Transcript
All right, so it gives me great pleasure to introduce today's guest speaker. He is no stranger to Haven City Church. He is a faithful servant of God. He is also a self-proclaimed sheep dog. Please help me welcome our guest speaker today, pastor Adolfo.
Thank you. Thank you.
It's always kind of weird coming up here. I'm usually like to be level with everybody. So my name's Adolfo Ibarra. Praise the Lord. I probably know most of you, and if not, we will eventually we'll get together and hang out. And so we got a blessing to have both churches come together, the Spanish church, and then of course you guys is the English church, right? So I'm going to try to do the study bilingual, so I'll have Christian read it in Spanish after I read it, but hopefully to be able to bring out those points. We're going to be in Jonah, Jonah, chapter one, but before you guys are there, I want to show a small video. So the Lord uses us right now as a missionary. A missionary is a soldier of God, and he just goes wherever the Lord says, the bags are packed and wherever he says, that's where we're going.
If he says go, we're going. It don't matter where, when, why, or how or what. He says, go. So the bags got to be packed. So I was out there in Mexico for two and a half years, and this is kind of two and a half years crammed into five minutes. Wasn't able to get everything, but I'll kind of walk you through it. This is Erta, if you guys are familiar. We went to skate parks. We went to nine schools, if you know of the whosoever, kind of reaching out to the kids, the juveniles and just get it like a concert setting. This is Mi Morelia where we started a Christian school. This is a pastor there, and just kind of teaching them this is toco of giving them something that they're not used to. So we made it kind of like a night of dessert, something that they're not used to, and just a few of the members there.
We also did events. We got a Christian rap group clowns and be able to give testimony passed out close. The Lord has opened the door to preach the word in a local radio station on Saturdays. We also do different things like this. We were teaching on the fruits of the spirit, so we made a display of fruits, right? This is Tijuana, a orphanage, and going out there and teaching them, loving on them. Also, we're out there cleaning the community as we teach them to, just like the Lord is cleaning our hearts. We also physically got to clean the community. So we had different classes, leadership classes with activities, and so we were able to do that there. We also did pr, which is public relationships with the community, and we just kind of just different landmarks. We would go and just upgrade it. We also, she wanted to get baptized. We found a little baby pool and we got a baptism, so it was not too far from the ocean. So there took the kids out to do an activity for Mother's Day and picked up a lot of seashells. We got connected with the community, did a basketball team and be able to give them, this is sco, the different discipleship homes that we go to and we teach members that want to stop doing drugs and alcohol.
We go to different radio stations and just kind of promote the events. The focus is to glorify Jesus Christ. We had the juveniles, we fixed this wall and we put a message. Jesus Christ there is, and everybody put joy, happiness, love and so forth. So they were able to help me. We did a lot of drama plays with the kids and we were able to perform in different churches and different events throughout the community there. Samaritan Purse, if you guys know, aware of that. That also was, we did that every year playing with the kids youth ministry there with the kids, different activities. We would take 'em out, play basketball, volleyball, eat pizza. As you can see, things that they're not accustomed to teach 'em how to play volleyball and basketball and just different things. We also went to Sonora cio. We got a church, we got a community. We gave out backpacks and gave him Jesus. There's Leon Gu, a different ministry that we're part of. It's just different areas. This is Gu Jalisco where we go to hospitals where the kids have cancer and we go give them joy with different ways. That's Calvary Chapel Guadalajara, and they have a feeding program that they feed the kids that are going to school over. Their education is not a priority and they do not get in trouble if they don't go to school. So we try to give 'em, I think it froze Hayden.
Yeah, no. Can you fast forward it? Yeah. Go, go, go, go, go, go, go. Oh, I think it cut it off right there, huh?
Yeah, for some reason. Sorry about that. We'll try to figure that out. But anyways, so it was tough to do two and a half years in five minutes, but you get an idea if it's a constant go events or not there vacationing or they're doing God's work. So every day there's something to do there. And of course you're dealing with the opposition. You got cartel. That's a whole different story as well. But we know that greater is he who's in us than he who's in the world. And I think that's the number one, the fear. And it's very evident there. Trust me, it's very evident. But at the same time, we have to make a decision. We got to make a choice and then we choose to follow Jesus. And if he tells us, go, we're going. Amen. So we're back. We've been here about a month, so we're helping out in any way, shape, or form. So helping out. We were here for three years, so we're blessed to be back. I consider this home. I was born and raised in California all my life and been out here on the east coast since 2019. And I love it and I want to continue to keep coming back and we're here for good six months to a year. And then we'll see when the Lord says it's time to go right. But till then we're here. Amen. So we're going to go in the book of Jonah, Jonah, chapter one. Okay. Jonah chapter one.
So we're going to read verses 1, 2, 3. I'm going to read it and then I'll have Christian read in Spanish says, the Bible says as follows. Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amai saying, arise, go to ve that great city and call out against it for their evil has come up before me. But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Choppa and found a ship going to Tarsus. So he paid the fare and went down into it to go with them, to tars away from the presence of the Lord Christian.
So we see that right here. We see Jonah flees or tries the flee, the presence of the Lord. And I think we all can relate to that, yes or no in one way or another. We've been fleeing. We are fleeing and be careful. We could be fleeing in the future tense. It's something. And we see in verse one it says, now the word of the Lord came to Jonah. The question for me, you, us is what is that word for you today? That the Lord is speaking to you right? Today the Lord will speak to you through his word, right, through others, through circumstances. Right here. Clearly the Lord is speaking to Jonah. Jonah is a minor prophet, is known as a prophet or minor prophet in this time he says the son of Amate. Something that's very interesting in the Old Testament. It's really they focus on the name and who's your dad or who's your daddy, right? Why that? Because understanding and knowing that is what is your inheritance? Who are you representing us as? New believers, who's our daddy? God. So we would have to be representing him in that faithful matter. Amen. So it's something that the word of God gives us.
So this is the question or this is the response. In verse two it says, God told Jonah, arise, go to nve, that great city. So you might say, well what is NVE today? It's present day Iraq. Just for you guys to kind of just put your mind to it. In that time it was nve. Today it is Iraq and since it was a great city, call out against it for their evil has come up before me. Okay? Just a brief summary of NVE is described as a bloody full of lies, always violent and an evil city. Okay? NVE or the empire of Assyria, when they would capture communities or areas they would want to make a statement. And the way they would do that statement, one of the ways is they would like to skin their enemies and they would put that skin up on a trophy.
And it was a sense of fear us. It was something that was in that time we think about like, wow, that's some Jeffrey Dahmer stuff or some crazy serial killer that we might take. But in that time it was very common because it was that fear tactic. I'm going to put that fear tactic just like we see in Mexico and not just in Mexico in various places. Does not that fear try to dominate us every day one way or another. But what does the Bible say? The Bible's very clear in Timothy says, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a love power and a sound mind. So we have to remember, if God doesn't give us that fear, the question is who is then? Because it's not God. So we have to remember our identity in Jesus Christ. Alright, I'm human. I'm not going to say when I went to Mexico and things are happening, there was no fear in me. I would be lying to you. There was that human fear inside of me, but I did not allow it to dictate what the Bible says, what the Lord has established.
It's something that we have to understand and we have to know. And I know that I'm going on and on and it's kind of hard to, what I told them is I'm sorry that I'm not really really translating what I'm saying, but I think most of them get the point. Okay? So we see at this point, Jonah gets a message just like today, we will get a message from the Lord through his word to go. The Bible says in verse two it says arise, go to innovate. So the word arise represents what? It gives us the point of we have to be active right to arise, right Today, you got up, yes or no. Praise the Lord, you're here. The message came to the Lord, I got to be in service, right? I got to start the week off, right? Okay, all arise, go to heaven city church. That was the message that you got today. The question is, I remember in various churches in California, and maybe you've seen it in the inside of the churches, before you depart, it says You are now entering your mission field. Okay? So right now we're getting fueled up. We're at the gas station, Royal farms fueling up.
And when we leave those doors, we are entering our mission field. What is that mission field that the Lord has for you, for me, for us. Spread his word. Amen. Spread his word and it starts one soul at a time. It starts thy neighbor, it starts thy block. It starts thy community. We think that we need to go to Africa, we need to go to Mexico, we need to go to Hawaii. No, we need to go here. Our neighbor needs help. And it's something that's very important that we're all missionaries to one point or extent or another.
But the question is, are we listening? Because the Lord says he told Genova, arise, go and innovate. Great city. Call against it for their evil has come before me. So we see verse three, but Jonah arose to flee to what? Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. In other words, what is the Bible telling us? Say for example, we're in Baltimore. Let's say NVE was New York City and Tarshish is Florida. So he's saying, go to New York, but where is he going? He's going south, going against what the Lord has told him. And I believe I know I have tried to flee the presence of the Lord many times for many years to be exact. 22 years. I had 12 years in my filthiness with drugs and then 10 years in prison. So I know very clear of who? Jonah, because I used to be that Jonah.
I used to be that Jonah. Amen. The Bible says whoever's in Christ is what? A new creation. The old man is gone. The new is what? Here. Here, right? So I don't identify myself on who I used to be. The world still calls me who I used to be. The world still says this and that. But my father calls me by my name says Ado will rise up and move forward. It's something. Once again, our identity in Christ is very important. So we see right now, Jonah is rose up in going fleeing contrary to where the Lord is sending them. Okay? It doesn't say why, it just says that he's just rebelling. And I think we all can associate to that. Yes or no. We've all rebelled, we've all been Jane Dean, yes or no, the rebel without a cause of one form or another. Maybe right now we are in that state of rebellion right now.
All right? But praise the Lord that you're here and we're able to embrace what the Lord has for us. Says verse three, it says to Choppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fair and went what down into it to go with them, to Tarshish away from the presence of the Lord. So we see that he paid and he went down. Think about this family. When we involve ourselves sin, we pay the price, yes or no. And what happens? We go down downtown, Julie Brown, yes or no? So we're understanding and it's just opened up. We're like what Jonah is doing, of course he will pay the price and he is going down and it says us away from the presence of the Lord. One thing that we have to understand, family, there is a phrase that says, sin will take you farther than you want to go. Sin will keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and sin will cost you more than you wanted to pay.
That's something that alone right there, I at first just wanted to be a weekend warrior. Hey man, I work 40 hours, I work 60 hours. I deserve me a little cold one, I deserve me a little bit, taste of whatever. But that weekend took me further than I wanted to go and kept me longer than I wanted to stay because when I just wanted Fridays and Saturdays, it turned into addiction or I was addicted for 22 years. So I longer than I wanted to stay, correct? Took me further because all I wanted to do was just drink a little bit, smoke a little bit of reefer, and before I knew it, I was slamming heroin. How is that what happened? All I wanted is just have fun on the weekends, and I paid more than I wanted to pay. I paid 10 years of my life and not only that, I lost my wife, I lost my kids, I lost my house, I lost everything.
It's something that we have to understand. Family familia, right? Verse four, it says, but the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea and there was a mighty tempest on the sea so that the ship threatened to break. Okay? So they're in the ship, put yourself inside that story. They're in the ship, they're going and they're on their way. And all of a sudden, who that says, the Lord hurled a great wind. Okay? It wasn't oopsie, it wasn't mother nature. It says it was the Lord. That's what the Bible says, hurled a great wind upon the sea and there was a mighty tempest or violent storm on the sea so that the ship threatened to break up.
So here comes this. The other day we were watching the perfect storm. I dunno if you've seen that the perfect storm is violent causing a lot of havoc or any movie of such at this point. There's a lot of panic. Let's read verse five, then the Mariners were afraid and each cried out to his God, little G, and they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah, where was he at? Had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had laying down and was fast. What asleep. So that's very interesting. When everyone's running around a chicken without a head, I don't know if you've ever seen that. The body keeps on running left and right. Where's John at,
Right? How is that possible? Number one? Well, that tells me that sin blinds you. Sin puts you to sleep. Sin. When we're involved in that sin, you're blinded to the reality. But we see that the mariners were afraid. I'm pretty sure it's not the first barbecue. It's not the first out to sea. So it tells me that these mariners were such afraid because something about that storm, something about that storm abnormal. Think about that familia. Think about that family. Think about those storms that come into your life. Sometimes something strange about them, it's abnormal. Wow. Maybe even we can put it in a sense where maybe it wasn't even the season for storms and all of a sudden you got this violent storm. What is happening?
Their profession is mariners fishermen. So they know, but we see that they're afraid. They're afraid. Before I came over here, I went deep sea fishing out in San Diego Bay, and of course the brother, he's an avid deep sea fisher, and he sees me and I'm scared, man, my knees are buckling. He like, are you having fun? I'm like, yeah, yeah, but I'm scared. And he sees that. He recognizes that. He says, Adolfo brother, I do this every weekend. I'm the captain of the ship, bro. If you see me panicking, then you better panic. But until then, enjoy it didn't help nothing. But it was cool to, I got his point, right? I got his point. So we see that the mariners, the avid fishermen there are panic in their lives. What does it tell us? Remember observing the details in the text, he says in verse five, and each cried out to what? His God, little G. So what does that tell us? They were not believers.
They were not believers. So they're crying out to different things. However, that is whoever that was. But they weren't crying out to the all powerful, the Almighty. That's for sure. So what did they do? It says in verse five, they began to hurl the cargo that was in the ship to lighten the boat up, right? Because we're sinking, right? So whatever you think is heavy, this is the problem. So they would throw it out. You know what, it's the piano. Come on, help me out real quick, Paul. Let's throw this out of the boat. This is what's going to sink us. This is the problem.
We're going to come back to that right now family. Because think about it. We represent that boat and we always think, well, the type of piano is the problem. If I take out this piano out of my boat, the boat's going to lighten up. But we're going to see something, and I'm going to highlight something right now when we get a little bit further. So just hold that thought right there and let's keep going. So it says, but Jonah had gone down once again, sin is taking us down into the inner part of the ship and had laying down was fast asleep, right? So think about that.
It's like his life is good, right? Or so he thinks. Verse six. So the captain came and said to him, so we see the captain, he's a panic. He came and said to him, what do you mean you sleeper, right? What do you mean you sleeper? Arise, call out to your God. Perhaps the God will give a thought to us so that we may not perish. Remember that said the story of the brother. He says, if you see the captain freaking out, you better start panicking. It's something that's very interesting because the captain, he's responsible for who for the whole ship.
And once you see family, we are that captain, that type of captain in your household, within your community, maybe organization, different locations, you are the captain. How are you leading that ship? How are you leading it? Family? Because if you are panicking as a leader, guess what the other people are going to do? They're going to panic as well. So it's a great responsibility as a captain, yes or no? When you lead your household as husbands, maybe single mothers, you are the lead of your home. How are we leading our home? So we see the captain gets to him, he says, what do you mean you sleeper? In other words, you should be up and Adam, bro, call out to your God. Why are you asleep? Family. That's a cry out to us as well as this church. We need to be the light of what The world.
We cannot no longer be asleep. We need to cry out. We need to shout out Jesus Christ. Amen. It's something in those areas. I don't know how it is or where it is, but you do. And of course the Lord does speaking to us every day. It might be your neighbor, it might be your coworker. So he says, call out. What's going on? Why are you asleep? What does that tell us? Family? He's a nonbeliever. What? Shameful thing. Jonah is a prophet. Sometimes the Lord uses unbelievers to put us in our place. Yes or no? Right? When it should be the other way around. The world's actually putting us in our place. And that's very shameful because as soldiers of the Lord, our responsibility is to be light of the world. Amen? That's an encouragement. But understand that that is the case here and possibly in our lives. Amen. We go verse six says, and they said to one another, come let us cast lots that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us. So they cast lots and the lot fell on whom? Jonah? I always think of casting lot as a spin the bottle. For some reason it always comes to mind, and that's me, right? And it landed on Jonah like, ah, you're it.
But we know that the casting of lot of lots, it was a very common practice. It was two rocks, a right rock and a black rock. But they really focused on it because they said, you know what? We've tried everything. Let's try this last thing here. Let's try this, man. Let's flip a coin, if you want to put it that way. Let's draw. Draw straws possibly see who it lands on. The Bible says in Proverbs 1633 says, man, cast out lot, but it's the Lord that does the decision. That's what Proverbs 1633 says. So it wasn't an oopsie that it landed on Jonah. It was a direct command from the Lord Jonah, you have to face which you're being disobedient about. Alright? So the lot lands on Jonah verse eight. Then they said to him, tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us.
What is your occupation and where do you have come from? Or where do you come from? What is your country and of what people are you? So he's being basically interrogating, right? Tell us, we need this information. So it shows us that their faith or their casting of lot is something that they're depending on, they're trusting in. So they're interrogating Jonah and verse nine, and Jonah says, and he said to them, I am a Hebrew. I fear the Lord, the God of heavens who made the sea and the dry land. Verse 10. Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, what is that that you have done? Why are you doing this to us? What did I do to you? Why have you caused that upon us for the menu that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord? Because he had told them. Okay, so we see they're interrogating them there. They're asking them an opportunity that we see. Jonah is proclaiming what I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven who made see in the dry land. So he's basically proclaiming, proclaiming what the Lord has done in his life.
Then the men were exceedingly afraid because of what he had told them. Okay? Verse 11. Then they said to him, what shall we do to you that the sea may quiet down for us? So they're asking, so what do we do from this point? For the sea grew more and more contemptuous. The Bible says that the storm was so violent that the ship was threatening to break down. I always tell everybody, it's kind of like my life broken down, but I'm still moving. Yes or no? We're broken down one way or another, but we keep on trucking as they say, right? For the sea grew more and more contemptuous, more violent. Verse 12, he said to them, pick me up and hurl me into the sea. Then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you. So let's talk about a little bit of that. Okay? If I would tell you, lemme start with this question. If Jonah knew that the reason why this violent storm was in their mist and he knew that he was the target, the problem, why ask the mariners to throw 'em over the ship and not throw himself over?
So let me put it in my sense. What if I tell you right now, church, Hey guys, cartel's coming because they're looking for me and they're looking for me. But you know what? They're going to kill all of us. I'm here.
What would you tell me? Get out. Hey bro, get out of here, brother. I mean, why are you putting us in the mix? Just doesn't make sense. Adolfo, what do we do to you? Why are you doing that to us? The piano? Yeah, why the piano? Right? Throw the piano because remember, they were throwing all the heavy stuff out the boat. Yes or no was heavy. Okay, question, family. We see something very great here is this, that the Lord, even though Jonah's being disobedient, he's working through his life to get to the Mariners, okay? He's going to take care of Jonah, but he's also taking care, loving on the Mariners. Okay? So remember I told you we were coming to come back to how they were throwing away the stuff that would lighten up the ship, right? Family. Where that ship, okay, and I'll put the example in my life. In my life, I always made excuses that this is the problem. If I throw this away, I'll be good. Oh, no, no. If I throw this away, I'll be good. No, no. You know what? If I throw this away, I'll be good. When the Lord all along is telling us, son, what is that type of Jonah in your ship that you need to throw away? That's the problem. The problem is here, right? The problem is here, we have to deal with us.
Now, of course, we see by faith because we're going to see something, the reaction or what they do. The mariners is this, that the Lord is also because their faith is in who they cried out to, who they're false gods. So the Lord is working in their lives. I need to teach you who the real God is. I need to break you from following those false gods and follow Jesus Christ. It's something that's very important in the Mariner's lives. So Jonah tells him, Hey, throw me over and everything will calm down. All right? Verse 13. Nevertheless, the man rode hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more contemptuous against them. So in other words, what do we see by the detail is that those people were not believing Jonah, they weren't killers. They're not going to, dude, you're crazy, bro.
I'm not going to throw you over the boat. That's insane, brother. Because think about it. If they were quick to the trigger, they would've got Jon and threw 'em out the boat. Oh, is that it? Okay. Bam. But they said, no, that's crazy talk. Did you eat a bowl of captain crazy? Because you're talking crazy right now. Right? So what do they do? Come on guys, one more. One more hoorah. If we work together, we could make it to dry land. But who were they fighting? They're fighting God. How many times have we fought the Lord? Thinking If I try it this way, I'll get it. No, no. If I try it this way, see, I learned better. Lemme try it this angle. No, no. If I try this way, no, no. If I try this way, when in reality, brother, you can run, but you can't hide.
You're fighting the Lord. That's who you're fighting. So we have to understand that and see. So they tried with their strength, a lot of like, why can't I quit? Because you're trying in your strength. The Bible's very clear. Zacharia four, six says, not by Mike, nor by power, but it's by my spirit says the Lord of hosts my spirit. Amen. Not because a doel goes to the gym and he drinks protein shakes or whatever. It's by the spirit. It's something that we have to understand. Who is our identity in family? Know where our strength comes from. Amen. Verse 14 says, therefore they called out to the Lord. Oh Lord. Now who are they calling out to? The Almighty. Oh Lord, let us not perish for this man's life and nay not on us. Innocent blood for you. Oh Lord, have done as it pleases you. So verse 15. So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea and the see what sees from its raging violent storm, it's like, so it was true what he said, right? But it's by faith. Think about that. The Lord is working through those mariners. Do you really? Believe me, Adolfo, do you trust me? But Lord, how am I going to survive in Mexico? That's not even my nation. I've been born and raised in California. That's a whole different, do you trust me? Do you trust me? Adolfo?
And I think we've all been to that fork in the road where the Lord's asked us the same thing. Do you trust me? Or is it something cliche that we say, I trust the Lord, but in reality we don't remember this family. Trust is a big word. And if trust has been violated, it's because that person trusted in someone or something so much that once they got violated, that word went down the drain as well. So when you say trust in the Lord, I know the Bible says that, but you got to understand what if that person doesn't know how to trust? It's simple. Just trust. We need to get taught how to trust. We need to learn how to love again or no when those things have been violated for whatever reason. So just consider that. That's all. Because for whatever is easy for us, simple for us could be the hardest thing for thy neighbor.
All right? That's why the Bible says, know the condition of your flock. Know the condition of your flock. I have to get personal. I don't have to know everything, but we have to get personal with one another, helping each other. What are our strong points? What are our weak points? How can I come alongside you and lift you up? Right? That's where the Bible says, know the condition of what the flock. So we see that they cried out to the Lord. It says, Lord, what we're about to do, may this not beat on us, man in Jesus' name. And they picked up Jonah and threw him out the boat. And what happened? The storm calmed down. So he wasn't lying.
But the Lord a lot of times asks us things. It just doesn't make sense. Like, son, my ways are not your ways. My thoughts are not your thoughts. I'm not asking you to know everything. I'm asking you to be obedient. Do you trust me? Right? And it's like, man, okay Lord, teach me how to trust Lord. Teach me how to follow because I don't. And that's something that comes every day. Every day today we made that decision to be here. Praise the Lord. And we're following his voice. Alright? It's something that we have to understand. So verse 15. So they picked up, Jonah hurled him into the sea, and the ccs from its raging. Verse 16. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made what Vows.
So in other words, what happened to the mariners? I believe right? They got saved. They sacrificed to the Lord. They knew now the Lord at times needs to use events in our lives to catch our attentions. Yes or no? Can you hear me now? Like Lord, but why? She's like, son, that's the only way you're going to hear me. I try to talk to you, but you don't hear me. Can you hear me? Now, I don't know what that is, but the Lord is very clear. The Bible says that my sheep hear my voice. So it says, the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord, a maid vows. Today we have offered a sacrifice. You say, well, dfo, we're not in the Old Testament. Well, you've sacrificed one hour of your life, two hours of your life, yes or no. Praise the Lord for that. We are dedicating, glorifying who? Jesus Christ. That's the requirement. Amen. So that's something that's awesome and I thank you.
And then it says verse 17, to finish it up. And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. So in other words, it wasn't the end of the day, it wasn't over for Jonah, there's still more to come. So he saved Jonah, grace and mercy, and we see the grace and mercy in the mariners as well. So the question family that I have for you, for us, for me, what is that type of Jonah in our lives that we need to throw out our boat that's causing that havoc, that's causing that violent storm in our lives? I don't know. I know. What's that type of in my life? And just so you know, there ain't no secrets in heaven. I know and Jesus Christ knows. So there ain't no secret. And the one that's he's the final authority that we have to look at. It's something that we have to understand and know family. Think about the faith that these men did in their lives. Just think about that. What is that action that the Lord is asking you to do today? To take that leap of faith for him?
To make that difference. To make that change. And sometimes it's not that easy, of course, but it's not impossible, right? Bible says all things are possible with who in Jesus Christ, right? Once again, it's the Lord. The focus is Jesus Christ. So family, I beg, I ask if we're in that moment of fleeing from the presence of the Lord, come back. Come back. Because today what we're receiving is grace and mercy. Think about that. Many did not wake up today. Family, many did not wake up today. What did you do to wake up? Did you pay anything? Did you sacrifice anything? Did you do anything to wake up? Nothing. It was the Lord who woke you up. Keep that heart pumping. Why? For his love, his grace and his mercy. Many did not wake up today, family, but he did wake you up. So let's go forward glorifying his mighty name. Amen. Glory be to God. Thank you. I hope each and every one of you got a word, a verse, the message. My prayer is that each and every one of you do not leave these doors the way you came in. Why? Because of the word of God. Amen. Praise the Lord. Thank you. God bless family.