Welcome to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton,
the official podcast of Cross Christian Fellowship,
Route 66, in the heart of Albuquerque, New Mexico,
where Burton is the lead pastor. We're glad you're
here. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for this
day. We thank you for bringing us together in
another chance to worship and praise you and
to learn more about you and your word, growing
our character. We ask that you open the hearts
of our minds. in our hearts, and allow us to
hear, understand, and actually apply the knowledge
that we gain and understand how to apply that
knowledge to everything in our day -to -day lives.
Help us to be the beacons of light that you called
us to be, and reach out to the world. In Jesus'
name, amen. All right. The last few weeks, we've
been going through the book of Malachi. This
is the last week. This is the end of the road.
And as you'll see, today is actually the more
happier end of it. We've been seeing a lot of
warnings out here. The people have been pointing
the finger at God, and God's like, really? No.
And he's drawing that line in the sand. We're
going to stay a little bit there. One last reminder
before we go into the outcome and everything.
But really, it's dealing with the half -heartedness
of man. Because... Common today, just as it was
then, we like to blame people other than ourselves.
We don't like to take accountability for our
own actions, right? And unfortunately, a lot
of people, they want to put the onus on God.
Like, oh, it's his fault. Why would he, right?
And I said, well, I'll remind you, we don't have
a God of chaos. We have a God of peace. And God
got to the point where he's like, you know, you
guys are being silly. I've had enough. Stop,
right? And we're going to continue on that. You
know, not only that, but as a people, we tend
to treat each other pretty poorly, don't we?
We really do. You know, and I'm trying to think
of how it was worded. I actually heard something
on the radio this week. It said, oh, Jesus didn't
die on the cross so that we could keep treating
each other the way we treat him. Is that not
just summing up? Because we do. The way people
treated Jesus is the way that we treat each other.
It's not the way we're supposed to treat each
other. Not even a little. You know, everything
that we've been going through these last few
chapters, it's a good reminder that if God has
become of very little importance or of no importance
in your life, it's time to take a step back and
reevaluate the way you're living. The way you're
treating people, what's truly important in your
life, you know. We tend to take him and put him
to the side like, oh, you know, it's an afterthought.
It's like, oh, he'll still be there when I get
back. I've got to take care of this. But really,
we should be putting him at the forefront of
everything. You know, it's like we expect his
blessings, but we don't want to give him a couple
minutes in return. So we need to make sure we're
giving him that time. And I said today as we
go through, as you'll start to see as we get
further and further in, it's a much happier tune
than what it has been, though. However, to get
started, Malachi, we're finishing up chapter
3, and then we're going to go through chapter
4, which is very short. So let's go ahead and
open up our Bibles, your apps, whatever it is
that you're using, to Malachi chapter 3, verses
13 through 15. So Malachi 3, 13 through 15. And
the word says, Your words have been harsh against
me, says the Lord, yet you say, what have we
spoken against you? You have said, it is useless
to serve God. But what profit is it that we have
kept his ordinance and that we have walked as
mourners before the Lord of hosts? So now we
call the proud blessed, and for those who do
wickedness are raised up. They even tempt God.
And go free. What's this sound a bit like? It's
not the only place in the Bible where it talks
about these types of actions. But, you know,
the last days, you know, people will call good,
bad, bad, good, so on and so forth. Exact same
thing. It was already happening. We still see
it today. You know, we need to examine ourselves
and we need to be very careful that we don't
fall into that mindset of... what can God really
do for me? What does God do for me, right? What
has he done for me lately? And we just kind of
brush things to the side. It's like, eh, really,
really? No, I did that. We like to take the credit,
right? We bolster ourselves up. We put ourselves
up in that limelight that we truly do not deserve.
You know, and it's very easy to get caught up
in this thinking. It's very worldly thinking.
It's also very human thinking, right? So it's
one of those things that unfortunately we can't
necessarily blame the devil for because it's
our own doing. You know, but it's also one of
those points where I'd like to remind you it's
not about us. Not even a little. It's all about
him, right? It's all about God and his kingdom
and what we can do for him. It's one of those
things, it's like the old JFK quote, you know,
ask not what you can do for your country, but
what you, you know, all that, right? but what
you can do for your country. That's not what
your country can do for you, but what you can
do for your country. There we go. It's the same
thing with God, though, right? That's not what
God can do for you, but what you can do for God,
what you can do for the kingdom. Because that's
really what it's all about. As much as we're
very linear here because we're kind of grounded,
right? But our time here is very limited. It's
very short versus eternity. And it's like, well,
do we want to take that time to prepare? And
to go to the kingdom and prepare other people
so that they can learn and come into a relationship
with Jesus and go to the kingdom as well? Or
do we want to sit on our laurels, point fingers,
and end up out of God's sight for eternity in
hell? You know, gnashing your teeth in darkness
and all that? That doesn't sound very good to
me. How about you? Picking back up, though, we're
going to go through this a little bit further.
I'm scrolling up here on my pad here to go to
the next slide. I'd like to remind you, the other
thing that we have to be careful of is when we
get this mindset, we begin to idolize ourself.
When that happens, we also begin to idolize other
things. So we put other things before God. Idolatry
is easy. It's a very slippery slope. It's one
of the easiest snares to get caught up in for
a good reason. Because that temptation that's
there, it feels good. It's exciting. It gets
you fired up for a moment. But we have to be
careful. Like I said before, we have to be putting
God first, even before things like football.
I know, a couple people are laughing. I'm getting
an ugly look from Albert over here. It's okay,
he's a Cowboys fan, so that ugly look doesn't
matter anyway. But no, we have to be careful,
though, because there are people like, no, I
got to miss. I'm doing this. I'll do something
else to make up for it, but I've got to watch
the game, right? We all know those people. Sometimes
we might have been those people. We need to make
sure that we're putting God first, though, and
not as the exception. All right, so again, picking
back up Malachi 3, verses 16 through 18. We're
going to finish up this chapter real quick. All
right, and the Word says, Then those who feared
the Lord spoke to another, and the Lord listened
and heard them. So a book of remembrance is written
before him for those who fear the Lord and who
meditate on his name. They shall be mine, says
the Lord of hosts, on the day that I make them
my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spares
his own son who serves him. Then you shall again
discern between the righteous and the wicked,
between one who serves God and one who does not
serve him. So a scroll of remembrance. Now, this
could be a literal thing. We don't know. It may
not be. It could just be a scroll that's before
God and God alone. It doesn't matter, though.
The whole point, it's not the book. The point
is the fact that God is paying attention. He's
watching. He's listening. He's actively involved
in observing us every moment of our lives. Not
only that, but he's taking note of what it is
that we're doing, what it is that we're saying,
what it is that we're thinking, how we're treating
one another. It's all there. Remember, the word
even tells us that one day we'll have to answer.
You know, so with that, you know, it says right
here, he's going to remember those who love him,
who respect him, who are faithful to him. And
again, with faith, it comes down to a matter
of trust. Do you truly trust him to take care
of you and to meet your needs? Are you willing
to sacrifice for him with that trust? You know,
is your book or is your name going to appear
in the book of life? Or are you going to have
those dreadful words saying, depart, I never
knew you? It all comes down to that scroll of
remembrance, right? Say, okay, where are we going?
Are we going this way or are we going this way?
We're all so concerned about stuff, right? We
all want stuff, things. And even if it's not
like a physical, tangible thing that we can hold
in our hand, sometimes those things that we're
so concerned about are those opinions of other
people, right? What's this person going to think
of me? What's that person going to think of me?
What about this group here? What about that group?
Well, if I do this, I'm going to lose these friends.
But if I do this, I'm going to gain these people,
right? We get so caught up, and it runs through
our minds daily. But this is the type of thing
that Jesus had in mind in Matthew 6, which we're
going to go to in a second. You know, it's one
of those things that, you know, we want all this
stuff, but we want to hold on to it. We don't
want to let go. And sometimes letting go of things
is hard, right? Maybe there's an emotional attachment,
right, memories. And those are really the hardest
ones to let go. A different time, a different
place. You know, but it's one of those things
that as people, we've developed this mindset
of he who dies with the most toys wins, right?
But the fact is, do you take any of that stuff
with you? Do you take the money, the TVs, the
cars, right, the houses, the clothes, the jewelry,
you know, that high esteem that your friends
held you in or whatever, right? The nice comments
on Facebook? None of it goes with us. And in
Matthew 6, verses 19 through 21, exactly the
type of thing that Jesus is talking about here.
So Matthew 6, verses 19 through 21, Jesus said,
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where a moth and rust can destroy and where thieves
break in and steal. But lay up your treasures
in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys
and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, your heart will also
be. But you know who doesn't die? God. God's
eternal, right? Always is, always was, always
will be. And he's built up a kingdom for those
who believe, for those who trust in him, for
those who have faith, those who follow Jesus.
are covered in His blood and forgiven, readopted
into the family. And as much as we're like, you
know, we want that adage, it's mine and I want
it now, right? But how's the ad go? It's my money
and I want it now, right? That's how we treat
things. Let's say, okay, do you want the sucker
that's going to melt and be gone in a couple
minutes right now? Or would you like the never
-ending feast in heaven, right? Those treasures
that don't perish and are greater than anything
that we can imagine here on earth now. And yeah,
we have hard spots, but we've been told, we've
been warned, hey, there's going to be hard patches
in life. Some people are going to be gifted more
than others, right? And we see it. But that treasure
that's in heaven is of more value. It's of more
importance. And the ultimate treasure that's
there is that relationship with God. To be able
to sit with the Father at the table. Right? To
be in His presence. But what's the most precious
treasure to God? Each and every person made.
It is the relationship with people who truly
love Him that He desires the most. And that's
the thing with creation. Did God really need
to create us? No. But it's one of those things
that we need to keep in mind. God was there and
he created everything, right? The heavens, the
universe, planets, stars, so on and so forth.
And he looked down here and he looked at our
little planet, our little, not even speck, right?
And the mind of greatness and said, you know
what? My world needs a test. My world needs a
Lois. My world needs a Darren. My world needs
a Mike. My world needs a Brian. My world needs
Albert, right? My world needs a Doug. And when
he created each and every one of us, he did it
perfectly with exactly what he had in mind, but
with free will, whether or not we wanted to choose
him in return. But we get so caught up in ourselves
trying to think that we're at this level when
really we're all the way down here. God sits
alone at this level. And people get so confused
about their gender or what their calling is,
you know, what their orientation is. It's like,
no, God didn't make a mistake. Sin captive came
in. The devil's tried to confuse you. And he's
done a pretty darn good job. But you know what?
When you come in and you sit down and you come
into the spiritual hospital that should be each
and every church, you have a chance to come and
get to know Jesus. Know what his actual will,
what his actual... for each of us is and what
it should be. And coming into that, we learn
how we can lean into him and we're not so tempted
to stray, right? We put those other sins behind
us. We learn how to repent and actually come
into a relationship with Jesus. You know, none
of the things that we could ever... Offer God.
We can add up everything that we have and we
can come together as a church family and give
it all up to him. But absolutely nothing we can
offer, nothing we can give, nothing we can say
or do will ever amount to anything compared to
what God's given us. What God has sacrificed
for us. The ultimate sacrifice at that, right?
He sent us a sacrificial lamb. You know, and
it's one of those things, as a parent, I want
to say it's probably a little easier to relate
to than others. I mean, to a point, you know,
as a pet owner, right? But it's like when you
have kids, that relationship is different. There's
an unconditional love there. And that is the
most comparative thing that we have to relating
to God. Because it doesn't matter how much, you
know, our kids mess up. We're going to forgive
them. We're going to love them. Like, come back
in. We can fix this, right? Maybe we need to
pay some dues in order to do so, but we can fix
it. Come on in. And when something happens to
our kids, it hurts us. We don't like it. It doesn't
feel very good, right? The same thing could be
said, you know, things happen to our friends.
We don't like it. But when things happen to people
that we care deeply about, even if it's not our
kids, could be our best friends, right? Our parents.
cousins whatever it hurts and when we mess up
and we misstep just like this it hurts god it
really does but just like any other parent and
there's a reason why the bible refers to him
as the father why jesus when he taught us how
to pray says the father right is because it is
a relationship with him as our father And it's
also there to demonstrate the relationship. You
know, but it's, the things that we love and cherish
the most, it's not necessarily the things that
our kids are able to bring us anyway, which is
why the things that we take to God don't have
the kind of value that we might think that they
do. What matters to us the most is the relationship,
that they're a part of our lives. And that's
how it is with God. It's that relationship that
brings us the most joy. Just knowing that we're
still a part of their lives. And that's really
what God's asking for. He's like, hey, let me
be a part of your life. I want to be a part of
your life. 1 Peter 2, verse 9. So 1 Peter 2,
verse 9 puts it like this. But you are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.
His own special people that you may proclaim
the praises of him who called you out of darkness
and into his marvelous light. It doesn't matter
where you are in this world. You could be at
the highest of highs, king of the mountain, or
the lowest of lows, rolling along in a gutter
or living in a sewer. It doesn't matter to God.
None of that matters. He loves you. He wants
a relationship with you. Plain and simple. He
wants the relationships that we ourselves don't
even want with one another. Right? Sometimes
there's people who come to the door and we're
just like, ugh. We go to work and that one person
comes in their room, just ugh. Right? Sometimes
we had that one coworker, like, how did you get
this job, and how do you get the heck away from
me? Ew, right? No, don't lie. We'll miss you
in heaven. But no, that's how we respond, right?
But to God, none of it matters. He's like, you
know what? I put you there. I really hope you
choose me. I really hope you decide you want
to come back to me and have a relationship. I
love you. Please talk to me. Give me a chance
to help, but I can't help unless you actually
come and talk to me and give me the chance to
do so. But that's really what it comes down to,
right? All he wants is that relationship. He
asks so little in return. So much he's given
us. Our very lives, a chance to be reunited with
him, the whole bit. He asks for very little in
return, just that we talk to him. We have a relationship
with him. We come to know him. How awesome is
that? How often does somebody give you something
and truly expect nothing in return other than
just a relationship? Not very often, is it? It's
like, oh, I'm going to do this, and it's going
to come back to me. Say, oh, I'll do this for
you, but only if you do this. You scratch my
back, I'll scratch yours, right? Especially at
work or out in the world. All right. Moving along,
though. Let's continue. Malachi chapter 4, verses
1 through 6. And that's the beauty part. It's
only verses 1 through 6. Like I said, it's a
really, really short chapter. All right. And
the word says, for behold, the day is coming,
burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes.
All who do wickedly will be stubble, and the
day which is coming shall burn them up. It says,
And you shall go out and grow fat like stall
-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, for
they will be ashes under the soles of your feet.
On the day that I do this, says the Lord of hosts,
remember the law of Moses, my servant, which
I commanded him and Horeb for all Israel, with
the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send
you. Elijah the prophet, before the coming of
the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And the
hearts of the fathers to the children and the
hearts of the children to their fathers, lest
I come and strike the earth with a curse. The
final words of the Old Testament. Jesus is coming
back. Plain and simple as being told. Jesus.
It's coming. At this point, it's Jesus coming.
At this point now, where we're at now, Jesus
is coming back. Right? We know. He's told us.
He's never broken a promise. It's been prophesied.
And time after time after time, the Bible shows
us its truth. It answers these things, right?
Over and over again. Jesus is coming back. And
for those of us who follow him, for those of
us who are faithful to him, respect him, obey
him, trust in him. that's going to be a really
great day. It's going to be the day when the
wrongs are righted. My battery's died here. It's
going to come on and off. We'll see how long
this stays on, but maybe we can swap out the
batteries with another mic. We'll see what happens
here. But anyhow, it's going to be a really,
really... Oh, it's blinking again. Hold on. We're
going to pause here. All right, there we go.
It's green. It's not blinking. We should be good.
All right. Sorry about that, guys. Well, thank
you. I love you, too. I love you, too, man. All
right. It's going to be a really good day, right,
going back. You know, when the Lord comes back,
when Jesus returns, it's going to be a really
good day. You know, the wrongs are going to be
righted. Justice is going to be meted out. Pain
is going to be healed. Right? Our brokenness
is going to be mended. You know, I mean, how
cool is that? Here's a good one. Our addictions
will be gone. Right? That's part of the healing.
The addictions are going to be gone. All the
addictions. Well, minus one, our love for God.
Is that really an addiction though? Come on.
You know, it's going to be a great day. It's
going to be a day where it's like, yes, this
is awesome. Let's party. Right? But it's also
why we've been given the Great Commission. Because
for those who don't believe, for those who don't
know Jesus, right, it's not going to be a great
day. It's going to be the worst day or the first
worst day of their existence. Because like the
example that's been given here, they're going
to be burned out, right? They're going to be
ashes beneath everyone's feet. They're going
to be gone. They're going to be struck away and
sent away from God. They will never, ever have
the chance to come into his presence again. And
that's the worst punishment right there. Separated
from the Father for eternity, right? Which is
why it's also important that we actually do what
we can to answer the Great Commission, whether
it's praying with people. inviting them to church,
right? Even just sitting down, you know, we know
somebody's going through a hardship and just
lending an ear for them to talk to or a shoulder
to cry on. Not always the easiest of things.
But when we minister to people like this, and
it is all minister because we are all ministers,
right? We are all given these opportunities throughout
our lives. Guess what? We're taking the light
of Christ and we're introducing it to them. And
now they have a chance to be like, oh, what is
this light? Right? Like a moth to a flame, they're
drawn to it just like we were. And it gives them
that chance to actually come to know Jesus before
it's too late. And as the Word tells us, for
every single soul that's saved, just one, there's
a party in heaven. The angels rejoice. They get
excited. They're pumped. They're like, yeah,
check it out. We got another one right here.
This is great. Just for one. And every person
in here and every person out there has the ability
to bring just that one. That's how important
one person is. Every single person. Each and
every one of us. That when one of us is saved,
it is a cause for the heavens to rejoice. Nothing
else can do that. Nothing else has that effect.
Of somebody coming to God. Someone coming to
know Jesus. You know, the problem, though, is
we give in to the world. Because the world is
the most addictive thing out there. We are surrounded
by it 24 -7. We can't escape it. And we're being
bombarded by all the stuff that the world has
put out there. That, you know, Satan and his
fallen ministers. have put out there and are
whispering in the background. So it's real hard
to escape. And even after a while, you know,
it's like, you know, this is a lie, but you hear
it over and over and over again, so you start
to believe it. You know, it's been filled with
these temptations. And that is one of the devil's
favorite tools, are temptations. Just enough
to make you question things enough that you try
the things that you shouldn't. Right? Goes all
the way back to the Garden of Eden, right? Because
what did he do? He put out that temptation, or
he pointed to the temptation, and then put that
little spin on it just enough to get Adam and
Eve to question everything that they knew about
God, the relationship with him, right? It's like,
well, he said this, but did he really? There's
only one way to find out. Right? And now mankind's...
been cursed, cast out of the garden. And ever
since then, because it took us out of a relationship
with God, and make no mistake, they had a relationship
with him. They walked with him in the garden.
They saw him face to face, the only humans to
do so ever. Right? People are like, oh, no, Moses
saw God. No, he didn't. He saw God's back. Because
even God said, no, you see my face? You will
be smited. You will cease to exist. How crazy
is that? So we all have this brokenness because
we have this separation. It's kind of like my
dog. When we go to work, she has that separation
anxiety. It's wrong, right? Kind of freaks out
a little bit. Goes into a depression, a little
bit of a funk. We're all the same way because
of our separation from God. We have a brokenness.
We have a hole that only he can heal. A place
that's meant for the Holy Spirit to reside within
us. You know, like I said, life is going to be
hard. We're going to have pains. We're going
to have struggles. But the words told us that
there will be a way to get through them. Not
that we can do it all on our own. Don't get it
wrong. But God will be there, and he will provide
a way through for each of us through him. Right?
There's nothing that we cannot overcome without
him. Right? It's said in several places. Philippians
4 .13, I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me. Right? It's not that we can do
it on our own. It's that we do it through him.
With him. We let him lead us through. Carry us
if need be. We put our trust into him. You know,
but unfortunately we don't do it. God's told
us lean into him and he will take care of us.
He will lead it through us. But we don't do it.
We try to go it on our own. I'm a strong, empowered
person, and I don't need no one but myself to
carry me through, right? It's kind of become
the war cry for a lot of groups. But it's all
wrong because we do need someone. We need Jesus.
You know, another saying that's out there, time
heals all wounds. No, it don't. That's garbage.
That is absolute nonsense. Time does not heal.
All wounds. There's plenty of people that are
out there and they've been hurting for a long,
long, long time. Some people will go decades
and will die in pain because they don't know
Jesus. Jesus is the only one who can heal those
pains for us. Can fill those gaps for us. Right?
God does all this for us. But in order for it
to happen, we have to have a relationship with
him, and we have to be obedient, and we have
to trust in him. Much like the blind beggar,
Bartimaeus, right? For time's sake, I'm not going
to go and read through the whole thing. But for
those of you who are unfamiliar with who Bartimaeus
was, you'll find his story in the book of Mark.
And basically... I'll kind of go through the
cliff notes here for you. Jesus was leaving Jericho.
And people were following him and all that. And
here's this blind beggar, Bartimaeus. And he's
on the side of the road. And he's calling out
for help. And people are telling him, hey, be
quiet. Just shut up. You're interrupting us,
right? Leave us all alone. Leave him alone. Just
stop. But here's the thing. He knew of who Jesus
was. He put his hope in Jesus. So he ignored
them. Every time they said, be quiet, just stop.
He got louder and louder and louder. He wasn't
going to listen to worldly people. And so he
yelled out, finally, son of David, have mercy
on me. And Jesus stops and walks over to him.
He says, what would you want me to do? What can
I do for you, right? How can I help you? How
can I be of service, in other words? And Bartimaeus
just says, can you give me back my vision? And
Jesus tells him, go your own way. Your faith
has healed you. Your faith has healed you. And
sure enough, he got his vision back, and that
was that. He was healed. But go on your way.
Your faith has made you well. It's not the first
parable that we've heard with this in it either,
is it? Not the first story that we've heard with
this. Our faith, our trust in God is the big
thing. In his blindness, Bartimaeus saw this
better than any of us. You can have eagle -like
vision and a blind man saw Jesus better than
any of us. In fact, in John 20, verse 29, we
can see perfectly how this applies to us. So
in John 20, verse 29. Jesus said to him, Thomas,
because you have seen me, you have believed.
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.
Jesus, our ultimate physician, right? We have
people who walked with him. They got to know
him. With the exception of one, every single
one of them was brutally murdered and martyred
for him. People don't die for a lie. People stand
up for their convictions and the truth. And for
people who truly have faith in it, they will
not waver. They become a rock, right? They're
a stone. It's really hard to break a stone. Really
hard. All he wants is a relationship with us.
Our ultimate physician, our ultimate healer wants
a relationship with us. He loves us all. He loves
you beyond measure. You just have to have faith
and seek him out. Call out to him. Talk to him.
And he's asking us all the same question. What
do you want me to do for you? Think about that.
God is asking. Jesus is asking. What can I do
for you? What kind of answer do you have for
him? Because we should all have an answer, right?
We're all told to be prepared with an answer
for why we have our faith. So what can I do for
you? What's your answer? What can Jesus do for
you? What is your response? How can the brokenness
that you have be healed? How can your trust in
him, your mistrust, your skepticism, how can
that be healed to bring you into a relationship
with God? That's really the question, right?
How can we fix this relationship? How do we fix
this bridge and get you home? What will it take
for you to take your hand off your aye -aye,
right? Take your hand off of your boo -boo and
let the Father look at it and heal it, right?
That's really what it is. You know, these last
few verses of the Old Testament, it's a reminder.
It's like, yeah, you know what? You're doing
this. You're wrong. But you know what? Just stop
and come back because I love you. It hurts me,
but I forgive you. That pain's going to go away.
I love you. Just come back. We can take care
of all this. It'll all be taken care of. It'll
all be healed. It'll all be good. Just come home.
Return to the Father. We trust in Him. We honor
Him. We obey what He's told us, right? And it's
not always the easiest, but the best way that
we do it, the best way that we honor Him... And
show our faith and our commitment to him is just
to give him our very best day after day. Sometimes
certain days our best is different than on other
days, right? Some days we have more, some days
we have less. But we give him that top shelf
treatment. Time and time and time again. And
for us as believers, we know that when that judgment
day comes, it's not a day for us to fear. It's
not a day of dread for us. And while, yes, for
a very brief moment, we'll be heartbroken for
those who aren't going to make it, it will only
be for a moment. Because when we're in heaven,
all that pain, all those tears will be taken
away. When we're reunited as a father in the
ultimate love with the ultimate being that can
ever love us and able to worship him for eternity
and praise him for eternity, right? And the treasures
that we have here will be nothing compared to
what he has, those perfect gifts that are better
than what we can imagine. They're stored up for
us there. So it's time for us to all take account
for ourselves, to reflect on ourselves, our actions,
our words. It's like, you know what? I messed
up. I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have
done that. I can do better. How do I do better?
Because that's how I honor the Lord. That's how
I honor my Father. Right? So it's time to come
home. It's time to heal. Jesus is waiting. You
just have to open your heart up, talk to him,
and let him in. All right? And on that note,
let us pray. Lord, we come to you knowing that
you keep your promises, that you want what is
best for us. We recognize that we're responsible
for our own sins. and have no one to blame for
ourselves. We ask for your forgiveness. We open
the door to our lives, the very door to our hearts,
to you. And we proclaim that you are our Lord,
our Father, our ultimate in life, our ultimate
love. You are the Lord of our lives, our Savior.
We thank you for the warnings that you've given
us here and the multiple examples that you've
called out and pointed out. So these various
reminders that you're looking out for us and
you're trying to help us so that we don't make
those mistakes. So we ask for your help. Help
us to overcome ourselves and to get out of our
own way. Help us to find the words and the know
-how to come to you to mend these broken bridges
that are between us and heal our relationship
with you. We ask that you guide us in how we
can better serve each other and you and the kingdom
and all the ways that you would have us do it.
We ask that you open the doors that need to be
opened and close the ones that we don't need
and remove all the temptation from us. To strike
it from our lives. You know, only those things
that you need to build our characters, to make
us more Christ -like each day, be what's there.
And then strike it once it's no longer needed.
You know, let that character withstand all that
the world and the enemy has to throw at it. And
heal us from the inside out, from the tops of
our heads to the bottom of our feet. And we pray
all this, we ask all this. In the name of Jesus
Christ, and we love you. And all his people said,
amen and amen. And remember, as you leave here
today, you are loved and you are blessed. So
go and be the church. Thank you for joining us
at Healing Scars with Pastor Burton. If this
message spoke to you, or if you would like to
help us reach more people, please like, review,
and share our podcast. You can learn more about
our ministry or how you can support us at www
.thecross66 .org Until next time, take care and
God bless.