In this sermon, the preacher begins by quoting Isaiah 59:14, where Isaiah laments the state of society, with judgment turned away and truth fallen in the street. The preacher then shares an article from the Focus on the Family newsletter, highlighting the need for restoration, cleansing, and empowerment of the heart. He emphasizes that selfishness hinders the representation of Jesus Christ and preaching the gospel with power. The sermon concludes with an invitation for those who have been touched by the Holy Spirit to respond, whether it be surrendering their lives to Christ or finding strength in the midst of struggles.

This message is one of the Times Square Church Pulpit series. It was recorded in the sanctuary of Times Square Church in Manhattan, New York City. Other tapes are available by writing WORLDCHALLENGE PO BOX 260 LINDALE, TEXAS 75771 or calling 903-963-8626. None of these messages are copyrighted and you are welcome to make copies for free distribution to friends. You know, you ask some people today, how are you doing? And the very first thing that comes out of their mouth sometimes is, well, under the circumstances. I only have a question for you. If you are in Christ and Christ is in you, what are you doing under the circumstances? He has already triumphed. There's a song I love to sing and one day we are going to sing it here. It's called, I'm Living on the Hallelujah Side. And that's where we need to be as God's people. Beyond the trials and difficulties of this life, beyond all of the tribulations that the days, I guess, agenda can send our way, and living where Christ has already triumphed. And I want to encourage you to lay hold of that triumph in our worship today. Father, we just thank you, Jesus, that you triumphed over the powers of hell and darkness. That is a reality. And that's a higher reality than anything that we're going through. Any struggle, any trial, any difficulty, any weapon of hell that may have been formed against us. Lord, you've already triumphed over it. You're already on the other side. You're living in the victory side. And we are there seated in heavenly places with you. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Lord, by faith, we lay hold of your accomplished work today. By faith, Lord, we reach out and we lay hold of the God of our salvation. You said the joy of our salvation is our strength. The joy of the Lord is our strength. God, thank you, Lord. Thank you for the knowledge that we are living in victory, not just for now but for all of eternity because of what Jesus did on Calvary. Hallelujah. We bless you today. Brethren, you can remain standing. You can be seated at any time here at Times Square Church. All we ask is that you keep your focus on Jesus Christ and love Him with all of your heart. And if you're under the circumstances today, may I encourage you by faith to get out. Just by faith, get out from under those circumstances and begin to love Him with all your heart. Would you turn in your Bibles, please, to Isaiah chapter 59. When the enemy comes in like a flood. Isaiah chapter 59. Let's pray together. Jesus, I thank you for your enduring truth. I thank you for your life, your strength. God, the provision that you give to me every time that I would stand and have the privilege of representing your word before your people. I thank you for the quickening power of the Holy Spirit. Lord, I ask you now to overshadow me. I ask you to quicken my heart, my mind, physical body. Grant to me great grace that I may disappear and stand behind the cross. Jesus, I ask that you would be the one who would be seen, you'd be heard, you'd be loved and longed for in this house and especially in the hearts of your people. Lord God, come and speak to us and open our hearts to the truth. Convict me and convince me, Lord, and enable me to be able to bring your heart to the people in the manner that you want it to be conveyed today. I ask, Lord, for great grace to be removed out of the way that you may speak. Jesus, be honored now. Be honored in our hearts, be honored in our lives. Be honored in the response that you will enable us to give to your word today and in your house. Lord God, I thank you for this. I praise you for it in Jesus' name. Amen. Isaiah chapter 59, when the enemy comes in like a flood. Begin to read at verse 16. And he saw, this is God, that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor. Therefore his arm brought salvation unto him and his righteousness, it sustained him. In other words, God was looking down on the deplorable situation that had come in to his people and the society of that particular day. There was nobody standing in the gap, and so he took it upon himself to bring about the victory and deliverance that he alone has determined for his people. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate and a helmet of salvation upon his head. And he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as a cloak. According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay. Fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies, to the islands, that means the distant lands, he will repay recompense. So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord. My spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and forever. Now in verse 19, the scripture speaks of the enemy coming in like a flood, a suddenness, a bursting forth, a casting away perhaps of all that is good, as if somehow a barrier which once restrained that which could destroy us is breached. The only illustration I can really think of giving you is perhaps a dam that has stood for years and years and years and held back a torrent of water that had the capability of destroying a small little village at its base. And yet over time a crack appeared in that dam, nobody did anything to stop it, everybody was preoccupied perhaps with their own building, their own houses, their own careers, their own social gatherings and many many things that can preoccupy the human heart. And people failed to notice that over time the crack in that particular dam was widening and widening until eventually because of the weight of the water that was behind it, it just burst forth and a sudden flood came upon the people unaware. And we have seen certainly throughout history secularly speaking, I mean we have seen that happen from time to time as dams have burst and we see the swath of incredible destruction that has brought upon the people that are in its path. Now the prophet Isaiah is talking about a time when the enemy is going to come on just like that upon the people. Coming in suddenly, coming in as a flood. Many many people unaware, unprepared for what's happening all around them. In chapter again 59 and verse 13 he explains why and how this begins to happen. Verse 13, he says, In transgressing and lying against the Lord and departing away from our God. Now the word transgressing in the original text is pascha. It means to break away, to apostatize, to be offended from a righteous authority. Isaiah is saying there's something that got into the hearts of the people. They began to break away, they did not like the constraints that God in His mercy and love was placing upon His people. He had built around about His people a wall of protection, a wall of provision, a wall that if people were desirous to walk within those parameters, it was a place where God's arms would draw them right very close to His heart and He would reveal the very character and nature of Himself to them and in them and through them. But they began to break away, they began to push away from the love of God. And verse 13 goes on to say, In departing, in speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. The word revolt is sarai, which means it carries the notion of defection or rebellion in man's relationship to God. It's incredible, it's an irony, but it's in the human heart. It happens continuously, generation after generation. We see it in the Old Testament, God would bring out His people, they would cry to Him, He would bless them, and He would establish parameters around about them where they could be rejoicing, the glory of God was in their midst. And the purpose of that was to provoke, perhaps, other people around, other nations, when they began to see the glory of God that was upon His people, that they too would begin to turn to the Lord and begin to understand there's only one God in heaven and earth that can keep and carry and sustain and bless people like that. But time and again throughout history, time and again throughout Christian history, even in the last 2,000 years, we see generations that have known or at least have a history or legacy of the faithfulness of God beginning to break away to be offended at the authority of God, to defect or rebel in their relationship with Him. In verse 15 says, the end result of this in a society, yea, truth faileth, and he that departs from evil makes himself a prey. And the Lord saw it and it displeased Him that there was no judgment. A time comes, and it's a tragic thing to see that thing beginning to happen in the United States of America and in Canada right now. A time comes when the defection from God's authority had reached such proportions that a person who sought to walk in God's truth became open to all forms of attack from that society. It is a tragedy when looking back at the history, I'm a little bit of a history buff and I have spent some time searching out the roots of American spiritual history. It's a tragedy although it was not all as squeaky clean as some would like to think it was. Nevertheless there was a Christian foundation that built the very fabric of this nation that caused the blessing of God to be upon people. There was a wall established and one of the early founding fathers prophesied one day and said this nation will be at the forefront in the future technology that's going to develop throughout the world and he believed that it was going to be through the United States of America that technology was going to spread throughout the entire known world. As a matter of fact he said that the prophecy that is in the book of Daniel will be fulfilled through the United States of America. That prophecy that says that knowledge will increase. And surely we've seen the hand of God's blessing on a country in only a couple of hundred short years and unparalleled perhaps throughout history the blessing that God has put upon this nation. But then we see this tragic form of defection against the authority of God. Pushing the word of God out of our schools and then throwing up our hands in confusion when our children begin to murder and massacre one another. Wondering why it's happening. Pushing him out of the court system. Pushing him out of the fabrics of society. The buzzword in Canada now today is tolerance. And I shared last week it means tolerance of everything but the gospel of Jesus Christ. And now those who stand for truth are open to mock and ridicule. And I do believe, I have a trepidation in my heart if the Lord tarries and does not bring some form of horrific kind of change upon the western world. The day is coming in the not too distant future that it could conceivably be illegal to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Truth fails and he that departs makes himself a prey. Verse 14, Isaiah cries out from a broken heart. He says, judgment is turned away backwards and justice stands afar off. Truth is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter. Truth was daily being trampled by those who were indifferent to even their own peril that was right at their own doorstep. A nation trampling upon truth. It is an absolute tragedy. I want to read something to you that I was looking at earlier this week. It's an article from the Focus on the Family newsletter. It's the Canadian edition of Focus on the Family published in August 1999. You're going to find this hard to believe when I'm about to read to you. The writer says, I know that many of you reacted with the same concern as I did last January the 30th when a British Columbia court ruled that possession of child pornography was a right protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, therefore legal in British Columbia. So great was the outcry across the country that the federal justice minister, I won't be naming any names in this article, and British Columbia's attorney general launched an immediate appeal. In order to protect Canada's children from those who would prey upon them, Focus Canada became involved in the appeal. Imagine then the public dismay when on June 30th, that was this past June 30th, the British Columbia Supreme Court upheld the earlier ruling. I cannot fathom, the writer says, what contorted logic led the British Columbia Supreme Court justice to conclude that there was no connection between the possession of child pornography and the abuse of children used to make it. In fact, listen to this now, during the case, she suggested that perhaps we should support the abuse of third world children used for child pornography because it was one of the few ways that they could make any money. In her ruling, she called laws in place to protect the interests of children tyrannical. And in response to Focus Canada's argument that Canada's Charter of Rights recognized the supremacy of God and therefore that religious values should be considered, she noted that the supremacy of God was a dead letter. We're living in perilous times, folks, perilous times, when we have a justice in the Supreme Court saying that we should support child pornography and the exploitation of children to help them make money. Isaiah says in chapter 24 and verse 10, the city of confusion is broken down. Every house is shut up that no man may come in. Now, here's what it really means. As we go more and more into the distance from the loving arms of a wonderful savior that wants to do nothing more than bless and to change his children, society begins to barricade itself. Everyone is barricaded and fear begins to grip the whole society. Now, I'm not that old, I'm only 46 or 45, I'll be 46 soon, years old, but I remember the day when we didn't have to lock the doors in our home at night. And I believe that some of you are old enough here in New York City to remember that day too as well. But now, today, everyone is barricaded. Fear is beginning to grip the whole of society. Horrendous crimes that were never even thought of are now an everyday occurrence. People moving into homes and finding body parts in barrels and buckets and freezers and buried in their basement. Murder upon murder happening in our society. People disappearing. Nobody even knows that they've disappeared sometimes for 10 or 15 years into the future. Isaiah says in verse 11, chapter 24, there's a crying for wine in the streets. In other words, he's saying a search for happiness. There's a constant search now for happiness and peace. All joy is darkened. Nothing lasts anymore. And the mirth of the land is gone. Isaiah is saying joy and gladness which comes as a result of an awareness of the favor of God. That which once brought us stability is now eluded us. It is gone. A continual search for happiness. Y'all don't have to walk far out the door of this church to see that in these streets of Manhattan. People walking to and fro, going from theater to theater and show to show and attraction to attraction looking for happiness. And I always find it interesting at the end of the night to see them heading towards a parking garage at 51st and 8th with this deadpan look upon their faces. There's no gaiety. There's no joy. Everything that they may have experienced, the laughter that they may have known in some of these places has all been temporary. It's all elusive. They can't hold on to it. It's like sand in your hand. And people are searching constantly. They'll go home and they'll plan the next set of tickets they buy to come again and to look for one more night of elusive peace and happiness. Looking for that which only can be brought by the presence of Jesus Christ and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah chapter 59 again in verse 9. He talks about a society which has rejected God's truth and then tries to do right but can't. Ever increasing confusion leads to a deeper and deeper darkness. Listen to what he says in verse 9. Therefore is judgment far from us and neither does justice overtake us. We wait for light but behold obscurity. For brightness but we walk in darkness. We look for the truth. We try to do right but it seems this ever increasing confusion is leading us to an ever increasing darkness in our country. We search for our previous borders. In verse 10 it says we search for the wall like the blind and we grope as if we had no eyes. We stumble at noonday as in the night and we are in desolate places as dead men. What he's saying is that we search for our previous borders. We search for the ones which brought security at another time and we can't find it. We're walking around and we have the stories, we have the history, we have the legacy of God's blessing but it seems that it has eluded us as we seek to find it and sadly to say society seeks to find it outside of the parameters where the true blessing came from. It came from the presence of God. It came from walking in obedience to God. It came from the loving arms of a risen Savior. When there were one time of people who embraced Him and those borders were secure, they were established, we were a lender and not a debtor. The scripture says, Isaiah says in chapter 59 verse 10 it says we are in desolate places as dead men. The original text, the word dead men means an unnatural death which was not the will of God. We walk around suffering an unnatural death and it really is speaking about a spiritual death. Searching for the walls and unable to find them. All of the symposiums now, all of the think tanks getting together and trying to figure out why our children are now being predisposed to such horrendous violence. New York City now, I suppose many of you are aware of it now, some of the initiation rites into some of the young youth gangs now is to take a razor blade or any kind of a cutting object and to find a baby in a carriage and to slice up that baby. That is the new ritual now. Not even babies in their carriages are safe anymore. And so all of the brilliant men get together and they form symposium and think tanks trying to figure out why this is happening in our midst. Groping for the wall but unable to find it because they are trying to find it outside of the parameter where true life and true freedom really is. And the life surrendered and submission to the laws of God to the heart of God is revealed through his son Jesus Christ. Verse 11 talks about again our society. It says we all, we roar all like bears and mourn sore like doves. We look for judgment but there is none for salvation but it is far off from us. In other words we roar like bears. He says we give the impression that we are powerful and in control. Our politicians stand up and some civic leaders and others even religious figures stand up and roar like bears about the good days that are ahead of us and the ever increasing prosperity and the walls that will never fall and all the hindrances before us that will never take us down. Recently some braggart in the Wall Street Stock Exchange said we have now compartmentalized the stock market. It can only fall a certain amount everyday and even though a temporary panic may set in he said there is no chance, common sense he said will prevail and the market can only fall a certain portion everyday and common sense will prevail and he said the American economy will remain and will stand firm and then he said some foolish words that I'm reminded of that were spoken back in the early 1900s and it was recorded I believe in the New York Times he said not even God could sink the American economy today. I remember when the Titanic was dedicated some fool shouted it from over the railing not even God he said could sink this ship because it was compartmentalized. There could only be a certain amount of water that could enter in at certain intervals at certain times and surely they said we can make it to a safe port before any tragedy would come upon us. We roar like bears we give the impression that we are absolutely powerful and in all control but he said and we mourn sore like doves. In public we give this great impression that we are in control but in private we are inwardly afraid. Every man in the chambers of his own heart going home to his own house at night is wringing his hands and wondering what the future is really going to hold because outside of all this false bravado there really is no inward confidence in the heart. Fear really has gripped the heart because the only source of true strength and confidence comes from the enabling power of the Holy Ghost through Jesus Christ. There is no other source. We look for salvation in verse 11 but it is far off from us. In other words we look for inner peace. We look for an assured future but it cannot even be seen in the distant future. It's so far off we can't even fathom where it's going to come from. Even among God's people many have been drawn aside with the moral and spiritual landslide of the nation. Put a marker please in Isaiah chapter 59 and go ahead to the last book in the Old Testament. Malachi chapter 3. Even God's people were drawn away with this rebellion against what is it a rebellion against? It's a rebellion against the revelation of God through Jesus Christ as God himself has chosen to reveal himself to us as a servant as one who is despised and rejected by a society that is bent on hell and intend in their hearts on pushing God out of its borders. He revealed to his church that those who wanted to follow him had to take up their cross which really represents the denial of self. Had to seek out the will of almighty God and as they began to walk in that covenant relationship with Christ to yield their bodies as a living sacrifice unto him and say Lord here I am as Isaiah said send me whatever you'd have me to do wherever you'd have me to go. Church years ago used to sing a song it went whether in sorrow or in shame or my life I give you reign father glorify yourself in me. This is what this generation has rebelled against. A generation that is so intent on the increasing of itself the bettering of itself the glorification of itself the positioning of itself in society. That permeates now secular society all around us. And folks it is perilously dangerous and many people don't even understand or realize what we're looking at in the immediate future. What we're seeing the butchery we're seeing in our children now beginning to arise it's not in all of our children thank God but the terrifying things we're beginning to see arise in our children is just symptomatic of what this society has become and what it's all about. Folks there are people now in the court systems that are fighting for the right to die with dignity. There are people being euthanized who still have an opportunity to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior to be filled with the Holy Ghost and in spite of their concept that they don't have quality of life because they may be in a wheelchair for the rest of their days God can use them powerfully for His honor and for His glory. But there are people that are now fighting for the right to die as they call it with dignity. When one feels that his life or her life no more bears any sense of of sensible achievement I suppose in the goals and objectives of the world today as we know it. I read a story recently of a young person who was euthanized because he was depressed chronically depressed and felt the future held no hope for him. So he subsequently put to death at his own request. Now what a tragedy. Now this is a voluntary thing they're pushing for this in the courts but folks I want to tell you something it is symptomatic of a self-seeking people and there's going to be a sudden twist in this a sudden turn especially when the economy begins to go sour. It will become your right to die with dignity when you're in a wheelchair or have some kind of a physical infirmity or a fatal disease condition or something like that or perhaps a mental illness but it will shift suddenly from the right to die to the responsibility to die for the betterment of that society. And folks if you think I'm off the wall just hang around a few years and you're going to see that what I'm saying to you today is about to happen in this nation. It will become the responsibility of people with certain diseases and conditions to be put to death or to die as they call it with dignity for the betterment of the whole so that others who are healthy can go on. See that's the end result of selfishness. It's the pursuit of self the elevation of self the preservation of self at the expense of everybody else around you. It is the anti-Christ spirit it is completely opposite to the heart of God. God showed us that he would expend himself and give of himself and pour out of himself for others for our benefit. That is the heart of Christ. What we see being manifested in our midst now is the heart of the devil himself saying everything everybody can everybody can perish as long as I am safe and I am secure. Malachi talks about the roots of this. How did it even get into God's house? It's not as tragic as this in God's house but we're supposed to be light and salt in our generation. We're supposed to be a people who are presenting the heart of Christ to this perishing world but yet self-seeking has gotten into God's house to such a degree that doctrines of self in the house of God so mirror the philosophy of this society that there's virtually no distinction other than the church building itself. Folks listen to me carefully. Malachi chapter 3 beginning at verse 13 the Lord says your words have been stout against me saith the Lord and yet you say what have we spoken so much against thee? In verse 14 he said you have said it is vain to serve God. What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? Now listen to me. The word vain the original text is shaw it means empty and disappointing. The word serve is avad it means to work as a slave or a bond slave. The word ordinance is mishmareth which means a watchman a guard a watch post a sentry or a person in a place or position of duty. The word mournfully I can't even pronounce it so I won't even try but it means those who were in sackcloth and mourning and it has a twofold application. Those who were repenting of their sin and wanting to walk right before God and those who were beginning to share the heart of God for a fallen generation all around them. And God says to these people you have said it is vain it is empty it is disappointing there is no personal profit what he says God and they say what profit is it that we have done this. It is empty and disappointing to work as a bond slave for the Lord. To stand as a watchman a guard a watch post a sentry to be on duty in the things of God to go about repenting of our sin and to share the heart of God for our generation. This got into the hearts of some of many of God's people and they said it is of no personal profit to walk this path. It denotes the fact that God's own people saw no personal profit or gain in drawing close to God and becoming partakers of his heart and his work in and among the people. Their focus was only temporal by that I mean their focus was on themselves their focus was on the here and now their focus was on self and its betterment and all forms of self and therefore the only recourse left was to develop their own moral code and back it up with their own redefined theology. And here's what they came up with and now he says in verse 15 this is an incredible scripture and now he says we call the proud happy yea they that work wickedness are set up yea they that tempt God are even delivered. Now that's incredible if I was to stand here and preach a message it sounds like many of the messages that are preached today in some of the charismatic movement happy set up and delivered it sounds almost spiritual doesn't it? But Malachi says we call the proud happy those who have exalted their thoughts above the thoughts of God those who have charted their own course those who are walking their own path those who are spitting in the face of Jesus and says no I'll do it this way I will walk this way and I will have my will I will have my betterment I will have my own personal fulfillment and I will also have the kingdom of God thank you very much. Now he says we call them happy and they that work wickedness are set up I think of the covetous for example where Paul the apostle said clearly it's idolatry and no idolater shall inherit the kingdom of God I think of the thousands upon thousands in the American church in the last 20 years that have fallen prey to doctrines of absolute greed and covetousness fallen under the voices of false teachers that teach the people that godliness is a means to acquire financial gain and we call them now set up and they that tempt God are even delivered now it's interesting when you look at this in the original text the word tempt is bachan which means continually searching out or testing the integrity of something in this case it's God continually questioning the integrity of God and he says we call them delivered the word is malach and this is what it means escaped freed or saved that's incredible we call them that tempt God delivered in other words we call those now today who continually question the integrity of almighty God we call them saved now that's an incredible indictment and malachi calls this whole thing into question but then something begins to happen and God begins to open up something of the word that hell itself doesn't want you to hear hell would fight with all of its fury that that I can't hear that you can't hear that the church can't hear it but it slips in in this one verse in verse sixteen in the midst of all the upheaval and confusion malachi records something which begins to happen a people begin to come together then they that feared the Lord spoke often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name I'd like to just read it to you from the living bible if I may then those who feared and loved the Lord spoke often of him to each other and he had a book of remembrance drawn up in which he recorded the names of those who feared him and loved to think about him they began to get together there were a people that began to assemble I don't know where they were I don't even know who they were but I know what they were they were people who were in love with Jesus Christ notice it doesn't say they began to speak about the church or they began to speak about theological doctrines they began to speak about him something began to happen a stirring began to happen in the hearts of a people and they began to come together whether it be in homes whether it be in church services no matter what environment there was a gathering together of people who said I've had enough of this I've had enough of this false theology I've had enough of this nation the philosophies that govern it I've had enough of these things coming into the house of God and even more important I've had enough of it in my own life I know this is ruined I know there's no security in this I know there's no life in it I know there's nothing about eternity I am coming back to the source of life as I have been shown as I have been taught by almighty God I am coming back to this place and in their heart they began to hunger for God I tell you when you begin to hunger for Christ he'll begin to lead you and all of a sudden one becomes two becomes three becomes four becomes five and before you know it something begins to happen fellowship true fellowship as ordained by God begins to come to the surface hallelujah men and women begin to get together they start crying out to God again they start crying out about the state of the nation they start pleading for the father they start pleading for the widows they turn away from all self gratification and say Jesus you gave me your life God we give our lives to you it is reasonable and the glory the glory it may not be a fancy building you may not have fancy preachers in your midst but the glory of God begins to come into your fellowship the glory is the revelation of Jesus Christ it's his heart being revealed it's the heart of God it's the path of God it's the power of God it's the place that you and I are in Christ Jesus at the right hand of God begins to be revealed the mercy of God begins to come into the heart and like Isaiah a little group of people somewhere begin to cry out Lord God use me use my life for your glory use my life whatever I have is yours God take it if you want it it's yours use my sons use my daughters use them for your glory let your kingdom come let your will be done in me as it is in heaven hallelujah a people who began to come together who loved him who loved him and I believe with all my heart this is happening now in the western world in spite of all the chaotic confusion in spite of all the charismatic foolishness there's a people now who are coming together and they're saying they're not coming together they're not forming their fellowships around criticizing you will never grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ if the basis of what you're doing is built on criticizing somebody else where you will grow is if your foundation is not on criticizing somebody else but saying I want to be like Jesus I want his power I want his grace I want his glory to come into my life and I want my life to be used of him for his honor in my generation hallelujah and they shall be mine Malachi chapter 3 verse 17 now this speaks from the Lord's perspective God says they're coming together they're speaking about Christ and they shall be mine saith the Lord of hosts in the day when I make up my jewels and I will spare them as a man spares his own son that serves him now that's an incredible translation this word jewels because in the original text it has a connotation of that which a man is able to fashion with his own hands that's really what it should say the translator used the word jewel which really is appropriate but really what it means is that which a man is able to fashion with his own hands and God says they're crying out to me and therefore they're mine I'm going to respond to their cry I'm going to respond to their hunger and I'm going to do something with them I'm going to set my hand in the midst of them I'm going to set my word in the center of their hearts and I'm going to mold them I'm going to put them on a wheel and I'm going to start fashioning them and they shall be mine and I will spare them hallelujah as a man spares his own son he said that serves him they shall be mine because they're going to place their lives in the center of my hand they're not going to run from my word they're not going to run when I talk about the yielding of one's life they're not going to run from the sharing of my heart but they're going to run to me and I'm going to begin to fashion them and he says and they are going to be mine and it gets even better he says in verse 18 he says and then shall you return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serves God and him that serves him not Malachi said I'm going to God said to Malachi I'm going to bring them back and I'm going to give them discernment it's not they're not going I've met people over the years that come into a meeting and they think they have discernment they're like a saved Sherlock Holmes I don't know if you ever met some people like that they come in and their eyes are like two spiraling saucers and they're looking around for devils and flaws and everybody all throughout the room and that's not what he's talking about he's saying you will love me so much you'll be so in love with me you're not you don't have to walk around looking for what's not of me you'll know it right away you'll walk right into it you're just going to know because you love me with all your heart your soul your mind and your strength you will know you don't have to speak a word you don't have to point the finger and talk about devils and people's hearts you just simply will know hallelujah now you may ask me where will they return to these people it says then you shall return and how will they get there I go back to Isaiah chapter 59 again verse 19 Isaiah says so shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west and his glory from the rising of the sun when the enemy shall come in like a flood the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him now that can also be translated shall put him to flight but I think it's an appropriate translation shall lift up a standard and let me tell you why as the children of Israel traveled through the wilderness to the promised land when it came time to make camp each tribe would reassemble together by name now if you know God's design in the Old Testament as the children traveled there would be the tabernacle would be right dead center in the camp which really represented the fact that everything we do all that we are must center around the presence of almighty God then next to that would be Aaron his sons the Levitical priesthood and the closest I suppose to that particular place then outside of that would be all of the particular tribes the 12 tribes 11 actually that would be mentioned by name and during the course of travel when the Lord would decree and the people would move everybody would pull up stakes and away they would go they'd be heading on the journey and as they would travel it is conceivable that obviously people would become intermingled with one another some from the tribe of Issachar would head over and visit some from another particular tribe another family and there'd be fellowship there'd be an intermingling and then all of a sudden the Lord would speak to the leadership and the camp would stop they would begin to set up camp and how do you find your way back then you're talking we're talking now at this time 600,000 soldiers that were numbered among them so that's only the men those are only the fighting men over I believe the age of 20 or 21 years old and so now we're talking women and children we're conceivably as many as or more at least as many as 2 to 3 million people were involved in this particular movement so we'd say now I've got to find my way back to the place that I'm supposed to be now how do I get back there now it's an incredible thing because there would be a man in every tribe and he would be called a standard bearer and when the camp would stop he would raise up a high wooden pole a very, very high wooden pole oft times would seek the highest part of ground that he could find and on that pole would be an insignia or an identifying mark of each man or woman's tribe and every person would have to make his way towards it now David said in Psalm 121 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help my help comes from the Lord which made heaven and earth he will not suffer thy foot to be moved and he that keepeth thee will not slumber Jesus said it even better in John chapter 12 verses 31 and 32 he said now is the judgment of this world now shall the prince of this world be cast out and I if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me now folks it required the lifting up of one's head and the determination to leave one place where perhaps they had wandered to and get back to where they originally were supposed to be and during our travel during this journey through this life from time to time we find ourselves having wandered away from the place where we're called to be and it requires a stopping it requires a lifting up of one's head a calling out again looking around where is the place where I'm supposed to be I know where I'm supposed to be I have a standard bearer over my life he is the lion of the tribe of Judah he calls to me daily he calls my name he calls with his voice and when I have wandered in a way that I shouldn't go he gives me revelation and shows me through him and him alone how to get back to where I've walked away from now to walk towards the standard required obedience in Acts chapter 5 verses 29 Peter said Peter and the other apostles answered and said we ought to obey God rather than men the God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you slew and hanged on a tree him has God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a savior and to give repentance to Israel and the forgiveness of sins in verse 32 he said and we are his witnesses of these things and so is also the Holy Ghost whom God has given to them that obey him to walk back to the standard is to walk towards it with humility an acknowledgement in the heart to say Lord I have I've wandered away but your thoughts are higher than my thoughts and your ways are higher than my ways I acknowledge you as my God we begin to lift up our heads and we begin to head back it requires humility you cannot find it without humility you cannot find your place in Christ before becoming humbled before him to walk back towards the standard required surrender surrender to the purposes and direction of God as they journey to the place that he had promised them see God is a God of order and it's conceivable that some people could have said well this is just as good as over there why can't I stay over here but no God has placed us in the body as he sees fit he has a purpose and a pattern and a plan in everything that he does and requires a surrender to him to say Lord God I come and I yield my life to you you know the direction of my life you've already charted my course you know the journey that I have to undertake you have given me the power and the promise to get there and Lord so I make the choice to yield my life and surrender to you any child of God makes his way back to that place of truth and hell will scream some of you will be hearing this word today and there's something of hell in the flesh inside of you screaming no no no and you wonder why is it such a battle just to yield why is it such a battle just to come back to Jesus Christ to the standard that God has established for our generation the place where every Christian is supposed to be what is it that hell doesn't want us to know about this why does the devil fight so hard why does he come and lie and say you can't get back it's useless to get back you've wandered too far and God's upset with you he gave you he put a call on your life and look what you've done you've wandered so far away from the place where you were called to be there's no hope of getting back so just settle in where you are and follow along with the crowd he'll fight so hard because there's something in this that he doesn't want you to know even your own flesh fights against this because it doesn't want you to understand you'll find that truth in Isaiah chapter 59 in verse 20 he says and the Redeemer shall come to Zion and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob saith the Lord now the best way I can explain this to you is found in the book of Luke chapter 15 there's no better way that I can show you what it means to know the Redeemer shall come to Zion and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob you know Luke chapter 15 is the story about a son who had a call upon his life but in his heart he didn't understand his father's kingdom he didn't love his father as he should and therefore that that lack of love and obedience caused him to rebel against the love and authority of his father demanded his inheritance and took it and spent it on foolish living and verse 17 talks about a time that he came to himself he was in another place the standard was somewhere else and he came to himself and said how many hard servants of my father's have bread enough to spare and I perish with hunger he said I'm in the wrong place I remember the kindness I remember the goodness of my father how good he was to me how good he is to all of his servants how good he is to all who are under his care and look what I have done I have walked away from his care I have left the place where I'm supposed to be I've walked out on my own and I've made such a mess of things then verse 18 he says I will arise and go to my father and say unto him father I've sinned against heaven and before thee you can see the son a tremendous battle that would be beginning to rise and rage within him you can be sure the devil would be there the whole step of the way saying your father is going to be angry with you your father is going to condemn you your father is going to outline all of your sins oh maybe you'll go back but it will never be the way it used to be he will never accept you he will never have the authority that you were destined to have and he said I'm no more worthy verse 19 to be called thy son make me as one of thy hired servants you see this young man with humility now in his heart what were the things that I've been sharing about required obedience it required a humility it required the necessary desire to heal oneself to the purposes of almighty God to get back to that place where we've fallen from and he rose and came to his father now here is what hell doesn't want you to see especially if you're a backslider today especially if you've lost some ground in your walk with God this is what hell doesn't want you to know and when he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him this is what hell doesn't want you to know hell wants to conceal the heart of God hell wants to make God look like some tyrannical father that sets up a standard and says anybody wants to come to me then grovel your way back and then we'll renegotiate the contract but that's not the way he is he got up he saw him coming even when the sun couldn't see him and the scripture says he had compassion and it doesn't talk about him dignifiedly walking towards him and expecting him to bow and grovel at his feet you see the heart now of a father that loves his son seeing him come home if I had a son that I had lost and I was on my porch and I saw him coming before he saw me I would run with everything in me I would run to him you see him running now to his son not just even jogging he's at a full run this is the heart of God Jesus was displaying the heart of the father when he said this for every man every woman every child that will get up and just make your way back to where you were called to be in Jesus Christ hallelujah the father ran and the son now began with all of his excuses and said oh father I've sinned against heaven and in your sight I'm no more worthy to be called your son and the father is now not even talking to this boy not a word is said no fingers waved about the past no sin is rubbed in his face the work has been done he now knows where truth is he knows where life is that's all the father ever wanted to see in him that's all he ever wanted in the first place that's why he had to let him go when he left because he knew it wasn't in his heart he knew self seeking was still the motivating factor in his life so he had to let him go and eat pigs food there are many people in the church today that are eating pigs food even in the house of God and something is stirring in their hearts and saying I want to go back but how do I get back it's as easy as get up and begin to head in the direction when you hear the voice of God hallelujah I see him with his arm around the boy they're heading towards the house the father said to his servants he doesn't even speak to the boy he speaks only to his servants and says bring forth the best robe the best robe in the house is the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses and covers from all sin hallelujah hallelujah the second thing he says put on him and put a ring on his hand the ring in those days signified the authority of the father's house give him the Holy Ghost fill him with power let him represent my house because he now knows my heart hallelujah and put shoes on his feet son I've got a job for you to do there are places now you need to go because now you know my heart my heart is to forgive my heart is to restore my heart is to cleanse my heart is to empower my heart is to give life where there's been no life and now he says I've got a job for you to do the son could never have done it before because he didn't know the heart of the father a selfish man cannot represent Jesus Christ a selfish woman cannot preach the gospel with any power because that is a negation really in itself of the heart of almighty God the father ran hallelujah and that even goes beyond that he said bring the fatted calf and let us eat and be merry when I get to heaven I've often said if there's such a thing I want to go to the video section and see some of these things for myself you see God you see God beginning to dance around about his throne you see the joy in the heart of the angels Jesus said there's joy in the heart of the angels in heaven over one sinner that repents ah folks if we could just have a little glimpse today for every sinner that will come to Christ even this morning we could have a little glimpse of the angels the joy of the angels the joy is not just those beings with the wings that cover their face the joy is not just they move a wing and just sort of peek out with an eye I think all the wings start going at the same time I think they start rejoicing because this is the heart of God this is the heart of God now go back to Isaiah 59 I'm going to close with this God the father in verse 21 is speaking to his son because we began this portion of scripture remember the Lord said he was grieved because there were no intercessors there was nobody standing in the gap so he took it upon himself to bring this work about that's what the new testament covenant is all about the new testament says it the best it says not that we love God but God loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation or that means the atoning sacrifice for our sins and here's what he says and it so ties in with Luke chapter 15 and as for me this is my covenant with them saith the Lord my spirit now this is God the father speaking through his son or to his son my spirit that is upon thee and my words that I put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seed seed saith the Lord from henceforth and forever when the enemy shall come in like a flood the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him and God's saying those that come to you those that come to Jesus Christ everything that was promised to Christ everything he won on Calvary every victory every triumph every promise that God the father ever made to him now belongs to his seed and that's what the devil doesn't want you to know that's why he would have you focus on your failure that's why he'd have you he'd lie continuously into the heart of anyone who wants to get up here today because the promises of God are as real as everything I've read to you in this book today when you get up and you start heading towards the Lord when you've heard his voice and saying I'm tired of living for myself I'm tired of conforming to this sin sick society I'm tired of half hearted theology that leaves me always hungry and always thirsty and always half way to where God wants me God I thirst and I hunger and you said whoever comes to you would no longer thirst and whoever believes on me would hunger no more Jesus I come I come with everything that's in me I come I come hallelujah for your promises are yea and amen you will not send me away empty Jesus said it himself if you know how to give good gifts to your children how much more will the heavenly father give the holy spirit to those who ask him how much more if a son comes to a father he says and asks bread you'll not give him a stone he said if he asks for a fist you'll not give him a serpent he said how much more will your heavenly father give good things to those who ask him hell would do everything in its power to hide you from the power of almighty God to get you focused on yourself and away from the one who is raised up and can give you life eternal life abundant life a life that has the power to lay itself down to the holy ghost to the purposes and plans of God a life that by its very existence defies the self-seeking of this church generation and this darkened society we live in today a life that rises up that's why God could say in Isaiah 60 arise shine for your light has come the glory of the lord has risen upon thee behold darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people but the lord shall arise upon thee and his glory shall be seen upon thee we beheld him John said we beheld him as of the glory of the only begotten of the father we beheld him that's what God is saying I will put my countenance upon you I'll put the countenance of my son upon you I'll put every promise I made my son upon you I'll put the anointing of God upon you I'll raise you up I'll strengthen you I'll speak to you I'll give you life I'll give you direction I'll reestablish your walls I'll fight against every one of your enemies you say what do I have to do get up get up and get back hallelujah I challenge you to kick hell in the teeth this morning if the devil's been lying to you get up and get back to God get back to God glory to your name glory to your name if the Holy Spirit has spoken to you if God's speaking to your heart no drugs can hold you no fear can hold you no sexual bondage can hold you nothing can hold you nothing believe him with all your heart in the education annex make your way to the screen right now in this main sanctuary as we stand if the Holy Spirit has spoken to your heart would you slip out go to either exit of the main sanctuary and get down to this altar get back to God if you're vexed then get back to God if you're unsaved surrender your life to Jesus Christ if you're going through a struggle and the lies of the devil are trying to pound you into the ground get up and just say no you're not lying to me anymore you're not dominating me anymore I'm coming back to the source of my strength hallelujah let's stand together hallelujah mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord he is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored he has loosed the faithful lightning of his terrible swift sword his truth his marching heart hallelujah hallelujah glory glory hallelujah glory glory hallelujah glory glory hallelujah his truth his marching heart I hope with all my heart for those that have responded this morning that you have sensed almighty God running in your direction you have sensed the heart of God you know the heart of God that once and for all that condemner would be put under foot all of his arguments all of the false reasoning that they would be trampled under foot and brought in subjection to Jesus Christ hallelujah I want to ask you a very quick question before I pray with those that have come for those that are here they say pastor I'm a sinner I'm lost in my sin I sin as easily as breathing and today I'm tired of that I'm tired of charting my own course and living my own life I'm like the Titanic I'm heading for an iceberg and I know it and all of my self-made things and all the ways that I prop myself up are going down and I know that there's no future for me apart from God today I want to surrender my life to Christ you know folks there's a pen in heaven waiting to write your name in a book called the Lamb's Book of Life and there are angels assigned to rejoice perhaps just over you whoever you are today this is the greatest decision you'll ever make in your life you'll never make a greater one there's nothing you can do from today that will ever top this decision to give your life to Jesus to accept his offer of forgiveness to trust him for the power to live a new life that brings honor and glory to him and to him alone to walk in his ways if that's you today I'm going to ask you to join me and just raise up your hand unashamedly just raise it up nice and high everywhere balcony you may not be at this altar just raise it up and don't be ashamed keep your hand up now God sees that and I'm trusting that this is a sincere prayer that's coming from your heart today after we pray this prayer I'm going to ask you to leave this altar and make your way to room 206 in the education annex we have some people waiting to pray with you they'll give you a brand new gospel of John and help you to get started in your walk with God take the time if this is real I shouldn't have to be forcing you to do anything if it's in your heart from this moment you're going to walk out this door and you're going to follow Jesus there'll be people at the back with a yellow sign and a green jacket and they'll help you get right to 206 there are counselors waiting for you right now I'm going to pray a simple prayer this is not a formula but it's to help you in your own heart you'll never regret it never never never what you're doing today never regret it hallelujah let's pray together Lord Jesus I am a sinner I'm sorry for my sin you've planted in my heart today a godly sorrow which means that I want to be clean and I want to turn from sinning you've promised to forgive me and to give me the power to live a new life with you I ask now Lord Jesus I receive your offer of forgiveness I open my heart to you and I ask you to come into my life to be my Lord and Savior I yield my life to you I have only one cry in my heart today thank you for forgiving my sins for giving me great promises and by these promises you will give me the power to be a child of God I thank you for saving me I believe in my heart you died for my sins and rose again from the dead for my justification and I speak it with my lips from this moment forward precious Jesus you are my Savior thank you for saving me Amen Hallelujah can we make just a little aisle for those who prayed that prayer for the first time can I ask you to make your way to room 206 right now in the sanctuary, those who prayed it, go ahead there will be 50 others there you are not going to be alone make your way down to room 206 the council is going to pray with you give you some wonderful literature you don't have to sign anything we don't ever ask anybody to join anything this is just for your benefit to help you just make your way down all those that have received Christ this morning Hallelujah we have babies today? let's bring out the babies and while we do that I'm going to pray for you just for a moment Jesus I want to thank you for those that you brought to this altar today pray with me right now Lord Jesus thank you for once again showing me who you are how much you love me and what you want to do with my life I yield my life to you and I thank you that your promises to me are going to become the most precious things that I will ever own thank you Lord for forgiving me and loving me and the promise that you will never fail me I love you Jesus I love you I'm going to get together with other people that love you and we're going to talk about you we're going to let you mold our lives and make us into the people that you want us to be I yield my life that your purposes and your glory may be revealed in me and through me in Jesus name Amen thank you Pastor Carter for that marvelous word of the Lord we don't baptize babies we hold still be patient for a few moments not to disturb this wonderful moment we dedicate them to the Lord Jesus said allow the little children to come unto me for such is the kingdom of God he took them in his hands and he blessed them we blessed them through prayer and the anointing of oil Pastor Carter is going to be you want to start on that end and I'll start on this end and this is who? Joshua Joshua God bless you Joshua this is all family alright and this is? Samara how old is Samara? two months old Samara hold up so everybody can see and this is? Joy Ling how old? 15 months these perilous times that we've heard about this morning we're so glad that you promised to build a wall around us and our children and our families and that we can rejoice that you will keep us safe you will keep us from the spirit of the age I'm asking for wisdom and guidance for every one of these parents that they'll be reminded to pray for them everyday and to teach them and nourish them in the word of the Lord oh heavenly father we can't put a book in their hand we can't teach them this is something that has to come from their heart as they seek you Lord and they hold up their children in prayer Lord I've done that all my life I've prayed daily for my children and now my grandchildren and the prayer that we pray is keep them from the wicked one let our sons be as oaks planted by the living waters of Christ and let our daughters be as polished stones in the palace of our heavenly father God let not one of these children be lost to the spirit of this age not one of them to ever go to the habits of this world Lord Jesus keep them anoint them with your spirit as we've anointed them with oil it's a type of the Holy Spirit coming upon them and keeping them keep every one of these children Lord by your grace we pray and all the children represented by the parents and grandparents in this place listening to me now give us faith to believe that God will keep by his power and not let the devil have one of them in Jesus name Amen God bless all of you Amen God bless you