your God. 13:31 What God did for Caleb and Joshua, 13:33 God wants to do for you. 13:35 But there was a challenge in the journey 13:38 because God allowed Moses to take the children 13:41 of Israel only so far. 13:44 And when Joshua accepted the call, 13:46 to take the wheel and decide to lead the children of Israel, 13:50 because of his lack of experience, 13:52 he was challenged by more than two 13:54 and a half million Israelites. 13:57 And yet we're going to focus on the parting words of Moses, 14:00 which became the marching orders of Joshua. 14:04 If you have your Bibles, go there with me. 14:06 I'm going to read now, 14:07 in the Book of Deuteronomy 10:20, 14:11 all the way to Deuteronomy 11:6. 14:15 It seems like it's long, but it's not. 14:17 But I want you to hear the parting words of Moses 14:20 to that young man named Joshua. 14:23 Two and a half million people, how is he going to guide them? 14:28 Listen to Moses' words. 14:30 Deuteronomy 10:20, Moses is speaking, 14:34 "You shall fear the Lord your God, 14:36 you shall serve Him and to Him, 14:39 you shall hold fast." 14:40 Notice those words, serve Him, fear Him, hold fast, 14:46 "and take oaths in His name." 14:49 Verse 21, "He is your praise, 14:51 and He is your God, 14:54 who has done for you these great and awesome things 14:57 which your eyes have seen?" 14:59 Have you ever paused and asked 15:00 who has delivered me as God has? 15:02 Who has blessed me as God has? 15:04 That is what Moses is saying to Joshua. 15:06 Who can do for you what God has done for you? 15:09 Who can bring you from that land of slavery 15:13 to the journey of the land of promise? 15:14 Who can fight all your battles and keep the serpents 15:17 and scorpions from bringing you 15:19 to your demise in the wilderness? 15:21 Only God can. 15:23 Then he continues in Deuteronomy 10:22, 15:27 "Your fathers went down to Egypt with 70 persons, 15:31 and now the Lord your God has made you," 15:34 listen to this, 15:36 "as the stars of heaven in multitude." 15:39 What is he saying to Joshua? 15:41 You may begin with a little, 15:43 but God can multiply your little and make it much. 15:47 God is amazing. 15:48 God can take your little as he did for Joshua and Moses, 15:52 and multiply it like the stars of heaven. 15:56 But he continues speaking, Deuteronomy 11:1, 15:59 he says, "Therefore, 16:01 you shall love the Lord your God, 16:04 and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, 16:08 and His commandments always." 16:10 You see, friends, 16:11 blessings always are connected to conditions. 16:13 God wants to bless you, but He does not bless you 16:15 without conditions. 16:17 Obedience is the prerequisite to blessings. 16:20 If God is saying, do this, understand, 16:22 there is no second category, you cannot receive 16:25 the blessings of God in 2022 16:27 without complying with the conditions 16:29 of those blessings. 16:31 He continues in Deuteronomy, 11:2, he says, 16:35 "Know today that I do not speak with your children, 16:41 who have not known and who have not seen 16:44 the chastening of the Lord your God, 16:46 His greatness and His mighty hand, 16:48 and His outstretched arm." 16:50 Verse 3, "His signs and His acts 16:53 which He did in the midst of Egypt, 16:56 to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to all his land." 16:59 Look at verse 4, 17:01 "What he did to the army of Egypt, 17:03 to their horses, and their chariots: 17:05 how he made the waters of the Red Sea overflow them 17:08 as they pursued you." 17:11 And he continues, 17:13 "And how the Lord has destroyed them to this day, 17:17 what he did for you in the wilderness until you 17:20 came to this place, and what He did to Dathan, 17:25 and Abiram the son of Eliab, 17:29 the son of Ruben: 17:30 how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, 17:34 their households, their tents, 17:36 and all their substance that was in their possession, 17:40 in the midst of all Israel." 17:41 What is Moses saying to Joshua? 17:44 God, by His grace, and by His power, 17:47 by His outstretched arm has made sure that 17:50 every obstacle that was placed before you 17:53 by the enemy, everything he intended 17:55 to destroy you in the wilderness, 17:58 by your obedience, I stepped in to defend you, 18:01 by your willingness to continue following me by faith, 18:05 although you did not see the Promised Land, 18:07 I brought those things to past. 18:09 And God is saying the same to you for 2022. 18:12 You don't see what your future is, 18:13 you may have some idea, 18:15 but God sees it much clearer than you will ever see it. 18:19 God is saying, look at how you survived to this day. 18:22 Do you think you did that 18:25 by some great and wonderful plan? 18:27 No, I was beating back the enemy every day 18:31 of your life. 18:33 I stood firmly with you. 18:34 And he's saying to Joshua, 18:36 I'm going to pass the mantle to you, 18:38 the God that I trusted, 18:40 I want you to be the God that you will trust. 18:43 In the same way, he's saying to Joshua, 18:45 as I'm saying to you, he said to Joshua, 18:48 leave Egypt behind, I'm saying to you, 18:52 leave 2021 behind. 18:54 The Lord is saying to us, 18:55 here we stand on the wet paint of 2022 19:00 and we could cite any number of reasons 19:03 why we could be discouraged. 19:05 Any number of reasons can come to the forefront 19:08 why we can't do this or can't do that. 19:11 There are multiple instances 19:13 where you almost did not make it. 19:15 And we can complain sometimes that the journey took so long. 19:19 However, here you are today. 19:21 Why are you here today? 19:23 Because God's dream for you is not going to be faltered, 19:28 not going to be prevented 19:29 by what happened in 2021 because He still says I know 19:32 the plans I have for you. 19:34 Let me tell you my personal experience. 19:36 Nobody could've ever told me 19:37 I will be doing what I am today. 19:40 It took a long time to get here, 19:42 but I trusted God on the days of plenty 19:44 and on the days of lean. 19:46 I trusted God when it seemed like the future was bleak. 19:49 When it seemed like the enemy had finally found 19:52 my Achilles' heel. 19:53 I kept trusting God and I'm still here today. 19:55 To God be the glory. 19:57 I'm saying to you all your battles 19:59 are no reason to be discouraged, 20:00 all the things you faced in 2021 20:03 is no reason to give up 20:05 because we're standing on the promises of God. 20:07 Look at Deuteronomy 11:7-9. 20:11 Here's what Moses said to Joshua, 20:15 "But your eyes have seen every great act 20:19 the Lord which he did. 20:21 Therefore, listen, 20:23 you shall keep every commandment 20:26 which I command you today, that you may be strong, 20:30 and go in and possess the land, 20:32 which you cross over to possess, 20:35 and that you may prolong your days in the land, 20:38 which the Lord swore to give your fathers, 20:42 to them and their descendants." 20:43 Notice what kind of land, 20:45 "A land flowing with milk and honey." 20:49 You might say, "I don't drink milk, 20:50 and I'm not too crazy about honey." 20:52 Those are just symbols of the blessings of God. 20:55 God wasn't saying that all they're going to get is milk 20:57 and honey but what God was saying, 20:59 these are lands that are flowing 21:01 with abundant provision from My hand. 21:03 Let me say to you, friends, 2022, 21:05 God has abundant provisions for your land. 21:08 God has abundant provisions 21:09 that He wants to put in your hand, 21:11 the land of abundant provision, 21:13 and the hand that God says will embrace 21:15 those abundant provisions. 21:18 So while the world is getting weaker, 21:20 God is saying to you, 21:21 be strong, and stand firm with My command. 21:27 You see the very thing that God did for Moses and Joshua, 21:30 He's willing to do for you, 21:33 He's willing to do for your family, 21:34 He's willing to do for your children, 21:36 for your spouse, He's willing to do 21:38 for your educational goals, 21:40 He's willing to do for your spiritual goals. 21:42 God can take your humdrum Bible study life 21:46 to a magnificent excursion through the Word 21:49 if you just simply commit yourself to Him. 21:51 As Moses challenged Joshua, he says, "Be strong. 21:54 Let God's Word be your guide." 21:56 I'm saying to you, 2022 doesn't have to be a repeat 21:59 of the humdrum Bible study life of 2021. 22:02 It doesn't have to be the time where your schedule 22:05 was so busy that you didn't have time for God. 22:08 And sometimes God may interrupt your greatest plans 22:11 to simply say, I miss my time with you. 22:14 So, friends, husbands, lead your family to the altar 22:18 of worship daily. 22:19 Husbands, be the priest of your homes as your wife 22:23 is looking for someone to be the light in the house, 22:26 to be the one who can reflect the character of Jesus. 22:30 Be the husband that molds the mind of your children 22:33 that they can know that even when the day seemed 22:35 to be filled with challenges 22:37 that God can carry them through. 22:40 Be the one that mold the mind of your daughter 22:42 and your son so that when they grow up, 22:45 you can understand that it was God 22:47 that led their parents and the same God that led you 22:50 when they were growing up is the same God that's going 22:53 to lead them when they get older. 22:57 God wants to do the same for you. 22:58 But the first ingredient for 2022 23:01 is that we have to be strong in the Lord. 23:03 Look at Joshua 1:1. 23:06 The Bible says in Joshua 1:1, 23:09 "After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, 23:14 it came to past that the Lord spoke to Joshua, 23:18 the son of Nun, Moses' assistant," 23:21 and the Lord gave him some words 23:22 that I'm going to share with you in just a moment, 23:23 the Lord gave Joshua some words 23:26 that he wants to leave with you today. 23:28 Let me make the very important point, however, you see, 23:31 God listened to Joshua when Joshua spoke, 23:35 because Joshua listened to God when He spoke. 23:39 Friends, if you want God to hear you when you speak, 23:41 you've got to hear God when He speaks. 23:44 If you want God to follow your plans, 23:46 you got to first follow God's plans. 23:49 If you want your life to be a blessing to your family 23:51 and your friends, you got to first allow the Lord 23:53 to be the blessing of your life. 23:55 You will never pour out 23:57 what God has not poured in and expect it to be a blessing. 24:00 If you want your plans to be that which brings great 24:04 and untold blessings in the future, 24:05 you got to allow those plans 24:07 to be in harmony with God's will 24:09 because He says whatsoever you ask in My name, 24:11 I will do that the Son may be glorified. 24:15 God is not going to bless you that will cause you 24:18 to take the glory from Him. 24:21 If you're planning things that are not in harmony 24:22 with God's will, you are running backward. 24:25 You are running 10 miles an hour on a treadmill 24:29 going absolutely nowhere. 24:31 That treadmill of your promises will exhaust you, 24:35 but if you stand on the solid ground of God's promises, 24:37 He will prosper you. 24:39 I'm saying to you today, listen to God. 24:41 If you expect God to listen to you. 24:44 Joshua believed God. 24:47 He didn't just have a commitment to God. 24:49 He believed God. 24:51 Abraham believed God 24:53 and that's why he was called the father of the faithful. 24:56 He got ready for the land that he saw by faith. 24:59 Why? Because God made the promise. 25:01 If God made a promise to you two years ago, 25:03 or five years ago, 25:04 trust God because God knows. 25:07 I'll say that again. 25:08 Only God knows when those plans are to come to fruition. 25:13 Sometimes I get phone calls from people that say, 25:16 "Pastor, I need a job." 25:17 And I say to them, "God knows you need a job. 25:19 Did you pray about it?" 25:21 They say, "I prayed about it 25:22 but it still hasn't happened yet." 25:23 But God wants to do a new thing. 25:25 You got to wait on the Lord, wait upon the Lord, 25:28 and He will renew your strength. 25:30 Sometimes before you get the job, 25:32 the company has to be built, or the position has to open, 25:36 wait on the Lord, don't be in a hurry. 25:39 Abraham believed God not because he had proof 25:42 but because he had God. 25:44 If you have God, you have everything. 25:46 God will provide all of your need according 25:48 to His riches and glory. 25:50 Even the Apostle Paul can tell you, 25:52 when he was going to Rome as a prisoner, 25:55 even in the midst of a difficult journey, 25:58 his belief was padded by his faith in God, 26:03 with the storms of life swirling all around him, 26:06 ready to consume him in an instant, 26:09 he believed God 26:10 because God's Word was continually with him. 26:13 He said, "I believe God that it shall be just 26:15 as it was told to me." 26:17 Look at Acts 27:25. 26:19 And I'm saying this to you today, friends, 26:21 believe God, not because you have proof, 26:25 but because you have God. 26:27 Look at Acts 27:25, "Therefore, take heed men, 26:33 for I believe God that it will be just 26:36 as it was told to me." 26:39 It's going to be just as God said it's going to be. 26:41 It's not going to be how you hope it to be. 26:43 It's going to be just as God said it's going to be. 26:45 What is that like? How am I supposed? 26:48 How am I supposed to know what that's going to be? 26:51 You got to trust God. 26:53 Give God time to work out His plans for your life. 26:56 You see, on the surface, it may seem that God's plan 26:59 and God's word is difficult to follow, 27:02 but difficulty is the result 27:05 of choosing not to follow God's Word. 27:08 Let me also encourage you, the day is coming 27:10 when we won't have God's Word to follow. 27:12 The day is coming when the plans of God 27:14 would not be visible on the written page. 27:16 That's why you got to do like David did, 27:17 "Thy word I hid in my heart 27:19 that I might not sin against You." 27:21 Allow the Word of God to be your daily meditation 27:24 and then you'll be able to say, 27:25 let the words of my mouth 27:27 and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight. 27:31 God's plans are there. 27:32 He'll work them out. 27:34 But there's a day coming. 27:35 There's a great crisis on the horizon. 27:38 When will it occur? 27:39 We have no idea, 27:40 but we can trust the words of God. 27:42 You see, the reason why we should study God's Word 27:45 is because the days are coming 27:47 as prophesied by God through the Prophet Amos. 27:51 Listen to what he says, which is the reason 27:54 why the Word of God should be near and dear to us. 27:57 Amos 8:11-12. 27:59 Here are the words of the Lord. 28:01 He says, "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, 28:05 that I will send a famine on the land, 28:08 not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, 28:12 but of hearing the words of the Lord," 28:15 and watch this, 28:17 "they shall wander from sea to sea, 28:19 and from north to east, 28:22 they shall run to and fro seeking the word of the Lord, 28:26 but shall not find it." 28:28 What's going to happen? 28:30 The days are coming 28:31 when our Bibles are going to be confiscated. 28:33 And I'm not being a prophet of negativity. 28:36 I'm just simply telling you what God's Word has says. 28:38 The days are coming when the thing 28:40 that we take for granted will no longer be accessible. 28:44 What are the reason can you give 28:45 for making the Word of God your study? 28:47 What are the purpose can you give for saying, 28:50 I want God's Word to be stored in my heart, 28:53 while I still have access to it? 28:55 The days are coming. 28:56 God wants to do a new thing 28:58 by reigniting your love for His Word. 29:02 The second thing is this, 29:05 dedication to God's Word will create in you 29:08 a desire for a new thing. 29:11 Why do we need a new thing? 29:13 Because the devil is busy trying to divert our minds 29:16 from the new thing that God wants to do in us. 29:19 He's trying to distract us whether by social media, 29:22 by entertainment, by problems and trials and tribulations, 29:26 whatever the method may be. 29:27 He's trying to distract us so that we can put our hope 29:30 and trust in things that God never made a promise through. 29:34 Be very careful when the devil reaches out 29:37 and tries to give you that lollipop of false promises, 29:40 and say, if you follow this, then you will be prosperous. 29:44 Don't fall for the lie. 29:45 There are many people today that know the truth, 29:48 but they don't love the truth. 29:50 They don't love the truth, 29:51 the way that God desires for them to love it. 29:53 Do you love the truth or do you just know the truth? 29:56 There's quite a difference between knowing the truth 29:59 and loving the truth. 30:00 When you love the truth, 30:01 you build a shield against deception 30:04 and why is that vitally important? 30:06 Because the days are also coming, 30:08 that many who have known the truth 30:10 and have not embraced the truth like Joshua 30:13 and Moses and Caleb, like Elijah, 30:15 and John the Baptist and Paul and Abraham. 30:18 These men were serious about their walk with God. 30:20 And so many of our contemporary leaders, 30:22 I have learned that the greatest blessing 30:24 in my own life is when I take God's Word seriously, 30:28 and study it, 30:29 and pray for God to reveal something more to me 30:31 that I've not yet seen. 30:32 When you do that you build a wall 30:35 that will shield you from deception. 30:37 Listen to 2 Thessalonians 2:10. 30:40 The Bible speaks about the day that's coming, 30:43 "And with all unrighteous deception 30:45 among those who perish," why? 30:47 "Because they did not receive the love of the truth 30:50 that they might be saved." 30:53 I hope you're ready for what I'm about to say, 30:56 we are living in a day and age 30:57 where lies are swirling all around us. 31:00 Contemporary lies, internet lies, 31:04 political lies, religious lies, 31:07 we are being swarmed by an army of lies, 31:11 trying to distract our minds away from the Word of God. 31:15 That's why God's Word is the only safeguard 31:18 against deception. 31:19 Without the Word of God, 31:21 the smallest problem will present the largest challenge. 31:24 Without the Word of God, 31:26 the weakest foe will have the strongest impact. 31:30 Ellen White says in the book Darkness before Dawn, 31:33 page 36, and paragraph 2, very short, but very profound. 31:37 She says, listen to this. 31:39 None but those who have fortified the mind 31:43 with the truths of the Bible 31:45 will stand through the last great conflict. 31:48 What does she say? 31:49 None but those who have fortified their minds 31:52 with the truth will stand 31:53 through the last great conflict. 31:56 And how is that? 31:57 When Jesus faced temptation in the wilderness. 32:01 Hear me carefully, the contemporary Christian, 32:03 hear me carefully, the one who loves the music that we sing. 32:08 There's nothing wrong with music but don't forget this, 32:12 when Jesus faced the trials and temptations of the enemy, 32:15 He didn't say it is sung, He said, "It is written." 32:19 He pointed to the unwavering powerful Word of God. 32:22 "The Word of God is powerful and quick, 32:24 and sharper than any two-edged sword, 32:27 piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit 32:30 and joints and marrows, 32:32 and it is a discerner of the thoughts 32:34 and intents of the heart." 32:36 Hebrews 4:12. 32:37 Let the Word of God be your sword. 32:39 Let the Word of God be your defense." 32:41 I love music. 32:43 I'm a Christian singer. 32:44 I love music, but I will tell you in my hour of deep, 32:47 deep need, in my hour where I needed counsel, 32:50 I turned to the unfailing Word of God, 32:53 and I have not been ashamed. 32:54 In crossing the Jordan, 32:56 Joshua witnessed the power of God. 32:58 Why? 33:00 Because just as Moses told him, 33:02 he trusted the God who had a retinue of miracles behind him. 33:07 You see, the God of your past 33:09 can do even more in your future journey, 33:11 but you got to keep walking. 33:13 Sometimes God is not going to part the waters 33:15 of your challenges until you put your foot in the water. 33:18 He is not unable to move but sometimes 33:21 He's saying to you, you've got to move 33:24 if you want to see My hand move. 33:25 What happened in Joshua's experience? 33:27 Look at Joshua 3:17, 33:29 when they decided to take that step of faith, 33:33 the Bible says, "All Israel crossed over on dry ground, 33:37 until all the people had crossed completely 33:40 over the Jordan." 33:41 That's right, but they had to take that step of faith. 33:45 How is your faith in 2022? 33:47 Have you brought a fractured faith to a brand new year? 33:51 Do you still feel that God is not with you? 33:54 Friends, let me encourage you, 33:55 don't base your future on feeling. 33:57 Feeling is just as deceptive as the day changes. 34:00 A sunny day you may feel good, 34:01 a rainy day you may feel discouraged. 34:03 A snowy day you may just feel shut down, 34:06 depending on where you live. 34:07 A day of prosperity God is all in all, 34:10 but a day of adversity you ask the question, 34:13 where is God? 34:14 Friends, let me tell you, He is the same yesterday, 34:17 today, and forever. 34:18 God doesn't change but it's us that change. 34:21 When God called the children of Israel to go through, 34:24 there were many battles ahead of them. 34:26 When you look at the story of the leading 34:27 of the children of Israel, 34:29 the battle of Jericho was still ahead of them. 34:31 Achan in the camp was still in the camp. 34:35 The victory of Ai was still ahead of them, 34:38 but they trusted God. 34:40 You see, why did they trust God? 34:41 Because the promises of God was sure, 34:43 but there are conditions to the promises of God. 34:47 The point is before we claim the promises, 34:50 we must abide by the conditions. 34:53 Listen to this, friends, Joshua 1:6. 34:57 What did Moses tell Joshua to do? 34:59 Listen to these words, which I now challenge you with. 35:02 He says, "Be strong and of good courage..." 35:06 Get it for 2020. 35:08 "Be strong and of good courage, 35:10 for to these people you shall divide 35:13 as an inheritance the land, get this, 35:17 which I swore to their fathers to give them." 35:20 Let me pause and say something, 35:21 they didn't get the land by winning the battle. 35:24 The Lord won the battle and gave them the land, 35:26 but they focused on the giants there, 35:28 rather than the God that was greater 35:30 than all of their giants. 35:31 Joshua 1:7, 35:34 "Only be strong and very courageous." 35:38 Let me tell you something, if you don't have any courage, 35:40 buy yourself a can of courage and drink it. 35:43 Get on your knees and pray and say, Lord, 35:44 strengthen my courage. 35:46 My courage is weak but strengthen it. 35:48 Only be strong and very, 35:50 very courageous that you may observe 35:53 and do all according to all the law 35:56 which Moses my servant commanded you." 35:59 And watch this. 36:00 God does not want us to vacillate. 36:02 He said to Joshua, 36:04 "Do not turn from it to the right hand, 36:07 or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go." 36:12 Prosperity is always conditional. 36:14 And look at verse 8, 36:16 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth." 36:19 What is he saying? 36:20 Let your words be flavored with the presence 36:23 and power of God's Word. 36:25 "But you shall meditate in it day and night 36:28 that you may observe to do according 36:30 to all that is written in it. 36:34 For then you will make your way prosperous, 36:37 then you will have good success." 36:41 Did you get that? 36:42 He said to Joshua, 36:43 when you meditate on God's Word, 36:46 God's Word will be in your mouth. 36:48 I've discovered, 36:49 people have a lot of issues of life. 36:51 Those issues begin here, 36:53 then they find their place here, 36:55 then they reveal themselves here 36:57 but if God's Word is hidden in your heart, 37:00 and stored in your mind, 37:01 you will speak the Word of God as He said, 37:03 then the Word of God will be in your mouth, 37:05 and you will have good success. 37:08 The blessings of God are always connected 37:12 to the leading of God, 37:14 always connected to us being willing to be obedient to God. 37:19 But don't miss this next point. 37:21 God may not lead you 37:23 where you want to go but He always leads us 37:26 where it's best for us to go. 37:28 God may not lead you where you want to go as Jonah, 37:33 but God will always lead you 37:35 where He knows is best for you to go. 37:38 Now, my third point, the third point, 37:41 when God is with you, there is no reason to fear. 37:45 When God is with you, 37:47 and He promises to be with you in 2022, 37:50 He promises to be with your family, 37:52 He promises to be with your children. 37:54 I know people that have been praying for decades 37:56 for their children, "Pastor, will my children be saved?" 37:59 Let me tell you, friends, God says, 38:01 I will contend with those who contend with Me 38:03 and I will save their children. 38:04 There is no need to fear that God is not concerned 38:07 about your children. 38:08 He told Peter, the Lord is not slack 38:11 concerning His promises as some men count slackness, 38:14 but He's long-suffering towards us, 38:16 not willing that any should perish, 38:19 but that all should come to repentance. 38:21 God is fighting for the salvation of your children. 38:24 God is fighting for the salvation of your spouse. 38:27 God is fighting for the salvation 38:28 of your cousins and your in-laws 38:30 and your aunts and your uncles. 38:32 Keep them before the Lord in prayer. 38:34 I tell you something about God. 38:36 He has to work long because the human heart is recalcitrant. 38:39 But God can work longer than the human heart can resist Him. 38:44 God will always be with you. 38:45 There is no reason to fear. 38:47 Joshua 1:9. 38:48 Look what the Lord told Joshua. 38:51 He says, "Have I not commanded you? 38:54 Have I not commanded you? 38:56 Be strong and of good courage. 38:58 Do not be afraid, nor be dismay, 39:00 for the Lord your God is with you," get this, 39:03 "wherever you go." 39:05 My wife and I have been to a lot of places. 39:08 We've been on shaky airplanes. We've been in terrible storms. 39:11 We've been on ships that have been tossed in the night winds 39:14 and the waves that were angry but God told us, 39:18 be strong and of good courage. 39:20 Your God is with you wherever you go. 39:23 I tell the story about a pastor who was on a plane. 39:26 This was a story that was told a while ago, 39:28 it was in our time of flight. 39:30 When the plane was being tossed, 39:33 he said I whispered a prayer. 39:35 I whispered a prayer. 39:37 And he says, I knew that God was going to answer my prayer 39:41 and that the passengers would be safe. 39:43 I was on a flight one day coming back from Florida, 39:46 on Southwest Airlines. 39:48 And I was coming home to change and the very next day 39:51 go to the Philippines to join with the Heritage Singers, 39:54 as I was singing with them in 1991. 39:56 And I remember very well coming into St. Louis, 39:59 it had a stormy part of the year. 40:01 If you had not live in the Midwest, 40:03 it could be 70 degrees one day, 30 the next, 40:06 strong storms, and then snow, 40:08 it just changes randomly. 40:10 We say here in the Midwest if you don't like the weather, 40:12 just wait, it's gonna change. 40:14 But here we were descending in St. Louis. 40:16 And I was sitting next to a lady who was sitting next 40:18 to her husband and the plane was dancing through the sky. 40:22 I mean, it was going down and coming up. 40:25 It was shaking, rattling, and rolling. 40:28 It was fairly frightening but I was listening 40:31 to my songs in my headset, I was listening to the music 40:35 that I was practicing. 40:36 So when I joined with the rest of the group 40:38 in the Philippines, there in Mindanao, 40:40 the Heritage Singers, that I would know the songs, 40:43 I would bring them back to my memory. 40:45 And I remember listening to a song that simply says, 40:48 I know the peace speaker, I know him by name. 40:52 And I heard that lady next to me whimpering 40:54 and burying her head in her husband shoulder 40:57 and just, when the plane would dip, 40:59 she would let out a small scream, 41:02 but I heard it and I had some headsets on 41:05 and I took them off and I tapped the lady 41:07 on the shoulder and I said I have a song 41:08 I want you to listen to. 41:13 She says, "Who are you?" 41:15 And I said, "I'm John Lomacang, 41:16 I'm a pastor." 41:19 "What song do you want me to listen to?" 41:20 Just listen to it. 41:23 And she put the headsets on. 41:25 And she listened to that song 41:27 peace speaker until the plane landed safely 41:30 at the St. Louis Airport. 41:32 She took the headsets off. 41:33 She says what do you do? 41:35 I said, I told you I'm a pastor. 41:37 See, she said, "Well, why are you so calm?" 41:40 She said, "You should be a motivational speaker." 41:42 I said, "I'm not a motivational speaker, 41:44 but I trust God's Word." 41:46 And these words I never forgot. 41:48 She said to me, "Thank you for allowing me 41:51 to travel with you." 41:53 You see, friends, I know the peace speaker 41:55 I know him by name. 41:57 And when the storms of life rattle your faith, 42:00 when the difficulties of life 42:01 challenge the things you have read, 42:03 when the storms of life say to you, 42:06 it's only by God's grace that you will land on the ground 42:09 of God's promises. 42:11 Hold on to the Lord. 42:12 When she said thank you for allowing me 42:15 to travel with her, with me... 42:18 Thank you for allowing me to travel with you, 42:19 she told me that. 42:21 I thought, wow, praise God. 42:23 Once I was on my way to Lake Tahoe. 42:25 This is my wife and I were living in California 42:27 and I saw a sticker one day 42:29 and I cut off just a small portion 42:32 that I really liked. 42:34 And on the back of our forerunner, 42:36 when people drove behind us, 42:37 we had this black sticker with the white lettering. 42:40 I'm on a mission for God. 42:42 And I loved it when people pulled us over at rest areas 42:44 they say I saw your sticker. 42:46 And they said, "What do you do?" 42:47 I said, "I'm a pastor, I'm on a mission from God." 42:49 Friends, I want you to be on a mission for God. 42:52 When you are on a mission for God, 42:54 you can accept the words of Joshua, 42:56 for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 43:00 You see the simple math is this to all who seek Him, 43:03 Christ will become the present help in time of need, 43:06 and they will have a strong faith 43:07 in the day of trial. 43:09 When you trust God, you will have a strong faith 43:13 in the day of trial. 43:15 Why is that necessary? 43:17 Because in 2022, 43:18 the economy may not be with you, 43:21 but God is. 43:22 Your family may not be with you, but God is. 43:27 Your diagnosis may not be the best, 43:30 but God is always at His best. 43:34 But the Lord cannot bless you and do a new thing 43:37 if you are content with the old. 43:40 Be strong and of good courage. 43:42 God will be with you wherever you go. 43:45 But the next condition is God cannot bless you 43:48 with a new thing if you are content with the old. 43:54 Here are the words of the Apostle Paul 43:55 in 2 Corinthians 5:17. 43:58 Listen to this and this applies very much to 2022. 44:01 As a matter of fact, every day of your life. 44:04 He says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, 44:08 he is a new creation. 44:10 Old things have passed away, 44:12 behold, all things have become new." 44:15 Now I've applied that to 2021, and 2022. 44:18 Old things have passed away 2021, 44:22 all things have become new, but how are they new? 44:25 If anyone is in Christ, that person, that young man, 44:29 that young woman, that husband, that wife, that family, 44:31 that marriage, that is a new thing, 44:34 a new creation. 44:35 God can make something new out of something old. 44:39 God can bring blessings out of the pit of your life. 44:42 God can turn your dark days into sunny days. 44:45 God can do anything that has never been the challenge. 44:49 But the challenge is, do you want to trust God? 44:51 Do you want to be a new thing? 44:54 Here's my words of encouragement, 44:55 four very quick points. 44:57 Don't focus on what you came out of, 44:59 focus on where God is leading you. 45:01 Don't focus on what you came out of, 45:04 focus on where God is leading you. 45:06 That is why, get this, that is why the rearview mirror 45:10 is so much smaller than the windshield. 45:12 So many of you spend your time looking back, 45:15 God is saying look at the grand possibilities before you. 45:18 Don't become a rearview mirror Christian, 45:21 focus on the promises of God that are ahead of you. 45:24 When we focus on the promises of God ahead of us, 45:27 we don't get distracted by the failures 45:29 that are behind us. 45:30 Second thing, 45:31 don't focus on the deserted wilderness behind you, 45:35 focus on the abundant Promised Land ahead of you. 45:38 Don't focus on the deserted wilderness behind you, 45:41 focus on the abundant field of promises ahead of you. 45:45 And while time is winding down, 45:48 make sure your prayers are going up. 45:51 Time is winding down. 45:53 But now more than ever before, 45:55 we should make sure that our prayers are going up. 45:58 We will learn that the only thing 45:59 that is good about bad news is it is temporary 46:04 and it will keep us on our knees. 46:06 God allows difficulty to come to remind us 46:09 that we should not feel that we can stand on our feet 46:13 until we have learned that we could kneel on our knees. 46:18 Don't focus on the things that we can't control. 46:20 Focus on the one that is still in control. 46:23 The problem is not God. 46:26 The problem is us. 46:28 We try to control things that only God knows 46:30 He can control. 46:31 And when often we settle for less, 46:34 help us to remember Lord, 46:35 don't settle for less than what God desires for you. 46:39 God wants to do a new thing. 46:44 Many years ago, I read a story about one of our presidents 46:46 and I looked at his life. 46:48 It's just like the journey of all the Christians. 46:49 When we look at the life of where this president 46:52 eventually ended up. 46:54 He had the life like Joshua, listen to his resume. 46:57 Difficult childhood, 46:59 less than one year of formal schooling, 47:02 failed in business in 1831. 47:05 Defeated for Legislature in 1832. 47:09 Again failed in business in 1833. 47:12 Elected to Legislature in 1834. 47:15 That's what happened. 47:16 He was elected to Legislature in 1834. 47:19 Fiancee died. 47:20 His fiancee died, she died. 47:23 When did she die? In 1835. 47:26 He was defeated for speaker of the house in 1838. 47:32 Defeated for electorate in 1840. 47:34 He got married in 1842. 47:37 Only one of his sons lived past the age of 18. 47:41 Defeated for Congress in 1843. 47:44 It keeps going. 47:46 Elected to Congress in 1846. 47:48 Defeated again for Congress in 1848. 47:52 Defeated for Senate in 1855. 47:54 Defeated for President in 1856. 47:58 Defeated for Senate in 1858. 48:01 Elected president in 1860. 48:04 Who am I talking about? 48:06 Notice all the defeats and all the failures, 48:08 but he kept going. 48:09 He kept going because he believed 48:11 that the God he served 48:12 and when you study about this man's life, 48:14 he had a connection with God. 48:17 Let me tell you what he said before I tell you who he is. 48:21 He said the probability that we may fail in the struggle 48:26 ought not to deter us from the support of the cause 48:29 we believe to be just, His name is Abraham Lincoln. 48:33 Failed, failed, failed, defeated, defeated, 48:35 defeated eventually became president in 1860. 48:39 So many of us fail when we're that much closer 48:42 to our destination than we used to be. 48:45 So many people fall short of the blessing of God 48:49 because they cannot endure the defeats of their lives. 48:51 And I'm sure that you listening to me today. 48:53 I'm sure you've had defeats. 48:55 I'm sure you had trials and tribulations. 48:57 I'm sure that you faced things 48:59 that have taken your faith 49:01 almost to the point of exhaustion, 49:03 but learn from those who stuck in there, 49:05 who hung in there. 49:07 Winston Churchill said, 49:09 "Success is never final and failure is never fatal. 49:13 It is the courage to continue that counts." 49:17 When you study how Winston Churchill became a statesman, 49:21 that many people inspired, that was the cadence, 49:24 that was the mantra of his life. 49:26 Success is never final and failure is never fatal. 49:30 It is the courage to continue that counts. 49:33 If God brought you to 2022, 49:36 He wants to give you the courage to continue, 49:39 and the courage to trust His Word 49:41 is what's going to count in the end. 49:43 You can give up in the wilderness and say 49:44 God is unfaithful. 49:46 God has not giving me what I desire. 49:49 The reason may be because what you desire 49:51 is not what God wants you to have. 49:52 And He'll hold you back until you say, 49:56 let me accept what God alone has for me. 49:59 Remember, once again, He's the one that says, 50:02 I know the plans I have for you, 50:04 plans to prosper you, not to harm you, 50:07 to give you a future, and the hope. 50:09 Henry Ford forgot to put a reverse gear in his first car. 50:13 Can you imagine that? 50:14 The very first Ford car had no reverse gear. 50:17 Now that may be an epiphany. 50:19 Maybe he never intended to go backwards 50:22 but we know the story, 50:24 he just forgot to put a reverse gear 50:25 but that was the way he thought. 50:28 When you build something, it's intended to go forward, 50:30 why put a gear to go backward. 50:33 Some of us only need a forward gear 50:36 because some of us are too familiar 50:38 with going backward. 50:39 Success is not how you start 50:42 but success is how you finish. 50:45 Friends, God's got a tremendous plan for your life. 50:48 Success is not how you start but success is how you finish. 50:53 For Paul the Apostle, Jerusalem was a tough place. 50:57 But he continued trusting God. 50:59 It was a place of torment and tribulation. 51:01 But Jerusalem was not his goal, heaven was. 51:05 Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul, 51:07 in Acts 20:24, notice what he says. 51:11 He says, "But none of these things moved me," 51:13 all that he went through, none of these things moved him, 51:16 he said, none of them moved him. 51:17 "Nor do I count my life dear to myself, he said, 51:21 so that I may finish my race with joy and the ministry, 51:26 which I received from the Lord Jesus, 51:30 to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." 51:33 He says that if you're going to continue going forward, 51:36 you need the grace of God. 51:37 That's why toward the end of his life, 51:39 he made the statement, I fought a good fight, 51:42 I finished my course, I kept the faith, 51:45 I'm going to say that to you. 51:46 2022 is just beginning, but let me tell you, 51:50 as never before, fight a good fight of faith, 51:53 stay in there and finish the course. 51:55 So one day you can say I kept the faith. 51:57 And then you will be able to say 51:58 what the Apostle Paul continued to say, 52:00 there is, therefore, a crown of righteousness 52:03 laid up for me, and not from me only, 52:06 but unto all those that love His appearing. 52:10 Are you looking for the crown? 52:12 Well, if you remember the life of Jesus, 52:13 the cross comes before the crown. 52:16 But God is the specialist and God will work 52:20 through your failures to reverse them 52:23 to become successes. 52:24 Well, how do I know that? 52:26 How do I know that God can work through our failures 52:29 and turn them around into successes? 52:32 How do I know that God can take the worst plans, 52:35 and later on turn those plans around 52:37 that His better plans will rise to the surface? 52:41 Paul knows that. 52:43 Romans 8:28, have you forgotten that? 52:45 He says, and we know 52:47 that all things work together for good, 52:52 not all good things, but all things the bad 52:54 and the good, the ugly and the pretty, 52:56 the up and the down, the plenty and the few, 52:59 all things work together for good to those who, 53:01 get this, love God. 53:03 The question is, do you love God? 53:05 If you love God, all the things you face 53:08 young lady is going to work out. 53:10 Patient husband, it's going to work out. 53:12 Desperate single lady, desperate, single young man, 53:16 wondering what your future is, it's going to work out. 53:19 If you love God, it's going to work out. 53:21 If you are one of the called according to His purpose, 53:25 it's going to work out. 53:27 But as I close, let me give you some very important counsel. 53:30 The question is do we believe? 53:33 Do we really believe that all things work together 53:36 for good to those who love God? 53:37 Here's the formula for God to do a new thing in your life. 53:41 You cannot start the next chapter of your life 53:44 if you keep reading the last one. 53:46 Did you hear what I said? 53:47 You can't start the next chapter of your life 53:49 if you are stuck in the chapter of 2021 or 2019 or 18. 53:54 Stop reading the last chapter 53:56 and let God do a new thing in your life. 54:00 The formula for God to take you on a new walk, a new journey, 54:03 you will never make room in your mind for Canaan 54:07 if you keep looking back to Egypt. 54:09 Yeah, you had failures, 54:11 you have the things you did that you wish you never did 54:13 but make room in your mind for Canaan, 54:16 and stop making room in your mind for Egypt. 54:19 The formula for getting ready for God to do a new thing is, 54:23 it is not what we need, but it is whom we need. 54:26 It is not what we paid for, but what Jesus paid for. 54:31 It is not the thrill of getting more, 54:34 but it is the blessing of being more. 54:37 It is not the connection to earthly relatives, 54:40 but the connection to our Heavenly Father. 54:43 Yes, God wants to do a new thing in your life 54:45 for 2022, but are you ready for that new thing? 54:48 God can do amazingly, 54:51 abundantly above all that you can ask or think. 54:54 Well, how do I know that? 54:56 There were intervals in my ministry 54:58 that I wanted to give up, 54:59 but I look back on those days 55:01 when I was about to break like a bruised reed in the wind 55:05 and I heard a still small voice say to me, 55:06 "Hold on, the best is yet to come." 55:10 Pastor John wouldn't be talking 55:11 to you today if he had given up 55:13 in the difficult moments of life. 55:15 My wife and I would not be in our 30th year 55:16 of marriage if we allow the difficulties 55:18 of the world to crush us. 55:20 We could have been working somewhere else 55:22 doing something else because God allows 55:24 those trials to come to refine us, 55:26 not to break us, not to bruise us, 55:29 God desires to do something new. 55:31 And the fact of the matter is, 55:33 we are not already there yet. 55:34 But here are the parting words of the Apostle Paul. 55:36 He says in Philippians 3:12-14, hear these words, 55:40 as I talk about the new thing 55:42 that God wants to do in your life. 55:44 2021 is gone, 55:47 it's buried, it's never going to come back. 55:49 And some of you are saying to God be the glory, 55:51 I don't want to see it again 55:53 but 2022 lies before you clear pages. 55:57 Here are the words of a man who understands 55:59 what it means to press. 56:01 Philippians 3:12, 56:03 "Not that I have already attained 56:05 or am already perfected, but I press on, 56:08 friends, time to press on, 56:10 that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus 56:13 has also laid hold of me. 56:16 Brethren, he says in," verse 13, 56:18 "I do not count myself to have apprehended 56:21 but one thing I do," 56:22 if there's one thing you do here it is, 56:24 "forgetting those things which are behind, 56:27 and reaching forward to those things 56:29 which are ahead. 56:31 I press toward the goal for the prize 56:34 of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." 56:38 And in one of my favorite books, 56:39 Desire of Ages, 56:40 God's servant says this on page 224 and 225, 56:44 God never leads His children 56:46 otherwise then they would choose to be led 56:50 if they could see the end from the beginning, 56:53 and discern the glory of the purpose, 56:56 which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him. 57:00 Friends, God wants to do a new thing in us, 57:04 but it can only occur 57:06 if we allow the Lord to be in us. 57:09 2022 is before you. 57:11 God is with you. 57:13 Be strong and of good courage. 57:14 The future is going to be bright. 57:16 There are gonna be some rainy days, 57:18 but the sun will come out 57:19 tomorrow as a songwriter said, 57:22 God wants to do a new thing and I say to you once again, 57:25 welcome to 2022, 57:28 let us paint dry on the promises of God. |
Revised 2022-02-03