November 20, 2024 • 69 mins
As an elder within our fellowship, I share my personal challenges and insights, highlighting the profound responsibilities and joys that come with guiding our community, as illustrated in Hebrews 13.
We draw parallels between the ancient lamentations of Jerusalem and the current state of the church, inspired by the poignant words of the prophet Jeremiah. By exploring the spiritual decline caused by idolatry and sin, we confront the dangers of misplaced devotion and the harsh consequences of spiritual adultery. Through these reflections, we're called to recognize the pain of falling away and the urgent need to return to our first love in Christ. This episode encourages repentance and faithfulness as a pathway to restoring the glory and joy that once graced our spiritual lives.
In our final discussion, we explore the path to restoration through humility and repentance. Highlighting profound biblical interactions such as those between Jesus and Peter, and stories like Job's trials, we emphasize the joy found in sincere repentance. Through the parables of the lost sheep and lost coin, we underscore the heavenly rejoicing over a sinner's return to God. This episode encourages personal introspection, a humble acknowledgment of our transgressions, and a hopeful return to God's grace for restoration and re-alignment with His will.
"Message Our Father's Heart a Question or Response"
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
j - Jesus M. Ruiz (00:03):
The vision received was that of blood cells
traveling throughout the body,supplying the much needed oxygen
and other nutrients to thediffering members of the body to
fulfill their purpose.
Once the blood cells are spent,they must return back to the
heart to be refilled beforebeing sent out again and fulfill
their purpose.
Good morning, saints.
(00:26):
I guess I want to sort of helpus figure out where we're going
to be going today.
I guess I'll start with aquestion.
I guess you could raise yourhand, or you can just keep it
down.
It could be rhetorical or not.
How many of you had a memorablespiritual year with the Lord?
(00:46):
Right now, that it's memorable.
It's just been wow.
Just one thing after another,blessing, I mean, it's just been
awesome.
It's just been a great,spiritual, memorable year, a
highlight of your faith.
Walk, great, okay.
A couple of hands, okay.
I can't say that I have thatthis year.
(01:07):
It's been a struggle.
It's been a struggle on adifferent level, I would say for
me and my wife this particularyear although I'm not speaking
for her, just bringing her in,because I think we've had the
same struggle Pretty sure wehave and it's not that it's been
(01:30):
unbearable, it's just been astruggle because we've not been
really a part of this type ofstruggle in our faith walk this
year that we've seen this year.
I mean, we've had the samescenarios this year but it just
seemed to be amplified this year.
So maybe this will resonatewith some of you and maybe it
(01:52):
won't, I don't know, I'll leavethat up to the Spirit of the
Lord.
But sort of setting the stageand I'm very, very glad that
some of you did raise your hand,I'm glad it is and we have to
realize that we live a life ofseasons.
There's highs and lows, andit's not to say that what we've
(02:17):
experienced this year is a low.
It's been a low vicariously, Iguess I would put it and I'll
get to what I mean by that in asecond being an elder in this
fellowship and you know,designated there's now three
elders John and I and BishopHarris.
That's been somewhat of astruggle because we had more in
times past and it's a wonderfulthing to be able to gather
(02:42):
together with the brothers, tobe able to oversee what's
together with the brothers, tobe able to oversee what's going
on with the saints in theministry and to be able to carry
the burdens that go along withthat office, you know, through
prayer, through ministry,through coming alongside people,
through counsel, throughfinancial help, through any type
of spiritual, material helpthat we could give and offer to
(03:06):
the saints.
So I come to you with thatperspective, looking at the
saints, looking at our lovedones, looking at our relatives.
In that perspective, I foundsomething interesting and I
guess I'll start off in Hebrews13.
And there's something that issaid by this author we believe
it to be Paul in Hebrews andit's said three times.
(03:28):
And it's not to say that thisphrase was never used before in
the scriptures, because it was,but in this particular context
it's like it was emphasizedthree times.
This same phrase In Hebrews 13,verse 7, verse 17, and verse
24,.
(03:48):
The author says remember thosewho rule over you, who have
spoken the word of God to you,whose faith follow, considering
the outcome of their conduct.
Now, if you haven't understood,those who rule over you, we're
not talking really aboutgovernments here.
(04:09):
We're talking about those thatare overseeing the sheep and the
flock and the differentfellowships or churches that
we're around.
It says again in verse 17, notjust to remember them, but obey
those who rule over you and besubmissive, for they watch out
(04:29):
for your souls.
That is their heart, that isthe nature of the office that
they happen to be in.
And some of us are in thatoffice not really having asked
for it, but being commissionedin it by the Holy Spirit.
And it says to watch over yoursouls as those who must give
(04:50):
account.
Because part of the nature ofthat office is that we must
answer before the Lord for thethings that we were overseeing,
the things that we were watchingover.
And the Lord's heart is that wedo it with joy and not with
(05:11):
grief, for that would beunprofitable for you.
He wanted elders to be over,watching over the flock, helping
them out, helping the weakerones, helping the strong ones,
helping us all come to the unityof the faith of the knowledge
of the Son of God unto a perfectman.
It says in verse 24, greet allthose who rule over you.
(05:36):
And there it is a third time,this emphasis on those who rule
over you, because it's neverdescribed as one who is lording
over you, as a master, a servant, but actually as one who rules
over you as a servant, becausethey're there to help clean up
your walk as a servant, to getdown on their knees, exposed and
(05:59):
naked, as Jesus did In John 13.
And wash the disciples' feet,and so that emphasis of the
elder watching over the flock ishow I want to share what I'd
like to share with you today,what God has put on my heart.
(06:19):
It says in 1 Thessalonians,2.13,.
Paul was saying we thank Godwithout ceasing.
I mean, we're just so thankfulbecause when you receive the
word of God which you heard fromus, you welcomed it, not as if
(06:47):
it was from man, but from God,because, as it in truth, it was
the word of God that was beingministered unto you.
It was the divine counsel fromheaven that was being given to
you.
It wasn't the fancies or theimaginations or the good ideas
of a man, but it was a man ofGod.
It was an elder, if you will,in Christ, who was looking out
(07:22):
for your soul to minister to youthe things that you needed to
correct your way.
And it effectively, that wordthat is ministered to you is
effectively is effectively worksin your life when you believe
it, when you receive it, whenyou apply it.
And it says in 1 Thessalonians,just a couple chapters later, 4,
verse 8, there's just the firstpart.
Therefore, he who rejects thisdoes not reject man but God.
(07:44):
And he who rejects this doesnot reject man but God, because
he was talking to them abouttheir godly walk, how to walk
rightly before the Lord.
And he who rejects this doesn'treject me but he's rejecting
God, because he's saying thatwhat I've ministered and given
to you is divine.
It's not carnal, it was thedivine word of God being
(08:11):
ministered unto you Now aselders, as servants of the Lord.
It says in 2 Timothy 2, verse 24, that a servant of the Lord
must not be quarreling.
He must be gentle to all people, he must be able to teach, to
be patient in humility,correcting those who are in
(08:32):
opposition to themselves.
And if she has it up there, canyou put parallel please,
because I like the way the KJVputs this.
It doesn't kind of quite saythat in the NKJV, but it says
here that it says here and theservant of the Lord must not
strive but be gentle unto allmen, apt to teach and patient in
(08:53):
meekness, instructing thosethat oppose themselves.
They're opposing the godlythings that they so forth desire
, but their ways oppose thatwhich they actually want.
And then it says if God perhapswill grant them repentance so
(09:19):
that they may know the truth andI like the way that KJV puts it
If God, perhaps, peradventure,will give them repentance to the
acknowledging of the truth, andI like the way that KJV puts it
If God, perhaps, will give themrepentance to the acknowledging
of the truth.
You see, when saints areopposing themselves, they are
opposing themselves because theyare not even acknowledging the
truth of what is in error intheir lives.
(09:39):
And when they don't acknowledgeit, when they don't see it,
when they're blind to their ownwaywardness, they oppose
themselves because they yetdesire the things of the Lord.
It's very difficult for elderswho are watching over to try to
help a blind man who believesthat they see.
(10:01):
Tell them you're not seeing,you are actually blind.
I don't have an answer for howyou do that, to teach a blind
man who believes that they seethat they actually don't see.
Because when you come into thatunderstanding, when you
(10:24):
acknowledge that truth in yourwaywardness, that you actually
really don't see, that's whenyou have a sign of repentance
that leads into salvation,because you're acknowledging the
truth rather than opposingyourselves and saying but I do
see, I do see, I do understand,I do get it.
(10:46):
But when you look at yourbehavior and your actions.
It speaks completely differentthan what you're confessing with
your mouth.
And we've said in this ministryit doesn't matter what you say,
it matters what you do, itmatters what is the fruit of all
of these decisions that you'remaking for yourself because if
(11:08):
they're not ripe, there'ssomething wrong.
And if you think that they'reripe, that's where it starts,
when you realizing that yourwaywardness and the fruit that
you think is ripe is notactually ripe.
You see, it says in verse 26that they may come to their
(11:29):
senses because they're not intheir right mind, they're not
all there, spiritually andmentally, they're not making
decisions and they're out oftheir senses.
And elders and ministers aretrying to get people to see
(11:52):
what's really there, to see withthe eyes of the spirit what's
really the problem.
Come to your senses so that youcan escape the snare of the
devil, because what you don'tsee is that the devil's got you,
the devil's entangled you, thedevil has you in bondage, the
(12:13):
devil has you wrapped around inchains and you don't see it.
You think you're free and untilyou see it, we can't help you
escape.
You have to come to theacknowledgement of the truth.
You have to come to your sensesBecause you have been taken
(12:34):
captive by the devil's will, andyou know that the devil's will
is to steal, to kill and destroy.
Through what Three letters Sin?
The Lord tells us that if anyman is overtaken in any trespass
, that you who are spiritual,you who are mature to restore
(12:57):
such a one in a spirit ofgentleness, considering lest you
be tempted Because even elderscould fall, but bear one
another's burdens and thusfulfill the law of Christ.
And we know that the law ofChrist is love.
(13:18):
The lamentations of restoration.
I've never really shared onlamentations, but I am going to
today Because there are saints,there are people in the church
that want what they want, whatGod wants for them.
(13:41):
It's almost a paradox.
They want what God wants, hisblessings.
It's almost a paradox.
They want what God's want, hisblessings, they want his will,
but the way they go about doingit is opposing themselves.
They don't see that the waythat they've chosen to bring
about God's will and blessingson their lives is actually
working against that very desire.
(14:02):
So I'm not here to judgesaints' hearts, but we must come
to the acknowledgement of thetruth that your actions are
opposing the desire of the Lordthat you do want.
For even Paul, zealously, wasserving the Lord, but his way
was completely contrary, becausehe was persecuting the very
(14:25):
body of Christ, zealouslybelieving he was serving the
Lord.
So lamentation starts with theprophet, Jeremiah, looking at
the condition of the people ofGod Jerusalem is another word
(14:48):
for the people of God and hesees that the city that was full
of people is now a widow, isnow utterly alone.
She was great among the nations, among the provinces, but now
she's become a slave, it says.
(15:09):
Jeremiah is looking at the nowstate of the church, the people
of God, because just a fewgenerations, centuries before,
they were the epitome of all thekingdom of the earth, Solomon
and his temple and the peace ofhis reign, and a temple full of
(15:32):
gold and gold and more gold andshields of gold.
Everything was gold.
This was the golden era and ina few centuries, because of
their own sin, they have falleninto a decadent state that
Jeremiah now see.
She was full of people, she waswonderful, she was glorious.
But you know what?
We need to stop seeing this asjust a historical account of
(15:55):
what Jeremiah saw.
We need to see this with theeyes of the Spirit because this
is the church.
This is the church that wasonce wondrous and glorious, and
people looked at her.
People looked at us and theylooked up to us Because there
was something different about us, that we were full of glory, we
were full of joy.
We had a change of behavior, wehad a change of our lives.
(16:17):
We were no longer lying, wewere no longer sinning, we were
in God's will and God wasblessing us, and he was decking
us in gold and jewelry androbing us with robes of
righteousness.
And all of not even all of asudden, but over a period of
(16:40):
time there was a degradationhappening because of our own sin
.
And so now we find ourself aslave.
Paul says in Romans Do you notknow that, whoever you present
yourselves to to obey, you arethe slave to whom you obey?
You are the one slaves to whomyou obey, and whether it's sin
(17:01):
leading to death or of obedienceleading to righteousness, or of
obedience leading torighteousness.
He said that Jerusalem whipsbitterly in the night.
Her tears are on her cheeks.
She's in a state where shedoesn't know what to do.
She's in a state where sherealizes I'm not where I was and
(17:22):
I don't know what to do aboutit and I'm crying here.
I'm in tears and it says, amongall her lovers she has none to
comfort her.
All of her friends have dealttreacherously with her.
They have become her enemies.
Jerusalem, the people of God,paid others to have adultery
(17:47):
with them.
Usually you commit fornicationand you pay for that work.
But they paid that someonewould come and commit adultery
with them.
You see, all of her lovers andall of her friends were her
(18:11):
other loves.
You have to read, you have tounderstand.
How did they get to this state,to understand that Jerusalem
had other loves.
Jerusalem had other loves.
They brought into themselvesthings that substituted
themselves for the God of Israel, the God of Abraham and Isaac
(18:34):
and Jacob, and it was this thatcaused their downfall, for they
committed spiritual idolatry andadultery with the other nations
.
And they did this more and moreand more as the years gone by.
All of these other loves thatcome into the heart of a
(18:56):
Christian arise up for us asanti-Christ.
Anti not meaning opposed toChrist, but anti meaning in
substitution of Christ, becauseChrist was the first love of a
Christian.
He says her adversaries havebecome the master.
(19:20):
Her enemies prosper, for theLord has afflicted her.
The Lord has afflicted herbecause of the multitude of her
transgressions, because of hersin.
The Lord has decided I willafflict her.
Her children have gone intocaptivity before the enemy.
(19:42):
All that the church had is nowunder the reign of another
master.
All of the fruits of thischurch, of this Christian, have
now become in the wraps, in thereign of the enemy himself, and
the Lord has allowed thisbecause of their sin.
You see, the daughter of Zion,in all of her splendor, has
(20:07):
departed.
Think about some of the saintsthat you may have known, that
were close to you, that startedoff on fire, that started off
godly, that started off holy,and they made a commotion for
the sake of the Lord's name.
And then, all of a sudden,they're not that way anymore.
They're not looked up to inthat way anymore, because their
(20:31):
own sin has caused theirdownfall.
Jerusalem, in verse 8, hassinned gravely.
Therefore, she has become vile.
All who honored her despisedher because they have seen her
nakedness.
Yes, she sighs and turns away.
They don't look up to heranymore.
(20:53):
In the beginning, thatChristian caught their attention
.
They were impressed.
They didn't understand it, butthey were different.
And then, all of a sudden, whenthey fell down, that was that,
(21:16):
christian, please.
And not only do they shamethemselves, they shame the name
of the Lord in whom they saidthat they believed in.
Her uncleanness is in her skirts.
It's in her fornication.
She did not consider herdestiny All the while that she
(21:37):
gave her love to other lovers,she did not consider the
consequences of the actions andtherefore her collapse was
awesome.
She had no comforter.
Oh Lord, behold my affliction,for the enemy is exalted and the
(22:00):
distant recesses of her memory.
She remembers the Lord.
Oh Lord, my affliction, how theenemy is exalted before me.
If you read Lamentations,there's almost like three
different points of view.
There's the view of the prophet, of this distant Jerusalem, but
then he puts himself in themidst of Jerusalem and he then
cries out as if he was Jerusalem.
Because, remember Jeremiah, hewasn't an abomination to the
(22:25):
Lord.
He was trying to warn thepeople of God and yet he went
through their calamity.
He saw and experienced acalamity that was not of his own
doing.
It says in verse 14, the yoke ofmy transgression was bound,
(22:47):
they were woven together by hishands and thrust upon my neck,
my sins and my transgressions.
He hath tied them up on me, onmy neck, and now I am weighed
down with my own transgressions.
It was his doing that.
He tied it unto me.
He made my strength fail.
(23:10):
The Lord delivered me into thehands of those and I am not able
to withstand.
This is the fall of his people.
This is the fall of his peopletoday.
They're entangled in their owntransgressions.
(23:31):
And then again he pops out of itin verse 16.
He starts talking about and forthese things I weep.
My eye, my eye overflows withwater.
Jeremiah is watching this andhe begins to cry.
That's why it's called theLamentations.
That's why he's called theweeping prophet, because he's
crying over what's happening tothe people that he loves, his
(23:52):
church.
He's expressing the heart ofGod for the people that he loves
and he's crying and he'swailing because they've fallen
so far from the splendor thatthey had with the Lord, because
the comforter who should restoremy life is far from me.
My children are desolatebecause the enemy prevailed.
You get a glimpse of God'sheart and I'm telling you that
(24:16):
in this church there may not bemany elders, but that is a
glimpse of our heart when we seethe saints of God not realize
that the decisions that they'remaking is going to cause a great
fall in the future, that theydon't see.
You don't see where your roadis leading you.
(24:37):
You don't see that thesedecisions are going to cause you
to fall and I don't know ifyou're going to be able to come
back.
Zion spreads out her hands.
Imagine Jeremiah sees like achild spreading out her hands,
wanting help, wanting help fromsomebody, and there's no one
(24:58):
there.
It's a child all alone.
You may have seen it if youlooked at, you know, the videos
that they have of Africa and thepeople starving.
You see this child all aloneand she's utterly hungry and
there's no one there to feed her, there's no one there to
comfort her.
The Lord has commanded,concerning Jacob, that those
(25:20):
around him become hisadversaries.
The Lord has commanded it thatall of the adversaries around my
child become her enemy andovertake her.
Jerusalem has become an uncleanthing among them and in verse
19, jerusalem is saying I calledfor my lovers, but they
(25:41):
deceived me, they tricked me,they tricked me, you tricked
yourself, you let your sindeceive you, you let your own
lust that births sin, and sinleads forth to death.
My priests and elders breathedtheir last in the city while
(26:04):
they sought food to restoretheir life.
See, o Lord, that I am indistress.
My soul is troubled, my heartis overturned within me, for I
have been rebellious.
Outside, the sword bereaves me.
When I go outside, it'sbereaving me.
That word bereavement is likean abortion.
It's like a miscarry.
When I go outside, any fruitthat I bring forth is miscarried
(26:27):
.
It's aborted.
All of my works, though theymay be righteous or good,
they're aborted Because I am ina state of sin.
Nothing that I bring forth foryou does any good At home, and
when I'm at home, it's likedeath.
(26:49):
It says in chapter 2, verse 1,that the Lord covered the
daughter of Zion with a cloud ofHis anger and he cast down from
heaven to earth the beauty ofIsrael.
Israel was once beautiful.
Israel was once beautiful.
Jerusalem was once beautiful.
The people of God, thatChristian, was once beautiful.
She was beautified by the Lord,but the Lord has taken her from
(27:15):
this glory to now a lesserglory, from heaven to earth,
from spiritual to carnal.
And he did not remember thefootstool in the day of his
anger, and the earth is hisfootstool.
The earth is representative ofman.
It says in verse nine herprophets find no vision from the
(27:38):
Lord.
You see, a Christian starts tohear voices and he thinks that
it's the Lord and it's thesevoices that has deceived him and
caused this Christian to goastray.
You see it, if you read thescriptures of what happened to
Israel before their captivity,for those centuries it was they
(28:01):
listened to other voices.
But Christians are doing thistoday and when they're down in
their calamity, the prophetsfind no vision.
They can't even see anymore.
There is no vision of what isto happen.
It is darkness, it is gloom, itis doom.
(28:26):
You see, in verse 14, it saysyour prophets have seen for you
false and deceptive visions.
The voices that you listened tobefore were deceiving you.
They gave you false visions,thinking you can do this and get
away with it.
Thinking you can do thisquietly and nothing would happen
and it would not affect anyonenear you or around you.
(28:48):
It is these voices that havedeceived you falsely.
They have not uncovered youriniquity.
It wasn't.
.
.
See, these voices didn't tellyou that what you're doing was
wrong.
These voices didn't tell youthat where you were going was
the wrong way.
They were false.
They led you astray to bringback your captives, but have
(29:16):
envisioned for you falseprophecies and delusions,
deluded in your mind.
You've got to come to yoursenses.
All who pass by now, the peoplenow, people that were around and
near this Christian, that theywere, you know, awestruck about
it.
Wow, what a change of life.
They now look around and theyhiss and they shake their heads
(29:36):
at the daughter of Jerusalem.
Is that the city that is calledthe perfection of Jerusalem?
Is that the city that is calledthe perfection of beauty?
Is that the Christian?
Is that the supposed child ofGod?
That's how they look whenChristians fall in their sin.
This is the joy of the wholeearth.
(29:58):
This is the person full of joyof the Lord.
All your enemies have openedtheir mouth against you.
Surely, you see, the enemieswas really one enemy, the devil.
And when he saw you fall, helooked around and he said this
(30:20):
is exactly what I've waited for.
I have brought a child of Goddown to the depths and he's
knocking on the door of hell.
In verse 20, should the womeneat their offspring?
See, o Lord, and consider towhom you have done this.
The prophet looks again.
(30:40):
What are you doing to thepeople of god, lord?
Should the women eat theiroffspring?
Because what happened was joeJerusalem, to survive, began to
eat their own children.
Stop thinking naturally.
Think spiritually, becauseChristians are eating their own
(31:01):
offspring, their own fruit.
That fruit should have beengiven to the world, not you hide
it among a little bushel orunder a bed and just sort of
feed off of it.
No, the fruit of the Lord inyour life should have been given
to the rest of the world.
They should have been given toall of them and they would have
tasted of the fruit that was thesource from God and wanted him.
(31:22):
And now you're just trying tosurvive and hoard everything
that was good in your life, thechildren that they have cuddled.
Should the priest and theprophet be slain in the
sanctuary of the Lord?
Think about what happens whenChristians fall the priest and
(31:44):
the prophet slain in thesanctuary of the Lord.
Think spiritually.
They now go against the eldersas if the elders did something
wrong to them.
They now cut them off.
They now talk bad about them.
Should the priest and theprophet be slain in the house of
God?
But that's what Christians dowhen they fall and they don't
(32:09):
know where to go.
They blame their elders, theyblame those who rule over them
and they become a weight uponthem, because all they've done
was tried to give you the divinecounsel of the Lord.
In chapter 3, he says in verse 3, surely he has turned his hand
(32:31):
against me time and time againthroughout the day.
And then he begins to list whatthe Lord has done to make the
well of that Christian run dry,what the Lord has done to make
the well of that Christian rundry.
Because if he doesn't do that,you will go.
If you had a fast car thatcould go 220 miles an hour, you
would go 220 miles an hour overthat cliff If the Lord didn't
(32:57):
have your well run dry.
To slow you down, to try to getsome senses into your brain.
Hey, slow down, slow down, I'mtrying to save you down.
To try to get some senses intoyour brain.
Hey, slow down, slow down, I'mtrying to save you here.
But the Lord, what does he do?
Christians who had the joy ofthe Lord, the countenance of the
Almighty upon them, are nowaged.
Their flesh and their skinBones are broken.
(33:18):
He has besieged me andsurrounded me with bitterness
and woe.
He doesn't let you stay in theenjoyment of your sin and your
transgressions, but makes it sothat you are bitter.
He makes it so that you don'tenjoy it.
He's causing your wells to rundry so that you can come to your
senses, to run dry so that youcan come to your senses.
(33:40):
He has set me in dark places,like the dead of long ago.
He has hedged me in so that Ican't get out and I can't get
out of my situation.
Although I try and I try and Itry, I can't get out of here.
And there's a reason for that.
I'll get to that.
But there's a reason why he willnot let you out of that
(34:01):
situation.
It has to do with the promisesand the blessings, it has to do
with the curses, it has to dowith the conditions to these
things.
It says he hedged me in.
He made my chain heavy.
The chain of my sin does notallow me to be in peace.
I'm weighted down in mytransgression and when I cry and
(34:23):
when I shout, he shuts up myprayer.
He has blocked my ways withhewn stone.
He has made my paths crooked.
He has filled me in verse 15,with bitterness.
He has made me drink wormwoodBitterness.
Nothing in my life is sweet,nothing.
It's all bitter.
I can't be happy with anything.
(34:45):
I get to watch all the moviesand I'm not satisfied.
I get to spend my money where Iwant.
I'm not satisfied I get to havethis house.
I get to have this car.
I'm not satisfied I get tolisten to this music.
I'm not satisfied.
Nothing I do brings me anysatisfaction, because the Lord
is not allowing it.
(35:06):
He is not allowing you to enjoyit.
You have moved my soul far frompeace and I've forgotten
prosperity.
It gets to the point where youdon't remember what it was like
To be blessed of the Lord and towalk in his good mercies.
(35:28):
My soul still remembers andsinks within me this I recall.
To my mind, therefore, have Ihope, though, the Lord's mercies
, through the Lord's mercies,through the Lord's mercies, we
are not consumed because hiscompassions fail not.
But the Lord will drop in thesewords of remembrance.
(35:52):
He's merciful.
He is kind, his compassions,they don't fail and for a time
he will not leave you.
He will not forsake you becausehe wants you to return.
He wants you to be restored tohim.
And I remember in verse 23,.
(36:14):
They are new every morning.
You see, he's starting to buildhimself up in the word of the
Lord.
I remember Great is yourfaithfulness.
The Lord is my portion.
Save my soul.
Therefore, I hope in him.
The Lord is good.
The Lord is good to those whowait for him, to the soul who
(36:38):
seeks him.
It is good that one should hopeand wait quietly for the
salvation of the Lord.
This is why some saints don'tcome back, because they are not
hoping in the Lord.
They are hoping in somethingelse to save them and to redeem
them, and they make excuses whythey don't come to the Lord.
(37:01):
But it is these words that willcause you to be restored to the
Lord.
If you seek him for yoursalvation, you seek him for your
deliverance from your own mess,from your own sin and
transgression.
Because if he took your sin andtransgression and tied it up as
(37:21):
a yoke upon you, only he candeliver you from that.
The devil will not take thatfrom you.
It was the Lord that put it onyou and only the Lord will
deliver you from that.
It says it is good for a man tobear the yoke in his youth.
(37:45):
You see, when you fall and whenyou sin and when you start
walking in anger and wrath andbitterness and unforgiveness and
all of these things that arejust outshoots, offsprings,
fruit of the sin and thetransgression that you brought
into your life and that greatcalamity befalls you, you should
(38:06):
be man enough to bear it,waiting on the Lord.
Because some of us get in thosesituations and we try to hide
it, we try to cover it, we tryto clothe it, we try to paint it
with these beautiful colors,but we don't go and seek the
Lord and say I did this tomyself and I'm not going to hide
(38:28):
it from my brother, I'm notgoing to hide it from my sister,
I did this to myself.
I should bear thisresponsibility, however long it
lasts.
I will bear it, father, becauseit was my fault.
Let him sit alone and be silentbecause God has laid it on him.
(38:51):
Let him put his mouth in thedust.
That means, put your face rightthere and eat dust.
Don't think naturally,spiritually, humble yourself,
get right down on the face ofyour heart and humble yourself
(39:12):
and bear your own iniquity for atime, because he's laid it upon
you so that you would returnback to him, so that you will be
restored back to him.
Let him give his cheek to theone who strikes him and be full
of reproach because for a time,if you called yourself a
(39:33):
Christian and then you got intosin, then bear all of the
mocking that everyone around youis going to bring upon you,
because you brought that uponyourself.
Bear it, be a man, be a man ofGod and bear it.
It says in verse 39, actuallyverse 33,.
(39:55):
He does not afflict willinglyto crush under one's feet.
He's not doing this to crushyou.
He's doing this to get you tocome to your senses.
Why should a living mancomplain?
A man for the punishment of hissins?
He says in verse 39.
Why are you going to complain?
(40:16):
You brought this upon yourself.
Be silent, calling upon theLord, and wait for His
deliverance, because whateveryou go through, he has the way
of escape, he has the exit, theway out.
(40:36):
What does it say in verse 40?
As you stick your face in thesand, as you humble yourself as
you sit quietly waiting upon theLord.
Search out and examine yourways and turn back to the Lord.
Lift up your hearts, lift upyour hands to the God in heaven.
(40:57):
We have transgressed andrebelled and you have not
pardoned.
You have made us anoff-scouring, a refuse in the
midst of the people.
But in verse 48, my eyes, again,my eyes, overflow with rivers
of water.
Elders are looking at adistance, at what these saints
(41:19):
are doing to themselves.
And we're crying out, even ifwe don't cry out in front of you
with tears, we are crying outin prayer.
Where is he going?
Where is she going?
Does she not see?
Does he not see where this isleading?
And we're crying and we'retravailing because the daughter
(41:40):
of my people is being destroyedand it comes back to Jerusalem,
my enemies.
They hunted me, they silencedmy life.
I called on your name, o Lord,from the lowest pit.
You have heard my voice.
Do not hide your ear from mysighing, from my cry for help.
You see, in chapter 4 it talksabout there was a time where
(42:03):
Jerusalem was so strong, whereJerusalem was in such peace that
all the kings of the earthwould think who could ever enter
into there.
What sin, what people, whatcountry, what nation could ever
come into them and ransack them?
It says in verse 12, the kingsof the earth and all the
inhabitants of the world wouldnot have believed that the
(42:25):
adversary, the enemy, couldenter the gates of Jerusalem.
It was not thought about.
But what does it say in thenext verse?
Because of the sins of herprophets, the voices that she
heard, that she heeded to theiniquities of her priests, who
shed in her midst the blood ofthe just, they wandered blind in
(42:48):
the streets.
They defiled themselves withblood so that no one would touch
their garments.
Go away, unclean.
Go away.
Go away, do not touch us.
The face of the Lord in verse 16, scattered them.
He no longer regards them.
The people do not respect thepriest, nor show favor to the
(43:09):
elders.
There's a certain segmentwithin the body that when they
fall, they will not listen tothe priest, they will not listen
to the elders, and it says thatthe Lord no longer regards them
because they don't show favoror respect to the elders that
(43:33):
are ministering the word of Godto their lives.
It says in 17,.
Still, our eyes failed, failed.
Us watching vainly for our helpand our watching.
We watched for a nation thatcould not save us, because deep
down in their hearts, they don'twant the Lord, they don't want
his divine counsel.
They're looking elsewhere forsomething to save them and
redeem them, and they continueto condemn themselves.
(44:00):
Chapter 5, remember, o Lord,what has come upon us.
Look and behold our reproach.
But there are some Christiansthat get into this situation and
they still call out for theLord.
You're seeing glimpses of twotypes of people One who will
call upon the Lord and one whowants nothing to do with it and
(44:21):
is still looking for somethingelse to save them.
In verse 16, the crown that theLord put upon our head has
fallen from us.
Woe to us, for we have sinned.
Because of this, our heart isfaint and because of this,
because of these things, oureyes grow dim.
It's getting to a point where Ican't see.
(44:42):
I can't see anymore.
But the very little thing, thevery little light of hope, is
that you're crying out to theLord and you're acknowledging
that it was your sin that gotyou there, Because it says in
verse 21, turn us back to you, oLord, and we will be restored,
(45:05):
renew our days as of old.
There is a segment, there is aportion of God's people that do
not take to His correction.
They don't take it to heart.
They don't take it to heart andthey don't change.
It says in Isaiah 42, verse 20through 25,.
(45:34):
He says Seeing many things, butyou do not observe.
Opening the ears but he doesnot hear.
You see, the Lord is wellpleased for his righteousness
sake.
He's not going to uplift andexalt unrighteousness, he is
(45:55):
well pleased to exalt and upholdhis righteousness.
He will exalt the law and makeit honorable.
Now you could substitute theword for the law.
He will exalt the word and makeit honorable.
That is what he will exalt.
But you continue inunrighteousness and you will
find nothing of favor and mercyfrom him.
(46:19):
But you see, the people wererobbed, the people were
plundered, it says.
All of them are snared in holesand they are hidden in prison
houses.
They are prey and no onedelivers for plunder and no one
says restore.
No one is crying out to himSave us, help us.
(46:39):
There's a segment of God'speople that are not doing that.
Who among you will give ear tothis?
Who will listen and hear forthe time to come?
Who gave Jacob for plunder andIsrael to robbers?
Was it not the Lord, he againstwhom we have sinned, for they
(47:02):
would not walk in His ways, norwere they obedient to His law.
Therefore, he poured on him thefury of His anger and the
strength of battle.
It has set him on fire allaround, yet he did not know, and
it burned him.
And yet he did not know and itburned him, and yet he did not
(47:25):
take it to heart.
There's a fire of hell that issurrounding some Christians and
because they will not heed, itis burning them and they will
not take anything to heart thatit is burning them and they will
not take anything to heart thatis told to them.
(47:47):
Fire all around them and hedoesn't know it.
Blind man who believes he seesbut really doesn't see.
But there is a remnant of thesame people that I'm talking
about, in which God's heartyearns to have mercy on them.
(48:09):
It is his heart to restore hischildren unto himself himself.
Jeremiah 31, 17 through 20.
There is hope in your future,says the Lord, that your
children shall come back totheir own border, that's, being
(48:30):
restored to the place in whichyou were at.
I have surely heard Ephraimbemoaning himself.
The Lord says I've heard him.
He's bemoaning himself, and youknow what he said.
He said you, oh God, havechastised me, and I was
chastised like an untrained bull.
Restore me and I will return,for you are the Lord, my God.
(48:52):
When we come back to the Lord,we put him back in the place
that he's always been andrecognize and acknowledge the
truth you are God.
I forgot that.
I stopped loving you and gavemy love to others, but I
remember now and I come back toyou and recognize, for you are
(49:14):
the Lord, my God.
And when you chastise me, Itook it.
Restore me now, surely, after Iturn, surely after I repent,
after I was instructed, I struckmyself on the thigh.
You fool, yeah, you fool.
(49:38):
I did this to myself.
I was ashamed, even humiliated,because I bore the reproach of
my youth.
I didn't hide it, I didn't shunit away, I took it upon myself.
I was foolish, I did foolishly.
But you see, then the Lord saysIs Ephraim my dear son?
(50:00):
Is he a pleasant child?
For though I spoke against him,listen to his words, listen to
the heart of God.
I earnestly remember him still.
Therefore, my heart yearns forhim.
I will surely have mercy on,says the Lord, but notice what
(50:20):
is the heart of God respondingto it is that man, that woman
that is acknowledging the placethat the Lord has and saying I
did this, my bad, my fault, ohGod, but restore me, please
Restore me.
It says in Psalm 80,.
(50:44):
The psalmist is saying give ear,o shepherd of Israel, and come
and save us.
It says in verse 3 restore us,o God, cause your face to shine,
and we shall be saved.
It is that remnant of peoplethat are crying out to the Lord,
knowing that only he candeliver, knowing that only he
(51:06):
can save, only he can redeem,only he can restore.
And those are who these peopleare calling upon.
Because it says in verse 7, andrestore us, o God of hosts,
cause your face to shine, yourmercies, your countenance, your
glory to shine on us and weshall be saved.
In verse 14, return, we beseechyou, o God of hosts, look down
(51:33):
from heaven and see and visitthis vine, because there are
some that are burned with fireand they're cut down and they
perish at the rebuke of yourcountenance.
They perish at the rebuke ofyour countenance because they
will not repent.
But in verse 18, then we willnot turn back from you, I will
(51:57):
not repent from you.
Revive us and we will call uponyour name.
Restore us, o Lord, god ofhosts.
Cause your face to shine and weshall be saved.
It continues in chapter 85.
Restore us, o God of oursalvation.
Cause your anger toward us tocease.
(52:17):
You see, we're acknowledgingthat I'm in the predicament I'm
in because of the things thatI've done.
But I realize my God is angrywith me and, yes, he put this
yoke upon me and I am surroundedwith bitterness, I am
surrounded with all woe and I'mcrying out to the only one who
(52:38):
could take me out of this place.
He asked will you be angry withus forever?
In verse five will you prolongyour anger to all generations?
Will you not revive us againthat your people may rejoice in
you?
Show us your mercy, lord, andgrant us your salvation.
I will hear, and this is how Iknow.
(53:00):
This is the remnant that wantsto hear.
What does the Lord say?
Because it says in verse 8, Iwill hear what the Lord God will
speak.
I will listen now.
I will hear and I will listennow, for he will speak.
Peace to his people and to hissaints, but let them not turn
back to their folly.
I'm ready to hear what you'regoing to say, lord, and I'm
(53:24):
ready to do it, and I want toturn back to my folly.
That's the heart that he'sresponding to.
Surely, his salvation is nearto those who can anybody read it
.
Fear him.
Near to those who can anybodyread it, fear him.
It's them he's responding to.
(53:46):
And then I love this.
Mercy and truth have mettogether.
You see, you can't have God'smercy if you're not willing to
acknowledge the truth.
It is when mercy and truth meet.
It is because you haveacknowledged that of your
wayward ways, you acknowledgeyour sin, your transgressions,
(54:07):
you acknowledge who the Lordactually is, and then is when
you find mercy.
Look at what it says nextRighteousness and peace have
kissed.
You can't get the peace of Godwithout walking in His
righteousness.
You must repent, you mustchange your ways and then what
you desire, you will have peaceand mercy.
(54:28):
Righteousness will go beforeHim and shall make His footsteps
our pathway.
There must be a change on yourpart.
You cannot expect to be inbondage to your own sin and
transgressions and want thedeliverance and want the
redemption if you are unwillingto change your ways.
(54:51):
It does not happen that way.
Oh, I messed up, lord, but Iwant you to somehow salvage this
and make it pure, make it holy,make it right.
It is that voice of deceptionthat causes us to remain in that
(55:12):
state of deception leading toour destruction, cannot salvage
or save those unwilling torepent, to acknowledge the truth
, the error of their ways.
I think about, as I've talkedand shared all this with you.
I think about Peter In John,chapter 21,.
(55:36):
It was in the morning.
Peter told the disciples let'sgo fishing.
Come on, let's just go fishing.
He went back to the way that hewas Before Jesus ever came.
What was he?
Fisherman.
And now that Jesus hassupposedly resurrected, maybe
(55:58):
haven't seen him for a few days.
Let's just go back fishing.
And when they were fishing,there was a man on the shores In
the morning.
Jesus stood there and thedisciples did not know that it
was Jesus.
And Jesus said to them Children, have you any food?
And they answered no.
And he said to them Cast it inon the right side of the boat
and you will find some.
(56:18):
So they cast and now they werenot able to draw it in because
of the multitude of the fish.
And therefore the disciple whomJesus loved.
John said to Peter it is theLord.
And now when Simon Peter heardthat it was the Lord, he put on
his outer garment, for he hadremoved it and plunged into the
sea.
(56:38):
He went swimming to the Lordand he grabbed the net and he
helped bring in the fish.
And this is the third time thatJesus showed himself to the
disciples after he was raisedfrom the dead.
And so I want to come to verse15.
When they had eaten breakfast,jesus said to Simon Peter Simon,
son of Jonah, do you love memore than these?
(56:58):
And the word love there wasagape.
You wouldn't understand thedifference of this if you didn't
kind of look a little bitfurther into the Greek and
realize that the word love,right here, right now that I
just read, is agape.
And then, when Peter answeredhim, he said to him yes, lord,
you know that I love you.
But he didn't use the same wordthat Jesus used, he used phileo
(57:23):
.
And so the first word, agape,is a divine love.
Do you love me?
Because my word says love me.
It is out of duty, it is out of.
That is the will of God.
For you to love me, it's adecision.
But then Peter answers thephileo, the brotherly, the
(57:45):
affection part of it.
It's kind of interestingbecause then Jesus asked him
again do you, agape, love me?
And then Peter answers againwell, yes, of course I, phileo,
love you.
Now it is important that youlove God, because God requires
(58:09):
it, god demands it, he's yourcreator out of duty, it's the
divine love.
Yes, I love you.
But the next time he asked thequestion, jesus didn't ask for
the agape love.
It's almost as if he's sayingto Peter Peter, peter, do you
(58:34):
really, phileo, love me, yourheart affections, really?
And Peter then says yes, yes,of course I do.
And I only point this outbecause when Jerusalem gave his
love to others, it was hisaffections he was giving to
everyone else.
Jesus is not only interested inyour love, out of a divine love
(59:00):
for him, out of his word, buthe also wants your affections.
He wants both.
He doesn't want you just simplyout of obligation to love him.
He wants you to love him, likeyou were swept off your feet by
this great gentleman, or youwere, you know, you just were on
(59:24):
cloud nine because of thiswonderful woman, just was, just
swept you off your feet, kind of.
He wants that love too, becausethe moment that you give your
heart and your affections overto other things, you're going to
produce your own downfall.
He wants both.
(59:47):
I think of also Job, as anexample to everything that I've
shared For 42 chapters.
Job wants to sit down with theLord.
I want to talk with him.
I mean you have to read it.
I'm just sort of highlightingit here, but you need to read it
for yourself and realize thatreally, what he wanted to do was
sit down with the Lord and sayLord, I mean no disrespect, but
(01:00:10):
I think you made a mistake.
I've been righteous, I've doneyour will.
I mean, I think you made amistake.
You took away my children, youtook away my goods.
I think you made a mistake, lord, for 41 chapters, and when the
(01:00:32):
Lord speaks to him in verse 42,job answers what the Lord had
responded to him and he says youknow what?
I know that you can doeverything and no purpose of
yours can be withheld from you.
You asked me who hides counselwithout knowledge?
Therefore, I uttered what I didnot understand, things too
wonderful for me which I did notknow.
Listen, please, and let mespeak.
You said I will question youand you shall answer me.
(01:00:54):
Well, you know what?
I've heard you by the hearingof the ear, but now my eyes see
you.
Therefore, I abhor myself and Irepent in dust and ashes, and I
repent in dust and ashes.
It was only at that moment thatthe Lord had accepted Job in
verse 9.
Everything you read in thatchapter 41 was a culmination of
(01:01:21):
him humbling himself, which iswhat I told you a Christian
needs to do in order to receiverestoration.
He must humble himself beforeGod and say I was wrong, I
messed up, and you tied all ofmy sins and church gifts upon me
so that I come to my senses.
Thank you, lord.
I repent in dust and ashes.
(01:01:43):
And then it was when Job wasaccepted of the Lord, and it was
then that he then prayed forhis friends.
And then Lord gave Job twice asmuch as he had before, and he
had seven sons and threedaughters, and there was none
more beautiful in all the landthan his daughters.
That was restoration.
But what had to come first washis repentance of his error in
(01:02:08):
ways.
It doesn't come any other way.
Jesus was speaking to thedisciples in parables and he
told them a parable about losingone sheep out of a hundred.
And he says isn't it bringingso much joy when you find that
one lost sheep?
I mean, you got the others, butyou're just so happy you found
(01:02:31):
your lost sheep and you sharewith everyone and everybody
rejoices.
Well, he says, just like thatthat there's more joy in heaven
over a sinner who does whatRepents Than 99 just persons who
don't need any repentance.
That was just a small parable.
And then he does it again andhe says what about the woman who
(01:02:51):
had 10 silver coins and lostone?
And she's looking all over,looking all over, and she
finally finds it, like when youfind your keys and you were
looking all over and you had toleave the house, and finally,
yes, I got it, okay, let's go.
And there's so much joy and hesays in heaven, heaven, it's
(01:03:14):
just like that when a sinnerrepents.
And then what's the nextparable?
The prodigal son.
The prodigal son had to go hiswayward ways, but in order for
him to come back in the presenceof his father, he had to say
within himself I will arise andgo to my father.
And I will say to him father, Ihave sinned against heaven and
(01:03:35):
before you, and that's whatChristians are lacking today.
I've got to go to my father.
I have to admit I am wrong.
I sinned against you, I sinnedagainst my brethren, I sinned
(01:03:56):
against my sister.
I sinned against my mother ormy father.
I disrespected, I was justrebellious.
I was rebellious.
That must come first.
And I told you before let'sread it again it is the heart of
(01:04:18):
God to restore.
He said in Jeremiah 31, 20,.
Though I spoke against him, Iearnestly remember him still.
Therefore, my heart yearns forhim.
I want him back, I want herback, and surely I will have
(01:04:40):
mercy on him, because there wasnot much said after that in
regards to the prodigal son.
He says I am no longer worthyto be called your son.
That's more humility.
I'm not worthy to get anythingback.
I've already took myinheritance.
I'm not worthy of anything.
Lord, let me just be a servantin your house.
That's the type of attitudethat a Christian who's coming
(01:05:03):
back needs to have in order tocorrect the errors that are
going on in his life.
And he arose and came to hisfather and he said exactly what
he said I sinned against heavenand in your sight and I'm no
longer worthy to be called yourson.
But before he could even finish, the father said to his servant
hey, get a robe for him, dresshim in my righteousness, dress
(01:05:26):
him in my holiness.
And what do you mean?
You're no longer worthy to becalled a son.
And they gave him the ring, thesignet, the sign yes, you are
mine, you've always been mine,because in the father's eyes,
when he left, there was norelationship anymore.
It was cut off.
(01:05:46):
Just like when Adam had toleave the garden, it was cut off
.
But look at how it's describedin verse 24.
For this, my son was dead andhe's alive again.
That sheep was lost, but Ifound him.
That coin was lost, but I foundhim.
My child was lost, was lost,but I found him.
(01:06:14):
He came back.
He repented.
Let us party, let us joy,because he has returned and they
began to be married.
For what once was lost was nowfound.
So I go back to the beginning.
As elders in this fellowship, weare watching from a distance
and at some times we're comingclose.
We're trying to give you thedivine counsel of the Lord, only
(01:06:36):
to see and not be heeded.
Because, from the verybeginning, remember them that
have rule over you.
Obey them that have rule overyou.
Obey them that have rule overyou.
They're not your masters,they're actually servants ruling
over you.
Tremendous paradox there.
But receive the word that youheard from us as if it was the
(01:07:03):
word of God, because it is.
It is the divine counsel of theLord for your redemption, for
your salvation, because it is,in truth, the word of God.
Now, if you continue coming tothis fellowship, obviously
there's some sort ofacknowledgement that the
(01:07:24):
anointing is in this place, orelse you're here for the wrong
reasons.
If you continue to remain inthis fellowship under the
oversight of the elders that arehere, then there should be
obedience, there should besubmission, because there's not
(01:07:45):
one elder in this place thatwants to involve himself in the
mess and the lives of otherpeople.
It is only the heart of Godthat requires us to enter in at
certain moments in time and say,hey, wake up, wake up.
Hello, don't you see whatyou're doing?
Do you not see what you'redoing?
(01:08:07):
This is where it's going to endup.
Wake up, church Christians,wake up.
Let us be a joy to not only ourelders, but let us be a joy to
the Lord.
Let us be a pleasure to Him.
Let our ways please Him, amen.
(01:08:30):
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(01:08:50):
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May God bless you and make youprosperous in Him as you listen
and obey His voice.
The vision received was that of blood cells
traveling throughout the body,supplying the much needed oxygen
and other nutrients to thediffering members of the body to
fulfill their purpose.
Once the blood cells are spent,they must return back to the
heart to be refilled beforebeing sent out again and fulfill
their purpose.
Good morning, saints.
(00:26):
I guess I want to sort of helpus figure out where we're going
to be going today.
I guess I'll start with aquestion.
I guess you could raise yourhand, or you can just keep it
down.
It could be rhetorical or not.
How many of you had a memorablespiritual year with the Lord?
(00:46):
Right now, that it's memorable.
It's just been wow.
Just one thing after another,blessing, I mean, it's just been
awesome.
It's just been a great,spiritual, memorable year, a
highlight of your faith.
Walk, great, okay.
A couple of hands, okay.
I can't say that I have thatthis year.
(01:07):
It's been a struggle.
It's been a struggle on adifferent level, I would say for
me and my wife this particularyear although I'm not speaking
for her, just bringing her in,because I think we've had the
same struggle Pretty sure wehave and it's not that it's been
(01:30):
unbearable, it's just been astruggle because we've not been
really a part of this type ofstruggle in our faith walk this
year that we've seen this year.
I mean, we've had the samescenarios this year but it just
seemed to be amplified this year.
So maybe this will resonatewith some of you and maybe it
(01:52):
won't, I don't know, I'll leavethat up to the Spirit of the
Lord.
But sort of setting the stageand I'm very, very glad that
some of you did raise your hand,I'm glad it is and we have to
realize that we live a life ofseasons.
There's highs and lows, andit's not to say that what we've
(02:17):
experienced this year is a low.
It's been a low vicariously, Iguess I would put it and I'll
get to what I mean by that in asecond being an elder in this
fellowship and you know,designated there's now three
elders John and I and BishopHarris.
That's been somewhat of astruggle because we had more in
times past and it's a wonderfulthing to be able to gather
(02:42):
together with the brothers, tobe able to oversee what's
together with the brothers, tobe able to oversee what's going
on with the saints in theministry and to be able to carry
the burdens that go along withthat office, you know, through
prayer, through ministry,through coming alongside people,
through counsel, throughfinancial help, through any type
of spiritual, material helpthat we could give and offer to
(03:06):
the saints.
So I come to you with thatperspective, looking at the
saints, looking at our lovedones, looking at our relatives.
In that perspective, I foundsomething interesting and I
guess I'll start off in Hebrews13.
And there's something that issaid by this author we believe
it to be Paul in Hebrews andit's said three times.
(03:28):
And it's not to say that thisphrase was never used before in
the scriptures, because it was,but in this particular context
it's like it was emphasizedthree times.
This same phrase In Hebrews 13,verse 7, verse 17, and verse
24,.
(03:48):
The author says remember thosewho rule over you, who have
spoken the word of God to you,whose faith follow, considering
the outcome of their conduct.
Now, if you haven't understood,those who rule over you, we're
not talking really aboutgovernments here.
(04:09):
We're talking about those thatare overseeing the sheep and the
flock and the differentfellowships or churches that
we're around.
It says again in verse 17, notjust to remember them, but obey
those who rule over you and besubmissive, for they watch out
(04:29):
for your souls.
That is their heart, that isthe nature of the office that
they happen to be in.
And some of us are in thatoffice not really having asked
for it, but being commissionedin it by the Holy Spirit.
And it says to watch over yoursouls as those who must give
(04:50):
account.
Because part of the nature ofthat office is that we must
answer before the Lord for thethings that we were overseeing,
the things that we were watchingover.
And the Lord's heart is that wedo it with joy and not with
(05:11):
grief, for that would beunprofitable for you.
He wanted elders to be over,watching over the flock, helping
them out, helping the weakerones, helping the strong ones,
helping us all come to the unityof the faith of the knowledge
of the Son of God unto a perfectman.
It says in verse 24, greet allthose who rule over you.
(05:36):
And there it is a third time,this emphasis on those who rule
over you, because it's neverdescribed as one who is lording
over you, as a master, a servant, but actually as one who rules
over you as a servant, becausethey're there to help clean up
your walk as a servant, to getdown on their knees, exposed and
(05:59):
naked, as Jesus did In John 13.
And wash the disciples' feet,and so that emphasis of the
elder watching over the flock ishow I want to share what I'd
like to share with you today,what God has put on my heart.
(06:19):
It says in 1 Thessalonians,2.13,.
Paul was saying we thank Godwithout ceasing.
I mean, we're just so thankfulbecause when you receive the
word of God which you heard fromus, you welcomed it, not as if
(06:47):
it was from man, but from God,because, as it in truth, it was
the word of God that was beingministered unto you.
It was the divine counsel fromheaven that was being given to
you.
It wasn't the fancies or theimaginations or the good ideas
of a man, but it was a man ofGod.
It was an elder, if you will,in Christ, who was looking out
(07:22):
for your soul to minister to youthe things that you needed to
correct your way.
And it effectively, that wordthat is ministered to you is
effectively is effectively worksin your life when you believe
it, when you receive it, whenyou apply it.
And it says in 1 Thessalonians,just a couple chapters later, 4,
verse 8, there's just the firstpart.
Therefore, he who rejects thisdoes not reject man but God.
(07:44):
And he who rejects this doesnot reject man but God, because
he was talking to them abouttheir godly walk, how to walk
rightly before the Lord.
And he who rejects this doesn'treject me but he's rejecting
God, because he's saying thatwhat I've ministered and given
to you is divine.
It's not carnal, it was thedivine word of God being
(08:11):
ministered unto you Now aselders, as servants of the Lord.
It says in 2 Timothy 2, verse 24, that a servant of the Lord
must not be quarreling.
He must be gentle to all people, he must be able to teach, to
be patient in humility,correcting those who are in
(08:32):
opposition to themselves.
And if she has it up there, canyou put parallel please,
because I like the way the KJVputs this.
It doesn't kind of quite saythat in the NKJV, but it says
here that it says here and theservant of the Lord must not
strive but be gentle unto allmen, apt to teach and patient in
(08:53):
meekness, instructing thosethat oppose themselves.
They're opposing the godlythings that they so forth desire
, but their ways oppose thatwhich they actually want.
And then it says if God perhapswill grant them repentance so
(09:19):
that they may know the truth andI like the way that KJV puts it
If God, perhaps, peradventure,will give them repentance to the
acknowledging of the truth, andI like the way that KJV puts it
If God, perhaps, will give themrepentance to the acknowledging
of the truth.
You see, when saints areopposing themselves, they are
opposing themselves because theyare not even acknowledging the
truth of what is in error intheir lives.
(09:39):
And when they don't acknowledgeit, when they don't see it,
when they're blind to their ownwaywardness, they oppose
themselves because they yetdesire the things of the Lord.
It's very difficult for elderswho are watching over to try to
help a blind man who believesthat they see.
(10:01):
Tell them you're not seeing,you are actually blind.
I don't have an answer for howyou do that, to teach a blind
man who believes that they seethat they actually don't see.
Because when you come into thatunderstanding, when you
(10:24):
acknowledge that truth in yourwaywardness, that you actually
really don't see, that's whenyou have a sign of repentance
that leads into salvation,because you're acknowledging the
truth rather than opposingyourselves and saying but I do
see, I do see, I do understand,I do get it.
(10:46):
But when you look at yourbehavior and your actions.
It speaks completely differentthan what you're confessing with
your mouth.
And we've said in this ministryit doesn't matter what you say,
it matters what you do, itmatters what is the fruit of all
of these decisions that you'remaking for yourself because if
(11:08):
they're not ripe, there'ssomething wrong.
And if you think that they'reripe, that's where it starts,
when you realizing that yourwaywardness and the fruit that
you think is ripe is notactually ripe.
You see, it says in verse 26that they may come to their
(11:29):
senses because they're not intheir right mind, they're not
all there, spiritually andmentally, they're not making
decisions and they're out oftheir senses.
And elders and ministers aretrying to get people to see
(11:52):
what's really there, to see withthe eyes of the spirit what's
really the problem.
Come to your senses so that youcan escape the snare of the
devil, because what you don'tsee is that the devil's got you,
the devil's entangled you, thedevil has you in bondage, the
(12:13):
devil has you wrapped around inchains and you don't see it.
You think you're free and untilyou see it, we can't help you
escape.
You have to come to theacknowledgement of the truth.
You have to come to your sensesBecause you have been taken
(12:34):
captive by the devil's will, andyou know that the devil's will
is to steal, to kill and destroy.
Through what Three letters Sin?
The Lord tells us that if anyman is overtaken in any trespass
, that you who are spiritual,you who are mature to restore
(12:57):
such a one in a spirit ofgentleness, considering lest you
be tempted Because even elderscould fall, but bear one
another's burdens and thusfulfill the law of Christ.
And we know that the law ofChrist is love.
(13:18):
The lamentations of restoration.
I've never really shared onlamentations, but I am going to
today Because there are saints,there are people in the church
that want what they want, whatGod wants for them.
(13:41):
It's almost a paradox.
They want what God wants, hisblessings.
It's almost a paradox.
They want what God's want, hisblessings, they want his will,
but the way they go about doingit is opposing themselves.
They don't see that the waythat they've chosen to bring
about God's will and blessingson their lives is actually
working against that very desire.
(14:02):
So I'm not here to judgesaints' hearts, but we must come
to the acknowledgement of thetruth that your actions are
opposing the desire of the Lordthat you do want.
For even Paul, zealously, wasserving the Lord, but his way
was completely contrary, becausehe was persecuting the very
(14:25):
body of Christ, zealouslybelieving he was serving the
Lord.
So lamentation starts with theprophet, Jeremiah, looking at
the condition of the people ofGod Jerusalem is another word
(14:48):
for the people of God and hesees that the city that was full
of people is now a widow, isnow utterly alone.
She was great among the nations, among the provinces, but now
she's become a slave, it says.
(15:09):
Jeremiah is looking at the nowstate of the church, the people
of God, because just a fewgenerations, centuries before,
they were the epitome of all thekingdom of the earth, Solomon
and his temple and the peace ofhis reign, and a temple full of
(15:32):
gold and gold and more gold andshields of gold.
Everything was gold.
This was the golden era and ina few centuries, because of
their own sin, they have falleninto a decadent state that
Jeremiah now see.
She was full of people, she waswonderful, she was glorious.
But you know what?
We need to stop seeing this asjust a historical account of
(15:55):
what Jeremiah saw.
We need to see this with theeyes of the Spirit because this
is the church.
This is the church that wasonce wondrous and glorious, and
people looked at her.
People looked at us and theylooked up to us Because there
was something different about us, that we were full of glory, we
were full of joy.
We had a change of behavior, wehad a change of our lives.
(16:17):
We were no longer lying, wewere no longer sinning, we were
in God's will and God wasblessing us, and he was decking
us in gold and jewelry androbing us with robes of
righteousness.
And all of not even all of asudden, but over a period of
(16:40):
time there was a degradationhappening because of our own sin
.
And so now we find ourself aslave.
Paul says in Romans Do you notknow that, whoever you present
yourselves to to obey, you arethe slave to whom you obey?
You are the one slaves to whomyou obey, and whether it's sin
(17:01):
leading to death or of obedienceleading to righteousness, or of
obedience leading torighteousness.
He said that Jerusalem whipsbitterly in the night.
Her tears are on her cheeks.
She's in a state where shedoesn't know what to do.
She's in a state where sherealizes I'm not where I was and
(17:22):
I don't know what to do aboutit and I'm crying here.
I'm in tears and it says, amongall her lovers she has none to
comfort her.
All of her friends have dealttreacherously with her.
They have become her enemies.
Jerusalem, the people of God,paid others to have adultery
(17:47):
with them.
Usually you commit fornicationand you pay for that work.
But they paid that someonewould come and commit adultery
with them.
You see, all of her lovers andall of her friends were her
(18:11):
other loves.
You have to read, you have tounderstand.
How did they get to this state,to understand that Jerusalem
had other loves.
Jerusalem had other loves.
They brought into themselvesthings that substituted
themselves for the God of Israel, the God of Abraham and Isaac
(18:34):
and Jacob, and it was this thatcaused their downfall, for they
committed spiritual idolatry andadultery with the other nations
.
And they did this more and moreand more as the years gone by.
All of these other loves thatcome into the heart of a
(18:56):
Christian arise up for us asanti-Christ.
Anti not meaning opposed toChrist, but anti meaning in
substitution of Christ, becauseChrist was the first love of a
Christian.
He says her adversaries havebecome the master.
(19:20):
Her enemies prosper, for theLord has afflicted her.
The Lord has afflicted herbecause of the multitude of her
transgressions, because of hersin.
The Lord has decided I willafflict her.
Her children have gone intocaptivity before the enemy.
(19:42):
All that the church had is nowunder the reign of another
master.
All of the fruits of thischurch, of this Christian, have
now become in the wraps, in thereign of the enemy himself, and
the Lord has allowed thisbecause of their sin.
You see, the daughter of Zion,in all of her splendor, has
(20:07):
departed.
Think about some of the saintsthat you may have known, that
were close to you, that startedoff on fire, that started off
godly, that started off holy,and they made a commotion for
the sake of the Lord's name.
And then, all of a sudden,they're not that way anymore.
They're not looked up to inthat way anymore, because their
(20:31):
own sin has caused theirdownfall.
Jerusalem, in verse 8, hassinned gravely.
Therefore, she has become vile.
All who honored her despisedher because they have seen her
nakedness.
Yes, she sighs and turns away.
They don't look up to heranymore.
(20:53):
In the beginning, thatChristian caught their attention
.
They were impressed.
They didn't understand it, butthey were different.
And then, all of a sudden, whenthey fell down, that was that,
(21:16):
christian, please.
And not only do they shamethemselves, they shame the name
of the Lord in whom they saidthat they believed in.
Her uncleanness is in her skirts.
It's in her fornication.
She did not consider herdestiny All the while that she
(21:37):
gave her love to other lovers,she did not consider the
consequences of the actions andtherefore her collapse was
awesome.
She had no comforter.
Oh Lord, behold my affliction,for the enemy is exalted and the
(22:00):
distant recesses of her memory.
She remembers the Lord.
Oh Lord, my affliction, how theenemy is exalted before me.
If you read Lamentations,there's almost like three
different points of view.
There's the view of the prophet, of this distant Jerusalem, but
then he puts himself in themidst of Jerusalem and he then
cries out as if he was Jerusalem.
Because, remember Jeremiah, hewasn't an abomination to the
(22:25):
Lord.
He was trying to warn thepeople of God and yet he went
through their calamity.
He saw and experienced acalamity that was not of his own
doing.
It says in verse 14, the yoke ofmy transgression was bound,
(22:47):
they were woven together by hishands and thrust upon my neck,
my sins and my transgressions.
He hath tied them up on me, onmy neck, and now I am weighed
down with my own transgressions.
It was his doing that.
He tied it unto me.
He made my strength fail.
(23:10):
The Lord delivered me into thehands of those and I am not able
to withstand.
This is the fall of his people.
This is the fall of his peopletoday.
They're entangled in their owntransgressions.
(23:31):
And then again he pops out of itin verse 16.
He starts talking about and forthese things I weep.
My eye, my eye overflows withwater.
Jeremiah is watching this andhe begins to cry.
That's why it's called theLamentations.
That's why he's called theweeping prophet, because he's
crying over what's happening tothe people that he loves, his
(23:52):
church.
He's expressing the heart ofGod for the people that he loves
and he's crying and he'swailing because they've fallen
so far from the splendor thatthey had with the Lord, because
the comforter who should restoremy life is far from me.
My children are desolatebecause the enemy prevailed.
You get a glimpse of God'sheart and I'm telling you that
(24:16):
in this church there may not bemany elders, but that is a
glimpse of our heart when we seethe saints of God not realize
that the decisions that they'remaking is going to cause a great
fall in the future, that theydon't see.
You don't see where your roadis leading you.
(24:37):
You don't see that thesedecisions are going to cause you
to fall and I don't know ifyou're going to be able to come
back.
Zion spreads out her hands.
Imagine Jeremiah sees like achild spreading out her hands,
wanting help, wanting help fromsomebody, and there's no one
(24:58):
there.
It's a child all alone.
You may have seen it if youlooked at, you know, the videos
that they have of Africa and thepeople starving.
You see this child all aloneand she's utterly hungry and
there's no one there to feed her, there's no one there to
comfort her.
The Lord has commanded,concerning Jacob, that those
(25:20):
around him become hisadversaries.
The Lord has commanded it thatall of the adversaries around my
child become her enemy andovertake her.
Jerusalem has become an uncleanthing among them and in verse
19, jerusalem is saying I calledfor my lovers, but they
(25:41):
deceived me, they tricked me,they tricked me, you tricked
yourself, you let your sindeceive you, you let your own
lust that births sin, and sinleads forth to death.
My priests and elders breathedtheir last in the city while
(26:04):
they sought food to restoretheir life.
See, o Lord, that I am indistress.
My soul is troubled, my heartis overturned within me, for I
have been rebellious.
Outside, the sword bereaves me.
When I go outside, it'sbereaving me.
That word bereavement is likean abortion.
It's like a miscarry.
When I go outside, any fruitthat I bring forth is miscarried
(26:27):
.
It's aborted.
All of my works, though theymay be righteous or good,
they're aborted Because I am ina state of sin.
Nothing that I bring forth foryou does any good At home, and
when I'm at home, it's likedeath.
(26:49):
It says in chapter 2, verse 1,that the Lord covered the
daughter of Zion with a cloud ofHis anger and he cast down from
heaven to earth the beauty ofIsrael.
Israel was once beautiful.
Israel was once beautiful.
Jerusalem was once beautiful.
The people of God, thatChristian, was once beautiful.
She was beautified by the Lord,but the Lord has taken her from
(27:15):
this glory to now a lesserglory, from heaven to earth,
from spiritual to carnal.
And he did not remember thefootstool in the day of his
anger, and the earth is hisfootstool.
The earth is representative ofman.
It says in verse nine herprophets find no vision from the
(27:38):
Lord.
You see, a Christian starts tohear voices and he thinks that
it's the Lord and it's thesevoices that has deceived him and
caused this Christian to goastray.
You see it, if you read thescriptures of what happened to
Israel before their captivity,for those centuries it was they
(28:01):
listened to other voices.
But Christians are doing thistoday and when they're down in
their calamity, the prophetsfind no vision.
They can't even see anymore.
There is no vision of what isto happen.
It is darkness, it is gloom, itis doom.
(28:26):
You see, in verse 14, it saysyour prophets have seen for you
false and deceptive visions.
The voices that you listened tobefore were deceiving you.
They gave you false visions,thinking you can do this and get
away with it.
Thinking you can do thisquietly and nothing would happen
and it would not affect anyonenear you or around you.
(28:48):
It is these voices that havedeceived you falsely.
They have not uncovered youriniquity.
It wasn't.
.
.
See, these voices didn't tellyou that what you're doing was
wrong.
These voices didn't tell youthat where you were going was
the wrong way.
They were false.
They led you astray to bringback your captives, but have
(29:16):
envisioned for you falseprophecies and delusions,
deluded in your mind.
You've got to come to yoursenses.
All who pass by now, the peoplenow, people that were around and
near this Christian, that theywere, you know, awestruck about
it.
Wow, what a change of life.
They now look around and theyhiss and they shake their heads
(29:36):
at the daughter of Jerusalem.
Is that the city that is calledthe perfection of Jerusalem?
Is that the city that is calledthe perfection of beauty?
Is that the Christian?
Is that the supposed child ofGod?
That's how they look whenChristians fall in their sin.
This is the joy of the wholeearth.
(29:58):
This is the person full of joyof the Lord.
All your enemies have openedtheir mouth against you.
Surely, you see, the enemieswas really one enemy, the devil.
And when he saw you fall, helooked around and he said this
(30:20):
is exactly what I've waited for.
I have brought a child of Goddown to the depths and he's
knocking on the door of hell.
In verse 20, should the womeneat their offspring?
See, o Lord, and consider towhom you have done this.
The prophet looks again.
(30:40):
What are you doing to thepeople of god, lord?
Should the women eat theiroffspring?
Because what happened was joeJerusalem, to survive, began to
eat their own children.
Stop thinking naturally.
Think spiritually, becauseChristians are eating their own
(31:01):
offspring, their own fruit.
That fruit should have beengiven to the world, not you hide
it among a little bushel orunder a bed and just sort of
feed off of it.
No, the fruit of the Lord inyour life should have been given
to the rest of the world.
They should have been given toall of them and they would have
tasted of the fruit that was thesource from God and wanted him.
(31:22):
And now you're just trying tosurvive and hoard everything
that was good in your life, thechildren that they have cuddled.
Should the priest and theprophet be slain in the
sanctuary of the Lord?
Think about what happens whenChristians fall the priest and
(31:44):
the prophet slain in thesanctuary of the Lord.
Think spiritually.
They now go against the eldersas if the elders did something
wrong to them.
They now cut them off.
They now talk bad about them.
Should the priest and theprophet be slain in the house of
God?
But that's what Christians dowhen they fall and they don't
(32:09):
know where to go.
They blame their elders, theyblame those who rule over them
and they become a weight uponthem, because all they've done
was tried to give you the divinecounsel of the Lord.
In chapter 3, he says in verse 3, surely he has turned his hand
(32:31):
against me time and time againthroughout the day.
And then he begins to list whatthe Lord has done to make the
well of that Christian run dry,what the Lord has done to make
the well of that Christian rundry.
Because if he doesn't do that,you will go.
If you had a fast car thatcould go 220 miles an hour, you
would go 220 miles an hour overthat cliff If the Lord didn't
(32:57):
have your well run dry.
To slow you down, to try to getsome senses into your brain.
Hey, slow down, slow down, I'mtrying to save you down.
To try to get some senses intoyour brain.
Hey, slow down, slow down, I'mtrying to save you here.
But the Lord, what does he do?
Christians who had the joy ofthe Lord, the countenance of the
Almighty upon them, are nowaged.
Their flesh and their skinBones are broken.
(33:18):
He has besieged me andsurrounded me with bitterness
and woe.
He doesn't let you stay in theenjoyment of your sin and your
transgressions, but makes it sothat you are bitter.
He makes it so that you don'tenjoy it.
He's causing your wells to rundry so that you can come to your
senses, to run dry so that youcan come to your senses.
(33:40):
He has set me in dark places,like the dead of long ago.
He has hedged me in so that Ican't get out and I can't get
out of my situation.
Although I try and I try and Itry, I can't get out of here.
And there's a reason for that.
I'll get to that.
But there's a reason why he willnot let you out of that
(34:01):
situation.
It has to do with the promisesand the blessings, it has to do
with the curses, it has to dowith the conditions to these
things.
It says he hedged me in.
He made my chain heavy.
The chain of my sin does notallow me to be in peace.
I'm weighted down in mytransgression and when I cry and
(34:23):
when I shout, he shuts up myprayer.
He has blocked my ways withhewn stone.
He has made my paths crooked.
He has filled me in verse 15,with bitterness.
He has made me drink wormwoodBitterness.
Nothing in my life is sweet,nothing.
It's all bitter.
I can't be happy with anything.
(34:45):
I get to watch all the moviesand I'm not satisfied.
I get to spend my money where Iwant.
I'm not satisfied I get to havethis house.
I get to have this car.
I'm not satisfied I get tolisten to this music.
I'm not satisfied.
Nothing I do brings me anysatisfaction, because the Lord
is not allowing it.
(35:06):
He is not allowing you to enjoyit.
You have moved my soul far frompeace and I've forgotten
prosperity.
It gets to the point where youdon't remember what it was like
To be blessed of the Lord and towalk in his good mercies.
(35:28):
My soul still remembers andsinks within me this I recall.
To my mind, therefore, have Ihope, though, the Lord's mercies
, through the Lord's mercies,through the Lord's mercies, we
are not consumed because hiscompassions fail not.
But the Lord will drop in thesewords of remembrance.
(35:52):
He's merciful.
He is kind, his compassions,they don't fail and for a time
he will not leave you.
He will not forsake you becausehe wants you to return.
He wants you to be restored tohim.
And I remember in verse 23,.
(36:14):
They are new every morning.
You see, he's starting to buildhimself up in the word of the
Lord.
I remember Great is yourfaithfulness.
The Lord is my portion.
Save my soul.
Therefore, I hope in him.
The Lord is good.
The Lord is good to those whowait for him, to the soul who
(36:38):
seeks him.
It is good that one should hopeand wait quietly for the
salvation of the Lord.
This is why some saints don'tcome back, because they are not
hoping in the Lord.
They are hoping in somethingelse to save them and to redeem
them, and they make excuses whythey don't come to the Lord.
(37:01):
But it is these words that willcause you to be restored to the
Lord.
If you seek him for yoursalvation, you seek him for your
deliverance from your own mess,from your own sin and
transgression.
Because if he took your sin andtransgression and tied it up as
(37:21):
a yoke upon you, only he candeliver you from that.
The devil will not take thatfrom you.
It was the Lord that put it onyou and only the Lord will
deliver you from that.
It says it is good for a man tobear the yoke in his youth.
(37:45):
You see, when you fall and whenyou sin and when you start
walking in anger and wrath andbitterness and unforgiveness and
all of these things that arejust outshoots, offsprings,
fruit of the sin and thetransgression that you brought
into your life and that greatcalamity befalls you, you should
(38:06):
be man enough to bear it,waiting on the Lord.
Because some of us get in thosesituations and we try to hide
it, we try to cover it, we tryto clothe it, we try to paint it
with these beautiful colors,but we don't go and seek the
Lord and say I did this tomyself and I'm not going to hide
(38:28):
it from my brother, I'm notgoing to hide it from my sister,
I did this to myself.
I should bear thisresponsibility, however long it
lasts.
I will bear it, father, becauseit was my fault.
Let him sit alone and be silentbecause God has laid it on him.
(38:51):
Let him put his mouth in thedust.
That means, put your face rightthere and eat dust.
Don't think naturally,spiritually, humble yourself,
get right down on the face ofyour heart and humble yourself
(39:12):
and bear your own iniquity for atime, because he's laid it upon
you so that you would returnback to him, so that you will be
restored back to him.
Let him give his cheek to theone who strikes him and be full
of reproach because for a time,if you called yourself a
(39:33):
Christian and then you got intosin, then bear all of the
mocking that everyone around youis going to bring upon you,
because you brought that uponyourself.
Bear it, be a man, be a man ofGod and bear it.
It says in verse 39, actuallyverse 33,.
(39:55):
He does not afflict willinglyto crush under one's feet.
He's not doing this to crushyou.
He's doing this to get you tocome to your senses.
Why should a living mancomplain?
A man for the punishment of hissins?
He says in verse 39.
Why are you going to complain?
(40:16):
You brought this upon yourself.
Be silent, calling upon theLord, and wait for His
deliverance, because whateveryou go through, he has the way
of escape, he has the exit, theway out.
(40:36):
What does it say in verse 40?
As you stick your face in thesand, as you humble yourself as
you sit quietly waiting upon theLord.
Search out and examine yourways and turn back to the Lord.
Lift up your hearts, lift upyour hands to the God in heaven.
(40:57):
We have transgressed andrebelled and you have not
pardoned.
You have made us anoff-scouring, a refuse in the
midst of the people.
But in verse 48, my eyes, again,my eyes, overflow with rivers
of water.
Elders are looking at adistance, at what these saints
(41:19):
are doing to themselves.
And we're crying out, even ifwe don't cry out in front of you
with tears, we are crying outin prayer.
Where is he going?
Where is she going?
Does she not see?
Does he not see where this isleading?
And we're crying and we'retravailing because the daughter
(41:40):
of my people is being destroyedand it comes back to Jerusalem,
my enemies.
They hunted me, they silencedmy life.
I called on your name, o Lord,from the lowest pit.
You have heard my voice.
Do not hide your ear from mysighing, from my cry for help.
You see, in chapter 4 it talksabout there was a time where
(42:03):
Jerusalem was so strong, whereJerusalem was in such peace that
all the kings of the earthwould think who could ever enter
into there.
What sin, what people, whatcountry, what nation could ever
come into them and ransack them?
It says in verse 12, the kingsof the earth and all the
inhabitants of the world wouldnot have believed that the
(42:25):
adversary, the enemy, couldenter the gates of Jerusalem.
It was not thought about.
But what does it say in thenext verse?
Because of the sins of herprophets, the voices that she
heard, that she heeded to theiniquities of her priests, who
shed in her midst the blood ofthe just, they wandered blind in
(42:48):
the streets.
They defiled themselves withblood so that no one would touch
their garments.
Go away, unclean.
Go away.
Go away, do not touch us.
The face of the Lord in verse 16, scattered them.
He no longer regards them.
The people do not respect thepriest, nor show favor to the
(43:09):
elders.
There's a certain segmentwithin the body that when they
fall, they will not listen tothe priest, they will not listen
to the elders, and it says thatthe Lord no longer regards them
because they don't show favoror respect to the elders that
(43:33):
are ministering the word of Godto their lives.
It says in 17,.
Still, our eyes failed, failed.
Us watching vainly for our helpand our watching.
We watched for a nation thatcould not save us, because deep
down in their hearts, they don'twant the Lord, they don't want
his divine counsel.
They're looking elsewhere forsomething to save them and
redeem them, and they continueto condemn themselves.
(44:00):
Chapter 5, remember, o Lord,what has come upon us.
Look and behold our reproach.
But there are some Christiansthat get into this situation and
they still call out for theLord.
You're seeing glimpses of twotypes of people One who will
call upon the Lord and one whowants nothing to do with it and
(44:21):
is still looking for somethingelse to save them.
In verse 16, the crown that theLord put upon our head has
fallen from us.
Woe to us, for we have sinned.
Because of this, our heart isfaint and because of this,
because of these things, oureyes grow dim.
It's getting to a point where Ican't see.
(44:42):
I can't see anymore.
But the very little thing, thevery little light of hope, is
that you're crying out to theLord and you're acknowledging
that it was your sin that gotyou there, Because it says in
verse 21, turn us back to you, oLord, and we will be restored,
(45:05):
renew our days as of old.
There is a segment, there is aportion of God's people that do
not take to His correction.
They don't take it to heart.
They don't take it to heart andthey don't change.
It says in Isaiah 42, verse 20through 25,.
(45:34):
He says Seeing many things, butyou do not observe.
Opening the ears but he doesnot hear.
You see, the Lord is wellpleased for his righteousness
sake.
He's not going to uplift andexalt unrighteousness, he is
(45:55):
well pleased to exalt and upholdhis righteousness.
He will exalt the law and makeit honorable.
Now you could substitute theword for the law.
He will exalt the word and makeit honorable.
That is what he will exalt.
But you continue inunrighteousness and you will
find nothing of favor and mercyfrom him.
(46:19):
But you see, the people wererobbed, the people were
plundered, it says.
All of them are snared in holesand they are hidden in prison
houses.
They are prey and no onedelivers for plunder and no one
says restore.
No one is crying out to himSave us, help us.
(46:39):
There's a segment of God'speople that are not doing that.
Who among you will give ear tothis?
Who will listen and hear forthe time to come?
Who gave Jacob for plunder andIsrael to robbers?
Was it not the Lord, he againstwhom we have sinned, for they
(47:02):
would not walk in His ways, norwere they obedient to His law.
Therefore, he poured on him thefury of His anger and the
strength of battle.
It has set him on fire allaround, yet he did not know, and
it burned him.
And yet he did not know and itburned him, and yet he did not
(47:25):
take it to heart.
There's a fire of hell that issurrounding some Christians and
because they will not heed, itis burning them and they will
not take anything to heart thatit is burning them and they will
not take anything to heart thatis told to them.
(47:47):
Fire all around them and hedoesn't know it.
Blind man who believes he seesbut really doesn't see.
But there is a remnant of thesame people that I'm talking
about, in which God's heartyearns to have mercy on them.
(48:09):
It is his heart to restore hischildren unto himself himself.
Jeremiah 31, 17 through 20.
There is hope in your future,says the Lord, that your
children shall come back totheir own border, that's, being
(48:30):
restored to the place in whichyou were at.
I have surely heard Ephraimbemoaning himself.
The Lord says I've heard him.
He's bemoaning himself, and youknow what he said.
He said you, oh God, havechastised me, and I was
chastised like an untrained bull.
Restore me and I will return,for you are the Lord, my God.
(48:52):
When we come back to the Lord,we put him back in the place
that he's always been andrecognize and acknowledge the
truth you are God.
I forgot that.
I stopped loving you and gavemy love to others, but I
remember now and I come back toyou and recognize, for you are
(49:14):
the Lord, my God.
And when you chastise me, Itook it.
Restore me now, surely, after Iturn, surely after I repent,
after I was instructed, I struckmyself on the thigh.
You fool, yeah, you fool.
(49:38):
I did this to myself.
I was ashamed, even humiliated,because I bore the reproach of
my youth.
I didn't hide it, I didn't shunit away, I took it upon myself.
I was foolish, I did foolishly.
But you see, then the Lord saysIs Ephraim my dear son?
(50:00):
Is he a pleasant child?
For though I spoke against him,listen to his words, listen to
the heart of God.
I earnestly remember him still.
Therefore, my heart yearns forhim.
I will surely have mercy on,says the Lord, but notice what
(50:20):
is the heart of God respondingto it is that man, that woman
that is acknowledging the placethat the Lord has and saying I
did this, my bad, my fault, ohGod, but restore me, please
Restore me.
It says in Psalm 80,.
(50:44):
The psalmist is saying give ear,o shepherd of Israel, and come
and save us.
It says in verse 3 restore us,o God, cause your face to shine,
and we shall be saved.
It is that remnant of peoplethat are crying out to the Lord,
knowing that only he candeliver, knowing that only he
(51:06):
can save, only he can redeem,only he can restore.
And those are who these peopleare calling upon.
Because it says in verse 7, andrestore us, o God of hosts,
cause your face to shine, yourmercies, your countenance, your
glory to shine on us and weshall be saved.
In verse 14, return, we beseechyou, o God of hosts, look down
(51:33):
from heaven and see and visitthis vine, because there are
some that are burned with fireand they're cut down and they
perish at the rebuke of yourcountenance.
They perish at the rebuke ofyour countenance because they
will not repent.
But in verse 18, then we willnot turn back from you, I will
(51:57):
not repent from you.
Revive us and we will call uponyour name.
Restore us, o Lord, god ofhosts.
Cause your face to shine and weshall be saved.
It continues in chapter 85.
Restore us, o God of oursalvation.
Cause your anger toward us tocease.
(52:17):
You see, we're acknowledgingthat I'm in the predicament I'm
in because of the things thatI've done.
But I realize my God is angrywith me and, yes, he put this
yoke upon me and I am surroundedwith bitterness, I am
surrounded with all woe and I'mcrying out to the only one who
(52:38):
could take me out of this place.
He asked will you be angry withus forever?
In verse five will you prolongyour anger to all generations?
Will you not revive us againthat your people may rejoice in
you?
Show us your mercy, lord, andgrant us your salvation.
I will hear, and this is how Iknow.
(53:00):
This is the remnant that wantsto hear.
What does the Lord say?
Because it says in verse 8, Iwill hear what the Lord God will
speak.
I will listen now.
I will hear and I will listennow, for he will speak.
Peace to his people and to hissaints, but let them not turn
back to their folly.
I'm ready to hear what you'regoing to say, lord, and I'm
(53:24):
ready to do it, and I want toturn back to my folly.
That's the heart that he'sresponding to.
Surely, his salvation is nearto those who can anybody read it
.
Fear him.
Near to those who can anybodyread it, fear him.
It's them he's responding to.
(53:46):
And then I love this.
Mercy and truth have mettogether.
You see, you can't have God'smercy if you're not willing to
acknowledge the truth.
It is when mercy and truth meet.
It is because you haveacknowledged that of your
wayward ways, you acknowledgeyour sin, your transgressions,
(54:07):
you acknowledge who the Lordactually is, and then is when
you find mercy.
Look at what it says nextRighteousness and peace have
kissed.
You can't get the peace of Godwithout walking in His
righteousness.
You must repent, you mustchange your ways and then what
you desire, you will have peaceand mercy.
(54:28):
Righteousness will go beforeHim and shall make His footsteps
our pathway.
There must be a change on yourpart.
You cannot expect to be inbondage to your own sin and
transgressions and want thedeliverance and want the
redemption if you are unwillingto change your ways.
(54:51):
It does not happen that way.
Oh, I messed up, lord, but Iwant you to somehow salvage this
and make it pure, make it holy,make it right.
It is that voice of deceptionthat causes us to remain in that
(55:12):
state of deception leading toour destruction, cannot salvage
or save those unwilling torepent, to acknowledge the truth
, the error of their ways.
I think about, as I've talkedand shared all this with you.
I think about Peter In John,chapter 21,.
(55:36):
It was in the morning.
Peter told the disciples let'sgo fishing.
Come on, let's just go fishing.
He went back to the way that hewas Before Jesus ever came.
What was he?
Fisherman.
And now that Jesus hassupposedly resurrected, maybe
(55:58):
haven't seen him for a few days.
Let's just go back fishing.
And when they were fishing,there was a man on the shores In
the morning.
Jesus stood there and thedisciples did not know that it
was Jesus.
And Jesus said to them Children, have you any food?
And they answered no.
And he said to them Cast it inon the right side of the boat
and you will find some.
(56:18):
So they cast and now they werenot able to draw it in because
of the multitude of the fish.
And therefore the disciple whomJesus loved.
John said to Peter it is theLord.
And now when Simon Peter heardthat it was the Lord, he put on
his outer garment, for he hadremoved it and plunged into the
sea.
(56:38):
He went swimming to the Lordand he grabbed the net and he
helped bring in the fish.
And this is the third time thatJesus showed himself to the
disciples after he was raisedfrom the dead.
And so I want to come to verse15.
When they had eaten breakfast,jesus said to Simon Peter Simon,
son of Jonah, do you love memore than these?
(56:58):
And the word love there wasagape.
You wouldn't understand thedifference of this if you didn't
kind of look a little bitfurther into the Greek and
realize that the word love,right here, right now that I
just read, is agape.
And then, when Peter answeredhim, he said to him yes, lord,
you know that I love you.
But he didn't use the same wordthat Jesus used, he used phileo
(57:23):
.
And so the first word, agape,is a divine love.
Do you love me?
Because my word says love me.
It is out of duty, it is out of.
That is the will of God.
For you to love me, it's adecision.
But then Peter answers thephileo, the brotherly, the
(57:45):
affection part of it.
It's kind of interestingbecause then Jesus asked him
again do you, agape, love me?
And then Peter answers againwell, yes, of course I, phileo,
love you.
Now it is important that youlove God, because God requires
(58:09):
it, god demands it, he's yourcreator out of duty, it's the
divine love.
Yes, I love you.
But the next time he asked thequestion, jesus didn't ask for
the agape love.
It's almost as if he's sayingto Peter Peter, peter, do you
(58:34):
really, phileo, love me, yourheart affections, really?
And Peter then says yes, yes,of course I do.
And I only point this outbecause when Jerusalem gave his
love to others, it was hisaffections he was giving to
everyone else.
Jesus is not only interested inyour love, out of a divine love
(59:00):
for him, out of his word, buthe also wants your affections.
He wants both.
He doesn't want you just simplyout of obligation to love him.
He wants you to love him, likeyou were swept off your feet by
this great gentleman, or youwere, you know, you just were on
(59:24):
cloud nine because of thiswonderful woman, just was, just
swept you off your feet, kind of.
He wants that love too, becausethe moment that you give your
heart and your affections overto other things, you're going to
produce your own downfall.
He wants both.
(59:47):
I think of also Job, as anexample to everything that I've
shared For 42 chapters.
Job wants to sit down with theLord.
I want to talk with him.
I mean you have to read it.
I'm just sort of highlightingit here, but you need to read it
for yourself and realize thatreally, what he wanted to do was
sit down with the Lord and sayLord, I mean no disrespect, but
(01:00:10):
I think you made a mistake.
I've been righteous, I've doneyour will.
I mean, I think you made amistake.
You took away my children, youtook away my goods.
I think you made a mistake, lord, for 41 chapters, and when the
(01:00:32):
Lord speaks to him in verse 42,job answers what the Lord had
responded to him and he says youknow what?
I know that you can doeverything and no purpose of
yours can be withheld from you.
You asked me who hides counselwithout knowledge?
Therefore, I uttered what I didnot understand, things too
wonderful for me which I did notknow.
Listen, please, and let mespeak.
You said I will question youand you shall answer me.
(01:00:54):
Well, you know what?
I've heard you by the hearingof the ear, but now my eyes see
you.
Therefore, I abhor myself and Irepent in dust and ashes, and I
repent in dust and ashes.
It was only at that moment thatthe Lord had accepted Job in
verse 9.
Everything you read in thatchapter 41 was a culmination of
(01:01:21):
him humbling himself, which iswhat I told you a Christian
needs to do in order to receiverestoration.
He must humble himself beforeGod and say I was wrong, I
messed up, and you tied all ofmy sins and church gifts upon me
so that I come to my senses.
Thank you, lord.
I repent in dust and ashes.
(01:01:43):
And then it was when Job wasaccepted of the Lord, and it was
then that he then prayed forhis friends.
And then Lord gave Job twice asmuch as he had before, and he
had seven sons and threedaughters, and there was none
more beautiful in all the landthan his daughters.
That was restoration.
But what had to come first washis repentance of his error in
(01:02:08):
ways.
It doesn't come any other way.
Jesus was speaking to thedisciples in parables and he
told them a parable about losingone sheep out of a hundred.
And he says isn't it bringingso much joy when you find that
one lost sheep?
I mean, you got the others, butyou're just so happy you found
(01:02:31):
your lost sheep and you sharewith everyone and everybody
rejoices.
Well, he says, just like thatthat there's more joy in heaven
over a sinner who does whatRepents Than 99 just persons who
don't need any repentance.
That was just a small parable.
And then he does it again andhe says what about the woman who
(01:02:51):
had 10 silver coins and lostone?
And she's looking all over,looking all over, and she
finally finds it, like when youfind your keys and you were
looking all over and you had toleave the house, and finally,
yes, I got it, okay, let's go.
And there's so much joy and hesays in heaven, heaven, it's
(01:03:14):
just like that when a sinnerrepents.
And then what's the nextparable?
The prodigal son.
The prodigal son had to go hiswayward ways, but in order for
him to come back in the presenceof his father, he had to say
within himself I will arise andgo to my father.
And I will say to him father, Ihave sinned against heaven and
(01:03:35):
before you, and that's whatChristians are lacking today.
I've got to go to my father.
I have to admit I am wrong.
I sinned against you, I sinnedagainst my brethren, I sinned
(01:03:56):
against my sister.
I sinned against my mother ormy father.
I disrespected, I was justrebellious.
I was rebellious.
That must come first.
And I told you before let'sread it again it is the heart of
(01:04:18):
God to restore.
He said in Jeremiah 31, 20,.
Though I spoke against him, Iearnestly remember him still.
Therefore, my heart yearns forhim.
I want him back, I want herback, and surely I will have
(01:04:40):
mercy on him, because there wasnot much said after that in
regards to the prodigal son.
He says I am no longer worthyto be called your son.
That's more humility.
I'm not worthy to get anythingback.
I've already took myinheritance.
I'm not worthy of anything.
Lord, let me just be a servantin your house.
That's the type of attitudethat a Christian who's coming
(01:05:03):
back needs to have in order tocorrect the errors that are
going on in his life.
And he arose and came to hisfather and he said exactly what
he said I sinned against heavenand in your sight and I'm no
longer worthy to be called yourson.
But before he could even finish, the father said to his servant
hey, get a robe for him, dresshim in my righteousness, dress
(01:05:26):
him in my holiness.
And what do you mean?
You're no longer worthy to becalled a son.
And they gave him the ring, thesignet, the sign yes, you are
mine, you've always been mine,because in the father's eyes,
when he left, there was norelationship anymore.
It was cut off.
(01:05:46):
Just like when Adam had toleave the garden, it was cut off
.
But look at how it's describedin verse 24.
For this, my son was dead andhe's alive again.
That sheep was lost, but Ifound him.
That coin was lost, but I foundhim.
My child was lost, was lost,but I found him.
(01:06:14):
He came back.
He repented.
Let us party, let us joy,because he has returned and they
began to be married.
For what once was lost was nowfound.
So I go back to the beginning.
As elders in this fellowship, weare watching from a distance
and at some times we're comingclose.
We're trying to give you thedivine counsel of the Lord, only
(01:06:36):
to see and not be heeded.
Because, from the verybeginning, remember them that
have rule over you.
Obey them that have rule overyou.
Obey them that have rule overyou.
They're not your masters,they're actually servants ruling
over you.
Tremendous paradox there.
But receive the word that youheard from us as if it was the
(01:07:03):
word of God, because it is.
It is the divine counsel of theLord for your redemption, for
your salvation, because it is,in truth, the word of God.
Now, if you continue coming tothis fellowship, obviously
there's some sort ofacknowledgement that the
(01:07:24):
anointing is in this place, orelse you're here for the wrong
reasons.
If you continue to remain inthis fellowship under the
oversight of the elders that arehere, then there should be
obedience, there should besubmission, because there's not
(01:07:45):
one elder in this place thatwants to involve himself in the
mess and the lives of otherpeople.
It is only the heart of Godthat requires us to enter in at
certain moments in time and say,hey, wake up, wake up.
Hello, don't you see whatyou're doing?
Do you not see what you'redoing?
(01:08:07):
This is where it's going to endup.
Wake up, church Christians,wake up.
Let us be a joy to not only ourelders, but let us be a joy to
the Lord.
Let us be a pleasure to Him.
Let our ways please Him, amen.
(01:08:30):
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Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com