In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the darkness and despair that exists in the world. He mentions how people try to escape this darkness through drugs and other means, but it ultimately doesn't work. The preacher believes that God allows crises to occur in order to bring out the light and faith in people. He highlights the importance of Christians shining brightly in the midst of darkness and not compromising their beliefs. The sermon also mentions the story of three men who stood firm in their faith despite facing a fiery furnace, serving as an example of unwavering faith in difficult times.

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. My message is entitled, How Bright Is Your Light? How bright is your light? Go to Matthew 5, if you will please. Matthew 5. Thank God for the manifest presence of Jesus. I've never believed you have church until Christ appears, manifests Himself. Matthew 5, begin reading verse 14. Near the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. And then let's read this again. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Light cannot be hidden. Lord, I thank you for the unadulterated Word of God. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that comes and takes that Word and makes it light, anoints it, applies it, and drives it deep into our hearts so it will be changed into the glory of Christ. For surely the Word of God cleanses us, it molds us, it shapes us, it drives out iniquity. We're cleansed by it, we're healed by it, we're molded by it. And I pray, Holy Spirit, You come upon the Word this morning. I know that I've been with You and I know that what You gave me is for this day, this people. I had no idea who would be here. I had no idea who would hear this message. But Lord, You know exactly why You put it on my heart. Amen. That they may see Your good works and glorify Your Father. The prophet Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, as he was speaking of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, said of John, he was a prophet of the highest, and that he was going to go to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He said there are people in your society that have lived God sees that darkness and every believer has been given the same commission as John the Baptist to go before his face into the world and have been commissioned to go into our world. And I'm speaking to everyone here this morning that labors at a job. If you get up in the morning and you go to work, you're surrounded by people in the workplace, you have a career, you may be self-employed, but you're in the workplace. And I'm telling you that is where God is in the workplace. You're surrounded by people in the workplace. And the Bible makes it very clear that you are the light of the world and a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. A city set on a hill with light cannot be hid. That light can't be hidden when it's elevated on a hill. And in a little small town, it was customary. You spent half the day. And this is especially in the summertime. We would go out and most of these were hay in the wagon with pitchforks. And then about 5 o'clock, you had a meal. And just the other day, if you're thinking about it, and I got very hungry. But then after dinner, you visited until dark. And so usually a visit, when you pass the visit, you spend five hours in Pennsylvania. There was all 15 miles out in the hills because there was a and it was so dark in those days. Now, this is, you know, 60 years ago. There were few cars. You see a few headlights coming. It's pitch dark, very few streetlights. But this hill up there, Balseno, it's a huge city. I mean, all these lights on that city. So we go to Balseno. Now, there's a hill called Calvary. Listen closely. It has to be there. It cannot remain hidden. And God will, in His grace, bring it back. He's going to bring you out of the cave. He's going to bring it out. Oh, yes, He is. If nobody, no coworker, no your light has been hidden. And the Bible says, let's take, for example, how God Meshach and Abednego. Now, for a good while, they were and these three men in their coming and going. These had been set up. And these three Hebrew children were put in charge of these Jews. People just read religion in their stand. And yet, one day, God allows a crisis. A crisis that you're going to face if you didn't hide your light. Not that these men were hiding their light. But God looks down on this dark period. Because, you see, Nebuchadnezzar is dark. Satan brought forth. And so, God turned up the heat. In your place of work, He will turn up the heat. You haven't had it. And so, you remember the story? The head of gold. And everyone is commanded to three young Jews. And now, the king, in his rage, and suddenly, they say, our God is able to deliver us. And suddenly, all those rulers... We are not going... And the king says, you read it in Daniel 1, if this be so, if you say that you love Jesus, you're His disciples, if it be so, you will find out. If it be so, the king comes to us, oh, so? You say you have a different God. You say that you're not like... We will not... Oh, my brother, sister, you're going to be given all... Just like the Hebrew children. All this big persecution was meant by the devil to put out the light. If it be so, if you are really... If you are against this kind of religion, after all, this is evil, we don't like it, but... And we will bow, but we want you to know that it's under protest. See, when the boss comes, and he tells you to cheat, it's so easy to compromise and say, I think it's evil, and you're the boss, so I'll do it, but under... These men were unbending, and you see them heating up the furnace so hot that those men who were stoking the fire are filled. And I want you to know something, you may not believe it, but let me tell you what I believe, that as you see, where there's darkness, there's emptiness, there's despair, there's hopelessness, there's... Just like your people, they look at every scowl on your face. Listen to me, please. I'm talking about people who don't quench, who don't compromise when the heat goes up, when the furnace of affliction comes, and you have to come... And I want you to know everybody around you is living in darkness. Forget the smiles. Where are they going to see the slightest glimmer of light or hope? But in God's people. Who else does God turn? You're not going to send angels down and take your place. This is our work. I see those... I see the crowd as these men go in. This is no father of religion that had been instilled. They have gathered all those he's worked with and they see these men. And he has a blooming... I believe that the moment... I believe... It gives me no hope. I believe the council, everybody said, we threw three, but there are four. Then the fourth one looks like the sun. There is a God that is powerful. This world is in... I just heard on the radio yesterday that our five most prosperous western states now have the highest suicide rate in America. In fact, our most prosperous states have the highest suicide rate now. You remember a few months ago they left video messages. There's no peace, there's no rest here. Perhaps we'll find what we're looking for. When rock singer Kurt Cobain committed suicide, a whole host of young people, a 13, 14-year-old girl here in an eastern state, and those girls in this double suicide left, life is not worth 13, 14 years of age. If you were allowed by the Holy Ghost to see what he sees, and the clouds were rolled back, you would see that almost everybody on your job, everybody around you, though they drink and laugh and curse and put on this false front, beneath it all is a darkness because the wages of sin is death. Death inside. Emptiness. So they drink it away. But it doesn't work. And God sees this darkness. And folks, whenever darkness comes and settles over a land, there comes a time when God says that's enough. And he has to come with crisis after crisis. He will allow it. And even times, I believe in the Scripture that he creates this very crisis to bring out. It has to be discovered. There has to be a discovery. And that's what this whole story is about. Sins can't shine. The light has gone. What's in you has turned to darkness. I could present to you this morning a whole list of things that Christians are guilty of, sins that drive out the light, leave the soul in great darkness. Jesus warned in Matthew 6.22. He said, Make sure that the light in you is not darkness for great then is that darkness. To great darkness. When you are to be shining forth and set on a hill so that all men can see who Jesus is. And there's something in your life. That light has been replaced by a great light. What the Scripture says, it's as plain as anything you could read in the Scripture. I want to present to you one sin. And if you are guilty of this sin, you have to repent immediately. You've got to get that curse before you could ever have it. And I'm going to tell you as a pastor, Yes, I live the light. Jesus is in my heart. You can't shine and you will not shine. One sin in particular that I believe, there's nothing that shuts down light quicker than a mean, a mean, unkind spirit. Now suddenly this message has turned to God. One sin that I believe squashes the light quicker than anything. The Word of God says, He is kind to the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful as your Father also is merciful. Luke 6, 35 and 36. He, Christ, or God, is kind to the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful as your Father also is merciful. Be ye kind, forgiving one another, even as God forgives. Do you know what it means to be merciful? Very easily understood. It's to be gentle, forgiving, to show pity and compassion, to temper your justice with clemency or leniency. Go ahead, take a stand, but it has to be tempered, the Bible says, with leniency. If you're right, if you're taking a stand for truth, it even has to be tempered with leniency. The Bible makes it very, very clear. Jesus commanded, be gentle, lenient, forgiving, compassionate, kind, not only to those you approve, but also to those you consider evil. In fact, James, in 3.17, speaks of mercy without partiality. You see, we're merciful to those we love. We're merciful to our family. We're merciful to those we approve. But he says, he is kind even to the evil, to the unworthy. You can't be partial in giving out your mercies and tenderness, your paces. You can't hug somebody here that you love and smile and then turn around, make you feel like nothing. Be careful about saying amen for the next five minutes here. I want to prove to you conclusively from God's word that all... This is the end of side one. You may now turn the tape over to side two. Alright, get your Bibles. I want you to see it in black and white and red. I want you to go first of all to James 2.13. James 2.13. In case you may not believe it's in your Bible. James, second chapter. Go down to verse 13. Now, this is as clear as God can make it. Verse 13. If you have King James, just... Whatever your version is, it's clear. For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath show no mercy. And mercy rejoices against judgment. And in the original Greek, the meaning of that, mercy overcomes or tempers judgment. Look at it again. For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath show no mercy. Look at me please. If you have been unkind, if you've spoken harshly, if you have turned to one of God's people, you've turned on the job. There's a harshness, there's a meanness that you are responding in kind and you have a spirit of revenge and a cunning remark and a scowling look. Someone you don't approve or someone you believe has misused you or has spoken against you and you're trying to get even. And you show no mercy. The Bible says, if you show no mercy, you will not be shown any mercy. That's part of this curse. God says, you're cutting off your source of mercy. You're cutting it off. I will deal with you as you are dealing with others. I'll deal with you in kind and I'm going to show you, prove to you that conclusively before I'm finished here, just a few moments. God says, I don't forget your ugly looks, your hurtful words, your self-righteous, harsh, mean-spirited looks, your cunning, accusing words. You showed no mercy, so you shall be shown no mercy. I'm not going to temper my judgment with you with mercy because you didn't temper your judgment with mercy. Make your judgment, but it's been tempered with mercy. Oh, how God's been dealing with me about this. He's shaken me to the core of my soul. Go to Matthew 6, 15, Proof number 2, Matthew 6. Now, these are the words of Jesus Christ Himself, verse 14 and 15. For if we forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Now, look this way, please. That puts a shudder down my spine. Look, the Lord says, don't come to me and ask forgiveness for your sins. Don't talk to me. Don't come into my presence and ask because you're asking me to show you mercy. You're asking me to show you tender kindness, but you have something in your heart against something. You're not forgiving somebody. There's somebody that you're not forgiving. You have this spirit on you. You have this unforgiving, unmerciful spirit upon you, and you are not forgiving. He says, I will not, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Now, Jesus is speaking. Jesus says, no, I will not. My heavenly Father will not forgive your trespasses because you are not forgiving others their trespasses against you. Remember the Lord's Prayer, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. You say, well, Brother David, is that possible that my sins are piling up? Yes. Yes. Yes. Can it be that many times I've gone to the Lord and asked forgiveness, and I've not been forgiven? Yes. Neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Now, stop and think. And that person, one person, I don't care how many there are, that you truly have not forgiven from your heart, that you are so unmerciful, unkindness to, and the Bible says, Jesus says, my Father, even so, will not forgive you. What does he say? Don't go to prayer. Don't come to the altar. Don't ask forgiveness until you repent and make things right. Go now to Matthew 18, Proof number 3. Matthew 18. If you find it, then look this way, please. You see, I'm not interested in getting you to shout right now. That'll come. I'm interested in the Holy Spirit right now, speaking, delivering words, so that the light cannot be hidden, that He wants you to be. Otherwise, your testimony is in vain. All of your witnessing is in vain. All of your worship is in vain. It's all in vain. There's a story here in the 18th chapter of a man who owed a great debt. Do you remember the story? It's all here in the 18th chapter, and I had you turn it, because there's one verse I want you to look at in just a moment. Don't try to find it. Just listen. This man, it goes to his master. He says, I don't have anything to pay. Will you forgive me? And the master graciously forgives a huge debt in today's dollars it would be hundreds of millions. And this man is forgiven his debt. That master is our Savior. And that great debt is the sins that were piled on his back, that He freely forgave you and me. He forgave us all of our sins. And folks, when you start holding a grudge against somebody unforgiving, you've forgotten where God brought you. You've forgotten what you were like and what was hidden deep in the dark recesses of your soul and how God had by the blood of Christ had to, Jesus had to take this upon Himself. He forgave you that great debt. This man turns around and finds somebody owes him just a pittance, a debt, a pittance, and he takes him by the throat and he begins to choke him. Puts his hands on him and says, Pay me. And because the man, the man fell down and said, I have nothing to pay. Be merciful to me. But he's unmerciful. He lays his hands upon him and he casts him into prison. Oh beloved, the moment you put your hands, this, this, this represents just, just holding on to that grudge as somebody hasn't sinned against you nearly how you sinned against Christ. And you holding on to that, you've got that thing by the throat and you're saying, No, I'm not going to forgive this. I'm not going to let this go. It's wrong. I'm right. And you stand on that. And the master heard about it. And the scripture makes it very, very clear. Verse 33, shouldest thou not have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee and his Lord was wroth. And here's the curse and delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise, shall my heavenly father do also unto you if you from your hearts, not your head, but from your hearts, forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses. So I'll do to you. I'll turn you over to tormentors. You'll be tormented in your home, by your family. You'll be tormented on the job and be harassed. You'll be tormented by your health. And folks, more and more, the older I get, the longer I walk with the Lord, the more I converse with some of his children. Because I see God do things that I know have nothing to do with chastisement. Now he does love chasing those he loves, but that chasing endures only for a while. And he will come down when the lessons learn and pull you right out of it. But I've seen people who go on from trouble to trouble and disorder and strife continually. And I know, because I've seen it, I've seen it in the ministry, I've seen it in Christian workers, when all hell breaks loose. And I say, well God, you have a controversy. There's something, it could be way back, something forgotten, there's something hidden, standing up against one of God's anointed, having gossiped in the past, talked about somebody, shown unmercifulness, been unkind, been mean-spirited to somebody, and it's been hidden, it's been laying there. But God didn't, he didn't forget you taking your hands on these big chunkings of, he didn't forget. You've got to stop this. There's something wrong. And deal with it. He's willing to turn. Have you spoken ill? Oh folks, I did that for years in the pulpit. Righteousness, I thought, but I was speaking in human anger. I'm not speaking in human anger. I'm stirred in my soul, but I'm stirred against the blindness that I had, the blindness that may be in you now. He said, so likewise shall my heavenly Father do also, for the sin is by its judgment. Because God judges in like kind. Look all through the Scripture and you'll find the pattern. It's very, very clear in the Scripture. Jacob deceives his father, and so on his wedding night, Jacob is deceived in the same fashion. He reaches out and he touches a cloth that he thinks covers his wife. And that cloth doesn't cover. And he's remembering a cloth that covered him when he deceived. The Scripture shows it all over. The rich man who refuses a crumb to the beggar at his gate is not given a drop of water in Hades. King Asa puts the prophet's feet in the stocks, and he dies of disease in his feet. The Bible says that King Adonai Bezek, a heathen king, was chased down by Israel and Joshua. Joshua catches him and takes him captive, cuts off his thumbs and his toes. And listen to the testimony of this heathen king. And Adonai Bezek said, 70 kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to gather up scraps under my table as he has repaid me. He was ruthless, unmerciful, and every king that he captured he cut off their thumbs and their toes and then he put them in a prison house and he said, I fed them scraps. And now God says to Joshua, cut off his thumbs and his toes. You can tell the sin by its judgment. God says, so will my heavenly father do also unto you. I preach mercy, I preach grace, I have a high priest and I believe in the imputed righteousness of Christ. But I believe every word Jesus said. I believe it now. I've seen that in my own life over the years and that's why the fear of God is in my heart. By the fear of the Lord men depart from iniquity. Let me tell you something, the good part. Sounds a little heavy right now. You can have this curse removed immediately. You can have the light burst forth in you before you walk out of this church. Hallelujah. Let me ask you, are you a merciful Christian? Are you merciful to everybody, even your enemies? Can you sit here this morning and think of anybody that you've got to make things right with? Woe to him to whom offenses come better for a millstone that were hung about his neck and he be cast into the sea. If you're one who's offending people, better a millstone cast about you, thrown into the sea. Jesus said. Folks, it's not enough to go to the Lord and ask his forgiveness. That that is readily available to you. The Bible makes it very clear. It's not going to give it to you. He's not going to forgive you until first you go and make it right. The Bible says if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother or sister have ought or something against you, leave your gift at the altar, go to that person, be reconciled, then come and offer your gift. And by the way, when the Bible said anyone has ought or something against you, very often that something against you is something that you inflicted by a look, a word, a deed that was unmerciful. And that person can't understand. They don't understand at all. They say, that person supposed to be a good Christian, that person testifies, especially if it's on the job and you wounded somebody. They've got something against you, but that something against you is something you inflicted. And the Bible says, you go to them. I believe that's what that scripture means. It's something you afflicted and you go to them because you are the problem. You are the one who caused this ought against you. Go to that person and make it right. A few years ago when this church was being tested, God spoke to my heart. He said, David, you know that some people in this church are dissatisfied with the way you have been pastoring this church. And they've spoken against you. But I'm gonna bring to your mind people that you offended and you've forgotten about it. And folks, I got on my face and God showed me, I think the last count was 15 people, that I had to get on the telephone. And the Lord said, I'm gonna make it clear to you, David. I'm not going to keep the anointing on you. I'm not gonna keep my hand on you till you deal with this. I'm letting you see how it feels. See how hurt you are? How innocent you believe you are? There are many that were just like that and they have something against you, they have ought against you because you caused it. And I got on the phone and I started telling people. Many of them were ministers and I've been harsh with. Some have been former employees and so many. I began to call and everybody I called said, It's true, Brother Dave, you wounded me. What you said, you thought was, you know, God anointed, but you said in the spirit that wounded me and cut me. You hurt me. And they began to weep and cry and we were reconciled. I'd found all but one and my wife and I were in California and I prayed, Oh God, he's in California somewhere here. I've got to get to him. This man had worked for me and I found out he'd been drinking on the side and I just, I got so angry at him that I just cut him off without pay. I said, Just get out of my sight and I threw him out. And the Lord said, That was wrong. He was wounded. He was drinking because there was a problem and you didn't even hear it out. You're standing up telling everybody God can deliver drug addicts and alcoholics and you had no mercy on this man. You were totally unmerciful. And I was wounded and I'd forgotten about it. And I prayed and prayed, God, I don't know where, I don't know how to reach him. My wife and I were holding crusade in California and I looked down and there he is. I couldn't wait to get done preaching. I took him outside that big tent and I began to weep and cry. I said, I hurt you. And I tell you, that man broke and wept. One other man I'll never forget. It was 30 years before, 30 years when I first came to New York. I caught him in a sin. And I was passing him on the street and I just heard about it. I said, pack your bags, get out of here. Just get out. No mercy. I saw him. He was one of the 15. He too came to one of my meetings. He had moved to California. I go off the stage and I don't even recognize him and his wife. He had his head down. And he said, I'm going to give his name. I took him by the hand. I said, I'm so sorry for what I did to you. It was mean spirited. It was ugly. I should have helped you. And he and his wife began to tremble like children shaking. He said, Brother Dave, all these years I've been in misery and hell because of what you said to me and how you treated me. And I couldn't understand how God blessed you and I'm hurting so bad. He said, you've just healed my soul. You've healed me. He hugged me and folks, that was all gone and all of that pain and misery is gone. You have to make it right. Don't come to this altar. Don't get on your knees. Don't go to a secret closet. Go to the person you wanted. And your light will suddenly start shining. And I'll tell you, everyone I went to, I felt so good. I felt so clean. And finally, the last one, I said, Lord, when does this end? And the Lord said, as soon as I stop showing it to you. That's why I stand here this morning, a free man. Now, if I can just make this work good in my home and be the kind of husband I ought to be, merciful and kind and none of those double whammy looks when things don't go my way. Come on, husband. I'm talking to you as well as to myself. How much of this unmercifulness, how much of this meanness goes on in our own homes? And God says enough. I think I've got somebody going to remind me of this in my home. And that's what I want. You can get rid of that curse if you just allow the Holy Spirit to come to you right now and remind you. Say, Lord, turn on the searchlight. I'll obey you. I'll do what's right. I promise you, you'll be free. God will set you on a hill and your light will shine. Hallelujah. And it will shine brightly. Stand with me, if you will, please. Heavenly Father, send the Holy Ghost probe deep into our hearts. Don't let anybody seeing or hearing this message now walk away saying this is not for me. But I know this is for me. And that should be what everyone in this building is saying. This is a message sent from God to me to save my soul. Because, Lord, I believe that many people who have this are not even saved. They've lost the light. They've lost the anointing. Oh, God, restore your people. Bring healing. Cause people to make things right before it's too late. To make it right. In Jesus' name. Folks, while you're standing, could I read to you something? Somebody put this on my desk this week. Here's a cabbie who's letting his light shine. All he did was give a book away. That's all he did. The Holy Spirit told him to give a book. He says, during the Vietnam War, and this is an article that was sent to me, during the Vietnam War, Mr. Crist was driving a taxi in San Diego. He told me that he used all his tips to buy good books to give to his customers. He remembers visiting with a fearful young marine on his way to Camp Pendleton in Vietnam. Mr. Crist gave him a copy of The Cross and Switchblade by David Wilkerson, requesting him to pass it on when he was done with it. Two and a half years later, Mr. Crist received a call from a marine who wanted to see him. They sat down in a restaurant. The marine pulled out a dirty, ragged, coverless book from his pocket and presented it back to Mr. Crist. He said, the marine's returning your book, sir, as a tribute to you. Mr. Crist said that there must have been a thousand signatures filling up every margin and empty space in the book. No one knew the fate of the first marine. All that was known for sure that he was giving a book to someone else was giving it to someone else. It had traveled two and a half years in men's pockets all over Vietnam, bringing the wonderful gospel of hope and life in Christ wherever it went. Amazing. One man spending his spare money to buy books at Cabi to pass it out. It goes all over Vietnam with thousands of signatures of men who were touched and moved by the gospel of the book. God wants to set you on a hill. If you're here this morning, God the Holy Ghost has dealt with you. That's all I'm going to say. Come and make it right. But folks, don't come unless you've already made your decision that you're going to go to that person or those persons that you have wounded or hurt and make things right. If it's a letter, if it's a call, it's best to do it person to person. Make it right. And if you're not right with God, if you're backslidden, you don't know the Lord, come with these that are coming right now. Up and about they go to the stairs on either side. Now folks, it's going to take a lot of honesty for you to step out here, but come only when the Spirit moves you. Come only if the Spirit of God is dealing with you, please. No one needs to know as between you and the Holy Spirit, but open your heart. We're going to ask God to give you a miracle and set you free and lift this curse. Just lift it. Amen. Whether it's me you have to come to or when the pastors are staffed or another pastor, begin there. If there's something in the past and you've just covered it, get it out in the open. The Holy Ghost wants to bring it because God hasn't forgotten it. God hasn't forgotten. You say, well, the Bible says when I confess my sins, He casts them in a sea and forgets them. But remember, Jesus said, you're not forgiven if you've not forgiven others. It's not been cast in the sea. Folks, I'm not trying to put a heavy burden on people. I'm not trying to get you down. But I would rather you go down until you see the truth. I would rather you go down to rock bottom. And I would rather despair hit your soul until you see the truth and then the truth sets you free. And then the joy comes. Then the victory comes. This demands of us right now, heart searching. It demands of us to get alone with God and the Holy Spirit, not just at this altar now, but to go home and pray Holy Spirit throughout the day to day. Lord, show me anybody. And don't be afraid to go to that person. Make it right. Say, I have done something wrong towards you or I've had an unforgiving spirit. I've not shown you mercy. I've not shown you love. You cannot continue in that and maintain the blessing of God. I'm interested in you being a light to those around you, to your family, to your co-workers, wherever you are. I want you to pray this with me right now. In fact, audience, up in the balcony, everyone hearing me right now in this church this morning. Shouldn't it be your desire, even if you can stand here this morning free and say, best I know, I've not wounded anybody. I've had a forgiving spirit and a merciful spirit. I doubt that very much, because I can't say that. I don't think many Christians can. There's something God's dealing with in our hearts, all of us. If you receive it now, say, oh God, today in this service, I want you to change me. I want you to put the spirit of Christ upon me. I want to be Christ-like in my home, Christ-like on my job. I want to be reminded of those I've hurt and I want to make it right. If you have that in your heart, if you've made up your mind with the help of the Holy Ghost, you will make everything right. I want you to raise both hands. I will make everything right that God tells me to make right. Everything God shows me, I'll deal with by the help of the Holy Ghost. All right, pray this with me right now. Jesus, I acknowledge my sin, my unforgiving spirit, that unmercifulness, that meanness, those things I've said and things that I have done and fought, forgive me, Lord, as I forgive others. Lord, I know You will freely forgive me as I forgive others. I can trust You for cleansing and healing of my spirit and my body. Dear Jesus, I want order in my life. I want this strife to end. I want Your peace and joy. Father, I thank You this morning for sending the Holy Spirit and dealing with us so kindly. Lord, You could have written us all off. You had every right when we are mean-spirited. Lord, when we transgress Your laws and Your commandments, You had every right to cut us off, but You didn't. In Your mercy and Your love, You've been so merciful to us. You've forgiven us such a great debt. Now, Lord, give us a forgiving spirit. Lord, there are people in this church that need to go to other people in this church. People in the choir that have to go to other members of the choir. Maybe in the orchestra. I don't know. Wherever it is. Staff. Lord, make it right. God, help us to make it right. That's our part. Our part is to make it right. This is the conclusion of the tape.