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Today, Pastor Jack teaches that we are to be public Christians, not private believers. According to the Bible, we come from a long line of cultural crusaders, including the Apostle Paul, who used his political standing in Rome to appeal to Caesar.
The post Politics And Your Faith: Why Should The Christian Care ? – A first appeared on Pastor Jack Hibbs.
Today, on Real Life Radio.
If you can't mix religion and politics, then listen, what does politics mix with? I come from a worldview background, because I've read my Bible a whole lot, that everything is to be mixed with my biblical religion, that is my faith in Christ. Everything, there's nothing segregated from my biblical worldview.
This is Real Life. Welcome to Real Life Radio with Pastor Jack Hibbs. I'm David Jay, thanking you for joining us today as we listen, learn, and are challenged by God's Word, the Bible.
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But listen, the reason why I'm talking to you right now is to let you know that we have an amazing, wonderful offer, and it is the book titled What You Need To Know About The Rapture by Dr. Charles C. Reiry of Dallas Theological Seminary. Dr. Reiry was a profound theologian, highly respected even though he is now in heaven.
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On today's edition of Real Life Radio, Pastor Jack now begins a series called Politics And Your Faith with a message titled Why Should The Christian Care? Now, when we look at our Christianity, there's no place in life where a Christian should not be a Christian, including politics. Now, this is why this series is vitally important, especially when it comes down to how we vote in the upcoming election.
So we urge you to tune in and tell your friends and family about it too. You see, as Christians, we are not only living by a spiritual mandate, but a cultural one as well. Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 5 that we are the light of the world, and we have a responsibility to be a public witness of our faith to the world.
Today, Pastor Jack teaches that we are to be public Christians, not just private believers. According to the Bible, you and I come from a long line of cultural crusaders, including the Apostle Paul, who used his political standing in Rome to appeal to Caesar. But before we get into today's message, I had a chance to sit down with Pastor Jack for a few minutes just to talk about it.
And so here's me with Pastor Jack. So Pastor Jack, being in the Politics And Your Faith series, a short series.
Yeah, yeah.
Why should a Christian care about politics?
The Christian should care because the Christian does politics every day.
What do you mean?
You can't avoid it. Well, did you put gas in your car? Did you eat?
Did you eat this morning? Did you drive through some place? Did you stop at a stoplight?
Did you look at the cleanliness or not regarding your city? Politics, friends! The price of gas is a political price.
It's made. It's made that way. So the answer is this.
In our nation, we've been granted the privilege to send to the halls of power those that should represent our view. That's called a republic, okay? And so the reason why the Christian should vote and get involved in politics is because we decide who's going to make decisions for us.
We're going to decide how we're going to live. What will be the standard of living? What will be the quality of life?
Will we have the freedom to go on vacation and the resources to do so, or will we become those that are subject to a tyrant and really pay the taxes and pay the tyranny for their own interest? And sadly, it's very much how America is today because, quite frankly, the Christian sits it out. The Christian has been a horrible, horrible steward of this remarkable opportunity called voting.
It's part of the politics, but no one's going to avoid politics. When you go buy today a burger, the cost of that burger is based on politics.
I never thought of it that way. It's interesting. Now with his message called, Why Should The Christian Care?
Here's pastor and Bible teacher, Jack Hibbs.
Father, we ask you, Lord, in Jesus' name, that you by the power of your Holy Spirit would speak to us from your word, give us ears to hear. And Lord, may we just grow up real quick right now that our theology is not emotionally based theology. Our theology is biblically based theology.
We name the name of Jesus. And tonight, as we look for this next several weeks in this dynamic topic that is going to lead us into incredible areas of reason, of debate, of logic, of conclusion, we pray that you would give us, Lord, wisdom. Your Bible tells us that wisdom is available for us.
And so we ask it now, Lord, in Jesus' name, and all God's people said amen. Well, church, grab your Bibles tonight, and I'm excited because we have a series within a series. Number one, obviously on Wednesday nights, we are looking at the Worldview series, and we're looking at topics that are topics where most of our young people today, if not all of them, if you are in high school or college university campuses, you are dealing with the issues that we've been covering, and we'll cover more of them.
But this isn't a very amazing time right now, because we are going into a topic regarding politics and how it relates to Christianity. Why? Because it is the big issue on college campuses.
It's the issue at water coolers and companies across America. It's what's being talked about with friends and families. It's what is being talked about with neighbors about politics.
You would say tonight, I can't believe I'm hearing the word politics in a church. I was brought up not to mix religion and politics. Then you grew up in a very boring home.
If you can't mix religion and politics, then listen, what does politics mix with? What does religion mix with? Are you saying that you can't mix things?
Listen, I come from a worldview background because I've read my Bible a whole lot, that everything is to be mixed with my biblical religion. That is my faith in Christ. Everything.
There's nothing segregated from my biblical worldview. And I'm going to challenge you that right now as we get into this. And I'm going to want you to be thinking, because we are looking at the worldview series topic of politics, but specifically tonight, why should a Christian care?
We are in the midst of a political season, and it is going to get very hot and very heavy as things get underway or as they approach the big day. Acts chapter 17. Grab your Bibles and turn there if you would.
And we'll use this Paul's visit to Athens, as we have been in our series, to launch us into this topic. As you're turning there, Acts 17, we'll be talking tonight about leadership, about politics, obviously, government. A lot of people don't realize government is created by God.
God invented government. We'll be looking at and challenging our worldview. This has to do with apologetics.
And ultimately in our lives as Christians, righteousness. How do we live? It really matters.
In Acts chapter 17, look at verse 28. Paul says to the Athenians regarding this God who is unknown to the Greeks, that he is in fact the one for in him we live and move and have our being. That this God of the Bible is the all-powerful God.
He is the all-knowing God. He is the God that is very intimately involved in our lives. He's aware of everything.
Our thoughts, our motives. He is God and there is no other God according to the Bible. That he is the one true and soul living God.
And as we live and move and have our very existence in him, Paul makes that argument. It's interesting to note that the apostle Paul's argument was simply this to them, that there's no place on earth that they could go, that is the Greeks, where God was not at. And I want to, I want to grab that and take it into your thinking tonight.
Is there, church, listen, is there anywhere that you can go where God is not at? Do you really believe that? If God is God and he is, and if he's everywhere, as Paul was telling the Athenians there, and if you're a Christian tonight, then listen, if the Holy Spirit dwells in you, that means wherever you go, he is, and oh, by the way, read the fine print, wherever you show up, he's already been, that if we go where we go, is not God interested in that place where we go?
Absolutely yes. So then where as Christians are we not to take our Christianity? Where are we as Christians not to speak in the name of Jesus?
Where are we as Christians not to be a witness? Everywhere, there is no place where we are exempt from being Christians. Can someone say amen to that?
We are Christians 24-7-365. And for us to think for a moment that I'm a Christian, but when it comes to my job, I'm not a Christian. That would make you a profound hypocrite.
I'm a Christian, but when I go and do this, then I'm not a Christian. You're living a lie according to 1 John. I'm a Christian, but when I vote, I don't vote the things that concern God.
Then you are missing the very purpose of your Biblical worldview, of having the Bible dictate in our lives all these things. Proverbs 29, verse 2, Church, jot it down. Proverbs 29, verse 2 says, When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.
And you need to underline the word authority. Empower over the people. When good people are in power, the people are happy about that.
But when wicked men rule, people groan. Jesus Christ gave you and I, the Christian, a cultural mandate as believers. Because tonight, our culture would have us, listen, right now, our culture would speak into this sanctuary tonight and say, Christians, you can do anything you want in that room that you're in right now.
You can do anything you want. Just don't take it outside the walls of this building. Do not take your Christian belief into the culture.
The Bible says the exact opposite. You're going to need to make a decision tonight about where Jesus Christ is to be Lord in your life. If you're really smart, you will understand very quickly, Jesus Christ is Lord all the time everywhere in my life.
In my opinion, there's no other type of Christianity. But Jesus Christ, I believe, as we'll see tonight, gave us a mandate to reach our culture with the gospel number one. Will you jot that down?
The number one thing that you and I are to be doing, every believer, is to let the world know that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and their sins, for the sins of the world. And the Bible says that he rose again from the grave for our justification. Jesus died, but thank God he didn't stay dead.
He rose again from the grave and empowered what he did at the cross so that you and I in the 21st century tonight can experience salvation by putting our faith into his finished work. Jesus did it all, all to him I owe. Sin had left its crimson stain, but what?
He washed it as white as snow. Our Jesus. In Matthew 5.13, look in your Bibles, look on the screen, mark it down as a mandate regarding our involvement in our culture, that we are public Christians, not private believers.
Matthew 5.13, Jesus said to us, You are the salt of the earth. Salt used for purification, salt used for preservation, salt used for healing. But if the salt loses its flavor or its sting or its taste, how shall it be seasoned or re-seasoned?
It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled under the foot of men. You are the light of the world. Listen, keep the verse up on the screens.
Listen to that. You are the light of the what? World.
That means the world is to see your light. And listen, you don't have to answer. Just let it provoke your thinking.
Well, we don't talk about these things in the church I attend. Or we don't talk about these things where I live. We leave God out of these things, not according to Jesus.
Let's keep going. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand.
Why? Why would they do that? Because, look, it gives light to all who are in the house.
Let your... Listen to this command. Let your light so shine before men.
The word implies all men, saved and unsaved, Christian, non-Christian, all mankind, that they may see your good works. You have to circle those two words. Good works and glorify your father, which is in heaven.
That is an amazing statement. There's gonna come a day when the world, in that moment of standing before God, will somehow give glory to God. I don't know how it's gonna happen, but they're gonna give glory to God somehow by your godly witness in that day.
They may not appreciate us now, but there's gonna be a day because of the reality of your Christianity, that you really lived it out, that they will be giving honor to God.
You're listening to Real Life with Pastor Jack Hibbs. You know, to hear more episodes and maybe catch up in the series, just go to jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com.
And for now, let's get back to our teaching. Once again, here's Pastor Jack.
Point number one tonight in our arguments, and I say arguments lovingly, we are presenting these. Our biblical worldview on politics as Christians, as we approach this election season, the question is tonight, why should the Christian care? For this number one reason.
First, because we have a responsibility to God. Will you write that down? We have a responsibility to God.
You've all heard this saying, and I'll read it. Don't be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good. You ever heard that before?
How many of you heard that before? Don't be so heavenly minded that you're no earthly good. Listen, I personally do not think that that's the church's problem tonight.
Oh, you're so heavenly minded you're no earthly good. Translation, your head's in the clouds all the time, and your faith really doesn't make any difference. You're so praising God and so in touch with heaven that you're in some sort of a fog bank here on earth.
I don't think that's the situation. I think, listen, that's far too many believers today, far too many churches, far too many pastors, far too many Christian leaders are so earthly minded that they're no heavenly good. It's all about how big the church can get.
It's all about how much money can come in. It's all about this, that, it's how cool and how hip the church can be. It's how, you know, we've got a movement going, but nothing over time seems to come out of it.
Cultures don't change. And what kind of Christianity is that? It looks good.
A shooting star looks awesome. It looks fantastic. It looks spectacular.
But it doesn't affect anything. And it's for a moment. No, I think the challenge tonight is if we're gonna be real Christians, that we should be so in touch with heaven, receiving from God the heartbeat of God, the things that concern God, and those things that concern God will be right here on earth in our culture.
We will be heavenly minded, and we will be earthly good. So as we consider this, we have a responsibility to God. Listen, the Christian is to be a public witness in this world everywhere at all times.
You might be sitting here tonight, or maybe you're watching right now on Internet TV, and you're saying, I've decided not to vote. You cannot, are you a Christian? You can't decide that.
You've got to be involved. That is a horrific manifestation of a fancied up form of an apathy. Can't go there, can't do that.
Listen, number one thing, I'll give you some motivation because it motivates me. There's a day coming in 2 Corinthians 5 verse 9. It says, Therefore, we make it our aim, whether present or absent, that is, in this world to be well pleasing to God, to him.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. That's where every Christian will stand for judgment, not the great white throne. You and I will stand before the Bema seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body.
What did we do in this body of ours in the time that we had? According to what he has done, whether good or bad, knowing, therefore, the tear of the Lord, here it is, we persuade men. That will be the passion of these weeks ahead of us as we get down to the election on these Wednesday nights, as we go through these hot button topics, is to persuade men.
That is a biblical thing. We are, as Christians, to persuade people. What's a fancy word for persuading?
We are to offer up apologetic, apology, not sorry apology. Apology as in the defense of an argument. An attorney gives an argument for his case, and he does it in an apologetic manner, not, I'm sorry, Your Honor.
That's not what the word means. It's, Your Honor, here's the reason why. I'm presenting my case.
Here's the evidence. Here's the fact. I make my apologetic presentation.
It is an argument. It is a presentation. We're going to do that.
We, as believers, come from a long line, if you're wondering, of cultural impacting people. Let me name a few of them who have influenced their culture, listen, in the realm of politics slash governments. Because someone's going to tell you, well, you know what, that church or that pastor or that, you know, you Christian, you're too political.
And I'm against being political. I take up issues that are Biblical. And I, listen, over my dead body, will I allow politics to come and steal God-ordained topics and have them make it their own?
It's not going to happen. No way. And hallelujah someday, government will answer to God.
God will never answer to government. And on top of it, he's the inventor of government. It's one of the three great sacred institutions that God has established.
Think of that. When someone wants to argue with you, you argue back and say, who invented government? The Bible tells us.
We'll look more and more of that as the weeks progress. So here's your examples. Men of God who encountered politically in a governmental way, their cultures.
Have you ever heard of a guy by the name of Daniel? Daniel saw no problem taking his faith into the public arena. What about Esther?
Wow. What about Jeremiah? You know, I left out Moses, but Moses, did Moses take his faith before the very ruler of the world, Pharaoh?
Absolutely. What about Isaiah? Boy, Isaiah did that.
What about this guy? He pulled no punches. This one.
He walked right into the den of government and said, You're in trouble with God. John the Baptist. John the Baptist walked right into the governmental halls of power and said, You're sinning against God by having your brother's wife.
Even Paul the Apostle, I love this. Paul the Apostle used his political privilege to demand to the Roman Empire regarding his case of Christianity, I appeal to Caesar as a Roman citizen. And the law, listen, the law said any Roman who had a case could appeal to Caesar in Rome.
And the Roman government would pay for your trip to argue your case. And Paul the Apostle, being a Christian, said, I want to make my case, and I want to tell it to everybody. And so I'm in trouble right now for preaching the resurrection of the dead.
Okay, well here it is. I appeal to Caesar. I'm a Roman citizen.
I want to go to Rome. I want to tell Caesar my case. And he did.
He saw no difference of separation of church and state, which by the way does not exist. I challenge you, I invite you go find it, and I'll read it. In 1st Timothy chapter 2 verse 1, the Bible says, Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, and intercessions, and the giving of thanks be made for all men.
For kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead, listen, here's the reason why. Isn't this amazing? That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
Did you hear that? Everybody, you guys awake? You're so quiet.
My goodness, you think we're talking about something controversial tonight. Look at that. Pray for the authorities over your life.
What authorities? All authorities, governments, military, police, all of it.
Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs, here on Real Life Radio with his message called Why Should The Christian Care? You know, this message is part of Pastor Jack's new series called Politics And Your Faith. It's a series on obeying God in all things, politics, government, and our world view.
And we'll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio.
So it's about time to vote. And you happen to have in a particular office, two candidates that do not represent your biblical worldview. In fact, they might be two candidates that are of an opposing party or whatever the case might be.
Well, listen, my friend, you must vote. But here's how you do it. You first of all, pray, and then you vote, and then you pray again.
But when you vote, realize this. You need to vote with some intelligence. And you need to look at a voter's guide, or you need to find out about these candidates.
So for example, if you have two extreme progressive liberals that are running against each other, and you think you have no choice, I would like to offer you this opportunity. If you look at both of their previous voting records, or if they've never had a previous voting record, look at their position on the issues. And one of them will be closer to a biblical worldview than the other.
Now granted, both of them are far from a biblical worldview, but one of them might be, for example, pro-life, or they might have a less aggressive view of abortion. Or if that's not the option, it might be taxes, or it might be the topic of Israel, or the border. Vote for the individual that represents your concerns biblically based, even if it's only one issue.
By all means, exercise your freedom to vote. People died that you and I might have the freedom to vote. So let's pray right now for the wisdom of God.
Father, we come to you in Jesus' name, and we ask you, Lord God, that you would give us wisdom from coast to coast, border to border, in this election, that we would be people who would not sit it out, that we would not be idle servants, that we would not in any way miss an opportunity to do good. And so Father, give us wisdom to vote, even for those really, really difficult candidates that do not represent us at all. Show us the one that's less evil than the other.
And God, we pray for your mercy upon this nation. We need it in Jesus' name. Amen.
This program is made possible by the generous contributions of you, our listeners. Visit us at jackhibbs.com, that's jackhibbs.com. Until next time, Pastor Jack Hibbs and all of us here at Real Life Radio wish for you solid and steady growth in Christ and in His Word.
We'll see you next time, here on Real Life 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.
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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.
Join Pastor Jack Hibbs as he continues the compelling series on the Book of James, focusing on how mercy triumphs over judgment. With references to biblical texts and real-life implications, Pastor Jack explores the futility of grading ourselves on a curve. He emphasizes the necessity for divine righteousness in our pursuit of eternity and challenges listeners to consider the freedom found in a genuine relationship with God rather than the constraints of religious labor.
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Today, on Real Life Radio.
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The Bible sets us free. Religion says I've got to get on the daily religious grind and do the best and work hard and maybe in the end my good will outweigh my bad. No, God has set us free from religion and brought us to Christ through relationship.
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This is Real Life. Welcome to Real Life Radio with Pastor Jack Hibbs. I'm David Jay, thanking you for joining us today as we listen, learn, and are challenged by God's Word, the Bible.
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What does it take to be a great leader? Whether you're managing a business, running a household, or navigating relationships, leadership is about so much more than titles and tasks. In The Way of the Shepherd by Dr. Kevin Lehman, you'll discover timeless principles of biblical leadership that apply to every area of life. Through compelling storytelling, Dr. Lehman shares seven powerful secrets that will help you lead like the Good Shepherd does, including Understanding the people you lead, assessing their strengths, building trust, ensuring safety, providing direction, implementing correction, leading with compassion. Personally recommended by Pastor Jack Gibbs, The Way of the Shepherd is our thank you gift for your donation of any size to real life. Visit jackgibbs.com or call 877-777-2346 to request your copy. Order now.
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On today's edition of Real Life Radio, Pastor Jack continues his series called The Book of James. Today's message is called Letting Mercy Rule. Now, before it became one of the books of the New Testament, James was a letter sent to the Jews who chose to follow Christ. And as new believers, James urges them to allow God's mercy to rule over their hearts. You see, none of us are perfect. That's the truth. And yet that's what God demands of us before we can enter heaven. But in his mercy, God sent his perfect son, Jesus, to cover our sin. So today, Pastor Jack teaches that we might consider ourselves as being good, but God doesn't grade on a curve. If we stumble on just one point, we're guilty of it all. Now, with his message called Letting Mercy Rule, here's pastor and Bible teacher, Jack Hibbs.
SPEAKER 05 :
James 2, verses 10-13, and we'll be looking at what is entitled, Letting Mercy Rule. As a church this morning, we're going to be very much encouraged by James to exercise mercy. We just read about it in Psalm 136. James 2, verses 10-13, this morning, James says, "...for whoever shall keep the whole law and yet stumble in one point..." He is guilty of all. For he who said do not commit adultery also said do not murder. Now if you do not commit adultery but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. And mercy triumphs over judgment. Have you seen stickers, and I'm sure you have, but have you heard the arguments that have been going on for several years about bringing back prayer into class? I remember one year, maybe you do, those of us who are of the same age, one year having prayer in school and standing there with your hand over your heart, giving the pledge to the flag of allegiance there, and in God we trust. And then the very next year, after summer break, we came back having no prayer and no longer being able to mention God in our classrooms because of one woman's rantic ravings of Madeline Murray O'Hare, who hated God, who hated the one who loved her the most. whose son, by the way, came to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, interestingly enough. But there was no longer prayer. And I kind of chuckle at that. I saw a sticker, like maybe you have seen, where it says, bring prayer back into the classrooms. Well, I also saw a sticker that said, as long as there's tests and exams and finals, there will always be prayer in public school. Isn't that true? I don't care what kind of law they pass. As long as there's going to be an exam given by the teacher, I'm going to pray. I'm going to bow my head and say, God help me. And one of the things that is often prayed in the classroom, either out loud or silently from every student, no doubt about it, is really basically boils down to one of two types of prayers or maybe both. And it goes something like this. Oh God, please lay it upon the teacher's heart to have this test graded on the curve. And Lord, cause the smartest kid in the class to be suddenly smitten with brain damage. In Jesus' name, our loving Savior, amen. You see, grading on a curve elevates those who may not pass the test to a position that is now passable. Is it good to do that? I don't think so. It is more of a self-esteem movement in the class than bringing the child or the student up to the standard of what they ought to know. It's very important to realize that when God grades, God does not grade on a curve. God does not say, well, Billy Graham, he's got an 89.3 on the test. That means all 66.2s get about a C-, and somehow we get in based upon the achievements of another. And yet there are people who think, well, you know what, I'm not as bad as my neighbor. I'm not as bad as the guy across the street. And you begin to judge yourself. among those that are around you. Paul the Apostle says, those who judge themselves among themselves are not wise. God is not great on a curve. God, listen carefully, don't get up and leave with this next comment. God demands perfection for any of us to enter heaven. We will not get into heaven without perfection. The problem is, how do we get perfection? We have tried, we have prayed, we have fasted, we've given money, we've pumped our 10 speeds up and down Chino Hills, which would be a real drag to do. We've done all these things in the name of Christ. And is that gonna get us into heaven? The Bible says absolutely not. We get into heaven by being absolutely perfect. You say, Jack, you're not making sense to me. This is the answer. We get into heaven by completely being, can I say, coated or dipped or immersed or covered in the righteousness of Christ. Without his righteousness, there is no entrance into heaven. We can dream all we want. We can be the most law-abiding citizen in our community. And we should be as Christians. We should be examples. But know that none of those examples is what gets us into heaven. The examples that you and I might live out is simply a fact that proves that we know Christ. There may be very moral people in the world. Maybe you're growing up or maybe you grew up in a very moral home. Sometimes those people are the most hardest people to reach for Christ because they are moral. We're very clean. We don't do this. We don't do the other. And we would never consider that. And we only allow this and that. And then when you share Christ with them, they say, oh, no, we're very moral people. And they're grading themselves on a curve. That this is the human standard, and this is what I've done. I look around, so I must be okay. And God says, no. The fact of the matter is, we have all sinned, Romans 3.23 tells us, and have come short. The word has actually fallen short of the glory of God. Imagine setting up a bullseye target for archery. I don't know about my junior high that I went to in Orange County. We had archery. Can you imagine giving junior high kids these days bows and arrows? That would be something to see. See this gang member there, bow and arrow? The little Indians or whatever they might call themselves. Well, back then we used to get spanked for goofing up in school. Hint. Anyway, you would pull out your arrow and you would draw back your bow and you would or draw back the string to the bow and you would let that thing go and if you missed the red target there on the bullseye everybody standing around would go oh brother man what a loser you missed totally you didn't even hit the whole thing you missed you didn't even get close your arrow fell short of the target or maybe you went past the target maybe you hit the what the outer part the blue part or the yellow part listen If we miss the red part, the old term for missing the red part was called sin. The judge would say, sin. That meant you missed the mark. We're mark missers. Every one of us have missed the mark. God says, be perfect. And we put our heads down in chagrin with grief because we can't be perfect. That's why the Bible is so wonderfully liberating to people who think they can earn their way into heaven. The Bible sets us free. Religion says I've got to get on the daily religious grind and do the best and work hard and maybe in the end my good will outweigh my bad. No. God has set us free from religion and brought us to Christ through a relationship. And James is talking to us this morning about our relationship with God being marked by mercy. Mercy that we exhibit in our lives. The Bible tells us that the Lord of all of the earth will judge the earth in the coming day. At the great second coming of Christ, you can read about that in Revelation 19 and Revelation 20 as well. In the great second coming, Jesus will descend out of heaven, the Bible says, with the bride of Christ and the armies of heaven. And he will come to judge the earth. In Matthew chapter 25, the Bible there tells us that he'll separate in that great time the sheep from the goats as he divides the nations. And in 2 Timothy 4, verse 1, Paul told Timothy, "...I charge you, Timothy, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead." at his appearing of his kingdom. Preach the word. Be instant, in season and out of season. Reproof, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching. That's what we're doing this morning. We're teaching, going through the word of God. Why? Because there's a coming judgment and we want to make sure we pass. Don't you want to pass? Listen, this always comes to a shock to people who have forgotten. Those of us who are Christians, raise our hands. You've given your heart to Christ, okay? You can put your hands down. The Bible teaches us in the Bible that every one of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Did you know that? You and I will be judged by Jesus Christ himself alone. Did you forget that? We will, I, by myself, will stand before Jesus and all the things that I've done in this body will be judged. And it has nothing to do with getting in or out of heaven. It has everything to do with what's called rewards in Scripture. You can read about this in the first chapter or second chapter of Corinthians. Paul tells us there that we're going to receive a reward for the things done, whether good or bad. He's going to tell us that if we have built in this life upon wood, hay, and stubble, our judgment will be by fire and those things will be burned up, will be saved, he says, yet so as by fire. And then it says if in our bodies we've done good works that are like precious stones, gold and silver, they will endure the fire of tests. And at the end of that judgment, the Bible says the Christian will receive a reward. That is in eternity. Every one of us who are believers will be judged, but it has nothing to do with condemnation. Those of you who have never given your heart to Jesus Christ, you have never said, Lord Jesus, come into my life. Save me from my sins. I know that I'm a sinner and I'm asking you, Lord God, to write my name in your book of life. You've never said that. You've never done that. You have never said in your heart or from your lips, Jesus, I believe you rose again from the dead and you died for me in the cross. and I confess that truth, and I receive you as my Savior. If you have never done that, then right now, suspended over your head, the Bible teaches us, is the judgment of God. In fact, the word in the Greek is, it's in the present tense, the judgment of God is now active on you. You might say, well, I don't see anything happening. I'm just doing quite fine. Just got a raise on Friday. Got a new car. Feeling pretty spunky. I'm doing fine. That's because God's merciful friend. The Bible says, don't you know that it is the goodness of God that leads a man to repentance? And by the way, read the fine print. If the goodness of God won't lead a man to repentance, he'll use other means. Sometimes he'll use difficulties. James has already talked to us about that. The fact of the matter is, we, if you and I are going to inherit eternity, and we will, we must be changed. We've got to experience a change.
SPEAKER 03 :
You're listening to Real Life with Pastor Jack Hibbs. You know, to hear more episodes and maybe catch up in the series, just go to jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com. And for now, let's get back to our teaching. Once again, here's Pastor Jack.
SPEAKER 05 :
In 1 Corinthians 15, verse 51 and 52, you know this. We quote it every other week. In fact, I can't even believe I'm still reading it. I ought to know it off the top of my head easily. He says, Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, that is, we shall not all die, but we shall be changed, metamorphosed. In a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound and the dead in Christ will arise first. And we who are alive at that moment will be raptured. The word is caught up in your English Bible. Raptus. We'll be violently taken off the face of the earth to be meeting our Jesus face to face. It's a good removal, not a bad removal. It's a wonderful thing. God will extract his people from the earth. That's the rapture. But this body can't make it. Did you know that? Your body? Those of you who were... You're 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 25 and a half. Right now you're thinking, I don't need a new body. I'm just fine. You just wait. You just wait. Oh, your heart won't change. Your body will. It won't be able to keep up with your heart's desire. You run after Jesus and do all the things. Your body's going to struggle. Your body's going to resist. This body cannot inherit eternity. It won't work. You and I must either be A, raptured, or B, die. Right over our heads, I don't know if you've ever noticed, but at about 15,000 feet over our heads right now is the descending final approach pattern to LAX. You'll see 747s. In fact, during the course of this message, I'm weird about things like this. I'm sorry to tell you, but about every one and a half minutes, a jet at 15,000 feet will fly over this church heading into Los Angeles. They're at 250 degrees west, 250 west, flying right straight into LAX. 747s, 777s, 737s, DC-10s, L-1011s, big heavy pieces of machinery. And if they, one of them, fell out of the sky right now and landed, or I should say embedded itself in the sanctuary, chances are we would die. And the moment that this carcass dies, we instantly arrive in the presence of God. We will be changed. Listen, you wanna experience something new and radical? As Christians, we have no option with where James has taken us this morning, and that is to exercise mercy among each other as a church, or else there's a good chance, like Martin Luther will state to us in a little bit, that we don't know Christ at all if we're not merciful people. So he says here in verse 10, he says, for whoever shall keep the whole law and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty. of all the first thing I want you to see here is that the truth of God bears witness to his existence the truth of God bears witness of his existence it says for whoever shall keep the whole law and yet stumble in one point and here's the push He's guilty of all. You ought to circle that word guilty. You can be an evolutionist this morning and you're feeling guilty about something, aren't you? Or don't you? The very fact that you can feel guilty. You can be an atheist and you're sensing a bit of guilt. Why is that the case? If you're just an animal, how in the world can you feel or sense guilt? Because there's a God seated on a throne in heaven? Because God does not grade on a curve. His standard is righteousness. That's why you experience guilt. That's why the Christian who comes to Christ, there's the release of guilt. And for 21 years, I have not felt guilt in my life. I'm not saying I didn't sin. I'm saying that when I sinned, I went to Christ and I said, my God, forgive me, Lord. I sinned against you. Forgive me. And joy flows into my heart and I'm restored. That's the life of a Christian. But for a non-Christian, you're under the yoke of guilt. And you're trying alcohol or you're trying drugs or you're trying maybe various relationships to find some alleviation. And it doesn't come. Why? Because James says, whoever shall keep the whole law. He is really, really getting us against the ropes right now. He's almost being sarcastic. Whoever shall keep the whole law. Who do you think would even begin to entertain the fact that they are keeping the whole law? The self-righteous. The self-seeking. James says, whoever is to keep... The whole law. Yes, keep saying James. He says here with this incredible shock, and yet stumble at one point, he's guilty of all. Do you know what James is saying? He is saying, in fact, look at it this way. You're holding a plate over your head with a house of cards built on the top. If one of those cards fall, what do you think is going to happen? All of them will fall. They will all fall down just because one fell. Or you can be hanging from a great chain. Did you see that guy in the news? He slipped and fell at that high-rise beam built in New York, and he was suspended by his fingers on a steel I-beam out in the open 22 stories above New York City streets. And his fingers were beginning to slip. One, two, three. He had time. He had a moment. And he was saved, by the way. But what if you were hanging by a chain and you've got 10 links to that chain labeled 1 to 10? Which number needs to break before you fall? Oh, as they say in the market, pick a number. Any number. Number 9. You broke number 9. Down you go. Oh, you broke number 1. Down you go. You're going to go. And the Bible tells us that the human race has already gone. The law stands in front of us and convicts us of sin. And look, you know this is true. You know in your heart this is true. There's a speed limit out there on the highway right now. That law stands there like this. And the moment you go over that speed limit, what do you start doing? Your neck starts going all around you. Be honest to yourself. You're looking. Is there any police officers? Is my radar detector working? Why? You're guilty. Come on, you know it. Well, nobody caught me. But you're guilty, aren't you? There's a law. And God says, this is the Ten Commandments and you are to live by this. And we can't. We can't do it. We fail. And that's the whole point. We were to come to the Ten Commandments and say, my God, I can't make it. And that's why Jesus steps onto the scene and says, I'll fulfill the law. You come into eternity on my glory, in my train, on my robe of righteousness. The law stands there condemning us, not lifting us up. The law of God points the finger to everyone and says, you're guilty. I should go like this. You're guilty. So that all mankind, the Bible says, might stand with their mouths stopped before God. We're all guilty. So how do we get to heaven? By Jesus Christ and trusting in him. Not by thinking somehow our good will outweigh the bad. No, the truth of the matter is guilt is a proof of God's existence and even his very conviction of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Truth can never be extinguished. It is true that we are marked missers, we're sinners, but the fact of the matter is Jesus Christ has died and his righteousness holds true and we come to him by faith, we receive his righteousness by faith, and we await his coming for us. The Bible says we are guilty. The whole world is guilty. I jotted this down. Maybe you saw the ad for this. Have you ever heard of a program called Melrose Place? I'm sure nobody in this church has ever watched that terrible program. I saw a commercial. I saw a commercial, and it was terrible. And on the commercial, it said, Melrose Place, guilt-free TV. And it shows Heather Lockyer, whatever her name is, ripping off her top. Three times in the commercial, she's taking off her top. Melrose Place, guilt-free TV. Oh yeah, who says? The world says. After all, we're grading on the curve. And God says, no. No. fact is we have an internal consciousness that's been given to us by God to convict us. Pinocchio called him Jiminy Cricket. We call him the Holy Spirit. He convicts the world of sin. An internal consciousness. There's an internal awareness of God.
SPEAKER 04 :
Now don't think, if you're visiting, I'm not getting into some kind of new age little meditation thing here, but Christ consciousness that is really focused on your navel. that there'll be a one well unity of your spirit. You know, I'm not talking about that kind of stuff.
SPEAKER 05 :
I'm not talking about the consciousness that you get as you focus on some crystal sitting on a rock underneath a pine tree. God has written eternity in the hearts of every person.
SPEAKER 03 :
pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs here on Real Life Radio with his message called Letting Mercy Rule. You know, this message is part of Pastor Jack's series called The Book of James. It's a series on being doers of the Word and not just hearers only. And we'll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio.
SPEAKER 02 :
You know, the Apostle Peter in his letters to the church urged his fellow Christians to keep on learning and growing in the faith, in spite of their suffering and pain. Unlike today, however, resources were scarce. Still, they persevered, and Christ followers were growing in both strength and numbers. Now there's no limit of ways to access quality materials on Christian living, including Pastor Jack's website. When you go to jackhibbs.com and click the media icon, you'll find not only real-life radio episodes, but real-life podcasts, real-life TV, real-life basics for Christian growth, and even news updates. There's also specific verse-by-verse studies from books of the Bible and so much more. So head on over to our website at jackhibbs.com and click on the media tab. That's jackhibbs.com.
SPEAKER 03 :
This program is made possible by the generous contributions of you, our listeners. Visit us at jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com. Until next time, Pastor Jack Hibbs and all of us here at Real Life Radio wish for you solid and steady growth in Christ and in His Word. We'll see you next time here on Real Life Radio.
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.
