WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.080 Now for the next several minutes, you and I are 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:05.219 going to go back to the heart -to -heart talk 00:00:05.219 --> 00:00:12.240 regarding victories. And in everything, I don't 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:17.820 care what it is. You name it, and you'll find 00:00:17.820 --> 00:00:21.920 that wherever there is the real, there's always 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:27.379 a counterfeit. And now we're talking about the 00:00:27.379 --> 00:00:33.979 counterfeit. victory and the real victory. And 00:00:33.979 --> 00:00:36.859 if you know somebody who professes to be a Christian 00:00:36.859 --> 00:00:41.679 and there is no joy in their life whatsoever, 00:00:42.240 --> 00:00:51.100 they're just enduring their salvation. And you 00:00:51.100 --> 00:00:55.299 say to yourself, oh dear me, if that is what 00:00:55.299 --> 00:01:00.170 it means to be a Christian. Deliver me. I tell 00:01:00.170 --> 00:01:06.230 you frankly, I'm so constituted. I could not 00:01:06.230 --> 00:01:13.750 have decided to give my life to the Lord Jesus 00:01:13.750 --> 00:01:19.010 Christ to be a Christian if some folk I know 00:01:19.010 --> 00:01:23.250 had been the only example that I had ever seen 00:01:23.250 --> 00:01:29.579 of being a Christian. That's right. I mean that. 00:01:29.620 --> 00:01:36.780 Lord, deliver me from these long -faced, depressed 00:01:36.780 --> 00:01:44.579 people, these negative people who glory in their 00:01:44.579 --> 00:01:52.480 depression, who love being sick. Oh, I tell you, 00:01:52.540 --> 00:01:57.760 they feel that you've got... to go around in 00:01:57.760 --> 00:02:02.219 a state of depression, to live a victorious Christian 00:02:02.219 --> 00:02:05.319 life. Now, that's what we're going to talk about 00:02:05.319 --> 00:02:11.939 today. Mm -hmm. I want that this fact will get 00:02:11.939 --> 00:02:14.800 a hold of you forever and ever and ever, and 00:02:14.800 --> 00:02:19.180 that is the fact that our Lord wishes us always 00:02:19.180 --> 00:02:22.360 to be full of joy, always, everywhere, under 00:02:22.360 --> 00:02:26.930 all circumstances. Don't you dare tell me I don't 00:02:26.930 --> 00:02:31.689 have any troubles. Oh, my goodness alive. Troubles? 00:02:34.030 --> 00:02:37.430 Sure. Do you know that since you've known me, 00:02:37.530 --> 00:02:44.110 my mother has died? The best friend I ever had 00:02:44.110 --> 00:02:47.069 in my whole life, or that anyone else has ever 00:02:47.069 --> 00:02:53.449 had, Eve Conley, went home to glory, right at 00:02:53.449 --> 00:02:57.159 the height of this ministry. You talk about troubles? 00:02:58.379 --> 00:03:02.060 Sure, I've stood before the open casket. That's 00:03:02.060 --> 00:03:04.439 the reason I can preach to you and be a comfort 00:03:04.439 --> 00:03:08.080 to you. I've gone through the deep waters. Oh, 00:03:08.180 --> 00:03:12.580 sure, my friend. Sure, that's the reason I can 00:03:12.580 --> 00:03:17.439 talk to you about your deep waters. Sure, I've 00:03:17.439 --> 00:03:25.610 had my dark, starless nights alone. That's the 00:03:25.610 --> 00:03:30.050 reason I can talk to you about those nights when 00:03:30.050 --> 00:03:34.090 there isn't a star in your sky and the waters 00:03:34.090 --> 00:03:39.110 are deep. Talk about carrying a heavy load? If 00:03:39.110 --> 00:03:45.030 you would know the load that I carry, you wouldn't 00:03:45.030 --> 00:03:49.870 want to be in my shoes. Sure, that's the reason 00:03:49.870 --> 00:03:53.590 I can talk about these things. But I can... also 00:03:53.590 --> 00:03:56.870 tell you that there is a place in the Lord Jesus 00:03:56.870 --> 00:04:03.150 Christ where there is happiness. There is contentment. 00:04:03.229 --> 00:04:08.590 There's absolute satisfaction inside of you. 00:04:10.669 --> 00:04:16.769 Because you have peace of mind and peace of soul. 00:04:17.790 --> 00:04:25.540 And this miracle has to come from within. Therefore, 00:04:25.720 --> 00:04:30.439 I say to you again, believe me, it is true. Our 00:04:30.439 --> 00:04:36.439 Lord designed. It is His plan. It is His desire. 00:04:36.680 --> 00:04:40.300 He wishes us always to be full of joy, always, 00:04:40.459 --> 00:04:44.980 everywhere, under all circumstances. And Paul 00:04:44.980 --> 00:04:49.720 knew this glorious secret. A miserable -looking 00:04:49.720 --> 00:04:54.600 Christian stood outside of a mission. And someone 00:04:54.600 --> 00:04:57.939 was passing by. Said, oh, won't you please come 00:04:57.939 --> 00:05:01.060 into our service tonight? And the fellow that 00:05:01.060 --> 00:05:04.420 was passing by gave the professing Christian 00:05:04.420 --> 00:05:07.300 just one swift glance and replied as he hurried 00:05:07.300 --> 00:05:10.439 on as fast as he could. Oh, no, thank you. I've 00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:14.639 got troubles enough of my own. He didn't like 00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:20.040 that. Oh, sure. A life of victory is a life of 00:05:20.040 --> 00:05:23.360 trust. Always remember that. There can be no 00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:27.740 life of victory unless there is complete trust 00:05:27.740 --> 00:05:37.259 in Him. Remember that always. If you want real 00:05:37.259 --> 00:05:42.060 joy, His joy. If you want a life of happiness, 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:47.720 true happiness, under all circumstances, all 00:05:47.720 --> 00:05:51.370 conditions, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 00:05:51.569 --> 00:05:56.149 Friday, Saturday, Sunday, no matter what happens, 00:05:56.449 --> 00:06:04.990 there must first of all be a life of trust, complete 00:06:04.990 --> 00:06:09.689 trust in the one who has never made a mistake, 00:06:09.870 --> 00:06:15.189 who cannot make a mistake, who is perfect wisdom. 00:06:17.269 --> 00:06:24.209 Know that. Now, let us be quite clear as to what 00:06:24.209 --> 00:06:29.889 the victorious life really is. What does real 00:06:29.889 --> 00:06:34.649 victory involve? What does it mean? We've got 00:06:34.649 --> 00:06:37.189 to know this because the devil does all that 00:06:37.189 --> 00:06:41.730 he can to entice us to accept a counterfeit victory. 00:06:42.550 --> 00:06:46.189 And when I say a counterfeit victory, I mean 00:06:46.189 --> 00:06:51.660 a victory where we... We're getting ourselves 00:06:51.660 --> 00:06:57.879 through the victory on our own efforts. There 00:06:57.879 --> 00:07:03.720 is a difference between our efforts and his power. 00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:07.339 Now you take the question of bad temper. Oh, 00:07:07.540 --> 00:07:10.500 somebody said, I'm going to turn it off. Oh, 00:07:10.500 --> 00:07:15.100 now she's talking about something that just hits 00:07:15.100 --> 00:07:18.819 me between the two eyes. And I don't want to 00:07:18.819 --> 00:07:25.160 hear about temper. I know, my friend. But it's 00:07:25.160 --> 00:07:30.839 there, and you've got to face it. Let's take 00:07:30.839 --> 00:07:37.439 this question of temper, bad temper. Some person 00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:41.220 who is constantly irritable. Is there anything 00:07:41.220 --> 00:07:44.300 worse than trying to live in the same house with 00:07:44.300 --> 00:07:49.319 somebody who is constantly... The very second 00:07:49.319 --> 00:07:53.160 that somebody disagrees with them, they lose 00:07:53.160 --> 00:07:56.220 any victory they ever did have. Immediately. 00:07:57.800 --> 00:08:01.279 They're ready for a fight. They're ready for 00:08:01.279 --> 00:08:04.779 a knock -down, drag -out. Oh, everything is wonderful 00:08:04.779 --> 00:08:07.439 as long as you agree with them and they're getting 00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:13.000 their own way. But the minute you cross them, 00:08:13.100 --> 00:08:19.300 the minute... You do not agree with them. And 00:08:19.300 --> 00:08:22.600 they are not getting what they want. They are 00:08:22.600 --> 00:08:26.800 a different person entirely. Mm -hmm. You know, 00:08:26.839 --> 00:08:28.839 many Christians pride themselves on the fact 00:08:28.839 --> 00:08:35.399 that they exercise such self -control that their 00:08:35.399 --> 00:08:39.220 temper never gets the better of them. I've seen 00:08:39.220 --> 00:08:43.440 folk like that. Oh, sure, you may have a person 00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:46.519 like that in your own household. It's a matter 00:08:46.519 --> 00:08:51.500 of self -control. If it is a matter of self -control, 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:54.179 then, my friend, it isn't the power of God that 00:08:54.179 --> 00:08:57.159 does it. There is literally a place in the Lord 00:08:57.159 --> 00:09:00.879 Jesus Christ where he gives you genuine, where 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:08.399 he gives you true victory over that thing. It's 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:13.299 like that. These people who pride themselves, 00:09:15.049 --> 00:09:19.529 over the fact that they have such self -control 00:09:19.529 --> 00:09:26.870 that their nasty disposition never gets the better 00:09:26.870 --> 00:09:31.190 of them. They never show it. They just think 00:09:31.190 --> 00:09:34.850 they don't show it. That they have such self 00:09:34.850 --> 00:09:38.230 -control over their temper that it never gets 00:09:38.230 --> 00:09:42.690 the better of them. By this they mean that they 00:09:42.690 --> 00:09:48.049 try not to show it. But it's there. It's there, 00:09:48.169 --> 00:09:53.269 my friend. There's no denying it. It's there. 00:09:54.149 --> 00:09:57.529 Now, the victorious Christian life, the life 00:09:57.529 --> 00:10:00.070 that Jesus promised in the Word, the life that 00:10:00.070 --> 00:10:06.649 Paul was talking about, is not one which merely 00:10:06.649 --> 00:10:12.889 makes our outward actions right. It's a life 00:10:12.889 --> 00:10:16.490 which gives victory in the inner realm of the 00:10:16.490 --> 00:10:20.769 heart, on the inside, where this miracle all 00:10:20.769 --> 00:10:24.950 takes place. Know that. Everything that I'm talking 00:10:24.950 --> 00:10:31.389 about takes place on the inside of a man, on 00:10:31.389 --> 00:10:35.309 the inside of a woman. That miracle begins with 00:10:35.309 --> 00:10:42.799 in and not without. Mm -hmm. It's a life which 00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:49.379 gives victory under all circumstances so that 00:10:49.379 --> 00:10:55.860 our desires are right. It affects our eyesight. 00:10:57.000 --> 00:11:01.879 We see things differently. We accept things differently. 00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:08.320 To want to do wrongful things and to rest... 00:11:08.350 --> 00:11:15.909 strain from doing them is not real victory. Now 00:11:15.909 --> 00:11:22.090 that hits somebody sure. As long as the want 00:11:22.090 --> 00:11:26.490 to is in your heart, as long as you want to do 00:11:26.490 --> 00:11:30.860 the thing that is wrong, but you restrain Restrain 00:11:30.860 --> 00:11:33.080 yourself from doing it. You might as well go 00:11:33.080 --> 00:11:35.500 right ahead and do it because it's as much sin 00:11:35.500 --> 00:11:38.779 as trying to... You don't have victory over that 00:11:38.779 --> 00:11:43.620 thing. Let's face it. Let's be dead honest with 00:11:43.620 --> 00:11:49.200 ourselves. To want to do wrongful things and 00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:53.720 to restrain from doing them is not real victory. 00:11:54.179 --> 00:11:57.419 You have nothing victory over that thing. You're 00:11:57.419 --> 00:12:01.639 only using self -control. The wonderful thing 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:08.179 is that God takes the want to out of our very 00:12:08.179 --> 00:12:18.039 hearts. For we long only to do His will. That's 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:27.940 right. Now, I'm constituted so that if I want... 00:12:28.200 --> 00:12:34.480 to do a thing bad enough. I usually do it. I 00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:39.580 can't help it. But you know something very marvelous? 00:12:39.879 --> 00:12:42.179 I know what I'm talking about. This thing is 00:12:42.179 --> 00:12:44.879 very real to me. The thing that I'm talking to 00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:46.720 you about is something that's one of the most 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:51.179 real things in my own life. And I tell you the 00:12:51.179 --> 00:12:57.549 truth. There is a place. In the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:12:57.889 --> 00:13:04.830 where you use no restraint on your part, it is 00:13:04.830 --> 00:13:11.970 the natural way of living, where your will is 00:13:11.970 --> 00:13:17.610 His will, no longer two wills. Now, this is something 00:13:17.610 --> 00:13:20.029 that's almost incredible to some folk listening 00:13:20.029 --> 00:13:22.350 to me. You won't have the slightest idea what 00:13:22.350 --> 00:13:26.870 I'm talking about. is a place and remember something 00:13:26.870 --> 00:13:31.429 love governs the whole thing the whole thing 00:13:31.429 --> 00:13:37.370 is governed by love he doesn't hold an axe over 00:13:37.370 --> 00:13:44.330 my head and forces me to love him or forces me 00:13:44.330 --> 00:13:48.309 not to do certain things and compels me to do 00:13:48.309 --> 00:13:55.830 others no this whole life of Real victory is 00:13:55.830 --> 00:14:01.610 governed by and controlled by love. You do it 00:14:01.610 --> 00:14:09.710 willingly. You see, that is also true in a home. 00:14:10.450 --> 00:14:15.129 When a wife loves her husband enough, and it's 00:14:15.129 --> 00:14:20.730 sincere love, and it's genuine love, she will 00:14:20.730 --> 00:14:24.330 do the things that... she knows will make him 00:14:24.330 --> 00:14:31.529 happy. That will bring happiness to him. She'll 00:14:31.529 --> 00:14:35.289 want to please him. Oh, sure. That's the reason 00:14:35.289 --> 00:14:38.590 Papa and Mama got along so well together. I had 00:14:38.590 --> 00:14:42.470 a very happy childhood because Papa was so crazy 00:14:42.470 --> 00:14:51.330 about Mama that he lived to please Mama. And 00:14:51.330 --> 00:14:54.929 Mama thought, Papa was pretty nice, too, I'll 00:14:54.929 --> 00:15:00.009 tell you. And if she knew a certain thing displeased 00:15:00.009 --> 00:15:03.450 him, she didn't do it. It was her desire to please 00:15:03.450 --> 00:15:06.490 him. Therefore, there was no conflict there. 00:15:06.850 --> 00:15:12.409 And then there I was, the offspring, the child, 00:15:12.570 --> 00:15:17.720 brought up in the same atmosphere, and... It 00:15:17.720 --> 00:15:20.940 was the most natural thing in the world for me 00:15:20.940 --> 00:15:26.799 to be happy knowing that I was pleasing Papa, 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:30.700 that I was pleasing Mama. It was no conflict 00:15:30.700 --> 00:15:35.759 there. It gave me joy. It was a natural way to 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:41.440 live. Not that I was compelled to. I did it because 00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:47.840 I loved them. And my friend... That's the secret. 00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:56.960 The same secret of love. When you and I love 00:15:56.960 --> 00:16:04.799 the Lord enough, we live to please Him. And in 00:16:04.799 --> 00:16:09.259 pleasing Him, we live in the center of His will. 00:16:09.740 --> 00:16:14.360 Nothing is a sacrifice. We don't talk about consecration. 00:16:14.889 --> 00:16:19.110 the consecration just naturally will be there. 00:16:20.610 --> 00:16:25.730 We know, having perfect confidence in Him, that 00:16:25.730 --> 00:16:29.509 nothing can come into our lives but what He allows 00:16:29.509 --> 00:16:34.769 and He permits. And there comes that perfect 00:16:34.769 --> 00:16:42.269 trust. Yes, my friend, the wonderful thing is, 00:16:42.889 --> 00:16:48.830 that God takes the want to out of our hearts 00:16:48.830 --> 00:16:55.129 and we long only to do His will.