Sermon Overview
Scripture Reference: Genesis 1; Ephesians 1
God made man and woman to have dominion, victory, and mastery; it is the very reason we were created. Once we understand this, we can come together as a conquering church and take back what was lost by Adam and was restored by Jesus Christ, the Second Adam.
According to Genesis 1:26, God gave dominion on earth to Adam.
But Satan, a fallen angel who became the father of the night, lost the battle in Heaven and hopes to win the battle on Earth.
He came to the Garden of Eden as a serpent and tempted Adam and Eve to sin; therefore, they turned dominion over to him and became his slaves.
But this dominion, legally lost by Adam, was righteously regained by Jesus Christ!
Adrian Rogers says, “God owes Satan nothing, but God owes everything to His own justice. Jesus Christ came to this Earth as the second Adam, to gain back what the first Adam lost.”
It was lost by a man, and it was legally restored by a man: “For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
Satan tried to tempt Jesus to sin as he had tempted Adam (Luke 4), but Jesus defeated Him by the Word of God. At Calvary, when Jesus died and was buried, the devil believed he had won. But three days later, Jesus walked out of the grave and brought back dominion that had been lost.
Finally, this dominion has been gloriously given to the Church.
Ephesians 1:22-23 says, “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
When God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, He raised us up as well. The devil wants to keep us in the dark so that we never see the incredible power we’ve been given. But when we finally recognize it, all Heaven will break loose.
Apply it to your life
Adrian Rogers says, “The same weapons that belonged to Adam in the Garden of Eden were the weapons that Jesus Christ used in the wilderness.” Spend some time in Scripture, dwell on the Word of God, exercising your dominion, rightfully restored by Jesus Christ.
When we come together, we begin to see God's plan for hope in these dark days.
God made man to have dominion. Do you think that is true today? Read any newspaper, see the rape, the murder, the war, the riots, the famine, the disaster, the heartache, the tears, the fears, the failures of mankind.
Man, given dominion, has lost that dominion. We're going to look at how it was lost and how our dear Lord has bought it back for us, that we might live and walk in victory.
Welcome to Love Worth Finding, featuring the timeless teaching of pastor and author Adrian Rogers. God made men and women to have dominion, victory and mastery. It is the very reason we were created.
Once we understand this, we can come together as a conquering church and take back what was lost by Adam and restored by Jesus Christ, the second Adam. If you have your Bible, turn to Ephesians chapter 2, as Adrian Rogers shares this message, a conquering church.
Look in Genesis chapter 1 in verse 26. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Remember when God made Adam and Eve.
He made them king and queen of his domain. And God gave them rule. He was made for mastery.
Do you think that is true today? Read any newspaper. See the rape, the murder, the war, the riots, the famine, the disaster, the heartache, the tears, the fears, the failures of mankind.
Man, given dominion, has lost that dominion. We're going to look at how it was lost and how our dear Lord has bought it back for us and given it to every Bible-believing church and to every spirit-filled Christian that we might live and walk in victory. Three things I want to lay upon your heart.
Now, go to Ephesians with me, and I want you to see what happened to this dominion. First of all, I want you to see that this dominion was legally lost by Adam. Now, underscore the word legally.
Legally lost by Adam. Now, look, if you will, in Ephesians chapter 2, verses 1 and 2. And you, hath he quickened, that literally means were made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sin.
Wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. There's a dark, malevolent force at work in the world today. And you can look around and see it is the power of Satan.
Now, how did this come to pass? Well, Satan is a created being. He's not co-equal or co-eternal with God the Father.
God created him. A perfect angel. The highest of the high.
He was the vice regent in heaven. He received worship and passed it on to the father. He was like a high priest.
But the Bible says that he fell by the multitude of his merchandise. That is, what passed through his hands began to stick to his fingers. He took this praise and looked at it and said, You know, I ought to have some of that.
I'm too great, too strong, too wise, too beautiful not to be worshiped. I will be like the most high. And Satan was banished from heaven.
He fell from heaven, and a third of the angels fell with him and became demon spirits. Now Satan, having lost the battle in heaven, comes to this earth hoping to win the battle on earth, failing to enshrine himself in heaven. He wants to enshrine himself here upon this earth and receive worship from humankind because it has always been his dark, devilish motive to be worshiped.
And so Adam was conned, seduced by Satan to turn it all over to Satan. Now you see, God gave to Adam dominion. And when God gave it, he gave it.
Just as Lucifer had a will, Adam had a will. And so God gave to Adam and Eve this dominion. And since it was given, it legally belonged to Adam.
And Adam legally turned it over to Satan. Now it was a stupid thing that Adam did. Sure, Satan beguiled him.
Surely, Satan tempted him. But nonetheless, Adam was guilty by turning the dominion, the rule, the authority that God had given him over to Satan. It was legally given, and it was legally lost.
Now how did Adam turn it over to Satan? What happened? Well, Adam, rather than obeying God, disobeyed God and began to obey Satan, and when he did, he became Satan's slave.
Here's a key verse, Romans chapter 6 and verse 16. And know ye not that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are, literally means his slaves you are, to whom you obey. Whether of sin, under death, or of obedience, under righteousness.
Now some people say, no, God still is the God of this world. No, he's not. Satan is the God of this world.
Put it down. Second Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 4, in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not. Lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is in the image of God, should shine under them.
The Bible tells us in Luke chapter 4 that Satan took Jesus up to a high mountain and in a moment showed him all of the kingdoms of the world. And he said to the son of God, look, all of this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me. Now, Jesus said, It is written, thou shalt worship the Lord God and him only.
Jesus did not say, it is not yours to give. Jesus recognized that it was now dominion that was legally held by Satan. The Apostle Paul calls him the God of this world.
And he had that dominion that Adam gave to him, and he offered to give to the Lord Jesus Christ. So the first thing I want you to notice, this dominion was legally lost by a man whose name was Adam. Second thing, this dominion was rightfully, and may I say righteously, regained by another man, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now God's mighty plan was to righteously take back Adam's lost estate and give it to the sons and the daughters of men. But now listen very carefully, Church. It was legally lost.
It must be legally restored. Now God is God. We all know that.
God can do anything He wishes to do. God could have just stepped in and said, Satan, be gone. I obliterate you, and I take back everything that Adam delivered unto you, and now I'm going to give it to a new race of people.
You're gone. I'm starting all over again. Wash my hands of you.
He could do that. But why didn't he do that? Because God is true to his own justice.
God owes Satan nothing, but God owes to himself very much, and God owes to himself that sense of righteousness and justice. And if God had simply dismissed Satan, sin would have ultimately won, even though God just simply dismissed him. Now, God has a plan to get back what Adam lost.
And God's plan is centered in a man. Now, dominion was given to a man. Dominion was lost by man, and dominion must be regained by man.
And so God says, who can regain what Adam lost? Well, none of the sons of men can do that, because all of the sons of Adam have the sinful nature of Adam. And a sinner can redeem no one, yet the redeemer must be a man.
This is the reason for Christmas, that God became a man. Jesus Christ, who had dwelt from all eternity in the bosom of the Father, the eternal Son with the eternal Father, stepped out of the ivory palaces, came into this world of woe, became a man that he might redeem us. Now, listen, don't miss it.
It's so important that you understand this, that Jesus did not redeem us as God, but he redeemed us as man. 1 Corinthians 15, verses 21 and 22, For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
You say, who's Adam? I didn't vote for him. Why should what he did affect me?
Well, friend, if there had been no Adam, there wouldn't be any of you. We're tied up in Adam. The Bible really only recognizes two men, Adam and his progeny, and Jesus and his progeny, those who are in Adam and those who are in Christ.
Now, in Adam all die, in Christ all will be made alive. Notice, since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. Do you get the emphasis by man?
Satan, when he saw the second Adam come, realized that his kingdom is threatened, that the second Adam has come to undo and to buy back what the first Adam did in lost. And so Satan gathers all of the artillery of hell to aim it on this second man, this Lord from heaven, to get him to sin. Because if Satan can get him to sin, he has won the victory.
Now, I remind you one more time that when Satan came against Jesus, Jesus could have said, Look, Satan, I am not only a man, but I am also God. And as God, I banish you. But he didn't do that.
Why didn't he do that? He had to defeat Satan as man and be true to his justice. He was given to a man, lost by man, and must be regained by man.
And so the Lord Jesus Christ comes to this earth, and there is a battle. And that battle is a battle to get the Lord Jesus Christ into sin. First of all, there was the wilderness temptation.
Jesus is baptized. He begins his public ministry at the age of 30. Luke chapter 4 tells us that he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted, to be tested by Satan.
It's all a part of God's plan. Jesus is not running from the battle. And then the Bible says, I think, a great understatement.
Afterward, he hungered. Forty days and forty nights, yes, I suppose so. And Satan comes to him in this weakened condition.
Satan comes to Jesus with a temptation. He said, look, if you're the son of God, command these stones that they be made bread. And Jesus answered, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
And what did Jesus do? He unsheathed the sword of the Word of God and he ran Satan through. Satan, wounded, comes back again with another temptation.
Satan says, come up here. Let me show you the kingdoms of this world. I'll give them all to you if you'll bow down and worship me.
Jesus unsheathed the sword again from the Book of Deuteronomy. I have an idea he must have been doing his devotions in the Book of Deuteronomy. He said, it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God only, and him shalt thou serve.
Satan recoils again. He comes back the third time. He said, why don't you go up there to the pinnacle of the temple?
And jump off, and the angels will come and bear you down, and you come floating into the court of the temple, and everybody will think you're the Messiah. Jesus said, it is written, you shall not tempt the Lord your God. Three times Jesus ran him through with the sword of the Word of God.
Now, the important thing for you to understand is this, that Luke 4 verse 1 says he was led of the Spirit, filled with the Spirit, anointed by the Spirit in the wilderness. Number two, that he used the Word of God over and over and over again. Why is that so important?
Because Jesus did not defeat Satan as God would defeat Satan. He defeated Satan as man should defeat Satan. The same weapons that Jesus used in the wilderness were the weapons that were available to Adam in the garden.
What were they? The Spirit of God in the Word of God. Jesus, filled with the Spirit, taking the Word of God, won that victory over Satan.
Now, the Bible says that Satan withdrew for a more opportune time. The battle was not over. Satan did not give up easily.
He waited. The most opportune time that he saw next was dark, bloody Gethsemane. Jesus was in such agony in dark Gethsemane that his sweat came as great drops of blood.
All of the forces of hell were battering against the Lord Jesus there in Gethsemane. Metaphorically, there was a cup, and that cup was being pressed to the lips of the Lord Jesus for him to drink. Your sin, my sin, their sin, all the sins that ever have been, all the sins that ever will be, were in that cup.
And Jesus was to drink that cup. Why? Because God had made him to be sinned for us, not a sinner, but sinned for us.
That we might be made the righteousness of God in him. It was part of God's plan that Jesus would take our sin, carry our sin to the cross, on the cross, with his rich red royal blood, pay the penalty for our sin. But without shedding the blood, there's no remission.
Adam got us into a mess. The second Adam came to get us out. Satan is defeated again, and he shrinks back.
The third round comes in this battle. It's Calvary. Surely he will turn his back now.
Surely he will not allow himself to be put on the cross. He said, no man taketh my life from me. I lay it down on myself.
The only man that Jesus ever refused to save was himself. And Jesus, in agony and blood, bowed his head, paid the price, and said to Telestai, it is finished, it is paid in full. Satan's back was broken, but he doesn't give up yet.
They took the Lord Jesus Christ and put him in the grave, and Pilate said, make it as sure as you can. And they put the seal of the Roman government on it. But three days later, the son of God woke up and walked out of that grave.
Jesus then went down into the nether world to declare that the battle had been won. And Satan said, oh, oh, don't let him ascend and present the blood in the glory. But the grave could not hold him.
The nether world could not keep him. And Jesus ascended the high hills of glory, and there in the tabernacle, not pitched by men, but by God, took the precious blood and offered it there, and then sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. How did he do this?
As a sinless man. He was God. I'm not diminishing his deity.
Be careful you don't diminish his humanity or you'll miss the whole thing. That he, as man, brought back what a man had lost, and now he is seated in the heavens. Now the third and final thing I want you to see and very quickly, I want you to see what I'm going to call the dominion that is now gloriously given to the church.
Look, if you will, here in Ephesians again, chapter 1, verses 22 and 23, the Bible says, And God hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. I have a feeling that I need to back up and go to verse 17. Paul is praying.
He says, Oh, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of him. Paul says, Oh, church, don't miss this. Have the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you might know what is the hope of his calling and the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward, who believe according to the working of his mighty power.
Look at it, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at its own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and has put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. Skip over to chapter 2 verse 6. And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
You see, Paul is saying, Oh God, open their eyes. Oh God, help them to see it. Oh God, give them understanding that they have been co-crucified, co-buried, co-raised, co-ascended, and co-seated with Jesus in the heavenlies.
And dominion has been given back to them. Now, friend, let me tell you this. I want you to understand it.
Listen from my heart. If you don't have dominion, if you're not living in dominion, it's not because the devil is so powerful. Listen.
Satan has no power over you. None does he have over you. None.
Jesus said, I give you authority over all the power of the enemy. All, all, all, all. Now, you say, then, why don't I have it?
Paul said, oh God, open their eyes. Oh God, give them the wisdom of understanding that they might know what they have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Adam lost it.
Jesus, as a man, brought it back. And now he has given it back to you through his cross. Now, if you're not yet saved, aren't you tired of being Satan's plaything?
Aren't you tired of being a slave to Satan when Jesus has set you free? The fact that Jesus undid what Adam did does you no good at all unless you accept it or receive it. It does you no good.
Until you believe it, receive it, and take a new master, the Lord Jesus Christ. Either you are in Adam, a slave of Satan, or you are in Christ. Would you like to be in Christ?
Pray and ask him to come into your heart. Say, Lord, I'm a sinner. I cannot save or redeem myself.
Lord Jesus, you died to save me. You promised to save me if I would trust you. I do trust you, Lord Jesus.
I receive you now as my Lord and Savior.
And if you prayed to receive Jesus just now, we would love to celebrate with you. Go to our Find God's Love page at the website, and you'll discover answers you may need about your newfound faith. Go to lwf.org/radio and click the tab that says Find God's Love.
Welcome to His Forever Family. We can't wait to hear from you today. Now if you'd like to order a copy of today's message in its entirety, call us at 1-877-LOVE-GOD.
Mention the title, A Conquering Church. You can also order online or write us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee, 381-83. Well, Adrian Rogers said the same weapons that belonged to Adam in the Garden of Eden were the weapons that Jesus Christ used in the wilderness.
Spend some time in Scripture. Dwell on the Word of God. Exercise your dominion rightfully restored by Jesus Christ.
And join us next time for more from Adrian Rogers, right here on Love Worth Finding.
We were so encouraged by a comment from a listener who took a poll recently and said these words, even though I have heard many sermons and sermon series before, they are always pertinent to the current times and continue to lift my spirits and knowledge of the word. It remains fresh. You know at Love Worth Finding we are honored to be able to share these timeless teachings and exciting new resources we have to help you flourish in your faith.
And to thank you for your gift right now, we'd love to send you a copy of our new book, A Final Charge to the Church. This book derives directly from the transcripts of Pastor Roger's final messages from the pulpit. Our prayer is that every church and the church as a whole would embrace the characteristics fleshed out in Pastor Roger's final charge to the church.
Call for your copy. You can give at 1-877-LOVE-GOD or give online at lwf.org/radio.
In this enlightening episode, we delve into the formidable power of praise, especially during life's tumultuous storms. With heartfelt insights, Adrian Rogers draws from the narrative of King Jehoshaphat to illustrate the potent force that worship holds in overcoming adversities. As adversaries loom large, infusing intentional praise between strategic actions becomes a beacon of hope and a source of divine energy that confuses and defeats enemies.
SPEAKER 01 :
Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers has introduced people all over the world to the love of Jesus Christ and has impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound truth simply stated. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here's Adrian Rogers.
SPEAKER 02 :
Second Chronicles chapter 20. The message tonight is a serious message, but a helpful message, and it deals with praise. It deals with praising God IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE. THE TITLE OF THE MESSAGE, THE POWER OF PRAISE. NOW PRAISE IS A VERY POWERFUL THING. AS A MATTER OF FACT, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN ENJOY THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WITHOUT PRAISE. IT'S PRAISE THAT JUST INFUSES THE JOY AND LETS THE JOY BEGIN TO FLOW. IF YOU'RE HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH JOY, IT IS PROBABLY BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT PRAISING THE LORD. NOW BE HONEST, HOW MANY FOLKS ENJOY SPORTS, FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? LET ME SEE YOUR HAND. THAT'S MOST OF US, MOST OF US. IF THAT'S A SIN, I PLEAD GUILTY. I REALLY DO, I ENJOY WATCHING SPORTS. I ENJOY WATCHING FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL, ESPECIALLY FOOTBALL. BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN MY FAVORITE TEAM IS PLAYING, AND, AND SOMETHING WONDERFUL HAPPENS, I MEAN, THERE'S A SPECTACULAR CATCH OR SOME INCREDIBLE PLAY, SOME, SOMETHING THAT IS JUST STUPENDOUS, I HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING. I MEAN, EVEN IF I'M WATCHING BY MYSELF, JOYCE CAN HEAR ME IN THE OTHER END OF THE HOUSE. I JUST HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING. UH, I, IF, IF, IF WE SCORE OR WHATEVER, I HAVE TO SAY, ALL RIGHT, OR THAT'S GOOD, OR WOW, OR, YEAH. YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LIKE, DON'T YOU DO THAT? DO YOU DO THAT? YOU JUST, AH. IF YOU DON'T SAY ANYTHING WHEN IT'S HAPPENING, YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THAT GAME IS GOING TO BE GREATLY DIMINISHED. TRY IT SOMETIME. JUST TRY SITTING THERE AND WATCHING A BALL GAME AND DON'T EXPRESS YOURSELF. JUST WATCH IT. DON'T SAY ANYTHING AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. YOUR JOY, YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THAT GAME WILL DIMINISH. SOME FOLKS SIT HERE IN CHURCH, BLESS ME IF YOU CAN. THEY DON'T GET ANYTHING OUT OF IT. IF THEY DO, IT'S GREATLY DIMINISHED. YOU GET INTO IT. BEGIN TO PRAISE. BEGIN TO LAUGH. BEGIN TO SAY AMEN. BEGIN TO NOD YOUR HEAD. PARTICIPATE. GIVE GOD THE GLORY. THE JOY WILL START TO FLOW. QUIT JUST BEING A NON-ENTITY IN A SERVICE LIKE THIS. YOU KNOW, IT, IT HELPS TO PRAISE IN TIME OF JOY AND, AND, UH, PRAISE BRINGS JOY. AND IT HELPS TO PRAISE IN TIME OF HELP. WHEN YOU'VE, WHEN SOMEBODY'S DONE SOMETHING FOR YOU, LEARN TO PRAISE THEM. GIVE HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE. THERE'S POWER IN THAT.
SPEAKER 1 :
HUH.
SPEAKER 02 :
A WOMAN TOLD A PREACHER, SHE SAID, THAT WAS A WONDERFUL SERMON. He said, well, praise the Lord. She said it wasn't that wonderful. Just praise one another. And praise God when God has done something for you. Give Him thanks. But one of the ways and things we need to do, one of the things we need to do and one of the ways that we need to praise is to praise in time of trouble. AND I WANT YOU TO SEE HERE IN A CLASSIC PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE THAT FROM TIME TO TIME WE'VE LOOKED AT, BUT WE MUST NEED TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN, SECOND CHRONICLES CHAPTER 20, SECOND CHRONICLES CHAPTER 20. AND I, FIRST THING I WANT YOU TO SEE IS WHAT I'M GOING TO CALL A POWERFUL FOE, A POWERFUL FOE. LOOK, VERSES ONE AND TWO, AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THIS ALSO THAT THE CHILDREN OF MOAB, and the children of Ammon, with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. And there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side, Syria, AND BEHOLD, THEY THAT BE IN HAZARZON, HAZARZONTAMON, WHICH IS ANGEDDON." NOW HERE IS KING JEHOSHAPHAT, A GOOD KING. HE LOVES THE LORD AND HE'S TOLD, YOU'VE GOT SOME ENEMIES OUT THERE. THERE ARE THREE POWERFUL KINGS THAT ARE COMING AGAINST YOU. THE INHABITANTS THERE OF AMAM AND MOAB AND MOUNT SEIR HAVE COME AGAINST YOU. WE MIGHT AS WELL MAKE UP OUR MIND AND REAFFIRM THE, THE TRUTH THAT WE HAVE THREE MIGHTY KINGS THAT COME AGAINST US ON A REGULAR BASIS, SIN, SORROW, AND DEATH. THESE ARE THE CHRISTIANS' THREE GREAT FOES, THE WORLD'S THREE GREAT FOES, SIN, SORROW, AND DEATH. AND WE'RE FACED WITH THEM TIME AND TIME AGAIN. SO NUMBER ONE, A POWERFUL FOE. EVERY ONE OF US WHO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WILL MEET OPPOSITION FROM TIME TO TIME, AND SOMETIMES THE OPPOSITION WILL BE FIERCE. NUMBER TWO, NOT ONLY WAS THERE A POWERFUL FOE, BUT THANK GOD KING JEHOSHAPHAT MADE A POSITIVE FOCUS. LOOK IN VERSE THREE, AND JEHOSHAPHAT FEARED AND SET HIMSELF TO SEEK THE LORD AND PROCLAIM TO FAST THROUGHOUT ALL JUDAH. HE SET HIMSELF TO SEEK THE LORD." NOW GOD FOR JEHOSHAPHAT WAS HIS FIRST THOUGHT, NOT HIS LAST RESORT. JEHOSHAPHAT SAID, THE ENEMY'S OUT THERE, BUT GOD IS UP HERE, AND I AM GOING TO SEEK THE LORD WITH ALL OF MY HEART. A POWERFUL FOE CAUSED HIM TO HAVE A POSITIVE FOCUS. HE SET HIMSELF TO SEEK THE LORD. AND NOT ONLY WAS THERE A POSITIVE FOCUS, BUT THERE WAS A PROCLAIMED FAST. LOOK IF YOU WILL IN VERSE THREE, THE LAST PART, AND HE PROCLAIMED A FAST THROUGHOUT ALL JUDAH. AMERICA IS SICK. IT IS TIME FOR THE CHURCH OF THE LORD GOD TO SHARPEN HER FOCUS and proclaim a fast to seek God. It is not that by fasting we buy God's blessings. God's blessings are always by grace, but yet God does business with those that mean business. And when we have a positive focus, fasting just simply sharpens the focus. It causes us to think about God in a way that nothing else that I know of does. NOW THE NEXT THING I WANT YOU TO SEE IS A, A PURPOSEFUL FELLOWSHIP. LOOK IF YOU WILL IN VERSE FOUR, AND JUDAH GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER TO ASK HELP OF THE LORD. EVEN OUT OF ALL OF THE CITIES OF JUDAH THEY CAME TO SEEK THE LORD. EVERYBODY CAME TOGETHER TO SEEK GOD. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN AMERICA IF IN ALL OF THE CITIES OF AMERICA PEOPLE JUST GOT TOGETHER TO SEEK THE LORD, BLACK AND WHITE, BAPTISTS, ASSEMBLY OF GOD, METHODISTS, PRESBYTERIAN, LUTHERAN, PENTECOSTAL, WHOMEVER WANTS TO, WHOMEVER WILL, TO COME TO SEEK THE LORD, A PURPOSEFUL FELLOWSHIP. AND WHEN WE COME TO SEEK THE LORD, HE SHOWS UP. FOR OUR LORD SAID, WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED IN MY NAME, THERE AM I IN THE MIDST OF THEM. AND WHEN WE COME TOGETHER, NOT TO TRY TO HEAL RACISM, NOT TO TRY TO SOLVE POVERTY, NOT TO ENTERTAIN OURSELVES, NOT TO, UH, GET AMERICA DELIVERED FROM HER ENEMIES, BUT WHEN WE COME TO SEEK THE LORD, TO SEEK THE LORD, TO SEEK THE LORD, WE WILL BE IN ONE ACCORD AND THEN WE WILL BE FAR ABLE, FAR BETTER ABLE TO ATTACK ALL OF THESE OTHER PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO BE DEALT WITH. BUT WE CANNOT BYPASS THE ONE THING THAT WE MUST DO AND GOD HELP US THAT WE WILL DO IS TO COME TOGETHER TO SEEK THE LORD, TO SEEK THE LORD. LOOK AT IT, LOOK AT IT. VERSE THREE, AND JEHOSHAPHAT FEARED AND SET HIMSELF TO SEEK THE LORD. THE LAST PART OF VERSE FOUR, THEY CAME TO SEEK THE LORD. IT WAS A PURPOSEFUL FELLOWSHIP TO SEEK THE LORD. NOT POLITICAL, NOT SOCIAL, NOT RACIAL, BUT SPIRITUAL, COMING TO SEEK THE LORD, A PURPOSEFUL FELLOWSHIP, VERSE FOUR. AND THEN THERE WAS A, A PRAYERFUL FAITH. AND NOW I WANT TO READ ON THROUGH VERSE 13, LOOK AT IT. AND JEHOSHAPHAT STOOD IN THE CONGREGATION OF JUDAH AND JERUSALEM IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD BEFORE THE NEW COURT, AND SAID, AND I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO THIS PRAYER. BEFORE I READ THIS PRAYER, I WANT TO SAY THIS. THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, WHEN I HAVE A PROBLEM, IT IS VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PUT YOUR EYES UPON GOD, THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE CHARACTER AND THE NATURE OF GOD. AND IN THIS PRAYER THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE, WE'RE GOING TO FIND FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NATURE OF GOD. AND WHEN A PROBLEM COMES, YOU NEED TO GLANCE AT YOUR PROBLEMS AND GAZE AT YOUR GOD. I WANT YOU TO SEE THE PRAYER THAT JEHOSHAPHAT PRAYED. NOW DON'T JUST GLANCE OVER THIS. DON'T JUST GLAZE OVER THIS. DON'T JUST GO THROUGH THIS CARELESSLY. BECAUSE THERE ARE FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NATURE OF GOD THAT ARE IN THIS PRAYER THAT GREATLY ENCOURAGED ME WHEN I LOOKED AT IT. FIRST OF ALL, JEHOSHAPHAT SAW GOD AS A SOVEREIGN GOD. LOOK IN VERSE SIX AND SAID, O LORD GOD OF OUR FATHERS, NOW LISTEN TO THIS, ART THOU NOT GOD IN HEAVEN? AND RULEST NOT THOU OVER ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE HEATHEN? AND IN THINE HAND IS THERE NOT POWER AND MIGHT, SO THAT NONE IS ABLE TO WITHSTAND THEE? QUESTION, CAN THE PORNOGRAPHERS WITHSTAND GOD? CAN THE LIQUOR DEALERS WITHSTAND GOD? CAN THE BABY BUTCHERS WITHSTAND GOD? CAN THE SODOMITES WITHSTAND GOD? NO. THERE IS NONE. THIS IS WHAT HE SAYS, YOU RULE OVERALL. THERE IS NOT POWER AND MIGHT SO THAT NONE IS ABLE TO WITHSTAND THEE. AND IT'S ABOUT TIME WE BELIEVE THAT. PEOPLE GOING AROUND WRINGING THEIR HANDS, SAYING, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THERE'S NO PANIC IN HEAVEN. AND I CAN TELL YOU ALSO THAT THE HOLY TRINITY NEVER MEETS AN EMERGENCY SESSION. YOU SAY, WELL, PASTOR, I HAVE A BIG PROBLEM, ALL RIGHT? I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM YOU HAVE. I MEAN THE VERY BIGGEST. THEN I WANT YOU TO DOUBLE IT. THEN I WANT YOU TO DOUBLE IT AGAIN. THEN I WANT YOU TO CO, COMPARE IT TO ALMIGHTY GOD AND TELL ME THAT YOUR PROBLEM IS TOO BIG FOR GOD. LISTEN, JEHOSHAPHAT BEGAN TO PRAY, AND FIRST OF ALL, HIS PRAYER WAS ADDRESSED TO A SOVEREIGN GOD. SECONDLY, VERSE SEVEN, IT WAS ADDRESSED TO A STEADFAST GOD. NOW LOOK AT VERSE SEVEN, ART NOT THOU OUR GOD, WHO DIDST DRIVE OUT THE INHABITANTS OF THIS LAND BEFORE THY PEOPLE ISRAEL, AND GAVEST IT TO THE SEED OF ABRAHAM THY FRIEND FOREVER? WHAT DOES HE SAY? HE SAID, GOD, YOU MADE A PROMISE TO ABRAHAM. YOU SAID TO ABRAHAM, I AM GOING TO GIVE YOU THIS LAND AND IT IS YOURS AND IT IS YOURS FOREVER. AND NOW, LORD, THIS BUNCH IS COMING TO TAKE AWAY FROM US THAT WHICH YOU GAVE US. AND, LORD, WE ARE STANDING ON YOUR WORD AND WE'RE PRAYING ON THE BASIS OF YOUR PROMISE. YOU ARE A STEADFAST GOD. YOU DON'T CHANGE WHAT YOU SAID TO ABRAHAM. YOU'RE SAYING TO US AND WE'RE STANDING ON YOUR WORD. GOD IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVERMORE. AND THE GOD WHO HAS WORKED MIRACLES IN THE PAST IS THE GOD WHO CAN WORK MIRACLES TODAY. AND DON'T YOU INSULT GOD BY SAYING, WE CANNOT HAVE REVIVAL IN THIS DAY AND IN THIS AGE. IT'S AN INSULT TO GOD BECAUSE GOD IS STILL POWERFUL. HE STILL HAS POWER TO SAVE MULTITUDES, TO SHAKE CITIES, AND TO SEND REVIVAL. STUDY THE HISTORY OF REVIVAL. AND GOD HAS SENT REVIVAL IN DARK DAYS BEFORE, AND GOD CAN AND GOD WILL, IF WE WILL TRUST HIM, SEND REVIVAL TODAY. HE IS A SOVEREIGN GOD, HE IS A STEADFAST GOD, AND HE IS A SYMPATHETIC GOD. LOOK IN VERSES EIGHT AND NINE AS WE CONTINUE TO READ, AND THEY DWELT THEREIN, AND HAVE BUILT THEIR SANCTUARY THEREIN FOR THY NAME, SAYING, IF, WHEN EVIL COMETH UPON US, AS THE SWORD, JUDGMENT, AND BY THE WAY, AMERICA IS UNDER JUDGMENT, JUDGMENT OR PESTILENCE, AMERICA HAS PESTILENCE, IT'S THE AGE PESTILENCE, OR FAMINE, WE STAND BEFORE THIS HOUSE AND IN THY PRESENCE, FOR THY NAME IS IN THIS HOUSE, THAT IS, THEY'RE PRAYING ON THE BASIS OF GOD'S GLORY, AND CRY UNTO THEE IN OUR AFFLICTION, THEN THOU WILL HEAR AND HELP. IS THAT UNDERSCORED IN YOUR BIBLE? IT IS IN MINE. THEN THOU WILL HEAR AND HELP. I LOVE THAT. THE GOD WHO HEARS AND THE GOD WHO HELPS. HE IS A SYMPATHETIC GOD. IF WE CRY TO HIM, HE WILL HEAR AND HE WILL HELP. HE WILL HEAR, HE WILL HELP. HE IS A SOVEREIGN GOD. HE IS A STEADFAST GOD. HE IS A SYMPATHETIC GOD. THE BIBLE SAYS IN ALL THEIR AFFLICTIONS HE WAS AFFLICTED. HE'S TOUCHED WITH THE FEELING OF OUR INFIRMITY. Then next, He is a seeing God. Look, if you will, in verse 10, "'Now behold,' that is, Lord, take a look. "'Now behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, "'whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, "'these, Lord, that you protected "'when they came out of the land of Egypt, "'but they turned from them and destroyed them not. "'That is, we showed mercy to them. "'Behold,' I say, how they reward us.' TO COME TO CAST US OUT OF THY POSSESSION WHICH THOU HAST GIVEN US TO INHERIT." NOW WHAT'S HE SAYING? HE'S SAYING, GOD, TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OF THIS. JUST BEHOLD IT. YOU SAY, DO I HAVE TO TELL GOD TO LOOK AT WHAT HE ALREADY SEES? YES. DO I HAVE TO ASK GOD FOR WHAT HE KNOWS I ALREADY NEED? YES. BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT OUR PRAYER THAT GETS GOD'S ATTENTION AND CAUSES HIM IN A VERY SPECIAL WAY TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE FOCUS ON. HE IS A SEEING GOD. AND TWICE, GOD IS ASKED TO BEHOLD THIS. VERSE 10, AND NOW BEHOLD. VERSE 11, BEHOLD I SAY. HE IS THE SEEING GOD. GOD KNOWS YOUR SITUATION. HE KNOWS YOUR ENEMY. HE KNOWS YOUR DANGER. HE KNOWS WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW. HE KNOWS WHAT YOU'RE THINKING THIS VERY MOMENT. AND THAT HELPS US WHEN WE PRAY. THERE'S NOTHING THAT ESCAPES HIS NOTICE. NOT ONLY IS HE A SEEING GOD, BUT HE IS THE SAVING GOD. LOOK, IF YOU WILL, IN VERSES 12 AND 13, O OUR GOD. BY THE WAY, THESE ARE TWO OF THE GREATEST VERSES IN THE CHAPTER. O OUR GOD, WILT THOU NOT JUDGE THEM? FOR WE HAVE NO MIGHT AGAINST THIS GREAT COMPANY THAT COMETH AGAINST US, NEITHER KNOW WE WHAT TO DO. BUT OUR EYES ARE UPON THEE. AND ALL JUDAH STOOD BEFORE THE LORD WITH THEIR LITTLE ONES, THEIR WIVES, AND THEIR CHILDREN. OH, GOD, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. WE DON'T HAVE ANY STRENGTH. BUT, LORD, OUR EYES ARE ON YOU. HERE ARE OUR WIVES. HERE ARE OUR CHILDREN. HERE ARE OUR LITTLE BABIES. LORD, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. THEY'RE COMING AGAINST US. GOD, WE DON'T HAVE ANY MIGHT. WE DON'T HAVE ANY STRENGTH. HOLLYWOOD IS GREATER THAN WE ARE. THE LIQUOR PEOPLE HAVE MORE MONEY THAN WE HAVE. THE MEDIA SEEMS TO BE AGAINST US. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. BUT GOD, OUR EYES ARE ON YOU. HMM. IF WE GO DOWN, WE'RE GOING DOWN WITH OUR EYES ON YOU. IF THEY KILL US, THEY'RE GONNA KILL US WITH OUR EYES ON YOU. LORD, YOU ARE THE GOD WHO CAN DELIVER US. YOU ARE THE SOVEREIGN GOD. You are the steadfast God. You are the sympathetic God. You are the seeing God. You are the saving God. AND SO WHAT THEY DID, FRIEND, THEY JUST CAME TO A PRAYERFUL FAITH AND BEGAN TO PRAY, NOT ON THE BASIS OF WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, BUT ON WHO GOD IS. NEXT THING, NOT ONLY A PRAYERFUL FAITH, BUT A PROPHETIC FACT. NOW THEY'RE PRAYING, AND WHEN THEY PRAY, GOD BEGINS TO SPEAK AND ANSWER. BEGIN NOW IN VERSE 14. And upon Jehaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation. And the Lord said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou King Jehoshaphat. Thus saith the Lord unto you, BE NOT AFRAID NOR DISMAYED BY REASON OF THIS GREAT MULTITUDE, THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS BUT GOD'S. OH! OH! THAT'S IT! THAT'S IT! THAT'S IT! THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS BUT GOD, A PROPHETIC FACT. NOW THEY'RE PRAYING. THEY'RE SEEKING GOD. THEY'RE SAYING, GOD, WE HAVE NO MIGHT. WE HAVE NO UNDERSTANDING. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. BUT WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE SET OURSELVES TO SEEK YOU. WE'VE GATHERED TOGETHER TO SEEK YOU. WE'VE PROCLAIMED TO FAST TO SEEK YOU. AND GOD THEN BEGINS TO MOVE. AND GOD BEGINS TO SPEAK. AND GOD TAKES A SPIRIT ANOINTED PREACHER TO BRING A MESSAGE. THANK GOD THAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD DOES ANOINT. THANK GOD FOR SPIRIT-FILLED MESSENGERS. AND THE MESSENGER SAID, HERE'S THE MESSAGE FROM GOD. HERE IS THE PROPHETIC FACT THAT WE NEED TO SEE ONE MORE TIME. VICTORY BELONGS TO GOD. THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS, BUT GOD'S. NOW, THE PROPHETIC FACT BRINGS US TO THE POTENT FORCE. AND WHAT IS THE POTENT FORCE? WELL, BEGIN NOW IN VERSE 16 AND READ THROUGH VERSE 22. HERE'S WHAT THE MAN OF GOD SAID. HERE IS WHAT THE PROPHET SAID. TOMORROW GO YE DOWN AGAINST THEM. BEHOLD, THEY COME UP BY THE CLIFF OF ZIZ, AND YE SHALL FIND THEM AT THE END OF THE BROOK BEFORE THE WILDERNESS OF JAPAN. Ruel, and ye shall not need to fight in this battle. Set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem, FEAR NOT, NOR BE DISMAYED. TOMORROW GO OUT AGAINST THEM, FOR THE LORD WILL BE WITH YOU.' AND JEHOSHAPHAT BOWED HIS HEAD WITH HIS FACE TO THE GROUND. AND ALL JUDAH AND THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM FELL BEFORE THE LORD, WORSHIPING THE LORD. AND THE LEVITES OF THE CHILDREN OF THE KOTHITES AND OF THE CHILDREN OF THE KORHITES STOOD UP TO PRAISE THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL WITH A LOUD VOICE ON HIGH. BY THE WAY, IF YOU DON'T LIKE LOUD MUSIC, YOU WOULDN'T LIKE IT HERE. THEY BEGAN TO PRAISE THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL WITH A LOUD VOICE ON HIGH. AND THEY ROSE EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND WENT FORTH INTO THE WILDERNESS OF TO, UH, TECHOA. AND AS THEY WENT FORTH, JEHOSHAPHAT STOOD AND SAID, HEAR ME, O JUDAH, YE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM, BELIEVE IN THE LORD YOUR GOD. AND BOY, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE OF THESE GREAT STATEMENTS IN HERE. BELIEVE IN THE LORD YOUR GOD, SO SHALL YOU BE ESTABLISHED. BELIEVE HIS PROPHETS. SO SHALL YE PROSPER. GOD RAISED UP A PROPHET AND GOD SAID, BELIEVE HIM IF YOU WANT TO PROSPER. AND WHEN HE HAD CONSULTED WITH THE PEOPLE, HE APPOINTED SINGERS UNTO THE LORD, THAT THEY SHOULD PRAISE THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. AND THERE'S ANOTHER GREAT PHRASE. SINGERS UNTO THE LORD, THAT THEY SHOULD PRAISE THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS, AS THEY WENT OUT BEFORE THE LORD, AND TO SAY, PRAISE THE LORD, FOR HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER. AND WHEN THEY BEGAN TO SING AND TO PRAISE, THE LORD SET AMBUSHMENTS AGAINST THE CHILDREN OF AMMON, MOAB, AND MOUNT SEIR, WHICH WERE COME AGAINST JUDAH, AND THEY WERE SMITTEN. FOR THE CHILDREN OF AMMON AND MOAB STOOD UP AGAINST THE INHABITANTS OF MOUNT SEIR, UTTERLY TO SLAY AND TO DESTROY THEM. AND WHEN THEY'D MADE AN END OF THE INHABITANTS OF SEIR, EVERY ONE HELPED TO DESTROY ANOTHER. AND WHEN JUDAH CAME TOWARD THE WATCH TOWER IN THE WILDERNESS, THEY LOOKED UNTO THE MULTITUDE, AND, BEHOLD, THERE WERE DEAD BODIES FALLEN TO THE EARTH, AND NONE ESCAPED." NOW WHAT IS THE POTENT FORCE? THE POTENT FORCE IS PRAISE. NOW, THE PROPHET OF GOD SAID, THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS, BUT THE LORD'S, BUT YOU HAVE A PART, AND YOUR PART IS PRAISE, AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HIDE UNTIL IT'S ALL OVER. NOW A LOT OF US WOULD HAVE SAID, NOW GOD, WHEN IT'S ALL OVER, HUH, WHEN WE HAVE THE VICTORY, THEN WE'RE GOING TO PRAISE YOU FOR THE VICTORY. BUT GOD SAYS, OH NO, THE BATTLE IS MINE, THE BATTLE IS, IS NOT YOURS, BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HIDE UNTIL IT'S OVER, AND, AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PRAISE, ON THE FRONT END, NOT AT THE REAR END. BUT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PRAISE AT THE BEGINNING, NOT AT THE CONCLUSION. YOU CAN'T PRAISE AFTER IT'S OVER, BECAUSE IT WON'T BE OVER UNTIL YOU BEGAN TO PRAISE. I WONDER, HAVE YOU LEARNED TO PRAISE GOD IN YOUR PROBLEMS? YOU SAY, I CAN'T PRAISE GOD IN THE MIDST OF MY PROBLEMS. WELL, THEN GO AHEAD AND LIVE WITH HIM. LET'S GO AHEAD AND LIVE WITH HIM. BUT FRIEND, IF YOU WILL DO WHAT THIS WONDERFUL TWENTYTH CHAPTER OF SECOND CHRONICLES TEACHES US TO DO, YOU CAN PRAISE AND SEE GOD MOVE. DID YOU KNOW WHAT PRAISE IS? PRAISE IS FAITH EXPRESSING ITSELF. THAT'S ALL PRAISE IS. PRAISE IS JUST FAITH TURNED INSIDE OUT. NOW, WE, WE COME TO GOD, WE MUST ASK GOD. THAT'S WHAT THESE PEOPLE DID. THEY CAME AND THEY ASKED GOD, THEY SAID, GOD DELIVER US, OUR EYES ARE ON YOU, HELP US. THAT'S PETITION. BUT PETITION MUST BE MARRIED TO PRAISE. PETITION SAYS PLEASE, PRAISE SAYS THANK YOU. BUT PRAISE SAYS THANK YOU ON THE FRONT END. SEE, PRAISE BRINGS GOD INTO IT. DO YOU REMEMBER THAT PASSAGE OVER THERE IN PSALM 22 VERSE 3, WHERE GOD OCCUPIES THE PRAISE OF HIS PEOPLE? WHAT IS GOD'S ADDRESS? WHERE DOES GOD LIVE? PRAISE IS GOD'S ADDRESS. WHEREVER THERE'S PRAISE, GOD SHOWS UP. GOD OCCUPIES THE PRAISE OF HIS PEOPLE. THE TWO WINGS OF POWER ARE PETITION AND PRAISE. NOW, LET ME TELL YOU TWO THINGS PRAISE WILL DO. I LOVE IT. AND IT'S RIGHT HERE IN VERSES 16 THROUGH 22. HERE'S TWO THINGS PRAISE WILL DO. PRAISE INFUSES THE ENERGY OF GOD. NUMBER TWO, PRAISE CONFUSES THE ENEMIES OF GOD. PRAISE INFUSES THE ENERGY OF GOD. PRAISE CONFUSES THE ENEMY OF GOD. WHEN YOU BEGIN TO PRAISE, GOD'S ENERGY JUST BEGINS TO FILL YOU. IT INFUSES YOU WITH ENERGY AND POWER BECAUSE GOD IS IN THAT PRAISE. AND WHEN YOU BEGIN TO PRAISE, NOT ONLY IS THAT PRAISE VERY HEALTHY FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT, IT IS THE AMBIENCE, THE ENVIRONMENT THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT OCCUPIES, BUT SATAN IS ALLERGIC TO IT. SATAN BREAKS OUT WITH HIVES. When you begin to praise God, Satan gets confused. Now here are these enemies. Here are the inhabitants of Ammon and Moab, Mount Seir. And they're all coming against one enemy, against Israel. And here goes the army of God. And they're just going against the enemy. And they're singing the battle hymn of the Republic. And they're singing victory in Jesus. And they're singing what a mighty God we serve. AND SATAN GOES BANANAS. I MEAN, THEY TURNED ON EACH OTHER. THEY BEGAN TO KILL ONE ANOTHER AND DESTROY ONE ANOTHER. THEY GOT IN ABSOLUTE CONFUSION. PRAISE FRACTURES THE UNITY OF THE ENEMY. AND PRAISE FORMULATES THE UNITY OF THE BELIEVER. Oh, how we need to be bound together, praising the Lord God. What a potent force is praise. It infuses the energy of God. It confuses the enemy of God. And so there's a potent force. And now what happens? Well, look, if you will, in verse 25. There is a provided fortune. And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, THEY FOUND AMONG THEM IN ABUNDANCE BOTH RICHES WITH THE DEAD BODIES, AND PRECIOUS JEWELS, WHICH THEY HAD STRIPPED OFF FOR THEMSELVES MORE THAN THEY COULD CARRY AWAY. AND THEY WERE THREE DAYS IN GATHERING OF THE SPOIL." IT WAS SO MUCH. NOW HOW ABOUT THAT FOR A SWITCH? HERE THEY HAVE AN ENEMY. THIS ENEMY LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO DESTROY THEM. YOU SAY, OH GOD, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. THEN GOD, AS THEY SEEK THE LORD IN FASTING AND PRAYER, GOD SENDS THEM A MESSAGE. THEY OBEY THE MESSAGE. THEY BEGAN TO BELIEVE GOD AND PRAISE GOD. THE ENEMY IS PUT INTO CONFUSION. AND NOW THEY'RE LEFT WITH ALL THIS BOUNTY, THESE SPOILS. TREASURE. FOR THREE DAYS THEY'RE TRYING TO LOAD IT UP AND CARRY IT OFF. IS GOD'S MESSENGER BOY. YOU SAY, WHY DOESN'T GOD KILL THE DEVIL? DID YOU KNOW THAT GOD USES THE DEVIL? IF WE WILL BEGIN TO PRAISE THE LORD, THE DEVIL WILL BECOME OUR SERVANT TO ENRICH US. I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THE TIMES THAT I'VE BEEN IN SPIRITUAL BATTLE, AND I GUESS I'VE BEEN IN SPIRITUAL BATTLE ALL MY LIFE. SOMEBODY ASKED ME THE OTHER DAY, HE SAID, ARE YOU UNDER PRESSURE? I SAID, I DON'T KNOW. I don't know, I've never been any other way. It's like the woman didn't know her husband was drinking until one day he came home sober. I mean, I've just been under pressure, I guess. I don't know whether it's pressure or not. I just live this way. I'll tell you one thing. There have been some times when I've been under pressure, pressure. There have been some times when, I mean, it's really, really, really been tough. EVERY ONE OF THOSE TIMES WHEN I'VE TURNED TO THE LORD, NOT ONLY HAS HE BROUGHT ME THROUGH, BUT HE'S MADE ME RICH EVERY TIME, EVERY TIME. I HAVE COME OUT WITH BOTH HANDS FULL OF RUBIES AND DIAMONDS AND EMERALDS AND GOLD. AND THOUGH I WOULDN'T CHOOSE IT, I WOULDN'T TAKE ANYTHING FOR IT, For the way that what the enemy meant for evil, God used for good. And David cut Goliath's head off with Goliath's sword. And God takes that which the enemy means against us for evil. AND GOD USES IT FOR HIS GLORY AND HIS GOOD. GOD WANTS TO DO THAT FOR BIBLE BELIEVERS IN AMERICA. AND WHAT WE THINK ARE CALAMITOUS THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THESE DAYS, IF WE WILL SET OURSELVES, SET OURSELVES, SET OURSELVES TO SEEK GOD IN FASTING AND PRAYER AND PRAISE, WE'LL SEE GOD DO A MIRACLE IN AMERICA. AND I'M, FOR ONE, I'M HUNGRY TO SEE IT HAPPEN. AND WHEN IT HAPPENS, HUH, NOBODY'S GONNA GET THE PRAISE BUT JESUS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOU'LL HAVE TO GET TO PRAISE BEFORE IT HAPPENS. AND IT'S JUST, IT, IT'S A PROVIDED FORTUNE. VERSE 25, AND THEN VERSES 26 THROUGH 30, A PEACEFUL FUTURE. LOOK IF YOU WILL IN VERSE 26 HERE, AND ON THE FOURTH DAY THEY ASSEMBLED THEMSELVES IN THE VALLEY OF BARAKA, FOR THERE THEY BLESSED THE LORD. THEREFORE THE NAME OF THE SAME PLACE WAS CALLED THE VALLEY OF BARAKA UNTIL THIS DAY. THEN THEY RETURNED EVERY MAN TO JUDAH AND JERUSALEM, AND JEHOSHAPHAT IN THE FOREFRONT OF THEM, TO GO AGAIN TO JERUSALEM WITH JOY. FOR THE LORD HAD MADE THEM TO REJOICE OVER THEIR ENEMIES. AND THEY CAME TO JERUSALEM WITH SALTRIES AND HARPS AND TRUMPETS UNTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD." WHAT A DAY THAT MUST HAVE BEEN. AND THE FEAR OF GOD WAS ON ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THOSE COUNTRIES. WHEN THEY HAD HEARD THAT THE LORD HAD FOUGHT AGAINST THE ENEMIES OF ISRAEL. SO THE REALM OF JEHOSHAPHAT WAS QUIET, FOR HIS GOD GAVE HIM REST." ROUND ABOUT, A PEACEFUL FUTURE. DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE ENEMIES LOVED HIM, THEY STILL HATED HIM. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS? THE BIBLE SAYS, WHEN A MAN'S WAYS PLEASE THE LORD, EVEN HIS ENEMIES WILL BE AT PEACE WITH HIM. DOESN'T MEAN THEY'LL LOVE HIM, THEY'RE JUST AFRAID OF HIM, JUST AFRAID OF HIM. WOULDN'T IT BE WONDERFUL AGAIN IF, IF, IF THIS WORLD WERE AFRAID OF THE PRAYERS OF GOD'S PEOPLE? WOULDN'T IT BE WONDERFUL AGAIN IF THEY SAY, DON'T TOUCH THEM, THEY'RE HOLY PEOPLE. DON'T MESS WITH THEM, GOD IS WITH THOSE FOLKS. THEY DON'T HAVE ANY RESPECT FOR US TODAY, THEY LAUGH AT US, THEY MOCK AT US, AND WELL THEY OUGHT BECAUSE WE DESERVE IT. BUT FRIEND, I WANT US TO COME TO A PLACE WHERE THEY SAY, DON'T, DON'T MESS WITH THEM, GOD IS WITH THEM. AND WHEN A MAN'S WAYS PLEASE THE LORD, HE MAKES EVEN HIS ENEMIES TO BE AT PEACE WITH HIM. WELL, THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED A LONG TIME AGO. WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO SEE IT HAPPEN AGAIN? I WOULD. NOW, I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO GET FRIGHTENED NOW, BUT I WANT TO GIVE YOU TEN FACTS. I KNOW THAT'S A LOT. I'M JUST GOING TO, THEY'RE GOING TO BE SHORT. BUT IF YOU'VE GOT SOME PROBLEMS, HERE'S WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO. LISTEN TO ME NOW. NUMBER ONE, YOU NEED TO LEARN TO SEE ALL SATANIC OPPOSITION AS OPPORTUNITY. GOT IT? SEE ALL SATANIC OPPOSITION AS OPPORTUNITY. THAT'LL PUT A DIFFERENT FOCUS ON IT. NUMBER TWO, SEEK GOD, SET YOURSELF TO SEEK GOD BEFORE YOU TAKE ANY ACTION. NUMBER THREE, REMEMBER THOSE TIMES WHEN YOU SEEK GOD THAT HE HAS SHOWN HIMSELF FAITHFUL IN THE PAST AS JEHOSHAPHAT DID. THINK BACK ON OTHER TIMES WHEN HE DELIVERED YOU. NUMBER FOUR, BEGIN TO STUDY THE WORD OF GOD FOR A PROMISE ON WHICH TO STAND. NUMBER FIVE, LET THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD MAKE THAT PROMISE REAL AND LIVE IN YOUR HEART. NUMBER SIX, REFUSE ANY CONFIDENCE WHATSOEVER IN THE FLESH. NUMBER SEVEN, GIVE YOURSELF TO FULL, FREE, UNRESTRAINED, OPEN WORSHIP AND PRAISE OF THE ALMIGHTY. NUMBER EIGHT, BEGIN TO PRAISE GOD IN THE FACE OF OPPOSITION AND IN THE FACE OF THE ENEMY. NUMBER NINE, EXPECT GOD TO SEND CONFUSION TO YOUR ENEMIES. NUMBER TEN, GET READY FOR A BLESSING. GET READY FOR A BLESSING. THAT'S WHAT THIS CHAPTER IS TELLING US.
SPEAKER 01 :
If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with Him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org or call 1-800-274-5683. Thank you.
Listen as Dr. James Dobson and Mary Crowley discuss the challenges women face, such as low self-esteem and the quest for self-fulfillment in a world full of distractions. Mary emphasizes the importance of confidence and a supportive community, sharing insights on finding personal success beyond societal norms. Through personal anecdotes and scripture-based wisdom, this episode aims to inspire women to discover God's plan for them and to thrive in every area of life.
SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome everyone to Family Talk. It's a ministry of the James Dobson Family Institute supported by listeners just like you. I'm Dr. James Dobson and I'm thrilled that you've joined us.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, welcome to Family Talk, the broadcast division of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. I'm Roger Marsh. And whether you're listening at home or on the go, you are in for something special today. We are bringing you a classic conversation featuring Mary Crowley, author of the book Women Who Win, Who We'll be right back. $400 million in business, powered by thousands of women working from their homes. The company became so successful that when they held a celebration, they filled an arena with 10,000 of their top saleswomen, and they featured Bob Hope and Billy Graham as special guests. But Mary's secret wasn't just business savvy. It was putting priorities in the right order. Mary started every company meeting by reading Scripture, often turning to the Proverbs for wisdom about leadership. And here's an interesting connection. Mary Kay Ash, who co-founded Mary Kay Cosmetics with a similar home party business model, was actually Mary Crowley's sister-in-law. Now, in her book, Women Who Win, Mary addresses a challenge many women still face today, and that is a lack of self-confidence. Her message is both simple and powerful. You are designed for fulfillment, and God has a plan for your life. Mary Crowley believed that by honoring God and serving others, women could find success both at home and in business. So let's listen now as Mary talks about those timeless principles with our own Dr. James Dobson on this special edition of Family Talk.
SPEAKER 03 :
I would like to say this is one of the most generous women I have ever met. She supports Christian causes all across this country. And your generosity is legendary, Mary. So you have taken what God has given you and shared it with so many causes that you believe in. But where did all that start? How did you get into business?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I got in business 27 years ago. Actually, I'd been in direct selling business before that, but now my kids were grown and I saw a need. There was a need for American women to decorate their homes with excitement and with care. And from a coordinated line of accessories, I found that women were not sure what to do. And I'd worked for furniture companies before. And so we started the business to give women an opportunity to work from their homes, be there when the kids got home from school, and still use their creative genius, which God gave every woman. Every woman is a genius. Some just don't know it yet or haven't developed yet. And this is the idea of the business, and we had twin goals. One was to honor God, because I knew by then that if we didn't honor Him, we would not be successful. Now, that doesn't mean that people who do not belong to the Lord, and there are lots of successful people, quote, in the world, they can be successful. But if I've made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and my Master, that I cannot be successful if I do not honor Him. Somehow along the line, he'll let me fall flat on my face. And I've done that a few times, too. I believe that's true. Absolutely. So it had to honor him. And then it had to bless and serve people. The whole world wants service. They can buy products. They can buy merchandise. They can buy lots of things. but we want genuine, caring, personal service. And that was our goal, to do that. And in so doing, to help the woman who was showing and selling our accessories to find fulfillment in herself and to have a fellowship of her sisters. You know, America needs places where people can go to belong, to find a support team. When our great-grandmothers came across the prairies, They had quilting bees and canning bees, and they had support teams for one another in their difficult times and in their joyous times. So we have built support teams all across America. And the fellowship is as important as the salesmanship. And so that's how we started. We started from our garage, very, very small. My son and my daughter and myself and a few friends, people that invested and believed in us. And it's grown beyond my wildest imagination, and it's pretty wild.
SPEAKER 03 :
Let's address some comments to the woman who is at home, where you were when you started. I don't know what your circumstances were, but let's suppose that she feels somewhat unfulfilled and somewhat frustrated. She wants to do something significant with her life. Maybe the kids now are in the teen years, and she knows they're going to be gone before too long, and she's wondering what now. What do you say to her? How does she begin to put it all together and find out who she is? Does that necessarily mean she's got to be successful in business like you are in order to find yourself?
SPEAKER 02 :
No. Again, I come back to the measure of success for each person. Success is a moving target. When you've got little kids at home, sometimes it's just getting through the day. You know, and then as they go into school and you begin to have other time, and then it may be reading good books and getting yourself, your mind activated again. Maybe it's starting an exercise program, whatever it is, that the measure of success that makes you feel fulfilled, it's different for everybody. And each person has to learn to define their own. Otherwise, they are always trying to
SPEAKER 03 :
Why do you think that moving target is so difficult for American women to hit? Why do you think so many American women are frustrated?
SPEAKER 02 :
Because they are trying to find their measure of fulfillment in what they're hearing, either on TV or maybe radio or reading in some magazine, instead of trying to find out what God's game plan is for them. I heard a wonderful interview with Walter Payton not long ago, and he defined something that was so great. The interviewer asked him, is your measure of success 100 yards gained in a game, as is the measure of success for a ball game for a running back? And he said, no, my measure of success is following the game plan consistently. designed for that game to the very best of my ability. And I thought that was a wonderful way to illustrate what everybody, God has a game plan for my life, for your life, for every woman out there with little kids or big kids or no kids. And if somebody tried to just copy mine, they might get very frustrated. I have a high energy level, and I can do a lot of things. Others might not. We're all made differently. Okay.
SPEAKER 03 :
Could it be that God's game plan for a particular woman would be to stay home and take care of three little kids under six years of age for this period of her life? Society is telling her that that's nobody's game plan. Could that be God's game plan for some people?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, he says that in his word, and then he also says that older women should help the younger women. And I think this is where, again, I was talking about a support team. A lot of young women with little children are feeling so alienated and so unsupported because maybe her parents or his parents do not live close. Society has not built a support team around them in our today's world. that's where they need to find a support team. They have to have fellowship with other women, and maybe it's a Bible class, maybe it's a home interior show, maybe it's coming in part-time, or maybe it's simply finding other group of women who have uplifting, motivating things to do. put in their hours otherwise sometimes we do recruit mothers with young kids because she's sitting there watching the daytime dramas and living in a fantasy world and that is no good for her and so if we can enlighten her and lift her up and give her something to do part-time that will fulfill her desires and create you know we try to develop her creative talents women want to be accepted understood and developed They don't want to stay static. They want to be developed. So whatever. If you're sitting out there and you're thinking, well, I'm not being developed, then you find something that develops your mind, your spirit, your being. And don't sit there and get caught in that daytime drama trap of fantasy world. That's the worst thing.
SPEAKER 03 :
You're talking about soap opera.
SPEAKER 02 :
I am, I am. Well, that's terrible.
SPEAKER 03 :
It really is.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, but that's what happens to a lot of women who are home with little kids, Dr. Dobson. That's what happens to them. And so then just being at home with the children does not minister to their spirit or does not even help them to be good mothers unless they must have a plan to be a successful mother and a successful wife and woman.
SPEAKER 03 :
Mary, what do you say to the person who is very frustrated in their present job? Do you have any advice to a person who just feels they're in a dead-end trap? Change it. Absolutely. But it costs money. I'm making more money than I could make someplace else. Yeah, but it's not making you happy, so what good is it? But I've got to feed my family.
SPEAKER 02 :
Find another way to feed them. No, it isn't really worth it if people are frustrated in their jobs unless there is a real way that they can change the frustration in that job. If it's their attitude, then they better change the attitude. But if it's the job itself and there is no hope of fulfillment, then change the job. Life's too short and too wonderful to waste it on frustration. Now, we'll have frustrations in all jobs. People need to realize that. There are days of frustration in any job, and you can't expect a frustration-free job. But at the end of the day, there must be something that you feel that you've accomplished in the lives of other people. or in going forward in your measure of success or something that you have done that is an accomplishment at the end of every day. Oh, there'll be days you think, well, what did I accomplish today? I've just not even gotten through the mail. I didn't get through the dishes. I didn't get through there too many. You know, we live in the day of distractomania. But you can find something, some life that you touched, something that you did that made the doing worthwhile.
SPEAKER 03 :
I think you've put your finger on really the critical issue having to do with the support team. I've tried to write and talk about that because I find many women know they need that but don't know how to go and get it. I was counseling with a young mother just the other day in my office, and she said, I don't have anybody. I don't have any close friends. The one I had turned her back on me. And this is a very bright woman who's a schoolteacher and is very capable, very verbal, very able to get out and meet the world. Oh, I need to recruit her. And yet I find many women like that don't know how to take the first step. There is a lack of confidence perhaps to go outside that front door and maybe somebody will hurt me or reject me and it's just easier or seems easier to pull in and let the four walls collapse. I guess you're really addressing that problem.
SPEAKER 02 :
We do. We address that problem a great deal. And you hit it when you said lack of confidence. One time I took a poll all across America from thousands of women, asked them what were their three greatest problems personality-wise, society-wise, business-wise, or family-wise. And north, south, east, and west, there was no names on the papers. It was lack of self-confidence, low esteem. I was just floored. Here's the greatest nation in the earth, the highest educational level for all women, the greatest opportunities. So I set about my goal is to help every woman I meet or that hear the sound of my voice to feel better about herself, to realize you are designed for life. God has a plan for your life, but I fully believe that they cannot find it till they find that absolute, till they realize that God is their creator, he is their maker, and then they begin to understand what is the character of God. He loves, he cares, he's just, he's fair, he has great things for us. And once you find that, you see, people often say to me, well, haven't you been discriminated against as a woman? Well, maybe I just didn't have sense enough to know it. But you see, if somebody tries to put me down, it diminishes them, not me. My self-worth is tied up in the character of God himself. And once any woman finds that out, she's redeemed. She's free to be herself and then free to have the confidence to say to somebody, look, I need some help. I want to get to know some people. And how do you turn people with low self-esteem into good salespeople? Well, first of all, they have to learn what selling really is. They have an idea that selling is going out and talking and convincing people. No, it is not. True selling is serving a need in that person. And women are very good at understanding that once you find what this person needs and help them fill the need. Women are in the habit of filling needs of children, of husbands, of You know, they're nurturers by very nature. And once they realize that it's a natural for them to be able to find the need and to fill it and to help the person in a serving way, they realize that it isn't something big out there that they have to learn, but it's something that they already have, a natural opportunity. ability to do. We just need to develop that ability and help them see what it really is. It's a matter of learning what selling really is. Most people think of it as something that you talk and that you convince. No, it's finding out person to person what her needs and desires and likes are, what she needs in her life, what she needs in her home, and then I can help you find that. I can help you Express your love for your family on the wall or in the figurines or the way that you even arrange a bouquet of flowers. And women are natural nurturers and natural helpers in this area. So once she finds out that she already has the natural ability, we just help her develop it.
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, my book, What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew About Women, is based on this same thing we're talking about here, where I ask over 10,000 women to rank order the sources of depression in their lives. And it blew me away, too, that the number one source of depression in young, middle-class, seemingly happily married Christian women was low self-esteem, 50%. of the original test group that I based this little study on put that number one, and 80% put it in the top five. So this pervasive lack of confidence, lack of self-worth, is extremely widespread in our culture. And I think, again, it comes back to television to some degree, where every woman feels like she's got to be beautiful and young and successful and the object of somebody's great romantic love and attention in order to feel acceptable and to feel the confidence necessary to cope with life. And unfortunately, that support system just often isn't there.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, and not everybody is young and slim and gorgeous.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, unfortunately. What do you do, Mary, when you're looking eye to eye with a very powerful male corporate executive who has the authority to move great numbers of people and so on? You being a woman, do you look eye to eye with him?
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, absolutely. Oh, I thoroughly enjoy him. I'm on lots of boards where I'm the only woman. But I don't come in and try to be a pushy female. Let me be sure that I do say that. I am there to make a contribution, not to compete. And with that complete positive attitude, I never have any difficulty there. Because God made us to have special roles and special talents and special abilities. And I can greet and meet and deal with people Corporate executives are presidents. Well, that's now.
SPEAKER 03 :
You've got 39,000 people on your staff. What about when you had one? What about when you were beginning? Did you have that kind of confidence, or did it grow through the years?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, part of it has grown through the years, but I always had a lot of confidence. Well, the good Lord born me on April Fool's Day. That was wonderful, because most people worry about making a fool of themselves, and they won't do things that are going to make a fool. I didn't have to worry about that. You'd already gotten the title. I'd already gotten the title, yeah. So... But part of it comes from the fact that, well, my grandparents taught me to... place the bible as one of you know our priorities not long ago i gave a speech to young people and i took a tv guide and a bible with me and i held them up i said all of you have these two books in your home which one do you refer to the most next week dr alan redpath from england recently spoke and he said in england we used to base our morality on the bible now we base it on tv And I thought, you know, that's exactly what's happening in America, really. And so in looking at the Bible, God is who he says he is in his book. I am who he says I am in his book. And since he's who he is and I'm who he says I am, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
SPEAKER 03 :
Who does he say you are, Mary?
SPEAKER 02 :
He says that I am a child of his. If I believe in Jesus Christ, I'm joint heirs with him. Wow! Wow! What kind of a promise that is. And then, oh, you know, many, many places he says, you talk about giving. Over in Thessalonians where he says, if you will give and share that all grace will be given in all situations and all your needs will be met. Now, that is a pretty powerful promise. And I've been claiming those for years. Tithing to me is the secret of it. You see, what I can make is not for me to be hoarding. It's a channel. It's a channel. It's kind of like forgiveness. Forgiveness is not given to us in a cup. It's given to us in a pipeline. So what I receive is to be given. You can't out-give God. He just multiplies it. I am just amazed at Him.
SPEAKER 03 :
What do you say to the people who just feel like they can't tithe? Mary, they just can't pay their bills now, and they are $75 short every week, and just isn't enough to go around, and the kids need shoes, and there's a hole in the roof, and we're trying to put our oldest boy into Christian schools. How in the world am I going to give any money to the Lord's kingdom?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I go back to when I started tithing, and it was about 40 years ago. And I was in just that same situation. I had two kids. I was a single parent. I was raising two kids. The war was on. I was working for an insurance company. My income had not risen like other people's had. It was pledge time at the First Baptist Church in Dallas, and I always pledged and gave, but I didn't think I could tithe. So, particularly night, though, the kids were asleep, and I was wrestling with that, and I was telling the Lord all the reasons I could not tithe. Hmm. And I thought of that verse in Proverbs, you know, but is the Lord convinced? He speaks to us through our creative genius mind that he gives us. Well, Mary, you're not doing such a hot job of it yourself. Why don't you give me a chance? I said, okay, Lord, I check tithe. It's your problem. It's your management of my life. I'm going to bed. So then I had to explain to our housekeeper and the kids, you know, we had to take it out first because if you don't take it out first, it won't be there. And we ate oatmeal quite a bit there in the beginning, and some of them would grumble and everything. Something happens. I can't explain it. I don't understand God's mathematics. But within two months' time, I was able to get out of debt. Behind the eight ball wasn't debt per se, but just get caught up. From that day till this, we didn't suddenly have a lot of money. But something did happen. And I can guarantee that if you give God's management of your money, he has management of your life. Things change. It really is true. I cannot explain it. It really is true. I challenge people. I've challenged. I teach classes. I told you of people, 150 people single by death or divorced. A lot of them have aging parents and a lot of problems. I challenge them every year. I say, okay, you tithe for six months. And at the end of six months, if you're not better off than you are now, I'll pick up the tab for the difference.
SPEAKER 03 :
You just said that to three million people.
SPEAKER 02 :
That's right. And I have never yet anybody take me up on it.
SPEAKER 03 :
Jesus spoke more about money than any other subject. So it must be extremely important to our spiritual welfare as well as to our financial welfare.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, it's exciting.
SPEAKER 03 :
Mary, we have a great deal of love for you, as I've said, for the kind of person you are, what you represent, not what you give, but who you are. You love the Lord, and it shows in everything that you do. And it's been a pleasure meeting your staff. Some of your people came with you today, and they're sitting in the gallery over there watching us broadcast today. And I just hope that you'll come back, continue doing the great work that you're doing. And I just trust the Lord will be very close to you in this coming year.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you. It's been a joy to be here. And I guess I would like to say to every person out there, trust Him, try Him, prove Him. He will never let you down.
SPEAKER 03 :
You really mean that?
SPEAKER 02 :
I really mean that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Have you found that true of your entire lifetime?
SPEAKER 02 :
Absolutely. See, I've learned that Christianity is not a way of doing certain things. It's a certain way of doing all things. And I can absolutely say, without any doubt at all, if you really trust Him... He has a better plan for your life than you can have for yourself. And I am amazed at what he's done with one little orphan gal.
SPEAKER 03 :
Bless you, Mary. Our prayers and our thoughts will be with you. Thank you.
SPEAKER 01 :
Christianity is not a way of doing certain things. It's a certain way of doing all things. What a great thought to wrap up today's classic program featuring the late Mary Crowley here on Family Talk. Now, you've been listening to Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk and a timeless conversation between Dr. Dobson and his guest, Mary Crowley, about finding purpose, building confidence, and trusting God's plan for your life. Mary's remarkable journey from a single mother to building a multi-million dollar business, all while putting God first, continues to inspire women even today. By the way, if you missed any part of this classic program, or if you'd like to share it with someone who really needs a word of encouragement today, visit drjamesdobson.org, or you can find the program easily on the Family Talk app. Here at the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, we are committed to helping you and your family grow closer to God and each other. But these daily broadcasts and resources are only made possible through the generous support of friends like you who share our vision for strong, faith-filled families. Your tax-deductible donation today will help us continue broadcasting messages of hope and practical wisdom to millions of listeners in America and all over the world. To make a secure donation online, go to drjamesdobson.org. Or if you prefer, you can send your donation through the mail. Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk, P.O. Box 39000, Colorado Springs, Colorado, the zip code 80949. And for more daily inspiration and biblical guidance, I encourage you to explore our reading plans in the Bible app by YouVersion. You can choose from 48 different plans, 24 on marriage and 24 on parenting. Each one contains three lessons to encourage growth in your relationships. These brief devotionals are perfect for busy parents or couples who want to grow together in their faith. Just open the Bible app on your phone or mobile device, search for Dr. James Dobson, and start your first reading plan today. Well, I'm Roger Marsh and from all of us here at Family Talk, we are so grateful that you've joined us for today's classic program. Be sure to join us again next time for another edition of Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk. This has been a presentation of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.
Join us as Rabbi Schneider delves into the trustworthiness of the New Testament, examining criteria that historians have used to judge ancient documents. Discover how the words and testimonies of those who walked alongside Jesus offer solid ground for faith and understanding. Whether you're seeking to deepen your faith or exploring these enduring works, this episode is a chance to feel the historical and personal weight of Jesus’ presence, and to consider the transformative power His words have over our lives today.
SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome to Discovering the Jewish Jesus. I'm your host, Dustin Roberts. And for the next 25 minutes, we're going to be looking at life's most important questions. Sometimes we can feel like just another face in the crowd. But what if I told you that you're not just a statistic, you're a unique individual with a purpose and your purpose goes beyond your daily routine. It's true. Today, Rabbi Schneider, he's going to explain why God's not just interested in humanity as a whole, but in you individually. This message is called The Accuracy of Scripture. And if you'd like to learn more about Rabbi or this ministry, go online to our website, discoveringthejewishjesus.com. And now here's Rabbi Schneider.
SPEAKER 02 :
Father, we bless you today. Lord Jesus, our Messiah, we bless you today. And we pray that you will use this broadcast to bring people to salvation and to cause us to become greater soul winners for you. And all God's people spoke Hebrew and said, Amen and Amen. We began to say that the most profound questions in life are these. Who am I? Where did I come from? How did I get here? What's going to happen to me when I die? And what am I on earth for? We said that these questions can really only be answered in the light of eternity. I pointed out the fallacies in getting our identity from this world or in living for the things of this world, because all that's in this world is passing away. But Jesus said, if you build your house on me, it's like a man that built this house on a rock. and your house is going to stand, even when the waves come and the storm blows, you're going to stand because you built your house in the eternal. We talked about that. But I want to move on today, beloved, to dwelling deeper into a subject that I touched on in the earlier broadcast that answers these questions and helps answer these questions, and that is this. Do the words of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament really give us the answers to life's greatest questions? Does the Bible, the Word of God, really answer the questions, who am I? Why am I here? And what happens to me when I die? Well, we know the Bible begins with these words in the book of Genesis. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Beloved, there is no other way to answer the existence of the universe and the reality of our existence other than the fact that there was a first cause. The Big Bang does not answer the problem of first cause. It had to start somewhere. It had to start with the cause that had no cause, and that first cause is God. The second area that we need to dwell and that I want to dwell in more deeply today is, but does the Bible really accurately record for us what Jesus said? In other words, does Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, when they record for us the words of Jesus, is the Bible an accurate record of what Jesus really said? Can it really be trusted? As I said on an earlier broadcast, no one doubts The literal historical personage of Jesus of Nazareth. Everybody knows, all historians, secular, religious alike, know that there was a literal historical person that walked upon the earth, Jesus of Nazareth. The question was, who was he? And we talked about that. The greatest amount of information that we have on who this Jesus was is the New Testament. But the question is, can the New Testament be trusted? And does it accurately record for us what Jesus did and what He said? Now I alluded to the fact earlier that Ancient historical documents were judged by certain criteria that historians agreed upon. And the New Testament writings, beloved, have the highest credibility in terms of the tests that they passed for being considered a valid, authentic, historical document. Why? Because number one, the New Testament was written by people that actually lived during Jesus' lifetime. It wasn't written by people that lived hundreds of years after his death. Alexander the Great, the records that we have of him, were written by people that lived more than 100 years after his life, yet no one doubts the accuracy of them. How much better the New Testament that wasn't written by people that lived 100 years after Jesus died, but rather the New Testament was written by people that walked with Jesus, that heard what he said, that touched him. In fact, Paul documented the people that Jesus appeared to after he had risen from the dead. And Paul starts out at the grave that Jesus appeared after he had risen from the dead, first to the two women at the tomb. And then Jesus appeared to the disciples, his apostles. And then Paul said this, not only did he appear to the apostles, Not only did he appear to the two women at the grave, he's not saying this is only symbolic. He's saying this is real. He really appeared to these people. He said, not only that, Paul said, but he appeared to me. I was on the road to Damascus to arrest, Paul said, any Jew that was believing in Jesus. And while I was on the road, Jesus appeared to me and he blinded me and knocked me off my horse. And I was on the ground blind and I couldn't see. And I spoke to the one that had blinded me. And I said, who are you? And he said, I'm Jesus who you are persecuting. Now get up and it will be told what you must do for me. So Paul says, he's alive. He's real. He appeared to me and the words that I'm giving you, these aren't fairy tales. These aren't myths. We're not making these up. I met Jesus. He spoke to me. But I love what Paul said next. Paul said, not only that, But this Jesus appeared to 500 people that were gathered together in one place all at the same time. And Paul said this, and most of those of the 500 that he appeared to at the same time, he said, are still alive today. And so Paul's making this historical argument that, no, this Jesus of Nazareth, He's not a figment of somebody's imagination. He's a real historical reality. He's the God of the universe that became flesh, who entered into space and time and revealed Himself to us. And John said, and of His glory we all received and we all saw. And so, This Jesus, beloved, it's not the Jesus that we think of when we think of Easter bunnies and fairy tales. No, Jesus is God. And He's alive, He's here, He really came, and He's making a demand on your life and in my life. And He's saying, unless you repent, you shall perish. He said, unless you believe, Jesus said, that I am He. Who is He? God in the flesh that died for your sin that died for your sin and made a way for you to come into relationship with God and go to heaven. Jesus said, unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sin.
SPEAKER 03 :
You're listening to Discovering the Jewish Jesus with Rabbi Schneider. He's going to be right back. But first, I want to let you know that you can watch full episodes of Discovering the Jewish Jesus on Roku television. We have episodes that are filmed in the Holy Land and outreach events from Nigeria and Gulu, Uganda, all sorts of places. Every episode is available to help deepen your understanding of scripture and the Jewish roots of your faith. So search for Discovering the Jewish Jesus on Roku today. Did you know that this ministry is all about preparing the way for the inevitable return of King Jesus? Well, it's true. And we'd love for you to partner with us in this life-changing mission today. Together, we will change lives, not just locally, but all over the world. To support this team, call 800-777-7835. That's 800-777-7835. Or you can visit us online at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. And now here's Rabbi Schneider.
SPEAKER 02 :
Jesus said, unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sin. Now again, how do we know that? Because the New Testament tells us this, but can the New Testament be trusted? And that's what I was making the point of, that according to the standards of historians, the New Testament passed all the tests in flying colors of that which can be trusted as an ancient historical document, because it was written by people, listen, that were alive during Jesus's own lifetime. not people that lived 100 years after he died, people that walked with him, people that talked with him while he walked on earth, people that he appeared to after he had risen from the dead. And not only that, beloved, we have a multiplicity of witnesses, not only Peter, James, Paul, and all the writers of the New Testament, but others, beloved, that Paul was speaking of the 500 people at the same time, as well as people like myself and some of you today that Jesus has supernaturally appeared to. So we do well to pay attention to the words of Jesus in the New Testament, that they could be trusted, that this is a reliable, historical, accurate document telling us what Jesus said. And what did Jesus say? He didn't teach the doctrine of political correctness today. He didn't say all roads lead to the same place. He didn't say that as long as you're a good person, you can go to heaven. He didn't say that it doesn't matter if you don't believe in me, as long as you believe in God, you're a good person. No, Jesus said, unless you believe that I am He, you'll die in your sins. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to God but by me. You see, beloved one, it's not going to be long before you and I die. And when we do, it's going to be too late. Because the Bible said it's appointed for man once to die and then comes the judgment. That when you and I die, it's over. We'll have made our decision. And some of you are listening to this broadcast and God is knocking at the door of your heart. The Bible says, if today you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Because what happens is, when the Holy Spirit is knocking on the door of our heart, when God is beckoning us, come. When we feel the weight of the Holy Spirit on us, nudging us to humble ourselves, to ask God, forgive me, forgive me. I've sinned. I need to turn my life over to you. I want this to be a new beginning for me. When we feel God doing that, beloved, if we open our heart and invite him in, Jesus said, behold, I stand at the door of your heart and knock. If you open the door, I'm going to come into you and we're going to be in relationship together and you're going to be saved. But Jesus said, unless we open the door of our heart, if we feel him knocking and we don't respond, if we keep our heart hard, if we don't yield to the voice of the Holy Spirit, if we don't soften ourselves to the presence of God and open up and let him in and say, yes, what happens, the Bible says, is that God begins to withdraw himself from us. so that we don't have an opportunity anymore. In other words, the Bible says God will not strive with man forever. But when men refuse, listen now, to receive a love of the truth, when it's being offered to them, There comes a point where God will stop offering, He'll withdraw Himself, and He'll let that person that resisted permanently become hardened. And the result of that, according to the Word of God, if the Word of God is true, that person will spend the rest of their life, the rest of eternity in hell. Now, I know today hell is not a popular doctrine, but do you know that the Bible actually talks more about hell than about heaven? And as I said earlier, Jesus said straight and narrow is the way that leads to life and few there be that find it. But broad and wide is the way that leads to destruction and many there be that take it. You see, there's thousands of ways to be wrong, but there's only one way to be right. You can be wrong by giving your life over to entertainment. You can be wrong by giving your life over to sex. You can be wrong by giving your life over to careers. You can be wrong by giving your life over to another person. You can be wrong by living your life trying to please other people. You can be wrong a thousand different ways, but there's only one way to be right, and that's to live your life and for me to live my life for Jesus. So right now, I want to give you an opportunity, if God's knocking at your heart, just to say, Jesus, I feel you. This is true. Forgive me of my sin. I receive you. Come into me and save me now. So if you'd like to repeat after me now, let's just do that. Lord Jesus, I sense that this is your Holy Spirit speaking to me. I turn to you now. I ask you to forgive me of my sins. Thank you for dying for me. I acknowledge you died in my place on the cross and I receive your gift of forgiveness, your gift of salvation. Please forgive me now. Wash me of my sins by your blood. Come into my life by your Holy Spirit and save me. Thank you, Lord. Amen. Now, if you just prayed that prayer, beloved one, I want to encourage you to call a pastor somewhere, look in the phone book under evangelical churches or Bible-believing churches, call some churches up, say, do you believe that the Bible is literally the Word of God? Look for a Bible-believing church. Make an appointment with the pastor. Tell that pastor what you did. Tell that pastor that you want to start living your life as a committed Christian, or if you have friends or family members that are committed Christians, call them and start following Jesus. Do something immediately to begin to put into practice the commitment that you just made to the Lord. Start attending church on a regular basis. Start giving your finances to God. Start serving God's people in the church. Start living your life as a Christian. Start reading the Bible. I want to encourage you to start reading in the Gospel of John and just read straight through. I don't know if it's a chapter a day, two chapters a day, whether you're going to be so hungry you'll read the whole book at once. But read the Bible at least a couple chapters every single day. Start moving, beloved, into this new life and old things are going to pass away for you and all things are going to become new and Jesus is going to bless you. He said, seek first the kingdom of God and everything else shall be added unto you. Oh, my goodness gracious. Father God, we that know you repent of not being greater soul winners. Father God, of letting loved ones that we know that don't know you, letting them, Father God, go to hell without ever witnessing to them. So, Father, I pray that you would put a great spirit of courage on your people that are watching this broadcast right now, that they would begin to tell their friends and neighbors and loved ones about you, Lord Jesus. Amen and amen. What do you think of Jesus? I got this concept, beloved, from a dream that God gave me that he was showing me how we need to be witnessing to people and how imperative it is. In this dream, I found myself in a room. And in the room, beloved, was a simple couch. I was sitting on the couch. There was a lady sitting next to me. I couldn't see her face. And the next to the lady on the other side of the couch was this big guy about probably 6'3", 200-something pounds. And I had my head leaning on this lady next to me. And I felt like after the dream was over, the Lord was telling me it was just a symbol of being secure in relationship. You know, David said in one of his Psalms that he had stilled his soul like a child at rest on his mama's knee. You know, God is predominantly obviously revealed in the New Testament as Father, but within God's nature are also the feminine attributes. In fact, in some of God's Hebrew titles, we have him revealing himself to us in the feminine. For example, when he revealed himself to Moses, and all God's goodness passed by, and the Lord proclaimed his name to Moses, and the Lord said, I am Yahweh God, compassionate. And that word for compassionate, which is the first word that the Lord used in describing himself to Moses, actually comes from the Hebrew word rachum, which is a feminine word. It means mercy. And so predominantly, we refer to him as our father. But within God is both the male and female natures. So in this dream, getting back to the dream, I had my head leaning on this woman. I couldn't even see her face. I think it just meant securing the relationship the way a young infant is secure in its mother's arms. And then I turned to the man that was sitting on the couch and I asked him this simple question. What do you think of Jesus. Immediately, the dream shifted. I found myself in a second room. I'm sitting on a couch, and there's a young woman in the room, about 23 years old. And I say to this woman, listen, beloved ones, the same question. I believe that God Himself, by the Holy Spirit, gave me the question. I said to her this, what do you think of Jesus. And she answered and said this, well, I know he said a lot to the church, but he never said anything to me like about being boyfriend, girlfriend. And I know that sounds strange when I say that to you. And then the dream was over. And I knew when it was over that it was too strange. The whole thing was too strange. What are you saying? And the Lord was saying to me, what was happening in that second phase of the dream is that I was showing you that there are so many people out there, they've heard that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. but they never heard, the Lord was showing me, that I love them uniquely, especially, and individually. And that's what that girl was saying in the dream. Well, I know he said he loved the church. I know that he loves the world generically, but I never heard him say anything to me about being boyfriend, girlfriend. You see, she was wanting an intimate relationship. In fact, it's a type of relationship that Jesus is calling us to. He's calling to us, beloved ones, to Revelation 19, to the marriage supper of the Lamb. So God was telling me, when you witness to people, my church, don't just witness to them generally. Don't just say that God so loved the world. But when you witness to people, witness to them in such a way that you tell them that I love them. that, for example, if their name is Bill or Mary, you say, Bill, Mary, God loves you so specifically, personally. Bill, Mary, He knows everything that's going on in your life. And Bill, He's got a special plan for you. Mary, He's got a special destiny for you. Mary, God created you for Himself. Bill, God loves you more than you could ever realize. But the only way you're going to know His love The only way you're going to fulfill his purpose for your life, Bill Murray, is when you invite him into your life and make him the center of your life. God loves you today. He loves you individually, specifically, and specially. Would you receive him right now? He's knocking at the door of your heart. Beloved, the Bible speaks of there being a famine on the earth, not for food, but for the Word of God. You know, we're living in a time where there truly is a famine on the earth for the Word of God. So much teaching and preaching today is based on just making people feel good. But the truth oftentimes is not being taught. I want to ask you, beloved, to support me and to support this ministry. We're committed to teaching the truth and supporting this ministry, beloved. It ensures that I'm going to continue to be a blessing to you and that you're going to be used of God and rewarded for building his kingdom on the earth. Beloved, just do what the Holy Spirit tells you to do. That's all I've ever asked. If you sense him leading you to financially support me in this ministry, just obey him immediately. If you don't, don't do it. Just obey him, beloved, and you're going to be blessed. There always is a blessing. Now, Dustin, can you share with our listeners how they can support us and give?
SPEAKER 03 :
I'd be happy to, Rabbi. If you sense the Lord knocking on the door of your heart and leading you to financially support discovering the Jewish Jesus with a gift of any amount, then please reach out to us today. Call us at 800-777-7835. And if it's easier, you can give online at our website, discoveringthejewishjesus.com. And for those of you who feel called to support this ministry even further, I want you to know about a great resource and our partnership with Freewill. Freewill is an online and intuitive platform that simplifies the process of creating a will. It's free and it's user-friendly. And when you use free will, you can ensure that your earthly blessings continue to further the kingdom's work even after your days here on this earth are done. If you'd like to discover more about free will, I want to encourage you visit DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com. Click on the resources tab and then need a will. You'll find all the details. It's free and it's easy. Once again, thanks so much for helping us extend our message and bring the hope and the healing of the Jewish Jesus to so many people all over the entire world. Once again, our address is Discovering the Jewish Jesus, P.O. Box 777 Blissfield, Michigan 49228. And many people, sometimes they don't remember that you can also text in your donation. Just type the keyword rabbi to the phone number 45777. We look forward to hearing from you soon. And now let's wrap up today's message on the accuracy of Scripture with God's sacred and special blessing. Rabbi.
SPEAKER 02 :
What I love about the Aaronic blessing is that it did not originate with man. The words actually proceeded from the very essence of God himself. The blessing comes from the book of Numbers, chapter six. So listen to these words and receive the blessing of the Lord into your life today.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yevarechech Yahweh, vayishmarecha. Yair Yahweh, penavelecha, vichunecha. Shalom.
SPEAKER 02 :
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift you up with His countenance. And the Lord give you, beloved one, His peace. God bless you and shalom.
SPEAKER 03 :
This program is produced and sponsored by Discovering the Jewish Jesus. And I'm Dustin Roberts. Come back next week when Rabbi Schneider gives us some deep revelation from the book of Ephesians. That's Monday on Discovering the Jewish Jesus.
Pastor Rick teaches that, from the beginning, God’s plan has been to make you like his Son, Jesus—this is your destiny. The Bible describes Jesus as “the exact likeness of God,” “the visible image of the invisible God,” and “the exact representation of his being” (2 Corinthians 4:4 GNT, Colossians 1:15 NLT, Hebrews 1:3 NIV).
SPEAKER 01 :
Hey there, everybody, and welcome to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. And whether today is your first time tuning in or if you're a regular listener, we're really excited that you're here. Well, today, Pastor Rick is continuing his series called Discover Your Destiny. So get ready to explore the practical steps to grow in all areas of your life. spirit, mind, body, relationships, and even your career. So stick with us as we uncover God's incredible plan for your future. And here's Rick with the final part of a message called, How Can I Know My Destiny?
SPEAKER 03 :
Number three. Now the third thing that Esther did, she not only got disturbed, and she not only looked at what God had given her, but you've got to take the time to hear God's call on my life. I must take the time to hear God's call on my life. You need a retreat. You need a getaway. You need to get away for at least a day, maybe two or three days, where you sit down and you listen to God. You sit down, you shut up, you be quiet, and you pray and you plan and you think about the next 10 years of your life. And you think, what does God want me to do, given my gifts and given my passions and the needs I see around me? What does God want me to do? And you're not gonna do this on your own. So you gotta have like a little retreat time. Now notice this, Mordecai, who's her adopted father, they all know about this plot to kill all of the Jewish people. And in verse 13 and 14 of Esther 4, it says, Mordecai sent this word to Esther. Do not think because you're in the king's house that you alone of all Jews will escape. For if you remain silent, and he said, you can't remain silent. If you remain silent at this time, he said, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place. In other words, Mordecai said, I've got faith in God. He's not gonna let this God's chosen people be eliminated from the face of the earth. He's not gonna happen. So God will provide, but he says, if you don't do anything about it, you and your father's family will perish. Besides, he says, who knows? but that you have come to this position for such a time as this. Now remember, Esther is a 20 year old, in her 20s, young, poor, orphaned, Jewish girl. And she's now the queen of Persia. And Mordecai's going, Esther, you think this is by accident? I don't think so. Do you not think that God puts you in this position for such a time as this? This is no accident. And don't just think you can ignore these disturbing trends out there in society. You cannot remain silent. You gotta do something about it. Now I wanna tell you, that's not just true of Esther. It's true of you. Some of you young women, you're exactly where God put you for the reason he put you there. Some of you young guys, you're exactly where God put you. It doesn't matter what your age is. You are where you are for such a time as this. And God brought you to Saddleback Church not to sit, soak, and sour, but to make a difference with your life. He has a destiny for your life. God says, I brought you to this place, and I brought you to this time, and I want you to hear my call. Now you gotta take the time to hear God's call on my life. Now God has called everyone. We've talked about this before. A lot of people think God only calls preachers and missionaries and nuns and priests. Those are the called people. No, everybody is called. Your calling is your vocation. As I told you, it's this Latin word, voce, which means vocal. Your vocation is your call, your voice. Everybody has a vocation. Everybody has a calling of God. God has called every one of you to make a difference with your life. Some of you are not picking up the phone. Now here's the point. You don't call God. He calls you. You don't just go, what would I like to do with my life? Sorry, you don't get that option. Unless you don't want any blessing. God says, no, no, I created you for a purpose. I have a vision and values and I have a purpose, plan and a destiny for your life. And God calls you and you gotta pick up the phone. I wish what we were doing were just a matter of life and death. That'd be easy, but it's not. It's more important than life or death because eternity is in the balance, heaven and hell. Jesus talked more about hell than he did about heaven. They're real. We're not just talking about helping people now. We're talking about their eternal destinies. It's bigger than life or death. And God has brought you to this place just like he brought Esther to her place, including the good and the bad that happened. I'm sure it was no fun going and having sex with a king you didn't even love. and knowing that the night before and the night after you, it's gonna be somebody else. But God said, you know what, I can even use that. I can even use date rape. I can bring good out of anything. Esther 4, verse 15. Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai. Go and gather together all the Jews who are in Susa. They're the capital. and fast for me. Said, I want you to find everybody you can, get everybody who's Jewish, and I get everybody to fast for me, because I'm gonna have to go confront the king. And I know that this is a scary thing. She's going, you know what? First place, it's against the law for me to go to him. You only go to the king if he invites you. It's against the law for me to take the initiative and go to the king. If you read the story, she said, in fact, he hadn't called for me in 30 days, so I haven't had any contact with him in a month. So I don't know if he still loves me or what. And number two, I'm gonna have to reveal that I'm Jewish, which means I'm gonna keep it a secret from my husband. And number three, I'm gonna ask him to publicly renounce a decree he's already signed and he's gonna look foolish. to reverse a command. So I'm gonna probably die for this. I'm gonna probably lose my life for this. I'm taking my life in my own hands. So she says, you go gather all the Jews who are in Susa and fast for me. And do not eat or drink for three days or night or day. And I and my maids will fast as you do. And when this is done, Then I'll go to the king. She's saying, before I initiate any confrontation with the king, which is no light matter and can cost me my life, I'm gonna have to have a little retreat. And I'm gonna need to get off by myself and I'm gonna fast and I'm gonna pray and I'm gonna think and I'm gonna plan out my words and I'm gonna give some serious time to my destiny. Now, Esther does two things that you're going to need for your destiny in the next 10 years. Number one, just like Esther, you're going to need all the support you can get. She said, go get everybody you can to pray for me. That's why you must be in a small group. Because you cannot fulfill your destiny on your own. We get well in community, we serve in community, we share in community. God meant for us to be in community. The very first thing God said to man, it is not good for men to be alone. Whether you marry or not is irrelevant. You have to be in a family. You have to be connected. You have to be in community. She says, get everybody praying for me. You're going to need that. And the second thing Esther did, and you're going to need to, you're going to need some time alone. You're going to need to go on a retreat, at least an overnighter, where you get alone. Because if I tell you, go home and make these lists of all the things that you're gifted in and make a list of all the things you care about, you know what? You're not going to do it. You're gonna walk out of here and you're gonna forget it and you're not gonna do it and you're gonna come back next week and it still won't be done. So I'm going to force you to do it. And in the next three years, I want everybody in this church to take a retreat. a life planning retreat to plan goals in all the key areas of your life. What are my goals financially? What are my goals for my family? What are my goals for my personal life? What are my goals for my health? What are my goals in learning? And I'm gonna help you. Nothing becomes dynamic till it becomes specific. Now, number four, one last thing. The fourth thing you have to do is what Esther did is that is you must make a faith commitment. You must make a faith commitment. The Bible says without faith it's impossible to please God. The Bible says according to your faith it will be done unto you. The Bible says the just shall live by faith. The Bible says all things are possible to him who believes. Now Esther says I know this is scary and I know it's a big risk and I'm scared to death to take this initiative to go to the king and tell him I'm Jewish and ask him to rescind a stupid decree that a bad guy got him to approve. But It's the right thing to do, so I'm gonna do it. She's an amazing woman. Now in Esther 4.16, she makes this faith commitment to do the thing that she's most afraid of. She says, and when this is done, you know, my three-day retreat, we've all prayed, we've all fasted, and I've thought through where I'm going. When this is done, I will go, that's a faith commitment, I will go to the king, even though it's against the law. And if I perish, I perish.
SPEAKER 02 :
What a woman. What a woman. What an amazing woman. If I perish, I perish.
SPEAKER 03 :
But I'm gonna die doing the right thing. Friend, you're not ready to live till you know what you're ready to die for. You cannot live until you have qualified and clarified in your heart what you're willing to die for. You're not ready to live the next 10 years. If you don't know what you're willing to die for, you're not living, you're just existing. Not knowing what's worth dying for makes life motion without meaning. You gotta know what's worth giving your life for. On the other hand, when you understand your destiny and you really get it, it grabs you. That calling grabs you and you go after it with total abandonment. And you say, if it takes my life, it takes my life. And if I perish, I perish. But I'm gonna die doing what God tells me to do. Now I want you to write this sentence down. I can only manage what I measure. Would you write that down? I can only manage what I measure. If you don't have measurable goals, it's just a wish, it's a dream, it's a hope, but it's not a real goal. And if you don't set some measurable goals for the next three years, in phase one of Decade of Destiny, to measure, that you can measure, you're not gonna be any different in three years, much less in 10 years. And so I'm gonna help you set some spiritual goals and I want them to be specific. And I'm telling you right now that on the last Sunday of this two month campaign, I'm going to ask you, I'm gonna challenge you to make four faith commitments. You don't have to write these down. But you'll say, four faith commitments. Number one, what do I wanna learn in the next four years, in the next three years? My goal for you is that you'll be smarter, as I said, smarter and sharper, and you'll be more skilled and more successful. What do I wanna learn? What am I gonna commit to become in the next three years? What am I gonna commit to contribute in the next three years? What am I gonna commit to do with my life in the next three years? These three year faith commitments come up in another month, because all the messages are worthless. If we don't make it measurable, I don't need it, you need it. It's not for me, it's for your benefit. So you can measure your progress over the three years. Jesus said it like this on the screen. According to your faith, it will be done to you. You know, every morning, I sit on the side of my bed and I pray a prayer. And that prayer, I pray the same prayer every day. It's a little prayer I've just written and memorized. And then I say the words to a song. I don't sing it because I can't sing, especially in the morning. But I say this as I'm sitting on the bed. I don't even get out of bed until I've done this. I say, Lord, Lord, I offer my life to you. Everything I've been through, use it for your glory. Lord, I offer my days to you. Lift up my praise to you as a living sacrifice. Lord, I offer you my life. I say it every day before I get out of bed. I think this is the attitude Esther had when she knew that going to her husband, the King of Persia would likely mean her head would be cut off because first she did admit she's Jewish. And second, she's asking him to reverse a decree that would make him seem foolish. But Esther says, Lord, I offer my life to you. Everything I've been through. My parents died. I was in the cattle call of a harem. Everything I've been through, use it for your glory. Lord, I offer my days to you. Lift up my praise to you as a living sacrifice. Lord, I offer you my life. And if I perish... I perish. And because she was willing to lay it on the line for the destiny God had planned for her, the Jewish nation was saved. You see, you wouldn't be saved without Esther. Because if the Jews had been annihilated, there would be no Jesus the Messiah. And you would be hopeless. That's the impact of Esther. Let's bow our heads. Would you pray this prayer in your heart? Dear God, I want the rest of my life to be the best of my life, I want my life to count. I don't wanna live for myself, I wanna live for you and for the destiny you've created for me. Help me to recognize the gifts that you've put in my life. Not just the assets, but even the liabilities, the limitations, the handicaps. even the hurts, and to realize that even those are part of the plan to get me where you want me to be in the time and place and what you want me to do with my life. Help me to identify the needs that stir my heart. To realize that when I see something, I go, that's wrong. That needs to be corrected. Somebody ought to do something about that. That you're speaking to me. Help me to take time to hear your call, to be quiet, to settle down. Lord, without even knowing when I'm gonna do it, I commit right now to going on retreat. And in the weeks ahead, help me to consider what faith commitments you want me to make in the key areas of my life. If you've never opened your life to Jesus Christ, regardless of your religious background, say, Jesus Christ, please make yourself real to me. I don't understand it all, but if you're real, I open up my life to you. I want to know you. I want to learn to trust you and love you. I open up my life to your plan and purpose, dear God. I want to fulfill your destiny that you have for me. In your name I pray. Amen. Hi, everybody. This is Rick, and I hope you enjoyed today's broadcast. You know, if you just prayed that prayer for the very first time or you just recommitted your life to Jesus again today, would you let me know about it? There's something real about sharing your commitment. So write me, Rick, at PastorRick.com and say, Rick, I prayed that prayer of commitment. I gave my life to Christ, and I'll send you some material that'll help you on your journey with Jesus, and I'll also pray for you. God bless you.
SPEAKER 01 :
What a life-giving message from Pastor Rick. Now let's join Rick with today's offer. Thanks for listening today.
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, honestly, I never paid much attention to my health until I had a little epiphany a few years back when I baptized over 800 people in a single day by immersion. Now looking at myself and everybody that I was baptizing, it was real clear that we all needed to get healthy. So I put together a team of nationally known doctors to help me develop a program for our church. I called it the Daniel Plan, based on the passage in the book of Daniel, where Daniel has a contest with King Nebuchadnezzar on who can be the healthiest. The Daniel Plan is centered on five essentials that will help you become healthier. faith, food, fitness, focus, and friends. There are a lot of diet plans out there that deal with food and fitness, but the secret sauce in the Daniel plan is focus, learning to have your mind renewed, friends, learning to grow in community, and faith, trusting God's power rather than willpower. You know, we found that when individuals addressed health issues in each of these key areas, they are transformed. In fact, in the first year of the Daniel Plan, over 15,000 people from 190 countries participated, and the results were life-changing. In fact, our own church, Saddleback Church, lost over a quarter of a million pounds in one year. Can you imagine that? What did it do for our church? It increased our energy. We started sleeping better. It reduced our need for medication. The whole church was healthier. Now, the Daniel Plan has recently been released in a book format, and I want you to have a copy of this book today so you can start getting healthier now. And I'll send you a hardcover copy of the Daniel Plan book as a very special thank you for your gift to this ministry.
SPEAKER 01 :
Just go to PastorRick.com to get your copy of this great resource. That's PastorRick.com. Or you can just text the word HOPE to 70309. That's the word HOPE to 70309. And thank you so much for your support. Your gift to Daily Hope really helps us share the hope of Christ with people all over the world. Be sure to join us next time as we look into God's Word for our Daily Hope. This program is sponsored by Pastor Rick's Daily Hope and your generous financial support.
