Join us as we dissect Ezekiel's message, learning how the enduring truths from the scripture can inform our daily walk with God. Through passionate teaching, Jeff Archie reminds listeners of God's desire for repentance and the abundant life He offers to those who turn from wicked ways. We also explore how these teachings apply to raising our children, sharing our faith, and living a life fully dedicated to God's purpose. It is a call to action, a call to live as God intended, and an invitation to engage more deeply with His Word.
How can we then live? You know, that was asked in the long ago, and the answer was given then, and it is given now. We're going to search the Scriptures for how can we then live? That's today from the International Gospel Hour. Stay right here.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hi, this is Jay Webb for International Gospel Hour. For 90 years, churches of Christ have proclaimed God's Word through International Gospel Hour. You are about to listen to another Bible-based lesson with Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, starting now.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, thank you to our J-Web, and greetings and hello everyone. It's always great having you with us for our studies here from the International Gospel Hour broadcast. We're grateful that we can study today a question asked in the long ago. You know, Hebrews 11, 6 says, "...but without faith it is impossible to please Him, that being God." For he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. May we seek God through our study today as we go to the Old Testament in the book of Ezekiel to consider the question beforehand. I'm going to read Ezekiel 33 verses 1 through 10. Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, When he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people that whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning. His blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but the blood I will require at the watchman's hand. Now verse 7, So you, son of man, that is Ezekiel, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Therefore you shall hear a word from my mouth and warn them for me. When I say to the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul. Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus you say, if our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, How can we then live? Friends, that is our question for our study. How can we then live? Now, before we study this section of text, we have a free magazine for our teens in the audience. Well, maybe it could be a gift for your children or grandchildren. Here is our J-Web with the details.
SPEAKER 03 :
Courtesy of our friends at apologeticspress.org, we at International Gospel Hour have a limited supply of Valor and Virtue, a Christian apologetics magazine for teens. It is a great resource for any age, but especially for the challenging teen years. Get your free copy today by calling toll-free at 855-444-6988. Leave your name and address and just say, Valor. That's it. Again, that's 855-444-6988. Leave your name and address and just say, Valor. You can also request it through our website at internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the contact tab and leave us your name and address and put Valor in the message box. We will send you a copy while supplies last. So get yours quickly.
SPEAKER 01 :
In Ezekiel 33, friends, our chapter in consideration, this chapter is called a chapter of charge or a challenge from God with warnings and the plea and command of obedience in light of the warnings that God brings forth, especially through this son of man, Ezekiel. Now in the verses we've read we see the charge of a watchman in warning the people for the people to listen and to obey and to respect the warnings that would come. Now this language is similar to that of Ezekiel 3 verses 17 through 21 with verse 7 here in Ezekiel 33 clearly showing Ezekiel as the watchman God has brought forth. So this great question, how can we then live, in verse 10, and in the verse it says, if we pine away in them, or pine away is a phrase that means to become hardened. It's like death, if you will. And one pines away in sin, then where is life to come? Or what kind of life do you really have, Israel? So when the question is asked, how can we then live, may I go to verse 11 now of Ezekiel 33 for the answer. Say to them, as I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways, for why should you die, O house of Israel? Then with specific warnings God brings forth in verse 12, the conclusion is simple. In verse 13, to those that turn from God, well, you will die. But to those that turn to God, you will live. That's verses 14 through 16. So friends, the question, how can we then live? The answer is the same. One must turn to God in order to live. Now, we are reminded of Peter's words in 2 Peter 3 and verse 9, how the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men would count slackness, but how the Lord is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. You see, he's not willing that any should perish, and as noted from Ezekiel 33, 11, he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. But he wants all to come to repentance, a continual, beautiful plea from God to this very day. So friends, let's bring forth some lessons here. Let's live for God the way he wants us to live. A lot of us will create our own religion, our own ideas. Oh, I've had individuals look at scriptures concerning salvation, and they'll say, I know that's what it says, but here's what I think. Friends, that's dangerous. When we see what God says through His Word, we need to think upon that and apply that, not begin to determine our own things. You see, let's live the way God wants us to live. In Psalm 56 and verse 9, the psalmist said, When I cry unto thee, then shall my enemies turn back. This I know, for God is for me. You see, God is for all of us. Why would one want to die spiritually when he sent his Son to die for us? He so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. That beautiful passage of John 3.16. In 1 John 4 and verse 8, God is defined as love. God is love. And how He expressed that love to us in sending His Son. You see, God is for us. God wants no one to be lost. He has done everything possible for you and I to obey Him. Now the charge is upon us. just like it was in the days of Israel. May I submit to you, secondly, let us live for God and tell others, like we're striving to do here at International Gospel Hour. We bring forth this broadcast, and we bring it forth so we can reach the masses with the gospel message, the best message, the only message that will change our lives for good. We have a life to live by telling others with the charge of the Great Commission that Jesus gave in Matthew 28, 18-20. In Mark 16, beginning with verse 15, Luke 24, beginning with verse 47, and John 20, beginning with verse 21. We need to tell others about the Christ. That's one purpose that we bring forth here. A study of the Word of God that when we take the Word of God to study, to show ourselves approved unto God, to be workmen that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing or cutting aright the Word of Truth, 2 Timothy 2.15. We are able to give an answer of the hope that is within us with meekness and fear, 1 Peter 3.15. We need to live for God and let others know, and we need to live for God as our children need to live for God. To those arrows in the hand of a mighty man to be aimed and guided, Psalm 127, verses 3 and 4. Proverbs 22, 16 says, Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Children need training, or this training a child in the original Hebrew language means to place a bit in the horse's mouth, to guide, to break, to lead in the right way. Earlier in our broadcast, our J-Web shared with you a free publication of Valor and Virtue for Teens. Well, friends, we want everyone to live for God. How can we then live? We can live by turning to God. With that being said, friends, we'd like to once again mention a new Bible study available by mail. We've talked about this in several broadcasts. It is titled, God and Man, How to be Saved from Sin. This study booklet addresses a number of questions about the salvation from God to man, and friends, like all of our materials, it's absolutely free. Do you want to know how you then can live? Turn to God and we think this book will help you. Now here's what you do. Call us toll free at 855-444-6988. Leave your name and address and just say God and man. That's all you have to do. Again, that's 855-444-6988. Leave your name and address and just say God and man. Or you can go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the contact tab and leave the same information, name, address, and type God and man in the message box. This is another new Bible study that is free from the International Gospel Hour. Friends, what we also want to do is continue these thoughts in our next broadcast from Ezekiel 33. And with that being said, thank you for joining me today on the International Gospel Hour. I'm Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thank you for listening to our broadcast today. To God goes all the glory, and we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. To listen to it again or our other broadcasts, please visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com.
A collection of messages about DEPRESSION, whether for you or someone you care about. Depression affects nearly everyone in the United States, and over 29% of the population has been diagnosed with clinical depression at some point in their lives. This podcast does not replace medical help with depression, and if you or someone you know if in danger, please get them medical help with these instructions.
If you have a prayer request or need, please don't hesitate to call us at 303.481.1800, or complete the form below and someone will reach back out according to your wishes.
Join us as we dissect Ezekiel's message, learning how the enduring truths from the scripture can inform our daily walk with God. Through passionate teaching, Jeff Archie reminds listeners of God's desire for repentance and the abundant life He offers to those who turn from wicked ways. We also explore how these teachings apply to raising our children, sharing our faith, and living a life fully dedicated to God's purpose. It is a call to action, a call to live as God intended, and an invitation to engage more deeply with His Word.
How can we then live? You know, that was asked in the long ago, and the answer was given then, and it is given now. We're going to search the Scriptures for how can we then live? That's today from the International Gospel Hour. Stay right here.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hi, this is Jay Webb for International Gospel Hour. For 90 years, churches of Christ have proclaimed God's Word through International Gospel Hour. You are about to listen to another Bible-based lesson with Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, starting now.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, thank you to our J-Web, and greetings and hello everyone. It's always great having you with us for our studies here from the International Gospel Hour broadcast. We're grateful that we can study today a question asked in the long ago. You know, Hebrews 11, 6 says, "...but without faith it is impossible to please Him, that being God." For he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. May we seek God through our study today as we go to the Old Testament in the book of Ezekiel to consider the question beforehand. I'm going to read Ezekiel 33 verses 1 through 10. Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, When he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people that whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning. His blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but the blood I will require at the watchman's hand. Now verse 7, So you, son of man, that is Ezekiel, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Therefore you shall hear a word from my mouth and warn them for me. When I say to the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your soul. Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus you say, if our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, How can we then live? Friends, that is our question for our study. How can we then live? Now, before we study this section of text, we have a free magazine for our teens in the audience. Well, maybe it could be a gift for your children or grandchildren. Here is our J-Web with the details.
SPEAKER 03 :
Courtesy of our friends at apologeticspress.org, we at International Gospel Hour have a limited supply of Valor and Virtue, a Christian apologetics magazine for teens. It is a great resource for any age, but especially for the challenging teen years. Get your free copy today by calling toll-free at 855-444-6988. Leave your name and address and just say, Valor. That's it. Again, that's 855-444-6988. Leave your name and address and just say, Valor. You can also request it through our website at internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the contact tab and leave us your name and address and put Valor in the message box. We will send you a copy while supplies last. So get yours quickly.
SPEAKER 01 :
In Ezekiel 33, friends, our chapter in consideration, this chapter is called a chapter of charge or a challenge from God with warnings and the plea and command of obedience in light of the warnings that God brings forth, especially through this son of man, Ezekiel. Now in the verses we've read we see the charge of a watchman in warning the people for the people to listen and to obey and to respect the warnings that would come. Now this language is similar to that of Ezekiel 3 verses 17 through 21 with verse 7 here in Ezekiel 33 clearly showing Ezekiel as the watchman God has brought forth. So this great question, how can we then live, in verse 10, and in the verse it says, if we pine away in them, or pine away is a phrase that means to become hardened. It's like death, if you will. And one pines away in sin, then where is life to come? Or what kind of life do you really have, Israel? So when the question is asked, how can we then live, may I go to verse 11 now of Ezekiel 33 for the answer. Say to them, as I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways, for why should you die, O house of Israel? Then with specific warnings God brings forth in verse 12, the conclusion is simple. In verse 13, to those that turn from God, well, you will die. But to those that turn to God, you will live. That's verses 14 through 16. So friends, the question, how can we then live? The answer is the same. One must turn to God in order to live. Now, we are reminded of Peter's words in 2 Peter 3 and verse 9, how the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men would count slackness, but how the Lord is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. You see, he's not willing that any should perish, and as noted from Ezekiel 33, 11, he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. But he wants all to come to repentance, a continual, beautiful plea from God to this very day. So friends, let's bring forth some lessons here. Let's live for God the way he wants us to live. A lot of us will create our own religion, our own ideas. Oh, I've had individuals look at scriptures concerning salvation, and they'll say, I know that's what it says, but here's what I think. Friends, that's dangerous. When we see what God says through His Word, we need to think upon that and apply that, not begin to determine our own things. You see, let's live the way God wants us to live. In Psalm 56 and verse 9, the psalmist said, When I cry unto thee, then shall my enemies turn back. This I know, for God is for me. You see, God is for all of us. Why would one want to die spiritually when he sent his Son to die for us? He so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. That beautiful passage of John 3.16. In 1 John 4 and verse 8, God is defined as love. God is love. And how He expressed that love to us in sending His Son. You see, God is for us. God wants no one to be lost. He has done everything possible for you and I to obey Him. Now the charge is upon us. just like it was in the days of Israel. May I submit to you, secondly, let us live for God and tell others, like we're striving to do here at International Gospel Hour. We bring forth this broadcast, and we bring it forth so we can reach the masses with the gospel message, the best message, the only message that will change our lives for good. We have a life to live by telling others with the charge of the Great Commission that Jesus gave in Matthew 28, 18-20. In Mark 16, beginning with verse 15, Luke 24, beginning with verse 47, and John 20, beginning with verse 21. We need to tell others about the Christ. That's one purpose that we bring forth here. A study of the Word of God that when we take the Word of God to study, to show ourselves approved unto God, to be workmen that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing or cutting aright the Word of Truth, 2 Timothy 2.15. We are able to give an answer of the hope that is within us with meekness and fear, 1 Peter 3.15. We need to live for God and let others know, and we need to live for God as our children need to live for God. To those arrows in the hand of a mighty man to be aimed and guided, Psalm 127, verses 3 and 4. Proverbs 22, 16 says, Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Children need training, or this training a child in the original Hebrew language means to place a bit in the horse's mouth, to guide, to break, to lead in the right way. Earlier in our broadcast, our J-Web shared with you a free publication of Valor and Virtue for Teens. Well, friends, we want everyone to live for God. How can we then live? We can live by turning to God. With that being said, friends, we'd like to once again mention a new Bible study available by mail. We've talked about this in several broadcasts. It is titled, God and Man, How to be Saved from Sin. This study booklet addresses a number of questions about the salvation from God to man, and friends, like all of our materials, it's absolutely free. Do you want to know how you then can live? Turn to God and we think this book will help you. Now here's what you do. Call us toll free at 855-444-6988. Leave your name and address and just say God and man. That's all you have to do. Again, that's 855-444-6988. Leave your name and address and just say God and man. Or you can go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the contact tab and leave the same information, name, address, and type God and man in the message box. This is another new Bible study that is free from the International Gospel Hour. Friends, what we also want to do is continue these thoughts in our next broadcast from Ezekiel 33. And with that being said, thank you for joining me today on the International Gospel Hour. I'm Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thank you for listening to our broadcast today. To God goes all the glory, and we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. To listen to it again or our other broadcasts, please visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com.
Join us on this empowering episode of the Concepts of Faith broadcast as Charles Capps dives deep into the spiritual dynamics of authority on Earth. Explore how believers, simply by being born on this planet, hold a powerful legal status that surpasses the feared forces of darkness. Through biblical references and practical teachings, learn how to stand firm against the adversary with the assurance that your birthright is your guarantee of victory.
We are glad you could join us today for the Concepts of Faith broadcast. This program is dedicated to teach you how to put the Word of God to work so that it will make a positive difference in the everyday circumstances of your life. And now, here's Charles Capps.
SPEAKER 01 :
Now, Satan is illegal on this planet. He has no authority here, but he has lorded it over God's heritage by fear and trying to con you into believing that he is the big devil with all the almighty power. Satan, the devil, is no match for any Christian born of the Spirit of God that knows his right standing in Jesus and his righteousness in Christ. If you're born again, you have become the righteousness of God in Christ. And Christ dwells in you. And Jesus gave him a licking that he has never forgotten. And when he looks at you and sees the righteousness of God, he don't know whether that's you or God in there. All right, we're in 10th chapter of John. Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, he that enter not by the door of the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same as a thief and a robber. You see, every one of you that are born on this planet have a legal document in your possession somewhere, almost every one of you, that will prove in the Supreme Court of this land that you have legal authority over demons and evil spirits. It's called a birth certificate. If you don't know nothing else to do, When the devil comes around your business, around your house, around your family affairs, if you don't know anything else to do, get your birth certificate out. Say, hey, Mr. Devil, look. Born January 4, 1934. Bromitt, Arkansas. Somebody say, big deal. What's that mean? The devil knows what it means. You have a legal document that says you're a legal resident of this planet, which gives you authority on this planet. He doesn't have one. He does not have a physical flesh, blood, and bone body. Therefore, he's illegal on this planet. And the only way that he can do anything on this planet is he has to get in some body, right? He has to have a body to manifest himself. Don't give him your body. That's the only way he can get any authority. And the Garden of Eden, you notice, he borrowed the body of a serpent. You see, spirit beings, unless they have a body, can do very little on this planet. You see, the devil would destroy this planet in an instant of time if he could. He destroyed it years ago. But he can't do it. He has to get in somebody to do it. Now, right on the other hand, God is limited by the same means. God and the Holy Spirit can do very little on this planet unless they can get in somebody. You know why the devil wants your body sick, crippled, or dead? Because it'll inhibit your authority. Have you noticed people, when they lose their body, they don't vote, they don't demonstrate. You lose your right to operate on this planet when you lose your body. Now see, demons and evil spirits, they climbed up some other way. They were not born here. Somebody said, well, Adam wasn't born here either. No, but God gave him dominion. And you see, we inherited it through the fact that we were born here. We're legal residents of this planet. No Christian should ever be afraid of demons and evil spirits. Isaiah said they'll narrowly look upon him. And they'll say, is he the one that deceived the nations? Probably some little hairy monkey looking thing about a foot and a half tall. And the Christians run from him for years because he portrayed himself as the big devil. Somebody said, oh, aren't you afraid to say that? No, I want him to hear me say it. I want him to know that I know that he has no authority on this planet. People that have physical flesh, blood, and bone bodies have the authority on this planet. Satan has none. He'll exercise your authority if you'll lend it to him. If you'll lend him your mouth, he'll cause you more trouble than you know how to get out of. If you lend him your body, he'll send you to hell. He'll destroy you. Right on the other hand, God says, I sent my word and healed them and delivered them from their destruction. But you're going to have to lend your body to God. Paul said, present your bodies to God. You remember what Jesus said? Jesus said, sacrifice an offering thou wouldest not, but a body thou hast prepared me. Jesus got his authority on this planet by having a physical flesh, blood, and bone body. Now, Luke chapter 4. Now, you'd have thought they'd want to vote Jesus in as pastor after he's preached that great sermon. But they didn't. They wanted to kill him. You think you've had it hard. First sermon he preached in his own hometown. They wanted to kill him. They wanted to throw him down a hill headlong. Now he went from there to Capernaum. And verse 32 says, And they were astonished at his doctrine, for his word was with power. And in the synagogue there was a man which had a spirit of unclean devil, cried out with a loud voice, saying, Let us alone. What have I to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. Now listen to this. Here's a demon crying out and said, I know who you are. You're the Holy One of God. Now what's going on? You mean to tell me now demons have started witnessing for Jesus? Why in the world would a demon witness for Jesus? Well, it looked to me like demons would say, don't believe this fellow. He's a false prophet. Why would a demon tell the truth? Only if he thought it was to his advantage to do so. You know what he was doing? He was challenging the authority of Jesus. He said, I know who you are. You're God manifest in the flesh. You're not pulling any wool over my eyes. You're Jesus of Nazareth, the Holy One of God. And you can't cast me out. It's illegal because you gave man authority on this planet. And I happen to know you're God manifest in the flesh. You're the Son of God. You're not a man. And Jesus, I like what he said. He just said, shut your mouth and come out of it. Thank God he did. He came out of him. Confused as the devil himself. How did he do it? How did he cast me out? I can just hear the demon whining. How did he cast me out? Devil, you told me that he didn't have authority to do it. But you see, the devil didn't know everything. See, he was confused about the virgin birth too. The Bible says if the prince of this world had known, he wouldn't have crucified the Lord of glory. I guess not, because all he did was plant him. And he came up. One of the worst things Satan ever saw was when Jesus arose from the dead. Then the next worst thing he ever saw was on the day of Pentecost. You see, he couldn't handle one Jesus. And on the day of Pentecost, there was 120 poured out of the same mold. With demon, devil casting out powers to heal the sick and raise the dead. And if that wasn't bad enough, before the day was over, there was 3,120. And there's been more every day since. And it's not getting any better for the devil. Glory to God. The more people that get born again, the more Satan gets on tranquilizers. Brother, he's had it going in. Now watch the things that happened here. Go to Matthew, the eighth chapter again. Let's see it again in the Scripture. Verse 29, And behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, thou Jesus, the Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time? Now what's he talking about? This demon is saying, Jesus, I know who you are. You're the Son of God. Here he goes witnessing for Jesus again. Have you come to torment us before the time? What time? See, the devil and demons know there's a time set. He's talking about when the lease runs out. When the lease on this planet runs out. He's had it and he knows it. But he's challenging Jesus. It's not time yet. You can't torment us. But he cast him out. Now if you notice in Mark the 5th chapter. There again Jesus is challenged. He challenges his authority. In verse 7, he cried with a loud voice and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not. Now what's going on? Here is a demon trying to bring God in on the deal. He thought God was going to take up for him. Can you imagine that? The demon thought, if I say I command you, see, that's a military term. A juror is a military term. I command you by God that you torment me not. Now, see, he thought he had some authority to do that. because he knew that it was illegal for God to destroy the works of the devil, and he knew that Jesus was, in essence, God manifest in the flesh. But what he didn't understand was what Philippians 2 says, he made of himself no reputation. The Greek says he stripped himself when he came to the earth. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor. He stripped himself of his divine authority. He came to this earth as a man. He had the legal authority and the legal body of a man, which gave him legal authority to exercise dominion in the planet earth. But until the Holy Ghost came upon him, he didn't have the ability to cast out the devil. Now let me show you something where we've missed it. We've said he did it because he was a son of God. Jesus said, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he's anointed me. Now, if it were true that he was God manifest in the flesh and all of his divine Godhead powers, why would God have to anoint him? That proves that he wasn't. He came as a man. He was a son of God, all right. He was God in essence manifest in the flesh, but not in his divine Godhead powers. But after he lived 30 years perfect and upright under the old covenant, it was legal for God to anoint him with the Holy Ghost and healing power. I'm glad you joined us for the Concepts of Faith broadcast today. Now we're talking all this week about authority and we're offering CD offer number 7411. It's called the Authority Series. Four CDs for $29 plus $5 postage and handling. A total of $34. Now, if you don't understand that you have authority on this earth, you're going to let the devil run over you roughshod. I'm telling you, folks, there's some things that you need to understand about authority that God has given us. First of all, you need to understand that You have a physical flesh, blood, and bone body. Your body gives you authority on this earth. And so many times you hear people saying, oh, we just got to beat the old flesh to death because the flesh is so sinful. No, it's not. No, you can train the flesh to be righteous or sinful or any other way. It is neutral, really, and you train it the way you want it. When Jesus was born on this planet, he had to be born here to have authority here. The Bible says that he came to destroy the works that the devil had done. Well, he had the authority to do that because he was born on this planet. He was a legal resident of the planet Earth, and that gave him authority to destroy the works of the devil. But did you notice he didn't destroy the works of the devil until the Holy Ghost came upon him when he was baptized in the River Jordan? And then he began to do great and mighty miracles and cast out demons, heal the sick, raise the dead, and kill fig trees and stop storms. I'm telling you, he had authority on this planet because he was a man. Now, why didn't he do it before he was 30 years of age when he was baptized in the River Jordan? because he didn't have the ability to do it, because he was born here as a man. He was a son of God, all right, but he took on him the authority of a man so he'd have authority, and it was legal for God to anoint him then to cast out demons and heal the sick and destroy the works of the devil. You need this series. It's offer number 7411, Authority Series, four CDs for $29 plus $5 postage and handling. A total of $34. We have a toll-free order line, 1-877-396-9400. Until tomorrow, this is Charles Capps reminding you, the enemy is defeated, God is exalted, and yes, Jesus is coming soon.
SPEAKER 03 :
To order the product offered today, call 1-877-396-9400 or write Charles Capps, P.O. Box 69, England, Arkansas, 72046. A complete list of CDs, books, and DVDs are available online at charlescapps.com. Through the website, you can listen to this radio program again and subscribe to our podcast. This broadcast is sponsored by Charles Capps Ministries and our listeners in this area.
Barbara Carmack, along with her daughter Kimberly, invites you into a heartfelt exploration of spiritual life on Call to Freedom. Reflecting on the importance of being a light in the world, they discuss the transformative power of faith and the peace that comes with accepting Jesus as Savior. With passages from Isaiah 9 and personal stories of overcoming darkness, this episode serves as a reminder that we are never alone in our journey towards spiritual fulfillment and eternal joy.
00:27:20 Concluding Remarks and Contact Information
SPEAKER 01 :
Welcome to Call to Freedom with Barbara Carmack. This is Jimmy Lakey, and I'm delighted that you are joining us for this half hour. You can reach Call to Freedom at Box 370367, Denver, Colorado, 80237, or by going to the website at www.freedomstreet.org. If you want to leave a message or order a Word Power Daily Reading Bible Guide or a Freedom Street Express newsletter, you can call us toll free at 1-877-917-7256 and leave your name and address, including your zip code. If you want to talk to Barbara right now, she is expecting your call. You may call that same toll-free number, 1-877-917-7256 to speak to her. And now, let's join Barbara in the studio.
SPEAKER 02 :
Ah, what a wonderful time to be alive. I hope you're praising God that you are alive today. Welcome to Call to Freedom. May God work in you what is pleasing to Him through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever and ever. Oh, amen. He is going to give us such a wonderful eternal life we can't even begin to imagine. Just today I was seeing some beautiful photographs from Austria and and Bavaria in Germany. And I said, Oh, Lord, I'd love to see that. And this little voice inside of me, yes, I mean, it wasn't vocal, it wasn't verbal, but it was, you're going to see it. And I said, oh, thank you, Lord. Thank you. I'm going to see it someday. Oh, this world, this earth, this global earth is going to be gorgeous someday, folks. And when you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you're going to see all that he has planned for you. You are blessed to dispense for in him you live and move and have your being. And you can give online to Call to Freedom by going to freedomstreet.org. And if you donate in the month of December, you get a 2025 calendar. And it's beautiful. It's a motivational calendar. It has an adjective for every month. And you can just work on all those different characteristics that you're working on. And I am working on them still. Amen. My life has not been complete. Hallelujah. He's still working on the things. Oh, the hurrying. This morning he said, Barbara, there's time. You can just take a few moments. You don't have to hurry. You don't have to run. And it's been my life. So just taking a moment and saying, thank you, Father. Thank you for being in every moment of my day and encouraging me to stop and rest and take a moment. So if you go to freedomstreet.org, you can not only... give online but you can also listen to radio shows and if you want to listen to a radio program from there you can go down a couple three months i know our webmaster says you've got shows for from a year back and so we're going to kind of trim those up but You may go back and listen to all those shows and the Friday shows of Darren. It's just a wonderful thing. And as I said before, you're going to get a 2025 motivational calendar if you give during the month of December. So you've got some days left. And today we're going to... be talking about such a wonderful verse, a prophecy that came true. If that prophecy came true in the Old Testament, do you think that the prophecies about Jesus returning are not going to be true? Boy, do people have another thing coming. Praise the Lord. Well, I am talkative this afternoon, so I'm going to let my daughter, Kimberly, God bless you, Kimberly, come in and take over for this wonderful teaching.
SPEAKER 05 :
Hey, I miss you. I miss just being with you and seeing each other's faces across that table there.
SPEAKER 02 :
I know. I know. It is really different, isn't it? When you're sitting alone and it's blank. It is.
SPEAKER 05 :
Not being able to see you.
SPEAKER 02 :
I know. I know.
SPEAKER 05 :
And I just wanted to say that. But you know what? I'm going to say thank you real quick. Brett, if you're listening, I just want to say thank you for the matching mugs. I'm holding mine right now. It's full of warm tea. And this morning, Mom and I were talking, and she said, oh, yeah, my mug is right here. I'm just very grateful to have these matching mugs so that when you're drinking coffee, Mom, and I'm drinking tea... And it's really fun to just know that we're connected. We're still connected. We're looking at the same thing and holding the same thing, holding it in our hearts, too, holding the word of God in our hearts. And I love that connection.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, it was so sweet of Brett. I mean, he had to go to work, and yet he came and knocked on the door, left not only those Duffy donuts. Oh, my goodness. Cinnamon rolls, I guess.
SPEAKER 01 :
They're rolls. Yeah.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes, but also those mugs for you and me. And I think we have a game tonight and one more left. And so tonight I'm going to be using my mug, my Bronco mug. It's so cute. Thank you, Brett.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you so much. Yes.
SPEAKER 05 :
We were talking about Isaiah 9, 2-7, and it's the season to be reminded that a child has been given to us. And I would like for you to start out reading that passage from Isaiah 9.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes. Isaiah 9, verse 1. And this is in the message, folks. And if you don't have a message translation, you need to go to ChristianBook.com and just order one. The message is such a beautiful description. It may not be literal translation, but boy, it's so close. And it's so beautiful. Here it is. But there will be no darkness for those who were in trouble. Earlier, he did bring the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali into disrepute. And I've got to say right here, sometimes God may disturb you and your habits because you have been in such a habit of doing something. He wants you to change. And so he's going to bring you into disrepute for just a season to teach you some new things. That's what he's doing for me. So he did bring the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali into disrepute. But the time is coming when he'll make that whole area glorious, the road along the sea and the country past the Jordan, international Galilee. Isn't that beautiful?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes. Keep going. Are we still in Isaiah 9? Yes. Verse 2. Just keep reading. Verse 2. Read the whole thing.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, the whole, okay. Verse two, the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. For those who lived in the land of deep shadows, light, sunbursts of light. You repopulated the nation. You expanded its joy. Oh, they're so glad in your presence. Festival joy, the joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings. And we can say with them, Nehemiah 8, 10, let's eat the fat and drink the sweet and share with others for the joy of the Lord is our strength. Verse four of Isaiah nine, the abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants, all their whips and cudgels. Now I had to look up the word cudgels. It's a short, thick stick used as a weapon, as a club. Have you been beating yourself up? Do you want me to stop there? No, keep going. Here comes the best part. Okay, right in the middle of all this burning. Verse 6, for a child has been born for us. For us, folks. The gift of a son for us. He'll take over the running of the world. His names will be Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. His ruling authority will grow and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings. Excuse me. He'll rule from the historic David throne over that promised kingdom. He'll put that kingdom on a firm footing and keep it going with fair dealing and right living, beginning now and lasting always. The zeal of God of the angel armies will do all this.
SPEAKER 05 :
I love that in the message version. That is so beautiful. The way that it's talking about a celebration, sunbursts of light, festival, joy. This is a time of celebration. It's holy to the Lord. You had inserted Nehemiah 8.10 there. Eat the fat and drink the sweet and do not be sad. Don't be grieved. This is a holy time of celebration to the Lord for what he has done. And then it just mentions right in here, it inserts love. The the cruelty of the oppressors and the tyrants that have beaten us up with whips and clubs. And that might just be our own generational curses and our own thoughts in our own head that are so cruel to us. And they're gone. They're done away with. We've been delivered from all of that. And it's going to be. heaped up in huge heaps and burned so that they'll never bother us again. The fire's going to burn for days. Why? Because a child has been born for us. And what a gift this child is. What a gift. The son for us. He will take over the running of the world. He will take over the running of your mind. And I was just looking at some of these words. It starts out talking about those who live in a land of deep shadows and Those deep shadows, they can come in a lot of different forms. If you're going through a transition in your life, you might have been shaken up unexpectedly and that can feel dark. And if you've been in the same old job with the same old people, the same old things for so many years, that can feel dark. If your relationships with your family keep ending up in the same old loops and you just keep going around and around the same old arguments, the same old mountains, that can feel dark. And maybe you're struggling with an addiction. That can feel really dark too. So deep shadows can touch all of us in different ways. And addictions, I don't know why, that's standing out to me right now, they can flare up during this time of year. Addictions can really be a problem. And I think what feels darkest about an addiction is that you feel like you have been struggling with this thing for so long and you're never going to beat it. That feels really dark. But the good news is you're right. I know that's not what you were expecting me to say. You're right. You're not going to be able to beat it on your own. And nor were you meant to. You were not meant to beat it on your own. The good news is that someone else with a capital S and a capital O, someone else beat has beat it for you and the whole point is to be in touch with him i really appreciated your program monday mom you played breath of heaven and you encouraged us to make time and give time to the one we were made for. The more we talk with him, the more we spend time with him and he reveals himself to us in that time, the more we are aware of his help and his victory in our lives. We can't beat this stuff on our own. We need him. And that's what it means that his strength is perfected in our weakness. We're too weak to handle it in our own strength.
SPEAKER 02 :
We need him. Yes. Oh, this morning, Kimberly, it was a prime example. I had my day all figured out. This is what I'm going to do. Oh, God is so precious. And, you know, I go into the office. I'm going to print off all the name labels so I can just stick them on the calendars and take them to the post office and stand in line and get them sent. Well, I start getting into the programs and something's happened. And so the publisher won't talk to Excel, and I'm stuck. And I'm going, oh, Father, I had all this planned out. I was going to do this. And I said, okay, Father God, I guess I know who to call. So I called Chris. He's precious. And I called his direct line. He's given me his direct line, and he says hello. And I said, Chris, I've got just a little issue here. He went right into the computer, even though he was online with another person. He put them on hold and went right into the computer. And while he was fixing it, it took about 20 minutes. I got to clean my desk, which I haven't cleaned for five years. And I was just throwing stuff in the trash and throwing up. And I'm saying, wow, Lord, you just picked this time for just some cleaning up. And so when he got back online, we talked and talked. And I thanked him for having some time last week for you and him and me to meet for lunch and whatever. We just had such a good conversation. That's what God wanted. He didn't want me just printing off these mailing things and getting it to the post office. He wanted some communication and some wonderful fellowship. Yes. Yes. Yes.
SPEAKER 05 :
So it worked out. Yes, it did work out. And when we go back into our routines like that, that's what can start feeling dark. And we don't even know it. We don't even know that we're just walking in darkness. Right. But we keep putting one foot in front of the other, doing the same old thing, and that's when we need light. And Isaiah 9, is that verse 5? The light, sunbursts of light that God brings to us. It says here, you, God, repopulated the nation. You expanded its joy. That is so wonderful to hear that. We can be so glad in His presence and have this kind of a festivity, festival, joy, celebration, great celebration, and share, share rich gifts and warm greetings with one another because of this light, this light. Now, remember when Jesus told us that we are the light of the world? That's in Matthew 5, 14 and 16. He says, you are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand. And it gives light to all who are in the household. So we are the light of the world. It also says in John 8, 12, that's where it's recorded that Jesus is the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. So this is what we want to remember. Jesus is the first light of the world. When we are following in his ways, in his footsteps, when we are practicing the fruits of the spirit, we are then the light of the world also.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 05 :
And it breaks my heart when I see those who have lost hope, who have lost the light in their lives, because we've all been created to be light in this world. And if we get stuck or lost in such a way that we are no longer a light in to others, that is really sad. We need to find our way back to the light, back to relationship with the one who is the first light. And being in relationship with the light brings you back to shining your light as well. Romans 8 reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. You know, that could read, nothing can separate us from the light of God. Yeah. So if you're feeling separated from that light, it's not because he walked away from you because nothing can separate us from his light and his love. He stays with us. So if you're not seeing the light, if you're not feeling the love. more than likely you were the one that walked away. And if that's true, then find that place where you felt like you had to leave him. Find that place in your life and move back toward him today because we want to stay in relationship with the light of life.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes. Oh, in John one for Kimberly, it says of Jesus in him was life and the life was the light of men. You can't have light without Jesus. You cannot know light. And then it says, and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overpower that light. Who is Jesus Christ? Right.
SPEAKER 05 :
the light of the world. Oh, that's right. That's good. Yes. Yes. So if you're not in relationship with the light of life, consider reading or listening to the Bible. or make it a habit to listen to praise and worship music or hymns. There are many sources that sing the word of God. And that's one thing that I actually appreciate about the Catholic church. They love to make Bible verses and word for word verses available in songs. And I know there are other churches that do it too, but I just think it's wonderful that the Catholics still practice that. They like to put those Bible verses in song. And if we go back to Isaiah 9, and we're talking about the oppressors and the cruelty of their whips, cudgels, clubs, and curses, you know, so many of those are our own thoughts that we get stuck in. Or habits and ways of our generations. We just do it a certain way and we don't even realize that it's doing damage. And it goes on to say that the boots of all those invading troops along with their shirts, those boots and shirts are going to be piled up in a heap and burned. I was thinking, okay, what's so important about boots? You know, there's an old song, these boots were made for walking and they're going to walk all over you. If you have ever felt trampled in this life, or if you've been given the boot, you know, that saying, they gave him the boot, you've been kicked around, you've been kicked out or made to feel like you're less than. Well, those boots are going to burn, along with the shirts. Or you could think of shirts as somebody's money and resources. You've heard the saying, he lost his shirt in that deal. Oh, that's good. So that's one way of looking at resources or power and substance. And if the enemy has taken that shirt, you've lost your shirt in the deal. We're going to watch those shirts and those boots burn because a child has been born to us. There's a beautiful song by Bebe and Cece Winans called For Unto Us a Child is Born. And I would like to hear that song right now.
SPEAKER 03 :
Unto us a child is born Unto us a son is given Unto us a child is born Unto us a son is given Unto us a son is given. For unto us a child is born. this one to judge with justice and love. Almighty God, everlasting love. Right this one I know It shall be mine to own Oh Jesus, for unto us a child is born You're a transgression Yes, yes, yes.
SPEAKER 05 :
That is such a beautiful song.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, it is. And as the message says, amazing counselor, strong God, eternal father, prince of wholeness or peace. Kimberly, if our listeners need someone to counsel or get advice from, they need a strong God surrounding them and wrapping them around with love. It's Jesus. It's Jesus. All they have to do is reach out to him.
SPEAKER 05 :
That's right. You had pulled up a scripture from Revelation. You might still have that in front of you. The kingdoms of this world.
SPEAKER 02 :
I'll let you read it. The kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom, capital K, of our God and of his Christ. And he shall reign forever and ever. Revelation 11, 15. Yes. Yes.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes. The kingdoms of this world, they can beat us up. They can walk all over us. Those boots that just keep kicking us to the side, kicking us to the curb and losing our shirts because we just haven't had any kind of an upper hand in any way. But here is one, a child who has been born to us and his kingdom, the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. This is what's taking over. It's a new administration. It's a new authority that is taking over on the inside of every one of us. We're all so weary and tired of the deep shadows. We're tired of the darkness and trying to find our way in the dark. We're ready for the light. the light has been given to us and all of those old kingdom ways with the boots that have been kicking us the shirts that have been stained with innocent blood that's going to be gathered up in a heap burned with fire burned and burned and burned it might take a few days for it all to burn away and it's being burned Because of our Lord, because of Jesus. And we are so blessed to be called his own. We are so blessed to be pulled into that kingdom of light. And I'm just encouraging each one of you to live in that light. Go back and find where you may have walked away from it and let that light be restored in your life because we miss you. If your light has grown dim, know that you are missed in this world. Your light is missed and we really want you back. So come back to us. Come back with the light and come back and live in that love and in that peace.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yes. We won't have you here this next Wednesday because it's Christmas. So Kimberly, we all wish you a Merry Christmas. We love you dearly and we thank you for all your wonderful anointed teaching. God bless you.
SPEAKER 05 :
Thank you. Take joy.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you for listening to Call to Freedom with Barbara Carmack. You may get in touch with Barbara at Call to Freedom, Box 370-367, Denver, Colorado, 80237. Or you may leave your message at 1-877-917-7256. Call to Freedom is a listener-supported radio ministry. Barbara and her power partners invite you to come on board with us and become a network of hands holding up Call to Freedom ministry. Our partners support Call to Freedom with prayer and monthly financial support. You will be blessed supernaturally. We invite you to visit Call to Freedom's website, www.freedomstreet.org, where you can hear Barbara's daily radio broadcast 24 hours a day or order materials. You may share your praise reports and heart cries by mailing them to Call to Freedom, Box 3703675. denver colorado 80237 or you may email us at barbara carmack at freedom street dot org until next time remember jesus loves you barbara loves you and take joy
Join Charles Stanley in this enlightening episode as he uncovers the depth of living each moment in the awareness of God's constant presence. Throughout life's daily activities, from waking up to resting at night, understanding that we are encompassed by divine love provides an unparalleled peace. Explore how this awareness transforms our lives and leads us to find ultimate security and joy in God's companionship.
Welcome to the In Touch Podcast with Charles Stanley for Wednesday, December 18th. God hasn't left us alone, but are you aware that He is with you? Today, we are reminded to open our eyes and ears and develop our awareness of God's presence.
SPEAKER 02 :
Now, when you think about it for a moment, you are aware of lots of things. There are a lot of things going on that you're unconscious of, but today, right now, you are aware of where you are. What about, in your mind, where is God? Are you aware of His presence? Are you aware that when you awakened, that you were awakened in the presence of God? Will you be aware that you're driving in the presence of God? That you'll be laboring all day in the presence of God? And that you'll be laboring among your fellow laborers in the presence of God? That you'll come home in the presence of God? That you'll be with your family in the presence of God in the evening? And whatever you do throughout the night, you're going to do it in the presence of God. Why? Because there is no better way. to go to bed at night, then they go to bed in the awareness of the Son of God living within you, who's your friend, your companion, your Savior, your Lord, your Master, your Helper, your Provider, your Healer, you name it. He's all of that. You wake up in the morning, before I'd get out of bed, thank You, Lord Jesus, for a good night's rest. Or maybe I didn't rest so good. Maybe sometimes I can't sleep or whatever it is for a while. I'm going to get up in the morning and just thank You, Jesus. Thank You that You woke me up this morning. Hallelujah. For the simple reason, we have a relationship. And, listen, He can stop you faster than you can bat your eye if He wants to. Look how long He's put up with all of us. And you know what He wants most of all? He wants you to be aware that He's your heavenly Father, that He loves you and that He's the source of everything in your life that's good. But if I get too busy? I don't have time for the Word of God." Or, I'm distracted by other things in life, and the truth is there are many distractions that we're not even aware of. Don't have time to think about our Lord because we are attracted to or distracted by something else. Now, what I'd like for it to do for a moment is to give you a few statements. These are things that are true. You're living in the awareness of His presence, and the first one is this. He's continually in your thoughts, your conscious and your subconscious. It doesn't mean you just think, God, God, God. It means that He's so real to you. Listen, you don't have to think. In other words, just that quick, He has your attention. And you don't have to say, well, I'll get the Bible and see what the Bible says. I need to call so and so. No. Living in the awareness of His presence means that instantaneously Whatever's going on, I am, listen, I am conscious of His presence as something He may be doing. And so, if you're walking and living in His awareness of His presence, that'll be true. Secondly, you're continually seeking His guidance. Listen, if you're living in the awareness of His presence and you have a decision to make, You don't have to go around asking somebody else. It doesn't mean you shouldn't ask for information when necessary. But when you're living in the awareness of His presence, you know what? You have the ultimate director in your life at that moment to tell you exactly what to do. He may tell you to go to someone else for information or whatever it might be. But living in the awareness of His presence, you are never at a loss for the simple reason that He will direct your life and show you exactly what you should do next. Likewise, you will view Him as a constant companion. And in other words, many people say, where is God? He's in heaven. Well, is that my relationship to Him? Is that the way I see God? No. God, through the Holy Spirit, is in my heart, in my life, in my conscience, my subconscious. He's here. And the more aware you are of His presence, it'll begin to express itself in many ways. You'll see Him as a constant companion. In other words, you don't have to go somewhere to pray. You don't have to go somewhere to confess your sin. Listen, if you're saved by His grace, He's living within you. And He's always there. And remember this, He doesn't turn a deaf ear to one of His children. So you don't have to say, oh, I hope God will hear me this morning. What you want to be able to do is to live the kind of relationship with Him that whatever the issue is, you know He's there. He has the answer. He's not going to mislead you. What an awesome sense of security we have in knowing we have that kind of relationship with Him. Then, of course, you're going to have peace in your heart. Listen, when you're living in the awareness of His presence in your life, no matter what happens, There will be an overwhelming sense of peace that will cover you. Well, because listen, the peacemaker is on the inside, the One who has all power to change your circumstances. He's within you doing what? Living out His life through you. So, there's going to be a sense of peace when there are storms. And I think most all of us have been in storms of life where everything around us was stormy and dark, and there didn't seem to be any hope. But when you set your attention upon Him, all the darkness disappeared. All the insecurities disappeared because, listen, when you are aware that you are in the presence of holy God, you're in the presence of omnipotence, of absolute indescribable love that has no, it has no circumference, it has no measurements whatsoever. That's the kind of God He is. And that's the kind of relationship He wants with every single one of us. There are many people who are saved. who go to church, they've been baptized, all the things that have happened to you, but you don't live in the awareness of His presence. So, what are you living for? Where are you headed? What do you want to accomplish in life? How are you going to get it done? If you're not walking in His presence and fulfilling His will, then what are you doing? Here's what's happening. Time is going by. And you may be accomplishing this or failing at that. But what's the purpose of it all? The awareness of His presence keeps us focused on where God wants us to go, what He wants us to do, and how He wants us to do it. And He, listen, He's continually focusing us on the ways in which He operates in our life so that we don't have to fear. We don't have to be afraid. We don't have to be wondering what we're going to do when the storms come in our life. And we're going to have a sense of joy in our life and a consciousness of the good things that He's doing. When you live in the awareness of His presence, everything changes for good, no matter how tough it can be. Because listen, you have holy God, so to speak, on your side in your life. And listen, He is absolutely committed, watch this, He is so committed for not only our salvation, He's so committed to revealing His will to us. And to God is to discover that will. Look at the cross for a moment. That was the ultimate expression of the ultimate love that could ever be expressed by anybody, that being the case. And I am aware of His presence in my life. I can always look at what's going on in my life, whatever it is, I know that there is a love that's beyond my comprehension. There is a love I don't fully understand. In other words, if He loved me enough to die for me, And He loved me enough to indwell me. And He loved me enough to write my name in the Lamb's Book of Life. And He loved me enough to seal me forever as a child of God. I don't want to live without the awareness of His presence. Because every single solitary thing we need, He makes available. What does He want? He wants relationship. The awareness of His presence. Why? Because that intimate awareness just absolutely fulfills every desire that a person can have. And that's what He wants for us. See, I want you to be aware. That I'm here. I want you to be aware that I love you. I want you to be aware that I'm looking out for you. I'm going to protect you. I'm going to take you through this deep, dark valley, but I want you to be aware. It's dark. You can't see two feet in front of you. You don't know what's happening, but I want you to be aware of this. You are walking through the darkness in my awesome light. I see all the way to the end, and you're going to be okay. You know what? Riches can't give you that. You can't buy that. Only God by His grace and love and mercy can give you that. And when I think about all the things that come to us as a result of the awareness of His presence, sift all of our decisions through Him, wake up every morning to a brand new day. Listen, a brand new day with the same Jesus who started out with us in the very beginning. And think about this, that the person who indwells you, the Holy Spirit, before you were ever born, He knew all about you. In other words, think about this. God has these awesome goals and He's going to bring them to pass. And out there somewhere in life, we have to make a choice. Am I going to believe God? Am I going to trust Jesus? Or am I going to do it on my own? And so many people have decided they don't need God in their life. It is the most, watch this carefully, it is the most foolish. It is the most damaging. It is the most eternal, destructive decision you'll ever make to decide you're going to live without God. It's the worst decision you could possibly make. And you say, I'll get by. No, you won't. You cannot get by a God. created you with a purpose and loves you, went to the cross for you, and who has a sense of direction for your life and all the good things that He can provide for your life, when you absolutely, purposely refuse Him, ignore Him, shut Him out, defame Him, you're making a mistake that'll cost you your eternity. He wants us to live in the awareness of His awesome loving, joyful, peaceful, providing. You can just get the dictionary out or send them a book and go through all the words that you possibly can and you'll never be able to fulfill all that He is to us. That's who He is. And remember this, God's not dependent upon us. We're dependent upon Him. Watch this. We don't have a thing He needs. We need everything He has. To live in the awareness of His presence is to acknowledge who I am really, creation of God. It's to acknowledge that He knows the best for my life. It's to acknowledge that He knows what His purpose is. And He is willing to show you if you'll trust Him, if you'll surrender your life to Him. He's not going to let you just hang out in life. He'll give you a sense of purpose. Why? Because this is what He's all about. He's all about not just creating us, but creating us for fellowship. And as we saw in the very beginning in Genesis, let us make man in our own image. Why? So that God could express His love and His power in your life and mine. But if I neglect Him, if I refuse to acknowledge it, then I will pay a price. And so, what happens is when a person begins to get a glimpse of, now what does the awareness of His presence mean in my life? It means that while I'm sitting in church and listening to somebody else's voice, I'm walking out with the truth of holy God in my mind and heart. It means that I want to walk in such a way that the Holy Spirit has freedom to express to me, in me and through me and for me, the will and purpose and plan of God. I want to be able to walk out and know that the next decision I have to make, He's going to help me make it. Watch this. Why does He want this relationship? God doesn't need it. Here's the reason He wants it. Because He desires to express in you, to you, through you, for you who He is. He desires to express His love for you, His provision, He wants for us, He desires for us because He, listen, He says, let us make man in our image. He didn't need that, but He desired it. And He created you ultimately, listen, to do what? To reflect Himself. What did Paul say in Romans? He says, God predestined. That means before the time, before the time ever started, God did something. What did He do? He predetermined beforehand that you and I would be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that the very life of Jesus would be evident to other people. And the more you and I walk in the awareness of His presence, the more of who He is is going to be seen in our life. God is everywhere. And so, you and I have the privilege of living every day in the awareness of His presence. When the Spirit of God is able to get to your mind and heart and soul and spirit, and you begin to realize that God, who cannot be fully described and cannot be contained, He's this awesome God of ours. When you begin to realize that He is your Creator and your heavenly Father, and your joy and your peace and your future and your happiness and your everything, when you begin to be aware of that, your whole life's going to change. You know why? Because you'll not be able to think up anything God does not desire to provide for you when you surrender your life to Him. The awareness of His presence. When I'm asleep, I know He's there. When I'm awake, I know He's there. When I'm reading the Word, I know He's there. When you are living in the awareness of His presence, He's always there. Well, He's there, He's here. Whatever you're thinking, whatever's going on in your life, He's there. What He wants is this. It's almost like He's saying, I'm here. Just listen to me, I'm here. Look, I'm right here. I'm going to provide whatever's necessary in your life. He could not give us a greater gift following His Son coming into our life than the privilege of living in the awareness of His presence. It's all there. Now, you say, well, I'm not a Christian, so what's that mean to me? It means if you continue to live like you're living, you'll stand before God one day and give an account for a wasted life. A life that rejected. Well, look and think about it. That rejected the love of God. Think about this. When you reject Jesus, you reject the Father. And to reject Him, to reject God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, is to reject life. And you reject that which has absolutely no substitute. And my prayer is that you But ask the Lord Jesus Christ to give you a little glimpse of your life, that you'd be willing to confess the sin that He's going to show you. Ask Him to forgive you, that you don't deserve it, but that you know that the Bible teaches, because you've heard it over and over again, maybe it's the first time you ever heard it, that He sent Jesus, His Son, into the world primarily for the purpose, not only of revealing God to us in a whole different perspective, but to die and to shed His blood on the cross, which was God's way of, listen, fulfilling that debt of sin we owe. He paid the price for our sins, His life. And now He forgives you of your sin, writes your name in the Lamb's Book of Life, you become a child of God. And then you begin this awesome journey that many of us have walked a long time. You can't win without Him, and you can't lose with Him. That's the choice we have. And I pray you'll make that wise choice, allowing Him to come into your life and begin to start living, really living, for the first time. And Father, how grateful we are for your patience. And I pray that You'll just sink these simple truths. You can take one thought here and one thought there and vice versa, whatever it might be, and drive them home in different ways to different people's hearts. But Lord, most of all, to see that You love us and that You desire that we live in the awareness of Your presence, which is a presence of awesome, indescribable love and goodness and mercy and kindness. Thank you for loving us like that. It's our prayer in Jesus' name. Amen.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you for listening to part two of Developing Our Awareness. If you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley or InTouch Ministries, stop by InTouch.org. This podcast is a presentation of InTouch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia.
Liz talks with Joe Beckler, Vice President of Christian Business Men’s Connection (CBMC) – the largest marketplace ministry in the world with local sites all across the country. Men account for over 75% of all suicides. Men are twice as likely to be addicted to drugs and alcohol. 36% of children don’t live with their fathers. And yet, only about 10% of churches have a men's ministry! That is why CBMC equips men to be an ambassador for Christ within the marketplace and their sphere of influence. Encouraging and training men to invest in other men, while surrounding themselves with a trusted team of advisors and accountability is what sets CBMC apart in today’s culture. www.cbmc.com.
Today, Pastor Jack teaches being a Christian means we no longer belong to ourselves. Marriage is a covenant with God, putting Him first, and then our spouse. Marriage is designed by God to bring depth to our ministry, and is worthy of being protected, and fought for.
Do you find it hard to be happy? Is it difficult for you to cultivate gratitude and thankfulness in life? In today's episode find the encouragement you need to change your outlook on life. Discover how changing your perspective can benefit you and your walk with God.
Visit our website at DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com
God has already taken care of your greatest need—your salvation—and he can take care of every other need you have. Join Pastor Rick as he shares personal experiences that illustrate why you can trust God to meet your needs when you put him first in your finances.
No one wants to experience great loss or tragedy. Instead of trusting God when heartbreak comes, we often question why He is allowing our suffering. Today’s edition of Family Talk will address that pain through a conversation between Dr. James Dobson and his guest, Pastor Lon Solomon. James 1:2-4 says, Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. We pray that you will experience the peace only Jesus can bring as Pastor Solomon reminds us that suffering has a redeeming purpose in God’s plan for our lives.
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