WEBVTT 00:00:01.199 --> 00:00:06.040 Hello there. And have you been waiting for me? 00:00:06.339 --> 00:00:09.800 Oh, that's so nice of you. And again, thanks. 00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:13.580 You know I appreciate it too. And remember, no 00:00:13.580 --> 00:00:16.300 matter what are the problems on that life of 00:00:16.300 --> 00:00:18.879 yours today, no matter what the weather is like, 00:00:19.019 --> 00:00:24.620 or how you feel, or how big the troubles are 00:00:24.620 --> 00:00:29.550 at your house, as long as God is... Steal on 00:00:29.550 --> 00:00:32.310 his throne and he is an answer's prayer. And 00:00:32.310 --> 00:00:39.590 just so long as your faith in him is still intact, 00:00:39.929 --> 00:00:47.030 everything will come out all right. I'm going 00:00:47.030 --> 00:00:49.869 to do something today that I do not believe that 00:00:49.869 --> 00:00:51.789 I have ever done since I've been coming into 00:00:51.789 --> 00:00:55.109 your home. And that is that we're going to spend 00:00:55.109 --> 00:01:02.909 the entire time In one of our heart -to -heart 00:01:02.909 --> 00:01:08.609 talks. Now, I know that'll please some folk. 00:01:08.950 --> 00:01:12.790 Because we're getting letters saying, Oh, Miss 00:01:12.790 --> 00:01:16.969 Cooman, we just love your heart -to -heart talks. 00:01:17.150 --> 00:01:19.849 More than anything else that you do in your broadcast. 00:01:20.349 --> 00:01:25.609 We get most out of your talks. Well, here it 00:01:25.609 --> 00:01:31.920 comes. I'm going to spend the whole time. You 00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:36.420 asked for it. Now don't say anything that you 00:01:36.420 --> 00:01:39.980 don't mean. Don't write and tell me how much 00:01:39.980 --> 00:01:44.560 you enjoy something. Dear me, I always remember 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:48.359 what I did once when I was young. Of course, 00:01:48.439 --> 00:01:54.019 it's been years ago. And the hostess cake people 00:01:54.019 --> 00:02:01.189 put out a little cake. A coconut cake. Now, in 00:02:01.189 --> 00:02:04.230 those days, you could get a pretty good -sized 00:02:04.230 --> 00:02:11.930 cake for 25 cents. And I just loved it. Oh, I'll 00:02:11.930 --> 00:02:20.650 tell you. Oh, that coconut cake that the hostess 00:02:20.650 --> 00:02:24.110 company used to put out. Mmm, it was better to 00:02:24.110 --> 00:02:29.680 me than any candy, and so one day... I liked 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:36.599 it so much. I was all by myself. I bought one 00:02:36.599 --> 00:02:40.560 of those cakes. And believe it or not, I sat 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:47.180 down and ate the whole thing. Every crumb of 00:02:47.180 --> 00:02:52.900 it. Every little piece of coconut. Do you want 00:02:52.900 --> 00:02:58.729 to know something? To this day, I have never 00:02:58.729 --> 00:03:10.590 liked coconut cake. I had my feel. I ate too 00:03:10.590 --> 00:03:16.189 much at one time. I hope to goodness my little 00:03:16.189 --> 00:03:18.530 heart -to -heart talk isn't going to end up like 00:03:18.530 --> 00:03:22.189 that for you today. No music, no nothing. Sit 00:03:22.189 --> 00:03:25.259 down. We're going to talk it over. I got a letter 00:03:25.259 --> 00:03:27.560 from one of our listeners in New York State. 00:03:29.139 --> 00:03:34.080 And this is just a part of his letter. He's never 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:37.819 written before. He's not contacted us before. 00:03:37.939 --> 00:03:40.639 He's a perfect stranger. The letter is very well 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:45.060 written. My dear Miss Kuhlman, over the air you 00:03:45.060 --> 00:03:49.199 recently stated how real God was in your life. 00:03:50.300 --> 00:03:53.460 Please tell us how you acquired this reality. 00:03:54.479 --> 00:03:59.120 How is it manifested? And what is one's reaction 00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:04.639 when seemingly God withdraws himself? In the 00:04:04.639 --> 00:04:09.360 Little Quaker book, A Guide to True Peace, there 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:16.480 is a chapter on spiritual dryness. I would believe 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:20.879 that upwards of 99 % of the professing Christians 00:04:20.879 --> 00:04:26.639 and ministers do not experience the reality of 00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:31.040 God in their lives. I thank you most sincerely. 00:04:31.500 --> 00:04:34.759 And the gentleman from New York State signs his 00:04:34.759 --> 00:04:40.439 full name. Evidently a businessman. You know, 00:04:40.500 --> 00:04:47.399 this thing of God being real to an individual, 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:49.399 whether that one is a minister of the gospel 00:04:49.399 --> 00:04:53.240 or a layman. He's one of the most important things 00:04:53.240 --> 00:05:00.399 in the world. I've often said I can listen to 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:07.259 a minister pray, and within the first 30 seconds 00:05:07.259 --> 00:05:10.420 of his prayer, I can tell you whether or not 00:05:10.420 --> 00:05:18.519 God is real in his life. I can tell by his approach 00:05:18.519 --> 00:05:24.550 to God. in that prayer. It makes all the difference 00:05:24.550 --> 00:05:27.250 in the world. You can be with a professing Christian 00:05:27.250 --> 00:05:32.410 a very short time. You may never have met them 00:05:32.410 --> 00:05:42.529 before. But you will know what God really is 00:05:42.529 --> 00:05:52.100 to that one. You just know when God is a reality. 00:05:53.639 --> 00:05:57.720 When God is more than just the mighty creator 00:05:57.720 --> 00:06:05.860 to one. When God is real. He is someone who is 00:06:05.860 --> 00:06:14.339 personal. When you belong to him. When there 00:06:14.339 --> 00:06:19.420 is that personal relationship between the heavenly 00:06:19.420 --> 00:06:25.490 father. And his child. It's something that you 00:06:25.490 --> 00:06:32.689 can't camouflage. It's something that is real. 00:06:33.490 --> 00:06:40.370 As real as the air that you breathe. Because 00:06:40.370 --> 00:06:47.230 he becomes a very vital, a very living thing 00:06:47.230 --> 00:06:52.779 in that life of yours. In exactly the same way, 00:06:52.879 --> 00:06:58.720 there's real victory and there's false. Real 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:06.160 victory and its counterfeit. Do you want to know 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:12.699 something? The victorious life is simply a life 00:07:12.699 --> 00:07:16.279 that's fully surrendered to God with Christ dwelling 00:07:16.279 --> 00:07:21.529 within. An incomplete... control of that life. 00:07:21.670 --> 00:07:27.470 It's that simple. That's it. That's what the 00:07:27.470 --> 00:07:35.269 victorious Christian life is. It's just a fully 00:07:35.269 --> 00:07:42.290 surrendered life to God. You come to the place 00:07:42.290 --> 00:07:48.209 where you surrender yourself completely to Him. 00:07:49.959 --> 00:07:58.899 Your body. Yourself. You. That, of course, takes 00:07:58.899 --> 00:08:05.240 care of the days. Today. Tomorrow. And all that 00:08:05.240 --> 00:08:09.860 is involved in those days. That's living. That's 00:08:09.860 --> 00:08:13.399 life. Being a Christian is something more than 00:08:13.399 --> 00:08:19.490 just living. It's a life. In exactly the same 00:08:19.490 --> 00:08:24.730 way, this thing of being a minister, it's not 00:08:24.730 --> 00:08:29.329 just a profession. And yet with thousands, this 00:08:29.329 --> 00:08:32.429 thing of being a pastor, this thing of being 00:08:32.429 --> 00:08:35.789 an evangelist, of being a minister, is nothing 00:08:35.789 --> 00:08:38.950 more or less than a profession with that one. 00:08:41.830 --> 00:08:51.029 When, beloved, it should be... A life. A complete 00:08:51.029 --> 00:08:59.470 dedication of one. It's being controlled completely 00:08:59.470 --> 00:09:08.149 by God himself. A life in which the only desire 00:09:08.149 --> 00:09:13.110 is to bring glory to Jesus Christ. And it's the 00:09:13.110 --> 00:09:17.740 only truly happy life there is. I promise you 00:09:17.740 --> 00:09:25.179 that. I tell you that. It is absolutely the only 00:09:25.179 --> 00:09:32.700 truly happy life in the whole universe. That's 00:09:32.700 --> 00:09:36.960 the reason. There are so many professing Christians 00:09:36.960 --> 00:09:43.679 who are not really truly happy. Not really. Do 00:09:43.679 --> 00:09:46.700 you know why? It's because their victory is false. 00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:54.919 Their victory is counterfeit. The life that they 00:09:54.919 --> 00:10:03.220 live is false. It's a counterfeit. Oh, and yet 00:10:03.220 --> 00:10:11.299 they're so religious. Oh, they are so religious. 00:10:12.110 --> 00:10:15.549 And they are constantly talking about their crosses. 00:10:17.129 --> 00:10:21.549 Every time you're in contact with them, they 00:10:21.549 --> 00:10:26.549 talk about their crosses. But let me ask you 00:10:26.549 --> 00:10:33.029 something. Is a believer's life filled with crosses? 00:10:33.149 --> 00:10:36.210 Is it Scripture? Now, that's the idea that many 00:10:36.210 --> 00:10:41.039 Christians have. And where there's a choice between 00:10:41.039 --> 00:10:46.860 things agreeable and disagreeable, the unpleasant 00:10:46.860 --> 00:10:51.080 thing or the thing that is pleasant, they'll 00:10:51.080 --> 00:10:57.460 always invariably choose the disagreeable, the 00:10:57.460 --> 00:11:03.730 unpleasant thing. Why? Because somehow it gives 00:11:03.730 --> 00:11:06.169 them such a satisfaction feeling that they are 00:11:06.169 --> 00:11:14.549 a martyr to the cause. Just something about being 00:11:14.549 --> 00:11:21.009 a martyr. Paul never tired of talking about the 00:11:21.009 --> 00:11:25.250 joyful experiences of his life. The wonderful 00:11:25.250 --> 00:11:32.899 joy of being a Christian. Joyce evermore. In 00:11:32.899 --> 00:11:38.039 everything give thanks. And yet, what hardships, 00:11:38.379 --> 00:11:43.700 what bitter persecutions were his lot. And if 00:11:43.700 --> 00:11:47.519 you love God and fully trust him, the place in 00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:51.659 which you are will be the happiest place in which 00:11:51.659 --> 00:11:55.360 you can possibly be. And the work that you're 00:11:55.360 --> 00:12:00.399 doing is the very best for you. It may not be 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:06.279 easy. I'm not saying that the place where you 00:12:06.279 --> 00:12:09.960 are working or the circumstances under which 00:12:09.960 --> 00:12:14.320 you are living are absolutely ideal and pleasant. 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:22.720 But if you are God's child, if your victory is 00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:28.039 real and not a counterfeit, inside of you, you'll 00:12:28.039 --> 00:12:31.830 be happy. You will. You can't help but be happy. 00:12:34.230 --> 00:12:38.450 You know, you may be in a position where you 00:12:38.450 --> 00:12:42.450 are working with folk who persecute you. They 00:12:42.450 --> 00:12:46.129 don't agree with you when it comes to religious 00:12:46.129 --> 00:12:53.710 things. And yet, if you are genuine, if you are 00:12:53.710 --> 00:13:02.360 real, if your victory is genuine, You will be 00:13:02.360 --> 00:13:07.980 happy in spite of. Not because of the circumstances, 00:13:08.220 --> 00:13:13.200 but in spite of. But I'll tell you something. 00:13:14.440 --> 00:13:19.039 The majority of professing Christians, under 00:13:19.039 --> 00:13:24.679 those circumstances, become the martyr and say, 00:13:25.100 --> 00:13:31.220 Oh, the place where I work is so hard. I'm the 00:13:31.220 --> 00:13:39.320 only Christian there. Those around me say such 00:13:39.320 --> 00:13:44.879 ugly things. And inside of you, you're getting 00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:49.539 the greatest satisfaction in the world out of 00:13:49.539 --> 00:13:57.509 being a martyr. And you say it's one of those 00:13:57.509 --> 00:14:07.490 crosses that I must bear for the sake of that 00:14:07.490 --> 00:14:12.970 which I believe. Crosses? Nowhere in the Bible 00:14:12.970 --> 00:14:17.929 do we read of crosses. And yet, every time our 00:14:17.929 --> 00:14:22.230 plans are upset, or if the weather spoils our 00:14:22.230 --> 00:14:27.179 day, Or if the circumstances aren't agreeable. 00:14:27.820 --> 00:14:33.120 Or if the sickness or bereavement that alters 00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:39.120 our prospects. We're so apt to say, well, I suppose 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:46.600 that's just one of my crosses for today. And 00:14:46.600 --> 00:14:51.360 then we put the morning veil on. And then we'd 00:14:51.360 --> 00:14:56.980 draw our faces a little longer. And then now 00:14:56.980 --> 00:15:03.220 and then you hear that deep sigh. And it's so 00:15:03.220 --> 00:15:07.200 wonderful to shed tears under those circumstances. 00:15:07.480 --> 00:15:11.460 And it isn't long before you get a feeling of 00:15:11.460 --> 00:15:18.440 superiority, spiritual superiority. You're so 00:15:18.440 --> 00:15:25.100 righteous. Oh, it's just one of those crosses. 00:15:26.419 --> 00:15:37.759 You cannot find Paul saying one word about his 00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:42.600 crosses. No man, and if ever there was a man 00:15:42.600 --> 00:15:49.179 who had cause for complaint, if ever... There 00:15:49.179 --> 00:15:54.360 was a man who could have had self -pity. It was 00:15:54.360 --> 00:16:00.059 Paul. Look what that man went through. And yet 00:16:00.059 --> 00:16:06.399 he constantly, constantly spoke of rejoice evermore. 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:15.980 Be glad. Be happy. Oh, I tell you, I believe 00:16:15.980 --> 00:16:20.629 that when you walk into Paul's... presence. Even 00:16:20.629 --> 00:16:24.470 while he was in the dungeon, right in the midst 00:16:24.470 --> 00:16:30.149 of his persecution, there radiated from him a 00:16:30.149 --> 00:16:35.110 joy. It was a delight to be in his presence. 00:16:35.330 --> 00:16:40.809 He never once thought of himself as being a martyr. 00:16:42.330 --> 00:16:52.080 A martyr to the cause. I know. And you didn't 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:54.960 think that I'd remember. It was the very first 00:16:54.960 --> 00:16:58.539 scripture that you thought of when I said that 00:16:58.539 --> 00:17:03.899 you could search the word of God and not find 00:17:03.899 --> 00:17:10.740 a place where it talked about our crosses. Jesus 00:17:10.740 --> 00:17:20.559 spoke of one cross. For you, one cross for me. 00:17:21.900 --> 00:17:28.819 This is what Jesus said. If any man would come 00:17:28.819 --> 00:17:35.119 after me, let him deny himself and take up his 00:17:35.119 --> 00:17:42.079 cross and follow me. That's the 16th chapter 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:45.819 of Matthew, the 24th verse. He says nothing about 00:17:45.819 --> 00:17:52.640 crosses. There is one cross. You are absolutely 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:56.700 not scriptural. When something disagreeable happens, 00:17:57.059 --> 00:18:01.319 your plans are upset, and you say, well, I suppose 00:18:01.319 --> 00:18:12.579 this is my cross for today. Or if you are a precious... 00:18:14.550 --> 00:18:18.890 And you are taking care of your mother -in -law. 00:18:19.029 --> 00:18:23.690 How often I've heard a daughter -in -law saying, 00:18:23.930 --> 00:18:33.009 well, my mother -in -law is my cross. She's old. 00:18:34.289 --> 00:18:38.509 She's ill. And there just isn't anything I can 00:18:38.509 --> 00:18:43.440 do but bring her in the house and take... care 00:18:43.440 --> 00:18:51.079 of her. She's John's mother. That's my cross 00:18:51.079 --> 00:18:56.019 to take care of her now as long as she lives. 00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:03.339 If you'd only analyze your feelings, you are 00:19:03.339 --> 00:19:10.240 absolutely immersed with self -pity. Uh -huh. 00:19:11.610 --> 00:19:15.549 Every day of your life, you complain to somebody 00:19:15.549 --> 00:19:23.029 that that mother -in -law is your cross. Beloved, 00:19:23.049 --> 00:19:30.390 that is not scriptural. That mother -in -law 00:19:30.390 --> 00:19:33.769 is not the cross that Jesus is talking about. 00:19:33.869 --> 00:19:35.990 When he said, if any man would come after me, 00:19:36.029 --> 00:19:38.130 let him deny himself and take up his cross and 00:19:38.130 --> 00:19:41.349 follow me. Taking care of your mother -in -law 00:19:41.349 --> 00:19:43.950 under those circumstances is nothing more or 00:19:43.950 --> 00:19:50.390 less than the Christian thing to do. And if you 00:19:50.390 --> 00:19:55.650 are a real Christian and your victory is real, 00:19:55.829 --> 00:20:02.309 if your experience is real and not counterfeit 00:20:02.309 --> 00:20:07.640 because of your Christian love, because of the 00:20:07.640 --> 00:20:15.160 love of Christ that you have in your heart. You'll 00:20:15.160 --> 00:20:19.859 take that mother -in -law in your home and you'll 00:20:19.859 --> 00:20:29.339 enjoy doing it. It'll be a pleasure. You'll only 00:20:29.339 --> 00:20:36.890 think of it in terms of being a cross. If your 00:20:36.890 --> 00:20:44.569 victory is counterfeit, if your experience with 00:20:44.569 --> 00:20:51.250 God is counterfeit, the thing that makes all 00:20:51.250 --> 00:20:55.970 the difference in the world is the love of God 00:20:55.970 --> 00:21:02.609 that's in your heart. All right? Oh, somebody 00:21:02.609 --> 00:21:07.730 says, I liked her heart -to -heart talks, but 00:21:07.730 --> 00:21:12.150 this one's going a little too far. You ask for 00:21:12.150 --> 00:21:20.589 it. I'm giving it to you. All right? And you 00:21:20.589 --> 00:21:22.630 don't dare turn me off because you're afraid 00:21:22.630 --> 00:21:24.369 you're going to miss something. And you will. 00:21:24.670 --> 00:21:30.730 So see me on through now. Let's go back to this 00:21:30.730 --> 00:21:35.250 scripture in the 16th chapter of Matthew. Jesus 00:21:35.250 --> 00:21:42.069 himself said it. If any man would come after 00:21:42.069 --> 00:21:47.549 me, let him deny himself and take up his cross 00:21:47.549 --> 00:21:52.950 and follow me. Again in the 14th chapter of Luke. 00:21:54.690 --> 00:21:59.190 Whosoever does not bear his cross and come after 00:21:59.190 --> 00:22:08.759 me cannot be my disciple. Did you get it? It 00:22:08.759 --> 00:22:14.900 is then our duty to take up the cross, but not 00:22:14.900 --> 00:22:17.859 to carry crosses. What you're trying to do is 00:22:17.859 --> 00:22:22.160 carry crosses. I've seen people professing Christians 00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:27.079 who day after day, they get up in the morning, 00:22:27.140 --> 00:22:33.160 in fact, before their body has gotten out of 00:22:33.160 --> 00:22:41.029 bed. They have already taken up the cross for 00:22:41.029 --> 00:22:46.089 the day. Oh, and try to live with somebody like 00:22:46.089 --> 00:22:51.269 that. Just try living with somebody like that. 00:22:52.410 --> 00:22:55.990 I'm telling you, it's hell on earth. Some man 00:22:55.990 --> 00:22:58.650 is saying, uh -huh, that's my wife, Miss Kuhlman, 00:22:58.730 --> 00:23:03.049 that. And some of you wives are living with husbands 00:23:03.049 --> 00:23:05.819 like that. And that's how it goes. Person is 00:23:05.819 --> 00:23:08.640 the hardest person in the world to live with. 00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:13.940 And a person like that will drive more people 00:23:13.940 --> 00:23:21.299 from God than they will ever win to God. Every 00:23:21.299 --> 00:23:26.460 morning, even before they know whether it's a 00:23:26.460 --> 00:23:31.039 rainy day or a sunshiny day, before they have 00:23:31.039 --> 00:23:36.240 their breakfast cereal. They have already taken 00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:42.400 up their cross for that day. And they just carry 00:23:42.400 --> 00:23:50.220 it all day long, I'll tell you. Oh, no wonder 00:23:50.220 --> 00:23:53.759 their faces look so miserable. I always think, 00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:57.740 you know, oh, it's an old, old story. I heard 00:23:57.740 --> 00:24:03.079 it when I was very young. of a gloomy, miserable 00:24:03.079 --> 00:24:05.700 -looking Christian who was standing outside of 00:24:05.700 --> 00:24:10.680 one of the little missions. And as folk would 00:24:10.680 --> 00:24:14.960 pass by, he'd try to get them to come in. And 00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:19.400 one man passed by, and the Christian worker said, 00:24:19.559 --> 00:24:24.039 Sir, will you come in to our service tonight? 00:24:25.460 --> 00:24:29.349 And the stranger gave... The man just one swift 00:24:29.349 --> 00:24:33.569 glance, that's all. Just one look at the Christian 00:24:33.569 --> 00:24:35.390 worker who was standing on the outside of the 00:24:35.390 --> 00:24:36.970 mission trying to get him to come in, and he 00:24:36.970 --> 00:24:43.490 said, Oh, no thank you. Oh, no thanks. I've got 00:24:43.490 --> 00:24:47.369 troubles enough my own. And kept right on going. 00:24:48.230 --> 00:24:54.609 It was like that. Yeah? A life of victory is 00:24:54.609 --> 00:25:00.460 a life of trust. And a life of trust will always 00:25:00.460 --> 00:25:06.099 be a life that's full of joy. And such a life 00:25:06.099 --> 00:25:14.119 glorifies Christ. Now, don't get me wrong. Everything 00:25:14.119 --> 00:25:21.160 will not always be as you wish it. But in spite 00:25:21.160 --> 00:25:25.720 of the circumstances, in spite of the condition, 00:25:26.990 --> 00:25:30.410 In spite of the mother -in -law, in spite of 00:25:30.410 --> 00:25:32.069 the old reprobate of a husband that you have 00:25:32.069 --> 00:25:37.809 to live with, in spite of the disappointments 00:25:37.809 --> 00:25:41.670 that might come into your life, there will still 00:25:41.670 --> 00:25:47.470 be happiness. And you can still and you will 00:25:47.470 --> 00:25:53.470 be a happy person because your victory is not 00:25:53.470 --> 00:25:59.650 counterfeit. It's genuine. It's genuine and will 00:25:59.650 --> 00:26:05.430 only be genuine if God is real in your life. 00:26:06.130 --> 00:26:10.849 Real as a Heavenly Father. If there is that relationship. 00:26:12.170 --> 00:26:16.650 You as the child and He as your Heavenly Father. 00:26:18.230 --> 00:26:23.390 A life of victory is a life of perfect trust 00:26:23.390 --> 00:26:29.240 in Him. only have that experience of reality 00:26:29.240 --> 00:26:38.200 as you die to self on that pulse that Jesus spoke 00:26:38.200 --> 00:26:43.619 of when he said, take up your cross and follow 00:26:43.619 --> 00:26:48.740 me. The death to self. Amen.