Participants: Wintley Phipps
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000822
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01:00 I have a special guest, a special friend with me.
01:04 We used to call him Curly. 01:06 You may wanna figure that out, 01:08 used to call him Curly but now we're calling him Dan. 01:11 His name is Dan Summers 01:13 and, Dan, 01:15 how much of your body was tattooed? 01:17 Probably about 75% of my body 01:20 is covered with Three Stooges tattoos. 01:22 Three stooges tattoos? 01:24 That's just something that you, ever since you was a kid, 01:26 you just loved the Three Stooges? 01:28 Oh yeah, three funniest guys I knew, 01:30 Moe, Larry, and Curly, so... 01:31 Right, so you want to show the world 01:33 that you supported them. 01:34 Exactly, in a big way. 01:35 So you advertise for them. Exactly. 01:38 Seventy five percent of your body with tattoos, 01:41 I notice they're whole lot thinner 01:42 than they used to be. 01:44 Yeah, they're actually fading away, 01:45 I am the only feller that can disappear 01:47 and reappear at the same time. 01:50 Okay and what's happened is, 01:53 I wanna go back, 01:54 we're gonna talk about the Ten Commandments Weekend 01:56 and the Ten Commandments Twice Removed books. 01:59 Dan Summers, his grandmother was Fonda Summers. 02:03 Fonda Summers is the one if you've ever heard 02:05 the mending broken people tape how 3ABN started. 02:09 Fonda Summers was his grandmother, 02:11 not an Adventist 02:12 who is impressed to give us the first two acres. 02:14 Because of Fonda Summers is why we're here 02:17 with God's blessings in Thompsonville 02:19 because it was his grandmother, 02:21 and little she had no idea 02:23 that her grandson someday years later, 22 years later, 02:27 you picked up this book, somebody gave you the book, 02:30 Ten Commandments Twice Removed? 02:31 Yes. 02:32 And how did you feel about it? Now you're not an Adventist... 02:35 No, I was a fella 02:37 that if the pastor asked you to turn to Genesis, 02:39 I'd be like where's that at? 02:41 You know it's pretty simple to find, 02:43 it's at the beginning of the Bible, right? 02:44 Well, I had this Ten Commandments Twice Removed Book 02:46 and I made myself read it, 02:48 and I read it through 02:50 and it was like a light went off in my head 02:51 and I was like, it is that simple, you know. 02:54 I always thought the Sabbath was on Sunday and it wasn't. 02:57 I mean, it is openly admitted in the book 02:59 and it gives you the reference in everything. 03:01 So it's the truth, it is so simple 03:02 and it opened my eyes up. 03:04 Wow. 03:05 This, since coming to our church, 03:07 I think you met Randy at a... 03:10 Yeah, Randy Wagner, I met him at the gym I worked at. 03:13 I worked at lifting weights. He invited you to church? 03:15 He invited me to church. 03:17 And told our pastor, 03:18 you'll know this guy when he comes in, 03:20 you'll know who he is, 03:21 you'll have no trouble recognizing him. 03:23 I'm a pretty easy fellow to spot. 03:25 Yeah, yeah, pretty easy. 03:27 So you come here, but let's ask you, 03:29 you've given your heart to Jesus. 03:30 You were baptized when? 03:32 April 28th last month. Just last month? 03:34 Last month. All right. 03:35 Okay. 03:37 All right. 03:40 Why are you having the tattoos removed? 03:43 Well, I want people to understand 03:45 that I got these tattoos about five years ago, 03:48 the ones on my face and everything. 03:49 My first wife passed away. 03:51 And I decided, Hey, 03:52 I'm not gonna find another woman. 03:54 I don't want a girlfriend, you know. 03:55 If someone's gonna love me, 03:57 they're gonna love me for who I am. 03:58 So I decided to get my face tattooed. 03:59 Well, that backfired. 04:01 I had more girlfriends than I could shake a stick at. 04:04 You know, and I'm like, 04:05 "Where were you all right before I had these tattoos," 04:07 you know, but it's the Lord has provided a way for me 04:11 to get these removed. 04:12 I'd thought about getting them removed, 04:14 but it's so expensive. 04:15 It's like 100 or $200 a square inch 04:17 and not cheap 04:19 and Mr. Roland Troy came by my house. 04:22 And this was a time in my life, 04:24 probably about 10 months ago where I didn't want to live. 04:27 I was thinking about suicide. 04:29 He showed up at my house, 04:31 said the Lord impressed him to come over 04:34 and he gave me this magazine, 04:35 I had this Dr. Steven Popkow article in there 04:37 who as a ministry 04:39 removes tattoos on the neck, the face and the hands... 04:42 He's an Adventist doctor. 04:43 He's an Adventist doctor out in Santa Monica, California, 04:46 does it absolutely free. 04:49 So I prayed about it, thought about it 04:51 and Mr. Troy called the doctor up, 04:54 the doctor said hey, with the travel and everything, 04:56 place to stay, you'd be better off 04:58 going somewhere around here 04:59 'cause it'd be just as expensive to pay 05:01 for your travel and everything 05:02 as it would be to get them removed. 05:04 So about three months later, Cheri Peters, 05:06 I'm sitting on her set, hadn't planned to be there, 05:08 we had a break. 05:10 She's like, hey, Curly, 05:11 she goes, have you read about this article? 05:12 This doctor's removing tattoos for free? 05:14 And I'm like, "Yeah, but, you know, 05:16 I can't afford flying out there and all this stuff." 05:18 She's like, "No problem. 05:19 I'll take care of every flight you have." 05:23 You know, right there, 05:25 that is how the Lord can work miracles 05:27 because I mean, I don't have a penny to my name. 05:30 I'm going through bankruptcy, 05:31 nothing, nothing in my pocket at all, right? 05:34 So then the Lord provides me a place to stay with out there. 05:38 I'm not paying for it at all. 05:40 People taking care of the rental car, 05:41 even Danny, I go next Tuesday 05:43 back out for another treatment, 05:45 and he's getting my plane ticket for me next week. 05:48 All you have to do is have faith 05:49 in the Lord, you know. 05:51 Don't worry about the money end of it, 05:53 go ahead and set what you've got in your heart 05:55 what the Lord's placed in your heart 05:56 and He will take care of the rest, 05:57 and that's where your faith comes into play. 06:00 Dan said something a few months ago. 06:03 He said, "You know, I wanted people 06:05 to see The Three Stooges." 06:06 Of course, that's why you do it. 06:07 But now I want to get rid of them 06:09 because I just want them to see that Jesus in me. 06:11 Yeah, exactly. That's good. 06:13 Any closing thoughts? 06:14 Somebody out here, you've gone through 06:16 a lot of things in your life, 06:17 you've had a lot of struggles. 06:19 You're still, of course, having struggles 06:20 but with God's this is a year of victory. 06:22 Oh, yes. That's our theme song. 06:23 Yes, it is. 06:25 One, just take a minute, 06:26 encourage somebody out here 06:27 maybe watching or in the audience today? 06:29 Anybody out there 06:30 that's going through a struggle, 06:31 I've gone through a lot of them, drugs, 06:33 you name it, death, have faith, 06:37 Satan will knock you back as much as he can 06:40 and when you get knocked down, he will try to keep you there. 06:42 Make it this big, jump up say, 06:44 "Lord, forgive me for what I have done. 06:46 I am your child, 06:48 and He will take you just as you are. 06:51 Satan will try to keep you back down in there 06:53 and for parents that have family members, 06:55 daughter, sons going through things. 06:57 Do not give up on them. 06:59 Jesus Christ doesn't give up on us. 07:01 Do not give up on your children. 07:03 Amen. Thank you, Dan. God bless you. 07:05 How many be praying for Dan? Let's see. 07:07 All right, see all your friends. 07:08 Thank you. All right. Thanks, Dan. 07:11 Well, it's my privilege to introduce Millie, 07:14 Millie Meador, right? 07:16 And we have a lot of hills and valleys and Meadors 07:19 around here too 07:21 and, Millie, 07:23 let's get over here just a little bit. 07:24 Where are you from? 07:26 Let me put your microphone right up close. 07:28 Davenport, Iowa. Okay. 07:30 Now by looking at you, 07:32 I would say you're probably a lifelong, 07:34 maybe third generation Seventh-day Adventist. 07:36 Is that right? Oh, no. 07:38 No? 07:40 No, you're a fairly new Adventist 07:42 just baptized this past year, right? 07:44 Yes. How did that happen? 07:45 Tell us about it? 07:47 Well... 07:52 I was a Quaker. Quaker? 07:55 Quaker all my life 07:57 and I had lived in Florida for 10 years, 08:01 and when I came back to Iowa, 08:05 I started watching... 08:07 No, at first, I was going to church 08:10 back to my Quaker church 08:11 and they had gone so secular, modern, 08:15 whatever that word is for modern. 08:18 Anyway Christianity they call it, 08:21 and I've watched it a while 08:24 and all they'd sing was a new praise songs 08:27 which is all right, 08:29 but they didn't do any of the good old hymns. 08:31 And so I started praying for God 08:33 to give me a Bible based church 08:35 that preaches the gospel. 08:38 And I got the 3ABN on my rabbit ears on my television 08:43 and I watched it about a month 08:46 when I realized a Seventh-day Adventist 08:49 so I called the Adventist church 08:52 there in Davenport and Pastor Vic came out 08:56 and visited me, gave me about, 08:59 I think it was 27 lessons 09:03 and I enjoyed going out there to church so much 09:07 because all the people were so loving and friendly. 09:10 I'm a hugger. 09:12 I used that to people if they cared, 09:14 if I get my hug, I don't ask them no more, 09:17 I just thank God. 09:18 All right, that's great. 09:19 Now, Millie, 09:23 let me ask you a question. 09:25 Now you live in an apartment with like 100 other people... 09:29 One hundred and ten. 09:30 One hundred and ten people, does everyone else get 3ABN? 09:33 Nobody else. 09:34 No one else got it? Nobody else. 09:36 You're the only one that got it? 09:37 And they even got cable and dishes 09:39 and they don't get it. 09:41 Well, once you joined, 09:43 you started coming to the church. 09:45 Did you continue to get 3ABN? 09:47 I did up until just I think it's a couple of months ago 09:51 we had a bit of a storm. 09:53 And I haven't got it sense. 09:54 You haven't got it since. 09:55 No, so what happened is you were looking for truth. 09:58 That's right, God gave it to me. 09:59 Now I am gonna ask you a question 10:01 that I don't normally ask a woman. 10:02 But when a person gets to a certain age, 10:04 they said, okay, we're proud of it. 10:07 I was informed by Dee. 10:08 You wouldn't mind telling us how young you are. 10:11 I am 84, I'll be 85 this year. All right. 10:15 So 10:17 84 years old, Millie's asking God 10:20 to give her a Bible based church. 10:22 All of a sudden she's getting 3ABN on rabbit ears 10:25 didn't even know she could get it in an apartment 10:27 where other people wasn't even getting it 10:29 enough to watch it to say this is truth. 10:31 Call the pastor. He comes and studies with you. 10:34 You went to the church. 10:35 Do they sing some of the old hymns there? 10:37 Oh, yes. All right. 10:39 I'd rather say more of them 10:40 but the new praise song, 10:42 some of them are pretty good I guess. 10:45 What's one of your favorite old hymns? 10:49 Well, 10:50 I got so many of them, I just can't think. 10:53 Do you like Old Rugged Cross or? 10:55 The Old Rugged Cross... 10:56 What a Friend and In the Garden? 10:58 I Come at the Garden. Okay, all right, good. 11:00 Because it lives. Okay, all right. 11:03 Well, listen, God bless you. 11:04 Welcome to the family of God. 11:06 And we're so glad to have a new sister 11:07 in the Lord, aren't we? 11:09 Thank you, Millie. Thank you. 11:14 It's my privilege now to introduce 11:15 the speaker of the hour 11:17 and I didn't have trouble sometimes 11:19 I take the church service, 11:20 but I didn't have trouble sharing this at all. 11:22 In fact, I'm happy to share this time 11:24 with Pastor Wintley Phipps, and president of Dream Academy, 11:28 he is also 3ABN board member. 11:30 And 11:33 we had a little bit of a mix up. 11:35 We thought Wintley was gonna be here late. 11:37 I thought he was gonna be here later in the evening. 11:40 He has to leave this afternoon. 11:42 So we've said you know, you can't leave, 11:44 we only worked you just a little bit last night. 11:46 We need to work you a little more. 11:48 And so how many was blessed by the sermons last night 11:50 you heard it? 11:52 And I want to say to you personally, 11:53 I was so encouraged by that. 11:55 Pastor Phipps, thank you so much. 11:57 And God bless you. 11:58 Thank you for being here. 12:00 And we appreciate your support 12:01 as a director of Three Angels Broadcasting Network, 12:03 and we're praying for you, 12:05 of all the people that I do know, 12:06 in the Adventist Church, I can say this, 12:09 I don't know anyone 12:10 who has the influence with the public, 12:14 that this man God has gifted him 12:17 and has a tremendous impact 12:19 with people around the world from, 12:21 you name it to presidents 12:22 of the United States of America. 12:24 So God has given you a special gift in your music, 12:26 special gift of calling that you have, 12:28 a special gift of ministry and preaching. 12:31 And so it's our privilege to have you here today. 12:34 God bless you. Thank you. 12:35 Bless you, my friend. Praise God. 12:38 I thought I would share with you a song 12:40 that means so much to me 12:43 because it reveals a truth 12:45 that we don't often think about, 12:47 and that is that God can sing. 12:54 The Book of Zephaniah says that He rejoices over us 12:59 with singing. 13:02 When people come to Christ the Father breaks out in song, 13:08 He rejoices with singing. 13:11 I'm a little biased. I think He's a base myself. 13:16 I just can't see God as an alto 13:18 you know, not yet but I'm working on it. 13:21 And, but this song captures the moment 13:25 when God was dreaming 13:27 about making man and created Adam. 13:31 And as Adam opened his eyes, 13:35 he realized that he was gazing 13:36 on the features of divinity. 13:39 And his first sensory experience 13:42 is hearing God sing to him. 13:47 That's what this song tries to capture. 13:48 Listen to the message. I hope you're blessed. 14:18 Who will hear the music that I hear 14:24 Who will hear the sound that fills the air 14:31 Who will see a radiant beam of light 14:37 Dancing for us on that lonesome morning sky 14:43 Who will know the beauty of my earth 14:49 Sense the joy and wonder of its birth 14:56 Who will see the glory of the world 15:00 That I have made 15:06 And who will walk beside me 15:10 In the garden in the coolness of the day 15:21 Creations glorious song 15:27 That comes from my heart 15:32 Expresses strains of love 15:38 But only impart 15:43 I long to hear the words 15:49 The words that are true 15:54 Someone to sing my heart 15:58 Belongs to you 16:03 And who will feel the summer wind 16:08 That moves across the water 16:10 As it flows 16:14 Who will enjoy the orchestrated mystery 16:19 That soars within my soul 16:22 Who will hear the glory of the music 16:26 That I hear 16:27 I will create man to be in My own image 16:32 Form him from the dust and earth 16:35 And breathe into him 16:38 My own breath 16:42 Of life 17:02 Now I hear you 17:07 Speak to me 17:11 How lovely are 17:15 Your words 17:18 How beautiful 17:24 Are this wondrous paradise 17:31 And all that you see 17:38 Would never match the joy 17:41 When your here with me 17:47 The message of my song 17:52 Will always be true 17:57 Record a song 18:00 My heart belongs to you 18:07 You will enjoy the orchestrated mystery 18:11 That soars within my soul 18:17 And we can feel the summer wind 18:20 That moves across the water 18:23 As it flows 18:29 This wondrous paradise 18:33 And all that you see 18:40 Expresses strains of love 18:46 But only in part 18:50 The message of my song 18:54 Will always be true 19:00 Record a song 19:03 My heart belongs to you 19:26 The message of my song 19:31 Will always be true 19:37 Record a song 19:40 My heart belongs to you 19:48 My life, my love, my heart 19:53 Belongs to you 20:24 And that's what God says to us today, 20:27 My heart belongs to you, 20:30 hallelujah. 20:32 Praise His holy name. 20:35 What a God 20:38 that He knows us so well 20:41 and yet loves us so much 20:45 that He sings over us. 20:49 Oh, my heart belongs to You. 20:53 Let us pray. 20:55 Father, we thank You for Your grace 20:56 and Your mercy as we open Your Holy Word. 20:59 Cleanse me of all unrighteousness, 21:01 fill my life with Your Holy Spirit's 21:03 presence and power. 21:05 Speak to me through me 21:06 and for me and I promise You, Lord, 21:09 I'll always give You the honor, 21:11 the glory and the praise. 21:13 In Jesus' name I pray. 21:16 Amen. 21:19 A message this morning, 21:23 a law of divine reciprocity, 21:29 a law 21:31 of divine reciprocity. 21:37 Come with me to the reign of King Ahab. 21:46 The Bible tells us that 21:47 during the reign of the King Ahab, 21:49 the tribes of Israel 21:53 turned away from trusting in God. 21:59 Instead they placed their trust 22:03 in the false god of Baal. 22:08 Can you imagine that? 22:12 In 1 Kings 16:33, 22:19 it says that King Ahab 22:23 did more to provoke the Lord, 22:27 the God of Israel 22:29 than did all the kings of Israel before him. 22:35 What a dreadful epitaph 22:39 to be put on one's grave 22:40 that you did more to provoke God 22:43 to anger 22:45 than all the other kings before him. 22:49 As a consequence, 22:51 God spoke His judgments to Elijah 22:56 that a drought would come to the land of Israel 23:00 and that there would be neither dew nor rain 23:04 until Israel turned to God 23:08 with repentance and acknowledge Him 23:11 as the source of all blessing. 23:16 After delivering the judgments of God to Ahab in person, 23:22 servant of God tells us 23:23 he was like a bolt of lightning. 23:25 Ahab didn't know where it came from 23:27 and didn't know where he went when he left. 23:30 All of a sudden he was there, and he was gone. 23:34 But he delivered the judgments in person. 23:39 And after doing that, God commanded Elijah, 23:43 to turn eastward 23:45 and to hide himself by a brook 23:48 named Cherith that is before Jordan. 23:53 And God said, and it shall be 23:54 that thou shall drink of the brook, 23:58 I have commanded the ravens to feed thee. 24:03 And so it was in the mountains near the book Cherith, 24:07 the Prophet Elijah 24:09 remained hidden from his enemies 24:14 and throughout the entire time of his exile, 24:17 God in His love 24:20 provided for Elijah. 24:23 Every day, 24:24 he drank from the clear cool waters 24:28 of the babbling brook. 24:30 And every day God sent ravens to feed him, 24:36 I call it room service in the wilderness. 24:42 The only difference was 24:44 God was the divine concierge. 24:47 Every day like clockwork, 24:50 God sent His ravens to spread before Elijah, 24:54 a banquet of basic fare. 24:58 Only bread and water, but it was a divine banquet. 25:03 You see with God, 25:05 even the bare essentials can be a feast. 25:10 Oh, you didn't hear me today. 25:12 One of the most memorable meals 25:15 we have ever had in our lives 25:18 within the country of Greece. 25:21 We went to church in Athens and after church, 25:24 the pastor invited us to his home 25:28 and we had a meal 25:30 of white seasoned beans 25:33 seasoned the Greek way, 25:35 you know with lots of oil, olive oil 25:38 and oh, come on, you're not listening to me 25:41 and tomatoes 25:43 and we had a salad of slice tomato 25:46 seasoned with basil. 25:48 And for dessert, 25:50 we had a dessert the children had prepared. 25:53 I guess they didn't think 25:55 we were coming so the children had prepared cream puffs. 25:59 Now you've got to understand I've eaten some fancy meals 26:03 prepared by some of the world's greatest chefs. 26:06 My wife and I have 26:07 even had Oprah's chef fix us breakfast. 26:13 But that meal in Greece in that pastor's house, 26:17 my wife said to me this morning 26:19 was the best meal we have ever had. 26:23 Maybe it was because we were so hungry, I don't know. 26:28 The truth is that with God, 26:30 even the bare essentials can be a feast. 26:35 With God's presence, 26:37 the basics can be a culinary delight 26:41 and there at the book Cherith, Elijah learned 26:44 that when you trust in the grace 26:45 and mercy of God, 26:47 He will provide for you. 26:49 Elijah learned that Philippians 4:19 is true 26:52 when it says, "My God 26:54 shall supply all your need 26:58 according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." 27:03 Years ago, I read of how George Mueller 27:06 who lived a propagate life 27:08 and even spent time in prison. 27:11 George Mueller opened an orphanage 27:13 and he promised 27:14 that he was not going to ask anybody. 27:17 This was after he came to Christ. 27:19 He opened up an orphanage to give back 27:22 and he promised himself, 27:23 he wasn't gonna ask anyone for any money 27:26 but yet all their needs were supplied. 27:29 One day they got up 27:31 and all the children sat at the table, 27:33 no breakfast, 27:34 but they prayed on an empty table 27:37 and there was a knock at the door 27:39 and the milkman said, 27:42 my carriage just broke down in front of your house. 27:45 So make sure 27:47 that this milk doesn't spoil. 27:49 You can have all of it. 27:52 One day someone asked him, 27:54 how does it feel living hand to mouth? 27:57 He said, well, it's not so bad 27:59 when it's his hand but my mouth. 28:04 After many months, 28:06 after many months the brook that sustained Elijah 28:10 dried up and perhaps like me, 28:15 you have had times in your life 28:17 when the stream that sustained you ran dry. 28:24 Have you ever had those moments in your life 28:26 when the stream that sustained you ran dry, 28:30 times in your life when God allowed gifts 28:33 to ebb away like water through a cup can, 28:37 times in your life when jobs were lost 28:40 and your comfort zones were threatened 28:44 by a lack of supply? 28:48 All that translates into is just being broke. 28:55 I heard one preacher who used to tell his members 28:58 don't say you're broke. 29:00 Just say you're bent. 29:03 I'm not broke, I'm just bent. 29:06 But why would God allow this 29:09 in our experience 29:10 when we commit our lives in service to Him? 29:14 You see it is during times of drought, 29:17 that we have no other choice but to trust God, 29:22 to depend on Him like a baby depends on his mother, 29:26 like a helpless child leaning on its mother. 29:29 Sometimes you have to lean on Jesus 29:32 and let Him carry you through those rough times. 29:35 There are those times in your life 29:38 when God uproots dependencies, 29:42 He uproots what you're leaning on, 29:45 He uproots your crutches 29:48 and He turns you to the only place 29:50 that you can go and that is to His supply. 29:54 One writer said in God's universe of life, 29:57 the process of learning and shaping is continuous 30:01 and continues till we die. 30:05 Well, under the judgments of God, 30:08 the drought had so decimated the land 30:10 that even the brook from which Elijah drank, 30:13 the brook that had blessed him with quench 30:16 and sustenance, 30:18 even that brook dried up. 30:21 You know, sometimes when God punishes the wicked, 30:24 the righteous are adversely affected too. 30:28 Did you hear what I said? 30:31 The only difference is that God has promised 30:33 even in drought to take care of His people. 30:38 And so it was for Elijah 30:39 when the stream ran dry 30:41 and the ravens had ceased their special delivery 30:46 that God spoke again to Elijah saying, 30:48 "Arise, get thee to Zarephath, 30:52 which belongeth to Zidon and dwell there. 30:56 Behold, I have commanded a widow woman 31:00 there to sustain thee." 31:03 The Lord said, "Get up Elijah, 31:05 go up to Zarephath. 31:08 I want you to go there and live for a while." 31:12 You know there are times also in your life 31:15 when you will clearly hear God speak to you. 31:20 And when God speaks, 31:22 you better listen. 31:25 I said when God speaks, 31:28 you better listen. 31:30 At the wedding in Cana when the wine ran out, 31:34 Mary knew that her son Jesus could supply the need. 31:37 She told her servants 31:39 in most profound and simple words, 31:42 do whatever He tells you to do. 31:46 Amen. 31:48 There are times in your life 31:49 when you will clearly hear God speak to you 31:52 and it is for your blessing 31:54 and yes for your protection 31:56 to do whatever God tells you to do. 32:00 Don't marry Him. 32:08 I heard a lady say, 32:11 I saw this man and I said, 32:12 "Lord, please give me this man. 32:15 I pray, Lord, give me this man." 32:17 God said, "No." 32:18 She said, but I prayed, Lord, and she married him. 32:20 And then she said, after I got married, 32:21 I started praying, "Lord, please take him away. 32:24 Take him away." 32:28 It's all right when God speaks to you 32:30 to check with those you trust 32:32 and those in authority, 32:34 but the only authority 32:36 that really matters is God Himself. 32:39 Elijah, says the Lord, 32:42 I want you to leave Cherith. 32:45 Cherith by the way means drought. 32:49 And I want you to go to Zarephath. 32:51 Zarephath, by the way, means smelting furnace. 32:57 So God was saying to Elijah 32:58 and Elijah should have gotten the clue. 33:00 I'm sending you from heat to a furnace. 33:04 Elijah, there is a widow woman in Zarephath, 33:07 she is a precious servant of mine. 33:10 Go to her and you tell her, 33:13 I said, to take good care of you. 33:16 Now, Zarephath was not a part of Israel. 33:21 So understand the significance of this. 33:24 When Elijah, God's servant 33:27 couldn't find no protection in all of Israel, 33:32 God sent His servant Elijah 33:35 to find sustenance and protection 33:38 in a heathen land. 33:41 Because you see, sometimes your brothers 33:45 will hurt you thinking they're doing God a favor 33:49 or they may hurt you thinking 33:51 they're following God's directive to discipline you. 33:56 And I tell people, they work like the devil for the Lord. 34:03 But don't miss this. 34:04 When God wanted to preserve 34:06 and sustain His prophet, 34:09 he sent Elijah to a woman not of his race, 34:13 not of his religion. 34:15 God sent Elijah to a heathen 34:18 with a good heart. 34:20 Oh, you didn't hear me today. 34:22 God sent Elijah to a heathen, 34:25 with a good heart to find refuge in her home. 34:29 The servant of the Lord says she was not an Israelite, 34:31 but she walked in the path of the light she had. 34:36 Joseph's brothers, put him in a pit, you remember, 34:40 but God gave him favor among heathens. 34:44 The Bible tells us 34:46 that Elijah came to the gates of the city of Zarephath 34:49 and behold, there he found the widow 34:52 of whom the Lord had spoken. 34:54 He found her near the gates of the city, 34:57 gathering sticks. 34:59 Elijah called out to her, "Dear woman, 35:02 fetch me I pray thee a little water 35:05 in a vessel that I may drink." 35:08 As the widow got up to go and get the water, 35:10 Elijah said, "Oh, and by the way, 35:13 bring me also I pray the little piece of bread 35:15 in your hand that I may eat." 35:18 The widow looked at Elijah, 35:20 you know, as if to say, 35:22 he must not be from here. 35:25 She was startled by his requests for you see, 35:29 because of the drought throughout all of Zarephath, 35:32 there was very little to eat. 35:35 Just when this widow found that her food was about to fail 35:40 and run out, 35:41 just when she was about to give up her own struggle 35:44 for bread, 35:46 just when she had come to the final conclusion 35:49 that she wouldn't find what she needed 35:52 to sustain her life 35:54 and the life of our only son 35:55 right at that moment, 35:58 when it had come down to the wire. 36:01 Have you ever been there? 36:03 I said, have you ever been there? 36:05 Right down to the final hour? 36:08 It was then that God sent His prophet 36:11 not to give her food, 36:15 but to ask her to do something 36:18 counterintuitive. 36:22 God sent His prophet to ask her 36:26 to give what food she had to the prophet. 36:34 Are you with me? 36:37 Not only her food, 36:40 but her son's food too. 36:42 So that's why the preacher, 36:45 the preacher could eat now. 36:47 Now would you give your last food 36:49 so that your preacher could eat? 36:53 Man of God, she said, 36:56 as the Lord liveth, 36:57 I have not even a slice of bread in my pantry, 37:00 all I have is a handful of flour in a barrel, 37:03 and a little cup of oil in my cup. 37:06 Man of God, we are about to go in 37:08 and eat our last meal and then lay down and die. 37:11 Man of God, can't you see I'm out here 37:14 trying to make a way out of no way. 37:17 Elijah said to the woman, 37:20 no need to fear. 37:24 Fear not. 37:26 Although I don't know about you, 37:27 but I've heard those words 37:28 in the midnight hour of my life, 37:30 no need to fear. 37:32 When the storms of life 37:34 are raging now I've often heard God whispering 37:36 to my trembling soul, no need to fear. 37:40 Sometimes when I'm walking through the fire, 37:43 I hear God whispering to my heart, 37:45 no need to fear. 37:47 Sometimes when I'm walking through the flood, 37:50 and through the swelling of the Jordan, 37:52 I hear God whispering to me, no need to fear. 37:56 Some years ago, I was flying 37:59 on a small private plane 38:00 from Seattle to Spokane, Washington. 38:03 It was dark, raining, 38:05 and we were coming in and we crashed. 38:09 I've only been in one plane crash in my life, 38:12 we crashed on the tarmac, 38:14 the pilot had forgotten to put the wheels down. 38:20 And I have actually seen a plane come in 38:23 and hit the tarmac and the sparks ignited the fuel 38:28 and that plane I've seen a plane 38:29 go up in a ball of flames 38:31 but they said that day it probably didn't happen 38:34 because it was raining heavily 38:36 and the wet conditions doubts the sparks 38:39 that could have ignited the fuel. 38:41 But that's what they said happen. 38:44 Let me tell you what happened. 38:47 I was coming in on that plane 38:49 just talking to the Lord 38:51 with one of those deep, powerful, 38:53 poignant conversations with God. 38:55 I was saying to God, God, why are you so good to me? 38:59 I don't deserve it 39:00 and I kept hear God 39:02 whispering back to my heart, 39:04 son, no matter what happens, 39:06 I'm gonna take care of you. 39:09 No need to fear, 39:12 no need to fear. 39:14 Sometimes men will try to say those same words 39:17 but somehow they're not as comforting. 39:22 The other day I was on a flight from Orlando to Cleveland 39:26 and halfway through the flight, 39:28 I heard a sound that I'd never heard before 39:31 and I felt the plane shake 39:32 like I've never felt a plane shake before. 39:35 It just shook and then I heard a sound, it went... 39:40 And the flight attendant was right beside me 39:41 pushing the cart 39:43 and she stopped right beside me and I heard her say, 39:45 Oh, no. 39:50 This does not sound good. 39:54 And then she wheeled back the cart 39:56 and the pilot came on said, 39:58 "Ladies and gentlemen, we have an emergency. 40:01 We've lost our number one engine." 40:03 Now you got to understand we only have two. 40:10 And everybody was quiet and, and praying. 40:14 He said, I've radioed ahead. 40:16 We were going to try to make it to Charlotte. 40:18 But they've cleared the air space into Atlanta. 40:20 We're going to try to go on in to Atlanta 40:22 and this plane is running on one engine. 40:24 And all of us, all these passengers 40:27 were praying for that one engine. 40:29 Even the atheists were praying, atheist will pray, you know, 40:33 I said they will pray. 40:38 And then the flight attendant 40:40 told the pilot when we were really worried 40:42 we were in fear and he got on the loudspeaker 40:46 to try to say some comforting words. 40:48 And he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, 40:50 I understand that you're really concerned, 40:52 he said, but I don't want you to worry. 40:54 He said, I've done this many times before... 41:00 in the simulator." 41:06 Sometimes when man says, 41:08 "Don't fear, it is not as comforting." 41:11 But fear not, God said. 41:15 God told me to tell you, 41:18 Elijah said to her, if you'll only believe, 41:20 if you'll only be faithful and obedient, 41:23 if you will only give. 41:29 God told me to tell you 41:31 that that barrel of oil in your house 41:34 will be enough. 41:36 If you give, 41:40 God told me to tell you 41:42 that He's not only going to stretch what you have, 41:45 but He's going to multiply. 41:48 God told me to tell you 41:50 that He's gonna keep that barrel full, 41:53 and your oil will never run out. 41:57 That was a moment of truth for that widow. 42:00 My favorite author says 42:01 that there could not have been designed 42:03 for that widow a greater test of her faith. 42:07 You see, the greatest test of faith 42:09 is always when you are called to walk away 42:12 from the known to embrace the unknown. 42:16 You see to feed the prophet, 42:19 the widow of Zarephath had to turn aside 42:23 from the obvious 42:25 and to embrace what seemed counterintuitive, 42:31 to turn from her present suffering, 42:33 from her distress, 42:35 and believe in the substance of things hoped for 42:40 and the evidence of things she could not see. 42:45 You see, God was counting on that widow 42:47 to have the faith, 42:49 to overlook the consequences 42:51 of feeding the prophet first 42:55 and then trusting God to supply her need. 42:59 You know, the scriptures tell us that 43:01 because that widow in the depths of poverty 43:03 and despair put God first. 43:06 God rewarded her faith and her generosity. 43:11 Amen. 43:13 Because she proved faithful, 43:14 the Bible says that she and her house 43:18 did eat many days, 43:20 hallelujah, 43:21 from that same barrel of flour 43:24 and that same cup of oil. 43:26 Brothers and sisters, just like that woman 43:28 giving her last in obedience, 43:30 some here today listening to me out in... 43:34 I don't know what city you live in, 43:36 but you feel right now you, 43:38 yes, you feel like your barrel of flour is empty, 43:42 your cup of oil is drained to the last drop. 43:45 Oh but I want you to know 43:46 that there is a promise in the Scripture. 43:49 If you claim it today, 43:52 God has pledged 43:54 that He will take care of you. 43:56 It is a promise 43:58 and yet it is more than a promise. 44:00 It is one of the laws of God's kingdom. 44:03 It is what I call a counterintuitive law 44:07 of divine reciprocity. 44:11 We all know the scriptural promise 44:13 found in Matthew 7:7. 44:15 "Ask 44:17 and it shall be given." 44:20 That sounds very rational to us. 44:23 Amen. 44:24 God has, 44:26 we need, 44:27 we ask, 44:29 that's reasonable. 44:31 But this counterintuitive law of divine reciprocity, 44:35 you find it in Luke 6:38 and it simply says, 44:40 "Give 44:43 and it shall be given 44:45 unto you, 44:48 but not only shall it be given unto you, 44:51 it shall be given unto you good measure, 44:55 pressed down, shaken together, 44:59 running over and with the same measure 45:02 that you give out, shall it be measured 45:04 and given back to you." 45:07 Now we all have something to give, 45:10 even if it's just sticks. 45:13 But God's word says, Give, 45:16 and it shall be given. 45:17 It is counterintuitive to think 45:20 that you can multiply by subtracting. 45:25 But, oh, I am talking about my God, 45:27 He's an awesome God. 45:29 It is counterintuitive to think 45:32 that you can add to what you have 45:34 by subtracting. 45:37 But that's what God says. 45:38 God is saying to somebody out there listening to me, 45:42 give 45:44 and it shall be given to you. 45:46 The farmer plants his seed in the ground, 45:48 he gives to the earth the last of his seed, 45:52 but then he waits for a bountiful harvest. 45:55 This promise give and it shall be given unto you 45:59 is a promise bankrolled 46:02 by the King of Heaven Himself. 46:06 This promise is not just some empty promise, 46:09 God has put up His kingdom 46:12 as collateral for this promise. 46:16 Give and it shall be given unto you. 46:20 The other day, I was singing at a huge, 46:24 one of the largest churches in this country. 46:27 And I was talking to the pastor, 46:30 and the pastor said to me, you know, 46:33 the Lord has really been blessing us here. 46:36 And then I said to him, 46:38 you know, I've got a ministry 46:41 that helps children of prisoners 46:43 and I would like to come to your church 46:46 and present our ministry to these urban areas 46:50 and pick up an offering 46:52 and he said, "Well, you know, 46:53 I don't usually have programs 46:56 where I raise offerings 46:59 and besides this is a tough time for me. 47:01 I just took on a project of $86 million 47:05 and in the last year, I've raised 46. 47:09 And I've got another 40 million to raise next year." 47:13 He said, "But you got me at a good time," 47:18 he said, "because I only give 47:22 when I'm squeezed. 47:29 Counterintuitive." 47:31 He said, "If you caught me 47:33 when everything was going really well, 47:34 you probably wouldn't have gotten anything from me. 47:36 He said, but I take this law seriously, 47:39 give 47:42 and it shall be given unto you. 47:46 You see, in our individual lives, 47:48 there are seasons of seed time and harvest. 47:51 There are those times in our lives 47:53 when God calls upon us to sow in faith 47:56 believing that the Lord of heaven knows 47:59 just what we need when we need it, 48:02 and He will send us the blessing 48:03 and the increase we need right on time. 48:08 Amen. 48:10 Before I close, God spoke to me the other day. 48:14 And He said to me when your path 48:17 becomes one of blessing and privilege, 48:21 and you do not remember 48:24 the innocent you have left behind, 48:28 even your privilege 48:32 will cease to be a blessing 48:36 and become your greatest curse. 48:40 Oh, did you hear me today. 48:42 When your path 48:44 becomes one of blessing and privilege 48:48 and you do not remember the innocent and the helpless 48:51 you've left behind. 48:53 Even your blessing, 48:56 even your privilege will cease to be a blessing 49:00 and become your greatest curse. 49:04 So that's why it's important to remember to give. 49:11 Amen. 49:12 It's for your blessing and protection 49:15 to give and to give back 49:18 because you see if you do not remember 49:19 to reach back to pull up somebody else, 49:22 even your privilege will soon cease 49:25 to be a blessing 49:26 and become your greatest curse. 49:29 Years ago, a man who wanted 49:32 to travel with Mother Teresa 49:36 to Papua New Guinea. 49:38 He learned that she was traveling 49:40 and so he booked a flight to travel 49:44 and he said to her, "Mother Teresa, 49:46 can I travel on the same plane with you? 49:49 And so I can talk with you and learn from you." 49:53 Mother Teresa looked at him and said, 49:55 "You have enough money to pay airfare 49:57 for Papua New Guinea to go there?" 49:59 "Oh yes," he said, 50:01 to which Mother Teresa replied, 50:03 "Then give that money to the poor." 50:07 She said, "You learn more from that 50:10 than anything I can tell you. 50:15 I have learned more from giving back 50:18 than I have learned from anything else in my life." 50:23 When you give back in love and service, 50:27 it teaches you gratitude. 50:29 When you give back in love and service, 50:31 it teaches you humility. 50:34 When you give back in love and service, 50:36 it teaches you about 50:37 this most important law of divine reciprocity. 50:41 You give and it shall be given to you, 50:45 you reap what you sow. 50:47 And those who keep taking 50:50 without giving back 50:52 sow seeds of disharmony, 50:54 dysfunction and injustice. 50:57 Someone said, "If you have a lot, 51:00 give some of your possessions 51:01 if you have little, then give some of your heart 51:05 but give." 51:07 People who keep getting without giving 51:10 will stagnate and die. 51:13 People, are you with me today? 51:15 People who keep receiving 51:17 without sharing with others 51:19 block the channel 51:21 through which all their incoming blessings flow. 51:27 It is a law of nature. 51:29 Every living organism stays alive 51:34 because whatever nourishes it 51:36 passes through it. 51:40 Are you with me today? 51:42 Every living organism 51:44 stays vibrant 51:46 and dynamic and alive 51:48 because whatever nourishes it passes through it. 51:52 It does not stay inside. 51:55 When you hoard, you only curse yourself. 52:01 But when you give back, 52:03 you bless the world and you bless yourself. 52:08 Reminds me of that old black lady sitting 52:10 in church 52:12 watching that very wealthy man in church, 52:17 the pastor had made an appeal. 52:20 They needed resources, 52:21 they needed money 52:23 and she was, this old black lady 52:25 was watching this wealthy man with his head down, 52:28 just agonizing, and uncomfortable, 52:30 and eye shifting, and finally she said to him, 52:34 "Son, 52:36 the Lord you serve is an honest God. 52:42 If you give Him too much, 52:44 He give it back." 52:53 Today, 52:56 God is convicting someone 53:00 to give significantly 53:04 to this ministry, 53:07 to carry out the work of God 53:12 sharing this last day message 53:15 all around the world. 53:17 Now I'm gonna tell you something. 53:19 There is no other ministry on planet earth 53:25 that takes the gospel farther 53:29 to more places than 3ABN. 53:39 Did you hear what I said? 53:41 There is no other ministry 53:45 on planet earth 53:47 that takes this last day message 53:50 to more corners of the globe. 53:53 And God has asked me 53:57 and told me 53:58 that there are people out there. 54:02 This is the moment 54:04 for you to give 54:06 and you've been agonizing. 54:08 You're not sure, 54:09 you're swayed by this or swayed by that. 54:13 I'm here to tell you do something 54:16 that's counterintuitive. 54:21 Give 54:23 and it shall be given to you. 54:29 Bless others 54:32 and you'll only bless yourself. 54:37 God 54:39 is reaching out to someone here today. 54:45 Someone's listening. 54:47 He's blessed you. 54:49 You sold property. 54:50 You sold land, you sold a business. 54:54 You've got a windfall. You've been blessed. 54:58 God is saying to you, 55:01 give 55:04 and it shall be given unto you. 55:09 It is a divine law 55:13 of reciprocity. 55:16 Hallelujah. |
Revised 2019-08-27