Participants:
Series Code: TDYFW
Program Code: TDYFW020042S
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00:01 I want to spend my life
00:07 Mending broken people 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:19 Removing pain 00:24 Lord, let my words 00:30 Heal a heart that hurts 00:34 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:46 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:09 Hello, friends, welcome to Friday night Family Worship. 01:12 My name is John Lomacang 01:13 and to my immediate right is my lovely wife, Angela. 01:15 Good to have you here, Honey. 01:17 I'm so, glad to be here 01:18 and spend the Sabbath with you and happy Sabbath. 01:21 Welcome. 01:23 Grab your Bible and just sit down and relax. 01:26 And we're gonna go into the Word of God today. 01:28 That's right. And we're talking about... 01:30 What are we talking about? 01:31 Difficult times, right? 01:33 We're living in difficult times 01:34 and we're gonna talk about 01:36 how to deal with difficult times. 01:39 That's right. 01:40 And we don't have any difficult people with us, 01:42 we have family. 01:45 We don't. 01:46 This is a topic that really many people right now, 01:49 you know, praise the Lord. 01:50 We are in a new year now, 01:51 and God has been gracious to bring us through 01:53 what might be easily in many of our minds, 01:56 probably one of the most surprising years 01:58 we've ever had. 01:59 At least in my lifetime it is. Unprecedented. 02:01 Yeah, unprecedented was the word 02:02 that was coined all year long. 02:04 But 2021 now, 02:06 we're still having a lot of residue. 02:08 Things are still going on 02:10 and a lot of difficult times are still ahead of us. 02:12 But introduce our panel tonight, Honey. 02:14 Hey, well, we have Dee Hildebrand. 02:17 Nice to be here tonight. 02:18 Always happy to be with my pastor and his wife 02:20 studying the Word in Family Worship. 02:23 That's right. Thanks for inviting me. 02:24 Oh, always glad to have you, Dee. 02:27 And right in front of me is Jason Bergman and his wife, 02:29 his lovely wife, Francine Bergman. 02:32 And they're missing Amanda tonight, 02:35 their beautiful daughter. 02:37 Welcome. Thank you. 02:38 It's good to be here. 02:39 CFO and Kids Network. 02:41 Kids Network. 3ABN Kids Network. 02:42 Auntie Francine. Right. 02:44 Yeah. It's a joy to be here. And what a lovely family. 02:48 Just seeing the example of Christ 02:49 that we see in you, so thank you. 02:51 Amen. Thank you. Praise the Lord. 02:53 And it's so good to know that if you've been watching 3ABN, 02:57 you know, a lot of things, 02:58 not a single one of us wears one hat. 03:01 Everybody has more than one hat, 03:03 but before we go into the topic tonight 03:05 and I want you to invite your friends 03:06 and family members to join around, 03:08 we're going to try by reading God's Word 03:11 and discussing it, 03:12 how to get through difficult times. 03:14 A lot of people, 03:15 thousands of jobs have been lost. 03:17 Countless businesses have been closed. 03:20 People are, 03:21 you know, sometimes you see these long food lines 03:23 and bread lines. 03:24 It's not as bad as the depression in the 1930s, 03:28 but on a scale that's unprecedented 03:30 for this modern generation. 03:31 And you might be watching right now, 03:33 having just lost a job 03:34 or maybe wondering about 03:35 whether or not funds are coming in 03:37 or your bank is getting low 03:38 and your children tuition is due. 03:40 Tonight, we're gonna try to encourage you 03:41 through God's Word, 03:43 but, Honey, would you begin with prayer for us tonight? 03:44 Let's go to the Lord. 03:45 Our precious Father in heaven, 03:47 we come to You in the name of Jesus, 03:49 giving you all the praise, honor and glory, 03:52 which you are so worthy of. 03:54 Lord, we thank You and we invite Your presence 03:56 to be with us through the Holy Spirit. 03:59 We ask that You'll be with those 04:01 that are viewing this program. 04:03 We ask that Your Spirit will go into their hearts 04:06 and into their homes even now as we're praying 04:10 and know, we know that 04:12 we are truly in stressful times, 04:15 you're a parent, with You will soon be here, 04:18 Lord, and we look forward to seeing You 04:21 and going home to be with You eternally. 04:24 So, thank You, Father, for being with us, 04:26 for guiding us 04:28 and just being there for us in Jesus' name. 04:31 Amen. Amen. 04:33 Thank you, Honey. 04:35 When we were talking about what to present, 04:37 we've done a number of family worships. 04:39 We were having lunch 04:41 and looking at the news at the same time. 04:43 And my wife said, 04:45 "I think dealing with difficult times 04:47 is a good one." 04:48 And I'm gonna give each one of you an opportunity. 04:51 And I know that 04:52 we could probably put a list the size of this table out 04:55 on difficult things, 04:57 but as the CFO 04:58 and just as a person in this present society, 05:02 the scenario of the world has now faced. 05:04 What are some of the difficulties 05:06 that you've been seeing? 05:07 Well, you know, it's interesting 05:08 from a financial market perspective, 05:10 a lot of people have lost their jobs. 05:12 When you think of the service industry, 05:15 hotels and restaurants, they've been hit really hard. 05:19 And I think this is a good time 05:20 to think about our family members 05:24 and those that live next to us. 05:26 And maybe it'd be a good time 05:28 to give them an extra gift this year. 05:30 Amen. 05:32 You know, the government talks about 05:34 getting another stimulus package 05:37 and for some it's not too soon. 05:40 A lot of people are hurting 05:41 and especially those at least those two sectors, 05:44 but from a financial perspective, 05:48 it's been very difficult for people. 05:50 And even though the market is starting to get better 05:53 and things are starting to rev up on the market, 05:57 people are still, you know, looking for their job, 06:02 to get their job back. 06:03 I mean, there's a lot of changes 06:04 that businesses have been doing 06:06 because of these situations. 06:08 So, you know, from a financial perspective, 06:11 the other thing I noticed is, 06:14 you remember in March 06:15 when the truck started 06:18 not coming to the stores anymore. 06:20 The food wasn't on the shelves anymore. 06:24 I can't remember in my life that ever being a problem. 06:30 So, you know, we take a lot for granted, 06:33 but this year has really showed me that, 06:36 you shouldn't take 06:37 these types of things for granted, 06:39 That's right. 06:40 And so being in 2021, 06:41 the Lord brought us through a very difficult year 06:43 and now we're entering into one now 06:45 where we could look back and say, phew! 06:46 That's right. 06:48 But we don't know what is ahead of us, 06:49 except the Lord does. 06:50 What about you Francine? 06:52 What have you seen? 06:53 I see a lot of people hurting 06:55 and even neighbors and in the medical field, 06:58 but also kids. 07:00 I see kids that are anxious, a little bit nervous 07:03 because they see their stress on their parents 07:06 or online learning. 07:08 There's a lot going on and a lot of uncertainty. 07:12 And so and some of them, 07:14 you know, they're used to having it one-on-one 07:16 with their teacher 07:17 and now they're having to do it 07:18 and figure things out on the computer by themselves. 07:21 And so that, I see that that's a lot of reason 07:25 why there's a new type of learning 07:27 that's taking place for many. 07:29 Some of them are still in person 07:32 in the classroom, 07:33 however many are not, or sometimes things change 07:35 and they're going back to online learning. 07:37 So... 07:38 They said many of the children of the grades are failing. 07:41 Right. And tense parents... 07:42 High percentages of them. Yeah. 07:44 And parents don't know how to help them. 07:45 And many of them, 07:46 maybe they're trying to look for a job 07:48 or trying to do their job from home. 07:49 So it's a struggle for many of them. 07:51 And I've read several emails or talk to people on the phone 07:56 and you hear it in their voice for sure. 07:59 Wow. 08:00 Dee, I know you get around 08:01 and you even volunteer for some of the community help. 08:06 The place I've been volunteering, 08:08 they've had to shut down for a little while. 08:11 And now in this new year, 08:14 they're actually trying to help, 08:17 they have a new program where helping homeless teens. 08:22 And we don't think about that. 08:24 We think about that in the big cities a lot, 08:28 but even in smaller areas, there's homeless teens. 08:32 So we're working this year in 2021 to work on that. 08:37 But I think one of the stresses too, 08:41 is you're in a new year, 08:43 but yet things aren't normal yet. 08:46 We wanted to go from last year to this year 08:49 and have normal things, 08:50 but it's gonna take a long time 08:52 to figure out what normal is. 08:55 There's an... 08:57 I don't want to use that word new normal, 09:00 but our lives have changed. 09:03 And, everyone has difficulty with change 09:09 and we're used to little minute changes, 09:12 or even just a few people having a big change. 09:15 But all of a sudden 09:16 the whole world had a huge change. 09:18 That's right. 09:20 And distress level. 09:22 Even if we think it doesn't affect us 09:25 or we think we're doing okay, 09:27 it affects us every individual, 09:30 every human being on this earth 09:32 got affected in some way or another. 09:35 So that stress, 09:37 even though it might be different 09:39 for each individual and different people, 09:41 it's an overall worldly stress. Yeah. 09:44 And I think to tie into that, 09:46 I've noticed also with the young people 09:48 or teenagers too, 09:49 is many of them don't have a purpose anymore, 09:51 or even those that aren't working. 09:53 They want to try to find that new purpose 09:56 because God has created us to have a mission 09:59 or to, you know, to be purposeful 10:01 and to have a goal to reach 10:03 and not having that for some people. 10:06 I think that's the other thing is how can they reach out 10:09 or how can they find their purpose in their life. 10:11 And that's why some teenagers are getting into things 10:14 that they shouldn't even more so now 10:16 because of this extra stress 10:18 or not having that purpose or goal to look forward to. 10:21 And so, if they were working or having something to do, 10:25 they would have that purpose and feel motivated. 10:27 There is a lot of people 10:29 who have stepped up to create new ways to help 10:32 and to have purpose. 10:34 As I looked at many of the news things, 10:36 I know it seems like it's always bad news, 10:38 but I was always encouraged by the good stories. 10:43 And they're still out there, 10:45 good stories of people 10:46 that are coming up with ideas of helping and changing 10:48 and making the world better. 10:50 That's right. 10:51 And I firmly believe that 10:53 the better ideas come from the Lord 10:55 that He feeds into us if we turn to Him and ask Him. 10:58 That's right. 10:59 For guidance and wisdom of... 11:02 That's right. What is my purpose now? 11:04 Yes. 11:05 And also on the news yesterday, 11:08 they said that many people are going for counseling. 11:11 Yeah. 11:12 They can't handle this stress. Yeah. 11:13 You know, mental health was bad before 11:17 and when March hit, it just exploded. 11:21 And when you think of all the jobs lost 11:23 and all the issues, 11:24 and then the kids not being able to go to school 11:26 and then having to teach your kid 11:28 and work from home 11:31 and deal with all the technology 11:32 that you had to learn, 11:34 you know, that is when you, 11:35 when you consider all the things 11:36 that happened before, that was difficult. 11:39 Now you have all these added things 11:41 that people had to relearn or learn new. 11:45 That created a lot of mental health 11:47 and it's still going on 11:49 because there's still many issues 11:50 that need to be resolved. 11:52 That's right. 11:53 Matter of fact, when we look at the Bible, 11:54 we find that in 2 Timothy 3, 11:56 you know, we use our outline here. 11:57 We find that this is not a shock. 11:59 You know, it didn't catch God by surprise. 12:01 Yeah. 12:02 Jason, read that for us, 2 Timothy 3:1, 12:04 the Bible described a condition or a climate of the last days 12:09 that doesn't catch God by surprise. 12:11 That's right. What did Paul say? 12:12 So, yeah we invite you to come and read with us 12:15 in 2 Timothy 3:1. 12:17 It says, 12:18 "But know this, that in the last days, 12:21 peerless times will come." 12:23 Perilous times. Perilous times. 12:24 I remember listening to the news once 12:26 when the guy actually said, 12:28 "we are living in perilous times." 12:29 That's right. 12:30 And then the other word that 12:32 the most repeated word was unprecedented, 12:34 unprecedented, unprecedented. 12:35 Unprecedented, yes. 12:36 And it's just, it is even part of our opener, 12:38 we're living in unprecedented times. 12:40 Meaning we're seeing a lot of firsts in our day, 12:43 but being mindful that 12:44 there was a pandemic before 1918 to 1920, 12:49 where upwards of 50 to 100 million people died. 12:53 There were no vaccines. Praise the Lord. 12:55 You know, there's some help coming in that area. 12:57 And we hope that 12:58 there's some good outcomes to that. 13:00 But perilous times 13:01 is not something that's unusual. 13:03 That is the Lord has prognosticated this. 13:06 And this is how we know 13:08 that we're living in the last days. 13:10 And it also describes what's happening. 13:12 Uh, some people are experiencing, 13:14 we talked about there briefly the result of that. 13:16 What does Luke 21 tell us, Honey. 13:18 If you have your Bibles, Luke 21: 26. 13:20 Luke 21: 26. 13:21 Okay. Yeah. 13:23 "Men's hearts failing them from fear 13:25 and the expectation of those things, 13:27 which are coming on the earth 13:28 for the powers of the heavens will be shaken." 13:31 Wow. Okay. 13:32 So you notice that, 13:34 men's hearts failing them from fear. 13:36 I listened to a restaurant in New York City. 13:39 Actually it was a couple of months ago 13:41 and he said, 13:42 "By this time next year," 13:44 he said, "80% " 13:46 and New York is huge, 13:47 "80% of the restaurants in New York might be closed." 13:52 Do you realize 13:53 when you're talking about a city of millions, 80%, 13:55 and that's indoor dining, 13:57 and if it snows 14:00 or if the weather gets terribly cold, 14:02 you can't put those outdoor little tents. 14:05 And then it just gets to the point 14:06 where people are... 14:08 Men's hearts are failing 14:09 because they're wondering what's coming next. 14:11 This thing, mankinds. 14:12 Yeah right. Mankind. Mankind. 14:14 Their hearts are failing them. Yeah. 14:16 The hearts of men are failing them, 14:18 the hearts of humanity are failing them. 14:19 They don't have to do... 14:20 In Proverbs 29. 14:22 Turn there real quick. Yeah. 14:23 Proverbs 29:25, 14:25 that's interesting... 14:28 Honey, and I have the same Bible you have. 14:30 I'm so proud of you. 14:31 My Remnant Bible. 14:33 I'm sorry, you said Proverbs what? 14:35 Proverbs 29:25. 14:37 Okay. That's where we are. 14:39 And it's just the first sentence 14:43 and read that, Honey. 14:45 Okay. It says 29. Okay. I was thinking 30. 14:47 Verse 29. 29: 25 reads. 14:51 "The fear of man brings a snare..." 14:54 Finish it. 14:56 "But whoever trust in the Lord shall be saved." 14:58 What does that mean to you? Wow. 15:02 Right now we don't... 15:03 We just came through 15:04 one of the most horrendous years 15:06 in our modern experience. 15:08 But it says, if you fear man, 15:10 you could find yourself in deeper difficulty, 15:13 but if you trust the Lord, you'll be safe. 15:15 And for those who are Christians 15:17 watching the program, 15:18 or maybe Seventh-day Adventist Christians, 15:20 we know that that's the biggest factor. 15:22 There was a program called Fear Factor 15:25 and fear factor exists 15:26 because I don't trust that crane. 15:28 You know, I don't trust that tank of snakes. 15:30 I don't trust that guy driving that car, 15:32 but there's never a time that we can't trust the Lord. 15:34 That's right. That's what that means to me. 15:35 Yeah. 15:37 And too many people today are trusting in other men 15:40 to bring them safety. 15:41 Yeah. 15:43 Or to come up with the answers. 15:44 And the world basically 15:46 is looking to other men for answers. 15:49 Yes. 15:51 And that's not the answers. 15:53 You're right. And, you know, what's interesting. 15:55 I like listening to other people. 15:56 I was getting gas, it was in February or March. 15:59 And I just remembered in March when I was getting gas 16:02 and people were talking, 16:04 strangers talking to each other, 16:05 which usually doesn't happen anyway. 16:07 And they were talking, they're like, 16:08 "Boy, isn't this time crazy? 16:10 Have you ever heard of this happening?" 16:12 And so, it was really interesting 16:14 how people were starting to connect with other people 16:17 that normally they wouldn't connect. 16:18 So, in that way, it was kind of nice 16:20 that people were actually looking 16:22 and talking to other people instead of just looking down. 16:25 You know, in New York, 16:27 I was there for some treasury meetings, 16:30 some investment meetings, 16:31 and you walk down the streets 16:33 and no one wants to look at each other. 16:34 You know, they look down or look away, 16:37 but this got people to start talking to each other 16:40 and kind of getting to know each other and say, 16:42 "Hey, how are you dealing with stuff? 16:44 And how are you dealing with it?" 16:45 And I think that has really helped people in bonding 16:48 in a little way 16:49 as a positive note to this type of thing 16:51 that was going on. 16:52 Matter of fact, Dee made a point that, 16:54 if we look at... 16:55 Do you have a text for us, Honey? 16:57 Well, in Isaiah 33:14, the very verse. 17:04 Okay. 17:05 I'm sorry, Isaiah what again? 17:07 33:14. 17:10 And let's say we are at Zion, okay? 17:13 Let's put us at Zion. 17:15 "The sinners in Zion are afraid. 17:19 Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites 17:21 who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire." 17:25 So there's a lot of fear. 17:28 And it has seized people. 17:29 It has, it consumed them. 17:31 We saw a church bulletin. Frozen them. 17:33 Yeah. 17:35 We saw church bulletin 17:36 and online we were looking at... 17:38 I did something for a church in New York 17:40 and they had their online bulletin 17:41 and I was looking at it. 17:42 They had two pages of people that have died. 17:45 And most of them were from COVID. 17:46 Oh, my God. 17:47 And I thought, I'm scrolling up on the bus. 17:49 This is the first page, second page, 17:51 third page deceased, deceased, deceased. 17:52 States, states, states people have died. 17:54 And I had to ask, these are a lot of... 17:57 Had a lot of COVID victims in New York. 17:59 And the sad reality is people have thought that, 18:02 you know, this was just a cold, but unfortunately, 18:05 we know it's more than that. 18:07 It's something that has really had quite a bite to it. 18:10 But I want... 18:11 It is perilous times 18:13 when we move into perilous times 18:14 and we move into the end times, 18:19 God is going to put a lot of people to sleep. 18:22 Yes. 18:23 You know. Out of mercy. 18:24 Yes. 18:26 Out of mercy that's gonna happen. 18:27 So, we are gonna look forward to Satan taking more... 18:31 God allowing Satan to take more and more 18:34 allowing them to sleep. 18:36 Well, God allowing them to be... 18:39 Some people have diseases 18:40 that people are praying to be healed, 18:42 but sometimes the Lord allows them 18:43 to be laid to rest because there's trouble coming. 18:45 As a matter of fact, Isaiah 57. 18:48 Look at Isaiah 57. 18:50 This is a passage, 18:52 when my dad passed away in 19... 18:54 Oh, sorry in 2006, my natural father, 18:57 someone gave me this passage. 19:00 I read my Bible before, 19:01 but I had never seen it this way. 19:05 Isaiah 57. 19:06 Okay I was in 47, I don't know why. 19:08 There it is. But here's what it reads. 19:10 It says... 57 which verse? 19:11 57:1. Oh, okay. 19:14 It says, 19:15 "The righteous perish and no one takes it to heart. 19:19 Merciful men are taken away 19:22 while no one considers 19:24 that the righteous is taken away from evil." 19:27 That is to be spirit from evil. 19:29 "He shall enter into peace. 19:31 They shall rest in their beds, 19:34 each one walking in his uprightness." 19:35 So, it's saying, 19:37 the righteous are taken away 19:39 and the actual translation to be spirit from evil. 19:41 Yeah. 19:43 Hence a lot of people 19:44 are not making through difficult times, 19:45 but you made a point, Dee, I want to go back on. 19:47 If you look at our point number four 19:49 in Psalm 146:3, 19:52 maybe you could read that for us, Francine, 19:54 Psalm 146:3 19:56 because Dee talked about 19:58 how people are looking for answers from leaders. 20:02 People are looking for answers from politicians, 20:04 from local leaders, from mayors, from governors. 20:08 But this is a very interesting passage. 20:10 Psalm 146:3. 20:12 Now look what it says to us. 20:14 Okay. 146: 3. 20:18 It's sad when people get so disappointed 20:21 because they have looked to people for the answers. 20:25 And this is what happens to them. 20:28 Do not put your trust in princes, 20:31 nor in a son of man in whom there is no help. 20:36 Could that be? That is so straight. 20:38 Could that be plain? And why... 20:39 And verse 4. 20:41 Why is there no help in man? 20:44 Okay. 20:45 "His spirit departs, he returns to his earth, 20:48 in that very day his plans perish." 20:51 That means you're putting your trust in people 20:53 that are gonna die. 20:55 People that the grave is waiting for them too. 20:57 And it's unfortunate that 20:59 that's the reality of this life. 21:00 Everybody has a date. We just don't know what it is. 21:02 Lord, please postpone mine and keep it for a long time. 21:06 I'm praying that the Lord will come 21:07 while we're alive. 21:08 But you're saying that 21:10 people are putting their trust in princes. 21:11 We could say that in leaders 21:13 and people that are in prominent positions. 21:15 What do you say, Jason? 21:16 So, you know, I was thinking on the other side 21:19 because I like parallelism, right? 21:21 Okay. 21:22 So, you think of Elijah, 21:24 when in 1 King 17, 21:28 it talks about how the ravens were feeding him, 21:31 because why? 21:33 Because the trucks weren't going to the stores 21:35 for him to get food. 21:37 There was a drought. 21:38 So, you know, when I thought about 21:40 what we're talking about early, 21:42 and it reminded me of this story, 21:44 where the Lord said, you know what? 21:46 You go to this place. 21:47 There's gonna be a drought, 21:49 go to this place and I'll have the ravens. 21:50 Now, I probably clean off this stuff 21:52 after the ravens drop everything. 21:55 Just because I'm an accountant, you know. 21:57 But seriously, when you think of what Jesus did, 22:00 we don't have to fear, 22:02 you know, the Lord will provide our needs. 22:05 We need. 22:06 It won't be the same way 22:08 that we think they're going to be. 22:10 But I think we can trust the Lord 22:11 and look to Jesus 22:13 and have that confidence in Him, 22:15 that He will get us through this. 22:17 Just like He, 22:18 you know, got Elijah through this situation 22:21 where there was a total drought. 22:23 There was no food, 22:24 but the ravens came and gave him the food. 22:26 That's right. 22:27 As a matter of fact, that's a great point. 22:30 God is going to supply our needs. 22:31 That's right. That's what you're saying. 22:33 And that's what it's projecting. 22:34 Not just physical though. 22:35 See there's, right now, people look back on last year. 22:39 There are families who lost their mom and dad, 22:43 entire families. 22:44 There's families 22:45 that lost many people in their family. 22:48 So he is actually, 22:50 God is the only one 22:52 that's going to be able to get you through that pain. 22:55 And eventually you're going to see 22:59 how God works it all out and why He allowed it. 23:03 But in the meantime, you're still hurting. 23:05 It doesn't stop your pain, even when you know, 23:09 but He is the one that will carry you through. 23:13 Matter of fact, Dee, read Psalm 34:19. 23:17 Psalm 34... 23:18 Psalms 34:19. 23:19 Let's turn to that because 23:21 I'd like you to actually read verses 17 and 19. 23:25 I'm sorry, 34 what's my verse again? 23:27 Psalm 34:19. 23:29 Verse 19 but... 23:30 Yeah read. 23:32 "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, 23:34 but the Lord delivers him out of them all. 23:37 He guards all his bones, not one of them is broken." 23:40 Okay. 23:42 And that verse there, 23:43 that was actually a prophecy of the coming Christ. 23:46 But the verse that we were reading there 23:48 in verse 19, truly there're people... 23:50 Many are the afflictions. 23:52 How many... Of the righteous. 23:53 Of the righteous. 23:54 But notice the context, in a righteous relationship, 23:58 you can trust in the Lord to deliver you, 24:01 which I want to just catapult 24:02 right into the very next aspect, 24:04 because there's something about trying to deliver yourself 24:07 that makes it difficult. 24:09 Jeremiah, the point number four, 24:10 we have Jeremiah 48:7. 24:13 This is another reason 24:15 why people are going through difficult stresses. 24:17 Look at Jeremiah 34:7. 24:21 Thirty four? 24:23 Jeremiah 48:7. 24:25 Oh, okay. 24:26 I'm getting dyslexic all of a sudden. 24:28 That's another stress of COVID. 24:31 Angie, you've already got that. 24:32 Don't you? Yeah. 24:33 Dyslexic? No. 24:36 No, the Bible verse. I'm joking. 24:38 Here we go. 24:40 It says, 24:41 "For because you have trusted in your works 24:44 and your treasures. 24:47 You also shall be taken, 24:50 and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, 24:54 his priests and his princes together." 24:56 Now what is in essence its talking about 24:58 one of the difficulties that Israel faced. 25:01 And the two things that I grabbed from that was 25:03 people trust in their works and in their treasures. 25:06 And we're seeing, 25:08 we have seen many people work hard 25:10 as somebody once said, 25:12 "Do you know how long it took me 25:13 to get my company to this point?" 25:16 And it's unfortunate. 25:18 They said, "I'm closing doors. I'm laying off employees." 25:20 They trusted in the works of their hands. 25:22 And then they said, 25:23 "I don't really have enough 25:25 to pay bills for the next month. 25:26 I'm waiting for some kind of government help." 25:29 And once again, trusting in treasures, 25:31 which in fact, today, 25:33 you can't really count on those things 25:34 because they're minimal. 25:36 And the things that we work difficult and work hard for, 25:39 they're disappearing, and they're just evaporating. 25:41 It's heartbreaking 25:42 when you put your life into something to build it up 25:45 and you watch it disappear. 25:47 I think that there are God's people 25:51 who have put their life into work 25:54 that has been built up. 25:55 And as they see it disappear, 25:57 they look at it differently than the non-believer. 26:01 It still breaks their hearts to watch their work disappear. 26:04 But that's not where their treasure is. 26:07 Their treasure is in heaven. 26:10 If your treasure is here on earth 26:12 and it's anchored here, 26:14 then it can practically destroy you. 26:16 But if you watch, we're going to have to watch. 26:19 If we live long enough, 26:21 we're gonna watch everything be taken away from us. 26:25 Are you ready for that to happen? 26:27 Is your treasure where it needs to be? 26:29 Is that how you're gonna get through difficult times? 26:32 Because you have your treasure where it belongs, 26:34 and it's not going to destroy you 26:37 as you watch everything disappearing 26:41 over a period of time. 26:42 You know from an accounting perspective 26:44 in treasury. 26:46 You know, we look at managing assets, 26:48 but when you look at it from an earthly perspective, 26:52 I look at it it's all burnable. 26:55 So when you look at it from that perspective, 26:58 you have to look at everything that you own 27:00 and say, you know what? 27:02 It's time to leave it in your mind. 27:04 So, you know, subconsciously when you get to that point, 27:07 you just moved 27:09 and you don't have to think about it. 27:10 And you make sure that your family's with you. 27:12 Amen. 27:14 Because even though we're all burnable, 27:17 it's really important that 27:18 we take priority in what's important. 27:22 It gives you a freedom too. 27:24 I enjoy remodeling and redecorating. 27:27 Yes, you do, and you do it yourself. 27:28 So, I've just redone another room. 27:30 And I get great joy in that. 27:32 It's the works of my hand. 27:33 God gave me a talent, I'm using it. 27:36 But even as I'm doing it... 27:38 You're not chained to it. 27:39 I'm not chained to it. 27:40 It's like, well, sometimes 'cause you make mistakes. 27:43 Right. Oh, well, it's gonna burn. 27:45 It's good enough for me. 27:48 So you can let it go. 27:50 You can take a joy in your work. 27:53 God wants us to take joy in our work 27:55 in what we accomplished in what we build. 27:57 So take joy in it, 27:58 but don't think that is your anchor 28:02 that you depend on, that you trust in. 28:06 That's where we make our mistake. 28:08 We want to... 28:10 Put so much trust in it. 28:11 We want trusting in things that are... 28:15 Temporary. 28:16 We don't want to trust in things 28:17 that are temporary. 28:19 We want to put our trust in... 28:20 Eternal things. Eternal things. Thank you. 28:22 I need some help with my language. 28:24 No, you know, and I like what you said 28:26 that we are, we're stewards. 28:29 And even though we know things are gonna go away, 28:32 the time that the Lord has given us 28:35 that we need to take those opportunities 28:37 with the skills that God's given us, 28:39 the intellectual property and share it 28:41 because we don't know what tomorrow's gonna bring. 28:43 And this situation in March happened so fast on all of us. 28:47 Yes. 28:49 You know, priorities became very valuable. 28:51 What are our priorities? 28:53 And that question 28:54 really helped a lot of people understand 28:58 where are we gonna go? 28:59 Who are we gonna follow? 29:01 And I think, you know, 29:02 knowing Jesus was that mental health of peace 29:07 and comfort and joy 29:10 that we need to share with others. 29:13 So that's our job right now in this time 29:16 is to share the good news that Jesus is coming soon. 29:21 This has been predicted. 29:23 Let's go out 29:24 and share the good news with people 29:25 who are really hurting. 29:27 And there are those 29:29 that are outside of the Christian realm. 29:30 I wanna look at Matthew 7:14. 29:33 There are those outside of the Christian realm. 29:35 'Cause if you've caught it a moment ago, 29:37 we've been talking about, yeah difficult times will come, 29:40 but the Christian 29:41 who doesn't connect him or herself to his things, 29:44 even the works of their hands could trust in, 29:47 well, that's temporary, it's burnable, it's flammable, 29:49 it's not eternal. 29:51 I wanna keep my mind focused on the eternal, 29:53 but then there are those that try to make it through, 29:56 you know, they see the difficult times coming 29:58 and they don't want to adjust their lives to say, 30:00 I really need the Lord now. 30:02 The Bible describes the kind of experience 30:04 that they go through. 30:05 Look at this. You should go 13. 30:07 Mathew what? Okay. Matthew 7:13-14. 30:11 Okay. 30:12 All right, Hon, well go for that, 30:13 verse 13 and 14. 30:15 Matthew 7:13 says, 30:17 "Enter by the narrow gate, 30:19 for wide is the gate and broad is the way 30:24 that leads to destruction. 30:27 And there are many who go in it, 30:30 who go in by it, 30:33 because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way 30:37 which leads to life. 30:39 And there are few who find it." 30:42 Now what I got out of that, 30:43 is not that as, 30:45 it's not that God hid the way to eternal life, 30:48 but they're trying it their way. 30:50 And when you, when God is saying go right, 30:52 and you go left, God's saying, turn now, 30:55 you turn in the opposite direction. 30:56 It becomes difficult. 30:58 And I believe a lot of the difficulty 31:00 that people are facing is because 31:01 they're trying to do it their way. 31:03 They say, "Well, what could we do next? 31:04 What we could do?" 31:06 The best thing you could do next is pray 31:07 and say, Lord lead me. 31:09 I think there's a statement Ellen White made in the book, 31:11 Selected Messages. 31:12 She said, "Pray, Lord, stand at the wheel, 31:15 carry us through this difficulty, 31:17 bring us safely into port." 31:19 And so that's what we have to do 31:21 in times like these, the ship is rocking. 31:23 There's water coming in 31:24 and Jesus is right there saying, 31:27 if you just wake me up, everything will be just fine 31:29 'cause I'm on board with you. 31:30 What do you say? 31:31 So, you know, I kinda like this 31:33 because it gave me a different perspective 31:34 that in life, that when you focus on something, 31:38 you put all your attention in that. 31:40 So when there's things 31:42 you have to let those other things go away. 31:45 But many people like get distracted, right? 31:47 They get, they look this way and they looked the other way 31:51 and they find themselves in areas 31:53 that they probably shouldn't be. 31:54 And that's why the Lord said, you know, focus on Me. 31:58 Look to Me for this. 32:00 And you'll receive, 32:01 you know, your desire when you focus on Jesus. 32:04 That's right. That's true. 32:08 Get away from focusing on yourself. 32:09 Don't try to make it. 32:10 It doesn't, you know, the key is this. 32:12 It doesn't have to be difficult, 32:13 but it will be difficult if we don't do it God's way. 32:15 That's right. 32:16 A lot of people say, well, you know, 32:18 I came from a family of great financers. 32:19 I got great education, great plans, 32:22 you know, forward-looking, 32:23 but this was something that had, no, 32:26 it just is, I'm cutting off all means of sustenance. 32:29 And you're gonna have to just either try to do it your way 32:32 or do it God's way. 32:33 There's a quotation we'd read here. 32:34 Satan sends us distractions. Yeah. 32:37 If you're determined to trust in the Lord 32:40 and you bring your family together 32:42 and you get into prayer 32:43 and you certainly on the Father 32:45 and praying and saying, Lord, give us wisdom, 32:49 but we can get distracted 32:51 because all of a sudden, 32:53 you're not sure 32:55 how you're gonna put food on the table 32:56 for your children. 32:58 So Satan uses that 33:01 to detract you from God, 33:04 where you have to stay focused on Him 33:09 and hang on to Him even if it's just by a thread. 33:13 That's right. 33:14 There's another component to that too, 33:16 read that quote there, Hon. 33:17 Even the blue box, 33:18 that very first sentence, it says, 33:20 "The path which I have set before you, 33:23 Jesus says, is narrow. 33:26 The gate is difficult of entrance 33:28 for the golden rule 33:30 excludes all pride and self-seeking." 33:32 So people have to say, you know, 33:35 I'm not buying into that Christian thing, 33:36 that God thing, 33:38 I can make it through this difficult time. 33:39 And the road gets very, very difficult. 33:41 Francine, I wanna share something with you. 33:44 Matter of fact, I want you to share with us... 33:45 But Jesus says that the near, 33:47 the gate is what he set before us 33:51 that the gate is difficult. 33:53 So even if we choose Him, 33:56 it's going to be a difficult path. 34:00 But if we continue to choose Him, 34:02 He gets us through it 34:04 because when it gets impossible to deal with 34:10 if we let go of Him. 34:11 Right. 34:12 And what makes it difficult is we got to put pride aside. 34:15 We have to put self-seeking aside. 34:18 Self-motivation aside. Yeah. 34:20 I'd like to point out that, 34:22 remember how Jesus was taking 34:24 a little one on his lap and saying, 34:25 unless you become like a little child, 34:28 basically, it's just simple faith. 34:30 Just totally trust Him. 34:32 Don't make it complicated with these worldly things 34:35 that you do see. 34:36 Your Father has you under His wing, 34:39 He's looking forward for you. 34:41 I mean, He's careful for you. 34:42 And one of the things that I like in Psalms 27:5, 34:47 I don't know if you want me to read it, but... 34:48 Yeah, go for that. 34:50 "In the time of trouble, 34:51 he shall hide me in his pavilion, " 34:54 which I think is the cliff of the rock. 34:55 But "in the secret place of His tabernacle, 34:58 He shall hide me. 34:59 He shall set me high upon the rock." 35:02 And when I was in the classroom, 35:03 we would often have this picture 35:05 that we would show the kids of that bird 35:08 that's in the cleft of the rock. 35:10 And there's a storm brewing, 35:11 you see all the birds of prey 35:16 that would attack the bird. 35:17 You see the waterfall that could be there. 35:20 And yet the birds are safe and sound. 35:23 And they're not worried about their heavenly Father, 35:27 they're under there. 35:28 And I just see that picture 35:29 that He has all this turmoil can be around, 35:33 but God's got you. 35:34 And He's your father. 35:36 And just like a child has that total faith in their father, 35:39 it's total faith that we need to have in God. 35:42 And it's when we look 35:43 to these little things on the side, 35:46 we get distracted. 35:48 Angie? That's right. 35:49 His eye is on the sparrow, right? 35:50 If His eye is on the sparrow, as the song says, 35:52 I know He watches me. He's watching. 35:54 We have to keep our eye on Him. 35:57 That's right. So, yeah. 35:59 I heard the story about a sparrow, 36:00 matter of fact, 36:02 because somebody was going through a very tough storm 36:06 and they said the winds were so high, 36:08 70, 80 miles an hour winds. 36:09 And the very next day, 36:11 their little brown sparrow was back for his food. 36:14 And they asked, 36:16 "Where did he hide during the storm? 36:18 Where did he go?" 36:19 And I heard an amazing story. 36:20 They said, "When a bird stands on the, 36:23 when it perches on the branch, when it bends its knees, 36:28 it's claws lock." 36:29 Yeah. 36:30 If its knees are bent, its claws lock 36:32 and there's nothing that's gonna blow it off 36:34 because the claws is just... 36:36 when the knees, when they bend this ridge like it. 36:38 The foundation, you mean? 36:40 When it locks that wind may shake him, 36:43 but he's locked to what he's holding on. 36:45 He's anchored. Yeah. 36:46 And when you bend your knees, 36:48 you'll be anchored in the times of difficulty. 36:51 Yes, amen. 36:52 Another one I want to bring out. 36:56 Dee, I'll throw this to you, Isaiah 26:3. 37:00 And then, then, Honey... 37:02 Isaiah, what again? 37:04 Isaiah 26:3. 37:06 And then, 37:10 the one I'd like Angie to share is Psalm 73:26, 37:16 but Isaiah 26:3, Dee. 37:18 "I love this one. 37:20 You will keep him in perfect peace, 37:24 whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you." 37:28 What does that mean to you? 37:29 I went through last year very peaceful, 37:32 not in fear 37:35 because I kept my mind on Him 37:37 and I live day by day with Him saying, 37:41 "Okay, Lord, I'm gonna do what I'm supposed to do, 37:43 but Your job, 37:44 I'm not going to try to do Your job." 37:47 And that is... 37:48 I'm glad, Dee. Yeah. 37:50 I am so glad. 37:51 Don't try to do God's job. 37:53 Just do your own job. 37:55 And He will and trust in Him because He trust in you. 37:59 And my trust is completely in the Lord 38:02 and that's letting Him deal with what's going on. 38:07 And the peace that passes all understanding. 38:11 There is a peace. 38:13 Now, was I peaceful every second? 38:16 Well... 38:17 There's too many people here that know me, 38:19 but there is a, there's a deep abiding peace 38:23 that is deep within you that stays there all the time 38:26 even if the surface of you gets a little wrinkled somewhat. 38:30 But you could be a... 38:32 You could be a duck on a pond and the water's rough, 38:33 but under the surface, you're just moving right along. 38:36 But I wanna add something to this. 38:38 Psalm 73:26. 38:40 I wanna share that one, because this is another one. 38:42 And, Jason, I wanna have you read another one 38:44 here in a moment. 38:45 Psalm 76? Psalm 73:26. 38:47 Angie's gonna read that for us. 38:49 This is when a person is losing their confidence, right? 38:51 That's right. Yeah. 38:52 It says here, Psalm 73:26, "My flesh and my heart fail, " 38:59 and I love the but, 39:00 "but God is the strength of my heart 39:03 and my portion forever." 39:05 Notice what happens? 39:07 My flesh and my heart fail. 39:09 And there were people that had... 39:11 There are some other, 39:13 and I know we've been talking about 39:14 COVID intermittently here, 39:16 but there's a phrase for those of you 39:19 that are website builders, 39:20 or maybe Photoshop people like I am. 39:23 There's an acronym, CSS, 39:24 cask ID, cascading style sheets. 39:28 Meaning the same style throughout an entire document 39:30 by making it available to one and then making it so, 39:33 to speak, a cascading style. 39:37 Like bold and that whole thing throughout the document. 39:39 But there's another CSS call COVID stress syndrome. 39:45 COVID stress syndrome. 39:47 People have talked about the long-term effects of it, 39:50 and it's, in it there's no age group 39:53 that it's limited to. 39:55 I watched the news not too long ago, 39:57 where a basketball player, a young man in college, 40:02 he just was walking up, back up on the court 40:04 after dunking a ball. 40:07 And he didn't get back to half court 40:10 and he just fainted, fell flat on his face. 40:13 And they said, it was maybe a couple of weeks before that 40:16 he had just been cleared of his COVID that he had. 40:19 He'd been, they said he had no prior symptoms. 40:22 He said, very healthy. 40:23 And they're saying, we wonder 40:25 if this is a lingering effect of COVID. 40:27 And some people said, "Well, I have shakes." 40:29 Other people say, "My hair is dropping out. 40:31 No taste. 40:33 No taste, I can't get my... 40:34 I can't stop coughing. 40:36 All these things are happening because there's a stress factor 40:38 that goes on the flesh and the heart fail. 40:42 But God is always constant. 40:44 Go to Isaiah 35:4. 40:45 Okay. 40:47 And most of us, even Christians, 40:49 our flesh and our heart fail, 40:52 but it can be a failure of a momentary moment. 40:55 Yes. 40:56 I mean, if I can have a moment, if I see a car swerve into my, 41:02 I'm gonna have a moment of terror. 41:04 Absolutely. You know? 41:05 Absolutely. 41:07 But it doesn't shake my perfect peace 41:09 that's deep inside me. 41:10 Yes. That's right. Yes. 41:12 And there are people that are so fearful 41:14 and the Bible has the answer. 41:16 Okay, there you go, Hon. 41:18 Now read it, Psalm 35, I mean, Isaiah 35:4, 41:21 "Say to those who are fearful hearted, 41:25 be strong and do not fear." 41:27 That's all I'm gonna read. 41:28 However I like that. 41:30 Say to those who are fearful hearted, 41:31 be strong and do not fear, 41:33 But you can't accomplish that 41:35 unless you do it in Christ only. 41:37 You're not able to do that. Exactly. 41:39 Not possible. Exactly. 41:41 God's the only one that can do that for you. 41:43 Yes. 41:44 Which bring... 41:46 I wanna give you a financial text. 41:47 Oh! Okay. 41:48 Deuteronomy 8:17. 41:50 This is another one that causes people stress. 41:55 You know, Jason, as I mentioned before, 41:57 if you're just joining us, he's the CFO of 3ABN, 42:00 and God has been so graciously provisionary for this ministry, 42:05 carrying us through a challenging times. 42:08 Dee, even our church, 42:10 God has blessed our church tremendously. 42:11 Yeah. 42:12 I know I came too earlier much last year 42:15 and early in the year, 42:16 it's like, John, you know, we're gonna face hard times. 42:20 It's gonna get difficult. 42:21 I'm concerned. I'm nervous. 42:22 And you looked at me. "Dee." 42:25 And God, all of a sudden, 42:28 it's like, we have to, we have funds. 42:30 We've gotta do something with, 42:32 because God does not send us funds to sit on. 42:34 So our church has been very active. 42:37 We are very strong into evangelism 42:40 and in getting the word out 42:41 because God has provided. 42:44 And that I'm like, wow, Lord, this is amazing. 42:48 We actually did better during COVID 42:49 than we did when there was no COVID. 42:51 We're doing, but we're reaching a lot of people too. 42:56 We're doing God's work. 42:57 And that's why He blessed us. 42:59 As long as we continue to do that, we'll be okay. 43:02 Deuteronomy... 43:04 Deuteronomy 8:17. 43:05 And by the way, the context of this story is 43:07 those who have got houses and lands and all this stuff. 43:11 And then all of a sudden, 43:12 a difficulty comes and look at this one, 43:15 Deuteronomy verse 17. 43:16 So, it says, 43:18 "Then you say in your heart, 43:19 'My power and the might of my hand 43:22 have gained me this wealth.'" 43:24 Okay, but now read verse 16. 43:26 You're in charge. You're in trouble now. 43:28 Okay. 43:30 I wanna add a couple more to those 43:32 because the Lord brings, 43:33 He's walking the Israelites 43:35 through all the tremendous ways He blessed them, 43:39 and then they are living it up 43:43 and they say, wow, 43:45 my power and my mind have gained me this wealth. 43:47 And look at verse 16, 43:49 just a portion of the latter part of that. 43:51 Yeah, well, the whole verse 16. 43:52 Okay, it says, 43:54 "Who fed you in the wilderness with manna, 43:57 which your father did not know that he might humble you 44:02 and that he might test you to do you good in the end?" 44:08 Okay. 44:09 So, then also in verse 17, they say 44:11 "we did it." "We did it." 44:13 Yeah. 44:14 But, but look at verse 18 now, finish this picture. 44:17 "And you shall remember the Lord, your God, 44:20 for it is He 44:21 who gives you power to get wealth, 44:24 that He may establish His covenant 44:27 which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day." 44:33 God is saying, I made a promise, 44:35 I'm gonna establish, I'm gonna carry it through. 44:37 So, don't get all sidetracked and think that you're the one 44:41 that's involved in all the successes in your life. 44:44 Now let's go down... 44:45 But He gives us power. He gives us talent. 44:48 He gives us purpose 44:50 that we are to accomplish His will. 44:53 And that's where we enter into joy with Him. 44:56 You know, I think one of the Bible verses, 44:58 which is one of my favorites is John 15:5. 45:00 And I think I may have said it another time on TV, 45:05 but it's 45:07 "I am the vine, you're the branches, 45:10 he who abides in me and I in him 45:11 beareth forth much fruit, 45:13 for without me you can do nothing." 45:16 But then in 7, it says, 45:19 "If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, 45:22 you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you." 45:25 Just like our Prophet Elisha 45:32 who didn't have to worry about anything. 45:35 God told him you're going to get the manna. 45:37 So don't worry about it even though there's a drought. 45:39 So he trusted in the Lord 45:41 because he knew of himself he couldn't do anything, 45:43 but because he trusted the Lord, 45:45 everything was okay. 45:47 And I think when we focus on the Lord, 45:49 when we give up our own self, 45:52 then He can fill us like a glass of living water. 45:59 And I think that's where we get that hope 46:01 and that faith and that peace 46:06 in knowing that our heavenly Father knows 46:08 what we need at the perfect time. 46:11 As a matter of fact, Francine, 46:12 to build on that Ephesians 3:20-21. 46:18 We fight against the Lord so often, 46:21 and we stop his hand. 46:24 Yes. 46:25 He wants to bless us. 46:27 Yeah, it was good. 46:28 I tried it. 46:30 And we have a couple of more 46:31 that are gonna be really, really good. 46:32 But this is what Jason just talked about, 46:34 Ephesians 3:20-21. 46:35 There's two roads, right? 46:37 Life and blessings. 46:38 Ephesians 3:20-21. 46:42 And this is what Jason was just... 46:44 When you mentioned that this came to my mind. 46:47 "Now, to whom who is able to exceedingly, 46:50 abundantly above all that we ask or think 46:53 according to the power that works in us, 46:56 to him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus 47:00 to all generations forever and forever. 47:03 Amen." 47:04 So who's, He's able to do what? 47:06 Exceedingly. Exceedingly. 47:08 Abundantly. Abundantly above. 47:11 Is that emphasis exceedingly, abundantly above all. 47:15 Which means more than our expectation. 47:18 That's right. Yes. 47:20 But you got to just try the Lord 47:22 in order for that to happen. 47:24 And we don't wanna minimize the impact 47:25 because, yeah, those people, 47:27 you know, they're talking about 70, 80, 000 jobs 47:29 lost in one sector, 47:31 then upwards of a million people 47:32 or 2 million people filing for unemployment. 47:34 We don't wanna minimize any of that. 47:36 And you might be watching and you saying, 47:37 but I'm in that situation. 47:38 I'm in that situation. 47:40 What is God going to say to me? 47:41 And we have a scriptural answer for that also. 47:46 Isaiah 41:10. 47:48 And then under point number 10 here. 47:49 For though, and this broadens the picture, actually, 47:53 this actually broadens the picture. 47:54 There those people that... 47:56 When we looked at the statistics 47:58 of how many people are filing for unemployment, 48:01 we have at 3ABN 48:03 and we could speak for all of us. 48:05 We have been blessed really beyond measures. 48:07 So, blessed, yeah. 48:09 No one's been laid off. 48:10 No one's been laid off. No. 48:14 We've had very, last year we did amazingly well. 48:20 There was a few cases, but they came from the outside. 48:24 They did not flow through the ministry, 48:27 but we did all that, 48:28 we did everything 48:30 that we were supposed to do or could do, 48:32 and then trusted in the Lord to take it from there. 48:35 And I watched, I saw how His timing, 48:37 how things happened and the timing of it. 48:40 And I'm like, wow, this was God, not us. 48:44 So, He really kept His hand over us. 48:47 And I think he'll continue to, 48:49 because we, I really believe that 48:51 this ministry walks in His will. 48:54 And that we're doing His work. 48:56 So He's kept His hand over us. 48:58 Is that true, Jason? 49:00 Oh, you know, when I think 41:10 basically just says it. 49:04 You mind if I... 49:05 Okay, you wanna me read it. Read it please. 49:07 Okay, it says, 49:08 "Fear not, for I am with you, 49:10 be not dismayed, for I am your God. 49:14 I will strengthen you. Yes. I will help you. 49:18 I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." 49:23 You know, these are promises. 49:25 We can't just let them go and just, 49:28 you know, go into the abyss. 49:30 These are promises that God Himself says, 49:33 "I'm gonna be with you. 49:34 Trust me, and I'll be with you." 49:36 And yes, I have been in hard times. 49:41 I have struggled with that. I have wrestled with that. 49:46 But I think once I said, you know what, I'm done. 49:49 I can't do it anymore. 49:51 You know, Lord, You have to take over. 49:53 And this is where, you know, Isaiah 10 just says, 49:57 you know what? Fear not 49:58 because I know what you need 50:00 and you're created for a purpose 50:03 to be part of the body of Christ 50:05 and you, which the gift I've given you 50:08 needs to be used. 50:10 So think about that 50:12 that there's a gift that God has given you, 50:14 figure out what it is and use it to His glory. 50:18 And He will bless you. Amen. 50:20 That's right. 50:21 Go back to that original verse. 50:23 So I am in the, being in the vine. 50:25 That's right. Oh, yeah. 50:26 This is the most critical part 50:28 is that you have that relationship with the Lord 50:32 and walk with Him. 50:33 That's right. Yeah. I mean, when you think it. 50:35 I mean, that's just a great, 50:36 I'm the vine, you're the branches. 50:37 So all power, all strength, all nourishment 50:42 comes through our heavenly Father and Jesus. 50:45 I mean, how powerful is that? 50:47 And we're the branches, 50:48 we're supposed to provide the fruit. 50:50 Exactly. Oh, yeah. 50:51 So what is our fruit? 50:53 I mean, that's just a whole another, 50:54 you know, another time. 50:56 That's it. 50:57 I'm the vine, you are the branches, 50:58 the fruit come from the branches. 51:00 That's okay. And that takes time. 51:02 And that takes effort. 51:03 And it takes dedication. Yeah. 51:04 It reminds me of a quick story real quick. 51:06 But we were living in a place where we had a garden 51:09 and we would have like 12, 15 kids at our garden. 51:13 And parents were like, what are you doing? 51:16 And it was just that 51:17 we were spending time with them. 51:19 And then we got them eating green beans 51:21 and what not, 51:22 but it is the time that we spend with God 51:25 that you can do that 51:27 you are constantly and your vine 51:30 and your, those branches get stronger in Jesus. 51:33 And I think, you know, the other part of that is 51:35 I believe we're strengthened by encouraging others, 51:41 by lifting others up, 51:43 by letting him know that we have heard, 51:45 we went through these things. 51:47 You can accomplish that too. 51:49 And by praising God now, watch what He will do. 51:52 Yes. 51:53 It's kind of like, 51:55 I know that some people receive stimulus checks 51:57 and some people say, 51:58 "Oh, I was waiting for that." 52:00 Well, let's go to another one, Philippians 4:19. 52:03 Honey, read that for us. 52:04 People are waiting for things to come from outside, 52:07 but what does the Lord say to us? 52:09 "And my God shall supply all my needs, 52:13 according to His riches and glory." 52:16 One more time, Honey. 52:17 "And my God shall supply all my needs," 52:22 make it personal, 52:23 "according to His riches and glory." 52:25 I love that. That's a reality. 52:26 It is. 52:28 That's not even, "Are you sure Lord?" 52:31 I know that one of the things that was gonna shocked us 52:34 when we get to heaven even just on the journey there. 52:39 When we leave planet earth 52:40 and it disappears into what did we just leave from? 52:44 What happened to earth? 52:46 God is saying, 52:47 "And you thought that was it? 52:51 I'm gonna lift the curtain on what I really am all about." 52:55 And when we see what God is able to do, 52:57 we will remember some of these verses 52:59 and we say, you know what? 53:00 It is true. 53:01 He does own a cattle on a thousand... 53:03 Hills? Yeah. 53:05 What happened to those hills? They're gone. 53:07 They're gone out of sight. 53:08 My God shall supply all our needs, 53:10 but I wanna bring in these couple of texts here 53:13 before we go to prayer, 53:14 because I think it's important 53:15 that we remember some of the things 53:17 that people are going through right now. 53:18 There's another one. Hebrews 13:5. 53:21 Whoever gets to that one and read that for us, 53:24 Hebrews 13:5, 53:26 because there's some people that are sequestered. 53:27 I've talked to church members, 53:29 some people in the medical field 53:31 that they say, well, I have to stay healthy. 53:33 I know church is open, 53:34 but I cannot come for medical reasons. 53:36 Do you have that one? 13:5. 53:38 13: 5 or, Francine, do you have it? 53:40 I do. Okay. 53:42 Hebrews 13:5. 53:43 "Let your conduct be without covetousness, sorry. 53:48 Be content with such things as you have, 53:50 for He Himself has said, 53:52 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" 53:55 That's right. 53:56 So people that are sequestered in their homes 53:58 in that silent place, 54:00 they might be hearing 54:01 just the sound of their own footsteps 54:03 or the sound of their pipes 54:07 or the phone calls that are coming in. 54:09 We get phone calls from members that say, 54:11 "I watched Zoom. I saw the sermon today. 54:13 I watched the communion. 54:16 But I'm waiting till things really calm down." 54:20 Some people have said, 54:21 "I'm in line to get my shot. 54:23 And after that, because I'm in the medical field, 54:25 I'll be there. 54:26 But until then 54:28 I cannot be in any kind of public place 54:29 to even risk 54:30 because they're taking care of patients." 54:32 So we understand that. 54:33 And if you're confined in a situation like that, 54:35 remember that, 54:36 "Fear not, for I am with you. 54:37 I will never leave you, I will never forsake you." 54:40 But two powerful passages. 54:42 I'm gonna have Jason look at one. 54:44 And then, Honey, I wanna you to read 54:45 the very last one, but Jason, Isaiah 45:22. 54:49 And then, Honey, you read Hebrews 12:2. 54:52 So, Jason. 54:54 Okay. Okay. 54:56 Well, matter of fact, 54:57 let me look at, let me go ahead and read that one. 55:00 Isaiah 45:22. 55:01 No, you do the last one. It's your favorite. 55:03 Oh, you mean that one? Okay you do Isaiah 45: 22. 55:05 No, that's okay. Go ahead. 55:07 All right, here it is. Look at this. 55:09 I'm going to read Hebrews 12:2, 55:11 and I think that should be the last one. 55:13 It should be the last one. 55:14 Go ahead, Jason. You got it. Did you find? 55:15 No, I did not, I stopped so... 55:17 Isaiah 45:22. 55:20 Yeah. I have it. 55:21 Go for it, Dee. Okay. 55:23 "Look to me and be saved all you ends of the earth, 55:27 for I am God and there is no other. 55:31 Wow. Okay. So let's think of it. 55:35 It's not presidents and princes, prime ministers, 55:39 governors, mayors, congressmen, senator. 55:44 It's God. 55:45 Can we all say amen to that? Amen. 55:46 It's God. 55:48 He said, "Look to me all you ends of the earth, 55:51 for I am God. 55:53 And just in case, 55:54 you're gonna spend a few hours looking for another one. 55:56 There isn't a lot. I'm it, that's it. 55:58 So God has allowed us. 56:00 And I think there's now one question we have to answer 56:02 before I read that last text. 56:04 Why has God allowed us to go through difficulty? 56:06 Because He could start shedding away all the things 56:08 that we've trusted in, 56:10 and I'm really not minimizing the loss of the loved ones. 56:13 Not at all. 56:14 By no means, there are many sad hearts 56:15 watching this program 56:17 that have lost a precious loved one. 56:18 And that person 56:20 by no means is anybody that God has shed it away, 56:23 but have the comfort here 56:24 knowing that God will keep you even for the better days 56:27 that are ahead of you. 56:29 But I end with Hebrews 12:2, 56:31 "Looking unto Jesus." 56:34 We encourage you to do that. Your favorite one. 56:36 That's one of my favorite ones. My wife knows that. 56:38 "Looking unto Jesus, 56:40 the author and finisher of your faith" 56:43 for who, 56:45 "for the joy that was set before him 56:47 endured the cross 56:48 despising the shame 56:50 and is sat down 56:51 at the right hand of the throne of God." 56:54 So, how do you deal with difficult times? 56:57 If we put that in one word, what's his name? 56:59 Jesus, Jesus. Trust in Jesus. 57:01 Trust in Jesus, 57:03 covenant with Jesus, 57:04 spend time with Him, get to know Him 57:06 because this is just the beginning 57:07 of the breadth of what's coming. 57:09 It's gonna get worse before it gets better, 57:11 but in the midst of it all, 57:12 "I am the Lord, I do not change, 57:14 I'm the same yesterday, today and forever." 57:17 And so, from our family to you, 57:19 we're praying that 57:20 this new year will be a blessing to you. 57:22 If you're still going through difficulty, 57:24 it's better to go 57:26 through that difficulty with Jesus, 57:27 but, Honey, it's Friday night. 57:29 And what do we always say at the end? 57:30 Happy Sabbath. 57:32 God bless you until we see you again. 57:33 God bless you. Okay. |
Revised 2021-03-29