Participants: John Lomacang & John Stanton
Series Code: HCL
Program Code: HCL100002
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00:01 Hello, friends grab your Bible and a friend
00:03 and sit back as we explore God's word together 00:05 on this edition of "House Calls." 00:21 Welcome to another exciting program of "House Calls." 00:24 My name is John Lomacang 00:26 and I have John Stanton with me my good friend. 00:28 It's good be here John. 00:29 And we are here friends to open and share with you 00:33 the best loaf of bread ever made on the planet, 00:37 the word of God, the living word of God. 00:39 And we thank you for tuning in because this is the place 00:41 that we believe God wants you to be right now 00:44 so get your Bibles, get your notebooks, 00:46 get your pens and if you really want 00:48 to save all that time go and hit record 00:50 and just sit down and enjoy this program with us. 00:53 We are talking about the attitude of gratitude, 00:55 or gratitude in general 00:57 something that everyone of us should have. 00:58 So if it's raining, 01:00 let's think we would have gratitude, 01:01 if it's nice and sunny send us a picture to it, 01:04 so we could have more gratitude here. 01:05 And God's got a Blessing in store for you today. 01:08 So stay tuned. 01:09 But before we even open the word of God 01:11 or go to our questions, 01:12 John, have prayer for us. Let's do that. 01:14 Dear Father in heaven we again come 01:17 before Your throne of grace, seeking help in time of need. 01:21 And in this case we need Your help 01:23 with walking through Your word. 01:24 We pray that Your Holy Spirit, 01:26 will guide, will lead, 01:27 will instruct in righteousness here 01:29 as we look to know more about You 01:31 and what it means in our own hearts 01:33 to have that attitude and gratitude within us, 01:36 in Jesus name amen. Amen. 01:39 John this is a program that we really like questions 01:43 to come in from and our viewers 01:44 and listeners have been Faithful in that. 01:46 And we thank you for making this an exciting program. 01:49 I have in my right hand a letter that somebody sent, 01:52 which in the form of questions 01:54 that come through the mail, with a stamp. 01:57 In my left hand I have one of the download 01:59 from the internet, we expect, 02:01 we accept both of them 02:03 so thank you for sending them. 02:05 And I'm going to let John 02:07 go ahead and take us to first question for today. 02:10 What do we have? 02:11 Well, John this question is from Kwan. 02:16 And he says here, dear House Calls, 02:19 when I was a young kid my parents told me 02:22 that prior to the Lord's coming, 02:23 there will be a false Christ 02:25 who will reveal and exult himself. 02:28 Will he be in the heavens 02:30 and if so will he be actually touching the ground? 02:35 My parents say that the true Christ 02:37 won't be touching the ground. 02:39 Wow. Please help. 02:41 There is a reason why his parents 02:43 told him that Christ, 02:45 the real Christ will not touch the ground, 02:48 and that is found in First Thessalonians Chapter 4. 02:51 That's right. 02:53 And so I make sure I pick the right verse, 02:55 I believe it's 16 but let's make sure. 03:00 That's right First Thessalonians Chapter 4. 03:02 First Thessalonians 4, verse... 03:05 it looks like its verse 17, 03:09 but I will start with 16. All right. 03:12 For the Lord Himself will descend 03:13 from heaven with a shout, 03:15 with the voice of the archangel 03:17 and with the trumpet of God, 03:19 and the dead in Christ will rise first. 03:22 Then we who are alive and remain 03:23 will be caught up together with them in the clouds 03:27 to meet the Lord where? In the air! 03:30 In the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. 03:35 So the Lord will meet his people 03:37 whether they are resurrected from the grave 03:40 or whether they are alive to meet Him when He comes, 03:42 He will raise them up together 03:44 to meet Him for a grand reunion in the air. 03:47 That's right. 03:48 He will not touch the ground during the Second Coming. 03:50 There is no need to. He is not coming to stay. 03:53 Keep point brothers and sisters, 03:55 Jesus when He comes again He is not coming to stay. 03:58 He is not setting up a thousand year 03:59 kingdom to stay. 04:01 He is meeting us in the air to take us back to heaven 04:04 with him to live for a thousand years. Yeah. 04:07 And so anyway that's the reason why, 04:09 Kwan your parents said that he will not touch the ground. 04:14 There is other very strong indications 04:17 about the false Christ 04:19 who will not necessarily be in the air, 04:22 because that was other questions we had here John, 04:24 He will be in the air as well. 04:25 He will not be able to manufacture that. 04:28 That's right. 04:29 But he will be in this place and that place 04:32 in the words of Christ from Matthew 24. 04:35 Hey, I was thinking of that one. 04:38 In Matthew 24 the air, go from. 04:41 And starting with verse 23, Matthew 24:23, 04:46 "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' 04:49 or 'There!' do not believe it. 04:52 For false Christ's and false prophets will rise 04:55 and show great signs and wonders to deceive, 04:58 if possible, even the elect. 05:01 See I have told you beforehand. 05:03 Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, 05:06 He is in the desert!' do not believe it, 05:08 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' 05:09 do not believe it. 05:11 For as the lightning comes from the east 05:13 and flashes to the west, 05:14 so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." 05:17 And so if Jesus were on earth 05:20 we would know where he would show up. 05:23 But they said if he is say he is in the desert 05:24 or the inner room or the secret chambers, 05:26 don't believe it. 05:27 That means 05:29 he is not gonna be anyplace on this planet. Right. 05:31 That's exactly what it means. 05:32 And to even add to that 05:35 the promise that Jesus made is not that I will come 05:38 to be with you where you are, 05:40 but I will come again to receive you that where 05:42 I am there you many also be. That's right. 05:45 It's not coming down here. 05:47 Who is to come down here? 05:48 Right. You know its strange John. 05:49 I need to say this and may bring a smile or so. 05:52 We talk about UFOs. 05:54 I don't think aliens wanna come down here 05:56 even if they do exist. 05:58 I don't believe they exist, 05:59 I wanna make that clear so you don't say me all this, 06:01 you know, star wars mails and all that. 06:03 I don't believe that aliens exist. 06:05 I believe the devil plays games with our minds. 06:08 But who wants to come down here 06:10 on a planet with death and devastation, 06:12 in crime and violence and pain and death, 06:15 who wants to come down here? 06:16 Let alone, those if there are aliens they'd be unfallen, 06:21 'cause sin is constructing this world. 06:23 That's right. This is what sin. 06:24 Out there is no evidence necessarily, 06:28 okay no proof that there are other worlds 06:31 from the scriptures although 06:32 we believe it alludes to the fact 06:33 that God has created other worlds. 06:35 So, I will say that we do believe that as Adventist 06:37 that there is a great controversy 06:39 that includes unfallen inhabitants 06:41 of other worlds out there. That's right. 06:43 But, they have no interest in visiting here 06:45 as you are saying and... Yeah. 06:48 Why would you come to a place that's in a mess? 06:51 So the promise is, remember Jesus says, 06:53 I go to prepare a place for you. 06:57 Not I'm coming to the place that you prepared for me. 07:01 One of the problems today John 07:02 is that people think that the reason 07:04 why they have to get all the laws right, 07:06 stop all the crimes and all the violence, 07:10 straighten out all the governments 07:11 and get into all politics and religion, 07:14 is because they getting the world ready for Jesus 07:16 to reign down here for a thousand years. 07:20 And like we used to say and ain't gonna happen. 07:24 That's not what the Bible teaches us. 07:25 Its not gonna happen down here. 07:27 Jesus is not coming to establish 07:30 a Millennial Reign on the earth. 07:33 We are gonna be with Him, 07:34 reign with Him a thousands years. 07:37 And that's not down here 07:39 on this earth that's in heaven. 07:40 And if you want to know where that is, 07:42 it's Revelation Chapter 20. That's right. 07:45 And so you want to add anything more that question? 07:49 No, I think that's what we need to cover there. 07:51 Satan will be down to run this earth. 07:54 He can't mimic, Christ coming in the clouds. 07:56 So if we hear that Christ is here 07:58 and you haven't seen Him 07:59 and you know that's not the real Christ. 08:02 And matter of fact, there is a text that Jesus says, 08:04 and I will find in just a moment here, 08:06 He says "Come, you blessed of My Father, 08:08 inherit the kingdom prepared for you 08:11 from the foundation of the world." 08:13 So Lord is not preparing that kingdom down here, 08:16 and He even said to his disciples, 08:19 my kingdom is not of this world. 08:22 If it were, wouldn't my disciples fight? 08:25 So the kingdom that He says 08:27 the Kingdom of God is within you, 08:29 He is meaning simply Jesus has established 08:31 on your heart His thrown. 08:34 Not, He is gonna hangout in your heart 08:36 when He comes down here. 08:38 He should be living in your heart 08:39 through the Holy Spirit now. 08:41 So when that's what the mean 08:42 the Kingdom of God is near to come 08:44 when Jesus preached 08:45 the Kingdom of God is at hand, 08:46 the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, 08:48 He was talking about 08:49 the kingdom coming to be in our hearts. 08:51 That's why He said pray, 08:53 thy kingdom come thy will be done 08:56 on earth as it is in heaven. See. 08:58 But He is not coming down here 08:59 to hang out on the earth. 09:01 He came down here to redeem us. 09:03 But He is coming back to take us were He presently is. 09:06 That was good question John. 09:08 It opened so many doors for me. Yeah. 09:09 It kind of got carry away there, thank you for that. 09:12 I forget to give the email address 09:13 if we can do that right now. 09:15 I want to remind our viewers and listeners that 09:17 you know, you maybe thinking right now 09:18 and you want to shot us an email 09:20 when thoughts come to your mind. 09:21 If you have any emails to send, 09:22 you can send those to housecalls@3abn.org 09:26 that's housecalls@3abn.org. 09:29 It came to my mind when I was, 09:30 when I turned it over to you 09:32 but thank you so much for that, I appreciate that. 09:35 This one John brought a smile to me when I read it. 09:38 And I like that the person even gave me the date 09:41 that they wrote this, 09:43 and I won't really give the date 09:44 because it maybe a give away. 09:49 Let me get down to the just of it. PS. 09:55 Now I'm gonna broaden this because not just the SDA 09:57 Christian says that, 09:58 but this is from the US Caribbean. 10:00 That's where the person wrote this letter from. 10:03 Why do SDA Christian say "when I was a kid." 10:09 Isn't a kid an animal or I have two or four kids? 10:15 People have said that I don't say that 10:17 because I don't have any kids, 10:18 I'm sorry, I don't have any children. 10:20 See I fell right in the trap. 10:23 And he says, and they says 10:26 if you read Genesis 21:25, 21 to 25 10:30 I see that cannot happen. 10:32 That sounds like my mother used to call, 10:35 used to say fire in one hand and water in the other. 10:38 We know there wasn't fire in one hand 10:40 and water in the other. 10:41 So for the most part it was the saying, 10:44 I hope you understand what I meant to say. 10:48 In other words the person ends, 10:51 we Christians shouldn't mix evolution with creation. 10:54 I like this. 10:55 I like that question 10:57 because when you look at the phrase kid 10:59 and I wanna a kind to go to Genesis and point out, 11:03 so we could help those who are stuck on the word kid. 11:07 You know, your kid is behaving bad. 11:11 In essence the word kid is only used in the Bible 11:15 as it pertains to a goat. 11:18 Here it is, Genesis 37:31 was the first one. 11:22 "So they took Joseph's tunic, killed a kid of the goats, 11:28 and dipped the tunic in the blood." 11:31 And Leviticus 4:23, 11:34 "Or if his sin which he has committed 11:37 comes to his knowledge, 11:38 he shall bring as an offering a kid of the goats, 11:42 a male without blemish." 11:44 And you know when you speak biblically 11:47 it's important to keep it in the right context 11:50 because back then the neighbor could say, 11:53 hey I killed a kid 11:55 and he didn't mean the child. Right. 11:57 So now-a-days we say I killed a kid, 12:00 you know, that could cause somebody to be startled. 12:01 You did what? I killed a kid. 12:04 If you put that in the right context you should mean, 12:07 I killed a goat. 12:09 But if you say you killed a kid, 12:10 well that's a more serious situation all together. 12:13 And finally I think that saying, 12:18 using the word kid often, and I got a look that one up 12:21 because I'm of those guys John I would like to find out 12:23 where these words come into different new meaning. 12:26 Look that one up but that will give 12:29 a whole new meaning to Matthew Chapter 25 verse 33 12:32 and listen to it. 12:33 "And He will set his sheep on the right hand, 12:36 and the kids on the left." 12:40 Because the goat is a kid, and the word there is goat. 12:44 If a goat is a kid then we should say kid, 12:47 young one, a goat young one is a kid. 12:51 But let's try to keep a kid as a kid 12:53 and a child as a child. 12:54 And that's what that person 12:55 who sent this letter is requesting. 12:57 So if you can do that 12:59 it will help make it very, very plain. 13:00 All right. Good one. 13:03 Let's finally read some of the different questions 13:05 we running out of times. 13:07 Here is one question that was written by Thayer. 13:14 And it says, I have a question 13:16 about the people that are not going to heaven 13:18 when the Lord Jesus Christ comes back, a second time. 13:22 Why is it that Jesus is going to resurrect these people 13:25 from the dead to judge them 13:27 if they're going to be destroyed 13:29 and not tormented in hell forever. 13:32 Is he going to judge them to show that He's just? 13:37 Also don't you think the idea of total destruction 13:39 of the unbelievers after the judgment, 13:43 like they never exist in this life 13:45 will not scare people to come back 13:47 to the repentance of God? 13:49 Most people are afraid of the idea 13:51 between the torment and hell. 13:53 And when you torment they will just cease to exist. 13:56 They will say I will enjoy my life on this earth 13:58 anyway I please and just cease to exist when I die. 14:02 You know, they make a lot of stuff up in there. 14:04 It is, but you know, we all run to get it 14:06 because I do know that argument. 14:08 You know, one of the arguments 14:12 against the teaching of the annihilation 14:14 which is what we support, 14:15 you know, that you will, 14:17 the wicked will in the end of time burn up and die. 14:20 They will be gone forever. Right. 14:23 And cease to exist. 14:25 Some will say, well then what is that? 14:27 Where is the fear then in coming back to God? 14:31 I will suggest you that if someone comes to the Lord 14:34 because of being afraid of Him, 14:37 that there's still a lot of growing to do. 14:39 I don't think we ever stay connected with the Lord 14:41 or have a close relationship, 14:43 a Trusting relationship with Him 14:45 if we were fearful of Him. 14:47 When the Bible says fear the Lord 14:49 it's saying more out of respect, 14:51 out of love, out of commitment, 14:53 all those things that going to a healthy fear.Right. 14:56 Not an unhealthy fear 14:58 because we know that perfect love the Bible says 15:00 "cast out fear." 15:02 So in fact you will find over and over again in the Bible 15:06 when the Lord appeared to different men or women. 15:09 He always said, do not be afraid. 15:12 Or the angels appeared, do not be afraid. 15:14 He doesn't want you to be afraid. 15:18 So I don't believe He wants us to be afraid, 15:21 or to use fear as a way of bringing 15:24 or drawing people to Him. 15:26 And a lot of fire and brimstone preachers, 15:27 you know will use that 15:28 you know, you will burn in hell forever 15:29 if you don't come back to the Lord. 15:31 I don't believe, in fact I do believe 15:33 that's a serious misrepresentation 15:35 of God's character. 15:37 Because God to allow someone to burn eternally in fire 15:44 means that you have to as a God keep them alive 15:48 to experience pain forever, which makes you a torturer. 15:54 And we know how we feel about torturers, right. 15:56 I mean this world doesn't 15:57 think too highly of torturers. 15:59 Even as America or a while they are got 16:01 caught up in this thing of, 16:02 you know, torturing those in Abu Ghraib 16:05 and the prison in Guantanamo Bay 16:07 and there is stuff, we were just beside ourselves 16:10 that Americans would actually stoop 16:12 to that level of behavior and yet we assign God, 16:17 that kind of character a torturer 16:19 that wouldn't keep people alive to bring them 16:21 and torment forever. 16:23 No, that's not really what it is saying, 16:25 what the word of God says by any means. 16:27 So, I don't think and I would suggest 16:30 that God would probably say 16:31 if you don't want any relationship with Him, 16:33 if you don't choose life, 16:35 He would at least respect your decision 16:39 and He does respected by freedom of choice 16:41 that you live it up until you die. That's right. 16:43 And by all means I as a preacher would advocate, 16:47 if you are not going to, 16:48 if you have no interest in heaven, 16:51 you might as well live it up here on this earth 16:53 because that the only time you got. 16:54 I mean right John? I'm just flying over here. 16:59 I wouldn't want to live miserably here 17:02 caught on the fence and then end up in hell. 17:05 I would rather live great, live in sin, 17:08 go with my nature and then die. 17:11 Oh, I'm all done. I'm done. 17:14 So God allows that choice 17:16 that freedom to choose which way 17:19 that you seek to live. 17:20 But before I turn over to you here John, 17:24 smoke coming out of your ears. 17:26 I'm on fire over here, in the right way. 17:29 But the question is, 17:32 does Jesus just resurrect them to judge them? 17:36 That's was most important that's being asked here. 17:38 And the answer is yes. That's right. 17:40 Because God judges everyone according to their works, 17:45 and I will read two texts for you very quickly, 17:48 and 13, 17:50 "I saw the dead, small and great, 17:53 standing before God, and the books were opened. 17:55 And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. 17:58 And the dead were judged 17:59 according to their works." That's right. 18:02 By the things which were written in the books. 18:04 That is what the angels recorded about their life 18:07 in their own book. 18:10 Each had a book by the way. 18:12 "The sea gave up the dead who were in it, 18:15 and Death and Hades delivered up the dead 18:16 who were in them. 18:18 And they were judged, each one again 18:19 it says according to his works." 18:23 So that is the reason why the wicked are resurrected 18:26 so that they could see, 18:28 their life played out before them 18:31 to see they God in fact was just, was good, 18:34 John, did everything He possibly good to save them 18:37 yet they chose death. 18:39 They did not choose life 18:40 and they would be a very accepting of that judgment 18:43 because it's fair. 18:45 You know, John I, let me slow down here. 18:51 It's the smoke here. 18:54 let me break it down 18:57 and everything you said is just right on target. 19:01 There are two possibilities everyone is confronted with. 19:09 Let me show you the one that we are incapable of escaping 19:14 and therefore we've got to make a choice 19:18 to do something about what we cannot escape. 19:23 The wages of sin is death, 19:24 but the gift of God is eternal life. 19:27 Because of sin, Hebrews 9:27 19:31 exists listen to this. 19:34 Hebrews 9:27, I just read Romans 6 verse 23 19:37 the wages of sin is death. 19:38 I'll read the second part of the passage later. 19:42 Because of the fact that the wages of sin 19:47 has passed upon all of us it says, Romans 3:23, 19:51 all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 19:54 Okay, death has passed upon all of us that is a fact. 20:00 So what do we do because the wages of sin is death? 20:04 Here is what the Bible says about that Hebrews 9:27, 20:09 "it is appointed for men to die once, 20:15 but after that the judgment." 20:17 Okay because of sin, 20:21 because sin came into the world, 20:23 Romans 5 verse 12, 20:25 Wherefore by one man sin entered the world, 20:28 and death through sin, 20:30 and thus death has passed upon all men. 20:35 Romans 5 in verse 12 by one man that man is Adam. 20:38 As an Adam all will die making it very, very clear. 20:41 All right because we all must die once 20:45 the first one is an appointment. 20:48 It is appointed on to man to die once. 20:52 That's an appointment. 20:53 Every one of us from Adam up until the present day 20:57 I got a news for you outside of Enoch 20:59 and Elijah and Noah, well Noah died. 21:02 Enoch work with God and was not 21:04 Elijah was swept away in the chariot fire. 21:06 Everybody has experience death, even Jesus himself. 21:09 But he came forth 21:11 and that was a different at all together. 21:12 He came forth to win over death in the grave. 21:15 But because every one of us is appointed to death, 21:20 we are not appointed to eternal death. You get that. 21:24 The first death is an appointment. 21:25 The second death is a choice. All right. 21:29 That's why Revelation 20:6 says, 21:35 look at it really quickly for me John 21:36 I don't want to misquote it. 21:37 Blessed and holy. Good read it. 21:39 "Is he who has part in the first resurrection 21:43 over such the second death has no power, 21:45 but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, 21:47 and shall reign with Him a thousand years." 21:49 Okay see you are right there, 21:50 you knew exactly where it was going, 21:51 is amazing how God connects that. 21:53 You see, "blessed and holy 21:55 is he who has part in the first resurrection 21:57 over such the second death has no power." 22:00 Here is we got to get this fixed. 22:02 Everybody is gonna die once. 22:04 But you don't die once in just escape God's judgment 22:08 because we must all appear 22:09 before the judgment seed of Christ, 22:11 that we will all given account 22:13 for the things done in the body. 22:15 Everybody has got to give an account, 22:16 and you know what, you know that's so important John. 22:18 I have heard, you know, these stories that I hear 22:20 sometimes on the news just really sadden my heart. 22:23 Or somebody would kill, like this 22:26 recently this was on the news, 22:27 somebody would kill a whole group of people 22:30 and then he would take their own lives. 22:32 And if you went through that, 22:33 you know, all they get is just, they are gone. 22:36 Then that would be seemingly unjust. 22:39 At the same time if they think 22:41 they can take their lives and escape God's judgment 22:43 that would also be unjust. 22:45 Because then how would it be 22:46 that each of us will give an account, 22:48 how would it be that each of us 22:49 will be rewarded according to our works. 22:53 We really wouldn't be. 22:54 If I kill nine people 22:55 and didn't have to serve life, 22:56 or didn't have to go to the death chamber 22:57 and I just took my life and I'm done 22:59 and I'll escape God's wrath, fine. 23:01 But we don't want to minimize it friends. 23:04 But at the same time, we don't want to maximize 23:06 something that's not real. 23:08 On the flip side of that, 23:11 there's judge and there's judgment. 23:13 Jesus is the judge, therefore the judgment, 23:16 and after we die then the judgment. 23:18 So the judgment day is coming for everybody. 23:20 But there is eternal punishment, 23:24 but do not get it mixed up with the eternal punishing. 23:28 And let me tell you, a person that takes his life 23:30 is not taking his life all for eternity. 23:34 But he has killed himself and his life is ended. 23:36 Now let's go back to Romans 6:23, 23:38 the wage of sin is death. 23:40 Now here is what I'm gonna throw back to you John, 23:42 I will set it up. 23:45 In order for us to be punished 23:47 to be in the state of burning in hell forever, 23:51 punishing forever, writhing in flames forever, 23:56 that will be a miscarriage of God's justice. 23:59 It's like putting a person 24:00 who just stole a candy bar in jail forever, 24:03 and the person who killed 400 people in jail forever. 24:07 That's a miscarriage because there is no difference. 24:09 You know, our justice system 24:10 says the punishment fits the crime. Okay. 24:13 So in the same sense, 24:16 is there anybody worthy of being punished 24:19 in the flames of hell forever? No. 24:22 But the reason why they are destroyed forever 24:26 is because they never made a choice to choose life. 24:29 Let me throw it back to you. 24:32 Eternal life, is it a gift to the wicked 24:35 or the righteous? It's to the righteous. 24:38 Okay, so the wicked can't burn forever, 24:41 if they are not able to live forever. 24:42 They have to have eternal life. 24:44 They have to have eternal life. 24:45 So now here is end of my point. 24:48 Deuteronomy 30:19, "I call heaven 24:50 and earth as a witnesses today against you, 24:53 I have set before you life and death, 24:57 Blessing and cursing; therefore choose life." 25:01 Okay, we can't choose to avoid the first death 25:04 but we can choose to avoid the second death, 25:07 by choosing life. 25:08 You know, the other misnomer here is that, 25:11 you know, is not that all of them 25:14 that are going to burn are... in an instant. Not at all. 25:18 And it's not that they're gonna burn eternal either. 25:20 It's that the judgment, 25:23 the executive judgment of God, 25:26 in that lake of fire you cause some to burn 25:30 and maybe suffer longer than others 25:31 because of their crimes. 25:33 That's what it means judged according to their works. 25:37 This is an executive judgment speaking off. 25:39 It's not a conclusion 25:41 because the conclusions are already been made. 25:42 The righteous are in heaven, 25:44 now they are in the kingdom here set on earth 25:46 and the wicked are, they have no hope. That's right. 25:51 So that's not the judgment, 25:52 that's already been made. That's right. 25:53 That judgment here is executive, 25:55 it's a conclusion. It's the sentence. 25:57 It's not only the sentence 25:58 it's the carrying out of sentence. That's right. 26:00 So they will either, some of them 26:02 such as maybe a Hitler 26:04 which is a common example because he was, 26:05 he committed such heinous crimes 26:07 against six million plus Jews. 26:11 He will burn longer 26:13 than someone who has refused Jesus, 26:15 but isn't a murderer 26:16 and hasn't killed anybody and, 26:17 you know, has lived a pretty decent life 26:19 but just has rejected Christ. 26:20 Right, and haven't chosen life anyway. 26:22 So, yeah that's where people go too far on one side 26:27 and too far on the other. Right. 26:28 It's the middle. 26:29 God knows and he is just 26:31 and he will determine the punishment for each. 26:34 Each person will receive a reward 26:36 according to their works. 26:38 It's not gonna be approved when you are out of here, 26:41 and it's not gonna be you're burning in hell forever, 26:43 because they won't be forever hell. 26:45 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 26:48 And death and hell will be cast to the lake of fire, 26:50 so how could death and the grave 26:52 be caste to the lake of fire. 26:54 And there is not gonna be a new hell. 26:55 There is not a new hell. 26:56 God is not creating a new hell. 26:58 He is creating a new heaven and a new earth. Right. 27:01 So you won't find a new hell to exist. 27:03 Hell is gonna be destroyed itself, 27:05 Praise God for that. Amen. 27:06 Anyway I think we got to transition now to our topic, 27:09 let's get away from that, 27:10 and let's go back to gratitude. 27:12 And we are Grateful that we are not going 27:14 to be in the lake the fire. Exactly. 27:16 If you have any questions you like to send to us 27:18 because we have kind, 27:19 maybe stirred up something in your mind, 27:21 you can send those to housecalls@3abn.org, 27:24 that's housecalls@3abn.org and we will be glad 27:28 to point you to the word of God 27:29 the only source we believe are the answers. 27:31 Thank you so much for your questions. 27:33 John dive into the topic of gratitude. 27:35 We did some great analysis 27:38 of what the Bible says about gratitude 27:39 and you gave some great reasons, 27:40 but I think you gonna expand on those. 27:42 Yeah, and we gave the background 27:44 of how important is to be Grateful. 27:46 You know, to show God our gratitude 27:47 and to be thankful to Him 27:49 and to bless Him in how we live our lives 27:53 and how we tell Him how thankful we are. 27:55 But I think today what we like to do 27:58 is finish up this topic of gratitude by showing 28:01 what a Grateful life looks like. Okay. 28:04 Someone that has an attitude of gratitude in their heart, 28:08 their living a life of being Grateful to God constantly, 28:11 what does that look like? 28:13 Because then we can measure to see whether or not 28:15 we measure up against that or not. That's right. 28:17 And so I have put down several things here. 28:20 And we may find some others as we go along. 28:22 But, you know, pastors like to do list for sermons, 28:25 you know, five things or seven things 28:28 and I came up in this case. 28:30 I came up with the see one, two, three, four, five, 28:34 five different things that we can, 28:37 ways that we can live our life 28:39 that show that we are Grateful to the Lord. 28:41 Okay, I like that. 28:43 And maybe I will mention each one of them 28:45 and then we will start at the beginning. 28:46 The first one is a life of Faith and Trust, 28:50 secondly a life of patience, third of Contentment, 28:55 fourth of Praise, and fifth of Blessing others. 29:00 Those are five different ways 29:01 that we can show that we are Grateful to the Lord 29:04 for all that He has done for us. Okay, I like that. 29:06 So, let's talk about these, John, 29:07 let's kind a go back and forth here, 29:08 Faith and Trust. Okay. 29:10 Now I think I put that first because I think 29:12 that's where our relationship with God starts. 29:16 That, you know, those who come to God 29:19 must first believe that He is 29:21 and is a rewarder of those 29:23 who diligently seek Him, okay. 29:26 So when we give our life to the Lord, 29:30 and we put our Faith in Him that's one thing. 29:33 But notice I added the word here, Trust 29:35 and I did that not because 29:37 Faith is so much different than Trust 29:38 but I think Trust expands a little bit on Faith. 29:43 In that Faith isn't just an awareness that God exists, 29:48 a life of Faith is a constant walk with God, 29:51 trusting Him with every decision, 29:54 every challenge that comes your way, 29:57 everything that comes out through the day, 29:59 that you are putting your trust and confidence in God. 30:02 And I say, I put that one first as living a life 30:06 of Gratitude that you be like that, 30:08 because I believe that when you are Grateful for Him, 30:11 when something comes along 30:12 that is challenging to our life, 30:13 the first thing you think about is my God, 30:16 my God is with me. 30:17 And that's the aspect of Faith and Trust 30:19 that I'm talking about here. 30:20 Yeah, I remember a story years ago and somebody may, 30:22 this may spark an interest in them. 30:24 And I tried to find another way to communicate, 30:26 but I think the story fits well. 30:28 The story of a person who wanted to perform 30:31 a tremendous feat by crossing Niagara Falls. 30:35 And but he didn't want to just do by himself, 30:38 he wanted to push a barrel across Niagara Falls 30:41 with a person in it. 30:43 Faith would say the person on the other side 30:46 of the Falls say I know you could do it. 30:49 Trust would be that same person 30:51 getting in the barrel, right. 30:52 Okay, that's trust. 30:55 I have such faith that you will do it 30:58 I'm willing to trust you 30:59 and I put my life in the barrel. 31:01 In the same way, we can say we have faith that God 31:04 can provide for us but until we get in the barrel 31:06 and allow him to effectively 31:09 and without any error carry us 31:11 across the precipitate and difficulties of life 31:14 then there is really no trust in God. 31:16 And let me tell you something John, 31:17 that text in Proverbs 3, verse 5 and 6, 31:19 you know, "Trust in the Lord you got with all your heart, 31:22 is gonna take all your heart to climb into that barrel." 31:25 It's my favorite text. Isn't that wonderful? 31:27 If somebody said they can push me 31:28 across the waterfalls on a thin wire 31:32 and they could make it as I have faith you can do it 31:35 and they say okay now get in the barrel. 31:37 And see God wants us to get in the barrel with Him 31:39 because He has never dropped anyone 31:41 and Praise God for that. Amen. 31:42 We have evidence on that note. 31:43 So that's the Faith and Trust factor. 31:45 You know, and there is a direct connection here 31:46 between Trust and Faith, that's right, and Gratitude. 31:51 And you would think that maybe that's not 31:52 so much the case, but look... put it this way, 31:57 I'm trying to think what it says. 31:59 Put your imagination 32:00 until you see it for a just minute. 32:02 I'm gonna read Philippians 4:6, 32:05 and I'm gonna read from the NIV here. 32:08 "Do not be anxious about anything, 32:12 but in every thing, by prayer and petition, 32:15 with thanksgiving, 32:18 present your requests to God." 32:21 There is connection here for with not being anxious 32:26 and putting your trust in God 32:28 to handle your matter 32:30 and then with thanksgiving sealing in it. Yeah. 32:34 Thanksgiving is almost a seal on that trust. 32:37 It's like Lord I'm gonna trust you. 32:40 I'm putting my faith in You for this issue, 32:43 and you know what, thank you in advance 32:46 for what you gonna do. 32:48 Because you know what, you've already done 32:50 so much for me in the past. 32:51 I know you are taking care of me, 32:52 that's he adheres the life of gratitude part. 32:54 You've already taking care of me. 32:56 You've taken care of so much in my life. You've saved me. 32:58 You've redeemed me from the life of sin. 33:00 I can put my trust in you in this matter. 33:02 I'm not being anxious about it, it's yours. 33:04 Thank you for what are going to do in the situation. 33:07 That's right. 33:08 To think... we wouldn't normally think 33:11 of that connection but it truly is connected 33:13 to our gratitude for what God has done 33:15 and will do and just standing down 33:17 and letting by faith, 33:18 letting Him know that I trust you. 33:21 Yeah, and you know, when you trust somebody, 33:27 I go back to that story again. 33:29 You know, as the door has been closed on the barrel, 33:32 you see, thank you for getting me 33:34 over the other side safely. Including the question mark. 33:37 Definitely, kind of that last push 33:41 to make sure that his mind is set. 33:43 This is not just a barrel, I'm in here. 33:46 And you know friends the Lord loves us so much, 33:51 He is able to do exceedingly, 33:54 abundantly above all that we ask 33:55 or think according to the power 33:57 that is at working us. 33:59 What do you think that power 34:00 that is at working us really is? 34:02 It's not just a power of the Holy Spirit, 34:04 but it's the power of a change 34:05 heart through the attitude we believe of gratitude. 34:08 It makes a difference when a person is thankful, 34:10 as a mater of fact, John I add this point to it. 34:13 When we run into somebody that's thankful, 34:16 it activates our giving. 34:18 I think that Lord, oh okay great, 34:21 Praise the Lord. 34:22 God loves a cheerful giver. 34:24 It's more blessed to give than to receive. 34:26 If with gratitude we extend what God has extended to us, 34:28 He always makes sure that we have. 34:31 If it's finance, it's fine. 34:32 But if there is anything else, 34:33 He always makes sure we have because we are so excited. 34:35 When the Bible says God loves a cheerful giver, 34:38 it means God loves a person that is so excited 34:41 about giving you just make some giggle. 34:44 Not if you see, but just I'm so happy to give. 34:49 God says I'm just gonna 34:50 increase your happiness here. 34:51 I'm gonna make you the funnel and the channel 34:53 and the tunnel through which these blessings flow. 34:55 You know, I was thinking of when I hear that verse? Who? 34:58 Dr. Giomi. Oh! 35:01 Dr. Giomi because, you know, we used to stand there 35:03 and he says, you know, what a cheerful giver Hilarity. 35:06 He talked to us and say Hilarity, 35:07 that's where the word comes from, 35:08 it's been how long that? Opon Giomi. 35:11 Yeah, I used to love you say the word. Opon Giomi. 35:16 Here is one other text, I mentioned this last... 35:18 Don't even know who that is, but that's the member of... 35:20 The church, they were from some form of church. 35:21 Exactly. Fairfield. 35:23 In Fairfield. 35:24 Here listen to this, Colossians 3:17, 35:26 "whatever you do," 35:29 now that's pretty much everything right. 35:31 I think that's everything. 35:32 "Whatever you do, in word or deed, 35:35 do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks. 35:38 So here it is the doing, 35:40 whatever we are doing in life 35:42 our thankfulness back to God 35:44 is showing that we are in fact Trusting Him 35:50 in everything that He is going to do for us. 35:54 And just I don't know, how better to say it 35:58 It may wonderful that you could say 35:59 the text better the text says, 36:01 but truly in everything whatever you do, 36:06 sometimes we are critical of people 36:08 when we go to restaurants. 36:09 And I mean when I say critical of people, 36:11 I don't know about you 36:12 but, sometimes I go to restaurants 36:14 and the person that I'm there with 36:17 pay such close attention to how the waiter 36:20 or waitress handles our table. 36:23 And they determine that the end result, the tip 36:28 is gonna be proportionate to the treatment that they got. 36:32 In the same sense, 36:35 God if He were to give us a blessing 36:40 proportion to the treatment that He got, 36:44 we were really get tinny little blessing. 36:46 Yeah, He will give us a tip according to our, 36:49 thankfulness, now what is the word our performance. 36:53 Oh! Our performance! 36:55 It has to be Christ performance. 36:56 It would be an.... Imputed to us. 36:59 It will be an Zambian Kwacha, 37:03 which is to every dollars like $4,600. 37:07 You know and the point of the matter of fact is 37:09 God blesses us a whole lot more than 37:13 we even show our gratitude. Yeah. 37:16 Sometime, that's why we are talking about 37:17 this topic of gratitude, 37:18 but now what's the next thing 37:20 you think that gratitude does to us. 37:21 The next thing is, you know, 37:24 having that heart full of gratitude 37:26 is revealed in our patience. 37:30 Our patience! And the scripture 37:32 I chose for this one is James 1, verse 2 through 4, 37:37 "My brethren, count it all joy 37:40 when you fall into various trials, 37:42 knowing that the testing of your Faith produces patience. 37:47 But let patience have its perfect work, 37:50 that you may be perfect and complete, 37:52 lacking nothing." 37:56 And you know, I think so many times 37:59 we were impatient. 38:02 We are not considering how God has blessed us, 38:04 and how we should be grateful for to him. 38:07 Yeah and we lack, and we lack, 38:11 because we don't see that situation. 38:14 When you start reading text, read that one more time 38:17 just the first verse, verse 2. 38:20 "My brethren, count it all joy 38:22 when you fall into various trials." 38:24 They counted all joy 38:25 when you fall into various trials. 38:28 How could you counted all joy 38:29 when you fall into various trials 38:31 unless you know that trial is still, 38:34 is still measured by God? 38:38 I heard the statement I have to trace it again. 38:41 The blessings of God are always greater 38:46 than the trials He allows. 38:48 He doesn't measure His love to us, 38:51 but He sure does measure the trials. 38:53 He will not allow us to be tempted beyond 38:55 which we are able, but with every temptation 38:57 make a way of escape. 38:59 So truly you can count a joy 39:01 when you fall into various trials 39:02 because you know that trail, if God allows it to come, 39:05 here is what the gratitude comes in 39:07 and I wanna measure that and put in that context. 39:10 The gratitude comes in because we know that 39:12 if God allowed to come our way is not gonna crush us. 39:16 You see, anymore than, 39:18 if you go into a gym the weights are measured 39:22 at whatever stage you are in your building process. 39:25 And in the same way God would not put 39:28 you know 11-year-old boy in the gym 39:29 and say Bench Press 300 pounds and do it now 39:32 or he would lame on the bench 39:33 and drive 300 pounds on his arms and say, 39:35 hey you came here in the gym. 39:37 You are in the gym you should be able to lift that. 39:40 You know, in the same way we measure the weights 39:42 that we lift until we get stronger. 39:44 God measures the way through trial 39:46 and He knows at what stage 39:47 we can lift the greater things by His grace. 39:50 And so that gives us reason to be thankful. 39:52 If somebody gives me weights, 39:53 I'm saying thank you for not giving me 39:56 more than I can lift. Yes, yeah. 39:59 That's the gratitude. 40:00 Yes and here is another part of it too. Okay. 40:02 I wrote here, try to write down a few things 40:05 just my thoughts ahead of time to make sure 40:07 if you can express them, one thing I wrote here 40:09 was with patience we show confidence 40:12 in the benevolence of God. 40:16 So when we are patience were confident 40:19 that God is gonna come through for us. 40:20 Okay, I'm glad you explain that 40:22 because some people may say, what is benevolence? 40:24 Yeah, we show confidence to God, will come through. 40:27 Patience exudes a thankful heart 40:30 in advance of the blessing. 40:33 That's right. 40:34 It you showing you thankful, 40:36 even before the blessing comes because you trust 40:38 and you're confident in His benevolence 40:41 or in His what is going to be coming from Him 40:46 to get you through it. 40:48 It tells God we are willing to wait on His goodness 40:51 which we know will come. 40:54 Yeah. 40:55 There is a text here, I just, some of you may wonder 40:58 how we so fast on this. 41:00 We are in fast because, you know, we have all this.... 41:02 Computers. 41:03 All this modern technology. 41:04 The Bible talks about when we pray in Faith believing, 41:10 He says you will have, not might have but will have, 41:16 and as anybody who exercises discretion 41:20 and measures what comes our way God is not going 41:23 to say ask Me for just anything 41:25 and I'm gonna give it you. 41:26 He is not that kind of parent. 41:28 In the same way you are not that kind of parent, 41:29 you are not that kid of family member. 41:31 You don't you know, somebody, since somebody 41:33 something that's gonna injure them. 41:35 We gonna degrade their experience. 41:37 So, but that will have. 41:39 Now was a good text there that the way you said that, 41:41 a benevolence, confidence, in the benevolence of God 41:44 because God always provides. 41:47 You know, we could never as the Psalm says, 41:48 we could never be God's giving and... 41:51 And so if all the sudden I'm anxious 41:54 and I oh I try to work this out myself and I'm just, 41:56 I can't stand or wait, I'm just impatient. 41:59 It shows that I'm not grateful 42:02 for what God is going to be bringing in my life. 42:07 And so how did we expect to be blessed by God, 42:10 in response to our gratitude and confidence 42:13 that He is going to work it out 42:15 if we are constantly impatient? 42:17 I like this next statement that you brought out here. 42:20 The next point, I want to set it up because, 42:22 go ahead, we have to be patient 42:24 but this is amazing, you know, sometimes... 42:26 This is very close to patience. 42:27 Oh, it is. 42:28 Sometimes people have said, you know, 42:30 what I'm gonna give you. 42:31 You have everything. 42:32 Well you know that's not really true, 42:35 because if you met somebody that had everything, 42:38 the question is where they would put it. 42:39 Yeah. 42:40 Okay I've heard that before, 42:42 but why is it John then you will answer. 42:44 This text is just so perfect, we often over look it. 42:47 Why is that sometimes a person with a lot, 42:52 doesn't have as much as, 42:53 don't have as much gratitude as a person with little? 42:59 You know, I do know that person 43:01 with a lot always wants more. 43:03 Okay, the answer is in this text. 43:06 Well, 1 Timothy, yeah, 43:08 because we are transitioning to Contentment now. 43:10 Oh yeah, okay. 43:12 Which is tied to patience, 43:13 but Contentment is little different. 43:14 First Timothy six through eight, 43:16 I want you read that one John. 43:17 I'm gonna read the various ways that people often, 43:21 okay, now Godliness, 1 Timothy 6, verse 6 to 8, 43:25 "Now Godliness with Contentment is great gain. 43:30 For we brought nothing into this world, 43:32 and it is certain we carry nothing out. 43:36 And having food and clothing, 43:37 with these we shall be content." 43:41 Notice it doesn't say a great gain 43:44 with Contentment is Godliness. 43:48 It doest say Contentment with great gain is Godliness. 43:51 Right. 43:52 It doesn't say Godliness with great gain is Contentment. 43:56 Right. 43:57 It says Godliness with Contentment 43:59 be contently to be Godly and the great gain will come. 44:02 Boy, people with a whole lot, 44:08 I think worry more than people with a whole little, 44:11 if I'm using the comparisons there. 44:13 But Contentment is a thing, be Content. 44:15 When Paul was in prison, when Paul was being lashed, 44:19 when Paul was being maligned, 44:21 he came up with this phrase that is now a scripture. 44:24 And I believe God inspired him to say that, 44:26 he says I have learned in whatever state 44:30 or whatever condition I'm in to be content. 44:33 Because in fact if you are alive, you know, 44:36 we have Larry McLucas always says, you know, 44:38 thank God for another beautiful day. 44:40 And you know John it took me a while 44:41 to get use to him saying that. 44:43 But that's the truth. 44:45 If you all have has another beautiful day, 44:48 which means you are above that ground, 44:50 that's a whole lot to be thankful for it 44:51 and that's a lot of Contentment. 44:53 Yeah. 44:54 When you are content, you are so much more 44:55 prone to being thankful. 44:58 Yeah! Because Contentment, 44:59 it comes from the gratitude in the heart. 45:03 I put here Contentment 45:04 is the foundation of happiness as well. 45:07 Now some people try to find happiness 45:09 but I would say find Contentment 45:11 and you will be happy. 45:14 And it's also Contentment is also 45:15 the antidote for complaining. 45:19 That's the good one, that's the good one, boy. 45:23 Someone can always tell that, 45:25 we can always tell when someone is unhappy when, 45:30 or bring the complaining obviously they are unhappy, 45:32 but when they are doing that they are unthankful. 45:37 You know, typically the first thought you think of is, 45:40 boy they complaining a lot. 45:41 They are just not thankful for anything. 45:42 Nothing goes right in their lives. 45:44 I remember going to the mall once 45:46 with somebody that found fault in everything 45:49 and for the record it is not my wife. 45:52 We enjoy ourselves with the mall, 45:53 that's not who I am referring to, 45:54 but I'm not gonna be specific. 45:56 It, John, was probably one of the most difficult days, 46:02 I like going to the mall. 46:03 I'm one of those guys that like going to mall. 46:05 But it was so difficult that person 46:07 was critical about everything. 46:10 If somebody would buy something to eat 46:11 they will complain that they should need that 46:14 because of all the ingredients. 46:15 If somebody passed by and had on something 46:18 they didn't like that they complain 46:20 and it was like they were analyzing the entire world, 46:23 and it was like they had no 46:25 spiritual mirrors of their own. 46:27 And I thought to myself, you need, 46:29 you know, you need, 46:31 I don't know if you have one of these or not 46:32 but you need a tape recorder to carry around 46:34 with you all day long and at the end of the play it. 46:37 And then this is the only example 46:39 that you'll get of what people have to deal 46:41 with that are around you. 46:43 You know, some people need spiritual tape recorders 46:45 to hear themselves complain, complain, 46:48 complain, complain, because they are not 46:51 examining themselves, and they are not looking 46:54 at the goodness of God. 46:55 So they are not content. 46:57 People that are not content, like you said, 46:59 it's the end for complaining, okay. 47:02 You know, anything to, I just jotted down here 47:04 really quickly my notes. 47:05 We need to be content. 47:08 Let me say this, we need to be thankful 47:10 and this is where Contentment comes in. 47:11 We need to be thankful 47:12 for what God does not give to us in our prayers. 47:16 Okay, I could shake your hand, that's a great one. 47:19 Do you know what I'm hearing, what I'm saying? 47:21 We need to be not only content with that 47:23 but we need to be thankful 47:25 that God has not given us things we ask for. 47:28 That's right. Billy Graham's wife said 47:30 I'm thankful that God doesn't always answer our prayers 47:33 because I would be married seven times 47:34 before I married Billy Graham. 47:36 So you are right. 47:37 I mean that's very good if God gave us 47:40 everything we ask for, we would be in trouble, 47:45 because He sees what we don't see. 47:47 Sometimes He says don't worry about it 47:48 I will let you go ahead and cry and might 47:50 that you don't get it. 47:51 But we are to thank God 47:53 for what we don't have sometimes. 47:55 That's right, that's right. 47:56 We content that we don't have it and thank Him for it. 47:58 That's right. 47:59 That's where they both go together. 48:00 That's a good one. 48:01 All right, there is couple more. 48:03 Here, number four is Praise. 48:06 And I'm not, we are not talking about coming to church 48:08 and praising God once a week. 48:10 That's right. 48:11 I'm talking about living a life everyday 48:13 where you're praising God. 48:15 You know, I mean I'm sure you've done this John. 48:18 I don't know where the thought comes in the mind, 48:21 but I'm up there, I'm on the platform 48:23 and I'm enjoying the team or individual 48:26 whoever is leaving out in the opening hymn 48:28 or the pray songs, and I'm looking out there 48:31 and some people are just singing on autopilot. 48:34 I like that. 48:36 It is... it's just the words. 48:39 There is feeling and emotion. 48:40 And then you see some 48:41 they just get, their faces lit up. 48:45 They are praising God. Okay. 48:48 And now we can talk about that, 48:50 but let's go a step further in that our life itself, 48:54 I think continually needs to be a life of Praise to God. 49:00 There are times when my wife or I would just, 49:03 in the moment somebody pointed out Lord teach us 49:10 to live in the moment, not for the moment. 49:14 But teach us to live in the moment. 49:16 It makes a difference. Some people are planning. 49:18 They are planning, they are planning, 49:19 and when the moment comes... ah, man, 49:22 if I can go back to yesterday. 49:23 Oh no, no, no don't sequester 49:27 your happiness to yesterday or plan your happiness 49:29 for tomorrow live in the moment. 49:31 You can enjoy the moment of planning, 49:34 because you won't get to chance to plan for it again 49:36 and again they won't be ahead of you this event again. 49:38 So enjoy the moment before it actually happens even in time. 49:41 You can really, you are right, enjoy the moment, 49:44 not looking for the moment coming up. 49:48 Paul and Silas, 49:50 what were they doing at midnight in prison? 49:52 They were praising God. 49:54 Praising God in prison! 49:59 That was probably one of the first establishments 50:01 of prison ministry, you know, praising God. 50:05 When Paul was, when Peter was in prison, 50:10 he was there just sleeping, not in anxiety. 50:13 But he knew that there was prayer 50:15 being offered in his behalf 50:17 and God answered those prayer and I have often talk about, 50:21 I will sometime criticize the prayer 50:23 that the church offered because they didn't believe 50:24 that God could really let him out. 50:26 It was finally he got to rode his house 50:27 they didn't believe it was him. 50:29 But the point of the matter is Praise God in the moment, 50:32 not for the moment, not Praise God 50:35 because the moment is coming, 50:36 but Praise God in the moment. 50:37 In the moment! There are few verses here. 50:40 One from Hebrews 13:15, 50:43 "Therefore by Him let us continually offer 50:47 the sacrifice of Praise to God, that is, 50:50 the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." 50:54 Interesting, Praise is the food 50:55 of our lips giving thanks. 50:59 So there is a connection there. 51:01 A Grate from the Grateful heart comes the praises 51:04 that we have to God, which should be continually offered 51:07 as a sacrifice to Him. 51:09 It says in Hebrews 13:15. 51:11 And when you think about Hebrews 13:15, 51:14 David, the Psalms talks about, 51:19 before I read what he says in Psalms 100, 51:22 one of the favorite Psalms of praise, 51:28 I try to figure out why sometimes 51:30 people that are locked in tradition 51:34 and understand me as I set this up. 51:35 There are some people who are content, 51:38 John I'm gonna, and I'll get later on this 51:41 and I welcome that. 51:42 There are some people that are content with just hymns 51:47 and they are fearful of Praise music. 51:51 And they say hymns and anthems is enough. 51:56 When you look at the Bible and you look at the Psalms 51:59 all throughout the Praises 52:00 that are all throughout scripture 52:02 Praises are abundant in scripture, 52:04 and the children of Israel Praised God. 52:07 They Praised Him with strong voices. 52:09 They Praised Him with instruments. 52:11 They Praised Him with the symbols. 52:13 And they Praised Him with dance, 52:16 but not the kind of dance that people get thrown off 52:18 track with, and so don't, you know, 52:20 I understand what they Praise meant. 52:22 It was not in church. They won't dance in church. 52:24 But I tell you what, when God delivers you some times, 52:28 you won't standstill and say well, you know, 52:30 thank you Lord for delivering me from that fire. 52:34 I think it was gonna be kind of hot. 52:36 You know, you find all the reasons to rejoice 52:38 and praise the Lord. 52:39 So let us and here is the point that I want to make. 52:42 There are time Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs 52:46 and praise songs, it's good. 52:50 And Ellen White says, for those of you who know, 52:52 Ellen White, the God's messenger says we must 52:55 educate our lips to Praise God. 52:59 It's okay in the sermons sometimes 53:00 to say Praise the Lord. 53:02 Don't just limit that to amen. Yeah. 53:04 Because there is lot to Praise God for 53:05 and when we praise Him, the blessings flow even more. 53:08 We are gonna try and wrap this up really quickly here, 53:10 'cause we've got one another one to do. 53:11 Just a couple of thoughts, really quick, 53:12 Psalm 100 verse 4, 53:14 "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, 53:16 and His courts with Praise, 53:17 Be thankful to Him, and bless His name". 53:19 Okay read Psalm 30 verse 4. 53:21 Psalm 30, verse 4, "Sing Praise to the Lord, 53:23 you saints of His, and give thanks 53:25 at the remembrance of His holy name." 53:27 Notice it's connecting praise and thanks together. 53:29 That's right. 53:30 Frequently. I like this thought here. 53:32 This is from Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, 53:35 a guy who had a lot of deep thoughts, 53:38 kind of spiritual thoughts and he said, 53:40 a grateful thought toward heaven is of itself a prayer. 53:45 I think that was kind of a neat thought. It was sweet. 53:47 A grateful thought towards heaven is itself a prayer. 53:51 Yeah. Now something to think about. 53:54 The last one here that we have in the five, 53:56 is Blessing Others, Blessing others. 54:00 God intends His blessings the ones He bestows upon us 54:03 to be passed on to others. 54:05 And I think the gratitude we have for His blessings 54:07 is revealed in how we pour out 54:09 those blessings back upon others. 54:11 I'm gonna read the scripture to, from 2 Corinthians 9, 54:15 verses 9 to 12, As it is written: 54:18 "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, 54:21 his righteousness endures forever. 54:23 Now he who supplies seed to the sower 54:26 and bread for food will also supply 54:28 and increase your store of seed and will enlarge 54:30 the harvest of your righteousness. 54:32 You will be made rich in every way 54:35 so that you can be generous on every occasion, 54:38 and through us your generosity will result", in what? 54:41 Thanksgiving to God. 54:44 This service that you perform is not only supplying 54:47 the needs of God's people but is also overflowing 54:49 in many expressions of thanks to God. 54:52 Notice that by giving, by blessing others 54:55 what's the result? 54:57 Many thanksgiving to God. 55:00 That's right, and you know John when the Bible says 55:03 it's more blessed to give than to receive. 55:05 I think one of the reasons why we don't give 55:07 as much as we do because we don't realize 55:09 how much God has given to us. 55:11 Just recently we had a visitor at our congregation 55:14 in our church and we blessed him with a gift 55:17 and he was reluctant to receive the gift 55:20 and one of our elder said, oh no, no, no 55:23 we are not gonna let you rob us of our blessing. 55:26 Because it's more blessed to give than to receive, 55:28 and here is the principle. 55:29 It is more blessed to give, that's the fact, 55:32 but here is what the Lord says. 55:33 When you are person that is so anxious to bless others 55:36 here is the promise, Luke 6:38, 55:40 "Give and it shall be given on to you: 55:43 good measure, press down, shaken together, 55:47 and running over will be put into your bosom. 55:50 For with the same measure that you use, 55:53 it will be measured back to you again." 55:55 Amen. However you bless others. 55:58 God is gonna bless you proportionately 56:00 and so you know, never worry. 56:02 If you wanna make great returns make great 56:05 investments, but not for the sake of the returns. 56:07 That's right. 56:09 Give out of a cheerful heart, 56:10 give expecting nothing in return. 56:11 Ellen White calls that Disinterested Benevolence. 56:14 The greatest blessing comes when you give to somebody 56:17 who cannot afford to give back to you. 56:19 And I think the gratitude fits in there, in that. 56:22 You are grateful for what God's given you 56:23 and you couldn't allow someone else, 56:25 not also someone else to not give that gratitude 56:28 back to God as well. 56:29 That's why, you know, Paul speaks of by giving, 56:32 it multiplies thanksgiving. 56:34 That's right. 56:35 And I think when we hoard it shows we are not thankful. 56:38 Yes, if you sow sparingly you shall reap sparingly. 56:43 If you sow bountifully you shall reap bountifully. 56:46 God loves the cheerful giver. 56:49 And so these five points John, were great. 56:52 If you hear them real quick what are they again, 56:54 Faith and Trust, Patience, Contentment, 56:58 Praise, and Blessing Others. 57:01 Thank you for putting this together. 57:02 This is wonderful studying on Gratitude. 57:03 Praise the Lord. 57:04 Something we are not often to think about. 57:06 Friends and you know, we thank you for being 57:08 a supporter and person who tunes into 3ABN. 57:11 We thank you for giving the way that you have. 57:13 We thank you for causing this ministry 57:17 and the word of God to go throughout the world. 57:19 So today the blessings you have received, 57:22 now turn around and give those blessings 57:24 to somebody else and whatever you have done 57:26 for other will be coming back to you in great measure, 57:29 may God bless you as you 57:30 become a cheerful giver in Christ. Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17