I was here about three years ago, three and a half years ago, and the world was quite a bit
different at that point. If you recall, everything was going great. I mean, it was, the economy was
booming, low unemployment, everything was, seemed to be just really great. And, um, and yet we heard
that overseas they were having a problem with the disease called COVID-19. But we felt that,
you know, that really wouldn't bother us here in America. Three years later, we know the results.
I believe one close to a million maybe have died. Most of us probably have had friends or relatives.
I've known pastors that we've worked with. Things have changed almost overnight.
Um, and then we heard that the Russians were circling Ukraine, and the people there in Ukraine
continued to go about their business. But suddenly they attacked. As some of they advanced,
uh, we are fully aware if we have studied, if you've been involved for a few years, we know what
Daniel 2 tells us. God is in charge. We've got people today that are perplexed, wondering what
in the world is going on. We had some people calling the conference office and wanting to
know if, if the COVID-19 was the mark of the beast. And so people fully obviously don't know
what the mark of the beast is. They don't realize that it actually says that you will worship the
beast. And so, uh, we've got people now that things have suddenly changed. As I said, almost
like overnight, but yet folks, we know that Daniel told us in Daniel 12 that there is a time of
trouble coming, such as we've never seen. And naturally we want to be positive. We want to be
happy. And that's why we love Jesus. We can be happy in Jesus. We have hope in Jesus, but the
world overall doesn't know Jesus, or if they do, they haven't committed to him. So naturally there's
fear. We know that Daniel 7 tells us the outline of history. We know that Daniel 8 and 9 gives us
prophecies. We understand revelation 13 and revelation 14, but is it possible that we maybe
are asleep? We understand exactly what we, what we've been told about the signs of Christ's
second coming. And, and yet, and yet, as I have gone around from church after church over the last
few weeks, I've asked the question, um, are you aware of what's going on behind the scenes? I
mentioned this the last time I was here because we know that Pope Francis was, had his plan
announced to save the world. His plan in 2015 was only the third in a hundred years of a,
an important call to the church to follow. And he outlined a call to the world, political and
religious leaders in 2017, 16 to come in 2017 to the Vatican, uh, because he had an announcement
to make. Well, it was in 2017. It was to celebrate what he called the 500th anniversary of the
Protestant Reformation and that, that a deal had been worked out with the world alliance of
Lutherans and the Catholic church so that there was no more separation. He said, we are now one.
We had religious leaders that went, people like Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, people like Rick Warren.
We have read many times some of his books, 40 days of purpose. And yet he came away saying,
the Pope is the leader of all Christians. The Seventh-day Adventist Church religious
liberty secretary was there. Then the plan was to announce in 2019 and 2020 the plan,
the seven-year action plan to save the planet. If you come at the beginning this afternoon,
I will share just briefly again where we stand on that because as I've gone from church to church,
we have not, we have not really aware of what's going on behind the scenes. Uh, that in some ways,
um, is interesting to me because we have been preaching the three angels message
for 158 plus years. The gospel to go to all the world. That means here in Ringo in Catoosa County
to let the people know that Jesus loves them, that there's a day of judgment coming.
Message number two, that false religion, false Christianity will come to its end. Babylon
is fallen, is fallen. That's a direct statement. And then of course, the third angels message.
And we say, well, we have to be careful what we say. We're not talking about Catholic people.
We're talking about an organization. I have dear friends that belong to the Catholic Church.
Girl that was going with us on sports camp, uh, in Nicaragua, uh, and some other places,
uh, to South Dakota right there in the Indian reservation to witness. And she was there with us.
Folks, either we know and believe what we've been teaching or we don't believe what we've been
teaching or we don't. And if we don't keep up with what's going on, uh,
when we just saying something and we really don't believe it. So folks, we are reminded today
that God has called this church for a specific reason to preach his truth on the soon coming of
Jesus. And as part of that, we recognize in the Bible text that he just read in Isaiah and Isaiah,
of course, is, and I've said this before, he's kind of an enigmatic writer. I love him, but maybe
that means I'm a little different too. I don't know because his language is kind of, uh, very
interesting. I'll just use that word, but here in, uh, in the verse that he read in Isaiah 41,
uh, he says that, that the Lord has brought people from all over the world. Well, he was talking
about, and by the way, he was talking about the time in which they were under the thumb, you might
say of the Assyrian government in verses one through 39. He's talking about that time in
verses 40 to 66. He's referring to going ahead and also to their, what would amount to their soon
captivity by the Babylonians, but he talks more about the hope and the reasons why they have failed
and so forth. And, um, but as we, as we think about this text that he said that we've come from all
over the world, from the East and West, North and South, that's true for all of us. I mean, just last
Monday we celebrated what? July 4th. What did, what was, what was the celebration for?
I can't hear you. What independence, right? And we've come from all over the world. Our forefathers
came from many, many different places. And so this text that Lord is that Isaiah is quoting by the
Lord, he then says, uh, that you are my servant. I have chosen you. Now, how many, he said I can
move around, so I'm going to come down here. Is that okay? My own stone camera. How many remember
when you were in school, grade school, maybe, or somewhere in school and at recess at phys ed or
something, they chose teams to do something racist, kickball. How many of you remember something
like that? Now I'm virtually blind, so make sure you wave your hands while I know you're awake.
Okay. And, um, so, you know, and maybe every time they chose, you were chosen last. How did you feel
when I started teaching in 1964 in this county? And that was last century folks, uh, over here at
West side. Uh, I picked up on that. Uh, it was the seventh and eighth grade. It was a self-contained
school then. And, um, and so, uh, instead of letting kids feel bad because they were all
always picked last, I would pick the teams based on their abilities and I would always pick the
ones I thought were maybe a little bit athletically slow and said being last, they were first.
Now in this case, uh, then how do you feel when it says you've been chosen by God
that you've been called as a servant? Now you, your reaction probably is I'm unqualified.
What does he mean? Folks, if God calls you, he will qualify you. And so as we talk, you know,
today about spiritual gifts, uh, we, I want us to focus for a few minutes on the things
that God wants to do for us. Now in connection with that, we recognize that, uh, when Jesus came,
he, um, chose what did he go to the university of Jerusalem and choose
theologians, experts? Did he? No. Who did he choose? Ordinary people, just like all of us.
And, uh, we call them his disciples. When you follow somebody or something, you become the
disciple. In this case, the disciple for Jesus, they followed him for three and a half years.
Interestingly, in five years, that would have been 2000 years ago. They started following him
in his ministry. Um, and then, and they observed how he demonstrated the true Messiah
that he was came to care for people, love people. He loved the children, the children love. Can you
imagine boys and girls being able to sit on Jesus lap? Well, he's coming pretty soon. And maybe if
you're not having, it doesn't come quickly, you'll grow a little bit, but I think he's coming soon
and you'll get to sit on his lap. Anytime you want to, you can come. You can come. You can come.
And you'll get to sit on his lap anytime you want to for the rest of eternity, which means no end.
But it's interesting that disciples didn't learn. They observed, but they missed a lot.
Then came the death of Jesus and then came the resurrection.
Forty days they spent with Jesus after the resurrection, again, observing
and yet still missing some things because in Acts chapter one, verse six says, they said,
are you now going to set up your kingdom?
And his answer was, and it was very nice because Jesus is very nice. He said, leave things to God
that belongs to God. Now to us, we would say, stop getting saying things. That's none of your business.
But then the verse eight, Jesus is getting ready to go back to heaven
and he gave the marching orders to the disciples then and the marching orders for you and me today.
He said, I want you to go everywhere and tell people about me. Jerusalem,
Judea, places where it wasn't comfortable, some area.
And then what happened next? He started ascending up into the sky.
Now remember, the disciples had missed a lot. They didn't miss this. Their mouths must have
dropped open or whatever as they watched him disappear into the clouds. And then two angels
said, why stand you gazing? The same Jesus as you've seen go will come back in like manner.
But before Jesus left, he said, I'm going to send you a special helper called the Holy Spirit,
the Comforter. And folks, this is why that I asked you today or I mean,
really maybe six weeks ago, two months ago, not just think about the gifts,
but the fact is we ask you to read the book of Acts in the Bible to see what happened at the early
church, to see what it was like on the day of Pentecost. Because if it happened then,
the Lord wants it to happen now. And we know very well what happened that the Sabbath
now it finally hit them and they went back and started praying 10 days.
Ten days after that, Jesus comes out of being with his father reinstated as the priest of the
universe that he had laid aside to become a human being. And now, and now as a special gift,
the Holy Spirit was sent to the people who were praying and asking for it. And they were
praying for the Holy Spirit. And then the Holy Spirit was sent to the people who were praying
and asking for it. Do you see why I ask you folks to read in the book Acts of the Apostles,
the chapter on Pentecost, the chapter on gifts of the Spirit? Do you see why I ask you to do that?
And then to be praying for the Holy Spirit even as we come here today.
And we're willing to give us gifts and we are to give gifts to our children.
And in those quotes, some of those quotes I gave them to you. I hope you read those.
If all were willing, all would want be filled by his spirit. Another quote,
why do we not ask for the Holy Spirit? Why do we not pray for it, preach and talk about it?
Folks, we're living in the time which everybody through the ages wanted to live
when Jesus is getting ready to come. I mean folks, and that reminds us though that
we were also described in the book of Revelation as what type of church? Laodicea.
So after all these positive comments, it does remind us of Jesus' own statements to the angel,
to John. Laodicea. And it was talking about the situation of being asleep,
but I want to use this illustration. If you're riding with a person in a car
and they're sound asleep, are you going to move anywhere? No. Now I hear one guy awake here.
I hope you people at the back keep me awake because I cannot see you. So every once in a while,
I may ask you to show your hand or something. But what about if you ride with a person
who is sleepy? Which is the most dangerous? Which is the most dangerous?
Well, you know, we drive very far. You can drive off to sleep, but we're talking about
the condition of being sleepy versus being sound asleep. You see, because Christ said
that's hard for him to take. I mean, it's almost like me telling him I love him,
but then I show everything that I don't. That's hard for him to, I'm not telling the truth.
And the point is today, folks, are we totally asleep or are we in between?
We come to church, but I didn't have time to study or to pray this week.
See, folks, Satan, and by the way, the South School class was very, very good here today.
And this week, we are reminded, yes, the Lord loves us. He's called us. He wants to help us.
But we also are aware that Satan is going around as it was pointed in the lesson this morning
as a roaring lion. Here, folks,
Paul wrote a special note to Timothy because he wanted to warn Timothy of situations,
and Timothy has put it there for us. And that is you can read it in Tim,
second Timothy four, verse three, and four, and four, and five, and five, and six, and seven,
and that is you can read it in Tim, a second Timothy four, verse three, and four.
A warning for the time will come when they talking about the people at that time in the
early church, the Christians, quote unquote, Christians, when they will not endure sound
doctrine. I mentioned that we, a seventh day Adventist, understand the doctrines of Jesus
and the truth. John 16, 13 to 14, the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth.
And yet it says the people at that time were not enduring sound doctrine. What about us today?
Where do we stand? But according to their own lusts or desires, because they have itching ears,
they will heap up for themselves false teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth
and be turned away to fables. Folks, that is a message from God to us today. We cannot take
for granted the fact that I accepted the Lord. If I love him, I want to talk to him. I want to
talk to him. I want to communicate with him. I want to every day have a relationship with him.
It is not enough to have our names written on the book. And folks, I am talking as straight as I can
today because we're living very close to the coming of Jesus. Now is the time that we've been
called. We have been called to let our neighbors and our friends know what is going on. I'm so
excited that folks that we and I'm thankful that we've been given special help through the spirit
of prophecy. And we're living in a time. Matter of fact, I shared this with you last time I was
here. Joseph Kidder study showed of the people attending seventh day churches on a regular base
at every Sabbath, 57 percent said they never read anything from the spirit of prophecy. We never
want to put the spirit of prophecy ahead of the Bible. But who am I to tell God I didn't need
special help? And I think you all have heard the statistic that a woman with a third grade education
has written more books and publications than any writer in the history of the world and more than
any female in the United States with a third grade education. That power didn't come from
Satan. It came from God. And folks, we need to wake up because we realize, we realize
crazy things are happening. We just had the minister's meeting in Kentucky, the North American
Division General Conference. And folks, all I'm going to say is that there were some very
interesting speakers there. We've got some things coming in that we knew were coming. Jesus himself
said the things that happened at the time of Noah will happen at the time right before I come back.
Have we forgotten that? If you read in the book, the book of spiritual promises, excuse me,
the story is told, I mean we were told what was happening at the time of the flood.
And I think you know what I'm talking about, folks. Crazy things are coming in, in regards to society
and into our relationships. And that's all I'm going to say because I think we know what was
happening at the time of the flood. And Jesus said it's going to happen now. We've got some real
decisions facing us. We know this church is going to go through. It will look like it's going to fail.
We're also, folks, reminded that in Revelation 18, we very seldom ever talk about the fourth angel,
but it says the fourth angel will come, apparently based very close to the beginning of the time of
trouble, which is very soon I believe. It says the fourth angel will come with great power
and light will shed all over the world. Ellen White said she saw thousands upon thousands upon
thousands of people going door to door. And folks, that's you and me. It's not angels. God did not,
he could send angels, but he's chosen every one of us. That's why this is so important for us today
to realize what God wants to do for us. Now, the last time I was here, we,
oh wait, before I leave this, in this quote following that
that Paul had sent to Timothy, these words were given, that I want you to preach the word
in season and out of season, Paul said. And he says, I want you to reprove. I want you to rebuke.
I want you to exhort. Folks, that is different than ignorance, approving, or going along with.
And I think you know what I'm talking about. It is time for us to realize that we are must be willing
to stand up for the truth. And I hope that we will say amen to that. Now folks, when I was here the
last time, we talked about the fact that 2 Corinthians chapter 4, and I will mention it again,
shows us how God wants to help us. But before I get to that, I want to give you another Bible text
that follows up the one we had a few moments ago to start with, and this is verse 10.
This is important, folks. Fear not, I am with you, the Lord says. Be not dismayed. Now the world is
scared. I don't know if you've noticed the threat of nuclear wars being tossed around by the leader
of Russia. And I don't know if you picked up on it, but in the last two or three days, it appears
that Iran is very close to a nuclear weapon. They have threatened to wipe Israel off the map.
Do you think Israel is going to let that happen? I think you can see why people may be getting
scared. What's going on? And then we hear all this stuff about China having a weapon that we have no
defense against. And so people are scared. This says, do not fear. God is in control, folks.
Daniel 2, 21, he sits up and takes down. Be not dismayed. I am your strength. I will help you.
I will hold you with the right hand of my righteousness. How many of us believe that?
Hello. Thank you. Now in 2 Corinthians, well, let's go back to 2 Corinthians. In the early
church there in Corinth, in chapter 3, it tells us that many of the Christians had been growing
and making progress. It says that in the beginning of chapter 4. But in chapter 3, it says a lot of
them had accepted Christ in name, but they were actually following the teachings of Moses.
And in verse 3 of 2 Corinthians chapter 4, it says that that Satan blinds the eyes of the lost.
He doesn't blind just the eyes of the lost. He tries to blind us also. Now folks, here it is.
We've got people in the world looking for answers. Now Isaiah 43,
tells us that it says a little different word. It says, you are my witnesses. Everyone in this
room that's a Christian, you are a witness for Jesus. I wonder sometimes though, if people see
Jesus in me or do they just see the world in me? That's a question for you. You're a witness.
And bring you an update. If you recall, I mentioned to you the Hubble telescope. How many of you were
here when I talked about that a few years ago? Okay, the Hubble telescope was put out into space
approximately 45 years ago from now. It was put 375 miles out into space, way above the Earth.
Dr. Adam Reese, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in astronomy, said that by peering through Orion,
the opening in Orion, how many of us have heard something about that? I'll make a comment on that
in just a moment or two. He said by looking through that, the opening in Orion, how many of us
have heard something about that? I'll make a comment on that in just a moment or two. He said
through that opening in Orion, we were able to spot two trillion galaxies. Boys and girls,
what galaxy do we live in? Thank you, Milky Way Galaxy. I don't know why they gave it a candy name
or the candy name I guess was given, whatever. It is estimated that our galaxy, which is what I was
teaching long ago, they felt like it was 100,000 light years across, whatever. I don't know if
they've pinpointed that, but they believe that we have at least 100 billion stars. Now our sun is a
star, and so if they're stars, are there planets around each one of them? Now the point is, he said
we spotted two trillion galaxies. Dr. Reese said if you multiply 100 billion times 2 trillion,
you'll come out with 200 sextillion, 23 zeros. Now listen to this folks, this is mind-boggling.
That's more than every grain of sand on every beach in the world.
When we talk about the power of God, it brings the word infinite in, and I talked to you about
that the last time I was here. Infinite means no limit to time, space, or amount. There is no limit
to this power that's inside of you today. Listen to this Bible text talking about that. Psalms 147
verse 4, he the Lord counts the number of the stars. He calls them all by name.
In reference to Orion, just a little free reminder, Revelation 1-7 says that when Jesus comes back,
every eye will see him come back. Have you ever wondered how that's going to happen on a round
world? The University of Oklahoma, according to the University of Oklahoma, Orion's belt
of the three bright stars is situated on the celestial equator visible from every
inhabitant part of the earth. Important quote,
the hand that sustains the worlds in space, the hand that holds in their orderly arrangement
and tireless activity all things throughout the universe of God is the hand that was nailed to
the cross for you and me. Book of Education, page 130. Update, I also told you when I was here,
they were talking about a new satellite called J-Web. How many of you have heard of J-Web?
Now folks, this is what I was talking to you about earlier about we need to kind of
be aware of things that are happening. J-Web was supposed to be shot off in 2019-2020. The
mirror was going to be 15 times bigger than the one on the Hubble. But believe it or not,
they had a problem. I do not understand how this could happen, but it wouldn't fit in the rocket.
So they had, it took them about a year or two to get it, whatever. I don't know how you could trim
something down, but they made changes. And the mirror, so they shot this thing off
last October 31 or November 1, one of those two days or not, however it worked.
Today it is in orbit a million miles from Earth, not 375 miles. And the scientists believe
that they're going to see the ends of the universe. They even believe they're going to see the 10th
of the Big Bang Theory 10 million years ago. I think they're going to be disappointed. I can
hardly wait because the first pictures are due in a few days in the month of July to come back.
I'm just waiting to see what they're going to say now when they discover there's no limit,
there's no limit to God's power. So folks, as we think about that and as we think about
these gifts we're talking about, we're thinking about the call that's been made to you and me,
we realize, I believe today, that the link to all of this is our link to Jesus Christ.
For example, we recognize where faith comes from. Romans 10-17, faith comes from hearing,
but hearing comes from where?
Word of God. And you recall I told you that Joseph Kidder's study shows about only 37%
of people attending church every Sabbath reads their Bible every day, 63% one day a week and not
at all. Folks, that's not going to do it. If you eat one meal a week or not at all, how strong are
you going to be physically? Folks, I mean, this is for people who are attending church on a regular
basis. We're talking about life or death, folks, here in regards to eternity. Prayer, 73% say they
pray once a day, 21% once a week, 6% not at all. Jesus said in Matthew 17-14 to 21,
disciples, you didn't have enough faith that this boy could be healed that was cast with devil
because you did not have enough faith. And he said, there's no limit to God's power.
There was cast with devil because you did not have enough faith. And he said, the only way you're
going to have it is by prayer and fasting. And it doesn't mean doing without food. It means doing
without something is keeping me every day for spending time with the Lord.
As we wind down on this, folks, I hope we see the most important thing is to make a commitment.
Four or five things I want to share with you in regards to the call that God has made to you and
the fact that he wants you to be his witness. Number one, have we accepted Jesus as our Savior?
If there's somebody here today that hasn't, why would you wait? He loves you. He wants you to
live with him forever. And folks, secondly, the call itself, are you going to pass it off or say,
Lord, I'll do whatever I can. Help me. What about the gifts? Well, as I said before,
we need the power of God to help us use these gifts that he's given us. Matter of fact,
the Holy Spirit is the special gift that Jesus said, I'm leaving with you.
Fourth, folks, and the last thing is commitment. Are we willing today to make the commitment to
give our very best efforts for the Lord in using our gifts? Folks,
you can see, I hope, why I ask you to begin studying and praying. Folks, it all comes down
to giving our will to the Father. He's promised us the Holy Spirit. It says it's infinite power
that's inside of us, accessible, but we have to give him our will. The Lord's prayer, we learned
that a long time ago. Your will on earth as it is in heaven. Folks, as we begin closing here,
think about Jesus himself. Jesus himself, he's gone through the life and now he's facing what he knew
was coming. He tried to get the disciples there at the Last Supper to realize.
You know, they didn't. He asked them to pray. They go and sleep instead. And Satan, knowing this was
it, he had to defeat Jesus here. He himself, he didn't depend on all his angels. He himself took
on Jesus. He had done it in the wilderness and failed. He couldn't fail here. Read the book in
Desire of Ages and it tells us folks that three times Jesus went back and every time they were
asleep. I mean, the very time he needed them, they meant well. We mean well, but are we staggering?
The third time Jesus went out, he basically said sleep on, but he's staggering now. Satan is ripping
him apart. He's staggering. He collapses on the ground. Desire of Ages tells us he's clean to the
ground that he created. He's crying tears of blood. He's being separated from his father. He's never
been separated from his father in eternity. And my sins are coming between him and God. Your sins
he was taking on him was separating him from God. And we're told there that the whole human race
hung in the balance. What would he do? Satan is saying, we don't know exactly what he said,
but he was saying something like Jesus, why are you doing this? Your leaders are going to kill you.
They're trying to kill you. Your best friends, they don't care. They're asleep. It's ripping him
apart. And he comes to the moment, the most important moment in history. He first said three
times, Father, if it's be your will, take this cup from me. What would he say next? What did he say?
Does anybody know? Nevertheless, not my will be done, but yours. At that point, his father could
help him. He immediately sent Gabriel. We know the rest of the story. When Gabriel landed there,
it lit up the area the same way it did back when the message went to the shepherds. You remember
the whole area lit up. Matter of fact, it woke up the disciples and they could see
Gabriel pick up Jesus' head and wipe away the blood off his face. And he was, we don't know exactly
what he said, but I'm sure he told Jesus, the father's accepted your will. I've been sent here
to help you. In a few minutes, Jesus was able to get up and walk out and go through what he had to
go through for you and me because he gave him his will. Today, every single day, if you and I will
give our will to the father, there's no limit to what he can do in your life. How many of us believe
that? And that means folks, not once, ever once in a while, not every week or when I feel like it.
It means every day. Some of the quotes that I usually close with Habakkuk, chapter one,
a little prophet there in the Old Testament. And Habakkuk was complaining to God. He said,
Lord, how come good things keep happening to the bad people and bad things are happening to the
good people? How many of us have felt that at some time or another? Humans, I'm sure we have.
Why is this happening to me? And my neighbors are doing all kinds of things and they're just
flourishing. The Lord spoke to Habakkuk and said, Habakkuk, pay attention. I like that. Pay attention.
I'm going to do something for you. You wouldn't believe it if I told you.
Parallels Jeremiah 33, where Jeremiah wrote, the Lord saying, call upon me and I will answer
you. That means everyone in this room, call upon him and he'll answer you. That's not a false
promise. And he says, I will tell you things you don't even know about. I'm going to do great and
mighty things for you. Great and mighty things for you. As we close, I want to read from
gospel workers, and I'm sure we've heard this before, but it fits today the call that has been
made for you and me in this room. I want to read to you from the gospel workers, and I'm sure we've
beenいた Herr Leib, hyperactive till the very end. It is a love that we concern. It is a dislave
for the love that we have, it is a surprisingly positive old fighting. It is coming from God
in our lives, which is great because if I did that, I wouldn't be in this room at night and
even if I left, through the abode here with the priest and went out to baby room and
the heathen. They appealed to the Duke to say whether they thought, or his judgment,
such efforts were likely to prove a success commensurate to the cost. The old
soldier replied, gentlemen, what are your marching orders? Success is not the
question for you to discuss. If I read your orders are right, they run thus. Go
you into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Gentlemen,
ladies here today, obey your marching orders. Think about what we just said.
You've been called. You're special. God could send angels, but he's chosen you
here in Ringo in Catoosa County. You don't know what he's going to do for you,
but I promise you me if you give him your will every day and ask, he will put
people in your life. Do you believe that, folks? So today, are we ready to obey his
marching orders? Stop worrying about what is cost, what is this going to work?
Folks, you're cooking classes in this church. I have used all over this
conference as an example because I know it changed lives. I mentioned Butch Oliver
earlier, and there are others. And so you've done a great job. There may be
other things that he wants to recommend. The great day of the Lord is near. It is
near and hasteth greatly. I usually close with this and I'll close with it again.
Revelation chapter 5 verse 11 and 12. John was taken into the prayer room of
heaven. There he saw the angels singing thousands upon thousands, ten thousand
times ten thousand. Thousands of thousands of angels saying, worthy Jesus,
worthy as the Lamb Jesus, to receive power, wisdom, riches, and we don't mean
money, and strength. He's due honor, glory, and blessing. And folks, today when you
give him your heart and you're walking with him every day as your hand is in
his, you have access to the infinite power, infinite strength, infinite wisdom.
And folks, all we've got to do is give our will every day to him and study his
word and allow that that wisdom to come to us. He's not going to just hand it to
us. He wants us to come to him. Ask and you shall receive. We're going to close
in just a moment with a song, Power in the Blood. Power in the Blood. The blood
of Jesus has made everything worthwhile for you and me. Everything in this life
and eternity. It's all because of his blood. If there's somebody here today
that has never given your heart to the Lord, or you've had a shaky experience,
maybe discouraged, why don't you come up here right now as we sing. I'm going to
offer a little prayer in just a moment before we sing. And then folks, think
about the commitment I just asked that we need to make. I'm going to ask you to
stand. I'm going to offer a prayer. And then folks, let's sing. And then I'm going to
ask you toward the end, why don't we all come forward just as a group to send a
message to the Lord. Not just to the Lord, but to Satan. This church is going
to be committed to the outpouring of God's Spirit, and we're
going to accept these marching orders to do what God wants us to do. Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, we thank you. We thank you for Jesus. We thank you for your love
that sends your Son. We thank you for the promise of the Holy Spirit, all because
you love every single person in this room, and you want us to live forever
with you. Thank you for that Lord. But right now there may be someone here who
is struggling with a decision. Help them to accept you right now. And Lord, help us
to accept this call. We don't know what you have in store for us, but we know
that when we give you our will, you will uphold us with the right hand of your
righteousness. You will put people in our lives. So we're claiming that promise
right now Lord, as we stand and sing and give you the honor and the glory in the
name of Jesus, power in his blood. Amen. Let us stand. I don't know the page
number. I think it's 294 maybe. Power in the blood. And folks, I'm making a serious
call here. You know, it's just one thing to talk, but it's another to give
everything to him. And I'm asking you to come forward as for the closing prayer.
Heavenly Father, we thank you today for being here with us and speaking to us
and reminding us of your love in this midst of this world, chaotic
world. A time that we know is coming, but we know because we have faith in you that
you will sustain every person in this room. So Lord bless us individually. We
thank you for loving us. We thank you for caring for us. We thank you for calling
us. And we thank you for your promise of being with us. So now dismiss us with
your blessings in Jesus name. Amen.