0:07 There's something that I'm more and more convinced of and that's something that I see in Matthew chapter Matthew chapter 20. 0:34 It says verse 16, Matthew 20:16, so the last shall be first and the first shall be last. In one other passage, it says, "Many who were first will be last, and many who are last will be first." 0:52 And I just share that as a word of encouragement. Sometimes the world looks at people and their accomplishments and what they do and they say, "Okay, that person's first." Sometimes it's that way in the church also. That person does so much of 1:08 activity here and there. That other person that they don't do anything. They're quiet and they have a hidden ministry. But the more I see it, one day we're going to see this come to pass. And as I get older, 1:30 I see that this is more and more true. And I want to see people the way the Lord sees them. The ones God considers first. I want to be able to recognize them on this side of eternity and fellowship with them, 1:47 get to know them because one day in eternity they're going to be celebrated. They're going to be in the first of the line and I don't want to go up to them and say, "Oh, can I spend time with you now? Now that you're celebrated and then you're 2:04 honored." No, I want to get to know them now when God honors them here on this side of eternity. when the world and others don't recognize who's the first in eternity. But I I did want to turn to I I say that 2:24 as a word of encouragement to each one young and old. No matter what your ministry and calling is in the body of Christ, there is a prize for you. Something that the Lord will reward you on that day for your service to him. 2:40 But I think about it, what would discourage a person who's going to be first on that day from not being first? And I think about, you know, the man with one talent, he got one talent. There was a man who got five talents, 2:56 another one who got two talents. The man who got one talent, he got discouraged saying, "Okay, you know what? What's the point? I just got one talent." And I feel that's one of the greatest dangers. The one who has one talent also would 3:13 have got honored on that day if they persevered and said, "You know what? This one talent the Lord gave me, this small ministry, hidden ministry, it's important and I'm willing to wait until that day when I get my reward from the 3:27 Lord himself." And so I want to encourage everyone in this church family especially. No matter what you do here, saying the memory verse, praying, sharing, doing that little part, don't think that the Lord is not noticing it. If you 3:46 endure saying, you know what, I'm going to be faithful in this one talent the Lord gave me on that day. I see it today that they'll be first. May you also see it. But I want to talk about this. This it 4:04 says, "Even my father's servants have more than enough." Does anyone know where that's from? Out loud. The prodical son. Yes. 4:22 Turn with me to Luke 15:1. And he said, "A man had two sons." Verse 12, "The younger of them said to his father,"Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me." So he divided his wealth between them. I have a question. When does a person 4:41 get their inheritance? When their father is alive or after he passes away? >> After he passes away. And so when he said, "I want my inheritance now. I'm not going to wait till you pass away. I believe that would have been very very 4:59 hurtful to his father. His father who loved him tremendously. He said, "I'm not going to wait. I want my inheritance now because there's something in my life that I want to satisfy my passions now. I want it now. I'm not going to wait." 5:15 And I believe it would have hurt the father tremendously. There's an expression that some people use I've burnt that bridge. I'm not sure if you heard it. I've burnt that bridge. That means they had this relationship and they burnt that bridge. 5:33 Meaning they're not going to be able to go back because the bridge is broken. And sometimes in relationships, some people they say, "I I burnt that bridge. I'm no longer I'm not going to forgive them. I'm not going to I'm never going 5:45 [clears throat] to go back." I've seen that in workplace situations where some people they before they leave they give a piece of their mind what they really felt and then they leave. They broke their bridge. Nobody's going 6:02 to hire them back. They broke the bridge. And when this son went out, I believe that's what he did. He broke the bridge. He said, "You know what, Dad? I don't expect to come back. I'm breaking this bridge. 6:22 Verse 13. And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on his journey into a distant country. And there he squandered his estate with loose living. He enjoyed himself with all of what the fathers 6:38 swelt. Verse 14. And now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in the country and he began to be impoverished or poor. So he went and hired himself out to the citizens of that country and he sent him 6:55 into this fields to feed swine. And I think about that Jesus is telling this parable and he said that there was a severe famine. Who gave that severe famine in that land? 7:14 Who do you think? I think the Lord arranged that severe famine to come in that land because he knew what was best for this boy. It was the only way he could get his attention. And so he came to such a low point where he's looking at that 7:32 that swine's food and he said he would gladly fill his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating. I remember growing up in India. Um the pigs usually used to be near the the trash cans and all of that. And some of 7:50 those trash cans, it would smell so bad. But the the the pigs, they would feel at home there. They'd be inside. They enjoy it. But you'd have to close your nose sometimes and run past those trash cans. But they were at home. 8:08 And I know what they used to eat. And if he was at that point where he was willing to eat what the pigs could eat, he was at a low point. Very, very low. But the Lord arranged that circumstance. In verse 18, verse 16, and he would have gladly 8:29 filled his stomach with the pods [snorts] the swine were eating, and no one was giving him anything. Verse 17. But when he came to his senses, he said, "How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread? But here I die with hunger. I'm dying 8:45 with hunger. I will go up to my father and will say to him, "Father, I've sinned against heaven and in your sight." Verse 19, "I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired men." And I see that this is a genuine 9:05 repentance. Over the years, there's many people who repent. They say, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." And then after that, they say, "Let's move on. Let's go and do something else." I said, "Sorry, right?" But then there's others who come back to 9:22 the father like this, who say, "Lord, I'm not worthy to come back as a son. I burnt that bridge a long time ago, but would you be willing to at least take me in as a hired servant? And as we were singing today, 9:42 he bridged that gap, that chasm. It talks about a man who was in hell. Actually, in the next chapter, Luke 16, we can turn there. Verse 26. Luke 16 26. And besides this, between us, that means Abraham who is in in 10:02 paradise and Lazarus and you, this rich man in hell. Between us, there's a great chasm. There's a great chasm. So that those who wish to come over here from there will not be able to. And those who want to cross over from here to there can't either. 10:19 That's how wide it was. Nobody could go from here to there. And nobody can come from there to here. But on the cross, Jesus made a way. And this morning as we were singing that, I was remembering again God, it was not a small price. I 10:36 remember the days when that chasm was not crossed for me. There was a big chasm in my life which I couldn't cross. And I lived in guilt and shame and fear. But there came a day which I 10:56 was reminded of today as well where you bridged that gap where I could cross into eternity and to his presence. Lord, thank you. And for each of us, let us remember it wasn't a small price. It wasn't a small chasm. It was a great 11:15 chasm. But Jesus was forsaken by the father. this hell so that we could be with him. And it says when he came back, verse 20, 11:33 he got up and came to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him and ran and embraced him and kissed him. I don't think he would have ever imagined this is the reception I was 11:47 going to get when I came back home after all I've done to him. This is what he's going to do for me. Quickly, the father said to his slaves, "Bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and sandals 12:04 on his feet." And I wanted to speak on that thing. Even my father's servants have more than enough. Yes, God has forgiven us and he's brought us into a relationship with him. But how are we living? Are we living 12:22 like that man there thinking, "Oh, my father has so much and I here I'm living barely making it." And I could imagine if somebody from his hometown had come and saw, hey, isn't 12:39 that that boy? And they're like, no, it can't be that that that that person's son is a they're wealthy. It can't be that boy there in the pig style. How is it for us, brother, sister, young person? Are we living 13:01 as children of God? It says in Revelation, he has made us kings and priests. But are we living like that or are we like that saying, I wish I could even have what my the servants at my father's house are experiencing. There's something that uh Paul said when 13:24 he went to Rome, Rome, he said, "When I come to meet you in Rome, there's something that I can't that I'm going to bring to you that I'm going to share with you. If you turn with me to Romans 1, verse 10, 13:43 Romans 1 verse 10." always in my prayers making requests if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. Verse 11, for I long to see you that I may impart some spiritual gift to you that you may be established. 13:58 Verse 12, that is that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by each other's >> faith, both yours and mine. He said, I can write letters to you. I can do all of that but there's something that I'm going to bring to you in my 14:18 while I come and visit you in person and for each one of us as well as we meet together our conversation should be this we bring faith even this last s last Wednesday when we were in the brother study each one was 14:35 saying about situations in the work but not just how they failed in their work situation but also how God helped them in that work situation And I'm sure and then once one brother said then the other brother said I also 14:48 had a situation like that at work and this is how the Lord helped me. What did that give it put faith in the other brother's heart and I'm sure each of you some of you brothers and sisters going through some sickness and God gives you a word of faith and 15:04 you share it with another sister or another brother and they get encouraged. [cough] Some have lost jobs and it's easy for a person who has a job to say, "Oh, don't worry, brother. God will give you a job." But it's a different thing when another brother who 15:20 has lost his job tells him and says, "You know what, brother? You don't have a job. I don't have a job. But I believe that God takes good care of his children. And I have faith that he who gave a job to Daniel and Mori and Joseph 15:40 has a job planned out for me as well. What kind of faith is that? And that other brother saying, you know what, now I have faith too that God will take care of me. And so that's what we must do. uh a Wednesday, I think it was last 15:57 Wednesday uh two Wednesdays ago, Brother Santos took a a story and he shared it with us about expectation corner um from Emily Steel Elliot. And when I was listening to it, he made it so easy 16:14 uh in easy to to understand language. It's published there. It's called a chronicle of the redeemed land and you can find it on YouTube that he shared. But as I was listening to it, it brought faith. That sister Emily Elliot had 16:30 faith in the 1800s. And I would have never got that faith if I never heard about it. And then brother Santos, he took it and he shared it with us. And then what what am I going to do? I'm not going to keep it to myself. I'm going to 16:43 share it with others as well. So that others can also get that faith. And that's what we must do when God puts something and shows us something and gives faith in our hearts. We have to give it to others as well. And that's 16:55 what happened in the early church as well. I believe that Peter told the church probably, you know what, God took us out of prison. He sent an angel and saved us. And he said, you also must pray. And then in Acts 12, each of the church 17:13 members started to pray. release Peter from jail. Yes, James, he died. But even then, we're not going to doubt. We're going to believe that God is going to save him. And they prayed and prayed and God delivered Peter. And I believe that that faith we must 17:32 pass on. Every single person in this church should have faith. And so I wanted to share a little bit about that. There was two characters in this place. There was a place called the redeemed land. A land where there was forgiveness 17:49 of sins and there was two people there on that land. They were neighbors but their lives were completely different. One was Adam Adam slowman and the other one was widow fulljoy. Adam slowman and widow fulljoy. Adam Slowman was one who 18:07 had all these doubts but this could have happened or what if this happens or how can this be. You might remember that uh if you turn with me to second Kings 2 Kings chapter 7 there was a man like that. This was a 18:26 time in Israel when they were in a famine, a great famine and everything was costing so much because of this famine. And 2 Kings chapter 1 verse chapter 7, I'm sorry. 2 Kings 7:1. Then Elisha 18:44 said, "Listen to the word of the Lord." It wasn't his word. It was a promise from God. Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekele in the gate of Samaria. 19:00 Till now it was expensive because of the famine but tomorrow it's not going to be. Things are going to be different tomorrow. You'll see because God's word says that. Verse two, the royal official in whose hand the king was leaning answered, 19:18 "Behold," answered the man of God and said, "Behold, if the Lord should make windows of heaven in this, how could this thing be?" Then he said, "Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it." Because you didn't believe. 19:38 Did it happen? As Elisha said, it happened exactly as he said at the gate of Samaria. It was sold for that exact price. But he in the stampede of people died. He saw it being fulfilled, but he couldn't taste of it because he didn't 19:56 believe. Another man, Zachchariah, the angel said, "You're going to have a son. His name is going to be John the Baptist. Did he believe? No. He said, "You know 20:13 what? Did it happen?" Yes. But you're going to be silent for 9 months. You're not going to be able to speak until your tongue is loosened when it when everything gets fulfilled. For us too, it's the same thing. Are we going to believe it? For Adam, slowman. 20:32 It says in ma mark 6 verse 5-6 he couldn't do many miracles there because of their unbelief and Jesus was wondering and so Adam Slowman could have experienced everything that God had 20:49 promised but he didn't on the other side the neighbor her life was totally different she had sunlight in her house the water flowing living waters flowing into through her house, always plentiful, had bread all the time. He was starving. He was having 21:09 little bread, little water, everything was filled with cobwebs. Both neighbors, but totally different lives. And for each one of us, we need to see the Lord who redeemed us, who made the heavens and the earth. Are we living 21:25 like children of God? Are we living where I say, "Oh, the servants in my father's house have more than I do." If you turn with me to Jeremiah 17 verse 7 and 8, this would be a testimony 21:42 of widow fulljoy life. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. That means I don't have any other trust other than the Lord himself. I trust his promises, but that's not enough. I completely lean on the 22:00 everlasting arms. God himself is my trust. For such a person, verse eight, is true, for he will be like a tree planted by the water that extends its roots by a stream, and will not fear when heat comes, and it but its leaves 22:17 will be green, and it will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor cease to yield fruit. Everywhere around will be drought but this tree will be flourished filled with the Holy Spirit taking nourishment will be lively 22:35 flourishing and that was the testimony of Widow Fjoy. She had faith for everything. You might remember uh I don't know what the most popular or common tree here in Loveland or Colorado 22:52 is. I think it might be the aspen or the blue spruce. I just found that recently. [laughter] But if somebody told you, "Oh, yeah. I'm I saw you standing there under the the blue spruce or the aspen tree." You'd be like, "Oh, thank you. [laughter] That 23:11 was nice. You saw me under there." Uh it wasn't anything spectacular. It wasn't like somebody raised from the dead. But that's kind of what Jesus said to Nathaniel. John 1 23:29 verse 80 verse 48. John 1:48. Nathaniel said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus said to him, "Before Philip called you," John 1 verse 48. Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. And the fig tree I heard is a 23:49 very commentary. So it was just like saying, you know, I saw you under the aspen tree. Verse 49. Nathaniel said to him, Ra, rabbi, you are the son of God. You are the king of Israel. And Jesus answered and said to him, because I said I saw you under the fig 24:06 tree, do you believe? Is that all it took for you to believe? Now they say easy belieism actually in a bad way but this one is a good way of being easy anything you you saw me under the fig tree Lord you must be son of god 24:26 some people had to see Lazarus raised from the dead and then they said they were son of god this person he just saw him under the fig tree and he said you're the son of god what it didn't take much and I said lord I want to be like this you tell me 24:39 something I believe it lord And this is the promise for people like that because you said I said to you I saw you under the fig tree. Do you believe you will see greater things than these? I say Lord I believe I want to show me greater things. 24:59 Verse 51. And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the son of man." Do you and I want to have that life? Yes. I want everything that God can give 25:17 me on this side of eternity to be mine. What is stopping me? Nothing other other than unbelief. I don't believe just like Adam Slowman. And so she went and she said, "You know what? You're no different from me. You can have everything that I'm experiencing. 25:37 Turn with me to Psalm chapter uh chapter uh 106." Psalm 106 verse 45. And he remembered Psalm 106:45. And he remembered his covenant for their sake. 25:57 God made a promise and instead of me remembering it, God said, "You know what? I'm going to remember the promise for you. I made it for you and I'm going to make it. I'm going to remember it for your sake." There's a verse in Genesis where it 26:13 says, "And God remembered Noah in the ark just to say, you know what? I didn't forget you, Noah. I know you're there all by yourself with the others, all by yourself in the ocean, but I remember you. God remembers his promises. 26:30 [clears throat] And if you turn a few pages to the right inund 119 verse 49 and it's good to remember these promises because at times of need, we can come to the Lord and said, "Lord, you made that 26:47 promise, Lord. Remember it for my sake. Verse 49. Remember the word to your servant in which you have made me hope. Lord, remember it, Lord. You made me hope on this promise that you made that you will fill me with the Holy Spirit 27:04 and fire. Matthew 3:11. I didn't make that promise. You made it to me. And now I'm hoping that you will give it to me. Don't let me down, Lord. Will he let us down? No. He will do what he promised. Blessed is she. It's spoke of Mary. 27:22 Blessed is the one who believes the fulfillment of what was spoken to her. Mary, you're blessed because you believe that God's going to keep his word to you. And so she encouraged him and said, "You know what? Ask for help. Don't just be 27:41 sitting here in the dark. Ask for help." And he's like, "I don't know what to say. I didn't even know what to write." She said, "No, no, no. Just just write, you know, to the owner of this land. Just write and go to Psalm 25. I'll help 27:56 you. You don't even have to make up your words. Just go to the the book, the Bible, and claim the promises from his own word." It says in Psalm 25:4, "Make me know your ways, O 28:15 Lord. Teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me. For you are God of my salvation. For you I wait all the day long. And so he writes down and says, "You know what? I write, Lord, show me your way. Teach me my paths. I'm 28:32 going to wait for you at this door for you to answer." And so he goes to the door, opens it, and he's waiting. He sends the the tele the the postcard over and soon very soon there's a messenger at his door. A couple of days ago I was I put a pack 28:50 I I ordered a package and you know when they you order the package they give you estimated time and I ordered it on a Monday and they said you can get it between Wednesday and Saturday and I was hoping oh hopefully I'll get it on the 29:04 Wednesday not the Saturday. And then finally after the order is placed, you know, they said Wednesday to Saturday. And so I'm like, "Okay, the estimated time they're going to give it to me soon." Yes, we've shipped it. The 29:17 estimated time of arrival is next Monday. I'm like, "Wait a minute. You said Wednesday and Saturday. Monday's not even there." [snorts] And I was like, finally they somehow sped it up and I put notifications. I want to see where this is going. And the 29:34 package is going from one place to another. I'm like, I don't know why I was so excited about that. And then it finally got there. And then I was like, oh yes, it came on Saturday actually. But I was thinking about it how excited 29:50 I was for earthly package. How much more for the packages that come from heaven, all these promises. And I said, 'Lord, I have faith, Lord, that if the postal service can [snorts] get things to me on time, how much more you're going to keep 30:09 your promises. I don't know, it might be a Wednesday, it might be a Saturday, but it's going to come. And so he goes and he takes Adam Slowman and he takes them to these different warehouses, big offices of packages. And as I was looking at that and I was 30:29 hearing this in that story, I was like, Lord, why is there so many packages that have not been picked up? One was doubt. Turn with me to James chapter 1. 30:47 Why will these packages that God has promised for us, these packages that have come for us, why will they not be picked up, they're all there. If you turn with me to James chapter 1, James chapter 1, 31:18 but verse 6, but he must ask in faith. Chapter 1 verse 6 without any doubting for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by this wind for that man ought to expect that 31:35 he will receive that ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord that's a promise a negative promise a negative promise saying you will receive nothing when if I'm doubting God has made a promise, but I'm saying, 31:54 you know what? I How is that? How can that be? [snorts] Then God says, no, you're not going to get it. According to your faith, be it unto you. You believe I don't keep my promises. Okay, I won't keep my promise to you. 32:10 And uh then it could be sin. If you regard iniquity in your heart, he will not hear you. Brother, sister, if there is sin in our lives, let us go to the Lord and set the matter right. Don't wait for tomorrow. Don't wait. We don't 32:29 know how much time we have to set things right with the Lord. If today the Lord is speaking to you, set the matter right. I remember as a young teenager when I first heard about Jesus and about eternity, the one thing that rung in my 32:46 heart like nothing else was the fact that we will not get an opportunity to set matters right after we enter into eternity. No matter how much I cry and scream, we will not be able to enter into eternity. Once we enter into 33:05 eternity, there's no coming back and saying, "Lord, give me one more chance to go back. I'll go and apologize to them. I'll go set it right. I'll go say sorry to anybody." Will the Lord give us a ch chance? No. While we have life here, we have many 33:23 opportunities God will give us to set matters right with everybody. Let us do it. Let us go and apologize. It doesn't matter how long you've been coming to church, how many meetings you've attended, how much you read the Bible. 33:35 If you not set matters right, it's serious. Sin is serious. God won't say, "Oh, you read the Bible many times. You went to the church meeting. Okay, that's okay. You can have sin that you have not set right." No, every single m the balance needs to be 33:54 that all every matter has to be set right on that day when we stand before him. So let's take every sin seriously. I'm willing to go and humble myself in front of anybody to set matters right. It's worth it. Brother, sister, you, we 34:12 will all see it one day in reality. But today, let's set matters right with every single person while we still have opportunity. Unforgiveness. Some people you I heard recently even people struggling with forgiving others and there's a verse 34:32 because sometimes you did I really forgive them and this is the verse that has encouraged me. Turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 2. I asked Lord help me to forgive every single person. No matter what they've done you've forgiven me. I want to 34:48 forgive every single person so that you will also forgive me. And it says here, verse 10, 2 Corinthians 2:10, but the one you have forgiven, I forgive also. Indeed, what I have forgiven, I have forgiven. If I have forgiven anything, I 35:08 did it for your sakes. Where? In the presence of Christ. So I go to the Lord and say, Lord, to the best of my ability, I've forgiven everybody in your presence. I've I apologized and set matters right. I went and asked them for 35:25 forgiveness if I hurt them. I need to set a matter right. But every single person I want to set it right in your presence. Humble yourself before the Lord in his presence. Again, everything in his presence, Lord. I want to have 35:41 every matter set right. And so there was another uh set of shelves there and Adam's slowman is looking there and it has his name there and it has all the things he's been asking for. He was asking for a 36:00 robe of righteousness. I mean a robe of gladness. And he said I saw it there with my name on it and the date I asked for it all there. But he didn't get it. It was there. God had re had it ready 36:18 for him, but he just didn't pick it up. He didn't receive it. He didn't believe that God had made him the garments of praise, the oil of God gladness. It was sitting there. And then he had there was a pair of glasses there. Pair of glasses so that 36:35 he could see. It says in Psalm 119 verse 18, Psalm 119, verse 18, behold, verse 18, open my eyes that I may behold 36:56 wonderful things from your law. And he said, I couldn't see it. I didn't have any revelation on God's word. And it was because those glasses were there and you had made them for me. It was sitting there but I couldn't get them 37:11 because I didn't have faith. But widowed love uh widow Fulljoy she had plenty of faith and so she could see all these wonderful things jumping out from God's word because she had the glasses that you had prepared for her. She had faith 37:30 and she received it. And so as I was listening to the story, that was something that struck me. Lord, when I enter into eternity, I want my shelves to be empty. I don't want to see any package out there saying, "AJ, you 37:48 could have got this when you were there. That person you prayed for, you could have the answer was there. It was so close and you gave up just at the last moment. And so that package is still there. I said, 'Lord, I don't want any 38:05 packages. And for you, too, let there be no packages that God has prepared and put there on the shelf that you didn't pick up because of unbelief, because of sin, because of some reason, some other packages God took, it was 38:25 called a royal exchange building. When they asked for something, God gave them something else instead. The woman at the well when Jesus said, "Ask from me and I'll give you living water so that you will never thirst again." 38:42 She said, "Give me that water. Give it to me." And Jesus said, "Go call your husband." She wanted to get the living water 38:59 without setting matters right and a lot of us may want to be that Lord I want all the blessings that you can give me with my self-centered life. I want to live for myself and enjoy it and also I want to get the living waters as 39:13 well. He said no you first go set matters right. But the wonderful thing is she was a humble woman and she set matters right and she went and told everybody in the 39:30 village of Samaria come and tell see this man who told me everything that I did. Could he be the Messiah? God used her. One who had failed so much but was honest with her sin. God was able to use her mightily. God is the same yesterday, today, and 39:49 forever. He'll meet with any one of us. It says of Paul when he was in prison. He was asking the Philippians, pray for me that I will be delivered. But God kept him there. And you know what he said in Philippians 1:12? He 40:09 said, "God has arranged these circumstances for the furtherance of the gospel. God allowed it for me. He allowed all these circumstances in my life so that I'll be in this jail because it was going to be for the furtherance of the gospel. 40:26 Brother, sister, you might be in a situation where it feels like you're in a tight spot. But if you're a child of God, God has arranged all those circumstances in your life. Maybe it's for the furtherance of the gospel or furtherance of his purposes in 40:43 your life. Then there is one more storehouse storehouse the delayed blessings office. And there's a beautiful verse in Habac 41:01 2:3. Even if it delays, wait for it. Wait for it. Even if it delays, because it's surely going to come with all certainty, it is going to happen. Exactly as I said, the vision is going to come to pass. As I've said, even if 41:21 it feels like it's delaying, wait for it. And the delayed blessings office had a clock on top of it. And soon as the fullness of time comes, it would be sent for Daniel who was waiting. It took 21 days. But when the time came, it 41:40 immediately came. The answer came. We may not know when that timing is, but if it's according to God's will, it will come. And if it delays, there's a very, very good reason for it. You might remember when Joseph was in 41:58 prison, he told the dream of a man who is there and he said, "Give me just do one thing. Once you're released and you go to the king, just tell him I'm here in prison unlawfully. Tell him to release me 42:17 once. One he just for all that I've done for you, just one thing. And he forgets for two years. He forgets. He's 28 years old, 29 years old, and he becomes 30 years old in prison. And he's probably thinking to himself, there was 42:35 just one thing I told him and he forgot that too. Who made him forget? The Lord. Why? If you see what happens, if he got released two years earlier, he 42:54 would have been an ordinary person who was released. But because he waited two years more, he was become second to Pharaoh. And this was the promise that was made to him. No one in all of Egypt can raise 43:12 their foot or hand without your permission. Such authority because he waited those two years. He may have not understood it, but he trusted God. And we serve the same Lord who did for Joseph that. And so if you see something delaying for a 43:31 child of God, there's a very good reason for it. You'll find out in eternity, but how much better to find out now why Lord, it's delaying, but I know it's for some good purpose you're delaying it. And as we close 43:52 this morning, it's good that Adam's slowman's life did not end that way. He came back and said, "Lord, is there still hope for me to receive all those packages I saw?" What's the answer? Is there hope? 44:13 Yes, there is hope today. all of those things. It says of a man who went and knocked on his neighbor's house. A neighbor has come, a friend of mine has come and he needs bread. I'm unashamed to come and knock at your 44:32 door at midnight because I need some. And he knocked and knocked and knocked. Do you know how many times he knocked? I don't know, but I'm gonna find out because I want to knock as many times as 44:51 needed to [snorts] be able to get all that. He says when he opened the door, he got as much as he needed. I believe that it same thing. I'm not going to if it was 10 knocks, I don't want to end with the ninth knock and find out I had to just knock one more 45:10 time and the answer was going to be there. I just had to ask one more time and the answer was going to be there. I don't want to stop short. Jesus asks in uh Luke 18, he says, "How quickly will the Lord answer his elect?" I say, 45:30 "I don't know, but I'm going to find out how quickly it is." More than enough. You see that with the Lord, he's always generous. When he feeds the 5,000, there's 12 basketfuls left over. 45:47 That's the life that God has for each one of us. Not just barely getting by like Adam Slowwell, but that's how his life turned out to be. He also had a life of plenty. And there was something that really encouraged me. Sometimes when you think 46:06 about praying, oh, I must pray for such a long time to get the Lord's answer, especially if it's a big thing, I need to pray even more longer. And uh maybe a couple of weeks ago or months ago, a friend from another place, 46:23 a brother in Christ, a godly man, I wrote to him and I asked him, "Brother, can you pray for me?" I told him, "Can you pray for me?" Within a few seconds, the answer came back done. And I thought to myself, I just asked him to pray for me, and he 46:43 said within a few seconds, I got the answer back done. How much did he actually pray for me? It kind of was in the back of my mind, but I knew he's a godly man. So, I said, you know what, that's thing. But as I was thinking 46:57 about that, I was like, AJ, what do you expect? What are you thinking? What what were you expecting? Him after 5 minutes replying, yeah, I prayed for you and I'm praying for you. Is that what you were expecting? And I was thinking about kind 47:12 of I got the picture of of uh Neon. If you turn with me to 2 Kings chapter 5, Elisha said, "Go dip yourself in the river, Jordan River, seven times and you'll be healed." And he doesn't go and 47:29 meet him. He just sends his servant. And it says in verse 11, 2 Kings 5:11, but non was f furious and went out and said, "Behold, I thought he will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord, wave his hand over the 47:45 place and cure the leper." He had such great expectations of what prayer looked like. Oh, this is how it should be. And I think in my own mind and I don't know if any of you have that thought but when you ask somebody to pray for you you're 47:59 like or you pray you're like oh it must be like this so that God answers me waving the hand and all this thing and then I was thinking about Jesus when he prayed for the dead rising for the dead you'll be like oh I need to 48:16 pray a long time he said rise up two words three words and I'm thinking to myself you didn't take you didn't for even raising the dead you only used few words to raise the dead and then I was reminded of this promise uh this this 48:35 this in Matthew chapter 5 I'm sorry Matthew chapter 6 Matthew chapter 6 verse 7 Matthew 6:7 and when you are praying do not use meaningless repetitions as the Gentiles do For they 48:53 suppose that they will be heard for their many words that day or they the Lord's been teaching me a it's not in many words. It can be a small prayer prayed in faith and all these things of heaven will be 49:12 open to you. And so dear brothers, sisters and young people, let us not go back having one package that was meant for us, which was dated with our name on it staying there on the shelf that we should have received. It could have been 49:26 for healing for somebody or it could have been the salvation for somebody, something that we were praying for and we were one knock away because we gave up hope. Let it not be for each one of us. May faith be born in each of our 49:42 hearts today that we also say Lord you saw me under a aspen tree. I believe Lord. Let's pray. Heavenly father I pray for each one here Lord. Lord let us be ones who have faith in the simplest thing 50:01 like a child Lord believing everything the father says. I pray Lord that the shelves of heaven nothing will be left there without coming. You have a plan and a timing for every single thing that happens in a child of God's life. Lord, 50:15 I pray, Lord, for the salvation of anyone, Lord, here. I pray, Lord, that you would reach out, Lord. Your hand is not short. You can save to the uttermost. Lord, I pray that you'd bind the strong man and that you would plunder his goods. Lord, we want you to 50:29 be honored and glorified in our lives. I pray that you would do a mighty work, a miracle, and after you've done all those things, we will give you glory in Jesus name. Amen.
